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phoenixyfriend · 8 months ago

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Tony Stark & Natasha Romanova, now in Star Wars

IDK if you folks were ever MEGA into crossovers but did you ever engage with the kind that can more or less be summarized as "isekai but the person 'hit by truck-kun' is a character from a different canon?"

Because that's what this is.

Tony Stark isekai'd into Star Wars (random planet) after dying in Endgame. He knows the movies, but not the supplemental material, as even by the time TPM came out, he was thirty and fucked up and making a name for himself in war. Bad times.

Tony wakes up sixteen and with Nothing to his name but his skills. He does not speak the language. Mostly gets by doing shit like skinning potatoes for a kitchen and pulling weeds and whatnot while he catches up on Basic. (He is apparently fluent, or at least conversational, in French, Spanish, Italian, Latin, and Dari. So Basic would be his Seventh language, and while four of those can be lumped into 'if you learn one, the next will be easier,' Dari is wildly unrelated, so I'd say he could pick up Basic a bit faster than average, especially with 16yo brain elasticity.)

A toddler, two years old with intensely red hair, runs into his shins one day and yells his name very clearly. He looks down, is a little confused, and then a nearby carer from an orphanage jogs up yelling "Nat!" The toddler is Natasha Romanoff. She remembers everything, including dying, but is about twenty-five pounds soaking wet and NOBODY will take her seriously.

It takes some… effort, to explain the situation to the carer. Yes, Tony knows Nat. He worked with uh…. her 'older brother, a man named Clint.' Tony does not currently have the resources for anyone to legally give him custody of a toddler but he's got some motivation to secure housing and a stable income.

He does that. Gets Natasha with him because of course he has to do that. It's the one person he knows. It's Nat.

Turns out she's Force Sensitive, though. A 'natural extension' of her more skillgrinding abilities to read/manipulate people. Tony is not Force Sensitive but he DID recently have a medical episode that took him to a thankfully-government-funded clinic that informed him he has a Bad Heart and will require a pacemaker despite being seventeen.

A Jedi finds Nat while passing through and they Discuss Their Options. This is when Nat is about four. There is a heavy discussion about how her mind is older than her body, so the Jedi would need to be ready for that, but also Tony needs to discuss this with Nat, who was like thirty-nine(?) when she died and thus more than capable of making her own decisions.

Despite fandom generally painting Tony as the most selfish of the Avengers and Natasha as the most coldly practical, they are still heroes who put in some Fucking Effort to become better people, and they come to the conclusion that Natasha would do much more to help this galaxy as a Jedi than as some kid in poverty on a no-name planet. So off she goes!

She's like five years younger than Obi-Wan, the story reveals.

Tony is a bit aimless and the work he's BEEN doing (probably laying down electrical lines or something at this point, IDK, he got into construction or something) gets sideswept by Damage To A Tool. He knows how to fix the tool, but he does not have a forge.

There is a forge in town. He goes to it and says that he can't afford to ask to have it fixed, but he knows how to do it himself, so could he borrow access for a small fee?

This is a Mandalorian armorer. They say no. In fact, they tell him, that would be significantly more expensive than just getting it fixed.

Buuuuuuuuuut for Reasons, the armorer decides that Tony (now 18-19 physically) can do it so long as the Armorer supervises. Tony is competent Enough that the Armorer gives him a datapad and tells him to read it and come back in a week to discuss the topic. Tony warns that Basic is far from his first language and he doesn't have a whole lot of free time, so he probably won't have read it by then. That's fine, they'll just discuss what he has read.

It's about Mando culture, in a mildly propaganda-y way, and Tony comes back to Argue About Religion more than anything. He thinks the Armorer is proselytizing, which they kind of are, but they are also more than happy to discuss the lines between the Mando culture as ethnicity and culture and religion and so on.

This becomes a regular occurence. Tony has made A Friend who has started offering him a side gig doing Basic Village Blacksmith Work that the Armorer deems too menial, like "horse"shoes.

Tony is offered an apprenticeship that he did not expect, on the condition of Becoming Mandalorian.

This is. A heavy decision.

However. Tony is a guy who is at least partly defined by his cool armor. Mandalorians are defined by their cool armor. He has been told, several times, that there are multiple ways to be a Mandalorian. So he accepts, because he decides it's worth for the chance to be somebody who can make a difference in a way he currently can't.

Ten years later, 'Initiate Romanova' goes up to Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon as they prepare to leave, and neatly informs them that she has a feeling they are going to have a Bad Time on their mission in Mandalore, and that if they need emergency shelter from enemies, to go to an Armorer by the name of Tony Stark, because that's her brother so she knows that he's going to be friendly to Jedi. (Tony has sent her a small handful of messages, through channels both official and not, about big life events.)

Of course, shit hits the fan and the two plus Satine end up finding Tony's forge and he hides them in his Underground Bunker, which actually has a tunnel to a cave system that is safer than the bunker itself. Because reasons. (IN A CAVE. WITH A BOX OF SCRAPS.)

He has helper droids! They are named indirectly after friends from the Past Life, things like Spangles.

On their way back after the mission they swing by to say hi and he asks them to bring something to Natasha and it's a matryoshka doll set he made based on the Avengers (it goes based on age so the outermost is Thor, followed by I think Bruce, Rhodey, Tony, Clint, Natasha, Steve, Sam, Wanda, Vision), as well as a plushie he had custom made by somebody in town of a Bird With Archery Gear, even though she's too old for that stuff.

Even among the Jedi, Natasha is WEIRD and SERIOUS and everyone's pretty damn sure she's going to be a Shadow, or at least do a HECK of a lot of undercover work.

IDK how this plays out but Tony is definitely keeping an eye on politics so he can figure out the Palpatine rise to power and remind Natasha in case she's forgotten because when they first split they didn't, either of them, know what to expect in regards to her memory given the whole Baby Brain issue.

"Why is Tony an Armorer"

Okay some more thoughts!

I think Tony's aggressively atheist and consistently watching whoever claims to be Mand'alor with a critical eye in case he has to step in, and does not take any references to ka'ra with any real seriousness. That said. He's an Armorer now. A weird one who refuses like half his clients for Ethics Reasons, but technically a cultural authority figure who's allowed to argue with the Mand’alor.

@penpalpixie:

fsr the initial meeting scenario with the armorer bugs me,like would they really just let him" but tbf Tony knows how to steamroll people and could probably dissect the forge in an instant.

Which, yeah, in my defense, I put this together in about two hours so some of it's a bit wonk? BUT. @threebea had a good suggestion for how/why the Armorer had Tony actually do things in the forge instead of telling him to scram:

Maybe Tony has been doing some 'crafting' on the side maybe droid repairs or modifications which is how the Armorer first sort of hears about him and then one day there's the kid that people have been mentioning the Stars aligned here's a pamphlet. He can't make a living off gizmos in his situation since most of what Star wars has is advanced tech and to do anything impressive he would need more resources and more of an understanding of the mathematics of this universe (Stares at ceiling one night trying to figure out if the law of relativity would be a thing here). That might slow him down just like… his math doesn't actually work here so on top of language he would have to learn things to do complicated stuff that he could already buy for a credit. But with armory it's concepts he knows well and adding weapons to armor especially no lethal ones is something he also knows. Mandalorian armor with UNI BEAM

When it comes to canon, he knows THE big thing (Palpatine is Sidious) and basically nothing else. He thinks he remembers the clones being Mando? but he's honestly not even sure he remembers the original Fett's first name correctly. He knows the guy is a Fett, because Boba was a cultural mainstay for Tony's childhood, so like, it was nice to have some backstory, but he's honestly not sure how likely "that baby Mand'alor that went missing" is to being Boba's plot-relevant dad. Could be an uncle for all he knows, or just a guy with the same last name.

@firebirdeternal:

I feel like to keep things fair Tony should be able to scale up a little harder than the average Mandalorian. Yeah all his tech knowledge is a bit out-dated and he isn't likely to get an arc reactor running in a way that'll be more powerful than anything locally available, but I feel like he'd adapt pretty darn quickly to available tech and start Improving Things Nat's skills all translate extremely well, once she's not got stumpy toddler body she's basically back to her old level PLUS telekinesis and wibbly force nonsense although I understand if that's also not the focus of the fic, being less "And now there's some Avengers Here (Powerset)" and more "And now there's some Avengers Here (Attitudes and Characters)"

Nat is very excited to Break Into Tony's Cave.

NGL this was initially going to be a Tony Raises Nat thing but I couldn't ultimately justify her NOT going the Jedi route after I realized I wanted her to be Sensitive.

There was also a discarded plot idea about her being a little older and having gone undercover in death watch, because Tony got kidnapped to work for them and got through to her, where she gets to use her Bites as a teen but I scrapped it.

I do think she successfully argues to her Master to visit him at 14 to get light armor though.

Nat's the sneakiest little initiate and also. Very, very controlled in the scary way during spars.

Bea:

Natasha as a Jedi is so good. Like, she would probably have a bit of dissonance between Jedi training and the training she received as a child, and it might help her work through some things. Nat: I've known Yoda for three days but if anything happened to him I would kil-- wait uh (pivots) I would be very sad. She would try to sneak up on council members. It is like a kitten stalking a cat on the outside, but also she's a grown woman and wants to be that good. (AU of this If Quinlan ever saw this he'd adopt her: Quinlan: Tholme I found a new padawan sister. Get training Tholme: [literally just finished with Quinlan. Had planned to take a vacation. Meditate. Drink. He loves his kid but needs literally a moment here] Tholme: She's seven. Quinlan: I was four. Tholme: … Quinlan: She has a secret tragic background toooo I know you like that 😄 Tholme: [Sigh] Nat: …wait is he supposed to be Sherlock Holmes. I think he's space Sherlock Holmes. Need to ask Tony if Star Wars had Sherlock Holmes? lol yeah Tholme just feels like he could blend well with an avengers story, and a Black Widow story in particular)

Not joking when I say I considered if I could squeeze Tholme into the timeline.

Tony sends her music files that he thinks sounds Particularly Ballet to her because he remembers how much she liked dancing, as the main or even only positive thing from her Red Room training, and how she once said that if she hadn't become a spy, she thinks she'd have liked to be a ballerina.

The first time they see each other in person in years is her visiting for baby armor at 14 and is hesitant to hug him because like. Yeah he's her "brother" and there were a few years where they were acting as such and he was helping her with Basic Tasks that she doesn't like to think about too much because it's embarrassing, and they cuddled THEN, because she was Physically Baby, but they're just coworkers in reality, right? Should she hug him? If only to sell the bit to her Jedi Master?

Tony is also not the most huggy person and isn't sure if HE should hug Nat because he remembers jokey stabbing threats from when they were Avengers and like. Does she still feel that way, now that she's not a bumbling like tot?

They are both unsure of if hugging is on the table and it's the Jedi Master who says "you know, you're allowed to hug, if you want" under the impression that they aren't sure if the Jedi would allow it. And then the hug is very tight and loving because at least subconsciously they DID both want that.

The Jedi Master takes a pic.

Bea:

Jedi master: (aw) It's one of those "we've been in life or death situations together and also grew up together kinda sorta and also we're trauma bonded," and the first opportunity to solidify Family as their dynamic they both jump in feet first. And both of them were like. Extremely lonely children probably. In different ways but still.

(It's why the Hawkeye plushie didn't make her CRY, per se, but she does start keeping it in her bed even though she's Too Old for these things.)

When it comes to hugging, Nat is understandably concerned about overstepping and like. "Taking" Morgan's place. (I'm going with Tony and Nat being friends (or at least friendly) from A1 to A2, and during the blip she stopped by for dinner once in a while. Nat doing her best to bring Child Appropriate Gifts for Morgan (she misses being Aunt Nat for the Barton kids).) Or as Bea put it: Tony: Are you spying on me or are we doing people things? Nat: Can't it be both?

Anyway, their dynamic is a weird little midpoint once they're in Star Wars but then they get to a point in the armor making where Tony takes a break on a bench and she slips in under his arm to cuddle and it's just Nice (even though he's kinda sweaty and gross from the blacksmithing).

Bea:

Tony: ….. so……. is Yoda… does he look like… is he…. Nat: …???? Tony: You saw the Muppets right? Is he still a Muppet? Nat: [totally has seen the Muppets] what's a Muppet? Tony: You're killing your brother, Nat ;A;

Also the comedy of having MULTIPLE "secret languages" that nobody can translate.

It's handy, too. Between her and Tony, but also lots of languages to give different uses to. Can teach one to a specific faction for communication. OH, the poor Threepio units! She got stuck in a room with one once, and don't get my wrong, they can pick up a language fast, but they need to hear long enough sampling of it. Nat: I'm not teaching you stop asking I do agree too that Tony and Nat no matter their circumstances would be working towards stopping Palpatine. Like is this a real space is this a dream is this another dimension that just happens to be like a movie in ours? Doesn't matter the dictator is going down.

The Jedi Master is somewhat aware of the whole 'used to be an adult, sort of' thing. I don't know that they believe she's linearly matured but probably they think it's something like what I did in Jedi Babies It's definitely more explicit with a mind healer she got assigned soon after arrival.

She didn't decide whether to play it straight and "get help" or just try to game the system until she was actually sitting down. But she'd been having screaming night terrors about things she experienced in her first life, so.

Pixie:

She meets Anakin after TPM (if it's not avoided) when Obi-Wan's trying to settle him in and goes "ah, I know how to handle this kid." At some point Anakin and Tony end up sending each other various schematics.

#star wars #MCU #crossovers #tony stark #natasha romanoff #natasha romanova #phoenix posts #I almost wrote this as an actual one-shot instead of a numbered AU buuuuuuut had to argue with a Jedi-hater instead #avengers #avengers endgame #death mention #qui gon jinn #obi wan kenobi #tholme #quinlan vos #reincarnation #isekai

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howlsofbloodhounds · 3 months ago

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One thing I find very annoying about the fandom is the claims that color saying that he hates nightmare and believes nightmare doesn’t deserve mercy for everything nms done to innocent people, to colors friends and loved ones, and to killer is hypocrisy.

Now this would’ve be an interesting character flaw if it had been true, but the fact of the matter is: it isn’t true. At all.

Killer was a victim of nightmare, being used and manipulated to do his dirty work. Fact of the matter is killer wouldnt have done as much as half as he did if nightmare hadn’t forced him to live and then forced him to work for him. Killer wouldnt have had the means to, because he cannot travel between aus.

Another thing is this: Killer felt horribly guilty about what he’s done and what he did, in Stage 1. But it’s not just that; he expressed a desire to change, he asked Color for help—to save him—because he doesn’t want to do it anymore.

He wants to live, he wants family and his brother back, but he can’t live when he’s forced to do nothing but survive under Nightmare; he can’t change when he’s with Nightmare. It’s literally life or death—and Killer is deeply programmed. He cannot simply decide to change, or who he wants to be, it’s just not that easy for him. Not the same way it is for others.

And yet, despite that, he said he wanted to change and even underneath Nightmare he was trying to. In the Something New Happened comic, when Killer confronts Nightmare before leaving him, he reveals that he’s been not only gathering information on Nightmare behind his back and lying and pretending to Nightmare; but he’s been secretly helping AUs as well.

Even when he’s finally left with Color, it’s implied that he and Color still fight against “bad guys”—regardless of Killer’s personal reasons for why he does it, he still does it.

And even if this wasn’t the case: the simple fact of the matter is that Killer needs help. It’s not a matter of “deserve.” He will fucking die if he keeps working for Nightmare and going on as he is; he will die, and he will be replaced.

Doesn’t matter if he was willing to change or not, this victim of labor trafficking and horrific ‘human’ rights violating types of abuse is begging Color for help; and he’s going to help him.

Nightmare never even shows guilt for what he does, to anyone. Not even in Something New. He refuses to acknowledge that he’s the reason why shit keeps going wrong and why he keeps ending up alone. Which means he refuses to take responsibility or accountability.

Killer left him because he used, manipulated, tortured, trafficked, conditioned, violated and abused Killer. And Killer decided he didn’t want to be what Nightmare wanted him to be anymore. Killer decided to live for himself, and do what he wants for once, and Nightmare’s response was to threaten to murder Killer for this.

Nightmare was upset he was alone again, and he was upset he lost control over Killer and that Color “stole” what he views as his and undermined his control and power.

There’s no realization about what he’s done or desire to change—he blames Killer and especially Color for making feel like that, for making him feel like the bad guy again. Rather than acknowledging the fact that he is a bad guy. It’s always about how others made him feel.

On top of that, Corrupted Nightmare isn’t even the same person as original Nightmare—so something that happened 500 years ago is not his trauma to claim in an attempt to reason or justify his abuse of Killer and his horrible actions. And even if Corrupted was the same person as original Nightmare, his abuse happened 500 years ago.

The whole “cycle of abuse” thing is supposed to be about ending it. Not uwuifying and absolving Nightmare of responsibility for his abuse and horrific crimes against others because he was a victim 500 years ago. His abusers are dead, and he killed them.

So not liking or believing canon Nightmare deserves mercy is not Color being a hypocrite for believing and choosing to help Killer. Nightmare and Killer’s situations are completely different.

And on that topic, in more fanonish depictions or versions of Nightmare where he can be redeemed, it’s not Color’s fucking responsibility to redeem or like that old bastard. Nor is it Killer’s. They owe him absolutely nothing.

All in all: even in more fanonish Nightmare depictions, Color is completely valid to fucking hate and not like Nightmare. Would he hold a grudge against Nightmare? Probably not exactly, given the influence of Kindness and the fact that’s just not how Color is.

Would he be willing to help Nightmare? Possibly, if Killer (or in some cases, Horror and Dust) are okay with it—if he truly believes that Nightmare wants and is willing to change, because he wants to help—but doesn’t mean he ever has to like him.

It’s very obvious that Color doesn’t think or feel this way about Nightmare for absolutely no reason or because of rumors or because the Multiverse “misunderstood” Nightmare.

In fact Color was introduced as initially believing that Nightmare could change, back before he knew this guy. He believed Nightmare loved his brother, even if it doesn’t seem like it, and encouraged Dream not to give up on Nightmare; way before Color knew Killer, and got to know Nightmare more. Before he had first hand experience, and saw the aftermath of the destruction Nightmare can bring.

Which shows someone who doesn’t allow the rumors or opinions of others to cloud his judgement, and prefers to think and came up with judgements on others himself; based on his own experiences and understanding of people and situations.

And the judgment and opinion he eventually came to was definitely not because of a misunderstanding or because of falling for rumors or “anti nightmare propaganda” as is sometimes shown in fanfics—he saw something, heard something, experienced something—likely had many different examples of this something, given the fact that Nightmare is known for replacing Killers—that led him to this particular conclusion of Nightmare’s character.

Let’s not act like it’s weird or wrong to hate the person who fucking abuses and uses and tortures your best friend.

Most people are absolutely a-okay with threatening to kill their best friend’s cheating boyfriend, people will live if color despises his best friend’s literal trafficker and that does not make Color inherently hypocritical.

(Which is an idea that exists obviously not because people want to explore the complexity of Color and Nightmare’s relationship and characters, not because they want to write complex characters and dynamics, but because they want to absolve Nightmare of any wrong doing and have Color realize hes “wrong” or somehow “just as bad” and stop “taking killer from nightmare.”)

We’ve already established just how much both color’s relationships, his morals, and his integrity means to him.

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geshu-lin · 4 months ago

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In Defense of Geshu Lin’s “Villainy”: A Modest Criticism & Analysis

Being a character that has only ever been mentioned by others and hallucinated a couple of times by a severely traumatized Doctor-turned-General, it’s no surprise that Geshu Lin has become victim of a number of (admittedly, very extreme) inferences about his character being villainous or downright evil.

This post seeks to argue against these inferences, taking the stance that they were made with limited information or not supported by canon/refuted by canon.

Staring Through A Filtered Lens

There is an unfortunate phenomenon in the Wuthering Waves fanbase where people assume that the Geshu Lin that has been presented to them is the purest, most accurate representation of him, though in reality all instances we have seen of his personality are either:

A. Distorted hallucinations, of which were altered due to Jiyan’s emotional state (ie. The Retroact Rain quest)

B. Metaphorical representations of Jiyan’s insecurities and almost a form of self punishment/a representation of his self doubt (ie. Jiyan’s character trailer)

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C. A story from a storyteller, who is… a storyteller. Details, of course, are embellished for stories, and the tale mentioned does not go into Geshu Lin’s personality whatsoever; it only demonstrates his actions.

The Consequences and So On…

I have noticed that many fans believe Geshu Lin hates Jiyan, or detests him to a degree wherein he would exercise genuine cruelty upon him. I oppose this idea immensely—even in Jiyan’s hallucinations (seen in the Retroact Rain quest), Geshu Lin demonstrates some form of respect for him. He would not have asked for Jiyan’s opinion, even in Jiyan’s hallucinations, if he did not care for his opinion or input. I recommend rewatching this for a refresher:

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I also fear a common subtext forgotten in this scene is that Geshu Lin had good reason to be upset at the idea that Jiyan wanted to stop him back during the Battle Beneath the Crescent. At that point, Geshu Lin had directed and watched countless numbers of his men die in war. It’s simply sunk-cost fallacy—if Geshu Lin retreated at that point, he wouldn’t be able to live with the shame of having not been able to avenge his men or, at the very least, proven that their efforts were not in vain.

