#and they also like. clearly know he's having trouble with some things and forgive him the small stuff
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tealvenetianmask · 21 days ago
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A lot of the discourse on The Full Moon/Apology Tour has revolved around the pedestals that our boys put each other on. But I think the pedestal Stolas has Blitz on in particular often gets misunderstood.
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I've seen a lot of takes that says that Stolas can't really love Blitz. He just loves the idea of Blitz . . . the one he's built up in his head based on romance novels and rom-coms and soap operas.
I think the reality is more complicated, and that even though, yes, Stolas idealizes Blitz, he also very much loves Blitz for his true self.
Let's look at some times when Stolas saw "the real Blitz," as his quirky, resilient, innovative, low-class self, and very much loved that person, and not just the knight in shining armor version of him.
The Circus.
Some have used this moment to say that Stolas idealized Blitz as a fantasy of what it must be like to be free.
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And . . . yes. BUT ALSO. He only falls more in love (in a kid-crush kind of way) when he sees Blitz mess up on stage, get booed by the crowd, and make a joke that's clever but quite dark and niche. Creatively, to work his way through a difficult situation. There is SO MUCH in this short minute that reveals to us AND TO STOLAS who Blitz really is.
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Seeing Stars
Oh boy. Let's make a list. I'm too tired to make this exhaustive, but in this episode, Stolas sees Blitz
Being careless in a way that puts Octavia in danger
Using an absolutely stupid costume to disguise himself
Getting terrible stage fright
Going way off script in the sitcom in (again) a way that's niche humor and does not appeal to most of the audience
LITERALLY HAVING A BREAK FROM REALITY AND SHOOTING UP THE TV STUDIO
Okay, so when Via is in danger, Stolas is unambiguously peeved by the mistake, but he forgives Blitz because Blitz puts in effort to find Via and make it right.
And in the rest of these instances, Stolas EITHER affirmatively likes the cringy and silly side of Blitz's personality:
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Or without the slightest hesitation, when Blitz shows a real weakness, focuses not on disappointment that this man is not his perfect soap opera hero, but puts that aside and tries to help Blitz get out of trouble.
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There's also this moment in Western Energy where Stolas is absolutely unbothered by Blitz's atrocious spelling and is genuinely just happy to think for a moment that Blitz cares. I feel like someone COULD twist this to be about Stolas having blinders on about what's right in front of him, but I don't think so. I think he's fine with Blitz not having all the same strengths that his society clearly values, and just wants to be loved back by this person who he has genuine feelings for.
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So what doesn't Stolas know about Blitz before The Full Moon/Apology Tour? He doesn't know that Blitz hates himself. He doesn't know that Blitz pushes away people he cares about. He knows that Blitz has walls up but doesn't know why. You can fall for someone without knowing their deepest darkest hurts-- you can even love them. But you do need to know these things to have a deeper relationship with the person.
His focus on romantic media is a problem because it forms his expectations about relationships, not necessarily because it blinds him to who Blitz is. He wants to be rescued. He wants to be chased after. He doesn't understand that good relationships take a lot of work . . . and he'll need to learn that.
But he doesn't just love Blitz for these ideas. He loves Blitz for being Blitz.
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This, like many of these essays, was inspired by a conversation with @akirathedramaqueen.
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dragon-ascent · 10 months ago
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Hello, how are you ? Since you have open request I’d like to ask something : How do you think our favorite dragon Zhongli will react to his wife being accused of lying because they have corrected an historian on a false fact about Morax ?
Since English isn’t my first language I’m afraid this is not clear, I’m sorry.
Ooh, I like it, here's what I've come up with <3
-----
The tension is palpable and certainly not what you were hoping to land yourself in when you accepted Zhongli's request to be his plus-one aboard the Pearl Galley.
"Forgive me, Mr. Changying, but that's where I'll have to correct you," you tell the stocky man before you. The food and drinks on the table are long-untouched. "Rex Lapis didn't take on such a grand ten-headed and eight-armed form to exterminate those sea creatures. In fact, he personally went door to door to trap them in little Geo contraptions, even having a bit of trouble with the.... particularly wrigglier ones."
Changying's eyes practically roll into the back of his head. "Do you truly believe that rubbish just because that is what's commonly peddled? That the Geo archon, who could raise the mountains and calm the tides without breaking a sweat, found the task of getting rid of tiny sea creatures tedious and challenging?"
Sighing, you say, "Even the gods are subject to being less-than-perfect in their methods. And besides, the damn things were inside people's houses - brute strength would not have been handy at all. Rex Lapis needed to be careful and meticulous so that none of his people were harmed. Hence the Geo cages."
Despite how neatly you'd presented your counterpoint, Changying merely scoffs as he adjusts his glasses. He jabs a finger at you accusingly. "You're lying, just like everyone else," he growls, "and you clearly have no respect for our late archon! Do you even like him?"
Your breath nearly hitches in your throat as you gaze up at him in shock. "Ex...excuse me?"
The man pulls no punches as he continues his rant against you. "How can you so blindly believe what the masses think? Maybe if you were a real Rex Lapis follower like me, you would learn some critical thinking skills and draw more accurate conclusions!"
"I'm afraid I am on the side of my partner here, Mr. Changying," cuts in Zhongli, placing an arm on your shoulder. Relief floods your veins as you let out the breath you'd been holding. "They are correct in explaining that Rex Lapis had to go the simplistic route when dealing with Liyue's sea creature infestation."
Changying's eyes grow wide. "Forgive me, Mr. Zhongli," he murmurs, and you're not ignorant to the way his tone mellows out and becomes more respectful as he continues to speak. "I didn't know you were also in agreement of that story. But let me explain why he likely-"
"It is alright for you to have your own interpretations of events, especially for a being with an expansive history that is always being debated over," says Zhongli calmly, poised as always, "but when these interpretations are unrealistic and you still try to present them as fact...while belittling other people, no less...the line must be drawn somewhere, yes?"
Changying blanches, stammering, "Er, but don't you think Rex Lapis would appreciate deviating thought processes more, especially when..."
Zhongli's eyes narrow ever so slightly, his visage still calm as a pond. "Perhaps so, but what he would not appreciate is his people trying to one-up others in an attempt to prove they are his most loyal followers." Your husband glances at you. "I know my partner well, and they love Rex Lapis dearly. Not only do you accuse them of lying, you also undermine the love they hold for the deity."
His hand brushes against yours and he interlaces his fingers with you, giving a gentle, reassuring squeeze. You smile softly.
Changying scrambles for words, useless excuses and explanations that hardly justify him being on his high horse.
Zhongli, unamused, fires his parting shot. "Far be it for an ordinary man like myself to tell you what to do, but here is some advice: gather reliable citations for your claims, provide succinct evidence, and be respectful of those with opposing views, and perhaps then Rex Lapis would consider you a favorite of his."
With that, Zhongli escorts you away from the scene, knowing full well you will always be his favorite by far - the approving smile he gives you conveys that perfectly.
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pumpkinbxtch · 8 months ago
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good morning, a request please apollo/lestrange x reader how percy and poseidon react, if apollo asks the reader to marry him (apollo found his definitive soulmate in the reader)
.⁠*⁠・⁠。゚ “beach proposal”
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— apollo/lester x fem!daughter of poseidon!reader
summary: Apollo don't needs any other proof to know that you are the definitive love of his life. Hard thing to say like a god. Now he will ask for your hand but not before announcing himself to your father and your brother, Percy Jackson.
warnings: none, i think. yep, still using swear words.
A/N: goood morning (it's late at night) first things first, thank you for share me your cute desires, second, yes i will and here you have. enjoy, please. forgive me if it's not worthy of you.
- From the other side of the milky way, María 🩵
His immortal heart was beating so fast that he thought he could die (reallu, he definitely already knew how it felt)
He kept his eyes fixed on the sun from Long Island Sound. The golden hour illuminated the water and the sweet aroma of strawberries invaded his lungs; the strawberries from camp half-blood. He had never felt this anxious and at peace at the same time.
He had been through so much, he had waited so much, he had wished for so much, but, above all, he loved you so much…
Now he could see everything even more clearly.
The breeze rustled his brown and golden hair.
He closed his eyes, said a blessing and gave thanks. He gave thanks for his journey as a mortal, he gave thanks because he did not allow himself to forget the beauty of being human and because love blessed him when he saw you.
That is, when he actually saw you.
Being a god, you can be everywhere at the same time, but you lose your sense of appreciation for everything that exists. When you're human, uhm no.
From that day on, life afterward was eleven times more colorful, beautiful and full of meaning because you also saw him. I mean, yes. Apollo is a god, who wouldn't see that? But at that moment it was Lester. If before he had no regrets, now even less.
“You'll end up forgetting her, she's just another mortal” They said. “Gods, now she's really in trouble,” the campers said the first few days.
“Another whim? Make sure she doesn't end up so bad this time,” Zeus, his father, reprimanded him.
The small waves broke gently on the shore, and he walked so close to it that his feet were slightly sunk in the wet sand.
—Hey, Apollo!
The named turned slowly, and his heartbeat accelerated even more.
Percy Jackson.
The young man stumbled forward in the sand. He took off his converse, threw them away with a curse, and ran towards him.
—Why did you call me to come here?
His legs began to shake.
— Percy, I…
— Wait — the black-haired raised his hand — And my sister?
He looked at Percy, his brow furrowed and sea-colored eyes examining him from head to toe as if he were searching for clues of some crime in his clothes. Apollo couldn't help but smile.
—In the camp, greeting everyone. She hasn't been here in a while.
The boy noded. The sand splattered from his ankles was washed away by a small wave.
—Neither do I, — said the son of Poseidon, with a certain nostalgia in his voice.
Poseidon…
—But, —Percy searched the god's eyes. Always insightful — We're all in New Rome now. Why bring her first and then call only me?
Apollo reached out and took Percy's hand. All in a slow and careful way. He thought that any rude move and Percy would have an outburst for how close he was treating him. But, to his surprise, it was not like that.
The green eyes admired him with slight confusion, and they walked together into the waters.
To Apollo, every step felt solemn and warm. His heart could feel a spark of joy, but his stomach was clenching with uncertainty.
When the water reached both of their thighs, cut the steps off. The god raised his hand without letting go of Percy, and he felt a kind of current run through his spine.
Percy had never been so quiet since… Well, ever. But apparently the discretion with which he was handling himself helped him keep the attention of the demigod.
Then, a whirlpool emerged from the waters, and Percy's eyes widened.
— Father?
The sea god stabbed his trident into the sand, reaffirming his position in the water. Apollo let go of the young man's hand and made a small bow, something that did not inspire good news in Poseidon.
He looked at his son and then at the sun god.
— Have you called me?
Percy pointed at Apollo.
— He called US.
Apollo's insides seemed to tangle with each other, almost making him vomit. Apollo gently pushed Percy so that he stood next to his father and looked at them nervously.
Poseidon pressed down on the trident and cleared his throat.
— my daughter, Apollo?
—She's in the camp! —Percy rushed to say, earning a silent scolding from his father.
Apollo bowed briefly in respect. Poseidon narrowed his eyes.
— That's true.
— and why isn't she here?
Percy looked at his father and imitated his action of searching Apollo carefully, again. as if he had committed something unforgivable.
The god paused and extended his hand towards both of them, a small golden light shining together at dusk. When the light died out, he revealed a small chest lying in his palm.
Percy looked at him in confusion, completely unnoticed, but Poseidon gritted his teeth.
— I have found in her, what I have longed for since my existence.
Percy gasped, and his mood made a small whirlwind rise around him.
— No! —he shouted.
Apollo calmed his breathing, trying to stay calm.
— I had never met someone like her.
— No! Lie! —Percy pointed at him with eyes full of anger, or that was fear?— It's one thing for you to be lovebirds, but—
—Son of mine…
— is MY sister!— Percy's chest expanded in such a way that Apollo feared for his ribs, he took a step and knelt, bowing his head.
Poseidon would have imagined that such a show of respect would be directed towards him, but no, it was towards Percy.
how could it not be? Apollo knew that the gods were ignoring their responsibilities as parents. He knew that the most important person for you was the one who had taken care of your back in all those adventures, just as you took care of his, it was him, was your brother.
—She was by my side in my time as a human. She has shown me what love is.— Apollo looked up pleadingly.
—And now you just want to take her away, why?
— I won't take her anywhere, I want to take her as my wife.
— TAKE HER-
— Percy — Poseidon's voice vibrated through the waters, Apollo, still kneeling, gave him a passive but firm look.
The sun god rose and stood in front of the two men.
— Poseidon, Percy…
The youngest clenched his fists and a few small tears appeared in his eyes.
—Actually, she has the last word. I just wanted you guys to be… present.
Both Percy, Poseidon and even Apollo knew that very well. Especially Apollo, what would he do if you said no? He'd probably cry for eons (literally) yet he couldn't stop craving the approval of your brother and your…father.
Then Percy's eyes traveled to his back and he opened his mouth slightly. He felt the greatest chills a god could feel, then he turned.
Your silhouette looming over the coast, bright and full of life. Your eyes lit up when you saw those three gathered together.
Before addressing you, Apollo gave them a look. The three approached the shore, they gave Apollo enough space. They would see you from there, where the water surrounded their ankles.
— my dear… — Apollo said sweetly, trotting towards you and taking your hands.
You were confused. Your father, Percy, why didn't you travel together if he came too? Your eyes looked at your sweet Apollo. His current form was the mix of “old” Apollo with Lester.
As soon as he reached your side, you took his hand.
— What's going on? Are you already in trouble? —You asked with a raised eyebrow and a sideways smile.
Apollo smiled and kissed your knuckles without taking his eyes off you.
—Or I'll be.
You laughed, that melodious laugh. He definitely didn't want to be without you.
— you'll be? because...? — You were confused, your hand still hooked on Apollo's. You looked at your father who smiled calmly and then at Percy, who was staring at you; He only made that expression when he was terrified of something.
You turned your gaze to Apollo, now a little more worried.
— Love?
— My beloved — Apollo whispered, just for you. Without letting go, he got down on one knee and the velvet chest from before appeared. You held your breath.
The waters stirred.
— There is no poem, song, melody, or haiku that can describe the feelings you make me feel. You are what I always wanted, dreamed and desired. — Apollo opened the small box, revealing a ring; Instead of a precious stone, a small pearl was placed on the ring with two laurel leaves made of gold surrounding it. A clear representation of both. — Today I ask you to let me be your husband because it is me who is given the honor of being the owner of your affection. I promise to take care of it and treasure it.
Your eyes filled with tears, and you knelt down to your boyfriend's height.
— I would like to — The mass of water shook the banks with more force.
A few meters away, Percy, your brother, remained standing, no matter how much the water tried to knock him down. A smile formed on his lips and the first tear ran down his cheek.
Poseidon took his son's shoulder, and they walked towards you.
You looked at your father, who smiled gently at you and then gave Apollo a stern look.
— At sea.
— On Olympus —  Apollo said immediately, determined to win. You raised your eyebrow. Were they fighting over the wedding location?
— The sea
— Olympus
— In the ocean
— Delphi
— Enough! — You snorted and looked disapprovingly at both gods.
Your brother was still silent, certainly not usual. You let go of Apollo and took both of Percy's hands.
Your gaze was shining, that made him feel bad for wanting to shake you and wanting to change your mind.
— You know he's not who he once was, Percy— you whispered.
— I know…
— You even said you liked him, brother
— Shhh — the black-haired covered his sister's mouth — if he listens, won't get over it in years
— I heard —  Apollo said between giggles.
Percy pursed his lips.
—Listen, if you do anything to her, I WILL KILL YOU, APOLLO!
—Percy! —His sister shouted.
— I'm going to kill you, I won't forgive you, I KNOW A TITAN-
Poseidon opened his eyes, his sister grabbed him by the neck.
—PERCY! — they both shouted.
Apollo smiled and hugged him.
Poseidon couldn't take it anymore and he was already gone. He promised to have a talk with Apollo.
Percy remained thoughtful, the sun god still hanging around his neck.
—Does that mean you will be Will's stepmother? —He laughed out loud — can't wait to tell Nico.
You and Apollo looked at each other, silently reaching a mutual agreement.
— I think we keep this information for a while.
Percy furrowed his eyebrows and put a hand on his hip. —With those SPIES FROM THERE, I don't think so.
Laughter was heard in the bushes, and around five campers ran when they were discovered.
— Children of Aphrodite. — Percy said, sure of himself —  tomorrow, when we get to Camp Jupiter, all they will know.
You shook your head in amusement.
— Oh, brother. What will become of you when comes the day and tell you that I am expecting a child?
Apollo choked on his own saliva and Percy on his bile. At least you had the last laugh.
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yaut-jaknowit · 5 months ago
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Could you write Male yautja x male reader. I would like for the reader to be very quiet, always has a look of anger on his face etc. a bit aggressive because he grew up alone in a remote place and the Yautja finds him and decides to humor himself and capture the human, but he end up falling for the human because he doesn't back away from a fight. And now the Yautja has to show the human that he actually cares, having some trouble because different romantic gestures, and also kinda begging for forgiveness but very subtly
Ways to Fall
Pairing: Ahtaal (Male Yautja) x AMAB!Reader
Word Count: 4512
Summary: Everyday is the same. There's no change. In a small town, there's nothing new. If something does magically happen, within the same hour, everyone knows about it. During a normal day of nothing happening… you are snatched out of thin air. When met face to face with your captor, he doesn't kill you. Count your lucky stars.
Author Note: Thinking about this is such a funny idea. He kidnaps a human for entertainment only for it backfire horribly. He falls in love with said human and now he can't get rid of it.
Masterlist
Ao3
With towns in the middle of nowhere, there’s nothing much to see. It’s always the same old, same old stuff you see every single day. Yet, the little money in your bank account doesn’t allow you to strive away from this place you’ve grown up in. You’ve grown to resent your town.
Everyone knows everyone. There’s nothing you can get away with. Mrs. Whittney saw you sneaking out one night and boom, grounded for three months. It taught you how to become incredibly sneaky and how to plan your late night adventures.
Even into your adult age, you had nothing to get you out of here. Your folks and others tell you to cheer up, smile some more, and be happy. How in the hell can you be happy if you’re stuck here? You scowl at everyone who gets within a twenty-foot range of you. Because, how dare they think they can get close to you? Nothing they can do to make you happy unless its to help you escape here.
On your break, you walked out to your car to get away from your coworkers. They were truly pissing you off today. Nothing was going right. Is it so hard just work a simple shift this early in the ass crack of dawn? Clearly, these people can’t even tell left from right, up from down if there was a sign right in front of them.
Before you could reach your beater car, an arm wrapped around your waist and yanked you back. A huge palm easily covered the lower half of your mouth, preventing you screaming out. You jerked an elbow back only to let out a muffle yelp when it met metal. A hiss sounded from behind the palm from the pain growing. Yet, the adrenaline dumbing into your system had you kicking and throwing elbows despite the discomfort.
Whoever was holding you barely even flinched and took each hit with stride. They began to haul your squirming form away from your car and the building. All you could do despite struggling was watch as your freedom got pulled out from underneath your feet. The last attempt to get this person off of you was to chomp down on their hand as strong as possible. The hand didn’t even flinch as your teeth dug harshly into their flesh. Yet, they didn’t even pierce the thick skin that covered their hands. You could feel a strange, rough texture on your tongue. Nothing natural.
But, you didn’t let go. The last thing you were going to do was give up. You were going to fight until your last breath. The person kept moving with long, powerful strides.
