#and that’s a very intentional ‘he needs no introduction’ sort of thing

[someoneoffthestreet]

a late observation about Epic: The Musical but is it intentional that Odysseus’ name isn’t said or sung aloud once for eight (8) songs straight, until he says it himself at the end of “Remember Them”?

Eurylochus and Polites exclusively call him “Captain” and “my friend��, Zeus and Athena address him in a kind of “hey you” sort of way, “Warrior of the Mind” has Athena ask Odysseus’ name and he dodges with “you first”. maybe it’s just a byproduct of his name being difficult to fit into songs, but idk, I think it’s kind of neat that Odysseus giving his name to Polyphemus doubles as him giving it to the audience, too.

[ultravi0lence14]

White Winter Hymnal

dean winchester x fairy!reader

1.5k | fluff, fem pronouns

summary: a trip to a snowy cottage in vermont has dean finding what he truly yearns for.

the forest cottage you resided in glistened in the winter air. snow decorating your roof and brushing against the plants and flowers you had decorated the front steps with. it was december in vermont, and the snowy weather and cold chill sent most of your forest friends to different, more warm climates

you didn’t seem to mind though, having your multitude of indoor animals to keep you company. you didn’t interact with the townspeople, not seeing the need for you to have your animals to keep you company. yeah, you sounded like a freaky old cat lady but you really didn’t seem to mind.

it came as a shock when a light knock was heard on your front door one morning. you didn’t get a lot of visitors, and you noticed your pet dog winnie charging towards the entryway and started barking and growling by the window.

tentatively, you walked towards your front door and slowly peeked out of the peephole. standing on your porch were two men dressed in suits and really long coats. you didn’t know why they were here, for you’d never met them in your life and you couldn’t think of what they would want with you.

slowly opening the door, you peeked your head tentatively through the small crack of your opened door. there was a tall and a short one, both having looks on their faces like they knew something they shouldn’t.

the shorter of the two didn’t even great you, nor did he let you even speak before he was asking his questions very directly “you’re a fairy right?”

and that was what the looks on their faces were for.

your eyes widened slightly, ushering them in as you opened your door a little wider. “how do you know that?” you spoke as you closed the front door behind you, turning around to see the two men standing by your living room.

“we’re hunters, that's how.” the taller one spoke less bluntly than his companion, and he actually followed up with an introduction. “i’m sam winchester by the way, and this is my brother dean.”

you just nod, taking in the two as you guide them over to your couch. sitting down, the three of you just stare at each other awkwardly. you not knowing the reason they are here and both sam and dean not knowing how to go about what they need to say.

finally, after what felt like ages, sam cleared his throat and began explaining why he and his brother were at your door. apparently there was a witch in your town, and according to folklore fairies and witches were very well akin to each other.

they weren’t wrong. witches did use to reside in forest’s, leaving them to be around fairies more often than not. it wasn’t like some sort of sixth sense type of thing. it was more of a spidey sense in hindsight. when you came in contact with a witch, it was like you just knew. and that’s why sam and dean needed your help.

dean watched as you and sam conversed, not being able to take his eyes off of the way you looked when sam mentioned something you knew a lot about. he couldn’t help but marvel at your excitement, see how your face lit up. though, when he saw sam looking at him funny, he had to act cool and like he wasn’t just being a total creep.

“so basically we just need you to join us around town, see where this witch is.” dean’s words were more straight forward than sam’s, but you really didn’t see the harm in helping them. it was innocent help, and you’d be ridding the town of an evil witch apparently.

getting up from the couch, you just smiled at the two brothers. “okay, i’ll help. just let me get changed first.”

as you walked up your stairs, sam noticed that dean was watching you walk away. he was taking in your features, and sam realized how his brother had been doing this when you were talking to them. he’d stare intently at your face, the way you laughed and watching your hair move back and forth like a hypnotists pendant.

it was quite glaringly obvious what dean was doing, and sam couldn’t help but turn to his brother and give him his classic bitch face.

dean noticed it from the corner of his eye, and he turned to look at sam with a confused and exasperated look. “dude, what is it? why are you staring at me like that?”

“why are you staring at her like that?” sam fired back instantly, watching as dean’s face burned a slight pink colour. “i’ve seen how you’ve been looking at her this whole time. she’s agreed to help us, and i am not letting you bang and dump her. she seems nice, and it honestly would be good to have a fairy on our side.”

dean just looked at sam bewildered, an almost offended look on his face. “i have not been staring at her.” sam gave dean the look, and dean couldn’t help but scoff a little and shake his head. “okay, her hair is very shiny. and i like the little freckles on her cheeks. but that doesn’t mean i just want to use and discard her, i have class.”

“yeah, class cause you like her.” sam’s matter of fact voice had dean giving him the stink eye, and than smacking him in the arm when he tried to get in another jab. “dude shut up, she’s coming back.”

turning his head as you descended towards the living room, dean felt his breath slightly catch in his throat. you were in sheer white tights, a mini denim skirt and form fitting black cardigan with a plain jacket over top. your bootie covered feet shuffled across the floor as you beckoned the two brothers over to your front door, signalling you were ready to go.

dean felt like a middle schooler. he had literally just met you ten minutes ago, yet he couldn’t help but stare at your beauty. the light makeup you had put on brightened up your features, making you look even prettier than before. dean didn’t know if all fairies looked this gorgeous, but he didn’t care because you were in front of him and you were making him weak in the knees.

the rest of the day was pure amusement for sam. watching as his brother — the notorious womanizer — followed you around like a lost puppy. he was like a dog chasing his bone, and you were any the more oblivious to it.

you bent down to pet a friendly dog; dean’s face almost hurt from smiling at your cooing voice. you yapped on and on about fairy lore and your own fairy lineage; dean listened so intently sam had to pull him away from walking into a pole. the best part was when you were telling him and sam all about your forest friends, even the cute little dog and cat you have at home; and dean acted like they were the best creations in the world.

as the sun started to set, sam and dean walked you back to your cozy cabin. you had found the witch in a nearby herbs shop, and the winchester’s decided that hunting her after they drop you off would probably be the best idea; not like you were complaining.

sam had waited by the car, knowingly winking at dean as he walked you to your front door. you stopped before the your entry way, turning towards dean and looking at the complete dopey smile on his face.

that man was absolutely down bad, and it seemed everyone knew it but him.

a light smile dawned on your face, and you couldn’t hold in your gratitude anymore. “thank you for letting me help today. it’s nice to know that i’m out doing good and not staying holed up in my home.”

dean just smiled back at you, one of the most genuine and least cocky looks that sam had ever seen on him around a girl. with a shake of his head, dean nodded his head in thanks and looked back up at you. “well i think your home is lovely.”

he sounded so silly, and you couldn’t help but grab a pen and a piece of paper out of your purse and write your number down on it. “i just got this phone last week,” you started, watching as dean eyed you with curiosity. “but i’m getting the hang of it. so i better see your name on that strange caller id thingy.”

dean found himself genuinely laughing at your sad attempt of a joke, and he took your number with gracious hands. “i’ll put it to good use.” he joked back, watching as your smile brightened and your face practically beamed with excitement.

before you went into your house, you turned around and gave dean a quick peck on the cheek, not even registering his reaction before you were in your house and eagerly waving goodbye.

he was stunned. and as he walked back to the impala, he could see sam’s smug expression written all over his face.

“dude, you are so whipped.”

[wannaeatramyeon]

Being Goo Kim's Secret Friend: an introduction

G/N. Trying maybe a new lil storyline. General shenanigans with reader as a secret friend. Masterlists

Goo Kim's circle of secret friends is a very exclusive and private club you are proud to be part of.

Would have figuratively and literally worn the declaration like a badge of honour if it wasn't supposed to be, well - secret.

How he had come to hear about you is still a head scratcher, although you suppose you have built up quite a reputation if you asked the right people.

You know a lot about a lot. Have your finger in all the pies. Developed a knack for keeping your ears low to the ground and anything you don't know, you dare say isn't worth knowing.

Sticking your nose into places it didn't belong though, it should have gotten you into a lot of trouble-

But god has his favourites. Despite your lack of physical prowess, you rolled the dice and somehow accrued enough luck and passable charm for things to work out for you in most situations.

Most.

Your leg has pretty much healed completely after the incident a few years back. It just tends to click a lot whenever you bend your knee. It's fine, you can live with it, after all you should have seen the other guy.

Spoiler alert: he's dead.

.

.

"You owe me, babe." The blonde grins, wiping off his sword with-

"Hey, that's my jacket!" Despite being unsteady on your feet and your right leg throbbing painfully, you hobble over to yank it out of his hands.

"Sorry," he doesn't look sorry at all. He crouches down, opting to use the recently deceased guy's shirt instead. It's terribly disrespectful of the dead.

"He's really dead, huh." You give the body a harsh nudge with your foot. There's nothing, not even a choked gurgle. Just an ever growing puddle of blood and two lifeless orbs peering up at the open sky.

"'Fraid so," he answers, sliding his glasses back up his nose.

"Good." Then you add, "What's your name again?"

.

.

And it's not so much that you're indebted to Goo Kim.

You like to think that you're practically innocent in this. He's the one that pulled the trigger, the actual sword, the very first time you met him and off-ed the guy who was a pain in your ass. It's not like you could control what that blonde maniac chooses to do. 

(Not that you think this defence would hold up in a court of law.)

(...And yes you're thankful, but you have a feeling he was just trying to make a dramatic entrance more than anything.)

So no, you're not indebted to him. It's a mutually beneficial relationship. 

You help Goo with his little queries and his morally grey (if you're being generous) errands; in return there's a steady stream of income and the more efficient and discreet you are, the heftier the tip too.

.

.

Sure, yes, Goo can be a very difficult customer.

His personality takes a bit of getting used to, and you admire your own restraint at not beating him black and blue.

Honestly, that time you met Gun Park, you knew deep in your soul that you had met a kindred spirit. Your eyes connected as Goo was rambling and being his usual deranged self, and you are absolutely certain that the annoyance and murderous intent in his black eyes was also what was reflected in yours.

Anyway- That's a story for another day.

Back to Goo.

He is clingy at the worst of times and flakey when you actually need him. Throws a tantrum if you don't pick up his calls before the third ring though it's fine when he ignores you for days.

Delights in giving cryptic instructions and orders that are less quirky and more deranged riddles, although it is kind of, sort of, a little endearing how much his eyes light up when you finally work out what he's saying.

His sense of personal space and boundary is also unsurprisingly absent. He has a penchant for nicknames that make you cringe and a fondness for slinging his arm around you and cackling in your ear like you're best friends.

Which you know is a lie.

You weren't born yesterday. He’s friends with you precisely because you are not a fool. You know Goo would sell you up the river without a second thought.

But in the end, none of that matters.

You really really can't oversell how good it is to have friends in high places.

Best of all, a friend who seemingly has no issues killing on your behalf and who leaves their own fingerprints all over the scene of the crime.

[saturnville]

all yours, jude bellingham

pairing: jude bellingham x black fem oc (adeba malina). warnings: sexual insinuations. song: all yours by normani an: I don’t remember the last time I wrote a one-shot this long. and I came out of football retirement for this, so let me know how you like it! 🫶🏾 also, can anyone guess what position I played? 👀

“I don’t have an interest in pursuing a relationship with Jude. He’s a great guy but…”

Jude Bellingham, the world’s wonder boy, had become a staple in her life over the last few months following his multi-million dollar transfer to Real Madrid, but not for the reasons that people thought. They met during a dinner celebrating his transfer and hit it off immediately.

“Congratulations,” she said cooly and sat next to the young footballer. When her voice registered in his ears and her face came into view, his eyes grew wide and he looked like a child in a candy store. “I’m Adeba Malina.”

She needed no introduction. He knew exactly who she was. Former Madridista turned business-woman. She was known as one of the greatest center midfielders of her time; her speed, agility, and vision for a pathway to the goalbox were praised by the highest of heavens. Ronaldo’s protege and a Madrid icon. Adeba Malina was a football legend.

“Jude.” His hand engulfed hers as he shook it firmly yet delicately. “It’s wonderful to meet you.”

Adeba pushed a strand of hair away from her face and nodded once, taking in the footballer with a quick sweep of her eyes. He wore a crisp black suit with a complimentary black tie against the freshly pressed white shirt. He was handsome, but she didn’t let her mind go past that. Rather she said, “I trust you’ll do big things with Los Blancos. I’m excited to see what you do on the pitch.”

He was bashful, she noticed, his brown skin suddenly growing red and a small smile on his lips, “Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”

“No problem at all. You enjoy your dinner, but a piece of advice, if I may.” Jude sat up intently. Adeba leaned over, her lips close to his ear as she tried to speak over the rowdy individuals around her. “You have nothing to prove to anyone. You’re young, gifted, and Black. They’ll do and say anything to make you look bad and to get in your head. Perfect your craft, do your best, and keep moving. There’s nothing to prove.”

Jude met her eyes for the first time that night. The prettiest shade of brown with specks of caramel. They held care and intentionality, just like the words she spoke, and he digested them like his favorite food. It was at that moment that Jude knew she’d be a good person in his life.

“But what?”

Adeba cursed to herself as she sorted through her jerseys for one to wear. Zizou. Ramos. Varane. Ronaldo. Beckham. Rodríguez. Malina. Bellingham. She snatched it off the hangar and onto her bed behind her. It would make do, and it would be cute with her newest navy blue heels and straight-leg jeans. “But,” she started after some time. “He’s younger than me and we’re just friends.”

