#i always put a ton of highlighter on them because i want them to shine! they are too pretty and often covered up to not have their moments | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

cosmojjong · 2 years ago

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alright, I gotta know. please explain to me all the ways cube has tried to ruin pentagon. I don't want to live ignorantly, thinking they're just another incompetent company (bc honestly find me a GOOD entertainment agency that treats all their artists fairly, protects them, promotes them regularly, loves them and feeds them 3 square meals a day. doesn't exist.)

you're very right, there's no company like that, and it's a shame even to this day.

and, well, let's see. i'm a bit tired so i'm going with things off the top of my head. i feel like the company has just... very blatantly threatened them different times behind the scenes. especially judging by some words the members have shared. it's always felt like they kind of made pentagon feel like THEY were lacking. like THEY needed to do something to prove themselves. it's sad because the boys have been trying so hard all these years but they can only do so much with such a shitty promotion. first instance i can think of is when the demo eps were released. it all felt rushed (they were released too close to each other) and it was such a pity because demo_01 was the ep that gave them their self-produced title. i don't even know what the company was trying to do, people barely had the time to digest those songs that we got another ep. so like

1) their almost non-existent or badly handed promotion. i swear they just don't seem to know how to cherish and properly promote such a gem group like pentagon. it's so bad.

2) i feel like, over time, the opportunities to show what they're capable of that they were given were just not the right ones. sure, we got some nice content but cube literally do nothing to highlight their entire vocal line. everything that the public could perceive was because of their stage presence. every new fan that got into them, it was thanks to the group. the success and the appreciation of songs, it was thanks to their authenticity while making music. i genuinely believe the group owns maybe 20% (and i'm being kind here) of their success to that agency. being so vocally based they don't have much singing content people can go through, except for magazineho and those hardly updated cover playlists. they could give changgu the space to do covers but do they? no. i think some time in the past he implied that he wanted to upload more songs but that he wasn't allowed to. to be honest i think the company also has favoritisms towards certain members, but it may be just me. and i don't like how they may be pitted against one another (see: pentagon maker) when they love each other so much.

3) shine. before it got released ptg were most likely told that the song had to do well, otherwise they would've been disbanded. hui said shine was a blessing, the reason why pentagon could survive. it got progressively worse with idle debuting (and it's funny how their fans say that ptg are cube's favorites *giggles in i want to be that delusional*)

4) when the summer 2018 mess happened, their fancafe was a mess. kpop fans were spamming the general board with anything and everything. the company knew it and still kept it open for a good 3 to 4+ months. i remember this because they suddenly changed the rules, locked this and that, and i got demoted as well. many of us got demoted for doing nothing. their disorganization never fails to amaze me. so, anyways, there is no way cube didn't know about the rumors that were being made up about them. hell, they even used hui as the scapegoat. shinwon, jinho and hongseok were heavily targeted and the company just did nothing. they were bullied into not leaving the dorms. no lawsuit, no notice, no protection. had a shit ton of schedules to attend and to deal with.

5) all the hiatuses they put yanan through. and for what? yanan could understandbly leave for health reasons but at times it's felt like they were just punishing the guy for doing so. one time it was a miscommunication between the labels, but keeping him away for months to years? like are we serious? there are people who have never seen him with pentagon, and people who got to see him with them after more than a year. the formation changes are so bad too. people are never gonna memorize who's who if the company decides to 'oh yea you go to japan for three months bye' or 'you're staying in china for a year and no one will get an official notice cause we don't care' approximately every two months.

6) rtk. what the hell was that. i hate when ptg have anything to do with mnet to begin with. they were put on this show that just sucked the life out of them, where mnet just used them for clickbait and very obviously rigged it although it was clear they should've won. jinho had to enlist in a hurry, hui was only months away from enlisting and spent sleepless nights arranging songs for like three different projects. they were completely out of it. shinwon even said that at some point hyunggu was so exhausted and mentally worn out that it was impossible for them to talk to him. they even said they were in and out of the hospital because of body pains. still, the company kept them going until the end, even through pain and tears.

7) shall i add bad budgeting. like seriously i'd like to speak to a nevie and understand why they think ptg gets their group's money. have they seen some of ptg's packaging and some of the props for their photoshoots or mvs? my thumbs up album is literally one step away from falling apart because the material is just not good.

please know i don't like talking of such things as i don't want to sound like i am victimizing them. ptg are fun, charismatic, bright, cheerful, full-of-love people. they never ever complain and that's what stings. i'm just so done with the bad things they've had to endure. the boys have always acted like it's sunshine and rainbows and we've all have tried hard to see the good things in everything. we do even nowadays, but there's still a dark side to it.

i'm sure there must have been other instances of ptg being told that they could be disbanded if said thing doesn't sell well (which btw is ridiculous because pentagon have been outselling themselves every comeback). shall i remember anything i'll say it later on, i think i talked a lot for now, i'm so sorry. all i can do is hope that 2023 is REALLY their breakthrough year because i cannot see them in pain anymore. it just doesn't feel fair and i want them to be happy.