Mechanical hissing hit your ears. It reminded you of a noise you would hear from Star Wars. Your brows furrowed together while attempting to piece together the puzzle with little information.
In the empty parking lot that sat adject to your works lot, you could spot the strange outline of something. It was hidden, camouflaged but the area within this weird shape was wobbled. Then, you noticed a ramp had touched down on the asphalt and led into the hidden object. You screamed louder, bucked harder, kicked wildly.
All attempts came up empty handed. You were carried up this ramp into a space you didn’t know what to call. It was open with a few closed doors to others parts of this… place. A place you were trapped in.
Whatever had you continued to carry you over to a door that opened for them. Once the entrance was sealed shut and effectively trapping you in here. The person finally dropped you down onto your feet. You were unsteady for a moment before spinning around and backing away. As the space was created, you come to notice nothing else stood in the room. Like you had been kidnapped by a ghost.
Your guard didn’t fall. Not when you felt the heavy, sharp gaze of someone watching you, observing from the shadows from where they hide in.
Once looking in front of you for a moment longer, you come notice a shape. Similar to wherever you’ve been dragged to, this thing was camouflage, hiding from you. “Come out and face me, coward!” you shouted with your fists up, name calling the thing. Its head tilted. Lightly tinking of metal hitting metal sounded but that was all you got in reaction.
“Are you too scared to reveal yourself? Afraid you’re going to get your ass whooped by me?” Call it a dumbass move, but you kept talking shit. You didn’t know what you were facing. Nothing you knew on earth could camouflage, not the way this thing in front of you. You didn’t want to call it but this couldn’t be something from earth.
Alien or not, they just kidnapped you. You weren’t going to let that blow over so easily. You kept your fists up in defense and ready to be on the offense.
A scoff sounded from your throat when it didn’t move from its spot. “I can fucking see you. Just show yourself so I can beat your ass and get back to work,” you snarked, irritated that nothing seemed to be getting it to listen. Then, a realizing thought struck you. Maybe it didn’t understand English or any human tongue. Well, that makes this a whole lot better.
“I’m guessing you don’t even understand me.” You rolled your eyes and finally crossed your arms. “So if I ask what you want with me, you’re not going to know what I just said.”
The hidden creature began to make a strange ‘hrr’ like noise repeatedly… Like it was laughing! You bristled and began to march towards the moving blob. One of yours fingers pointed at it. “Are you fucking laughing at me, punk?! You think you can just kidnap me and then laugh about it and get away with it?! Seriously? Come on,” you growled and thumped a fist on your chest. “Come on then. Fight me, bitch.”
Maybe you were digging yourself a grave with each insult thrown at the laughing creature. Who knows. But what you do know, you weren’t going to allow it to continue without doing something about it.
The laughing came to a stop. The silence of the air caused you to tense up. Before your very eyes, the blob began to take form. Its bubble like transparency started to wane into existence. A humanoid form appeared before you yet its head shape wasn’t something you’ve ever seen before.
A mask of metal covered its face, similar to a helmet.  Dark, deep set eyes sockets blankly stared directly at you. Despite the drop of terror that fell down your spine, you stayed defensive with an angry face. Your teeth are bared, arms still crossed over your chest. Its lumbering size didn’t deter you from staring death in the face.
This beast was massive, easily towering over your tense form. Rippling muscles bulged underneath metal armor adorning its red, scaly hide. A fishnet of sorts began at its neck and ran down its torso, out to its limbs, and stopping there at the joints. The thin wire allowed for you to have ample opportunity to peek at its dark red skin, marred with too many scars to count in the little time offered to you.
“It that all y-ack!” you were cut short when a muscular hand secured around your throat and picked you up. Your nails instantly reach to claw at what flesh you could tear at. Their dullness slid over the thicker flesh of the humanoid.
In the face of death, you continue to feel that boiling rage deep inside of you, clawing to be let loose. Anything to show this thing a piece of your mind for kidnapping you. In that moment, you threw any logical thinking to the wind.
One of your feet sprung out and hit your target head on. Bone covered by thin tendons met the bottom of your shoe… but the desired affect failed to occur. The satisfaction of hurting it in a common weak spot melted away when it stayed standing tall. Internal, you cursed yourself out. Whatever it had planned for you it would have no issues of performing them. Not when it took a painful kick to the knee and didn’t even cringe at it.
That enraged you even more.
Laughter bubbled in the back of Ahtaal’s throat He saw the way you tried an old, known trick to injure him. It felt like a youngling had just kicked him! This was just humorous in itself. His mandibles chittered behind his mask. The way you refused to give up, to back down, to submit yourself to someone stronger even every way of the word. He relished in the way you bite back at him, fought him in ever step he made. It made his blood sing with the need to hunt.
All Ahtaal wanted to do was humor himself. A nice way to entertain himself before he prepared for a hunt. Why no capture the clearly unhappy human?! It’s clearly exciting his day by the minute.
The chuckling he created angered the male in his grasp. Even with its throat within his mighty hand, the little thing continued to kick and claw for its freedom. A prey desperate to live. Ahtaal could almost feel pity.
Almost.
Ahtaal set it back down on the ground once he noticed its movement were beginning to slow. He knew it was just a temporary toy for him to mess with. That didn’t mean he wanted to kill it straight off the get go. No, like anything he hunts, he wanted to take his time. Stalk his prey before he pounces. Even if it takes him weeks to find the perfect moment to make the finishing blow.
The ooman back peddled so quickly it nearly tripped over its own two feet. With luck, it stayed upright. Its back met the far side of his trophy room. The only place he thought was best to keep his new pet safe for the time being. His ship small but useful until a moment like this pops up.
From his spot, Ahtaal tilted his head and felt his tresses slid off of his shoulder and free hung. The trinkets he’s decorated the thin strands tapped against one another. A tinking noise echoing in the air. He watched at the ooman kept its back attached to the wall yet a glare set at Ahtaal. As if all this was his fault!
Okay… maybe it was. Who wouldn’t steal an ooman out in the open, needing a form of entertainment before his next hunt. And this male was just stomping along in an empty lot, by itself. Like it was asking to be kidnapped by him. So, Ahtaal wouldn’t just pass up an amazing opportunity thrown at his feet.
He stalked forward, each step silent on the metal floors of his spacecraft. Behind his biomask, he rumbled deeply, a taunting call. He relished the way the ooman’s legs trembled under their own weight. But the steely glare had yet to fall from its alien feature. Another rumble sounded from him while consuming the space between each of them.
Your fists tightened, nails biting into your palms as waited for the perfect moment to strike. Fear may have entered your blood stream but you refused to let it control your actions.
Life has sucked in so many ways. Never having control over anything in your life. This here, was the tipping point of it all. If this beast means to end your life in this very spot, he’s going to learn you won’t go down easily. Until the beat of your heart stops and the air leaves your lungs, it will taste the rage of your childhood.
Met with bloodied fists.
It crowded you into the wall, palms flat against the sturdy metal against your back. Trapped with nowhere to run. As much as you looked like an animal backed into a corner, you were ready to swing at the first sign.
One of its hands peeled off of the metal and grasped the front of its metal, soulless mask. With precise movements, it was pulled free. You choked on the air in your throat and nearly started to keel over and die.
Your mind instantly screamed alien. This was in fact an alien without it or anyone else trying to confirm or deny that fact. You were frozen to the spot and stared directly into dark eyes with a hunters prowess weaved into them. This thing was going to kill you, you knew it by just the single emotion within its gaze.
In an instant, you rocketed your fist and met the underside of its chin. Pain exploded in your fingers at the improper punch and strange angle they struck at.
The humanoid’s head is whipped back at the force of your punch yet it stays in your space. It slowly lowered its face back down towards you with an evil glint in its eyes.
Biting claws dug into your neck, your cheek shoved harshly against the warm steel wall. The fingers secured around a vital airway prevented you from gasp due to their tight grasp. The whites of your eyes blaring evident as you stared at the creature. It lowered down with its mouth next to your ear.
Fangs caressed the shell of your ear in a teasing manner. A whole-body tremble wracks through you. It rumbled once more. The air vibrating with the sound. “You quite are a feisty one, ain’t cha?” A dark voice filtered into your ears. Your mouth dropped for gasp but found yourself unable to suck any air in. “I sure love when they fight me. Makes my blood sing with the hunt.”
There wasn’t even an opportunity to swallow down the lump building between the fingers squeezing you to death. Blood was restricted from reaching your brain. For a moment, you believed the lack of blood and oxygen was making you loopy. That the alien before your very eyes didn’t just speak to you.
Then, the heat of its body trapping you to the wall was ripped away. Your knees bruised on the unforgiving floor underneath. Pain radiated from the newly strained area. Your lungs choked down all the air possible before coughing violently when spit accidently slipped through. For a long time, you gulped down oxygen and tried not to choke.
Once the fit was over, you tilted your head up to look up at the beast. Its metal mask had been attached to its belt, off to the side. This thing had only showed off a hint of its strength, letting you know what it could do to you.
That only increased your anger at not only it but the situation. One thing after another. That’s all it’s been. Nothing new. Nothing has changed.
You wiped the back of your hand against the drool dribbling from your blue lips. “Is that all you got?” you snarked off to death’s face.
The same ‘hrn’ing noise sounded from the beast in a laughing manner. The smirk on your face was wiped off. You snapped to your feet with a fist heading once more to its alien face. Unprotected and vulnerable all over again.
This time, it rose a fist and caught your offending limb. Large, lethal digits curled over your entire hand and bent it slightly backwards. A show of dominance that forced you back down on your knees before it. Only then did it release you and let you stay on the ground. With an amused huff, it spun on its heels and strolled out of the room it left you in.
Despite its flare of dominance over you, it didn’t harm you per se. You stared down at your hand then back to the closed door it had walked through. All you wanted to do was bash in its skull with its own arm.
Without the overbearing kidnapper at your throat, you sat against the wall. Finally, you observed the room it had locked you in. Only for fear to freeze every cell in your body.
Skulls of animals lined the very walls you were trapped in. Each one looking deadlier than the last. Human skulls were within the mix. A trophy room. You gasped and covered your mouth with a sweaty palm. This room will become your resting place.
On the other side of the door, Ahtaal relaxed against the door. Never in all of his years has this happened to him. Not from a creature much smaller than him. One that had to know the dangers of facing off something bigger than it. Someone who was able to pop their head off of their shoulders with little strength used. He purred lightly and took in the ooman’s scent.
Now, he didn’t want to release the creature, let alone kill it. He wanted to keep it. There was untapped, untrained talent buried inside of it. Ahtaal wanted to unleash it, reveal this revelation to the universe. He wanted hunt with this ooman.
When the next rotation started, Ahtaal made his way to the trophy room. A waterskin and bowl of ooman safe foods held in his palm. Over the course of the night where his thoughts rolled around for hours, he came to a conclusion: he wasn’t going to kill you. The potential in you would go to waste. He wasn’t going to let that happen if he could help it.
Above the door, the sensors read his presences and promptly opened. At first, he doesn’t spot you and nearly becomes concern. Only to hear the tall tale sign of sprinting feet.
Off to his right, you are bolting towards him with ratchet too big for your hands. Amusement fills him. He simply reaches up and snags the weapon before it could strike him. You grunt and tried to rip it from his grasp but Ahtaal’s strength easily outweighs your own. The red alien laughs his humor in your face and plucks the impromptu weapons from your hands. A reminder he should’ve checked if his cabinets and drawers were locked before locking you in here.
Yet, the Yautja was proud at the fact you had thought of ways of using your surroundings to cause harm. He purred lightly to himself before pushing further into the room.
You stumbled backwards at the advancing alien, raging at the fact your attack failed. It just simply stood the ratchet straight from your hands. Like stealing candy from a baby.
In its hands, you took note of the items it held. A strange bag filled with liquid and a tray… with food. Your stomach took the moment to rumble a hungry cry. Heat blanketed your cheeks, knowing it had been little less than a day since you last ate. Plus, the need for a bathroom was growing stronger. But, your dignity cried at that fact.
The only way out shut behind its lumbering form, head tilted to the side as it observed you. You hastily pulled your glare into place with a burning rage. The beast chittered and offered you the items. Instantly, put up your fists in defense and eyed the beast closely. Any movements towards you would end with a fist heading towards its elongated skull.
It shook the items like that would entice you to reach across a line of danger. You up turned your nose despite the growling hungry in the pit of your belly. Whatever its plan was, you wouldn’t follow. Not when the empty eyes of hunted skulls watch the scene unfold before them.
A huff sounded from the alien before it shrugged and set the items down. It spun on its heel to walk out. You gnawed on your bottom lip for a second before lunging out. “Wait!” Instantly, the beast caught your limb in the blink of an eye. The grasp wasn’t tight but firm. It held your hand high above your head, keeping you on brink of your toes.
“I wasn’t attacking! Dumbass… I just need to use the restroom,” you mumbled into the quiet, tense air. It was a horrible feeling to have to request such a thing yet with no bathroom in sight, you had to suck it up. Anything to stop yourself from pissing your pants.
Hopefully, the creature understood what you were asking. Did they even have a bathroom? Or anything similar? If not, you were plainly screwed down to the bone. For a moment, you prayed to any god that could hear you.
“Hum, there are better ways rather than that,” it chittered to you in a teasing tone before releasing its hold on you. When you thought you were in the clear eating and drinking whatever it brought, the creature jerked its head down. “You must eat and drink beforehand. Then, I shall take you.”
You bristled and pointed a finger at him. “I sweat to god if you don’t take me to a fucking toilet right now, I will piss on the skulls.” Your hands shot out at your sides like a grand display. “Everywhere!” That was a threat you weren’t kidding about. You could care less about whipping it out and peeing on everything. If it worked to get you to the toilet quicker, who were you to complain.
One of its strange mandibles quirked up in an alien smirk if you were reading it correctly. A purr-like sound vibrated from its throat. “Feisty,” it commented then jerked its head to the door behind it. Your gaze hardened, body ready to fulfill your threat at a moments notice.
“Alright, hold back on the reins. I’ll take you.” It stepped to the side and motioned with an arm for you to take lead. The entire time you stomped up to the door, you glared at the creature. Once the metal slid open and revealed part of its home you hadn’t gotten to see before, it motioned over to a door on the other side. This space wasn’t wildly open but was larger than your average hallway, yet empty.
A huff was sent towards the beast before you marched over to the closed door. It refused to acknowledge your presence. Right as you were about to spin about and rage at the creature, you felt its body heat caress against your backside. Your shoulders jerked up.
The door opened and revealed something you were expecting: a bedroom? With a massive bed in the middle of the expansive space. More skulls adorn the walls, filling the room with death. You shuttered yet scuttled into the room in search of the bathroom.
Attached to the room was an en suite bathroom. You immediately raced over. Relief at your fingertips.
What ensued was something you wished never to repeat to another living being. You shuttered while returning to the giving space. The food it had offered to you was still on the ground, lightly steam with heat. You snatched it off of the ground and went to the far side wall. Your butt meets the warm metal of the floor.
It’s lumbering form followed you into here yet stayed a respectful distance away. With one eye on the beast, you worked on opening the bag and obtaining whatever fluid was stored inside. At this point, you could care less what it was. If it was fluids, that’s all that mattered to you.
As you untied the knots, you pulled your attention up to it. “So… what’s your name?” you questioned and broke the semi-peaceful air. The alien sat down against the wall in the same manner as you. An arm thrown on top of its bent knee. “I should at least know that since you decided to kidnap me.”
Dark eyes watched you peacefully. “Ahtaal,” he easily revealed to you. Your eyes narrowed for a moment before you felt the knots give way. The bag was opened. You were swift to gulp down lungsful then swiped the back of your against the droplets that had escaped.
“Ahtaal,” you tested his name on your tongue. “And what’s the reason behind kidnapping me? Since, clearly, its not to kill or else you would’ve ready done that.” During the time he was gone, you had placed the pieces together. If he wanted you dead, you would’ve been so with your skull joining the other humans on the wall.
The red alien filled his lungs with air, chest expanding with the movement. The gears in his large head seemed to move with each thought. “You are… unique. You have talent I wish to tap into. Unusual for ooman to possess such a skill. It would be a waste to kill you,” he answered smoothly. You scoffed at his words and rolled your eyes. Talent? Skill? What was this buffoon going on about?
“And are you sure you nabbed the right person? I’m not anything special. I work in fast food and live paycheck to paycheck,” you denied his claim. A sharpness entered his consuming gaze. He jumped to his feet and marched over you. Despite knowing this alien could crush your skull between his fingers, you steeled your glare and even moved towards it.
He stopped and towered straight over you, straddling your extended legs. You refused to back down in the face of danger. The deadly tip of his claw pointed at you. “That. That right there is what I’m talking about. You have to know that I could kill you with little effort and yet here you are, facing me down. Others may call it stupidity, but I call it bravery.”
Your glare faltered for a second. If you didn’t know better, the alien was complimenting you. Yet, you reeled your walls back up. “What happens if I don’t want to be here? Are you going to let me go?” Was there an escape from this?
If you hadn’t been watching Ahtaal so closely, you would’ve missed the way his shoulders drooped just a centimeter. He shook his head. “I cannot. My honor code doesn’t allow those who have seen me to live. I’m not willing to kill such potential.”
“So, we are at a standstill.” The water bag was set down on your lap. Your arms crossed firmly over your chest.
“So it seems,” Ahtaal agreed simply then took a couple of steps away from you. “For now, I will gather you some supplies before we head off. Is there anything you would like, unable to depart with?” The way he offers it would nearly be sweet if the severity of the situation didn’t way heavy on your shoulders.
His words finally hit you. “Depart? Where are you taking me? Where are we going?” you snapped and brushed over his second question.
A grin fell over his features. “Space.” Then, he spun on his heel and left you to the loneliness of the skull filled room. Your jaw dropped, terror entering your veins.
“Space?!”
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nonbinaryspy · 1 year ago
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Ike/Soren Meta: The Little Things
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In (belated) honor of the IkeSoren Week Encore prompt for canon scenes, I wanted to highlight some of my favorite less obvious interactions. These are moments outside their supports/base convos/death quotes/endings that nonetheless feel personal or significant. Some even require variables like other units dying. This isn’t an exhaustive list, but I sure did have a lot of thoughts on it all, so this post is very long.
First up: moments in early PoR that establish their initial dynamic and characterization.
Ch 4
If Shinon is alive (Normal or Easy mode)
Shinon: “All right, Ike. Let’s see how you handle the role of captain. Well? What are your orders, boy? We’ll do what you say, so long as you hurry up and spit it out!” Ike: “I know, I know! I’m thinking! Give me a moment, will you, Shinon?” Shinon: “Bah. Useless! We’d be better led with Mist than this soft, untested whelp.” Ike: “Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. Soren and Rhys are vulnerable, so we have to protect them from enemy attacks…Right?” Soren: “That’s a sound strategy, Ike. I can attack from behind your defenses. Good thinking.” Ike: “Do you mean that? Um…all right! Let’s do that then.”
This is obviously meant as a hint to new players, but it’s also introducing the team dynamics when Ike is put in charge for the first time. Shinon is clearly derisive, which makes it stand out more that Soren jumps to compliment Ike, especially when he himself is usually more negative. Ike in turn seems surprised and happy to receive a compliment from him. Shortly before this, we saw Ike doubting why his father would put him in charge and not feeling up to the task, and later in the game we’ll see him expressing how much he appreciates Soren’s bluntness and objectivity because it means he can trust his word. So, Soren’s encouragement in this moment clearly has weight.
