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acourtofthought · 2 months

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Genuine question, but why do you want Elucien together if they aren’t in love? They aren’t currently attracted to each other right now. They can’t even be in the same room.

Is it just the potential? Or promise of the mating bond or something?

Because I shipped Elucien too when they were declared mates. But by ACOFAS, I didn’t understand why suddenly SJM decided to have them not even interact. If they ever have a conversation I might jump back over to elucien, but so far-there’s nothing between them.

And we know there can be mates that aren’t good romantic pairings. Like Rhys’s parents. All signs are currently pointing to the fact that Elucien is also one of the incompatible pairs.

Idk I just don’t understand why I should keep rooting for them if there hasn’t been any development on the page? Am I missing something??

Genuine question: Why would I want to read a love story that starts with the couple already being in love? Were Claire and Jamie from Outlander in love at the start or was she in love with and married to another man? Where she married Jamie and STILL wasn't in love with him? Were Daphne and Simon in love at the start of Bridgerton? Was he not FORCED to marry her even when he didn't want to ever marry or have children? Were Elizabeth and Darcy infatuated with one another at the start of their book? You have no canon evidence that Elain isn't attracted to Lucien. The only canon evidence we have of anything is that Elain didn't want a male or a mate. Just like Nesta didn't want a mate in her book. But guess what? Those things change. Those are just hurdles for a character to overcome. By the end of her book Nesta proudly called Cassian her mate but she got into a fight with him over it at first. Yes Elain "shrinks back" from Lucien but why are you defaulting to one possible answer "she's not attracted to him"? When you look at SJMs style of writing, isn't it more likely that Elain withdraws from Lucien because he sees her too clearly and that scares her? When Feyre tells us that Elain has even Az beat for secret keeping, isn't it possible that Lucien is the one person who can see through the secrets Elain hides and it's intimidating? Because he might see that she's not as fine and content as she'd have the others believe? Something she wants them to keep believing as she's possibly worried about disappointing them? (Rhys's words). You're right, there are couples who might not be right for one another, evidenced by the example you provided with Rhys's parents. Rhys's father was cold and vicious. Does that sound like Lucien? Rhys's father immediately stole Rhys's mother away the second the bond snapped and married her that night. Does that sound like what Lucien did with Elain? Rhys's mother pleaded with his father to ban wing clipping but he refused. Has Elain asked anything of Lucien that he was unwilling to give her? I like Elucien because neither has to be anyone different if they end up together. Elain doesn't have to struggle with cruelty bothering her as she would if she ended up with a torturer. She doesn't have to hide in the shadows as she would if she ended up with Az. She would get to enjoy balls and party and socializing in a way she wouldn't if her partner was Az who prefers his alone time. She'd get to share her love of nature with someone who the author also confirms is happiest in nature. I like the thought of Elucien because it's so clearly written on the wall that they are right for one another though it's normal that Elain isn't ready to face that yet as she's still processing trauma and figuring out who she is as a fae female. Or maybe she does realize it and it's what scares her, she already suffered rejection and a broken heart from Graysen, I don't imagine she's prepared to run into someone else's arms who has the power to hurt her. My guess is SJM hasn't had them interact because the second Elain and Lucien have a real conversation, it's over for both of them. Their hearts will be gone, flying into the palms of the other. It's more exciting to read about all that in their own POVs rather than someone else's. You don't have to root for anyone you don't like. Hell, Elucien could be endgame and you still don't need to root for them. But I grow a little tired of people acting clueless as to why Elucien's still love the idea of them together and why it's really not a problem that they aren't talking right now.

#pro elucien #elucien #lucien vanserra #pro lucien vanserra #elain archeron #anti e/riel

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nevertheless-moving · 2 months

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gnashing my teeth over vetinari and vimes in this au because you know what happens when you take 'not close but the closest another human can come to understanding me' and then give a thirty year headstart to the slower guy?

Harold, its just actually understanding . It's just understanding and being understood by another human, if only for brief, precious moments.

Sure vetinari understands vimes, that's not exceptional. (Except it is, it is, already so few knew him anymore, and now in the past again, having lost everything, everything - but this fresh faced dictator to be. This man who looks into people's souls and then gives vimes a double look).

But who really gets vetinari? Who else looks at children playing with garbage and sees the arteries of a world that could, must be? Who looks at pisstained ruins and sees the schools that will be built overlayed with every grueling step it will take to get there? Who's only weapon and only constraint is his own flesh and time, too much time, never enough time? Who has a Duty to The city beyond religious, ordained by the creator of their universe, something above gods and yet far, far beneath them.

Vimes doesnt need someone to direct his life. He's never needed that. Except holy shit he does, he definitely does, he needs a whole fucking support team but hes making less than minimum wage now. Give him something, anything to believe in.

Vetinari doesn't need to be believed in . He's never needed that. But he is still a man, and whoooo booooooy it is a heady thing to be trusted so recklessly, especially by someone like him, who mistrusts everything.

take that late canon Synergy, break it apart and then put it back together with a little bit more breathing room, a wee less intense power dynamics...!

Anyway they're friends. Best friends. By default possibly, since they don't have any other ones, but still. Two friends with souls too weathered for the lives their bodies have lived, bodies which are, at least at one point, and I'm not joking, teenage guys.

...

I just think they're neat.

...

Is it homerotic? Well first we have to remember that Samuel Vimes is doing Bad. We remember that? Ok. Now, let me ask you - is vimes the type of depressed that masturbates to feel something, or the type of depressed that cannot fathom human contact without pain. Exactly. It's like the cat that's both in the box and not or whatever. Sometimes one of them will be laying on the ground staring at the sky through the ceiling and the other will come and lay down next to him and their fingers will lightly brush against eachother and it will be the singular most intimate moment of not just their lives but also the life of the assassin that was watching in confusion from the window.

#Nightwatch au #discworld au #My au #discworld #Sam vimes #Honestly you could call this au 'everyone has a slightly better time than canon except for one cop specifically'#I CAN NOT EMPHASIZE THIS ENOUGH - THEY GO ON VETINARIS CANONICAL RICHBOY DISCWORLD EASTERN EUROPEAN BACKPACKING TRIP TOGETHER #The au could probably stand firm on that fact alone ngl

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aphroditesmoon · 9 months

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sea, swallow me (part I)

jacaerys velaryon x fem!velaryon!reader

Part 2

summary: when jacaerys finally meets the hidden bastard of corlys velaryon, he loses interests in his betrothed Baela and intends to make her aunt his, but are you really what your family has made you up to be?

warnings: this fic is inspired by the movie 'song of the sea', CANON DIVERGENCE, slowburn, aged up jace (18 yrs old), reader has selective mutism (she CAN talk), reader is 5 years older than jace, selkie! reader, reader's race is NOT specified. cursing, nsfw content in future chapters,typical ASOIAF sexism, typical asoiaf targcest.

A/N: this part is moreso an introduction, the next chapters will have more stuff going on promise<3

taglist: @marytargaryen , @cdragons , @libdarkheart

♧♣︎♧

The day that the rumours of Corlys' Velaryon's illegitimate child was spread by the man himself in vague tell-tales, was the same day that Prince Jacaerys Velaryon was celebrating his third name day.

The skies on Driftmark turned dark by afternoon, a rare sighting of a thunderstorm had appeared. And while every mankind on the land had went off to hide themselves in the comfort and warmth of their homes, an 8 year old child of the seas drifted ashore, she had not drowned, but she knew to act that way as to lead the oblivious guards towards her.

Brought onto land to be passed around to the servant quarters, you fell right into the master of the land himself.

Corlys should've brushed you off, should've sent you right back to the kitchen maids, but the unnerving bravery in your eyes hadn't made sense for a child that was supposedly, probably, had almost drowned due to a shipwreck.

So he took in the sight of you, standing tall, wordless when spoken to, similar even when not. A white complicated looking hugging your body. He is not one to be superstitious, even moreso his wife Rhaenys who had been againts his suggestion the moment it was spoken aloud, but his heart made him halt whenever he even thinks of shrugging you away.

The trusting unknowing look you have for him wasn't helping, you gazed at the life around you in awe, suprise, and even fear at times. So he did what everyone warned him againts, he announces her as his bastard child from a dead noble woman, and them proceeded 1to denounce your illegitimacy, claiming you under the Velaryon name.

The whispering guards and chattering servants could talk all the wanted, for all they knew, the real truth of who you were was uknown to everyone but Corlys Velaryon.

♣︎♧♣︎

Your heart's yearning was divided in two. The calling of the sea, and the wanting of land. You were not as free as you sister Laena nor your brother Laenor, and you weren't given respect as much as they did either, given your known identity.

But you relished the joy of being able to dance on your two feet, to feel water as how it feels to a man, and to see the people in a much closer view.

You don't mind the constant nagging of your maidens as they fuss over your unkempt hair or your bare foots often forgetting their shoes. You asked for this, and you don't regret it. Besides, there was no one there for you in the sea, your kind understood you, they know you, but your mother has left you in her death, and you don't quite crave the grief and loneliness again.

Though now that you've grown, you realise, it was quite inevitable either way.

The day you lost your sister, you thought that was the end of it, but the gods had taken your brother too soon enough. You cried for the first time that year, and you felt what the mortals had written poems and ballads of.

For all of your wanting of more freedom, you were glad to be confined in your room during their funerals.

You would've thought that the passing of her children would make Rhaenys Targaryen more open towards you, but you were wrong. You were greeted with hostility you've never known. The glare she often saved for you reads what others couldn't understand; it should've been you, not them.

Laena's daughter Rhaena had been placed under her care soon, you rarely saw her. Rhaenys' making sure that your paths never cross.

But even with the power she held over you, your father's power proved to overtook hers when he announced that you were to be introduced to society, and to your extended family, for your own benefit and the Velaryon's house, in his own words.

So you locked up your white coat in your treasure box, and you prepared yourself for your first feast, a celebration for your two and twentieth name day.

♣︎♧♣︎

The attendance for your feast was outstanding. The servants had said so, it hadn't been a minute since it started, and the usually empty hall was already half full.

You knew from Corlys' warning, that half of these people aren't really here for your name day celebration, they're here to see if the rumours were true. "Do not talk to anyone I haven't." He speaks sternly. You stared at him blankly, receiving a sigh of realization. "Right, well, don't, warm up to anyone I haven't." He corrects himself.

You nod once smiling thankfully at him before leaving his chambers.

He and Rhaenys would be the first to be announced, and then Rhaena, and then you.

But staring at the large doors hiding what you've heard to be a room full of nothing but hungry vipers, your stomach churns.

You flinch when you feel a set of hands clasp your shoulders gently. It was Rhaena. "Are you alright?" She asks in a hushed tone. You nod your head twice.

She holds you still as her eyes lingers on yours longer than before. "Do you want to walk together?" She asks again.

You don't hesitate to accept her offer, nodding at her question. Please, you almost whispered back. She smiles at your answer and you feel her hands slowly sliding away. "Alright, I'll let grandsire know, don't fret." She tells you soothingly betore making her way to Corlys.

A few minutes after that, Rhaena scrambles by your side as your father and his wife enters first before you, their names loudly announced, as if everyone and their mothers didn't know who they were. Humans are hilarious.

