#PARANOIA PARANOIA EVERYBODY'S COMING TO GET ME

[rocknrollerskates]

i wanna publish zines and rage against machines i wanna pierce my tongue it doesn't hurt, it feels fine

the trivial sublime i'd like to turn off time and kill my mind you kill my mind, mind

[prettypitofyourheart]

i had visions, i was in them. i was looking into the mirror

to see a little bit clearer

the rottenness and evil in me

[pyrriax]

ANYWHO goodnight tumblr i'll be back on the art grind tomorrow i think 🙏

[thatraccoonthing]

Everybody's coming to get me

Just say you never met me

[thousand-winters]

I feel like people sometimes underestimate what a hard position Darius was in after bonding with Hunter.

Because here's the thing: It's not that easy to help someone who's being abused when they don't understand they're being abused. Especially when it comes to a case like Hunter's, in which not only was the person abusing him his family and legal guardian, but also the only person he was somewhat close to, since he was effectively isolated.

This isn't even speculation, it's clear in Hollow Mind. There's a degree of denial that comes with someone who hasn't been able to digest the fact they're being hurt because not thinking about it has been a survival mechanism for them. Having someone trying to change that perception of the world can make you lash out and snap, anything to preserve the carefully balanced status quo there. Anything to keep the one thing that has worked for survival.

Darius' options at this point were straight up kidnapping Hunter and lose all of his trust because Hunter would then think even more that he truly couldn't trust anybody but Belos, or try his best to become someone Hunter could trust, so when the time came, Hunter would know he was a safe person who could get him out of there.

Darius couldn't say outright "hey, kid, you're being abused and that's fucked up, let me get you out of here". Not with the layers of denial and fear Hunter had built because of Belos. The only thing that would have earned him would have been Hunter recoiling and pushing him away. Darius would have pushed him away even further into Belos' clutches if he had done that.

Of course, it feels terrible because we're not talking about, say, providing a safe space for a friend until they are able to get out of an abusive relationship, this is a child, but it's such a complicated situation. You can hardly call Child Protection Services on the Emperor of the Isles, provided they even have that in the first place.

Honestly I think Darius did the best he could have done and people who think he didn't do enough really do not give him the credit he deserves, because it's clear Hunter DID trust him, for him to be able to believe in him and let Darius reach out after running out of the coven, despite the intense fear and paranoia he had toward everybody from the EC.

Plus it's not only this single aspect that was on the line here. Darius had to be mindful not to accidentally push Hunter away and lose all the chances he had to get him out of that situation while at the same time being very aware he was being reckless by having the Emperor's nephew close to him when he was one of the main leaders of the rebellion.

He was risking so much here and he really didn't have to. He gave Hunter something to communicate with the world outside of the walls of the castle, he could have said "this is all I can do for him" and washed his hands off of him, continue his rebel work and just tell himself Hunter would be fine once they took down Belos.

But he didn't, he chose to be there, he chose to build trust, he chose to help as much as such a hard situation allowed.

He does not get enough credit for that.

[pandora-writes-one-piece]

The Meet-Cute - Zoro's Story - 2

Source for pic

Trouble 2

Word Count: 4550

Tags For The Whole Story: Fem!Reader; Protective!Zoro; Soft!Zoro; Sexual Tension; Teasing; Flirting; Mature Audiences (I'll always tag the NSFW chapters); Modern Day AU; Reader is being stalked; Fear; Paranoia; Angst; Rom-Com Vibes; Mild Gore-like Descriptions; Blood; Dead Animals Mentioned; Reader in a terror-like state; Fluff; Romance; Banter; Manipulation; Miscommunication; Frustration; Reader is very clumsy;

Special Warning: English is not my first language, I apologise for any possible spelling or grammar mistakes.

Summary: After moving away from the hustle and bustle of Grand Line City to help your father around the property following a horse-riding accident - and in the hopes of healing your broken heart after your asshole ex-fiancé cheated - you settle into the country calmness of the Calm Belt. You and Zoro are slowly returning to your easy friendship filled with banter and flirting and you actually begin to glimpse a future with the green-haired cop. But then you start to receive weird gifts. They quickly escalate to manipulative texts. And now you're stuck in a spiral of terror and there's no way to get help because the Stalker, whoever he is, is threatening something other than just your life.

Notes: Chapter 2 is here! Please enjoy while everything is light and fluffy 😋 Maybe the author will quickly turn this into angst and horror! Who knows? 😯

Masterlist | |Chapter 2| | |Chapter 3|

Saturday comes in a heartbeat, and with it, a lingering anxiety. Zoro assured you that you had nothing to worry about, and deep down, you know he’s right. But that still does nothing to stop the churning in your stomach or the maddening pounding of your heart.

Luffy had long since left his grandpa’s house, your neighbour, but he had traded the farmhouse for a nice, cosy home not too far away, and with a backyard big enough to host weekly gatherings, as Nami had filled you in. 

One that’s standing right in front of you.

Your shaky breath does nothing to soothe your lingering nerves, and you clutch the strap of your bag tighter as you fidget with your hair. Then you stop, tempted to turn back around, deciding that perhaps this isn’t a good idea at all.

Who, in their right mind, would want to hang out with someone they haven’t seen in forever?

Are you boring company? Are you actually fun to hang out with? They remember you from when you were a teenager. Years have passed. Will they still like you?

“Oi? Are you coming in or not?” Zoro’s gruff voice is enough to ground you, and you nod, taking two shaky steps forward before you regain your stride. “You’re late.” He grumbles from his leaning position on the front porch where, apparently, he was waiting for you.

“Fashionably late. It’s a thing, google it.” You quip back, a quick grin spreading with the easiness of your and Zoro’s banter. 

“How can you say that with a straight face when I just witnessed you wavering in the front yard, pissing your pants from meeting your oldest friends?” Zoro gives a thumbs-down and blows a raspberry. “Shaaaame!”

“Shut up! I thought your bad sense of direction had rubbed off on me for a second, and I was lost.” Climbing the steps, you meet his gaze with a look of defiance, but he merely snickers at you. 

“I’ll pretend to believe you, Trouble.”

You take a deep breath and face the closed door, licking your lips nervously as you fidget with your hair again. 

“There’s no need to be nervous. We’re all friends, and everybody’s missed you.” Zoro nudges your shoulder with his, and you chuckle. 

“Right.”

“Ready?”

“Let’s make an entrance.” And damn it, if your words aren’t a prediction. As soon as you open the door, you stumble on your feet, almost falling face-first to the floor, if not for Zoro’s steadying hand around your upper arm.

“That’s one way to do it…” He mumbles through clenched teeth, and you grimace. But there’s no more time to counter-argue or to say anything else, really. All you see is a red blur, and then you’re being held in a tight hug. Luffy’s arms grip you as if he’s made of rubber, his smile so wide it’s contagious, and you can’t help but smile and hug him back. 

Why were you nervous, anyway?

-*-

Everyone is as friendly and welcoming as you remembered them to be. Nobody treats you as an outsider, as you feared, and the evening goes by smoothly. You meet new people: Vivi, Nami’s beautiful girlfriend, and you bond instantly since she’s such a kind person. Then there’s Chopper, the youngest of the group. Apparently, they’ve been classmates since junior year of highschool - after you left - because he skipped a few years, being practically a genius. A very shy, adorable genius. Barto, a very punk-rock-looking man, seems to follow Luffy around and indulge him in all kinds of shenanigans. 

Sanji is the most recent addition to the group, but he blends in so well that it's almost as if he's always been part of the gang. You all get along like you’ve never left, and you’re having the time of your life. 