#hope this does give you some insight #i got carried away it's been a bad day #riversonfire #pentagon

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thexfridax · 4 years ago

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Wynonna Earp Boss Hopes Syfy Finale Made You Feel 'All the Things' — Plus, Scoop on One Happy Wedding Accident

By Matt Webb Mitovich, tvline.com / April 9 2021, 8:02 PM PDT

The following contains spoilers from the Syfy finale of Wynonna Earp.

After four years of protecting Purgatory with her Peacemaker, Wynonna Earp got to quite literally ride off into the sunset. And she did so while straddling a motorcycle, with Doc Holliday seated behind her.

Mind you, the two almost didn’t wind up together. Following the simply beautiful “WayHaught” wedding, Doc (played by Tim Rozon) was determined to put Purgatory in Charlene’s rear view mirror and get to living life as “just a man,” and Wynonna (Melanie Scrofano) felt compelled to stay put as Purgatory’s protector. But with an empowering nudge from li’l sis Waverly (Dominique Provost-Chalkley), Wynonna caught up to her man and professed her love, after which they decided to travel light, for the first time in a long time, and pay their daughter Alice a visit in MIracles, Montana.

TVLine spoke with series creator Emily Andras about crafting this very fine finale, at least one “happy accident” that wound up stirring many emotions, and more.

TVLINE | The finale has just aired…. What emotions do you hope the fans are feeling at this moment?

Just head-to-toe body warmth, and love, and affection, and wistfulness…. And a little bit of bittersweetness. I feel like joy has to be paired with nostalgia, so I hope they’re feeling all the things. But hopefully not hungover!

TVLINE | At what point over the years did you ever envision Wynonna and Doc riding off into the sunset?

Ahhh! I almost never even let myself envision it, you know? It’s so funny — when you start doing a show, you have all sorts of ideas about what pairings are going to rise to the top, who’s going to end up with whom, and one of the joys of Earp is that so many different things have happened. But those two characters have certainly earned the chance to try to be happy, whatever that means to them. I never knew that I would be allowed to end such a romantic pairing with the woman driving the motorcycle and the guy on the back.

TVLINE | I’m watching that final sequence and it almost feels alien, seeing the two of them head off into what I think of as “the real world.” But I also found that viscerally exciting, to see so much ahead for them.

That’s so lovely, thank you for saying that. I feel like having the world ahead of them and being such an unusual couple, I would love to see what happens next for them. I’m sure there will be lots of crazy sex and crazy arguments and crazy laughter. So, godspeed! Godspeed.

TVLINE | When throwing a season-ending wedding, what is Emily Andras’ marching order? “Above all else, this wedding has to be…”?

It has to honor to all of the characters — and by that, I mean it has to try to find a moment for every special pairing on the show, not just WayHaught. I think it’s important to pay due respect to how far Waverly and Doc have come; she never gave up on him, she always saw a better man in him — and now he gets to be the best man! Nedley (Greg Lawson) and Nicole’s (Kat Barrell) relationship, that paternal/daughter bond is so special, so honoring that was very important.

And at the end of the day, I still think the real love affair of the show is the Earp sisters, so I ended to make sure that that was honored. I really love the parallel with the pilot, where Wynonna came into town against her will and was so hungry to leave but was forced to stay. And now you have Waverly secure enough in how their relationship has evolved, that she knows Wynonna deserves to leave again — because she’ll come back.

More than anything, it was about giving every character a moment of happiness. Even Jeremy (Varun Saranga) becoming deputy chief of Black Badge and maybe finding a new date…. It was all about finding everyone a moment of potential joy, after they’ve gone through so much after four seasons.

TVLINE | Talk about the decision to have empty guest chairs laid out with the names of those who are no longer with us or didn’t make it to the wedding.

That was such a happy accident. We were on-set, it was very much in the middle of the pandemic, and we knew we were going to have a limited number of people for the wedding. But then we put out chairs so you could understand where the aisle was, and they looked really empty. So my incredible director, Paolo Barzman, who also did the pilot, and my art director Trevor Smith, pitched this idea to me. I had sort of joked about, “Wouldn’t it be cool if you had the ghosts of characters past?” In the moment, they said, “What if we hung names on the chairs?” and it was just one of those goosebump moments, like, “That’s brilliant.” So then we have people writing up these cards, rushing them out, and it’s honestly one of my favorite things. Whenever I see that Dolls chair, I just can’t help but feel things.

TVLINE | But Mercedes (Dani Kind), to be clear, is still with us.

She’s just out, like, being her best vampire self. She’s out being an amazing vampire, yeah. I still have that spinoff if you want to help me sell that!

TVLINE | If anything caught me a bit off-guard, it was us getting a song from Rachel (played by Martina Ortiz-Luis).

The thing about Martina is that she is a phenomenal singer. She is the anthem singer for the Toronto Maple Leafs — so she’s quite a star here! — and she was on Pilipinas Got Talent back in the day…. It seemed like a waste to not have someone with such an exceptional voice perform! And what better song to lay over the necessary wedding montage than a WayHaught classic (Fleurie’s “Wildwood”), the song that was playing the first time WayHaught kissed. It’s a bit of an Easter egg for those hardcore WayHaughters!

TVLINE | I don’t think anyone would have ever felt like a “Dark Angel Waverly” detour was missing, if you hadn’t spent time on it the episode prior. Why did you feel it was important to go there during one of the final hours?

