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auras-moonstone · 8 months

Note

Hi, I love your work so much!! How about some hockey player!ethan and figure skater!reader? Maybe some enemies to lovers? Have a great day<3

everything has changed — ethan landry

word count: 2,150

pairing: hockey player!ethan landry x figure skater!fem!reader

summary: as punishment for his suspension, ethan is forced to become y/n's skate partner for a few weeks

Y/N AND ETHAN STOOD STILL INSIDE THE OFFICE AS THE INFORMATION SINKED INTO THEIR BRAINS. Their coaches looked at each other, wanting to ran off the room as to not deal with the eventual fury that would come from the teenagers that everyone knew despised each other.

"No fucking way!" Y/N finally exclaimed, harshly, as Ethan said at the same time, "I'd rather tore my ACL."

The boy's sentence earned him a glare from his coach. "Don't even joke about it, Landry."

"Y/N, it’s the only option. Unless you have someone else in mind who can replace James."

The girl’s shoulders slumped—she didn't, and as much as she didn't like Ethan, he was kind of perfect for the part. He skated flawlessly and he lifted weights twice as heavy as the girl, so he would have no problem lifting her for the tricks. But there was this tiny detail—Ethan Landry was the most infuriating, annoying and self-centered guy in the whole university. And now she needed him, which made him even more frustrating.

Y/N's skating partner broke his arm and the competition was five weeks away, and if she wanted to compete, she had to push her hatred aside for a few weeks.

"And I wasn't asking you, Landry. It is an order. Consider it your punishment, learn to be professional." his coach said in a determined tone.

Ethan sighed and covered his face with his hands. He had been suspended from hockey for three games after beating the opposite team's defense player almost into oblivion. The ice had been tainted scarlet and his knuckles still hurt, even he knew he had crossed a line. But after the player said the nastiest of things about his family, he couldn't think straight. And here he was now, forced to become a figure skater for three weeks with the girl he loathed the most in the world.

"After you, my love." Ethan said in a sour voice, holding the door of the office open for her. He had a smile so false that Y/N was tempted to slap it off his unfairly pretty face. He loved pushing her buttons, so when he saw her face of annoyance he wanted to infuriate her even more. Y/N rolled her eyes and walked out the room, with the tall boy on her tail. "Wow, no ‘Thank you, Ethan! You're a real gentleman’?"

"Must have been hard not being an asshole for a whole second, right? It didn't give you an aneurysm?" she matched his false smile.

"No, but working with you for sure will." Ethan retorted. "On a positive note, I'll get to see you in sexy leotards."

"Pig" she muttered under her breath. "And I'll get to see you on leggings."

Ethan stopped walking and inspected her face, looking for any signs that told him she was joking "Wait, what?"

She smirked, enjoying the moment. "That's what figure skaters wear, genius."

"I won't wear that."

"Yes, you will, pretty boy. Don’t be a baby about it.” she said, and he flipped her off. He hated her so much. “See you tomorrow."

“Unfortunately.” he said loud enough for her to hear. She rolled her eyes as she walked away, she hated him so much.

THEY HAVEN'T EVEN GOT INTO THE ICE RINK AND ETHAN HAD ALREADY PISSED Y/N OFF. He had been inside the locker room for fifteen minutes now, and didn't want to step out. Y/N was two seconds away from kicking the door down.

"Landry get your ass out of that room right now! We are wasting our time!" she banged on the door furiously.

"You don't understand! I can't wear this, Y/L/N." Ethan yelled.

"Every skate figure wears leggings, Landry. There is nothing to be ashamed of."

"Yes, there is. This leggings are too tight, Y/N. Too tight."

Y/N sighed. "Let me see."

"No way!"

"Stop testing my patience, Landry. Let me see or I'll go in."

A few seconds later, she heard the turn of the handle and the door flew open. The air got stuck on her throat and a strangled sound left her mouth. The rumours going around the university were true, she couldn’t help thinking.

"Holy mother of God" she said loudly, gaze fixed on the problem. "That's too tight"

"That's what I've been saying for the past fifteen minutes!" he yelled frustrated.

"I thought you were exaggerating."

"Are you talking to me or my dick?" Ethan frowned, seeing how she wasn't looking at his face, gaze fixed on his huge bulge.

Y/N was brought back from the shock and finally looked away. "I'm so sorry! That was not okay of me, it's just... shocking."

"That I have a big dick? Ouch, I'm wounded."

"No! I mean- not that I ever thought about it. But I didn't expect I would ever find out" she couldn't have been blushing more. As much as she hated him, she wasn't stupid. Ethan Landry was the most attractive boy on college.

"Whatever. What am I going to do? I can't practice like this."

"Just put your gym shorts above the leggings. And hurry up."

She turned around to leave when he called her name. "I'll never get tired of seeing you in a leotard" Ethan winked at her before closing the door of the locker room.

What was his obsession with leotards? Y/N asked herself as she rolled her eyes. And as she made her way to the ice rink, she tried to ignore the fact that her whole body had turned warm after his words.

While putting his skates on, Ethan watched Y/N going over the routine. There were very scarce the times where he saw her without a scowl on her face or firing insults at him, and that was only when she was on the ice. Her face glowed and she was completely hypnotic. She moved around so flawlessly and elegantly that it was impossible to look away from her, you could tell that she truly loved being on ice. As much as he disliked her, Ethan couldn't deny that Y/N was beyond professional and one of the best skaters he had ever seen.

“Are you ready?” Y/N asked him, sliding towards the edge of the rink. Ethan got out of his daze and nodded. “Okay, so obviously this is not the same as hockey, but I’ve seen your moves and I don’t think you’ll have problems doing this routine. But if you don’t understand something, speak up and we’ll work on it.”

Ethan nodded. “Wait, what do you mean you have seen my moves?” he asked as they got into position.

��I’m a huge hockey fan, and I don’t miss any of Blackmore’s matches. So yeah, I’ve seen you play countless times.”

“Am I your favourite player?” he asked with a smirk.

“Let’s get to work.” she rolled her eyes. But the answer, even though she would never ever say it, was yes. And he knew it.

Objectively speaking, of course, Ethan Landry was the best hockey player Blackmore had. Probably better than the rest of the New York’s university players. On the ice, he was a force to be reckoned with and he was a hard-worker, he cared for his team and for the sport. He was a true captain. And that’s exactly why it shocked her to the core the way he had reacted on that final match.

“That’s a yes, I know it.” he smiled widely, making her sigh. He wasn’t making fun of her anymore, he was genuinely happy by it. And then a frown appeared on his face. “I hope I still am, even after what happened.”

The vulnerability in his voice melted Y/N’s walls. “You still are. You are not the first player to get suspended, and you won’t be the last. It has nothing to do with your skills or your commitment to the sport.”

“That’s not what coach says” he laughed dryly.

“Coach is furious because he lost his best player, but he doesn’t mean it. Everyone in this university knows how serious you are about hockey, okay? Don’t doubt yourself over one wrong action.”

They smiled at each other, for the first time ever, with sincerity. But then he ruin it with his smugness “Do you want my autograph?”

Y/N pushed him away playfully “You’re such an asshole”

“Oh sorry, would you prefer if I gave you my jersey?” Ethan sent her a teasing glance.

“I’d prefer if you shut up and start warming up.”

“Anything for my number one fan.” he winked at her and she almost melted. God, was he charming—annoying, but charming nonetheless.

“I despise you.”

But there wasn’t any hatred reflected on those words anymore. That day, they entered the rink expecting practice to be dreadful and filled with insults. They left laughing and hoping the next day would arrive quickly, because they had actually enjoyed it. There had been insults thrown, but they were the playful kind, insults that weren’t meant to hurt the other. Everything had changed that day for them.

Y/N HAD ALWAYS ENJOYED SKATING AND COMPETING, BUT DOING IT WITH ETHAN MADE IT EVEN BETTER. It’s ironic, when her coach told her he was to be James’ replacement, she thought it would be the worst thing ever. But now, that the three weeks were over, she knew she was going to miss him.

“So, that’s it, then.” Ethan spoke up as they left the arena. Today had been their last practice together, as James had already recovered and Ethan’s suspension had ended.

“That’s it.” she nodded. “It wasn’t half as bad as I’d imagined.”

“It wasn’t.” he agreed. His chest felt heavy, which was silly. It’s not like he wouldn’t see her again. They practiced the same days on the same place, and they even shared some classes. The truth was, he was scared it was the end of their newfound…friendship? God, no. Friendship wasn’t quite right, they had something more going on.

“Are you going to the competition?” she asked shyly, cheeks turning red.

God, she was so cute. It was hard to believe it was the same girl that was constantly bickering with him. “Do you want me to go?”

“I mean, I guess it’s kind of your routine too now, so I figure you’d like to see the outcome.” she said nervously.

Ethan took a step forward, so that she had to look up “That’s not what I asked. Do you want me to go?”

“Yes.” her tone was a bit unstable. His closeness made her insanely nervous, so she cleared her throat before replying again. “Yes. I want you to go. But no pressure, it’s okay if you don’t want to.”

“I’ll be there.” he assured her. “My game is on the same day, a few hours after your competition ends.”

“Oh, shit! That’s right. Maybe you shouldn’t come, you need to rest.”

Ethan shook his head. “I’ll be there.” he repeated. “But I want you to go to my game”

“I never miss one.” she said.

“Perfect. You know which number to use” he said, giving her a knowing look.

“Of course, I’ll wear Meeks’.” she teased.

Ethan clenched his jaw. “Use one that isn’t mine and see what happens.”

“You sound a bit mad there, Landry. You sound almost—” she stood on her tip toes, her mouth nearly touching his. “jealous.”

“You’re killing me here, Y/N/N.” his tone was pleading. He had never wanted to kiss someone so badly.

“What? You want me to kiss you?” her words left in a whisper and he could feel her breathy voice against his lips.

“I’ll give you three seconds to take a step back, if you don’t, I’ll kiss the hell out of you.” he warned her.

Y/N smiled. “One.” she set his hands on her waist. “Two.” then she wrapped hers around his neck. “Three.” she looked him in the eyes. “Still her-”

Ethan’s lips captured hers. The kiss was like their relationship—it started wild and aggressive and then it slowed down, becoming sweeter and softer but still holding an insanely amount of passion.

“You drive me crazy, did you know that?” Ethan laughed, pressing his forehead to hers. “In the most frustrating and loving way.”

“If a month ago someone told me I’ll be kissing Ethan Landry I would’ve laughed and then throw up in disgust. Now, there’s no other thing I’d rather be doing.”

“Aw, that was kinda sweet. You still have to work on your compliments, but you’ll get there.” he pressed kisses all over her face. “I’m so fucking glad I punched that guy.”

Y/N laughed. “I dare you to repeat that in front of coach.”

“I don’t have a death wish.”

“And you’re too pretty to die.” she pecked him on the lips. “Did I just make Ethan Landry blush?!”

“Shut up!” he laughed in such an adorable way that Y/N was surprised she didn’t melt in the spot. “I really like you, Y/N.”

“I really like you too.”

#ethan landry #ethan landry fluff #ethanlandry #ethan landry angst #ethan landry x reader #ethan landry smut #ethan landry x y/n #ethan landry x you #ethan landry oneshot #jack champion oneshot #jack champion #jack champion fluff #jack champion x reader #jack champion x y/n #jackchampion #jack champion fanfic #jack champion imagine

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cloudybarnes · 10 months

Text

Private Encounters

Pairing: Cardan Greenbriar x reader

Summary: you were tired of Cardan constantly attacking you and your friends. one day, though, Cardan asks to speak with you privately, and no good things could come from the prince of elfhame wanting to speak with you with no one else around

Word Count: 2.4k

Masterlist

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"Hurry up, you guys! We're gonna be late again!" Taryn whisper-shouted as you and Jude trailed behind her towards the courtyard.

Usually, you two went alone on your adventures, but Taryn decided she wanted to be spontaneous, too, and wanted to join along. Unfortunately, she didn't seem to have that much fun, and urged you back to class almost as soon as you got there.

"Who cares if we're late?" Jude rolled her eyes. "It's not like anyone would really care."

"Just because they don't like us, doesn't mean I want to draw their attention. Who knows what they'll do." Taryn shifted the picnic basket of food between her hands, nervously. She was always the most cautious of you three; always fearing what they would say or do to you guys.

You scoffed, "Taryn, let's be real. Even if we were there on time and minded our own business, Cardan and his little fanclub would still find some reason to bother us."

Jude chuckled, "he's so insufferable. What I wouldn't do to wipe that idiotic grin off his face."

You laughed, "I'm right there with you. It's like his greatest pleasure is being annoying."

"I don't know." Taryn slows her speed walk to match pace with Jude and I. "I feel like Cardan mostly has it out for you, now, (Y/N)."

You rolled my eyes.

"Oh yeah," Jude agreed. "Ever since we became friends, he's like diverted the hatred for us onto you."

You laughed, "Wow, thanks guys. Who knew being your friend would make a prince despise me."

Jude laughed too. "I don't think it was all our fault. You're human, so he would have hated you anyway."

"That's so reassuring, thanks for that."

Jude smirked, "anytime."

When we finally emerged onto the courtyard where class was taking place, most everyone ignored you, save for the professor.

"Ah," he said, "nice of you three to join us. Please find a seat so we can continue on with our lessons of astronomy."

Taryn bowed her head to keep from looking at anyone. You noticed Jude did not bow her head, but she would not look at the other students.

You, however, must be an idiot to not follow along with them, because your gaze falls straight to Cardan, who is staring back at you with much ferocity.

As the even bigger idiot you are, you do not avert your gaze, but simply glare back at him. To that, and small, devilish grin grows on his face. It almost seems like an invite of this little game you play. He hates you and your friends, goes out of his way to torment you three, and for that, you refuse to back down. Sometimes, you think he likes that you fight him so much.

"(Y/N)," Taryn calls, quietly as to avoid too much attention. She waves you over. Only then do you realize you've been staring at Cardan so long that Jude and Taryn have already set up the blanket and started spreading out the food.

Your cheeks heat as you walk the few feet to where they are sitting. You can hear Cardan snicker as you walk past him and Nicasia.

"What were you thinking!" Taryn scolds as you finally sit down on the blanket. Your professor continues with his lecture, but you don't even bother to pay attention to him.

You shrug, "I'm not really sure. I just can't stand him so much it makes me crazy."

Jude laughs at that. "I'm so glad we're friends, (Y/N). I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have someone else to share my hatred for Cardan with."

You giggle, "well it's a good thing I'm here, then, huh?"

"I don't think anyone is happy you're here."

Looking up from where you're sitting, you see Nicasia and Cardan looming down over you. Seems like the lesson is over as everyone else has abandoned the courtyard.

"Oh, Nicasia, always a pleasure." You rolled your eyes as you stood up. Behind you, you hear the shuffling of Jude standing and pulling Taryn up with here. "To what do we owe you coming over here and bothering us for?"