Even the words of someone he respected enough to ask the opinion of (Jiyan) was not able to shake him from it—this is a human flaw, something I believe would be unfair to treat as downright villainous or cruel.

Oversimplification Taken as Truth

Geshu Lin did not outright step on his soldiers in order for glory or fame—not once is some ulterior motive of avarice ever implied, except for possibly “I will pave the way to victory with my Forte;” but that can be read as either pride or confidence for the sake of bolstering already low morale. Of course, he was stubborn and arrogant—but to provide him a benefit of the doubt, no one knew what the Retroact Rain was when he was around.

Who would give up the once in a lifetime (quite literally) chance to avenge hundreds, if not thousands of lives, just because of—as far as Geshu Lin was aware—some bad weather and ghosts? Especially knowing the weight and expectation of being able to make sure countless soldiers’ sacrifices were “worth it” in the end?

Even taking Jiyan’s hallucinations with a grain of salt, it’s evident that the sacrifices of his men absolutely haunts Geshu Lin. He cannot move on from it. Maybe that grief from the real Geshu Lin in the past is what stuck with Jiyan the most.

If Geshu Lin ended up retreating, I don’t doubt that he was also the type of person to think that these efforts and sacrifices would have all been for naught, and he would have failed his men. He would never be able to live down that shame.

So What’s His Deal, Really?

I don’t believe a “prideful, greedy, evil man” throws himself alone into the heart of a Threnodian, likely Overclocks, and then banishes said Threnodian out of sheer want to defend his country and its people. If anything, I can only assume his slightly more morally grey stance on war—a much less ideal and somewhat realistic vision of war, that is endless amounts of sacrifice and a series of “terrible but best in the moment with what we have” decisions—makes people uncomfortable and thus, it is insisted that Geshu Lin is somehow inherently evil and it is his personal fault for… well, making the best choices he could during an incredibly terrible circumstance.

People forget that if Geshu Lin ordered a retreat amidst Ovathrax’s rise, Jinzhou would be no more. Jiyan could only order a retreat because Geshulin sacrificed himself to banish Ovathrax, albeit temporarily enough for the Midnight Rangers to get some breathing room.

Conclusion

Geshu Lin is not a cruel, Jiyan-hating, evil man. He did what he could in the circumstances he was given. The “evil” Geshu Lin we see fighting Jiyan (such as in Jiyan’s character trailer) is almost always a representation of Jiyan’s inner self doubt and shame—never once have we actually directly met or even seen the man in reality, even in flashbacks.

Overall, it seems a bit disservicing to boil down an entire character to a small pinpoint of traits (“hates Jiyan, sacrifices soldiers for his own benefit, evil”), which in itself is due to the distorted perspective of an unstable Jiyan and complicated circumstances. Geshu Lin is a lot more than that.

For all we know, he might even be proud of Jiyan for being able to step up and protect the nation he (assumedly) died for so fervently, and quell Ovathrax (albeit with the help of Rover and Abby) a second time.

#geshu lin #wuthering waves #character analysis #wuwa #wuwa geshu lin #jiyan #wuwa jiyan #wuwa lore #geshu scrolls

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twistedbloodstain · 1 year ago

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vincent de gramont x historian!reader: spring breaks loose, but so does fear | sweetness and bitterness within

plot: the one where the both of you are within your walls.

warnings: marquis is different here to canon, expect oc behavior but like all fics he’s gonna be cruel museum worker! reader, entitled af french boi, unreliable sibling relationships/dynamics

masterlist

the rain pattered against the glass windows, ringing through the empty halls of the museum. you sat there deep in thought in front of your desk while the storm raged outside. the moon that had look delicately beautiful earlier had disappeared when flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder replaced the serene scenery, you don’t know how long you’ve been sitting here but surely it hasn’t been that long.

where was he? he should be here by now, you pondered.

a knock snaps you out of your thoughts.

“ma’am?” your assistant calls out as he peeks his head through the door.

you look back at him but your lips stay still, not making a word but silently urging him to continue with the rise of an eyebrow.

“he’s here again, requesting a private viewing,” he informs.

oh. you almost forgot about that.

the constant visitor of the museum for the past few weeks was none other than the eccentric and affluent, marquis de gramont. recently, he frequented the museum for a private viewing for some of the rarest and beautiful pieces of art in french history. not that you’re complaining since he paid good money for his private viewings but his persistent requests to have a historian around him, explaining what the intricate histories and symbols drawn beneath the surface were an inconvenience sometimes.

truthfully, there’s no bad conversation with him. you’re quite eager to answer any additional questions or arguments he imposes upon you but judging by the exhibition of his wealth and power, don’t they teach these things to nobility at a young age?

you pull your feet up and drag them towards the door, your assistant gives you a weary smile knowing how long your discussions with the marquis would usually go, for hours on end.

the walk to the private room was filled with footsteps, your previous thoughts emerging once again. your brother.

he was supposed to be here to join you for lunch but he hadn’t shown up. lunches shared with the both of you were also your bonding and catch up time but as of late he missed at least four lunches in six weeks. you could understand that maybe it was just his busy schedule but the fewer times you saw him, he seemed anxious and jumpy with sweat beading on his forehead. as if he was always in a hurry, you consistently persisted in the lunches in an effort to get him to open up his problems with you, after all what are siblings for?

you approach the door cautiously, taking a deep breath to polish your mind before stepping into the role of gracious historian, a person that’s ready to deal with the marquis.

entering the room with an eager smile on your face, you greet the marquis who was sitting on a plush white leather couch, donning another dark blue suit with a jacket and tie to finish the look. he doesn’t offer any greeting in reply and comments on your lateness right away.

“you took a while to get here, mademoiselle.” he mutters, checking his watch.

“i apologize for my tardiness sir, i had matters to attend to.” you force a smile. he stares at you carefully, an amused smirk tugs at the corner of his lips before waving it off.

“let’s get started then.”

the marquis is a difficult person to impress, especially in keeping him engaged in a conversation. more often than not you find yourself exerting a lot of information out of your brain just to keep up with him. you don’t know why you always push yourself to be somewhat superior to him in terms of knowledge but perhaps that’s just what his aura demands of you.

“and that is the final painting for your private viewing today, sir.” you recite familiar lines you’ve been saying for the past six weeks, “are there any questions you have in mind?”

he eyes the painting cryptically before glancing at you and shaking his head, looking somewhat satisfied with the answers you’ve given him. you smile at him once again before speaking.

“if you require any refreshments or desire to make an appointment in the future, enzo will take care of it. thank you for coming to the louvre, sir.” you bow your head before leaving, knowing that the marquis liked to be alone.

once you make it back to the office, you see your phone light up and vibrate. you immediately make a beeline for it and before the ringing ends, unfortunately the call ends before you could answer it but a wave of messages floods your inbox, all from your brother telling you he was at the entrance of the museum.

you hurriedly run out of your office straight to the entrance when you see a faint silhouette by the large doors. you call his name out and he turns to face you, a faint smile on his lips.

”where were you? i’ve been waiting for you the entire day, are you alright?” you immediately assume the worst and begin to fret over your dearest younger brother, gripping his shoulders and checking his face for any possible injuries.

your brother is a good person. you know that. you watched him grow, you watched him become the man he is now but still a small whisper remains in the back of your mind that you are losing him to something , and you can’t do anything to help it.

you can feel it. it started with the distance and excuses, how every single word that leaves his mouth feels less and less genuine and more like a set of lies meant to calm you down. you want to help him but he won’t let you.

”i’m fine, i just got caught up at work.” he verbally reassures you but pulls away from your touch. you bite your tongue from asking more, afraid of scaring him away. a fight is not what you need right now.

”oh…um” you mumble, taking a small step away from him, feeling your insides crush to the lack of familial warmth from a brother. he stands there unfazed by your movements, the small smile gone in front of you. instead, an uneasiness replaces his eyes and stares at the ground, seemingly too busy to deal with your emotions right now.

“do you want to have dinner together? i know this nice sushi place downtown.” you eagerly offer, his mouth opens to reply but a brief hesitation takes place.

”i can’t.” he replies.

“why?” you ask, annoyance in your tone.

”work, as usual.” he states with a humorless chuckle, worry still present in his face, “i’m here for a favor.”

“what is it? did you get in trouble? you know you can tell me anything right?” you gasp.

“no! no! i just need to borrow some money for this month’s rent. my new job doesn’t pay until the end of the month, my landlord said i’m way overdue for the past three months and he’s gonna kick me out if i don’t pay within this week.”

a silence takes over the conversation as your process the information you are given right now. the excuse feels flimsy and careless.

money isn’t really an issue for you right now. you’re not insanely rich but you are financially stable, yet you feel uncertain about giving your brother money. your brother’s landlord, a strict but yet a sweet old man often texts you whether or not your brother has paid his rent in each month and so far you’ve received no messages from him lately.

”oh..yeah sure. it’s no problem, i can send it to you later.” you smile for his comfort, making yourself feel approachable to your own blood.

monitoring your sibling’s rent status is definitely odd but with what you’re dealing with right now, to be completely honest you’re just making sure your brother’s alright, there’s nothing wrong with that.

”come on in, it’s raining outside.” you grab his arm and pull him in.

”no, seriously, it's alright. you might have some people inside-“

”it’s closing time, at least sit inside and wait for me, please?” you plead.

”okay, i’ll wait for you.” he smiles.

”good, because if i have to deal with another stubborn asshole under this roof, i’m going to lose my mind.” your brother chuckles and takes a seat by the door.

”dinner’s on me.” he adds, wiping the raindrops gathered on his forehead.

“on you? you can’t even pay your rent!” you jest.

”it was a one time thing!”

the amusement slowly dies down when you hear a large number of footsteps echoing through the halls, the door opens and it reveals the marquis. you immediately straighten up and face his direction, slipping in the professional manner that he is accustomed to.

”good evening, sir.” you greet.

the marquis doesn’t reply but instead whispers an instruction to his guards which they nod to and walk ahead of him. the marquis approaches you carefully, briefly eyeing you before glancing at the person behind you.

”it is quite late, don’t you think?” he starts.

”ah, yes it is. the night staff and i are closing the museum for the night, we were simply waiting for your departure. perhaps, you enjoyed your private viewings much longer than usual, sir.”

”you cannot fault me for that, miss. what hangs on the walls of this establishment is history, glory and beauty wrapped in one.”

”that we agree on.” you reply, “will you be here tomorrow? at the same time?” he looks at you again.

”for what reason are you asking?” he raises an eyebrow.

“so enzo and i can immediately arrange for your appointment and room, sir.”

he pauses and a silence takes place, his eyes wander all over your face trying to see something through you. you keep your gaze on him, composed and calm. as it should be. you get a feeling he relishes on weakness especially people who have a lower pay grade than him or maybe that’s just how he is with everyone.

narcissism was a major takeaway you observed from the marquis the first time you met him, quite self-centered might you add and somewhat snobbish but then again his attention is not something to be exhilarated about.

”yes, miss. i will be here tomorrow.” a small smirk curves his lips.

”you are quite fond of the art around here.” you start.

”yes, what of it?”

”how come you never bought any of it? i’ve heard from a few auction houses that you have quite the art collection. i’m sure it is much more convenient for you, having the art within the comfort of your home.” you reason to him.

more reason to see him less in your life. you think.

“you are not wrong in that. it would be much more convenient.” he agrees.

so buy it then.

”if that’s the case, i must inform you that there are plans to auction that rembrandt you are so eagerly fond of, perhaps you might be interested in joining?”

”i will have to turn that down, miss. as much as i enjoy the comfort of my home, i appreciate the aura of the louvre, it brings a sense of fulfillment and eagerness to me. i would be a fool to rob myself of that. also, the people around here are not so bad.” his eyes rake over your frame carefully, you wonder if he’s looking at your brother.

you look back and surprisingly no ones there. you shake it off when you hear a car engine nearby.

”oh, well it doesn’t hurt to try.” you begin to walk towards the door and he follows, outside his car sits with a bodyguard on standby waiting for him.

”i appreciate your service, miss. my private viewings have never been a dull moment during your enlightenments.” you lower you’re head slightly at him with a polite smile.

“i, as well must thank you for your service and approach. i tend to enjoy the art much more than when i am with myself.” the marquis remarks, extending his hand towards you.

”my pleasure, sir.” you respond as you shake his hand.

and it’s warm.

”will you be requiring a ride home? i am more than happy to offer it to you.” he offers when you pull your hand away from him.

”thank you for the offer sir but i will be here for later hours.” you retort.

“i do not mind staying here for a little longer.” he insists, you notice his line of sight eye your hand that shook his hand earlier. the cold rainy breeze must have taken control of the warmth of your palms and the marquis could have noticed the coldness of your hand. the marquis fidgets with his right hand as if it was itching to do something.

”it is not needed sir, i am more than capable of bringing myself home.” you state firmly.

”nonsense. i’ll send a car for you. it would be unfortunate if my favorite art historian was harmed in any possible way, how will i survive my viewings?” he urges with amusement in his tone but once again not wanting to back down.

”i would hate to waste your time and effort sir-“ you politely refuse again.

”it is late and unsafe for a woman of your caliber to be alone in the streets of the city. you will not have a choice in this, mademoiselle.” he states firmly this time as his voice hardens and makes it clear it’s not an offer.

it’s a command.

the marquis’ attention is not to be relished on. in this private viewings, the both of you have always maintained a polite and professional demeanor between client and host although there was some casual conversation here and there but you’ve never outright refused him, desiring to keep his temper from exploding and having his unpredictability in your space.

the marquis always gets his way. having private viewings at any time he desires with whatever piece of art he decides to have his eye on and more importantly taking up your time whenever he comes by at the louvre.

in the recent months you’ve spent with him, compliance is all he knows from you so it’s not unlikely that it’s easy for him to shut you down at the first hint of refusal. not to mention, he does not hesitate at confrontation. any small slight against him is somewhat remembered the next time you meet him.

complaints about making him wait slightly longer than usual for his viewings, comments about the apparently poor maintenance of the paintings and your tardiness to attend to him are the most prominent experiences you remember from him.

the marquis feels entitled to everything within the walls of the louvre.

and that includes you.

another entitled rich snob that thinks he understands art more than you do is not a first time experience, but his insistence of having you brought home because of him somehow brings a chill to your spine.

entitled rich snobs can come to your work any time and however they like but the moment they try to step into your life, well it’s time to push them back. you have no interest in them unless it’s something to do with your job.

unfortunately, you don’t have the strength to do that right now.

“next time.” you think to yourself, “but never again.”

you back down and thank the marquis for this offer as his body guard opens the door to his vehicle, he flashes a small but pleased smile for your gratitude and bids you a safe trip home.

you return a smile at him and watch him leave until his car disappears from where you stand. exhaustion settles back into your nerves when you realized how late it is again.

oh and your brother.

christ. give me strength to deal with this tomorrow.

you sigh and walk back inside to close up.

later, when you get dropped off by the driver assigned to you, doubt starts to creep into your senses whether or not you told the driver where you live. after thanking him and shutting the door, you tilt your head idly at the car and think deep and hard.

”did you or did you not?” you ponder.

groaning heavily you shake it off as exhaustion for your lack of remembrance.

still weird though.

author’s note: kickstarting another series when i’m still not done with four reqs and one series…anyways enjoy and please feel free to like and reblog!

#marquis de gramont #vincent de gramont #marquis de gramont x reader #call of duty #call of duty x reader #bill skarsgard x reader #bill skarsgard #john wick #john wick x reader #bill skarsgard fanfiction #bill skarsgard imagine #bill skarsgard smut #bill skarsgard icons #bill skarsgard gif #marquis vincent de gramont #marquis x reader #marquis imagines

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magpod-confessions · 6 months ago

Note

alright got a new bone to pick with an anon who pulled up the tma transcripts as 'proof' Jon is completely celibate and said that people are 'trying to erase canon asexuality'

apologies for bringing up discourse but this person is just so. Noejvneojekjdcmekfv.

anon idk who you are but that. Is NOT the solid, concrete proof you think it is.

like.

out of context, yes, it means Jon doesn't have sex.

however IN context (and even a bit out of, bc of 'according to Georgie') it. Only really serves to gently imply, yes, Jon is ace. And the writers did in fact clarify, yes, Jon is ace, and fans can do with that fact what they please.

And I would like to remind y'all:

Melanie fucking hates Jon around the time this line is said. And she is getting her information from Georgie, who is Jon's EX, who hadn't spoken to him in YEARS.

it's second hand information.

it's not concrete.

hell, if the writers didn't even clarify that Jon was ace people would've probably just. Ignored the line all together bc it's SECOND HAND INFORMATION.

I love the fact that Jon is ace. And I love how a good chunk of his asexuality isn't really explain. Bc then we get to interpret things, and project.

no one is trying to say he's not actually ace. Especially not fic writers. Most smut writers who have Jon in their fics are themselves ace, and are projecting.

Anon, did we even listen to the same podcast? Bc I'm pretty sure a good chunk of it is understood from reading between the lines, and context clues, and understanding not every character knows everything at all times, and to take character accounts with a grain of salt especially when it comes to office gossip and that gossip ≠ gospel.

again, I am not trying to say "this is why Jon is allowed to fuck in fics" no im saying that to try and say these smut fics are erasing a sexuality that is hardly even mentioned and not at all really relavent to the whole story is just wrong. It's incorrect.

people are allowed to write what they write. You don't need a reason. And as readers it is NOT our place to go after creators who are writing what they please, especially when it isn't even in bad faith. It's also not our place to assume and "call out" people on baseless assumptions of them "trying to erase or explain away the TRUTH"

so yes, anon, it IS a vague and ambigouaous representation bc if you took even a moment to look back on s3 you'd realize that EVERYTHING IS VAGUE AND AMBIGUOUS BC WERE LISTENING TO THE VAGYE AND AMBIGUOUS PODCAST

Yes, Jon is ace.

yes, the writers said you can put any acespec label or hc on it, and that such is all valid.

yes, one character one time said Jon 'doesnt'

no, that doesn't mean that all writers or creators or artists or whatever have to abide by "doesn't."

again, mods, sorry to bring up discourse.

#thanks anon . i agree ^_^ . as an asexual person especially #magpod confession #tma #the magnus archives #magpod

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ddollfface · 1 year ago

Note

Can I please request a Yandere Hanayama Kaoru head canon?

𝐀 𝐒𝐥𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦

𝙆𝙖𝙤𝙧𝙪 𝙃𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙮𝙖𝙢𝙖 𝙔𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣

Warnings; reader is afab/described a girl, yandere behaviors, stalking, I talk a lot, lots of ramblings, probably doesn't make any sense, bad writing, more stalking, Tumblr is trying to silence me, ngl Hanayama is growing on me... If I missed anything, then please let me know ♡ Bro, I'm so sorry that this is super rushed, seeing as I hit the word limit??? I'm super confused because I barely wrote anything, but whatever. A lot of my headcanons are based around @yandere-writer-momo. Also, sorry for being offline for so long lol, kinda forgot I had Tumblr ngl :/

Okay, to start this off, I think that realistically, it'd be very, very, very hard to get Hanayama's attention. He's shown to be stoic and stone-faced, only showing respect and warmth toward specific people (Baki and Shiba included). And I think it's important to mention that the people he does respect is due to their fighting spirit and/or strength, that or they were there during his childhood (like Kizaki and his mama).

And that's just for him to show basic affection toward them, not even accounting for being loving. For you to catch his attention, I think that you'd have to be either a really strong fighter (meaning having impressive skills of some sort) or have a strong will, either one will work. (Though, a lot of the time, both go hand-in-hand).

When I say a strong will, I don't mean you get up after being punched over and over, instead, it can just be standing up for others. Similar to Katsumi, I can see Hanayama being attracted to a person who's selfless, in the sense that they're brave. Someone who's willing to push through their fear and do it, whatever it is. Now, that catches his attention.

There's a never-ending list of cowards who'll run with their tails between their legs at the sight of discomfort, willing to abandon everything just for their own gain, and Hanayama encounters these men all the time. Let's just say that it gets boring, annoying even. So when you see someone who's spitfire, ready to jump into danger for themselves or others. Now, that's impressive.

Whether or not they can actually carry through doesn't matter too much, it's the fact that they got back up, not letting their dignity lay to rest. Personally, I find that Hanayama would be far more interested in someone who's genuinely acting selfless in this way, acting from the heart.

Going more into his childhood, I think this type is rooted in Hanayma's relationship with his mother. Though I haven't read the manga, from the wiki, I've gained that he was close to his mother, loving her very much. We don't know much about her. Hell, we don't even know her name, but we do know that she was kind.

That's the only information we're given, but even from that, I can make an analysis. From this, I know that Hanayama was likely a Mama's boy, though still being trained to be a Yakuta. I don't mean Mama's boy in the traditional sense, I mean it in the way that she was his peace, his way out of the Yukuta world, his destiny. Being raised in a gangster lifestyle isn't easy, nor is it soft, so just imagine the damage that type of environment can put on a child's brain?