The truth of it is that honestly we’ve been balancing the spectre of whether we were going to have a Season 5 or not. When we started breaking Season 4 two years ago, we were looking down the barrel of about 24 episodes, so [when you get half that] you’re like, “What are we going to keep, and what are we going to pitch overboard? What can we live without learning about?” I would argue that this idea of Waverly having a darkness inside of her did have to be highlighted after four seasons. I completely agree that in a perfect world I could have done eight episodes of Dark Angel Waverly, exploring that and seeing it come to pass. But if we ever get more story, I don’t know if Waverly has complete control over that part of herself. I dont think it’s “gone.” If Nicole puts mayo instead of mustard on her sandwich, who knows what’s going to sprout out!

TVLINE | I mean, if only to see what other outfits Dark Waverly has.

As long as she keeps her thigh holster, she’s ready to go.

TVLINE | Looking back at these last few episodes, what are you most proud of?

‘m so proud of this cast. It’s so boring, but God, just to see them grow and thrive and shine…. performing comedy and emotion, seeing their commitment to the show, and the feelings…. It’s just been such a joy to see such an amazing group of people get their due. They really are that wonderful, off-screen as well.

I’m also pretty happy — in this day and age, and despite all the fights the show has been through — that if this is the end, I feel like that’s a pretty nice finale, a pretty good topper on the cake. I feel like the fans will feel like they went on a journey, and they left the characters in an interesting, good place. And look, that’s really rare in TV, to end your story the way you want. How can I be anything but grateful, at the end of the day?

TVLINE | When I was writing my tweet the other morning, I wanted to call it a “very fine finale,” but I worried you’d think I was saying it was only “fine.” But it was a very fine finale!

No, you have to keep me hungry! You get to challenge me, Matt. Listen, I just didn’t want to risk…. I’m the queen of 75 cliffhangers, but I feel like the fans have worked so hard for us, for so many years, that it was more important that they got closure, just in case. But there’s always another demon, there’s always another thing to trigger Dark Angel Waverly. There’s always more story, but at least you have this, no matter what.

TVLINE | And if some network or streamer does ride to the rescue, would there be something that brings Wynonna and Doc back to Purgatory? Or might a Season 5 be without the two of them?

Look, the show is called Wynonna Earp, so you need Wynonna Earp. She’s still the champion, she’s still got the magic gun and the best hair on the show — sorry, everyone else!

There are a couple of unresolved issues. We still have Eve, who we kicked out the the Garden very early in the season, and who can kind of shapeshift; she could take on the appearance of any one of our characters! That would certainly throw a wrench in the works in Purgatory. There are a million different reasons to bring Wynonna back, to help out her sister.

TVLINE | And lastly, was there anything you had to cut or just didn’t have room for, or any returning cast you couldn’t fit in?

Oh, tons. But look, you kind of hit the nail on the head earlier. I’m always striving to be better, and some stuff at the end felt a little rushed, with Dark Angel Waverly. I think if it hadn’t been a pandemic, there would have been more people at that wedding. I would have loved four more episodes to round the bend there. But look, that’s Wynonna Earp, man — perfectly imperfect! So that’s what we did, and what a ride it’s been. The ride of a lifetime for me.

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loquaciousquark · 4 years ago

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Talks Machina Highlights - Critical Role C2E113 (Oct. 27, 2020)

Good evening and good night, lovely people of the world! We’re on the internet and ready to go. Tonight’s guests are Travis Willingham and Sam Riegel. This will be calm, controlled, and sane, I can feel it. Brian points out it’s been seven months since either of them were on Talks. Oof. (Sam asks if it’s been going the whole time without him. Bigger oof.) Travis keeps sneaking bites out of an acai bowl or something and tries to look sneaky about it, and I laugh every time because he’s just...so big. He’s such a big person.

(Brian is wearing a lobstrosity shirt. He and Travis talk about Dark Tower for a bit; then Sam tries to get into the conversation: “Is that the thing from It?” Brian: “Is what the thing from It?” Sam: “Is that lobster the clown from It? I’m not very literate. Is that a Langolier? Is that a Shawshank?”)

Announcements: none! Maybe they just forgot. We’ve been talking about Sam’s spooky skeleton decorations for like five minutes. Brian suggests taking them to Travis’s house. Travis: “That’s the fastest way to get to the smell of burning plastic.” Brian: “Speaking of your girlfriend...”

On Avantika: Fjord wouldn’t call it a relationship as much as a casual sexual interaction. Not official! Super not official!!

The first sea voyage wasn’t great for Fjord, but he tried to be thoughtful about preparing for this one before they left: praying, kneeling at the bow of the ship, etc. He’s a little disappointed the Wildmother didn’t even throw him a “yo, fam” heads up.

They weren’t sure how to resolve the conflict at first, since Avantika went for Fjord rather than the crystal. No one expected it to get exposed in that way. Travis thought the necklace was a pocket dimension and was alarmed to learn it wasn’t. Travis wants it destroyed along with the third gateway, so until they are he won’t rest easy.

Everyone enjoyed watching them all fail on the battlefield again. (Sam: “You used [Counterspell] so effectively!”) Travis thought he’d said Thunder Step, which would imply Avantika was running, rather than Thunder Wave. Sam says it’s fine since none of them have that spell and he wouldn’t know it anyway.

