#and it's all happening in a split second without him saying a word of dialogue?!
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fan-a-tink · 1 month ago
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My God, the way Edwin's expression here moves from exhaustion and anger to disbelief and love in less than a second is a freaking masterstroke. I think this is the moment where it sinks in for him that this is real, that Charles did come for him, that there is no version of this where Charles would have left him in hell. That Charles does love him enough to not let him go, now or ever. And as soon as he allows that thought to sink in, the stress and trauma of the last hours are completely forgotten and he knows he needs to tell Charles he loves him right here, right now. Because if he gets to live in the version of reality in which he is so important to Charles that he does come to rescue him, then Charles needs to know that he is just as important, that he is just as loved in return.
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roo-bastmoon · 8 months ago
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Off My Chest
Rant about Hybe under the cut. I give you my word I will try to post a majority of positive content, because the world (and my mental health) doesn't need more negativity, but sometimes you just gotta vent.
Folks, if you've known me for a hot second, you've realized I am a Jimin-biased Jikooker... but I am OT7, and I sincerely love and support BTS.
I believe Jimin is a grown man who can advocate for himself and I believe Jungkook absolutely supports and adores him, whatever their relationship status is.
I always try to accentuate the positive and avoid online drama and negativity as much as possible, but I need to get this off my chest.
I will never be gas-lit into believing that the way Jimin was treated in solo era was fair, or equitable, or even made any kind of business-sense. I've genuinely tried to entertain other people's points of view and listen to people who claim to have industry expertise, but...
I will never forget his mail being tampered with four times, his leaked insurance information, denial of more music videos, overlapped solo release, only 9 days of promotion, split title tracks, no radio or play-listing, no bio for his Spotify for months, no restock of his single CD for months, hundreds of thousands of frozen and deleted sales, millions of culled streams, shady articles in WeVerse and Billboard, insulting dialogue in In the Seom, failure to submit to RIAA certification for months, only a paywall documentary on WeVerse, zero official acknowledgement of his Hot 100 #1, 1 billion streams on Spotify, or wins for The Fact, MAMA, and two Webbys, plus broken in-ears, anemic little balloons and a sad background tarp as decorations for his fan events… and the company telling him how doing more would just be impossible.
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I compare all that to the push that other members and other groups got, and I know it just isn't true. It wasn't impossible.
Hell, Jeon Jungkook put in more effort to promote Jimin’s work and showed more respect for Jimin as an artist during his at-home lives than that whole company did, which honestly makes no sense from a profit standpoint.
I will never forget it, and I will not entertain arguments that say I’m a solo or an anti or jealous about it. I have eyes.
I am not out to shade any other members nor put forth any conspiracy theories. I simply want all our boys to get everything they justly deserve.
And yes, other members have suffered mishaps and neglect, but nothing of this scale, this consistently. It baffles me, I cannot understand it, and I'm done trying. Something strange was going on behind the scenes and we may never be privy to the details.
In trying to put this awful feeling behind me, I will say I am elated that Jikook are serving together and can support each other. I am glad there will be a Jikook travel show. I'm continually impressed with all of Jimin's success (in the military and professionally) despite all odds. I will always love and support all of BTS with my full heart.
And I sincerely hope the company has been taking notes and course-corrects for PJM2, even if it rubs some higher ups the wrong way if they had a different vision. Considering Jimin’s unique talents and his amazing star power—even his ability to bring Paris and New York to a screaming standstill just for the opportunity to see him exit a car—I would hope the company will “do their best to promote all labels and artists without discrimination” going forward.
But what happened truly sucked, and I needed to get that off my chest. I am not interested in further discussion or debate. I am now going to do my best to shift my focus and energy on to the things I want to manifest, instead of the things that enrage me.
So let me end on a positive and hopeful note: I put all my trust in Jimin, who signed a new contract with Hybe and who unfailingly adores all his members. There can be no love without trust. I will always do my best to trust BTS.
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But I'm watching carefully. For Jimin and all our boys.
Love, Roo
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raeofsunrise · 10 months ago
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hey!! can i request finnick enamored with a reader who plays hard to get? and she’s desirable like finnick and they met in the capitol after snow tried to push the image of them being king and queen with equal levels of desirability? thanks!
showing my cards ☆ finnick odair x f. reader
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summary: never would you let someone like finnick odair into your life, but finnick odair was an exception.
warnings: mentions of sex trafficking, finnick’s trafficking, no use of y/n, poorly written dialogue, capitol issues, first meeting cliche, reader’s hard to get, mentions of alcohol, i dont know if i love this or hate it
1k words
~・☆・~
you’d never liked it easy. whether it was intentional or not, you always found a way to make things harder then they had to be. maybe it was your upbringing, maybe it was just the way you were, but you never found the right person.
even as queen of panem.
it wasn’t anyone’s fault, truly. growing up was about survival. the games and everything after that was about survival. but god, how you wished that you could love someone.
it wasn’t like your life was incomplete without love, but you’d never found that someone to love. it was never…right. always some downside to the person.
it didn’t help that you changed your mind right as someone’s hand found their way into yours, or someone’s lips found their way to your lips. you wanted to live in it, to revel in the feeling of passion someone was giving to you, but it never clicked. and you hated it. it made you feel uncertain.
you never let that uncertainty show though. that’s how you got your title: “the poker faced jewel of panem. never letting her real feelings thorough. so misleading. so mystical. so hard to get.
and you played along. better to let them think you’re a person who leads another on because of no particular reason than to let them see through your facade you’d put on for so many years.
unfortunately, wittiness and mysteriousness can also earn you another title; desirable. and no urge is too nauseating to fulfill in the capitol.
parties, where the drinks tasted like a perfume your stylist had selected for you that evening. dinners, where even outside of a camera’s view, you had to entertain. to put on a performance.
it was at one of these parties, though, where you’d been invited with no certain reason why. the only other victor at this party was the only one in the capitol who was as beloved as you.
it had been four years after your “victory” in the hunger games, so you knew everyone fairly well. you just never got around to introducing yourself to finnick odair. seemed odd enough too, seeing as you were neighbors in district four. he was rarely home, though. a situation you knew all too well.
you decided tonight could be the night. as good as any other capitol party. you waited for when he finally got out of the grasp of a very handsy customer, who looked like she’d been downing glass after glass of alcohol.
you turned around, preparing yourself to walk up to him, only to turn around and be met with the sight of eyes that could make the waters part.
and for a split second, it felt like this was how you were supposed to live. in each other’s presence.
you decided to speak first. “hello, odair.” you say.
“looking for some fresh air tonight?” he asks, walking towards the entrance of the building.
strangely, you already felt comfort in his foreign presence. feelings of an unknown name started to bubble up, and you couldn’t allow that to happen.
“why? trying to get me alone so you can dazzle me into dating you?” you reply, having absolutely no idea where the cold undertone came from.
finnick knew of your repuation, but he also knew that every victor has their role. whether it be the crazy one, or the one with nothing to lose. it was something he knew all too well. but still, hearing your sarcastic remarks and replies made his heart flutter a little more each time. so he kept pushing.
he put a hand on his chest, feigning injury. “ouch,” he says. “seems like someone’s enjoying the party.”
you let out a scoff. “yes, absolutely ecstatic about my being here.” you say, walking ahead of him and outside.
you make your way to a sort of balcony, overlooking a garden in the gorgeous front yard of someone’s mansion. you pitied the person that would have to clean up after this.
finnick walks up next to you, leaning his arms against the railing, mirroring you.
“what is the queen of panem thinking about?” he says, sarcasm and humor delicately laced into his voice.
you turn your head to look at him. you were about to speak, but the sight that was in front of you was jarring.
you knew finnick was gorgeous. it was a known fact throughout panem. but cameras did not do him justice. you never understood why he needed all the fancy lighting the capitol provided. the moonlight cascading down his face and drawing out his features was certainly enough for you, you thought.
remembering the question he had asked god knows how long ago, you brought yourself back to reality. “she thinks about why finnick odair is asking what she thinks about.” you say, turning your head away from him and looking down.
he laughs. “touché.” he says, trailing off.
you can’t help but let out a small laugh. you don’t know why, there’s just something so intimate about the whole interaction.
you decide it’s your turn to ask a question. “how’re you enjoying the party?” you ask.
“party? could’ve sworn it was a funeral with how many people there look like they could’ve witnessed the rebellion.” he says, earning a laugh from you.
finnick swears that making you laugh within the first ten minutes of your meeting is one of his biggest accomplishments. he’d been enamored with you since he’d heard your laugh that night.
you’ve never known what it’s felt like to have someone go this far without making you change your mind, so you let the conversation happen.
you’ve heard of finnick’s reputation. his alleged personality, his habits. you’d never let someone like finnick into your life. but finnick himself could slide.
maybe, just maybe, you’d show your cards for finnick odair.
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hii!! really hope you like what i did with the request! i tried to put in every component but i may’ve gone a bit astray! please leave feedback it’s greatly appreciated ☆
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the-ace-with-spades · 1 year ago
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Dunno if I'm going to ever finish it (written in bits and pieces at the moment, about 2 out 9 chapters done + dialogues for the rest) but I might as well post it here. It was supposed to be part 1 of a series (the cure series) but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
'cause boys don't cry AU after Eddie leaves 118. When Eddie says a few words too much during an argument, Buck decides to leave LA but still stays in contact with everyone and still acts like Chris' second parent despite being miles away. It takes him two years hopping around the country to realize that his family will still be there without their workplace holding them together. It takes Eddie less to realize he misses him like a lung. Buck-centric, character study, slow burn, mutual pinning, getting together
.
Any kind of holiday cheer has left Buck and by the time he and Taylor are back in his loft, all he wants to do is sleep and forget the whole day happened.
Taylor takes it in stride. Buck has long suspected that she knows a bit too much about the feelings he has regarding Eddie—the feelings that are also too much. She’s been patient with him, like no one else has ever been, to the point that Buck felt guilt about how she was giving him more than he was giving her.
She lets Buck fester in his own mind while she keeps herself busy with unpacking the leftovers and tupperware Bobby handed them on their way out. She puts it all in the fridge which Buck will have to rearrange later and switch some of the stuff into the freezer. He has his own system and she doesn't know it, even after almost a year of dating. It’s fine.
"I know we promised not to talk about it until after New Year," Taylor says when she closes the fridge, voice soft and soothing in the silence of the loft, "but maybe it's a sign."
"Maybe," he agrees.
A few days before Christmas, Taylor got a job offer. In New York. They promised to talk about that first thing first, in January. They haven't talked about it beyond the offer that Buck could be a firefighter in New York. It was Taylor's offer, a compromise that would keep their both careers intact; an offer that seemed perfect on paper.
One thing is clear—Taylor is going, with or without Buck.
And the thing is, Buck would never hold her back, would never ask her to stay in LA with him and that was probably saying more about their relationship than he'd like to admit. But up until this point, he'd been thinking about a way they should go about their split up—because Buck couldn't do a long-distance relationship again—and not whether he actually could be a firefighter in New York. The wait has, so far, been unexpectedly good for them—maybe a deadline to judge how true their I love yous and I miss yous were and deciding whether the last year really proved they were better as a couple than as friends, maybe it was a good thing. Maybe the certainty that by January, they will know what the rest of their year will look like was something they both needed.
"Let me write some emails before going to bed," he tells her.
She smiles back at him, in a way that's almost calming. Not quite, but maybe in a couple of years…
Three hours later, Buck is tired. He's researched how external transfer could work—and it's manageable even if barely—and he's sent seven different emails with his firefighter CV and certs to various chiefs, admins and HR people.
Maybe it's impulsive. Maybe he should wait a bit and cool down. But maybe this is how he should do things—with his heart as the only guide. And his heart is hurt enough that he would do anything to leave LA as fast as he can.
Taylor brings him a mug of cinnamon tea and he gives her a kiss and the only thing his brain wants to acknowledge right at the moment is that Eddie hates cinnamon.
.
The next day, they are at work—having the Christmas Day off means going to work before or after it, or both, in Buck's case—and Buck is tying his shoes on the bench in the locker room.
Everyone is quiet. There's no Eddie. The only familiar faces are Hen and Ravi but the rest of the crew is also avoiding Buck's eyes, like they know he can break at the right look.
"You alright, Buck?" Hen asks, in the end, because someone has to and Bobby is already in his office.
"Peachy."
There's nothing else to say. Eddie was right—he has no right to be angry, about anything, or sad or disappointed or—It's not Buck's place to feel anything regarding Eddie or Christopher and he might have forgotten about it but now that he remembers, he's fine. He is.
Everyone leaves the locker room without a word. It's still ten minutes before the shift begins.
Buck keeps on trying and trying but he can't tie his shoes correctly, his hands shaking enough that both ends tangle together before he can make a proper knot.
Hen steps closer, because she won't leave him alone like this. But that's the thing—she will. Three years and she will be doing rounds in a hospital with other med students. And maybe she gave them a lot of heads up to get used to the idea and maybe, definitely, she will be a brilliant doctor, but it's all the same.
Hen stops his hands from tugging on the shoelaces. Her fingers wrap around his palms, embracing the tense muscles until he loosens the grip. She guides them away, closer to her waist.
"Buck," she says. "Don't lie to me."
"I'm fine, Hen."
There's no other truth. He has no right to any other truth.
"I know you're mad, Buck, and I know you don't want Eddie to leave but—"
"I'm not mad, Hen," he interrupts and it's not a lie. He's not mad—he's hurt and he feels stupid that he forgot his place and that he let himself get comfortable and hopeful again. Things with Eddie hadn't been great ever since the shooting and only spiraled downhill once Buck moved out of Eddie's house after he recovered enough to take care of himself and Christopher on his own—he should have known that it was Eddie's choice, that he was recreating boundaries for Buck so he wouldn't cross into a territory he shouldn't.
