#I'm not sure they're ever actually gonna hatch | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cowgurrrl · 7 months ago

Text

I Don't Smoke

Pairing: Javier Peña x fem!reader

Author's note: this hatched as an idea for @tightjeansjavi 's june writing challenge but it doesn't end as I thought it would necessarily but I kinda lurv it so (ps thank you @egcdeath for your help 🫶)

Summary: "Most things will be okay eventually, but not everything will be. Sometimes you'll put up a good fight and lose. Sometimes you'll hold on really hard and realize there is no choice but to let go. Acceptance is a small quiet room." aka Javi makes a reappearance in your life [8.6k (she’s a whopper)]

Warnings: canonical type shit

It's a random Friday in April 1998 when you're walking down the hallway of FBI headquarters and hear a familiar voice call your name. Not just any voice but a voice you came to know as well as you would know your own. A voice you loved. A voice you haven't heard in four years. You freeze in your tracks and take two breaths before you actually turn around to see him.

He smiles big as he approaches you, and you struggle to find the same response. His hair is shorter and styled nicely, and he's wearing a bureaucratic suit, which you know he hates or used to hate. He's broader than you remember and seemingly more confident. You're still tense, but once he's close enough, muscle memory takes over, and you hug him.

His cologne is different. For some reason, that tugs at your heart.

"Hey, honey," he says into your hair, squeezing you a little harder. You hold him for another second before remembering you're at work and let him go. "Wasn't expectin' such a warm welcome."

"Well, that's what happens when you see an old friend for the first time in a long time." You say and Javi smirks, scratching at the stubble on his jaw.

"'Old friend.' Is that what they're calling it these days?"

"It is when I'm at work and have a reputation to uphold."

"Right," he says and puts his hands up in defense. "Didn't mean to insult Ms. FBI."

"What are you doing here? Last I heard, you resigned." You redirect, making him laugh even though you just gave away that you kept up with him even after you broke up.

"Stoddard asked me to teach a few classes to incoming DEA agents. Figured it was a good enough reason to get out of Texas," he says. You step to the side to let somebody go by in the hallway, and that ever-wandering eye falls down your body. "You look great."

"You too," you adjust some files against your chest, suddenly all too aware of how heavy his gaze is, and glance around. "How long are you in town for?"

"A week. We should get drinks or something. Catch up." He says, and you laugh at the absurdity of it all. You're talking like you went to college together, and you're gonna reminisce about the good ole days over a few drinks. You take a deep breath and nod.

"Sure, Javi. When are you free?"

"For you? Any time," he says so easily your heart squeezes. "But, I'm around tonight. I can meet you at the bar across from the Hill after work?"

"That works for me."

"Alright, then. I'll see you tonight." He smiles and looks you over again before swaggering down the hallway and into one of the classrooms like he used to walk to your desk or into your apartment. Nostalgia and something bigger bubbles in your throat, and you swallow it down.

You've often wondered about what it'd be like if you ever saw Javi again.

You never expected it would sting as much as it does.

You force yourself down the hallway into your office and let out a big sigh as you bury your head in your hands. Your engagement is cold against your skin.

You should be planning a wedding. You should be debating which version of white the napkins should be— eggshell or cream— or fighting with vendors on the phone. You should be doing a lot of things in the two months leading up to your wedding. Getting drinks with your ex is not one of them.

You worked at the United States Embassy in Bogotá during the hunt for Pablo Escobar in the early nineties. You were a fresh graduate from the DEA academy and got shipped off the day after you passed all your exams. They needed bodies in chairs and on the ground doing work to end the drug war, and you just happened to have a pulse and the qualification. Javier Peña happened to have those same things. Now, he's known as one of the men who took down the most dangerous crime syndicates in Latin America, but, at the time, he was just Javi.

He was a little older, a little more experienced, and, by all accounts, a little bit of a slut. He had a wandering eye and a bad habit of sleeping with newly minted Embassy employees who didn't know better. You were warned about Javi and his brown eyes and swagger, but you couldn't avoid him. He was your coworker, for Christ's sake. So all you could do was remind yourself you were there for a job and try to ignore him when possible. What they don't tell you about being thousands of miles away from home and dealing with nightmare-inducing horrors every single day is that you start looking for comfort wherever you can find it.

You made bad decisions like smoking cigarette after cigarette, sneaking just a little bit of whiskey in your coffee, or letting Javi bend you over his desk and leave bruises on your skin as he buried himself inside you. One time, you told yourself. You'll do this one time to get it out of your system, and then you'll both move on. As long as it didn't interfere with work, you thought it was okay to fuck him once, but either convenience or care kept you reaching for each other for the rest of your time in Colombia.

You spent most nights at his apartment because it was a little nicer and it felt like it would be too real if he entered your space. For all his sarcasm and hard edges, he was sweet with you. He'd make you breakfast and drive you to work under the guise of carpooling. Over time, you started to learn all his little quirks and tells, and you looked for him first when the smoke cleared and the gunfire ceased. He started stealing files off your pile of paperwork so you'd have less work to do, cook your favorite meals, and was ready with open arms when things got to be too much.

The love was like everything else that happened between you: quiet yet all-consuming.

As the months stretched on and you only grew to love him more and more, you started to imagine a life with him. You were naive and had too much faith in the world, but you couldn't stop yourself. The daydreams of a house with a big backyard, a dog, and maybe a few kids to fill it kept you alive when it felt like not even the weapon attached to your hip could. You wanted it so bad. You told him how much you wanted it, and he agreed despite how fucking crazy it sounded out loud. Love allows you to be delusional to avoid the possibility of rejection.

And you loved him so much that you let yourself believe once Escobar was dead or in prison that, you could go home together and live a somewhat normal life. That he could give it all up. That you could make it work.

So you threw yourself into the hunt. You didn't sleep. You barely ate. You went from smoking a few cigarettes a day to a pack as you got closer and closer. Javi wasn't much better off, and you definitely enabled each other's behavior, but you believed so hard in this future that you thought it would be worth it in the end.

He got snappy, and you argued a lot. You both shut down so much that it's a miracle you could find your way back to normalcy. He didn't even tell you when he got sent to D.C. for questioning. He just disappeared. When you and Steve stood over Escobar's body on a rooftop in Medellín, you couldn't focus on anything but the blood splatter on the shoes Javi got you as an early Christmas gift. At the end of the day, your only thought was, "It's over. We can go home. We can start over. We can make something of this."

Escobar wasn't even cold when Javi accepted a new position in Cali.

Everything he'd seen and done, the things you counseled each other through, the faces that kept him up at night didn't matter as much as that job. He broke the news to you as you were packing up your apartment. "There's an opportunity out there for you, too," he said, looking at you with those big eyes. You almost folded, drowning in affection for him, until you remembered how many times he'd almost died or disappeared without a word or struggled so much he buried his memories between your legs or at the bottom of a bottle.

How could he want to return to that? How could he want you to return to that?

That's when you broke.

You don't remember exactly what was said during the argument, but you know it was bad. There was a lot of yelling and tears. You said things you didn't mean, and he returned the favor. It went on for what seemed like hours, back and forth back and forth, until you were exhausted and done negotiating. You gave him an ultimatum: come to D.C. with you and start your lives, or go to Cali. He chose Cali. You chose D.C., and that was it.

That had to be it.

You didn't talk much in those final days, but you did a lot of crying. The horrors he helped keep at bay threatened to suffocate you. You were a shell of a person, but you couldn't reach for him again, knowing he didn't love you enough to stay with you. You had the tiniest shred of self-respect.

So, the day you left, you gave his stuff back, and he drove you to the airport in complete silence, even walking you all the way to the terminal without saying a word. His final act of care even when you'd told him you hated him forty-eight hours earlier. You waited until the very last second to get on the plane, hoping he'd change his mind or you'd change yours. You were both too stubborn and too broken, so you wished him luck and left. You didn't even hug him because you were so scared you'd never leave his arms if you did.

Things happened fast once you were stateside again. Within a week, you found a nice apartment in D.C., transferred to the FBI, adopted a cat named Astro, and swore off dating. With all your experience in Colombia, you got your pick of jobs and workload. You avoided field work for a while and got stuck pushing papers around at your desk, but you got bored three months in and asked to go back out. Your first case back in the field had you dealing with a serial arsonist who may or may not have had ties to a terrorist group. You were examining the rubble of yet another building when one of the firefighters called your name.

Harry was tall and charming and trying to explain something about accelerants, but all you could do was watch his scarred hands as they pointed. You remember thinking he was going to be a problem. It took three more fires for you to catch your guy, and Harry would later say it took those fires to build up the courage to ask you out. "You were much scarier than any fire," he told you. He had soot on his cheeks, and the flashing lights made his eyes sparkle. There was something about that stupid New York accent that just made you melt.

You thought one date couldn't hurt. You thought it would help you adjust to your new life. When he showed up in a nice shirt with a bouquet of flowers to pick you up for your first date, you knew you were fucked.

You went on a second date. And a third. And a fourth. He was patient with you as you struggled to open up to him about your time in the DEA and never pressured you to tell him anything you weren't ready to. That Christmas, you went home to New York with him and met his parents and all three of his sisters. By the next spring, you, Harry, and Astro moved into an apartment halfway between each of your jobs.

You got into the habit of bringing him cookies when he worked overnights at the station and smelling his shirt when he got home because, more often than not, it'd still smell like smoke. He'd surprise you with coffee or flowers at work "just because" and drag you away from your desk when you've been staring at the same words for however long. When a bullet grazed you in the middle of a chase, he made one of his EMT friends drive him to the hospital you were at in the ambulance with the lights on so he could get there as fast as possible. He made it in seven minutes and started crying the moment he saw you lying in the hospital bed, even though you were completely fine.

For something as unexpected as this relationship, you guys work really well. He cooks dinner, and you wash the dishes at the end of the night. He looks at big houses in nice neighborhoods and humors you even though there's no way you can afford it with two civil servant paychecks. But, when you see him playing with your nieces and nephews, something so deep inside you aches that you think the life-long debt would be worth it if it meant he got to be a dad. You take time off to visit his family, and even though he thinks it's the most badass thing about you, he doesn't say anything about your involvement with Escobar until you accidentally let something slip during a barbecue. When work gets too much, you hold each other, cry, and make promises to stay alive.

He proposes to you on the fourth anniversary of your first date. You knew he would because you'd looked at rings together, but you blub like a baby anyway and almost tackle him to the ground in Rock Creek Park. You're deliriously happy as you celebrate your engagement and even as you start to plan the wedding. It's like you blinked, and suddenly, it'd been four years since you left Colombia, and you're living the life you dreamt about, just with a new person. A person you love so fucking much, you still get butterflies when he walks in the room. The ring on your finger and the way he casually drops "my wife" into conversation when he means "fiancée" only adds to the giddiness.

You can't wait to spend the rest of your life with him. So, why the fuck did you agree to get drinks with Javi?

You pick your head up and dial the firehouse number before your brain can fully devolve into panic mode. They might be out dealing with a fire, but you figure it's worth a shot. On the second ring, Jack answers with his gruff "D.C. Fire Station 19."

"Hey, Jack."

"Oh, hey, darlin'! How're you doin'?" He asks, and you swear you can hear him smiling. Jack is one of Harry's best friends and groomsmen, and he absolutely adores you.

"I'm good. How're you?" You ask, already feeling the weight come off your shoulders just from talking to someone.

"You know, I can't complain. I mean, I could, but I won't," he says, and you laugh. "You callin' for your lover boy?"

"If he's not busy, yes."

"Nah, you're all good. Well, listen, it was nice talkin' to you, sweetheart. I'll get him now." He says before yelling Harry's name through the station so loud you wonder if the neighbors could hear him. There's some shuffling and a quick "'S your wife" as the phone changes hands. The identifier makes you laugh and it's the first thing Harry hears when he presses the phone to his ear.

"Oh, you have no idea how much I needed to hear that." He swoons, and you make a sympathetic noise.

"Rough day?"

"No, I just miss you."

"You're so cheesy," you say. "I miss you too. A lot."

"You okay? You sound off." He asks, and you chuckle. Of course, he caught the tiniest change in your voice.

"I'm okay. I bumped into somebody I worked with in Colombia today, so I just… feel weird," you say, rubbing your forehead. You hear him shuffle like he's trying to move to a more private place, but the cord on the phone isn't letting him get very far.

"Good weird or bad weird?"

"I don't know. Just weird. We're gonna get some drinks tonight and catch up."

"Maybe that'll help," he chirps. "I mean, as much as I like listening to your stories, it might make you feel better to talk to someone who was there. Maybe get some closure."

"Maybe." You say. It goes quiet on the line, but you know he's there because you can hear him breathing and hear the distant sounds of the firehouse. You don't feel pressured to say anything; just knowing he's there breaks up the tension in your chest. "Chief is gonna have your ass if he finds out you're running up the phone bill." You tease, and he laughs.

"I'll just tell him I'm talking to my wife, and if he doesn't want me on the phone, then he should stop making me work overnights."

"Which I'm sure he'll take well."

"You're his favorite. I'm almost positive he'd install a whole phone just for you," he says. It's true, but hearing it still makes you smile. It goes quiet again.

You watch people mill around the bullpen from your office window and chew the inside of your cheek. You should tell him it's Javi. He wouldn't discourage you from getting drinks with him, but he knows your history with him. He should be in the loop. He's going to be your husband, for God's sake. But you also don't need him worrying about this while in a burning building or doing CPR.

"You know I'm not technically your wife for another two months, right?" You change the subject, and he hums.

"Yeah, but it has a nice ring to it. My wife." Even the way he says it over the phone makes you giddy.

"I can't argue with that." You say. He takes a deep breath, and you copy him.

"You're gonna be okay. Go get drinks with your friend and try to have some fun. Maybe invite them to the wedding if you get drunk enough and decide it's a good idea," he suggests, and you laugh at the idea of Javi at your wedding. "I'll be home tomorrow afternoon, and we can talk about it or not talk about it if that's what you want, okay?"

"Okay." You resolve and twirl the phone cord in your fingers.

"I love you."

"I love you, too. Have a good day. Don't be a hero."

"Wouldn't dream of it." He says. You wait another second to have him nearby before hanging up and looking out over the bullpen again.

You could not show up. You could go home, cuddle with Astro, and put on Sex and the City or something else to take your mind off the day. You could go to bed early and take Harry breakfast in the morning. You know his hair will be messy and a little darker than normal, but he'll still smile and pull you into his lap even though the guys tease him all the time about your PDA.

