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shinidamachu · 7 months ago

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inuyasha, kagome and jealousy: why their feelings were justified

disclaimer: I'm aware there's a debate about whether or not inukag was officially, canonically dating during the series and that the answers tend to change according to the source material embasing them (manga or anime), but despite using manga panels to write this, I did it purely out of practicality and have no intentions of opening this particular can of worms right now. The point I'll be trying to make for @inukag-week's bickering prompt is that their feelings were valid regardless.

Inuyasha and Kagome get criticized a lot for the jealousy they feel of each other.

People seem to think that Kagome is not entitled to that sentiment because she chose to stay by his side knowing what it entailed and, more often than not, was the one telling him to go see Kikyo, so it's not fair of her to resent him when he actually does.

On the other hand, they claim that precisely because Inuyasha goes to see Kikyo, it's hypocritical of him to get mad at the fact that Koga is constantly showing just how much romantically invested he is on Kagome, as he has no ground to stand on.

Their feelings, however, are completely justified and no other scene proves that better than this manga interaction Sunrise mercilessly cut out:

Inuyasha is once again jealous of Kagome and Koga's proximity and he lets his frustrations out in no uncertain terms, but then Kagome makes a good point: what righ has he to be upset about it when he is also close to Kikyo? It's exactly why he gets flak in the first place. And his answer to that question is very interesting:

She may think Inuyasha is diverting, but he's really not. That's the briliance of this exchange: they are both right and they are both wrong on their assumptions.

Of course that, from Kagome's perspective, Koga putting his arms around her is not that big of a deal. They have no history whatsoever and she made it clear since day one that she wasn't interested. If he still wants to shoot his shot, it's all she can do to lay a friend and ally down gently.

Plus, it doesn't hurt that Koga's interest on her is such an ego boost...

Or that it turns the tables on Inuyasha to make him feel insecure and worried for a change.

Or that, in a twisted way, it actually reassures her of the feelings he tries so hard to be nonchalant about.

It might be a little petty of her, but how any of that even compares to Inuyasha kissing Kikyo? To Inuyasha meeting her alone even though she did terrible things to the two of them? To everyone constantly talking about how he still has feelings for her?

Surely he must know, after everything they've been through, that it can't compare, that he is the one Kagome is in love with. And since he does know, how dare he ever doubt her?

And of course that, from Inuyasha's point of view, Koga putting his arms around her is a huge deal. She complains about how every time he sees Kikyo they "float off into their own little world" but the truth is that except for the kiss she laid on him and the goodbye one they shared when she passed away for good — none of which had romantic conotations —, his interactions with Kikyo were pretty sterile, especially if juxtaposed with Kagome's interactions with Koga.

Kikyo is dead and isn't romantically interested in Inuyasha, nor is he romantically interested in her, but Koga certainly is into Kagome. Just because it isn't reciprocal yet, doesn't mean it hasn't potential to be.

Koga is the one regularly inserting himself into her personal space and she lets him, even though he did terrible things to the two of them. And so how can he be sure she doesn't like it? And how exactly is that different from the dynamic they share? Was she, after all, just being nice with him too and nothing more?

Surely she must know, after everything they've been through, that he only leaves because he has a duty to fulfil, but that he will always come back to her, that she is the one whose shoulders he puts his arm around. And since she does know, how dare she ever doubt him?

It's a classic case of miscommunication, but one that actually makes total sense, because they're just two teenagers navigating through extremely complex feelings in the worst possible circumstances.

They don't have the bigger picture the audience has and even if they did, their judgement would still be clouded by their jealousy, which keeps they stuck into their own perspectives.

And what makes even hard for them to get over these feelings is that they don't come from a place of ownership at all, but rather from a place of insecurity.

That's why Koga and Kikyo make up for such formidable rivals for Inuyasha and Kagome: it's not about the competition — the audience knows there isn't really one —, it's about the insecurities they bring out of the pairing, because they were carefully designed to do just that.

From the very beginning Kagome was being compared to Kikyo for being her reincarnation. She starts the story already having to measure up to her in power and once Kikyo actually enters the scene, Kagome is also taken aback by her beauty and elegance, but more than that: she feels like she can't compete because Kikyo "died for Inuyasha." One day he might return the favor.

For his part, Inuyasha has Koga to deal with. A good looking, uncomplicated man who has taken a like to Kagome and has absolutely nothing holding him back from pursuing her, while he has nothing to offer but a difficult past, an unstable present and an uncertain future. One day she could grow tired of it all and realize that Koga could give her everything he couldn't and leave for good.

In conclusion, all that jealousy is rooted in insecurities and in the fear of losing each other, which are completely understandable and absolutely valid .

The differece, I think, is that the narrative lets Inuyasha express his feelings of jealousy directly towards Koga, from insults to actual physical fights, without grand repercutions, while Kagome is never allowed allowed a similar outlet

But that's a topic for another day.

Special thanks to @kitramune for helping me with the panels.

#Inukag Week #Inukag Week 2024 #Kagome #Inuyasha #Inumeta #Inukag meta #Inuyasha meta #Inukag #Kagome Higurashi

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yellowbunnydreams · 1 year ago

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The Blood Runs Thicker (part 5) ~vampire!William Afton x F! Reader~

~So I've had a little think and a little looksie at how I want to maybe have this story play out and I have decided that whilst yes, William Afton in this is based off of Movie Afton, I'm going to mess around with some of the dynamics ect to produce what I feel will be a better story. Plus it's FNAF, when has the lore ever made sense?~

Tag-List; @ruh--roh-raggy @randymeeksisafinalgirl @sleepy---head @robin-the-enby @hungrhay @likoplays @slxsher-whxre @nicolezghostz

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* Want more or something different? *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧

CW:Minors DNI, (18+ ONLY), Female Reader, legal age gap (Reader- 20's, William - 50's), graphic acts of violence, biting, knife-play, blood, blood-drinking/licking, mention of dead children, anaemia. Graphic description of injuries. The suit stays ON

Afton hadn't attempted to bite you for a few days. Although he seemed to notice your presence less and less each day also in a strange way. He still cooked for you and would force food and drink down your throat if you weren't compliant, and he did keep rebandaging your wounds. But it was like he wasn't all too bothered that you had begun to walk around his home, even permitting you to sit out on his porch for an hour of sunlight each day. Although you had noticed he wore sunglasses when he went outside in bright weather and seemed snappy and irritable afterwards.

You weren't complaining too much though, his demeanour had be wildly varied since you met him and in ways he reminded you of a large house-cat. Aloof to your presence and only appearing when it was time for food. Though where in the house he went during the time that he disappeared, you weren't sure and you didn't want to know. You had managed to secret away a pen and some sheets of paper that you found in a drawer, and you had began to write down things that you noticed simply by observing him, not sure what you would do with the collated information, but you had a feeling that you would need it at some point.

The first was that William moved fast. Preternaturally so. It wasn't like you blinked and he was there, but he certainly moved with a fluidity and speed that was above human capability, his muscles seeming to barely move as he walked and his steps barely made noise as he moved throughout the house. You had tested it once or twice over the days, testing his name at various volumes to determine what he could hear as well. Resulting in a few growled threats about wasting his time due to not needing anything major and making him move from where he had been.

He seemed to be able to hear if you spoke at a regular level even if he was downstairs or where-ever he disappeared to, but struggled with anything quieter unless he was on the same floor. Conversely, overly loud noises bothered him, leading you to wonder how he had managed when you screamed whilst being attacked.

As you padded downstairs, you decided to peer into the fridge whilst he wasn't around. Opening the box on the top shelf and finding it empty, you frowned and put it back. You could almost feel the weight of the bags under your eyes from a sleepless night, and your whole body felt like it moved sluggishly.

You weren't sure what time you had woken up, but a warm wet sensation against your neck had been what jostled you from sleep. Starting in the bed before a large hand had clamped around your throat and jaw, forcing your head away and for you to lie still. Heart pounding wildly in your chest as you felt William lick up your neck, his knees either side of your hips and his beard scratching at your skin, hearing the low growl in his chest as he pinned you like that for a while. Never biting, but seeming to taste your skin, his tongue almost becoming rough after the same pattern was traced onto the thin skin over and over again.