But it was too late for that.
Buck has already crossed every boundary anyone from the One-Eighteen had set for him. It wasn't intentional—he just thought his boundaries were in the same spots as everyone else's, that they weren't playing house, that they were living it, the same way he did.
"I think Eddie is making the right decision," Buck tells her because that's also the truth and he doesn't like lying.
If Eddie had talked to him about it, Buck would have told him that too—he would have been supportive, would have helped him with shortlisting potential jobs, would have helped him with talking about it with Christopher, would have set a budget and time-off plan, would have put some order into the chaos the decision was. Eddie was doing what was best for Christopher and that—that's something Buck would never deny him. But Eddie hadn't talked to him about it.
And that hurt. That hurt because one of the things Buck has always thought he would have, no matter what his feelings for Eddie were—platonic, romantic or too messed up to name—was that little place in Eddie's family.
And it was like Maddie all over again, too. Because he thought he had that little place in Maddie and Chim's family, that he would be part of the struggle and the decisions and he would be part of the help. It wasn’t about Maddie not being there for him, it was about Maddie not allowing him to be there for her. It's never been about being left behind—it's always been about being part of someone else, having a place with someone.
And if Buck's not part of any of the two, then who exactly is he? Who is Evan Buckley? Maybe it's time to figure it out, on his own. Maybe it's just part of being a human, leaving others behind, never really settling down with anyone, and maybe Buck needs to do exactly that.
He clenches his jaw and slides his hands out of Hen's grip.
He gives her a small smile and uses the same shaking hands to finally tie his boots. He can't look her in the eyes, at least not for more than a millisecond.
"I'm fine, Hen. Really."
.
Eddie doesn't show up to the shift, or the rest of his shifts, before his two weeks notice runs out—Bobby said he used up the leftover PTO he had, to focus on finding a new job and adjusting to a new life.
Buck picks up Christopher on both Wednesdays and they have a little trip to the cinema and to the new interactive science exhibition for kids they opened just after New Year's. Buck worked on New Year's Eve and on New Year's Day. He takes Chris back home but never walks him past the porch, just watches Eddie open the door for Chris, like he was waiting at the entrance since he heard Buck's Jeep park on his driveway.
He texts Eddie for the first time in two weeks, still sitting in his car in Eddie's driveway, seeing the light turning on in the kitchen of Eddie's house. His engine is on, waiting for Buck to make the escape, to be chased or to be chased out.
To Eddie: Ill pick him up from school for a sleepover next fri
Then, he adds, because he realizes he should be asking for permission;
To Eddie: If its alright with you
A text comes in a minute later.
From Eddie: I have a taster day on sat To Eddie: Ill take him to your abuela b4 my shift then
He puts the Jeep in reverse. He drives to the loft and once he is in the underground parking lot of his apartment complex, he texts Taylor.
To Taylor: Lets do it
There's no signal underground so the text doesn't go through until he's in the elevator. He could unsent it in the next three minutes it takes him to go across the parking lot, if he wanted.
He doesn't unsent it.
He cooks dinner—too much because he never really stopped being used to cooking for two grown men and a growing pre-teen, but Taylor can always take some to work for lunch the next day. It’s a compromise.
Taylor doesn't text him but when she finally comes back from work, she has a soft smile on her face.
She takes a look at Buck, sitting on his couch with an open laptop and filled-out application forms and drafted reply emails to both the chief and the HR admin from FDNY, and she looks at him and steps closer and guides Buck's head onto her chest.
Buck sighs when she brushes her fingers through the short hair on the back of his neck.
It's not quite what he wants but it's something he can grasp now and something that a new place, maybe, can shape into something he wants.
.
On Thursday, Buck goes to work early. Or earlier than he usually would. He goes through the motions—puts on freshly washed and dried uniform, button after button, even getting done the collar one today, slips his boots on and folds his civvies into a neat pile, packs it all back into the sports bag. He goes through the locker too, packs the athletic wear he has to wash between a small towel and gets rid of the little notes, photos and trinkets he has pinned to the inside of the door. It all lands in the trash can, except for the drawing he has from Christopher, of Buck in turnout gear, now years old, and a little origami flower he got from a kid he had rescued from a pile-up his first year on the job.
His name tag is still missing on his chest and as he looks into the mirror on the wall, checking if he's pinning it down straight and while staring at the Buckley written on the silver plate, he realizes he will have to give back his uniform on his last day.
FDNY doesn't have name tags. Their surnames are embroidered onto the uniform in a bright red thread, permanent in a way that Buck would have loved not so long ago.
"Buck," is what shakes him out of his head.
He looks up in the mirror and Bobby's face is already catching his eyes in the reflection.
"You're early," Bobby continues, in that level-headed, monotone voice he uses when he isn't sure what's going on but has a feeling about it. "There's over half an hour left before the shift starts."
Buck doesn't know what to say to that so he asks, "Can we talk? In private?"
Bobby takes him upstairs, to his office. They are quiet on the way there and Bobby's hand is warm on the small of his back when he closes the door behind them. He doesn't sit down, instead, he leans on his desk and looks at Buck. His arms are open like he's preparing for a hug—Buck expected them to be crossed over his chest.
"Cap—" he says and then he corrects himself. "Bobby, I didn't want you to hear from anyone else but I already submitted a copy to the chief."
He hands him the manila folder he snatched from his locker before following him out of the changing area. Bobby opens the elastic in a second and reads the papers inside.
“I think it’s time,” Buck adds when Bobby doesn't say anything.
This stirs something. Bobby looks almost angry—it's a look Buck's never seen on him. Disappointed, disapproving, defeated? Buck's seen that, not this.
“Time for what? I thought this is what you wanted, what you fought for. Buck, you can’t just—”
“It’s an external transfer, Cap, not a resignation letter," he interrupts. Bobby could, probably, talk him out of this and he knows it.
He needs him not to talk him out of this.
“I need a minute to myself, find a place in—with someone. I got too attached to this,” he admits, without really admitting what this means. “To the station, to the crew, to… We might act like it sometimes, but it isn't a family, isn’t that what you told me? I think I took it too far and—it's not—”
Healthy. It's not healthy for him.
Bobby flinches at the words, maybe because he hasn’t remembered them until now or maybe because he hasn’t thought that Buck would remember them. And he hadn't, not until a few days ago when his heart started breaking after sustaining too many cracks in the last months. It’s been five years and Buck still remembers. This is not a family.
And that's Buck's main point here—it's been five years and Buck is in the same place as he started, maybe there's less stolen trucks and meaningless hookups but emotionally, he's stuck. Desperate for a family. Loving with his whole heart without being loved back the same amount. With no clue who he is, except that he is a firefighter, and although this, somehow, might give him a lifeline to grasp, it's not enough anymore. He doesn't want to just survive, he wants to thrive.
“We are a family, Buck. This crew, we all love you, we will always be your family—”
Buck wants to believe it—
“On shift, maybe.” —he knows better now though. “But after the shift, you all will have your real families. You’ve got Athena, and May, and Harry, and Micheal, Hen has Karen and Denny and her fosters, and—and Chim will have Maddie and Jee and I—I just have an empty apartment and way too many feelings. I hate it, Bobby, I hate how this makes me feel so angry and so desperate and so empty, and I need to be less attached. I need to know who I am again without questioning how much of this is real and how much I imagined.”
He can't look Bobby in the eyes—he knows what he would see if he does. Defeat. Sadness. Maybe even a bit of a heartbreak.
“Taylor got a job offer in New York, I checked with the command and they would need me to recertify there if I wanted to be a fully trained firefighter on the crew or squad but they will gladly let me be a floater in the meantime, I don't even have to redo the full training, just pass the ones reciprocity can't be reached on. I’ll technically belong to Station Two-Fifty-Two but I’ll be bouncing around to whichever house will need me at the time. It’ll be good for me, not getting too involved, you know? Just doing what I love with no strings attached.”
No boundaries to cross or to overstretch. Just Buck, in his purest form. Just Buck, not the imagined version he created in his own mind. No Buck 1.0, no Buck 2.0, no Buck 3.0, no Buck 4.0. Just Buck.
Just Evan.
"It'll be good, I promise," he says and it almost sounds like he's saying, I'll be good.
Bobby stands there, his arms falling down his sides. And then he opens them again, this time wider, this time leaning into Buck's space from afar.
Buck lets him hug him. Lets him hold his nape in his palm and lets him guide Buck's face into his shoulder. Lets him sway Buck from side to side until Bobby's breathing, shallow and rapid, is back to normal. Lets himself have this for the last time.
"Please don't tell anyone about it, Bobby," he pleads into his shoulder. "I have two weeks left. I want them to be normal."
Bobby squeezes his shoulders tighter.
.
On Friday, he picks up Chris from school.
First thing in the morning, while, he knows, Eddie is driving Chris to school, he parks on the driveway and uses the spare key to get in. He tries not to look around—at the dirty dishes in the sink, at the thrown over the couch blankets, at Eddie's unused work shoes, sitting near the entrance.
It's not his place, to look at them.
Instead, he packs an overnight bag for Chris—his favorite PJs, two in case something gets spilled, clothes for the next day, his weekend workbook, his space-themed notebook, his comfort blanket, the one he had since he was a baby, and Chris's meds for two days.
He hesitates before going back out to his car. Turns around back to the kitchen and takes a sticky note from the fridge and writes down what he doesn't want to say.
Packed stuff for Chris for the weekend. Don't freak out if anything is missing.
The key is under the mat
– Buck
He leaves the sticky note on the fridge and leaves the spare key under the mat. He's flying out in two days, on an overnight flight on Sunday, it's not like he's going to use it again.
Chris is happy to see him. Just like Buck suspected, Eddie hasn't told him the plan for the day. Buck clenches his jaw before saying something along the lines, Glad you liked the surprise, buddy.
The day is good. They start up by making dough for a homemade pizza and the loft looks like a warzone afterwards but Buck doesn't care. While the dough is left to grow, he helps Chris with his homework and then, they finish up the pizza, making a monstrosity of various toppings that probably shouldn't go together. It’s something they’d done multiple times over the years, even if Eddie is usually there with them.
Chris is amazing the whole day like he always is. They play a mix of video games and board games and even play some modified Uno. Chris rambles about his school day throughout the whole ordeal and runs down possible ideas for his upcoming projects by Buck and they discuss the idea of making a giant soda volcano, just to spite Eddie when it inevitably erupts in their living room—Buck makes him promise he will take a picture of Eddie's face when it happens.
They finish up with a healthy snack—veggies and hummus—and Chris and he brush their teeth before they go to bed for their half an hour of before-bed quiet reading time, each with their own book. When Chris's eyes get tired, Buck finishes up the chapter for him, reading out loud, until Chris curls into his chest on the brink of sleep.
Buck tucks them both in. Chris falls asleep as soon as he kisses his forehead.
He remembers the first time like this, back when Eddie was dating Ana and Chris came for a sleepover in the loft while his dad was breaking Buck's heart, laughing in a restaurant with a woman that wasn't Buck. He had been anxious the whole evening and trying desperately not to think why Eddie wanted Chris to sleep at Buck's and not Buck at their house. But as soon as Chris was under Buck's covers, the only thing he could think about was just how scared he was to sleep with Chris in the same bed. 
Because no matter how big it was, Chris was so small and Buck was not and Buck was a kicker—and a snorer, according to Chris and Eddie—and the thought of hurting Chris, even by accident, or even putting him in any form of discomfort, made him want to grab a spare blanket and sleep on the floor next to the bed.
He stayed awake for about an hour after Chris fell asleep with his head on his chest, contemplating just not going to sleep, when he felt Chris's own legs kicking his thigh with a single, abrupt movement. And then, somehow, he knew Chris would be fine.
And he holds Chris, for an hour, without falling asleep, just like back then, and he knows Chris will be fine with him leaving. He will be fine because he will make sure of that. It's not going to be like his dad leaving for the army or like his mom leaving for LA after breaking down.
It’s a normal day. The upcoming days will also be normal, even if different.
They are eating breakfast in Buck’s kitchen the next morning, Taylor comes in, says hi to Chris and leaves within minutes with her laptop. Before she goes, she stops in the doorframe, looking at Chris’s back, at how unsuspecting he is, and gives Buck a smile that feels like a squeeze of a hand. He nods back at her and smiles, his cheeks protesting at the motion.
Chris is still half-awake but he finishes his choco-chip pancakes without problems. It’s slow, and quiet, and sunny and Buck hates it.
"There's something we should talk about," he starts when Chris is scrapping off the whipped cream off the side of his plate. Buck hasn’t even tried to eat. "Something I have to tell you."
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powdermelonkeg · 2 years ago
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Hey do you think it's possible to fix how time travel works in skyward sword so that this link can be the first hero who fought demise in the distant past? The one from the legend I think Zelda tells us (but maybe it was someone else, my memory isnt that great).
Anyways, I'm curious because I think that's what we were supposed to think. That Link became the hero in the present, them went to the past, and by defeating Demise became the hero from the past.
So, for this, you've got two options, one involving Link himself being known, and the other being Link's legend. They've got different criteria, so it depends on what you're looking for.
If you want it to be Link that's acknowledged, with the caveat that you also subscribe to the belief at the end of the rapidly-fraying timeline post, then you can say that when Fi course-corrected the timeline, that that was a side effect put into motion to make sure Link still encountered the legend that would lead him downward.
