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cornertheculprit · 2 years

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actually i am deadass so so serious about this headcanon i think the magatama that maya gives phoenix used to belong to misty fey and i think maya giving it to him was the first signal that she was starting to view him as family because. okay. listen

the context for maya giving phoenix the magatama in the first place was because phoenix refused to let her admit she was guilty even to herself:

Phoenix: I'll be back later, Maya. In the meantime, please make sure you prepare it, OK?

Maya: Huh? "It"? What is "it"?

Phoenix: The document requesting me to be your attorney, of course.

Maya: …! But…

Phoenix: What's wrong?

Maya: Are you sure? I mean, I'm guilty! I'm a murderer!

Phoenix: No one's decided that yet.

Maya: But I did! I killed that person… with these… two hands…!

Phoenix: That's enough, Maya.

Maya: It's hopeless! If you defend me, you'll lose, I'm sure…

Phoenix: Stop it!

Maya: … …Help me… Nick, help me… I'm scared…

Phoenix: Don't worry, I will. When is the trial?

and then, of course, phoenix goes to leave and maya stops him:

Phoenix: Alright. I'm going now.

Maya: Wait.

Phoenix: ...?

Maya: This jewel... This is called a Magatama. It's a magical charm and it's always protected me. Give this to Pearly... And I'm sure she'll lend you her spiritual powers.

and you have to kind of think about the gravity of this. this is maya "...i've been abandoned, haven't i?" fey. this is a person who's used to being left behind, over and over. her father's dead. misty walked out on her. even mia, in her own way, left her behind, and maya says as such ("several years later, my sister announced she would "become a lawyer" and left the mountain." maya even mentions how she lives alone, because at this point morgan is still doing her best to keep pearl as separate from others as she can). more than that, pearl is not the only person who's grown up seeing the fallouts of bad marriages in kurain village—maya grew up there as well. if there's one thing the fey women seem to be used to, it's men walking out on them. and this is a different situation but from maya's perspective i think it can be read kind of similarly—this is phoenix, her semi-new friend who she was just reunited with, who has just seen what seemed like, at the time, the potential horrors of channeling: a spirit going berserk and killing someone using maya's body. it would have been very easy for phoenix to get freaked out by it and turn away, if nothing else, but he doesn't! and more than that, this is the second time he's looked maya in the eye and promised with all of his heart not to leave her behind. even when she tries to push him away because she's got a self-sacrificing streak a mile long.

and when she gives him the magatama...she mentions how it's always protected her, which implies that before the magatama "died" and needed to be recharged (by pearl, this time) whoever had charged it had done so with the intent to "protect" in whatever manner that may have been (maya doesn't know about psyche-locks because that's something spiritually unique to pearl, something which is slightly expanded upon in aa3). and there are two people in her past who would have wanted to see her protected: mia is one, and misty is another. and since no mention of mia is made (what with mia already have her own magatama[s]), it's safer to assume that whoever had charged the magatama previously with the intent to protect would've been none other than her mother. now! the reason i think an argument could be made that it was misty's magatama in the first place!

SO! we see from the kurain master's scroll that misty USED to wear a magatama, though the color of it isn't shown. she also isn't wearing a magatama when met at hazakura temple, and though this could be written off as her just having it somewhere else on her person, i don't think so because of two things: one, the kurain master's talisman (pictured above) that she had kept on her until the day she died, like she was supposed to. it would stand to reason that if she DID still carry her magatama on her person, it would have been dropped alongside the talisman when she died, but there was no magatama in sight and only the talisman to be found. the second reason is because of her final words before she vanished, detailed in mia's files in aa1:

"'I have tarnished the Fey name.' Leaving only these words, my mother vanished."

the fey name meant everything to misty, enough for her to leave her children behind and go into hiding to attempt to spare the village the embarrassment of housing a laughingstock. though she kept the master's talisman (because, at the time, there would have been no other option for someone to be the master in misty's place except morgan, who was not as spiritually powerful as misty, and misty was clearly not about to let that happen) it isn't a stretch to think that she would have abandoned her magatama—charging it with spiritual intent and leaving it behind in the hands of her youngest daughter as a final farewell. it would explain why she carried no magatama on her person when we meet her for the first time at hazakura temple, and explain why maya, who already has her own orange magatama, placed special weight on this green magatama that had supposedly always protected her in some way, shape or form.

so. if the green magatama was once misty's. and if maya had an inkling that it used to belong to misty (given that she doesn't even recognize her face anymore by aa3 and that she doesn't mention her mother when she gives it to phoenix in aa2, she might not have questioned where, exactly, it came from, but i don't think it's too far of a stretch to assume that she might've had an idea). and maya still gave it to phoenix ANYWAY, with the hope that it would gain him the loyalty and aid of her little cousin (who maya KNOWS [given aa3's conversation about the whole thing] will get attached to phoenix the moment pearl starts thinking about phoenix in terms of "mystic maya's special someone"—i.e. a man who won't ditch maya without a second thought like so many men in the village have done before). COMBINED with the fact that later, in aa3, when maya refers to herself as phoenix's "big sister" to phoenix on two separate occasions and tells him flat-out at the end of bridge to the turnabout that phoenix is one of the feys now. it really really all points to the fact that that moment in 2-2 when maya gave phoenix the magatama was the first instance that maya, who gets attached to people so so quickly, looked at phoenix and started thinking of him as family instead of just a friend, even if phoenix hadn't quite reached that point on his side yet (more on that here). i just. think about it a lot

#this has been my essay. thank you #actually i'll put this in the main tags too. why not #phoenix wright #maya fey #ace attorney

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playedcrowd5610 · 2 days

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Adventures of the Decepticons' Pet Ghost - Chapter 1 Soundwave

"Danny finally manages to get a chance to talk to Soundwave and discovers why Megatron hasn't discovered him yet. Maybe he also makes a friend along the way."

Notes: This is part 3 of my Haunting The Nemesis series and I am so excited! This will be a series of short chapters of Danny's adventures on the Nemesis and all of his interactions and chaos with the Decepticons, as well as a few with some Autobots! I do recommend reading the other two parts of the series first for context! But most of these will have enough information and references that you can read this on its own.

Part 1: Chasing Stars Part 2: Burning Rubber

---

Danny had been on the Nemesis for over a week at this point, and for some reason, Megatron hadn’t come kicking down Starscream’s door in order to confiscate his new pet and blast Danny to smithereens or throw him out the airlock. From what he had heard about Megatron from Starscream’s dramatic retellings he seemed to have more of a dislike towards humans than Starscream did.

Though to be fair, Starscream still greatly disliked humans, he was just stuck with one who was now not going to leave him alone and was starting to reluctantly enjoy his company because Danny is the only one who tolerated his monologuing.

But so far, the only Decepticons aware of Danny’s presence were Starscream, Knockout, and Breakdown. The two later found Danny inside Starscream’s crushed subspace after pulling them away from the cave Danny had phased them out of. Once a more lucid Starscream had threatened them enough about what would happen if they told Megatron, even Danny was scared for them.

Danny didn’t know if Starscream was more worried about Danny getting killed if Megatron found out or if Starscream was worried about what Megaton would do to him if he found out that his second-in-command adopted a human pet. Probably a mix of both.

So far, from what Starscream had relayed to him in the last couple of months, Megatron seemed like the kind of mech to let Starscream keep Danny until he messed up and then would promptly squeeze the new pet until he exploded just to prove that he had power over Starscream. And that thought was enough of a reason for Danny to try and stay in hiding. Not that he was worried that Megatron would kill him — Danny didn’t think anyone on this ship could — but he didn’t want Starscream to get hurt in the process and Danny to be a means to achieve that hurt.

But still, Danny was confused. And he could tell that Starscream was as well. The last few days, he had seen the seeker pacing incessantly around his room and talking to himself about how something seemed off. Starscream had warned Danny not to leave his room, which Danny didn’t listen to. But apparently, the bedrooms (berth-rooms? Personal quarters?) were the only places on the Nemesis without security cameras.

But with all of those cameras, there definitely had to be some way that Megatron knew about him, that is unless someone was messing with the footage. After some light questioning of Starscream about how the security worked and who had access, he discovered that a mech by the name Soundwave had control of everything on the ship. He was apparently constantly watching and recording everything that happened and was the third in command on the Nemesis after Starscream himself. And if anything was happening to the footage Danny was in, it was ‘cause of that guy.

Danny decided to take this questioning into his own hands. A few days later, while Starscream was out, Danny turned invisible and slipped through the door, weaving in and out through the hallways until he found a big enough door that he could safely assume was the bridge.

There, standing at the main control panel, surrounded by monitors, was a tall purple mech who looked like he was pierced together by several thin pieces of metal. Even his arms seemed as thin as paper compared to the rest of these guys.

The purple origami man was rapidly typing on the keys with fingers even longer than Starscream’s (which Danny didn’t even think was possible). As Danny floated closer to his side he saw the black screen covering his faceplate, removing any expression from the table. He remembered Screamy talking about that “faceless freak” before, and how unnerving it was to be around him.

Well, now was as good a time as ever to make an introduction. “Heyyy, just the mech I wanted to talk to,” Danny said as he turned visible and walked out of the shadows. The mech simply turned its helm towards him and tilted his visor to the side. Screamy was right; that was a little unnerving. He could see his reflection looking back at him in the black glass.

And if Starscream’s EM field was hard to read, this guy’s was impossible. Danny strolled up closer to him, pretending that the staring didn’t bother him at all. “I was curious. Why didn’t you rat me out, to the big M?” Danny put his hands in his pockets. “I know you saw me on the cameras in the lab. There’s no way you didn’t. And I've been in the halls many times. I was expecting to be exterminated like the “pest” I am by now.”

Soundwave didn’t move from his position. “Curious, -saw- -on the cameras-, didn’t- know -why-.” The mech clipped back to him in his own voice, which made Danny’s eyes widen.

“You were curious about me, so you wanted to know more before you go tell your master?”

The mech paused, as if trying to comb through Danny’s sentences for words but instead decided to lean in closer, awkwardly crouching on one knee so that Danny could see his visor more clearly as English words appeared on the screen for Danny to read like subtitles. ‘Subject gives off unstable readings, waiting for more data before proceeding…’ A scan of Danny’s body showed up on Soundwave’s faceplate. Things like ‘below average body temperature’ and ‘Energy feedback readings’ stood out.

Danny laughed nervously. It seemed this guy was closer to finding Danny out than he would have hoped. Danny rubbed the back of his neck as he stepped back a bit. “If you find out what I am, will you tell Megatron?”

Soundwave stilled a bit too long for Danny’s liking before responding. “Negative.” The voice sounded strangely monotone and robotic compared to any other mechs he encountered. ��Statement: Report is required for all unauthorized guests. Statement: you are not unauthorized.”

Danny smiled. “So because Starscream let me on, I’m allowed?” He paused. “Also, was that your real voice?”

The mech again waited a long moment before responding. “Both assessments: correct.”

“I didn’t think you spoke around other people?” Danny questioned. He was sure that Starscream had mentioned he never heard the mech speak, and Starscream didn’t even think he had a voice.

Soundwave straightened slightly so he wasn't crouching down so far to meet Danny in the middle. “Only when necessary.” He then started turning around to face the monitors again. Ahh, the work grind never stops.

Danny scuffed his foot back and forth on the floor. Starscream wouldn’t be back for another hour or so and he was bored of those data pads. Danny coughed into his hand, causing the mech to turn his helm back towards Danny again with a slight tilt. “You mind if I join you for a bit?”

