#anyway. I really really like how the thing with nick is like. weaponizing love

[the-meme-monarch]

ooouuuuu friend.ship test. hi friendship test. I’ve had a break from commissions bc I’m waiting for an answer back before I can proceed so I’ve been able to just watch friendship test hi friendship test hi. hi. just finished act 7. act 7 has hands

[thesupreme316]

ok this might sound weird but… how would aew men react to having a partner who acts like Chelsea Green so she is a karen on screen hopefully that makes sense😭..

AEW Stars React to: You Being A Karen (on-screen)

Pairings: Orange Cassidy x Fem!Reader, MJF x Fem!Reader, Kenny Omega x Fem!Reader, Hook x Fem!Reader, Eddie Kingston x Fem!Reader, Ricky Starks x Fem!Reader, Christian Cage x Fem!Reader

Word Count: 910

Supreme Speaks: hey yall sorry for being MIA, my life has changed so much so please keep me in good thoughts. anyways, i'm back and thanks to @cassie0sstuff requesting and sorry for not responding. Imma try my best to upload as much as possible this week. please remember that you are loved and appreciated.

Warnings: none i think

Taglist: @cassie0sstuff @wwenhlimagines @hooks-martin @hookerforhook @sheinthatfandom @eddie-kingstons-wifey

Okay for this I can only imagine yall doing the whole Karen thing if the other person was truly in the wrong…not when someone is literally just doing their job

Orange Cassidy

He’s just going with the flow man

This is the face before you start yellin 😐

And this is the face after you start yellin 😐

He literally would let you go on a rant and finally, when you walk away he’ll say

“What she said”

Will tell you to chill out if you’re going overboard

Cassidy literally doesn’t have the energy to be playing with you or feeding into your antics

Because of this, Kris, Trent, and Chuck have to pull you off of the other person He loves it when you scream at his opponents; he starts chuckling in their faces

Hook

Tries to calm you down….sometimes

Like Cassidy, Hook is not with the yelling and screamin (unless its in other ways wink wink)

He’s a very quiet and stoic person if you didn’t know

Will shut you down before you even get started

Like I’m talking will pick you up and remove you from the room

However, if it’s a time when you really can’t be stopped, Hook will sit back and observe

With a huge ass smirk as you’re mouthing off at his opponent

After it’s all said and done, he says, “Fuck around and find out”

Only will allow you to do it once he can’t be bothered to yell or complain

Eddie Kingston

Man either loves it or he’s not phased

Like it has become a part of his routine; wake up, get ready, hear you yell, kick-ass, sleep, repeat

He loves to see you go off the handles every once in a while, especially when confronting Claudio or Jericho

You: You keep getting involved with business that’s not yours! You are not the authority here! I’ll sue you!

Eddie: SHE WILL TAKE ALL YOUR PENNIES YOU SWISS LEX LUTHOR!

Other times you fade into the background

Fenix: Do you hear her?

Eddie: Not really, at this point it’s white noise…or maybe I’m going deaf

I also think he would just place you in front of him when he's finished talking so you can scream the rest of his thoughts

Kenny Omega

Your character is primarily on BTE

He feeds into it

Will tattletale on Nick and Matt to you

“You two are in big trouble when Y/N gets here! Ooooooooo!”

Will hide behind you and stick his tongue out at Nick and Matt

I think he would also just tell Kota (who can do no wrong) to let you angry translate for him

Kenny would be the significant other who 100% percent supports their partner

Even if they are in the wrong…he won’t let you know when you’re wrong

If you really went in on someone, he would quietly apologize after you leave

MJF

OH THIS MOTHERFUCKER

Feeds into it x5000

A smirk would be on his face as he states that you are his secret weapon

Will lie to people just for a chance to see you yell at people

Brings you to his matches so you can yell at referees about their “mistakes”

Will act like a Karen when you get ejected from a match

“NO YOU SMHUCK! YOU CAN’T GET MAD CAUSE YOU DON’T KNOW HOW TO DO YOUR JOB!”

He might leave the match since you’re not there

Sits back stage and sulks while you scream at everyone in sight

Tbh, you are both Karens with the way he acts

You both have to drag each other away

Christian Cage

Hehe, this man is the biggest Karen

Don’t hit me, but this man would use you as a shield and scapegoat (character speaking wise)

He would hide behind you and tell you to tell off his opponent

Will send you to do interviews for him, loves it when you get feisty and start yelling

He would also send you off to let Tony his list of demands (of what he wants in his locker room and wish)

If he said anything outta pocket and gets confronted, he’ll say it was you

“I didn’t say your mom is hot…Y/N said it! Wait-“

Hear me out…he has several voice messages saved with you screaming your head off

Uses it when you’re not there to get his point across

God forbid anyone starts yelling back at you…he would unleash hellfire upon them

Ricky Starks

Okay at first…he was annoyed

Like he didn’t understand why your character goes around yelling at people and how it got over

But once he turned heel, he understood

It was hella funny yet justified…especially when one of you got disrespected

Ricky tries his best not to laugh on screen when you’re screaming

Will join in and verbally jump the person

You: You are so horrible at your job! Like how did you-

Ricky: I got this baby…YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE AT YOUR JOB AND YOU DESERVE TO CHOKE-

He is quick to get merchandise made with your Karen slogans

Cuts people off and threats to get you...which makes them instantly shut up

[nikethestatue]

I wanted to write about something else, but as I started digging deeper, I didn't feel that my case was well-supported, and therefore, I won't write the meta.

Now, of course the investigation led me down the rabbit hole of ACOSF.

And my god, does it help to unlearn some of the things that we keep repeating and which aren't necessarily true, by actually reading the text 'raw'. Without any agenda.

Anyway, there are some very interesting things that stood out to me as I was reading the latter part of ACOSF today. First of all, I remembered how much I actually love it. I know. I know. Everyone is an ACOSF hater but I actually loved the book when I first read it and I apparently, still really like it. That aside, here are some of the more interesting things that jumped out at me, especially in light of HOFAS and the information that it offered.

To put the arguments down once and for all:

YES, there is a TRAITOR in the IC. Or, at least a potential traitor.

p. 722

"You kill me," Nesta gasped, "and you don't get the Trove. You'll never find it."

"There are others in your court as delusional as you are. They'll get it for me one way or another, with the right incentive. Granted, I'll need your blood to unlock the wards of the Trove."

What is interesting is that after Nyx's birth, Mor winnowed ALL THREE Trove items to their proper places. Which means that she can at least touch them.

There is also a drop of blood on Truth Teller for when Azriel nicked Nesta's finger to bind the Trove objects to her blood.

Interesting.

2. Both Bellius and Briallyn repeatedly called Gwyn a 'half-breed'. A half breed of what? And why would it matter? When it comes to her nymph blood, that seems like just a drop in a bucket, and therefore wouldn't make sense to call her a 'half-breed' just because she is a quarter nymph. Everything indicates that she is otherwise a normal High Fae. So, why does it matter, especially to Bellius, who is Illyrian? It really jumped at me that they kept repeating this 'title'. They didn't even bother with her name, not once. Just called her a 'half-breed'. So, what is the 'half' in Gwyn? The only other famous half-breed that I can think of is Rhys, who is truly half-Illyrian and half-High Fae.

3. It would seem that BOTH Rhys and Feyre are Starborn, as is Nyx.

"The baby, whom Rhys and Feyre named Nyx, was as beautiful as anyone could ever dream a baby to be. Dark hair, with blue eyes that already glowed with his father' and mother's starlight, offsetting the light tan of his skin." (p. 740)

4. Nesta could Make and Un-make things and beings. Without any Trove objects, but with the sheer power of her being. We, of course know, that she Made the House and all the weapons and the bracelets. But, she also UNMADE Braillyn. She didn't just kill her. She Unmade what the Cauldron Made Braillyn--which is a crone--she brought her back to her young and beautiful self, and then she destroyed her.

This raises the question of Elain's powers and whether she possesses something similar? Can she UNMake a bond? Can she Unmake a curse? Can she Unmake death?

It also raises the question of whether the sisters' powers equal those of the Cauldron?

5. I think that Nesta WILL BE Queen. Of what, I am not sure. However, I think that the two foreshadows (not to mention her title of Queen of Queens) is the vision that Lanthys showed her, of the two of them ruling the world made of pure magic, but also this exchange:

"You could've ruled the world with your power," he said carefully.

"I don't want to rule the world." Her eyes were unguarded in a way he had never seen. Mate, she had called him.

"What do you want?" Cassian managed to ask, voice rasping.

She smiled, and damn if it wasn't the loveliest thing he'd ever seen. "You."

"You've had me from the moment you met me."

She tucked a strand of hair behind an arched ear. "I know." p. 742

6. Which leads me to my final point.

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE, who claims that Nessian would be broken apart, that they are not true mates, that Nesta doesn't like him, that Cassian doesn't love her are certifiably insane.

I think what people remember is the smut in ACOSF, but reading it closely, you quickly realize that it is a book of love and devotion. Of great love. Of love that doesn't need the words 'I love you' actually. This is a book of stunning emotions. And I wish people would reread it and get their heads straight.

Other things I picked up: Koschei can winnow others. Which means he can control the environment beyond the lake.

I think there are some other things that I noticed that contradict some long-standing opinions, but I'll leave it for another time.

[fallout4-reacts]

Can I request fallout 4 companions (and Maxson if possible) reacting to sole getting infected with FEV but they’re not a super mutant yet. Like, there’s that spot if time after infection where sole is still relatively human but symptoms start happening (the paranoia, hardening skin, pain etc)

Okay, so I had some really… seriously bad news today, but I'm a person of word, and I don't want to drag things out. I already had three companions writing, so I send them to you, plus Strong

Anyway, reactions will almost certainly be lengthy, so it's not a bad idea to do it on several topics

So here’s part 1 (2 - 3 - 4) Cait / Deacon / Nick / Strong

It's time to celebrate the triumph; the Institute has been blasted to the ground, and everyone is overjoyed. Then a voice emerges over the fray, a voice that Sole is all too familiar with. Justin Ayo's voice

"Sole! You annihilated what I had spent my entire life defending! You ruined my home, family, and dreams. And you think you're going to get away with it?"

