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rafesbabygirlx · 19 days ago

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A Lot of Time has Passed | Part 8

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Summary: Discovering that JJ wasn’t your biological brother was hard. Learning that both his dads were terrible was even worse. But he’s your brother, no matter what, and you’ll always have his back. You persuade Rafe to to help them get to Morocco and for you to go with them. Rafe can seek his revenge on Groff, and you can help your little family find their treasure.

A/N: Part 2 has dropped and I’m still an emotional wreck. Sofia is still present but that storyline is different in my universe. Each of my parts will contain 2/3 episodes each so they will be a bit longer, and will probably be 2 parts.

Word count: 4.5k

Warnings: lil bit of smut at the end bc of course I had to throw that in there. ;) (oral f receiving)

JJ bursts through the back patio door into the house, panting hard and leaning forward with his hands on his knees. Startled, you leap up from the couch where you’d been watching V play on the floor.

“J, what’s going on?” you ask, rushing over to him after a quick glance to ensure V is safe.

“Hey, sis,” he says between breaths, then mutters under his breath, “Well, maybe not sis anymore.”

You catch his words despite his attempt to muffle them. “What the hell is that supposed to mean?” Grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, you shove it into his hands. “Calm down and talk to me.”

JJ takes a long drink before blurting out, “It means my whole life’s been a lie. You’re not my sister, and Luke’s not my dad.”

The words stun you. You glance over JJ’s shoulder and spot Rafe standing in the hallway, drawn by the commotion. You subtly shake your head, signaling him to stay back. JJ wouldn’t open up with Rafe hovering.

“That letter,” JJ continues, his voice trembling. “The one from Genrette? Dad told me all about it. He said I’m his grandson. Larissa is my mom.”

You laugh softly, more out of shock than amusement. “JJ, that baby died. We all know the story. Dad’s probably just messing with you.”

“No,” JJ says firmly, shaking his head. “He told me my real dad dropped me off with him. He and Larissa were close, and he thought I’d be better off with Luke. Luke took me in, and then a couple weeks later, Larissa was found dead. They lied about me so no one would suspect I’d been given away.”

You stare at him, trying to process the revelation. “So, Larissa’s your mom, and—”

“Chandler Groff is my dad,” JJ interjects, his voice rising. “Think about it—when we went to Goat Island, Genrett only knew three names: yours, mine, and Sarah’s. It makes sense for Sarah; she’s a Kook and a Cameron. But how did they know us?”

“Dad said I used to play in the gardens when he worked there. I just assumed you were there too. I don’t know how long he worked there—I was only three. I didn’t think much of it when Genrette knew my name,” you reply, trying to rationalize it all, though doubt creeps in.

“Look, Dad’s a lot of things, but I don’t think he’s lying about this,” JJ says, his tone softer now.

“Okay,” you say, trailing off as you take it all in. Then, trying to lighten the mood, you smirk. “So, if this is true, that makes you a Kook by blood.”

JJ shoves you playfully, suppressing a laugh. “Never. P4L, baby. And this changes nothing between us. You’re still my big annoying sister.”

You smile, pulling him into a hug. “I’ve been stuck with you for nineteen years, J. I’m not letting go now.”

JJ rests his head on your shoulder for a moment, the weight of the conversation still lingering. Then he pulls away. “Alright, I gotta go find Kie and the others.”

“Bye, J.” You watch as he rushes out of the house and down the dock.

Rafe steps into the kitchen, exhaling sharply. “Don’t start,” you warn before he can say anything.

“I wasn’t gonna,” he replies, dragging out his words. “But damn, that’s wild. Your brother’s a Genrett. Hope this doesn’t make him a partner in my deal.”

You glare at him, unamused. “You don’t even know if my dad’s telling the truth.”

“Maybe. But it could explain the lies.” Rafe shrugs. He knows how Figure Eight people operate better than you ever will.

“Can we just drop it?” you plead, needing a distraction. You move back to V, who’s now fussing with a toy.

Rafe follows you to the couch, clearly not ready to let it go. “Speaking of Hollis and Groff…”

You roll your eyes. “What now?”

“I haven’t heard anything about the deal,” he says, watching for your reaction.

“Weird.” You give a short, dismissive response, hoping he’ll take the hint.

Thankfully, he does. Leaning down, he pinches V’s cheek and kisses you on the head before heading out to the patio.

A knock at the door interrupts the moment. To your surprise, it’s Sarah. You pull her into a tight hug, realizing how much you’ve missed your old friends since settling into this new life with Rafe and V.

“Hey. Rafe home?” Sarah asks hesitantly.

“Yeah, he’s outside. Everything okay?” you ask, taking the slip of paper she hands you. It’s about a zoning change in the Cut.

“Great, more good news,” you mutter sarcastically, gesturing for Sarah to head out to the patio. You skim the notice, letting the Cameron siblings talk in private.

Later, after putting V down for a nap, you catch Sarah storming out of the house. You find Rafe slumped on the patio, his head in his hands.

“What happened?” you ask, placing a hand on the back of his neck and rubbing down in between his shoulder blades..

“She wouldn’t even let me touch her,” he mumbles, his voice thick with emotion. “I just want my family back.” He pulls you close, burying his face against your stomach.

“It’s going to take time, Rafe,” you say softly, scratching his scalp with your nails.. “You’ll get there.”

His shoulders relax under your touch. Looking up at you, he smiles faintly. “Thanks,” he whispers, standing to kiss you deeply before sitting back down.

Your phone buzzes with a text from JJ in the Pogue group chat:

JJ, 4:30 PM: We need everyone we can get. I know you love the high life now, but you’re a P4L, sis. We need you too.

You look up at Rafe. “Mind watching V for a bit? I want to go to the town meeting. It’s important.” You hand him the zoning notice.

“Why the fuck do you care about this?” Rafe scoffs. “You live here now. That doesn’t concern you.”

You glare at him. “This is the kind of attitude that’s going to get you nowhere with Sarah. The Cut is still my home. I’m still a Pogue, and I’m going. Watch V.”

Without waiting for his reply, you grab your keys and walk out.

.⭒☆━━━━━━━━━✰━━━━━━━━━☆⭒.

The meeting hall buzzes with tension as you arrive, stepping into a sea of familiar faces. The Pogues are here in full force, just as you expected. Loyalty runs deep, and none of you are known for backing down without a fight. You wave to your group, making your way through the crowd, and settle into a seat next to JJ. He’s tense, jaw clenched, fingers tapping rhythmically against the table as his eyes flicker toward the far side of the room.

That’s when you see them—Topper, his mother, and Ruthie. The smugness on their faces makes your blood boil. You glare, your expression sharp enough to cut glass, but when they smirk at you, you let your sarcasm fly. With a quick, deliberate motion, you raise your middle finger. Topper’s mother gasps audibly, turning away with a look of pure disgust, while Topper and Ruthie exchange uneasy glances before staring straight ahead, feigning composure.

The meeting begins, and the air grows heavy. The topic: the property you once called home. The land that held your childhood memories. People exchange confused glances, murmurs rippling through the crowd. The leader of the meeting steps forward, explaining that the floor is open for anyone to speak.

Before you can react, JJ bolts upright, ready to unload his anger. You and John B yank him back into his seat.

“No, not you,” you hiss, glancing around nervously.

John B stands, and his voice fills the room. He speaks from the heart, his words a powerful blend of truth and desperation. But as he finishes, the silence feels deafening. That’s when Dale stands, his presence heavy and calculated.

Dale’s voice is smooth, almost rehearsed, as he talks about an “injunction” that supposedly invalidates JJ’s auction win. He mentions a promissory note that the bank failed to honor, claiming it renders the sale void. The crowd shifts uneasily, whispers of confusion and anger spreading like wildfire.

Then, Dale gestures toward the back of the room. “The rightful owner,” he says.

Luke rises, and the room explodes into chaos. Shouts echo as people recognize him. You feel your chest tighten, anger and betrayal clashing in a storm inside you.

“Sorry,” Luke says, his voice hollow. His apology feels like a slap in the face.

“Sorry?” JJ spits, his voice venomous.

“Save it,” you snap, cutting Luke off.

Dale drones on, spewing corporate jargon about what they plan to do with the land. But you know better. You see through the lies. They want to strip it away, crush the community, and take what little they all have left.

Your anger boils over. You charge at your father, shoving him hard.

Kie’s voice breaks through. She turns around to stare down Luke, “JJ and y/n loved you, they shouldn’t have but they did,” she says, anger in her eyes.

“You only ever looked out for yourself! You never gave a shit about us” you shout, the room’s noise dimming under the weight of your words.

Your father doesn’t fight back, his expression a mixture of guilt and sadness.

You falter for a moment, your chest heaving, but the rage inside you keeps burning.

Behind you, JJ suddenly storms past, his movements purposeful. You barely have time to react before he grabs a chair and hurls it through the nearest window. The sound of shattering glass ignites the room into chaos. Police officers rush in, but JJ doesn’t back down. He fights them, swinging and shouting until they finally wrestle him into a squad car.

“Guys, get him!” you yell to Pope and John B.