The woman behind her scoffed audibly. “He’s barely 3 years younger than you, not 12. And you just went through 6 jerseys, knowing you have kits dating back to the 90s, including your own, to wear his, as you do for almost every home match. Don’t play with me.” And there it was. The bluntness and honesty of Colombia’s very own Dawn Nalinja, data analyst turned interior designer.

The two crossed paths at an event in Barcelona four years prior and had been inseparable ever since. So much so that their homes were in the same building, four floors apart. They were quite literally, two peas in a pod.

Adeba sighed and began getting dressed for the match against Dortmund. “Look, I just don’t think every friendship needs to transition to a relationship. Jude is good people and you don’t have to have to romanticize everything with good people.”

Dawn blinked, one, two, three times before sighing. “While that may be true, it’s best to romanticize aspects of your life with a good person, especially before they get swiped by someone else. You won’t know until you give it a try and that goes for anyone, not just Jude. But, we’ll leave that there. Are you ready?”

Adeba slid her feet into her shoes, fluffed her braids, and swiped her purse off the bed. She ignored the feeling within her chest and smiled softly as she tried not to think too hard on what Dawn had mentioned. “Ready!”

-

And as predicted, Los Blancos took the victory. Adeba always adored the energy of the stadium during victories, no matter who won. There was joy in seeing fans jump for joy, holler the chants of their favorite players, and take pictures with the players who’d walked by.

By the end of the match, Dawn had scurried off with her significant other, leaving Adeba to wait in the tunnel for Jude as she typically would.

She tapped her fingers against the wall as she waited for his exit, and when he came into view, the smile she didn’t realize she had on her face widened. “Hey, champ.”

Jude welcomed the greeting and returned it with a hug and a kiss against her cheek. Adeba felt warm as his arm circled around her waist and his fingers brushed against the loops of her jeans. Dangerous territories. “Thank you, Dee. What’re you doing after?”

Adeba shrugged as she stepped back to put distance between them, but it still hadn’t forced his hand to drop from her waist. If anything, it made his grip tighter. She ignored the pulsing between her thighs and said, “I planned to go home.” Her bed was always a wonderful place to be.

Jude nodded once. “Want to come to dinner with me? Not in the mood to party, but I could eat.”

Her head turned to the side and her braids swayed with it. “Just us?” The corner of Jude’s lips rose in amusement at her question. He couldn’t recall a time when them being alone mattered so much before, but with the way her breath quickened, he knew it was deeper than what she let on.

Adeba grew nervous underneath his gaze. His brown eyes were focused on her. How had she not realized how pretty they were? A rich shade of mahogany, a portal to a place unknown.

She exhaled shakily. He answered her question: “Just us.”

-

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adebamalina. hala madrid y nada más. congratulación a los blancos para la victoria 🤍 ft the wonder boy himself

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username stunning

username 😍

— adebamalina thank you honey

username the braids!!!

judebellingham 🤍🤍🤍 always grateful for your support

— adebamalina so proud of you.

username. just get tg alr

— judebellingham liked your comment!

username. I know yall saw Jude like her comment!

username. the prettiest wag out!

-- username. girl, she’s not a wag. just a rm legend

-- username. she’s always with jude, so she might as well be. two for one special atp

-- judebellingham liked your comment!

username. real madrid legends fr

— adebamalina and judebellingham liked your comment!

georginagio we still need to have our shopping date!!

— adebamalina I’ll book a flight in a few weeks! and tell Cris and the kids I said hello!

username. okay but fr when are they getting tg?

— saturnville girl idk I haven’t thought that far yet

-

“Stay with me tonight.”

If Adeba lived in an animated world, she would have heard her feet squeal like brakes when she stopped suddenly. She turned slowly to see Jude standing with one hand in his pocket while the other held her blue heels, a straight look on his face. “As in…?” Adeba pushed for further explanation. Sure, they’d hung out before at each other’s places and in other public spaces, but his words hinted at something more.

“Movies, snacks, and I’ll whoop your ass in Uno. Just something chill. I just…didn’t want the night to end this early.”

Adeba sighed heavily. She wanted to deny him. To tell him that wasn’t a line that needed to be crossed. That she was nothing more than a friend, a mentor in a way, to push him to be his best self in his professional and personal life, but how could she? With the way he looked down on her and not in a condemning way. But with a look of adoration. His eyebrows were relaxed and his eyes were soft. His body language spoke of comfortability in her presence with how his shoulders were low and slightly rounded above her body. Like a guard.

She wanted to tell him she’d go home, that she didn’t want to blur any lines. She wanted to admit that she had no feelings for him at all, but then she’d be lying, and one thing Adeba Malina hated was a liar.

Adeba pondered on it longer. Her teeth captured her bottom lip as her mind worked to weigh the pros and the cons. They were friends, just friends. Friends who were potentially spending the night together…alone. With any other guy friend, the idea would have repulsed her. But when it came to Jude, something within her sparked with curiosity at the idea of staying the night with him.

Maybe Dawn was right. If everything aligned, would it be worth a try?

Adeba finally met his eyes again and nodded. “Okay.”

-

“You started playing at 17 for Real. Is that how you met Cristiano?” Jude asked inquisitively and passed the bag of candy to Adeba, who sat on her knees in front of him. She nodded and popped a few Nerds in her mouth.

“Correct. The men’s team came to visit the women’s practice and of course, we’re football fanatics just like you, so having these legends visit us and give us advice was amazing. Cris always gave me good advice, especially being that we both came from nothing. So, I try to pour into you what he and many others pour into me.”

Jude couldn’t help but smile. From what she’d shared, she was Ghana-born and raised in Spain once her parents moved at the age of five. She couldn’t take much with her when traveling to Europe, but what she did take was a soccer ball her father had gotten her, which she kept in a glass case in her jersey closet. Growing up she didn’t have much, but she had her ball, and that was enough for her.

What she didn’t know was that the ball would grant her and her siblings an education, her parents a home, and her family stability that would continue even when she left the Earth. Football saved her in more ways than one. She understood what it was like to fall in love with it and she also understood the challenges that came with it. And that was what she enjoyed sharing with others. The journey of loving the game.

“I appreciate that,” he replied. There was a silence between them, a comfortable one. “I still can’t believe you kicked my ass four times.” His tone was teasing, she knew, but she could hear a hint of seriousness. She shrugged and smiled.

“A torn ACL took me out the game, but you can never take the game out of me, baby. I do this.” It was his turn to get flustered. Baby. It was a casual pet name and he knew she meant nothing by it but he wanted to hear it over and over.

“Yeah, yeah,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “I’ll get you back eventually.”

Adeba’s eyebrow raised, “Is this a challenge, Mr. Bellingham?” His eyes met hers. There was a glint of mischief behind her which displayed her fun and teasing nature. But, behind the mischief, her eyes grew darker and the smirk on her lips grew wider, especially as he began to visibly crumble under her gaze.

“Maybe,” was all he could get out.”Guess you’ll have to find out.”

And there it was. The ambiguous statement that left the two of them wondering what the other meant. But she knew. He knew. It was his comment that seemed to shorten the invisible string between them that seemed to wrap around the world. Suddenly, it was just inches long andt the only thing that kept their bodies from pressing against one another’s in a heated exchange of passion.

“Is that so?” Adeba’s tongue circled around her cheek, a subtle action that left Jude’s stomach clenching. He nodded.

The space between them continued to dwindle. They were once separated by the middle cushion of the couch, but now, they could feel the warmth from each other’s breath fanning against their faces. Jude, making the first move, brought his hand to her bare face, fingers caressing her skin. She was so beautiful. Rich complexion with beauty marks and faded acne scars that added to her uniqueness. Her lips were so full. His thumb drummed against them. “Pretty girl…”

Her eyes fluttered closed. “Please…”

Before she could say anything else, his mouth was on hers. Adeba felt her inhibitions slip away as their lips moved together. She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought of kissing him and what it’d be like. She expected something sweet. Nah, this was a grown kiss. Passionate and intense, borderline sloppy and nasty. Exactly how she liked it.

Adeba couldn’t remember how she ended up on her back with her bare legs around his waist as he kissed and sucked along the skin of her neck, but she chose not to think of it too much. She refused to be the reason why the moment was ruined.

Jude enjoyed every moment. From feeling her legs tense around his waist and shuddering as her manicured nails snuck under his shirt to trail along his abdomen to hearing her whisper his name so delicately. Jude. She drove him insane.

But, as much as he wanted to keep going, he knew she deserved more than a heated makeout on his couch at two in the morning with no clear expression of his feelings. So, he broke away from her, which was met with a very cute yet very confused expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

Jude smiled and shook his head. He used his thumb to wipe the corners of her mouth which were damp from their heated exchange. “Nothing, I just…I like you a lot. In a more than friends way and I think you should know that before anything else happens. It’s only right.” Adeba’s eyes sparkled at his comment. “And…I’d like to take you out. On a real date. Just us. Then maybe, if you’re up to it, we can see how far this goes.”

Adeba smiled. “I’d like that.”

Damn it, Dawn.

-

6 months later…

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adebamalina my man, my man, my man

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dawnnalinjaaaa finally!!!! y’all were pissing me off

-- adebamalina yeah yeah yeah

cristiano ❤️

adebamalina liked your comment!

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normani so so so happy for you honey

georginagio double date!!!

username okay hard launch

judefanpage I’m glad he cuffed her before I did

-- username you’re so real for this

-

“Baby, we’ve got somewhere to beeee.” Adeba’s words were dragged out as she grew distracted by his lips against her neck and his front pressed against her back. “Jude…”

He hummed softly, massaging her hips as she struggled to finish the finishing touches on her makeup. They had a date to celebrate their six month anniversary but it seemed as though Jude wasn’t in a hurry to make it to their reservation on time. “You look pretty, love. Pretty and all mine.”

All yours, she replied. Jude’s eyes swept across her body. Adeba looked stunning. She wore a red dress that flowed every step she took. Her hair was curly, her makeup was bright and beautiful, and of course, her full lips were just begging to be kissed.

“Thank you,” she said, dropping her makeup products down. She turned in his arms and smiled. Her hands were against his chest and she soothed his suit jacket with her palms. “You look very handsome as always. Let’s go.”

Adeba took a step back to go find her heels and purse, but was stopped by his lips on hers. Jude swallowed every moan she released and allowed it to fuel the fire that burned within him. She circled her arm around his neck as their kiss intensified. She’d never get enough of this.

“I love you,” he mumbled against her lips.

Adeba smiled. “I love you too.”

[t1red-twilight]

through the ages

part 1

content/warnings: gn!reader, fluff, doesn’t follow cannon super closely (i’m stupid), cursing, mentions of spencelle (bc i said so)

notes: lmao finally got this out

word count: 2.0k

masterlist series masterlist s. r. masterlist

hotch opened the door and brought you in. spencer took note of everything; the curve of your lips, the way you walked. he had never been so enamored with a single person before. sure, he’d had crushes. but never once had he immediately needed to know someone.

aaron’s introduction of you was wordless; the world lagged as spencer gazed upon you but desperately tried to avoid eye contact. every spot of your face, every imperfection had him speechless.

you had just graduated, masters in criminal justice and a minor in sociology from princeton. full ride scholarship, spencer later found out. (your writing was exquisite; very insightful. he looked it up in the hotel later that evening.)

it had been a normal day in the office, as normal as it could be. then, his world stopped when he saw you. after elle had left something in him felt sort of numb; maybe, you could give him a spark.

you sat in the chair directly to his left on the opposite side of the table. one elbow leaned on the desk, and you wordlessly mouthed words he couldn’t make out as the case was described. your eyes flicked over to him, and he quickly looked back at hotch. had you caught him staring, or had you wanted to catch a glimpse of him? he knew that this could maybe mean that you were trying to look at him from the same motivations that he was, enamorment, or maybe you had just sensed him staring like a frog at a fly: quickly, insignificantly.

the only issue was that it seemed you liked morgan.

las vegas, nevada was where the team was headed. being here reminded spencer of things, memories he didn’t care to recall. he noticed how you were hesitant to speak up, a feeling he had been familiar with a few years ago when he first joined the team.

the police station was incredibly stuffy, typical for the las vegas summertime. if you looked out into the road, you could see mirages. the police station had ac, but it was not helpful by any means at all.

spencer looked over at you. your hands were in your lap, and you were intently focused on something that morgan was saying. morgan was sitting on the table in the centers of the conference room, and you were looking up at him.

the stretch of morgan’s muscles underneath his shirt made spencer’s chest pang with envy. what did you think about morgan? was morgan your type? oh, god. maybe spencer didn’t even have a chance.

he didn’t see hotch approaching. “you find anything on the geographical profile, reid?” spencer blinked rapidly in an effort to clear his mind. he turned around to face the map that he had been leaning on. “distracted?” hotch’s eyebrows raised in what spencer knew to be amusement, though he was never hyper-expressive.

