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#bc he literally almost dies to save you/your siblings and keeps following you all around everywhere
iwoulddieforienzo · 3 months
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Something that makes reading TOA so devastating is how fucking much Apollo feels about Everything. There’s so MUCH. Like I don’t even know how to describe it to you if you haven’t read the books yourself. He has so many complicated thoughts and emotions about just about everything and he cares about everything so much and there is just SO MUCH going on in his head. And yet none of it ever reaches his mouth!!
He almost never says what he’s feeling. What little comes out of his mouth about his thoughts barely even scratches the surface of what he actually means. Like he’ll be having a long ass monologue about how incredible someone is, showing a deep understanding of them as a person and empathizing with them so hard you’d almost think it’s projection but it’s not he’s legitimately just mind melding with this random person he met like a week ago and he’s thinking the softest, kindest thoughts about them like he knows they’re fucking incredible - and what comes out of his mouth is just like, “you’re a wonderful friend :)” AND ITS LIKE. THERES SO MUCH MORE UNDER THE SURFACE. the sheer admiration and adoration he has for everyone around him……… UGHHH!!! But he never VOICES ANY OF IT!!!!!! He never tells anyone about what Zeus did to him……. He never tells anyone except the reader about his realization that Zeus is abusive…. He never even tells commodus about how much he adored him, not then and not now… he refuses to tell anyone when he’s in pain or tries to justify the things he does when he actually had Decent Reasons for why he did something… I’m. I’M. AUGH. AHHHHH
HE DOESN’T EVEN TELL US ALL OF HIS THOUGHTS IS THE THING. THERES EVEN MORE THAT HE IS NOT TELLING US!!!!! THE FUCKING OCEAN OF FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS HE HAS ABOUT EVERYTHING IS THE CLIFF NOTES VERSION. I AM IN DISTRESS.
And YET…. Even what slips out of his mouth is so fucking devastating it is SO devastating. He’s so fucking kind and gentle with Harley and Meg and and other younger Demis and his kids… he’ll act like an obstinate idiot and then turn around say something that drags the core of the person he’s talking to into the light like nail on the fucking HEAD like he reached into their soul and gave them the words to express something that they were struggling to say aloud or that they didn’t even realize about themself. Around the 2nd book he starts putting voice to some of his feelings and thoughts about others and even that tiny fucking sliver is overwhelming to the people he’s talking to bc he’s SO. AUGHHHH
#this is why ‘reading the TOA books’ fics fucking slap btw. because as embarrassing as his thoughts can be#so many of them are just incoherent screaming about how he loves everyone around him. devastating#like imagine helping out ur loser deadbeat dad who you don’t really know much about bc he’s flighty and hard to read#and finding out ‘wow he cares about us a lot more than I thought’#bc he literally almost dies to save you/your siblings and keeps following you all around everywhere#but he’s still like. your weirdo absentee dad. u don’t know hardly anything new about him other than an apparent suicidal streak#and then u find out that the whole time he was whining about chicken nuggets or whatever he was internally sobbing abt how much he loves u#and every time u were nearby he was going ‘MY BEAUTIFUL PERFECT BABY… JUST AS INCREDIBLE AS THEIR MORTAL PARENT!!!! BEAUTIFUL LIKE THE SUN!#HOW DID I EVEN MAKE SUCH A BEAUTIFUL PERFECT BABY. UNREAL. THEY CANT BE MINE!? BUT THEY ARE!!! LOOK AT THEMMM!!?!!! IM SO PROUD……#my beautiful perfect angels… all of their parents best traits and none of our worst…. I am Barely restraining myself from sobbing#i would give u the WORLD if my father wouldn’t kill me for it :(‘#and it’s like. wow. okay dad. um. would have been nice to know that when we were all dying in The War#Please Hug Me Though.#imagine being a Random Ass Demigod who didn’t go on a big special quest or something like you are literally just Some Guy#and finding out that this weirdo loser god u gave a sandwhich to or something thinks you are so fucking cool#your own parent doesn’t know ur name but Apollo knows u on sight and read ur soul within the 2 seconds yall talked and he thinks you rock#how are you supposed to respond to that.#snack time#toa#longpost
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seancekitsch · 4 years
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Not to Touch the Earth
this is a prize buck 60s au bc apparently i have enough of an ego to do that
a/n & warnings: drug reference, alcohol references, no actual drug use, unprotected car sex, use of the word daddy, roughness, cult references, orgy references, none of this is even really prize buck canon but yknow we might reference it again for a joke or two. natural born killers reference also
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“Some outlaws lived by the side of a lake, The minister's daughter's in love with the snake,” you sing off-key, “Who lives in a well by the side of the road. Wake up, girl, we're almost home!”
You punctuate the end of the verse by howling out the window of the car Klaus was using, voice being swallowed by the vastness of the desert somewhere on the California border. Klaus drove on, trying to remember a time you were ever so free. He figures you probably never were, not sober. Not totally sober like now. He was coming up on three years, you on six months, and your new favorite activity was definitely driving out into the desert, as far away from Klaus’ little commune as possible, and singing songs that hadn’t been written yet and making love on the hood of the car. 
He smiles and looks over, watching you lean out the window bathing in the golden light of the sunset and he has to laugh. Is this just what you’re like in a car? Or is it being trapped in time? Your first week here was spent avoiding any of his followers and trying to talk to any of the universities in San Francisco, but none of them would hire you because a woman with a doctorate was rare, and a woman professor was even rarer. You stopped trying in a fit of anger after one Dean told you your ‘husband was a brave man for letting his wife become so educated’ before offering to let you take undergraduate classes because those were available to women. So you leaned into helping him hide from the Destiny’s Children. You had fun here. You kept each other in check being sober, you kept him from being fully engulfed by the group. You like these people, you just wish they didn’t like you and your partner as much as they do.
But the times when the two of were alone were the best. Klaus loves stealing you away from everyone else and being with you like everything’s normal. He loves you without that twinge of shame you carry with you, without waking up with tears in your eyes and thinking he doesn’t notice them. You haven’t been crying or hiding it from him here. He loves how goofy you allow yourself to be, the way you don’t constantly hold yourself back.  He remembers back on earlier today, when you’d snuck up on him, licked a warm stripe up his neck and sang lyrics from the very song you were piecing together now.
“Not to touch the earth, not to see the sun. Nothin left to do but run run run,” you sang, only for him.
“Let’s run.”
You didn’t have to say it again before he grabbed the nearest set of car keys and was swatting at your ass to get you running for the passenger seat. 
