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#and it gave me hope to see the beginning of her redemption. that there’s a light at the end of the road for her
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Thoughts and Takes As I Re-Read the ACOTAR Series
This is extremely long and I have been typing it for weeks now. These are just my thoughts and I am typing them as I go. If you read it, I hope you enjoy it and maybe we can agree on most things. I would really love to hear everyone else's thoughts, too! 🙂
I don't feel like people blame papa archeron nearly as much as they should. It should not have been any of the sisters' responsibility to do what Feyre did. And after reading Nesta's POV, I don't blame Nesta for being so cold and hateful towards her father.
Lucien annoyed me so much in ACOTAR so much so that it was hard to like him in ACOMAF but I really tried to like him and give him a chance when Sarah made him Elain's mate and I realized that he could have a big role in ACOWAR.
I believe Tamlin had his redemption arc in ACOWAR when he saved Feyre and Az when they were rescuing Elain and then again when he saved Rhys. But I don't think Sarah will explore his story and she might be keeping him alive right now so that he can die at the right time.
After what Tamlin did to her and then allying with Hybern, I don't blame Feyre for ruining his court. He deserved it.
I don't think Ianthe suffered enough and I think that Nesta or Elain should have been the ones to have killed her.
Elain and Az were obvious to me in ACOMAF, just like Nesta and Cassian were and I was truly truly shocked when sarah made Lucien Elain's mate. I believe that there is so much more to that night than we know about and we'll learn about it when we get to Elain & Az's POVs. I believe that the bloodbane in Az's blood was killing him and nullified any bond that could have been there even before Elain was turned. Az was shot with the arrow before they went up to the throne room and that is why Lucien showed signs of mate behavior once Elain showed up. I believe the cauldron was wrong.
That being said, I tried to give Lucien a chance in ACOWAR and he just gave me the ick when talking about Elain. It didn't feel right to hear him say that he wanted to "see if she was worth it." Like she should already be worth it. Don't hesitate. I just did not see it at all.
I think that LoA will be the one to kill Beron. Don't know why, but I just feel that she will lose it and run to Helion.
Sarah had every opportunity to set Elucien up and she didn't. I believe she set them up for failure from the get-go. She instead focused on Elain and Az. I could do an entirely separate post about Elain, Lucien, and Az.
I believe Mor and Eris are mates, especially after what was said in ACOSF. I believe that he knows that she prefers females and wanted to save her from a loveless, unsatisfying marriage. I do think that he handled it wrong. Like that whole situation could have been handled so much better.
I think the whole Mor, Az, and Cassian situation was extremely weird. And now that Cassian is with Nesta and Az could possibly be with Elain, maybe Mor can finally move on and be free and not hide anything anymore. I wish that Mor would have talked to Nesta in ACOSF and explained and apologized for everything. Maybe she'll sit both the sisters down and talk about it one day.
I think Amren and Varian are cute together, but I think Amren should have stayed dead. Sarah is notorious for killing and then unkilling her characters and I think that gets old. I believe that sarah brought her back as a way to keep the summer court involved with the night court and to have a "know it all" character.
I think that Feyre and Rhys have a true, soul mate, true love, fairytale mating bond and I think Nesta and Cassian have a more realistic one. Feyre and Rhys fell in love before the bond was accepted and Nesta and Cassian were just beginning to fall in love before the bond was accepted. Lust and attraction and the pull of the bond is what truly brought them together but they quickly fell in love with each other.
I hate all the hate that Nessian is getting. People who say that Nesta should get with Eris literally make me sick and I want to throw ACOSF at them. They obviously need a to read it again. People need to realize that Nesta was in the wrong in HOFAS and Rhys had every right to freak out like he did and Nesta needed to be yelled at for that. I don't blame Cassian for not stepping in. And people forget how sarcastic Nesta is and they actually take her seriously when she said that Rhys debated executing her. Like do yall really think Cassian and Feyre would allow that or that Rhys would do that to his brother and his mate?? Like come on now.
Speaking of Rhys, I don't think he was wrong for keeping the danger of feyre's pregnancy from her. As a mother of 3 myself, I would be terrified every single day if I knew that my pregnancy could end with the death of myself and/or my baby. Like I would not want to know. Pregnancy is stressful enough as it is, even with healthy ones. And this is why I don't think he was wrong for freaking out on Nesta. I mean, he almost lost his mate, his son, and his life like what, 6 months before that? Like I can't imagine how scared Rhys is every day knowing that he almost lost everything and then Nesta gave a STRANGER a MADE OBJECT from the trove and could have LOST IT to the ASTERI who could have come to their world and DESTROYED them all. GIVE RHYS A BREAK YOU GUYS!!!!! I love Nesta, love her to death, but she was wrong for that.
I have my thoughts on Gwyn. I think she's a lightsinger. I think that is what Az's shadows react to, just like Nesta reacts to her. I don't think her and Az are mates. I don't think she's attracted to Az at all. I think she wants to prove herself to him because he did see her on the most traumatic night of her life. I think she wants to prove to him and everyone around her that she is and can be strong. That's it. There is nothing more to her and Az other than trainer and trainee. I also think that Merrill is the one manipulating everything and everyone, including Gwyn who might not know that she's a lightsinger. I think Merrill is working with Koschei.
Even after all the books, I still believe that Elriel will happen. There's just too many canon moments for me to ignore to see the possibility of Elucien. I only say elucien because gwynriel isn't a canon couple. They are not canon at all. The only thing that elucien has going for them is their bond.
I think Lucien will reject the bond for Elain. Lucien isn't a bad guy. I don't think he'll fight for Elain when he knows that she does not want him or their bond. He won't let Elain become his mother. I think he will find happiness with Vassa and they will be like Elide and Lorcan.
I believe people who support elucien only care about Lucien. I mean, how could you think that Elain wants to be with him after reading the books?
Based on the story of Koschei, it's not crazy to assume it will be 3 sisters and 3 brothers. Sarah is a very predictable writer and this is what most of the fandom has expected since ACOMAF and Koschei being the last big bad confirms that. Especially when you add in Vassa and Lucien into the mix. Just read the story of Koschei and tell me I'm wrong.
I believe that Az is experiencing the effects of a mating bond with Elain. He acts more like her mate than Lucien does and there's canon proof of this.
I believe the only reason Rhys stopped Az and Elain that night was because 1. he was convinced he would die with Feyre when she gave birth and didn't want his court to be in this war with the autumn court and 2. he is a political figure and he is using elain's bond as leverage with lucien. I believe that if Elain expresses to him how she wants to reject the bond, he would support it and accept Elain and Az.
I hate how everyone focuses on Gwyn and forgets about Emerie. I don't understand why people think Gwyn would be involved with the Illyrians. She is not Ilyrian and even though she finished the blood rite, she has said she does not want that illyrian warrior title. After what she went through during the rite, I don't see her being involved with them in any way. I do believe we will hear about Emerie doing something more like that. She could be an inspiration to Ilyrian females. Speaking of the Valkyries, I don't think they should have won the blood rite. It was very unbelievable. It would have been more believable if they had hid the entire time and waited for Cassian to come find them when the week was over.
Speaking Gwyn again, I think most of her fans overhype her too much. I like Gwyn and I'm glad that Nesta has her as a friend because she needed that. But I don't think we'll ever get her POV. I mean, we heard her story. We know what happened to her and we know pretty much everything about her. We know that she doesn't want that warrior title and she went back to the library not even sure about going to Nesta's mating ceremony. I think her fans forget this. I think they see her as a self insert character. I think they over sexualize her way too much. I'm not saying that SA survivors can't have a sex life so don't come at me. I just don't think she's going to want to be tied up with ribbons while Az holds her down and "ravages" her. The same male who seen what she went through that night. That just makes me uncomfortable. I think Gwyn would be embarrassed by the majority of her fans.
I will another post about that bonus chapter because there is so much to discuss.
I hate the amount of hate Elain gets and the side of the fandom that hates her does not deserve her. There is so much to learn about her and her powers and what goes on in her mind and I can't wait for her book.
I also think that papa archeron unknowingly traded Elain and/or Feyre and Nesta in his deal with Koschei for Vassa's temporary release.
I don't understand how people could hate feysand or any other members of the inner circle. In my opinion, if you hate them then why are you reading the series?? Why are you still here?
I don't think that sarah will make Nesta or Elain an actual queen or high lady. I think that Rhys and Feyre will always be more powerful than them and I think they will be High King and High Queen when the series is over. I can't see sarah making the sisters having the same amount of power or say as much as Feyre. She has always been above them. That has been obvious since the beginning because she's always protected them and taken care of them.
If you guys remember my other posts, then you will know my thoughts on how I think the rest of the series will go. Like elriel, vassien, koschei, the queens, the prison, the dusk court, the trove, all that. Elain and Nesta are the keys and Vassa should be the one to destroy Koschei. Rhys and Feyre will be High King and High Queen with nessian and elriel at their sides and everyone lives happily ever after.
What do you guys think?
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yusume-the-writer · 1 month
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A fair exchange
Rayne Ames x GNreader
Request made by Anon, hope you like it
I decided to put (Name) as a student of Orca due to the fact that Magarret gave her gold coins to others because she wasn't interested
Warning: This takes place before Mashle begins, so there will be no quotes from any of the protagonists.
Gender: Fluff
Summary: Rayne goes on a date in exchange for a gold coin to become a Divine Visionary
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"Hey Rayne!" A person with (h/c) hair says turning his head to face Rayne who was a little far away as they continue to lean on the iron bars that separated him from the lake
"Look at that duck! Isn't he funny and cute at the same time?" They say while pointing at a specific duck
Rayne sighs as she approaches the bar and sees the spot where they pointed.
The duck they said was cute and funny was one with shades of black and yellow that was upside down
Did the colors remind you of someone...?
"They look like you!" To confirm Rayne's doubt, they said while letting out a few giggles
'...Why am I even here?' Rayne think while rethinking the last moments that led him here
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"Hey! You and Rayne right?" A voice behind him catches his attention, so he turns to face the owner of the voice.
There was a person with (h/c) who wore an Orca coat
"Yes... What do you need?" Rayne asks suspiciously and his guard was up, he had never seen this person before and now they wanted to talk
"I heard you're after coins to become a Divine Visionary..." They say as they lean forward "And I kind of have a gold coin here..."
This alarms Rayne who was ready to grab her wand.
It seems they noticed this movement and raise their hands to show redemption "Calm down, calm down, I'm not here to fight! I want to make an exchange" They say while waiting for his reaction
"...A switch?" Rayne says without letting her guard down but lowering her hand from reaching for the wand
"That's it! If you do a single favor, I'll give you the coin for free without worry" They say while making pistols with their hands and pointing at him
Rayne raises an eyebrow showing that she is interested in this 'exchange'
The (h/c) person gets the hint and continues "Great! The only thing I want is to go on a date with you!" They say pointing to Rayne
'......What?' Rayne wasn't showing it but his brain was spinning as fast as possible to understand this exchange
Without noticing they continue "I kind of wanted to go to an event that will take place in a small square and nobody wants to go with me..." They admit with shame
"Are you trying to tell me that you will exchange your currency to go on a date with me just because you don't want to go to this event alone?" Rayne responds with indignation in her voice.
"B-but think on the positive side! You get a gold coin without having to fight!" They say trying to persuade them
"And how do I know that I don't -" Before Rayne responds the person takes out a gold coin from his coat and shows it to him
"I'm not one to not keep my words!" They respond with indignation in their voice at being almost called liars
"So? Do we have a deal?" They say while moving the coin from side to side
"We have" Rayne says making the (h/c) person start to jump with joy
"That's it! Hahaha" They continue as they celebrate their victory, seeming to forget the existence of the boy with two-colored hair
"*Ahem* My name is (First Name) (Last Name)" They finally introduce themselves as they snap out of their stupor
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'Oh and that' Rayne remembered the reason as she walked a little behind (Name) who was humming an unknown song
And of course at first Rayne wasn't confident about it and only accepted because of the coin out that (Name) said they would pay for everything so he didn't need to bring money, but he did anyway, and they actually paid for everything
So here the two of them were passing by some stalls that were selling various types of items, some caught (Name)'s attention so they stopped to take a closer look and deciding to buy or not others they offered to buy something for Rayne but he always refused
As they walked something caught Rayne's attention.
There was a shooting range, but that wasn't what caught his attention.
It was one of the rewards, a giant stuffed rabbit.