William was out of blood, and you were sure that the previous night had been a barely contained act of hunger. Perhaps there was something human holding him back from biting you, although you severely doubted it as your hand wandered up to your throat where you had some bruises from his grip dotting your jaw and a red mark across your throat from your shoulder to just under your ear. Shuddering as you thought about how much rougher he would be the worse he got. You hoped he would either bite you or go out and get some more blood soon.

Hearing a clunk on the table behind you made you jump out of your thoughts, turning around and seeing William lugging the hauntingly familiar Spring Bonnie head onto the counter. Your body trembling as you took a step back instinctually, not wanting to be anywhere near the thing as you recalled how the white eyes had bored into yours even as you screamed for mercy. Your hand moving to your leg and touching the now somewhat healed stab wound on your leg.

The action did not go unnoticed by Afton, glancing up at you and running his fingers over his slightly longer scruff. Lips curling into a cold smile as he picked up the head and walked over to you slowly, deliberately. Your body shaking as you tried to move backwards and get out of range, heart pounding faster and feeling your eyes watering as you felt the marble biting into your back. Letting him catch you and suddenly enveloping your head in darkness as he placed the head on yours.

"Aww, is the little bunny scared by a rabbit?" He teased, laughing at the oversized thing almost weighing your head down. It smelt like old iron filings and something organic, rotting mixed with moth-balls. You were sure in the low light you could see remnants of your own blood against the teeth of the mask from where he had initially bitten into your shoulder.

But you realised that the sound inside it was muffled, probably how he put up with the screaming. And that his vision was limited, only a letter-slot sized space visible through the teeth, as the eyes were too clouded and painted over to see through viably. And if the smell was heavy to you, you were sure it was almost overwhelming to him, unless he was blind to the stink inside, which wouldn't have shocked you entirely. You blinked rapidly as he pulled it off, your eyes watering more and tears spilling down your cheeks as you struggled in the change of lighting. His face was close, smiling wickedly as he leaned in, grabbing the back of your head and making you yelp as his long tongue raked up your cheek and followed your tears.

"Such a cry-baby. Don't worry blood-bag, this isn't for you today. Although I can only imagine how good you'll taste all filled up with adrenaline and fear." His voice low and gravelly before he released your head, looking at the bruises across your jaw with a satisfied hum before he glanced at your neck. "You should have heard the noises you made last night before you woke up, absolutely shameful."

You knew that you couldn't have made any, that you woke up as soon as his tongue touched your skin, but you couldn't help your cheeks flushing and feeling embarrassed that he could be right and that you had made some noise or movement that only encouraged the vampire and his appetite.

"Who's it for then?" You asked, watching him place the head back on the table and then bring up the torso piece, turning it onto its back and reaching inside with what looked like a deformed alan-key. Turning it in slow careful cranks as you heard the faint 'click' of things settling inside the suit.

"The new security guard at Freddy's, since you know, the last one just disappeared very inconveniently." William chuckled darkly, his eyes flashing as he looked up at you, making you swallow down the panic and bile in your throat and leaving an acidic taste in it's wake. "You'll be coming with me however."

"What, why? In case you need a little pre-murder snack?" The words slipped out of your mouth before you thought about them. William blinked up at you and laughed, a full bodied laugh that would sound perhaps pleasant, perhaps more like a middle-aged dad laughing at his kid doing something funny if there wasn't a tint of bitterness to it.

"Are you offering bunny? I don't take kindly to people offering things they don't end up following through on."

Placing the key down, he stalked over to you again, making your heart race anew and fill your ears with your own heartbeat. His head tilted to one side as his lip curled up and showed off those fangs as his jaw moved slightly. Every fibre of your being hated seeing those fangs, how animalistic they looked, two long and two shorter ones behind. They looked more like they were designed for ripping flesh from bone than they fit into a human mouth.

If you could call William Afton human anymore.

"W-Wouldn't want to ruin your appetite before hand!" You squeaked out as he reached arms length away from you, your hands raising up like they would be able to defend you should he come closer. The darkness remained in his expression, but he huffed and walked back around the counter, picking up the weird key item and going back to cranking whatever device was inside the suit to his satisfaction.

"I'll save you for dessert then."

Being back at Freddy's was surreal, and you felt somewhat disappointed in a macabre way that there was no pool of blood from where you had bled out, or even the furniture you were sure must have moved in all the fuss. Even passing by the security office, there seemed to be a new door on the hinges. It was like you had never been there, and what had happened to you never did.

William led you to a back room, which you realised is where he must have been hiding when you arrived for your own shift. Looking away as he checked the time and began to pull on the yellow rabbit suit with a practised methodology, making you feel sick as you wondered how many times he had put that thing on. How many lives he must have taken in it.

But you wondered why he was so attached to it.

In the room you noticed plenty of dusty boxes and old animatronic parts, before a flash of yellow in the far back corner caught your eye. Going over to investigate as William checked the sharpness of his blade under the low light, his glasses off and tucked into the bag he had brought with him to keep them safe. It was clear to you that he didn't really need them, he simply preferred to wear them, perhaps mimicking what he looked like before he ended up the way he was.

Creeping closer to the yellow, you could only see a little bit underneath a dust sheet. Carefully picking it up, you swallowed back a scream as you found a pair of empty sockets staring back at you. Realising after a few seconds that it was an animatronic bear, sat down in the corner and slumped, loose like it didn't have a skeleton to support it. The mouth slack jawed and you could vaugely see a patch along the jaw where the fur lining it was thinner and discoloured. Like somebody had scrubbed at it repeatedly and worn down the material. Looking back at William, you could see that the suit was a similar design to the bear on the floor. Making you wonder if this was a variant he hadn't used, or perhaps didn't favour, as it didn't have the wear marks that his did. Simply it looked abandoned.

And you couldn't shake the feeling that you were being watched as you covered it back up.

Turning around, William had opened a laptop onto the table inside the room, face intense as he looked at the screen, the light casting long shadows on his features and making his look gaunt. Hollow cheeked and sunken eyed. You could faintly make out that he was running his tongue against his teeth beneath his lip, hearing him sucking against them occasionally as you approached him.

He was watching security cameras, different to the ones you recognised from your time in the office. That's how he'd known where you were, what exits you would try. He knew this place like the back of his hand. The sinking in your stomach made you feel unsteady on your feet and you sat against the edge of the table, swallowing dryly as you tried not to think about him watching you. Not about the still slightly tender spot against your neck. Not about how many he'd lured here before you.

His hand against your thigh made your thoughts snap back to the present.

"You look sick. Don't tell me I've put all this work into you, just for you to get sick on me." He growled, barely taking his eyes off of the screen, perking up slightly as he watched the hunched figure with their hood up unlocking the front doors and entering the building.

"No sir, I just...I'm nervous being back here." Your voice soft as you felt him taking your hand and his lips brush against the still healing fang marks on your wrist, making you shudder as his warm breath followed.

"Oh bunny.... You don't need to worry about that... I'm going to enjoy tasting you as I stand over this guy's corpse, and hearing those little sounds you try so hard to hide when you feel my teeth in your skin." His tone was sickly sweet, honey like and thick where it made your head feel foggy. Your throat felt clogged at his words, like you didn't even want to breathe.

"Won't putting their blood in me make me sick? I-I mean, if you bite me straight after them?"

"Hm....Never thought about that, I suppose nobody's actually lived when I do it. Better hope you're a matching blood type, bunny."

He let go of your hand and left it feeling weirdly cold. Shivering as you realised your whole body felt like it was slowly being submerged in ice. Grabbing the sweater that he had given you to wear and pulling it on despite the oversized nature of it, tucking your legs into the stomach as you hoped you could maybe get warmer that way, considering that you were still barefoot and in shorts.

Suddenly Afton stood up, glancing at the cameras and grabbing the rabbit head, looking at you with a wicked smile.

