#and he feels a little vindicated

[blazeball]

i feel soooo normal about grolon and ava

[fisherrprince]

Instead of writing a fanfic like a normal person this oneshot turned into two separate, contextless things,

[slavhew]

you win. try again?

[fist-of-vengeance]

thinking about how essentially every relationship john locke formed in the early seasons of lost has completely disintegrated by the time of his death.

of course there's his relationship with jack, which starts tense but manageable and culminates in jack pointing a gun at john's head and pulling the trigger. but even his smaller, less narratively prominent relationships either implode or drift apart. he bonds with walt in season one but then walt leaves the island, which is itself a severing of their bond since it was mainly based on being the only two people who wanted to stay. still, he goes and visits walt off the island so this is probably john's most successful relationship. I dont think i need to explain how he fucked up with boone, "the sacrifice that the island demanded." charlie viewed john as a mentor and claimed to trust him more than anyone on the island, but after the events of fire and water, that trust is destroyed and charlie despises him. at the same time we get john bonding with claire and having a pseudo-paternal dynamic with her, but their closeness basically drops off the face of the earth as he gets less and less involved with the other survivors.

his arc in the series is essentially a gradual distancing from everyone around him. it starts when he abandons hunting (providing for the others) in favor of trying to get the hatch open (it's extremely clear his primary motive isn't any survival applications but getting answers to the mystery). when they do open the hatch, he spends more and more time inside, underground, cut off from other people. he spends more and more time interacting with ben, a human mystery box that he's obsessed with cracking even if it gets him killed. he follows the proverbial white rabbit deeper down the hole and leaves his connection to humanity behind. the island and its mysteries become more important to john than anything or anyone else.

then in season three we get him claiming to go undercover with the others only to unceremoniously tell sawyer that he's actually going to join them. and it doesn't feel shocking, it feels inevitable. because john has spent the entire series becoming less and less connected with the people he arrived with. in that sense he actually makes a fascinating foil to juliet, who is introduced as one of the others and yet never really fits, she's increasingly sympathetic and kind in a way the rest of them aren't, her redemption arc feels so natural that she actually starts referring to her old people as "the others" like she's been one of the crash survivors from the beginning. her and john basically have inverse arcs, which is probably accidental but very neat.

in season five john tries to convince everyone to go back to the island, and fails spectacularly. and of course he does, because he was so consumed by obsession that he stopped maintaining his relationships, and in many cases actively alienated people (this is also basically what happened with helen) and now he can't wrap his head around why they're all so hostile to him. i am forever obsessed with the scene where he confronts kate and she brutally calls him out for wanting to return to the island because he doesn't love anyone. it actually struck me on rewatch how well the two of them got along in season one, and how badly their relationship has degraded by this point. john repeatedly casts aside interpersonal relationships in favor of his obsession with destiny, so when said destiny actually involves persuading the people he once shunned, he's at a loss. this is because john treats purpose as a supplement for connection, destiny as an alternative to love.

as an aside, this aspect of john's character kinda ties into my opinion that several lost characters can be read as allegorically neurdivergent under a certain lens. i know this was absolutely not intended, but as an adhd former gifted kid who struggles socially, there is something uncomfortably familiar about a character who allows their relationships to burn around them because of a single-minded obsession, especially as a result of being promised the fickle status of "special."

tl/dr: john locke is a doomed idiot and i love him

[himejoshiangels]

have u ever seen a comic book panel so beautiful it made u wnna cry?

[theghostofashton]

.

[hastalavistabyebye]

Injuries #1

Ao3 version

This kriffing shuttle couldn't land fast enough. He should have been there days ago. The fact that he wasn't supposed to be back on Coruscant until a few months more didn't matter in the slightest.

General Mace had been called back in urgency and nothing would have prevented Ponds from going with him. His officers would manage by themselves. They were going to join Bly in barely two rotations anyway. 

“Landing, Sirs.” Steady called from the cockpit. 

Finally ! 

Ponds could feel the tips of his fingers starting to tingle with the need to move already. He could still hear Neyo’s voice telling him what happened, again and again. The only way to stop this vicious worry eating his mind was to be there at last.

He couldn't lose him. 

He couldn't be away and risk losing him. 

A few seconds before the shuttle opened to let him out, General Mace put a firm hand on his shoulder, his presence radiating safety and quiet peace. 

“Go to the Halls of Healing, Healer Trah warned a Padawan to guide you when you arrive. I will see you after this meeting. He’s safe, Ponds.”