Horrible, huh? So I like to think that Hanayama's mama, before she passed, was far softer to him, giving him some sense of security. this is possibly why he felt such sorrow after she passed, discarding the natural pain we feel when our mama dies (seeing as there's a primal connection we have with our mama, but that doesn't matter too much at the moment).

Hanayama is a very monotone kind of guy, who, I imagine, doesn't like people with some type of alternate motive. Like, y'know how politicians or businessmen talk? Like they're hiding something from you? Yeah, Hanayama loathes those kinds of people, especially if they're trying to pursue him. I belive that he wants someone who'll keep his life steady; be his calm, if you will.

He wants someone who will be upfront, express themselves clearly, and won't keep what they're thinking from you. To him, this is a breath of fresh air. Hanayama is constantly surrounded by lackeys trying to kiss up to him, speaking with a hidden motive (which isn't really hidden in retrospect). If they're not trying to appease them, then they're quacking in their boots, ready to piss themselves.

But you're not like that, no, not at all. You're different. Hanayama can tell, you aren't some coward, instead, you're someone to respect. He can imagine you sitting next to him, all pretty as a Yakuza's wife. Yeah, he likes the sound of that. Well, the only problem is that you don't know who he is, not yet at least.

I imagine that you wouldn't know who Hanayama is, at first, seeing as he never spoke to you. He likely witnessed you acting selfless in some type of way, expressing your kindness by helping a grandma get across the street, something like that.

You didn't notice him, but he sure noticed you. At first, it wasn't anything too special. Hanayama just found you interesting, wanting to see what you'd do next, so he had one or two of his men keep a tab on you--nothing serious. It continues like that for quite a while, and Hanayama learns more and more about you. He knows that you like to sing when you cook, tapping your feet to the beat, and swaying side-to-side. It's cute, he thinks. And Hanayama feels closer to you, as if you know each other, like you're friends.

But then one of his men reports that you're not at home, not following your usual schedule. Instead, you were at some dingy cafe, drinking crappy coffee with another man, some slumbag who looked like he hadn't showered in a hot second. For some reason, which Hanayama doesn't know, he gets ticked off.

Someone as sweet, kind, and damn pretty as you shouldn't associate with someone like him, someone so gross.

He doesn't do anything, no, no yet. It'd be too brash, and too stupid. And Hanayama isn't stupid. No, Hanayama can keep himself composed, now knowing that he needs to get your attention. Afterall, he can't have you running around with other men, not when he's right here! Well... you don't know that, yet.

Few weeks pass, and you've completely forgotten the trashy date you had gone on, but Hanayama hasn't. You begin to notice new outfits appearing in your closet, clothing you certainly didn't have previously. They're far too expensive, too revealing for you to own.

You'll be confused, especially when these dresses, heels, and coats are no longer just appearing, but instead, being presented. Now, instead of being hung up or nicely folded in your closet, they're being laid out on your bed, accompanied by a pretty, black leather box with silk insides. A little note is stuck on top of the shimmering dress, causing you to gulp, looking around as a shiver racks through your body.

Who the hell is buying you a dress? (though, it looks far more like lingerie, seeing as you'd never be able to wear it out in public). You don't know, but you can't help but feel the heat rise to your cheeks as you lift the velvet cloth, feeling the lace slip through your fingers. Once you tried it on, listen, you couldn't help but feel curious, you gawked at how it fit you like a glove, hugging your curves, and accentuating your hips and bust.

It's fucking creepy, that's all you can think, but it gets worse, way worse. Throughout the weeks, you notice more and more gifts show up at your doorstep. The dresses get severely revealing, much to your discomfort. So do the notes. They get too detailed and too accurate to your day-to-day. By now, it's clear that you have a stalker, a rich one at that.

I'd have to say that this is the worst part of being with Hanayama: the courting. It's hella weird! You'll never feel alone, always having someone watching you, mostly Hanayama. He doesn't have his lackeys watching you anymore, seeing as he's far too jealous for that. He doesn't want someone as low at them to see you in such an innocent, vulnerable state. No, that's only for him to see.

Don't be surprised when he shows up at your door, your last hookup's head in hand and a bundle of roses in the other. After all, it's time for you to come home, no?

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hugmekenobi · 5 months ago

Text

A Series of Firsts

A Bad Batch S1 Prequel Oneshot: 'First Fight'

Gif by @imalovernotahater

Hunter x femaleJedi!reader

Summary: A mission to Ryloth sees some underlying tensions getting expressed in the wrong way

Warnings: No use of (Y/N), canon-typical violence, awkward Hunter and reader, slightly angry Hunter/he doesn't quite act like himself, my limited battle strategy knowledge, minor lies/deceit, swearing, very light angst, scheming brothers

Genre: Friends (idiots) to Lovers

<Previous Prequel Oneshot

Series Masterlist

Word Count: 3.9K (I forgot how writing everything on one doc worked so ignore my previous idea of this being much longer... had a dumb moment lol)

Rating: 18+ (a catch all for all my works)

Author's Note: Yes, this is a reasonable length. No, I clearly don't know how word docs work anymore haha but I hope you all enjoy and it's still long enough!

Ryloth

You were a couple months into your membership with your newfound squad and things with the Batch had settled surprisingly well. Each of their personalities and ways had made it easy for you to feel comfortable and at ease with them. They were all likeable in their own way: Echo was a kind, solid voice of reason that kept you- and you guessed Hunter- sane, Tech had some funny quirks that kept things light and his intelligence made him both fascinating to watch and converse with, Crosshair’s natural sarcastic and cool disposition was something you had no trouble matching, and Wrecker, well there wasn’t much to not like about the gentle giant of the group who rarely had a negative thing to say about anything or anyone. Plus, you had no issue getting behind their atypical strategic plans and blatant disregard for regulation. So, to look at, everything should’ve been great so far, but it wasn’t.

Even with all this goodness, what had not settled for you were your complicated feelings for the certain clone sergeant who was determined to make your life a living nightmare– and that was saying something given your already tricky personal predicament that you still hadn’t worked up the courage to inform the squad of- but keeping that hidden was proving to be the easier task. You could keep up the pretence of being normal about that but for some reason, you had to channel all your focus into being normal around the clone with enhanced senses. You’d really hoped Devaron had been nothing more than you adjusting to the shock of seeing a clone as- well- as attractive as he was. You’d almost hoped it was only as shallow a thought as that.

But no, of course that wasn’t the case. Not only was Hunter a patient, understanding and caring person but he was also a highly skilled and capable squad leader which meant now you were just constantly feeling confused. You didn’t know what this feeling was, but you needed to get a handle on it because you couldn’t afford nor allow it to grow into that territory that you’d been warned of all your life, especially because he acted perfectly normal around you now. You knew you could do it; it was just proving to be something that was easier said than done.

“Hey, you with us?” Hunter asked as he rested a hand on your shoulder.

You remembered where you currently were and snapped back into the current moment as you gestured to the holomap and avoided the questioning looks of the others. “Wrecker and I enter through the back of the base as the rest of you create a distraction out front before joining us inside to provide back up as Wrecker brings the base down.” You confirmed hurriedly as you focused on not noticing the fact that his touch was setting off that warm tingling in your veins.

Hunter nodded and realised his hand was still on you, so he quickly removed it and cleared his throat as he spoke more professionally to the whole group, “Let’s move out.” He ordered before he put on his helmet and led the way out the ship.

You pulled your hood and mask up and did the same.

The others watched the two of you head out first and shared knowing glances. They had noticed the lingering looks, the brief but meaningful touches and building tension between the two of you but it seemed you both were determined to ignore it and act like complete morons about it. However, the opportunities for action were few and far between given the busy mission schedule but they knew something had to be done to speed this along.

“Where the hell are you guys?” You shouted into your comm as you and Wrecker mowed down line after line of droids. It was simple task but back up wouldn’t go amiss and they were late which you knew wasn’t a strategic change. Something had gone wrong.

“The intel we got before taking this mission was wrong! They had more numbers and sent more out front that we thought!” Echo’s voice informed you both over the sounds of blaster fire.

“I should point out that this has been a growing concern.” Tech’s voice inputted, “We have rarely had a mission where the intel we received beforehand was accurate.”

“Okay, well, can you make it, or should we just do it ourselves?” You asked as you worked on opening the control room door whilst Wrecker stood guard.

“Negative. You need to pull out! Leave and we’ll regroup!”

“Hunter, we’ve already made it to the control room! We can still-” You started to protest as the door opened.

“There’s a large wave of droids heading directly your way! You’ll be boxed in! The two of you need to get out of there right now!” Hunter interrupted sharply.

“Oh come on! I haven’t blown something up in weeks!” Wrecker complained into the comm channel, but he was readying himself to leave.

You placed a hand on his forearm to stop him. “Keep setting the charges.” You ordered as you scanned the room and caught sight of a familiar panel in the wall.

Wrecker propped his helmet up on his head and looked at you in confusion. “But Hunter said-”

“I know but we’ve come this far, we can finish the mission and get out of here, I promise.”

“How?” Wrecker asked before he fired off a round of shots down the corridor to down the approaching line of droids and took up position by the door to cover you as you searched for whatever it was you were seeking out.

You pulled on the handle and when you were sure he wasn’t looking, you summoned your gift and widened the manipulated the metal walls so it would accommodate both of you. “Garbage chute exit?” You offered with a mischievous lilt to your voice.

“Oh hell yeah!” Wrecker boomed as he turned away from the door got to work on setting the explosives.

Your comm chirped again and you heard Hunter’s insistent shouts of your name and Wrecker’s. Hunter spoke with a type of authority that on any other day might’ve convinced you to stand down your or it might’ve evoked a far more inappropriate bodily response, but you were determined to leave Ryloth with a win and you were already too far gone in the plan, you wouldn’t turn back down so you turned yours off before the order could finish.

“You sure about this, Wrecker?” You double checked. You knew you’d instructed him to keep going but if he wasn’t comfortable disobeying both his brother and squad leader, you wouldn’t make him.

“I’m all in.” Wrecker confirmed as he silenced his own comm and got to work on finishing up the layout of the charges.

You tossed your dagger into the control panel of the door to keep the oncoming wave of droids out and to keep you both in.

At the sound of static, Hunter ground out a deep and aggravated sigh as he stared up at the console room.

He knew you and Wrecker were still in there and coming up with a dangerous, ill-conceived plan and he was racking his brain for a way back in to stop it and get you both outta there. They’d finally taken care of the droids that had been sent out to meet them but the ones inside were the problem now.

“Let them figure it out.” Echo advised calmly.

“I believe the two of them are capable enough to find their escape route.” Tech agreed but he still began working on pulling up schematics of the building to see if there was a better way in for them to go should they need to.

Hunter clenched his jaw, “She’s trapped in there with no clear way out. We don’t know that she’ll be fine.”

“They’re going to be fine.” Crosshair corrected him bluntly.

Hunter swallowed thickly, “Right. That’s what I meant.” He said, shifting on his feet nervously as he could only wait and hope you made it out of there in one piece.

“All set?” You asked as you hovered by your exit.

Wrecker nodded firmly and activated the bombs just as the two of you entered the chute.

The four of them watched on from the safety of the ground and they heard the low booming and telltale sparks of explosions, but they saw two figures tumble out of a chute just as the base started to collapse.

“See? They had covered.” Crosshair said with an amused lilt to his voice.

But Hunter wasn’t amused in the slightest. He holstered his blaster and dagger and led the way towards the two of you.

“That. Was. Awesome!” Wrecker whooped as the two of you finished sliding down the landfill pill and pulled you to your feet. “We should have plans like that more often!”

You wiped some of the trash off your body and tugged your mask down to grin at the clone, “Nice work on the bombs.” You said with an impressed nod back to the wreckage.

Wrecker smiled proudly and went to say something else, but Hunter’s voice interrupted him.

“What the hell was that?” Hunter asked angrily as he removed his helmet.

You met Hunter’s stern stare but placed a hand on Wrecker’s chest to stop him from taking the heat as you sensed him getting ready to speak. “Totally my idea, Sarge. Wrecker had nothing to do with it.”

“Oh, I know, and I want to know why you felt it appropriate to go against my order?” Hunter interrogated tightly.

“We needed to complete the mission.” You disputed.

“And deliberately risking the life of a teammate was the only way to do that?” Hunter challenged.

You furrowed your brow. “I’d never deliberately endanger anyone or-”

“But by making that call you did! You can’t ignore a direct order like that!”

“Crosshair and Echo pulled something similar two weeks ago!” You argued as you gestured to the two clones watching on.

“She has a point, Hunter.” Echo said tentatively with Tech nodding in agreement and Crosshair giving an affirming but mostly unbothered shrug.

But Hunter ignored him and only spoke to you. “That’s different! They’ve been in this squad long enough. They’ve earned the right to behave that way, you haven’t!” Hunter said before he could really think the words through.

The words stunned you. “Haven’t earned the right.” You repeated under your breath but the hurt you felt was written across your face. You knew you’d only been with them for a relatively short period of time given the circumstances, but you’d thought you’d bonded with them in some way. Clearly, you’d thought wrong.

Hunter had never regretted a choice of words more. He’d let his fear drive him and now he wished he had the power to turn back time to do this all again. “Wait, I didn’t-” But he was too late. You turned your back on him and walked away in the direction of the ship before he could finish.

There was a brief moment of silence as they all watched you storm off before Wrecker broke it.

“Come on, Sarge, you have to admit that was a pretty great plan!”

“Wrecker-”

“She let me use all the bombs I wanted and even getting to that control room was easy!”

“Wrecker, that’s en-”

“You can’t have meant what you said cause she’s one of us for sure!”

“Wrecker, enough.” Hunter snapped bitterly but he immediately regretted his tone. He knew his reaction wasn’t fair. He wasn’t angry, not really, and if he was being honest, it wasn’t the fact that orders had been disobeyed, it was seeing how Wrecker had reacted to you and the fact that his brother sounded so fond of and completely captivated by you that was really bothering him right now. And none of that should have bothered him, but it did though he couldn’t fathom why it-

Oh.

Dammit.

This was jealously.

He was fucking jealous. He was jealous of his own brother, and he had no valid reason to be.

“Was waiting for you to figure that out.” Crosshair remarked knowingly as he saw the expression on Hunter’s face even though his brother masked it quickly.

Hunter gathered himself and got his emotions under control. You weren’t his in any way and that was fine. Plus, you clearly didn’t think of him or any of them like that, so he had to get himself together. Echo’s voice pulled him out his thoughts.

“You were a bit harsh, Hunter. We’ve all acted out one way or another.” Echo pointed out.

Hunter sighed as he said, “She disobeyed a direct order-”

“Uh yeah… that’s kinda what we do.” Wrecker countered in bewilderment, “And it was brilliant! I got to blow things up and we completed the mission.”

“She put you in unnecessary danger.” Hunter disputed.

“I wanted to, Hunter. She made sure I was okay with it.” Wrecker told him.

Of course you did. He should’ve known that you would’ve. You clearly cared for the safety of the team, and you had a sense of duty and responsibility that he admired… and it was one of the many reasons why it was so hard for him to simply shove every annoying flicker of unprofessional emotion away. You kept giving him reasons to fall for you. This was foreign territory that he was clearly terrible at navigating right now. He’d really fucked up here and he could only hope there was a way to fix this.

“I believe his reaction has more to do with the immediate danger she placed herself in over the disobeying of the order.” Tech hypothesised.

“No shit.” Crosshair said with a roll of his eyes.

Hunter glanced between his brothers who all had variations of the same expression that gave the impression that they knew something he didn’t. “What are you talking about?” He asked, his voice wary because, aside from today, he thought he’d been good about acting completely normal towards you since Devaron but the looks he was receiving suddenly made him think otherwise. The caution was also because he knew Tech was correct- the idea of you being caught in a collapsing building with no way out had made him more frightened than he cared for and that was what had been driving him when he’d spoken to you in that way.

“You feel a different kind of affection for her that surpasses the usual friend or familial kind.” Tech explained but with a lilt to his voice that suggested he didn’t understand why his brother had even asked the question.

“I- no, I don’t.” Hunter barely managed to sound convincing.

“Please,” Crosshair said with a dismissive snicker, “We all see it.”

“There’s nothing to see.” Hunter insisted, doing his best to keep the frantic edge to his voice at bay. This was the last conversation he wanted to be having.

“It’s okay if you do-”

“I don’t.” Hunter interrupted Echo through gritted teeth. He couldn’t allow their words to give him any sense of false hope. You didn’t think of him in any way other than a friend and right now, probably not even that. He couldn’t afford to get distracted by hypotheticals that he knew would go unanswered or give him the answers he didn’t want. There was a war going, that was the priority, whatever feelings he could feel growing for you could and should be ignored.

“But she also does. We’ve noticed-” Wrecker started to say.

“I’m not listening to this.” Hunter said defensively before he turned his back to head back to the ship and to signal the end of the conversation. He may have disagreed with the core substance of what they were saying but he knew they were right about how he’d unfairly reacted to you and that was something he needed to rectify.

“Can I come in?” Hunter asked cautiously from the doorway to the cockpit.

“It’s your ship, you’ve earned the right to go wherever you want. I’m just a visitor.” You said coldly without glancing up to look at him as you continued to sharpen your weapon.

Hunter winced at your tone, and he took a deep breath as he sat across from you. “I’m sorry. I really am. I shouldn’t have reacted like that.”

“I never would’ve carelessly risked Wrecker’s life, Hunter. You have to know me better than that by now.” You put your weapon into the strap on your back as you finally looked at him.

Hunter ran a hand down his face in complete shame over how poorly he’d acted. “I know that. I didn’t mean- I was just-”

“I know I’m not one of you so if you want me to leave-”

“No, no I definitely don’t.” Hunter admitted hastily because the thought of that was a bit too unbearable.

You tilted your head in exasperated confusion. “Then why did you say-”

“I was scared, okay.” Hunter interrupted through an abrupt breath.

Any argument or fight evaporated your body as you heard him say those words and while part of you wondered if the deeper fear you sensed from him was rooted in anything more than the concern he showed as a good leader, the other part of you knew those words wouldn’t have been easy to say. “Hunter…”

“You never told me what your plan was.” Hunter pointed out gently, “You just turned off your comm and left it at that. I had no idea what you were doing or how you were getting out of there. All I knew was that building was getting swarmed by droids and there were charges that could go off any minute and that you and my brother were trapped inside.”

You reached across and squeezed his hand before you could stop yourself. “I’m sorry, I didn’t even think,” You apologised, utterly mortified by your carelessness, “I guess I’d been on my own for so long, I’d forgotten what being part of a squad means.”

Hunter nodded his acceptance of your apology before he said, “Well, you have one now and we have to tell each other things- especially when those things involve risk. So, when you didn’t, I was left thinking of all the worst-case scenarios.” Hunter felt himself growing more awkward as he said next, “And- I- I like having you around and out there it really did feel like for a moment that wasn’t going to happen anymore.” He took a moment to gather himself before he carried on more professionally, “But regardless, my reaction wasn’t fair. You’re a part of this squad, I shouldn’t have implied anything different.”

“Yeah, that stunt made it official! You won’t be rid of us that easily!”

You half turned to smile at Wrecker and that was when you noticed the faces of the others who all had a mix of proud and impressed expressions on their faces. “Glad to hear it.” You said with a smile but that was more to mask your rising guilt. The idea of being was one of them was something that you really did want but you were living a lie. Until they knew they true you, how could they fully accept you? You pushed that to the side for now. There would be an appropriate time to tell them, there had to be. “So, how about if I’m going to disobey an order, we agree that I tell you what I’m doing instead? That way we can avoid any and all worries?” You said light-heartedly instead.

“Sounds good.” Hunter agreed with a quiet chuckle as he looked at you.

Your gaze locked with his and for a moment, you found yourself getting lost in the warmth of his dark brown eyes.

A pointed cough from someone- probably Crosshair- reminded you both that they were all still here.

You both swiftly looked away from each other at the same time.

“Wrecker, you okay if I grab the shower first? As great as that was, I don’t know how much longer I can stand the smell.” Plus, internally you knew it had to be bothering Hunter in some way, and you didn’t want that at all.

Wrecker nodded.

“I was trying so hard not to say anything…” Hunter teased.

You scowled playfully and lightly punched his shoulder. “Don’t forget, this is the stench of success.” You said with a warm smile in his direction before you hopped up and left the cockpit.

Hunter watched you go and shook his head to remove the hopeful thoughts that entered his brain before he followed you down to tidy his stuff away.

“We’re all in agreement, right?” Echo said in a hushed tone from the cockpit as he watched the two of you dance around each other in the tight space.

“Definitely.” Wrecker concurred enthusiastically.

“Yes. I’m already tired of watching this,” Crosshair said grouchily, “For a while it was funny but now it’s just fucking annoying. He could certainly do a lot worse. And if she wants him, then that’s her problem.”

“Supportive.” Echo remarked sarcastically.

Crosshair shrugged, “I’m on board, aren’t I?”

Echo conceded the point with a dip of his head, and it was only because he knew Crosshair well that he could tell that he did have a vested interest in both you and Hunter’s wellbeing. “Tech?” He asked as he realised that he was the only one who hadn’t spoken yet.

“Hmm?” Tech asked distantly as he focused on uploading the latest recordings and report on his datapad.