"Stay here little bunny, hide away in your burrow until I come back for you." Licking over his teeth again before he placed the head on. Pausing as he clearly adjusted to the change in perspective, grabbing the knife from the table and opening the door slowly. Silently. Slipping into the hallway like a shadow despite the bulk of the suit and the man's raw size.

The room seemed to continue to drop in temperature, making you shiver more as you took a seat in the chair William had been in. Looking over the cameras and seeing the new security guard leaning back in the office chair. Arms crossed across their chest from what you could make out in the static filled monochrome.

But what caught your eyes were the animatronics on stage. Chica was looking at you, just like they had that first night in a way that made an icy finger slide down your spine. Catching a glimpse of William moving in the shadows around the stage, watching as the animatronics moved their heads in his direction briefly before they began to move around.

Again however, they kept glancing at the cameras you were viewing them in, and something settled in the pit of your stomach. It was an uneasy feeling, and you found yourself chewing your lip as you wondered what was happening. Apart from a vampire in a bunny suit running around and murdering anybody who came in.

"How long do you think it will last?"

You spun around, heart pounding as you swore you heard a voice in your ear. Quiet, barely above a whisper, sounding more like rustling wind than human, but something made your stomach turn again as you turned your attention back to the cameras. The hairs standing up on the back of your neck as you noticed Freddy and Bonnie staring into the camera. Bonnie's head tilted to one side, as if regarding you curiously.

"Why did she get to live?"

You stood up quickly, half expecting to see somebody stood behind you. Heartbeat filling your ears as you tried to place where the sound could be coming from. Swallowing softly as you moved to the door, making sure it was shut tight, in case it was the wind moving through the door and making your mind go wild. You were already anxious being there, scared even. The plummeting temperature and darkness making it all the worse.

"Hello?" You whispered, shoulders tense before you relaxed, not hearing anything in reply. Laughing quietly at yourself for becoming wound up, moving to go back to the chair when the sensation of somebody brushing past your back made you freeze and the sound of fabric rubbing against itself as it moved.

Looking around, you felt all the colour drain from your face as the blank eye-sockets of the bear animatronic stared at you from behind the shelf. The maw open as if in a mockery of a laugh, you felt as if it was staring at you, backing yourself into the wall and refusing to take your eyes off of it.

It had been in the corner, tucked away and clearly undisturbed judging by the dust on the cover. And the distance it had moved was not possible for being disturbed, not with it's head peering around the corner and looking at you like it was sizing you up.

"She doesn't have a choice." A slightly different voice whispered. You could hear almost a murmur behind it, like the other tiny voices where whispering with it.

"C-Come on out! Don't do this to me, please. Please I won't tell anybody!" You begged, feeling hot tears prickling at your eyes and threatening to spill down your freezing cheeks, body shaking as you kept looking at the bear. Flinching as you heard a muffled but loud 'bang' from within the restaurant, your head turning towards it and the cameras instinctually before you looked back at the bear.

Your breath caught in your throat and strangled a scream as the bear laid across the floor. Arms outstretched like it was trying to drag itself towards you, the top half of the head slightly off-set from the jaw and giving it that same open mouthed snarl.

You could now see a little purple top-hat ontop of the yellow bear's head. But you felt yourself sinking to your knees as the commotion outside continued and you felt like you were trapped in a perverse game of 'What's-the-time-mr-wolf' with an empty thing. Slowly making it's way closer to you every time you looked away from it. The tears spilt down your cheeks, and you let out quiet sobs, straining to not choke on your tears as it felt like your throat gummed up and made it impossible to breathe.

"Don't cry pretty lady."

"We didn't mean to make you cry."

"Who are you?!" You called out, sobbing harder. The voices sounded a little clearer, the space around you almost sub-zero feeling to your skin as you looked at the goosebumps forming along every inch of you.

"He did the same to us you know."

"William did?" You asked, feeling the air around you moving subtly, a tiny influx of cold and warmth that made you feel sickly. Placing your head in your hands for a moment before remembering the bear. Almost screaming as it was closer still, snatching your legs back as it laid at your feet, the articulate hand an inch away from touching you.

"We didn't know his name back then."

"Yellow rabbit."

"Be good, you'll get your dog back."

"Follow me."

"We can help you see miss."

"See what?" You asked, sobbing more as the noise outside continued. Wondering what was taking William so long to finish it and come back, even if he scared you, it was better than whatever was tormenting you in that confined space.

"Put on the head." The tiny voices spoke as if in union. Your hands reached out shakily after a pause. Feeling the cold air move from you as if it was a living thing as you did so. Body shaking as you stared into the empty sockets, taking a few deep breaths before you slotted the empty head over your own.

The lack of eyes inside it made it a lot easier to see out of. But it was like your vision went fuzzy. Blurred as the lifeless body of the suit laid before you like a sacrifice.

Then you spotted them,

Five tiny faces peering out from around the shelves, some with their hands gripping the edges as they looked back and forth between themselves and you. It was blurred though, vague shapes that you could barely make out apart from the fuzzy scarlet against each of them. Pouring down their fronts from places you couldn't see.

"She sees us."

"She's not like him."

"Maybe she can help?"

"Who are you?" You asked again, receiving a pause before one of the five stepped out from behind the shelf. Seeming to give a shy wave. Your hand automatically waved back, feeling stupid that you were probably waving to a hallucination.

"Can you please help my brother?" The small childish figure asked, you could make out what might have been a black and white striped t-shirt. You shrugged your shoulders, body still shaking as you tried to process it all.

"Who's your brother?"

"He's out there. He'll kill him if you don't help." The whispering sounded desperate, pleading with you. Like it was hoping you would agree. A sinking dread settled into your stomach as you realised that the apparition in front of you was talking about William killing the security guard.

"I'll get killed, I-I'm sorry but I'm not like William. I can't do what he does!" Your voice wavered, feeling a wave of sadness coming over you as you realised you were powerless again. You really were just a bunny hiding in it's burrow for the worst to pass.

"You just have to say his name." The figure came further towards you, and you felt fabric against your feet. The suit had moved a little further forwards as the thing approached, and you realised with a sob that it was a ghost. Moving what it could to reach out. Trying to contact somebody, anybody for help.

You couldn't help it as you nodded your head, and the mask toppled off, leaving you back in the dark with no sign of the child in front of you.

Your feet moved automatically, pausing as you encountered Bonnie stood in the hallway. The animatronic turning towards you with the soft whir of hydraulics and servos inside, hearing the faint 'click' as it blinked and the ears moved from side to side. One arm sticking out and seemingly sweeping wide to allow you to pass.

He made no move to attack you as you drew closer to the sound of fighting. The sound of William's modulated, gravelly voice snarling through the tiny speaker in the suit making the hair stand up on the back of your neck. But you kept pressing forwards. There was a name on the edge of your tongue, and you felt as if the eyes of the animatronics were something more as they watched from the side-lines. There was a sense of malice in the dining area. It was almost thick enough to cut it with a knife.

William clearly had the upper hand, furniture strewn everywhere and some of it broken in the scrap. You could make out dark splatters across once white tablecloths that you didn't want to look too closely at. A wet, meaty sound hitting your ears as you watched William sitting back on his heels for a moment. The front of the suit covered in darkness as you watched a hand come up from the floor, shocking you as it pummelled him straight on the chin. Making you flinch as the security guard and William began to brawl again.

It seemed like neither was coming undone without a fight.

You felt the coldness slipping at your side again, spurring you to spill the secret on your lips. Something that hadn't been uttered in a long time you felt. Sucking in deep breaths, it felt as if your hand was being squeezed between blocks of ice. Strangely comforting, despite looking down at the empty air before your attention was brought back to the fight before you. Hearing William swearing through the modulator.

"AFTON."

Your voice rang out, shaking, desperate and scared as William's fist connected with the security guard's face one more time before he turned his attention to you. Seemingly glancing down at the once-a-person mess underneath him before he stood up slowly. Taking the head off of his and revealing his sharp features.

He was sweating beneath the suit, something you weren't even sure he could do. His nose streamed with blood and when he approached, you noticed his lip as split too, the start of a swollen black eye forming that you wondered how the hell he'd managed to get through the suit before you saw the faint nail marks along his brown bone. The security guard must have reached in when he realised it was a person and inflicted some damage.