The Commander nodded and swiftly jumped out of the shuttle, not waiting for the engines to shut down fully. 

The way there was just a fast blur. He didn't care about it, all he wanted was to arrive sooner. But at long last, he walked into his room. 

Neyo was sitting next to the bed, wary and exhausted. He looked up from the datapad he was holding when Ponds arrived, nodding in the direction of the second chair, on the other side of the bed. 

“He’s going to be okay.” Ponds’ vod’ika said, voice slightly rough with disuse. “The Healers said he’ll wake up in a few days now.”

Ponds noded in acknowledgment, his eyes fixed on the man asleep in front of him, taking in sight every signs of life. His chest moving softly with every breath. The occasional fluttering of his eyelids in his sleep. The rare little twitch of his fingers against the blanket. 

He went to squeeze Neyo’s shoulder before taking his place on the free chair. His vod’ika has been there when he couldn't, but it was his turn to keep watch now.

Ponds pushed a stray lock out of his lover’s forehead, cataloging all of the new scars -the burn marks shy to climb up his neck, picking out of the medical robes, the gash barring his cheek to the corner of his eye, the new thick lines added to his knuckles and the back of his hands that were already covered in them. 

He took one of those hands and settled down to wait. 

Now that he had the very proof that Bacara was alive, the all-encompassing dread that had nestle inside of him, swallowing everything that wasn't the bone deep terror to be too late, to never be able to look into those unimpressed, warm eyes again, calmed down slightly, enough for him to draw a long, shaky breath. He gently brought the hand he cradled in both of his to his forehead, relishing in the warmth of the skin. 

He now had the proof that, even if it takes a few days, Bacara’s eyes will open back to him again.

[marc--chilton]

(mgv)

what if the pup went to wilson when overstimulated with the new environment of ppth while mark is hospitalized.... and wilson is suckered and flattered into hiding him under his desk since neither of them are capable of making a nest. wilson takes his vigil very seriously even if on the outside it just looks like he's doing paperwork, and even pages chase to deliver a message to house that he's not under any circumstances to barge in and say anything grotesque like he usually does. chase does not enjoy this duty for Many reasons, less so when house in turn orders chase to fetch nesting blankets from maternity ward (they're bigger and softer and retain scents better than the normal thin hospital blankets) and deliver them to wilson's office. and house just. hops that little divide on the balcony and dutifully weaves a nest on wilson's couch, even scrubs one blanket over wilson's scent gland -- totally fucking up his hair with static in the process. then shocking him for good measure -- with a growl of 'don't you dare fight me on this' that instantly kills wilson's will to resist bc this is house in Mom Mode and wilson's not a stupid enough alpha to get in the way of That.

house's own scent catches in the process just by way of his wrist glands making contact. he had considered imbuing his own scent on instinct but decided against it (he may be the kid's parent but he's functionally a stranger so his instincts deter him from doing anything that could further distress his pup), and was so focused on making a good nest he didn't even register his wrists tingling until he was back in his office shaking the weird raw feeling out of his hands. he didn't say a single word the whole time either. he just came in, bullied wilson, made a nest on his couch, and left.

it's a success; he peeks a bit later and is more relieved than he'd like to admit to see a child sized lump filling out the bleach-white nest

[cherubchoirs]

What if the Ferryman warms up to V1 quicker than they forgive Gabe so when the two have to fight something/someone the Ferryman's idols priortitise V1 for the blessing instead of Gabe. He would be so upset! Maybe they try to teach V1 to carve it's own idols (out of wood, they don't trust it with the real stuff)

How would the Ferryman warm up to V1 in the first place? Did they just want to figure out why Gabe fell for it in both senses of the word?

(reference to this!)

ANON YOUR MIND....i can absolutely see this being the case because the ferryman is in a very difficult and unique position with regards to these two. i went into detail in that previous ask on their issues with gabriel after his fall, but with v1, initially all they see is the machine that corrupted him. in some ways, they want to shift the blame entirely so they can preserve something of gabriel's image in their mind, but they come to know v1 for the exact reasons you say - they want to understand what happened. gabriel was a paragon, a luminous angel fully dedicated to god. how did v1, in a matter of hours, change his entire perspective, how did it not only turn him blasphemous but capture his love and affection as well? the ferryman by turns is insulted, angry, jealous, and the only way they can deal with that is to get to know and possibly understand v1 even if all they can feel for it at first is disgust.