Pope leaps into action, climbing onto the back of the truck. With a loud crash, he smashes the rear window, and he and John B pull JJ out.

“Go, J! You’ll be fine—you always are,” you say, grabbing his face and locking eyes with him for a moment. Then you push him to run, and he takes off into the night.

Your group gathers around you, their faces tense but resolute.

“I gotta get home to V. You got him?”

Pope nods. “We got him. Don’t worry.”

“Yeah, I know you do, just wanted to hear it,” you reply, watching them disappear after JJ.

By the time you get home, your anger is still simmering. You step inside to find Rafe lounging on the couch with V in his arms. He looks up as you enter, his expression cautious.

“How was it?” he asks, his voice careful.

You ignore him, your thoughts too clouded by everything that’s happened. Despite the changes Rafe has made, despite the family you’ve built together, there’s a part of you that can’t separate him from the Kooks.

“Hello?” he calls, his voice following you into the kitchen.

“Like you give a shit,” you mutter, just loud enough for him to hear.

Rafe sets V in her high chair and walks toward you. “What’d you say?”

You turn, and he’s already towering over you. “Like. You. Give. A. Shit.”

“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” he snaps, his tone sharper now. “You come in upset, and I’m not allowed to care?”

“No, not when you’re one of them,” you fire back, your arms crossed as you glare up at him.

“What happened, y/n?” He lets out a big sigh, signaling his frustration with you.

“The rich always win—that’s what happened,” you say bitterly.

The words spill out of you, your anger finding its target. You recount the meeting in vivid detail, emphasizing every injustice, every betrayal.

“I hate them, Rafe. With every fiber of my being. And Topper and Ruthie? They were there, smirking like they owned the damn place.”

Rafe sighs, but you cut him off before he can speak.

“That place is my home. Those people are my family. They helped raise me, JJ and John B since our parents didn't care enough to. I didn’t die of malnourishment as a child thanks to Mr and Mrs. Baxter down the road. I didn’t have to wear the same 3 outfits every day, because Ms. Houlihan would provide me with her daughter’s hand-me-downs. I wouldn’t have made it out of my house alive if Mr. Maden hadn’t heard my screams when my father was beating me and my brother and intervened, taking us home with him. You will never understand what it is like to be from there. There’s an actual sense of community. We look out for each other. You couldn’t say the same for this side of the island, could you”

You continue.

“I don’t care about my house. I know you’ll protect me. I can always work something out for JJ. The people that have no choice but to stay, they still care and I care about them. Those people work their asses off every single day. All of that happened to me and I’m still proud, because of people like them. I will raise my daughter to respect them just as much as I do. Not look down on them or not care that their lives are about to be ripped from them.”

Rafe shifts uncomfortably. “I’m sorry,” he says softly.

You roll your eyes, you really don't mean to take it on him, he didn't have anything to do with what happened. You just feel an insane amount of guilt coming home to this house, when all the people you love went home terrified wondering how long they have left in theirs. Rafe was partly to blame for this feeling, giving you space in his home and that’s why you couldn’t hold in that anger with him. This is just all too much for you.

“V needs a bath tonight. I’m going to bed,” you mutter, brushing past him.

Hours later, sleep still evades you. You hear Rafe come in, his footsteps soft. He leans down and presses a kiss to your temple.

“I have another meeting. Will you be okay?” he whispers.

You nod without a word, and he leaves.

Once the front door closes, you slip into V’s room. She’s sleeping peacefully, her tiny chest rising and falling rhythmically. Tears sting your eyes as you stroke her cheek.

She’ll never know the struggles you did, and for that, you’re grateful. But she’ll know where you came from. She’ll be proud of both sides of her family.

You pick her up and carry her to your bed, pulling her close. Her soft breaths lull you to sleep.

When Rafe returns, he finds the two of you curled up together. For a moment, he stands there, a small smile spreading across his face. Changing quickly, he climbs into bed, draping an arm over both of you.

As sleep takes him, the steady rhythm of your breathing and V’s soothes him, filling the room with a quiet sense of peace.

.⭒☆━━━━━━━━━✰━━━━━━━━━☆⭒.

The next morning, sunlight filters through the blinds as you wake up, feeling lighter than you did yesterday. Glancing down, you see V laying beside you patiently, her little hands fidgeting with the blanket. A soft smile plays on your lips as you look over at Rafe, sprawled on his back with his mouth slightly open, snoring softly. Even in this unguarded state, there’s a rare peace to his face, one you don’t see often.

Carefully, you lift V and tiptoe out of the room, letting Rafe sleep a little longer. In the kitchen, you place her in her high chair, giving her a few toys to keep her entertained while you prepare her oatmeal and set the coffee machine to brew. The scent of fresh coffee fills the air as you hum softly, stealing glances at your daughter, who babbles happily to herself.

When Rafe eventually makes his way downstairs, coffee mug in hand, there’s a cautiousness in his step. He hesitates near the counter, watching you, unsure of where you stand after last night. You meet his gaze and close the distance between you. Without a second thought, you wrap your arms around him, pressing your cheek to his chest.

“I’m sorry for last night,” you say quietly, squeezing him a little tighter. “My outburst wasn’t fair to you.”

Rafe doesn’t miss a beat, his arms circling your back. “You don’t need to apologize. You were right—I don’t understand. But if it’s something you’re passionate about, I care about it too. I’ll help you however I can.” He pulls back slightly to look down at you, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

You blink up at him, half in disbelief. “I can’t believe you just said that. You wanna help the Cut?” you tease lightly.

“For you? I’d do anything,” he replies, sincerity evident in his tone. His hand cups the back of your head, drawing you into a kiss that lingers longer than either of you expected.

The soft hiss of water boiling over breaks the moment. You pull away with a laugh, rushing to the stove to tend to V’s oatmeal. Rafe stays close, his fingers brushing your waist as he leans against the counter.

“I’ve got to stop by the docks today,” you tell him, plating V’s food. “Left some things on the boat the other day. I’ll take her with me, and we’ll just hang out for a bit.”

Rafe nods, sipping his coffee. “I’ve got some meetings to handle, but maybe we can meet for lunch?”

“Sounds perfect,” you agree, leaning into him as he plants a kiss on your shoulder before heading upstairs to get ready.

By the time you arrive at the dock, it’s mid-morning. You set up a shady little play area for V, making sure she has water and snacks. While she plays happily, you spread out a towel nearby, basking in the warm sun. Every so often, you glance over at her, marveling at how much joy she brings into your life.

After about thirty minutes, you scoop her up and hold her to your chest, brushing your fingers through her soft, honey-blonde curls. The simple act fills you with a sense of calm and gratitude, and you lose track of time.

It’s nearly 11:30 when you realize you need to pack up and meet Rafe. As you gather your things, movement on a nearby boat catches your eye. Hollis. You’ve only met her once, but that was enough to form a strong dislike. Despite your better judgment, you approach, intending to keep things civil for Rafe’s sake. But you freeze when someone else steps into view.

Sofia.

Confusion twists your features as you inch closer, straining to hear their conversation.

“What are you gonna do? Shoot me now that I’ve exposed your scam?” Sofia’s voice is sharp, cutting through the quiet.

You scoff silently, disbelief washing over you.

“I risked doing this for someone I loved,” Sofia continues, her tone laced with bitterness. “Just for you to screw him over like this?”

“Loved?” Hollis echoes mockingly. “That’s right—I met his other special lady a few weeks ago. You got your money, no? What’s the problem?”

You hear the rustle of papers.

“This is the legal contract,” Hollis says. “Me, Chandler, Goat Island—it’s all there. You played your boyfriend. I could ruin your family in three phone calls.”

Sofia rushes off the boat moments later, stopping abruptly when she spots you. Her face pales, guilt written all over her.

“How much?” you demand, your voice sharp and unwavering.

“$25,000,” Sofia mumbles, avoiding your eyes. “Plus some—”

You cut her off, your tone dripping with disdain. “Don’t worry, I can keep a secret. Just as good as you, apparently.”

Your glare lingers before you brush past her, the weight of what you’ve overheard sinking in.

As you drive to meet Rafe, your thoughts churn. Sure, you’ve played him before—for the right reasons. When he was lost, blinded by his father’s expectations, you stepped in to stop him from spiraling further. But this? This was different.

Sofia hadn’t just hurt Rafe; she’d betrayed the version of him he’s been working so hard to become. The version that puts his family first, especially V. That makes her actions feel even more unforgivable.

.⭒☆━━━━━━━━━✰━━━━━━━━━☆⭒.

You spot Rafe waiting for you outside the restaurant, leaning casually against his truck with a grin on his face. V lights up at the sight of him, and her little arms reach out as he scoops her up effortlessly.

“Bout time,” he teases, pressing a quick kiss to your lips before dropping one on V’s head. “I thought you girls were gonna stand me up.”

“Never,” you reply, forcing a playful smile, though the tension in your chest lingers. The encounter with Sofia still weighs heavy on your mind.

The three of you settle into a cozy booth, and you do your best to keep the mood light. But your silence must have been louder than you realized because Rafe eventually breaks it.

“How was the boat? Even though it was docked,” he jokes, trying to draw you out.

