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#exploring his feelings after the events of the adventure time finale is something I’m glad we get to see
astearisms · 8 months
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fionna and cake drawings before and after watching the episodes so far. it’s nostalgic and somehow cathartic and poignant and relatable and—it just started
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shadowqueen1220 · 3 years
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Analysis on C! Tubbo's Emotional State
Disclaimer: I am in no means a professional and I am heavily basing this off of my own experiences and general observations. (Please let me know if my wording is bad)
This is all about the roleplay characters if it wasn't clear
Warning: self harm, self sacrifice, self destructive behavior and talk of mental health and canon typical violence
Tubbo has always been a self sacrificial character. He always helps his friends at the expense of his own safety (ie disc war and L'manburg). He is a bit of an overachiever and that has gotten worse when combined with tendencies of paranoia. (all og members of L'manburg have paranoia issues, stemming from the final control room)
After the Independance War, Tubbo was involved with the elections. He made a secret bunker, saying "hope for the best plan for the worse" in case the electrons went wrong. He was proven right and then had to endure a harsh dictatorship.
Spy Tubbo was constantly under stress. He not only was secretly slipping information to Pogtopia but had his role of Security of State as well. At the Elections, Schlatt verbally abused Tubbo and scared him into following his orders. Most of the things Schlatt had told Tubbo to have shaped him into the Tubbo that internalizes and represses all his emotions. (ie don't complain, don't cry, don't talk back, agree with everything I say). Tubbo, who already naturally liked to help his friends, was forced to become a yes man in order to stay safe.
The Festival was a disaster and a huge blow to Tubbo's self esteem. The famous line here is "Wilbur said he wasn't going to hurt me" and Tubbo wholeheartedly believed that he could trust Wilbur, his former president and older brother figure. However, all he got was the fact that he was now expendable to Wilbur. His death was brushed aside and it seemed like the only person who cared was Tommy. Even Tubbo quickly became desensitized to the fact that his own pain did not matter in the chaos of the situation.
His life becomes even more chaotic when he is thrust into the role of President and his self sacrificing nature kicked in when no one else would take the presidency. And then in the first 10 minutes into his presidency, he is shot and his nation is blown up.
Tubbo takes this all in stride, repressing everything in order to rebuilt but his cabinet does not listen to him and constantly talks over him. When his vice president and best friend gets into trouble, Tubbo learns that he must be louder in order to be heard.
Tubbo felt betrayed by Tommy's actions during the exile negotiations. He felt as if Tommy didn't respect his power and the pressure of living up to President Wilbur, the threat of becoming like President Schlatt and the expectations of the entire nation all depended on him.
Tubbo once again choose sacrifice but this time, he was not only sacrificing himself but harmed Tommy in his decision as well. Immediately Tubbo regretted his decision and regressed into his yes man habits to cope with the situation.
From here on out, this may be a bit of a stretch but I love putting lore goggles on to every scene for analysis purposes and with a character like Tubbo who is rarely played, we can get some character depth from seemingly "silly" bits.
Tubbo after exiling Tommy shifted from being self sacrificial to self destructive. Both presidents before him had died and the odds were not looking good for Tubbo, already he had made an awful decision that he immediately regretted. Yet he couldn't reverse it and didn't feel worthy enough to see Tommy.
Tubbo never built himself a home in L'manburg. No stuff, no place to sleep, no roots. He told Ranboo that the presidency was all his when the elections came around. He didn't want to be president anymore. He's worryingly self depreciating.
I don't quite remember the timing of this stream but Tubbo and Ranboo once went nether exploring. Ranboo panicked as Tubbo was extremely reckless during this adventure, jumping into lava without fire res, speed bridging with few blocks and jumping off of tall places without checking his health. In addition, Tubbo went through a series of projects as a President, always doing something new and often involving things that could hurt him (ie Ravenger teleportation, tnt jumping). We can see Tubbo become subtly self destructive during this time.
(sidenote: tubbo has a habit to jump off of high things and expecting the person at the bottom to water bucket. Tommy usually is the person to "catch him" and I find it interesting that they both had self destructive tendencies while the other was gone. I'll come back to this point soon)
We never get Tubbo's opinion on the Butcher Army. He heavily opposed the idea at the beginning of the presidency but agreed to take part in it despite Techno killing him being a traumatizing event.
And then Logsteadshire. The guilt of exiling his best friend and being the cause to his death is too much for his mind to handle and he passes out. We never learn how Tubbo got back to L'manburg and the next time we see him, he is back to throwing himself into project after project.
The next time we really see Tubbo is when Tommy and Technoblade take Connor hostage. Ranboo says that Tubbo is just staring at a grass block and when Tommy appears, Tubbo is severely shaken. He is glad that his best friend is alive and upset that he's teamed with his murder but has to all shove it aside to fulfill his role as president. Tubbo takes Tommy yelling at him and Techno's accusations with no protest and once again, represses everything to move on.
Already the Green Festival reminded Tubbo of familiar events but at this time he was in control or so he thought. He had already failed an execution so he was determined to make this word so L'manburg could be safer. He had failed Tommy so he might as well try to make the server a better place by killing Dream. Yet Tubbo had doubts about it.
Dream was manipulating Tubbo during his entire presidency. Tubbo truly believed that Dream was his friend and thought that Dream supported him as a president. His self esteem was so low that he searched for validation anywhere (ie "rate my kidnapping", "phil tell me I'm doing good pls") and Dream willingly gave him companionship.
But then Dream started screaming at him and calling him and awful president, Tubbo agreed with Dream. Tubbo saw himself as weak and stupid and no one came to his defense so it had to be true.
His fight with Tommy was very impactful and led Tubbo to believe that the discs mattered more than him but we'll get back to that soon. Most of the things said during this fight were forgiven by both parties so I hope it doesn't affect him much.
Sidenote: when Quackity suggests to execute Ranboo, Tubbo chooses forgiveness for Ranboo having been in that position before and snaps at Quackity. Here we get a glimpse of Tubbo's inner emotions and we can see clearly that the events of the festival have hurt him.
Doomsday is further proof to Tubbo that he is the worst President that L'manburg had. He stares at the destruction in mute disbelief and even throws himself into tnt and in front of a firework for Tommy. By the end of the experience, Tubbo is so drained that he has given up on government, the fight beaten out of him and he lets L'manburg go, thinking it was his fault it fell.
Tubbo has suffered the most from government yet strives to make a community. Snowchester was supposed to be his healing. However, Tubbo's paranoia from all the violence and the lessons that he has learned from the others, caused him to built a way to defend himself. He doesn't even make a bed for himself in his new house.
Then his life gets shaken up by the Disc War Finale. He refuses to talk about his feelings on the odds, accepts defeat instantly as they were "doomed from the beginning" and doesn't seem to mind the fact that he might die.
In fact, he says "It was about time anyway"
Tubbo thinks he is living on borrowed time. All of the presidents before him are dead and he is in a seemingly impossible situation. Death seems to be the only option and he has accepted it before hand so he is fine with it. Even Tommy seems shaken by this as Tubbo was so positive about the situation before. But Tubbo had been hiding that all for Tommy's sake as he is very self sacrificial.
When everything seems to return to "normal" Tubbo tests his nukes and later tells Ranboo that be had expected everything to go horribly wrong. He is trying to heal and does a decent job at it, starting a family and building Snowchester.
But then he gets the memo that Tommy has been trapped in prison with Dream. He checks out the prison, being a inconvenience to the guards and is hardly fazed when Sam threatens to kill him. He leaves feeling disappointed that he cannot help but that is what it is and Tubbo thinks that Tommy is the strongest person he knows.
So that's why Tommy can't be dead. Tubbo denies Sam's words and when they finally register, begins an investigation to find out who's to blame. He becomes self destructive again, wearing Dream's armor and building a familiar panic room to research the crime.
He is once again extremely reckless when investigating. With Ranboo's help, they go and investigate the egg and Tubbo shows his lack of care for his own safety. He tries to break open the egg, challenges Bad and Ant to a pvp and suggests to continue investigating. But at this point, Ranboo has noticed this recklessness and gently reminds Tubbo of Michael.
From this point, Tubbo seems to be healing again. And then to make things better, Tommy is back and they are going to kill Dream but that's okay because it hasn't really settled yet. Tubbo is once again shaken by Tommy's return and follows him in silence to make sure he is really there. He is so worried about Tommy, he reaches out to MIA Ghostbur to help him.
Tubbo is still self destructive but less so after this. He still jumps off high places but does so more out of trust. He finally gets a bed in Snowchester and things seem to be looking up.
But then Tommy's words about Dream settle in. Dying is no longer permanent and Tubbo has things he wants to protect. To do this he recommissions the nukes but is panicked when one is stolen.
We have no idea where it is going to go from here, but I can already see some problems with Tubbo's increasing paranoia.
In addition, the details about the nukes and their suicide button and Tubbo's willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good does not bode well.
Overall, Tubbo is a complex character and I greatly enjoy how he is played.
Thank you for reading and let me know if you have any comments!
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xlbrh · 3 years
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Falling :  {Xiao}
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Unlikely encounters tend to lead to the blossoming of relationships
notes : well i decided to have a try at one of these myself, but goddamn was it harder than i thought :(
Genshin Masterlist
warnings : none
format : one-shot, fluff
pairing : xiao x f!reader
word count : 1378
fic under the cut-
As an adeptus tasked with the protection of Liyue on behalf of the one and only Rex Lapis, you would expect Xiao to be focussed solely on that, and for the most part this was the case.
That was until (Y/N) fell into his life.
...Quite literally fell
If not for the fast reflexes of the adeptus, there would be no mistake that her life would have come to an end. Thanks to (Y/N)'s child-like stupidity, she thought it would be a good idea to try and climb to the top of Qingyun Peak. The idea doesn't seem too absurd at first - the view of Liyue from such a high point is bound to be breathtaking after all, a fine place to truly admire the creations of the Geo Archon. What (Y/N) failed to consider however, is how she would then get down from there. Sure, she had her wind-glider, but would that really be able to carry her all the way back to the safety of the ground below? Although gliders are almost considered a necessity for any adventurer, that doesn’t mean that they are indestructible – like many other things, they are susceptible to damage from all sorts of dangers. After her most recent fight with a pack of hilichurls during her ascent, the glider had taken some damage, but not enough to mean it would no longer be useable. For use now though? She wasn’t too sure.
Well with no other alternative, it would have to be enough.
For the most part the journey back down was calming - (Y/N) loved the freedom that a glider provided her with, giving her wings even when it should be impossible for a human such as herself.  
The strong winds were not something she could have predicted, the force of them would definitely be enough to put the glider out of commission. Thanks to (Y/N)'s luck this managed to happen at the worst possible time, sending her plummeting down to the ground below, begging to any archon listening that they would spare the life of such a foolish mortal.
Maybe Rex Lapis was listening? Who knows?
From out of nowhere a figure catches (Y/N) in their grasp, arms wrapping around her back and legs in a bridal carry, protecting her from any potential impact that she was about to endure. To (Y/N) it feels as though she was floating in mid-air for a while, until she opened her (e/c) eyes that were tightly shut out of fear of their death. There carrying her was one of the most gorgeous beings she had ever laid eyes on.  
No words were exchanged between the two as he lowered her down to the ground below. Not that (Y/N) particularly minded – I mean what are you supposed to say to the absolute god of a man who just prevented you from suffering one of the worst deaths? Needless to say, she was lost for words, not that he was taking much notice.
Once reaching the ground he slowly placed (Y/N) back down, ensuring that her legs could support her before he let go. It was only then that he looked into her eyes for the first time – she wasn’t sure but she swore his eyes widened a bit at that moment. The eye contact was maintained for a few more seconds before he turned around, prepared to walk away from her without another word.
“U-Um! Excuse me!”  
(Y/N) wanted to thank the man but was left speechless when he interrupted her
“You should really be more careful, you know.”
He left after those brief words, leaving the girl to wonder just who he was and how he knew she was in danger at that moment in time.
A few weeks after the brief first encounter came their second. After travelling for a couple days on foot, (Y/N) craved the comfort of a bed for her to rest properly. It seems luck was on her side this day as she arrived at the entrance to Wangshu Inn, the welcoming atmosphere quelling the majority of her adventurer’s fatigue. After arriving and asking for a room to stay in for the night, the boss lady guided her up to said room, not before providing her with a meal to quell her hunger she didn’t know she had.
After changing into some nightwear and preparing herself for the rest she rightfully deserved, (Y/N) couldn’t help the natural adventurer’s spirit that resides within her, telling her to explore the inn while she had the opportunity. Probably another silly decision of hers considering how late it was – the chance of disturbing other customers being quite high – but she did so nonetheless.
Her light footsteps did not go unnoticed by the male standing on the balcony, just a few meters away from her. Guided by some unknown force, (Y/N) rounded the corner, only to lay eyes upon the same man who had saved her life – who had been lingering in her thoughts since that very day. A smile graced her face while recalling this event, whereas he could only stare at her with what could only be described as awe and adoration in his eyes.
She took this opportunity to run over to him, throwing her arms around his shoulders, nearly knocking the pair over in the process. Although he did not expect this sudden display of affection, his strength grounded him, as he held on to the sides of the figure currently hugging him. Is this what a hug feels like? He must have forgotten – or maybe he never knew to begin with.
Much like their first meeting, few words were exchanged between the two at this moment. Well, that was until (Y/N) realised what she had done, and released the male from her hold, embarrassment creeping up her face on realisation of her actions.
“O-Oh my God! I-I’m so so sorry about that, I don’t know what came over me...” her tone was gentle as she spoke to him, not that he expected any different “It’s just, you’re the guy who saved me, aren’t you? There’s no way I could forget, and I can’t thank you enough for what you did back there!”
He looked down at the girl who had released him, finally being able to take in her features properly. Her (h/l) (h/c) hair framed her face perfectly, and her (e/c) eyes held nothing but joy and gentleness within them. The straight face he always wore softened, the corners of his lips turning upwards ever so slightly.
“No need to worry, it’s fine,” His tone didn’t hold much emotion, but (Y/N) didn’t particularly mind, after all this is the first time they were properly speaking to one another “I’m just glad to see you are okay, not been in any more gliding accidents over the past few weeks I guess,”
Her face lit up bright red at the comment “H-Hey! That was a one-time thing I’ll have you know!”
The male chose not to answer to that comment, instead just observing the girl in front of him.
“Anyway, how did you know that I was in trouble? As far as I was aware, no one else was around the area at the time...” (Y/N) had been wondering this since the rescue, just how did he manage to predict exactly where she would be falling?
“Let’s just call it my intuition, shall we?” The male left it at that, not giving her many more answers to her questions. Instead, she began to fiddle with her nightclothes, partly out of nervousness.
“Xiao.”
(Y/n) could only look up at him in confusion “That’s my name, in case you were curious”
“Well then, it's an honour to meet you, Xiao,” She slightly bowed when greeting him “My name is (Y/n), and I thank you again for helping me out.”
Xiao briefly waved her off as a sign that it was nothing, before turning back round to face the night sky ahead of him, with (Y/n) joining him on his left side. Although the two remained in silence for the rest of the night, they could feel that there would be a lot more of these encounters to come, and a lot more waiting for them in the near future.
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giant-sketches · 3 years
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A Place to Belong
Finally have a nice Short Sides story done for you all to enjoy! This one has been on the back burner for a long time. I believe the prompt for this one came from @iggyalfi2319 like forever ago. XD Disclaimer: Crying/Fighting/Panic
This story includes 2 sketches
Word Count: 2392
Patton was never born to be a warrior. He was big yes, but more of a big sweetheart on the inside. Instead of fighting like the other giants he enjoyed his time outside with the flowers and animals. Violence simply wasn’t part of his inner nature, therefore, he was exiled from his homeland and sent to wonder. Patton didn’t mind though as every new place he explored was an adventure, however it was a lonely one.
A month passed without encountering a single soul, which might be for the best as Pat stood at a towering 200 feet tall. If anyone did see him they would most likely flee in fear. That would be so heartbreaking to witness! Yet, destiny seemed to have other plans when Patton did in fact run into a village that was almost completely secluded inside the forest he had currently been traversing. He hid himself in the shrubbery to watch the tiny people going about their day.
“Oh wow. Look at all of them!” Patton had never seen humans before. His eyes were filled with wonder. However, the shout of a guard who had spotted him through the thicket threw him into a full blown panic! “GIANT!!!”
Oh no! The surprised giant fled for his life, trying his best to not cause the ground to shake. Sure, he was in no real danger, the humans were much smaller than him; however, he didn’t wish to scare them by staying. Eventually, he came to a fluorescent cave, big enough to house him as he caught his breath. I haven’t been followed right? He looked around and sighed after confirming there was no one but him and the flora. What was he to do now though? Patton laid down, curling up on the cool cavern floor whimpering. Those humans looked so scared, even though he was just watching.
His heart ached at the creeping realization that there truly was nowhere he belonged in this world. “Why was I born like this? It’s not fair! I just wanted to be friends and help if I could.” He began to softly sob, unaware that he was being tracked by a mysterious hooded figure.
“He’s taken shelter here it seems.” The skulking figure glided his way into the cavern, not making a sound as the sound of sobbing echoed off the walls. Gingerly, he peeked out from one of the tunnel entrances and saw the giant he had been following on the floor in tears. It was...uncomfortable. Should he reveal himself now, or let the giant get it all out first. The mysterious man was not good with socializing, but he needed to be brave. Taking in a deep breath he took a step out of the shadows and spoke, “H-hello.”
His voice was no louder than a whisper, however Patton heard him clearly as he twisted his body up to a sitting position. The weeping giant stared at the figure, curious as to why they had revealed themselves, but also fearful of their intent. Was this a human from the village? Why were they here and how? Had he been followed and were there more hidden? Pat curled up a bit trying to look smaller, despite his enormous size.
“Ah, wait, i-it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you a-and it’s just me. I promise.” The figure raised his hands to show he was unarmed and took a few steps closer.