Crosshair shoved his datapad down and simply pointed.

“Oh, yes. That. I thought it was so obvious we didn’t even need to comment on it.” Tech stated frankly as he looked ahead to you both.

“Well, how are we going to show them it’s obvious?” Wrecker asked.

“I have a long list of ideas.” Crosshair said with a scheming smirk.

“Any of them not based around the idea of deliberately putting either of them in immediate danger?”

Crosshair gave Echo a hard stare- he thought the danger route was obviously the most effective one, but he relented. He huffed out a short breath. “I’ve got a couple of ideas.” He corrected himself reluctantly.

Echo shook his head and ran a hand down his face, “I’m sure we can think of some together.”

“When do we start?” Wrecker asked excitedly.

“No time like the present.” Tech suggested as he nodded down the hallway.

The four of them shared in an exasperated group sigh as they stared at the scene ahead of them. You had come out of the refresher clearly having forgotten to grab something. You were still dressed, the only thing missing was your hooded layer, so you were simply in your tank top, but their brother’s reaction upon seeing you in minimally less clothing was anything but subtle.

You two may have been in denial about what was going on with your feelings, but it was clear as day to the rest of them and they weren’t going to stop until you and Hunter finally admitted it to yourself and to each other.

Next Prequel Oneshot>

Tagging: @andreaaxy, @noeasyisnoisy, @arctrooper69, @moonychicky, @notgonnaedit, @dreamsight73, @dizzy-9906, @thegreymarveljedi, @nightmonkeysstuff, @allthingsimagines, @jellybeanstacey0519, @callsign-denmark, @superbookishhufflepuff, @qvnthesia, @justsomerandompersonintheworld, @ooostarwarsfandom501st, @youreababboon, @livin-life-to-the-coolest

#the bad batch #the bad batch S1 #the bad batch season 1 #the bad batch season 1 prequel #hunter x reader #hunter x femalejedi!reader #hunter x female!reader #hunter x fem!reader #sergeant hunter #sergeant hunter x reader #hunter tbb #hunter the bad batch #the bad batch x you #hunter x y/n #tbb hunter x reader #star wars #friends to lovers #fanfiction

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rakubalka · 5 months ago

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At first I called this the lizard skely au but we need a better name so Overlord In The Swamps AU it is

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So this all started because I'm finally reading(or more so listening) the light novels and I'm on the lizardman arc and remembered why it is my favorite

And so I decided to make an au and thought why only have Crush and Zaryusu as the couple when we can also add Momonga (and then later on I got reminder that Zenberu exist and said fuck it we are adding him in too)

So we now have this

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It starts with Momo having gone out to fire fireworks and ending up in the new world a few years before the start of canon

Momo after having come to the conclusion he was in fact Isekai-ed decides to travel and explore the world

And while traveling he meets Zaryusu who has also just started to travel

By a series of events the two become travel companions

While traveling Zaryusu and Momonga start to develop romantic feelings for each other

With Momonga trying to suppress his feelings like he did with Touch Me before , because of his abysmal self estime and thinking nobody will ever love him

Zaryusu on the other hand is going through a roller coaster discovering that he is in fact not straight , because he thought he liked women from his species but the first person he fully fell in love with is both not a lizardman and not a woman . He is hoping his ancestors (or just anyone really) will guide him on how to express his feelings to Momonga

At some point Zaryusu succeeds in confession , resulting in Momo's brain doing a reboot and trying to comprehend someone loving him , and loving him romantically at that

After Momonga finally comprehending that Zaryusu is in fat in love with him and returns his feeling they start to date each other

Along with Zaryusu having to sit through a very long and detailed explanation of safe sex , sexual identity and gender identity (Zaryusu is a little surprised that a undead who is for all intense and purposes ace knows soo much about sex and how it's shapes the world for both good and bad , but then again its Momo so that makes sense)(Momo having had to deal with his guldmates is surprisingly informed on a lot of topics , especially ones that society might consider as taboos)

And so they continue to travel learning different things like how to farm fish , how strong people are and the overall political situation (also having Momo run experiments on people he meets that do very morally questionable things and learning how his skills work here)

Then at some point they go back to Zaryusu tribe , and having Zaryusu explain why he has a (presumably) elder lich with him as his travel companion

Its the start of the comedy that comes after it , like Momo refusing to be off Rororo more than nesesery because he sinks(no matter what he unequips he still skinks) in the swamp unless he constantly cast a fly spell that unfortunately unnerves the tribesman , Zaryusu having to explain that the very powerful lich is his boyfriend or that the ridiculous amount of undead that Momonga are here because he has started commanding them to build him a base in the Great Forest to store his gunk in . The lizardmen are in for a ridiculously big culture shock

After a few years things have become somewhat calmer on the tribe end with no one trying to purify the undead (or Momo) anymore

Then the Slane Theocracy tries to conquer and enslave the lizardmen , so the Lizardmen Alliance still forms albeit with the undead this time on their side

So Momo and Zaryusu go and try to make the alliance for the freedom of lizardmen kind and they meet the Red Eye acting chef and like cannon it makes Zaryusu question his sexuality (he and Momo come to the conclusion they might both be poly) , to the surprise of both os then she does find them charming and agrees to travel with them (and date them) and while not as fast as in canon she does fall for both of them (and later on their other boyfriend)

Then after that they go to Dragon Tusk and like canon Zaryusu and Zenberu beat the crap out of each other (the magic casters are on the side and contemplating why are they idiots) , after that Zaryusu is again going into a sexuality crisis because why does he suddenly find so many hot people all at once ?

Anyway the reparations go somewhat like in canon except they have Guild War Veteran of World Cass Momonga on the meeting so their tactics are horrifyingly efficient , and they also have him as their ace in the sleeve and while he would need to stay hidden to use him in case something extreme happens he can still buff people (and his buffs are ridiculously strong in comparison to those of other people)

The Theocracy tried their shit and not only didn't it work they got their ass wiped . Then they decided to use the a Godkin and practically forced Momo to use magic more specifically his favorite spell [Grasp Heart] that they can't block (because it's 9th tier and 7 is already in the realm of gods let alone 9th)

As you can imagine the Theocracy got beaten not only to submission but also had their corpses used to make undead with the Godkin used to make a higher tier undead that what Momonga normally makes here

The reason they even know about that plan is because of Carne Village that had became Zaryusu and Momo's favorite place to trade after Momo subjugated the Wise King Of The Forest while they were going home

So you can imagine Momo's ire when he learned his favorite date spot and favorite trading place was attacked (also Enri got 3 Goblin General's Horns because he actually knows her and isn't stingy on HIS people's protection)

The Sunlight Scripture got their ass beaten and Gazef was utterly impressed (the idiots in the king's court don't understand just how lucky they are the as of yet not formed nation didn't decide that what they said is national offence , especially since their prime minister is right there on the meeting as the princess)

I could probably continue but I didn't think I have enough information about the new world at the moment to more accurately shape the au so we're stoping here at the moment

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So here are memes about the Au

(check in the notes if you want to see extra of them)

#overlord #overlord anime #overlord light novel #overlord au #Overlord In The Swamps AU #momonga #ainz ooal gown #zaryusu shasha #crusch lulu #zenberu gugu #shasuryu shasha

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rory-multifandom-mess · 2 months ago

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IT’S TIME FOR THE in-depth scene-by-scene character analysis on No Way

THIS POST IS HEAVILY INSPIRED BY @skythealmighty 'S WHEEL ANALYSIS!!!! GO READ IT RIGHT NEOW ITS REALLY GOOD

TL;DR: No Way has one of the most prominent character development arcs in this show, from starting off as naive and overly trusting of Clock to being paranoid and distrusting of anyone new, a lot like Wheel was from the very beginning. Oh and also Tile is a BITCH-

WARNING: Long ass post with 11 THOUSAND words and exactly two pictures so have fun and good luck LMAOOO

Ok, alright, so. The analysis isn’t going to be very serious up until 4:00, since that’s when things started to get really bad for them. But I’ll still do all the other episodes because I’m . incredibly normal! This will get updated once 8:00 releases on the 22nd so umm. Yeah ANYWAYS

IT’S TIME FOR THE [1:00] - Who’s Jason??

0:19 - “I don’t think I had anything in particular planned for today but I am content” “Wow! That’s nice.” “NO! That’s boring, there’s nothing to do!!” “I don’t think they were talking to you..” “Uh- Wha-” [glass shattering noise]

There isn’t much to point out here, other than No Way being a supportive friend to 57-ball, but I would like to note No Way’s expressions when Refill Station does their whole. Thing. They get startled from the shatter, so much so that they take a step back, and just look at RF all confused and kind of concerned as they walk away. 57-ball doesn’t even look confused, he kinda just looks. Done LMAO

2:24 - “Compete in my competition show!!” “Oh!! Uhh…” “Okay I’m in!”

Note No Way’s immediate compliance and almost clear excitement in the way they move their arms, a very clear contrast from everyone else’s blank stares (and Vase’s hesitancy. And Wheel’s >:|). This will be important later on methinks.

4:39 - “Okay, street sign, car tire, and… pool ball. Dang!! If only you were like a street lamp or crossing signal or something, would have had a cool team name idea for that.”

Nothing too notable here, I just like that they immediately started talking and took a page out of Polka Dot’s book with her thought process. The two have a few things in common, one of which being that they’re both kinda immediately into the competition when it starts. I also want to point out the expression shifts, especially with 57-ball. He looks almost offended at what No Way said and I don’t think they even realize that. It’s a nice touch!

I also want to note the way No Way looks at Wheel during the team name jingle. They almost look sympathetic? Like an “aw man, that sucks.”

6:56 - “Ok, well, we gotta get this card as far away from here as possible if we don’t want the host to hear it.” “Ok.” [Wheel kicks the card] “N- NO WAY.” [win sound]

Nothing to note here. I just like how this is the only thing No Way says in this entire sequence and it's some really dumb pun about their name. Makes me laugh every time

I also really like how the same win sound plays when Vase says “no way” even though it had nothing to do with them

10:39 - [After credits scene]

This is just silly to me because at the bottom of the screen you can see No Way and Wheel run by. Like. Why is Wheel chasing them. Why are they running. What happened here LMFAO

(UPDATE AFTER HAVING A FEW PEOPLE READ THIS: THEY ARE CANONICALLY PLAYING TAG I’M GOING TO SCREAM THAT'S SO CUTE)

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: This episode mostly acts as an introduction to the characters, so there isn’t much to say here. Other than, like, No Way’s basic personality traits; good friend, kind, supportive, excitable, doesn’t always realize what they’re saying can be seen as offensive. Maybe has ADHD but I might just be projecting because they’re my favorite. That’s not a personality trait but . shut up

IT’S TIME FOR THE [2:00] - Best Source For Weather Information

0:29 - “I NOMINATE NO WAY!” “I’m already out man… anyways, it says next up is Words With Friends Tile.”

I want to point out the fact No Way is holding a clipboard and paper. I think this just shows they’re pretty smart, despite some moments where it would seem the opposite. I think, as of now, they’re pretty naive, especially when it comes to Clock. As if to contrast Wheel’s paranoia about Clock, they seem to immediately trust them. Though so does like, everyone else except for Wheel so I might just be looking too deep into things.

I also want to note their tone of voice when they say next up was WWFT because they also sound kind of confused and slightly surprised. They were likely thinking the same thing as Wheel (“He doesn’t have any eyes!”) but didn’t say anything, probably because them and Tile are friends

I also like how they look very slightly surprised when Tile and Wheel start fighting. Maybe not surprised, but more just like “Oh! Okay!”

0:51 - “Okay then, how about instead of Tile we put The Sun up there?” “Yayyy!!” “Okay. Three, two, one, go!!”

I really like No Way’s voice. Anyway, this is another point to them being pretty smart; it seems like they’re the one who organized this whole staring contest game, given the clipboard and them doing the countdown. Granted I don’t think they realized having 57-ball stare directly into the sun would be a bad idea.

3:56 - “Oohhh yeaaa, we’re so back!!” “Ooohh! Where did you go?” “You just don’t get it dude.” [Gasp] “Wooaaoowwww!!” [Clock claps their hands]

Another moment of No Way being naive. I also think their reaction to WWTF is a mix of them just being fairly excited for the next challenge and also just being friends with Tile in general. I like to think they think everything Tile does is cool. Writing wise, this is likely just to play into Tile’s whole cool guy bit. This scene also somewhat confuses me because, like No Way, I also don’t get it. (Come to think of it I wonder if this was meant to be like a fourth wall break from Tile?)

4:23 - “The first HALF of you will be safe, while the rest of you will be up for elimination.” “Seems simple enou- wait a second, there’s only 9 of uhhhhhh UUUAAAAA–” [enter: no ways] “what is happening��.”

Ah yes, what I think is the start of No Way’s … iffyness? I guess? The way they say “what is happening” almost makes it sound like the process of being split into two people made them feel sick, and this is aided by their expression. Also, their face as it was happening makes me think that it was painful, which isn’t much of a surprise. They did not like this.

4:37 - “Get your good pal to the finish line and you’ll be safe!” “This doesn’t seem very fair…” “Sure it is!” “Oh ok!”

This feels like another point to them being naive and very trusting of Clock. At first they still seem very affected by the being split in two bit, going through the logic in their head, but then when Clock says it's definitely fair, the logic shifts. They’re likely thinking “Well, they are the host, so they must know what’s best for their challenges!”

As a side note, I like 57-balls “what” before he gets interrupted by Wheel. He’s probably thinking, “how is their opinion so easily swayed. What.”

6:03 - [Pretty much just No Way struggling to get No Ways to move, punching it, trying to throw it only to find its too heavy and hurting themself, and then trying to hit it with their sign pole and going FLYING]

No Way is quick to get frustrated and resorts to getting physical when No Ways doesn’t budge. Though it is likely that they spent some time just yelling at it before they tried punching, just off-screen. This could also possibly be showing us that No Way is kind of weak and uncoordinated, given how easily they fell backward trying to pick No Ways up and the way they hadn’t even swung the sign pole before getting flung over the railing. Of course, the frustration could also come from being stressed about the fact No Ways even exists, as they aren’t shown to get particularly frustrated fast when things don’t go their way later on.

6:30 - “aaaaAAAAAA OUGH- That was awful…” “Welcome to being a winner, Octagon!! Because you just won th-” “Wai- I wo- I won the???” “I didn’t finish my sentence, w-what are you doing here Octagon?” “I’m not an octagon, I’m No Way!! See?- uuhh…” “You’ll need your friend here too to be safe as well reme-” [Slowed Down Win Sound] “No Way is safe!” “Woohoo!” “Now that’s cool brah.”

Ok a lot happens here so I’ll try to break it down.

Despite likely knowing better, No Way gets very excited at the prospect of winning The , and even stims a little bit, despite the fact it’s impossible for them to have won the whole competition right then and there.

When Clock doesn’t recognize them, they almost look offended, and their tone while explaining that they aren’t just an octagon reflects that. The way they try to grab their sign pole without realizing it isn’t there anymore makes me think that they’re forgetful, since they just forgot they took it off not even a minute ago. I’m not sure how to explain the way they reacted to realizing it wasn’t there anymore, but the noise they make is really funny to me.

No Way gets startled by No Ways just sorta Sliding In, though this fear is immediately left behind and replaced with excitement upon learning they were safe.

Important mention: The little dance they do with Tile. Friendship! Yaay!

7:05 - “...and now both No Ways and No Way are safe.”

No Way almost looks at No Ways with a very unsure look on their face, like they still aren’t sure of what to make of it. They know that they don’t exactly like it, but they also know it’s almost like… a part of them? They are very confused and conflicted about the existence of this creature.

8:01 - “AYGHAGHUUSHASAAH-” [No Way and No Ways become one again] “Ughh, Clock please never do that again.”

This shit is PAINFUL for them, judging by their expressions as they’re being merged (though they are very fast). They sound sick to their stomach again when they ask Clock to never do that again. Like I said before, the start of their iffyness about this. They are still naive though, that’s for sure.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: This episode mostly highlights two traits; their naivety and that they are actually fairly smart and shouldn’t be written off as dumb just because they’re naive, since being naive doesn’t always mean the person is stupid. I also just want to say that them being naive and excitable in this episode is important for later. Oh also, sprinkling in a little bit of mind fuckery too. For fun.

IT’S TIME FOR THE [3:00] - Next

1:18 - [Clock typing away on a keyboard] “Go ahead, do it!!! Just do it al-” [Blue screen] “What is that thing?” “I don’t know??”

No Way (and 57-ball) look so extremely concerned and afraid for Wheel, especially with the way they have their hands positioned, their expression (with the tiny dot eyes for a second and exaggerated D:), and how they’re the first person to ask what the blue screen and selection box around Wheel is. This is a clear representation of how much they really do care about their friends, which is backed by their concern for Refill Station back in the first episode and other moments in episodes further ahead.

4:27 - “Oh! Sounds like it’s time for the challenge, wanna come with?” “Sure!” “Alright, hold on!” [Music]

POLKAWAY FRIENDSHIP YAAAY. I feel like these two are also synonymous with each other but I’ll get into that later. I’m noting this not only because it's a favorite scene of mine, but also this shows how “go with the flow” No Way is. They grab onto the polka dot and as they’re flying, they look scared to fall off or something. And then two seconds before this sequence ends, they start to look sick. This, along with how sick they sounded last episode when it came to No Ways, leads me to believe that they might have a weak stomach or just get motion sick easily

4:41 - “Where’s Refill Station?” “Oh I forgot about him. He’ll make his way over eventually I’m sure.”

Very small moment but important to me. They are the first person to realize Refill Station was missing and ask about them, and Polka Dot even states she straight up just forgot about him. Yet another instance of No Way caring for their friends.

5:09 - “Also, you should be happy I don’t have to cut any of you in half this time…..” (fear)

Oh Boy Oh Boy! I don’t know why Clock said this– whether it was out of malice or just a statement since, y’know, they aren’t exactly wrong– but No Way’s reaction of pure fear is a sign (heh) that they were likely somewhat traumatized by the experience. Oh yeah, now we’re finally getting somewhere with this.

5:54 - ”Sure was nice of clock to give us these cups right Tile?” “Mhm.” “...uhhh you doin alright?” “I had this really good fruit earlier brah, it tasted really good and it was super juicy, and tasted really good man!” “Uhmm okay.” “AND it was full of water, dude! Bro, I think Clock would like it a lot.” “Are you sure? It seems like people are already on their way to that lake over there, we gotta be quick!” “Don’t worry man, it’s right next to the lake anyway!” “Alright…”

I think No Way commenting on it being nice that Clock gave them cups could be them trying to convince themselves of that, given how almost awkward it sounds, and especially with the way they ask Tile for feedback. Or maybe I’m just straight up wrong and they’re just looking on the bright side. (most likely the latter)

Once again with No Way caring about their friends! They immediately think something might be wrong with Tile because he gives a response that isn’t typical for him.

As Tile is describing the fruit he had earlier, No Way looks at their cup like they’re considering something, likely about using the fruit instead of just getting water. They look and sound preoccupied when they give the response of just “uhmm, okay.”

When they ask if Tile is sure and mentions the others going to the lake, it's pretty obvious how much they want to actually win the challenge, probably because they’ve been on a pretty good winning streak.

This isn’t fully related to No Way but this is my 4th time watching this and I’m noticing how lowkey manipulative Tile sounds here, like he’s trying to keep No Way from being safe by pulling them away from the lake to get this fruit he’s talking about. Mostly saying this because of how he adds the bit about Clock (putting emphasis on the “AND”) after No Way doesn’t show interest in the fruit at first.

7:39 - “Thank you for telling me about this juicy snack! I think I’ll be on my way to take this over to Clock now, and- AAGHHHHH- oughh!” “Aww yeaahh!! Green can’t say we’re not cool now!” (music) “Tile. TILE.” “Bro what is it.” “The fruit…!!” “Yeah bro I………oh. Okay! You wanna jump in the water and get it?” “No way!! You’re the one who…”

I want to focus on No Way’s expression here- specifically when Tile shoves Green out of the tree. They look so surprised and I feel like there’s at least a hint of concern in there. Surprised because oh my god, Tile, how could you do that?? And concerned because that impact sounded really bad for Green. The way they stare for a little drives this home too. (say it with me now: NO WAY CARES A LOT ABOUT THEIR FRIENDS)

When they start trying to get Tile’s attention, they sound and look frustrated, obviously partially because Tile was just sorta dancing and took a moment to respond, but also because he just shoved their friend out of a tree.

For like, a millisecond before No Way reminds Tile of the fruit, they seem to be trying to think about something. At first glance, I’d assume they forgot about what they were supposed to be doing, but now I think this is a moment of them thinking about whether or not to bring up what Tile just did, ultimately deciding to just bring up the fruit again.

No Way instantly refuses to jump into the water themself, and proceeds to almost tell Tile that he should do it instead because… Well, because he shoved Green and the fruit out of the tree. Though they backtrack on this to instead suggest they do Rock, Paper, Scissors to decide. I think they backtrack and suggest RPS entirely because they know Tile so well, and they know he won’t just do it if they tell him to. Also, I think them almost bringing up the shoving incident would’ve been one of those “take accountability of your actions” type things

Also I like their face when Tile says “you’re on.” smug little shit

8:37 - “What?? Where’d the lake go?” “eeughhh….. I don’t feel so good.” “Yaa bro, Green looks like he’s seen better days. I say we just take the fruit back and dip.”