You blink, snapping out of your thoughts. “Good,” you reply quickly. “It was a nice time for the two of us.” You glance at V, who’s happily nibbling on her crackers.

The waiter brings your food, and while Rafe digs in with enthusiasm, you find yourself pushing your meal around on your plate.

“Rafe,” you begin hesitantly, “I’m starting to get worried that this is a scam.”

You’re trying to convince him some other way than exposing Sofia. She was really a nice girl, from the same place as you. You grew up together, you hung out together, worked at the country club together. Her family let you crash on their couch to get away from Luke. $25,000 can go a long way for someone like us. That town council meeting really screwed with your head. She was also really happy with Rafe and you came back just to ruin all of that.

Partly blaming yourself for that decision to betray him, not knowing it was Rafes' own words that made her do it, not you. Even though you didn't know that she overheard something he said, you've been on that end of the stick with him many times and know the pain it could cause despite you caring so deeply about him.

He looks up from his plate, his brows knitting together. “What? You told me you’d support me in my decision. The one I made for us.” He gestures toward you and V. “Now you think I made a mistake?”

“That’s not it,” you insist, setting your fork down. “Hollis was docked next to your boat. I overheard her saying some weird things. It just… made me uneasy, that’s all.”

Rafe leans back, his jaw tightening as he absorbs your words. For a moment, he says nothing, then shakes his head.

“Whatever,” he says dismissively, though there’s an edge to his tone. “It’s supposed to go through in a few days anyway. So, your opinion of what you *think* you heard doesn’t matter anymore.” His expression softens slightly as a smirk creeps onto his face. “We’ll be swimming in cash, baby.”

The sudden change in his demeanor catches you off guard, but you decide not to push further. For now, at least. You know how stubborn Rafe can be, and pushing him too hard might only make things worse.

As V babbles happily in her high chair, you force a smile and nod along. But deep down, the unease remains, tangled up with guilt, doubt, and the unresolved question of how to handle the truth about Sofia.

.⭒☆━━━━━━━━━✰━━━━━━━━━☆⭒.

You arrive home after a full day out with Rafe and V, feeling the kind of exhaustion that’s both fulfilling and draining. The park had been a blast, shopping for V had you both laughing over baby shoes and tiny outfits, and dinner ended with V fast asleep in her car seat.

Rafe carefully carries her inside, her little face nestled against his shoulder. He whispers, "I’ve got her," as he heads upstairs to lay her in her crib. You head to your shared bedroom, the quiet of the house settling over you like a blanket.

Changing into a tank top and sleep shorts, you sit on the edge of the bed, your mind drifting. It doesn’t take long before Rafe joins you. He walks in quietly and sits next to you, wrapping an arm around your waist and pressing gentle kisses along your shoulder. His lips are warm and unhurried, and when he moves your hair aside, you instinctively tilt your head to give him better access.

He shifts, kneeling between your legs, his hands resting on your thighs as he continues kissing your neck. There’s a tenderness to his movements, but when he tugs at the hem of your tank top, you stop him with a raised eyebrow.

“Really? Now?” you tease, though your tone is more amused than annoyed.

“Just want a quick taste of you, angel,” he murmurs, his voice low and smooth, sending a shiver down your spine.

You can’t help the smile that tugs at your lips. Looking into his eyes, you reply, “How can I resist that?”

Rafe doesn’t waste a second. He softly guides you to lie back on the bed, his touch firm but careful. He slips your sleep shorts down, his hands trailing along your legs as he spreads your thighs. The look in his eyes is one of complete focus, as though nothing else exists but you.

He starts slowly, planting featherlight kisses on your inner thighs, inching closer to your center. His lips finally reach their destination, and his tongue moves in deliberate, practiced strokes. You arch your back, your fingers gripping his arm that’s wrapped around your thigh as he applies just the right amount of pressure.

“Rafe... oh my God,” you cry out, your breath catching as the waves of your climax crash over you. He doesn’t stop until he’s sure you’ve ridden out every last sensation.

When he finally pulls back, his chin glistening with evidence of his handiwork, he smirks and leans forward to rest his head on your stomach. His arms wrap around your waist as he clings to you, clearly satisfied with himself.

You laugh softly, still catching your breath, and nudge him off gently. “Alright, Casanova, let’s get some sleep. I’ve got to meet my brother tomorrow.”

Rafe groans playfully but gets up, changing into a pair of sweatpants before sliding under the covers. As you pull your shorts back on and climb into bed, he immediately reaches for you, pulling you into his arms.

“Goodnight, angel,” he whispers against your hair, his voice heavy with contentment.

“Goodnight,” you reply softly, letting the warmth of his embrace lull you to sleep.

.⭒☆━━━━━━━━━✰━━━━━━━━━☆⭒.

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seekers-who-are-lovers · 2 years ago

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The way Rei’s voice wobbled when his father mentioned Kazuki’s “bad influence” on him and his reluctance to come back to the organisation made me think “this is not some Shakespearean tragedy, is it?”

And we are probably watching it unfold every week. Comedy, tragedy, black comedy.

🏳️‍🌈?

#buddy daddies #buddy daddy spoilers #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #kazurei #episode 8: nothing seek nothing find

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axkirak · 4 months ago

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The Curse of Cassandra [EP : IV]

Read in Ao3 : here

Pairings: Qimir x f!reader(SEA Reader) [The Acolyte]

Content Rating : Mature 18+ Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warning (AT YOUR OWN RISK)

tags/themes : Alternate Universe - Dune & Star wars, Partners in Crime, Strangers to Lovers

Summary: Even though you saw a chance to escape, you face an inner conflict between desire for freedom and a growing attachment to Qimir. You’re unsure whether you want to flee or stay by his side.

Status: finished writing this fic! (It will end in Episode 14)

A/N : beware! This dude is a mastermind manipulator (and he's also fucking hot when he does this)

➡ Intro // EP : 1 // EP : 2 // EP : 3 // EP : 5 // EP : 6 // EP : 7 // EP : 8 // EP : 9 // EP : 10 // EP : 11 // EP : 12 // EP : 13 // EP : 14 (Completed)

Special OS : Phantom Thread

[Episodes 4] Seek freedom and become captive of your desires.

A storm was raging across the surface of an unfamiliar planet, and through the small viewport, nothing was visible except for the relentless sheets of rain and the murky, gray sky. All other sounds were drowned out by the deafening roar of raindrops striking the roof. The air was thick with the damp scent of rain, but it couldn’t mask the overpowering stench of blood that lingered stronger still.

You closed your eyes, taking a long, measured breath, trying to calm your turbulent mind. You had known this was inevitable, yet the guilt burning in your chest hadn't diminished at all.

Your mind drifted back to your memories. Three days ago, you had begun using your prescient visions once more, searching for the future that lay ahead. It was then that you saw one path in destiny—a crucial opportunity to escape Qimir. The likelihood of success was a staggering hundred percent. As long as events unfolded along this path with no missteps, freedom would be yours, true and unshackled, severing all ties with him and every other bounty hunter who might come after you.

However, the price for your freedom was steep, paid with the blood of others.

And that price had already been exacted—on Qimir, with you as the cause.

That was the story you had seen in your vision. Like the butterfly effect, it all began with a small rumor that spread like wildfire among the bounty hunters—a whisper passed from one to another, ear to ear, that Qimir was in possession of a woman with a high bounty on her head, and they were now wandering across the galaxy together.

These rumors fueled the greed of many, and eventually, a group of daring bandits concocted a sinister plan. The plan was brutally simple: kill Qimir, capture the woman, and claim the bounty for themselves.

Your prophetic vision had laid it all bare for you. They would attempt to assassinate Qimir on a day when a heavy storm raged on a remote planet far beyond the reach of the Republic's watchful eye. Everything was perfectly set for murder and evidence concealment, ensuring that no lawkeeper would trace the deed back to them.

But what those criminals hadn't considered was that Qimir was no easy prey.

You had faced off against Qimir multiple times. You knew him thoroughly, unquestionably in his skill, and the future vision confirmed this. Even though he would be surrounded by over a dozen armed men, Qimir was still formidable enough to defeat them all—and ruthless enough to kill every one of them, leaving no one alive to tell others about you.

You already knew he wouldn't die, but this fight would severely injure him, paving the way for your escape. Qimir would have no chance of catching up with you, and if you managed to escape successfully, he would never find you again. The thread of fate binding you two together would end there.

You knew this was the only chance you'd been waiting for. The chance to break free from him. as you've always wanted.

So, you chose not to warn Qimir, even though you knew exactly what he would face.

You didn't care who got hurt or died. You fully embraced the truth that you were not a good person because this universe had no place for good people. To survive, one had to learn to be selfish and heartless. This was how you were raised, and there was no changing that.

All you have to do is wait. Let fate play out as you've foreseen it. Don't interfere; don't alter the course. Then, when Qimir is gravely injured, you'll leave him here, steal his ship, and escape to another planet. That would be the end of all this chaos—no more being hunted, no more death, and no more Sith haunting your dreams.

Everything seemed so easy in your mind. But when the moment arrived, you found yourself hesitating.