It’s very difficult for Veth to find reasons to stay with the M9. She loves the adventures and making a difference, but she also wants to come home and have weekends and have a husband and life. “She’s a career girl!” He’s very excited about the possibilities of Caleb’s transportation effectively creating an easy commute for her. He also, as a player, doesn’t want to be the person who’s always leaving the party. “My characters wanna roam!”

Travis was fully tilted that Avantika might have gotten away right before the break. He doesn’t think he could have focused on Vess DeRogna’s task knowing Avantika had gotten away; he was seriously working out how Fjord would leave the party to go make a last stand at the third gate if she’d escaped.

Sam looooves how Matt plays Yeza, but it honestly makes him feel a little worse at how encouraging he is for Veth to chase her dreams. “He’s always like - go shine! Go blossom!” He wants to have the conversation about Yeza feeling a little ignored. It’s fun to share the tales of adventures with Luc & Yeza.

Travis says there’s no way it’s Molly--it’s all Lucien. They don’t know if it was a resurrection, if he’s undead, possessed, etc. Everyone--everyone--rags on Taliesin’s accent work. Brian surreptitiously claims Ashly was brought on to relieve him of the burden of the accent. Poor Ashly, ha!

Initially, Travis landed on the Oath of the Ancients, but it had more nature & pacifism in it than he felt fit Fjord very well. Many of them also had a focus on good & lawfulness, which also didn’t feel quite right; he also wasn’t that vengeful for some of the others. He & Matt got together and discussed options. Matt asked what Travis liked about Fjord; Fjord’s love for the ocean was a huge part of it, since Travis himself also loves the ocean & scuba diving, and so Matt created a custom oath for him. Travis does not plan to post its details, but he thinks Matt will at some point.

Cosplay of the Week! a lovely Scanlan by Air Bubbles Cosplay! Sam tells us the “canon” Scanlan cosplay was actually borrowed hodgepodge, and the boots were falling off all day.

It was really cool to see how Yeza & Luc have made a home in Nicodranas. Felderwin was okay, but kind of your basic D&D fishing village, and she likes the Nicodranas is much better. She’s confident & comfortable knowing her family is safe and sound.

Why is Fjord so interested in finding Sabian? To him, post-orphanage, his time with Vandren was the best of his life & the most love he’d ever received, because he mattered & had worth. It was taken by someone he’d known basically his whole life, so Fjord is not going to let that go. “That fuckin’ bill needs to be paid, my friend.”

Sam acknowledges that he should NOT have looked at his phone in re: the Vilya reveal, but it was pretty surprising! He can’t believe none of them recognized it! Travis points out the M9 had never met, heard of, or known anything about Vilya, so it’s not that surprising. Brian points out Matt has also done a really good job keeping the two campaigns separate, so any references were tasteful. Sam marvels that it was so well done: it was tasteful, had emotional and story impact... “That Matt. He’s getting better!”

Liam texted Sam back something like “oh SHIT.”

Knowing Veth had a chance to help someone else return to her child made Veth feel almost karmically forgiven for being away from her kid, but it also made Veth a little guilty--”this lady wants to desperately return home, shouldn’t I want to go home too?” Caleb’s teleportation spell couldn’t have come a better time.

Sam wants Caleb & Astrid to get back together (well, he says “hump each other”), and Dani’s eyebrows climb off her forehead. Veth/Nott really thinks Caleb needs to have a roll in ze hay, and feels like after meeting her that there is a kindness or vulnerability to her that could be worthwhile. Travis thinks she feels like someone tethered, that it feels like she has a bomb or something in her chest that’ll explode if she tries to leave. Sam thinks Eadwulf is super cool. None of these names are spelled like I think.

Travis found the dinner super frustrating, because he felt Caleb was trying to walk a diplomatic line and he just wanted to backhand Trent.

Fjord is still coming to terms with his feelings for Jester, and the feelings are definitely real, but there’s a lot of timing that he’s considering and he also wants to figure out what the relationship is like outside of constant tension and battle. Fjord is also having trouble figuring out how to exercise the ability to display affection as well since he’s never received them, and is feeling out how to give and receive them. “It’s fine now, because he’s feeling it, but once you say it out loud, or once you come to a point where you make it known to the other side, then what happens? It might be ruined. It might be broken. Or it might not be!” The moment with the porcelain unicorn was too good not to try. Travis also sighs that he’s not a romance D&D guy, “but now I am! Fuckin’ Laura Bailey!” He’s definitely feeling it out and will see how it unfolds in the game.

If Jester hadn’t let go of the Traveler, Fjord would have either attacked the Traveler or the Moonweaver and tried to kick them both off.

Sam doesn’t think the Traveler’s realized yet what a dick he is. Brian thinks it may not happen in this campaign, but agrees the full weight of what he deserves hasn’t been felt yet. Travis: “Yeah, he came to the edge, but it didn’t cost him anything.” Brian: “Yeah, he’s a real edgelord.”

Fanart of the Week! a beautiful portrait of Molly in the snow by @claygryphon on twitter.

Veth acknowledges that they work for shady people with shady pasts, so Vess DeRogna isn’t her first rodeo, but this time it’s personal. It’s Jaws 2: Electric Boogaloo. Sam can’t commit to actual actions, since Vess is like level 20 or something, but “I will get some kinda revenge. Be it petty or significant, I will get revenge.”