"Bunny, I thought I fucking told you to...to stay in there." He had to pause and take a shaking breath. You suddenly weren't sure that all the blood you could see glistening in the low light was the guard's. Taking a step back as he kept his limping pace towards you. "There's not a lot left in him, so I'm glad you got he....here. I'll still get to eat well tonight." He chuckled darkly, licking over his bloodied teeth, noticing that one of his fangs were gone. Knocked out by the torn gum you got a quick look at.

"M-Michael." You whimpered, William cocked his head to one side as he looked at you. Grinning as gooey strands of blood poured from his mouth and stained his greying beard red.

"What was that bunny? I didn't hear you."

A groan came from behind him, making William pause as you watched the shaking, bloody hand raise from between the turned over tables. Gripping tightly onto it as the security guard lumped himself onto the table, half slung over it. Hair matted against his scalp and face with blood, you almost vomited as you recognised that it wasn't the lighting making half of his face look slightly deformed and strange, but rather that it had seemingly been partly caved in. The whole body shaking as it spluttered, coughing up what looked like more blood that splattered across the ground. A flash of mangled teeth in the light as something akin to a gurgling chuckle came from it's crushed throat.

"I knew you may not recognize me at first but I assure you, it's still me.."

"Michael." You breathed, feeling your heart pounding as the almost corpse gave what you supposed was a smile, William turning on his heel and snarling, spittle dripping from his lip.

"Michael."

"Hello dad. Can't say I missed you."

#steve raglan #william afton #springtrap #steve raglan x reader #william afton x reader #william afton x you #fnaf movie #springtrap x reader #william afton smut #fnaf x reader #vampire william afton

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reflectionlike · 6 months ago

Note

https://www.tumblr.com/reflectionlike/758544207593062400/funny-how-they-inserted-a-third-member-so-easily?source=share

I actually find this hilarious. Because the viewing experience will probably stay the same for me. I'm already tolerating one dumbass, so what difference does another one make? But seeing V leech his way into the show is so funny. His attention seeking is so obvious I can't believe he was shameless enough to do it. Like his other two reality shows weren't enough for him he had to jump on this one too 😭 It's not like either JK or Jimin seem thrilled to include him either since they didn't think of him when they started the show in NY nor did they invite him back to go to the third stint in Japan 😭 Also fun fact that he's doing this when nobody from BTS cared enough to go onto any of his reality shows too.

Armys will never talk about any of this in the open but Tae's antics are so transparent nowadays I can sense his popularity declining with every ill conceived gimmick he tries. And it does seem like he will try anything except making good music. Sad

That’s the thing… I am not having a viewing experience because I am not watching it lmao. But Jimin is there, and I am bound to stumble on clips and shady comments here and there, so nothing better than come here and complain.

Making value judgements is not my style because I don’t know them and certainly I don’t care about their dynamics anymore (I used to, but that interest is dead already. Yes, even with Pjms dearest such as Jihope, Minimoni or JiminJin-I don’t have a clue how is their paring called. They all can go to hell for all I care).

What I DO find fascinating is fandom dynamics and rhetoric, and this certain example is prime to explore it. Good for him, so eager to participate and be part of something where he wasn’t even invited nor part of since the beginning, but what I find extremely interesting is the reaction to it. Nothing more delightful than watching armys making the whole thing about vminkook uwu, but they are not at fault because it’s the fandom, so. It’s me, I am the problem. I want to burn everything sometimes, yes.

And even though I am no longer part of the group fandom, I am very very petty and resentful, and I will never get rid of the revolting emotions every time those two come close to Jimin because we know how a large portion of people talk about him.

Anyways, the part where he had the right to do his own thing with TWO different shows and no one gaf, but it wasn’t enough, is very funny. We admire a hardworking entertainer. Certainly not very fond about working on his own music, but very willing to crash during a work trip on a show that wasn’t about him. I wonder why they didn’t demand a Taekook episode alone? Inspiring.

All of this to say, I wish member #1 was dragged to the mud for leeching on a show that he was never meant to be in, and I wish Jikookeres weren’t so soft about Tete literally taking advantage of Jimin and the other member brand, because I swear JM will never be granted the courtesy, and that is what enrages me. I wish PJMs dragged the hell out of the member #2 which is served on a silver platter by his own parasitic fans who can’t shut up about him being a selfish prick and a socially inept.

But it is better this way. Focusing on Muse who is still very recent. Seizing our opportunities to improve and leave the asylum talk to the ones who belong there.

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eryiss · 3 years ago

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Summary: Freed and Gajeel were total opposites in every way, only connected by the guild. When they were forced to train together under Makarov's orders, they expected antagonism and mistrust. Instead, they were given a lesson in how quickly opposition can turn to attraction. The issue: let the budding relationship simmer away, or let it explode. [Freed x Gajeel Multi-chapter]

Notes: Hi everyone. Another big chapter today. The first part has some graphic smut, so feel free to skip to the line break if you want to avoid it. Hope you enjoy :)

Links: FFN, Ao3, Chapter List

Chapter Eight - The Tournament

Day Seven: Sunday

When Freed woke up, he thought he might be dreaming.

His head was resting against Gajeel's chest, cool and hairless. He could feel large hands running through his hair, and gently scratching at his scalp without too much pressure. His limbs were tangled up with Gajeel's, both of them without any clothes. The gentle vibrations of Gajeel's heartbeat was a pleasant sensation that made Freed smile a little, not moving to open his eyes.

The previous night had been… indescribable. Freed was a man who kept things to himself, and his past was one of his most guarded secrets. Yet sitting in the spring with Gajeel, he had felt compelled to say something. Something instinctive inside of him allowed for vulnerability, and there had been something so freeing about letting Gajeel know what his parents had done. It was more of a burden than he sometimes thought, and having Gajeel both listen to him, and seem to take his side in his own somewhat brutish way, was wondrous.

And then, of course, there had been what followed. The reason they were both in Freed's bed.

Freed was by no means a virgin. He'd had his fair share of partners, but he preferred to sleep with a man he cared for, meaning it had been some time since his last time with a man. Gajeel had been, by quite a considerate margin, the most passionate, all-consuming lover that Freed had been with. He somehow managed to balance a rough, domineering energy with shocking tenderness and the lightest of touches. The press of his strong body against Freed contrasted incredibly with the soft kisses and grazing knuckles.

It had been a night of body-shuddering, sheets-clenching, mind-melting sex.

"Hm," Gajeel purred a little. "Thinkin' about last night?"

"What makes you think that?" Freed spoke, voice sleepworn and croaky.

"'Cause yer naked, wrapped up real tight against me, and if it ain't yer dick pokin' my thigh then I'm real curious about what it is," Gajeel taunted, still scratching at Freed's hair and giving it a little tug. It gave him a flashed memory of being on all fours, Gajeel fucking him while yanking at his hair with cruel strength. "Yeah, yer thinkin' about last night. That good huh?"

"You certainly know how to treat a man," Freed chuckled; he didn't care to lie. Gajeel was jaw-droppingly good in bed. He ran a hand down Gajeel's strong body, grazing his dick. It was just as hard as Freed's. "As do I, it seems."

"Fuck yeah ya do," Gajeel was unashamedly grinning, and Freed chuckled. Gajeel looked down on him, grinning without repentance. "Want another round?"

"You think you can take it?" Freed quirked an eyebrow, smirking. "You were rather energetic last night, I wouldn't blame you if you're needing some time to let your muscles recover."

"You sayin' you think I've pushed myself," Gajeel cackled. "Pretty-boy, I was holdin' back."

Oh, that was a thought. If that were true then what would Gajeel be like when he let himself go? He would be an animal, and Gods would Freed like to witness it.

After glancing at the clock to see they had more than enough time before they would need to leave for the tournament, Freed pushed himself up. The movements shifted the sheets to the side, revealing both of their naked bodies, and Freed swallowed at the sight of the man below him. Muscles rippled, piercings gleamed, and hair spread across the sheets. Gajeel was grinning up at him, horny and expectant.

