#I think it will get worse and worse and everyone I love will leave me because they are tired of my shit

[grvait]

more old art!! featuring theo and my human harley fan design!! RUN THEODORE RUN (he's cooked)

im gonna talk about chapter 4 under here so only click if ur ok with spoilers! also its a huge yapfest. like HUUGE. i just want to voice my opinions about prototype because i've seen ppl sort of miss the point of what happened at the end of the chapter

I LOVED CHAPTER 4! IT WAS SO COOL!! i was sooo worried but im glad it turned out good. rip pianosaurus tho..

tldr (for the bunch of paragraphs where I talk abt prototype)

prototype being ollie is deranged because it means he was terrorizing the toys of safe haven on purpose for the fun of it when he could have killed them at any time. he also created an extremely close emotional bond with poppy for OVER A DECADE just to tear it all away from her at the end and tell her it was meaningless (he then proceeds to taunt her over the phone abt it). bro is LITERALLY TROLLING

you cant tell me that final scene w the "ive got something special in mind. i prepared it just for you, and this time you'll never want to leave." isnt some tom and jerry shit

ABT PROTOTYPE REVEALING HIMSELF AS OLLIE... (the long explanation)

we ALL knew he was ollie, but i don't think people are seeing the point of this reveal. it wasn't about revealing himself to us the player, it's about the implications that arise from it. he had been playing both sides for 10+ YEARS. that's deranged enough but not even CLOSE to the end of it

as ollie he had emotionally supported poppy in her lowest moments (as heard in the ollie and poppy tape). this tape also insinuates that (at least around the time it was recorded) the two of them called frequently, possibly every night. he wasn't just pretending to be everyone's ally, he was PRETENDING TO BE THEIR CLOSEST FRIEND THAT THEY COULD VENT TO 😭 he heard this poor girl sob into the phone and tell him about how she felt her humanity being taken from her, AND HE KEPT UP THE CHARADE AND COMFORTED HER, KNOWING THIS PATH HAD BAD INTENTIONS

what's worse than all of that, though, is that him being ollie means that at any time in the last 10 years he could have used the persona to force his way into safe haven. AT ANY TIME HE COULD HAVE KILLED THEM ALL. HE COULD SIMPLY USE THE OLLIE VOICE AND ASK THEM TO OPEN THE DOOR. why is this worse, you ask? because HE WAS LITERALLY TERRORIZING THEM ON PURPOSE.

think about the note in the cart/cave area. a toy from safe haven writes that prototype was right outside the door the night before, he'd gotten past the traps and was just tapping on the wall and staring. they said after he was gone they still felt they could hear it. HE IS LITERALLY BEING SCARY ON PURPOSE???? LEGIT TRAUMATIZING THEM AND FOR NO REASON. HE COULD GET IN THERE, HE'S SIMPLY CHOOSING TO MAKE THEIR LIVES HELL

so thats crazy.. BUT ALSO THE ENDING? in the poppy and ollie tape he says "im right here, poppy. for you. i'll always be here." AND AT THE END OF THE GAME, WHEN POPPY ASKS WHAT HE DID WITH OLLIE, HE SAYS THAT. you know what that means? that means he said that shit to her ALL THE TIME. clearly only the two of them would be familiar with the phrase which is why after he said it, she immediately knew he was ollie the whole time

i feel bad for poppy. she ran off but she was valid for that. all her friends from safe haven are dead, the only ones left are the player, kissy and ollie, but she soon realizes that ollie is WORSE than dead. he is LITERALLY HER ENEMY. the thousands of conversations they had, probably hundreds of times she vented and told him her plans and discussed her life with him? ALL FOR NOTHING. any time she thought she was winning the past 10 years was a lie, she was ALWAYS LOSING because he was GETTING ALL THE INFO FROM THEM. she genuinely never had a chance and i think she realized that

in her dialogue you can tell she's grieving ollie (obviously he IS prototype, but i think she's grieving the thought of him). saying "you lied to me" to the prototype of all people is absurd (considering he's done far worse than lie) but when you think about how she feels, it makes sense.

also the part where she said "this isn't right". again, a weird thing to say to him of all people, but if you put yourself in her shoes she's grieving the friend she thought she had, and she's struggling to grapple with the fact that it all meant nothing. somewhere in her mind she believes "ollie" as a personality is there somewhere, because how could someone be that close with you and mean none of it? she thinks that voicing this pain he's inflicted will change his mind, but it won't. and that's why it's genuinely really sad. that's why she asks if there was ever an ollie. i don't think she meant it literally, and i don't think his answer was literal either. she didn't mean "were you a mf named ollie once" she meant it like "was our friendship ever genuine?" which makes his response both heartbreaking and interesting.

so not only is her world shattered now, most of her friends are dead and the one who wasn't turned out to be her opp, but now he's TAUNTING HER OVER THE PHONE AND THREATENING HER. nice one... (loved the quip after she ran off btw. that shit was hilarious. like bro u made her crash out and went "some friend, huh?" YOU CANT SAY THAT BRO)

anyway think of it from her perspective: everyone you knew is gone, and soon the only 2 people that remain will be too. you can't run, or hide, or do anything. he WILL find you, and when he does he'll lock you away FOREVER where NOBODY WILL BE LEFT TO SAVE YOU. I WOULD RUN TOO.............. plus her running off probably led him away so.. she saved us sorta.

ALL THAT TO SAY THAT I REALLY LIKE THE OLLIE REVEAL FOR REASONS FAR BEYOND A SIMPLE TWIST. him being ollie for over a decade raises many many questions, and suggests very dark things.

hes crazy and the fact he did a monologue means he knows he won. he wouldn't have spilled the beans otherwise...

[fawnindawn]

Death Has No Right To You (arkham knight!jason todd x reader)

Summary: You're severely injured, but he's not letting you go. Even if you're not his to lose anymore. (a/n: angstcomfort? not even death can try to drag you away from him. tw: mentions of blood/near death)

Jason has not felt such fear since his time in the warehouse, where the very thought of metal scraping concrete conjures phantom stings in his scars, and a gutting-drop in his heart. After him- after everything he's been through, he was close to believing nothing could ever be worse than the past he buried deep down, which he stifled with hatred-filled revenge.

Shaking fingers cradling your limp head, he can't believe he was ever foolish enough to think life had enough of him to let its dreaded claws loose. He had thought he was done with attachment to his past, to his mantle, to Bruce, to you.

"Please, don't take her away from me." He pleads to no one, because no one ever listens to him when he begs. Not when he was caged in that warehouse, not when he pleaded to be found, not when he pleaded to die.

He knows the scent of death like the back of his hand, coated on his hands when he kills, coated in the haunted look that stares back at him in the mirror. You- you're covered in the scent of it.

You're barely holding on, your grip on his neck falling looser only for him to snap at you to wake up whenever your eyelids shut, forcing you out of your stupor. Stay, stay, stay- his voice commands you.

When he reaches the base, he's barking orders and there's a flurry of movement as his militia move aside for him, all eyes on the limp body in his arms. "Get a fucking doctor- or I will make sure everyone in this room pays." His modulator renders his tone cold, but he can hear his desperation echoed back to him. Thankfully, no one notices and someone finally listens and makes a move.

He places you down on a flat surface, heart dropping when he can finally see how much blood you've lost under the fluorescent light. He grips your hand that reaches out for comfort. "You're going to make it." He mutters to himself, because he simply refuses anything other than your survival. "Because you're not someone who gives up. You're a fighter, you can fight this. I won't let you go under, you understand?"

You wince and heave with every breath, but there's confusion etched into your expression when you listen to his words. You try to find familiarity through his altered voice, something of memory to his armour, but you find none.

