#Roman IS a bad guy

[gilverrwrites]

This isn’t necessarily a request, just an idea I can’t get out of my head: Black Mask x Batfam!Reader in a Hades and Persephone AU

Oh my god this is so good.

Like Roman is a simp, but it does no escape him that he’s managed to sink his teeth into one of Bruce Wayne’s strays.

Ain’t that a kick in the teeth Brucie.

But the cherry on top, he doesn’t know, he DOESNT EVEN KNOW that one of fuckin’ BATMANS kids.

Ugh, and when it starts he thinks he’s getting a spoiled, naive little prince/princess who will do whatever he says cause they don’t know better.

BUT he’s actually signing himself up for someone who is way fitter than him (not just because they’re younger), trained in almost every martial art, who is having none of his shit.

OR flip the switch, he thinks he’s tricked a superhero, a sidekick into signing up for the wrong team, either way!

But most importantly, someone who has read his files over and over, who already know every intimate detail about who he is, but falls for him anyway, who sees him.

And Bruce who doesn’t trust anyone DOES NOT trust this at all. He’s so doting, texting and calling constantly cause this was not part of any plan, you did not get his permission. “This is not the same as going under cover, this is a bad idea and you’re going to get yourself found out or killed, come home!”

“What did you just say? No, NoYouDoNotLoveHim, hang on I’m opening the line for Alfred”

Omg I could go on

I might need to write this

[kenchann]

meli finds out something

[nesushii]

the boys!

commissions are open!

[canisalbus]

To me, Machete kind of has the energy of a secondary villain/coldhearted side character in someone else's story that a lot of fans latch onto, moreso than the protagonist. Question is, would he be the villain in anyone's story?

Why, thank you! I'm actually glad to hear he gives off that vibe. I don't think he set out to become a villain but a lot of people certainly view him as one.

[overleftdown]

this is going to be my somewhat-brief analysis (buckle in, it's not brief at all) of preluding scenes to farleigh and olivers... scene, lmao. because i can't read micro-expressions and social cues IRL, but i can for movies! also, i want to give my understanding of farleigh's character using the most substantial part of his arc. i disagree so much with a lot of people's takes on farleigh. i needed to talk extensively about it.

[0:58:46] farleigh makes eye contact with a footman. this is one of the footmen that farleigh mentions to felix in a later scene, which i'll also go into. what's interesting about this subtle interaction is how wildly differently you could consider it, depending on how you choose to view farleigh as a character. if you go the "mirror of oliver," route, then this eye contact could be the moment farleigh decides the route he's going to take to confront felix.

on the other hand, the hand that i believe makes more sense, farleigh is genuine in his confrontation with felix. the eye contact he shares with the footman is reciprocated; the footman holds it, even as his body pulls back and his head turns. this gives the idea that they are making a connection. the expression farleigh makes afterwards is also an indication that farleigh isn't plotting or scheming to earn pity points; he feels a connection and comradery with the only other black people at saltburn. when the footman turns away, unneeded anymore (this can be a parallel to farleigh), farleigh glances down, back up, then purses his lips. he looks dejected, in my opinion. this is immediately followed by farleigh's dig at oliver; "i think oliver looks like he'd rather throw himself out of a window.

food for thought.

[0:59:9] elsbeth: you can invite all your friends. farleigh: what friends?

this can obviously be a petty dig. and it is, in some ways. but i think a lot of these petty digs are because farleigh has been here before. he has watched his cousin drag home mediocre and tragic (presumably) white boys for perceived self-benefit. whether felix wants entertainment, wants to quell his guilty conscious (both of which are motivations for his mother), felix seems to have these fleeting possessive relationships with the friends he brings back to saltburn. he could also be queer and deeply repressed, lmfao.

i digress; farleigh is sick and tired. the first thing he says to oliver, before oliver even got to felix, was bitchy as all hell. after that, farleigh had more incentive to belittle oliver; yes, his comments about mannerisms, class, and overall character were petty. they were also all of the qualities that farleigh couldn't afford to have. farleigh is pointing out that oliver has no social life, yet still gets a 200-person party full of people that don't even know his name. this is tragically unfair, at least in farleigh's mind.