Sole's companion reacted quickly, raising their weapon at the former director of the Synth Retention Bureau, but even if they killed him instantly, it wasn't until he shot a syringe gun at Sole.

The companion turns to Sole, horrified to realise that the syringe contained... the FEV

Cait : Cait isn't very scientific, but she understands exactly what happened. She runs up to Sole as they rip the syringe from their chest. Their faces are filled with terror. They, too, were aware that their days were numbered.

"The fella from the Glowing Sea! He said he could cure the virus!"

Sole unhappily nods their head, but they are too stunned to explain the delays to Cait. Because they are well aware that they do not have any. Cait, on the other hand, is a smuggler's head who refuses to give up.

"Sorry, but that's just too bad! You'll have bulging biceps and a hue of emerald, but I'm confident you'll put up a good fight! I reckon the spirit inside ya is tougher than nails. Stay true to yourself, sugar. You're gonna fight back!"

Sole still wants to disagree, but an unexpected wave of pain takes away their power to do so. They fold in half, and Cait prefers to cut the celebration short before anyone notices what is going on. She drags Sole far, far away. As far away from anyone they know as possible. As they set up camp for the night, the sun sets on that terrible day.

The way Sole's skin seemed to be hardening was the first thing Cait noticed the next morning. As the sun progressively sets, Sole becomes increasingly frightened, jumping and raising their weapon as though expecting to see an enemy approach. Sole's symptoms worsened as the days passed. They were in excruciating pain, and their skin was turning green. Cait saw Sole's fear in their eyes, which hurt her heart, but she refused to give up.

Sole collapsed on the third day. Cait hurried to their aid, feeling the heat radiating from them. Cait could feel the metamorphosis beginning as Sole began to boil. She lifted Sole's head and looked them in the eyes.

"Don't you go leavin' me now, Sole," Cait yelled, her voice full of pain. "We've been through a lot as a squad to let this bring us down. Ah, do you recall the time when we vanquished that behemoth in unison? We can also take down that."

Cait could see the determination in Sole's eyes as they darted. She knew Sole wouldn't give up, and she couldn't either. They would fight together.

Cait noticed Sole's body changing over the next few days. Their muscles increased and their skin went green, but Sole stayed the same on the inside. They remained the same person Cait had grown to love, and she refused to allow the modifications change that.

They mutually decide to leave the Commonwealth because Sole finds it too difficult to face folks they know in their new state, and Cait understands how Sole feels. She could see terror in the eyes of those they met as they travelled together. They were terrified of Sole, terrified of who they had become. Cait, on the other hand, knew that Sole was still the same person, and she tried everything she could to demonstrate that to others.

Sole and Cait were eventually able to overcome the obstacles of the FEV infection. They were a team, and they were not going to allow anything break them up. Cait knew she would always be there for Sole, and she shows it.

Deacon : He arrives at their side without delay and leads them away from the others, gradually moving further away from them until he finally leads them to a hiding area that only he is familiar with. Not until then does he let off Sole's arm and realise that throughout the entire journey, Sole has been protesting.

"Deacon!"

"What?"

"Shit! What exactly was that?

"What? You wanted us to socialise normally with our pals as they to figure out what was going on with you, and then one of them was meant to take a shot without thinking it through?"

"But they are our friends in every sense of the word! I seriously doubt that Glory or Tom would ever -

 "Carrington?"

Sole remains silent. Anyway, they are abruptly overcome with a wave of pain, and the only thing they can do is collapse to the ground and wait for it to pass while simultaneously hoping that it will pass. Deacon, for his part, starts walking back and forth. To be truthful, he gave the impression that he was fully in control of the situation, notwithstanding the fact that he felt quite the opposite. He went into a full-blown panic. Therefore, he falls back to what he knows best in the circumstance, which is to sink into the deepest level of denial possible, and in the moment, this tactic is successful.

At first, it appeared to suggest there was a defect with the vial. The fact that Sole's condition was not getting worse gave Deacon reason to have hope. However, as the second dawn drew near, they became increasingly belligerent and unstable. The third day passed, and then something unexpected took place. They started to grow and change, and eventually their bodies took on the appearance of a super mutant.

Deacon gasped in horror as he witnessed Sole deteriorate into a monstrosity, their formerly calm demeanour giving way to an animalistic anger. He was conscious now that removing Sole from the situation without first looking for assistance was a grave error on his part, but it was too late to reverse his decision at this point.

As Sole howled and raged, Deacon slowly came to the realisation that he had lost his companion forever. Because his loyalty had blinded him to the danger that was waiting for him, he would now have to deal with the repercussions of his actions.

In the end, it was necessary for Deacon to put down the monster that had been his partner . As he stood over their lifeless body, he couldn't help but think about the things that went wrong and how they could have been avoided. And just as the sun was setting on the third and final day of his suffering, he got down on his knees and started crying.

Nick : He is adamant about not giving up on Sole. Not after everything they've been through. Not after he finally found a place in himself to open up to a new love. His first reaction is to bring Sole back to Diamond City to ponder quietly in his familiar surroundings, but Sole objects.

"I can't go to the Commonwealth's most populous city and suddenly turn into a monster!"

"You will not change, not under my watch, I assure you!"

However, he understands that Diamond City should be avoided. So, he brings Sole to a safe place in a secluded neighbourhood of Boston. He needs some quiet time to think things through.

"Virgil—

"...didn't have time to develop anti-virus strains. And he won't have time for it. His treatment had already been completed."

"Time, time, we need time..."

Sole want to protest when a sudden pain pulse catches them off guard. They collapse on their knees on the ground, and Nick finds himself overcome with fear. It's only the first day; Sole can't transform quite yet, can he? He coerces his friend to stand, more to reassure himself than to help the other, because Sole is so paralysed that they're stiff. That's when Nick had a sudden revelation.

"I know how to cut down on the time it takes to find the antidote."

When Nick wakes up Sole the next morning, he notices that their skin is less... elastic. He can't disguise the reality that the process of mutation is already underway, and that DNA is almost probably being corrupted. There isn't any time to waste.

"We're going to Sanctuary."

"Why Sanctuary?"

Sole can't help but be suspicious. Nick makes an effort to reassure them.

"I know you're not going to like it, but there's only one way to keep yourself intact until we find the antidote."

Sole frowns, bewildered, and then begins to realise in front of Nick's supportive stare. No. Everything except... that.

"No!"

"There isn't another way."

"Yes, a bullet in the head, right now!"

"Never. Not when there is an alternative."

"This is not a workable solution!"

"I know it's risky, but that's all we have."

Finally, after much patience, Nick persuaded Sole, and they set off. Rather than heading to Sanctuary, they travel to Vault 111. The journey takes a portion of the day, particularly because Sole is frequently taken by a sudden attack of pain, spasm, or stiffness. Their entire existence is already changing; even their complexion is becoming stringier with each hour that passes, and Nick is concerned that they will not arrive before the effects are too severe. Nonetheless, they do it. However, it isn't a win-win situation. Sole suffers another panic episode when they call the lift to take them inside the vault.

"No! I don't want to be imprisoned for another two hundred years! I don't want to lose the world that I've come to know! Not again! Kill me right now!"

Nick must use all of his synthetic strength to drag Sole, who has already begun to build muscle mass, which is not helpful to the detective at all.

"Come on, I'm not leaving you. As soon as the stasis begins, I'm going to the Glowing Sea to find Virgil and make the serum. Then I'll return right away to wake you up and inject it."

They're getting closer to the cryo chambers, and Sole's panic is at its peak. They abruptly jumped to the side, giving Nick a pained expression.

"That was your plan all along!"

"Save your skin? Yes."

"No, bring me back here. You went to great lengths to lure me back here. You're not interested in me. You were never interested in me. I remember you the era of the original Nick, and you didn't want anything to do with him, so you found a way to get rid of me!»

Nick's eyes widen in stupor. It's complete delirium.

"Very complicated plan when I just had to put a bullet in your head."

"No, because you're not like that; you're too good to kill an innocent person coldly. But you can cryogenize them and give to time of deciding whether or not to bring them back."

"Sole... enters the capsule."

"Never!"

Sole leaps out of Nick's reach, who becomes more than impatient. He's terrified. He fears the worse for Sole, that he will lose them both physically and mentally. The madness he has just witnessed disturbs him to the core of his circuits, and he is unsure how much time he has left before it's too late. In a desperate ultimately act, he apologises profusely, knocking out his friend. That was not how he intended things to go. He feels traitor for putting his friend's lifeless body in the cryogenic capsule. But he's doing it to help and save them. And that's what he tells himself as he walks out of the vault and heads in the direction of the Glowing Sea, even though he knows it won't make his guilt go away.

Strong : "What wrong be like Strong?"

The frustration felt by Sole is beyond their ability to control. They exploded like a huge storm, destroying everything in their path along the way. They put their hand on a wrench and began to strike, hit, and strike again in an engine that they had spent the previous week putting back together. They eventually ran out of steam and allowed themselves to collapse to the ground on all fours.

"Strong, you have no idea what you're talking about. I don't want... I don't want to turn into some kind of monstrosity."

Strong stood there for a long amount of time merely staring at them in silence. They are aware that they have hurt Strong's feelings in some way, if he have so. At long last, the super-mutant lets out a sigh.

"Strong not monster. Strong friend. Strong protect weak. Strong always stronger to help. Sole stronger if becomes super-mutant. Sole become Strong’s brother. Strong protect Sole."