“Why are you here then? I-I didn’t mean any harm to the village or the people living there, I swear! I-I just wanted...I didn’t want to be alone any more.” Patton cried out as he pressed his knees to his chest and hugged them.
“I know. With your size you could have done whatever you wanted to us, but instead you ran away. You’re not like other giants are you?”
Patton nodded, starting to calm down and wipe his tears away. “I...I don’t want to hurt others. I just want to help and find some place I can live in peace. So please, please don’t be scared.” He whimpered into his hands.
The hooded figure, now close enough to rest his hand on Pat’s leg. “Hey, it’s okay. I’m not scared. If I was I wouldn’t have followed you here and revealed myself.” Patton giggled a bit, “I suppose that’s true. Still, why are you here little one?” “I wanted to talk to you. I’m also...different.” “Different?” The man hesitated for a moment, but then lowered his hood to reveal a pair of pointed ears, along with his unusual purple locks. Patton’s eyes went wide with how beautiful the stranger was and blushed. “You...are you a half-breed?”
“Yeah, I’m a half-elf to be exact. My appearance is a mix of both and so I’m seen as abnormal among my fellow humans. They aren’t bad people, they just aren’t very open-minded sadly. Usually, I can get by with just wearing this hood to hide my features, but the thing they really can’t stand is my use of mag-”
“YOU CAN USE MAGIC!?” Suddenly, the man had been picked up by Patton and brought closer to his face. Pat, all the while with sparkles in his eyes. The stranger smiled as he made an orb of light appear and float around him. It was the most amazing thing the lonely giant had ever seen. “Wow.”
“I’m Virgil by the way.” “What? Oh you’re name! You can call me Patton.” Virgil blushed, this was nice. Being appreciated for his talent for once.
“It’s nice to meet you Virgil. Thank you for coming here and talking to me. I feel a lot better now.”
“I’m glad. You don’t deserve to be alone like this. I of all people know what that feels like.” His eyes lowered in melancholy thoughts of the past.
A past of losing his parents in the fire, being ostracized by the village, and having to hide his true self. It was painful and many times he thought of running away, but where could he go? Just then Virgil felt a large and soft surface pressed up against him. It was Patton’s finger rubbing up against his side to comfort him. “I can tell you’ve had a hard time, being different from everyone around you.” He went silent in his thoughts, gazing between Virgil in his hands and his current surroundings. “Y-you’re not scared right?” Virgil chuckled, “You’re asking me that now?” “I...just need to be sure.” Patton blushed, feeling embarrassed and closing his eyes. That’s when the sensation of tiny hands wrapping around his thumb made him focus. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave unless you want me to.” Pat’s face must have turned into a tomato as he simply nodded and gently brought his new little friend to his chest for what could only be interpreted as a hug. “Thank you.”
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Patton was warm, like really warm as Virgil snuggled into his shirt a bit. The moment was pure bliss as the two felt so at home with one another. Yet, events outside were now coming to end their tender moment together. A large shockwave rumbled from above them.
“W-what was that?!” Pat exclaimed, now guarding Virgil in his hands and crawling out of the cave to take a look. “I don’t know. Do you see anything?” He looked around quickly and froze at what he saw. “The village! It’s being attacked by a dragon!” “WHAT?! Are you kidding me? What is a dragon doing all the way out here?” “I-I don’t know, but we need to do something. There’s no way they have anyone strong enough to fend it off.” “Can you fend it off?” Patton wasn’t sure really. Again, his combat experience was miniscule, but he was still a giant. Even though the dragon was big, he was bigger! “I can try, will you help me?” Virgil smiled, “Of course Patton. What do you need?” What did he need? “Buffs, can you cast any buffs on me?” The tiny sorcerer did know a few spells for buffing, but there was one he found when exploring an abandoned house a long time ago that might be just what they needed right now. “Yeah! You go get it’s attention and all start casting. Drop me off at that cliffside real quick. I have to be able to see you to cast it.” “Alright!”
With a plan in motion, Virgil was left to draw out the casting circle as he watched Patton tackle the monster away from the village, slamming it into the foot of the mountain. He had a good 50 feet on the beast, but the difference in height didn’t scare it away. It could sense how much of an amateur Pat was as it lunged to take a bite. Luckily, Patton was quite agile and could dodge the attacks, for now at least. Each second was a battle of survival. The friendly giant calling out to the cowering people to get to higher ground and keep in groups as they made their way into the forest to hide. Not too far where they couldn’t still watch to see who would be the victor though.
“The circles done! Now to start the chant.” Virgil took his position in the center of the circle and began casting. “Nascuntur, crescunt maior quam. Imbui possent immensa” Three times he said this as a light glow began to cover Patton’s body.
It tingled as he felt more and more power enter into him. It wasn’t long until he noticed he was growing bigger and bigger. He gave a heavy gasp when it was all done and his body relaxed. Patton felt stronger now! Quickly, he looked around to find the dragon...but it was gone?
“Below you!” Came a familiar voice. It was Virgil! What did he mean by below though?
Curious, Pat looked down to find a now very tiny dragon quivering at his feet. What in the world!? Freaked out, Patton tripped over himself and landed on the mountain, taking out half of it with his now enlarged body. He was HUGE! “What? What happened to me?!” He was scared and confused.
“Patton! It’s okay, it’s just the spell. It increased your size and strength by ten fold.” TEN FOLD?!?! Wait...that meant he was ten times his usual size. He gulped, “Then, d-doesn’t that mean I’m now 2000 feet tall?” Virgil went silent, but nodded. Oh boy. Patton turned his attention to the dragon once more. The poor thing was now too terrified to even move. “You poor thing. Hey, it’s okay. I’m not going to hurt you.” It was strange looking at the creature in a tender manner now after that fierce battle.
The dragon titled it’s head, but could tell Pat didn’t mean any harm as it bounced up his body and started nuzzling into his neck like a kitten. It was adorable! Still, what was he going to do now? This spell wasn’t permanent was it? In his worrying, the titan hadn’t even noticed the village people returning and coming over to him. Virgil did though, as he hurried over using some wind magic to help him glide down. He landed perfectly on Patton’s knee and took a moment to take the giant’s new size all in. He truly was enormous!
Pat felt something land on him as he looked up to see Virgil sitting on him. “Virgil! Are you alright? I know doing high level spells can tire someone out.” His concern was really cute. “Yeah, I’m alright, but what about you?” “Well...I defeated the dragon, or more so made it my pet I guess.” He giggled, though still uneasy. “Virgil, um, this isn’t permanent is it?”
There was the question he was waiting on, but really didn’t want to answer. “Yes and no. There is a reversal spell, I just don’t know it.” Virgil mumbled out sheepishly. Meanwhile, Patton’s blood ran cold as images of his new reality flashed before his mind. A monster beyond belief! He started to shake and choke on his sobs. In a panic Virgil slid down the giant’s pant leg and started climbing up his shirt.
  “Pat, no, please don’t cry. It’s going to be okay I promise. I’m so sorry I did this to you!” He pleaded constantly as he climbed. Patton hiccupped as he wiped his eyes to see his tiny friend’s frantic face. “It’s not your fault. You were just doing what I asked.” 
Gently, he pinched Virgil up and placed him on the bridge of his nose. “At least you’re still here with me Virgil. I’m so afraid of never being welcomed anywhere because of my size, but at least I have one person who accepts me.” “That’s right. No matter what size you are, I know you’re a very kind and warm person Patton.”
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 Virgil leaned in and placed a soft kiss on Patton and began rubbing the bridge of the nose to soothe the giant. Pat blushed and let himself enjoy Virgil’s touch. Then more tiny hands reached out towards him. It was the villagers, petting his hand. “Thank you! Thank you so much for saving us!” “We would have died without your help!” “You’re not hurt anywhere right?” “We’re so sorry for chasing you away before.”
Continued praise and concern left their mouths as they kissed his hand and rubbed it in circling motions. Patton was stunned that they had all come so close to him and even more thanked him for his help. “You all...y-you’re not afraid of me? Even though I’m so much bigger than before?” “Of course not! You're our savior along with Virgil. We know now you never meant us any harm and we apologize greatly for our poor behavior towards you.” “Same with you Virgil. We realize how we’ve been treating you for the past years was unacceptable. Could we start again?”
Virgil huffed a bit, but floated down nonetheless. He looked at the people and their worried faces, but then extended a hand out to them. “If you’re willing to change and accept us both, I suppose I can’t say no.” The villagers rejoiced! They sang and cheered for their heroes! Finally, after his long journey, Patton had somewhere he belonged and someone who loved him.
The End
@thought-u-said-dragon-queen @sanderssidestrash27 @nomynameisanon @crystalk17 @notkolaidoscop 
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Text
The truth about loving you
Polin Modern au
Part one
4.5k
*Here it is - finally -part one! I hope you enjoy! *
Loving Colin Bridgerton had been the joy and the heartache of her life. It was time for Penelope to move on. He was never going to notice her. He was never going to love her the way she loved him. Always travelling, always seeking something... Colin was back in the small town of Grosvenor. But something was different and he had a feeling, it was him.
Also on AO3
Prologue
Penelope Featherington was well aware that, generally, the idea of love at first sight was laughed at. In addition, the thought that a young woman who had just reached the age of sixteen should find the love of her life in such circumstances was preposterous to most people. Well, almost everyone, really.
But she had. Fallen in love that is. Deep, head over heels, irrevocably in love. With Colin Bridgerton, brother of her dearest friend Eloise. Tall, handsome, charming… kind. Yes, she knew within a few minutes of meeting him and of becoming mesmerised by his smiling eyes that he was kind. She knew that he loved his family to distraction, that he was decent, that he was caring and that he did not have one bad bone in his body. That whoever should be lucky enough to win his heart would be treasured and loved…
So, really, one could not blame her for the instant, fatal bolt of something that had left her painfully in love with a man who saw her, she shuddered to think, as almost another sister. And he already have plenty of those. Penelope, being somewhat shy (and certainly lacking in the kind of confidence that would have let her believe she had any chance of being seen in anything more than sororal terms) had hidden her infatuation behind smiles and blushing cheeks. She had told no one - not a single soul - and miraculously none had guessed. She daren’t divulge the deepest secret of her heart to anyone. It was her private treasure; every moment in his presence was a potent mixture of exquisite joy and painful torment. He was the sunshine of her life. 
And he was completely, utterly oblivious. He had been both the greatest pleasure and tragedy of her life. For twelve. Whole. Years.
Until one day, as she approached the age of 29 and began to have those philosophical internal conversations that one often has when reaching a significant age, she had a revelation. No more, she told herself, no more…
Something had to change. 
Part One
Twelve years, three months and two days of being in love with Colin Bridgerton
With a final few clicks, followed by a deep sigh, Penelope flicked the lid of her laptop closed and glanced at her watch. Six pm. That gave her exactly sixty minutes to prepare herself for the town Spring Gala - otherwise known as Lady Agatha Danbury’s annual party; held every April by the social leader of the small Oxfordshire town of Grosvenor, in which not a soul dared to miss either through fear of Lady Danbury’s interrogation at a later date or simply because it was the first post-Christmas social event, where the chill was finally fading from the air and the dark nights of December had been replaced by the tempting promise of the bright summer evenings to follow.
Penelope didn’t know if she had the energy to face the entire town, but go she would. Really, she should try and make the most of the evening. She would actually miss the predictability of life here. In Grosvenor, nothing of real substance ever changed. It was comforting, but it was a crutch. It was a life she had clung to to avoid making the hard decisions.
As she stood to leave her desk, her eyes fell upon a polaroid. It was a picture of Pen, her best friend Eloise and Eloise’s brother, Colin, taken at Christmas a few years ago, they all were wearing ridiculous jumpers and Colin was trying to stuff a whole mince pie in his mouth. A frown crossed her face. She grabbed the picture and tossed it into the first drawer of her desk, slamming it with a satisfying thud.
It’s time to grow up, Penelope, she told herself. 
It was time for a change.
After locking her door, Pen stashed her keys in her pocket and… nearly jumped out of her skin. Perched on the small brick wall surrounding her cottage was Eloise Bridgerton, her oldest friend, lit cigarette dangling from one hand and black leather jacket slung over her shoulder.
“Jesus, El, you scare me!” Her friend smirked and took a long drag of her cigarette. “And you know if your mother catches you smoking she will kill you.”
Eloise scoffed. “I’m 28 years old Pen. I think I’m pretty far past the age when my mother rules my life.” Pen gave her a pointed look as she put out the cigarette on the stone wall before slipping it back in the packet. “Okay, so she could make my life a misery. As you well know I smoke precisely three times a year: the Danbury party, the Smythe-Smith musical evening and Simon and Daphne’s Christmas Fete.”
Pen knew her thoughts on forced social occasions, they were very similar to her own. Forced socialisation was akin to mental torture to the middle Bridgerton sibling because, like Pen, she had little time for the more vapid members of town society, and sadly, they made up a high percentage of those one would meet on such occasions. Which was why, as ever, she was once again thankful for friendship with Eloise. They were as much alike as they were different but there was something intangible between them that transcended the ordinary. On a higher level, they just fit. Many a time they’d postulate over large glasses of wine about becoming eccentric spinsters one day, with a dozen cats each and a cozy little house that overlooked the sea. It was a comforting thought for someone like Pen, who usually avoided thoughts of the future.
Slipping her arm through her friend’s, Penelope pulled Eloise to stand and began to walk in the direction of the Danbury’s large, sprawling house.“And then why do you attend tonight?” Penelope teased, knowing fair well what the answer was.
“Danbury would have my head on a platter - and then my mother would serve it for dinner. You know how those two are!”
Indeed, Penelope was well aware of the friendship between two of the town’s grande dames, both forceful in their own way and both determined matchmakers. “I wonder who they are trying to set up this year?”
“Don’t look at me,” El spat with an incredulous look, “Mother let that go a long time ago.” “Hyacinth maybe?” 
“She’s far too busy with her graduate degree. She’s determined to get firsts across the board. She’s now onto her fourth language you know?” Pen did know El’s youngest sister had an uncanny knack with languages, it was unnerving really when noone else in her family spoke more than a smattering of bad French. She’d already also mastered Spanish and Mandarin - helped of course through the year she had spent travelling in China. Oh how Pen wanted to go to China… okay, perhaps not China, maybe she wasn’t that adventurous. But just anywhere other than here. “Pen?”
“Hmm?”
Eloise jabbed Pen softly with her elbow. “You like you are on another planet.”
“Just thinking,” she replied, not really being dishonest.
“Well I’m glad to see I am such scintillating company. I was actually trying to tell you I have news.”
Oh. News. Eloise had news? This was the moment Pen had been waiting for. She wanted El to know first, she hadn’t even told her mother yet...
Pausing, Penelope turned to face her friend and forced a smile. “Actually, I, too, have some news-”
Just then, a large pair of arms wrapped around Pen from behind, hugging tightly around her waist before lifting her and spinning her around. 
Oh God. She’d know those arms anywhere. She’d know that cologne. She’d just know it was… 
“Colin! Put me down!,” she screamed, wriggling from his grip, “I’m far too heavy!”
Feet landing back on the pavement, Penelope stumbled a second before spinning on her heel to face him.
“Nonsense, you are light as a feather Pen,” Colin replied, grinning as reached forward and pressed a loud kiss on her cheek - leaving the patch of skin his lips had touched tingling and a deep blush threatened to engulf her face. Thank god it was getting dark already.
“That was my news,” Eloise announced smugly, crossing her arms. “Brother three is back on British soil.”
Stunned was not quite the word to describe Penelope’s state of mind as she stared at Colin Bridgerton. Colin with his warm, wide smile and deep, dark eyes… eyes she had drowned in more times that she cared to count. His thick, brown hair had grown and now licked at the collar of his shirt. But otherwise, Colin had changed very little in the six months since she had last seen him - and indeed in the twelve years since they had met.
“Colin,” she began, still a little tongue tied from the brief kiss and, moreso, his entirely unexpected return, “But you were in Australia?” 
“I decided to come home.”
“Clearly,” she mumbled, her head whirl. He always had that effect on her. His mere presence sent her stomach into knots and her head into a whirl and thinking clearly was almost impossible. “How wonderful,” she added.
She was dizzy. She felt a headache coming on. Actually, she felt just a little sick. Why was he back? Why? He was supposed to be gone for another five months. She should really have guessed that this might happen, Colin’s plans were always flexible and his adventures were subject to whatever whim or passion he was currently in the midst of. Still, it was unlike him to return from a trip early. It would have made more sense for him to spend those extra months exploring some other little corner of the world( and giving her the time she needed). Time for Penelope to make all the changes to her life that her carefully made plans had necessitated. Time for her to finally get over him. Severing her childish adoration for this man was the only way of moving forward with her life and just as she was about to make the great leap into the unknown… there he was. Same old Colin. 
Damn, she was tired of loving him. Because the truth about loving Colin Bridgerton was that it was equal parts heaven and hell.
“Pen!” El shouted, breaking her reverie. “You phased out on me again.” Penelope gave a wan smile. “So what were you going to tell me before my idiot brother here interrupted us?”
“Oh,” she shrugged, “Nothing. Nothing at all.”                                                      
/
Lady Danbury, of course, had planned her event to perfection. A string quartet greeted visitors in the large, marble lined vestibule of Danbury Hall and uniformed wait staff meandered around the milling guests carrying shining silver platters of champagne and fancy-looking canapes. As the trio arrived, friends of Colin’s surrounded the siblings and welcomed their friend home. Colin had always been extremely popular. Between his good nature, sense of humour and ability to make whomsoever he conversed with feel important and noticed, he has managed to forge friendships with almost every inhabitant of Grosvenor. 
Seeing an exit, Penelope grabbed a flute of champagne from the first passing server and managed to sink down half of it in one swift gulp as she headed towards the large ornamental garden that was accessed from the house’s terrace. She needed a moment. She needed air. She needed to think.
He wasn’t supposed to be here. He was supposed to be thousands of miles away. 