At one point, the groups separate casually: Robin and Nami are huddled on the sofas, gossiping about a party at their office and the ensuing scandal; Kaya and Vivi are secretly shopping for a gift for Nami’s birthday on the front porch; Sanji is preparing more food with Luffy and Barto hovering around; and Chopper is playing a videogame with Usopp. You travel from one place to another, throwing your two cents when asked, but you notice the casual way Zoro follows you around, almost like he’s hovering, expecting you to need him at any given moment.

You don’t think he’s doing it on purpose, though. As Kaya and Vivi return to the living room, you sit with the girls and notice Zoro leaning against the doorframe, closing his eyes as if he’s resting them, but his stance is alert. Then you go cheer on Chopper, who seems a bit overwhelmed by Usopp’s prowess in the game, and Zoro follows you, lingering in front of Usopp long enough to make him lose the game. 

When you go to the kitchen, Sanji is leaving with more food, and you decide to tidy up the dirty dishes before joining them, feeling a bit overwhelmed yourself. After a few seconds, as the warm water from the tap relaxes you into an easy smile, Zoro appears, leaning casually against the counter, facing you. Close enough that you can smell his strong cologne.

“Hey, Troublemaker. Making trouble?”

A smirk tugs at your lips as you rinse a glass. “Not this time. I’m sitting pretty tight. Didn’t even bump into any chair for about half an hour.”

“That’s an improvement right there.” He teases back, and you chuckle. A small, comfortable silence lingers as he takes a sip of his beer. “You don’t have to do that, you know? If the cook sees you doing that, you’ll give him a stroke.”

“Sanji is being very nice by cooking for all of us. I can lighten his load by cleaning up. Besides, I needed a little space.” You let out an exasperated sigh.

“The crew’s too much, right? You’re not used to it anymore, Trouble?”

Shaking your head, you rinse the last glass and turn off the tap, wiping your hands on the clean rag that’s hanging by the counter. “Not used to it at all! But it’s… refreshing.” You turn fully towards him and realise he’s even closer now. 

“And don’t you feel silly now?” He laughs, and you roll your eyes.

“Extremely. I don't know what I was afraid of.” You take another step, being pulled towards him like a magnet. There’s just something about Zoro’s steadying presence that makes you feel safe and secure. 

“We’ve missed you.” He whispers, his smile dropping at the same time as his eye lingers on your lips as you wet them with your tongue. “I’ve missed you.”

“Yeah?” You ask, nonchalantly. There’s no denying that there’s attraction between you and Zoro. Heck, it’s always been there, even when you were teens. Is now finally the time when you two can act on it?

“Hey, have you seen– shit! Sorry!” Nami curses and turns away when she sees you and Zoro practically over each other. You and Zoro fall apart quickly, a blush spreading fast on your cheeks.

What were you two about to do? Isn’t it too soon for this? You can’t do this! You and Zoro are friends, you don’t want any relationship. 

“Nami! What did you want?” You ask with a squeaky voice as you turn to arrange a plate of snacks. 

Nami chuckles and exits the kitchen. “Nothing, nothing, forget I was here! Carry on, carry on…” She sing-songs, and you grunt. Zoro just chuckles, and the moment passes. 

-*-

Night falls down pretty quickly and Sanji decides to fire up the grill in Luffy’s backyard. You’re not sure how anyone can eat another bite, but then again, Luffy is always ravenous and Sanji likes to please. So food keeps appearing and disappearing in a heartbeat. There’s a slight chill in the air so someone lights up Luffy’s backyard fire pit, and Nami is already petitioning for the games to turn into drinking games. 

Sanji finishes up grilling the meat and sits down to complete the circle. Nami giggles when Zoro sits on the arm of the lounge chair you’re sitting on, but you try to ignore her. You can almost feel the body heat leaving him and trailing up your skin, though, no matter how close to the pit - and Zoro - you are, you can’t help shivering slightly.

Zoro raises a brow at you and sheds his jacket, draping it casually over your shoulders without another word. Your face raises to meet his, but his eye is back on the fire pit, hand clutching the bottle he brought for himself. You can’t help but feel your cheeks warm up as you snuggle against the warmth of his jacket. “Thanks.” You mumble and he grunts back at you.

“Marshmallows!” Chopper exclaims excitedly when Robin passes a bag around along with some skewers. You giggle and reach for one, but Zoro steals it away before you have a chance to grab it.

“What are you trying to do, Trouble? Skewer yourself or get burnt? I’ll roast you a damn marshmallow.” He says between grumbles and positions himself in a way he can roast the sweet, though his attitude is a stark contrast to his annoyed words. 

“Hey! I can very well roast my own sweets!” Crossing your arms, you pout and scowl at him, but that only manages to make him smirk. 

“Yeah, I bet you can. I just don't think the sweets will be the only thing roasted when you're done.”

“Mean!”

“Truth teller!” He counters and you jab him in the ribs to coax a laugh out of him, instead of those annoying snickers and chuckles, but it doesn't work, it only manages to make him wince. 

It takes a bit of back and forth for you two to notice Nami staring at both of you with a knowing smirk, her arm laced around Vivi’s waist. When you see her, you swear even your ears turn red as she begins to laugh. 

“See, honey,” Nami leans towards Vivi, “aren't they cute?”

“The cutest.” Vivi quips back and you sink in your seat. Zoro seems unfazed, though, as he squishes your marshmallow between two crackers and a piece of chocolate. 

“S’more. Take it.” You mumble a thank you and immediately shove the thing in your mouth, trying to disappear from your friends scrutinizing gaze, since Zoro's attentiveness only makes them snicker more. “It's still hot so don't–” Zoro turns and sees you huffing and waving at your open mouth, a deadpan look crossing his features. “You just had to, didn't you? I should've known…”

That just makes Nami and Vivi cackle more. When you finally manage to swallow the s'more, there's tears gathering at the corner of your eyes, so Zoro pulls out the bottle he's been nursing the entire evening and reaches for a glass, filling it with two fingers of the crystal clear liquid and handing it to you. 

“Here, this will help.”

Wiping your tears you accept the glass. The ice floating in the - almost pale golden - liquid, seems like paradise to your scalding tongue, so you swirl it a bit before sipping slowly. It's like tasting silk. Smooth, delicate and floral-like in its flavor. You've never tasted sake as delicious as this one. 

You hum in contentment, your tongue still aching, but much more at ease. “This is exquisite, Zoro. Where did you get this sake?”

He smirks, proudly, resting the bottle against his chest as if it's a prized possession. “Daiginjo Sake. The best there is. Mihawk, my Captain, gave a case of it to me some time ago, for an achievement.” His eyes focus far away but he doesn't elaborate and you don't press. 

“I can't believe this!” Nami says, irritation dripping from her words. “I've been begging you to let me try it for years, Zoro! Years!”

She seems genuinely annoyed and you open your mouth, clearly caught in the midst of a battlefield of an ancient war. 

“We've been through this, Witch, you don't appreciate good liquor. It would be wasted on you.”

Sanji gasps like he was the one personally offended by the comment and your eyes jump from Zoro to Nami to Sanji. “Take that back, Mosshead! Apologise to the lady!”

Mosshead? Your eyes linger on Zoro's head and there's a flicker of recognition when you connect the nickname to the why of it. Zoro growls at Sanji, shoots you a warning look, as if daring you to tease him about the nickname, and gets up with clenched fists. 

“Wanna start, Curly?”

Curly? Oh! The Vinsmoke brows. Dang, that would've been a good quip to throw at Ichiji way back when. 

The two men face off, faces inches from each other, and Nami sighs. You shrug and offer her the glass. “Want to try it?”