Your hand unintentionally grips Rhaena's as your names were announced after. Her fingers easily intertwining with yours. "Don't smile." She notes quickly when she saw you grinning widely. Your smile died immediately. You walk side by side, your feet trying to move in the same rhythm and steps as hers, and your eyes watching straight at your seated father, staring back at you with a small smile etched on his lips.

You could feel the stares still when you finally reach the table, giving out a elieved sigh as you take your seat by Corly's right, Rhaenys to his left, and Rhaena to your right, hands still clasped together until noble houses are starting to be announced.

You do as you're taught, you smile and nod, and let your father do all the talking.

House Lannister stood out to you most so far. You can't decide if Jason Lannister is arrogant or bad at arse kissing. A person to turn any conversation about themselves

"You are as beautiful as they say." He starts, eyeing you in whole. "Tell me my lady, do you ever envy your siblings that had dragons?" You hesitated, turning to Corlys instead of responding.

"She does not, and the both of us know she would not need one, my dear girl fares better in the sea." He answers for her with a bitter laugh at the end of his sentence, as if shooing the man. "Ah I see, truly a daughter of yours then." The table turns silent. Jason Lannister's own smile dissapear as quickly as it came, realizing his mistake too late.

Your father's lips pursed together, a brow raised as he leans closer to the table. "Yes, she is." The coldness in his voice indicated the Lord of his time to leave. With a quick thank you and honor to meet you's, Lord Lannister leaves.

You hear the man next to you mutter an incoherent insult under his breath, wiping a hand over his already tired face. "People have eyes, Corlys." Rhaenys justifies. "And Mouths." She added, making him groan as House Baratheon are announced. "Oh believe me, I know." He replies shortly, awaiting Lord Baratheon. Thankfully the man was quick, and polite, though you were sure you weren't the only one who noticed how his eyes stayed on your face, a judgmental intent behind them.

But at least he knew not to say anything disrespectful out loud before walking off.

You watch your father's eyes light up for the next house, a relieved sigh escaping his lips. House Targaryen. "Finally, a house with more manners." His wife snorted at his words. "Pretend niceties aren't manners." You feel Rhaena stiffen next to you. "That boldness of yours will get you in trouble one day Rhaenys." He warns lightly, in which she only hums carelessly in return.

You almost laugh at contrast of the white and darkhaired family walking your way. Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, heir to the throne, holds your eyes as she walks nearer. You hae never met your sister in law before, you've seen her through faraway window glances, but she looked at you like she's seen you, like she recognises you.

Her husband, prince consort Daemon Targaryen however, you have met. Once, while he had been staying in Driftmark with Laena during her pregnancy with Rhaena. He saw you leave Laena's room the same moment he was about to enter and spoke your name in a guess. When you turned in his direction at the call, his suspicion was confirmed. What he never understood howerver, was why would Corlys go through many lengths of restricting her from meeting people and hiding her identity?

The court wouldn't have given two shits over another man's bastard daughter. He knows it well enough.

It seemed the question he bore was the same question everyone else wondered, thus why they're all here, willing to feign courtesy and respect towards a so called bastard.

Now he's seeing her again, and it makes things even more confusing. Surely he knows how ignominious she'd feel, being put under the spotlight after 15 years of entrapment. Did he know that this feast was as good as feeding you to wolves? Was that what he intended to do in the first place? Sell you up to the first noble lord willing to take in a bastard Velaryon girl as his wife? And why did Daemon Targaryen cared so much about this girl, when he knows that nothing about her deems worthy of his attention.

Those thoughts ran through the mind of Daemon Targaryen until he's close enough to you that he had to turn his eyes towards Rhaenys' and Corlys' faces instead.

"And where has this lovely dear been all along?" Rhaenyra was the first to speak, greeting the lord and lady of the house properly first. "Ah well, if you had been here more frequent with my son, you could've caught her plenty." He replies easily.

Daemon hummed and bobbed his head. "It's true, I believe this isn't the first time we've met, yes?" He raises a brow at you, a small warm smile painted on his lips.

You responded with a smile that matched his and nodded once. The veracity in your every move made you look like a puppet with strings he's not sure who holds in their hands.

What Daemon Targaryen has not realized yet, was that Corlys velaryon's hands on you were barely a grip. They lead you because you let them. And for a girl who swam her way up into one of the most richest and well known houses of Westeros at 8 years old, you knew more than anyone thought.

♣︎♧♣︎

The dark coloured halls of the Velaryons were lit brightly with gold ornaments and lights. Jacaerys doesn't think he's ever seen much wealth be spent on his mother's own wedding.

The singer hired for the event pauses only for a few minutes before she resumes her orchestral performances. No one pays the music mind of course. The center was you.

He'd kiss your hand and tell you that you had your father's eyes. But that was a lie. His ears maybe, if he squinted closely at yours. He smiled at you and he says the things that he should. It is lovely to meet you. It is a lovely feast. May you continue to age as gracefully as you are now.

And then he walks away and never look back, just as he's told to.

It shouldn't be that big of a deal, or at least thats what he thought. But his mother had given him clear instructions earlier that evening. Do not mingle, do not talk more than you should, the rumours around you sre bad enough. The people will see what they want to and spin those pictures into false stories.

A bastardy affair? Laughable. He's sure the Queen would eat it right off her spy's hands. But still, his gaze on you lingered.

You had an air around you that gave the idea of naivety and carelessness. But he's not so sure if that's the real case here, or are you just so sure in your own sense of self and identity to not fear the men ready to point their fingers in your direction at the first moment they could.

He hopes he'll never see you again after this, his curiosity has always won the best of him.

"She is pretty, though Rhaena's right, you only see how much she resembles grandsire when you're up close. I've met her once, as a child. I don't thisnk we talked at all, but I do remember her gifting me a scarf." Baela's calm voice reached his ears clearly even through the loud chatting and extravagant music.

He raises his head from his food to glance at her. "That's nice, do you still have it?" The girl shook her head and pursed her lips. "No, Rhaena stole it, and then lost it." His face breaks into a grin. "Sounds like her."

He gives another quick glance to your table and looked again when he notices you weren't there. His head moves slowly until he catches the sight of you, standing straight, in front of Dalton Greyjoy. The Red Kraken was what they called him.

Jacaerys could see him speakingas he frowned, glancing from your face to the nothingness behind you as he's deep in his own talking. You were silent, only your eyebrows moved up and down to indicate understanding. He forgets sometimes how some men prefer their women mute.

The Greyjoy boy was waving his hands now, as if an invisible object laid before him. You start to lean slightly againts the serving table and he wondered the same thing you were; when will he stop talking?

"He's a little bit too young to be that pretentious now, isn't he?" Jacaerys says loud enough for Baela and Lucerys to hear him. "He's a year younger than you." His younger brother quipped. Jace frowns. "What? He's 17?" Baela hums in reply. "Doesn't make him any less pretentious." Jace concludes, earning a laugh from both of the people seated by his side. "Ah yes, he's probably explaining how killing people works to her." Baela adds. "I wish someone would tell him how conversation works, she hasn't said a word still." Luc says, the three of the them staring at you now.

"She's mute, Luc." Jace corrects, turning back towards the table, watching as his mother and Daemon make conversations with the other houses. "No she's not, Rhaena said she's heard her talk to grandsire before in one of her letters." The boys' eyes widen. "Then why does she never talk to anyone else?" She shrugs, feeding herself a spoonful if pudding.

A sigh escapes him as he pushes away his plate, his appetite lost. If he'd ask you to talk? Would you? Is that what it was, had no one asked you to talk?

Dalton Greyjoy's face seems unamused as you shook your head at him, his mouth moves once more and his head tilts at you in question, you shook your head again, immediately moving away from him, and straight into Jacaerys' stepfather. The 17 year old took in his defeat and walked away, and Jacaerys watches as Daemon Targaryen speaks so slowly that he can't make up what he's saying fron where he's situated.

You held a steady posture, and your face doesn't give away any reaction, it is stoic, but not cold. "Should I ask her to dance?" Jace suggests. Luc and Baela shares a look of disagreement. "Right in front of our parents? You know we shouldn't get too close to her." He almost doesn't even hear what his betrothed says when he stands up abruptly. "I'm gonna ask her."

Baela stutters and he hears Luc mutters for the love of the gods, as he makes his way to you and Daemon.

He can see his stepfather sigh audibly when he arrives. "Ah, You've met Prince Jacaerys, the heir after his mother, Rhaenyra. Jace, we've been talking of her fondness of the sea, your father said he's only taken you sailing with him when you were 8?" You nod, acknowledging the prince with a smile.

"Then, have you been on a dragon? Surely Laena or Laenor must've offered you a ride once." You shook your head.

Daemon's grin only widens. "Well that only means that you're long overdue a staying at Dragonstone, right Jacaerys?" A nervous laugh leaves the younger man. "Oh yes, I do a bit of uh, sailing sometimes, on my mother's orders. I also have a dragon." He explains, taking in your beauty properly.

"You've seen a dragon up close?" He tries, watching Daemon relaxes as his eyes darts from you to Rhaenyra. Both men are disappointed when you sshook your head, nudging utin Corlys' direction. "He worries to much for you, it is true that getting too close to a dragon for someone without valyrian blood in their veins, is dangerous. But with the right company, you won't have a problem."

You suffer the awkward conversation between the two men, willing for someone to drag you away.

It wasn't that they were rude, or terrible. But you don't think you've ever talked to this much people in your life. Your voice disaappears as it always do, and your usual smile is starting to feel forced.

You were enticed by the idea of travelling to Dragonstone. You've never seen much if anywhere outside of Driftmark, it was boring. But you also knew that the Targaryens are no different from the other houses. They don't offer kindness in return for nothing. And they sure as hell did not see you as family, for you know how much they protect their families.

So why such civility and effort? You could offer no allegiance as a bastard, nor could you even be used as a pawn.

You've blocked out half of what Daemon Targaryen has been saying the past two minutes, eyes still on him, trying to ignore the boy staring intently at the side of your face.

When the older prince finally excuses himself, you were relieved, only to turn around towards his stepson who's been awaiting your attention. "Do you dance?" You shook your head. A dissapointment 'oh' came after. "Do you not know how?" He tries again. The same answer prevails.

You could dance if you wanted to, but you doubted it'd make you feel better. In fact, you're sure dancing with him would attract more attention and not just to you. His mother surely won't be pleased with more rumours surrounding her son. So you give a bow and you leave, walking far away enough until you're sure he's not looking.

But you don't see him watching you barely sit by your father for barely a second before disappearing completely from the crowd. And you didn't see him do the same thing.

#jacaerys velaryon x reader #house of the dragon #jacaerys velaryon #hotd x reader #jace velaryon x reader #house of the dragon x reader #game of thrones #jace targaryen x reader #hotd #jacaerys targaryen

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canonmisogynyvictimstournament · 9 months

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Now that submissions are closed, we can talk stats. There were 881 valid, unique submissions for 474 characters! Woof, women have it rough out there!