"Was I someone- were you someone to me?" You finally dared to ask.

There is no sound from his modulator, no flicker in those illuminating eyes, but somehow, you can sense the tension in his shoulders, the way his breath stops at your question.

"No." He answers. Not anymore.

The silence stretches, and footsteps are nearing.

"Then." You struggle through your next words, vision blurred till he leans in. "If I don't make it," You notice his fingers tighten around yours. "Will you bury me near Jason Todd's grave?"

The Arkham Knight is a powerful figure, with connections and a motive no one understands. Yet, if he was willing to put all this effort to save you, maybe he would listen to your final request.

"I promised him." Tears filled your eyes. "I'd always be by his side. I failed to before- Promise me, that you'll let me."

Jason stares at you, and he fights back the urge to scream. Don't you know, that by finding your Jason, you'll be leaving him? He had thought that whoever he became the day he escaped Joker's grasp couldn't possibly be something you could love, so he had left you alone. Or at least, he had convinced himself that it was the right decision. Now, even on your deathbed, your last words are of him, for him. Wrongs after wrongs after wrongs, it seems to be all he's capable of. But not this time.

He's not letting you go.

"I promise."

When you wake, you feel a strong hand covering yours. Your head pounds, and you try to recall what happened. A gunfight, a crossfire, a stranger, a promise-

The Arkham Knight. He saved you, didn't he?

You turn your head to see who was sitting beside the bed, expecting a robotic suit and glowing eyes, only to meet pale blue. Your heart recognises the colour before your mind does, seizing uncontrollably as if possessed.

"Am I dead?" You ask, laughing humourlessly. "Is that why you're here, Jay?"

He gives you a sad smile. Your Jason smiles at you. It's solemn and heartbreakingly haunting, unlike anything you've dreamt of since his death.

His hand moves to rest over your pulse, which beats over his calloused thumb. Life. Then, you're.. alive? You notice then, how he's not really the Jason you remember. There's a deep scar engraved into the skin tissue of his cheek, a crookedness to his nose from a punch gone wrong, and how his eyes hold secrets you can't uncover.

He's not your Jason, but he still looks at you the same way.

"I told you I'd keep my promise." He finally answers. "And now it's your turn to keep yours."

[lexirosewrites]

for slick sunday:

Royal AU where Prince Edward has always been destined to be an omega, it’s “written in the stars” according to the seers in the castle. They’ve never been wrong, so everyone prepares for him to marry an alpha from another country when he’s of age. But he feels like they’re wrong, it feels wrong.

When he presents as an alpha, the entire castle, the entire village is shocked. His rut is much worse than any the healers have seen, and he’s becoming more aggressive the longer he goes without an omega to help him through.

Cue his childhood best friend Steve, who left the village for a while when he presented as an omega unexpectedly, finding out. He hasn’t seen Eddie in a few years, but he knows what he has to do.

The moment he shows up, Eddie calms. It’s like a switch is flipped and Eddie falls to his knees, buries his face against Steve’s hip, and whines. Steve brushes his hand through his hair and whispers as much comfort as he can while he shoos everyone from the room.

It’s a long two days, but Steve helps Eddie through his rut, does anything that Eddie needs. Eddie is good to him, softer than he expected. He’s still very out of it, but he’s always nudging Steve to drink water and lay down so he’s comfortable. He goes slow, even when Steve knows how much he wants to take charge, go faster, go harder.

When it passes, Steve’s prepared to leave. He did what he came to do and doesn’t expect Eddie to want him to stick around. They aren’t friends anymore, even though Steve will always love Eddie for seeing the real him, the version of him that Steve hid around others because it was too soft, too loving, too much.

But Eddie asks him to stay, have the healers look him over to make sure he’s not hurt. Steve insists he’s fine, but Eddie insists harder.

Steve stays.

And stays.

And he doesn’t leave Eddie’s side for weeks.

No one asks questions, they just accept that the prince won’t let Steve out of his sight.

When Steve misses his next heat, he feels like running. They aren’t mates, despite how inseparable they are, despite the love shared in Eddie’s bed nearly every night. A baby born out of wedlock, out of a bond, even in their case, would be considered illegitimate.

But when he tells Eddie his fears, Eddie’s ecstatic.

They meet with Wayne immediately, and he’s just as ecstatic as Eddie is.

“I worried when he presented as an alpha instead, that we’d spend years searching for a worthy omega. But I think I should be more worried that he isn’t worthy enough of you.”

They bond days later, and have a marriage ceremony shortly after that.

One night shortly before their baby is born, Eddie is holding Steve in bed, humming songs he’s made up just for him.

“I believe I was always meant to be your alpha.”

“The stars said differently.”

“Stars can be wrong. Fate is a mysterious thing.”

“So fate brought us here?”

“Fate brought you to me and I refused to give you back.”

“I’m glad you didn’t give me back. I quite like it here with you.”

omfg when you said Steve missed his heat my chest hurt because I thought he was gonna run away😭 I’m so glad they get to be happy together!!!

[heliosunny]

what abt yan!mydei with a reader as his wife who’s trying to escape?

Yandere!Mydei x Wife!Reader

The grand hall is alive with the clash of steel, the roar of the crowd, and the shimmer of golden candlelight against polished marble. The gala is meant to be a celebration, an exhibition of strength and diplomacy, but to you, it is an opportunity.

Your husband, Mydei, stands in the center of the dueling arena, his blade locking against an opponent’s in a brutal clash. He fights like a beast, relentless, overwhelming, every strike carrying the weight of a warrior who has never known defeat. His hair, damp with sweat, clings to his face as his opponent stumbles back. The audience erupts in cheers.

And that’s when you run.

You don’t waste a second. While the nobles are entranced by the fight, you slip past the velvet-draped tables, past the gilded statues, and through the towering double doors. Your heart pounds as you dart down the corridors, breath quick, hands trembling.

Freedom is so close.

The outer gates are unguarded, everyone is inside, watching Mydei. The stars are vast above you as you sprint into the streets of the city, the sound of your silk-clad footsteps lost in the night. The further you go, the deeper the weight in your chest lightens.

You made it.

Days pass. You keep moving, changing your clothes, stealing scraps of food where you can. Your once-ornate garments have been traded for rough-spun fabric, your fingers stained with dirt from the road. The city gives way to forests, then rivers, then distant villages where Mydei’s name is still whispered in reverence and fear.

But something is wrong.

It starts as a dull ache in your limbs, a fatigue you dismiss as exhaustion from travel. But then your steps become sluggish, your breathing more labored. Food tastes bitter. Your fingers tremble when you lift them. The further you get from Mydei, the worse it becomes, until realization strikes like a dagger to the gut.

You’re not just sick. You’ve been poisoned.

Memories resurface, Mydei’s hands lingering on your wrist days before the gala, his lips brushing your throat as he murmured, “If you run, I’ll chase you. But do you know what happens when a bird flies too far from its nest?”

The poison was never meant to kill. It was meant to make sure you’d never outrun him. The moment you collapse, he finds you.

A pair of iron-strong arms catch you before you hit the cold dirt. Even through the haze, you recognize the scent of steel, sweat, and something faintly sweet, Mydei’s scent. A choked sound leaves your lips, something between a sob and a curse, as you weakly try to shove him away.

He doesn’t let you go.

“Shh, easy now” he murmurs, his voice deep, softer than it has any right to be. His arms tighten around you, lifting you against his chest with infuriating ease. “You should’ve known this would happen, my love. You can’t survive without me.”

Your fingers claw at his shoulder, your body shaking as you try to fight, try to resist. But it’s useless. You feel like a ragdoll in his grasp, your strength sapped by the poison, your vision spinning.

“Bastard—” you whisper, teeth bared.