“uh- no. i’m alright. all the murders were in the same police jurisdiction, and all within a mile of each other. the focal point of these suggest that the unsub might live-“

-

you couldn’t stop your hands from shaking. this introduction could make or break your relationship with the bau team. it didn’t help that you were so young and inexperienced. hell, you were still working on your phd.

aaron hotchner guided you into the room and recited your name and qualifications. however, your eyes were glued to the wall right above the shoulder of a tall man, who had a goatee.

when you peeled your eyes away from the wall, you saw him. he had light brown hair, and starry eyes that were behind thick-rimmed glasses. one of his plump lips was tucked between his teeth.

once hotchner finished, you sat down paid attention as much as you could to the case that you were being sent on. baptism by fire, you guessed.

every now and then, you’d look out of the corner of your eye to look at the man in glasses. hopefully he wouldn’t catch you trying to memorize every freckle and line on his face.

you stayed mostly silent on the jet. you figured that you could mostly shadow the other people on the team before you got the hang of things. the chairs on the jet were not super comfortable; or maybe, you were just ridiculously tense.

you had only been to las vegas one or two times, and one of those times was just driving through. the police station was crowded and full of typical police assholes. that, you were more than used to. a bead of sweat dripped down your back.

when you sat down to look at the police reports one more time, you heard the table creak as someone sat upon it. looking up, you saw the man with the goatee from earlier. “so, where’d you work before you landed this gig?”

you exhaled a breath you didn’t know you were holding. at least he was being casual. still, you dropped your hands to your lap to fiddle with your fingers. “i was an assistant at a firm up in jersey,” you said, pausing briefly. “remind me what your name was again?”

“i’m morgan.” you followed by telling him your name. he must’ve seen you glancing over at the man in glasses repeatedly. he was raptly describing the geographical profile to agent hotchner. “that’s reid, if you didn’t already know.”

“that’s good to know. this morning was a little rushed.” your eyes trailed over agent reid. the way his fingers moved across the map with intense dexterity was enticing.

morgan chuckled and rolled his eyes playfully (even though you couldn’t see it, your gaze still locked on reid). “he’s single,” morgan purred, jumping off the table to return to his previous task.

you felt like a deer caught in the headlights, but morgan was gone before you could protest to what he was alluding to.

-

the case had gone by smoothly. but spencer could hardly even focus when you were within fifty feet of him. he was inexplicably drawn to you.

the jet was much cooler than vegas had been, and the entire team felt relieved. you were the last on, spencer quickly sat upright. were you walking towards him?

you spoke in a soft tone, “can i sit here? all the other seats are taken.” you clasped your hands together, likely out of nerves.

spencer nodded vigorously before he answered. he almost forgot to respond verbally. “yeah!” he said loudly. shit. he didn’t want to seem too eager, he might embarrass himself. “yes, of course you can.” this time, he spoke as quietly and calmly as he could muster while simultaneously scooting over to make room for you on the couch.

he tried to avoid eye contact. luckily, you weren’t even looking in his direction. if you had been, you might see the red creeping up his neck. you had a light floral scent about you, one that reminded him of simpler times when life was less hectic.

“agent reid, right?” you murmured. even though it was just his last name, he loved the way you said it, rolling off your tongue so smoothly and delicately.

he shrugged and leaned back on the couch slightly, trying to relax his shoulders. “doctor, actually, but you can just call me spencer.”

your tongue swiped your bottom lip before you spoke. “spencer. that suits you.” oh god, it did sound great when you said it. it sounded downright angelic; almost as if you were the only person meant to say it.

a silence followed. while being slightly awkward, spencer wasn’t too concerned about it. at least you were sitting next to him and not derek. “did you have a job before this one?”

“yeah, i was a lawyer’s assistant.” your voice was more soft than it had been. spencer looked over at you for the first time since you sat next to him.

“you like the bau so far?”

“how long have you worked for the bau?” you both spoke over each other; you turned and met his gaze. your eyes were beautiful, the lighting of the jet illuminating your face in a perfect way. spencer gestured for you to speak first.

“yeah, it’s alright.” a small smile adorned your lips. spencer wondered what they tasted like, before shutting that thought down completely. he couldn’t be thinking that about his coworker, let alone one he met less than forty eight hours ago.

you mirrored his gesture. “i’ve worked at the bau for a couple of years now.” what a dumb response. why couldn’t he think or speak properly?

his mind kept wandering. “you like it so far?” he whispered.

“yeah, it’s pretty cool.” pretty cool? who even says that? “just let me know if you need anything.” you gave him a warm smile and nodded. the way you smiled made him giddy and filled his stomach with butterflies.

-

being last on the jet didn’t work out well for you. every seat was taken, and the few that weren’t had feet propped up on them. in the back, you could see the couch still had space. perhaps spencer wouldn’t mind?

you walked over hesitantly to the couch. he didn’t notice you right away. “can i sit here? all the other seats are taken,” you noted, rocking on your heels.

he looked up at you, responding brightly. “yeah!” he moved over and spoke more quietly. “yes, of course you can.” there was a good six inches between the two of you, but it was as if you were brushing up against him with how your nerves were treating you.

small talk sucked, but you figured it would probably benefit you in getting to know your coworkers. “agent reid, right?” you recalled morgan’s anecdote from earlier, at the police station. it would really suck if you had somehow managed to forget his name in the time it took to solve the case and fly back to quantico.

“doctor, actually but you can just call me spencer.” shit, you totally just disrespected him. if only agent hotchner had properly introduced everyone when you were introduced.

trying to hide your increasing embarrassment, you tried, again, to be casual. “spencer. that suits you.” you should have apologized. not knowing what to say, you sat in the silence that consumed the rest of the jet. your knee bobbed up and down, you pulled at your fingers, and breathed deeply.

“did you have a job before this one?” he cleared his throat. did everything he did have to be attractive?

“yeah, i was a lawyer’s assistant.”

he had been looking at you, you realized. how long had he been looking at you and you were too skittish to look at him? how could you, with his gorgeous starry eyes.

in another circumstance his ‘interrogation’ would have intimidated you but, you only felt anxious from trying to impress him. “you like the bau so far?”

“how long have you worked for the bau?” the two of you interrupted each other. a laugh was shared and you relaxed for once, your posture looking a little less like you were constipated.

the chill of the jet was setting in; that, or spencer was just giving you goosebumps. he waved his hand in a motion saying that you should respond first. “yeah, it’s alright.” you actually really liked it (despite the morbidity, but that you were used to). but, you had to seem cool. chill, not like you were analyzing every thing he did and said to see if he liked you.

copying what he did, you silently urged that he was good to respond. “i’ve worked at the bau for a couple of years now,” he nodded as he spoke.

small talk did suck, a lot, but at least you were talking to spencer and not alone with your worried thoughts. “you like it so far?” you asked.

“yeah, it’s pretty cool.” his adam’s apple bobbed. “just let me know if you need anything.” you smiled at this, his comfort proving successful. the tension in your spine finally dissipated. it was good that you were at least on good terms with the bau member closest in age with you.

next part

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: When MC turns into a small, wounded animal

~ this was inspired by a short conversation in the server lol ~

You're not sure how exactly it happened, but one moment you were strolling quietly along the tree line, and the next moment in a flash of magic you were a fraction of your size and completely overwhelmed by the shift in sensory input. What had been knee-length grass towered over your head like densely-packed trees. You took off in an awkward, four-footed run when you sensed massive footsteps nearby, but your unfamiliarity with your new form quickly had you landing wrong on a small, fuzzy paw with a nasty twist. You flop on your side in shock and discomfort as the shadow of a fully-grown human looms over you, hoping that whoever they are, they'll be kind.

Julian

Saw you running away as he approached you and (in typical fashion) blamed himself for what was clearly a sprained paw

Good thing he's a doctor! He'll take you home and get you all set up and treated for your injury, no payment required

His hands are surprisingly cold when he scoops you up, but his grip is steady and gentle. He bundles you in his large woolen coat (which smells like leather and salty air) and carries you back in the crook of his elbow like you're a human baby and not a small animal

Oh, and he talks

He talks to you the whole way across the field, into town, through the streets, and into his clinic. (pausing to say hello here and there)

He wants you to know that you're going to be just fine, that he's going to make things "right as rain", and that he has an excellent pillow in the corner of his office that you'll love snoozing on

As he gets into town, he wants you to know all sorts of other things. That person mixes the best (strongest) drinks. That person is the best at darts. That person can get you anything for a price

The clinic smells like stress and pain, but he's very quick to give you some soothing scritches behind your ears as he takes you back to his office, sets you down on his table, and starts bandaging you up, distracting you with soothing comments

He has given you name already and going by how often he checks in to give you pets, he is going to take you in, he just doesn't know it yet. His raven appears shortly after to stand guard over you

Accuses you of "petnapping" when you poof back to human form

Asra

Approaches you to help, not because they feel guilty for what they can tell is partially their fault, but because they're picking up on a pretty intense enchantment that's piquing their curiosity

Takes a moment to hold out his hand and let you approach him before picking you up, and does so very carefully and gently. Has really warm, soft hands and smells like freshly burned incense

Talks to you a little bit just in case you can understand them, mostly just to let you know why they're picking you up and that they noticed magic on you and they have good intentions

Talks at you a lot more. He's mumbling and muttering on and off the whole way back to his place, idly petting your head and nose as soon as he notices you like it, spouting off ideas of what's going on

Faust opts to wait until you're back inside a safe room on a cushion before she makes her appearance. She's well aware that she looks like a predator to you right now and doesn't want to scare you

That, and she needed to convince Asra to make a proper introduction and reassure you that you aren't about to get eaten

If you're able to settle in she'll stick right next to you, coiled around your pillow to make sure you're not lonely or scared

Asra, on the other hand, is following several trains of thought at once, all out loud both to themself and to you and Faust

He's juggling the source of the spell, the solution to the spell, the fact that you'd make a good pet, and - oh yes- your injured paw

Slightly disappointed they didn't have time to solve it when you poof back to your human form

Nadia

She fully intends to just keep walking, assuming that you (the small animal) will be able to figure it out on your own, but her deep-seated sense of responsibility forces her to check on you

Oh dear. You're limping, and clearly scared and alone

This won't do. She'll have to take you to the nearest vet, or animal shelter, or maybe to what's left of Lucio's old menagerie ...

Very firm and polite about how she approaches you. You get two seconds to sniff her hand (which smells like the world's most heavenly and expensive flower garden) before she picks you up

It's clear she's not very used to carrying small living things, because as intentionally as she's marching you back to the Palace, her hold on you is very stiff and awkward. It's hard to balance

She doesn't speak much beyond giving instructions to her carriage driver and the guards as she enters the Palace. Once the two of you are alone, though, she sets you down carefully for a talk

You seem like a very sweet creature. She must admit that she's grown rather fond of you as she's carried you around. She apologizes for scaring you and for any discomfort as she held you

Now that she's considering it, she may wish to keep you. She can promise that all of your basic needs will be met, and that she will find at least five minutes to half an hour to spend with you daily

Her talk is cut short when the vet arrives, and as soon as you're bandaged up she's sweeping out of the room to get back to her duties, leaving Chandra to keep an eye on you if you need anything

Asks you where the lovely creature is when she returns that night

Muriel

Oh he's not hesitating for a second, he's carefully approaching to help as soon as he sees that you're hurt and quietly reassuring you

It's clear this man knows what he's doing. He gives you as long as you need to approach his outstretched hand, and sits unmoving for minutes on end so you can be completely familiar with him

The biggest, warmest hands you could imagine when you're finally ready to be picked up. Your whole body easily fits in just one of them, but he's snuggling you to his chest to keep you safe anyways

Will cover you with his cloak for extra comfort

Gives the best pets and reassurance. Sure he could crush you in one fist but he is scarily good at giving you scritches around your ears and chin and speaking just enough to calm you down

Sets up a very comfy spot for you at just the right distance from the fire with exactly the types of food you need to eat

Takes care of your paw so gently and expertly that you barely feel a thing, and then praises you for staying calm and calls you brave for letting him help you. Does not stop petting you at any point

Does have to leave a few times for the rest of his day's tasks, but not before he takes his time introducing you to Inanna and making sure you feel comfortable and safe around her

And goodness gracious, you're the safest little creature in the world once she's decided to look after you. She'll sit guard over you with a paw on either side of you while she watches the door

Yes, Muriel is in the hut when you poof back, and yes, he's immediately bright red at all the words you heard him say that day

Portia

Rushing over to look at you, not because she can tell you're injured, but because you're a small, cute, fluffy animal and what else is she supposed to do when she sees those? Walk on by??? Never!

A little surprised when you don't run away, and very pleased when you willingly approach her outstretched hand to get to know her. Which is when she sees the way you're limping and figures it out

You're hurt! That's awful! Don't worry, she'll take care of you!

Drapes a soft shawl around you that smells like detergent and fresh bread and snuggles you up. She carries you like a baby and it's the warmest, softest, safest experience you've ever had

Has the perfect nails for scritching and is giving you the royal treatment the whole way back to her cottage (she'd take you to see her brother, she tells you, but he's probably overworked as is)

Keeps accidentally flicking her hair into your face - there's so much of it, and as nice as it smells, the curls tickle you dreadfully

Doesn't like the idea of making you feel imprisoned inside, so she pulls out a basket and fills it with rags and old blankets and puts it on the porch for you to snooze in while she finds some food for you

Ends up pulling a bunch of produce from her garden and slicing it up into little pieces on a plate for you to pick and choose what you like. The whole time you eat she's petting you and listing off different names to see if there's any in particular you respond to

Has to run off after an hour because she was on her break, but she calls Pepi over to meet you before she goes to keep you company

Almost cries when she comes home to an empty basket

Lucio

Fully intended to keep walking past you. He wasn't even looking in your direction when you went sprinting off because he was too busy navigating a root and pebble filled path in heels

Mercedes and Melchior, however, noticed the tall grass rustling right away and came sprinting over to investigate. You were not prepared for how scary those teeth would look up close

The two of them can tell fairly quickly that you're not a normal small animal, and they're both so intrigued and excited that they start bouncing back and forth around you with whirlwind tails

Lucio, noticing the commotion, finally walks over to see what they found and notices you. Hey, you're kinda cute. He'll keep you.