Soundwave paused in thought before he replied with a quick nod. Just as Danny was about to walk closer to the terminal, a long purple tendril extended from Soundwave’s side and slowly wormed itself toward Danny. Danny stepped back a bit in surprise at first but the tentacle gently wrapped itself around Danny’s waist, gently lifting him to the height of the desk and placing him down with more gentleness than he had received at any point being on the Nemesis thus far.

Soundwave must not have been doing anything important, as he let Danny watch. Or maybe he just didn’t think Danny was able to learn Cybertronian that fast. Danny sat down on the desk with crossed legs as he glanced over the text flashing up the screen rapidly. The other monitors were showing cameras and other information they were scanning from Earth, photos, maps, and even articles of dig sites. Danny sat there, enamored by the work.

“Request: reveal your designation.” Danny’s head snapped up and back towards Soundwave’s visor, which was solely focused on him. Danny guessed on the cameras he was just called ‘the human’ or ‘pest’ or ‘Starscream’s pet’. It was nice of him to ask.

“Danny. My name is Danny.” Danny smiled brightly.

Soundwave nodded as a smiling emoticon appeared on his visor and he turned back to his work.

---

Disclaimer: Soundwave talking — so I know that Soundwave doesn't commonly talk in Prime like… at all. But he is shown to speak (even if it was only one line) in the series. He can talk, he just chooses not to unless the need arises. This started back when he was in the Senate and no one listened to him, so he decided that actions speak louder than words. After that, he only speaks to those he respects, and when the need arises. Mainly Megatron, or his mini-cons.

As much as I love Soundwave's somehow snarky silence and clipping things together with previous words he has recorded, I think it’s sweet if he finds himself willing to speak to Danny, especially because I see him as treating Danny almost like one of his mini-cons. Either way! Hope my interpretation of Soundwave is up to your standards and that people enjoyed how I wrote him <3

#danny phantom #danny fenton #crossover #transformers prime #danny phantom x transformers #transformers #decepticons pet ghost #decepticons #haunting the nemesis #soundwave #starscream #ao3 #fanart

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screen-universe-official-thingie · 4 months

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Fictionals' True Form anatomy sheet

Tw: Body horror galore

This has already been done a while back, but I somehow didn't get around to posting it.

I've been considering fixing some things, but eh, I'm now lazy, so here's some artist notes instead as well as some close ups

↓↓Close ups and notes under the cut↓↓

Notes: Yes, I didn't know that the female symbol only has one horizontal line and you'll be seeing this reoccurring mistake all over the sheet. Here, you'll see a familiar art work (assuming you've seen it, if not, here it is) of my adoptive mind children SpongeBob and Lusamine peeling themselves. Everyone looks practically the same regardless of their vessels' assigned sex. What only sets them apart is their "hair" styles or other aspects reflecting their vessels.

Yep, these actor mofos are eldritch entities made entirely out of glowing white nerves and a kind of cancer or at least is based off of a kind of tumor called the teratoma. The typical rl teratoma aren't usually cancerous, but they can be at times. Let's say that these mfs are the cancerous types, I like to jokingly call them magical cancer nerve people who wear meat suits of the characters for our entertainment.

Yes, their true forms are a fuel for their magic/powers and allow them to live for a very long time as long as their game and animated series keep pumping out content and not meet the specific conditions for permanent death

When all or most of their true form is outside their vessel, the only organs that stay intact are the epidermal system and eyeballs. The eyes roll back and hide away the iris and pupils upon the peeling. Other internal organs get disintegrated

Here, we'll use Skinwalkermine's and SkinwalkerBob's skin removal art as reference.

(Yes, I did SpongeBob's stand alone True Form drawing too, he's the first Fictional to have his TF drawn and imagined when the concept was first introduced. It's just that I didn't post it because it's the second or third digital drawing I've drawn and I wasn't very good at it back then)

Do note that removing the meat suit and being outside of it is painful as shit. It's best to stay inside and play the part.

(Ngl, this looks very... Uhhhh... Unfortunate and horrible out of context, please help)

Her eye rolls back and shows some nerve, just as seen in the sheet

TW: Eyes everywhere (They represent the audience)

As you can see here, both of their exterior flesh suits stay intact and just go limp from the lack of support.

This is where the teratoma inspo comes in. When inside their vessels, they create other internal organs to make their vessels fully functional. Then they go organ mode and latch on to the brain stem and somewhere where the limbic system is located. This allows them to show their emotions in extraordinary ways.

Fictionals are very expressive creatures, they use their magic to enhance their expressions as a reflex. This makes it easier to convey their emotions and feelings on the screen. It also gives them a difficult time to lie to both their creators and their fellow actors.

(I want to make sense of why and how animated characters make wacky and exaggerated expressions or how game characters have emote signs above their heads. This is the world building explanation for it)

Nipple privileges removed. Point and laugh.

Note: This is the error I was talking about. The thinner, leaner waist is supposed to represent the male vessel, but my dumbass put "F" for female instead. There's also a typo, whoops.

But yes, both sexes get Barbie dolled. Mainly because of censorship laws and genitals aren't needed to begin with. Fictionals live long lives and the creators would just make more of their kind anyway. It also prevents them from reproducing unneeded extra babies and interfering series production should things like pregnancy, relationship complications, and child birth occur.

This resulted to a majorly aroace normative society and Fictionals see things like sex and marriage as foreign, non existent concepts. An act of fiction and another scene demanded by the director if you will. Though, marriage and romance are possible between Fictionals, but they're very rare and are seen as unnecessary and strange.

Both sexes sharing certain places such as the locker rooms and bathrooms have been normalised. There's nothing else to see between their legs.

The only bottom hole Fictionals have is the cloaca. Yes, they have chicken assholes and that's the only out for bodily waste like feces and urine.

"But Sea, how would they make NSFW content?"

Good question...

They have undergarments taking the resemblance of the nipples and genitals should they act out things like hentai. Think of them as stage props, it's like that. They look and act just like the real deal, but they're not functional. They're there for the looks only.

Fictionals' true forms' heads or faces don't have noses, ears, and mouths. All they have are their own eyes and so called "hair". Their hair is not actually made of hair, they're just nerves, tumors, and muscles clumped up together to look like hair.

I'm considering replacing their feet with roots, I think it makes a lot more sense. Their feet aren't functional to begin with. They move around on their long hands should they tear off their vessels. It also adds a certain cryptic vibe when they're on their hands instead of being bipedal. While they can kneel on their legs, they'd struggle having their hands off the ground for a long time.

Bonus stuff in here

#immersive daydreaming #art #screen universe #paracosm #Skinwalkermine...#SkinwalkerBob...

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astradyke · 1 month

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Suddenly I need you to write a dissertation on anything!! You're so well spoken <3 since we're getting into a bit of a character (?) study almost on them, I need you to talk about phil's supposed breakdown when dan left him aka went on tour. These two are so codependent it's adorable!! And now in the context of phil incorrectly (but still sweet) explaining to dan the invisible string theory. I can't!!!!! If it wasn't so sweet, it would almost be toxic but I love them!! They're obsessed with each other, only want each other, cannot stand to be separated for more than a day and want us to know it!

i again need to pause and thank you profusely because i am really happy that there is an interest for my little dissertations ^_^ this is the second to last day i have at home before i move back into university so we really need to maximize this time haha

honestly though, i know i say this every time i make a post but i actually don't know how many thoughts i have about this? i dunno... this is going to be messy but, i guess here are some of my thoughts as to why i don't think Dan and Phil are codependent (ft some tangents and affirmations that they are still crazy insane bc you are right and i'm emotional about it)

Dan is leaving me is actually such a masterpiece of a video because it is really like the loudest thing they have ever publicly released, barring the second pizza mukbang video. it's a little ridiculous in concept because like, come on guys, you're in your thirties and you haven't been apart for longer than two weeks? ever? in like a decade? but also like... i don't know! i kind of get it?

one of the aspects of their relationship that Dan specifically really amplifies in interviews (and throughout Dystopia Daily interestingly enough) is the fact that Phil is essentially a part of his everyday routine so much to the point that it's no longer remarkable. it's heard when he describes their relationship as "two 1,000 immortals/ancient divorced couple", or when he says "Phil doesn't count as a person", or when he calls Phil a piece of furniture (can't snag citations right now but if you are unfamiliar with any of these just ask me and i'll find them for you). a lot of these are done snarkily, but it is actually a massive facet of many close relationships: you become so used to each other that your everyday existence is parallel play, and you are so good at communicating that you know how to flow in and out of each other's spaces like it's breathing.

quick little Mare lore drop, let's talk about university! from January to May at the bare minimum, i would spend anywhere from 2-8 hours a day with my best friend (who comes up in these posts way too much i promise that isn't intentional). we'd study together, eat together, hang out together, etc. we were talking about this recently, because i'm actually not the most extroverted person in the world-- i have spent the majority of my time alone this summer by choice-- but i simultaneously spent literally every waking moment with another person in college, aside from when i was asleep and maybe an hour or two in the middle of the day. the last time i FaceTimed him we both spent it playing separate video games and basically not talking for 1-2 hours straight? yet i am exhausted after seeing another very close friend of mine at the mall for like, two hours. how do you reconcile all of that?

the reason why my best friend's company doesn't drain my social battery is because i have embedded being around him so deeply into my routine that my brain doesn't register it as a social event anymore. i could be in a room with him for literally eight hours and only spent about a quarter of that time socializing. and yet, a few days away from going back to university, that reality feels like a total shock to me, because i spend all my time alone-- how the fuck am i going to go back to being with him from three PM to midnight?

well, that's the exact opposite question Dan and Phil had to ask themselves in 2022! the two of them had been so used to each other's company that it really did become part of their daily routines: a post-social event recharge for Dan might not exclude him resting beside Phil, because Phil isn't a Person, he's just Phil who happens to be a person-- Dan's person. Dan playing the Elden Ring DLC involved Phil being there because yes, Dan was the one playing, but Phil's obviously allowed to be there. so, when Dan decides to go off on tour, and the two of them split apart... that's when the question springs up. because suddenly alone time isn't alone time and also Dan's there, it's proper, actual alone time. the things that you forget to do around the house because you know someone else is able to do them shocks you, because it was never a problem to rely on someone before-- Dan was literally always there! etc etc.

and i actually... okay, i love jokes about codependency and sometimes i do look at them (like with parts of Dan is leaving me) and go holy shit you two that's crazy, but i actually don't see this as a codependency thing! it's a pretty massive shock to anyone's system when you live around another person for that long in such a compact space, right? and like they joked about in... shit, i don't remember the video, might have been the wdapteo 3 (?), the two of them were startled to see the other person in the flesh after Dan's long stretch on tour because that is also a massive adjustment! it's kind of a terrifying one to be honest! just like how university life / home life is a distinction for me, home life / WAD life was a distinction for Dan. and i do take note of the fact that this scenario was unfolding while Dan was the one on tour, because I do think we'd see something kind of interesting if it was the other way around-- like, my point holds, but Phil was right in the video when he said that he has lived alone before versus Dan hasn't because as soon as he moved out he found Phil and, well, not even Dan seems to remember when he proper moved in with him versus when he just crashed in his bed for a weekend. tour life gave Dan structure, and i think that overwhelming reset to his system probably helped with the lack of Phil, versus Phil had experienced living alone but didn't have the same routine that led him to handle the shift in company with the same grace. can't fault the guy.

that being said, while i don't think they were codependent exactly in this period of their life, i do think they were still crazy obsessed with each other because like they really cannot go two seconds without calling or texting or saying each other's names it's so funny. i don't really feel comfortable likening anything they have to toxic because i (like all folks here i think) am very very strongly for the idea that really none of it is, they just kind of happen to be a healthy relationship in which both party is convinced they are soulmates and nobody else has ever had a love like theirs. which... cheers, mate. for sure! can't believe Dan and Phil invented romance, should we throw a party, should we invite Joey Graceffa etc etc

anyway! those are my thoughts <3 this is a clusterfuck of a post SORRY i am very sleepy and also between packing 😭 so not as articulate as usual. but i tried!