She really had convinced herself that she was growing out of her feelings from him. It was quite ridiculous. It had been over TWELVE years. She’d mooned over him all through her teens and twenties, both cursing and thanking her friendship with Eloise for placing them in such close conspiracy. Being close to him and watching him over the years had only deepened her feelings whilst simultaneously feeding a torturous sense of insecurity. It was a curse. Any man she met was instantly compared with Colin. Was he as kind as Colin? Was he as generous as Colin? Did he make her laugh like Colin did? Did she dream of sinking her hands into his hair the way she did with Colin? Would he kiss like Colin... The list was endless. 
Admittedly, the few fleeting relationships she had found herself in over the years had little longevity in them on their own merit. If a man showed an interest in her she was flattered - and flattery led her to trying to like them too. But no matter how much she tried, it was impossible to force attraction, or even friendship, and spending an evening with any of them was a close second to a glass of wine and a good book. So almost permanently single, she’d hidden her feelings under the guise of a bright demeanor and focused herself on building a career and becoming more than a woman driven by her emotions. Well, she had tried. 
Tried and failed miserably as proven by her visceral reaction to his presence that evening. Who was she kidding? The only way to finally free herself from this madness was to take herself out of the equation. Physically.
With a sigh, she downed the rest of her glass and left it on a little decorative iron table that edged the patio. There was little use in ruining the evening by letting herself sink into a mood. Tonight he was here and there was little she could do about it. 
/
Colin was home. Jetlagged, overtired and not-quite sure exactly what the time was, but he was back in Grosvenor with his luggage already deposited in his childhood room at Aubrey Hall. As expected, nothing of any note had changed in Grosvenor in the half a year he had spent travelling across Australia. It never did actually. Not during his tour of Europe, his kayak trip down the Amazon nor those six months spent trekking in India. There was something comforting about that. Home was always home. With very little change to have to acquaint oneself with when returning after a prolonged absence.
Except… Well… She looked different. Penelope did. No, that wasn’t right. Penelope was the same as always. Pen was always there when he came back: she was dependable, as much a part of home as his mother’s Sunday lunches or the broken clock at the town hall - and inevitably joined at the hip with his sister Eloise. But something was different this time.
When he’d seen her across the street, he’d stalked up to her as he often liked to, picking her up and spinning her around - it was an old trick that had started so long ago he’d forgotten exactly how or why. Yet this time he didn’t just feel the sense of enjoyment in making his friend laugh, as he picked her up he had immediately noticed the curve of her hips and the brush of her breasts against his arm. Startled, he had let go, only for her to turn to him with flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes and- well -it was different. He’d always known Penelope was a woman, but tonight for some reason, he knew.
While he had been awake for over 30 hours (thanks to a delightful assortment of caffeinated beverages), he could not blame the tightening in his gut and the moment of breathlessness he felt in that brief moment on sheer exhaustion. In fact, he’d felt a rush of adrenaline and a kick of excitement, as if he had just discovered something new. Something that no one else knew. It was… unsettling. But not exactly in a negative way.
Puzzled and curious, Colin made light work of greeting those old friends who didn’t yet know he had returned and then left Eloise to be grilled by their sister Daphne and her husband Simon about just when she planned on moving out of Aubrey Hall. He slipped away quietly. The simple solution to his confusion was to go and talk with Penelope as he normally would. Surely that would settle whatever had affected him so much. He needed to have a nice, normal conversation with her. It was understandable, he supposed, for friendships to be a little strange after such a time. It hadn’t happened before between them, but still...
It was in the garden that he found her. The evening was still light, the sun turning a hazy orange behind the springtime clouds. He’d left Australia as the summer was turning to autumn and here he was about to experience summer yet again. The idea made him smile. Summer was always his favourite time of year. It seemed filled with so much promise - the days were long, the weather fine and even the gloomiest of souls could not retain their negativity when faced with an English summer’s day.
“Pen,” he said as he approached where she stood at the edge of the ornamental gardens. In one hand, she had a full flute of champagne and in the other an impossibly sized canape. She seemed to be studying the canape and deciding how best to approach it’s consumption - not easy when it took the form of an oversized base of puffed pastry topped with a heavy dollop of cream cheese and an artful sprinkling of caviar (Colin had always appreciated good food). Her eyes met his and she smiled, perhaps a little self consciously.
“Colin, I thought you were enjoying a hero’s welcome.”
He smirked a little, “I should hardly think my travels are an accomplishment. Indeed, mother sees them as somewhat the opposite.” His mother was actually very supportive of her son’s desire to see more of the world, but she had mentioned many times how perhaps spending every penny he earned on the endeavour was not the best forward planning. A large part of him knew she was right. The transient lifestyle he had lived for so long was starting to wear on him if truth were told. Not that the urge to discover new places would ever leave him, but perhaps the way it manifested in his life needed to change. More to think on later, he supposed.  “Anyway, I’m reliably informed that my mother is planning a welcome home and belated birthday party very soon. My loyal fans can fawn over me then,” he teased
“Oh,” Penelope gasped, “Your birthday was last month - I didn’t exactly forget I just - well, with all the travelling I didn’t even know where to send you a card. Here,” she said pushing the canape in his direction, “A present. I’m sure you are starving.”
“Oh no no no,” he chuckled, pushing her hand back. “I could not possibly deny you the pleasure of… that.”
Penelope frowned as she glanced at the oversized canape. Really, Colin was being a little cruel. Even he, who had never been accused of being small of mouth, would struggle to eat that with some semblance of dignity. But Penelope’s pouting pink lips were perfectly proportioned for her petite heart shaped face, forming a flawless pout as she considered the clearly impossible challenge. Colin, for his part, was seriously contemplating the lush fullness of her bottom lip until Penelope let out a deep sigh, opening her mouth wide and pushing the entirety of it inside. Colin sucked in a quick breath. As she chewed a drizzle of cream spread across her lip and he watched, hypnotised, as her tongue slipped out and cleared it away. There was something startlingly erotic in the moment and he found himself transfixed. Their eyes met as her jaw worked, the silence between them somehow startlingly loud, even as the sound of the party increased behind them in the house. Not breaking the eye contact, Penelope took a long sip of her champagne. “Done,’ she murmured softly.
The edges of his lips curled as he reached forward and brushed a crumb of pastry from her petal soft cheek. “Was it enjoyable?” he asked quietly.
Wordlessly, she nodded. 
And, hell, he had enjoyed it too.
‘Well then, I’d say I’m rather jealous.” He was overcome with a sudden urge to kiss her. He wanted to step closer to her, wrap his hands around the devastating curve of her hips, press his body to hers so those lush breastswere flush against his chest and then he would taste those maddeningly erotic lips. The idea pulsed through him. She was staring. Her blue eyes widening. He reached for the glass in her hands, intending to set it down-
Buzzz. Buzzz. Buzzz.
The moment was broken by the vibrations of a mobile phone. It took Pen a few seconds to acknowledge it was hers, a confused look crossing her face until she fished the device from her jeans pocket.
“Pen? PEN? Where are you?” Eloise’s voice bellowed down the line.
“Eloise,” she mouthed to him, though he had no trouble hearing his sister, who was never known for her subtilty. “You need to get here. Daphne is PREGNANT!”
“Oh,” Pen smiled, looking back at him. “I think we should head back to the others.”
Wordlessly he nodded. His sister - for whom motherhood had always been so important - announcing her first pregnancy, was certainly something he wanted to be there for. “C’mon,” he whispered, holding out his arm, “Time to play proud big brother.”
Further exploration of his newfound fascination with Penelope Featherington’s lips would have to wait.
/
Hours later...
The world was silent when they reached her cottage. An intrepid white cat darted across the street as a gust of wind rustled the branches of the small oak tree that dominated the garden of Penelope’s cottage. Despite the light chill to the air, she was wearing a warm coat of alcohol, her cheeks glowing as they always did when she had drunk champagne. Pleasantly tipsy, she leaned into Colin, his warmth comforting against her side as she fumbled in her pocket for her key.
“Thank you,” she said quietly as she opened the half gate that breached the stone wall around her home “But you really didn’t have to walk me all the way home. I’m a big girl, you know.” There was a double meaning to her words; yes she wasn’t exactly young, but she also wasn’t exactly small in size - the phrase ‘curves in abundance’ could have been written just for her, she had thought on more than one occasion.
“It was my pleasure,” Colin replied, “It was a fine excuse to leave before the revels became too tiring- you know these things can go on until morning and I already feel like I could sleep for a year.” With that, he yawned and ran a hand through his hair. Pen watched those lightly tanned fingers come through the dark chestnut locks and swallowed down a sigh.
“Well,” she nodded, “I’d say that it’s time to say goodnight.” For a second, she fidgeted, her keys jangling on her finger. Impulsively, she reached out her hand and immediately felt ridiculously awkward. She and Colin did not shake hands. She didn’t shake hands with anyone. Ever. She cleared her throat and felt her cheeks deepen in colour. Oh god. After their strange moment in the garden, things had felt almost normal between them as they congratulated Daphne and Simon and then passed the rest of the evening hearing stories from Colin’s travels and bringing him up to date with the (somewhat limited) local gossip he had missed. And so when he had insisted on walking her home, she hadn’t been overly wary. Yet now… now they were alone on her quiet street and he was staring at her so oddly that she was actually finding it difficult to breathe-
“Good night,” he said softly, reaching down to bring her into a hug. It was a beautiful, warm embrace, her face almost nestling against his neck so that she could enjoy his musky, soft cologne. This was nice. This was safe. Friends hugged.
She made to pull away, but he only loosened his grip a small amount. Looking up he was so very close. His dark, velvet eyes fixed upon hers. “Pen…” he whispered, a look of concentration upon his face. She tried to wriggle gently free of his arms, his close inspection feeling uncomfortable and somehow searing.
And then he kissed her. Just like that.
His lips were against hers, his hands slipped up her back, his mouth suddenly urgent and wonderful and if Penelope could have imagined his kiss a thousand times she could not have imagined this. He pressed her back against the door, his tongue sweeping into her mouth with a satisfied groan. Her hands, which had been limp around his neck, surged into his thick locks, the satin strands feeling obscenely good between her fingers. He pushed his hips forward, anchoring her in place, his mouth tracing her jaw and then her neck, one hand racing down to cup her buttocks and squeeze just hard enough to make her gasp in surprise.
Colin Bridgerton was kissing her.
Colin was kissing her.
Colin.
Suddenly, she froze, pushing against his shoulders. “Are you drunk?” she panted.
“No,” he frowned, “Are you?”
“No,” she admitted, shaking her head. And, oh she was thankful that she would remember every moment of this...
Without her noticing, Colin had taken the key and opened the door behind her. Quickly,  they fell inside. Their arms instantly back around each other and the kiss resumed and it was intoxicating. It was magnetic. It was drugging… Penelope had never been kissed like this before. 
Colin was nibbling at her neck and pulling her shirt out from her jeans. She dug her fingers into the firm muscles of his shoulders and felt herself being swept away.
“Wait-”
He paused and looked up. 
Penelope took a step backwards. This had to stop. It was madness.  “I-I can’t do this right now. I-”
His face creased in confusion. “Pen?”
She began pushing her shirt back into her jeans. “I need to think. I need to sleep. I-” She sighed and pursed her lips. She couldn’t believe what was happening. She couldn’t believe what she was doing.
He responded with a small nod and a whispered, “Okay.” He reached back and placed his hand on the doorknob, before adding, “Later?’
And Penelope tried to smile.
Colin left, the door closing softly, followed by the clip of footsteps and the creak of her gate. Quickly, she locked the door and then stared at it.
And then Penelope Featherington started to cry.
Oh god, what the hell just happened?
To Be Continued...
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carminite-wyrm · 3 years
Text
Its an Empires SMP + Wynncraft crossover AU I guess
So, I’ve been playing a lot of Wynncraft recently, and man, the Wynncraft lore sure is wild. Halfway through doing a quest I suddenly remembered that hey, nether corruption sure is a thing over here, and isn’t there Also an invading corruption storyline going on over in Empires?
Anyways so here I am with yet another niche AU idea lmao (though also with the latest videos from Pix and Gem I...kind of already am thinking of a variant on this one lmao)
- Some indeterminable point in time in the future, the Empires gang are having the final fight against Xornoth, ready to take out the demon and cleanse their world of the corruption that had been taking hold of their kingdoms.
- Its down to the final few blows, with the Kings and Queens coming together, despite their grievances with one another, despite all the differences that had once been between them, to finally strike down the demon.
- Naturally, of course, it goes a little sideways.
- The final blow lands, and the hellish arena disappears in a flash of unholy light.
- When the heroes awaken, they find themselves in a spider-infested patch of woodland.
- Upon fighting/running their way out, they quickly realise that yeah, this sure isn’t the Empires SMP anymore.
- There are some shenanigans, probably, upon that realisation, but eventually, the group makes their way to the nearby city of Detlas, severely disconcerted by the clear presence of corruption in the land around them.
- They’re fairly certain that they saved their own land, only to land right in another world also beset by corruption.
- Their various communicators also seem to be displaying a different HUD from what they’re used to, including an actual mana bar along with their health, and more equipment slots and most baffling of all: the option to level up and increase a variety of skills.
- Also, there’s magic, though a different magic than what they’re used to
Added to that, the monsters are far more different to what they’ve encountered in their home world. Zombies, fairly standard, even if the ones in this strange land seem somehow more powerful than theirs. Spiders, easy. And then Joey stumbles across a flaming horse rocketing straight at him at roughly 40kmph, screeching demonically all the while. It narrowly misses pummelling him in the face with its hooves and oh, looks like this isn’t a standard world after all.
Character classes and more thoughts under the cut!
Character classes! (Wynncraft currently has 5 classes people can choose from!)
Warriors (uses polearms/hammers, generally the dps/tank build)
Scott – He has a pink battleaxe, yes of course he’s the heavy-weapon-using class. Also, bc I think it’d be really amusing to see this elf dude w/ an antler crown charging straight at someone with a massive axe/hammer/polearm.
Fwhip – King of the Grimlands, projecting an image of strength even as the corruption ran rampant and clashed with the inherent darkness of his own kingdom.
Lizzie – Ocean Queen w/ a Trident, enough said. Sure, there might not be any axolotls in this world for some reason, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have the powers that made her one of the most powerful Empires back home. Probably mains thunder elemental magic, bc sending chain lightning at enemies is very cool.
Mages (Magic staff goes brr. Also they can heal)
Gem! – I imagine she’d be highly adept at hitting enemies with the regular attack spell, and then suddenly casting a meteor and crystalline ice to obliterate her foes as the rest of the party watches on.
Katherine – Teleporting + fast attacks = magic menace. Also bc I think it’d look cool for her, and honestly that’s the majority of my decision-making here w/ the class selections
Pixl – Idk, something about the vigil and the whole candle thing makes me think he’d make a pretty damn good healer. Calm, collected, and the most unshakeable amongst the chaos of the Empires gang. (This AU idea was written like, a week before the latest video lmao so we're just gonna...gloss over the most recent plot developments for a bit until I can figure out how to make it make sense in the AU)
Assassins (Stabby stabby DPS)
Joel – Look I just think the imagery of Joel + Lizzie absolutely wrecking shit together on a battlefield is too good to pass up on.
Sausage – Man literally ran an assassin guild back in their home world, of course he’s an assassin here in this one. Probably has several sets of daggers hidden up his sleeves, and probably ends up with a life steal build.
Pearl – Pearl with knives would be terrifying and amazing to behold. On the other hand, I was considering either Mage or Shaman but we already have like three Mages, and I don't really have any ideas for how Pearl would utilise the Shaman abilities atm.
Archers (Ranged DPS or support)
Jimmy! – Swamp boi deserves to pop off and what better way than to be able to cause arrows to rain from the sky. And also to backflip out of danger. I imagine navigating a swamp has given him an actual dexterity or agility score.
Shaman (Buffs + support)
Shubble – Honestly I think she’d really vibe with the nature-y vibes this class kind of gives me, what with her mushroom kingdom vibes and the magic. Also, one of the most complex classes, but considering Shubble and her whole researching the corruption thing, I think it’d fit.
Joey – I’m gonna be honest, I don’t know much about his POV beyond ‘wants to court the demon’ at the moment, so contributions welcome here.
- Gem and Shubble’s initial investigations (because they absolutely hit the first library or archive they could find) whilst the others explored/adventured around the area eventually lead them to determining that in order to return to their own world, they’ll have to make their way to the most dangerous region of the Wynn region: The Silent Expanse.
Defeating whatever entity is chilling deep in that eldritch hellzone that’s pinging off Gem and Shubble’s (w/ machinery assistance from Pixl) cobbled-together ‘machine for detecting their world’s own magic’ should be enough to trigger the same event that sent them to this world. They think. Its enough for them all to hope, at any rate.
- Its an odd feeling, being at the height of their powers only to be thrust into a world where a tap from an armoured skeleton can take them down to a third of their health in one hit, at their current ability level.
- The party starts off at roughly level 5-7 btw, because I’ve had to do the tutorial quest and Enzan’s Brother quest like six times and I want to skip that here thanks.
- Eventually, the group does have to split into smaller parties for efficiency, though they’re understandably hesitant to be separate from everyone else in an unfamiliar world.
- Obviously, the parties do shuffle around a bit depending on what quests they end up undertaking, to play for each of their strengths and to cover for their weaknesses.
- Because they’re the Kings and Queens of the Empires SMP, they climb up the levels fairly rapidly, racing through quests in Ragni, Detlas, Nemract, Almuj, before finally venturing across the ocean to the province of Gavel.
- They’re well aware that something rather bad is going on in this world, something that looks and feels so similar to the corruption back home, but yet not.
- Their first encounter with the Parasites in the Dark Forest has those more in tune with the currents of magic, or the natural world, recoiling from the feeling of ‘wrong wrong that should not be in this world-‘
After that harrowing encounter, they are very, very glad, that in their world, the source of the corruption was clearly from a pesky demon, and not the result of warring planar powers.