No Way being the first to question when weird shit happens ….

IMPORTANT POINT HERE. I want to specifically point out the way No Way looks at Green with a sad/sympathetic look on their face. Well– okay. If you look close enough, No Way isn’t actually looking at Green, and is instead looking at the spot in front of him. From the look on their face, it’s like they’re thinking about if this is really ethical. They care about Green, that much is obvious, and they also care about Tile. While yes, Green did technically try to steal the fruit from them, that didn’t give Tile the right to seriously injure him. It’s like a moral dilemma. Of course their thought process gets interrupted by the MASS AMOUNT OF WATER FALLING TOWARDS THEM-

…Also more of Tile being kind of an asshole

9:10 - “WAAAIITTTT!! HERE HERE I HAVE SOME!” “Yeaa, The Sun and Vase are good.” “Rrrgh-” (Music)

Ah, their final desperate attempt to be safe despite knowing it’s probably over. Also, their frustration boiling over in the form of them yelling into the sky like an anime protag. This is likely mostly frustration due to losing the challenge, but I imagine it’s also because they had wasted so much time with Tile.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: Man, the sudden realization I had about Tile midway through this is crazy. He almost seems unsympathetic to, like, everyone, and this even happens throughout the show too. Anyways, No Way gets a little more frustrated this episode! Especially with Tile. The fall of NoTile friendship….

IT’S TIME FOR THE [4:00] - Do NOT Use The Popcorn Button

0:30 - “Soo! What are we doin here?” “Not being in the water? I can only swim for so long, I’m made out of metal y’know??” “Yaahh I don’t know what they’re talking about, I just like this tree.” “Okay!” “WOAH BRO, WHAAAA” “Wh- WHAT why did you do that?!”

No Way is so frustrated here bro. Completely fair too. They’re exhausted from trying to swim, finally made it to the tree to rest, and then Clock comes and interrupts it. They looked so relaxed before Clock landed in the tree and startled them so bad they almost fell out of it. Also the way No Way deadpans when Tile flings himself over is funny.

No Way immediately asks Clock why they knocked Tile out of the tree, offended and upset about it for him. It’s like they’re slowly starting to be done with Clock’s shenanigans.

0:46 - “It’s ti- *ringnti* It’s 4 o’clock, meaning that it is time-” “For the elimina-” “The challenge!” “Huh?-” “Yea, I meant the elimination.”

No Way looks so sad here, and from the way their voice shakes slightly, they were definitely dreading it. They hadn’t been through a single elimination yet, having been on a winning streak until now. From what we can tell, they have no idea what even happens at an elimination, only that afterwards, they’re missing a group member. Their confusion, and the way they look at Clock when their ringer just sorta… floats back onto their head drives home this feeling that they’re starting to distrust Clock a little more, or at least just be extremely confused at them. Rightfully so.

1:45 - [No Way fucking drowning] “Okay…. I can’t understand you. Here, how about this.” “Thank goodness… I-I’m breathing underwater??”

No Way being the only one to question when things don’t make sense again. Not even Wheel says anything, and Green is just . okay with this.

1:58 - “Woah, what’s wrong with you?” “I shouldn’t BE here, I didn’t even lose the last challenge!” “Why don’t you just leave then?-” “You don’t WANT me here??” “No! No! I didn’t say tha-”

Say it with me guys! NO WAY CARES A LOT ABOUT THEIR FRIENDS!!! They immediately notice that Wheel is absolutely fuming and asks what’s wrong, tries to provide a solution, but when Wheel takes it the wrong way, they instantly backpedal, trying to reassure him that they didn’t mean it that way. And then Tile interrupts by telling Wheel he’s a loser (BEING AN ASSHOLE AGAI-)

2:26 - “Fantastic, now there’s only 3 of us here again.” “Three?? Who’s missing?” “I don’t know, don’t ask me.” “I wasn’t.” “You just did.” “I- D- Clock, we’re missing Refill Station.”

Frustration at Green because of the misunderstanding.

First to point out Refill Station being missing. Again. Say it with me g- ok I’m done with that bit

Honorable mention to No Way falling backwards when Refill Station slams into the ground, suggesting they’re pretty clumsy I think.

I’m not time stamping this as a point since it doesn't really feel significant enough but when Clock mistakenly says Wheel got 0 votes at 3:57, No Way’s brow raises and they frown a little more, like they’re surprised at the 0 votes and possibly even worried. Y’all know what I’m gonna say at this point

4:25 - “The only one to not make it over 1,000 votes this time was Green, who only got 843” “Oh nooo.. I wasn’t expecting to get out so soon :(“ “Oh.. Hey! Maybe you might be able to come back later on.” “I-I don’t know.. That’s why I’ve been so worried, a part of me feels l-” “Huh? Green?-”

OH BOY OH BOY. I think this is the first time where we haven’t had a moment of the last safe contestant going “yay! I mean-” and I think that says something about No Way’s character. They’re most likely relieved they aren’t out of the game, but they know Green, their friend, is eliminated. So instead of celebrating their safety, they immediately try to reassure Green that maybe he can rejoin the show! It’s very obvious here that No Way has no idea what happens to eliminated contestants up until Green’s disappearance. They even call out for him, looking around as if he was still there. That is, until the radio catches their attention. Also the weird distorted music coming from the Radio is really off putting.

4:49 - “..Clock, what happened to Green?” “I already said earlier, I have no idea! Quite convenient that the eliminated contestants just disappear though!” “Just disap- You have no idea what’s going on here?!-”

Green’s elimination is a monumental part of No Way’s character development. 4 episodes in and they have finally learned what happens when someone is eliminated, and it’s terrifying in such a subtle way. Just like that, everything No Way assumed about the eliminations - about this contest - was swept away. Green just disappeared. Not a trace of him was left behind– nothing but that creepy vintage radio. And when they go to Clock, someone who they think is completely in control of this elimination, they’re met with an answer no one wants to hear. They don’t know. The contestants just disappear. And it’s here where No Way finally realizes that Clock isn’t as trustworthy as they originally thought. The start of the horrors for them, if you will.

5:35 - [Loud clattering sound] “What… just happened?”

No Way being the first to question the weird shit again. That’s all really

5:53 - “Hold on… teams?? But, Clock, what ever happened to-” “There’s no more teams! There’s no more teams.” “Yeah! Here are your teams for the challenge, and only this challenge!!”

Ok this might seem like nothing but hear me out. Look at No Way’s face during the ‘flashback’ part. They look curious, intrigued. Interested. Now look at their face during the more recent scene. They look sadder. Less energetic. Exhausted. It almost looks like they’re not even paying attention, still stuck on what happened with Green.

6:05 - “Nonono! This team will get a special visitor!” [GASP] “Please please plea-” [Samsung ringtone] “Aww man- Can I switch teams??”

They hate this guy (No Ways) (added this entirely because I like the way No Way says that last line. Scratches my brain good)

6:17 - “Okay!! You all have 30 seconds! “This again, I ended up coming up with the team name by accident last time, do you have any ideas?” “Uhhhh, Vase… Star…. Street sign….. …. Eheh…-” “It’s alright, we can come back to you. How about you?” “.......” “..Who is that?”

No Way’s head is no longer in the game. Before Vase starts talking, you can see No Way staring into the distance. Whether or not they’re staring specifically at something or not we don’t know, but they certainly are not paying attention. All of their energy and effort to compete from episode 1 is gone, and judging by the way they hang their head when Vase says they’ll come back to them, they feel bad about it. Like, they feel like they should put more effort in, if not just for the competition but for their team too.

Also I never noticed it but Vase rolls her eyes at them. That’s kinda mean ma’am :(

6:32 - “Here are your team names!” “Hm??” “Meet team [buzzing sound]” “This the best!” “That was not 30 seconds.”

No Way, again, sounds and looks so done here. They may have not been completely paying attention, but they know that absolutely wasn’t enough time and they are frustrated. Hashtag done with Clock fr. I’m so sorry

8:16 - [The Sun telling them a recipe. I am NOT typing allat] “Ohhnono, we’re overthinking it, we can just make some nice simple toast for Clock!” “We don’t really have a toaster around her- oh- ohhhh!”

Ok so two bits. No Way has the clipboard and paper again and is actively writing down the recipe The Sun is giving them. But then not even a second later, they didn't realize they could just use The Sun as a toaster. This is a good reminder of their intelligence, while also letting us know that, again, they aren’t completely in the moment. That or they were just so focused on the recipe that they actually didn’t even think of that. ADHD havin’ a-

9:33 - “I know for a fact I saw a store or something nearby, but whatever, we’ll just have to be quick, clock’s starting to look bore- Where Is The Bread.” “So like, I've heard that you needed your bread toasted and I uhhh sort of put it in that sun right there… sorry.” “Yea.” “AAGH-!! Nnoo! I am not gonna be losing a second time in a row like that, one second!” “Uhm..”

NO WAY HATES THIS GUY!! (No Ways). Their frustration grows, which sort of morphs its way into determination. Now that I really think about it, No Way has been a bit of a “challenge beast,” as Wheel would say. Also I think it’s kind of cute how every time No Way gets overly frustrated they put their hands on their head. I don’t know what you would call that but it’s something I’ve noticed.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: Y’know before I started writing this, I always thought No Way’s character development started in 5:00 after Wheel’s elimination. Now I know I was extremely wrong actually. From here I think it’s very clear how their development is going. They aren’t as naive as before and they’ve lost a lot of that previous motivation and excitement for the show.

IT’S TIME FOR THE [5:00] - Fifty-Seven Tears Of The Star

0:39 - “Welp… Tile’s dead again..” “What?! Tile’s gone??” “Let’s go get ‘em back.” “I’ll do it!” “Huh?” [Refill Station slaps down a random fucking door] “Refill Station.”

Ok I know I keep saying this but No Way is so done. Normally I think they would still be worried about Tile, but they’ve either been desensitized to all the dying or they’re just too exhausted to care. I feel like this is further proven by the moment with Refill Station– the way they say his name in such an exasperated way before just turning and walking away.

1:02 - “NO! No… I just think.. We should look for Tile!” “...” “NO YOU’RE JUST SAYING THAT ‘CUZ YOU’RE SAFE!” “...”

Notice how No Way looks so disinterested during the first frame switch to them and Vase. They look like they aren’t even paying attention again, staring at the ground all exhausted. But then after Wheel yells at them, their attention is grabbed and they look concerned and confused, sharing a glance with Vase. I think this is once again them caring about their friend. I mean, Wheel is essentially yelling at nothing since neither No Way nor Vase even said anything in response. Is bro okay? (bro was not ok)

1:14 - “Hey Polka Dot, you didn’t tell me about this. What’s going on here?” “It popped up like 20 minutes ago. Why is everyone expecting me to know anyways??” “B-because… come on.”

The sass on this guy.

Jokes aside though, I think their friendship with Polka Dot is very important. In this moment, they don’t seem as eugh as before, and before they give her a little bit of sass, they try to find a good way to say it nicely. Also, they sound genuinely concerned in the first sentence here.

1:22 - “Fair point, but I seriously don’t know what this thing is.” “Have you tried- OUGH-”

Ok. This is a funny scene and makes me laugh every time. But I want to focus on No Way’s reaction here. And I’ll actually add a picture this time

At first, No Way jumps a little, probably because a piano just came flying out of that thing and nearly hit them. But then they get this over exaggerated look of fear and concern on their face. I’ve said this a kajillion times before, but No Way genuinely cares a lot about their friends, no matter how uninterested and demotivated they might be. They are scared for Vase because they know how fragile she is and she just got hit with a grand piano. Though they somewhat immediately relax again when they find Vase is perfectly fine.

1:26 - “OWWHH?? Wh- who’s piano is this???” “Not mine, but hey! This is pretty cool, have you ever wanted to play piano?”

This is really important to me because this is almost like how No Way was with Green right before he was eliminated. Instead of thinking about the negative implications behind this piano just… appearing out of this weird portal, they think on the bright side of things. I notice they tend to do that a lot, almost like they’re the optimist in the group, almost like how Polka Dot is. There it is again- Polka Dot and No Way being similar to one another.

2:02 - “Clock brought me back, duh.” “Where IS Clock?”

This has nothing to do with No Way’s character development but on my rewatch before this one I realized you can see them fix themself in the background of this scene and I thought I’d share that.

2:24 - “I’m not even gonna ask.” “Clock! What happened???” “What?” “You’re green-” “Oh! I just took a little nap!!”

Once Again! No Way Is Being Caring And Friendly! Even though they’re kind of done with Clock’s shenaniganry they still act caring towards them! Though it is likely that they’ve kind of gotten over their doneness. Maybe spending time with friends (like Polka Dot and Vase) has helped them regain their footing again. I also think this is one of those “first to question when things are weird” moments, which I think is even more noticeable when you pair it with Vase’s “I’m not even gonna ask.”

6:02 - “You are the FINAL member left on our original team and I want you to know that I wish you luck!” “Oh! Thanks…”

I’ll get to Wheel’s actual elimination in a second, but I want to focus on No Way’s expressions as Wheel is talking to them. At first when Wheel comes up to them, they look a little surprised, like they weren’t expecting him to talk to them. And then when they realize what Wheel is saying is positive, they smile and thank him, with a little nervous hand behind their head. I like the detail of the little brow furrow as they thank Wheel, it makes it feel very sincere and genuine and like its genuinely special to them.

6:07 - “Soo, what now?” [Wheel starts to crack and cries out in pain] “What… is.. This?!-” “That’s not cool bruh.” “nonono… GO GO GO GO!!-”

Ah yes. The elimination. I’ve seen lots of people talk about this, specifically No Way’s reaction, but I’m going to do it again because I want to.

When Wheel starts to crack, No Way cringes and flinches back slightly. This is painful to watch- visceral and horrible in every way. Mind you, this is only the second elimination No Way has seen. This is just bad in every way, so much more aggressive than Green’s elimination just last episode. They are scared and worried for Wheel, and it’s fairly obvious that they hate seeing their friends hurt. Then, right before Wheel explodes, they reach out for him. They try to help, to find a way to console him despite the blistering pain shooting through him. Despite the fact they are scared, they still try to help. They care so much about their friends. While the others trying to run away, they stick by him until the end. But then they realize Wheel is about to literally explode and they back up a little, covering their face to prepare for the impact.

This is so subtle yet so impactful for them and their character development. It’s such a clear view into who they are just by the way they try to help their friend, even though there is nothing within their power that they could have done.

Also I know this isn’t about Tile but this is also more of Tile being EVIL because of the L he gives Wheel. Wtf bro

7:14 - “I’m not teaming with any of these randos.” “Really?”

I wanna note No Way’s expressions here (again). At first, before Tile says he isn’t gonna team with any of the original ITFT members, No Way almost looks like they were going to call out to him, probably to be like “hey! Since we can choose our teams this time, maybe we can team up!” But then after Tile says what he does, they look sad and maybe even a little bit surprised. Their expression makes me think that they might be wondering what they did wrong for Tile to randomly decide not to team with them. (this is somewhat influenced by the wiki implying that No Way still thinks they’re friends with Tile)

I also want to note something a little more silly: Refill Station literally falling to their knees at Tile’s remark and looking like he just killed their entire family

7:26 - “THERE ARE 34 OF US IN TOTAL, THAT SIMPLY DOES NOT ADD UP, AS 6x6, IT EQUALS 36.” “Wait, you’re right! You must be great at math!” “I AM A CALCULATOR.”

I like this scene because it kind of contradicts what happens immediately after TI-30 comes up to them. When talking to TI-30, they’re smiling, probably because they think he’s cool. Them pointing out that he’s great at math leads me to believe they have a hard time with it (same). This scene also makes me think they have ADHD even more because they pointed out something obvious and then TI-30 gave a sarcastic (i don’t think that’s the right word, but it's similar to that) response and No Way did NOT pick up on it.

7:39 - “Mathematics?? I LOVE mathematics! That’s when I can collect friends!” “You collect friends in math class?” “No? What’s math class?” “Are you a FAKE MATH FAN???” “Pff, of course not! Check this out! One times one is one! One times two is two! One times three is three-”

Okay now this part- I know in the subtitles it doesn’t have any of what No Way “said” in it, but they do make a few sounds. I’ll get to those in a second, but I want to point out their expression when Whiteberry pulled them closer to herself; They look scared. I’m not entirely sure why, but to me it seems like it was because of the sudden and unwanted physical touch. Their face always confused me here though.

Anyway, moving on to the point I actually wanted to make- when Strawberry Milk asks Whiteberry if she is a fake math fan, you can hear No Way go “uh…” in the background. And then, when Whiteberry is listing off the timetables, you can hear them go “hm..” again and they furrow their brow a little. They are extremely unsure about Whiteberry and Strawberry Milk joining their team. They’re either assessing whether or not they will be useful (not likely, considering their character), or the two are generally just off putting to them. I think there is also the chance that they aren’t sure about teaming with people they haven’t met before, like they still really wish they could team up with their actual friends for some normalcy.

11:05 - “Hey… hey!” “huh?-” “You doin alright?” “Yeaa… it’s been a long day, this felt like the longest two minutes of my life. Mh- so… we just need one more person here?” “I’m… going to be here.” “Oh.”

ANOTHER IMPORTANT POINT. This scene with Lava Cake is a culmination of everything that has happened to No Way, this moment of getting to just chill for a moment causing all of that exhaustion to creep up on them again, so much so that they fall asleep standing up. They even sound exhausted (props to Derpadon for the amazing voice acting btw), speaking slowly and yawning in the middle of their sentence. Writing wise, this is a perfect way to remind the viewers that all of this is happening in a SINGULAR DAY. I also like how Lava Cake wakes them up by just ramming into them considering his lack of arms. Also. The sound effect. Smile. And finally, their very minimal reaction to Xiru joining their team randomly. I don’t know what this means other than “they are exhausted” but it is funny to me

13:23 - [Lava Cake, Whiteberry, and Strawberry Milk get electrocuted] “AAAAAAAA!!” “NOOOO” “OHH MYY GOODNESS!! AAAAAaaaa!!” “Ohno!” “Keep climbing, stop sign. They. Will. Be fine.” “Ugh, right…”

THIS!!! This scene. No Way’s concern for people they barely even know and someone who isn’t even on their team– this is another one of those clear representations of who No Way is as a person, reaching out for the three of them even though they clearly couldn’t even reach them. And even when TI-30 tells them to keep climbing, they still look worried and maybe even a little conflicted about continuing to climb when they’re missing two of their teammates. Their tone even reflects this, and there’s almost a sense of urgency underneath too. I reckon they might be a little scared of being up for elimination now, especially with what they saw with Wheel.

16:15 - “Team Refill is on their way, I can throw you from here.” “wwOOAHH CALCULATOR- NO!” “It must be done.” “But-” “It must be done-” (cough) “It must be done. Trust me.” [gimmie that baby and I yeet it off the tower /ref]

This will get really long if I include the next part so I’m separating it. Anyways, No Way’s reaction to being thrown here is really important to me here. The way they tell TI-30 to not throw them makes it clear they don’t trust him, a STARK contrast to the way they were immediately trusting of Clock when she first showed up. Also, TI-30’s ambition here and the way he doesn’t even give No Way a chance to protest any further is almost like foreshadowing that he would be/is a “challenge beast.”

16:30 - “aaaaaaAAAAAAAAA- OUGH!” “wwwoahhhWOOAAHH woah… ooh.. Wh- what is this…??”

THE HORRORS! The existentialism! All bundled up in one little stop sign. I don’t really have any notes on this other than this being a catalyst for the way they act in 6:00 up until they Fucking Die. Seeing this weird, giant green thing in the sky, seeing Clock’s tail plugged into something that should not even exist is mindbreaking to them. It doesn’t make any sense– it should be literally impossible. But it’s there. It’s there and it shouldn’t be. And then when it comes unplugged? It just… disappears. Fades out of existence. “What the fuck did I just see??” - No Way, probably.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: DETRIMENTAL EPISODE!!!! I think this is my favorite episode so far actually. It’s just so interesting?? And when the LORE really starts to kick up. Also it made me like No Way a lot more so !!! yippee. Smiles

IT’S TIME FOR THE [6:00] - Will You Ever Know?

5:27 - “You’ll need at least one of your team members to get to the other side of the planet to complete the challenge. The three teams that DON’T make-” “But I have to get back to the… Ughh… wait-” “No Way!! Hello!” “Uh.. Hi?”

Yeah so, No Way is 100% stuck on that Fucking Thing Up There. But they’ve known Clock for 6 hours now and know that they aren’t going to listen to them or even know what it is if they ask. And, once again, being unsure about Whiteberry. I also get the impression that they didn’t fully .. focus? On Whiteberry, because immediately after their short “uh.. Hi?” they turn to Clock to ask questions; getting to that now.

5:38 - “Uh- Clock, didn’t you say the challenge was to get to the other side of the planet?” “Yes!” “Aand we have how much time?” “17 minutes!” “What.” “Happy Valentine's Day!! You’re not REALLY gonna have to go that far at all! Check this out!” “Valentines Day..?-” “You ask WAY too many questions dude.”