#astra.meta #really bastardizing the term now but sure alright #phan #dan and phil

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operationslipperypuppet · 10 months

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i know you have a hardshine playlist, but top 5 hardshine songs 👀

ohh shit this is fun

here's my hardshine playlist as well if you want to check it out (they're probably all gonna be on here if i'm fucking honest)

If We Were Vampires - Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit [Maybe time running out is a gift/I'll work hard til the end of my shift/And give you every second I can find] This is like THE hardshine song, if we're honest with ourselves. The idea that you wish yourself immortal, so that the time you spend together could possibly be trivial? It's so perfect. And this song is something I really have enjoyed for years so adding hardshine context to it makes it that much better, for me.

Work Song - Hozier [No grave can hold my body down/I'll crawl home to her] I was conflicted for half a second what number 2 on this list would be and then I remembered this bitch. God fucking damn. Not only are the lyrics so true to them on like a wider level, but Hardwon has literally, time after time, attempted to overcome the impossible to save Moonshine. To get back to Moonshine. The bargaining with the death horseman, Jake begging Murph to let him give Moonshine one of his luck points. Attempting, as a man with -1 intelligence, to fix a teleporter that wasn't working just so he could save her. (also the mental backflips i did to not name any of my recent fics with lyrics from this song. still can't believe i won that struggle)

After the War - Branches [My home is in your arms] This one is big on loneliness, and the kind of crux of the two people meeting ending the loneliness. And I think that's at the heart of hardshine, right? That before they met, they were both lonely and alone, in their own distinct ways. And then Moonshine walked into the bar. And in an instant, Hardwon found the home he'd been yearning for, while Moonshine finally found someone who would take her culture at face value and never try to belittle it. It's why Twinkling Lights plays under Hardwon meeting Red and asking Moonshine to live at the Crick. One way or another, they are defined by finding that safety in one another.

Love Like This - Ben Rector [It's a million things about you and I don't know what it is/I have never known a love like this] One thing that makes hardshine so beautiful, to me, is the way that it's so drastically ill-defined. Not even in the way that they never tell each other their feelings in canon, but also like the way that Jake and Emily have talked about it and the myriad of different ways they've played it. They're best friends, they're soulmates, they're in love, they can't stand more than 20ft apart without feeling lost. I think if you sat the characters down they'd have such a hard time defining, truly, what they mean to each other. And the idea here of a love that defines you while you also don't know the true depth of it feels right for them to me.

Hello My Old Heart - The Oh Hellos [Oh, I don't wanna be alone/I wanna find a home/And I wanna share it with you] Obviously home is a theme in my picks, which I feel like I have mostly explained already. But this one really hits a C3 stride for me, because it's kind of talking about returning to feeling like your heart can accept someone. And I feel like there's an insane paradigm shift that happens for Hardwon, post-distress signal. He's opening up again. But his heart does already belong to someone, and he just has to find home with her once more and his heart will remain safe, with her.

Bonus #6 is The Twinkling Lights of Galaderon. For obvious reasons

#rude to make me think about hardshine this close to when i need to sleep #i gotta do shit tomorrow and now i'm plotting... thanks!!#naddpod #hardshine #asks #anon #top 5

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erimeows · 4 months

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An Ideal Date

So, this is the second installment of my Akatsuki x Reader series. If you'd like context for this oneshot, read the first part here on AO3! Hope you guys enjoy- more chapters centered around the other Akatsuki members will be posted soon (:

Weeks pass. You get put on a team with Itachi and Kisame, and though it’s a little weird being in a three-man squad reminiscent of the one he was part of when he was young, Itachi finds that he doesn’t mind it. You balance the two men out, and for whatever reason, Samehada likes to feed off of your chakra, so you’ve been a welcome companion.

The few weeks that the three of you went on missions together were peaceful. Unfortunately, though, your team along with the rest of the Akatsuki minus Konan and Pain have been called to one of the Akatsuki’s many hideouts for a meeting. The eight of you are going to go on a mission together to assassinate a group of ninja from Kumogakure that have been sent out to hunt down the Akatsuki and- specifically, you. Apparently, the team that ambushed you came back for your body, only to find that you weren’t there.

So, they know that you’re alive and- officially- a rogue ninja who is a part of a criminal organization according to the reported sightings of you, Itachi, and Kisame working together. Though Itachi mourns your former life for you, you seem unbothered, simply moving along and doing what you’re told even though the life of a criminal suits someone as kind as you terribly.

Of course, he understands your struggle more than anyone else. He just knows better than to tell you about his life and let you confide in him.

He doesn’t need to get attached to anyone else, not after what happened to Izumi.

The two of you sit together, perhaps a little too close, on the carpeted floor of the hideout. Kisame aimlessly paces around the room with Samehada on his back. Sasori sits alone at a desk tinkering with parts of his arm while Deidara stands behind him watching while fiddling with his clay. Black and White Zetsu linger together in the doorway, leaning against the side of it. Hidan hogs most of the couch in the common room with Kakuzu being forced to sit on the arm of it as the Jashinist does maintenance on his comically large scythe.

All of you have gone over your mission, with you guiltily avoiding everyone’s eyes- as if Kumo’s assault is your fault. Kakuzu’s reassurance that your village would have come after you whether you were in the Akatsuki or not, and that they also would’ve come after the Akatsuki at some point, falls on deaf ears. You still feel terribly as you stare down at the floor. Suddenly, Deidara speaks.

“Sasori, my man,” He calls out to the redhead, who responds, but doesn’t bother to look back at him.

“What do you want?”

“What’s your ideal date?” Deidara questions.

At that, everyone in the room turns to stare at Deidara, baffled.

Then, an argument breaks out- from Sasori telling Deidara that no one would be caught dating him, to Kakuzu spewing out cheap date ideas, to Black and White Zetsu arguing about what kind of date they’d like to go on, to Hidan yelling at them to tell them that any dates not promoting the word of Jashinism are blasphemous. Kisame, thank God for him, merely laughs at all of the other Akatsuki. The rest attempt to shout over each other to be heard- mostly Hidan and Deidara- to the point that Itachi’s ears start to ring.

“Why do any of you care?” Itachi finally interrupts, raising his voice.

All of the arguing dies down until the room is completely silent

“Huh?” Hidan speaks first, stupidly cocking his head like a confused puppy. “The fuck’s that supposed to mean?”

“For starters, we’re all international criminals. No sane person is going to want to date any of us. Our only options are other criminals like ourselves,” Itachi explains. “And even if any of us were to get into successful relationships, they would inevitably fall apart.”

“And how can you guarantee that, huh?” Deidara huffs, crossing his arms over his chest.

“It’s a matter of probability… Considering what even the worst of people could handle, I don’t think anyone would willingly handle any of us.”

“Like we’re all that insufferable to be around,” Sasori laughs, seemingly shocked that Itachi would be so blunt, but also clearly in agreement. “How pitiful that you’re right...”

“Is it really fair to say that we’re all doomed to being alone for the rest of our lives?” White Zetsu hums. “That’s cruel, Itachi. Most of us at least have some good qualities.”

“That’s arguably true, but Hidan is a religious zealot with a psychopathic murderous rage-” Itachi starts, only for Hidan to slam his hands down on the coffee table and argue back.

“Hey! I am not a zealot, you fucker, I’m just trying to spread the good word of Jashin!”

Once Hidan stops, Itachi continues, looking towards the artistic duo. While Sasori is sitting there putting tools to his puppet-arm to fix his flamethrower installments, Deidara is making tiny swans out of clay.

“-Sasori and Deidara are too obsessed with themselves and their art to want to maintain a relationship, and even if they wanted to, Sasori doesn’t trust others and Deidara is far too emotionally immature.”

“The fuck do you mean emotionally immature?” Deidara demands, only for Sasori to roll his eyes and respond with-

“Oh, shut it, brat. You know he’s right.”

“Zetsu… You seem nice enough, but your physical circumstances are… Unfortunate, to say the least, and the fact that you seem to be two separate entities certainly doesn’t help your case,” Itachi clears his throat, not even meeting Zetsu’s eyes when he says this.

White Zetsu gasps, then says-

“Itachi! I never thought you could be so rude to me.”

-at the same time that Black Zetsu says-

“Itachi, you’re a fucking asshole.”

“All Kakuzu cares about is money, so he would throw any potential lover away in a millisecond for a good chunk of change-”

“That’s true,” Kakuzu nods.

“Kisame is prepared to kill people that are supposed to be close to him at a moment’s notice if he feels like that’s what needs to be done for the best result, and that principal would apply to any potential lovers,” Itachi looks to Kisame, who is at his right, and then at you. His heart skips a beat when he meets your eyes and he’s sure you’re waiting for him to say something about you, but he can’t. So, he rambles on about their leaders next. “And Konan and Pain are far too busy with this cause of theirs to bother.”

“What about (y/n)?” Kisame mocks, stopping and nudging Itachi’s shoulder with a bandaged Samehada. You inch closer to Itachi and blush. “No rude observations about her, huh?”

“...Not yet,” Itachi answers. “She hasn’t been here long enough.”

“And what about you?” Sasori follows as he finishes tinkering on his arms and starts to put his tools away. “You can’t possibly be unaware enough of yourself to think that there’s nothing wrong with you.”

“There’s plenty that’s wrong with me,” Itachi sighs. “But even if there weren’t, I couldn’t maintain a relationship because of our line of work.”

“Like you said, couldn’t you just find another rogue ninja to screw around with?” Hidan suggests while sharpening his scythe. He finishes and haphazardly swings the weapon towards Kakuzu, who catches it by the handle and throws it into the wall before standing up and firmly kicking Hidan in the shin. None of the others so much as flinch. “Ow, you old motherfucker! The fuck’s wrong with you!?”

“What’s wrong with you? You’re lucky you escaped with nothing but a bruised shin. If you would’ve destroyed one of my hearts with that, I’d take yours as a replacement,” Kakuzu threatens.

“Like I wouldn’t like that?” Hidan snarks back, to which Kakuzu merely scoffs and turns away.

“You’re foul, Hidan. Itachi is right about all of us.”

Kakuzu storms off into the hallway with Hidan following close behind, nagging his ears off.

“Great, they’re fighting again,” Deidara rolls his eyes, only for Sasori to snap back at him.

“Like you’re any better than they are? Don’t lie to yourself.”

With that, Deidara and Sasori start bickering as well. Black Zetsu grumbles something about despising all of them before trailing off into his room with White Zetsu attached. Kisame laughs again.

Within minutes, it’s just you, Itachi, and Kisame alone in the room. A calm silence falls.

You look towards Itachi and offer a small smile. For what must be the millionth time that day, his heart skips a beat at the mere sight of you. Kisame takes your spot next to Itachi and offers a toothy grin.

“Well, Itachi, since poor Zetsu is alone, I’ll go ahead and let you keep (y/n) to yourself tonight!”

At that, Itachi blinks. In this hideout, there are only four rooms. Usually, Deidara and Sasori will share, Itachi and Kisame will share, Hidan and Kakuzu will share, and Zetsu will stay in a room by himself. With you in the equation, Itachi assumed it would go the same way, just with you staying in his and Kisame’s room.

He hadn’t considered the possibility… Of sharing a room with you.

“Zetsu isn’t alone, he’s two separate entities; two separate people with two separate personalities who happen to be attached at the hip,” Itachi pokes holes in Kisame’s words for the sake of doing it- in a terrible attempt to stay cool despite how his cheeks are bright red and how his heart is slamming against his chest. “But, that aside...What are you implying about (y/n) and I?”