Straddling the dragon slayer, Freed leant down so their bodies were gliding together. Their dicks rubbed hard, and the cool steel of the rivet piercings that decorated Gajeel's shaft made Freed sigh. This man was made of metal, and it was intoxicating. Freed was addicted.

"You gonna ride me, Pretty-Boy?" Gajeel rasped. "Gonna ride my cock?"

"Ride you?" Freed chuckled. "Perhaps if you'd given me everything you had, I'd treat you. But as you were holding back, I don't think you've earned it," Gajeel whined in protest, and Freed laughed. "You'll enjoy what I have planned, my dear, I'm quite sure of that."

Before Gajeel could complain or question him, Freed pressed their lips together, rolled his hips, and pressed Gajeel into the mattress by the shoulders. Gajeel groaned through their kiss, and Freed felt him shudder under him as he ran his hands over Gajeel's stomach and chest. He grinned a little, pushed himself off of Gajeel and relished the groan of annoyance. He began to slowly pepper kisses down the man's body, starting at his chest, going lower to his abs, then to his naval. Gajeel sucked in a breath and Freed relished it.

How had things changed so much in so little time?

When his lips hovered above Gajeel's dick, he looked up at Gajeel with the most devilish smirk that he could muster. Gajeel looked at him as if breathless, and Freed slowly lowered his head down and licked the tip of Gajeel's aching cock.

"Holy shit," Gajeel gasped. "Y' don't have to. I know the metal ain't for everyone-"

Freed plunged Gajeel's dick deep into his mouth, deepthroating him in a single movement. The feeling of the fat, long dick, filled with cold, harsh metal, filling him was incredible, and he gagged a little around the fullness. He took every inch of the man's dick, forcing Gajeel to maintain eye contact with him. Gajeel let a small 'oh shit' slip out and fuck did it make Freed's dick twitch. He was very reactive to praise.

Swallowing the man's length, Freed began to raise and lower his head, and Gajeel moaned. The sound spurred Freed on, and he began to bob faster and faster, choking and moaning over the man's hard dick.

The taste of metal drove him wild.

Gajeel suddenly froze, let out a spew of curses, and his hands forced Freed's head down on his cock. Freed choked, and a moment later the brilliant sensation of hot cum filling his mouth overthrew everything. Gods it tastes so good.

Freed came without warning, spurting his own cum onto the sheets. His eyes shot open, and he continued thrusting Gajeel's dick deep into his throat. His thighs were trembling with the effort of remaining on his knees while he milked all of Gajeel's cum into his mouth. When he looked up, Gajeel was staring at him lust-struck and seemingly amazed. Freed smirked over the fat cock in his mouth, gave it a final teasing lick, and pushed himself up.

"A suitable replacement for a ride?" He teased, voice hoarse from the throat fucking.

"You just came?" Gajeel gasped, seemingly wonderstruck. "I didn't even touch ya - you didn't even touch yerself - and you came real fucking hard. Just because you were sucking me off?"

"It seems so," Freed smirked.

"Oh Pretty-Boy," Gajeel's tone held mischief and seduction. "I'm gonna fuckin' ruin you."

"Will you?" Freed asked. "Well, we've an hour before we need to shower, so perhaps you should start now."

Gajeel had launched himself onto Freed before he had finished speaking.

——

"Gods dammit," Laxus grunted the moment he saw Freed. "You too, huh?"

Freed had walked into the guild, wanting to speak with his teammates after a week without contact. Evergreen had been at the bar, Bickslow was nowhere in sight, and as such Freed had walked to Laxus at their regular table. He had intended to ask as to how Laxus' week with Loke had been - the natural flirt wasn't an obvious easy pairing with someone as socially… complicated as Laxus - but the blonde had looked at him with an expression that was immediately annoyed. Freed didn't know why.

"Me too?" Freed asked, sitting opposite Laxus at their table. "Care to elaborate."

"You hooked up with your teammate too, didn't you," Laxus grunted, seemingly not pleased with the outcome.

Freed immediately stilled. His and Gajeel's night together was something that they hadn't spoken about with any seriousness, but they both had decided to keep it private. They didn't leave marks in places where they could be seen, they had tried not to look as though the dynamic of their relationship had been turned on its head when they had gotten into the guild, and Freed had even gone so far as to apply a pain-killing rune on his ass. He hadn't wanted people asking why he had a slight limp.

There was the issue of the piercings Freed now had, and the runic tattoo over Gajeel's exposed arm, but they could lie about that. It could have been passed off as a trust exercise or bonding experience. Fairy Tail was known for doing things with more intensity than required, their body modification could be seen as that happening again.

"What makes you think that?" Freed asked, cagey.

"You stink of iron and his cologne. Bet he stinks of you, too," Laxus huffed a little, and Freed frowned. He should have considered that... "You couldn't've at least showered after you did it, huh?"

"We did," He said firmly.

"Together or apart?" Laxus demanded. When Freed didn't answer, Laxus knew and rolled his eyes. "If it's gonna be a regular thing then you're going to need some stronger soap. Don't want to know every time he's been in bed with you."

"I suppose not," Freed chuckled. It was then when he remembered what Laxus had said in greeting, and frowned again. "You said 'me too' when you realised me and Gajeel had slept together. Have you and Loke started something?"

"What the fuck! No," Laxus exclaimed, before grunting. "I could've had him, but I didn't want him. No. Bicks and Gray are fucking as well."

"Really?" Freed frowned, looking over the banister. He scanned the room and his eyes settled on Gray, who was sitting on one of the many benches with Bickslow's arm around his shoulders, arguing with Natsu. Bickslow and his babies were offering words of support in the argument, and Bickslow was grinning widely. "How did that happen?"

"You remember when Bicks said he'd take his clothes off every time Gray did?" Laxus asked, and Freed nodded, vaguely remembering something of the sort. "He did it, apparently Gray was into it, and they started banging on the second night," Freed looked back at Laxus, who was frowning at him. "Dunno why that's a surprise considering what you and Gajeel did. Thought you didn't like each other. You aint the type to hate-fuck."

Freed thought for a moment. The shift from seething hatred, to tentative friendship, to what had happened the night before didn't exactly make sense to him. The piercings, runes, unison raids and demonic influence didn't make things easier to understand.

"We challenged our preconceived notions of one another, and found kinship," Freed said in explanation. "I would like to know why you seem a little huffy about it."

"Because I know you're not gonna fall into bed with a guy who's hot just because you wanna sleep with him. You're a guy who sleeps with someone they care about, probably only with a guy you could see yourself being with for a long time," Laxus shrugged. Freed didn't disagree, but didn't see how this was relevant. "If he's gonna be around you for a long time then he's gonna be around me for a long fucking time too. I'm gonna have to talk to him, get to know him, all that crap. Gonna have to do it with fucking Gray as well. I don't need that shit. Got enough friends."

"So your aversion to our relationships is because you dislike people?" Freed chuckled, and Laxus nodded. "So, not because you're still madly in love with me then?"

"Fuck you," Laxus gurnted, but grinned.

"I expect that you might say that if you were still interested in me," Freed teased, and Laxus rolled his eyes. "Though I expect if we were still together and you said that, you would be begging for it rather than demanding it. You were awfully needy, I recall."

"You know what, I'm glad you found him. You can piss him off rather than me," Laxus muttered, and Freed chuckled. Laxus' expression shifted to something more sinceer. "He good for you?"

"I think so," Freed nodded, smiling a little. "Unusual, I'll admit. But good."

"And yer demon ain't been fucking around?" Laxus looked serious now, and Freed understood why. The blonde did sometimes have a tendency to blame himself for the demon, even though Freed felt all the fault lay in his parent's actions. "It ain't done anything today. It gets bad today, right?"

"There was an incident in the week, but it was sorted before anything could come of it," Freed said, not wanting to go into details.

"You sure?"

"I am," Freed gave an honest response, and Laxus nodded a little.

