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#we need ​justice for my man griffin
mellometal · 2 years
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Ah, shit…here we go again. 
These videos are getting pumped out daily and they’re even longer, so y’know…longer videos = longer scripts for me to write!  So that’s fun. /s If you want to know why it takes me longer to pump these posts out, that’s why.  Plus this man physically makes me angry.
This video is one that I’m gonna have a field day with, since I’m a lesbian and I want to get married to my future wife someday.  Would I go all-out with traditional wedding stuff?  Probably not too much.  On my end, at least.  If my future wife wanted parts of our wedding to be traditional, I’d be more than happy to help her out on her end if she needed it.  I mean, she has just as much say in the wedding as I do.  That’s just wishful thinking.  
Given how things are going in the United States at the moment, I’m scared that I won’t be able to marry another woman, let alone be openly lesbian.  Despite me being openly lesbian for six years.  I’ve got a plethora of fears about this topic alone, but my fears aren’t important.  The fears BIPOC in the LGBT community have are far more important than my own.  I know, fully understand, and acknowledge that I have an easier time being part of the LGBT community because I’m white, I don’t live in any third-world country where being LGBT is punishable by death, and I live in a country where being LGBT is widely accepted.  If it wasn’t for black LGBT pioneers like Lucy Hicks Anderson, Gladys Bentley, Bayard Rustin, Pauli Murray, Miss Major Griffin-Gracy, Marsha P. Johnson, Sylvia Rivera, and Audre Lorde, to name a few, being the ones who first fought for our rights in the United States, we wouldn’t be able to get married, let alone be openly LGBT in the United States.  Drag queens, drag kings, feminists, sex workers, poets, and politicians in the LGBT community fought for our rights!  The voices of BIPOC in the LGBT community need to be amplified.  (I’m not saying that for brownie points or anything.  I truly believe this and I stand by it.  I honestly believe that LGBT history should be taught more in schools because people in the LGBT community did make huge impacts in history.  There’s a lot of history that we’re never taught in school and have to learn on our own.)  I cannot imagine how difficult it is for BIPOC in the LGBT community to be openly LGBT.
For anyone who’s not aware of other events going on in the United States, the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and they’re going to be looking over contraceptives, same-sex marriage, and same-sex relationships in the fall, if I remember correctly.  They’re attacking the Indian Child Welfare Act, which is there to keep indigenous children with their indigenous families instead of having them taken away and put in white foster homes.  At least that’s my understanding of that law.  I don’t believe indigenous children should be taken away from their families at all.  The Supreme Court is full of conservative, Republican, pro-forced birth, bigoted, gun-toting, able-bodied, neurotypical, Trump supporting cishets.  I’ve been horrified about the state of my country for years prior to these current events.  I’ve expressed fear of Roe v. Wade getting overturned by the Supreme Court even before they announced that they were looking at this case that the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg fought for the Supreme Court to uphold.  I’m disgusted by the state of my country.  I have been for a long time.  I’ve been disgusted by how my country treats BIPOC, disabled people, the LGBT community, poor people, homeless people, mentally ill people, immigrants, and basically anyone who’s not a Republican, conservative, pro-forced birth, gun-toting, neurotypical, able-bodied, rich, evangelical Christian, white cishet man.  I’m even more terrified to leave my house than I was before, despite my state still upholding the right for AFAB people to choose.  How the fuck is the United States of America “The land of the free, home of the brave”?  Can someone PLEASE explain that to me?  Oh yeah, America is “The Land Of The Free, Home Of The Brave” to ONLY Republican, conservative, pro-forced birth, gun-toting, able-bodied, neurotypical, rich, evangelical Christian, white cishet men!  I forgot. /s (DISCLAIMER:  I know that not every single Christian is like this.  I’m also aware that most Christians don’t tolerate this behavior.  I’m referring to extremists, like what makes up the vast majority of the Supreme Court.  I’m not trying to bash Christians.)
You’re here for the review, not for me ranting about how Republican, conservative, pro-forced birth, gun-toting, neurotypical, able-bodied, rich, evangelical Christian, white cishets are fucking up the United States.  Let’s get on with the review before I pop a blood vessel.  Which I might end up doing anyway because this man makes my blood boil.
The video starts off with an old man named Trey and a young woman named Kristen (presumably a boss and an employee) on what looks to be their lunch break and they’re about to sit at a table.  Apparently they work at a cupcake shop, because the boss says that they can finish decorating cupcakes when they get back from their break.  Trey tells Kristen that he got another call about some kid’s birthday party.  Kristen obliges.  Trey looks over at a bridal shop to see a woman being fitted for a wedding dress and she’s showing off to her soon-to-be wife.  He tells his employee that’s “what’s wrong with the world”.  Kristen is confused.  Trey says that two women getting married is disgusting.  Kristen is visibly uncomfortable and wants to say something, but she doesn’t say anything.  Her boss gets up and walks over to the bridal shop.
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Trey acts like a total Kevin in the bridal shop (which he shouldn’t have been in, by the way…there’s a little thing called minding your own business).  One of the workers there asks if she can help him.  The boss says he’s got a business and he “couldn’t help but notice what was going on there” (AGAIN, MIND YOUR OWN FUCKING BUSINESS).  The worker shows off the happy wives-to-be and says, “Aren’t they the most stunning couple you’ve ever seen?”
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We see the wives-to-be and something about it rubs me the wrong way.  NOT because Dhar Mann put lesbians in. That’s not my issue whatsoever.  It’s because Dhar Mann just threw in two stereotypical lesbians that present as traditionally butch and femme and did absolutely NOTHING with them.  All he did was make them look like a traditionally straight couple.  As far as appearance goes.
Is there anything wrong with lesbian couples that present traditionally butch and femme, or lesbians in general who present as traditionally butch or femme?  Of course not!  I love both butch and femme lesbians! Butch/femme lesbian couples are adorable!  I never said there was anything wrong with it, so don’t get your panties in a bunch. /lighthearted   Just hear me out for a second, please.
The way that they’re portrayed is to appear like a traditional straight married couple (bride and groom) and they’re put into the traditional gender roles of straight couples.  It looks like there was absolutely no thought put into the lesbian couple and Dhar Mann just went with what suited him, which is cis heteronormative bullshit.  He went with the default and pretty much used them for his trauma porn to soothe his savior complex.  Like, not every single lesbian couple presents as traditionally butch and femme.  Of course Dhar Mann wouldn’t know that.  It looks like he’s never met a lesbian before in his life, let alone ever SEEN one.  The writing on his part is a slap in the face to lesbian couples that have both butch lesbians, lesbian couples that have both femme lesbians, to lesbian couples that have both futch lesbians, and lesbian couples that have any combination of these.  Seeing lesbians that don’t present as completely butch or completely femme (futch lesbians) in media isn’t very common.  The only ones I can think of are Haruka and Michiru (I mean, to me, neither of them present as completely butch or femme, though Haruka is supposed to present as butch and Michiru is supposed to present as femme), the Sailor Stars, Garnet, and Pearl.  That’s pretty much it.  Lapis and Peridot arguably would fit that category too, since neither of them present as completely butch or femme.  At least to me.  Lesbians don’t have a specific “look”.  But you’re too far up your own ass to see that, aren’t you, Dhar Dhar Binks?
I’m guessing he finally put lesbians into the Dhar Mann Lore™ for brownie points and he wanted to be hip with the lesbians.  Hey, Dhar, I’m a lesbian and I absolutely hate you!  Here’s a challenge for you, Dhar:  QUIT FUCKING STEREOTYPING MINORITIES!  ACTUALLY LISTEN TO MINORITIES FOR ONCE!  STOP THROWING IN CHARACTERS THAT ARE PART OF OPPRESSED AND MARGINALIZED GROUPS JUST FOR THE SAKE OF DOING IT!  THE SO-CALLED “REPRESENTATION” IN YOUR VIDEOS IS FULL OF NOTHING BUT STEREOTYPES, TRAUMA PORN, AND “INSPIRATION” PORN.  YOU REGURGITATE THAT GARBAGE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
You’re not changing lives, like you claim.  You’re doing nothing but pissing people off.  You’re spreading misinformation about things you know NOTHING about and will NEVER begin to understand.  You refuse to properly educate yourself about these things because you just want to be seen as the “all-knowing good guy with good vibes all around” or whatever the hell your agenda is now.  I can’t tell anymore because you and your sorry excuse for a savior complex thoroughly disgust me.  Your videos as a whole are ignorant, mediocre, flat-out stupid, and unrealistic at best.  On the flip side, your videos are offensive, bigoted, insincere, arrogant, harmful, unhelpful, and even dangerous at worst.  The vast majority of people who watch your videos and unironically like them are young, impressionable children who don’t know any better and people who spew the same rhetoric you do, take your word as gospel, refuse to educate themselves on topics you know fuck-all about, and they refuse to acknowledge the harm that your videos cause to real people.  Or they just don’t care!  MOVING ON.
Trey continues on his homophobic rant that a gay (JUST SAY “LESBIAN” IN THIS CONTEXT, FOR THE LOVE OF ALL THAT IS HOLY…IT’S NOT A BAD WORD) couple shouldn’t be going out buying clothes at a bridal store.  The lady sporting the tux (Alex) FINALLY steps in to call Trey out on his bullshit.  Trey then tries to clap back by saying that Alex looks ridiculous, she should be ashamed of herself, women don’t wear tuxedos, and they shouldn’t be “bringing their pride parade into the mall” and “scaring away his customers” (dude, you got bigger problems at that point).
Kristen steps in, tells Trey to stop, and she says that the couple is just trying to shop like everyone else.  Trey says that they’re “not like everyone else”.  Only then does the worker in the bridal shop say that Trey needs to leave.  Trey is going on a rant still, and the worker threatens to call security.  He drags Kristen along with him.  Kristen apologizes for her boss’s behavior and thinks that they look great.
Cut to the bakery.  Kristen’s working.  A drag queen named Kyla Velvet walks into the bakery.  Kristen immediately recognizes her and says that she’s a huge fan.  Kyla says that she’s looking for someone to cater for her afterparty and she’s looking at all the baked goods.  She says that the boss must spend a lot of time on the baked goods on display, but Kristen says that she’s the one who made them herself.  Kyla is in disbelief, praises Kristen, and says that she should open up her own shop.
Trey walks back in, berates the drag queen, calls her a freak, and says that he “doesn’t serve their kind”.  Kristen jumps to defend Kyla, but Kyla stops her.  Kyla tells Trey off, rightfully so.  Trey obviously doesn’t like this and feels threatened, so he tells Kyla to leave. 
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We see Alex and her soon-to-be wife at the bakery picking up an order.  They’re both looking at all the baked goods and how good they look.  Trey spots them and says he recognizes them.  Alex’s soon-to-be wife confronts Trey for interrupting their (Alex’s and her own) fitting.  One of Trey’s employees calls out the order for Alex, he’s about to hand it to her, but Trey stops him.  He refuses service to Alex and her soon-to-be wife.  Both of these ladies are rightfully pissed.  Kristen stands up for the couple and tells Trey that he needs to give them their order because they paid for it.  Trey refuses, Kristen tells him that it’s not the 1950’s anymore, and the couple says that they’d be willing to take their business elsewhere.  Trey takes the box of cupcakes and shoves them in the trash can, crushing them in the process, to everyone’s horror.  Alex asks what’s wrong with Trey, and he says that it’s THEM (Alex and her soon-to-be wife) that are the problem.
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The couple then leaves.  After they leave, Trey berates Kristen for just serving customers. Just doing her job.  She stands up to her boss by telling him that how he treated them wasn’t okay.  Trey got his balls in a twist because A LESBIAN COUPLE BOUGHT BRIDAL CUPCAKES FOR THEIR WEDDING!  OH, THE FUCKING HORROR! /s How can Trey EVER recover from this? /s He then asks if Kristen is on his side or the couple’s side.  She says she’s on the couple’s side and that there’s nothing wrong with being part of the LGBT community.  Trey’s in disbelief, but here’s the twist: KRISTEN IS PART OF THE COMMUNITY!  WHAT A TWIST. She pulls a Clark Kent and reveals a shirt with a RAINBOW ON IT! *gasp* And it says “BE YOU” in bold letters!  When Trey sees Kristen’s shirt, he tells her to take it off and threatens to fire her if she doesn’t.  Kristen says that Trey can’t fire her because she quits and she regrets not doing it a long time ago.  She says that she’s gonna open up her own bakery and become more successful than Trey.
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Okay, hear me out, I’m not trying to rain on this girl’s parade whatsoever.  This is a recurring theme in Dhar Dhar Binks’s videos.  Wanting to open up your own business is a great thing.  I’m not knocking anyone for doing that.  However, there’s a lot of time, work, dedication, and money involved with creating a business and opening up a business.  Please feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but shouldn’t you have a business degree or at least experience with running a business, money, and proper licensing?  I don’t know, there’s a lot of things that just don’t add up.  I don’t know about you, but opening up a business with no business degree, no experience in the business industry, no money (having to resort to taking out loans), and no proper licensing seems risky.  What do I expect from a Dhar Mann video though?  Realism?  Fuck that noise!  Everything’s all peachy keen in the Dhar Mann Lore™! /s
Then we have a montage of Kristen running her own bakery, everything’s going great, and then it goes to shit real quick. BECAUSE SHE CLEARLY DOESN’T KNOW HOW MARKETING WORKS. Not saying that’s a bad thing, of course.  She eventually gave up and went to look for another job…at the bridal shop.  The lady looks at Kristen’s resume, says they’re not hiring, and Kristen goes out to sit on the bench.  Trey walks out, sees her, and decides to just kick her while she’s down (metaphorically speaking).  She says that she’d rather be homeless than to work for Trey ever again.  Trey’s mocking her the whole time.  He says that when she becomes homeless, he’ll find her and feed her a cupcake so she doesn’t starve to death.  What a fucking pig.
Kyla walks in and sees Kristen.  She tells Kyla that she doesn’t work at that bakery anymore.  Kyla is relieved and says that Trey was a monster.  Kristen apologizes for how Kyla was treated again (though TREY should be apologizing, but he’s a big macho man who can’t admit when he’s wrong), and that she should’ve stood up for Kyla more since they’re both part of the same community.  Kyla tells Kristen not to apologize and she did what she could.  She asks if Kristen started her own business.  Kristen says she did but it already failed, so she’s looking for a job.  Kyla asks her how she marketed her business.  Kristen says she posted on Facebook, Instagram, and told her friends and family.  Kyla asks about target marketing or focusing on any specific niche, which Kristen obviously didn’t know what she meant at all.  She says that people in the community love to support LGBT owners because not everyone is very kind to them in other businesses, and suggests that Kristen sells to the LGBT community.
Of course, Kristen never thought about that and is unsure if that would work.  With Kyla’s words of encouragement, Kristen says she’ll try again.  Kyla says she needs someone to cater a party anyway, so it’s perfect timing.  Kristen tries again and she gets so many customers that Pewdiepie’s got some stiff competition.
Trey’s business is going down, like how it usually goes in the Dhar Mann Lore, and he gets what’s coming to him.  Kristen gets successful enough to rent out a bakery.  It’s Trey’s bakery, ironically enough.  He’s not having it. Trey blames his business going downhill on THE ECONOMY instead of his abhorrent behavior that drove away customers.  He blames Kristen for all his bad reviews, which she had no part of.  All her customers pull up and confront Trey so bad he leaves!  And they all live happily ever after…whoop-dee-fuckin’-doo.
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Jesus tap-dancing Christ, this video made me angry.  It’s cringe.  It’s offensive.  It’s bigoted.  It’s riddled with stereotypes.  One gripe I’ve had for a while, WHY do you wait until the middle of the fucking video to even say the characters’ names?  DO IT AT THE BEGINNING.  FUCK. Just because you write it down on paper, NOBODY CAN SEE THAT IN THE FINISHED PRODUCT.
Sorry this is out so late. Hopefully this huge post makes up for it.
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miamignonette · 3 years
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omw to bully the hotel transylvania character designers
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Con Man's Daughter
Posting this because there isn't enough biodad! John Constantine content.
[Masterlist]
(Part 2)
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I feel like this should be a Damianette story or just platonic relationship after Jon got aged-up to seventeen and Damian wanted a friend his age but doesn’t want to admit it.
So basically there is this big bad in Gotham using magic that Batman was fighting at the time and enlisted John Constantine to help out.
John realizes that the villain is using a Miraculous.
“Oh. I think I know how he gets his powers. And lucky for you, Bats, I know an expert on this special brand of magic.”
And he did the smart thing and called up Marinette who at the time was already Guardian and was looking for other lost Miraculouses like in the Treasure Hunter AU I wrote.
He calls her at a really bad time. She was in the process of being chased by the guardians of the place. Monsters and evil spirits.
“Hello, Dad. What do you need and can you do it quickly?”
“Hey, sweetheart, it’s me. How is my little cupcake up to these days?”
“You called at a bad time.” Gunshots.
“WAS THAT A GUN I HEARD? WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU, YOUNG LADY?!”
“Somewhere in Japan. Getting a Miraculous. And why can’t you call me to check in on me and not ask me to help you with whatever mess you got yourself into.” More gunshots sounds and it was telling that Marinette was using a gun.
“Where did you get a gun? And don’t you have school?”
“It’s summer break. Don’t worry Maman and Papa know. Well, the fact that I am in Japan anyways.” Marinette sounded a little out of breath. Roaring and horrifying sounds at the other end. “Can we do this later?”
“As it happens, there is a villain going around Gotham with what I think is a Miraculous.”
Swears on the other end.
“Oi. Watch your fucking language, young lady.”
“How about a No and move the fuck back, old man. I am coming over right now.”
“Old man? I am not that old-” as a magic blue portal opens up in the Bat Cave.
And a red Chinese dragon comes out with someone riding it.
Its rider was a black-haired girl. She had a trench coat similar to Constantine's. I imagine her with a fedora. Like Carmen Sandiego style but not red. Sometimes red but only when she has to steal it from a museum or high security places and she leaves a name card with the name Carmen Sandiego. A sword strapped to her back and a dagger to her thigh.
She had a gun in her hand which she used to shoot the monsters as it was halfway through the portal and yelled out the spell to close it.
“Brilliant entrance but you are in lots of trouble, little lady. What were you thinking about going to another country unsupervised? And isn’t there still a butterfly problem in Paris?”