"Did you like him?" Suddenly a voice takes Rayne out of his thoughts and he looks at the owner, who as always was (Name) who was now next to him looking at the plush.
Before he could say anything (Name) took his hand and led him to the tent where the rabbit was.
"What can I help you young people with?" The stall owner says as soon as they get close enough
"How much is three tries?" (Name) says as she starts going through her bag looking for her wallet.
"There are 5 coins for three attempts" The owner responds
Rayne looks at them suspiciously as she watches them pay the amount and receive the gun and point it at the target.
After several attempts and losing a good amount of money (Name) finally managed to win
"Heh~ Now pass the giant rabbit!" (Name) says in a proud tone like I did it the first time while putting away the gun
"Here it is!" The owner says while handing over the plush that was bigger than (Name)
After they thank them, (Name) turns to Rayne
"Here! For you!" They say as they lift the big rabbit
Rayne didn't seem like it, but he was surprised that they played and spent a good amount of money just to give him the rabbit.
"...Thank you" Rayne says as he accepts the bunny trying to hide her excitement
"It has!" (Name) says smiling with her eyes closed at him
So Rayne and (Name) went to see more stalls leaving the stall owner happy to see an adorable interaction
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"That was the best date I've had in my entire life!" (Name) says while walking down the school hallway next to Rayne
After that interaction, the two did more things together and are now back at school.
"And as part of the agreement" (Name) says stopping in the middle of the way making Rayne stop too
(Name) goes through her bag and takes out the gold coin and holds it up to Rayne
"Here! Thanks for the date!" They said while smiling at Rayne
"It was nice doing business with you" Rayne says while picking up the coin with her free hand from the giant stuffed rabbit
"I'm also grateful for the rabbit" He continues as he puts the coin in a safe place
"You're welcome, I heard you liked rabbits!" They say letting out a little laugh
"...Maybe one day we can go on a date without needing to change" Rayne says, surprising (Name)
Before (Name) could say anything, he immediately left heading towards his dorm.
"I'm always willing to go on dates with you Rayne!" That was the last thing Rayne heard from them before turning into a hallway.
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eddo-tensei · 6 months
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"YOU JUST WANT HER TO STAY THE SAME!" - A short essay on the misconception of why people wanted Chloe to be redeemed.
Interpretations are important when it comes to understanding media and despite what some people may say, there's never "one true interpretation" of a piece of media. At this point, it's been at least a couple months since the fifth season of Miraculous had ended and it's been at least a month less than that since the movie had premiered. In both cases, even though she just barely qualifies as being a main character in the franchise, Chloe had become a hot topic in both iterations. In the show, she started out as your stock mean girl archetype, started to gain some depth in Seasons 2 and 3, and then suddenly nose-dived into being the resident Hate Sink come Season 4 and onwards while any bit of depth she had was stripped away from her. In the movie, she started out as relatively the same as she did in the show, but what's interesting is how her progression in the movie was handled in that there barely was any progression for her in either path. There wasn't a path of redemption written for her, but she wasn't thrown into the Hate Sink like what the latter half of the show did with her. In fact, even though the movie gave her an extremely petty motivation to bully Marinette, she's somehow better than how the show depicted her because she actually has a motivation, albeit a petty one, and yet she's somehow shown to be less of a monstrous psychopath that the show tried desperately to make her out to be. Granted, I do feel like something is lost with Zag retconning out most of Chloe and Adrien's past friendship, but the rest of the writing for Movie Adrien more than made up for that because Adrien actually feels like his own character instead of someone morphed into an accessory for Marinette. Same goes for Movie Marinette for that matter because even though they don't have a backstory together, Chloe's bullying of Marinette actually holds weight and Marinette felt more like a genuine introvert than the neurotically creepy mess she was in the show and to whom the writers spent the last season desperately attempting to justify the questionable actions of. All that said, the movie did a lot of right in terms of characterization and while Chloe, Nino, and Alya had reduced roles, they were still written pretty nicely and I hope to see this version of these characters again should Zag pen another sequel.
Even so, it led me to think about something that's been bothering me concerning Chloe and the discourse surrounding her. Even now, especially after how the fifth season's finale played out, the debate for whether or not Chloe should've been redeemed is still ongoing and it's very clear that the show had only served to strengthen those who said she never deserved to be redeemed to begin with. While there's a lot to debate over this, I do feel like there's one particular idea among those who are against a redemption for Chloe that's just completely wrong and deserves to be called out. Namely, a lot of people who argue against Chloe being redeemed seem to have this assumption that those who do want that are defending all of Chloe's actions or worse, that those who are pro-redemption actually just want Chloe to remain the same character-wise while she gets to be a hero again. Honestly, it's baffling that people would believe that Chloe fans who wish for a redemption just want Chloe to remain the same bully she always was even though that is literally the opposite of what most Chloe fans want and completely goes against the point of her having a redemption arc to begin with.
Now the reason I said this is the opposite of what MOST Chloe fans want is because there are indeed some fans of Chloe who do think she did nothing wrong and that she should be given the hero spot because Marinette is just being stupid. These fans usually come from people who get most of their ideas for Miraculous from watching goons like CyrusLovesOwlCity and to put it simply, these people are wrong and should not be taken seriously. Frankly, they're no different from any Marinette stan or Adrien stan who argue until they're blue in the face about how their respective characters did nothing wrong while violently salting any other character, including each other, that did something even slightly negative to their favorites. Those people do not deserve to be allowed in any polite conversation involving Miraculous regardless of which character they do it for.
In any case, despite what people might think, a lot of Chloe fans do want to see her change and stop being a bully. They want to actually watch her learn that what she's doing is wrong and thus improve herself. Of course, the showrunners seem to vehemently disagree with the concept of her ever becoming better and actively shoot down any possible hint of that happening. People will argue that there were never any hints to begin with and that Chloe fans are just being delusional, but that's where interpretations come in. While one could easily just say that Chloe is just impossible to redeem and one can even dive deep to even find reasons as to why that is, people can also look deep enough to find reasons as to why Chloe CAN be redeemed. While there's no true evidence that Chloe had a hidden heart of gold, there is evidence to show that she's much more sensitive and insecure than she lets on, primarily seen in any episode where Audrey is a primary character. Moreover, while Chloe is more of an overt bully in the movies, the scene of the ball towards the end of the movie does indicate that while Chloe still has a front, she does respect Marinette to an extent to the point of allowing her to dance with Adrien. This latter scene does seem to lean more into what Chloe fans actually want in that even though she is a bully, she's also starting to grow and it does seem like there's hope that she could get out of that role instead of just getting worse and being treated as a worse person than someone who attempted genocide and someone who wanted to erase reality.
With all that said, I feel like one more thing that needs to be addressed is that some people seem to believe that Chloe fans only complain about the show's writing when Chloe looks bad. While it may seem like cope, when people are complaining about it for multiple characters that arguably span the entire show, I don't think they're just complaining because one character is written in a bad light. Kagami, Nino, and Alya are just some of the other characters that come to mind when talking about how bad the writing is and of course, when Marinette and Adrien get their awful moments, a lot of their fans seem quick to jump to bringing up "bad writing" as a complaint as well with them often rewriting these characters to fit how they themselves view them. Frankly, if those fans are allowed to just create their own versions of these characters, I don't see why Chloe fans shouldn't be granted that same luxury for Chloe herself.
Overall, while the future of the show is uncertain, it's clear that Chloe's fandom is never going to truly disappear no matter how much people try to make that happen. All that said, you shouldn't just assume that a Chloe fan just wants her to get away with everything and be treated as a hero without having to change. Ultimately, you shouldn't just accuse a fan of Chloe of defending all of her bad actions just because they want her to be better. Save that negative energy for the people who unironically say that she did nothing wrong and then actively salt other characters for her. This is a lot to write, but I really wanted to get my thoughts out there and hopefully clear some things up.
Also, people who say that Marinette is somehow the true bully do not belong in the Miraculous fandom. Simple as.
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marieispink · 25 days
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My Sara rant before season 3
Season 3 is coming, and with that hopefully Sara's redemption and I have to express my anger before that.
What drives me soo mad with Sara in season two is that she's aware of the wrong of her actions, but she refuses to acknowledge the worst of it (as I see it of course). She knows she's in the wrong, but all season she focuses on how Felice will be mad. Not Simon.
She's so desperate to integrate in the upper class that the first concern in her mind is not that Simon, her brother, will be upset at her for using the worst thing that ever happened to him for her advantage (because it all started with her blackmailing August for a place in Hillerska), but with Felice!
(Also Simon doesn't know that she blackmailed August, will it come up in season 3? Hope so)
And in the beginning I took it like she's mad at him it won't last, and then maybe she's supressing her concerns, maybe, like she claims, she doesn't get how damaging it was to Simon, the damage was done she says.
But it's almost worst?? In E5, after she left August waiting in the ball and fought Felice and then went back to August she says that she got freaked out when he said that he's wille's backup and makes him promise not to hurt her. So she knows.
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She knows Simon's hurt, she knows there were consequences for being with someone of the royal family, and she knows Simon still loves Wille she said it herself. It drives me insane. Where's her empathy??? Girl you're so much better than this. And still all she talks about is Felice's anger. Not a mention to Simon. It's like he doesn't even cross her mind. The biggest victim here.
Remember in season 1 E2 when she left with Simon the second he stood up? E3 when she was teasing about his crush? Babygirl, come back, you're not this stupid. The damage was done? Be for real.
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And I truly don't know if her diagnosis can explain any of her behavior. I'm not neurodivergent and don't know anyone who is, all I have is wikipedia. But this isn't like when she was missing the signals in the room with Felice's mother. It's just so egocentrical.
And that takes me to my biggest complain, to me, her feelings come partly from the fact that August is the ideal of upper class aka the life she wants. And she loses sight of what she is in that.
Far from me to condemn someone that wants to social climb, that was my favourite part about her in season 1. I was like yes girl I get you, I want pretty dresses too, their shit is so much better. But she gets lost in the dream, and that's why she loses everything by the end of the season.
I understand that her issues with bullying gave her this desperate desire to fit in, and in hillerska fitting in means different things, but the class division is never too far. Even when she's accepted into manor house, her social space is completly dependent on Felice, all of the girls turn on her the second Felice does, they don't even care to hear her side or keep the peace, like friends would. They're not her friends, but she ignores all that.
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At this short moment between S2 E3 e E5, Sara has almost everything she wants, August, Her place in manor house, a friend group, and Rosseau's going to a good family. Does it last? No. Is it perfect? No, because it's fake. It's all fake. She's not one of them, she'll never be. It's all hanging on lies and the will of the upper class. No matter who she dates, where she lives, it's all fake.
But does she think of Simon? No! Or at least, if she does, we don't see it, until it blows on her face. My theory is denial, she knows she's in the wrong, so she won't even let herself think of him, but like, what an asshole.
And she goes and tells August that Simon's going to the police. As if he was ever going to confess, she's not stupid, she can't possibly honestly think he will. And if he did then what? How's that any better? She still hid it.
And it annoys me at that scene when she tells August he was supposed to confess, honey, did you insist for him to go to the police after you started kissing? You didn't want him to confess. Don't pass the blame, you're still accomplices.
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That being said, I still hope for her redemption. I do miss the Eriksson siblings from S1, good times. At least she seems to be sorry now (Finally!). Can't help but think she's only sorry she was caught like August, but I guess we'll see it now on the 11th.
Please let it be good, I saw a theory she'd be in a car accident? If Simon forgives her just because she almost dies I'll be so upset. She needs to work for it. Simon deserves it.
We have no good information on Sara, she's probably going to spend the season with the Felice plotline that I won't care for. She's almost kissing August in the trailer, but I choose to give her the benefit of the doubt. If not I hope she's miserable with him S2. They can be together in unhappiness, maybe she can visit him in jail.
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mobumi · 18 days
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Well, first I wanted to say that I love your analyzes and thank you for always answering our questions. You know, I wanted to know when Arajin's redemption will be, let's go to episode 9 and with no redemption I see a comment on Instagram saying that it wouldn't be bad if at the end of the anime Matakara and Arajin are no longer friends I would love it because I want Matakara recognize that your best friend is zabu. what do you think?
Thanks! No problem it's fun :)
I don't think Arajin needs a redemption arc to be honest, it would be too predictable anyway and there are only 4 or 5 episodes left. Yeah he's annoying and all but he didn't do much, at least to the point that he needs redemption cause for me it's for characters who are truly horrible at the beginning, like he's not a bully, but Arajin is just dumb, in his own Shojo anime and fails to function as a normal human being (I still think he was too insensitive and crossed the lines in ep 8 but that's besides the point). Sure, his attitude affects others but he's not a horrible person, selfish yes, pathetic yes, not horrible. We know he has a good heart and pretends not to care. Matakara believes it too. He only wears a mask and that is why a lot of people still like him.