“I saw you looking at her all day. You always do,” Kisame snickers, then pauses. An uncharacteristically serious expression takes over his face as he leans in and makes eye contact with Itachi, amber burning into dark charcoal. “I don’t think we’re terrible people, Itachi. At least not entirely.”

“What does that have to do with what you just said?” Itachi demands, raising an eyebrow.

“You don’t seem like the type to enjoy things very much,” Kisame shrugs. “For once, you should let yourself enjoy a close bond with somebody else. It’s like you said- not everyone has the opportunity to do that.”

“Alas, I am a terrible person, Kisame, and so are the rest of us.”

“Is (y/n) a terrible person?” Kisame asks, to which Itachi falls silent. No, you’re not a terrible person- you’re flawed, but still the best of them all. You wound up in the Akatsuki entirely by accident, not because you’re a cold-blooded killer, which is the case for most of them. “That’s what I thought.”

With that, Kisame leaves.

Later that evening, Itachi retires to your shared bedroom in the hideout to find you already lying in one of the two beds with your eyes shut. Kisame isn’t anywhere to be seen, so Itachi assumes that he’s in Zetsu’s room just as he said he would be. The Uchiha walks quietly in case you’re asleep, but you make it apparent that you’re awake when you address him.

“Itachi, where’s Kisame?”

“He said he wanted to room with Zetsu tonight…” Itachi trails off. He’s sure you’re going to ask why, so he follows that up with- “For whatever reason.”

“Hm.”

You pause, staring at the wall. It appears as if you’re contemplating.

“What’s bothering you?”

“I was thinking about everything you said to the others,” You say, sitting up and pulling your knees to your chest. You wrap your arms around your legs and sigh. “Earlier, I mean. About the dating stuff.”

“Oh,” Itachi replies, rubbing the back of his neck. “I was rather cruel. My apologies if it bothered you.”

“No, it didn’t bother me. As mean as it feels to say, you weren’t wrong, for the most part.”

“Then why have you brought it up?”

“I think you could date… If you wanted to,” You murmur, bashful. Right then, everything clicks. You must return his feelings… The way you constantly cling to him, the kindness you display, the staring you do when you think he’s not paying attention. At first, Itachi assumed that you were merely grateful for how he saved your life last month, but now… Well, he’s not stupid. He can tell just by your body language that you’re attracted to him. “And I’m curious about what your ideal date would be.”

“My ideal date…” Itachi starts, against his better judgment. He knows he shouldn’t do this with you. You’re a good person, and he’s… Well, his quality of character is debatable. You deserve better- anyone who gets close to him ends up dead. Still, the selfish part of him can’t help but want to travel this road with you. “Mayhaps this is more practical than romantic, but I’ve always enjoyed going to stay at hot springs. Soaking in the water helps with my chronic pain, and the food is usually quite decent.”

“Yeah, that’s fair,” You nod and absentmindedly play with your hair. Your gaze flickers to the window. “We should go sometime… Together.”

Itachi swallows.

“Yes… I would enjoy that.”

With that, Itachi retreats into the bathroom to change into his pajamas before climbing into the other bed and falling asleep for the night. For once, he turns his back to his partner and falls asleep easily, knowing that you would never think of hurting him.

Later in the night, Itachi is woken up by the sound of his bed creaking. He jerks up, Sharingan activated without a second thought. His eyes glow bright red against the darkness of your shared room as he stares into your soul. You’re sitting on the edge of the bed with your hand on his shoulder.

“U-Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,” You apologize, tears in your pretty (e/c) eyes. You appear utterly exhausted. “I just… Had a nightmare.”

At the explanation, Itachi deactivates his Sharingan and allows the tension to leave his body. His thin frame relaxes as he settles back down into the bed.

“You must be tired,” Itachi murmurs. “Did you want to join me?”

“Yeah, if it’s okay.”

Itachi blushes. He hasn’t slept with anyone in a bed before… Still, he wants you to feel better and get some rest before the big mission tomorrow- and a selfish part of him most certainly doesn’t hate the idea of holding you- so he scoots over to make room and lifts his blanket, gesturing for you to crawl underneath.

“Are you alright?”

You climb into the bed and under the covers, laying on your side to face Itachi. He slips an arm under your body to pull you closer despite being so unfamiliar with physical touch… It feels as if both his heart and his skin are on fire from merely holding you.

“I will be,” You answer, snuggling into Itachi’s chest. “I just… It’s been weeks, but I can still feel those needles in my neck, and the blood on my skin… I can’t forget it.”

“I understand, but believe me, nothing else will happen to you- not while I’m here,” Itachi reassures you, holding you close and pressing a kiss into the top of your head. “You’re my partner, after all. It’s my job to protect you now.”

“...Thank you, Itachi,” You hum. Your eyes fall shut and your lashes flutter against your cheekbones. “Let’s get some rest… We have a long day ahead of us.”

“(y/n)?” Itachi starts.

“Yes?”

“I changed my mind,” He says, then clarifies- “About your question… Regarding what my ideal date would be.”

“What’s your new answer, then?”

“My ideal date… Would be anything, as long as it’s with you.”

Much to Itachi’s surprise, you lean up and kiss his lips.

“I agree… I really like you,” You grin. “That being said, though, we still need to go to the hot springs together like you said. Don’t you think?”

“Yes,” Itachi smiles back. “I would love to, (y/n).”

#itachi uchiha #itachi #itachi x reader #itachi uchiha x reader #fem reader #female reader #akatsuki reader #naruto fanfiction #naruto #naruto shippuden #drabble #drabbles #oneshot #series #oneshots

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lokisransom · 1 year

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Take Me Back To Eden

you radiate a warmth that loki craves, it reminds him of Asgard when he was young, before he thought of it as a place of unjust bias resulting in the anguish of their people. Since the day he saw this father for who he is loki only craved the familiarity and comfort of what felt like home to him. it had always seemed just out of reach, as if the world around him needed him to feel cold and alone, ironic considering his lineage.

The day he met you he could've sworn the universe was just putting him in his place, just another desire just out of reach, something he convinced himself would solve all his problems, or at least help him relax once in a while. You seemed almost ethereal, Moreso than even the god was prepared for. No one on the compound had told him they'd be getting a new teammate or that said teammate would give off an almost hypnotic aura.

Loki knew he needed you the second he laid eyes on you, it took him days to come up with a plan that he thought would succeed, he placed you on a metaphorical pedestal, convinced himself that even his best schemes couldn't trick you into spending time with him no matter the context.

Loki almost idolized you, he'd do things with the justification that you would want him to or that you would approve of his actions, most of the actions using those justifications were selfcare themed proving himself kind of right and definitely not wrong (his favorite type of right)

he'd gotten into the habit of going off into his own world while in meetings and especially while outside sunbathing, you were always the center of his fantasies, although innocent in nature they were still very distracting. in fact they were so distracting that he didn't notice you standing over him with a smile on your face until you kneeled down next to him where you poke his sides to get his attention. his eyes snap open the second you touch him, a moment ago he had thought your scent was just his overactive imagination.

the panic set in almost immediately, none of this was how he'd imagined the two of you would talk for the first time, he had always thought one day he would finally walk up to you after a mission, or maybe save you from imminent death, making him your saviour but here you sat with an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"hey?" your greeting sounded more like a question than you had meant it to but you'd also expected loki to cause chaos at every chance

"h-hi" the only thoughts running through his mind was how perfect you were up close, he wanted to lean into you and never let you go but he refrained from doing so. you could read him like a book, his every though projected from behind his eyes, his body language screaming that he just wanted to fall into your arms and never leave.

"you're so much more docile than I expected" your head was tilted and your tone curious. Loki's paused for a moment, thinking over his most recent actions and how they'd been sub par for his standards. he hadn't thought he'd let you distract him that much but he hadn't gone through his usual weekly list of pissing people off with minor inconveniences and moving furniture an inch to the left. his methods have gone soft but he tells himself its just efficiency.

"i guess i have been more docile recently, you're right to have expected more of me." his gaze drops to the grass below you, the last thing he wanted was to disappoint you.

"n-no, its not that I expected more of you, I've just heard rumors, none of them exactly pleasant. i think its a good thing that you haven't been wreaking havoc. it makes you seem a little more approachable. " your smile softened and your brows furrowed.

"they don't speak to you much do they" you intended it to be a question but it was really more of an observation. loki just shook his head, he'd always been a loner, always craved recognition and reassurance, always just wanted to have someone to lean on and he seemed to have accidentally chosen you. he really didn't mean to but you just had this atmosphere surrounding you.

you placed your hand under his chin, gently pulling up so that he'd look you in the eyes, you felt the need to make him truly understand your intentions.

"they don't deserve a glimpse inside your mind, frankly neither do i but id like to change that if you'd let me" if it was the placement of your hand or the tone of your voice he wasn't sure but you had left him breathless, he nodded in response to you, not trusting his voice or even knowing what to say. all he knew was that he needed you, that he'd run to you any time he had the chance, his mind raced with possibilities, plans for long walks, places you might enjoy, he suddenly wanted to know everything about you, your favorite foods, if you had allergies, your favourite color. he needed to know it all, he wanted to crawl inside your mind and aimlessly walk till his legs give out.

you decided you would join him in the grass, sitting just out of the sun under a tree while he continued laying in the direct sunlight, he turned onto his side to face you, not ever wanting to miss a glimpse of you. even in the shade you seemed to be glowing, it was a nice warm glow that reminded him of an oil lamp or a camp fire on a summers night.

the sun had started setting, you and loki had fallen into a comfortable conversation that jumped from topic to topic, he would hang on your every word and you returned the interest. it seemed the two of you really were polar opposites, although you'd both spent much of your lives searching for something to even you out, for him that meant sunbathing for hours a day and for you that meant long walks on winter nights.

loki had kept in the back of his mind that you two might be able to even each other out more so than your current solutions, he didn't want to push his luck though, he had just gotten to talk to you today and he didn't want to push you to far or scare you off, although he did hope that you had the same thought process as him.

of course you had, it was what initially made you want to go to him, you'd heard rumors of him being cold, both physically and metaphorically. you'd always felt like you burned to bright for your own good, like at at any moment you'd combust and be left with nothing but ashes.

you'd always felt like Icarus, flying to close to the sun but not sure you could resist even if you wanted to. it had popped into your mind at some point while you and loki spoke that he could keep your wings from melting in the hot sun, although it would run the risk of the cold shattering the wax that kept you afloat. it felt like you had known him all your life, as if he was there from the start.

you thought to yourself that maybe both of your lives would have been better if you had known each other from the start, that maybe if you had been Asgardian or if he had been thrown to Midgard at a different time maybe together you would've been able to avoid the growing pains of life. maybe you would've been able to save his mother or avoid some alien invasions, maybe you could've saved him before he fell and maybe he could've held you before the collapse.

the chill in the air and the darkness surrounding you is what snapped you out of your train of thought, you'd both spent so long talking that your voices were hoarse and the sun had long gone down, the moon cast a blue sheen on Loki's skin making the green of his clothes stand out just that little bit more. the reflection in his eyes drew your attention, he seemed less at peace under the moonlight, almost as if nights in the past had left him sleepless and numb.

in reality it wasn't the night that was at fault but instead the endless expanse of space and the creatures that occupied it, particularly the ones that dedicated their lives to hunting him down and making him suffer, the sun helped him forget about the darkness that followed him across galaxies. you crawled towards him sitting back on your heels, you rested you hand on his back softly as to not startle him. the look on his face told you everything you needed to know.