The most submitted characters, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. Sakura Haruno (Naruto): 28 [where do i even fucking begin]

2. Cordelia Chase (Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel): 21 [OH SO MANY THINGS]

3. Misa Amane (Death Note): 20 [The author of Death Note invented new forms of misogyny just to apply them to Misa.]

4. Kaede Akamatsu (Danganronpa V3): 15 [Oh, you thought we would have a female main character in one of our mainline games? With a cool defining talent, no less? That's stupid of you]

5. TIE: Kairi (Kingdom Hearts): 14 [I'm so mad. I think she deserves a gun.]

5. TIE: Stephanie Brown (DC Comics): 14 [She does eventually get retconned as surviving the event and hiding out in Africa (don't ask, it does not make more sense in context)]

The canons with the most submissions, with a relevant propaganda snippet included, are:

1. DC Comics: 61 [DC has SO MUCH sexism it's laughable]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 35 [Fuck Joss Whedon, man.]

3. Naruto: 33 [because Kishimoto hates women]

4. Warrior Cats: 26 [Warriors is one of the most misogynistic children's series I've ever seen]

5. Danganronpa: 25 [I honestly had to think about it just to decide which woman is treated the worst because this series hates them so much]

The canons with the most characters submitted, with a relevant propaganda snippet for a specific character included, are:

1. DC Comics: 21 [Free her from the huge tits back breaking pose.]

2. Buffy the Vampire Slayer/Angel: 12 [Anyways she was so hot and for what. 10/10 my lesbian awakening.]

3. Supernatural: 11 [Yeah, she got randomly killed off-screen for shock value and manpain, but she sent an email right before she died so at least her death wasn't in vain, right?]

4. TIE: Star Trek: 9 [She literally gets teleported out of her clothes in one episode.]

4. TIE: Yu-Gi-Oh!: 9 [One loss is particularly brutal as she falls from a large height directly onto her head and goes into a coma (again. yes this was the second time).]

5. TIE: Warrior Cats: 8 [I'm sure she'll get submitted again just ask any reasonable fan they'll tell you about her and her sister]

5. TIE: Attack on Titan: 8 [As a child soldier, she does commit some war crimes]

And here are some charts to show how some of these entries fucked the scale on my charts:

Look at Sakura, fucking up my chart with her numbers.

On a similar note...

Good god, DC, I know what you did, but add fucking up my charts to your list of crimes.

And now, enjoy some rankings of my favorite things:

My favorite universal sentiment quotes from propaganda are:

She lived she served cunt and then she got killed off super early so that the male characters could experience man pain and also because I guess she would have been too powerful if left alive. [Wen Qing (Mo Dao Zu Shi)]

That design. Dear god. I don't want to live on this planet anymore. [Mitzi (The Queen's Corgi)]

In the end she may have girlbossed too close to the sun, but I support her anger. [Ling Wen (Heaven Official's Blessing)]

the victim of “writer doesn’t understand women and also hates them” disease. [Naomi Misora (Death Note)]

She could 100% kill somebody but nobody ever effing lets her. Rip queen. [Kairi (Kingdom Hearts)]

My favorite raging at a writer quotes from propaganda are:

1. You took every single protagonist to weird lion heaven, Clive, but suddenly Susan isn't good enough. [Susan Pevensie (The Chronicles of Narnia)]

2. Being a woman written by Joss Whedon should automatically entitle her to financial compensation tbh. [River Tam (Firefly)]

3. A lot can be summed up in a couple words, namely, "Furman, why?" [Arcee (Transformers)]

4. Can you tell respect women juice ran in Tolstoy's veins. [Lise Bolkonskaya (War and Peace)]

5. TIE: (specifically a guy called Dan Didio, who we all hate) [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

5. TIE: until Geoff motherfucking Johns comes into the picture [Pantha (DC Comics)]

My favorite quotes from propaganda that have nothing to do with misogyny, y'all are just funny:

I wish I could use bold here, because there's no such thing as uppercase numbers. [Arcee (Transformers)]

the most convoluted and lore dense piece of media this side of the afton criticality. [Jane Crocker (Homestuck)]

ended up starting a gang war by accident [Stephanie Brown (DC Comics)]

Ashfur, who later turns out to be a murderous incel [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

Hawkfrost is actively seeing Brambleclaw and his evil father in cat hell. [Squirrelflight (Warrior Cats)]

#not polls #stats

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allthepeculiarthings · 7 months

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(spoilers)

You know what Aegon's character at the end of the dance of the dragons is so goddamn tragic.

This is a man who has lost everything. I mean everything. Every single one of his siblings is dead, two of his children were murdered, the dragon he was so deeply bonded with died, both his grandfather and Criston Cole had been killed, AND he's lost his fucking legs.

At this point Aegon is a dead man walking, and he knows it. I mean he's in constant excruciating pain, and he can't walk so he has to be carried everywhere. He's only 24 for fucks sake.

All he has is the throne (that he didn't want in the first place) and his mother (who forced him onto it), and a daughter who's probably traumatised for life. He is absolutely drowning in his grief for everyone's he's lost.

From the very beginning, everyone around him knew Aegon was going to be a terrible king. Realistically, he didn't give a shit about anything to do with kingdom, and he most definitely didn't care about the smallfolk.

And now his useless council is telling him, as the king, to compromise with the incoming army that wants to kill him? As if he cares about making peace and salvaging the remainder of his kingdom?

And they're telling him to marry his daughter to Aegon the Younger?

Like m o t h e r f u c k e r s are you fr. He just fed this kids mother to his own dragon IN FRONT OF HIM.

His daughter, alongside his mother, is the last thing he has, and they want him to marry her off to the son of Rhaenyra and Daemon????

Like please remind me what the whole point of the war was?? And now, what, the council are proposing some shit about joining the two families together???? THE WHOLE POINT WAS THAT ONE OF THE FAMILIES HAD TO DIE FOR THE OTHER TO LIVE IT WAS FUCKING INEVITABLE!!!! At least fucking commit to it oh my god.

Aegon sacrificed so much for this damn throne -that he didn't give a shit about in the first place- and now the council is telling him to basically give up?? I don't think so.

So I get it. I understand why Aegon wanted the head of every man who opposed him. Because there is nothing else for him to want. What is the point of peace, when the war will never truly leave you anyway?

I think he made a choice when he was crowned king, and it was that he wasn't ever going to settle for half. It was either all or nothing - risk everything he had, or just give up.

Hell you can see the canonical change too. He went from not wanting to steal Rhaenyra's throne to wanting her and her entire family dead in the span of like three days.

In the end, Aegon did risk everything, but he lost it all, anyway.

I think that towards the end, his pendulum just swung to the other extreme. Instead of going all in, perhaps he decided that he was done with it all.

Maybe the pointlessness that got to him, maybe it was the pain, or the grief, or maybe it was a mix of them all. Who knows.

On the day he died, Aegon supposedly seemed "unusually fatigued" and he himself asked to be taken to the sept. Other characters even speculated that he sensed his death was near.

Most likely Aegon knew his wine was poisoned, and that he was dying, but didn't tell anyone because he just wanted it to be over.

tldr witnessing Aegon's arc on the series might just fucking kill me

#aegon #hotd #house of the dragon #aegon ii targaryen #house of the dragon meta #hotd meta #peculiar things

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fondofcowboys · 9 months

Text

here's my very all over the place feelings on certain aspects of baldur's gate 3 as a romani immigrant. warnings for spoilers of course. mind you i have not finished the game yet!

1. i really can't believe there aren't more people talking about the very blatant racism in astarion's questline. im quite sure it's because the game already touches on it, even giving you the choice to call astarion a racist, and also because everytime we roma talk about anything that makes us uncomfortable we're immediately shunned and "well actually!"'d.

the problem is that it feels Extra icky because the man who was the inspiration for the original dracula, Vlad the Impaler, kept romani slaves. this is the ONLY part of vampire history that, no matter how different the media, will always stay relevant for some reason.

castlevania has the seekers, a nomadic group of magic users who pass their history down orally. while they are *mostly* treated well, the first arc of the show literally shows them being hunted out of town for the simple act of existing.

vampire the masquerade... well.. that's an entire other can of racism worms.

curse of strahd has the "vistani", a nomadic group of people who are treated like third class citizens everywhere they go, and are of course, most known for being tarot readers and drunkards.

the vampire diaries have the "travellers", who get called "gypsies" explicitly as a derogatory word by other vampires.

i want you to take any vampire media you enjoy and ask yourself, "is there anti-roma racism in this?". i guarantee you, if you look for it, you're going to find it. for SOME reason, the only thing that stays consistent with all these different vampire IPs, is that romani people are hated and scrutinized at every moment of their lives.

i MORE than understand that astarion's racial insensitivity is part of him. it's part of what makes him malleable by the player. you can help him understand why he's wrong, or you can lead him down a worse path.

i still reserve the right to feel some sort of way about astarion sacrificing fantasy-romani children for power, willingly. don't get me wrong, he's my favourite character, right up there with halsin. which is why i obviously have so many feelings about this.

(yes, the Gur were written inspired by romani people, if you were not aware)

2. the anti-immigrant sentiment is such an inherent part of the story that i did not think was going to stick around for SO long. i dont really have much to say about this, i think i should've expected it. as a fan of dragon age (i know, tragic) i'm quite used to unnecessary fantasy racism everywhere i go, i just hoped it wouldn't be part of the main crucial story.

3. larian studios i am so so so thankful for the halsin romance. eternally. forever and ever. he's my pookie bear and i'm so grateful some extra time was made to create a romance for him.

can i ask you why the hell does halsin want to LEAVE. At The End. i've noticed how much he contradicts himself throughout his questline and i just... I don't know. i've seen some other people complaining about how non-chalantly he talks about being a sex slave and i understand too, but i think it's part of his character to not take the horrible things that happened to him seriously like he does with others. that, or someone at larian took an unknown substance that led them to make halsin Very inconsistent.

with the poly situation, some people are strictly polyamorous! some people are strictly non-monogamous and do not feel comfortable being in a monogamous relationship. i understand the frustration everyone, but that's how halsin is. i dont know if that was the writers' intention, but that's certainly what he comes across as to me; strictly non-monogamous.

what i DONT understand is why he says he only wants you, calls you "my heart", is so fondly and lovingly attached to you, and then he just.... Dips? Whatever. I'm ignoring that part forever. it's not canon to ME!

anyways. yeah. feel free to Engage in some Friendly conversation. emphasis on friendly, for the love of g-d

#ezio.txt #the bear speaketh #bg3 halsin #halsin the druid #halsin #astarion #astarion bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #baldur's gate iii #antiziganism #sorry for rambling but also i have a mouth. i must scream #if you try to well actually me about this i'm eldritch blasting you #fantasy racism #dragon age

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phoenixcatch7 · 14 days

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Sephiroth is making my brain FIZZ this is so fun.

First of all, his voice actor in advent children???

The new remake one is excellent but just doesn't capture that same level of terrifying cultured menace. The smug evenness and it's DEEP wow yeah. So smooth. High key petrifying I don't know who he is but he did an outstanding job. That bit where he asks cloud to 'give him the pleasure of taking it away?' like the way his voice lilted up in casual question like good GRIEF that was hot.

