#so if asked i will give reasoning for these choices | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

randompandabaewrites · 20 hours

Text

Helpless in Her Hold

//The Drow twins' proposition of Tav surfaces some insecurities for Astaron. Hurt/Comfort, angst but happy ending. CW: Unhealthy relationship to sex/sexuality, identity issues. Not edited... Song Rec: Supposed to Be (Acoustic) By Icon for Hire//

Astarion x f!Tav, Canonish, Act 3

2.1k

Astarion watched, helpless, with his dead heart in his throat as the drow twins propositioned Tav. His Tav. He want to growl it and glower until no one else in this pleasure den deigned to offer their services.

Why did she have to be such a lure for elven whores?

Astarion leaned back against the wall, hardly resisting the urge to fold his arms and sulk in plain view of the whole party. He wasn’t a child whose toy was being played with—and yet, the brightness of her eyes and the laugh on her lips had him wanting to pout and whinge like a toddler.

“I appreciate the offer, I do, but I must decline.” Tav shook her head. Though personally the vampire thought she could be a little more rude in her rejection.

Because the damn twins were were still giving her looks that were far too inviting. Not that Tav saw, because her eyes had landed back on him, and Astarion was just thanking his lucky stars he’d perfected the mask he wore.

“Is that your partner?” The female drow asked, her smile making disgust creep up his spine—it was easy to see where this was going. “We’d be happy to have you both.”

“My dear, I’m afraid you’d be the one parting with your gold.” A high laugh slipped from Astarion’s lips. “And, I do doubt you could afford me.”

He saw the twins’ mirrored expressions of bewilderment turn to glee for only a flash before Tav was excusing herself from them. Swiftly stepping over to him with—that damnable look on her face.

Oh he knew those eyes, so drawn with her concern and on the verge of pity. Tav looked like that when she was about to do something so dreadfully kind it might make him wretch.

And he could not be the broken toy when she was being offered two shiny new ones.

“Astarion—” Tav began in that tone, and he had to preempt her.

“I know pet, tempting as it is, I simply must decline.”

“Yeah?” Tav utterly confounded him with that lifted smile. “That’s good.”

“Good..?” Astarion asked, his mind trying to race ahead. Find the traps and disarm them before they sprung.

She’d preached to him over and over again about his choice, and what he wanted and how that mattered to her for some reason.

Only for him to make a decision about the drow for her.

Shit.

It was a test. It had to be. She respected his choices, now he was expected to reciprocate.

“Ah I see.” Astarion inclined his head to her, a salacious smile on his lips. “You haven’t had much attention lately…it has been a while for us.”

Tav blinked, and then those bright eyes were on his, searching him out. The pale elf would cling to the façade by the skin of his fangs, if it meant he could keep her.

She turned, and Astarion prepared for the feeling of a stake through his heart.

“Well, if my partner isn’t interested, neither am I.” Tav brushed off the twins’ advances with as much grace as one could muster. Until they finally had the tact to move to other potential patrons.

She was already leading the way out of Sharess’ Caress before Astarion had recovered from his shock.

The cold night air near Baulder’s Gate finally woke him.

“You could have gone with them, you know.” He blurted, wondering why in the Hells she hadn’t. It wasn’t like he was satiating her hungers.

Astarion felt Tav shrug her shoulder through their linked hands. “I’m not interested in any little tryst if it’s at your expense.”

She said it so simple, so easy, as if it were hardly worth a second thought.

Astarion’s mind was still reeling, but he put on a smirk. “Stop being so kind to me; it almost makes me want to return the favor.”

As if it were a debt he could ever repay her.

…

Hours later, Tav lay in her darkened room, sleep evading her. The soft click of a lock being picked made her tense, hand instinctively grasping the dagger beneath her pillow. But the familiar silhouette slipping through the door made her relax.

"Hello, my darling," Astarion purred as he approached, her darkvision letting her see how his ruby eyes glinted. “Haven’t you gotten accustom to me creeping into your bed?”

"It has been a moment since you came looking for a cuddle?" Tav teased softly, tilting her head. His appearance at this hour had her wondering. The dark of night and hushed voices already strummed tension in the air between them.

“I do seek…something akin to that.”

Astarion perched on the edge of the bed, long fingers skimming up her bare arm and leaving goosebumps in their wake. Despite all her thoughts trying to tame her reaction, for now.

"I merely wished to express my gratitude, my sweet. For standing by me, even knowing what I am. What I've done. And what I haven’t."

“What you…haven’t?” Her half-awake mind might be jumping to conclusions, surely. Twining their fingers together, Tav brought his hand to her lips, pressing a soft kiss to his knuckles. "You never have to thank me for that."

Astarion's eyes shimmered suspiciously in the darkness before he blinked it away, his trademark smirk back in place. "I want to thank you," he purred, “Won’t you, let me?”

He moved then, pressing her back into the soft pillow she’d been having trouble sleeping on after so many nights spent in the dirt.

Though the familiar weight of him was already making the bed more appealing. Now, just like every time he fed from her, he cradled her skull and tilted her head back so tenderly. It was comforting, it was an intimate moment she was happy to share with him.

His eyes didn’t meet hers as he ducked his head. Usually he lingered, to make sure Tav was alright before his fangs pierced her flesh. So why did she feel lips caressing her neck?

Her fingers slid into his hair, trying to get a grip on herself as much as she was on his curls.

“Star, what’s going on?”

The chuckle he gave was at the base of her neck, lips and tongue teasing at her collarbones in a way that made her skin tingle.

“Returning the favor.” He purred. “You deserve it.”

Tav swallowed under his clever mouth, trying to hear what her mind was screaming at her before it could be drowned out by the sweet words and sweeter lips.

Suddenly his face was swimming before hers, still not letting her catch his eye as he cupped her cheek. “So very few people get what they deserve—you, as always, should be the exception.”

Astation, with his ethereal beauty and perfect words, had her stunned. It wasn’t until he lowered his mouth to hers that her mind caught up.

“I don’t deserve anything you don’t wish to give.” Tav managed against his mouth, giving a gentle tug to his hair to get him to pull back.

“My sweet…I very much wish to give.”

That silver tongue slipped right past her protesting lips.

…

The elf was certain he had her when those hands slipped from his hair to cup his face in her palms. Her thumbs stroked over his high cheekbones.

“Astarion, wait.” Tav breathed.

He stilled, pulling back, fear flickering over his features as he was sure he’d somehow hurt her—when he saw it.

That damnable look in her eyes.

“Wait—we’ve done nothing but the waiting.” He snapped.

And Tav, damn her, gave a softer look still. “I’m willing to wait longer, as long as it takes.”

Astarion's posture stiffened, his back becoming an iron rod as he sat upright. "Is that how you see me then?" He couldn't keep the defensive edge from seeping into his voice. Drawing it like a blade when he felt his throat was bared.

"All shattered on the inside? Some broken doll you no longer play with? Am I to be put on a shelf and never touched again?"

“Astarion, you aren’t—” She moved to touch him, but he rose abruptly, evading her reach.

He didn’t even know why he did it. But the way her hand fell back to the bed, dejected, hurt him just as the pain he saw on her face.

"I know you aren’t fragile," Tav said with conviction, eyes pleading for him to understand.

“Then what? Am I some charity case to you? Is that what you get off on?”

Astarion hated it the moment he said it. But, the fangs showed whenever vulnerability crept up on him.

She stayed silent, and he had to fill that void before it consumed him.

“I’m not some delicate boy with a broken heart. I have wants. And I can see that you have them too. So, why not?”

“Is that what you want?” Tav smothered his outrage like a blanket over a campfire.

His shoulders sagged under the weight of his uncertainty.

“I don’t know.” The words barely escaped his lips before they broke apart into whispers of self-doubt. “Gods, I don’t know how to do any of this.” A frustrated hand raked through his white curls.

He wanted her. He wanted to see her looks of want and he wanted to be the one to fulfill her desires.

He wanted to keep her.

She sat up, legs hanging off the bed. And his eyes were drawn to the bare skin of her thighs exposed by her loose sleep clothes.

“Astarion, what do you want?”

He stared down at her, red eyes probing for a hint of the right answer. What did she want him to say? He would say it.

But Tav held without giving an inch.

“Why do you always ask the most difficult things?”

"I’m sorry." she whispered back.

"Don’t. I want—no, I need to know that I am still wanted by you." The confession fell from his lips like a plea. "You who’ve given me so much and seen broken I am. You who’ve made me wonder if I do indeed have any pieces left of my own soul…” The words were on his tongue, but his throat constricted around baring his neck one last time. “Do you still want me?”

“I will always want you.” Tav’s reply came without hesitation or doubt.

Either he had gotten to sloppy to see it—or there was simply no guile in her.

Tav reached out, her hand finding his where he stood frozen. He could feel the tension coursing through him—an all too familiar vulnerability that he constantly tried to suppress.

“Then let me give you something in return.” He dropped to his knees before her, desperation etched into every feature. .“Please, Tav.”

She lifted the hand she held, cupping it in both of hers, before she pressed his touch against her chest. And he had a moment to hope, that maybe, she would just let him give a fraction of what she’d given him.

“You’ve given me everything already, my heart.”

A scornful snort burst from him, everything in him prepared to banish her romanticized drivel with a dose of reality.

“This,” Her fingers tightened around the fabric of his shirt over his chest. “Past the petty armor you wear. Beneath the pretty face and clever tongue,” She yanked him close before he could quip back.“That is what you give me; parts of you that you’ve given to no one else.”

When he looked at her then, he had no idea what she might see, even if he could use a mirror.

“Your kindness, your hurt, your wants. The truth of you. That’s what I want.”

“I can’t give—“ Astarion couldn’t get this damn silver tongue of his around a his words. “I don’t know what that is…who I am.”

“Then we can both find out. That’s all I ask of you.”

He swallowed hard as her words left him parched and speechless. The notion that he might still have something to offer, a piece of himself that was untouched.

Astarion found himself staring at her, wonder and disbelief battling for dominance in his gaze.

A gentleness tugged at Tav's lips. And for a fleeting moment, Astarion dared to believe that perhaps he could have this.

He moved up, but only to wrap his arms around her. To engulf her in his embrace. Just as that night when she wrapped her arms around him, and first showed him that there was affection, there was closeness, without the expectation of more.

Astarion would be just fine if he was helpless in her arms.