No Way asking the right questions again. This is where them questioning everything becomes very important, and I think Tile commenting on it brings its importance to the viewers attention.

Honorary mention: funny flat “What” moment. These will never not make me laugh dawg

5:58 - “What… Are they doing…” “Looks like some sort of funny dance, I can do that too you know!”

Very minimal thing but No Way’s expressions are very telling of how they feel. First, with watching Clock literally fold the Fucking PLANET, they look. EXTREMELY confused and even a little bit disturbed. Nothing is making sense to them anymore, and I think they’re finally realizing that nothing ever made sense in the first place, ever since Clock showed up at least. And then when Refill Station starts dancing, I think it’s good to compare their expression with Polka Dot’s. Polka Dot looks at RF with like a… “Why are you like this?” look. Words are hard and I don’t exactly know how to describe her expression, but it’s mostly like a “What. Why. What is wrong with you.” Meanwhile, No Way looks at him with more confusion and a hint of worry compared to Polka Dot. To me, No Way looks like they’re thinking “How can you act like this when Clock is literally reforming the planet right in front of us. How can you just stand there and dance when all of this is happening?” Almost like how 57-Ball questioned their naivety.

6:33 - “WAIT! NO WAY!” “What??” “Hey it’s- it’s me, uh- Shrimpy, I think you should let me come along!” “Oh… Uh.. Why’s that?” “Because I remember you getting the farthest up Clock’s wire!” “Right. That… sure was strange.”

Splitting up this scene because it’s kinda long

The quick way No Way says “what?” almost sounds exasperated and surprised, almost like they were distracted or just not paying attention before Shrimpy called their name.

Their voice is very soft when they ask why Shrimpy thinks that, and they’re almost hesitant.

Focus on the way No Way responds when Shrimpy brings up the last challenge. Instead of being happy about winning, they say it was strange. And I don’t think they were talking about the fact they won was strange, though it is easy to think that at first glance. I believe they were referring to the fact that Clock's tail was plugged into the sky in the first place. Getting to the top of that wire was so mind-bending to them that they don’t even care enough to remember that it was even a challenge, judging by the way they say “right” at the start of their sentence. And even though this is affecting them so badly, they can’t even think of how to explain. More on that later.

6:45 - “So… maybe your prize for winning should be to have an extra team member!” “But.. you weren’t even on my team.. And uh.. Xiru got more votes than you.. If I remember correctly.” “Oh Xiru… he wouldn’t even want to go, right buddy?” “Bye.” “See?” “Ok fair point, let’s go.”

I think the more No Way loses that naivety from the beginning of the show, the more we see their more intelligent side. If this was still No Way from 1:00, They would have immediately agreed to letting Shrimpy join their team. But they didn’t. They asked Shrimpy to explain why twice, and they only finally agreed when Shrimpy gave them actual, proper reasons and even proved the second reason. There’s a few reasons why I think this change happened, but the biggest one is because they didn’t do that with Clock. They didn’t ask questions, and now their friends are disappearing and Wheel fucking exploded and they’re traumatized. Nothing is good anymore. They can’t afford to trust the wrong person again- they can’t afford to not question things anymore.

Honorary mention: Whiteberry making weird ass faces in the background of both of these timestamps. ITFT crew fr doing a little bit of anything

9:35 - “You could buy a zoo with all the doctor bills he paaaid!~” “Whiteberry, please! STOP- STOP SINGING. Stop singing, please.” “Why are you so stressed out anyways? What’s been going on?” “During the last challenge I… saw something. Something that- like- I- I don’t know, I- I can’t describe it, it feels like one of those things that like- you feel like you’re not supposed to see… y’know?”

Splitting this up again because it’s long.

Before I get to my main point with this quote, this is another moment of all the stress and exhaustion of the past 5 hours catching up with them. Whiteberry’s singing is grating to them because it’s making it hard to think. Reminder, they’ve likely been dead for a while, since Clock only brought them back when they announced the challenge. They haven’t had any time at all to even think about what they saw, and Whiteberry is making it even harder to think and that is frustrating to them. They need to understand- they want to understand whatever the hell that was because maybe it could explain all the weird stuff that’s been going on– maybe it would explain why Clock is even there in the first place.

This is where I elaborate more on my point of “And even though this is affecting them so badly, they can’t even think of how to explain,” because they say it themselves. They start their explanation off with a good foundation, but when they get to the part where they have to actually describe it, they can’t. They say something extremely vague, which Shrimpy takes completely wrong (or just doesn't take seriously because she’s stupid). So No Way has this… thing that they saw, that they don’t understand, but they can’t talk to anyone about it because they don’t even know how to explain it, no one they trust is around, and the two they are with are … kinda dumb. Looking at you Shrimpy.

Also, side note, I LOVE the surreal, almost ethereal yet foreboding music that plays as No Way explains what they saw, accompanied with the flashback of them falling being shrouded in green haze. It really adds a lot to the scene. The crew always has such great music choices

9:55 - “Well, yea, I get it. I see things like that all the time! Like that rock. Ooh, and that rock too! And… Ooh, this right here is the ultra rare SHINY rock! You only see them in…”

Ok, nothing too big here, but No Way’s deadpan look while Shrimpy is going off about rocks is very funny to me. I can feel the “Bruh.” from here.

12:46 - “I wonder what the others are up to?” [Oil Pastel goes flying over No Way, Shrimpy, and Whiteberry’s heads] “Oh– what was that?” …13:40 - [Forky screaming as he and Oil Pastel fly back over No Way, Shrimpy and Whiteberry’s heads] “No way, again?” “I think it was just a bird!” “Okay…”

Used two timestamps for this because I’m making the same point with them.

Focus on No Way’s tone and expression here, especially in their first little quote. They sound and look a little scared, so it’s probably safe to assume they’re on edge now. And then when Forky and Oil Pastel go flying past again, No Way is surprised again and a little concerned since that time there was screaming. And then when Shrimpy says they think it was a bird, they squint at her suspiciously, and also like “Are You Stupid?” I imagine they don’t say anything about it though because they just don’t have the energy.

14:49 - “Hey, woah! The Sun, what’s going on??” “I’m trying to find Oi- Toys… TOY STORY!!” “I mean… we might still have enough time, we can help you find them really quick.” “EEK!” “Should we follow you? Or…”

No Way is such a good friend, immediately offering to help The Sun look for OP and Forky the moment they can tell something is wrong despite the challenge. And when The Sun hides in the ground, they ask if they should just follow him. Granted, they didn’t realize The Sun was actually scared, but it happened so fast so I don’t blame them.

The point I’m trying to make here is that despite the challenge, despite the stress they’re under, they are still trying to care for their friends and help them where they can. Another very good representation of their character.

15:03 - “No Way…” “Huh? Yeah, what-” [GASP!] [Distorted noises] “DANCE TO THE MUSIC!” [No Way Go Bye Bye]

YET ANOTHER DETRIMENTAL MOMENT FOR NO WAY’S CHARACTER!!! YAAAY MORE TRAUMA– this is really all I have to say. Other than the fact they were completely distracted by The Sun to even remember they were hearing weird, creepy ass music earlier. Their head is so not in the game.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: I REALIZED SO MANY PAINFUL THINGS THIS EPISODE. By so many I mean exactly one. In the Wheel analysis I mentioned earlier, Rocket mentioned how Wheel was constantly on edge and untrusting of Clock and paranoid about that day. Something bad was going to happen and holy fuck was he right. Here’s why I’m bringing this up. NO WAY IS DEALING WITH THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT LISTENING TO WHEEL. At the start, Wheel was untrusting, scared, and defensive. No Way was naive, trusted Clock right off the bat, and happily obliged with whatever they said. They didn’t listen to Wheel’s warnings, to Wheel’s protests and fear. And now they are paying the price. They are experiencing what Wheel was warning them about in its entirety. They’ve lost their whimsy, their passion, their excitement for this competition. Now they don’t know who to trust other than the original contestants, and their numbers are dwindling by the episode. They have no one to talk to, no one to turn to. Just like how Wheel was from the beginning. I Am In Active Pain. Anyway, next up: I finally explain why I think No Way and Polka Dot are so similar after about like 9,000 words.

IT’S TIME FOR THE [7:00] - Stop and Look. Realize.

3:07 - [Clock finally brings everyone who died last episode back]

Not much to add here other than this screenshot

Yeah they felt that shit

3:14 - “Where’s Vase…?” “The elimination already happened, she got out.”

Part of this is something I didn’t notice until now, but anyway. Pay extremely close attention to No Way here. When they get revived, their immediate thought- the first thing they notice- is that Vase is missing, another person they were close with. They have one of those little stress lines under their eye and the tone they have is very clearly worry with a hint of dread. Like they know what the answer is, but they don’t want it to be true. And when Inky confirms it, their face drops slightly. First their brows raise in mild surprise when Inky says the elimination has already happened, and when he says Vase is gone, their brow furrows and their mouth hangs open slightly. They’re devastated. Another one of their friends, gone.

3:17 - “I don’t understand, we were walking through the tunnels in the challenge an-” [Fridge DJ plays music] “YOU. Am I the only one… who thinks he shouldn’t be here?” “Press the music button, or turn the dial to another station! [Fridge DJ plays music]

No Way’s mind is not only not in the game, but it’s also just. Scrambled, considering how fast they change topics here (from Vase to the last challenge). Fridge DJ literally murdering them has added yet another layer of stress to their already growing pile, and the fact Fridge DJ is still there makes it even worse. No Way's hesitance to even ask their question makes me think they’re scared to even ask it, like Fridge DJ might not like it and attack. It’s a fair assumption to make, given they don’t know Fridge DJ for anything other than the mindless killing spree he went on earlier. This is backed by the way they back away and tense up when FDJ comes right up to them, only to then look uncomfortable and confused as he does his little dance.

Some side notes about voice acting and sound design: I really like the way No Way says “YOU.” here, really shows how much they are affected by what Fridge DJ did. I also really like how you can hear a very faint and muffled “DANCE TO THE MUSIC!” before the week song starts and No Way turns around. Whether this is Fridge DJ actually saying that again or it’s just a representation of the trauma No Way endured is unsure, but it’s such a cool detail that I never noticed before. The more I think about it, the more I realize it is definitely the latter. The last thing they heard before being ripped in half is FDJ’s “DANCE TO THE MUSIC!” and it’s clear from their pose when Clock brings them back that it was a painful, agonizing experience. That’s why they’re so much more affected by this death compared to the previous two.

3:31 - “No Way, what do you mean? This is our… BEST FRIEND!” “I am so confused.” “Confused? I think it's time to shake up the game a little bit then!”

The expression work on No Way here is just amazing. They look so, so tired when they put their hand to their hand and close their eyes, a gesture which makes me think they have a headache. Or maybe they just do that because I have noticed they tend to touch their face a lot, who knows. Then when Clock pops up next to them, they get startled again before looking at Clock with such a nervous look. They’re tired, they miss their friends, it’s been 7 hours of non-stop challenge after challenge, they’re likely still processing and trying to figure out what that giant green thing in the sky was, and now they have to deal with Fridge DJ existing and Shrimpy and Whiteberry somehow not remembering anything he did??? It’s almost too much. And yet they feel trapped. Like they have to keep participating because they don’t know what Clock is actually capable of. Maybe they’re scared of making Clock mad.

3:57 - “Why… did they do that?” “Alright breh! Final five!” “Tile tha-” “Shut up, dude.”

I’M SHOOTING TILE IN THE DENNY’S PARKING LOT. I mean who said that

Jokes aside though, now that I’ve done this whole thing, this scene hits a lot harder. The look No Way had on their face before looking at Tile– I don’t know how to describe it. It almost feels like a silent “I don’t know” in response to Snapped Skateboard’s question. And then they get upset at what Tile says, about to correct him by saying that whatever the fuck Clock just did to Refill Station wasn’t an elimination. But then Tile interrupts them by blatantly telling them to shut up.

But No Way doesn’t get mad. They don’t even look that devastated. They just stare and watch Tile walk off. They get such a sad yet… reserved look on their face. It’s silent. Not a sound is made. And I think those 4 seconds of silence after Tile tells them to shut up is so impactful. It forces you to focus on the only movement on screen; the way No Way lets their arms fall to their sides again, the way their expression shifts into a look of resignation. I think they finally realized here that Tile isn’t friends with them anymore. Why this even happened, they don’t know. But it did. And it’s right in their face.

AND IT MAKES ME SO MAD BECAUSE WHAT THE FUCK TILE. THEY ALREADY HAVE SO MUCH GOING ON AND YOU JUST HAD TO TELL THEM TO SHUT UP LIKE THAT??? WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY ARE YOU EVIL. IM EXECUTING YOU NEXT TUESDAY WATCH YOUR FUCKING BACK YOU LITTLE YELLOW SHI

4:27 - “Whoever opens the box first will be the winner.” [accordion noise] “of the challenge.” “Okay, I mean, this should be easy, just give us the box, Clock.” [Clock starts to back away] “Clock…” [Cartoony aah running] “Clock- NO. COME BACK, CLOCK NO!-” [No Way sighs.] “1.5 meters of elevation. Great. er-” [Fridge DJ playing music] “You know what. I have something else I gotta take care of first.”

I love this scene. A lot. When Clock runs into the tree and No Way sighs in exasperation, the expression on their face is just … beautiful in the way that it displays so much emotion. Like, this is truly their boiling point. They are so exhausted. At first they look at TI-30 as he’s talking, but then they hear Fridge DJ’s music and now that is all they can hear. They look pissed now. They are so done with this damn toy and finally decide they need to do something about it. Fuck the challenge, that isn’t even the worst of their problems at this point.

Also, as a side note, I really love the way Oil Pastel encourages them here. It’s very sweet. I like to think this is partly because she’s like “yeah go get that murderer away from my partner”

5:50 - [Fridge DJ playing music] “Hey! Fridge DJ!” “I… Um… sorry, I mean Shrimpy, Whiteberry, how could just party with them like this? They killed all of us like an hour ago!” “I don’t remember that, I just think you’re just a party pooper!” “Yeah! Fridge DJ wouldn’t hurt a fly, he’s just so joyous!!” “That is correct!” “JOYOUUUUS!”

Ok a few things here. At first when I watched this scene, I thought No Way genuinely made the mistake of getting Fridge DJ’s attention first. But upon watching closer, I realize that’s not right at all. As they approach FDJ, they are PISSED and are clearly glaring right at them. That expression carries over to them yelling its name. But then when FDJ abruptly stops the music and looks at them, they freeze, and if you pause on time, they look scared, then uncomfortable, then they apologize and go to Shrimpy and Whiteberry. This isn’t an accidental mistake, this is No Way backing down last second because they are scared of Fridge DJ. Terrified, even. They had so much confidence when going up to her, but when she actually stopped and they had to actually face her, they froze. They chose to beat around the bush and try to talk some sense into Whiteberry and Shrimpy. They are TRAUMATIZED.

Also y’know it kind of makes sense that Shrimpy wouldn’t remember what happened BUT WHITEBERRY HAS GOT TO REMEMBER. SHE LITERALLY WITNESSED NO WAY GET RIPPED IN HALF and probably saw what remained of Shrimpy. But nah that didn’t happen what are you talking about. Yet No Way and Oil Pastel remember?? I mean I get No Way remembering, but that’s probably gotta do with trauma. I think I just don’t know enough about Oil Pastel to think of a reason why she would also remember.

EDIT AFTER AVICON READ THIS: Shrimpy is just stupid and Whiteberry doesn’t care. That’s why they’re gaslighting No Way. Oil Pastel is actually smart, that’s why he remembers LMAO.

6:09 - “Of course they would say that, they’re CLEARLY lying, but why?” [Oil Pastel nudges them. They gasp.] “I get it now! He’s gonna drown them in the river!” “Ohhh! A river! Let’s cross it!” “Yeah!” “THREE! Little birdies, sitting way up high,” “haha, nice!” “We gotta see Fridge DJ cross!” “No!” [No Way grabs onto Fridge DJ’s back] “Bye bye! Birdie bye bye!” “Woah… WOAH” “YAY!” “All right!”

Ok I know these quotes are getting REALLY long but BEAR WITH ME.

No Way DOES NOT UNDERSTAND. They don’t understand why Fridge DJ is doing this, they don’t understand why Fridge DJ did any of that stuff last episode, they don’t understand why Whiteberry and Shrimpy are just so totally okay with this dude– and at this point their mind is filling in blanks. Like I mentioned before, all they know about Fridge DJ is from its random murder spree from the water damage, but they don’t know that was just water damage, so they jump to conclusions. And when they make the conclusion about the river, they immediately try to drag Fridge DJ into the river themself in a desperate act to try and “save” Whiteberry and Shrimpy. They’re paranoid. They are paranoid that people are going to get hurt again because of FDJ. Y’know who else was paranoid? Wheel. FULL FUCKING CIRCLE IM GONNA THROW U-

6:31 - “Hide and seek!” “I see you!” “Aww, I’ll find a better hiding spot next time!” “I was hiding here too!” [Fridge DJ laughs and then honks] “Can you name 57 vegetables that start with the letter J? We can!” “wuh- NO NO AA-”

This is really important to me. Before FDJ shows up in the bush No Way and Oil Pastel are hiding in, No Way is glaring HARD, angrily, almost confidently. But then the moment FDJ starts speaking directly next to them, their expression immediately shifts to FEAR. And then they panic and literally run away. It’s a really funny scene if you’re watching it surface level, but when you dive deep, this is literally trauma at its finest. Notice how No Way is hiding in the bush, yet I bet they’ve somehow convinced themself that it’s doing something. Finding excuses to hide away from FDJ. They feel very non-confrontational, or maybe it’s just fueled by fear. (I would say cowardice but that’s mean)

6:43 - “Let’s play tag!” “Yeah!!” “Agh, no… They’re gonna get away!” “No.” [What the fuck john wick bullshit is this– WHY DID NO WAY GET HIT WITH A BASEBALL] “Oh.. that was weird… Why’d you do that?” [Whiteberry and Shrimpy laughing] “This is so pointless.”

No Way is so over this. They’re So Fucking Over This. After everything that happened, Shrimpy and Whiteberry just do not care, no matter what they or Oil Pastel do, they Do Not Care. And the crazy part is, after this scene, we just. Don’t see them again. They literally gave up. They just stopped. That was it. Their “this is so pointless” was literally an admission of defeat. The very culmination of the past 6, 7 hours of stress has finally got to them. And mind you, all of the really bad trauma happened within like. 2 hours if we’re excluding witnessing Green’s elimination. That’s. That’s a lot to go through in that short amount of time.

7:12 - “Hey Polka Dot, did you hear the challenge?” “Yep.” “So, are we gonna do it?” “Nnnnno. Because I can’t stand this thing Clock is doing! It was fun at first but it’s been nonstop hours of these “challenges.” My friends are disappearing one-by-one, I’m just… upset! That I can’t do anything about it and I have nowhere else to go.”

FINALLY. I HAVE FINALLY GOTTEN TO WHERE I WILL ELABORATE ON THIS. Throughout the series, Polka Dot has gone through the same development just a little bit later and a little bit differently. She went from using her polkadot portals willy-nilly, to warning Wind Up Toy that going in them is dangerous. She went from opting to using her abstracted form on challenges where it’s technically cheating to not even trying, and she even remarks “I had a feeling this was gonna happen” when Clock pulls their “No Flyers Allowed!” thing with The Sun. She’s clearly had less energy as the episodes went on– from naive and excitable to mellow and quiet, questioning things sometimes – just like No Way. And when things came to a head in 6:00 and 7:00, she became jaded, done with the games. She rushes along the elimination and doesn’t even care that Vase just. Exploded, even if she was friends with her or not.

While she and No Way are very similar, they have one very important difference. Polka Dot actually had someone to talk to. She had someone in her corner, even when all of her original friends were gone. No Way has no one. They tried to talk to Shrimpy, but Shrimpy just … was Shrimpy. Shrimpy and Whiteberry wouldn’t even listen to them. Tile hates them for some fucking reason. Vase is gone. 57-Ball is gone. Wheel is gone.

15:59 - [Voting screen]

Ok this isn’t important but look at No Way’s sad little face on the voting screen. Now compare it to their intrigued, curious, and a little bit surprised face on 3:00’s voting screen. I feel like this is such a good comparison to make when you’re thinking about their character development.

END OF EPISODE THOUGHTS: No Way is really well written this episode. They don’t have any Funny Haha moments (other than deadpan faces at comedic times.) and are just. Serious. Their interactions with Fridge DJ and the way they acted around Shrimpy and Whiteberry were great ways to show how a traumatic event like getting Ripped In Half can affect a person.

CONCLUSION:

No Way arguably has gone through the most amount of character development in the series. They start it off in a good place; friendly, trusting, seeing the good in others, caring about their friends. But as time goes on, more and more things start to happen. And now, they are completely different. They’re paranoid and scared and worried, and their mind is a mess. They have no one to turn to or talk to, so they have to deal with all of this stress on their own. And that’s.. That’s not great. Especially with all of this happening in a SINGULAR DAY.