Scoops you up without a second thought, tucks you into one arm, and keeps walking with the dogs trying to jump up and sniff at you on either side. It smells like dog and cologne and you are stressed

He does talk while he walks, but not to anybody specifically. He rambles from his ongoing train of thought to tuneless whistling to barking at the dogs to stop getting pawprints on his trousers

You'd hope for pets, but he's holding you in his human arm and the other spiky metal one with the sharp claws on the end don't look ideal for gentle comfort. Thankfully, he's pretty warm

He doesn't realize that you're injured until he gets to where he's staying and puts you down. As soon as he sees that you're limping, he's panicking and trying to figure out how to take care of it

Ties it up with a handkerchief and calls it a day. You'll be fine

Asks you if you can turn back at will when the spell wears off

[geekgirles]

The Osamodas' Projecting and Shortsightenedness and Their Consequences

For a while now I've been thinking on what I think is the Osamodas' true Fatal Flaw, the reason why their manipulations fail to affect Amalia (aside from their true intentions being practically see-through), and chapters 6 and 7 have only served to confirm my suspicions.

The Osamodas' greatest weakness is their utter lack of understanding of their enemies/targets, in this case Yugo and Amalia, but moreso the last remaining Sheran Sharm.

I had already begun to suspect Aurora at least knew nothing of Amalia because of her debut in season 3. More specifically, her choice in suitors for the Sadida Princess.

Just look at the two of them. While Aurora looks smug and so sure of herself and her decision, Amalia is wholly uninterested and annoyed, even bored. Which already anticipates how much of a failure this dinner is going to be.

If introducing solely her relatives to Amalia didn't make her true intentions transparent enough, that is to say, to strengthen her family's hold over Sadida politics rather than trying to find a suitable partner for her sister-in-law; then the way Aurora describes Ashdur to her certainly does, as well as it illustrates how her and her family's understanding of Amalia is entirely superficial and mistaken.

Before introducing Ashdur, Aurora tries sweet-talking Amalia into the ambush (because that's the only way to describe forcing an unsuspecting person to meet up with someone during what should be an intimate family dinner) by saying:

"J'aimerais vous présenter quelqu'un qui a beaucoup de points communs avec vous."

"I would like to introduce you to someone who has a lot in common in with you."

Except that's not really how things are, are they?

Ashdur's introduction was short and anything but impactful, and yet it perfectly encapsulated the type of character he is: a brainless beauty. Yes, his muscular physique usually means he is at least conventionally attractive, but during his introduction all he does is pose cockily and flex, quite literally. The fact that Aurora has the nerve to say he and Amalia have a lot in common when that's all he does already highlights what the Osamodas princess truly thinks of her sister-in-law: in Aurora's eyes, Amalia is nothing but a pretty face.

By contrast, Amalia already has Aurora and her true personality pinned down, no matter how much she tries to hide it behind fake pleasantries and an emo haircut. As evidenced when she wastes no time pointing out Armand and Aurora had already tried the same thing with her brothers, or when she accurately deduces Ashdur is her cousin.

Whereas Aurora is incapable of seeing past her own twisted perception of Amalia, it's plain to see the latter only needed some time around her brother's wife and maybe one attempt at roping her into an arranged marriage to be able to accurately pinpoint the kind of person she is: a manipulator with no respect for her or her people and who only thinks about her own nation and position in court.

And this incapability to see Amalia for who she truly is is very clearly widespread all over the Osamodas royal family. As they all seem to look down and disrespect her even when such behaviour is wholly inappropriate.

(I'll never forgive the Osamodas King for having the nerve to openly refuse Amalia's request to send and ask for help when it was her kingdom that was about to be overridden by Wakfu-draining monsters).

But the funny thing is, in a very roundabout way, this all is sort of Armand's fault. As my friend @alittlebookdust once pointed out, due to his inability to let go of his jealousy and bitterness until their father passed on, Armand was very open in his own contempt of his little sister, even in front of other people, which goes as far as the first season.

Despite being overjoyed to see his sister return after months of absence, Armand was still not above reprimanding and looking down on her to the point of Amalia breaking out in tears in front of Eva and, unbeknownst to them, Master Joris. And back then their relationship was arguably better than the low it reached in season 3 and early season 4, since despite everything Armand was still the most torn up over her disappearance and didn't hesitate to be affectionate with her even in front of the court.

A stark contrast to his reaction upon her return from Inglorium, when he went as far as to neglect to inform her their father had passed away, instead cruelly getting her hopes up.

But I'm going on a tangent here. The point is, due to his lack of restraint over his own emotions, Armand's behaviour became key in shaping the Osamodas' view on the Sadida princess. They didn't see a fellow royal and warrior who is willing to do whatever it takes for the sake of her kingdom and the world, but a foolish, spoiled little princess who'd much rather go on some adventure than look out for her people. And so, they treated her accordingly because Armand never did anything to stop them.

You know something's wrong when your wife openly calls your little sister, whom you love despite everything, a weed and you don't do anything to stop her or have her show some respect at least out of respect for you and your family. Or when your father-in-law spits he doesn't take orders from her and the most you can do is tell him to listen to her, instead of pointedly reminding him he is an outsider with no sway over your kingdom daring to talk back to your princess and protector.

Even in season 4, despite mending fences with Amalia, Armand could go back to screaming and treating her less than ideally at the drop of a hat, such as when she brought up Yugo after the assembly or when he made light of their expedition to find out where the Nécromes came from. This last instant being a particularly glaring example because he had just defended Yugo as a trusted ally that could mark the difference between their survival or extinction to his father-in-law.

And at the same time, this exchange between in-laws also proves how the Osamodas failed to properly read even Armand, arguably one of the few allies they had in the Sadida Kingdom (besides the traitors from the webtoon, that is).

From their interactions, it's clear to see the Osamodas King expected that, by marrying his daughter, Armand would become easily influenced and maleable, someone he could mold into fulfilling his agenda. Throughout their entire conversation, all the Osamodas King does is belittle the Sadida Kingdom and question Armand's choices, while the latter smartly and effectively counters his people are better suited for war and hold a higher position within their world (by virtue of hosting the Tree of Life and, therefore, their survival being key in that of the other Twelvians) than the Osamodas.

And the fact that Aurora actually berates Armand for defending himself and his kingdom against her father's ill-concealed insults already comes to show she was sent to the Sadida Kingdom not to become his queen and partner, but to sway him to their side.

The Osamodas thought they could turn Armand into their puppet through a political marriage, but his own royal upbringing, pride and love for his kingdom proved them wrong.

And their being incapable of seeing past what meets the eye or, worse, their own prejudiced, arrogant assumptions might be what will inevitably prove to be their undoing in the webtoon. Because once again they're making assumptions, this time about both Yugo and Amalia, without really knowing either of them.

I'm still inclined to believe they're the ones behind Yugo's poisoning, even if I'm open to twists. Mainly because the way the story is going, it can either be revealed they're not responsible, or they can be feigning ignorance to try and turn the Sadidas against Yugo and Amalia only to later on be revealed as the masterminds after all.

Let's not forget how chapter 6 was not subtle about the fact that there are most likely traitors in the kingdom that've been reporting back to them, or how the Osamodas King very ominously said they must make sure Yugo loses the Sadida's support...all before it's revealed Yugo's poison isn't just extremely harmful to the point his survival is all thanks to his god-like status, but so maddeningly painful it's actually causing him to lose control of his powers and wreak havoc.

If I'm right and they are indeed behind this, then their impulsiveness and incapability to foresee their opponents' next move, only expecting the kind of underhanded tactics they would pull, is going to come back to bite them and put a damper on their plans.

Because by poisoning Yugo, the love of Amalia's life and all the family she has left, they've done the last thing they wanted, let alone needed.

They've pushed Amalia past her limit.

She was ready to entrust them with her kingdom.

They had won! Amalia truly held what she believed to be her brother's wishes in such high regard she was willing to try and honour them, despite how painful or wrong it seemed to her.

They expected her to hold onto power almost as desperately as they're trying to do, which, in their mind, justified going to such lengths just to get rid of her and her husband, the saviour of their world. Except that's not Amalia, that's them. So by poisoning Yugo, by failing to see Amalia would indeed do what she considered best for her kingdom and honour her brother's legacy, they have essentially signed their death sentence.

And even if by some miracle they were innocent, their actions, both past and present—Aurora's contemptuous and manipulative treatment of Amalia, their betrayal and abandonement against the Nécromes, their trying to drive her away from her people by usurping the throne, their refusal to even admit they did something wrong and apologise for their actions, always justifying themselves or shifting the blame—, already speak louder than words. Because Amalia has no reason to believe their innocence, meaning now she will hold onto the throne and fight them tooth and nail, with everything she has.

No matter what happens next, whatever fate befalls the Osamodas, they have no one but themselves to blame.

[puddleorganism]

I’ve seen a LOT of different - all very cool - ideas for what Martyn’s winner thing should be and naturally I’m going to make it worse

Martyn design by @cherrifire !

(Explanation and version with blood under the cut)

See, my thinking is that Limited Life’s win broke a pattern. In every previous season, the winners were victorious due to some sort of contradiction to the rest of the game.

Third Life was a war fought in self-interest. Most factions came together to fight simply because they had a greater enemy than each other that needed to be taken care of. Even people who were incredibly loyal to their allies expected loyalty in return. Grian won because of Scar’s selflessness. He gave his life not as a test, not to become a stronger weapon, not to pay back a debt. He gave his life for gratitude. A peace treaty signed in blood.

Due to the introduction of the boogieman mechanic in Last Life, that season was one of hidden intentions. In the end, there was no will-I-won’t-I. The final four declared, with utmost clarity what their intentions were. We’re going our separate ways, and when we next see each other we will kill each other.

In Double Life the pairs were meant to protect and care for each other, to bring each other to the end. Pearl not only was shunned by her soulbound, but actively caused harm to herself and Scott and was purposefully reckless with their lives. Then, I’m honestly not sure what they were meant to do when there were only two left lol. I think they would’ve either had two winners, or forced the final two to fight. Either way, Pearl wasn’t the winner of her own accord.

Finally, Limited Life, the outlier. Ironically, this season was one of sudden, unexpected deaths. You’d think it wouldn’t be, with a timer telling everyone exactly when they were going to die; and yet no one’s timer (except Martyn’s) actually hit zero. With the re-introduction of the boogieman mechanic and all the damn tnt minecarts SO many deaths were unexpected - and there were so many of them. It was a bloodbath. And that’s exactly how Martyn won. It was unexpected, it was unfair, and it was brutal.

His win was the opposite of all the others. A defiance of a pattern of defiance. It makes sense, given what I understand of his lore.

That’s why I think he ought to be the black hole (or event horizon, if you want a cooler title lol). All the other winners put out some sort of light, even if they don’t literally scientifically produce light. The sun, the stars, the moon. Martyn is the outlier, the one who embraced the darkness and the blood.

The sun, the stars, the moon, and the looming event horizon.

[tarithenurse]

Handle with care - 2

Fandom: MCU. Pairing/starring: Eventually Bucky x fem!reader, The Avengers, Pepper Potts, Happy Hogan, SHIELD. Word count: 1167. Content: Introductions, pining already and someone realizes. A/N: This will be a small series. Let me know what you think and please reblog – it’s fuel for more! There’s a taglist too so send and ASK if you want on it.

2.

It’s the same girl in the reception as yesterday, smiling friendly and asking you once more to take a seat – this time to wait for the infamous Happy Hogan.

He turns out to be a slightly balding, soft man who acts a lot tougher than you think he is but you don’t test it, instead listening intently to his spiel about security, passes, and codes. Poking away on his tablet (after first having had trouble turning it on), he pulls up several files to quickly flash at you while he quizzes you on safety protocols. But eventually he relents, handing you a key card with your photo on.

“Okay, young lady,” he orders with the voice of a tired father, “I’ll show you how it works.”

Entering the smaller elevator with you, he points where to swipe your key card and then carefully pops in the code on the key pad. 2703.

“Remember it. Don’t write it down. Don’t tell it to anyone,” he imprints.

“Yes, sir.”

Smiling benevolently at the form of address, the man straightens up and pushes the floor number. Once again, the lift leaves your innards on the first floor while rocketing up to the highest levels of the Stark Tower.

Yesterday, you learned that the top three floors were private quarters for Stark and Potts. The ten beneath that are apartments for the Avengers, then comes the “play room”, as Potts had called it: the labs and tech rooms where especially Stark and Banner tinker to their hearts’ contents.

Where do you fit in? The very lowest floor that the little lift can bring you to is a sort of shared work space for any of the Avengers and Potts. Individual offices and meeting rooms laid out along with a communal gym, kitchen, and media room.

When the lift comes to a stop, you and Happy step out.

“Well, I gotta get back down there and make sure things are alright,” he huffs, seemingly mighty important.