For a moment, they both sat at their table. Laxus was drinking a tankard of beer while Freed polished his sword in preparation for the tournament. Freed had to admit that, although he had intended for his and Gajeel's relationship - whatever it was going to be - to be a secret, he felt warmed both by how Laxus hadn't questioned his closeness to Gajeel with anything more than curiosity, and how he had accepted the fact that Gajeel might be a part of their lives that was going to stay.

That felt nice too. The idea that Gajeel would be a mainstay in his life, and in the lives of their team. He wondered how Gajeel might interact with his team. He wondered what it would be like to return home with Gajeel after a night at the guildhall, drunk and cheerful. They might stumble into bed, and just laugh as they fall asleep side by side.

Freed would enjoy that.

"I'm sorry, I've ignored it long enough," Laxus suddenly said, and Freed looked towards him. "What the hell is with the piercings? You lost a bet to him or something?"

Freed just laughed, and decided he would tell Laxus the story.

——

"And for the final fight of the day, the one you've all been waiting for, the battle for the championship," Makarov was yelling into a microphone, his voice echoing around the clearing behind Fairy Tail's guildhall. "On the left, we have Bickslow and Gray! On the right, we have Gajeel and Freed! Two teams that have proven themselves to be incredibly powerful over the day, crushing all competition before them. Are you both ready!"

Fuck yeah Gajeel was ready!

Today was his day. He'd woken up with the memory of fucking Freed hard all the damn night, only to have Freed wake up in his arms ready for a morning of more. When they'd gotten to the guild, he'd heard stories about teams that just hadn't worked out because they let their arguments get in the way, and it made him realise how fucking close he and Freed had been to ending up as another disaster. And throughout the tournament, the natural comradery that he and Freed had quickly developed had burst out and they had seemingly decimated their opponents in every match.

Now, all they had to do to win the prize was to beat up the Puppeteer and the Stripper. It was going to be easy, and Gajeel was already planning on what he would do with the prize. After seeing how Freed lived, Gajeel knew he couldn't stay, so the money was going towards a new place.

And then, they'd also get to make a forfeit for the overall losers. He hoped it would be Natsu. He was gonna make the flamebrain loudmouth his personal fucking footrest for a month. Maybe he'd even get a throne, just to piss him off more.

Freed would look good sitting in a throne.

He'd look better sitting in a throne naked.

But he couldn't think about this now. He nodded that he was ready, as did Freed, Gray and Bickslow. He needed to be in the zone to get the victory. He shouldn't underestimate Gray and Bickslow, who seemed to be almost as in tune as he and Freed were being. Maybe having sex with your teammate made you work well together? Who knew?

"And begin!" Makarov yelled.

As they had with each fight, Gajeel ran forward while Freed started casting runes. Gajeel allowed iron to replace his skin, and he extended an arm to land a punch at Gray. Gray blocked it with a shield of ice, which shattered and made him stumble. Gajeel pounced on the misstep and rammed his iron fist into Gray's stomach, knocking him into the dirt.

Before he noticed, Bickslow's dolls were above him and circling quickly. A beam of magic struck down on him, searing pain that he couldn't identify. It felt like fire and ice and lighting all at once. Gajeel hadn't fought against Bickslow before, so the burn of his magic was unfamiliar, and all Gajeel could think to do was cover himself as best he could with his iron arms and wait for the spell to end. It was hurting like fuck, but he was trapped in the spell.

Suddenly, it broke. Looking up, he saw runed implanted on the dolls. He grinned.

Freed was now fighting with his sword, with Gray using a weapon made of ice to parry the blows. They seemed well matched, so Gajeel turned to Bickslow who was looking at him with a manic expression. Bickslow raised a hand and made a beckoning motion, and Gajeel grinned. This would be fun.

He launched forward, going to punch Bickslow. The other man jumped back a few times, and Gajeel grunted with each missed hit. He had heard BIckslow was an acrobat, and he was dancing rings around Gajeel. His physical attacks anyway.

"Iron Dragon's Roar!" He yelled, and a beam of dragon slayer magic spurted from him.

Bickslow dodged it, of course, but Gajeel had wanted that. As Bickslow made some comment that got drowned out in the fighting, he had allowed Gajeel to target him. Thrusting his fist forward, he punched Bickslow in the jaw and made him stumble back. Gajeel didn't miss the opportunity he'd created, and lurched forward to pummel more punches into the man, only some of which his dolls managed to deflect.

Suddenly, a hammer made of ice slammed into Gajeel's head.

He stumbled back, wishing he had fully covered himself in iron. He looked to see Gray standing over Bickslow protectively, with a few spurts of blood from where Freed must have hit him. He could also see a small glow from one of Freed's runes on Gray's arm. He didn't know what the effect was, but he felt a swelling of pride. That was probably kinda stupid, but fuck it. His boyfriend was a badass and he was gonna be proud of it.

Was Freed his boyfriend? They didn't speak about it. Gajeel wanted to be Freed's boyfriend.

Before the thoughts could spiral, Gajeel felt Freed's hand on his shoulder. The fight had broken for a moment so they could all catch their breath and Bickslow could stand again, and Gajeel felt a fizzing on his arm, where Freed was touching him.

"It's immunity," Freed murmured, but was smirking. "Be prepared. This will be intense."

"Come on baby!" Bickslow yelled across the space. He was grinning with his tongue hanging out. "This ain't the time to be whispering sweet nothings into his ear."

"You're right," Freed smirked, and magic seemed to flow out from him. "Let's make this fun, shall we."

Walls of runes shot up around them, and the new rune on Gajeel's arm glowed and pulsed. Suddenly, Gray and Bickslow were being pushed into the ground in the same way Gajeel had been earlier in the week, and Gajeel grinned at the sight. They were taking this seriously, and Freed wasn't afraid to pull out some nasty tricks. Good.

In tandem, Freed and Gajeel began their assault. Freed started to cover their opponents in different types of pain runes, and Gajeel began slamming his fist into their bodies over and over, loving the feeling of the punches connecting.

Fuck this felt good! Brutal and unrepentant and-

This was all too violent. This was meant to be a friendly match, why was he enjoying this so much?

Realisation struck him, and Gajeel turned to look at Freed again. The man's demonic eye was glowing and a mist of magic was forming around it. Again, the demon had been influencing them both and making them more cruel than normal. Adrenaline was still running through Gajeel and there was a loud voice in his mind screaming at him to keep going, keep hitting, make them bleed and bruise and burn! But that was the demon, and who knew how bad it was for Freed.

Gajeel looked up, and saw that the full moon was parting the sky. It beat down on them, unimpeded by the clouds and hitting Freed directly. He quickly remembered that today was the shortest day of the year and fuck Freed was losing control.

He needed to stop this.

Suddenly, a dome of ice covered Freed, clearly from Gray. Gajeel didn't spare him a glance, because Freed was a priority, but he saw the walls of runes falling down. He felt the new rune on his shoulder suddenly disappear, and his gut started to flip. Was that Gray's magic cutting him off from the runes, or something more.

The fog from Freed's eye was getting thicker, and covering more space. The dome was quickly filled with mist, and Gajeel couldn't even see Freed inside of it. What the hell was happening? Was the ice making it worse? Magnifying the moon's effect somehow? Was that how it worked?

"Stop!" Gajeel yelled when he saw Gray running at him. "Fuckin st-"

The ice exploded.

Freed wasn't standing there anymore. The demon was.

Power exploded, knocking every mage watching the fight to the floor. Gajeel scrambled and failed to keep himself upright, and he was flung to the dirt. Dread filled him, because even though he had only seen Freed's demonic form standing there for a second, he knew that Freed wasn't in control.

"Gajeel Redfox," A voice like Freed's, but warped and mutated and cruel echoed through the courtyard. Everyone was watching, but Gajeel was transfixed by the demon. "Did you like the little dream I sent you? The one where I told you what would happen if you attempted to claim what belonged to me. The one that made it very clear that this body is mine to play with. The one that you ignored."

What the fuck. What the fuck!

The dream had been from the demon. The dream where everyone was dead or nearly dead and they were trying to kill Freed and Gajeel couldn't do anything. The one he had so desperately been trying to ignore. The dream was from the demon!