However, if you want it to be the legend, provided you also want to go along with what's intended for the timeline (because I doubt they actually put any thought into all those possible splits in the chart), then you can look to the Ballad of the Goddess.
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This exists, alongside the legend of the man the goddess gave a sailcloth to. And everything up until this point-
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-was pre-determined. Link was supposed to win the Wing Ceremony, Zelda was supposed to hear a call for the surface, and so on.
The Ballad of the Goddess was meant to be a hint and guidance for the hero when he first starts out. He knows what his job is, what the end result should be, even with other stakes at play. So we can reason that Hylia had at least some limited future sight ability in order to generate these prophecies.
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With that in mind, the above phrase that generated my whole Mudora theory could well have been the same thing—Hylia telling her people about what's to come, but either leaving out details so they think it's already happened, or time itself distorting the tale to change it from future tense to past tense as it's retold each generation. We know from Gaepora's meeting with Fi that the stories of the past are altered and missing pieces. So if you want to stay as true-to-intention as possible, I'd say go with that.
My own thoughts on this line below the cut.
Personally, it's the past tense that gets me hung up on this bit of dialogue; that the goddess gave the sailcloth back then. It throws me into speculation mode because I'm like "no, that hasn't happened yet, so that means it's happened twice!!!" which gives me a springboard to speculate what the world before Demise might have been like. It's also a line that could have been fixed with a single word.
You know, they say that the goddess promised the Sailcloth to her chosen hero long ago.
If they'd done that, there would be no room for questioning. I do kind of want to ask @sunnylaurels what the exact wording is in Japanese so I know without a shadow of a doubt that it's a dialogue error and not a mistranslation (after BotW's journal conundrum I no longer trust localizations) but-
The fact of the matter is, regardless of what's intended, I think it's more fun to speculate about an unknown predecessor to Link. Someone who tried, who failed, who was given a second chance, who was scattered to the winds of time to fulfill a purpose. It's a whole pocket where I can basically make up what I want, and the canon is just ambiguous enough to support it, which is amazing.
However, I also know that some theories, despite how they're technically canon-compliant, feel like they betray the canon to subscribe to on the basis of the Zeldevs' intentions. I know for a fact that the dialogue was intended to reference Skyward Sword Link. In a similar vein, I know that Breath of the Wild's 10k years ago are intended to happen after everything else in Zelda canon, or that nearly everything in Twilight Princess is intended to be a callback to Ocarina of Time.
I just have a serious case of "but what if THIS tho!"
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martianbugsbunny · 2 years ago
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We Are Mandalorians: Our Love Must Be Forged (An AxePaz Fic)—Chapter 9
Righty-ho, this is the chapter where things get worse for like a second but in a really fun way and then everything is gonna turn out great. It’s literally my favorite part of the entire fic tbh, except maybe the happy ending (which I promise is coming eventually!) Also, I don’t remember if I’ve used any Mando’a before in this fic, but I don’t think I have, so the rule for big phrases is Mando’a is the actual dialogue and the translation follows in italics. Singular words that are probably common knowledge among Mando fic fans are just as-is, but here is a link to the Wookieepedia page about Mando’a just in case. Anything I use can be found there. Enjoy!!!
“Paz, will you say the vows with me?” Axe asked.
Paz was weary; Axe could see it the way he nodded. And yes, it seemed futile to do it in a pit, at the end; but if not then, it would be never.
“Mhi solus tome,” Axe began. We are one when together.
“Mhi solus dar’tome.” Paz took the next line, his breathing labored and his voice hoarse with exhaustion. We are one when parted.
“Mhi me’dinui an.” We will share all. Including death.
“Mhi—ba’juri verde,” Paz said, and Axe’s heart ached when he heard how Paz’s voice stumbled on this part. We will raise warriors. He took Paz’s hand and squeezed it tight.
The footsteps in the cavern above came closer to the edge of the pit. Paz leaned his helmet against Axe’s. “I love you,” he whispered. “With all the strength of my heart.”
Axe longed to prolong the Keldabe kiss until the end, but he was tired and he was afraid and his nerves were absolutely bare. “Let me hold you,” he said, his voice trembling. “Let me die with you in my arms.”
Paz laid down with his head in Axe’s lap, his breathing slow. His right arm seemed stiff, and he curled his left around Axe’s knees. Was it the most comfortable of positions?…No, not really, but it wouldn’t matter for long anyway. Axe draped his arm across Paz’s upper body, fingers clutching at the cloth beneath his armor in hopes of feeling his pulse one last time past all the garments of war.
Just as the footfalls above reached the edge of the pit, the sound of blaster fire split the air. Bodies collapsed, beskar alloy ringing out against rock, and Axe held Paz tighter. “I love you too,” he said. He didn’t know what was happening up there, but he couldn’t let Paz die without him hearing that.
The noise died down and Axe heard a jetpack fire. Seconds later, a Mandalorian in shiny silver armor landed in front of them: the notorious redeemed apostate Din Djarin. “They’re alive!” he called up to the edge. “They need medical attention!” He knelt down in front of Axe and pulled off his helmet to make half-direct eye contact. “Are you alright?” he asked.
Axe didn’t know what to do, what to say, so he shook his head. “Take care of Paz first,” he insisted. “I can wait. He needs help.”
Din pulled Paz to his feet. The strain of the past few days had definitely caught up with him; he looked like he was about to pass out. Axe didn’t feel much better than Paz looked, but like hell was he going to let himself be attended before he knew his husband would be healed. As Din left the crater, holding Paz securely by the waist, Bo-Katan dropped down next to Axe.
“Where’s the fleet?” he asked. His tongue felt thick and clumsy in his mouth. “They were gone, or I would’ve come back with—”
“Easy. TIE bombers attacked and they were forced to flee. They’re back in orbit now, and the Imperial base has been destroyed. Gideon is dead and what remains of the Imperials are being hunted down and eliminated, including the ones who were about to shoot you like ducks in a barrel.” Bo-Katan tilted his chin up. “You rescued a Child of the Watch instead of fighting?”
Axe inhaled and took a moment to clear his mind before responding, to make sure his words would come out without being jumbled. “He’s my riduur,” he said. “I couldn’t—leave him to die.”
Then he blacked out, falling face-first into Bo-Katan’s arms.
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ben-talks-art · 2 years ago
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Thoughts on Across The Spider-Verse
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(this might be a long post, I tend to ramble)
Finally got a chance to see the freaking movie and finally got a chance to put my thoughts in order to be able to put into words how I feel about it... I think.
I was really excited about this one, from the trailers, from the word of mouth, from my feelings towards the first movie, everything was pointing out to this just being a really solid movie, and without going into spoilers... It is!
I don't think it's a perfect flawless movie, but I feel it's a case where the stuff that is good is so so good that it just vastly outshines any problem it might have.
I liked the action, the story, the characters, the visuals, the humor, this is basically what I wanted, more Into the Spider-Verse. Everything that was good about the first movie is still good here but taken a few extra steps further to make it feel like an evolution of the original and not just a copy and paste.
This isn't just "oh, because they made it bigger, therefore they made it better", no they just made it better and it just happens to be bigger than the first.
Across The Spider-Verse is just a really good movie. Highly recommend it, and I recommend it going into it as blind as possible. All the trailers for this do a terrible job of showing the best scenes of the movie and this might take away some of the impact when watching it yourself so try to avoid them if you can.
Now, onto the spoilers...
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First, a brief summary in case anyone is reading this without having seen the movie (for some reason):
The movie basically can be split into two halves. The first half is about Miles and his friends dealing with the new villain, The Spot, while also establishing where each character is emotionally and in maturity, probably in case any viewer didn't see the first movie.
The second half is about Miles finding out about the spider society and learning why everyone was so skeptical about letting him enter it, and when he does find out the reason, it leads to the big chase scene we saw in the trailers, and building up to a cliffhanger that will work as a segway to Across The Spider-Verse.
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I first wanna talk about the problems I had cause they are rather minor stuff and I wanna get it out of the way as soon as possible.
The first one I had is Miles' plot armor during the second half of the movie. As I said, we have this giant epic chase scene where every single Spider-Person in the world is trying to capture Miles... And every single one of them fails.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love Miles and I think he is a very capable and skilled superhero who's very in control of his powers... But this is just ridiculous.
Spider-Man is one of the few characters who have abilities specifically designed for capturing others, and not a single one of these guys managed to grab a kid who's only been in this line of work for a few years?
Maybe if they had established that his spider-sense is better than theirs, or if they had shown that some of the other members were aiding him, but no, apparently Miles is just THAT good, even though in the last movie he could barely handle the Kingpin alone.
Like, seriously, a lot of the chase early on is the kid just outrunning the other spiders, and one of them is a freaking car!
This does make Miles look impressive, but it also makes the spider society look a little incompetent, so I personally think it could have been handled better.
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The second thing that bothered me a little, and this might be a little hard to explain, was the dialogue.
I don't know why but some of the ways certain lines segway into another doesn't feel right.
It feels like there are things that the writers wanted to have the characters saying, but the way they flow into having the characters actually saying it felt clunky to me.
Like for example, at the end of the movie there is a scene of Gwen is saying goodbye to Miles's parents and she just starts saying "Miles taught me that anything is possible!" and I'm just like "Did the parents ever say they didn't believe everything was possible?"
There's another one in the big climax of the film when Miles is going through the Terminal Velocity level of Sonic Colors and he makes a quick comment about Miguel having claws, and that leads to a few weird exchange of lines that segway into Miles making a big speech about who he is... and then he suddenly stops the speech.
Another scene has Peter telling Miles that trying to run away from the society is crazy and out of nowhere Peter just goes "I feel bad!" and just completely shifts the direction of the conversation to be about how much Peter likes Miles.
One scene early on has Gwen asking Miguel who he is and he goes "it's classified" and then seconds later he just starts telling her anyway for no reason.
I don't know, this is probably just a "me" thing, but there are a few moments where it feels like some sentence were missing or that they were trying to force the conversation to go in a direction that didn't feel all that natural to me because they wanted to reach that big epic trailer-worthy line.
This doesn't kill the movie or anything, mostly because the emotion of the dialogue still manages to come across, and again, I doubt many if any person besides me will feel that way, so just view this as a nitpick.
Now for the stuff I like...
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First obvious thing are the visuals.
This movie feels as if you were following several artists' accounts on Instagram or Twitter and someone somehow smashed all their pieces of art together into one continuous story.
Every scene is a beautiful work of art full of detail, charm, and personality. I just love looking at basically everything, the characters, the backgrounds, the action scenes, it all looks so cool!
The action in particular I feel is a vast improvement over Into The Spider-Verse. I like the first movie a lot but I always felt that the action scenes, while looking good, were often not that memorable.
Like I remember who fights who in that movie, but I can never remember what exactly they do during these fights.
In here though, I totally do!
I remember exactly how each of the fights against The Spot go, how the big chase scene goes, how the confrontation of Miles vs Miguel went, even the initial fight against the Italian Vulture, I feel like that fight alone was better than most of the action we see in Into The Spider-Verse.
The fights in here are much more enjoyable to watch and follow and they also feel a lot cleaner. Even though there is a lot of stuff going on at times I never got confused at what was happening and on what to focus.
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I also love how well they capture the essence of "Friendly neighborhood Spider-Man" by making Miles and the people of Brooklyn being super chill with one another.
There is a scene I really like where he's riding a train to go to a party and everyone is just okay with that. Spider-Man is just a casual part of the city in this movie, a part of the big family that is this community.
It reminds me of the scene in Amazing Spider-Man 2 where it looks like the people of New York are just friends with Spidey.
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I don't know if it's realistic (never been to Brooklyn) but it is charming.
They make the people of Brooklyn seem so likable. They make everyone seem likable in this movie honestly.
It was funny following social media and seeing people commenting on the movie and all the posts that were like "Character X stole the show!" and each post basically had a different character that they were referring to.
Everyone here feels like they could be someone's favorite character. Kinda like how in the X-Men movies where everyone loves Quicksilver the most, or in Civil War where they felt Black Panther was the highlight, here it's like each character could be the scene-stealer because they each have so much personality, so much presence, so much depth. I just love all these people.
I wanna sit down a chat or just hang out with any of these characters, even the villain, he seems like he would be fun to talk to.
And the reason for that is because everyone here is doing something that I don't see often in other movies, something I don't even see often in the real world.
These people all feel like they are actually trying to understand each other.
They actually talk to one another and they actually are trying to listen to one another. They aren't just acting on impulse and being irrational, they all are like "I know where you're coming from, but this is where I am coming from, and where I'm coming from simply doesn't match with what you are trying to support."
There is even a scene where Miles' dad gets angry at him precisely because Miles just refuses to let him know where he's coming from with his actions. He wants to understand his son, but his son won't let him.
This is my favorite form of drama, when you have people with different interesting ideologies butting heads with one another. It doesn't matter if you agree with one side or the other, it just matters that you can see where each one is coming from.
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The main conflict between Miguel and Miles is legit really interesting. On one side you have an adult that doesn't trust in chance and always expects that the worse might happen and therefore likes to take precautions to avoid this worst from ever happening.
And another side we have this teen who thinks he can do anything if just given a chance. Both are clashing their definitions of what it means to have power and responsibility.
Is it more responsible to do everything in your power to prevent something bad, or is it more responsible to just accept something bad will happen and do as much damage control as possible?
How much do you think you can achieve with what you have? When is the right time to say "I can't do this, I'm not good enough to handle this"?