"you know you don't have to run alone right?" your words were far softer than either of you had expected, the implication that you'd follow him across worlds hung heavy in the air, although he did understand where you were coming from. in the short time you'd been speaking to one another you'd become closer friends than loki had ever had.

he nodded in response before hesitantly responding "I know, but its safer if I'm alone.. less people get hurt when I'm alone" his word stung you in a way you didn't quite understand. you knew he didn't want to be alone and that he meant it towards everyone and not just you but you felt the need to prove him wrong which would prove to be a difficult task.

after a short pause you decided on actively asking him questions that would force him to second guess his train of thought and re-evaluate what his options actually are.

"is there really no where you could go that would be safe? even just for a little while? what about Asgard?" your spitfire questions almost threw his off, he'd never had someone try to problem solve with him because most people just wanted him gone.

"I mean, technically Asgard would be fine for a while... i never really thought about going back home. there really isn't anything there for me other than potential safety and inevitably the past." that answer felt almost to easy. the only real downside would be the lack of purpose. at least if he stayed here he would have something to fight for even if it wasn't something he was passionate about it was still a reason to get out of bed every morning. he also realized at the thought of leaving he felt an almost dread, not because he'd miss the things he has or the general area but because he'd found a new friend that he really didn't want to get to the point of missing. he didn't want to miss you.

"if you go to Asgard are you going alone?" you didn't want to outright ask if you could go with him but you were really hoping he'd let you, if nothing else it would be nice to see a new planet. he could've sworn that his heart fluttered, maybe he could have the best of both worlds.

"would you be willing to go with me?" a smirk creeped its way onto his face and with that you knew you'd finally get to see the chaos loki could bring, a trickster back in the places he learned how to trick people would be a recipe for fun, for him at least.

A/N- i will be making a part two fairly soonish, also i apologize if this seemed all over the place, it was written in the late hours of the night across several weeks and I'm not great at reading over things before i post them, maybe some day I'll learn ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

PS. this was 2k words, v proud of myself

#loki #loki fluff #loki friggason #loki friggason x reader #loki laufesyon x reader #loki x you #mcu loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #marvel loki #loki x reader #loki odinson x reader #loki friggason fluff #loki odinson fluff

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asykriel · 2 years

Text

Love is the Death of Duty - 7.

® do not repost or translate !

☆ Pairing: Aemond Targaryen x Male! Targaryen OC

☆ Status: Ongoing

☆ Summary:

“He is half of my heart.”

War made monsters of them all, but it also brought the two second sons together in a flurry of death, love, deceit and delusion. The story of Aemond Targaryen and the eldest son of Daemon and Rhaenyra, Maegor Targaryen, second of his name.

☆ Warnings: Sexual content, explicit violence, dark themes, targcest etc.

☆ AO3 ☆ || ☆ Wattpad ☆

☆ CHAPTERS: (Prologue) / ( 1 ) / ( 2 ) / ( 3 ) / ( 4 ) / ( 5 ) / ( 6 ) / ( 7 ) / ( 8 ) / ( 9 ) / ( 10 ) / ( 11 ) / ( 12 ) / ( 13 ) / ( 14 ) / ( 15 ) / (16 from now on upcoming chaps only on- AO3 || Wattpad )

☆ Masterlist ☆ || ☆ Spotify Playlist ☆

➸ Previous part

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Chapter 7

Two months. It took Rhaenyra two months to finally give in and accept Daemon's decision to send their son to fight against the Triarchy. They argued a lot, but at the end of the day Rhaenyra knew getting the Stepstones under their command was critical, not only for what it meant as a strategic point but also to silence the bad mouths that were ill talking about her right to the Throne.

Everything else did not matter now that Maegor is finally atop of his Saagael, gliding above the clouds as they make their way to prove themselves. He could close his eyes and bask in the peace if it weren't for the violence that he would engage in at the destination.

"How much left do you think?" Maegor's temporary peace is ended quickly by his elder brother's shouting, but he pretends he does not hear him.

The biggest inconvenience about his departure is that Jacaerys accompanied him after two months of constant arguments and hostile sparring sessions. The eldest couldn't stand the thought of being outshined by his younger brother seemingly. So he begged his parents until they relented in the end. Daemon was supportive of the idea, it was about time for the eldest to show his strength, but Rhaenyra gave in the hardest. She did not want to hear anything about her firstborn going to war.

In any other context, Maegor would have not minded Jace's company that much, but now it is different. They are going to fight in a war with no experience of real battles. Jacaerys even less as he is less skilled in swordmanship than Maegor from all the training sessions he either skipped or was not focused enough on. And Vermax too was only a young dragon with no previous fighting experience compared to Cannibal, who has probably been in hundreds of them, be it with his own kin or humans alone. Maegor's job just became more difficult. He had to watch his brother's back besides his own like he swore he would through clenched teeth to his mother.

Rhaenyra made him swear an oath before her, that he will bring back Jacaerys alive and in one piece no matter what. It hurt. She did not even try to hide how much she favored her dark-haired sons, and every time Maegor witnessed this, he seethed. Daemon always seemed to lean on Maegor's side more, going as far as becoming his mentor, especially as a child, naturally he was his firstborn son. Maegor always felt that, although Daemon favored him more, he was still cold, unpredictable and out of reach, even more so with everything that happened. And for the young Prince this kind of uncertainty coming from his own family was frightening. Maegor was scared that he could be very well cast aside, disposed of when there was no longer a use for him.

Sure, aside of all the cruel pranks he endured from his brothers, Maegor had a good childhood, his mother and Laenor made sure he never lacked anything be it books, toys or clothes, when Daemon came into the picture he trained Maegor to be a warrior, raised him into a true Targaryen man and taught him his ways about the world. Although he never lacked in material needs or skills, Maegor scarcely received any glimpse of love or affection from either of his parents. Of course, he did not expect it as much from his father, Daemon simply did not show love and affection in the traditional way to anyone around him, save for the rare occasion when Maegor caught the fleeting glimpse of gentle gestures between his parents. Rhaenyra should have been the one to shower Maegor with affection the same way she does with her dark haired sons. It pained Maegor that his own mother could not treat all her children equally and he did not understand why. Did he wrong his mother with anything? Did Maegor remind her of the Rogue Prince so much that Rhaenyra thought that, alike Daemon, he did not need such trivial matters? Perhaps he would never find the answer to his questions.

What Maegor knows for certain is that Aemond is the very first person who showed him affection and made him feel loved and wanted in the fleeting moments they got to spend together. He yearns to feel it again. To see Aemond again.

"Maegor! Are you deaf?" Maegor's train of thoughts is interrupted again by the sound of his brother's voice and he clicks his tongue in annoyance.

"I reckon we'll be there by sunset at the earliest." The younger Prince keeps his gaze straight and offers a brief response, adjusting himself atop of his massive dragon. His whole body was sore from the journey and his first long flight together with Saagael, but he had to get used to riding without a saddle like he promised.

"We could pick up the pace. What do you say about a race?" The eldest Prince pulls on the reins of his own mount, closing some distance between the two dragons. When he acted as obnoxious and childish as this, Jace reminded Maegor a lot of their younger brother, Lucerys.

"Quit it. The dragons need to be well rested for what's to come." Maegor pats the black scales beneath him soothingly after the Cannibal snaps his jaws around thin air with a low growl, warning the much smaller Vermax to keep his distance.

Jace should know better by now. Although Saagael bonded really close with Maegor in the past two months spent on Dragonstone, that did not mean he would not be hostile towards anyone else, he already killed and ate several dragon keepers that were foolish enough to use the same approach like they did for all the other dragons in their care. After all Saagael did not earn his infamous nickname by being as docile as a lap dog. The Cannibal was still as wild as the day before his rider claimed him and Maegor enjoyed every bit of his dragon's vicious temper. The level of trust and bonding he managed to achieve with Saagael made the young Prince feel powerful and grateful at the same time that a fire breather of this caliber chose him out of everyone else after hundreds of years of failed claiming attempts.

There was no other dragon better suited for him than this one.

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Nightfall arrived at the same time as the two Princes landed on the island where the Seasnake established a military outpost that was barely functioning anymore. Maegor left his dragon further away from the camp than Vermax landed for the safety of everyone else and went to catch up with his elder brother on foot. Cautiously meeting the tired eyes of the soldiers that were out on watch duty and were scanning him hesitantly.

"Welcome my Princes, I hope you had safe travels." Instead of being greeted by Corlys like they expected, the two are met by a young man, no older than Jacaerys with a mix of Velaryon and Targaryen physical features - darker skin, silver hair and violet eyes.

"Who might you be?" Maegor asks before Jace can thank the man, stepping forward in front of his elder brother, much to his annoyance.

"Ah, my apologies, I have not introduced myself properly. I am Addam Velaryon, at your service. The Lord of the Tides assigned me commander in his absence." The young man immediately gets flustered and bows swiftly. Maegor scans him from head to toe, he can tell formalities were something new to him, but the Prince also wonders about his origins. Surely, he would have remembered Addam if he ever saw him before on Driftmark.

Corlys Velaryon was full of surprises, but it was not Maegor's place to judge or intervene in his business.

"Speaking of the Seasnake, where is he? Fighting during the night?" Jace asks, quickly looking around for the man, but there is no sight of him.

"I am afraid not. Lord Corlys was gravely injured a few days ago. He is bedridden with a fever, and the maesters are working to keep him among the living." The young commander lowers his gaze slightly, but the bitterness and worry in his voice do not go unnoticed. Something more than just an assigned military ranked bonded the young man to the Seasnake.

"Has the Crown offered no aid so far?" Maegor scoffs audibly at his brother's foolish question. Otto and Alicent Hightower were too preoccupied sitting on the Iron Throne in the place of their illr grandfather than to pay any attention to the Stepstones despite its strategic importance.

"None. We fought alone."

"And the war?" The elder brother keeps insisting.

"The odds are again-"

"Let us continue this briefing at dawn when everyone will be well rested. My brother and I had a long journey." Maegor interrupts, placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, grabbing it firmly to get him to stop.

"O-of course, my Prince. I shall have you escorted to your tents at once." The young commander stutters in surprise momentarily, but obeys immediately nonetheless and invites the young men to follow him.

Along with a couple of guards, he first escorts Jace to his private tent in the heart of the camp, then escorts Maegor to his. Vermax was left to rest closer to camp. He would not pose any danger to the men unless purposely disturbed.

However, the younger Prince refuses the initial designated location and instead orders to have his tent set up on the outskirts of the outpost. The young commander and the accompanying guards practically beg him not to due to how unsafe it was if the enemy ever decided on an ambush.

All worries are quickly forgotten when the men, led by Maegor, arrive on the grassy cliff overlooking the sea, and they hear a low growl coming from the giant form of the Cannibal resting in the grass.

"Unlike my brother, I prefer to be close to Saagael. And I can assure you I cannot be any safer than this." Maegor walks up to his dragon and runs his hand along the scarred black scales on his muzzle.

The Cannibal drags his head closer to his rider without lifting it off the grass and rumbles in contentment but the spines along his neck bristles as he fixes the men with his sapphire gaze while they raise up Maegor's tent and prepare it for the night.

After the tent is raised and everything is prepared inside it to make it look like a bedchamber, the men leave but the young commander stays behind, looking quite unsure of himself and fidgety.

"My Prince... there is one more matter left." Addam Velaryon clears his voice, catching the attention of the young Prince just as he is about to enter his tent and call it a night.

"Go on." Maegor sighs, but treats Addam with patience nonetheless, even if all he wishes for right now was to rest. He was never the one to purposely mistreat servants or be cruel to them without a reason.