How are they feeling about being in Eiselcross? They’ve only just landed, so not sure yet. The cold is intimidating. They’re excited to explore a new island that’s part of Wildemount, especially with the river of lava running through it. “It’s icy with lava? Sounds like a Dairy Queen.”

There’s still a ton of unknowns regarding the Tombtakers, Vess, the nature of their job, and who’s here on whose orders. They’re excited to see how it’s all going to play out. Travis laughs that he doesn’t take notes, he’s just here to fight things. It just washes over him when Matt starts talking about names and places. “It’ll reveal itself in time. [...] I don’t write those notes down. I don’t even know how to spell it off the bat.” I have never identified more with Travis. Sam actually does pay attention and take notes and was really impressed by Marisha’s dive.

Veth became interested in branding her own spellcraft as soon as she saw Caleb doing it. “That’s what the influencer agents are gonna be looking at. It would be nice to leave the world better than we found it, but also with some branded spells.”

What were Fjord’s thoughts on dropping so much money on the ring & the Ioun stone? It wasn’t about money for Fjord, it was about a cool thing to acquire. It’s why he saves money in his campaign. Caleb needs “as much of a flak jacket as he can get.” He also REJECTS the idea of buyer’s remorse on the ring and touts the effectiveness it’ll have on the lava river.

Travis talks about his old coins - a 340AD coin he bought at a ren faire and a 120BC coin that was a gift from a friend.

Sam marvels at the love and thought that Caleb put into the tower. Sam points out they forgot to go to the top two floors altogether. Travis: “Did the mansion get as much careful planning from Scanlan as the tower did from Caleb?” Sam: Absolutely not. But they were still thinking small in C1, figuring out how things went, and they didn’t have as much detail in their heads yet.

And that’s all the time we have for tonight! We end on everyone whispering way too close into their mics and tapping fingernails on mason jars. A fitting end to this crazy episode, I think.

Is it Thursday yet?

#talks machina #talks machina spoilers #critical role #critical role spoilers #long post for ts

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strangeinternetwasteland · 3 years ago

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Finding Home- Dabi x Fem! Reader

This is my submission for Day 6 Places of @konoblog-simps server collab

Warning: Angst, Lots of Fluff, Soft Dabi

WC:2k

Leaving everything behind was the best decision he’d ever made. He was finally free, especially after emptying the bank account his father had for him. Nothing was holding him back. The few days after the big fight the anger was still there. It didn’t come to any physical blow but felt as if there had been. There was no looking back now, he will no longer be the unwanted son. He could change his name, his personality, and his whole story. He could be the person he truly wanted to be.

His first destination was the small city of Takayama in the Gifu Prefecture. The city always held a special appeal to him since it was known for the olden style of Japanese Culture. Something he’d always been interested in since a young boy. He stayed at the Hida Takayama Hostel for a few days. On the last night, he decided to stay at the Takayama Ouan with its breathtaking view of the city. It was here where the two of you met. Both of you spent your time talking about your future dreams and plans, and just enjoyed one another’s company.

The next morning he was planning on moving to a small picturesque town in the southern islands of Japan. ‘It was the perfect beginning to his new life.’ he told you. You decided to join him before continuing your next adventure. Here, the two of you spent two days watching the perfect sunsets the beach was named after. Most people didn’t pay any attention to you both assuming you were lovers lost in the moment.

You two exchanged numbers, in case your paths were fated to cross again. He left for Singapore, and you to South Korea. The few days spent with you left a wonderful impression on Dabi. The following days since Japan Dabi couldn’t stop thinking of you. The way your face lit up when talking about something you were passionate about, or the way you giggled when you were excited. It was those honest and earnest emotions from you he truly enjoyed. The memories helped him on the long and tedious train ride from Singapore through Malaysia. He got off a few times to get food or walk around.

Every stop he thought of calling or texting but restrained himself from doing so. He didn’t want to seem needy or clingy. A week later, when he was staying at a little hostel in Kluang in Malaysia, sipping on the most delectable cup of coffee when his phone chimed from you. You had sent greetings and wished him well. You had traveled through Russian and sent pictures of yourself at the Kremlin. How happy you looked in your picture. He wished he would’ve just joined you at that moment. He sent back well wishes and shared that he was currently enjoying a cup of coffee, with the promise to be the first one to text next time.

As the world trek continued for him, he found himself wandering through China trying all the delicacies he had heard about as he traveled. He spent a few days looking at the pandas, walked along the Silk Road, and saw the Terracotta Army before making his way through Mongolia, and taking in the breathtaking scenery of the grasslands. From Mongolia, he headed to Russia.

When he arrived at the Kremlin in Moscow, he stood exactly where you did, and snapped an identical picture to yours. He texted it to you as soon as he took it. He wore a small smile. You had texted him you were enjoying the beautiful colors of the Grecian seas, and how delectable the food was. He promised to visit Greece as soon as he could but had wanted to visit Mumbai, India first. You smiled knowing that you weren’t truly on this trek alone.

