#We're Dead but We've been Worse! | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

hannsluvely · 1 year ago

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after hours

after hours : a live action buggy x fem!reader fanfiction

for some odd reason, you have no idea who he is. and he fucking loved that.

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chapter one chapter two chapter three

chapter four | suede. stalking. silly.

his pov;

"Your wanted poster."

Those three words settled in my mind as I stared at the distraught girl in front of me, watching as she fumbled with her hands, a nervous exterior brushing over her. She seemed to be so horrified with the fact that I was once a pirate sought after by thousands- wanted dead or alive, though much preferred dead. Many still wanted me dead but due to my brilliant idea of hiding out here, the chance of anyone getting my bounty was thin. I, however, didn't see it being as much of a big deal as she deemed it so. The real issue I found was tucked away in one of the books within the nightstand which I was so fucking thankful she didn't find. I'd rather her not have been looking around but if she were to find one of the two? I was glad she found the poster.

I tossed another slice of apple into my mouth then set the knife down on the cutting board. I approached Y/N but instantly halted when I noticed how nervous and uneasy she was. "What's wrong?"

"H-How many people did you kill?" She asked, her voice shaking.

"Does that really matter?" I asked, waving my hands up in the air to hopefully exaggerate my point. "It was almost a year ago."

"That doesn't change the fact that it happened!"

"I know, I know." Despite her discomfort, I took a seat next to her anyway. She tightened her arms around herself, almost to make sure there was as much distance between us without her actually moving. Clenching my jaw, I patted my hands upon my thighs. "I know it's a terrible thing, and there's nothing I can do to change that. It's in the past and if I could go back and alter things, I would. Being a pirate was all I knew. My old friend was one, too. Then we separated onto different things and-"

"Did he kill people?"

"Lots of pirates kill people. It's part of the hype, ya know? It's very unlikely to raid another ship without there being any casualties. But I stopped because I got tired of it. I wanted something more."

"It's a pretty big bounty. I mean- come on, fifteen million berries?"

"Don't think about turning me in now," I chuckled, wanting to add a bit of lightheartedness to this unfortunate predicament.

"I'm not like that. I know I'm in need of money but-"

"I didn't mean it like that, Y/N, come on. Give me some slack."

"Well, why exactly did you stop? Did you lose the thrill of stealing from others? O-Or did you get bored of killing innocent people?"

I rolled my eyes, scoffing. "We've all done some shit we're ashamed of. We're humans. I did a lot of fucked up shit," I said as I pointed at myself. "But I changed that. I moved and let all that go. I left my crew, made someone else the captain, and abandoned ship. I left all of that shit behind and came here."

"But why?"

"If I say this, I'll probably make things worse but I don't want to lie anymore," I said as I laid back, folding my hands over my chest. I stared up at the ceiling. "You've obviously heard of the One Piece, right?"

"Of course."

"Well, I was one of those pirates absolutely obsessed with finding it. Fuck, I even dreamt about it. It was the only thing I truly desired in life. It was the only thing I thought about. Not riches, women, alcohol- just the One Piece. I was making somewhat decent progress but then I heard that a group of Straw Hats-" I grimaced at the thought. "-made off with the map which they stole from one of the Marine bases. I happened to track them down and I managed to steal the map from some kid named Monkey D. Luffy. But all good things must come to an end and I lost it. I was back to square one. And then I discovered his bounty was thirty million berries." I frowned then sat up, turning to face Y/N. "Can you believe that? Some newby pirate-wannabe received a bounty double my own! Seeing that brought me back to reality. So I dropped everything then came here."

"All because of him?"

I nodded my head. Just the thought of that kid irked me. There was no one, other than Shanks, who I despised more than my own self.

"So, yeah, I know what I did was fucked up. But there's a reason I'm here now. There's a reason I've given you so much. It's because I want to be a better person, maybe redeem myself for what I've done. And I can do that by helping you, by making your life a little less miserable."

"Do you pity me?" The girl asked, finally meeting my gaze.

"What?" I laughed, almost obnoxiously. "Of course not. If anything, I envy you."

"Me?" Y/N pointed at herself. "You envy me?"

"You have no bad conscience. You've done nothing wrong, you have nothing to make up for. You have a clean slate."

She shrugged, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "Thank you."

"So, uh, do you hate me now?" I asked, forcing a frown to mimic a pouting child. She giggled at this and shook her head. I sighed in relief, wiping 'sweat' from my forehead. "Thank god. I don't know what I'd do with myself if you hated me."

"I knew you were a pirate but it's still shocking to learn about your past. It'll take me a bit to get used to it but I don't hate you."

"So, we're good?" I extended my hand.

"We're good." She shook it.

I felt as if a huge relief was lifted off my shoulders. And as long as she stayed out of the nightstand, there would be no more issues. But if I hid the book, then I would be even more safe. I pondered the possibilities before I watched as she rose from the confines of the bed and approached the counter. My eyes trailed down. The backs of her thighs were exposed and the shorts clung to her ass so divinely. I bit my lip and crossed my leg over my lap.

"I appreciate everything you've done for me," She mumbled as she started to chew on an apple, then began to cut into an orange. "I do have a question for you, though."

"Go ahead, shoot." As soon as she turned around, my eyes met hers and I smiled.

"Are devil fruits real? Or is that just an old tale? I've never seen one up close and I heard they cost a fortune, even for just one alone."

"They're real," I said with a small laugh. "I would know, I've eaten one."

Y/N nearly jumped before she darted over toward me, her hands grabbing at my shoulders. She still had a slice of half-chewed apple in her mouth which made her struggle to properly speak. "WHAT? You- NO! You didn't?!" She let go of my arms and instead planted her hands on my chest, shoving me back. I collapsed back against the bed, laughing. "You ate one?!"

"Years ago, when I was fifteen."

"You're lying!"

"I'm not. It was a mistake actually."

"What happened?"

I chuckled and pushed myself back up. "Give me an orange and I'll tell you."

If my reflexes weren't so quick, the fruit would've hit me in the face with how quick she threw it. But I caught it and began to pick apart the peel. "Easy, next time," I smirked and took a bite from it. "Well, when I was younger and was a pirate-in-training, the crew I was in raided this ginormous ship and hit the motherload. Not only gold and jewels and anything you could think of, but there was also a devil fruit. I found out how much they were worth and tried to steal it but I was caught in a predicament and I tried to hide it in my mouth."

"And?"

"I swallowed it whole."

She gasped, "And you're alive?"

"It doesn't kill you. It just takes your ability to swim when you're in the ocean, in salt water. It's like the sea turned its back on you."

"Did you get a power from it?"

I shrugged and winked at her, taking another bite. I licked the juices from my hand. "Guess."

"You can fly?"

"Ha! Nope."

"Read minds?"

"It's body-altering."

"Wait," The lovely maiden smirked, taking a seat on the bed. "Did it give you that red nose?" She snickered.

"Guess again," I said flatly, my expression turning cold as I stared at her. She gulped, clenching her jaw. I laughed and looked down at my lap, now using one hand to hold the orange. I continued to chew on it. But while she was distracted with her numerous attempts to guess what kind of body-altering power I had, I detached my left hand at the wrist. It floated behind the both of us and tapped on her right shoulder. Y/N jumped up, her head shooting to look at her side. Her eyes widened and her eyebrows furrowed together before she spotted my floating hand waving at her. She gasped and slapped it away. I broke out into a fit of laughter, my hand reconnecting to my wrist. "Impressive, huh?"

"You- what?" She was still flabbergasted.

"I ate the chop-chop fruit. It allows me to pretty much chop any part of my body. Like I can-" To avoid grossing her out, I chopped my left leg from my thigh instead of my head from my neck. She watched in amazement. I smiled at this. "I can disconnect anything from my body from my toes to my ears to my-"

"Even... ya know?"

I winked. "Oh, yeah. That, too."

"That's so cool. How come you haven't done it before around me?"

"I don't know. I just never found a reason to." Shrugging my shoulders, I allowed my leg to snap back. I continued to chew on the orange before finishing it and tossing the peel into a small bin to the left of the bedside table. Y/N finished hers as well. She wiped her hands down on her shirt.

"So, uh," I chewed on my bottom lip. "Do you think you and your mother will be okay?"

"Yeah. We fight all the time. Her drinking doesn't help."

I cringed. "Really?"

"Yeah, she's one of the reasons I hate it so much."

I pursed my lips and nodded my head. I knew I needed to cut back on it but it was something I've done for well over more than half my life. Though, I was destined to do it. Not only for myself, but for her, too. I'd do anything for Y/N. "So," I began, "what do you want to do today?"

"I need to go make up with my mother. That's a big to-do. I can't stand her ever being upset with me." The girl said as she stood up, slipping her shoes back onto her feet. "We can have dinner tonight if you want. Maybe you could meet her."

"Meet your mom?"

"Yeah, why not? She was wondering where all that money came from. She thought I stole it."

"Hell, I don't know. I'm not good with meeting new people."

"Will you, at least, consider it?"

"Sure," I smirked.

"Thank you." Y/N reached for the doorknob, giving it a strong and firm tug before it yanked open. A gush of cold wind washed over her, almost knocking her back. I tossed her my coat to which she whispered another 'thank you' then slipped it on. "I'll see you, Buggy."

"Bye," I murmured with a smile.

As soon as the door shut, I jumped down from the bed and pulled the drawer out from the nightstand, dropping it on the stone floor. I sorted through the numerous books and grabbed the novel I was so fucking thankful she didn't look through. As I opened the cover, the hollowed book had contents that almost spilled out. Papers among papers, among sketches fell out, wafting along the floor. Several notes about Y/N puddled on the floor. One, which was my favorite, was a letter I wrote to her- well, I refused to send it. If I sent it, any last fiber of my confidence would be crushed like a scrambled egg. My fingers lined the rigid edges as I unfolded it.

Messy paragraphs lined both the front and back of the page.

I smiled. How long ago did I write this? I haven't looked at it in so long. I usually added a sentence to it each time I saw Y/N, which is why it was so long. But I stopped pouring my thoughts and desires into it when I actually had the pleasure of speaking to her.

If she saw this, I would kill myself.

I'd purposely jump into the ocean with two anchors attached to my feet.

I looked over the first paragraph,

'I've never wanted something so badly in my life. To say I yearned for her would be a complete understatement. I longed for her, I yearned, I desired- In simple terms, I wanted her. I mean, how could I not? She was an angel. She was a siren. I would purposely listen to her enchanting song, allowing my boat to crash, just if it meant I could be graced by her presence, by her beauty. I was obsessed with her. If she found out my thoughts, my desires, she would never let herself be seen with me. I wouldn't blame her, though. I was obsessive. It was unhealthy, I knew that. But I didn't care. I wouldn't say I loved her because I didn't know what that felt like. I've never experienced it. But perhaps I did love her. I didn't know, I couldn't tell. All I knew was that she was the only treasure I wanted. Not the One Piece, no. Not even that could match up to her alluring person. If I had to travel every sea in order to find her, battle every sea snake in order to touch her, I would. I would in a heartbeat.'

I grimaced, cringing at what I was reading. Thank god, she didn't see this. I didn't even want to see this.

I tucked the papers back into the hollowed-out book, closing it. I slipped the other novels into the drawer then slid it into the nightstand. With the book of secrets, I needed to hide it somewhere she could never find it- where even I struggled to find it. I didn't want to throw it out for I would be completely discarding all of those moments we had together, although she couldn't reconcile them with me because at that time, I was nonexistent to her.

Maybe I could follow my own idea and form my own message in a bottle. I never mentioned her name, nor my own. To an outsider's perspective, it was anonymous.

I shook my head and slipped the book back into the bedside table. She wouldn't be back anytime soon so I had enough time to properly execute a fool-proof plan.

But right now?

I needed to go get another coat.

-=-

her pov;

My mother and I resolved things, just like always. And when she caught wind of a pirate suddenly becoming very fond of me, she begged me to invite him over for dinner. I didn’t think that was the best of ideas. Going out to dinner? Sure! But to have him over? At our house? I cringed at the idea.

