#are some of these answers deliberately vague? ye.

[my-my-my]

Could you talk about Aizen"s relationship with Shinji? What he thinks about him? etc

Sure! This ask gave me an itch to reread TBTP because (much to my dismay), I wish we saw Aizen and Shinji interact during TYBW. I hope we see some added content in the anime, but I'm not holding my breath lol.

This is going to be more of a ramble/word dump so I apologize if it's not cohesive!

TW: none!

I'm of the opinion that if there was anyone Aizen wanted to understand him (outside of Urahara), it would have been Shinji. I specifically think about this panel and how interesting it is that Kubo gave Aizen a sad look in his eyes. We don't really see sadness in Aizen, there's only one other scene where I vaguely recall him looking more sad/disappointed (vs him being bored/disappointed).

(This is from Ch -316/TBTP 10)

We know from Shinji's side, he was always wary and somewhat cautious around Aizen. He never trusted him fully and kept him at arms length for everything. On one hand, this leads him to his downfall, but I also read it as Shinji having an immediate gut reaction to not trust Aizen and Shinji could never shake that off. He can be professional with Aizen, but he mentally cannot handle anything beyond that. Something about Aizen felt so fundamentally off to Shinji that he could not get close to him.

So I wonder if this bothered Aizen as well... Aizen is someone who meticulously crafted his persona. He was known to be kind, hardworking and diligent, but something about this persona immediately gave a warning to Shinji.

But I'm not gonna defend Aizen and say he crafted the "perfect" persona - because even he (in a roundabout way) admits he didn't. Even subconscious traits of the "real" Aizen comes through with every interaction Aizen and Shinji would have had with each other, but because of the wall Shinji mentally puts between the two of them, he cannot discern these traits. So while this adds to Aizen's "loneliness complex", it gives him leeway to add in stand-ins with Kyoka Suigetsu. And that's what disappoints Aizen at his core - even his own Captain can't recognize the little things about him.

And this leads me to think that Aizen and Shinji were Lieutenant and Captain for a few centuries at least. We know that at Nanao's graduation from the academy, Aizen was already the Lieutenant of Squad 5:

(Ch. 652/The Theatre Suicide Scene 6)

So yes, Shinji may have had time to "understand" Aizen - but he doesn't. Even at the start of TBTP, Aizen asks Shinji what he's listening to and while Aizen doesn't understand jazz, instead of trying to get to "know" Aizen (even frivously), by asking him "what music do you even listen to then?" he tells him "why did you ask me that then?"

Another thing I noticed is that Aizen (during TBTP) asks a surprising amount of questions (it can be argued though that these are the hypnotized stand-ins asking). He's trying to gain as much knowledge as he can from other people, and Shinji isn't there to answer, or even acknowledge that he's asking questions. It's also "normal" for Aizen to be seen at the library, as Shunsui and the C46 didn't bat an eye at Aizen's alibi. While fundamentally Captain/Lieutenant relationships can really be any sort of dynamic (mentor/mentee, boss and personal assistant), I got the sense that Aizen didn't really "learn" much from Shinji about the ways of Soul Society. Shinji had a tight lip and only shared what needed to be shared likely for work-reasons.

And then there's their shikais! I found it fascinating how both of them have reality-altering shikais. Shinji's shikai being a complete distortion of senses, while Aizen's is subtle manipulation of senses. I don't really have any more to say for that, but I've interpreted this as their way of being honest with people. Shinji's manipulation of senses is very cognizant and deliberate - Shinji is blunt. Aizen's is subtle but traumatizing - you can't trust anything coming from Aizen.

I think though, Shinji's experience with Aizen shaped how he treats his Squad going forward. I have a soft spot for headcanons for how Squad 5 operates post-Aizen's incarceration. Shinji treats Momo much differently than he did with Aizen because he knows what it's like being used and completely victimized by Aizen. There's no point in him being on his guard against someone who was hurt just as badly as he was by Aizen's hand. There is a sense of camaraderie they share in that sense. No one (arguably) "knew" Aizen as much as they did because they worked with him in such close capacity. I'd love to know what lies and truths Aizen shared with them lol.

Sorry again for this ramble, but thank you for this ask! Wish we see/have more Squad 5 content, but alas!

#bleach #aizen sousuke #shinji hirako #aizen sosuke #sosuke aizen #hirako shinji #bleach headcanons #answered #shinji #aizen

[prismatic-bell]

This is probably a really dumb question. But is it okay for us non-Jewish people to reblog the very lovely quote about how it's okay not to complete the work, but we're not allowed to abandon it? Because I'm not Jewish, I follow you, and b/c of your posts I've been seeing how really shitty we non-Jews are w/assimilation and stuff, & I don't want to do wrong by anybody. Thanks, Marbles

OKAY SO.

As with all things Jewish, there’s a short answer and there’s a good answer. There also is no “right” answer, because “two Jews, three opinions” is an underestimation of how many opinions you can fit into one Jew, but this is MY answer, and I think a decent chunk of Jews will probably find it at least mostly acceptable.

For those just tuning into this program, the quote @marblesarelost is referring to is my favorite in all of Judaism, and was written by Rabbi Tarfon in a section of Talmud called the Pirkei Avot:

“Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief. Walk humbly NOW! Do justly NOW! No one is obligated to complete the work, but neither may any one desist from it.”

The “work” being spoken of is to repair the world, or in Hebrew, “tikkun olam.” It’s the central tenet of my movement in Judaism, the Reform movement.

So: you are absolutely correct that there’s a huge problem with gentiles appropriating things from Judaism. However, let’s go back to the original, actual definition of cultural appropriation, as created by Black women: it’s not just that you do a thing we do. It’s that you mock or berate us for a thing, then turn around and take that thing, strip it of all its original meaning, and use it, and suddenly in your hands it’s “cool.” When the concept of cultural appropriation first fell onto my radar circa 2016, one of the major examples was dreadlocks, and how clean, well-kept locs on a Black woman are “unprofessional” and “dirty” but the kind-of-vaguely-looks-like-locs-if-you-get-drunk-and-squint deliberately-created MATS some white people wear and call “locs” are seen as a sign you’re “boho” or “a free spirit.” This was closely followed by discussion of bindis, and how they’re treated with disdain when worn by Indian women but Taylor Swift or Ariana Grande puts one on and suddenly they’re sooooooo chic.

(Yes, in an ironic twist you couldn’t put in a book because people would call it unrealistic, the very concept of cultural appropriation has been appropriated.)

So with the actual, this-is-what-the-Black-community-meant definition in front of you for reference, take a look at these questions. These are rhetorical—anybody with the degree of self-awareness to say “I don’t know if this thing from a closed religion is for me” is probably not doing any of this. It’s just here for reference.

—do you see a problem with “Christian Seders” or do you think Jews should be flattered other people are interested, geez, it’s not like we’re being murdered?

—do you make fun of people wearing skullcaps/kippot/yarmulkes, or do you recognize it’s cultural garb?

—do you get all weird and pissy over the major Jewish holiday season being in fall rather than in winter?

—do you conflate Jews with Israel or do you recognize that these are two separate groups with some overlap?

—do you make fun of Orthodox clothing and hairstyles?

If you can honestly say “no, I realize this is a culture of its own and things I don’t understand aren’t necessarily ‘wrong’ or ‘weird,’ just different,” you’re in a good position to share Jewish voices.

HERE IS WHERE THE CURVEBALL COMES IN.

This quote is from Talmud.

And unlike things like, say….talking about a Seder you were invited to, or saying “may you be sealed” to a Jewish friend on Yom Kippur, the Talmud is not semi-closed, it’s *closed.* People study Talmud all their lives in the hope of gaining even a small glimmer of understanding. It has to be studied in the context of being well-versed in Torah and Jewish interpretation, because removing it from that context renders it entirely incomprehensible.

WITH THAT SAID.

I think this is one of the few places in Talmud where there is, at a bare minimum, a surface understanding that’s applicable to everyone. Certainly Rabbi Tarfon’s words carry additional weight with the force of Jewish learning and tradition behind them, but I’m pretty sure if you could sit down with him and say “Rabbi, your words inspired me to keep fighting for my community. When I was ready to give up your words reminded me I wasn’t alone, that anything I do in the interest of pushing forward justice and equality is a net positive, and I was able to keep going. I’m a gentile. Is it okay that I take this from your words?” he’d almost certainly be like “yes??? As you say, it’s a net positive, so why wouldn’t I be okay with you gleaning this?” It’s slightly different from a lot of Talmudic commentary in that it applies to the mitzvot of things like tikkun olam and pikuach nefesh, but these things can also be done outside the Jewish community without any reference to Torah at all. You can pay for a homeless person’s dinner and that’s tikkun olam. You can take a CPR class and that’s pikuach nefesh (or at least, preparing yourself to commit an act thereof, should it be necessary). You aren’t doing those things as mitzvot, because you’re a gentile—you’re doing them because you think they’re the right thing to do—but that doesn’t mean “don’t overwhelm yourself by trying to do it all, but don’t just give up either” isn’t good advice. We don’t call him one of our greatest sages because he was an idiot. Is there plenty more below the surface? Oh, for sure. Does that make the surface reading wrong? Not necessarily.

So: 99.999999% of the time, I would say you should not reblog Talmudic quotes. They’re not going to be relevant to you or your life experience and you’ll lack the background knowledge to interpret them.

But this one, specifically? Yeah. I’d say this one is okay. Make sure it’s sourced to Rabbi Tarfon and the Pirkei Avot/Ethics of the Father, or to the Talmud.

And then go forth, and do justly now, and remember: you can’t finish the work alone. But you also don’t have the right to walk away.

Okay, fellow Jews, time for a pie fight in the comments. Have fun.

#you ask nina answers #nina blogs judaism #Jumblr

[aihoshiino]

chapter 134 thoughts!

My immediate first thought going into this chapter and seeing how it picks up from last week's cliffhanger is that while I thought last week that this conflict served as an excellent character beat for both Ruby and Kana, I feel less positively about it as the catalyst for long term RubyKana conflict. Maybe that's hypocritical because I like the similar AquKana conflict back during the LoveNow aftermath and this is basically just a roided up version of that but… IDK, I guess it helped that the AquKana conflict is very clearly a romcom style miscommunication and it ends up leading to one of my all time favourite and funniest character moments for Aqua, this… isn't that. In general I really hate the old tried conflict trope of "Character A betrays or is otherwise cruel to Character B For Their Own Good and refuses to communicate about it" so this was kind of irritating to see…

It also really doesn't help that Kana is going SO above and beyond in being cruel to Ruby here in comparison to the AquKana conflict where her short-sighted lashing out was being mostly played for laughs but still came back to bite her. There's just something a bit excessive in how deliberately and pointedly cold and mean to Ruby Kana is shown being here and I guess it just feels a bit icky to me though I obviously can't make a proper call on all this til we see its conclusion.

I also have to question like… why is everyone around them just letting this happen lol. Memcho not intervening I can at least make sense of because she's been shown to be feeling off her game and a bit out of her element so I could see all that combining to make her uncertain of what to do but… uh, is Miyako not paying any attention? Admittedly the timeframe here is a little vague so we don't know exactly how long this has been going on but it's been happening at least long enough for Ruby to be going to school and fretting about it to her friends. So the idea of Miyako either being unaware of this or not intervening in this is really baffling to me??? Especially off the back of chapters 124 and 126 making a point of how badly Miyako wants to reach out to Aqua and Ruby and support them as their mother - the only way I can justify this to myself is if Miyako somehow doesn't know this was going on but how would she not know??? Like, we see Gotanda and his assistants fretting over Ruby crying after her scenes! If they're well aware something is wrong, why not Miyako? She's Aqua and Ruby's manager! This is a Strawberry Productions produced movie! We've seen her on set before! Is she just… not here now that it would be inconvenient for the plot?

(The answer to that is 'yes')

Uh all that up there does make it sound like I disliked either this or last chapter but I actually really loved them both for reasons we'll get into soon! I think they're both strong individual chapters and as points in RubyKana's shared arc I actually do really like this conflict, what it says about them both and where it seems to be taking them. There are just a lot of small, piled up contrivances pushing this conflict along and I think they annoyed me so much BECAUSE I otherwise think this is some really tasty character work for both girls and I'm otherwise enjoying it.