[1:01:25] felix: and fucking farleigh, what a little shit stirrer. oliver: well, someone has to entertain us all. felix: ...right. oliver: that's why we love him.

there's a clear disregard of humanity and depth, when felix concedes that farleigh is "entertainment." the sheer fact that felix would immediately believe oliver, a "stranger (as venetia so eloquently puts)" over a close family member, is odd on it's own. there are probably more reasons for distrust; everyone in saltburn is a shit stirrer, and farleigh does put on a particularly good show.

that's intentional, though. farleigh is very intentionally entertainment. otherwise, why would the cattons keep him around? they're welcoming people to their house as family, because they want a break from the reality of soul sucking wealth. because they want entertainment. elsbeth with her friend, who's only real personality traits are being pitiful and visibly different. felix, with his summer pet projects like oliver. farleigh can't be a temporary show; he needs to keep coming back. he needs sir james to support his mother.

[1:02:40] farleigh: i'm not saying my mother isn't completely idiotic when it comes to money. felix: you just have to be firm with her. farleigh: well i can't call her and tell her no! felix: i know, i know, you've said that. i know, i understand. farleigh: no, you don't know! you don't, it's humiliating. felix: it's very hard.

felix's approach to discussing other people's issues--that he does not relate to--makes me giggle sometimes. not that he's malicious or a fumbling idiot, but because of this scene specifically. in just this chunk of dialogue, you have the "i understand" and "you don't understand" conflict. an age old one. a common representation of someone who has never lived a specific struggle yet frames themselves as knowledgeable. felix seems to enjoy the "it's very hard" verbiage. the manner in which he speaks to oliver about his supposed impoverishment and struggles is very similar to the way he speaks to farleigh, in this scene.

i don't know what else to say about this. you can make your own inferences on felix's dialogue, i suppose.

[1:02:50] farleigh: i'm sorry, but it's a bit fucking shitty. you're all throwing oliver a party for 200 people while my mother lives in squalor. felix: well, she's hardly living in squalor, mate. farleigh: well she can't pay her bills so she will be! okay? at the rate she's going, she will be.

GAH. again, this dialogue can be considered in two different ways. farleigh could be hyperbolizing in order to play into the catton savior complex. or he could be completely genuine in his anxiety surrounding his mother's finances. it's very important that you recognize the fact that farleigh isn't arguing about himself, in this situation. he's talking about his mother. later in the conversation, he recenters himself as a person of color. but the original conflict is about whether or not his mom is living comfortably. this arguably affects him, but not entirely. he could continue to maintain his oxford-student-and-saltburn-resident character and continue to frolic around while his mom struggles to make responsible decisions.

[1:03:02] felix: right, well that's exactly why dads concerned about helping her. he doesn't want to enable her. he wants her to learn how to stand on her own two feet. farleigh: yeah, like he does?

and farleigh ate.

[1:03:09] farleigh: i mean, you know how this looks, right? making me come to you with a begging bowl. felix: what are you implying? farleigh: i think you know what i'm implying, felix. why don't you ask liam and joshua? felix: who... who the fuck are liam and joshua!? farleigh: ...your footmen.

farleigh's mannerisms in this portion of the scene GAG me. the easy confidence, the self-assured and confrontational attitude. the cocky wave of his shoulders and tilt of his head. he smirks, scoffs, makes and holds eye contact as emphasis to what he is accusing. the way he says "i think you know what i'm implying" even though i'm not quite sure if felix did. this really hammers in the implicit nature of the cattons' treatment of farleigh.

[1:03:33] felix: oh, oh. that is... that is low, farleigh. farleigh: okay. felix: jesus christ, mate! seriously, is that where you wanna take this!? farleigh: right. felix: make it a race thing!? what the fuck! i mean, we're your family, we hardly even notice that you're... different, or anything like that! farleigh: mmm. felix: i never know our footmen's names!