For the first time since Sole ripped the FEV vial from their chest, they saw a different possibility. Strong may be right. Even if they are transformed into a super-mutant, it's possible that Sole can continue to be a good person. In any case, it's not as if they have a choice in the matter. On the other hand, they have an option. That is in their hands. They have the ability to put a stop to this torment before it becomes too late. But if they actually gained greater strength while maintaining their goodness, like Strong did, then their deaths would have been in vain, right?

"Strong, you have to make a promise to me..."

"Strong promise."

"I'm going to give it a shot. I'm going to make an effort to become Strong's sibling. But if Sole becomes worse, if Sole becomes like Fist, you have to swear to execute me as soon as possible."

Strong stands up and confidently punches himself in the chest with his fist.

"Strong promises Sole. Strong remain brave. Strong will do right."

"So let it be…"

"And Sole and Strong find the milk of human kindness together."

Consequently, Sole begins to have doubts...

[purplerose244]

Watched the tenth episode of LEGO DreamZzz: LOVED IT!

So I actually watched this episode a whole while ago but forgot to post this... BUT NOW THE SECOND PART OF SEASON 1 IS ALL OUT SO I NEED TO PUT MY THOUGHTS DOWN 😍😍

Also the LEGO Youtube channel continues to bless me with shorts of the series, I'm already a huge fan of Draw with Mateo, and now we got Logan's Training Tutorials (he got such a massive ego istg 😂) AND EVEN AN ANIMATED SHORT CALLED "DREAMOLITION DUO VS THE MUTATED MATH MONSTERS" 🤩🤩🤩 (that one was EXCELLENT, I really hope we get more of those with that style)

Since all the new episodes dropped at the same time I might just make a single or two posts about all of them, we'll see! It's literally just for me to scream about how I love this show 🥰

Anyway, without further ado, let's get into this!

THE GRIM ESCAPE

This coach is pretty narrow minded, but I never had a PE teacher that wasn't 100% convinced gym was everything, so 😂

Dreamcrafting as a concept feels like elemental powers from Ninjago: it's likely the most powerful thing there is, but in most situations it gets nullified or nerfed so it's hard to use it all the time with no limits 😅😅 It does make sense for this place to be no imagination zone, though

I'm sure Logan feels very guilty for the mess he got into, but I do hope he doesn't get forgiven immediately, so I'm glad Mateo is genuinely upset at him

COOP NO 😱

Okay thank goodness 😂

Glad Logan isn't here to hear these orders and not follow them (sorry Logan 😅)

Edison bomb, we had the Edison ray before, I find it funny that the focus is on the guy that dreamed about his inventions

Mmmmm, I'm interested in the Night Hunter, I think there's more to him

LOGAN YOU GOT AMAZING FRIENDS YOU JUST GOTTA LEARN TO TREAT THEM BETTER I SWEAR THEY'RE ON THEIR WAY SWEETIE 😭😭

To be fair, he's doing pretty good on his own for not being able to dreamcraft

LIL BUDDY ACQUIRED 💙

Wolf wolf wolf wolf wolf- also interesting that this are the most normal creatures we saw so far, and it is in the place where the imagination is robbed and taken. Like here they don't waste time with creative creations like in the rest of the world

YES LOGAN TAKE THE HOURGLASS!!!

Yes Logan take your time 😅

Feels like karma Logan getting Stinkbrain as a nick he doesn't like, after mocking Mateo about Mattie this whole time

Z BLOG FIGHT Z BLOB FIGHT I ALWAYS LOVE WHEN THE LIL GUY APPEARS 💚

This show really says "best plan is run" 😂

I love Sneaky, someone needs to humble Logan a little bit... okay A LOT

Everyone loves and cares for Teo so much! LOVE ME A GOOD SUPPORTIVE TEAM 🩷

I still wonder where Zoe found her bow, and if there is a connection over the fact that she got a bow and the Night Hunter got a crossbow, they are the only ones with actual weapons and they are both long range kind of weapons

NUUUUU GOT CAPTURED

No worries mah boy Teo is out there with Z Blob I'm sure he'll think of something!!... oh yeah there's Logan too 😅

Z BINOCULAR WTF

AWWWWWWWWWW MATEO HUGGING LOGAN THAT WAS SO CUTE!!! 💚💙💚💙 Despite being mad at him and with reason too, he was still worried about him! That's why I love him 🥰🥰

Oh, this is nice, Mateo didn't forgive him but he sees that Logan cares. And Logan for once asked him what's the plan, instead of going on a limb as usual! GROWTH!!! 💙

"Everytime I dreamcraft, bad things happen! And then we do a lot of running!"

"Welcome to my world!"

LOL loved that

AWWWWWW!! This is what I was talking about when I said Teo is a great leader, and knows that now Logan can give a great input since he can't dreamcraft like the others! I know I'm focusing on Teo so much but he is my favourite, so 😅💚💚💚

TEO GOT AN IDEAAAAAAAA

Coop getting PTSD from that cage, the poor thing! Do not bring him back in! 😱

Even the Night Hunter is afraid of the Grimwolf! Just what kind of things are living in this place??

OMG TEO ALMOST GOT STABBED BY ZOE'S ARROW TO SAVE LOGAN MY GOSH 😱😱😱 ... I wonder if I can make a fanfiction out of this one 😂

Aww Logan was apologizing for once in his life! Lol Mr. Oz is so confused

"Drive it like you stole it!" Logan, 2023

DREAMBASH!! Okay I saw the LEGO sets for this one, but this is such a cool thing for Cooper and Logan to share! ❤️💙

LOGAN YOU DID NOT CALL A MONKEY SUS WHAT IS THIS SHOW 😂

Okay but Logan jumping off the ship to get back the hourglass? Teo and Sneaky following suit? Mr. Oz being absolutely done with these kids' recklessness? I loved that sequence so much 😂

EDISON BOMB!!!!

Wait Sneak didn't die, he ran away? To avoid the ray? So he's alive? I hope so!!

Poor Logan, he met a good friend...

WAIT WHAT'S THAT HAT?

WAIT THE NIGHT HUNTER FREED THE NIGHTMARE KING??

WAIT SNEAK IS ACTUALLY BAD??? WHAT NO COME ON THE ONE PERSON THAT LOGAN BEFRIENDED RIGHT AWAY!!!

Pff, does the Night Hunter not know Mateo's name? Little artiste?

WAIT WHAT NO NO NO DO NOT EVEN THINK OF DOING ANYTHING TO Z BLOB OR I WILL KILL EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND THEN MYSELF 😡😡😡

So now the Nightmare King is after the Waking World... GREAT 😅

I NEED MORE EPISODEEEEESSS 😍😍

[kindness-ricochets]

Happy Autism Pride Month! (David Kostyk-centric fanfic, because autism)

In honor of Autism Pride Month, here’s a quick fic!

David needs Tolya’s help...

"Tolya, I wonder if I might ask your assistance." Tolya sat alone in the courtyard of the royal palace, tending his weapon. He had a nick in the blade and a minor imperfection that would cause significant difficulties later if left untended. He was, in short, distinctly busy. David approached anyway. By his observation most people were usually about some task or another, and by his experience they may be otherwise occupied in important thoughts regardless of their apparent ease. Really the ideal time to approach someone didn't exist. Tolya looked up from his work. "What do you need?" Ah, if only it were so simple. "Well," David began. He drummed his fingers against the little journal held in his hands–ideal size for a pocket, small enough that drumming his fingers on it meant tapping his own nails. "Given your expertise on poetry," David explained, "I hoped you might help–I'm trying to–Genya has said that I don't compliment her." She had also said that she didn't mind. He almost wished she had not said that, because it seemed to mean that she did mind, and he could never tell when the one meant the other. "It's metaphors," he said. "If you can fix my metaphors, I can fix your blade." Tolya raised an eyebrow. He held out the sword; David felt much simpler now, just himself and the molecules of the blade. He brushed his fingers along the metal: a thought, an intention, and a reparation. Tolya touched the previously nicked spot. Now it was perfect and sharp. "A standard romantic metaphor will be something beautiful," Tolya said, "perhaps a gem?" David felt himself grimace. "That's… I don't get metaphors. Gems are standard. I suppose Genya is also standard as humans, like gems, follow established molecular sequencing patterns, but gems are quantified–luster, hardness, diaphaneity, cleavage." Tolya's eyebrows did a thing. David had said… something. "Obviously humans can also be quantified." "Well this sounds like a fascinating conversation," Tamar drawled to announce her presence. "I'm helping David write romantic poetry for Genya." "Oh." Tamar grinned. "All right. So that's why you two were talking about cleavage." "Yes," said David. The twins exchanged a look. People did that around him quite often. He didn't care for it, but he had fixed Tolya's blade and he needed beautiful words for Genya in trade. She deserved the world. The very least he could give her was a metaphor. "Not gems, then," Tolya concluded, "maybe–" "--a lioness!" suggested Tamar. "Genya is… not very like a lioness," David said. "Though I don't doubt she could rip a man's throat out with her teeth, it seems unlikely. And unromantic." "Depends on your perspective," Tamar offered. Tolya said something to her in a look. She shrugged. "A star?" Tolya offered. "A star is beautiful from a distance," at least, David had heard they were beautiful, he didn't find that to be the case, "but if you were to approach one, you would burn in its fire. Genya is very capable of danger, but it's something I respect in her, not why I love her." "What metaphor would you use?" Tolya asked. David didn't even need to think about it: "Socks." The twins had another silent conversation. Then Tolya asked, "How so, David?" "Socks are simultaneously gentle and hardy. We trust them to endure thousands of steps, they're strong and capable of great achievements, just like Genya. They make an otherwise painful and unpleasant experience like walking long miles into something pleasant. I could walk a thousand miles if I walked them with her. No, not a thousand, but many. And socks protect us. My world is better with her, like with in wool socks in winter." To David, it made perfect sense. Genya was as wonderful as a pair of socks, more so perhaps! But from the looks on the twins' faces, he understood that his suspicion had been correct, and this was an unromantic sentiment. It was why David didn't like poetry. A poem would compare Genya to something unobtainable, like a star. Something impossible to hold, like a crisp spring day. He didn't know what was so romantic about something being unreal. He very much appreciated her actual existence. Tolya stood and clapped David on the shoulder. "You may not have the timing of a poet, but you have the soul of one." "That's…" "Trust me. I know poetry."