You feel the hot air hit your skin, and you can’t remember a time you ever actually liked the heat. You never saw yourself even visiting southern California. Sobriety re-introduced you to the cold and you greeted her like an old lover. You like your cold weather and your jackets and your fucking hospital socks you stole and stockpiled which now didn’t even exist yet. But the heat here is different, it kisses your skin like Klaus does, frees you from the burdens of life fifty years from now. The heat is a reminder that you don’t have the struggles you had in 2019, the heat is a reminder you can rebuild yourself. You know you have to go back sometime, but you can be selfish and steal this time with Klaus. You squint into the setting sun on the horizon as Klaus makes the car slow, then veers off the empty road to park. You’d have the moonlight soon, which meant a cool night with him all to yourself. By the time he walks around to your side of the car, he blocks the sun from your view. Your eyes trail up from the tip of that ugly fucking beard he’s got growing to his chin, to his lips. To the grin he sports, saves only for you.
“Do you think they’ve noticed were gone?”
“Why? Worried Keechie’s missing you?” you snort.
“Keechie? God, no. Although, if I were you I’d be worried Madelaine was getting lonely by now”
Right; you were hiding from two members of the group in particular. Your first mistake was attempting to have sex in a five mile radius of the group. You didn’t think they’d barge into your tent and invite themselves to join. But, ever the adventurous and slightly stupid, you let them. Now two of the four that had been in your tent  were trying to recreate that moment again.
“Not my fault I rocked her world. You jealous, Prophet?”
“At first I was impressed because I didn’t think you swung that way, but yes. Yes, terribly.”
That probably isn’t much of a joke. Sobriety put a bit of a possessive streak in Klaus, and as much free love is flowing, it’s nice to feel like you belong to someone. And you do belong to Klaus, in every way that counts for your group. But you’d struck a chord with Madelaine and now shes creeping in on Klaus’ territory.  
He pulls you from the car, literally pulls you. His hands come up under your armpits and lift you from the car window until you can step out of the window and he can lower you down onto the sand. He’s thankful you’ve learned your lesson, as the last time he did this you weren’t wearing sandals and burned your feet on the sand. He bends to let you pluck the wide brimmed hat from his head and you place it on your own as you walk to the trunk to fetch a blanket. Dancing, not walking, he thinks. The way you walk is more like dancing. You grab a blanket from the trunk and sit with him until it’s night. You sit with him close enough to reach out and touch, but not quite. It’s in these moments you can close your eyes and perfectly imagine you’re back in your studio apartment with him, listening to the record player and sharing a bottle of wine, thinking about the narrowly avoided apocalypse and job hunting for him. You can close your eyes and imagine inviting his siblings over to crowd your apartment for a loud night of laughing and take out. You can hold his hand and think of how very little space the two of you took up in the world and how comforting it felt. 
When you open your eyes again it’s dark. Perfect. Night falls quickly in the desert. You look over to see Klaus equally as relaxed, an easy smile painted across his entire face, worry lines smoothed away.  He hums a song you recognize.
“Sweet Jane? Don’t you think that’s a little too ‘Mickey and Mallory’ for us?”
He hums a little more of the song before he answers.
“I was just thinking if we mixed blood in a wedding ceremony our paramours would leave us alone,” there’s a hint of something dark in his eyes, “Now get on the hood.”
It’s the way that he says it, low and commanding, that has you jumping up onto the hood of the car and eagerly arranging yourself in a provocative pose, legs splayed and leaning on your arms to arch you back a little, just to entice him even more. That’s all part of the dance, and here more often than not he leads. He commands and positions you the way he likes it and rewards you in kind. He actually looks a bit like a god figure or a superhero the way he saunters over to you in the dark and crawls above you onto the hood, sandal clad feet standing on the grill so he has more leverage for what he has in mind. 
“Now, are you ready for Daddy?
You have to snort at that.
“Daddy? If anyone is daddy here, it’s me babe.”
He grips your bare thigh, just above the knee, then gives it a little warning slap. Not hard, just a little more than nothing.
“I don’t think you’re in the position to call yourself anything besides what I feel like calling you, doctor.”
Any retort to that comment, which honestly stung a little, died on your tongue when a low growl rumbles from his throat and his mouth connects with your stomach, biting at the cloth of your tank top and the skin underneath. You sink back down and stare at the stars, whimpering as you count them and let Klaus tease you as he undresses you. 
“If you were the prophet I’d be entirely devoted to you,” He says as he pulls your shorts down your legs, “I’d follow you everywhere on Earth, I’d do anything you asked of me.”
“Don’t you already?” you laugh.
“I do,” He confirms, “I do, I do, I do” and punctuates each confirmation with a little nip at the inside of your thigh, the same one he had just slapped. The beard he’s been growing out tickles as you squirm beneath him, hands roaming wherever they wish but solidly keeping you in place for him. You think back on your first time with him, how eager he’d been to please, how you wanted to be the one he was pleasing, and how far you’ve come together. His fingers wind up your legs like ivy on an old statue and pause at your underwear, teasing for a moment, before pulling them aside and plunging two fingers into you without warning. He pushes them in deep, scissoring them back and forth a few times, before pulling them back out, and sucking on them. If youre moaning or swearing, you can't hear yourself. An appetizer for a meal, or something equivalent of that. The delighted moan that echoes from his throat as he sucks you from his fingers sends shivers up your spine, just knowing you're in for it tonight. Propping yourself up on your elbows, you dare to meet his eyes, dark and stormy and hungry for you. He has the audacity to give you his sweetest smile before roughly pulling your underwear away from your body and heavily dropping his knee onto the car hood between your own. Klaus himself is intoxicating, you didn't need drugs or alcohol. It was so easy for him to consume your senses, and you readily let him. And when he finally kisses you, you feel yourself drowning. Really truly drowning. The way his tongue dances with your own has you gripping his shoulders like hes the last rock before a riptide pulling you under. It takes him no time at all to have his pants undone and to be grinding himself against you. This is a glimpse of the Klaus of 2019, humping against you and gently whimpering into your mouth. But quickly he pushes that away, lining himself up with you and pulling back enough from you to make eye contact as he pushes himself in. No matter how domineering he could be in the 60s with you, he makes sure to look at you, to ask those silent questions, to be granted that permission to absolutely take over you.With each thrust, long and deep, punctuated with a needy moan, he takes a little more of you. And you willingly let him, and give him everything you can. 