This is the purest way of showing the difference between kids and adults. Kids always think there is a way whereas adults always think something might go wrong.
And this is being shown with a kid that challenged expectations and an adult that comes from the future, so it makes the message work even better to show the clash of dream vs reality.
Sadly the story ends on a cliffhanger so we never saw what direction the story leans on... But I kinda like that because it gives viewers time to think about it themselves and form their own conclusions before see what conclusions the writers arrive at.
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Btw, I freaking love Miguel in this movie. I love his design of a dark blue suit with glowy red symbols with some sort of sketchy lines sticking out of his shoulders, I love his plasma webs and vampire claws, his wide torso combined with how he keeps running with his hands making him look like an animal, all that while still being basically the smarted guy in the room.
The way they manage to mix him being so sophisticated, so advanced, but also so savage-like with the way he moves and fights was just awesome. It's like Beast from X-Men or Goliath from Gargoyles. A nice combination of raw aggressive power while still having a lot of humanity.
I like how he isn't just being a jerk to Miles for no reason, he actually takes the time to try to get him to understand where he's coming from and why he's so serious about it. He's not just "the grumpy boss" he's just someone who's carrying a big burden with him and is trying as hard as he can to avoid seeing that burden repeated by others.
I think he was my favorite character in the movie.
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Also really liked Spider-Punk. He's one of these characters who's just living in their own little world and trying to get everyone around him to accept how he works instead of trying to adapt to the environment he's in.
I was a little skeptical because Miles kept acting antagonistic towards him due to jealousy but what I enjoyed was that not only did Punk not care about that, he actually seemed to really like Miles because he feels like a personification of his beliefs of not being what people tell you to be.
How many times do we see that? The other guy in a "love triangle" (if you can even call it that) being super supportive of the first guy? It's so refreshing!
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I should also probably talk about The Spot.
While I like the idea of taking a "villain of the week" (take a shot every time they use that term in the movie) and slowly turning him into a big threat, I wish his reason for hating Miles was a little more direct.
He hates him because he blew up the collider that was tearing apart dimensions and mutated his body... Except the collider was created by Doctor Octopus at the command of the Kingpin, so shouldn't Spot be angry at them as well, or even more?
I actually would have liked more if his motivation was just trying to show he's a big villain and is angry at Miles for doing the usual Spider-Man banter... Which to be fair, seems to be what they were going for the most. Spot seems more annoyed at Miles for not taking him seriously than angry at him for "ruining his life", and I kinda prefer it that way. It's a nice commentary on whether or not Spider-Man's jokes during fights might be more damaging than he expected.
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When he does act as a villain, he's actually really cool
They get very creative with his black portal abilities and allow for, as I mentioned before, some very fun and memorable fight scenes.
And what's most important, he does look like he's having fun being the bad guy. He loves giving these big epic speeches, growing his powers, and causing chaos while beating up all the spider-team.
But he also still remains a very dorky dude, like when he has a small banter with the Spider-Man from India and seems worried about looking racist... Like... The guy is causing destruction and putting people's lives in danger, but he draws the line on looking like he's offending a specific culture? How can you not love that?
It reminds me of that comic where Joker gets offended after finding out he's working with a Nazi. Just how exactly do the morals of supervillains work??
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Overall, he was a ton of fun.
Very creative powers and a very likable personality that allowed to some nice hero/villain banter.
Very much looking forward to seeing where they go with him. Are they gonna try to cure his body? Try to appeal to his forgiveness? Just axe him? Or what? We shall see.
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Then we have the cliffhanger where we meet Miles Prowler... Which kinda makes me think of miles per hour like Tails from Sonic and thus making this badass character sound a lot sillier than he is.
The twist that the hero ends up meeting an evil alternate dimension version of himself wasn't really that surprising to be honest, but it still managed to get me hyped.
I wanna see what these two will talk about, I wanna see how their ideologies clash with one another, I wanna see how their different or maybe similar personalities are showcased in their fighting styles, I wanna see how both of them react to what they could have been, or to what they might one day be. There is a lot you can do with that setup.
Miles Prowler himself also has a really cool design. The first thing that came to my mind was that he looked like one of the early unused designs for comic Miles by Sara Pichelli.
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I'm actually sad that this wasn't the official Miles look. I love braided hair.
You can tell from his few lines that he's just gonna be the biggest prick in the universe, and he knows that, and he doesn't care. It's gonna be fun to see him playing off of Miles. I just hope he doesn't end up stealing The Spot's moment in the sun. It would suck if people came out of the movie and were like "Yeah, Spot was fine... But that evil Miles though, damn!"
I hope this is like Puss In Boots 2 where each antagonist gets a fair amount of appreciation. The Spot would probably be the Jack Horner of the movie while evil Miles is The Wolf. Miguel can be Goldilocks. Just gotta give him a story arc where he realizes all he needed was the family he already had all along.
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I don't have much to say about the whole "cannon events" or the whole "Miles is an anomaly" thing just yet. I think I'll need more time to think about it.
But I will say this, I'm not a fan of the idea that heroes need to face tragedy to become heroes as if tragedy was a good thing that should be promoted.
In another post, I went into more detail on this but basically, I wish stories would try to show that heroes are made not by their tragedies but by something else that makes them strong enough to overcome their tragedies.
So I hope this is the angle they choose to explore in the next movie. I would be really disappointed if the end result is just "Miles' dad needed to die for the greater good", I don't feel this is a very healthy message to send. I know that loss and pain are a part of life but they shouldn't be the thing that defines who someone is.
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I guess that's about it.
Loved the movie. Glad I finally watched it. Some things I wish could have been done differently, but there is so much good stuff in it that it hardly bothers me, stuff that I probably wouldn't have thought about it myself.
Looking forward to Beyond The Spider-Verse!
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Also, who's this blue armor spider lady? I want a comic about her. She looks awesome.
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thenten · 6 months ago
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The dizziness and whiplash would've probably hindered a great deal of his aliens a lot longer, but thankfully Galilean's natural habitat being in orbit around a celestial body made Gravattack exceptionally quick to recover, back to steady feet as soon as his personal gravity readjusted. Eyes quickly lifting up to the other.
Based on the cast she'd made for herself, she hadn't recovered quite as gracefully from the landing as he had... though, he could tell that wasn't why she was suddenly taking things slow around him.
He recognized that prowl, analyzing eyes and intimidating pacing- she was sizing him up, and her goading comments proved it.
The smart thing to do in this situation would be to press the offensive, as his opponent wouldn't be able to think of how to approach had he been approaching on her. Rook would do that.
... not Ben, though. Not when he's trying to humble someone. Ironic as that is.
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"That sure is a funny way of saying you're scared to fight me now that I know about your tunneling trick." He snarked with that big smug planetoid grin, making clear aloud he'd seen through her... making playing into it all the stupider. "But, sure, I can play ball!
Because unlike you, I've got enough tricks left to afford to."
With that, a stony hand would swing up and slap the odd emblem that adorned the top of his head (and, in retrospect, had been the belt buckle of his previous form)- the now clearer inspection allowing to Crystal to watch the process happen without distraction.
F L A S H
The green burst of light emanated directly from the emblem, and while blinding details, sunglasses would allow at least the vaguest view of shape rapidly changing: stone exterior flattening into a hide, limbs extending into more proper forms, and more than anything else, the sheer burst in size- what was already a being much larger than her now being nearly doubled in height.
All of this happening in fractions of seconds, before it was completed and the green once again dissipated, revealing a behemoth.
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"HUMUNGOUSAUR!"
The roar alone would shake the ground beneath the other's feet with it's intensity, as instead of turning into yet another silicon-based lifeform, he'd instead become something closer to a dinosaur.
Rearing his down low to stare at her, still smug as ever.
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"And any one of mine are enough to take you down."
With those last words of dialogue, the already massive beast began to grow even further in size, doubling- no, tripling, in size, before two arms thicker than most trees lifted up over his head and came crashing down into the Earth; the ground not even so much splitting as exploding from the seismic force, cascading towards her.
Crystal was impressed the other was doing so well against her. She was, admittedly, oft used to fighting opponents with little experience. This, unfortunately, left her with plenty of gaps in her own. She'd thought this was an easy and done maneuver and only realized too late the other was still somewhat capable of maintaining focus when there's already a glowing sphere of newly created planet careening for her side.
She swerved in the air, leaning away to not take the full brunt of the impact as the hellish sound of shattering crystal is a clear indication the blow struck true. She's sent sputtering to the side, losing her form as the blow sent her careening out of her tightly locked ball. Instead, she's throwing shards of crystal down to the ground below; the shards digging in like perverse seeds as a formation erupts forth to make a landing ramp to help her roll off the worst of the sudden fall.
Already taking bits of knowledge she'd seen the other use and adapting it for herself, even if she's having to roll to her feet with a hiss. Jaw popped as she rubbed it, a crystal face mask cracking into place to help set it while regeneration already got to work. She'd been careless...
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Something wasn't right. Changing form was one thing, of course, but to so drastically change everything about him wasn't natural. At least, that was the assumption she had to make based off her own knowledge.
So she's suddenly changing gears. Taking slow, measured steps as the other landed. Encircling not with intense speed, but like a predator animal lurking around prey waiting to see blood. Something to pounce at.
Transforming. It's always transforming, isn't it?
"Neat trick, punk, got anymore up ya sleeves? 'Cause I think we both know ya lil' mastah o' gravity trick's not gonna get ya too far now that th' surprise factor's out."
Somewhat of a bluff, admittedly. He could very easily shut down most of her approaches, but as long as she stayed grounded; that meant she could retaliate through anchored crystal at the very least.
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kimnjss · 3 years ago
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for the video series: ever since hoseok was at the airport in his shorts and jean jacket nothing underneath... it’s all I’ve been able to think about 😭 he looked so disheveled. i know there isn’t any dialogue but god whatever you came up with would be magical
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[ part fifteen of a new series called: ‘clips with context’ - feel free to request your own! ]
>>
UNBUTTONED JACKET
it only took one meeting for hoseok to decide that he wanted you. from the moment you're entering the room, he can't keep his eyes off of you. his only focus being how to get his hands on you and he wasn't someone that liked to waste his time. // explicit. requested. 1.8K words.
warnings: cursing, slight dirty talk, heavy petting, hobi is unapologetically a hoe, hickeys, unprotected sex (y’all... be smart), cumshot, quiet sex, sex on plane, semi-public sex... yn is living the dream.
you had just wanted to meet up for lunch. schedules finally matching up with your best friend, so it only made sense that you'd take the time to see each other. you didn't think twice when she was texting you asking you to meet up at her shoot. it's something you've done before and vice versa. and you had been more than prepared to wait a little bit for her to be ready to hang out.
what you hadn't prepared for was being laid out and split open by the main dancer of the world's biggest boy band... not even a full hour after meeting him. the man worked fast, saw what he liked, and went for it without a second thought. and you just happened to be the object of his desire at the moment. greetings go by in a blur, becky introducing you as her longest and dearest friend while hoseok stood there plotting, a grin plastered on his lips.
you half heard the conversation he was having with one of his members, able to pick up on the words that you did understand. and it didn't take a genius to figure out guy talk and the fact that it was happening just moments after meeting you was a huge indicator. he even made it a point to introduce you to his friend through facetime, playing it off as if he was just excited to be there. in reality, they were sizing you up. and forty minutes later, he's cornering you.
and it's all downhill from there. your visits to the set becoming more frequent, an unneeded distraction as your friend not so lightly put it – annoyed with the number of times hoseok was caught feeling you up between takes. but what were you supposed to do, say no? the guy couldn't keep his hands to himself – who were you to stand in the way of that?
by the grace of god, though, they're managing to finish shooting exactly on time. despite your best efforts.
his hotel room had sort of become a second home in the days that he spent here, so it's weird to see everything packed neatly into his suitcases the morning he's set to fly back home. soft lips steal your attention, pressed against the satin of your bonnet, as he attempts to stir you awake. no idea you've been watching the minutes tick by since the sun came up.
you were in no way in love with hoseok, let's set the record straight on that. you knew what this was before it was starting and you weren't expecting more than he was willing to give – but! but, that didn't take away from the fact that he was an all-around cool person. yes, he was extremely sexy, talented, and great in bed... but also, he was just fun to be around. so it's not crazy to feel a little sad about the fact you wouldn't have that anymore.
your eyes are blinking open and landing on the large smile on his face, cute dimples on full display at the corner of his lips. “do you need a ride back to your place?” he's whispering as if it's not just the two of you in the room. he likes how quick you are to nod, a soft hum sounding from our lips. “are you leaving right now?” his hand curls into the top of the blanket, tugging it down to reveal your naked body to his greedy eyes. “i might have a few minutes to spare,” he says with a grin, leaning down to press a wet kiss to your lips. one that you're graciously accepting, arms wrapping around his neck.
hoseok was wrong. he did not have a few minutes to spare, as soon as he's fitting his hand between your legs – there's a loud knock on the door. a gruff reminder that his flight boards in a little over an hour. “you're gonna be late,” you say through a giggle, legs spreading wider for him. the tip of his finger running over your slit.