A few weeks had passed after the last text. You decided to text him to check on him. You found out he had been to see Mumbai, and sat on the famous Konkan coast. He also went to Jaipur to try Rajasthani cuisine and the street food in New Delhi. From there he went to Greece to learn and see the architecture of Athens, see the beautiful city of Santorini and see the first university in Greece.

He currently was in Lyon, France, while you were staying in Paris. He had plans to come to Paris in a couple of days. You made plans with him to meet in three days in Paris at a little restaurant called La Maison Rose in Montmartre. You were excited to see him, to say the least. You spent that morning going through all of the clothes you packed only to choose basic black slacks and a black shirt.

When you arrived you saw Dabi sitting at a table he definitely stood out against the Pink building. Your breath caught in your throat looking at him. When he looked up he saw you smiling. You knew that most people stared at him most of the time, and he did a good job ignoring them most of the time. However, with you, he seemed to fidget under your gaze. You weren’t sure if it was because you made him uncomfortable or if he was just like that.

“Hello, Y/N.” He greeted you with a kiss on each cheek. You felt electricity run through your body.

“Hello, how have you been? How is your trip going?” You asked with excitement. The two of you shared the highs and lows of your adventures, the pictures, and every ridiculous story you could. When the day got later you and Dabi grabbed dinner and wine. The feel of the city may have gotten to you, or perhaps it was the alcohol. You took Dabi back to your room and participated in evening affairs, as two lovers would do. This continued for another week. Waking up in his arms, enjoying the Parisian life with tourist flair, and getting to know another human through scandalous endeavors, and philosophical discussions post-coitus were the highlight of your time together.

You two had not discussed what would happen afterward, but deciding to part ways was a mutual agreement. You traveled south to Portugal and Spain, and he went north to the UK, Scotland, and Ireland. Another month had passed before you two had contact. For you, it wasn’t the most wonderful of occasions, but the positive pregnancy test you held in your hand deemed the matter important enough. You hoped he would be some sort of knight in shining armor, but you didn’t put a lot of faith in it. When you reached his voicemail all hope deflated, and you abruptly ended your trip and headed home.

Two more weeks had passed, and while you were still debating on the fate of your unborn child, you wondered what Dabi was up to. After his time in Morocco, he had traveled to Johannesburg, Durban, and then Cape Town in South Africa. When he was finally able to charge his phone properly for more than an hour, he heard your voicemail. His first thought was to call back since it had been two weeks since you had left the voicemail. You didn’t leave any clues or hints to the importance of your message, but you knew he’d call when he could.

It was early when you received his phone call you were in the middle of getting ready to work. You picked it up assuming it was your mother asking you to run an errand after work for her, or your boss asking you to work another double shift today. When your eyes looked at the name on the screen, your heart stopped for a brief second. You grew more and more nervous as you brought the phone to your ear. Without thinking, you pressed the green button.

“Hello.” Dabi’s voice said on the other line. “Hello? Y/N? Can you hear me?” His voice melts your insides. You thought back to the week you spent in Paris together tangled up in one another not caring about anything else.

“Hello?” You finally said into the phone.

“Hey, I am sorry about not calling you back sooner. I haven’t been able to charge my phone properly for some time. How are you doing? How’s your trek going?” His voice seemed light and carefree with a hint of exhaustion.

“Yeah. I am good. I have been back home for about 6 weeks.” You told him as nonchalantly as you could.

“Is something wrong? Are you okay? I thought you had another two weeks left?” His voice was gentle and full of surprise.

“Actually, I have something to tell you. The reason I ended my trip so abruptly was that I found out I was pregnant.” You felt nauseated from telling him. On the other line, you heard some shouting.

“Sorry, Y/N. I have got to go, but I will call you again as soon as I can.” Dabi rushed to say before hanging up the phone. The news hit him like a ton of bricks. He couldn’t remember exactly where you said you were from. He hoped he could find you on any social media site and figure it out from there. After an hour of searching, he figured out you lived in a small town in California. He immediately booked a flight to the closest Airport and hoped that would be enough.

Three days later without any phone calls or news from Dabi, you gave up. You figured that if he really cared, he would’ve called, or at least text you. You were in the middle of your day off when you heard the doorbell ring. Your mother was home for the day and you let her answer the door. From your room, you heard a deep voice speaking with your mother, but you couldn’t make out the words.

“I am very sorry ma’am, I was hoping to find Y/N here, but it seems I have the wrong house. Have a pleasant day.” Dabi spoke and turned around to leave. You rushed down the stairs and saw him.

“Dabi!” You cried out. He lifted his head at the sound of your voice. You tore down the stairs and straight into his arms. You hugged him as hard as you possibly could. You were astonished to see him standing before you, you started to cry. He wrapped his arms around you and buried his face in your hair. He stood and let you cry. Your mom walked away to let you two have a moment. After some time, you seemed to have calmed down. Dabi got down on one knee and proposed to you. You happily agreed.

In the months following, Dabi found a full-time job and rented an apartment for the two of you and the baby. You had a small wedding with your family present. A couple of years after the baby was born and you felt more stable, you planned a vacation for the three of you. You wanted to surprise Dabi and try to reconnect him with his family. After many phone calls to his parents when he wasn’t home. The three of you made your trip back to Japan. You thought back to where it all began on that serendipitous meeting. When you arrived at the airport you were met with open arms from Dabi’s family. You learned about his life growing up and his real name, which you promised to call him only when he was in real trouble.

