#I need a prequel so badly guys

[diandra-chan]

Okay, listen, hear me out:

We need a prequel story about Turbo. I know that plenty of fan works exist already but could you IMAGINE A WHOLE ASS OFFICIAL MOVIE ABOUT THE GUY? I would eat it up! Just Turbo, telling his story from when his game first got plugged in, his relationship with the twins, with his neighbors (especially Felix and Ralph), his descent into arrogance and villainy up to the Roadblasters crash, to him hiding out in the bowels of GCS, learning how to code, growing bitter by the way he hears people talking about him and finally, him taking over Sugar Rush.

Maybe even add a post credit scene that could tease/imply his possible return after he got cola deep fried, who knows. Red phantom-Like glitches clawing their way out of sugar rush back to his old hideout in GCS…I just think that it would be a fun idea to toy with, you know?

[angelpuns]

Lil Hater Au Prequel Blurb:

Leo stormed through the lair, trying his hardest not to look incredibly worried. He rushed past the living room, a sound of general confusion following him. He didn't bother looking back, he thinks by how deep the voice was it must have been Raph. 

He didn't have time to stop and he didn't have time to explain. He hurried to his room, huffing at the effort it took to slide his doors open. He needed to make a mental note to ask Donnie to oil it. Or he could himself. Whatever, he probably wouldn't remember regardless. 

Leo leaned his crutches against the wall and hurried to pull his gear on. Wraps, pants, belt, knee brace. 

He struggled with the second one, but ultimately decided to wear it. He planned to be fighting, whether it was his friend or someone else, and he'd need the support.

Leo fumbled with the cool metal of his battle shell, cursing under his breath at all the time he was wasting. He needed to hurry! He wasn't gonna make it if he didn't hurry! He quickly pressed the button to adjust the pressure and did a little stretch to test it. Perfect as always. 

One sword was slotted into the holster on His back, the other held tight as he hurriedly reached for his crutches. 

He spotted Raph poking his head in the door just as he opened a portal, shooting his older brother a (hopefully) reassuring smile before stepping inside. 

He winced at the high pitched ring of electricity that always accompanied it, his cochlear quickly readjusting as he was transported to the back room of Run of the Mill. 

It was quiet back here, the voices of patrons far enough away that even he couldn't hear it. And just as he thought, Yuichi was standing with his hand on the back door’s handle. 

He had quickly turner at Leo’s arrival, a knowing scowl already on his face. 

“ Leo, I told you not to bother,” He huffed, turning to face him fully, “ nothing you say is gonna stop me.” 

Leo gave him a once-over. Yuichi was in his old Nexus gear, though it didn't seem to fit him well anymore. In personality or in size. 

“ What you're doing is idiotic. What if you take another hit to the head? Or you have a seizure?” Leo started, slotting his sword into its holster, “ you think those guys in the arena are gonna wait and make sure you're okay?”

Yuichi didn't answer, grimacing. He didn't meet Leo's eyes, hunching in on himself further. 

Leo swallowed. The thought of it had him tossing and turning most nights, new nightmares adding to an already startling collection. He didnt want to say it in case it became a reality. 

But how was he gonna get it through this fluffbrain's thick skull if he didn't voice It?

“ They'all kill you, Yuichi…” 

The words felt like glue in his mouth, sticking badly to his teeth. Like Leo was sentencing his friend to death with just that statement. 

“They won't! I'm… I'm not weak, Leo!” Yuichi fired back, letting out a sigh and letting his hands dall to his sides, fists clenching. 

He stood up a little straighter, eyes meeting Leo's for the first time since he'd gotten here. 

“ I have to do this. She has my sword, and I have no intention of letting her get away with keeping it for another day longer,” 

He turned to leave, Leo stumbling forward to reach out and grab his arm. It stopped him for a moment, and Leo seized the opportunity to squeeze a little tighter. 

“ Yui, come on, you're not this stupid. You know she won't give it up without a fight, “ He started. He never understood why Yuichi was always so serious about getting the sword back. Leo understood more than anyone about how it felt to lose a precious weapon, but it had never been worth his life. It had never meant making such a dogshit deal with the devil herself. 

“ Leo, let me go…” 

Yuichi pulled weakly at his arm, but Leo pulled him back a little, letting out a weak laugh. 

He was getting desperate. 

“ its just a sword, Cottontail! We can get another-”

Yuichi ripped his arm from Leo's grasp, the slider stumbling forward to catch himself at the sudden balance shift. 

Yuichi's face was shattered, tears threatening to spill and cheeks flush with anger. He bared his teeth for a second, words choked out UB angry hiss. 

“ it's not just a sword, Leo!” 

He let out a shuddery breath and quickly wiped his eyes, hand on the door handle again. 

“ you don't understand! I have to do this, I have to be the one to do this!” He opened the door, the roar of a crowd and the bright lights of the battle nexus arena suddenly flooding the dark, quiet backroom.with light and sound. 

Leo flinched at the adjustment in his tympana and grimaced, “ at least me me help you! I'm- I can help you!” 

“ NO!” Yuichi didn't even turn to look at him, “ I have to do this alone!” 

He stepped through the door, leaving it open behind him as he started through the long corridor leading out to the arena.  

Leo could only watch, heart in his throat. Whether that was because of the thudding of the arena past the door or because he as fucking terrified, he didn't know. He trued one last time, leaning and shouting through the door. 

“ YOU’RE GONNA DIE OUT THERE!” 

and in the last second before the door shut itself, he saw Yuichu turn with such a fearful look and lock eyes with him. 

He was scared. And Leo couldn't help him in the slightest. 

[gothamite-rambler]

"You are not dying for me!"

Penguin (smirking, waving his gun between Red Hood and Nightwing): Who do you choose?

Batman tapped his chin, his mind racing as he considered the right choice before making a resolute decision.

Batman (steadfast, voice steady): Shoot me.

Nightwing (eyes widening in disbelief): What?

Penguin (taken aback, blinking in confusion): What?

Red Hood (enraged recognizing Batman's intention): For Christ's sake, no! No! You're not taking a bullet for one of us! Shoot me! Seriously, turn the gun on me! Don’t you dare aim that gun at him!

Penguin turned between Batman to Red Hood, unsure of the best move to make here.

Batman (determined, voice firm): Don’t listen to him. Shoot me! I can take the bullet. I’m sacrificing myself!

Red Hood (furious, disbelief flooding his tone): Motherfucker, did I ask for that? You're not becoming a damn martyr! Penguin, shoot me, not him!

Nightwing (interjecting, voice rising as he tried to diffuse the situation): I’m quickly requesting that you not shoot me or any of us.

Penguin (confused, scratching his head): I… feel like I'm not in control of whatever this is.

Red Hood (frustrated, shaking his head): It's simple! Just shoot me in the stomach. That’s it!

Batman (voice low, threatening): If you shoot him, I will break your hand so badly that you’ll need to get it amputated.

Penguin (eyes widening): Got it, not shooting you.

Batman (exasperated, throwing up his hands): Let me get this straight, man I raised and gave a good life to: it's wrong to not want you to get shot and I should let you get shot?!

Red Hood (biting back, anger simmering): Yes! Man who had a son with an assassin because he thought a wallet condom could do the job, BITCH!

Batman (glaring): Don’t bring that up! That is not relevant to this conversation!

Red Hood (defiant, cutting in): Neither is you taking a bullet! It's Sophie's Choice, not The Prize!

Batman (snapping back, incredulous): You’re quoting media at me?! I want to die for you and you're throwing out media titles! Nightwing, let Penguin shoot me!

Nightwing (hesitant, voice shaky): I—

Red Hood (insistent, glaring at Nightwing): Nightwing, tell Penguin to shoot me!

Nightwing (looking away, voice strained): I don't want to— That wall over there looks really interesting…

Nightwing walked off with Penguin stopping him, realizing the crime lord felt it was better to step back now that he had lowered his gun.

Red Hood (clenching his fists, frustration boiling over): You know what you're doing! You’ll get shot, and with your last dying breath—or in some letter or video you set up—you'll tell me not to kill anymore. You dying would prove that!

Batman (avoiding the truth, silence lingering): …

Nightwing (disappointed, pacing past the group): Tsk, you were actually going to do that.

Penguin (mockingly): You would do that too.

Batman (snapping, voice harsh): Hey! You’re not part of this conversation, jackass! Shoot me already!

Red Hood (glaring, voice bubbling with rage): If you shoot him, I will bite your fucking nose off!

Penguin (raising his hands in surrender, voice calm): I’m just going to let you guys argue this one out. Both of those threats aren’t worth shooting either of you.

Batman (frustrated, voice firm): Let me do this for you!

Red Hood (voice rising, hurt evident): You know what? Fuck you! I’ve forgiven you; I’ve accepted you! I’ve let you pay me to not kill! I befriended Orphan, who is way better at her job than you, and through all this shit, you think you’ll take a bullet for me?

Batman (defensive, glaring at Red Hood): Who do you think you’re talking to?!

Red Hood stormed past Penguin, who merely nodded, amused, pulling out a small book to read as the argument continued.

Red Hood (shouting over his shoulder, furious): I’m talking to you, you bat-wearing, Star Wars-loving nimrod!

Batman (matching his intensity, voice rising): The prequels are good!

Red Hood (scoffing, eyes narrowing): No, they’re not, bitch!

Nightwing (sighing, feeling exasperated): I feel like this isn’t about me at all. I’m just going to deal with Penguin while you two have your father-son talk.

[moomstersnuffer]

GUYS. GUYS. It's gonna be okay. Just think of it this way because I saw @tastywormfood talking about this and it lowkey comforted me just a tiny bit.

Season 4 is a prequel, okay? It's the badly written season that they tried to fit in between s2 and 3 but did a terrible job. S3 is the actual finale where we get the yummy Snufmin angst and fluff and an amazing ending. So here's a lil comfort checklist that'll for sure cheer us all up after the long disastrous few days we've suffered through.

1. Take a nice long breath of Moominvalley air and say some positive affirmations.

-"S4 is a prequel"

-"Snufmin is the original meant-to-be"

-"I will survive this. Probably"

-"S3 will save me"

-"So will fanfiction"

2. Rewatch S3 and bask in the warmth that is Snufmin fluff and pining. Specifically, watch episode 8. Near the end. 18:36. Don't judge me.

3. Go to AO3 and pray to the Hobgoblin that it isn't shut down for once. If the Hobgoblin answers your prayers, go read every Snufmin fic you can get your paws on. I promise you'll feel better ;)

4. Let's all go pay @faygosta on YouTube a visit and blow up his notifications on his old Snufmin 3d video. Gotta get this guy to save our lives and help us create the better season that was always meant to be, am I right? Plus, his video alone could do a great deal of cheering up. Trust me.