She shakes her head, a silly giggle dancing on her lips. “Girl, I tasted it the year he got it. He just never realised it. I'm such a good thief.” She throws her tongue at you while Vivi shakes her head. “I just said it to rile him up. Aaaaand to prove a point.The drink is special, and he just shared it with you.”

Nami lets that thought linger in the air as she grabs Vivi’s hand, pulling her away from the scene. Then she stops near Sanji and Zoro and exaggerates a faint. “Oh, what I wouldn't give for a warm, soothing drink.” 

Sanji perks up, stops fighting with Zoro, and with a swirl and a declaration goes off to give Nami and Vivi a warm beverage. Zoro keeps grumbling as he sits on the arm of your chair again, his brows furrowed and lips pursed. 

“Thank you.” You say after a moment of silence when he sticks more marshmallows on a skewer, probably imagining swirly brows in each and every one of them. 

“For what?”

For what? Everything… “Making me feel like I'm still part of the crew? Giving me a s'more? Your jacket? A taste of your prized booze?” You chuckle nervously. Nami has been pointing at it the entire evening, but is she right, though? Does Zoro think you're special? “Choose…”

You don't look at him and he doesn't look at you. The fire suddenly seems much more interesting. 

“It's nothing.” He answers after a while. But glancing at him from the corner of your eye, lets you know his ears are red and his frown turned into a slight smile. 

-*-

“Come on, Nami, aren't we a little old for that?” Zoro grumbles as she boos him. 

“You're never too old for a game of ‘Never Have I Ever’, right, gang?”

There are boos and cheers all around, but eventually, the crew agrees to play the game. Mainly because it's cold and Usopp found an old bottle of whiskey that Garp had given Luffy when he bought the house. 

“I'll start: Never have I ever… drank until I passed out!” Nami starts with a giggle and sips her drink. Everybody but Luffy and Chopper takes a sip and agrees. 

Usopp is next, and he snickers, eyeing both Luffy and Chopper, who are now behind on the game. “Never have I ever eaten so much meat - or sweets - that my belly got bigger!”

Luffy and Chopper whine and sip their drinks, a tiny sip, followed by a big chug of cola to mask the booze flavor. Barto also takes a sip, and the crew laughs at that. 

It's your turn, and you see Zoro yawn from the corner of your eye, so you decide to mess with him. “Never have I ever fallen asleep during work hours.”

“Damn you, Trouble.” He says, amused, before sipping the drink.

“How did that happen, officer?” You smirk, quirking your brow, waiting for him to brush you off, but he becomes rather serious. 

“Murder investigation, way back. I found the body, so I assisted the detectives. Pulled shift after shift, barely resting until we caught the culprit. Had to find effective ways to rest in between.”

You weren't expecting that… 

“Wow, Zoro, I don't think you've ever graced us with that much explanation on why you did something…” Nami says nonchalantly before staring at you, deadpan. “Looks like someone's special!” 

There she is again, hinting at that. But are you really? 

The game continues with silly exclamations and serious ones, and after a while, nobody feels cold anymore, and laughter comes easily around the circle. 

“Ohhhhhh, I've got a good one!” 

“Nami…” You whine at your friend, somehow already anticipating some form of embarrassment from her sentence. 

“Never have I ever…” her eyes glint mischievously as she locks her gaze with everyone before setting her brown eyes on yours with a smirk. “Had a crush on someone sitting in this circle.”

You freeze. Shit. Almost everyone takes a sip, but your hand seems frozen. Will it be obvious who your crush is? It probably already is, anyway… so, with a sigh and blazing cheeks, you sip the drink. 

Zoro does, too. 

And chaos ensues. 

There are wolf whistles all around, cheers and whoops, and you don't know if you should giggle or feel mortified. 

But Nami strikes again before you have a chance to do either. “Wait, wait! I can figure this out… so, Usopp and Kaya are obviously each other's crush, as are Vivi and me. Sanji has a crush on all the girls in this circle…”

She sighs as Sanji flushes red, babbling in agreement. 

“Chopper has been infatuated with Robin since he met her–” Chopper squeaks, and Robin smiles sweetly at him. “Barto has had a weird thing for Luffy since forever, platonic or not…”

Barto just shrugs as Luffy laughs out loud, and you begin to sweat. Damn Nami! Is she a sleuth, or just a witch, as Zoro calls her? She's got dirt on everyone! 

“Now I'm actually curious about these two…” Her gaze sends hot flashes through your neck and up your face. Zoro seems unaffected, though, at least from what you can tell from the corner of your eye, since you refuse to look straight at him. “Who's your crush, Zoro?”

Zoro grunts, you stifle a squeak, and Nami beams.  

“Is it Sanji?” She begins, earning an outraged cry of ‘sacrilège’ from the blond and a curse from Zoro. “Or maybe…”

“Just drop it, Witch.”

“What if I don't want to?”

They both stare intently at each other before Vivi places her hand on Nami's and she relents. “Fine, I have another anyway.”

“It's not your turn, Witch.”

“Never have I ever let someone drink from my prized bottle of sake.”

“Witch…”

You start to sink lower into your seat as Nami remains relentless in her teasing. What is she trying to accomplish? Embarrass you to death? Because it's working. 

“Or maybe, never have I ever had a crush on someone since high–”

“Blergh!”

Chopper suddenly throws up into the fire pit, startling everyone and putting an end to whatever was going on between Nami and Zoro, as everyone rallies to help poor - not-used-to-drinking-at-all - Chopper. 

Zoro sighs on your left and takes two sips of his drink before getting up to help Chopper. 

-*-

“This was so fun. Thank you guys for having me.” You smile at Nami while Luffy hugs you for the tenth time in a row. He’s already made you promise to return next weekend since, apparently, they have gatherings like this almost every weekend. 

You say another goodbye and turn around, looking for Zoro to give him back his jacket, but he appears next to you before you can call out to him, hands in his pockets and his usual scowl in place. “Let’s go, Trouble.”

Tilting your head, you raise your brow. “What?”

“I’m walking you home. We just got you back. You think I’m going to let you fall into a dark abyss, a cliff, or, God forbid, a large pothole, just because you can’t see what’s in front of you?”

If looks could kill, Zoro would be squirming on the floor. “You’re terrible.”

“And you’re terribly impaired to walk safely home. Let’s go.” His tone leaves no room for argument, but, truth be told, there was none to have anyway. Once again, you find yourself craving more of Zoro’s company, more of your quips and jabs, more of your back and forth.

Is it flirting? Is it just banter?

Whatever it is, it makes you happy. 

Your house isn’t that far from Luffy’s new home, but the night is pitch black and there’s barely any light along the way. You’re secretly glad Zoro is walking home with you because, once again, you feel that weird prickling in your neck, a shiver that doesn’t come from the cold, but from a deep unease, and you don’t know why.

The silence surrounding you is quite comfortable, and it’s only broken by Zoro’s grunts and mumbles of ‘careful’, or ‘watch it’ as he steers you away from trouble, something you attract without even meaning to. 

“How are you feeling, Trouble?” He finally asks, a lightness to his tone, almost like he knows what you’ll answer.

“I know what you want me to say.” You tease and bump his shoulder, barely making him budge but getting your point across.

“Then just rip the band-aid off. Say it.”

“Nope.” You stretch the ‘p’, and shake your head, skipping two steps ahead, away from his reach.

“Is it so hard to admit, Trouble?”

“Hmm, hmm!” You mumble, ears turning bright red as you turn to him and walk backwards, making him curse and reach out to you with another warning of ‘careful’, like he’s constantly watching your step, afraid you’ll fall and hurt yourself. “Fineeeeee!” You roll your eyes and turn forward, making him sigh in relief. “You were right…”

“I barely heard you.”