the ferryman is guarded in approaching v1, a bit concerned for their own faith if it was able to so thoroughly shake gabriel's, but v1 is difficult to engage initially. it shows a mild curiosity before ignoring all of the ferryman's attempts at conversation, stark expression giving nothing away before it leaves to find better stimulation. of course. it's not made to be social, it doesn't seek out companionship nor prioritizes it in any fashion as a war machine. and while the ferryman can observe it, can begin to see behaviors they never expected to find in its curiosity and playfulness, it does nothing to answer their questions nor lessen their frustration with it. they have to engage with it on its terms, how gabriel must have when they met and when it changed him...and honestly the ferryman's anger has mounted long enough despite their uncanny ability to bottle their emotions. their challenge to v1 is the first time they see it respond fully to them, instantly drawing its weapons without moving to a more proper setting or even waiting for the word "go". it's not a complete surprise though, and the ferryman braces against it as they know implicitly that this machine must have defeated gabriel since that's the only way it would be standing now.

and as this is v1's true language, the ferryman finds themselves astounded by what it says: there is true art in its movements, boundless creativity guiding its whole body, a fervor that before they could only understand as religious but now put into battle. this is what gabriel saw, what he felt. so small but lightning fast, learning every second of the battle and adjusting, adjusting, tailoring all its movements, weapon choices, strategies to its opponent and its opponent alone. special-made, a battle just for two. how odd, feeling like you're the only one in the world when it locks onto you. and for v1, its interest in the ferryman takes hold when it sees how they fight, the strength and precision they manage despite appearing so frail and retiring. why didn't they show it this first? why waste time trying to talk? they can spark its need for physicality, a partner in battle that can hold its attention and make it work for its victory. v1 does end up battering the ferryman perhaps too much, but it stops when they fully yield and thank it for showing them just what they needed to see. they take the time to patch themselves up and think on what it showed them, wondering if that was enough to steal gabriel from heaven.

however...now they've attracted its attention lol v1 begins to investigate the ferryman, reversing their previous roles - they keep catching it out of the corner of their eye, scuttling around behind them, watching them with its brightly glowing optic that somehow looks much more inquisitive now. they start talking to it again to bring it closer, explaining the maintenance of their ship or singing low songs to it which it sometimes gives responses to with little electronic chirps. and despite knowing what it did to humanity, to hell, to gabriel, the ferryman was human once and well...there's an undeniable, deeply human pull toward a curious little robot. they begin to show it their artwork, how they paint and sculpt, absolutely handing over the tools to v1 at some point to watch it roughly carve the most rudimentary little figures of things its seen, people it knows. slowly it grows on the ferryman, watching the passion it approaches everything with, how it's impatient but how it delights in novel experiences, how brightly intelligent it is, far beyond the ferryman's capabilities in many things...despite everything about it that should be to the contrary, it's charming in its own ways. made by humanity, but not human, not fair to condemn by the same measures. the ferryman, religious as they are, does not believe that it can necessarily be held accountable with how it is removed from god - sinful men made this, and it had no say in its purpose.

this moral reasoning is what breaks down the barrier between them and ultimately leads to the idol problem. while gabriel knows by then that v1 has taken an interest in the ferryman, he doesn't understand how it's reciprocated until v1 is blessed by an idol to both of their shock. v1 adjusts quickly to it - invincible, unstoppable!!!! it can perform all the most ridiculous tricks, the ones it's only simulated (to poor results) because nothing can touch it!!! it cleans up the rest of the battle single-handedly as gabriel stays rooted to the spot, only moved when he's rudely checked by an enemy as if only to remind him he doesn't have the privileges v1 currently does. and i think this is point at which gabriel comes to really understand how hurt he is by the ferryman's rejection, how he felt so secured and entitled to their devotion that he believed the ferryman would totally forgive him if given enough time...but this shows how badly wounded their relationship is, how terribly hurt the ferryman has been in a way gabriel should have known. his natural emotionality wants to lash out but he knows he must control it, the feeling selfish and unfair to the ferryman or to v1 - instead he needs some time to self-reflect, to deconstruct even more of that angelic self-righteousness he still carries, and find it in him to truly be humble if he wants to mend this rift (which he has time for, as v1 is arguing with the terminal that THOSE POINTS COUNT. GIVE ME MY POINTS!!!!! and the terminal REFUSES to cash out bc v1 essentially used cheat codes)

[fruityassumptions]

Just getting into Tgaa and holy fuck holy shit what the fuck

[chibi-scone]

So that new Rhys Darby interview about s3 ….💀

[grimalkinmessor]

any thoughts/headcanons about transmasc light

Not really...? I mean I just see transmasc Light the same as canon Light. His personality doesn't really change and neither do his circumstances, because he passes.