One would think that, as the resident swamp dweller of their motley group, Jimmy would have been a tad more relaxed in the Olux Swamp. And yet, the magic from his Empire has him on edge throughout their travels in that area, the lingering sense of foreign magic, of what the locals refer to as the Decay, worrying away at the familiar scent of the swamp.
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cherrychonk · 3 years
Text
The Transfer part 10
(This was more of a filler chapter so bare with me okay? I had a block as big as my forehead and needed something to move forward with the story. Don't get me wrong, some y/nxLin shit in here too ;) )
You're sitting close to Zhu Li, the cameras are taking pictures as you get ready for the interview. The woman next to you, the president, looks to be for the people. She has a soft smile that fills you up with confidence, yet her firmness reminds you of Lin. The Chief, now standing a few feet behind you, arms behind her back watching the crowd. You meet her eyes briefly, looking for comfort when her iron expression softens and she gives you a nod.
You go back to looking at president Moon who is now getting ready to start the interview. She stretches her hand and you shake it gracefully.
“It's an honor to finally meet you officer Y/N, I've heard great things about you.” The woman spoke.
“The honor is all mine.” You respond with a smile.
“I've heard everything about your selfless act of risking your life to save a young girl from a burning building, to the simple deed of showing kindness to those around you.”
You smiled gently.
“When I heard what you've done, I knew I had to see you in person. Such altruistics actions of bravery and compassion should be recognized. Don't you agree?”
You sat straight in your chair. The cameras were pointing at you and you felt the temperature rise. “I was honoring my job and the lives at risk. I'm here to protect and serve the citizens of The Republic of Nations.”
Zhu Li seemed content with the response. “Yet you went above and beyond. I know what police work is about, and not a single manual I've ever read stated that you should go into a burning and nearly collapsing building to save a life.”
You nodded. “It's in my moral code to do anything and everything possible to preserve life, no matter the person. All life is precious and should be treated with respect and dignity.”
“I agree completely. Life is a wonderful thing, and I'm sure that girl and her family are more than happy that they get to spend many more years enjoying it.”
Zhu Li stared at your uniform for a few seconds before looking up at your eyes. “Would you mind rolling up your sleeves?” She asked politely.
You nodded and slowly rolled them to your shoulders. It was nerve racking. You didn't know what she was about to do, she could ostracize you in front of hundreds of people or worse. Yet you stayed calm and trusted her to be respectful, you also trusted Lin to have your back.
“One of the main things in the paper besides your bravery, was your skin. I've never seen a woman as heavily tattooed as you. It was quite the surprise to see an officer covered in ink.
“There's so many tattoos. Symbols, flowers, animals, words. So many things in your skin. Seeing it in the newspaper doesn't do it justice. It makes you pop out. Is that why you got them? If not, why would you do such a thing?”
You could see Lin move to your line of view from your peripheral. Knowing she was close by made you relax a little. You started telling the woman your views on tattoos, what they meant to you and to so many people. Why you had so many (Just for aesthetic reasons) and the stories behind a few. She asked more questions that you answer truthfully. The more time went on the more comfortable you felt talking to the President. To you and everyone’s surprise she raised her blouse and turned around to reveal a small flower tattoo on the back of her shoulder. Your jaw dropped and she started talking about how no one should be judged over things like that because it didn't mean anything about someone's character. You were still stunned as she turned to the camera crew and stated how she would fight to bring equality in the workplace and in the city. How she would stand against stigmas that hurt people and how she would be by the side of those who were unjustly judged for it. She walked towards you as you stood and shook her hand.
“I will fight for you and the people, you have my support.” The President said proudly.
You smiled brightly. “Thank you.”
______
You and Lin were walking out of the building towards the parking lot. You had to take a few pictures with the paparazzi and answer a few questions but soon they were more focused on Zhu Li to pay attention to you. Once they left you alone you and Lin continued walking.
“Did you see that?! She has a tattoo!” You exclaimed in shock.
“I saw it, pretty unbelievable. Wouldn't have guessed it myself.” Lin responded walking alongside you.
“It makes you think how many other people have tattoos that we don't know of! I bet there's more than a handful of officers with tattoos! And doctors! And government officials!” You tell her animatedly.
She nodded. “The law is going to change now, they will see how good people don't look traditionally good but still are great people.”
“This is so exciting! How things are changing.” You said climbing into the patrol.
Lin nodded. “They usually change for the better. Asami and Korra really helped this nation become more accepting of people’s sexuality. So many couples can marry and have rights that they didn't have before. I remember when Kya and Amara had to go to the south to get married and the city only recognized it a few years ago.”
“Wow… Things do change for the better.” You said in awe.
“And now you're part of that big change. You should feel proud.” Lin said calmly.
“You know, If you hadn't allowed me to stay, I would've never saved that girl. That later made me show my tattoos, that now is making all these things happening. A series of fortunate events all thanks to you.” You smiled at her.
The chief just shrugged. “When did Amara say you could be back?”
“According to her, as soon as I can run a marathon without passing out.” You huffed.
“Well, if you keep going to physical therapy and do the things doctor Amara asks you to do, you'll be back to the old you in no time.” Lin says looking over at you momentarily.
“I hope so…”
“Y/N, if you need anything. You will call me directly and I’ll make sure you get any help you need. Your recovery is very important and your health is top priority right now. I understand that you might want to be in the station by the next few hours but healing takes time. Make sure to take as long as you need and don't rush it.”
You felt your heartbeat louder than usual at the Chief’s words of advice. How she prioritized your needs and well-being. You felt your face heat up and nodded eagerly.
“T-Thanks, I'll keep it in mind, Chief.”
________
It was an agonizing slow month, physical therapy was long yet everyday you got a little better. Better at walking up or down stairs without falling, better at walking and finally better at running. Sparring was still a huge no by all the doctors but that didn't mean you couldn't bend your element against Korra whenever you visited her and Asami. The heiress would take you to the race track and show you a good time with the cars. She even taught you to drive some and slowly you were racing alongside the CEO, not as fast but still having fun.
When you first met Naga you almost had a heart attack, she appeared out of nowhere scaring the heck out of you. She immediately took a liking to you and she even let you ride her around.
Other days you would visit temple island and carefully play with the kids, running around and playing hide and seek. You bonded with all of them and would stay for dinner most days. Team avatar would take you with them for little adventures around the city and you got to meet a few new people and the best noodle place was Narook Seaweed Noodlery. Even though there was still much to explore, your day was too energy draining to continue until sundown.
You finally managed to take Jia for some drinks and started bonding with her more. You noticed her attitude towards you changed, she was less flirtatious and more relaxed around you. She would check up on you every day, calling the apartment phone and making sure you had eaten. She reminded you of an officer back in Ba Sing Se that would always be next to you checking everything for you. You used to call him little brother, even though he was older, just because he was so childishly protective of you.
On the other hand, you barely saw the Chief. The only moments were in the temple at dinner time where Kya and her wife would come over and she would appear sometimes. You would tell her your progress and talk for a while before both of you parted ways at the docks. Sometimes you stayed over and sometimes Kya drove you home, but you always ended your day with a huge smile on your face and absolutely exhausted.
____________
Today you were finally going back to work after being cleared by Doctor Amara and Master Kya. You were incredibly happy and grateful for their care, helping you fully recover from your injury. You were now on your way to the station, in your hands you carried three hot coffees on your cup tray and a bag of pastries. Pushing the doors open with your back, Jia quickly walked over to you with a smile.
“Y/N! You're back!” She beamed.
“I wanted to surprise you.” You laughed while handing her coffee and snacks.
“Well this is more than a pleasant surprise.” She smiled.
“Did I get here before the Chief?” You asked, walking over the elevator.
“Nope! She beat you this time, she's in her office. I'm sure she will be glad to see you here again.” Jia said, pressing the elevator button.
“We'll see, talk to you later!” You smiled at her.
The door closed and you were counting each floor until the loud ding signaled you were finally at your floor. You were always a sucker for being early and were pleased to find the bullpen mostly empty except for a couple of officers including Mako. The man looked surprised to see you before a wide smile spread across his face.
“Y/N! You're back. Welcome.” Mako said proudly.
“You thought you were getting rid of me that easily?” You fake being insulted before chuckling. “I'm a lot harder to kill than you think.”
You both walked towards the Chief’s office while he knocked on the door.
“Come in.” The Chief said in her usual strong voice.
“Can't wait to work with you again. Of course, as soon as the Chief un-grounds you.” He joked.
You stuck your tongue out and he laughed walking away.
“Good Luck!” He yelled over his shoulder.
You shook your head, slowly pushing the door open and carefully walking inside. The Chief looked up at you from her glasses and quickly her face softened.
“Welcome back, officer Y/N.”
You smiled at her as you looked around her newly redesigned office. The first thing you noticed was the small desk beside the Chief’s own and the similar chair on it. Then you saw Lin walking over to you carefully grabbing the bag and coffee tray.
“Good morning Chief. You really meant it when you said you would work side by side with me.” You smile.
“It seems the only way to keep you out of trouble is constant supervision.” Lin responded, setting the coffee down.
You sat at your new desk and tapped it around getting the feel of it.
“All your files were moved here so everything you left should be there. If something’s missing I'll ask Saikan where he put it.”
You opened a few drawers and pulled out the journal and your notepad. You could see the rest of the files and pull some out. “It seems everything’s here.”
Lin nodded and started doing her mountain of paperwork. You reached out and took a sip of your coffee as you started to read where you left off.
You were back.
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ladyherenya · 3 years
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I’ve taken forever to finish this post. Such round-ups are easier when I haven’t read so many books, and when the pandemic isn’t being so distracting.
Also read: A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund, Cutie and the Beast by M.E. Carter and “Dueling Magics” by Stephanie Burgis. 
Total: sixteen novels (including four audiobooks), two novellas, one short story, one graphic novel and one comic volume. 
Cover thoughts: Tarashana is my favourite, followed by A Natural History of Dragons. I altered the covers for the Stevenson trilogy -- I like my versions more! 
Did not finish: The Long Distance Playlist by Tara Eglington. 
Still reading: Love in the Blitz: The Greatest Lost Love Letters of the Second World War by Eileen Alexander. 
Next up: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho. 
My full reviews are on Dreamwidth and LibraryThing. 
*
A Portrait of Loyalty by Roseanna M. White (narrated by Susan Lyons): Romantic historical mystery, set in London during 1918. Christian fiction. Features characters from the The Number of Love and On Wings of Devotion.
I was surprised by how long it took before I really cared about the characters and their relationships. It was interesting to consider the way dark-room photography could be used -- and manipulated -- in aid of the war effort. 3 ★ 
*
Playing Hearts by W.R. Gingell: Portal fantasy based on Alice in Wonderland. Novella. 
I like retellings and Alice in Wonderland references and Gingell’s storytelling, so I was a bit surprised by how long I took to warm to this. I liked the final section a lot. 3 ★ 
*
Dawnshard: From the Stormlight Archive by Brandon Sanderson: Fantasy. Part of the Stormlight Archive, set after Oathbringer. Novella.  
I struggled to focus, distracted dredging up and searching through my memories of this series. But Sanderson is a successful storyteller, and the end of this adventure was satisfying. 3 ★ 
*
Game of Hearts by Cathy Yardley: Contemporary fandom-y romance. Features characters from Level Up and One True Pairing.
The characters’ respective family issues were resolved far too readily, but I find this sort of fluffy romance is acceptable if it comes with fandom references.  
*
Bel Lamington (1961) by D.E. Stevenson (narrated by Patience Tomlinson): Romantic fiction. Features characters from the Dering Family trilogy.
Delightful. A very gentle sort of story, although it’s not just gardening and picturesque scenery and new friendships -- Bel also encounters stressful difficulties at work. I could predict how everything would all ultimately turn out -- but was surprised by some of the turns the story took getting there. 3½ ★   
*
A Bride of Convenience by Jody Hedlund: Historical Christian romance set in 19th century Canada. 
An interesting glimpse into an aspect of history I didn’t know about (bride ships), but neither the pacing nor the tone appealed to me. 2 ★ 
*
Torch by R.J. Anderson: YA-ish fantasy, faeries and shapeshifters. Sequel to Swift and Nomad.
A satisfying conclusion with some surprising developments. I was glad to see things resolve happily for Ivy.  3 ★  
*
The Dering Family trilogy by D.E. Stevenson: Romantic fiction set in England and Scotland. 
Vittoria Cottage (1949) (narrated by Leslie Mackie): Nothing too dramatic happens but it’s a fascinating insight into postwar life in England, still with rationing. I like that Stevenson considers the concerns of a middle-aged widow worthy of this sort of attention -- and of this sort of romance.  3 ★ 
Music in the Hills (1950):  James Dering goes to stay with his aunt and uncle in Scotland, and learn about farming. I knew how James’ romantic endeavours would unfold (from reading Bel Lamington) but even with that foreknowledge to make things extra predictable, I wanted to keep reading. This has such a strong sense of place! And the characters are very likeable.  3½ ★ 
Winter and Rough Weather (1951): Follows on from Music in the Hills.  A vivid insight into how poor roads and poor weather can isolate one from the outside world. I didn’t mind spending time with James and Rhoda’s friends, but they rather became the focus towards the end and maybe I’d have liked this book more if that hadn’t been the case? 3 ★ 
*
“Dueling Magics” by Stephanie Burgis: Short story set after A Most Improper Magick. Children’s fantasy. Verdict: cute. 
*
Fangirl: the manga, vol. 1 by Rainbow Rowell (story adapted by Sam Maggs and illustrated by Gabi Nam):  First installment in the manga adaptation of a young-adult novel about a fangirl going off to college.
A lovely way to revisit Fangirl! Judging from my memory of the novel, this is a remarkably -- and satisfyingly -- faithful adaptation. I really liked the artwork. 3½ ★ 
*
The Tuyo series by Rachel Neumeier:  Fantasy. 
Nikoles: A prequel side-story about a minor character from Tuyo. A thoughtful look at what causes a conflict between two peoples to escalate -- or to be resolved -- through the eyes of a likeable protagonist.  3 ★ 
Tarashana:  A direct sequel to Tuyo. I loved it. It’s a journey into the unknown, full of difficulties and danger in that way that good fantasy quests so often are. Very tense!  I was also impressed with the way this story explores the challenges of justly judging people, and how this gives Ryo a more nuanced perspective, but the events of the novel thematic cohesion. 4 ★ 
*
The Long Distance Playlist by Tara Eglinton:  Epistolary Australian YA. Unfinished.
Two teenagers reconnect through email and share Spotify recommendations for dealing with breakups. I didn't finish this before my loan expired -- maybe I'll read more when it becomes available again.
*
Second First Impressions by Sally Thorne: Contemporary romance between two 20-something employees at a retirement village.
Thorne has a gift for vividly capturing the quirky personalities of two people and capturing the different ways in which they like each other. There were a few small-ish things in this story I didn’t personally like. Mixed feelings, I have them.  3 ★ 
*
Copper Mountain by Rachel Neumeier:  Urban fantasy. Part of the Black Dog series, set after Shadow Twin and Black Dog Stories III.
Dimilioc deals with demons. I was reminded that I do care about these characters. This wouldn’t have been so tense if I wasn’t so invested! 3½ ★ 
*
The Year’s Midnight by Rachel Neumeier: Death’s Lady, book one. Portal world fantasy.
Compelling. I really like how, even though Dr Daniel Dodson doesn’t believe his patient Tenai is from another world, this doesn’t actually undermine his ability to help her. Because he believes that Tenai fully believes her story and that it’s important for understanding her anger.  3½ ★ 
*
A Natural History of Dragons: a memoir by Lady Trent by Marie Brennan (narrated by Kate Reading): Fantasy. Isabella tells of her childhood obsession with dragons, and how, aged nineteen, she joined an expedition to Vystrana.
Such a novel and interesting approach to dragons. Isabella’s adventures are eventful, and her observations are astute and often delightfully expressed.  But  I came away feeling unsure if I found the ending satisfying, because as a reader, I’m HERE for the emotions. 3½ ★ 
*
The Murderbot Diaries: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells: Science-fiction. Set between Exit Strategy and Network Effect. Novella.
A less intense installment. On the other hand, I would happily read about Murderbot solving any number of mysteries. ANY NUMBER. It was interesting to see Murderbot working under a different set of restrictions.  3½ ★ 
*
Cutie and the Beast by M.E. Carter:  Contemporary romance, single-parent co-coworkers, roommates-to-lovers.
I finished it but it wasn't really my thing.
*
Runaways: Canon Fodder (volume 5) by Rainbow Rowell (illustrated by Andres Genolet): Marvel superhero comics.
The previous volume had more scenes which stood out to me as memorable or quotable, but this volume had a strong, complete story arc and that was really satisfying! As is the rather pointed commentary about being a superhero. 3½ ★
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stargazing-enby · 3 years
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Hello Knower of All Things Queer! (Like seriously, I love you and your blog for all the info lol) Please could you tell me what the hell queerbaiting is?
Thanks! 🐸
I'm really glad you like my blog! I learn so much through the things I reblog, so I'm glad others do too 😊
I think the urban dictionary and Wikipedia definitions are pretty good tbh! It's basically a marketing technique where mass media creators add subtle cues that their characters may be queer but never actually make them canonically queer. That way, they can attract queer fans and allies—who are basically starved for representation—with the "promise" that there will eventually be canon rep, while also avoiding the wrath of their queerphobic audience.
Sherlock and Merlin from the BBC are the most well known examples, at least that I know of. I've only seen the term queerbaiting used in the context of hinting at romance/attraction between characters of the same gender, but I'm sure this also happens with trans characters as well as with other identities.
The thing is, when shows, movies, etc. hint at something that is accepted in society, like a straight* relationship, the audience doesn't need to question or analyse it. It's understood by everyone that those hints will follow through and those characters will be some brand of canon. Even if they don't end up together, their relationship will definitely be explored in some way. Why would those hints be there if not? That'd be poor storytelling.