His chuckle is low, dangerous.

“Still so fierce, even like this. That’s why I love you, you know?”

His fingers stroke your cheek, his touch burning against your too-cold skin. He looks down at you.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t come for you?” he asks, tilting his head. “That I wouldn’t tear the entire kingdom apart to find you?”

You open your mouth, but no words come. Your breath is shallow, your body trembling violently against him.

Mydei sighs, shifting his grip to hold you more securely. He presses a lingering kiss to your temple before whispering, “It doesn’t matter. You’re coming home.”

You jolt upright—only for an unbearable wave of nausea to crash over you. Your body, still weak from the poison, refuses to obey. Before you can collapse, strong hands catch you, pulling you back against something solid and unyielding.

“Careful.”

His voice is too close.

You shove at him, weakly, but Mydei doesn’t budge. He holds you with effortless strength, keeping you caged against his chest.

“Easy, my love,” he murmurs, his lips brushing your temple as he speaks. “You’re still recovering.”

Your breath shudders out of you as you force your eyes open. The room is dim, flickering candlelight casting long shadows against dark stone walls. Not your chambers. Not the palace. Somewhere more secluded, somewhere only he knows.

You stiffen. “Where—”

“A safe place” Mydei cuts in, as if that explains anything.

His grip loosens slightly, but he doesn’t let you go. His fingers skim over your wrist, pressing gently, checking your pulse. His golden eyes narrow slightly before he exhales, satisfied.

“You’re getting better” he muses, his voice dipping into something dangerously soft. His thumb traces over your skin, slow, methodical. “But you lost too much strength. Do you feel it? How your body falters without me?”

Rage coils in your chest. You wrench your arm away, only to hiss as the movement sends a sharp ache through your limbs.

Mydei tuts, shaking his head. “Stubborn little thing. Even now, when you’re barely able to sit up.”

“You poisoned me.”

“I saved you.”

He says it so easily. So utterly convinced that he’s right.

“You tried to run” Mydei continues, as if he’s explaining something simple. “You would’ve died out there, weak as you were. I told you—” His fingers grasp your chin, tilting your face toward his. His eyes gleam, golden and unyielding. “You can’t survive without me.”

You glare at him, but your body betrays you. The fever still lingers, your skin burning beneath his touch. You hate how steady his hands are, how easily he holds you in place.

“I will never belong to you” you snarl, voice hoarse.

For a moment, Mydei is silent.

Then, he laughs.

Low, deep, almost cruel.

“Belong to me?” he repeats, tilting his head. “Oh, my love. You already do.”

The bed shifts as he moves, pressing closer, his warmth suffocating. His lips brush against your forehead, your cheek—soft, adoring, unshakable. His arms tighten around you, immovable.

“And I will never let you go.”

“You can fight me, if you want. I like it when you do” Mydei murmurs against your skin, his lips ghosting over your cheek—a mockery of affection.

You wrench away from his touch, but your body is still weak, trembling from exhaustion. Mydei lets you move, only to seize your wrist the moment you try to push him away. His grip is unyielding, but not painful.

“You truly hate me that much?” His golden eyes glint in the dim candlelight, searching yours. There’s something unreadable in his gaze—something deeper than rage, something darker than mere obsession.

You take a shuddering breath, forcing steel into your voice. “More than anything.”

A pause. Then—he smiles.

“Then perhaps” he muses, almost idly, “I should give you something to love more than you hate me.”

Your blood runs cold. “What?”

He watches your reaction closely, golden eyes drinking in every flicker of emotion across your face.

“You won’t always feel this way, my love. One day, you’ll understand. And if not…” His free hand trails down, brushing over your stomach.

“Then I’ll just have to give you a reason to stay.”

A new kind of fear coils in your chest, sharper than anything you’ve felt before. You know Mydei. You know his conviction, his unshakable will.

If he decides something, he will make it reality.

“You wouldn’t—”

“Wouldn’t I?” His fingers press slightly, claiming. “You are my wife. It’s only natural. And once you carry my child… you will never leave me again.”

Your vision spins. Not just from the fever, not just from exhaustion, but from the realization that he means every word.

Mydei tilts your chin up, forcing you to meet his gaze. His expression is softer now, almost gentle, but that only makes his next words more terrifying.

“If you won’t stay for me, you’ll stay for them. And by then, my love—” His lips brush against your forehead, his voice a hushed, dangerous promise. “—you won’t even want to run anymore.”

[ilysungho]

hiii what do you think about the boynextdoor members + sad sex?? maybe they're aware you two are going to break up soon or know there is something wrong with the relationship (i honestly love angst)

i actually have some ideas but itd be great to hear yours too since you write amazingly

thank you so much for your compliments love! this is so different from all the other asks i've had, thank you for asking me this! i'd love to hear your thoughts too so please feel free to leave them any time, and let me know what you think of mine as well~ i wrote short scenarios for each of the members as i thought that was the best way to express the emotions. they aren’t as focused on the sex, but rather the emotions. leehan’s is inspired by this post!

contains: a lot of angst and sadness and tears, sad sex, husband!sungho x wife!reader, situationship!leehan x fem!reader, everyone else is in an established relationship (bf/gf), sungho/riwoo live with reader, lowercase intended

sungho - fixing a breaking marriage

there would be a lot of tears from both you and him, though not a lot of words are being exchanged as he holds you so impossibly close, yet still pulling you closer. bruised lips would show how much one means to the other as he gives you slow, deep strokes. eventually, he would be the first to break the silence, his words cutting through the sadness as he utters three simple words: i love you. and at that, you’d be crying harder than you already were, nodding while repeating those words back to him. he’d crack a small smile at you, relieved to know that you still care for him, at least enough to say the sentence back to him. you both know that both of you messed up somewhere along the line, but neither of you were ready to admit it. and as days went on, it felt like both of you were walking on eggshells around each other despite being married for 2 years, together for 5. his strong arms held you close as he started to be more vocal, asking you how it all feels so he can be better, not only at the moment but also as your life partner. he wanted nothing more than to stay as your husband, and he knows you reciprocate those feelings. so you tell him everything, through actions and words, for better, but not for worse.

riwoo - words that should've been left unsaid

"let's just break up then!" riwoo's voice echoes through the room as he stood up to leave. it was pretty normal for the two of you to have disagreements over small and meaningless things, the occasional arguments making way. yet it had never been as big as the current one you were both having. a little nagging turned into a course of reasons why he isn't being a very good helper around the house, which then turned into a screaming match between the two of you. neither of you knew why the argument became this extreme. he roamed around the park nearby as you sat on your shared bed in shock. you processed your pain and anger, ultimately deciding to take a leave for a couple days to really think things through, getting up to pack a light suitcase. about ten minutes after you began, riwoo comes back and is standing by the door frame with his eyebrows arching high. "babe i didn't actually mean it." he'd say as he tries to get you stop, only getting you to do so when he pulls you to him. "you're not going anywhere, you got that?" you're glaring at him the entire time, anger through the sky at the thought of that sentence slipping out of his tongue. he notices your expression at him not faltering, leaning in then to kiss you, apologizing to you continuously as he laid you down to properly convey his sorrys by giving you unforgettable pleasure.

jaehyun - closing the distance

he'd be very sad, hearing you say some things he never thought would come out of your mouth. jaehyun knew his schedule was too busy, yet he always tries to make time for you. days turned into hours, hours turned into minutes, and minutes turned into nothing. the distance between the two of you grew exponentially as he tried to juggle so many things at once. when you said that you were thinking of potentially breaking up with him because of how the relationship didn't even feel like what it's supposed to be anymore, he's on the verge of breaking down. it wasn't until you were at the door, questions with unanswered motives hanging over the two of you when he hugged you from behind, sobbing into your shoulder. jaehyun didn't want to let go of you, pleading you to stay with him as you tried to get his hands to loosen up. you turned around to face him, giving him a hard kiss full of requited pain and emotions. he'd kiss you through the tears, following your movements into his room as the kiss turned into more. you both hadn't been so close in a long while, but it felt like the right place to be in as he showed you his undying love for you in any way he could for the rest of the night.