“Thank you for the help, mister Hogan,” you smile, holding out your hand.

His is a bit clammy but the handshake is firm and somehow serves to calm your nerves a bit. If the infamous Happy Hogan doesn’t mind leaving you here then you must have done something to impress him. And if you can impress him? Well, maybe others will take kindly to you too.

Turning, you head down the hall the way he points you. Towards the kitchen. You can already smell the coffee and to be honest you could really use a cup because you hadn’t slept nearly as well as you should have – you’d been far too nervous.

Stepping into the open kitchen, you stop dead in your tracks as several people turn to regard you. Shit. They’re almost all there: Romanoff, Banner, Stark and Potts, Rogers, and Barnes.

Barnes.

You’ve read about it in your romance novels, how it’s like being hit by a train. Love at first sight. You’ve always scoffed at it even if you loved gobbling it up. Now...now you’re the one standing on the train track, feeling his smile and stormy eyes bored into your soul.

“Good morning!” Stark’s clear voice cuts through your reverie, mercifully moving your attention elsewhere. “Welcome to the family!” Coming over, he wraps an arm around your shoulders and pulls you towards the others. “Introductions first but maybe you need some coffee with that? Cream? Sugar? Doughnut?”

He is a force of nature almost, sweeping you up and making you feel at ease as you’re loaded up with a mug with the Stark logo on and shake hands with everyone. Of course he doesn’t use their real names but rather a series of nicknames that sometimes make them roll their eyes or scoff. You like it. Like the banter. But you can also sense why Potts must have her hands full just dealing with him.

The superheroes slowly begin to disperse, wishing you good luck on your first day.

---

Potts, or Pepper as she wants you to call her, has been a star, helping you getting the hang of the IT systems and introducing you to the always-present FRIDAY who is the commanding soul of the Tower and an invention of Stark’s.

You allow yourself to make it a late day, there’s plenty to get caught up on and you’re not yet navigating as fast as you’d like with the holographic screens and everything. But eventually you pack up, turn the lights off in the office and close the door behind you.

You just need to wash off your coffee cup, so you head to the kitchen first, expecting to find it empty.

Instead, Barnes is there. Oh boy, is he there: grey sweats and a black tank top that’s doing nothing at all to hide his physique or his metal arm. He has a little towel slung around his neck and his hair is almost pulled back in a bun as much as that’s possible, stray strands falling into his face anyways.

“Hi,” you try a smile.

“Hm,” he smiles back, grabbing a bottle of water from the fridge. “Had a good first day?”

You nod. “Lots to get used to and catch up on but yeah,” you admit.

You’ve been watching some group interviews to get a feel for the Avengers’ PR awareness and Barnes tends to be quiet if maybe a bit sullen. He lets the others talk and while it is the safe route, it also means he can come off as brutish. You will have to work with him eventually. Not now, though.

“Good to hear,” he hums, “see ya tomorrow?”

“Absolutely.”

With that he stalks off down the hall towards the gym and you just stand there like some lost fool looking after him.

“Liking what you see?” a soft voice purrs right behind you.

Turning with a squeak, you’re shocked to see Romanoff. Has she been there all the time?

“I- it’s- he just-” you babble, heart in your throat.

“Relax,” the redhead grins, “I want spill the beans.” She waltzes over and starts another brew. “Just...never seen him that talkative with strangers.”

“No?”

You suppose his silence in interviews stretches further...but you also find it hard to believe that this little conversation was the height of his communicative prowess.

“He’s plenty chatty with Rogers and me,” Romanoff admits as if having read your thoughts, “it’s just...” she shrugs.

You nod. “He has a hard time trusting,” you guess.

Knowing the man’s history, that would make sense at least. You can’t help but wonder if there’s anything you can do to make him feel more at ease, but you also don’t want to force yourself upon the poor guy.

Popping your mug in the dishwasher, you bid the former (probably actually current) spy goodnight and head to the elevator. It’s by the door to the gym and you can hear the muted clanks of weights. Then the elevator dings and you start your descend.

[seungminsbaldspot]

Impenetrable - Chapter Three

Paring: Hybrid/Poly BTS x reader

Series Link: Impenetrable Masterlist

Word Count:

Warnings: cursing, mentions of death and killing

Taglist: Open

Notes: If you wanna join the taglist, comment and I will get it sorted for you!

IMPORTANT (PLEASE READ)

Prev / Next

Recap:

What now?" he asks, breaking the momentary silence. "Even if the pack decides to let you stay, Eanses won't take kindly to your failure."

You look down, “Death is really my only option here. Sounds gruesome but I am nothing to them, just some spendable life.”

The conversation is interrupted by the door swinging open. It’s Alpha. “The pack wants to meet you.”

Min Yoongi smiles, “I knew that this was gonna happen.” You tilt your head to the side, “Already? Are they not suspicious or like you know? Scared? I mean I was literally was sent here to kill them if needed?”

Min Yoongi's smile carries a hint of amusement, and he replies, "The pack has a way of sensing things. They can feel intentions, even hidden ones. And they've seen their fair share of threats. It takes more than a hidden assassin to make them cower."

You ponder his words, Their heightened senses and instincts seem to grant them an understanding that surpasses the ordinary. The dynamics within the pack hold mysteries that you're only beginning to grasp.

"But don't mistake their curiosity for acceptance," Min Yoongi adds, his expression more serious. "You're still on thin ice. Your past with Eanses won't be easily overlooked, and trust isn't something they give away freely." Right.

Alpha and MIn Yoongi lead you downstairs where the remaining five packmates are sitting in various places in the living room. Looking around you recognize them as the nicknames that You’ve given them.

Tall Guy is sitting beside Happy on the couch. Happy seems to be rather nervous, while Tall Guy is very calm - too calm. Tall Guy is seemingly comforting Happy. Tiger and Dog are sitting together on the other end of the couch that Tall Guy and Happy are sitting on. Strong Guy is sitting on the plush chair near the couch. Alpha and Min Yoongi lead you to another chair, but this one is wooden, and it’s sat in front of the Television. Yoongi stands beside the chair, motioning for you to sit, and you do. Alpha leaves and sits on the armrest of the plush chair that Strong Guy is sitting on.

As you sit in the wooden chair, surrounded by the pack, you can feel their collective gaze upon you. The room remains quiet, the unspoken tension thickening. The pack's judgment awaits, and you brace yourself for the questions, scrutiny, or decisions that may come.

“Sitting here, I just realized none of us have said our names, not even you.” Alpha pointed at you. Your eyes widen, “I’m y/n.” You introduce, Knowing that you were going to have to go first anyway. Min Yoongi nods, “I’m Yoongi, but I’m sure you already knew that.” He snickered.

“My name is Namjoon. And I’m the Alpha of this pack.” Bingo, You were right. You nod, “Jungkook” He nods curtly in awkwodledgemnt “I’m Seokjin. This is Hoseok.” Tall Guy or well Seokjin says and points to Happy, who you now know as Hoseok. “Taehyung.” Tiger says, very monotonely. Dog shakes his head, “Sorry about him, He’s in one of his moods, I’m Jimin.” Alpha, Or Namjoon as you should start to refer to him as, Nods.

“Great. Now that the introductions are over, We can get into what we all want to know.” Namjoon states, and the pack's collective attention sharpens. The room falls into a focused hush as Namjoon's words hang in the air. The pack's collective attention centers on you, and the weight of anticipation intensifies.

Namjoon, maintaining a composed demeanor, breaks the silence. "Why were you sent to kill Min Yoongi, and who sent you?"

The directness of Namjoon's inquiry cuts through the tension, and all eyes are on you, awaiting your response.

You sigh, only due to the fact that this is like the fifth time having to explain this to this pack. “As I have stated, I was taken to a hybrid lab.” You proceed to recount the familiar tale of your creation in the hybrid lab, the genetic manipulation, conditioning, and training that shaped you into an obedient and lethal being. The story unfolds, revealing the involvement of Eanses, their interest in your abilities, and the mission to eliminate Min Yoongi.

The pack listens attentively, their expressions ranging from curiosity to suspicion. The complexity of your past and the forces that have shaped you become clearer with each word you speak.

Namjoon remains stoic, his gaze unwavering as he absorbs the details of your story. The room remains silent as you conclude your explanation, leaving the pack to process the truth of your origins and the mission that brought you to their doorstep.

Namjoon breaks the silence, his voice measured, "Why did you choose to deviate from the mission? What made you hide among us instead of carrying out your orders?"

You meet Namjoon's gaze, aware that this question delves into the motivations that led to your unexpected deviation. “I couldn’t allow myself to fuck up a happy family.”

Your response echoes in the room, and a moment of quiet contemplation follows. The sincerity in your words carries the weight of your internal struggle and the unexpected bond that formed with the pack during your observation.

Namjoon's gaze lingers on you, and there's a flicker of understanding in his eyes. The pack members exchange glances, their expressions reflecting a mix of emotions, from skepticism to a subtle acknowledgment of the complexities that surround your existence.

Namjoon breaks the silence, "Deviation from a mission is a serious matter, and we can't ignore the potential threat you might still pose. However, we also recognize the choices you've made and the risks you've taken by revealing your past. Trust is not given lightly, but we'll deliberate on what's best for the pack."

Yoongi taps your shoulder, “Let’s go back to the room.” Following Yoongi's lead, you rise from the wooden chair, acutely aware of the lingering tension in the room. As you move with him towards the exit, a whimper from the couch captures your attention. Yoongi reassures the pack, waving his hand dismissively, "I'll be fine. You all already know where I stand."

The pack members exchange glances, their expressions hinting at the internal deliberation still taking place. The atmosphere remains charged with uncertainty, but you follow Yoongi out of the room, leaving the pack to continue their discussions.

Yoongi and you walk out of the room, and the tension from the pack's criticism follows. There's a hanging feeling about their decision, the weight of their considerations. The room's relative seclusion, away from the pack's questioning gaze brings you comfort.

Yoongi closes the door behind you, momentarily shielding the two of you from the outside world. The room turns into a calm refuge, providing a brief break from the complex dynamics taking place inside the pack.

Yoongi leans against the door, his expression unreadable. "We'll have to wait for their decision. Whatever happens, you need to be prepared for the consequences. The pack doesn't take these matters lightly." You could only nod.

Meanwhile, with the pack, the discussion of you was only getting started. “Is she not a threat to us? To Yoongi?” Taehyung grimaces. Namjoon

Namjoon, maintaining his role as the Alpha, addresses the pack, "Her past with Eanses is undoubtedly a cause for concern. However, she chose to reveal herself and explain her deviation from the mission. We need to consider her actions and the risks she took by doing so."

Tall Guy, or Seokjin, interjects, "She mentioned she couldn't allow herself to 'fuck up a happy family.' If she had ill intentions, she could have acted long before now."

The pack members exchange glances, each processing the information and weighing the potential risks and benefits of your presence among them.

Hoseok, or Happy, chimes in nervously, "But what if it's a trick? We can't let our guard down." Hoseok's nervous tone reflects a valid concern among the pack. The uncertainty surrounding your true intentions raises doubts and wariness among the members.

Namjoon, maintaining his Alpha role, addresses the pack with a measured tone, "Remaining cautious is essential. We can't afford to underestimate the potential risks. However, we also need to consider the choices she made, and the risks she took to reveal her past. It's not a decision to be made lightly."

"If she wanted to harm us, she's had plenty of opportunities. Maybe she’s being truthful?." Jimin says. Jungkook scoffs. “I think that’s your border collie side showing.” He grumbles out. Namjoon maintains his Alpha authority, "We can't dismiss the potential dangers, but Jimin has a point. If she wanted to harm, she's had opportunities. We need to weigh the information carefully before making a decision."

Seokjin sighs, “I think we should keep her. If we don’t she goes back to Eanses and gets killed.” He states calmly. Taehyung almost growls, “And if she stays, they come to us.” He argues. Namjoon takes a moment to weigh the options. "We need to be realistic about the risks involved. If we decide to keep her, we should be prepared for the consequences and take necessary precautions." The pack remains silent.

“So are we taking a vote?” Hoseok asks. Namjoon nods, “All in favor of letting her go back to Eanses, raise your hand.” Namjoon says, raising his hand. Jungkook and Taehyung both raise their hands. Namjoon counts, “Okay all who want her to stay.” Hoseok, Jimin, and Seokjin raise their hands. Jungkook scoffs, “So it’s a tie?” Seokjin shakes his head, “No. Yoongi wants her to stay too. Four vs Three. She’s staying.”

Taglist: @sophiaj650 @danielle143 @sweet-nothings467 @todorokikettlephobia @multi-fandomposts @cathy1514 @loumin908 @yooxverse @majesticbangtanot7 @famousdelusionobservation (idk why this tag isn't tagging im so sorry) @amimami1991 @deepestfacedevil

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

TMAGP 29 Thoughts: Lost in Translation

We're at the penultimate episode of the season, folks. It's a surprisingly standard episode given what we had for the last one. It's also a very TMA flavoured one at that. This episode, despite being written by Alex, might have taken the top spot for one that feels the most like an Archives ep. Which isn't a bad thing. Or even a good thing. However it is an enjoyable thing and I thought this episode was really well put together on the whole. Also, fun fact for the non-readers; this episode was originally called "Locked In".

Spoilers for episode 29 below the cut.