“You were right, Zoro! I had fun, I didn’t feel left out! There!” You give him what he wants just as you reach the steps of your porch. The darkness of the night finally illuminated by the weak light of the door lamp. 

“Was that so hard?” He asks as you climb the steps with harsher stomps than necessary and hear him chuckle behind you. 

“No…” The words leaving your lips are barely a mumble.

“I can’t hear you.”

Instead of climbing another step, you turn, ready to tell him again, louder and angrier this time, but he’s right there, a few breaths away, and you can almost feel his heat against you.

“I…” The words get caught in your throat as you stare down at him. Zoro is standing two steps below you, making you slightly taller than him. His eye is staring right at your lips, and you gasp. “You…”

He climbs another step, and you hold your breath. He’s at eye level now and you feel like leaning in. It’s just a peck, how wrong can that be?

Is it because of the alcohol you’ve been drinking? Maybe… Or maybe it’s just because you and Zoro are attracted like magnets. He’s drawn to you as much as trouble is…

Wait…

Perhaps Zoro is trouble…?

“You were saying?” His breath feels hot against your lips, and you can feel the ghost of his touch against your waist, where his hand lingers, not touching yet, but inching closer by the second.

“I…” What were you saying? Maybe there’s nothing to be said… 

Your eyes drop to his lips and you lick yours slowly. Zoro releases a soft grunt and leans. 

It’s happening.

You can almost taste the sake on Zoro’s tongue, you’re so close… so close…

BANG!

You gasp and pull back, startled by the loud noise coming from the barn. Zoro’s hand shoots to his back, where he probably has a gun, and he looks around, alarmed. 

“Get inside.”

“But–”

“Now!”

You don’t make him repeat it, and fumbling with your keys, you enter the house and close the door with the loudest click ever before drawing the curtains to keep an eye on Zoro. He only moves after he makes sure you’re inside the house, and you watch him draw nearer to the barn with carefully measured steps. 

Your heart thrums against your ribcage, and you fight to calm it down. It was already under stress because you and Zoro were about to kiss, but the noise that disrupted the moment almost made it jump out of your chest.

It takes a few minutes - that feel like forever - for Zoro to come back. You quickly open the door, an alarmed look on your face, before he chuckles with a shrug. “It was just the barn door. It was unlatched and banged with the wind. There was nothing inside the barn but scared cows and half-asleep horses.”

You nod, but your face doesn’t relax. “That’s strange, though… I latched the door myself.” You always double-check the latch, lest the animals go off wandering into the night. It happened once when you were younger, and the scolding was so big you never forgot it again. 

“Maybe the gust of wind was so strong it unlatched it on its own?” Zoro tries, and you look at the trees. At the unmoving trees. There’s barely any wind. “Is Mr. S. home?”

You sigh and take the phone out of your pocket. “He sent me a text ten minutes ago saying he was leaving the bar where he went to see the game, so he must be almost home.”

Zoro nods. “I’ll keep you company until he arrives, okay?”

You nod, your eyes still lingering on the barn door as that familiar shiver courses through your spine. Was it really just the wind? 

What wind, though…?

Or did you really forget to latch the door properly?

You never do…

“Oh!” You shed Zoro’s jacket and hand it to him when he climbs the steps to join you. “Your jacket, thank you.” 

Zoro waves his hand. “Keep it. I don’t need it, I’m already hot.”

His line is so ridiculous that it diffuses the tension and gets you giggling. “That was so lame, Zoro.”

“Made you laugh, didn’t it?” Another chuckle leaves your lips as warmth spreads through your chest again, chasing away the lingering fear from the earlier fright. Zoro is so easy to be around. He always was. 

You can’t help but think that, maybe if you hadn’t left town, you and Zoro might’ve been something together. High school sweethearts, perhaps? The kind of couple that gets together early and just knows they are meant to last?

Or perhaps you would’ve just remained friends…

But you still left. And now all the possibilities are opening up again. Are you willing to embrace them, though?

But before the moment builds back up again, Shanks’ car enters the property and you and Zoro sigh at the same time. 

“Your dad’s here. It’s my cue to leave. Take care, Trouble. Stay safe.”

You snort and turn around to open the door again. “Right, I’ll be really careful climbing the steps to my room. Thanks for the tip, officer.” When he doesn’t answer, you turn to see his gaze still lingering on the barn before he says another quick ‘bye’ and goes to talk to your father before leaving.

Tags: @rosidaze @beachaddict48 @armiliadawn @jintaka-hane @sprinkklz @baby5555 @hopelesslover06 @mars-mizuko @sleepykittycx @nerium-lil @eustasscapitankid @ren-ni @jqperi @lycoriskalmia @daydreamer-in-training @iloveyoushanks

|Chapter 3|

[greatbridge]

My versions of Relativity Scalene & Euclid :]

(Second drawing is the more recent one)

For my version of Relativity Falls, I really liked the ideas that people put out about scalene and Euclid, so I sort of took that concept and ran with it. Here are some Thoughts I had, if u wanna use em for ur own rf versions then go wild!!! Just tell me that you’re using them because I love to see other people’s interpretations of this au :)

I really liked the idea that someone else had of them sort of being physically “together” in a sense (this, where they are back-to-back(made by @fungalscrungle)). the idea of them being so codependent they actually sort of became “one” was really interesting, but I messed with it a but more and ended up with them both shaped in a way that they can “snap” together like magnets. They are actually two separate entities, but they are joined at the hip in the most literal sense to the point that they are constantly at each other’s side.

They both have little pieces of one another, which I decided were the Euclidean version of wedding rings. Idk it seemed fitting for Bill’s parents to “carry a piece of the other wherever they go” but literal. He’d probably think it’s romantic to have a piece of your partner’s body at all times, and… these are his parents.

Scalene is the one on the left, she’s the “mother”, and Euclid is the one on the right, he’s the “father”. Considering their dimension has 14 billion different genders, I like to think that they decided to emulate the 1950’s “nuclear family” stereotype to seem “friendlier” to humans

Actually their whole vibe really revolves around that stereotype. They really REALLY give off 1950’s nuclear family suburban white couple vibes in the way they talk, like “hey honey! How about we mentally torture this human today?” “I thought you’d never ask, pumpkin!” Because those always seem threatening to me. It’s the sanitization, the perfection, the blank smiles that show just a bit too much teeth. The “perfection” to the point of inhumanity, you know?

And that sort is is the opposite of what gravity falls embodies, isn’t it? Like being ur authentic weird self vs. being a perfect version of you that hides anything different

Euclid is more methodic and calm, meanwhile Scalene is sweet, but it’s a cover for a lot of the same manic instability that bill had, LIKE THE 50’S HOUSEWIFE STEREOTYPE.

Their dynamic can essentially be summed up as “She kills ppl, he hides the bodies.” True love💖

When they possess someone, maybe since there’s two of them doing it at the same time, the person’s brain starts to overheat or get damaged, since there’s not enough space for them.

In relation to Dipper, I absolutely ADORE the idea that @amissamidstthemist had (here). LIKE YES!!!! They WOULD have a sort of “parental bond” with Dipper! That is SO PEAK!

They would like baby him and praise him and Euclid would ruffle his hair and Scalene would call him affectionate names.

Not only do they tap into his loneliness when it comes to that, but they also tap into his paranoia, make him believe everybody else is out to get him. He can only rely on them. “TRUST NO ONE!” (This actually is them just making a trait dipper already has worse, but one day I think i’ll touch on that)

For their backstory, I don’t know if anyone else has thought of this(someone probably has tbh) but for me they probably tried to see the stars for their son and because of that destroyed their dimension and their son with it(ow.)