But you're also too interested in what Javi could have to say to do that. You owe it to yourself to get closure or answers or whatever the fuck he has left to offer you.

And then you'll never think about him again.

Easy.

It's a slow day filled with paperwork and pencil-pushing at the FBI. No bombs or killers or threats. Just meetings and emails and the dread about meeting with Javi all day. You linger around the office a little longer than you need to until you're almost late, and only then do you start walking to the Hill.

It's bustling with tourists dying for a peek at the cherry blossoms scattered around D.C. and the Suits you usually see trying to get home. The April sun feels good on your skin, especially after being inside all day, and you take a moment to watch the sun dip lower and lower in the sky.

All things considered, if Javi was going to visit D.C., this would be the time to do it. Spring is in full bloom, and the last dredges of winter only show up at night or early in the morning when it's still cold. People are constantly out walking their dogs or taking their kids to the playgrounds. It feels like the city has come alive again after such a long winter. You come up with a list of recommendations of things for Javi to do while he's here, even though he probably won't do any of them. The least you could do is give him something to distract himself from work.

By the time you get to the bar, the sun has nearly set, and traffic is a waking nightmare. You push your anxiety away and duck into the bar, searching for Javi's familiar eyes amongst the exhausted interns and law students. He's in the corner, scanning the space just like you thought he would, and there's a glass waiting for you at the table. His eyes light up when he sees you, and your chest aches.

He gets up to greet you with a hug and pulls your chair out for you like a gentleman. "Don't know if your order's changed, but I figured I'd make a guess." He says, gesturing to your drink as you settle across from each other. You smile and hang your jacket on the back of your chair.

"Thank you. Next round is on me," you say as you raise your glass to his and take a sip. "How was teaching?"

"It was fine. Although I wish they'd actually listen instead of just staring at me like I have a second head." He says, and you laugh.

"You're a living legend to them. Escobar and the Godfathers of Cali? You might be the most experienced person they've come across."

"I think I'm the person professors warn students not to be in the field."

"There are much worse things to be than a Javier Peña or a Steve Murphy," you say. "Besides, I think the DEA has bigger problems than a few rogue agents."

He shrugs and glances up when the bell above the door chimes, checking out whoever just walked in. He did the same thing when you sat in bars in Colombia like he was always waiting for a fight. You used to tease him about it, but the fact that he still does it makes you smile.

"Steve sends his love, by the way." He says.

"How is he? How old is Olivia now?"

"She's gonna be five soon, and they're about to have another baby. A boy," he beams. "They're all doing good. Steve runs training courses for FBI agents now and sometimes goes back to Colombia to liaise with their government. Connie works at a hospital, and Olivia's in Pre-K."

"Sounds like you guys talk a lot." You're pleasantly surprised. They were good partners, but they could barely stand to look at each other when things got tense. Not to mention Steve leaving the DEA at the same time you did.

"Well, when Olivia started calling me Uncle Javi, it was pretty hard to ignore him," he says, and you 'aw' at the idea of her little hands reaching for him. Uncle Javi suits him. "She's a good kid."

He fills you in on his work in Texas and asks about your transfer. You tell him what you can about your job and the annoying bureaucrats you hate working with. He seems lighter than you've seen before, not just because of the drink in his hand. His shoulders are relaxed, and even though he still has the instincts of someone working in the field, he doesn't get trapped in them like he used to. It's a nice change.

You're almost done with your first drink when he digs a pack of cigarettes out of his pocket and offers you one. God, when was the last time you even bought a pack of cigarettes? It had to have been right after Harry came home from a particularly bad fire resulting from a stray cigarette. Three people died. After that, you couldn't pick up a cigarette without thinking about the seventeen-year-old who got stuck in the apartment. That must've been three years ago now.

"I quit," you say, and he raises his eyebrows at you.

"That's new." He says like your hair turned blue before his eyes, but pops one into his mouth anyway. You shrug.

"Sorry to disappoint."

"No, no, 'm not disappointed. Just surprised."

"Yeah, well," you sigh. "American cigarettes aren't as good as the Colombian ones."

"I guess that's true," he says as he flicks his lighter open and inhales until the end glows. Just as always, he politely blows smoke away from your face. "Alright, so you got a new job, a new apartment, a cat, and you quit smoking. What else has changed since I saw you last?" He asks, and your thumb immediately presses into the band of your engagement ring.

Well, it's now or never.

"I, uh... I'm getting married," you say, and his eyes fall to your ring. "In two months." He takes a big sip.

"Congratulations," he says. It might be the most unenthusiastic thing you've ever heard somebody say. "Who's the lucky guy?"

"His name is Harry. We've been together for a few years now."

"What's he do?" He asks in his interrogator's voice, and you give him a look.

"We don't have to do this." You say. Javi takes another drag of his cigarette and grinds his teeth.

"Do what?" He asks. "It shouldn't be hard to talk about if you love him."

"I do."

"Then, why don't you want to tell me about him?"

"Is that a serious question?" You scoff, and he shrugs. "Fine. What do you want to know?"

"I already asked you," he says. "What does he do for work?"

"He's a firefighter." You know it's a cliche: a cop and a firefighter, but you don't really care.

"How'd you meet?"

"First field case I had was an arsonist. He was one of the guys on site when I got there."

"Romantic," Javi muses, and you hum. You wait for him to continue bombarding you with questions, but the air gets thick, and suddenly, all you can do is take big gulps of your drink. You signal to the bartender for another, and Javi finishes his cigarette in silence. "Well, I'm happy for you," he says softly. He doesn't seem like he is, but you know better than to press him, so you just nod.

"Thank you," you say. The bartender drops two more drinks off at your table, and Javi raises his glass to you.

"Here's to you and Terry-"

"Harry," you correct, and he laughs, breaking up the tension that's settled. He took the news much better than you expected, but you're still waiting for the other shoe to drop. There always seems to be one waiting when Javi's around.

"To you and Harry and a lifetime of happiness." He says, tapping his glass against yours and taking a drink. "Now, tell me what you've been doing with the fuckin' FBI."

"Oh, you're gonna need to buy me a few more drinks before I start spilling government secrets, Peña." The name rolls off your tongue before you can stop it, and it brings you back to hot Colombian days and red yarn on a corkboard and his apartment. He raises his eyebrows like it's a challenge and smirks.

"Don't tempt me with a good time."

It's late and you're drunk. Drunker than you've been in a while. You didn't mean to. You just kept talking and drinking, and it felt so good talking to him after so long. Once you got through with the elephant in the room, it was so easy to fall back into the groove with him. You talked about Colombia and your lives outside of work. You even tell him the story of accidentally letting it slip that you used to work for the DEA after smoking a little bit of weed with Harry's sister, Caitlin.

You laughed together until last call and then argued over who would pay the tab. "Consider it my weddin' gift," he half-slurred, and you rolled your eyes and let him pay.

Now, you're strolling the empty National Mall, working off your buzz and elongating the time you have with him. You didn't realize how much you missed him until tonight. Despite everything that happened, you did have good days with him. Days filled with music and chain smoking and laughter. You'd like to get those back. You'd like that version of him back.

As you walk, you point out monuments to him and messily retell the stories the tour guide told you when Harry thought a walking tour of D.C. was a good second-date idea. You switch presidents and periods too much to make sense, but Javi listens anyway. Every so often, his warm hand will brush against yours, barely touching your skin but enough for you to notice when he does it. Neither of you say anything about it or break the flow of your conversation. Maybe it's for old-time's sake. Maybe it's because you don't know what there is to say. The night is clear and eerily quiet. The only sound besides your laughter and drunken stories is the chilly wind blowing through the trees and the clacking of heels from an exhausted-looking White House intern as she walks by.

Or, at least, it was until you stumbled across a busker by the Lincoln Memorial. The empty space echoes with the sound of his saxophone, and you smile as you get closer. There are a few other people milling around, and a few take turns throwing coins in his case. You've seen him playing here before, but you've never had the time to actually stop and listen. He's good. You wish you'd stopped sooner.

"You wanna dance?" Javi whispers in your ear, his breath fanning across your neck, and you furrow your eyebrows.

"Here?" You ask, and he shrugs.

"Why not?"

"Because nobody else is."

"C'mon," he tuts. "Live a little." He doesn't wait for you to say anything else. He just grabs your hand and pulls you a little closer to the musician. You sigh but let Javi hold one of your hands and rest the other on his shoulder. He smirks and you roll your eyes to hide the fact that you're shocked he wants to dance. With you. In public.

Sure, you had little moments where you danced in the kitchen, but never in public. Even then, it wouldn't have ever been his idea to dance. He's like a whole new person. You don't know how to feel about it.

What the fuck happened to him in Cali?

He spins you under his arm, and you do your best to follow his lead. You have two left feet as it is, something Harry has helped get out of your system, but the alcohol makes it even worse. You almost trip yourself but land against Javi's chest before you can hit the ground. He makes an oomph sound but doesn't do anything to push you away. You don't do anything to pull away.

The saxophonist continues playing, and the cicadas chirp nearby. If you listen hard enough, you can hear Javi's heartbeat. You think you'd know the sound anywhere. You memorized the rise and fall of his chest when you woke up from nightmares, and he was the one to calm you down. You used to count the contractions of the muscles in his heart until you fell back to sleep. It was often the first thing you heard when you woke up if bombs weren't going off somewhere in the city or your phone wasn't blaring with an emergency message from the Embassy.

And now, here it is again, unexpectedly thumping against you after four years, following the rhythm of the music surrounding you. Javi's warm as he tentatively rests his head against yours, and you feel his fingers flex around your hip. A mixture of his cologne and cigarettes invades your senses, and you can do nothing but ride the nostalgia wave until the song ends.

You pry yourself from Javi to turn and applaud the saxophonist, and he gives a gracious bow. Javi looks a little disappointed that the song is over but drops a ten-dollar bill in the saxophone case anyway.

"Didn't take you for a dancer." You say as you walk away from the Lincoln Memorial, and he shrugs.

"'M full of secrets now."

"I guess so," you say. You start walking toward your apartment, suddenly too cold and tired now that you're a little more sober. Javi follows, putting himself between you and the street and grazing your lower back whenever you cross the road. He's always been protective of you, even before you started dating. It makes sense he would still be, right? You're trying to make sense of the muddled mess in your head when Javi pulls his cigarettes out of his jacket, and you eye them. You must not be as discrete as you thought you were because he laughs at you.

"For someone who quit smoking, you look like you want a cigarette." He says, offering the pack to you, and you sigh. You take one from the middle and put it between your lips. Javi is quick with his lighter, and you lean into him just a little as you inhale. He watches your every movement like he's watching a miracle unfold before him.

You hate to admit how good the smoke feels in your lungs. After three years of not even looking at a cigarette, all it took was an offer and a quick puff, and you're back to the beginning. You'll start again tomorrow.

"Don't tell Harry." You say as you blow smoke away from him, and Javi laughs.

"What? He doesn't like you smoking?" He asks, looking for a reason not to like Harry, and you chuckle.

"It's not that. I've just heard one too many horror stories about a stray cigarette starting a fire." You say, and he hums.

"Is that why you quit?"

"Kinda. I also…" you start but then shake your head. "Never mind."

"What? Now you have to say it."

"You're not gonna like it."

"Try me." He says, and you inhale deeply, blowing smoke out of your nose. You think about telling him to leave it alone, but the alcohol and the pain in your chest tells you to say fuck it.

"I quit because it reminded me of you." You admit. He gets quiet. He takes a long drag of his cigarette and looks up at the stars as you silently spiral. You feel like you need two more cigarettes and a shot of tequila.

Javi has always had a special talent for making all your worst habits bubble to the surface.

"You're right, I don't like that." He says softly, and you nod. You walk a few blocks in silence. The only sounds are your shoes clicking against the pavement and the tiny crackling of your cigarette as you smoke. A siren blares somewhere in the city, and your stomach drops. It always does, but especially now.

Your fiancé is out there, putting his life on the line to save others because that's how good of a man he is, and you're getting drunk and slow-dancing with the man who broke your heart? You didn't even tell him it was Javi. What if something happens to him tonight, and you're out? What if you miss the phone call? Guilt gnaws at your throat like an angry dog, and you feel like throwing up. You swallow hard and stomp out your cigarette before it can get to the filter.

"I'm glad we did this," you say, trying to get things back on track. Javi gives you a weak smile. "I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"You know, Harry said there's a place for you at the wedding if you want it. I know you'll be back in Texas, but it could be fun. We'd love to have you," you say, and he shakes his head.

"I don't think that's a good idea." He says. You knew he'd say no, but it still stings.

"Just thought I'd ask." You say, and he nods. You're about two blocks away from your apartment, and you start fishing for your keys out of your purse when Javi stops. You keep walking, thinking he's going to finish his cigarette and pull out another one.

"Don't marry him." He says, just loud enough for you to hear, and ice floods your veins. Whatever alcohol left in your system seems to vanish, and you freeze.

"What?" You ask as you slowly turn around. Javi chews on his bottom lip and stares at you.

"Don't marry him," he says again. Something behind his eyes is familiar, and suddenly, you're the girl he couldn't leave Colombia for again. Tears prick in your eyes, and you shake your head. "You'll get bored in a few years, and you'll be stuck if you marry him."

"I love him."

"I love you."

"Stop," you mumble. He takes a step forward and cradles your face in his hands, tilting you up to look at him, and your jaw tightens. You wonder if he can feel it. "You don't love me."

"I do. I always have. I fucked up, and I'm so sorry for hurting you, but I'm here now. We can start over. I'll move to D.C.. I'll do whatever." He says in one breath like he's afraid he'll lose the courage to say the words out loud.

"It's too late." You say, and he shakes his head.

"No, it's not. We can go tonight. Anywhere you want. I-"

"You let me leave," you cut him off, years of frustration and heartbreak coming back up to the surface as you take his hands off your face. "I was drowning and you let me get on the fucking plane."

"I thought that's what you wanted."

"I wanted you to reject the position in Cali and come with me because I really thought you could at least try to love me more than your job."

"I couldn't just give the Cali position up." He says and you scoff and take a few steps away from him.

"But you could give me up," you say, throwing your arms up in defeat. "That's not love, Javi. That's having someone around to play with and throwing them out when you get bored."

"It wasn't like that."

"Enlighten me, then."