5. Art is a great healing method and Pinterest is a great place to start your Snufmin art therapy sessions. God knows how much we need them after this.

6. Keep up hope that there's actually gonna be a finale episode in the coming months that I've been hearing snippets about. Maybe we'll get a little more mercy and kindness from the writers then after they've had a chance to simmer in the heat of the crockpot mess of a fandom they've created.

Good lord I have never been so disappointed in my life. We got queerbaited like no fandom has ever been before(unless the newly shortened Good Omens season has anything to say about it). But we are a strong fandom, a united fandom, one that cares about justice and freedom for their gay lil bois. Can I get an AMEN?! We'll get through this somehow!

[jedimasterbailey]

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED THE THIRD EPISODE OF AHSOKA

PRO JEDI RANT DOWN BELOW

This Loth Cat is a good representation of me not losing my mind on how badly the Jedi Order is being completely defiled by Feloni. Okay…so apparently according to Feloni anybody can just be a Jedi if they try really, really hard and believe in them because the Force resides in everyone when we all know that that’s not fucking true according to Lucas. Yes, the Force resides in all things HOWEVER it is the Force sensitive (I.e. the Jedi and Sith) that are able to wield the Force because they’ve got the blood to do so (midocholorians… I’m sure I’ve butchered the spelling forgive me). So with that being said, does anything in Star Wars even matter anymore? Like honestly.

By this logic…anybody in the OT could have just destroyed the Sith if they tRiEd HaRd EnOuGh. So I guess fuck the importance of Luke Skywalker and all the other survivors of Order 66? And I suppose by this logic none of the prequel Jedi or hell even Anakin doesn’t matter because anybody can just wield a lightsaber and tap into the Force if tHeY jUsT bElIeVeD iN tHeMsElVeS? Why does Rey matter when apparently anyone could have taken down the First Order and destroyed Palpatine when some fucking Mando could have just done the job of being Force sensitive doesn’t matter?

Like believe me guys, I am TRYING so hard not to be a hater but it truly makes me sad to see the one element of Star Wars I love so much (I.e. the Jedi Order and everything they do and stand for) just get picked apart and trashed over and over and over again. I just don’t understand it and I know I can’t be the only one feeling like this.

Also Ahsoka’s character right now is reminding me of Luke’s in TLJ where I feel like I’m seeing and hearing a completely different character and it’s heartbreaking when you’ve looked up and loved these heroes so much. Like for Gods sake can we settle the score in where Ahsoka stands with the Jedi? Is she or is she not? Because right now she’s doing a poor representation of all her mentors who have lost their lives staying true to themselves, Jedi who gave everything to protect and save lives. Now she seems to just go out of her way to scoff at the Order that raised her, similar to Luke dismissing the very thing that gave him hope in the OT.

As these new shows go on, it just makes the fall of the Jedi Order all the more tragic just seeing how their sacrifice and good will meant absolutely nothing. That’s why characters like Cal Kestis and Cere Junda are incredible. They stayed true to their Jedi values no matter what because that’s what the galaxy needs, heroes who care. Not heroes who have personal agendas.

[kiritila]

Are you still gonna be updating no one saw me?

this is such a long time overdue, but since ive been away so long i figured this would be a good way to address everything, like whats been happening in my life and my future plans for no1sm for everyones clarity.

to put it shortly, i work full-time, and have done for nearly 2 years now. i am a product designer and i work monday-friday, 9-5. i attend a full day of college classes once a week, this day being even longer than a work day, and on top of that i have a personal work-based tutor that i have to complete work for as well. so in terms of professional obligations, im extremely busy. in my personal life, ive been seeing friends a lot, running errands, planning for weddings, parties, buying a car, SO MANY THINGS. my life has been so hectic.

ive also been suffering some health problems recently. my earliest or readers that are close friends probably know i began writing no1sm to vent my feelings about trauma i underwent, and this obviously still affects me quite greatly alongside depression and anxiety. ive also been suffering quite badly with insomnia and fatigue problems, as well as, embarrassingly, moderately bad eczema.

perhaps the most ridiculous development of all: I AM NOT CURRENTLY HYPERFIXATED ON SOUTH PARK. SHOCK HORROR. BUT PLEASE DONT PANIC: it is still my spin, stan and kyle are still my most favourite characters ever, and most of all i still ENJOY south park and enjoy thinking about, planning, and writing no1sm (when im not completely utterly knackered). ive actually recently gotten majorly into formula 1 as a result of my friends, so if there are any f1 fans following me PLEASE SAY HI!!!!! i plan to do art for it but i have been busy and im also very much a perfectionist. (FYI: my favourite driver is max verstappen. no questions asked. i also love charles daniel lando oscar and honestly most drivers on the grid. i love niki lauda james hunt seb vettel and jenson button. i had a brief mclaren tooned hyperfixation. I AM CURRENTLY INCREDIBLY DEPRESSED OVER DANIEL RICCIARDO LOSING HIS SEAT)

anyway.. getting back on track.

AM I STILL GOING TO BE UPDATING NO1SM?

YES. YES YES A MILLION TIMES YES. i dont know when, but this story is something i have to complete for myself and for you guys. i realised i was putting myself under so much pressure for it to be perfect that it sapped the love i felt for it from me. now that i no longer have visible eyes on me waiting for updates on twitter, i feel much freer and relaxed with it. i dont know how or when, but yes, the story will be completed. do not ask me about the kyle prequel ive planned though DONT DO IT.

i also dont plan on posting about updates anywhere other than tumblr going forwards. ive since moved on from the twitter south park fandom where i was most active, as i felt like i was too old to be in a fandom of minors and the discourse was simply too much. so i decided to move to a fan space and sport that is a million times worse but still somehow has been better for me. so if you still want to follow me on twitter even though i dont south park post anymore, you can follow me at @vrstappns :)

WILL NO1SM HAVE AN UPDATE SCHEDULE?

NO. sorry, my mental health and my career comes first. i want to try and find a better balance that leaves me time to write but im afraid i need time to ease myself back in after so long off and theres no guarantee how long that will take me.

WILL YOU STILL BE MAKING ART FOR NO1SM?

YES. I HOPE. who knows when though cause i havent been able to draw in a long time and im still pissed off that i cant draw max verstappen as easily as i could ever draw kyle broflovski.

AM I ALLOWED TO USE YOUR STORY AND WRITE THE ENDING FOR MYSELF?

NO. PLEASE DO NOT DO THIS. as much as other authors may encourage this I REALLY DO NOT LIKE THIS. you dont know how much work i have put into this fic as well as how much of my own life and traumas are embedded between the lines of writing. this fic is practically half of me in the same way my parents’ DNA is a part of my make-up. not to sound rude but to even think you could possibly imagine how i intend for this fic to resolve and end when you dont even know me is laughable.

HOW WILL THE INTENSE HOMOSEXUAL RIVALRIES OF FORMULA ONE INFLUENCE THE INTENSE HOMOSEXUAL RIVALRY OF STAN AND KYLE GOING FORWARDS?

im sure 2019 charles leclerc and max verstappen guided carefully by brocedes and james hunt and niki lauda will figure something out. maybe not brocedes actually i am unsure if i want stan marsh to end up like nico rosberg. but i guess he is a good youtuber too and has great hair which is two things stan is NOT. gay loser. also david coulthard and sebastian vettel are there somewhere. GAY RED BULL RACING WILL LEAD US TO WORLD PEACE

thank you so much for reading, i know youve all probably moved on with your life but its a weight off my chest to finally write this out. i love this fic and i love that you all love this fic, if you are still here. i can only apologise for how long ive made you all wait.

please just have patience with me,

thanks muchly,

mike (formerly marshplaylist) vrstappns

[knife-em0ji]

Sorry for this long post but can people stop treating Vader and Anakin as completely separate people. Like. That type of dissociation were obviously coping mechanisms by Old Ben and Vader. Not like. A literal fragmentation of personalities. Like if you love Anakin Skywalker imo you have to accept that he was a cute kid and a padme simp and a fun older brother and a boy desperately in need of acknowledgement and praise and a father who ultimately loved his son but also a guy who commits atrocities in his anger and strangles people who annoy him and has a victim/persecution complex (although admittedly for good reason) and was also a notorious child killer. This man contains multitudes.

Imo falling to the dark side/using the light side of the force isn’t marked by a shift or fragmentation of personality, but rather what emotions are used to channel the force and guide one’s actions. I think part of what’s so hard about resisting the dark side and coming back to the light is that there’s positive feedback loops of power, and resisting that by doing good and healthily channeling emotions is just plain hard. Especially in the case of Anakin, who is notoriously a “in for a penny, in for a pound” type of guy. He’s loyal and loves completely and dangerously with his whole heart, and he hates just as much.

And I think guilt is a huge factor with him struggling to do good; it’s pretty much a thought process of “Well, I’ve already committed thousands of atrocities and have countless amounts of blood on my hands, I have to believe whole hog in what I’ve been doing because then otherwise what was it all for.” I think that’s what makes his sacrifice for Luke so poignant, because it speaks to how much he loves his son that he’s able to overcome that spiral and do one last act of love for his son, unselfishly and without rationalization.

Idk, I just watched ESB again, and I think beyond just wanting to possess Luke and use him for power, it’s reasonable to think that part of the reason Vader wants him so badly to turn to the dark side with him is that he still thinks the dark side is the only way he can have enough power to protect his family and therefore keep them—he’s objectively much more powerful than he was in the prequels, and a main part of his struggles during the fall of the Republic was that he didn’t feel “strong enough” to protect the people he loved as a Jedi. He wasn’t able to free the slaves. He wasn’t able to save his mother. He wasn’t able to stop Ashoka’s expulsion from the order. He wasn’t able to prevent Padmé from dying. With the commitment he’s had to his path and the objective amount of power he’s amassed since the twins’ births, I think it’s reasonable to assume he desperately grasping at the idea that somehow, this time, he’ll be able to achieve what he’s never been able to do before. But his failure always lies in the fact that his motivations are, and always have been, ultimately self-serving, that his pride and fear of loss—which are completely understandable in moderation and not something he should necessarily be punished for—outweigh his real and genuine care for his loved ones and the galaxy at large.

Idk. All this to say that Anakin has always been Vader and Vader has always been Anakin. They’re the same fucking person, you fools! Stop taking dissociative rationalization literally!!! It’s right there in the text!!!! His return to the light does not negate his time in the dark and vice versa! There is good in him !! He is capable of unspeakable evil !!! BOTH ARE TRUE AT THE SAME TIME!!!!!