In a quiet moment alone, Dabi took you aside, kissed you passionately, and thanked you for bringing him home to his family. A few days later, his mother and father thanked you as well. They loved seeing him as a loving husband, and doting parent, but most importantly you brought him back to them. Now their family was whole again.

#dabi x reader #dabi bnha #bnha dabi #mha #dabi fluff #mha dabi #bnha todoroki touya

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daydreaming-jessi · 4 years ago

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Day seven: free day

The final beetlelands week piece, made it just in time. Here’s to many more!

It was a bit of an atypical day. Sandy had, for homesickness related reasons, brought a metric ton of Saturn sand to the backyard of the Deetz-Maitland home. Lydia wanted to keep it, because it was sand from Saturn, but the sand had to be taken care of lest it ruin their hard worked upon garden. Adam volunteered to help clean it up while Barbara and Beetlejuice elected to stay in and do some spring cleaning in the attic. Well, Barbara was doing spring cleaning.

Beetlejuice, however, seemed to be determined to distract Barbara from said cleaning. “Babs. Hey. Hey Barbara. Ba-arb, look!”

Barbara blew a distracting strand of hair out of her face, carefully wiping dust off the coffee table while Beetlejuice continuously tried to vocally prod her from the couch. She smiled triumphantly at the pock marks being successfully wiped away. It’s taken her quite a few tries to successfully put proper pressure on the cleaning cloth, but with some practice, it was getting much easier to do.

Suddenly arms wrapped around her hips, startling Barbara into dropping the cloth. She hadn’t even heard Beetlejuice get off the couch. “Bee, I’m trying to clean here. If you’re gonna distract me, then go do something else,” she huffed, twisting her head to glare at the demon grinning up at her.

“But Barbara, I wanna cuddle,” Beetlejuice crowed, yanking them both side to side. He batted his eyes adorably, in the way he knew that Barbara had a hard time resisting.

“We could cuddle sooner if you helped me clean up in here,” Barbara replied steadily, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

“You and Adam are such neat freaks. What’s wrong with a few decorative cobwebs? Makes it feel homey in here,” Beetlejuice finally let her go to float backwards into a corner of the attic where a home of spiderwebs lay.

Barbara jolted at the sight of the webs. “Because it shows other people we don’t care about our home!” She said, coming over with a new dust cloth to clean the silk up. Beetlejuice stayed stubbornly in place, forcing Barbara to try and reach around his body. She was quickly stopped by a second pair of arms sprouting out from Beetlejuice, grabbing her hands and spinning her.

“A, who is gonna come see our attic, and dos, who cares what other people think? All that matters is that we look creepy and have an excellent aesthetic,” Beetlejuice said, moving to spin Barbara around the attic. She couldn’t help but giggle at the impromptu dance, partially glad for the distraction.

Cleaning the attic wasn’t exactly necessary, Barbara and Adam usually kept it well maintained, and even Beetlejuice kept from tossing things wherever he pleased for them, but Barbara had been drilled by her parents to always keep her home spotless. She didn’t keep to the part that the task was only a woman’s job, she and Adam shared the work equally, as one should, but it was hard to shake off the rest of the teachings.

The two finally stopped their spin in front of the couch, where Beetlejuice swayed back and forth, his eyeballs actually rolling in his eye sockets. Barbara snickered at his antics, but took a step back. “Alright, enough distracting me, you. I still need to sweep under the furniture,” she said.

Beetlejuice leaned backwards with a groan onto the couch, making it creak and sag dangerously. “You literally sweep up here every two days, Babs. There’s not gonna be anything there to sweep,” he pointed out.

Barbara shrugged self consciously. “It’s important to do, in case there is any dust buildup,” she argued.

“Literally, who cares? It’s under furniture, we don’t ever have to deal with it. You know normal people don’t clean attics, right? Chuck and D aren’t, like, expecting you to clean up here, and Adam has sawdust all over his workstation all the time, he ain’t some kind of neatfreak. You’re literally just doing this for nothing,” he pointed out, shooting Barbara a pout.

She tried to think of a counter, but found she had nothing that would satisfy Beetlejuice. “It’s just something I’m gonna do, alright?” She finally said, turning to grab the broom.

Beetlejuice frowned and crossed his arms and legs, looking like a sulking child. “Fi-ine, whatever floats your boat, Barbie.”

Barbara froze, before slowly turning back to Beetlejuice. “What did you just call me?” She asked, her voice strained.

Beetlejuice shot her a strange look, before answering, “Uh, Barbie..?” Barbara’s shoulders rose up, and realization lit up Beetlejuice’s radiation green eyes, and a grin began to stretch across his face. “What, you don’t like it?”

“It’s awful,” Barbara replied flatly, crossing her arms.

“You don’t wanna be called Barbie?” Beetlejuice cooed.

“Why would I wanna be called that dumb dress up doll brand?” Barbara replied, her cheeks blazing red.

“Holy shit, you hate it! That’s hilarious!” Beetlejuice cackled, falling onto his back.

“What’s so funny? I don’t even look like that doll! It doesn’t make sense,” Barbara huffed.