#Well its not just fluff this time #“tell me who I'm supposed to be now”#“Make me better”#“I can't stay halfway dead forever”#astarion #astarion x reader #bg3 astarion #astarion x tav #astarion ancunin #baulders gate 3 #bg3 #tav #astarion x female tav #astarion angst #astarion fic #icon for hire

138 notes · View notes

winters-rose-daughterofcain · 3 days

Text

While I'm at it both Colin and Pen are so brave and trusting of each other this season and it's a huge reason why the pacing works for me. This post from @dollypopup goes into detail about the kiss and the bravery it took for Penelope to ask and how important and meaningful it is for her ark (in a far better way than I can), but I think it can translate thought out a lot of what they both do. (Elaborating on this post.)

So much of their relationship is driven by an active want to continue, grow and improve it. They start talking again because Colin notices she's upset and makes the effort to follow her and see what's wrong, they make up after last season because, once again Colin makes the active choice to visit her, apologise, and agree to help her with what she wants. Because there is a baseline there, there is trust and friendship and respect already established from years of knowing each other and the last two seasons. He already values her and cares for her and so makes an effort to maintain their relationship. She trusts him and loves him and knows him well enough to see past this new act, and she accepts his help and apology readily.

Then their lessons happen because they make the effort the seek each other out, Colin actually listens to her about her insecurity and comfort and ranges for them to practise at the Bridgerton house because it was a safe, calm, stress free environment. And it worked, she opened up (as much as she ever dose lol) because he knows her already and she is comfortable enough around him to let her guard down and even let some of her true feelings out, even if unintentionally.

The kiss has already been discussed and said much better than I ever could lol, but it really really is so important. It's not chance or coincidence or force that kickstarts their relationship it's Pen. At one of her lowest moments It's Pen and her choice and her love and her trust and bravery in that moment to ask Colin what she wants and be open and vulnerable in a way she almost never allows herself to be, in a way woman as a whole are punished and looked down on and seen as lesser for doing (clearly, as seen by peoples reactions.) And she is reworded for her bravery by a beautiful, tender, blissful kiss. She wanted to be loved even for a moment and she so aching obviously was.

Then after that they take a break from each other for a little at least in the sense of spending time together, but they continue thinking about each other they entire time.

And in the end, even if it took some help from Violet, it's Colin's actions that lead to that ending. It's hope and bravery and love and desperation that led him storming into that ball half way through and interrupting dances and chasing carriages. It's bravery and vulnerability and trust in Pen, who has always been there for him, always been constant, always been patient and kind and steady, as well as love, that leads to him being able to give a confession like that and her feeling everything in equal parts for him that allows her to actually confess her feeling for him for the first time in the entire show.

Obviously all stories are driven by characters making choices, and outside influence definitely played a role in theirs, but so much of it was them both trusting each other and being brave enough to take a leap of faith and hope to be caught, and they always are. We (I) joke that they're stupid in love and down bad and absolutely unhinged feel loser behaviour abounds, because it's funny and true. But at the heart of it is so much care and unsaid words and bravery that in the end proves worth it because of who they are to each other and how much love is there.

#penelope featherington #colin bridgerton #polin #polin kiss #bridgerton #bridgerton s3 #colin x penelope #I should be asleep but oh well #had to get it out of my system #I have no friends who watch this show so now it's everyones problem #they are truly the only love story ever #and yes all this will make the whistledown stuff worse but I choose to believe it will also help in other ways #but I'm not touching that shit till June so

82 notes · View notes

kinardscoffee · 2 days

Note

I think one aspect of the bucktommy date and how it went wrong that I haven’t seen people talk about is — did Tommy even know if buck was out? From his perspective, buck’s been giving off Vibes and basically outright asked him out at one point, flirt game on fire, jealousy, telling him he was trying to get his attention. So it makes sense that Tommy would feel like buck knew what he was doing, even if we the audience know that’s hilariously not true. Cos honestly if tommy knew that buck had literally only just realised he was attracted to men and Tommy’s first instinct was still ‘cool let’s go on a very public date. no time to process no time to accept your new queer identity’ that’s kind of a dick move. Tommy not wanting to date someone closeted is 100% valid and a choice he should definitely be able to make for himself, but expecting someone who might not even be out to themselves yet to go along with that no questions asked is basically akin to outing them. BUT buck says that it’s his first time out with a guy DURING the date, so I feel like Tommy didn’t know until then just how new this was to buck, which is why, when they run into Eddie and buck flips out, he calls it off. Not because he doesn’t wanna date a closeted guy (though that’s probably part of it) but because he realised he had misjudged this a little. He says it himself, he didn’t want to pressure buck, which asking him on a public date before he was even out to himself was, Tommy just didn’t realise it. Did that make any sense? I’m sorry

Makes perfect sense!

I don't think Tommy knew if Buck was out or not. Based on all the interactions between them, I'd say Tommy would have no reason to doubt it either.

And then the way that Buck admits it's his "first date with a dude" is communicated in the way of a confession.

Like, "hey, I know I've kind of led you to believe I'm experienced in this sorta thing but before you just genuinely think my nervousness is about being out with YOU specifically... I'm a newborn baby bi."

Then, of course, Eddie shows up all, "gotcha, mfer!" and there is really no time to recover for either of them. That date was doomed as soon as Eddie stepped into that establishment.

I hope we get to see a GOOD date soon!!

#911 abc #bucktommy #evan buckley #911 fandom #tommy kinard #tevan #kinley #theflatman

64 notes · View notes

perfectfangirl · 2 days

Text

notes after rewatching fallout s1 ep4

• cooper and lucy wandering the desert and mans starts coughin', somethin' settin' in • whoa i just realized you could hear roger roaring from outside • roger was at a clinic, probably trying to find something to help him ☹️ • i wrote a whole entire post on this scene but anyways can i say we see full blown uncooked cannibalism hardly ten minutes into episode four like is everyone ok • the fact this scene is presented with a lot of tension, like a horror film and truly it's just a guy named roger fighting to stay not feral • i wonder how cooper met him? ghouls tend to know each other after a while [on account of the discrimination], i'm sure he was checking with this man every now and then tbh. perhaps. a friend. • cooper asks roger how he's feeling and he says "you know... it's hard out here. dang smoothies can be so unkind" and i just 😞 • "i see you got a smoothie of your own" ding ding ding ghoulcy this one's for you • you know what's particularly sad about ghoulification is for example that roger has had to isolate himself from others, even ghouls, because he was turning • roger asking for a vial and cooper looking at lucy [cooper, you botched the using lucy for bait, come on] • firmly in the camp that if cooper had vials left, he would give one to roger. cooper has shown himself to be crude and cruel seeming at times but i just know he went there with purpose • roger accepting he's turning and telling cooper and lucy to leave as a warning, roger seemed so nice, why and how did he get like this

• "i did ok" 😞 • going from standard human to turning into a feral ghoul in less than twenty eight years in the fallout universe is insane and idk if there's a lot of lore on why someone could end up like this and someone like cooper not • the difference in cooper's and roger's symptoms are pretty stark--- not entirely sold on him coughing and passing out is from ferality and more inclined to think chem withdrawals but i digress • "say, you remember how good food use to taste?" post war life is so bad, nobody in the wasteland remembers when food use to food 😭

• because roger is really nice and having a conversation, roger turns, speaking to lucy. cooper using this as an opportunity to kill roger seems so sudden and a betrayal until • look at cooper's eyes and his reaction after pulling the trigger--- not exactly the expression of someone who is in it "for the love of the game", in fact, i have come to view this act as a mercy kill • which is ironic of course because as we've all come to see, lucy does the exact thing for her own mother four episodes later • once feral, ghouls roam the wasteland operating on two instincts alone: hunger and defense. they are a threat to all those around them and i don't recall much on reversal. that's no life. roger would've turned feral and harmed them or others, it is sad • cooper mercy killing roger was in some ways compassionate, he had a sweet conversation with roger giving his last thoughts something warm and nice. cooper then going on to butcher and consume his flesh was an uh choice 💀

• and lucy immediately confused was like "wait?, why'd you do that? he was sick." i don't know if she entirely understands ghoulification, seems she thought maybe he could be helped • lucy is basically confused, begging cooper to not like, eat this guy 😭 • i'm gonna have to agree that he didn't have to eat roger, radroaches is everywhere and for free, still pondering if he did this to fuck with her or because some reason i am missing • cooper asking lucy what her name was [hold on, why he care about that?" and lucy so nearly coming this close to finding out what hank did and who cooper is [since she didn't ask his name] • "sometimes a fella's got to eat a fella" is my all time favourite quote in season one of this show lmao • cooper be funny as fuck for no reason like this man's brain is cooked • i would personally like to ask walton whose idea it was to go "mmm. mmm." while eating irradiated human flesh like that, like why is the pre war actor cooper howard like this • lucy is incomprehensibly disgusted but then goes on a thing [a vulnerable thing] about vault 32 starving [in the great plague of '77] and that she lost her mother during this time and that her father never resorted to cannibalism. there's some time and memory discrepancies here • "well there's what people say they did and what they really did" i wanted cooper to be wrong so bad here when he went on to clown hank by saying "i'll bet your daddy was first in line at the cookout. i bet he had a bib with a drawing of his neighbour's ass on it" • lmao they gave all the best lines to cooper, i'm sick, he was right • lucy, having had enough and not finding cooper's humour being used as a way to cope like this asks this disturbed little man • "how do you live like this? why keep going?" and for the briefest moment, and i do mean brief, cooper feels the crushing weight of who he is when lucy confronts him like this • of course he shakes off a moral inquiry and transfers it to another as he asks "why the fuck am i doing all the work?... ass jerky don't make itself." and forces lucy to do it instead • twice now this man has talked about ass in less than ten minutes and for everyone's sake i'll move along 💀

• woody basically trying to interrogate the raider prisoners and getting nothing, meanwhile--- i think they already starting to be poisoned • ooo ok but betty telling norm he's the last standing maclean in the vault so his words carry and people listen. it occurred to me maybe he inadvertently inspired the poisonings of the raiders but it's also occurring to me that because they couldn't just all be shot outright, being poisoned was the best follow through method, nobody notices until it's already too late. now who is sneaky enough for that? • "when clever boys like you are angry, you're lucky not to have seen where that can lead." so... was betty present for shady sands? hmm • betty asking norm to tread lightly is very... not a threat, but she's watching him, right

• ok! we have that second water scene. it's confirmed here cooper is fetching water from an irradiated source [hence why denying lucy any makes sense] he puts it in his canteen and drinks it just fine. lucy is obviously mindlessly thirsty because she defeatedly drops down to drink the murky, stagnant irradiated water. it's so irradiated, her pip boy is going crazy, she literally gags in the scene • "now you're getting it. how does this golden rule jibe with what's going through your head now?" well i mean we knew cooper been fucking with her the whole time and showing her the wasteland streets but it is also unlikely she would have found a clean water source where they are, i guess her getting radiation sickness may have been inevitable but cooper denying her water kept her from being sick • after another insane string of sentences from this centuries old movie star, lucy finally asks "what are you?" and it's more like "what the fuck is wrong with you?" • "oh i'm you, sweetie, you just give it a little time" is majorly menacing after everybody just drank stagnant rad water like it's koolaid • cooper felt so smug then was zapped with karma again because he has a coughing fit directly after telling lucy this lmao • walton has such a good old man cough ❤️ • lucy takes cooper coughing up a lung as an opportunity to run [where i don't know but] • cooper uses his lasso skills he used to use at kid's parties to pull lucy back and then says some shit like "where you think you going? you ain't going nowhere."