I made a post a while ago about how Arajin and Matakara were the same, but Matakara was written better and I still stand by it. There's a connection between the two, an obvious parallel. Matakara has this idealized version of Arajin like Arajin as one for Mahoro and they act the same in some ways. The difference is that Matakara actually grew up with Arajin, he didn't invent what he saw in his friend. They made a promise when they were younger and Arajin gave him a friendship stone. He was actually kind and caring, Matakara didn't imagine that, he lived it, so it makes sense that he thinks Arajin is still like that years later. His vision of him is not coming out of nowhere. He got attached to this Arajin who was truly himself, but he didn't see him grow. That's the disconnection.
From the moment Arajin ghosted Matakara and went on with his life, their bond was broken, only Matakara didn't realize it at first because Arajin was part of his dream of becoming Honkibito and one of the people who gave him strength. He thought the reason Arajin didn't talk to him anymore was because he wasn't strong enough. Arajin doesn't think he's strong enough as well, he wants validation (from Mahoro) and he flees from his fear of being weak. When Matakara lost his belief, he lost his identity too and that made him terrified. I think he knew from the beginning that something seemed off with Arajin, but he didn't want to believe it because that would mean he's alone and his beliefs and dream would be gone. Who will he be without it? So I don't think that Mata is completely fooled by Arajin but mostly he's scared because if his role model is not who he thought he was, he has no hope left. Matakara needed this realization to let go of Arajin.
What I mean by all of this is that the same thing is going to happen to Arajin. It's not necessarily redemption he needs but the same realization Matakara had in episode 8. He needs to break out of the spell and accept the true Mahoro so he can let go of her too.
Both characters are going to come face to face with the truth, with reality, and either they're going to bond again over this or they're going to be their own person without each other and find peace. But I think with this parallelism, they also seem to be made for each other like they're one piece of each other if that makes sense? The universe (aka Utsumi) wants them together (as friends or allies, enemies, whatever defines them.)
They're not going to change completely, especially Arajin, but I can see them accepting who they are in the end. Their perspectives on each other are going to change, their views, their beliefs, but not their true identity. In the 1001 nights tale, and notably in the Disney movie "Aladdin", Jasmine and Aladdin hide their true identities. Aladdin pretends to be a prince to get Jasmine's attention and marry her. She met him before but doesn't recognize him. It's only at the end that Ali Ababwa disappears, his mask is gone and his true self is revealed to her. Meanwhile, she hides that she's a princess and dresses as a "commoner" so she can see the world. Shit keeps happening to them when they're not true to themselves just like Aladdin and Jasmine.
So yeah, I guess just like those characters they're going to be free from themselves and it's going to free Senya and Ichiya as well because they're trapped in their bodies. Senya thinks that he needs to merge with Arajin to see Ichiya again but the only way I think is for them to be themselves without Arajin and Matakara. It's interesting that the moment they are both linked to Senya and Ichiya was a moment where they were running away from fear, the genies came when they were hopeless, so I think there's this idea that they can't be themselves if the genies are still possessing them and using them. But if they overcome their fears, they will get their bodies back, more exactly their mind and heart 👀.
Moreover, in the original Aladdin story, "Aladdin and the Magic Lamp" which apparently takes place in China 👀, Aladdin is not perceived as a pure-hearted hero. He wants the princess but he's not interested in her personality or her feelings, so just like Arajin he's a flawed hero who gets what he wishes for...
So no, I don't expect a redemption for Arajin, especially with the tone of the show. Not because he's bad and he'll stay bad, but mostly because he's not the villain of the story, just a reflection of humanity. His character was intended to be like that and to be his true self he needs to let go of his fear, that's the only thing i can see for him. The real question is will his wish come true? He's supposed to get what he wants, get the girl. If it doesn't happen then something else waits for him and I really want to see what the resolution will be. I don't think that in the end Arajin and Matakara no longer being friends will be the answer, it's more than that. Although I imagined there is going to be a reconnection whether they're back being friends or not.
You know what? Maybe we were fooled as viewers. Matakara is actually Aladdin but with Jasmine's personality and Arajin is his Jasmine with Aladdin's personality. But because of their names we thought it was the other way around. Like one of his closest friends is literally Zabu= Abu. It's different than the original story but their dynamic is kinda the same. Idk, I can see it. They're interchangeable. But yeah, Aladdin gets what he wants, so all is going to end well for Arajin, but we have yet to see what will be Matakara's wish...
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bonefall · 10 months
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Idk if you’ve talked about her already, but I’d love to hear about BB!Acorn Fur!
And what your thoughts of canon her are too >:D
A summary for the BB changes is coming up in a moment!
In-canon though... I really hate what they did to her. Right after the First Battle, after being forced to dump her parents in a mass grave thanks to Clear Sky, she decides she can't go back to the Moor and joins SkyClan. It's like they completely forgot the past 3 books, and Blazing Star is a brand new continuity
The narrative totally forgets that Clear Sky was 100% responsible for the entire battle, deciding that actually Tall Shadow did this too somehow, because they didn't appease the violent dictator enough. Gray Wing declares, "WE let it get too far" like a Reverse Squirrelflight's Hope, and Acorn Fur decides that actually she wants to move into the camp of the dude who starved her father
But like, at least that IS something, because for being the "adopted sibling" of main character Thunder she sure gets very little screentime.
DOTC hates women too much for me to be charitable about the fact they had two kittens in the Jackdaw's Cry/Hawk Swoop litter, and only gave the boy child important moments with Thunder. Once you start seeing all the misogyny in this arc, it becomes VERY hard to ignore every little detail
But I think what most people really remember about poor Acorn Fur is how vitriolic Moth Flight is allowed to be to her, for the high crime of... being close to Micah
MFV is a painful book. We get to watch Clear Sky be just as bad as he always was, "redemption arc" forgotten, crying and wailing about being told what to do (take this doctor) because he hates foreigners. He mistreats Micah constantly, forcing him to train Acorn Fur so that he can replace him as soon as possible, and Moth Flight blames Acorn Fur for this because she's a woman in the general vicinity
On Clear Sky's orders, Red Claw attacks Micah in a tree while he's collecting sap as medicine, because Clear wants everyone in WindClan to die of illness. Micah dies. From now on, Moth Flight decides that Acorn Fur can't be happy because she hates the person she wants to be her mate, and also Acorn Fur.
The StarClan Dogpile where they chide Acorn like a child is an insulting mess that's meant to be framed as a triumphant moment. "Oh isn't it so nice that finally Moth Flight is getting listened to! You're a moron, Acorn Fur, for thinking you can be a doctor AND a mother!! Everyone point and laugh! Pick, bitch, marriage or medicine!"
It sucks. Everything that happens to Acorn Fur is unfair and ridiculous. The writers barely cared about her from the beginning, only to shovel her into SkyClan where she suffers for it constantly, because Skystar and Moth Flight are both horrible people.
She deserves better than what she got
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teacup-tai · 1 year
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Sometimes I stare into the nothingness and think:
Can you believe it? If jkr weren't the horrible transphobe that she is, we could all be celebrating and having a blast about Dumbledore/Grindelwald, having deliciously explicit Jude/Mads fics. We could be buying hp merchandise and being happy and feeling wonderful about how she gave us a canon lovers-to-enemies of massive proportions. The movies would have been successful because we wouldn't have cancelled her. She wouldn't need a ridiculous excuse of tv series so early to get more money/new fans.The original actors would actually want to be in a new movie, they would be happy to do so and we would all be incredibly excited about seeing Scorbus on the big screen...
But no. No, she fucking betrayed us. She turned her wand to her own community and she dared curse us with her nasty transphobic shit.
I should have known from the beginning, that she's a woman who does not write about love and hope (even if she thinks she does). She is a woman who writes about creating polarities, enemies and wars born out of bigotry.
Such a sad thing. I hate her so much. And it's such a painful and sad reality, to think I loved her so fiercely when her first book saved my life 25 years ago.
It's a long mourning process for me. I'm so angry it makes me wanna write loud and clear about hope. This is fandom for me: hope. We are so full of fucking hope we fucking saved Draco Malfoy from himself and his family and voldy and the whole pureblood shite so many times in so many redemption stories while jkr couldn't understand why we even liked him.
Here, listen: we like him because we like to see change in our world. Because we are hopeful about our society. We believe in not only magic but we believe people learn, and choose wisely once informed and change! We don't like to see you destroying our safe space. It's not yours anymore, not since you pointed your sickly words and hateful speech towards our siblings.
I really wanna write about hope. About redeemed Draco, about coming out and being supported, about found family and safety nets. About bi trans boy Harry, and black Hermione, and trans Luna and gay Draco and asian Pansy and all things queer and diverse. I wanna save Voldemort's soul and close my eyes to the fact that Freud knows it is only a paralel bc I wish I could change who jkr is and the amount of damage she did.
It's a mourning process for me, and sometimes I stare into nothingness and day dream about another life.
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logical--dreamer · 10 months
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CHLOE RANT!! SOME SPOILERS FOR THE NEWEST EPISODES!
I'm a Chloe stan. I had dug her character even in season 1, but then they gave her some hope. Showed that there was more to her than a stereotypical mean girl. This made her probably one of the most complex characters in the show.
Then season 3's finale happened, and it all fell apart. All season 4, she felt like they took her character, scribbled out everything interesting, and just made her a heartless, mean girl worse than ever. Then through season 5, the show talks to the audience, saying there is no hope for Chloe. That sometimes people are just bad...and I would say okay and call it a day if that was true. But they showed us that little piece of good in her...why show it if she is nothing but evil?
When they introduced Zoe, I was hoping that she would be a secret baddie who would eventually work with Lila. I mean, it works; Zoe is a new character no one knew, who is an actress, and said that at her old school, she lied about who she was. It fit...that plus Marinette giving her the bee miraculous without really knowing her...it felt off to me. Granted, that's all in the past now, and I don't doubt Zoe is a sweet girl, but another part of my idea remains. I thought with Zoe in the picture, and if my evil Zoe theory was correct, Chloe would end up on rock bottom, eventually speeding up her redemption to completion.
At the beginning of season 5, I was in denial. With every bad thing Chloe did, I would say, "it's just Lila manipulating her," until finally, I gave up hope and decided to accept what happened to her character...
...that is until the last two episodes.
Right now, Chloe is at her worst. She had come full circle. She had Principal Damocles and Ms. Bustier fired and Marinette expelled. She knows Adrien is moving to London, something he hasn't told anyone yet. She has Monarch backing her. She is the freaking Mayor....she has everything she wanted. So much power...but you know what else she has?
Lila.
Lila is telling her what to say and do. None of what's happening is actually Chloe. This is just her being manipulated by her "Friend" and Monarch. Both have their own agendas, and one is to bring Monarch down.
Lila did what she did to everyone else. She told her everything she wanted to hear. She fed on her faults and her bad qualities and gave her praise for them. Something that everyone else has criticized and scolded her for in the past. She is getting the affirmation she has been craving "to be who she is."
But what happens when she is no use anymore? When Monarch is taken down, and Lila takes control and no longer needs her?
Chloe is going to hit rock bottom.
She will have no friends. No Mayor father to get her out of trouble. No future because she thought she wouldn't need anything or learn anything because she will always be "rich." She will be alone and face the consequences of her actions.
I think it's then she is going to finally accept her sister and turn to her for support. Zoe knows how it feels to be alone and friendless; it's what happened to her in New York.
Maybe then...only then can Chloe finally see everything she was missing while blinded by her own arrogance and finally be on the right road to redemption.
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jaded-nihilisst · 14 days
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Captivating, unowned soul. | OC x Vox fic
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//Okay, so, I'm not exactly positive how "canon" this would be to my AU but I can imagine this happening earlier on in Jiliann's settlement with the Vees… AKA, the time that Vox starts to have his attention stolen by Jiliann. But this is definitely where her emotional conflict between redemption and being with the people she really loves begins.
cws ;; suggestive dialogue in the end ig, but nothing else. ( around 1.2k words )
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Placing her phone down on the desk in front of her, Jiliann sighed heavily. The end of the day was approaching. Almost every customer visiting Voxtek for inquiries and purchases was gone. The population is getting shallower by the minute and Jili's last business call was two hours ago.