[majesticwren]

as warned, I am going through an intense gabe kidd fase and now this exists. also there's a concerning lack of gabe kidd's fics around and we must correct that have you seen the guy?? this is 6k of mostly smut and a little angst/comfort just because. don't judge me please. i am so invested in this dynamic I am already 3k deep in a prequel lmao shoot me. also, also, quick p.s. as per usual, my oc has a set aesthetic in my own vision but she isn't described so she can fit whatever you like. k bye. enjoy.

Trigger Warning/s: smut, unprotected sex (as per usual, don't take this as example, follow your sexed! peeps), mention of power and pleasure play, mention of kinks and gabe being dom even though this is pretty tame, kinda, angst/comfort at the very end, breeding kink if you squint really hard.

Masterlist

The small private gym her husband had taken the liking to going and spending all his time in was hardly a welcoming environment. Especially at one o'clock in the morning. Especially to her. And particularly after Gabe and her had yet another disagreement and he left abruptly to go lay off some steam. And didn't come back.

Vanessa hated it when he did that. She hated going to bed alone. She hated missing him so badly. 

He was an asshole but he was still the man she married and the guy she swore her heart to. Even though Gabe could be a stubborn motherfucker, he was her stubborn motherfucker and she felt the need to go remind him.

It was precisely why Vanessa practically marched through its doors with her chin raised by pride, floating effortlessly on her high heels. She was ready for another fight if it needed to be. She was ready to fight him as well as all of his group of little friends who liked to hype him up and stir his more violent side if only to get him into yet another fight they could bet on.

She hated them. They treated Gabe just like a racehorse, like a fighting dog. And she hated him for letting them. Countless were the useless arguments they had on the matter.

She hated his so-called friends just as much as they hated her. She was unwanted and despised because she was Gabe's only weakness. His only distraction. Most times, especially in public, Gabe respected her will more than his own. She was his queen and never once he'd let anyone forget that. They may argue sometimes but never once Gabe dared to undermine her. Her husband had nothing but respect and love for her, even when they didn't see eye to eye. 

Even the crowd knew her by now. Missus Vanessa Kidd. And they loved it when she escorted Gabe to the ring. They loved how she supported him and how she was the only one able to get him back on his feet to keep fighting. And they loved it when she rallied them to support him.

She became known as a warrior just as fierce as Gabe ever since that time she took his blood-covered face in her hands and softly prompted him to look at her, whispering soft praises to give him just enough strength to get back on his feet. The picture of them with their foreheads touching after his win went around the internet only feeding into the way the fans adored him. They ate it all up and it just helped Gabe grow in his career.

It was yet another reason why his little group of bootlicking collaborators didn’t like her. She was simply more important to Gabe than any of them ever would; even and especially Freddie, Gabe’s manager and trainer, who thought he could ride Gabe’s fame from here to eternity and despised her ever since she appeared in the picture. Funny that he had been the very reason why she and Gabe met when he had decided she had a pretty enough ass to invite her to the club VIP area to offer her to Gabe like a dessert on a silver platter like he was used to doing with countless other girls. Too bad she had stolen Gabe’s heart with one look.

Part of her liked to always remind everyone who she was and how she always had the upper hand and the last word. She liked to stir them and bother them. Haters gonna hate and she had all the weapons in her hands to get them to only simmer more. She was always the victor and God if she loved to rub it in Freddie’s face the way she made Gabe unbearably and stupidly happy. 

It was time to remind everyone Gabe was hers.

The small gym wasn’t operating and it was barely lit. From the small entrance corridor, she could hear the group of boys chattering loudly. Someone’s laughter bounced off the empty walls. Someone else was hitting a punching bag. And the rest were talking about the coming weekend's scheduled match.

The second Vanessa entered the room, Gabe’s sharp gaze was drawn to her. His blue eyes slashed the air, hitting her and never moved away.

He sat on a bench, elbows dropped on his knees, looking bored and exhausted as he caught his breath. The conversation around him was going on without his attention and she found herself wondering for how long did no one notice he wasn’t paying attention to them. His pale skin was reddened and pearled by sweat, which soaked through his tank top. Stupid man. She thought to herself. He had probably just spent the evening pushing his body to the extreme of exhaustion and would have been so sore tomorrow.

On the floor around him, there were several forgotten heavyweights and cans of beer. 

One of his pals was hopping around the punching bag, pretending to be in a fight, and one guy stood in front of one of the mirrors, looking at his reflection as he flexed his muscles, Freddie walked in between them talking loudly and drinking a beer, and two others sat around Gabe just watching him exercise. Guess she was the last person who was gonna judge them, that was a generally entertaining hobby.

“Everyone,” she began, already pointing to the door behind her back, “leave us.” 

The chattering quieted down as everyone looked back at her. Her attention didn’t move from Gabe.

Freddie approached her with a cynical smirk printed on his insufferable mouth. He was the only one who had the guts to always confront her openly. Even though he’d always come to regret it. “The princess has arrived, uh?” He wondered looking around to get his mates' support, “What can we ever do to help you, Missus Kidd?”

A cold, sharp smile crossed her lips as her uninterested gaze bounced off Freddie for a moment. “You can leave me alone with my husband.”

“No can do. This is my gym, you see?” He dramatically opened his arms, as if he was trying to show off. Though Vanessa was hardly impressed. “Who’s gonna lock up if I am not here?”

Vanessa promptly pulled her hand out, palm exposed and cheeky smirk curling her lips. “Give me the keys then,” she wasn’t joking, “You got this place only for my husband's delight, after all.”

“And you aren’t welcome here.”

“Wanna bet?”

Freddie was utterly offended but even before he could think about any colourful response, he was promptly stopped.

“Do as she says.” the order came from behind him and stopped everyone from second-guessing the situation. Gabe didn’t move an inch. His blue eyes stayed focused on Vanessa like laser beams. 

“Mate,” Freddie tried to appeal, to no avail, Gabe was unmovable.

“I said,” he continued coldly, “Do as she says. My wife’s wish is your command. Just like mine.” 

Freddie huffed angrily but bent under Gabe’s order without opposing. He better than anyone knew how stupid that would have been, Gabe was someone you wouldn’t want to anger. 

He released a frustrated grunt, pulling a set of keys out of his pocket. He looked at Vanessa, still trying to square off with her and then, only out of spite, he turned away and left the keys on the edge of the practice ring in the middle of the room instead of in her hand. 

“Let’s go, boys,” he hinted at the others to follow him.

Neither she nor Gabe moved until they heard the door slam. Then, the small gym fell under a surreal silence. They still only looked at each other for a few moments. 

Gabe wasn’t usually a guy of too many words and yet never once Vanessa had been mistaken about reading through him and understanding him perfectly. Just like now. He may appear proud but his prolonged silence was only to allow her to act freely. The ball was entirely in her court. If she wanted to argue some more, he would have let her. If she wanted to make up, he would have apologised.

Finally, Vanessa decided to move closer. “You need to put a muzzle on your guy. I don’t like the way he thinks he owns you.”

“No one owns me but you, love.” He looked up at her.

“You must remind him more often.”

Gabe released a tired sigh. “Do you always have to fight him?”

“Yes.” She pointed out, “He doesn’t like me, remember?”

“And?” Gabe dared to pull a smile, “Tough shit, you are my missus. Nothing will change that, love.”

“Am I?” She wondered daring to provoke him, “Didn’t feel much like your wife when I was left to go to bed alone waiting. I do not like that.”

“I am sorry,” 

“That’s not enough,” Vanessa approached him. She stepped in between his spread knees and loved to see the way he bent his neck, looking up at her with nothing but devotion pouring out of his eyes. She was quickly inebriated. Nothing made her knees feel like jelly like that big, scary man on the verge of falling on his knees for her. Vanessa smiled evilly and pushed a finger under his chin, making him lean further. “You gotta apologise like you mean it, Mr.” She then gave him a small push and took a step back, and then another. “Am I your wife? Make me feel what it means. Because from where I stand now, I feel more like the forgotten woman.”

“Never,” Gabe inhaled deeply, “I would never forget about you. I am sorry I made you feel that way.”

Vanessa's tempting smile only grew. She took another step back, only waiting for Gabe to follow her, as she slipped out of her heavy pink fur coat revealing she was only wearing a short nightgown made of lace and silk. The bitter air of the gym hit her, but it wasn’t the cold that gave her goosebumps, it was the shift in Gabe’s attention. He hissed as his eyes cruised across her figure, studying what she was wearing, or better the lack of it. 

“What are you doing?” He snapped between gritted teeth.

Vanessa pretended to not know what he meant and propped herself on the edge of the ring, sitting and elegantly crossing her legs. “I don’t know,” she started, “What does it look like I am doing, Mr Kidd?” She checked her freshly made manicure.

“I am not about to fuck you on that dirty ring, love.”

“No?” She wondered pulling a small pout, “Not even if I asked nicely?”

She wasn’t stupid. She knew they had unfinished business to discuss but she was done with that for now. She was ready to raise a white flag first. She wasn’t gonna fight to have the last say. She just wanted to be held by her husband. There might be times they weren’t able to understand each other, both too stubborn by nature to listen, but sex would always be their way to find each other again.

Daring to peek back at him, Vanessa recognised his hesitation and decided to give him a small encouragement, letting one of the thin straps slip down her shoulder. “I am getting cold, Gabriel,”

He was on her in a second. With a grunt, he grabbed her legs rudely pulling her closer, guiding them around him just so he could sit nicely between her thighs as he pressed his chest against her. Vanessa welcomed him with a victorious giggle, quickly wrapping herself around him like a branching tree. 

His hands had barely moved from engaging her. He held her ankle in one palm and her knee in the other and yet, even though he had barely touched her, it was enough to send her ballistic. 

When their lips found each other, Gabe’s were demanding as he expressed freely his desire for her. And Vanessa was nothing but ready to match him.

He was generally taller than her, but now that she was propped up, she had all the freedom to embrace him and she took the advantage, feeling the consistency of his broad shoulders under her arms and pushing her hands to run free across them and down his back or up his thick neck and around his shaved skull. 

Vanessa squeezed his sides between her thighs and released a soft moan into his mouth as she rubbed herself against his solid body. 

“Fuck, love,” he hissed softly, “If I’d known it gets you this desperate, I would have done it more often.”

“Don’t you dare,” she pinned him with a threatening gaze, “I’ll ask for divorce.”

He pulled a soft, confident smirk looking at her. “You would never, Missus Kidd.” As he said it, he pressed his face into her neck, inhaling deeply her scent.  

“No,” she sighed letting her head fall backwards, leaving him all the space he needed to do as he wished with her. “You are right, I am too crazy about you Mr Kidd.”

She felt his smile on her skin as he followed the column of her neck up. His blonde beard tickled her. “That’s right,” his breath was hot on her skin and made her entire body crawl with goosebumps. “Even when I am an ass?”