Anyway I have another hc: sephiroth would have made an EXCELLENT scientist like his parents, he's certainly got the intellect and hunger for knowledge, not to mention his ability to do research for days on end XD. Supernova actually using astrophysics equations is absolutely fantastic and makes me think that's what he'd major in.

By that logic, he'd want to be in rocket town with the rocket, and he'd most definitely want to go to space himself if it was the last thing he did (ha).

Do you think he'd tie his hair back like his mum?

Anyway I imagine if he hadn't been a soldier and instead been free to choose his own path he'd have been right there the whole time being a child genius and getting into fights with cid about who gets to be the pilot (Co pilots. Co pilots is how it's supposed to work with normal planes never mind things that breach the atmosphere).

Like I understand the amount of redemption/fix it fics that have him be a merc with cloud or whatever but I feel we're ignoring the possibilities stemming from the fact this man canonically knows modern astrophysics and that is absolutely not something you can inherit via way of ancient inhuman semi deceased life form.

#Astrophysicist sephiroth please and thank you #With that AC voice he could recite his equations and I'd thank him #also qq what's with that one audio with sephiroth saying 'good girl' because he doesn't curse so I feel thats either from a different proje #With the same voice actor or like ai or smth.#Yeah so I feel like we're sleeping on the potential bizarre nature of cid and sephiroth being work buddies/rivals #Sephiroth is the one who handles the early stages theories and course plotting #Cid gets out his welder and makes the actual schematics or smth #If it was like an au any visitors would like wtf and cid/seph would be so confused like??? Decade old friends and trusted co pilots banter #And a redemption post canon would be so much tension and weirdness #Sephiroth would be the type to call his project partner at like 3am regardless of the time because he's had an idea.#The only way it'd work is through his determination to Do Physics and everyone else's desperation to keep him away from sharp objects XD #sephiroth #ff7 #final fantasy vii #ffvii #ff7 sephiroth #ffvii sephiroth

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jedi-enthusiast · 9 months

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for choose violence ask game: questions 3, 12, 18, and 22 please! thanks :))

Choose Violence Ask Game

Obligatory Disclaimer: These are just my personal opinions, feel free to disagree but if you're gonna be hateful, rude, or anti-Jedi then just block me and move on instead of posting your bullshit on my page. Like what you like, hate what you hate, but leave me out of it.

Here we go!

3 - Screenshot or description of the worst take you've seen on Tumblr...

The worst take I've seen on Tumblr was someone saying that Anakin murdering an entire village of Tuskens---including literal fucking children---was an "understandable reaction" to his mother's death and also that "the average person would've reacted the same way."

Like...speak for your-fucking-self. I would not become a mass murderer and murder a bunch of children if my mother died, actually, and if you would then please stay far fucking away from me.

12 - The unpopular character that you actually like and why more people should like them...

I wouldn't say she's exactly unpopular, but she does get a lot of hate from certain parts of the fandom and I don't think she's nearly as popular as she should be---Luminara Unduli!

First of all, Luminara has the coolest character design. Argue with a wall, I think it's the best. Second, she's very elegant and graceful in like everything she does---she just screams ethereal and I love her for it! Even her fight scenes are that amazing! She's also willing to admit when she's wrong and do better, which is something that a lot of people ignore---but I think it's a very admirable trait and it just makes me like her more!

And some people might argue with me on this, but I honestly think she was an amazing master to Barriss. It's shown that she really cares about her, and she obviously encourages Barriss a lot---she's honestly the sort of person that I would have wanted as a teacher.

I just think that more people need to appreciate her.

18 - It's absolutely criminal that the fandom has been sleeping on...

Everyone always talks about Obi-Wan looking hot when he's getting the shit beat out of him, BUT WHAT ABOUT HOW FINE THIS MAN LOOKS WHEN HE'S THE ONE BEATING THE SHIT OUT OF HIS OPPONENTS??? HUH???

“The piece of hair that falls into his face when he gets the shit beat out of him this”

“The piece of hair that falls into his face when he gets the shit beat out of him that”

WHAT ABOUT THE WAY HE BARES HIS TEETH WHEN HE FIGHTS??? WHAT ABOUT HIS SNARL???

22 - Your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores...

The fact that Obi-Wan canonically beats the shit out of Jango.

Like, Jango has to use all of his fancy toys and missiles and shit, and is wearing indestructible armor, just to be able to fight Obi-Wan who 1. Is wearing 0 armor and 2. Is basically fighting hand-to-hand for most of the battle, he doesn’t even really use the Force on him.

So basically what I’m saying is Obi-Wan should really be winning a lot more hand-to-hand spars in fanfics than he does.

#star wars #sw prequels #luminara unduli #obi wan kenobi #jango fett #anti anakin apologists #anti anakin skywalker #Tusken massacre

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evilwickedme · 1 year

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Top 10 worst Bruce dad moments?

So here's the thing. I'm not actually like. That well versed in the comics yet? Again like. Only been here for about six months. But I'll do my best anyway

10. Firing Dick

HE FIRED DICK FROM BEING ROBIN. THE NICKNAME HIS MOTHER GAVE HIM. THEN GAVE SAID NICKNAME TO ANOTHER CHILD. WHAT THE FUCK.

9. Steph as Robin

Honestly everything about this is a mess. I've only read a few pages from this arc but Tim quitting being Robin was a really difficult decision and Bruce's response was to give the job to Tim's sort-of-ex girlfriend and then treat her like crap. I believe it's canonically cause she reminded him too much of Jason, but that might just be the fandom's reading of the subtext; either way, if the shoe fits...

8. Telling Damian if he was there, Alfred wouldn't have died

What the FUCK, Bruce, that is your SON. COMFORT HIM FOR THE LOSS OF HIS GRANDFATHER

7. Robin!Tim in general

Listen intentional or not Tim is written as a character that has very much internalized needing to be useful being more important than anything else. His parents simply prioritize work over him point blank - his dad doesn't even remember his birthday, for God's sake - and Bruce simply like. Does not help with this. If anything he takes advantage of it. Tim needs to be loved unconditionally, like, STAT, like, that would fix 70% of his identity issues kinda STAT, and I'm not sure he's ever felt that with Bruce

6. Free space: any time he's hit one of his children that I don't know about

I once reblogged a post that detailed every time he hit Dick but that's long gone into the ether now, I can't find it. Anyway there's no excuse to hit your child. Don't fucking do it. They shouldn't hit you, either, doesn't make it ok for you to do if they've done it fyi. Batman can do non violent solutions, we know this, so fucking use those on your children.

5. Reviving the joker

I believe Dick isn't necessarily mad about not having murdered a man basically in cold blood, but I am. What the fuck, Bruce. You tried to kill him twice, you really wanna tell me you don't understand the urge and NEED to kill him??? And then you BRING HIM BACK TO LIFE??? Again. As I've said. What the FUCK

4. Killing Dick and sending him off to Spyral

Actually Dick shouldn't ever forgive Bruce for anything he's ever done to him ever. Have you seen the panels where they have this argument? His family GRIEVES him and for what!!!! For WHAT

(I understand Grayson itself is actually great I wouldn't know I haven't read it. Doesn't make what Bruce did okay tho. I'm also not sure I trust the positive reviews it's written by Tim Seeley and Tom King like......)

3. RHatO Rebirth #25

Penguin didn't fucking die. He didn't get shot in the face with a real bullet. You don't beat your son half to death to the point where he needs to be RESCUED from you - actually no need to qualify that sentence with the intended "over something that didn't actually happen", you simply don't beat your son half to death, should be a no brainer and YET

2. UTRH end scene

Heartbreaking. We all know at this point. Batarang to the throat. Chooses the Joker over Jason. It's enough to make a fully grown (25 next month) man (eh) cry (I mean. Yeah)

1. INTENTIONALLY TRIGGERING JASON

See here for the ask where I talked about this (and which is presumably the ask that led to this anon). Taking Jason to Ethiopia with no warning when he's cooperating anyway just to intentionally trigger him in order to try to get Damian back to life when you never did anything like that for Jason? Holy fucking shit, you know? Just betrayal after betrayal after betrayal

Anyway I'm sure this list is missing some major moments and I'd love to know what I forgot about or, more likely, simply don't know about! I love a well written good dad!Bruce fic but lbr that's just not what he's like in canon. Calling him a mixed bag as a father figure is an understatement

#batfam #batman #bruce wayne #jason todd #dick grayson #tim drake #stephanie brown #damian wayne #utrh #rhato #dc #gail speaks #ask #anonymous #don't ask me what the top ten good dad moments are #I'll just list Bruce trying to kill the Joker in a death in the family ten times #dc meta

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bestworstcase · 4 months

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Ooo share the unorthodox ruby & oscar thoughts. Romance has never been a draw for me and in this case fanon flattens and honestly mutilates the significance and nuance to their relationship. There’s a lot of interesting things going on here that gets lost and I think that’s a shame

right so the rosegarden orthodoxy goes something like: "oscar is the Only Person who sees and understands the pressure ruby is under and the pain this causes, and the central conceit of his character is about learning how to take care of her because she is precious to him and needs to be taken care of." central to this orthodoxy is the reading of 'the little prince' as a romantic love story between the prince and the rose, with ruby interpreted as "his rose."

for a more thorough breakdown of my thoughts on the intertextual layer, refer to this post. the TL;DR is this: the rose is not the prince's partner—she is his dependent. he returns to her as her caretaker: a child grown up and ready to embrace the joys and responsibilities of parenthood. 'the little prince' is an allegory about parent-child relationships and the importance of treating children with respect and kindness. fortunately for the rosegarden shippers in the audience, ruby is not the rose. she alludes to the snake—the one character in the story who meets the prince as a friend and an equal.

now, before getting into the weeds i do want to stress that, 1. i'm not a shipper and i don't "ship rosegarden" in the usual sense, but 2. ruby/oscar is canon and narratively important and i think about it in those terms.

"but oscar is a child, he's fifteen, he's two years younger than—" thank you for your opinion, person who ships ruby with another character 2+ years older than her, i'll take that under advisement.

"but ruby doesn't need a love interest—" no character 'needs' a love interest, but rwby is a love story about fairytales and its romantic arcs are thematically motivated.