My bitching aside, I do really like the talk that follows this. I've been revisiting a lot of the earlier material recently via friends re-reading or giving the series a try for the first time so I've been back in that space of Ruby being particularly starstruck with Frill. It's sweet to see their present day dynamic where Ruby is fully comfortable with Frill just as her friend and trusts her enough to share her worries with her.

aw hey minami we thought you were dead

This entire scene really got my brain gears whirring and I can't help but speculate a little about its placement. At first I was just nodding along, thinking this was just Industry Exposition as usual but… isn't this odd? We don't see how Ruby phrases this question so maybe she was vague but from an authorial standpoint, why is Akasaka having Frill talk about love instead of dislike or hostility, which is what is actually going on between Ruby and Kana? Reading over that scene again and again, I can't help but wonder… is this supposed to be taken as some commentary on what's going on between Ruby and Aqua? Is Ruby developing confusedly romantic feelings for him purely because of their 'playing the roles', so to speak, of Sarina and Gorou? After all, the only other similar 'showmances', so to speak, that this could be referring to are AquKana and AquAka, neither of which quite fit the bill, especially when Frill talks about immediately snapping out of those feelings once the show is over — which didn't happen in the least for either pairing. Is this a hint of something to do with Ruby's feelings? Am I reading too much into this??? I mean, I almost definitely am, but I do that every week so…

Hopping over to Kana, the scene between her and Memcho itches my brain less mostly just because it's reiterating things communicated last week. I've said all I'll say about it feeling weird to me that Mem isn't making a move to intervene here but I do like the talk she and Kana have about their human jealousy towards Ruby. Honestly, I have a lot of respect for their being able to push it aside for so long because… honestly, none of what Kana said is wrong!

The second generation of B-Komachi exists for Ruby. Strawberry Productions got back into the idol business entirely so Ruby would have a group to be part of. Kana and Mem were recruited so Ruby would have unitmates to perform with. It doesn't revolve around her to the extent the previous generation did Ai, but in a very real sense Kana is correct when she identifies herself and Memcho as 'extras' for B-Komachi, who exist for Ruby's sake. Not only that but Ruby honestly treated them really badly while she was in black hoshigan mode! Yes, we as readers know what was going on in her head and why but think about how all that probably seemed to Kana and Mem who had no idea: From their POV, what happened was that they broke into mainstream success at last and Ruby immediately left them in the dust, prioritizing her own growth and success in a way that had a very real impact on the fan response the two of them got while they were busting their asses and trying their best to keep B-Komachi going in her absence. I don't think they would be wrong to feel honestly kind of used and hurt!

Obviously this isn't me saying that Ruby is a bad person or that she deserves to have Kana snap at her like that or whatever but… I dunno! It just feels good to have Mem and Kana finally address those feelings and admit to them without it compromising their genuine love and care for Ruby, which is one one of the main ways that the current gen of B-Komachi has surpassed the previous one. Kana especially touches on something I discussed last week in that I think her half of this shared RubyKana arc is going to be about confronting and besting her 'inner Nino', so to speak. Like Nino, she has those same tangled up feelings of admiration and envy, but Kana is capable of confronting them and identifying them. Most importantly, she loves Ruby enough to not let them take her over completely.

ANYWAY FORGET ALL THE REST OF THIS STUFF BECAUSE THIS WAS SECRETLY AN AI POST THIS WHOLE TIME MFS!!!!!!!! oh god this chapter review is already so long and now it's about to get even longer.

Anyone who's read any of my OnK meta before will probably know that I have always stood by one thing that I won't compromise on: Hoshino Ai was just a normal girl. She was a normal girl who suffered abuse and neglect and hated herself as a result, who was exploited by the entertainment industry because she was pretty and vulnerable, who didn't understand people but spent every waking moment of her too-short life reaching out so she could try and love them. The idea of Ai being fundamentally mysterious or unknowable, that the so called 'real Ai' had some horrible dark secret or that the supposedly 'true' Ai really was as horrible as Ai thought herself to be have never resonated with me. The 'real me' that is so horrible that Ai can only speak of her with black stars is nothing more than the flawed, hurting, abused human behind Ai of B-Komachi. I've said this all along and yet there's always been a little part of me worried that Akasaka was going to pull a fast one and betray that idea and rupture the heart of this character I've come to love so much.

To that end — I cannot tell you how insanely fucking cathartic the ending of this chapter was. To have Ruby at last come face to face with her mother as a human being and recognize her for who she really is. That this key final puzzle piece of the real Ai is centered on her pain and her loneliness and her raw humanity, that Ruby describes her as just a normal girl who was always crying and in pain… I genuinely don't have words to say how incredible it felt to finally, FINALLY have someone recognize Ai's suffering. And not just anyone, but one of Ai's children, one of the people she loved more than anything else in the world.

The imagery and framing here is so insanely powerful. Ai taking the place of Ruby's reflection, the look of weary, resigned pain on her face. How small Ai is when Ruby sees her. The barrier of the glass between them; even now in this moment of understanding, the unbreechable barrier of Ai's death keeps Ruby from truly reaching her. It almost feels skeuomorphic in how literal the visualization of this moment of connection and empathy is. Ruby literally sees herself in Ai — she sees Ai in herself. It's pure empathy made as real and tangible as it gets. At long, long last, someone has squinted past the blinding light cast by Ai of B-Komachi and seen Hoshino Ai alone in the shadows where she's been this whole time.

Break next week…! That was to be expected — Jump Festa 2024 will be taking place next weekend and there will be a OnK panel with the seiyuu for Ai, Aqua, Kana and Akane in attendance. We're confirmed to be getting some season 2 news as well, so there's that to look forward to!

#oshi no ko #oshi no posting #onk spoilers #ruby hoshino #ai hoshino

[thetarttfuldickhead]

Locker Room Conversations III

In which everyone suspects that Roy, Jamie and Keeley are dating. Well, except for Roy.

---

“Oi! Roy!”

At Jamie’s call Roy turned from the board he’d been painstakingly filling with his cramped hand to look at the younger man, changed out of his training kit but still lounging carelessly on the bench by his locker.

“What?” The use of ‘Roy’ rather than ‘Coach’ suggested this had nothing to do with the practice they’d just finished or the upcoming game on Sunday.

“You need to check your phone, mate. Keeley wants us to do brunch tomorrow at her place, and she wonders if you can pick up croissants from that little French place near your house.”

“Oh. Yeah. Sure.” 

“Great.” 

Jamie started typing away furiously at his phone, and Roy was about to turn back to the task at hand when he noticed that the dressing room had fallen suspiciously quiet during the quick exchange. 

“What?” Roy demanded. There was something in that silence that had alarm bells going off in his head… When no one answered him, he cocked his head to the side, donning his very best Roy Kent glare. “What?”

Most of the players looked away. Van Damme looked at Colin. Colin looked at Isaac. Isaac looked at Dani. Dani looked at a pair of socks.

Sighing, but seemingly accepting the burden of his captaincy, Isaac spoke up, gesturing vaguely in a circle that encompassed both Roy and Jamie: “Are you… it’s just that we’ve been wondering, yeah… are the three of you… dating?”

Roy stared. What.

“No.” he said slowly, trying to wrap his head around the fact that this had been a question. “We’re not dating.” They’d been hanging out a lot ever since Manchester, sure, but really, what kind of fucking leap was this? 

“Oh.” And somehow that didn’t sound at all like an oh of course what a very stupid thing to ask but very much like an oh are you sure and What. The. Fuck was going on here?” 

Roy glanced at Jamie, hoping that he might jump in and add his refutation to Roy’s so they could lay this whole ridiculous thing to rest.

Only. Jamie wasn’t looking like he thought this was the stupidest thing he’d ever heard. He was making a stupid face, sure, but one that Roy recognized as deliberately noncommittal. And he was keeping conspicuously quiet.

Roy blinked. But. What.

“We’re not dating… ?” he said again, but there was a curious twist to the end of the sentence, turning into more of a question than he had planned, or had ever thought he’d need in relation to this particular subject.

All eyes turned to Jamie.

Unfazed, Jamie shrugged. “Eh. Not really. I mean, we’re taking it slow, see how it goes.”

“Oh.” Collective from the rest of the team and to Roy’s consternation this ‘oh’ sounded like oh right we get it that make sense which was insane because it really fucking didn’t.

“We’re what?” he demanded in what he thought was a very calm and reasonable manner.

“Jesus, man, no need to fucking shout,” Jamie said reproachfully. “This is why we’re taking it slow,” he added to the others. “Old people get so worked about new things, yeah? Gotta take it easy or you’ll spook ‘em.” He turned back to Roy, smiling brightly like the absolute little prick that he was. “Anyway. You’ll bring the croissants for brunch, yeah?”

Roy opened his mouth. Closed it again. Tried to think of something – anything – to say. What eventually came out was, ”If I say yes, does that mean I’ve agreed to go on a date with you?”

With Keeley, and with you.

For some reason, the idea didn’t quite make him want to tear his guts out and use them to strangle Jamie.

Jamie shrugged again, keeping his face as neutral as he could manage (which wasn’t very) but his brown eyes were glittering. Roy’s traitorous heart did a weird little thing at that.

”Nah,” Jamie said, and then his stupidly full lips curled into a slight but impossibly smug smirk. “Maybe. So, brunch?”

Closing his eyes, wondering if he was losing his mind or finally coming to his senses, Roy said, ”Yeah, yeah, we’ll do brunch.”

#roy/keeley/jamie #roy x jamie x keeley #roy kent #jamie tartt #a team of himbos #post 3x11 #ficlet #crack #unless... #i mean the ot3 is not crack #it's roy being completely oblivious #i was going to write serious meta i swear #but here we are #locker room conversations #my stuff

[camlannpod]

Hi, I'm loving the podcast so far! I've been thinking about the Names, whether they work only if the name is somehow official, or does it make the connection stronger? For example, if there was a person who had the nickname Merlin since forever, but it wasn't their official name or a variant thereof, would they still be Named? No need to answer of course, I just wanted to vent my excitement a bit haha. Thanks for all the fantastic work you're doing!

Hello hello, thank you so much for the ask! It's so nice to know people are listening and care enough to think about the show in this much detail!

So the rules of the Names as described in the show are deliberately a bit vague because the characters don't exactly know, or even agree, on precisely how they work.

What they do know is that you can 'take a Name' - ie tell everyone a story Name is your name now, or 'surrender a Name', ie stop using a story name and choose a non-story name instead, giving up all associated powers with it.

What they also know is that the more people who believe / know the story your Name is from, the more powerful your Name/story/magic is. And that you can essentially top trumps, playing card style play different stories against each other, with more famous stories holding more power.

Point number three - your own attachment to your name and how much you believe yourself to be that person is really important. So someone like Morgan, who's at war with / frightened of her Name, actively struggles to access any kind of power from her Name. On the other hand Perry loves the name Peredur, because it's exactly who they want to to be, which means they're really in tune / harmony with their story and the associated powers.

So in your example - if people thought of this person as Merlin (and those people were still alive), that person thought of themself as Merlin - or identified with that Name / culture / story in some way, then yeah, they'd accrue the powers of Merlin! But even if people called them Merlin, if this person really thought of themself as like...Skye. Then it wouldn't work. And again just to emphasise - this person would need at least one living person who thought of them as really being Merlin, not Skye. But if they had that, then yes!

Am I saying in my apocalypse that trans people can give themselves magic powers. Yes. Yes I am.

#question this #little-miss-carrot #camlann #camlann podcast #thank you so so much for the ask!

[password-door-lock]

Ray has narrowed it down to four potential candidates to infiltrate the RFA: the first two are office workers; the days that he spent trailing each of them consisted largely of sitting around outside, occasionally passing through the lobbies of their respective buildings, until whoever he was studying that afternoon was ready to go home. The third candidate is a full-time university student with no other notable obligations— when he followed them, Ray sat in the back row of a few large lectures, but found, to his disappointment, that many of their classes were far too small for a stranger to slip in unnoticed. So Ray has been pleased today to discover that your job at a restaurant allows him ample time to study you— and study you he does.

He's already very familiar with your routine, of course; he's been keeping track of that for months now. He even has a vague idea of what your job is like, thanks to the CCTV footage which was left practically undefended on your employer's servers. But now that he's here, he's certain of it— nothing can compare to the real thing.

Ray has spent the entire day at the back of the dining room, pretending to be busy with something on his laptop screen. He's dressed inconspicuously, all in black, protecting his identity with a hat and mask. When he arranges his bangs the right way under the beanie— something he never thought he'd wear, even as part of one of the Savior's plans— he finds that they obscure the color of his eyes quite well. Of course, it's not such good news for his vision, but that's a risk that Ray is willing to take in the name of the Mint Eye.