"A messenger from King's Landing came just the day before your arrival. I was entrusted with this letter and received clear instructions not to reveal them to anyone else but your Highness." The young commander hesitates at first but eventually gives Maegor a sealed parchment and along with it, a small package.

By now the tensions between the Hightowers and his family are well known across all the seven kingdoms. The young Velaryon does not want to add fuel to the fire by any means, but naturally he is quite curious.

When Maegor sees the green wax and the Targaryen seal he sucks in a sharp breath, maintaining a straight face and calm composure as best as he can in front of Addam.

"That will be all for tonight, commander. Thank you." The young Prince dismisses the commander hastily before heading into his tent, leaving Addam Velaryon to stare in confusion at the structure before him.

The Velaryon bastard lingers a while longer not knowing what to make out of the Prince yet. Jacaerys is the friendlier and more outgoing one out of the two for sure, but the mistery and powerful aura around Maegor is what drew people to him. The commander is curious about the younger Prince and all his instincts tell him that Maegor will prove to be a valuable asset in this war.

A low rumbling growl coming from behind the tent reminds Addam about the presence of the Cannibal. Staying any longer would be unwise with a beast like that guarding Maegor's tent, so he quickly makes his way back to camp, only looking back over his shoulder a few times to make sure the dragon was not stalking him. Where was that letter from, the young commander can only wonder. He almost regrets that he did not take a peek before giving it to the Prince, but alas he shouldn't pry in the matters of nobles when he barely became one of them himself quite recently.

"My dear Prince,

I hope this letter reaches you in time before you set off to war. When word reached King's Landing that Maegor Targaryen laid claim on a dragon I rejoiced with pride. Now, I find it hard to sleep and go on about my day when the thought of you in danger gnaws at my mind. There is no doubt in my mind that you are not capable of destroying your enemies, but you cannot condemn me for worrying.

You do not know how many times I thought about getting on Vhagar and coming to aid you. I must remain patient however , for our sake and the sake of the fragile peace between our families.

Instead of myself, I sent you something to bring you fortune and remind you of me when times are dark. Of us.

Happy birthday, Prince Maegor. I am waiting patiently for you to fulfill the rest of your promise.

Return safely to me. My blind eye is desperately waiting for the sight of you,

Aemond."

Maegor's eighteenth birthday was tomorrow and he completely forgot it, being more focused on the battle ahead. But Aemond remembers. He feels his breath hitching and a knot twisting in his stomach as he reads the sender's name. All the blood rushes to his head to the point of nausea.

Maegor kicks off his boots and slumps on his back against the furs in his bed. Closing his eyes the letter is tightly crumpled against his chest. The young Prince clings to that piece of parchment as if it's his lifeline. And maybe it really was. He does not know what tomorrow might bring, or the day after. All he knows is that he cannot die until he fulfills the promise he made to Aemond.

Maegor lies frozen like that in his bed for a few more moments until he decides he is calm enough to open the small package that was sent along with the letter.

He picks it up and starts inspecting it. The package is wrapped carefully in a soft, black leather with straps from the same material. Maegor removes the leather covering it and unravels a small box, made out of a dark wood - ebony, he would guess - with intricate carvings, the biggest carving in the center being, of course, the Targaryen seal. Aemond was full of surprises, Maegor never knew the older Prince was so skilled at crafting and woodcarving.

He slowly opens the box and inside, Maegor finds a necklace made out of dark silver with two dragons circling around and framing a jewel as the centerpiece. A section of an amethyst melted and joined into a section of a sapphire forming a whole gemstone.

"How long have you been planning this you madman...?" Maegor mutters under his breath and secures the necklace around his neck. His heart is threatening to jump out through his ribcage as he feels the weight of the piece of jewelry and runs his fingers over the gemstone.

If he has to guess, Aemond probably planned this ever since Maegor left King's Landing months ago. The timing is impeccable and the execution even more so. Delaying his departure to the Stepstones for two months was all worth it after all. Maegor knows if he was still in Dragonstone, Daemon would have gotten his hands first on both the package and the letter and they would have never reached him. Aemond knows too, that's why he waited like a cunning snake until his young Prince was far away from his father's reach.

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Dawn found Maegor standing on the edge of the cliff overlooking the sea, mindlessly running his fingers over the silver dragons of his necklace. He was already cladded in black armor, ready to set to battle at anytime. In the distance, he could see countless of enemy ships and the remains of some of the ones from the Seasnake's fleet floating in the water.

He sighs deeply. Last night was long for him. Maegor should have gotten more sleep, but all he could think about was Aemond and his gift.

Saagael blows a warm gust of air against the Prince's back, sensing his rider's restlessness. When Maegor ignores him, the dragon gently pushes him with his muzzle, a low bellow escaping his throat. For a creature so big, Maegor soon found during their time spent together that the Cannibal could be very gentle with him. He also demanded lots of attention from the young Prince when he was in the mood, akin to a cat, which Maegor gladly provided. He often wonders why Saagael lived centuries of loneliness in the wild like an outcast, rejecting even the company of his own kin when he chose to cannibalize on them. Unfortunately, the gods did not bless dragons with the gift of speech, Maegor knows this was one of the many mysteries behind the Cannibal that will remain, well, a mystery.

"Ēdrutan sȳrī?" Maegor caves in to the persistent attention grabbing and turns to his dragon. Saagael lowers his head to the ground and closes his eyes, waiting for his rider to scratch along the scales of his muzzle like he always does. And like always, the dragonrider indulges, finding joy in bonding like this with him. It mattered more that the Cannibal was well rested even if he was not. After all, the dragon will be the one to carry most of the weight of the battle.

Suddenly Saagael snaps his eyes open, lifting his head and turning it in the opposite direction. The beast growls and bares his sword like teeth possessively, sensing another presence before his rider does.

"Lykiri, Saagael." Maegor demands and goes back to stroking his hand over the black scales, calming the beast.

"Good morning, my Prince, I hope you rested well." The young commander greets him but keeps a safe distance. He does not wish to start his day by becoming breakfast. However, he immediately notices the necklace around Maegor's neck. Strange, was it too dark last night or was that necklace new?

"You shouldn't sneak up like that on a dragon, lord commander. Unless you have a death wish that is." Maegor watches the young man as he takes a few steps back and walks between the Cannibal and Addam Velaryon, while still keeping a calming hand on his dragon.

"My apologies my Lord. The men on watch duty saw you were awake and informed me. Prince Jacaerys... he - uh - already ordered the start of the war council without you." The commander hesitates and the young Prince stops stroking his dragon abruptly.

"Did he now?" Maegor's jaw clenches painfully.

That bastard. What is he even thinking.

The Velaryon immediately notices how the Prince's calm mood switches completely and his eyes darken with anger. He chooses to stay silent instead of responding and risking to sour the Prince's mood any further.

"Umbagon." Maegor barks to Saagael and begins walking at an alert pace towards the camp. The young commander matches his long strides and follows closely behind him, embarassed to say anymore words to him.

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"My Prince, we simply cannot afford to launch another attack at this time. We already suffered more losses last night and out fleet is half destroyed." An older, high ranking soldier pleads with the eldest Prince.

In a large tent, several captains along with Jacaerys are spread out around a table with the map of the Stepstones lying out in front of them. No wonder why Jace insisted on staying in the heart of the camp, he wanted to play the military strategist and be in the center of attention.

Sitting at the tent's entrance next to the young commander, Maegor waits patiently and listens to hear what his dear brother has to say for now.

"You haven't been attacking them hard enough, captain. Send out the fleet again and launch another attack." Jacaerys waves a dismissive hand.

"And after you are done crushing their ships we can move on land to chase them out of the holes they are hiding in." He continues, banging the table with his fist in confidence.

The captains are silent. Even a blind man could see how tired and low on morale these men were and yet the fool wanted to push them further when he has no knowledge whatsover about the wars at hand. Not once had he showed any interest in military tactics and strategies when Daemon tried to teach him back on Dragonstone and now Jace was acting like he was a warmonger passed through countless of battles.

"This delusional idiot woke up today and decided to play the general." Maegor mutters under his breath, clicking his tongue and rubbing at his temples in annoyance. The young commander glances at him, not knowing if he heard right or not.

"Enough! Lord commander, thoroughly remind both my brother and I what are we dealing with." Maegor raises his voice and makes his way to the table, everyone's eyes upong him, facing Jace on the other side and sending a silent warning to his brother to stop embarrassing himself any further in front of all these seasoned warriors around them.

Based on his surprised reaction, he clearly did not expect to see his younger brother so early. He wants to complain but the cold glare coming from Maegor warns him not to. Luckily, Jace does not want to cause a public scene and he remains silent for now.

"The Triarchy is not news to anyone. Everyone knows the story of how Prince Daemon fought and won against them many years ago as I am sure you know as well, my Lords. Some of the men in this army, including the Seasnake were there too." Addam Velaryon joins the table and begins his briefing.

"However, this time they are stronger than ever, having learned from past mistakes. And to make matters worse, Dorne is offering constant aid. Ever since lord Corlys got injured, we have been barely managing." The young commander sighs, pointing at the figures on the map meant to represent the enemy.

"What of Princess Rhaenys? She is a seasoned dragonrider. Why has she not come to your aid now that her husband is lying wounded?" Jacaerys questions, his gaze lingering on his brother instead of the commander as if he expects a reaction from Maegor but his younger brother ignores him, paying more attention to the commander instead.

"Lord Corlys ordered her not to no matter what. Driftmark cannot be left undefended, my Prince." Addam's response seems to satisfy Jace enough.

"Tell us about Dorne's involvement. What kind of aid are they sending?" The younger Prince intervenes, looking over the map to where Dorne was laid out.

"Supplies, men, ships and I'm afraid Black Scorpions too, my Prince. There are a number of ships equipped with them, we do not know how many. Most of the scorpions are on land and are being used for defense. They have established a garrison on the island where Prince Daemon killed the Crabfeeder long ago and so far we have not been able to touch that island without suffering major losses." The young commander continues.

"My father instilled fear in them and now they are equipped to take down dragons and their riders." Maegor scoffs. Black Scorpions are dangerous even for Saagael and to a young dragon like Vermax they can be deadly if they hit their mark.

"Indeed, however judging by their tactics and the new uses for the scorpions, the Triarchy no longer expects dragon riders to arrive after so long. We could use this to our advantage." Addam Velaryion explains, showing on the map the tactics used by the enemy so far.

And while the commander continues sharing information and offering precious intel, Maegor begins thinking about how he should act. He has to be smart about this, but at the same time he has to act fast even if it means taking bigger risks. It's obvious the Triarchy became more skilled and powerful in all these years, but they were not untouchable nor unkillable.

What would father do? Something completely insane, that's for sure.

"Call your men and ships back commander. Secure this island as best as you can." Maegor suddenly speaks turning every eye to him.

"Call them back, my Prince?" The Velaryon bastard questions, thinking he misheard.

"At once. My brother and I can buy some time on dragonback for your men while they rest and heal injuries. I do not want to risk any of your ships to get burned down by accident." The young Prince presses on.

Maegor has a plan.

"What? Are you insane?! Do you want us to go alone against an army? It was a Black Scorpion that killed Meraxes, brother. A dragon the same size as yours!" Jace suddenly shouts. The confident glint in his eye is slowly fading and is slowly replaced by anxiousness. Reality is slowly creeping in and catching up to Jace, who was finally realizing this was indeed not a game but the reality of war.

"Are we, Targaryens not closer to gods than men, brother? You can stay behind if you wish or go back to Dragonstone, it matters not to me." Maegor ignores his brother's comparasion and his emphasis does not go unnoticed judging by how Jace's cheeks flush with anger.