"but he has ozpin in his head and that makes it—" weird, yes. this tension is the fulcrum upon which the romantic arc turns and, also, it is going to be resolved by way of breaking the curse and removing ozma from oscar's head. this is a fairytale. what is not clicking.

here is my first unorthodox ruby/oscar thought: it is not complicated. the set up is really quite clear and if the rosegarden shippers would quit barking up irrelevant trees for five minutes they might notice the forest, which is to say, the foundational argument for canonicity is simply this:

marrow sees yang's disastrous stab at flirting with blake and comments, exasperated, "man, i did not sign up to be a babysitter." later, marrow watches ruby and oscar stammer through an awkward conversation resolving their volume-spanning emotional conflict and mutters, "ugh, kids." marrow's commentary underscores the tangible subtext of romantic interest in both exchanges and implies an equivalency between blake/yang and ruby/oscar.

the reunion scene in V8 is structured such that the platonic reunions occur first—ruby rushes out to hug yang, then clasps jaune's hands while yang hugs weiss—before the more lingering romantic ones. yang goes to reassure blake that things are okay and the bees forehead touch happens; ren steps forward to ask where nora is; ruby says oscar's name and goes to embrace him before emerald's presence distracts her. this again positions ruby/oscar together with the other textual romances.

that's it. there are plenty of supporting details with which to build out a more comprehensive argument, of course, but the narrative flags ruby/oscar by grouping that relationship together with the other two main pairings. (rwby does the same thing in a more overt way to confirm blake/yang […again] in V7; nora tries to initiate a romantic confession by comparing herself and ren to them.)

ozpin retreats from oscar's mind, leaving oscar free to be his own person—"i started to feel like me"—and during this time oscar comes into his own he develops an obvious crush on ruby as the narrative begins to not-so-subtly move this relationship into a romantic context. ozpin's absence opens the door for the pairing and ozma's return creates a seemingly-insurmountable obstacle. the romantic arc is about surmounting that obstacle—separating ozma and oscar—so that oscar can be free to live his own life.

it's not complicated.

so with all of that being said, let's talk about the notion—central to rosegarden orthodoxy—that oscar is uniquely supportive of ruby, and never leans on her the way all the other characters do.

in a word: no.

the cornerstone piece of evidence supporting this reading is the dojo scene in V5, construed as oscar "getting ruby to open up emotionally" leading to his recognition that "this must be really hard for her, too." but:

ruby comes downstairs to find oscar doubled over, panting heavily, with ozpin's cane in his hands—he's training alone, pushing himself almost to the point of collapse. this is not good for him or physically safe, which ruby would know as someone trained as a warrior from childhood. she says: "you're really getting better, huh? are you hungry? it's almost dinnertime." this is a soft way of telling oscar that he's done enough for the night and he should take a break. ruby is checking on him to make sure he's okay.

oscar agrees that he was "about to call it a night anyway," ruby asks about his past, he answers casually, she tells him he "looks like a natural!"—and then oscar looks down at long memory and says "it's strange. i've only had this cane for a few weeks, but i feel like i've had it for a lifetime. longer, even… i sound like a crazy person."

"i mean, uh… yeah, just a little. but at this pace, you'll be combat ready in no time!" says ruby, and then catches herself echoing penny and gets sad.

what happened here?

oscar is training this hard because ozpin told him to, explicitly in order to increase the tempo of the curse: "oscar can give me temporary control, but he'll need to strengthen his body and aura. he'll inherit my muscle memory in time, but training will expedite the process." the reason oscar seems like a prodigy is ozpin's skill and experience bleeding through.

in ruby's mind, "you look like a natural!" is a compliment. but what oscar hears is a reminder that his life is no longer his own: he gazes down at ozpin's weapon and states that he feels like it's belonged to him for lifetimes—and he doesn't like that. "i sound like a crazy person."

the reminder of what's happening to oscar makes ruby uncomfortable—she deflects and tries to put on a happy face, but the truth slips through. "you'll be combat ready in no time!" associates oscar with penny—who is dead. neither ruby nor oscar will say it out loud, but they both understand that he's going to die as ozpin's soul amalgamates with his. and when oscar begins to open up about how scared he is, ruby flinches away—gotta stay positive!!!—only to trip on her grief for penny.

her smile falters. she tucks into herself and turns away. in trying to hide from the thought of oscar being erased, ruby reminded herself of penny. she's already watched helplessly while two of her friends died. she is scared of letting herself get close to oscar, knowing that she won't be able to save him either. so she tries to withdraw.

but she's the first—and so far, only—person oscar has ever tried to talk to about how scared he is, and what he sees is ruby brushing him off and turning her back. "how do you handle all of this?! […] i'm… scared. i'm more scared than i've ever been in my life, more than i ever thought was possible. i always knew that i wanted to be more than a farmhand, but this? who would ask for this?"

<- note the echo here of what ozpin said to him in V4: "you do have an opportunity [for] greatness: greatness in knowing that when the world needed help, you were the one to reach out your hand. it won't come without hardship, without sacrifice, but i know you don't want to live the rest of your life working as a farmhand in mistral," which oscar experienced as a violation ("you just decided to read my thoughts?!") and which ozpin justified on the grounds that "well, they're our thoughts now."

the dojo scene is not about oscar offering ruby emotional support or pushing her to open up about her feelings because he can see that she's hurting. the dojo scene is about oscar breaking down and begging ruby to hear him, to be here with him instead of turning away because he's terrified of what ozpin is doing to him and ruby is dealing with all the same problems but acts like she doesn't care. "people have tried to kill you! the world's about to go to war all over again! how are you okay with any of this?!"—he lashes out at her because he's seeking a real connection and ruby keeps brushing him off.

so ruby—who is very empathetic and insightful enough to recognize why oscar just exploded at her—tells him honestly why she turned away. two of her friends died at beacon, and she is scared specifically of letting anyone else be killed. this is an important emotional moment for her in that she really did need to talk about penny and pyrrha, yes, but that's not quite the point of this scene.

rather, it's about the choice to be vulnerable and trust each other with absolute emotional honesty. oscar is afraid to die. ruby is afraid to lose another friend, and therefore afraid to let herself become close to oscar. he opens up to her about his fears and challenges her to reciprocate, and she does. that's the basis of their bond. by extension the dojo scene also sets up the core emotional conflict underpinning the romantic arc, which is that ruby can't bring herself to face the truth about what ozma's curse is doing to oscar.

that comes between them here. it floats uneasily around them in the aftermath of what jinn tells them: "i'm just going to be another one of his lives, aren't i?" says oscar, and "of course not," says ruby, "you're your own person—" and "don't lie to him, ruby," says qrow, "we're better than that."

at the end of V6, ruby exclaims that "oscar made a successful crash landing! he's a fourteen year old farmhand!" and oscar squirms and admits that ozpin helped him do that. in V7, yang confronts ruby on her choice to lie to ironwood by asking "how did oscar feel about that?" and the way oscar felt about it is hesitant to take the lamp back and fretting that "hiding things from ironwood, doesn't that feel like what ozpin did to us?" and ruby echoes that fear to qrow in the next episode.

the rest of V7 is filled with references, courtesy of ironwood, to oscar's similarity to ozpin. "eventually," ironwood tells him, "you won't even know who's who anymore." but oscar never stops trying to assert himself as an individual. in V8, salem rubs the thinning boundary between him and ozma in oscar's face and that terrifies him so badly that he insists upon staying put under torture rather than let ozpin take over or risk using magic because "every time we use magic, i can feel us merging faster."

they exit the volume more in sync, notionally on equal terms—and then in the ever after, this happens:

ruby cuts neo's simulacrum of ozpin down and reveals oscar, mortally wounded. she's spent four volumes pretending everything is fine—encouraged by ozpin's withdrawal and some of her grief eased by penny's return—and all that denial ends here. she experiences what scared her back in the dojo scene, getting close to oscar only to watch him die, subsumed completely by ozpin.

here's what you're most afraid of. what are you going to do about it?

<- pyrrha is gone. penny is gone, and not coming back. but oscar is alive, and ruby can't pretend anymore that the way things are is okay. she's going to have this image of oscar dying in ozpin burning in her mind every time she sees oscar and (just as nora's injury led ren to admit his feelings and yang's apparent death gave her and blake the push they needed to take the next step) that demands change.

what that change will look like is an open question—it could be anything from ruby simply opening up to oscar about how scared she is of losing him in particular to ruby actively trying to come up with a way to save him—but whatever it is will move toward separating ozma from oscar.

similarly, while oscar recognizes at the end of the dojo scene that "this must be really hard for her too," his mild hero-worship of her continues unabated throughout V5 (think about oscar shaking her and telling her "get up! we need you!" while she's unconscious at haven) and even after they find a more even footing during V7-8 he still contributes to the weight on her shoulders (it is oscar saying "all this doubt and and worry and distrust, it isn't getting us anywhere" that causes ruby to snap and run out of the room in V8). oscar, too, is forced to confront the fact of her mortality. how does he respond when ruby turns out to be alive?

well.

one of the obstacles to the ozlem reconciliation is that ozma has never allowed himself to empathize with salem's grief—he was dead, he never saw her anguish, and the way jinn narrates ozpin's side of the story dismisses the very real pain and anguish salem felt as merely a pretext for what was really just spiteful lashing out at the gods. ozma leapt at the chance to return to her but he has never really understood that she felt the same depth of feeling for him.

he's in oscar's head right now. they are separate people still, but ozma feels what oscar feels and thinks what he thinks and remembers his memories—and also they're on speaking terms again. and oscar has been put in salem's position: he looked up to ruby as a noble hero, he had nascent romantic feelings for her, and now she's gone. oscar to sit with that for several weeks, maybe a couple months, before ruby comes back. and ozma has to bear witness.

i think the change this incites for oscar will be less about ruby than it is a reason for oscar to challenge ozma, building from the ways oscar challenges him in V8 (to trust oscar, to become more honest, to face his mistakes) and giving oscar a chance to continue to maintain his own identity separate from ozma. which again, facilitates an eventual physical separation and the ozlem reconciliation.

<- rip to all the rosegardeners who want ruby/oscar to be the rebound and/or narrative refutation of ozlem. it is not that. lol.

#also rosegarden people who thought oscar being in V9 would have like Solved ruby's breakdown are annoying

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writing-the-stars · 2 years

Note

klaus mikaelson x fem!reader where shes been his best friend basically since birth (she's an original) and she thinks klaus likes cami and gets jealous but hes just trying to distract himself because he likes the reader and its just a rlly fluffy/angsty love confession

It Has Always Been You

Pairing: Klaus Mikaelson x Fem!Reader

Summary: After all these years, you realize your feelings for your best friend a little too late

Warnings: Angst, Camille Slander, Canonical Violence, Reader Is A Tad Bit Dramatic, Maybe A Shitty Ending (Shitty In The Way That I Don't Know How To End Things). Let Me Know If I Forgot Something

Word Count: 2.7k

A/N: Hi Kayla! Thank you so much for this request. I was in a bit of a writing rut and writing this one-shot rekindled my passion for writing, so thank you for that! I know it was a bit of a wait, but I hope this is worth it. Thank you all so much for reading! I hope you have a wonderful day!!!

Masterlist | TVDU Masterlist

You don't know how it happened, or when it even began. You can't seem to recall when the conversations and stories shared between two friends began holding a heavier value or when the amicable gestures and platonic exchanges started carrying a deeper level of intimacy with them. When gazes started to linger and your heart rate started rising. When your thoughts began drifting more and more to tresses of dark ash blonde and pools of blue and green. When being apart for more than an hour began to feel like torture and the only time you ever felt safe was in his presence.

It happened so slowly— that feeling of love— creeping up on you when you least expected it. You had no idea it even found you till just this moment. As you stand in his doorway, heart sunk to your stomach, you realize that somewhere along the millennium together your heart lept over the line between love and friendship and your brain is just now catching up.

You watch your lifelong friend, the man that you have admired and adored for as long as you can remember, get ready for a date you didn't even know he had with a girl you already despise— simply for the fact that she isn't you.

"So, who is the lucky girl?" you ask— a forced grin painted on your face as you try to be enthusiastic. His reflection looks back at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes, as he finishes buttoning his dress shirt. A smirk stretches across his lips, almost as if he is toying with you. A predator stalking its prey— a sick satisfaction from the dread that's filling your bones.