His initial plan was not to order anything, but... well. Ray has been very busy for the past few days— it's been a long while since he's been able to have anything sweet. Besides, he reasons, it would look strange if he came here and sat around without ordering anything. He doesn't want anything to drink— the coffee would only upset his stomach, and he doesn't trust any teas manufactured outside of Magenta— but Ray figures it wouldn't hurt to get a pastry of some kind. After some deliberation, he selects a strawberry-flavored muffin, which looks more like a cupcake, at least in his opinion. “Would you like that warmed up?” Your coworker asks, avoiding Ray's eyes in favor of the cash register.

“Yes, please,” Ray replies politely. He doesn’t feel entirely comfortable in this environment, but he can be brave if it means getting to spend a moment with you, even in a roundabout way.

“MC,” the coworker calls, and Ray finds himself biting his lip under his mask. It's not safe to call your name like that in public— somebody could be lurking nearby, trying to glean sensitive information about you. It would be one thing to call you that way at Magenta, but here... anybody could be listening, with any motive in the world. “Can you warm up a strawberry muffin?”

“I'd better be able to,” you quip, more under your breath than directly to your colleague, “Do you have any idea how long I’ve worked here?” Two years, three months, and 27 days, according to your official employment records, but Ray gets the feeling that this question was not meant for him to answer. 

Ray tries not to watch you as you insert his pastry into the oven. Instead, he focuses on paying for the treat. Although, much to his delight, he finds that he has no trouble tapping a credit card on a reader while also staring in your direction. Evidently, he wasn’t thinking very clearly when he made this plan.“You'll be number 187,” the stranger declares, passing Ray a paper receipt.

“Thank you,” Ray remembers to say. He also remembers not to pay too much attention to you as he makes his way over to a slightly more discreet corner where he can wait for his food.

You, too, appear to be waiting— you're leaning against the wall beside the small oven while Ray's muffin toasts inside. He's sure it's going to taste delicious, just because you're the one who handled it. After all, you're so different from the other people he has followed— they would do well, Ray supposes, as anybody would at Magenta, but you... you make him feel all warm inside, like there's a candle burning in his chest. He felt that tug a little bit when he looked at you in pictures, but now that he's actually in the same room as you, Ray knows.

He scrolls through the settings on his phone so that it looks as though he's doing something when you remove the muffin from the oven and slide it into a brown paper bag. “Number 187?” Ray is obsessed with the way your voice rises at the end of the question.

He knows he can't let you hear his voice in return, however. If you recognize him when he calls, you might not want to come with him... Ray knows you're smart, so you'd be cautious. If only you knew just what kind of paradise is waiting for you at Magenta— but now is not the time to ponder such things. Instead of thanking you, as he so desperately wants to, Ray nods at you and reaches out to grab the bag.

His hands are trembling as he does so. “Here you go.” You're wearing a mask, too— of course you are, so clever, so considerate, so perfect— but he can tell you're smiling under it. You're smiling at him.

The thought is almost too much for Ray to handle— he knows he has to take that muffin and get away from you as fast as possible before he forgets himself. There are any number of things that he might do that could alarm you, and that's the last thing he wants— no, his only real desire is to make you feel as happy as you make him when he sees that smile in your eyes. So, knowing that every step he takes away from you will pain him, Ray snatches the bag and begins to move as quickly as he can in the other direction.

You release a soft little, “Huh?” And Ray thinks, as he retreats, hands still trembling, that you are beyond adorable. You're too good for him, too good for the world, and just perfect for Mint Eye.

When he gets back to his table, Ray's heart is pounding and he's breathing heavily. He can't believe he actually did that— he got so close to you, and you smiled at him. You spoke to him. It was like meeting an angel, even better than when the Savior deigned to shine her light upon Ray for the first time— no, no, he corrects himself frantically. Nothing could be better than the Savior, of course. Thinking that would be an act of disloyalty to the Mint Eye, and Ray would never betray the paradise, not in a million years. But he can absolve for his mistake later— right now, he has other, more pressing matters to consider. 

After the brief moment that he takes to pull himself together, it occurs to Ray that he is holding onto more than just the paper bag, which he is clutching with a vice grip. Caught between his hand and the flimsy surface of the bag is a clear plastic glove, clearly designed for food service workers to wear. Did he somehow… steal it from you?

Ray glances back up at the counter, and he feels the heat rising to his cheeks at the sound of your voice as you address your coworker. “... took my glove!” But you don't sound angry. You sound... pleased, perhaps, and you're grinning. “That's so funny! It's like a fairy tale or something! Do you think my prince will come back here just to return my glove? That'd be romantic, don’t you think? Okay, okay, you’ve gotta cover for me— I guess I have to go wash my hands and get new gloves now, even though the other one is still perfectly good.” You giggle, waving your gloved hand in the air as if to demonstrate your point, and Ray’s heart melts. He wants to make you laugh like that again. 

Obviously, you don't know that anybody is listening in on your conversation— you're clearly trying to talk quietly, though Ray is thankful that the sound of your beautiful voice has carried across the room to him. Regardless, he needs to get out of here as soon as possible— he’s genuinely concerned that he might faint if you call him your prince again. Indeed, he's beginning to feel dizzy as he delicately removes himself from the establishment, staring down at the disposable glove still clutched in his hand.

This is a sign, he realizes, stopping in his tracks just outside the door of your cafe. Ray was almost certain before, but now, he knows for sure— it has to be you. It could only ever be you. You'll be the one to help him, and in the end, he'll show you how a fairy tale romance plays out in real life.

#tw: stalking #the glove thing is based on a real thing that happened to me lol #Naturally my immediate response was “I need to put Ray in this situation ASAP” #So big shout out to the random stranger who accidentally stole my glove for the inspiration lol #mystic messenger #mystic messenger drabble #choi saeran #saeran choi #ray mystic messenger

[orionsangel86]

Aa someone who pretty much threw away all their hope as soon as SPN cons started up again after the finale, it is a really crazy position to be in now to have to once again adjust my views and reconsider everything thats been said over the last 2.5 years.

I quit spn fandom and stopped paying attention to cast interviews because frankly:

Jared literally does nothing but spew the absolute worst most rancid takes I have ever heard to the point that I genuinely believe the man is completely deranged and has no idea about the show he filmed for 15 years

Misha has basically given up hope and stopped caring. He started off fighting to ensure people took the confession seriously, and seemed genuinely proud and passionate about ensuring people understood the love confession was legit and Cas knew exactly what he was saying, but over the years it seemed like he was broken down behind the scenes and forced to toe a company line of ambiguity for some unknown suspicious reason. Now he's back to resorting to jokes most of the time.

Jackles though, Jackles has until this point always been a fucking head fuck of a mystery. The "sexy silence" post finale. The sole interactions being with Misha and about the confession. The way he gushed about the confession shortly after it aired before the finale. Then the production company, The Winchesters, the J2 messy public fallout and cringy PR fake reassurance of love for his "brother". The fact that in every con up until this point he has kept any answers about the confession abiguous and deliberately vague - always playing both sides, always trying to keep ALL fans happy whatever they believe about the show. The attempt to explain it as Cas not feeling love the way humans do at one point (much to fandoms horror).

I admit I have joked many times about the "jackles long con" (the conspiracy theory that ever since he found out how spn has ended he has personally been on a war path to fix things and give us a satisfactory ending for Dean and Cas) but I was always in 2 minds about whether it was legit a thing. I believed he wanted to fix Dean's ending somehow yes, but I always figured Cas's story was an afterthought the same way Sam's was. I had no delusions that Jackles would legit want to give closure to the confession and give us reciprocated Destiel - whatever that may look like. It just didn't seem like a thing Jackles would want to do. Save Dean? Yes definitely. But actually make it canon that Dean is bisexual and madly in love with his angelic best friend? Even on his most Destiel friendly days I have never been able to truly believe that.

But this latest response from him at jibcon is veerrrry interesting. To plainly state that he hopes the confession is addressed. That he wants to see that. Its the first time he's ever mentioned it in non vague terms.

Look I have no hope of a fanfiction style sappy romantic destiel reunion scene in the Winchesters or whatever. But for Jensen to genuinely give a clear and thoughtful response about what he thinks that would look like, that he thinks Dean would want to talk about that, and address it, that is certainly progress beyond anything we've had from him before.

One of my friends in our group chat raised the thought of Jackles addressing the confession only to have Dean tell Cas he's sorry, but he doesn't feel the same way. THAT is a terrifying thought, but I gotta ask, would Jackles really do such a thing? He knows exactly how much Destiel means to the fans. He knows how important it is, hell, he was online watching the Nov 5th fallout along with everyone else. If it wasnt important, it wouldn't have trended above the US election. He would alienate the majority of his fanbase. Remember, he has already technically picked a side - something I thought he would never do. The Jared stans and bronlies and Destiel haters all loathe him now. They curse his name as much as Misha's ever since he dared to exclude Sam/Jared from The Winchesters. Jensen isn't an idiot, he knows who his main fanbase is, and that is proved even more obvious by The Winchesters itself, which according to my friends who watch it, is very pro Destiel. My friend described it as what SPN could have been were it not for Jared and Bob Singer - a kinder, friendlier, queerer, and more equal, show. I haven't watched it so I can't comment, but I see so many people say that this among other recent behaviours proves that Jackles is on our side.

I am of course still a bit hesitant to give him so much credit. I'm not gonna stamp him with a big HELLER FRIEND stamp like the one we stamped on Misha years ago. But I am feeling more positive towards him than I have in ages.

Ever since the confession, the official stance on Destiel seems to be to keep it as vague and ambiguous as possible. To never confirm or deny anything especially when it comes to Dean. This has been frustrating, but has kept the door open at least.

By Jackles stating today that he wants the confession addressed and even hinting that it may be in the cards sooner rather than later, tells me that a decision has possibly been made.

The ambiguity has got to go. Dean either reciprocates or he doesn't. Those are the only options available.

If, as it has so often been teased and alluded to, Cas is going to make an appearance in The Winchesters, Jackles would surely need to get Misha on board with his plans. Misha who has been firmly on the side of Destiel since day 1. Would Misha really agree to step back into Cas's shoes only to have his heart broken by a rejection from the man he loves? I don't think he would.

So surely, the only way for the confession to be addressed is to go with the other option. Full reciprocation.

Who else is there to even object anymore? Jared? Fuck that guy? Bob Singer? That old asshole has no power anymore. The CW? Maybe. I dunno what Jackles situation is with the execs and how much power he has over the Winchesters stories. But perhaps he's been able to convince them? Given the state of queer media in 2022 and how rapidly the world has moved on from tolerating CW style queerbait.

Shows like OFMD, Good Omens, The Sandman, IWTV, WWDITS, etc etc... they have proven that queer is popular. It brings in cash. The CW has always been sitting on a goldmine with Destiel, which has never really stopped being popular, even now. They were fools to not go all the way the first time around, and after the queer media boom of 2022 they look like even bigger fools. I still have my own beliefs about the circumstances that prevented a proper destiel ending (mostly to do with the business of the one star the CW were holding onto at that time and his stupid cop propoganda show) but considering all that has happened since then, were the CW given another chance to explore Destiel now, I think they'd be absolute fools not to take it.

Anyway, the point of all my rambling is this: I think I'm back on board. Laying it all out logically, if Jackles is gonna address this, he's gonna do it in the way that will be the most popular, and generate the most publicity, engagement, and ultimately, cash.

In other words: we may see yet ANOTHER "Destiel is canon" day before the decade is over.

#destiel #jackles long con #*puts on clown makeup again* #i mean it could also just NOT happen #but bringing cas into the winchesters surely means him and dean would need to interact #and that brings up the confession #so yeah #i guess that man has his hooks in me again #sigh #hope is a dangerous thing #and i have been burned before #but fuck it #hope it is

[agent-of-sam]

My Big Rambling List of Perrin Thoughts

@toastandjamie asked for thoughts on Perrin's arc and the subsequent essay felt too big to be a comment so I made my own post.

Note it's not really an essay and more just a jumbled list of impressions from someone who tried and failed to complete a re read of the series.

The Gentle Giant thing is technically true but I think it's a misleading place to start with Perrin. The term feels more accurate for Loial who is both physically larger and less inclined to violence. And I do think there's some deliberate paralleling between the two as Loial spends a fair amount of time in Perrin's storyline. As an Ogier Loial is Pure Nature and Pure Creation, while Perrin's Wolfbrother connection is…something something, Primal Man, domestication of wolves as the man's first step towards civilization, something something idk.