But that's not true for things that aren't acceptable by society's standards, and in particular for queer themes. Following the example of ships, if two men or two women share intense looks, have moments of vulnerability with each other, or clearly display intense emotions for the other, there is absolutely no guarantee that anything beyond that will ever happen; that the characters will even acknowledge those emotions. In fact, in fandom spaces, anyone who DARES point out the clear chemistry between the characters—which is often being portrayed in the same ways as it's usually shown between straight characters—will have to face the wrath of all the homophobic fans of that media, who'll tell them they're trying to turn a good friendship into a queer one for their own personal agenda.
This happened with Princess Bubblegum and Marceline in Adventure Time, for example. They didn't become canon until the last episode of the show, where they kissed on the lips. Think about it. Through the show, it had been shown that the shirt Marceline gave PB held more emotional value that a plushie Marceline had owned for a thousand years that the man who rescued her during the apocalypse and raised her, only to lose himself to a curse and abandon her, had given her. Through the show, they are shown wearing clothes that belong to the other, blushing when looking at each other, singing about their feelings for the other... Hell, it's canon that they were really REALLY close before the events of the show, but PB's need to care for her kingdom made her push Marcy away. There was even a whole miniseries about Marcy becoming a mortal for a few days and growing up enough as a person that she was finally at a point in her life where she and PB could be equals and could finally "be together forever".
AND THEY STILL NEEDED TO KISS ON THE LIPS TO BECOME CANON.
Why do we have to analyse every single frame of a show and argue and write entire essays to "prove" our ship is canon before they kiss on the lips, when straight ships only have to look at each other for 3 seconds once and everyone already knows they'll be canon?
And yes, I say "on the lips" for a reason. After Ruby kissed Sapphire's face several times in a row while she lifted her off the floor in the last episode of season 1 of Steven Universe, homophobes on the Internet bullied literally anyone who dared imply they were anything more than siblings, or perhaps really good friends.
I mean, for fuck's sake. In Voltron, Keith told Shiro he loved him—he loved him—after a super intense battle where Keith risked his life to save Shiro from himself—and they STILL didn't become canon! It was the Bubbline argument all over again, except this time, instead of arguing with homophobes on Instagram about how, no, they were NOT just really good friends, we had to argue with antis on twitter and tumblr about how NO, that is NOT brotherly love! Ffs!!!!!
This has turned into a 3am ramble, but my point is that the way so many mass media creators capitalise off of queer identities while not making an ounce of effort to normalise our identities isn't just disgusting and queerphobic, it's also fucking dangerous. Because it teaches homophobes they're right when they silence us and tell us we're making things up—it teaches them that queer people identifying with their favourite characters are, in fact, forcing queer identities onto those very straight characters. It teaches them that they're rational and we're emotional.
And it's so fucking exhausting.
(Shoutout to Adventure Time and Steven Universe for making the wlw ships canon, though!!! But yeah, I used them as examples of how explicit our representation needs to be in order to count, and how this can be used in order to queerbait viewers—to give just enough hints that something SHOULD happen to attract a queer audience, but then never follow through and have the rest of your viewers be completely okay with that).
*I use 'straight' as an opposite of queer on this post
Ps. please bear in mind I'm not an authority in this topic—these are just my thoughts. Feel free to share yours!
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popculturebuffet · 3 years
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Lilo and Stitch Crossovers: “Morpholomew” (American Dragon Long): Stop Trying to Make Am Drag a Thing (Commisson Done For WeirdKev27)
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Hello all you happy people! And welcome to a brand new retrospective/story arc/thing from yours truly, comissoned directly by WeirdKev27. If you’d like to comission your own review or set of reviews like this one, it’s 5 bucks. Just contact me via my ask box or direct messages on this very blog or my discord technicolormuk#6550.
With Shadow Into Light in the books, Kev decided he wanted to comission something not duck related and a bit smaller as a buffer before the next big arc, ALL of three arcs from season 2 of Ducktales, and decided to go with something he suggested to be a while back as a possible future retrospective: The Lilo and Stitch Crossover episodes! 
That’s right for the next three weeks, with TWO reviews this week since I had a spot open up and Kev paid for this one in full and way in advance, we’ll be taking a trip to Hawaii to visit everyone’s faviorte little girl, her best friend/pet/killing machine as they try to find homes for his 625 cousins. 
I loved Lilo and Stitch when I was a kid: Disney admitely got their hooks in me on that one with their cool prequel comics in disney adventures. These comics set up the movie, showing Jumba creating Stitch and the events leading up to both getting captured. The movie did not disapoint with cool character designs, a drop dead gorgeous recreation of Hawaii, and a really heartfelt, heartbreaking and heartpumping story of loss, family, and ving rahmes voicing one of the few heroic child services workers i’ve seen in a medium, a refreshing change of pace. The film is a masterpiece and I really do need to watch it again sometime. 
Given the series was a huge hit and that thsi was before the big lull in the late 2000′s and early 2010′s where Disney refused to make any tv shows based on their movies, a series followed, given a lead in by the direct to video movie Stitch.
The movie set up the basic premise; 624 capsules containing Jumba’s previous experiments, cousins as Stitch calls them, ended up raining over Kauai, awakening when dropped into water or any other liquid. Lilo and Stitch, with help from Jumba, his live in boyfriend Pleakley, her tought but fair sister Nani, and her boyfriend David, who dosen’t show up as much as i’d like but is my boy so he gets a mention here. But anyways our heroes try to reform the various engines of distructoin who all have unique powers and find them their one place they truly belong. 
So yes the show was a Mons-type show clearly captalizing off pokemon.. but the slice of life setting as opposed to the shonen style of most shows following in pokemon’s wake, gave it it’s own unique feel: while our heroes did fight, it was more about shenanigans, adventures and what not with these unique creatures and the purpose is very heartflet: Lilo simply wants to give these guys the same kind of love and support she’s given Stitch and a chance to do good. 
Opposing them is Gantu, the shark bounty hunter from the first film who, now out of a job, is working for Dr. Hamstervile, an imprisoned sceintest and a character I really don’t like that much as he’s not funny or a genuine threat or both and feels like a waste of time. Thankfully he’s not the focus and Gantu is instead partnered with 625, my faviorite Lilo and Stitch character. 625, as the name suggests, is stitch’s immediate prototype.. but unlike Stitch is too lazy and peaceful to be a real threat and isn’t even really a villian despite being on Gantu’s side. He’s busy making samwitches, his calling to the point when he gets a name in the finale movie it’s naturally Ruben, and snarking at gantu. He’s sadly not in this one but hopefully it’s JUST this one. 
As you can tell I liked this show a LOT at the time. I haven’t watched it since, mostly because disney scarely replayed it after it’s run, but it was vibrant, fun and intresting and a nicely laidback and creative take. The fact I came into the franchise with the comics and thus 625, who was introduced there in fact, and had a hunger to know more about the other experiments certainly helped. It was great fun. 
But while I grew up with the show and the four shows it teamed up with, i’ve never seen these episodes before these reviews. I wondered why for years as I caught the tail end of the kim possible one and saw images ocasionally, but never saw them. 
Turns out it’s because in general Season 2 got screwed over. While Season 1 was pushed out the door fast and aired at a rapid pace Season 2.. was portioned out over several years, and the Recess crossover one, the last one aired and the last one i’ll be covering never even got to Disney channel, only airing on ABC kids, DIsney’s saturday morning block at the time I rarely watched. I did watch it’s predecessor one saturday morning though. Good stuff. 
Since I couldn’t find any making of stuff for why these episodes happened, my best guess is DIsney wanted some cross promotion, and the shows used were chosen because they were the most popular at the time and honestly all 4 represent some of disney’s best, with Recess being in heavy reruns at the time, hence i’ts conclusion despite the show being finished before Lilo And Stitch the movie came out, let alone the series. 
So yeah i’m taking this ride for the first time.. but I was happy to. While Kev pays for a lot of my work, I still have to accept the idea.. and this was a great one. It allows me to cover 5 amazing series and gage how much people would want to see reviews of said series on this blog in one fell swoop.
So to kick us off we have American Dragon: Jake Long, a series I waited forever to come to Disney + as I loved it at the time, badly need to rewatch it (Been busy ), and find it genuinely great: It’s a great teen superhero story about the magical protector of new york, with a charming lead, a great setting and horrifcally great villians in the violently racist magic creature hunting huntsclan.. and their top agent who happens to be jake’s love intrest Rose. It’s really excellent and i’m glad it’s now widely avaliable for all to see. I will say ahead that all four shows in this crossover arc are excellent, and were fine choices for this. 
So what happens when an action comedy about a hip hop teenage dragon meets a slice of life show about aliens? Find out under the cut. 
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So we open at a fancy hotel where Lilo’s bringing lunch to her sister Nani when she runs into.. Keoni Jameson. 
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The second I remembered this kid all the hate just came flooding back, coursing through my veigns. Just pure liquid hatred for this little perosnalitiless little punk. Keoni is Lilo’s crush and local “stupid white audience stand in”. He has no real personality other than “generic cool kid” and “likes skating”, and just sucks the air out of the room anytime he’s in an episode. Keoni is part of a recurring problem in cartoons across the ages, one that’s slowly going away: the bland love intrest. Intorducing a character whose only traits are being cool for the lead to fawn over with usually no intent of either getting the two togehter or just ending it. IT’s annoying, it was in a good chunk of my childhood, I wish it’d stop. I cannot tell you how many shows used this trope. There were exceptions, American Dragon Jake Long actually used it well by not only making Rose a fleshed out character..  but making her jake’s nemisis in their other lives, and thus making things increidbly difficult on both once the truth comes out, with Jake grappling with if he can trust her or not and Rose grappling with the slow relization eveyrthing she was taught her whole life was wrong.
And again I have seen GOOD storylines using this as a tool: Dipper and Wendy ended with her having been aware teh whole time, but simply not knowing how to let him down given the age gap, and Regular Show rebounded the best from it: it turned the stop and start relatoinshpi of Mordecai and Margret’s relationship into a character flaw for him, openly explored it.. and ended up having him work past it and actually date her for a bit. Before she moved away, he got an even better love interest, then they destoryed the relationship in the worst way posisble and I wil lbe getting to that at some point. Some point. 
So yeah even at the time it was done better, hindsight haas only made it worse and it made watching the first few minutes tough because I had to keep pasuing because I hate him so damn much. He just adds NOTHING to the show and is a blank yanwing void from which no good came out of and I was terrified he’d be in the rest of the episode. Thankfully while he drives the plot he’s only in this scene.. but it’s still one more scene than both 625 and Pleakly got. yeah both are missing, as is nani. 
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I did uncover one fun fact that made things a bit easier though: The crew ALSO hated Keoni. No really. Disney forced the character on them as they wanted an audience surrogate, and this abomination is what popped out. They DID NOT want him here and likely only used him as mcuh as they did because Disney forced it on them. And Disney would NOT learn from this as Star Vs got saddled with Alphonso and Ferguson soley because of network mandate. The two aren’t TERRIBLE characters but they aren’t great and feel as tacked on as they were. And part of this does fall on the crew: you CAN twist a stupid mandate like this to work well: Joe Murray was asked to add “A female character with a hook”, as in some sort of dumb gimmick to Rocko. He used those words, meant to create a superfical girl power cardboard cutout.. and created the wonderful Dr. Hutchenson, a bright cheery doctor, the series best sidecharacter.. and someone with a hook hand. But I won’t go too hard on them: they probably didn’t have as much room to manuver and the fact Keoni was sitll being shoved into episodes in season 2 tells me they likely had a set number of episodes he had to show up. I’m suprised they didn’t demand they have characters ask “Where’s Keonie?” any time he wasn’t in an episode. He was unecessary and it comes across with a massive chunk of unforutnate implications: that they didn’t think a series with a mostly hawaiann cast would work, that they wanted at least one other “nice” white character to offset myrtle instead of having the only major white character be a bully and antagonist, and that they thought tehir mostly white audience coudln’t enjoy a series without a white character, which as someone who was in the target demo at the time, I call bullshit on. As I said I hated him then, I hate him now and his involvement is the worst aspect of this episode. 
So after Lilo fawns over him for a bit we find out this chonk of wood’s purpose in the episode: to set up the plot. There’s a massive Skate Competition coming to town with the prize being a really cool skateboard.  This plot point itself.. I don’t mind. Jake is a skater, it’s part of his character and one of the things he loves doing in what minsicule spare time he has. And while it was a common trope at the time having a character skateboard really dosen’t harm most works. We’ve gotten great characters like Jake, Jackie Lynn Thomas, Branwen and Ronnie Anne Santiago out of it, and it feels like natural parts of the character, and frankly An Extremley Goofy Movie wouldn’t be NEARLY as awesome without having skateboarding bizzarley attached to the plot via the college x-games. Granted somtimes you get Rocket Power out of the deal but that’s the price you pay for the good stuff. I only regret it’s involved because Keoni has to be there and I had to pause multiple times to get through his scene. He’s just a sampler platter of terrible decisions made in 2000′s cartoons and he irritates me more than this guy. 
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And anyone whose read my Loud House reviews can tell you that is a high bar to clear. 
So naturally Lilo wants to enter the Hawiann X-Games to get the board for Keoni. Though I will give the writers credit for having Stitch voice their thoughts and the audiences thoughts by having him take Keoni’s picture and throw it in the garbage. Where he belongs. 
Lilo’s not great at it as they practice.. and said practice naturally ends up waking up a new experiment, 316.. who i’m just going to go ahead and call Morpholomew. Stitch eventually catches him though like many of the experiments he’s not actively malevelolent and is easy enough to get home. 
Jumba gets to his schitck of breaking down what the experiment of the week does: In this case Morpholomew is  a shapeshifter though he has a VERY intresting twist on those powers: while he can naturally morph himself into anything he’s seen or has a picture of, he can do the same to anyone he touches. It dosen’t effect their voices, but otherwise it’s a perfect recreation. 
So Lilo instead of finding him a home right away.. decides to wait until after the compettition because we need him for the plot. 
So at the Skateboard Competittion Lilo tries to enter, but finds she’s too young.. but since she has a picture of Keoni, which is a nice way to use her photo hobby from the movie for plot reasons and thus dosen’t feel like an ass pull. Why Keoni’s not in town to skate is as his dad left because it’d be too crowded.. even though the event is at the resort he owns. 
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So while Lilo commits identtity theft, our guest star appears. He’s cool, he’s hot like a frozen son, he’s young and fast he’s the chosen one, people i’m not braggin, i’ts the American Dragon. Jake is here for two reasons: the first is that Grandpa Long got reports of magical creatures out in the open, so naturally they need to look into that. It’s a clever way to get him, along with Grandpa, Fu, Trixie and Spud, over to Hawaii. The Dragon Council would defintely be suspcious hearing about this, and my guess to why they hadn’t sent another dragon over is they simply dont’ have one on the islands. As for why the Huntsclan didn’t get involved in any way, it’s simply too public for them.  With the magical community in new york, they don’t have to worry about exposure because neither side wants it, so neither side can out the other. Here with a bunch of creatures out in the open it runs the risk of the Hunstclan being dragged into the light.. and given the populace dosne’t care about the “magical creatures” alongside them, it would make them look like the monsters they are. 
Spud and Trixie tagging along also makes sense besides “they needed them for the plot”: While they’d obviously want to come to Hawaii, the skate competition is likely Jake’s cover for why he’s there, as well as one for why it’s just him and grandpa going with a couple of his friends so they don’t have to deal with manuvering around jake’s dad. That sad them never TELLING jake’s Dad is it’s own can of worms as it feels cruel, made things harder for jake and there was no real reason not to. At worst he’d want Jake to stop for his own saftey but given ther’es an active threat in  the huntsclan for the first season and a half, NOT helping people would be the right thing and I feel he’s a sensible enough man to understand eventually. 
And it’s stuff like this that already makes this crossover really work for me: they don’t really have to strain to get Jake over there or tell the audience heavily, the blanks fill in themslves. Or I am but that’s because it’s my job and I love doin it. 
So everyone goes off to their corners; Jake to do a few practice runs, Foo Dog to bet on his friend because of course, Trixie and Spud to go to the beach (even though Spud’s terrified of sharks so I question why Trixie needs him for this), and in a delightfully adorable subplot, finds a lady to woo: local fruit stand vendoer and crankly old lady Mrs. Hasagawa. 
I am here for this subplot: While Grandpa not focusing on the mission is weird for him that’s the entire point.. and their just really cute together. He’s smitten with her entirely because he sees her chewing out one of the people running the contest for making her sign too small. And he performs one hell of a romantic gesture by, while everyone’s back is turned, using his dragon fire to make an add for her on the skate ramp itself, and they have a lovely montage of their time together.. which also weirdly includes grandpa using his dragon fire on stage inf ront of everyone which makes no sense for his charcter but is so cute and does feature david I really don’t care. The writers of Lilo and Stitch probably weren’t deeply familiar with the show and likely just wanted a fun gag. Could be wrong there but it’s cute. He continues to act grossly out of character by trying to avoid going home at the end.. but again I find it simply because he’s in love, they have genuine chemstiry and I like to think they stayed in touch and he retired out there at some point once Jake was old enough to handle things himself. This may not be a ship I expected to support going in but I will die for it going out. 