She smirked, "I have no reason for being near you filthy mortals other than to make sure you stay in your place. You don't belong here. You're frail, and worthless, and someone needs to remind you of that."

You mocked her with a laugh, "is that really all you've got?"

Taryn let out a quiet gasp.

Nicasia narrowed her eyes. "What did you say?"

You shrugged. "All I'm saying is you give the same excuse every time you come over here. 'I'm putting you in your place', 'make sure you know what a worthless mortal you are'. Blah, blah, blah. It's very redundant, Nicasia, and quite truthfully, it's just tiresome." You said condescendingly.

The fire is her eyes was hot. Her fists balled at her side as she glared at you.

Now, it's not like you were looking for trouble, or that you wanted anything bad to happen to you or your friends. You just could not stand the way she and Cardan always came over to you and caused problems.

The slap was expected. Your cheek burned as Nicasia's hand left your face. Taryn couldn't hold back the very audible gasp that left her lips. Looking back to your friends, Taryn looked utterly frightened, and Jude looked angrier than you'd ever seen her.

Right as Nicasia was about to slap you again, Cardan interrupted her.

"Nicasia," Cardan warned as he lifted his hand, "that is quite enough."

You scoffed. "Oh, and since when are you ever the peace maker?"

Cardan smirked, "Since Nicasia decided she was going to slap you. I quite like your face the way it is."

All heads turned to Cardan as he said that. Nicasia looked hurt, Taryn looked almost as confused as you felt, and Jude just looked disgusted.

You narrowed my eyes at Cardan, despite your confusion. "What games are you playing at, Greenbriar?"

His eyebrows shot up in delightful surprise. A cheeky smirk playing on his lips. "I have no games, (Y/L/N)." He spat out your last name like it disgusted but also intrigued him.

He looked between Nicasia, Jude and Taryn. "You, leave us. I have a few words for (Y/N)."

Jude and Taryn looked at each other, confused and contemplating if they should leave or not. You stood your ground though.

"I'll be fine, guys. I'll just meet you back at Madoc's, okay?" You tried to reassure them, though you weren't exactly sure what you were getting yourself into. All you knew was that you didn't want Cardan to know he frightened you.

Jude nodded her head. "We won't be far. And Cardan," she turned to him, "if you so much as touch one hair on her head, I will-"

"Oh relax, would you, Jude? Always resolving your issues with murder." Cardan rolled his eyes. "Leave us. Now."

Jude glared at Cardan before turning to you and giving you a reassuring look. Just as quickly, she turned away and pulled Taryn off with her.

"And you," Cardan said as he turned to Nicasia. "I believe I ordered you away, as well."

Nicasia looked shocked. "Me? Why would I need to be sent away? Whatever punishment you have for the way she spoke to me, I want-"

"Leave, Nicasia. I won't ask you again."

Stunned, Nicasia's mouth hung open just slightly as she looked between you and Cardan. With a 'hmph', Nicasia turned on her heel and strutted away, leaving behind just Cardan and you.

The two of you stood there in silence. You gazed up at him, trying to decipher why he could possibly want to speak with you alone. Maybe he wants to kill you. Maybe he's grown tired of this cat and mouse game you have going on.

"What do you want, Cardan?"

He smirked, and took a daring step closer to you. "I just wanted to talk with you. You're... interesting. I find you intriguing to say the least."

You raised my brow in confusion. "You find me intriguing? Now I know you're toying with me. What do you really want, Cardan?"

He scoffed. "Is it that hard for you to admit that I might find you interesting?"

"How interesting could I possibly be? I'm mortal, remember? Can't believe you would forget, not after you and your friends made it your entire personalities to constantly remind me of my mortality and how worthless you believe me to be."

Cardan's smirk only grew. "You are quite right. You're mortal. Mortals by nature are fragile, slow, susceptible to our tricks, and yet you seem to be quite the opposite."

Your eyebrows shot up, completely shocked by this sort-of compliment you just received from the Prince of Elfhame.

Cardan continued before you could even get a word out. "I dislike mortals quite a bit. I think they are weak. They have little skill that is worth anything, and they are often succumbed to the nature of our people. You, however, are quite different, (Y/N)."

He took a tender step closer to you. Your breath was caught in your throat. Cardan had never shown any type of interest in you. You thought he'd never actually shown anything other than disgust towards you, but maybe you were wrong.

Maybe all of those teasing smirks and cruel comments were him testing you, trying to figure out just how far he could push you.

"You've stood up to me. You've been given every chance to back down. I've seen how far you are willing to go to defend yourself and those little friends of yours. I find it admirable in a way."

You force out a laugh. "You find it admirable? Everything you consider so 'strong' and 'admirable' about me is what I've had to do to survive this place. You've done nothing but make living here just that much harder than it already is for mortals."

You strode closer to Cardan, persistence on your face. His eyes widened slightly, but the daring smirk never faltered from his lips.

Just as you two were chest to chest, you spoke, "answer now, Cardan, what is it you really wanted to tell me?"

"I've already told you, (Y/N). I think you're admirable. I think you're intriguing. I think there is something about you that keeps drawing me in. Something so pulling, it's frustrating how much I think of you."

No words left your mouth. How could they when your jaw laid open the way it was.

Cardan chuckled. "Now, another reason I wanted you here. I must ask: I know you mortals can lie, something we folk can not do, but how are you so good at pretending?"

Your eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Pretending?"

Cardan's smirk only grew, "pretending you aren't in love with me, that is."

The world had stopped. It felt like your entire world had shattered. This was quite possibly the last thing you thought Cardan would get you alone for.

Anyone with eyes could see that Cardan Greenbriar was gorgeous. All of his kind were gorgeous, but he had exceptional beauty. Beside that, you couldn't find one characteristic about him that you had liked. Sure, maybe he stopped Nicasia from hurting you further than she would have. And by the way Jude recalled his cruelty before they met you, it seemed to have subsided quite a bit since you met him. That still doesn't change the fact that he is cruel, and has been for a long time.

"Cat got your tongue?"

You shook your head clear from your thoughts. "No. Just confused how you could possibly think I would be in love with you."

"You want to know how I know you're in love with me, despite what you might believe?" Cardan grinned and closed the already small space between you two. "Because I know how insufferable you find me. I know how I get under your skin, how you lay awake thinking of how much you hate me. I know this because I feel the same towards you, and despite my feelings of irritation with you, I still find myself completely infatuated by you."

"You are?" You questioned, voice so quiet you might barely have heard it, but Cardan sure did.

He grinned. "Oh, yes. I have been infatuated with you from the moment I laid eyes on you. I wasn't lying earlier when I told Nicasia I'd like her to leave your face the way it is. I think you are pretty for a mortal. You give off this glow and iridescence. You are unlike any other mortal I've come across. The way you've kept me up at night, the way I am excited to see you just to have our little spat had me confused for the longest time. Eventually, I just couldn't take it anymore and I’ve decided to act on it."

You couldn't take it anymore. Everything Cardan said resonated so deeply with you. Somehow he knew exactly how you felt. The way you hated him, the way you were angry with yourself when you thought of him so often, everything he said he felt is exactly what you were going through as well.

You decided, if Cardan was going to act on his confusing feelings, you would act on yours as well.

Already chest to chest, you reached up and gripped Cardan hair, tight enough to hurt, and kissed him with all of the pent up anger and hatred for him you had.

If Cardan was surprised, he didn't seem it. He gripped onto your waist and kissed you back with so much ferocity it made your knees weak.

It was hot, and it was unlike any kiss you've ever had before. Kissing Cardan was unleashing something so deep inside of you. All of your confused feelings for him wrapped up all into a long-awaited kiss.

Gasping for air, you and Cardan separated, though not fully. While you were no longer kissing, you had yet to pull your fingers from the tangles of his hair, and he had no plans of letting go of his hold on your waist.

"I still hate you," you said breathlessly.

Cardan smiled, he actually smiled and replied, "I think I hate you more."

#WOOOOO #something about the cruel prince is gonna do it for me EVERYTIME #do people read the cruel prince fanfiction #im not sure but i wrote it anyway cause i want to oh yea #also this is me coming back to life heyo #im also in a harry potter mood so im probably gonna write some more for the harry potter boys soon hehe #cardan greenbriar #cardan x reader #the cruel prince #the cruel prince x reader #the cruel prince fanfic #cardan greenbriar x reader #jude x cardan #cardan greenbriar fanfic #cardan greenbriar oneshot #cardan greenbriar imagine

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lina-lovebug · 1 year

Text

I Will Protect You

Adam Warlock x fem! Reader

Reader is Gamora and Nebula younger sister. Seems to be a trend with Thanos' daughters to fall for goofy men.

Warnings: ptsd, torture, cursing

Adam did not know love.

He knows his mother loved him. That even though his sole purpose was to kill and work for the Sovereign, he could feel his mother's love for him.

But being in love?

He never thought about it. It was never a priority, especially as a killer who would have no business being intrigued by anything else other than what he was ordered.

"You are an idiot."

"What?"

"But I must say I admire your technique. Staring is also how I got my wife to notice me. Although I did it for hours on end until she noticed."

Drax told Adam, who was staring longingly at (Y/N), the sister to Gamora and Nebula and their resident healer. Adam watched as a pink light emitted from her palms, healing a small injury on one of the children's knees.

"She's very pretty," Adam breathed out. Yes, he had seen specimens that were 'perfect', but you were something entirely different. Your laughter was genuine and kind, and your smile held no ill intentions behind it.

"Drax, I feel sick when I am around her. Like my stomach gets all fuzzy and weird, and-and I can't think straight. Did she poison me?" Adam asked, wondering truly if you despised him secretly.

After all, your first encounter was not a good one.

Adam recalled being beneath you as you held a blade to his throat, pressing it hard enough to draw blood and the rage in your eyes was something to remember.

He now held a small scar on his neck.

"Silly golden man," Drax patted his shoulder, "you love her."

"Love? Are you sure?" He glanced back to where you were but you disappeared.

"What should I do?"

Oh if only he should have known that Drax was the worst person to ask for advice.

"I'm sorry."

I turned around to see Gamora. Her arms were crossed, she was guarding herself, as she looked at me with sad eyes.

"You have nothing to-"

"You had someone who was openly loving and caring, and that's not me," I swallowed a lump in my throat. Gamora changed once she realized that Nebula and I just needed a sister, not a combat partner. I saw her make that effort, and she learned my love languages and learned who I was as a person.

When she died, I felt a part of myself die with her.

And when this new Gamora, or old Gamora, had shown up, I wanted that back. But she was just as cruel and as mean as when we first fought and she beat me.

"Wow, you don't think I know that?" I retorted, avoiding eye contact as I continued to polish my knives.

"From our first fight when Thanos pit us against each other, I knew you were only looking out for the best. That you needed to be the golden girl in order to survive, but did you know what he did?" I asked, finally looking at her.

"Yeah, Nebula-"

"No, not to Nebula," I interrupted, standing up.

"When I was eight and kept losing, he didn't just lock me in my room. He had Ebony Maw do things to me. . .he started slow by making incisions in my back to see how much I could scream, and then did this," I lifted up my shirt and her eyes widened.

"He started putting viles inside of me that he found on other planet's to see how my body would react to them. That's how I got my power to heal," I explained, "but every experiment, every needle - it left behind this."

My stomach and back held my memories. It was littered in scars that would never go away and ruined me.

"I-I didn't-"

"No one knew. Not even Nebula until a few years ago," I admitted.

"I get why you fought so hard but. . .I don't think I can forgive you."

Gamora looked like she had just seen what hell was like. A light mist formed over her eyes, realizing that whenever she won, someone else had paid the price.

"I know you'll never be her," I admitted, "but you could at least try to act like we were sisters."

"You are," She grasped my hands tightly in her own, "you've always been. I'm sorry I never saw it until now."

I removed myself from her, "I know you mean it, but I'm going to need you to go."

She hesitated but nodded, "ok."

Gamora shut the door behind her and wanted to scream. All of the "What ifs" plagued her mind, wondering what would have happened if only she had noticed sooner. But before any tears could escape, she heard a shuffle and spotted the golden boy lurking.

He looked just like she did.

Shocked and furious.

"If you do anything to hurt her, I will slit your throat in your sleep," Gamora told him before walking off, leaving him stunned.

The mere thought of someone making you cry made Adam furious beyond belief, but torturing you? Seeing how loud you could scream - how much pain you could take?

He didn't know understand love but that was not it.

Adam was initially going to go to your room and try to 'woo' you, as Drax said to do. But now, all he felt was rage. He knew Thanos was dead, along with everyone who worked for him, so he didn't know where to put this anger.

"(Y/N)?"

"Adam, now is not a good ti-" as I turned around to face him, all I saw was anger. Red flashed across his face, just like the first time we fought.

"Adam? Are you okay?" I questioned.

"I-I feel angry, and I don't know what to do. I want to kill him," Adam ranted.

"Kill him? Who?"

"Thanos."

The name still left a mark on my mind and it made me want to vomit.

"He-he's dead, Adam," I said.

"I know. But he needs to pay for what he's done to you. It isn't fair. No one so kind, so generous and loving should ever experience that," He ranted, unknowingly confirming that Adam knew exactly what Thanos did to you.

"You heard. . ." This was my fear. I finally found someone who makes me smile and makes my heart race whenever we're together, and he knows.

He knows I'm fucked up. He knows I have ugly scars that'll never disappear. He knows I have a dark childhood. He knows I'm-

He shook me from my mind by placing his hands on my shoulders, "I want to protect you. From now on, no one will ever lay a hand on you again. I'll do whatever it takes, (Y/N), I promise."

"Why?"

"Drax says it's because I love you. I only knew my mother's love but I know that when I see you, I want to make you smile. I want you to be happy and always laughing and never upset."

Love? Shit, I didn't know the first thing about it. I always thought that the torture and the lectures were love because a father always wants you to do your best. But after the guardians, I felt lost. This friendship and trust, it was love, but how could I ever replicate that?

"Adam, are you. . .sure?"

He was caught off guard, "yes, I am. Do you not love me?"

"I do, but I don't know how to express that. You deserve someone who does," I told him.

"What do you do with someone you love?" He questioned.

"You hug them, you show that you're there for them no matter what, you learn what they like, you show it in physical ways. You kiss-"

"Then kiss me," His boldness made my whole body still and I felt like face become hot.

"What?"

"If you love me, then kiss me," He stated, still as blunt as ever. My heart was running a mile, and my mind was screaming at me to stop.

But I couldn't.

I lifted my face to his and kissed him. I expected it to be a small peck, but my body wanted more. I yearned for his gentle touch and placed his hands on my waist as he gently kissed back, still unsure about his movements. His lips were soft against mine, following what I did. As I pulled away for air, he pulled me back in. It made me gasp as his hands held me firmly, his lips desperate for mine. I felt breathless as he held me closer, and my hands began to venture into his hair.