In terms of personality, Perrin is deliberate and pragmatic. He's a good problem-solver, able to break things down into logical steps and can often surprise people by seeing to the core of an issue or by approaching it from an unexpected direction. But like all the Emond's Fielders this comes with a unique set of blind spots, biases, and hypocrisies. Perrin, in particular, feels like a very linear thinker who thus struggles with problems that don't have clear answers. (waves vaguely at his entire relationship with Faile). Thematically, as other people have said, I think Perrin's "arc" isn't a distinct line. It's a journey towards acceptance both about himself and about how the world works. Am I a Wolf or Man? Both. Am I Peaceful or Violent? Both. Is it Wrong to Kill? Yes but sometimes you have to do it anyway. How will I know when it's Right? You won't but you'll have to make a decision and follow through. How will I know when to Stop? When it feels right.

He's a character who fundamentally wants clear rules and structured morality and demonstrable cause and effect and the world won't line up the way he wants.

I think he's the character who holds on longest to his old life and his old identity, at least among the guys. Like, Rand is never "happy" about being the Dragon Reborn but once it's proven he commits to it, hell or high water. Mat is famous for loudly proclaiming he's something other than what he clearly is. Perrin choosing to leave Rand in Tear and go back to the Two Rivers is described as a physical tearing as he resists the pull of Ta'veren. He insists he's a simple blacksmith even as people are calling him Lord Goldeneyes and waving his banner and the Two Rivers is literally changing and modernizing around him. -I think there's something about acceptance as a theme in all the characters. Pushing against Fate and the Pattern and the world telling them who they are, trying to change them. Except, the Pattern didn't change them. They were always who they were, they just didn't know it until the journey revealed it to them. Whether they like the revelation or not is irrelevant. Rand was always going to channel eventually. So were Egwene and Nynaeve, probably. The Wolves were always going to find Perrin. Most of them eventually come to a sort of subconscious realization that they, ironically, have the most agency when they choose to go with the flow instead of trying to swim upstream. I think Perrin, with his specific brand of quit stubbornness, takes the longest to actually reach that turning point.

This next part might all be projection but In terms of writing style, I think there's something to the idea the Perrin operates with a certain separation from his own emotions. Rand angsts, he pushes down his feelings but he stills feels them. Mat's got his whole comedic irony thing going on. I think Perrin straight-up doesn't register his emotions 90% of the time. Which doesn't mean they aren't there, he's just kind of blind to them until something big happens and then suddenly it's a tidal wave. It tracks for someone who's like, "To figure out this situation I must be direct and logical. First step is to put my personal feeling into a box because they aren't relevant right now." And it works so you do that for every problem. And over a lifetime you kind of just…lose the ability to regulate. Your emotional responses become Nothing or Way Too Much. Everything in the box gets mushed together into a big soup.

I think he's got anger issues, but in that specific way where he's an exploder. "I'm fine. Everything's fine. No big deal. I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm fine. It's fine. Oh, look an Aiel Man in a cage. I don't like that." Then things get a bit blurry and suddenly he's got a bloody axe and there's a bunch of dead White Cloaks all around.

And for that kind of person the sort of primal, instinctual sensations he gets from the wolves is euphoric and terrifying.

For Perrin emotions literally become sensations at some point? The wolves communicate by psychically bombarding each other with images and scents and emotions. Then he gets his scent powers and Faile's jealousy is a hot spiky feeling that stabs at his nose and Aram's growing resentment and fanaticism is this itchy, alien smell that Perrin finds literally repulsive. But he can't smell himself so it's always this intrusive, upsetting sensory overload?

Anyway, it's a writing approach that I think fundamentally doesn't appeal to some people because there's less to grab onto and also what's there is simultaneously very big but also very direct and kind of "exactly what it says on the tin". Because Jordan can be a very subtle writer when he wants to be but, conversely, he can also be incredibly blunt sometimes. And I think he's at his most blunt when writing Perrin. Probably because that's just who Perrin is. Perrin's not a metaphor guy and he's not a philosophy guy. For Perrin a thing is a thing or it's not and if it's not then it's not worth thinking about. Or so he tells himself.

It also falls into Jordan's gender stuff where it's leans into a very Plain-Spoken Salt-of-the-Earth Man Does not Understand Complicated Thing Like Women or Human Emotions. I think, like a lot of Jordan's Gender and specifically Masculinity stuff, if you look at the series as a whole it's a functional critique showing the pitfalls and drawbacks of those kinds of mentalities both on a societal level and on a personal level. But it also takes 12 books to get there and, while it's hard to say exactly how various character arcs would have ended if Jordan had lived to finish the series himself, I think as a writer he favored slowly sliding people into place rather than big epiphany moments. And there is a large modern audience that either doesn't have the patience or just fundamentally isn't interested in that kind of story. Which is fair, I guess.

But I love Perrin. He's my guy. That's it, that's my essay.

#wheel of time #wheel of time books #wheel of time spoilers #perrin aybara

[dany-is-my-queen]

A Question of Loyalty IV

Rhaenyra Targaryen x reader, Alicent Hightower x reader

Word count: 3k

Summary: When dragons of green and dragons of black dance, you have to choose the color that suits you best.

“I remember you at their age.” You reminisced those years, easier years in Driftmark where your only care was not to eat too much cake and play with your siblings. Laena was with child again, you meekly rubbed her belly.

“They look just like you.”

“I was always following you around. Just like Rhaena does with Baela.”

“Well, I was the eldest sibling. Still am.” You quipped.

“I have the fresh memory of you on top of Silverwing. You were grounded for a moon and then I was grounded for a moon for letting you flee your chambers.”

“You enjoyed the ride, didn’t you?” She busted a gut.

“I did. It was because of you that I gathered the courage to claim Vhagar in the first place, otherwise I wouldn’t even thought it possible.”

“I’m proud of you, little sister.” She smiled heartily.

“How are things with the Queen?”

“She gave birth to Daeron. I adore that boy. It's almost as if he were mine.”

“You do have a gift with children. And what about Rhaenyra?”

“We are… still sorting it out.” You said vaguely, she was detaching more every passing day.

“You do not sound convinced. Is your heart troubled, Y/N? Don’t close yourself off to me. You can trust me.”

“I know, Laena. It’s… hard. Living with her yet being so far apart.”

“Has Alicent’s infatuation faded yet?”

“Infatuation?”

“I do not claim to know her, we barely shared a few words when I was in the Capital but that woman, sweet sister, that woman sees the stars in your eyes. When at Leanor's wedding, only a fool wouldn't realize her heart was calling out to you.” You regretted your actions on that particular date, you went to her out of desperation, a need to feel something. It doesn't mean that you didn't cherish it, or that you didn't like it. But you played with her strings, and it wasn't something the Queen could just forget.

“Are you still oblivious?” The twins came sprinting in before you could answer to something that you didn’t actually have an answer for.

“Oh my beautiful dragons!” Rhaena perched on your lap whilst Baela put her small arms around your neck. “The Capital would do you wonders. Come visit me soon.”

“Can we, mother? Please?” They pleaded.

“We will have to consult it with your father first.” Laena spoke, you sighed with disdain at Daemon’s mention.

“We want to meet our cousins!”

“In the meantime, perhaps a letter would lift their spirits? You proposed.

“Yes!”

“Daemon is reluctant… he still feels spurned by the King, and by most of the Court.” Laena declared.

“I wonder why.” You mumbled.

“I do miss Laenor, and mother & father. Send them my regards; and all my love.”

“It would be good to have you back, we could arrange a feast in High Tide instead. Send a raven anytime and I will see to it.” She bade you safe travel, you both lingered in each other’s familiar touch.

“I will, I promise.”

When the news of your sister’s passing reached you couldn’t believe your ears, for not so long ago you had seen her… chatted with her. She was alive, she was well. She wanted to come home. She wouldn’t have wanted to perish in some foreign land, she meant for her girls to grow up in Westeros.

Daemon objected, would not let her return. In your soul, accumulating hatred was not something you were proud of, blaming someone for another's death was low when it wasn't deliberate, yet the very sight of him unsettled you. You had to be strong now, for Baela and Rhaena.

Your uncle Vaemond delivered the eulogy in High Valyrian, in which he included pointed remarks about Velaryon blood remaining “pure” while glancing at Rhaenyra’s sons, Daemon was somber at her death, and he started giggling at Vaemond's pettiness in bringing this up now, you paid no mind to your uncle. You glared at Daemon, a lack of respect to his wife, to all of your family.

“I don’t want mother to be gone.” Baela was wretched, Rhaena was still crying a river of tears. You wished you could unburden them, bring Laena back and shield them from all dangers in the world.

“She’s going to watch over the two of you, from the Heavens. You will feel her in the sun that warms your skin. Nobody is gone forever, my darling girls. Let the memories remind you how to smile.” You offered them consolation, and they did the same.

Laenor had more cups of wine than you would have preferred. He lamented the fact that he should have brought his sister home when he was still able to spend more time with her. Rhaenys slumped as she read the words written in the letter, you kept each other company until slumber came to subdue your sobs at night.

Rhaenyra was the first to approach you, Laena was her cousin after all and she was sadden for it too. “Laena was well loved by all of us. Your sister was one of a kind.” She dithered to give you a hug, instead she squeezed your shoulder and went to her sons.

Jace was devastated, for Ser Harwin and the late Hand Lyonel had also recently perished in a fire at Harrenhal, "the cursed castle". You may have felt jealous of him for stealing the Princess' heart and time, but there is no denying the role he had played, protecting and coddling Jace and Luke, for which he will always have your respect.

Alicent was determined to deliver some comfort as well, and so she did with an embrace. “My deepest sympathies, my lady.” You dawdled in her arms until the bereaved court was scattered around.

After a long evening at the cliffside courtyard for the wake, The Queen came forward once more, she commanded a view of hopefulness. “I know this is not an appropriate time, mayhaps. But I wish to consult it with you firsthand.” She commented. You cracked a little smile her way.

“Do tell, your Grace.”

“The proposal Rhaenyra presented back in King’s Landing… about marrying Healena to Jacaerys, I will agree to it.” Your eyes growing wider by the revelation.

“Really?”

“I’ll be announcing it tomorrow before departing High Tide. Jacaerys is a gentle boy, he will make an excellent match for sweet Haleana. He’ll treat her with respect and devotion, same with their children. Aegon wouldn’t.” You grippingly nodded, for you knew beyond doubt that Jace would be perfect for her.

“Jace will be faithful to her, and kind.”

“I’m counting on it. She needs someone to look after her.”

**********

You would never have thought the night would turn out the way it did. It is sad, tragic even, that Alicent and Rhaenyra met first, were friends... only to have the bad blood between them intensify.

You knew some of the blame resided on you, and that was even worse. And what was the consequence of it? Aemond was maimed, Luke was beyond frightened of Alicent, she had cut your chest open. Surely Lucerys did not intend to attack him if it was not utterly necessary, and a child's mind acts before it thinks. How was this allowed to happen?

The pitiful thing was that Viserys didn't seem very moved by it, not that you supported mutilation or anything of the sort fell on Luke, however, the King simply doesn't care, those Targaryen children are not loved by their own father, you softened your heart at the most obvious avowal.

Rhaenyra and Alicent had yet again argued about you… The princess was so sure of herself, she thought she had you in the palm of her hand… that you were still that naive girl. And Alicent has begged you more times than you can recall, to speak out loud about the feelings you've been putting aside since that night together. For them to make amends seemed so impossible and it ruptured you. Silverwing helped ease your dismay, you actually talked to her while you were in the clouds, and she harked.

You found yourself heading to the dinner Hall, where Alicent was just finishing breaking her fast, along with Ser Otto.

“How are you, Your Grace?” You took a seat at the grand table, Otto was leering at you and Alicent noticed. He’s never liked you.

“Father, would you give us a moment, please.” He flashed a warning look to her and he exit.

Alicent’s countenance was dimmed. “I do not want this to come as a thunderbolt for you, my lady. I’ve had a change of heart.” You faintly frowned. “I’m announcing Aegon’s betrothal to Helaena, later today.”

“But… what about her and Jacearys? You said-“

"I know what I said, Y/N. It was only a few days ago that I was beginning to be convinced by the match. I trust you fathom that I cannot now allow my daughter to marry the boy. Her brother hurt my son for life, defending him or not, who knows what he could become. Helaena doesn't need something like that near her. My job, my crucial job is to protect my children. I hope you can understand that."