She fell ill months ago. Nothing too major, but ever since she’s gotten better, she despises leaving the house and even made me bring her bed downstairs so she could sleep next to the kitchen just in case she had a hankering for something to eat. It was ridiculous, I knew that. But I couldn’t just tell her no. She was my own mother. While I was old enough, I definitely wasn't going to willingly disobey her.

She persisted that I go and grab Buggy so we could have him over for dinner, while I insisted we all go out to eat. She hated the idea and told me that it was her house, her rules.

I grimaced at the thought.

Now, I was just outside Buggy's home, knocking on the stone door. I hoped he was home, though there was no possibility of me being able to ask him prior to my arrival. I knew he was busy. He was a very busy man. I was surprised he made time for me.

With another knock, another silence fell. I groaned and backed up.

My eyes trailing down, I stared at the doorknob and chewed on my bottom lip. He wouldn't care if I waited inside, right? We trusted each other. He knew where I lived and I knew where he lived. As far as I knew, he never crossed any of my boundaries and I definitely didn't cross any of his- well, except for maybe 'snooping' through his nightstand.

Without thinking too much more about it, I grabbed the rusted doorknob, gave it a firm twist, then shoved it open. I almost fell through the doorway.

I caught my balance and stepped inside, closing the door behind me. Without the lantern being lit, it was rather dark, but the bright blue sky helped to illuminate the small room. He must've not been home since I left.

I looked around, admiring everything.

As I took a seat on the edge of the bed, I noticed a piece of paper laying on the floor. It wasn't there before.

I raised an eyebrow and reached to grab it but before I could, the door flung open, a certain blue-haired pirate standing in the entrance. When he noticed me, he smirked. I gulped.

"So, we're breaking and entering, are we?" The man grinned as he took a few paces forward.

"I'm sorry," I murmured, scratching the back of my neck. "I came over to ask you about dinner but you weren't here so I figured I would wait."

"No worries, I'm only teasing."

"So?" I folded my arms, leaning forwards.

"So what?" Buggy questioned as he slipped his coat off. Since when did he get a new coat? And why? I was only borrowing the one he lent me. I didn't plan on keeping it. But I guess now it was okay if I did.

"Dinner? Are you available?"

"Hmm, it depends. What time?"

"I don't know, sometime tonight? Only for two hours or so. My mother wanted to meet you. I told her about you."

"What did you tell her?"

"That you've been a friend of mine for a few weeks now and you've been fortunate enough to treat me and help me out," I said with a smile. "She thought you were my boyfriend." I chuckled.

"Heh, that's rich," Buggy said as he turned around to close the door.

"So? Can you?"

"I guess so. Just don't leave me alone with her. I really don't want to be bombarded with questions." The man said as he folded the jacket over his arm then slung it on the countertop. "Did you tell her about my nose?"

I laughed, confused. "No? Why would I?"

"It's my defining feature. It's hard not to notice it when you see me."

"I didn't tell her. I didn't think it was important. I even forget it's there."

The clown burst out in laughter, his eyes closing as he clutched his stomach and nearly fell back with his fit of giggles. I pursed my lips. "What's so funny?" I asked as I crossed my arms.

"It's cute how you're trying to be nice to me. With a nose like mine, how can you forget it's there?" He replied while wiping a tear from his eye.

I felt flustered with the first part of his monologue but I ignored it and shrugged my shoulders. "I don't know, I just do. It's not all I see whenever I look at you, ya know. It's not my main focus point when we speak. I look at your eyes, not your nose."

"And yet again, you prove to me that you're different than others."

I smiled. "Hope that's a good thing."

Buggy smirked, winking his left eye. "Of course it is."

The pirated approached me before he knelt down and picked up the piece of paper. He examined it for a moment then laughed to himself. "Grocery list," He explained as he shoved the paper into his pocket.

I paid no attention to the paper. It wasn't any of my business. "Speaking of groceries, want to go help me get food for dinner?"

"What's on the menu?"

"No idea, but let's just grab something so she won't be bitching later."

"Guess I'll be needing this again," The blue-haired man said as he reached to grab his jacket. He slipped his arms through and adjusted the collar. "We match now."

"Mine's more vintage than yours." I winked.

"Oh, so it's yours now?"

"No?" I gulped.

Buggy giggled. "It is. I got my own now so no worries about giving it back. Unless you'd like to trade from time to time."

"No, I like this one."

The man looked at me, an eyebrow cocked upward.

I paid his look no attention and instead looked down at the tattered suede coat I wore. I inhaled softly. It smelled like him.

A soft odor mixed with whiskey, coconut, and cinnamon. And while I hated the stench of alcohol, it worked for him.

I couldn't imagine him without it.

#buggy the clown #buggy the genius jester #buggy x reader #captain buggy #one piece live action #buggy smut #buggy one piece #op buggy #buggy #x reader #buggy x you #buggy x y/n #one piece buggy #buggy opla

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very-straight-blog · 6 months ago

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What do you think of a lot of the meta-discussion around Aegon being Aemonds BIGGEST bully since the beginning?

Well, first of all, as far as I remember, Aegon didn't cut out his eye, did he? This is where this discussion can end.

In general, we're shown two episodes of "bullying" and both of them are rather dubious, although in both cases Aegon behaves like an asshole.

The pig situation. Well, teenagers can be cruel, and siblings fight and even feud at this age, it's sad, but in general it's normal and doesn't necessarily affect their relationship in adulthood.

The brothel situation. Things are worse here due to the fact that this isn't a petty showdown between some boys, but a public humiliation. However, I have already written many times that I don't consider this to be something planned or malicious. Aegon was dead drunk, and in this state he thought it was funny. You don't even have to dig deeper like "he's mad at Aemond because of Jaehaerys." People do shit when they're drunk, that's it.

What worries me more is that fans talk about these two situations but don't talk about this:

In a moment of danger or shock, Aemond instinctively protects his brother, and this, by the way, is after the pig situation. Yes, he probably does it because he hates him or is afraid of him.

And Aegon, in turn, instantly rushes to protect his brother during the conflict over dinner:

And we also have a scene of their little dialogue before dinner, which seems quite peaceful and doesn't show that they have any open dislike for each other:

Aegon:"You don't drink enough."

Aemond:"You drink more than a Braavosi Sea Lord."

Aegon:"I drink just the right amount."

Aemond:“Even when the noose is so tight, they expect us to break bread.”

Overall, I think they have a complicated relationship - there's rivalry here, a certain lack of emotional intelligence, and yes, Aegon often acts like a moron. But we've been shown literally two episodes of bullying over the years. This is very similar to the reasoning that Alicent physically abused Aegon, because we were shown how she slapped him twice. That's not how it works.

#ask #aegon targaryen #aegon ii targaryen #aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #hotd #team green #pro team green #opinion

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miss-musings · 7 months ago

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"Omega Needs You Both": A Deeper Look at Crosshair's Plan 99 Monologue

So, I had an interesting exchange with someone on Twitter about the 3.15 "change of plans" scene and what exactly Crosshair meant -- specifically by the line "Omega needs you both."

I figured I'd share my thoughts here, and do a breakdown of the dialogue in this scene.

We start with Crosshair seeing Tantiss' defenses and his hand starts shaking uncontrollably. But, he clenches his fist and gives his brothers an update:

Crosshair: They've got heavy patrols guarding the perimeter, with lurca hounds. Wrecker: Told you we should've brought Batcher.

Wrecker, who was mauled by a jungle creature in the previous episode, has basically been running on a combination of adrenaline, determination and med patches for at least an hour. As Wrecker says this line, he chuckles and then groans with pain from his wounds.

Crosshair notices and gives him a look that Wrecker can intuit even under his helmet.

Wrecker: Stop looking at me like that. I'm fine. Crosshair: No, you're not.

Crosshair sees the situation they're in: Their five-man squad is down two people already.

Tech is dead. (RIP, bestest boy! 😭)

Echo is inside the base, but they can't coordinate with him. For all they know, he might've been captured or killed after deactivating the science vessel's sensors at the end of 3.13.

And now, on top of Crosshair's own hand tremors, Wrecker is severely injured.

Clone Force 99 is down two people already, two of the remaining three aren't at full strength, AND they’re going into Tantiss without any (known) back-up. 😬

Even if they manage to get past the patrolling stormtroopers and lurca hounds, they still don't have an easy way in. (Of course, the Zillo beast solves both of these problems about two minutes later.)

So, knowing full well what they're going up against and seeing the bad shape his squad is in, Crosshair offers a solution:

Crosshair: Change of plans. You two head to the communications array and try to contact Rex. I'll infiltrate the base myself. Hunter: Not happening. Wrecker: Yeah, we've handled worse situations than this countless--

Wrecker of all people knows that their squad isn't invincible. But, I think he's trying to infuse some optimism into the conversation and convince Crosshair not to do something rash.

Meanwhile, Crosshair basically tries to do the exact same thing to Wrecker, but in a much harsher way:

Crosshair: Wake up, Wrecker! Clone Force 99 died with Tech. We're not that squad anymore.

Crosshair says what they're all probably thinking:

Clone Force 99 charged into every battle in the Clone Wars with full confidence and zero hesitation. Maybe they weren't exactly stupid about it, but they were definitely reckless.

Crosshair is trying to tell Wrecker that they're not that invincible squad anymore. They lost their MVP in Tech. They cannot afford to go recklessly charging into battle like they used to, which he believes Wrecker is suggesting.

Crosshair: I've been inside that mountain. I know what we're up against. If we all go in, we're not all making it out.

Again, even if they manage to get inside, Crosshair knows exactly how well-defended Tantiss is. He's trying to convince his brothers to get to safety, because he knows the odds are stacked against them and he doesn't want to lose them.

He wants to keep them safe. He wants to protect them. So, he uses the best logic he has to try to convince them: 🥺

Crosshair: Omega needs you both.

I know a lot of people look at this line and interpret it as: "Crosshair thinks Omega doesn't need him (like she needs Hunter and Wrecker)."

There's definitely an argument to be made for that.

Crosshair has major self-esteem issues throughout Season 3, and he definitely feels like he failed Omega after missing the shot to track her ship in 3.11.

I do think he believes that Hunter and Wrecker matter to her more.

I also think he doesn't know or fully accept exactly how much he means to her.

But, he must have some sense that his well-being is important to her — that she cares about him.

She refused point-blank to leave Tantiss without him. She spent five months telling him, convincing him, that they were going to escape together. For all his efforts to push her away, she never gave up on him. And when the opportunity finally came, she kept her word and freed him.

Between 3.05-3.11, Omega spends a lot of time with Crosshair.

She helps him reintegrate back into their family and reconcile with Hunter. She doesn't like when he suggests taking on CX-2 by himself. She tries to help him heal his hand and his mind. When she tries to convince them people can change, she reminds Crosshair that she never gave up on him.

She also told him multiple times in Seasons 1 and 3 that he was her brother. Omega always saw him as part of her family, and she wanted him in her life.

(EDIT: It’s also totally possible that Crosshair realizes Omega cares about him while ALSO believing she doesn’t need him. “She cares about me” =\= “she needs me,” especially compared to how much she needs Hunter and Wrecker. He is still weighed down by guilt and insecurity, after all, and feels like he failed her in 3.11.)

Again, I do think Crosshair underestimates and/or doesn't fully accept how much he means to her (or how much she needs him).

But, I think he’s ultimately trying to tell his brothers: "You two can't die, because Omega needs you."

Crosshair knows how much they care about her. He probably thinks they'll agree to anything -- no matter how stupid -- if helps guarantee her safety.

Omega is the best reason he has to convince them they need to live.

In general, Tech went through a similar process in 2.16.

He first told his family to "sever the connection hinge now," and Wrecker refused. He called for Plan 99 and Wrecker still tried to talk him out of it. So, he shot the connection hinge himself, because he knew they'd never let him go even if it meant they’d all die too.

(RIP. He really was the bestest boy and the squad's MVP.)

Crosshair is doing the same thing: he's trying to convince his brothers to let him sacrifice himself to ensure their safety. 😭

Now, Tech's situation was different. It really was "either he dies or they all die." There was no way around it.

But that's not a guarantee here in 3.15, although Crosshair thinks it is. (And as we see later, he's basically right. The CX operatives could've and would've killed them, but Hemlock apparently wanted them alive.)