BECAUSE OF THIS, they actually begin to get attached to Dipper, because he reminds them of their son, and constantly compare him to their son.

They treat Dipper a bit like the Other Mother treated Coraline.

OKAY I THINK THAT’S ALL. UH. ENJOY I GUESS LMAO

[paper-mario-wiki]

have you ever experienced scary weed? everybody always talks about it but i've never been scared despite trying a mishmash of strains and watching horror movies while high. what weed is scary weed. i want to feel scared too

when people describe getting so high they get scared, it's typically due to the fact that you have a noticeable loss in control over your body, and your mental faculties are also greatly slowed. additionally, cannabanoids bind themselves to the Amygdala, which is the slice of your brain that controls things like awareness and immediate sensory feedback processing. when the Amygdala becomes too overstimulated, it creates a feeling of hyperstimulation (some enjoy this feeling, some cannot stand it) that both feels similar to and comes from the same place as naturally occurring paranoia.

(source)

if you were trying to invoke this feeling purposefully, the best thing you could do would be to find something with a higher THC content than you're used to (edibles/extract would probably work best) and consume it quickly, as opposed to slowly over time. i cannot recommend this.

for me, scary weed experiences are more frustrating than outright scary, because what it usually means is "terrific i have taken too much and now will be incapable of doing anything for the next 4 hours. awesome."

this is also called being "couchlocked".

[alpacaroni-and-cheese]

Leah and Fatin, A Journey of Forgiveness

Spoilers for The Wilds seasons 1 and 2 Trigger warning for brief mention of a canon suicide attempt. Be safe before you read <3

Throughout the first season of Amazon Prime's series, The Wilds, you could be forgiven for thinking that Leatin (or Latin, for the OGs) was a rarepair. A crackship, if you will.

They had some intensely homoerotic moments (wiping your own blood on your rival's face? I see you, Fatin) and some deeply important and emotional moments (see my previous essay), but for most watchers of the show, they weren't much more than semi-strangers to lowkey friends to bitter enemies to close friends.

But then season 2 came out.

Forgive me, I'm getting ahead of myself.

Let's go back to the beginning of the season.

Leah has pulled herself out of a man-made pit designed by the experimenters who are threatened by her. She's so desperately close to unravelling the whole sick and twisted game, she just has to show the others the pit, and then they'll believe her.

When she gets back to the beach, however, there's no time to go looking for the pit, triumphant and vindicated, because Rachel is dying. A large portion of her arm has been bitten off by a shark. She needs a hospital and trained professionals, but the best they have are antibiotics and an understanding that bleeding is bad. The open wound is cauterised and bandaged to within an inch of its life.

Did I mention all of this is happening while epiphany by Taylor Swift plays in the background? Soul destroying stuff.

Anyway, now that Rachel isn't actively dying, Leah can drag Fatin away to find the pit, but it's gone.

Leah can't believe it. She knows it was real, and she knows Nora put her in there. She knows she didn't imagine it, but the proof is all gone. The truth has once again slipped through her fingers.

Fatin, on the other hand, is only growing more and more concerned for Leah. For some context, Leah's near-drowning experience only happened just a couple of days prior, so from Fatin's perspective, this could easily be a worsening of Leah's mental state. If she's hallucinated this pit, then she's quickly going to become a greater danger to herself and to the others. Fatin now not only has to especially worry about Rachel, but Leah as well.

And Fatin is tired. She's exhausted, and her threads are pulled taut, ready to snap.

The episode jumps ahead a little, just a few days, and we see that Leah is still searching for the pit. She's disappearing for hours at a time, under the pretence of doing something vaguely useful (like gathering wood for the signal fire) but returning with little to no real progress made.

Fatin notices all this, because of course she does.

She tries to convince Leah it was just a mirage, but Leah doesn't budge. She can't budge, because finding the pit is her only real way of knowing she hasn't completely lost it.

The group is moving camp from outside on the beach to inside the forest, so everybody is gathering up their stuff and moving it in-land. Leah's helping, sort of, but she's still lost in her spiral.

Leah believes that she needs answers, and the person who can best give her those answers is lost to the waves, presumed dead. So she goes for the next best thing, too caught up in her own monsoon of guilt, paranoia and unflinching desire to find the truth to realise that the answers she's trying to find are not as important as protecting Rachel's fragile heart and mind.

Before anyone can step in and stop the inevitable fracturing, she prods, and Rachel implodes.

All of the girls rush forward to Rachel. Some, like Toni, stand guard, facing Leah and warning her not to come closer. Others, like Shelby and Martha gently soothe and comfort Rachel, whose grief and guilt is on full display.

Fatin, however, is furious.

She grabs Leah and drags her to the cliffs, shoving her up against the cliff-face.

She snarls, teeth bared in anger. Leah causing hurt to herself was bad enough, but the escalation to hurting Rachel was a step too far.

Fatin bites, tearing into the soft, exposed underbelly.

"You take your delusions, and you take your theories, and you fucking bury them, now! And if you ever take them within 100 feet of Rachel again, I'll fucking kill you."

These words will haunt her, but she has a point. Leah was wrong for interrogating Rachel.

Confronted with the fact that she hurt Rachel, and exhausted of the ceaseless noise bouncing around in her head that something is wrong, Leah makes a decision. A bad one.

She overdoses. Later, she'll say she didn't really want to die, she just wanted to stop feeling.

We don't see the immediate fallout, episode 2 picks up a couple of days later. Leah is near-catatonic, lying on a bed of bamboo. Rachel is nearby, in a similar state.

Fatin, Toni and Dot sit together close by, and Fatin is tearing strips off clothing to make new bandages for Rachel.

Fatin is scared. More scared than she's ever been before in her life. She's filled with guilt, and wishing she didn't have to deal with this reality.

So she pretends that she doesn't care, because that's easier than facing her fear and her guilt. She knows, deep down, that despite her anger being righteous, she went too far.

"What matters is, she's alive, and she's finally fucking quiet."

Rachel, who is sick of being babied, and likely just a bit pissed off at Fatin's insensitivity, resolves to get Leah up and moving herself. To the surprise of all present, it works. Leah breaks out of her catatonia and stumbles after her.

They spend some time together, sharing a real, honest conversation. They've spoken to each other before, obviously, but this is the first time each one is sharing their true selves. No more facades of being a better person than they are, no more ulterior motives. Just Leah and Rachel.

They forgive each other, and themselves, forging an unbreakable bond.

They bring out in each other the first real joy they've felt in days, maybe even weeks (just look at their faces!).

Fatin sees Leah healing, and shares in her joy. Although, maybe now she's starting to have some revelations...

2x03 sees Leah and Rachel spending more time together. Their bond deepens, and the two characters who have been the most tense for the entire duration of the show, finally get to be relaxed.

"Well if I had one that counted the number of hours since my last neurotic thought, I would be at like, a hundred."

They gather bamboo to make repairs for the beds at camp, when Leah realises something. They can make instruments out of the bamboo.

Multiple hours of practice later, they arrive back at camp, proudly holding their crudely-but-lovingly-made instruments.

They play Home by Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. It's a little off-key ("She's flat, but fuck me.") but the heart is there, and soon everyone is singing along.

Martha is dancing, Rachel and Dot are singing their hearts out, and Toni and Shelby are busy making googly eyes at one another.

And Leah?

Well, she makes her way over to Fatin.

She sings, "Home is whenever I'm with you," while cradling Fatin's face in her hands. Fatin melts, understanding the message, and falling even further in love.

In a tumultuous, traumatic time of their lives, filled with misery, guilt, shame, fear, depression, anxiety, paranoia, and bone-deep exhaustion they'll probably never fully recover from, this one simple gesture says everything.