GAGGED. i eat up this scene and lick my fingers. "wohohoho, i don't see color! i can't believe you'd make it a race thing!" i know i should cut felix some slack, but this is just a little too real. although i've cut farleigh some slack for his classism.

the complete change in farleigh's mannerisms from the previous timestamp to this one is EDIBLE. i can't cope with it. his smile as felix says "that is low" is so painfully real. it says "i've been here before and maybe i was expecting this." for a second, felix is almost entertainingly cliche. then the exasperation hits. farleigh just looks tired. he blinks rapidly, smooths over his eyebrow with his hand, vocalizes his disbelief in felix's denial. "we hardly even notice you're different," to which farleigh crosses his arms (defensive), raises his eyebrows, nods along.

i won't include the final few lines of this conversation cuz i'm blabbing FAR too much, but farleigh's expressions of absolutely exhaustion and disappointment as felix says they've "been more generous then most"... i'm so sick. it doesn't matter what other families would do, because this family passes out charity like it's their favorite pastime. farleigh is your best american girl.

oliver, overhearing this conversation, immediately knows what his next plan of action is. compare himself to farleigh. and really, it's funny, because oliver misses the obvious differences between him and farleigh. just like everyone else. he will never feel different, not in the same way farleigh does. not with farleigh's relationship to the cattons, the legacy of his parents, and his blackness.

[1:06:32] (godfather's karaoke scene, AKA apple bottom jeans. he's a disgusting manchild and he throws his jacket at his wife.) is it odd to point out that another one of the only visible black characters is being degraded/mistreated/disregarded? not crazy, right? especially following the conversation about bias two scenes ago.

[1:07:02] farleigh: y'know, i think i'd fuck richard the III. he's so insecure, so you'd know he'd put in the work, right? oliver: or you could just fuck me, right?

here, i think there's a level of projection that farleigh is using in his line about insecurity. not only is it made known that farleigh uses sex as a tool (with teachers, specifically), but it's also made known that farleigh believes/knows that he is treated differently due to his race and/or family history. oliver seems to have clocked this, considering he relates himself to richard the III, then tells farleigh they have similar experiences.

[1:07:34] oliver: y'know, if you ever wanna talk to anyone, you can talk to me, farleigh. farleigh: ...what do you mean? oliver: well, i know you're going through a hard time at home. i know how that feels, when things are so precarious. it's terrifying... and lonely. and it must be so fucking weird, having to ask them for everything. and i know you fucking hate me. farleigh: i... i don't hate you. oliver: but... if you ever wanted me to talk to them, to see if there's... if i can help in any way... just ask. farleigh: ...okay.

i love this movie. have i said that yet? i bet you definitely couldn't tell by this post. this conversation is so... there's so much to talk about.

i'll start with some of my favorite of farleigh's mannerisms/expressions. when oliver first cuts their... tensions with "you can talk to me," farleigh pulls back slightly, sits up slightly, looks across oliver's face. there's a level of shock to it, but. farleigh was comfortable with oliver, his sworn enemy, flirting with him. yet, he pulled back at a genuine offer of support. some see this as farleigh always wanting oliver sexually, but i think it's more nuanced than that. when oliver says "terrifying... and lonely" that's when the camera cuts back to farleigh. he previously wore a half-smile that is now dropping; "lonely" was the hardest word to swallow. his lip is quivering. he looks up in an almost-eye roll when he says, "i don't hate you." he's laughing when oliver finishes, like he finds it all funny, yet the way he says "okay" makes him seem genuine. however... clearly not, considering the next portion of this scene!

even though oliver is lying out of his ass, everything he's saying is a description of farleigh. people grossly misunderstand farleigh's character, even when it's laid onto a banquette sized table through this portion of the movie. he's insecure, desperate, terrified, unsure, and lonely. farleigh, with so many friends and so many scandalous choices, is so fucking lonely. he knows he doesn't belong here, so he jams his ill-fitting puzzle piece into the saltburn jigsaw and crosses his fingers.