[raissahandeson-blog]

Vulnerable

Well guys, I decided to rewatch The Old Guard and I simply found myself falling in love with all those charming characters.

I always thought that Nile and Andy have such intense chemistry that it would be a sin to have so few stories between the two of them and that was the reason that led me to write this. I confess that most of this story was written via translator, since my knowledge of English is very limited, and this is the first story I've written… So I apologize in advance for the various errors you found here.

Anyway, I think that having said that, I really liked the option of adding color to the sentences and that's why I found it interesting to separate Andy and Nile's lines by color. Nile will have all the dialogues in purple while Andy has red, just because I think they really suit them lol.

This is an art that I simply loved by an incredible artist called Rune, I'll leave the link below so you can check out more of his work. https://www.deviantart.com/rune-arts

The last year has been completely crazy for Nile, ever since his first death on duty in Afghanistan. The discovery of her own immortality, discovering the existence of an army of immortals that she was now a part of, the struggle in the laboratory and Andy's recent mortality, it was all a very radical change.

Her life was turned upside down, having to leave the Marines, her dream of following in her father's footsteps, her family, and gaining a new one made up of dysfunctional but extremely welcoming and loving immortal people.

At first, Nile believed that it would be difficult to fit into that group, after all, everyone there had known each other for centuries and orbited around each other easily. It was surprising when she realized that she didn't need to make an effort to try to be accepted, as she did in the marines, she already had everyone's respect and consideration since the day of the confrontation in Merick's Laboratory when she decided to return to save everyone. .

After the first two crazy weeks they finally had time to settle down and rest, keeping as close to a normal routine as possible. Of course, there were still the physical training and sparring sessions that used to go on until someone ended up with too many broken bones to stand, but it was still pretty close to normal.

Nile realized that each member of his new family played an important role in keeping everyone together.

Nick was the wittiest, always having a funny story or witty joke to make the group laugh.

Joe, in turn, was the one who brought the most empathy and sensitivity to everyone, always being available to be a shoulder to lean on when needed without asking questions or judging.

Nile took on what she believed to be the role of Brooker, obtaining digital information and obtaining false documents. But soon she realized that her importance went beyond that, she was the one who reminded everyone that even the little things were worthy of attention. Small discoveries, gestures, she helped everyone understand that what they did was really worth it.

And Andy in turn was the force that kept everyone standing, no matter how bad things got, no one would dare doubt that it would work if their leader was at the front, paving the way for everyone to continue.

The latter managed to establish herself in a large part of Nile's heart, even though she tried to deny it at first, as time went by and as she lived with her leader, it became increasingly clear that this woman was much more than a lethal warrior. She was a kind, caring woman who, despite carrying enormous emotional baggage, went to great lengths to make them feel loved and protected.

At first Andy seemed convinced of turning Nile into his apprentice, teaching her much of what she knew about weapons and combat, saying that she would need to be prepared in case things got ugly. She never dared to say more than that, but Nile could understand what was behind this urgency to make her fit to fight: Her time was now numbered and when she was no longer here, it would be her apprentice's job to continue maintaining all united and safe. Thinking about this brought sadness to Nile's heart, thinking that at some point she might no longer be with them, the simple idea of losing her in the middle of one of her missions made his stomach tighten. That's why she dove head first into training, trying harder and harder to get better, she wanted to do everything she could to make sure Andy wouldn't fall during the fight, make sure she could shadow her and keep her safe.

It didn't take long for everyone to realize this when the following missions appeared and Nile continued to constantly hover around the warrior Scythian, even in situations where her leader's experience was more than enough to resolve the situation.

Joe and Nick knew it wouldn't take long for Andy to get impatient and confront Nile about all this overprotection. And they were right, after an interception mission in Serbia, when everyone finally reached the safe haven, the Boss then snapped.

-Before anyone leaves for the rooms, we need to talk. We can't continue working with you treating me like a piece of glass that could break at any moment. I said it before and I repeat it, the fact that I'm no longer immortal doesn't change anything, I'm still the boss and I'm still giving the orders. -Andy barks throwing her equipment bag across the room as she heads to the bar next door to get a bottle of gin. Everyone else stops standing around the room in amazement.

-We're not questioning your authority Andy, but it doesn't make sense to put you in the direct line of fire if all 3 of us can do it without major damage. - Nile rationalizes trying to get closer to her.

-To me this seems to go over my authority, I'm the leader here and I've experienced a lot more than you three together. I know what I'm doing, I appreciate your concern, but I was in wars before I was immortal, fighting for my people and my family, and I will continue to do so until my last day. You have no right to try to intervene in this. - Andy plops down on the couch, taking a generous sip of his drink while the rest of the team stares at him in amazement. In a matter of seconds, Nile's expression goes from shock to anger and hurt, making any fear he had about facing the woman in front of him disappear.

-A shit we don't have, we are your family and we care about you. Say what you want but you can't make me watch you kill yourself while I stand by and do nothing. We love you Andy and we're not going to accept this stupid suicidal game you're playing, at least I'm not going to.

This is the boys' cue to lock themselves in their room, they know that dealing with their boss's mortality has not been easy, especially for Nile who seems to have become increasingly close to her. They understand both points of view and know that it is an issue that both women need to resolve between themselves, there is no reason to intervene.

Meanwhile in the room, Andy is surprised by the attitude of the younger woman in front of her, who is now staring at her with eyes blazing with anger and her jaw clenched, demonstrating the strength of her discontent.

-You're just a child Nile, you haven't seen almost anything in life, that's why you keep insisting on that. It's no use, I'm not going to change my position in relation to how we carry out operations and I'm also not going to allow you to continue taking focus away from the mission to ensure my safety. - Andy finally gets up, coming face to face with Nile, who is now breathing heavily.

-You know what, fuck you, I'm not going to change my mind either so if you think you can't handle this, just leave me out. I'd rather be left alone than have to watch you kill yourself. - Nile shouts in front of her before turning around and leaving, slamming the front door with enough force to shake the walls next to it.

Andy throws herself onto the sofa again with a huff while taking another long drink of Gin, she didn't want to be harsh with Nile, but she couldn't bear to see the girl throwing herself in front of all the danger ahead, just to protect her. And if one day, because of one of these distractions, the boys or Nile herself were captured, she would not be able to deal with this guilt anymore, after Quynh she would not be able to lose anyone else, if someone needed to fall, then let it be her.

Yet her heart sank as she remembered the broken expression Nile wore as he left the shelter. It was painful to see the girl like this, even more so because of her, she got used to having the youngest always around, smiling and excited about every little thing, this woke up a side that had been dormant for a long time and it still kept her up constantly at night. Initially she just wanted to be his mentor, teach everything she could in the time she still had and make sure Nile could feel welcome with them.

But somewhere along the way things changed, without realizing it she became closer and the relationship that was supposed to be mentor and mentee became stronger than that. She could remember more than one occasion when she woke up with Nile curled up with her on the couch after a movie or after an intense mission that kept them both up late into the night. It became natural to look for each other to try to calm down and end up sleeping tangled up in some corner of the shelter they were in. The following morning, both separated without further comment on what happened during the night.

She insisted on ignoring this because she knew it wasn't fair to Nile, the young woman still had a lot of time and didn't deserve to have to carry the weight of having already lost someone close to her in such a short period of time. Still, she knew she had been too harsh and shouldn't leave the younger woman tormenting herself with her own thoughts. From what she knew of that girl, she would be imagining at this point that the problem was the fact that Andy thought she was too young to be trusted. Taking the last sip from the bottle she finally stood up and followed her apprentice out the door.

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

Nile managed to hold back her tears long enough until she reached the front door, but she collapsed as soon as she crossed the threshold and slammed the door behind her. She couldn't believe how the woman she so admired and cared about could go from being the kindest person she'd ever met to the dumbest person on Earth. Nile imagined the size of the nightmares that accompanied Andy for so many years of wandering around, but still, she refused to accept the indifferent way she treated her own life. Sometimes it seemed like she really wanted to die, thrown into danger without any real need, and how

if the love that others had for her were worthless.

Yes, love, it took Nile a long time to assimilate and accept this new feeling she had for her mentor. But with the growing fear of losing her during a mission, it became clear that there was no reason to continue lying to himself. She remembers clearly when it finally dawned on her that the worry was much more than that.

She always had music as a sunny refuge, a place where she could go and forget about all her problems and sadness. The first time she discovered how comforting this shelter was was when a soldier showed up at her house to deliver the news of her father's death. She cried for hours and every time she tried to sleep, she would start sobbing again. Then she remembered the mp3 that her father had given her as a gift and connected the headphones, from then on, whenever things got difficult, it was in music that she sought solace.

She looked for music when she had to endure being humiliated when joining the navy, she looked for music when she died for the first time and had to see the looks of her fellow soldiers judging her as if she were a freak. She turned to music as she processed the idea that she would truly never see her family again and that the person who would understand her most was in exile for the next 100 years.

Music was always there as a consolation, until Andy came along and changed everything. His refugee became the older woman, even though through conversation or being silent in each other's company, it brought Nile the peace and comfort that music used to provide.

That's when she knew for sure that the group's elder wasn't just someone she wanted to learn to fight with, she was someone she wanted to fight for, to be close to and be able to enjoy every little moment by her side. That's when she realized this was love.

But unfortunately, just as much as Andy managed to calm her down, she also managed to be the one who took him off track. For months, the older woman started to be more careless with herself during missions and adamant about taking extra care like vests and things like that. This was driving the youngest girl crazy, because every day the fear of not being able to be enough to protect her became greater along with the frustration of not being able to change her mind.