“the plane is gonna leave without you,” you taunt, making zero efforts to let him go. his arms are wrapping around your waist, securing your legs around him. “why don't you come with me?” words murmured against the skin of your neck. and you're letting out a laugh because you simply do not believe him.
his tongue drags over the warm skin of your neck, hips rolling up into yours as breathy moans fall from your lips. hard cock nudging against your thigh, it's lost on you how he's able to form a coherent thought. “you want to?” and you're almost positive he's talking about sex, so you're quick to agree. only to be met by the look of shock on his face. “really!?” his head lifts from your neck to get a good look at your face and with the new space, you're able to fully put together what he's asking you. and surprisingly, your answer doesn't change. “yeah, I wanna go with you. it'll be fun,” he doesn't need to hear anything else.
quick to pull his body from yours and collecting the clothes you've got thrown around the room. “get dressed then, we gotta hurry.” a giggle falls from your lips, attempting to catch the clothing he throws your way all while getting dressed. riding on the excitement that comes from being spontaneous, you don't even think twice about the plans you've got for the rest of the week or the fact that you're not even properly packed. you were going because he wanted you to. the rest could be figured out along the way.
you're late boarding the plane, surprise surprise. hand in hand, giggling loudly as you're ushered to your seats. thank god for private jets, because hoseok had zero plans of keeping his hands to himself. as soon as you're settled into your seat, he's tugging you into his lap. kissing you sloppily while his hands sneak underneath your shirt. it's a long flight from la to korea and most of it is spent wrapped up with each other. whether you were watching movies, talking, napping, or feeling each other up. you couldn't seem to get enough of each other. and you have yet to figure out what you were going to do in korea for two weeks, just that he'd be there and that was turning out to be all you cared about.
“are you sleeping?” his gaze is shifting from the screen at the sound of your voice. “nope, i'm watching this.” there's a small smirk on his lips, fingers dragging over the outside of your arm. “what's up?” he's saying through a laugh, picking up on the expectant look in your eyes. “everyone else is sleeping,” he's taking a moment to peek around at the other people around you, lips shifting into a grin as he looks back down at you.
“yeah? what are you thinking?” it's easier to show him rather than say it, so you're reaching to tangle your fingers in his hair – tugging him into a wet kiss. his tongue pushing into your mouth as you sneak your hands underneath his shirt.
it's the first to go, the skirt that you're wearing bunched up at your waist. you're reaching to lower his shorts just enough to pull his cock from its confines. he's so hard in your hand. “you're fucking dripping,” he groans, lips inches from ours while his fingers graze over your slit. “can you keep quiet?” dark eyes lifting behind you to peek at the sleeping figures sprawled around the plane and you're quick to nod. that's all the convincing he needs, hands pulling your body further into his lap. the blanket you had been sharing covering your lower halves. it just takes a few rolls of his hips to have the tip of his cock probing at your entrance, mouth dropping as he pushes his way deeper inside of you.
“fuck,” you're gasping, a little too loud for his liking – his hand is lifting to clamp over your mouth. and it has your pussy clenching around his cock, pulling a grunt from his lips. “keep quiet,” he's mumbling, dropping his hand from your mouth and it shocks you how much you miss it.
his hips move slowly against yours, walls sucking him in with each thrust. he's falling into a steady pace, thighs slapping against your ass as he uses his grip on your hips to bounce you. he's so deep. mushroom head hitting the deepest parts of you and it's impossibly hard to keep quiet. teeth cutting into your lower lip as he brings you closer and closer to the edge.
hoseok muffles the sounds he would be making by sucking kisses into your skin, fingers bruising your honeyed skin. you would think you'd be used to the way having him this deep inside of you feels – but you can't seem to get over it. the way his hips move against yours, effortlessly driving you insane. and it's not long before your thighs are shaking, grip tightening around his wrists. and you're biting down on your lips so hard, you swear you taste blood.
he fucks you until you're seeing stars, body tensing above him. and the moment your wetness is surrounding his cock, he's snapping. warm cum coating your walls as heavy breaths brush against your neck. he's much louder than you, causing a few of the people close to you to stir. but he's too far gone to care, hips grinding into yours as he calms down.
the two of you make no efforts to put any space between you, perched on his lap for the remainder of the flight with his hands between your legs. a movie playing in the background, but you're more focused on sucking wet kisses onto his chest. neither of you expects the plane to land, too wrapped up in each other to think of anything else. and you most definitely didn't think of the fans and press that were going to be waiting outside for him. his team is rushing him to his feet, directing the two of you in separate directions to not cause an uproar.
hoseok barely has time to button his jacket before he's being hauled off of the plane, a smile plastered on his face as he greets the people. you hear the way the crowd screeches, shocked to see how exposed the man is. and he's so cool about it, waving happily as they chant his name. no idea what the two of you had spent the entirety of his flight doing.
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aprilblossomgirl · 2 years ago
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Rebellion: Part 1 - Porchay
After episode 12, I finally found one word that could match Kim and Chay: "rebellion," not only for this episode but also for the previous and future sequence of their roles in the story. So I did a little search to understand how the term might fit my observation and, of course, to help with my thoughts recording and interpretation process.
Since it gets too long as I'm talking from their very beginning, I split this post into two parts. I will talk about Chay in this first part and Kim in the second part.
=========================
Chay
The younger Kittisawasd has been the anchor in Porsche's life since their parent's car accident. He signifies a goal towards which Porsche always navigates his life throughout, that is for Chay to have a university degree and a good quality of life, as requested by their parents upon Porsche. This was established from the first episode.
In the episode, we see Chay as a stubborn yet understanding and thoughtful little brother to Porsche. He insisted on helping Porsche with work. He even suggested selling their home and living somewhere else in a smaller house while collecting enough money to open a bar by a beach like Porsche's dream. He tried to reassure Porsche that their parents would know Porsche had done his best to raise Chay. But Porsche is just as stubborn and a responsible big brother to Chay. He couldn't just follow that as he might wish, and decided to take the offer to join the mafia instead in exchange for taking care of his uncle's debt and Chay's study expenses.
One thing to note is that this was a decision Porsche made without consulting and informing Chay. He left the next day, leaving only a letter behind for Chay explaining his 'new job' at a bar on a remote island, which we know wasn't true. That's why I was glad the show made them readdressed the matter after the kidnapping, and Chay was invited to stay at the main family's place in episode 11. Chay finally came and confronted Porsche about the secret he kept about his working situation.
Did everything come in place between them by then? This is where my concern started. Chay's expression throughout their talks seems a bit off to me. Yes, they had a dialogue, quite heated at some points, I must say, with Porsche's frustrated plead *) and Chay is not backing down either. But in the end, they reassured each other and hugged by the pool (I must say I missed Porsche's kiss on Chay's head). Personally, it was a bittersweet and touching scene at once. But this is not to say that I didn't sense there was more to Chay's emotion than he let out. Also, I'd be lying if I told you I didn't notice the growing distance between the brothers.
*) This is my interpretation of Porsche's tone of speaking in this particular scene; it just felt slightly different from how he usually talked with Chay.
No doubt Porsche always do anything in his power for Chay's best interest, but lately, I wonder if he ever realized that all Chay needs the most is his brother to be there for him, safe, healthy, and happy. The only moment I saw Chay genuinely smile through episode 12 was when the three of them - Kinn, Porsche, and Chay - were at their home, and he saw how his brother was happy with Kinn. When the kidnapping happened, Chay felt his only wish was threatened as he learned about the dangers his brother must've constantly dealt with by entering the mafia world. Furthermore, knowing that he's doing it all for him must have distressed Chay.
After Porsche, the next important thing to Chay maybe his interest in music. In episode 4, Chay and his friend visited the open house event in the Faculty of Music at the Anantrameka University. They watched Wik(Kim)'s performance, a senior who inspired Chay to study music there. In a recap, we have the meet-cute of Kim and Chay, followed up by tutoring sessions under the pretense of investigating Porsche from Kim's side. Knowing all is innocent with Chay, Kim tried to back off, but of course, Chay found a way to see him, and Kim could do nothing but let him played his song. Finally, Chay passed his practice exam. He gave his thank you along with a hearty confession, thinking it was supposed to be their last meeting. To think that Chay even confesses his feelings, Kim, his idol, his tutor, and his love, all at once, might very well be another important person to Chay, just second to his brother.
We know how it went up and down the hill in a short time after their blissful moment on the couch of Chay's house. The kidnapping and revealing of everything: Porsche's job and Kim's status as one of the Theerapanyakul's sons. He tried to confront Kim and received the cold treatment and hurtful words. Another distance came between Chay and his important people.
Imagine having an emotional confrontation on a matter of heart with the two most influential people in his life simultaneously. Those are probably enough to push him on edge: giving up the opportunity to study music that he always dreamt of (as the story has told us). On a very personal level, I understand his seemingly reckless decision. Distress. Distrust. Disorientation.
Chay Rebellion
Rebellion is a behavior that opposes social rules/norms or authority/power. On the extreme level, it may extend to opposing own self-interest, engaging in self-destructive behavior, experimenting with high-risk excitement, rejecting safety rules, and hurting the relationships with people they care about.
In Chay's case, it's a rebellion in late adolescence (15-18). With the new distance abruptly pushed between him and his two most important people, he finally rebels to free himself from his dependency on anything he felt a strong attachment to. The first is Chay's dependency on Porsche's approval of his future (education and social life), and the second is Chay's dependency on his admiration and love for Kim. As shown near the closing of episode 12, this is where it leads towards a dangerous side of his rebellion. First, he opposes his self-interest in studying music, and then he went for alcohol and almost tried drugs (oh, Chay). Finally, and the most critical, he risks jeopardizing his relationship with Porsche once he learns about this. Upon rewatching the scene of their swimming pool talks and the scene where Porsche dropped Chay to his interview, I wonder, didn't Porsche notice that something was off with Chay? Knowing Porsche throughout the series, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't. But catching the subtle change in his eyes and smile in both scenes, I wanted to believe he noticed but, for some reason, decided not to pick it up.
To further see the connection between Chay's rebellion and Porsche, this excellent post by @hael987 puts so many details on the rebelling side of Chay that emulates Porsche, and I agree with the points made there.
The thought of confusion Chay might have in mind overwhelmed me. He loves his brother for sure, yet it's possible to feel burdened with the expectation of leading a better life. But what kind of a better life he, Chay himself, imagine having? On the other side, he admires and falls in love with Kim and then gets confused, knowing his secrets; what were his true motives and feelings? But then, after having that knowledge, what would he actually want from him? How far he's willing to take the all sides of Kim -- if he ever lets him?
There're only two episodes left, and I'm not sure how this rebellion-reconciliation (if any) will play out. So here I'm crossing my fingers first and the foremost for Chay's contentment and for both Kittisawasd brothers to hold on to their admirable understanding of each other.
And here's my thoughts on Kim rebellion part.
=========================
Reference.
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logically-asexual · 3 years ago
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I wanted to be seen
summary:
Superheroes AU. Roman, Patton and Virgil are a team of good guys who fight against Evil (Janus and Remus). They get Logan to work for them with like hacking and getting important information from the villains. But Janus tries to convince Logan that he deserves better.
I wrote this in a bit of a hurry because I have schoolwork to do but I also want to procrastinate so I just translated this part of a daydream I've had for a while into words. So sorry if it's not great.
Title from Not What I Meant by dodie.
warnings: Even though he has no dialogues, i made roman (and patton and virgil) kinda mean to Logan again. i'm sorry (not) but i'm not creative and it's really the easiest way for me to make Logan suffer and want to move to the Dark Side lol
Read on AO3
words: 2,529
Logan walked inside the building as silently as he could, following close behind Anxiety. Prince was leading the group, with Morality by his side, Anxiety was just behind them and Logan was last, struggling to keep up with their pace while also staying quiet. He had a habit of bumping into things. 
They made it through the back entrance all the way to the stairs without crossing a single person, Logan had made sure they’d come at an hour when the way would be empty, and he also disabled the cameras with which they could be spotted. At this point, Prince decided it was time to split up. Each of them would search in one of the four floors of the building, Logan got the second one. He followed the instruction and began exploring the labyrinth of hallways on his own. 
He didn’t really want to participate in this. He did his best work from a safe distance, sitting down and staring into a wide computer screen. Alas, Prince said it was urgent that they found and retrieved the stolen relic before anything happened to it, and they needed Logan to cover the most distance in the least amount of time. 
To “look in every room for the small, golden crown” sounded easy enough. However, Logan struggled to move fast while keeping quiet. It was hard to tell if he was making any noise through the pounding of his heart in his ears. He had never done anything like this. All he hoped was to not get caught. He prioritized being quiet over velocity, walking slowly and carefully. 
He picked the lock of the third room in his second hallway and walked inside. The entire building was mostly empty and extremely clean in an uncanny way. The rooms in this floor seemed to be for offices, some bigger, with several desks and file organizers. This one was smaller; it was probably for storage. It had no windows, only illuminated by a yellow light bulb hanging from the ceiling. There was an empty shelf rack on one side and a few plastic containers of cleaning products on the floor. He crouched down to look for anything on the floor between the shelf and the wall. 
As he did so, he heard the door close behind him. He stood up, but before he could turn around he was shoved to the wall and his mouth was covered by a hand in a yellow glove. Logan didn’t have to look up from it to know who had caught him. The yellow gloves were his signature. Logan breathed deeply through his nose, as much as he could, as the pounding in his ears returned. “You had one job,” he heard Prince’s annoyed voice in his head say.
Once he gathered the courage, Logan looked up. 
He had read many descriptions of what Deceit looked like, his job was to research him and get inside his computer systems to allow the team to stop whatever he was planning. He had seen a few cryptic pictures of him, low quality camera footage. He knew he wore a black mask that covered the left half of his face, a bowler hat, a cape, and the famous yellow gloves. Still, all this knowledge wasn’t enough to prepare him to face the man in person so closely. 
He was smiling. His right eye was brown, appearing completely normal, while the left one, behind the mask, was a vibrant saturated green, slitted like a reptile’s. Logan was captivated by both of them, so different and yet both had the same hypnotizing effect. 