Your clear blue eyes gazed down at the large figure lying on the floor. Qimir's face was growing paler by the moment. His eyes closed in unconsciousness. His body was riddled with wounds, and his clothes were soaked with blood that had darkened to a deep crimson. At a glance, it was hard to tell if he was even breathing, but deep down, you knew he wasn't going to die—not today.

And yet, the sight of him had a greater impact on you than you'd expected.

You clenched your fists so tightly that your nails dug into your palms, the pain sinking deep into your thoughts. A voice from your conscience whispered accusations, telling you this was all your fault. You might not have wielded the knife against him, but you allowed this to happen. You were part of what led him to this fate.

You quickly shook your head, trying to banish the nagging thoughts. You had no reason to feel guilty about Qimir. He was a bounty hunter, after all. He had captured you and imprisoned you, all for the sake of a reward. He was just as selfish as you. You don't need to care about him at all.

You tried—really tried—to convince yourself of that. You tried to force yourself to walk away while you still had the chance.

But in the end, you found yourself right back where you started. Back where Qimir's body lay unconscious, injured, and vulnerable, as if he could die at any moment.

“Damn it!” You curse under your breath, frustration gnawing at you as you kneel down, gathering all your strength to lift him off the ground, not caring that his blood is staining you all over.

You pulled his arm over your shoulder, struggling greatly as Qimir was much bigger than you. But you were determined to drag him through the rain and onto the ship as quickly as possible before anyone else stumbled upon you and the bodies of the criminals.

You knew you were getting yourself into trouble. You knew that well.

But this time, to hell with fate.

“How long am I unconscious?”

Qimir’s question makes you frown, your eyes drifting for a moment in thought. “About a week, I guess. I didn’t count.” You shake your head before focusing on examining the large wound on his abdomen again. “Don’t move. Do you want to tear your wound open again?” you scold him firmly, pushing gently against his chest as he attempts to sit up suddenly.

Qimir complies, though he feels somewhat bored. It has been three days since he regained consciousness, but he remains confined to the hard bed of his ship, with you attending to his every need—cooking for him, applying medicine, and wiping him down. You do all this without a single complaint.

In truth, the wound is minor for him. He could heal himself completely right now if he wants to, but he doesn’t want to draw any unwanted attention from you. Moreover, deep down, he enjoys your care and attention. With this thought, enduring another few days of lying still isn’t so bad.

Qimir watches as you move closer, close enough that he can smell the faint scent of sandalwood from you. It is a strangely calming scent. You place your hand on his abdomen, near his wound, your fingers carefully tracking along the shape of his muscles. Your face looks worried as you look up at him. “Does it still hurt?”

Not at all, he thinks, but chooses to answer the opposite. “It hurts.”

You lower your eyes, trying to ignore Qimir’s gaze that has been fixed on you constantly since he fully regained consciousness. You reach for the Bacta spray, telling him, “Just bear with the pain for a bit, okay?” Then you spray the healing substance on his wound. The blue liquid covers all the damaged areas on his skin, rapidly regenerating new flesh.

The bacta healing process is quite painful for a large wound like this. However, Qimir’s expression doesn’t change one bit.

After finishing dressing the wound, you are about to move away, but Qimir grabs your arm, holding you in place.

“Why did you save me?”

You hesitate, taken aback. Even though you knew he would eventually ask this question, you are momentarily speechless.

You had previously tried to come up with a hundred reasons to answer this question for yourself, but no matter how much you pondered, none of the answers seemed entirely correct.

Even now, you still don’t understand yourself. Why?

Why are you still standing here? Why haven’t you just left him?

“I don’t know,” you say honestly, pretending to busy yourself with putting the medical supplies back into the box, avoiding his gaze. “I just didn’t want to see you like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like...” You close your eyes, and even with your eyes closed, you can still feel Qimir’s intense gaze. This time, it holds more than just curiosity. There is something in his eyes that makes your heart waver and tremble. “I didn’t want to see you hurt,” you say, opening your eyes, but you still don’t turn to face him.

Qimir notices your nervousness, which you can’t hide. He can tell you are speaking the truth, not lying.

He chuckles at your reaction before playfully tugging at your hand, pulling you closer until you are almost breathing on each other’s necks. You stiffen, your face flushing lightly, but you don’t pull away or push him off.

“You are worried about me?” His voice is low but not threatening. On the contrary, you think it sounds oddly seductive.

You bite your lip hard, refusing to answer his question. You’d rather die than admit you are worried about him because you know that if you do, he’ll start to get cocky. You don’t want to boost his already towering ego any further.

Qimir seems unwilling to give up his intentions. He raises his hand to cup your face, gently forcing you to look at him again. As your eyes lock with his, your breath quickens involuntarily. It is the first time you are this close to someone, so close that you can feel the warmth radiating from his body and see all the details you have only observed from afar before—his collarbones, his sharp jawline, and his eyes...

You notice that Qimir’s eyes are pitch black, devoid of any other color, as if nothing exists within them but an empty darkness.

Strangely, you think Qimir makes that black color look captivating.

Your heart pounds erratically as he leans in closer, his nose almost touching yours. For a moment, you think he might kiss you, but instead, Qimir simply tucks a loose strand of your hair behind your ear.

“You know, you don’t have to hide yourself when you’re with me,” Qimir whispers, his fingers tracing your cheek slowly. The warmth of his touch lingers long after he has pulled away.

You blink, momentarily lost in a trance. As reality rushes back, you step back as if you have touched something scalding. Without a word, you quickly make your way out of his room, almost running in your haste.

Yet, even then, you can still feel Qimir’s dark eyes following your every move, watching you until you vanish from sight.

Swallowing hard, you place your hands over your chest, hoping to calm your racing heart. With each passing day, it becomes more apparent that Qimir’s presence is disturbing your thoughts and emotions deeply. The only solution seems to be distancing yourself from him before things go too far.

But it is impossible for you to stay away from him. No matter where you go, his presence, his scent, his gaze, and his voice always manage to find you.

And you know well that, deep down, you don’t want to leave him either.

#star wars #qimir fic #qimir x reader #the acolyte fic #qimir #qimir x y/n #the acolyte #the curse of cassandra #star wars fic #the acolyte x reader #the stranger x reader #qimir x you #the acolyte fanfiction #qimir the stranger #the acolyte qimir #dune fanfiction #dune fanfic

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hotdaemondtargaryen · 5 months ago

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EWAN MITCHELL INTERVIEWED BY POLYGON MAGAZINE.

YOU'VE SPOKEN BEFORE ABOUT THE INFLUENCES YOU TOOK IN WHEN CRAFTING YOUR APPROACH TO AEMOND — YOU HAVE PROMETHEUS; YOU HAVE HEAT; HALLOWEEN; LAWRENCE OF ARABIA. I'M CURIOUS WHAT YOU WERE SEEKING AS YOU WERE RESEARCHING TO PLAY AEMOND IN SEASON 2.

"Characters who possess a tremendous amount of power, and see it as a means to do things no one else can do."

Similar with Lawrence of Arabia — something in Lawrence of Arabia that I like, he says 'The trick, William Potter, is not minding that it hurts.'

"You know, the idea that he kind of tempers himself — very similar to Aemond — to pain."

"He puts duty over love."

"And [similarly,] the idea that Aemond can be loved, but he also knows that he can achieve more if he’s willing to be feared, and do the necessary kind of evil."

"[I sought] characters who were kind of marginalized, and they maybe start off their story on their back foot, and over time become the hero of their story."

"There are setbacks, but they bounce back even stronger."

"Those kinds of characters."

DID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU WERE LIFTING THE ENERGY OF THESE PERFORMANCES, THE PHILOSOPHY, OR JUST THEIR PHYSICALITY?

"Anything �� I mean, I try to watch a film a day."

"Although recently, with press, I’ve sometimes had to do two a day, because I miss a day."

"But anything, anything: Inspiration can come at any time."

"I’m always watching for it."

"I was watching Split the other day, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split, and it kind of raises the idea that the broken are the more evolved."

"And that’s certainly true with Aemond; from the moment he had his eye taken from him, he’s used it as motivation to develop himself and manufacture himself into this lethal weapon."

"I was speaking to a reporter earlier, and he had a Rutger Hauer T-shirt from Blade Runner."

"That’s also something that I might use as inspiration going into season 3."

"Just kind of leave my arms open, take anything."

DO YOU FIND YOU HAVE DIFFERENT INFLUENCES FOR DIFFERENT MOMENTS IN AEMOND'S LIFE, OR EVEN JUST DIFFERENT RELATIONSHIPS, LIKE ALICENT VERSUS HELAENA?

"Yeah, ultimately, after the raising of the dragonseeds in 'The Red Sowing,' it’s definitely made Aemond a lot more desperate going into episode 8, and he’s losing that composure that he’s known for [in] the previous episodes."

"And so there was always something really fascinating in exploring that kind of fractured Aemond, seeing that scared boy rise to the surface again, that he’s tried to keep a lid on for so many years."

"It’s the sort of relationship that makes total sense even when you don’t see them together."

"Of course she’s the person who sees him and puts him in his place."

"And he just has nothing to say to that."

"Her words just cut him in half."