Sam's not dead. What a shock. Genuinely, I've no real clue why people thought him dying there was a possibility. It would've been probably the least satisfying death possible for a central character. I am so on board with Sam’s death at some point though. Maybe at the end of act 1 or the midpoint of act 2 in season 3. If only to shut up the small contingent of the fanbase upset over their own invented issues about him being the sole main character whom all other characters exist to support. The gang is off to Hilltop to find all that juicy Magnus lore.

I don't think there is much to get into for Lena and Gwen's exchange here but I do think it's set up for her role in the finale. So I'll cover that later.

I really liked this incident. It felt very classically Magnus to me and was just a really solid self-contained story. It's also a really good one for using the format it's in the the benefit of the narrative being told. The structure of it as a diary and how that's used to show something traumatic happening before it's ever spoken of was very well done. The characters being an older couple also is something I think is really clever too. Not just because it helps explain the diary format. I think in a literal sense this episode doesn't need much of my insights. It was all pretty clear exactly what happened. Old couple redid their proposal holiday to tragic results leading to the survivor taking their own life via magic key. Tale as old as time that one is. There are a few language details to talk about though. The husband was called Stanley Locke. Stanley is a brand of locks. I can only assume that was intentional. The other reason them being old is important to the events is I think a younger couple would've just not gone into the locked museum. Because that's what the place is. Zamčené muzeum isn't a *lock *museum, it's a *locked *museum. Google translate would've solved this whole episode then and there. The major thing to actually talk about here is the incident's placement as the penultimate incident. It's not likely to be a randomly placed one and given it's about opening all sorts of barriers I think it's pretty obviously foreshadowing for our finale. Hilltop has more than one thing needing to be opened. The Institute's secrets, and the gap in reality. It also mirrors [Error]'s introduction as the first thing they do is open a padlock.

Teddy's near-confession is the most interesting thing in this whole episode for my money. Mostly because it's such fertile ground for speculation. There are a lot of ways it could go but there are some facts that I think point us in a direction. He still works at Royal Mint Court/was interviewed for a job there. He's still up all night. He's got a big secret he needs to tell Alice that's important to her current circumstances enough to be urgent. Meaning he therefore has new information he didn't have before he left. Which means where he is now is in a place that could provide said information. The OIAR has more going on behind the scenes than we ever see yet is seemingly staffed by a tiny amount of people. Which points to Teddy maybe still just being at the OIAR. Either just moving up in the organisation and the party was a ruse, or he was headhunted after he left and his work fell through. It could also be a company like Starkwall too, if there is any real difference between the two. Some offshoot of the Institute is also a possibility given the link between Newton and the Royal Mint. Or, he's been scooped up by Klaus.

The final scene here doesn't have an awful lot to comment on. It's somewhat curious that [Error] is able to get around so unseen but we do know she can teleport. I'm assuming she's on the train to get Celia's secrets about the Institute. Plenty of time for that too as London to Oxford is about an hour on the train. Not really anywhere for them to hide either so they're probably pretty fucked.

Now the long wait until next week begins.

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What sort of penultimate episode post would be complete without some finale predictions? I think there are a fair few pieces in play here and so there are quite a lot of things to speculate on.

I think there are some fairly obvious things that are likely to happen. Celia is going to get [Error]ed and exposition dump about her whole deal. It's got to come out some time and I think in general the show has been foreshadowing this pretty hard with Gwen and Sam both getting [Error]ed. The other major possibility here is that Alice gets got and she's got some secret twisty trauma. If *Connor is her dead name then she *is on CHDB (the Institute's list of children they tested, see the master sheet below) but I would generally hate that. I mean, they might pull it off but I really don't want Alice to have that backstory. She is the character we know the least about so far though and there have been more than a few hints about the fate of her parents. So it's a strong possibility too IMO. Albeit it does mean that Alice would need to catch up with them somehow. Maybe Teddy can give her a lift and we'll hear what was on his mind. Or it's both as this will be a double-length episode so there is room for that.

Speaking of [Error] it seems likely that Celia is going to reveal at least what she knows about Archivists. With [Error] being this season's antagonist it's likely that she's going to get defeated in the finale and as such we'll lose the best opportunity to learn more about her. Revealing that information after she's dealt with is less impactful. They might end up [Error]ing themselves and given a statement, or villain monologuing. It's curious that they're so obviously capable of speech and have said so little though. So I am expecting something to change there.

Hilltop could go a lot of ways. It could be a gaping maw in realities that sucks our cast off to someplace new. It could be nothing but some clues to the Institute's purpose. I don't have much in the way of anything I'd like it to be either. I generally think it'll be the least interesting bit of the finale. The biggest thing it could answer it won't, that being JMJ, and so I'm content to just let that one play out and not think about it too much. In either case Hilltop is likely to play some role in defeating [Error] and if I had to hazard a guess I think it's likely we'll see some of the great cosmology at play here. Both in terms of TMP itself but I think we'll get some hints at how things have changed from TMA/how TMA's things have changed.

I think we're also going to see a good bit of Gwen going being Lena's back too. Assuming we're not going to jump forward in time at all then Gwen is currently alone in the office and is clearly planning things. I don't think we'll necessarily see anything major happen but I do think it's a pretty likely hook for season 2. Either something to do with Klaus or the other strange emails. It's that or Colin is going to break in and cause some havoc. Gwen is the character I most see going along with him on this too. I think that might be a surprising take to some of you but Gwen is unique in that she doesn't actually give a shit about him, and also wants to ruin Lena's career. Colin wrecking the place while she's not there would certainly do some damage to her job stability.

I'm not too sure we'll see much of the other voiced cast. I can't really see a reason for Lena, Teddy, Ink5oul, or anyone else to get involved in the finale. Although Lena could certainly be a big part of the epilogue assuming any of the Gwen stuff goes down like I expect.

Anyway, lots to look forward to.

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Incident/CAT#R#DPHW Master Sheet and Terminology Sheet

DPHW Theory: 4254 is unremarkable. At this point I really don't know what it'd take to tip my theory on its head.

CAT# Theory: CAT2 is another funny one for the Person/Place/Object idea. The museum was arguably supernatural but the key was obviously supernatural. So if anything this should be CAT3 or potentially a CAT23 but it's just CAT2. If it is P/P/O I'm going to need a really strong explanation for why it sucks so bad.

R# Theory: Yeah, B sounds good to me. Strong physical evidence of a thing happening but nothing that definitively proves the supernatural. Going into the finale this whole theory seems to be holding pretty well. At least for non-Ss. An S could be a lot of things though so we'll see.

Header talk: Drowning (Subterranean) -/- Key (Metaphor) is somewhat interesting in that Key (Metaphor) can be read as the key itself being entirely metaphorical. I think that's fairly obviously wrong but it's interesting. The meaning is more that the key has the ability to open things in a metaphorical sense. It works on more than just doors, after all. So the key itself is real but it works on a looser interpretation of "opening" than just locks and doors. Beyond just that interpretation there is also the metatextual element that the incident itself is metaphorical for what's to come. Assuming it wasn't randomly placed, that is.

[redluvpink]

Makima and The Art of Cinema!

Light spoilers on the whole of part one ahead

Introduction.

Makima as a character is such an interesting character. Said this twice as there is Makima the character, and an interesting character inside Makima. This will all tie in at the very end of this post. To introduce why Makima and movies work out, need to explain what makes a film too.

Makima and the art of perfection in film making.

Intentional or not from Tatsuki Fujimoto, Makima links with films gives a bit more to explore on with her character.

What are films known for? When people ask about a film, two main questions come in mind: what’s the film about and is it good. Some intrigued people get more curious and ask who made it and the cast, and for the more ‘delectable taste’ as they are not much of the daredevils, they ask how long it takes and are there any other movies they can pull similarities with. In essence; what’s so unique about the film being made?

From the two main questions, it interestingly explains Makima’s character with others. Like movies, hindsight one can decide the quality of the film through edits, re-shoots, cuts etc., and also summarize what’s it about. That is what makes Makima such an interesting character, it’s how she curated the way others perceive their relationship with her provided she meets the status quo like how movies needs a good direction, a good stage, good lighting etc.

She manages to make such a fascinating tale with others despite it being scripted, all made with a perfect vision in mind, something actual bonds can’t relate to. She’s at the perfect stage to be saved, to be spoken to, knows some people’s lines and makes humor of repeating them to them as she sort of took their actions and planned. And it goes beyond planning for many follow suit to present this perfect vision with her. Because movies are trying their best to be as real and authentic as possible, we understand it took an incredible amount of effort for it to be as real and authentic as possible. Even if movies achieve this, at the end, it took a good performance and everything to work out well; developing this perfect image. To top all these, Makima diverse through all types of genres to accomplish the ends of each.

During the time she wanted Denji, she promised a date thus was diving into the romance genre. While others went to hell, she escorted them into the experience of suspense and horror. While making the contract with Aki, there was the mystery parts to it. All showcased her wide variety with these sort of situations that come with betrayal, lust, fear, doubt, anger and a lot more when other characters are in her reach, in the scene. And that’s all it takes at the end of it; a perfect script, the cast members present, the scene they are in, all of it emulating reality and authenticity as to be perfect.

But that isn’t reality. Even as people lie, it comes in a flawed manner, which in on itself is authentic. One is clueless while meeting new people, one creates that sort of trust for they care enough to. Whether a bad sort of care or good, that’s something people build with each other.

Her relationship with Denji.

When it comes to her relationship with Denji especially when Aki dies, Makima tells the audience [us and Denji] enough about this. She states it clear that she sees what she does to Denji’s relationship with others as a sort of transaction; if Denji does things well he’s rewarded by these bonds, and if he misbehaves she takes it away till he learns to behave. It’s a simple act of control but it paints a beautiful picture of what a good quality movie looks like. She understands what makes a good movie, but that inconsequently controls how she looks at what makes real bonds that people have. Unlike movies, they are allowed to be flawed, people learn from each other, and in due time they get to know one another. This reality doesn’t have a great script, or great cast, or the intended scene, as it cares enough to make mistakes not wanted in films.

『The direction, stage, and lighting can be awful at times due to the miscommunication, mistrust, closing off, boasting, jealously, bickering etc. People’s relationship can’t be cut or re-edited, people live with this.』

This is something Makima can’t simply accept as it in her nature to have things as perfect. She allowed her ability to dictate how she can climb up and get what she wants; she can create the perfect film. Even in her dying breath, as Denji still tries to understand who she really was, was all that really worth it, what she thought about him… she remained silent and couldn’t understand or care enough to ask for any mercy from him while he knows. She closed off to be a part of the flawed script, to be part of reality.

In the end, Makima didn’t just want Denji out of the picture, she simply despised how he viewed these bonds with care out of his control. Denji was someone, who like Makima, started off not knowing much of what actual relationships are but made an effort to know them for he states, ‘he feels them’. He doesn’t shut them off no matter how much they hurt, or how much he wanted to. He wants happy ones… which indirectly caused suffering when taken away. And as Makima looked at him in silence in her death, Denji’s love and interest in her despite the obvious means and justifications Makima implemented on him, he chose to keep it.

In another world.

Makima is a troubled character, obviously lol, and it’s hard to decipher her in fanfictions or ‘alternative’ critiques as she cannot seem to exist without her perfect film. She’s a character inside a character. How does one depict her world with authenticity, despite knowing the perfect reality it holds? But as a fan who’s about to step out of line… if she could live without, that in on itself could be an interesting new perspective in her character.

In another world, she could make a perfect yet flawed film director or movie critic. She could capture a good scene, write a good script, give a well thought out story but most audience to it even if they point that out, they would say, ‘there wasn’t that connection, but it’s a great film.’ That, or in a perfect world, she does get rewarded for this impact and reach for art is subjective lol.

Would she make a good enough actress? Trying to decipher her from control can’t be well accomplished as she is the control devil, a character who can’t live without it. Without the bloodlust may be she can safely win an Oscar without a singe!

In conclusion.

Even if there didn’t seem to be care of flaws; a perfection due to its depiction… she had a care towards perfection; a depiction in script. It’s both sad and fitting, a weapon of control also controlled by the actions around her including her own; Makima as a character, and an interesting character inside Makima. Genuine adoration of her cannot be stated enough and she makes not only a perfect villain, but a broken machine acted by a perfect human.

[m3loria]

. . . what's with the name?

‘borealis’ is a word with a flurry of meanings. a borealis could apply to the northern lights aptly named the aurora borealis, taken from latin roots, you could say the word only means ‘north’, completely derived from the names given to the ancient gods of the wind.

. . .     % meeting the world on a spontaneous whim in the midst of a global pandemic, borealis was released on may first of twenty twenty. the project was completely unexpected, because after four years of silence from a company who had just had their most popular group sue their former ceo into a hefty jail sentence, did louvix audio just come out with a new group? yep, and nobody expected such a thing. composing of five tracks, it seems to be much more of an experimental album, a concept that hasn't been seen in the group for a while.. maybe we should start a petition.

. . . ▸ the opening track of the album reveal is your classic album introduction which could serve as a title track on a good day i suppose. with our beloved center hwan credited with the arrangement of the lyrics (and bless him because we got a yohan chorus). reveal can best be described as a yearning piece masked by the production put into it, the lyrics delve into the idea of going crazy over love, a love that makes you go insane, no other thoughts beside the enraptured soul nestled in your palms. or, you could just describe it as a sex tune, it sort of fits that bill pretty well.