"Do you remember when Carillo died?" He asks and you take a deep breath before nodding.

Most of your memories of Colombia are muddled, but not that day. You were pissed Messina wouldn't let you go, but you were fine to let the Colombian police make the raid. Javi and Steve were anxious. You remember watching them stand next to the radio like guards and trying to guess what was going on in their heads. Javi's gaze lingered on you a few too many times to be an accident, and he smiled fondly at you. You joked about them paying for the drinks you'd have later to celebrate. Things felt stable enough for you to sit down next to Messina. You were halfway through a cigarette when the gunfire chattered over the radios.

It wasn't an ambush.

It was a fucking massacre.

They never stood a chance. The scene was horrendous. Hearing Messina call Mrs. Carillo to tell her what happened was worse. Steve, somehow, was able to go with Carillo, so he wasn't alone in transport back to Bogotá. You and Javi were the cowards who went back and drank until you stopped seeing the pile of bodies you felt responsible for.

Javi put his fist through the wall of his apartment when he got home that night. You wanted to cry but knew that if you started, you'd never stop and who were you to be crying? People had just lost their sons, husbands, brothers, and fathers on your orders. You didn't deserve to cry. It was the beginning of the end for you and Javi, but you clung to your idea of the future so hard, it had claw marks on it when you finally let it go and got on the plane.

So, yeah, you remember. You remember it all.

"I couldn't let that happen to you or anyone else ever again. It would kill me," he says. You're about to tell him it's not his fault, and it never was. It was shitty intel. It was a trap. It was a lot of things, but it wasn't his fault. That might be the only thing you can say for sure about that tragedy. "So, I put everything that wasn't work out of my mind and made bad decisions, and that's on me, but I never stopped loving you or believing in our future."

"Then, why didn't you fight for us?"

"I didn't know how. You were so…" He searches for the right word. "Sure. You knew you didn't want to go to Cali, and I couldn't make you stay."

"I would've if you said the word," you say. "Even though I was miserable in Colombia, I would've come back if you asked me to because that's how much I loved you. Even if you'd just called me after I got here, we probably could've worked something out, but I'm marrying the love of my life in less than sixty days. And I've never had to beg him to stay with me or give him an ultimatum and question if he loves me because he wakes up every day and shows me how much he wants to be with me. I can't walk away from that."

"Does he know what you did down there?"

"Of course, he does." You say, annoyance buzzing in your molars, and you cross your arms over your chest.

"Does he know everything?"

"You mean, does he know I've killed people?" You ask. "Yeah, it was super fun trying to explain that to him. You want to hear about how I hyperventilated through the whole thing, or do you want to ask me another question to try to undermine my relationship?" He purses his lips and shakes his head.

"No," he says. "I just don't think you know what you're getting yourself into."

"Fuck you, Javier." You spit. You don't know the last time you used his full name like that. Something about it feels wrong and makes your skin crawl. "You left one girl at the altar over a decade ago, and you think you know about marriage?"

"That's not fair."

"No, what's not fair is you coming here and making me feel like the bad guy for moving on. I deserve to be happy. I've worked, and I've cried, and I've fucking killed for it, and the second I feel like things are going my way, you do this!" You yell.

"I love you." He says again, like it'll change anything. The pressure behind your eyes returns, and you turn away from him, but he catches your wrist before you can. "Listen to me. I love you. I love you. I love you." He repeats over and over again, but all you hear is, "I love you, but I can't come with you." "I love you, but I need this." "I love you. Isn't that enough?"

You rip out of his grasp and punch at his chest with tears slipping down your face. He takes it, still saying that he loves you, and for some reason that hurts more. You push him hard and watch him stumble back, his brown eyes tracking the tears down your face.

"If you really love me-"

"I do." He cuts you off and you take a stuttering breath.

"Then, let me be happy," you beg. "Let me go. Please. If you love me, you'll do that for me."

You feel pathetic, standing there crying like he shattered your heart all over again as he just stares at you and thinks. You want to go home. You want this to end. You want to never see him again.

Maybe in twenty years, you could stand to face him again. You'll be happily married, and you hope he'll be, too. You'll have a few kids, and you'll tell stories about them and Harry will pull pictures of them out of his wallet. You won't hurt anymore. Maybe when your daughter goes through her first heartbreak, you'll find the courage to tell her about Javi. Maybe all this grief will be worth something someday. You want it to.

But right now, you're just the girl he didn't love enough to leave Colombia for, and he's not the man you love enough to marry.

He clears his throat, his own tears glistening in his waterline, and nods.

"Okay," he mumbles. "I'll tell Stoddard I had a family emergency or something back home. Get the first flight back." Your eyes flutter shut at his words, and you try to keep yourself from crying more.

"Thank you." You say.

"I love you." He says again, and you open your eyes. He's grinding his teeth again, and his hands are in his pockets as if he's forcing himself not to reach for you. You give him a small smile and nod.

"I know," you say. "I'm sorry."

Just as you did at the airport all those years ago, you stand awkwardly far apart, unsure of what to do now. He waits for you to change your mind. You won't. He'll get on the plane, and that'll be it.

He nods to himself one more time before turning to walk away.

"You do deserve to be happy. I've never doubted that. I wish I could've given that to you." He says like he's trying to convince you he's a good person. You sniffle and spin your ring around your finger.

"You did for a while. It's just Harry's turn to do that now," you say. "Goodbye, Javi." He opens his mouth like he's going to say goodbye or something else, but you turn your back to him and start walking toward your apartment before he can.

You figure, after everything, it's only fair that you get the last word.

You didn't sleep. You knew you wouldn't. Astro seems to sense your anxiety and cuddles into your chest, purring loudly to try and drown out your thoughts. You reassure her you're okay and kiss her head as the inky blue sky is replaced by a stunning pink and purple morning.

A good omen, you hope.

You force yourself to get up and get ready for the day. It's Saturday and a fire station breakfast day. It's never anything fancy: donuts picked up from a nearby cafe, greasy fast food breakfast, sometimes cold pizza. Today, you walk to a nearby bodega and pick up his favorite breakfast sandwich with two steaming cups of coffee before walking to the fire station.

It's cold, and D.C. hasn't quite woken up yet. It'll be a few hours before life returns as people sleep off hangovers or long weeks. That's okay. This morning is just for you.

The garage door is wide open when you get to the station, and Harry is perched on the back bumper with the firehouse dog, Maisie, whispering things to her. He looks tired. You don't think you look any better, but he still lights up when he sees you, and Maisie even starts wagging her tail.

"Hey there, stranger," you greet him as he pulls you closer and smirks up at you. "You have a good night?"

"No, but it doesn't matter now that you're here." He says. You would normally roll your eyes at his cheesiness but your chest fills with warmth instead. You lean down and kiss him. He smells like smoke but tastes like the chapstick you make him wear because of the heat. Maisie sniffs at the bag in your hand, and you laugh against his lips when she licks your arm.

"I think she's jealous." You say, and he sucks his teeth as he looks at Maisie.

"You have breakfast, you little terrorist." He reminds her but he immediately folds when she gives him that innocent look. "She can have one piece of bacon, but that's it. We need you trim to get up in the trucks, right?"

You pull a piece of bacon off one of the breakfast sandwiches and make her sit and shake before you give it to her. She crunches on it happily, knowing she's absolutely spoiled rotten. She makes space for you to sit next to Harry on the truck and you rest your head on his shoulder. "You okay?" He asks as he kisses your hairline, and you nod.

"Just missed you," you say. "I couldn't sleep last night." He makes a sympathetic noise and wraps an arm around your shoulder to tuck you further into his side.

"Were you thinking about Colombia?" He asks and you hum. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not right now."

"Okay. You wanna hear about why our kids will never be allowed to buy candles ever? No matter how old they get or how much smarter they think they are than us?" He changes the subject easily, and you laugh despite the pain still radiating in your body. You know he'll be there when you're ready to tell him about last night, no matter how long it takes you, and you will tell him. Eventually.

"Hit me with it." You say as you unpack your breakfast sandwiches and pass him his coffee. Maisie wags her tail as you alternate between sneaking her treats and listening to Harry's story. He knows you're giving her extra snacks but won't ever stop you.

You sit there on the back of that dirty firetruck, talking and watching the sunrise together and debating on which version of white the napkins at your wedding should be— eggshell or cream— and know you'd do everything all over again if it meant this was the outcome. You love him with everything that you are and ever could be.

And as you eat your breakfast and soak up each other's presence, you find yourself hoping Javi could love someone like this someday. You believe he has it in him. You've seen it. Whoever ends up being the one to tie Javier Peña down will be lucky and loved.

It just wasn't meant to be you.

#tightjeansjavijunewritingchallenge #narcos fanfiction #narcos fic #pedro pascal characters #pedro pascal cinematic universe #javier peña #javier pena narcos #javier pena x reader #javier pena fanfiction #javier pena fic #javier pena x you #javier pena imagine #javier pena one shot #javier pena angst #javi peña #javi p x reader #javi p fic #pedro pascal

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isa-ghost · 9 months ago

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Do you have any headcanons as far as Philza and BBHs' relationship? I've enjoyed thinking about that because I think it's one of the few relationships on Philza's side that's actually a bit more complicated? But also Philza saying that BBH wouldn't lie is the funniest thing ever.

Or if no headcanons about Philza and BBH specifically what about Philza, Bad, and Cellbit as a trio in charge of the order because I really loved that

OOOH this is gonna be an interesting challenge because I don't watch a lot of Bad :0!

qPhil headcanons masterlist

Obligatory they're both thousands of years old mention. There's some things they can talk about and relate on that no one else on the island can. MAYBE Foolish, but Foolish tends to just focus on the present and vibe. Phil and Bad though, in the right conditions, they could and will have deep conversations about the past and their experiences.

On that note holy fucking shit these two would be terrifying teamed up together. If the Feds ever do something harmful or permanent to the eggs, god help them when these two decide they're armed enough and hatch a plan. They'll rain hell on the entire island and then some. And every other parent will be more than willing to join them. Do Not Piss Off The Immortal Murder Dads.

Phil could tell clearly that Bad is part demon. Finding out he was part reaper was a surprise. Honestly with how much of a lil trickster Bad is, Phil is surprised he isn't part Fae or something.

Phil takes one look at how Bad goes "no idea what you're talking about, nothing happened :D" about stuff like him Literally Dying and is like [uncanny Mr Incredible] "at least I'm not that bad." Phil just (very poorly) hides things and says he's fine. He doesn't straight up deny anything happened (and couldn't convincingly act like nothing is wrong the way Bad can if he tried)

Missa is a reaper. Bad is a reaper. Phil wants to see them talk about reaper things together. Or see them both in action. He himself can also carry small conversations about it since he's learned so much through osmosis :D

Actually that's kinda why Phil feared Bad so much during Purgatory. That was him in action. And he never wants to be on an opposing side of it again.

He doesn't resent Bad for Purgatory btw he just jokes like it sometimes. Same as with Tubbo (or anyone else for that matter), he blames the Watcher for trying to destroy their friendships.

Has straight up looked Bad in the eyes like "are you aware you are raising the most terrifying egg. Are you." He genuinely thinks if Dapper wanted to, he could kill Phil in his sleep. Every time he sees Dapper, he's learned something new and insane.

Tbh Phil sometimes envies how full of whimsy Bad is. He's seen infinitely more horrors than Phil for sure, yet he always ironically seems like a little ball of sunshine despite being a literal shadow lookin demon. What The Fuck is this man's secret to staying so silly.

Phil is endlessly fascinated by the extent to which Bad can come up with more and new protections for the eggs. He thinks of stuff not even remotely on Phil's radar. See, Phil's a safety expert as a survivalist, but most of his skills involve using what's around you and your wits, because survival is largely about relying only on yourself because you rarely have any other choice. Bad on the other hand will not hesitate to seek out new tech, other people, or tinker and experiment until he discovers new ways to use anything and everything he can get his hands on. Phil admires how intuitive he is.

Also Bad is really good at making bases and Phil enjoys seeing how balanced the aesthetics and practical parts are. Bad can make something look cozy and lavish as hell while also putting like a billion farms and gadgets into it.

I wonder how a conversation about possession would go. :) Surely Bad has some insight on it as a demon?

Something about how the two of them have arguably the most horrific egg death nightmares. I don't know where to go with this but goddamn would Crows and Ghosties be feasting.

Actually wait shut up, I just realized something kinda cute. In the same way Phil can talk to birds (particularly crows ofc), Bad can talk to the dead/undead (particularly ghosts). Imagine the sillies that could come out of that. It's said that animals can see the dead, what if Phil's murder conspires with the ghosts that follow Bad around ;D

The moment Phil would use his wings if they were healed, Bad would clock that he's the Angel of Death. I'm not sure he saw Phil flying during Purgatory, but if he did, he knows. And that would lead to many interesting conversations. :)

#qsmp #qsmp philza #philza #q!philza #qsmp bbh #qsmp badboyhalo #badboyhalo #q!bbh #q!badboyhalo #qphil headcanons

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grigori77 · 1 month ago

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Critical Role, Campaign 3 Episode 115

Sing? Really? Oh gods ... wait ... oh no ... really, he is THE LAST PERSON who should have one of these things ... oh yeah, give it to Robbie ... YEAH, that's moe like it ... no, give it back, Samuel! Yes. That's better ... by the gods this is a mad skit and I'm not surprised Marisha's got gigantic giggles ... XD ... oh my ... SHE'S gettign a go? The one cast member who CAN'T sing? Interesting ... LOL

MattL "We're professionals!" Yes .. you are ...

Wait ... what's going on with Ashley and Marisha? Is that a bit for Matt's plug? It's a bit random since they're both OFFSCREEN for it ...

Der Katzenprinz? Awwwwwwwwww ... it's real! :3

Back with Bells Hell and the Mighty Nein, then ... so we're reeling things back an hour or two ... which is about right ... "dicks out?" Really?

Fjord's sensitive nipples ... that's adorable. He's the most feared pirate in allf Exandria, folks! XD

Less illusions, more projections ... yeah, exactly, Imogen. Oh yeah ... Snowcone Ludinus, yeah ...

The confusion begins ... oh yeah, I've been looking forward to more of this ... LOL ... meanwhile Matt's just enjoying sitting back and WATCHING ...

Ah yes, where DO the Nein stand on the subject of the gods?

"Trent Ikithon"? Don't invoke that name, Fjord! Don't trigger the Dirt Wizard!