Anyway, let's close out Crosshair's monologue:

Crosshair: So, I'm doing this alone. It's-- It's what I deserve.

Pairing this with his previous statement that Omega needs Hunter and Wrecker, it can definitely sound like "I don't matter to Omega (like you do), so I need to sacrifice myself." Again, there's an argument to be made for that.

(EDIT: I really think DBB’s delivery of “Omega needs you both. So, I’m doing this alone. It’s what I deserve” is a BIG part of why people interpret it the way they do. And they’re arguably not wrong to do so. It does feel in-character for Crosshair.)

But, I'm guessing he means that sacrificing himself will finally atone for everything he's done -- hunting down and nearly killing his family, killing all sorts of people for the Empire, failing his loved ones, etc.

He's telling them: "I've made so many mistakes. Let me make up for it now by keeping you safe."

Thankfully, Hunter and Wrecker talk him out of it.

Hunter: Don't even think about Plan 99, Crosshair. Omega needs all of us, and so do those clones. Wrecker: We've always known the risks, and so did Tech. We do this together.

Hunter affirms that Omega needs all three of them. He's using the same logic that Crosshair tried: "Don't throw your life away, because Omega needs you too."

And Wrecker tells Crosshair more clearly that he knows their squad isn't invincible anymore. But, if they're going to do anything, they're going to do it together.

I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Crosshair planned to keep arguing with them, but then they got distracted by the Zillo beast. 😅

In summary

If I had to rewrite Crosshair's monologue so it would more clearly convey what I think he's trying to say, it would go something like this:

Crosshair: Wrecker, we're not wild Clone Wars frat boys anymore. If we go rushing into Tantiss like we used to, we're all gonna die. You two need to live for Omega's sake. So, stay here and stay safe, and let me sacrifice myself. I nearly killed you all, and did a whole bunch of other bullshit, so I need to make up it.

As I said, I think a lot of these points are open to debate and discussion. But, I wanted to offer alternative interpretations for some of these iconic lines, because I feel like everyone keeps landing on the same (wrong) ones.

Feel free to comment/reblog with your thoughts!

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johnwickb1tsch · 3 months ago

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The Devils' Triangle Part 10

A Yandere Tex Johnson x Witness!Reader x John Wick (& now John Constantine too) Imagine by:

@treedaddymcpuffpuff @sweetwolfcupcake @johnwickb1tsch (@tammykelly on hiatus) (with honorary dream weavers / shit stirrers @lilspookymeh & @kurai-hono-blog 😘) --> ALL CHAPTERS

Warnings: So many dead doves! Do not eat! Unless you like dead doves, that is. You're in good company here. 😘 Violence, sexual content, blood, murder, kidnapping, possessive behavior, dubcon, succubus magic, yandere sh!t...it's all here! Please take care! 😘 *divider by firefly-graphics

That's the thing about Midnite's. There is no shortage of cloistered nooks and crannies in which to stage a debauchery. John Wick already seems to have scoped this, as he carries you like you weigh nothing to the nearest shadowed booth, settling in with you on his lap like you never parted ways and it's just another Tuesday in the club. Even now, he will not give his back to the room. You try to turn but he holds you fast with one of those big hands around your throat, and the other already sliding up your thigh, under your skirt.

"John, I need–”

"Hush," he tells you, quiet but firm. "We've done things your way. Now, we're doing it mine."

As his long fingers dip past your pantyline you whimper and writhe back against him, that delicious hard bulge already pressing into your bottom. You've never been so determined to be a good good girl for this very bad man.

"Please…" It's all you can manage, with his thick fingers exploring your wet slit, and this clawing, excruciating magic singing through your veins, wanting sex with every fibre of your being, undoubtedly made worse by your forbidden longing.

"What are you on, honey? Don't lie to me." His breath against your ear is just gasoline on the fire.

You laugh, and it comes out as a sob. "Succubus shit." It's all you can really think to call it.

You feel him pause behind you, a rare moment in which the legendary assassin isn't really sure what to do. Maybe he's seemed to take the eldritch aspects of your new world in stride, but it's still all pretty fucking weird to him.

"Ok, baby. We'll deal with it. I've got you."

“Call…Constantine,” you beg him, even as your hips are bucking against his hand. You should feel guilty. You should stop, because Constantine deserves better than you grinding on your ex in the den of your boyfriend’s enemies…but you can’t. You just can’t, and you are sure that bitch demoness planned it that way, but right now you are a slave to the magick she infected you with.

John, however, just snorts behind you. “I don’t think I will,” he replies, before snaking a hand into your hair, pulling your neck at an almost painful angle for a kiss. He devours you, and somewhere in the back of your mind you wonder if the magic has infected him too. His strong fingers between your legs are as merciless as his mouth, remembering maybe not how you like to be touched, but how to make you cum in spite of yourself.

That howling need rises inside you, fierce as a hurricane, pleasure so intense it borders on pain. Thank God & gods for John, for the inexorable strength in his arms–a lesser man couldn’t handle you, in this state. As it is, he struggles to hold on as you writhe against him, utterly, hopelessly desperate for relief. Surely that will break the spell? Sate whatever arcane magick the succubus filled you with?

In the end it is hard to say who is claiming whom, as you manage to turn in John’s lap so that you can straddle those tree trunks for thighs, and press your aching center to the hard bulge in his trousers without a care for who or what might be watching.

And at Midnite’s, there is always someone watching.

You’ve never really got off on exhibitionism before, but now you are too power-drunk to care, having managed to loosen John’s tie and undo some of his shirt buttons in your ravenous craving for bare skin. “I need you.”

He slides down in the booth, giving you access to his belt while his paws for hands continue to roam under your skirt, his thumb never leaving your clit. He makes you work for it, smirking up at you, maybe taking some revenge for having to watch you in the arms of another man these past weeks. But when you free his impressive member into your hand, giving that thick velvety-smooth flesh an appreciative squeeze, you see it in his eyes. How badly he’s missed you–and he needs you too.

With zero patience left to your name you push your panties to the side and impale yourself upon him, taking him nearly to the hilt in your drenching wet cunt. This wins you a groan that feels like a victory, and you ride him at the pace you need. He can come along if he wants–but he’ll have to catch up.

“Fuck, baby…” He loops one arm around your waist, holding you against him, angling deeper.

“Make me cum, John,” you half beg, half taunt him. “I feel like I’ll die if I don’t cum.” The magick is riding you, filling you like searing hot lava beneath a volcano–if you don’t find a way to release it, it’s going to burn you alive.

“I’ve got you, y/n. My pretty girl, my perfect little one, still so tight for me.” He finds your nipple through the bodice of your dress, pinching and rubbing as he thrusts his hips for you. It’s all so good, and you know you’re done for a moment before it takes you, mind-numbing pleasure curling through your loins and up your spine with such force you feel like a tree split in two by lightning. The violence of it brings him with you, filling you with the hot rush of his seed. That is when you feel it–his very life essence, so proud and strong, and some of it passes into you, absorbed as your rightful due.

This man has the heart of a wolf, and somehow you know, somewhere in the hindbrain where the seed of this ancient magick dwells, that he could feed you for days.

As though somehow he senses something of your new predatory nature, maybe even that you took something more from him besides his blown load, he meets your eyes, so defiant even while he sits beneath you with his hair still tangled in your fingers. “Alright, princessa. You want to play? We’ll play.”

Dark laughter spills from your lips that does not sound like you at all. Something is changing in you, and you don’t know how to stop it. You need Constantine. The thought surfaces and sinks again like a tiny toy boat whipped amongst stormy waves, scuttled to the depths by the weight of this ravenous magick coursing through you.

You’ve barely managed to right yourselves again, before he is bundling you out of the club through a side entrance, half carrying you with a firm arm about your waist. A vintage mustang awaits down the street, a sleek black ‘69 that purrs like a jungle cat when he turns the key.

If you were in your right mind, you would have noticed that John took off in the absolute opposite direction of the humble house your share with John Constantine. He goes north, up, up through the winding roads of the Hills, until it feels as though you are on top of the world.

If you were in your right mind, you would have been worried about the fact that you are in John Wick’s power again, and the formidable assassin seemingly has zero interest in returning you to your home or your chosen partner in life. He pulls up to a modern style mansion perched precariously on the peak of a mountain.

“What’s this?” you ask, lounging back in your seat, unconcerned as a cat.

“Rental,” he answers. “Got tired of that shack you're calling home.”

You find this amusing, reaching across the seats to run your hand up his thigh. “Does it make you mad, that I like my little house, John, with my wizard boy?”

The mention of John Constantine should absolutely fill you with guilt, but the grip of the succubus magic still doesn’t allow for it.

“You deserve better.”

“I deserve what makes me happy,” you answer cheekily. “It’s nice, not being totally poor,” you admit. “I do thank you for that. But the greed in this town is nothing but a rat race.”

“Money is power, malushka. I learned that a long time ago. So did you.”

“Maybe. But maybe it’s just a means to an end.” You climb into his lap, and he doesn’t stop you, kissing you with those long fingers twined in your hair. “Does all your money keep you warm at night?”

“Cruel. You know you’re the only woman I’ve wanted.”

“Do I?” you ask, tugging on his hair. “Then why’d you let me go?”

“No fucking idea anymore.”

Then he is guiding you out of the car, leading you by the hand through the front door, eager as a child on Christmas. The space is big. Luxurious. Modern. Huge banks of windows that look over the glittering city below. You only vaguely take it all in, because John’s mouth is on yours, and he is sweeping you off your feet in a bridal carry, porting you up the stairs like you are nothing but a feather. The magick has awoken in you again, no longer sated, ready for a second course. Something very far in the back of your brain is alarmed by this, afraid of what you will do to John, if this goes on without intervention.

For maybe the first time ever, you have this feeling that John Wick is not, in fact, in charge here, no matter the outward appearances.

He carries you to a bedroom, sets you onto a mattress that is soft as a cloud. Immediately he is on you, his hands and his mouth, pulling your sundress over your head and dragging your panties down your thighs. “I missed you. So. Fucking. Much.” Every word is punctuated with a wet kiss upon your skin, traveling higher and higher until he is so close to your center. His dark gaze rakes up your body, and something gives him pause.

“What’s wrong?”

“Your eyes are glowing.”

You smirk, even when you should be alarmed.

“Rethinking calling the calvary?” you challenge, this time knowing Wick will never admit he can’t handle you himself.

“No,” he answers, his voice low and rough with desire. “I don’t feel like sharing you tonight.” He touches his tongue to your clit, licking lightly, tickling you the way he knows you can’t stand. You try to squirm away, but he holds you down with one big hand upon your belly, licking you harder, making you melt. He smirks up at you again, a dark glint in those polished jet irises that raises the hairs all across your skin, the magick surging to an unbearable prickling, an army of angry fire ants doing their worst to your tender flesh unless he touches you. “Tonight,” he tells you, “you belong to me.”

It may be true, but it’s a double edged sword, and he has no idea how sharp this supernatural blade can be.

***

You are killing him.

You can feel it, every time you bring him to yet another luscious climax, some of his life force passes into you. This man, so indomitable in his strength, has finally met his match in this strange succubus magick that infects you.

You are sure it does not help, the fact that he is in love with you, has longed for you while watching you in the arms of another man. He cannot keep his hands off you, even past the point where even he would be dead asleep usually. It’s ironic, that his legendary stamina may prove to be the death of him.

In the twilight just before dawn, the sated beast that dwells inside you grants you a moment of your own lucidity, a rare chance to regroup before you need his cock ramming inside you again. “John…” you urge him, kissing his chest because you cannot help yourself. “You have got to call them. Please.”

He strokes your hair with that careful tenderness that always filled your heart, made it so difficult to hate him when you had every fucking right to.

“Tired of me already, baby?” he teases sleepily. You can tell he is bone tired–utterly exhausted, almost haggard in a way you’ve never seen him. Spent and drained, in a way that is concerning to his health. There are dark circles under his eyes, a hollowness to his cheeks.

“You know something weird is going on. Please? I’m scared. That succubus did something to me.”