She just couldn't wait to get back to the Hazbin Hotel.
Jiliann lifted her phone back up to her face, staring blankly at her text message history. Vervallen, her older brother, texted moments ago. They got into a minor passive-aggressive argument over her recent secretive and unstable behaviors.
While it is true Jiliann kept the fact she took residence in the Hazbin Hotel a secret to the Vees, it was all for good reason. Jiliann was a witness to both side's points of view on each other, and it was not positive. Every day almost felt like walking on eggshells. (Mostly when she was with the Vees.) And the higher her reputation was, the worse the emotional dread of being caught got.
Vervallen was the fourth member of the Vees. A chaotic neutral overlord with a soft spot for his little sister. Him being so high ranked, he wanted Jiliann to be nearer to him. So, he gave her a job in Vox’s department, as it felt like the safest atmosphere to let her work in. No way in hell was Vervallen letting his little sister work with Valentino. No matter how much the bastard-pimp begged.
In the process of this, Vervallen would praise Jiliann and her work ethic in front of the Vees. Increasing her reputation over time. The Vees basically started to get to know her at that point. And they did begin to understand Jiliann personally through their own observations as well. The five were practically like a small clique.
You could say Jiliann was privileged. Yet, at a price.
Jiliann glanced to a large holographic clock mounted on a wall. It flickered lightly, hovering above the entrance doors. Closing time. She cleared her throat briskly and made the announcement. Shoppers left and right made their way to exit the building. Almost on queue, the lights began to dim as Jiliann stood up to lock the entryway doors.
Vervallen's last message plagued Jiliann's mind the whole time. Her movements were lax due to being lost in her own fears.
"Jili, I really hope you aren't hiding anything from us. You've been acting so much more antsy recently. We're still recovering from that break-in because you left the shopping hall completely unlocked a few days ago. I know something is wrong, please talk to me soon. I love you, goodnight." -Was all Vervallen said to Jiliann to end off their conversation.
Jiliann returned to her desk chair, head in one hand, phone in the other. She felt like crying from the pressure. Finally turning off her mobile, it left her in near complete darkness. Jiliann shut her eyes, letting out one last desperate sigh.
She stood up again, grabbing her purse from underneath the reception desk. She did not want to be here any longer than she had to be. Jiliann just settled on the thought of ruling out her emotions when she was back in the comfort of the Hotel. The second Jiliann started shuffling her way to the door, a small crack and buzzing sound emanated from behind her. For a moment, it felt like her hair stood on end. Jiliann froze in her tracks immediately, as a slick voice followed the dreadfully familiar electrical sounds.
"Dearest Jiliann! lovely seeing you this odious evening…" Vox announced, traces of a subliminal, sinister motive present. Jiliann's grip on her purse strap tightened out of fearful anticipation. Forcing a sincere smile, she turned around to meet the face of her domineering boss. "Double-checking you've properly secured the building this time, I hope?" Vox added mockingly, leaning forward ever so slightly. Likely an intimidation tactic. Jiliann simply laughed along, feeling obligated.
"Yes! Yes, I am. Um, I am still really sorry about that incident, sir. I promise, I'll be putting more effort back into being mentally present while working here, eheh." Jiliann stuttered out, grimacing awkwardly. She mentally scolded herself for speaking more than she probably should have. Vox only hummed in response, walking past Jiliann to idly inspect the security locks of the door on his own. Though, it was clear his interest was elsewhere.
"I appreciate the words; I just hope your actions deliver." Vox responded, his usual cunning smile fading into something sterner. He turned his head to face Jiliann again, glowing screen harshly contrasting the darkness. "You could have gotten in much more trouble if it wasn't for the biased mindset of your brother, Vervallen. You should be grateful."
Jiliann frowned, facade broken.
"I… I understand, sir." Was all she could respond with. Undeniably guilty. Jiliann clutched her purse close to her chest for comfort. She began to scuttle towards the door with an urged pace. Her tone turning shaky. "If you don't mind, I'd really like to get home soon, so, if I could just-Get out the door now,"
"I MEAN, I hope you're grateful," Vox swiftly interrupted Jiliann and blocked her path. Her eyes widened at the close distance between their bodies. Jiliann took a precautionary step back, gazing up at Vox. “if it were only up to me, I would have made sure you… ‘suffered’ properly for a mistake big as that.” Placing emphasis on suffering, Vox grabbed ahold of Jiliann’s shoulders, bringing himself to her eye level. “You almost jeopardized what I built up for so long, you know!”
Jiliann gulped, unable to move herself away. Though she wanted to, a telepathic voice subconsciously stopped Jiliann from doing so. Vox’s face twisted into something sly. Something pleading, but blatantly wrong. Suddenly, it felt like his grip on her got tighter, provoking Jiliann to respond quickly.
“Again, I am sorry! What more can I say??” Jiliann muttered out in panic, more so a response to the increasing pain. Then came the worry of dealing with her boss’s emotions. “I promise, it won’t happen again. Is there anything I can do for you? To repay your leniency?” Jiliann ended up begging, to which, there was a clear response via Vox’s expression. His iconic, smug grin returned. Jiliann’s eyes subtly widened at the realization of what had just happened. Letting go of Jiliann's shoulders, Vox stepped away from the entryway door. Permitting her freedom at last.
“I will contact you tomorrow after your shift for a meeting in my office. I can have full confidence you will show up, hm?” He practically teased Jiliann. Indirectly gloating at his success of manipulating his meek employee. Oh dear, how Vox enjoyed Jiliann’s modesty. That is what merely excited his will to indulge toward owning her.
Jiliann nodded, silently complying to Vox’s wishes. Before she slowly made her way out the door, Vox lightly pat her back. As if that was comforting.
Once Jiliann was outside, she turned for a moment only to wish her boss a good rest of the evening. Jiliann made haste to catch a taxi back to the Hazbin Hotel. Now she had to deal with her brother and Vox. There were now twice as many thoughts and feelings to sort through this evening. What a relaxing way to end a hard day.
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This was very experimental ... and also written at 8 am after pulling a 2-day all-nighter. Bare with me here ahah-
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that-irishman-fan · 1 year
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complicit/a charlie lonnit x reader fanfic
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FANDOM: The Devil In Me/The Dark Pictures Anthology
GENRE: A one-shot edited fanfic and unrequested, simply me indulging!
SYNOPSIS: ( SPOILERS AHEAD ) Charlie has been accused of being complicit after a clue is found to lead his friends to believe he might not be who they think he is, though the one he loves is quick to step in. This would be my loose take on the guilty complicit ending for Charlie if he survived it. 
TRIGGER WARNINGS: Spoilers for the game, swearing, implied then blatant crush, and angst!
As always, Charles Lonnit had become the villain of the story, if that was the right term to describe his predicament. There was nothing he could have done to quash the accusations. Stop the theories flying out from the mouths of people he had trusted. What had been on that tape incriminated him for an evil he hadn’t committed in the first place. Any fragments of trust left in him had shattered before his very eyes. Suddenly he was the guilty one. The role of the co-conspirator who wallowed in unspeakable sin had been ascribed to him. A wolf in sheep’s clothing crawling amongst them. Would his crew ever believe that he was their friend again? Whatever the case, he knew in the immediate moment that grave danger lurked around every corner; and that it was likely he would fall into its clutches if he could not convince his friends of his innocence. 
Complicit. What a foul word to speak. A stinging bullet fired from a merciless shotgun. He wouldn’t have dared to call himself a saint, but to say he was a sinner beyond redemption cut deep. 
Complicit. If they truly believed that, why not be done with him? Carve it into his chest and throw his body to the birds. Have him face the heavens for an omniscient, mysterious god to recognize him for the traitor he was and cast him into the blackest hellfire. 
Complicit. Nine letters, nine evils manifested. He was none of those. 
“ I’m not buying it. ” a voice soft in caution interrupted in the darkness. Mark and Erin turned towards the direction where Y/N stood, their fists clenched to their side. Surprise replaced the defensive expression on his face, his brows arching upwards over the frame of his glasses. His heart did a leap inside his chest, hope lightening the burden he carried on his shoulders. The metallic taste of fear on his tongue subdued. A breath he didn’t know he was holding pierced the silence. What were they playing at? Did Y/N have doubts that he was involved? Or was he hearing what he wanted? 
“ What do you mean? It’s all right there, Y/N! Do you want me to rewind the tape? ” Erin cried, seizing the cassette player from its spot on the table. 
“ If Du’Met is capable of building this fucked up murder castle, I imagine it’s not a stretch to assume he could edit this to fit whatever purpose he had. Think about it, Erin. You’re a sound engineer, do you really believe that Charlie was complicit in this whole thing? ” 
Complicit. There was that word again. 
“ Look at the other one, then! Use your fucking head, I’m no traitor! ” Charlie butted in, his indignant rage getting the better of him in the moment. Mark was noticeably quiet, trying to gage who to trust from the sidelines. 
“ Shut up, you don’t get a say in this matter!” Erin fired back, doing as Y/N had instructed her. She clicked on the other tape recorder, ear perked to listen for any evidence that would convict him. Fizzles of worry sparked in Charlie’s stomach, for a reason he could not explain. Why he was so nervous despite not having any malicious intent to begin with was past him. The second he heard his real voice fill the room speaking nothing but the truth, that anxiety died. A sob caught in Erin’s throat, her eyes dark in a mixture of shame, fear, and anger Inside of him, his mean streak revelled in her guilt. Seeing her wrong gave fuel to that inferno of bitter pleasure next to his white hot fury at the entire situation. Yet, there came a tiny pleading voice in the back of his mind that reprimanded him. Was he really going to hold a girl responsible for her completely sensible terror? Nonetheless a sweetheart like Erin Keegan who did not possess an evil bone in her body. No, he wouldn’t stoop to that level. 
“ See what I mean? Du’Met is trying to divide us so we’ll turn on each other. It’s another one of his sick psychopathic turn-ons.” Y/N whispered, keeping their tone neutral as was possible. 
“ I agree with Y/N. It makes us easier to pick off one by one. If Charlie really was the bad guy, wouldn’t he have tried to lead us off into more danger? I haven’t seen anything like that.” Mark replied, casting a calm look towards his boss.
“ I’m so sorry, Charlie...” came Erin’s quavering reply, to which he gave a stern but forgiving glance at. 
Gratitude blossomed up in Charlie’s chest, the most towards Y/N, who was talking to Erin. A flower of love sprouted for the screenplay writer across the room. Whether he wanted to get down on his knees and thank them or kiss them, he could feel himself falling harder for them. No longer was he the guilty one. If he could only get off this accursed island, he would make them see he was more than innocent. 
‘ If I get out of this circle of Hell, I swear to give up smoking and make them mine. The only crime I’m complicit for is for falling head over heels for you, Y/N.’ he thought, a small assuring smile playing on his thin lips for the first time in the previous few hours. 
Complicit. Maybe it wasn’t so bad to be complicit if it meant his dreams were fulfilled. 
A/N: God this was total shit, but I wanted to write something for my sweet British baby boy Charlie even if it wasn’t up to par with my normal standards. I fucking love the Dark Pictures games and Charlie Lonnit most of all, and wanted to express it as best as I could! This anthology has become my entire life the past month, the amazing people on this platform in the fandom helping to find another passion of mine which I thank them for! 
I’m going to tag the coolest person I know @itscrimsonsixx​ for this fanfic, I’d love to hear your opinion on my writing here if that’s cool with you, bestie! Everybody please have a fantastic New Year and enjoyable rest of your Holidays! Thank you so much for reading!
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fe-noumenal · 11 months
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Why Apostles of Mercy will (likely) have a good ending
(heavy Axiom's End and Truth of the Divine spoilers ahead!!!)
I watched Lindsay Ellis' latest Nebula video about Guy Fieri. It got me thinking about a common theme I've been noticing in her recent videos - sincere storytelling is good and irony destroys our enjoyment of stories.
And my poisoned by Noumena brain rot mind, gave me some ideas of the direction of the story after Truth of the Divine.
Let's explore this!
First one, a 'positive and healthy', boring one - Cora tries to help Nikola and Ampersand, but they are too far gone. They do what their culture dictates and pass on peacefully. Cora is left to enter full adulthood as a formed person, a speaker for the (dead) aliens. Blah, I hate it! It does tie everything in a neat bow and even gives an opening for future instalments (because I don't think we will get planned 5 parts now), but I find it unlikely. It isn't sincire. Lindsay was always vocal against killing off 'damaged' characters as a redemption. She even said so in TotD content waring.