You probably look like one of those renaissance paintings beneath him, as he thrusts hard deep fast, your breasts exposed like all of the biblical women, your body contorted on the hood of the car, like one of those angels in anguish. There was no where for your hands to find purchase that wasn't Klaus, so your hands are far up behind you, palms planted on the windshield to give yourself a better angle, a better arch of your back for Klaus to wrap his arms firmly around you, so he could kiss your chest and the long expanse of your neck and shoulders while he kept his pace. He held you as lose as possible, and for a moment you imagine its just him. You as nothing but an extension of himself, your pleasure mixing and becoming his pleasure. When he got like this, its easy to imagine he didn't have many lovers before you that cared that much about his pleasure. Sure they probably thought he was a fun time, as that was a given, but it was probably rare someone actually cared about what he was feeling. You like that he trusts you with this bare part of himself. No, you love it. You love-
A deep moan from his mouth vibrates against your breast, you feel it even more than you hear it, and it brings you back to where you are now, looking down at his lust filled, indulgent expression. 
“Keep looking at me,” he commands, thrusting harder, making you almost squeak at the angel he's hitting, “It's just me, and you, and the coyotes out here.”
Your hands scramble to grab the sides of his face as you start to move your hips to fuck back against his thrusts, eager to come for him while hes watching you. Any attempt to praise him comes out as stuttered moans and fragments of words, but there's a devilish smile on his face that tells you he knows what you're saying. 
He pulls one arm from under you, slams it on the car below right next to your head, and goes in for the kill. He’s merciless in his thrusts as he kisses and nips at your fingers that he can reach. He doesnt guide you but throws you off of the cliff into bliss, a scream parting from your lips as he refuses to slow his pace. This more dominant and possessive Klaus is wild, selfish in a beautiful way. In his face you see indulgence personified, a modern Dionysus filling each urge that swept over you. He doesn't let you calm down, doesn't let you catch your breath, overstimulating you as he reaches his own release. He comes equally as loudly, with a shout of your name and “oh, lover” tumbling from his lips before he stills, and captures your lips on his own. 
He kisses you slowly, like he's drinking in the taste of you, holding you still, feeling your skin melt with his. It's hard to tell where he ends and you begin, but you prefer it this way. It's just the two of you in the desert. Just the two of you in the world. There's plenty of water in the canteen, and after a drink to refresh you, you'll be tearing at each other again, just far enough off the road no one will see you. He pulls out of you with a hiss, like it hurts him not to be inside of you, and you find yourself involuntarily whining at the loss as well. He grabs the canteen and returns to put it to your lips, then his own, then you sit and talk of nothing and everything sweet, needlessly flirting and preening each others egos with loving words until you're both ready to go again. It continues like this until one of you falls asleep on the other. This is the desert routine. 
When you wake around sunrise, covered in bruises and hickies, hair tangled to hell, you're wrapped in the blanket from the trunk, Klaus’ shirt used as your pillow. He’s just outside, naked as you are, greeting the dawn. Something about his posture beckons you to join him, and on shaking legs you pull yourself from the car, unsteadily stepping until you can wrap your arms around his torso, his hand reaching to grab for you and sliding over your shoulders. He repositions you so you stand together, not with you behind him. The way its supposed to be. And then the moment the sun is fully in the sky, he greets it by crowing like a rooster. Loudly, freely. You join in.
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arofili · 3 years
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gen freeform exchange letter!
See my signup for likes/DNWs/etc.
This is not the most detailed letter, just kind of a collection of my scattered thoughts about how the tags I chose apply to the characters I chose. these are of course completely optional, you can follow my prompts or pick something completely different, whatever you’d like. thanks for writing for me!!
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Request 1: Kidnap Dads Fluff
this is the Kidnap Dads Fluff request! some of these are pretty Maedhros-centric, bc he is my favorite character; you don’t have to include all of them but I’d love it if you included Mae.
I like my Kidnap Dads either extremely fluffy OR extremely complicated and handled with care. This request is for the fluffy stuff. Please don’t make anyone a bad parent - definitely not M&M, but also not Elwing & Eärendil either, and if you’re writing about M&M’s childhood at all I need Fëanor to be a good dad. Things can be Complicated™ but I need there to be love at the root of parent-child relationships.
For the relationships outside of the various combinations of Elrond & Elros & Maedhros & Maglor:
I would love to see Elrond & Gil-galad viewing each other as brothers because Russingon-baby!Gil shares a dad with Elrond!! or Gil somehow visiting Mae while he and Mags are taking care of E&E? idk. just, Mae as Gil’s dad and also Elrond’s dad, that’s good content. (though Jaz, if you get assigned me feel free to write your Gil and Elrond platonic marriage idea, haha)
for Eluréd & Elurín & Maedhros: an AU where Mae saves them? maybe they get to take care of their nephews! or maybe Sirion goes differently, oooh
accidental parent acquisition: M&M didn’t INTEND to care about E&E but they do, E&E realize that they’re closer to M&M than they were to their bio parents
"We're Family Now and There's Nothing You Can Do about It": E&E claim M&M as their parents despite M&M’s protests that No We’re Evil You Don’t Want Us As Parents
Adult Siblings acting like Children: this could work for either set of siblings; I’m imagining E&E goofing off while Elrond is visiting Tar-Minyatur in Númenor and Elros’ nobles are sweating like “wtf is happening”; OR it’s M&M who have a moment of levity and sibling shenanigans that they don’t normally indulge in and E&E see and are astonished and start to trust them more
Awkward Conversations with People You Tried to Kill: M&M comforting E&E immediately post Kinslaying
Bedtime Stories: M&M telling E&E about their shared dead relatives? M&M telling E&E about Aman? E&E telling M&M about the petty squabbles they witnessed between the various nobles in Sirion?
Building A New Life: none of them really expected to survive Sirion, and they certainly didn’t expect this family situation, so they have to figure out where to go from here
Casual use of powers in a setting where the character should really be more careful: Maglor using Song magic when he doesn’t need to? Maedhros getting all Spirit Of Fire-y while protecting the twins from orcs? eldritch E&E abusing their Maia powers for petty childhood pranks? any one of those, but in front of an audience of outsiders?
Character A and B work together to take care of hurt/ill mutual loved one: E&E and Maglor caring for Maedhros who’s having a bad pain day
Characters Hanging Out In The Kitchen Because They Can't Sleep: accidental family gathering in the kitchen, every character sneaks out individually and is surprised to find the others in the kitchen too
Characters Teaching Each Other New Skills: i LIVE for this stuff with kidnap dads!! Mags teaching music? Mae teaching swordfighting? History? Politics? Magic? whatever!
competent parenting: this is almost a Requirement tbh, but idk, show a moment where E&E expect M&M to be too harsh or to be pushovers but M&M establish firm boundaries and do the Right Parenting Thing
Family Fluff: that’s this entire request tbh
Disabled Character Kicks Ass: Maedhros!!!!! protecting the twins!!! :D
Fluff and Angst: yesss, angst with a happy ending is my JAM
Food as a Metaphor for Love: Maedhros who bakes :D
Gruff intimidating character gets soft around kids: I nominated this tag specifically with Maedhros & E&E in mind :)))) Maglor being surprised Mae gets along with the kids so well, and then remembering “right he used to be older bro Maitimo”? E&E expecting Mae to be the strict one but no it’s actually Maglor, Mae’s a big softie? an outsider watching Mae switch abruptly from “intimidating warlord who can and will kill you” to “doting father”?