Plus, it’s just cute that this sets up the idea of Ike as a tank to Soren, since that plays out in both the plot and gameplay.
I also think it’s neat how this changes if only Ike and Soren are in this part:
If Rhys and Shinon are dead (Hard mode)
Soren: “Ike, do you have any ideas on how you want to approach this fight?” Ike: “Let’s see…We’re in the middle of the road, and there’s not much cover. You’re vulnerable, so I have to be sure you’re protected from enemy attacks, right?” Soren: “Right. Er…sorry for the trouble…but I appreciate the consideration.” Ike: “Sure. All right, let’s do that then.”
Soren is the only squishy mage Ike is talking about protecting, making his response more sheepish. Throughout the game, we see Soren worry about being a burden to Ike, so the idea of Ike having to protect him specifically puts him in a different headspace. Meanwhile, Ike doesn’t turn into a puppy here because Soren didn’t compliment him.
If Soren is forced to retreat in this chapter, this happens after the battle:
Soren: “…Forgive me. I was nothing more than a hindrance.” Ike: “Don’t worry about it. Your health is more important. How bad is the wound?” Soren: “…” Ike: “That bad? Well then, from now on, I want you to be an intelligence officer.” Soren: “What? Are you serious?” Ike: “Are you so opposed to the idea?” Soren: “Of course not! I thought…I…I assumed I would be…let go…” Ike: “Don’t be stupid. An intelligence officer assists with strategy and planning, right? There’s no combat of any kind. There shouldn’t be any problems. I’m sure the commander will approve of the idea.” Soren: “…Th-thank you. I’ll try to bring honor to the position.”
Speaking of Soren being afraid of being a burden, this is the first chance for the player to see a core element of his character, which is how concerned he is with being useful. This is far before he has learned to trust that he will always have a place at Ike’s side. He  joined the company to be with Ike and attain security, so the fact that he expects to lose all of that after being hurt is so sad, but also makes sense given his past and how he’s only been desired for his abilities. Of course, Ike doesn’t realize any of this–he only wants Soren to be safe and stay with him. This is mirrored beautifully in Soren’s Forging Bonds in FEH, where he wonders why his younger self would be summoned when he isn’t useful, and Ike theorizes that it’s more about his younger self’s well-being than his abilities.
Another thing of interest here is that Soren, despite now being referenced constantly as the Greil Mercenaries’ tactician, didn’t actually start out with that job title. At the start of the game, he was their staff officer who was still in training with a different mercenary group. Over the course of the games, especially RD, he grows into his role as a respected strategist (and possibly a legendary one, if Cipher and his other game cameos are to be believed). But here, we see that even in the beginning of PoR, Ike already saw that potential in him.
Ch 8:
Ike: “What about you, Soren?” Soren: “…Ike. I’m not sure what help I could be to you. What place is there for me in a mercenary company, anyway?” Ike: “You are so weird…I’ve always depended on you, haven’t I? I need your tactical knowledge. I need your objectivity. You’re not going to leave me, are you, Soren?” Soren: “Don’t worry. I’ll be here, watching over you.”
I love how crucial this is to establishing their relationship, especially since all of the dialogues I included before this one are optional. This is the first time most players will see Soren doubt his place, Ike express how much he values Soren, and Soren promise to stay and look after him.
It’s also a perfect introduction to the arc Soren has if you do their supports. Throughout their supports, you learn why he feels like an outsider, finally culminating in him shouting “I don’t belong anywhere!” with the expectation that this will disgust Ike, and that Ike will finally reject him. But he doesn’t. That unconditional acceptance finally gets through to Soren, and in his final line in the game, if he has an A support with Ike, he will say his iconic line, “There’s only one place for me to be, Ike…and it’s by your side.” Even the word choice of “place” echoes the dialogue from chapter 8; what place is there for him? By Ike’s side. Asked and answered.
It’s significant that all of Soren’s appearances since then have quoted this sentiment. It’s the culmination of his journey toward acceptance. Without being tied to a specific family, nationality, or many of the other things that shape a person’s identity and understanding of their place in the world, he thought he would never belong anywhere. But Ike’s main philosophy is that a person’s origins don’t need to define them, and his influence allows Soren to accept himself.
Another interesting thing about the above interaction is how much it stands out from the other conversations in this part of the game. PoR gives a lot of early screen time to the Greil Mercs, even though as we’ve seen, it requires a lot of variations to account for permadeath. This leads up to chapters 8-9, where we see them all handle grief differently as they process what Greil’s life and death mean to them. All of this hits hard, but what’s interesting about Soren is that he never says anything about Greil. Instead, we see the above scene where he questions his own right to be there, as well as various scenes in chapter 9 where he hovers around Ike, trying to provide comfort and not knowing how (see below).
In this scene, the other characters are reacting to the idea of Ike taking command. Their loyalty to Greil is being tested as they have to decide whether to follow his inexperienced son. For instance, we learn in this section how much the three brothers owe to Greil for taking them in. But Soren, though Greil also took him in and he seemed to have some basic respect for Greil’s command, didn’t join the group for Greil. He joined it for Ike. So as he says, “We all knew that Ike was going to inherit command of the company, didn’t we? It just happened sooner than we wanted.” It was already a foregone conclusion that he would one day follow Ike–but to him, it’s not a foregone conclusion that he’ll be allowed to, or has a right to. So in the above script, when everyone is chiming in to express their support of Ike’s leadership, Soren instead vents his own insecurities.
Ch 9:
Much has already been said about Soren’s personal journey and how Ike supports him, but I am also very interested in the reverse. Ike is increasingly being forced to take on roles that he doesn’t feel ready for at the same time as having to swallow his sudden grief. PoR is at heart a coming-of-age story, where Ike is coming into his own while struggling to understand the world around him, all while getting a crash course in topics like war and politics. Soren, as someone who is very caring toward Ike but is otherwise cold and pragmatic due to his own traumatic experiences, and who is knowledgeable about many of the topics that Ike is ignorant of, is a key part of this growth process.
As said, chapter 9 especially has several parts where Soren clearly wishes to comfort Ike in the wake of Greil’s death, but has no idea how. Their C support is an example of this, as is their base conversation, which I’ve always thought was incredibly sweet—especially given that Soren’s intent clearly comes through, and Ike is able to find comfort in his presence while reassuring Soren that he’ll be all right. It demonstrates the care and understanding between them.
Another example though, which you might not necessarily see, happens after Soren’s first report if there was a casualty in the previous chapter:
Soren: “And that’s it.” Ike: “Ugh…” Soren: “Ike? Is something wrong?” Ike: “Even though I was aware of the numbers, hearing it in a report like this is…hard.” Soren: “Do you mean the casualties and refugees?” Ike: “Death and destruction are all part of war. My father said that a lot. ‘The first casualties of war are those without strength and those without luck. And there’s nothing you can do about it. Live with bravery, be daring and fearless. Live for those who have died.’ And yet…I can’t help but think if I were more powerful…I could save more people. Couldn’t I?” Soren: “Ike…” Ike: “…Blast!” Soren: “Indeed.” Ike: “Forgive me. I got carried away.” Soren: “No, not at all… Um, perhaps I should…” Ike: “Thank you for the report. I will need more of the same from here on. Keep up the good work.” Soren: “Thank you, Commander. I will do my best. But if I have your leave, I must be going.”
First of all: Can we all just appreciate how funny “...Blast!” “Indeed.” is? It reads like a shitpost comic, but they really just said that.
Anyway, the idea that people can die in Ike’s very first battle as commander, right after he could do nothing to save his father, hits hard here. FE in general, with its permadeath feature and plots, focuses a lot on the weight of individual deaths in war. Given Greil’s past, it’s unsurprising that he gave Ike the advice he did. But it’s equally unsurprising that Ike would find this hard to accept.
As said before, Soren truly does not know how to offer comfort, but his sympathy for Ike is clear. All he can really do is support him with his tactics and objectivity like Ike asked. So it seems significant that this is one of the only times Soren ever addresses Ike formally. Ike is always just Ike to him, even later on when Ike has been named a lord and general. So to me, the fact that he calls him “Commander” here feels deliberate. All this time, Ike has been doubting his ability to lead, and Soren can’t offer personal comfort–so acknowledging Ike’s role as his leader, and Soren’s commitment to supporting him in that role, is the best assurance he can provide.
Next, I want to talk about the middle section of the game, particularly moments that reference the Ike/Soren supports.
Ch 12:
Nasir: I am uncomfortable around dragons. I thought it would be better if I stayed below in my cabin. My apologies. Ike: Now that you mention it, Soren seems to have disappeared as well. Have you seen him? Nasir: Perhaps he's feeling nauseated. For one unaccustomed to sea travel, it's not uncommon. Ike: Right...I think I'll check up on him later.
I’m including this for being early foreshadowing re: Soren’s origins, as well as one of the many times that Ike checks on him throughout the game. Actually, this is an example of something that happens a LOT, which is the game pointing people toward the Ike/Soren supports. Given how important they are to Soren’s arc and that they’re even a requirement for some scenes in RD, that isn’t surprising. It is pretty unusual in an FE game, however, which makes it notable. Sometimes it feels like every other chapter is putting neon signs around Soren saying “This guy has Stuff, and Ike wants to know what, btw.” This specific example is even one that foreshadows RD, rather than anything that is followed up on directly in this game.
Ch 13:
Ike: Soren...About what I said this morning... Soren: Yes? Ike: About the way you phrase things. Soren: I...I ought to apologize for that. Ike: No, don't apologize. I know you. I know it's been bothering you, hasn't it? Soren: No. Well... Ike: Don't take it personally. I'm no better, you know. Your ability to speak plainly the things others won't is part of what makes you brilliant. Others are too bound by courtesy...With you, I trust that what you say is exactly what you think. Soren: Well...yes... Thank you, Ike.
I don’t have anything new to say here re: the things Ike understands and appreciates about Soren and how Ike expresses this. I just love this scene. <3
Ch 15:
Ike: Tell me, Soren, are you all right? Soren: Hm? Ike: Recently--ever since we reached Begnion, in fact--you've seemed depressed. Soren: Is...is that so? How odd. Well, I can think of nothing specific that's bothering me. Ike: Well, if you say so. Ike: So, it's time for the desert! Which is the best direction to enter from? Soren: ... Ike: Soren? Soren: ...Eh? Yes, what is it? Ike: All right, I know there's something going on! Soren: I'm... I'm sorry... I was...thinking. What is it you wanted? Ike: Well, I was going to ask you for directions, but it's no longer necessary. It looks like we're being met.
This is one of the most blatant examples of their supports being integrated into the plot. It follows up on Ike telling Sigrun that Soren’s been depressed, and leads directly into their B support, plus foreshadows their A support by establishing Soren’s reaction to finding out that he’s branded.
Ch 17:
Ike: Hm? Is that you, Soren? You're up early. Soren: Actually, I'm always awake at this time. Ike: Really? Soren: Yes. You're the one who's up earlier than normal. Ike: I want to finish our mission today. I think my nervous energy woke me up. Soren: I understand... The last two days spent searching Serenes Forest for that heron have been frustrating and fruitless. I'm sure he's in there somewhere, but… Ike: I agree. And Duke Tanas's men are still hunting away. They must think the heron is there as well. Soren: The only place left is the forest's heart. That's where we should go today. With luck, we may finally locate our target. Ike: I get the feeling it's going to be a long day.
This, meanwhile, happens after the B support has already been available. This is mostly plot exposition, but what’s significant is that the tone and dynamic are very different than just a couple chapters ago. You can’t tell in text, but they’re smiling in the lines about their sleep schedules, making the vibe very casual and domestic. This is a far cry from just a little while ago, when Soren couldn’t hold a conversation with Ike even while doing his job. This suggests that Soren is feeling somewhat better, and has regained his usual dynamic with Ike–which only really makes sense when you’ve just gotten their B support, and Soren has gotten a lot off of his chest while deciding to keep the rest to himself for now.
Another sweet thing here is Soren’s understanding and sympathetic replies to Ike, which as we saw earlier in the game, he was struggling to provide on a basic level. They’re truly learning and growing together even in little ways.
Immediately after that, we transition into this:
Soren: I believe this is the place where we ended our search yesterday. Ike: I realized something a couple of days ago...Even in this forest, you always know exactly where you are, don't you? Soren: Hm? Ike: How do you do that? I think it's the lack of color, but these woods are starting to look the same to me. Soren: Yes, that's a problem...
This is again foreshadowing lore from their supports by hinting that Soren has better senses than a beorc (personally, I theorize that due to his dragon blood, Soren has above-average spatial awareness and other abilities that help him with navigation–handy for a tactician!) and setting up the reveal that he managed to navigate a forest on his own as a child.
And finally, one late-game scene:
Ch 27:
Ike: The one I seek is behind these doors. Don't follow me. I'm going in alone. Soren: Ike! Wait! I'm going with– Titania: No, Soren. We have to let Ike go alone. The Black Knight is his. Defeating him is a crucial step that Ike must take in order to truly get over the death of his father. Soren: Idiocy! I'll hear no more of this naive nonsense! What if something happens to him? What then? Titania: I think Ike has gained the composure to keep calm and judge whether or not he can match an opponent. If, in fact, he can't...it means he's reached his full potential, and that's all there is to him. We just have to accept that. But I believe in Ike. I trust him. His life is not his alone any longer. I don't believe he's so irresponsible as to leave his companions behind by choosing to engage in a contest he cannot win. Please, Soren, you must feel the same way. Don't you? Soren: ...I don't like it. Sometimes, bravery and good judgment aren't enough. Titania: Commander Greil... Watch over your son.
I don’t have a lot to say that’s relevant to my other points, I just love this scene for how it establishes both Soren and Titania’s dedication to Ike, and what that means to each of them. Shoutout to the Tellius audio CD for showing us what it would be like for them to support Ike in a fight against the BK! (And shoutout to it in general for having some incredible Ike/Soren content, including some adorable casual banter as well as more dramatic moments.)
Radiant Dawn
Honestly, for understandable reasons of scope, RD doesn’t have as much in the category of ‘Ike/Soren moments that are personal but not in supports/base convos/death quotes/epilogues/etc.’ There are a few fave moments I want to highlight though, as well as just a general appreciation for how Soren is constantly referenced as being at Ike’s side, considering what I’ve already said about what that means re: his arc.
Also, shout-out to their intro cutscene where Soren pays no attention to his surroundings as he hurls magic at the enemies surrounding Ike.
Ch 3-3 (base convo)
Ranulf: Soren has even answered some of Skrimir’s more insane requests. He doesn’t listen to a word I say, but when Soren talks strategy, he’s all ears. Ike: Is that why he hasn’t been complaining during the briefings? Ranulf: He says he looks forward to what the little strategist will say next. It looks to me like Soren’s charmed his way into the most powerful position in this army. Titania: I’m glad to hear it. He’s changed, hasn’t he? Ranulf: Yeah, I think so. He still doesn’t say much, but he’s a lot more at ease these days. He used to be completely closed off, rejecting anyone who tried to get close. Like he’d lock himself away, all alone in his own little world. Ike: We all lost and gained something during the Mad King’s War. Maybe it wasn’t a complete waste, after all.
Ranulf’s commentary on Soren’s growth here is great, and of course we have seen how Ike’s support enabled it. It also just says so much that Ike thinks the war wasn’t a complete waste, after all he himself lost and all the horrors he witnessed, just because Soren is more at ease. Especially if you pursue their supports in PoR, Ike spends considerable energy trying to help Soren feel better, so it makes sense that this is still a priority for him.
Ch 3-7
Micaiah: You are so… cold. It’s like you’re cloaked in frost. Is there even blood in your veins? Soren: There is. Blood very similar to yours, in fact. Blood that teaches us what it means to be rejected and alone. Micaiah: Your heart is frozen, but I feel a warm core trying to melt through that ice. I see… You have someone you cherish very much. Someone you rely on.
3-13
Micaiah: Yes, and you would know. There’s something very different about you, too. Your energy feels so…ancient. You and I seem to have so much in common. Soren: That doesn’t matter in the slightest. The only thing that does matter is that you are a dangerous adversary. You are also in Ike’s path, so it falls to me to remove you. It’s almost a shame. Farewell, Maiden of Dawn. Micaiah: So, you fight for someone, as well. So very much alike… But I will defeat you. I will protect the ones I love!
The parallels between Soren and Micaiah and their relationships, as well as other characters (Hi, Zelgius), are their own fascinating topic. The whole convos between them are great, but I’ll just highlight that it says a lot that Micaiah can read Soren’s heart and sense Ike’s impact on him. Especially when you combine it with Ranulf’s observation, it brings home the influence Ike has on Soren. His first reaction to recognizing Micaiah as a kindred spirit is to focus on the idea that they’re both alone, but she immediately calls out that this isn’t entirely true. Given how determined Micaiah is to protect her loved ones, stemming in part from her own experiences with being branded, the fact that she can recognize that in Soren also speaks volumes.
Ch 3-8
Soren: Our options are profoundly limited, Ike. It appears our only other choice is those caves up ahead. Ranulf: Caves? Oh...yeah, those are the Kauku Caves. We don't want to go there. It's a complex maze, full of lava and ash. Not exactly a place you'd want to rest. The legends say that, through the caves, there's one exit that leads to Gallia, and another exit that leads to Goldoa. Whatever the legends say, though, the fact is that it's suicide to go in there. We don't even have a map! Ulki: However, the more you hens carry on, the closer the enemy advances on us. They're now less than a day away. Soren: If the enemy catches up to us in this forest, we will certainly die. The caves are known to be dangerous, so Begnion may not pursue. Even the most formidable natural hazard isn't as deadly as an intelligent, living enemy. We must go to the caves. Now. Ike: All right, Soren. I trust you. Let's move out for the caves.
Here’s where my analysis ends. I just…Ike hears how deadly this volcano is, hears Soren say that’s the safest place to be, and then immediately orders the large group of people he’s responsible for to enter it because if Soren says he’ll be safe in the volcano, then he’ll be safe in the volcano.
;_; “The Devoted” indeed.
(If you read this ~2k of script and ~2k of analysis, thank you and I hope you enjoyed! Happy IkeSoren Week Encore, everyone.)
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starryalpacasstuff · 2 months ago
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Knock Knock Boys: A Queer Asian Lens
I didn't watch Knock Knock Boys as it was airing, because it didn't really seem like the kind of show I'd be into. However, this post by @lurkingshan and @waitmyturtles' enthusiastic recommendation convinced me to give it a shot. Having binged the entirety of the series in a day, I can say that the show was an absolute delight to watch.
I've seen plenty of people talking about how wonderfully sex positive the show was, so I'm not going to bother with going too much into it, but I will say that the drama clearly showed the kind of sex education and awareness that is desperately needed around the world. I also really liked how Lukpeach and Latte were the ones responsible for pretty much all of the sex education in the show. It was very realistic in that, in my experience, it's extremely common for teenagers and young adults to get a majority of their knowledge about sex from their friends and the internet. The show had a very clear message about the importance of talking freely about sex with younger generations, because the taboo on the topic only harms teenagers in the long run.