“Unfortunately,”  

In response to her pretend indifference, Gabe playfully bit down on her neck and then his tongue followed, tasting her sensitive skin. His mouth was quick to latch on her, suckling on her with every intent of leaving a mark.

“I have work in the morning,” she pointed out but with no intention of pushing him off. The pleasure of him sucking on her skin like a hungry vampire was too great. Even when it meant showing up at the office with her neck covered in hickeys like a horny teenager. And Vanessa didn’t miss to let him know, whining softly in his ear.

“Good. Let all of them fuckers know how well your hot husband shags you,” and then he didn’t speak until he was satisfied with his work. He pressed her down on the ring ropes, pushing himself further in her embrace. His hands traced up along her legs, pushing the edges of her nightgown up around her hips and grabbing on her exposed flesh, guiding her to rub herself against him, encouraging her with a grunt.

Her pleasure quickly burned through her and became frustration as soon as she realised just how much more she needed. And she was never patient enough to wait for him to give her what she wanted. 

“Gabe?” She panted, digging her nails into the nape of his neck, hoping to get his attention. No response, he had moved down to her shoulder, still sucking and marking her skin with hickeys. “Shit. Please,” she pleaded, rolling her hips against him, only causing him to squeeze down on her. “Please, baby. I need you now,” she tried again, this time succeeding in getting his attention.

He stood back up, looking down at her with a satisfied grin on his puffed lips. His light blue eyes glimmered with satisfaction as his gaze crossed her figure. “Look at you,” his hands cruised across her legs, “Such a mess already, uh?”

“All your fault,” she puffed her chest up, “You got me all angry and frustrated,” Vanessa grabbed his chin, pulling him closer, “As I said, I had been waiting for you.”

“In this state?”

She nodded biting down on her lip, watching how his eyes fell on her mouth. Gabe's smile transformed into something more twisted as he looked at her like a hungry wolf. And God how much she wished for him to devour her.

Just as if he had read her thoughts, Gabe pulled her leg across his figure and up, so his lips could kiss her ankle. The softness he revealed as he held her was astonishing considering his size and the way he could easily snap a grown man in half.

“I must fix it,” he mumbled, eyes closed in devotion as he leaned down, following the inside of her leg with his lips. “Can’t have my wife this desperate.”

“She is always this desperate when her husband isn’t around.”

Gabe smiled against her thigh. “Don’t tell me that, love, or I won’t be able to leave you again,”

“Then don’t.” Vanessa stretched, releasing a soft moan as her hands solidly grabbed the ring rope in anticipation. 

A low growl came from the middle of his chest as Gabe finally looked up at her. His eyes were the colour of ice but burned like the hottest of flames as he threw her legs over his shoulders. He pressed a kiss on her tender skin just by her knee and then another, lower down, enjoying watching her react to him. His hot breath on her skin was enough to make her whimper.

God, he was so pretty in between her thighs.

“Gabriel,” she called him out in a silent plea, bucking her hips up.

He wasn’t gonna let her beg any further. Just as impatiently as she was, Gabe’s fingers hooked on the thin material of her panties and easily tore it apart, exposing her completely to his assault. 

Gabe buried his face into her, eating her pussy out and not letting a single drop of her sweet juices go to waste. When she bucked her hips up into him, he was ready to catch her, wrapping an arm solidly around her, granting her the support to angle herself as she wished against him, only so he could grant her as much pleasure possible. By now, she knew how much he loved to make her come. He could be particularly dominant, rude and rough most times, which sent her into outer space, but his priority was her satisfaction over his.

Vanessa tried to suffocate a louder moan into her own hand as a wild wave of pleasure curled through her, reviving her and, at the same time, leaving her wanting so much more. She wished him to take her and use her up until they were both breathless and exhausted.

“Don’t you dare,” he growled dangerously, lifting his head and ripping a whine out of her. “Let me hear you.”

“But-”

His eyes twinkled. A dangerous smile crossed his tumid lips. Her juices smeared all over his beard. “Nah Missus Kidd,” his tone was soft but carried a warning, “You came all the way here wanting to get shagged by your husband, yeh? So, now, you will be a good girl for me and be nice and loud as I eat your pretty pussy, yeah? Make me happy, will you, love?”

“Fuck, Gabe,” she hissed looking down at him. He had a mad look to him, like he was spiralling into obsession and it drove her insane to know she was the cause. 

“Yes?” He insisted.

“Yes, sir,” she purred submissing to his will, knowing how much he liked some powerplay. “Please,”

“Good girl,” he praised delving into her once more. 

His tongue was merciless running across her slit, poking her entrance and then slipping up to her clit, where he would stop and suck her tender, hot flesh into his mouth, making her see stars. Her moans were quick to fill the space, bouncing off the walls and echoing around them, only prompting Gabe to continue giving her more.

He made her come once, grunting in approval as she unravelled against him, calling his name. And then again, straight after, fucking his fingers into her until her moans became cries. And then once more, just because he could, only this time he took his time and was gentler, allowing her to ride her high and settle as he pulled himself up, looking down at the mess he had made of her.

He smirked, licking his fingers clean as he let her catch her breath. “Was this what you wanted, love?”

She nodded, barely able to focus and formulate words.

His cocky smile only grew. “I’ve barely started,” he gently grabbed one of her hands and guided it into his crotch so he could rub himself against her palm, impatiently demanding direct contact with her. “Look what you did to me.”

Vanessa purred like a cat, pulling herself up and rubbing her nose on his neck. “My big boy,” she smiled proudly kissing his jaw, and then his cheek, “you are so hard for me baby,” she rolled her fingers around his erection, feeling it through the material of his gym shorts. “You do want to fuck me on this dirty ring, after all.” She whispered those words on his lips and then pulled him into a famished kiss, becoming more feral by the second as she tasted herself on his lips. He whimpered softly into her mouth, rubbing his cock into her hand.

“You have no idea,” he nodded against her, “Do you need a second, love?” He wondered attentively, letting his hands run across her legs and around her hips. “Or are you ready for me?”

Vanessa bit hard on her lip, smiling temptingly, stretching under his eyes. “What do you think, Gabe?”

He smiled, looking at her. His hands squeezed her soft hips and felt the curve of her back in his fingers as he pulled her towards him. “Right you are, Missus Kidd.”

Gabe then slipped out of his tank top. They both forgot about it the second he threw it on the floor. He flexed his muscles under her gaze and Vanessa enjoyed the show, watching avidly the edges of his pale skin. She wanted to lick the sweat off him. He was broad and strong and God, she had never considered herself particularly vain, but her husband’s body was a work of art able to mesmerise her.

Vanessa's hands crossed his shoulders and down across his large chest, following the edge of his imposing abdomen and further down, following the pale happy trail under his bellybutton. She hooked her fingers on the low edge of his shorts, licking her lips as her gaze fell on his hip dips. She couldn’t wait to have him pound into her. It was a wild desire she couldn’t explain. Again, she had never thought she would know what it meant to be cock-drunk, until she met him. She had lovers before, even good ones, but no man ever made her as desperate and needy as Gabriel could. And he knew it.

He helped her pulling his shorts and boxers down and hissed, surprised, when she impatiently rolled her fingers around his shaft, guiding him to position himself by her entrance. “Please, Gabriel,”

“You are so impatient,” he whispered grabbing on her chin to make her look at him. “I will hurt you if you don’t let me warm you up a little, love, you know that.”

His voice and accent alone were enough to drive her insane. Let alone everything else. Vanessa shook her head, stubborn as always. “I can’t wait any longer.” 

He nodded, resolute, as he forced his thumb into her mouth at the same time as he pushed the tip of his cock into her, finding little to no resistance from her. “Fuck, love, you are so wet and tight.” 

Vanessa smiled proudly, letting him watch as she rolled her tongue around his digit and adoring seeing how he puffed up his chest. “C’mon, big boy, give it to me,” she dared to challenge him. “This is not the place to be soft.”

“You are so cheeky,” he began, at first his gaze was soft, but it hardened as he let his hand slide down her throat, squeezing her neck into his hold. “Want it rough, don’t you?”

Even before she could nod, Gabe gave up and gave her exactly what she asked for. She wasn’t the only impatient one. He pushed himself all the way inside of her, watching avidly as her expression changed under the intense wave of pleasure that was ripped out of her. 

Her body stretched around him and he still granted her a second to get used to his size before he started to fuck into her. His clarity vanished just as quickly as his pounds became rapid and hard, ripping her sanity just as easily as he did with her moans. He was quick to give into the frenzy of his desire for her and they both seemed to forget everything else but that moment.

Gabe hooked his arm under her knee and pushed her to bend in a more favourable position. He pushed his face into her chest and growled at the material of her gown but, even before she could hint to slip out of it, he got rid of the problem easily ripping the material above her chest and tearing it up in half with his bare hands.

“Shit, Gabe!” She scorned him, not entirely serious, “Could you try not to trash all my clothes?” She pointed out, only to be shushed by him pumping his cock harder and deeper into her, latching on her and sucking her tits into his mouth. She quickly forgot everything about her clothes and cried her pleasure out loud, grabbing onto Gabe’s shoulders to keep steady.

“Wear something else next time,” He grunted catching his breath.

“Hard to find something that doesn’t make you want to tear it off me.”

“Shut up, Missus. You love it,” He was smiling as he dived on her neck, following her throat with his tongue from the base to her chin. “God, you always taste so delicious.” The way he proceeded to release a soft series of whimpers in her ear, following the rhythm of his thrusts, sent her to another planet.

“Fuck, baby,” she huffed, this time digging her nails into his back. Her focus had dissipated. Her skin was hot and sensitive as her body charged up with waves of pleasure that followed each of his thrusts only growing in intensity, making her core tense up. “I am so close.”

“Yeah?” He wondered, “Come for me then, love,” he encouraged her softly, sliding a hand in between them to rub his thumb on her clit, ripping a loud moan off her. “Be a good girl and give it to me, yeh? I want to feel my wife’s pussy squeeze my cock.”

Vanessa was gone in his arms by then. His voice alone was enough to guide her through her pleasure, throwing her off the edge as he kept fucking her to a merciless rhythm. She cried his name out loud as her entire body quivered underneath him, but Gabe was still not done. He didn’t give her a second to breathe. The selfish prick kept pounding into her, proudly praising the way her pussy clenched around him and taking everything from her. 

It didn’t take him long to follow her, though. The closer he got to come, the more erratic his thrusts became. Gabe wrapped his arms around her solidly and pushed a hand into her hair, grabbing the back of her neck, bringing her to look at him, diving into her eyes as he came. Vanessa watched his bright eyes glimmer with all the love he had for her as he gave himself to her completely, letting her see straight into his heart. Nothing matched that feeling to her. That look was everything. Those eyes changed her life forever and nothing made sense without him by her side. 