"Seriously?!"

Peter's voice made me pull back, frightened that he had seen.

"Everyone but me!" He shouted as he walked away, and I was still firm against Adam's chest.

"I thought kissing was a private affair," Adam said, confused.

"Y-yeah, it is, but my door is open. Adam, you're sure you want this? With me?" I asked, still frazzled at the kiss.

"I only want you, and we can learn how to love each together, right?" He said, so innocent but so willing.

"Yes, we can," I smiled.

"I heard of this thing called cuddling and it sounds nice. Can we do that too?"

I gave him a soft kiss, "for however long you want."

#adam warlock imagine #adam warlock x reader #adam warlock x y/n #guardians of the galaxy #guardians of the galaxy 3

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graciereadshannigram · 4 days

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hey fam, welcome to the May 2024 roundup of the best hannigram fics i've read this past month! i read several million words worth of fics, and these were the cream of the crop. i also managed to rewatch the show for the fifth time!! (unemployment has its perks lmao)

as a reminder: the ingredients for a five star rating typically (but not always!!) include some combination of a.) believable characterizations of both Hannibal and Will, b.) compelling plot and/or character arcs, and c.) high quality smut.

that being said, my judgment of the aforementioned ingredients is powered almost exclusively by vibes. as such, it is incredibly subjective.

you can find past rec lists below:

February March April

and if you have any recs of your own for me, PLEASE SHARE.

anyway, in no particular order, let's go!

Overcoming by purefoysgirl

Word Count: 547.5k Summary: A Victorian A/B/O romance in which Hannibal Lecter is the future Duke of Westvale who has been away at war for the past ten years. His Grandfather has made good on a contract made shortly after Hannibal's birth to procure him a wife. It was supposed to be easy. Naturally, with the Omega, Will, given in the place of his twin sister, it is anything but, because if there is one thing Hannibal Lecter despises, it's Omegas.

This fic had me holding back tears when it ended (after sobbing a couple different times). This was... incredible. What a fucking UNDERTAKING this author committed to, and despite this being a doorstopper of a fic, the plot did not miss a single beat. Just... wow. For the love of god, please read this.

Falls the Shadow by littlesystems

Word Count: 72.4k Summary: "You're a psychiatrist," Will says. "Between your personal and professional lives you must have met thousands of people, you must know dozens of different flavors of pathology. Do you know anyone who would take me as I am? Who would be able to love me," he gestures in a sweeping motion, from his messy hair to his stained knee, "just as I am?" "I do." Bedelia's words shock Will into stillness. “Really?” AKA an AU where Bedelia is Will’s psychiatrist instead of Hannibal, Will makes a series of increasingly questionable life choices, and no one should ever take Bedelia’s advice. Ever.

GIMME MORE STARSSSSSSSS. Bedelia as Will's psychiatrist was brilliant, holy shit. And Will understanding Hannibal and completely accepting him? This is something I see so rarely done in fics. Will always makes him be a lot less manipulative, or at least goes through heavy angst over it. But in this? Will was immediately endeared because that's just who Hannibal is.

Bram Stoker's HANNIBAL by DBMars

Word Count: 586.7k Summary: Love Never Dies. "I have crossed oceans of time to find you." Hannibal + Bram Stoker's Dracula + the classic novel = a new version of the seductive vampire legend. Count Hannibal Lecter loses the thing most precious to him -- the love of his life. God is beyond measure in wanton malice, and matchless in his irony. And so Hannibal renounces God, and becomes an immortal monster that feeds on the blood of the living. 400 years after losing his beloved, Count Lecter meets a man who looks exactly like the husband he lost -- reborn and returned. But who could learn to love a monster?

@dbmars you are a fucking genius. I am honestly still processing and figuring out how to communicate just how amazing this fic was. Do yourself a favor and go read it NOW.

the book of jonah by zipegs

Word Count: 18.1k Summary: A sudden breath of hot wind presses through the trees. For a moment, it feels fresh, alive, and then the dust—the pollen—comes along with it, a parasite hitched on the back of the breeze. Will is ravenous. --- After the fall, Will and Hannibal sojourn in a remote, decrepit cabin in South America while they await Chiyoh’s return. But something here is afflicting them, and it’s only getting worse.

Okay, bear with me. THIS WAS FUCKING AMAZING. I haven't felt this way after consuming a piece of media since I watched Guillermo del Toro's The Autopsy episode. Psychological horror mixed with body horror mixed with smut??? I guess that does it for me. I literally can't stop thinking about this fic. It's been two weeks and I am STILL thinking about it.

Wrong by HotMolasses (@snazzymolasses here on tumblr)

Word Count: 4.2k Summary: Will roughly rubbed his arm across his mouth again, trying to rub it off. Rub off the scent of Alana, after they’d kissed. After she’d kissed him. Or he’d kissed her? It was mutual. Until it wasn’t. Until Will breathed in her scent, so familiar, so Alpha, so…wrong. He’d pulled back forcibly, unable to hide the expression of revulsion on his face. “I…I need to go.” he said, sweeping his coat off the back of a chair on his way towards the door. “Lock up when you leave.” The weather was crap, and it probably wasn’t smart to drive in the snow while he was in pre-heat, but Will didn’t know what else to do. He needed to figure this out, he needed to talk to the only person who understood him. He needed to talk to Hannibal.

So ummmmmmm what do I need to do to turn this into like a whole AU?? As always, this was a total home run. Every single bit of it was perfect.

as soft, as wide as air by BlackKnightSatellite

Word Count: 193.9k Summary: After surviving the fall, Will finds he has far fewer hesitations about joining Hannibal than he would have guessed. Character death, but not Will or Hannibal.

Well shit. I read this immediately after a full rewatch of the show (in four days no less) and THIS is my new season 4 canon. It's brilliant and actually reads like a proper season would. And I love how it gives all the characters a concluded story line. Aside from Will and Hannibal. I also loved how much this explored Will's instability and how his mental state would be affected after he finally slung off all the guilt and allowed himself to fully enjoy killing. All around very good.

The Dispersal Method by @victorineb

Word Count: 16.9k Summary: It’s a normal fall day in the forest for Will Graham. Dead body in front of him, cannibal psychiatrist behind him, the usual. Then Will brushes against the wrong flower, and suddenly neither he nor Hannibal can keep their hands off each other. Now, Will must navigate his way out of the crime scene and Jack’s scrutiny while also trying not to jump Hannibal’s bones at every opportunity. Well, one out of three ain’t bad. Set nebulously in s2, post-Will's release from the BSHCI. Will’s a conflicted honeypot, Hannibal’s a (not-so) secretly-besotted asshole, and nobody has brought enough lube.

THIS IS THE BEST SEX POLLEN I'VE EVER READ. Seriously. The BEST out of pretty much any fandom (at least so far).

Between the Shadow and the Soul by raiast

Word Count: 48.7k Summary: When Will decides to stop taking his suppressants neither he nor Hannibal can deny the attraction between them. After nearly a decade of running from his biology, Will is faced with his primitive Omega urges full force. As if navigating his hormones wasn't enough, there is a killer at large with a very specific motive that seems to only be targeting preteen boys.

This might be my new favorite ABO fic? And one of the better case fics out there.

Sleepover by EarthsickWithoutYou

Word Count: 70k Summary: Set in Season 1, after "Fromage." Will is still confused about his kiss with Alana and seeks romantic advice on how to date and be more "smooth" from Hannibal. Little does he know that Hannibal is madly, passionately obsessed with him, and desperately jealous. Needless to say, Dr. Lecter is all too happy to teach Will everything he knows about love and dating.

This was pretty fluffy, tender, and fun, and it was exactly what I needed after finishing a heavier fic

Alana Finds Out by @victorineb

Word Count: 32.1k Summary: A series of one-shots in which Alana Bloom discovers, in the midst of various tropes, that her boyfriend Hannibal Lecter's feelings for Will Graham run far deeper than friendship. Basically a chance for Alana to shout at the pair of emotionally-repressed idiots whilst still indulging in much Hannigram loveliness.

Oh I loved all of this. This scratched that itch in my brain that loves when Alana realizes that Hannibal has wanted Will all along. And some of these one-shots are genuinely hysterical. Love.

Doctor's Orders by JSinister32

Word Count: 29.2k Summary: “He’s dead on his feet, Jack. I do not understand how you allowed him to come when he’s so obviously ill. There have been too many hours in service of your needs, so many that it seems to have affected any sleep that he may have gotten over the past few weeks. From what you and I have discussed, he has a difficult time shutting his mind down under the best of circumstances and this case today has clearly gotten to him.” The doctor stepped closer to the profiler, peering into his eyes as Will tried to focus. “Will? Can you hear me?” Will Graham has never been particularly good at taking care of himself. When he comes down with a severe cold while working on a string of murders, the new psychiatrist on retainer, Doctor Hannibal Lecter, offers to care for him. Will he be able to keep his feelings in check while Hannibal is in his home? Hannibal Lecter can't get the profiler working for the Violent Crimes unit out of his mind. When given the opportunity to care for him when he's ill, will his feelings for the other man come to light?

TENDER. I want like 70k more words of this. Especially Hannibal putting Jack in his place. Especially Hannibal washing Will's hair. Mmm. There's just something so good about Will letting Hannibal take care of him.

The First Condition of Immortality is Death by OneHandedBooks

Word Count: 92.5k Summary: Hannibal’s heart stopped for the first time after he’d dragged himself and Will out of the frigid ocean onto the rocky shore at the bottom of the bluff.

Oh this was GOOD. Very tender, good characterizations, and loved how Will's hallucinations were portrayed. This was just all a really good exploration of how their relationship could have progressed. This author also is incredibly good at showing the scenes in a way that I could watch them unfold in my head. This felt like a crystal clear movie.

What Do The Dead Know? by OneHandedBooks

Word Count: 7.6k Summary: He looks up at her, haloed by the sun. She could be anyone. No one. St. Abigail, patron of lilies and last chances. AU: What if Will joined Hannibal willingly after the Uffizi Gallery and they shared a few tense weeks in the world before Mason's men finally ran them down? In which Will writes, hallucinates, and succumbs to the dark side and Hannibal is a manipulative, brainwashing, bastard.

cw: Abigail/Will. But does it really count if it's a dream sequence? Regardless, this was something else, off the charts, big fan. The author NAILED the hallucinatory vibe that made this entire fic work so so well. Also, just Will working through his grief for Abigail this way made it that much more intense.

chimera of the chapel by bleakmidwinter

Word Count: 211.5k Summary: When Will Graham wakes up from a coma three months after the fall, Jack reveals that Hannibal Lecter didn't survive. Outside the realm of Hannibal's influence, Will decides to discover the full truth behind the world's sudden and seeming falsehood. Everybody seems to hold their own opinion on Hannibal's fate, but Will knows better than anyone that trust and honesty are as elusive as death.

The "presumed dead" trope might just be my new obsession. I adored this fic so much, the plot was incredible, the development of their relationship was spot on, and there were just some very tender moments.

wear my silence like a mask by bleakmidwinter

Word Count: 32.k Summary: After running into Hannibal at a Bass Pro Shop, Will is invited to a Masquerade Ball at his estate. Jack encourages him to attend for an opportunity to catch the Ripper. Extenuating circumstances tempt Will down an even graver path; Romance with the Ripper.

Three words: masked anonymous sex. That's all.

The Voices and the Shadows by darlinghogwarts, MaddyHughes

Word Count: 114.6k Summary: “The Chesapeake Ripper? The serial killer? That's a grisly thing to find at the bottom of a drink. Most people say oblivion ...or possibly sex.” Hannibal sips his wine again. “Why are you thinking about a murderer on your birthday, Will? Is it part of your degree?” “He is a part of my degree by my own choice. My supervisor didn’t approve, but…” He sighs. “I insisted.” AU where Will—a Masters student studying the Chesapeake Ripper—gets drunk on his birthday and meets an intriguing man at the bar.

Man, I wish I had had Hannibal as my thesis supervisor in grad school, hot damn. (Mine was pretty much too busy to help with anything, ended up doing it all myself – would not recommend.) This was was damn near perfect. I needed some good old fashioned angst. With a good and fluffy ending. This was a good AU!

Chasing Thoroughbreds by HigherMagic

Word Count: 42.8k Summary: After the fall, Chiyoh rescues Will and Hannibal and takes them to the Lecter home in Lithuania. When Hannibal wakes up, his memories of everything - Will, being the Ripper, everything since Mischa's death - are gone. Will's only problem with that is that killing Hannibal won't be nearly as satisfying if he doesn't understand why. Wrestling with his own feelings, or what's left in the tattered mess of them after the fight with Dolarhyde, Will stays, hoping that Hannibal will recover and give him the opportunity he's waiting for. But there are others who remember what Hannibal did, all those years ago, and they have their own bone to pick.

Ugh pretty sure I love almost everything HigherMagic writes and this did not disappoint. This was fantastic. I was absolutely captivated by Will's development through this and Hannibal was just as good.

Volto Larva by TreacleA

Word Count: 39k Summary: Will is having trouble unwinding after work. Hannibal helpfully suggests somewhere that may assist with that, with absolutely no ulterior motive whatsoever.

So ummmm I'm still blushing (in the best way) over parts of this fic because FUCK this is scorching. Anyway. That's all I've got to say LOL.

#hannigram #hannigram recs #hannigram fics #fic recs #hannibal #hannibal lecter #will graham #murder husbands #mads mikkelsen #hugh dancy #nbc hannibal #hannibal tv show #hannibal nbc #fannibals #dracula au #bram stoker's hannibal #overcoming fic #gracie reads hannigram

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shadowqueenjude · 7 months

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Lucien finally loses his shit and does something batshit crazy part 4

“When he spoke again, there was nothing but Autumn Court fire in his voice.”

Lucien has approached Nesta about the mating bond that has her so worked up!

Nesta’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I am not mated to that brute.” She spat the word brute like a curse.

Lucien sighed. “Why would I make this up?” He dared a step closer. She didn’t step away, holding his gaze. It felt like her stormy blue eyes were branding him with the look that glittered in them. “Search deep within yourself. It’s how you knew he was about to die at the hands of the Cauldron. It’s how he knew you were in mortal peril at the library. You can feel the thread, deep in your gut. It may not be strong, but it’s there. Lingering. Close your eyes. Concentrate. Then you’ll feel it.

To his surprise, Nesta obeyed with little hesitation. “I see what you mean,” she said quietly. “It’s… like a little tingly. The sensation. It’s faint, but it’s there, glowing just slightly.”

Lucien’s eyes narrowed on Nesta. The magic eye was able to register the thread, thin and feeble as it was. Lucien sent a silent thanks to Nuan, his incredible tinkerer friend who had created this masterpiece for him. “I can see it too.”

Nesta’s brows flew up. “Wow, that magic eye must be really special, huh?”