"He always has this idea of where and how things will pan out."

"She just challenges that, and it breaks him a little bit."

IN A SHOW THAT'S SO MUCH ABOUT INTERROGATING PEOPLE'S QUEST FOR A POWER, THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO IT, AND HOW IT CAN BE BOTH WIELDED AND CORRUPTING AS A FORCE, HOW DO YOU SEE AEMOND FITTING INTO THAT? WHAT'S HIS MINDSET?

"I think he raises that question of whether Aemond is inherently evil, or whether power does corrupt, whether it was nurture versus nature."

"Was it the upbringing that [he] received from Otto Hightower and his mother, or was it just being in the Red Keep and being a product of his environment there?"

"I think Aemond — he’s always had that quest for power."

"He’s always wanted to be known as that war hero."

"And here at the council table, for the first half of the series, he’s very much serving in the war from one end."

"And then when he gets into power and becomes prince regent, he goes to the other end."

All of these people, he now has a completely new perspective on, and it’s like, 'OK, so how can each of you serve me? And if you can’t serve me, you’re gone.'

"It’s that kind of very black-and-white pursuit that Aemond has in his quest for power, which I think is quite scary."

"It’s formidable."

It doesn’t really take anybody else’s perspective into account. 'It’s what I want.'

"So what’s his relationship with power? It’s not a pretty one."

DO YOU SEE HIS QUEST FOR POWER AS COMING FROM THAT SCARED LITTLE BOY WHO JUST WANTS SOME PROTECTION AND INSULATION, AND TO BE ABOVE REPROACH? OR DO YOU SEE IT AS HIM THINKING I HONESTLY BELIEVE I CAN DO THIS BETTER THAN ANYONE ELSE HERE?

"I mean around the council table, all these other characters, they’re losing their composure, they’re raising their voices, they’re arguing."

"Aemond’s just sitting back."

"He’s calculated, he’s cool."

"He strikes when the moment arises."

"He needs to be seen as someone who can wield that power effectively."

"He needs to be seen as someone who can lead."

"He can become that war hero."

"Whether or not he wants to sit the Iron Throne — I don’t know; I don’t want to answer that! But he definitely wants a similar kind of reputation as Daemon Targaryen."

"He wants to be like Daemon Targaryen, but he also wants to better him."

"He wants to be known as that rogue prince, who you know all of the realm respects."

"Or maybe he doesn’t really care what anyone thinks — that’s kind of what I love about the character."

"He could be many things."

TELL ME ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACHED THE ARC FOR HIM OVER THE SEASON — TO RETURN TO INFLUENCES FOR A SEC, I WAS THINKING A LOT ABOUT STREETCAR NAMED DESIRED, AND HAVING A CHARACTER WHO DOESN'T KNOW THEY'RE THAT CLOSE TO A BREAKDOWN, BASICALLY, AND DOESN'T KNOW THEY'RE ONE BAD DAY AWAY FROM THAT. THEY'RE JUST HOLDING THEMSELVES TOGETHER EVEN WHEN PEOPLE AROUNG YOU CAN SEE THIS IS BAD NEWS.

"Aemond… if he has a breaking point, I don’t think he’s found it yet."

"It’s interesting."

"Maybe he found it there, when Helaena challenged everything he thought his life would amount to, and how things would pan out."

"I think Aemond always thought of himself as the captain of his own fate and his own destiny."

"And so when Helaena shares that knowledge — on one hand, it could make an enemy out of him."

"But on the other hand, it could also make Helaena a tremendously valuable ally."

"If you’re able to harness that kind of foresight and that power that Helaena possesses, you could see a blow coming before it lands."

I think that would certainly be something interesting to explore: 'Where is Aemond’s breaking point?'

"I mean we’ve seen everything he’s done so far."

"He kind of had to abandon humanity in season 2, with what he did to his brother."

Helaena raises that: 'Was it worth the price, and what did he lose in that moment?'

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT WHERE HE ENDS UP THIS SEASON? IN MANY WAYS, IT FEELS LIKE AND OTHERWISE TRIUMPHANT SEASON PUTS HIM IN EXACTLY THE RIGHT PLACE TO HAVE HER POP THAT BALLON FOR HIM.

"Yeah, that’s a good way of looking at it."

"I think he’s got to sit with that information now, and sit with that realization."

"But as we know for Aemond, he can’t sit still for long."

"He’s going to be on the back of that dragon."

"Up to no good, you know."

"And yeah, I can’t wait to see where it goes in season 3."

"I think he’s got to change again."

"I think similar to when he had his eye taken out as a kid, it served as this motivation to become something else entirely."

"And then with this new realization at the end of season 2, he’s gonna have to evolve again, or otherwise risk being broken again."

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the-eeveekins · 1 year ago

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Can you expand on how they are implied to be closer offscreen than what is shown?

It's mostly in background details in a couple episodes!

First, episode 4: Miorine invites Suletta to stay in her room overnight to help her with her upcoming test (In the novel it's stated that Suletta doesn't yet have a dorm and has been staying at an on-campus hotel). We get a good look at her room (it's actually pretty small) during these few scenes, but looking around, it becomes clear that there is only one bed in the room, and during their conversation that night, when the camera angles back towards the living space, there isn't a 2nd mattress set out.

So they almost certainly shared Miorine's bed that night.

Episode 8: After the founding of GUND-Arm Inc, Miorine starts researching the GUND Format and the history of GUND technology. We see her lying in bed, looking at her phone, with TWO tablets on the bed around her. One is hers, but the other? It could only be Suletta's. And by this point Suletta is living at the Earth House dorms, so she's still coming by to spend nights in Miorine's room even while having her own place to sleep. We don't see the room itself or where Suletta is in this scene, but they may still be sharing Miorine's bed.

Episode 19: In the aftermath of the last two episodes, Suletta is shown lying in bed, burying her face in a pillow. But she's lying the wrong way, with her feet at the top of the bed with another pillow, presumably the one she normally sleeps with. The other pillow? Probably Miorine's, and Suletta is burying her face in it because she finds Miorine's scent comforting.

The girl's dorms at Earth House show 6 bunks, with one pillow each. Suletta, Nika, Chuchu, Lilique and Aliya account for 5 occupants, leaving one spare bed (and pillow). Miorine is almost definitely doing most of her GUND-Arm Inc. work out of Earth House, and she probably spent nights there, sleeping in the spare bunk. Suletta, hurt and seeking any sort of comfort, steals Miorine's pillow from her bunk to take into bed with her.

Most of the investigative work from this I got from these two tweets.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to take Suletta & Miorine's relationship the way it's presented in the show, and the pace at which it develops, at face value. But in light of Bandai's statement regarding their relationship, and some of the rumors (like the kiss scene), I feel like it's safe to say that Bandai suppressed the way the staff was allowed to depict their relationship.

Showing Suletta & Miorine sharing a bed, even in a completely chaste manner, was probably a no go. They definitely weren't allowed to show them kissing, saying "I love you" to each other and obviously the word marriage and the actual wedding were off limits.

So instead we get little background details like this showing they're closer off-screen than we're allowed to see. We get scenes in episode 11, 17 and 22 that are clearly supposed to be a confession, proposal and kiss, but the wording had to be changed and the kiss had to be changed to a more subtle intimate interaction. They couldn't show a wedding, have anyone say the two were married or have them call each other wife, so the staff added the "Sister-in-Law" line to make their marriage explicit without drawing Bandai's ire.

Personally, I think the staff wanted to have them kiss AND show the wedding on screen, but were stopped by Bandai. There's clearly some foreshadowing to a kiss in S1, especially with El5n almost kissing Suletta, and I wonder if they were originally going to kiss in episode 11. Their marriage and wedding is built up throughout the show, starting from the very first episode, and in episode 17 Suletta clearly talks about how she wants to have a ceremony with pretty dresses and matching rings. And just look at some of the artwork some members of the staff drew in the "unofficial" staff artbook showing Suletta & Miorine married or being intimately close once they were off Bandai's leash.

And then there's the song "The Way We Wanna Go", an absolutely beautiful song with a title befitting a couple moving forward together. It's got vocals by Clara Sorace just like The Witch From Mercury, Aerial Rebuild, Quiet Zero and Liberation From The Curse, all major themes for major moments in the show, but The Way We Wanna Go wasn't included in the show. I personally believe it was going to play during their wedding at the end of the show, but the wedding was replaced by the epilogue and the song was replaced by Houseki no Hibi in the process.

#sulemio #g witch #the witch from mercury #eevee q&a

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seekers-who-are-lovers · 2 years ago

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Kazuki: She (Miri) wanted to make you happy.

As if K you yourself didn’t want to make him happy. You should tell him.

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies spoilers #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #unasaka miri #kazurei #kazuki et rei #episode 8: nothing seek nothing find

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seekers-who-are-lovers · 1 year ago

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Every time I watch this scene I always think about what is going on inside Rei’s head after hearing Kazuki and Miri on the phone.

“How did I end up having a partner and a child waiting for me?”

He would probably love to go home immediately, but circumstances stopped him from running to them ASAP.