So back to the main plot, Lilo uses Keoni’s body to imitate him which... she’s only loosely called out on and realizes is bad by the end only because she gets stuck in another body. And that’s not even getting into the fact she BREAKS UP WITH KEONI’S GIRLFRIEND. Yes really.. she just does that to get her out of the way. She comes around and realizes she was wrong and tries to fix it which would be fine.. if hte episode didn’t try to cop it out by revealing “Oh she’s not his girlfriend, she’s just someone who keeps telling people that”. It just feels lazy and dumb and a way to keep Lilo’s crush on Keoni for reasons I DO. NOT. GET. But the identity theft is just brushed aside by everyone: Keoni never finds out, and Jake just brushes it off. The real issue is more her trying to bribe keoni into likng her which while something kids need to learn is not the only thing she did wrong here. It feels like they didn’t think all the implications out here and it hampers the episode
Speaking of which as Gantu captures Jake, he sees him transform into dragon mode and assumes he’s the experiment, Jake’s charactization is pretty shallow.  And why yes it DOES feel weird writing sentences about a character with the same name thank you for asking. I wasn’t expecting a deep character piece or anything: This is a guest spot, the writers here are not the same normal ones for American Dragon. That’s fine. The problem.. is that they clearly did not get Jake. Grandpa being partly out of character is half the joke, Trixie actually gets a really nice moment towards the end, and Spud.. is eh. But out of them Jake just feels like a basic character description: He likes hip hop, he likes skateboards, he calls himself Am Drag despite that sounding like a good name for a drag act but a terrible name to shorten your title, he fights.. that’s it. 
While jake is all of that in the main series, he’s also a kind young man who while sometimes irresponsible does the right thing when the chips are down.  He’s someone weighed down by a responsiblity he didn’t ask for, often makes his life more difficult and often finds himself in trouble because his mother and grandfather won’t bother to tell his dad he’s a dragon. Yes that part still bothers me, and I don’t see why we couldn’t just have a superhero show where both parents know. But regardless this just dosen’t feel like Jake , like they just watched the intro and that was it. Jake feels more like a plot device in his own crossover. 
That being said there is some good stuff: The minute Jake realizes some Sci Fi stuff is going on instead of hte normal magic stuff he tells him “The am drag’s show isn’t about sci fi” a nice meta bit and then breaks out. Meanwhile Lilo takes on his form.. and ends up stuck after badly botching her run again, as Gantu finds the real shapeshifter. 
We get the best stretch of the episode from here though: Lilo awkardly tries to play jake and like jake we get a nice meta nod to how diffrent their show is as she’s worried about his belief in magical creatures.. and is startled out of her charade when Foo Dog talks, a really nice bit especially since it’s tame compared to the weirdness he deals with. Spud and Trixie have questions... only for Jake to show up and his agressive behavior leads to the best bit of the episode: Jake Vs Stitch. The catlyst is understandable: jake has no idea why Lilo’s taken his identity and Sttich is just protecting his best friend from harm. The animation is fluid, the fight is fun and quick and uses both’s powers stellarl. Whle “two heroes get into a misunderstanding and then fight” is a well worn cliche at this point, it’s moments like this that show why: you get to see two heroes who in this case never have interacted before or sense, duke it out, why each is special and it’s fun to watch. 
Lilo breaks it up, and admits to the whole thing.. including the whole give Keani the board stuff. While Jake and Spud, being awkard with girls and a loveable moron don’t see the problem with that Trixie gets a moment to shine. As far as I can remember she really didn’t get much on the show proper so it was a nice suprise to see her mentor lilo her, telling her trying to give someone gifts to love you is not okay, she should just be herself all that good stuff. It’s a nice character stuff and tha’ts the kind of character interaction this episode needed more of. 
With the misunderstandings washed away our heroes team up and storm gantu’s ship leading to another great sequence as Stitch rides on Jake’s back while the two keep him busy and Lilo gets turned back, Trixie complimenting her dress “Thanks I have 10 just like it at home”. It’s such a sweet and genuine moment” They head back out and gantu semeingly grabs morpholmew from where they hide.. only to find out when he gets back it’s spud, our adorable little blob monster transforming Gantu into a bunny and our heroes leaving. How does Gantu get out of being a bunny?
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But it’s a nice enough gag. So we end the episode. We get another nice gag as grandpa had himself and his lady transformed to try and avoid going home, and Jake is fine with having lost out on the board what matters is he made a friend. Sadly we did not get a followup in ADJL., but spud does name our experiment, Morpholomew. 
We end on Morph getting his home: a costume shop where he gets paid in fried chicken, he was shown to enjoy it throughtout the episode and changes people into things. It’s a nice little button to the episode and one of the funnest parts of the show was figuring out where the experiment would end up at the end. 
Final Thoughts:
This episode is a really mixed bag. There is some good character interactions, two tremendous fight scens and Trixie gets a chance to shine for once if only for a scene or two, and the clashing genres end up making for some great jokes> The shows do go well together as while Lilo and Stitch is more laid back both have slice of life elements. And hasgawa X Grandpa is just oto cute for words. 
The episode is held back by Jake and Lilo’s lackluster characterizatons: Jake is simply the theme song as a character, which in theory is awesome because that theme song slaps but in practice is pretty lame, and Lilo is selfish and irresponsible even for her in a way that dosen’t feel at all convincing. It drags down what’s otherwise a fun crossover and Morpholomew is truly a unique and wonderful experiment. Still if you like either show it’s worth a watch even if you have to suffer through Keoni for it. It’s worth it.. I just wish it was better and hopefully the next 3 will keep the good parts but take out the bad. Granted this was produced last so I could be wrong, but here’s hoping.  Oh this episode also featured Miranda Cosgrove as the girl who claims to be Keoni’s girlfriend. This is also Keoni’s last episode meaning I do NOT have to worry about accidently running into him. Thank fucking christ. 
Next Time On American Dragon Jake Long: Jake’s dad drags him and his friends on a camping trip and Jake ends up encountering the Jersey Devil. Now all they need is a sexy lady devil cake to lure it out... what it worked for the Cake Boss. And yes that happened, Allison Pregler did an episode on that episode. Check it out. 
Next Time On Lilo and Stitch Crossovers: It’s the family, the family, proud familllyyy as the Prouds take a vacation at Peakly and Jumbas bed but not breakfast and we get some kind of squirrel demon for our experiment of the week. We also get Wizard Kelly appearing...
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See you at the next rainbow. 
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cosmiclatte28 · 3 years
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#12 Lay by Your Side (Taeyong x you)
Twelfth day of Christmas (the last one!)
Lay by Your Side (Taeyong x you)
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 I do not own pictures, but I own the stories :D. It’s the last day of the project and although the header doesn’t really fit the theme, it’s too cute!! I gotta do it lol 
Before reading I want to thank you all for reading this much :D I really appreciate your time and everything else you give for this 🥺🤗💖 ily all! Here we go
It’s another new year, a new chance to start the things you missed last year, a chance to fix your mistakes, the time for you to learn and grow from your past self.
You rest your eyes from watching the picturesque scene laid before your eyes. The blue green endless ocean that meets the horizon, the bright sun shining above your head and of course the sight of a book cover you can see when you raise your head.
You’re enjoying the last day staying in a bungalow at Hawaii before duty and responsibility call back. With your boyfriend, Lee Taeyong, relaxing on the long couch while reading his newest novel and your head is resting on his strong thighs.
The gentle breeze coming from the ocean through the window is enough to almost drive you to sleep, along with Taeyong’s slender fingers slowly stroking your hair as he focuses on his story, you can’t hold back the sleepiness hitting your body.
You yawn and feel his fingers leave your hair, only to hear a page flips and his fingers are back, stroking your hair calmly while sometimes applying a bit of a pressure to your scalp. You exhale and relax your shoulder, feeling even drowsier now.
“Yong-ie” you mumble with your eyes closed, you’re bored seeing the cover.
“Hmm?” he asks you back, his head didn’t move, his book is still in the same place and you bet his eyes are not stopping at all from those lines.
“Fun part?” you ask him the chapter he is reading, well it’s not like he is ignoring you the whole holiday to finish that book. No, he was treating you so well and he just continued where he left off today. You understand if he wants to add a few more pages before he is back to his tight schedule as an idol.
“Quiet exhilarating, why? Need anything?” he asks finally pausing and putting aside the book so he can see your face.
“Glad I can finally see your face, not that boring book cover.” You grin and he leans in to kiss you.
“Sorry, let me fix my posture a bit,” he pulls his body that has been slipping down the couch and you yelp when you feel your head forced to meet his knees.
“Whoops, sorry” he picks you up from your neck slowly and helps you return to your position.
You giggle when you realize he’s still sweet even after he did something so clumsy. You flip your body so you’re resting your arms on his thighs as you cup your cheeks. You’re laying on your belly between his legs. (I really hope you can picture this)
“It’s okay, what are we going to do after this?” you ask, sending him a subtle hint you’re wishing to be able to do something else in this good villa before going home.
Taeyong smirks “Want what? We’ve explored everything around here, we even went swimming this morning.” He rubs circle with his thumb on your slightly tanned shoulder.
“Didn’t you have enough tan already? I cannot go tanner than this even if I want to, my stylist will kill me.” He chuckles and you nod your head “I know, I mean if I want my skin to be tanner, I’ll do it by myself. But-“ your breath hitched when you catch his red shiny lips in your sight.
Taeyong follows your gaze and realizes where you are staring at and he licks his lips when he caught you staring “Eyes are up here miss,” he teases you and do the regular “see my eyes here” finger gestures.
You gulp “Sorry,” and you focus your eyes to see his. His dark eyes are twinkling as usual but today with his messy hair he didn’t look cuddly at all.
You secretly snake your arms around his torso and bury your face into his chest before snuggling closer to his body if that is possible.
“Woah, careful can you breathe?” he asks when he sees you plant your face to his torso, you nod “Perfectly fine.”
He giggles and reaches out his book to continue where he left off. He peacefully hold his book on his right hand and his left hand is back to stroking your hair and now touching your skin too slightly grazing over it with his callouses fingers.
You did not know you fell asleep while hugging him. The soft snore coming out from you is what makes Taeyong stop reading his book.
He marks his page down and puts it aside. Slowly without waking you up, Taeyong moves your head so at least he can see your pretty face and ensures himself you’re not suffocated.
The man smiles down lovingly and gently places a kiss on your temple, he lets go when he feels your body stirring. While leaning back to the sofa, Taeyong watches the endless blue horizon that meets the sea. A small smile tugs his lips when he remembered the night he confessed his true feelings to you.
Taeyong always says he is a man with the heart of the sea, yes the sea because it is deep and mysterious. Though some of his friends say that may be interpreted in a wrong way, he met you and you bravely answered him with “And I am a fearless adventurer, who’s not afraid of the deep and mysterious sea. Guess we matched.”
He cannot hide his happiness away when his ring finger sparkles while stroking your hair and getting caught in the golden sun ray. With memories playing in his head, Taeyong plays with the metal ring on his hand. He always wears it everywhere he go, even to music shows!
Taeyong keeps his promise ring on his hand no matter what, no matter how hard the stylists tried to make him put it down just for the sake of the wardrobe and cameras. He always find a way to sneak it back on or just go to a long ass bickering of ridiculous things like
“It is my lucky ring… my mom said to never take this off…. Hey I might lose it….” And others even silly ones. But in the end, he did it. He always brings that small part of you with him, to remind him you are his and he is yours. He’s glad you’re not the type who gets jealousies instantly or even put needless curiosity over him.
Instead, Taeyong is more protective of you. He knows your past with your boyfriends are not good, especially the ones that secretly date another person, or just the abusive ones who are obsessed to have you. Taeyong acts protective because he didn’t want any one of them to hurt you, but you just smile and tell him “Thank you Tae, but trust me I can keep myself safe.”
And for three years of dating, you proofed yourself to Taeyong that you can take a good care of yourself. Saesang fans have gotten through your way before, but you can finish it off with a cold head and cold heart. You talked to them nicely, explaining that no it’s not a relationship. Well to you and him this is already beyond relationship, both of you are committed already and slowly taking steps to marriage. The fans asked your apology and you told them you won’t make a fuss if they keep quiet and also stop being a saesang.
You even asked them to join you for a drink and they open up to you, you learnt they became this wild  because they crave for attentions they couldn’t get. So, you give them the attention they needed. Every month, you make a small gathering for that group of fans and they even bring more fans too and you just reveal yourself to be a nobody. They didn’t really mind who you are, they’re so happy to see that being a healthy fan is way way way much better.
You never tell Taeyong about that secret project, he only found out about it when a fan came to him during fan sign and told him everything. Taeyong went home that day with fascination, he told you about the story and he even praised the creator of that event.
You teased him “So you wanna marry that person?”
Taeyong on that day giggled and pulls out an “are you insane face” “Hell if I am not committed yet, I might ask that person out.”
You nod your head “I’m gonna tell you, even when you’re committed you can do that.”
He shakes his head “No way! I am not going to hurt you. I was just talking nonsense.”
You just silently walk to his back and hug him “Will you still say no when I show you who runs that project?” you show your phone to his face and swipe the photos you took from each event.
He went speechless and when his soul is back, Taeyong gets down on one knees and proposes without a ring. But that spontaneity and the air that night, made you nod your head. The night and the promise were sealed with a warm passionate kiss.
He bought you the ring two days after it, because he asked the jeweler to crave names inside.
It was a beautiful memory and you’ve passed the event on to another friend you trust can handle the lonely fans. You disappear from media because slowly Taeyong and you will be coming up to the agency and open up the hidden stories, though you both don’t know when.
He wants to marry you once the agency gives him the green light and of course after both your parents and his agree. Though he knows the latter part will be easier than the first one.
“So, are we going up this year?” Taeyong mumbles to the air, he is not actually talking to you for he knows you’re sleeping.
But even in your sleep, you unconsciously nod your head and give him a reassuring face he always gets from your face whenever he is in doubt.
Taeyong brushes your hair away from your glowing face and leans in once again to seal his lips with yours. “I love you (y/n), to infinity and beyond.” He whispers and seals your lips one more time.
end
thank you guys for supporting me, this is the last story for the 12 days of Christmas fanfic project! ;D I am happy you all are enjoying this and I just want to wish you all a happy new year!! May all your goals be achieved this year 
See you on another story :D
I love you all!! Thanks for being an amazing friends who want to read my small writings 💖
Christmas masterlist completed
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altsvu · 3 years
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fitting in part 2
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part 1!
pairing: sonny carisi x female reader
word count: 1017
tw: some fluff? it’s more like comforting from sonny. it’s open for interpretation!
a/n: this took a while for me to write, but i actually really like it! i feel like it’s kinda short so should i make them longer moving forward? i’m also thinking for part 3 that the reader is a few months, almost a year into working at svu, because i want to get into the more juicy events!!
taglist: @detective-giggles @lapaquerette (let me know if you want to be added!)
Finally, your first week being a detective was over. You felt as if you made a fool of yourself on your first day even though Carisi couldn’t tell. So when the both of you spotted each other at Prospect Park on a warm Saturday afternoon, you after playing a game of tennis with one of your friends, you were taken aback. You weren’t necessarily scared that you would see him outside work, but at the same time it was super unexpected.
“Hey Y/N, you okay?” your friend asked after finding a bench to sit on.
“Yeah, perfectly fine.” you answered, confused.
“Then who’s that person who keeps looking over? The person you’ve been eyeing ever since we finished our game? Don’t tell me you already found another one.” your friend said sternly, referring to a new boyfriend, since you had broken up with your toxic on again, off again college boyfriend indefinitely.
Busted.
“Please,” you scoffed. “No way would I ever date my work partner.” You pushed any thoughts of potentially dating Carisi far, far away. You didn’t want those thoughts clouding your judgement and your current relationship with Carisi.
Your friend cocked their head to the side. “Who said anything about a work partner, love?”
You were at a loss of words. Your friend always knew everything going on in your head. “I have no idea.” you finally squeaked out.
Your friend looked at you and smiled. “Well, while you think of that, I have to go but I’ll call you later okay?” you smiled back and waved as they got up and left. Leaning back, you popped in your headphones and scrolled through your phone, not really wanting to go home, but instead wanting to explore the park more and soak in the sun.
“Hey.”
You turned and saw Carisi sitting next to you. “Oh hey. What brings you here on a Saturday afternoon?”
“One of my sisters and the nephews wanted to enjoy the sun and they dragged me along with them.” A soft smile crept up on your face. If there was one thing you learned about Carisi in your first week, it was that he valued family a lot and he would take any moment he had to spend time with them. “Seems like you had fun though.”
“Of course, I love them so much. Just as much as you love tennis.” he replied, gesturing to your outfit and the tennis racket next to you. All of a sudden you felt underdressed with your tennis dress compared to Carisi’s plaid button down.
“You’re right, I do love tennis. It helps me take my mind off of things and relieve a bunch of stress.”
There was a bit of a silence after you said that, and you wondered if you said something that he may have taken differently than you intended to say. The over thinker side of you kicked in immediately.
“This has something to do with your first day, doesn’t it?” Carisi insisted.
“What do you mean?”
He went on to talk about how you shut him out a bit when he took you out for lunch and that he knew you weren’t okay when you said you were. He even mentioned Barba a bit. You were a bit shocked, you didn’t think Carisi would actually notice. You felt bad, it should have been easy for you to just express your feelings as need be.
“Carisi, I am so sorry. I really am. Barba did have a bit of an impact on my feelings. He seems cool but very intimidating, and I guess it just made me rethink everything, and I didn’t realize how that would have made you feel.” you replied.
“You don’t have to be sorry. I felt the same way. I was the newest member before you. Fitting in was hard for me, but over time, I learned to be comfortable with everything and everyone.”
All of a sudden you felt super relieved. Carisi made you feel a bit more welcoming and you weren’t mad about it one bit.
“Thank you. Seriously.” was all that could come out of your mouth. It not like you could say that another reason why you were nervous around him was because you found him unapologetically attractive.
“Of course. I’m just glad that you’re feeling better about everything. Speaking of, while we’re here, why don’t you continue telling me about yourself? I’d like to know more about you.” he admitted.
You were eager to tell Carisi everything, but you made sure not to share certain things, like your toxic ex and some of your many college adventures. He looked intrigued and invested as you talked to him about your vast family, the more appropriate adventures you had, how you found your love for tennis among many other things. As you were talking with him for a little longer, you felt vulnerable in a good way. You were glad that you shared a part of your life to him, it made you feel more comfortable around him.
“You thought my life was interesting? Your life is wild, Y/N.” Carisi chuckled.