I heard all you said. I felt your teeth tear my weary flesh. I bled from your wounds, but that's over now. I understand why.

I forgive you.

[lifesteal-headcanons]

me: oh my god i love lifesteal!

also me: puts its characters through immense pain

anyways:3

after a player *die* dies in lifesteal(like, losing their last heart) they get transported to purgatory. however, everybody has a purgatory custom 'made' for them based on their actions and role

clownpierce's is the stage in the middle of a circus, balancing on a tightrope with bloody weapons stuck in the ground above him. red and white blinking lights shining on him, surrounded by manic laughter and circus music and shadows with eyes blown out wide in excitement, watching his every move. he lived a performer, so he will stay a performer.

zam's is an infinite castle, a maze of cobblestone and stone bricks. sometimes he comes across guards in full armour, who just echo all his paranoia back to him. 'its all your fault' 'youre here for a reason' 'youre a horrible person', their voice sounds like multiple people talking at once. no, multiple players talking at once. people who betrayed him, people he betrayed.

squiddo's, as seen in her video, is a graveyard. of everyone she lost, everyone she failed to protect. only the sun itself keeping her company. its peaceful, just like she tried to make the server be

branzy's is a massive conveyor belt, surrounded by turning gears and mechanisms and so much redstone dust in the air. avoiding arrows and tnt. a cat and mouse chase even after death.

ashswag's is a massive space of ones and zeros floating through a void, the sounds of keyboard typing echoing through it.

planetlord's is a dark hallway with mini figures of planets and stars hanging from the infinitely tall ceiling. he cant explore the galaxy, but he can atleast take a look at it.

-🔔 anon

.

[aeithalian]

On Apollo and fatal flaws

Vague question for my fellow apollogists out there: what do we think Apollo's fatal flaw is? I write this realizing that, in all five books of the series, all told from Apollo's point of view, we never actually have it explicitly stated, either from Apollo's knowledge and refusal to share (which, strangely, seems to me like something he would tell us), or from him not actually knowing, either.

Simply stated, a fatal flaw is any kind of weakness of a hero, god or mortal, that can be exploited and can cause the downfall of that character. That being said, we already know some that generally scope out the larger range of what they can be:

Percy: excessive personal loyalty

Annabeth: hubris/pride

Nico: holding grudges

Thalia: ambition

Leo: feeling inferior

Piper: low self-esteem

Luke: wrath

Jason: hesitation and excessive deliberation

And we are certain that immortals have flaws like these, too. Although it isn't explicitly stated in canon what Zeus' fatal flaw is, it's exceedingly obvious that it's paranoia and hunger for power, as well as his sexual infidelity.

I feel like we can easily knock some flaws off the list already:

Holding grudges is off the list for the main reason that, if there's one thing Apollo oozes, it's forgiveness, and the fact that he is always ready to give second chances to people who have wronged him and the world (Lityerses, Luguselwa, Meg, etc.)

For the same reason, I'm going to knock off wrath. Yes, he has moments of rage, but so does everybody else! It's human nature, and, as stated before, it's usually overshadowed by Apollo's choice to let go of that anger and choose forgiveness instead.

Ambition is an interesting one, but it's not at all something that really comes up in the series to the point where it ends up being powerful enough to be his fatal flaw. He rarely seeks power he didn't already have before, especially when you consider he is Zeus' most powerful son, and one of the most powerful gods period. Why would he need more power? Unless, of course, you choose to point out that one time he tried to overthrow Zeus, but I'd argue he was acting more out of a place of 'hey please be better at your job' than 'I want your title and position', which actually falls more under Poseidon's motivations in that myth.

Interestingly, there's a certain aspect of Apollo's character in the myths that totally screws the pooch in terms of this discussion, and that's the fact that Apollo, throughout the stories of Ancient Greece, is a typical example of perfection. Literally, he's written to be virtually flawless, the paragon of young men, and (in the context of Ancient Greek culture) doesn't have many moments of rage, selfishness, or paranoia, or at least, not as many as other gods (looking at you, Artemis).

HOWEVER, as much as the myths seemingly act like he doesn't have a glaringly obvious flaw, we as a part of Apollo's inner circle/audience know he's got one - I mean, look at him! It's in there somewhere, nobody's perfect, and I don't think anybody's pretending as such for Apollo. What irks me is that we know Apollo is not lacking in general character flaws, but there is one, beyond a doubt, that shapes his inner core irreversibly. And we don't know it.

Thankfully, though, we've got five books of content that might help us come to a conclusion.

The Hidden Oracle, being the beginning of the story and the beginning of Apollo's character development, is where we would get an inkling of what Apollo wants us to think his fatal flaw is. To us, Apollo appears vain, self-centered, and, frankly annoying. And he does these things on purpose. Or at least, he tells us these things.

That's the thing: if you look past all the fluff Apollo spits out to the audience throughout the first majority of the book, before his children are taken into the forest, you'd find that his dialogue, aka how the other characters of the story hear and see him, doesn't really reflect that. Most of the annoying, self-centered brattiness is only on the page, and not as obvious in his personal interactions (not saying they're not there, but it's so much worse in his internal monologue). So, what does this tell us?

That those aren't his fatal flaws. He's very good at pretending that they are, probably because, as I've read several other metas very cleverly explain, that this is what gods are supposed to be, and, Apollo, in his desperation be his father's golden child again (or, also to avoid his wrath, take that how you will) has built up a very elaborate mask for thousands of years, because that is what he is not. He's trying to be glossed over in the vast sea that is the gods, and it's not really working because, well, he got turned into a mortal. Again.

As we pass through books 2 and 3, we're still not quite past the whole "pretending to be petty and self-serving because this is what I am supposed to be as dictated by the laws of my immortal people and my father". That, almost certainly, doesn't come until the latter half of The Burning Maze. So it's further safe to assume that our best guess as to his fatal flaw probably coincides with his more honest moments with the audience, eg. books 4 and 5.

Now, I know a popular common answer to this whole question is that it's his ego and his pride. But here's the thing: as we move on to the second half of the series, we get an interesting revealing of Apollo's perception of himself. To put it plainly: Apollo is not a narcissist, as much as he pretends to be (see the above points). Honestly, he might actually hate himself and what he's become as he learns to take a more critical view of himself as the series goes on. Drawn in direct antithesis to his moments in the first two books, when he tells us that he assumes that anybody he meets is willing to help him, after the peak of his development (marked by his promise and Jason's subsequent death), this isn't the case. That's why I'm pretty okay with putting pride and ego towards the bottom of my list of possible fatal flaws for him.

Honestly, if I didn't know any better as we reach the end of the series, I'd say Apollo's fatal flaw might fall somewhere closer to poor self-esteem, insecurity and self-doubt, but for some reason, that doesn't quite fit. I'd argue that a lot of those feelings probably stem from being stuck in the inadequate body of a mortal with a tiny fraction of his usual power - of course he's going to feel like that. That, and it's almost the direct opposite of what his flaw is perceived to be by other sources, so it feels like too large a leap to me.

I'm deliberating from my point, which is this: I still have no clue what his fatal flaw is.

It's not:

narcissism

pride

OR on the other side of the spectrum:

low-self esteem

self-doubt

OR the list of things we knocked off earlier:

holding grudges

wrath

ambition

And when you compare to other characters he might also be like, I would argue he's a totally different animal. The only character I could see a similarity with is Percy. But, again, it's just not the same. Percy's flaw, excessive personal loyalty, still doesn't really fit because, while I'd argue that Apollo's never really put in a situation where he's had to choose to save the life a mortal friend over his task of restoring the Oracles, I do believe he has a strong sense of duty. No, I don't think he would sacrifice Meg's life to do that job, but it's not something we see him forced to pick between (that I can think of, at least). I like to think that, on one hand, Percy would flat-out refuse to do his duty to save the life of a friend out of principle, whereas Apollo might find a clever loophole to save the friend, do the duty, and end up doing harm to himself. If anything, while Percy would be ready to burn the world to save a friend, Apollo would be ready to burn himself first.