• so we have arrived at the infamous and intriguing finger biting off scene--- can i just say she bit his finger off with such ease and then! cooper doesn't even act like it hurt, he seems... pleased he got that kind of reaction out of lucy. he's like into it 💀 • "there you are, you little killer" i'll keep this pg13 and say cooper really wanted to get a rise out of lucy, to bring the dog out of her, huh • he... then proceeds to cut her [corresponding hand's] finger off. ironically applying the "do unto others as you would have done unto you" tit for tat, if you will • i was surprised he did this because like ok, she spat it out? pick it up and reattach it, fella 😭 but there's more under the surface here because • cooper says "now that right there is the closest thing we've had to an honest exchange so far." and he's being framed in a close up so close, you can see his dainty eyelashes, sun shining in the background, his hazel eyes sparkling--- this is not on accident ☝️ gdgkdkfd • there's a lot of symbolism to be had but for now, i'll save that for next episode notes when cooper does the thing • ah chet! and steph. i kinda am of the idea she strategically got with him but anyways! who wouldn't! chet hot as fuck! and steph look like an assassin • bert's shoes so small gldgldfl • steph is definitely angry and sad dealing with bert's death in her own special way [trying to fuck chet] • excuse me but why they turned an almost sex scene into a birthing scene 😭💀 • lucy been walking the wasteland without a shoe, how she do it 😭 • i did not pick up on cooper bartering lucy for two months' worth of vials [thanks subtitles] • "mint condition" [looks at a bloody stump on hand] "near mint condition" now who fault is this?? lmao • "you got problems out here too, sweetheart" like, shut up 😭 • cooper every time he interacts with a mr. handy is one of the only few places he gets to hear a voice of this old friend • "best you try your luck behind that door" well at least he untied her • this is like the third time he's gotten instant karma with lucy because either he pretended to keep it together until she went in or genuinely didn't know he was going to pass out but • went through the five stages of grief trying to figure who he sold her to because i deadass was thinking the same thing lucy was 😭 • lucy being given the finger of like, a corpse or something because it's grey 😭 forever changed by the wasteland, always carrying a little bleakness and death with her ❤️ • lucy never experiencing real cotton [or maybe only rarely] • lucy calling cooper a creature 😭 • "he put a leash around my neck and made me drink from puddle water that i'm pretty sure was some kind of animal pee" sending 😭 she talking to this evil mr. handy like it's a person • her recounting her captivity with cooper like he was simply being mean to her is just • "and i thought i was here to be a sex slave." "what?! no! what a disgusting idea. i'm simply going to harvest your organs." damn, fallout which one is worse, like fuck---

• hope the jello cake veronica got wasn't poisoned... • "what are you looking at?" "a murderer in a cage, paying the price for what you did to us. for what you did to the innocent people in vault 32" and norm gets circumstantial evidence from a raider by accidentally cross examining one of them with it being more than anything woody could coax out of them • one thing about the macleans, they smart • i also think it's excellent writing that intrigue was spurred like this by a raider saying vault 32 wasn't innocent because they were running an experiment like all the vaults did, everything isn't so black and white • norm reads every situation correctly because why he read chet by saying chet came along to investigate because norm reminds him of lucy fkdgkdkg • still piecing together the full extent of vaults 31, 32, 33 together but at first i couldn't understand why it looked like so many took their own lives--- apparently them discovering what vault 31 was about started a rebellion but two years seemed so recent to me. curious how this overlaps with shady sands if it does • they showed the spooky ass rat utopia experiment still playing on the tvs in there but i wasn't sure if this was explicit about that being vault 32's experiment

• lucy being prompted to continue on because of a flashback from her mom upon awakening 🥲 • "lucy sweetie what are you doing out here?" and those were her memories on the surface [nevermind cooper calling her [[condescendingly]] "sweetheart"] • i did not realize the ghouls were being kept in the freezers but it looks like they either only sell ghouls or keep the ghouls "on ice" [not unlike how dom pedro would keep cooper and cut pieces off of him] and collect the organs of standard people right then and there • "sir, you can't do this. please, i need my organs" lucy, it's just a robot bulter, he's not a real guy 😭 • the way lucy got out of this pickle quick, almost got snip snipped but short circuited the murderbot • lucy putting her murdercap on and putting drano in the murderbot's syringes, clever girl • it was so "star wars" of her to treat mr. handy like a person and then the guys running the organ trafficking scheme going "you might as well be holding an air conditioner hostage" 😭 • the organ traffickers running the super duper mart ring are so dull and banal evil types, it's so satire

• i just registered those two organ trafficker guys got a camera and can see cooper laid out in front of the store • lucy freeing the ghouls 🥲and one even thanking her [even the feral ones 💀] • poor martha, i peep how we see lucy's grey finger and it being shown used to defend herself against martha in her feral state • organ traffickers got ate up bless • nothing lucy did besides shoot was going to honestly stop martha, sometimes your pacifist playthrough doesn't go as planned • the pip boys still being on and running on the not alive people in vault 32 • "death to management" and it's directly the reference to vault 31's experiment, right there

• lucy walking out of there with mismatched shoes but two shoes nonetheless ☝️ • i guess lucy sincerely did not comprehend cooper is a ghoul or ghoulification, i suppose most vault dwellers literally would never know, that's post war history, wow • lucy asking cooper about if the vials keep him from going feral and he cannot even speak, he can only nod, from a prone position, on the ground--- the power/framing trade off is excellent • lucy bends down, briefly rolls the gun in her hand, while cooper lies helpless, she delivers a fatal line • "i may end up looking like you. but i'll never be like you" harbouring not enough ill will against him despite mistreatment, she gives cooper several vials, directly near his hand. didn't have to do none of that shit! • if i was cooper, i'd be scared as hell of this lady, she took down an organ trafficking ring in a grocery store ran by two armed guys, a murderbot, with some feral ghoul hostages, all of the bad and dangerous people fucking died • she really could've ended cooper right then and there, his devotion in season two gone be unmatched lmao

• i truly think he had a hint of a smile on his face after she helped [save his life] by anyways • lucy walks into the proverbial sunset meanwhile this man shambles into super duper mart about to go on the biggest bender the wasteland has seen since the bombs dropped • cooper gets so fucked up, i lost count how many things he ingested, king said all of 'em • cooper is so goddamn famous, his film "the man from deadhorse" is just sitting next to a tv • you could say here is where cooper has a crisis of conscience whereupon he holds the tape in his hand but truly we know already he had that centuries ago when he filmed "the man from deadhorse"

• cooper watching the scene, the very moment in his life where things started to shift--- he tries to cock an invisible fun, being unable as he remembers his trigger finger is gone [neutral, disarmed, here's where i think he decides he wants to sew on lucy's finger to his hand] it's like he's starting over, a moral rebirth but with his trigger finger • they really made cooper say "you commie son of a bitch" in a western, just ugly propaganda • let's examine "feo, fuerte, y formal" again! "ugly, strong, dignity" does post war cooper have two out of three on that front? is this his step into regaining dignity again? • cooper was always playing characters, it was expected of him and he got paid for it. it feels like a wall is being torn down, something is being shed here. and maybe it's this character he's masquerading as • cooper and lucy both having revelations in the super duper mart--- lucy realising you can't always reason and logic out of a situation and cooper being confronted with the fact you can keep your morality and sense of self intact and a horrible place and situation doesn't have to change you

#fallout #fallout show #ghoulcy #lucy #cooper #the ghoul #text post #my meanderings #the ghouls

56 notes · View notes

sinisternymphette · 3 days

Text

fade into you - modern au!levi

because...I've been thinking about him recently... this is just a cute little self-indulging fic I made.. this is the first time I've ever written him so I apologize if he's a bit uncharacteristic. (also I wrote this in 2 am) Two pov's are here!! (use of f!reader)

⎯ 1984, huh. Good read, classic. You heard a gruff voice speak to you, making you look up almost immediately. Your gaze was met with a rather short middle-aged man's cold yet beautiful silver-blue eyes, his lips an unamused thin line which held no emotion in them. He was wearing an apron, which meant he was one of the people working in the quaint little teashop you were in. You tilted your head slightly to the side in confusion, blinking slowly as if you were a feline. However, you soon figured out he was talking about the book you were so carefully holding- 1984 by George Orwell. He was one of your favorite authors, so earlier this week, you were giddy to learn that your local library had more of his works. And so, you had to pick the next one on your list.

a faint ''oooh!'' left your mouth, staring at him and giving him a brief nod as a close-mouthed smile started to form on your glossy lips a little awkwardly. You gave a quick side glance at the menu that laid on the old and rounded wooden table before you met his eyes again.

⎯ Umm yeah, you started, voice vibrating slightly in a sheepish response to the unexpected comment. No one had ever come up to you before to mention the book you were reading. In fact, this was the first time you've caught a stranger's attention, no matter the reason. In a flick of a moment, you looked at the man in front of you up and down- he had short and straight, sleek black hair which was styled in an undercut curtain. He had dark circles under his eyes, something that you could relate to- though yours weren't as noticeable as his. His appearance almost reminded you to a sickly victorian child mixed with a history teacher, especially because of his stature and choice of clothing. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt under his apron, dark brown trousers with a black leather belt and simple black oxfords.

⎯ I love his books. Animal Farm is one of my favorites- actually. You continued, a slight glimmer in your eyes as you spoke softly in almost a murmur. You placed the book on your lap before bringing one of your hands to brush some strands out of your face, placing them under your ears. ⎯ short, but a masterpiece.