“What can I say? I wasn’t always an introvert.”
There was a bit of silence as you two calmed down from your many giggles. The only difference was that this silence wasn’t as awkward.
“Well, I had an amazing time talking to you and learning some things about you.” Carisi paused. “Would you like to meet my sister and nephews?”
You were a bit startled of his request, it wasn’t something you were frequently asked. Ultimately, you said yes and he brought you over to where they were and introduced you. You made some small talk with Bella and even played with the nephews for a bit until you had to go.
Leaving the park, you were feeling much better about yourself, not sure if it was the couple of rounds of tennis you played with your friend or if it was spending quality time with Carisi and some of his family. Either way, it was a feeling you wanted to last forever.
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ghostiewriter · 3 years
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I know you're beta-ing my fic (love ya) but couldn't resist. Number 25 or 26 for the drabble challenge please 🙏
Ngl I really like this one!! Also it’s unedited so beware 💀and if you guys haven’t checked out Alex’s stuff, you should!! It’s amazing!😉
Word Count: 1.7K
Prompts: “Aren’t you supposed to be the adult?” // “I’m stuck! Help me!”
Motherhood was never a route Kiara saw herself going down.
It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be a mother, it was just that with all her dreams and ambitions and goals for the future…it just happened to clash with what she knew she definitely wanted. But that’s how these things always go, doesn’t it? Just when you least expecting it, shit hit the fan and you’re left scrambling around as you try and wrap your head around everything. That’s what happened with Kiara and motherhood. She wasn’t expecting it, it wasn’t planned. But she also wasn’t as opposed to the concept like her younger self was.
Kiara was fourteen when she decided she wanted to travel the world, to see new places and experience new cultures and open her eyes to a world beyond the small island she grew up on. And she did just that, lucky to enough have someone to share the experiences with. With the money they gained from the treasure, JJ and Kie had enough money to go wherever they wanted (after Pope made sure they kept some in the bank so they wouldn’t be idiots and spend it all, well to make sure JJ didn’t). But it was great, it was everything Kiara could’ve wished for her future, for their future.
Except on one of those breaks between adventures, Kiara found herself thrown into the deep-end of adulthood and she was lucky enough to have someone as supportive as JJ by her side.
And that, my friends, is how James Maybank was brought into the world.
Kiara had never seen herself being a mother until the second she held her son in her hands. Tears in her eyes and a wide smile on her face as she looked at the little human she and JJ created was enough for Kiara to realise that having a child didn’t change any of her plans. She and JJ would still travel and have their adventures, they would just have an extra little explorer with them.
James Maybank was the perfect mix of his parents. In terms of looks, he was truly a kid that drew attention to himself. Tousled brown hair that was an exact copy of his mother’s, with little strands of dirty blonde running through his little curls. His skin was tanned and sun-kissed, a warm golden-bronze so fitting for a summer baby. But his eyes—it was his eyes that caught people’s attention. Bright blue just like his father. It was a shock to both parties when they saw those little blue eyes of his. At first, the doctor told them it was common for new-born babies to have blue eyes and their natural eye colour will develop over the next few weeks. Except James’s eyes remained blue—vibrant and captivating and complementing his tanned skin so well and framed so neatly by the little round-rim glasses he wore. Like mentioned before, he was the perfect mix of JJ and Kiara: his eyes and her hair, his nose and her lips, his bone structure but her cheekbones. The perfect product of JJ Maybank and Kiara Carrera.
However, despite the physical similarities she shared with her son, his personality was driven straight from the chaos of his father. Wild and rambunctious and energetic. He always kept the couple on their toes: JJ’s scheming skills and Kie’s intelligence was a dangerous combination that James just so happened to have. A little troublemaker even at the ripe age of three.
It’s usually why Kiara avoids leaving the two of them alone together for long periods of time, because who knows what nonsense they would get up to.
And of course, Kiara’s point was proved once again.
It was a hot summer day when JJ suggested they head over to the mainland for a wee day trip, just have a little family day before the big Pogue family trip next week to California. Most of the summer had been spent with the other pogues—not that she minded—and James being coddled by her parents, so Kie was all up for them to spend some time as just the three of them. It was the ideal day: walking around the mainland boutiques, grabbed some ice cream and walked along the beach as they ate it, all before heading towards the little play area that was on the pier that James had been eyeing all day.
They had put all their stuff down at a small café table where Kie was able to grab a seat outside. There was the perfect view of the play area from here. But before she could head over with James, JJ was pushing her down in a seat, telling her to relax and assuring her that he could watch over James while she had a coffee or something. So like the fool she was, she went ahead with JJ’s plan (as though their teenage shenanigans hadn’t taught her that JJ’s plans were always the worst).
However, things were going fairly smoothly. Kie was able to order a tea for herself and indulge in a book she had just bought that day. She was able to relax in the sunshine and enjoy a few moments of piece without her favourite hectic boys. Well, only for a short amount of time before a distressed James came running up to her.
“Mama! Mama!” He was panting and huffing, exhausted from how far he ran on his little legs. His fists gripped the hem of her shirt, tugging on it to gain her attention. And when Kie placed her drink and book down, she noticed how dishevelled his appearance was.
“What’s up, bub?” She asked as she gently fixed his askew glasses so they rested comfortably on his nose. However, before she could even attempt to fix his hair, James was grabbing her hands and attempting to tug her up.
“C’mon!” He whined and Kiara only laughed a little as she finally stood up. In an instant, he began to drag her towards the play area where she assumed that he had built some sandcastle in the sand pit he wanted to show her or even show her some neat trick he learnt on the jungle gym.
But it’s safe to say that she wasn’t expecting to see the sight in front of her.
She pressed her lips together, trying to stop herself from bursting into laughter. “JJ?”
“Kiara!” JJ’s head snapped up, looking relieved to see her. “I’m stuck! Help me!”
JJ Maybank: surfing legend, notorious troublemaker, a little schemer since he learnt how to walk. JJ Maybank: the boy that became the biggest pain in the ass to the OBX police force since they were probably first formed. JJ Maybank: the boy that shocked everyone and became a better man than anyone with his last name ever could.
And now he was JJ Maybank: the 26 year old moron who was currently stuck in a children’s jungle gym. It looked like one of those tunnels that kids climbed through to get from one side of the climbing frame to the other. Except instead of being able to crawl through completely, JJ had his head sticking out whilst everything below his shoulders was stuck in the tunnel.
“Oh, baby, this has gotta be a new record for stupid things you’ve done.” Kiara commented, hand over her mouth but he could tell by the shaking in her shoulders that she was laughing.
“Is Dada gonna be okay?” James spoke up, tugging on Kie’s hand he hadn’t let go of as he glanced between his parents. In an instant, Kie’s expression softened up.
“He’s gonna be fine, bub,” She assured him with a smile as she kneeled down to his height. “No need to be worried, in fact, you should be laughing!” She told him.
“Kiara!”
“Oh.” James muttered, turning to look at his father with his head tilted before he burst into a fit of giggles.
“Great,” JJ muttered bitterly as he stared at the ground. “Now ever my own son is laughing at me!”
“Oh, c’mon, it’s funny!” Kiara countered, arms wrapped around James with her head resting on his shoulder as they both snickered at JJ’s current predicament.
“Just help me get out!” He whined out. “I really need to pee.”
Eventually, Kiara headed back to the table at the café to grab her phone. After taking enough photos for her own amusement later, she called the local authorities that sent a team out to help break JJ out of the jungle gym. It took a total of two hours, by which the time JJ was finally free from his entrapment, the family had to head back to the island if they wanted to catch the last ferry.
“I can’t believe you.” Kie murmured as she leaned against JJ, the young boy fast asleep on their laps as they headed back to the mainland. They spoke in quiet whispers, letting James get the rest he deserved after such an eventful day.
“It wasn’t my fault!” He hissed quietly, looking down at James and gently pushing some hair out of his face. “It was his idea.” He added with a childish pout.
“Aren’t you supposed to be the adult?” She countered, a small smirk tugging on her lips.
“He’s a troublemaker, I’m telling you. Flashes you some puppy dog eyes and suddenly you’re crawling through some hellhole that is designed for Oompa Loompas.” He muttered, narrowing his eyes at the sleeping child. “He’s like an evil little mastermind.”
“Just like his father then.” Kiara commented, only causing JJ to look at her with a shocked expression. “Oh don’t look at me like that! You know I’m right, Jay. You were probably worse than him!”
JJ’s eyes widened slightly before he nodded. “Yeah, no fair enough.” He murmured with a nod before he grinned down at his son. “Ah, I feel like such a proud father knowing he is going to be such a charmer when he’s older.” Kie let out a scoff as she lightly elbowed him, but they both had massive smiles on their faces.
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t take years to finally make a move like his father.” Kie commented.
“Oh, wow, really? That’s the game you’re playing?” He retorted. “You literally made up a whole rule that stopped me from making a move.”
“Should’ve read between the lines.” She said with an innocent shrug. But then she turned to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “But I’m glad you finally did make a move.”
JJ grinned at her before he looked down at James, who was still fast asleep with small snores escaping his lips.
“Yeah, me too.”
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ramblingguy54 · 4 years
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Escape From The Impossibin!: An Exercise Of Trust & Hope.
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So, I was predicting for this episode to have Della & Louie bonding time together, which there were cool moments with them to be sure. However, what I really liked about today’s story was how it focused on the aftermath of FOWL’s reveal to still be very much alive to Scrooge’s horror and Beakly’s greatly underlying concern. A couple of days ago before Impossibin premiered today, I chatted with some others on Discord about what this episode’s story would explore for its overall message, which the more I thought about, the more I leaned on the idea it would be centered around the notion of trust. Let’s Get Dangerous had a consistent theme of deceitful liars being revealed who weren’t whom they appeared to be, as seen with Taurus Bulba vs Drake Mallard & Bradford’s true nature being known to Scrooge at that hour special’s ending. 
Escape From The Impossibin is all about confronting the growing tension that’s become a threat to a content family lineage of adventurers, who now have to defend everything they stand for in their legacy, once again. That’s something I’ve always appreciated about DuckTales is even when it doesn’t entirely match my predictions, it finds other new ways to surprise me for what it can do. Della & Louie didn’t necessarily get the bonding time I had hoped for, which did admittedly disappoint me, but they did a serve a purpose in their own right that I’ll get to later. Anyways, the spotlight is on the older mentor figures, Scrooge McDuck and Bentina Beakly, who are all too familiar in dealing with FOWL’s antagonism before in Season 1′s episode, The Confidential Case Files Of Agent 22, that especially applies to Beakly’s past in fighting them as an agent of SHUSH for very much longer compared to Scrooge. With how much is at stake you’d very much expect there to be old feelings being drudged up, regarding Scrooge’s trust and respect for Bradford, as well as Beakly’s strict over protective nature with Webby to keep her safe from losing that optimism that makes her stand out as a beacon of hope to inspire others, which they do. FOWL isn’t like Magica or Lunaris who want to make themselves known flat out to the world with their egos. They’re very cunning and cold blooded with going about executing their plans for control of the Earth. Particularly, Bradford is the serious threat most of all because he’s the brains of this outfit giving precision in each order to those under his command. Combine Bradford’s knowledge with the muscle of Steelbeak, Rockerduck’s underhanded scheming, Gandra Dee’s scientific intellect, Black Heron’s lust for more power, and Phantom Blot’s ability to absorb all kinds of magic that gives the McDucks’ a severe scenario they’ve never faced. FOWL is the right combination to put an end to Scrooge’s adventuring because Bradford has kept a close eye on him for so many years. Bradford has seen plenty of Scrooge at his total best and worst most of all. He’s studied upon every detail of Scrooge’s life, for who knows how many years, and is finally putting all of it to use against him, where we get to see the extent of just how well Bradford can read every one of his moves. Lunaris’ intellect was simply a figurative puddle compared to what Bradford managed to accomplish with his high IQ.
The scary thing is Scrooge knows this reality himself, too. 
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That’s one of my favorite elements of Impossibin’s purpose. We get to see Scrooge seriously doubt his abilities. In episodes, like The Most Dangerous Game Night and The 87 Cents Solution, Scrooge has always prided himself in being a very sharp individual who could see every angle and any detail that others couldn’t. Bradford, on the other hand, rivals Scrooge’s thinking that puts an eerie perspective on things for the old man. Scrooge always thought to be one step ahead of the game, but then realizes that someone who’s been by his side for so very long played him like a fiddle all those years. Who’s to say Scrooge isn’t probably thinking back on stuff such as Bradford shutting down his rescue operation for Della, controlling his money usage, letting Louie hang around Bradford in The Richest Duck In The World, finalizing Gyro’s inventions, etc? Scrooge realizes he’s had a dangerous character around the family manor all those years, which makes him doubt his ability to trust himself in protecting everything that he holds importantly in life. Scrooge isn’t just thinking he’s been fooled, he’s doubting every aspect of what made him competent to begin with. Doesn’t help among this moment of self reflection Bradford is there to further rub in that harsh reality of how much he knows about Scrooge.
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This moment gave me chills because it completely put a spin upon the story’s concept. I figured that FOWL would hack Scrooge’s security system, with help from Gandra Dee’s abilities, and I’m glad it went this route, since it shows how dangerous things are this time. They’re not even safe within the confines of their own manor anymore, considering Bradford knows every nook and cranny of it. Scrooge thought only he knew the security system’s password, given its based on the amount of all money in his money bin, but Bradford covered that crucial detail, too. Bradford isn’t leaving any loose ends toward Scrooge in how he’ll go about using any little thing against him for future reference. That’s what makes the stakes higher here than compared to Lunaris’ invasion. This is a much more personal story between a clash of ideals with Adventuring vs Control. Lunaris lacked that emotional connection here Bradford is making Scrooge have to face that adds another layer of tension to this situation. Bradford wants Scrooge to know, “I have control over you. There is nothing you know that I’ve already figured out about yourself.”, and going about hacking the robotic version of himself is the best way to send home that message to him. It can also be interpreted as symbolism for Scrooge fighting his own insecurities when Bradford takes control of the robot to start attacking.
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I need you, the two most cunning individuals I know, to spot any weaknesses.
Now, Della & Louie did serve a big purpose, despite the Plot A point focusing greatly on Scrooge’s existential dilemma, for they were there to remind Scrooge of just how much of an impact his life style has had on them. Della & Louie’s teamwork together throughout the episode is a perfect way to give Scrooge a reality check reminder for how skilled they are as adventurous fighters against unknown dangers. After all, Scrooge passed on his skills to Della, who’d later pass down her intellectual skills to him, too. Again, tying into the whole theme of legacy and what not about how much family can bring out the best in each other. If it wasn’t for what Scrooge had taught them, then he wouldn’t have been saved by Louie’s defining act of being a badass, by willingly diving into the pile of money, which got hit by a gravity changing rosa rune from the robot and ended up crushing it. I wanted to see more mature Louie, so him lifting Scrooge up about how much pride he has in the family lineage was a great nod to it. That in turn, allowed Scrooge to remember why he and their family are strong together. You know, after recent events that have happened in my life, seeing legacy be explored in DuckTales Season 3 means a lot to me now more than ever.
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As for Beakly’s B Plot, in terms of how it ties into a neat bow with Scrooge’s story, shows how intense she’s getting at the notion of eventually facing FOWL again. Honestly, I’m not surprised if she’s getting flashbacks of whatever painful or traumatic events happened to her in those Agent 22 days. I mean, for God’s sake, she tells Webby to straight up incapacitate Huey, who was already so scared. Something Webby refuses to agree with as the best course of training methods to better prepare against the greater threat. Beakly’s characterization has always fascinated me with how well she guards her vulnerability, kind of like Goldie in a way, but the difference here is outta great concern for others rather than herself. My mind can’t stop thinking about this scene, as there could most likely be underlying context for why Beakly is getting so worked up over this training. It seems Beakly is carrying a tremendous weight on her shoulders, probably some heavy angst, that it looks like she wants to say, but can’t because of bigger story reasons we’ll find out later in Season 3′s final batch of episodes. Special mention to Donald Duck putting his foot down on Beakly’s very intense training session. Donald knows the trials and errors of what it means to be a parent. He was once very overly protective of Huey, Dewey, and Louie, but learned to let them experience the world for what it is and not hold them back, so I liked how it ties into Beakly’s dilemma of trying to protect Webby from FOWL’s heartless nature.
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Beakly’s plot may have not gotten much focus, but it did a very good job setting up more angst to come between her and Webby’s relationship. Things are gonna get very complicated between them when more things come to light. I’m keeping an eye on Huey’s line specifically. When he said, “The one thing we know for sure is that we trust each other, right?”, Beakly did want to bring herself to apologize of course, but I also think she was close to wanting to confess something else to Webby, too. I’m expecting this moment to be called back to when stuff hits the fan with Beakly’s past and whatever Webby’s origins are.
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Escape From the Impossibin may have unsettling stuff lurking around the corner with how FOWL managed to distract them with the security system, so they could steal away every missing mystery the family has found so far, but there’s a glimmer of light in all of that darkness. A light that is a reminder of what makes the McDuck family an unstoppable force of trust, hope, and most importantly love. Frank said that things were gonna start going into overdrive with FOWL’s battle against McDuck and he wasn’t kidding around. I’m so overjoyed were getting more episodes in November after this episode finished because that would’ve been a painful wait. Season 3 is gonna start giving things it built up a big pay off and I’m totally here for that!
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kingreywrites · 4 years
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Some Kind Of Change
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@riverxdoctorforever​ sorry, this ended up focusing on new dream wedding fluff a lot more than anticipated fgshjdsk Cassandra does come though, and I hope you’ll like it!!
Fandom: Tangled
Word Count: 1922
Summary: A lot of people would be appalled at this image, Eugene thinks distantly - appalled at them, taking a break from the biggest event the kingdom had known in decades, which is also coincidentally their own wedding; at Rapunzel, the Princess, sitting on the grass shoeless with a priceless white dress which could easily be stained. But what Eugene sees, instead, is the love of his life -his wife now!-, radiant precisely because she's not what people expect of her. What he sees is Rapunzel being free, and happy, and in love, and he's struck all over again by the fact that it's him she's looking at with so much fondness.