"The message was ignored, so perhaps I should be clear," The demon walked towards Gajeel, slowly. "You should learn to leave well enough alone. Because this body is mine to toy with. And as you've disrupted that, I intend to fix the issue."

A tendril of black magic - the same black magic that had hit him in his fight against Freed - shot out from the demon's claw. It coiled around Gajeel, who could only scream as a pain like nothing he could imagine filled him. It was every aspect of agony condensed into a single feeling which was designed to explode on his skin. The pain was overwhelming, and Gajeel only barely recognised that he was being lifted off the ground, the coil of darkness wrapping tight around his neck.

"You should have left him alone," The demon snarled at Gajeel, dragging him closer. Gajeel could see the fangs, the scales, the cruelty. "He's so much more fun when he's alone. And he will be again, soon enough."

The coiling darkness tightened. It was going to kill him.

He was struggling to breath now, and the demon forced him to maintain eye contact as his life was sapped away from him. He tried to struggle but there was nothing he could do.

"Freed, if yer in there I want you to-"

"He won't be able to do anything," The demon chuckled, and Gajeel was thrust forward so his nose grazed the demon's. "He's as good as dead. The only difference is, he's still conscious enough to watch what's about to happen."

Gajeel had never wanted to kill something before. He did now.

Before he could retort, a flurry of manic lightning shot from the sidelines and slammed into the demon. It winced, turning towards where Laxus was standing, now covered in lightning and with fury on his face. Gajeel struggled, hoping that the distraction would be enough for him to escape the coiling darkness, but the grasp of magic seemed to get tighter. He gagged a little, and his vision started to turn black, but he kept on fighting.

Lightning shot towards the demon again, but this time the vivid yellow turned to jet black, and the demon seemed to consume it rather than being hit by it. The demon started to walk towards Laxus, and Gajeel felt the binds tightening around him even more. Fuck, he was going to get crushed to death.

"You all wish to fight, it seems," The demon said, looking around at the array of mages ready to pounce. His eyes settled on Gajeel, and it grinned. "Let's make your dreams come true, shall we."

Fuck. Shit!

The magic coiling around Gajeel suddenly disappeared, and Gajeel was dropped into the dirt again. His muscles ached and his heartbeat was hammering. He did his best to get back to his feet so he could do something to help Freed, but his body had been sapped of energy and he could barely get to his knees. When he looked up - panting, bleeding and arms shaking with effort - the demon was looking at him with sadistic glee. Runes shot up around Gajeel, a cylindrical prison identical to the one that he had been trapped in in his dream.

Gods, it couldn't be happening. His dream had been awful and it was going to come true if he couldn't do something. But what the hell could he do?

The members of Fairy Tail started trying to attack the demon, with Laxus, Evergreen and Bickslow taking the lead. Natsu was soon on his feet, as were Mirajane, Gray and Elfman. Whether they knew what was happening or not, Gajeel couldn't be sure, but something innate inside of him wanted to scream at them to stop. Attacking the demon wasn't going to get Freed back, it was probably going to get them killed, and dammit this wasn't how to get rid of the demon. It was a blight on Freed's soul, not on his body!

Magic welled up around the runic prison, and Gajeel stumbled to his feet. Fire, lighting, dust, ice, water, and pure magical chaos all flew towards the demon, and yet with a wave of it's hand, the demon dismissed it and countered them all with ease. They needed to stop; this wasn't how to save Freed!

Gajeel's runes started to glow.

Energy suddenly coursed through him, unnatural and unfamiliar. As chaos unfolded around him, Gajeel found himself transfixed by the glowing lettering on his arm. Magic - runic magic, not Dragon Slayer - was filling him now. It was powerful, addictive, and something new.

With a punch, the force of which was stronger than Gajeel had ever managed before, he managed to shatter the runes keeping him in place. The demon turned to him, face without emotion but a snarl ripped through it's throat. Gajeel felt adrenaline coursing through him like he never had before, and he raised the arm covered in runes, purple magic flickering from the exposed skin. For only a second, the demon flickered back to Freed, who was clearly trying to fight.

Freed was still in there. He had a chance.

That's what these runes were for. Not just marking. Not just a coincidence. They were Freed's magic, anchoring them together so Gajeel could pull Freed back from the edge.

"What was that?" The demon snarled when it took over. "What did you do?"

"I just figured some shit out," Gajeel grinned, walking towards the demon and covering his body in Iron. The runes still glowed. "Me and him, y'see, we're soulmates. I know, he knows it, and our magic fuckin' knows it. And yer a sadistic motherfucker who's been eating away at him for far too fucking long now. Not anymore. So I think it's up to me to cleanse his soul."

The magic erupted inside of him, and scales of iron covered him. His teeth grew sharper and his magic roiled inside of him. His dragon force was taking over, more powerful than it had ever been before. Runes covered every inch of his body. He glowed with the minging of his magic and Freed's, and felt more powerful than he could have ever imagined.

At that moment, he was a monstrous force of nature. Nothing could stop him.

With every step he took towards the demon, it's grasp on Freed seemed to lessen. Even being in Gajeel's overwhelming presence seemed to make it's dominance over Freed flicker back and forth. Freed was fighting the demon's control, and his body mutated back and forth between monster and man.

His eyes met Gajeel's, and a look of wonderment and relief filled his expression. Freed grit his teeth and managed to hold onto control, if only for a moment. That was all the time Gajeel needed.

"Let's sort this shit out right now," Gajeel proclaimed as he stalked towards Freed. "I'm yours and yer mine," He was chest-to-chest with Freed now, and wrapped a hand around the back of Freed's head, holding and anchoring him. "And as long as I'm still standin', that demon ain't got a fuckin claim on you. You understand me. Yer fucking mine!"

"Your damn right I am," Freed whispered, and had the smallest of grins.

Gajeel pulled Freed to him, and kissed the hell out of him.

Magic of cataclysmic power exploded around them, pushing everyone but the two of them to the ground. Gajeel dragged Freed as close as he could to him, his draconic body melding with Freed. The runes painted onto Gajeel were burning with the most addictive power that he had ever felt, and it was as if the feeling Gajeel had been unknowingly hunting for his life had suddenly been bestowed upon him. This moment was something he was destined to do.

The darkness that the demon had forced on Freed seemed to be burning away. Even Gajeel could feel the force of something wrong leaving Freed, and he pulled the man closer to him as the spirit seeped from Freed's soul.

As they kissed, a cloud of sentient shadows rose up around them. They pulled apart with the overwhelming force of evil looking down at them, searching for another soul to take over. Without needing to speak, both men turned to the demon's smokey form and raised their intertwined hands. Magic shot fourth without effort nor complication, and Freed's runes entrapped the demon while Gajeel's iron destroyed it.

Another unison raid, which came to them like second nature now.

"It's gone," Freed whispered, pulling away. "It's actually gone."

"Yeah it is," Gajeel agreed, pressing his forehead against Freed's. "It ain't ever hurtin' you again, y'hear me. Never."

"I know," He grinned, elated. "Gajeel, I lo-"

He passed out in Gajeel's arms before he could finish.

#Gajeed #Freedjeel #Gajeel x Freed #Freed Justine #Gajeel Redfox #Fairy Tail #Fanfic #Writing #Multi Chapter #Chapter Eight #Word count: 5.3k

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aot-snk-4238 · 4 years ago

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SNK Meta Part 2: Ymir

In my previous post, I talked about my feelings regarding Historia's character this final arc. Now I'm going to talk about Ymir, her relationship with Historia, and my feelings about her send-off.

Was Ymir a good character?