Also, I cherish these scenes. The way the animators emphasised his beautiful silhouette against the art nouveau/Jugendstil glass doors was very calculated.

The same way they opened this episode to tell his story.

#buddy daddies #rei suwa #episode 8: nothing seek nothing find #kazurei #rei suwa files

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tenebraevesper · 11 months ago

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Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 8)

Welcome to Part 8 of what started as Shadow's character analysis, but also turned into analysis of Sonic in relation to Shadow, as well as me just gushing over the Sonadow ship coz I find it cute.

This post covers the finale of Sonic Prime, Episode 23: From the Top, but this won't be my last post, because I decided to make one more, featuring something of a Final Conclusion to Shadow's story in Sonic Prime.

Well, either that, or I'll just write a bunch of headcanons in regards to what happens after the finale.

So, let's dive in!

Starting from the last episode, the only thing that remained of The Grim is Nine's citadel, with Sonic still fighting Nine, only to finally realize what Nine had truly wanted, understanding his desires. He tries to talk things out with Nine, when suddenly, the cavalry arrives.

''It's over Nine!''

I mean, they didn't really have anywhere else to go besides into the citadel even if they weren't here to beat up Nine for what he had done.

''Get back! Don't make me destroy you all!'' ''Is that what you want? More destruction? Look outside!'' *Nine looks at The Void outside the citadel, devastated*

'I'm sorry for everything Nine. I missed my home so much and was so focused on getting it back that I didn't listen to what you wanted or appreciate what you were trying to do. I never meant to hurt you.''

Just like Shadow, Sonic too has completed his own character growth, admitting and apologizing for hurting Nine. He has learned a lot about communication and how refusing to listening to other people can have devastating consequences.

''Stop! Everyone stop! This isn't the solution!''

Sonic goes so far to protect Nine from his own allies, showing a great deal of maturity. He knows when he has to stop the battle, being the voice of reason by pointing out how they have no time left and there will be nothing to fight over. All he wants is for this to stop.

Nine also understands how bad the situation was, apologizing for what he had done and noting how, without a great sacrifice, reality as they know it will be over. As everyone mourns their loss, we see this little exchange.

''Not yet!''

While I'm not certain whether Sonic saw Shadow's little nod, I know that he is aware that there is one more thing he can do. He has the remaining Prism energy, and he is willing to sacrifice his own life to stabilize the Paradox Prism and fix reality.

''You'd do that? After everything I-'' ''What are friends for?''

Sonic assures Nine that it's fine, and what I love about this moment is how he looks over to Shadow, once again seeking assurance. This will be dangerous for him, and he needs support. One could even interpret this as ''If I'm gone, take care of everything'', with Shadow affirming that he will.

Sonic then begs everyone to leave Nine alone, while also telling Nine not to cause trouble anymore. Rebel agrees with this, knowing they have no other choice. Now, they have to trust Nine. However, if he removes the energy, Sonic might fall apart.

''What about Shadow?'' ''Shadow wasn't there for the shatter event. He blipped into this reality. But I shattered the Prism.'' ''And without the Prism energy binding him...''

Gotta love how Rebel is willing to throw Shadow under the bus. Admittedly, she probably was wondering whether he too had the same Prism energy, at least until Sonic explains it that, no, he doesn't. He then admits to shattering the Prism, taking responsibility for his actions.

I'm certain that in this moment, Shadow was quite proud of Sonic.

Nine then starts the extraction, and it's obviously quite painful for Sonic. Once it's complete, he faints, seemingly dead.

Look at Shadow's expression here. This is the look of someone whose heart has just been shattered in a million pieces. He just watched Sonic sacrifice himself to fix reality, not even knowing whether he will survive, and he couldn't do anything. Shadow genuinely cares about Sonic, reaching out for him, but when there's seemingly no response, his ears droop and he looks crushed.

Shadow knows that Sonic has been in many rough situations, but now, he doesn't even know whether he is alive or dead. Hell, maybe he was also dealing with flashbacks of another loss he had suffered. Who knows? But, it is certain that at this point, he cares so much about Sonic and he doesn't want to lose him.

Fortunately, Sonic is still alive, but only barely. The only thing that kept him like this was the Paradox Prism energy, but now that he's gone, he became similar to his friends at Ghost Hill. To make things worse, he is also fading, meaning he doesn't have much time left.

Unfortunately for everyone, the Chaos Council, being Eggman's Shatterverse Variants, decide to betray everyone.

''Stand down, edgelord!''

Of course they had to throw in at least one edgelord insult for Shadow.

Fortunately for everyone involved, all of the Chaos Council members have egos the size of a skyscraper, so they quickly get into a fight with each other.

''Hold on, Shadow. Let's see how this plays out.''

Shadow wants to throw down hands with the Chaos Council, but is stopped by Rebel, who basically tells him to kick back, relax and get some popcorn while the Chaos Council members fight each other. And Shadow actually listens instead of going for the violent option.

With Nine opening the portal to The Void and the Mr. Dr. Eggman starting to blast everything, it is clear that they need to just end this pitiful situation.

''How about now?'' ''Knock yourself out.''

I just love how Shadow respects Rebel enough to ask her for permission to go beat up the Chaos Council. He was so itching for this fight and it had to be cathartic for him.

With the Chaos Council gone, Nine fixes the Shatterspaces, and the Paradox Prism vanishes.

Green Hill, Sonic and Shadow's home, is back, and now, they have to leave as fast as possible, because Sonic's time is running out. After saying their goodbyes...

....and hugging Nine for good measure, Sonic leaves with Thorn and Birdie, who want to bring him home.

We then get this moment.

''Oh! I suppose you need a ride too!''

They frigging forgot about Shadow! *laughs her ass off*

I just love how Shadow just responds with a ''hmph'', reverting back to his usual closed-off self. Sure, he can show emotions around Sonic, but everyone else doesn't get to see the softer side of him.

That, and he probably didn't want to ask for help to return home.

Admittedly, it is good that Black Rose and Rusty Rose got the ship to get Shadow to Sonic and Thorn, since Birdie got injured from the crystals.

At this point, Shadow knows that they have not much left, as Sonic is barely holding on and Black Rose's ship can't get any faster.

''Black Rose! You've brought us far enough. I'll take it from here!''

Shadow is the only one fast enough to bring Sonic to the safety of Green Hill, finally getting to do his part in saving Sonic's life.

''Goodbye, Roses...''

I'm not crying, somebody's cutting onions!

When Sonic goes down, Shadow has no other choice but to carry him bridal-style, now speeding through The Void as fast as he can. He is determined to save him, and I'm certain that he feels that creeping sense of panic, his heart beating faster as he realizes that he only has seconds left.

''I never knew you were a hugger.'' ''Do you want me to save you or not?''

God, this scene would be so adorable if it weren't for the fact that Sonic is dying. Like seriously, I was in a state between ''Oh, no!'' and ''Just kiss already!''

It is just like Sonic to get one last quip in, even on death's door, and it's to basically banter/flirt with Shadow. Shadow responds, probably relieved to see that there is still a bit of life in Sonic left, and we can see Sonic smile for a brief moment at his response, before fainting, his arm falling down, now limp.

Shadow has a look of terror on his expression, realizing that he's losing Sonic and quickly speeds up.

''HANG ON, SONIC!''

Shadow creates at least four sonic booms with the speed he had managed to achieve, flying through The Void and towards Green Hill, tightening his grip around Sonic. He is not going to let him go, shouting for him to hang on.

Then, he enters the gateway to Green Hill, and we see only white.

Fortunately, they make it through, with Sonic finding himself just in the moment before he shattered the Paradox Prism, elated to see that everything had gone back to normal, and even hugging Dr. Eggman because, yes, he missed him too.

He also shows off what he had learned, sticking close to his friends as they fight Eggman, only to spot someone familiar at the entrance to the cave.

It's Shadow, and he's gotten back the Chaos Emerald he lost to The Void. I suppose this confirms that time has indeed been reset.

We also know that Sonic and Shadow have retained their memories of the Shatterverse, both communicating with just a look about their plan to protect the Paradox Prism.

''This world is mine!'' *Shadow Chaos Controls on top of the Paradox Prism* ''Huh? Shadow? What the heck are you doing here?!''

''I am the Ultimate Lifeform. I go wherever I want.'' ''Wh-huh?'' ''CHAOS CONTROL!''

And that's how Eggman's plan got foiled. Sonic mocks him, he curses the day and leaves, and Sonic's friends probably wonder what the hell had happened.

Gotta say, if Shadow and Sonic had communicated about this back in Episode 01, none of the Shatterverse Adventure would've happened... I guess.

Sonic decides to relax on the beach with his friends, only to deal with a new threat (probably Dr. Eggman coming back with a new scheme) and the adventure continues, while the viewers are left with many unanswered questions, like what did Shadow do with the Paradox Prism and moreover, does the Shatteverse still exist, because what happens here resembles a lot the events of Sonic the Hedgehog (2006), where the time has been reset.

Also, I wish that Shadow had been in this group shot, because he really deserved to be added as a member of Sonic's team. Or at least we could've gotten one more moment between him and Sonic where they reflect on their adventure.