Caduceus: "So you're feeling confident because you've fought two snowmen?"

Just make Fearne an egg already, Chet!

A Message to Ludinus? I mean honestly, one of Jester's Messages would probably be a major headache for him, so I could actually get behind that idea ... XD

Rashinna! Hi! She's here, it's time, then ...

Ooooh, bombs ... yay! That should be fun. Explosives are always fun.

So ... is that like some funky cool grapple gun? That's pretty sweet ...

Wow ... Gaz really is like the Johnny Bravo of Ruidus, isn't he?

Nott wants to be close to "the big boom" ... well yes, she would ... I love this little pyromaniac ... if she shouts "Fluffernutter!" just before she blows it up that'll just be the icing on the cake ... XD

Don't eat the slime, Beau! It's not for eating ...

Trying to decide who can just fly up and who needs a little help ...

Fjord: "You hear that, Nott? Braius is going down." Veth: "Don't even tempt me! Big strong man ..."

"Lunchies"? Wow ... Gaz, man ...

Ah, so tea and ... something more? Hmmmmmm ...

A toast? Go for it, Dorian. "Please don't die, and down the hatch." Attaboy ...

Ruidian cheese dreams ... I love that so much ... XD ... yeah, please let Gaz survive this so someday he can have some cheese ...

Braius wanting Chetney to CHISEL R.T.A. on him when Jester has actual TATTOO EQUIPMENT ... LOL

Caleb thinks the Hells are even more insane than the Nein... that is a crazy compliment, definitely ...

:3 ... awwwwwwww ... Imogen and Laudna are as cute as ever ... I really am hoping they're gonna make it through this shit ... yeah, please let them get that little cottage they dream of ...

Yasha ... silently judging Veth for mooning over Braius ... I love it ... the question about Yahsa and Beau's marrital status ... so ... they're still not sure what it is? Hmmmm ... Marish: "Wait! Dani says we're married!" Oh boy ... LOL

Lots and lots of sex. This is apparently Yasha's secret to their longevity ... of course it is ...

Did Veth just ask Yasha if she was up for a foursome? O.O

Yes. Beau WOULD be a great mother. It's bizarre, but very true ...

Marriage at TravelerCon? Oh yeah, that sounds PERFECT ... yeah, all the wedding planning is just THE BEST PART of this episode so far ... which after all the Yasha/Veth sex-talk is definitely saying something ... XD

Gaz tries honey for the first time ... O.O ... wow ...

Oh ... so that's it, then? Time to start ... hmmmm ... and potentially a big goodbye for both parties ...

Caduceus: "When the time comes ... go with what feels kind." Oh ... yes. Definitely ...

Let Laudna have the Raven Mask. PLease. As much to stop the squeekiness, really ...

Yes. Give Ashton an hour of Psychic protection. That would be really helpful ... wait ... Chetney has NEGATIVE ONE for Wisdom? Fucking hell ...

Oh, so she just FAKES IT? That's hilarous ...

A last quick moment with Dorian and Orym? Oh ... THEY'RE KISSING?!!! THEY'RE KISSING!!! THEY'RE FUCKING KISSING!!! TEN SECONDS OF KISSING!!! IT'S HAPPENING!!! Oh dear ... sorry Braius ... oops ...

Fucking hell ... are Ashton and Fearne REALLY about to take a massive amount of mushrooms right before they go into the most desperate fight ot their life? O.O

Fucking hell, Sam! How many of those do you even HAVE?!!!

Caleb and Imogen bonding ... yeah, they really do seem like such a good friendship fit ... :3

It's going all red ... and a screech? A strange screech? Is Imogen getting trapped in a dream? Oh fuck, that's exactly what it is ... Liliana! Oh fuck, is it all going off already? Not good ... he knows? Oh fuck ... that's so bad ... wait ... WHAT?!!! What's happening to her? Matt Mercer don't you fucking DARE!!! Oh fuck ... is she gonna be with her for as long as she can in what's clearly her final moments? Fuck ...

A HARNESS?!!! He's funnelling her? NO!!! NOOOOOO!!!

And NOW he calls a break? Matt Mercer you EVIL BASTARD!!!

While all that's happening we're off with the Nein instead ... damn it! And back with the old seating arrangement! Cool! But no Robbie? Not quite so cool ...

Seeming is still up? Okay, then ... smart ...

Group deception check? First fresh roll as the Nein ... okay, it's been a little while ... looks like we all have to get back to remembering the old stats ... and Ashley's RIGHT back on the classic dice behavour already ...

Crap ... are they running into difficulty ALREADY?

Bluffing time ... Deception check! Oof ... here we go, then ... so ... that worked, then? Phew ...

And now they're being followed ... bollocks ... so then that DIDN'T work, then ... hmmmmmm ...

Invoke Duplicity! Oh nice ... yeah, it's been a while ... :3

Nice ... so THAT distraction worked. Great work, Jester.

Sneaky sneaky ...

Aha ... so this place seems like what we're headed for ... yup. we're here. The Arx Creonum ...

So they're going IN then ... oh, a friend? Somebody on the inside, then ... yeah, looks like they're pulling it off, then ...

Wow ... gods, she was so young then ... :3

Okay, so now it's time to finally work out what they're gonna do with the climb ... is Beau gonna go so some more Cool Monk Shit? Let her Naruto Run along the cable ...

Veth casts Spiderclimb ... cool ...

Beau's still spicy about Veth shooting her in the arse after seven years ... XD

THat's a lott of BOOM, Gaz ... and now he's sort of quoting The Goonies ...

Meanwhile Fjord and Jester are doing the whole Superman and Lois thing ... LOL

Think light thoughts, guys ... and yeah, a little Guidance would be helpful too. Thanks, Jester ...

Veth gets a MATCHING OUTFIT for the infiltration? Cool ... yeah, she's on the DEMO TEAM ... O.O ... extra cool ...

The bird flips the bird ...

The assault has begun! Laura: "It has begin!"

Climbing time for the demo team, then ... okay, well that went surprisingly well ... the lines are now secure. Step one is a success ... Spiderclimb!

Ring of Spell Splitting, plus Death Ward? Nice ...

Veth totally showing up everybody else as they go up ... XD

STEALTH CHECK!!!

Safe arrival, then ... all going well so far ... what's next, then?

Finding a prime spot for the bombs, then ... Investigation check! Okay ... planting the bombs ... c'mon Veth, this is what you're really good at ... no Spiderclimb lasts an HOUR, you're fine ...

Lighting the fuse ... here we go ... HIDE!!! TAKE COVER!!!

They've been spotted? Crap ... IS THAT a problem right now? Oh, guess not ... BOOM!!!

A THIRD OF THE BUILDING starts to fall away? Holy fuck ... O.O

Time for the rest of them to make the cli8mb too, then ... all at once! Get to it, guys!

Evasion for ZERO DAMAGE? Sweet. "Rogues are back in style!" XD

Seven rounds to ascend? Crap ... what's gonna happen in the interrim?

Beau is DASHING it ... this is gonna be SPECTACULAR ... so she can clear it in FOUR rounds ... which means 4 Acrobatics checks ... roll well, Marisha! 17 for the third one? Oh fuck ... that's BARELY enough ... wait ... is Veth SERIOUSLY gonna electroshock Beau right now? O.O Caleb Bird sighs SO HEAVILY ... so the DC is now TWENTY ... oh fuck ... Sam fucking Riegel, the classic chaos gremlin ... oh wow ... yeah, she just GRINDS THAT FUCKER with her staff ... that is just AWESOME ...

Gods I love these two so much, they're both so petty ... XD

Meanwhile how do everybody else get on? Starts smooth ... but now they've been spotted ... crap ... this complicates things ... and now they're being pelted with stuff ... SPEARS?!!! Seriously? Crap ... O.O ... shit ... did Laura really rol a THREE?!!! Crap ... and now she's just had her harness cut away ... FUCK!!! And now Jester is FALLING ...

Ashley rolls a ONE when Yasha tries to grab her ... so Fjord just goes after her instead! Of course he does ... so romantic ... but that adds an EXTRA ROUND to the whole mess ... crap!

Oh for fuck's ... ANOTHER shit roll? So bad ... Ashley strikes again ... and now YASHA'S harness is starting to go too ... shit! Grab that hook, girl! Nope, she's falling too ... yeah, Caleb just swoops for her ... and NOW she's starting to Rage ...

Fuck ... yeah, he JUST catches her in time ... and now they're under fire ... a giant eagle has 26 hit points? Bloody hell ... O.O ... that was almost SO BAD ...

Taliesin rolls a ONE ... oh sweet fuck ... and now CADUCEUS is plummetting too ... crap ... so Jester casts Polymorph on him ... she turns him into a giant dire-beetle ... with a Dacuceus face? Wow ... that's just PURE nightmate fuel ... but he is now flying again ...

Okay, so ... they made it, then? Finally ... and it was a TOTAL MESS the whole way ...

Great ... so now they have to make MORE checks to climb up the side of the structure ...

Oh okay ... Battlemap time? Here we go, then ... fuck, this shit looks REALLY HAIRY ...

"HELLO BEEEEEEES!!!"

ROLL INITIATIVE!!!

Beau clambers up onto the wall and runs along the top to try and get past them, while being as tauntingly annoying as possible ... hmmm ... then she goes on the ATTACK!!! POP POP!!! Oh, I have missed this ... Stunning Strike! Yay! But they resist ... crap ... Patience Defence!

Caleb tries to swoop as close as he can to the big blasted opening in the hope to just TOSS Yasha into it ... nice ...

Caduceus buzzes to the nearest platform and hides, ready for the next move ...

Yasha picks herself up and starts climbing the wall ... then she throws her recently acquired spear at one of Beau's foes ... oh yeah, 29 DEFINITELY hits ...

One of the Shrikes shoots his glass cannon at her ... yeah, that's a miss. Phew ... quite a wake-up call, though ... another one takes a shot ... ALSO misses ... thirs one HITS though ... oof ... it definitely hurts, but she's able to shrug it off ... then the closest to Beau takes a shot, that misses ... but the next hits her! Crap! She burns a Ki point and just manages to grab the shot and throw it back! Nice ... CRACK!!! And he fails his save ... 2 D8 Psychic damage? Nice ...

Jest holds her action while waiting to get closer ... holding Darkness? Okay ...

Crap ... Yasha's taking hits ... but she's a Barbarian so she just BOSSES her way through it ... nice ... Telekinetic Combo? Boooo! Thankfully she's able to shrug THAT off too ... meanwhile Beau's taking some pretty nasty hits too ... oof ... crap, it knocks her RIGHT BACK to the wall ...

Armoured feskuls? Crap! Sam: "Can't this game just be roleplay and no combat?"

Fjord touches down with Jester on the nearest ledge, and she casts Darkness to give Yasha and Beau some cover ... nice! Meanwhile he casts Hex on the juggernaut fighting Beau. Then he throws some Eldritch Blasts at him! Ballsy ... Even with the Darkness he manages to hit with ALL THREE!!! Also nice ... oh yeah, that's A WHOLE FUCKLOAD of damage in one round there ...

The Blade Baron uses his Blade Storm to start swiping at Yasha ... crap! EIGHT D10 Slashing damage? Fuck ... that's nasty ... thank fuck she's Raging ...

Gaz arrives! Phew ... he flubs his entrance, but he's there now, at least ...

Veth rushes to join her friends ... and fires her Aeorean Security Cannon into the Darkness, hoping she doesn't hit Beau (or at least that's what she SAYS) ... 39 points of damage? Wow ...

Beau bolts out of the Darkness and makes for the gap ... oh, that is pretty sweet! Yeah, do that ... if you can take this Hulk out in one deft move ... OH SHIT she actually PULL IT OFF!!! That's so beautiful ... yeah, he's just PLUMMETTING to his death now ... that's a proper sweet fucking move, Beau!

Caleb curves around the edge and swoops down to Caduceus, and that's about it ... hmmmm ...

Caduceus casts Guidance on him, and also that's about it ...

Flashbacks of Aeor? Yeesh ...

Yasha has to try and slip past to make it to the edge ... so she just decides to take a swing at him instead. Reckless Rage! Yes ... that's a hit! Yeah! And another! Ooooh, Dvine Fury? Nice ... that.s 43 on one hit ... second's another 19 ... now she tries to shimmy by ... and she MANAGE IT!!! Yes ... she's free to fully disengage so she jumps down and makes her way down towards Caleb and Caduceus ...

The Shrike tries to shoot at Veth ... second shot hits the mark ... ouch ... thanks to Uncanny Dodge she shrugs off the worst ot it ... and she doesn't suffer any ll effects either ... phew ...

The two Polymorphed folk are now taking fire ... POP!!! Yup, now Caleb has been BATTERED back to human form ... and the rest of the damage hurts too ... but both shots as Ceduceus just miss him entirely ...

Jester casts a Guiding Bolt at 2nd Level and chucks it at the feskul ... and MISSES!!! Shit ... that's so frustrating ...

Juggernaut faceplant! Nice ...

Shit! Spotted! Now they're under fire again ... Caleb and Yasha takes some more hits ... and here come the feskuls! Aaaaaaaaahh! Oh, that is NASTY!!! Fjord and Jester take some hits too ... the other goes for Veth ... and she gets BIT!!! Nasty ... 32 points of Piercing damage? FUCK!!!

Hexblade's Curse! Fjord hurls them at the juggernaut ... pow! And it just FALL OFF THE EDGE!!! Nice ... he shifts the Hex to the feskul, then fires some Eldritch Blasts at it ... second hits! BOOM!!! Prmanently reduced AC? That's pretty sweet. Finally they land on the ledge next to Beau.

The Blade Baron sets in on Gaz ... oh man ... PLEASE make it through, big guy! Thankfully Matt rolls absolute BALLS so he gets through JUST FINE ... so the Baron just FLEES?!!! XD Oh my gods ...

Gaz goes right after him and just starts POUNDING on him ... oh yeah, he just KEEPS ON HITTING HIM!!! Nice ... That's 66 points of damage he unloads on him ... and that's IT for the Baron! Beautiful ...

Veth just BOOKS IT and makes a flat out DASH right past the remaining foes ... who manage to MISS her ... phew ... then she jumps down and makes a PERFECT landing right onto the juggernaut ... instantly blinding him ... very nice ...

Beau attacks while he's blinded ... POP POP!!! Juggernaut's hurt, but still in it ...