"Camille," he informs you— the pride in his voice not going unnoticed. Your heart clenches and your brave facade begins to crumble.

She is a beautiful woman. Intelligent, spirited, and compassionate. It's no surprise that he's taking her out, she is exactly the type of woman that draws in the Original Hybrid, and yet, you feel absolutely blindsided. All the times you teased him about the blonde— unknowingly gaging just how much she meant to him— with Klaus always assuring you she was "simply a means to an end." How foolish you feel now for having bought into what was obviously a blatant lie. If you hadn't been blinded by your own swelling emotions, perhaps you would have seen right through his deception.

You curse yourself for your own naivety. Klaus has been your best friend since you were both children, having always been the most reliable man in your life. You have seen every part of each other, watching as he grew from the timid, meek boy you first knew to the fearsome, courageous man he has become. No one on Earth knows you better than he does, no one in the entirety of the universe understands him better than you do. You have shared your entire lives together, experiencing even the darkest depths of each other's souls; and you have loyally remained by his side through it all because you know there is no one who will care for you as deeply and protect you as fiercely as the Original Hybrid. And now you are losing your best friend— possibly the greatest love of your life— to a pathetic human whose biggest accomplishment in life is her psychology degree.

How could this have happened? How could you have been so ignorant of your own emotions? It felt like some sick, cruel joke— a punishment for all your years of shaky morals and reckless behavior. In a way, you guess you deserved this. After all, you spent years toying with the emotions of countless lovers, using them to distract from the boredom your overextended existence tended to bring.

It's not like you had always intended to crush their hearts, it's just that you believed love was something that would always evade you. It's clear to you now that's because love had already found you, you just didn't recognize it.

And now, here is the man that you love, embarking on his own quest for something that is standing right behind him. The universe is fiendish like that.

Using what's left of your composure, you swallow the lump forming in your throat and wish him well, turning your back to return to the solitude of your bedroom. In doing so, you miss the own flare of disappointment in Klaus's eyes who had hoped going on this date would spur some kind of reaction in you— some sign that you shared an inkling of the love and devotion he has for you. But alas, the two of you were blinded by your own foolish oblivion.

-*-

Three weeks. Three insufferable, excruciating, and tortuous weeks. That's how long that stupid little bartender has been flaunting her budding romance with your hybrid. You've seen more of her face in the Compound these past couple of weeks than you care to see for another millennium.

Her mocking smile every time she greets you, letting you know she has something you can't have; her taunting voice— the sound of nails on a chalkboard— every time she calls his name or shares in the same laughter you used to indulge in with Klaus; and the stars in her eyes whenever she looks at the Mikaelson makes you want to claw them right from their sockets. You know the hatred you hold towards the blonde is spiteful and unjust, but when has the world ever been just towards you?

Due to the same fear your parents held towards the men who turned into beasts that the heads of the Mikaelson Family held, you had been forced into the same ritual the rest of the siblings had been subjected to, turning you into this immortal being. Then, you were thrust into the life of a fugitive, spending years of your life on the run from a crazed barbarian who sought to kill you for becoming the very creature he made you be. And finally, in the cruelest twist of fate yet, the universe had you realize your deep-rooted love for the man you have spent the entirety of your life with the moment he falls into the arms of another woman.

No, life was not fair and life was not kind, so why shouldn't you get to treat the thieving blonde just as cruelly?

You had hoped that your maltreatment of the bartender would be enough to drive a wedge between them and drive her away, but she was infuriatingly persevering. No amount of nasty comments, purposeful isolation, or continuous reminders that she would never belong in the family of the most powerful supernatural beings on the planet were enough to deter her.

She continued to return to the compound with the same insulting smile coloring her expression as she waltzed into Klaus's arms, showing you what you could've had. Finally, you had enough.

That's why your hand was now wrapped tightly around her throat— her eyes wide and bulging, begging to be released from your strong grip. You smirk sadistically to yourself, enjoying the feeling of how precariously her life rests in your hands. One twist of your wrist and you will eradicate the only thing standing in the way of you and Klaus Mikaelson.

"Y/N, please, put the girl down," Elijah's steady and calm voice requests, but you pick up on the sense of urgency dancing in the undertone.

"Ah, come now, brother. The night just became entertaining. Let Y/N have her fun," Kol petitions from behind you, clearly amused by the night's sudden turn of events. Your outburst was rather unexpected— even for you. You weren't even aware of what you were doing till the bartender's back slammed against the brick wall— her scream getting caught in her throat as you cut off her airways.

You could end it all right here, right now. Put yourself out of your misery. You want to, you are about to when a hand is placed on your shoulder, reminding you of the gravity of the situation. You can't kill the girl, no matter how badly you wish to— not without ruining everything you have spent a millennium building with Klaus.

No matter how much you wish it wasn't so, he likes the intolerable blonde, maybe even loves her. If you were to take her away from him, he would never forgive you. The Original Hybrid would probably spend the rest of your life hunting you to your end, and that's not something you could handle. You rather have half of him, watching from the sidelines as he finds happiness with someone else than have none of him at all.

"Y/N, let her go," Klaus's voice rings out in the tense silence. The room watches with bated breath, wondering what your next move will be as your fingers twitch over the blonde's throat— her pulse weakening under the strength of your grasp. With dissatisfied resignation, you slowly retract your hand; the girl immediately plummets to the floor. As you back away from her crumpled figure, the surrounding atmosphere lightens as if the room has let out a breath of relief. The two older Mikaelsons surge to her side, checking for any severe injury. It's enough to make you want to scoff, but as your eyes meet the widened, shock-blown blues of Rebekah, you realize just how grave of a mistake you almost made.

And as you fully begin to comprehend the situation before you, you can't help but feel the weight of the ignominy you subjected yourself to. The walls of the compound appear to be closing in on you— the air getting harder to breathe. The weight on your chest strengthens and it feels as if the room itself is trying to snuff you out, telling you that you no longer belong.

Perhaps the room was right. What if you were the one who did not belong? Looking at the scene before you, it would appear that way. The manner in which the siblings are huddling around the blonde bartender, attending to her with the utmost care and soothing all of her fear. It seems that you have become the outsider looking in— your time with the Mikaelsons reaching its end. After all, what more could you offer after spending a millennium together? You were old and played out, essentially a walking reminder of a life most of them have preferred to forget.

Camille was new and exciting— a terrain yet to be explored. She holds an intrigue you no longer have, and probably have not had for a while. It is clear to you now that you had lost this war long before you even started fighting. So, surrendering your battle, you launch yourself into the streets of New Orleans, giving you time to grieve the only life you have ever known.

-*-

You return to your room, a heaviness in your heart, ready to pack up the life you had loved so dearly. It's easier this way, you have to convince yourself, else you will never leave.

"Where the bloody hell have you been?" Klaus's voice fractures the silence of your bedroom, startling you in the process. You had been so distracted wallowing in your own misery that you hadn't even noticed his presence. In fact, you had assumed he would not even be in the compound, thinking he would be off somewhere comforting his darling Camille.

Your eyes meet his— darkened by the anger shrouded in them, just as you had suspected. You wonder just how much groveling you will have to subject yourself to in order to gain his pardon. Or maybe it would be better if he did punish you. You had somehow managed to evade the silver daggers all of these years, but maybe a century of darkness wouldn’t be so awful.

"Klaus, I'm sorry about Camille. I don't know what came over me. I usually have better control over my emotions, you know that. I just-," you pause, bracing yourself for what you are about to say next because you know once you speak it, it'll become real and the course of your life will be permanently altered. "I've already made plans to leave. I'm just here to pack up my belongings. All I can do is beg for your forgiveness and I promise you if you show me mercy this one time, you will never see or hear from me again. It will be like I never existed at all," you vow to the hybrid, your voice wavering under the weight of your emotions.

"Leave," he hisses as if the words themselves burn his throat— the thought of you leaving him completely unimaginable to the hybrid. You have been the one constant throughout his several lifetimes. The anchor keeping him grounded in the chaos that surrounds him, the beacon of light that guides him when he finds himself slipping into darkness, the fire that warms him when he believes he's grown too cold.

Your loyalty and tenderness towards him have often reminded the Mikaelson that he is not pure evil or an irredeemable monster— that he too is worthy of love and affection. You remind him of the man he used to be, the man he often wishes to become again. You remind him of all the good that he is capable of. You are his heart, his humanity, and to live without you is simply unfathomable.

"You think I'm just going to let you leave?" he questions in utter disbelief— your heart dropping at the query. Of course, it would not be that simple. You have seen time and time again what happens to those who cross the Original Hybrid. He was merciless and cruel, having no tolerance for people who disappoint him; and your act of treason has to be one of the biggest disappointments Klaus has experienced.

"I know what I did is unforgivable, but I-"

"You think that I care for one bloody moment about what happened with Camille!" Klaus roars, stunning you into silence, "She means nothing to me. You could have killed her tonight for all that I care! But you, love, you're not leaving me. I will not allow it."

He towers over you menacingly, but as you look into his eyes you see the fear shining through his anger. He is terrified of losing you. And as much solace as his words and the emotion that drives them brings to you, it also leaves you baffled, struggling to comprehend the contradiction.

"Klaus, I don't understand. You've been seeing that blonde wench for three weeks, parading her around the compound, showering her in affection, and granting her all of your time. You practically replaced me with her," you tell him— your words bitter, coating the hurt that you feel. But just as easily as you can see through Klaus, he sees straight to the root of your acidity.

His face contorts as he lifts a hand to lightly brush over your face, pushing your hair back and resting his palm against your cheek. "Y/N, no one could ever replace you. You are unparalleled, utterly priceless," Klaus tells you, his voice soft and warm with pure love and adoration. His eyes burn with sincerity as if to imprint his words on your skin so that you will always be reminded.

"You have captured my heart from the very beginning. Camille was merely a distraction— a means to an end. But you, my love, it has always been you."

You're frozen, his confession leaving you breathless. You can't even begin to comprehend the surge of emotion inside of you; incognizant of how to process his profound declaration of love. You had spent the last three weeks in absolute agony over a man who has loved you just as ardently. Without wasting another moment of time, you bring your lips to kiss feverishly against his own, pulling him into you as closely as possible. Your body molds perfectly into the curves and ridges of his framework as if you had been carved from the same stone— torn apart for so long and finally melding into the other once again.