Damn him. She hated loving him that much. And yet there was no other way to be. She had known he was the one ever since their first glance and hadn’t been able to let him go ever since.

He collapsed in her arms heavily, pushing his face into the crook of her neck as he caught his breath. Gabe didn’t ease his hold around her, keeping her as close as humanly possible even though he was still lost in the high of his orgasm.

Vanessa smiled, partially satisfied as she kissed softly his forehead, squeezing him in between all her limbs. “Well, that was something,” she whispered brushing her smile across the line of his eyebrow. 

Gabe nodded, “Won’t be able to look at this place the same way ever again,”

“Good.”

They stayed silent for a few moments, just enjoying their embrace as their bodies cooled off. He behaved like a big feline, rubbing his face into her and gladly taking all the soft kisses she left on his features as her grateful lips followed distractedly the high line of his square cheekbones. His forehead. The arch of his eyebrows. The solid line of his nose.

Then, almost too suddenly, Gabe finally moved, looking up at her. She watched him hesitate and recognised thoughts formulating behind his eyes, even though words didn’t come out.

“You don’t have to say anything,” she pointed out tapping her index on his lips with an encouraging nod. “I love you, Gabe. Sometimes I feel like I love you too much and it will ruin me, but I still love you.”

“Me too, love.” He said, almost sounding desperate, “I am sorry for before,”

“Please,” she tried to hush him, sliding her fingers on his lips once more only for him to shake his head. 

“No. You have to let me say it, love.” He looked into her eyes and then pressed a kiss on her fingers and into her palm as he guided her to press her hand on his cheek. “I was an asshole.”

“And I was a bitch,” she pointed out pushing herself to pull a smile, trying to ignore the memories of the bitter argument they had. 

“That doesn’t justify any of it. I am sorry. I should have talked to you like an adult instead of panicking and behaving my usual way, losing my shit.”

“I-” For the first time, Vanessa looked away, trying to hide from him. “I don’t want to talk about it. Please, Gabe. Can you not just take me home and-”

“And what, love?” His gaze was insistent, “Fuck you some more. Fuck you until we both forget about it? I don’t think that’s the right way, Vanessa.”

It didn’t sound like such a bad plan to her.

“I want a baby. You don’t. End of story.” She admitted bitterly. “Now I don’t know how to move on from there. I am scared out of my mind that this is it. That it will be the reason why we keep arguing and we’ll eventually start to resent each other. So, yes, Gabe. I need you to stop me from spiralling into my head and remind me that I am yours and that you’d never let me go. Baby or no baby. Can you do that, Gabriel?” She wondered now looking straight at him, not hiding away. “Can you do that for me? Because the only thing I keep thinking is that I am not good enough and we won’t make it. And I just know I cannot be without you. So, can you get over here and fuck the fear right out of me, please?”

Panic started to grow in her as all the fears she had tried to ignore crept back around her.

“Oh, baby,” he cradled her gently. “I am so sorry,” he whispered, cupping her face in his big, rough palms. He kissed her once, twice, hoping to get her forgiveness, trying to seal the wound their disagreement caused. “I love you.” He made her look at him, “Do you hear me? I love you. You are my one and only and I will never let you go. I cannot bear the idea that you are hurting. That I somehow fucked up. You want a baby? I’ll give you a baby.”

“No. You didn’t fuck up,” she was ready to raise a white flag and forget all about it. She kissed his face tenderly. “I do not need a baby. But I need you. I am sorry. I will not push you to do something you don’t want to do.”

“It isn’t that I don’t want a baby with you,” he spoke in between kisses, losing himself in their hug, “I do not want to fuck him up like my parents did with me. I am not made to be a father.”

Vanessa melted away. She wrapped her hands around his face and looked at him, finding in his eyes and his closeness everything she cherished. “Oh, baby,” she whispered, caressing his face. “You need to stop considering yourself as a good-for-nothing guy. Look at all the good you do.”

“What good, love?” He sounded desperate, “I do not know what you see in me and I never will. Every day I try to live up to the expectation you have of the man I am, but I am nothing more than a guy with a bad temper. I fight for a living. Until someone will either end my career or put me in my grave. I know nothing else.”

“And you call all of that nothing? You are feared and respected. But more importantly, you are inspiring. Every time you get back up, someone remembers how important is to keep fighting. Every time you win you remind everyone you are better than them. I wouldn’t want you to be anybody else.”

“I am mad all the time, Vanessa. You are the only that showed me how to feel anything else. That doesn’t make me a better man. It just makes me a fool in love with you.”

“You are a good man. I know you don’t see it and you don’t want others to see it, but you have been nothing but a good man to me. And you are loyal and fearless and so much more.”

“To you. I am a good man with you.” He hesitated, “What if that doesn’t reflect on my baby?”

A small smile popped on her lips just by hearing him already defining a hypothetical child as his. “You don’t believe that.” The way Gabe looked at her like she was the only light in a darkness constantly swallowing him, made her feel the visceral need to pull him into her chest and protect him from the world. “You are my husband. My person. My family. And my home. And I am the luckiest woman alive for having you.” Vanessa caressed his face and kissed his lips. “I don’t need anything else. Only you.”

“And what if-” he hesitated some more, swallowing what it looked like rocks. “What if I wanted more, love? What if, maybe, growing a family with you is what I want?”

“Then,” she cut through his words, speaking close to his face, cradling him and kissing his features, “Then we can talk about it. Mh? How does that sound, baby? We can talk about it just the two of us. No more arguments and no more outsiders’ opinions influence.”

Gabe looked at her like a scared kid and then he nodded, finally hiding into a kiss. 

He pulled his shorts up and then solidly wrapped his arms around her, lifting her off the ring and carrying her away with him like she weighed nothing. “Let’s get you home, love.”

“For what it’s worth,” she started hanging on his shoulders and looking up at him, so smitten it was hard to breathe, “I think you’d be a dashing baby-daddy.”

Gabe smiled, trying to hide the blushing on his cheeks as he looked away. “Don’t say shit like that, love.”

“Why, baby?” She wondered drawing circles on his buzzed-off skull, only pretending to have no clue what she was doing. “You would. Just imagining you carrying our baby in your arms – or you pushing a pram around, makes me feel all kinds of things. You’d be a very sexy baby-daddy if you ask me. Playing pretend-wrestling with them when they grow up,” Vanessa giggled feeling a buzz warming her stomach up only thinking about it. “Our baby would grow up to be just like you, I know it.”

Gabe hissed, shaking his head, “See? You can’t go saying things like these Missus Kidd,” he teasingly warned her, “Because it just makes me want to put a baby in you right now.”

“Good,” she smiled proudly even though she found herself having to suppress the thought of it very quickly. The desire to take him to the letter was too big. “Was the play pretend-wrestling that convinced you, right?”

“Definitely,” he winked, pulling a confident smile. “And knowing just how hot my wife would look with a swollen belly with my baby in it.”

“See? You cannot go saying things like these Mr Kidd,” she mocked him, “It makes me go insane.”

“I’ll give you something better,” he continued, putting her down by his gym bag but still offering a helping arm, to make sure she found her balance. “Let’s go home and we can talk about it in bed, uhm?”

Looking up at him, Vanessa pressed herself by his side purring like a cat. She traced his chest up with her fingers feeling her heart could explode with love any moment. “It sounds lovely.” 

[whump-tr0pes]

Honor Bound 6 - 25

This is a series. Start here, continued from here.

This is a sequel to Honor Bound, Honor Bound 2, Honor Bound 3, Honor Bound 4, Honor Bound 5, and the prequel Vera.

AO3

Masterlist

Contents: PTSD, Ellis is pregnant and also a grumpy asshole, themes of self-harm, Ellis being cringe, past captivity, past child abuse, fucky coping mechanisms around past child abuse, discussion of murder, angst, recovery

~

It kept occurring to Isaac that there really wasn’t much to the town of Laporte. Not the proper downtown area, anyway. There was the general store, the post office that doubled as the gathering space, the clothing and alterations shop, the feed and machinery shop, the tannery, and a few other buildings that Isaac couldn’t deduce the use for just from looking at them. He wondered if some of them had a seasonal use, or if some of them stood empty. The town had the look of a place that had been abandoned for a long time and was only now starting to fill up with people again. Still, it had never been large to begin with – that much was obvious. He could see the entire town at once, glancing down the street. There were so few places to run, to hide, to find cover.

As if Gavin could sense his unease, he nudged Isaac’s shoulder. “You okay?” Gavin murmured.

“Of course,” Isaac said flatly. “Just looking around.” General store, clothing shop, post office. Feed and machine shop, tannery. Right side of the street, left. He tried to tell himself that his eyes were sweeping both sides of the street equally, that he was giving equal attention to each building as he looked around casually for threats.

He tried to tell himself that his eyes weren’t flicking to the door of the post office every few seconds.

Gavin followed Isaac’s gaze with his own and squeezed Isaac’s hand. “I… I don’t need to be in town, Isaac, I just wanted to be outside—”

“No,” Isaac snapped. He bit his tongue, regret flooding him. “I’m sorry. No. It’s alright.”

Gavin held Isaac’s gaze for a long moment. Isaac’s stomach clenched as he realized Gavin’s lips were thin, his grip shaking. “Oh… Gavin, are you--?”

“Just cold,” Gavin huffed. His head fell forward, and Isaac pressed a kiss to his forehead. “But I don’t care. I want to be outside in the sun.”

Isaac blew out a slow breath through his nose and pulled Gavin close to his side, sliding an arm around his waist to support him. “Of course. Of course. Let’s… yeah. Outside.” He glanced up, tilting his face back for the warm rays that pushed away the fall chill.

The door to the post office swung open. Isaac’s head snapped forward. His stomach twisted. Ice choked his veins, and his hand closed around the gun in his waistband.

“Well, if it isn’t bitchboy out of bed at last,” came a voice he recognized. His muscles ached from how hard they were locked, holding him in place.

“Hey, Ellis,” came Gavin’s reply beside him. Isaac blinked, and he was staring at Finn and Ellis as they strolled out of the post office – Ellis looking uneasily at Gavin, and Finn with a concerned look at Isaac.

Isaac numbly released the gun. It remained tucked in his waistband. He hadn’t frozen that badly in years, not since—

Turn the corner. There was a guard there, shocked. Didn’t know Isaac was coming. Reached for his gun. Isaac raised his. Finger tightened on the trigger.

He can’t.

He can’t.

