#not even gonna be apologetic about this I'm trying to get better in regards to that and quite honestly I don't feel sorry in the least | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

mayhem-neverending · 5 months

Text

The Big Bad Wolf

Part VIII

Word Count: 4,683

Warnings: cursing, rumors, Canon fighting

Notes: I had to stop this before it got too long. I'm hoping to get the next part later, but it really depends on how quickly I can get my self-imposed chores done :/ Enjoy!!

Konoha’s rumor mill was truly an astounding thing. You were bombarded with questions regarding your alleged relationship with the Hokage before even stepping foot into the Tower. You attempted dispelling the rumors, but to no avail; you could tell by their expressions that they didn’t believe a word of your denial.

Whispers followed you to his door, where you knocked more frantically than you meant in your attempt to get away from all of the stares. You tried desperately not to make eye contact with anyone, lest they take it as an opportunity to ask you more questions. Thankfully, you were allowed entry shortly after your knock.

As soon as the door opened to reveal you, Lord Sixth loudly jested, “Oh, look who it is; my secret lover!”

You slammed the door shut behind you and through gritted teeth said, “Don’t encourage them,”

He was obviously very amused by the situation, with the way his eyes crinkled and how he lazily leaned back in his tall chair. You wondered whether people weren’t bothering him, or if he was just used to all the attention.

You were drenched from the rain, your hair dripping and your shoes leaving a trail of water in their wake as you went to place your reusable bag on his desk. It hit the wood with a muted clank that somewhat satisfied your growing exasperation.

You pinched the bridge of your nose. “I keep telling people I’m not, but when they found out I was bringing you dinner they just went ham,”

Kakashi chuckled heartily, and went about sweeping the scattered scrolls and paperwork onto one corner of the desk so he could see what you had brought him. He slid the bag in front of him and carefully removed the glass containers and utensils.

You were becoming increasingly aware of the puddle forming on the floor the longer you stood at his desk. You watched uncomfortably as he opened the first container, a warm, comforting smell wafted through the air, and he looked quite pleased.

“I should have warned you before you came; our love affair has been all anyone has talked about all day… is this Oyakadon?”

“Yeah, I thought it would be good for the rainy weather,” you hinted.

He looked up at you and seemed to only realize right then that you were soaked to the bone. You watched recognition form on his face, immediately followed with apologetic eyes.

“Shit, I’m sorry. You didn’t have to make the trip in the rain, I would have been fine,”

You huffed and crossed your arms over your chest. “I told you I would, so I did. It’s not like I won’t have to go back out in it to get Hikaru,”

“Still,”

Both of you remained silent for a few moments. He gazed into your eyes like he was trying to read your thoughts, which was a little unnerving. If he could read your thoughts, he would have caught you calling him a ‘real oddity’.

“Well, are you gonna eat or what?” You broke the silence.

“Right,” He picked up his chopsticks and brought some chicken and sticky rice up.

He paused, and you raised a brow. “Thank you,”

“You’re welcome,”

You waved your hand dismissively and turned on your heel, satisfied and ready to pick up your son, something you assumed you would only just make it on time for.

“Leaving so soon? Our audience outside will be very disappointed,”

You stopped mid-stride and glanced over your shoulder. If he wasn’t wearing a mask, you would have witnessed a shit-eating grin. You chose to ignore the second part of his statement.

“Sorry, but duty calls, Loverboy,”

You only brought dinner two more times that week; afraid anymore would solidify the rumors following you lately. The attention caused you a great amount of anxiety, so you tried to focus your attention elsewhere. Namely, with Obito.

The two of you spent the better part of the week trying to decide what he was going to do. He seemed to be entertained by shooting down any suggestion you could come up with, which only served to irritate you. And that seemed to entertain him, too.

On Thursday, you suggested woodworking, since he seemed to have exceptional attention to detail.

He was sitting on the couch, arms crossed behind his head and an ankle resting over his knee. He hummed in faux contemplation.

“Nah,”

You threw the rag you had been dusting with down and spun to face him with surprising speed. His amusement was clearly visible and it only made you bristle.

“I’m gonna kick your ass!” you jabbed a finger at him to punctuate your words.

“I’d like to see you try,” He drawled.

“Why you-!”

“Now that’s not actually a bad idea, can’t remember the last time I sparred,”

“Get your ass outside then,” you growled.

You were just short of stomping behind him as you followed him to the door where he put his shoes on. You intentionally knocked into him as you went out the door.

He laughed at your antics, and you couldn’t help but feel a little twinge of all your pent up anger and anxiety leave you. He followed behind you at a languid pace to the backyard and positioned himself a short distance across from you.

You couldn’t help but notice the way his upper arm muscles flexed as he raised them in front of his body under his grey long sleeve shirt. He was quickly putting on weight, that was clear.

All defiance and anger dissipated the moment his brows dipped as his expression became serious. His dark eyes flickered with an intensity that made the hair on your neck stand on end. All of the sudden, you remembered that this man was literally a war criminal - the war criminal and he was beyond powerful, even in his weakened state.

You dropped your fighting stance. You let out a nervous laugh as he did the same. “You know what, I changed my mind. I haven’t fought anyone in years, it wouldn’t be much of a fight,”

You could tell he understood exactly what you were trying to say, and you thought he would give it up, but then he said: “Come on, you brought me all the way out here. I thought you said you were hot shit, with all your training with Genma,”

You inhaled deeply. “Fine, just- don’t break any of my bones, please,”

You both returned to your starting stances.

“Only taijutsu?”

“Only taijutsu,”

Without warning, he swung a fist at you. The reaction in your body was instantaneous, like you had never stopped training. You simultaneously ducked while taking hold of his wrist; using his own momentum to send him flying towards the ground.

He tucked and rolled onto his feet, hardly giving you a chance to turn around before he was on you again. You blocked his next advance with some effort, your muscles straining against his strength, a telltale sign it had been too long since you had done this.

Your heart beat rapidly as you narrowly avoided a kick to the side. You took on the offensive position, hardly able to keep up with him as you continued your dance. You searched for anything that would give you an advantage, but at this rate you were coming up empty. He wasn’t letting up or giving you time to recover, and you could hear your own breathing becoming labored.

This was, however, one of the most exciting things you had done in years. To stretch your mind and muscles was a real treat, and you found yourself thoroughly enjoying it. The next punch he threw, you grabbed hold of his wrist with one hand and used his shoulder to leverage yourself to roll off his back and behind him. You swiped a leg and caught him by the ankles, sending him onto his hands and knees.

You all but collapsed onto your bottom, not giving him a chance to come back at you to fully finish the fight. You panted as he stood up with a grunt. You were pleased to see a bead of sweat on his forehead when he turned towards you.

He stood over you and held out a hand to help you up, a bright smile gracing his handsome face. You took his hand and let him do all the work of pulling you up. He was able to do it as if you wighed no more than a feather.

“You surprised me,”

You put your hands against your thighs, panting but happy with your success. “Shoulda seen me.. at my best.. fuck am I outta shape,”

His grin only widened. “I guess we found an activity to occupy me,”

“Asolutely not,”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun. Besides, I thought you said you were gonna support me?” His grin turned to a sly smile that suited him all too well.

You glared at him while you gave yourself a second to think it over. “I’ll make you a deal,”

“I’m listening,”

“I’ll spar with you a couple times a week IF you choose another activity by the end of the day - and if you can’t decide I’ll choose it for you.”

“Deal,” he replied without hesitation.

“That means you actually have to partake in the activity,”

He rolled his eyes. “Yeah, yeah, I will,”

“Good,”

He didn’t choose anything, instead partaking in a whole lot of snacking and a bit of reading while your tired arms started on your project of staining the floors. The next day, you brought over your sewing supplies that had been sitting on the top shelf of your coat closet, begging to be used.

He wasn’t enthused by your decision, but you reminded him of your deal, so he went about figuring out what kind of project to begin. On Monday, you came to work to find him passed out on the couch, and probably over a hundred small triangle and rectangle shaped pieces of fabric strewn about with a pair of scissors open on the floor next to his hand.

By the end of the week, he had made significant progress with his quilting project, even though he spent a good portion of time begging you to train with him in between working on it. He had drawn out a ridiculously complicated pattern for a quilt (because it’s mentally stimulating, he says) and most of the squares had been made out of the smaller pieces seemingly overnight.

You brought news of his progress, along with a picture of a couple squares to Kakashi with his dinner.

Kakashi was incredibly pleased, to say the least. He complimented your performance, and you couldn’t help but feel proud. You two chatted a while longer, commenting on the latest gossip surrounding you two, which people couldn’t seem to get enough of, and how his work was going.

You still had a spring in your step and a small smile still on your face from his compliments on your walk to pick Hikaru up from school. The dead leaves crunched underfoot and the tip of your nose went numb from the cold. It was becoming dark already, and it made the already chilling breeze bitterly cold.

You pulled your hat down to cover the tips of your ears to avoid them getting the same treatment as your nose. Despite the cold, you enjoyed the evening walk. Lights flickered to life in peoples’ windows, illuminating the street. It was nice to just listen sometimes; the chatter of people walking by, the meow of an ally cat, the fabric of your coat rubbing as you swung your arms in time with your steps.

Far too soon, you arrived at the school. Although you loved your son dearly, you relished the time you spent alone on your daily walks. A dusting of warmth greeted you as you opened the door, and you let out a little contented sigh. You walked slowly to his classroom, and upon entering little arms wrapped around your right leg in a chokehold.