Today she simply exploded and I couldn't control my anger when I saw Andy talking like that, it seemed like all the closeness they had had over the last few months didn't exist and the oldest still saw her as just an inexperienced child.

This hurt her more than she would like to admit, so she was tough enough to claim that she would rather not be part of the group than take orders from her and watch her die. In a way she doesn't regret it, but her heart still hurts, imagining what she would do if she really had to move away from the group and especially from her.

Then again she found herself with the clean cell phone that Copley gave her, headphones and her comfort playlist. She was sitting in front of the lake to the east of the house that served as her shelter, watching the movement of the trees and the water while trying to control her own crying, she didn't want to think anymore about all the mess she had gotten herself into. What she wanted most now was to sit there and be able to forget about her own mess for a few hours until she worked up enough courage to return home.

And she let herself be so deeply carried away by the sound that floated through her headphones with her eyes closed, that she didn't notice Andy approaching or sitting next to her, until the heat of her body alerted her to her presence. She opened her eyes quickly in fright until she realized who was next to her and then replaced her expression from astonishment to sadness.

-Hey? -Andy said, sitting next to her, looking at her face, probably swollen from crying a few minutes ago, with a weak smile.

-If you just came to tell me that you'd prefer me not to be on the team, you don't need to try to be nice. Just tell me your decision and I'll follow through with it. -Nile responds defensively, imagining that the woman in front of her just came to tell her that she doesn't trust her enough to continue with the work they do. She turns so she can face Andy fully and see her expression when she finally says what she decided.

-Nile, I don't want to fight anymore and much less do I want you to leave far away. Now you are my family too and I care too much to leave you behind, and I care even more about seeing you taking so much effort to protect me and neglecting your own safety.- At that moment Andy also turns around so he can get a better look at the younger woman, sad to meet his desolate gaze.

-My safety? it is serious? I'm immortal Andy, for God's sake, if there's anyone who can and should put themselves in the line of fire, it's me and the boys. This concern is meaningless, the problem is that I'm the newbie, right? Has all the effort I've been making to prove some value been in vain?

It becomes too much for Andy to continue watching Nile fall deeper and deeper into this pit of guilt and demands. She then holds the youngest by the chin so she can look directly into her eyes and understand what she is talking about.

-You are immortal but you are not immune to being captured, tortured and many other things. It pains me to say this out loud Nile, but I am no longer unbeatable and if that happens, I cannot guarantee that you will be rescued. Remember what happened last time? If it weren't for you, the rest of the team would still be there because I'm not strong enough to save everyone, and after Quynh I can't lose anyone else, and I don't want to lose you. I'd rather my death ensure everyone's safety than put you at risk.- Andy says each word without looking away from Nile, trying to convey all her vulnerability and fear, trying to make her understand.

-Not so strong? Andy, you are the most badass woman to have walked this Earth, immortal or not. Your strength is beyond physics, it comes from within, it is what keeps us firm and hopeful for better days, you are the pillar of who we are and we won't make it without you, not if you decide to give up. I can't do this without you and I don't want to, all I ask is that you be more careful, whether it's wearing a vest, or letting us help, we're a team and there's no reason to do everything alone.

These words seem to disarm Andy, who reduces the rest of the distance between their faces and captures Nile's lips with hers in a chaotic and intense kiss. She pours all her feelings into this and Nile realizes how difficult it had been for the older woman to deal with all of this, her appreciation for her was obvious and having to deal with this just when her mortality appears, doesn't seem easy at all.

She is taken out of her reverie when Andy's tongue asks for passage, which she willingly gives in to, the kiss becomes increasingly involved and needy and without realizing it, she is grabbing her waist wanting to bring her closer. She always imagined that Andy would be a good kisser, but between imagining and being able to experience it, there was a scary difference, even more so when her hands start to roam the younger girl's body, squeezing and trying to pull her towards her.

They continue like this for what seems like hours until air is needed and Nile moves away, their foreheads continue to touch but it's enough for both of them to catch their breath as they look at each other. Andy looks at her affectionately while stroking the side of her face tenderly, even with the feeling that the best thing would be to spare Nile from all the pain that may come along with this new feeling, she is convinced that she doesn't need to be so rational and that the woman in front of her, despite her young age, is intelligent enough to decide for herself.

-I still think this could hurt you girl, but I don't have the right to decide that for you, but still, I need to remind you, I will die, it may not be today or tomorrow, but it will happen. And I need you to make sure you can follow through with this?

-I know that, but you're worth the risk. - Nile replied with a smile - All I want is to enjoy this time we still have, be it ten years or half a century. I also need your guarantee that you will take more care, for me… can you promise me that?

-Half a century? I think we're being optimistic here, I'm sure when I start to get all wrinkled you'll change your mind - Andy responds making them both laugh - But ok, I promise to try, for us.

Then Nile kisses her again, this time trying to convey all the feeling present at that moment, a mix of joy and love, which she never dreamed that one day she would finally be able to experience. They spend the rest of the afternoon like this, cuddling and kissing, sitting together by the lake as they watch the sun set and the night come to life, revealing a sky full of stars.

Hours later they finally return to the house, it is quiet and dark, the boys are probably in the bedroom sleeping, and they decide to do the same. Finally, the tiredness of the mission and all that discussion reached them, and they threw themselves onto the sofa and let sleep take them to a peaceful night's sleep, like so many others who shared in the same way. This time when they wake up, there will be no need to pretend to forget what they shared that afternoon, this time they have the hope and power to write their story together.

​

[echoestm]

"Chrissy love?" Nicky pops her head into her cousin's room, eyes scanning until she sees her and enters, flinging herself immediately on the bed. "I need your advice-- Actually, really, just an ear to bend, shoulder to cry on, what. ever." Propping herself up on her side by her elbow, Nicky chews on her lower lip before continuing, wondering just how her news will hit Christina.

"So, um. I met someone the other night at a party. This tall, SO SO HOT, hunk of a man, and I am s m i t t e n." Another sigh and her gaze casts downward. "But he's, um... like twenty-five and thinks I'm twenty-- that number, by the way, was given to him by Bullet, NOT me. I would never lie like that..." But she would lie like this. A little fib. "I really like him and I really want to mess around, but... if Daddy ever found out? Ugh..." She flops on her back. "What should I do?!"

@parvamundi

Unbothered by unexpected company— only so many people it could be anyway, Chris doesn't cut her eyes away from the mirror in hand and the delicate job of tweezing to perfection the very brows that Nicky will soon be raising. She just grins to herself in pleasure at the company, always glad to spend a while with her cousin, and more than just a little curious what news she's bringing with her. "Uh-huh?" It''s nothing new to lean on each other as sounding boards, seeking the comfort of a peer over the potential preaching of a parent. Moms are great but they were moms and burdened with like worries and responsibilities and passing down good judgment when sometimes a girl just needed to vent about the injustice of a guy being annoyingly hot or something.

Party. Tall. Hot. Hunk. For a moment she feels like an ice cube has been dropped down the back of her spaghetti strap tank. Those words, that order— the image they bring to mind is that of Stu Macher. Hunk may be a subjective thing, but she spends the bulk of her time around Lou who is now some kind of stubborn convert to the church of him being hot. The last thing she needs is both Lou and Nicky pining over the same boy. It's one thing for it to happen in the really far removed sense, like agreeing that Jordan Knight is the cutest kid on the block— or having girlish pangs in late middle school over some impossible high schooler they were never going to talk to. This threatens to be something else entirely and she smack in the middle of it, until THANK GOD Nicky starts talking about him being twenty-five. Still a problem but like.. a totally easier one.

"One of these days you're going to be calling me from County for hanging out with Pearly Gates there, Nick." The admonition is soft, quietly and fondly spoken. Tweezers get tossed towards her vanity, and hand mirror set down on bedspread before she's crawling her way closer to her cousin to smush her face between her loving and slightly murderous hands. "Girl. You will get you in trouble. You'll get him in trouble. You'll get everyone but Bullet in trouble."

And yet sympathy rides her tone. It's there in the softness of her brown eyes, a slightly guilty gaze that suggests she knows too much about wanting what she shouldn't have and all the feelings that go with. "Are you even ready to 'mess around' with twenty-five?" She herself sure isn't. Flirt? Be a little scandalous in conversation and suggestiveness? Sure. That's always a fun time... but fooling around with boys her own age is precarious enough, making sure she can keep one hand on the wheel and not end up run over. Depending on the boy, she can keep them grateful for what she's okay to give or do, even if they want to shoot for the moon. The high school waters are choppy enough between guys who push and wheedle and the weaponizing of what other girls will supposedly do, as if that would ever motivate her. Twenty-five makes her think of a whole experienced man, with a whole different set of wants and needs and who was to say he'd go at a teenage girl's pace or be satisfied with what they considered messing around?

"What's he like, other than hot and tall?"

[hermanunworthy]

Howdy! I’m a mid-time reader, first time poster. Do people still say that? Have people *ever* said that? Anyway.

I’m not Writer Anon (though I’ve read a couple of their asks that they’ve sent you and Abraham Lincoln, the prose. It’s great) and I know you’re more of a Hermie blog - with some teens and Nick thrown in for flavor - but I have been having Thoughts. About Sparrow and his relationship to Lark and his father and himself. *Maybe* I’ll write a fic about Sparrow at some point? But I don’t really have enough cohesive ideas to make the kind of thing I’d want to make yet, and since I do not have any in-person friends to rant about the stuff I *do* have with, I shall leave this here instead. I hope you enjoy my fun little spiral about me thinking Sparrow thinking about Lark.

He looks at Lark’s face, undisguised loathing painted across it at even the mention of the man who raised them, and thinks, Father and I smothered our anger for you. Father beat his to a pulp and I snapped the neck of mine and we both buried them our backyards in as deep a pit as you can manage with your bare hands. And when mine tries to claw its way out of its uneasy grave I go and I rip it apart until there’s no longer enough of it left to even try. And when it stitches itself back together I do it again, and again, and again - and I’ll keep doing it until both you and I cease to exist. 