Taglist: @catmikaelson20

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writterings · 6 months

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Your post about South Park really does hit the nail right on the head for why the hell this show has a fandom that I've never seen anyone acknowledge, at least not on this fucking webbed site. Instead mosts stance is along the lines of "why are you shipping the racist children" which ignores. That they have INCREDIBLY strong characterization, to the point that even side characters personalities are able to be pinpointed with a lot of accuracy, enough for there to be subsets of fans for those guys even. The show is primarily about putting those fucking circle guys in situations and people who like to see them in situations are like. Man. I could totally come up with some situation for these guys to be in. And they don't even have to be weird and centrist about it like the creators. (Not to say plenty of fans don't still land there. If Cartman is included you really have to decide whether you declaw him and either answer gets dicey unless you get him. And some people really don't and it gets. Bad.) It feels a lot more generous seeing someone actually clock the appeal of the show for what it is rather than stopping at Matt and Treys wild ride of very very mixed messages and leaving it at that so thanks

no like literally i only started watching the show as a background noise type of deal after i finished family guy (in my "watching every adult cartoon" type of beat) and then just got. enthralled.

like i genuinely would not recommend the show to anyone who doesn't have the stomach for gross out humor, frustrating political takes, and even satire that often actually is progressive and even straight up anti-discrimination at times but can be packaged distastefully -- especially since i feel like the show can only be truly enjoyed if you watch the entire 26+ seasons and movies and play the games.

but like matt and trey are unfortunately VERY good writers so i totally understand why the show has a legit, functioning fandom with popular headcanons (shoutout to marjorine) and AUs. like oftentimes the fans are also just Putting The Circle Children Into Situations. or they're playing around with the Situations the Circle Children were already put into in the show, like expanding on tweek and craig's canonical relationship via fanart or exploring kenny's canonical trauma of being repeatedly killed and reincarnated as himself.

but yeah happy to provide my input on this when asked! glad you liked my take

#ok so i apparently lied i am posting about this topic once more #but its not gonna be a regular thing #if anyone does need a trigger tag then let me know im happy to tag it #also just as a disclaimer but the claim of the characters being 'racist children' is actually incorrect -- more often than not the kids are #actually pretty progressive and have episodes about them learning to be less shitty #it's legit just cartman doing shit and he does get called out on it a lot #and if the other kids DO engage in cartman's bullshit it's usually from a place of ignorance and them genuinely not know something is wrong #which is somewhat of a cop out claim since they're fictional characters and are controlled by matt and trey #but the point is that they're not intentionally written to be bigots so when people find the show appealing. it's not bc of bigotry.

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bones4thecats · 5 months

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who is your favourite character in record of ragnarok and twisted wonderland? And what do you think would be their type? Any headcanons you have that you usually don't see others write but you wish there was more?

Hello there, Anon! I love the questions you had asked me, and it took me a while to figure them all out, but I wrote them down as I thought, so they may be a but lengthy. Anyways, I hope I answered your questions good!

Okay, so I have quite a few favorites within both fandoms, so I'll seperate them based on species/dorm!

Twisted Wonderland

Heartslabyul: Riddle Rosehearts ~ His character is super adorable with how his face gets red when he gets mad, and I find his constant need to follow the rules funny. It's not like the Queen of Hearts is gonna kill you, she's basically dead anyways! Savanaclaw: Jack Howl ~ He's just adorable, and he reminds me of my male best friend because he's quite defensive about his reputation, but with people he cares about, he's awesome! Octavinelle: Azul Ashengrotto ~ Azul is one of my favorite characters in general because of how smart, yet sensitive he can be. Like when he had overblotted because of MC and the others tearing up his contracts he worked hard on, it's understandable and relatable. Also, his fear of his weight makes me pity him as a chubby person myself, but I love the way he gains confidence! Scarabia: Jamil Viper ~ Jafar is one of my favorite characters in the whole Disney canon, so having Jamil as one of my favorites shouldn't be surprising. I love his design and I absolutely love his journey, he's good at cooking and he's amazingly loyal to his family and friends, he's husband material. Pomefiore: Rook Hunt ~ I love Vil, but Rook's character overall is so much fun to read and write for. I love his design to freaking much, like his hat, so cute, the fact that he came from Savanaclaw to Pomefiore, very unique and cool, I also adore his frenchness, it shows relation to the film's original location and written place. Ignihyde: Ortho & Idia ~ I couldn't choose between the two of them, their dynamic together is so fucking cute, like I can't. I also love introverts, I find them adorable, and having a very extroverted sibling just makes it extra cute!! Diasomnia: ALL FOUR ~ Like with the previous duo, I cannot choose between all three. I love Malleus, he's a very fun character, and with how oblivious and willing to learn he is, he's awesome. Lilia is just great, he's an amazing father to both Silver and Malleus, and the way he looks after Sebek like his own, cute!! Silver and Sebek are similar, adorable children that we must protect. Staff: Divus Crewel ~ All I have to say is: Monochrome King RSA: Che'nya ~ Personally, I love the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland (1951), he's just an amazing example of an anti-hero, and the way he teases Riddle and Trey just for laughs is super cute and shows how much he truly cares for the two as his friends.

Record of Ragnarok

Abrahamic Pantheon: Beelzebub ~ I prefer him over a lot of different Gods, so much so he's in my top 10 favorite characters throughout the whole fandom. But, I love how careful he is, he seems to care about others enough to where he tries protecting them from distancing himself, but that's also a flaw, otherwise, he's just a decent person in general, despite wanting Humanity's end. Buddhism Pantheon: Buddha ~ He's just so much fun. He loves to mess around and tease others, which is something I love to do, which kinda draws people towards me (I'm an unfortunate people-magnet), and I also love how he's so laid-back, you gotta love those chill peeps. Hindu Pantheon: Shiva ~ I love his love of the art-form dance. Dance is something that has a bunch of different forms, and the way that he just takes that passion and made it his own unique thing was inspiring! Greek Pantheon: Heracles / Apollo / Hades ~ I love all three of these guys, so it was hard to decide between them. Hades is a family man and cares for his brothers no matter what, Apollo is a decent person and doesn't judge for looks, but by personality, and Heracles is just an amazing example of the word 'hero'. Norse Pantheon: Thor ~ I just love his character in general, he seems to value his family and title, he even showed sympathy to killing Lü Bu, and I found that to be an amazing addition to showing the humanity in the Gods. I also adore his design, red is one of my favorite colors behind blue and black, so having long red hair? Yes. Human Fighters: ALL ~ No competition, they all rule. Lü Bu shows care for his army, Adam loves his 'children' despite their wrongdoings, Sasaki has a strong will of never giving up despite challenges, Jack will do seemingly anything to protect those he cares for, even if they don't care for him back, Raiden's care for Thrud was so heartwarming, he warned her to stop the Völundr to save her life, and (technically) Zerofuku, he's just a baby that was let down the wrong path, he needs guidance, and I believe that if he had the right teacher, his life would've been way better. Valkyries: Göll ~ She's just so god-foresakenly cute!! I feel like my heart's gonna explode everytime she looks concerned for both Humanity and the Gods fighting, she's so much more human with her emotions than other characters, it's amazing.

Their types all vary, but I'll probably make a list on each dorm/pantheon and their types later on because this is starting to get very lengthy and my hands are cramping badly, so to keep my hands in tact and this post short-er, I'll answer your final question.

I believe there should be more Male! Readers, as there are mostly either Female or Gender Neutral. Like males can read the GN, but like, pretty much all the Male! Readers I find are NSFW and not SFW. I believe there should be more of those, but like I said, GN does work relatively well.

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macravishedbymactavish · 1 year

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Logan Walker x F!Reader

TW for everyone being traumatized following the canon Ghosts ending, swearing, mentions of injury and violence, more angst in this chapter than usual

Chapter 03

Things were still far from normal, but taking small steps in the right direction. Since he let you peek through the cracks of the barricades he put up on his soul -- you've noticed him around base a lot more. Giving you small smiles, nods, and acknowledges you again.

It doesn't mean you still don't yearn to have him back. To hug and be hugged from behind, to sneak small kisses when nobody is around. To be tangled under the coverings, laughing about what you could possibly name your future children.

You've been wearing the sweater he left for you every night to bed. Except after a week of wear, it stopped smelling like him and slowly became another addition to your wardrobe. Part of you was growing increasingly concerned that you wouldn't be able to sleep without the sweater one day. The other part didn't care. If this was the last thing you got from him, it was to be cherished. It was still warm, still soft, still a reminder that he's coming back to you.

"Please take a seat" your heart all but stopped at Merrick's words.

The commander avoiding eye contact, gesturing to the chair in front of his desk. You felt the gaze of the sniper on you as he stood in the corner behind you, unmoving. Silent.

"I'm fine standing," you cursed your voice for shaking. You knew from the moment you returned to base that something was wrong. You, Keegan, and team Echo were to defend the carrier while Merrick and the Walker brothers were on their own mission.

"High profile, need to know basis" Logan explained the night before this deployment, holding you against his side as the two of you laid in the dark the night before you two split up. Assigned to different missions. "If Dad could see us now"

"He'd be so proud of you Lo. Proud of the both of you." Elias would be over the moon seeing his sons carry out a mission of this extent. Both following in his foot steps.

You knew something was different. Something went wrong the moment you returned to base earlier today. The hairs on the back of your neck stood up, the atmosphere thick, passing whispers you could only catch pieces of.

"Shot in the chest"

"Not dead"

"Ballsy as fuck"

Your shoulders tense, hands balled into fists as Merrick finally looked up at you. Pain inhabiting his features -- fuck.

"As of 1900 yesterday, Logan Walker has been pronounced a prisoner of war." You swore your heart stopped. Your senses becoming slightly numb, your hearing muffled as if you were listening from underwater.

You were drowning.

"How?" Keegan asked, voice sounding a million miles away, despite him being right beside you now.

"Rorke" your attention snapped back to the man in front of you. No, it couldn't be "he was thought to be dead in the train crash. We were wrong. He came back and took Logan."

"And Hesh?" You envied how calm your friend remained, how stoic he could hold himself despite everything you've all been through.

"Took a round to the chest, currently sedated in medical," the older man paused, looking between you two. He knew Keegan long enough to understand the small gives in his stoic persona, while the pain was evident across your face.

"Right now, we heal up. Get back to 100%, then we plan on how to bring Logan home. We have all our global contacts keeping eyes and ears open for anything that could lead us to him or Rorke. Do either of you have any questions?" Don't cry. Don't cry. Do not cry in front of your team.

"Request to leave, sir," you whispered. Lungs burning as you felt like someone just punched you in the gut.

"Request granted, are you --" you didn't let him finish before turning and rushing out of the room. Making it halfway down the hall before stopping to take a shaky breath.

You heard footsteps coming up behind you, followed by your nickname being called out softly. A hand rested on your shoulder, urging you to turn around.

"Are you going to be alright?" You know he chose this question instead of "are you okay?". In this moment, nobody was okay, including himself.

"Uh...I" You whispered, running a hand over your face as you shifted your gaze to anywhere but his.

"I'm...I think I'm going to go and take a nap. Because this has got to be a nightmare that I'm bound to wake up from. " You felt your hands shake, your legs on the verge of collapsing underneath the weight of the heartache.

The tears finally fell when you made the mistake of eye contact. Seeing the same pain hidden behind stoic blue eyes. Fighting back a sob, you continued.

"Because there is no way I can handle this" your voice small, "there is no way I can even imagine this life without him. Let alone live it". You bit your lip, holding back a sob. Forcing yourself to take a deep breath.

Without missing a beat, you were being pulled into a hug. Any other person you would've been throwing hits; but you knew his physical contact was reserved for moments when it was truly needed.

"Please. Just let me go home". You sobbed against Keegan's shoulder.

Home. Could you even consider it that anymore? Given the news. Your home was missing, prisoner of war. You're going back to a house.