“One, I wasn’t unsupervised. I had Tikki, a billion years old being and a sort of god. Two.Well, it got boring trying to track Hawk-bitch down. And I found this legend about a guy with a Miraculous who disappeared in the temple and thought hey, more miraculous could mean another edge to defeating Moth-man.”
More bickering and John grounding Marinette who was acting very nonchalant about it.
Okay, at this point, I should say that Batman and Robin are in the background trying to make some sense.
Batman is surprised to find out that Constantine has a daughter who is also involved in magic like her Father but an apparently more specialised kind called the Miraculous. He is a little miffed that he didn’t know about John having a daughter. He did consider it weird at first that she had a slight french accent unlike her father’s Liverpool accent although she pronounced some words like he does.
He also connected some dots that she is also the Parisian heroine, Lady Rouge who Wonder Woman introduced to the League a while back and had declined to join the Young Justice or Teen Titans until everything in Paris was resolved.
Damian on the other hand was suspicious of the new arrival and came to the same conclusion as his father about the daughter thing.
Batman after a few minutes, clears his throat.
The Constantines stop arguing.
“Bonjour. Batman. Robin. Pleasure to meet you. I am Mari Constantine and yes, I am this homeless looking man’s brilliant daughter.” “Hey”
“Well, Mari. Your father thinks you can help us with this new criminal turning Gotham upside down. Literally in some cases. He said that you might be able to help us.” Batman said as he pulled up zoomed in picture of the Miraculous.
Mari looks through the Miraculous grimoire and tells them all about it and power-ups, basically the most effective thing to defeat the guy is to get the Miraculous off them. Plus a spell that would make the Miraculous ineffective if casted within a certain radius of it.
“Thank you for the information, Mari. Constantine, let’s go.”
Mari made to follow them.
“You young lady are grounded and staying here.”
“I don’t need another supervillain using the Miraculous which are my responsibility as Guardian to retrieve them for their own misuse and wreaking havoc on the city. And what if there is an akuma in Paris? I can’t go there if I am grounded in the Batcave although it is a cool place to hang out.”
“You can portal back to Paris but you are not going to follow me. Understood?”
“yes. crystal”
“Good. After me and Batsy get the Miraculous, you can do your Guardian duties.”
Damian snickers. Until Batman cut his mood short, “You are staying behind too. Robin.”
“But Father, why? I am much more capable than Constantine.”
“Hey!” Both father and daughter.
Damian is staying behind too because of the Miraculous power or other reasons and keeps an eye on Mari.
Damian stays behind and there were some protests about mari mad about having a babysitter and Damian doesn’t want to be a babysitter. Despite the two of them being around the same age.
“I got an eye on you so no funny business.”
“Okay, Dad, I am not going to have sex with Robin.” Mari said with a shit- eating grin. Robin definitely didn’t blush.
“I hate you sometimes.”
“I love you too, Dad. Go save the world. Byee.”
John eyes her suspiciously because she is not one to give up that easily usually.
He casts a spell to watch her as they leave. and which she totally knew about.
“So...I have one question.”
“Tt, ask and don’t bother me anymore.”
“Is Batman Bruce Wayne?”
Damian looks up, totally caught off guard.
“I am going to take that as a yes.”
Puts sword at her neck. “How did you find out?!”
“Opened up Google Maps and saw that we are under Wayne Manor. Connected the dots. Also I already knew when Dad made a bet with me once to find out Batman’s secret identity but he never did confirm it for me. And can you please not tell your father about this? I don’t feel like being interrogated by the Bat in the future yet.”
“Father must know about this.”
“I saw you looking at Scarlet here. An animal lover then? You can give her some belly rubs. She deserves it after helping me outrun those monsters.”
His silence was brought. To pet a dragon.
One thing after another and he ends up bringing out his pets-Jerry the turkey, Goliath the dragon-bat, Titus- and her introducing him to her other pets like a hellhound, griffin and other mythical creatures who mostly roam free but come to her when she calls for them and also the kwamis, at least the ones who came with her.
After 30 mins have passed, “So Robin how do you feel about disobeying our fathers?”
“I am in.”
“Depends. Are we going after the (villain's name) ?”
“Yes.”
Awesome montage of them getting rid of the spell John casted and flying out of the Batcave on their respective giant flying pets to the villain’s base.
Meanwhile, their fathers are not doing so well and are trapped in a death trap. John can’t say the spell because the villain made him unable to talk.
“At least, the kids are staying put.”
Cut to Damian and Mari jumping off their pets and onto the roof. Taking out the guards posted there and going into the building all sneakily and also taking out the guards that come their way.
They dropped into the room where their fathers and the villain is.
“Why am I not surprised?”
Villain starts an evil monologue about his mastermind plan to which Damian cuts it short by trying to cut him down with his katana. Mari goes to deactivate the death trap.
They are evenly matched with Damian’s training and the Miraculous.
Mari steps in as Damian was about to be killed. Taps on the shoulder of the villain and when he turns around, gives an awesome right hook that knocks him out.
Takes away the Miraculous and curses him. Wiped the dude’s memories of it.
“When I said stay in the Batcave, I meant stay behind at the Batcave. What point of being grounded, don’t you understand?”
“You mean, Oh, Mari, light of my life, my wonderful daughter, thank you for saving my ass. You are the best.’ by that, right?”
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Mari and Damian exchanged numbers and email addresses.
As she was about to leave the Batcave, “It’s been nice meeting you, Mr. Wayne.” and leaves with a wink.
John ‘ungrounds’ her for the look on Batman’s face.
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After this, Marinette and Damian become friends who bitch and vent to each other about their alter egos and various villains of their respective cities. (In codes, just in case) They also share updates about their pets and love of drawings.
They have that type of friendship where they trade favors. Mari calls Damian to Paris sometimes to help out with the akuma of the day and Damian sometimes calls her in when Bruce doesn’t let him go investigate a case so he can sneak out by magical means or as back up for when his brothers were too annoying to deal with.
It’s summer break so no missing school.
John and Bruce are aware of their friendship and some of the shenanigans the pair gets into behind their back.
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Right. how this all started...
John and Sabine first met when the latter was still in college somewhere in France. John was tracking down a demonic entity which was targeting Sabine for some reason and she was the next target.
John saved her life and exorcised the demon. There was a heat of the moment thing and they had a one-night stand. There were a few more flings and hook-ups after that night.
And nine months later, Marinette Cheryl Cheng-Constantine was born.
When Sabine first found out, she called John to come over and he thought that it was a call for another hook-up and was very surprised to find out that it was not and that he was going to be a father.
They both like each other but do not want to be in a relationship together so they both remained as friends and John agreed after some strong-arming at the very least to meet his daughter before he goes to do his job. And pay for child support. And help Sabine during her pregnancy.
Pregnant Sabine was someone you don’t want to mess with. And John has never met a demon or anyone scarier than her.
He was at first not into meeting his child and there was a self-pity party he threw himself with how the child was going to live a bad life because he was the dad and how he destroyed every good thing in his life.
That’s why he is going to meet the baby once and leave maybe a letter and the occasional birthday present and stay out of their life. Forever.
The day Marinette was born and it took one look into her eyes for the HellBlazer to fall under the spell and all of his plans to stay out of her life to burn away.
At first, he tried. He really tried but he couldn’t do it.
Lasted 4 months before he came back, wanting to place protection spells on her and sigils around the house to keep away the forces of Heaven and Hell and other entities so they won’t use her against him as a bargaining chip.
Sabine calls him to babysit. He could have refused and Sabine would have easily found a babysitter. He moans and whines about how he is a great mage and not a bloody babysitter. Sabine retorts that it is actually called parenting since he is Marinette’s father. He grumbles but in the end, agrees.
The great John Constantine is wrapped around the little girl’s finger.
He was around for some of Marinette’s firsts. Her first word was “John”.
It made him cry. He wasn’t a good man and he doesn’t deserve someone this precious. His daughter doesn’t deserve someone like him as a father but fate made it that way and what can you do about it.
After an exhausting week of doing the usual and coming back from Hell, he saw that Sabine had sent him a video. It was Marinette taking her first steps.
Chas swears that in all the years that he has known John Constantine he has never seen the man look so happy.
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When Tom came into the picture, John was there to take care of a toddler Marinette while Tom and Sabine went on dates.
Insert John threatening a much bigger Tom while holding a baby Marinette with wide eyes and hugging a teddy bear with the same coat as John’s. (It was something Sabine brought on a whim and to tease John when he came around.)
Tom is supportive and treats Marinette like his own flesh and blood.
John resolved to leave for good now that Tom would be there to be a father figure for Marinette.
That plan fell into the drain the moment he was going to leave for what was supposed to be the last time before Sabine pulled him back and knocked some sense into him.
His face was a big giveaway. Sabine knows that despite his claims of being a terrible father for Marinette, he was a good one and damnit she was going to make sure that Marinette would get to know her actual father.
Tom later made an awkward talk with John about how he was not going to replace John’s role as Marinette’s father.
Marinette was the flower girl at Tom and Sabine’s wedding. John was there too.
During bedtime, John would read her stories and use his magic to make it come to life. Although he would feel a little drained afterwards, it was worth it to see her smile.
Sometimes he told stories about his tamer adventures. (After cutting out some of the inappropriate bits)
------
When Marinette was about 5 or 6, Sabine was out on an errand and Tom was at home with Mari and helping her with her homework. There was a crash downstairs at the bakery. Tom went down to check it out to find John lying on the ground.
With a weak cough, he said, “Close the door. Close it.” Before losing consciousness
Tom did before a man with pitch black eyes slammed against it.
Thankfully John had installed heavy wards around the bakery when it first opened.
They held against the demon on John’s tail. Tom brought John inside and unsure of what to do, grabbed a rolling pin on the counter.
The man outside started pounding on the glass door and every time his hands touched the door, light glowed outwards, showing the invisible magic barrier around the bakery. Sparks and steams fizzled with every pound.
Despite the reddening and burns of his hands, the not-human didn’t slow down.
“ʝօɦռ....ʏօʊ ӄռօա ȶɦǟȶ ɨȶ'ֆ օռʟʏ ǟ ʍǟȶȶɛʀ օʄ ȶɨʍɛ ɮɛʄօʀɛ ɨ ɮʀɛǟӄ ȶɦʀօʊɢɦ ȶɦɛֆɛ աǟʀɖֆ. օռƈɛ ɨ ɢɛȶ ʏօʊ,” He laughs, the sound sends chills down the large man’s spine, “ȶɦɛʀɛ ǟʀɛ ֆօ ʍǟռʏ ȶɦɨռɢֆ ɨ ɦǟʋɛ քʟǟռռɛɖ ʄօʀ ʏօʊ.”
Tom knew that Marinette’s father was a con man. Come on, Master and Practitioner of the Dark Arts and Occult. But he was a good father nonetheless despite all his flaws and Sabine liked him enough so that was good enough for him.
Before today, magic was just the sleight of hands and use of fancy tools to sell the illusions. Now, with a could-be-a-demon knocking on his door to get to the father of the girl he sees as his daughter, he’s not so sure.
“Tom? Qu'est-ce qui se passe? (What’s going on?)” A little voice came from the stairs, “Dad!” Marinette padded across the floor to the body of her passed out father.
She shook him awake and there were a few soft slaps to the face.
“Dad, what’s happened?”
John mumbles, “Demon…. possessing some rich guy….. Exorcism…. Doesn’t like me very much…Don’t worry...wards going to hold.”
John manages to stand before falling down and Tom catches him before he hits the floor. He has a concussion. Tom turns to Marinette, “Go, Hide and don’t come out until It’s safe.” which she did
Unfortunately, a while later, Sabine returns from her night out and the demon upon seeing Sabine. “ɛӼƈɛʟʟɛռȶ..”
The demon possessed Sabine and the previously possessed dude hit the sidewalk with a thud.
“ɨռȶɛʀɛֆȶɨռɢ....” The voice coming out of Sabine didn’t sound like her mother which scared Marinette a lot. “օքɛռ ȶɦɨֆ ɖօօʀ օʀ,”the demon pulled a knife out of thin air, ,“ȶɦɨֆ ɮօɖʏ ɢɛȶֆ ɨȶ.”
Tom hesitated until the demon put the knife on Sabine’s neck and put enough force for a thin line of blood to be shown.
He opens the door and the demon knocks him out. Stepping over his unconscious body and looking down on it, “ʄօʀ ȶɦǟȶ, ɨ ǟʍ ɢօɨռɢ ȶօ ʟɛȶ ʏօʊ ʟɨʋɛ ʊռȶɨʟ ɨ ǟʍ ɖօռɛ աɨȶɦ ʝօɦռ, օʄ ƈօʊʀֆɛ.” and cackles. The sound was so wrong and unnerving and little Marinette tried very hard for her sobs not to be heard.
Too bad the demon had super hearing. “Come out, my little blossom. Maman is home. Why don’t you come out and give me a hug?”
It sounded so much like her mother and she nearly believed that it was her mother and not some entity in control of her body.
But she knew better from John’s stories of dealing with demons and how they would use the voice of loved ones to lure them out and into a trap. (Definitely not something one should tell as a bedtime story but Marinette was very different and had an unconventional childhood with John Constantine as her father.)
Wait...she got struck with an idea but she wasn’t sure if it would work.
Before she could do anything, the door of the cabinet she was hiding in was opened and she was dragged out.
The demon lifted her a few feet above the ground by the collar of her dress.
It heard Marinette saying something. “աɦǟȶ ǟʀɛ ʏօʊ ֆǟʏɨռɢ ƈɦɨʟɖ, ֆքɛǟӄ ʟօʊɖɛʀ?”
“Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, omnis satanica potestas, omnis incursio infernalis adversarii, omnis legio, omnis congregatio et secta diabolica.” Marinette was now screaming the words at the top of her lungs. She repeated the spell over and over again with fierce determination.
John, being his paranoid self, taught her the spell for an exorcism, just in case. Demons spared no one, not even a girl.
It screamed “NO….” as Sabine’s body contorted in strange angles before a dark shadow seemed to be dragged down into the ground. It made a desperate attempt to possess John before it was pulled away and disappeared. There was no sign that there was a demon attack.
After John woke up, he managed to piece together that his 5-years-old (Sorry 5 and a half) daughter sent a demon back to hell.
He was a very proud dad. (He was a tad worried about the consequences from this event and demons hold one hell of a grudge. He wanted his daughter to live a very safe and happy life. The bakery’s wards also need an upgrade.)
He also got the job of explaining what he actually did to Tom. And lots of reassuring.
Sabine, on one hand, was not happy that Marinette knew how to do magic. That is until John told her that he did it just in case so she can protect herself and later it was agreed that Marinette can learn some Magic spells and charms to better protect herself and when she is older, she can decide if she wants to continue or not.
----
(Part 2)
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hematomes · 3 years
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I saw your post about ppl losing their shiz about Kaeya fanart being “whitewashed” when it’s literally darker than he is in canon. I agree btw I love like basically all Kaeya art out there I love one eyepatch man.
anyhoo, I have a story. I once saw a tiktok about a kaeya art. it was specifically labeled “IN PROGRESS” or whatever so you knew the artist wasn’t done. it was a gorgeous piece of art btw. So far, the only thing that had been colored was his hair and some of his clothes.
pretty much everyone in the comments started harrasing her about how he was whitewashed and the artist had to be a white supremacist and i think someone said “see I knew everyone who played genshin was racist just delete the game at this point.”
i was just like 😳 wow jeez it’s literally IN PROGRESS the artist legit said so.
the artist eventually posted the final version (after having to delete the first video and deal with several threats) it did turn out beautiful, but on the comments there and on every post of theirs after people are lurkign in the comments bad-mouthing them.
as much as I definitely am for characters not being whitewashed (especially Kaeya bc I love him your honor) I think some people take it way too far when the person they’re yelling at literally just wanted to get people excited about their WIP.
hi! sorry im so late this issue became quite sensitive lol i had to work up the courage to come back to it. it's gonna be a bit long, but i really need to say all this
if there's one thing i noticed about the genshin community on tiktok and twitter, it's that there is a whole, whole lot of social justice warriors and overall it's extremely toxic. it's something that surprised me because the people i interact with on tumblr are all super sweet and not one bit toxic so? idk, tumblr is just a different breed i guess
your story is extremely saddening. everytime there's a kaeya fanart, people forget about the color theory and the artists' style and claim it's whitewashed and i genuinely don't understand why. if someone could explain it to me, am i missing something? im not an artist so perhaps im mistaken, idk, but i've never seen a fanart where kaeya was whitewashed.
the thing that pisses me off the most is that most of the time it's white ppl calling something whitewashed. i'm not saying you shouldn't call out racism if you see it just bc you're white, just that these people aren't even right - and often you see poc coming into the debate and explaining it's not whitewashed/saying it doesn't bother them. moreover, i've literally seen fanart of beidou as a black girl, which isn't representation in my opinion - beidou is already a poc, and asian people need at least as much representation as black people, so it's plain racism. same thing with kaeya, i've seen edits of him with stereotypical african features, and it's really sad that no one is calling this out but yelling about whitewashing as soon as he isn't the exact same color as the official arts. hell, someone even said "so what if it's darker? it's still whitewashing" and i??? am flabbergasted. whitewashing is absolutely disgusting, but ppl keep misunderstanding what it means and just using it to gratuitously harass artists.
now, don't get me wrong. i believe that you can draw whatever you want. but the thing is - if you get mad when someone draws kaeya white (if they really do, i mean), you can't just applaud someone else's that draws another character black. racism goes both ways, and it's bordering on fetishism. i, as a poc (mixed-race, caucasian + african), am extremely uncomfortable everytime i see this double-standard.
but anyway, the fact remains that sjw have plagued the genshin fandom. and it's not just about kaeya's skin color (we don't even know if he's really a poc - we know he's tan according to paimon, and i believe she called him "exotic"? so idk) but also about the ships. everytime i see a shippy tiktok, there's plenty of ppl out here saying it's wrong, claiming their own ship is the most canon. if i'm not mistaken, kaeluc is the one that gets the most hate, and i genuinely, once again, don't understand why.
i talked about them before and explained how it's not incest bc they really aren't brothers, but i swear every now and then i see people throwing death threats and slurs anytime someone hints at them. idk if you are familiar with the eng va's fandom, but sometimes they play among us together, aether's va does some livestreams where he invites different voice actors. but diluc's va is never there, and i was wondering why - recently i learned that it's because he retweet a fanart of kaeya and diluc fighting alongside each other (not even a shippy fanart, apparently) and people harassed him and excluded him from the fandom. and now the same thing is happening to griffin burns, childe's va, bc he retweeted (or liked, idk) a fanart of lumine and childe fighting or something and people called it pedophilia bc lumine would be a minor. i'm not even gonna dive into this bc the travelers are canonically like 30 times childe's age, but what i mean is - people are so full of hate and i can't fathom living like this?
the point is, i totally respect anyone who doesn't ship something i ship. i myself don't like certain ships - like zhongli/xiao, jean/diluc - but im not gonna harass ppl who do just because i can? that's messed up, i just don't get it. i wish the fandom wasn't that bad bc i really enjoy this game
anyway, im really disappointed but still grateful, bc my followers & people i've interacted with here have been nothing but sweet and respectful. i hope none of y'all come across the toxic side of the genshin fandom. stay safe y'all!