On the days you saw Kakashi, he was one of the last kids to be picked up and he was always excited to see you. You ruffled his hair and lifted him into your arms while a teacher came around with his coat and helped you put it on him. You thanked them and waved goodbye; your little boy tucking his hooded head into your shoulder for the journey home.

He fell asleep that way, and you tried your best to quietly let yourself into your apartment and gently put him in his own bed. You carefully removed his extra layers and cracked the door behind you. After shedding your own layers, you headed to the bathroom for a hot shower. You decided to check your phone while the water warmed up and saw a text from Genma

Hey, I’m having a bday party 3 wks from today. Think we’re going to Your Place. Think you can make it?

That would be Hikaru’s dad’s weekend, so theoretically, yes. The question was moreso whether you wanted to go. You really didn’t have the energy to party these days, especially at a fancy club. He would be really excited if you went though, and if you didn’t already have plans..

You sighed. He had been trying to hang out with you for the last couple of weeks, but you two hadn’t been able to find a good time to do it. With his schedule unpredictable and you always having Hikaru, it was nearly impossible for both of you to be available at the same time.

You wouldn’t have to stay more than an hour. Just make a little appearance, have a single drink, and go home, you reasoned.

Yes, text me the time closer to the date Anything you want for your bday?

Another week flew by as a dedicated Obito worked on his massive project and you went about your regular business with the addition of finishing the floors. The two of you sparred a few times, but you weren’t lucky enough to win any of those. Your body was sore from the beatings it took, but it was actually great exercise for your mind, and it had you feeling really good - energized, even.

You enjoyed watching Obito become engrossed with his project; the way his face scrunched and his shoulders hunched when he was particularly focused. In turn, he was appreciative to see you start showing up to work in your oversized sweaters and comfortable pants as the cold outside persisted. You looked so adorable he even let you boss him around on Friday. He chopped wood for the fireplace and the two of you stacked them neatly against the side of the house. He even helped you clean out the fireplace, which covered both of you in dust and soot. He would have been irritated had you not giggled and brushed a hand through his hair and against his cheek to try to remove it, only to make it worse.

He was nearly finished with the quilt by the following Tuesday. He had only a few squares left to attach, so you decided to cook him one of your favorite meals growing up. It was a dish for special occasions, you had told him that morning before you ran to the store to buy a few ingredients.

You returned with a whole chicken and bacon, and set about your task. “My great grandma used to make this for us for the holidays before she passed,”

Obito sat at the kitchen table so that he could be closer to you while he finished his project. He had noticed the atmosphere between the two of you had become much more lax since you had begun the sparring sessions. There was only a hint of professionalism left, and even then you had to squint to see it. More and more he found himself wanting to be closer to you. At first, the desperation and longing for another human’s presence was dissipating with your continued visits. Now, though, he felt that longing tenfold, but in a different way, because it wasn’t just for another human anymore, it was for you.

Even the sparring was an excuse for him to be close to you; to touch you. His fingers always twitched in your presence, always seeking contact he wasn’t allowed to have. You were like a magnet, and he couldn’t escape the pull, not that he wanted to.

“Was she from Akujia, too?” He asked absently, rethreading his needle.

“Yeah, about half of my dad’s family is,”

“Do you ever miss it?”

You contemplated for a moment while you added a plethora of spices to the large pot. “No, I don’t think so. I miss my grandma, and I get a little overly sentimental about some of my childhood memories, but Akujia as a whole is not a good place,”

“I’ve only been there once, and it’s safe to say I wasn’t welcome,” he glanced over at you.

“I’m not surprised. There’s a reason my family moved here,”

You stopped the conversation there and moved around to the cabinets to find a can of green beans. You found them and set them on the counter with the other ingredients for one of your side dishes. While you worked, you became increasingly aware of the temperature difference next to the stove compared to the rest of the kitchen. A shiver ran down your spine while you were away from it, washing the cutting board in the sink.

“Are you cold?”

You startled, not expecting his raspy voice to come from right behind you. How was he always behind you?

“Are you deliberately trying to give me a heart attack?” You half-heartedly glared over your shoulder at him.

“Sorry, old habits die hard,”

And then, "Aren't you supposed to be a shinobi?"

"There's no danger I need to be on edge about here," You stated matter-of-factly.

You glanced at him again, and he opened his mouth to say something but was rudely interrupted by the loud ringing of your cellphone. You made an apologetic face and wiped your hands off on a kitchen towel.

You fished it out of your bag and answered without checking the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Hi, this is Sage, am I speaking to Hikaru’s mom?”

“Oh, hi, yes,”

“Yeah, um, Hikaru is running a fever, so he needs to go home,”

You pulled the phone away just long enough to look at the time. It was only 11am. You tried not to sigh audibly, but Obito saw it on your face.

“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can,”

“Alright, thanks. We’ll see you soon!”

You put the phone back in your bag and quickly turned to Obito. "Could you start a fire while I'm out please?"

"Sure, but-"

"I'll be back before you know it," You called, somehow already halfway out the door.

Obito hesitantly followed your direction and started a fire in his large fireplace. He appreciated the way the newly stained wood surrounding the hearth reflected the flames in a warm glow. The pretty image didn’t distract him more than a few seconds; his thoughts centered on you and why you had to leave.

He was concerned about what you had to rush out the door for. All he could conceive was an emergency Kakashi had called on you for, but even then he wasn't sure how plausible that was. Possibly a family emergency, maybe even danger?

He stirred your green beans a few times in between pacing around. It was rather unfortunate that his brain could only conjure the worst scenarios. He tried his best to ignore his intrusive thoughts, but his mental fortitude was not at its peak these days. It was a very distressing forty-five minutes for him.

He was more than relieved to hear your footsteps approaching his door, and ran a hand through his hair one last time as you opened it. And the sight before him was nothing his mind could have conjured. His eyes widened as you shut the door behind you. In your arms was a little boy in an oversized coat, his head tucked tightly under your chin.

“Sorry it took so long, I had to ask Kakashi how to get him through the barrier,” You slung a backpack off of your shoulder and onto the floor next to the couch.

You weren’t looking at him; your focus was solely on the little boy. You gently tugged his coat off and tried to lay him down on the couch, but his little arms clung to your neck in a death grip. His face scrunched up like he was going to cry and you softly shushed him until he relaxed back into your arms.

You finally chanced a glance at Obito, who wore an unreadable expression. “You.. who’s kid?”

Obito regretted the bluntness of his tone when you flinched at his question. He didn’t want to be rude to you, he was just very confused. Not once did he think he would be seeing a kid again while he was stuck in his lifelong house arrest (with possibility of parole in ten years, his mind reminded him, though he was fairly sure it would not be granted).

“He’s mine,” you said in a small voice.

“Wait, what?”

You ran your fingers through your son’s brown curls and hugged him tighter to your chest. You nervously averted your eyes.

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring it up before, I just…” you trailed off.

You straightened your back, made eye contact with him and spoke up, “I guess it’s a long story why. Anyway,”

You walked up to stand next to him. You peeled your son’s face away from your chest just enough so Obito could fully see his face. Now that he could actually see him, he couldn’t help but notice the striking resemblance between the two of you. You shared the same eye color, nose and chins, and he was sure if the boy smiled it would be an exact replica of yours. The boy blinked slowly at him with bleary eyes.

“This is Hikaru,”

You turned your head to look up at him. “I’m sorry for bringing him, I should have asked. I just really wanted to cook this dinner for you and I don’t have anyone else to take him,”

Obito shook his head. “No, it’s just uh, unexpected. I had no idea,”

He stared at Hikaru, who stared right back. You didn’t comment and took him back over to the couch, where he let you put him down this time. You took off his shoes and pulled a small blanket out of the backpack you had brought with you. He curled up into a little ball while you tucked him in and pressed a kiss to his temple.

Obito watched you tenderly brush his hair back and whisper to him with the gentlest expression he could ever recall seeing. Your eyes softened just for him and he could see in your movements just how much you loved your son. He felt out of place witnessing such an intimate moment, but he couldn’t force his eyes away. He would be lying if he said seeing you like this didn't do something dangerous to his heart.

You pressed your fingers to his temple and a soft green glow emitted from them. You stood when his eyes fully closed and you had pressed one last kiss to his forehead. You were still wearing that sweet expression when you made eye contact with Obito again, and it made his heart rate pick up.

A sudden pang of envy reverberated in his stomach and chest. How different would his life have been had someone only loved him like that when he was young?

“I’m sorry, just let me do one more thing before I get back to it,”

He only nodded. He watched you peel a couple garlic cloves and crush them before returning to your son’s side. “I know this looks weird as fuck, but it really helps,”

You took his socks off and pressed the crushed cloves against the bottoms of his feet before putting them back on him. You started getting up but halted upon seeing his expression. "You're not mad, are you?"

He hadn't realized he was glaring until you said something. It instantly dropped. "No, why would I be mad?"

You shrugged one shoulder. "I dunno, maybe you don't like kids or something,"

There was a heaviness to your tone that he decidedly did not like, and he was sure he was not the sole cause of it. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, unsure how to express the plethora of emotions he was experiencing at that moment.

"I don't.. not like kids," He managed lamely.

"Hm,"

You took your place back at the sink and turned the water on so you could finish taking care of your dishes. He took a spot close to you and leaned his back against the counter so he could still see your face. He didn't know where to begin, because how had he spent 5 days a week with you for like, two months now without ever hearing about you having a literal toddler?

The most important question to his heart in that moment, however, was: "Are you married then, or?"

You let out a derisive snort. "No. I wouldn't be here if I was,"

"What's that supposed to mean?" There was an edge of offense to his voice.