He thinks, Of all the things we learned from our Father, why is this the one thing you took from Barry? He thinks, Anger isn’t a weapon or a blessing or a tool to be used, it’s a monster that tears into you as much as it does everyone else. It’s a curse that will sear its mark on those you love for as long as you let yourself burn with it. It will leave you hollow and cruel and empty, if you let it. He thinks, You would let it, if I wasn’t here to stop you. You still might let it one of these days - no matter how hard I try to prevent it or how many people you hurt in the process. He thinks, Hatred for yourself does not excuse the greater wound. He thinks, Suffering, in and of itself, is not atonement - it’s just suffering. He thinks, If your self-inflicted hurt causes those you love to hurt, it isn’t really righteous in the way you want it to be. In the way that you pretend it is. He thinks, It isn’t righteous at all.

He thinks, You could do it if you really wanted to, I know you could. Nothing in the world has ever stopped you from pursuing what you wanted - not friend, not foe, not family - so why do you act like this is so hard? He thinks, You don’t have to forgive him. You don’t even have to forget. All you have to do is try not to murder him with just your eyes from across the room and engage in polite conversation. He thinks, Our Father is not the one with the greater sin between you two and yet his is the one you cannot let go of.

He thinks, If it were really that hard, I would have left you years ago.

Out loud he says, “I understand. I’d never want to put you in a position where you’d feel uncomfortable-“ (Lark narrows his eyes down to slits at the word choice but doesn’t interject) “Especially on purpose. I’ll…. I’ll talk to Fa- er, I’ll talk to him about it and see if we can find some happy middle ground where you maybe don’t have to see each other, but he can still attend.”

Lark’s mouth twists into a sharp-edged frown at the end of the sentence, radiating frustration and disgust like an aura - which Sparrow cheerfully elects to ignore (it’s quite easy at this point, he’s had quite a lot of practice after all). “Okay. Fine. He can come. But tell him that if I see him again, I’m not going to stop at just socking him in the jaw.”

Sparrow winces slightly at the blatant and bluntly worded threat, “Noted.” He takes a deep breath and lets it out in a sigh, unhappy but resigned. “I’ll see you at dinner tonight?”

“Maybe.”

“Lark!”

“Alright, alright. Don’t get your britches in a twist, I’ll be there.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

“Yeah, okay.” Lark cracks a slight smile. “Worrywart.”

I’m the privacy of his own head, Sparrow thinks, I wish I didn’t have to be. 

“You caught me.” Sparrow smiles sheepishly, staring at the ground while toeing at the dirt with the tip of one Birkenstock so Lark can’t see his eyes.

For you I buried my anger. He thinks, still smiling - face fixed in a rigid grimace of joy like a fly trapped in a web. But you might as well bury me too.

AAAUAGAUAGHH OH MY GOD IM SO INSANE ABOUT THE TWINS. tysm for this anon i got so excited waking up to this in my inbox!!! i love the contrast between sparrows inner feelings and outward behavior, and the burying metaphor is so interesting! their relationship is CRAZY to dive into and i love how u did that here. wonderful wonderful, plz keep up the good work!! i love my fellow writers in this fandom :D

[unpopularly-opinionated]

Okay so I just finished that Heartstopper show everyone was raving about awhile back and...like on a “omg this is cute and gay, I love it” scale, it’s a 9/10, but on a “this show is put together well and has a satisfying message and conclusion” it’s maybe a 7/10.

It bugged the hell out of me that Nick seemingly dropped any and all sense of being an actual person at the very end of the show, and instead just became a prop to make sure they ended the series with Charlie happy instead of borderline-suicidal. Like it sucks because they actually made Nick a good character who’s POV I liked following, but they seriously dropped the ball in the last episode.

Spoilers below:

I’m glad I finished the show before posting because I almost wrote a post about how the show kind of grossly handled Nick’s friends. Even so, they didn’t do great but it was fine. Never mind the fact that his friends are assholes, it just felt really off how easily he was dumping friends left and right, all for the sake of some boy he just met. Again, they’re assholes and he’s right to dump them, but he does it so easily that I’m like what the fuck, aren’t these your friends of like several years?? Anyways, they sort of addressed that in the end, so whatever I guess it’s fine.

But two things that bugged the hell out of me:

1. Tao’s kind of a piece of shit who sort of weaponized “love” against Charlie, and he completely gets away with it too. Charlie had a legitimate reason to not tell him about Nick, that being the fact that Nick wasn’t out yet. Sure, after telling everyone else you could argue that he should’ve told Tao too, but I still think it’s worth pointing out that there was a legitimate excuse not to tell him that was just ignored.

2. The de-characterizing of Nick in the end was insane. I mean I just went off on how they handled his friendships and how he so easily abandoned them, but then the show made a point to actually address that when Charlie outright tells him that he doesn’t expect Nick to drop all his friends, even if they are assholes, but then Nick goes and drops the rugby tournament at the very end just to make Charlie feel better??? Is Nick not allowed to be in the closet? Is he not allowed to have friends?? Is he not allowed to have personal interests and hobbies outside of Charlie??? Like what the fuck, they just completely erase his entire character just to make Charlie feel better. It’s so fucked.

Anyways, cute show I guess. Can’t wait for season two (unironically).

[themculibrary]

Friendship Fics Masterlist 4

part one, part two, part three

14,000,605 (ao3) - JayPendragon T, 19k

Summary: "Stephen doesn’t expect the douchebag to be the key."

How Stephen Strange figures out it’s Tony he needs to save… and what happens after.

ain't no mountain high enough (ao3) - philthestone gamora/peter T, 10k

Summary: Stark continues looking at Peter. Peter considers the fact that the world is probably going to end within the next few days, and they, collectively, are supposed to be stopping it.

“Uh,” says Peter, waving his fingers a little bit. “It makes you feel really cool. You should try it.”

“We’re not painting our nails to match,” deadpans Stark.

“Well, sure,” says Peter. “But don’t come crawling back to me when you can’t defeat Thanos ‘cause you didn’t wanna harness the power of friendship.”

Better Living Through Pizza (ao3) - shadynaiad T, 10k

Summary: Steve takes some time off from soldiering and Avengering to get his head on straight, and Clint is assigned to keep an eye on him, because apparently SHIELD believes in the blind leading the blind. Steve really needs a hobby, since modern television shows baffle him, but Clint keeps bringing him DVDs and pizza.

'cause with a love like this (ao3) - philthestone G, 3k

Summary: “I am so proud of you, Sam Wilson,” Sarah says, and means it, so very much.

Don't Forget to Duck (fanfiction.net) - Harkpad T, 1k

Summary: A battle and test of a new weapon goes well except for one thing: Cap forgets to duck. Hawkeye's growing friendship with Cap outside of battles bleeds through the tense moments when they're not sure Cap is going to come through this one.

half a yellow sun (ao3) - philthestone gamora/peter T, 1k

Summary: “Do you come here often?” asks Gamora, tilting her head.

“No,” says the girl. “I’m just here waiting for my dumb friend Peter.”

The birds coo.

“Would you believe me,” says Gamora, “if I told you that I, too, am here waiting for my dumb friend Peter.”

The girl considers this, and then nods, as though dealing with a dumb friend named Peter on the daily is something to respect in another person.

Just Walk Beside Me (ao3) - vidocqsociety T, 1k

Summary: Friendship is born in all sorts of circumstances, between all sorts of people.

nothing in nature that freezes your heart (ao3) - Lies_Unfurl T, 14k

Summary:

But there's nothing in nature that Freezes your heart Like years of being alone -from The Muppets Christmas Carol

(It's Bucky's first Christmas back after the Blip, and his plans are to down an entire bottle of Jack and hope the nightmares stay away. Things are going great, until his dreams bring a ghost that looks like Steve, who's determined to help him get his Christmas spirit back.)

realty for amateurs (and some espionage 'cause why not) (ao3) - writethewolvesaway T, 4k

Summary: Sam needs to get his own place. He does. There's also a little old lady who makes muffins, and a cat named Alpine.

REM Sleep (ao3) - Shiny_n_new G, 3k

Summary: Five times Bruce woke up alone, and one time he woke up with the whole team.

Sad, Sad, Happy, Sad, Happy, Happy, Happy (ao3) - orphan_account T, 6k

Summary: In the wake of a tragic magnifying glass-related accident, Peter is taken in by two people who would love to have him.

Shield Applications (fanfiction.net) - certifiably T, 3k

Summary: In which a car explodes, Captain America does not throw his shield, Hawkeye borrows the keys, and Tony's day has never been so stupid.

straight black lines (ao3) - Mira_Jade G, 4k

Summary: He never did forgive Nick Fury for bloodying up his trading cards. Not during that first week, anyway.

terms of endearment (ao3) - pprfaith N/R, 1k

Summary: In which Bruce is a little confused and Tony is Bambi. Borderline crack.

The Annual Stark Family Fourth of July Celebration (ao3) - screamlet pepper/tony T, 5k

Summary: The Stark family does the Fourth of July. (Or: Tony grows up by Fourths.)

thunderbolts are very very frightening (ao3) - writethewolvesaway T, 5k

Summary: Sam finds out that Bucky is transferring teams and decides to do something about it.

[oddygaul]

Double Feature #1: Gladiator II & All Of Us Strangers

Gladiator II

Look, I’mma be real, I went into this movie as pleb as possible. I’ve never seen Gladiator. I saw a cool trailer with landscape pans of sprawling, CGI-recreated Rome and the colosseum filled up with water and said “hell yeah”. I came here for spectacle, and spectacle alone.

So did it live up to that?

Ehhh.