he tells oliver he doesn't hate him, and he looks like he's struggling to spit it out. he looks up towards the ceiling, closes his eyes like he's gathering himself. again, people take this as a bonding moment. the next portion of the scene contradicts this. honestly, i'm not completely sure, either. i think he's honest when he says he doesn't hate oliver. so, what? he's jealous, definitely. he wants to hold the same power as oliver, a foreign entity with somehow so much more privilege than farleigh. maybe that bred a certain kind of infatuation; the need to emulate what you'll never be. of course, he sees himself in the boys felix brings home; they, just like farleigh, need or want something from the cattons (although i object to the idea that farleigh is somehow "a mirror" of oliver). do what you will with this word vomit, i don't know where i'm going here.

and OH MY GOD "if you ever wanted me to talk to them, to see if there's... if i can help in any way," is diabolical. so terribly diabolical. the sheer idea that oliver knows, is pummeling it into farleigh's face, that he has authority over farleigh's life like that? that he knew felix for six months and he can somehow "talk to" farleigh's family about treating farleigh better... vomit inducing. farleigh is actually your best american girl.

[1:09:39] (karaoke scene) elsbeth, so uncomfortable with the idea that oliver is using them. i suppose that's the manner of wealthy people; they don't want to believe that they're only good for their money. but... they did that to themselves, in a way. they enjoy the pet projects, the charity work, the ego boost that comes with inviting the "lesser" to saltburn. hanjob on a haybale, golden big boy summer, right? everyone in the room is scandalized. farleigh is having the time of his fucking life. yet, here's the kicker,

[1:10:10] oliver: this is your song too, farleigh. come finish it. farleigh: only if you insist!

and then farleigh gives the performance of his life, by the way. people died. but... nobody is uncomfortable. literally no one. no one shudders or gasps at the scandal of oliver saying "this is your song, too" over the karaoke microphone; everyone heard. nobody cares. they all know. they start clapping farleigh on, cheering. elsbeth relaxes back onto her bed of cushions, because farleigh is entertaining. the change in mood is soooo... interesting.

[1:10:45] curse this scene, i don't even want to talk about it. it was hot, oliver and farleigh are so homoerotic, whatever yadayada. just like every other sexual scene in this movie, it is riddled with a suffocating kind of uncomfortable tension. we are made intimate third-party witnesses to carnal, sinful, emotionally ambiguous scenes. when i pointed out farleigh seemed more comfortable with flirting then comfort, when i said farleigh uses sex as a tool, when i said farleigh was projecting with "he's so insecure, so you know he'd put in the work." i just overthink. but any person that has sexual relationships with teachers needs intensive therapy and that cannot be denied. however, it's oliver, that uses sex as a tool throughout this movie. another uncomfortable parallel between the two characters.

something about farleigh's expression throughout this scene is... kind of hurtful. the way the moonlight just barely illuminates the light in his eyes, whereas any detail of oliver's face is shrouded in darkness. it make's farleigh look young, innocent, real. (sidenote, as i'm watching, i have to mention this. the way farleigh says that second "no" is so funny. "...no...?" LMFAO). man, i don't even know what to say, past this. the whole dominant dynamic, farleigh saying "i'm going to behave" is a little too painful considering the context leading up to this scene. it's freaky. it's so very oliver.

this is way too long but i could make so many more connections with their final confrontation at oliver's birthday party. i'm drowning in thoughts. what i really wanted to highlight was how ambiguous farleigh's character is, and how differently a lot of his scenes can be perceived. i've decided that farleigh is a sympathetic character, similar to oliver but so much less powerful. some people hate farleigh! so. there's that. the end! thanks to anyone who read this whole thing!

[vincentsleftear]

PISSING MYSELF 😭

[notacluedo]

Aeneas get ur ass to Italy

[selamat-linting]

also re: prev post while im at it seth rollins is not just the guy who wear funky clothes and talk like the joker. he is Not Just the destroyer of the shield and roman's tormentor. he is not some guy ppl erased in fanfics or write as a one dimensional douchebag so roman and dean can boink without interruption. his feelings for roman is as multifaceted as roman's feelings to both seth and dean.

that chairshot was calculated. its double edge sword. if seth just wants to trigger and distract roman there are other ways that doesnt involve him dying by the chairshot. he said it himself that he made roman that way, he fully acknowledged his responsibility and paints a target on his back on the cody match so roman can have his moment of catharsis and also so roman can lose everything. seth wants to get hurt just like he used to hurt roman. its regret, its atonement, seth is going to hurt himself so he could hurt roman and from there he hoped losing the title could stop roman from digging himself in a hole of obsessive behavior and self destruction. maybe there are kinder ways to apologize but seth is also resentful and petty. the hate is still very real and its cruelty is as intense as the enduring love and care seth felt about him despite all those years and denial. those two guys are fucked up and their love language is stabbing each other in the back.