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peachiekeeeen · 4 years
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griffin mcelroy created the most relatable and compelling villain of our generation, the embodiment of nihilism and the desire to burn the world in search of answers, and trusted his father to come up with a counter. the man delivered in an astoundingly simple but powerful way and this is a large part of what makes taz balance a great story. in this essay i will
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drudysgirl · 3 years
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Playlists!!
Hey, everyone!! 
So I made some playlists on Spotify (I am still working on them SLOWLY but we will get there) and I thought I’d share them with you just incase you wanted to listen. No pressure at all, I just like sharing stuff hehe ^.^
Outer Banks
> OBX Vibes - songs from both series (thanks Chase’s playlist for some of them hehe) and also some songs I feel like should be on OBX that just give me the VIBES you know? 
> JJ Maybank - JJ vibes all over tbh (also yes I stole most of these from Rudy’s playlist he made for JJ, sorry not sorry) 
> Rafe Cameron - just these psycho Rafe vibes because honestly justice for Rafe (also a lot of these are from tiktok edits oops)
> Sarah Cameron - the Kook Princess turned Pogue who we all love lots 
> Topper Thornton - no u don’t ToppER 
> Pope Heyward - I love this smart man tbh
> Kiara Carrera - our sassy Kie <3
> John Booker Routledge - see you later, sweetheart
a lot of songs on these playlists are from scenes they’re in on the show also if you have any other songs you think should be on there, send me a message and I’ll add them! Remember, these are still a work in progress!!
Attack on Titan
> AOT Vibes - just songs that give me AOT vibes tbh 
> Eren Jaeger - the true loml<3 
> Levi Ackerman - take a look at these big ass trees
> Armin Arlert - this boy deserves all the love
> ErenxMikasa - an eremika playlist which is mainly all heartbreaking not gonna lie, good luck to you if you listen to this one
Genshin Impact
> Zhongli - we all love our geo grandpa
> Tartaglia - is Griffin okay though? (also yes a lot of these are Griffin’s band’s songs or songs he’s done on his tiktoks)
> Xiao - our recluse adeptus
> Diluc - can I have a drink, Sir? (I also need to make a Kaeya playlist I think....)
If you listened to any of these playlists, thank you so much! If not, that’s absolutely okay! I hope you have a lovely day!! ^.^
If anyone is interested in any more, feel free to send me a message! I have also made playlists for my OC’s for OBX and AOT but they are currently on private because I’m SHY.
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hitoshisbabygirl · 4 years
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Emerald eyes of an Oni~ I. Midorya
Author's Notes ♡: Hey guys! I’m back with another collab! It really loved this idea and it actually has me writing some other fantasy pieces I’ve been thinking about starting .・゚゚・(/ω\)・゚゚・.! This is nice and steamy , I really wanna make like part two to go more into actual Oni Deku ʕ⊙ᴥ⊙ʔ. But I may or may not. I hope I did a decent job with this wonderful idea and I hope you enjoy reading this and much as I did writing it ~ bunny ❥
Warnings : NSFW!!! (´°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥ω°̥̥̥̥̥̥̥̥`) we love making baby Deku in control and large (the best way I could ⊙﹏⊙)
There’s some pet names, female oral, Size Kink (sorta touching on it) and overall some sex and I think that’s it!
Word count : about 3.6k give or take!
Paring(s) : Oni!Izuku Midorya x F! Reader
Enjoy ♡
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Being lost in the woods could have the right perks for the right people. It can be both relaxing and terrifying , the way the forest could be both scenic and suffocating could make the strongest man cry. Fortunately for Izuku Midorya , he knew this forest all too well. Growing up as a boy living with a small mythical village of other children rejected , stolen or given up to the village over something tragic with their biological family or for the way they came out and became. From minotars to elfs, pixies to sirens, the forest children had all types of creatures that lived in the hidden village grotto. But Izuku or Zuku , a childhood name from some of the younger children of the village, he was different.
Unfortunately , Deku was the only child of his kind, a oni born child, both his mother and father being human to oni made, him being born already a fully oni without corruption being needed for him to awaken his bloodline. Being the only child of his kind came with perks like being his own special and unique child. But it also had its disadvantagements, many were afraid of his large stature , growing horns on his head and his canines grwoig . Besides his hulking disposition, Izuku was the most helpful and sweetest child of the village.
He always made sure that his other members were well taken care of and never sad or lacking. Being as he was one of the babies of the village, he tried giving as much as he could to everything and everyone he met. The village was all he knew, and as everyone started to grow up and get out of the village or protect it, the more he realized that he would probably stay in this forest forever, protecting the place he’s become to love and recognized as his home, his safe space. Years went by and now at 20 (2000 years in his demon form) Izuku was a hulking boy, filled out with decorative tattoos running down his arms and back, dark forest green hair covering his horns coming from his forehead. He had protected the forest all his life and was used to having other children around him. But for the last couple of years as other children from the village were moved to protect their home from different sides of the forest Izuku had been lonely, sitting in the trees warding off people who tried to sneak in or steal the hidden treasures of the forest.
One day while In a tree Izuku saw a new face, a person he had never seen or met before. A girl that looked very lost , pushing through the trees as she became more distressed. With a few hops Izuku got closer , watching the human girl glance around and tripped over a root of a tree, starting to fall with a streak. At that moment Izuku jumped down, catching the girl before she could fall. With eyes close the girl waited to hit the ground only to feel herself suspended. Cracking open an eye she saw emerald colored eyes and horns looking down at her, her facing heating up as she made eye contact with a rather handsome looking giant. As the giant placed her down, she looked at the rather friendly man in front of her as he opened his mouth to speak to her. “Are you okay? I saw you falling from in the trees and I thought I’d help you out. You don’t seem like you know where you are, and I don’t think you’re planning to do anything. My name is Izuku and I’m a guardian of this forest.” The y’all and freckled demon spoke, causing the girl in front of him to smile and respond.”Well hello Izuku my name is [ ] and I’m rather lost! I’m sorry to disturb you and your home, I hope I didn’t do any damage! It seems like you’re a friendly er, person” The girl named [ ] said as Izuku felt his heart flutter in his chest. She was the warmest person he had met, and he had the urge to protect her. “I'm an Oni with a human heart, so in essence I could be called a human from my emotional state” Izuku said causing [ ] to smile as he turned around, taking her hand to help her navigate with him throughout the forest. “Well Izuku, it seems like this forest is huge, and you could use a friend! How about every so often I can come and bring you something to eat? Or I’ll eat up here so you’re not as lonely!” [ ] said as Izuku froze, looking down at the girl with a warm feeling across his face. “S-sure why not? That would be nice..” Izuku said, smiling back as the girl held out her hand , Izuku taking it as the shook hands, sealing the fate of their relationship.
The next year, the unlikely duo had a closer bond than anyone had ever seen between a human and one of the creatures that protected the village, especially a Oni. The two had become a taboo but loving relationship between a demon and his human. Within the short time frame [ ] had met the other village children and seen all types of beautiful things hidden in the forest. She tried out different hobbies with all the the different types of species that lived in the forest, she swam in the forests’ waterfall with the sirens and mermaids, ran along with the Minotaurs, climbed up trees and watched the world around them with griffins, and much much more. Izuku couldn’t of been happier with everything he saw, happy he found a human that was normal, didn’t want to catch it keep any of his family as trophies and was the sweetest and loving person he had ever ment . He felt he was his happiest now, and the villages mother Uhume , could easily see that. She pulled him aside while everyone was having a small festival in the waterfall pit, handing him a gemed ring. She smiled as the confused boy looked down at her. Uhume told him very plainly that if this human was who he wanted to take up as a wife, that it was the love that mattered, not the species. If he really loved this girl , he should take up with her as his wife and they could live in the hidden village together. And within another year, the two would be married.
As the now married couple took care of various things around the forest and the village, [ ] noticed things. Izuku would cuddle up to her more and kiss her face but when it got too heated he’d stop, walking away from the situation or changing the subject completely. He would steer clear of her and head outside when she’d give him more affection and her own kisses on his face and neck. Most affection caused Izuku to freeze up and hide from her the rest of the day. Then one day [ ] couldn’t take it anymore. She decided to wait for him to come home and trap him in their bedroom. That day, when he came home [. ] let everything be normal as usual. Once Izuku went and laid down she strutted into the room, shutting and locking the door behind her as she saw her hulking boyfriend peer at her. “Hey my love whats up?” Izuku said as [ ] smiled, walking to the bed and sitting beside him.
“Hey zuku...are you scared of me?” She started as he raised an eyebrow, sitting up on the headboard of their bed. “No I’m not scared of you. I love you my dear, whats on your mind? Why did you ask me that?” He said , taking [ ]’s hands as she felt her face heat up as Izuku looked at her. “You just..avoid my affection and touches..is there something wrong with me?” [ ] hated to admit but the fear that one of the mythical creatures would do a better justice to Izuku than her human body. She was weak, and from him bring the only Oni born child from the village she knew his blood was strong. She couldn’t help the feeling Of hold him back, and Izuku noticed the way she tensed up. “My love..I chose you, from the first time I met you I felt something different. I know you might feel like you don’t do enough for me but I can promise you, you are the most beautiful person I’ve met and I’m so glad I have you in my life. I’m just scared..if we take that next step I’ll hurt you..I’m not the smallest person yknow” Izuku finished with a light laugh, face heating up as he kissed the back of [ ]’s hand.
With a small smile and a deep breath she leaned forward, kissing her large boyfriend without giving him the chance to move away from her. With a muffled moan Izuku kissed back,placing her hands around his neck as he pulled her closer, the kiss deepening as [ ] let out her own moan. With hesitation he pulled back, [ ] letting out a whine as he sheepishly giggled. “Sorry babe I’ll uh..let you calm down and I’ll go get you something to uh drink! Yeah drink..” Izuku said as he went to get up. With a huff [ ] grabbed his arm, stopping him mid stride to the door “Zuku..stay..kiss me more..?” [ ] said as he felt his heart get in his throat “[ ] if I stay and kiss you more...I’m not sure how much I can hold back..” Izuku whispered as she crawled closer, kissing the side of his neck as she turned his face to hers “I don’t want you to hold back..make me yours” And with that Izuku let out a growl, pushing [ ] back onto the bed as she let out a giggle. With eyes voided out of focus he crashed his lips onto hers, starling her breath away as she moaned at the feeling, kissing him back just as hard. With a light touch, Izuku grabbed at her clothed hips, pulling her shorts down with a tug.
As the kiss deepened , Izuku lowered himself onto [ ] , giving her no room to breathe as he pulled away slowly, panting as they caught their breaths. “Oh my..Zuku baby are you alright? You’re..so warm” [ ] said breathlessly as she rubbed his head , the male letting out a groan as he rubbed her hips harshly, sucking in his bottom lip. “[ ], I hope you know what you’re asking for...please, if it’s too much just..stop me?” Izuku said as he averted his eyes from hers. With a gentle smile she kissed his forehead and agreed, letting her husband do whatever he was planning. With a shaky breath he pulled the rest of her shorts and underwear off, soon helping her come out of her shirt and bra as she covered herself, feeling nervous as Izuku ran his glance over her body, biting his lip as he pulled her arms away from her body, showering her neck and breast with kisses. As he made his way down her chest to her stomach he bit her hip, a yelp falling from her lips as he laughed, kissing the bite as he started to pull her legs open. As his glance went from her puffy lower lips up to the eyes boring down at him and flushed face of his lover he smiled, reaching up to kiss her one more time as his fingers danced around her core.
“My love are you ready..? I promise..I’ll be as gentle as I can be” Izuku said as [ ] bit her lip “Pleaae..I’m ready for you ..” she said softly as she rubbed a horn sticking out through his bangs. With a grin he continued down, kissing the inner parts of her thighs as he made his way to her clit, blowing a small puff of air onto it. A gasp fell from [ ]’s lips as Izuku carefully let his curved tongue run over her clit, his eyes focused on her reactions as he sucked the small bundle of nerves into his mouth. With a long moan the smaller girls head fell back, biting her lip as she rubbed the top of his head, giving Izuku the courage to continue.
He soon pushed her legs up higher, letting his tongue lick up and down her lips, slowly pushing the tip into her dripping hole. [. ] whined, bucking her hips into his mouth as she gripped at a horn, the beast between her legs letting out his own groans as his movement picked up, between suckling her clit till her legs shook and rubbing her lips with a thick finger. Without warning she felt the one sip into her clenching hole, then another,causing a loud moan to come from her throat as she felt him start to stretch her wider. “So small..so cute..you have the prettiest little pussy [. ] I can’t wait to stuff it full” With those words alone [. ] let out a whimper as she gripped his head to pull him in more to her clit, chasing a high she could feel brewing in her belly “I-Izuku..I think I’m gonna..I’m gonna” She started “Cum for me baby..go right ahead you got it” He encouraged as he saw the way her body tensed up. He picked up the pace onto her clit , sucking harder as she started to have her first orgasam of many for the night. Without hesitation he slid in another finger , licking quickly at her clit as the overstimulation started to kick in , [. ] whimpering as she tried to close her legs. With a growl and a smack to her inner leg , Izuku continued to pump his fingers into her heat, hitting her g spot as well as rolling his tongue around her sensitive nub.
Pulling away slightly but not stopping the pumping of his hand he smiled up to her “I’m sorry sweetheart you’re just so tight..if you expecting to take me tonight I’m going to have to get you nice and wet..and wide..I don’t wanna hurt you okay?” He said with a deeper than normal voice, his eyes darker and intimidating as she shook her head to his words. The once sweet and bubbly boy in front of her was gone, replaced with the savage blood of his demon side. With a smirk Izuku sucked her clit in time with his fingers, causing the girl to feel a even tighter sensation in her belly “H-hey Izuku...stop wait..I feel like I have to pee..” [. ] warned , whimpering as dark emerald eyes looked into hers. He moaned over her clit after hearing what she said not slowing down his ministrations as he doubled them in speed. Afraid he didn’t hear her [. ] started to push at his head between her thighs, trying to slow him down as Izuku growled and pushed back, pulling her legs even higher as he started licking her clit in tight circles, pushing his fingers right against her g spot as she screeched, clear liquid gushing out from her trembling hole.
With a satisfied moan Izuku sucked the liquid from her hole, stopping as [. ] started to scream and tug at his hair and horns. With a quick glance up eh saw a beautiful mess, [. ] legs shaking, her chest falling a rising hard, a flushing face with tears running down her cheeks. Her lip was red and trembling from being big on. Being forgiving , Izuku pulled his sopping fingers from her pussy, popping his lips off of her lewdly as he let out a deep breath. “You okay sweetheart? I’m sorry I hope I didn’t push you too hard.” He started as he wiped the wet stains from her face. “You sure you’re not some type of sex demon..?” [. ] laughed as she ran her fingers through his thick hair. “That was..amazing..I feel like I’m ready for you now..” She admitted, feeling her face heat up as Izuku stuttered “I-it’s okay I can just go handle myself, tonight was about you not about me. If you aren’t ready it’s okay! Don’t force yourself” He said sweetly as he rubbed the back of his neck shyly. With a shaky hand [. ] took his hand and put it on her cheek, opening her legs up as her puffed out pussy clenched. “Please..Fuck me Izuku..” And with that all small sense of control snapped . With a groan he pulled down his loose sweatpants, the bulbous head of his dick red as he let himself free, the thick and long shaft throbbing as he crawled closer, it full and swinging . [. ] gulped ‘oh god how is that going to fit in me’ she thought as a glimpse of shy Izuku appeared “I promise I’ll be gentle, trust my baby I don’t want to hurt you..it’s why I took so long to get you ready” With a gasp she felt the tip touch her still sensitive clit. She moaned loudly as He started to runt his hips against hers, his head catching onto the hood of her clit, giving a delicious feeling of need pumping in her veins. “Ready..?” Izuku asked as he gripped himself, positioning against her clenching hole.
“H-hey Zu?” [. ] called out as he shot his eyes right back up to hers. “Yes?” “Kiss me when you put it in..I don’t wanna scream” She said , laughing as he did too “Trust me..you’ll be screaming a lot tonight” Finishing that statement her leaned down and gave her a deep kiss, pushing his hips slowing into hers as they moaned into eachothers mouths, her arms and legs wrapping like a vice around him as he settled himself into her dripping heat. Looking at where they are joined she could see he was over half way in, and with a slight pull and push the rest slipped through her lips.
With a deep and shaky breath Izuku sighed, holding himself above her as She whimpered, getting used to feeling so...full. Soft kisses and hushed words of praise fell from his lips as he rubbed the bulge he made in her stomach, kissing her neck to get her comfortable. Soon she moved her hips , gasping as she started to gush more around him. “I-I’m ready” she said. And slowly, on so slowly he started to moved his hips, soft pants and moans falling torn their lips as they both got accustomed to the feeling of eachother, Izuku with the tightness of her pussy and [. ] with the fullness of his dick. “I-I love you so much [. ]...”Izuku whispered as his pace picked up, a high pitched whine fell from [. ] lips as she scratched up his back, causing his pace to increase again as he let out his own groans.