Rest assured, this adventure was great and watching Shadow and Sonic both grow as characters, and show a new level of appreciation, care, understanding and respect for each other was amazing.

Not to mention all the Sonadow moments sprinkled in-between that left the shipping community quite satisfied, giving us enough fuel until the inevitable when we finally get to Sonic Movie 3.

Tune in next time for my Final Conclusion!

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Part 7)

#Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic Prime, Character Analysis - Final Conclusion)

#Sonic the Hedgehog Analyzer (Masterlist)

#Ten's Thoughts #shadow the hedgehog #sonic the hedgehog #tails nine #sonic prime #sonadow #sonadow prime

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withered-tears · 1 month ago

Text

OKAY, SO

These are my thoughts regarding Cyn and The Solver.

Imma put it under a Read more cuz i sorta. Ramble.

SO. Lets say, Cyn wakes up on her on in the dump, no Solver involved. Tessa finds her, brings her home. With no solver, no powers, no nothing, Cyn would have still end up killing people. Not as many, of course. Would regular zombie drone Cyn be a threat to humanity? To earth? HA. No. Would she snuck into the Elliots room and stab them in their sleep? I 100% BELIEVE SHE WOULD.

The solver didn’t turn Cyn into a killer. It just gave her a bigger knife.

Now, about the Solver. I think the solver is sorta like. An entity. An organism in fact. It seeks hosts so it can get access to the realm/universe whatevs you wanna call it, and feed.

That’s the solver motivation. Hunger.

SO, solver plus vengeful drone equal lets eat this whole fucking planet baby. In fact, fuckit. Lets build demons. Lets build an army to eat every single human on this rock. Lets watch the planet die and laugh all the while.

At some point, where Cyn ends and where the Solver start starts to get. Blurry. Cyn grows more and more hungry. The solver grows more and more personality, tastes Sense of humor.

By the time episode 8 comes around, Cyn basically IS the new solver. Tessa’s body? Cyn’s original core? Just hosts. Memory sticks at best. But they get damaged. Destroyed.

But lookie, heres another host, heres a great way to survive.

Easier to get assimilated, than explain.

So the CynSolver gets eaten. Poetic, really. And CynSolver survives, and they don’t have the wheel anymore, but that’s okay because they already won. Cyn got her revenge on humanity. On every single one. And the solver still has access to the universe, still has the chance to feed.

Just gotta talk Uzi into it.

But lets start small.

Have she considered a bow?

#murder drones #md #cyn #md cyn #murder drones cyn #absolute solver #the solver of the absolute fabric #headcanon #sorry its rambly jhdgfsjhgfvdb

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luci-on-the-moon · 2 years ago

Video

The slut strand 😂

Him too, btw

youtube

Buddy Daddies episode 8 (Nothing Seek, Nothing Find) trailer

Episode synopsis:

For once, Rei gets dressed up and heads out early in the morning. After Kazuki and Miri see him off, they immediately embark on their own mission. Rei is headed to the home where the organisation’s boss - his own father - is waiting for him. Rei has been permitted to maintain his current lifestyle under certain conditions, but he will be forced to return to the Suwa family to eventually take over as its heir. And what’s more, he is ordered to dispatch a person who has betrayed the organisation - a familiar face for him.

At the same time, Miri, who is preparing for a party at home, innocently asks Kazuki about Rei and his father. And Rei, who was raised with no experience of familial love, confronts his target - but what is the significance of the words hurled at him?

Trailer dialogue:

Rei: Ever since Miri came, I’ve started noticing the seasons. Kazuki: Yeah… Rei: But summer’s so hot. Kazuki: You’re even more of a shut-in during summer, huh. Rei: I can’t stand summer without air-con. But. Kazuki: But? Rei: Some days I think.. the sunlight isn’t that bad. Buddy Daddies episode 8: Nothing Seek, Nothing Find. This is the first time I’ve ever liked this season. Kazuki: It’d be great to have a BBQ at the river, huh! Rei: I’ll pass. Kazuki: Ehhhh?

#buddy daddies #buddy daddies anime #buddy daddies preview #rei suwa #kazuki kurusu #miri unasaka #episode 8: nothing seek nothing find

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blackswaneuroparedux · 1 year ago

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Genius is nothing other than the ability to retrieve childhood at will.

Charles Baudelaire

Is this all there is to art? A kind of solipsism? An inability to get past the egoism of infancy?

In Fellini’s masterpiece 8+1/2 the answer seems to lie with unraveling the mysterious phrase ‘Asa Miso Nasa’. Up front I will admit the film is not easy to follow as it doesn't really have a great plot and it does feel like episodic that gives it a disjointed look. But that doesn't mean there are no grand narratives underpinning it because there is.

The film, released in 1963, is about a movie director named Guido. His latest project has stalled before filming has even begun. Played by the incomparable Marcello Mastroianni, Guido is suffering from anxiety and creative block. It’s no wonder. He has sown chaos in his love life, and his creative indecision is producing near-mutinous levels of angst among actors, agents and crew. But all of this is mere surface tumult. Guido is haunted by something deeper. Something to do with . . . what? His parents, his childhood, the Catholic church? Feelings of shame and bliss? Death? All he has to answer his question is the phrase 'Asa Miso Nasa' to unlock answers but something he doesn't quite get.

In many ways ‘Asa Miso Nasa’ is a red herring, a sort of wild goose chase to nowhere. Like "Rosebud" in Orson Welles' Citizen Kane, or the madeleine in Marcel Proust's In Search of Lost Time, "Asa Nisi Masa" is a Hitchcockian ‘MacGuffin’ - a convenient object upon which the plot turns. In Fellini’s film it’s used as a gateway to crucial memories of the central character - even though it is itself peripheral to the central story.

Fellini’s answer is, I think, with his apprehension that the urge to make art is connected to a time in our lives when we were lifted and carried about, lowered into baths, tucked into bed; when we first used our lips to suck and to kiss; when we flapped our arms and kicked our legs; or when we danced without unrestrained joy. In other words, when we felt ourselves to be unique in our childhood.

Why should that be so? James Fenton, the great poet and critic, provided a plausible answer, even if he was writing about something else.

“Because,” wrote Fenton - and here comes the part that Guido, the anxious, grown-up filmmaker, must reckon with - “there follows the primal erasure, when we forget all those early experiences, and it is rather as if there is some mercy in this, since if we could remember the intensity of such pleasure it might spoil us for anything else. We forget what happened exactly, but we know that there was something, something to do with music and praise and everyone talking, something to do with flying through the air, something to do with dance.”

Something Fellini-esque, you might say.

Art is more than a pathetic desire to revert to childhood bliss. It’s true that the self-centredness of great artists - and by no means just male artists - is bound up with their desire to find again the treasure in the corner of the childhood bedroom, and the only sound is the children’s chant: “Asa Nisi Masa.” But what do all artists want if not to be understood.

But here we run into a problem. For all the attention artists seek, there is a kind of shame for them in being “understood.” Being “explained” is never more than an inch from being “explained away,” rendered redundant, losing the vital quality that makes one unique. Their egos can't handle that. So we can never judge beauty in art if we limit ourselves to just the life and meaning of an artist. If anyone ever says they don't like this art because of this artist was not nice or was abusive or held questionable beliefs then they are either illiterate fools or as shallow as the unfunny Hannah Gadsby is about Picasso.

There is much, much more to art, which, at its best, is always about transcending solipsism and reaching for beauty.

For Roger Scruton, the great philosopher of aesthetics, “Beauty is an ultimate value - something that we pursue for its own sake, and for the pursuit of which no further reason need be given. Beauty should therefore be compared to truth and goodness, one member of a trio of ultimate values which justify our rational inclinations,” Scruton developed a largely metaphysical aspect to understanding standards of art and beauty. For Scruton, the purpose of art is to save the sacred - the beautiful.

For Scruton, beauty is wrapped up in his view of the sacred. The sacred begins with the fundamental nature of man as an end, not merely a means - here childhood memories are a means not an end. Scruton then, is able to apply this concept of ends to beauty. The ability to place meaning on things is what gives man his sacredness and makes him an end unto himself. The sacred gives us a glimpse into eternity, and provides man with the cure to his temporal misery. In a manner almost Platonic, Scruton describes the sacred as pulling man out of the world of things and into the transcendental realm. It is an attempt not so much to find a glimpse of our childhood so much as to find Eden again, even if only in a finite temporal way, and to “prefigure our eternal home.”

Thus, it is this sacred nature of ends, not means, that Scruton puts forth in his understanding of beauty. In this Scruton echoes those philosophers of that past. Some like the Greek philosopher, Plotinus, beauty is seen as an ultimate value, pursued for its own sake, and the way in which the “divine unity makes itself known to the soul.”

Beauty is the glue that holds cultures together. It transcends individual places and ages. Light shining through stained glass in the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the face of Mary in Michelangelo’s La Pietà, a Bach orchestral suite, or a Frederico Fellini film (and none more so than the playful but sublime 8+1/2). Our experiences of these things connect us to the experiences of so many others over the decades and centuries since their creation. The beauty links us with a sense of profoundness and awe.