“Yeah,” Lucien grinned.

“What did you mean when you said you could resolve the mating bond? I thought nothing could break it.”

“No one has succeeded yet,” Lucien corrected her. “But based off of the nature of the bond, someone very powerful with the correct gifts could technically do so.”

Nesta’s eyes narrowed. “You have fire in your blood.” Not an insult, but a question.

Lucien’s grin turned wider. “That’s not all that runs through these veins.” The power he had only revealed once, and as far as he knew, no one had ever suspected of being anything other than chance.

Nesta looked him over. A frank, cool assessment. “And what makes you think I want to break the bond?”

Lucien snorted. “Please. You’re living in the slums when you could be living as royalty. You didn’t show up for any of the holidays. I already know from your sister that you despise the Fae. All of this together shows me you hate being here as much as I do.”

Nesta blinked. Not in surprise, but to buy herself time. “I see why they call you the fox.”

Lucien smirked. “Who told you that?”

Nesta shrugged, leaning back against the kitchen counter. “Does it matter?”

“I suppose not.” Lucien idly began braiding a few strands of his hair.

Nesta crossed her arms. Then said, “Cassian tried to give me a gift.”

Lucien stilled his hands, waiting.

“I told him I didn’t want it, that I didn’t want anything of his.” Nesta took a deep breath. “He was furious. He threw his gift into a river. Then he followed me all the way to my house. Insufferable man.”

Lucien scowled. “Bastard. I see where the Illyrians get their terrible reputation.”

A small smile from Nesta at that. “The worst part though, was that I couldn’t feel anything. Until now, I thought I had lost the ability to be normal.” A look at him, grateful this time. “Thank you.”

Lucien blushed. “I didn’t do anything.”

“You listened,” Nesta said simply. “Nobody else bothered.”

She offered a hand. He took it. “Trying to break the mating bond- it won’t hurt me? Or Cassian?”

Lucien shook his head. “It’s not a part of you. Think of it like a bridge between souls. A connection. You lived your whole life without such a connection. You will be able to do so once it’s broken.”

Nesta nodded, closing her eyes. “Then, try it. Do your worst.”

Lucien concentrated. He had been tunneling deep into his power for the past several days, rallying enough power to try and break the bond. He now poured all of his magic into that one thread that connected two souls together. He had already warded the Night Court palace where he was sure Cassian would be for an extended period of time, so he wouldn’t detect anything amiss. And since Nesta hadn’t accepted the bond, there were countless explanations for what happened besides him.

At last, he reached the bottom of the thread. The absolute base of the mating bond, the essence of what it was.

And he found out what the mating bond truly was.

The Mother smiles upon her loving descendants. When she is in a loving mood, when her home is bathed in beautiful colors fit for spring, she sees fit to create bridges. Only her bridges aren’t made of anything found on this land, but rather, the unconscious needs that simmer in the abyss of our minds, things we never knew we wanted or needed because it’s something we dare not voice even in our own heads for fear that someone may hear and snatch away our dreams. These thoughts are blended with the threads of destiny. All who are Fae are born have a mate, but only those with great destinies are fortunate enough to meet their mate. Most faerie mates are born in an entirely different era, never knowing that their mate had not been born yet, and had they lasted another 200 years, they may have lived long enough to meet them. Then at last, these threads are woven into the tapestry of desire, for even the most perfect people for each other cannot last without the chemistry that sparks romance. Because a mating bond consists of these three different kind of threads, it is exceptionally rare to meet your mate, have that mate be somebody who actually wants to be with you in every possible way, and have the relationship last forever. After all, a mating bond is not a true mating bond until it has been consummated.

And then the Mother spoke to him.

You dare try to hand back my gift?

The voice was soft and hard, hot and cold, soothing and harsh, beautiful and terrible, all at once.

Lucien managed not to shudder in fear of the voice that spoke in his mind. Steeled himself. When he spoke again, there was nothing but Autumn Court fire in his voice.

A gift she did not ask for and does not want, with a male who will never deserve her.

Impudent male. You dare speak back to me?

I’m not known to fear any man or beast in this world.

I am not of this world, child. I am this world.

See, you say that, but to me you just sound like a typical arrogant superbeing who’s used to getting what they want.

A musical laugh. I’ve never encountered a creation with quite so much impertinence and bravery as you.

Happy to be of service.

He could’ve sworn there was a smile in her voice as she spoke again. For simply daring to speak to me like that, I shall not eviscerate you.

Gee, thanks.

Quiet, child. I have a great destiny lined up for you, and it would be a shame to ruin it now. You wish to break the thief’s mating bond? I suppose it is fair enough. She takes my powers, and I take her mating bond back in exchange.

That’s settled, then. I also want to break Feyre’s mating bond.

Ah, Feyre Cursebreaker. The girl with two mates.

Lucien’s heart stopped. T-two mates??

Surely, you knew the truth, my lovely fox. I gifted you with brains that none can rival. Feyre is indeed Cauldron-Blessed. She not only has two mates, but they’re both High Lords. Rhysand and Tamlin. Didn’t you know? Why else were you so certain Tamlin would seek out Feyre on Calanmai? Did he not bite her on her neck, claiming her as his own in a way only mates do?

But-

Feyre has two distinct sides to her. The person she was as a human, and the person she became after she let too much darkness infect her heart. No light exists without darkness- but Feyre’s has been twisted and convoluted into the kind of darkness that can only be described as wretched. She has lost her sense of right and wrong. She can never picture herself or her husband as wrong in any situation. My creation has been led too far astray. So perhaps I ought to listen to you and break the bond.

Lucien sighed with relief. This was going pretty easy. Too easily if he was being honest. Honesty wasn’t helping him in this situation, however.

But understand, Lucien Spell-Cleaver. Should you have me do this, you will owe me a debt. For every choice you make, there is a cost. Always.

Lucien did not like the sound of that. But he said, I shall pay that price when the time comes.

I know you will, my darling fox. But will you be prepared when payday arrives?

@readingwritingwatching

#fanfic #lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #anti nessian #nesta archeron #pro nesta archeron #anti cassian #tamlin #anti feysand

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lothirielswandc · 1 year

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HANDMADE HEAVEN (LOVE + FEAR)

Read on AO3 here!

— D A Y S L A T E R —

“You still won't tell me where we’re going?” Raven said.

Damian smirked behind the wheel. He refused to disclose the location — or the nature of their trip for the past three days.

“It’s a surprise,” Damian replied.

Raven rolled her eyes. That was the closest to an explanation she’d get. More like a distraction…

The gorgeous Italian countryside blurred outside the Batmobile’s windows. Fields of vineyards were sprawled across the gentle hills, painted bronze by the sunset. When she rolled down the windows, the air was scented with herbs.

Raven didn't know where she was going, but she certainly knew why. No one had spoken about her reaction to the Fear Toxin, but she knew they remembered. Raven could feel other’s alarm as she passed, worse than normal.

Raven’s public image was…walking plague at best. The situation must’ve been bad if Lois Lane herself brushed off Metropolis to help get the story straight in Gotham.

Raven avoided the windows reflecting her face. Her public image was one thing. But her reputation among her peers (for lack of a better term) after sending half the Justice League to the hospital…Raven shuddered to think of it. A moment when Supergirl showered Raven with compliments flickered in the back of her mind. Would she still mean them?

“I’d like to spend more time with you,” Damian said, misinterpreting her silence. His head was completely turned away from the road. One hand just barely nudged the wheel.

Raven took hold of his chin and pointed his gaze back at the countryside. “You know I do, too. And I prefer it if we don't get into a freak accident along the way.”

“Are you questioning my driving skills?”

“I’m questioning your focus when I’m sitting right next to you,” Raven smiled. She felt his emotions splutter at her words. Being an empath used to feel like a curse, but now it was simply an added bonus to being around him.

Damian glanced away. Crimson bloomed in his cheeks. “Fair enough. But you don't seem very excited.”

Damian squeezed Raven’s fingers. Their hands were interlocked between the seats.

Raven smiled briefly at their fingers meshed together on top of the gearshift. She wished it was just an impromptu getaway trip. It was sweet of Damian to pose it that way.

Her reply was soft, “It feels weird to make a mess and run away.”

“You didn't make a mess. We resolved the issue. All of the…inner turmoil has receded,” Damian shrugged.

Raven turned in the passenger’s seat to face him. It amazed her how nonchalant Damian was. After what she…did to Gotham. His home.

Damian glanced at her face and guessed what she was thinking. “I know you’re upset about it. I’m sorry. It’s hard to feel that way when I’m with you. But you shouldn’t worry about Gotham. It gets wrecked by clowns and psychotic killers on a daily basis.”

Wow. There was not an ounce of judgment in his statement. He must really like her.

“But you’re still meeting with Quinn for weekly Zoom sessions,” Damian relented.

“Oh?” Raven’s brow arched. “I’m shocked you’d allow that.”

“She is a licensed psychiatrist that is aware of everything first-hand,” Damian begrudgingly admitted. His eyes remained on the dirt road ahead.

“And…?”

Raven knew how much Damian still despised Harley Quinn. Now that she was so in tune with his feelings, Raven realized why he never approved of Ivy. Damian had never forgiven Harley Quinn for standing by when Joker annihilated Jason Todd. Anyone associated with Harley repulsed Damian…or used to.

Damian glared out the windshield. “Quinn helped us repel Darkseid’s attack and maintain order. She can be trusted.”

“Mmm.”

“Not that that implements the restoration of her sanity in any way. She’s still a fully licensed lunatic.”

“What a compliment. I’m sure she’d love to hear that,” Raven said, smiling.

The Batmobile slowed as they reached the cliffs. The Mediterranean lapped at the edges like a piece of turquoise silk fluttering in the wind. Gold stained the rivulets of the sea from the sunset.

“It’s beautiful here,” Raven murmured.

Damian casted one pointed glance at her. “I’ve seen better.”

Raven squeezed his hand. The jerk of the car nearly separated their fingers as the Batmobile rolled off the road. It stopped before the cliffs bathed in orange. Just barely, Raven could hear the waves sigh as they caressed the sharp ridges.

“Speaking of the Flashpoint, Father has suggested that you should help debug Cyborg,” Damian said.

Raven bit her lip. Wonder Woman revealed in her head why the Flashpoint was kept a secret: Victor Stone. Darkseid had spied on the Justice League through Cyborg’s tech before the Flashpoint.

Batman thought it was only logical to assume he did the same in their new reality. Thus no one had told Vic yet, for fear Darkseid would retaliate and shut down his systems.

Raven hated keeping Vic in the dark, but the thought of him disassembling before her eyes —

“I’m not the best at techno-magic,” Raven said. Vic deserved an expert: a fixer. Not a destroyer.

“I trust your expertise better than Constantine’s,” Damian’s face puckered.

“I don't know. You hardly trust me with a stove, you think it’s wise to unleash me on Vic’s mind?”

“I wouldn't mind a little unleashing.”

“I suppose I should be grateful for that,” they shared a smile.

Silence filled the car. Damian’s fingers fiddled with her hand, tracing the lines on her palm. Raven scooted closer to lean her head on his shoulder. The aroma of pine clung to his gray collared shirt.

They looked out at the magnificent birth of twilight together, the vibrant colors undiluted from the heavy tint of the windshield.

“Why did you stop?” Raven asked.

“I like looking out at the waves. Brings back memories.” Damian raised her hand to his lips.

Raven marveled at the lightness that encompassed her body. It was such a rare feeling before Damian. Now it was almost as if the sensations had always been there.

Raven’s last memory of the Flashpoint rose up in comparison to the scene before them. Holding hands, looking at a slightly altered horizon. Every part of the memory was nearly picture perfect. Damian at her side. Her powers fully under her control. The gem on her forehead silent.

I’m still here!

Oh, I know.

Raven didn’t ignore the fact that Trigon hadn't even attempted to escape while everyone was in her head. It was the perfect opportunity. The worst Trigon had done was one instance of scaring Constantine.

I know you. You chose to stay for a reason. And I will find out why. With that, Raven shut out his voice and nuzzled her face into Damian’s arm. The scent of him was distracting.

“What do you think would’ve happened to us? After Darkseid left the world a mess?” Raven wondered.

“Hmm…” the tip of Damian’s nose brushed against her knuckles. “That would've been a mess to clean. In terms of us, however…”

Raven looked up. Damian’s face was right before hers. Raven held her breath for his reply.

“My life would’ve been you. That might sound vague, but there’s no better description of it.”

Raven smiled. She could picture exactly what Damian meant. Soft words exchanged in bookstores and bringing tissues to John Wick movies. Taking turns holding an umbrella as they stroll through Gotham. More of her cooking mistakes and even more of his cooking miracles. Fates entwined like their interlocked fingers.

“A happy ending,” Raven said. “That sounds perfect.”

Raven closed the gap between them, her lips brushing his. The soft pressure of it never failed to make her heart spasm.

The heat of Damian’s breath scalded her lips. She clutched at his clothes, closing the distance between them. Damian groaned into her mouth.

For once, with extreme delight, Raven threw self-control to the wayside.

She pushed her seatbelt away, not breaking their kiss as Raven sank into his lap. When Damian broke away for breath, Raven’s tongue trailed down his throat. He shuddered beneath her.

Raven fingered the top button of his collared shirt. She glanced through her eyelashes at his face.

“Now?” Damian’s voice was rough. It sent shivers down her spine.

Raven’s thumb traced the outline of the button. She nodded.

“I was waiting until we reached a bed for —”

“I really don't care.” Raven pressed her mouth back to his, tongue tracing the outline of his lips before diving in.

Raven’s fingers gave into temptation. She flew through the buttons to the chiseled lines underneath, hot and rigid like heated iron rods. He shivered from her touch, tracing the mold of muscles always shielded by fabric.

Damian’s hands moved behind her, feeling the edges of her blouse. His fingers sank underneath, stroking fire against her skin.

They paused only as Damian lifted Raven’s shirt over her head. His hands explored newly exposed skin.

Raven ground into his lap, suddenly pleased at the fashion choice of wearing a skirt.

Damian gently gripped the hair at the back of Raven’s skull and pulled back just enough to meet her eyes. He licked his lips.

“You can feel it, can't you?” he said. “Even when I can't put it into words?”

Raven nudged her nose against his. Every inhale was Damian, overtaking her senses. She could taste the pleasure in the air. Fireworks burst across her body where her bare skin touched his. Damian’s emotions were more in tune with hers than they ever were before.

“I have enough words for the both of us,” she assured him. “Starting with ‘take off your pants.’ ”

Damian smirked. “Is that a command?”

Raven’s nails trailed down his back. She nodded.

Damian laughed quietly.

“Yes, my beloved.”

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nitrateglow · 6 months

Text

Thoughts on Napoleon (2023)

Saw the Napoleon movie last night and was pretty disappointed. It was my most anticipated film this year and wow... maybe the 4-hour cut is better? Because this movie just felt psychologically shallow and overly compressed. 2 1/2 hours just isn't enough time to cover three decades of history.