“Please..harder Zu..please..give me more” [. ] whined as she felt her stomach turn. Her mouth falling open as he followed her command, wrapping his arms around her small body as he pulled her even closer, biting down on her neck as she watched his dick stretch out her pussy and bulge her stomach, her eyes rolling back as he kissed the spots he bit down on. “Come on baby..I can’t feel you getting tighter..cum..cum for me yeah? I promise I’ll give you more just let it out..” Izuku whispers as he pulled away from the artwork on her neck, looking her in eyes as she let her mouth fall open, a small string of drool leaving her mouth as her tongue rolled out, the feeling of him continuously hitting her g soloist overtaking her senses as he smirked, leaning down to suck on her lip and soon taking her tongue in his own mouth as a hand snaked down to run at her clit, throwing her into another orgasam. With a loud moan she clenched down on his dick, starting to squirt again as he still pumped into her, his hips slowly getting sloppy as she gushed over them both. With a deep groan he started to pump his cum into her, moaning into her mouth as they gave deep kisses to eachother through their orgasams. As he pulled out from her dripping heat he saw the mix of hers and his cum fall from inside of her. Softly , he leaned down and kissed her once again, moaning into their deep and sensual kiss.
Once they felt like they couldn’t breath he pulled away for air. Izuku smiled down at the woman he loved , her breath heavily as she slid her hazed eyes over to his “Yes..?” She said softly “I meant it [. ] I love you...you just look so pretty..so beautiful like this..under me and fucked out..” Feeling heat pool to her cheeks [. ] looked away and giggled. “Well you did it..finally..” she said. Looking at the mess between her legs she saw that Izuku was getting re excited from their kiss. With a smirk she turned around, sticking her ass out as her pussy throbbed , some of his cum leaking down her legs Seeing her turn around like that made him re-ignite , his dick getting back exciting go again. “You sure you can handle this again baby?” Izuku smirked, smacking her ass ash she moaned out, pushing her ass even closer to him. “Please daddy?” She whimpered, turning to him as she bit her lip. “You little slut..what you ask for you shall receive..”
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trekkiepirate · 2 years
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Tagging for spoilers but I consider my Witcher Season 2 reactions fairly spoiler free, just feelings without too much in the way of details.
And yes, I started it right at midnight and just finished and took today off work because I am a nerd in love.
Feelings begin now and are in no particular order so the numbers aren't episode numbers or as I watched, just keeping track of how many FEELINGS WERE FELT
1. What the fuck? What the fuck? What the actual ever-loving FUCK?
2. Welp, at least it wasn't a lark.
3. If anyone wants to know, I love this adorable mute elf boy so much forever and it was a flashlight.
4. MY SWEET BABY SOMEONE HUG H-oh...thank you. I literally wanted exactly this. These scenes (and all scenes with the two of them but this first and the last ones especially) are everything to me and I would like to inject them into my veins.
5. Okay I think the may legit be going somewhere unexpected with the romances and fuck it, I'm into it.
6. RIENCE AND STREGOBOR, I WILL RIP YOU BOTH TO RAGS AND EAT YOUR HEARTS IN THE MARKETPLACE
7. Okay so relationships are just all over the place, sure whatever, this may as well happen.
8. Triss, I love you so much I gently kiss your forehead.
9. Joey Batey, you are damaging my asexuality as per usual. You brilliant actor and gorgeous man and fantastic singer, and bastardy bastard man.
10. NOPE NOPE NOPE NOPE CAN'T WATCH GONNA BE ILL
11. Sure, sure, let's bring in slavic folklore, this may as well happen.
12. Fringy, dear Fringy, someone hug this woman! Someone believe in this woman!
13. Someone kiss Jaskier on the mouth so I don't have to (although if called upon I volunteer as tribute)! Also if we could all be about 50% kinder to the bard at all times. Let him finish his damn fool name!
14. Getting the band back together!
15. "And I'm sorry" MY SKIN IS CLEAR MY CROPS ARE WATERED
16. Special shout out to the writer who wrote in Jaskier taking his shirt off, I OWE YOU MY LIFE! If you are based in LA, I will legit buy you a drink at any bar (or coffee/tea shop), any day, any time. A TOAST TO YOU!
17. You know what, fuck it all, I’mma ship the fuck outta this and no one can stop me. AT LEAST THEY APPRECIATE EACH OTHER
18. Coen, I don’t care if you’re a Wolf, a Griffin or a tap dancing Poodle, I LOVE YOU, ALL TIME BEST WITCHER FOREVER
19. Inspecting abs like NETFLIX DO WE NEED TO HAVE A FUCKING CHAT ABOUT DEHYDRATING YOUR ACTORS BECAUSE I WILL CUT A BITCH IF YOU DEHYDRATED THIS MAN FOR THOSE ABS
20. WHY DO THEY CALL GERALT ‘WOLF’ THEY ARE ALL WOLVES IT MAKES NO SENSE GODSDAMMIT!
21. “Whoreson Prison Blues” is now my favourite Witcher song forever.
22. WHY IS JASKIER THE ONLY ONE WHO NEVER GETS TO CHANGE HIS CLOTHES?
23. Hahahaha, oh noooooo, fuuuuuck, can we just check in with Jaskier just one more tim-no? Okay, nothing more for him? Gotta wait months and maybe over a year? Cool, cool, cool.
24. Kim Bodnia, I fucking love you. I already loved you as Joey’s work husband and just a delightful man, but fuuuuuuuck you did ALL the justice to Vesemir.
25. Would die for Gordon. “Talent recognize talent” had me shoving my face into a sheet so I would not laugh loud enough to wake my sister.
26. I NEED MORE MICE BACKSTORIES AND NAMES, JOEY!
27. Episode 8 was NOT Yennefer and Jaskier Go To A Spa and I am disappointed forever.
28. Hahaha, okay so we are gonna talk about the Mountain and Beth gonna have FEELINGS
29. WHAT CAME FIRST: THE BUTCHER OR THE SECRET WORLDS?
30. NENNEKE I LOVE YOU MOST ALL TIME FOREVER. YOU AND COEN AND VESEMIR YOU’RE MY SEASON 2 MVPS
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BBC's Merlin Season 1 Episode 5: Lancelot Analysis
It's Lancelot's first episode which is tremendously exciting. I remember the first time I watched this show (last year- I really make it sound like it was much longer than it is), I wasn't particularly attached to him but on my second rewatch I loved him, I loved his and Merlin's friendship and I loved his sheer nobility and decency. Lancelot is of course typically one of the most central characters in telling's of the Arthurian legend, so of course his appearance is exciting. Also excitingly an episode where I talk about someone other than Arthur! Yeah, if you can't tell Arthur's my favourite character. I'm not sure how clear my point is throughout all of this, its hard to articulate but I hope I've done it justice.
"Sir Lancelot, the bravest and the most noble of them all"
This is a quote from much later in the show but it explains something very fundamental about Lancelot's character. Lancelot is supposed to be the chivalric ideal, in most versions of the story he is portrayed as such, as the only knight who really comes close to fulfilling it. Lancelot's fault that puts the dent in him being the true epitome of the noble chivalric knight is his love for Guinevere, and its actually his son Galahad (who doesn't exist in Merlin) who achieves this ideal. However, the point remains that Lancelot is almost there, his character is typically about a person who almost achieves this ideal of chivalry, and they run with this in Merlin, out of all the knights he is the most knightly, the most committed, the one most devoted to its ideals.
Lancelot talks like our idea of a knight, its kind of hard to explain but the way he talks is straight out of chivalric romances, out of films about knights. You notice it because everyone in this show talks in quite a contemporary way, its an Arthurian legend for people of today and the characters talk like it, but Lancelot just doesn't, he talks like a knight from a fairytale. It's just a small detail, but it really plays into the perception of Lancelot as the epitome of chivalric honour.
I'd argue that he represents a knighthood Arthur believes in, before he even realises it himself, a kind of honour that's about devotion to one another and helping others and fighting injustice. Arthur and Lancelot do get on extremely well, despite the fact that Lancelot, in Arthur's own words, doesn't sound or look like a knight. His passionate defense of him to his father, as well as the fact that Arthur releases him from prison without his father's approval is because Arthur respects him and admires him and probably because he sees him as a friend. King Arthur's court is often the ideal representation of chivalry, stories like these about chivalrous knights were very important to aristocratic culture in medieval times, and Arthur's court was at the center of it. The thing is that there is a code of honour and chivalry before Arthur in Merlin, the knights of Camelot already exist, and they are often honourable. But Arthur's task will be to reset the idea of chivalry and honour on new grounds, in new ways and Lancelot in many ways exemplifies this ideal
There is a huge emphasis in Lancelot's character in serving with honour:
"It's not my freedom I seek. I only wish to serve with honour."-Lancelot
"He laid down his life for me. He served with honour."- Arthur
"He meant no harm I am sure of it... he only wished to serve."- Arthur
I'm not exactly sure how to define honour, its kind of an abstract concept but I do know what it means, its acting with integrity and respect and honesty. It's a concept central to the Chivalric code, that knights should behave with honour, so its inclusion here further cements the idea of Lancelot's character as representing the ideal of chivalric knighthood. Also the concept of servanthood comes up again, Merlin emphasises (through Merlin most of all) the honour in being a servant, you don't need to be great or noble or a great leader, the world needs people who are willing to serve and that is just as noble as leading.
Chivalry as a concept is inherently bound up in the concept of nobility. The etymology itself is from the French word for knight/horseman, of which only nobles could be. However, one of the points of Merlin through many of its characters is upsetting this class divide so prevalent in Arthurian stories, not just in also including the stories of those who aren't noble but in setting up a code of honour that applies to everybody. Lancelot epitomises this, he is the knight who most represents the ideal of chivalry to Arthur, he's also not a nobleman. Just like making Gwen and Merlin servants, making the most noble knight not a noble sets up this shift, highlighting the capability of everyone to the kind of goodness and nobility that Camelot's ideal will represent. Because fundamentally what's the point of an ideal if it only applies to some people, ideals should inspire everyone to be better, they should make everyone's lives better not just a small subset of people.
As Gwen says that in Arthur's knights "we need ordinary people like you and me."
Arthur and Uther
Importantly Arthur realises the injustice of laws in his father's kingdom and you see the contrast between him and Uther.
"The code bends for no man."
"Then the code is wrong."
Uther is stubborn, we know that, he's unwilling to admit the fault in his rules, in his ideas even when the evidence is right in front of him and that is a fundamental fault, you can see it in his treatment of those who use magic. Arthur by contrast is someone whose views haven't been set, partly because he is still young, but also because he is a better person than Uther in the ways that matter. He's not going to purposefully blind himself to the truth. For Uther he is also one with a worldview of absolutes, all magic users are bad, laws are laws there is no room for argument or nuance, and I'm sure Uther would see accepting argument or nuance as a weakness.
It is also important that in recognising that the code should bend, Arthur recognises the essential flaw in Uther's construction of society and chivalry. The idea that knights should all be noble, Uther literally says that it is the fact that all knights are noble that binds them together, and this is emphasised by the fact that Uther created the first code of Camelot (also the fact that its the first code- makes this seemingly small law much more important). This is a premise Arthur does not agree with it, this episode proves what it really means to be a knight in Lancelot, its a willingness to do your duty and act with honour and self-sacrifice. It is not confined to class, and thus plays into merlin's wider subversion of chivalry as only being for knights, its a code of honour and behaviour that all people can aspire to, and the ability to live and die for noble causes should not be the sole preserve of knights. The Arthurian ideal is so premised on nobility, for the rest of the kingdom, yes they have a just king and presumably they are protected and safe but they are kept from the dignity of being allowed to be noble, being allowed to be considered a part of the nobility and goodness of the Arthurian ideal. It's significant that the first figure to represent this isn't noble.
Other Stuff
"I owe Lancelot my life and I am paying for that in the only way I can."- Merlin--> This is the worldview of knights and debts of honour in its own way as well
Gwen and Lancelot are just awww, like so sweet
"Merlin would do anything for anyone."- Gwen--> True and I love that about Merlin, even as he becomes more jaded as the seasons go on this doesn't change that much—>he's wonderfully decent
"You're the only thing I care about in this world."- Gaius to Merlin--> That was just sweet and kind of sad He's encouraging Merlin to put himself in danger and Merlin reacts with anger because its like does anyone care what happens to him—> but the point is Merlin can help Arthur and no one else can so he has to do it because its his job and its his job because he's the only one who can do it--> Duty is doing what you have to do, doing the right thing even when you don't want to
"It's my duty knight or not."---> Similar to Merlin—> Lancelot believes in being a knight so whether or not he actually is one he has a duty to act like one—> he is a swordsman he is skilled and (theoretically- if they weren't creatures of magic) could defeat a Griffin so he has to do it—> because he can and its his duty to his worldview And Gwen's response- "You really believe that don't you. I don't think I've ever met anyone like you."
"You've already proven that to us"- Arthur "But I must prove it to myself."- Lancelot--> Isn't there just something very noble in that- In the desire to prove your ability to yourself above all others- to hold yourself to a high standard not just to expect things to come Will parallel Arthur in later seasons as he tries to prove his right to be king to himself--> It's funny the scene when Arthur pulls the sword in the stone (much later) is the moment when he proves his right to be king in every version of the story- but usually its proof to others- In Merlin it was trying to prove to himself
"Till next time then, Sir Lancelot."- Merlin- wonderful way to end the episode on an acknowledgement of Lancelot's role in the wider story- he is a legendary figure
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Watching (the Adventures of) Merlin season one on Netflix
Episode One: The Dragon's Call
. . . I feel like going to the capital of the kingdom indiscriminately slaughtering magic users wasn't the best idea.
Why? Well, that guy did just get executed.
And now his mom is mad. You tell that sorry excuse for a king, witch lady.
I don't like Uther, in case it was unclear.
Wait... if you could teleport why not just grab your son and ditch before he loses his head? Literally.
Oh, wow. Arthur is a dick.
Morgana. We have no choice but to stan tbh.
Dragon, you're really rubbing me the wrong way.
That's right Merlin! We need more than Because Destiny Says So!
Where did the spiderwebs come from? That sleeping spell gives me Sleeping Beauty vibes.
Ah, yes. The old drop-the- chandelier-on-the-villain trick. :(
If she went after Uther instead of Arthur I would have no complaints.
Manservant? You call that a reward for saving your son?
Episode Two: Valiant
Snake!Shield
Oh, he's gonna- Yup, dead. That's what happens when you deal with knights who cheat.
Where did that guy even get a magic shield in the first place?
Is there a thriving magic black market or something?
I love Guin.
. . . I feel like Sir Valiant didn't think this through. If bite marks are visible.
Ugh, you're the worst Uther.
It's only the second episode! Did you forget who saved your son already?
Stop being a jerk Arthur.
Lol. Merlin bringing a dog statue to life in order to practice for the Snake!Shield.
Bye Valiant!
Episode Three: The Mark of Nimueh
Whatcha up to with that egg, new witch lady?
You gonna poison the water of all of Camelot? Seems like a jerk move.
Dang that's a lot of dead bodies...
No, I like Guin's dad!
Yes! Cure him Merlin!
No! Stop arresting Guin, Uther!
You tell him, Morgana!
That plague monster that hatched from witch lady's egg is creepy.
Dead monster!
Arthur is kinda oblivious to Merlin's magic ngl.
Yay! Guin's free!
What do you know about witch lady Nimueh, Uther? Hmm? Why she want you dead? Besides the obvious reasons.
Episode Four: The Poisoned Chalice
Wow, Nimueh really doesn't like Merlin saving the day.
Wow, Nimueh really orchestrated an entire diplomatic incident in order to kill Merlin while also ensuring Camelot is destroyed by its neighbor. Impressive.
I really like Merlin and Guin's friendship.
Dang. Merlin really drank poison in order to save Arthur.
Merlin saved Arthur's life, Uther! Let him return the favor!
Oh, wow. Arthur really disobeyed his father in order to save Merlin's life.
I didn't know Merlin could cast spells while deathly delirious. And several miles away from him too.
Uther you b****! The antidote is right there! Let Arthur save his friend!
Putting your own son in a cell is such a jerk move.
At least Arthur and Guin manage to sneak the antidote to Merlin.
Quick aside: Internet spoilers say Uther needs to die for Arthur to complete his himbofication- I mean character development. So, if you could get on with that? Thanks!
Episode Five: Lancelot
Wow, that's a very CGI griffin.
Lancelot is so precious- Uh, I mean effective! Saving Merlin and all.
I know, Guin. I know.
Always thought it was a stupid rule to only let nobles be knights.
You're really going to commit magical forgery for someone you just met, Merlin?
I mean, Lancelot is earnest, hardworking, modest, kind despite his tragic backstory and it's his childhood dream to be a knight...
Yeah, I'd commit magical forgery too.
Lol, knocked you on your ass didn't he Arthur? (The second time at least)
I don't remember griffins being man-eaters!
Uther stop arresting people! Ugh, you're such a classist.
Let Lancelot help fight the griffin, Arthur! You need all the help you can get!
Well okay letting him go was nice of you.
Lancelot-Merlin tag team!
Wow. Lancelot really strode in with Camelot's singular braincell by figuring out Merlin has magic.
(The bar is low, okay.)
No, don't take away the braincell! Stay! The griffin was a team effort!
Okay, Lancelot's lawful good tendencies are a little annoying but, hey, nobody's perfect.
Episode Six: A Remedy to Cure All Ills
Edwin, no. Leave Morgana alone.
Oh, beetles! Curse beetles! That's not creepy at all.
Gaius how do you know Edwin?
What diabolical plot are you hatching Edwin? Oh, you're replacing Gaius in the royal court. That's kinda rude.
Merlin's so happy meeting another magic user that isn't trying to kill him (yet).
Le gasp! Uther's purge killed Edwin's parents? WhO cOuLd HaVe fOreSeEn tHis!?
But seriously. No wonder Edwin wants Uther dead.
I know Edwin blackmailed Gaius with exposing Merlin but he also wants to kill Uther!
That gives him a pass in my book.
Gaius no. Let Uther die.
Edwin stop trying to kill Gaius! You're going to-
Yup, here comes Merlin and-
Edwin's dead :(
Well he was trying to overthrow the kingdom. That's... bad... I guess.
Episode Seven: The Gates of Avalon
That title is misleading. It's more of a natural portal/magic lake type thing.
Arthur saves a father and daughter from bandits (Which they hired but shhh)
And they immediately try to put a love spell on Arthur
For human sacrifice purposes of course
Idk why the Sidhe want a human prince's soul -look at him, you don't know where he's been- but that's the price for readmission
I wonder how the dad killed one of his own kind? Was it an accident or...?