Now, besides that, there was one more issue that I thought the show did wonderfully: it showed how asian kids are often hesitant to discuss things with their parents because they assume the worst in the beginning. I'm having some trouble articulating this, because it's such an abstract, ingrained concept to me, so forgive me if this is incoherent. I'm also generalizing my experience as an Indian, so please do correct me if I'm wrong here. That being said, having been raised in a society that values respect and listening to elders without question, discussing alternate ideas with parents can be a very difficult thing for most of us. It's easy to assume what parents would say to an idea and decide that trying to convince them otherwise is a task that is either futile or requires too much energy.
The best way I can describe is that the mindset becomes "It's better to ask for forgiveness if you get caught instead of asking for permission straight away". For example, had Almond asked his mother if he could stay with three other guys, she would've most definitely flat out refused, since she would've had a lot of preconceived notions about the idea. But, because Almond is able to show her that he's happy as he was, she was perfectly fine with him continuing to stay with the others. I think that's the hallmark of most asian parents, they want us to be happy but they're convinced that they know what kind of life will make us happy. They did something similar with Peak and his father, but my feelings on that are a little more complex, so we'll come back to this.
Peak and Thanwa, man. I loved Latte and Almond but these two just stole the show for me. I know some people felt frustrated with Peak's dallying and hesitance, but I just felt so sad for him, and something about his situation just hit very close to home. And Seng, the actor that he is. One particular moment that stuck with me was the scene when he leaned against the door while Jumper attacked Max. I must've rewatched that moment half a dozen times, because his acting was impeccable. I will say, I wish that they'd given us a better resolution on the arc after Max, but those are mostly minor quibbles. What I really wanted to talk about was the arc with Peak's father. Peak gathering the courage to tell his father with the support from his found family was beautiful. The scene at Knock Knock House the day before Peak left was one of the most magnificent, emotionally charged scenes I've seen in asian ql in a while. Coming from a societ wherein arranged marriage is the norm, the storyline hit hard in all the right places.
But. I did not love the resolution of the arc. I think we've had some conversation about how some shows try to be both in the bubble and out of the bubble simultaneously, and the last two episodes of the show felt a little like that. From what we knew about the father, it felt almost too easy for him to simply accept everything right away. There should have been some struggle for reconciliation. I know that the show has a theme of assumptions and lack of communication disrupting parent-child relationships, but in this case how fast they move on just seems unrealistic. My cynicism aside, even if we assume that the father wasn't homophobic, there should've been more of a conversation on the breaking of the engagement! The social implications, the father asking him why he didn't say anything for so long, Jane's involvement (how did the father know that she knew about this?). The only argument I can see against this is that the father, while initially put off by the revelation, chose to act otherwise to support his son. But then, he most likely wouldn't have insisted they take his car. And there still should've been some sort of a conversation about the engagement. Arranged marriages have a purpose; it's to provide financial and social security. I find it extremely hard to believe that a father who arranged a marriage for his son wouldn't have so much as discuss the implications of being gay with him. They tried to have the engagement have consequences with the wedding banquet, but the resolution for that really only made it worse. This is cynical of me, but I simply cannot suspend my disbelief enough to believe that the entire wedding party was perfectly happy with the turn of events. This whole resolution just seemed out of place in a show that was otherwise so wonderfully grounded in reality while still being absolutely hilarious. I think, if the show had done something a little more similar to GAP, it would've felt more realistic.
All of that aside, I really did enjoy watching the show. It was hilarious and heartwarming, and the characters were absolutely wonderful. The resolution of the final arc did drag it down a little, but I would be lying if I said that watching two queer couples get to celebrate their relationships with their community didn't warm my heart at all (Also, side note- Jane having a girlfriend was a brilliant subversion). All in all, it's a great series. It definitely felt like something new and fresh compared to the kind of qls that I've been watching lately.
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m00mis · 2 years ago
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hello~ i saw that you're accepting requests and i really like how you write seventeen. 🥺 if it's not too much can i please request a scenario where seventeen tries to make up with their partner after a fight? thank you and i hope you're having an amazing day/night! ♥️
thankyou! that’s the best compliment <3 i took my sweet time doing this sorry they’re kind of long… hope you enjoy!
how seventeen would make up after a fight
cheol - he is devastated. so angry at himself and always blames himself for every fight. cries after bad ones because he cant imagine losing you. he would be very scared to attempt to make up with you because what if he says the wrong thing? so he writes his thoughts down and memorises what he wants to say but when your eyes meet his he forgets it all. it doesnt matter though because you can tell how sincere he is, he’s on his knees with his big eyes, long eyelashes wet, begging for forgiveness. he doesn’t need to say how he’s sorry when its written so clearly right there on his face
jeonghan - would text your best friend for advice on what he should do, not because he doesn’t know how to make up with you, but because he needs to know if you had said anything that he could fix and how angry you were at him. after confirming the details he would trap you in bed with him lying on top of you, smiling at your irritated expression, pressing tons of kisses to your whole face until it softens. when you finally gave in he would sit up and hold your hands in his saying how sorry he was and how you should forgive him because honestly what you were angry about was a little silly (“have you been messaging friend’s/name again? goddammit hannie.” “i had to know! it’s not like you were in the mood to tell me what was wrong 🙄”)
joshua - loves making you something to show how much he appreciates you. your bedroom is covered in trinkets and little crafts he has made for you to express his feelings so this time he decides to sculpt a vase. he picks out the flowers for it especially, making sure all the flower’s meanings amplified his apology. he also got you jewellery that you had been wanting and waits by the front door for you to return home to present them to you. he would say how sorry he was, taking your hand to show you the table where the vase with flowers is surrounded by candles, with your favourite food laid out. “i love you so much y/n, i’m truly sorry”
jun - he dislikes confrontation so would avoid you to give you time to cool off. the fight was accidental, he wouldn’t have hurt you on purpose but he takes time to understand your point of view. endearingly sits next to you and listens to every word you say. after you’ve explained yourself he would give you a big hug “i understand now, i’m sorry for what i did” and give you a little kiss before trying to lighten the mood by playing with your hair or booping your nose or something lmao
hoshi - he would lock himself away and rake through his song library to find the perfect song that encompasses all his feelings, then find you and drag you to his room, making you sit down and listen to this perfectly selected song that can speak for him and he stands there facing you grooving to it, mouthing along to some parts and clutching at his heart at the end. luckily the fight wasn’t too serious or you would beat his ass. he’s too cute (and cunning), he knows that this way you would forgive him, but he’s still scared after the song ends when he has to start using his own words “what i say always gets me in trouble”
wonwoo - this one is hard because i really can’t see him getting into that much difficulty in a relationship? i think if something came up it would be because you wish he would communicate a bit more with what goes on deeper inside him. but he would apologise straight away after he saw the slightest change in you and explain that he just couldn’t find the right words to express himself eloquently. but i also feel sometimes he would stay up late and talk about things that would metaphorically say what he wants to tell you, very poetic man when the time is right
woozi - man is extremely gifted with his words and knows just what to say to you at any time. a huge comfort knowing that he is a word wizard because no matter what, he says what you need to hear. i actually don’t think he would like writing songs for you in the sense that his work and you are completely separate to him and if he merges them in any way it will lessen the importance he holds for you. he gives you himself in his raw form and wants you to accept that, as he’s such a perfectionist in his work. polishing his feelings for you in a song would take away the raw power of love he has for you. so he would just give you his feelings right there, apologising and letting the words fall so he gets his feelings out before he starts overthinking and they have the chance to form into something he doesn’t mean
dk - his emotions are so big he wears them on his sleeve which means when you two fight he is so visibly upset. overthinking 101 and might go to one of the members, probably minghao for advice. he would book a hotel in your favourite city, so you could get out of the environment that is straining your relationship. he would pack everything for you and would plan out your trip with a plan a and b incase you just wanted to relax together. he’s so giving and just wants to see you happy. it really hurts him when you’re stressed out. he’d serve on you hand and foot and that’s how he would apologise. at the end of the trip he would say he’s sorry for letting things get so rough between you two and promise to take better care of you
mingyu - he would knock on your bedroom door and whisper through it explaining how sorry he was, edging the door open, slowly shuffling in just so he can hold your head in his hands and wipe away the tears he caused with his thumbs. you wouldn’t make eye contact with him but he pulls you in to his chest to cuddle and rocks you while apologising and tries to sort the misunderstanding out while stroking your head. later on he would cook you your favourite meal and watch you eat it. he would refuse to eat any because its all for you, “and anyway, i’m already full with love”
minghao - goes for the longest walk to take time to mull it over and analyse. he’d learn from his mistakes and realise what he should have done and how to improve himself for you. but he wouldn’t take it as a negative. he would come home with food he had bought walking back to your place and explain how you two fighting is a sign of good emotional boundaries. it shows you still stand up for yourselves as individuals, not neglecting your own values and views. he would respect you even more and it’s a learning curve, just a bump in the road that strengthens your bond.
seungkwan - would be extremely worried and stressed out, replaying the fight over and over in his head. he would approach you very gently, wanting to talk. because you two always confided in each other, when you didn’t tell him what was going on he would begin overthinking and spiralling, he wouldn’t sleep or eat. he knows you need space but because you were so close, not knowing how you were feeling was wrecking him. he just wants to listen to you and know what is going on in that beautiful mind of yours!
vernon - classic romantic guy that will do acts of service and buy gifts like flowers, chocolates, clothes, cute classic apology gifts. he can’t figure out the right thing to say when he’s the one who made you upset, he doesn’t want to make it worse. only after the air had cleared a bit he would sincerely apologise and promise not to repeat his mistakes. he would take you out on a date to a fancy restaurant, but you would feel so out of place that you leave and go get takeout and ice cream instead, eating it in his car while listening to music. he would joke about how uncomfortable it was in the restaurant and how this is way better but he really wanted to treat you to show how much he cared for you. you'd have a very long, deep talk together in the car before heading home
dino - he would be so confused if you didn’t accept his apology right away and he’d ask all the members “why wont she forgive me i’ve done everything wikihow told me to” making them sigh in disappointment. when he starts to accept you’ll hate him forever, you finally forgive him. he is so happy, practically jumps on you to get you to go out and drink with him to celebrate. after way too many drinks he would confess how scared he was, how much he loves you and how he would do anything for you. you had to drag him home and tuck him into bed while he rambled on about how you’re the love of his life. he only stops saying that he loves you when he passes out in bed. when you get in he wraps his arm around you and mumbles “i love you” again before starting to snore in your face
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deadnymph8 · 6 months ago
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AEGON II TARGARYEN X READER
content warnings⚠️ loss of virginity (for you), small age gap (3 years), slightly older women/younger man, p in v sex, aegon being a pervy loser, we love it though, small use of Y/N, chubby aegon, always drunk aegon, small bit of public groping, no protection
Notes: Posted originally to ao3 but I took it down and fixed it up a bit. Still this was like my first fanfiction in 7 years so be nice or I'll cry (also haven't used this app in like 8 years forgive me)
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In you're teenage years you were the next door neighbor to one of the richest family's in westeros. You weren't necessarily born rich you only lived next door because you're mom ended up re marrying some rich CEO millionaire and swiftly moved in with him.
You're step dad was pretty close with the owner of the house next door Viserys targaryen and due to that you had become accustom to all his children.
You were older then all of them closest in age being the eldest boy aegon, he was three years younger than you but you were close enough in age to get along and become somewhat friends.
You assumed that was why alicent the mother of the children and Viserys's wife came to you and asked you to babysit her kids for a weekend. You were a trusted friend and while yes they could hire a nanny you were told the last one ended up quiting after only a month. newly turned 13 year old aegon broke into the wine cabinet and got plastered.
You didn't get details on the rest but you knew it must have been a bad night since they were struggling to find a new nanny who could stay longer than a month.
Alicents last resort was to ask someone she thought could connect better with the kids, mainly aegon since he was the biggest problem. She needed a strong role model and someone aegon was familiar with. after seeing how aegon behaved in you're presence she thought you to be the perfect candidate for the job and so you accepted.
"I don't need a babysitter I'm 13 for fucks sake!" Aegon argued to his mother as you stood behind her.
"You aren't responsible enough to be trusted alone and that's the last of it!" His mother yelled back. Looking clearly frustrated and exhausted as if she had done this a million times.
You stood to the side of alicent now already feeling uncomfortable. You'd probably be upset aswell if you were in aegon's shoes but alicent insisted she needed a good influence like you.
Aegon stormed off slamming the door of his room. "I'm sorry dear, he won't bother you I've made sure all alcohol is put away...all you need to do is keep him in the house" alicent spoke giving you the rundown on you're job. You took in everything she said, she told you that you wouldn't be completely alone.
They still had a housekeeper that would come in mornings and clean up and you didn't need to worry that much.
That night actually went pretty smooth. Aegon was grumpy and hid in his room most the night while you played with the younger kids on their xbox. Things actually went so well that alicent asked you to come back again.
It actually felt nice getting some of you're own money aswell and to be independent for once
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Babysitting had become a regular occurrence for you for awhile. Alicent always praised you for just how well you did with aegon.
Eventually though you turned 18 and you got into college, not the one you wanted but it was only a few hours away and finally gave you a chance to escape you're house and live on you're own.
And how did aegon feel about this? He should feel happy, You were nothing more than a neighbor his mother hired to hover around him and keep him out of trouble. He resented you for that, he hated how pretty you were, how sweet you were to him.
He should be cheering knowing he would have some freedom but with you gone the only thing he felt was this overwhelming feeling of emptiness and loneliness.
He always found himself searching for you're praise. He'd actually get himself to do homework just so he could hear you talk about how proud you were of him.But now with you gone he didn't have a reason to try anymore and almost immediately he fell back into bad habits. Drinking, partying, drugs and sex. He did it all and no matter how much he did over the next three years he could never get rid of that aching empty feeling deep down.
When aegon turned 18 his mother began demanded he go to college. Demanded he make something of himself. He didn't bother trying with any of the big colleges he just found the closest one and decided that was good enough for him to keep his mom off his back. Even if he didn't get in with his grades he'd get in easy being as rich as he was. His father could just drop a generous donation and he'd get in with no problem at all. So when he arrived of course aegon joined the biggest frat on campus. The partys, the girls and the drugs. It all came so easy to him now.
When his frat decided to put on yet another rager he didn't think much of it. After three months here it was becoming his normal. He walked passed the group of drunk college kids, a drink in his hand as he wondered through the halls of the frat house probably long faded by now. originally his mind was set on getting wasted and maybe he'd bang a cheerleader if he was still able to stand.
He turned to the kitchen wanting to refill his cup when his eyes wondered on the back of a girl grabbing a soda off the counter. Something about her was so familiar but he couldn't see her face to find out why.
Mabey one of his many one night stands? or an old classmate oh his? She wasn't dressed like the other girls around. She was dressed casual, Wearing some jeans and a baggy sweatshirt. She definitely looked out of place compared to the small crop tops and short dresses most girls chose to wear.
He began taking a few steps closer. He didn't know why but he felt drawn in to her and when she finally turned around nothing could have fully prepared him for what he saw. You.
It was you. an uncomfortable and nearly sad look on you're face as you opened up your coke and took a drink, eyes wondering around the room full of dancing college kids until they fell on him. For a moment you both just stared at each other, neither really knowing what to say.
"Egg? What are you doing here?" You finally asked breaking the small awkward silence that fell between you both.
That stupid little nickname. Hearing it after so long made his heart race a bit. He always hated when you used to call him that but now hearing it again after so long he'd grown to miss it. Crave it even. Aegon didn't know why but a part of him almost felt embarrassed. Shame even. Her seeing him absolutely wasted after three years of not speaking.
"I'm uh- I'm in the frat" he responded and snapped himself back into reality. "and why are you here? I mean clearly you don't want to be" aegon swiftly added leaning against the kitchen counter in an attempt to go back to his normal self.
"was it really that obvious" you thought to yourself self. "My friend dragged me here...said I should let lose or whatever" you sighed. "And are you? Letting lose?" Aegon couldn't help but smirk at the idea.
He always had a weird fascination with you. All those times you slept over and he'd sneak into your bag of packed clothes and steal you're little white lace panties.
All those times he'd jerk himself off into them imagining himself buried deep inside of you're soaked cunt. All those times he'd spy on you changing through the crack in the bathroom door.
All those dirty dirty memories rushing back to him all at once.
"Absolutely not" The truth was you never cared for partys, you stuck to you're studys and kept to yourself. If it wasn't for you're best friend Tina you'd never consider coming to a place like this on a sunday night before class. You haven't even dated anyone before. You went on a couple dates but ultimately you decided love had no place for you right now.
You needed to focus on you're studys not a relationship
"So...why haven't you left? If you hate it here why not just go home and watch those hot vampire movies you love so much" Aegon always did love teasing you on you're intrests.
It used to annoy you to no ends. "My friend is my ride and she's...busy" you sighed again remembering how you're friend Tina decide to completely ditch you to go off with some guy Leaving you to try and waste time as you waited for her to get done with her boy toy and take you back to you're dorm were you could sleep off the day and this party.
"Why not walk? The dorms aren't far from here?" He asked making you laugh slightly "Walking alone as a woman at night isn't the safest idea eggs" you had pepper spray yes but you really didn't want to risk any trouble especially with a bunch of drunk frat boys all over.
"Why don't I walk you? I need some fresh air anyway" aegon knew he wanted to talk to you, he knew he couldn't let you walk away so easily and now he finally had his excuse. He had spent the past three years missing you're presence and he wouldn't waste the opportunity to get it back.
You took a second to agree but as you looked around at the room of drunk people dancing and making you you knew what you're awnser would be
"Sounds good to me get me out of here" you smiled at him. Gods how he missed that smile. You followed him out of the frat house feeling a sense of relief to be away from the crowd and the loud music blasting in you're ears.
"Soo how's college been?" Aegon hummed walking side by side with you. He looked so smug he always did but what did you really expect from a rich kid who got everything handed to him.
You almost hated how attractive it was. Before you never thought of him of like that but seeing him now, grown. It was like something just broke inside you. It couldn't be attraction? Right?
"It's been fine I guess just a bunch of the same for me, studying and learning and more studying" you rolled you're eyes already feeling exhausted just thinking about it.
"So no boyfriend I'm assuming?" Aegon's smile grew wider. You couldn't tell if he was teasing you or mocking you but either way you rolled you're eyes and refused to give him a response.
He laughed seeing you go quiet "I knew it" he crossed his arms acrossed his chest making frown in annoyance.
"You don't need to rub it in eggs" you sighed as the two of you approached campus and walked up to the dormitories.
"I'm not rubbing in I'm actually glad you're single makes things easier for me" he hummed almost immediately his words made you tense up.
"Excuse me?" you tried to act calm seeing as you couldn't tell if he was being serious or if it was just another one of his many games.
You remembered aegon was always a bit of a flirt even a creep at times with the few times you had caught his eyes wondering to you're chest or hips.
You told yourself he was just a horny teenager and it didn't mean anything.
"Come on Y/N I know you heard me" he said back as you both walked down the hall of the dorms stopping as you reached you're door.
"What are you trying to do here" You finally asked but in response aegon only smirked at you
"you're a smart girl Y/N don't act clueless with me" Before you could speak aegon stepped closer and backed you into you're door frame making a small gasp slip from you're lips.
You told yourself it was the alcohol or whatever drug he could be on that was making him this bold but the way he looked at you let you knew just how serious he really was.
"Do you even know how much I've missed you these past three years how much I have yearned for you" aegon whispered his hands now wondering to you're waist while his head moved to you're neck planting small kisses on you're skin.
"Aegon-" you whined, hands resting on his chest as if you were about to push him away but you couldn't get yourself to do it.