Caleb chucks a Fireball into his nuts ... and ENGULFS HIM!!! Nice ... Claeb grabs hold of Veth and pulls her away as the burning enemy plunges over the edge ... nice ...

Okay, time to head into the tunnels, then ... Beau dumps a bunch of ball-bearings behind them as they go.

Fjord and Jester are the only 0ones left out there, along with Gaz ... hmmm ... meanwhile they're still taking fire ... oof ... yeah, they're getting hurt, but hanging in there ...

Jester jumps down and SLIPS ON THE BEARINGS!!! Fuck ... yeah, she bruises her butt when she goes down ... oof ...

The feskul tries to attack Gaz ... it starts snapping at him, but doesn't influct much damage on him in the end. The other swoops on Fjord, but he's able to fend it off ...

Fjord throws some Eldritch Blasts at it, and two hit ... yeah, one's a CRIT!!! Nice ... yeah, that's some serious damage, and he blasts it right out of the sky. He follows the others and now they're all together ...

Just Gaz left, then ... he manages to disengage and jumps across too, JUST manages to avoid the bearings and now he's with the rest of them. He turns to cover their entry, leaving them to head on inside.

Jester gives him the rest of her honey before she goes. Snd he calls her "Honey Miss!" Awwwwwwwwww ... :3

Yeah, that's a good place to call it a night. Is it Thursday yet?

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differenteagletragedy · 1 year ago

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Your writing is wonderful and so much fun to read!!! If you’re willing, could we get some wholesome headcanons about living with each of the OL boys? Thank you, you’re amazing!

Thank you so much, that makes me so happy! So do wholesome thoughts about these boys! I could have gone on so much longer lol but here you go!

-- Baxter is a lawn guy. If you move out to the suburbs (he'll want to if you have a kid), then he's going to be SO EXCITED to pick out a good lawn mower, to get out there and trim the grass. He's got a little garden going and everything. He's trimming the bushes with glee.

-- He also cooks, both because he loves to cook and because he loves to cook for you. If he can cook with something from his garden, then he's the happiest guy on the block, at least.

-- Meanwhile, Derek is a grill guy. He has cheesy little aprons and everything, and any opportunity he has, he's out there grilling dinner.

Derek: See, what you want to do is put the charcoal in a pyramid, you get the best heat that way.

Cove: I honestly could not care less.

-- Cove doesn't like to cook, but he's got all your takeout orders memorized. He's going to stop and get something after work, he's going to know exactly what to get for you. Do you love that one sauce from that one place? He's not leaving without it. He will absolutely never bring you home the wrong thing.

-- Baxter likes blankets. There's a closet full of them, all different kinds. If anyone is ever stumped on what kind of gift to get him, they're going to learn pretty quick that a blanket is a great bet. If he's sitting down at his apartment and it's not to eat a meal, he's gonna have a blanket. He is also very happy to share :)

-- I mentioned this in another one, but Derek is really good with his hands. He can fix anything. It makes him feel really good too, to be so helpful, so be sure to tell him that he's doing a good job.

-- If you've got a garage, that is the most dad garage you've ever seen in your life. He's got a work bench, a few tool boxes, anything and everything he could possibly need to do what needs to be done around the house.

You, going out to the garage one random Monday: Derek, what are you doing?

Derek, picking up a power tool: I'm building a porch for you, babe!

-- Derek is a "babe" guy, btw. Baxter is a "darling" guy, and Derek is a "babe" guy. Cove just says your name, but we already know that.

-- If you live with Cove then you are contractually obligated to go camping on the beach at least once every summer. He doesn't actually make you sign a contract, but he would if he needed to.

-- One time you surprise him because you find a beach where you can watch baby sea turtles hatch and he loses his mind. Cries every time he thinks about it. Named a few, will ask you how you think they're doing for the rest of your life.

-- Hot beverages with Baxter! It doesn't matter if you like coffee, tea, hot chocolate, whatever, he's got a good selection and he'll make you something whenever you ask, and a lot of times even if you don't.

Baxter right when you walk in the door after texting him in the car that you'd had a rough day at work: Tea, darling?

-- Baxter also has nightmares sometimes, but it helps if you snuggle him tight. He gets sort of embarrassed by them, he doesn't want to be that sad broken boy for the rest of his life, so just pull him close and tell him to go back to sleep.

-- Derek will want to play video games -- also something we already know, but still true. Every time a new Mario Kart comes out (and no the Mario Kart 8 expansions do NOT count, Nintendo) you go to the midnight release and take the next day off work to play. You have to, it's tradition.

-- One day the GameCube is going to break and he'll try to play it off a little but he's going to be really sad about it. Hope you can find a good deal on ebay!

-- So I had this college professor who was talking to me once about directing a play, and he told me that a lot of directors make the mistake of using just kisses or hugs or sexual touches to show intimacy. He said that one time he saw a show with a scene with a husband and wife, and it was this intense scene, and the husband just slid his hand under his wife's shirt and put his hand on her stomach. Not higher or lower, there wasn't any pregnancy subtext, it was just a nice tummy touch. So now every time I like a character with a love interest I imagine that.

-- That means that Cove, Baxter and Derek all like to just rest their hand on your stomach. It's just nice and cozy there.

-- Cove is going to come home with a bouquet of poppies a lot. It's always going to be precious.

-- Baxter is going to tease you mercilessly but in the most loving way. I mention this a lot but it's because it is my truth. Did you trip coming out of the bedroom that morning? Get ready to hear about it for the rest of the day.

-- Derek is an early bird, but if he feels like he can't get out of bed without waking you up, then he's going to stay in bed as long as humanly possible.

Mr. Suarez: Son, you're late!

Derek: Yeah ... uh, traffic.

Cliff: Lol ok

-- If you're in college when you live with Cove then he is going to make sure you take your studies VERY SERIOUSLY. You ask him if he wants to watch something? Nuh uh, you've got a paper to write. He doesn't care if it's not due until the day after tomorrow, you need to work on it.

-- But if you want to binge watch anything, Baxter's your guy. Let him grab a blanket.

-- Baxter likes to give you a bath. Not in like a sexy way, he just likes to take care of you like that. He's got fancy soaps and he'll put on lotion and do your skincare after and everything.

-- You better hope you don't live near a kid, because if some child knocks on the door trying to sell something, Derek is going to spend irresponsibly.

You walking in the door to see boxes and boxes of that fundraiser chocolate: What is this?

Derek: *sheepishly* Nothing?

Cove, shoving a third candy bar in this mouth: Yeah, it's nothing.

#our life beginnings and always #olba #our life #baxter ward #cove holden #derek suarez #olba baxter #olba cove #olba derek #our life cove #our life baxter #our life derek #our life headcannons

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sneef-to-a-snorf-fight · 1 year ago

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Totally Spies! S1 E5-10 Tier

Alright so. Yeah the show is not getting better. I am optimistic that it will get better in later seasons. Ok let's go this is gonna be a long one. Here's the current tier.

As a lil reminder, I'm watching this with my girlfriend Ivy (@twigsprout) to definitively find the worst Totally Spies! episode. This show is notorious for showing teenage girls in very horny situations.

I'm not optimistic that the top tier will ever have anything in it. "Abductions" almost made it but the last 5 minutes took a big turn for the worse.

I'll also note that this show is skewing my sense of normal. I almost put the episode "Spy Gladiators" into the "ok sure fine i guess" category. Luckily Ivy reminded me that a middle aged man with a jock fetish putting a mind control collar on a teenage girl to force her to be a gladiator is not in fact normal.

Anyway here's some notes.

The Eraser: blobs attach to people's faces and erase their memories, sam got gooped and brain erased*, very horny wording for the hatching of the goop??, characters shackled and collared again**

The Fugitives: guy makes clones of the main 3 and does crimes, the main 3's guardian finds out and says he's going to "reprogram" them with his lobotomy machine***, favorite quote "i'm so sorry i tried to lobotomize you"

Abductions: drowning/breathplay, trapped in a glass thingy, brain sucking, gross kid brain getting so big it almost explodes???????????

Model Citizens: some weirdos kidnap girls and forcibly swap their body parts with their own models' to make "perfect beauties," some mild inflation? (does it count if they just wear suits that inflate? i doubt it but i wrote it anyway), Clover gets big legs and sits on villain to stop him from getting away

Spy Gladiators: see the collar thing i wrote above, also the guy keeps prisoners and keeps them shackled to workout equipment in his dungeon to "keep his island running" but honestly i think he's just harvesting and drinking their sweat or something

*So at this point, Ivy and I decided to start a tally for how many times the theme of an episode involves brainwiping/hypnotizing/etc as well as a separate tally for how many times one of the main 3 gets brainwiped/hypnotized/etc. SO!

Current Brain-fuck count: 6 (out of 10 episodes!)

Sam: 3

Clover: 1

Alex: 0

**We also decided to keep a tally for how many times characters are collared. Cuz it just keeps happening.

Collar Count: 3

***Ok so. When we got to this part I started theorizing. Jerry doesn't hesitate to try to reprogram the girls as soon as he thinks they're acting up. That got me thinking: what if he already programmed them before? What if that's the reason the characters are so one-dimensional? I mean. I know it's just because the writers just didn't know how to give the girls any personality beyond "girl" but. In the canon of the show, it's kinda make sense if he gave the girls (who I'm pretty sure are orphans that WOOHP adopted and forced to work as spies for free?) just enough skills to be spies and high school students but no brain power beyond that so they can't rise up against him.

Actually. This is just the bimbo show. Whatever.

Anyway, once again, this show could be so iconic if it wasn't So Bad. Like. The aesthetic of everything. I mean. There's a moment in episode 6 where they're about to do this really important mission but then Clover is like "WAIT!!! I forgot my new sunglasses at my house and I'm not going anywhere without them" and so WOOHP send the girls in a helicopter to get her sunglasses before going to save the world from bimbo slimes or whatever. like. That's iconic!!!

To paraphrase Ivy, "It's such a cool idea to just do James Bond but with 3 high school girls from y2k ass Beverly Hills." It could be so good but it's just. not. I really hope the new stuff is better. I have a lot of hope for the new season coming out.

Also, on the whole character thing. Episode 10 feels like they might be starting to give Alex her own character maybe finally? Only barely tho idk.

Also, for a second I thought 9/11 didn't happen in this universe cuz I saw the twin towers but. They made that episode before 9/11 even though it came out a less than a month after 9/11 in France (over a year later in the US). And also the girls crash a plane into a building.

Anyway 16 episodes left in Season 1!

#totally spies! tier list #totally spies #totally spies!

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brandwhorestarscream · 1 year ago

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Idk wdyt 👁️👁️

Fr doe, the Shockwave egg thing is something I've mentioned in sntoher post that I honestly can't find despite the key word in it being shark but all in all it involves ladybug Shockwave where his half Insecticon biology saves the Cybertronian race from extinction and gives him a permanent leave off combat duty while he lives in constant sensual pleasure and intellectual glee

I gotta find that post oh my god

Or maybe I also copied it into my notes

I will literally never skip any excuse to talk about the cybermorphs and develop them more! So I'm going with that >:3

I'm gonna say this happens before the actual bombing happens that kicks off the war's full-fledged fighting. Shockwave was, for a long time, the cybermorphs' main contact in the Senate. He was wholly supportive of their endeavors, and was actively campaigning to end the strict lockdown measures and give them the same freedoms that, at the very least, the other warframes had, but was also advocating for some rather radical changes. The abolition of slavery and the banning of such things like mnemosurgery and shadowplay

As we all know, it didn't go well. Shockwave shows up at the hive, broken and violated, his face and hands destroyed and all empathy ripped from his head. But instead of making him entirely apathetic toward the morphs, he's now even more determined to do the logical thing and ally himself with them. Their numbers are swelling so unbelievably quickly, it's foolish to make an enemy of them

Megatron is horrified when he sees what's been done to him. They don't have the resources to try to reverse it or get him any sort of treatment, so he's unfortunately stuck. The queen welcomes him in, the second normal-born mech to freely walk amongst the hive's numbers.

Now, this could go a few ways, but I think realistically, Megatron might assign Shockwave to Soundwave’s care. Just to make sure he's settling in ok, to make sure he won't get lost in the passageways and stumble into one of the egg chambers and get himself facehugged. Shockwave is a dear friend and invaluable ally, the last thing he wants is him being put out of commission by one of the morphlings.

Time progresses and Shockwave has far less political work to occupy his time, and turns to science. Cybermorph biology is wholly unfamiliar territory to everyone: Megatron and Soundwave were among the very first generation, and there were only 5 of them in total. They're an incredibly young species. No one knows the most effective forms of healthcare, nor the intracacies of their internals. Shockwave takes this opportunity to learn. Observing hive behaviors and getting to look at their internal struts and varied alt modes, but eventually he's catalogued everything. He's even permitted to observe the morphlings, to watch their dramatic, bloody emergences, even to dissect an egg that's unfertilized or unfortunately perished before hatching

Eventually though, he runs out of things to do. He turns to another branch of research all together: reproduction. It's no secret in the hive that Megatron and only Megatron bears their eggs. There's no doubt that the cybermorphs are sexually mature as well as active, and yet despite there being thousands of them, not a single morphling has ever been born to anyone but Megatron. Shockwave is the one that officially determines in an inarguable capacity that the cybermorph species is, as a whole, sterile. The average ones can't get each other pregnant, can't become pregnant. The only one that's ever been capable of it is Megatron. It's so odd.

He knows that crossbreeding is possible. Orion Pax has sired several clutches of eggs. He knows that Soundwave has also sired a great many of Megatron's morphs. But he's always the one to create and carry life. Excited at the prospect and undeniably curious, he offers his own body, but rather than sire, he asks to carry

Megatron is taken aback. He doesn't even know if such a thing is possible. Can cybermorphs even concieve with a cybertronian for a sparkling that will be born live, rather than hatched? Neither of them know, that's why Shockwave wants to try. It'll be an important chapter of his research regardless of whether or not it's possible.