The black-haired man's expression remained the same, though you were also met with a slight scoff. He seemed to be unamused, despite his interest in the beginning. This made you pout faintly, only a little. ⎯ Hm, I can agree with that. he mumbled, cold eyes meeting yours again and crossed his arms in front of his chest. His gaze and tone of voice might have made him seem uninterested and cold, but somehow, he still gave off a somewhat 'welcoming' aura, which was strange- to say the least. You guessed he was one of them closed-off types. ⎯ Did you sit here only to talk about Orwell, or do you actually want to drink some tea as well? he suddenly asked, which caught you completely off-guard. You slowly brought your hands together over the book that was sitting on your lap to fidget your fingers with each other in a nervous manner, a tiny frown forming on your features where once laid a soft expression. Usually, people were easy for you to read- but this man seemed like a puzzle, an enigma. Part of you thought that he was simply an asshole, while the other wanted to believe he didn't mean to come off like that- especially by the immediate reaction he had to his own words, his silver slits of eyes widening by the slightest, a glimmer of regret behind them. Still, you didn't want to assume. ⎯ Oh. That was all what was able to come out for a few moments, disappointment and shock carrying that simple word. You glanced to the side. ⎯ Right. Sorry. I'll be getting an hmm.. Arrowroot tea. Small cup, please. A glass of water with that, too. You were finally able to word something, and despite your attempts at sounding firm like him, you came off more awkward than you wanted to, voice as soft as a feather. Oops, so much for being strong and confident.

His gaze lingered on you for a few moments, silence filling the air around the both of you. ⎯ Mhm. With that, he simply gave you a nod, turned around and walked back behind the counters of the shop where all the brewing equipment and coffee-making machines were, murmuring briefly with the other person working there- A brunette, young woman -who seemed to be some years younger than you- with wide brown eyes and her hair up in a ponytail, wearing an apron like the man's. The woman's gaze landed on yours, though you quickly glanced away, staring right down onto your book. He probably said something rude about you to her, despite the fact that you didn't do anything. You just knew it, you felt it.

Your thoughts, however, were interrupted after a few minutes by the sudden sound of him clearing his throat, standing right next to you. You perked your head up ⎯ Here. He placed the warm cup on the table, not bothering to look at you. ⎯ It's 3 dollars. In a swift motion, you opened the zipper of the bag that was sitting on the chair next to yours and pulled out your purse, taking out the pennies of money you owed. Before you were able to turn your back and hand him the money, he placed a small and pretty little porcelain rounded plate in front of you, 2 scones with strawberry jam on it. Strange.. you didn't order those. ⎯ I think you got my order wrong, I didn't ask fo- you spoke up as you turned, though your words were immediately cut off by his husky voice. ⎯ On the house. his gaze softened to some extent, except it switched back to his former one in a blink of an eye. You looked back to the scones, then looked at him again with clear confusion as you gave him the money- your fingers touching his for only seconds before they didn't anymore. Was this because he felt bad about the rudeness from before, or did the girl he was with talked some sense into him? Maybe your hearing was broken. ⎯ Really? you almost blurted out, which caused him to chuff in response, slightly rolling his eyes. ⎯ Yes. Take it or leave it. Despite the roughness that came off with that sentence and the stoic expression on his face, he seemed to have done it as an attempt to hide the way the thin lines of his lips curled up- however minuscule it was. You honestly found it a bit funny and strange, why he was trying to act like such an angry and grumpy little old man instead of just..being normal. ⎯ Uh..thanks, I guess. You replied, rewarding him with a soft smile as you took the cup and brought it to your lips, taking a small sip while you sniffed, enjoying the tea's smell.

⎯ Enjoy your tea. He replied with a brief nod of his head while his gaze remained on you for a short moment before he eventually let out a scoff, though it didn't really seem to be from annoyance, but from something else. You weren't 100% sure though. He then turned away once again and went back to tidying up some tables, occasionally glancing your way. You didn't pay much attention to him though because as soon as he left; you opened your book, took out the lace page marker you had carefully placed in the last page you've been reading, placed it back on the table and got emerged in the story. You furrowed your eyebrows, a sign you were concentrated and not paying attention to your surroundings while you hummed softly to yourself.

Levi walked back to his spot after restlessly cleaning the same table for the past 10 minutes. He had a frown on his face, a dark and gloomy expression as he huffed, using his arm to wipe off some of the little sweat that was starting to form on his forehead. He got behind the counter while Gabi took the task of making the tea, and she quickly turned to look at him as she brewed the order she just got. An amused smile played on her lips, snickering softly which made Levi give her a scowl. ⎯ What do you want, brat. he murmured, bringing his hand to pinch his temples. He was way too embarrassed already, having pulled that stupid little stunt back there and acting like a complete ass to that woman. He didn't even mean to say what he did, but for some reason, the woman made his words get caught in his throat- and it made him confused, it was an unusual thing to happen, a new feeling, so he didn't like that. Still, that wasn't an excuse to act the way he did. And internally, he was still cussing at himself. ⎯ Sooo, did she accept the scones? She asked, a playful glint in her eyes as she waited for his response. Levi sighed. ⎯ What do you think? You see them in my hands? Gabi nodded, understanding what he meant and that it was a warning for her to mind her own business. As much as she loved teasing the old man, she didn't like getting on his bad side, especially if he was already having a rough day. Levi stood there, crossing his arms and leaning over the counter next to the cash register as his gaze traveled through the shop, though his eyes always seemed to land on the woman's even if he didn't intend to. Damnit.

He wasn't sure what caused him to be like this. Usually, he was too focused on his work to even notice the clients he was having. He didn't care about socializing with any of them, or making any new friends. After all, he was already happy with the ones he already had- Falco and Gabi, who were his adopted children, his best friends Erwin, Hange, Miche and Onyankopon, and his dumbass almost-siblings Isabel and Furlan. He didn't need anyone else, nor wanted anyone else. So why was his body acting against his mind?

⎯ She's real pretty she whispered, trying to act discreetly as she nodded towards her with her head, leaning against the wall next to Levi. He shrugged, clearly unamused by her comment as he glanced down, acting as if he was tiding the cash inside the cash register. He didn't respond, just glanced towards the woman's way every few moments. Gabi then left to tend a costumer, a tray on one of her hands with a warm cup of tea.

Some times passed, and you finally got out of the trance-like state you were in as your read your book, head perking up as you yawned softly. Drinking tea always made you sleepy, which was a pleasant feeling. It calmed you down, especially while reading. A content sigh escaped your lips, and you slowly stood up to grab your bag and put your things inside before you fixed your now slightly messy hair. ⎯ Done with your tea, huh. you heard the now familiar cold voice speak up behind you, realizing he was probably waiting for you to finish all this time. You nodded his way, turning fully to look at him correctly. ⎯ Yup, tea and scones were very good, thank you. You replied, your voice sounding more kind now. You looked at the now empty cup in your hand before looking at him, making a small chuckle ⎯ Do I leave this here, or is there a trash can where I can drop this? he shook his head, pulling up his hand in a way of saying no. ⎯ Leave it here. he said with usual tone, his silver eyes looking up and down at you, almost as if he was scanning you. He then took a cloth from his pocket and started to wipe the table clean, no longer looking at you and his expression immediately became stoic again. And so, with that, you started to walk away without looking back. You were tired now, and all you wanted was to go home, take a warm bath and loath on your bed. However, as you were about to open the door, the bell chiming softly, you heard his voice again. ⎯ Will you be coming here again? Your eyes widened as you listened, the tone in his voice almost sounding hopeful, even if it was just a little bit. You turned to look at him one last time, nodding. ⎯ I really liked this place. So yeah, I probably will.

You didn't know, but deep down inside of him, with those simple words you just spoke, a warm and fuzzy feeling stirred in his tummy, even if all he did was nod in response and turn to keep doing what he was doing. A tiny, small, minuscular but content smile almost appeared on his lips. He was glad. Glad that he would see you again, and he couldn’t wait for you to return, as much as he tried to convince himself he didn't.

@sinisternymphette 2024

#✦ . ࣪ ׅ fics #levi ackerman #levi aot #shingeki no kyojin #aot #attack on titan #aot x reader #aot fic #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #levi x reader #levi x you #levi ackerman fluff #dividers by dollywons

59 notes · View notes

ironunderstands · 2 days

Note

Would be waiting for acheron brainrot ramble here

Is it time for Acheron brainrot ramble? It’s time for Acheron brainrot ramble. Prepare for the most stream of consciousness post ever, I had so much fun writing this she has taken over my consciousness and puppeted me for my own ends, and commanded me to demonstrate how peak she really is. So enjoy, hopefully I can get others to love Acheron just as much as I do.

I think there are three reasons why I like Acheron 1) she’s really fucking cool 2) I love characters who guide/mentor others 3) She’s charming as hell.

Hoyo you aren’t allowed to make characters this good.

The music in her trailer, her aesthetic, the amount of fire fucking one liners. THE COLOR RED (I’ll get into it)

“Find me, your end, my origin.” Who cooked here who wrote this who’s the chef please where’s the restaurant I’m eating this up

“On the still waters of oblivion, I guide the wandering souls” GRAHAJDJWJKSSW YES YOU DO OH MY GOD I CANT PUT INTO WORDS HOW MUCH I LOVE THIS LINE SHUT UP EVERYONE SHUT UP. Like she literally is at the edge of existence fighting to help others find their future, I just. RAAAA

SHE CUTS A BLACK HOLE IN HALF?? HUHH AUGHH a black hole that’s the manifestation of meaninglessness in the universe, and she goes “nah” and fucking obliterates it?!!?

“I weep for the departed” Those who have died are gone, and slowly losing themselves even further. For decades, centuries, millennia, even, Acheron has witnessed this, and still cries for them, still guides them to the other side, even if the task itself is meaningless, because someone should do it, someone has to do it, and that someone is HER.

She saves Aventurine, she saves the Trailblazer, she saves the entirity of Penacony. Someone blessed by the manifestation of nonexistent dedicates her life to giving others a reason to live.

Aventurine asks her why people should bother living, if the dice are always weighted in a certain outcome, then why should we keep going? Aventurine asks her why people should bother living if the universe is meaningless?

He fully expects her to say people shouldn’t.

But Acheron doesn’t do that. The dice are weighted against us. Not just in game, but in reality itself. We will all die, you will die, the people you care about will die, I might die, it remains to be seen. However, before that inevitable ending, before the curtain finally closes, we have so many choices to make. If the ending is the same for everyone, it doesn’t matter, and Acheron tells Aventurine this.

Because the Nihility envelops everyone equally, the universe is equally meaningless for everyone, nobody is the special someone destined to have a destiny. Therefore, it doesn’t matter. Aventurine has no reason to live. And Aventurine has no reason not to live. She tells him his time hasn’t come, because it hasn’t. Until that dice roll, until his final breath, Aventurine can still make choices and he can still choose to live for himself, and that’s the answer Acheron gives him.