“You’re new,” Deceit said, with a low pitch that shook Logan to his core. 
Logan just swallowed. 
“You’re going to stay quiet, right, little mouse?” Deceit asked as he raised an eyebrow. 
He was too frightened to even consider moving a muscle, let  alone speak. He did his best to nod ever so slightly, never moving his stare from the criminal’s eyes. 
“I know who you are,” Deceit said as he pulled his hand away, without stepping backwards, staying too close to Logan for his comfort. “You’re the one that has been meddling in affairs that are not of your business.” His tone was calm, but Logan could feel the threat in his gaze. “I know they got someone else because none of those airheads could even get close to the information you’ve been trying to find. I might need to improve my security.”
Logan knew he was lying. He might have been able to find some information, but nowhere close to what could actually be useful. He had the suspicion, but now he was in this situation it was confirmed that all he could find had already been laid out intentionally by Deceit. It was better than nothing, though, he reminded himself of that. 
”Do they pay you?”
“No, sir,” came out of his mouth before he could think. Perhaps Logan’s brain had translated the intimidating demeanor of this man into an authority figure, and addressed him as such. 
There was a moment of silence. Logan had lowered his gaze but he could still feel Deceit studying him. Suddenly, the villain took Logan’s hands in his. 
“Strong fingers,” he muttered, rubbing his thumb over Logan’s knuckles, “do you play piano?” 
“I code.”
“Right.” Deceit hummed, still staring and Logan’s hands. “What a shame… I could teach you.” 
“What do you want from me?” 
“Oh, nothing at all,” he sounded almost offended by the accusation. “I just wanted to talk and get to know the new team member.” Deceit let go of his hands slowly. Logan pulled them up to cross his arms as soon as they were free. 
“You’re wasting your time.” Logan’s irritation was allowing him to become a little braver. 
“Ah, you mean because of your friends? Don’t worry about them, they won’t find anything.” He said with a smirk. 
Logan bit his lip, ignoring the urge to correct him about the others being his friends. Only Virgil talked to him sometimes. Prince wouldn’t even tell him his real name. Logan wished Virgil was here now, he always knew how to escape difficult situations. He looked towards the door, trying to figure out a way to get out of this. 
“Waiting for them?” Deceit asked with a mocking tone. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Maybe they forgot about you.”
“They didn’t.”
“How are you so sure?”
He wasn’t. He stayed quiet as Deceit grinned. His fangs were visible, and Logan couldn’t help but stare at them. He wondered if Deceit was venomous as some kind of unknown superpower. There were never civilians around to witness when he committed a crime, people only knew of his appearance through rumors. He never needed any supernatural ability to defeat Prince and the others, who all had their own, but maybe he kept it hidden, just like he did with everything else. 
“You know, if you worked with me I wouldn’t leave you behind.” He gently uncrossed Logan’s arms to hold his hand once again. “I would appreciate you for the brilliant gem that you are, unlike those ungrateful, egotistical attention-seekers.” 
“Flattery won’t get you anywhere.” Logan said. He couldn’t deny, however, that he had thought about leaving the team before. They needed him, though. And he needed them, they gave him a place to live and he had nowhere else to go. 
“How about some proof, then? Since you’re such a pragmatic guy.” 
Logan looked into the other’s eyes in confusion. 
“Here’s my proposal,” he said, lifting Logan’s hand from the wrist. Then he pulled out a pair of handcuffs, to which Logan reacted by trying to pull his arm back, but Deceit was too strong. He gave up before getting hurt. “I’ll leave, and give you three minutes to make a choice.” After closing the handcuff over his wrist, he leaned over Logan’s shoulder to cuff both hands behind his back. 
Logan had to make an effort to pay attention to what the man was saying over the panic growing in his chest. 
“I’m going to leave that door unlocked for three minutes. If you leave, then this never happened, but I will keep trying to show you you’re better off on my side of the equation, where your work would actually have an impact, instead of leading those losers to more humiliation.
“After that, though, the door will lock, and you’ll have a chance to prove me wrong. If your friends still look for you and find you here before the day ends, then it’s proved that they care, and I’ll leave you alone. I won’t even interfere with your attempts at breaching my digital storage.” He smirked again, as if reminiscing about having fun with that. “So,” he laid his hands on Logan’s shoulders and whispered in his ear, “do we have a deal?”
Logan wanted to ask what would happen if no one found him, but he felt like doing so would be admitting defeat, which the faint hint of pride he had left wouldn’t allow. He was already too embarrassed from how hot his face felt from Deceit’s touch. He simply closed his eyes and nodded slightly. As if he had any other option. 
“Wonderful!” Deceit’s smile showed his fangs off once more, as Logan tried to control his tachycardia. “I’ll see you later.” He finally said with a wink, before swiftly walking out of the room and closing the door behind him. 
The lock was electronic, Logan observed. 
His immediate impulse was to run out and get away as far as he could. He didn’t even have to go back to the team of heroes, he could find somewhere else to go. 
As he struggled to reach the door and turn around to try to hold the handle with his cuffed hands, anxious thoughts plagued his mind. 
Could he go somewhere else? Would he constantly be haunted by Deceit and other villains he had worked against? He didn’t have any powers, he wasn’t even strong or fast. Who knows what they would do to him if they found him. Would he survive out there on his own, without protection? 
Maybe he should just look for the others. But what if they had left already? From what he could hear, the hallways were dead quiet. Logan didn’t know how long it had been since he split up from the rest. They didn’t bring any electronic devices to avoid being tracked. What if they were still here but Logan got lost searching for them? People said it was best to stay in one place if you wanted someone to find you. But could he stay there doing nothing?
What if Deceit broke his promise and was waiting for him right outside the door? That wasn’t improbable given his name. Would he mock him for being a coward? Did Logan care about being a coward more than his own safety? What if he wanted to hurt Logan, not before playing mind games with him for a while? What would Logan do without help? Would he take Logan hostage and threaten his life to get away with whatever he was planning on doing today? 
He stopped for a moment to think, resting his forehead on the door. This was supposed to be easy. They promised him it would be. 
Maybe Prince, Morality and Anxiety would find him. They did need him. Even if they didn’t always voice their appreciation Logan knew he was a crucial part of the team now. Even if they didn’t care about him as a person they should at least care about what he could do for them. Perhaps they would save him just for appearances, so Prince could have his heroic act of the day, since they probably weren’t able to find the relic they were looking for. Maybe they were looking for him right now. 
Logan breathed deeply. 
Then he heard the click of the lock activating. 
There was nothing left to do now. So Logan waited. 
In a security room somewhere else inside the building, Janus was looking at the cameras’ footage with Remus sitting by his side. On their left side, Logan was now sitting on the floor, with his back rested against the door. On the right, the entrance to the building was empty. Prince and his teammates had left hours ago, showing no sign of planning to come back. 
“How long till we tell him?” Remus asked, propping up his feet on the desk and leaning his head back on the chair’s backrest. 
“I told him that he had until the end of the day, can’t break a promise.” 
“But you do that all the time!” Remus whined. “Last week you told me I could buy some arsenic with our booty and then you took it all!” 
“I simply saved it for later.”
“Yeah, right. And tomorrow there will be another golden snake statue of mysterious origins in your house.” 
“Listen,” Janus said, dismissing Remus with a wave of his hand. “I have to teach him a lesson.” 
Remus looked back into the camera, where Logan still sat in the same position as before. “What are we going to do with him after?”
Janus shrugged. “We’ll find him some use.”
Logan didn’t have any way of telling how much time had passed. There wasn’t even any natural light in the small room, it could have been night for hours already and he wouldn’t be able to see any difference. 
He estimated that an hour had passed when he began trying to escape. He tried everything, breaking the handcuffs, breaking the lock, sliding his hands free, tackling the door, looking for something to deactivate the lock, to dismantle it, or turn it off… Nothing worked. 
Eventually he grew tired, sat back down on the floor, in one of the room’s corners, and waited some more. His head hurted, there was a knot in his throat, his eyes stinged and his muscles were shaking. It wasn’t long before he drifted off, and was fast asleep before he could realize. 
Later, he felt he was being picked up slowly. With one arm on his back and the other below his knees, Logan could faintly see Deceit lifting him from the floor and pulling him close. He let his eyes close again, and rested his head against the other man’s chest, letting himself drift off once more as he was carried out of the storage room. 
He opened his eyes fully as they walked out through the main entrance. It was dark outside. 
Deceit put him down to allow him to sit in the back seat of an old car. Logan couldn’t see anything outside, he didn’t know if it was because of the darkness of the night or if the windows weren’t fully transparent. He counted his breaths as Deceit moved to the front seat. The driver’s seat was occupied by a man in a green suit covered in glitter. 
“Where are we going?” Logan whispered when the car began moving. 
Deceit made eye contact with him through the rearview mirror with a jarringly earnest expression. “Home.”
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wenellyb · 4 years ago
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I don't know how to explain this but TFATWS reads a lot like “yes Sam and Bucky are romantically involved but this is not a romance so we won't delve into their relationship”.
If you think about it, in Marvel movies, the romance is not at the center of the plot. Even in solo movies, there is usually just one kiss, never more. And it the Avengers, there are usually no kissed between the couples. 
I'm trying to stay away my shipper googles but even then, some scenes don't make sense to me. I love watching movies and TV shows and one thing I like is that dialogues are not put there randomly, the script has a meaning, the words have a meaning, and the scenes they decide to keep have a meaning.
And for some of the Sambucky scenes in TFATWS,  I’m struggling to find any other meaning than “Sam and Bucky had feelings for eachother at some point”.
You can argue that jokes about the 2 partners being more than just friends is a recurring joke in a lot of buddy cop movies, but in those movies, it is usually a joke, just for laughs. The only scenes that would fall into that category in the FATWS are the rolling in the flower field scene and the therapy lesson scene where Sam and Bucky get so close that there legs are intertwined. 
All the other scenes are so emotionally heavy it's difficult to categorize them as only fanservice, or two guys being friends. I'm not saying they aren't any emotional scenes in buddy cop movies, but usually the emotional scenes don't go as deep as what we've seen  in the Falcon and the Winter Soldier. 
I tried to look at all their scenes together and split them into different categories, and I stilll end up with some scenes that point to a relationship that goes beyond friendship between Sam and Bucky:
Scenes that fall into the fanservice category and there just for laughs:
The bickering about wizards and sorcerers in episode 2
The rolling in the flower field scene and the beginning of the therapy scene.
Sam asking Bucky to do something when the Dora Milaje are attacking John Walker in episode 4
Scenes that can be seen as purely friendship:
In episode 2:
 Bucky deciding to follow Sam because I quote  "he doesn't trust Redwing". What is that even supposed to mean? ... He probably meant I don't trust Redwing to protect Sam like he would.
Bucky standing up from the stack where he was sitting on, to go sit next to Sam when they were on the flight back from their mission. 
Sam waiting for Bucky in the police station, even though they try to act as if they're not friends
Sam agreeing to go see Zemo with little to no protest
In episode 3:
Sam making sure Bucky is alright and asking him if he's ok
Sam touching Bucky's metal arm when he’s pretending to be the Winter Soldier
In episode 4:
Bucky saying "I'm going with you" when Sam says Karli wants to meet with him alone.
In episode 5:
The shield practice scene when they have a heart-to-heart talk in episode 5 about what the shield meant for Bucky and Bucky finally apologizing for the way he treated Sam and explaining how as a White man he couldn't possibly know what it would mean for Sam to be Captain America
Sam asking if Bucky is ready for some tough love.
Scenes that make no sense if we see their relations as just friendship:
In episode 2: 
The therapist said she heard a lot about Sam, she wants Sam to stay for the therapy for I don't know what reason, she makes them do a couple exercise, and says it explicitly.
Why would the therapist say she heard a lot about about Sam, that she want to do a couples exercise with them? Those scenes alone are alright, but when you take them together it's quite interesting. 
The couples therapy trope has been used in a lot of Buddy cop movies or TV shows, but usually they don't delve into sensitive topics like they did in TFATWS, the scene was so emotional for a few seconds, I forgot it was a Marvel show.
In episode 3:
When Bucky tells Sam he helped Zemo escape, Sam was furious, and couldn't stop yelling at Bucky about how insane his plan was, and Sam was right. But the moment Bucky looks him in the eyes and basically says, "please do it for me", Sam agrees right away... Excuse me what??? How does this make sense?                                                                              
If my friends ask me to work with an international criminal who just escaped from prison, I wouldn't just stop arguing with them just because they looked at me with puppy eyes. I would continue to yell at them until the end of the mission. Sam was like, “ok, ok, I'll do it for you”? I'm sorry but that is not friendship only, it's something else.
In Episode 5:
 Can we talk about Bucky's reaction when Torres arrived in Episode 5?? The annoyed face when Torres walks in and Bucky walking away right after that, without even saying goodbye? Torres is the sweetest soul on earth, how can anybody hate him? Why would Bucky not like him??? This scene make no sense unless they're trying to tell us that Bucky is jealous or something.
Bucky asking a favor to Ayo, when he's not in good terms with the Wakandans. I'm sorry but do you realize how heavy this scene is? Ayo, just told Bucky that he should lay low for a while, and Bucky understands that, but his first thought is "I need to get a gift from Sam" first. Nope nope nope, you can't tell me this is just friendship. Ok, maybe it is, but I don't understand this filming choice. Plotwise, Sam could have asked for a suit or new wings himself.  I'm sure Sam is in very good terms with T'Challa and the Wakandans... What does it mean that Bucky was the one to ask for it as a gift to Sam, when Bucky was in a already in a difficult situation with the Wakandans due to him freeing Zemo.