Exiling the daughter too makes me suspicious of Avalon's justice system
Evil laugh is a bit out of place for someone who is trying to restore his daughter's immortality
(They are so whiny about being mortal. Hey, we put up with it all the time!)
The fairy-like Sidhe moving in accelerated time so they just look like tiny orbs of light was an interesting touch. The blue faces and razor sharp teeth is not a good look for them, lol
They make Arthur ask to be married ('cause it takes a while for the love spell to go into full blown mind control or something)
Prompting Uther to threaten to kill both of them
(I feel like they didn't think this through)
Morgana admonishes Uther for being the worst
He replies that first love rarely lasts and that Arthur is inexperienced in such things. Plus that Arthur only met the girl yesterday
... I can't believe Uther is the voice of reason this episode
He doesn't get any points though. Due to the whole "threatening to execution his son's 'crush' " thing
The daughter is having second thoughts about using Arthur as a human sacrifice
Dear old dad puts those to rest and they try drowning Arthur in the lake that is/is the portal to, Avalon
Merlin's really leaning into the whole "Cool motive. Still murder.", thing huh?
Like, he did NOT hesitate to blow up both of them
Episode Eight: The Beginning of the End
Why do magic users keep going to Camelot!? The king is trying to KILL YOU!
Wow, this grown ass man is threatened by a literal child... I hate Uther so much
Morgana is the MVP of this episode. I love her
Protect that druid kid!
I feel like you're being paranoid Uther
You tell him Morgana!
Dragon, no. Stop prophesying death and destruction.
Wow, this grown ass dragon is threatened by a literal child...
Aaaand Morgana got caught sneaking the kid out of the city :(
Uther she is your adopted daughter! Stop putting people in cells!
Arthur is gonna sneak him out now?
While Morgana distracts the king?
Yes, excellent. What could possibly-
Merlin stop listening to that destiny dragon! Hearing his voice in your head is no basis for trust!
Cutting it close... Yay! They made it!
Mordred!? MORDRED!?
THAT little boy is Mordred!?
... Okay, I'm more inclined to believe the destiny dragon now
Still think letting him die would be a dick move
Episode Nine: Excalibur
What're you up to with that tomb Nimueh?
Oh! It's some kind of undead knight. Yes.
Throwing down the gauntlet. Pfft! Always thought that was a stupid idea.
Also: that Black Knight literally crashed your party!
Ugh, knights.
Nimueh if you can just teleport into the heart of Camelot while Uther is alone why don't you just stab him? Grab one of those pointy things he likes so much and stab him in the back. Easy peasy!
Stealing this joke but Don't do evil magic kids. It fries your brain cells.
Wait, the Black Knight is Uther's brother-in-law!?
Arthur's mother died in childbirth!?
Uther asked Nimueh to use her magic so he could have Arthur!?
Equivalent Exchange!?
Uther went on a genocidal rampage because he didn't bother with the instruction manual of ancient and powerful magic!?
Actually, that last one is not surprising at all.
I can't believe they're using the Wife in the Fridge trope. That appliance hasn't even been invented yet!
Ooh, Merlin's going to use his magic to destroy the Black Knight so Arthur doesn't have to fight him
As he's killed two knights already
Aaaaand, yup, he's still there. His cloak didn't even catch fire...
Arthur stop being a bastard. It doesn't suit you
Dragon forged sword! DRAGON FORGED SWORD!
Only Arthur can wield it. Yup, got it. How could this possibly go wrong?
Uther drugged Arthur and took his place in the fight... I have mixed feelings about this.
Wait, the dragon was very specific about only Arthur using that super special sword! Oh, snap.
Well at least the Black Knight is dead. Again.
Oh, dragon is not happy.
I know the dragon said "where no mortal soul could find it" but are you sure you wanna throw it into Avalon, Merlin?
Those people were gonna suck Arthur's soul out of his body
Episode Ten: The Moment of Truth
The way this episode title just lies to your face like that...
Oh, you're Merlin's mother! Thought we had an anime protagonists type thing going on
I... would like to say Uther is being unreasonable when he decides not to cross borders to get rid of some bandits. But I can totally see everyone hating him so that's a no go.
Lady, you were in a whole different kingdom. Why for the love of Merlin did you send him to Camelot!?
We're off to save the village! Morgana and Guin are coming too!
A wild Arthur appears!
Morgana better at swordplay than Arthur confirmed!
Merlin! I didn't know you had friends!
Granted he's a bit rough around the edges but
Okay. If it were literally anyone else besides Arthur. I'd say he was right about lords and knights being useless snobs.
Actually. He's right about lords and knights being useless snobs. Ah, that felt great.
Wow, the homosexual subtext is strong with this one.
The girls can tell Arthur came for Merlin.
But get your foot out of his face! I don't care how royal it is!
Look at Guin over here calling out Arthur for being a dick
And talking him into letting the women fight. She's on a roll
Aw, Merlin's friend died. :(
And he took credit for Merlin's tornado (so Arthur wouldn't find out about Merlin's magic)
Episode Eleven: The Labyrinth of Gedref
Lol, that unicorn could use a haircut.
No, Arthur. I said a haircut not an arrow to the chest!
Bad things? What kind of bad things Gaius?
Uther what's the point of having an expert in magical lore if you're not going to listen to him!
And all the crops are dead. Fantastic.
I know it's a magic thing but stating outright that the blight only targets edible plants is still really unsettling.
And the water's turned to sand. Great.
Who're you and how come Merlin is the only magic user that can't teleport?
What kind of tests mister Keeper of the Unicorns, sir?
Arthur I know you don't want to believe it's your fault... But it's totally your fault.
Uther no. People are starving.
You tell him Arthur.
Oh, the "theif" was a test!
Aaaaand he failed the second one. :(
Merlin's got a lot of faith in Arthur.
It's interesting how the Keeper can only direct the curse caused by the unicorn's death. Or rather the trials surrounding the curse, but can't break it himself.
Unicorns have some powerful magic.
The Labyrinth was barely on screen for five minutes! Surely something with Unicorn in the title would be more appropriate?
Arthur drinking a poisoned cup so Merlin could live?
That's some strong parallels right there.
The Keeper of the Unicorns is such a troll! Sleeping potion, hah!
The day is saved, Arthur lies to Uther's face about killing the Keeper and the unicorn resurrects itself.
Still needs a haircut though.
Episode Twelve: To Kill the King
Whatcha up to Guin's dad?
Oh that guy isn't suspicious at all.
You didn't think it was shady when he asked to meet in the middle of the night!?
Philosopher's Stone!?
Wow, the guards found him quickly.
What- No! Don't arrest Guin's dad!
Uther, he's a blacksmith! Stop being paranoid!
Will you stop executing people!? That inn keeper didn't know that guy was a dangerous sorcerer!
No, nononononono! He surrendered! Why did you do that!? Guin's father was important to Morgana!
That's why she gave him the key!
Dragon has his priorities straight.
Shut up, Merlin. You literally blew up a father and daughter for trying to kill one(1) person. (No really, you could see their hands flying off.)
Morgana deserves a little murder. As a treat.
Yes! Get him! Kill the bastard!
No! Why would you make GUIN say that!? Who are you and what have you done with Guin!?🔪🔪
UGH, he literally committed genocide!
The "that would make me as bad as he is" DOES NOT APPLY!
What- Oh, he still has the fairy's staff.
No. Stop it! Let Uther die!
Oh, God, Uther is such an abusive piece of GARBAGE!
Stop! Don't fall for it Morgana!
*sees dagger being pushed closer to Uther's "heart"* Yes! Yes! YES!
*Morgana saves him* NO!
NO!
NOOOOOO!
*inarticulate ranting in the background*
Episode Thirteen:
Okay, the cgi might be getting a little better 'cause the Questing Beast is freaky
Old religion? What is that? And how come it's conveniently absent from the previous episodes?
Dang, they really here just casually gaslighting Morgana like that 😡
Merlin you know Morgana has visions! You couldn't have been a little more careful? She warned you. Now look at Arthur, he's got the heroic death disease
Granted that thing does seem like a handful
Why do you only act like a father when it's a matter of life and death? Why can't you be a father literally any other time!?
"The old religion is the magic of the Earth itself."
Well that sounds fascinating, dragon. Are you going to elaborate? No? Later then?
Soooooo, is the old religion actually a religion or is it a magic? It's really unclear...
"You will be a better king than your father could ever hope to be." Guin, you're back!
I expected a place called the Isle of the Blessed to be less... creepy
Nimueh! Whatcha up to girl? Plotting the demise of a kingdom? Not today it seems
Oh there some Equivalent Exchange type nonsense going on is there?
Arthur you were supposed to be in a coma not listening to Guin!
Oh. Oh, no.
Merlin saying goodbye as he prepares to trade his life for his mother's is 😢😭
Wow, that dragon really knew Nimueh would give Merlin's mother the curse and didn't say anything. The little b*****!
No wonder Merlin's mad at him. Stop breathing fire at him! It's your own fault!
Gaius, no! Not the dead mentor trope!
"You stood by and watched as our friends died." Damn, Nimueh isn't pulling her punches.
Merlin vs Nimueh! Ready? Fight!
Anime protagonist power up! Dang, Nimueh's dead... I feel like that wasn't supposed to happen.
At least no one else is dying. Since Nimueh's death appeased the Equivalent Exchange laws of the old religion.
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handlewcaare · 4 years
Text
The Power of Charisma: Realism v Idealism
One thing I truly enjoy about ONE’s writing is how powerful charisma could truly be. In the best case scenario, you’ve got Reigen Arataka:
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His charisma lies solely upon what is actually considered to be realistic. Yes, you have the ability to dismantle an entire city into a ball to encase your local megalomaniac, but you still need to live in the real world. You’re a middle schooler, be more concerned about what you wanna do in life or who do you really want to be.
Reigen’s presence in Mob Psycho is the support for, not just the characters, but for the audience as well. I mean, how ridiculous do you have to be to fight a fourteen year old with ugly ass shoulder pads as a villain costume? It’s like he knows about the niche tropes typically associated with Shounen / Action anime and challenges it with concepts of the real world none of the villains ever faced with.
Yes Toichiro- as soon as you take over the world, how is that going to fix your strained relationship with your son / get your wife to not leave you? How is taking the world by its axis going to make you less lonely? Because you fought a fourteen year old?
Yes Shimazaki- as soon as things start getting serious / less fun, what are you going to do except pull your trump card? Oh, you can only sense espers? Lemme just beat your ass for fighting children with my fists.
Then we have the concept of idealistic charisma personified by the man of the hour: Blast.
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There’s only one thing I’ve noticed about him is that he needs only one interaction with someone to impact their life. He doesn’t put direct question as to who they are / what their motives are like Reigen does. Instead, he holds this biblical presence with a shadow over his face as a heavenly light bestows his figure from behind.
Blast doesn’t tell Tatsumaki to be a hero, but to never expect people to come and save her (a message she holds near and dear as the near top of S-Class). She needs to be independent, to be capable of picking up the sword and defend herself (it reminds me of Griffin’s first interaction with Casca nauseatingly enough) because there won’t always be backup.
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Then we have the manga and his interaction with Amai: “it’s fine now” same biblical presence, but his face is a little more defined and it snaps Amai out of wanting to kill the S-Class for the sake of preserving his self-image (the false image he conjured to become a hero). We never get anything more than that, but Blast’s charisma is not in the terms of “hey, why don’t you accept yourself as you are, Beaut?” But how everything is fine because justice still prevails.
It would be touching, if Amai never warped Justice into a useless, empty trophy to parade around.
From what has been said about Blast’s concept of justice being bitterly aligned straight—so much so that he would sooner destroy a ninja village full of brainwashed children—and his refutation to appear unless the HA truly did need him, no matter the outcome. Blast’s charisma is horrifying compared to Reigen’s and that makes him all the more intimidating.
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kate-river · 3 years
Text
Of Dragonids and Witchers
In which two Wolf school witchers set out for a monster hunt and finally come to terms with their difficult emotional past.
Dear @ohciq this is your secret santa speaking :) I wish you very happy holidays and I hope this adds a few drops of water to your crops! ;)
Thanks @thewitchersecretsanta for hosting this amazing event!
Warnings: none
read on AO3
Geralt smelled the shabby village miles away. Humans, no matter the space they had on offer, created the stench with their infallible ability to destroy their surroundings. Over time Geralt got into the habit of avoiding such places as they were usually tied to all sorts of trouble. And it seemed like this place was no exception  
Suddenly the tracks he had been following came to an end. Geralt sighed and reigned in Roach. He had expected this to happen and still it irritated him. What the fuck was that bloody idiot up to?
Pondering his options Geralt looked around. To his left, just out of the thicket, a narrow uneven trail headed for the village. To his right, it vanished into a light forest. “Great,” the witcher mumbled. It was impossible to further track the soft hoof prints on the stony ground. But he already knew which way to go.
Still, he hesitated for a moment. Why would he hide in such a place? What had kept him from covering his tracks? Something was very fishy and Geralt didn’t like it.
Anyways, he spurred on Roach. Passing a few outcast buildings, an old decrepit barn and a small herbalist’s cottage along the way Geralt made for the village. It wasn’t a big settlement: a few wooden houses, the alderman’s clearly distinguished from the others. And of course, there was an inn. The modest horse shelter in front of it caught Geralt’s attention. A fine black horse was contentedly feeding on hay there and the witcher immediately recognized the Kaedweni bred steed.
He stopped in front of the inn and tied Roach to the shelter. The other horse, clearly trained to avoid a stranger’s touch, did not twitch under Geralt’s caress. Instead he snorted and nudged Geralt’s torso. The witcher couldn’t help but laugh quietly. “It’s good to see you, Scorpion” he whispered and pulled a sugar cube out of his pocket. Roach jealously stomped her front hoof and Geralt turned to treat her just as well. Then he headed for the inn’s entrance.
The main room was pretty dark, only a few tables fitting into the space. Some drunkards were assembled around one of them and from their babbling Geralt gathered that they must have spent a fair amount of time in that inn today.
It took them a few moments to become aware of Geralt, but when they did, their noisy chatter fell silent. The innkeeper however was not impressed by the witcher’s presence. At least he didn’t let it show “Good day to you sir”, he greeted Geralt “What can my humble establishment do for yet another one of your kind?” “Another one?” Geralt asked curiously and the innkeeper nodded towards the corner on his right. A dark figure, covered in a long dirty cloak sat separately at a small table, two long and thin packages lying next to him. Geralt smiled and the innkeeper’s façade started to crumble at this sight.
In the same instant the dark figure got up and pushed back the hood. A face, disfigured yet cordially smiling, appeared underneath. Eskel.
“Glad to see you, Wolf!“ The other witcher hugged Geralt tightly. The embrace was short, brotherly, but like music, there was more to it. It was I missed you just as well as good to have you back. And it lasted a few seconds too long adding an unspoken feeling that lingered between them.
They sat down at the small table in the shady corner and started a casual conversation. After a proper meal their merry chatter grew more serious and finally Geralt asked Eskel what he was actually doing here. Geralt carefully withheld the fact that he had tracked him. Very easily at that. In fact, so easily that Geralt had initially suspected a serious issue, since Eskel had obviously paid no attention to covering his tracks.
“Had a pretty nasty contract down in Lyria. Thought I’d better head for Kaedwen early this year. Also, this fucking weather…” he nodded toward the dirty window and suddenly went silent.
Immediately sensing Eskel’s discomfort Geralt changed the topic. It was no use asking a witcher about things he had encountered on the Path and was not yet willing to talk about. Whatever happened to him sure had been unpleasant but apparently Eskel was out of danger and Geralt decided not to inquire any further.
They slowly found their way back to less serious topics, finally joking about old stories and anecdotes. By then the atmosphere of the inn had somewhat changed. The drunkards had left and only the innkeeper remained behind the bar. While he had appeared rather brave at Geralt’s arrival, he didn’t look anything like it by now. He was frantically cleaning tankards and seemed visibly distressed.
Eskel had already caught on to it and in an instant changed the way he talked to Geralt. “I guess we have a job for Vesemir here” he muttered. It took Geralt a few seconds to understand the code phrase as he hadn’t heard it in quite some time. Focusing on his sharpened senses he also became aware of the light footsteps quickly approaching the inn. “I guess we’ll have a visitor soon”, he growled.
Suddenly the innkeeper vanished into the backroom. The witchers perceived a knock on a wooden door, the timid opening of the same and muffled voices. The man who had approached the inn tried to reach the bar. But the innkeeper didn’t let him through, insistently whispering. “She was my daughter!”, the intruder shouted at him. Eventually the innkeeper lost his patience: “Mihal, you won’t bring her back to life!” “Out of my way, old man!”
Next, they heard a thud and a stubby man with a red face burst into the room. He came running to the witchers and Eskel already raised his hand to cast a sign as the man threw himself to the ground.
“Master witchers, I need your help” he cried desperately and Eskel immediately lowered his hand. “Then speak!” Geralt commanded, adding a bit more emphasis to it than intended.
“There is a monster in the mountains! A flying dragon! It haunts our village and a week ago,” he started sobbing uncontrollably, “it killed my daughter! Please, I will pay you with all I have left. But bring justice to my little girl!”
While the man was regaining his self-control, the innkeeper returned to his place behind the bar. He was pressing a wet cloth to his head and an endless stream of curses left his mouth. “That bloody witch! The wench summoned the demon! We should have burned her!”
“I’ve heard enough” Geralt spat out and shot the innkeeper an irritated glance. He fell silent immediately. “But he’s telling the truth master witcher!”, the red-faced man interfered. By now he was on his feet again, but silent tears were still running over his cheeks. “The damn wench cursed us! She lured the monster into our village! There was a dead sheep and some smelly grasses.”
Eskel shot Geralt a glace. A dead sheep stuffed with buckthorn? The ideal bait for a griffin! Whatever was going on here, somebody really meant to attract a monster!
“Are there still any traces of the bait left?”, Eskel asked calmly. The innkeeper nodded and answered grimly. “The beast turned its back on it as it saw Mihal’s daughter hiding underneath the shack nearby. The minute Mihal ran to her rescue the beast grabbed her with its huge claws and tore her apart. I beg you, please kill that monster for us.”
Still fighting his tears Mihal added: “The attack happened at the old barn on the trail that comes in from the south.”