The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair: ELVES AND HAIR PLS. maybe M&M having Noldor Hair Culture Norms that make hair a Big Deal, and E&E having Sindar norms that are like “whatever, it’s just hair”? things that are really meaningful to M&M but E&E don’t get the depth of it?
Hope vs. Despair: E&E giving Maedhros hope when he’d almost fallen permanently into despair
Identical Twins Swap Places to Mess with People: just. E&E shenanigans. bonus points if M&M are the only ones who can still tell them apart.
Oaths & Vows: literally anything to do with E&E reacting to/discovering/understanding the Oath of Fëanor
Platonic Soulbonds: adoption bonds!! my hc is that (for elves) blood family have a soul connection to one another innately, but when you adopt someone you have to initiate that bond yourself (kind of like a marriage bond but not). anything to do with M&M adopting E&E - or, E&E adopting M&M!
Post-Canon: AU where Mae lives pls??
Protectiveness: M&M protecting E&E from an outside threat OR E&E protecting M&M’s reputation after they’re separated
Raising a Child or Children Together, platonic co-parenting: M&M brotherly bonding :’) they feel like Real Family for the first time since their little brothers were little
Ruined Castles and Fortresses: Amon Ereb as a makeshift fortress long after it should’ve fallen? E&E visiting Tol Himling post-canon?
Sibling Rivalry: M&M competing over E&E liking them the most? E&E competing over M&M spoiling them the most?
Telepathy: ósanwë!!
Trans Character: make some characters trans! have M&M be supportive of E and/or E transitioning! have M and/or M be trans and explaining that to the twins! or whatever! I love trans stuff!
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Request 2: Kidnap Dads Angst
Okay, here’s the Kidnap Dads But Angst request :)))) A lot of the same prompts....but make them angsty......I would like a happy ending (or at least a hopeful ending), though, so hurt/comfort would be great, or someone thinking things are worse than they turn out to be, that sort of thing. If there’s a specific prompt that would work better with an unhappy ending I’ll mention that, but unless I request it please don’t do it.
Non-Kidnap Fam relationships:
Elrond & Gil-galad, Mae & Gil: again, was thinking Russingon Baby Gil here, but this time Gil has angst about Mae being his dad. Elrond reassuring him that Mae is a good dad? Or maybe they’re both remembering Mae after he dies :(((
Eluréd & Elurín & Maedhros: a canon take on this where Mae keeps comparing the first E&E twins to the second set.... or maybe Eluréd and Elurín are haunting Mae?
"We're Family Now and There's Nothing You Can Do about It": M&M adopting E&E before E&E trust them fully, they need to make sure E&E are cared for but the twins are still afraid of them. OR E&E adopting M&M, but lean into the angst of M&M not feeling like they’ll be good enough parents
A and B mourn death of person they both loved: Maglor & Elrond & Elros mourning Mae? Maglor & Elrond mourning Elros?
Angst - Characters know exactly how to hurt each other: SO much angst potential here... maybe Mags needling Mae right where it hurts in an attempt to get him to take a more active role in their lives? Using Fingon against him? :)))
Angst with a Happy Ending: my bread and butter, this is kind of the ideal story I want for this request
A assumes that B will abandon them; B reaffirms their loyalty to A in A's time of need: Maglor and Maedhros right before the theft of the Silmarils? M&M assuming E&E will abandon them as soon as they get the chance?
Awkward Conversations with People You Tried to Kill: immediately post-Sirion, dial up the angst factor
Building A New Life: post-WoW, everyone going their own ways
Character A and B work together to take care of hurt/ill mutual loved one: E&E and Maglor care for Mae on a bad pain day or with an injury from battle BUT instead of cute sickfic everyone’s terrified Mae is going to die, Mae kind of wants to die, Elrond is worried he’s not a good enough healer for this, Maglor blaming himself for Mae getting into this situation, basically everyone’s on edge and not having a good time
Character discovering own self-worth: E&E teaching Mae to love himself again!!!
Character draws negative attention onto themself to protect another: OKAY so my angsty headcanon for this is that Maedhros intentionally draws the twins’ ire to him when things get tense between the Fëanorians & their hostages, so they associate negative encounters with Maedhros and positive ones with Maglor. Basically he wants to spare Maglor the brunt of their anger by taking it onto himself, sabotaging his own relationship with the twins. bonus points for E&E figuring this out and fucking up his plan by loving Mae too.
Character expected to die but didn't and now has no idea how to live anymore: MAEDHROS LIVES AU FT. ALL THE ANGST
Child A comforts Child B after B has nightmare about their dead parents: E&E in the first few years of captivity :))
Characters with complicated pasts struggling with guilt and grief and forgiveness: is this not just the Fëanorians???
complicated family dynamics: just make it fucked up and difficult, E&E shouldn’t love M&M but they do anyway, they still love their bio parents too but have mixed feelings overall
Depending On Each Other To Survive: Beleriand is literally falling apart around them, they have to rely on each other or they WILL die
Difficult Decisions In War Time: M&M sending E&E to Gil-galad? M&M choosing to go after the Silmaril, E&E reacting to that?
It's the end of the world as we know it and Character(s) feel(s) fine: E&E have literally only ever known wartime, this is normal to them. OR Mae feeling better when things are horrific than he does during peaceful-ish times.
Oaths & Vows: E&E try and swear the Oath of Fëanor in order to get M&M’s approval, M&M are horrified
Platonic Soulbonds: M&M doing the adoption-soulbond thing with E&E because without a parental soulbond baby elfs can DIE..........
Post-Canon: early second age angst :)))
Redemption: M&M redeeming themselves through being good parents to E&E...but does that really redeem them?
Refusing to believe a loved one is dead: E&E refusing to accept that Maedhros is dead :))))))))
Regret: M&M post-Sirion
Separated for an Extended Period of Time and the Slow Road Back to Normal: AU where Mae survives but is separated from everyone for a long time? Canon Mags does his emo wandering thing but finally Elrond drags him to Rivendell? post-rebirth Mae and Mags and Elrond??