“Why were you there, anyway?” he asks lazily, slowly turning to rifle through his discarded clothing on the floor for his phone. Relief floods you as he produces the device.

“I had to talk to Midnite.”

“About?”

“It’s personal.”

He snorts at that. “How many times have I been inside you tonight?”

Touché.

“Ok fine. I think I’m cursed.”

“How so?”

“It’s like…I’m some kind of magnet.”

“For?”

Bad men.

Looking at him like this, rumpled from your lovemaking, those soulful dark eyes fixed on you–something shifts in your heart, and you can’t bring yourself to say it. This swell of emotion in you begins to call up other things, and you recognize the first signs of the demononic sex magic kindling inside you once more, lust stirring in your loins. You bow your head, your fingers clenching in the high-threadcount sheets.

“John. Call them. Now.”

“Fine,” he grumbles, tapping his screen with his thumb. It only rings once before you hear Tex’s voice on the other side of the line. “Where the hell are you?”

“Been a wild night,” John answers with a smirk.

“The fuck does that mean?”

There’s a tussle, Constantine in the background trying to get the phone. You hear him demand, “Did he find her?”

“I’ve got her,” says Wick, sounding unbelievably smug. “Come to this address. Bring Wizard Boy.”

He gives the address and hangs up before they can ask for more details, or in Constantine’s case, sling more threats.

Hearing Constantine’s voice should absolutely inspire direst guilt within you, but at the moment all you feel is excitement. Tex and John are on their way, and you can’t wait to see them.

“We’ve got just enough time,” he muses, rolling on top of you with that half smile that always short circuited your brain.

“John…” you protest, even as you are twining your legs with his, rolling your hips against his growing hardness. Your clit pulses and purrs with approval, as his thick tip kisses your wet entrance.

“You worried about me, sweetheart?”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry, y/n. I’d die a happy man in your arms.”

As his mouth claims yours you let the wave of scintillating magick wash over the both of you, losing yourself yet again to this insatiable lust, and your last real thought is that Constantine better hurry.

Sweetwolfcupcake:

"Slow down wizard boy, I don't think we've got extra lives stacked up in your fridge."

"What is he even doing there with her? When did he even buy that house?" Constantine is fuming, yes. But more than that, he is concerned.

Tex's words do little to deter Constantine as he pushes on the accelerator firmer.

If a man like John Wick is asking for HIS help, he knows that something is awfully wrong. There is this feeling in his stomach...

"He's John Wick. What did ya expect? He'll wait and watch you parading your relationship with our girl."

"She isn't your woman anymore." He snaps, glancing at Tex briefly before focusing on the road again.

Constantine pushes on the accelerator harder, speeding through the isolated roads towards the given address. The fact that it is by the woods makes him anxious. Those woods have some tales he would rather not think of. You see, darkness lurks at every corner.

"We'll see about that when we reach their Wizard Boy." Constantine knows that Tex knows John better, and his confidence in John unsettles him.

"How are you so chill about it all?"

"What's the matter Wizard boy, afraid to lose?"

This man...

"I wasn't the one who abandoned her, you know, I found her, she found me. We rebuilt each other."

"Careful there."

He won't admit it, but the way Tex's voice drops, it makes a man like Constantine straighten up a bit. Tex is a seasoned assassin after all. He and John, both are bad news to you, in Constantine's eyes, but it is ultimately up to you to decide. Hailing from a world people like him would rather not deal with.

You and Constantine were doing fine, were happy even. In his mind, he could trick himself into believing that happily ever after, or at least something akin to that existed. His happily ever after, if, he can dare to dream, was and is with you. But then, the night your past came knowing at his door. And everything changed.

Looking at Tex right now, there is something selfish in Constantine that likes to imagine what if the two of them---Tex and John never came back. It would have been just you and him.

But whom is he kidding? He sees it in your eyes, he feels it. Your love for them runs deeper than it is apparent. But there is something else at play. He hasn't been able to focus or put a pin on it but...He can feel it. it's like a faint smell at some corner that he hasn't been able to figure out.

The rest of the ride passes in tense silence before his car reaches the place. The closer Constantine gets, the faster his heart beats.

He presses on the doorbell desperately, and his hold on his took box tightens in anticipation. Oh, he is familiar with this energy. He knows this energy. Something demonic.

John answers the door with dishevelled hair and tired eyes.

"Where's she?"

Even before John can answer, Constantine pushes past him, letting his intuition take the lead. He opens the bedroom door to see you sprawled on the bed. You are every bit of a seductive painting from a classic and the room is vibrating with the energy, the spell that pulses in your veins at the moment.

"Oh boy..."

The box drops from his hold as soon as your gleaming, blown-out eyes meet his.

"What's wrong with her?" Tex comes up behind him, his voice lacks the usual playful tinge as he eyes you.

"It's killing her. Consuming her, getting hold of her. Her body, mind, now her soul."

Constantine whispers out, pushing Tex behind him. He is the most vulnerable out of the three at the moment.

"I found her at the club. Some succubus spell I guess." John runs his fingers through his wild mane, telling Constantine what he knows and can decipher.

"Gear up,"

Constantine warns before reaching for his box on the floor. Perhaps, this is his true test.

Treedaddymcpuffpuff:

“Watcha doin Johnny?” You ask, stretching like a lazy cat, eyes dulled pink and wide, the length of your body novel and vintage all in the same. His cock is already much, much harder than it should be.

“Fuck.” Tex leans on the doorway. “Look at you.”

John’s T-shirt rides up your thighs as you scooch to the end of the bed, smiling and glowing, imbued with wicked sex magic that even Constantine is having trouble thinking past.

“Tex,” Constantine warns, “I wouldn’t. This type of magic puts a whole new meaning to the phrase, “fuck the life out of you.””

“Doesn’t sound so bad,” Tex murmurs, stepping a little further into the room.

The part of you that cares whether or not you drain the life from each of them through their cocks is dwindling terrifyingly fast. You’ve never felt so powerful, or horny. Salivating for Tex’s broad frame and big, veiny hands that you know the capabilities of.

“It’s not bad at all,” Wick agrees, kneeling down next to Constantine. “A great way to die.”

Constantine glares at both of them. “How about back the fuck up?” He thinks for a minute, putting his sweaty head in his hands, trying to shake some of this raw, possessive feeling clouding his mind. It’s hard to do, especially when you’re fucking his. His girl. His. They lost their chance a long time ago.

“Too late for that,” John says, watching him rummage through the confines of his suitcase for something useful. It’s a bit like trying to focus on reading while at a Metallica concert.

“John,” you say, before he can wrap his hand around Wick’s throat, “I’m sorry, please don’t be mad. I just needed—“

“Angel,” he interrupts, eyes soft milk chocolate for you, Adam’s apple bobbing in that way it does when you have him tied to bed, slowly nipping and sucking your way down his tummy to his leaking cock. “It’s alright, it’s not your fault. I’m gonna fix this.”

“I know I just…I missed you so much. Can you hold me?” It’s the most convincing argument he’s ever heard, especially when you stretch out your arms to him with those big candy pink eyes.

“Christ,” he grits.

“Fuckface,” Tex is saying to Wick. They are toe to toe. “How long were you planning on keeping her all to yourself, huh?”

Wick smiles, pretending to think about it. “It wasn’t my idea to call you.”

You put yourself between them, fast and agile, like little Catwoman sliding into a 1v1 with Batman and Superman. “Stop it,” you tell Tex, leaning up on tiptoes to thread your arms around his neck.

John’s hands wrap around your hips, and you lean back against him while Tex eyes the kiss bruised skin of your throat. It doesn’t take long for his teeth to sink in.

“Stop,” Constantine commands, trying to get you out from between them. John grabs him by the collar while Tex licks and kisses down your sternum, into the valley of your breasts, saliva coating John’s shirt.

“Gonna fuck you stupid,” Tex says against the pert flesh of your nipple.

“Let me go, you fucking idiot,” Constantine hisses, as Wick backs him up against the wall, nearly removing his feet from the ground with the force of his body. Even drained of his eight lives and clinging weakly to the ninth, John’s strength is un-fucking-matched. It makes you throb.

No, you’re already past throbbing. Convulsing, as Tex sucks on your nipples and kneads your ass.

“John,” you call, and the low whiny pant of your voice stops this testosterone quarrel dead in its tracks. “Please don’t fight.”

“Angel…” Constantine says, while Wick just grins at you.

“Just…C’mere.”

As far as these men are concerned, you might as well be a famous lawyer with the way you win that fight before it can even start.

You’re not sure whose hands or mouth is whose. Only that they are all over you, and you are ending and beginning all at once. A fire in you, blazing so fully it consumes and destroys everything you are or want to be. Just a fucktoy, a cocksleeve, a desperate fucking whore who gets on her knees and licks and sucks and swallows.

John’s lucky he has a big enough bed to fit all of you. Lucky he can devour your tits while Tex lets a big glob of saliva fall from his tongue onto your pulsing pussy, then dives in. You’re not sure where Constantine is, until you feel his mouth on yours, kissing you like you mean something to him. Like you’re the only thing in this fucking world that matters.

He pulls away, hand on your chin, pushing your sweaty hair back from your face, and you know that he loves you. That they all do. But it’s not enough. You need more. Need something that transcends love and devotion.

Wick is right, money is power, and so is sex. You look up at Constantine, hand threaded through Tex’s hair, chest red and swollen from John’s tongue, panting and heaving and drooling after losing yourself and finding God so many times already. “John,” you call, “come to me.”

“We’re fucked,” he says, before descending back into your mouth.

tbc...

#it's spooky season bitches!!!!!#wicked johnson fic #john wick x reader #tex johnson x reader #constantine x reader #keanuverse #keanuverse fic #keanu reeves x reader #john wick #constantine 2005 #tex johnson #john constantine #john constantine x you #john constantine x reader #keanuween #i feel like this fits for the possession prompt 😆

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wheelerpilled · 1 year ago

Text

'forced conformity is killing the kids'

Mike Wheeler ST5 Theory/analysis

So we've all seen the new BTS of Finn Wolfhard on the set of Stranger Things dropped and OH MY GOD. THE DUALITY FROM LAST SEASON.

I have to TRY write about it ATLEAST...because wow I have a lot of potential thoughts, sorry it's once again unstructured, messy, and repetitive but stay with me please!!!!!!!!!!

I've seen ALOT of people happy we're getting s1-2 Mike hair back but guys .....it's not a good thing!!!!!!!!!! Mike is going THROUGH IT.

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In Season 4 it's acknowledged that Mike is finally coming into his own a bit, Eddie says he was wearing 'whatever his mom bought him' when he first came to highschool, but in episode 1 when we see him for the first time in S4, he's clearly been influenced by Eddie and has figured out what style he likes and what he's interested in, he's in a DND club, he's comfortable being known as an uncool nerd, he's growing his hair out (yes I DO believe it's because he idolised Eddie, I have more to say about that in a second)

basically: his hair and his outfits, aswell as pretty much the way he acts in Hawkins (NOT California- he goes back to pretending to be something else) in S4 represents the ideology non-conformity and his sense freedom in this new persona

he doesn't feel lost in highschool anymore, he's doing what he likes with his friends (DnD) and he's proudly wearing his hellfire shirt around school/Hawkins, basically, he's accepting that it's okay to enjoy 'different' things that aren't considered the norm, and it makes him happy, he feels comfortable!

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But now in Season 5, from the pictures we've seen, it looks like he's fully reverted back into his shell, I guess I understand why tbh I don't blame him:

he comes back to Hawkins after everything and everyone believes he's in a satanic cult- townspeople probably treat him badly and Jason's team mates probably blame Eddie and the rest of hellfire for Jason's 'disappearance' (death). They directly connect him with all the horrible things that have happened to Hawkins as of late

...which is probably what the BTS of them walking towards Mike are about, they probably keep harassing him no matter how he acts and Mike just wants them to leave him alone, let's face it:

High school has probably gone full circle back to middle school for Mike and he's getting bullied/mistreated again. So he feels his only option is to remove himself from Hellfire and become 'normal'.