Bucky touching Sam's waist to ask him to move when he starts helping him with the boat repair. And Bucky coming from behind to do so, giving us a very short but intimate scene.
Their conversation about Bucky staying over for the night: Bucky saying he doesn't want to make things weird with Sam and his family by staying over, and Sam saying how the people in the town are so open-minded. Why would they have that conversation if Sam and Bucky are only friends? Sarah knows about Bucky and his past, she know that he and Sam are friends (sort of), why would a friend staying over make things weird between him and his family? Why would Sam need to say that the people in this town are open-minded?
The video montage of them building the boat the day after. Anyone knows why they would show us that if they were only friends, and with THAT music choice? 
The extra long handshake at the end of their training scene, when they kept holding hands and looking into eachother’s eyes while talking together, and Bucky basically says he'll be there for Sam whenever he needs him.
I’m sorry but it doesn’t seem to me that they are being portrayed as just friends
Usually in buddy cop movies/ TV Shows, there are always joke but in the FATWS, some scenes are so emotional that I feel like I'm missing something. Bucky has this whole passive agressive behavior with Sam and yet he's unable to let Sam go on a mission on his own. One thing I really can't understand is that Bucky always seems know where to find Sam, as if he had been keeping tabs on him. 
So yes, there's definitely chemistry between Sebastian Stan and Anthony Mackie, due to their friendship but it’s not only that. The writers and director have made the choice to keep some scenes and some dialogues ambiguous.
In some of the scenes we can see that there's more to Bucky and Sam's story than we know.
And they're not the first Marvel couple to have a similar treatment: Wanda and Vision's relationships was very subtle at the beginning, same for Natasha and Bruce, we rarely see them together explicitly but we knew they had a relationship.
It's the same for Sam and Bucky, some of the scenes only make sense if there has been a romantic relationship between Sam and Bucky at some point.
To me it's really like Sam and Bucky are set up as a couple or at least two people who have been romantically involved in the past, but the show won't expand on that because this is a superhero show, not a romance.
In an action movie, you would see some couples, or people who are obviously in a relationship or hints that there is something going on between them, but rarely would you see a kiss, that’s what I feel is happening here.
Last point: if Sam and Bucky had kissed in Episode 5 after their talk, it wouldn't have been out of nowhere and it wouldn't have changed anything to the plot. That's how I know my theory isn't that far-fetched.
I would love to hear your thoughts about some or all of these scenes (especially the Torres one, that one is driving me crazy)  and see what you think about it?
If you see their relationship being portrayed as pure friendship, I would like to know why. And would also love to hear how you guys interpret their other scenes together and if you have some different point of views about the scenes in the show.
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saneijeijei · 2 years ago
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Marriage
I was thinking about Callisto's words about his parents' relationship. And about the false words about the emperor's love. Were they at all? Well, that is, did the emperor really lie that he loved the Empress, or could things have been a little different?
The novel doesn't say who the empress was before the wedding, and in general, we don't know much about her, so further thoughts are my fanfiction nonsense.
Callisto has no relatives among the aristocracy. After his return to the empire, throughout history, we do not see a single character, the so-called patron (a representative of the family, the heir of the family, who is interested in having a prince ascend to the throne, with whom they are related by blood) among the aristocrats, except for poor Cedric and the nanny. That is, it is likely that Callisto's mother was from a neighboring kingdom.
Considering that Callisto's father was the second prince, I am inclined to believe that his mother was a princess of a neighboring state, and not a simple noblewoman.
Based on military campaigns and numerous wars, the emperor could conclude a political alliance to strengthen his position. If the Crown Prince had been chosen for the role of groom, it would have caused unrest among the nobility. The aristocrats would be extremely unhappy that a member of another royal family is in power.
Therefore, it is likely that the second prince, Callisto's father, was chosen for the role of the groom. A character is quite decorative, but explains small details in the relationships of minor characters, and partially reveals the identity of Callisto's mother.
The future emperor had little interest in politics. Throughout the novel, we practically do not see his presence in any of the plot arches. He appears only in dialogues between characters. The emperor is not present at events or when solving many important cases. He literally cares little about what is happening around him, the same competitions or open conflicts between his second wife and first son.
The relationship between Callisto's mother and father could be quite cold and distant. Arranged marriage. The second prince is not a pretender to the throne. Prince enjoying life in the palace, and the princess who married for the sake of the union of two kingdom.
I think that during this time their cold detached relationship could develop into love (I wanted to write about passion, but I'm not sure). A moment when they could enjoy carefree days and not worry about anything. These are the most beautiful moments of the vow of love and a happy marriage that young Callisto remembered.
But the woman considered her husband worthy of the throne, not his older brother. She had good support among the nobility of the empire and its state. I would not be surprised if her father/mother-ruler themselves promoted their son-in-law with all their might so that he, and not his brother, ascended to the throne. But did he want it himself? Has anyone asked him if he wants to rule and become emperor?
The Empress received a strong faction that supported the new emperor. The power was in the she hands.
The split in relationship, quite likely, occurred precisely because of the ambitions of the empress and the emperor, who did not want to become what she wants to see. Considering that in the future we do not hear anything about the elder prince, it is quite likely that he died in the struggle for the throne, which could also leave a wound on the heart of Callisto's father. The spoiled relationship finally destroyed the idyll. The Emperor turned away from the empress and Callisto too, out of deep resentment. Without the support of the emperor, the Empress gradually lost her power, and the faction, realizing this, gradually disintegrated.
It is at this moment that Marquis Ellen appears with her daughter. Who by some miracle turns out to be pregnant with the second prince. I am convinced that the cunning Marquis, quite likely, took advantage of the fact that the emperor quarreled with his wife, and helped his daughter "comfort" the man. Due to an illegitimate pregnancy, the marquis could demand from the emperor that he take his daughter in marriage. But he was married. Which was hardly an obstacle for Ellen, since we know the tragic fate of Callisto's mother and the words of the Crown Prince himself that the Marquis was involved in an attempt on the Empress.
He gathers a new faction, and after the death of the empress, he takes power into his own hands, when the emperor, accustomed to his wife controlling everything, leaves everything to the marquis. He never needed it, so in the future, we practically do not see him anywhere except after the story arc in the novella.
So, we can say that his parents could have had a period when they were in love with each other, but because they did not take into account each other's desires and dreams, the little family fell apart? It's similar to what almost happened between Callisto and Penelope, but the couple tried to respect each other's wishes and dreams (Callisto did most of it) and, in general, tried to talk about what they like and what they don't like (Penelope did most of it). Therefore, they managed to survive the crisis in the relationship, regardless of how they started.
You tell me, hey, Jei, is this another parallel? Yes, damn it, I like to spend them in fanfic ideas.
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windblooms · 4 years ago
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*scuttles into your ask* h-hello, can i have a scenario where the reader is zhongli's secretary that always cleans up after his corporate messes wwww (bonus points if he "shows his thanks" with a private moment in his office and an impromptu dinner after >:3)
sobs 
gender-neutral reader.  nsfw.  corporate au with a dominant ceo geo dad in a suit :^)  998 words. 
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if there’s one thing you like better than zhongli’s pay, it’s probably his cologne. 
it had taken quite a bit of coaxing from him to tell you exactly what he was wearing – “burberry,” he answered, somewhat awkwardly, and at the time you only chuckled.  zhongli had never struck you as the self-indulgent type, despite being the ceo of a multi-million dollar company and possessing spending whims that spoke loudly about the size of his wallet.  but he was notoriously tasteful with his preferences, so you supposed his keen senses had attracted him toward specific scents in the brand. 
but you’re not one to dwell on details, especially when you think it smells much better on the both of you.  when the doors of his office are locked and you’re pulling at each others’ clothes, making out in the warm hue of city lights below, you decide that there is, in fact, also one thing you like more than his cologne: his voice, in your ear, spilling obscenities that you know only you could make him say.
“so this is what you’re into?” you exhale, taunting, into the side of his neck, body jolting against his.  “making love to your secretary on top of your desk?  i would have never imagined the modest zhongli to be into such things.” 
zhongli’s fingers, long and calloused from nights gripping pens too tight, use your thighs as leverage as you’re positioned upright on the table.  the control he exerts onto his thrusts has yet to falter, something that you’ve committed to influence, and thus has prompted you to be a bit more mouthy than usual.  he has yet to punish you for your cheekiness, although you theorize that, if there’s one thing that betrays his patience, it’s the flash of his eyes to yours as soon as those words leave your lips.
although he doesn’t visibly appear amused by your dialogue, his voice is noticeably lower as he responds.  “i enjoy what i enjoy,” he quips, and for good measure, digs his teeth into the spot just below your jaw, tongue escaping between his lips to tease at your flesh.  your body instinctively shivers; zhongli, emboldened, chuckles at your reaction before continuing. “the table just so happens to be convenient.”
as if the archons would believe that.  the last time the two of you had been alone in his office was about two weeks ago – two weeks since your last “hook up.”  you have half the mind to call him out on his obvious impatience for sex, but you do enjoy the way he tries to keep up his act.
two can play at this.
with a voice as saccharin as honey, you bring your lips next to his ear.  “but there’s a sofa in your office, mr. zhongli.”  your voice sounds too innocent to be yours, but you don’t have the time to be guilty for riling him up; you especially don’t cease your antics as you hear his breath hitch – frustrated –, and for a split second, his pace slows.  “is there a specific reason we’re still using this desk?”
uncharacteristically, zhongli stops his thrusts inside you entirely.  genuinely bemused, as your plan was to keep him going, your eyebrows furrow as he pulls his face away from your figure and out from between your legs.  zhongli, standing upright behind his desk, regards you as one would a disobedient pet, and from his static state, you assume he’s annoyed.  maybe your teasing went to far this time, and you’re about to apologize for ruining the mood, opening your mouth to speak – 
when he silences you by shoving two fingers in your mouth, and pushes your back flat against the desk so suddenly that the force of your body sends utensils crashing to the floor; your legs are lifted up so that they rest against his shoulders, and you suddenly find zhongli’s face very, very close to yours.
“for once,” your boss starts, tone chilling as he leans into you, causing your legs to fold at your hips.  you feel him once more enter your body, and with each word, he pushes himself further into you until he’s hilted.  you’re left, half-choking and half-moaning on his fingers; his eyes narrow, and lowers his face so that his lips are only a breath away from yours.  “i’m grateful i had film installed on the windows.  it allows me to ruin you in this way.”
and he proceeds to fuck you into the desk. 
the position you’re in has left you without any stability, and you resort to clawing at his back, feeling as if you’d need to rip off his coat from how savagely he was pounding himself into you.  each time he thrusts, your body jerks forward, and you can swear that even the desk is moving.  all that your senses register are his breaths, violent and ragged, and his burning length inside your core. 
too far in the haze of paradise, you feel your eyes roll back, zhongli’s fingers still on your tongue.  what escapes your mouth is a mixture between a gag and cry as you relish in the pressure he gives between your legs, all while he’s fixated himself on your expressions. 
“if you wanted this,” he starts again, and you open your eyes to the timbre of his voice.  “you could’ve asked.”
there’s no fun in that, you want to snap back, but your mouth is stuffed with his fingers, and he doesn’t bother to remove them.  what he does do, instead, is laugh, and presses his lips to your neck once more.  
“maybe this will teach you a valuable lesson.”
. . .
"i don’t suppose you’d join me for dinner, y/n?”
“after doing a number on my legs, you expect me to be able to walk outside with you?”
“ah, yes, i guess you’re right.  that’s unfortunate – we can order in for tonight, but i’m sure you’re used to sore legs by now.”
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bogusavathepit · 2 years ago
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House of the Dragon: Episode 10 “War, ‘Restraint’, and Disillusionment”
!!!SPOILER ALERT!!!
Quotes from the Post-Episode Interviews
Emma D’Arcy on Rhaenyra and motherhood (first part direct quote; second & third parts paraphrasing): 
It think it’s quite heartrending for Rhaenyra because she had to look at her boys and she has to start seeing them as men for the first time. I think despite her questions about motherhood, what she discovers in having children is that she gets to build a tribe of her own and actually finds a space she feels free to be herself....sending her sons away is the start of the end of that stability. 
Rhaeynra becoming the “feted mother” and “house-ridden” while the most important decisions of her life are happening around her without her being there when most of her life she’s waited for a letter saying she will become the next ruler since her father will have died. A deep sense of injustice. 
Rhaenyra finds out she knows nothing about grief until she’s lost a child and it completely changes her outlook on things.
Greg Yaitanes (on Rhaenyra and motherhood versus waging war): This is really the theme that Miguel wanted, was war, battlefield. And so she’s at war with herself, with her own body. There’s a lot of emotional complexity in terms of this war that’s starting without her. And it’s tearing her apart, literally tearing her apart.
Greg Yaitanes ( co-executive producer and the main director, on Daemon & Rhaenyra): Really, once the war is coming, you see Daemon preparing for war. And this is really where the domestic split in ten is, is that Daemon wants war and Rhaenyra wants to hold the realm together art whatever cost. That is what she was charged with. That power struggle is alive and well, all inside of a marriage.
What Ryan Condal says of this episode concerning Daemyra (as some call the ship): This episode is largely about Matt and Emma and their performances and bringing Daemon and Rhaenyra to life. The crux of this argument here is the different way in which Daemon sees the world from other people in his family. and Rhaenyra is very much her father’s daughter. She has a bit of the punk rock of Daemon Targaryen, but the way she approaches her duty as sovereign I think is much more in line with Viserys....I think he’s willing to go through a good bit of bloodshed to see the Hightower’s line probably ended and them removed from power.