Take me instead: Mae sacrificing himself for the sake of the twins ;-; OR the twins trying to sacrifice themself for M&M??
two people really want Found Family but are too emotionally stunted to admit it: Maedhros desperately wanting to be included in Mags & E&E’s new little family but not able to admit it on his own
Us Against The World Mentality That Might Not Be Healthy But The Characters Find It Comforting: is this not just the Fëanorians at the end of the Silm....
World-weary broken people find comfort and understanding in each other: MAE AND MAGS....
competent parenting, Disabled Character Kicks Ass, Fluff and Angst, Gruff intimidating character gets soft around kids, The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair, Hope vs. Despair, Raising a Child or Children Together, platonic co-parenting, Telepathy, Trans Character, Protectiveness, Ruined Castles and Fortresses: see previous request!
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Request 3: Maedhros and/or Fingon and/or Finrod with a Kid!
Please note my Russingon preferences for this request, it’s in my DNW section.
Okay I have two basic concepts for this request - though I like all of the relationships I requested so if you have a completely different take that would be great too - but here’s the idea: Maedhros and/or Fingon and/or Finrod end up semi-accidentally adopting a child! The kid is either Gil-galad or Maeglin, probably :)
Some possible scenarios:
Maeglin!
Aredhel and Maeglin go to Fingon instead of Turgon when they escape. Something happens to Aredhel, maybe Eöl follows her and she dies like in canon? Or maybe she’s still around, she deserves to live. But Fingon gets custody of Maeglin, and then ropes Maedhros and/or Finrod into helping him out.
A young Maeglin goes on a journey outside of Gondolin, against Turgon’s wishes, and gets captured by orcs...but much earlier than he does in canon. And this time he gets rescued by Maedhros! Now Maedhros is stuck with a kid who has a lot of the same trust issues he had post-Angband and he calls Fingon and/or Finrod in for help. Probably Fingon considering Maeglin is his nephew.
Aredhel and Maeglin go to Himlad instead of Gondolin. When Celegorm and Curufin go to Nargothrond, they go with. Again, maybe something happens to Aredhel? Or not? Whatever you’d prefer. But Finrod gets involved in Maeglin’s upbringing.
In any of these scenarios: Turgon gets worried enough about his missing sister and/or nephew to go looking for them, finds them in the care of someone else, is frustrated he “wasn’t good enough” to take care of them. Probably Finrod knocks some sense into him.
Tags that work for these situations: "We're Family Now and There's Nothing You Can Do about It", Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, AU where disaster character has good role models in their youth, Building A New Life, Character thinks no one is coming to save them; MULTIPLE people team up for the rescue, competent parenting, Gruff intimidating character gets soft around kids (MAE!!), Hair Braiding/Care, The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair, Helping Friend to Recover from Trauma, Nightmares, Overcoming Trauma, Raising a Child or Children Together, Unlikely Team-Ups, platonic co-parenting, Long Lost/Secret Relatives
Gil-galad!
For this request, Gil-galad is probably adopted. (Though, if you want to make him a trans!Russingon bio kid, be my guest.) He could either be a random baby that needs caring for OR the son of Lalwen (and Círdan?) that they can’t take care of for Political Reasons OR whatever other Gil-galad theory you prefer. (Just don’t make him Fingon’s bio kid unless he’s also Mae’s bio kid.)
I love the idea of Fingon adopting Gil-galad and writing Maedhros to say “we have a kid now!” Mae panics because WHAT DO YOU MEAN WE HAVE A KID?? (Doesn’t have to be romo Russingon, could just be that Fingon assumes his BFF is going to be involved in raising his son because of course??)
Fingon or Finrod adopt a baby Gil, but he gets passed around between them + Maedhros for Reasons. Gil has SO many dads.
Tags that work for this situation: Accidental Baby Acquisition, Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies (pls just give me some shenanigans with a happy ending), competent parenting, Gruff intimidating character gets soft around kids (MAE!!), Hair Braiding/Care, The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair, Immature note passing during otherwise adult meeting, Raising a Child or Children Together, Unlikely Team-Ups, platonic co-parenting, Long Lost/Secret Relatives
I also threw some tags in here that would be fun for scenarios that don’t necessarily include Gil or Maeglin.
Mae, Finno, & Ingo: Bonding over being the oldest sibling, court intrigue, Immature note passing during otherwise adult meeting, Character Finds Support In Queer Community, bonding over both being gay Give me some Valinor shenanigans, or war leaders in Beleriand goofing off, or them all being The Gay Cousin :)
Mae and Finno: A assumes that B will abandon them; B reaffirms their loyalty to A in A's time of need, Character Adjusts To Newly Acquired Disability, Fealty Dynamic, Helping Friend to Recover from Trauma, Hope vs. Despair, I trust you to remove me from the equation if I become a danger to others, Loyalty - King/Queen and Lionheart dynamics, Person Used to Being Treated Like a Weapon Gets Rescued & Treated Like a Person Again, Stoic Character Breaks Down And Admits They Need Help, Sworn Loyalty basically these two being Ride Or Die for each other <3 <3 lots of post-Angband trauma that Finno helps Mae unlearn! If you go with this part of the request, please please please keep my Russingon preferences in mind; since this is a gen exchange I’m not expecting romantic Russingon but I do need them to care for each other very deeply, and I don’t want them shipped with other people. a platonic marriage situation would be EXCELLENT.
And a few more things I just love in general: Platonic Cuddling, platonic declarations of love, Platonic Soulbonds, Telepathy, Holding Hands For soulbonds: please do it in the canon style of choosing to soulbond with a person. For telepathy: ósanwë shenanigans.
And of course: Aroace Character(s), Nonbinary Character(s), Trans Character all of these are a “YES PLEASE” situation no matter what prompt or character!
~~~
Request 4: Silm Fake Relationships!
Fake dating is my JAM, I love it, and I especially love it when it stays platonic all the way through! Requesting some pretty light-hearted stuff here, I just want shenanigans and fun times, mostly.