“I think I know where it is”, Geralt muttered. He got up, Eskel following a moment later. “We will check the area. Meanwhile stay indoors if possible!”
When they rode through the darkness next to each other a familiar feeling welled up in Geralt’s heart. It reminded him of the stolen nights they had spent in the forests of Kaer Morhen, their first attempt to try their newly acquired abilities. It also painfully reminded him of when they had overcome the fear of punishment for walking the Path together. The time they spent in each other’s arms becoming the greatest liability in their lives so far. Eventually the light feeling changed into something heavy and Geralt tried to stop his reverie.
“What’s going on Geralt?” Eskel asked. He was comfortably sitting on Scorpion’s back and seemed lost in his own thoughts. “Did they teach you mindreading at Ban Ard?”, Geralt replied half smiling, trying hard not to let show even more of the things that came to his mind. “Unfortunately, not”, Eskel laughed, “but I still know you well.”
You bloody well do Geralt thought, but he didn’t reply. The bond they had regained over the past few winters was too precious to be tested on silly thoughts.
Eventually they arrived at the barn. The grass around it was grown high and it seemed like the decrepit building hadn’t been in use for years. A crooked sign hung in front of it saying “Do not enter” in the common language.
They examined the surroundings in the pale moonlight, and within a short time they came upon the odour trail of the monster bait. They found some of the remains of a herb stuffed sheep in the thicket nearby and it was pretty clear that the bait had been torn apart by gigantic claws. The sheep had indeed been stuffed with Buckthorn, but there was another herb too. Eskel fished some off it from a tree and identified it as beggartick blossoms. It was a rare herb, and it was usually used to refine fisstech. A strange choice to put into a bait, as it was far more use to the owner when sold to some shady individual for a good price.
“What do you think, Geralt? Beggartick is a weird choice for a bait! Something’s wrong here...”
“Guess we have to have a word with the herbalist. And we should examine the body if they haven’t buried it yet.” The body of a child - disfigured by a dragonid.
“I can take care of the examination”, Eskel said softly. Geralt nodded and was silently thankful that Eskel spared him the horrible sight of a child that could have just as well died from a Witcher’s trial.
After a short discussion they separated and Eskel rode back into the village to find Mihal and his daughter’s corpse. Geralt instead stayed at the abandoned barn and started a search for beggartick in a more extensive radius. One hour after sunrise he admitted defeat and carried on to the more important task that he was responsible for. On Roach’s back he returned to the stony trail that ultimately lead to the village and stopped in front of the herbalist’s cottage.
There was a small garden around it, no curious herbs, but practical ones like fool’s parsley, ribleaf and celandine. Geralt dismounted and knocked at the shuttered door. At first there was no reply but as he knocked a second time a woman answered. “What the hell do you want? Leave me be!”, she frantically shouted.
It took Geralt some time to convince her to let him in, but finally the herbalist opened the door. As he started his inquiries on the buckthorn, she grew impatient, irritated even and tried hard to avoid the topic. But Geralt kept pushing and finally she admitted having stuffed a dead sheep with buckthorn from a nearby lake. It was intended to scare the local folk as they had accused her of witchcraft when she had started a fight with a band of fisstech dealers. She finally wanted to scare them, force them to show some respect. And then it all went awfully wrong. What she had thought to be an old wives’ tale was truly a powerful means to attract monsters. The incident with the small girl was neither planned nor foreseen. Mihal’s daughter had been playing not far from the place where the herbalist had put up the sheep and suddenly a dragon had aimed at the bait. But as it had made out the girl, it had chased her instead and killed her in an instant.
“And you’re sure it was a dragon?” Geralt asked. The herbalist gave a long but vague answer and Geralt made a mental note to discuss the possible dragonids in the area with Eskel.
When she finished the description of the monster, she added some useful information though. She had seen where the monster had come from and returned to – the mountains north of the village – and by her description Geralt was sure to find the monster’s lair there.
“And what about the Beggartick?”, Geralt reminded her after she had finished her story. She sighed and said “You see, I was really tired of this shit. All those people, they come to me for help, for, I don’t know, a magic cure, and in the same breath they call me a witch for all the things they don’t understand. Jacub’s gang is spreading rumors and now half the village would burn me if the chance arises. I simply became furious and saw my chance for revenge!”
Geralt left the herbalist after she had finally admitted the unintended murder of the girl. There was not much to say about her situation and Geralt wondered if leaving the village would change it for the better.
Eskel was already waiting for him at the inn and updated him on his finding about the corpse. In fact there was nothing new about it. Big claws, a bird’s beak and a preference for internal organs were not much to go on.
The witchers finally decided to follow the herbalist’s advice and set out for the mountains. They stuck to the path leading north and by the end of the day they had climbed a rugged hill. Beneath the shoulder of a rock they found a good spot to make camp and they decided to give both the horses and themselves a rest. For some time, they indulged in food and conversation and eagerly discussed their speculations about the monster.
When the night grew colder and the fire between them turned into an appreciated source of heat Eskel pulled out a bottle from his saddlebag. It was a fine distillate of White Gull and Geralt anticipated there was another long night ahead of them.
-----------------------
By now they were far from the amount of hooch a human could manage. Their pupils were blown wide and they relied upon their joint forces should the wilderness around them turn hostile.
“Seriously, were did you get this?” Geralt asked and raised the bottle he was holding. An appreciative gesture that made Eskel laugh.
“Won’t tell you Wolf”, he answered mysteriously and fondly looked at Geralt.
He in turn smiled mischievously and lent back against the rock. Maybe Geralt would come back on this later, there must be a good story behind it. But talking of a good story…
“Well, what about your route then? Came across your track. Twice. You’re not trying to cover it up these days?” Geralt said, a teasing smile still on his lips.
Eskel hiccupped silently. It was hard to tell where the melancholic look on his face suddenly came from. Up next, he sighed and gently rubbed his scar. “Stop this, Geralt.”
Even though Geralt didn’t get to the bottom of it, he again felt Eskel’s displeasure. There was no way around it and suddenly it took up the room between them.
“I don’t understand…”
“I see.” Eskel deadpanned and took another gulp from the bottle. Then he went silent. After some time, he stared up into the starry sky. “What do you think the Path would be like if there were different rules?”
“Well, wouldn’t make it any easier, would it?”, Geralt slurred. Through his blurred vision he tried to observe Eskel. His dark hair, the amber eyes, that damn old scar.
“What’s this all about, huh?”
Suddenly irritated, Eskel got up. His movement seemed a little too fast for his current state and his unsteady footing additionally attested to that.  
“Sorry Geralt, but this”, he vaguely gestured back and forth between Geralt and the empty bottles that had started to pile up “is giving me a headache. Good night.” His smile looked crooked and Geralt was reminded of the several times Eskel had overindulged.
When he made it to his bedroll a few minutes later, the awkward smile would not leave him though. In his dreams it turned into an evil grin, a mocking laugh, scorning the warm little feeling that had crept into his heart again this evening.
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“Geralt?”
An ungloved hand touched Geralt’s shoulder. The touch was accompanied by a soft tingle and the scent of petrichor and leather. This stilled the white haired witcher’s immediate reaction, as he concluded that the hand did not belong to an enemy.
Geralt growled as he sat up and was pretty astonished to see a well-rested, even cheerful Eskel finishing the preparations for a sparse breakfast. Suddenly the warm feeling from yesterday evening returned.
Eskel laughed, cordially and kind this time, and handed him a mug. It contained some kind of herbal tea.
“Didn’t expect that, huh?” he smiled.
Geralt tried to smile back, but yesterday’s white gull still made him hurt. With a questioning look he muttered: “How did you…?”
Taking advantage of Geralt’s confusion Eskel put on his lecturer face and cited: “When there is the risk of intoxication, the witcher has to retreat for meditation.”
“Seriously, in your state?”, Geralt laughed in disbelief.
“Just drink your tea, Wolf!”, Eskel replied softly and started to dismantle their little camp. It was not until Geralt’s headache had ceased that he realized that Eskel must have put something into the tea.
“You bastard, it’s Wives’ Tears, right?” “Let’s rather stick to the meditation story”, Eskel grinned and mounted his horse.
They set out for the high plateau that reared up in the distance. Whatever dragonid was waiting for them it would certainly have its lair in great heights. But great heights came with difficult paths and after hours of traveling Eskel and Geralt eventually decided to leave behind Roach and Scorpion.
Not long after they had dismounted, Geralt discovered a piece of sheepskin in the bushes. It strongly smelled of buckthorn, but as it had been a week since the dragonid incident there was no scent left in the air to track. Still, both Geralt and Eskel grew tense. They were closing in on the monster.
They continued their ascent and finally reached a small trail that lead up to the plateau. By then they walked in silence - alert and ready to fight. Geralt didn’t like the way they approached the monster. The dragonid would most likely attack from above and additionally their lack of knowledge about its hiding place put them at a disadvantage. But that was a witcher’s everyday business, right?
Suddenly Eskel signaled Geralt to stop. He dodged and pressed against the stone wall. Geralt immediately mimicked his movements.
Above them a gigantic griffin raised itself into the air. Its wide-spread wings shimmered red and blue and the gigantic claws on both wings and feet flashed in the daylight.  
Eskel spat some dwarfish curses and the witchers made for the last few steps on the trail. The griffin turned in midair and aimed for them. Eskel only just reached the plateau as the monstrous beast dived over them. It didn’t attack, the dive was simply intended as a warning.
“Damn it”, Geralt cursed and drew his silver sword. How were they supposed to kill such a majestic creature? For a split second he locked eyes with Eskel.
Are you ready?
As the griffin returned Eskel certainly was. He struck it with a blow of Aard and the griffin tumbled to the ground. Geralt lunged at it and dealt a blow to its wing. The griffin reared up and Geralt could jump back just in time. As the griffin took off it tried to grab Eskel who parried the attack with a furious blast of Igni. The immense creature emitted an ear-piercing cry as it withdrew into the sky.
Eskel cursed again but he underestimated the griffin. Instead of fleeing, it turned around and dived down toward the plateau. This time focusing on Eskel only.
Something in Geralt’s brain snapped and he took a leap forward. He barely managed to shove the other witcher aside. In a split second he had to combine this protective move with the Aard sign. Geralt’s magic wasn’t as powerful as Eskel’s but it was enough to knock the griffin off its balance.
Don’t you dare.
Suddenly furious, he turned on the griffin. His movements were fast and flawless, accurate and cold. Pirouetting away under the griffin’s assaults he managed to injure it on a delicate spot just beneath its collarbone.
But then there was a single movement that slipped Geralt’s attention. The griffin tried to strike him with its right wing and when Geralt launched into a counterattack, the griffin started to take flight and grabbed him.
Geralt’s cry mingled with the griffin’s screams as Eskel pierced the beast’s left wing with his sword. The griffin let go of Geralt and turned on Eskel again. It screeched at him and Eskel ruthlessly smashed an Ard sign against it. This time it knocked over the beast and Eskel didn’t waste a second. He darted at the griffin and before it was able to move again, he thrust the silver sword into its heart.
Panting heavily, he jumped off the dead body and ran towards Geralt. The white wolf lay on the ground, hunched over, his face contorted in pain. A long bloody gash gaped over his stomach.
Eskel fell on his knees and in a first impulse he pressed his hands against the ferocious wound. At the touch Geralt screamed in pain. From then on, Eskel couldn’t remember the chronological order of events. At some point he realized that his hands were aching as he had conducted healing magic for Melitele knows how long. Next to him lay an empty vial of Swallow - some of its contents were poured over the wound and the rest of it had hopefully found its way down Geralt’s throat.
As the bleeding ceased, Eskel carefully tried to take off the pieces of armour and clothing that still covered it and he skillfully managed a makeshift dressing of the wound.
Geralt made a few muffled noises, but his heartbeat had become steady again. “Hey Wolf, can you hear me?”, Eskel asked softly. Geralt grunted and Eskel went on, “I have to get the horses – you’ll need stitches when the magic wears off and I don’t have any equipment here.”
“Hold on to me!”, Eskel continued and ever so carefully lifted the other witcher, not actually relying on Geralt’s cooperation. He laid him down under the shelter of a small rock and tried to make him comfortable with his cloak. Then Eskel bent over him and slipped his last vial of Swallow into his hands. “I’ll be right back. Stay safe, Wolf”, he whispered and turned around before Geralt could see how worried he actually was.
Searching the horses took Eskel longer than expected and when he finally managed to force Scorpion and Roach up the uneven trail, it was already getting dark. He was instantly back at Geralt’s side and sighed in relief as he realized that nothing had happened in his absence.
After Eskel had unpacked their bedrolls and prepared a small fire, he fished out his equipment from Scorpion’s saddlebags and got ready to tend to Geralt’s wound properly. He worked in silence, expert and precise, but the memories that were tied to patching Geralt up tormented him. When he finally finished, he saw that Geralt’s witcher medallion was twisted around and reached over to set it right again.
Then he saw the plain stone framed on the reverse of the medallion. It showed a hastily carved rune of Quen. Eskel remembered it all too well. He had crafted it for Geralt as some kind of protection for his first year on the Path. The older witchers had punished him for “excessive attachment” to somebody else, but the stone still remained. Eskel did not know that Geralt had kept it all along the way through everything that had happened to them.
“You kept it after all those years?”, he stammered, trying hard not to show any of the feelings he had buried deep inside, ever since their emotional attachment had turned into a problem.  
“Always”, Geralt said slowly and reached for Eskel’s hand.
The two witcher had never been good with words and so Eskel just cherished the moment. Not long afterwards Geralt fell asleep and Eskel eventually decided to rest a bit too.
He would not let go of Geralt’s hand though. Instead he knelt down next to him and sunk into a light meditation. When Vesemir had taught them how to meditate they had also started like this – with touch as their only focus.
It was still dark when Eskel opened his eyes again. The fire had nearly burned down and Eskel added some more wood to it. In the meantime, Geralt turned and made an uneasy sound.
“Are you awake, Geralt?”
Geralt only groaned, but he already tried to sit up as well as possible.
“You asked me why I didn’t cover my tracks…”, Eskel took a deep breath. Somehow the words came to him and he knew if he didn’t say them right now, he probably never would. “I missed you. Badly. There were rumours you were in Daevon, so I rode up to Kaedwen hoping to catch up with you. There was a day where I felt like I had crossed your path and from there I stopped covering my tracks. I was hoping you’d find me. Well, you eventually did. But then some foglets came first and followed me for days. It was constantly raining and I didn’t want to fight them until I knew how many of them there were. But they ambushed me and I ended up in that damn village. I am glad you found me, Geralt. I just missed you so much.”
Carefully he squeezed Geralt’s hand. Geralt reciprocated and suddenly he softly pulled Eskel closer.
“You damn fool”, he said slowly. “I missed you too, you know?” Then he pressed a chaste kiss on Eskel’s lips.
The soft touch was neither a confession nor a vow. It felt like a permission – a permission to explore unspoken feelings and experience closeness in a new way. And that was it. Plain and simple.
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jelloopy · 4 years
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Moonlighting Notes
Previous: Character Creation, HtbG
Moonlighting Ch 1
Boys are dizzy upon entering moon base (Why exactly was this a thing? Like was it because Lucretia made it so the bureau couldn’t be remembered/ comprehended by anyone not inoculated?)
AAVVIIIIIIII!!!!! He is from Brandybuck and gives them some brandy to ease the dizziness (Team player, I want someone like Avi in my crew.) 
JOHAAANNNNNN!!!! Half elf! v v sad boy. So talented!!! (I kinda forgot how mopey he was since I’ve been catching up with the rest of TAZ )
Magnus why you tickling a grown-ass man? (This is so funny and weird considering how their relationship grows later on?)
Best god damn musician that ever existed. Plays violin like a mad man (He plays the Violin… I feel like Lup would have challenged him so god damn fast. But still, is he the legit best Violinist in Faerune?)
Magnus drinks the Ichor first. Remembers everything that was static before now being clear as day. Months and years ago there was a war that ruined and killed entire towns, loved ones, and people he knew. (Juliaaaaaa! God that sucks realizing that tbh. But also later on Travis says that Magnus was the leader of a Militia going against Governor Kalen. So what was that about exactly? They might actually explain that later on so I gonna wait and see.)
”You have never seen anything like this”~griffin about Fisher (Oh, how incorrect that statement is. Especially for it to be Magnus he’s talking about.)
Taako drinks next then Merle (Ahh, Taako the trust issues are showinggggg! But I don’t blame you it’s okay you have full right to be sus)
Taako has a memory of working on his grandpa’s farm where he leaves the milk out too long and remembers sour cream (he was 65yrs old) (God, does that mean Lup was there too? )
Johann came up with the name “voidfish”? (To be fair the IPRE gang only called him Fisher so it actually is pretty neat if Johann really was the guy to come up with the name.)
Magic Brian was 121yrs old and a drow elf (A young man just looking for mischief)
Magnus tries to tickle Johann again bit he smacks his hand away (YES JOHANN Stand up for your self!!!!! What a king.)
Johann is in the “gamekeeping” department? (I mean he is the guy that feeds and takes care of Fisher by means of feeding him information that needs getting rid of. So it kinda makes sense.)
Moonlighting Ch 2
They meet Lucretia!  (I want to punch her so bad. I’m sorry if yall like Lucretia but she infuriates me. She actually is a really cool character with a complex personality that I can actually appreciate but I still hate what she did and I will go much deeper into it later on.)
Griffin makes a joke about having to “create a new monster that takes away memories” so that he can get Taako to unlearn some of the components to making a taco (Good god. That came back to bite us in the ass didn’t it? Huh, JUNIOR. Didn’t it? That hurts a lot too.)
Lucretia doesn’t know” what the umbrastaff is (I saw a post with some Lucretia angst which I can appreciate because she could have been “in denial” about it being Lup’s umbrastaff but I got angry nonetheless.)
She believes that they are much more capable than they believe that they are (YEAH HUH? Its almost like they have less faith in themselves because someone took away their memories and the knowledge of their powers or something and they had to start all over. Wild.)
The Bureau of Balance has only been in operation for less than a year and they were not able to do anything until they discovered the Voidfish (More like Lucretia had only then figured out the logistics of her organization enough to introduce Fisher to everyone. Which in retrospect is very smart and it’s the same thing I would do at that point in time but anyway.)