"Ive probably jerked myself off thinking of you more times than i can count" Aegon's hands began wondering up you're sweatshirt to you're than waist to you're breasts, groping you right in the middle of the hallway.
"We shouldn't do this" You gulped before reaching you're hand to the handle of you're door and twisting it open "Not here" Aegon kept his grip on you while you pulled him into you're dorm hoping it was late enough and no one you knew would have seen what just happened.
Now that you were all alone aegon didn't hesitate to pull you close and slam his lips against yours. It didn't take long for both of you to fall ontop of you're bed while he climbed on top of you, hands wondering up you're hoodie to grope you once again.
You took it upon yourself to pull away from the kiss and yank you're hoodie off you're head.
"You're fucking stunning always have been" he whispered before his hands moved to try unclip the straps of you're bra and pull it off you revealing you're bare breasts to him.
He stared almost in a trance, he wasn't going to lie. he had definitely seen your boobs before during the many times he'd spy on you change but having them up close was something completely different.
His hands moved to play with your nipples making a small moan slip from your lips, he smiled in response pleased with himself.
"I knew you'd be sensitive" before you could say anything he latched onto one of your breasts and began to softly nibble at your soft flesh making you squirm underneath him.
"I uh- I should tell you something" you quickly cut him off making him look up and turn his head up at you.
"I've never done anything like this before" You finally spat it out making his smile only grow more.
Not only was he getting to sleep with the girl of his dreams but he got the pleasure of being her very first. "You're still a virgin?" He questioned and you simply nodding back shyly.
"That's ok don't worry I'll make it good for you" he leaned in and kissed your cheek before discarding his own shirt to the side.
Aegon wasn't the most well built, he didn't have abs in fact he actually had a small bit of a tummy on him. You didn't mind of course, you found every inch of him to be perfect.
You moved your hands to the buttons of your jeans and began pulling them down a delighted look on Aegon's face as he did the same to himself. Before long you were both in your underwear, aegon kissing down your neck leaving small marks as he went along. "People will see those" you whined. 
"That's the plan doll" his hands wondering up you're thighs to the waistband of your panties tugging at them before he slipped a finger inside and began running his finger along you're slit.
"You're so wet" aegon whispered in your ear before slipping a finger inside of you.
You whimpered a bit as he began slowly moving his finger in and out of you and once he felt you were ready he added in a second, thrusting his fingers deep inside you're tight wet cunt.
"Aegon please" you moaned his name Sounding like a angel to him, an angel he could not wait to corrupt.
You arched your back feeling his fingers hit a sensitive spot inside you. "Gonna cum for me baby? You can do it be a good girl and spill yourself on my hand"
You nodded in response the feeling of your peak rising quicker and quicker. You wrapped your arms around his shoulders hiding your head in his chest as you came moaning out against him.
You panted softly coming down from your high as he pulled his fingers back and yanked off your panties finally. Next he pulled down his own boxers revealing his leaking throbbing cock.
"I don't think I've ever been this hard" he gasped as he began slightly stroking himself spreading his precum to lube up his cock. you were a bit worried seeing his size, he definitely was bigger than you expected.
Aegon grabbed your legs opening them up before lining himself up with your slit.
"Be gentle please" you asked making him plant a soft kiss on your lips. "Tell me if it hurts" he replied before he began pushing the tip of his cock inside earning a small gasp from you.
He pushed inside inch by inch until he was fully inside, bottoming out on top you as small moans of his own slipped out. "So good baby- so tight so perfect" he panted a bit feeling you squeeze tight around him.
"So big" you whined as aegon kissed down your neck again, in an attempt to Soothe you're discomfort.
He couldn't remember a time he'd ever been so caring and affectionate with a girl, no that was just you. You did something to him. Something that he just couldn't understand. An overwhelming need to protect you and keep you close
He made sure to wait a minute before beginning to thrust himself, moving his hand to play with your clit in another attempt to help take away your pain. You clung onto him as he picked pace, getting faster and faster.
He knew he said he'd be gentle but you were so damn irresistible he couldn't stop his instincts to just ravage you like a dog in heat. Soon the pain left little by little and it was replaced with pleasure.
The mixed sounds of both of your whimpers and moans filling your dorm room. "So beautiful baby" aegon whispered between his small pants and moans in you're ear "Everything I've always dreamed of- fuck- I need you I need you" his hands grabbed your hips slamming you further down onto him.
"I want you so bad- be mine please baby say you'll be mine" he was a mess he knew he was but so were you. "I'm yours aegon im all yours-" you quickly choked out. The Small tears in you're eyes driving him crazy.
Those words alone were all aegon needed to finally reach his peak, being so caught up in the moment he hadn't even bothered to ask if you were on the pill before spilling every drop of his seed deep inside of you. He continued to hold you a part of him worried if he let go you'd leave again.
"All mine" he kissed your cheek softly still attempting to catch his breath "all yours" you smiled at him, That same smile that he had loved for years now, the same smile he promised he'd never let go of again
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adrienneleclerc · 9 months ago
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Grovel
Pairing: Walter Marshall x Hispanic/Latina! Reader
Summary: Walter begs Y/N for forgiveness after something that will test their relationship happens
Warnings: CHEATING, angst, spelling and grammar mistakes
A/N: based on April Jai’s unreleased song “Grovel”, I have no idea when it will be released but I can't wait for the song. This also doesn't follow Night Hunter/NOMIS canon, Walter is 40, Y/N is 32
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Walter Marshall thought that after his divorce with Angie, he was not going to find someone else. He believed he came with a lot of baggage because he is a homicide detective, that was until he met Y/N, a nurse.
Y/N was the one that treated Walter's bullet wound when he was on the Simon case and when he sees her in a bar a month later, they hit it off and went on 5 dates before Walter decided to ask her to be his girlfriend.
5 years later, they are still together and Y/N has moved into Walter's house and they are so happy and in love.
Until tonight.
It all started 3 days ago, it was 4 in the afternoon and Y/N was getting out of the hospital. Her car was in the shop and Walter said that he would gladly drop her off and pick her up. 10 minutes later, Walter picked her up.
"Hello, darling, how was your shift today?" Walter asked, pulling out of the hospital parking lot.
"It was good, a little tiring, but nothing a cuban coffee can't fix. How was your day, Oso?" Y/N asked.
"Stressful as fuck." Walter muttered.
"You're still on that case?" Y/N asked.
"Yes. We have no leads, it is like this guy is always three steps ahead and its pissing me the fuck off." Walter huffed out. Y/N took his hand in hers and rubbed her thumb over his hand in an attept to soothe him.
"You'll get this guy, i'm sure of it." Y/N said.
When they got home, Y/N saw the folders, clue board, everything that Walter had in his office at the police department was in his living room.
"You're working from home?" Y/N asked.
"I figured it would be better to focus all my attention on this case so I brought some of the files home, i hope that's okay." Walter said, sitting down at the table to look over things he might have missed with this case.
“Yeah it’s fine, Oso, that’s your job. Just don’t work too hard, okay? Sleep is not for the weak.” Y/N says.
“I know, love, I won’t turn into a zombie.” Walter said and they kissed.
Which brings us to tonight, Y/N took an Uber home because Walter’s phone was turned off. When Y/N entered the house, she found Walter drinking coffee in the living room, the same way she left him this morning and the day before.
“How was your day, Walter?” Y/N asked. Walter ignored her, writing notes on the case. “Well, my day was good, I worked with some of the pediatric patients, el día fue súper leve.”
“Y/N, I’m trying to work here.” Walter said.
“I see that, but you haven’t moved from this spot. Have you eaten? La estufa sigue igual de limpio, have you been living off coffee?” Y/N asked. Walter stayed silent. “Okay, fine, did you buy what I asked you to get?”
“You said I haven’t moved from this spot so clearly I haven’t gotten what you asked for.” Walter snapped, looking up from the table.
“No me hables así, eh, ni siquiera mi papá le habla así a mi mamá, Don’t try me, Walter.” Y/N said as she walked to the kitchen.
“Ugh, even Angie wasn’t such a bitch.” Walter muttered and Y/N stopped to turn around.
“You know what, you’re stressed, you haven’t eaten, you’re probably sleep deprived, let me just cook and we can talk after you take a nap, okay.” Y/N said but Walter then slammed his hands on the table.
“I am not a child, Y/N, you don’t have to smother me, and you are most certainly not my wife so stop acting like it.” Walter raised his voice and Y/N widened her eyes.
“I May not be your wife but I am your girlfriend, and I deserve to be respected, Walter.” Y/N said.
“I am not going to sit here and be nagged by you, I’m going out.” Walter huffed.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Y/N shouted.
“Out! Are you having trouble hearing me more than usual?” Walter asked as he left the house, closing the door behind him.
“Ugh, me encabrona!” Y/N shouted. This was their first big fight. Y/N calmed down a little and she wanted to cry because she just drove her boyfriend out of his house.
Walter sat in his truck to calm down a little. “FUCK!” Walter shouted, hitting his steering wheel. He drove somewhere he thought he would stop visiting after Faye went away to college; Angie’s house.
Walter rang her doorbell and Angie opened the door in Jeans and a sweater.
“Walter? What are you doing here? Faye doesn’t come back until spring break.” Angie said.
“I know, I came to talk to you.” Walter said.
“You should have called, this isn’t a good time.” Angie said.
“I think I messed things up with Y/N.” Walter said. Angie sighed and moved out of the way so Walter can come in. Angie walked to the couch and patted on the empty space next to her.
“Tell me everything. Y/N seems very sweet, kinda young, but she’s a good person, what the hell did you do?” Angie asked him
“I’ve been too focused on this case that i forgot to pick her up from her job since they are working on her car, I yelled at her, basically called her a bitch, and disrespected her. She just wanted to to take care of me, to stop me from getting burnout, and I yelled at her and disrespected her. Saying that she should stop acting like she’s my wife.” Walter said. His eyes were tearing up.
“Wow, that’s a lot to unpack.” Angie said.
“Why did we get a divorce, Angie?” Walter asked.
Why are you asking me that?” Angie asked.
“Was it me? Was I the problem?” Walter asked. Angie looked at him, saw that Walter looked practically broken.
“Listen, Walter, we got married in our early 20s. We were young, we weren’t going to last anyway. You tried your hardest to make me happy, and i was happy with you for a while. You are a great father to Faye, you put your all in our relationship, but you are also a workaholic.” Angie said softly. “It’s not a bad thing, you’re a cop, someone has to get the bad guys, right? I couldn’t handle that because I’m not used to it. But Y/N is a nurse, right? A nurse and a cop, what could be better than that? She knows the heavy workload you have because she has the same.”
“So what you’re saying it that I pushed away the one person who could possibly understand me.” Walter said.
“Sorta. You shouldn’t have yelled at her, she was just trying to get you to relax and eat, God knows how much I tried to get you to eat back when you were still on the SWAT Team.” Angie said.
“My job is stressful, Angie, you know that.” Walter said.
“And so does she. I’m sure you’ll make it right.” Angie said. Then Walter’s stomach growled and bleh of them laughed.
“Yeah, Y/N wasn’t lying when she said I was living off coffee, do you have anything to eat?” Walter asked.
“I Can order us takeout. You want Chinese, Italian, or Latin food?” Angie asked, holding out the menus she keeps in a kitchen drawer.
“Latin food.” Walter said, already missing Y/N’s cooking.
“You got it, detective.” Angie said.
While Y/N was drinking wine, eating ice cream, and watching movies that make her cry (for me it’s how to train your dragon, Beethoven, elemental, I’m a sensitive and emotion person, okay), Walter was getting nostalgic with Angie, eating and drinking.
"Remember that time you stayed up with me for a case when I just started working as a homicide detective?" Walter asked, eating a piece of chicken with his rice.
"Oh my god, yes, I was so tired, I think I crashed around 4am, I was exhausted at work." Angie said.
"I told you that you didn't have to stay up, but you were so stubborn and made us coffee after you put Faye to bed." Walter said.
"I had to support my husband." Angie said, taking a sip of wine.
More time went on, they finished the bottle of wine, and one thing led to another, Walter kissed Angie.
Y/N saw that the time was 10pm and Walter still hasn't come home yet. She got off the couch and unlocked her phone to call Walter, it went to voicemail after a few rings.
"Hey Oso, please come back home. We both have said some things, you mostly, but I really want to talk about this, I'm sorry if I nag you, that is not my intention, I just love you so much and I want you to take care of yourself, bye." Y/N left the voicemail and went to the bedroom she shared with Walter and Walter and Angie were too busy undressing each other on their way to her bedroom to notice his phone vibrating on the kitchen counter.
Walter lied awake in bed, with Angie by his side, Angie was asleep, both were naked.
"What have I done?" Walter wondered out loud in a whisper. He tried to sleep but every time he closed his eyes, he just sees what happened with Angie.
It was 8 in the morning and Y/N did not have to go in for work. She went downstairs and Walter still wasn't back home. Meanwhile Walter was putting his clothes back on.
"This never should have happened." Walter stated, zipping up his pants.
"You think I'm thrilled we slept together? I'm married! I'm just happy he has a business trip in Boston." Angie said, putting on her bathrobe.
"Where is my phone?" Walter asked, looking throgh her bedroom.
"It's probably downstairs on the kitchen counter. Have a safe trip home, make up with Y/N, I'll see you when Faye comes back." Angie said. Walter went downstairs and turned on his phone. He saw a voicemail from Y/N. He played the voicemail and his eyes strated tearing up.
"I am such a wanker." Walter muttered. He walked out of the house and got into his truck to go back home. He saw Y/N’s car in the driveway. He spent a few mintues in his truck crying, thinking about how he should tell Y/N. Its worse if she finds out later so it is better to be truthful now. He got out of the car, walked into the house and saw Y/N making pancakes.
"Oso, you're back!" Y/N exclaimed, leaving the mixing bowl on the counter and walked over to him, pulling him into a hug. "Listen, I promise not to 'nag' you as much if you promise to take care of yourself. I am not trying to smother you, I just don't want you to burn yourself out, okay?" Y/N pulled away from the hug and saw that Walter's eyes were red. "Hey, whats wrong?" Y/N asked, she was about to wipe his tears when Walter took her hands in his and pushed them away.
"We need to talk." Walter said.
"Okay, can it wait?" Y/N asked.
"No, it can't." Walter said. Y/N looked at him, his face was serious. She nodded and took off her apron, followed Walter into the living room and sat on the couch. Walter had her hands in his. "Something happened when i left. But I'm letting you know now that it meant nothing and that I completely regret it."
"Walter, you're scaring me, what did you do?" Y/N asked, her voice breaking as her eyes became glassy.
"I drove to Angie's house. I need clarity, I just fought with you and I know i messed up really bad but I didn't know if it would have been the end. I asked Angie why we got divorced, I asked if it was the problem with our argument." Walter said, carefully looking at Y/N's reactions to his words. "She came to the conclusion that you and I are perfect for each other and that I should be more open to accepting your help, that I was pushing you away. We were reliving our good moments, we were eating drinking, and then we..." Walter was cut off by Y/N putting her hand up.
"You slept with your ex wife?" Y/N asked.
"Yes.” Walter admitted.
“You slept with your ex-wife after she told you that you and I were practically perfect for each other?” Y/N asked again.
“Yes.” Walter whispered. Y/N nodded and took her hands out of Walter’s, she walked to the kitchen and Walter trailed behind her. He observed how she picked up the mixing bowl and continued to mix the batter before turning on the stove and pouring the mix with a ladle onto the pan. “Say something, anything.” Walter said. Y/N remained silent until she finished making pancakes and the mixing bowl was empty.
“You wanna know what I did when you left me on our home? I cried because I had no idea where you were going. I was drinking wine and purposely watching movies that I know will make me cry because you were gone for hours and did send me a text to let me know you were alright. We never had a fight like this, Walter, Never, in our 5 years of dating. And the first thing you do is go to your ex-wife’s house? After you told me that Angie wasn’t as much as a bitch as I was? Do you see how messed up that is?” Y/N asked Walter with tears in her eyes.
“It didn’t mean anything, Y/N, I swear.” Walter said.
“Oh please Walter, you guys were married for what, 9 years? You loved each other, Walter. Maybe you still love each other, I don’t know. What I do know is that feelings were involved, Walter. It’s is different than sleeping with a random woman, which I would still be angry about by the way. You cheating on me with Angie is much worse than a random hookup.” Y/N explained, trying to hold on her tears.
“It was a mistake, Y/N, we were drunk.” Walter said.
“Oh, you were drunk, I guess that makes it better, then.” Y/N commented sarcastically. Me vale madre if you were drunk or not, we were still together.” Y/N said.
“I can make it better, please. I’m sorry I hurt you, I shouldn’t have left you, it was bad judgment on my part.” Walter said, he was going to wrap his arm around her when Y/N moved away.
“Now is not the time Walter.” Y/N said.
“What happened to Oso?” Walter asked.
“You lost that nickname the minute you slept with Angie. The worst part about ALL OF THIS is that you needed her to tell you that we were perfect for each other. You needed confirmation from another person, you couldn’t just take my word for it. You didn’t want me to smother you? Well congratulations, Walter, I won’t be here to smother you anymore.” Y/N said, walking upstairs, Walter following suit. He saw her pull out a suitcase, she was packing.
“No, please don’t leave me, we have to talk about this, please.” Walter said. Y/N looked up to see Walter’s eyes, his once bright blue eyes were now dull.
“Fine, you want to talk, let’s talk. How was your night with Angie?” Y/N asked.
“I don’t understand.” Walter said.
“Then let me help you understand. While I was home watching movies, you were fücking Angie in her house, how was she in bed? Is that clear enough?” Y/N asked kinda aggressively.
“I can’t answer that.” Walter stated.
“You’re the one who wanted to talk.” Y/N reminded him.
“It was different, you and I have always made love, Y/N. Angie was nothing compared to what we have.” Walter said. Y/N got closer to Walter.
“Had, Walter.” Y/N said, she finished packing her suitcase with her clothes, towels, and toiletries. She got the suitcase and started walking downstair, opening the front door, Walter trailed behind her. “You finally did it, Walter, you pushed me away, I hope you’re happy.” Y/N gave Walter his key back.
“What can I do to fix this? Fix us?” Walter asked.
“I just need time. I can’t sleep in the same bed with you or stay in the same house with you knowing that if we have another fight, you’d go to Angie, that you slept with Angie. The day I moved in, you promised me that you’d never hurt me and I believed you, guess we were both wrong.” Y/N said. She left and closed the door. Walter immediately broke down crying on the floor, he messed up big time.
Y/N entered her car and called one of her friends from the hospital.
“Hey Y/N, what’s up, how’s your weekend?” Her friend asked.
“Hey Blair, um, I was wondering if I can stay at your house for a few days or a few weeks.” Y/N said.
“Yeah, babe, stay with me as long as you need, okay? You sound like you’ve been through it. Go over to my house, I’ll call Seth and let him know, okay. Love you, bye." Blair hung up and Y/N but Blair's address on her phone and drove to her house. She saw Blair's husband, Seth, outside the house with the door open, along with two kids playing in the front yard with a cavalier king charles spaniel. Y/N parked her car in the driveway and got out.
"Y/N, its so nice to meet you, you need any help with your bag?" Seth asked.
"No, its fine, I got it." Y/N said. "How old are they?" Y/N asked Seth, entering the house.
"7 and 4. The dog is 2. We don't have the guest room set up so you will have to sleep on the couch tonight, is that alright?" Seth asked.