Amárië & Finrod: Okay I don’t really ship these two At All in any circumstance, Finrod just feels....so extremely gay to me....so my default headcanon is that they are BFFs who are mutual beards for each other! (Bonus points for minor/background Amárië/Elenwë and/or Finrod/Turgon) Other kinds of fake relationships would be great too. Possible tags: Becoming Friends With Your Ex (like...they DID date, it didn’t work out, they’re better off as friends), Character remains friends with their ex after an amicable breakup (see previous), court intrigue, The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair, Immature note passing during otherwise adult meetings, mutual beards, Platonic arranged marriage POWER COUPLE, Platonic marriage of convenience, Pre-Canon, Shared commiseration over being forced to attend a formal event
Aredhel & Celegorm: They’re both very aro in my mind (Aredhel ESPECIALLY), I can see them pretending to date to get people off their backs about being in a relationship (or a FWB situation but this exchange might not be the best place for that haha), or maybe they’re taking one for the team so the Mae/Fingon relationship coming out is slightly less scandalous after they already revealed their “relationship.” Also, them platonically co-parenting Maeglin in an AU is very good if you’d like to include that. Possible tags: Character enthusiastically agrees to doing something dangerous (they have that vibe), court intrigue, Dumb friendly competitions, Family Fluff, Friends Discussing Treason Over Tea, Immature note passing during otherwise adult meetings, Platonic marriage of convenience, Pre-Canon, Shared commiseration over being forced to attend a formal event
Caranthir & Haleth: Fake marriage for tax purposes. Enough said. (also they’re both aro.) Possible tags: Characters Become Roommates At College (would be a funny modern AU), Former colleagues work together again; surprised by changes (Moryo visits Haleth in Brethil?), The Intimacy of Brushing/Braiding/Washing Another Person's Hair (bonus points for cultural misunderstandings), Immature note passing during otherwise adult meetings, two people really want Found Family but are too emotionally stunted to admit it
Celebrimbor & Finduilas: You know I’d never much considered their relationship but I saw it nominated and it got my brain working! Maybe they’re fake dating to piss off their dads, haha. But I can also see them having a really unlikely friendship in Nargothrond, having each other’s backs, etc...people assume they’re dating and they just don’t bother to correct anyone? Bonus points for Fin-galad! Possible tags: A assumes that B will abandon them; B reaffirms their loyalty to A in A's time of need, court intrigue, Friends Discussing Treason Over Tea, Platonic arranged marriage POWER COUPLE, Shared commiseration over being forced to attend a formal event (first meeting perhaps?), Worldbuilding: Politics & Diplomacy
Lalwen: I love the fanon of her and Círdan being buds. Them in a fake dating for politics situation would be amazing. Or her just being badass on her own! Possible tags: court intrigue, Platonic arranged marriage POWER COUPLE, Worldbuilding: Politics & Diplomacy
Other tags: Aroace Character(s), AroAce Marriage, Aromantic Character: I always want this but ESPECIALLY for this request! Fake/Pretend Relationship Stays Platonic: that’s basically the premise for all these requests, haha Late Night Conversations: could apply to all of these. I just really love like...it’s late, you’ve been hanging out all day, your inhibitions are lowered, you start saying shit you normally wouldn’t and have a heart-to-heart...that’s the good stuff Platonic Bedsharing, platonic declarations of love, Platonic Soulbonds: really close platonic relationships :’) 5 times this happened and 1 time something else happened, Nonbinary Character(s), Character gets a hug, Holding Hands, Trans Character: Just things I love in general that I requested on all my requests
~~~
Request 5: TAZ Amnesty
Please don’t have Minerva and Duck in a romantic relationship. Additionally, if you could not call Duck “Wayne” that would be great.
A & B have an honest and completely frank discussion about difficult subject: Arlo and Mama talking about what happened to Arlo
Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates: I think this would be funniest if it’s Duck & Pigeon? or maybe always-mundane!Duck and extraterrestrial-who-is-really-bad-at-hiding-it!Minerva
Aroace Character(s), Aromantic Character: my headcanon for Duck is that he’s aromantic! so him and Minerva being best friends or QPPs or something would be awesome. really I just thought the ending with them being together romantically came out of nowhere so idk, a fic where Duck realizes he’s aro and doesn’t /have/ to be in a romantic relationship, and Minerva supporting him and them remaining really good friends, that would be amazing.
Begrudgingly Respectful Coworkers to Friends: Arlo and Mama :)
Casual use of powers in a setting where the character should really be more careful: Duck frantically trying to get Minerva to act normal in public
Character Finds Support In Queer Community: Duck realizing he’s aro? maybe Pigeon helping him get involved in Kepler’s queer community? OR Pigeon realizing she’s queer and older queer (trans?) Duck awkwardly trying to be in solidarity with her
Character Forced To Reveal Their Secrets: Arlo & Mama pre-canon?
Finding Bigfoot: this is just too funny to NOT have as an Amnesty tag. Maybe Pigeon goes hunting for Bigfoot and Duck has to stop her from hunting down Barclay!
Thing character has built a large chunk of their life around comes to an end; finding a new path: this could go for most of the characters, but I was especially thinking of Minerva here
Unexpectedly Meeting People From One's Past While With New Companions: Duck introducing Minerva to his friends/colleagues? Mama introducing Arlo to everyone after he gets back to “normal”?
5 times this happened and 1 time something else happened: I just love this format :)
Nonbinary Character(s): Pigeon maybe? but really anyone as nonbinary would be awesome
Character gets a hug: Duck deserves hugs. I feel like Minerva would be good at giving them.
Holding Hands: platonic hand holding is just. so good
Missing Scene: seriously WHAT happened to Pigeon???
Trans Character: trans Duck trans Duck TRANS DUCK (ngl the “Wayne” reveal really disappointed me, I much prefer trans Duck haha)
~~~
Request 6: TAZ Balance
Please don’t have Lucretia in a romantic relationship, or Magnus having had romantic feelings for anyone other than Julia.
Literally any gen relationship in TAZB would be delightful to get a fic about, don’t feel boxed in by the nominated characters. I also cannot BELIEVE I forgot to nominate Kravitz & Barry, that’s one of my very favorite possible friendships.
Angus + THB: would love to see an exploration with Angus’ individual relationships with them :)
Carey & Magnus: this friendship means A LOT to me, especially because I headcanon Magnus as arospec and so Carey’s lasting and important friendship with Magnus despite also having a romantic relationship that’s important to her....ahhh I get very emotional just thinking about it ;-;
Edward & Lydia & Kravitz: I do like the theory that Kravitz=Keats, so exploring that would be neat. OR Kravitz isn’t Keats, but he has to track down and deal with these two rogue liches.....
Edward & Lydia & Taako & Lup: AU rivalry shenanigans? canon enemies-to-friends? these two pairs of twins just have a lot of parallels that are very delightful :)
Johann & Lucretia: idk I just think they should be buds. also I headcanon both of them as aroace, so you could have them bond over that maybe.