"Call me if you need anything. Any time, for anything. Please." You heard his voice break, knowing he was terrified. In 3 short months, he's lost 3 teammates he considered family, one currently in medical with severe injuries, and one destroyed right in front of him right now.

Jerking yourself awake, you willed your heart rate to slow down. Out of all the nightmares, this had to be the worst. The worst moment of your life replaying over again.

The day you lost him.

You rubbed at your chest, hoping it would alleviate the ache deep inside. Imagine how much easier life would be if you just never met him. You wondered that a lot at first, considering he wouldn't have been yours to lose if he was never yours initially. But in the same breath you reminded yourself of all the things you wouldn't have experienced if you never knew the shy Walker kid.

The swell of pride in your chest when you made him laugh the first time (a full body laugh that left you both in tears), the way he asked you out in such a shy tone (later admitting that he was terrified you would reject him, and he would have to fake his death and move to the arctic), the nights spent stargazing and making up constellations, the first time he told you how much you meant to him.

In hindsight, every ounce of pain was and is worth every second you spend with Logan. It always will be.

Your mind now wide awake and racing. You pulled yourself from the bed and wandered through the dark halls to the kitchen. Debating on whether to make a tea and try to sleep, or brew coffee, admit defeat, and start your day.

Being so focused on the internal argument between the exhausted and awake sides of your brain, you initially didn't realize the figure sitting in the corner. Staring out the window with a mug of his own.

"Nightmare?" You jumped, relaxing slightly when your eyes focused on the source of the voice. Just Logan.

"That obvious?" You raised an eyebrow before turning your attention to the cupboards, deciding on tea and sleep as the moon was still high in the sky. "What about you? Lurking in the dark." This was your life for the foreseeable future. Making small talk with the person you would go to the ends of the earth for.

It was a selfish thought, which was followed by selfish goals. Killing the asshole who broke him.

"Been off duty and most training since I've been back. Not a whole lot to do honestly besides sleep, eat, and read, " he shrugged, eyes scanning all over your back.

"You need a hobby," you teased. "That doesn't involve Riley," you gestured down to the dog who was sleeping at his feet.

With a slightly amused look, "then I guess I won't be inviting you to his next show dog competition. He's the prettiest pup around." That caught you off guard, causing you to burst out laughing louder than you expected to. Quickly pressing a hand over your mouth, listening to Logan shush you with a soft chuckle of his own you turned back to your tea.

"You could always raise goats" you shrugged, jumping slightly when you heard a laugh from right beside you. He's so quiet you didn't realize he got up.

He began grabbing your favourite additions to the drink, handing them to you silently, smile lighting up his features as he humored your suggestion in his head. He stayed standing with you, even after your tea was done. Close enough where his shoulder rested against yours. The two of you sat in comfortable silence, both drinking your respective drinks before he spoke up.

"I'm not sure if I ever want to do this again" your heartrate sped up at the thought that this could be the last night you have with your love.

"No, shit. I mean training and missions" a pained sigh, a small glimpse of the argument going on inside his head. "Coming back, I know how different it is for everyone".

"We don't fault you for it. We love you" you mumbled, fighting that nagging feeling again. To pull him into your arms and tell him everything would be okay. You instead took a sip of your drink, glancing sideways to study his features.

"But everyone isn't okay. Even though you're all trying it's different" you felt a shaky arm go across your shoulders, pulling you into his side. From this proximity to felt his heart hammering inside his chest, his body shaking with adrenaline. Placing your tea down, you reached up and held the hand hanging from your shoulder.

"Part of me wonders if I was worse at my job, would the ending be the same? They....he kept telling me how good my skillset would be, how I'd be "one helluva ghost" had things turned out differently for him years ago.....everyone kept talking about how I was best of the best" your heart broke at how small his voice was by the end.

"Part of me doesn't want to risk it. If I lose all my skill and become a professional dog trainer or join the K9 unit, then everyone will be safe if they find me. If they try to use me, " You leaned your head against his shoulder, feeling him squeeze you tighter in this side hug. "Or....I raise goats somewhere"

"Whatever you decide to do moving forward, I support you. I'd follow you anywhere. The guys will support you. Everyone supports you." While some may not understand at first, almost everyone on base would be supportive of anything he decides to do at this point. Everyone just relieved to have him back home.

You stayed cuddled into his side, in silence. Letting him feel the emotions he needed to while not being alone, and letting your body relax against his side. Enjoying the warmth and familiarity of the close proximity.

"Hey love, don't fall asleep just yet. You're not quite at your bed yet" he whispered, nudging you. Smiling at the small groan of protest you let out. "Come on, I'll walk you back to your room." Cups placed in the sink, you followed him out of the room. Falling in step together.

The walk was silent, your hands brushing against each other as you walked. It reminded you of the time before you two started dating. The small, innocent gestures of him desperately trying to convey his feelings for you.

Baby steps, he's slowly coming around again. He's opening up to you.

"Here you are" his voice broke you out of your thoughts. His hands now stuffed into his pockets as he watched you unlock the door, bidding him a good sleep.

"Wait!" he quickly stopped you from fully entering the room, reaching down to the bottom of his sweater and lifting it over his head.

"Trade?" He smirked, holding it out to you, watching as your skin flushed. Remembering you had nothing on underneath the current sweater. "Or...keep both" he chuckled. Understanding your embarrassment right away. Thinking back to the first time he realized t-shirts and tank tops weren't allowed if you wore sweaters to bed; and how long of a night that turned into.

"Thank you. You clutched the new sweater tightly, taking in the sight of him in his pain black tee.

"Goodnight sweetheart" he whispered, slowly reaching out to pull you into a hug. A real one. You quickly returned the gesture, arms around his slim waist as your face was buried in his chest. "Thank you" you swear you heard him whisper against your hair.

For a moment, you were home.

Taglist: @bloodonmyhands-1221 @ai-luni

#call of duty ghosts #logan walker #logan walker x reader #cod logan #keegan russ x reader #keegan p russ #cod merrick #thomas merrick

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idyllic-affections · 8 months

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HI can you do me a favor and help me figure out baizhu?? i love his character but i have never played genshin impact and watching through walkthroughs? yeah no thanks (i mean cmon 48 hour walkthrough JUST for inazuma??

like, his personality and lore? i mean, i'm doing my own research about him rn by reading through the wiki and ill also watch cutscenes later but i just need some insight!! u can 100% just use this to rant about him, i am desperate 💔 how does one write for him!! how do you write for him!? help 😭😭i love him sm i wanna write him AT LEAST a bit accurate to character

if you don't mind of course! feel free to ignore this! take it easy aph, have a great day!!💞💞

aph's baizhu analysis.

hi kaiser hello <333 that is SOOO valid tbh inazuma specifically is a headache for multiple reasons... i think i'm going to watch someone else play the fontaine archon quest (...i did this with baizhu's story quest too LMAO) because i have no genshin motivation, but there are a couple people who are wanting to hear my thoughts about lyney lynette & freminet. THAT'S NOT THE POINT THOUGH I WOULD BE SO DELIGHTED TO HELP YOU FIGURE OUT BAIZHU i love him so much he is so dear to me... as a professional baizhu liker i would be glad to help you out. if you need me to, i can explain anything in more detail! just let me know <33

first and foremost, baizhu is generally a very gentle, benevolent, and patient character. he's got sass to him, but generally is very kindly about everything he does. also my guy is so stubborn. god. he is so stubborn.

^ additionally, he is well-trusted by children because of his soft demeanor. they generally aren't scared of check-ups performed by him.

regarding his stubborness, baizhu tests his own medication on himself. he will also poison himself to gain a better understanding of what poison he's working with. he's stubborn with things like his own health and the way he tests medications.

now, this may be more of a headcanon, but... about baizhu's supposed cowardice. yeah. i don't think that's true. do you know the distinction between being harmless and being peaceful? one who is harmless can cause no damage. one who is peaceful can cause damage, but chooses not to. i believe baizhu is peaceful, not harmless. to me, his supposed cowardice is... not genuine. i don't see it, but this opinion may vary depending on who you ask i think.

he is a good-hearted person canonically...

...however.

bro also, canonically, has shady business practices. i personally write these business practices in a very particular way; that being, baizhu overcharges people who he knows can afford to be overcharged. he overcharges the wealthy.

^ similarly, baizhu may sometimes charge nothing at all. he does this when he knows someone can't afford what they need. he generally does his best to make healthcare accessible. he's so real for that.

this is a little headcanon-y, but baizhu cannot stand people claiming to heal illness through piety and faith. he fucking hates that.

^ that headcanon is based off of the fact that he has legal dealings with yanfei about people selling fake medication and whatnot.

i don't know if you know baizhu's entire backstory yet, but the general idea is that changsheng is something akin to an adeptus and has been making contracts with people to keep herself alive for (presumably) a few centuries.

her power enables her hosts to use what baizhu refers to as a "secret art" to heal folks ailed by anything from injuries to poisonings... but of course, there is a drawback. the user of this art transfers whatever their patient is suffering from onto their own body. this is why baizhu is disabled and chronically ill; he has taken on probably every condition known to man fr but we love him for being so kind.

changsheng can only make contracts with pure of heart people. people who aren't genuinely, truly good literally are not viable for her contract. she will die without a host (presumably because her power is slowly draining and she can no longer sustain herself without the support of another being's life force).

^ going off of that, this is part of the reason why baizhu seeks immortality (and do be sure to remember that his pursuit is not a secret. literally all of liyue knows AJSKSHAKFHF... but do also keep in mind that changsheng's contract is a secret so he doesn't tell people about that part). he doesn't want her to die, but he also doesn't want another person to take up her contract and continue the cycle. i also like to think that he doesn't want to leave qiqi alone but that's just me being insane over dad!baizhu he's so fatherly in my brain please hear me out on this one /lh

to stop qiqi from fulfilling orders, if i recall correctly, someone would have to hug her and tell her they love her the most. baizhu does this, but the effect is greatly diminished when he says it. the only reason baizhu sounds insincere when he tells qiqi "i love you the most" is because he believes every life has equal value. he loves her, but not the most, because he is enamored with life in general. this detail about his character is often the topic of angst in fic, but it's important to remember that baizhu is not incapable of love because of it. he is just... not someone who would put ultimate value on one life, because again, he believes all life has equal value.

yes, he does use qiqi for his own ends and research about immortality HOWEVER. however. he is not neglectful or abusive in any way towards her. he treats her well.

because she is a character closely related to baizhu, here's a little detail for the silly snake: changsheng canonically has no filter. she says whatever the fuck comes into her little brain. she's silly. i adore her. she is not bad though! her intentions are generally good.

baizhu doesn't like taking things from people for free. he has difficulty accepting gifts... which often come from the general population of liyue.

generally, what i find to be helpful when learning to write a new (playable) character is reading their voicelines and lore. reading voicelines can help you figure out any particular speech patterns or diction that characters are inclined towards using!

i promise i am not trying to advertise my fics LMAO but if you need a reference, and you want to see how i write him personally, please let me know! i have a few pieces in which i feel like i wrote him well.

i love when people ask me to help with characterization ausskgkgng so if there's anything else i can do please don't hesitate to say so <3

#aphelion speaks 🌸#genshin impact #baizhu #baizhu gi

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