But she knows that’s not enough. Aventurine will still struggle to live for himself, after all he’s been through, after the mountain of expectations and hopes and dreams piled onto him. So she tells him his friend has already given him the answer. Aventurine pulls out the note written by Dr. Ratio. It doesn’t give him a plan, doesn’t inform him of what expectations he has for him, doesn’t list every single reason why Aventurine should keep going. Ratio tells Aventurine to stay alive and keep on living, because he doesn’t need anything more than that, there isn’t anything more than that. Her caring about Aventurine, Ratio caring about Aventurine, that’s enough to keep him going, because other peoples love is enough of a reason to exist, universe be damned.

existing. The Existence. AKSJAKKSNDKKWEN.

Like you don’t understand, you don’t understand. ACHERON IS ENVELOPED IN THE MEANINGLESSNESS OF THE UNIVERSE BEFORE SHE FINDS ITS EXISTENCE, ITS VALUE, ITS MEANING. Even if it can never be achieved, Acheron is willing to destroy herself completely as she walks farther and farther into the Nihility trying to find the Existence, even if it takes every from her she will find it. Only by giving up her existence can Acheron find the Existence and kill the Nihility. Only by sacrificing her own life and giving up her own meaning can she give it to others.

Red. She tells the trailblazer that when they can no longer see the world in anything but black and white, there will be a brief flash of Red for them.

Red is the Existence. Red is the color of her blade that allowed her to cut that black hole in half. Red is the only color left when she unsheathes her sword. Red is the color of the tears she cries. Red is the color of the words she speaks to us that truly matter.

Red is the color she cuts into reality. In a world of black and white, in which all the light has been swallowed by IX, and the path ahead is blurry, Acheron illuminates the universe’s future in bright red, creating color, creating life, creating Existence in a world devoid of it.

We will encounter the Nihility along our journey, just as we would encounter every other aeon. The world will seem meaningless, and it will be devoid of color, but when the Trailblazer needs it the most, there will be Red. A reason to keep going, a reason to exist, a reason to keep on Trailblazing, because the path of the Trailblaze’s end is also at the Existence, and we will meet Acheron there again. Whether that color will come from us or her remains to be seen, but it will be there for us when we need it.

However, I think we/the Trailblazer will be alone. As that flash of red isn’t the only thing Acheron tells the Trailblazer.

Only when left alone can people pick themselves up. Only when help is absent can people truly fight for themselves. Only when you are alone, can you truly understand your existence.

That doesn’t mean other people don’t matter, that you have to walk the world alone, that you can only exist devoid of others. Quite the opposite actually, other people can be your reason to exist, something to help keep you going. Acheron knows this, which is why she directs Aventurine to Ratio’s note. That’s the meaning he can find in a meaningless universe.

Moreover, people help each other, they provide the tools other people need to exist, the anchors that ground people in reality, the reason why you might want to wake up in the morning, they create the things and ideas that you need and enjoy. It’s when you are ripped of these comforts, stripped of the things that make you want to keep going, is when people fight for their existence. As in a world devoid of everything, can you truly appreciate the things you have, and acknowledge that since there is now nothing, you are the only something. When there is no one there to save them, fools pick themselves up, and that is Existence.

I love Acheron. I love her silly amnesiac tendencies, I love her beautiful design, I love that she’s a Mei counterpart, but most of all, I love what she stands for.

Acheron is the indomitable human spirit personified, she quite literally chooses to exist in the face of absolute nothing. When the world loses all color, does she paint reality in a bright red with her sword, writing her own destiny with each and every slash.

And for that, I will always adore her.

46 notes · View notes

lau219 · 2 days

Text

Enemies with Benefits

Part 6

Previous part here

…………………………………………………………………………….

“What do you mean you’re quitting? You can’t quit!”

Elise stood in front of Y/N’s desk as she was sitting in her office in the back of the club. After she’d told her what happened, Elise had been at a loss for words, but once Y/N had told her she was quitting, she found her voice.

“There’s no way I’m working for that bastard,” Y/N replied. “I’d rather scrape dead animals off the highway than work for him.”

“But if you quit, who’s going to be the head manager?” Elise asked, panic on her face.

“That’s for Shelby to figure out.”

“But who knows who he’d hire to replace you? It could be some inept moron who has no idea what they’re doing, or a control freak dictator who makes everyone miserable. Either scenario could ruin this place, and that’s if everyone doesn’t quit first.”

“Then he’ll get what he deserves,” Y/N replied.

“But what about all of us?” Elise asked her. “You’re just going to leave us? You’re the reason we all work here, Y/N.”

“I know, but I can’t—” Y/N began, but Elise continued

“And what about all the work you put into this place? You made this place what it is. This is your place.”

“Try telling that to the bank,” Y/N replied bitterly.

“But what about us?!” Elise asked again. “You can’t just leave us!”

Pausing, Y/N looked at her, and it broke her heart to see how upset Elise was. It was also breaking her heart to have to walk away from her club, but she didn’t see any other option. She had no idea what she’d do instead, seeing as how the Shelby’s owned every other place in town now, too, but she just couldn’t work for them, for him. No way.

“I’m sorry, Elise,” Y/N responded. “Really, this is killing me; you know how much I love you guys, and love this place. But it’s the principle of the thing. This guy bought this place out from under me and acted like he was giving me a choice. He’s taken away from me the one thing that was my own, that I worked so hard for. And all because he’s so obsessed with owning everything in sight that he couldn’t leave well enough alone and be satisfied with having his name on every other place around here. He’s an arrogant, selfish bastard.”

“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” came a voice from the door behind them.

As Elise turned around and Y/N looked past her, they found Polly Gray standing in the open doorway to Y/N’s office. A large handbag hanging from the crook of her elbow, she was looking at them with a slightly hesitant smile. As Y/N recognized her and registered that she was standing in her doorway, she defensively glared at the woman.

“Door up front was open,” Polly said by way of explanation as to how she’d gotten inside in the middle of the day. She jerked her head in the direction she’d come from and then offered another smile.

“If you’re here to defend Mr. Shelby, I’m not interested in hearing it,” Y/N said to Polly, still glaring, her guard up. “In fact, I’m not interested in hearing what you or anyone from your family has to say, so you can see yourself out by the same way you came in.”

Polly gave a single shake of her head before answering.

“I’m not here to talk about Tommy, darling. I’m here to talk about you.”

Y/N’s eyes were still narrowed.

“Why would I want to hear anything you have to say?”

“Because, just as we agreed upon when I met you the other day, I, too, think Tommy is a cocky, greedy asshole. And as much as I love that boy, I have no hesitation in knocking him down a peg or two, which is why I’m here.”

Elise slowly turned back towards Y/N, her eyes wide as she registered what Polly had said. After looking at Elise for a moment, Y/N returned her gaze to Polly.

“Why should I believe that you’re not here with some ulterior motive to help your beloved nephew make my life even worse?” she asked her.

Polly reached into her bag and pulled out a short stack of papers secured with a binder clip. She held it up as she spoke.

“Because I’ve taken from Tommy the contract he intends on having you sign when you agree to work for him. When you meet with him again, you’ll see that what I’m showing you today is exactly what he’ll present you with at that time. You’re going to look it over ahead of time and be fully prepared with your own set of requirements from him.”

Y/N shook her head. While she was surprised by the fact that Polly did, in fact, appear to be on her side, she still had no intention of working for Tommy Shelby.

“I appreciate the thought, Ms. Gray, but I have no intention of working for your nephew,” Y/N said to her. “I’m sorry to tell you that you wasted your time coming down here.”

Polly lowered her hand that held the contract and tilted her head slightly.

“Believe me, darling, I’m as pissed as you are at the moment, but before you make any final decisions, I want to make sure you really know what you’re giving up.”

“I’m not giving it up,” Y/N replied, narrowing her eyes. “It’s been taken from me.”

“And I want to help you get it back,” came Polly’s reply.

Assessing her for another moment, Y/N finally shifted her focus from Polly to Elise.

“Can you give us a few minutes, Elise?” she said.

“Yeah, sure,” Elise replied, then gave Y/N a wide-eyed look of uncertainty before she turned and walked through the doorway, passing Polly, who stepped inside after Elise had gone by and closed the door behind her.

“Are you often cleaning up your nephews’ messes, Ms. Gray?” Y/N asked her, realizing she sounded rude, but not caring, regardless of the fact that Polly was apparently here to help her.

“Please, call me Polly,” she replied. “And let’s just say that I should be getting my name embroidered on a custodian jumpsuit for the number of messes I’ve cleaned up.”

Y/N nearly smiled at her remark, and after stepping further into the room, Polly spoke again as she made herself comfortable at the metal chair in front of Y/N’s desk. Definitely not the plush office environment she was used to, Y/N thought as she recalled Tommy’s office.

“You’ve got a great place here,” Polly began as she set her bag down on the floor. “The fact that you got it to this all on your own only makes it all the more impressive. I know how successful you are here.”

“Thank you,” was all Y/N said as Polly’s eyes met hers. There was a brief moment of awkward silence before Polly spoke again.

“Listen, everything about the way Tommy went about this was, in my opinion, wrong. He should have handled it much differently, however, I want to be sure that you understand that what he did may not have actually been the worst thing.”

Y/N raised her eyebrows in disbelief.

“You tell me that you think he’s an asshole for what he did, and then you defend him for it?” Y/N shook her head. “I don’t think we’re as much on the same page as you think we are, Polly.”

“His intention wasn’t to lead you on,” Polly said. “Well, maybe it was at first, but after meeting you, he changed his mind. Rather than buying your place and giving you the boot after the fact, he decided that he wanted to keep you at all costs. That’s because he was so impressed by you. Every other place we’ve bought, he’s fired the previous owner and manager and hired someone new.”

“And I’m supposed to be flattered enough by that fact to overlook that he essentially lied to me about his intentions?”

Polly cocked her head.

“It wasn’t so much that he was lying, as that he wanted to get you to hear him out before you knew about the sale. He figured that if he waited to try to discuss his offer to you after the sale, that you’d be so upset that you wouldn’t even listen to him. He wanted to make sure you knew what he could offer you.”

Y/N shook her head again in disgust.

“The fact that he was so arrogant as to take that approach only makes me more confident that he’s an asshole,” she said.

Polly gave a sympathetic smile.

“Like I said, I don’t agree with how he went about all this, but the fact is, this place still had money owed on it. And it’s true that that was brought to the bank’s attention before he even met you. After the purchase of the last club, Tommy immediately began looking into buying this place, and when he went to the bank to do some research, all the forgotten details about the property’s outstanding balance were unintentionally revealed.”