Megatron agrees eventually, and they make a schedule out of it: every other night Shockwave comes to the throne room to let the cybermorph queen have his way with him. It's entirely foreign to Megatron--babymaking like this isn't instinctual in the slightest. The idea of someone else carrying is so weird to him. But it would be good to know, if he as a queen caste is virile as well as fertile

It takes a little while but their attempts are eventually fruitful, and Shockwave is successfully sparked up. Just one little spark orbiting his, a soft orange color contrasting his blue nicely. Once again, Soundwave is assigned to keep an optic on him, mostly to ensure his health during the process. Shockwave is approaching the whole thing incredibly clinically--he's not at all attached, nor is there any real love for his little research subject. This is Megatron's morphling and will swiftly be assimilated into the hivemind. It's not like he'll be expected to raise it or anything. That's just not how morphs do things. There are designated caregivers whose sole purpose in the hive is rearing the young. He can't feel attached to them, thanks to the Senate's work: all he cares about is if they're a healthy, viable subject for his research. He spends a lot of time making notes about symptoms--of which there are a lot. Weird monster pregnancy does weird things to your body, who knew?--as well as the speed of geststional progression. The sparkling reaches maturity and is ready to be birthed in only about ⅔ of the time it would take a normal one.

Gonna cut it here cuz this is getting long and I have stuff to do lol. But if you want more hmu

#cybermorph au #shockwave #mans really said yeah I'll get sparked up for science

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gigglealongshiney-shadow-watcher · 10 months ago

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"Hey kiddly winks, we're gonna visit someone soon. Someone new to you." Paradise pushed some pancakes towards the child. They clicked their coffee cups together and took sips.

"Someone new? Are they from across da ocean? I never interfaced with the overseas hive network bro." She asked cheerfully, knocking back half the coffee in one gulp. She could have drank it all and then more with one swallow, but she was trying to drink like regular humans. "It seems to be a f--king head scratcher madam." An actual censor beep came out of her throat. It always caught people off guard.

Para tapped the top of her fingers. "You swore again. Listen I'm fine with the cursing, but you need to use it for a reason."

Opal shrugged. "Deepest apologies, those slip past me on the occasion. This baby is still settling on a style of speaking easy. People are strange with their infinite verbal variations. It's fascinating, isn't it?"

Para smiled. "It sure is Opal. Maybe you can try to push for a dominant one when we visit?"

"I'll try. These pancakes are very good. Claps for you."

"And how is Borangefly?"

Opal pat the plush on the head. "They are enjoying life with the sickest of em." She held out the cup for a refill.

"How on earth do you drink it black? Isn't your tongue screaming?" Paradise asked as she took it over to the coffee pot.

Opal shrugged and hummed a bit of Latte Hatte. "I can't taste liquids. Only solid foods. Liquid just goes down the hatch and into the drink."

"You never told me that."

"You didn't ask."

She sighed. "Please don't use nearly clichéd turns of phrases at the table."

Opal nodded guiltily. "Sorry Paradise. Habits and such. It wasn't as bad as usual."

"You need to start sleeping here more often, you're regressing."

"I like sleeping in the pokey worlds, they have the lullabies of my people."

Gently, Paradise rebuked her and set the cup down by her plate. "No, not your people. Those are Pokey's slaves. They're not your people."

"In a way they are. I know their customs, I was the guide, I understand their world, and their thoughts better than I'll ever understand yours." Opal looked at the plate. "But I understand. I'll try to change my thinking for it. Is that ok?"

"It's fine kid, I just don't want you to get confused."

"I'll never join Him again." She said sadly. "He- ... I don't want to talk about it."

"You don't have to. I'll listen when you're ready."

Pokey was a complicated topic, but one thing was clear. While she had no negative thoughts about the hive itself, the leader of that hive was a very sore subject. She bristled about it often.

Paradise smiled and ruffled her hair. "Are you going out for a tap today?"

She brightened. "Of course! My shoes are shined and ready. I'll drop a f- I mean, an impressive dance on those- on the people."

"Good catch."

"Thank you."

#hatchetblr #paradise #opal singer #lore post #pokotho

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citrusreadstoa · 2 years ago

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Reading The Dark Prophecy: Chapter 9 (SPOILERS)

"if you value your anatomy" is such an amazing threat.

"(She loves those dramatic entrances. She is such and anime-character wannabe.)" You know what? I bet Britomartis got her love of dramatic entrances from being around Artemis.

"instead he produced a tin of breath mints" I think his belt also responds to his emotions. Whenever he's stressed or scared, especially in potentially dangerous situations, the belt always gives him breath mints like it's panicking just as much as he is.

"You must be minor." You're one to talk, Calypso. Even when you were a god, you were only the goddess of one little island in the middle of nowhere. "And he's not my rescuer . . . Although he is short and scruffy." She needs to show more appreciation to the person who rescued her from eternal imprisonment.

"The goddess gave me that coquettish smile that I hated so much" COQUETTISH (adj.): behaving in such a way as to suggest a playful sexual attraction; flirtatious Britomartis, that is your superior's brother!

"A bear trap snapped shut, ripping through stuffing and fabric like an upholstery sharknado." WTF "'Well, isn't this nice?' 'No,' the three of us chorused." I'm loving this. "Bouncing Betty" LOL that nickname's gonna stick.

"Weak mortal flesh! Even weaker than divine flesh!" Considering every myth, I highly doubt that. Apollo's shown more restraint and common sense as a mortal than he ever did as a god. "Well, I never actually said he was waiting for you in the middle of that minefield. I just let you assume." WTF BRITOMARTIS! And Apollo! Common sense! "I don't sit on their eggs and hatch them." "You convinced me to do that once" I don't think Apollo is going to have to swallow madness to go insane. He already is.

"You'd look wonderful as a northern crested newt."

"Oh, the injustice! . . . I would never again send a poor mortal on a quest. Unless it was really important. And unless I was sure the mortal could handle it. And unless I was pressed for time... or I just really didn't feel like doing it myself." Did I just witness character development and character undevelopment in a single paragraph?

"he plans to rechristen Indianapolis." I was like, What are they naming? A baby? An exotic pet? A building? No, silly! They're renaming the whole city! :D

"Death by explosion was starting to sound like a kinder fate than Briotmartis's quest." He's such a drama king.

"Don't fail me, mortals!" Okay, that was a personal insult.

"a few treble hooks snagged in the carpet." Does she have trouble walking ever? Like, if she's walking over carpet or close to curtains and her dress gets snagged... No, of course not, she's a goddess. She only leaves the hooks behind for effect.

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chocolatemilksmoothie · 3 years ago

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Edge of the World

I knew it was gonna be harsh for King this episode but ouch...

first of all shoutout to Hooty he really did protect these kids!

I do feel the need to mention I'm surprised Hunter wasn't mentioned or shown once (1)? like Eda I know he's not your kid but he did run alone into the woods, panicking, is anyone gonna go check up on him

King wants his demon family to meet his owl family and for them to play catch together :(

hugs <3

anyways poor Luz is having a hard time, understandably, so she must be thankful about the letter so that she feels like there's something she can do

LULU! I love her current design

I liked the little heart to heart with Eda, she is stressed about how serious this all is so it's nice there's anther adult there to talk to

I saw the promo images by the crew with the baseball and glove and I KNEW it was gonna be heartbreaking. I suspected King's dad was dead and I think that is very much the case now huh

getting an army def would've been helpful, but I guess that's out of the question now

thought if you think about it they're kinda losers too, Titan slayers trappers who have never even seen a live Titan

though considering they worship the Collector, and they got King to light up the uh, Round Boi, I am very much expecting to see these guys again

they have this teleporting magic thing, even if it was destroyed it's still interesting. so they're far, but they can travel

I always loved the concept of islands made of a giant carcass, it's fascinating and horrible. seems they can warp from the hand to the finger right? how'd they get the finger so far away

I thought we'd get an Eda+Lily B plot but we really didn't get much from them after leaving, so the cliffhanger makes me think they did something. the house may be empty, or they may have called someone, but who?

I knew there was something creepy or something bad was coming but the moment I realized they were WEARING the SKULLS my jaw dropped, that's dark

"he passed down that skull of yours" they assumed he was in disguise too

it's so sad because he thought he was learning about his family, about his culture, his people! but they were just going to hurt him

how long does a Titan live? how fast do they grow?? if King's dad was still around a few years ago before he hatched then I'm sure he's not the Titan we're living on but is he 100% dead??

is King really the last one...

EDIT because oh my god Titan Blood NO ONE LET BELOS KNOW

this kid's heart has been broken enough times!!! give him a break!!!

Luz and Hooty are actually a comedic duo bless

A couple things:

This dude has wings! I remember back in Eda's requiem I wondered if this meant King would get wings eventually but seeing as other people in the group don't have wings I think it's just him?

and it seems to me he was getting attached to King before realizing who he was, which is kinda sad

"can we play catch?"

look at how tiny he is :'(

"release the grand Huntsman from his prison" it's interesting they have the Round Boi and it's shattered. does Belos know where it is?

I thought the Collector would be freed in the Day of Unity but it seems these guys want to free them too hmmm Bill knew of Belos but doesn't seem to care or be for or against him, so they're not working together...

King lit the flame and his eyes glowed, he was somehow connected to the Collector but the ritual was thankfully left unfinished. but the fact that it started is VERY concerning

"tell Lulu how brave I was" I WILL HUN

this shot is gorgeous

and we end with the house surrounded.

Once again things get tense and the Day of Unity is a week away, so next week should be intense too. this was an Emotions Heavy episode for the main cast, especially King of course, and we finally get the confirmation that he is a Titan. the last one. poor baby

So, speaking of next week

so, ever since Hollow Mind I think it's clear we're on Season Finale Mode so all episodes will be intense. Next week we have Labyrinth Runners (is that a Maze Runner reference lmao) and it's a Gus episode which yesss I love my boy.

but it says the Emperor's Coven is going to Hexside, so I assume they're hunting for Luz and probably anyone who sides with her. Gus will team up with an "unlikely ally" and there's a lot of options there so we gotta wait and see.

Still, I noticed this one shot of the promo is definitely from next week's ep and it's the last shot from the promos we haven't seen as far as I can tell (do correct me if I'm wrong). Which means we're going blind into the last few episodes. ominous

#toh #the owl house #toh spoilers #the owl house spoilers #edge of the world #long post #king clawthorne #eda the owl lady #edalyn clawthorne #luz noceda #hooty #lilith clawthorne

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lea-andres · 2 years ago

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So I have a very interesting question 🙋

when it comes down to patience and her birth how exactly did bark and jewel handle the pregnancy?

how did family/friends/etc react to this?

did anyone ask any weird questions about there love child? If so how was that handled?

I’m just so curious 🧐

Thank you for asking! I love talking about their little fuzzball. 🥰

I'm gonna give the answers for my main lore, which applies to most of my AUs as well, but I do have a couple AUs where Patience was an accident, so obviously it'd be a little different for those.

So, Patience was planned... for the most part. A couple years into their marriage Bark and Jewel decided they wanted to have a kid. They had trouble successfully having her, that took about another year maybe.

They kept quiet about trying for a baby, initially. Bean knew because he lives with them, and Tangle and Whisper eventually learned because Jewel accidentally let it slip to Tangle, but none of their other friends or family knew until they were actually having Patience.

They were working with a doctor to make sure Patience was gonna be okay (OC inbound, potentially). To everyone's surprise, Patience wasn't the first bug/bear combo ever (though she was the first jewel beetle/polar bear combo), but there haven't been many. And there definitely weren't enough to predict anything like gender, coloration, etc. All they could do was just make sure she'd be a healthy baby, the rest would be a surprise when she hatched.

Now, admittedly, I've taken biology and thrown it out the window a bit. So if you're anticipating a completely 100% scientifically accurate pregnancy here... Sorry. 😬

Jewel lays eggs, I decided. I haven't abandoned biology with that aspect, but we're pretty much abandoning biology at this point forward. Unlike the days(?) it takes normal beetles, Jewel didn't have Patience's egg for a couple months. The rest of the time, they kept her egg in an incubator and heavily monitored her.

Patience hatched late, which leads into one of the biology things I kept. Polar bears are only born during the winter months, so Patience didn't hatch until mid-Decemberish. She was ready to come out before then, but the polar bear genes kept her in the egg until winter.

Anyway, shortly before to shortly after Jewel had Patience's egg was when everyone else started finding out Bark and Jewel were having a baby. Opal moved back in with Bark and Jewel once they found out they were having a baby, her plan was she was going to stay with them until a couple months after Patience had actually hatched to help the new parents make the transition and get used to having a new baby in the house. She was... Surprisingly helpful and mature about the situation... For Opal. 😂 Bark and Jewel were more than happy to have her help.

Bean was also quite surprisingly mature about the whole thing. Bark and Jewel weren't certain at first if they could trust him alone with their baby, but they learned very quickly they could, 100%. Patience inherited Bean's loyalty to Bark. He'd die for the kid, he'd kill for the kid, he'd hide bodies for the kid. Jewel started joking their baby had TWO dads after a while. He can't be trusted with anyone else's kids, but he can be trusted with Patience. He's the first choice for babysitter when Bark and Jewel need one.

Tangle and Whisper have two kids by the time Patience is born (they're going to end up with four altogether! I've posted about Briar the Squirrel and Ivy the SugarGlider already, and I'll post about the lovely sloth twins they adopt once I have them all figured out! 🥰), so they can be trusted with the baby too. For the most part. Tangle did drop baby Patience once, but she was fine. Tangle almost wasn't though. (Jewel almost killed her)

Oh, they got some weird questions about Patience. Everything from confusion about what she was, how she and Bark had successfully had a baby together, to some judgements about how they were raising her. Bark usually responds to every super personal question with silence and a glare, Jewel will clap back at people sometimes. The most popular invasive questions they get are "Don't you wish Bean would move out so it could just be you, your husband, and your new baby?" And "Isn't your baby going to overheat in all that?" (Referring to the onesies they usually keep her in, because Patience is cold blooded.) Again, Bark responds with a silent glare, usually. Jewel's usual response to those two are "*scoffs as if the person asking was an idiot* No."

Marzipan came into the picture when Patience was 5, and by that point everyone had a bit more of an idea of what was going to happen and the judgemental questions had lessened slightly.

If there was anything I missed, don't be afraid to let me know! Sorry this turned into a novel, I have a lot of thoughts about the baby BugBear. 🥺

#jewel the beetle #bark the polar bear #bugbear #jerk #lea's ocs #patience the bugbear #opal the beetle #marzipan the bugbear

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zozophoenixxx · 4 years ago

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Serotonin Booster :D🐉

How to train your dragon edition

Here are some things I had forgotten or little details I just noticed on my rewatch, maybe even Unpopular Opinions 🤭👀

✨Defenders of Berk✨

Not Astrid being pissed bc Fishlegs called her mean lmaooo

OMGGG "I would never call my father ridiculous. I'm calling my chief ridiculous" THE POWER OF THIS SCENE

The way Toothless just sat to look at the sunset.. Me too bby me too 🥺

Toothless and Thornado's shots combined was amazing!