[praxidikegal]

So in this AU, where Snow decided to fight against the Capitol. How did that happen? What happened to him that had him go "Wait...maybe this isn't the way to go. We should leave for now."

I'm so sorry for not answering sooner.

You see, in this au the ending never happened, Coryo never lied and Lucy Gray accepted him yada yada they travelled and ended up in 13. When they were found they presented themselves to 13 as runaways (himself a trained peacekeeper assigned to district 12 from district 2) Though, they were relatively safe and stable and he was able to climb to power and took back what was "stolen" from his family, Coryo does not want to stay down there forever. He hates the lack of opulence, luxury and life. He also holds a grudge against the Capitol for his "downfall".

In 13, he holds a different name along with Lucy Gray and he wants his name back and his family name's old glory back and of course he wants to get back to Tigris and Grandma'am (tho, grandma'am croaked before they meet again). He hates that he is in hiding, he hates that he is hidden and as president there, He cares little about the people in 13 but Lucy Gray does so he does his best to make the place better for her and his kids (of course himself, he is ambitious and wants some kind of privilege no matter how small in 13) so he's in semi-in contact with the rebels and the Capitol themselves, exchanging goods with them and accepts refugees due to 13's little supplies and population. Then the pox outbreak happens and it was when his son, Orpheus Sage, almost died that he can no longer bear it and so he had 13 join the rebellion fully. After the war was won, he was elected as president of Panem (and all the things it entails) and moved his family to the Capitol.

I hope this sound coherent and not a bumbling mess

Aidoneus Thorne, president of district 13 A.K.A. Coriolanus I'm-only-nice-to-my-family-Snow.

[musicalmoritz]

Loser

Her Pretty Wife

[thesamoanqueen]

I need Roman to return with some anger and intensity behind him. Something similar to how he was in the Thunderdome but 10x worse. They stole his Ula Fala, he needs to k*ll them

Thanks anon for not saying "because they killed his wiseman" I appreciate it. Anyway-

YESS! F* the babyface run! he should make them all pay and then only then, begin to act better and exclusively with his family. Because he has never done anything wrong, he has always been right and it's time that people understand this without asking him to change so they can make ships on X.

[kindest-little-fella-in-town]

often the humble kind, but he can’t deny, he was born to blow your mind…

…or something along those lines.

[captaincanonly]

FAMILY FUN TIMES!!

[thiagodasilva]

good morning to everyone but especially esquire for dropping these at 10 am on a Monday morning

[five-abs-and-one-peck]

so for my orange design, he's the quiet sort. he doesn't really express much and can't talk very well, so he uses Logan as his voice when he's irritated at the others or Thomas. Logan doesn't mind it too much because he's allowed to vent out his frustration towards the group as well, just hiding it behind orange

I think it could play out in silly ways, hence the comic

[fullbattleregalia]

Me: Man, I was not expecting to latch onto Roman Torchwick from RWBY so hard. Talk about coming out of left field.

My Brain: I mean… not really.

Me: Huh?

My Brain: Remind me - who’s your favorite trash son from Final Fantasy VII Remake?

Me: Oh, Reno, naturally.

My Brain: Yes, Reno, the smartass, snarky bad guy with red hair, who’s a snappy dresser, gives off low key ‘get me off this crazy train’ vibes but still goes along with the plan and has a partner in crime he’s extremely loyal to.

Me: Yeah! Reno’s great!

My Brain: …

Me: …

Me: Ooooooooooooh…

My Brain: Yup.

Me: I have a type.

My Brain: You absolutely have a type.