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"We've got approximately five minutes before the entire kingdom collapses because of our absence," Eugene announces jokingly after closing the door to the gardens behind them.
"Five minutes?" Rapunzel laughs, already skipping over one of the trees as the moon shines bright over them. "When did you become an optimist?"
As she says that, she reaches the tree and sits under it, her beautiful wedding dress scrunching up with the movement. A lot of people would be appalled at this image, Eugene thinks distantly - appalled at them, taking a break from the biggest event the kingdom had known in decades, which is also coincidentally their own wedding; at Rapunzel, the Princess, sitting on the grass shoeless with a priceless white dress which could easily be stained. But what Eugene sees, instead, is the love of his life -his wife now!-, radiant precisely because she's not what people expect of her. What he sees is Rapunzel being free, and happy, and in love, and he's struck all over again by the fact that it's him she's looking at with so much fondness.
When did he become an optimist, she asks?
"Probably when you first hit me with your frying pan," he says, and he can hear the overwhelming affection in his own voice. Rapunzel smiles, lighting up his life with her happiness, and he can't go sit next to her quickly enough, not caring about the state of his clothes either. She takes his hand in hers, putting her head against his shoulder, and he thinks life can't be more perfect than now.
"We're married," Rapunzel tells him breathlessly, fiddling with his ring carefully.
"We are." He looks down at her face, and sees the way her eyes are shining as she plays with his hand gently. His own eyes feel a little wet at this, because the days when he could control his emotions are long gone, and he still can't believe how terrifyingly wonderful it is to love and be loved by Rapunzel. He's her husband.
Time seems to be passing too quickly and soon, he knows they'll have to go back to the party - but for now, it feels like it's only the two of them, sitting outside with the fresh evening air, revelling in each other's company, like they will do for the rest of their lives. Yup, his eyes are definitely wet now.
"This is the best day of my life," he repeats, because he had already whispered it in her ear when they had their first dance together, and the sentiment holds true.
She snuggles closer to him, smiling, and whispers "It's mine too", only for him to hear. But he also sees the frown she lets appear for barely a second; he feels her shoulders slump fractionally against him, before she stops herself. And Eugene didn't wait to get married to understand Rapunzel more than anyone - he knows exactly what's bothering her, what she's trying to hide even now.
"Cassandra's going to be here tomorrow, Sunshine."
"Am I that obvious?" she laughs, before shifting to lay her head on his legs, gazing up to him from this new position. Gently, he fixes the crease of her dress near the collar, and takes that chance to move one rebellious strand of hair out of her face.
"I know you," he laughs, "and, don't repeat it, but I wish she had been here too."
Going by the emotion in Rapunzel's eyes, he knows she may not repeat it, but she's definitely going to paint it somewhere. To be truly honest, he can't even pretend to be annoyed - he is sad that Cass wasn't here today. They had planned everything months ago, and she had assured them she would come back a few days before the celebration. But, a week ago, a storm prevented her from taking the boat she had planned to use, and though she could still make her way to Corona thanks to Fidella, it delayed her enough that she knew she wouldn't be there on time.
Her letters -because yes, she writes to Eugene too, even if it's less often than to Rapunzel- were deeply apologetic, and Eugene has no doubt that Cassandra wishes she could be here too, that all three of them regret the circumstances. While Rapunzel doesn't want to complain, he had seen all day through these little hesitations and quickly hidden frowns how much she was missing her best friend.
"Do you think she would have enjoyed running after the cake?" he wonders aloud, trying to lighten the subject, and he manages it when Rapunzel can't contain her giggles at the idea. That was certainly a moment they won't ever forget, and that no one had anticipated.
"I'm hesitating between her catching the cake, and her standing around and laughing at you," Rapunzel finally answers, brushing out the tears at the corners of her eyes.
"You're definitely underestimating her ability to do both."
Rapunzel laughs again, and they spend the next minutes debating this scenario, before recounting the events from not even a few hours ago. They lived through practically everything together today, but hearing Rapunzel describes the day still feels inherently different from what he has experienced. He loves to see her face liven up as she talks, loves to see a blush grow on her cheeks with the cold and the excitement she can't contain.
He loves her. The word doesn't feel like enough to describe his feelings, and yet says everything essential.
Soon, they realise that they have to go back to the party. They already took so long, and Eugene is sure that his in-laws are the only reason no one has come to bother them yet, but the peace won't last and, anyway, they want to have fun and dance again - they just needed a little break. Eugene already feels more energised than before, and he's about to joke something about it, when a movement on his right distracts him. When he looks, an easily recognisable silhouette makes him smile even more than he was already.
"Looks like your last wedding gift is here, Sunshine," he says, amusement shining through his eyes and turning into a real chuckle when Rapunzel scrambles to her knees, and gets a glimpse of Cassandra - who looks just as surprised to see them here. If Eugene had to guess, he'd say she probably wanted to sneak in and change before coming to the party, and hadn't expected to find anyone in the gardens, least of all the bride and the groom themselves.
"Cass?" Rapunzel whispers, incredulity and happiness plain to see on her face.
The scene seems to be frozen for an instant, as Cassandra looks at her with as much wonder as she does, eyes softening visibly even from a distance. She lets the bag she was carrying fall to the ground, and opens her arms herself, inviting Rapunzel for a hug before she can try to ask if Cass wants one.
"Hey, Raps," is all she manages to say before Rapunzel literally pounces on her - and despite her preparation, Cassandra falls to the ground with her in her arms, both of them laughing.
Eugene gets up too, cheeks hurting from how hard he's smiling. Rapunzel's joy makes his heart flutter like nothing else ever does, and he's so glad that she's going to have exactly the wedding she wanted, with her best friend at her side too.
"A hand?" he jokes, when the hug ends and Cassandra and Rapunzel are still sitting on the ground. Cassandra raises an eyebrow, but even she can't maintain their usual game of pretend, and grabs his hand as Rapunzel jumps up by herself.
"Did you finally learn manners, Fitzherbert?" she asks without any heat, and he gasps dramatically, putting one of his hands over his heart while Rapunzel grabs the free one.
"I'm sorry, but I'm Eugene Der Sonne now." Saying it out loud always makes his heart skip a beat, and going by the way Rapunzel squeezes his hand, hers too. He didn't have to change his name, they could have found a way around the tradition, but there's something truly special in the way Rapunzel will forever be a part of his identity now - and though he spent a lot of these last years trying to reclaim Fitzherbert, he can't wait to explore this new path with Rapunzel, as her husband.
"My god are you two sappy tonight," Cassandra groans, and it's so unexpected that they all laugh.
"It's our wedding Cass, what did you expect?" Rapunzel retorts, and they begin to make their way back inside.
As they talk, Eugene takes in Cassandra's appearance - she looks tired, probably from riding all day to be there before midnight. Except for that, though, she looks… Good. Happy, in a way she hadn't been when she left. He notices a new scar near her ear, but her adventures are probably a subject for another day. Anyhow, it's a relief he didn't know he needed - he was hoping Cassandra was okay out there, but having it be a certainty feels like a weight off of his shoulders.
"Oh!" Rapunzel exclaims. "I have an outfit ready for you Cass!"
"Uh," Cassandra cringes, and Eugene knows she's looking for excuses, her hatred of dresses only inferior to her hatred of fancy ceremony dresses.
"Don't worry, it's a suit!" Rapunzel says. "If that's okay? It has little swords on the cuffs."
Of course that convinces her, and before Eugene can even realise what's happening, Rapunzel is off to find the suit, and he's alone in the hallways with Cassandra, who looks as stunned as he currently feels.
"She didn't change, did she?" Cass sighs, the gleam in her eyes betraying her true sentiments on the matter.
The thing is, Rapunzel did change, they all did. They grew, and learned, and became better people because of what they went through. But once all was said and done, once Rapunzel saw how cruel and dangerous the world could get, she still chose to see it for its beauty, letting her optimism guide and inspire others too. So she did change; and she didn't, in a way. Eugene thinks Cassandra knows that.
"I'm glad you're here," he says, giving her a light push with his shoulder, for which she glares at him as if he just killed someone.
"Don't get ahead of yourself," she snorts, pushing him back two times harder, drawing a yelp and half-hearted protestations from Eugene. "I'm only here for Rapunzel. And the cake."
"Ah! Do we have a story about that!" Eugene exclaims, and like that, they start talking about what she missed, the jokes flowing between them natural and oddly comforting. Soon, Rapunzel will be back with the outfit, and they'll have to go back to the party and explain why they disappeared for so long, but for now it feels like nothing has changed, while everything has. Perhaps that was how Eugene would describe his wedding - nothing had changed, because they had loved each other way before any ceremony tried to make it official, but everything had, from his name to the ring now adorning his finger. This is the best day of his life because he knows it's the beginning of many others that he can't wait to discover at Rapunzel's side.
His smile must have been a little too sappy again, because Cassandra makes a fake gagging noise and he has to chase her down the hall to make her regret it.
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elledrake · 4 years
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Tell Me More: Part 1 (Sam Drake x Female Reader)
A/N: Okay, so please go easy on me. This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I love to write and I love Sam, so I thought, why not? Ideally, this is just the beginning, but we’ll see how it goes.
Summary: After years of weekly phone calls, you are finally reunited with your longtime friend and fellow journalist, Elena Fisher. You’ve always been deeply fascinated by the stories she’s told you about her life with her husband, Nathan Drake. For the first time, you are introduced to her family, finally meeting those you’ve heard so much about.
Warnings: None!
Word Count: 1,888
Part 2 | Part 3
You couldn’t believe how close you were to the ocean. You’d always pictured what it would be like, standing in front of this vast body of water, your feet sinking in the stand with each step you took. But no photograph, no image from a movie, and certainly no daydream could replicate the feeling in your chest as you stood, at what felt like, the end of the earth. Or, perhaps, the beginning.
You shook your head, taking one last look at the never-ending stretch of beach behind you and hurried up the steps. With your suitcase in hand, you stood in front of the most delightful beach house that rivaled those you saw on those island home hunting shows. You were here to meet your longtime friend and fellow journalist, Elena Fisher. It had been a while since you’d last seen her in person, though you two had kept in touch over the past few years with weekly phone calls. She was by far, the most fascinating friend you had, though there wasn’t much competition. Her stories always left you slack-jawed, gasping, and begging for every last detail, clinging to the phone for hours. Most, if not all, of her stories involved her now husband, Nathan Drake. While she would describe how each adventure unfolded, you could hear the smile in her voice whenever she mentioned Nate. You could practically see the roll of her eyes as she’d get to the part where, in her words, “Nate would make the worst decisions possible”. Occasionally, you would hear Nate yell across the room and into the phone, either apologizing or trying to provide additional input, more for his sake than your own. You loved catching up with Elena, as your life couldn’t hold a candle to hers. You lived vicariously through her words, hoping one day you’d find yourself in the midst of an epic adventure.
You knew the chances of that were unlikely. You lived alone in the city, most days the stacks of books that overwhelmed your apartment were the only things keeping you company. You got along just fine, you told yourself, unwittingly resigned to this lifestyle. Though you were a journalist, you wanted to veer away from the trivial pieces your editor required of you; local politics, land development, annual spelling bees and the like. Elena’s mentions of pirates and long-lost treasure, ignited something in you. If you were never meant to explore a sinking ship firsthand, you at least had the ability to write about it; make your own stories, experience them through your imagination.
Your heart beat quickly, as you lightly knocked on the door. Not a second later, Elena opened the door, Nate trailing behind her.
“Y/N!” Elena squealed delightedly. You smiled and leaned in to hug her, so happy to finally see your friend in the flesh. “Come on in!”
Nate held out his hand to you, a huge smile on his face. “It’s great to finally meet you. We’re so happy you could finally make it out here.”
“How have you been?” Elena offered you a drink as you dropped your bag next to the door.
“Oh, I’ve been doing fine. Mostly working, hoping to get started on a new project soon.” You smiled tightly, taking a sip of your drink, embarrassed to admit exactly how inspired you were by Elena’s life. “Thank you so much for inviting me out here, this place is absolutely amazing.” You followed Elena and Nate into the house. Your eyes wandered from one furniture piece to the next, layers of bright orange and green fabrics, antique tables inlayed with elaborate patterns, photos of the two of them in foreign cities, and dozens of artifacts displayed on every available surface. Your mind was reeling, a thousand questions popping into your mind about the history each piece held.
“Thank you. It’s taken a while, but this place is definitely home.” Elena smiled, turning to look at her husband.
“And what’s home without family?” Nate beamed back at his wife, then turned to face you. “Actually, my brother and our friend Sully are coming for the weekend. They called last minute, so it’s gonna be a full house. I hope you don’t mind.”
“Oh, not at all.” You smiled; a prickle of excitement ran through you. You knew of Sully from Elena’s stories, as well as Nate’s brother, Sam. You were looking forward to putting faces to the names you’ve heard so much about. It felt strange, like you were being reunited with old friends, though you had never met them before.
For the next few hours you sat with Nate and Elena as they told you about their most recent projects, occasionally reflecting on their adventures from the past. You told them about life in the city and the last few pieces you’ve written, as well as the string of eventful dates you’d been on in the past few months. You cringed while telling the story of the man who had brought you home, only to end up meeting his rambunctious, yet very illegal, pet chimpanzee. You explained how you learned to change its diaper that night and how you had to throw your dress away afterwards.
As the sun started to set, you heard a car pull up to the house, the engine rumbling loudly. A moment later, the door flew open. Easy laugher suddenly filled the room, as Sam and Sully emerged, finishing up a conversation. They both looked a bit worn and a tad sweaty, but the grins on both their faces made it clear that they were nothing but content and relieved to be home.
“Well, look who it is.” Nate walked over to the two men, clapping a hand on Sully’s back, nodding at his brother at the same time. “Glad to see you both in one piece.”
“Yeah, well barely, no thanks to this guy.” Sully shook his head, looking at Sam out of the corner of his eye. Sam chuckled and lifted his hands innocently in response. Elena stood up, waving for you to follow her.
“Well, hello gentlemen. You two showed up just in time, we happen to have a guest over for the weekend.” Elena gave them both a quick hug, then turned to you. “Boys, this is Y/N. We’ve known each other for ages and are finally having a chance to properly catch up.” You approached the group, finally taking in the scene before you.
“Victor Sullivan. You can call me Sully, if you’d like. Any friend of Elena’s is certainly a friend of mine.” He smiled warmly, as he shook your hand. “How are you my dear?”
You tried to focus on older gentleman in front of you, but your eyes drifted immediately towards Sam. Elena had shown you a picture of the boys when they were young, both smiling adorably in silly hats. But you weren’t quite prepared for the image standing in front of you. You wanted to laugh at yourself, for the only three words that echoed into your mind were tall, dark, and handsome. Sam’s eyes easily met yours, a smirk playing on his lips. His dark hair was pushed back, showing off soft curls at the nape of his neck. You could see the markings of a tattoo but were too far away to make out what it was. Through his thin brown t-shirt, you could see how defined his chest was, how much strength his arms held, and how his large his hands were as they rested on his hips. Before your eyes could wander any lower, you realized Sully had asked you a question and was waiting for a response. You perked your head up at the realization.
“I-I’m doing well, thank you,” you stammered. “It, uh, it’s great to finally meet you. Elena’s told me so much about you.” You smiled, a nervous energy forming in the pit of your stomach.
“Uh-oh, do I want to know what she said ‘bout me?” Sam spoke for the first time, meeting your eyes again, and extending his hand. You could hear Elena chuckle, while you tried to come up with a response. You shook his hand quickly, trying not to focus on, once again, how massive his hands were.
“Hi.” You could only manage one word and felt like a complete idiot for it. Sam smiled, clearly amused at your skittishness. Thankfully, Nate then offered drinks to Sam and Sully, ushering everyone back into the living room.
The rest of the evening was spent listening to Sam talk about the job he and Sully had just returned from. Elena explained a bit more about you and your friendship, while Sully often asked you questions about your life. Occasionally, Sam would ask you a question and you’d do your best to keep your voice even and answer in complete sentences. Maybe he didn’t think you were a freak after all. At least, not completely.
When it got close to midnight, Elena showed you to the guest room and helped you get settled in. She hugged you once again, expressing how happy she was that you were here. It was clear she spent the majority of her time surrounded by men, so it must have been a breath of fresh air to have another woman around.
As you settled into bed, your mind went over the most recent story Elena had told you, the one about Libertalia. You knew how those events changed everything for them. You knew that it was decades in the making, starting when Nate and Sam were young. You knew about Sam and what he had gone through to get to this point. Even today, you were able to hear parts of the story retold by Nate himself. You knew the story of the Drake brothers so well, that meeting them today felt surreal. Like characters from a story come to life, inviting you into their home.
You felt your mind slowly give way to sleep, but just before sleep could overcome you, your mind went back to Sam one last time. You weren’t expecting to have such a strong reaction to him. You were honest enough with yourself to admit that you found him very attractive, so much so that you could feel yourself staring at him throughout the night, indulging in a look whenever you thought he was distracted.
You knew your reaction wasn’t all physical. Because of your knowledge about his life, you felt like you knew him or at least a part of him. Your heart ached for him, for his past, for all the time he lost. Your heart also warmed at the love he’d given his brother throughout the years, at the determination he had for honoring his mother’s work, for overcoming so much.
Even knowing about his past, he was still a stranger to you. You felt silly for having such strong emotions towards a man you met only a few hours ago. Besides the familiarity you had gained through knowing his sister-in-law, did you two even have anything in common? You highly doubted so. You exhaled, hugging yourself beneath the covers, your mind finally relaxing. As you felt your body grow heavy for the last time, one final image unwittingly flittered through your mind: those man’s damn hands.
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