. . . ▸ coming in as the beloved title track, snake eyed scar is the perfect encapsulation of the sin lust. the lyrics tell a story of it's own, a cursed bond which is tied by the scar connecting two souls together, again, it could simply be labeled a mindless sex tune, but in the bigger picture of things, it could also be a song detailing the connections between a toxic relationship and that of addiction. it's terrible for you, cracks your features and breaks you down one by one, yet you continue going back for me regardless of the hurt which follows.

. . . ▸ following behind the steps of the title track, salty narrates the bitter taste of love on one's tongue, it tells a literal story of a couple who can't get over each other no matter how much they try. the prospect of having to move on with the feeling of longing remaining etched in your mind is as distasteful of the bitter lingering of salt on your tongue, a taunting tune that seems to have been created to try to convince people to text their ex, and if they did.. well, we can all guess where that went. with lyrics penned by our beloved leader yohan, we can assume he probably missed his own.

. . . ▸ expressing the clear intention of ‘slutty music’, 119 contains everything such a song needs, breathy backing vocals, hip thrusts, undeniably questionable lyrics, the whole shebang. performed by members yohan, junmin, hajoon, kyrie, and haneul, you could really just call this one a sex tune, hajoon would be inclined to agree! just don't ask them to explain what it means, they'll freeze and attempt to stutter out a response whilst haneul " slyly " reenacts sex positions with his fingers.

. . . ▸ now coming to a startlingly quick end, the album closes with moondance, a tune which repeats through excessive adlibs (hwan put in that work!) that love could be equivalent to the beauty of the moon, even with the production and the very not needed dance, it's sort of beautiful? the love of their partner could be comparable to that of the moon's atmosphere, a source of light which is all that's needed. " if our love was equivalent to the stars , you would be the earth , and in every universe , i would be your orbiting moon ", shit makes me want to die.

. . .     % era notes

though it's often hailed as one of their best title tracks, snake eyed scar garnered only three wins over a two week promotion period, it's their title track with the least wins

it is also the album with the least amount of member participation, the only members involved in writing and production are our two main vocals, yohan and hwan, who are credited on reveal and salty respectively

the album didn't do much well in pre-orders, but in day of it's release, it sold 240,000 units, debuting at number 7 on the gaon album chart, it then shot up to number 2 after a week, the album holds the ninth spot as one of the best selling albums of 2020 with a total of 806,637 units sold

the lead single would do moderately well, landing at number 6 and 12 on digital charts respectively, it was actually the third song of the album, salty which would completely overtake the digital singles charts, debuting at number one at the gaon digital chart and remaining at the number one spot for six consecutive weeks, it became the best performing single that may

okay, now onto memorable era moments

yohan pulling himself from every single version of the album, cue the narcissist allegations when he decided to keep all of his photocards

meliora's first ot13 vlive!! (05.02.20) which drew out member fact sharing, including the members stark descriptions of each other (cut to the members calling haneul a ‘slightly dimwitted sweetheart’).

the group getting their second vlive deleted because they broke half the rules, most of the vlives from this era, excluding their first one, have been taken down because of their insistence to not follow the rules

yohan not even being able to announce the fandom name because the members were arguing over designs for their lightstick

the members all descending into a loud flurry of madness because junmin swore once in their fanchat guide video

the groups first encore stage being less of an encore stage because they were contemplating on if they should switch parts or not (they spent half the time not singing and byeol was choking on his tears the entire time)

[the-chosen-fanfiction]

Andrew | On The Precipice Of Forever | Romantic

Dialogue prompt: “You look… Stunning.” 

One wedding might just lead to another, much to your father’s relief.

Requested by Anon

Chava’s betrothed needs no introduction when she tells you they are getting married. Practically having grown up together, you are already very familiar with her childhood sweetheart, Joshua. It is no surprise that the two are finally deciding to tie the knot; they have always had this amazing chemistry between them ever since their early teens. It had taken some convincing, but their parents finally came to an agreement. 

Your personal plus-one to the wedding has yet to ask the big question. 

Even your own abba has started to grow impatient, nudging the anxious fisherman into the right direction by hinting at asking for his blessings some day. You doubt it is intentional, but Andrew barely responds to said words from your father, only becoming a stuttering mess instead. It’s both adorable and mildly infuriating at the same time, for there are more people in your environment who are either getting engaged, married, or having families. In spite of Andrew and you having been sweet on each other for quite a while now, nothing has been made official yet. The constant orbiting around one another whilst being very much in love is just tiresome at times.

“Perhaps that this will be the final push he needs to finally figure things out.” Your father does not mean to sound harsh, but there is definitely an edge of truth to his voice whilst you get ready for Chava’s wedding day. You have taken your favourite dress from the wardrobe and donned it in front of the cracked mirror that stands at your mother’s side of their bed. Smoothing your hands down the fabric, you roll your eyes playfully before you shoot him a look.

“Oh, abba, he is just trying to do his best.” 

“Waiting for the perfect moment,” your mother insists as she tucks your hair into place, having put it in some sort of up-do and tucked under a veil that matches your dress in two of your favourite colours. “Your father knows how much you love him, (Y/n). He just wants to see you two happy.” 

“He just wants more grandchildren. He already has grandchildren.” you counter, referring to your brother’s three young children between the ages of two and seven. Still, the idea of getting married to Andrew and starting a family with him sounds wonderful nevertheless.

Your father’s eyes glitter a bit as he smiles, looking younger than he is. It is during moments like these that you forget about his age. “I’m just teasing you, my girl. I know that you two will finally bind yourselves to each other once the time is right. Maybe it’s good to wait for a while longer, at least until the fishing industry is doing a bit better—” 

“—Abba!” 

He heartily chuckles as he shows his palms in defence. “I’m just teasing, (Y/n). Once he asks us, you know we will not refuse, no matter what his career may be like at that moment.” 

You hum and turn back to the mirror, fighting the light pink hue in your cheeks as your mind drifts to the thought of finally making things official. You have been dreaming about calling him your husband. Needless to say, you are starting to feel a little impatient as well.

You had gotten up earlier than usual, so once you are done, your mother announces that she will be heading to market in order to help set up the stalls of a few of her friends, whose days have yet to start. “Be careful today,” she tells you as she kisses your forehead, “I am sure you will turn heads today.” 

“There is only one head I seek to turn, eema.” you remind her, causing her to smile and tap the tip of your nose.

“I know, pumpkin. Now, I really have to go before I’ll be late. Have fun today, give Chava my best regards and blessings, and tell her that I hope to visit some day soon. Oh, and please apologise that we can’t be there today. We’d have loved to see it happen.” Your mothers responsibilities make it so that she isn’t able to share in the joy today and your father can’t come on his own with the state of his decreasing health. 

“I will.” you promise her, helping her put on her cloak against the morning cold. 

When she opens the door, however, Andrew stands right in the middle of knocking, fist raised as he startles a bit. “Oh, shalom Malka. I was just about to—” 

“—I know. Have fun today, and look after my daughter.” 

Your mother nods at the curly-haired fisherman whilst knowingly smiling before brushing past him, finally revealing you in your prettiest dress. The younger son of Jonah is momentarily dumbfounded as he drinks you in, feeling his heart skip a beat as light seems to envelop you as if you are an ethereal being. The way he is practically gawking at you right now makes you clear your throat, snapping him out of his trance.

“You… Wow… You look… Stunning.” Andrew stumbles over his words as he eyes you up and down, then up again. His heart rears inside his chest as he observes you; The way the colours fit your complexion, the way the rope you’ve tied around your waist accentuates your body in a very flattering manner as well as the style in which the veil is tied around your (h/c) locks— you look like a dream. For a few long seconds, Andrew barely knows what to say whilst you shyly finger the linen of your best dress, tugging at it a little further down in an attempt to smooth out the creases.

“Do you really think so?” 

Andrew coughs behind his hand and nod eagerly. 

“Yes! Oh, yes. Very beautiful, you…. You look breathtaking, honestly.” 

You melt at the compliment, having to resist the urge to reach out and push his shoulder playfully. Only now, you realise that the fisherman is wearing a tunic that matches your veil. It must be purely a coincidence that it does, yet it still makes your heart flutter. 

“Thank you. You look very handsome in that colour.” 

Andrew hums and puffs out his chest a little, letting one of his hands go to a sleeve to feel at the little embroidery at the end of it. “It’s a little fancier than what I’m used to, and a lot more itchy, but I feel good in it.” 

Your father steps up behind you, causing Andrew to nervously gulp. 

“Shalom, Reuben.” 

“Shalom shalom, Andrew. All dressed up for the wedding, I see?” He winks at the young man, who lets out a small laugh, albeit a bit awkward.

“It’s the best tunic I own. I’m surprised it wasn’t eaten by moths yet.” 

Your father chuckles. “Ah, don’t you worry about that, now. You know, you are taking a lot of responsibility onto your shoulders by bringing (Y/n) along, right?” 

“Joshua is a good friend of mine, and Chava of hers.” Andrew quickly says, “I— I’m just trying to be polite, that I offered to come and pick her up. Of—Of course she would have been able to travel safely all by herself regardless, but… It’s… It’s nothing, really. Barely any effort, just a small detour, you know? It’s the least I could do.” Your father hums upon hearing the fisherman downplay his intentions of getting out of his way to come and pick you up.

Even though it is meant to deflect from your father teasing the two of you with your obvious chemistry, it still makes you feel a little upset to hear Andrew say these things out loud. He must have picked up on your sudden embarrassment, for the moment he looks back at you, his face pales a bit. “Shall we— Uh, shall we go?” 

You nod and turn to your father. “You have fun, alright? Give the happy pair our blessings and don’t forget what your eema said to tell them.” 

“Of course, abba. Don’t you worry about that.” 

At that, the two of you leave the house and walk in heavy silence for a block or two. There is a fair bit of distance between you and Andrew. You hope he will step closer to you so that your hands may brush together every so often.

“You know, my father likes you.” you pipe up suddenly. It’s not like Andrew doesn’t know that, but he still enjoys to hear it being said out loud nevertheless. After all, it’s a massive relief to know that the parents of the woman you’re planning to make your wife approve of you. Still, Andrew doesn’t really get the hint just yet.

“I’m glad that he does. He used to be a good friend of my late father after all, may he rest in peace.” 

“No, I mean he likes you. Do you think he would have allowed me to be escorted by either John or James?” 

Andrew blinks in slight confusion. “I—I mean, I don’t know, I—I think so?” 

“Despite my abba being good friends with Zebedee, I think he’d find it inappropriate.” 

The curly-haired fisherman gives you a nervous smile. “So why does he allow me to bring you with me?” You give him a look: he can’t really be that oblivious, can he? Your heart speeds up at how sweetly yet innocently he is watching you now. 

“Why do you think that is?” 

He gives you a sheepish smile. “I don’t— I don’t know.” 

“You don’t know?” 

He shakes his head, causing you to click your tongue. “Oh, please, Andrew. That man has been wondering when you’d finally show up to our house and ask for my—” 

“—Shalom shalom you two! Wow, you two look like a proper couple!” 

Simon interrupts the conversation from somewhere behind you, where he and Eden are making their way towards you. He walks up so that he is next to his younger brother and squeezes his shoulder. You give Eden a smile in greeting, which she gladly reciprocates with a friendly nod. “Even my wife and I aren’t matching today.” 

“No, you are wearing the same tunic you always do.” Eden says with a small edge of annoyance to her tone, something you pick up on, unlike her husband. You give her an apologetic look, which she replies to with a small shrug and a shake of her head to indicate that it is no big deal.

You sigh a bit as you watch Simon completely take over the conversation, causing you to step behind in order to walk with Eden instead. The woman smiles knowingly at you, nudging you gently. “Sorry about Simon. Had I known you two were walking there together, I’d have held him back.” 

You shrug and swallow hard. “It’s fine, don’t you worry about it.” 

“It’s not fine. The two of you were having a conversation that may have been important.” 

“It… It kind of was,” you admit, sighing in slight embarrassment. 

Feeling slightly guilty about the situation, Eden hums and steps closer to chastise her husband regarding his behaviour, grabbing his wrist to make him halt in his step. 

“I forgot something at home,” she uses as an excuse, “My belt is still there,” which isn’t a lie, for now that you look at it, the rope around Eden’s waist is indeed missing. “And… I need to speak to you in private.” 

Simon puts his hands on his hips. “I have no secrets from my brother.” Eden offers him a glare before nodding back towards where they came from. 

“Simon, walk with me. Now.” 

The older son of Jonah scoffs a laugh, rolling his eyes as he looks at Andrew. “I’m telling you, brother, once you have a wife and she has you wrapped around her finger, you can’t say no to her anymore, ever. I’ll see you guys later.” With a rather rough pat on the shoulder, Simon leaves his younger brother behind with you. 

Once both Eden and Simon round the corner, you let out a sigh. Andrew is standing there with a bit of a puzzled expression on his face, wondering what to make of his brother’s words. Walking up to him, you clear your throat, clearly a little taken aback as well. “Shall we, uh… Shall we go?” 

“Yes—Yes, of course.” Andrew breathes. The two of you continue your journey to the wedding when he suddenly speaks up again. “You were saying something just before we were interrupted.” 

“Ah, it’s… It’s nothing important.” 

The large doors where the party will be hosted behind appear on the other end of the street as you make a turn to the left. 