“I.. I do, Your Grace, I do.” You managed to say, shaken by the confession.

“Good. You’ve come to say something?” She was quick to ask.

You realized that the more you let your feelings for her go behind a cloud of smoke, the more you were going to later repent it and the more she’s going to feel rejected by you, so you shaped up the courage and woman up before vocalizing again.

“I have. Alicent, I am sorry for being partial on the matter of the dispute that broke days ago. I am sorry I spoke to you as I did when you came to apologize. You are a mother and I myself cannot know what it is like... the helplessness you felt when the King didn't bat an eyelash for his son. You deserve so much better, and if you let me, I'll make sure those children do not feel unwanted.” You promised her.

“After that night, Y/N, I’m not quite certain the children will agree to that. They feel betrayed. I feel betrayed. But guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, after all, you do favor them. Even if you won’t admit it out loud.”

“Your kids are my family. We share blood.”

“Water is thicker than blood, it would seem.” You knew exactly what she meant with that, it stung all over.

“I don’t wish to be at each other’s throats about it anymore.”

“Then leave.” The Queen coldly chided, you grimaced. You were losing her, you could feel it and you weren’t just prepared to do so.

“Alicent—“

“Do you love me?” She inquired with exasperation, with yearning and anguish making their way to reflect on her articulation.

“I do.” She intended to withdraw her hand but you grasped it firmly over the canteen. “I do love you. I suppose I just… I was too blind to see it, to admit it. I didn't want to imprison you with your own emotions.”

“Rhaenyra claims otherwise.”

“No one is ever enough for her.” Little did the Queen or you knew, that this last part of the conversation was falling directly into the ears of the alluded princess, nor did she retaliate until she made the terrible mistake of glimpsing at you. “Could I be enough for you?” You purred, inches apart you slanted towards the Queen, she greeted the affection with a handful of tears streaming down her cheeks. You wiped them away with your thumbs, and this kiss was not like the ones you’ve shared before, no, this one held meaning, this one felt right.

Rhaenyra could’ve easily interrupted the intimate moment you were having with the Queen, could easily have made a scandal out of it, but instead, she swabbed harshly her own bitter drops, stealthily stormed out and started to feel that excruciating pain she did when you were both fifteen at Dragonstone.

When the intensity wore off, you stood in silence for a long minute, Alicent cupped your face softly. “I'm not saying it's too late for us. I don't think so myself. But I can't do this now. You... you're crazy about her. She's your number one, always has been. I doubt I can ever top that, or earn that place in your heart. How long must I keep biding here to wait for an answer? You will be running after her next time you see her, and I don’t think I can endure it any longer."

You couldn't swear on your knees that your feelings for the Targaryen were going to fade into the dark forever, because that would probably never happen, so you spoke no more, knowing it would make no difference. You knew that what you felt for her was genuine, pure.

**********

Alicent publicly announced that Aegon and Haleana would marry before autumn’s end. Her reputation was freshly tarnished, yet she stood with authority, and Viserys did not oppose the union. Aegon, discontent with it, sweet Haleana ethereal as only she knew how to be. Aemond increasingly filled with hatred, convinced more than ever that his nephews were nothing more than bastards whose claims were mendacious.

“I wish you could come with us, aunt Y/N. You protected Luke, mother and me. The only one who has done that is Ser Harwin and now he’s gone. Those people are dangerous. We would protect you the way you did us.“ Jace said, worry in his voice, you crouched and washed away his concerns.

“The knight you would be, my darling prince. I won’t go to King’s Landing, I’ll be staying home where I belong. These are hard times, but you know what? We must all be united. Do not let loathing grow thick inside of you.“ You remarked when Luke joined you.

“He hates us now, they all do.” That shadow was looming weighty on their heads, they could spot it.

“They do not. You are decent young princes. An apology is not enough, it cannot bring back the eye of your uncle, but it will demonstrate you didn’t mean ill will. That it doesn’t make you superior.”

“He didn’t apologize to Baela and Rhaena—“

“Prove you’re different, sweet boy.” Little Luke looked up at you, and nodded.

“I will, aunt. I’ll apologize to him.”

Subsequently, the ship set off where Alicent and Viserys were on, and the three Dragons, Sunfyre, Dreamfyre & Vhagar carried the kids on their backs.

You were lounging on the grassland, feeling the breeze on your skin. You didn't want the "Rogue Prince" to overstay in your father's seat, he was a walking insult. And you wondered if you should go after Alicent - have you lost her without even having her?

“Penny for your thoughts?” Laenor laid beside you, and it reminded you when you were six and he was five. The flash of his grin coming to you in a warm wave. “Look Y/N! He’s going to be the largest dragon in the world! Even larger than the Black Dread. But he’ll be more beautiful.”

“I miss the old days.”

“So do I. Wish I could relive them. When the three of us took wing, we were the rulers of the sky. We were invincible. We took different roads”

“But in the end, we never changed. We remained true to ourselves, to each other. Little Laena is resting now with our ancestors, we will meet with her again.”

“I know we will. I never laid with her Y/N, I could never do that to my sister. Not when I knew she was the woman you loved.” This was hurting Laenor, because he loved you deeply, and he knew this would devastate you, he also knew how strong you were. He couldn’t live like this anymore, he dithered, he did.

“You are a good man, with a heart of gold, but you’re even a better brother.”

“You possess that heart of gold, Y/N. You are the very best of all of us. You are an honorable woman. Never lose that spark.” Something was.. amiss, you should’ve peered closer.

You cursed yourself a thousand times for not having been smart, for not having delved into Laenor's mind, for not having clung to him and protected your little brother from all dangers, because the atrocity that occurred hours later paralyzed you. They found his corpse shoved head-first into the fireplace, horrifically burned beyond recognition.

After a week or so, you were able to digest it. Having not eaten for days, Silverwing's appetite diminished as well. Rhaenyra left your home for the Island shortly after his demise. You learned Daemon went with her…

Ser Qarl was the apparent murderer, he had fled High Tide, but he cared about your brother, he was smitten by him since they met, you were there that day. It didn't make the slightest sense.

Rumors began to spread, the whole kingdom learned of Daemon and Rhaenyra's marriage. You'd be lying if you said you didn't see it coming, but how convenient was it to eliminate the princess's husband, so that fucker could take her as his wife? Both your parents were convinced that he had something to do with his death, and they had no doubt that she was an accomplice.

You at first refused to believe it was true, she wouldn't be capable of such a thing, of hurting him, and hurting you. But she had done it a hundred times before, time and again as the breaking point came crawling into your brain, the idea that it was possible broke through the heavy grief and mourning. Laenor would never leave Seasmoke behind, never leave your parents, never leave you to bear another loss...to consider it made you feel sick to the bone.

Rhaenyra didn’t choose you, she chose the ugly path. She chose her uncle, somebody else, over you, again. The beginning of the end of your love for her.

Tagging: @loveislove4 @evattude @lethal-minds @sophiexoxsblog

#game of thrones fic #house of the dragon fic #got #hotd #rhaenyra targaryen x reader #rhaenyra x reader #rhaenyra targaryen #alicent hightower x reader #alicent x reader #alicent hightower #house of the dragon

[broodwolf221]

helloooo i would LOVE some 'i would enjoy talking.' for bull x solas?

tfw i think im done writing for the night and u come in with a beautiful prompt that immediately has my brain going lm a o so! have some established relationship bull and solas, talking through ptsd @dadrunkwriting 923 words cws: frank discussion of war and battle

“Been a bit since you've been in my room, Fadewalker,” he said lightly, Solas sighing.

“Apologies.” 

“Don't do that.” Solas sighed again, closing his book and meeting Bull's eye. 

“Do what?” His voice was sharp, challenging. 

“It was an observation, not an accusation.” Solas' eyes narrowed before he sighed for a third time, shoulders slumping. 

“I…”

“If you wanna stop, you just need to say so. Not here to push.” The mage shook his head, now with a faint smile. 

“It's not that. I appreciate our arrangement. It is simply that I've not… been in the mood.”

“Yeah.” He hesitated, uncertain if he would press, but— “Since Adamant, huh?” Solas grew very still and Bull nodded to himself. “It was a shit show.” For a moment the elf’s gaze drifted, falling to the tabletop. He tapped the surface once, twice, a third time, then laid his palm flat against it and pushed himself up.

“Come, please,” he said simply, before walking out to the main hall. Bull followed at his side. They were both familiar members of the Inquisition—enough people would see them as comrades discussing the matters at hand. And if some saw it as more, well, Bull had grown used to gossip long ago. They walked down the stairs, through the courtyard, and towards the newly refurbished mages tower—interesting, that—and then a bit further, to a nearly abandoned part of the battlements. It was flush against the inner keep and patrols rarely bothered to come this far.

About as private as they could get, outside of a bedroom.

“You brought me here for a reason,” he said into the lingering silence. Eventually Solas nodded, bracing his arms against the stone ledge and staring into the distance. He wasn’t looking at the scenery, Bull knew. He was seeing something else entirely. “You wanna talk?”

“I… yes. Please.” He lost some of his distance, glancing back at Bull. “It feels inappropriate to trouble you further. You have given me much—”

“I’m not keeping count, Solas,” he said firmly, watching as the mage frowned before scoffing, turning back to the view. “Pretty clear that the whole thing is fucking with you.”

“So it is.”

Bull knew not to pry. He knew. Even without his training, he’d have cause to be suspicious of Solas. He talked a lot, at times, and gave his opinions freely, but all the while he kept everything about himself private. If he did reveal something, it was vague. All his answers were difficult to prove and he was careful to keep it that way. He didn’t know if he should credit his training or his own experiences for the sense of familiarity with that reserve, the unshakeable sensation that, yes, Solas was guarded, was reserved, was keeping himself held back… but that there was more to it. He also knew that if he pushed, the other man would clam right up. Gather his caution and privacy around himself like a cloak and excuse himself from the conversation, probably with some scathing witticism. He had to be allowed to speak, not encouraged, if one was to get anything of worth out of him.

Bull didn’t understand why he had to be so damn careful, but it was clear that he did. So he gave it time. They looked across the mountains together. And when Solas finally did begin to speak, it was careful, it was deliberate, and it was as true as he felt he could be.

“It has been a long time since I was in a battle like that.” He paused, then sighed. “No. Not a battle. Since I was in war. It is… harder than I thought it would be, now that we have returned. The Fade should preoccupy my thoughts. I walked in it! However terrible it was, it was an amazing experience! I should treasure that, I should—” he cut himself off with a snarl, glancing away. Bull let him build up his composure again. It took time, but that was alright. “Still. It is not the Fade I think about. It is that battlefield. The sound of it. The smell of it…” he trailed off, shaking his head. “I— apologies. This cannot be easy for you to hear.”

“Well. I guess that’s true. But I’m here anyway. I don’t gotta be, but I am. And I’m not leaving. So speak, Fadewalker.” Solas snorted, sobering a moment later. 

“It is just… naively, perhaps, I had not thought to be in such a situation again. It seemed that all our fighting would take place in brief skirmishes. They are challenging as well, of course, and there is a great deal I remember from them that I would sooner not, but it is not the same. The anticipation before the battle. The raw wave of emotion from the soldiers. The overwhelming immediacy of it all. A battle done but more ahead, always more ahead, no peace afforded save moving between fights, it is—” he paused to rub at his face, then straightened up. “I did not think it would affect me in this way.”

“I understand,” was all he said. All he could say. Anything, everything else would be a hollow comfort, a platitude. Solas knew this misery. So did he. They shared that knowledge, as shitty as it was. Solas looked at him for a long time, and Bull met his gaze steadily. Eventually the mage nodded.

“So you do. Thank you.”

“Nothing to it.” Solas smiled, both of them knowing the lie for what it was.

#dadw time #broodwrites #ironwolf #the iron bull #solas

[faith--in-the-future]

Now you got me curious lol so which questions would you ask Louis if you were able to do an interview with him (on camera, not on paper)

ahh honestly so many ! and most importantly I would ASK HIM TO ELABORATE!! it drives me CRAZY when he says a hint of something bigger that he thinks and people LET IT DROP!! like UGH go deeper! ask him for examples etc etc and don't let him get away with vague answers lolol

in specific idk exactly bc I'd try to follow the flow of conversation and also it depends on what he's promoting at the time ! but guessing it was for an album I'd start with general questions about what was the "drive" for this album so like which concept(s) started it, is there something in particular you tried to communicate etc etc then asks about sounds, the production, specific choices he made etc (it's hard to do this based on an imaginary album lol)

more in general I'd want to ask him stuff like

- how come do you enjoy and support artists like the snuts or Sam fender or stone etc which like to make political and social commentary but you don't seem to want to make that kind of music yourself? (then elaborate based on his answer)

- love is such a central theme of your music and often it's portrayed in its most impervious and hurtful aspects, would you say that that comes from an abundance of experience in those aspects from you or is it more because that side just inspires you more ?