Not that this film is good history. I cringed at Ridley Scott's pathetic defense of his historical inaccuracies: "You weren't there, I wasn't there, stfu, I can do whatever I want." Did anyone tell Ridley about this thing called primary sources? Or historical records? Or biographies and history books? Like, THAT'S HOW WE KNOW ABOUT HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Like, I was prepared for basic inaccuracies when I saw how they depicted Marie Antoinette's execution in the trailer (no shorn hair, not in white). But man... they really oversimplify the French Revolution and never go into why Napoleon is such a fascinating historical figure, both revered and despised, with an incredibly complicated legacy.

Agnes Poirer's review has a great passage which sums up my frustration with the film as a Napoleon biopic:

"[Ridley Scott] even seems ignorant of the fact that there are two men in Napoleon: there is Bonaparte, a hero of the French Revolution who gave France and Europe institutions of the Enlightenment era that still exist today, and who liberated Jewish communities from their European ghettos; and there is Napoleon, the hero turned weary authoritarian ruler, whose military campaigns drained a whole nation of its youth and wealth. Beyond facts, Scott’s great historical deficiency is to ignore the politics; instead giving us Napoleon’s tactics on the battlefield as a mirror to his sex life. It’s inept, crass and boring."

There's often the sentiment that historically inaccurate movies can be forgiven somewhat if they make for compelling drama. The problem with Napoleon is that the real history IS compelling drama and Scott's film is just shallow spectacle with the occasional goofy gag masquerading as satire. The filmmakers seem to be going for dark comedy, but the approach only sporadically works because much of the humor falls flat (I saw this in an almost full theater and the comedy scenes mostly played to dead silence-- I felt secondhand embarrassment for the actors at times). The humor just consists of Napoleon being awkward or shouting meme-able things ("DESTINY HAS BROUGHT ME THIS LAMB CHOP!" *tries to start food fight*). Yeah, The Death of Stalin it is not.

Joaquin Phoenix's performance is also one-note and static-- his Napoleon never seems to age, visually or inwardly, and he never captures the man's famous charisma, so I never bought that any army would possess an ounce of loyalty to him. Vanessa Kirby fares better as the alluring and tragic Josephine, but even her performance felt compromised and choppy-- probably due to this being whittled down from the 4-hour cut.

Aside from Phoenix's Grumpy Cat face Napoleon and Kirby's Josephine, none of the other characters leave much of an impression, good or bad. Historical figures flit in and out of the story, barely making more than uninteresting cameos. I felt like I was watching a clipshow for a miniseries, not a self-contained movie. If you don't know the basic outline of the history being depicted, I can only imagine how confusing this movie must be.

Ugh, this was just so disappointing! I was never bored while watching it, but I just left the theater empty. The more I think about it, the less I like it.

#thoughts #rant #eternal disappointment

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onward-magic-princess-barista · 1 month

Text

I personally think another moment of Duncan missing Tylor in a "I won....but at what cost?" moment would be as part of his slipping into an existential crisis kind of madness would be that he would have some form of guilty conscience where "Tylor" would start "accusing" him like:

"Tylor", in Duncan's gloating impression: wOw, yOu mUsT bE THAT LoYaL tO sAbOtAgE yOuR oWn CoMpAnY LikE ThAt

Duncan: 😡 What's THAT supposed to mean "College Boy"? I happened to be ABSOLUTELY loyal to this company UNLIKE you!!! 😡

"Tylor", in Duncan's gloating impression: WeLl FoR SoMeOnE WhO's ThAt "LoYaL" yOu tUrnEd yOuR bAcK oN tHe CoMpAnY wItH yOuR LiTtLe pEtTy InVeStIgAtIoN aNd KnEw ThE WhErEAbOuTs Of Mr. WaSoWsKi's LuCkY mItT, Mr. SulLivAn's BeLoVeD PiCtUrE, AND mY FeAr Co. LaTtE CuP!!!! YoU aLwAys dEsPisEd mE FrOm ThE mOmEnT We FiRsT MeT BeCaUsE YOU ThOuGhT I wAs aFtEr FrItZ's jOb!!!! YoU ArE So DeSpiCaBle tHaT mY oWn GrAnDmOtHeR sHaLl nEvEr sPeAk oF yOu eVer AgAin!!!!

Duncan: ☠️😱 *shocked gasp* 😱☠️ 😡 YOU LEAVE MY SWEET VIRGINIA OUT OF THIS!!!! 😡

"Tylor", in Duncan's gloating impression: WhY If Mr. SulLivAn and Mr. WaSoWsKi fOuNd OuT, It iS YOU WhO wIlL Be TeRmiNaTeD oR bEtTeR YeT BaNiShEd!!!! ☠️😈 ThAN I ShALl Be ThE oNe To TaKe FrItZ'S JoB BwA Ha hA Ha Ha hA Ha!!!! 😈☠️

Duncan: ☠️😱 NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!! 😱☠️ 😡 *angrily gets in a fit of rage and beats up "Tylor" like a piñata!!!* 😡 *realizes the error of his ways* 😰 Oh no what have I done?!?!? I must correct the error of my ways even if it means being *nervous gulp* terminated or worse...banished 😰

Where Duncan would apologize to Mike and Sulley in a melodramatic Mrs. Nesbitt Buzz Lightyear-ish fashion like:

Duncan: 💔😭 Mr. Sullivan Mr. Wazowski I did it!!!! I was the sabateour who took your beloved picture and your lucky mitt!!!! I was the one who only had the empty spray cans after the scene of the crime on the laugh floor!!!! I only wanted to frame Tylor because of my immature petty attempt to prove his disloyalty to this company!!!! I never knew about the key or the sugar packets however!!!! I apologize for the petty errors of my ways!!!! I should've been the one terminated, not Tylor!!!! I refuse to live in this imbalanced cycle of madness without Tylor!!!! I can't go on with that paper machete monstrosity any longer!!!! Please do what you must and let me suffer termination or worse....banishment!!!!!

Where Mike and Sulley, understandably disappointed in Duncan, would easily forgive him but perhaps insist on a menial punishment like cleaning the restrooms

#monsters at work #duncan p anderson #james p sullivan #mike wazowski #tylor tuskmon

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futurehunt · 3 months

Note

hii requesting azris drabble 20 or 46 :) tyy

46- Azris kiss out of jealousy 🤭

me: send me drabbles

also me: writes way more than a drabble

18+! mature more than explicit but still slightly smutty, minors dni 😝

ended up posting onto AO3 for funsies if you'd rather read there

Azriel does not fidget.

He was a battle-hardened warrior with centuries of training in stoicism– he knew better than to fidget.

But, by the fourth time the Raskian dignitary left a lingering hand squeezing Eris's shoulder, Azriel found his legs jittering with frantic energy, hands squeezing rhythmically– imagining crushing that olive-skinned hand until bones crunched.

The collective murmur of the crowd echoed around the Great Hall, bouncing off the soaring arched ceiling and blanketing Azriel in its inescapable din.

"This is my spymaster, Azriel." He could hear his brother's garbled voice through the racket to his right, drawing Azriel's attention away from the sight of Eris and the dignitary leaning in close to one another.

Azriel couldn't erase the scowl from his face as Rhysand introduced him to a Monteseren nobleman, if the emerald and silver embellished robes were any indication.

"Wow." The male gawked at Azriel as if he were a roadside attraction, leaning in to Rhysand to ask, "Where did you get him from?"

His brothers eyes shot wide as the moon. Not giving the conversation a chance, Azriel stalked away with a growl– doing his reputation of being an animal no favors.

Shadows thrashing around him, the crowd parted for Azriel in fear.

He had been a staunch advocate for this– a grand soirée between Prythian and empires on the Continent, a joining of peoples to put the past behind them. With Koschei destroyed and power wrestled, at last, from Briyallan's clutches, tenuous peace had settled between the humans and the fae. Under Queen Vassa's guidance, this gathering had been organized at her castle with every court of Prythian and the Continent invited to attend.

Azriel regretted it now, fully intend to go hide within his chambers until the event had finished for the night.

He chanced one last glance back, searching for Eris's vibrant red hair among the sea of muted browns and blondes. The Raskian official that'd been drooling over the Autumn High Lord now stood alone, looking forlorn. Eris? Gone.

With a huff, Azriel resumed the trek back to his room.

It had made his skin crawl to see the greasy human draping himself across Eris. Eris Vanserra was a High Lord– a title that deserved respect no matter how much Azriel despised the male that held it, and that human had been acting as if Eris were no more than a for-hire courtesan sent there to please.

Shortly after exiting the Great Hall, the hallway forked and Azriel veered left towards the Night Court's collection of rooms.

Back, his shadows whispered. The other way.

"What?" Azriel whispered.

The other way, they repeated.

Azriel backtracked, curious, and followed the hallway to the right.

His footsteps bounded off the carved limestone walls, sound bouncing ahead and leading the way. This must be the private wing, Azriel presumed, its walls less laden with ostentatious memorabilia. Thick clouds outside hid the moon from sight, leaving wall-mounted braziers providing the only pockets of dancing firelight to guide Azriel down the hallway.

Behind the tapestry, his shadows said.

As if on cue, a tapestry, as tall as him twice over, emerged from the darkness. It had a lush, hilly landscape sewed onto its surface. In the center, a murky black lake with a red winged bird gliding across its surface.

Azriel ripped back the side of the tapestry and found, hiding within an alcove, Eris.

Eris, who'd been leaning casually back against the stone-stacked wall, jolted up, brows shot high at the sight of Azriel. A lone ball of fire, like produced by Eris, hung in the air above him, gently illuminating the small space.

"How did you find me?" Eris spluttered.

"Waiting for someone?" Azriel growled. That's all this could be– a clandestine rendezvous with Raskian dignitary. Why else would Eris be sequestered away within the private wing of Vassa's palace.

"Not that I'm aware of?" Eris said rising to his full height, only an inch shy of Azriel.

Azriel scoffed in disbelief.

"Oh," Eris drawled, a coy smile spreading across his face. "Don't think I didn't see you watching me all night, shadowsinger. I could practically smell your jealousy from across the ballroom."

"Jealousy?" Azriel gaped in shock.

Eris continued, "You won't act on your desire for me but no one else can have me, is that it?"

"Desire?!" Azriel repeated in disbelief. "I desire you as much as I would a toad."

With a chuckle, Eris said, "You must be really attracted to toads."

Azriel growled and turned to leave.

"I am waiting for someone, actually." Eris's words stopped him in his tracks. "You know, I figured– what better way to strengthen relations with the human of the Continent than to... partake in relations with humans of the Continent."

Whipping around, aghast, Azriel searched Eris for any signs of deceit. "You're joking."

"I don't joke," Eris said haughtily. "You should leave. He'll be here soon and I don't need your presence ruining anything."

Azriel's gaze flickered down the hallway, he saw no one and heard no footsteps. Letting the tapestry drape closed behind him, Azriel stepped into the alcove.

Even with the tapestry down, he could still hear the echo of the crowd in the Great Hall.

All it took was two steps for Azriel to have Eris backed flat against the wall. A heartbeat later, his arm wrapped around the Autumn High Lord and pulled the male flush against him, capturing his lips in a searing kiss.

The first joining of their lips was slow, sucking, and exploratory. Eris tasted of cinnamon spiced liquor and sweet walnuts.

Soon, their manic longing caught up with the pace of the mouths.

Azriel's mind melted.

The only sensation he registered was the soft glide of Eris's lush lips against his own, dancing together in desperate desire. He swallowed the choked groan Eris released into his mouth as the male pressed every inch of their bodies together.

Why hadn't Azriel done this sooner?

His skin burned everywhere they touched, his heart galloped painfully in his chest.

Azriel needed more. Now.

Tilting his head to deepen the kiss, Azriel slid his tongue into Eris's mouth, memorizing his intoxicating taste.

Pulling back to catch his breath, Azriel asked between pants, "You said he's meeting you here?"

"Yes." Eris's pale skin was flushed a rosy pink.

"That's too bad for him." Azriel crept his hands under Eris's shirt to glide along his taut abdomen. "Because he's going to be very disappointed to find me fucking you up against this wall, instead."

Eris's voice was breathless, yet more composed than Azriel wished, as he said, "Against the wall? You're overconfident."

"No, I'm not." With a sturdy grip on the back of Eris's thighs, Azriel hiked the male up, thanking the Mother for centuries of training that made the lift feel effortless.

Wrapping Eris's legs securely around his waist, Azriel leaned in to the male's ear and said, "Tell me you want this."

Eris huffed but said nothing, mouth hinged slightly open and eyes glazed.

Azriel pressed tight into the crux of Eris's thighs and ground against the hardness he found there, managing to suppress a moan at the friction. Unlike him, Eris failed at holding back a whimper.

"Eris, I'm not doing anything until you beg." Azriel whispered before recapturing the male's mouth. They made out in silence, hips rocking against one another, original intention evaporated from Azriel's mind– his sole focus drawing more broken moans from Eris.

Pulling free tightly knotted laces, Azriel slid his hands inside Eris's waistband to grab two hand-fulls of the male's ass. As Azriel massaged the butter-soft skin, squeezing it to its limit, he'd occasionally slide an exploratory finger down to tease Eris's tightness. Every time his finger glided over, Eris's long legs would squeeze around Azriel's waist, using the force to pull their bodies closer.

On the fifth passover, Eris broke free from Azriel's lips, heaving, and begged, "Fuck me, Azriel. Please, fuck me."

"Yes," Azriel moaned eagerly in affirmation.

Shucking Eris's pants up his thighs so that it exposed enough of the male's ass, Azriel trailed his lips down the pillar of his pale neck, sucking deep bruises into the skin.

Fingers twisted in his hair as Eris rasped, "I said, fuck me."

In a haze, Azriel fumbled with a vial of oil his shadows deposited into his palm and made quick work of slicking up his fingers. He circled Eris's heat, egged on by the male's muttered encouragements. They kissed with manically, barely repressed smiles making it hard to maintain a rhythm. Just as he was about to dip a finger into Eris, Azriel paused.

Too late, with no forewarning from his shadows, Azriel registered the clack of footsteps in the hallway outside the tapestry. And, before he could do more than rip his mouth away and gape at Eris in shock, the tapestry was yanked back, flooding light from the hallway braziers into the alcove.

Shadows burst forth, surrounding Eris and blocking him from view.

Azriel dropped Eris from his arms, guiding his legs down so he didn't fall, and double checking that shadows shrouded him entirely, before turning to face the bewildered face of the Raskian dignitary.

The male stared at them, dumbstruck.

"Get out," Azriel growled, cobalt siphons flaring in warning.

That was all it took to send the Raskian scampering away, tapestry dropping to cloak them once more.