Kravitz & Merle: I just think that Merle blaming Magnus and not Kravitz for losing his arm is HILARIOUS, would love Krav feeling awkward about that but Merle not even registering it fdjhskfjdsh
Lucretia & Magnus: these two are so sweet, especially during the Stolen Century? like they’re the only two humans, they’re both pretty young, I think they had a very special bond. (I love queerplatonic Magnus & Lucretia, especially with aroace!Lucretia and demi!Magnus)
Lup & Taako: chaos twin siblings :’)
THB: I mean give me shenanigans with them all day long! during the Stolen Century would be amazing, as foreshadowing for canon, and with the other IPRE members being baffled by their antics
Ren & Taako: I just think they’re cool! Would love to see Ren’s transition from a fangirl to Taako’s no-nonsense assistant :)
Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Characters Become Roommates At College: just. IPRE shenanigans. or Magnus and Carey as roommates!
Aroace Character(s): aroace Lucretia!! aroace Johann!!
Aromantic Character: see above but also, pan+arospec Merle! demiromantic Magnus! (that’s my VERY FAVORITE headcanon, you can’t change my mind)
Begrudgingly Respectful Coworkers to Friends: can’t believe I forgot to nominate Barry & Kravitz here, smh... if you’d like to do that go for it, but otherwise, the IPRE would be amazing here, or Kravitz and Merle if you stretch the idea of “Coworkers,” or some AU or situation where Edward and Lydia have to get along with Taako and Lup despite being bitter rivals. or djhfskjfdhk Merle and Angus!!
Best Friends Have Bad Ideas Together: THB and/or Lup and Taako have a collective one brain cell and it’s gone missing
Canon-typical shenanigans: yeah.
Catching up with an old friend: Carey and Magnus post-S&S!! or THB post-S&S :)
Casual use of powers in a setting where the character should really be more careful: this just screams Taako. Ren telling him to calm down a bit? Lup encouraging him? Angus doing damage control? Edward and Lydia vs. Taako and Lup in a drama contest?
Character enthusiastically agrees to doing something dangerous: MAGNUS RUSHES IN
Character Finds Support In Queer Community: queer BoB!! queer IPRE!! if you write me some arospec Magnus and his friends I will DIE of happiness :)) (bonus points for qp!Magcretia)
Bonding over shared memories of past lives: was really getting IPRE vibes for this one
Character loses everything and can only turn to enemy for help: Edward and Lydia forced to come to Taako and Lup for help :)))
Drinking Games, Drunken Shenanigans, Dumb friendly competitions: THB or IPRE probably. just fun silly things happening for laughs.
Enemies to Friends But In A Situation Where They Must Pretend To Still Be Enemies: Edward & Lydia & Taako & Lup? Kravitz & Merle?
Families of Choice, Family Feels - Us Against The World, Family Fluff: IPRE !!!!
Friends to Enemies to Friends Again: Magnus & Lucretia :( OR again, can’t believe I didn’t nominate Kravitz and Barry, but, those two before Krav realizes Barry is a lich and then after and then post-S&S
Friendship that's more important than Character(s)'s romantic relationship(s): Carey & Magnus!!! obviously Carey/Killian is Excellent, but the fact that Carey prioritizes Magnus in her life as a friend makes me SO emo, just. ahhhh love this so much. also Takko+THB :)
Making the morally right choice sucks: Angus & Taako? Ren & Taako? Edward & Lydia & and their bro Kravitz? orrrr Edward & Lydia & their not-bro mortal-enemy Kravitz??
platonic declarations of love: yes please! Magnus & Lucretia especially :)
Team Living Together and Learning to Deal with Everyones' Bad Habits: IPRE and/or THB. maybe THB being surprised they already seem to know each other’s terrible habits...
Unexpectedly Meeting People From One's Past While With New Companions: this has Weird Voidfish Stuff written all over it
5 times this happened and 1 time something else happened: just a good trope
Nonbinary Character(s): nonbinary Taako? yes please. or anyone else tbh, I just love nonbinary characters.
Character gets a hug: Magnus gives VERY good hugs and there’s very many people who deserve one
Holding Hands: just...so good <3
Missing Scene: so much time in the Stolen Century to explore...or BoB off-work shenanigans...
Trans Character: canon trans Lup! headcanon trans Magnus!! any other character as trans, I love trans stuff!!
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voightsgirl · 7 years
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Your Voight post made me think, and I think CPD doesn't get enough appreciation re: how they seem to effortlessly go against a lot of toxic masculinity. Like, there's been any issues with the guys crying or expressing their love for each other, and it's never made into a joke or followed with a no homo reaction or smthn like that and idk I guess I really appreciate the male friendships in CPD. Even the rest of the franchise doesn't do so well as this imo (not counting justice bc it's still new)
You know I started replying to this and then I realised that I’ve never really thought about the male characters in that much depth…I’m the first to sing about how amazing Erin and Burgess are, as well as male characters individually, but when I really thought about how well the men have been created, I ended up with an entire essay so apologies it’s so long but I just love this show and these guys. Also since there’s been a lot of negativity in light of *cough* recent events, I thought it would be nice to show my appreciation, so here goes. Feel free to add examples/contradictions/points/other ideas etc!!
Something I need to say before beginning: I find it really, really difficult to empathise with male characters. It’s just harder for me to really relate to their issues. And I think a huge reason for this is just that being a female character in these shows and these professions is just harder. And therefore there are a certain amount of fundamental difficulties that each female character has to face, and since being a female in general involves a lot of these struggles, it’s much easier for other women to look at these characters and see themselves in them. Look at Erin and Burgess struggling to keep their hard work and intelligence a more valuable feature to their unit than their bodies. Look at April and Maggie trying not to be undermined by their male, more qualified co-workers - and Manning being a single, working mum. Look at Gabby beating the odds and becoming a firefighter even though no one thinks she can do it because she’s small and female.
And I love that this show can do that: take these vital professions and give them amazing, well developed, multifaceted female characters whose constant struggles are so relatable for any female watching because we’ve all been there.
But what PD does that I just don’t see so much in the others (Fire does it to an extent, but I can’t really think of any examples in Med - although it’s my least favourite and so I’m probably not the best person to make analyses based on it, feel free to correct me if I’m wrong) is do the same with the males. And it’s something that I have never seen on a TV show before. There’s no “no-homo” bullshit, there’s no reservations around being friends. They hug each other when they’re worried about them, they do the friendly shoulder squeezes and arm-punches and fist-bumps. They go out for drinks together. They trust each other and look out for each other and they talk to each other about how they feel. And it’s really, really nice to see.