I read TotD a few times now and the ending can be interpreted as Cora and Ampersand finally meeting in the middle but... But sometimes I feel like it's a relapse. It's written from Cora's POV and we can't fully trust her positive emotions. It could see it as a parallel to Kaveh's alcoholism - a toxic relationship is like a drug. Kaveh tried to help Cora overcome her addiction, but he's gone now, and she is back at square one. She used Kaveh for sex at the beginning - one well of affection dried up and she tried to secure another. But he, in his perfection stepped up and showed Cora how a healthy and mature relationship looks like. And I really think this is Kaveh's function in this book - to teach Cora about love. And that why he has to exit the stage, just like a mentor in hero's journey. He is a moral compass in the book. But when he encouraged Cora to explore her relationship with Ampersand, I'm still not sure if he really meant it, or he was aware that he couldn't help an alcoholic by just telling them to stop drinking. It all comes down how Ampersand and Cora's reunion should be interpreted. I think the bad ending would still be very interesting, if very emotionally taxing turn of events. I like to watch a good train crash, but I like those characters. I want them happy. If Cora and Ampersand continue to make each other miserable, it would go against the theme of the series. Nikola would die and Ampersand would die with him, leaving Cora alone with a string of deceased partners. It would mean that communication between species is futile and Superorganism was right all along. Humanity would burn. It would be cynical and Lindsay has been clear that she despises cynical storytelling.
And here is a possible !!gigant spoiler!! for the whole series: in her mastodon post, Lindsay said that humanity is spared by the Superorganism (because they don't have Twitter in this universe lol, check it yourself https://mastodon.social/@lindsayellis/109853608377077218 ). So a first half of the (potentially) good ending is (possibly) guaranteed. It won't happen if Cora, Ampersand and Nik don't cooperate. And they can't effectively cooperate if they are on a brink of unaliving themselves. I'm still not sure what will exactly happen, if I knew I would write it myself but I have high hopes. And watching Lindsay's last videos only cemented that hope. Again and again she hammers down her point about the sincerity, even if the story is clishe or sappy. Those videos were written in tandem with Apostles of Mercy and it would be so jarring if it said something opposite.
Based on all information available, my speculative outline of the Apostles of Mercy would look like that:
1. Cora tries to help Ampersand and Nikola to heal their minds. It's hard.
2. Cora and Nik bond over their feelings for Kaveh and Amps.
3. They encounter a pod of benevolent transients, who give us a different perspective on Superorganism and Amygdaline nature. They have resources to provide Amps and Nik a true therapy. (Lindsay said that we will meet transients.)
4. Amps, Nik and Cora form a phyle.
5. They are able to communicate by high language, fully confirming that humans are persons by Amygdaline standards. (High language has to happen. It's much more interesting that way. Also this would give us an unfiltered Amygdaline perspective)
6. There is a mental show down with Autocrat, something like Ender's Game.
Add some shenanigans with Sol, Luciana, propagandists and some evil Nils' shit.
Are those all possible options? No. Maybe I'm completely wrong and it will be something completely different? I hope so. I hope Lindsay will deliver an incredible, SINCERE book, that will move as all, just like Axiom's End and Truth of the Divine did.
I desperately want to be this series' Bigolas Dickolas, so we will get all 5 😭
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dekusleftsock · 2 years
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Something I’ve not seen pointed out yet, (and it’s honestly disappointing that it hasn’t imo but whatever) is how twices death truly impacts togas ideals with blood and death. Seeing as this will ultimately dictate toga getting some sort of redemption arc or not.
Let me start with what exactly togas ideals are pre twices death. As we see the manga since her debut in the forest training arc, we are given her ideals from the very beginning. Toga views blood and death as something positive or neutral, throughout the ENTIRE series. She kills the people she loves to become them, and the only reason she didn’t kill uraraka or tsu when she met them was bc she had a nice handy dandy tool to get their blood easily. Again, same with camie. This all stems from the fact that toga has never had a positive experience with love. Or at least, that’s the case until twice. This might be a controversial opinion, but toga only gives and receives truly authentic love from one person in the entire series, and that’s twice. Not dabi, or shigaraki, or spinner. Other than twice, the league has ultimately acted like a business that would grant them all the things they wanted. Revenge for dabi, destruction for shigaraki, to be seen for spinner, and to live freely for toga. Twice wanted a place where he belonged. He was a traumatized man that needed help, and only the league would ever give him that.
Toga never ever got someone who truly cared about her until twice. She never tried to hurt him and vice versa. Bc he was her most positive experience with love she has ever had. And when hawks killed twice, taking away the first person who ever truly gave her that authentic love she so desperately wanted and needed, only to be taken away by a hero both solidified her beliefs of heroes never helping her when she needed it, and took away the only hope for herself that she ever had.
But that’s bad, right? It takes away her belief in heroes and a possible system that would accept her. With the evidence I’ve presented often comes a conclusion that people have in both the anime and outside of it. That toga is a lost cause. She’ll go to tarterous at the end of the manga after ochako trying to help her, that she is a sad tragedy of a woman. She will live angrily and bitter for the rest of her life, or insane and happy. But I think those people are missing the big picture. Something that even TOGA HAS TRIED TO SAY AND WAS NOT LISTENED TO. Because if uraraka represents hope then she must represent tragedy right? WRONG. So so SO WRONG. Toga is one of the characters I have the MOST hope in trying to help defeat afo. That she will help the heroes, help OCHAKO. Sad woman’s parade will hurt like hell, but it will be a step closer to her getting the acceptance she needs. The freedom. Without hurting people or herself.
Because twices death directly contradicts her belief that death is either neutral or good. Something that can be used as a tool to escape a sticky situation. Bc that’s togas belief up until now. Death is easy and not very important. Big sis mag started this train, twice only pushed it farther.
Because if death affected her, then she can learn to sympathize with the pain she has caused. She can learn to smile after her grief, she just needs someone to reach out a hand to help.
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Toga is both in denial and correct in her belief that she is not a tragedy. The reporter lady that could make bombs out of anything comments on this, but toga is vehemently opposed to the idea. How could she be sad or tragic if she has people she loves and a found family? But, of course, she is still tragic in that sense. She was rejected over and over again for being herself which led to insecurity, violence, and her own depression.
But at the same god damn time, she is not a lost cause. Not like how people want to think she is. She has someone who can learn to truly love and appreciate her (I honestly think it has a solid chance of becoming romantic but honestly they’d be amazing chaotic best friend duo lol, though, both of those ideas are a lil fanon, but I can hope) learn who she is, what she likes. As uraraka says it, she truly doesn’t know anything about toga himiko.
Some of this is speculation, some of it is not. I have hope for himiko toga, as a character and where her arc is going. It is intertwined with urarakas, so hopefully that means some sort of relationship between the two (romantically or platonically) bc I’ll take it no matter what it turns out to be.
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everlastingdreams · 3 months
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The Weeping Monk x Reader : Born In The Dawn Chapter 23
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Story Summary: Locked inside a dark room in a dungeon, kept alive only for your power, you believed you’d never see the daylight again. That is until the Weeping Monk finds his way down and steals you from your captors. It is the beginning of a journey that leads you through hardship and newfound hope, but nothing is assured in a world that is changing for the Fey. The magic that runs in your veins is drawing out the worst the world has to offer, does it include the man who pulled you from the dark?
Chapter Title: The Wrath Of The Gods
Notes: /
Warnings: !Grief!. !Violence!. Torture. !Sexual Assault!. !Rape Threat!. Gore. Enemies To Lovers. Pining. Trauma. Flagellation. Manipulation. Strong Language. Blood. Gore?. Misogyny. PTSD. Spicy and smut parts. Slight redemption arc.
Other warnings: Jealousy. Forbidden Love. Romance. Slow-burn…
Word count of this fic: +190K
Chapter:  23/ It’s a secret.
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Lancelot fell over on his side. Your body caved in at the sight of it happening, “No! Please, no!!!”
The Hidden’s enraged voices took over all sound.
You fought to get to him before it was too late to save him with your magic, the Brothers used their combined strength to keep you on the floor.
They forced you to watch him suffer, blood streamed out of his chest fast and began to pool under him.
The many times you had screamed out his name were countless, it was like being in a haze.
It took longer for Lancelot to die than the others, and by the time it was over you sat defeated and drained on the cold tile floor. Your vision was blurred completely by the tears.
This was the Reaper’s way of motivating.
Soran was saying something, you heard not a word of what it was.
Your eyes did not move away from the Ash Man, your friend, that had met a cruel end.
Only when the Reaper knelt down in front of you did you hear, “Bring him back.”
You spat in his face in response.
Soran held back his anger and rose to his feet. “Unhand her.”
The Brothers let go off you immediately at his command.
Soran coldly said, “Change his fate. Or will you leave him to rot?”
With the shock going through your body, you did not trust your legs. You crawled to Lancelot, your knees were in the blood when you got to his side. “Lancelot…”
The leaf pattern that had risen to the surface of his neck, no longer looked green, they looked withered like leaves who had abandoned their tree long ago. A sob cruelly forced it’s why out of you at the sight of it, you couldn’t stop them from flowing out of you anymore, the agony had taken hold on your body in the worst way.
Soran had left the knife where it was, a cruel act.
You could not heal a person when a weapon was still in their heart, the Reaper must have known this.
It forced you to remove the knife from Lancelot’s heart, and doing so was the most awful thing.
The knife fell from your hands, you didn’t want to touch it ever again.
“I am so sorry.” You sobbed and touched his cheek.
It was testing the Reaper’s patience it seemed. “Stop wasting time!”
You felt physically ill, it did not stop you from cupping Lancelot’s face and quietly begging the Hidden for help. “Please… hear my plea… give me your strength.” The green glow overtook your eyes, “And I will be your summoner.”
The Hidden’s power surged through your veins at the offer and it felt almost too strong to bear.
This magic felt wrong, like the Old Gods themselves gave it to you with great reluctance.
Still, you selfishly took it from them. If they decide to punish you for it, so be it.
Your head began to hurt, and as the pain increased blood came from your nose.
Your vision blurred until all you saw was green and all you heard were the Hidden.
The Old Gods had accepted you as their summoner and took control, proving how powerful they could be.
~~~♡~~~♡~~~♧~~~♡~~~♡~~~
The cold that enveloped you in the cell had you jolt back into consciousness.
Inside the cell it was dark and it only added to your disorientation. You tried to get up and your legs gave up immediately.
Gods… you were tired.
It felt like you had been trampled over by a horse. You crawled to the bars and held on to one. What had happened after you had lost control to the Hidden? Had they made you do the impossible? One thing was for certain, it had drained you.
An attempt to call out Lancelot’s name failed miserably, your voice was both too weak and too strained, his name changed into air instead of a word because of it.
Your throat hurt and your trousers were covered in blood. His blood…
They had left a meal for you, the soup was still warm. The grief made it difficult to swallow a sip of soup to fix your sore throat.
You drank some, no longer caring if it contained poison, you needed to catch your strength and the warm soup helped your throat.
When you called out for Lancelot, louder this time, you waited for a reply.
The wait lasted and you had never felt so alone. You put the soup down and knocked it over on purpose.
It was as if your body had shut down, there was no hunger or thirst anymore. There was no point to drinking soup to fix your throat if there was no one there to hear your call, at least no one that you cared about.
The Ash Man’s death was numbing.
The only feeling truly registering was of the cold iron bars against the side of your face.
You had not even heard them enter the dungeon and only noticed them when the group of Brothers stood outside your cell.
“She’s finally awake. Soran will be pleased.” These bastards sounded happy to find you alive. Even though they had left you in a cold dark cell unconscious.
The cell door was opened, and you were still too weak to get up off the floor.
It took two of them to tie your wrists and drag you out of the dungeon whilst the others helped.
They weren’t taking you to the dinning hall, it took too long and the route was different.
They opened the door to a bedchamber, the carpet flooring was softer to sit on when they left you there and locked the door. They didn’t even bother to help you sit on the bed, you sat on the floor, looking at it.
You didn’t know how much time had passed when the Reaper walked into the room, your mind was elsewhere.
He spoke his usual madness. “We control the balance of life and death.”
Your thoughts slowly returned to you, “What?”
Soran kept a small distance. “The Weeping Monk is alive.”
Your eyes snapped to him, it didn’t feel real, was he even telling the truth?
Your question was sharp, “Where is he?”