Y/N’s wary expression softened somewhat as she listened to Polly, who continued when Y/N said nothing.

“After that, it was already too late. The bank then had every intention of collecting the balance, and Tommy assumed it wasn’t anything you could afford.”

At that, Y/N scoffed and rolled her eyes in annoyance at Tommy’s presumptuous attitude, but Polly gave her a knowing look that Y/N had to acknowledge – it was true that the balance was nothing she’d have been able to pay.

“It wouldn’t have ever been an issue if he hadn’t been so hell-bent on owning every club in this city. If he hadn’t gone snooping around, this would have stayed forgotten,” Y/N said.

Polly gave her another knowing look.

“Come on, Y/N, you and I both know that it was damn lucky that this hadn’t been discovered before now. If it hadn’t, it would only have been a matter of time before it was, and then, what? The fact that Tommy found out first instead of the bank is actually in your favor.”

Y/N snickered.

“How do you figure that?” she said to Polly.

“Because he then immediately bought it,” Polly answered. “If the bank had found out before Tommy came around, they would have simply seized the property back from you. Tommy buying the place saved you from being put out on your ass.”

The truth was, Y/N had come to this exact realization after leaving Tommy’s office several days prior. Since she wouldn’t have been able to afford to pay the balance, she knew she would have been at the mercy of whatever the bank decided to do to her. But it was the way he’d handled it and the fact that he was so greedy about owning the club in the first place that had her so upset.

“Look, I understand that this balance would have turned me out on my ass,” Y/N said as she looked at Polly. “But it’s the whole way he handled it. Rather than explaining the situation and being honest with me, he chose to tell me only what he wanted to tell me, bought it out from under me, and then sprung the news on me without any sort of warning. It’s the principle of the thing.”

Polly smiled sympathetically.

“Believe me, darling, I understand. As I said, I don’t agree with how he went about it, either, but Tommy has his own way of doing things. And as hard as I’ve tried over the years, there are some habits you just can’t break. But despite that, you can still have everything you had before.”

Y/N frowned.

“I don’t want to condone his actions by agreeing to work for him,” she said. “And I won’t have everything I had before, because the place won’t be mine.”

“Not as in having your name on the deed, no,” Polly conceded. “But is that so horrible if you still get to function as you were before?”

“Yes, because it was mine,” Y/N replied. “I owned it. I worked hard to pay for it, I made it what it is, and it belonged to me. You just don’t understand.”

At that, Polly leaned forward.

“On the contrary, love, I do understand,” she said. “You’re talking to a woman who’s a member of a family full of greedy men who make every decision without consulting anyone else first. I have hardly a thing to call my own, including a moment’s peace.”

It was Y/N’s turn to give Polly a sympathetic smile.

“What I’m trying to convince you of here is to pick your battles,” Polly continued. “You may not like the way Tommy went about this, but you still have the opportunity to run your business just as you were doing before, as well as now also seizing the other opportunity he offered you. With all that being the case, is it really worth walking away from a place and people that you love?”

As much as she hated to admit it, Y/N knew Polly was right. But there were still plenty of questions.

“How do I know that he’ll let me run the place the same as I was before?” Y/N asked her. “How can I be sure he won’t just take control and overturn every decision I make? And what about any other sneaky shit he may try and pull?”

Polly smiled.

“That’s why I brought this,” she said, lifting the contract out of her bag and setting it in front of Y/N. “You’re going to look at it beforehand so you can review the terms he’s proposing exactly, and make your own demands and counter-offers. This way, you can be sure that you’re not going to be blindsided by anything Tommy does.” Polly then paused for a moment before continuing. “Although, when it comes to you, I think it’s safe to say Tommy will give you just about anything you want.”

Y/N frowned with uncertainty.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“He likes you,” Polly replied. “And he respects you.”

Y/N scoffed.

“He has a strange way of showing it,” she said. “Someone needs to tell him that actions speak a lot louder than empty sweet talk.”

Polly grinned.

“I think you’re the perfect woman to get that point across to him.”

Y/N smiled back. She couldn’t believe she was actually considering working for them, and as she thought more about everything Polly had said to her, she was reminded of something.

“You said when you first got here that you wanted to help me get this place back,” she said. “How do you think that would be possible?”

Polly grinned again.

“I still stand by everything I’ve said so far – you can make this as positive and beneficial of a situation for yourself as you want it to be,” she said, her eyes twinkling with a bit of mischief. “However, no one is more in favor of a woman like you owning a business than me. And there’s also no one more in favor of teaching Tommy a lesson.”

Polly paused before she continued.

“If there’s one thing Tommy finds even more enticing than a business deal, it’s a bet. I think you could get your club back if you propose a little bet of your own.”

“Like what, for instance?” Y/N shook her head in loss for ideas.

Polly’s grin was nearly devilish.

“You bet Tommy that if, within the first six months of working for him, you get at least five of the other clubs turning a fifty percent increase in their current profits, then you get your club back – full ownership, no strings attached. If you’re able to pull it off, then you get what you ultimately want and Tommy has to accept that he can’t own everything. If you don’t pull it off, then you’re no worse off than you were, and you still have your job with Tommy as the owner.”

Y/N smiled momentarily at Polly’s idea, but then she frowned.

“Why would he agree to that when there’s nothing in it for him?” she asked.

Polly gave a smug look of certainty.

“Because for Tommy, the enjoyment comes from watching the bet play out, not the final outcome. Besides, regardless of if you meet the fifty percent on enough places, you’ll have no doubt done enough to at least increase profits, and that’s money in his pocket. So, he’s benefitting either way.”

As Y/N processed all that Polly said, a mischievous smile of her own began to slowly spread across her face. After a moment, she focused on Polly again.

“I’m not going to make any of this easy on him,” she said.

“Good,” Polly replied as she smiled back at her. “I was hoping you wouldn’t.”

Part 7

@nyxxie-pooh @xsweetcatastrophe @febris-amatoria @hannibellector @natalie--rushman

@beastofburdenxo @garrison-girl-08 @meister95 @betty21rose @hudson-bay-girl

@neonpurplestars89-blog @fuseburner @aphroditeslover11 @wild-rose-35 @allie131313

@ceirinen @devotedlyshadowytheorist @alltoowellbeneaththemangotree @judig92 @fairytale07

@galactict3a @runnning-outof-time

#modern tommy fic #modern tommy shelby smut #modern tommy shelby x reader #modern tommy #modern tommy shelby #modern peaky blinders #18+ only

36 notes · View notes

i-heart-hxh · 2 days

Note

hello! i have a question, but i dont quite know how to word it….

i like listening to people’s thoughts on hxh, because sometimes its difficult to collect my own thoughts and hearing others articulate it helps me form my own analysis. usually it clears up confusions on narrative choices, however this thing still confuses me because ive seen lots of meta which sometimes conflict with each other or infos from the show. maybe i missed something?

i dont want to link anybody because i dont want to “call them out” but its a frequent opinion ive come across, so not one person. but what i hear sometimes goes along the lines of: gon vowed to sacrifice everything to defeat pitou -> killua arrives -> despite going through with his jajanken, killua’s presence causes gon to realize he doesnt actually want at all to sacrifice everything and the vow is broken (causing him to lose his nen when he recovers from the physical toll)

i really love this reading. the scene where gon turns to killua right before the screen goes white has always been impactful and seemed important to me for reasons i cant explain. but i’m reluctant to adopt it because the way i understood the nen vow was that it was actually a condition—that gon would only use this power to kill pitou, and then per the “rules” he would lose everything as equivalent exchange when pitou was defeated. and that the reason why his nen was lost was because nanika healed him as he was—which was nen-lost. but the show mentions vows and conditions in conjunction so much sometimes the difference gets muddled in my brain, so i suppose im confused about that as well.

i guess im just asking your thoughts on killua and gon’s love for him potentially being the thing to cause gon’s vow/condition to break. i think its a really sweet idea but im not sure if the mechanics of what exactly gon did to kill pitou support it

sorry for the long ask. please have a nice day!!!!!

Hello! Great question!

So, my way of understanding it is that Gon traded all of his nen potential (meaning all of his nen he had at that time and all of the nen he would have ever had in the future) in order to achieve his adult form and have enough power to kill Pitou. By the time he had achieved that form, he was already doomed to have no nen once he used up the massive but finite amount he had, which was his whole lifetime worth. Like taking out a loan on the full amount of money you'll ever make in your lifetime and then burning it all, but more abstract because it's not money.

It very well may have killed him as well, if not for Killua arriving. Think of the cost to his body to unnaturally achieve that form and use that much nen, which is what Killua recoils at realizing when he sees Gon in that form. I'm sure this is why he ended up as such a withered husk afterwards.

Killua showing up definitely saved him, however, both because he helped him dodge Pitou's Terpsichora and in a more far-reaching emotional sense as well. I think when Killua arrived and called his name that final time, it made Gon realize that he wasn't just giving up his own future--he was giving up his future with Killua as well, and by giving up his life it was going to destroy Killua and leave him alone. Gon had steeled himself to die prior to this, but looking back at Killua's face, his expression entirely changes, softens. As a result, I think Gon holds back a bit with his final Rock and preserves himself just enough to keep his body going. Then Nanika heals Gon's body, but this doesn't undo the nen contract he made--even though his body fully recovers, he did still give up all his nen potential, after all.

(I'm very sorry for posting these pages, know that it breaks my heart to look at them.)

So, the way I see the scene, it's less about the mechanics of it, as that's relatively straightforward. Gon losing his nen was already set when he decided he wanted to give it all up in order to be strong enough to defeat Pitou. It's more about how Killua reaching Gon impacted him emotionally and made him hold back to the degree he could at the very end. Because at that final moment Killua was able to reach him at last--by saying his name, an echo of other scenes in the arc with Meruem and Komugi.

I absolutely think the intent of that scene is that Killua has become Gon's light and saved him--by showing Gon that he wasn't alone, that there was someone else worth living for, that Killua cares about him and doesn't want to lose him. Gon lost sight of that previously amid his trauma and guilt, but in that final moment, he truly sees Killua's horror and pain at what he's doing, and Gon realizes he doesn't want to leave Killua behind forever. Gon manages to barely survive as a result.