Ok. That’s all I had to say. This whole thing made me even less normal about No Way than when I started. Thank you for reading this fucking thing ??? hope you liked it. Goodbye forever(/j)

#my writing #itft #its time for the #itft no way #no way itft #itft noway #noway itft #I'm not tagging all the characters I mentioned here LMAO #osc #object shows #object show community #rory rambles #THIS IS SO LONG LMOAOO #its 24 pages on my Google doc bro

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heartcircus · 27 days ago

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okay but can we talk more about how . quick clown was to take tina under his wing. the fact that it reflected how he came to take ros as an apprentice … ough. the parallels?

first, with bad (jokingly) threatening tina after clowm logged off only for clown to log in at the perfect time, which made bad go immediately silent and back off. like . what is this . december?

but then there was also during the confrontation with pili/ace. clown wasn’t taking it seriously, joking around and having a very light attitude towards the whole thing. when pili said he found clown boring, clown took it in stride. but tina rose to his defense, and pili immediately latched onto her — asking if this was clown’s apprentice, hiding behind the arena’s walls. and it’s like. something clicked in clown’s head because he said she could do whatever she wants. and then he started actually taking the confrontation seriously. and he brought up ros.

sorry im a rospierce (/p or /r idc i just love them as a duo) enjoyer. and i’ve hardly seen anyone talk about it so. here i am. analysing it. all one line.

“you expect me to care what you think. but that’s the whole point, isn’t it? i never cared. i just wanted to put you in the dirt for what you did to ros.”

i remember back in january, feeling slightly disappointed at how misconstrued the fight between pili and clown was advertised, with people claiming it was “toxic yaoi” or “pili proving himself”. and those are interpretations that can be had, especially from pili’s pov! it was framed as if pili was the underdog and clown was the final boss pili has to defeat to gain some respect, and though he ultimately failed, clown never spoke about the reasons why he personally fought pili that day.

i’m sure a lot of people, both in the realm and in the community, assumed it was because pili was obsessed with clown and his deepest desire was to die by clown’s hand. they probably also assumed clown was fighting simply because he was the only one who could. but that’s not the case. sneeg sought out clown before the fight and offered to take pili down, but clown refused him. it was personal to clown. probably because ros was targeted due to her relationship with him.

maybe that’s why he never told anyone why he did it. at the fight. why he purposefully played into the role of pili’s final wall to overcome. because people knowing he cared about ros is exactly what led to her being hunted down and killed in the first place. he doesn’t want to advertise just how important she is to him, because it’s dangerous to be so. and it’s a shame, but also so very interesting, because despite the fact that their relationship is almost entirely private, ros has never once doubted that clown cares about her.

but you can also see that clown seems to be letting those walls down! i mean, he blatantly admitted that the reason he fought pili was for ros’s sake. this was in front of only foolish and tina, who wouldn’t use this information against him, and bad who already knew. but still. i wonder if it’s because of sneeg and zam and ros herself have grown stronger. and he doesn’t feel that he is the only one who needs to protect them.

sorry for the rant/analysis that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. because clown hardly logs in, he doesn’t do a lot of lore. and when he does do lore, it’s hardly talked about because people tend to view it as non-canon because they can’t see him committing to it . but i still think he’s such an interesting character despite that ^^

this is an amazing analysis anon.... woawww my rospierce heart

but yes i agree!!! the whole purpose of the fight did get misconstrued; clown fought because Ros' safety was in jeopardy if he didn't, not to grant pili's wish. he never cared about that, he never cared that pili was obsessed with him and any advance pili tried making clown actively ignored or dismissed (ex. throwing away all the gifts pili gave him). it was all for ros.

i also think clown is the type of guy to hide his relationship with ros as a means of protection like you said. it's dangerous to let people know you have attachments, it's something that can be exploited and used against you. it's happened time and time again on lifesteal, clown's home. it makes total sense for him to want to hide how much he cares for ros in hopes of keeping her out of danger.

clown and ros' relationship is so interesting to me . god i love them so much. they have like undying faith in one another and despite clown not being around a lot and most of their bond being hidden in private, they're unwavering. clown comes back and it's like nothing ever changed .

#asks #the realm liveblogs #im so sorry that this sat in my inbox forever i genuinely did not see it until now LOLLL

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ozonecologne · 30 days ago

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Do you think Dean is super conflicted with these 2 thoughts:

“I wish Cas were more human that way he wouldn’t fly away so easy (back when he had wings)/ go places I can’t follow or help/would be easier to understand. And maybe if he weren’t so powerful maybe he wouldn’t feel so compelled to take such risks&be usefull.” But also-

“Im so glad Cas isn’t human that way he’s harder to kill and I don’t want him to ever change and having him watch my and Sam’s backs makes me sleep easier at night”

Like if Dean could, he’d wrap Cas up in soft blankets and encourage him to stay home and relax but also Dean knows Cas would never leave Dean to face danger alone and Dean is never going to let himself stop…

It sucks that Cas is in fact like basically the most useful tool/weapon in Dean’s life and Dean needs to “use” him and Cas feels compelled to be useful, but Dean wishes Cas WASN’T useful because that use/compulsion to be useful is so often destructive to EVERYONE but especially to Cas (and therefore Dean) and Dean needs him even if he wasn’t a useful tool/weapon, he just needs Cas.

I got stuck on this line of your question: “I wish Cas were more human so he… would be easier to understand.”

Here’s the thing. In some ways, Dean knows Cas better than anyone else. And in other ways, I don’t think that Dean understands Cas very well at all. I think that often his true motivations are a mystery, or that Dean is prone to misunderstanding Cas because he assumes that Cas must see things the same way he does. They are close, and this is a very human thing to do. But don’t forget that Dean was missing a very crucial piece of information: Castiel is and was in love with Dean, and his love for HIM SPECIFICALLY inspired him to do things he wouldn’t have done otherwise as a servant of Heaven. This is canon, and Dean didn’t know that until the end. Without that information, of course Castiel’s choices frustrate him. Of course he's hard to understand sometimes. I think now that he does have this information, Dean will be looking at the things Castiel has said, done, and will say/do in the future differently. He has to. It explains everything.

As for whether I think Dean wishes that Cas were human, I really don’t think so. Dean doesn't want Castiel to be human, he wants Castiel to be dependable. I DO think that Dean wants Castiel to be a better communicator, or more “human” in the sense that he becomes fixed to discreet times and spaces. Celestial waves of light and thought are not reliable in the sense that he can always know where Cas is going or what he needs or how to help him, as you say. But we’ve seen in canon that Dean feels bad when Cas is “diminished” in any way. He fears more for him, and he knows Cas isn't happy being something he wasn't meant to be. It's kind of a blessing that Castiel is effectively indestructible most of the time.

This is not really about the question of use. Yes, in the early seasons before Dean and Castiel had any kind of deep friendship, I think Dean found it irritating when Castiel was “malfunctioning” or became too human because he came to depend on Cas for certain things. In the later seasons, this matters less and less to Dean; he simply wants Castiel around, win or lose, and takes a much more confident “we’ll figure it out” approach. Use, or his wings, don't matter. "I need you" was such a good line because Castiel hears it one way -- I need you [to be ok so you can help us again] -- but Dean means it another way -- I need you [to be ok so we are ok]. I don’t think that he considers Castiel in that utilitarian way anymore, and really that he hasn’t for most their time together. When Castiel became a person to Dean, he ceased being useful. He simply became important.

As a note: appreciating and relying on someone's expertise and ability doesn't mean that you're only valuing them for being "useful" to you or that you're "using them." It's a natural part of any relationship to lean on people (I suppose, being ungenerous, you could say that everybody uses everyone). Dean thinks Castiel is smart and tough and likes watching him be smart and tough.

#replies #anon #destiel #meta #text #i'm sorry but i don't see the whole 'i just want to wrap him in blankets and keep him home and relaxed' thing #that's woobifying both dean AND cas a bit imo

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elenamillefiori · 2 months ago

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one thing that makes me particularly hopeful about june's transition in beyond canon is that in all likelihood we are going to get TWO distinct storylines out of it: one for meat june and one for candy june.

the last update had laid down the foundations of candy june's transition by putting on fragrant display her unwillingness to face her actual life as an adult who has to decide for herself who to be and what to do, as someone who has a personhood rather than a role to play and responsibilities rather than a quest to follow. she is so attached to the comfortable oppression of sburb that not only has she let it alienate her from everybody who was dear to her, she even reacts with palpable RELIEF (bordering on the villainous) at harry giving her an excuse to get back in the game, even if it's because he's decided he would rather fuck off into a hellhole adventure rather than have to deal with her.

meat june, on the other hand... is a corpse. this obviously puts her in a way different position, but it's ironically one that has a much clearer path to her coming out. despite being 20 years younger, this june has reached the logical endpoint of her candy counterpart's hyper-identification with the sburb narrative and has been consumed by it, getting killed in the progress of fulfilling her predestined role. her only hope for coming back to life is as a sprite in the new session, a literal sburb game piece; being thrust into this new state of being could very well be the triggering event for a serious, much-needed identity crisis. in addition, there's the matter of what she's been up to as a corpse: we don't have much explicit information about what the furthest ring/afterlife's like these days but presumably it now contains the noir city where catnapped and the hyperbolic helltier chamber take place in (the sprites who were left in the incipisphere are there, vriska reaches it through a pinhole in calliope's black hole, jasprose's fenestrated walls are connected to it...) so that also offers another avenue for meat june's personal journey to develop, especially given the connection between the problem sleuth characters living there and the vision of the table-and-chair from when ace dick played the game of life in death's bubble.

part of the reason i hope it turns out this way is that candy june's transition seems like it's shaping up to be a delicious mess, a story about a deeply traumatised trans woman cracking out of her egg right as her dysfunctional coping mechanisms have turned her own family and friends against her and are threatening to push her into a villainous role as dirk's counterpart, nominally benevolent yet just as destructively attached to the narrative, but it's also one that given the state of media discourse and the fandom would VERY easily be read in VERY bad faith ("oh snap john is transitioning but she's EVIL that will surely show all those trannies june truthers classic hussie trolling"), so showing off a more sympathetic transition narrative right alongside it could give the team enough cover to explore it fully.

anyway this is how grimdorks can still win (candy june and rose bond over being shunned and over their shared attachment to The Narrative so they get together; this development weirds THE FUCK out of the other characters and also generates absolutely radioactive wasteland levels of discourse from the worst people you can imagine)

#homestuck #beyond canon #june egbert #homestuck speculation

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deltatxt · 2 months ago

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Story Idea: Assassin’s Creed - Sugar Baby AU (EzioAltDes)

I got the idea for a Sugar Baby AU about four days ago, and it has rotted my brain spectacularly since. Below is a quick summary of the AU, but under the cut will be the background information, the main trio's occupation and backstories, and the actual outline.

Since it's about ~5k words total, I'll be more or less dividing them into sections (just like my Ego Sum Qui Sum work) for each chapter/mini-arc of the AU.

Feel free to use this idea and/or outline!

WARNING: This AU includes mentions of child death (Federico & Petruccio) and child abuse (implied with Altaïr, explicitly stated for Desmond). While not graphic, these themes are present. Additionally, IX. The Ultimate Test features Ezio struggling with his mental health. Please skip or click off if any of this makes you uncomfortable.

Summary:

Ezio Auditore is broke, exhausted, and entirely too stubborn for his own good. Between law school, commissions, and barely making ends meet, he doesn’t have time for handouts—especially not from two annoyingly rich bastards who think they can sweep in and take care of him.

Altaïr and Desmond, unfortunately, have other plans.

Ezio resists. He really does. But then it’s their coffee in his hands, their jacket around his shoulders, their apartment he keeps finding himself in. One day, he wakes up and realizes he hasn’t paid for a single meal in weeks. He should be horrified.

Instead, he just feels warm.

Or: Ezio tries to resist being spoiled. He fails spectacularly.

AU INFORMATION

If you end up using this, feel free to change the title, but I've been calling it "Spoiled Sweetly (to my blissful doom)"

Modern AU (No Assassins, Templars, or Isu/First Civ).

Altaïr and Desmond are already in an established relationship by the start of the story.

This story is meant to span from Ezio's sophomore year to the start of his junior year (2nd Year to 3rd Year of University).

For the sake of the AU, Bad Weather (the nightclub Desmond canonically tended to) is a luxury location where the rich and wealthy gather.

I placed a timeskip between parts IX and X!

BACKGROUNDS

Ezio's Background

Law student, 2nd-year/sophomore, barely scraping by.

To make ends meet, he takes on odd jobs and art commissions, inspired by how he painted targets in canon.

The Auditores aren't exactly wealthy, but they get by.

However, when Ezio was young, a violent incident (break-in? mass murder?) took the lives of his father and brothers, leaving his mother in shock.

With no financial stability, debt collectors, loan sharks, and all kinds of opportunists swarmed them.

Maria, who was a housewife, had no means to fight back, and Ezio and Claudia were too young to do anything. They lost everything.

Maria fell ill from grief, and Claudia followed soon after.

Ezio tried his best to take care of them—worked odd jobs, bargained, and more,

But it wasn't enough, and he was all alone.

He was placed in the foster system, bouncing between orphanages and bad homes until around 16.

He fought tooth and nail for an early emancipation, managing to also get lucky enough to get a university scholarship early, even with the sub-par orphanage-provided schooling.

After managing to save up and get his own apartment, he worked odd jobs with terrible pay and dealt with awful commission clients just to afford rent and groceries.

Altaïr's Background

Runs a VIP security service that caters to high-profile clients, former military, and the elite.

People find his personality generally unappealing or difficult to deal with, but he's in high demand because he's just that good at his job.

He was born into what was essentially a cult that worshipped god-like figures (inspired by the Isu/First Civ, though they don't exist here.)

The cult's leader, Rashid, took him under his wing after his father died.

He was raised under strict, militant discipline—trained from childhood to be ruthless, efficient, and detached, resulting in a variety of scars—including one on his lip.

At 13, he met Desmond Miles, a runaway escaping his father, William Miles.

In usual Desmond fashion, he challenged everything Altaïr had been taught, managing to shift his perspective on the world.

Somewhere along the lines, he ended up leaving the cult with Desmond.

Altaïr ended up landing a job as a bouncer at a bar where he gained a reputation for being brutally effective.

His skills eventually caught the attention of legitimate security services, leading to a job offer in private security.

Over time, he saved enough money and built enough connections to start his own security company.

He and Desmond had spent years making allies on the streets who desperately needed jobs, and so those were his first hires.

Desmond's Background

Highly successful bartender serving celebrity clients and high-profile figures with information dealing as a side job.

Extremely charismatic with a wide social network—a keeper of secrets too. People talk when they drink, and Desmond makes sure to note things down for later use.

Born into a private military family with high expectations—his family has a long line of sergeants.

As the only son of William Miles, a high-ranking officer, he was pushed to his limits from a young age.

He was trained relentlessly, sparred constantly, and lived under strict discipline.

At 13, a sparring match with a live blade went wrong, leaving him with a scar on his lips.

Deciding that was the final straw, he ran away, eventually crossing paths with Altaïr.

He landed a job as a waiter at a bar, the same one where Altaïr worked as a bouncer, and quickly worked his way up over the years, eventually becoming a bartender.

He steadily climbed the ranks, moving from small bars to high-end clubs—Altaïr always close behind, of course.

Eventually, get managed to get an exclusive event bartender gig, leading to more elite events and connections with the wealthy and the powerful.

As a bartender, he hears a lot of confessions, knows things he legally shouldn't, so if someone needs information or a connection, Desmond is the go-to guy.

OUTLINE

I. Coffee & Coincidences

Desmond and Altaïr are on a rare, private date at a cafe.

Ezio, meanwhile, was rushing to class, having stayed up to finish an essay that was due the night before.

It’s actually Desmond who bumps into Ezio, though the coffee spills on Altaïr’s coat.

Ezio stares for a moment because that coffee had been a luxury—a little reward for himself after surviving back-to-back lectures and all-nighters to finish a commission.

- He had spent minutes justifying the expense in his head before ordering - He didn’t have a budget for another one. - But that was his problem, not theirs.

Ezio starts apologizing, offering to cover the dry cleaning even if he knows he’ll have to cut on his already meager grocery budget to afford it.

But Desmond is amused at the notion,

- “You gonna foot the bill for that, pretty boy?” - “I spilled it,” Ezio shot back, crossing his arms. “I’ll pay for it.” - “You sure? Because this coat isn’t exactly cheap.” - Ezio scowled, “What, you think I can’t afford it?” - Desmond grinned. “Oh, I know you can’t afford it.” - Ezio's eye twitched. - Altaïr sighed.

Introductions happen (reluctantly on Ezio’s part). Ezio doesn’t recognize them at all, though that’s not a surprise.

Desmond waves the incident off, and when Ezio tries to protest, Altaïr steps in and tells him to let it go,

- Ezio was suspicious. - But he was also late for class. - “Fine,” he muttered, grabbing his bag. “But this isn’t over.” - Desmond chuckled. “Looking forward to it, baby.”

The pet name doesn’t register as Ezio rushes out.

Desmond is entertained, Altaïr is unimpressed, and Ezio has unknowingly marked himself as their newest obsession.

II. "Accidental" Encounters

Ezio never believed in fate—life had never really given him any reason to,

But when he started running to Altaïr and Desmond again—and again, and again—he should have been suspicious.

Instead, he mostly just felt annoyed,

- “You again?” - Desmond smirked. “You sound happy to see me.” - “Forgive me," Ezio scoffed. "I’ve had a long day.”

He runs into Desmond at a cafe after getting groceries,

- Desmond subtly prods questions at him, though he doesn’t realize. - "You get all your meals from here?"

Then Altaïr is at the library while he’s studying a case for his Criminal Law class.

Then, at a bookstore, while Ezio was struggling to justify buying a secondhand law textbook (that still cost way too much!).

Then at the university gym (Altaïr was apparently an expert at hand-to-hand combat and had an irritating way of critiquing Ezio’s form).

Then at a vendor’s stall (Desmond buys a meal and smugly offers to split, the bastard).

Ezio isn’t stupid. He notices the pattern,

- “Are you two following me?” He finally demanded after yet another ‘coincidental’ meeting at a bus stop - Desmond snorted. “That’s an interesting accusation.” - Altaïr, frustratingly enough, didn’t even blink. “Do you really think we have the time for that?”

Ezio hesitates because it's not like they had a reason to stalk some broke law student. But it's still weird as hell.

Desmond just laughs and says it's fate, Ezio counters by saying he doesn’t believe in it, and Altaïr just cryptically says maybe he should.

If Ezio had been paying attention, he might have noticed the way Desmond leaned in slightly.

Or how Altaïr’s smirk held something more than just amusement.

But he wasn’t…

Oh well.

III. The Soft Sell

It starts small.

Desmond started showing up to the cafe (suspiciously always at the same time Ezio did), getting to the cashier first and conveniently ordering one extra coffee,

- “Don’t be ridiculous,” Ezio scoffed the first time Desmond held it out to him. “I can pay for my own coffee.” - Desmond raised a brow, “Then pay me back later.” - Ezio narrowed his eyes, “I will.” - “Sure, pretty boy,” Desmond drawled, sipping his own drink with far too much amusement. - Ezio grumbled but took the coffee.

Next, it was Altaïr at lunch in the library,

- Ezio just stared at him. “You can’t be serious.” - “You don’t eat enough,” Altaïr said, utterly unconcerned. - Ezio scoffed. “I eat plenty.” Altaïr didn’t even look up from his book. “You eat whatever is cheapest and smallest.” - Ezio bristled. “That’s not—” - Altaïr finally met his gaze, sharp and knowing. - Ezio clenched his jaw. - “This is not charity,” Altaïr said simply, pushing the food closer. “Eat.”

Ezio barely recovers before the next ‘coincidence’ happens.

This time, Ezio’s walking home from university—it was getting late, which was dangerous considering where Ezio lived.

Then a sleek black car pulled up beside him, the window rolling down,

- Desmond, grinning far too smugly, leaned against the steering wheel. “Need a ride?” - Ezio exhaled sharply through his nose. “I am perfectly capable of walking.” - Altaïr flatly scanned the dark, empty streets. “Sure.” - Ezio crossed his arms. “I don’t need saving.” - Desmond smirked. “Who said we were saving you?”

And it keeps on happening, over and over.

The thing is, Altaïr and Desmond never pushed or forced anything. They just… became a constant. A presence that became normal.

Ezio should have resisted harder, really, but every time he moved to argue, they would argue, deflect, or just plain ignore his protests,

- A well-timed reminder that he wasn’t eating enough. - A teasing remark to make it feel less like charity. - A casual offer for something he hadn’t even realized he’d need.

Yeah, Ezio was losing this metaphorical war.

IV. Desmond Plays the Long Game

Ezio had always been stubborn—it was both a blessing and a curse because it kept him going when most would have folded, but also made him terrible at accepting help.

He had a habit of brushing off kindness, of turning down offers even when he clearly needed them.

Desmond found it infuriatingly endearing.

So he did what he did best—he observed, learned, and most importantly, he waited.

He started picking up on the little things,

- The way Ezio tapped his fingers against the table when he was lost in thought - The absent-minded way he ran his hand through his hair and tugged when he was frustrated - The quiet sighs he let out when he was too tired to keep his guard up

Most people wouldn’t notice, but Desmond did, so he started to intervene.