He was deliberately vague. “We are keeping him somewhere else right now to see how well your magic has worked.”
You tried to get up from the floor and managed to do so by using one of the bed posts as support. “I want to see him!”
Soran had not expected the news to fuel you so. “I was right to believe in the legend of the Dawn Folk.”
You hated that he had been right. “This is wrong!”
He stepped closer, hand close to a knife on his belt, “Did you consider it wrong when you brought the Monk back from the dead? No. You are willing to defy the odds if it serves your purpose, just like I am.”
How dared he compare himself to you?!
You were tired of his blatant attempts to try and get you to join his cause. “I will not damn my people for you! The Hidden gave me the power to save a Fey. They make it no secret that they are the gods of the Fey and not of Manbloods. This sort of magic is against the rules of nature itself!”
Soran knew how weak you were after such use of your powers, he took the opportunity to get physically closer. “ In a few decades, a new Brotherhood will be born of the Dawn Folk. Half-bloods, but your legacy will spread and bring victory to the Church. My warrior blood, mixed with yours.”
It was the final insult to your clan, for them to become what had caused their erasure. He would turn them into murderous monsters, they would be able to heal and bring each other back from the dead, an enemy to be feared. Even one Dawn Folk child would be enough to heal the Brothers for years to come and ensure that the Brotherhood grows in power.
He continued to try and act like this was normal. To try and… charm you? Did he truly think you could ever fall in love with him??
He tried to caress your cheek and you quickly moved away, using the bed as support.
You tried to get that idea of of his head before it lead to trouble. “The Church will never accept Feys as allies!”
Soran was unwavering in his belief. “You saw how Father Carden used his Weeping Monk, his name is feared among the Fey. Not even the Holy Father will disapprove when the Dawn Folk rises to bring us glory. The Brotherhood will be undefeatable, Dawn Folk will heal their brethren.”
The danger he posed to you was evident.
You fed him doubt, “What if I can’t carry children? Have you ever thought of that in your ‘great’ plan?!”
He did not care for the torment it would put you through, his eyes were on the goal. “We will try. Your gods are no strangers to using their powers to assure the Fey are surviving. And I know the secret to children of the Dawn Folk. A full moon.”
It was a long kept secret among your people that all Dawn Folk children were conceived on a night with a full moon, that was the key. If the Reaper knew, it meant one of the Dawn Folk must have told him.
Soran had not a glimmer of real compassion in his eyes. “Think of my offer. You could become the most powerful woman in the lands at my side.”
He was truly delusional.
Finally you got back some strength in your legs and used the bedpost as support to try and take some steps away. “The only thing I would become is a monster!”
You noticed how he kept his hand close to the belt that held the knives across his chest.
He tried to reason, “In time you would be seen as a saint. Your children will save many.”
“Many bastards of your Brotherhood!” You snarled.
There was a change in his eyes.
Your instincts kicked in and with the little strength in your legs, you bolted to the door and actually reached it.
But the Reaper’s reflexes were fast, he pushed it shut before you could open it enough and trapped you between his body and the door.
Panicked, you hit him with your elbow and tried to turn around.
He shoved you with your front against the door, and even now he acted like he wasn’t doing anything wrong. “Shhh… do not fight.”
You wished he wouldn’t feel you tremble, but he was too close not to.
Soran seemingly believed you could be persuaded. “I intend to keep you alive, to offer you an existence outside of locked doors, something the Church will not offer you. All I ask is that you surrender yourself to me.”
It was obvious what he wanted, he had made that very clear these past few days.
And you weren’t willing to have this bastard anywhere near you, let alone carrying his children and letting him have your body to use.
You struggled against his hold. “Go to hell!”
He gave a sneer, “Only the Fey are headed there.”
You gave your own back, “I will do one thing for the Dawn Folk. I will survive you.”
Some of his anger slipped out, he took hold of the back of your head and slammed your temple against the door. Hard.
Right afterwards, while tears began to brim in the corners of your eyes, he acted like it was your fault.
“Stop making me take these measures.” He warned and began to move your vest up.
The panic truly settled in when he touched your lower back and the waistband of your trousers.
No. No. No…
You used the strength of your wrists bound together to try and push back to no avail. “Get off of me!”
He coldly dismissed the protest. “It will not take long, stop struggling.”
It only made you struggle more and than a knife was near your eye.
The bastard threatened, “Remember, I do not need all of you. You do not need your eyes to use your magic or have children.”
Oh, you dearly wished that the knife was in your hands instead, you wouldn’t be threatening…
By trying to hold back tears, you wanted him to know that he wouldn’t break you. Not when his hand groped your chest and not when he tried to take off your trousers.
The fury that flared up inside of you was the thing that kept you from shattering.
He did not care when you began to quietly ask your gods to give you their strength.
Maybe he should have cared.
The voices of the Hidden filled the air and Soran all of a sudden stumbled backwards and away from you.
Their aggressive intervention came with the whisper of your title.
~“Summoner.”~
“What are you doing?!” He regained his footing fast but it was clear that he was in pain.
Was that… panic you saw in his eyes?
You had no idea what was happening or what the Hidden had done.
“Brothers!” He called out, the panic audible in his tone.
Two of them entered the room at his call, quite baffled to see their leader half-buckled over in pain.
“Soran-” One tried to speak.
Fury burned in the Reaper. “Take her back to her cell! Now!”
You heard the Reaper curse as they dragged you out of that room again.
The Hidden had kept their promise to you as a summoner. The ancient power of Festa and Moreii was their gift to your acceptance. And what better use for it than making the Reaper regret all he had done to you.
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Hours passed in the cell again, and you were yet to see if it was true that Lancelot was alive. Where were they keeping him? Was there another part to the dungeon you had not seen yet? Or was it a lie the Reaper had told to pacify you?
You still felt his hands on your skin, and in the darkness of the cell you could let the tears flow.
Your shocked state, huddled up in the corner, did not alarm the Brothers who passed.
“They say our leader’s steel is damaged.” One whispered.
Steel?… Oh.
“Do you think… she did it?” The other wondered.
They looked in the direction of your cell with great suspicion.
Good. Let them fear.
The bastards were cruel enough to take the torch that provided little light and moved it to a holder on a wall further away.
Their footsteps rescinded and you heard them close the iron door that led to the stairs.
It was both frightening and comforting to be in the darkness alone. At least they left you alone there.
You leaned your head against the wall, hiding far at the end in a corner of the cell.
Another hour passed, then a Brother came over with a stale looking piece of bread.
“Got you something to eat, Fey.” He put it down on the floor, putting his arm between the bars to do so.
When you gave no response and didn’t even look, the Brother whistled.
His pathetic attempt at comforting could not hide the threat under it. “Come now. It will only get worse for you if you behave like this, Soran can do a lot worse than what he wants to do with you. Give him what he wants.”
You didn’t want to waste the little energy left in you on this bastard and continued to ignore his existence.
The Brother sighed. “Can’t say I didn’t warn ya. All you had to do was open your legs.”
It really made it hard to hold your tongue and not call him every horrible name you could think off.
Your eyes never left that strange dirty spot on the wall.
You heard him take a couple of steps away and past the cell, and then a loud thud, it made you jump a little
You looked and saw the Brother face down on the ground.
The steel of a blade had cut across his neck and send the Brother to the floor whilst he bled out rapidly.
The next thing you registered was a sword sinking down into his back and withdrawing from it.
You had not moved a muscle, like your body was frozen in place.
It was strange to know that you knew who stood in the shadows outside your cell just by the way he walked and moved.
The door of your cell was unlocked seconds later. Your mind was slow to process it all and slowly you rose to stand.
Lancelot stood in the doorway, like something had stopped him.
Even in the dark he could see enough of your face to know that you had been crying. Your eyes were haunting.
He spoke your name, gentle and with relief.
You couldn’t believe the miracle that stood before you.
This was the second time the Ash Man had opened the door to freedom for you, this time you were actually glad to see his face.
And only the heavens knew how it gave you a surge of energy strong enough to cross the small distance and breach the line that had once been.
You reached for his aketon and latched yourself onto him, feeling the warmth of his body and considering it a blessing after having it felt cold and lifeless.
Tears ran their path down your cheeks and unto his clothing. There were things you wished to say, but you couldn’t get a word out.
Never before had he felt arms hold him like this, another being willing to blend into him.
After the cold hold of death he had experienced, the warm hold of life was more than welcome.
The Ash Man’s response was delayed by only seconds, then his arms came around and brought you in closer.
No one had ever held you like this before, in an embrace that felt like it could protect you against the ocean’s strongest wave within a storm, with your head cradled in his hand while he vowed that you would have your freedom again.
You weren’t afraid to hold him tight, murmuring into his shoulder. “The Hidden brought you back to us.”
Lancelot couldn’t stop stroking the back of your head with his fingers. “You brought me back.”
It was your voice he remembered pleading for his life.
He explained how he freed himself, “That hairpin was useful indeed.”
With great reluctance you broke away and took the smallest step back, he took the moment to cut the ropes from your wrists.
You noticed the second sword at his side, “Found those?”
He handed it to you. “One for you. I ‘found’ keys as well.”
He found it all on the one that had been guarding the door to the cell they had kept him in. He could only try to pick the lock when the Brother guarding his cell was asleep. The man was snoring like a boar seconds before he died.
Next thing you knew, Lancelot was steering your chin to the side as his eyes focused on your face, “Did he do that?”
He could see the discoloring on your temple.
It took you a second to realize he must be seeing a bruise from when Soran had slammed your head against the door. “He…”
Your throat tightened like a cord had wrapped around it.
He feared the worst, hot white rage boiled in his veins, “What else did he do?”
“Nothing.” You didn’t know why you lied, maybe because it felt humiliating.
By steering your chin again, he made you look at him as he searched your eyes.
It was that that made you try to tell the truth. “He tried to… but the Hidden helped me.”
You didn’t need to say more, he understood what it had meant.
He cupped your neck, the burning fury carried his vow, “I am going to kill him.”
For now, all you wanted was to leave this place behind. “No. We need to get out of here.”
It was like his mind sprung into action seconds before he did. He took hold of your arm. “Stay close to me.”
You let him lead you out of the cell, it was easy to tell that he had some idea as to where he was going. “Where did they-”
He quickly hushed you before it would alert the enemy.
As you followed him, you had to step over the bodies of the Brothers that had crossed his path whilst he had made his way to your cell.
He plucked a torch from the wall and used it to set fire to the wooden pillars you passed.
“What are you doing?!” You whispered.
Lancelot continued to strategically set them alight. “Burning this fort will force them out and offer distraction.”
He steered you along, and away from the fire.
The keys he had taken from one of them were put to use on a door that lead into a narrow pathway, he locked it behind you. He wasn’t guiding you out of the dungeon the way the Brothers had been doing so.
The pathway ended with another door and opened to a dungeon where many rodents had their home.
It looked far worse than the one you had been kept in.
He shared a look, and while passing a cell he pointed to the dead Brother he had left inside of it.
They had kept him there…
You gave a look that told him you understood.
A vague sound came from the direction you had come from, then a loud bang was heard. They were trying to break through the doors that had been locked to keep the flames behind you.
“They know.” Lancelot said and urged you to follow.
He walked faster and led you to a narrow stairwell. You followed him up the steps, sensing he no longer knew where to head now.
He searched through the keys to find the one that would open the gate at the top of the steps and let the two of you out of the dungeon. He was visibly stressed.
You touched his arm, hoping it would calm him somewhat.
Lancelot took a deep breath and focused on the keys, finally finding the right one that unlocked the gate.
It was impossible to ignore how many times he had touched your arm now, as if he constantly feared that you would disappear from his side.
Oh, how things had changed. Once you had hated this, now if felt quite nice.
Past the gate it was a completely different world to be in. The fort was warmer than the dungeon below, but it was also swarming with members of the Brotherhood and you knew that any loud sound could cost you your freedom again or worse.
He wanted to turn to a hallway on the right but you stopped him, that one lead to the large stairs that they had dragged you up to bring you to that bedchamber.
You could see him take a deep breath through his nose.
If he could smell a breeze that would lead him the way to an exit…
Lancelot tilted his head, deciding to take the route ahead instead.
The urge to run out of there was strong, but it would make too much sound. The only thing you could do was walk faster than usual. A door was opened in the distance, Lancelot quickly opened one nearby and upon finding the room empty he moved you with him inside of it.
It was pitch dark inside, the only shimmer of light came from the torchlight passing under the door.
The both of you stood against it and listened.