Magic Brian was a wayward seeker who worked for the bureau of balance (aHA! So technically in the Graphic Novel, he should have had a bracer on unless he used a spell to conceal it which is reasonable (I won’t hate on Carey I just remembered it and noticed he didn’t have a bracer on. it’s nothing wild))
CUE TRIAL OF INITIATION! (Ngl I forgot this was a thing because of how little attention I was paying at the beginning.)
Magnus is the strongest, Merle is the smartest, and Taako is the bravest. (In all aspects, I would have switched Taako and Merle but considering at this point Taako really was a dullard I can agree with their placements.)
The smallest ogre is blue the middle ogre is green and the big ogre is red (Awe I think Griffin used all of their fave colors to Mirror the three of em. <3)
Magnus’ first blood with ripping arms off (And so it begins. God, I love that Lil character detail in Magnus. It’s so frickin funny.)
”I thought I knew him! he’s an animal!” ~Taako (I mean in The Stolen Century he waaaas taught by a bear so… not far off there bud.)
Taako falls back and breaks his wand and in return, the umbrastaff begins to shift and wiggle in his bag until he gets it out. (It never clicked that this was the time that Griffin listed in Lup’s return in the finale. Until now… That’s so cute and so sadddddd)
Moonlighting Ch 3
Magnus got to keep the robot arm(s?) (Yay! Sadly he will give them up later on :( but it is for good reason so :) )
Lucretia came up with the name “Bureau of Balance” (Why? Like why Balance. I would name it Justice or Equity or something else but Balance doesn’t seem right in line with what they are doing.)
Lucretia treats davenport as her charge or ward (Rude. For one. It also hurts a lot more when you realize he is her superior. I hate it so much.)
”We very quickly cut your hand off take the bracer then reattach the hand so its no big deal” in reference to how they’ll get the bracers off after they find all the relics. (1- I forget how they get the bracers off in the end but did Lucretia really not plan for that?) (2- heheh *cut to Merle in three Arcs*)
The seventh relic is love “after we find the sixth item we’ll come back here” (She has the 7th in her hand actually so yeah you’re only gonna need to find six. But also it kinda was Love. The bonds they all had together helped Lucretia do what she needed in the end with the help of Taako’s idea and together they ended the Hunger’s reign over Faerune.)
”who called themselves the Red Robes- are all gone- most of them killed in the hunt for their relics- bring them back here if you find one” (Uh. Lucretia really named her family the “Red Robes” and made them sound evil because they did what they could at the time. Also they aren't “all gone” the only one(s) you don’t know their whereabouts of yet are Barry and Lup. AND YOU PUT ANTI- LICH WARDS ON THE DAMN MOON DUDE. If you really wanted to find Barry to talk then you would have not done that.)
Leon the artificer! (He is trying his best and I love him)
The umbrastaff is a magical umbrella created by the Umbrawizards “very few” of them exist (Boy HUH? Did Lup like… start a gang of wizards? Or did Lucretia feed Leon false Information?)
Taako being inept at the gashapon (My favorite thing. He is played as stupid at the time but if we consider his character, in general, knowing everything we do he is just fucking with Leon and I love him for that.)
RAILSPLITTER!!!! Phantom fist!!! Wand of switcheroo!! The X-treem teen bible and SCUTTLEBUDDY!!!! (Pay close attention! These Mousekatools will be useful later on!)
Awe Magnus got everyone the stones of far speech 
They are moving to Level 4!!!
Next: MotRPL, Lunar Interlude I,
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On Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, knight (in absentia) of the Realm of Goodcastle
Sir Fitzroy Maplecourt, knight (in absentia) of the realm of Goodcastle, is peak chaotic good. In this essay I will discuss how his backstory, his choices, the origin of his powers, and the symbolism of a candle combine to create Fitzroy, the hero we didn’t know we needed but very much the one we deserve.
We know from Argo’s investigation into Fitz’s home life that he is the son of a long haul trucker caravaner and a (presumably) stay-at-home mom. His family name is one of the most prestigious elven families on Nua, though he’s functionally a member in name only. One day he got a letter inviting him to become a knight of the realm of Goodcastle for the low low price of 200 gold, several other fees, and a certificate of completion from Clyde Nite’s Night Knight school. His parents didn’t have much, and had to take out a hefty loan to send him to the school (as well as pay for all the fees). He didn’t fit in with the pompous, wealthy elites there, and they let him know it with every obvious snicker and the fact that his classmates actively avoided him outside of class. Griffin explicitly states that he (Fitz) adopted the pompous, proper air he puts on in canon as a direct result of the ridicule and ostracization of his knight school classmates. He finally received something other than mocking disdain from them when he randomly (one might say chaotically) turned his professor into a catfish. He only started to truly feel like shit about the catfishing when he heard they were going to expel him from the school and, by extension, his dream–the notoriety and fear from his peers and professor bothered him far less before there were tangible consequences for his actions, inadvertent though they were. Shortly after this, he was invited to Hieronymous Wiggenstaff’s School for Heroism and Villainy, full-ride–upon graduation, he would be allowed to return to Clyde Nite’s Night Knight School and finish his schooling there, then apparently on to the realm of Goodcastle to serve in the queen’s guard. In summary: Fitzroy Maplecourt is someone of humble background who aspires to Make Something Of Himself and help people along the way; as the catfishing incident displayed, he doesn’t much care how he does that, so long as his actions help people (as well as himself).
He didn’t always lean into that side of himself, however: the catfishing incident ended with Fitz also feeling conflicted about how his power manifested to harm the people around him. At the very beginning of Graduation, he’s constantly worried about controlling his magic and not necessarily using it. A knight, after all, would have little need for magic. This viewpoint changes gradually throughout the episodes as he bonds with Snippers and learns more about the nature of magic, specifically his own. It changes most drastically when he meets the origin of his magic, the entity who goes by Chaos. Immediately after he had that psychic conversation with his magical patron, it’s like he stopped giving a fuck about what is “right” or “proper”. He used his magic with precision and intimidated the centaurs–as well as his Hero classmates–into listening to him and doing whatever he said. It wasn’t the stated object of his assignment with the centaurs, wasn’t what anyone expected him to do, and made Chaos very, very happy. He maintained his chaotic mindset, threw himself into it in fact, once he returned to the school. He attacked Gray when convention would dictate he stood there and let him monologue; he mouthed off to the Unbroken Chain tribunal, and his first action as a full member was to call one of their highest-ranking members to trial on Argo’s behalf; he suggested assassinating Gray instead of fighting a war. None of those actions were dictated to Fitz–in fact, none of those choices were knightly in the slightest. He ripped a man’s hand off and intimidated him and the surrounding centaurs (who outnumbered him and his friends many times over, might I add) into seeing his point of view. If a knight did that, he would be called a bully and said to be abusing his powers. But his motivations were selfishly good–he intimidated the centaur leaders into sitting down and having a conversation to avoid war, while he got to keep the apple Higglemus asked for; he saw an opening to attack the BBEG while he wasn’t expecting it, thereby giving him the edge and a chance to, possibly, end the war before it even began; he defended and stood by his friends in the face of people who cared (in his view) more for their precious order than for the aforementioned BBEG and the brewing war; he saw an opportunity to fulfill Argo’s need for justice and took it, unexpectedly but with due process to the order’s laws; he suggested the underhanded approach to ending the war and fighting Gray because he doesn’t want innocent people to die in a war that isn’t theirs. All of these choices were chaotic, and not all of them made Chaos happy. But they were Fitzroy’s choices, made wholeheartedly and with gusto, and he made them because he wanted to. He doesn’t care what Chaos wants him to do, has specifically said he won’t let Chaos use him to be their instrument on Nua multiple times–and that choice is perhaps the most chaotic of them all. Most everything he did and does, he does because it serves either his purpose or his friends’ purposes–but he doesn’t harm innocent people in the process. Fitzroy is chaotically, selfishly good, despite Chaos.
Chaos specifically is interesting, both as an entity in their own right and as Fitz’s magic glucose guardian. They introduced themself by saying they have many names, but Chaos is the one they like the best. This specific wording makes me personally believe that the entity we know as Chaos isn’t actually chaos, but something often mistaken for chaos. My gut wants to say “discord” or “wanton self-interest”, but I’m interested to see what Travis has planned in that regard. Chaos is also the origin of both Fitzroy and Gray’s power, and the Godscar Chasm is their work and seems to be their base of operation. As much as they claim to want Fitz to let loose with his power and do whatever he wants, Chaos also tells him what they don’t want him to do. They “promised Gray a war”, and for a being called “Chaos” they don’t seem to appreciate Fitzroy’s chaotic actions very much. They’ve said before that they want Fitz to win the war, but that it has to be a spectacle–like a wildfire burning down the countryside, before new growth and chaotic peace can grow. Fitzroy, on the other hand, sees how unnecessarily destructive that would be, and prefers to sidestep that option in favor of something quietly chaotic and peacefully assertive.
If Chaos and Gray’s vision for the war is a wildfire, burning bright and brilliant and fast, then Fitzroy’s is a candle, fitting the symbolism of the most recent episode (25: Burden of Things). Fitz chose the candle key to represent himself because fire is chaotic by nature, leaving both destruction and room for growth in its wake. He also claimed candles are chaos contained and put to a good use, bringing light to the darkness and faint warmth. My own interpretation reads a candle as both instigator and instigated: a candle cannot light itself, nor can it control how it was ignited. Fitz had no choice in either the fact or the manner of his magic awakening, couldn’t control whether or not his metaphorical wick was lit or who got burned in the process. However, a lit candle can be used to light other things–paper, wood, plants, cloth, and so on. Fitzroy as the candle in this metaphor has two available options: he could light a hearth, a welcoming space for his loved ones and a respite from the cold, cruel world, or he could light an all-consuming blaze to destroy the flawed existing system and leave room for a new one–one of Chaos’s design–to grow in its wake.
So, to recap: Fitz is tangentially part of a very prestigious elven family, grew up with relatively little save for a loving family, worked and chanced his way into power, and is currently being groomed into using said power in a certain way. He is also adapting to the situation he’s found himself in, making his own decisions and doing so in the name of his benefactor (ie. chaos) as opposed to the spirit (ie. what Chaos actually wants him to do) such that the outcome benefits himself, his friends, and their goals while minimizing the damage to innocent bystanders. Along the way, his personal image has gone from grandiose knight (in absentia), pompous and proper and EliteTM, to a candle–simple, cheap, ordinary, utilitarian, and more importantly, a light source for people who literally cannot afford anything better. I look at this, and I have to wonder: what was his takeaway from Clyde Nite’s Night Knight School? What did he think of the 1%, of the order and class and propriety they hold so dear? As the son of a caravaner, I wouldn’t think he’d see much fancy shit at home, but he’d definitely see hardship. He’d definitely see needing to compromise, and needing to fight for anything you need, facing a world that isn’t serving you like it should. I would ask if he’s angry, but he literally said it this episode–he’s lost his goddamn patience. Everyone is so caught up in the order of things, in the letters and laws and rules-lawyering and arbitrary measures of “worthiness” that they’ve forgotten to turn the lights on and it’s getting dark. Thats not to say that Fitz doesn’t know when to abide by the laws, or use them to his advantage, as we saw in both the incident with the magma monster and the Unbroken Chain tribunal–but they need light, they need a fire under their asses, and Fitz is just a candle doing his best. But a candle can only do so much.
And it doesn’t take much to put a candle out.
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kinetic-elaboration · 3 years
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February 8: Mountain Lion Mean Notes
Okay, so I was writing up notes on my Troped Western fic and then I clicked something and it all disappeared! I’m very upset and I hate the idea of starting again but like... I guess that’s what I gotta do :/
Mountain Lion Mean on AO3.
Written for @troped-fanfic-challenge​
So as I said in my notes, I watched Hell or High Water on the Sunday the trope document opened and immediately became obsessed, and that was my main inspiration. I saw it and loved it and, like with most things I love, my first thought was how can I do this too?? I didn’t want to do a straight AU of it, because it’s just too good and I don’t want to mess with that kind of perfection, but I knew I wanted a similar mood. I also figured pretty early on that I would try to include a bank robbery.
For the first days after the trope doc opened, I mostly just gathered inspiration and tried to think Western thoughts. In addition to HOHW, my inspiration included:
The Western episode of Charmed
A Western Rock playlist I found on Spotify
This post of southwestern gothic aesthetics
“Ranch Girl” by Maile Meloy (also the inspiration for it is new moon and twilight, which, fun fact, was originally going to be a Western; I didn’t re-read the story but it’s been haunting me since I first read it c. 2001 and is probably a partial inspiration for everything I write)
William Faulkner (especially “A Rose for Emily” and A Light in August) for the “town POV” narration
Sigrid Undset for the floating third-person-POV
The wikipedia article on Westerns, for succinct summaries of the themes of Westerns
The original aesthetic, quoted from my notes: “The vastness of the west, the frontier, a little uncivilized, a little dangerous, tough looking men who don’t talk much, extrajudicial justice, the heat and the desert…“
By the time I sat down to brainstorm, I had a few ideas and a few images already in mind. I wanted to include a bank robbery. I liked the idea of Clarke as a gunslinger and/or purveyor of vigilante justice. I thought I might use Gina as a bartender (this was during the half-moment I thought I might write a Bartender Mechanic fic; obviously neither of these things happened). And I liked the idea of including Murphy as some kinda criminal or unsavory type. The image of Bellamy as a taciturn cowboy came fairly early too.
I was a little uncertain at first if I wanted to do an 1800s western or a neo-western, mostly because I felt like the tropes I was attracted to and the images in my head fit better in the 1800s. But ultimately I settled on neo-western pretty fast, because I thought the imagery and themes would work better in the modern day. Plus I just thought it would be easier tbqh.
My first concern was to not just re-write a shittier HOHW. I was really caught up in the logistics of the bank robbery; including too much of that would necessarily make it a copy of the film, so I tried to keep just the bare bones of the robbery + the general justification (saving the family land). Then I added additional portions of the scheme--not too difficult since I knew I wanted Gunslinger/Vigilante Clarke in there, and I needed some way to show that she takes Justice into her own hands--and additional characters. Again, most notably Clarke, but also Raven and Octavia. The characters have their own backgrounds, personalities, relationships, and motivations, all of which make the story more mine imo. I’m satisfied with the balance of Obvious HOHW Influences and original content.
At some point, I described it to my mom as “Bellamy is Toby, Murphy is Tanner, and Clarke is canon Clarke but in the modern West.” Which I still think is accurate.
Including Clarke, though, and privileging the various relationships among the trio of Bellamy, Clarke, and Murphy, made me feel like I was making an it is new moon and twilight knock off except with Clarke for Raven. I still kind of see it, tbh, in the sense that twilight was itself supposed to be a western--I think it would be fair to say that Mountain Lion Mean IS the fic I set out to write in February 2020--and in the sense that I could have written a different story in the same universe as Mountain Lion Mean that explored the Clarke, Murphy, and Bellamy relationships in a way that is similar to twilight. As is, a lot of that is unsaid and unseen. The two fics have different focuses, so it’s probably only apparent to me just how similar they are. Just like, to me, Mad Women and The Wanheda Tape are the same story even though they have very different aesthetics and plots.
Some excerpts from my notes that I think are fun:
I really want to work with the themes (haha themes) of frontier justice and also the sense that the west is infinite but also small, that nature is hard and impossible to wrangle but that the opportunities are narrow and it’s easy to get trapped in it, the melancholy nature of it, the dichotomy of nature (huge, powerful) versus man (small, struggling against nature and against man). Or some such. Or Murphy just robs banks.
Bellamy owns a struggling ranch. Clarke is a gunslinger (don’t really know if I can use this trope in the current day but possibly?) who doesn’t trust the law. Has a conceal[ed]-carry permit. Is the best shot in three counties. Murphy’s been in and out of prison most of his adult life, mostly for crimes like robbery and assault.
How do they know each other? Possibilities: Murphy knows Bellamy through Octavia (idk why…but I do feel like O should appear, riding a horse) (background Octaven? Just a thought), Bellarke are exes, Murphy used to work on the ranch. Clarke has killed someone (someone Bad) and gotten away with it.
I do like the focus being on these three characters, who have a long history but aren’t currently close, coming together for a mission (to rob a bank) for the benefit of one who is struggling (Bellamy) even thought this is an awful lot like both Hell or High Water and it is new moon and twilight lmao.
I like that mood from HOHW where actually Toby was the most dangerous, and the smartest, and he won—the idea that Bellamy is the taciturn cowboy who’s not good at sharing his feelings but he’s also the mastermind in the end. Is that the twist? You get the impression Vigilante Gunslinger Griffin and Actual Ex-Con Murphy are planning something, but then it turns out to be Bellamy who executes the plan? [Not quite how it turned out lol in that I think it’s decently obvious that Bellamy was a major part of it the whole time but I did try to get some of this in with Octavia in the final scene--to really drive home Bellamy’s importance, as the ring leader, since otherwise one could ask, what does he even do?]
Midway through the planning process I came up with some more images to work from:
B and C out at dusk on the ranch, she’s shooting can, a bit of UST perhaps
M shows up at the bar and there’s an awkward silent entrance—perhaps he’s just out of prison
Murphy or Clarke guns akimbo [I picked Clarke to emphasize that she’s the gunslinger, but I had Murphy shoot out the security cameras to show that they were using his robbery experience]
Bellamy being silent and awkward
At this point, it was just about putting all the pieces together. That’s how I tend to plan Troped fics: I lay out all the pieces I need or want to include and then I figure out the shortest and most efficient distances between them. For example, I knew I needed a bank robbery and for Clarke to administer some vigilante justice--so I use that justice as a way to launder the money. They fake a will for her victim and “give” the money to themselves.