Desmond starts dragging Ezio into late-night walks, started by a casual text at odd hours,

- Desmond: You up? - Ezio: Unfortunately.

They never have a destination in mind, sometimes ending up at a 24-hour cafe, other times, they just walk.

Ezio talks about anything and everything during these, and Desmond, ever dutiful, listens.

He gets attached, naturally, because underneath the exhaustion, beneath the snark and stubborn pride, Ezio was brilliant.

One night, after yet another exhausting day, Desmond invites him over to the one he usually tends to—Bad Weather,

- Desmond: Come by Bad Weather. You need a drink. - Ezio: I can’t afford Bad Weather. - Desmond: I didn’t say you had to. - There was a long pause before Ezio finally caved.

Desmond didn’t think he’d show, but Ezio just rolls his eyes and accepts the drink Desmond poured for him without thinking.

The bar’s full of rich and powerful people, so Ezio feels a little out of place,

- Ezio glanced around the bar, brows furrowing slightly, “I feel like I should be wearing a suit just to be here.” - Desmond chuckled. “Please. Half of the people here inherited their money and have no idea how to spend it. You actually work for a living. That’s worth more than their net worth combined.” - “That’s a dangerous mindset for someone who makes money off of these people.” - “I don’t take their money. They give it to me.”

Then, Desmond prods about law school, causing Ezio to start ranting,

- “So, tell me. How’s law school treating you?” - Ezio groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Don’t even get me started.”

Desmond slides more drinks to Ezio as he talks. A few drinks in, and he was looser, his usual sharp edges softened.

Desmond keeps him talking about schoolwork, his workload, his art commissions.

He files every little detail away.

Then, casually—too casually, really—he asks,

- “What if you didn’t have to worry about money?"

Ezio laughs, thinking it's a joke,

- “What, are you offering to sponsor my education now?”

Desmond doesn’t correct him.

V. Altaïr Pushes Buttons

Altaïr, unlike Desmond, took the opposite approach.

He engaged Ezio in a battle of wits and endurance, a game neither of them would ever explicitly acknowledge but would play anyway.

And Altaïr, much to Ezio’s frustration, was really, really good at challenging him.

It starts subtly, with a few questions here and there,

- “Explain this case to me,” Altaïr said, arms crossed as he leaned back in his chair. - Ezio, naturally, rose to the occasion. “Which part?” - “All of it.”

Ezio would huff, but his eyes would spark as he picked the case apart piece by piece.

Altaïr would listen and absorb every detail, then poke holes into Ezio’s reasoning, questioning him and countering the logic.

Ezio thinks Altaïr’s just being difficult, but then he’d see the subtly curl of Altaïr’s lips when Ezio found a way to counter his arguments, something almost like approval flickering in his expression.

And Ezio thrived.

It becomes routine, the late-night debates over cases, philosophy, or even finer points of morally gray areas.

They argue for hours until he’s exhausted, slumped over a table but grinning,

- Altaïr, the smug bastard, always looked perfectly composed in contrast.

Somewhere in the mix, Altaïr starts pushing Ezio’s boundaries in other ways, too.

Sometimes, Altaïr would slip a casual Arabic phrase or word, and subconsciously, Ezio starts picking up on their meanings.

Ezio doesn’t realize he’d been absorbing it, just nodding along and responding until one day, when Desmond called him out,

- “Since when did you speak Arabic?” - Ezio blinked. “What?” - Desmond gestured lazily. “You just responded to Altaïr in Arabic. You even said it right.” - Ezio turned to Altaïr, eyes narrowing. “You planned this.” - Altaïr just looked at him, perfectly neutral. “Did I?”

Then there would be the meals, surprisingly enough.

A moment where Ezio forgets to eat—not intentionally, of course, but with everything going on, he just… forgot.

Then, suddenly, Altaïr places a plate of food in front of him,

- “I’m not hungry,” Ezio muttered, glancing back at his notes. - Altaïr didn’t move. Didn’t blink. Just said, calmly, “Eat.” - Ezio scowled. “I said—” - But something in Altaïr’s tone made Ezio hesitate. - Altaïr simply watched him. Unmoving. Unyielding. - Ezio glared for a few more seconds. Then, with a quiet huff, he picked up the fork. - He ate.

VI. The Unravelling

With all that had been going on in the whirlwind of Ezio’s life, it made sense that he didn’t notice at first.

When Desmond paid for dinner, Ezio barely batted an eye now. Didn’t argue, didn’t reach for his wallet, didn’t even register the exchange until he was walking back home.

He brushed it off, told himself that it would just be this once.

But it happened again.

This time it was at the cafe he frequented—Ezio walked into the building where Desmond was already waiting, rubbing his temples after a brutal lecture, and Desmond just… slid a cup to him.

And Ezio automatically took it. Didn’t even realize until half of the cup was empty. Ezio opens his mouth, but Desmond beats him to it,

- “Don’t even start.” -Ezio narrowed his eyes. “I didn’t say anything.” -“You were going to.” - Ezio scoffed. “You don’t know that.” - Desmond raised a brow. - Ezio huffed. He took another sip, muttering under his breath. “Bastardo.” - Desmond just grinned. “Love you too.”

Then there was Altaïr.

Ezio hadn’t commuted anywhere by himself in weeks.

He just started expecting to see the familiar sleek, high-end car idling at the curb at the end of university.

One day, Ezio just reaches for the passenger door handle before even registering what he was doing.

It happens again while Ezio is studying.

Now, he expects Altaïr to have a snack or meal waiting for him every time he stops by the library.

Absentmindedly reaches out to the container before he even sits down because his stomach is growling.

But the breaking point happens on a cold night outside a restaurant.

All three had just finished dinner, Ezio halfway through a debate with Altaïr about some case study, while Desmond stepped away to handle the bill.

A cold wind rushes past, making Ezio shiver, then Altaïr shrugs off his coat—the same expensive one he had spilled coffee on when they met all those months ago—and drapes it over Ezio without a word.

Ezio barely reacted, only pulling the coat around himself tighter as he kept talking.

It wasn’t until they were halfway towards the car that it hit him—the already paid bill, the warm and heavy coat, the car waiting at the curb.

Oh.

- Ezio froze mid-step. - Desmond glanced over his shoulder, “You good?” - Ezio stared at the coat. Then at Desmond. Then at Altaïr. - “…I’m getting spoiled.” - Desmond smirked. “Finally noticed?” - Ezio opened his mouth. Closed it. Looked genuinely horrified. “No. No, no. I— I am not—” - Altaïr raised a brow. “You are.” - “I am not,” Ezio insisted. “This—this is just—you offered—” - Desmond snorted. “Uh-huh.” - Ezio turned to Altaïr, desperate. “Tell him he’s being ridiculous.” - Altaïr’s face was perfectly neutral. “He’s not.” - Ezio looked betrayed. “You—You are both ridiculous.”

Altaïr and Desmond exchange a knowing glance.

And that’s when Ezio realizes that they weren’t going to argue or fight him on this, not because he’s wrong but because—

- They were waiting. - Waiting for the inevitable. - Waiting for him to give in. - Waiting for him to realize there was no way out of this. - Ezio’s heart pounded. - He was losing.

VII. The Breaking Point

Ezio’s day had been shit.

It started with his exam results—he had worked hard, studied until his eyes burned, and poured hours into preparation.

But when the grades were posted, his score wasn’t what he expected.

It wasn’t a failure—not even close. In fact, he had done well,

But it wasn’t enough (not for his standards anyway).

Yet Ezio was still Ezio, so he clenched his jaw and decided not to think about it.

Then came the commission.

He had been counting on it—rent was due soon, and his budget was already spread thin,

But the client backed out with the excuse of finding another artist who could do it for cheaper, despite already agreeing to Ezio’s rate.

He swallowed down the frustration and sent a polite response, even though his hands ached to throw something,

And then, just to really twist the knife, his apartment’s heating broke.

The landlord? Useless. Maintenance? Busy. Earliest it could be repaired? Next week.

- Ezio sat on his bed, wrapped in his thin excuse for a blanket, and pressed the heels of his palms against his eyes. - Just for a second. - Just to breathe.

Then his phone buzzes, and as Ezio is staring blearily at the screen, he realizes it's Desmond,

Desmond: Dinner. No Arguments

Ezio hesitates, because he should say no. He should stay in, tough it out, and deal with it like he always did.

But he was cold, tired, and the thought of being in his freezing apartment all alone made something in his chest curl tight.

So he puts on a sweater and goes.

When he steps inside Bad Weather, it's the warmth that hits him first.

Not just the temperature, but the atmosphere—the low hum of conversation, the scent of food and liquor, the way Desmond looks up from behind the counter and immediately smiles,

- “Hey, gorgeous.” - Ezio scoffed, shaking off the cold. “Don’t start with me.” - Desmond just slid a plate across the counter. “Your usual.” - Ezio paused. Looked at the food. - Hot, fresh, and exactly what he would have ordered.

Ezio should argue. Insist on paying. But he’s too tired, too cold

So he sits and picks up the fork,

- “Altaïr’s here, by the way.” - Ezio barely had time to register that before a heavy warmth settled over his shoulders. - He stiffened and turned his head. - There Altaïr was, draping a thick, expensive-looking blanket around him like it was the most natural thing in the world. - Ezio blinked. “What—” - Altaïr said nothing, instead pressing the edges into place, making sure it was snug around him. - Ezio’s throat felt tight.

He wants to fight it. To push it off—to pretend

But he doesn’t. He just sinks into it, lets it happen.

Lets himself be taken care of.

VIII. Indulgence

Now that Ezio has finally caved, Altaïr and Desmond stop trying to be subtle at all.

Fancy clothes? Bought. Expensive sinners? Scheduled. “Random” gifts? Constant.

Ezio protests, of course, but it’s half-hearted at best now

One night, they catch him in a sweater Altaïr bought him and a watch Desmond picked out.

Another night, Ezio just steals Desmond’s drink and a piece of meat from Altaïr’s plate.

One minute he’s complaining about his old laptop—how the battery barely holds any charge, how the fan sounds like it’s dying, how he lost an entire legal brief because it crashed mid-save

Next thing he knows, he’s being dragged to some high-end electronics store by Altaïr and Desmond,

- “Guys,” Ezio protested, digging his heels in, “I don’t—” - Desmond just slung an arm around his shoulders like he was a particularly stubborn shopping cart. “Come on, baby, just look around.” - Ezio scowled. “I don’t need a new laptop.” - Altaïr, who was already heading to the premium section, didn’t even glance back. “Yes, you do.” - Ezio sputtered. “I already have a laptop!” - “You have a relic,” Desmond corrected. “That thing belongs in a museum.”

Before they can argue further, Altaïr just hands him a brand new laptop—top-of-the-line. Sleek. Expensive. The kind that costs more than three months’ worth of rent,

- “What the fuck.” - “Consider it an early graduation gift,” Altaïr said, tone utterly impassive. - Ezio was a sophomore. - He gripped the edges of the box like he was considering throwing the damn thing. “I hate you both.” - Desmond grinned, “Love you too, baby.” - Ezio groaned, pressing the heels of his palms against his eyes. “You absolute bastards.” - Altaïr just sipped at his coffee.

Following that, they drag him to a designer boutique of all places.

Ezio, of course, takes one look at countless racks of stupidly expensive clothes and tries to turn around and leave immediately.

Desmond catches him by the back of his sweater,

“I am not doing this.” - Desmond just grinned, way too pleased with himself. “Pretty boy, you are doing this.” - “No.” - “Yes.” - “No.” - “Yes.” - Altaïr—who had been watching the exchange with all the patience of a saint—finally stepped in. “Ezio.” - Ezio gritted his teeth. He knew that tone. That specific tone meant ‘stop fighting and accept your fate.’ - Ezio narrowed his eyes. “You planned this.” - Desmond didn’t even have the decency to deny it. “Yeah, kinda.” - Ezio groaned. “I hate you both.”

He ends up with an armful of clothing anyway.

At some point, Desmond shoves a leather jacket into his hands, and it fits. It fits ridiculously well. Too well, even.

Because it made him feel like he belonged here, in a world of luxury and excess, with Desmond and Altaïr.

It made something in his chest twist,

- Desmond stepped closer, adjusting the collar and smoothing out the sleeves. His fingers lingered at Ezio’s wrists, his voice softer. “Just take the damn thing, baby.” - Ezio swallowed. - For once, he doesn’t argue.

IX. The Ultimate Test

Ezio doesn’t mean to push them away. Not really, but the thought, once it appeared, refused to leave his head.

But as he stares at his reflection, wearing new clothes and spotting the new laptop sitting on his bed, some unpleasant thoughts start to make themselves known.

A whisper at first, then a murmur, and now a constant, vicious snarl in his head.

- What the fuck are you doing, leeching off of two guys who are happily in a relationship? Clinging to them like you belong? - The thought was unbearable.

It’s stupid. He knows it’s stupid. But the thought won’t leave him alone.

They had each other before he even came into the picture. They would be fine without him. Have been fine without him.

So what the hell is he doing? Why is he letting them take care of him like some helpless pretty thing?

Ezio is just… there. Their charity case. Their idiot, stray law student that they’ve inexplicably decided to pamper, and for what? What does he bring to the table? What does he give them?

The answer is obvious.

Nothing.

So Ezio stops.

He decides, in the only way he knows how, that he’s going to prove to himself and them that he doesn’t need them. He digs in his heels and stubbornly refuses everything.

For the first three days, it isn't so bad.

Desmond swings by his apartment to pick him up for class. Ezio tells him he’s already on his way (A lie—he takes the subway and hates every second of it).

Altaïr hands him a coffee when they cross paths on the way to one of his odd jobs. Ezio shakes his head, feigning indifference. (The caffeine withdrawal headache kicks in two hours later.)

They try to buy him lunch, and he refuses.

They ask him about dinner, and he makes up some bullshit excuse.

Desmond and Altaïr watch him. They don’t push, but Ezio can feel their gazes, sharp and considering, like they’re waiting every time they just so happen to come across each other.

By the fourth day, Ezio is flagging.

The subway is miserable. The coffee withdrawal is worse. He’s eating the bare minimum—whatever he can scrounge from his apartment or afford on his own.

It’s familiar and lonely and stupid. So stupid.

But the thought of giving in—of crawling back with his tail between his legs—is unbearable.

By day five, he’s pushing through on sheer willpower alone.

He’s exhausted. His body aches. His assignments pile up. He doesn’t sleep because there’s too much to do, and the lack of proper food is starting to get to him.

But he can do this. He doesn’t need their money or their stupid fucking kindness. He doesn’t need—

He doesn’t mean to pull an all-nighter, but the legal brief he’s working on refuses to cooperate, and before he knows it, the sun is rising and he hasn’t slept at all.

He’s sluggish, thoughts slow, and the only thing keeping him upright is sheer force of will.

He goes to class running on fumes, doesn’t hear a single word of the lecture, and stumbles back to his apartment in a haze.

And then, somehow, Desmond is there,

- Ezio blinked, sluggish and barely comprehending as the door swung shut behind him. - Desmond is standing in the kitchen, completely at ease, a bag of takeout on the counter.

The smell of food hits him like a punch to the gut, stomach cramping angrily, all the while Desmond looks at him with knowing eyes,

- “Hey, baby.” Desmond’s voice is too soft. Too knowing. “Rough couple of days?” - Ezio stiffened, his grip on his bag tightening. - Don’t fold. Don’t fold. - “I’m fine,” he rasped, pushing past him. “Don’t need—” - His stomach growls. Loudly. - Desmond snorts. “Yeah. Sure.”

Ezio’s vision blurs for a split second as he grits his teeth, exhaustion making his body sway, and then Desmond is there, steadying him and guiding him into a chair before he can protest,

- “Sit down,” Desmond murmured, nudging the takeout towards him. “Eat.” - Ezio swallowed. His throat felt tight. His hands clenched uselessly in his lap. - “I hate you,” he croaked out. - Desmond just smiled, brushing his knuckles against Ezio’s cheek. “I know. Eat, baby.” - Ezio picked up his fork with shaking hands and took a bite. - It’s over.

The first swallow nearly undoes him. The second makes his vision blur. The third—

Fuck.

Ezio makes a broken noise before shoving his sleeve against his eyes, before the tears can fully spill over.

But Desmond sees. Of course he does.

And suddenly there are arms wrapping around him, pulling him close, his head tucked against a broad chest, and—

- “Shh, sweetheart,” Desmond murmured, pressing a kiss to his temple. “It’s okay. You’re okay.” - Ezio gripped the front of his hoodie with shaking hands, unable to stop the way his body folds in. - He doesn’t sob, not quite, but the tears don’t stop, and when a second pair of arms wrap around him from behind, Ezio makes a choked sound - Altaïr’s voice is quiet, firm. “Enough of this, Ezio.” - Ezio swallowed against the lump in his throat. “I just—” - “You are not a burden,” Altaïr cuts him off. “You are not an inconvenience.” - Desmond tightened his hold. “You’re ours.”

It’s not fair how they make it so easy to fall apart.

They hold him, firm and unyielding, as Ezio lets the last few days break him.

When he stops shaking and the tears finally slow, he sags against them, wrung out and exhausted,

- Desmond pressed another kiss to his hair, voice warm with affection. “Better?” - Ezio sniffed, rubbing at his sore eyes. “No.” - Desmond snorted. “Liar.” - Altaïr hummed, a rare note of amusement in his voice. “We’ve let you suffer long enough.” - Ezio scowled weakly. “Didn’t let me do anything.” - Desmond flicked his ear. “Yea, okay, baby.” - Ezio groaned, but it’s softer now, the fight bleeding out of him. Fuck. He hates them. He hates them. - (He doesn’t. He never could.)

He isn’t getting rid of them, no matter how hard he tries,

- “You’re not getting rid of us,” Desmond murmured, his voice dropping into something quiet, something unshakable. “Stop trying.” - Ezio closed his eyes, breath stuttering. - “Okay,” he whispered.

Ezio doesn’t move for a long time.

He eats.

He lets them hold him.

He’s theirs.

X. Sweet Surrender

Ezio should feel victorious.

He thinks he’s entitled to feel some sort of sense of accomplishment. After all, he lasted longer than anyone (not that there are others to compare to).

A year ago, he had snarled at the mere suggestion of letting anyone, least of all two disgustingly rich bastards, take care of him.

Three months ago, he had been dead set on resisting.

Now?

Now Ezio’s sitting in the passenger seat of one of Altaïr’s many cars, wearing a jacket Desmond bought him, with a new phone in his pocket holding a cup of coffee he hadn’t paid for.

Desmond was in the driver’s seat, humming under his breath as he cruised comfortably through town towards their apartment (Because that was a thing now, Ezio having moved in over the summer).

Altaïr was nowhere to be seen, having gone into some high-end restaurant to pick up their food.

Takeout because Ezio had refused to go inside and sit at a table where the cheapest thing on the menu cost more than his entire (old) grocery budget,

- “…I’m getting spoiled,” Ezio muttered. - Desmond snorted. Didn’t even look at him. "You’re just now figuring that out?" - Ezio glared. “I didn’t say it was a good thing.” - "Didn't say you did." Desmond’s lips twitched, his smirk sharp enough to cut. “But you're sitting in Altaïr’s car, drinking my coffee, waiting for our boyfriend to bring you dinner." - Ezio choked. “You two are not my—” - "You’re wearing the jacket I bought you, with the phone Altaïr picked out, and you haven't paid for coffee in weeks." Desmond tossed his phone onto the dashboard, turning to him with an obnoxiously satisfied grin. "Face it, baby. You’re ours." - Ezio scowled. "I hate you." - Desmond reached out, smooth and lazy, like he’d done this a hundred times before, and tugged Ezio in by the collar of his jacket, pressing a kiss to his temple. - "Love you too, baby," he murmured against his skin.

He’s happier. Healthier. More comfortable in his skin than he’s ever been.

Ezio still insists on paying things when he can, still glares when Desmond or Altaïr swipe their cards before he gets the chance.

But nowadays he lets it happen, lets them take care of him.

There’s a moment, one lazy afternoon, where it truly sinks in.

He’s sprawled on the couch, half-asleep, head pillowed on Desmond’s lap while Altaïr sits at the other end, reading.

Desmond’s fingers are in his hair, absently combing through the strands, and Altaïr’s hand rests against his ankle, warm and grounding.

Ezio sighs, sinking further into their touch. He doesn’t fight it. Doesn’t argue.

He doesn’t need to.

Because, for once in his life, he doesn’t have to do it all alone.

Because he is theirs, and they are his, and that is more than enough.

Wow, this was long, haha. I went a little wild in IX. The Ultimate Test... I really like writing and reading angst, okay?

I have a few ideas for a spin-off and possibly a sequel, though nothing as concrete as this outline. Let me know if you'd like to see that too!

#delta thoughts #delta thoughts: assassin's creed #credits to @cafekitsune (the stars) and @strangergraphics (the line) for the dividers used in my posts!#this ended up being way longer than i intended it to be tbh #assassin's creed #assassins creed #ezio auditore #altair ibn la'ahad #desmond miles #altezi #ezides #altdes #ao3 #ao3 fanfic

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