In my eyes, yes. When she was first introduced, it was clear that she had feelings for Historia, making her one of the only canon queer characters in the series (assuming Historia reciprocated those feelings, which I'm pretty sure she did). She also appeared very snarky and cynical, but us readers came to learn later on that there was a much softer, sensitive side to her deep down that Historia would be the first to witness. These revelations, including her backstory, helped flesh out her character in a way that made her very interesting and mysterious for me. I especially loved how sharp and intuitive she was. I'm going to quote the wiki on this part, because I think it does a great job explaining her impressive observant abilities. "Ymir was extremely perceptive and could discern the nature of the people around her with alarming accuracy, such as Historia's martyrdom mentality, Reiner's split personality disorder, and Sasha Blouse's desire to look good in front of her peers by hiding her native accent and developing an extremely formal way of speaking. Due to her experiences and belief in self-pride, she tended to rudely criticize people for being untrue to themselves. Furthermore, Ymir was very reasonable, as she knew what to do during her kidnapping situation and reconsidered her options to accomplish her goals." I also enjoyed her interactions with other characters besides Historia. Take Connie, for example. When he lamented over the possibility of his mother being stuck as a mindless titan, Ymir tried to distract him, albeit not in the most appropriate way (ch. 38).

Connie complained about this behavior later on, but Historia defended her, explaining that she was only trying to stray his thoughts from that traumatic discovery. There were a few more moments between these two that were fun to see as well.

😂😂😂. Ymir's looking at him like, "You ruined it, Connie..."

I love the way she pats him on the head. Knowing how much taller Connie's gotten I don't think she'd be able to do that anymore.

This becomes one of the many times that Connie calls her "ugly" when she's in her titan form. Too bad she couldn't talk very well as a titan or else she probably would have had a smartass remark to throw back at him. It's looking back on scenes like this where I wish we could have gotten more out of these two. You can tell she cared for Connie and I know he also cared in his own way.

We only saw her together with Eren once when Reiner and Bertholdt captured them, but it was very interesting to see their perceptions of each other.

Eren found Ymir to be mysterious and wasn't sure if he could trust her, which isn't surprising considering this was the only time they ever spoke to each other. One detail that he couldn't miss, however, was Ymir's undying determination to protect Historia, a goal they would both come to share later on. Meanwhile, Ymir couldn't trust Eren because she found him to be too reckless and hot-headed.

These were my favorite qualities from Ymir, although to this day I still question the rationality of leaving Historia behind considering the situation she's currently in. Historia herself called her an idiot after reading her goodbye letter. Now that I've covered my reasons for liking Ymir as a character, let's move on to her relationship with Historia.

Ymir and Historia

I've loved these two together since the beginning for their complex and amusing dynamic. On the surface, you had the selfish, confrontational tomboy and the girly, kind and beautiful goddess. But underneath were two young women who were dealt a dirty hand early in their life and lead empty lives as a result until they found each other. Their story arcs throughout the Clash of the Titans arc were beautiful and complimentary, and it's part of the reason why it's actually my favorite story arc in the series. Everything from Ymir seeing through Historia's charade and urging her to live her life with pride to Historia telling Ymir her real name and the two of them fighting side by side in chapter 49 was some of the most empowering moments for me and I will forever cherish those parts of the story.

Ymir's departure

And now the part I've been most excited to talk about! Ymir's glorious, memorable and emotional departure.

Her ending...was not what I expected it to be. She left Historia at the very last second and gave herself away to the enemy because she felt guilty for something that was not her fault. Now as we know, Ymir is selfless at heart and she felt indebted to Reiner and Bertholdt for inadvertently helping her return to her human form after 60 years of wandering the earth as a mindless titan. She also decided that Historia might be safe after all after learning that Eren possessed the coordinate. I understand all of that, but what I don't understand is...well...everything else.

This was Ymir's last real appearance. We see that Ymir has willingly chosen to accompany Reiner and Bertholdt back to Marley to give up her titan powers at the cost of her life. Many people weren't so sure if that was truly the last of her though, because her death was not explicitly confirmed for a long time. We spend the next 33 chapters hoping to get something more, and then this happens...

A glimmer of hope. Finally there's a real chance we'll hear from her again, and it's got a lot of people buzzing with excitement. Sure enough, we finally get to see what's in that letter a few chapters later and are given Ymir's backstory. Here's where the disappointing part comes, though. Ymir makes it clear at the beginning of her letter that she will be dead by the time Historia receives it, meaning that this is the only goodbye they're gonna get. The last time they saw each other, Ymir wasn't even in human form. Instead of a proper goodbye, all we get is a short letter. The anime even tried to fix this by giving us Ymir's backstory earlier, but by doing that, her letter was cut short by a lot. All that was really left was, "Hi babe, sorry I left you like that. Oh well, I'm about to die anyway. Sorry we couldn't get married." And then this happened:

Historia touches Ymir's letter and is suddenly bombarded with visions of Ymir's past, including her chained up and about to be eaten. That is definitely not what happened in the manga and its honestly very confusing to me. How was she able to see all of that just by touching the letter? I get that she has royal blood and was able to access memories when she touched Eren, but Eren is a human who just so happens to possess the founding titan. The letter is just a piece of paper. Also, I'm guessing the last thing Historia saw was Ymir chained up so that there will be no need to bring her up again like Reiner and Porco did in chapter 93. I don't blame the anime team for making that change because I'll be honest, when we saw that one panel of her in her death chamber it felt very out of nowhere and I had a hard time concentrating on the rest of the chapter after that. So here are my main problems with her death:

1. It was off-screen

If I recall correctly, Ymir is the only major character in the series whose death was off-screen. All we got were her final moments, and there wasn't even any dialogue. That part especially bothered me because you can see that Ymir and Porco are looking at each other and Ymir's mouth is slightly open, implying that she's speaking. But what was she saying? You seriously don't mean to tell me that they both just sat there and stared at each other the whole time. She must have had some last words, but for some reason we never got to know what they were. At one point I even thought that Historia and Porco might cross paths at some point and he would be able to give her closure that way but no. No closure, just a last minute goodbye letter and a glimpse of her final moments that I now consider completely useless and unnecessary because we never got more out of it. I mean really, we even got closure and an on-screen death for Marco for crying out loud. Why give him that kind of attention and not Ymir? Not to mention one of the more recent guidebooks. Her character has the diceased sticker and it talks about how she went back to Marley with Reiner and Bert, but that's it. Not even the guidebook makes it clear what happened next. Yeah she died, but did anything else happen before then? That's what I wish we could have gotten more details on like, I don't know....her final words???

2. It was anticlimactic

We didn't get enough focus on Ymir's point of view after leaving Paradis in order for her death to have any kind of lasting emotional impact. As I mentioned above, it just felt out of place and messy. There was nothing memorable about her death either. It was quite simple and boring.

3. It contributed to an ongoing literary issue that has anti-LGBTQ roots

Yep. I'm talking about the infamous Bury Your Gays trope. Now before I go any further, I am not accusing Isayama of being anti-LGBTQ, I'm just shedding some light on something that's been continuously repeated in countless forms of media, not just anime and manga. Truthfully, I hadn't heard about this trope before reading Attack on Titan, but when I did hear about it, it only made Ymir's death even worse for me. I'm not surprised that it exists and I realize that this is a manga where death is inevitable, but keeping both women alive in the end would have certainly been very refreshing. At this point, all I could ask for is that Ymir and Historia get to see each other one last time. Obviously since Ymir is dead it will have to be through other means and I don't care how it's done. It can be in a dream, a vision or through Paths (which I think would work best). Seriously, there's nothing I've been more curious about than how Ymir would react to Hisu's current predicament and what she would say to her. It would just be great for them to have one last conversation face to face because for me, the letter just wasn't enough. Of course I'm hoping for too much, though. We've only got 1-2% of the story remaining, leaving no room for further closure. It's disappointing and frustrating, but no story is perfect. I'm grateful for the content that we did get, but I hope one day I can find a story like this one where the queer characters get to live for once. I'm aware of other shows like Steven Universe, Adventure Time and Yuri on Ice that give them good endings, but those shows are much friendlier towards younger audiences and aren't nearly as dark and grim.

Conclusion

Ymir was a very intriguing character while we had her, but her death was unsatisfactory and only left us with more questions. I am not going to trash Isayama for it, but I will leave this critique here so I can unload all my thoughts for others to read if they wish, or possibly share their own thoughts. We are coming close to the end of the manga, so now would be a great time to reflect on what we read and enjoy what's left of it.

#snk #ymir #snk meta #snk spoilers #snk character analysis #snk manga #snk thoughts

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