Hellfire might maybe even be blamed for the gates being opened. Last we heard, the townspeople were hunting down Eddie and the rest of hellfire, and the graffiti on Eddie's grave in the S5 pics shows that he's still very much hated.

Mike probably got harassed by multiple people who don't believe Eddie's dead, or believe Mike was in on it and are out looking for him, or think Hellfire contributed to some satanic ritual causing the 'earthquake' and thus Mike is also a target and it's dangerous for him.

So I think part of the style change and haircut is due to THAT, he doesn't wear his hellfire shirt anymore because he doesn't want any affiliation with the club.

As Finn Wolfhard has said in previous interviews 'mikes just trying to act as normal as possible' so by seperating himself from Eddie/Hellfire and becoming more conventionally 'normal' he won't be treated like an outcast.

He won't be assaulted, bullied, blamed, or worse if he conforms. He has a greater chance of everything becoming better/easier while living in Hawkins if he does this, he might have even given up DnD aswell- so yeah he's gonna be pretty MISERABLE in season 5

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Alot of people wanted to see his reaction to Eddie's death, I think we'll definitely be seeing the lingering after effects of it, and alot of Mike's arc will kick off because of the aftermath of the vilification of Hellfire.

Only few people know that Eddie died to try protect Hawkins, Eddie was a role model for Dustin and Mike, but they're grieving him in COMPLETELY different ways

Dustin decides to honour him by taking up a similar style and proudly wearing his hellfire shirt, and is also probably trying to sway the town's opinion on Eddie and prove him innocent.

....But Mike seemingly decides that he DOESNT want to end up like Eddie anymore: dead and hated, known as a satanic freak.

Someone he idolised is now deceased, he doesn't know how to properly handle that fact, it's intimidating that someone he looked up to do much could be so hated, and in turn has caused the reaction from Mike that is basically 'if my idol is treated as such a horrible outcast, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps, where would that leave me?' he's feeling lost and hopeless, especially with the state Hawkins is in, so he probably decides the best thing to do is just blend in. Be normal.

It probably scares him that even merely his interest in DnD and all these other factors immediately make him a target, as far as townspeople believe- Mike is one of the kids who was close with a brutal serial killer, they probably think he's just as 'messed up as Eddie the freak was' for staying friends with someone who'd do such horrible things

I think Mike just wants to hide as much as he can right now, he has ALOT on his plate and doesn't need the rest of the town out to get him.

so if anyone asks: he'll probably say things like 'I didn't really know Eddie! I would never join a cult like that, I didn't know!' or something to try seperate his name from the hellfire club.

Mike will end up picking protecting himself and hiding his true identity and values/traits rather then living exposed and vulnerable; yet true to what he actually believes is right....And that is the opposite of what Dustin is doing,

Dustin is a proud hellfire member and friend of Eddie, he's picking what he thinks is right over self-preservation from the town, he's still wearing his battered shirt, now HE'S the one growing his hair out, he still adores Eddie and misses him (so does Mike probably, but he feels he CANT outwardly publicly show support or stand up for him)

I do wonder if this will cause some sort of tension between Dustin and Mike, because Dustin is doing the opposite and becoming more like Eddie instead of distancing himself from the hellfire name, he might feel betrayed that Mike 'gave up' on Hellfire, and maybe accuse him of not even caring about Eddie or his death?? Idk!!!!!!!!!! I feel like Dustin will also be going through it this season 😭😭😭

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I do also think Mike will try to be clinging alot to El this season (I mean, before they inevitably break up which I believe will probably happen kinda early on if it actually happens at all)

this is also because just the idea of having a girlfriend corresponds to his idea of conformity and being 'normal'. He just wants to be a normal guy, his life is nothing out for the ordinary, he's not interested in satanic things like dnd and hellfire, he's just a normal person. A normal person who is PROBABLY a target of Vecna in season 5 😓

I believe his arc for this season will be trying to breakout of these notions of conformity in exchange for things he actually likes and is interested in, we saw him sort of branching out in season 4, but I think THIS time it's happening for real, and he'll end up fully embracing his own views and interests after some sort of emotional arc-which will also probably be part of the M*lev*n break up (not censored because I'm against them/hate them I just don't wanna clog the tag for others 😭😭) OR set off by the breakup

Throughout season 1 he was told he liked El, or others assumed it, so I think he assumed it aswell, they just never broke up because El ALSO thinks having a boyfriend is normal and expected, and because Mike was the boy she was closest to she assumed it was romantic feelings (and he kissed her in S1 which probably contributed to her assuming they were romantic feelings)

Alot of the people around her are also in relationships, and she watched alot of TV with happy romantic couples so she thinks it's more normal to HAVE a boyfriend then to NOT have one, I think Mike and El kinda stayed together because they think they're SUPPOSED to by these social standards,

They obviously care about each other alot, and mistook it as reasons to just stay together, she wants to be a normal girl because only being a superhero isnt good for her, she needs to be 'Jane Hopper' and not '011'. I do think she definitely needs to be single for awhile and find herself, even if her and Mike are to be endgame, she NEEDS at least some time to gain some experiences outside of living her life as a superhero, (Mike also needs character development outside of being 'Els Boyfriend's)

Which is why it was vital that her time with max in S3 existed, so El could realise her value and that there is a life outside having a boyfriend- I think Mike needs a similar moment aswell, a wake-up call of sorts where he can take a step back and consider maybe rather than letting society dictate his actions, he makes decisions for what he wants for himself ('we make our own rules')

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If m*lev*n is endgame then sure that's great for them, but I genuinely don't know what big character arc could be in store for Mike that doesn't involve a breakup and themes of non-conforming, it doesn't even have to involve Byler endgame at all (although I AM a byler truther)

I think Mike learning that it's okay to let go of that romantic relationship if he doesn't feel that way anymore is a big step for his character, or atleast taking a break so he can work on himself, anything along those lines of actual development on himself rather then on his relationship- El and Mike have been romantically paired from the start, he needs to learn that it's OKAY to breakup with someone if thats what he feels is right, (side note: I DO believe El would/will be the one to breakup with him 😭)

I don't think he realises that he'll be able to stay friends with El, it's not 'shes my girlfriend or else she'll hate me for breaking up with her. No other options'

he doesn't want to lose her because he cares about her but he can't find a way to balance that romantic relationship alongside his other friendships. So I think for his character to develop they have to breakup, even temporarily, but obviously that's only my opinion if M*lev*n is endgame then oh well, it's endgame, but I think they would be a really awesome platonic duo and I'd like their relationship alot more if it was that way

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I think later in the season he'll realise that living this way not actually what he wants, and he doesn't want to give up who he is, or pretend to be something he's not- because he IS a nerd who likes DnD, and he does support Eddie, he cared alot about him because he idolised him, and i think season 5 is about him learning that that's okay and he doesn't have to feel so much pressure to conform by societal standards, bro needs a better grief process, forced conformity GOT HIS ASS 😭😭😭

What I'm trying to say is: all of this, and his new look is a safety net of sorts, he's still pretending to be something he's not because he feels he HAS to, otherwise it's dangerous for him in Hawkins because of hellfires reputation, but he's also acting this way because of other factors that I haven't really thought through yet LMAO

I believe season 5 will probably be him accepting those things about himself and embracing it, maybe also undoing his emotional repression along the way, I guess I would describe it as coming of age and I think if it's handled well it could be really beautiful in a way

OH MY GOD I RAMBLED SO MUCH AND IT ISNT EVEN A SOLID THEORY JUST A COLLECTION OF THOUGHTS😭

Sorry that was long and repetitive but uhhhhhhhhhhhh yeah..........anyways Mike Wheeler ily keep ur head up king please don't die in S5‼️‼️ stay safe‼️‼️

#PLEASE READ AND STAY WITH ME IK ITS LONG 😭😭😭#stranger things #mike wheeler #stranger things 5 #st5 #jane hopper #eleven hopper #el hopper #byler #st analysis #finn wolfhard #will byers #eddie munson

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ghostmaggie · 4 months ago

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i am sooo setting myself up for hate with this but like...damn! y'all really hate epic calypso and i...really don't? i don't know if it's lack of background knowledge on one (or both) of our parts or just knowledge of different versions of the myth/character or different interpretations of love in paradise/not sorry for loving you but like...

calypso hurts odysseus. but not maliciously? he's a victim, and so is she.

i think possibly the lyric "under my spell we're stuck" is making people think she's the one keeping them on the island? she's not. she's a prisoner, too. hopefully the next saga makes that clearer? i think from the clips we've got of not sorry it might.

i don't think she's using the words of his dead friends to mock or trigger or harm him or even to try to manipulate him. it's possible she doesn't even realize what she's saying - how would she know the origins of those phrases? If she's hearing them as he talks in his sleep, even odds they sound like affirmations. they sound positive - i'll stay in your heart! greet the world with open arms! in the best possibility, she's trying to comfort him.

that is of course an optimistic view. call me polites, i guess. but even as she is hurting odysseus - and she is, i don't deny that! - i can't see it as because she's another example of an evil god. i think for better or worse - she doesn't know any better. it doesn't excuse her violations of boundaries, but she has a childlike, self-centered perspective because for so long she HAS just been herself. the world DOES revolve around her. it doesn't make it right. but it doesn't make her a villain.

i've already seen people complaining about how she refuses to apologize in not sorry for loving you. but she does. she apologizes for everything (say too little too late, fine, but she does) EXCEPT loving him. and her love has never been the thing causing harm. her actions have. she shouldn't apologize for loving him.

also also - within epic canon, as of what we know now, i don't think those aforementioned actions include sexual assault. there are differences between epic and the odyssey. that has been made abundantly clear. and other incidents of violence and sexual assault within epic are clearly articulated. if these aren't, i don't think we can assume they're there.

epic calypso isn't odyssey calypso. or pjo calypso. or any other calypso except: epic calypso.

#post #my two cents.gif #the vehement hate im seeing is wild #it's so different than the reaction to circe #or the other gods #or the suitors #im not saying my interpretation is the right one but i have it and here we are lol #positive vibes only!!! as in feel ur feelings no shade or hate from me #epic the musical #this isnt even to get into the fact that the end of love in paradise is one snapshot of time and clearly a bad fucking day in a trauma life #but in not sorry ody says he loves her - they have good(ish at least) times too #then again athena says 7 years she's kept you - so maybe in epic canon it is calypso's fault and i should eat my own words

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pandaofsecrets · 9 days ago

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I really really really love the idea of the Miraculous being based on broad abstract concepts. It makes them super versatile in what powers they can provide, which helps keep the plot from going off the rails while still being fresh and interesting. The problem is that the concept (heh) wasn't utilized well at all. So, indulge me in a long-winded breakdown of ML's power system.

The cracks started showing almost immediately. The Cat and Butterfly Miraculous are okay, but the Ladybug for some reason can purify akuma and has restoration abilities, which. First of all, purification should be the Cat's ability, because it represents the destruction of impurities. Second of all, how does the power of creation allow you to restore things? I know someone will say Marinette is recreating what was destroyed, but if that's the case then Adrien is long dead and the character we're seeing right now is just a replica. Fun! Miraculous Ladybug also does more than just recreate, since we've also seen it destroy byproducts of the akuma attack, like Horrificator's slime. So if anything, it should be a combined ability of the Ladybug and the Cat. I'll talk about unifications later, let's just stick with the Miraculous for now.

The Fox and the Turtle started out great, but ended up being disappointing. Here's the thing, both Protection and Illusion have a lot of potential applications, like for example someone who uses the Fox could convince someone that anything they're saying is true, stick them in an illusionary dreamscape or even induce pain in them without actually wounding them. Someone who uses the Turtle could deplete moving objects of their momentum, make themselves immune to the opponent's magic, or imbue objects with durability. This would have made the fact that Volpina can do multiple illusions while Rena can only do one a lot less infuriating, because Rena would have had a bigger power set to draw on. Volpina on the other hand would be limited to just illusions, so she'd be able to get more mileage out of them, like a breadth vs. depth thing. Instead it's just. Rena can only do one illusion. Carapace can only do one shield. Boring!