taesan - instincts on point

if a relationship with you was something he didn't want to keep anymore, then he would've made it very clear. you know he would've told you that he can't be with you while also juggling all other aspects of his life. you know that, yet you still find yourself begging him to spend more time with you, to give you more attention, to properly communicate with you even. and the worst part of it all is that taesan knows it all. he knows it and that is why, the second before you could hit the send button asking him to break up with you, he's standing outside your main door, drenched in the rainwater and breathless. as soon as you open the door, he comes in and slams the door shut, kissing you hungrily against it before you could utter a word. he's pulling you in with him as he discards his wet clothes along with your nightwear. as you both reach the main bedroom, he's pinning you against the mattress as he says how he could feel something was wrong and came to ask you himself. you'd be shocked to see how strong his senses are, not saying anything as you pulled his face to your own to kiss him through your tears that finally spilled out, turning you both over so that now you are straddling him. "let me do this please," you say with a breaking voice, inserting his length into you while he pulled you down to kiss you again, unable to keep himself apart from you for too long.

leehan - end of an era

leehan held onto your figure, hugging your shoulders as the faint sound of the tv reverberated through the room. “let’s not meet anymore. this should be the last time we do.” well, those were the exact words leehan expected yet didn’t want to hear. he was… stunned to say the least, absolutely quiet as you looked at him to see any reaction he’d put on his face. being in a situationship was the hardest thing for you, especially when it was with someone like leehan who was practically perfect, yet far from it at the same time. “ok… i understand.” those weren’t the words he wanted to utter, yet he was afraid of fighting for you. he knew that if he stayed, it would all end up going wrong eventually. he had convinced himself of it and doesn’t even want to try to salvage what’s left of it. he knows he fucked up, he always does, but you are only doing what’s best for you and he respects your decision. he’s too in love with you for you to not choose what’s best for you. he’d hold your body close as you both share such intimate moments for the last time, kissing and letting sounds of painful love show through instead of direct words signifying the end of an era. an end of an era because of his denial of needing you, tears falling as he holds you one last time before letting go of all traces of you.

[darkfictionjude]

OH BY GODS THAT ENDING FUCK ME I WAS THINKING ABOUT COMING HERE TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW BROKE UP MY HEART WAS AFTER LORCAN DISMISSED CROWNY AND ASK YOU WHAT IS THE KINDEST ROMANCE ROUTE BECAUSE I CAN'T TAKE LORCANS ANGST ANYMORE (not without some fluffy in between) BUT THAT ENDING GOD DAMMIT JUDE WHAT A WAY TO END WITH A B A N G!

Perfection, just 🤌

... but without screaming this time, could you please kindly rank the kindest to roughest (?) romance routes - separating kind/antagonize? I really need a break from Lorcan abandoning us at the dance floor 😭 (when I saw the "me and you" line I knew Crowny was COOKED, BWAH)

Also, I don't think I realized how fucked up everyone was until now. Yeah I know, sHoCkInG, but when Irme admitted he knew about James stunt and did nothing? Not nice man, not nice. No one coming after them to see if they were okay after? Can't blame Lorcan, he hates our guts, but Nia is/was Crowny's BFF... should mean something right? And everyone calling debts on each other in the library? Also fantastic, I love fights (I don't, but do). I don't know how friendship points make that interactions different (do they?) cause every opportunity I have I go to that sweet little red heart in Lorcan's scenes (and he still hates me 😭😂)

Hmmmm so let me see. Kindest is Nia friendly, then Lorcan friendly, then Imre friendly. Then it’s Nia antagonistic, Lorcan and Imre

What’s interesting about you saying you didn’t realize it is that another reader kind of said the same thing too on the itchio comment section. It was surprising to me to see the surprise hahah cause I thought it was obvious this was coming since every time these four are together they fight. The first time they don’t is in this episode when they’re costume shopping. I feel like they didn’t go after crowny because they don’t know how to comfort them all of them are kind of bad at it 😭 they probably thought it was best to leave crowny alone as a way to not make it worse? Not the best method ofc

I’ll give you some hope. Lorcan doesn’t really hate crowny any more. I don’t think he’s realized it yet but his actions (when you don’t mention his parents, orla) show he doesn’t dislike crowny’s presence

So yeah their way of showing the have crowny’s back is either killing James and/or helping crowny not go to prison cause they willing got involved in something that could fuck up their lives too. I think it counts a lot that none of them hesitated to get rid of the evidence there was no “crowny killed him it’s not my business” or “we should call the police” they were ride or die. If that doesn’t show loyalty I don’t know what does

[kayakima]

Headcanon list: how the 104th cadets are when they’re drunk (bonus Porco and Pieck)

Eren: Exclusively shotguns Twisted Teas. Could go either way between the one itching to fight anyone and everyone (especially Jean) or the one that ends up getting really emotional and crying in the bathroom. Sometimes he’s both. Wants to take his keys and start driving and has to be stopped by multiple people.

Armin: THE karaoke king. He’s awful, too. Nobody butchers ABBA quite like him and there’s probably 10+ blackmail videos shared between JCS that they hold over his head whenever they need him to do a favor. Annie gets really flustered watching him but everyone knows she loves seeing him have so much fun. Sasha joins in at some point.

Mikasa: Can down seven grapefruit White Claws and you’d never be able to tell she was drunk. Cleans up Sasha after she pukes and then makes sure Eren’s sleeping on his side after he finally passes out so if he pukes in his sleep he doesn’t choke. Stands in the corner watching and is generally very pleasant and active with everyone. Brings her own snacks but happily shares with Annie. Takes videos of Sasha and Pieck playing pranks to post online.

Ymir: Hogs a bottle of Crown Royal and gets really touchy with Historia later. Winds up taking her to the couch in the corner and they’re that couple that everyone ends up steering clear of out of a fear of interrupting because they’re making out and are really bad at being discreet about it

Historia: Chugs Pink Whitney like it’s nobody’s business. Is initially hesitant about going to the corner with Ymir because she wants to socialize but once she does she will not leave unless the house is burning down. Wears NASTY white air forces that are her go-to party shoes.

Reiner: Pretends to like Casamigos because he thinks it looks nonchalant but discretely steals all the Jell-O shots and takes them in the bathroom so nobody sees him. Everyone thinks he’s doing coke and he’s forced to admit to the Jell-O shots when Connie notices they’re all missing after an hour. Plays King’s Cup with Porco and cries with joy when he wins.

Annie: STRAWBERITAS!!!!!!! Similar to Mikasa in that she pretends to not be drunk but is a lot worse at hiding it. Surprisingly gets really huggy when she’s drunk and when she’s not watching Armin sing she’s clinging onto Pieck like a baby koala. Compliments everyone in really awkward ways (“Mikasa, you and I use the same fabric softener, I can smell it.”)

Bertoldt: Quiet drunk until that Deep Eddy’s lemon hits his bloodstream and then suddenly he’s “freestyle” dancing. Everyone considers it a hazard because he’s swinging his arms and legs around not knowing he’s hitting people on accident. Accidentally raids Connie’s room and eats his “special” brownies and then greens out.