- what would you say are the most difficult parts of love/relationships for you? what have you encountered most that was hard for you?

- hope is another central theme of your music, do you feel like it can be hard to make hopeful songs without bordering on cliches or just empty optimism ? (and I'd reword the question also in reference to what seems to be his life motto too)

- in terms of hope, would you say that you were more cynical when you were younger ? and if so why do you think that is ?

- in your music and your life you seem to deeply appreciate and protect your friendships, but there's also a lot of longing for a partner in your music, do you think that friendships alone could be enough for you or are you someone who is happiest when they're with their significant other too? ( if he says the second option ) and what specifically do you find in a partner that other forms of relationships don't give you?

- your music is at times referring or hinting at sex, often with very effective and imo interesting metaphors and symbolism, but I wanted to ask is it a deliberate choice for you to be more symbolism rather than explicit on this topic?

- as a woman I have often felt objectified or sexualized by male singers and directors etc so I am always grateful that with your music there never are contents that make me or , from what I've heard, any of your female identifying fans feel that way, is that also something that u consciously decide to do or is it just subconsciously part of your work bc that's how you operate in life in general?

- speaking of these topics, you have said in the past that when you make music you take into consideration what that music will leave to the listeners, for example you try to leave them with hope and resilience rather than despair, do you ever feel like this ideal limits you while making music? like for example you'd write something but then discard it bc in your opinion it's not something that you'd want the listeners to be left with after listening?

- if that answer is yes then what would be some examples of things you avoid bc of that reason?

and I'd have MANY MORE QUESTIONS honestly I could go on all day especially if I had a whole new album to base them on!

then I'd also ask questions about his opinions on other things like

- in your opinion what is the worst characteristic of today's approach to music making?

- what do you think is lacking most in today's music and that you'd hope to see in the future?

- do you think that music fans sometimes also have a wrong approach to music too?

then I'd ask like

- you always talk about your relationship with us fans and how much you treasure it but it is no secret that you've had issues with certain aspects of fandom too, how do you juggle with contrasting feelings? knowing that those behaviors you have issues with (rightfully so) might be coming from the same fans that you feel loved by at concerts?

- in your relationship with fans I know you get comfort by our closeness and our comradery but do you ever feel like those aspects of it might be a double edged sword sometimes? bc fans might feel like they're entitled to doing and knowing more things than what is actually appropriate?

I'll stop now bc it would be too long but ahh ... so much to know!!

#ask #anon #imaginary interview

[thepenultimateword]

Sweet Dreams

Part One Part Two

'Next time' arose quicker than Henchman expected.

Ever since the, er, 'cuddling incident', they'd been very deliberate to reserve places with plenty of separate sleeping space. Even today, they'd had a perfect setup reserved in Lenfirn, the city several hours away that was to be tonight's rest stop, an AirBnB with completely separate bedrooms. That way Henchman wouldn't have Villain's restless sleep waking them up in the middle of the night, eating away at them, luring them anxiously to their side--they never knew they could worry for someone so much. And it all would have worked out if those persistent heroic nuisances didn't start a patrol right within the next city, essentially barricading them from their final destination. News had it they were even roving the highway.

Could the heroes have found out which type of car they were driving? Should they switch vehicles? Without any answers to those questions, the best thing they could think to do was to get off the road. Thus the last-minute reservation in this dingy 2-star hotel near the city center.

The two of them now stood in the hotel's humid hallway, the air smelling much too strongly of lemon carpet cleaner, as Henchman fished the keycard out of its envelope.

Villain had their hand ready on the door handle, a sly grin creeping up their jaw as they slowly suspected what Henchman already knew. Henchman pressed the card to the panel and as the lock beeped and flashed green, Villain caught Henchman's eyes.

“Let’s see what we have behind door B25," they announced dramatically, like the host in a game show getting ready to reveal the prize. It really had become an almost sort of game between them over the last week and a half, Henchman's vague descriptions of rooms, Villain always swinging the door open with a flourish at each stop. They never showed it for long, but the criminal always seemed slightly disappointed each time they found two beds. Henchman wasn’t exactly sure how to take that.

This time Villain gave the door a hefty shove, leaving their palm spread in the air as the heavy piece of oak slammed into the doorstop.

“Ah ha!” they cried, bounding over to the Queen bed and its ugly yellow bedspread in the center of the room. "What an unprecedented predicament. I suppose we'll have to talk out some sort of sleeping arrangement."

Henchman held in a chuckle as they followed close behind with the duffel bags. They'd never seen Villain giddy before. Of course, it was all tinged with the usual predatory tone, but excitement looked almost...cute on them. Not that that was changing their mind.

“I can take the floor," they said firmly.

Villain frowned. “Why? It’s a perfectly big bed with space for both of us.”

Henchman's heart thunked too fast in their chest, but they'd prepared for this on the way over. All they had to do was give one of the many excuses they'd come up with.

"I don't think it's appropriate given our professional dynamic. Boss, employee. It's a mess waiting to happen."

"We're only sleeping."

"Yes, but still..."

Villain cocked their head, eyes drinking them in bit by bit as they waited for a better explanation of what Henchman had believed to be a pretty airtight excuse.

"People might...think things. Spread rumors..." Just saying it made their ears burn; they hoped that heat wasn't accompanied by color.

Villain rose one brow, "Are you going to tell anyone?"

It almost sounded like a warning, and Henchman shrank between their shoulders.

"W-well...no."

"Neither am I."

"Ah."

Henchman wrung their hands together, rubbing their thumb over the tight, pale skin of their first knuckle as they tried to ignore the sting of that statement as well as remember another reason to stay at an arm's length.

"If sleeping next to me makes you uncomfortable you can say so," Villain said. "I already told you I wouldn't force anything unwanted."

That should have been their out. It was perfect. Pre-packaged by Villain and not even required to say it themselves. They just had to nod and move on. But for some reason they found themselves spluttering an awkward, "N-no!"

The problem wasn't that Henchman didn't want to; it was that they wanted it too much. It was like a flip switched inside them that night, turning distant admiration into odd electric feelings. They could hold it off for now, but being that close to Villain again might just do them in. And that was not a stew Henchman wanted to be mixed up in. Even if Villain wasn't disgusted, they still weren't the type of person Henchman should get too close to. Like Villain said, they were a spider, Henchman was a bug allowed to live.

"What's the problem then?" Villain said.

I might like you, Henchman answered internally, but aloud they only said, "I...well... It's just that..."

They couldn't think of anything. They were a snorer, they moved around a lot in their sleep, they hogged the covers: none of it was going to be enough. Only the truth might do it, and they just couldn't...

"No problem," they finally said. "We can share."

Villain narrowed their eyes. "You know, you don’t have to.”

“I know.” Henchman's heartbeat felt like it had leaped up into their throat, restricting their responses to two words. Maybe they didn't have to, but wouldn't going back and forth so much only make Villain more curious? By this point they just wanted the interrogation to end before they spilled.

“If it really makes you uncomfortable—“

“It’s fine.”

"Sure?"

"Yep," Henchman said and immediately turned to begin unpacking their bags. They felt Villain's piercing eyes trailing them between the open duffels and the dresser, but they did their best to ignore the thrilling shiver running down their spine.

"Then I'll be going first," Villain said eventually, breaking their intense study to grab a t-shirt and sweats from Henchman's arms. They plucked their toiletry bag out of a side pocket on their way to the bathroom. A few minutes later, Henchman heard the shower running.

They paused their work to rub their palm frustratedly into their forehead with a deep sigh.

They really hoped they didn't end up mortifyingly embarrassed. Or dead.

***

Henchman hovered nervously by the edge of the bed, the air conditioning wafting up one leg of their wafer-thin pajama shorts and sending a little tremble through their entire body that rocked them up onto the tips of their toes. They wished it was a little darker in here.

"Sleeping on the floor after all?" Villain said, as much a provocation as it was a real offer. They were already tucked under the covers, looking way too casual for an overlord of a criminal empire to ever appear. Yes, they'd been traveling together for over a month now, but Henchman had always been careful to train their eyes on something else while Villain was getting ready for bed. They then turned the lights off as quickly as possible. The alterior domestic familiarity was much too awkward.

"N-no," Henchman said and quickly slid under the mustard blanket's thick fabric. The bed wasn't quite so comfortable as the first one, but they had to admit it was better than the scruffy carpet on the floor. That stuff was bound to give them a rash for how soaked it was in cleaner, scent maskers, and who knew what else.

"You can get closer," Villain said, smirk clear in their voice. "I won't bite."

Henchman scooted away from the mattress seam and a little closer to the center. They were a pillow's space away from each other, but Henchman could almost feel the warmth of Villain's shoulder across the gap.

They fixed their gaze on their ceiling, ignoring Villain's watchful eyes and the terrifying urge to turn over on their side and face them head-on. A police siren wailed down the street outside the window, painting the curtains red and blue. Henchman's hands fisted the blankets.

"What's on your mind?" The sheets rustled as Villain shifted, and that gap got just a little bit smaller.

"They've never gotten this close before," Henchman murmured. "All this time we've been a few steps ahead. How are we going to get out of the city tomorrow?"

Villain stretched their long limbs. "We won't. Not with the whole group in one place. Guess we're stuck here."

"For how long?" Henchman squeaked.

"Villain shrugged. "Until the heroes come up fruitless and move on."

Henchman didn't know how Villain could sound so calm about this. There were heroes out on the streets looking for them right now, and if they found them... Well, they'd overheard enough of Villain's night terrors to know it wouldn't be pretty.

Not to mention the bed situation.

Maybe their trembling was traveling through the bed because Villain's hand suddenly grasped around their neck, forcing Henchman's eyes toward their own. They'd gotten a little closer in the meantime too.

"Are you afraid of heroes?"

Henchman shook their head stiffly. "Not of fighting them. That's why I'm here. But being hunted down...yes."

"Anticipation," Villain acknowledged slowly, "is a terrible disease. It sets the mind to panic and the stomach to sickness. Ignore it the best you can. Or you'll spoil your meals."

They sounded confident enough, but all Henchman could think about was that such advice had to come from somewhere. Villain had suffered, still suffered, at the hands of self-proclaimed peacemakers. The question slipped out before they could stop themself.

"Are...you...afraid of heroes?"

Villain's grip on their neck tightened enough to make Henchman gasp. It was a loud exhale mixed with a short yelp, and it immediately caused Villain to drop their arm around the back of their shoulders instead. They looked down directly into Henchman's eyes, that original gap basically nonexistent now.

"A rat doesn't run from what it's not afraid of."

It was vague on purpose, but yes. It was a yes. Henchman searched Villain's gaze for a hint of that fear, but all that stared back was blank glass and their own startled reflection.

Villain leaned in to Henchman's ear. "Turn off the lights."

Henchman jolted, quickly tearing out of Villain's hold and fumbling for the lamp knob. When they leaned back into their spot, Villain had retreated back onto their own side.

Henchman stared at their back, counting the rumples in their t-shirt, itching to pinch a fold between their fingers, as if it might be able to give them the same comfort they had a week ago. The protective air wasn't quite as strong when they weren't in Villain's arms, but at least their presence still radiated the bed's radius with some security.

After a few minutes, they flipped the other direction as well.

Space. Right. It's what they'd wanted.

Eyes squeezed shut, they snatched onto the first wave of sleep to wash over them and let it drag them down into peaceful darkness. Vllain's sleep must have been well too because Henchman didn't awake until late morning when they found themselves cuddled up at Villain's side once again. Though it was a little...different this time.

Henchman blinked at the fabric several times, nose buried inch-deep in its musky softness, before they realized where they were: wrapped around Villain's waist, forehead pressed firmly between their shoulder blades.

They moved to jerk away, but Villain immediately flipped around and caught them up in their arms. How long had they been awake?!

Villain's face paused just above them, eyes gleaming.

Henchman froze. Even their breathing stopped. It was like that gaze had them pinned down to the spot while their wolfish smile skinned them down to their core. When they found it--the terror, the intrigue, the attraction--their grin grew even wider.

"Good morning, my dreamcatcher."