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percheduphere · 1 year ago

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Loki Season 2 - End Game Theories Part 2

Part 1: (read here)

Part 2:

5.) Mobius's Plotline

6.) Sylvie's Role

7.) John = Mobius?

8.) The Original Timekeepers & Time Paradoxes

He is so wounded and lost. If he can't get a hug from anybody, he'll settle for something sweet to eat.

MOBIUS'S PLOTLINE

As I mentioned in Part 1 of my theory dump, Mobius is narratively positioned to be at his lowest point. Renslayer claims he cannot make the hard decisions or the sacrifices required to do what must be done, Brad accuses Mobius of being a nobody, and Sylvie accuses Mobius for not taking the danger facing the multiple timelines seriously (more on this in Sylvie's section).

*Sidenote: I bet Mobius has a really common name like John. More on this in John = Mobius? section.

With the latest screen captures of the mid-season trailer, it's confirmed we will see Mobius in his original timeline, but we don't know HOW he gets there. I believe there are 3 possibilities:

1.) The Loom explosion immediately throws everyone back into their original timelines (with possible exception to the gods).

2.) Mobius, with the TVA falling apart, chooses to return to his original timeline, believing that he is not necessary and will only cause more harm.

3.) The TVA and its inhabitants (with exception of the gods) slowly spaghettify and Mobius bids Loki farewell.

The images below suggest #2 and/or #3, but Loki's attire gives me pause. Unless he travels backwards or forwards in time, who would put him in the jumpsuit and collar in the present? Himself via magic, to relive how they first met before a final goodbye? If it is a final goodbye, why are they not embracing like in S1? Because it's too painful?

I wish I could figure out the timing of this moment because of its impact on the story.

If it happens BEFORE Mobius returns to his original timeline, we know Loki and Sylvie will seek him out.

If if happens AFTER Mobius is returned to his original timeline, then Loki and Sylvie found Mobius, and Mobius chose not to stay.

Regardless, when Loki finds Mobius, he does not expect Mobius to have no memory of him. (Again, sigh)

Another possibility is that this Mobius is not Loki's Mobius, and that Loki's Mobius will eventually see what could have been his life as an observer. This option, however, lowers the stakes and thus seems unlikely.

Whatever the case, I think we will find that Sylvie's and Mobius's narrative positions will be reversed in the last 2 episodes. Pre-Loom explosion, Loki and Mobius needed to convince Sylvie to join them. Post-Loom explosion, Loki and Sylvie will need Mobius back.

But the cost will be exceptionally high. Mobius was right: he knew knowing his life being incredibly good will tempt him away from the TVA and all the responsibilities, violence, and stress that come with it. He will need to give up his dream job, a lovely home in the suburbs, and family. Mobius won't be the only one challenged by making this choice, the weight of it will fall on Loki's shoulder's, too, and Loki needs to articulate how much Mobius means to him because Mobius has been more vocal and active in tending to their relationship, Ep 2 not withstanding.

We know why Loki would be motivated to find him, but what would motivate Sylvie to bring Mobius back? How can she help Loki facilitate this?

SYLVIE'S ROLE

We know that Sylvie has the ability to see other people's memories through enchantment. It's possible she will either share her memories with Mobius directly or act as a conduit between Loki and Mobius. The latter makes more sense since Loki has more positive memories of Mobius at the TVA than Sylvie does. I think she will offer to do this because: 1.) She wants to protect her timeline, and 2.) Like Loki, she will come to realize Mobius means more to her than she thought.

From what we've seen of Sylvie in her 1982 McDonald's timeline, she understandably wants nothing more than to live a calm life and make friends of her own. All of this is perfectly valid, and she is deserving of a peaceful life.

Her outburst at Mobius during the pie scene strikes me as a projection of her own guilt and feelings of helplessness, which she does not yet have the tools to deal with in a healthy way. Sophia is an exceptional actress: her micro-emotions shift from guilt to anger so quickly it is almost imperceptible if you're not watching closely. Sylvie is very much Loki as he used to be: deflecting responsibility by blaming others, mocking softness as a weakness, outbursts of yelling and violence. She wants to be left alone! And yet ...

*Sidenote: I jumped out of my seat when I saw that kid's name tag: it says "John", my personal original timeline name for Mobius since forever ago.

This is a lie. Sylvie never wanted to be alone. She wanted a place to feel happy and safe.

Look at that smile. Are you kidding me? How can anyone hate her? Mobius wants pie and hot cocoa. Sylvie wants a fast food job. Both want the comfort of normalcy. So does Loki. All of them deserve happiness.

She seems to have found a degree of these things in the 1982, Broxton, Oklahoma, Branched Timeline. Someone, however, enabled her to make a living there by getting her a job at a fast food chain ...

JOHN = Mobius?

This theory is quite a reach since the timeline is a branch, but the dates map out just right. If John (Mobius?) can't drive yet in 1982, he'd be 15, which makes his birthday 1967. Assuming this story is set in 2023 and John is Mobius, that makes John/Mobius 56. Owen Wilson is 54. Pretty darn close! I mean, look at that hand-hip pose and brown/neutral color scheme, not to mention his enthusiasm for the menu. The tie suggests he's a shift manager (someone with promising leadership skills), and he has a distinct accent.

If this kid pays off as being teen!Mobius, then I don't doubt Sylvie has a certain affection for him. In the parking lot, she asks if his mom is going to pick him up and he assures her, yes, he'll be okay. He then asks if he will see her at work the next day, and she in turn assures him she will. (If someone can find a gif of this, please let me know!) What was the point of this interaction, if not to show that Sylvie is capable of making friends and showing care towards others? If John is in fact Mobius, then what irony: they will soon create the TVA and work alongside one another again!

Sylvie will likely also feel more compassion towards Mobius if she met him as a teen. She seems to have a soft spot for kids, seeing as she gave a kid a Kablooie! which allowed Mobius and Loki to find her in S1. If John isn't Mobius, then Sylvie has at least 1 person in a timeline to protect, and that will motivate her to bring Mobius back.

They will be friends. We know, based on the image below, that they're going to make amends. We know it's going to be okay. They will unite as the 3 timekeepers because it is the right and hard thing to do. Sylvie will stay and (at least until HWR is dealt with) so will Mobius.

THE ORIGINAL 3 TIMEKEEPERS AND TIME PARADOXES

I've written before in asks to @bebx and @mobius-m-mobius that I believe the story is in a timeloop, whereby killing HWR triggers a series of events which causes Loki (and possibly Sylvie) to recruit Mobius, B-15, and Casey from their respective timelines, which means their pasts. Because the TVA is destroyed by the Loom explosion, the TVA consequently needs to be created.

And I suspect the Loom, which constrains the number of branches that can exist, was put in place by HWR after the TVA was formed by the Loki and Sylvie when they went into the past to recruit the people they've already worked with.

HWR said, "See you soon" after Sylvie kills him.

Because the Loom exploded, the Loom no longer exists.

Since the Loom no longer exists, multiple timelines come to being with variants of Kang.

Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie form an alliance against Kang to protect all timelines.

To do this, Loki and Sylvie must find Mobius in his timeline, which for the purposes of the TVA, takes place in the past.

The TVA is therefore created in a past that is running along concurrent timestreams in which the TVA already exists or is in the process of being destroyed. Remember: branches run concurrently but at different points in time. Sacred Timeline Loki's timestream is ahead of L1130 Loki's timestream; LL1130 Loki is in Sacred Timeline Loki's past before he diverges.

The TVA's original purpose was to monitor for threats like HWR and combat him.

At some point, HWR and Ravonna infiltrate the TVA and wipe everyone's memory. Note that Loki suspects it's happened more than once. They likely do this on a different concurrent timestream while Loki, Mobius, and Sylvie are actively forming an alliance and combating him in another concurrent timestream. This is why the original 3 timekeepers are consistently missing. They are in the TVA's past and future at the same time but never truly in the TVA's present. HWR rules the TVA's present.

They wipe memories once (1) to make everyone forget the original timekeepers (Loki, Mobius, Sylvie) when HWR wants to be responsible for the Sacred Timeline. His image is then brought to the TVA, the Loom is installed, and pruning begins. HWR ensures that only his temporal aura can access systems when Miss Minutes overrides TVA's control.

They do it a second time (2) to make everyone forget HWR when he gets tired of his role and wants to retire via death. The 3 timelords imagery and robots are put in place to create a lore based on fact.

HWR, being a megalomanic, does not want anyone else to govern time even though he's too fed-up with it to do it himself. He will count on another HWR to do this form him.

HWR paving the road for Loki and Sylvie to find him was never about giving them the power to govern time (lies!). He needed them to facilitate a timeloop in which HWR always returns to create and control the sacred timeline in the TVA's present.

Sylvie kills him. The "end of time" takes place. The timelines branch uncontrollably. The Loom explodes. Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius build the TVA in the past.

Rinse and repeat.

The loop in itself calls into question free will.

Loki, Sylvie, and Mobius need to figure out how to break out of the loop.

This is a lot! If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed. Let me know what you think!

#Loki #Mobius #Lokius #Sylvie #Sylkie #loki s2 #loki series #loki meta #my meta #my theories #time paradox #time loop

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