Isaac blinked away sudden tears as Finn and Ellis approached them. “Hey,” he croaked. “Hey, guys,” he tried again, and his voice cooperated this time.

“Hey yourself,” Ellis said with a groan. “Guess who’s got back pain today?” They looked around. “Oh? Just me? Thank god, whenever I ask that around Vera or Gray they never let me hear the end of it.”

“How are you two?” Finn asked, but they were looking only at Isaac. “Were you, um… expecting someone else? Edrissa doesn’t come into town, not without—”

“We weren’t… expecting Edrissa,” Isaac said weakly. The fresh cuts on his arms itched. The unbroken skin between them itched more.

Finn’s eyes narrowed. “Then… why…?”

“How’re you feeling, your highness?” Ellis said with another less-than-gentle nudge to Gavin. “You’re up, which is… more than I was expecting, actually.” They let out a laugh with a slightly manic edge that finally broke through the fog in Isaac’s mind.

He blinked. “Jesus, Ellis. You haven’t called him ‘your highness,’ in…”

“Yeah, maybe not in the greatest of taste…” Finn said gently.

Ellis let out a shrill laugh. “Yeah, no, totally, I’m just… trying to make him feel like old times, like… nothing’s changed, we’re still just… you know, you’re our bitchboy, we’re all one big happy family, like… um… b-before.” They lapsed into silence just as quickly as they had spoken and stared at the ground between their feet.

Isaac’s throat ached as he swallowed hard, looking between Gavin and Ellis. Finn was staring at their partner with their mouth slightly open. Gavin shivered against Isaac’s side, just as he had been doing almost every moment for the days since Isaac had pulled him from the basement.

Gavin stepped forward and put a thin hand on Ellis’s shoulder. “You have no idea how many times I wished I could have another chance to be the family’s bitchboy again,” he said, with a deeply solemn tone.

Ellis’s head snapped up with speed that rivaled a gunshot. Their eyes were wide, lips parted, and they stared at Gavin, unmoving.

“Oh,” they gasped. “Oh, you’re making a joke. Oh, thank fuck. I thought that fucker really did fuck with your head.”

Gavin managed a painful-sounding laugh. “Not like that,” he said, voice softening.

Isaac blinked, seeing the basement, the barrel of Schiester’s gun pointed at his heart.

“I w-want to be with him,” he croaked, his eyes fixed on Schiester. “I w-want…” He swallowed thickly. The words burned his tongue, but he pushed them out. “I want to… Please, l-let me be his… his plaything… again. Please… h-hurt me… for him.”

Isaac swallowed again. Today is a rough day. I’m aware of myself enough to know that today is a rough day. And that’s… something, at least. His hand shook in Gavin’s, and he loosened his grip. He forced himself to take a deep breath and let it out.

“So you’re doing, um… better, then,” Ellis said weakly, their frenetic jokes gone. They chewed their lip as they glanced at the retraced scars on Gavin’s face. “You look… better.”

“Yeah, Ellis,” Gavin said. He offered them a soft smile. “Thanks for asking. I’m… I’m doing okay.”

“Good.” Ellis nodded slowly. “That’s good.”

Finn spoke, their eyes searching Isaac’s face. “And you, Isaac? You doing alright?”

Isaac’s throat tightened. He pulled Gavin closer to him, happier to keep everyone focused on Gavin. “Um, yeah,” he said. He winced internally as his voice broke. “Yeah. I’m okay. Just… relieved to have Gavin back.” He stared at the ground, ignoring how he could now feel all of their gazes on his face like a physical touch.

Gavin’s gaze was heaviest. He knew about the… the scars. Vera didn’t even know about them yet, although Isaac knew they would probably all find out eventually. A finger of shame crept up his spine. Goosebumps crawled across his skin and pricked the cuts on his arms.

The door to the post office slammed open, and Isaac flinched like he’d been slapped. Laughter poured out of the open door. Two people who Isaac didn’t recognize came out, waving back to someone inside, smiles wide and boisterous. Finn turned to follow Isaac’s gaze.

“Relax, Isaac,” Ellis said, a hint of sarcasm returning to their voice. “Your boy’s back.”

Isaac swallowed hard as his gaze shifted to the ground again. “Yeah, I know,” he murmured. He wanted to leave, to hide. Not to seek cover, as he would from spraying bullets – but as he had once wanted to hide from Rosa, when her fury at him burned hottest, and he knew he could not buy a reprieve with a cleaner shot, a harder hit, a tidier room.

He never hid, though. After he ran from his mother, he never ran from his problems again. Until he ran from the guard who killed Jordan.

“Fuck,” he breathed, and squeezed his eyes shut.

“Who’s here, Isaac?” Finn whispered. Gravel scraped under their shoe, and Isaac forced himself to open his eyes and look at them. Their face was pale, their eyes wide, and their hand was wrapped around Ellis’s wrist. “Is it not safe here?”

“You’ve got to be fucking kidding me,” Ellis spat through their teeth. “Are you—”

“No,” Isaac said, holding out a hand to them both. His head spun. Gavin is safe, but is anyone safe at all with Rosa here…? He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head to clear it. “No. Fuck, I’m sorry, I’m just… having a rough day. Can we… can we maybe… keep talking and just… walk towards the house?”

“Do we need to call the others?” Finn murmured.

“Fuck, no,” Isaac ground out. His throat clogged with frustration. “No, just… it’s just hard for me to think right now. The others are fine. Just. Gavin, come on and—” He didn’t wait for an answer before he turned and half-dragged Gavin in the opposite direction they had just come. Ellis and Finn jogged to keep up.

“Okay, we’re fine and just going for a nice run with a pregnant person. Cool,” Ellis groused.

“Sorry,” Isaac huffed. He slowed his stride. “Sorry.” He forced himself to take a deep breath. As much as it made the hair on the back of his neck prickle to have his back to the post office, he found his chest didn’t feel nearly so tight now that he was walking away from it. With another deep inhale and exhale, his arm around Gavin’s waist relaxed a little as well. “Sorry,” he whispered, just for Gavin, and pressed a kiss into Gavin’s hair.

Gavin said nothing, just looked at Isaac with unfathomable worry in his eyes. Isaac’s heart twisted.

They were already out of downtown Laporte and down the lane surrounded by wooded forest once more. They left the road and wove between the trees. Isaac slowed his steps even further. The sun dappled the bed of dead pine needles on the ground, and a cool breeze ruffled the strands of Isaac’s hair that had pulled free of the elastic. He cleared his throat and slipped his arm from around Gavin’s waist so he could squeeze his hand.

“So, um, Rosa lives here,” he said softly.

Finn stopped dead in their tracks. Ellis kept walking straight into a branch at face-level and let out a squawk.

“…the Rosa?” Finn finally managed.

“Yup,” Isaac said.

For a long moment, the only sound was the wind blowing through the canopy of the trees above. Then, Ellis said to Gavin, “Did you know about this?”

“Yes,” Gavin murmured.

“And she’s still alive?” Ellis snapped.

Gavin’s jaw flexed. “He wouldn’t—”

“What fuckin’ good are you if she’s still—”

“Hey,” Isaac snarled, stepping between them both and drawing himself up to his full height until he towered over Ellis.

Ellis rolled their eyes and crossed their arms over their chest. “I was mostly joking, Isaac, calm down.” They jutted their chin out at Gavin. “I’m just surprised he didn’t take a run at her, that’s all. Any one of us would have—”

“He did,” Isaac said through his teeth. “He wasn’t exactly in the best condition to challenge her for my soul.”

“Not your soul,” Finn said with a shrug. “But, like… your childhood.”

“I wasn’t a child,” Isaac said helplessly.

“For fuck’s sake, Isaac,” Gavin said with a groan. He threw a look at Finn and Ellis. “This is not the first time we’ve had this conversation.”

“Wait, you can’t just…” Isaac spread his hands.

“But that’s why you’re so jumpy today, huh?” Finn said softly. Isaac fell silent and nodded. He dug a toe into the layer of pine needles, all the way down to the topsoil. The top of his boot came away wet and stained.

Everyone was silent for a long time. After a while, Ellis began walking again, and Isaac was grateful to no longer have everyone’s eyes on him. Gavin’s fingers were cold where they entwined with his, but Gavin was smiling; nothing could have torn Isaac away from his side, walking with his family through a peaceful forest with nothing to fear but his own past.

“So… what are we gonna do about this?” Ellis said.

Isaac pushed out a slow breath. “There’s nothing to be done,” he mumbled. “It’s not like she’s a syndicate leader or something. She fights against the syndicates, or at least she did at some point. We can’t just kill her.”

Ellis chuckled. “I asked what we were going to do, not whether we were going to kill her. But I’m glad to see your brain moving in the right direction. No, I mean… so, are we moving again?”

“No,” Isaac said quickly. “No way. This is the safest place for Gavin, and Zachariah. It’s the first chance we’ve had at some real community. Besides.” He squeezed Gavin’s hand. “We just got here.”

“You used to live on the road, and I’m okay with people being less than enthused about me if you don’t have to live like this,” Gavin replied.

“Don’t listen to him, I’m not moving again while I’m pregnant,” Ellis called from ahead.

Finn rolled their eyes. “Real nice, Ellis.”

“Fine, but you’re moving all the boxes,” Ellis griped.

“What, all two of them?” Finn shot back.

“Here’s what I want to know,” Ellis said, finally turning around. “Does Vera know?”

Finn looked at Isaac. He froze under the attention. Gavin’s thumb moved back and forth against his hand, and he pulled Gavin close against his side again.

“No,” Isaac said roughly.

Ellis’s head fell back in a raucous laugh. “Hoo boy, I can’t wait to see her reaction. That bitch’ll be dead within an hour, just you wait.”

“I need to talk to her about a few things tonight, maybe we’ll get to it,” Isaac murmured. Gavin pressed a kiss to his shoulder. His stomach bucked at the simple touch.

If she’s still willing to talk to me after she finds out I decided to punish myself for losing Gavin after all, I’ll tell her about Rosa.

“Well, fill me in on how it goes,” Ellis said, their laughter not yet died down. “I need a play-by-play of how exactly she intends on handling this situation. And then obviously ask her if she needs help dumping the body.”

Isaac forced a smile. “Yeah. Obviously. Thanks for, um… for listening.”

“Of course,” Finn said. They pulled Isaac into a hug. He unwound his arm from around Gavin’s waist and crushed Finn in his embrace before pulling away, feeling only a little shaky.

“Any time,” Ellis said with a rare tone of solemnity. “You’re family, Isaac. Someone fucks with one of us… especially the baby version of one of us…” They shrugged tightly. “I don’t know, dude. It’s fucked up, what she did. I mean, I’m an asshole, but I still can’t imagine doing what she did to a fucking kid. Maybe it’s because I’m a parent. I don’t know. But… still.” Ellis lightly punched Isaac on the arm. He offered them a hesitant smile. “We’re here for you. Obviously.”