Azriel whipped to face Eris, shadows dissipating. "You were serious? You were actually meeting him here?"

"I told you, I don't joke," Eris replied.

Snarling, Azriel pressed Eris back into the wall, plundering his lips with white-hot kisses, set on erasing every thought of the Raskian male until all the existed in Eris's mind was Azriel.

#azris #azriel x eris #azriel x eris fanfiction #azris fanfiction #azris drabble #azris supremacy

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secretmellowblog · 5 months

Note

Hijo for the characterask game

Javert and #8

(A little late but for this ask game!!! Thank you again!)

#8: a thing the fandom does with this character that you despise!

Despise is a strong word! I'll say "confuses me" instead. I talked a little bit about it in my post about fandom Valjean things I dislike-- with the caveat that I don't think any of this is really a big deal, because this small huddle of fandom stuff is a very tiny niche that doesn't have a wide impact, and also it's very normal/natural for people's opinions on characters to change over time, and I know that my *own* opinions have changed over time-- but---

I am confused by all the pro-police stuff in the Javert fandom? XD

I think the main thing that confuses me is why Post-Seine stuff where Javert is "redeemed" usually has Javert returning to his job.

It just makes more sense, thematically and on a character level, for him to resign? The common idea that "redeemed Javert" would go back to arresting people and that this would be a Good Thing always throws me off. Because 'the entire criminal justice system is fundamentally broken, there is a gulf on high, it is immoral to do this' was his whole dramatic realization and all. Plus, even putting aside the anti-police politics of the book, being a cop was clearly not good for Javert's mental health. XD It was making him feel very bad!

I remember once reading a mildly popular fic where a post-seine Javert talks about how he thinks the prison system is fundamentally broken and violent and unjust, and he can never return to his job. And I was like "Wow, this author gets it!" Then I kept reading and it turns out Javert was supposed to be *wrong* in that paragraph, that paragraph was supposed to represent an incorrect pessimistic wrong way of thinking, and the fic was about Javert regaining his faith in the police. It's just very funky! Kinda just like, realizing people view this story in such a radically different way you can't ever vibe with their versions of the characters. People sometimes walk back everything Javert realizes in Derailed as if they're mistakes, instead of positive character development, which feels odd to me. People act as if Jean Valjean is the rare exception to the general rule that Prison Is Awesome And Cool, and that Javert just needs to realize he was wrong about Jean Valjean specifically and nothing else.

I think people often miss that the police are the villains of Javert's story, in the way they're the villains of Jean Valjean's. His family was ripped apart by the criminal justice system before he was even born, he was born in a cage like an animal, and he became an agent of the system that destroyed his childhood because he internalized that institutional abuse as something that he and his family must have deserved. "Is a system that leads to children being born in jails in desperate poverty actually just?" "well of course it is. the baby is a crime baby made of crime. >:("

He's spent his whole life either living in prison or serving as an agent of the prison system; he has no framework for what living outside of serving the carceral system actually looks like. My take is, that poor horrible creature has had enough policework for several lifetimes. If there is a way to be a "good cop," he would've found it by now. Let him rest. Let him find some funky new job.

Also, one or two people have implied in the distant past that I must hate Valvert, but from a Valvert perspective-- I think it's easier to have post-seine Valvert if Javert quits his job. First, it's a dramatic shift in their dynamic and the power level between them; it's a clear sign that Javert has permanently changed. Second: Javert searching for a new job after spending his entire life serving the prison system is just rife for bonding hijinks. You could easily write a scenario where Jean Valjean helps pull strings to find him work as a gardener for Petit-Picpus, but has to help train him for the position or something along those lines, giving them an excuse to interact. Third: I don't think Javert needs to be a cop to be nosy. If you want to write a "casefic"-ish mystery plotline he could be an Angela Lansbury Murder-She-Wrote old lady retiree character solving a mystery out of pure nosiness, without even arresting anyone. Because it would be very funny.

...This has just turned into a ramble about possible Post-Seine hijinks. Anyway the moral is: there isn't really a moral, this is just my petty fandom opinions. But "Javert fics where police are bad" and "Javert fics where police are flawed but ultimately good" are two completely different genres, is my take.

#les mis #ask meme #thanks again!#this is just a funky little ramble #and i dont like positioning myself as an authority over characters

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ngmn2002 · 5 months

Text

Ch 109: Random thoughts (part 2)

Part 1 ...

Continuing with the court, the last case is...

Yugi Tsukasa.

The amount of cuteness! What a harmless kitty! Does he look like a criminal to you? He is so innocent! He is no criminal! Such innocent face hadn't and won't ever comment one single wrong thing in his life! ♪

...........

Look at him. Little mew mew. That's what I call the guy who is really truthful and says whatever he has in mind. A guy with no secrets as he puts it. ☆ you're keeping some huge facts to yourself still, am I wrong? Should we 'question' them to get an answer?

The 2's reaction though... it's so funny.

Wow. So now it's not only Tsukasa who made some kind of Akane expression but Hanako too.

Tsukasa's words about his assistant...

I wonder if Nene caught any meaning behind it? Her wish stands in sharp contrast with sakura's wish? For sakura's wish to come true, her own wish of living is no more? For her wish of staying alive, sakura's wish is no more?

Would she recall a thing of this sort?

And question her fast made 'wrong' conclusion of their 'talk'.

I will have hope she would. She won't forget it like she forgot Tsukasa is a yorishiro and didn't recall it or thought of the fact one day it will be his turn when he took her to destroy No.1's OR that moment Tsukasa said he needs the yorishiro destroyed for sakura's wish to come true. at least think of your own life span 'wish' Nene.

It feels kind of funny when I see something like 'Tsukasa goes all the way when he works on granting a wish'. That's true but... it's not like what he is doing there is only for her sake. He said a part of the truth but didn't voice it all. That's the catch. He has his 'own' motive out of doing what he has been doing so far.

Speaking a bit further into it, neither Hanako (now or ch 96) nor the keepers (Teru being a Minamoto for that matter, who knows lots of secrets behind the school) paid real attention to sakura being mentioned, unlike No. 6. I wonder if that means she is directly involved with appointing 'him' as a mystery only? Or if she has some kind of past interaction with him or him case in a way since she is aware of his story with Sumire and was the one in charge from behind the scenes of the No.6 yorishiro situation.

It feels the other mysteries don't hold any ties with her ruling over them or whatever or even know her? And having Tsukasa mentioning her, he must have known better than to do that if it will attract unnecessary attention for a one in her 'position'. Hmm....

This thing... uhhh... this boy... this boy... this boy... he gives me lots of work. ♡ 3-2-1... let's go...

Lovely

curious

little

kitty. ♡

Is he sitting on books btw? That's funny.

Have to say... Tsukasa's deal with the clock had me laughing a lot... it feels like he hates it... or even... it feels more like despise really. He wants the clock to be blown to smithereens. Wooh! Maybe since it gave both him and especially Amane a hard time.

Come to think of it, we can make the picture a bit wider...

We can start with a yorishiro destruction, leading to a brilliant boundary 'falling apart' wonder if he is curious to see what will happen once he is destroyed with Hanako's boundary

Moving to a destruction of a clock...

So while Amane was trying to fix the clock he was thinking: how would it look when it's destroyed into tiny pieces? Showing that almighty face? ♡ ........

Now I have to say some nice writing decision it was to have Tsu going to see the ruins of the clock. ♪

Look who's pleased with the outcome. Happy for you my dear. You got to see a thing you've been waiting to see for so long. And, got rid of a thing you despise. ~ Enjoy your victory. ☆ Hmm, is it safe to assume he went for kaku first to git rid of his ability of turning back time? He doesnt want things to be undone. Meaning, he wants things just the way they are now with the clock (or kaku's power of turning back time is annoying in general). I wonder what would come of the students and the people around the school then

Following that line of thought, I can understand Tsukasa in this issue but...

The thing I wonder about now with Tsu-clock relationship, is apparently his want to have Nene using it to time travel. Why did he tell her about the usage of the clock when he wanted it destoryed even since back then? What did he want to accomplish in there? Nothing was shown to be done on that regard. And... I think he really might not actually care much to use the clock to have Nene time travel, he has the nowhere space under his command and already used it to make Nene do so. So... the clock is not really needed! Expanding the image a little bit... the 'clock' keepers...

Perhaps he has a thing against them themselves. I wonder what they may have done to get him to feel that way...

???????

Seriously, Amane's whole deal with the clock (and maybe 'deal' with the keepers themselves?) is ....... I still can't get rid of what Tsu said to Nene about the future and past blending together in that festival. So... what if Amane got to actually 'do' something, resulting in what Tsukasa talked about, yet the keepers 'kaku' turned back time anyway and made whatever he did go to waste? Or maybe something across these lines... something serious happened back in time, right?

Hmm......

Then a school...

And,

The world itself.

What a force he is. ♡

It makes sense. He despises this unfair word and sees it not needed, so whatever factor to keep it up and support it is equally unworthy, unneeded.

A world that holds people back from doing what they want and to be who they are with its unfair rules is better off broken. Especially, when it's a matter of a person who means the world itself to him.

"It's said the annihilation of a civilization is as brilliant as fireworks"

In this case a world let's say. Hmm, who loves fireworks? I hope he'll be getting the fireworks he must be waiting to see. ~ if we were to assume the world will get 'destroyed' in the literal meaning creating such a 'view'.

Speaking of Tsukasa's wants to do/see things... this arc has some nice stuff included...

He fantasized about creating an artificial human ever since he was a child and got to see it as 12 y.o Tsu even before creating it, and granted created him in the future as yorishiro Tsukasa. Same goes for the clock, 12 y.o was interested to see it destroyed and granted got that as yorishiro Tsu. I wonder if back in the time he was still 12 y.o Tsukasa he also got to see/know the clock will be broken in the future some way or another like he came to see Mit 2.0 (let's take the glimpses of the future he told Nene about as a possibility). Maybe it was yorishiro Tsukasa instead who knew the clock will be destroyed in the near future...? This boy has some further knowledge into things so I like to keep that in mind. ☆

I do wonder if he has any other things he looks forward to in mind. Amaze me, Tsu. ~

Ahem, back to the 'court'...

So, the keepers made the judgment of having Tsukasa to be 'guilty'. For real? Only Tsukasa is guilty? What a funny court, what an idiotic court. Why aren't they so smart? Seriously, I was hoping to see the keepers much smarter than this! Like, just simply, the 4 guys in there, NONE of them actually made the action of breaking the clock, yet... the guy who did it is... apparently not guilty, nor the one who led Tsukasa and the guy to do it in the first place. What a joke of a court. So, the table turning on them at the end is a well-deserved result. Kinda funny, it felt as if the whole 'order in court' and the court itself... was never 'ruled' by them at all but actually 'him'. He left things go by assumingly as they want but he was just waiting for the moment to turn the table upside down. How sly of him. He is truly something, huh? No wonder he was having fun at the start of the chapter. What a force he is.~

Their suggestions feel to represent some stuff, actually... Akane.. 'feeding'. Just imagining how powerful these owls would get out of it. XD

Kaku... well...

WOW, Tsukasa! Do you plan to put Kaku to use somehow? lol wonder if kaku regretted his last words like no. 3

Cool to see this thing referenced once more in a way. I'm so weak to this sly smirk Tsuuu!!! The confident gaze!!! Uhh!!!

Wonder how was Amane feeling in there. I mean, sheesh. I wonder if he himself wanted to go wild on the keepers. Seriously? You don't know who you're saying you want to feed to the owls or turn into a gear or turn to dust. That's his moon and yorishiro mind you. How dare you say such things and intend to harm his precious prize possession.

My, cool Tsu is something to get me... she came to him by herself. Now, I think that's what I call one great mastermind, 'ruler' and the master of his 'games'. He played with them all and made them his puppets, that's so funny. He targeted their clock, yorishiro, then them from the start. ♪ He already had things figured out, everything was held in the balm of his hand. ☆

I mean, I have to say I've been wondering how will he take things after ch 108, but here we are.

Depending on Tsukasa's words after taking Kaku down, I have to say he proved his nimbleness, and being one intelligent strategist. ☆

It sees he had 'targeting the keepers' in mind for some time, and was waiting to take action, and little Mirai gave him the opening he needed. ☆

I wonder when that came to his mind, after singing with Nene, he wanted to go back to searching and was annoyed with Mirai's tickings. He got captured, then assumingly had to get 'free' with Nene's help and later Hanako's. Here I will stop, was he acting all along to be 'weak' by any chance?

Let's see... Mirai's 'seal' doesn't hold anything on him, it's either it doesn't affect him at all or it did, yet he can break free whenever he wants but 'decided' to look weak. So, he was acting or pretending to be vulnerable. Was he testing if Amane would come to save him by any chance? Was he going to actually save himself and Nene if that didn't happen? He let Hanako get captured just like that so his plan will succeed wizard Tsu vibes I'm telling you, what a mischievous lil bro. hehe oh... if he let Hanako get captured too so it would look like a small game of you didn't free me so I didn't help you. we're alike in the situation! pffft. what a fun soul

He can use Kokujoudai, and can master his OP strength. What a lie you told Nene Tsu. It can still be the truth, at that moment he was under the effect of the seal for real, but in the court he simply broke free. Anyway, some slyness lies in there. Even Nene is not supposed to know he is not actually 'weak'. How careful. He doesn't show anything to you, unpredictable. Always this way with his plans. The inside of his head. ~~~~ So Tsukasa, huh? ♡ ~

Now I know why. You amazing boy, you only give up limited access into what's inside of your head. No one gets you better than yourself. Me and myself.~~~

Cause you're not smart enough to catch up with his level of smartness. Try harder to understand him and how his mind works you self-proclaimed I read minds girl. ~ I will have to give him an extra point if what she said has a sense of truth and even with such powers, she can't read into him. Admirable. ☆

In the meanwhile, I'm siding with this guy! ♪

Let's keep working hard into getting to know him better! ☆

Going back to the chapter... I'm laughing Hanako really didn't need to set Tsukasa free. He can take care of it himself. Even without his sly move of making little Mirai move the time of his handcuffs forward. He will get what he wants, whenever he wants, however he wants. ♪

Hmm, he is admirable. Fascinating. Who doesn't love a mind like his, or a smile like his? Or even some strong gaze like his? We have a guy so capable and full of himself right there. Love his fast way of acting and dazzling confidence! Easy on me, Tsu! ♡ ♡ ♡ speaking of his physical speed again, I will have to remind myself he still had that thing around his ankle. and that by itself is...

Uhh, fangs... his sweet sweet fangs... sly smirk... boy!!! ♡ goodness, past + present Tsu will seriously have me spinning around myself. Hey! Don't look like you're working together to me! I can't survive one, how about 2?!

Thinking that Yako is a foxie... between her and Tsu... who is the real fox? ♪ it's funny thinking the fox took her down first, now.