You set your mouth in a straight line before answering, "His father wouldn't allow me to work, especially not anywhere near another man,"

Your eyes were hard when you made eye contact with him. "That's why I haven't trained in years,"

His lips formed an "O". He thought about it for long enough that you finished the dishes and started cleaning the countertops.

You worked quietly for a long while. He went and finished his quilt after watching you for a bit, questions swirling in his mind. He was curious, but you looked like you didn’t want to be bothered after sharing that little tidbit about your past relationship.

“Thank you,” you said unprompted.

You stood next to his spot at the table with a troubled expression. “For what?”

“Not prying, and not getting upset about me bringing him. It wasn’t right for me to spring that on you, and I’m sorry for that,”

“It’s really alright, sure it was unexpected, but I don’t mind. You don’t have to apologize,”

You looked to the side out of the kitchen window and stated distantly, “I lost a lot of friends when I got pregnant. I’m appreciative of your minimal reaction,”

“… is that why you never mentioned him?”

“Probably,”

“So, you consider me a friend, then?”

The corner of your lips quirked up. “Is that what I said?”

“Hm, pretty sure, yeah,” He smirked.

You took your attention away from the window and gave him a real smile. You leaned towards him and placed a hand on his shoulder. Your touch felt like flames licking across his muscles and it took the majority of his attention not to show it.

“Of course I do. Only a true friend could annoy me and entertain me at the same time,”

“You’re such an ass,” he rolled his eyes.

“As your friend-” you started.

“I’m your friend, I didn’t say anything about you being mine,”

You seemed to change your mind about continuing whatever you were going to say. You simply shook your head and started towards the hallway.

“Wait, what were you going to say?”

“Don’t worry about it,” you disappeared around the corner without turning around.

He scrambled to his feet, afraid he had upset you with his joke. The chair scraped loudly against the wood floor, but before he could get two steps in, crying sounded from the couch.

“Shit,” he muttered.

Part IX

Tags: @mostlyunsure, @humongousdreamlandbear

#x reader #naruto #x y/n #obito lives au #Obito x reader #obito uchiha x reader #Obito Uchiha #Kakashi hatake #Au

35 notes · View notes

butmakeitgayblog · 8 months

Note

Okay so I tried watching TLFOAH and throughout the first episode I got this really crappy vibe (not from the performances) and it didn't match with the book. At all. I watched through to the end and walked away for a bit. It it hit me what the problem was. Male director. This series is not really from the point of view of any one woman or her experiences or her pain. It took the apologetic parts of the novel and centered them by making the suffering of the women especially Alice seem incidental. Nobody's fault. Generational trauma. Repetative. I know not everyone will share that opinion but the fact that they put a totally unnecessary sex scene in (none of it from Alice's point of view she's an object) nullified the whole story for me. Alice is a pretty object through the whole thing. She's an object to her grandmother. She's an object to the men around her. She's an object to herself. The series doesn't reckon with any of that, it just gives a patent "happy" ending. This really seems to be the trajectory of ADC's career too. Pretty object, patented storytelling. This story really could have benefited from a woman director who gets it what a shame.

I tell ya, I read this about 4 times, each time myself walking away for a but to kind of think it over, and I'm still just not coming up with the same conclusions you are. First and foremost, that line about her career? Totally unnecessary. It was tasteless, and I'm not sure if it was just rage bait or some personal bone you have to pick with women being unapologetically attractive, but frankly you can leave that shit at the door because I'm not gonna entertain it. She's an actress. Actresses by and large get paid to be pretty. If you don't like that, fair enough, but that's something you need to take up with Hollywood casting, not actresses trying to make a living. She's going to take the roles she likes (such as this one, which also happens to be the best role of hers to date), but also the ones she gets cast in. It's not like every actress has the luxury of turning down jobs no matter what your personal preferences are. You talk about being reductive and objectification in the rest of your message, yet really treaded the line on some sexist/misogynist sounding bullshit right there. Be better. That said, I'm not flat out saying you are wrong in regards to this show, but I don't think I got that impression of it at all.

I mean, it was stated from the start that the show is about generational trauma. It's about how victims of abuse can end up falling into and continuing cycles of abuse. I can't side by side compare to the book, but taking the show at face value, that's exactly what it did, so I'm not entirely sure what it is that you wanted from it.

Fundamentally, I'm not even sure what you're talking about the suffering being incidental and not painted as anyone's fault? It was. In her childhood years, it was Clem. In her adult years, it was June and Dylan. There was no ambiguity there. They were all shown as manipulative people who hurt those around them. June's motives may have been different, but she was still shown in a harsh light. In fact something I appreciated was that they didn't write Clem any sort of boo-hoo-woe-is-me sad boy backstory as a kind of way to write off or pseudo-excuse why he did what he did. He was just an abuser. He liked to hurt people, particularly the women in his life, plain and simple. He abused and took advantage of Candy, then June, then Agnes and his daughter, and there was no attempt to try and soften him to pull away from that fact.

Another thing that I appreciated was the fact that they didn't focus the show on the abuse itself, but rather the damage that's left it's in its wake, and the healing process that needs to be done. I don't think that approach lends itself to rendering the trauma itself incidental, but rather it shifts the focus from the violent acts themselves and more toward the victims left to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives. Too often in these cases people get so caught up in the story of the abuser and the whys and the whats and the white noise that comes with those high octane emotions. But the reality is that those scars last long after the dust has settled, and unfortunately by then usually nobody's really paying attention to the victims anymore because it all becomes about the sensationalism of the violence and the abuser. (*Cough* D3pp and Heard *cough* Tory and Meg *cough*)

That's what I think, in part, this show was trying to portray.

Now, switching gears here, while I had my own issues with the sex scene, I do somewhat have to push back on what you're saying here because while I could've lived without it, I do see what it was saying. I don't think Alice was being used as just a visual sexual object, but rather it was giving insight into where she was emotionally. Only, what? Days prior? A week or two at most? She had found out the man she loved - her childhood best friend mind you - had fallen in love with someone else. And that's after months of thinking he'd just left her behind, only to find out it was her own grandmother who had betrayed her and sent him away "for her own good". The girl was emotionally flailing and desperately searching for some sort of connection. She was desperate to find solace and comfort and thus, glommed on to whoever made her feel something that wasn't pain and betrayal.

That's a very understandable human emotion given the situation.

Enter Dylan, shithead extraordinaire, who she immediately thinks is hot. They have an instant attraction and he pursues her just as hard as she pursues him, and in the unstable emotional space she was in, it's entirely understandable that she'd latch on to someone like him. He makes her feel wanted and desirable, he's a fresh start and a way to leave behind her past. It would be so easy to fall into someone like him when you're already looking for a place to land to begin with.

However, really look at that sex scene.

Really evaluate it.

She's not even looking at him.

She's not holding him close or wrapping her legs around him, there's no prolonged eye contact or heavy kissing. Nothing that speaks of actual intimacy. She's disconnected from him and the moment. To me that is Alice's point of view.

You may take that as her being portrayed as just a sex object, but in my opinion it spoke volumes about what was actually going on with her internally, even if she herself was not entirely aware of it (although tbh I think she was.) Even the upside down camera shot leaves the viewer feeling off kilter, almost as though it's mirroring just how off balance and desperate she is, right along with how everything between them was from the start.

I don't think it's fair to reduce Alice down to just an object because at no time did I get that impression of her at at all. She is young woman who has had everything in her life ripped away from her over and over again. She's not stupid, just unsure of exactly who she is. She thinks she's a murderer, she thinks everyone who has ever loved her either hurt her, left her, or betrayed her. But even through that, she's cunning, and clever, she thinks on her feet and has a will to keep going. Just because she makes some bad decisions, that doesn't negate all those character traits.

And again, they don't soften Dylan as a character. I've actually had A Lot of conversations about the portrayal of Dylan and I think I've landed somewhere around: I didn't need to know much more about him. Would I have liked to maybe see more of the building blocks of their relationship? Yes. But in the same breath I think that might've only given them space to try and paint him in a more forgivable light when that did not need to happen. Because in the end this story isn't about the abusers. It's about the women who have to escape them. It's about the quiet after the storm and what they do to pick up the pieces. And I liked that they didn't try and make these women, Alice included, into these fake af perfect renditions of what we think victims should look or act like. Sometimes they're messy, sometimes they make bad choices, sometimes they're strong and resilient fighters who never turn back. Sometimes they do. One is not more worthy of sympathy or safety over another. They make their own choices and they're still allowed to be humans who are imperfect and none of that somehow diminishes what it is they go through even after the abuse is over.

And honestly I'm not sure of you and I watched the same finale. The whole point of June's letters and the Flowers burning down her statue that Clem made was about Alice and June and all the other women taking back their power and their stories from those who hurt them. It was point blank saying that not only is this June giving Alice back that power she had so mistakenly taken away as a family member who loved her and thought she was doing best but had gotten it so so wrong, but also it was her passing the torch on to Alice. Giving her the ability to literally burn Clem and Dylan, even June herself if Alice so chooses, out of her life and start over from the ashes (the Phoenix metaphor from the very beginning.) To start writing her own story.

I don't actually see that as a happy ending per se, but more a hopeful one. So very few times in life are we given the chance to wrap up our traumas and wounds in a pretty bow and have everything feel perfectly resolved. More often than not the people who hurt us don't ever have to answer for it. More often than not the worst people in this world don't suffer any sort of repercussions for their actions or are made to pay a price. What usually happens is we're left with the scars and the frayed edges of what we went through, and we do our best just to keep going, trying to make peace with it through the pain and injustice. I feel like that was a much more realistic - albiet whimsical for narrative purposes - ending than a lot of other options that I'm sure got tossed around the writer's room.