“Not important?” Andrew asks as you approach the set of doors, a woman at the entrance going over the list in her hands as a few other guests arrive before allowing them inside. “I think that most things you say are important.” 

You swallow hard, feeling a little embarrassed at the earlier encounter when Simon cut you off right when you had gathered enough confidence to tell him about what your father had suggested Andrew to do. 

“Something about your abba, no? About him allowing me to escort you while not letting others do so for some reason? He was wondering something…” 

Ignoring the question for now, you tell your names to the woman at the entrance. She checks and gives you both a soft smile. “Yes, you two are on the list. Welcome, and enjoy the celebrations!” 

“Thank you.” you breathe as the employee grants both of you access. Andrew remains a step or so behind you as you rush inside, hoping to find your friends soon lest you have to feel uncomfortable about the situation for any longer.

In the meantime, Andrew’s mind is reeling with possibilities. What does it mean when a father allows his daughter in the care of a man who is not her husband? Why would he let him bring you with him to a wedding, especially when the two of you are wearing outfits that make it look an awful lot like a couple… Why wouldn’t he allow James or John to do the same?

…The moment you step forward, the chuppah in the background, coupled with the colourful, floral decorations adorning the place, Andrew feels all breath leave his lungs. The moment the light seems to be drawn to you again as if you are an angel in and of itself, coupled with the way you watch him as you look over his shoulder to see where he is at, it suddenly clicks.

“He wants me to ask for your hand in marriage.” 

The words are maybe uttered more to himself than to you, but you feel your face heat up nevertheless. “Yes,” you confess, lowering your gaze as you fold your hands in front of you, “He has been wondering that for a while now, what is taking you so long…” 

“Honestly?” Andrew whispers, “I’m terrified that you’ll say no.” 

You swallow hard as your throat runs dry. Had you ever come across as if you would reject him? “Why ever would I say no?” 

“I don’t— I don’t know.” Andrew admits. “I know I shouldn’t be so anxious, but it’s a huge thing, you know?”

You step closer to him so that your conversation can continue in hushed whispers, lest anyone overhear you and get the idea that Andrew is asking you to marry him during the wedding of your best friend, which would be considered bad taste when done without explicit consent from bride and groom themselves. 

“It may be huge, but are you certain about it? About you and I?” 

“More certain than about anything.” he tells you, having to resist the incredible urge to reach out and take your hand in his. 

A soft smile grows over your lips, only widening as he mirrors the expression. “Good. I’m glad. Me, too.” 

For a moment, the two of you maintain eye-contact in silence before looking around the decorated space. You are almost certain that the same thing must go through the fisherman’s head as well— The same thing imagined of the two of you standing under that canopy on the other end of the aisle, instead of your two friends. 

“Then I will ask him.” Andrew promises, “Soon. And then I will ask you, properly.” 

You feel your cheeks warm and you smile. Before you can speak further on the topic, however, you are ushered towards the other women at the party to get the ceremony started. Andrew heads for where the men are seated but not without keeping his eyes fixed on you. 

Andrew finds his brother, who wraps an arm around him. “Got something on your mind?” Simon immediately sees through him, following Andrew’s gaze to where you are taking a seat next to Eden. He chuckles lightly. “Ah, I see.” 

Even though Simon is telling the truth, Andrew wants to tell him off for speaking out of turn, but the attention shifts to the groom coming out to stand under the chuppah. For a second, the curly-haired fisherman imagines himself right there before sighing deeply, knowing there is something he must do first. However, judging by the way you speak about it and your father’s obvious support, there is nothing he should be worried about.

The two of you lock eyes across the room for just a moment, yet a thousand things are said within one glance. 

Next time, it will be the two of you standing there.

[medusasea]

Rescue Deku Arc

I want to say I was hoping at one point there would be a rescue Deku arc. You can argue that the ending of his vigilante arc sort of was, since his friends saved him from himself, but I wanted one in which he gets kidnapped, specifically by AFO with AFO locking him up in a vault. Ironically, I also imagined AFO being a foil to Overhaul who tortured Eri and only saw her as a tool, I was imagining AFO going to start sympathizing with Deku and treating him unexpectedly humane for a prisoner.

Just the possibilities. AFO locks Deku in a vault because Yoichi is inside of him and AFO is possessive towards his brother like usual. Yoichi relieves his trauma but he gets character development. Midoriya can only rely in the other OFA users and they get more development. Class A-1 class and the teachers search desperately for their kidnapped friend. Inko is heartbroken, but she still has hope. Tomura doesn't have to worry about Deku, so he gets to terrorize more people.

Since AFO is also sympathetic in this version, Midoriya gets to hear more from his side of the story and realizes they are two sides of the same coin. Both AFO and Midoriya faced discrimination, Midoriya for being quirkless and later for looking creepy, AFO for having a quirk. Both of them inspire people. Both of them worked hard to become powerful. Both of them have multiple quirks and are good at analyzing them. Both of them are very observant. Both of them love their families and care about their comrades, it's just that AFO expresses it in an unhealthy way. Midoryia inspires to be the number 1 hero, while AFO used to want the same, until society broke him, so he decided to become number 1 villain as revenge. At first Deku is extremely skeptical, but Yoichi confirms that AFO did indeed wish to be number 1 hero in his youth, or at least he doesn't deny it.

Given how vague Yoichi's introduction to Deku was, I was hoping Deku would become a little suspicious on why Yoichi didn't tell when him when exactly AFO started his villainy, especially his murders, how AFO acted and how their life was before Yoichi's imprisonment and Yoichi didn't even tell his own name. I was hoping the manga would go on the route that AFO used to be good until he turned to villainy and that Yoichi and the rest of the OFA users didn't tell Deku those details out of fear, but doing so made everything worse, since Deku feels like they might be hiding even more and he feels disappointed.

Considering how people with quirks were treated during AFO's time, catastrophes were happening anyway, I thought it would've been clever if a plot twist was that AFO wasn't as bad towards the people he made deals with as Yoichi claimed. A vague vague statement "dispose of them" that Yoichi used can mean many things. I wasn't expecting AFO to be blameless, I was in fact expecting him to have indeed abandoned certain people in times of need, but that doesn't mean he went out of his way to harm them. For him to abandom them, they would have to be in a bad situation. Again, society discriminated against those with quirks and their allies, I expected society to have killed or injured many of them, with the worst that AFO did being choosing to not save all of them. Perhaps not even out of selfish reasons, maybe he had a plan to change the system and considered that saving those people would hinder his plan, so he chose to not save them for the greater good. I would also add AFO being traumatized after the first time he gave someone many quirks and destroyed their brain in the process. he tried to save the person, but failed.

He only imprisoned Yoichi after the latter not only stood up to him, but also called his intentions evil. We know that AFO's group ended up killing another that refused to join them, but they were actually evil, or at least AFO's group thought so. AFO didn't ask nor manipulate his own people into doing this, in fact, they are the ones who convinced him that it was the right choice. Had the second and third user not fought against him, AFO wouldn't have fought them either, but they not only stand up to him, they also assume the worst and steal his brother away. AFO finally snaps completely and decides that if everyone will treat him like a demon lord, he might as well act like one.

I am not condoning AFO locking Yoichi up, it's just that in this version AFO is a well-intentioned extremist who rationalizes his acts. He is also as mentioned far less of a monster and has more standards, had the (first few) OFA users not intervened, it still wouldn't be pretty, but he wouldn't have been as bad as him becoming the symbol of evil. Also, because of the OFA users AFO didn't keep his position of power, which is actually for the better, but had they not called him Demon Lord and had they tried to understand him, he would've actually gone way easier on them, though he still would've oppressed them and he likely wouldn't have given up without a fight. In this version he also never really got to rule over entire Japan, but had he, he would've been a dictator, albeit not nearly the worst.

Deku fears AFO might be in the right, or at least he fears he could've ended up like him if his life was different. AFO sees this and sees potential into turning the boy to the dark side, but he refuses. At the same, AFO sympathizes with Deku' pain, especially since he went through similar experiences, and feels respect for Deku for putting actual effort into understanding him and not just assuming the worst like every other hero. So AFO is hesitant to further hurt Deku.

Also, because why not? Have All Might retain his powers again. I know some people might dislike this, since they want for AFO and All Might to stay retired for the sake of the theme of passing the torch, but in this version AFO kept his promise of passing the torch to Tomura. AFO escaped prison, but he does smaller work at the moment. As for All Might, he gets entirely focused on saving Midoriya, so he doesn't really return as the number 1 hero, not for anyone else besides Deku anyway. Also, I don't plan for this to be the final arc in my reimagining (I don't know if I will ever write down an entire story though, I might simply limit myself to ideas, rather than a complete plot). So while All Might is back, the torch still (mostly) belongs to Deku. All Might also hears about AFO's past and is even more shocked than Midoriya.

This post turned out even longer than expected and I could go on even longer. You can disagree with this reimagining, but I personally love stories where the protagonist gets kidnapped, especially if they are competent fighters.

[oocca]

1 and 16

VIOLENCE!!!

going to answer 16 first because 1 is going to go into a long rant

16. you can't understand why so many people like this thing (characterization, trope, headcanon, etc)

i don't understand why Linked Universe is so popular. i'm sorry LU fans. all the love but you guys are tumblr tag terrorists for those of us into loz who don't care about it. also i hate that fuckass bob one of the links in it has

1. the character everyone gets wrong

ganondorf. buckle up

i feel like seldom anyone really gets ganondorf truly right, from the bland merciless villain angle and the more sympathetic takes, coming from someone who does have a very soft-hearted view and interpretation of ganondorf. but the latter — i feel like nobody really understands why exactly ganondorf is portrayed the way he is in canon, the implications certain canon AND fanon has, etc. and that's not to say that my interpretation alone is the correct one or anything

ganondorf interpretations tend to come from two angles: one that presents him as an evil-for-evil's sake villain, and one that essentially defangs him, both of which are problematic in their own right. analyzing both those angles first requires acknowledging that the legend of zelda is very orientalist and imperialist in its themes.

these themes start with the decision to take the antagonist, originally portrayed as a monster, as a man from the desert, with every caricaturized trait one would expect. and, the storytelling of loz is influenced heavily by japanese myth and medieval europe, particularly the idea of a "divine right" to rule — which, of course, belongs to zelda, or rather the hylian monarchy as a whole. and ganondorf is the evil who is not divinely ordained to rule and thus would dismantle good society as we know it

and then there's wind waker, where a popular interpretation of ganondorf's monologue is that he desired better for his people... well, not quite! him and daphnes are essentially parallels of each other. nor is it ever really said by the gan man himself, as he never really says anything about his people in that monologue. it could be determined from subtext, but as far as authorial intent goes —

see. loz is my favorite franchise, but in it's current state since the introduction of ganondorf, functions more as propaganda at times in it's narrative setup, rather than any sort of fairy tale. not saying it IS propaganda, though — there is a distinction

so, that is to say, looking at JUST the origin material itself, you can't really "know" him as a character, or understand any coherent moral statement. any sort of analysis that tries to determine ganondorf's goals, what he has or has not done, and why, will eventually hit a dead end. because that isn't the purpose of propaganda. ganondorf as portrayed in canon is whatever he needs to be in order to justify the fantasy of killing him

which, as he is portrayed in canon, is a merciless villain with no coherent moral backing to his actions. he is greedy and desires power. but, of course, it's perfectly reasonable to want more from his character than just "evil desert guy wants our grass"

(although one thing i find super funny with the way ganondorf is portrayed in particularly oot and totk with nintendo doing that is the duality of him being called manipulative, but also very obviously and openly evil at the same time. so you get the rather funny canonical reality that everyone who meets him becomes incapable of doing anything about their gut instincts and just lets themselves get fucked despite being spitefully demeaning about it the entire time)

and this is where my issue comes in with most interpretations that try to "fix" ganondorf

most attempts at "fixing" ganondorf will

1. focus on him trying to break demise's curse

which, aside from being a misinterpretation of demise's curse, i feel robs ganondorf of any actual agency and boils all his actions down to "he has a demon in his head."

as for the misinterpretation of canon, it somehow got into the minds of many that ganondorf is a reincarnation of demise. this is not the case. reincarnation gets talked about a lot in loz fandom for some reason, but there's only one canon instance of it — being hylia's reincarnation into sksw zelda. and, essentially implying that the guy from the desert is basically the antichrist is.......lol. the actual manifestation of demise's curse is basically every villain ever

and 2. will have him ally with link and/or zelda and eventually hyrule as a whole

my biggest issue with especially that part, is this idea that ganondorf would recognize hyrule as rightful if not for the above mentioned demon in his head. he is bad, or at the very least morally gray, because he rejects hyrule's authority. and in this angle of interpretation and fanon, hyrule stays static. throughout the series, we get bits and pieces of hyrule's wrongdoings through subtext, but rarely is this actually ever presented as something wrong. only as the reason certain circumstances are present in the current hyrule. and this approach woefully ignores link and zelda as agents of hyrule who uphold the status quo. and i think maybe a lot of people are even hesitant to acknowledge that, because they're the main characters that everyone loves

and tbh. sometimes it feels the two popular interpretations of ganondorf end up being over-corrections of each other. the ones who prefer him mercilessly evil for the sake of it feel like they're trying to over-correct the sympathetic "woobifying" interpretations, but then end up playing right into the orientalist tropes that nintendo set up. and the more sympathetic interpretations try to over-correct that but then end up robbing him of all agency and making him only a victim to a higher force