Please… mercy on me… Tsukasa's sly laid back, carefree and relaxed capable confident persona!! Yes, we have such a calm and relaxed guy yet he is a force! ♡ ♡ ♡

The king on his throne! Carefully putting his masterplan puzzle pieces in place. Glorious. ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

Tap. Tap. Play with my heart. ♡

Straight forward, right to the goal at full force. ~

Where is my heart? I don't feel it anymore? It's in your hand you captivating enchanting guy? Okay! ♡ listening to Cascade's song dangerous while writing this. it randomly played and wow, have to say some parts of it are fitting for such glory. Give me a break, Tsu-force! Or don't! Uh, I can't decide because of you! ♡ ♡ ♡

Funny, Tsu showed me all the animals I associate him with in one chapter. first a cat, then a fox and later a powerful unmerciful tiger never to be underestimated or messed with. Wow. ☆

Hmm, he still kept his words of 'gentle with girls' huh? Even though she wasn't 'gentle' with him now or even back then, he didn't harm her really. Just had koku hold her. Wonder if that will keep up once he turns his focus to look for the yorishiro in her.

As for Kako, I dooo wonder if he previously intended to start with him, moving time back will be annoying. And, just maybe... a payment for embarrassing and making jokes of big bro earlier? Or again... is there a chance Tsukasa despised not only the clock but the keepers on a personal level in the past (and now)? Hmm...

Hanako's shout to Tsu to stop, I wonder if it was out of his fear for Tsu's well-being and safety or actually the other way around, he somehow saw what happened with No.3 coming and shouted at him to stop. He knows how powerful Tsu is, right? Looking at it either way is cool, one he sees Tsu powerful, the other he is concerned about the safety of his precious Tsu. ♪

Tsu being 'impossible to control'... I find that chaaaarming about him! He is free-willed! A force moving his own way, thinks his own way, sees things his own way, follows his own beliefs and works things out his way. Truely Fascinating. ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

However, I will have to say I used to believe if there is a person Tsukasa will listen to, it will be Amane. that's how the story made me think, chapter 108 too, and the magic AU kinda. 'wonder what's the inside of a ghost is like/wizard' Tsu -I saw him a lot in Tsu this chapter!- was a force no one stood a chance against until Amane called him and he acted like a good little boy I had it in me Amane can tame him… but… it seems it's to a certain degree, too. When Tsukasa wants a thing for real, he won't back down even if Amane told him to stop? Hmm… I find that charming, too. And it's still cute when he listens to Amane… uh… both ways are nice! ♡ ♡ ♡

You're WOW! ♡ What a lovely curious mind you have. ~

So, was the ticking Tsu heard coming out of little Mirai's clock only or also her 'inside' as well? Kako seems to have these 'tick tock', and back in their first arc, wherever Mirai goes there is also ticking. Do they also 'tick tock' with their clocks? Never expected the keepers to be this kind of creatures. Hmm... wonder if they work like robots and can get fixed? I see Tsu might have interest in there? Some experiments? They feel similar to artificial humans in a way? But maybe he won't be too interested?

The ending!

I wonder if Tsukasa is referring here to Akane or little Mirai? Akane was naturally standing near Tsu and it seems he is looking at Tsu but Tsu is looking ahead of him (not at Akane who is beside him), perhaps at captured Mirai? Hmm...

It's worth mentioning it looks like he went for the first clock keeper in charge aka kaku, then following this pattern, he'll go for the second keeper aka: Mirai. Then the third aka Akane.

I see she has a potential of having the yorishiro within her.

So, I wonder together with Tsu what's the inside of Mirai is like!

As for Akane... will he try stopping time? Instead of holding his clock he is holding the little hammer? Won't work on him, Akane. You saw that. Unless little hammer has other uses beside that seal or attacking? Does he intend to free Teru? He is the one who sealed him. I wonder if he can free Hanako too, since he wasn't the one to seal him, but rather Mirai.

Teru... to think a meeting between him and Tsukasa was so waited by the fandom... what was his reaction to seeing Tsukasa just going that way before his eyes? His definition of 'Evil spirit' shins in there. Mr. Teru??? How are things going by you? I think he may seem far more dangerous to you than Hanako you're chasing? Now, if Teru knew Tsu is Hanako's yorishrio... I assume that won't be good news for hanako, for many reasons...

I wonder if AidaIro intend to have something go on between the 2? Now or on later stages. They never paid much attention to each other this chapter, beside the time Tsukasa commented on Teru.

I do wonder how the next chapter will 'play' out, will they have a some kind of fight with Tsu? Hmm... maybe things will take a whole different turn for Akane and the rest, maybe Tsukasa as well. Anything can happen. ..........

Just having the possibility of 'the yorishiro might also not be within any of the 3' is funny. You might need to come up with a second back up plan Tsu. Will that be the case?

If things came to an end with the past and future keepers gone... and the yorishiro got destroyed... I wonder what would come of Akane's 'contract' with them. Will he be free? Return to be a normal human with no supernatural abilities? Will he feel happy to finally be free? I mean he showed he was tricked into working for No.1 and was furious about the fact. I wonder how he'll react, especially when things might come to his promise of healing Aoi's hand, as a normal person he really can do nothing I think? Hmm... his feelings might be contradictory somehow... ..........

My mind even decided to have the thought of 'what if we can repair the keepers'. Thinking about Mit 2.0, he can regenerate by eating weak supernatural representing the way he is made. The keepers seem to be like 'robots'? If their pieces were to be replaced or put back efficiently together somehow, would that bring them back in shape? or even, what if kaku was smart and careful enough to previously put a replacement in his place? I need to see the keepers being a threat. I want to see how much of a force they are. While I do want to see Tsukasa having his victory, it will be fun to see him overcomig a few hurdles.

Hmm... anyway! The conclusion we got out of the chapter simply is...!

At the end, the court was his to rule and master. ~~~

Hmm, well... after all he is the guy named...

Tsukasa.

What a lovely name fitting for him. A perfect match for a perfect guy. He makes me so proud of him. ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡ ♡

I think we've reached the end of our talk about the chapaer on this note. Tsukasa, please! ♡

Thank you my dear! ♡ ♡ ♡

******

Adding this fun continuation as part 3 real quick!

Shhh, let's leave him to his card house building process! Think your plans calmly, Tsu! Good luck! See you later. ♡

Ok, here we officially reach the end of the messy chapter review. Too many thoughts to list...

Thanks for reading! Until next chapter!

#ch 109 #jshk #tbhk #toilet bound hanako kun #jibaku shonen kanako kun

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agentnico · 6 months

Text

Napoleon (2023) Review

Wow, Napoleon Bonaparte must have really peed off Ridley Scott. The man evidently despises the little fella.

Plot: A look at the military commander's origins and his swift, ruthless climb to emperor, viewed through the prism of his addictive and often volatile relationship with his wife and one true love, Josephine.

So, this is the second feature film to come out this year featuring Joaquin Phoenix playing a character that really needs to cum, excuse my ironic French. The first is Beau Is Afraid, but the second is with Napoleon. Phoenix is an uber-horny little dude in this! You may have read other reviews and reactions mentioning this, and it's true - Napoleon is a surprisingly funny film, at least regarding its titular Emperor. Joaquin Phoenix really emphasizes the pathetic man-child aspect of Napoleon, and there are some great lines he says involving boats and lamb chops that are hilarious. But he is also a sex freak. Director Ridley Scott seemingly continues his streak of staging over-the-top riotous sex scenes, with recently in House of Gucci where Lady Gaga and Adam Driver do it like it's nobody's business, but now in Napoleon also where Phoenix seems to be channeling a puppy humping a chair whilst his wife played by Vanessa Kirby is as stiff as the aforementioned chair. As such, this movie ends up being a comedic gold mine at times, which is not what I would have expected going into it.

It is really gratifying to see a big-budget historical epic gracing our screens. It's rare for Hollywood these days to release a movie of this caliber, with only certain directors like Martin Scorsese, Quentin Tarantino, Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, and Scott having that reputation and freedom to receive big budgets from studios and do what they want with it. Ridley Scott seems to be the primary pioneer for continuing to make historical epics such as The Last Duel and Exodus: Gods and Kings, and I really do wish that Hollywood will continue to allow this genre to continue and give them the budget they need, as seeing these major scale battle sequences on the big screen can be so much more exciting than a CGI superhero space fight. With Napoleon, Scott again impresses with the grand scope of the battles, from the sweeping shots to the intense close-ups, with some creative imagery throughout. The stand-out sequence for me was the Austerlitz battle on ice, and it stood out from both a cinematic and narrative point. On the one hand, it is the prime showcase of Napoleon's tactical mind and his impressive skills in planning traps to defeat his enemy, and on the other hand visually when the enemy ranks are attacked by surprise cannon fire and as they start sinking through the breaking ice and drowning, the collective colour of their blood mixing with the ice and water symbolizing the image of the French flag... I mean that is pure cinema right there! That is what makes Ridley Scott stand out as a director - he is a filmmaker driven by the old school and unwilling to fall into contemporary film constraints. The common phrase "they don't make them like this anymore" is prevalent here more than ever.

That being said, Napoleon is not without its problems. For one, I'm usually the first to complain if a movie is too long, however here I find the opposite. It's a near 3 hour-long movie and yet that is hardly enough time to deliver a satisfying recollection of Napoleon's life. That right there is the issue. Napoleon's life is filled with so many fascinating moments, that any one of them, whether it be his rise to power, his chaotic relationship with his wife Josephine, his invasion of Russia, or the detrimental Battle of Waterloo, any of these could have been enough for one film to tell, yet Scott tries to tell Napoleon's entire life. With also reading that Scott is saving a 4-hour cut for the movie's streaming debut on Apple next year, you can really tell that this theatrical version is stripped down with many chunks cut out, resulting in choppy editing, and no breathing room for the narrative to have any emotional resonance. The movie feels rushed and unfinished, so I'd be interested to see how that 4-hour version next year will pan out, and if it will be a similar situation to Scott's other epic Kingdom of Heaven, where the Director's Cut is an entirely different movie to the original.

The other major issue is the characterization of the titular character. I'm not judging Phoenix's performance; he, Vanessa Kirby and the entire cast play their parts well - it is more so the way the character of Napoleon is written/treated that is the concern. Writer David Scarpa and director Ridley Scott are evidently trying to deconstruct Napoleon, yet they are unsure about how to go about it. He feels all over the place, with on one side this calm and calculated general, on the other an angry child, and finally this sex freak. They really should have focused primarily on only one of these, as instead Phoenix is forced to jump back and forth from scene to scene, and it feels like he's got some sort of multi-personality disorder. The character is very inconsistent and messy, and as such is more a caricature of the real-life figure rather than an impersonation. Vanessa Kirby's Josephine stands as the more well-written and thought-through character, yet due to the movie's rushed pace we don't get to spend nearly enough time with her, and by the end of the film she vanishes into the shadows when the writers again get stuck with what to do with her.

Napoleon is a solidly entertaining historical epic that harkens back to the old days of Hollywood. With surprising amounts of humour and also some truly incredible battle sequences, it feels cinematic and bold. Yet due to leaving too much footage on the cutting floor and a script that struggles to juggle all the real-life events as well as its titular character's layers, the movie fails at reaching the highs of Ridley Scott's other directorial efforts. Again, once the 4-hour version premieres on Apple this movie may then turn out to be a masterpiece, but until then it's simply a passable historic affair, if with some historical inaccuracies. Though don't mention that last part to Ridley Scott, he'll start having his own manchild moment again screaming "Get a life!".

Overall score: 7/10

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xxdumbblondexx · 1 year

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---Additional Learning Support---

3 - GET BACK TO WORK

Master list --- Next --- Previous

“For the most part of this it is going to be a self study session. I can get you all the materials you want such as past papers or books, as well as help you with areas you're stuck on. But for today, [Name], Scaramouche and Heizou get in a group together, Aether and Kazuha, and I’ll go with Xiao.”

You looked to the two in your group, instantly deciding that you wanted to be with neither of them. In your mind, you already hated them. That plus the fact that you despised being kept after school for any longer made the whole experience unbearable.

“Why?” You 're the one to ask.

“Because. You three can create a collective network of personal knowledge on Sociology. So will Kazuha and Aether on English Language. And so will me and Xiao on maths. For the next few sessions we’ll try that out and change the groups.”

You only nodded your head at his answer, mumbling under breath,

“Collective network of personal knowledge. What the fuck does that mean?”

You thought you were being quiet until Heizou chirped in with,

“He probably means we lay out what we know about the subject and try to fill in any gaps the other people have.”

“Correct.” Albedo said as he turned his book towards Xiao.

“Sounds exhilarating.” Sarcasm was your only friend in this situation.

“Right, you're all currently covering crime, right?” Heizou spoke although you prayed he wouldn’t. His voice was already getting on your agitated nerves and you really just wanted him to shut up.

You nodded and so must have Scaramouche since the loudmouth started to speak again.

“Great. Let’s start on the functions of crime. [name] do you know what functionalists say about it?”

You wanted to strangle him. This was supposed to be a sharing of knowledge, not a quiz. Why was he asking you?

“Durkheim says that it performs boundary maintenance and a reaffirming of norms and values. That it is detrimental to society.”

All the time you spoke, Heizou’s eyes never left your face. It burned like a rash, and you were desperately trying not to scratch it.

“Wow. Good knowledge.”

“Don’t Fucking patronise me, you ass.” Your tongue wiped out before you could stop it.

“Can you two stop flirting? It makes me wanna vom.” Scaramouche’s cold voice said and you suddenly gained the odd inspiration to beat his ass.

“Oh sorry, you must have felt left out.” Heizou’s sly answer gave you the exact same feeling. “Scara, how well do you know Merton’s strain theory? I can never remember the names to the responses of strain.” and so began the long study session.

“Can your stomach shut the fuck up?” Scaramouche sneered as your stomach growled.

Normally, by now you would have gone home and had a snack or something before dinner.

You rarely ate lunch at school. The canteen food was shit and your mum had begun refusing to make you lunches.

That’s what made macies trips so glorious. And it was also what made you starve at that current moment.

“Can your mouth shut the fuck up.” Your snarled back, wrapping an arm protectively over your noisy stomach.

“Mmm mm mmm.”

“Fuck off.”

“Ok! Right realism and left realism! Let’s go.” Heizou desperately tried to turn the topic back to the work but just as he did, your stomach growled loudly again.

“Eat something.”

“Oh yeah ill just drag a five fucking course out of my bag!”

You were trying your best not to tear his head off, getting hangry especially since he kept bringing up the fact that you were hungry.

“This might be an idea that you like. Scara, be right realism and [name}, be left realism. Have a debate which provides better solutions to solving crime.”

There was the second person you wanted to murder. He always spoke when you begged for silence. And his voice was constantly in your ears.

You just wanted him to shut up.

“Fine. Right realistis are capitalistic pigs that believe people commit crimes because they are biologically determined to.”