That, I think, is our biggest indicator. Apollo loves his friends and the world. He wears his heart on his sleeve, this is something the Triumvirate exploits to no end.

Athena tells Percy something in the PJO series (the Titan's Curse, I think?) and says that the most dangerous fatal flaws are the ones that are good in moderation. And, of course, Apollo is a main character, so naturally his fatal flaw will fall under this category.

I think Apollo's fatal flaw is of the same breed as Percy's, but isn't really the same creature. I'm sure there's a more eloquent way to put this, but it seems to me that his fatal flaw has something to do with his tendency to be self-sacrificing, easily forgiving, and empathetic. He's been stabbed in the back several times and every time chooses instead to show trust and camaraderie, to see the best in people, and give them another chance to prove themselves: with Meg, Crest, Lityerses, Luguselwa, Meg's adoptive siblings, and many, many more. That seems very dangerous in the wrong situation, yes? Especially someone in Apollo's position - there are plenty of bad people who would be ready to take advantage of this.

And what is a story if not the hero learning to overcome their fatal flaw? And, really what is the Trials of Apollo all about? How do we end? What choices does Apollo make for the future at the conclusion of the Tower of Nero that directly contradict his overwhelming urge to choose forgiveness and let others try again?

The Tower of Nero, Chapter 36

At the end of any good epic story, the hero learns to overcome their weaknesses and flaws and do the right thing regardless. For Apollo, this comes when he refuses to forgive one person: Zeus. Apollo ends his pentalogy with coming to an understanding of himself and his relationship with his father, learning to overcome that tendency see the best in everyone, and realize that not everyone can choose to change for the better like Apollo has.

EDIT: a masterlist of my other metas

[thelyingjoke]

having loadssssss of gonta and kokichi thoughts now...obsessed with them The Besties Ever.........

it gets me because their friendship is both about trusting Each Other. and trusting Themselves. like. in those summer camp interactions. it’s gonta repeatedly putting his trust into kokichi. because that’s his Friend. everybody else says that he shouldn’t. kokichi says that he shouldn’t. but gonta trusts him anyway. not because kokichi is tricking him. but because he’s using his own judgment. instead of following what others say about kokichi and what kokichi says about himself he instead looks at him from his own point of view…and comes to his own conclusion to trust him. and i think that is So Sweet. gonta’s a Lot more intelligent than he gives himself credit for!!! his own conclusion—that kokichi ends up always doing something to make people laugh—is accurate!! he can read him well! that’s where the trusting Himself part comes in. because he’s so convinced that he isn’t smart. that other people inherently know better than him. and yet, even when everyone tells him kokichi’s just trouble—he makes his own decision. he has faith in himself to put faith in kokichi. he is confident in this, which i think is so very important for him

they both kinda see something in each other that the others don’t!!! gonta seeing into kokichi’s better intentions where other people wouldn’t, trusting him despite everyone’s insistence that he isn’t trustworthy, including from kokichi himself. kokichi realizing gonta’s intelligence in a way that others don’t, despite others’ and gonta’s own dismissiveness towards that.

like…aughhhh i have so many thoughts but they aren’t entirely coming out into words correctly. kokichi doesn’t think he deserves a friend like gonta, if the utdp graduation event didn’t make that clear. he almost can’t believe someone could like him as genuinely as gonta does, to the point of accusing gonta of lying about being sad to see kokichi gone. and then in summer camp he keeps saying how gonta trusting him worries him. for kokichi it’s about learning to have faith in someone else to know when they want to hold faith in him. about having faith in himself to trust someone else. If that makes sense.

and then in the main game. It’s So Painful. because everything falls apart for them when they don’t have that. gonta had known what the motive video plan was and had agreed to it. but kokichi’s paranoia got the best of him, which led to gonta’s lack of belief in himself getting the best of him, and they didn’t work together again until chapter 4 at which point both of these issues had gotten Worse.

because the whole thing started with gonta now being so caught up in the need to protect everyone else and the belief that that’s all he’s good for. he goes with everyone’s distrust of kokichi and that’s exactly what kokichi uses to get him to do what he wants. while later kokichi becomes distrustful of gonta because during the trial, it seems like gonta is lying, and lying very well. I hope that i explained this in a way that makes sense my brain is foggy right now and i can’t seem to get the Exact Right words out

i just think they’re neat…i loveeeee the existence of the official non-despair AUs because they’re really cool insight. these two could be So Friends. basically i think they’re like this image:

[macbethheadband]

Macbeth cope list

What a lovely theatre it was so beautiful in there the CEILING was so nice. The chairs were comfy too. Uh the walls? They were great also. And the floors were walkable no doubt about it

No problems with the headphones at all except for early on when they all started dancing and jumping around the sound went nuts and the music got really staticy. Not sure if we just got a fritzy night or if thats a problem theyve consistently dealt with. The second the dancing stopped though it was fine again so!

Thats a big part of what really impressed me with the sound too it felt like you could really hear how tightly controlled it was and how much attention to detail theyd put into it with switching peoples mics on and off and adjusting volume when they shouted and looping and overlaying voices. And the sound effects worked really well!!! Incredibly effective and immersive. Sidenote a lady sat in front of us was like oh theres headphones? What are these for? Like i forgot not everybody has dedicated their lives to seeing this play and knows all about it

One downside might be that the audience cant hear themselves so theres a lot of coughing and sneezing and snuffling and snorfing and at one point someones alarm went off and when macduff was doing his all my pretty chickens moment someone was genuinely hacking up a lung behind us. I wonder if thats annoying for the actors LOL i hope the donmar proshot doesnt have a lot of that in the final mix because ill just die

LOVED the use of the glass partition the way theyd have everyone seated in a row and delivering the sort of expositiony lines like i said before. Especially in the second half of macbeth theres a lot of back and forth between lots of short scenes so i really liked the way they dealt with that it never lost momentum. And when they opened the glass and started CLIMBING OUT that was so great

Actually a favourite element was how everyone would start climbing onto the stage and crawling towards macbeth and grasping out at him that was so DELICIOUSLY creepy. Shout out to rona morrison who played lady macduff the woman with the red hair in braids she would crack this extremely unsettling smile whenever she went witchy mode and my eye was always drawn to her.