Marco: Brings his own homemade raspberry lemonade. He’s happy to be involved but generally wants to make sure everyone’s safe and gets home alright. Puts half a shooter of Tito’s in it and freaks out because he’s scared he’s gonna fail a breathalyzer now. Brings a Polaroid camera to take pictures (mostly of Jean). Calls an uber for Sasha and goes home with her to make sure she doesn’t puke in the uber.

Jean: Jack Daniel’s is like water to him. That one guy that has the durability of a toddler and will jump off the roof onto a table to break it and somehow walks away with no injuries and no memory. LOVES to beat Porco at beerpong and asks Pieck if she saw him throw the winning shot. Always suggests going swimming. “Punch me in the face Eren, I swear I won’t feel it!”

Connie: ACTUALLY likes Casamigos. Gets so drunk he starts yelling at people in Spanish and nobody even knew he could speak Spanish, not even himself. Made Jell-O shots for Sasha. Somehow knows and has official setups for every possible drinking game in existence. Hosted the party and refuses to let anyone change the playlist that’s like 90% fetty wap.

Sasha: Green Apple Smirnoff. A Taco Bell cravings box HATES to see her coming. Ends up throwing up on Jean. Raids the fridge and pantry with Pieck. Takes videos of EVERYTHING because she knows she’ll forget what happened if she doesn’t.

Bonus Pieck and Porco

Pieck: Mixes the jungle juice and puts a fuckload of Beefeater gin in it. Dances for a bit with Benzodiazepine and can throw ass but chooses not to because “I only do that in the club”. Double checks to see if Jean is actually hurt after he jumps off the roof. LOVES to see Jean and Porco fight over her but doesn’t go home with either of them. Takes all of Connie’s cups out of the cabinet and then fills them with water before putting them back in the cabinet.

Porco: Watermelon Four Loko is to him like bread is to butter. REALLY sore loser when Jean beats him at beerpong and Reiner beats him at King’s Cup. Yells at everyone to talk to them even if he’s two feet away. Gives Pieck his jacket and Jean gets really jealous. Willing to get into a fight with Eren and actually does start kicking his ass until the fight is broken up.

Lmk if you want a part 2 lmao

[proud-cloud]

Three Cheers for sweet revenge plot song by song according to me

My credentials are that uhmm ive listened to this album like weekly since i was like 12 and uhm im taking english A-Level (crime and tragedy) sooooo

Full disclaimer i could do a line by line analysis on pretty much all of these songs but then this would be stupidly long so im just touching on the points or lyrics i think are most important for the plot! Oh and i cant spell and im trieddd of writing academic essays so im kinda yapping ngl

HELENA

honestly i barely have anything to say here but i imagine its the demo woman’s funeral (yes ik its abt Gerard ways grandma but let me cook) kind of setting the tone and exploring his grief, creating the circumstances for his deal with the devil - especially in the bridge.

GIVE EM HELL KID

Ok so here!! Is where i start to have more to say!! So in my head the man (im just gonna call them tje man and the woman or like he/she from here on) has accepted the deal with satan to kill 1000 evil men and is basically on a killing spree? So from my immense medical knowledge of watching house im preity sure epidrene is a steroid, which like gives him energy (interestingly ive been on them a few times for asthma and they have a long list of mental side effects such as uhhh mania (fall out boy whooo) anxiety and depression which maybe foreshadows his sorta insanity towards the end as his guilt haunts him) acting as a symbol of his immense motivation to see his wife again, so verse one especially is before his downfall where hes like yippee killing people to see my wife again!! The chorus i imagine is sang by both him and the woman in heaven as they both long for each other uhm and later on in the song it does seem as if hes begining to kind of loose it a bit due to his grief? kind of foreshadowing his well everything later on in the album. In the bridge i imagine hes kind of mocking their teenage selves (linking to im not okay later on) especially in the line “we are young and we dont care” criticicing their hopefullness by comparing it to their current circumstance - ironic as it only gets worse from here.

TO THE END

Now i know this is based on a rose for emily (i tried to read it and there were a LOT of slurs from what i remeber so that was yeah) but for the sake of my silly little narrative were kinda just not gonna touch on that. So here i believe the man has been set to kill this couple, just to find the wife has killed her husband (with the “cyanide you drank” i assume) which drives him into a sort of crisis, questioning if this was what would have happened to him and his wife if she had lived and they had stayed married for this long (fueling his sexuality crisis in prison). I could go so much further into this, especially language wise but for the sake of everyones sanity ill leave it here :)

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY DO TO GUYS LIKE US IN PRISION

so hes literally in the middle of a gunfight in the centre of a resturant and the police come and theyre like come with ur arms raised high and ok so!!! Theres many people who could explain this better than me but the man gets arrested for killing all these people and gets sent to jailllll. Ive heard some people talk about it as an allegory for SA in prison and others who talk abt it as him realising his gay/bi ect and honestly i can see both. I really like the line “too much to late or just not enough of this, pain in my heart for your dying wish, i kiss your lips again!” Which, running with the latter intrepretation, suggests hes feeling regret for all the murdering hes done and is questioning if he ever did love his wife this much, and if he should move on and fix his mistakes. So to make a long story short he has a sexuality crisis in prision! Toward the end, he escapes prision and with his “friends” from jail, lilely from setting it on “fire” (i got the friends bit from the lyric “but ill go down with my friends”) escaping jail but at the cost of further loosing his sanity and grasp on morality.

IM NOT OKAY (I PROMISE)

for conveniences sake he either gets knocked out (the giggles at the end of prision i guess beinf from a concussion or something?) or just like goes to sleep somehwhere after the prison break with the other ex inmates and has a flashback to his time in high school, when he fell in love with his wife. As an audienve were kinds like dude she did not like you back then calm down which makes us question the morality of his mission, but for him it reminds him of what hes fighting for and erases the doubt he had in their love in to the end and prison. I will say im kinda pidgenholing this in with the flashback but uhm yeah!

THE GHOST OF YOU

This song acts as a continuation of his grief, back in the present day after im not okay made him remember what he was doing this all for. This basically confirms his belief that killing all these people is right because he needs to see her again. He battles with his morality knowing that she should be “never coming home” cause shes dead but then considering the deal with satan and its morality asking himself “could i? Should i?”. Towards the end, it seems like he decides killing the men to bring her back is the right thing to do. the line “If i fall, down” seems to show his commitment to her regardless of morality, hes willing to ‘fall down’ to hell if it means he gets more time with her which is ironic as he later does go to hell, but never gets to see her again.

THE JETSET LIFE IS GONNA KILL YOU

and hes back to killing again!! I think “her killing jar” is a metaphor for his fixation on his wife and the things its driving him to do. Hes trapped as if he was in a jar by the deal he made with satan for her. Its kind of difficult to explain but essentially hes assuring himself that hes doing it all for her and its all worth it as his sanity slowly dissipates, which i believe is demonstrated through the lyric “pull the plug” kinda symbolising hes giving up on himself and dedicating everything to her. Now this is obviously unhealthily obsessive and is the point where we definately start to question if what hes doing is right - is he not essentially playing god now? Should one man act as judge, jury and executioner?

INTERLUDE

ok its literally just the interlude but here i beleive he is praying for god, the “saints”, to “protect” his wife in heaven further showing his like motive? For all of his murders - his love for her however dangerously codependant.