You barked out the first argument, the knowledge strangely coming to you now you were angry. It also probably had the bonus effect of being able to beat Scaramouche in a debate.

“And left realists are lost in a world of theories where they believe just because someone has something better than them, they must steal it.”

“You can just say relative deprivation. Or is it too much to admit that they are still deprived!”

“Yeah but with that idea, so can the middle class, capitalist pigs since capitalism is a hierarchy and there is always someone at the top.”

“And your kind believe that over policing and surveillance solves that?” The mockery in your voice only added to his annoyance. Obvious frown lines threatened to tear his head apart, as his eyes rawr with fire.

“It is a short term fix. Unlike your educational solutions that take years to see the benefits. In that time, a person could kidnap and kill multiple people. Do you want those deaths on your hands?!”

“Like surveillance won't prevent that? There is always somewhere that those cameras, those spies wont reach. And hey, most people don't like to be watched. What will you do when you have a revolt on your hands? Just send every individual to jail with your no-tolerance policy? Have fun watching your economy crumble.”

In the midst of your debated/argument, your stomach growled once more, sending scaramouche more into a rage.

“Will you shut your fucking stomach up!” He yelled, loud enough to get everyone else's attention.

“Oh? No more points left for the debate? Have you just conceded defeat?”

“Will you shut the fuck up! I cant fucking stand you and your---”

A knock at the library door provided a sudden smack of silence. All eyes flooded to it, to find a small girl peak her head through.

“Mr Albedo? I brought what you asked for.” She said, lifting a white plastic bag through the gap shed made in the door.

And then it hit you. The delicious, most amazing smell of chinese food. You could feel yourself salivate at only the scent. Either, this was the best thing to happen today or a horrible tease.

“Ah, thank you Sucrose.” Abedo stood from his seat and stalked towards the girl who seemed far too scared to step a foot inside. HE took the bag from her, thanking her once more before approaching the table once again.

“I thought this might happen. None of you have any extra dietary needs, correct?” When everyone shook their heads, he breathed a sigh of relief. “Good. I brought some Chinese food to help you all keep working.”

Albedo placed the bag on the table and you pounced, taking the first box you found. Singapore chow mein. EDIBLE FOOD!

“Oh my god, you're a saint among men.” Was all that you said before scoffing the food down before the others even got theirs.

Hiyaaaa,

Third one and I'm calling it a night! The others should be out soon~

This one was also a lot about sociology so it might be a bit of a bore for anyone who hasn't taken it, sorry. I enjoyed taking it even though I was pretty bad at it. I found it really interesting but struggled writing in the exams for it which is kinda ironic considering i just belted out the functionalist view of crime and left and right realism. oh well, good revision ig,

For questions about the tag list, I'm kind of new at this so I'm not really sure how to do one but I will try my best :)

Remember to have your say [HERE]

Thanks for reading x

#genshin impact smau #genshin smau #genshin x reader #genshin impact #albedo x reader #heizou x reader #kazuha x reader #scaramouche x reader #aether x reader

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blitheringmcgonagall · 2 months

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Oh my GOOOOOD, your additions to the Peter Pettigrew meta were so well-written, it was almost like reading a fic in and of itself. I was a bit terrified and definitely disturbed by the time you got to the end of the timeline. Really brought into full view for me exactly how fascinating and truly...evil? his whole arc is.

And I deeply appreciate your position on him truly being one of the Marauders, not this cast off that none of them really liked. I know I've been so guilty in the past of having him sort of be the throw-away Marauder, even in my Hogwarts-era fics, but I really want to write and read more fics where he's as much a member of the group as the others are...

Oh! And you brought up so many facts that spoke to how calculated his decisions were, both in the Marauder's Era and Trio Era, which directly oppose his own claim that he did it all because Voldemort would have killed him... Do you think he used people's view of him as a coward to his benefit, and actually was much more of a manipulator than he ever appeared in the books? It seems clear now that there were a lot of other factors for him beyond fear, so he was probably just using the excuse that he thought would work best for him in the moment (speaking specifically about the scene in the Shack in PoA) - and this excuse wasn't really the truth, or at least, not the whole truth... Just, wow, yeah, I don't know how I'd never seen before that he's obviously so much more than a coward, if he's even really a coward at all.

Ah, so sorry for rambling at you about this 😅 I'm just so intrigued by this whole discussion and can tell you've thought about it a lot! 💚

Thank you so much!!! This is the post you are referring to and I’m so happy you liked it! I honestly have thought about this a lot because I was forced to when I was writing my canon marauders fic we can be heroes?

The fact he was spying for Voldemort for a full year before Lily and James were murdered is incredible… as he was watching baby Harry growing older, meeting his fellow Order members, going to their funerals, simultaneously passing on details and getting them killed, one by one… chilling stuff!

The reasons are fascinating and possibilities endless. I picked fear as one reason but actually jealousy and self-preservation more importantly for him?

And even that isn’t enough of an explanation? Yes fear was a definite big motivator but out of all of Voldy’s pure blood fanatic bigoted Death Eaters, why did HE willingly (under no duress) travel to the forests of Albania on his own to find Voldemort? He could have just disappeared and lived as a rat anywhere in the UK. Or as a pretend-muggle anywhere in Europe, or even escaped to the US or Canada?

I think we all casually accepted how many people Pettigrew directly and indirectly killed? The Order members he betrayed, James and Lily, the twelve Muggles he killed by blowing up the street with an extremely powerful curse (“which created a crater large enough that the sewer pipes were showing”), he caused Bertha Jorkins to get permanent brain damage (and then Voldemort killed her), he killed Cedric…

I’m not sure how she-who-must-not-be-named wrote him. She describes him constantly as weak and fawning, “hero worshipping” James and Sirius according to Prof McGonagall who thought he was stupid (he clearly wasn’t). JK writes him as terrified of Voldy and cringing practically every time we see him after Voldy returns. She implies it’s all due to fear but that doesn’t add up imo.

Peter had a miserable life after Halloween 1981, living as a rat for 12 years, then being treated like shit by Voldy and co who all clearly despised him. Maybe he found some solace hanging out with the Golden Trio in Hogwarts’ Gryffindor Common Room again, reminding him of happier times as a teenager before the war, when he had best friends? (Although surely reminded of his misdeeds, all the time, by Harry who looks the spitting image of James but with Lily’s eyes and her sass?)

He wanted to win. To be on the side of the winning team, untouchable, protected - as he once was in school by his fellow marauders.

I thought maybe the reason he went to such great lengths, of his own accord, why he so desperately wanted to bring back Voldy and have the Death Eaters win, is that at least he’ll be then able to tell himself it was all worth it (the betrayals, the deaths on his conscience, the life as a rat). That maybe Voldy and his wix will finally respect him? Because if Voldy loses, then all his godawful life will have been for what? For nothing?

#marauders #peter pettigrew #pettigrew meta #love these conversations!!#thanks you star ☺️☺️☺️☺️#loveliest tumblr friends

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captain-astors · 1 year

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Can you do Kaneki for 003 :)))

Mhm! That beautiful mess, the culmination of all I despise but the vessel through which we all must perceive this world. I’d like to shake him like a maraca. This one definitely contains… opinions. As usual it's messy and ramble-ish but I enjoyed it.

How I feel about this character: Wow you're so interesting I wish I could still care after 320 something chapters. Born to “slay” as the youth say, in all meanings of the word, forced to do math. Sometimes I imagine what sound he would make if smacked against a wall. Constantly, actually. I can effectively emulate it with an almost empty water bottle, a thin piece of fabric, a piece of metal, and a slab of gelatin, but I only have access to two of those and it’s not the ones you think. I cannot stress how much I want post-Haise Kaneki dead for plot reasons, but I do think he’s pretty neat before whatever the result of the Tsukiyama extermination arc is. I do like him, but I try not to ponder him too deeply because if I started getting seriously attached to him as a person, I’d have to be disappointed about his character as well. I’m already not normal about so many of them. So he’s more of a secondhand skrunkle, I watch a decent portion of the rest of the fandom go wild and sit back and tend to my own neglected favorites. Like observing a neighbor’s garden, larger than mine but wilder, containing so many varieties of plants I can no longer distinguish them, and perhaps a bit overgrown. Was he the first piece of Tokyo Ghoul art I ever drew? Yes- well no actually that was probably Nishiki or Shuu but I never posted those because they were just sketches, but he was the first that I posted, and kind of my gateway to deciding to let myself brainrot over TG without shame (mostly). So I owe some amount of gratitude to him.

But at the same time he fills me with a deep sadness for what might’ve been. Tokyo Ghoul was praised for having some kind of ground-breaking protagonist but he just feels... edgy at the end of it, handed an undeserved win. Sorry.

(So an update from later this very same day, I drew him and now I want to hug him. NO. I MUST PERSEVERE. Alright Kuroneki is kind of cute and his nickname sounds like Kuroneko (As in the trigun cat) and I love Kuroneko.)

Any/all the people I ship romantically with this character: Protagonists are funny things to ship because they can be shipped with almost anyone. Almost the entire main cast? Been there and done that. Every character he’s been friends with? Certainly. Rivals? No rivalry is complete without a little homoeroticism. The villain? Is that even a question. That random character who appeared for half a chapter? Someone’s probably done it. It’s difficult to pick a favorite but frankly I’m not particularly partial to any of them. Shuuneki is fun but it just feels out of character as soon as it becomes remotely healthy which is what all that pining causes me to intrinsically want which in turn annoys me so… I enjoyed it before I actually learned the story. Now I just can’t fathom truly enjoying a fic about them without leaving frustrated because at any given point, one or the other of them just wouldn’t work. Also I really want Kaneki to die alone. But though I’ll never be extremely passionate about it, I do think that Hidekane is kind of the best one. Like it’s not my ship but from an outsider's perspective I look at it and just go huh. Neat. This one actually seems non-headache inducing. I’m slowly consuming more of it but at the same time Hide deserves much better. I can’t fix you but I can hold your hand as you crumble or something. I will take this time to rant about Tou//ken. God help us all. I will start off with what I like because I am terrified of being burned at the stake by the shippers who actually read through this for some reason. Aesthetically, cool. As individuals, love them. Conceptually, it had great potential. I don’t think it ever could’ve been my otp but I could’ve enjoyed this. Now. DEAR GOD I HONESTLY ADMIRE THOSE WHO SHIP IT FOR EITHER HAVING THE IGNORANCE OR SHEER WILLPOWER TO ENJOY IT DESPITE THAT WRITING. It would be easier to ship two characters who we’ve never seen interact whatsoever (stares at my terrible rarepairs I would know) than to repair this trainwreck, so I suppose that’s a testament to your tenacity or your willingness to ignore the holes. I swear my copy of TG was missing chapters WHERE was their development. They only did things for each other when instructed to or in life or death situations when opposed by a greater threat, only thought fondly of each other when not together, and then got married and kids despite Kaneki being in a mental state nowhere near “intact enough to live a functional existence” must less raise CHILDREN. Like I refuse to believe Kaneki would be a great father. “Something, something breaking the cycle of a loveless life.” Where. Where did he learn to love healthily? Touka? Where? Where is that shown? They interact so briefly in such high-stress scenarios how the HELL am I supposed to know?

Dear god I knew these two were going to get together. I steeled myself for it. I tried to enjoy it I swear I did but it feels like the marriage arc skipped the love arc and I don’t know how I’m supposed to appreciate the shell of a relationship left behind. But I respect those who manage. Like, if a character (Ayato) can go on a brief trip and come back UNDER A FEW DAYS LATER to find out, with absolutely no warning that his SIBLING is married to a guy now, maybe you’re moving just a little fast! Someone please explain this to me I feel like I'm losing my mind.

The Vegas wedding of Tokyo Ghoul, getting hitched in a cave while a homophobic gay horror creature exterminates 98% of your kind.

Also I find it funny that she managed to date a guy who both looks and acts so much like her dad. Touka you can do so much better you are leagues above this guy.

My favorite non-romantic relationship for this character: If Haise is included, Akira and the Quinxes. Family. If Haise is not included, probably… Hinami.

My unpopular opinion about this character: Oh boy. He doesn’t really listen to anyone, and his cycle of self sacrifice for others because it’s the easiest route out is ANNOYING AS HELL. Points are made about it, but does he ever change? No he just keeps trying to die for “the sake of others” until the very end and keeps escaping the actual consequences, while others who have something to live for ACTUALLY DIE for his stupid martyr complex and I am SICK OF IT. He only fights for those he cares about because he’s afraid of being alone which is a very human desire but we never see him grow in it, he just keeps ignoring whatever he doesn’t want to hear, keeps letting himself almost die but he’s still “virtuous” and not a murderer to the narrative. Because the restaurant ghouls dared to have fun with the terrible cards they were dealt, so they deserved it! Because those humans in the dragon incident didn’t care, so they deserved it! And besides he wasn’t conscious anyways! Because Furuta dared to try to break the system that Kaneki decided wasn’t real, because he wanted to make sure the world never created a child like him again, so he deserved it! I could deal with him if the narrative actually treated him like what he is, “morally grey” is not an excuse to his actions it’s a byproduct, so just saying “it’s alright because he’s morally grey” doesn’t fix any of the issues with his inconsistencies! With his lack of growth beyond just getting worse, and being handed a happy ending anyways! Also why are all of his stans silent as the grave I hear barely a WHISPER out of you creatures yet you appear like phantoms to salivate over him when art is made and to sweep polls. I know perhaps 3 people who both actively post and I know for a fact would declare Kaneki their favorite. Where are the rest of you? WHERE ARE YOU HIDING? But godspeed to you.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon: He feels so overwritten at the end, I really wish he either died, or that :re had gone the csm route and had a different protagonist. For our candidates for a new protagonist I would nominate: Hide. An exploration of a character who was born into a world that was hurting him, but chose to love ghouls anyways. Who chose to keep being a good person no matter how hard it was, (WHAT KANEKI DOES, DOES NOT COUNT AS BEING A “GOOD PERSON.”) He’d be a refreshing air of positivity and hope from Kaneki’s internal monologue. It’s so desolate it makes me want to commit amusing vandalism just to remember that bright colors are real and very lovely. I don’t have the energy to write out full explanations for all of them but I’d also nominate any of the Quinx squad members, Juuzou (I just want more Hanbee), Ayato, Amon, or Furuta. Or making Haise a person with a separate body.

Favorite friendship for this character: If Haise counts Juuzou, if not Banjou or Ayato.

My crossover ship: I’m tempted to say knives as a joke because they have the same english voice actor, (Who does a fantastic job as both but MAN his voice goes deep in tristamp.) Anyways Vash I guess. Go be self-sacrificial together you fools. (affectionate connotation for one, indifferent for the other.)

#miscellaneous not art things #tokyo ghoul #ken kaneki #still doing those it just took me a bit to continue #zeph answers questions about media/characters/ships

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