Now all that being said, yeah I think it would've been interesting to see a woman's directorial take on it. I'm not sure the changes they would've made but for the sake of it, it would've been interesting. Knowing what's been said though, I feel like this director cared a lot about the story as it was, not just what he wanted it to be, and added elements that I loved that weren't in the original script (such as the ending fire that tied up all the symbolism.) But also considering the author herself was hands-on through the entire process and the fact that the showrunner and producer was a woman (actually there were 6 women executive producers on this as well 3 women screenwritersand 2 women editors) worked closely with Holly, I think what got into the show was more or less what the author wanted. I don't think the director skewed what the overall message was, at least not in the author's eyes it seems. So while I may read the book down the line and adjust my views accordingly, for now I'm going to trust that Holly Ringland and Sarah Lambert had a very steady hand on the reins of this thing.

#anon #i still love Lexa the most tho don't come for me 😔#anon I'm sorry if the beginning part sounded aggressive I've just gotten too many damn bashing comments lately and it's just #I'm just tired of it #so of that's not really what you were aiming for fair and sorry I pushed back that hard #*I'm sorry not and sorry

26 notes · View notes

akakeiiji · 4 years

Note

hii!! i'm really shy and was hesitant to make a request but can i request for hcs for suga, oikawa, kuroo, bokuto realizing they like the reader?? tysm i love ur writing btw

i love these boys too much, it’s borderline unhealthy

✂︎・・・masterlist

-`,✎ Suga, Oikawa, Kuroo, and Bokuto realizing they have feelings for you

Sugawara Koushi

To be honest, it wouldn’t be obvious at all that Suga has a crush on you

He’s friendly and sweet to everyone he meets most of the time so nobody thinks twice whenever he’s with you

But his underlying feelings for you show in the little things he does, the way his eyes shine whenever you laugh, how his ears perk up whenever he hears your name, how he somehow memorized all your favorite foods after you offhandedly mentioned it once before

He would mistake his feelings as a weirdly strong platonic attraction for you and continue spending time with you in hopes to appease the feeling but be confused as to why he always felt unsatisfied

He finally realizes how smitten he is for you after a long internal monologue he had after he almost had a heart attack when you hugged him once after a match

He literally lost all cognitive function after that hug

He wouldn’t be too open about his feelings unless he knew you felt the same

In the end, your friendship is what he values most so he doesn’t want to risk it but let's be honest, ofc you feel the same, I mean how could you not?

He would show his feelings through subtle actions like walking you home, giving you little gifts every now and then (usually food), and always sending you little texts like “Good morning!” or “Good luck on your exam today ♥︎!”

When he does get some semblance of confirmation that you might feel the same then he’s going to jump at the first chance to tell you how he feels

Oikawa Tooru

For someone as perceptive as Oikawa, it’s kind of hilarious how dense he is regarding his own feelings

The team can only watch in pity as they watch their captain gush about you for hours on end, not even realizing how in love he is

He practically glows whenever he sees you and abandons whoever he’s with iwaizumi or whatever he’s doing to run to you

He jumps at any chance he gets to spend time with you

You’re heading home? He’ll walk with you even tho his house is in the opposite direction You need to buy something in the canteen? He’ll join you and probably pay for your meal as well. You’re going to study in the library? Well, you better bet he’s gonna be there because he definitely will

He doesn’t really question why he’s like this but just focuses on the fact that he wants to be with you

He becomes so clingy I swear, it’s like he gains energy from skin to skin contact with you

Oikawa only realizes how ridiculously non-platonic his feelings were for you when a fangirl of his asks him about it obviously very jealous and it hits him like a dozen projectile bricks aimed at the back of his head

Oikawa is not known for his skills of subtlety and ability to be low-key so once he’s aware of his feelings he becomes so obvious

He gets all flirty and coy when you’re around, always tells you the cheesiest pick-up lines he finds online

He thinks he’s being smooth but nah man, he’s just a dork

He’ll always act so smug and suave around you but the minute you do something like hold his hand or gets even the slightest bit closer to him, he becomes a blubbering, blushy mess

Kuroo Tetsurou

You know when people say that the people who are always teasing you and messing with you do it because they have a crush on you? Yeah, Kuroo is that person

The minute he met you he’s always been so unrelenting with his teasing and badgering

He’s like that with everyone but with you, it’s just on a whole different level

He doesn’t even realize it at first until someone else points it out, and he doesn’t even know why he does it

Spoiler alert: It’s because he subconsciously craves for your attention and being a pain in the ass is the only way he knows how to get it

You would never expect him to have a crush on you, you always assumed that he just thinks you’re an easy target what a bully huhu

One time one of his jokes went too far and you were legitimately hurt by what he said and he literally felt his heart shatter at the very knowledge that he hurt you

He becomes so apologetic and clingy, ready to do absolutely anything to make it up to you imagine a cat clinging onto its owner’s pant legs as they try to walk away

Only then does he realize how much he likes you

Kenma is so exasperated with him

“I can’t believe I like them!”

“Literally everyone knows already, Kuroo!”

He starts slyly sending you hints, trying to let you know how he feels

He thinks he’s subtle but nah

He’s kind of a wimp at first and instead of asking you out outright, he tries doing so in a joking manner so you never take him seriously and think he’s just teasing you

He tries this like a dozen times before you get sick of it

“Jesus, why are you always bothering me?”

“BECAUSE I LIKE YOU, DAMNIT—”

Lots of confused yelling

Bokuto Koutarou

Practically everyone knows he likes you except him

He’s ten times more excited and giddy whenever you’re around which nobody thought was even possible

Whenever he’s in his dejected mode, just mentioning you would immediately cheer you up

Basically, your very existence, in general, puts a smile on his face

Everyone just assumed that Bokuto was aware of his very apparent crush on you so when Akaashi mentioned it to him he was just plain confused

“WHAT?!! I DON’T HAVE A CRUSH ON THEM!”

“BOKUTO-SAN, CALM DOWN—”

Incoherent screeching

After a long talk and some not-so-silent reflecting, he finally understands why he’s so drawn to you

Totally doesn’t hide the fact that he likes you not that he ever did in the first place

He’s the type to just jump right in whenever he has feelings for someone

He starts showering you with compliments, always telling how good you look, how smart you are, how talented you are

He just wants you to know what he sees when he looks at you

Do you know how you sometimes get a sudden craving for some random food you like? Bokuto gets that but what he’s craving is you noT LIKE THAT GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTer—unless…👀

It’s as if he gets a sudden urge to see you and drops whatever he’s doing to look for you

“Bokuto, where are you going, we have practice—Bokuto, no—STOP RUNNING, COME BACK HERE—”

He essentially becomes a puppy that follows you around pls protect him ugh

3K notes · View notes

sherl-grey · 2 years

Note

I wish you would write a fic where....

11/rose go undercover. Flirting ensues and they forget why they were there in the first place💗

(No pressure to do anything with this and good luck with your writing endeavours 🥰)

hello candy my dear, i'm sorry this took me SO long but at last i have something!!

"but it's all coming back now, like the feeling isn't over" is up on AO3 now, and the beginning is below the cut :)

“I know that... well,” Jack said, eyeballing the Doctor and shooting Rose a tiny, knowing grin. “Anyway, I was thinking we’d send Mickey and Martha. Or, if they can’t, I can always go in with Donna or Ianto, if either of them are free.”

“You could just send us,” the Doctor frowned, and Rose stifled her giggle at the look of alarm on Jack’s face. “Really, it’s much more convenient and efficient if you send us. I mean, you’d literally be sending in another pair to radio in to us and possibly even bring the jewels out to us if they actually are there.”

“Right, guess I just thought it’d be a fun date for Mickey and Martha,” Jack said helplessly, looking at Rose with wide, apologetic eyes.

“It’s an undercover assignment,” Rose snorted, at the same time the Doctor protested, “Right, or it could be a fun date for Rose and I!”

“And there we have it. You two in a nutshell,” Jack muttered under his breath. “Alright, fine. You two can have this one. And remember, I’m sending you undercover, not ‘under covers.’ I swear, you better not get distracted in another closet again--”

“--we were stuck, it wasn’t like that--”

“--honestly, it’s not our fault someone forgot to tell us that the doors automatically locked--”

“--especially without me in there, preferably right in between you,” Jack grinned, and Rose and the Doctor rolled their eyes in such perfect sync that he shivered. “Now, go get ready.”

The Doctor hopped up immediately, murmuring something about costumes and shoes and the perfect bow-tie for this, Rose, and Jack sighed and exchanged an amused glance at her as he practically flew out the door.

“You sure you’re gonna be alright?” he asked hesitantly. Rose sniggered at how tactful he was trying to be; he’d rather learned his lesson before, both with regards to the Doctor’s hyper-sensitive hearing and his over-sensitive… self. “This him… he’s not exactly the most…”

He didn’t need to finish. They both heard the sound of the Doctor tripping down the uneven step near the bottom of the staircase and hitting the opposite wall, as he did nearly every time they left Jack’s place.

“Oh, we’ll be fine,” Rose assured him. “Stuff of Legend, us.”

(Read the rest on AO3)

#ah yes another nightmare fic #genuinely cannot tell you if it's coherent. i've fallen asleep three times trying to post it #elevenrose #back on my bullshit #my fic #ask game #asked and answered #candyholly

20 notes · View notes

mybrothershands · 3 years

Text

MBH/Dumpling 2

second installment, same art because otherwise you'll be waiting on it all day tomorrow. Characters by myself and @diddlesanddoodles and editing by @thundering-susurrus

The giant pinched up his face as if he smelled something bad. He then prodded the lump in his chest-pocket. "Get up, you lazy fool."