I did worry, and still worry, about the timeline re: the Bellarke marriage and the will because I’m quite sure it doesn’t make sense and doesn’t work. But it also... it doesn’t keep me up at night because the whole point is that it’s a scam!! Worrying about legality in a scam is sorta... lol. What I mean specifically is that I wanted it to be clear that Clarke does not kill Kane FOR this scheme. They use something she already did to their advantage. So she and Bellamy can’t be married at the time Kane is killed. That implies the murder was pre-meditated for the bank robbing purpose. But I’m also fairly sure (and I should know this because I took T&E but like...honestly can’t remember) that the people in the will are counted at the time of death, not the time of probate, or you could like... adopt extra kids or marry or divorce someone to affect the will. Plus all that stuff about simultaneous death etc. etc. Also, on a practical level, if Clarke wasn’t married, Kane wouldn’t have an obvious reason to write her spouse into the will. But I get away with this in my head by saying, first, no one’s going to say the husband that’s standing right there doesn’t count as a husband--the law is the law but it’s implemented by people and they fudge corners all the time. They do what seems to make sense even if you’d lose points for it on a law school exam. And second, the will could have been written with the assumption or hope that Clare would marry. Possibly even, though I don’t say this in the fic exactly, on the condition of marriage--Clarke gets 100% to share 50-50 with her husband if she’s married, 0% if she’s not. Doesn’t really matter. It’s supposed to read as outwardly clever and create Mystery and play with the Exes Aesthetic even if it doesn’t hold up the strictest scrutiny. (JDs don’t @ me.)
I justified including the marriage as a necessity because Kane could possibly leave money to Clarke’s husband but he wouldn’t leave money to some rando. I do stand by that part.
I also decided at some point that I wanted to include Background Octaven but be really subtle about it so it was something else the reader would have to piece together: that Raven has a girlfriend, then that Octavia has a girlfriend but, hey, isn’t Raven a bartender?--and then it comes together in the last scene as we see that their relationship was factored into Bellamy’s plan all along: some of the loot goes directly to Octavia and her partner, officially as payment for Raven’s services, unofficially because Bellamy wants to give O a gift. Anyway. Either it was too obvious or too subtle/boring because no one mentioned it but I thought it was cool lol.
At this point in my planning I basically had everything I needed, so I wrote a quick outline of scenes, as I always do, to see how it would flow scene to scene and if I had a place to put all the necessary plot info. I also ended up doing “what I need from this scene” lists for each scene so that I knew what I had to have on my mind to include before I sat down to write each one.
The actual writing was done over 3 days and fairly easily and quickly. I had a lot of fun not just with planning but with the actual process of creation. I think it’s because I was just honestly excited to be in this universe and play with this aesthetic.
Not to blow my own horn here but some parts that I was particularly pleased with were:
“Arkadia hasn’t seen a drop of rain in thirty-two days. The asphalt on the highway shimmers with heat; the air crackles with heat; the heat rises, stifling and strong, from the parched dirt and the cracks in the pavement.” Like I’m sorry but that’s a good image, I like that a lot. Whenever I felt discouraged, I just read that again and felt better.
The description of past Bellarke because boy howdy do I not care to write romance anymore but that was fun. I thought it was hot.
Transitioning Murphy laughing until the coyotes can hear into Bellamy hearing coyotes at night into Bellamy still hearing them during the day. I don’t know if it worked quite like I wanted to but in my head that is a very Cinematic transition, okay? I also like that even though Clarke and Murphy aren’t literally riding off together in that scene, for the reader, they are leaving the narrative never to be seen again. So they get their Dramatic Exit.
Octavia’s explication of the Theme and Bellamy’s possible motivations. I’m pretty proud of myself for actually having a theme and I think I did a good job of explaining it without being too heavy-handed. I also think it was perhaps risky to end with the POV of Octavia, a character who’s barely been in the fic before the last scene, but ultimately that decision felt right to me and I think it had a good flow, a nice mellow exit from the narrative.
What I didn’t like as much was a lot of the first scene. I think it has some great bits but it was the most re-worked part of the fic, and there are still some paragraphs and phrases that I feel are a little stiff. For example, this is a paragraph that I cut entirely:
Diyoza was sure the Griffin daughter did the deed back in January and she's sure about it still. She even gives a quote to the Sun-Times about it, despite her troubles with Green. But she had no proof then, not even a body to justify a murder charge, and she has little proof now. So no one believes the investigation will come to anything.
As you can see, it gives no new information. There were other sentences and phrases that weren’t doing work but were interrupting the flow, which also got cut, but I’m still not sure that the flow is perfect in the final version.
Also displeased that I edited out a * from the version on AO3, thus letting two scenes run together. How embarrassing!!! It’s fixed now though.
Overall though I’m so pleased! I love this fic and I love that I can love things again. This year has already been so hard, just like being battered again and again by waves of a storm, and it’s only 5 weeks in but this experience was so unabashedly good and I’m so grateful for it.
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jay-and-dean · 5 years
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Rescue You  Chapter 6 : November 9 and 10.
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Dean x reader
Summary : My name is Y/n. I’m the outcast of my witch community. This is the story of how I rescued Dean Winchester, the story of how he saved me.
Serie Warnings : Swearing. Injuries. Smut. Fluff. Angst.
Chapter warning : Fluff, violence, swearing. Angst.
Words : 3k
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November 9, almost midnight.
 “Y/N ! FORGET DEAN ! RUN ! THEY’RE COMING ! RUN!”
My heart explodes in my chest and I lift my head.
           Letting the phone fall in panic, I look up at Dean and he frowns.
"Run" he says.
From the floor I hear Aiden scream, someone just took his phone. Everything slows, it's like we were under water... I lower my head to look at the phone and the screams become chaotic before the call ends.
"Y/n, run" Dean begs now.
"Not without you" I state, taking his shoulder to help him up.
"No ! Y/n I'll slow you ! You run now !" his voice breaks.
Tears fill up his eyes when I don't move at all. "Please, go now... I love you, save your life..."
I don't answer, but tug at his shoulder with all my strength to make him get up. When he doesn't even try to help me, I take his face in my hands.
"We both go. Or we both stay" I state searching his eyes.
He hesitates a split second and gets up in a grunt.
           I didn't take time to put my shoes, or my coat. The icy wind and snow is burning my skin, I feel it, but I'm not cold. I'm not tired I'm not hungry. There is no pain, no other thought than saving Dean.
           It's the third time he falls in a growl of pain, his knees hitting the floor, his weight taking me with him. This time we can hear them, they're searching the cabin and it won't be long before our tracks lead them to us.
"Dean..." I try to encourage him but he fails getting up and I can see blood falling from his stomach, reddening the perfectly untouched snow.
"Please" he begs, strangled. "Run..."
"I'd rather die" I state with sobs held back in my chest. "Get up Dean, you can't give up now... You're tougher than that."
He tries to get up but, tugging on me, makes me fall again.
"Maybe this time I'm not" he whispers.
           I take a deep breath and look up to catch sight of the sky for the last time. It’s beautiful. Then I let myself fall to sit next to him. So be it, I put a light kiss on his lips and taste the tears flooding his face. Powerlessness is unbearable for him, and I wish he could have died fighting… But like wolves, if he can’t run, he can’t live.
           After a second, while I’m trying to accept the idea of letting them found us, he starts to move again. My eyes widen, how can he be so brave ? Leaning on a tree, he gets up and starts panting like crazy, his eyes roll in his skull for a second but his will his incredible. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, the most courageous. I get up and take his waist, putting his arm back on my shoulders.
           What happens next is so blurry. I can't really think, I have no energy for that : I just feel. I feel his arm weighting so heavy on me, the cold biting me, my heart racing so fast it hurts. I hear the echoes of the people who used to be my family, yelling in the woods to find us, to burn me... In my head I hear Aiden screams, but the loud painful breathing of Dean deaden it all.
           Suddenly, I finally perceive the sounds of cars, and I take a deep freezing-lungs inhale.
"The road... Dean... The road" I say out of breath, finally taking time to check on him.
Blood is soaking his legs, his lips are so white he seems dead.
When we finally reach it, he falls, almost unconscious and I can see the splint broke along the way.
"Dean ? Dean !" I kneel next to him but a far blinding light catches my eyes : headlights.
I don't think twice : Jumping on the road with my arms in the air, I force the car to stop in a sharp braking.
           The window opens a little and I try to talk, out of breath, while a middle age couple watches me, shocked.
"Please, I... My husband and I were in an accident, he's hurt and in hypothermia, he needs hospital now or he will die, please..."
They look at me, then at Dean, and the man steps out of the car.
"Thank you" I almost sob.
The man helps Dean up to lay him on the back seat. He's asking questions but I barely register them, answering mechanically : “Car accident… Emergency… His name is Dean… Please… Please… Please” I repeat.
The kind man checks on Dean and my love tries to mush him to reach me.
“Okay St Joseph hospital is ten minutes away, we will make it Sir” he assures Dean.
"Aiden's kids" I whisper suddenly.
"Lady, are you hurt ?" the man says while his wife keeps whispering oh-my-Gods watching my barely conscious lover on the backseat.
"No" I state. "Listen... Please, he needs help. I... I need to find someone, don't worry for me..."
"What ? Lady, no..." he tries but I close the door when I see Dean move.
"Just... Bring him to the hospital, he doesn't have much time."
"Y/n..." Dean whines.
"I love you Dean" I state through the window.
"What ?" his eyes widen but his body doesn't respond. "Y/n... No... No. No. No..."
"I'm sorry Dean. I love you" I repeat, and before my body crushes under the weight of my own pain, I start to run.
 November 10, 1:27 am.
             Aiden's house is empty, and silent. Entering his room, I find his phone on the floor and stains of blood on that awful carpet. Holding back a scream, I take a few steps back until my back hits the wall, and let my body slide down against it. I can't feel my feet, or my hands. I don't know if Dean is alive and the kids are nowhere to be found.
           As despair tries to strangle me, I cling to my hate to function. I saved Dean, they won't get him, he escaped them... A held on crazy laugh escapes me.
           Treason is the worst crime of all, and it has only one possible punishment : Death. Witches think justice has to be done the faster possible, to re-establish balance. So I know what happened here.
           Aiden must be dead by now... I'm too late. I have to find his boys, they must be with their mom. Oh god, boys, sons of a traitor, their lives are going to be Hell. More than ever, I have to keep my promise to get them out of here.
           This is all my fault.
           There is no time to lose, but I have no idea how to find those two little boys. Ethan can run but I'll have to carry Jax, I have no idea how many people will be with them, or if they'll accept to follow me. But even if it's the last thing I do, I have to at least try. I owe Aiden this.
           I'll start with Ophelia's house, maybe Aiden's wife went to her sister's. I get up and suddenly feel dizzy, something is wrong. I try to lean on the wall but my head is spinning faster and faster...
           Before I faint, the last thing I see is Diana's face smiling at me.
 November 10, 8pm.
             I tug at my black dress and close my eyes. I just wish I could be sure Dean is safe, see his face one last time, hear his voice saying it's going to be okay, telling me it will be quick.
           But I know it won't. Being burned alive...
           This is the end. There is nothing left to save, nothing left to hope. But at least now, my mind is clear. No regrets or affection left for these monsters, I’m never calling those fanatics family ever again. Not after those so called trials. I was ready that they judge me, but the boys… Even their mother voted for banishment, their own mother. They erased their memories immediately, ignoring their sobs and calls for their mommy. Jax almost died in the process, and something broke in me. When they asked me why I betrayed them and where was Dean, all I could do was spit on Mam Griffin’s face… I’m not afraid anymore, for the first time of my life, they don’t impress me at all.
           My hands shake and I smile through the tears, at least I knew love. And with the best. For a man like him, I guess I will be just a sore memory of the death of that pretty girl he liked, a witch version of a James Bond girls...
But for me, he was the only truth in my life.
           My sister is brushing my hair in silence, I can see she's emotional, sad even, I guess getting her sister ready for the ritual of the stake mustn't be easy, I saw her look away when they sentenced the boys. However, she's good at it, like she is always good with everything she undertakes. Since the end of my ten minutes trial, she executes the steps with caution. It should be my mother preparing me, but I heard she wasn't feeling well. Wasn't feeling well...
           Before being burned, witches must wear the dress of their own mourning. I read about it a lot, but never actually saw that before because they never burned anybody since World War two. The dress has to be black and has to never have been wore by anyone else. So, as I never wear fancy closes or dresses at all, they made me wear my prom outfit. I liked my prom dress. First, because I had managed to convince my mom not to buy something that didn’t looked like me at all, so it’s pretty simple. Second, because I ran away from the party to smoke pot with Aiden this night, so it’s a freedom memory.
I look down at the black fabric again and a small smile appears on the corner of my mouth : I actually look like a witch ; this will be the first time I'm actually treated like one. This is not me, nothing ever were real in here, only in that pretty cabin...
           Another tear for the place I cherished so much. The place I ran to for weeks, with my heart pounding. The place where I learned what love was. They burned it... They searched it and burned it to the ground but I don't care, because Dean said Heaven was made of our best memories, so if Hell doesn't claim me, I'm going there again…
             Tied to the stake, I look at their faces, ugly monsters. My mother is here, sobbing like she couldn’t stop what’s happening, but she never even tried to speak for me ; my sister too, focusing on being perfect as always, I pity her now, she never owned her life, and she never will. Diana is smiling, that murderous smirk on her evil face.
“Do you have something to say for yourself, traitor ?” Mam Griffin asks.
“Yeah…” I grunt. “I hope hunters find this place, and send you all to Hell.”
An offended rumble spreads and my mother faints.
           Then mam Griffin recites the prayers and magically lights the wood.
           I start sweating, and panic cuts my hair supply, I can already feel the heat and I can’t even imagine what pain I’m going to endure. The smoke veils the world, letting me alone with myself, I’m dizzy and the heat becomes unbearable. You’ll wake up in the cabin, Y/n… Soon…
“Y/N !” I hear Dean’s voice. “Y/N !”
I smile for myself between coughs, desperate tries of my body to breathe. I hear his voice now, this won’t be long…
           But he appears through the smoke. Dean… He’s not hurt, he’s fully clothes and… Am I already dead ?
           The smoke disappears and the flames die. When the crowd appears again, the community screams of hate and terror, everything. My eyes widen.
“D-dean ? H-how…”
“I’m here Y/n, I’m here, look at me…” he says, struggling to reach me on the pile of wood.
While he cuts the ropes holding me, I can’t stop staring at him. He’s all new, he’s strong and healthy, he may even have gained back his lost weight. I never saw him like this and tears wet my sweaty face.
“Here you go” he grunts when I fall in his arms. “It’s over, I’m here…” he takes my head to hold it against his chest.
“DEAN !” a manly voice calls him from behind, making Dean move.
He takes my legs and carries me like it was so easy. Dean carries me now… He starts to run and I cling to him, taking a fistful of that red flannel he wears.
           A man in a trench coat is holding back almost all Coven powers all by himself, I guess it’s Castiel, Dean talked about him. A real life angel…
“Sam !” Dean calls and a tall man appears from between the threes with a gun in his bloody hands and starts to run, following us in the woods.
“Dean !” I call my lover’s attention. “I can run” I state, knowing we will be faster like that.
He puts me on the floor and takes my hand so tight it would hurt, if a complete happiness mixed with adrenaline wasn’t making me high. With the other hand, I hold my dress to run as fast as I can.
“Cas is not following !” Sam says, still running like a pack of werewolves were following us.
“He’s holding their spells back !” Dean answers loud and clear, with a voice I never heard.
           Suddenly, Sam falls and Dean stops right away almost tearing my arm off. Sam is grunting and I can see burns appear on his face.
“Diana” I say. “Dean it’s Diana !”
From between trees, the witch appears and Dean hides me behind him protectively.
“How cute” she says with disgust on her vain face.
           In a second, Dean lets himself fall on his knees and reaches his brother, with a snake-like movement, he catches Sam’s gun and shoots.
“This is for Y/n” he says.
I open my eyes, after having closed them just the instant the detonation echoed : she’s falling, a little red dot just between her eyebrows.
“Sammy you okay ?” Dean asks, taking my arm back to make me run again.
 November 10, 10:42pm
             “Hey, Y/n” Sam says, sitting next to me. “How are you ?”
I look up and stare at his face, there is something perfectly kind in his eyes, and I see some little things that reminds he’s Dean’s brother.
“I’m okay…” I state shyly. “Just worried about Dean.”
           When we reached Sam’s car, Dean opened me the door, but he never said a word to me. He closed it and told something to Sam, and he left. Now I’m in that motel room with the tall hunter, but I don’t dare saying anything to him, the lump on my throat strangling me.
“He’s just bringing Cas back” he says with a kind smile, offering me a glass of water.
           The motel room is dark, but I can perfectly see the burns on his face.
“I’m sorry about that” I say.
“Don’t be” he smiles sincerely, making the cutest dimples appear on his face. “They said Dean was dead…” he says, suddenly staring at his palms. “And, he would be… He didn’t tell me much, but he talked about how brave you were so… I just… wanted to thank you. For saving my brother.”
“He’s too pretty to die” I try to joke.
But a weird fear is creeping inside me : What if Dean and I weren’t so good now. I only knew him weak and when he needed me, now what ? He’s strong, he’s fierce. I don’t know his life, his friends…
           While this doubts hit me in the guts, everything comes to the surface and I hear the little boys sobs, I see Aiden’s face when he made me swear to keep them safe, the smile he had when he asked me to marry him, my mother’s face smiling at me when I was a little girl, and her cold silence when I was sentenced to death…
           Tears fall down on my face and Sam sighs.
“It’s okay…” he says as if he was used to people crumbling next to him.
           Then the door bursts open and Dean enters, my Dean, only stronger. He doesn’t open his mouth, just angrily takes his coat of and Sam gets up to leave the room, joining Castiel I can see outside, as Dean didn’t close the door.
           I just stay on that bed, trying not to cry too much, not daring to look at a man I feel like I don’t know now.
“Why did you left” he finally asks with a glacial tone that makes me shiver.
“The kids” I let out a sob.
“THE KIDS ?” he yells now, but when it makes me jump, his tone cools off. “I was going crazy, Y/n…” he snaps though his clenched teeth. “I thought they k- I- I thought they killed you !”
“I’m sorry” I whisper, holding back my tears.
“We could have gone back for them.”
“No Dean… It’s… It’s too late” I put my face in my hands and cry. “Th- They erased them… I… I was too late…”
“Sons of bitches…” he grunts. “Y/n… I’m sorry.”
He sits next to me and sighs deeply. I know this man, he’s the same man I rescued from the crashed car, the same hero, he’s Dean. And I love him.
           After a while, he wraps his arm around my back and I dare to let my head fall on his shoulder, gripping the fabric of his flannel again. His smell is the same I knew, and the way his holds me too. His kisses my temple and let his lips rest there while I cry, shaken with sobs.
“We can’t stay here, they’re already looking for us” Dean states, stroking my back. “They are never gonna hurt you again baby...”
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