#hunter x hunter #hxh #gon #killua #killugon #gonkillu #meta #asks #anonymous #my posts #chimera ant arc #ugh it's painful examining this scene in depth #just heartbreaking #but it's definitely about how killua's love saves gon #tw: suicide

39 notes · View notes

angel-derangement · 2 days

Text

season four sam is like such a evangelical religious nutcase to me in how he’s thinking. He’s like yeah god and the devil and angels are all real, duh. I do not care at all about the implications. There’s a natural order to the universe anyway and yeah people die womp womp but I have a special secret journey and I have a special power and im gonna save the world and I’ll do anything to get there and I am so convinced of this that I’ll hurt whoever I need to because I have this one guiding person to follow. And we’ve got the answer. And you can’t stop me you weak little faithless wimp of my brother. Oh but I love you soooo much I prommy. do not ask about if my actions reflect that. This is so incredible to me personally that they did this to him because a) 100% an accident, I think they weren’t constructing him to be a blind follower but the “voice of reason led astray” b) he has demon blood literally coursing through him so why would he be the one to represent christianity c) isn’t dean the one associated with the angels?? But no. That is not how Evangelical Christians work. They require an Enemy that Can Be Defeated By Measures in order to construct their entire worldview and they don’t put angels or God in the place of Hero Facing The Enemy, they put themselves there and do anything to structure that power to their advantage and never ever question it deeply no matter what you say. Dean meanwhile is questioning every single thing that every single person is doing, whether they say they’re good or bad, and he has serious issues with the choices both sides are making. And then he leads an angel into losing his faith while sam gets his faith fully betrayed. Anyway. If I think about this too much I go crazy. They’re all deconstructing in a way over the course of seasons 4 & 5. Sam is like a fundamentalist whose beliefs finally bit himself in his own ass. Dean is someone who grew up questioning it and so never got invested and can’t believe everyone else is getting sucked in. Cas…. Well Cas wants so badly for it to be true, and is forced over and over again into proclaiming his allegiance to the line, but ultimately has to give in to the slow crawl of doubt that leads to the demise of who you once were and who you thought you’d be, just because it turned out to be rotted the whole way through when you looked too closely. Don’t get me started on Cas.

30 notes · View notes

cottonlemonade · 2 days

Text

Night Routine With Your Boyfriend

request: large Warm Milk with Honey to go for Tendo

warnings: spoilers, mdni, suggestive

____________________________________________

One of the things you loved the most about your boyfriend was that he was never stingy with showing affection. As soon as you opened the door, Tendo was upon you with hugs and kisses, commenting on how gorgeous you looked - even if you only wore sweats and a shirt that had seen better days.

Coming straight from work, he always brought you something. You were the first (and quite frankly only) opinion he wanted whenever experimenting with something new and who were you to turn down handmade chocolate! So it wasn’t unusual for him to feed you something before you two got started on dinner. Having you sit on the kitchen counter, he would stand between your legs and make you close your eyes to get the full experience of the flavor. As the chocolate melted on your tongue, you’d feel his hands run up your plush thighs and give them a few sensuous squeezes, making you giggle.

“What do you think?”, he’d ask.

“Hm…”, you pondered, locking your hands behind his neck, “I love the twist of lemon you added.”

And your boyfriend’s face would light up that you caught his newest ingredient. He would kiss you, humming at how the chocolate added to your own sweet taste and then lift you off the counter so you could go on with dinner preparations.

When it was time to do the dishes, Tendo supplied a fresh playlist every week. You’d rock paper scissors to find out who would wash and who would do the drying and putting away and then begin the chore while dancing to his latest song choices. It always ended with you two loudly singing along to whatever was playing, let that be a disney song, an anime opening or like tonight Britney Spears “One More Time”.

“Oh baby baby, the reason I breathe is you”, he sang into your ear, his hands beginning a rather inappropriate journey over your hips down to your ass as you tried to focus on the sponge in your hand.

“Oh you got me blinded, oh pretty baby” and he ran his lips along your neck as he continued, “there’s nothing that I wouldn’t do” - and as quickly as his teasing began, it would stop. Next thing you knew he used the wooden cooking spoon as a microphone, holding it out to you whenever an adlib came up.

These silly games made the chore go by much faster and had you double over with laughter at his ridiculous performances, that got more over the top the longer the dish washing went on (to keep up morale).

When everything was tidied again, he’d put his arms around your waist and grin mischievously, “So, my delicious little praline. You wanna continue where we left off with our anime or…”, he put a finger under your chin, pulling you closer and said with a wink, “go straight to bed for some forbidden delights?”

____________________________________________

a/n: ahhhh, the birthday boy! He is so silly and perfect ^^ I hope you enjoyed it 🫶🏻🌟 @ranscutedoll

53 notes · View notes

hwanchaesong · 2 days

Text

☞🍹Second Drink: Y'all bring gravity to shame because even with its constant pull of 9.81 m/s^2, it still can't put your drunken pieces back together. 🍸

🎧: The Weeknd - Hardest To Love

wc: 1.1k

genre & warnings: angst, fluff, renjun is hinted as an idol, cursing, themes of not taking care of oneself and break-up, reminiscing, exes to lovers, etc etc

a/n: this is a part of The After Hours Bar series. if y'all want, you can read the other album inspired fics of other groups here.

"Thank you for coming, Y/N." Jeno opened the door of their dorm for you, greeting you with an awkward smile.

"It's no problem." you waved him off, going straight to the point, "Where is he?"

Jeno pointed in the direction of his room, thanking the man for his assistance and quickly going off to the ever familiar hallways of their flat.

It was like a routine at this point, you didn't even need to knock, entering the area that you promised not to step foot in again.

"Renjun?" you called but no response was heard, blindly reaching for a switch to illuminate the dark room. Once the light is on, the subject of your visit is now visible.

Thinner than the last time you saw him, tangled in his sheets and sprawled out on the bed, wearing a loose black shirt and an old yellow pajama pants, arms on his face and when the light disturbs his gloom, he lets out an annoyed groan.

"Jeno.. I told you, I'm not in the mood to eat." he grumbles like a child and it seems like he's so out of it that he wasn't able to hear you the first time.

"If you don't eat, you might get sick." you speak, and he zaps out of his mattress, eyes wide open.

He was frozen for a minute before he squinted, rubbing his lids and staring at your standing frame.

"Am I dreaming? Am I dead?" he asks, confusion written on his features and you hold in a chuckle when you saunter towards him, pinching in his cheeks that caused him to whine out of pain.

"See, I'm very much real." you assured, sitting down on the side of the mattress, watching him realize what is actually happening.

When his brain finishes processing the situation, he immediately avoids eye contact, head hung low as he questions why you're here.

You answered honestly with a gentle smile and tone, and it made him feel small. It reminded him how much of an asshole he was back when he can still call you his .(which is only for 3 days, dramatic af)

What the fuck do you mean that you came here solely for the reason of persuading him to take care of himself.

Stupid Jeno for snitching on him, but he's also kind of thankful of his friend's yapping, because he got to see your beautiful face again.

On the other hand, he thinks that it's unfair for you. He is not your problem anymore, yet here you are, giving him the time of your day that he doesn't deserve.

You loved him with all your heart, even so, he wasn't careful when you handed him your fragile purity. His negligence broke your delicate heart into tiny chunks of glitter.

He did watch you pick the pieces up, gluing it desperately because you wanted to stay with him, and that made him an enourmous shit ever for taking you for granted.

The forgotten dates, nonchalant words and actions, not giving you enough time, and the list goes on.

You gave him your everything and he gave you nothing in return.

Still, you always have that angelic smile on your face throughout the dying relationship. You're acting like everything is okay even when the household that you once called your home turned into a graveyard of past happiness.

You did your best to salvage whatever flame is left in your relationship, but inevitably, even God's strongest soldier does get tired too.

Thus, you let him go.

And the freedom that you gifted him brought nothing but misery. Renjun is willing to pay the price for his thoughtless actions, and he kicks it off with a mega sulking episode.

His friends just got sick of his childish tantrums, given that they are merely concerned for his well-being, they had no choice but to use their last resort. You.

"You do not need to do this." he utters, heart fluttering when he sees the bracelet that he gave you on your birthday last year on your wrist.

"I want to." you insist, plopping a plastic bag of food in front of him, "Now eat, you need to replenish your strength. Jeno said that you haven't been eating well for the past three days."

Renjun feels like crying... oh? His cheeks are wet? The fuck, it's salty too?

Ah, he's crying.

Your eyes widened at his tears, heart clenching painfully inside your chest yet you made no move to console him, because you are grieving as well.

"Renjun..." you trail off, staring at the teardrops falling onto his sheets,

"Y/N, why? Why are you this kind I- don't you regret l-"

"I don't." you cut his sentence short, not wanting to stain the flowery memories you have with him with his next words. "I don't regret anything when it comes to you. If anything, I should be thanking you for teaching me how to love, even if you prove it to be difficult to do."

He shakily reaches out for your hand, and you wince at the contact but make no move to stay away from the sudden intrusion.

"I don't deserve you." he whispers, finally looking up to peer at your sullen expression, "I'm sorry. I'm so fucking sorry but I want to be selfish again. I want you back."

Your features soften, "Yeah, it's true you don't deserve me... Yet."

He is the biggest, fattest jerk of a boyfriend. But you won't be able to shake how caring and attentive he was during the short duration of your relationship. He just doesn't notice it because he was too busy dwelling in his mistakes.

He compliments you everyday, even when you look like bird shit. He cooks for you, helps you with your schoolwork even if he's tired from practice. Renjun is not a grand person when it comes to affection, but his little yet meaningful actions speak louder than words.

He showed you that love works in mysterious ways, not exactly perfect but magical nonetheless.

"Improve for me, Renjun. Be the man that I deserve and I will stay by your side while you go through that journey." you say, landing a comforting palm on his cheek and wiping the tears away.

Renjun hums, putting his own hand over yours, grabbing it and kissing the knuckles one by one, "I will."

He'll willingly cross the moon back to earth this time, make up for his mistakes and he'll ensure that he'll love you right this time around.

Loving Huang Renjun is as hard as letting him go, but for you, it’s the opposite. For you, loving him is as easy as breathing, a natural part of the life you’re living, and that is given because it is everything but a sham.

taglist:

@sunghoonsgfreal @yeosayang @mystverse @shakalakaboomboo

43 notes · View notes

chattichat · 2 days

Text

I don’t understand why some people still insist on hating Abby so much. She step by step follows the same arch Joel does… all the reasons why we love Joels character is repeated with Abby’s. It makes me wonder if it’s just because he was such a beloved character and people are attached or that she’s a woman.