I have so many macbeths to compare this to bc i watched so many this year and this one is up there as a favourite for sure. I think the descent into madness is hard to do in a way that feels natural and not hammy but we can HEAR the voices in their heads and feel the pressure they feel as everything goes weird around them and the guilt starts to eat at them. I believed it i really did!! The sort of Snap the shift between when hes seeing the dagger versus when duncans dead and hes covered in blood again. YAYYY!!!!! I especially believed his speech about banquo that sort of escalation drawn out by paranoia when hes like make THEM kings???? The SONS of banquo. KINGS??? its like here we go girls…

Also comparing it to all the other macbeths i saw its SO GOOD to have an all scottish cast LOL it really is crazy how that simple change adds so so much

Cush jumbo and her big bright eyes HER EYESSSS shes a very powerful glowy presence in her white dress i loved the way she did this sort of gesture like shes having a migraine paired with the sound and the lights sort of getting keyed up and the ghostly child behind them both and the way she did the out damned spot WAIL and how she said come come give me your hand down low and sweet like to a little kid oh my god…

Im jumping around a lot but the porter was really fun and the way they really harshly snap back into the world of the play after it was really cool like the whole scene was all in HIS head too mmmm

I love when its funny GENUINE comedy like hahaha laughing out loud. It was a rough night! So annoying when you know it could be funny but the actors like nah this is serious business or my name isnt sir kenneth charles branagh. Lets have a giggle mate it makes the frightening parts scarier it makes the tragedy more depthful lets experience the range of human emotions together come on lets go

I just want to keep saying things that worked like the music worked the lights worked the smoke worked the bit where everyones being the witches worked the one child actor playing all the children worked the banquos ghost scene REALLY worked you have DISPLACED the MIRTH the idea that the two of them are carrying a lot of baggage from war and the loss of a child really REALLY works. I think thats the best compliment i can give it like theres nothing i feel like didnt achieve what they were going for or fell short. Im really really impressed by it super super super pleased for everyone for bringing the vision to life so clearly and effectively

David tennant was really good

[galvanizedfriend]

Klaroline Fic: The Wolf IV [01/13]

Summary: Five years after the downfall of the Mikaelson family, Caroline returns to New Orleans to fulfill the promise she made to Marcel: one day, she would be back for the man he has been keeping prisoner in the bowels of the old compound, and she would not be leaving without him. But the plans to abandon the city's eternal loop of tragedy behind once and for all are thwarted when a new enemy with unexpected old ties resurfaces, threatening not just Eve's life, but Caroline's as well.

--

S04E01 Gather Up the Killers ✨

The thing about finally getting something you longed for what feels like an eternity is the accompanying dread that it might be taken away.

Even after five years, Marcel is still not used to having it. Peace.

Nobody tells you how unsettling peace is. How it manifests as a constant nagging in the back of your mind, like you're forgetting something, getting soft, letting your guard down. It's quiet and harmonious, yes, but it's also a kind of fear. A cold shudder at the pit of your stomach, as though at any second it can all be snatched away from you.

If he doesn't watch himself, it can easily descend into paranoia.

He doesn't think there has been a single day where he hasn't been on full alert mode, looking over his shoulder, watching over the city from his not-so-new penthouse like a vigilante, waiting for the monsters to come out. And then he remembers that there are no monsters anymore. None greater than him, anyway. He is the thing that everybody fears.

He's always tiptoeing around that delicate line separating caution from madness, one sudden move around a corner away from overreaction that could send all the hard-earned balance they've achieved blown into the air.

One wrong move from turning into him.

Read the full chapter here

-- Took forever and a day, but ta-da! Starting part 4 was so much harder than I thought, but well. Here is something! Like I said, I'm not starting a new AO3 story for this, it'll be [22/34] there, but for the sake of being clearer here, I'm using the S4 numbers and a new summary.

I don't have any art or edit or anything to go with this story, so I just searched my old edits folder and found something that more or less applies, so there you go. :D As always, your comments/kudos/reblogs mean the world to me and I really hope you guys enjoy it! Cheers!

[crazydaymycrazyway]

Song Taewon is an amazing character. But I kind of hate him. I mean, I get where his actions come from. Like, in the end it's for the safety of Yoojin. I hated how obsessively protective Yoohyun was of Yoojin. But it mellowed down somehow, and ultimately, he learns how to be protective without having to think if chaining up his brother. And Yoojin was also able to convince him to change his ways. But this man, Song Taewon. I understand how he is afraid of himself and hates himself amd think he's a monster and all, and I do feel for him. I kind of understand him too, like where it's all coming from. But like, it's for your own good so let me just choke you so that you know how dangerous S classes can be, and by giving you this trauma, you'll stay away from them. I understand there's a power imbalance between Yoojin and Yoohyun, and the S class brother can easily abuse the frail one. Taewon's right on that part. But his actions somehow make me think that he wants Yoojin to stay away and be afraid of his younger brother. Like, think about Yoojin's wishes here? Man knows how dangerous it is and he still chose to take the risk, because he knows it's worth it. And it's not like he was fairing any good without Yoohyun anyway. Drinking and smoking away, depression amd stuff (Eventhough it was mostly because of Yoohyun's later actions)

Song Taewon's like, lemme reduce the rank of your skill and proceeds to reduce the one skill that keeps him mentally sane? Like dude, do you know how many nightmares and trauma that fear resistance helps to keep at bay? I know he doesn't know it. But still. He did it so that Yoojin wouldn't come near the S classes and also so that the S classes won't salivate over his doubling skill. He felt the power and exhilaration and he liked it, it was addictive and he got afraid of it because it's hard to control his desire. But dude, it's Yoojin's own skill and he decides what to do with it. I understand if he was going around and murdering everybody or something. But he's literally what? Helping so that dungeon raids become easier and the society could be more at ease? Uprooting the association's corrupt parts? He's using his skills as he pleases without negatively affecting the world. And like, you come and do this sh*t? Who is he to decide this? For Yoojin's protection? Well congrats man, you just made his life more miserable. More nightmares, more trauma and anxiety. Yet he continues to do what he does, this time struggling even more. As if what he faced isn't already enough. You use your skill on another guy for his 'protection' but he cleary doesn't want you to, and you forced it on him. Like, dipsh*t, where's a person's freedom of choice here? What if the skill he deranked was one that reduces the pain he feels and what if Yoojin had some kind of chronic pain? Well, your decision to 'protect' him will cause him to go through hell! Isn't he a guy with self control? Can't he think?! I hated this about him.

But I do understand where he comes from. Doesn't make me hate him any less. It might've been the paranoia or something. And he might've thought it to be the best course of action.

But dude, if I had a dream of being a model, and my dad goes and says it's dangerous for you and there will be creepy people staring at you so you can't be one and forcefully make me chose another path, saying it's for my own protection, am I supposed to feel good? What about what I want to do? My freedom of choice? You can't just force me to do something I don't want to. It's not like I'm causing the society any harm by pursuing my dreams? (Just an example)

Song Taewon's a civil servant, he has duties and a very important role in the stability if the society. I understand. I also understand the inner turmoil he faces. But I hate him.

His dynamic with Yoojin and Sung Hyunjae is quite amusing though. I'm not shipping the three of them, I will never. But it is cute, like I'm introverted and unworthy of love, I'm a monster and the other two go aigoo, who's my little monster, my cuddly bug, you're so sweet, so big and intimidating but so cute. It's funny.

But I hate him to guts. Just my opinion though. I think his character is intresting and a little funny, but that's it.

[theladyofbloodshed]

I don't think there's a right or wrong way to process trauma or react to abuse (re: Feyre and Tamlin/Rhysand) but my issue is if locking Feyre in a house for an hour is abusive, then locking Nesta in a house for MONTHS is like a million times more abusive and it's insane to me that Feysand stans bend over backwards to claim otherwise

The double standards around how to treat trauma are so odd in ACOTAR. Feyre is given so much care and patience. Tamlin is not allowed to be traumatised - despite meeting Amarantha as a child and her being interested in all that time. The curse can be viewed as “his fault” for not “giving in” (a take I’ve seen). He watched Feyre be tortured, he lost the bulk of his sentries to curse. He shows signs of trauma by staying in his beast form and sleeping at the bottom of the bed on guard. But because it’s not softly softly weeping, it’s not allowed. Just as Nesta’s trauma comes out with brittle words. Elain is given love and care. Rhys has nightmares and he’s cuddled by Feyre. If he reacted with paranoia and panic like Tamlin, would he get the same treatment? Everybody treads carefully around Mor when it comes to her father and Eris. Simple things like fire and baths affect nesta so deeply but she just needs to get over it! It’s just so weird that nobody close to Nesta noticed that she is suffering and lashing out is her way of isolating herself. Nobody reached out their hand, not truly.