A group didn’t walk by, they ran by. They must be on their way to the dungeons to find you and help their Brothers.
Lancelot waited a few seconds longer, than opened the door again.
The plan was to continue the path ahead, but there were so many voices coming from there that you pulled him into the direction you had come from.
He took the torches off the wall and set the large curtains in the hallway alight.
You pulled a curtain down and draped it on the floor across the width of the hallway, “Put the torch to it, it will give us time.”
Smart.
He set fire to the curtain on the floor, and then followed your lead.
You remembered a little from the path to that bedchamber, there had been two other stairwells, one that led up and one that led down.
The size of the stairs took up the width of the entire hallway. Such a big fort must have multiple exists, there had to be.
Once up the higher floor, you hurried to the stairwells that were right next to each other.
You were about to begin descending the ones leading down, when you heard voices coming from below.
Lancelot shared a look with you, you were already rushing over to the curtains and pulling one down while he took a torch again.
You let some of the curtain drape over the first few steps, than he put to torch to it.
The castle was already starting to smell of smoke, the old wooden floor would not survive for long.
Lancelot took you by the hand and pulled you up the stairwell that went a floor higher again. “I can smell the sea.”
That meant you were close to getting out of there…
At the top of the stairwell was a heavy wooden door and you could hear the sea at the other side of it.
None of the keys he had on hand worked and the two of you ended up having to use your swords to get the door to budge, then Lancelot put his shoulder against the door a couple of times and broke it down.
Heavy wind and rain almost pushed the door shut in your face again, luckily the Ash Man anticipated it and kept it open. He let you step outside first and you couldn’t care less that the rain was enough to soak through your clothes in minutes.
The rain mixed with the dried blood on Lancelot’s aketon and cloak. The moonlight was the only thing offering light, the sea around you would have appeared as a black abyss otherwise. You were at the top of the castle’s keep, fear had no place in you anymore when hearing the sound of the sea around you and the wind going through your clothes.
Fire was breaking through the windows in multiple places throughout the castle and it was spreading with aggression. For a moment you wondered if the flames were somehow connected to the one who had created them. If the Hidden made your healing magic stronger, who was to say that they did not make their summoner of the Ash Folk stronger as well?
Lancelot stood not far from you, his eyes fixed on the flames down below.
You faintly heard the Hidden, and deep down you knew that the flames were not just born from fire, but from fury as well.
While you were looking around to reach the alure of the castle walls, the heavy door Lancelot had shut behind him was kicked open.
The Reaper had managed to avoid the flames that had begun to fill the hallway where his bedchamber was located, by fleeing for his life he had chosen the same route you had taken.
The sword was already in Soran’s hand, still he seemed surprised to see you and Lancelot there.
Immediately, Lancelot stepped in front of you.
This bastard would have to crawl over his corpse before he would ever get to lay a hand on you again.
The Reaper watched the flames destroy his Brotherhood, then looked at the one responsible for it. “If Father Carden had seen this, he would have given the order for your execution himself.”
Lancelot fought back the response it caused in him and spoke to you over his shoulder, “Go. I’ll distract him.”
You weren’t going to leave his side again, especially not when he was facing the Reaper in battle. “No.”
There was a sword in your hand, you weren’t running from this.
Soran offered a chance to the Ash Man, “Hand her over and I will see past this.”
Lancelot scoffed, a wry smile formed. “I will not.”
The coldness in the Ash Man’s tone put ice to shame.
Soran took some steps closer. “I only offer, because I know how she will suffer once I kill you. Permanently, this time.”
Even now, he was trying to blackmail others into submission, while his fort was burning to the ground and none of his Brothers were there to aid him. The confidence the Reaper displayed worried you, he showed no fear.
Soran got closer, warning you of what it meant to fight him, “I have trained the strongest of men, the Trinity Guard’s skill is no match for the Brotherhood and neither is yours, Brother.”
“I am not your ‘Brother’!” Lancelot’s tone was sharp.
The Reaper spun the sword in his hand. “You’re right. You betrayed us and now you will suffer the consequences of it.”
Lancelot did not let Soran get closer and faced the inevitable battle head on.
You knew he was doing it to try and keep Soran at a distance from you. The Ash Man was walking to the blade to protect you from the monster that wielded it…
Lancelot was the first to lunge and saw Soran move skillfully to avoid the blade.
The Reaper was not the sort to fight fair, the knives he carried on him weren’t there for decoration, he drew one and tried to cut Lancelot’s arm with it.
It was anticipated by the Ash Man, he had seen him reach for it and punched Soran in the jaw after avoiding the knife.
He had to duck to avoid Soran’s sword cutting off his head, the bastard did manage to land a kick against his stomach that send him stumbling back.
You attacked the Reaper, aiming to disarm him.
Soran blocked your sword with his, but you took him off-guard by striking him across the face with your fist.
He hooked his sword with yours, forcing you closer and then he moved his elbow in a quick motion, it struck your jaw and nose.
Only a few ‘things’ of you were necessary to him, others could be damaged… he had been truthful about that.
That blow to the face landed you on the ground, leaving you disoriented for a moment.
Liquid ran over your lips and you realized blood was running down from your nose.
The fight was still going on and you pushed yourself to your feet, feeling some vertigo hit as you did.
Soran was trying to get Lancelot closer to the edge of the keep, undoubtedly to make him fall. He attacked Lancelot, using the sword as a distraction to aim the knife for the heart of the Ash Man again.
Lancelot was strong enough to grab Soran’s arm to prevent it, but the Reaper took solace with sinking the knife into his shoulder instead.
He gave Soran a push, who left the knife lodged where it was.
You saw Lancelot pull the knife out of his shoulder. The knife was worse enough, but you saw where he was standing.
You ran up to the Reaper, sensing what he was about to do.
That rotten filth had lunged at Lancelot with the sword, Lancelot blocked it with ease, but he could not defend himself against the second kick he got from the Reaper.
He lost his footing and stumbled backwards. As a last effort to save himself from falling down to the rocks below, Lancelot held on to the edge of the keep with his hands.
Dangling from the wall, he had little chance to pull himself up again, Soran was quick to go and step on his hand so it would let go.
You charged at Soran and slammed your body into his side to knock him over, when he hit the ground you reached for Lancelot’s arm to help.
You had only took hold of his arm for a few seconds when you were ripped away from him by the Reaper who pulled you away from the edge.
He clearly didn’t want to risk you falling to your death. “Stay away from the edge, you are still needed.”
You elbowed him in the side and broke free, only to be grabbed by him again.
He held on while you struggled against him. “I will let you watch how the Weeping Monk shatters his skull on the rocks below!”
The Reaper was determined in not letting you escape from his sight and steered you with him to where Lancelot was hanging on for dear life.
And then Soran saw that the Ash Man was no longer hanging on to the edge.
Soran had made the mistake of turning his back on Lancelot, his priority should have been with him, not you.
You knew that there wasn’t enough time for you to pull Lancelot to safety, but what you could do was touch his arm and heal his injuries, making him strong enough again to save himself.
Then all that need to be done was distract the Reaper to buy him time. To move in Soran’s grasp so he would not be facing the edge.
Soran must have thought Lancelot had fallen, because it took him three counts before the truth of the matter set in and he realized he had been tricked.
Lancelot’s sword came down on Soran’s arm, and severed his lower arm from his elbow.
It fell to the ground at your feet and you instantly felt the hold on you disappear.
You broke free and created a distance.
The sight of the severed arm did shake your stomach a bit.
Without a sword, and horribly wounded, Soran was powerless when Lancelot stabbed him through the heart.
Lancelot twisted the blade and then withdrew it.
The blood mixed with the rain and it made for a gruesome sight.
Soran fell down next to his arm, and his dying breaths told you that he was choking on his own blood.
The silence that soon followed felt strange. You never thought you would be looking down at the Reaper’s corpse one day.
Lancelot stopped in front of you and wrapped a hand around your upper arm, then he moved closer, “Are you hurt?”
You could only shake your head, to lost for words by what had transpired.
Something on the ground reflected in the moonlight.
Soran’s ring…
“That ring… if we show it to the Fey…” You offered him the idea.
With the ring, they would be more inclined to believe him when he would tell them he had killed the Reaper.
Lancelot went over to retrieve the ring from the severed arm, while focusing his thoughts on something else and not on the fact that he was stealing from the dead.
He pocketed the ring and came back to you. “We need to go.”
You agreed with him on that and together you made your way over to the alure of the castle walls in search of a safe way down to ground. From the direction you were heading into, shouts were heard. You shared a look with Lancelot, knowing that the way back only led to fire.
He knew what had do be done to survive, “We have to jump.”
It was a long fall down into the sea and you weren’t keen on that plan at all, “Are you bloody mad?!”
Lancelot sheathed his sword, took you by the arm and steered you to the edge of the wall in between the battlements. “We jump or we die.”
Even his own faith in the plan seemed to falter for a blink when looking down at the sea that was only illuminated by the full moon.
The voices sounded closer, this had to be done.
“Dammit…” You cursed and sheathed your sword too. “You first?”
Lancelot managed to grin. “You lead, I follow.”
Oh, so now he had no problem with someone else taking charge.
“You’d better.” You warned and stepped to the edge.
It took a lot of your courage to make the jump into the depths below.
The fall went faster than you had anticipated and you hit the water, you swam to the surface right away.
Just as you reached the surface, the Ash Man hit the water on your right.
It were a couple of worrisome seconds until he came above the water as well.
Together you swam to shore and were grateful that the sea was calm compared to the rain and wind.
You crawled unto the sand, tired from the healing and the swim.
Even Lancelot struggled to get to his feet, when he did he looked back and saw the castle burning like the sun in the night sky.
You looked as well, seeing the flames claim all of the fort without mercy.
A deep sigh of relief left you, and for a moment all you focused on was the water moving around your body whilst laying in the sand.
A castle burning in the midst of night was sure to draw attention.
There was no time to rest. Some of the Brotherhood would escape the flames.
Lancelot held out a hand for you to take. “We have to leave this place. Others will see the flames from afar.”
You sighed and let him help you up, vertigo set in again and you had to lean into his side to keep yourself steady.
He did not complain, your magic had been what saved him, “Can you still walk?”
“Depends on how far we are talking about.” You admitted, “Did they take Goliath when they took you?”
He shook his head. “I send him away before they could try to take him too.”
In other words, you had no horse.
Lancelot didn’t let the newfound hope escape. “There have to be horses nearby. They brought us here on wagons…”
“Use your nose?” You made the suggestion.
He deadpanned. “Hard to smell anything besides the ashes in the air.”
Still, he tried to inhale deep and slow a couple of times.
After coughing the scent of smoke out of his lungs, he said, “I can smell a stable.”
“You can smell the wood and horses?” You frowned while letting him help you walk.
An actual chuckle fell from him, light as air, “I can smell the manure, and now with the rain the scent is strong.”
Gods, and you had even asked him to smell it…
The small laugh escaping you felt wonderful. “Lovely.”
His chuckling increased until he composed himself. He helped you walk over the rocks that had washed ashore over time. All of a sudden he stopped you and turned you to look at him, before you could question it, he made you tilt your head backwards to inspect the damage to your nose.
“I wish I could heal you.” He stated and let go, something akin of remorse was in his eyes.
You wouldn’t hear it, he had done more than enough. “I will live. Don’t you worry about me, Ash Man.”
It was one of the few things he could not do.
The sound of horses neighing reached your ears, they must have noticed the fire too. Lancelot helped you walk towards the sound until the vertigo you felt lessened. The sight of the burning fort against the dark sky and between the rain and wind was imposing.
You found the stables at the beginning of the stone pathway that had led to the fort. A wagon with horse stood outside of it and you left Lancelot’s side to go to the poor animal waiting for it’s rider alone.
Lancelot walked by and went into the stables. “Call out if you see or hear anything.”
You gave a nod, and saw how the horse was clearly glad to see someone.
He had left the door of the stables open, a few horses suddenly darted out and headed for the woods. You looked and saw that there were still other horses inside of the stables and that the Ash Man was cutting their reins loose. He was freeing them. Once he was done, Lancelot came out of the stables and joined you by the wagon.
This wagon equipped with a bonnet would be very useful, especially in this weather.
“We are taking the wagon?” You guessed his plan.
He gave a nod, “I’ll ride.” And steered you to the back of the wagon. “Up you go. Careful.”
You almost envied how energetic he was from the healing he had received from you twice, because you barely managed to get yourself up on the wagon, it took two attempts.