“Thanks, Ellis,” he whispered.

“Yeah, shut up,” they whimpered, their voice suddenly tight. They turned in an abrupt about-face and headed back to the lane towards their house. “Fucking pregnancy hormones,” they hissed, and dashed tears from their eyes.

Gavin smiled and returned to Isaac’s side once more. It felt… perfect, easy, safe. As Isaac’s slung his arm around Gavin’s waist once more, and Gavin turned his head to place a kiss on Isaac’s shoulder, it felt like the one thing that made sense in the uneasy noise of Isaac’s mind. He couldn’t suppress a smile as he followed Ellis and Finn down the sun-streaked lane as the wind blew the autumn leaves about their feet.

Continued here

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[charmwasjess]

Yooooo! What if George had the plans for the Prequels down back in the 90s and Joruus C'Baoth was secretly a Count Dooku clone?

GEODE MY MAN! What's up??! I love this ask so much because it made me do the thing I like best: run down a rabbit hole that ends with me dragging out Lord of Misrule and re-reading Christopher Lee’s delightful, if vaguely bemused chapter on filming AotC.

So, Dooku’s origins: while I think Lucas had profound, interesting thoughts on Dooku’s character outside of his obvious tropism, I always thought he created the character predominantly FOR Christopher Lee and classic film villain homage. You know: Count Dooku/Count Dracula, the cape, the tastiness of having Sir Alec Guinness and Peter Cushing in his original trilogy and needing a fitting cultural icon from that same golden generation for his new one... 

But in the memoir, Christopher Lee’s own account of getting the role kind of contradicts that? His agent - unsolicited by Lucas - suggested a meeting with the Star Wars casting director might be a good career move. Christopher Lee, agent, and casting person all had a very nice lunch and didn’t talk about Star Wars or Dooku at all. (AotC was already entirely scripted at this point.) That was it. A couple weeks later, Christopher Lee got a call saying he was Dooku, if he wanted to be. 

This is very, very funny to me because it implies that Christopher Lee’s Dooku audition was “having a nice lunch” and he nailed it so hard he got the job with absolutely no other follow up. It also seems to imply that Dooku was already written well before any association with Christopher Lee and any references were belatedly tacked on.

—This rambling is all probably missing the INTERESTING point you’re actually making: that Joruus C'Baoth predates Dooku’s invention and that he and Dooku share significant parallels. Star Wars is all too happy to cannibalize EU storylines, reiterate, and repeat. I’m sorry to say that I don’t know Joruus C'Baoth well enough to talk very articulately on the minute differences, aside from the wiki-level obvious similarities of them both being disillusioned white haired older human Jedi of similar generations and interests, who both were personal friends of Palpatine prior to their fall. Sidious seems to have been very interested in the flower of that Jedi generation and badly wanted one. Dooku’s Jedi friendgroup and peers seemed very attractive to him as a potential influences/points of attack in both Legends and Canon - Joruus C'Baoth, Dooku, Jocasta, Sifo-Dyas, and now even Rael all seemed to have some levels of exposure to him and potential influence, unwitting or not.

Is Joruus C'Baoth a proto-Dooku? To return to meta for a minute, this is something that came up a lot in the fandom between Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones because when Dooku was premiered ahead of Attack of the Clones, everyone was pretty pissed off about the character, for a number of reasons including

Great, after all the athletic glamor of the duel of the fates we’re going back to old man battles??!

Asajj Ventress’s concept art was floating around and people theorized the new Sith/villain would be a badass woman

We all thought Yoda was Qui-Gon’s Master for some reason that I can’t remember and we were mad about it being this new guy with a stupid name

But most importantly, because the central narrative thing in Dooku’s story is a Jedi who is corrupted and becomes a Sith, and we’re already doing that with Anakin. And, apparently, Joruus C'Baoth.

I'm not sure that accurately answers your question, but I sure did blow off an hour of boring work on it, so truly, thank you, friend. :D <3

[saurons-pr-department]

Hey anon, I have screen-shotted your ask because I am going to try stay out of tag/term searches here, which in an of itself probably answers your question XD

So! Thoughts as they occur to me!

I did give the whole first season a watch. Partly out of giving it a chance, partly out of morbid curiosity, like when you can't look away from something awful happening in front of you even when you really want to close your eyes.

What I think is interesting actually, is that my main issues with the show have somewhat changed since I initially watched it. While watching it my only thoughts were "wrong, wrong, that never happened, wrong, wrong, wrong, look how they massacred my boy (gn), wrong!" And while those thoughts themselves haven't changed my main issues have changed to focus more on how it's such a badly structured story (the timelines feel both stretched and compressed in a way that doesn't add anything to the stories being told) and how I don't think it knows yet what it wants to be (it's Tolkien, but it's its own thing, but it's a 'prequel' in the very modern franchise sense of the word to the PJ films, but it's also not those films).

For the structure, I personally wouldn't have put two major stories into one show. I don't think there's the time for that. Both the Akallabêth and the creation of the rings exist as very sketchy narratives that cover extremely long timeframes. Original content was always going to be needed to fill the gaps. But by putting both tales into the one show, I feel they've doubled the amount of gap filling needed while halving the amount of screentime they have for it because there's now twice the amount of canon to cover (tbf, they don't seem to want canon so maybe that's not an issue for them...). To force them to run simultanously and then add original content that isn't just filling the gaps but appears to be completely original, you end up with a story that is both too empty and too full. Nothing is getting the time it deserves. Big moments feel undeserved or rushed. It takes the wind out of its own sails. (and that's without mentioning that these stories running alongside eachother just throws timelines and motivations out of whack, but I refuse to get us all bogged down in the minutiae of my grumblings!)

It's a pity, the story of the fall of Númenor and the creation of the rings have such good parallels, but that would require them to focus on things like religion and politics etc and they seem to be more interested in mystery boxes, so... oh well?

In regards the show's identity crisis, to be fair to them, that's really not that unusual in first seasons. They're not special XD Let's face it, how often have we all been recommended something that came with the caveat 'you need to get through the first few episodes/first season before it gets good and finds its feet'? Especially fantasy and sci-fi that has to establish facts about the world as well as characters in a way a drama set in the real world doesn't. I wouldn't be shocked to learn that the show hits its stride a bit better in later seasons.

However, my current biggest gripe with the show is what I'm seeing in the writers' attitude to storytelling. I can't stand it. The actor for a certain someone whose name begins with H didn't know who his character really was until after shooting the first few episodes. There's the back and forth of is it H or the guy who fell from the sky who'll turn out to be the villain. Sky man even gets some stalkers whose only purpose was to add confusion to this situation and then be immediately killed, no further context. One of the writers (I don't remember who) when asked about deviations from canon said something to the effect of 'we don't want book fans to be episodes ahead'. It's the modern Marvel school of story-telling. It's mystery boxes and twists and fears of spoilers and people knowing what's coming next. That's not how you tell a story. You need more substance than that. Big moments are only interesting if you've earned them with a well crafted lead up. And what's the point of a big moment if it adds nothing to the story in the first place. They had one of fantasy's most iconic villains, why was there a secret? The Second Age is where he's cracking out his most rediculous long cons. The man's twirling his mustache while kicking up his feet and writing 'evil' into every date in his diary for at least a millenium, what does a secret identity add to this story really?

Don't worry, I will move swiftly on from the topic of my boy who is not really my boy before we get in too deep... No one needs to hear that... But do you get my point? Big reveal. No substance.

To add a note of positivity, I actually really like Sky man's music. It's genuinely a really nice piece of music. I also liked that they wanted to add one of the 'original' orcs, that's a cool concept!

Oh! And whoever okayed those American 'stage-Irish' accents needs to be fired into the sun :D

[astralnymphh]

SS2 AAAHHHH

Already so hyped for the next part I have so many things running through my head omg.

“and whose fault is that?” “mine” OAIEUEHEJAO PLEEAASEEE

Do reader and Ellie actually love each other or is it more I love the way you make me feel/I love how you fulfill my needs? I’d like to think they love each other (so I feel less guilty about reader fucking her) but I have trust issues after reading so much Ellie angst.

Are reader and Ellie gonna have a good ending? Ofc there are consequences to cheating but I just want them to be together 😭. Is Dina gonna kick em out or something? (imagine tagging along with ellie to santa barbara LMAOO)

The way you write farm!ellie is so scrumptious and delectable. I just wanna take a nibble (full on devour). TYSM for feeding us today 🙏

ohh ellie n reader definitely love each other. like yes reader fufills her needs and makes ellie feel seen and heard (even if ellie is just being cranky like moreso shown in the first chapter) but with that ending and how the third chapter starts will really flourish and flaunt the love that has fermented between them– yet how badly it kinda rots the life around ellie cause she is so endoused in you that she forgets to even act natural around dina n speaks in such an elusive way of "i don't love you anymore" to her so it's very much homewrecking n watching that relationship crumble before your eyes cause we need that toxifying element 💜💜 i won't say much on the ending but honestly just might solidify the plot with the whole santa barbara incident tied in.. not om detail, tho. hmm. maybe that would be a "second season" type thing, prequel series.

would love to hear ideas on what u guys think might happen next tho 💜💜

[allpowerfulspacevalkyrie]

Finally watched the Furiosa movie today. I did enjoy it, I was anxious about Anya Taylor Joy but she nailed the role of Furiosa. Alyla Brown as little Furiosa did awesome too. I've never wanted to punch Chris Hemsworth before, but I did watching this movie. A bit too much dialogue compared to the first movie, the first movie did show don't tell very well. This movie reversed course and has too much dialogue exposition in several scenes. I do feel that the plot got a little off. I never read the prequel Furiosa comic but I think most of it comes from there, and after a few hours of digesting I think I know why the plot is off. Spoilers under the cut.

I think the first moment I went, huh this isn't right, was when it's revealed she grew her hair back. When she's a little girl trapped with Immortan Joe's "wives", she cuts her hair off and makes a wig with it. It's an unclear plan for escape until Rictus Erectus tries to grossly play with her hair again, oopsy she's running away free and can hide amongst the boys. So why the hell does she allow her hair to grow so long again? Well the next moment of the movie I realized the guy I thought was going to be her positive father figure that teaches her to be a bad ass driver, is apparently her romance. Can't be a romantic woman with a buzzcut. Don't get me wrong, Tom Burke/Praetorian Jack is hot. Their relationship is pretty good. But woOow that age gap. At filming, Anya was about 26, Burke is about 40, a stretch with their ages, but when they meet as Furiosa and Jack, it feels a bit like she's 16 and he's 40. But again, the relationship is pretty good otherwise, there was chemistry, their escape sequence was fantastic. It predictably ends badly because this is a prequel after all, Dementus catches up to them and kills Jack. The story turns into a revenge on Dementus. I guess Furiosa never wanted to get revenge that badly after watching her mother be brutally tortured to death in the beginning?