Don’t get me wrong I’ve loved Joel with my whole heart since I was 10 years old, and when I played part 2 for the first time I was distraught and really thought I hated Abby for what she did. Playing in her perspective, learning her story and why she did what she did, I came to love Abby as a character and understood her choices. So why can I, and so many others open up and accept her as what she is, an imperfect person who’s just been hurt… just like Joel, and some just refuse to?

Joel did so many awful things in his life, killed people, tortured them for information… it’s like a two edged sword and so much deeper then those people realize. Yes we love Joel, and there’s good reason for that, but can you simply deny the same characteristics in Abby because she killed him?

Joel killed Jerry without a second thought, he knew what he was doing. In that moment, instead of thinking about Ellies opinion, especially on her own life… he took her and lied to her FOR YEARS about what happened in that hospital. He could’ve demanded Jerry wake her up from the anesthesia and have him ask her for her consent before doing the surgery, it could’ve at least been a conversation especially because Jerry and Marlene didn’t exactly give Ellie that choice, which were flaws within their own characters, but Joel didn’t do that, instead, he did what he wanted to do, and that’s only one hypothetical I’ll give you on that subject.

Joel was selfish, just like Abby’s selfishness within her journey of revenge. Joel ignored anything Ellie had ever said or hinted at about how being the cure meant something to her, just as Abby was selfish after ignoring Owens reasonings not to go through with killing Joel and doing it anyway without really knowing of his life and loved ones, ultimately sending Tommy and Ellie after her and leading all of her friends to their deaths… including Mel’s and Owens baby. It’s a really amazing and depressing example of chain reaction. Joel saves Ellie, killing Jerry and sending Abby after him, Abby kills Joel sending Ellie after her. This triggers a bunch of devastating events due to one decision Joel makes, opening up doors to other decisions people are to make within that chain.

In a world with no order, no laws, and no real morality, is anyone truly good or bad? We see all of these characters brutality murder others but then go back to a somewhat normal life, taking care of their loved ones and helping strangers occasionally, (except for David and the Rattlers… they were straight up EVIL) but you get my point.

People say Abby and Ellie are so similar and in one or two ways they are, but with everything including the use of shivs, body movement, and the overall trope they share of taking in a orphaned kid that they eventually come to see as their own, id say that Joel and Abby are wayyy more similar then Abby and Ellie could ever be except for their age.

I just really love these games and want people to see Abby as they saw Joel, they’re parallel… and fighting over it makes no sense to me. I’ll end it there.

#the last of us #abby anderson #abby tlou #Joel = Abby #joel miller #joel the last of us #joel and ellie #the last of us part 2 #marlene tlou #jerry anderson #ellie williams #Abby Anderson apologist

21 notes · View notes

mdhwrites · 1 day

Note

Just putting forth this ask: why is it that compared with Amphibia's All In and The Hardest Thing, that TOH's finale and "final fight" (if we can even call it out that) just felt so underwhelming? Even especially Luz's "death" which felt so much of a fakeout and copying from Amphibia's. Granted, I wonder if a part of that is some of us already watching Amphibia at that point tho.

The fight feeling more underwhelming is easy actually. See, 90% of what people remember of Luz fighting Belos isn't her fighting Belos. It's just dancing around fighting moss. That is... Lame. To put it mildly. Meanwhile, you have three magical girls flying into space to fight the moon and his army of robots. That is awesome.

However.

What I really want to talk about is why their deaths actually play into the feeling of these two fights and the finales as a whole. It lets me talk about shock deaths versus heroic sacrificed because TL:DR: Anne heroically sacrifices herself for Amphibia as a final culmination of the growth she has had as a character. Meanwhile, Luz is given a shock death to sell how dangerous Belos is (which I will get into a bit) while also essentially being fridged for the sake of the Collector's arc. One of those is hype as hell and satisfying. The other is a complete stumble before we finally get the actual confrontation.

However, I'm going to go away from The Owl House and Amphibia first to talk about the tropes of Heroic Sacrifices and Shock Deaths with one of the easiest franchises to do it with: Dragonball Z.

Let's start with Heroic Sacrifice. A heroic sacrifice is when a character CHOOSES to give up their life so as to attempt to put things right, save lives, etc. like that. This choice element is actually really important. Without it, it's just a tragic death. The villain got the upper hand at a bad moment and killed them. That rarely actually happens in media but it is an option. A heroic sacrifice is just that: A sacrifice.

This is your classic moments of Piccolo sacrificing himself for Gohan against Nappa or Vegeta using all the energy he has in an attempt to defeat Buu. In both cases, these are major defining moments in their arcs. Arguably, the climaxes of them. The pinnacle of them changing to be a good person. We also see two classic examples here, one of which I think is commonly much stronger.

Piccolo's death is a split second decision where he decides to take the hit instead of allowing it to reach Gohan. This has a lot of good points for a character, such as showing their inherently good nature, but it does lack one key component: It doesn't feel like the choice weighs as much. Not wanting to see someone else get hurt is pretty basic and can be warped just as much by the bad guys so as to make it a weakness. It says a lot about Zuko when he takes a lightning bolt for Katara... But I wouldn't call it a sacrifice. It's a split second choice to make sure one person stays alive over themselves. This makes the impact revolve a LOT more around thematics over just the weight of the moment. As an example: If Superman dives in front of someone to take a Kryptonite blast, that's an "Oh shit," moment as the fight suddenly takes a turn for the worst. However, it is so ingrained in his nature that it hardly means anything for him to put himself in danger like this. It only hits hard for characters like Piccolo because of the journey they've been on.

Vegeta's hits harder for that reason because it still carries all the same advantages of the split second choice with one MAJOR boon: It's optional. Yes, technically these others are too but protecting an ally is just a part of being on a team. Being in combat. We don't blink at it most of the time unless it leads to a death, in which case it is a tragedy. Vegeta had a different option though. Just... Play along. Or leave. Or do ANYTHING else.

Instead, from his lowest point, he finally sees what he's going to lose from all of this, what he has done, and makes the choice to try and make up for it. Not even to seek forgiveness but just to have a single moment of redemption in his whole life in an attempt to save his family and those he cares about.

This also brings up another point about Heroic sacrifices: They don't need to be successful or permanent. The point is about what it says about the character. Vegeta doesn't manage jack shit in his last moments from an entirely practical purpose. From a character perspective though, this choice will last eternally. It will always be a part of him and his growth. That is powerful, even if it fails.

But what happens when there is no choice and it says nothing about the character? Well, that's when we get into the realm of a shock death, like Yamcha's legendary failure. A shock death is mostly meant to just raise the stakes. To make the audience know that 'shit just got real'. It always happens as a character getting instantly KO'd so as to really sell the "OH SHIT" factor of the moment.

Which is also why everyone always laughs at Yamcha. His death means nothing and as far as trying to up the ante? Good job, you killed the weakest of us in a show of strength. Good job. It is a HARD sell to a lot of audience members at this point because the character is just there to die. Their death doesn't say anything or mean anything for them so why as an audience should we care? It was just a cheap death that accomplished nothing and everyone moves on from.

So am I fair to call Luz's death this? After all, Camila cries over it. Eda goes into a more feral version of her Owl Beast form than she ever has before because of it. The Collector learns what death is due to it!

And in like three minutes, none of that will matter besides the Collector thing. No Eda having to try and bring herself back from the curse, despite claiming it can still eternally take her, a plot point never resolved. Camila has no reason to actually know. Her crying is just to add another octave to the overture "BE SAD NOW!" And the Collector?

He only was in danger because the writers said he was. Even if you believe Belos is immune to his magic (which was shown to be untrue as he flew up to Belos' face), he is still an incredible being of unrivaled power. He can move celestial bodies with a whim for god's sake. Why should he EVER be in danger? Shouldn't he be able to teleport or just shift out of the way faster than Luz can fly up to him?

And what does it say about Luz? You know, the girl who has been trying to abandon the Isles for TWO WHOLE SPECIALS before this and who has no connection with the Collector? They want this to be a heroic sacrifice in the way of Piccolo but it doesn't have the weight. It has no build up and Luz was NEVER going to have a real connection to the Collector. It's even explicitly used as a teaching moment for the Collector. To give him extra motivation to become a good guy... Like you do when you fridge a character. It's also something Luz would have explicitly done from episode 1 so it also has the Superman problem of saying nothing.

And the WORST part for Luz is... It wasn't something she thought was going to kill her. She thought the two would get out of the way. Maybe that was just a line in relief but a heroic sacrifice is an all in play. You don't expect to come back from a SACRIFICE. But Luz appears to have.

As such, it just feels like a way to up the stakes, especially when all it leads to is a power up for Luz. A cheap bit of escalation before the victory lap that is Titan Luz. That's just not that compelling and it feels manipulative, like a lot of shock deaths are.

And how does Amphibia get out of all of this? With one line:

"These stones aren't Amphibia's greatest treasure."

In that moment, we are reminded not only of all that Anne is fighting for but all of the growth she has had in order to lead to this moment. To go from the selfish girl she once was to the unifier of the stones. To someone who can actually care about an entire planet. How in episode 1, she wouldn't have done this but now? Now it's not even a moment of hesitation for her.

And it does have the Vegeta element of being optional. She could have gone home. She could have had Marcy or Sasha make the sacrifice instead. She doesn't though because she will not shrug off the responsibility of all this. This isn't even to do with the prophecy. She was the one to steal the music box. She was complicit, even if more fault lies with Marcy, in leading to the Core being potentially able to ravage worlds again. And then she is told that the prophecy is a plea for help. You don't have to yes to a plea like you do destiny. If not for Anne's experiences, she would have said no.

Instead, she says yes and she wins for it. Her resurrection is even based in this. She expects no resurrection and was ENTIRELY ready to bear the weight of her choice. She won't even accept the Guardian's offer of power because that's not why she did this. It's not what her arc is about. Instead, she gets her resurrection for the same reason she died: Because she has grown and in that growth, become so much more than she ever could have even imagined, so what would happen if given more time to grow? Would she surpass all of ours expectations? Even a god's?

ALL of that helps an audience care. Helps give a true climax to everything. Brings it all together. Even if you want to argue, and I actually probably would, that the Calamity trio fighting is technically worse from an animation standpoint than even Eda, King and Luz against the moss, narrative weight matters more. That sense of climax matters more. It is going to elevate the rest of the fight, and the episode, simply by making sure that ANY audience member is going to have a greater amount of investment in it.

And a heroic sacrifice is a great way to add to that. A shock death is not.

======+++++======

I have a public Discord for any and all who want to join!

I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

A Twitter you can follow too

And a Kofi if you like what I do and want to help out with the fact that disability doesn’t pay much.

#the owl house criticism #toh critical #toh #the owl house #amphibia

22 notes · View notes