Things got really shaky with the introduction of the Bee Miraculous, because that one isn't even related to its stated concept! "Subjection" means "bringing someone or something under one's control or influence". I don't know about you, but to me that sounds like mind control and telekinesis, not paralysis—paralyzing people sounds more like the Turtle. The writers sort of tried to fix this by changing the Bee's concept to Action, but that's almost worse because it's power is to prevent someone from taking action.

The Dragon and Rooster have a similar problem of power not really matching concept. "Perfection" means "the act of improving or making better", which sounds like the Dragon should've been a healing or restoration type Miraculous. In fact, the Rooster should've had the same power, since "sublimation" means "making nobler or purer", so the Dragon and Rooster should've really been one Miraculous instead of two. Speaking of which...

Where things really went off the rails was the Peacock Miraculous. The Peacock honestly warrants an entire separate post, but I'm getting ahead of myself. First of all, what does the concept of emotion have to do with the ability to summon a kaiju? Second of all, if the power to create a kaiju should've gone to any Miraculous, shouldn't it be, you know, the Ladybug? But no, I guess the power of Creation loses to a turkey with delusions of grandeur.

And this got even worse once the Zodiacs were introduced. Just about all of them have powers that could've easily gone to the main 7 we already had. The Ox's concept was already covered by the Turtle, the Tiger, Monkey, and Eagle do basically the same thing as the Cat, and the Mouse and Goat are basically just the Ladybug again. The Butterfly might be the worst afflicted by this. Not only is the Rooster's power of giving any power already covered under it, but one of the meanings of "to transmit" is "to send from one place to another", so the Horse's teleportation ability should've gone to the Butterfly. We could throw the Dog's power in as well, since all Fetch does is teleport an object instead of a person. Heck, since space and time are the same thing, the Rabbit's time travel should've also gone to the Butterfly. I mean, I'm glad it wasn't because that would've made the Butterfly extremely OP and would make it very hard to explain why Gabriel hasn't won by now, but you get the idea.

The only Zodiac Miraculous that are somewhat unique are the Dragon, Pig, and Snake, and even then the Snake Second Chance ability could be expressed as Butterfly (time travel) + Turtle (stasis) and the Pig's Gift could be expressed as Butterfly (empathy) + Ladybug (object) or Fox (illusion). Even the Peacock can be basically be broken down into Butterfly (empathy) + Ladybug (creation) + Bee (control) + Cat (destruction).

This brings me to my last point: unification. The way we were told combining the Ladybug and Cat works in Origins, you'd expect that unifying the Miraculous would create a new power that is the combination of the already existing ones. This means that the writers wouldn't have had to invent a new Miraculous every time they wanted to use a power, which would have saved money on character models and lead to a lot of interesting teammate match-ups. Instead, all the heroes get is the ability to use the two powers at the same time.

#ml critical

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argisthebulwark · 5 months ago

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TES Summer Fest Day Three: Ghost/Hungry

summary: Vilkas swears that he's just being a good friend - you're stuck far from home and he can't let you starve. gn vampire reader/Vilkas, no gendered pronouns or y/n used. warnings: blood obv, fangs in skin, description of biting/feeding. sexually suggestive, minors should not read or interact with this post. @tes-summer-fest TES Summerfest Masterlist

"Just do it already."

"No. I told you I'm not doin' that." Vilkas rolls his eyes and bites back whatever insult his tongue has lined up next. Your crossed arms, the guarded way you're standing a few steps away from him, the way you won't meet his eyes - it's unlike you. Usually he's begging for an inch of personal space yet he quickly decides that this distance is far worse.

"We don't have an option."

"Of course we do. I can wait."

"You plannin' to starve?" He barks, stomping closer. He notices the nervous flush in your gaunt cheeks and can hear the way your heart kicks up when he grows near but your glare is gone. He's heard your stomach growling and seen the way you struggle to eat the salted meats he's offered - it's not enough.

"I'll be fine -"

"We've been snowed in here for days. We're out of options." Grinding his teeth together, Vilkas swallows back against his temper. He sees the fear in your eyes as they stare up at him, hands nervously playing in front of your chest.

"I can't ask this of you." Your voice wobbles, tears gathering in the corners of your eyes and his rage fizzles out. He's choking on words he can't bear to say aloud, choosing instead to grab your wrist and tug you toward the bed.

The blizzard began five days ago. If the mission had gone as intended, a branch of the Silver Hand would be extinguished without issue and you'd both be warming up in the grand hall of Jorrvaskr. Vilkas snorts at the mental image of your nose pressed to a frosted window demanding that he, your 'very best friend', play in the snow with you.

Instead, you'd taken an arrow to the gut and Vilkas' pack was abandoned in favor of speed. He'd carried your broken body to the nearest village and pleaded with the one healer to patch you up enough to get home. He didn't give a shit about the villagers glowering from their porches, he knew how terrifying he'd appeared; a bloodied stranger limping in to town and begging for help fixing some half dead vampire didn't inspire much warmth from the locals.

Vilkas is relieved that you fall to the rickety bed at his side. This abandoned cabin doesn't offer much but coverage as you wait for the storm to pass, expired rations enough to keep Vilkas alive and a couple blankets to stop your shivering. Your fingers are chilly when he feels them on his chest and he stomps down on the fucking ramming behind his ribs.

"What if I hurt you?" You whisper, big eyes staring down at his face. Vilkas fights to convince himself that his heart is hammering because he's about to let a vampire feed on him, that it has absolutely nothing to do with the idea that your lips will be on his skin. He forces his gaze to remain locked in yours, staunchly refusing to look at your uneasy grimace.

"Just stop before I'm dead." He grunts, squeezing his eyes shut. It has to be because he's looking at you that he's so flustered; your wide, worried eyes and the way you bite so nervously at your lower lip. It'll be over in a moment and he can forget everything.

Fuck, he's wrong.

Your lips sear into his skin when they press to his throat. Your hands are pressed to his chest and he knows you feel the breath he sucks in, praying that you interpret it as mere nerves. His skin is tingling when you lean in closer, lips lingering over his throat just close enough to tantalize him.

"You sure?" Your breath ghosts over his skin and fuck, all those walls he's built up are crumbling. Vilkas spirals from the threat of your mouth on his skin, entire body suddenly alive.

"Get it over with." His words are missing their usual venom. Excitement colors his cheeks as anticipation chokes out whatever quip he tries to make, mind going blank when you bite him.

Sharp and quick, Vilkas feels your fangs sink into the sensitive skin of his throat. He'd worried about the pain or discomfort but he hadn't prepared for this - the shameful, all consuming arousal flooding his brain. Fists clenched at his sides he swears to withstand this without making a scene.

Vilkas fights to tame his mind, though each slight shift of your body against him leaves him wishing once more. The feeling of you relaxing into him, fingers curling into his shirt and lips resting easily against his throat, it takes time to curb the need to touch you. This is a necessity, an offer to keep you alive. Nothing more.

He will get through this. He repeats those words to himself over and over, gritting his teeth and forcing his body to remain rigid against the bed. It is for survival. It means nothing. He will remain calm. He will not make a fool of himself.

It takes all of his willpower to disregard the little fucking noise you make as his blood flows over your tongue - the soft sigh of contentment. His jaw aches from holding back the filthy sounds your touch summons, even the hint of pain feels good because it's you.

Vilkas isn't ready for your tongue to run over his throat. It's quick - the sensation of your fangs slipping from his skin and tongue skimming over the little marks but it's enough to wreck his self control. Some needy little sound rumbles through his chest and he's grabbing for you, dizzy from the loss of blood and drunk on your touch.

"Sorry, did I hurt you?"

Vilkas gazes up at you, completely speechless at how beautiful you look. Loose hair falls in pretty strands over your worried eyes, cheeks fuller and more flushed after feeding on him. And oh, the way your parted lips are smeared with the bright red of his blood - he can't look away. Vilkas watches numbly as his hand raises to your cheek, thumb swiping at the stain on your soft lips.

"No." He mumbles, distracted only by a tickling on his neck. He watches your eyes dart to where you'd bitten him and instinctively Vilkas arches his chin back, pleading with you for one more touch.

Fuck, your tongue traces up his throat once more and Vilkas sees stars. His need for you consumes every thought, each nerve in his body alight in a way he'd never felt before when you press a little kiss to his wound. Some desperate sound claws up his throat and Vilkas can't clamp down on it anymore. He needs you.

"You should rest." You instruct, tugging a blanket around his body. Vilkas wants to thank you or curse you for breaking down his walls but his mind is shamefully empty. He gazes up at you, one hand closing around your hip in a silent request for you to stay.

Thankfully, you remain at his side. Vilkas' eyes drift closed once he feels you curl into his chest, whispered thanks and apologies occasionally floating to his ears. He doesn't say a word, too focused on the feeling of your finger tracing little circles around the mark you've left on his throat.

He hopes it leaves a scar.

#tesfest24 #vilkas #skyrim #skyrim x reader #writing #x reader fanfic #mdni

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seat-safety-switch · 1 year ago

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I don't know what it is, but for some reason, I really hate having the city inspector show up. Every time I get an improvement or repair to the house done, I always get nervous that they're going to find something wrong. This, of course, is ridiculous. I didn't do the work. Some other person, who I paid with my missing landlord's credit card, did some professional business-type things with the full expectation it would be inspected.

To make matters worse, something real creepy happened to me the other day. Soon, I would discover exactly why I had such anxiety around allowing a stranger to peer into the innermost guts of my home, and gaze upon the work performed by another.

I had to put in a new hot-water heater. This job could be done by myself, but it would involve getting slightly wet, and it was better to let my absentee landlord, who disappeared under mysterious circumstances, improve the equity he has in his house with a much-needed renovation. Besides, I was too busy out in the yard, using a chunk of tree trunk to dislodge the recalcitrant passenger-side motor mount of a 1968 Dart. That's a story for another time; you're here to hear about this Bob Vila-ass homeowner shit.

A technician showed up, riding a relatively primo-looking late-00s (I guessed 2006) Ford E-250 work van with a couple dings on the rear bumper that were evidence of an aggressive attitude towards parallel parking in the urban environment. I don't remember what she looked like. She dropped off a big hot water heater, hooked everything up, then carried the old one off slung over one shoulder. That's when things went weird.

For weeks after, my surveillance network (a bunch of deer cameras I stole from the woods) was constantly tripping with sightings of a mysterious new home invader. When I checked the photos in the morning, all I'd see in the shots were khakis, a city-coloured polo shirt, occasionally a pair of anti-slip, steel-toed low-rise sneakers. Never a clear picture of his face. He'd stick a "sorry we missed you" label to the door, and escape into the night.

When I called the city to complain that home inspections should not be done at 3 am, they told me that the inspector by that name had died long ago. I started to get really freaked out, which I guess is a common reaction, because the municipal help-line technician went on to explain.

"We're really short on staff, so we've been getting some of our inspections performed by the living dead. Keeps the pension payments down, too. Don't tell the union."

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cowboylikedean · 2 months ago

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i just really am laughing like i'm just a bit crazy cause what am i supposed to do? cry about it? be anxious about it? lmao democracy is dead. how does american history keep sliding worse and worse into buffoonery? like for a while we all told ourselves this was an era of american politics that the history books would look down on... but we've been in it so long. how do we get out of this? i'm trying not to be hyperbolic or to be overly dramatic in a scary way for my own sanity.... but I don't know what's about to happen in a way where we could literally start ww3 and all die within a year or suffer like we did in 2016-2020 and switch hands again. we really don't know.

and of course, the riots will be horrible either way... we're looking at a lot of reactionary violence like we got in 2016/2017. and so we all need to brace ourselves.

this is bad.

but again, what am I gonna do? so I'm just.... laughing. cause what else

#i don't know y'all

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marshmallowprotection · 1 month ago

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Saejoong Choi didn't have a change of heart, and he said that himself to the player when prompted to choose between saying "goodbye" or asking him a question. His back was against the wall. There was nowhere for him to run after the agency was dismantled piece by piece and frankly, he understood it was only a matter of time until the other crimes he's committed over the years came to light.

Now, there weren't many options left for him at that point.