I love that the plot ends with how killing in revenge doesn't solve anything, doesn't bring people back, and it's better to find other uses of your time (and use of your anger). However, after turning the whole plot over in my head I feel like that love story shouldn't have been there and the revenge plot on Dementus should have been consistent from the start because of what happened to her mom. Jack stays, there needs to be a balance to all the negative masculine energy in the movie and I don't see why he can't be a father figure. Also I think he's hot.

A central point of Fury Road is that Furiosa is rescueing those women from being Immortan Joe's breeders. I went into this movie expecting to see reasoning why she would want to do that besides the obvious it's right thing to do. What did she experience to motivate her to jeopardize her escape home, for them, with three armies of men following to get them back? Why did she growl in Joe's face "remember me?" before riping half that face off. She's a bad ass driving a massive truck through the desolate desert. She's got a magnificent resting bitch face and is beating the shit out of men left and right. She could escape whenever she wants without those women, far more easily. And with the Furiosa movie, she nearly does it once and has the perfect opportunity to do it again at the very end of the movie.

Why even go back to the Citadel at all? I'd have to watch again but I'm pretty sure she's not bound to Joe for any reason. And the ending with Dementus, while interesting, is such a weak reason to go back. Her interaction with Joe's "wives" in this prequel is so minimal. At most, we're shown a woman desperate to please and produce another son, but her lucks run out and the third baby she's had is another dead one. Off to be milked like a cow. That's it. A scene worth empathy, but we don't see anything else for why Furiosa would risk getting home with three armies of men chasing her across the desert for these women. Besides the obvious right thing to do.

It would have been interesting if some kind of relationship formed with at least one of the other women trapped by Joe. Maybe romantic, maybe a mild rivalry, maybe some encouragement to not try to escape because they are "safe and pampered" (I myself coming from a extreme conservative cult christian upbringing could relate to hearing that delusional thinking). A scene where this woman (or girl) tries to learn where Furiosa is from but Furiosa is sworn to secracy about her home. Then at the end Furiosa gets hit with the reality that those women need her help because of the death of this one woman within the confines of her "safe and pampered" prison. Now Furiosa tells these women of the Green Place, where they won't be "pampered" but far more free and safe (at least until they find out the water went bad).

Wouldn't it have been a great twist if this other girl/woman was about Furiosa's age and is actually Jack's daughter who was taken from him years ago. His Praetorian Jack act is his plan to get close enough to rescue his daughter. But everything falls apart because of Furiosa's revenge quest. Her actions for revenge results in Jack's death, then when Furiosa returns to warn Joe of Dementus's plans, she learns Jack's daughter is dead too.

Yeah. That romance was sweet and all, but unnecessary and weak motivation for Furiosa.

[evita-shelby]

What Happens in Vegas

Or the modern!Jack Nelson x Eva Smith(oc) prequel to What Happens in Vegas where Jack and Eva elope in Las Vegas

Chapter 1

“Is this seat taken?”

John Fitzgerald Nelson could forget his own name, but never her.

How could he when they had the best Vegas experience in his life? One moment he’s sharing a crappy hotel room with his friends, the next he’s living it up in the penthouse with a hot girl with a lot of cash to burn.

She had mentioned starting business school, just never mentioned the college. She had heard him brag about how he did the impossible to make it into Harvard and gave him a sample of the life he’d soon live.

Now she was here, looking like she came off a modeling catalogue and ready to continue what they started. Or else she’d be pretending he doesn’t exist, wouldn’t be the first time his flings ended badly.

“Saved it just for you, sweetheart.” He can’t even hide his grin as he speaks.

It started out as just sex amongst friends, they partner up for class often and by winter break Jack knows no one better to ask for Katie’s stupid destination wedding in Cozumel.

He needed someone to pretend to be his girlfriend who could survive being grilled by his mom and sisters about their fake relationship. No woman he’s been with knows him as good as the gal sitting on the passenger seat of his car wearing his old hoodie because they couldn’t find the shirt in the mess back at his place.

Eva would be perfect as his fake girlfriend. All she has to do is agree to spend the week after Christmas with him and his family where everyone will believe they have been dating for a while now.

“Katherine is trying to set me up with one of her sisters-in-law and I may have lied and said I was already seeing someone.” Jack has never been timid and yet here he was feeling a sudden shyness as he shares his predicament with Evie while they share a beer and tacos as part of their post midterm celebration. “She called my bluff and now wants me to take my nonexistent girlfriend to Cozumel or she’ll unleash her desperate bridesmaids on me.”

“Promoting me from fuck buddy to fake girlfriend, what an honor!” Evie teased wiping taco grease from the edge of her lip with the sleeve of his hoodie. “On a scale from 1 to 10 how committed are we?”

Jack has no idea why she’d agree so quickly. He knows she has family that wanted to spend time with her and has been dreading the open invitation to Mexico City this Christmas. That she’d accept a trip to Cozumel with him and his family, who barely knows her, over it is rather baffling.

Her aunt was bitchy but nice enough, adored her from what he’d seen. Her cousins were great guys too, Nacho had covered for him when Livia de Souza asked him what the nature of his relationship with her nice/adopted daughter was.

“Enough to make my family believe we’re in love and all that bullshit. Sorry for springing this up on you at the last minute.” He drinks his beer hoping to settle his fears of her backing out.

“Oh, don’t worry, I’ve got nothing else to do besides avoiding my family this December.” The dark-haired beauty dismissed his apology and added, “Would make up for my abysmal birthday gift two weeks ago.”

“You shouldn’t have opened it in front of your aunt, Evie.” So, he’d gotten her a thong with the words ‘breakfast of champions’ that he saw at a novelty shop while out with his friends, how was he supposed to know her aunt would be visiting from Mexico City that day?

Or that her aunt would turn as red as her hair when she learned Jack was not just her friend but friend with benefits who she’s been seeing since they met in Vegas.

“The deal’s off if you make me fly coach, Nelson.”

[bonesandthebees]

[I'm also incredibly excited for the new Samantha Shannon book in the Roots of Chaos series, Among the Burning Flowers.] !!!

There’s going to be another prequel?! Damn I really need to start reading this one.

Also I too am looking forward to sunrise on the reaping.

Anyway, questions. I forgot the numbers already so:

Have you used your library this year?

How many books did you buy this year?

(Pretty sure that’s 18 and 19, but not sure enough)

-🎄(in denial of December being over until I start working again)

yes there is!!! from what we know, it's coming out in september 2025 I think? and it's going to be shorter than both priory and adofn. it's an immediate prequel to the og priory and will show how Yscalin fell to the dragons which I'm super excited to read about

literally I'm so hyped for sunrise on the reaping I am going to be running to a bookstore to buy it the first day it's released and I am going to devour that book I am so excited to hear what Ms Collins has to talk about this time

(also you're right that's 18 and 19!)

18. How many books did you buy this year?

I think maybe 12 or 13? literally just bought two from a used bookstore a few days ago so those squeaked in at the last second of 2024 lol

(one of the books is Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and the copy I got is a big hardcover, and they were selling it for only $5 ? and it's in perfect condition?? I've been wanting to read Wolf Hall for ages since I watched the show so that was like a goldmine find for me)

19. Have you used your library this year?

Yes!! I use my library all the time I love it so much. I read the entire Broken Earth trilogy by NK Jemisin from my local library, read Between Two Fires from the library because even though I wanted to buy a copy I couldn't find it in any bookstores near me and I didn't feel like paying for shipping to order it online, and I also read a ton of other books this year through the library as well :) right now I'm waiting for my current book request through the library to get transferred over so I can pick it up, so hopefully I'll have that next book in my hands in a few days

december is not over until the holiday break is over that's just a fact, you stay festive spruce <333

(also saw your other reblog, so sorry about the fireworks you guys had to deal with that sucks so badly. my dog was apparently freaking out last night but I wasn't home at the time so my mom had to deal with him 😭 also I hope your mom enjoys priory!!)

ask game!

[blazehedgehog]

Do you think any of the compilation of FF7 enhances the original game?

With full disclosure: I've never played any of them. I've only heard about them.

Dirge of Cerberus came out before I had a PS2, and by the time I had a PS2, it already had a pretty dire reputation. I've never had a PSP, so Crisis Core was right out (until the recent HD remaster, I suppose).

The only Compilation material I have first-hand experience with is Advent Children, and I hate Advent Children.

There's nothing stopping me from looking at the games now, I suppose. I've had ISOs downloaded for Dirge and Crisis Core for literal years now, it's just a case of the "never got around to it"s. Came closer to starting Crisis Core more than a couple times over the years, though.

Generally, I think these materials are to be feared, and hearing they might be incorporating elements from them into episodes of Final Fantasy VII Remake has me scared to death. I don't want Angeal or Gackt Genesis to be canonical.

Much like going back to Shadow the Hedgehog and injecting this Alien Blood Pact into his origin after the fact, going back and injecting all this new lore about SOLDIERs being winged Angeals angels muddies so much of the water around why Sephiroth is iconic. At best, it's going back to the well and saying "You like Sephiroth? We have more Sephiroths! We have a Sephiroth played by Japan's ultimate real-life bishonen hot guy!"

Don't explain things that don't need to be explained. It's a top ten rule of storytelling. It's okay. You don't have to shine a light on every single corner and crevice of a world. You're not a deep sea explorer, you're just trying to tell one really good story. And even if you somehow manage to pull that off, future stories can and will ruin your One Good Story if you tell them badly enough.

That being said I know more about why to be afraid of Crisis Core's prequel lore expansion than I do about Dirge of Cerberus. I basically have no idea what Dirge of Cerberus is about outside of the fact it might involve the Turks? And the controls are bad? No idea.

But generally I do not like or want them. Maybe if I actually play Crisis Core I'd warm up to it more, but from the outside it looks like it also contributes to the general feeling that after Final Fantasy VII came out, nobody really understood what those characters were and everybody got flanderized in some really weird, annoying directions.

Like, the common one is that in the supplemental material around Advent Children, Barret wants to use mako energy from the Shinra power plants to solve that movie's toothless pandemic, and when he's told he can't do that, he invests in becoming an oil baron instead. Can you believe that? The leader of an eco-terrorism sleeper cell, whose primary goal is saving the planet, wants to use the very tools that harmed the planet and others that will further harm the planet.

There's comic irony, and then there's just character assassination.

They are bad additions.