"I will take flight at once, do what I said, commander. This island needs to be our fortress, I want a guard on watch duty on every corner. No stranger will move without my knowledge or yours." And with that Maegor exits the tent, leaving his older brother behind calling after him and the men that start whispering among each other.

Is he mad?

While he walks back to the Cannibal, the young Prince clutches the necklace in his hand. The tiredness he felt in his body from a restless night is now replaced with a rush of adrenaline going straight to his head.

"Nyke jorrāelagon ao naejot rȳbās, Saagael." Maegor closes his eyes and leans against the beast's head with his whole body, feigning a hug as best as he can. His heart was racing and his hands were slightly trembling. Maegor has no real war experience, but he has Saagael and he trusts him with his life.

The Cannibal rumbles in return and lowers himself flat to the ground, allowing his rider to climb on his back. Maegor wastes no time, already used to get on swiftly on top of his dragon and climbing off just as fast. Before he takes off, he clutches the necklace one last time, kissing the gemstone. A silent promise to someone far away that he will return.

"Sōvēs!" Maegor shouts gripping on the chains around Saagael's neck that rattle as the beast stretches his body.

The Cannibal obeys, rising from the ground. He spreads his enormous wings, stretching them with a flap before he takes off into the air with a low growl. The soldiers look up in awe as a black shadow is cast over the camp when Maegor flies above it. For them it is a sign of hope being restored and the possibility of the odds finally leaning in their favor. For their enemies, it is doom.

Weather is on their side. Low, dark rain clouds are hanging low enough for Saagael to silently fly in them and remain hidden despite his size. The sea is starting to become more agitated below them, making it hard for both allied and enemy ships to navigate and launch attacks.

The two circle the island they are camping on a few more times, watching as the allied ships and men return back to safety before flying out away from the outpost and into the enemy territory. From a distance the Prince notices several enemy ships forming a fleet and seemingly giving chase on the restless sea after the retreating men.

This is an opportunity that cannot be missed. Maegor needs to strike fast and deadly and retreat just as swift. His brother was right about the Black Scorpions having killed Meraxes. All that was needed was an arrow striking a vulnerable area and it could be all over for both him and Saagael.

"Naejot." The Cannibal does not need to be told twice. He can feel his rider's intentions, as if he is reading his thoughts directly and Maegor could feel the ripples of tensing muscles under him as the dragon prepares himselg. Saagael remains calm and focused, a testament of his age and experience. The hunt was on but they are the predators.

No one has been paying attention to the skies for the past months. No one thinks there would be any dragon coming by now. A mistake.

Like a hawk diving down onto an unsuspecting prey, Saagael plunges from the clouds with the ships locked in his sight. The skies suddenly darken and a dark shadow that is increasingly becoming bigger each second is cast above the enemy ships. By the time the men notice and they start shouting, chaos erupts in the shape of a deafening roar and a blaze of flames.

"Drakarys!"

(Art by me)

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Translations:

Ēdrutan sȳrī? = Slept well?

Lykiri, Saagael. = Calm, Saagael.

Umbagon. = Stay.

Nyke jorrāelagon ao naejot rȳbās, Saagael. = I need you to focus, Saagael.

Sōvēs! = Fly!

Naejot = Forward.

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tumblingxelian · 7 months

Text

Wednesday Fanfic Concept - Mothers

Summary:

When Enid slipped away from her mother and the horrifying thought of Conversion Therapy she did not expect to stumble on a conversation between Bianca and her own mother, let alone one so terrifying.

Bianca did not expect to spend Parents day trying to escape her mothers grasp. Let alone trying to do so in the Nightshades catacombs with Enid Sinclair at her side.

With any luck their mothers will kill each other or give up the search, but then, when have they ever been lucky?

Concept:

Sort of brief, more of an episode divergence, but I feel there is so much potential for a Enid Bianca team up during parents day.

Like, even within the context of the show and it works narratively and thematically!

In one side of the story you have:

Wednesday and Morticia overcoming the distance between them to reveal the truth of crimes past and free Gomez.

Meanwhile, unaware of all this, Enid & Bianca are hiding from their mothers who team up to hunt them them down.

Esther: I am sure your Childs rebelliousness will pass, but I envy you a child of such talent and power. I once thought Enid showed such potential but she lacks the will to find it.

Gabrielle: You are too kind my dear, but I must confess some of my own envy. For its clear despite her weakness and fear, Enid adores you in a way Bianca never could I.

Esther: The Grass is always greener on the other side I suppose.

In the middle of the episode, Esther and Gabrielle encounter Morticia in the Nightshaders library and have a veiled & tense stand off where Morticia.

Gabrielle: Ah, our apologies dear, we were simply seeking our missing daughters, I am sure you understand.

Morticia: If my daughter desired to go missing rather than speak with me, I'd accept that rather than force my presence on her.

Esther: Given the rumors swirling about her, that sounds more like an excuse for negligence than anything else.

One can feel the air growing tense, twisted, writhing shadows stretch across the walls showing hints of the women's true nature as the three stare each other down. Perhaps here seconds away from striking.

Wednesday: Mother, I did not expect to find you down here.

Morticia: (Smirking) I knew you would seek me out, when you were ready.

Gabrielle & Esther roll their eyes and leave.

Enid & Bianca cobble together a desperate plan, Perhaps after a rendition of a particular song, or at least a fencing match. The song may come at the end of the story too or elsewhere.

They used Bianca's song to force Enid into a partially transformed state and try to isolate Gabrielle to try and... Convince her to leave well enough alone.

Esther is quick to place an arm between the Siren and their children it morphing into a full developed Lycan arm even while her body remains otherwise the same as Gabrielle leans on it and smirks playfully,

Esther: Now, now Enid, that is no way to treat our fellows is it?

Gabrielle: You see dear, you inherited your swift social skills from me.

Bianca & Enid glance at one another before Bianca concedes.

Bianca: We would like to offer you two a deal.

Gabriele: Your bargaining position is rather dubious dear.

Esther: But I can't deny the boldness, let's hear them out.

The deal outlined lets them both runout at the year at Nevemore.

If Enid has not wolfed out she will go the conversion camp and Bianca will return to the cult regardless but ask permission to return to Nevermore to finish her education, but return whenever she is called.

Enid (Snarling) It isn't at though you need Bianca's song to make your critics go quiet, not with my mother on your side.

Esther: I am pleased to see the instincts of a hunter are not lost on you Enid.

Gabrielle: I would ask you to remember, we Sirens are as much hunters of men as Lycan.

Bianca: Then you can keep things under control, until I return, and give you everything you ask of me.

Ultimately the parents concede, though its shown they exchange info before parting ways. Also Lycan are semi-immune to Sirens song thanks to their brains morphic physiology.

At the end of the episode, Morticia respects Wednesday's boundaries but Wednesday also takes a step towards showing her affection.

Meanwhile after confronting their mothers, Enid & Bianca gets hugs that clearly distress them or that they obviously don't want.

Cue all three meeting up at the end of the day and:

Enid: I heard you had a crazy day"

Wednesday: It was, but before that, my mother asked after both of you, and whether you would be fairing well?

Bianca:... We got ourselves some time.

Their hope is to find a solution to Enid's transformation and Bianca's situation before the year is out.

Also, I know what canon Esther looked like but I swear, this version lives rent free in my head in any version she serves as a villain. or important figure:

The potential for toxic Yuri with her and Gabrielle it soo good to pass up.

Low key has me imagining a different AU:

Summary:

Wit the passing of her mate, Esther Sinclair was introduced to Morning Song. Suffice to say she never expected to find a kindred spirit in the 'communities' mistress.

Gabrielle had never been one to believe in things like love, but maybe she had just never met anyone of a mind to her enough but still distinct enough to share herself with.

Neither Enid or Bianca are having a good time.

I have no idea where this story would g, but I low key love the idea of Esther once having been a big deal and still having a lot of potential and fairly anti human politics.

& her finding an alliance in Gabrielle who is extremely predatory and powerful in her own right but who needs muscle/deniable agents to keep her little cult running.

With the pair rather liking the prospect of pairing Enid & Bianca up post Enid's wolf out. Or in the above case, they are busy engaging in toxic Yuri and ambitious schemes and their daughters are just having a bad time.

Not sure on Enid's brothers.

#Wednesday #wednesday netflix #wednesday addams #enid sinclair #bianca barclay #Esther Sinclair #Gabrielle Jane #Gabrielle Barclay #Enid x Bianca #Enid/Bianca #Mama Trauma (Wednesday)

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quartings · 11 months

Text

Finally reading the full XY volumes!

For context, XY is my least favorite Pokespe arc, so I decided to give it a second chance hoping that the extra chapters and better art in the full volumes would help me like it more. But did it?

What I liked:

I will say that the extra “filler” chapters really helped pace out the story much better and warmed me up to the characters! The Pokemon-Amie and Super Training chapters in particular. It felt weird not having an explanation in the originals for Y’s Sylveon, let alone an Eevee. This is why I disagree with people nowadays hating filler content. Done right, it helps with character and worldbuilding in small subconscious ways that can help an audience enjoy a story more!

I do enjoy how bold the arc starts, having Vaniville be decimated by the legendaries in the first chapter!

Reading the XY arc chapter-to-chapter and mini volume to mini volume, it felt like X took much longer to even help his friends. Now reading the arc all at once, he feels much less stubborn and selfish, which is good!

Minor thing- removing Y’s nudity is the only instance of censorship in Pokemon Adventures that I actually appreciate. It doesn’t disrupt the plot or make no sense like censoring Green’s Pokeball booby trap, Emerald’s pee joke, or especially Norman and Mirei’s abuse.

Apparently, a lot of the Gurkinn stuff was added in the full volumes? My memory on it’s a bit foggy but that’s wild to me if true- it just feels so plot-important. No wonder I felt the arc was badly-paced on my first readthrough!

Speaking of which, I love that we get chapters dedicated to non-dexholders again! It feels like we last got stuff like that with Keldeo in BW or the Hoenn Gym Leaders!

A lot of the other things I like about XY have been said by most other people already and apply to Pokespe as a whole. Battles are fun and creative, making great use of Pokemon trivia from their dex entries, the leads are unique and well-written compared to the rest of the franchise, there’s a good mix of dark and light themes, and the returning characters are fun and meaningful cameos!

What I disliked still:

It’s still really hard for me to suspend my disbelief that Team Flare managed to silence or arrest everyone who saw the Xerneas-Yveltal battle or its aftermath, especially in the age of the internet.

The gang learning most of the important plot stuff from Team Flare constantly spilling their plans kind of killed some of the tension for me, to be honest. Also them letting all the grunts go instead of capturing them for info or just to turn them over to the authorities.

Sycamore not realizing Lysandre is evil is stupid in any version of XY’s story, I’m sorry.

Team Flare’s brainwashed victims having the “same personalities” felt a bit lazy still. Brainwashing is one of my least favourite tropes though, so I might be biased there.

I think the manga over-corrected with Shauna, Trevor, and Tierno. Instead of all being overly positive and aimless like in the games, being put in constant danger in the manga means they’re all similar levels of scared and stressed, so their personalities don’t stand out all that much either. Shauna especially just being a similar aggressive and serious type like Y, just with less of a backstory. That one weird sexist quip Shauna had in the Sylveon chapter also rubbed me the wrong way, too.

Minor- I still don’t get why Kusaka aged the main cast down from 17/18 to 12 in this arc. It just makes X and Y look like they got hydraulic pressed proportions-wise, and makes the aforementioned scene with Y feel gross.

Speaking of which, why is Clemont drawn SO short in this arc?! He’s normal-sized in the official art and the anime, so that’s another baffling change to me.

Minor- Malva gets her Pyroar back from Aliana after the Diancie chapter where she already has Pyroar- is there something I’m missing here?