"The first rule about the dragon flight club is that there is no dragon flight club"

Istg Meatlug and Fishlegs are made for each other

Baby whispering deaths!

OMG THEY JUST CAME UP WITH GRONCKLE IRON

I love seeing the origin of things ☺️

Wowww I just realized that Gobber has a unibrow

Sandstone makes glass

That shiny black rock makes another shiny black Rock, it also has Meatlug boiling

WOW a combination of multiple rock makes Meatlug a magnet

The way Hookfang pays more attention to Fishlegs than Snotlout is funny

Fishlegs on Toothless!!!!

"TOO MUCH FURY, TOO MUCH FURY!" JAHDHDHAH

Awwww love how Fishlegs feels happy abt being needed

DAGUR'S BACK AHH

I never understood why Dagur called Hiccup his brother but it's kinda funny

Young hiccup actually fighting is pretty badass and that shield 🥴

The way they were all trying to get Gobber to shower lmaooo

Gobber saved Gustav's life and Fishleg saved Astrid's

Am I the only one that finds the whispering deaths kinda funny, like yes they're scary but these mfs have tiny wings, a big ass head, are covered in spines and can't see like-

Newly hatched whispering deaths can be more deadly that adults bc they can't control their jaws or spines

WOW WOW WOWWWW A WHITE WHISPERING DEATH - Titanwing whispering death with red eyes OMG NO NO THIS IS THE SCREAMING DEATH I KNEW IT ‼️‼️

Wow but the pain in Snotlout's eyes 🥺

Monstrous nightmares are stoker-class dragons

Fireworms get brighter the closer they get to each other

Ohhhhh now I get the history behind Hookfang and the fireworms queen's connection

"You're not just another sword, Hookfang"

Awww the fireworm queen saved Hookfang, I ship them now JSHDHSHS

BABY ASTRID!! 🥺🥺🥺 AWWW

Flightmare - follows the glowing algae caused by Aurvandil's fire, sprays a paralyzing mist to those who it considers a threat to its survival

Aurvandil's fire = Aurora Borealis

YES ASTRID BEAT SNOTLOUT UP

Hiccup: Well, you know, Astrid, uh, training dragons isn't the only thing I think about.

Astrid: Are you actually saying that to me with a straight face?

JAHSHAHAJAJ I SWEAR I LOVE THESE TWO the way both of them said these lines I can't ✋🏼😂

The way she said the exact same thing as her uncle and even took on the name I-

I have this headcanon that bc I'm pretty sure Astrid's parents were barely mentioned in the shows or movies that her uncle was the person that was there for her the most which is another reason why it upset her to see people making fun of him

Why does whenever Astrid gets shot by a dragon she always tries to hit it off like her axe is a baseball bat? 😂

Hiccup saving Astrid in the flightmare ep🥺🥺🥺🥺

GLOWY TOOTHLESS AND GLOWY STORMFLY AND GLOWY MEATLUG ARE ADORABLE

Awww I love how Hiccup makes sure to mention the fact that "Fearless Fin Hofferson was indeed fearless, just like all the Hoffersons" 🥺🥺🥺 STOP AND THEN SHE SMILES AND HE PROCEEDS TO PUT HIS HAND ON HER SHOULDER I-🥴🥴🥴

I love how they're always interrupted whenever they're about to say a bad word

Lil terrible terrors are adorable 🥺

The fact that what they were trained for was actually useful it's crazy

Astrid: "no one is kissing me on the lips ever!!" HHSHAHAH ASTRID WHY U LYING

I feel like we don't appreciate how smart Hiccup actually is, and I don't mean that dragon-wise or building stuff-wise I mean in general. I'm in ep9 and they're finding old dragon traps to get rid of them and there was a lil breeze and he was like "there's a dry hot wind coming in from the north. It hasn't rained in 2 months. This is definitely fire weather." like how- am I the only one that would've been like okok a nice warm breeze 😩

Dude the typhoomerangs are so scary and huge wtf

I KNEW HE WAS TORCH

Torch actually built a lil relationship with Tuff just for that but of time I love it

WE'RE FINALLY GONNA SEE THE SKRILL!! I love it it's one of my favorite dragons :D

I never understood why fishlegs says his name when he's excited

Skrills - The skrill was first found frozen, it's the symbol of the Berserkers, it can stay safely frozen for decades because of their internal body temperature, can't redirect any lightning if it's in the water 😳

Y'all the skrill and the nightfury have gotta be related somehow, they're probably like cousins or sum. I mean the night fury is the "unholy offspring of lighting and death" and the skrill can control lightning AND TECHNICALLY TOOTHLESS CAN TOO REMEMBER HTTYD 3 + they also have similar physical characteristics at least Imo.

Dude this dragon is so badass 😌🤩🥰😩🥴❣️🤍🤝 I'm literally so obsessed

Wow one of the first times I see the twins actually doing sum useful

The way the shots combine🥴

Dagur has misophonia - condition where people experience intense negative emotions for sounds such as eating, chewing, loud breathing or even repeated pen-clicking [ep11]

Oh wow so they originally trapped the skrill in this show i didn't know

Wait but baby Gustav is actually adorable wtf and the fact that he and Snotlout have matching Viking hats

OMG SEE NOW I'M SEEING GUSTAV'S ORIGIN WITH HIS DRAGON AND HIS DESIRE TO BECOME A RIDER

Fanghook🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

Ruff puts fish oil on her hair to get "a greasy unwashed look"

Really hate when Snotlout doesn't accept no for an answer

THE HAND THING AHHHH I LOVE IT this time is Ruff and a scauldron

Ok guys so I did this with mi friend's puppy who I accidentally scared enough to make him piss himself and I'm pretty sure I traumatized him and now when I'm around the poor dog tries to get as far away from me as possible but one day we were kinda bonding although he still wouldn't let me pet it AND I DID THE HAND THING BECAUSE WHY NOT AND THIS LIL MF ACTUALLY PUTS HIS FACE IN MY HAND- I screamed and he left again🥺😂 BUT IT DID WORK

Scauldy🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥰😌☺️🤩🤍

Ok but ruffnut with short hair 🤩

Speedstingers

Also the way Astrid ran up to Hiccup in the ep14

Wait but the scene whenever they're fighting the Speedstingers and Fishlegs says they're too fast but Hiccup's like "not for a nightfury" and then they show Toothless dodging the Speedstinger's attack AND THEN THEY SHOW HICCUP PROTECTING HIMSELF WITH HIS SHIELD WHICH GETS THROWN AWAY BUT RIGHT THERE TOOTHLESS CATCHES IT AND THROWS IT BACK TO HICCUP who's like "Thanks bud" 🤩🤩🤩 literally so badass go watch it!! It's ep14 frozen min 17:40

I really liked the relationship Snotlout and Astrid created with each other's dragon 🥺

HOOKFANG'S WINGBLAST AND STORMFLY'S SINGLE-SPINESHOT ARE HELLA BADASS... I love how they worked together this time 🥺

DUDE JAHDHSJAJJJSA ppl really underestimate Ruff's cleverness, this bish really gets Tuff to do the dumbest things just to enjoy looking at him hurting himself JAHDHSJAH😂

TOOTHLESS REALLY JUST BIT AN EEL'S HEAD OFF TO SAVE HICCUP🥺

Baby toothless is high🥺

"Uh, okay. That one was a little close to the one good leg" JAHDHAHSHA ISTG I LOVE THIS DUDE

Johan hates Snotlout for breaking his stuff

Tuff got Macey the Mace from Trader Johan

Astrid looks hot without her shoulder pads

Ok but Dagur looks so weird without his viking hat in this show

The baby thunderdrums are adorable - BING BAM AND BOOM

NOOO STOICK JUST LEFT THORNADO 🥺

OHHH SO ALVIN WAS ACTUALLY FROM BERK and he was Stoick's best friend

Snotlout and Hiccup are parallels of Alvin and Stoick

Ok but that trick Snotlout did was amazing, he really had Hookfang do a lil typhoomerangs move and then the wingblast🤩

I FINISHED IT OMG NOW ONTO RTTE!!

#hiccup x astrid #how to train your dragon #httyd #hiccup #astrid #hiccup haddock #astrid hofferson #Snotlout #fishlegs #ruff and tuff #stoick the vast #toothless #toothcup #hiccstrid #race to the edge #defenders of berk #riders of berk

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yardsards · 2 years ago

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hey do u have any predictions about s3? like what luzs palisman is gonna be, how the remaining catts cope with the collector etc?

hmmm

not sure what luz's palisman will be BUT i find it interesting how the egg has a sort of bumpy spiraling texture instead of being smooth like a real egg. i almost imagine that it won't *hatch* so much as *unfurl* like a snake uncoiling itself or a bat/bird opening its wings and revealing its face

i think maybe luz will sing/play music for it like eda suggested. maybe that'll be what actually wakes it up

the collector obviously won't be defeated by brute force or any type of fighting. i see a few different possibilities, ranked fron least to most likely:

-they use something like bard magic or a sleep spell or maybe even (and this is least likely but i find it funny) that body swap spell that always seemed way too op to just use in a joke episode and never address again (idk who they'd be swapped with, choose whatever possibility is funniest to you) to take him down

-he'll be weakened or subdued by either eda's/lilith's curse or king's titan powers somehow

-the collector will be tricked into trapping themself somehow, with how they're shown to be pretty gullible. probably combined somehow with the previous point (this one makes me kinda sad tho)

-they'll actually be able to be talked into stopping. made to be a good guy by the power of friendship or family or whatever. maybe eda will parent them and make them stop with the power of The Mom Voice. OR maybe (as some people have pointed out that they're kind of a foil to early s1 luz) luz will be the one to talk sense into them. OR king will talk about what life in the real owl house was like and how it was better than any game could have ever been and the collector will want to have that experience too, of just living like a normal child instead of being feared or worshipped, like how king realized that same thing with steve earlier.

i think that it won't actually take all 3 episodes to "defeat" the collector. this show has a track record of surprising us and showing us that things aren't always as bad as we predict, and i think this will be one of those cases. i'm predicting that they'll be under control by the end of the second episode.

i don't know how, but the collector and their relation to the owlbeast will probably be explained more. i think the owl beast's species, with their presumed ability to somehow nullify magic, were a threat to the collector just like the titans were

this is very unlikely but am idea i've had rattlin around my head for a while is: a redeemed collector will offer to heal eda and lilith's curses. but doing so will kill the owl beast, and eda, having connected to the beast, will refuse to do such a thing and will convince lilith not to do it either

#eliot posts #toh #the owl house

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gingermintpepper · 4 years ago

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After thinking it over for a bit, I've decided that I might as well do a proper underrated 3DS game rec list. I'm a bit of an ATLUS junkie and that's gonna be pretty disgustingly apparent in this list, but it's not my fault that they released hit after hit and all of them were duly ignored.

Due to tumblr's 10 image limit (and my struggle to keep motivated to do one thing for more than three hours) I'm definitely gonna have to break this up into parts and I'm fairly certain one of these lists is just gonna be MegaTen games lmao but I'd like to let people know about these excellent titles and see if I can't at least get people interested in them so they can get more traction.

So, without further ado:

Some 3DS Games that were criminally slept on (part 1)

Monster Hunter Stories

God, where do I begin with this game. Well, the basics: It's a JRPG spinoff title of the now widely successful and popular Monster Hunter series featuring a different take on interacting with the varied and intricate monsters populating the world: Riders.

Yep, instead of hunting the beasties, you play as a young rider who's completed their intiation ritual and can now bond with 'Monsties' as they've cutely labelled the usually ferocious monsters of the wilds. The great thing is that you still fight Monsters--tons of them in fact but this isn't a paid review and in my humble opinion, the most impressive thing about this game is the visual style. The landscapes, the armour, the way they redesigned and 3DS-ified the classically hyper realistic and monstrous beasts to not only be absolutely adorable but still capable of being intimidating when the time calls for it, the stellar animation of special moves and combination attacks--it's delicious, nutritious, stupendous, I can and will consume it like it's part of my recommended caloric intake.

It's very akin to Pokemon in the way its basic gameplay premise is set up, however, instead of catching--or even indeed befriending--the Monsties in the game, you rummage through their nests and steal their eggs, later hatching them and getting yourself a brand new lightly kidnapped monster pal!

Other general things about the game:

Pros:

The armour and weapon sets for both male and female characters slap along with the general character customisation options. They're incredibly diverse (though limited in body type) and you can switch around traits and features whenever you want from your house.

The POGS--these porkers are everywhere and they serve as tiny little achievements for exploring every odd and end of the world. Also they have little outfits. They're so cute. 🥺🥺

You can actually ride the Monsties. All of em. Or, at least the ones that you have available to be your buddies. They all have exploration skills and traits that not only make exploring much more interesting but encourage you to swap out your active Monstie and play around with your options a bit.

Y'all breeding Monsties is complicated and I live for just how intense and ridiculous you can get with optimal builds for these things.

The story is really competently put together! The characters, character designs and even the internal conflict with your starting trio of characters is really compelling along with the mystery of the blight that's infecting Monsters across the world. It's not anything worth awards but it's compelling and it makes you care about the characters if that's what you're in the market for.

Amazing sound design, expansive world, everything about the presentation of this game oozes that Monster Hunter charm even if the art is cutesier than usual. You'll never get bored of its stellar visual presentation!

Available for around twenty quid on the Google Play store, so if you want, you could actually get the full game on your smartphone or tablet. Note though that it would be a battery nuker.

Cons:

If you're on a regular 3DS, frame rate drops are a given. This game kinda pushes the visual capabilities of the 3DS to its absolute limit--a lot like Okamiden did back on the DS.

One save file :( It's pretty much for the same reason as above but still.

If you're playing as the girl, you can't get male armour and vice versa. Since there's only one save file, you'll never be able to have all of the armour sets in a single playthrough and that's criminal because both of the sets for the genders are absolutely breath-taking, thank you.