"Of course, I’m intruding. I will help with dinner and cleaning.” Y/N said.
“Sounds like a deal.” Seth said
Walter has been throwing himself into work since she left 4 days ago. Whenever there was an interrogation and the suspect would get testy, Walter took out all his anger on them. However, Commissioner Harper has had enough of Walter’s anger issues.
“Marshall, you can’t keep hulking out on the suspects/perps, we’ll get nowhere. Go home, you’re not coming back until you fix whatever problem you have going on.” Harper said. Walter huffed and walked out.
When he made it home and saw the picture of him and Y/N together, he decided it was time to get her back. He got in his truck, bought her favorite flowers, and went to the hospital she worked at. He got out of the truck and entered the hospital lobby.
“Hi, I’m Walter Marshall, I’m here to see Y/N L/N, she’s a nurse.” Walter said.
“Do you know what floor she’s working on?” The receptionist asked.
“Can’t you check?” Walter asked.
“She’s assigned to me 9th floor, here’s your visitor pass.” The receptionist said and Walter thanked her. He saw that a lot of people were waiting for the elevator so he decided to take the stairs. Luckily for him, this was light work compared to his SWAT training. He stopped at the 9th floor and walked to the nurse station.
“Hello, can I…oh it’s you.”
“Nice to see you too, Blair. Do you know where Y/N is?” Walter asked, lowkey out of breath,
“Why would I tell you? She’s devastated over his things ended.” Blair said.
“That’s why I’m here, to make things right. Where is she?” Walter asked again.
“She’s getting a translator from the supply closet.” Blair answered, pointing towards the door and Walter thanked her. He opened the door and saw Y/N in her light blue scrubs, her hair (down, braided, in a ponytail, up to you!), he closed the door and Y/N turned around.
“Walter, what are you doing here?” Y/N asked. Walter saw that Y/N had dark circles under her eyes, Y/N noticed the same thing about Walter. His hair was messier than usual.
“I came to win you back.” Walter says, handing Y/N the flowers.
“Flowers? You think you can fix everything with flowers?” Y/N said.
“No, but I think this might fix everything.” Walter said.
You better learn to grovel Get down on your knees Begging for forgiveness like "please, oh baby, please" I want all the tears streaming down your pretty face Telling me I'm someone that you can't replace I want you to grovel, grovel
Walter got down on his knees in front of Y/N, looking up at her like he was worshiping a goddess, on his mind he was.
“Please forgive, Y/N, you mean the whole world to me, these last few days have been utter torture, my house doesn’t feel like a home anymore, you brought light to my life, I am nothing without you.” Walter starts tearing up, voice breaking. “Please, baby, please forgive me, I made a terrible mistake, I admit that, you are someone that I can’t replace, no one, and I mean no one could replace you. You are so special to me, I am so lucky to have you, and I will worship the ground you walk on if you let me, please. I don’t know what I’ll do without you in my life.” When Walter was finished with his little speech, both of them were crying.
“Of course I forgive you, Oso. Now get up, the floor is filthy.” Y/N said, helping Walter up. Walter laughed lightly, getting up, and pulling Y/N into a kiss. She pulled away. “So I don’t have to worry about Angie?”
“Of course not, my love, I am in love with you, I dreamt about you since you left, I missed you. I will worship you everyday until I die, no one compares to you, I swear.” Walter said, kissing her once more.
“Thank you for the flowers. And thank you for coming all the way here to apologize, must’ve been hard with Blair being in the front today.” Y/N said, smelling the flowers.
“No it was not. Quick question, not that I’m ungrateful or anything, thank you for forgiving me, I don’t know what I would’ve done if you didn’t, but why did you?” Walter asked. Y/N pretended to think.
“Have I ever told you that I love when a man grovels and begs?” Y/N playfully asked and Walter laughed wholeheartedly.
“Good to know for the future. I’ll see you at home.” Walter kissed her goodbye, both of them walking out of the supply closet.
“See you at home.” Y/N said, still holding the flowers.
Walter walked back to his truck and got in. Smiling to himself, she’s coming back home, back to me
The End
Hope y’all liked it, was it too long? Was it good? I don’t know how to write couple fights, clearly. This took forever to write
Taglist: @warriormirkwood
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petrichormeraki · 2 years ago
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Tips For Writing C!TommyInnit, From A Loser With Brainrot
Tommy is LOUD. Whether he's angry or excited or playing around, he's usually yelling. He is not aware of how loud he is unless he's specifically raising his voice to overpower the conversation (which he usually only does when he's angry at someone/thing, or to make a point). He's only quieter when he's serious, at peace, or very very sad
TOMMY IS SMART!!! He thinks things through when he has time to do so. He is strategic and considers other people's behaviors when he plans something out (ex building the tower overlooking the prison slowly, so Sam didn't get as suspicious, and making a point to only inhabit it when it was dark to be less noticed). Tommy knows how people act/think if he's familiar with them, and he uses that to his advantage.
However, Tommy's very impulsive, and his emotions overrun his brains very often. This happens the most when he's angry or scared.
Tommy lets people take pity on him 80% of the time. Unless it's a serious situation and he's trying to prove himself, (ex Logstedshire) he LOVES free shit and he very easily falls into the "oh poor little TommyInnit, he has no family to his name and is dirty and cold, won't you spare some netherite for his poor soul?" narrative.
Tommy is childish. He bickers over things that don't really matter and is the epitome of "he started it!!" when he gets in trouble. He also constantly nags at people until they cave to get what he wants. I have no idea how CC!Tommy plays being a youngest sibling SO WELL since he's an only child but that is exactly who C!Tommy is
Tommy is not brave. He hides behind people to avoid danger and he runs away from conflict if he can. The times where this didn't happen (Exile, Final Disc Confrontation, November 16th) were because he was backed into a corner, literally or figuratively, and was forced to fight back.
more under the cut bc this got very long lmao
Tommy is not very private UNLESS it concerns his past trauma. He will talk about what he's doing, every thought in his head, and what he thinks of everything he sees, UNLESS it's recounting what happened to him. Getting information like that from the source is like pulling teeth, even for people he trusts completely. The reasoning for this (best as I can tell anyway) is that he simply just doesn't want to relive it.
Tommy has a very black and white way of thinking about his allies. If someone helps his enemy, they are his enemy too. He doesn't really care about personal motivations or reasonings unless they're close to him (Tubbo) and he does not forgive easily.
However, he also recognizes power. When Tommy ran from Logstedshire, he ran to the person who killed his best friend because he knew Technoblade was very powerful against Dream. Another example is when he ran to Phil when Dream escaped prison and went after him, even though Phil destroyed L'manburg WITH Dream AND killed Wilbur, two things that Tommy vehemently hates him for. Tommy seemed to not be thinking very clearly when either of these events happened, so this may have been a purely impulsive decision made out of fear.
Tommy squirrels away his riches. He only breaks into his ender chest when he really needs the resources, ie diamond armor and weapons for a showdown. He actually has quite a lot of diamonds and gold if I recall correctly, but he still resorts to stone/iron tools and no armor in his day to day.
Kind of related to above, Tommy keeps momentos of people he cares about in his ender chest, where no one can reach them but him. He is terrified of losing these things because they remind him of when times were good, and he had people he loved. (This was actually said by him, I just don't remember the stream sorry ;;w;;)
Tommy is very stubborn. He doesn't cooperate very often and views the way he does things as the best way. The only time to my memory that he defaulted to someone else was when Wilbur was alive (L'manburg, Pogtopia)
Tommy likes maintaining his surroundings. This includes harvesting crops and replacing them, patching up creeper holes, and replacing missing blocks from his house or the Prime Path. He does these things without anyone telling him to, on his "down time" if you will, and doesn't really call attention to it
TOMMY LOVES ANIMALS. He doesn't like killing them and tries to eat carrots instead of killing for meat (although he doesn't seem to have qualms with eating meat that other people give him)
Tommy has a soft spot for kids/small creatures. He tried very hard to hate Michael because he was bitter about Ranboo and Tubbo's friendship but he broke almost instantly if I remember correctly. He fawns over "cute" things and gets thoroughly distracted from whatever he was doing if he notices a baby chicken or something
Tommy is rarely still. He almost always is doing something with his hands (ie building, chopping trees, etc) if he's in conversation with someone. The only times where he actually sits down and stops is when he's watching the sunset on his bench, or having a self reflection moment/processing heavy information.
I'll stop here, but I plan on making another post that more goes into his speaking mannerisms and whatnot. I hope this helps somebody trying to write C!Tommy, feel free to send me an ask if you have specific questions!!
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ashesandhackles · 1 year ago
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Goblet of Fire Reread (Part 2)
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Chapter 17,18,19, 20,21,22,23
"It struck him how very tall all of them were" Harry thinking this about the champions one moment and then being angry at being called "a little boy". Accurate teenage boy behavior.
Snape stepping in to stop Karkaroff and Maxime insulting Dumbledore by insulting Harry instead, "Don't go blaming Dumbledore for Potter's determination to break rules" XD
Fleur really cares about the honour of representing her school.
Hints of Barty Snr under Imperius: both in his behaviour + imagery (skull like appearance in the darkness)
Violet, the witch painting went up to Fat Lady to gossip. We shall hear of this friendship again in HBP.
I really really love Hermione's insight into Ron's feelings here, because the implication here is that she noticed that he doesn't talk about it. "He's always shunted to the side when people see you, and he puts up with it, never mentions it" and how she contextualises it with how he feels around his brothers. She has an understanding and kindness about this that is very sweet.
Fleur flirting with Cedric while some creepy paunchy man watching her. Damn, what it must be like to be sexualised every moment of your life and what harmful ideas have you internalised?
Harry noting that Fleur was part Veela to tell Ron only to remember The Great Tragedy that Ron isn't speaking to him.
weighing of wands chapter to set up the priori Incantentem at end of book, to remind us of Harry's connection with Voldemort's wand.
Hermione trying to force Harry and Ron to talk to each other, poor thing. I can really feel her anxiety building over this and she is so impatient, "you miss him, he misses you". Hermione on Ronarry agenda. She even tries to sneakily make him meet Ron in Three Broomsticks and then Harry cottons on. And then her getting irritated, Harry having to resist the urge to poke Ron is peak trio content.
Harry getting cheered up by the fact that Cho wasn't wearing a support Cedric badge. Also, it's a nice shade to her character - she is nice. She recognises the badges for what it is and doesn't take part in it.
his face breaks into the first smile in days cos of Sirius and Sirius redirecting attention away from himself and focusing on Harry - "never mind me, how are you?" Harry is so vulnerable with him that he talks about Ron with him.
Sirius' respect for Moody is very interesting, he displays more of this in Padfoot Returns chapter where he talks about how Moody captured DEs and not killed them. I believe @leogichidaa and @artemisia-black have had a tumblr discussion on this.
Ron doesn't come up to bed after Harry lashes out at him for interrupting his conversation with Sirius. Poor bean - wondering how things got this bad between him and Harry.
BCJ is so chilling on reread- essentially admits that he is keeping track of real Moody via the Foe Glass. "I'm not really in trouble until I see the whites of their eyes. That's when I open my trunk."
BCJ talking about Maxime and Karkaroff but also himself - 'They want to win. They want to beat Dumbledore. They'd like to prove he's only human'. And he laughs.
Ron catches Harry's eyes, but Harry is too resentful to care. Ron trying, in his own awkward way, to let Harry know that he is on Harry's side again.
Harry not needing to hear Ron apologise to forgive him. Clearly Hermione feels the same as I do, because she burst into tears, hugs them both and goes off to cry alone LOL
I saw this tumblr post about how Fleur dealt with the dragon was the most compassionate one - trying to put it to sleep - that she and Charlie would get along cos of it. Cute hc.
Pigwidgeon falling 12 feet down before flying with the letter is so funny. Also how cute that Harry's letter to Sirius had a "blow by blow" account of how exactly he swerved, circled and dodged the Horntail. Sirius would have found that very endearing.
LOL at Dean drawing Cedric with his head on fire for party banners. (apart from drawings of Harry dodging Horntail)
Harry calling out Hermione for bending of rules is so cute. When she says, "he is supposed to work out the egg on his own" when Lee picks up the egg, and Harry reminds her in undertone that he was supposed to work out the dragon alone too, and she "grins guiltily"
I am very disappointed in Dobby, whose political consciousness that shone and drove the plot of CoS is done to "acceptable" levels of radicalism. He tried to save Harry, explicitly against harry's wishes, because of his idea that Harry is a symbol of hope to the "enslaved dregs of the magical society, who are treated as vermin" and that defeat of Voldemort ensured that his kind are treated better. (he is still endearing, but speaks to the message of the books - he can be radical but cannot question the existing institution too much)
Winky's loyalty to Crouch is treated as pitiable, while Hermione's overzealousness with some gentle ribbing because JKR seems to find it endearing. We will probably get into white saviorism later, because I have THOUGHTS.
Ron and Harry sword fighting with fake wands, which are tin parrot and rubber haddock respectively, is hilarious. (Ron's parrot got the haddock's head)
Cedric telling Hufflepuffs to leave Harry alone. Looks like he was so grateful for Harry's tip, he steps in on the bullying.
Cho's words about who she is going to the ball with echoing with each step Harry took. Peak teenage experience. End of the world your crush has been asked out by someone else.
so funny that Ron keeps trying to ask Hermione who she is going to the ball with at unexpected times to surprise her into answering
love that Hermione was simultaneously appalled by fake-Moody making Malfoy a ferret while also not above referencing that incident to get Malfoy off her back. ("twitchy little ferret, aren't you Malfoy")
Ron notices Hermione's teeth is no longer the same. And Hermione is all sly and mischievous about the fact that she let Madam Pomphrey carry on a bit.
ok this is such a cute description: Hermione sitting to watch Ron and Harry's chess match which had recklessly brave pawns and a violent bishop
Dobby gets socks as presents from both Ron and Harry (reminder Ron also puts socks over his dead body) and Ron's Christmas jumper.
Dumbledore referencing Room of requirement. (he makes a joke that makes Harry snort and Percy frown- I guess he thinks the joke isn't appropriate for international magical cooperation?)
Parvati goes off with a Beauxbaton boy because Harry wasn't paying attention to her. She also lead him while dancing -so much so he felt like a show dog. Love how alpha she is xD
Percy glances at Harry about "hitch with Goblet of Fire" : indication of his coming arc where he doesn't believe Harry. (Also, while Percy is socialising with Bagman, he chooses to sit with Harry and Ron, which is indicative of how awkward he feels i think)
Snape and Karkaroff's conversation will get referenced in Prince's Tale, where Dumbledore grants him -"i think we sort too soon".
the image of Maxime storming away with fairies parting bushes is a very striking.
Chapter 24, 25, 26,27,28
Hermione drops key family history for Harry without either of them realising it: she used Fleamont Potter's Sleakazy's. Also at the implication that Harry asked about her hair LMAO.
Ron and Hermione reaching an unspoken agreement about sidestepping the big fight which involved FEELINGS.
the unicorn preferring a girl's touch is tied around the myth of pure creatures comfortable with "pure souls". I am really not sure how to read the gender politics of this book using this aspect of mythology.
lol, at Parvati being very "cool" towards Harry since the ball. Her retort actually makes him reflect - "perhaps I should have paid her more attention" and then, "ah well, she had a good time anyway". Honestly, stan Parvati.
Harry's so suspicious of Bagman offering him help, and rightly so. I love him putting Bagman on backfoot with his questions.
really curious about goblins and their hierarchy in the wizarding world. they are the marginalised who "fight back".
Rosmerta looking at James Potter, "who used to make her laugh"'s son yelling at a reporter in the middle of her pub XD
Love that Gryffindors get food related passwords like "banana fritters" and poor Ravenclaws have to solve a riddle every time they need to get in.
Where is the fanart of Snape with long grey nightshirt? Where?
Snape shutting Filch up when (in his mind) Moody came in, BCJ using Moody's distrust to check his office. Excellent stuff. My favourite part of the scene is Snape angrily declares Dumbledore's trust in him, and BCJ reminds him of "spots that don't come off". And Snape clutches his Dark Mark (and immediately hates himself for doing it xD)
Okay, Snape conceding power to Moody in this scene is so interesting. When Snape tries to look for Harry, BCJ makes him back off by saying "meaning Dumbledore is very interested to know who's got it in for the boy!" and Snape answers in a forced calm.
the tension between Snape and fake Moody can be cut through with a knife. Love how menacing the scene makes Moody, with Rowling using visual pictures of Moody's scars in the darkness
Lmao, Neville sending Professor Flitwick flying across room in class. And the description of "Professor Flitwick went whizzing resignedly past them" when the trio are talking. The implication that Flitwick just let Neville do his thing… XD
Hermione answering Harry's grim dark joke seriously. Nerd XD so much so the next time she takes Harry's joke seriously, he had to tell her that he is joking lol.
Harry goes off food when he is stressed or upset: a hangover from Dursley days when punishment is "no food".
"Your Wheezy, sir, your wheezy - the thing Harry Potter sir will miss the most!" LOL. The way this book is designed for Ronarry feels.
Merpeople have pet Grindylows. (also the chief is a woman)
Harry actually tries to yank the spear away from merman when they refused to help him, and hits Krum when Krum failed to realise that his shark teeth would hurt Hermione. My little feral boy.
Percy, "who looked very white", splashing out to meet Ron <3
Poor Krum - he is trying to engage Hermione and she is too busy either asking Harry about his task or cheering him for his marks to listen.
I love how much Harry gets so cheered by Sirius' letters. And even as he is tense that Sirius would get caught, he enters Potions classroom happy XD
'Scarlet woman'. It speaks to the generation Molly comes from that she has these ideas, and that Ron has noticed and picked it up.
Hermione, being also aware that Ron's regard for her is less than platonic, "determinedly avoiding Ron's eyes" when she mentions Viktor did invite her. (Also funny that Hermione is trying to puzzle out how Rita heard her, and Ron is like, "nvm, what did you say about Viktor's invitation?" lol)
@urupotterwrote a nice meta about how Snape was deliberately provoking Harry (after harry moves tables) to read his mind. Right when Harry angrily looks up, Snape's eyes bore into him to check if he had broken into his office.
Sirius made them climb a mountain for half an hour lol. He believes in outdoorsy kids.
Sirius having a fuller face, and looking like he is taking care of himself when Harry met him at the fire - but now he is back in his prison robes, his hair is longer and he is thin again. When Sirius broke into the fire, he was clearly at a place where he could hide better and take care of himself. He is living off rats.
And he notices the anxiety on Harry;s face and explains why he is here (he is very good at reading harry's face and just answering his thoughts. He does it again later in the scene). He is worried about how fishy things look, and it is clear one of the reasons of his lack of care for himself is hyperfixating on Harry's safety and circumstances surrounding the tournament. (he also moves a lot when he is thinking - it's part of why he makes for such a strong scene presence. There is either note of how he takes space, or his eyes)
Sirius backs Hermione here about Barty Crouch Snr's treatment of Winky ("if you want to know what a man's like.."). This is important for Hermione's complicated feelings about him in the next book. He was the only adult on her side - even Hagrid, who she counted on, didn't agree with her.
Sirius projecting all his family issues over Barty Crouch Jnr.
Sirius' description of Azkaban is just extremely solitary and drenched in death, and suffering. He can see and hear things that are near his cell or out of the window (he could see Dementors burying who he thought was BCJ outside the fortress). Speaks to the immense violation Barty Crouch Snr has committed by sending him there without a trial. (There is also the fact that Azkaban is horrible, and no one deserves it)
Snuffles, enuff said. He also allows them each to pat them on his head before they leave. how cute.