While the pacing has vastly improved compared to the mini volumes, it still feels off in the final two volumes. Suddenly taking an intermission from the Ultimate Weapon to introduce Zygarde practically out of nowhere just feels clunky. Compared to the anime where they had both Zygarde and the Megalith planned months in advance with proper foreshadowing. Or a better comparison would be the RS manga, where both evil teams planned on using Groudon and Kyogre from the start, and that’s what we end the series on.

TLDR: Overall I’ve really warmed up on this arc! I had way less confusion reading through it thanks to the extra chapters, and I’ve grown to understand X a bit more as a protagonist. I still have some problems with the arc, namely how the rivals are handled, and how Team Flare is presented as an omnipresent all-controlling shadow government when their members at all levels constantly spill their secrets. If you have any other thoughts, facts, or even disagreements, I’d love to hear them!

I’d say this reread has put XY above B2W2 and maybe SwSh in my ranking of all the arcs, which is still something! Now we all have to wait and see how ORAS’ full volume release changes its place on the rankings, hehe…

#pokespe #pokemon adventures #pokespe xy #trainer x #yvonne gabena #q speaks #review #positivity #negativity

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toxicpineapple · 2 years

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Hello! I'm a huge fan of how you write Rantaro, and I've had an idea for a fic for a while which would follow him. Do you have any tips for writing him, or writing how he interacts with other characters? No pressure to answer if you don't want to, love your work!

this is another one of those asks that has been sitting in my inbox for aaaageeeees but i haven't been able to gather the spoons to answer it properly so we're doing it now. i'm so sorry if you've already written or given up on that fic idea by now, i hope this can still be helpful to you or anyone else who reads it!

so for me the big thing about rantaro is balancing the Relaxed Cool Demeanour and the Inner Darkness. rantaro is easygoing and highly socially intelligent, he's able to go along with just about anything -- at times i would say he's even too casual (happily remarking upon instances where his life was threatened in tdp, just for example lol) and he's just generally very. hard to fluster, hard to make angry. you see rantaro upset in the context of the killing game, and stern at times, but never angry, and never on a personal level. imo, it would take a lot to get him to that point. not a lot sways him. rantaro's patient and indulgent, he'll just let people get away with whatever for the most part. probably a bit of an enabler too, even when people are doing things they shouldn't like pranks or crimes. this dude seriously could not be bothered. he grew up with twelve younger sisters and has been constantly in danger for the past however many years of his life, he's just vibing.

and then there is the Inner Darkness lol. rantaro is distrustful, he keeps personal information close to his chest and he will change the subject, subtly or unsubtly, when things go in a direction he doesn't like. he's vague about his personal life or feelings, and he'll probably be pretty difficult to pry any honest communication out of since this dude is just. sooooo withdrawn despite a carefree, friendly demeanour. outside of that rantaro also has an IMMENSE guilt complex specifically around his family, specifically specifically around his sisters -- he gets melancholic whenever talking about his family, he feels a disproportionate amount of responsibility towards his sisters and their wellbeing... this dude is full of the Angsts.

he's also very singleminded, the type to take on an impossible burden solo (be that ending the killing game or finding twelve missing people all over the world) and it takes a lot to get him to open up or accept help. doing things alone is in his nature. even in his love hotel, where he has someone he can still protect... he wants to do things by himself, so they won't get hurt. rantaro would rather carry the responsibility than let his loved ones help him. he alone has to be the person to do it, he can't let other people be dragged into his messes.

to that end i think rantaro is very very protective. the sort of person who would only really get angry if you hurt someone he cares about. i think even when he knows his loved one is in the wrong, he'll still protect them. it's in his nature. he stands up for those weaker than him, he stands up for those who are vulnerable, and he stands up for those he cares about -- he is just protective by nature, and selfless, and there's nothing he wouldn't do for someone who managed to tear down his walls and get him to open up to them.

dude... also has some pretty severe attachment issues lol. he very strongly avoids shuichi learning the truth in the ftes, even going as far as to rebuke him kind of rudely (though shuichi is also prying but we love him for it) but as soon as rantaro opens up and receives even a little bit of encouragement he jumps straight to "please travel the world with me forever" LOL this dude goes from 0 to 100 in seconds. top ten guys with no friends or family who then immediately melt the second they receive any kind of affection. he's wild for this for real.

i didn't cover it too much but i do believe rantaro is very repressed as well, the type to kind of just cover up his feelings with a smile. he canonically hides injuries in tdp (and is good enough at it that he's only noticed by mukuro, who has an uncanny intuition) so i think it's safe to say rantaro is the type of guy to keep it all locked up. but also reckless enough to get into all kinds of dangerous situations and poke his head into problems that aren't his. or reckless enough to say, go down to the library and try to confront the mastermind alone an hour before the time limit...

one last trait i like to give rantaro is being a bit unreliable or flighty, not in intense situations like you see in v3, but in relationships? mukuro reads rantaro for filth in tdp accusing him of never maintaining a romantic relationship because he won't open up to his partner, and lol. lol. top ten guys with zero communication skills. i bet when he gets asked about his problems he just walks away and pretends it didn't happen later. classic rantaro.

i have so many thoughts about this man just in my brain can you tell he is everything to me. anyway once again sorry for the late response i hope this helped anon!

#rantaro amami #amami rantaro #rantarou amami #amami rantarou

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elvenbeard · 9 months

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I'm still standing- for the wip ask game please!

Aaahhh thanks so much for asking!! :DD

"I'm still standing" is the chapter in with Vince and Jackie meet for the first time :3 It's set in early 2067. I really loved writing it and putting Vince in probably the most dangerous situation he's ever been in his life up until this point, because it would be a formative moment on how he deals with those kinds of threats and shows how he makes his decisions. Also I really enjoyed thinking about the dynamics of the group of Valentinos Jackie was with at the time and sort of teasing that he wouldn't be a full member of them for long anymore at that point. I'll include a few snippets that show all of that with some context :D

At first Vince stumbled into a group of Valentinos who want to take his mothers car, that he "borrowed" and unknowingly parked in their neighborhood. Their leader ("Gold-Jaw") is threatening and slowly approaching him, while the rest of the group watches tensely.

Gold-Jaw was about three yards away. Vincent focused on him, a quick scan of his opulent hardware revealing many ways to mess him up. He took a deep breath, then made his pick. The Valentino screamed and winced when the joints in his artificial knees spasmed, sparks flying as he stumbled to the ground cursing. Vincent took off, running right past him towards the Caliburn. Two more of the Valentinos screeched, their optics bursting, their nervous systems overloaded for just long enough to throw them off. Vincent fumbled in his coat pocket for the keycard, pushed past the first of the blinded Valentinos, then the next. He pulled out the card, the door of the car swinging open, the cozy white interior beckoning him like a safe haven. The next thing he knew was that concrete was just as hard and rough as it looked. He fell onto his side hard, heard the fabric of his coat tear at the shoulder seam. Before he fully realized what had happened a flash of gold struck his face, then again, someone holding him down with their entire weight on his chest, making it hard to even breathe. He scrambled to somehow defend himself, raising his left arm above his face, with his right simultaneously reaching for the keycard he had dropped on impact. It had landed not far away next to the rear wheel of the car. He’d gotten so fucking close… The next hit grazed his nose, and the crunching noise alone almost made him gag, let alone the pain. Another hit made his vision blur, and the world went black for a second or two. The subtitles on his optics interface returned jarred and all over the place, as multiple people were yelling and cursing, most of all the woman with the golden arm he now recognized as the one sitting on his chest. Her claws were curled into a fist, raised and ready to strike again, blood – his blood – dripping from her knuckles. With her organic left hand, she was clutching Vincent’s collar, pushing him down hard. Too dazed to do much else, he simply tried to brace himself. Before the woman’s fist connected with his face a fifth and likely final time, Gold-Jaw appeared above them, snatching her wrist.

Some back and forth between the Valentino's follows, and Vince makes up blatant lies about who he is in an attempt to get out of his dire situation.

Vincent smiled, trying his best to not to force it, hoping that the blood he tasted, that began to fill his mouth, made him look messed up while keeping a calm demeanor, even though he wasn’t really in the most intimidating position, flat on the ground and all… “The NCPD, please!” he laughed, his jaw and ribs hurting, but he breathed through the pain, “That’s a Militech company vehicle. The moment it leaves the predetermined perimeter you’ll have a whole firing squad on your asses.” “Bullshit!” Gold-Jaw spat out, but even through half closed eyes Vincent could see that his confident stance was cracking slightly. Some of the other Valentinos murmured something that his translator didn’t quite pick up on, but Gold-Jaw swung around to them. “Got something to say, say it to my face!” “Aahh, I don’t know, Alejandro,” one of the other guys said, a young sounding voice, “Maybe it’s the truth. Don’t wanna mess with Militech, with everything else that’s going on right now…” “And who exactly asked your fucking opinion, huh?” Gold-Jaw, or Alejandro, apparently, turned back to Vincent. “What a load of horseshit, as if that thing’s a company vehicle!” He gestured towards the car, but Vincent noticed that Claw-Lady no longer had her hands on the steering wheel, one foot still out on the street. “My mother is a high-ranking manager,” he continued to lie through his teeth, “You’re fucked already anyway. When she gets here and sees me like this, Heywood’s going to go up in flames. Don’t make it worse – “ “SHUT UP!” Alejandro screamed and lifted Vincent up by the collar, so rapidly and with such force that he choked. He then promptly tossed him back onto the ground, Vincent landing face first in the dirt in front of the other Valentinos.

The thing is, while Vince's mom is not working for Militech or anything like that, his story is rooted in the truth somewhat, and enough of the Valentinos are eventually intimidated and convince Alejandro to just leave with the car. The young-sounding Valentino that spoke up first is Jackie, as you may have guessed, and Alejandro is not pleased with his challenging one bit, threatening him to not show himself at El Pinche Pollo tonight before leaving with the rest of the gang.

Vincent remained on the ground, actually enjoying the soothing cold of the asphalt against his throbbing face. At least until a raspy voice and scuttling almost made him jump out of his skin. “Hey, you good over there?” Vincent abruptly lifted his head, his left eye still struggling to focus. He propped himself up slowly, still too shaky to really stand, so he just slumped backwards and sat on the ground. “Man, you look like shit,” the young Valentino who had spoken up against Alejandro said. He couldn’t be much older than Vincent himself, had broad shoulders, tan skin, but was still somewhat baby-faced. Thick black hair shaved at the back and sides and worn in a slick ponytail, dressed in a black and orange bomber jacket, black cargo pants and boots, a thick gold chain with an opulent cross around his neck, he was unmistakably a Heywood-native. Although except for a small filter on his nose he was lacking the Valentino’s usual flashy cyberware. There was a gash on his cheek where Alejandro had hit him, and he reached up to check how much it was bleeding. He chuckled. “You’re lucky you caught Alejandro on a good day,” he joked, “I’ve seen him shoot a guy in the knee once because he accidentally drank from his beer.” Vincent wasn’t sure what to make of the guy’s easygoing demeanor, this whole situation really. He was just at a loss for words and what to do next. The Valentino kid got up from the ground with a groan, brushing off the dust from his pants. He was taller than he looked at first. Then he slowly walked towards Vincent, who tried his best not to flinch. “Hey, don’t worry, cabrón, I won’t bite,” he said, holding out his hand as he came to a halt right before Vincent, “Name’s Jackie, Jackie Welles.”

And that's how Vince and Jackie meet in my headcanon xD

#cyberpunk 2077 #jackie welles #cyberpunk v #answered asks #theviridianbunny #my writing #vincent ezaki

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