This is sort of a mess, but I really felt like writing it sooo...😅

Part Four

Master Taglist:

@moss-tombstonee @crazytwentythrees @just-1-lonely-person @the-vagabond-nun @willow-trees-are-beautiful @cocoasprite @insanedreamer7905 @valiantlytransparentwhispers @whovian378 @watercolorfreckless @thebluepolarbear @yulanlavender @kitsunesakii @deflated-bouncingball @lem-hhn @office-plant-in-a-trenchcoat @last-ditch-entry @ghostfacepepper @pigeonwhumps

#villain x villain #villain x henchman #writing snippet #heroes and villains #hero x villain #creative writing #villain #heroes and villains community #villain x hero #superheroes and villains #one bed trope #one bed

[markantonys]

Do yall still see spoiler jokes in the tags if the person tags it book spoilers?

that's a great question, and the answer is YES. disclaimer that i'm a tumblr elder who still uses the tumblr savior chrome extension rather than tumblr's built-in tag filtering system (i was so used to only having filtering options on desktop and not mobile for so many years that i've just trained myself to only ever browse on desktop and to use mobile solely for checking my notifications lmao), so i'm not 100% sure everything i'm about to say applies to the built-in system, but after reading through the info page on the built-in system i think it works in about the same way.

in total, there are 4 places where tags can be seen:

the original post on your dashboard/on OP's blog/in the relevant tags you're searching or browsing. OP's post tags are visible here.

a reblog of an original post on your dashboard/on the reblogger's blog. the specific reblogger's tags are visible here.

in the notes of your own or someone else's post, when you see a post and click to show all notes. all rebloggers' tags & comments are visible here (provided that you haven't blocked or been blocked by any of them)

in your notifications, when you get a notification that somebody reblogged your post and here are all the tags they put on it. all rebloggers' tags & comments are visible here.

of these 4 places, blacklisting a tag ONLY safeguards against the first two. if i have the book spoiler tag blacklisted, that will prevent me from seeing an original post or a reblogged post that contains that tag.

it WILL NOT prevent me from seeing a post that does not contain that tag, opening it up, and reading all the notes on the post. reblog tags that contain the blacklisted tag will still be visible to me if i'm accessing them via opening up the notes on a post. however, this would be something i'm doing deliberately and so it's only me who's accountable for any spoilers i might see, not the people putting spoilers in their reblog tags. (and as some of you can attest, 85% of the WOT spoilers i encountered were ones i deliberately sought out and then got mad about seeing djkfgj i only have myself to blame for those scenarios!)

so the key issue is category #4. if i make a post, i will get notifications for EVERY SINGLE REBLOG TAG, COMMENT, AND REPLY that is EVER made on that post. likewise, if i've reblogged a post that someone else made, both i and the OP will get notifications for every single reblog tag, comment, and reply that is made to my reblogged version of the post. nothing is filtered out. if i make a post saying "i'm a show-only and i don't know what's to come in the series" and you reblog it going "#oh they're gonna die when [massive spoiler] happens #wot book spoilers" i will see 100% of those words in my notifications, even though you've added the book spoiler tag and i have that blacklisted. tag blacklisting does not work for notifications.

this is why i always say, if you do not know for a fact that the OP of a wot-related post AND the person you're reblogging it from BOTH have full book spoiler knowledge, then do not put any book spoilers in your tags (even vague ones) when you're reblogging their post because they WILL see it, no matter how good a blacklisting system they have.

and it's especially egregious with gifsets! if somebody's made a text post then oftentimes it can be fairly clear from what they're saying if they're a show-only or a reader and so most rebloggers will consciously go "oh, seems like this person doesn't know X yet, i'll keep quiet". but for gifsets of the show, people will just reblog them putting full-on late series book spoilers in the tags with no thought for whether the gifmaker OP might be a show-only, because they're too excited thinking about how this scene in s2 will relate to something in book 12 to spare a thought for wondering if the real human person who created the gifset will be okay with seeing them discussing all those spoilers in the tags. i was spoiled that the man rand fought at the eye was not the dark one within 1 hour of watching 1x08 because everybody was reblogging my gifset and talking about ishamael & the forsaken in the tags lmao and there were definitely some other examples from my show-only-s1-giffing days too.

thus, When In Doubt, Be Silent! or make a separate post saying "guys i just saw this other post [link/screenshot making sure to include op's name for credit] and here are my book spoilery thoughts on it". but, of course, if you are confident in going "hey i recognize this blog and i know they've read the books" then no harm in letting spoilers fly in reblogging the original post!

#anonymous #answered

[thegreatcaptainusopp]

The Seer

Ao3 Link

Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10

Epilogue: The Pirates Are Coming

They drop Ace off at Sabaody.

Most of their guests disperse the instant they dock. Buggy had, according to Nami, found a crew of his own and stolen another ship back at Marineford. The Baroque Works group leave together except for Bon Clay, who joins Ivankov, excited and starry-eyed.

“We have work to do,” Ivankov had said, deliberately mysterious. “I’ll see you, Straw Hat. I guarantee it.”

Luffy, not opposed to the idea, had nodded with a grin. “Sure! See you around.”

Jinbe had stepped off too, face solemn but reassuring. “Any family of Ace is family of mine,” He’d boomed out, giving Luffy a very sincere handshake that made him flop up and down. “It’s been an honor to fight by your side. I hope to see you again very soon.”

Ace, though. Ace hadn’t left the instant they docked at Sabaody. He hadn’t emerged from the medical bay since they’d brought him on, to Chopper’s worried glances and whispered concern.

Luffy hadn’t been worried, though. Not really.

“He’ll be okay,” He’d repeated, over and over again on their journey to Sabaody. “He’s Ace. He just needs some time.”

And, well, if he needed Luffy to sit with him and talk for hours, he could do that too. And he did.

That’s why Luffy wasn’t surprised when, a few minutes after their last guest had departed, Ace had stepped out the medical bay and onto the deck.

The crew goes silent, stepping back to the side to give him and Luffy some room. Ace has dark circles under his eyes, like he hasn’t slept at all during the journey. His shoulders are slumped, his mouth pulled into a thin line.

His eyes, though, are fiery with promise.

“Hey, Luffy,” He says. “Let me off here, okay? I have work to do too.”

Luffy hops over to him. “You don’t wanna stay with us?” He asks, vaguely hopeful.

Ace flashes a smile like it’s a gift just for him. “Nah,” He says. “I have things I need to do. Just like you do. We’ll meet up again though, okay? I promise. Just…reach out whenever you need me.”

“You too!” Luffy says, putting his hand up behind his hatless head, answering grin on his face. “I can save you too, you know.”

Ace gives a small laugh. “I guess you can,” He says. “You’re all grown up now.”

Luffy’s grin dims slightly. “Hey…what’re you going to do now? Where do you want to go?”

Ace looks out into the island, thoughtful. “I want Whitebeard’s memory to live on,” He says. “I want to keep his family together. I want to find everyone who’s still left, and rebuild. And together, we’ll decide what that means.” He looks back at him. “You know, the offer’s always open. I know you and your crew won’t take it, but it’s still always open.”

“I know,” Luffy says. Like a reflex, he jumps towards Ace, throwing his arms around him. “Promise I’ll see you soon?”

Ace hugs him back just as hard. “Promise,” He says. He gives him a tight squeeze once, twice, before distangling himself and stepping back. “Hey. I have another Vivre card for you. Take it, okay? I’ll feel better if you know how to find me.”

Luffy reaches out and takes the piece of paper. “Yay! Thanks!”

Ace looks up at him with a faint smile and a nod He looks like Luffy’s big brother. But he looks like more than that, too.

“Okay,” He says, stepping back. “I’ll be heading out from here. Rebuilding. I’ll see you around,” Here, he looks to the rest of the crew. “All of you. Continue looking after my brother for me, will you?”

They all chime in with various versions of yes, of course, and Ace’s eyes land on Usopp and stay there.

“Usopp,” He says. Usopp’s head snaps to Ace’s general direction, looking bewildered. “You helped me, huh? You warned Luffy about something? I think I owe you my life.”

Usopp’s hand travels back up to Hat. “No,” He says. “I just…I just spoke, is all. Everyone else did the heavy lifting.”

Ace’s smile crinkles his eyes. “It’s true that I owe you all my life,” He says. “But I mean it. Thank you.”

Usopp worries at Hat’s rim. “Don’t mention it,” He says.

Ace turns back towards the dock. “Alright,” He says. “I’m heading out. See you all on the other side.”

And with a final wave, he’s gone.

-

“Are you sure, Luffy?” Nami asks sourly as they trudge through the island.

“Um,” Luffy says, scratching at his head. “I think so? This was the direction we were going down when we saw old man Raleigh.”

“No it wasn’t,” Zoro mutters.

Everyone ignores him.

“Hey, Chopper,” Usopp grumbles, hanging onto Franky’s wrist. “When can I get these bandages off? They itch.”

“Just for a bit longer,” Chopper pipes up, bouncing around near Robin. “We need to make sure everything’s healed up before we move on to the next stage.”

Usopp tugs onto the bandages. “How much longer?”

“Stop playing with that!” Chopper snaps. “Soon. We can replace them with sunglasses for some extra protection first.”

“Yohohoho!” Brook exclaims. “We should get you something to assist with your walking as well!”

Usopp sighs. “Yeah,” He says. “That’s probably a good idea.”

“Hey,” Luffy says, looking around the clearing they were in. “Does this look right to you? Is this the right direction?”

“Yeah,” Sanji says.

“No!” Zoro snaps.

Luffy laughs. The sun feels really good on his face. “Let’s keep going,” He says. “Maybe we should just yell his name til he shows up.”

“Hey, Luffy?”

Luffy blinks, then turns to see Franky and Usopp right behind him. “Oh! Hi!”

Usopp lets go of Franky and reaches out cautiously to grasp Luffy’s shoulder. “Hey,” He says again, as they keep walking. “We had a deal.”

A smile spreads across Luffy’s face. “Oh, yeah!” he says. “We did!”

“So,” Usopp says, and takes off Hat. “I think I have something that belongs to yo-”

They’re interrupted by some more yohohohoing. “Friends!” Brook says, skipping a few steps before pulling out his violin. “I say this calls for some music!”

“Hey…” Usopp says, nervous. “What’s..”

“BROOK!” Zoro yells.

Brook jumps, interrupting the music. “Wha-”

A hulking figure appears right behind Brook, Luffy’s eyes widen-

And then, Brook vanishes.

It happens so abruptly that Luffy can’t tell what he’s seeing at first. One second he’s there, and the next, gone. The first notes of Bink’s Sake are still floating in the air.

And right behind where Brook had once been stands Bartholomew Kuma, arm extended, face completely blank.

Nami screams.

Luffy barely hears her over the pounding in his ears. “Brook?” He asks. It leaves his mouth in a whisper.

Zoro roars, snapping Luffy out of his stupor.

“What did you do?” Sanji yells.

Kuma reaches into his pocket, and slides something onto his palm. He remains silent.

“Hey! You!”

And there’s Franky, arm extended. “Over here!” He yells. “Fight someone your own size!”

Luffy runs before he knew he was moving “Franky!” He yells, fist extended. “Move!”

Franky shoots his arm rocket out, which barely seems to phase Kuma. “Everyone!” Franky yells. “Get-”

Poof.

And then, he’s gone.

“Franky!” Luffy yells again. Two down. He’s two down in seconds.

“Franky!” Chopper screams. He digs through his bag, face terrified but focused.

“You…” Zoro growls, leaping forward. “You…”

Kuma waves his swords aside like they’re nothing. Zoro, caught off balance, falls.

Luffy shoots forwrd, body undulating as his rage takes over. “Hey!” He yells, fist revving up. “Gum gum…pistol!”

His fist bounces off Kuma’s chest, and Kuma’s hand goes up to push him away. He flies back, hitting a tree and collapsing back to the grass. He hears Kuma’s heavy steps get closer.

He hears someone yell “Luffy!” and there’s Robin, screeching to a stop in front of him. He can only see her back, and her arms are crossed in front of her. “Go!”

“No!” Luffy stumbles back to his feet. Hands sprout on and around Kuma, trying to hold him back. “Wait-”

“Robin-Chan!” Sanji screams, running forward.

Kuma waves a hand and Robin gasps, tripping back. She clutches her arms, face screwed up in pain. “Luffy-”

“No! Robin!” Luffy screams, reaching to her, and then-

Poof.

His arm goes through nothing and he crashes back to the ground.

Three down.

“Robin-Chan!” Sanji screams again, like he’s dying. “No!”