Outside of the one in the trailer, we only get two or three more meaty wide shots of Rome; we spend most of our non-colosseum time in interiors or secluded courtyards. And the fights are, well, fine. The rhino gladiator was real badass, riding standing up with his saddle full of weapons and tricks, and the naumachia is indeed pretty sick, sharks and all*. That’s about all there is for spectacle, though, as the vast majority of Gladiator II is Roman political intrigue and exploration of characters, presumably from the first movie, that I didn’t give a shit about.

*Before seeing the movie, I joked with some friends that the best scene in the movie would be the one where Denzel steps into the colosseum’s underbelly and spends five full minutes explaining, in detail, the mechanisms and engineering behind filling the colosseum up with water. Not saying that should’ve happened but like… nahhh that would be sick it totally should have happened. We got a little behind the scenes action, though – I lost it at the night crew cleaning up the colosseum with their horse zambonis. 

And look, I’m sure it’s my fault, as an uninformed viewer, that I couldn’t bring myself to give a shit about the plot – but as a standalone, it’s a thematically incoherent story with leads that aren’t particularly interesting. Lucius, our MC, grows up hating the colonialist Roman empire and delivers an impressive TtDW* result before being captured by the Romans and thrust into slavery as a gladiator. From there, he rounds up a group of other slaves, whose families and friends were killed by Romans, and leads an uprising. When the time comes for his grand speech, he tells us that… the colonialist empire of Rome is Pretty Good, Actually, it just needs better leadership. What?

Seriously, the ‘antagonist’ of this movie is a former slave who recognizes that the Roman empire must fall and personally kills two tyrannical despot emperors in order to make it happen, and we’re supposed to be rooting for the divine-right-to-rule white boy who just wants to Make Rome Great Again?

*Time to Dead Wife

Anyway, here’s the original pitch for Gladiator II by Nick Cave:

We were robbed.

All of Us Strangers

Well, that was very sweet.

I watched this the same day as Gladiator II by complete coincidence, not knowing Paul Mescal was also in it, so that was a fun surprise.

I grabbed this movie after loving Andrew Scott in Sherlock and wanting to see more of him, and he was wonderful here. In particular, I loved his performance as he catches his parents up on his life and ultimately comes out to them. He strikes a really unique tone; he’s opening himself up and being vulnerable, but he’s still firm and confident about who he is. He wants to share his life with them and see what they think, but not for affirmation – so that he can understand how their parenting made him the person he is today. Scott portrays this mix of patience and bravery in a very subtle way that communicates a lot about the character without stating it outright; it’s great.

Given that the premise of the movie is ‘man talks to his dead parents again’, I wasn’t as devastated as I expected to be. The scene where he tells his parents about all the things he imagined doing with them after their death, all the things he wished they’d had time to do together as a family, though? That one got me.

[inmontana]

fuck you, rip. he didn't exactly expect her to say she loved him back, but as he watches her disappear out of sight he nearly trips over his own two feet after her. in another time he might've looked around. reveled in being in the very place he's purposefully never allowed himself the opportunity to step into. this isn't about her house though. rip is all eyes, all bleeding heart, all raw desperation and full throttled love on her. all that stoicism he'd seemed to have- as fake as it was- breaks with the lash of her tongue. he visibly shudders at her counter. their words are like weapons here, .22 hornet ammo, reloading after each shot while they smash the drywall to pieces around them because it's the only way they're going to be able to have any kind of real conversation. his ascent stops, barely two feet, maybe only a foot away from her. his heart pounding its boned cage to shame. "i didn't know i could tell you," rip admits. he won't ask her when he was supposed to tell her because hell, if she has to tell him when he should've admitted his own fuckin' feelings to her then maybe he isn't worth loving her at all. but he can tell her the truth. and that is the truth. "i can't fix two decades, beth. can't go back and right all the wrongs i made. tell you to stay, 'cause that's what i should'a done- what i wanted y'to do." his voice is thick with the rawness of an ache he's only ever worn on the inside of his body. he's yet to figure out how to stop it from pouring out at the seams. right now, he doesn't care. she needs to hear it. he'd spent the entire drive believing he would show up, have to hear her confirm the worst thing he had left to hear in this life, and then be told to fuck off back to montana. beth still hasn't answered his question. neither confirmed nor denied, but dammit if he won't fight until she's kicking him on down her own street. "scared ain't a fuckin' excuse, an' i'm sorry it ever was. i thought it was easier t'watch ya leave 'cause that's what we do than to watch 'cause i gave'y no other choice." his thumb nicks his brow, pressing against the bone beneath skin, spewing a short scoff at himself under his breath. "guess i didn't really give you a choice anyway huh." it's something he hasn't thought about until now and it takes the breath right from his lungs. fuck, they've made a real mess of things. the question is, is it too late now? rip shuffles on the spot, shoulders squared as he straightens his spine. "but i'm done with that. you want me to go? you can kick me down the damn street. i ain't got nothing left to be scared of if- if what i heard is true."

cheeks hollow as she sucks them in, her jaw clenching tight as she stares up at him and his 'don't do that' sounds like both an order and a plea- she wants to bare her teeth and snarl like the wild animal she feels clawing at her chest, her anger rising to overshadow the heart-wrenching ache that longs to pull him into her and never let him go. how dare he do this to her now. after years of waiting just to let her run away, every damn time they fell into each other, never following her or even asking her to stay- she can't say she would have, but she might've asked him to go with her, if she thought for a second he would. he's given her no reason to think he'd be satisfied with a life away from the valleys of montana and the ranch with her family name branded on the front gates- even if that life included her. so what the fuck makes him think he has any right to make demands of her now? "i wouldn't have to ask if you'd already done it." she ground through her teeth, furious at the way her eyes start to water- she's no idea what to think or feel right now, and it's only making her more and more restless, agitation evident in the tension riddled throughout her body as she peers up at him while he looms over her- his faux calm demeanour may bely just how tense and desperate he is, but beth is unable to mask hers quite so easily, and when he gestures between them and he says that, she freezes. her expression shifts, eyes widening and mouth going slack as her breath catches in her throat and she holds it- her unshed tears are livid. ". . . fuck you, rip." beth said quietly as she rolled her body to turn away from him, padding back down the hall towards her kitchen and she doesn't invite him to follow her, but she expects that he will, and leaving him in her open door is enough as she stops and pivots, raising one arm to point back at him with the smallest of quiver to her lower lip. "you're an asshole, y'know that? after all these years, you're gonna tell me that now- when you what, think i'm moving on? are you fucking kidding me?!" voice cracks as she shook her head and lifted her hand to cup over her mouth before she scoffed a bitter laugh. "you're un-fucking-believable."

[feyhunter78]

Hey it’s El again! Can I have an aemond one shot for the apprentice stories where Aemond wants a sword to near match his uncles (cause aemond is such a fanboy) and he meets reader whose an apprentice blacksmith. He doubts she can do a good enough job and asks for the head blacksmith but she’s now determined to prove him wrong. Better yet the head blacksmith come out and says he believes she can do a really good work. She makes the sword and aemond loves it. She then says how about a test run with the sword? And so they battle with the sword she made for him and her own. It’s a near battle but she beats him to his surprise and just becomes utterly enamoured with her. The two Bond for a period of time before confessing love and him now wanting to marry her, obsessed with the idea only she could bear having his children.

Alright babe this one is shorter than the last one, and not my best tbh, vv sorry about that!!! Also, I'm not good at writing fighting scenes, so I didn't spend too much time on it. I hope you enjoy it anyways though!!!!!

The Blacksmith's Apprentice

You’re used to people underestimating you. In fact, you’re pleasantly surprised someone doesn’t underestimate you. Judging by the look on the prince’s face, though, you knew you would not be surprised.

“I wish to speak to a blacksmith.” He said, looking around the smithy.

“And you are, my prince.” You said, crossing your arms over your chest.

He raised an elegant eyebrow. “You? You are a woman, I do not doubt you have the mind for it, but you obviously lack the strength.”

“How about you give me your request and I decide if I am strong enough to handle it?”

He nodded begrudgingly and handed you a sketch.

“Is this Darksister?” You asked, recognizing the telltale signs of Valyrian steel anywhere.

“No, it is to be like Darksister, but better.” He said.

Now it was your turn to raise an eyebrow. “You do realize that is one of the finest swords in the realm.”

“Is this your way of saying you are not up to the challenge?” He asked, a smirk tugging at his lips.

You shook your head. “I can do it.”

You stood across from Aemond, sword in hand and an easy smile on your face. “You wished to test the sword, my prince, now is the time.”

He shifted his stance, grip tight on the thing of beauty you created. He nodded and the duel began.

Steel clashed against steel, ringing out through the empty yard, huffs and grunts of exertion joined, taunts were thrown back and forth by you both, and you hissed when he nicked your arm.

“Give up y/n, I am the better swordsman.” He said, ducking under your swing.

“Say I’m the finest blacksmith you’ve ever seen, and I will.” You taunted, returning his nick with one of your own.

He laughed. “Your arrogance will be your undoing.”

“Funny, I was about to say the same thing to you.” You kicked out your leg, catching him behind his knees and knocking him to the ground.

You rested the tip of your sword against his throat. “Say it. Say I’m the finest blacksmith in the realm.”

He looked up at you, a mix of heated emotions swirling in his eye. “You are the finest blacksmith in the realm.” He said, through a clenched jaw.

You sheathed your sword and helped him up. “That wasn’t so hard now, was it?”

He brushed off his leather tunic, “you should return to the smithy.” Then he turned and entered the Keep.

Aemond held his head in his hands, moons had gone by, and he could not banish you from his mind. Your smile, your laughter, your skills with a sword, your beauty, it plagued him day and night. He had taken to visiting you on a weekly basis, building a friendship and spending much more than he meant to on weapons he already had.

He could not stomach the thought of someone else’s hands wrapped around your work. You put so much of yourself into your creations, how could he allow anyone but him to possess even that small part of you?