On the second attempt, he offered his shoulder for you to use and supported your elbow with one hand while using his other to make sure you didn’t fall.
And that was where it got him into trouble…
His hand was on your back until you were halfway up the wagon. And his attention had been on getting you safely onto the wagon, not on where his hand landed next.
When you felt it touch your rear, you were on that wagon in a blink.
The last thing he wanted was to make you think it was on purpose, that he would use the situation to…
He quickly began to apologize, “Forgive me, I did not mean to-”
You stopped him. “I know.”
The experience with the Reaper was still fresh on your mind, and you could not hide the look in your eyes from the Ash Man. Your mind had went back to the moment, and it took you a few seconds to feel Lancelot’s eyes on your face.
Not a word was shared when you looked at him, he knew…
With some reluctance, he stepped away from the back of the wagon and headed to the front.
You saw him climb up into the seat and take the reins, “Have you ever rode a wagon before?”
No…
“Do not worry.” He eased your mind while trying to sound confident.
He would do the worrying on his own.
Luckily, some of the wagon’s bonnet covered him from the rain as well.
And by the answer, you knew it would be an interesting ride.
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wrxthfulguard · 25 days
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Relationship Headcanons: Don (Remake) (Part One)
I decided to remake this headcanon regarding Don's relationships with the main Hazbin cast, and also add potential relationship with other characters.
(Note: This is my own headcanon, if you want your canon character's relationship with Don to be different, let me know!)
(SPOILERS FOR SEASON 1 OF HAZBIN BELOW THE CUT)
Charlie: As explained in the original headcanon, Don respects Charlie in two ways: The first is the usual employee/boss relationship, as he follows Charlie's orders and only questions it when needed. The second way is a sibling-like relationship, as Don sees her as the younger sister figure that he's never had in his life (even though Charlie is much older than him in biological terms, being born in Hell).
Charlie reminds Don a bit of the teen female companion that he survived with in the undead apocalypse in the past (her real name unknown, Don gave her the nickname 'Ember'). Like in the original post, Don greatly respects Charlie, not only for her reputation as the Princess of Hell, but as someone who has reignited his hope for redemption after he lost it following his death.
Vaggie: She was wary of Don at the start, but was willing to give Don a chance to be the hotel's security guard, usually keeping an eye on him.
During the events of the pilot, he stood alongside Vaggie when Alastor came to the hotel, pointing his gun at the Radio Demon at the same time she drew her spear at his throat (Don wasn't aware who Alastor was at the time), earning a bit of respect from Vaggie.
In the main series prior, Vaggie appreciates Don for being the only person doing his job at the hotel and also supports Charlie's cause without any cruel intentions, Don in return respects Vaggie as an close ally and co-worker over time, sometimes training with each other in combat and protecting the hotel in general.
When Vaggie's past as an exterminator angel is revealed, Don is internally conflicted by this, but after talking to her about it, is accepting of it and respects her more for the actions that led her to meet Charlie, and vows to help Vaggie take down Adam and Lute for what they did to her before the exterminator war.
Angel Dust: His relationship with Don is platonic mutual respect, even if Angel Dust's actions in the pilot may have strained that at the beginning.
Don usually ignores Angel Dust's flirting and advances, respecting him as a hotel resident, Angel does back off when he learns that Don is asexual/aromantic, but continues to teases him in good-natured fun.
During the events of the 4th episode (Masquerade), Don went with Charlie to get Angel out of the studio at his job, but stayed out of the way until he went inside to check on Charlie after the fire she accidentally causes, he sees how Valentino treats Angel when the latter comes out of his dressing room, but is cut off by Charlie reacting with her full demon form, stopping Charlie by placing his hands on her shoulders at the same time Angel steps in to stop her, telling both of them to leave the studio.
Afterwards, Don mentally reminds himself to keep a closer eye on Angel, mentally relieved when he returns alive when Husk is sent out to keep an eye on him, he works to be someone Angel can rely on when things become too hard for him to handle.
Alastor: Like in the original post, Don respects Alastor as a one-sided ally, but respects him as both a powerful overlord and dangerous ally who is the hotel's faculties manager.
His relationship with Alastor is purely professional as co-workers and allies, but is slightly fractured during the beginning of the 7th episode (Hello Rosie) when the Radio Demon makes a deal with Charlie for a favor of his choosing, learning from both him and Charlie about how to defeat the exterminator angels.
Like most of the hotel staff and their allies, Don is unaware of Alastor being injured by Adam in the exterminator war, and is also unaware that Alastor is also deal-bound to an unknown person in the events of the S1 finale.
Husk: Like Angel Dust, Don respects Husk mutually as an ally and co-worker.
Since Husk knows of what the hotel's staff and residents' inner thoughts when drunk, the bartender actually doesn't know what Don is thinking due to the hotel guard always remaining sober and reserved on the job, with Husk explaining that he has no clue about Don's insecurities, calling him the only completely sober sinner in the hotel that's just a complete mystery.
In the events of episode 4, Don is about to step in to stop Husk and Angel Dust's argument before Charlie quietly stops him, waiting until Angel is out of the hotel to agree with Vaggie that Husk should be the one to keep an eye on Angel Dust, once again stopped by Vaggie when he tries to accompany Husk on that.
It is currently unknown if Husk has disclosed his past as a former overlord to Don afterwards, with the latter being aware that the former is one of Alastor's associates.
Niffty: Is respected mutually as an ally and co-worker.
In the events of the pilot, Niffty was interested in Don upon seeing him for the first time, but soon rejected him when he answered her question of him being a bad boy (which he was not, much to her dismay).
Regardless, Don respects Niffty as a co-worker and ally, usually keeping an eye on her and keeping her out of trouble/danger when he sees it.
Due to Niffty's nature, the hotel guard is careful around her, especially when she is wielding a sharp object, he also respects her by keeping his room and surroundings clean to the best of his abilities.
Don's respect for Niffty grows after she does the unexpected in the exterminator war: Killing Adam after his beatdown at the hands of King Lucifer.
Sir Pentious: Former enemy/threat-turned ally and friend of Don.
Don usually avoids Pentious when he sees his airship/blimp in the past, but when he started working at the hotel, he was wary of the snake sinner when Pentious checks into the hotel after multiple losses at the powers of Alastor.
When Angel Dust finds out that Pentious is working as a spy for the Vees, Don's trust in Pentious is lost, but decides to give him a second chance after Charlie makes him seeks forgiveness and pursue a path to redeemption.
Over time, Don and Pentious become good allies and friends, usually tolerating his Egg Bois and making sure they stay out of trouble.
In the events of the exterminator war, Don internally grieves for Pentious after he is killed by Adam, promising to honor his sacrifice and memories by continuing to protect the hotel and the last living Egg Boi that was rescued by Angel Dust in the war.
Like most of the hotel staff and their allies, Don is unaware of Pentious' true fate of being a sinner-turned-redeemed winner in Heaven following his 'death'.
King Lucifer: Don greatly respects him as the King of Hell and Charlie's father.
When Lucifer comes to visit Charlie at the hotel, Don is respectful to Lucifer, unfazed by his actions and only steps in to stop him during the first spat between him and Alastor with Charlie's help.
Lucifer is surprised when he sees Don for the first time due to Don's 'human' appearance, but respects him as a sinner and employee of her daughter's hotel.
Don's respect grows again after Lucifer saves his daughter from Adam in the exterminator war, and when he stays to help rebuild the hotel in the aftermath of the war.
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piracytheorist · 11 months
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7, 12 and 16 for the 'choose violence ask game' ? 👀
7. what character did you begin to hate not because of canon but because how how the fandom acts about them?
Rumpelstiltskin from Once Upon a Time. I mean, canon didn't help at all, but the way we were given a man who gets obviously drunk on power and needs to absolutely detach himself from it or simply keep being a badass sexy villain and the fandom uwu-ified him because of tragic past or whatever was such a fucking waste of character. Repeat after me, tragic past doesn't mean shit when you don't learn from it. And Rumpelstiltskin was shown time and again that his issue was his dependence on power and control; he would either give it up completely and redeem himself, or he would latch onto it and spiral down in a potentially well-written way. But the fandom latched onto the "poor Rumple bumble" part and refused to use any nuance while discussing him and the other villains of the show.
Again, not everyone was like this, but the loudest and most obnoxious fans were exactly like this, and combined with toxic fans of other characters from that show made talking about the show on tumblr a fucking minefield.
12. the unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them
Milah! Milah, Milaaaaaaaaaaahhhh. From Once Upon a Time. A woman who started a family with hopeful feelings and dreams for the future and ended up in a position where she felt tied to her obligations and the social status her husband forced upon her. Who then decided to leave everyone behind, including her own child, to chase after her freedom with a sexy pirate who promised her the world, and who fucking gave her that. Like, I don't think we talk enough about how Killian actually gave her the freedom and control of her life and love and affection that he subtly hinted towards on their first meeting. He was not a hoax, he was not taking advantage of her. She got her chance and she took it. Bad mother? Definitely, not a doubt. Interesting character? Hella. See my previous question on why I think a lot of people wrongly hate on her. She deserved so much fucking better and it would have been an interesting journey to see how her character developed from A to B.
16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)
Love triangles. Jealous partners while in established relationship. Taking a character and reducing them to a plot device for your fave's redemption (basically, "I can fix them"-ing a character who is canonically not remotely interested in the other character). There's probably more but those are the things crossing my mind right now XD
🔥 choose violence ask game 🔥
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ogcobrakai · 7 months
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Ice cream plans (Billy Hargrove redemption short story)
It's hot out and the Camaro is parked outside Palace Arcade, the window is rolled down and Billy has a cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth like a cowboy with a piece of straw, he could hear the people inside whenever the door swung open yet paid no attention. He glanced through the glass pane and saw Max walking out who was then followed by Mike, he huffed a little recognising him to be one of the boys he didn't want Max hanging around with, he could hear them arguing and placed his attention there. "You can't just keep her locked away like an animal-" "It's not my fault!" "El needs to have some form of freedom!" Max then walked over to the car and got into her seat, Billy could tell she was in a foul mood "You didn't hear any of that, did you?" Max asked seeing the window was open "Sure did but I don't give a shit and I thought I said to say away from those jerks?" he responded rather predictably, Max just sighed "Mike's okay, I swear, It's nothing" she mumbled turning away. The Camaro roared into action once again that day as Billy pulled out from the parking lot and began driving to Starcourt Mall, the radio is on however it doesn't replace the silence that is already going on "Again?" Max questioned seeing the all too familiar shopping mall appear in her sight. "You look like you could use a break from those shitheads" he shrugged getting out of his car, Max follows and the two head inside, this was Billy's first time here so it's not like he had an exact place in mind to go to "Who you looking for?" he asked watching as the red head was looking around "There" she says causing Billy to look where she was, Scoops Ahoy ice cream parlor "Steve works there" she adds beginning to walk ahead. "Harrington?" He questioned under his breath quickly running after her, not like he could lose Max in a crowd considering she'd be easy to find, he walks into the parlor and instantly locks eyes with Steve "Look at you Harrington" he snorted seeing the uniform. "Don't start" Steve commented "So, what do you want?" he asked, Billy turned back and seemingly scanned the area managing to spot Max sat by herself in a corner "Look just give me something for the shitbird and I" he says handing the money over "All new you, huh?" Steve asked picking up the sudden change in attitude "Bite me" Billy responded quietly as he takes the cones from Steve's hand "I'll consider" he said with a low snort, Billy went to give him the middle finger but stopped realising he couldn't, he goes to the corner and hands Max's cone to her. "Thanks?" Max mumbled taking the ice cream "So, what's going on with you and what's his name?" Billy wondered as if he didn't know. "It's just Mike thinks that El shouldn't have her own freedom, It's like he thinks she should be hanging around with the boys all the time so he's mad at me because I took her shopping then El dumped his ass" she says ranting on having her treat every so often. "El?" Billy asked confused "You mean the girl with the short hair?" he asked, Max just nods "Where is she now?" he asked already done with his ice cream "Probably back at the cabin" he watched as Max stopped, had another think about the question "Or with the boys" she says hoping the first one "Why don't I bring you both here again when I don't have a shift to do at the pool?" "You serious?" Max asked also finished with her ice cream "Sure am, shitbird" he answered as the two rose from their seats, he looked back over at the counter seeing Steve with that stupid grin, how long had he been watching him actually being nice to his sister? he didn't know and he didn't care, he gave Harrington the middle finger and headed back to the Camaro with Max following after him.
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