THANK YOU FOR THE VENOM

HE KILLS MORE PEOPLE 🔥🔥 its almost like he has to kill 1000 evil men damn. BUT now hes starting to loose his grip on reality and is killing innocent people. I like to think he goes to the church he married his wife in and starts killing people - hence the line “sister im not much a poet but a criminal” - hes changed completely from the man he once was. They try to convince him to like stop saying its not what his wife would have wanted but he does not listen - in the lyric “preach all you want but whos gonna save me” - and continues to spiral into a life of crime and implied addiction (when in the chorus he says “give me all your posion and give me all your pills”)

HANG EM HIGH

THIS!! This is the one i can never fully figure out despite it being so good 🙏🙏 it feels like a cop out to say he suddenly becomes a cowboy or idk has to kill a cowboy but any other way i can interpret it is just the same old back to mourning his wife and dedicating his life to her so uhm yeah take any of those 3 or your own and run with it (please tell me if you know how to make this fit better than me)

ITS NOT A FASHION STATEMENT ITS A FUCKING DEATHWISH

Hes now so deep into his mission he cant quit despite the regret he feels. This kind of links back to his mocking of their younger selves in give em hell through the lyric “do you remeber back there when we met you told me this gets harder, well it did!”. Hes kind of pondering how his life got this bad wishing it didnt have to be this way. however he believes they will soon be reunited - evidenced through lines such as “im coming back from the dead” and the repeated references to resserection and him finding his wife, “your running out of places, to hide from me”. At the end, he says “i lost my fear of falling, i will be with you”, further showing he thinks he will soon see his wife again and simmilarly to the ghost of you shows hes willing to sacrafice his soul just to see her again

CEMETERY DRIVE

trust me the fake music video in my head for this goes HARD. So he visits the cemetary where his wife is buried to kinda tell her in a way? That hes almost finished and he’ll see her soon. And in my like the cool cinemetic imaganary music video he dances with her ghost but uhm plot wise hes kinda lamenting how much he misses here as the chorus goes “i miss you, so far”. Now theres some confusion as to how she died as here it says “and they found you on the bathroom floor” but in i never told you it says “they gave us two shots to the back of the head” so i imagine he got caught up in some like bad stuff and they killed her in their home - the bathroom - which does add some depth to his grief as he feels responsable for her death hence why he wants to bring her back so bad. His dedication to her is reinforced through the lyric “so i wont stop lying wont stop dying” which as ive said a lottt shows his like questionably large levels of motivation in this mission from satan. The repetition of “way down” at the end foreshadows the twist in the next song - that he's going to hell - and this idea has been building up throughout the narrative but its reaching its peak now and we begin to see it as a serious possibility considering the innocent people he has killed alongside the guilty ones.

I NEVER TOLD YOU WHAT I DO FOR A LIVING

Aaaaand im realising ive made it all the way through this without even having to check the tracklist which shows that i lack a life! But anyways this song communicates the concept so well and i genuienly could line by line delve into it but for the sake of conciceness as i have been i will just cover the basic concept

OK SO! Hes metholodically getting through this list (im inferring he has a list from the line “i keep a book of the names”) kind of rushing through them, seen through the fast pace of the first verse, in my head it resembles a video montage of the murder of multiple people off of the list. This is further evidenced through the lyric “another knife in my hands” showing this has somehow become his everyday life as hes become so detached from normalicy in his grief. NOW NOW NOW the lyric “a stain that never comes off the sheets” is an allusion to lady Macbeth (I FREAKING LOVE SHAKESPEARE) (im a hamlet girl tho honestly) where she couldnt wash the blood off of her hands which is a common literary symbol for guilt showing his mission has taken a massive toll on him mentally if we did not already realise this. “It aint the money and it sure as hell aint just for the fame” implies he does not enjoy killing these people despite the fact hes killed probably over a thousand people which againnnn shows his dedication to his wife. Now i know ive said that about a billion times but thats important to consider when we take into account that he does not get to see her again - everything he did was essentially worthless, in fact if anything everything he did just sealed his fate. Therefore, if we view him as a tragic hero (i can go so much more into this but thats for another day) then his hamartia is his love for her, his loyalty which kinda gave him tunnel vision meaning he could not see the flaws his plan and the way he was being exploited by satan.

now theres so much symbolism in the lyrics i could discuss (I LOVE THIS SONG) but i will refrain and kinda skip forward to the bridge/the end. I like to think he turns the last page in his book of names to just see his own name and then begins to spiral - this is where the song goes “and we all fall down”. Im preitty sure gerard ways like screams say “i tried” which like furthers this breakdown as he comes to understand all the wrong he has done and his inevatatable damnation. After a large moral debate he thinks it would have been better if they were both killed together originally “never again / they gave us two shots to the back of the head” and he shoots himself in the hope he will eventually be with her in the afterlife, and if not then a life without her is not a life worth living anyways. It ends with the lyric “were all dead now” (which they are) which reminds me of the rhyme/ game from when i was a kid ring a rosies (which i swear is about the plauge) and how that ends by saying “we all fall down” kinda showing the corruption he brought into the world and that everything must come to an end. This is typical of a tragic hero - his anagorisis (realisation of his flaw / mistake) and then his death - which is why i personally do veiw this album as mostly conforming to troupes of traditional greek tragedy :).

aaaaand thats it!! I dont count bury me in black or desert song as part of the album plot uhhh if anyone else does id love to hear how that sounds so cool but yeah!!! Oh and sorry again for any typos and spelling errors i cannot spell for the life of me uhmm this could be so incoherent for all i know (if so sorry!!) but i hope not 😛

lmk if you’d actualy wanna hear the full yap poetry annotation style for a song cause i love nothing more if not talking i might do the same for danger days if i feel like it so watch out 🔥🔥

[anon-sect]

Picture source and story requested by @mavin1227

Spencer was given the task of picking up the cake for a surprise birthday party for his friend, Zachary. Zachary was being kept away from the house by a group of their friends to make sure he didn't find out. He had gotten to the bakery and recieved the cake that was specially ordered.

On the way back, Spencer had hit a few bumps in the road and realized that he didn't secure the cake well enough as the box with the cake in it turned over from the seat on the the floor. Once he got to a red light, he lifted the box up to see the cake was totally ruined. He drove back to Zachary's house upset about the cake. He didn't know how to fix this since the suprise birtday party was in thirty minutes.

As he brought the box in and revealed the ruined cake, he saw the upset look on Zander's face. Zander was Zachary's twin brother. He was the one who ordered the cake.

"What happened to it?" Zander asked, all upset since his twin brother would be back to the house in thirty minutes.

"I thought I had it secured in the seat well enough. One bad bump made it fall to the floor. I am really sorry about that." Spencer explained. "I wish I could fix this problem." He added feeling remorse over the ruined cake.

Zander had the perfect idea of how to fix things before Zachary got back with the group. "There is a way, actually. I need you to just sit here on the table for a brief moment." He spoke to his twin brother's friend.

Spencer didn't know how that would help, but he sat on the table.

Zander put in the specfics of the ordered cake in the app and hit flash. Spencer was gone and in his place was a replacement cake just like the one he ordered. He put the box with the ruined cake in the trash and placed the new cake on a plate. "Nice, I think my brother will like the cake I ordered for him." He pasued ss he licked his lips looking at the cake. "I wonder how you will taste, I so can't wait for Zachary to slice into you." He laughed as he went to join the others waiting for the birthday boy to come home.

Spencer came into distress as he realized what Zander had just told him. He was turned into a replacement cake. Zackary had at least twenty people coming to his surprise party. He was about to be eaten, completely unaware of the other guest. He couldn't move or speak his protest. He never thought he would literally be the cake at his friend's party. He just sat there waiting for what would happen next.

Zachary truly was surprised when he got back home. I really enjoyed his surprise party. He was even more surpised when Zander showed him his birthday cake. He loved it. He took a quick picture in front of it before getting the knife to slice into his cake.