Though I do see transmasc Light as having a more strained relationship with Sachiko than canon Light, because as soon as her beloved little Light-chan figures out that she's actually a boy, Light bulldozes everything in his way and rejects anything even remotely feminine so he can become the man he wants to be. His relationship with his mother included in that. Soichiro, on the other hand, is bewildered but far less recalcitrant about his daughter turning into a son than he would be about his son turning into a daughter. He's always wanted a son, after all.

In canon context the only differences would probably be Soichiro being far more wary of letting L put cameras in his house/Light in confinement. Not because he thinks L would do something perverted, but more because he'd like to preserve Light's secrets and modesty. Soichiro actually ends up better understanding the value of lying by omission if Light is trans, I think.

Misa, repressed bisexual that she is, would be super weird about it. She'd be far more eager to get into Light's pants, though she'd also be conflicted about how attracted she is to him once (if) she got there. She's still super attracted to him, of course—but transmasc Light probably gives Misa either a gross new fetish or a complex form of denial. Maybe both.

L literally would not give a shit. Neither would Ryuk. The Task Force would be weird about it when they inevitably found out (i.e. Aizawa being more protective of Light, Matsuda seeing it as "okay" to flirt and/or try to woo Light, etc etc) but no one else would be. Watari has an entire orphanage full of queer audhd kids, so he's also unphased. Ryuk doesn't give a shit about human gender norms beyond how they affect Light's plans and how interesting they are. L probably uses it to prod at Light's buttons and test his reactions but beyond that he also doesn't care—it doesn't register on his radar as something important.

[sea-owl]

Some of my favorite scenarios for spouses found family is when Lady Danbury is sick of Simon's shit and says, "You know what you little shit, you're getting new siblings."

It starts with Gareth. Lady Danbury wanted her grandson out of the St Clair house, but for one reason or another, she couldn't show her favoritism towards Gareth. So to Simon he goes with a note telling Simon to be a good influence. Take him traveling since neither of you want to be near your fathers, and teach him all you know. Don't teach him to be a rake! (That fails too easily)

And okay, Simon can do this. Right? How hard can one child be? I mean, it's not like Gareth is a whole baby. It's awkward at first but Simon can gets the hang of it.

Then Lady Danbury starts sending more new kids to Simon. He recognizes some of the last names like Stirling and Featherington. He wonders how the hell his aunt managed to get them under her/his care. (He later learns all of them were sent to Lady Danbury because she promised their families she help get them ready for when it was time for them to be launched into society.) Simon begins to notice a pattern too. Was his aunt purposefully finding kids with family issues? Was she trying to make sure he had some in common with them?

God help Simon, he starts to care about them. Despite all of them being a pain in his ass.

Then Simon turns around and oh no he has suitors trying to call on some of his wards no matter what country they're in.

Imagine Simon writing to Anthony in a panic because Anthony is the only one he knows with that many siblings.

Simon: HELP HOW DO YOU RAISE KIDS?!?! LADY DANBURY LEFT ME IN CHARGE OF SEVEN OF THEM!

Anthony: You can have the oldest of the guys help, be your right hand like I have Benedict.

Simon: THAT'S MICHAEL AND HE'S COLIN'S AGE! AND HE ACTS LIKE COLIN BUT A BIGGER RAKE THAN EITHER OF US! WOULD YOU TRUST COLIN TO BE YOUR RIGHT HAND?!

Anthony: *thinks back to Colin's flighty ways and how Colin is always determined to embarrass him* Hell no.

Simon: HELP. ME.

Anthony: Now you see what I go through! It's not so easy, is it?!

[cheriboms]

NO FREAKING WAY VIKTOR IS CONFIRMED ACE I CALLED THAT SHT IN 2021 !!!!!!!!!!!! WE STAY WINNING :D

[merlinmerlot]

I could play one of the most beautiful well crafted video games on the planet and it will never be as appealing to me as one that kind of sucks shit but has soooo much potential

[trevisos]

i do deeply hate the new spawn!astarion dialogue after u fuck mizora btw. the original dialogue will always be canon to meeeee