Several emotions crossed Yale face all at once, from anger to confusion to relief. Now that he knew where to look, Yale could see a distinctive lump in the man’s front pocket and heard the smaller voice emanating from within. Well, if he had a human companion of his own, that was a welcome relief. But he still kept his hand on Nenani. Grinning, he jerked his head to indicate the lump on Ka's shirt. “Ah, well I suppose that answers that. He yer assistant then?”

"Parasite, more like," he said, fishing around in his pocket until he caught the man by the shirt and pulled his shoulders over the lip of the pocket.

"Why you little two-ton son of a hog-bellied cob, I ought to--" The human smacked the hand away.

A nervous laugh escaped the giant, and he clasped his hand over the smaller man's mouth. "Er, this is my brother. He took care of me when I was small," said Ka.

Yale had been watching Ka fish around in his pocket and smirked at the human’s grouchy reply. The human’s snark immediately reminded him of Farris, but upon hearing Ka call him his brother, Yale gave pause. His curiosity was piqued.

“Wha –? Really? Can’t say I’ve ever heard ‘a that. That must be one hell of a story,” he said and jerked his head towards Ka. “Ye must’ve had a time of it keepin’ ‘im fed and clothed proper.”

The giant paused, then seemed to draw back within himself and looked away. Cairo, however, had no such loss for words. "Got that right. Ungrateful, too. You should see the spot in my side where he--" The massive hand clamped over his mouth again.

"I, erm," Ka cleared his throat, worry painted on his face. "I was old enough to work when he took me in. I cleared land for a human farmer in exchange for food. Cairo paid for my clothes and gave me a place to stay."

Polly then decided to use his leg as a scratching post and began rubbing her face up and down the side of his pants, leaning into him. "Woah, hey!" Ka said as he was knocked off balance. Once he found his feet, he pulled her bridle back over her ear and straightened her forelock. "But yes, I'm," he waved his hand in a circle, "I can work with humans just fine. They just need to let me know they're there and keep away from my feet."

“Ah, well no worries there,” Yale said with a light laugh as he pulled his apron aside to reveal Nenani at his hip. “You know better than to be underfoot, ain’t that right Dumplin’?”

Nenani nodded while she observed the new giant and silently marveled at his height. Despite the way in which he towered over them, he had a kind face, and she was not afraid.

“Farris doesn’t like it if I’m on the floor,” she explained. “He doesn’t trust the footmen to keep a look out.”

Ka's expression softened. She was a little thing, even for her kind, with auburn hair that shone in the sunlight. Somehow she met his gaze without fear, and it gave him pause. "H-hello there," he said quietly. "I am Ka. It's nice to meet you, miss."

It took the giant a moment to realize that the young man must have been hiding her, and why he had questioned him so. Come to think of it, he had not seen a single small person, nor chest pocket since he had entered this town. Pieces began to fall into place, and he decided he should not stay here for long. Not with Cairo. Absently, his hand found its way to his pocket.

“Hi. I’m Nenani,” she replied back, trying to look friendly. He looked so nervous, she thought. Yale easily scooped her up and sat her on his leg. After getting comfortable, she gestured up at the cook and said, “And he didn’t say so, but this is Yale.”

Looking confused, Yale looked down at her. “I didn’t introduce myself at all did I?”

“Nope,” she replied. “That was very rude. Lolly would swat you.”

“Ah, well,” he said, giving Ka and Cairo an apologetic shrug. “She wouldn’t be too pleased with me bringin’ the lil’un on this errand either. So there’s that.”

Cairo grumbled as Ka fawned over this little girl. She seemed unafraid and even kind towards his brother, which he respected. Still, he regarded Yale with a critical eye. Hooking his elbow over the frayed lip of the pocket, the human raised his voice. "What kind of kitchen is this anyway, boy? It's a bit late in the day to be fetchin stuff. What are you doing out here now?"

“Best kitchen in Vhasshal,” Yale fired back with a smug grin. He pointed over his shoulder towards the castle behind them. “That being the royal kitchen.”

“But Gjerk didn’t clean the chimney and it ruined the luncheon roasts,” Nenani supplied with a frankness that made light of the true disaster. “Almost caught the whole kitchen on fire.”

Yale frowned and, blushing just a bit, agreed with a muted nod. “Aye. Well, even the best kitchen in Vhasshal can fall victim to inattentive tenderfoots. So we’re needin’ to shuffle things ‘round a bit. Headin’ to a merchant who raises and sells field rocs.”

Ka's face became a smiling mask with a blank stare. Royal kitchen? Was this boy not worried that some stranger picked off the street could poison someone Important? Even the king himself? What if something went wrong and he was blamed for it and put in prison? Even he himself was not sure he deserved such trust, and yet kept his mouth shut in hopes that there was something he did not know.

Cairo, meanwhile, looked the man up and down, and then the girl in turn. They seemed easygoing and honest, if not a bit frank. At last he nodded. "We will accept your offer."

The giant balked. "Cairo, I'm not sure--"

"Shut up," he said, waving a hand. "Your belly's been a'growling all day, and I'll have no more of it. This is an easy job, and you're gonna take it," Cairo barked.

Ka paused, a hint of frustration on his face. Still, this was Cairo. The giant seemed to let go of his worries and nodded. "Just tell me what to do," he said, fixing Yale in his gaze, "and I'll help as much as I can."

He seemed eager enough, Yale thought. And even if his kitchen skills were minimal, so long as he could hold a knife, he could find something for him to do. Ka’s human companion was clearly the more dominant of the two, which Yale found to be quite amusing. And even a bit refreshing. He was so used to humans reacting to him with fear or at the very least nervous suspicion. Not that they did not have a valid reason of course.

He decided he liked Cairo.

“Well, first we gotta go collect them rocs and scurry on back,” Yale said with a grin. “So if we just wanna follow along we’ll go get that done and we can get ye to work.” He paused as he considered Ka. “And get ye somethin’ t’eat. Farris might gripe at me fer it, but believe me. He’s gonna be thankful fer yer help. Even he don’t show it. Or say it. Or yells at ye.”

Yale flicked the reins to usher Polly forward, bringing a hand up to hold onto Nenani when she almost fell off his lap.

“Ah!”

“Oh, sorry there, Dumplin’.”

"Oh," said Ka as he backed away and let the animal slip past until he could walk beside the cab. This Farris fellow seemed a bit crotchety. "Thank you," he said above the creaking wheels. The mention of food set his mouth to watering. They had had so many good things down at the market, maybe now he could get his hands on something. "I can pay you, but I'm afraid my coin may just be trinkets to you."

From his pocket, Cairo squinted one eye, adjusting his position to better watch the small giant. "Why you call her 'dumpling,' anyhow?"

“It was a joke,” Nenani explained with a flat look. “Wasn’t a very funny one.”

“I dunno, I thought it was a pretty good one,” Yale replied with a knowing grin. He poked her belly and the girl squealed and laughed, batting at his fingers. She lost her balance and almost fell back off his lap, but Yale was quick enough to catch her and place her safely down on the bench beside him. He ruffled her hair into a bushy mess. “Anyway, I caught this one here after she’d nicked some fruit. And right in the middle of the King’s weddin’ feast too. Don’t think I’ve ever been that stressed in my life.”

“He threatened to eat me...” Nenani said with the same flat expression.

As lovely as he found the girl's laugh, Ka's smile quickly faded as the girl voiced the joke. He made a sound half way between a choke and a quack. "Hmm?"

Cairo looked more surprised at the noise his brother made than Nenani's admittance. "Oh he did, did he?" He sat up, eyeing Yale. "He looks like a pansy to me."

Yale could not help the smirk of satisfaction at seeing the way Ka reacted. But his focus drew to the man’s pocket and the human within. Leaning towards them and planting his hand on the other side of where Nenani sat, he grinned at the human man.

“Big words fer a fella who travels by pocket,” he challenged. “Why not come on outta there and I’ll show ye how much of a pansy I am.”

Nenani glared up at Yale and grabbed onto his sleeve and gave it a firm tug. “No fighting.”

Cairo merely laughed at the girl's reaction. "I ain't stupid. Think I'll stay in the pocket, eh?" He slapped Ka's chest.

The giant rolled his eyes. He kept pace with the cart fairly easily, even as the Svaldifari trotted. He cleared his throat. "Keep acting like that and I may just let him have you."

"What!" he exclaimed, clutching a hand over his heart. "He might skin me, don't you think? You brute, you should protect your poor old brother."

Ka sighed, plodding along. "You can take care of yourself just fine."

“Smart man, your brother,” Yale said to Ka. “With him taggin’ along, ye might just survive a day in Farris’s kitchen.”

There was something very comforting about watching Cairo and Ka banter. It was all too easy for Yale to be drawn back to the horrible memories of the war and the way it seemed to him at the time that the bloodletting would never cease. Yet before him was a man who openly and easily called a human his brother.

“As fer skinnin’: nah. Too much of a hassle. Much easier to just toss ye into the stew and pop the lid on.”

Beside him, Nenani rolled her eyes. She had become nearly desensitized to all staff’s banter about eating and cooking people. Cairo didn’t seem like the sort to take Yale seriously. But Ka, she observed, seemed to not care for the jokes at all.

Ka lolled his head back, exasperated, then clamped his hand back over Cairo's mouth. "Ne- Nena-nani, er..." he chewed on his tongue for a moment, still trying to decide how many syllables the girl's name had. "Nenani," he said decisively. "He... Yale. He said he found you stealing?" said the giant, desperate to change the subject.