People go the extra mile when writing female characters (although admittedly, as a teenage girl I’m probably not using the widest sample range of TV shows) because they know that either a) their audience is mostly female, or b) they’re worried about sexist accusations. Women have always been victims of horrible media tropes, so I’m so, so glad that they do go this extra mile - I love seeing female friendships more than anything else in the world - but because people are so aware of the issue surrounding female characters, they’ve taken that into consideration, while assuming that there isn’t actually a problem with their male characters.
What Chicago PD does that I think is incredible from a characterisation point of view is they take these archetypal cop characters - the dirty cop (Voight), the by-the-book cop (Antonio), the shell-shocked veteran cop (Halstead), the old-cop young cop (Ruzek and Ollinsky) and the gentle giant (Attwater). **there are more, such as Attwater arguably being the “token minority” and Ruzek being the “fair cop” but you get the idea. They all seem to represent one of the main tropes that are almost always present in cop shows (at least all the ones I’ve watched).
And the show doesn’t subvert the tropes, not exactly - even though doing so would be so much easier - but they three-dimensialise (idk if that’s a word just roll with me here) all the characters on top of these fundamental archetypes. ie:
Voight is a dirty cop. He kills people in the name of justice, he’s used dirty money and lied under oath and done things that probably should have lost him his badge a million times. And yet, he works tirelessly for the protection of his city. He loves his son with everything he has, and his grandson, and his daughter-in-law. He took in a 13(?) year old who’d been hooked on heroin and arrested for solicitation and loves her like she’s his own daughter. He made amends with the guy who put his son in jail. He always, always fights for the underdog and doesn’t let the system take advantage of them. He treats his unit as if they are his “family” - literally his words - and he has formed relationships with every single one of them, bending the rules and putting his neck and badge on the line if they ever do anything wrong or against the rules. (Example: 3x05)
Antonio plays by the rules, that’s just who he is. He believes in the system more than Voight does, arguably because he’s always been on the right side of it. But that doesn’t mean he’s not willing to make compromises if those he really cares about are on the line - he is more than willing to turn a blind eye to other people’s ‘interpretations’ of the law, and he will do everything in his power to fight his way using the rules of the system before he breaks them. (1x02, 3x01)
Halstead’s military history I think is one of the most interesting aspects of this show because he had the potential to turn into a “cold sniper” as I think is the norm with ex-military characters, and yeah, he was affected in ways that we don’t even know - and may never fully understand - by what he saw and did in his tour(s). But he’s so selfless and sweet and supportive. His PTSD and general commitment issues mean that he can’t open up to everyone but he still lets them open up to him, being Erin’s #1 supporter, and he’s finally started to work on looking after his mental health properly and learning how to ask for help. He’s kind and caring and understands the importance of sacrifice and, like Voight, is willing to bend the rules a little bit - even if he’s always there to question Voight’s methods. (3x17, 4x18 - deleted scene)
Ruzek is the token rookie of the show, and the audience is placed in the same boat as him when initially learning the ropes of the unit and how everyone fits. He’s the young and attractive one (I mean….), and he does exhibit those typical rookie traits: he’s rash and reckless and cocky and definitely not as cynical as any of the others, but at the same time he has a huge heart, he’s sweet and caring, and he can be as tough as hell when someone he loves is in danger. He doesn’t have the “tortured romantic” side to him and he has a typical cop family tree, but he’s the person I feel like most people can probably relate to - someone who puts themselves in harm’s way every single day for no reason other than he wants to make a difference. (1x01, 1x11)
Ollinsky is the other dirty cop, although he functions more as an assistant to the dirty cop. He has the tough coldness about him that you would probably expect Jay to have instead, if following these tropes by the book, and he comes across as very sinister and quite scary. And yet he is an absolute darling around Lexi and Michelle and when Lexi died and Meredith was kidnapped, he totally lost control. Despite all the coldness and being closed-off he is perhaps the most emotional of them all, grieving and crying and not caring about how tough he is when someone he loves is threatened. (4x16)
Attwater is the gentle giant of the show and although this doesn’t need much more explaining, he, alongside Erin, is also the token minority of the unit (even more so now that Antonio’s left and Burgess has joined Erin in Intelligence) and although this trope is constantly seen as a bad thing, using a token character to avoid criticism of being racist in casting choices, in PD Attwater opens the door to addressing cases of police racism, corruption and brutality against ethnic minorities, and the episodes in which they do deal with this, Attwater is quick to express his opinion on the matter and challenge within seconds everything that’s wrong with the institution and their society. But on top of all that, he has relatives in prison, he’s expected to be a big tough “scary black man”, but in actuality he looks after his two younger siblings and does stand-up comedy and probably gives the best bear hugs ever.
And the support system that these six men have together (or five, now that Antonio’s left) is incredible to watch. They understand barriers, they know when to push and when to give each other space, they all work together so well in such a potentially toxic environment without even a hint at this hyper-masculinity that is so huge in other cop shows. They’re all just bros.
What’s also great is that even though there’s a lil bit of that bro-masculine culture especially when Erin goes undercover and dresses up all nice, they’re never anything but perfect gentlemen. There’s no teasing and no sexist remarks about her legs or whatever, they all just seem genuinely impressed by how pretty she looks and how well she does her job. Adam even says things like “there’s about a thousand things I could say right now but won’t” because they all respect Erin and Burgess and support them as much as each they do each other. They don’t care if the women do better jobs than them, or save them, or shoot more accurately than them, and they’d never dream of undermining their femininity while doing so.
Other examples of the bros being bros:
Antonio getting Jay into the unit in the first place as a thank you for helping out Gabby (Chicago Fire, season 2 sometime, mentioned later when Antonio leaves)
Voight literally crying on Alvin’s shoulder after Justin’s death
Every single one of Jay and Mouse’s interactions, especially when they talk about their time in the military and Jay realises how much he cares about his friend when Mouse wants to re-enlist and when Mouse is taken hostage (4x05, 3x03)
Antonio and Voight’s entire friendship and the fact that Voight would go to such measures to help Diego even after Antonio was the one to put the cuffs on and send him to jail
Attwater and Ruzek being bros until the end and *sniff* the whole best man thing 
They all buy Antonio a zimmer frame when he gets shot isn’t that just beautiful
Ruzek hugging Al after Lexi’s death and his little “I don’t know what to say” and “can I hug you?” - like he knows Al might just want space but he has to let him know he’s there for him
They all get so upset when Jay is taken. Just watch the scene where they see the video of his torture and their faces break me. They can’t handle the idea that someone so close to them - their brother - is in so much pain. (3x01)
Seriously tho just look at these bros
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So I was just gonna write a few paragraphs and sorry this is so long but feel free to add more!! I want to know what everyone else thinks!
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