“Stop it!” Luffy yells. “Stop!”

His fist rockets out again but hit nothing. Kuma’s vanished, and Luffy looks around frantically for him.

He hears a monstrous groan and whirls back around, only to see a huge, hulking figure appear above the treeline. Kuma stands below, looking up at it placidly.

He hears Nami, barely a whisper: “…Chopper?”

Luffy sucks in a gasp. “Chopper! Don’t…you don’t have to…don’t!”

Chopper roars, monster figure turning towards the sky. He winds up, descending onto Kuma below, who pulls a hand back.

“Chopper!” Luffy screams, running forward, Zoro right in front of him…

Poof.

Chopper’s huge hulking shadow vanishes.

Four down.

Four. It’s just Luffy and four of his crew left.

Luffy’s fist slams into the ground. “That’s enough!” He shouts, feeling a strange echo behind it. Wind whips around his hair. “Gear second!”

Kuma vanishes again, appearing right in front of him, and then-

A rock bounces off Kuma’s head. Then another. Then another.

Kuma pauses, like he’s confused. Luffy takes advantage, shooting forward, fist out-

Again, he hits nothing, and again, he crashes into the grass.

He looks up just in time to see Usopp, arm out and shaking, hand full of small rocks.

“Stop!” Usopp says, firm but trembling. “Stop!”

Kuma halts in front of him. His arm comes up.

“No!” Zoro yells, running forward. Luffy follows suit, heart pounding.

Sanji gets there first.

“Oi!” Sanji yells, jumping between Kuma and Usopp. “I’m gonna kill you!”

“Sanji!” Luffy screams. “Don’t!”

“Cook!” Zoro yells.

“Sanji-” Usopp reaches out, stones dropping from his palm. But Sanji jumps, leg extended, going right for Kuma’s face…

Poof.

Five down.

“Sanji!” Nami screams, and it echoes everywhere in Luffy’s head.

No more. No more.

“Run!” He screams. “Everyone run! Get out of here!”

Kuma’s still in front of Usopp. He takes another step forward.

“Usopp!” Luffy screams. “Turn around! Run!”

Usopp looks to his direction, one hand still clutching Hat. The expression on his face, the turn of his mouth, breaks Luffy.

Zoro runs forward, face crazed. Luffy follows, and there’s something coming off of him in waves, something desperate.

Usopp’s back straightens, and he sticks his trembling chin out, before-

Poof.

Six down.

Zoro roars again. Luffy feels beyond words, beyond sound.

“Nami!” Zoro shouts, and Luffy snaps back to her. She’s closer to him and he instantly shoots to her, before Kuma has a chance to move.

Nami runs, and Luffy follows, desperately trying to shield her. “Go!” He yells. “Keep going!”

Nami shrieks, skidding to a stop, as Kuma appears in front of her. “Luffy!” She screams, hand reaching back. Luffy leaps, reaching back. “Help m-”

Poof.

Seven down.

Luffy’s legs give out. He collapses onto the grass.

“Why?” He gasps. “What are you doing? Why are you doing this?”

Kuma doesn’t answer.

“Luffy!” And there’s Zoro, swords out.

Zoro.

One to go.

It sends a shock up Luffy’s body.

“Zoro!” He yells, struggling up to his feet. “Run!”

Zoro pauses.

“Zoro!” He says. “Captain’s orders! Run!”

Something in Zoro’s jaw jumps. He doesn’t move.

“Zoro!” Luffy screams. “Listen to me!”

“Shit!” Zoro swears, then turns. He moves, but his swords are still out. “Luffy! Don’t make me do this agai-”

And there’s Kuma with his arm and there’s Zoro with his swords and there’s the arm coming down and there’s Zoro’s fighting stance, ready to go swinging…

Luffy doesn’t make it in time.

“Zoro!”

Poof.

All down.

Luffy legs give out again. This time, he can’t get back up.

He should feel something. Anything. But he’s just…numb.

He sees a shadow loom over them. It doesn’t really register.

“Why,” He whispers. “Why…what…why…”

The shadow gets darker.

“You’re not ready,” A voice mutters above his head. “You had to see. You’re not ready. This will make you ready.”

The words don’t make sense.

“I…” Luffy says. “I…I couldn’t save any of them. Not one. Not a single one.”

“Exactly,” the voice says. “You’re not ready.”

The feelings come back full force. Luffy struggles back to his knees, barely functional. He keens, tears flying from his face, limbs flopping uselessly.

“My…” He gasps. “They’re all…they’re all…”

“Monkey D. Luffy,” The voice rings out. “We will not meet again. Goodbye.”

Luffy’s world goes black.

#one piece #op #usopp #monkey d luffy #speaks #one piece fic #op fic

[azrielgreen]

Hi! <3 I finally took some time this winter break to read Prism and it was absolutely incredible. I really appreciate the obvious amounts of time and effort that must've gone into creating such an intricate and heavy story. I think there's sometimes a tendency to portray victims of almost anything as blank slates and perfect, empty vessels of whatever trauma they've experienced. This never sits right with me so I really apreciate your dedication to creating such well rounded and devastatingly real characters.

It has been so so fascinating to spend some time in Steve's head and get to know some of his darker and more intense desires. They're kinda like snakes too sometimes, for Steve, I think. There's something almost equally serpentine to the things he wants and the things that make him feel good and safe. I just wanted to thank you both for taking things so deep and far with his character. Getting through those darkest days with him and ending up on the other side of it was a catharsis I've rarely experienced with fiction. All my love <3

I have a question, though! It's something I've been thinking about since reading that specific chapter and I can't get it out of my head. It seems that Eddie was very deliberate in getting Steve's fingerprints all over the drugs he later planted in Billy's car. I still can't quite figure out why this was so important to him. Hopper even mentions later that they're not persuing any drug related charges because he wants to keep Steve out of it. Wouldn't it have been much easier to get Billy out of the way if the cops could've pinned all the drug charges on him alone? I think Eddie must've known that Hopper would jump in to save Steve like that. Was he trying to clean his own hands from the drug related stuff as well? Was he worried that he would be implicated otherwise? I may have missed this explanation since there were some small parts I've skimmed for mental health reasons, but I was still very curious about this.

Looking forward to the new chapter!

I hope you have a lovely weekend <333

Oh, what an amazing and wonderful thing to share, thank you SO much!! We are so happy that people are resonating with parts of the story and I really do believe in and will always fight for the importance of catharsis through a controlled narrative frame.

To answer you Q, yes! This was very deliberate and Eddie's motives here are somewhat sneaky beyond "involving Steve", so at surface level, Steve's fingerprints being on the drugs means that firstly, Hopper would feel insanely protective of Steve (something Eddie anticipated way in advance, he knows more about Hopper than we realise at this point) and he would interfere to ensure Steve was kept out of it, and that Billy's whole thing was expedited under the table.

Secondly, it keeps Eddie's drug business untouched by official law. People would have asked where all that cocaine came from and Billy would have LOVED telling them, but to protect Steve, Eddie knew he would probably keep his mouth shut and go along.

Thirdly, and this I can only allude to vaguely, but Eddie doesn't really want Billy's case "air tight". He also wanted Hopper to bend the rules if not outright break them because a bent cop (albeit a good hearted one) is potentially useful to him down the road.

The thing here is that Eddie didn't really want Billy out of the way, he could have dispatched of him a long time ago much easier. It had to be Steve's choice (so Eddie thinks of it) and Steve's involvement and Steve's path. Eddie thinks of that whole encounter as having minimal interference from him, he's that delulu. It's also worth noting that Eddie, in somewhat terrifying fashion, has actual feelings for Billy, in a way a shark might have feelings for a human it sees swimming above on a surfboard. As we see in the previous chapter, he likes to set things up and have them ready (the order to kill Billy) but ultimately he can be quite mercurial. Eddie is not done with Billy and he's good at leaving doors half open, little opportunities to return to later if he so desires because he knows himself and anticipates his own desires way, way in advance.

I hope this was helpful! Prism is LONG and complex and if a small thing is mentioned and seems strange, it's usually done on purpose and will later be important so well done for noticing!

All my love, Az.

💜💜💜

[virtualpeople]

Get to know you: Sims Style

tagged by @goatskickin, thank you this was strangely relaxing :D

What's your favourite sims death? It's got to be the flight simulator in TS1. You ever been so sleepy you just drift right off into space? What about physically this time?

Alpha CC or Maxis Match? i guess semi-real? I've lost track of where the realism levels are at tbh. I love me some texture and shiny eyes is all I can specifically say, generally I just download whatever takes my fancy and hope for the best lmao

(now I'm just gonna derail this slightly to do my best grouchy old fucker impression and protest bitterly at the way the word alpha has come to be used to describe realistic CC, like arggghghghghg anything can have an alpha should you wish, why is this a thing >:( , ok grouch over)

Do you cheat your sims weight? Implying I ever play this game in a normal manner enough to have sims actually change weight from what they were originally created with in the first place

Do you move objects? Imagine playing sims 2 and not being able to move objects, truly a hellscape

Favourite mod? It's not exciting, but it's the SimBlender. Couldn't live (mode) without you, lil plant* fella.

*Other models are available

First Expansion/Game Pack/Stuff Pack? Here's a vague answer for you all: The first sims game I got was the TS1 complete collection, so technically it was all the sims 1 EPs. And then when I got TS2 I got about 8 EPs/SPs in one go off ebay, can't exactly remember which ones other than it didn't include Apartment Life or Seasons, so what came first was really a good 50% of the whole game

Slightly off topic but the only sims I've ever bought new was the IKEA stuff pack when it was on clearance. Enjoy your £3 for this entire series, EA ;)

Do you pronounce live mode like aLIVE or LIVing? LIVing, it's the mode where all the little computer people live :)

Who’s your favourite sim that you’ve made? Don't make me choose it could be so many of them ;-; Ok, maybe this guy. Or maybe this guy. Or maybe…

Have you made a simself? i tried a long long time ago but with very little resemblance. I have a very strange face that's hard to reproduce in <1000 polygons apparently.

Which is your favourite EA hair color? I'm quite fond of that slightly desaturated basegame brown shade, it's nice. Shame it's not really common in any of the more popular hair colour actions

Favourite EA hair? haircaesar, that short one that came with seasons. It's so… basic. So versatile. My beloved.

Favourite life stage? Adult. Elders second. I barely play any of the others tbh

Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? I'd say technically for building, although it's more building characters and the world they live in. Gameplay does come into it, but more for letting sims play out storylines and interact with their world like in a soap opera way than the usual motives way of playing, if that makes sense - I'm constantly dishing out maxmotives because I had an idea of what I wanted to happen next but the sims would've otherwise been too grumpy lol

Are you a CC creator? As long as the title of CC creator doesn't expire after a couple of years of doing absolutely nothing (but definitely not retiring either) then yes

Do you have any Simblr friends or a Sim Squad? I have been here for so many years and yet I've never said much beyond a couple of sentences to anyone, let alone having an entire squad lmao. Not deliberately, I've just got a habit of sitting here and collecting dust vibing

Do you have any sims merch? no, I don't think I've even seen any sims merch irl actually

Do you have a YouTube for sims? no.

How has your “Sims style” changed throughout your years of playing? Many eons ago, back in the distant mists of time, I used to be able to churn out sims and buildings at a rapid rate all day long. Now I… can't. Am I getting more picky? Am I paying more attention to detail? Am I just getting old? Who knows

Who’s your favourite CC creator? Over all these years?? It wouldn't be fair to pick just one even if I could, there's so many people propping up my game and making it look nice :O

How long have you had Simblr? 4293 days apparently, that's a lot of days.

How do you edit your pictures? do I look like I know what editing is? These days I don't even crop my pictures, I just dump screenshots into a presized photoshop document and shunt them around a bit until the composition looks ok. At a push I'll boost the contrast/saturation a tiny bit, particularly if I've left low blue light mode on again and the colours look a bit odd

What expansion/gamepack is your favorite? TS1 - you know I think it might be superstar. I love how silly studio town is with all those fun things like the fashion runway and the film sets. The celebrity system is amusing too, and is a convenient way of making sims of famous people a bit less weird to have around as opposed to just having them as playables (imo anyway). Shoutout to makin' magic too though, still my favourite implementation of magic in the entire sims series

TS2 - Apartment life. The ability to build functional flats and having magic back (if in a slightly disappointing way compared to TS1)? Height-shiftable things? Nice.

I tag: YOU. (totally not a copout I mean it i love reading these things)

#reply #tag meme #answer #long post