There were a few shoves and knocks on his hand before there at last came a double-tap and Cairo's mouth was freed. However, he kept his mouth shut for once and watched the road ahead. The mare seemed to need a bit of guiding, unused to going this way, but Yale was not quite paying attention. He peered ahead. Was this the way they had come before? Where was the market?

“Oh. Yeah,” she replied as she fiddled with the hem of her skirt in slight embarrassment. “But it’s not like what Farris and they all thought at first. I’m not from the Hill Tribe, I’m from the Southlands. They were loading a bunch of carts near the docks and I tried to sneak in and grab a persimmon before anyone noticed, but the basket was really big and I just...kind of fell in. And got stuck.”

Yale stifled a snicker as he corrected Polly’s path. She whinnied at him in annoyance. “I remember all them peels, lil’un. It was certainly more than one.”

“I was in there for three days,” she said and stuck her tongue out at Yale. “What else was I gonna eat? The basket?” When Yale only shrugged at her, she continued. “I grew up being told stories about Vhasshal and I was really scared. So as soon as the caravan stopped, I tried to run.”

“Caught her tryin’ to make a run fer it,” Yale added lightly pinching her arm. “Didn’t get all that far. Like...a half a dozen yards maybe before I got ‘er.”

Ka frowned. He did not like the way that last bit sounded. He steered away as they passed another cart on the road. He wanted to ask the stories about Vhasshal, and why she had been so frightened, but the girl had not seemed a bit embarrassed about that point in her past. Come to think of it, maybe he did not want to know. "Persimmons... have peels?"

The edge of the village was approaching, and Yale could hear the sound of the rocs long before their pens came into view. Their destination was a handsome little cottage just at the end of the tight clusters of row homes. Though was an older building and had but a thatched roof, it was well maintained and clean. Behind it were the roc pens. There were a dozen or so of the birds loose in the larger space, and Yale felt relieved. He was only going to need ten for the luncheon service, and he’d be able to get a few extra just in case anything else went horribly wrong today.

“Well, I think they’re actually husks,” she was saying. “They’re from overseas somewhere. But you’re not supposed to eat the outsides because it’ll make you sick.”

“Ye did get sick though. Just not from eatin’ fruit,” Yale pointed out. His eyes trailed after the other cart as they passed, having seen the way they had been gawking at Ka. Poor guy must get that a lot.

“Yeah, I had the red reap,” Nenani said. “It was terrible. But Farris took care of me and gave me medicine and watched me all night while I had the fever.”

Ka blinked, trying to make sense of this new information. He had no idea what red reap was, but then again, he was not familiar with most diseases. "It sounds terrible," he said, worry on his brow. The way she had explained it, it sounded deadly. He could not imagine having to care for someone through the night, not knowing if the little thing would make it.

Though he had not yet met the man, Ka found himself reconsidering this Farris guy. If he was the type to yell at someone new, it seemed a bit backwards that he would worry over a thief. He shook the thought away. He had not met him yet. Maybe he would understand later.

It was then he heard some bird-like squabbling, and looked up to find a pen with some frighteningly large feathery beasts. "What... are those?" He felt a bit stupid for asking, but then again, nothing was familiar to him here. Nothing at all.

"What, you never seen a chicken before?" Cairo butted in.

“Oh them ain’t no chickens,” Yale answered, giving Cairo an amused sideways glance. “Those are common field rocs. Those beauties eat chickens fer breakfast. Literally. They’re birds of prey. And they’re what we’re here fer.”

Yale maneuvered the cart towards the pens and when they were close enough, he pulled the reins lightly and Polly came to a gentle halt. She turned to her head back at Yale, expectation in her eyes. With a chuckle, he reached into his apron pocket and pulled out a pressed oat cake. Turning to Ka, he held out the treat. “Wanna give Polly her reward while I go spend the king's money?”