I 👏can't 👏make👏my👏 own 👏Palico👏

Multi-player for this game is pretty dead seeing as it's almost five years old by now and never got much press or traction. Usually this wouldn't be an issue - this game is 99% singleplayer and you don't really need to fuss about with multi-player to have fun, but if you want to collect all the Monsties, you'll need it since the only way to get Glavenus is through pvp achievements. :/

Final thoughts: Play it if you find yourself getting tired or disappointed with 3DS Pokemon games but still want something that feels as fantastical as Pokemon. It outshines the 3DS Pokemon games at every turn and I will never be over just how thoughtfully put together and fully realised these games are. Of course, if you've ever played Monster Hunter, then you know just how intensive these games are with the lore, biology, cultures and world of their Monsters but seeing that translated into JRPG format was just very sobering and it's a game that, to this day, continues to awe me with just how much love and attention went into it.

Last note: If you're still unsure about it, there's a demo available on the e-shop of the 3DS that allows you to play through the entire initial area of the game. Your data does carry through to the full release and to give you an idea of how much I've been able to squeeze out of it - my playtime for that demo is currently sitting at 22 hours. Make sure to get a hold of that Cyan-Kut-Ku!

7th Dragon III Code: VFD

The title may sound intimidating but the premise is not! A mysterious disease called Dragon Sickness spread by the Dragonsbane flowers that have cropped up all around the world. You and your team are recruited by the Nodens game company after you display extraordinary prowess in their hit virtual reality game 7th Encount. As you go through the adventure, you are tasked with finding out the truth behind the Dragon Sickness and asked to stop both it and the Dragons that are destroying the world.

This game is fun. It's another turn-based JRPG however, in this game you create all of your characters yourself from the myriad of classes available to you from the jump. Different classes of course have very different specialisations - Samurai focus on high powered cutting damage with their swords, Duelists are summoners who can influence the element of the battlefield as well as summon monsters from each element, Agents can hack into your enemies and inflict a barrage of nasty ailments, just to name a few - and you are given three teams of three characters each to experiment with different team comps and find the balance that works for you. There's also a wide variety of Dragons to hunt and kill in the game, which directly affects how infected your world is with the Dragon Sickness causing Dragonsbane. Along the way you will also come into contact with many interesting characters, concepts and confrontations that will make the task of saving the world all the more imperative.

Pros

1. The character creator and differing classes give way for tons of experimenting and playing around with your own unique approach to combat and carrying out your missions. Granted, 'character creation' is generous, it's little more than palatte swaps but the classes are really where VFD shines. Eight main classes may not sound like a lot, but the expaniveness of the character skills, their synergy with their fellow classes and the uniqueness of some of the classes in and of itself allows for so much flexibility and creativity in approaches to even tougher bosses. It also encourages the switching about of your party members to really finagle with the options available to you.

2. God this game is pretty. The locations, the character art, the creature design - all of it is gorgeous and this game capitalises on every bit of the 3DS's presentation limitations as it can.

3. You can romance anything and everyone - yes, you can even be gay/lesbian/poly in this game. In fact, one of the main characters - Julietta - is gnc and he's a constant source of joy as well one of my personal favourite characters, right behind Yuma.

4. Exploration is very very forgiving as the game has healing spots and teleport nodes all over the world to allow for quick, seamless travel between quest points without feeling like anything is too much of a hassle. There are also special enemies that allow for quick grinding as well as quick farming of money. In general, the game does a really good job of making sure that the grind is never unbearable or inconsiderate of your time.

Cons:

1. This is the fourth game in a series the West has never seen any other title for, and from the looks of it, will probably never see any other titles for. Because of that, there are some elements that may seem confusing or revelations in the plot that may seem to come out of nowhere.

2. While the visuals are great, the OST of this one is pretty short making for a lot of reused soundtracks that can get really annoying if you're like me and need your audio to be interesting or consistent so it doesn't distract you too much.

3. This one isn't really a con but it is divisive: This game gets pretty difficult at times. A few of the main dragon enemies including and especially the final boss can give you a serious run for your money in the annoy-o-meter in terms of the kind of absolute JRPG fuckery they can pull out of their magic bag of bullshit movesets and while I generally enjoy that kind of thing, I know it's not for everyone. Most regular combat shouldn't be too tricky once you have a team comp that works well together but you also need to pay attention since the same team that carries you to victory one time might be worth beans against another dragon.

Final thoughts: This is... a really good game. Interesting story, really interesting characters, pretty world and a battle system that really makes you sit down and think. There's also a demo for this available in the e-shop and while your data doesn't carry over - you do receive multiple perks for carrying over your demo data including some exclusive items that, while not game breaking, do help a ton in the early stages of the game.

This isn't a final list by any stretch of the word; I only have the energy to do these two right now, but the next games up for coverage are Ever Oasis and Stella Glow! If you're interested in my full plan of games I want to cover here then my current lineup includes: Theatrhythm: Curtain Call, Project Mirai: Deluxe, Culdecept Revolt, Alliance Alive, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, Etrian Odyssey V, Devil Survivor 2: Record Breaker and Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse.

Finally, if anyone has played any of the games I mention, cover or plan to cover PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME, I AM SO LONELY IN MY FORTRESS OF SAND. On a serious note, I'd love to hear what other people who've played these games think!

Thanks for reading,

-Ginger

PS: @feralpeacock Because a million years ago, on my first underrated games post, you asked that I remember you. :D

#ginger rambles #ginger talks about video games #monster hunter stories #monster hunter #code dragon iii vfd #video games #3ds #underrated games #These take so much energy to make holy shit #There are so many more amazing 3ds games I could talk about #But I legit just don't have the braincells for #Also I know Apocalypse probably has the biggest audience that played it out of all the games listed #But it's criminally underrated because it was different #So it's probably going to get it's own little review thing #Yeehaw

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one-boring-person · 4 years ago

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Only Traitors Consort With The Damned. (Part 13)

The Lost Boys x reader

Warnings: injury, blood

Context: The boys, (Y/n) and Nico formulate a plan to get out of the cave safely.

A/N: I have a new editor! It is my good friend @jawline-of-steel and she will hopefully be helping me with editing on all of my work!😊💛💛💛

Edited By: @jawline-of-steel

Masterlist

“What do we do? There’s no way out of here except through there! We’re trapped!” I say quickly, keeping my voice down as much as i can so as not to alert anyone outside of the fact that we are very close by, “Is there anywhere we can hide?”

“In here? Yeah, there is, but I’m not sure how good the hiding places are, especially not for someone as big as him.�� Dwayne muses, gesturing to Nico as he turns to David with a questioning look on his face.

“All of the hallways are blocked off by debris, and any of the crawlspaces barely fit us, so it’s doubtful that he will be able to get through.” The platinum blonde responds dismissively, though his tone betrays his nerves, the idea of a team of highly trained Hunters waiting just outside the cave worrying and unnerving to him.

“How is she supposed to walk anywhere? She’s got a busted leg, remember?” Paul interjects, pointing at me.

“One of us could carry her?” Marko suggests, which draws a low growl from Nico, his protective side showing through as he tightens his grip around me, holding me tighter to his chest.

I think for a minute, during which time the other five tense up, clearly having heard something I can't, Marko and Paul starting to look even more worried. Frowning, i look around at them all, as if asking them to clarify, though none of them care to explain; instead, David jerks his head to the side, signalling for the rest of us to follow him as he leads us through a nearby tunnel, which takes us to what i assume is their sleeping quarters, Nico having to duck down the entire time as he struggles to fit his bulk in the space. As we emerge into the area, David quickly starts talking.

“The sun is gonna come up soon, so we don’t really have too much time, but I think we can help you. If one of us carries (Y/n), then she can leave through the way we get in and out of here, which isn’t accessible by foot, so it's the safest way out. As for Nico, there’s a chance we can lure the Hunters around the caves enough for him to have a clear chance at getting out of here, but it will only work if you're fast, because they'll most likely be expecting something like this to happen. There’s a safehouse a little way away, where you can stay until you can find transport, and where one of us can stay whilst the sun is out.” The vampire swiftly explains, the rest of us nodding as we take in the plan, glad that one of us is thinking rationally.

“Hold on, why do you have a safehouse?” Nico asks, frowning in the dim light.

“Our sire made it in case anyone ever came after us.” Dwayne fills him in, before moving on again just as quickly, “Which one of us is going to carry her?”

“Paul will, he's the fastest out of the four of us, which will mean he can get to the safehouse much quicker.” David says decisively, looking to his friend for confirmation.

“I’ll do it.” The tall vampire nods, reaching out to take me from Nico, who reluctantly hands me over, giving me one last squeeze for reassurance as he passes me to the blonde.

“Hang on a sec, what about Nico? How is he supposed to know where the safehouse is?” I chip in, looking at the towering werewolf as he straightens again.

The vampires are silent for a moment, thinking the question through, clearly as stuck as I am. Eventually, Dwayne pipes up again, having thought of something.

“I guess one of us will have to go with him.” The brunette says, looking around at the others.

“Yeah, I guess that would help.” I agree, adjusting myself in Paul’s arms.

“I can do it, I'm fast enough to get out of here and into cover before the sun comes up.” Dwayne offers, looking over at Nico as the werewolf, nods appreciatively, still uneasy around the vampires, but not as much as before.

“Ok, Dwayne will go with the werewolf. We’ll stay here and out of sight as much as we can.” David says with finality, watching us all agree before speaking again, “Alright then, let's get going, I can already hear them on the steps.”

“Alright. Thank you for doing this, you really didn't have to.” I say to them all, smiling thankfully.

“No problem, Dwayne is right. We owe you this, you’ve saved our lives too many times to count.” The platinum blonde waves me off, moving to start off into a nearby hallway.

I go to say something, only for Nico to cut me off, gesturing for Paul and Dwayne to move off immediately, not allowing me to argue with him, as is often the case. Paul starts moving off, carrying me as he turns down a different way to the others, where there is already a cooler breeze blowing in from the sea just outside. I lean back against the vampire’s chest, tensing in his arms in trepidation as i think through the plan in my head, still nervous about what will happen to my friends whilst im gone, particularly David and Marko, who will be stuck in the cave with a bunch of Hunters ready to kill them at a moment’s notice, should they get themselves caught. Part of me is confident that they won’t, but the more rational part of my mind knows that there is a very high probability of things going badly, which will end even worse for the rest of us.

I am snapped from my thoughts by the sound of the roaring ocean, the cave now widening out into a cavern that is filled with crashing waves, the far end ïleading to the sea itself, the horizon still cloaked in darkness despite the proximity of dawn that is fast approaching.

“You're gonna want to hold on tight.” Paul warns me, waiting for me to grip him with more force before he kicks off the ground, the disorientation that comes with his floating slightly off-putting as I become stiff in his arms.

“Hey, relax. I'm not going to drop you.” The vampire promises, before he starts to move off towards the front of the cave and out into the open.

My back aches as I slouch in the chair I'm sat in, my fingers knotted together as I watch the doorway, my lip already in shreds from how much I've been biting it, every muscle in my body tense with nerves. Across from me, Paul eyes me in concern, knowing that every movement I'm making is upsetting the injury on my knee, which is throbbing painfully now, though I am ignoring it in favour of staring at the space where Nico and Dwayne should appear.

"They'll make it, (Y/n), don't worry." The vampire tries to reassure me, though he isn't too convinced, looking just as worried and uneasy as i feel.

"I hope so." I manage back, my jaw clenched and tight, though I am doing my best to relax it.

We wait in silence again for a few moments, neither of us daring to say a word in case we miss the tell tale sounds of someone entering the safe house through the hatch in the abandoned gas station above, the actual door itself squeaky and stiff from disuse. It takes a little while, but eventually we hear it, at which point Paul moves to stand by the doorway, ready to intercept if it should be someone unsavoury, rather than the supernatural beings we are expecting. I sit up straighter, my eyes trained on the doorway, anxiously awaiting whoever it is, the heavy footsteps becoming more and more audible as they approach.

Suddenly, the familiar, lithe silhouette of Dwayne enters the candlelight, the brunette limping a little, his bare chest stained red with blood, Nico just behind him, the werewolf completely bare, his skin covered in sweat, blood and dirt. A few cuts litter his chest, though there is a wound on his shoulder where the shaft of a crossbow bolt is just visible. The German instantly comes over to me as he sees me, ignoring any pain as he chooses instead to pull me into an awkward embrace, glad to see I'm alright.

"Thank God you're ok!" He hums into my hair, pulling back to look me in the eye.

"I'm fine, Nico, though I can't say the same about you. What happened?" I respond, looking between him and Dwayne, who has sat down beside me on a different chair.

"There were some waiting for us outside the cave. We fought them off, but we both got hurt in the process. Nico took a crossbow bolt for me." The vampire informs me, nodding thankfully at the werewolf.

"And you took a bullet for me. We are even." He responds, smiling at the vampire in his usual crooked way, moving away from me when he finally notices that he is still naked, "Are there any clothes in here that I could wear?"

"Err, yeah man, they're over there. What happened to your first ones?" Paul asks, looking a little confused.

Nico sends him an odd look, obviously wondering if the vampire is joking.

"My clothes were destroyed when I transformed."

"You transformed?!" Paul exclaims, going wide-eyed as he looks over the huge werewolf.

"It was the only way either of us would be fast enough." Dwayne cuts in, groaning as he pulls a bullet out of his shoulder with his fingers.

"Oh, right." His friend nods, going to the brunette's side to offer his aid.

Across from us, Nico roughly yanks out the crossbow bolt, growling as he does so, pulling on a shirt that is much too small for him after, knowing that the wounds will heal themselves in a little while. Once done, he moves to sit on a sofa nearby, only to come and help me up when I gesture to him that I'd like to join him. Carrying me over to the sofa, the werewolf sits down with me, placing me beside him as he leans back, clearly tired.

Tired now, I watch as Paul helps Dwayne with his injuries, the two vampires talking quietly amongst each other, clearly worried about David and Marko, who are most likely still running from the Hunters back at the cave, the two of them in great danger. Unconsciously, I let my head drop onto Nico's shoulder, my eyelids starting to droop as I start to give in to the sleep I've been fighting off all night, the perpetual warmth from his body soothing and calming to me, his arm coming up to support me as he carefully manoeuvres us so that he's lying back against the arm of the sofa, my body resting on his. In this new position I quickly feel myself start to lose consciousness, my muscles finally relaxing as I let myself fall asleep.

Part Fourteen

#the lost boys #joel schumacher #vampire #david(thelostboys)#kiefer sutherland #paul(the lost boys)#dwayne(the lost boys)#santa carla #marko(the lost boys)#star(the lost boys)

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