"If he thought we are standing in way of his career"..ah, seeds of Percy arc of OOTP. Hermione believes in him while Ron doesnt lol.
I haven't mentioned in my notes because it would get too long - but Sirius' exposition about the First War, I think, is important for the atmosphere that leads to friends turning on each other.
also, I really love the note of Sirius, as always, admiring the morals of Mad Eye Moody for trying to bring Death Eaters alive, versus his condemnation of Barty Crouch Snr's methods. This shade of him - combined with the fact that he would have absolutely killed Peter after Jily death if he had the chance, or even the previous book. @artemisia-black wrote about her interpretation of it in this meta.
House elves should be "seen, not heard" philosophy, where they have internalised that anything showing discontent from where they are is undesirable.
Hermione pulling a Blinky episode here XD if the worldbuilding wasn't so shitty, I would actually enjoy a critique of Hermione's impatience here because it is very in line with steam of young activists finding roadblocks within the very people they want to help.
Chekhov's gun: the eagle owl Harry observes flying over Hagrid's hut - the same owl we see in Harry's dream with Voldemort later.
Maxime is apparently trying to make up to Hagrid - she watches Hagrid's class and even tries to engage him in a conversation prior to this. Maybe she feels sorry about how the story about Hagrid's mother come out in the Prophet and wants to bond? What did Maxime face because of her parentage?
Ron being upset that the gold he paid Harry back with vanished, and how he hates being poor and how both Harry and Hermione don't know what to say: Hermione tries to cheer him up by saying she will get him a Niffler for Christmas, how cute.
harry regularly sending Sirius food and little notes with them. I CANT. they have my heart, they are everything.
love that Fleur and Cedric are apparently friendly enough that she keeps going on about underground tunnels to him, and how Fleur beams at Harry when he comes.
Harry and Cedric being jocks, and how they are less than happy with the state of the Quidditch pitch lol.
Dumbledore uses the Patronus to summon Hagrid. A known method of communication between the Order. ("a ghostly bird")
love the dynamic of Fred and George arguing: George seems to be the more cautious one of the two, saying putting something like that in writing is blackmail, while Fred is like, "You're not going to complain once we get the pay off, would you?" But the moment Ron asks what's up with them, George backs Fred and sends the letter himself.
I also really loved the moment of the trio confronting the twins. It was hilarious. it shows all their priorities - both Fred and Ron with confrontational and surprised, "what are you doing here?" and Harry and George on defensive, "sending letter?" and both Fred and Hermione with a suspicious, "What, at this time?"
Hermione still uncomfortable with the idea of breaking laws: "This isnt some silly school rule, it's the law". Given where they all end up in DH (honestly even OOTP), this is interesting. She even advises Ron to reach out to Percy to stop whatever the twins are doing, and Ron's like, "Are you mad? He would probably do a Crouch and turn them in!" XD
Harry being annoyed at Sirius being an Overbearing Dad XD "Who is he, to lecture me after all the stuff he did at school?"
Chekhov's gun: insect buzzing somewhere behind the curtain. Rita Skeeter.
Also seeing Crouch Snr struggle against the Imperius put on him by Voldemort tells us how incredible it is that Harry throws it off in the graveyard
Harry connecting the magic of Pensieve with the diary through means of his experience. Could be a cool worldbuilding detail if we want to think about how Tom preserved his "memory" in the diary, along with it being a container for his soul.
important to understand how Voldemort operates: he alone knows who works for him, and others get exposed to each other via shared jobs or connections. This adds to what Sirius says in Padfoot returns chapter.
Mulciber specialised in the Imperius, as per Karkaroff's testimony. Could he have done something in similar vein to Mary MacDonald? It could also be talked of as a "laugh" since students do find Moody's control of the spider in Unforgivables class darkly funny.
"He is no more a Death Eater than I am": Dumbledore's vouching of Snape is strong. I would love a fic that explores Snape and Dumbledore's equation in First War, and how Dumbledore sees bits of himself in a young man who also thinks he is brilliant, and wants power, but ends up hurting the person he loves in his blindness.
The trial essentially feels like a gladiator ring, with the accused chained to the chair. (Of course, Bagman doesnt get chained to the chair due to the relative popularity with the jury)
Ah, BCJ. His reaction here depends on how you read his involvement with Longbottoms - whether he actually did it, or whether he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Of course, the book, with Cruciatus scene with spider, heavily suggest that he was indeed guilty. So, it is interesting to see his terror here - he is genuinely terrified of going to Azkaban, but he is also using his genuine terror to appeal to his parents, to get out and be free. (He does similar things throughout the book - use his real dislike of Malfoys, Snape but misdirect you about his motivations). It's a nice manipulative streak.
"You're no son of mine!" "Take them away, and may they rot there." I need a Crouch family deep dive, because it is essentially a version of Walburga burning her son's name off after he ran away. which is: "I want to pretend you don't even exist."
a very astute reader pointed out on reddit how Moody is not present for the Longbottoms trial (and his eyes were intact on both trials before). So the hc is that Bellatrix took out Moody's eye and he was recovering in the hospital at the time.
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dramaqueeenamby · 2 years ago
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Easy | T'Challa Udaku
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A/N: My god, BP2 was such an emotional ride. This is a product of all of the emotions I'm still reeling from. I have not written for BP in probably a year+, so I apologize for the rustiness.
Warnings: ANGST.
Words: 3K
You can find my other works HERE.
++++++++++++DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER++++++++++++
-----------
Loving him was easy. 
Maybe too easy.
Maybe things would have been easier if he wasn’t so easy. So easy to admire, so easy to be drawn to, so easy to feel an ungodly amount of love and adoration for. 
But maybe that was just T’Challa. With his beautiful smile and brilliant mind, few paths seemed to lead to some place loveless. He was the embodiment of attraction, from the way he spoke, to the way he conducted himself, to the way he loved.
Yeah….easy seemed to be unavoidable. 
A small smile makes its way to your face as you reminisce on your first meeting all those years ago. 
“Would you just tell me already?”
Nakia simply looks over at you with that same bored yet tempted expression. “And ruin the surprise? Never.”
She laughs, clearly amused by your frustration, by the lack of patience for which you’ve still struggled to fully comprehend. 
You’d just completed your War Dog training and had been assigned to Nakia, to shadow her on a few missions and prove that you were ready for your own assignment. It was a perfect partnership, as Nakia matched your wit and sense of humor, both of which had definitely gotten you in trouble more times than you’d like to admit.
“How about a hint?”
“How about no?”
Your eyes narrowed as you nudged her. “You are enjoying this.”
“Somewhat,” she admits. You share another look before giggling together when a firm voice from behind interrupts your moment. 
“Forgive me, ladies.”
“You are not forgiven,” your response is natural and instantaneous, a small smirk playing on your face. “Matter of fact, you should know better than to sneak on two lad–” The smirk drops and your ridicule is cut short by the dark eyes and curious gaze of the crowned prince who stands before you. 
If Nakia was amused before, she was delighted now. You can feel her eyes still focused on you as she bumps you with her hip. “Y/N, you didn’t finish your statement. How rude.”
Your glare could burn two holes into the princess as she shakes her head and returns her focus onto Prince T’Challa. 
“Yes, T’Challa?” It’s in the most random, unexpected moments that you remember while Nakia is your friend, she is also royalty. Perhaps it’s something you should commit to memory, especially given how you’ve just completely disregarded all protocol for the future ruler of Wakanda. 
Finally able to pick your eyeballs off the ground, you find that T’Challa’s gaze is pinpointed on you. “Nakia is correct. It is improper to finish your statement…..”
He trails off, and you realize he’s searching for your name. Slightly dejected and still embarrassed, you answer, hastily adding a “your grace” onto the end. For good measure and respect.
He simply makes a sound before repeating your name. It feels so strange hearing your name on his mouth, strange but also….right. Shifting your stance, you’re thankful when he finally reirects his focus to Nakia. Memory of what was said between them was lost years ago, but the initial butterflies in your stomach upon your first meeting have always stayed with you. 
You pray to Bast they always will. 
Rolling your shoulders, your fingers dance across the fabric on your skin. It’s a piece you’d acquired since moving to Haiti. Your fingertips stroke the intricate pattern, and just like that, you’re hit with memories of laying in bed, naked, a sheen of sweat covering your back while the same fingers dance across his chest.
There are too many times that this occurred, but it’s somewhat easier to recall one of the later moments. 
The silence rattles you, not because you can’t handle it. It’s because you know underneath it lies turmoil, It’s present in the way he entered you, rough, desperate, lost. Lovemaking with T’Challa was always anything but that, maybe the first of them at times, but never the latter two. 
Your hands flatten against his chest, gently curving inward to draw his attention. He doesn’t move to look down, but you know he’s listening. 
“Talk to me,” you implore, licking your lips. “There’s so much more room out here, my love.”
He says nothing but you feel the scoff underneath his strong chest. “There is already too much out here.”
“Nay,” you lean to kiss the underside of his jaw. “You underestimate the space, kumkani.”
Finally, allowing you a glance of his dejected expression, he counters, “and you underestimate the weight, Isithandwa.”
Sighing, your hand travels to his face. “You didn’t know, T’Challa. None of us did.” If you’re being honest with yourself, it’s still nearly incomprehensible to believe that King T’Chaka was responsible for the murder of his own brother as well as the abandonment of his nephew, T’Challa’s cousin, the man who seemed hellbent on revenge. 
But not for poor reasons.
Still, the fact that so much of this falls on T’Challa, who has barely had time to mourn the loss of his father, your heart aches for the pain he refuses to show but you know he feels. 
“And we cannot change the past,” you continue, though vaguely unsure of yourself. T’Challa has always been the better of you two when it came to wording things in a way that was equally beautiful as it was helpful. “But, we can make decisions now that will help us create a better future.”
“Built on what? Lies.”
“No….” Again, your hand movement shifts to his hard abdomen, as your fingers offer comforting, circular movements. “No, my love, the lies stop with you. You will be the change that will usher in a new era for Wakanda, a better era, for us all.”
Instead of the incoherent sounds you usually receive, his hand on your back tugs you just a little closer. “You have such unyielding faith in me.”
You sit on his words for a few seconds before answering thoughtfully. “I’ve questioned many things in my life, T’Challa, but not one of them has ever been you. Not your ability to rule, to protect, not even to love.” A beat. “Now I’ve maybe questioned your fashion choices at one point or another, but Shuri’s influence will hopefully start to rub off on you.”
A small yelp escapes your mouth as he flips positions so that he’s hovering over you. Your gazes lock as he lowers himself, stealing the gentlest of kisses before resting his forehead against yours. Your hands cradle his cheeks as he kisses both of your palms before shifting downward and laying against your chest. Your arms cocoon him, protecting him, offering a solace only found within your safe embrace.
“I love you, T’Challa. Never forget that.”
You once believed that the five years without T’Challa, having lost him to the Snap, was the most difficult thing you’d ever had to endure.
Clearly….clearly you were wrong.
It starts with a cough. 
Nothing persistent or chronic, more inconsistent and light than anything. Probably nothing major enough to raise an eyebrow from anyone else. But you knew T’Challa, and you knew the many benefits of the heart shaped herb.
He didn’t get sick, and more importantly, the black panther didn’t get sick. 
A small part of you pretended that it wasn't an issue. You were comforted by the fact that he’d been ripped away from you for five years and returned. What more heartache could possibly outweigh that?
But then the cough was no longer as infrequent, and along with it came a sort of dullness in his normally bright eyes. He seemed….weary.
You knew the weight of returning after being gone for so long weighed on him, but this….this was different.
It was also concerning, as he would come and visit at least once a month, the two of you no longer able to steal moments in time as often as you once did. You were both older now with even more responsibilities than ever before. So when he came to visit two times in a row and you noticed the same dullness, your concern definitely spiked.
It was late, and the two of you were just getting into bed. He’d only just pulled back the blankets when you finally asked.
“How long do you plan to pretend that everything is alright?”
He stands upright and his jaw ticks. “What are you talking about?”
Deflection. T’Challa never deflects. Your concern increases.
Moving across the room, you stand directly in front, looking up at him. “You know exactly what I am talking about.” When he says nothing, your hand lifts to his cheek. “Please talk to me. I am worried.”
“It’s nothing.”
“What is it, T’Challa?” Moving closer, you lay yourself against his chest, mindful of how he hesitates to reciprocate your embrace. “I need you to be honest with me.” A beat. “Or maybe I just need you to be honest with yourself.”
His body tenses underneath the weight of your own as well as your words. And finally, he answers, “something has been…..plaguing me.” Looking up, he immediately goes into comfort mode. “It is nothing to worry about, Isithandwa.”
His eyes betray him, and you can’t help how your own water. “How close are you to a cure?” His silence is the answer you don’t want to hear. It’s an answer that is not the security of promise and hope that you need in this moment. 
“Y/N–”
“What-what does Shuri think?” More silence. Your eyes naturally widen. “You have not told her?” His lack of an answer adds another layer of panic as she painfully realizes, “you have not told anyone….”
“There is no need to worry anyone, Y/N.”
“But I am worried, T’Challa!” You whisper harshly, mindful of your volume as not to disturb or let alone awake the last person who needs to be hearing this conversation. “Do you not think I have not noticed how long this has lasted? You have been sick for weeks, months maybe, and if there is no cure in sight, then who is to say you will get better?”
He shakes his head, cupping your face. “Aye, listen to me.” The tears are falling, and his thumb goes to brush them away. “You once told me that you have never doubted me. Do you remember this? Hmm?”
Sniffling, you manage to nod and murmur, “yes.”
Relieved, he tucks you into him, his chin resting on the top of your head. “So trust me now, Y/N. Have faith.”
His words still haunt you, still bring the sting of tears to your eyes and the sharp flash of pain in your chest. Realizing that the man you love has limited time left on earth is a pain like none other. But watching him gradually decline, knowing that there’s nothing you can do….that is a hurt too explosive to even describe.
For his sake, you both acted normal. Same smiles, just a little dimmer. Same laughter, just an octave lighter. Same love, not a damn thing different. Some days you wonder if that was for the better or for the worse. Was it staying and operating out a state of denial? Could you have maybe delayed it, prevented it even if there was more of a sense or urgency?
Because even when you both sat him down, when you were finally honest about T’Challa’s condition, about where his path was leading him, it still felt bitterly hopeful. Like it was a maybe instead of a definitely.
Maybe this will happen, instead of this is going to happen.
But you also knew this wasn’t a decision that you could make by yourself. And truth be told, it wasn’t even a decision T’Challa could make, which disgusted you. How could a man like T’Challa, your sweet, kind love be subjected to such a cruel ending? An ending so unbecoming of the majestic man that he was. 
This is when the anger kicks in, the rage at having him taken from you not once, not twice, but three times. Why the hell did you all have to be dealt such a vile card? What travesties could you have done, could he have done to deserve this ending? 
In the final weeks, days even, items were dropped or were thrown, tempers were short, clearly, and interactions felt so much more heavy. You still beat yourself up for being so consumed by your own emotions that maybe you weren’t present enough for him when he needed you the most. 
That also happens a lot, that feeling of it not being enough. Not enough of him. Not enough of you all. Not enough time. 
Not enough of…..anything. 
And then that ceremony, the damn goodbye that he decided would be just for them, that was the moment you realized that T’Challa wouldn’t be returning for another visit. This was the last time, and it broke you. Of that night, you don’t remember much, just the absolute agony and grief that tore through your entire being. It’s such a blur, but the pain felt is a constant. 
That last goodbye…..even reflecting back on it is too much to bear, too much to try to swallow. Maybe someday you’ll be able to dwell on it….but now….now is too soon, much too soon.
What does stand out is the days following the notice you received that he’d passed on to be with the ancestors.
Washing the dishes was the last thing you wanted to do, but the dishwasher was giving an error code, and you couldn’t bring yourself to seek out someone who could fix it. Especially when that someone you would usually call is no longer available. 
Wiping at your face with the back of your hand had become a habit, one that had caused the skin on your face to become tender, harsh even from the constant friction. But the final straw was dropping the glass plate in your hand onto the floor, shattering all over the tile. 
You cursed, leaning down to gather the pieces only to not pay close enough attention, accidentally slicing the palm of your hand.
Hissing loudly, you lifted your arm, observing the blood leave the open wound. You do nothing to stop it, watching it continue to spill, even aiding in the process as you apply pressure around the area. It’s a fruitless effort though, because the physical pain is nothing in comparison to your emotional pain. 
Overcome with that same emotion, you bring yourself to your feet and storm out the door, running toward the beachfront. 
T’Challa always loved the water and wanted you two to be away from everyone else, both for your comfort as well as your privacy and overall safety. 
Falling to your knees, your hands brace against the grainy sand as a loud, guttural, visceral scream erupts from the deepest part of your soul. But, it’s not enough. So you go again. And again. And again. Continuing to scream until your voice breaks, as does your resolve.
Now on your side, sobs rake through your entire body, you wails bouncing off the waves of the water. 
It’s both comforting and suffocating. A release and a limitation. A blessing and a curse.
“How-how could you leave me?” The question is posed to no one, to everyone, to anyone who will listen. “How could you leave us!” The interrogative nature quickly transitions to a demanding tone, a plea, a beg for mercy. “You said-you said to have faith, and I–I did.” You continue to wail, shaking your head. “And where are you now? WHERE ARE YOU, T’CHALLA?”
Stomach throbbing and eyes burning, your vision is blurred by pain, but you manage to twist your body when small but firm arms wrap around you and a body is pressed against yours. The familiar smell of shea and cocoa butter fills your nostrils as you look down and nearly cave again.
“I’m right here, mama,” your son’s words hit you deeper than anything you could have imagined. And another wave of tears overcomes you as he repeats himself and holds you even tighter. “I’m right here.” 
You’re not sure if Challa, as both you and T’Challa took to calling him even when he was still in your womb, will ever be able to fully comprehend the depth and importance of his words. His comfort in that moment pulling you from a darkness you’d never encountered. A darkness you’re not sure you would have been able to save yourself from without him. 
It’s been roughly a year since that night, that evening where your greatest blessing saved you from your greatest battle. And every day is a struggle, there’s always moments where you find yourself encountering a memory, missing a touch, yearning for that love.
But then Challa will smile at you, and you’re reminded that death…is never the end. 
You remember that loving T’Challa was always so easy because it was inevitable. 
“You’re always with me, my love,” you speak upward, smiling softly. “And you always will be.” 
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chuuya-fan-page · 1 year ago
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Your thoughts about Stormbringer? (And Chuuyas'relationship with the Flags, Murase, Adam and or course, Dazai)
Hi Anon!
I. LOVE. STORMBRINGER.
It has my overall favourite characters (Rimbaud and Verlaine mwah ily) and the overall story is just SO GOOD, plus the insight we get into Chuuya's character and why he does the things he does. The way we see him go from a liability, someone who's ready to leave the mafia at the first chance, to calling it his family? It's INSANE.
Asagiri truly outdid himself with everything going on, it's insane to see Stormbringer in comparison with all the other light novels, there's such a massive difference in length. Not to mention some of the language is just beautiful, and the descriptions feel like a gut-punch.