A grin spread across Ka’s face, and he chuckled. "Seems she's in good hands," he said, gently taking the biscuit from him.

~~~

Twelve common field rocs were in the back of the cart, their wings tied down to their sides and hemp sacks placed over their heads to keep them docile. Nenani hung off the back of the driver’s bench, looking down at the immobilized birds. They were as large as cows, and it was a little daunting to think that there were birds that big in the world.

The trip back was fairly uneventful, except that news of Ka seemed to have made its way around the village, They seemed to be getting more stares than before, but Yale made a point of staring down whatever gawkers he noticed. But he did not have the same presence as Farris did, and mostly, the people just kept on staring.

Nenani found it to be pretty rude, and to several she stuck out her tongue.

As they approached the back gate that led to the kitchen courtyard, the guards stationed there did double takes as Ka came into view, but Yale was quick to head off any questions. “He’s here to help out for the day. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Farris.”

There was enough of a threat in those words that they were allowed to pass without any form of harassment.

“Don’t let those guards make ye nervous none, lad,” Yale said to Ka. “Most of ‘em are real decent fellas.”

Yale was still looking towards Ka as he directed Polly along the road, around the last bend, and into the courtyard. He pulled the reins and was about to say something else when felt a tug on his sleeve and he looked down at Nenani. “Hm? What’s it?”

Nenani merely pointed further ahead of them and Yale’s gaze followed along. A large fire pit had been lit in the middle of the yard, and the largest of their cooking pans was placed over the top, with a sizable pile of pumpkins next to it. Saen and Avery were in the middle of carving a few up but had made little headway.

But what had caught their eye was none of them, but the solitary figure just a short distance away. Standing with his arms akimbo and looking very displeased was Farris. His green eyes narrowed at Yale.

“Yer fuckin’ late.”

Ever since the border guards, Ka had gotten increasingly fidgety. As soon as Yale quieted down, he slowed up and walked behind the cart. The castle ahead was bigger than any he had seen, especially this close up. He ran his hand up and down his sleeve, trying to create some warmth as his breath crystallized before him. Upon hearing the voice, the giant's first impression was how gravelly and frayed it sounded, possibly from overuse. The second was that it did not sound happy.

"What's it to you?" Cairo muttered under his breath. It was more of a knee-jerk reaction, than anything, but it was enough to remind Ka to keep an eye on him. The human's left arm and legs lolled out of the pocket. He picked at his teeth as the giant walked. "Move over, Ka, I want to get a look at this meathead."

Ka merely shook his head, hand straying up to cover the man. "Be careful here. We don't know for sure if it's safe yet." There came a grumbling and a shove at the fingers, but for the most part he kept his mouth shut.

Before Yale could even begin to explain himself, Farris caught sight of Ka, and the kitchen master’s eyes widened as his gaze traveled up and up and up until he met the taller giant’s eye. “And just who in the Seven Hells are ye?”

Before Ka could answer, though, Yale jumped in. “Came across him on the way to get the rocs. He was lookin’ fer some work, and I offered to let him help us today.”

All through Yale’s explanations, Farris sized Ka up with a critical eye, pausing at the distinct bulge in the tall man’s pocket. His eyes narrowed suspiciously before turning their vitriol onto his assistant.

“Oh ye did, did ye?” he demanded. “Are ye fuckin’ daft boy?”

Yale hopped down off the cart. “We need the extra help, and as mad as ye are, ye can’t deny the big fella could be of some help. Hell, he’d make short work breakin’ down the pumpkins.” Yale leaned around Farris to yell past him towards his fellow cooks. “A whole lot faster than them two knobheads!”

Saen and Avery looked up from their work to glare back at Yale. Avery waved his knife in the air, calling back, “Go fuck yerself, Yale.”

Yale was still grinning when Farris drew his attention back with a growl. “And ye think I’d let just anyone off the street come in and cook in my kitchen, do ye?”

Yale glanced over his shoulder at Ka and then back to Farris. With a shrug, he said, “Honestly boss, I don’t think he’d fit. Be a bit tight.”

Farris’s ever-present glare faltered as an amused smirk crossed his lips. With a grunt he looked back at Ka. “Ye have any experience in a kitchen there, son?”

The giant clutched his fists against his chest, shoulders hunched and brow scrunched with worry. Though the man was half his height, he scared Ka. He looked like someone who knew how to fight and just might if aggravated.

"Y-yessir, just a bit, sir." Ka stuttered, coming out from behind the wagon. "Look, I promise I mean no harm, sir. I just, well I- I- I was looking for some work is all. He was nice enough to give me a chance. I promise I'll do my best if you'll only let me help."

Farris was silent for several moments, eyeing Ka once more. “Where ye from?”

The giant straightened up a bit, a slight hope welling in his chest. "Benhyke, sir. I'm... trying to find my way back there, actually."

“Never heard of it. So ye mean to tell me yer as tall as a fuckin’ house with no proper sense of direction?” The kitchen master didn’t give Ka a chance to answer before walking over to the cart where Nenani sat. He laid his arm across the drivers bench and looked at the girl. “What say ye Dumplin’? Think he’s some sort of secret assassin tryin’ to worm his way into the castle?”

Nenani blinked and shook her head. “No.”

“Well, if yer so sure,” he said with a small smile and scooped her up. Tucking her into the crook of his arm, he turned back to Ka. The warmth he had spoken to Nenani with was gone and the harsher tone returned. “Ye got a name?”

He scratched his head, still harboring the initial insult in his mind, and had not quite heard him speak to the girl. "What? O-oh I am Ka. And this is--" he paused. At first caution took over, but once he saw the way he cared for Nenani, the fear melted. "--Cairo," he finished.

Upon hearing his name, a single hand came out of the pocket and gave a dramatic wave. "Evening to you, you motherless goat," he called, then the hand disappeared again.

Farris’s expression darkened and, behind him, Yale was making a frantic motion with his hands at Ka that translated roughly to “Bad idea. Stop.”

“I’ll give ye fair warning now, boy,” Farris warned as he walked towards Ka. Pressing further into his space, he stared up at the taller giant and pointed towards his pocket. “Keep that one’s mouth under control or I’ll be doin’ it fer ‘im. I’ve had plenty of humans toss out insults at me and, one way or another, they learn not to. If ye wanna work, I’ve got work fer ye. And you’ll be paid fair wages fer it. But if that one skulking in yer pocket don’t watch it, he’s gonna become intimately acquainted with the inside of a roasting pan.”

Ka's face paled and he backed away, clutching one hand to his pocket. "No! No, please, he's my brother. Y-you can't--I won't..." He seemed to get ahold of himself then, squared his shoulders. "Take that back," he said, regaining his ground. If it were not for the girl in his arms, Ka was not sure what he might have done.

Farris did not back away, and his only movement was to use his free hand to cover Nenani as though to shield her. He met Ka’s eyes with a firm unwavering stare. “I don’t take it back. This is my kitchen and my word is law.” Farris let a small smirk come to his lips. “Just keep in mind though, I didn’t say nothing about actually cookin’ ‘im.”

The giant blinked, relaxing a bit. "What?"

At this point, Cairo heaved a dramatic sigh and pulled himself up. He looked the man up and down and came to a conclusion. "Ugly lump."

Nenani poked her head out from behind Farris’s hand. “No fighting.”

At Nenani's word, Ka took a step back. There was still anger in his blood, and he elected to stay on his toes, but any hostility was snuffed out by the girl's voice.

Farris only adjusted his hand to ruffle her hair. “Well ye ain’t no Blue Thorn Beauty yerself,” Farris shot back at Cairo, then raised an eyebrow at him. “Ain’t ye a bit old fer being carried ‘round like a babe?”

Cairo raised a brow, then patted the chest behind him. "This one here's the baby when it comes down to it, little man. Now--" He cut himself off as if he had heard something. "Alright already," he grumbled at apparently nothing. "What do I have to do to get your sorry bag of bones to do something decent, eh? This boy's half starved."

"Cairo..." Ka hissed through his teeth. "I haven't done the work yet."

Farris huffed and rolled his eyes. “Yale,” he called without taking his eyes from the pair. “Go grab this one one ‘a the leftover meat pies.” He paused, reconsidering the man and his height. “Make that two.”

“Will do, boss,” Yale replied, flashing Ka a wide grin before running off towards the stairway that led into the kitchen proper.

“I don’t run a charity here,” Farris told him sternly. “But if yer gonna be any use to me at all today, it wont be with an empty belly. Ye’ll eat and then ye’ll work. Understand?”

"No," Cairo said blatantly before Ka had a chance.

#crossover with doobdles

35 notes · View notes

naomisimagines · 4 years

Note

I absolutely love your writing. I always enjoy seeing your posts come up in my notifications 😊 Could I make request be any chance? Leon and Raihan reacting to seeing their S/O being rushed to the hospital after the S/O fought and captured Eternatus? (I'm convinced there's no way you could have gotten away from that fight without some major injuries. That was a seriously dangerous pokemon)

Not Naomi but I hope you will enjoy it nonetheless! Also, angst!

Leon

Leon’s heart beat rapidly in his chest as he stared at the pokeball that laid on the ground in front of him. That Pokemon, that Eternatus… It was really something else. It was strong, fierce and cruel. He could feel all its rage as it battled against the ball.

“Please…” he whispered; his stomach tied into a tight knot. Usually, he loved battles and the greater the challenge, the greater the fun he had. But that time was different.

His little brother and s/o were there, the two people he loved the most… He had to protect them no matter what.

The pokeball jerked sharply and, immediately, he knew what was about to happen.

“Charizard!” was all he was able to say before the pokeball broke, unleashing a devastating force that blasted him against the wall.

With a painful groan, Leon raised his throbbing head just long enough to see Hop and s/o safe and sound behind his Charizard.

“Run!” he tried to yell but, before he could make a sound, he passed out, blood trickling down on his purple hair.

When he came to, the room was silent as the grave. He sat up, nauseous, and looked around.

The white walls and the intense, stingy smell of disinfectant made him quickly realise that he wasn’t at the Tower Summit anymore.

Suddenly, a shiver ran down his spine. Hop, his Charizard and his beloved s/o… If he was there… Where… Where were they? Where was the Eternatus?

His heart started to race in his chest, making the machines next to him beep angrily.

He needed to get up, he needed to find his family, he needed-…

“No no no, you need to lay down!” a strong voice interrupted the storm that was rising in his mind, and, when he looked up, Leon found a doctor staring down at him. “You took quite the hit. I know you’re the Unbeatable Champion but please, for the love of whatever is holy, do not get up!”

The younger man stared at him, scared and yet dumbfounded. “Where… Where…” he asked, tears threatening to escape his golden eyes.

The doctor sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to soothe him. “It’s okay, take it easy. I need you to take several deep breaths and calm down, or I’ll have to give you a sedative.”

Leon shut his eyes close and hid his face in his hands, forcing himself to do what the man told him. It took him some long, endless minutes but in the end he was able to calm himself enough to be reasonable.

“My brother and… and s/o…” his voice shook as he spoke, too afraid to look the doctor in the eye.

“Hop is okay.” The man reassured him but he couldn’t help another sigh. “Regarding s/o… Look, Leon, I’m not going to lie to you but I need you to promise me that you won’t panic again.” He said, and that was enough for the champion’s heart to start racing again.

“I promise.” He lied. “Just tell me what happened to them. Where are they? Are they okay?”

The doctor scratched the back of his head, then he took a deep breath and told him the truth. “S/o… They’re stable now. That Pokemon did a number on them though, so we had to put them into a medically induced coma. But don’t worry; we took great care of them. They’re gonna be alright.”

Tears rolled down Leon’s cheeks and he didn’t even try to hide them. He lowered his head, trying his best to listen to the doctor and believe that they were okay, that they saved them, that he would soon hold them in his arms again. But it was hard to think about that in that moment, it was hard to see the light.

“Easy, easy…” the doctor murmured, patting his shoulder. “Would seeing them make you feel any better?”

Leon’s eyes shot open and stared at the man in front of him in disbelief. Could that really be arranged?

“Look, we’re going to wake them up later today. If, and only if, their vitals are all in the clear, I can allow you to stay in the room with them as they come to.”

Leon nodded at his words and, not even an hour later, he was sitting beside his s/o. They looked terrible; their whole body was covered in scratches and bruises and he could see stitches creep out from their collar. But the doctors were hopeful and believed they would quickly make a full recovery. They had worked their magic and Leon was glad for the opportunity to be there when the sedatives wore off.

Gently, the champion took his beloved’s hand in his and placed a feather-like kiss on their knuckles.