Spencer was mentally pleading for anyone to hear him. Everyone was enjoying the moment, including his friend as he was given the knife to slice the cake. He was powerless to stop what was about to happen next, as Zachary sliced into him with ease. The sharpe knife hurt so badly. He felt the knife slice into him again. He thought his agony couldn't get worse. He found that to be wrong. As a piece of him was place on a paper plate and handed to Zachary. A plastic fork cut into that piece and went into his friend's mouth. He could feel his friend chew on him and enjoying it.

"This cake is just perfert. Thanks, Zander." Zachary spoke as he continued to eat his slice of cake.

"You welcome, bro." Zander answered back and just smiled.

"By the way, I thought Spencer had come to my party. Someone said he was here earlier." Zachary asked, wondering where he could be.

"He was here. He said an emergency came up and he had to leave. He didn't tell me what it was, just that he would see you later on." Zander explained, hiding his twist grin. Spencer was still here. It was just that everyone was eating a piece of him.

Spencer was in agony as multiple mouths were chomping on him at the same time. It was horrible as each of them swallowed pieces of himself down into their stomachs. He felt his own existence completely go away as the last of him was swallowed by a party guest and dissolving in their stomach.

Zander was pleased that everyone loved the cake. Not a single piece was left of Spencer. Spencer would soon be a missing person who they will never find. But he did make a delicous cake, he had to agree with himself.

[raayllum]

Spark notes on "Callum lost his true heart" in S2. Excellent true heart meta here by @kradogsrats on how the concept works more generally that I would 100% recommend reading before coming back here

The true heart is a gift of childhood. For a few wonder-filled years, we each have innocent eyes to experience the world’s beauty in a simple way. 

We see Callum on the cusp of being 15 undeniably believing that the resolution to the war can be that simple (even if we know well before S7, wherein Aaravos directly says they have similar views of how the world works, that Callum does not hold onto this simplicity for long). This is demonstrated, as Krads points out, in Callum's conversation in 1x02:

CALLUM: Can't you just make peace with them? HARROW: It's not that simple. CALLUM: It seems pretty simple to me. You don't want to die, I'm sure the elves and dragons don't want to die, so everyone agrees.

This emphasis on what people want over what they're devoted/committed to ("I'm sure they don't want to die" -> "I am already dead") is similar to Ezran's in arc 2 ("We all want peace and we all want love [...] you want to hurt someone else") that is both dismantled and upheld ("You want Janai to attack!" / "I want them to hurt"). To hammer it in further, Harrow even denotes that Callum is operating under the illusion of childhood, where adults have all the power/freedom.

What happens, I think, over the course of season one and season two is a bit of a domino effect, with Callum making choices in season one that season two continually 'knocks' down so to speak. The first and easiest example, perhaps, is Callum's choice in 1x03 between staying and trying to save Harrow... or choosing his little brother, who will remain in danger the longer they stay at the castle (Runaan and Viren both presenting strong antagonistic forces) and even worse danger the longer the egg remains.

Callum glanced out a tower window and saw Ezran in the courtyard searching for him. But how could he leave the tower when the king was in so much danger? Callum tried to think of what the king would want him to do. “I’m coming, Ez,” he called out the window. He gave one final look back at the door to King Harrow’s chamber, then bolted to the spiral staircase. He took the stairs two at a time, trying not to look at the dead bodies strewn on the way to his little brother.

—Book One: Moon novelization

Now, this choice makes sense. It is in many ways just another version of the same one (choosing Ezran and his safety) that Callum had made earlier this same episode. Both are more complicated choices ("the right thing, I hope" does not beget certainty, and therefore does not beget simplicity) but we'll get to that in a moment.

The final domino set up in season one for Callum's true heart is, I think, choosing to destroy the primal stone. The reason I say these are the dominoes, so to speak, is because each of these choices are made in a very distinctly Callum-y way, by which I mean: he thinks to a certain degree he can skirt the consequences.

This is not to take away from the weight of the choices Callum is making — they're still sacrifices, they're still honourable, he's still aware that he's risking Something — but there's still clearly a 'block' of some kind between "this is what I'm choosing to sacrifice" and "this is the full consequential weight of my sacrifices".

For example, the primal stone means a great deal to Callum. He states that "without this, I'm nothing" and it's a great powerful tool of magic. However, when Callum destroys it, it is currently unknown to him that this means no more magic, point blank. The consequence for his choice is steeper than he'd imagined, and now he has to live with the reality of it (for a time, anyway, but it's not like the journey to primal magic isn't gruelling, anyway).

But as we grow up, we are forced to make choices, sacrifices, compromises. And they change us forever. 

The same happens when it comes to learning about Harrow's death. Callum was happily writing him a letter two episodes ago, reassuring Ezran in 1x03, etc etc. And yet:

Callum made a sacrifice, then convinced himself that maybe he hadn't, and had to face the devastating reality of what he knew was most likely, on top of why Rayla wasn't able to tell him for the same reason(s) he couldn't tell Ezran.

I also want to highlight Claudia (and Soren)'s betrayal of Callum as well for two reasons. The first, and less interesting/important one in some ways (to me, anyway) is that if Callum's betrayal of 7x02 contributes to the last vestiges of Ezran's true heart being snapped to pieces, it would make sense that Claudia's betrayal would likewise contribute to Callum's.

The more interesting/important facet of the Callum/Claudia breakdown is, to me, what happens before Claudia shows her true colours, and whereupon she hasn't done anything (knowingly) wrong to Callum yet, and still:

RAYLA: Callum, I know you trust them, but if we let them come with us, by the time we know the truth, it'll be too late. Do you understand? We'll lose everything. CALLUM: So what do we do? How can we figure out if it's help, or a trap?

Callum has already made a Compromise. He trusts Claudia, but Rayla doesn't, and he ultimately trusts Rayla more than Claudia, even this early on, the same way he trusted Ezran more than Claudia (and didn't trust Claudia with Ezran, then) in 1x03. So he goes along with the illusion plan, which would've been pretty crappy to do to an old friend if Claudia (and Soren) had been genuine in their offer to help.

So I think in quick succession over a few days, most if not all of Callum's true heart gets shredded to pieces within the first few episodes of season two. Barring that, I think 2x07, specifically the choice to do dark magic, takes whatever remains.

AARAVOS: You call it corruption. I call it compromise.

'Could he really bring himself to go through with his plan? What if he didn’t succeed? What if he compromised his beliefs and it was all for nothing? […] But Rayla was in trouble.' —book two: sky novelization

While Aaravos lists off choices, sacrifices, and compromises as though they are separate things, and occasionally they can be, I think more often than not in life and within TDP that they are all the same thing.

Do you choose (sacrifice) your father or your baby brother? Do you sacrifice your oldest friendship (compromise) to ensure your travelling party can be safe? Do you use dark magic (a compromise, a sacrifice of yourself) to save someone you love?

And Callum's dark magic use falls into his previous pattern of you made a choice, and you knew there would be consequences, but you never dreamed it'd be This. And finally — finally — in 5x08, Callum makes a choice with the full knowledge of the consequences, of exactly what he's risking — and what he refuses to sacrifice.

His true heart has been gone for a while by this point, I think — but within the narrative, Callum is an adult from 5x08 onwards. He knows undeniably what he'll sacrifice and why, and what he won't.

(Something something sacrificing your true heart to protect the person who is your heart and your truth.)

[clarisse0o]

The Mayor - Chapter 28

Lucy Bronze x Ona Batlle

Alternate Universe: Mayor and Architect

Words: 1300

Masterlist

———————————————————————

Alessia sat back down, looking at me in astonishment.

"You can’t what?"

I took a deep breath.

"Sign those papers, buy that house..."

There it was, I had said it. Abruptly. Words scrambled in my head as I tried to figure out how to explain it without hurting her. Mission impossible. She furrowed her brows and took my hand in hers.