He could've tried to run to a neighboring country before anyone had a chance to nab him, but there would've been no guarantee of safety or asylum given how fast he had to run off after he attacked Saeran in the forest. No ally would take in a Prime Minister on the run for a long list of crimes we're not even entirely privy to in the game outside of all the things he did to Mother Choi, Saeyoung, and Saeran.

Considering the way he talks and holds himself when you prod him for answers about his backstory for Saeran's sake, you can infer he's done unspeakable things and paid for worse. Any attempt at trying to skip the country would lead to him being extradited to Seoul and held accountable for what he did. It would only delay the inevitable, and as awful as this man is, he knew running wouldn't save him at the end of the day which is why instead of fleeing the country, he stayed.

When you and Saeyoung are sitting at Saeran's hospital bed where he's pretending to be asleep because he's not ready to deal with his twin brother (also because Saejoong is hiding behind a curtain and Saeran knows what Saeyoung will do once he catches him because that's what he needs for closure and peace), three days have passed since the confrontation.

Saeran says that Saejoong came to visit him in the dead of night, and they've been talking since then about everything and anything. I truly don't think there's a wrong answer when it comes to asking yourself... "What did they talk about?"

Saeran could've been talking all about his life, his experiences, trials, tribulations, and how he's landed on... forgiveness in the end despite what others think about his personal choice. In fact, that's what I am sure of. I'm sure Saeran told Saejoong Choi about what he's had to face in life because of his father.

So many people in this fandom have this gigantic misconception about Saeran's choice to forgive, filled to the brim with this idea that his forgiving his abusers means that he's absolved them of their guilt, or he's saying that he's forgiven them to give them a second chance.

It's because so many cultures across the globe have taught us that the idea of forgiveness is black and white. "Forgive and forget" isn't that what we've all heard? But, that's not the only way. Sometimes, you can forgive someone for what they did to find peace, but not to allow that person back into your life. You appreciate the apology but it won't change that this person is the last person you want to see in your life. You take the apology and send them packing after that for peace of mind.

Because an apology isn't supposed to be self-serving. Apologies aren't meant to make you feel better. It's supposed to show others that you're holding yourself accountable for what you did, and that you promise to do better, whether or not you hold contact with whoever you hurt after you give your apology. Sometimes, an apology isn't wanted, either.

If you try to force an apology on someone who has told you to "fuck off" already, then that's self-serving, isn't it?

For Saeran Choi, forgiving the people who deeply hurt him was about learning how to find the strength inside of his heart to forgive himself for what he did not only to the player but to others as well. Because... his idea of strength in Mint Eye, both Ray and Suit Saeran's idea... the very personas they adopted took facets from the people who hurt the two of them.

Especially Suit Saeran, mind you, who took parts of Rika, Mother Choi, and Saejoong to blanket himself in the idea that "If I am the largest monster, the other monsters can't eat me."

He screams a line of abuse that his mother once shouted at him when he was a little boy before he realizes who the words belonged to in the first place. He's building off of the horrible things his Mother said, later confessing that the abuse was meant for himself even if it hurt you as well, because he hated what he was doing but he knew if he didn't become "strong"—you and Ray would be killed.

He repeated line after line of a torture script Rika fed to him while he was in the basement to maintain the disgusting illusion Rika wanted so she would never think to destroy him... because he was "strong in the real way". Even though a part of him understood he would never be good enough in Rika's eyes. That's why Suit Saeran's onslaught of destruction crumbles in the end.

Because, no matter how much Rika tried to break his gentle heart, no amount of hatred could ever change what his heart truly felt. Sure, it is important to note that while understanding why Suit Saeran did what he did is how you learn the full picture, it doesn't absolve him of his actions.

You have a choice to forgive him in Ray Route, and you don't have to forgive him right away, you can even say that you don't think you can forgive him, and he accepts whatever answer you give him because... that's what forgiveness or the lack therefor looks like that. You're the only one who can decide what you want to feel, and there's no shame in whatever you choose to find peace.

You ultimately forgive Saeran in the end, broadly speaking from the way the RAE is written if you decide to move forward with him. But, there's one person who doesn't hold forgiveness in his heart.

You know who doesn't forgive himself? Suit Saeran. He didn't forgive himself and that holds true even in the RAE. His feelings of pain still exist in GE Saeran's heart, and it's not only his feelings that lead him to choose forgiveness, it's also Ray's desire to hold onto his dream of being able to see the full picture without blinders.

He did such awful things, he understands that, but if they don't see the full story for what it is, how can they move forward?

It's Ray's voice that speaks the loudest when they confront Rika on Day 10. That's when Saeran and Ray both see Rika for what she is... and how her heart is fraught with despair and pain. They see what reasoning she's been using all along, and it took Saeran doing the same thing to see things for what they were. He realized it when a world of cruelty couldn't protect him, only destroy the things he'd been trying to protect.

You can't use cruelty to justify your actions. You're just perpetuating what was done to you. Frankly, that's a huge realization for someone to have. That's the kind of damning realization you have somewhere in your healing process when you either do something wrong yourself or you see it perpetuated against someone you love instead of you... and you can't deny it for what it is.

"You're scared to step outside, aren't you? You're scared that people will leave you, Rika. Like you said, you don't want to be abandoned by someone, like how you were by your parents. That's why you're not leaving the people who came here, Rika. I see it now. You're trying to force everyone to do something," he says.

"Saeran told me this, and he said you'll always be heartless to the believers… because you'll do the exact same heartless thing they did to you. Saeran told me he did something heartless, too, because he didn't want to suffer such heartless things himself… and you're just hurting people because you're scared you'll get hurt, aren't you? And you're trying to justify your abuse, just like how your parents tried to justify their cruelty against you."

If that's what led Rika down this path, among other factors, what sort of path did his parents follow? Why? Why do people do these things? What leads them to make these choices? Does it even matter?

Does it make a difference if you know why someone tried to justify their wrongdoing? Well, that's a complicated question, isn't it? The answer many people have is that they don't want the backstory, they want to see the person who hurt them face the consequences.

But, it's not fair for anyone to tell someone who feels differently that they're wrong for wanting to hear someone out. Everyone has to do things their own way, and if you don't want to hear someone explain themselves, don't seek it out. But, this is something Saeran wanted, and to tell him he's wrong for wanting that isn't it.

How can Saeran forgive himself if he doesn't understand why the people who hurt him did what they did?

He understands why hate had to fill his heart to survive in Mint Eye, but why did Rika choose to embrace hatred? Why did Saejoong Choi decide to inflict pain onto the world? Why did his Mother hate him with every fiber of her being? He doesn't know why, and he knows he can't make the full picture if he doesn't hear the half of it from them.

Even if it's bullshit, even if it doesn't bring him peace, he wants to hear the words they have to say.

He wants to hear it.

For his peace, he wants to hear their side so he can better grasp why hatred filled his heart, too... not just because it was beaten into him to survive Mint Eye... because hatred was always a part of him. Hate and anger are emotions, just as much as love and kindness, and they are important to acknowledge. We can't deny them, and you should never live in fear of your "uglier" emotions, either.

But, anger nearly destroyed Saeran because he let it control him to survive under Rika's thumb, and he never wants to live that way ever again. He would rather choose understanding and kindness when... death is on the horizon. He doesn't want to live his life torn apart with agony, debating the rights and wrongs of every choice he's made to survive, he wants to embrace the answers of life and why people do what they do, knowing his kindness is his strongest ally in the face of cruelty.

His strongest power, his greatest ability, has always been his gentle heart.

I've spoken at length about Rika and Mother Choi before, but I don't think I've ever fully spoken about Saejoong here. Which is where I'm taking this particular post. It's easy to point out the trauma Saeran experienced via the maternal figures in his life, but the game doesn't go as deeply into his feelings about paternal figures. Sure, we have a lot on Jihyun, but Saejoong?

You'll find more about Saejoong within Saeyoung's heart because he hates that man with all his heart, every fiber of his soul, and anytime we're subjected to Saeyoung's perspective, we see things as they are. The valid and correct assumption is that Saejoong Choi is a monster in charge of many facets of the country, pretending to be a man of the people when he's actually a wolf in sheep's clothing.

We know what Saeyoung thinks of him because his worst nightmare is becoming a man like him.

But, Saeran? Saeran is a gentle boy, with a kind heart, and that's the definition every character who's ever interacted with him as a small child has ever said about him. He was terrified of his mother and his father, he gave some grace to his mother because she "protected us from father by not letting him have us" even though he understands she was only using them for alcohol money.

He's always tried to understand others even if those people aren't the types of people anyone would ever want to understand. Because, as the story goes, "Nice backstory, that's still murder, though!" I'm with Saeyoung on this one, but that doesn't mean I can't value what our Saeran desires most of all. He wanted to hear Saejoong's story, and that's why I purposefully don't choose the options where I lash out at this man even though he deserves it in my eyes.

I chose the options that gave Saeran what he needed to learn how to forgive himself.

But, there's a lot of language in your ultimate confrontation with Saejoong Choi that stands out to me for good reason. I think the point that stood out at first was: "You know, he's been giving me nonsense all morning. Now, I think I understand what that came from". That was Saejoong's retort to how you stated the obvious, Saeyoung and Saeran were never a threat to him, he was the one who'd decided they were a threat to him.

But, you keep laying into the Prime Minster, poking and prodding again and again, seeking out the answers you know Saeran wants. You're not sure if Saeran is alive or dead in that moment, so you're reaching out with his desire... the burning desire in Saeran's heart that wants to UNDERSTAND no matter how childish people may want to call that desire.

But, he pointed out that you sounded a lot like Saeran did when he was trying to speak to his father before you arrived. So, let's take a step back for a second and think about something important.

What does our Suit Saeran wear as he pretends to be the strongest of them all?

What does he cloak himself in to feel like a monster? He wears a suit. Not once does he possess the words his father might've spoken had they ever met when he was a little boy, rather, he wears an ill-fitting suit that's far more suited to the man who looms over him like a tree, casting a shadow around Saeran.

That's something that hasn't really been touched on by anyone over the years as far as I can tell but it's haunted me. Suit Saeran takes a piece of every person who hurt him... to become what Rika claims is "strong". His wearing a suit isn't just a fun style choice, it's by design. Shouting his mother and Rika's words wearing a suit that will never fit him, all the while crumbling in all himself because this isn't who he is and he hates every second of it.

What's scarier than the awful words of his maternal figures and the suit that terrified him?

That's why "those cruel words were meant for me" is what he says in his apology. He saw himself as a coward who couldn't do anything but obey Rika's cruel order to become the strongest believer of Mint Eye. He abandoned his kindness because he didn't have a choice in the matter, he had to do heartless things to survive, and that's what spurns him to look deeper at Rika later on. She must've felt the same thing she made him feel... so, could the same be said for his mother and father?

When do people accept cruelty into their hearts? When do they decide that they should let cruelty lead to more cruelty? Why do people attempt to justify cruelty? He doesn't know, and that's... hugely why he wants time to himself away from the front, leaving both you and Ray together to take care of one another while he sits with himself to reflect and learn.

The very notion that wearing a suit jacket could make him look like a monster comes from the phantom memory of men in suits he always feared were lurking around the corner, though.

There's actually an entry about that in baby Saeran's diary after he begins to attend the cathedral when his brother disappears. He says that men in suits have started appearing and he thinks that they're following him to and from church every day. What's scarier than the man in the jacket? Saeran's fear of his father is the fear of a man in a suit who could do horrible things—unspeakable things—to him, and it's one of the reasons why he embraced his mother.

He would rather have the devil he knows than the devil he doesn't.

At the very least, he knows what his mother will do to him if he does something wrong. But, Saejoong Choi? He doesn't know what might happen if that man gets him, and Mother Choi did nothing but fill his head with "what if"'s since he and Saeyoung were old enough to hear her speak and understand what she meant.

Suit Saeran adopts those clothes to make himself fit the "part". It's no different than how Ray tries to fit the big clothes that Rika made him wear, trying to fill the role she created for him even though that role would never be him. I'm not sure if Suit Saeran was conscious of his decision to wear a suit jacket, but I know regardless of his awareness of it, it was a choice he made and it's arguably reasonable to say the decision came from this childhood fear of his.

During his apology scene, he reflects on his actions and what led him to this point, but he has one question that can only be answered by... you.