Chuuya gets so much depth through Stormbringer, it's really what unlocked his character for me; we now see why he's so loyal, why he allows himself to be controlled, just what he's been seeking, it makes him understandable. Dazai's "dog" jokes suddenly get a deeper meaning, Chuuya is like a dog in many ways, like a dog who returns to an abusive master because he's so damn loyal it hurts him. And god he's so forgiving, just, god.
Shirase stabbed him in the back (literally), and yet he goes to great lengths to protect him, Verlaine uproots Chuuya's entire life, and yet Chuuya forgives him, Dazai is Dazai, but Chuuya puts his life in his hands time and time again.
FUCK he hurts me.
As for his relationships (and I know you didn't mention Verlaine but god I love his relationship with Chuuya) with all of the above;
The Flags have a really interesting and unique relationship with Chuuya, they're a really important step in Chuuya claiming back his past. They solidify the groundwork of Rimbaud's final words from Fifteen; Chuuya is Chuuya, and that's enough for them.
(Tackling them one by one now)
Pianoman seems to see himself as a sort of mentor figure to Chuuya, he is of course the leader of the Flags, and therefore protective of all of them, but he goes to lengths to make Chuuya feel included and cared for. His form of affection seems to be annoying Chuuya with little gestures to make him accept them slowly, he's aware of how volatile Chuuya is at this time and handles him with care. Pianoman was the one behind the whole "one year anniversary" that the Flags threw for Chuuya, so it's clear that he pays attention to Chuuya, and cares for him a great deal. Pianoman is very blunt about some things, he confronts Chuuya out right about his motivations and troubles in order to assist him.
Albatross has a similar form of showing care; by being a little shit. He's a lot less subtle than Pianoman, as he outright pisses Chuuya off on purpose, but in ways that are clearly jokes, a way to add levity to the tense air around Chuuya joining the mafia. He does take notice of Chuuya's moods, tries to calm him down when he gets too riled up, and clearly doesn't want to push him over the edge to the point that it's no longer funny. He's the closest of the Flags with Chuuya, as they live in the same building, and they go on missions together, or rather, Albatross drags Chuuya on missions with him as a forced bonding method, despite the fact that he messes with Chuuya, he also cares about making sure that he's not upset.
Lippmann takes a slight protective air towards Chuuya, similar to Pianoman. He jokes about taking Chuuya under his wing and is also featured laying a soothing hand on Chuuya's shoulder, which leads me to believe that this is something he does often. Lippmann is an actor, and that comes through with some of the calculated ways he guides conversations, carefully pointing Chuuya towards the fact that he is a part of the Flags and ensuring that he feels included. Lippmann is able to read Chuuya's behaviour, that is part of his job, and he tailors his interactions to suit Chuuya's needs, he is described as being gentle, particularly when it comes to topics that are fresh wounds in Chuuya's past.
Doc is a weird little fuck, and I love him dearly. His form of affection seems to be threats??? Which is uh, unique...i guess? The best way I can really describe the way he interacts with Chuuya is just that he's weird, and generally off-putting, although he seems to quickly include Chuuya in with the rest of the Flags, at the very least he treats them all the same. Doc is weird to analyse because everything he says is just one curveball after another. Due to his weird relationship with death and God, I'm inclined to believe that he respects Chuuya for being a fighter, he does comment on the fact that "Poison isn't enough to kill Chuuya", which almost sounds like a begrudged compliment, as Poison is his self-admitted way that he's killed lot's of people. He also put a ton of effort into tracing back Chuuya's medical history, which shows care if not affection.
Iceman is another interesting one to analyse. He, like Albatross, takes care to ensure that Chuuya feels comfortable, he admits that he didn't want to hold the celebration for Chuuya, because he thought it might upset him. Iceman is very blunt and upfront with Chuuya, he doesn't sugarcoat or lie to him, he makes it clear that the Flags all believe in Chuuya's strength, and calls out his unnecessary violence, as well as revealing Pianoman's true intentions in watching out for Chuuya. Iceman respects Chuuya, after all, Chuuya was managed to escape being killed by Iceman when he was in the Sheep, and holds no grudges. Although they have the most tense relationship out of Chuuya and the Flags, Iceman still allows Chuuya to see below his cold facade, and shows him his true nature.
Chuuya overall is conflicted when it comes to the Flags. In many ways, he interacts with them the same way he interacts with Dazai, because that's just how he is with people. Anger is a shield for his other emotions, when he's overwhelmed by their kindness and care for him, he threatens to leave and accuses them of trying to make him "weepy" so that he'll apologize. He does let some of his guard down around them, and they're the people he's closest to in the Mafia at that point, he fights well alongside them, and despite their few scuffles, trusts and cares for them.
Murase and Chuuya's relationship is short-lived, but adorable. In some ways, Chuuya and Murase have many connections, Murase's relationship with N can be compared to Chuuya's relationship with Verlaine, mainly in that they have weird-ass older brothers who are batshit insane. There is something to be said about how N inadvertently brought about the end of his younger brother's life, and through his influences drove Murase to be a better person and help people, which is why Murase is so determined to bring Chuuya into the light (Odasaku moment). Murase is such a daggy-dad, every part of me wishes he'd managed to pick up Chuuya before everything had happened. He shows so much care for him, and even though Chuuya insults him flippantly, he doesn't give up on trying to improve his life. God dammit Asagiri, why are you like this.
ADAM. MY SWEET SWEET ROBOT MAN. God I love him. He's got Chuuya's back 10000% and he's there for him every step of the way. I can sooooooo draw a million and one parallels between Verlaine and Adam, but for now we're only talking about one synthetic human. Adam is SO caring, he immediately places Chuuya as the most important person in his system, he buys snacks for him before they go out on their mission, he stands up to Shirase for Chuuya's sake, and god he shows how much he truly admires and cares for Chuuya. Adam is fascinated by human nature, and to him there is nothing more human than Chuuya. One of my favourite scenes is when Chuuya calls Verlaine human, and Adam is overjoyed, thinking that Chuuya has drawn the obvious conclusion that due to his and Verlaine's similarities, if Verlaine is human, so is Chuuya! Silly stupid robot man i love you so much. And he SACRIFICES himself for Chuuya, god, he DIES for him, and we know he did that of his own violation, which makes it WORSE. Chuuya begrudgingly comes to care about Adam, and from the beginning calls him reliable and trustworthy (HE TRSUTS HIMDVJHBJHFG), and is genuinely happy at his return. They make me so sad oh god.
Slotting Verlaine in here real quick because his relationship with Chuuya is one of my favourites. They're besties, they're worsties, they brothers from two different continents. Verlaine is quite literally the stereotypical overprotective brother, except he's also the king of the assassins, so he shows his love by murdering Chuuya's friends. The most painful thing about his actions to me is that he genuinely thought he was helping Chuuya. Verlaine is too lost in his own pain to realise that his and Chuuya's situations are different, that his own past is not what he thought. Verlaine projects heavily onto him, even calls Chuuya his "other self", and he spends most of Stormbringer in denial about his own relationship with Rimbaud, and consequently Chuuya's relationship with those around him. Verlaine's pain runs deep, and it cuts into Chuuya as well.
NOW WE'RE ON TO THE BIG GUNS.
TEEN SOUKOKU BABY, WOOOOOOH I LOVE THEM
Stormbringer is SUCH a turning point for their relationship. There was a trust forged in Fifteen, but that kinda went to shit after Dazai pulled that whole thing with the Sheep. Even so, there's something there, Dazai is still the one who nullifies corruption and takes Chuuya to see the Flags, he's still the one who allows Chuuya to tie him up and spin him around by the ankle as "revenge". And he's the one who gives Chuuya what might be the first choice of his life. Stormbringer shows something very, very important for Dazai's character, which is that he was always capable of change. While many people point to Odasaku as the reason Dazai changed so much, which is true, he was able to change before he met him. It's so important to remember that Dazai always had it in him to change, he just needed to right push, and Chuuya was one of those pushes. Odasaku was just more of a shove. Dazai not only deliberately puts himself in another person's shows for Chuuya, but he gives him a genuine and real choice, one that he intends to uphold. Stormbringer reforges that trust between Soukoku, it shows them once again as equals.
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They're perfect.
TY FOR YOUR ASK ANON <33 I love Stormbringer so much
-T
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emerald-truth · 1 year ago
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Yesterday I watched Data's Day and it made me cry and I need to talk about it.
First of all I love that it was lowkey a slice of life episode? Like Data is just describing his normal day and some crazy stuff happens as usual on the Enterprise but it's also just like. The crew hanging out. I especially love his conversation with Worf about what wedding present to buy because it's just so normal? Everyday? And just seeing his casual friendships with everyone? And they all love each other? I love the whole tng crew so much.
Anyway, what made me really emotional was how much I related to Data as an autistic person and I know people talk about this all the time but I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN FOR MYSELF.
Right in the beginning of the episode he talks about how he used to have trouble maintaining friendships but now that he's become better at predicting other people's emotions he's become able to form friendships. And just. The whole ordeal of having to take years and years to LEARN TO MAKE FRIENDS when it seems to come so naturally to everyone else, when it seems like something that should just be easy. Yeah. But then also the absolute joy when you succeed! When you think ah yes I've finally learned to understand others enough, to do the correct analyses, to make the correct predictions, I can finally make friends! And Data is so pleased with himself just like I have been the past couple years. And the thing is! He makes mistakes still in predicting emotions! But his friends forgive him and help him understand! And it's just so??? Oh my god the happiness that comes with being accepted despite your flaws, despite who you are and what you can't change about yourself. With being reminded that you still deserve friendship and a special place in people's lives even when you make mistakes. Because even though he upsets Keiko by trying to change her mind about the wedding she forgives him and still lets him act as "the father of the bride" because she still loves him! Everyone does! Because he's so sincere! Oh my god I love Data so much-
But the thing that made me cry was one little moment when they suddenly redirect their course towards the neutral zone and Data says it's a good thing his duties can't be interrupted by emotions such as the uneasiness he might feel about such a change to the course. While clearly exhibiting signs of being nervous like tapping his fingers and glancing behind himself at the drivers. And this is something about my experience of autism that I hardly ever see in fiction. Not only do I have trouble understanding the feelings of others, I have trouble identifying MY OWN FEELINGS. I have low body awareness so instead of feeling emotions in my body I have to engage with them intellectually which means I often can't tell that I'm experiencing an emotion even when people around me can. I saw another post a month or so ago talking about how Data probably has similar troubles because his emotions don't manifest physically the way they do for humans. And just. I've spent so long feeling like and being accused of being an unemotional person because I don't feel my emotions the way other people do, so to see this implication that Data DOES have emotions even when he himself doesn't always notice them is so lovely. Just because he or I don't always feel emotions physically, and must understand them intellectually, doesn't mean we are uncaring. It just means so much to see a character who thinks of himself as emotionless be portrayed as so gentle, kind, and loved.
And then the end of the episode- Data says he believes humanity is not an inherent quality but a way of thinking and something he can achieve. And that's so reassuring. Even if I'm not human now, maybe someday I will be. And even if I'm not human, even if I'm never human, I can still be good, I can still feel, I can still make friends, I can still be like Data.
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sunflower73498 · 8 months ago
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I literally can’t stop thinking about Young Royals S3
I have always been fascinated by Wille’s relationship with his parents, or lack thereof. Specifically his mother, because until this season, his father was little more than a cardboard cutout. In S1 I strongly disliked Kristina. In S2 she seemed to be trying a little more, though her efforts were specifically aimed at achieving her own goals for Wilhelm, not his. In S3, I once again dislike her, but I feel bad for disliking her.
Because truly, her grief, the extreme psychological and physical manifestations of losing a child that she is experiencing, is all completely valid, and within the spectrum of what is expected of a parent who has lost a child. I feel sympathy for the physical and mental health problems she is experiencing, and I think it’s OK for her to be experiencing it, to take a step back to deal with it. 
What I don’t think is OK, however, is expecting her 16 year old son, a first year HS student with his own history of mental illness, who is also deeply grieving, to take over all of her responsibilities. Yeah, they don’t really mean for him to take over everything, because he’s a kid and still in school, but they’ve also really stepped up the pressure on him without offering much additional support (Farima offers some, she’s the most present adult in his life this season, and really the one who seems to know him and care about him most of the adults on the show). They ask him to start a foundation and support a cause, but neither of his parents show up to support him in doing that, even knowing that he has sometimes extreme anxiety regarding public speaking/public appearances. They don’t walk him through the process or offer guidance, just constantly remind him that he’s expected to step up, and may have to fully take over within a year or two, and send Farima to deal with him (which in my opinion is much better that Jan Olof, because Farima actually seems patient with Wilhelm and to know how to handle his emotions with sensitivity). 
While I’m mad at Kristina, despite her legitimate grief, I’m more mad at Ludvig, I think. Yes, he also lost a child and is grieving, but he’s holding it together enough to support his wife, so why isn’t he offering any of that support to his son, even when said son starts reaching out more, and clearly wants to talk? 
I also think this is all complicated by the fact that Wilhelm didn’t have a good, close relationship with his parents to begin with. Kristina was harsh and dismissive of him even before Erik died in season 1. If Kristina had only started neglecting Wilhelm, putting excessive pressure on him and comparing him to Erik after Erik had passed, I would be a lot more forgiving. But I get the impression that Wilhelm has always been compared to Erik, has always been made to feel that he isn’t good enough in comparison and needs to be more like Erik, and his parents have never made much effort to understand him. I think he often only got attention when he was in trouble, and toddlers and teenagers are similar in the fact that if their negative behaviors are what get the attention the desire, they will keep doing that as long as it is reinforced that negative behavior leads to attention. His outburst at them in episode 5 had been building a lot longer than the few months since Erik died. 
I think his parents both desperately needed to hear what he was shouting out them. I think that shouting and getting angry and destroying things wasn’t the best way to go about getting them to listen, but as discussed above, I think it’s the only way he really knows how to get their attention. And yeah, the timing isn’t great, when his mother is suffering so much, but Wille is suffering, too, and he has reached his limit. It seems like a relatively little thing, to get mad that his parents talked too much about Erik on a day that’s supposed to be about Wilhelm and that his mom didn’t feel up to sticking around for cake, but that was really just the final straw on a long history of trauma, turmoil, and emotional neglect, the last Jenga block being pulled out before the tower toppled. 
(Admittedly, this is young royals, it’s a show about Wilhelm, and we viewers have come to love him over the 3 seasons, it’s his struggle that is being portrayed, so of course I’m on his side and want better for him rather than siding with his mother even though I do feel some sympathy for her.)
Anyway, I will probably keep reflecting on this aspect of the show for a lot longer. Maybe I’ll even feel some inspiration to write fan fiction in response. We’ll see where it goes. 
I also have a lot more thoughts about August, and about Farima of all people to share at some point.
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sn33z3s · 2 years ago
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in defense of “if you weren’t a fucking asshole”
(what better time to write “meta” than hours before a season premiere. after all, style is dead. or was it that it’s just boring? no, wait, it’s toxic??)
this doesn’t have a thesis, it’s just some leftover thoughts from last year - mostly pertaining The Church Scene, because of course - and featuring some hot stan marsh characterization takes i guess
let’s start with the gay glancing at your ex-childhood best friend
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so, this framing is loaded because it's the narrative of their whole thing: kyle chasing stan. stan usually comes to kyle's rescue in absurd (but solvable) situations, whereas kyle often has to fight stan to provide emotional respite. they're thinking of each other here; it's distinct how stan looks back, rather than this shot cutting at kyle. stan's explosive reaction is still pretty presumptuous, but kyle was, even if unintentionally, asking for stan's attention - which is typical
in a sense, this scene is their wordless language; the kind you share with said ex-best friend but it’s gotten worn from overuse, and as a result, you’re both communicatively stunted, so now that you’ve reached out again after 40 years, the first step to any comfort or solace is [the scene above] and a homoerotic spectacle:
well, i don’t need to tell you what that public spectacle is; you already know
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stan leads his paranoid outburst in the church by accusing kyle of knowing something which would be impossible for kyle to know; in You’re Getting Old/Assburgers kyle also reaches out to stan, who turns him down, yet still asks that kyle basically read his mind and comfort him
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kyle is not a stranger to demanding unrealistic things from stan as well, but kyle calling stan “asshole” packs that punch since contemporarily the fandom usually assumes stan as more emotionally forward or in-touch with himself. however, in the church, kyle is pointing out that stan is clearly repressing his feelings, desires, traumas, etc. and kyle has used a similar approach before:
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in my last meta, i wrote about how stan is pretty firm in not instantly accepting kyle's olive branches. of course, the thing is, kyle's olive branches are bent sometimes, let alone how he approaches asking for stan's forgiveness before the broship splits. kyle doesn't apologize: he just expects stan to move on
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(also, i love the "divorced couple" coding before we even reach Post-COVID.) anyway, the show clearly acknowledges stan as "agreeing with kyle no matter what," and the first time stan and kyle fight in canon, it’s a big deal
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i always return to how i don't see kyle or stan as at fault in most of, if not all, of their fights. this especially applies to YGO & Assburgers since it's one of their most significant “break-up” arcs. still... kyle's "if you weren't a fucking asshole" in the church scene is so satisfying. (and 100% excellent voice acting on matt stone's part; the punchy delivery at the end of that line is what makes me revisit it often.) when i put my tin foil hat on, it does sound like decades of resentment built up. if this post had to have a thesis, it’d be, “here’s why kyle had every right to call stan an asshole in that moment,” but the Stan Can Be an Asshole, Too meta is for another day. after all, my last meta also revolved around the trouble i have with framing stan as an exclusively passive character (rather than predominantly passive) 
by “decades of resentment,” i mean simmering for kyle since, you guessed it, episodes such as You're Getting Old and Assburgers. i talk about YGO & Assburgers a lot, i'm sorry. but i was thinking about the church scene as i browsed the south park wiki on the official site: "Kyle can only deal with so much of Stan's negativity." (obviously, matt and trey themselves do not write or even moderate the Comedy Central studios wiki, so take all of it with a grain of salt.) i like that wording, though, and this other part of the blurb too: "Stan's ego can get in the way of their friendship [referencing Guitar Queer-o]" 
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kyle not being able to handle stan’s negativity these days is more often harshly critiqued than anything about stan’s ego. that detail does, in many forms, relate to the stan jock characterization discourse, but that’ll also have to wait for another meta. i can say a couple of things about it to tie up this post, though 
yes, kyle fails to comfort stan in the YGO arc. at the same time, i don't think his positivity is always maligned. after all, the YGO arc isn't stan vs kyle, it's stan and kyle vs. growing up; this is their contemporary theme. and yes, for a kid, kyle can have that emotional maturity
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Tegridy Farms and Post-COVID have cemented stan as south park’s protagonist – though, in my opinion, he always has been it, especially since Bigger, Longer, & Uncut – and protagonists are like, the character archetype that receives the most self-projection. yet this emotional angle is comparatively still a fairly new framing of stan’s character. now that this show is narrated in such a way that we see even more of the world of south park through stan’s eyes, fans watching may feel extra inclined to think of him as only ever depressed. but being sad is not all stan does and never has been
not only is this frequency fairly new to his character, i would go so far as to say that there’s a difference between the contemporary stan angst arcs and older episodes like Raisins, YGO, and Assburgers. being sad is not “natural” to stan (whatever that means), it is thrust upon him. most recently, this is randy’s fault. yes, we are meant to - and i hope that most do - sympathize or empathize with stan, but my point here is that he’s a little bit more belligerent and bullish than the fandom currently gives him credit for
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