“Ain’t you a sight for sore eyes.” Their low, hoarse voice made him flinch in surprise. But, after a moment of insecurity, he smiled at them.

“So are you.” He replied with a wink, which made them chuckle and, subsequently, caused them a coughing fit.

“Easy, love.” he soothed them, his smile now apologetical. “How are you feeling?”

“I’m beyond happy.” S/o laughed again and, again, they started coughing. “I saved you. And Hop. And I captured the Eternatus.”

Leon laughed with them then, once his brain processed their words, he froze. “You what?”

“I did it. I caught it.” They repeated, their voice now soft and sleepy. “It put up a hell of a fight but I… I… got… it…” they tried to say but tiredness had the better of them.

The championed smiled and kissed their forehead gently. “You got it.” He whispered against their skin. “Now you need to get some rest, too.”

Raihan

Whatever was happening in that tower; it must’ve been bad, Raihan realised as the ground of Hammerlocke’s plaza shook beneath him.

Worried, his eyes darted up to the crimson clouds that covered the sky. Could that mess really be caused by a single Pokemon? Had he known, he would’ve never let s/o follow Leon.

As the ground shook again, he cursed out loud. He should’ve gone too. But now, it was too late.

Suddenly, the earthquake stopped and the sky became clear again. Confused, the gym leader looked around, meeting the eyes of several other people that were just as incredulous as he was.

And then he heard them; the sirens. There were plenty of them and before he could realise why, the whole plaza was filled with ambulances and police cars and an officer was ordering him to step back.

Raihan obeyed, his heart racing faster and faster. Why were there so many paramedics? And why was the police there?

Was… Was s/o okay? They had to be… They were tough and they were with the Unbeatable Champion… There was no way they were hurt.

But then he saw a group of paramedics rush out of the tower, pushing a stretcher and shouting things that he didn’t really understand. They seemed panicked though, and when the officer moved, he realised that it was Leon that was being carried away, unconscious.

His heart dropped and all colour drained from his face. If Leon was down, then… S/o, his beautiful, gentle, caring beloved s/o…

Fear started taking the best of him and, before he could realise what he was doing, he shoved the officer aside and ran to the ambulances, frenetically looking for his lover.

“Make way, make way!” he heard someone shout and, as he turned around, he caught a glimpse of another stretcher coming through.

The person on it had an oxygen mask on their nose and mouth and was bleeding copiously, drenching the candid gloves and sleeves of the paramedics that were attending to them.

If it weren’t for their bracelet, Raihan would’ve never recognized them. His s/o.

The realisation hit him like a dagger through the heart and he felt his knees shake.

“S/o!” he yelled, panicked, then he juggled the officer and made a run for the ambulance that they had been taken to, jumping onto it as well.

“Who the hell…- F- it, there’s no time.“ the paramedic cursed as she saw him, then, she just shook her head and moved her attention back to the patient. “Family, press, I don’t care. Sit down, don’t touch anything and let us do our job.” She ordered as the ambulance sped away but Raihan didn’t even hear her. His blue eyes were scanning s/o from head to toe, looking for something, anything that could tell him that they were alright.

Then, amidst the chaos, the faintest voice could be heard. “I won.”

Raihan’s eyes darted up and met those of his beloved s/o. They were smiling, he noticed. How could they smile in a moment like that?

“I won.” They repeated and, before a paramedic could stop them, they placed a hand in his own. “Don’t lose it.”

The gym leader blinked at them, confused, then he looked down at what they had just given him.

A Pokeball. Well, an Ultraball, actually.

Raihan’s brows furrowed at the sight but before he could ask any questions, S/o had passed out again.

A long time passed before they woke up again but, when they did, Raihan was still at their side, his head down against their mattress.

S/o smiled at the sight and weakly ran a hand through his dark hair.

“S/o?” he murmured, his voice tired and sour. Slowly, he turned his head, flashing them the warmest smile. “You woke up!”

“Did I?” they replied with a smile of their own. “Because this very much feels like a dream. Or more like a nightmare that turned into a dream, actually.”

Raihan sat up and took their hand in both of his. “How are you feeling?” he asked as he placed a kiss on their open palm.

“For someone who battled a legendary pokemon… Pretty good, actually.” they replied with a smirk. “By the way, did I tell you that I won?”

Raihain let out a breathy laugh and nodded. “Several times, before passing out, yes.” He assured them, then he pointed at their nightstand with a nod of his head. “I take it that the Ultraball you gave me…”

“It’s the Eternatus.” They finished the sentence for him, a spark in their eyes. “Now I’m a ‘tamer of dragons’ too!”

The gym leader laughed again. “You sure are.” He said and, as he looked at them, he couldn’t hide an ironic smile. “I can’t wait to see the two of you against good old Leon.”

S/o chuckled some, then they shook their head. “Wouldn’t it be cheating?”

Raihan seemed to think about it, then he just shrugged and took out his Rotom Phone, eager to show them all the support their fans had given them while they were out.

Masterlist

#ModWolf #pokemom sword and shield #pokemon reaction #raihan x reader #leon x reader #pokemon raihan #pokemon leon #eternatus #pokemon swsh #pokemon imagines

1K notes · View notes

ganymedesclock · 6 years

Note

Im writing a fic with Matt in it as well the main charatcers but I'm having trouble because Matt and Lance seem very similar personality wise? How could I write Matt without making him ooc but also not just another Lance?

This is an interesting question! Since I think that Matt and Lance are people where if you just glance at them they do seem really similar, but on a deeper level, they’re quite different.

Lance, I’ve talked a lot about but I think if I just had to grab a brief summary, Lance is a very emotional person, he’s a very compassionate person, and he’s also an actor. For the most part, he’s ruled by what he’s feeling. He’s probably the fastest to get openly angry at a situation but the fastest to cool down, and he’s actually the most in control of his emotions because of the fact that he tends to just let them do whatever they need to do.

I think the best evidence of that is if you compare him and the way he squares off with Keith to a lot of other fictional Heroic Rival figures. In s3e1 and s3e2, both times Keith angers him, but we also see that both times, Lance is someone who steps up to comfort Keith. And that’s the compassionate, nurturing side of Lance. He sees that Keith is suffering, upset, stressed, and that, to Lance, is more important than his desire to be better than Keith.

Lance is a natural nurturer. The combat style he develops is posting himself above the battlefield as a sniper, but he also goes from there to check on all of his friends.

I think one of the key concepts with Lance is “heart on your sleeve”. Even as someone who has a pretty good capability to act, he has a sort of overwhelming natural sincerity that means that he prefers to be honest. The few times he’ll be emotionally dishonest is when he thinks it will make people happy.

And that’s a pretty big divergence from Matt. Matt isn’t emotionally closed- he can be an excitable goober, all right- but think about how Matt was established in s4e2.

Matt tends to hang back, gather information, and then decide how to act. There’s a certain guarded quality he has that I think Lance lacks. At a glance with the paladins it fades because they’ve sort of already earned his trust through their connection with his sister.

The Holts are very Slytherin to me, to use a Harry Potter analogy. To the unfamiliar, Slytherin is often described as “Here you’ll find your real friends” and it evokes very certain ideas of loyalty- not freeflowing empathy for everyone you meet, but rather, forging a small circle of close connections that you will defend and support viciously.

We see that the Holts worked for the Garrison, and regarded it fondly, looked up to it. Pidge celebrates when Matt gets in. But at the same time, we also see winks and nudges, of, “Well... but what they don’t know won’t hurt them.”

The biggest thing for Matt is he’s a friendly sweet person, like Lance, and he likes to take care of people. But Lance is very trusting while for Matt, Matt likes people easily, but trusting them is a different game, and trusting them completely is a different ballpark entirely.

You can compare how in s1e1, Lance ferrets the truth about Pidge’s feelings on Kerberos out of her by carefully asking a question that brings it up- but as soon as she reacts, he shows his hand, and makes it clear that’s what he’s really asking. He’s a good enough actor he could easily have pretended he wasn’t, that it was just a coincidence, and get an untainted observation of Pidge’s response, but he doesn’t. He’d rather be clear with her about what he’s asking.

Conversely, when Matt comforts Pidge in the flashback in s4e2...

He comes into the room bringing a slice of cake with him. He noticed, and knows, Pidge is upset already. He made a plan of action, and I wouldn’t be surprised if there’s significance to the cake- that it’s a kind Pidge likes or she’s just partial to sweets. He also doesn’t actually ask her why she’s upset as much as reads from the state of the room, takes it in, and deftly, obliquely weaves in the good news that he got into the Garrison and uses it to prop Pidge up right where she needs it- by reminding her that her intelligence and desire to share it doesn’t isolate her from everyone, that even if she’s a “nerd” she’s a nerd in good company.

Lance and Matt are both perceptive- they both notice something’s up. But Lance follows Pidge basically on impulse, confronts her more or less on the same, and is very straightforwards about how he does it. Lance is the kind of person who, if someone’s upset and storms out of the room, will follow them almost right away.

Matt, conversely, will hang back, study the situation, figure out how he’s gonna play this and what he thinks will cheer them up and work in there.

And again, there’s that whole Holt thing of whether or not they like you, that doesn’t mean they’ll trust you with everything, and in Matt’s case, he’s not too apologetic about having set up a rather terrifying-looking trick with his false grave. He counts on the idea that the people he trusts, the people he wants to find him have the code.

Lance walks around with the door to his heart hanging wide open and if people wipe their feet on his aorta and then leave he’ll be hurt but he’ll shrug and move on without ever even considering he should close it.

Matt doesn’t ever leave his heart open- he has people he’ll open it for if they knock, and he has people who he gives a spare set of keys.

It’s also worth mentioning that when confronted by an unfamiliar stranger in his base, Matt’s response was to attack and fight viciously without so much as a stray word exchanged. He didn’t know who this was, no idea if they were working for the empire, but they’re here, they’re probably dangerous, that gets him aggressive.

So I think the thing about Matt is I can see him being a lot more... detached than Lance. Again, Lance is a bleeding heart and s1e6 really shows that off. Matt in a similar situation would talk to Nyma cheerfully, maybe even flirt, but I can see him either deflecting when Nyma starts to try and lure him away from the group, or rolling with it with the express intention of seeing what she’s planning and keeping a tight grip on his staff the entire time.

I also feel like Matt would probably be willing to take a harsher angle than Lance, even if he expresses it in a not especially harsh manner. Something I’d expect to come up in s5, with Lotor- Lance will probably have the strongest negative opinion about Lotor but also trust him the fastest, because, that’s just Lance’s nature. He’s not oblivious to the possibility of betrayal, but engaging with anything requires him to be open emotionally.

Conversely, Matt would smile and shake Lotor’s hand and, in friendly tones, make it clear that he doesn’t trust this guy for a second and if there’s so much as a suspicious scratch on his sister or her weird found family this alliance is over as far as he’s concerned.

Lance is the kind of friend who, after a bad breakup, will throw himself out of bed at 3AM and drive across town to sit with you right there at that moment and won’t leave until you’re okay even if he has a test in the morning because he is the kind of guy who Cares Aggressively and then he’ll grumble about not enough sleep the next morning.

Matt is the kind of friend who waits until you’ve done some coping in private because he knows you’re not the type that wants to be caught in the thick of it, and then shows up with your favorite kind of coffee and helps take your mind off it.

At this point, I haven’t quite worked out the degree to which Matt’s compassionate side “wins out” over his cautious one, since we’ve only seen so much of him at this point. It’s worth noting that back in s1e3, we catch a glimpse that he can get very stressed very fast if he feels like a situation is completely out of his control, while in s4e2 and s4e3 he takes a lot of pride in his knowledge and skills, probably because that’s a way to feel more in control of the situation and more confident.

Which is another contrast with Lance, because Lance.... has a certain amount of just faith things will work out. Again, it’s the willingness to just let people in and if it goes badly, well, he’ll deal. If Matt had been stuck in the Blue Lion running wild in s1e1 he’d probably be absolutely freaking out. oh god none of his ways to deal with this situation would work.

#voltron legendary defender #vld #Matt Holt #Lance #readmore #bomb9000

117 notes · View notes