Saeran: My darkness is melting away, but you still remain the way you are... how can you stay the same? You: I thought you were being mean to me because you were terribly wounded in the past. Saeran: You understood me. I didn't expect you to do so... I should thank you, shouldn't I? Thank you... for understanding me.

Your ability to see beyond the surface and attempt to understand Saeran validates his heart's desire to do the same. This is why the very moment you confront Saejoong, he tries to claim you're why Saeran spoke to him with understanding instead of ire, but that's assuredly not the case. You lifted Saeran and reminded his heart about his gentle desires, but his words are his alone.

He speaks for himself. No longer will people put words in his mouth. His autonomy is his.

Saejoong: I've done nothing wrong. You know nothing about me... there's no way some good-as-good-weakling is happier than me. The survivor is the victor, you see! Which is why I only win when I survive and be the best.

Suit Saeran's survival is the survival of the fittest. The idea that you have to be at the top of the food chain to survive no matter what. That's not how it works at the end of the day. It's not about being the strongest... not about being the top dog. Survival happens because the species in question ends up with the best chance to adapt to an ever-changing environment for one reason or another. Humans got lucky, that's all, and there's no magical tier of strength here to thank for it.

People misunderstand what that phrase means.

But, I'm not surprised when I see Saejoong pull it out of his ass like that because he's the kind of man who thrives with that ideology at the end of the day... and it's why this particular confrontation is for Suit Saeran's weary heart, just... as the confrontation with Rika was more for Ray than it was for Suit Saeran.

There are parallels here for a reason.

That's not to say that they didn't need both confrontations, that only Saeran needed this or Ray only needed that, but there's something they both needed out of these conversations, and one boy needed the Rika talk and the other the Saejoong talk for the full scope of their particular experience. It's how they find peace, it's how GE Saeran is able to give peace to the two sides of his heart that brought him into being.

How miserable it is for someone to claim to be the strongest. That's something Suit Saeran knew well. It's isolating, isn't it? It's dark and hopeless, isn't it? You get what you want by stepping on the backs of others, but all you're left with is cruelty. You lose yourself to anger... to heartless acts. You live in denial, too, and that's something Saeran's able to see from a mile away when he looks at Saejoong and Rika in the end.

Their goals might be different, but he sees no difference in the path people walk to subscribe to the survival of the fittest. Rika was scared of being abandoned, so she made people terrified to leave her behind in the dust, rather than embrace her fear and confess her fears to get help. She could've done things differently, but she turned away from the world, and embraced a twisted ideology instead.

Saejoong abandoned an honest living, spitting the face of those who shine shoes in favor of clawing his way to the top, because we're left to presume he started with sincere intentions, only to abandon them in the name of securing total power for himself the way he assumed everyone else was.

Sure, is it very naive and perhaps even too hopeful to assume people won't walk all over you for choosing an honest path like the one that Saeran wants to walk? Maybe, maybe it is stupid to walk down a road you know will be harder than the rest, but the question to ask is: Will you be able to live with yourself at the end of your life if you take the cruelest path instead? You won't be able to take what you get by destroying others into the next world, so why?

Why destroy anyone in the first place?

That's why when Saejoong tells you there's no turning back for him now, he realizes that there's nothing left for him if he accepts what's coming for him. He doesn't want to take accountability because he's well aware of what's on the other side. He can't change what he did to people, and he'll have to live with that forever, so why not go with the sunk-cost fallacy? It's already fucked, why not make sure it's fucked for good?

Commit to the bit until the very end no matter what since you can't live with yourself otherwise. I've seen it before... so many times. Why ever hold yourself accountable when it means you have to face what you've done and consequences that come with it? Why not keep the charade going forever instead of doing the hard work to make things right? It's because they don't want to do it. They know what they did, and they don't want to destroy themselves in the process of making things right.

That's what I call selfish. Because, if you have enough awareness to understand the consequences of your actions, you've got enough to understand what your actions did to your victim. If you're thinking of how your life will be ruined by owning up to your actions, then you're not truly thinking of atonement or making things right. You're simply serving your own satisfaction.

Saejoong saying, "I've done what I've done and there's changing it, so I may as well keep going until I can't go anymore" is his way of saying that he won't stop pushing because he knows what awaits him at the end of his wicked road. He deserves to live with that shame forever if you ask me. Given his quick response to try and blame the player for Saeran's injuries at the start, and his honesty in what he would do to his sons to serve his own needs?

Yeah, it's easy to see what kind of man he is. Blame everyone else for his problems instead of facing himself in the mirror.

Saeran and MC offer Saejoong something many of us don't think he deserves, rightfully so mind you, and that's the understanding that he won't get from anyone else. MC's understanding of Suit Saeran... and Saeran's understanding of what it felt like to stare the sunk-cost in the face (Suit Saeran's Bad Ending where he breaks the player and tries to bring them back with the only thing he knows—torment—but MC's Humpty Dumpty and can't be put back together again because of what he did).

You: You must be so lonely. Saeran: My poor father... you've never met someone who understands you, right?

With that in mind, does any of this mean that Saejoong had that change of heart? As I said earlier, no, it doesn't. He isn't going to change overnight and he's not going to have a place in Saeran's freedom. But, Saeran's kindness... the kindness he extended to a horrible man who would never give him the same grace if the roles were reversed? It made a difference. Saejoong was mystified by his son because of his kindness.

Saeran and Saeyoung spent their lives on the run... always crawling under the dirt to hide from him. They've suffered in ways Saejoong had to taste for only two days before he decided to seek out his son. That's the thing, Saejoong experienced Saeran's understanding right before he ran off, no different than how his illegitimate twins had to run away from him every day of their lives—and as that kindness sat with him, he had to live with it.

He had to live with the fact that his son would live a better life than he could've ever dreamed of for himself because his son wasn't afraid to walk an honest road, no matter how many people would call him the fool for it. If a boy he considered a nuisance, a pest, a mere bug under his feet could do that—who's to say he couldn't have done that from the very beginning himself?

Don't get me wrong, this realization isn't Saejoong changing for the better or anything. He's self-aware enough to say that he isn't going to change for the better in the end because he's already done what he's done and there's no changing it. He lived a fraction of what he made his sons live and he came out of it knowing he'd rather sit in prison than have to live how he made them live.

That says more about how spineless he is than anything. He can't believe Saeran extended understanding and empathy to him after experiencing what Saeran and Saeyoung did for only two days... but in doing so, his kindness gave Saejoong Choi something he'd never get from anyone else. Because he certainly didn't hear kindness in the time he spent with Saeyoung. He's thinking to himself, "I made those boys feel like this for twenty years, and yet, that boy still said those kind words to me."

Hell, it's plausible that one of the reasons why Saejoong was so damn mystified was because Saeyoung gave him everything he expected... all the hatred, the ire, and the venom from a child forced to crawl in a den of mud and spikes to survive.

But—Saeran didn't.

Saeran broke his expectations and left that man reeling. Saejoong Choi scoffed at true honesty, kindness, and sincerity for years only to come face to face with it at the end of his rope with nothing to say for himself in his defense but a pitiful, spineless display of self-satisfying justification.

"Now that I've lost everything, I just can't stop thinking about that nonsense you said to me. Once they get me, I won't have to pant and hide. I couldn't find a way to live a beautiful life, but maybe you two… anyway, that's all I've got to say. Thank you for telling me all that. For saying that to someone like me…. Just so you know, people don't change. It's not easy for people to change. But, you two would do anything to change someone like me."

Saeran is someone Saejoong can't get a read on because he's never encountered someone so honest and genuine with his intent. He has nothing to say for himself because there is no excuse for what he did to Saeran and Saeyoung. He simply did it because he could and there was no pause or hesitation as to what his actions would do to them... because he only cared to satisfy his own desires. Why be kind if your world will stomp on you no matter what?

Why choose naivety if it won't serve your goals? Saejoong abandoned any hope of following an honest road when he decided kindness was a weakness, similar to how Rika scoffed at the player when you say to her in no uncertain terms that she is only one who thinks kindness is weak.

Saejoong says something similar when you confront him, too.

"Love? You think I have time to even feel love? At least weaklings would have had time to do that. Meeting someone like you, falling in love, and throwing your life away for love, like some soap opera... I had no time to do that. I must break the rules one by one to step higher, and then I must all my remaining energy to hide what I've done," he said.

"And the only thing that's left for me after that is feigned relations and cruelty... as well as wealth and honor. Love? For me? In this situation? Haha... impossible. It means nothing to me now. Which is why I must show no mercy. I'll use these Saeyoung and Saeran for my own good until they're dead... otherwise, I'll be dead."

Sunk-cost fallacy.

Out of the things they talked about that night before the morning came, I like to think that Saejoong was further surprised by what Saeran would say to him about Saeyoung. Because make no mistake here, I will tell you without a shadow of a doubt that our Saeran told Saejoong that if he wanted to do the right thing and put an end to the chase, he would turn himself into Saeyoung specifically.

Saeran knows his brother will never forgive this man. Forgiveness isn't what his brother needs. Saeyoung needs to reclaim his sense of power over Saejoong and put that damn man beneath him so he's never haunted at night by the idea of that man coming to kill him or his loved ones.

Saeran may not agree with violence, but he knows his brother even if they've been apart forever, and he knows Saeyoung needs to clock that man with a good right-hook to know his brother is safe, among saying his peace.

It's the fact that Saeran is capable of great kindness, but also an even greater understanding, because he can say what he wants but also communicate what his brother wants, even if it doesn't align with his personal choice. He's selfless, not selfish, in his desire to be kind to others... but that doesn't mean he's incapable of being selfish, either. When he broke down in tears in front of V and Rika, he was honest in saying what he wanted, and later, when you hear Saeran in your head on your quest to find him before it's too late—

You hear him say that he lied because he does want to live with you for the rest of your lives, and you know that in your heart. Just as he wants to be selfless and brave, he also yearns to be selfish and with you forever. That's what makes him human. That's what makes all of us human.

Saeran wants everyone to have whatever they need to find peace, no matter what it is.

The fact that Saejoong willingly accepted that request, or decided himself to face Saeyoung, is something that often mystifies me... even to this day. Saejoong understands two things, one for each of his sons. He knows that he'll never understand how Saeran became kind despite his hardship but Saeran tried to understand him in spite of Saejoong's cruelty, and that Saeyoung is similar to him, in that he will never rest nor be satisfied until he gets what he wants out of the people against him.

Offering Saeran a final talk to clear up anything else his son might want and Saeyoung the chance to beat his father down when he needs to know the monster can't hurt him anymore? We can talk forever about why he decided to do those things, argue if there's been a change of heart or if some magical deux ex machina made things better, but...

At the end of the day, I understand that Mystic Messenger tries to paint this ending as more hopeful, with the notion that people can take accountability for their actions, and the real world isn't always like that. Someone like Saejoong isn't likely to hold up to any mirrors and reflection on what he's become and/or what he's been forever to the people around him, but... I just can't deny it's having the situation handled with some realism that brings me peace.

Sure, it's escapist fantasy, there are certain aspects here that just don't align with what it might go in the real world, but... it doesn't change the fact that there are pieces to these conversations that hold value to people in real life who needs to hear and see outcomes like this.

Because, there's sweet satisfaction in my heart knowing Saeyoung is about to get the chance to beat this man within an inch of his life for whatever thirty-second pass Vanderwood gave him before they have to take him in for the police; and with the knowledge that Saeran got what he wanted out his final conversation with his father, and he isn't afraid of the man in a suit jacket anymore because that suit holds no power over him, because he chose his peace.

The boys both got what they needed. As a victim who identifies strongly with many of the characters in this game, seeing them get that gave me peace. That's what matters to me. Not a debate about what Saejoong Choi feels here or if he truly changed his mind about what's right or wrong. His victims finally have their freedom, and he can't hurt them anymore.

It's why at the very end of the RAE, my favorite option to the toast is "Love will prevail", because that's the moral of the story. Kindness is the strongest weapon you possess, and it's that kindness you share with every member of the RFA that helps them find peace in the end. Your kindness is what prevails, and how you reach the good ending to every route.

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