"Listen, Ona, I get it. It’s scary to make a big leap like this. But we’ve talked about it already. We’re ready—we know it."

She was trying to reassure me, but her eyes betrayed a growing concern. "We know it?" she repeated when I stayed silent. 

What could I say? That no, I wasn’t sure anymore? That I didn’t know if I wanted this house, this future? That I didn’t know anything anymore? I owed her the truth.

"I had an affair, Alessia."

The words fell like a bombshell. She let go of my hand, her jaw tightened, and she drew in a deep breath.

"Okay. We weren’t together then. You didn’t owe me anything. I’m not saying it’s easy to hear, but it doesn’t change anything."

I lowered my eyes, unable to respond. She continued:

"Did it stop when we got back together, Ona?"

I looked up at her, my mouth dry.

"Ona? Damn it, answer me!" Her voice was sharp.

"I saw her again. Once."

She was stunned, visibly shaken. Biting her lower lip, she pressed on:

"Who was it? When?"

"You don’t know her. Someone I met at the gym."

I couldn’t tell her about Lucy—it was impossible.

"How original! Jesus, how could you do this to me? While we were talking about this house, about our future? You’re nothing but a liar."

She said this without yelling, like small knives slicing through my heart. In her eyes, I could see anger—and worse, disappointment.

"I don’t know, Alessia. I’m so, so sorry..."

"Do you love her? Are you going to be with her?"

"No… no. We’ll never be a couple, it’s just…"

"Just what?"

"I don’t know! I couldn’t go sign those papers without telling you. I feel so guilty, Alessia. I owed you the truth..."

She glared at me, her gaze piercing.

"The truth? Five minutes before the notary! Do you want me to thank you? You’re kidding me, right? So what now? What do we do?"

I could barely meet her gaze, dark and filled with sadness at my betrayal.

"I don’t know. It’s up to you—if you can forgive me..."

"Oh, that’s rich. You see, Ona, you’re weak. You have no courage. You’re waiting for  me  to make the decision for you, for  me  to leave you so you can ease your little conscience and run off to this woman. There’s no way I’m making plans, buying something so significant, with someone as spineless as you. I’m so disappointed—I can’t believe this..."

Her eyes were now filled with tears. The situation was unbearable, and I was at a loss for words. It’s so hard to see someone so important to you in such pain because of you.

"Alessia. I love you, I’m sorry, I don’t know where I stand, and I..."

"Shut up, Ona. Just shut up!" she shouted, freezing me to the core. She had never spoken to me like that. It felt like a slap. 

A slap that came, physically, just moments later as she stood up to leave. I didn’t follow her, holding my stinging cheek in shock. I was left there, staring at the empty chair, aware that everyone around was now looking at me.

I didn’t go to work that afternoon, sending Alexia a short text. I wandered around downtown, ending up in a park. I had destroyed my relationship with Alessia. My head ached, my body ached, my heart ached. I didn’t regret telling her the truth—it was a relief to have done so. The hardest part was knowing I had hurt the person I had shared everything with for five years.

I wanted to talk, to confide in someone. But who? No one knew about me and Lucy, not even Alexia. I absentmindedly scrolled through my phone contacts until I landed on Lucy’s name. Lucy. I needed to see her, to talk. Without thinking, I dialed her number.

"Hello?"

I didn’t answer immediately. Why had I called her? What could I say? I began to regret this impulsive decision.

"Hello? Hello?"

I was about to hang up.

"Ona, I know it’s you. Should I pop the champagne for the house?" she asked, her voice laced with irony.

I still didn’t speak.

"Ona, are you okay? Where are you?"

"In the city center."

Was it the tone of my voice that worried her? She immediately offered:

"I have a meeting in half an hour. Can you drop by?"

"Yes, I’m on my way."

I hung up and headed to the town hall.

She greeted me with a big smile, which quickly turned into a concerned frown as she studied my face and reddened eyes.

"Ona, are you okay?"

"Not really. Please don’t ask me questions."

I wanted to talk but didn’t have the strength. I was drained, empty, exhausted. She didn’t press me, instead leading me to the sofa in her office. She poured me a glass of wine from a mini-bar hidden behind her desk.

"Don’t think I’m an alcoholic, but you need some courage to deal with certain officials!"

For the first time that afternoon, I smiled. She sat beside me, hesitant about how close to sit. I craved human warmth, her touch. Not passionate embraces—I didn’t have the heart for that. Just contact. I rested my head on her shoulder, and she wrapped her arm around me. She talked about her day, trying to make me laugh with juicy anecdotes about local mayors.

I listened, speaking little. Suddenly, I interrupted her.

"She slapped me..."

A silence fell. She held me a little tighter.

"...I told her I cheated on her..."

She tensed.

"You told her about us?"

"No! Just that I cheated with someone she doesn’t know. If that’s all you care about," I replied, a bit vexed by her reaction.

"That’s not all I care about," she said softly, kissing my forehead.

"Do you think I’m a bad person?"

She lifted my chin, looking me straight in the eyes. A voice from behind the door interrupted us.

"Madame Bronze, they’re here!"

"Yes, yes, I’m coming!"

She loosened her embrace and stood.

"I’ll go to this meeting, and then we’ll grab dinner, okay? Stay here and rest."

Before closing the door, she turned back.

"You can help yourself to my secret bar, but don’t drink all my wine, okay?"

It was Lucy’s hand on my cheek that woke me an hour later. We went to dinner, talking about everything except Alessia. My heart was still heavy, my appetite non-existent. She asked just one question about it: "And the house?" There was no house anymore.

She walked me to my car in the dark night.

"I can’t stay with you tonight, Ona. The twins are home, Paul’s not there, and I have to take them somewhere in the morning, and..."

"I’m not asking you to," I said, though I wanted to. Just to sleep, in her arms, nothing more.

"You always know how to make me feel special," she teased with a hint of irony, smiling.

She glanced around to ensure we were alone. Then, she leaned in and kissed me briefly but warmly. It was short, yet it warmed my whole body. She must have sensed it was too soon, that my heart wasn’t ready.

I drove home, feeling slightly lighter but filled with uncertainty. Before falling asleep, I received a message from Lucy:

 To answer your question, I think you’re a very beautiful person.

[deoidesign]

"what do hands mean about a character?"

Their hands mean they love eachother

(webcomic)

[kenmaiii]

after two years i finally draw the favorite

[mrmeepsmadmind]

idw bumblebee and prowl shouldve broke up bcs he wouldnt stop 𝚊sking prowl to pause his report for just one lil astrosec so he can change his various pastel colored pens while making his cute little aesthetically pretty for no reason & very time - consuming notes with big colorful fonts & cute designs real quick

also another thought abt annoying ass bb trying to make running a literal planet cotteque so he doesn't go crazy bcs hes now a politician when all he ever wanted was to deliver mail & smile & wave at bots who call him cute ---

bee: 𝚠heeljack, im so sorry about this but do you mind repeating the time-stakingly long introduction, instruments, research references, modules, hypothesis, counter thesis, procedures, analysis, second - retrial, results, & explanation that you just spent 700000 earth hours saying because i was busy drawing a cute little bee in the corner of my notes please :] ?

wheeljack:

idw bee trying to run a planet that fucking hates him is just rlly funny to me, especially since everyone views bee as the goody character who everyone loves & he views himself as that & then they finally win this consuming war & he can reap his rewards of being loved without holding a gun & no one fucking likes him. hes even getting on his own old team's nerves & not in the loveable scamp way but the get the fuck out of my face way

[skunkes]

ok posting it here bc im not sure if its going to stay in the doodle page

[fleouriarts]

feeling bad about my art lately. will probably not post for a while. but i wanted to at least dump some stuff here before i retreat into my hidey hole