He had to have you; no other woman would do. How could he bear children with anyone but you? Only you were strong enough, graceful enough, and had enough fire to raise his heirs. He groaned at the image of you beneath him begging him to seed you, of you rounded with child, a glow to your skin. You would be an excellent mother, and your children would be the greatest warriors the realm had ever seen.

A knee bumped against his and he raised his head.

“Are you feeling ill?” You asked, head tilted in concern.

“I love you.” He blurted out, cheeks flaring bright red.

Your eyes widened and you sat frozen in shock.

“I am sorry to tell you in such an undignified way, but it is true. You plague my thoughts, you bring me joy, and I—I wish to marry you.”

You blinked, coming unfrozen. “Aemond…”

He stood, obviously embarrassed and taking your hesitance as a rejection. “I am so sorry—”

You cut him off by kissing him. “I love you too, and I would love to marry you.”

A rare smile broke across his face, and he bent down, kissing you urgently, pushing all his longing and passion into his actions. He would have his wife, his skilled, capable, and ferocious wife.

Tag list: @nyctophilic0vitnir, @svtansdaddyx, @fan-goddess, @dc-marvel-girl96, @shintax-error, @bellameshipper, @the141bandicoot, @the-phantom-of-arda, @haydee5010

[shallowseeker]

Love yourself, love your child

I'm going to add the quotes later, and this is SO rambley it probably belongs in @shallowtakes where it can be properly hidden away, but I LOVE my three un-wise men (king, god, and death) as parents and I adore where they go wrong with Jack Kline, because they're all in such in varied states of arrested development due to growing up as child soldiers.

I have a lot of SPN parenting takes like this, so it's a bit of me saying what I always say, but boy is it fun to think about! When I see other posts talking about this, I have to revisit it. I love #spn parenting and I trouble myself with it so often.

///

Because, I mean, Cas didn't protect Jack, not at the end. No one did. He let him eat angel hearts and went along with Death's plan, for starters, using Jack as the primary weapon against God. Cas did that, and Dean was actually a little wary / disapproving of the eating-hearts at first, remember? This is because Cas has a toxic, angelic relationship to destiny, fate, and the cause. He's spinning it like overcoming God is a beautiful, good thing. (And who knows? Maybe it is?) But the point is that, while Cas is not motivated by revenge, per se, the end result IS the same. That's how angels do. They're righteous.

That's Cas in a nutshell, dressing the authoritarian good-king-fallacy-mission up in lovely words and declarations of goodness, but what he's really doing is imposing a new child king onto the holy throne and calling it, "good for the world." Ultimately, that's too much to put on yourself, or anyone, especially your kid. Chuck had similar expectations of Lucifer, remember? With Amara and the mark. It's heavily implied that he thought Lucifer was bright and good enough to withstand that burden!

<Insert Cas and Dean conversation about defeating Chuck, but one is motivated by destiny and the other by revenge; both result in doing terrible things to win the fight>

///

But what does Jack want? He wants:

14x07 (Unhuman Nature), Dean and Jack discuss his dying wished

///

Cas partially comes to his senses when Jack tells him the depth of Billie's plan, but the devastating truth remains that Cas was marshalling him as super-soldier in the first place. It's not until after Jack explodes via rib-bomb that Cas more completely comes to his senses. That is, he gives the wonderful, "we love you for being you," speech, but, like Dean's fretting and care in 15x19, it's technically too late for it. (But wait! The overarching point of SPN is it's never too late. You can start being good any time.)

Anyway, Cas loves Jack dearly, and he tries his best, but he is completely shaped by being an angel, and Jack absorbs the self-hating parts of being an angel, too, I'm sure. Cas woobies humanity and puts it up on a pedestal because of the nature of the devastating moral injuries and disillusionment Cas suffered as Heaven's solder. Cas becomes the dreaded blue-collar soldier loyal to family instead. Still, power and the use of it is this awful phantom specter embedded within Cas and Jack's relationship. "This child must be born with his full power."

<Insert Cas quote about Jack being okay as-is from 15x18>

Cas, like Sam, is genuinely horrified when he finds out about Jack's suicide, and indeed, he goes off to look for another way. But the fact is, prior to being faced with Jack's suicidal plan, he wholly submitted to Jack's BIG DESTINY the same way Dean submitted to REVENGE and Sam propped up INDEPENDENCE.

///

By the eleventh hour, Jack has wholly absorbed the toxic heroism and penance-making of all three of them. There's also quite a lot of self-hatred that goes unsaid, especially after he regains his soul, because he loved Mary. (Mary called Jack Sweetheart. She loved Jack.) But she is heavily implied to choose to use him as weapon in Game Night.

<Game Night quote about Mary choosing to use Jack to defeat Nick, despite the danger, "even if she knew...she'd still do it">

This is due to all of them being shaped by constant, neverending war their entire lives. :(

///

While Sam verbally disagrees with Jack wanting to sacrifice himself, Sam values INDEPENDENCE so much that he doesn't fully step in to block the move, until it's too late and Jack is already in countdown mode. He won't override Jack's autonomy to protect him (even though arguably, THIS is a lot of what parenting and family support is: trying to walk that line of independence vs safety).

<Sam quote from 15x17 about sacrificing yourself being wrong>

///

Season 15 is beautiful in some ways because it showcases all of their individual neuroses wrapped into one. They all over-prioritize the mission, and heartbreakingly, maybe they have to in order to stay alive / on-the-air. (Audience are the monsters demanding sacrifice, perhaps.)

Dean treats Jack like Dean often treats himself, as a weapon to complete revenge. He allows Jack to go off and be a bomb (Amara-callback; no one stopped Dean then; he brutally dissociates Jack from the concept of family in order to do it because unlike Sam and Cas, Dean can't as easily allow familial sacrifice; so, Jack becomes weapon).

Cas wants Jack to rise up and meet his destiny and become the new God (that bit's implied, but wrapped in pretty "good-for-the-world" language). Cas has said of himself, "I overestimated my own (military) importance" and he does the same to Jack. Jack is going to be the merciful, purely-good human-angel-god that Cas could never be. Jack can withstand the corrupting forces of power because he's good.

Sam is overall a very safe role model, even if he at times expects to "mold" Jack (13x01) and laments that "Jack is who he is, not who Sam wants him to be" (14x20). Sam also falls prey to the "I and I alone can fix this," mistake that is somewhat penultimate to SPN, except that he applies it to Jack, with "You're the only one who can (defeat Chuck)." Ultimately, in 14x17, Sam over-prioritizes independence at the expense of safety, verbally disagreeing but ultimately allowing Jack to do the heroic sacrifice; Sam is thus also treating Jack like he treats himself.

THESIS: The tragedy of it all is...they love their son as they love themselves; that is, HOW they love Jack reflects their individual FAILURE to love themselves as they are.

[hope-grace-serenity]

Hello! I know it has been a while and that Far Cry 5 fandom is pretty much dead (D:), but I was wondering what your opinion was regarding The Collapse DLC :-). Because there has been a considerable blacklash about it on tumblr when it came out, but I really liked it & I think it actually showed some hidden depths of the Seed family that I've just been wondering about... till now. So I was just curious about your opinion of the portrayal of the Seeds :-)

Hi! :D I know fandom reception of the DLC was…less than favorable (on tumblr, anyway. I didn’t see backlash anywhere else). But personally? I loved it, and I vehemently disagree with the claims that it was out of character. It might have gone against preferred headcanons, but in terms of what actually ended up on screen in the FC5/New Dawn base games, the Collapse DLC was very much in line with how the characters were previously portrayed. I haven’t seen too much controversy about Jacob, so I’ll focus mainly on John, Joseph, and Faith.

John has always been portrayed as a man with a strong sadistic streak that was simultaneously weaponized and kept in check by Joseph’s presence;  the “urges” speech might not be the most sophisticated writing, but the overall idea was just a reiteration of what we saw in FC5. He takes obvious glee in torturing Hudson and the Deputy and Nick and I did not find the story about the woman he killed to be shocking in the slightest. Maybe it’s because I’m not a John stan, but I find claims that he’s too violent in the DLC to be genuinely baffling. He’s always been portrayed as a sadist. 

In regards to Faith’s portrayal, I felt extremely vindicated lmao. I wrote a long-ass essay about Faith and what I feel are the obvious conclusions about her character and relationship with Joseph that are often ignored or denied in fandom (despite the game’s writer literally confirming it): that Joseph views her as a twisted stand-in for his wife, and he abuses his power to engage in a sexual relationship with her. To provide some background, @intheforest-hides-a-light and myself began collaborating on the doc several months before the DLC was even released. We had 20 pages of content WITHOUT *any* of the blatant subtext from the DLC—and yes, “Faith being the wife’s name” was one of the conclusions we made before it was stated directly. While the hints from the DLC were eventually added into the essay, FC5 by itself provides more than enough evidence that supports that Faith was in an unhealthy dynamic with Joseph.

Joseph is a manipulator and an abuser. He also has a deep sincerity in his mission and genuinely wants the world to be a better place in the post-collapse world. These things are not contradictory, as is the idea that because Faith victimizes others, she can’t also be a victim. I feel like in a lot of discourse regarding his relationship with Faith, it gets broken down into this black-and-white way of thinking that does a disservice to both characters. Joseph is a complex, multifaceted person, and the Collapse DLC just makes him more interesting imo. 

I’m not surprised that tumblr reception to the DLC has been frosty. This is a fandom that rejected Drew Holmes’ own words about the characters he created as being OOC, rejected New Dawn as fanfic despite the director saying it’s canon, and now rejects the DLC. Official content getting rejected in favor of headcanon is par for the course. 

And in a way, that’s fine. The beauty of fandom allows for people to interpret the characters the way they want. There are plenty of fandoms where I downright ignore parts of canon too. But I always remember to separate headcanon from actual canon. And imo, the portrayals of the characters were consistent with their portrayals from FC5.