Ewan Mitchell (actor for Aemond Targaryen): I think anyone who was wronged like Aemond was and had his eye taken out, you’re gonna feel some sort of hatred, whether it’s subconciously or conciously, towards the person who did it. But what Aemond ends up doing in the skies above Storm’s End ultimatle starts the domino effect of the Dance of the Dragons.
My [Current] Issues with the Episode. Subject to Change
A)
Daemon and Rhaenyra, rather than being in more or less perfect harmony in the plans for how they shall proceed in Fire and Blood with full-on dialogue proving it during the discussion they have with their councillers, have now literally become a picture of domestic abuse. How the heck are they okay after that chokehold, when Daemon delivers the news of Lucerys’ death?! We’re just skipping that?
Daemon is a person more resentful and guilty for not being in the loop for the dragon dream, and thus having less “restraint“ because his poor feelings were hurt. 
Daemon may be more tempermental, but I don’t know if he’s supposed to be stupid and adolescent-like (or what older people think adolescents are like)?
Rhaenyra also constantly gives him orders that he willingly follows, never tries to ignore, or express disagreement with....Daemon actually agreed with Rhaenyra to not use the dragons at least until there was no other choice in Fire and Blood (406):
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Rhaenyra agreed to use the dragons in general, but she protests against to Lord Celtigar’s, one of the council members,  suggestion to fly to King’s Landing herself with all the other dragonriders on deck at that very moment to intimidate and/or kill the greens.
The words: 
“At what cost?“ Princess Rhaenyra wondered. “My sons would be riding three of those dragons, I remind you. and it would not be nine against four. I will not be strong enough to fly for some time yet. And who is to ride Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke? You, my lord? I hardly think so. It will be five against four, and one of their four will be Vhagar. That is no advantage.”
Surprisingly, Prince Daemon agreed with his wife. “In the Stepstones, my enemies learned to run and hide when they saw Caraxes’ wings or heard his roar...but they had no dragons of their own. It is no easy thing for a man to be a dragonslayer. But dragons can kill dragons, and have. Any maester who has ever studied the history of Valyria can tell you that. I will not throw our dragons against the usurper’s unless I have no other choice. There are other ways to use them, better ways.” Then the prince laid his own strategies before the black council (406).
TV Daemon, unlike the Book Daemon, is making imperative moves without Rhaenyra’s lease, coming off of his own hatred and suspicion of Viserys’ death. And it stems from the major plot change of Rhaenyra and Alicent aged closer and being close friends before Alicent marries Viserys and Aemma dies, which really determined everything’s tone, meaning and allowed the creators to create an entirely new story from George R.R. Martin’s original one. Because, again, Alicent and Rhaenyra were never friends in the original lore.
Some will claim that:
he’s running on the love/guilt he has displayed toward Viserys in episode 8
that the writers wanted to have Daemon display a more emotional motivation to destroy the greens and be eager for a “senseless war”
he wants war not due to his verbal claims of taking back what is Rhenayra’s, or for him being angry at the fact that he’d be the farthest from the throne than ever 
his way to it (Rhaenyra) is no longer serving that main interest
Daemon proved how unfit he was as a potential King through all of this
Daemon already showed violence against women through his killing of Rhea Royce, his first wife, and some may refer to how they see his ignoring Laena in Pentos for his disregard
So all this is why he suggests violence and lashes out against Rhaenyra in that chokehold. I say that the writers are pushing a story where the gender politics are portrayed so simplistically that the characters might as well be cousins of CW characters. 
Another example of where Daemon does an act by Rhaenyra’s orders and not deciding things for her in open ways is when Rhaneyra ordered him to kill Vaemond Velayron (in the books, a more distant relative of Corlys) for calling Lucerys, Jace, and Joffrey bastards (Fire and Blood, 386). . Coming after Rhaenyra encourages the feverish Corlys to name Lucerys as his heir, since Viserys actually never made that term before he betrothed Rhaenyra to Laenor. Daemon never approached Vaemond until Rhaenyra said to do so, and there’s no indication he definitely wanted to before then.
It’s like the writers wish to over-moralize every character there is here, and....that’s not the point! It’s not just, oh this person acted out and mocked his brother during a feast meant to assuage the rift between two former childhood friends. Everyone is snide and performative while praing for each other’s downfall with fervent enthusiasm, but they are also level-headed enough (excpet maybe Criston Cole) enough to not sound or look helpless while they scheme & calculate.
B)
Corlys somehow has decided to no longer pursue the Iron Throne and blames Rhaneyra for his house burning down after hearing of Vaemond’s death. That V’s actions were of Velayrons reaching too far for power (not meant to be). Meanwhile Corlys never lets go of his ambitions until arguably the very end, and was very willing to be at Rhaenyra’s side.
Other than that, Corlys also swore to her, and oathbreaking is a taboo with just as much capacity for inducing anger and hatred as killing a guest/host in this society, so why would he, seemingly so easily, even consider not declaring for Rhaenyra? Shows a lack of committment in light of how gun-ho he was about furthering his house. 
It also seemed like him deciding to abandon the blacks’ “cause” was to highlight Rhaenyra’s isolated philiosphical state of being the peacekeeper above all. Again, mirroring how every one’s own portrayals and development only developed so far as to highlight Viserys’ ascendant one before he finally dies. 
C) 
Rhaneyra says to her sons to not fight based on the reasoning of the Targaryens having to “answer” to the gods of Westeros and not just because she wanted them out of harm’s way, like in the books. Suddenly makes her a conformist rather than an ambitious woman who also happens to love her kids while also believing in their capability to step up. SMDH.
D)
The black council actually had the participants all sharing what each could do and what they all might be able to do together as a collective...yet we see three gatherings where there’s more discord and emphasis on the men wanting to go to war and Rhaenyra, again, overburdened with the weight of this conflict. A picture of someone helpless, it’s too woe-is-me to even function.
E) 
Alicent daring to send Rhaenys a page from their youth expecting anyone to call off antagonism based on one night of superficial reconciliation after years of enmity. And we can't even believe in those years because of the time jumps, so is there a true political conflict between the greens and the black s at all, when everything is about how everyone hurts someone else’s feelings more than everyone having ambitions?!!!!
F) 
Rhaenyra tells Lucerys that going to Borros Baratheon is because he would be very proud to have a prince, rather than allowing us to know that she only sent him because she thought it was the safer option (Fire and Blood, 408)...boy were they all wrong.
G)
Borros Baratheon is actually a vacillating bitch who would have just picked someone who presented themselves as the better option for his personal needs. Wish the episode did more of that instead of the unvacillating look-alike we got. Could be nitpicking, but my disappointment with these last 5 episodes knows no bounds. 
H)
Aemond was a lot more talkative and mocking during Lucerys’ address to Borros Baratheon, too. We also don’t get to see him talk to Borros and become compelled to goad Lucerys when one of Borros’ less pretty daughters essentially goads him into showing how powerful he is in front of everyone. So now Aemond is obviously going to decide to “own it'', as Condal says, because we all know that even if he tried to say it no one would believe that he didn’t fly into the sky to kill his own nephew when his nephew is a contender against Aegon II. This event really flattens implication and makes it more emotive than political.
I)
Why would Rhaenyra, or anyone, believe that Viserys told Daemon about the dragon dream and only bring it up during a possible crisis. Of all the time they have spent together as a married couple, now Rhaenyra brings it up for the first time?
Aside from that, why would she ever assume that Daemon did have that information? While she was a child to 18 years old and more focused on her own stuff, she had years to think about how Daemon being literally barred for being Hand by Viserys would let her know that Viserys had no notion to give Daemon that information. And its not entirely because he didn't think Daemon wasup to he task of being one of the few who knows about this prophecy, eve after Rhaenyra becomes the official heir. Because Viserys definitely could have told Daemon...except the show has us think that kings only pass on Argon's dream to the one who is definitely the heir. Daemon was never the official heir, only the expected heir and the placeholder for Viserys' never-to-exist son. So no, Viserys would never tell Daemon this dream and Rhaenyra should have been able to logically assume as such with these reasons after all these years.
I)
Why didn’t Otto ever mention that Viserys supposedly chose to name Aegon as heir on his deathbed? I would imagine that Otto would have loved to rub that in Rhaenyra’s face, even in the most subtlest of ways. Why didn’t Alicent’s note do something similar?
J) 
Aemond losing control of Vhagar because Arrax (Luke’s dragon) spit a tongue of flame at Vhagar’s cheek and Vhagar got mad and went munch, munch, crunch, crunch.
That he only wanted to scare Lucerys and bully him. Dude, he pursued Lucerys into stormy-assed weather on a big ass dragon and made the kid think he was about to die. And if he and other riders know that dragons tend to try to kill each other (which why put them in separate rooms in the Dragonpit otherwise), the would he not realize that danger?
Aemond already showed how little he actually cared about any of his nephews and nieces long ago when he beat them up and claimed Vhagar. Older now, we see him in episodes 8 and 9 not even liking his older brother and willing to incitr violence against the Lucerys and Jace. He’s been surrounded by his grandfather and mother’s, maybe even Criston’s constant dismissals of Rhaenyra and her little group of “illegitimate” kids. The show itself set it up that way.
Yes, he absolutely should have felt bloodthirsty and irreverent of their familial bond to want to and go through with killing Luke when he had the chance. And Luke had every reason to believe that he’d kill him.
It would serve the story more to have Aemond just want to kill Luke in revenge, especially after he has grown up riding the biggest and most fearsome dragon existing. If he’s taking the incoming war, or prospect of it seriously, would he not consider all this and still pursue to kill, even though it’s kinslaying?
The stakes are simply way too high and the relations are just so void of actual regard for there not be intentional murder. 
On the whole though much of episode 10′s issues comes from how the entire show was written as well as from the events from the 8th episode, it was still shot better and held more tension than the 8th. 
In these specific ways (rather than its lack of logic and consistency even within its own lore different from the books), it was “better” than the 8th episode as I hoped. 
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alifeofred · 3 years ago
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Danny and Sam looks pt. 4
Finally, the moment we've all been waiting for.
The moment our ship became real.
Phantom Planet.
So say what you will about Phantom Planet, but I genuinely enjoyed it. The first half was a bit lacking, and sure Danny was being a colossal jerk. But we kinda knew where he was coming from.
More on THAT later because I have a whole other post for that analysis.
The show really kicks up after Danny's 'I don't give a fuck' montage. The moment Sam lays the smack down.
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And She. Is. Pissed.
Danny is clueless, but he does let her in on what his reasons are. Aka, he wants to protect the people closest to him...especially her.
But she isn't listening. To her, Danny's given up.
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But the show really kicks off from this point on. Not surprising considering this is one of the best bit of dialogue on the show. And it gets the point across.
Disasteroid strikes. Everyone is panicking. And Danny Fenton has a plan.
It takes all that he has to accomplish. And he nearly loses his life...again.
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The thing about this scene is that everyone leaves as soon as Danny goes into leader mode, but she stays a moment longer because she knows THIS Danny as well. The one that risks his life to save others. So at odds with the devil may care Danny of a few days ago.
Plus the fire in his eyes.
So she concedes. And trouble starts for Danny. The ghosts are out for revenge and Danny is a neat punching bag.
Fear not though, Phantom is back and stronger than ever. Notice how the ghostly wail didn't even weaken him. He really has gotten powerful now.
And the moment wouldn't be complete without...
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It's always been you.
Kinda seems like she's saying something else, amiright?
Moment interrupted, we have plans to execute. We'll have time for this later.
So when later comes. And it's time to go. He's not ready. And she is definitely not ready.
Which is why she pulls the classic...
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Promise to bring it back.
With yourself. In case that wasn't obvious.
And he's stalling, because there are words he wants to say and none of them are adequate enough to convey just how much he...feels for her.
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Notice the desperate longing on both their faces. My oh my.
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She makes the first move. And he's taken aback.
But he makes his split second decision. There may be a mountain of words left unsaid between them, but he'll be damned if he doesn't at least convey one small bit of it. Considering the imminent suicide mission that is.
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This. Shot. Ruined. Me.
He...and she...and they! Like, what? Look at him! Looking at her! Because she feels lost. And she might be thinking that maybe I pushed him away with being so forward, it is Danny she's dealing with. The king of denial, next to her highness.
But then!
The soft way he holds her chin. So in contrast with her kiss with that douchenugget Gregor/Elliot.
Danny's just...staring her and she's...still lost. But so is he. And then he just!
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IT HAPPENED!
The-th-the way he's framing her face with his hands. Holding her. It's just so darn tender.
And it was this moment that I realized I ain't ever getting a Danny of my own. Ever. Sad.
Ending this segment with the after moment.
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Notice the sad boy, sad girl faces just blossom into similar grins. Not to mention...he's leaning his forehead...against hers. And it's...too much!
Or not enough.
We were robbed of a season 4 where we would've seen these two be together on a more universal level and they would've worked out so perfectly and Tucker would've been sick of it, and them. The amount of jokes he would unleash on these two.
And they would've remained blissfully in love.
Is it just me or would we have seen a more territorial side to Sam had the series continued? Just imagine someone flirting with Danny and Sam just...pulls the claws out.
Not to mention, Danny himself would've had the ghostly green eyes out every time someone made a come on at Sam.
We were robbed!
And I've run out of picture limit. So onto the next and final part of looks, that will feature so many other looks from so many other episodes.
So onto part 5.
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