“Oh my god, I am so using this, this is fantastic! You’re so mad!”

Barbara gasped. “Don’t you dare!”

Beetlejuice paused his laughter and shot her an evil grin. “Oh really? Whatcha you gonna do?”

Barbara pointed a finger at him warningly. “I will not hesitate, Lawrie.”

Upon hearing her nickname for him, Beetlejuice’s grin impossibly widened, cracking his jawbones. It was a strange name the ghost couple had come up with, but he loved how warm it made him feel. Beetlejuice raised his hands reassuringly, looking away innocently. “Ok, ok, I’ll be good. No more of that nickname from me,” he said.

Barbara shot him a suspicious look, slowly turning back to her previous task. “Alright…”

“Yup. Not even gonna think of the word, trust me Barbi-“

“That’s it!”

Barbara tackled Beetlejuice on the couch, tucking his legs firmly between her thighs as she sat upon his lap and the air filled with his crackling laughter. She began to dig her fingers into his sides, making the demon jump from the sudden, tickling sensation.

“Weh-! No! No fair, I can’t actually feel your ghost fingers, no!” He wheezed, trying to shove her away.

“I told you, this is just what you get for not listening!” Barbara grinned, using one hand to clamp the demon’s hands above him, her dancing fingers moving from Beetlejuice's expansive belly to his armpits.

“No, stop! Oh my god, stop!” Beetlejuice howled. He managed to wriggle onto his stomach, but found it didn’t help, as she had more access to his neck, and began to kiss it as she dug into his sides, knowing it was just as ticklish as any other spot. “Knock it off, you wraith!” Beetlejuice wheezed, rolling back to his previous position and shoved his feet to press against Barbara’s chest. She giggled, and lurched forward again, her fingers wiggling threateningly towards his sides.

Beetlejuice pushed her back and Barbara found herself hanging against Beetlejuice’s feet above the demon. “Aw, c’mon, that’s not fair!” Barbara laughed, wriggling against Beetlejuice’s surprisingly strong calves.

“I don’t care if it’s fair, I never play fair, Barbie!” Beetlejuice grinned.

Barbara squawked in mock outrage, making grabbing motions at Beetlejuice. “I will get you back for that dumb nickname, you jerk!” She threatened, her smile wider still.

Beetlejuice laughed at how futile her attacks were, watching her for a moment.

Her blond hair was flying around wildly, roughed up from the play fighting, her face was red and she was huffing, slightly out of breath, and her eyes. They were crinkled up with laugh lines, shining brighter than the surface of UY Scuti, bluer than the depths of the ocean, and filled to the brim with care, and they were directed to him. She was laughing so beautifully, filled with adorable snorts and chortles, it made his long dead heart quiver like it was struck with heart attack inducing arrhythmia. He loved these moments, loved how easy and warm they were. Loved that he was never afraid of her and Adam, never had to hide himself from them. He could just lose himself, freely tease them and just enjoy his afterlife. He loved Barbara and Adam so much…

Wait.

Beetlejuice froze, his face falling into one of shock, and Barbara paused upon seeing this. “Lawrie? What’s wrong?” She asked.

Beetlejuice stared at her for a long moment, his hair starting to darken to a gorgeous magenta she’d never seen before. His eyes traced her face, the demon unnerving,h silent, before blinking out of his stupor.

“I love you,” he said, voice breathless.

Barbara froze, staring back at him in shock. He… he said that. He actually said that.

The door opened, causing the two to look up. “You would not believe how much sand a sandworm can carry from Saturn, I’m more dust than ghost right now,” Adam huffed, patting his clothes down as he came in. He looked up and paused upon seeing the scene, before smiling a fond grin.

“What are you two doing now?” He asked, leaning back and crossing his arms. His hair was highlighted with a warm copper tone, dusted a gray-yellow from the Saturn sands, his body framed by the golden sun filtering through the attic windows. His green eyes were twinkling, so fond and happy of the sight before him.

“And I love you,” Beetlejuice said, his voice in awe at the long known realization finally washing over him.

Barbara whipped her head back around to stare wide eyed at a Beetlejuice again, and Adam nearly choked on the sand still built up in his throat.

Beetlejuice seemed to have realized that the room was now silent. His hair became a flustered pink, white and blue. “I-“ he gulped, pale. He’d ruined it, he ruined everything. He went too fast, veered too far off course, he fucked it all up like he always did-

Suddenly Beetlejuice was almost knocked off the couch with an arm full of Barbara. She had his cheeks squished together and was pressing hundreds of kisses to his face. “Love you too, god, I love you too!” She whispered between kisses, reassuring and happy.

They were both enveloped in Adam’s arms as he scrunched into the couch behind Beetlejuice’s back. He pressed a warm, long kiss to Beetlejuice’s ear, grinning widely. “Love you too,” he added, resting his forehead against Beetlejuice’s hair. Barbara chuckled at his long gesture, before looking back to make sure the other colors were gone from Beetlejuice’s hair.

The magenta was back, and the tension was gone. He looked dazed, but there was a huge, drunk grin on Beetlejuice’s face, looking like he’d just been told that hallucinogens were reintroduced to modern medical treatment. “Cool,” he rasped, his voice somehow even more gravelly than before, and his body was lax. He didn’t need to hold onto the Maitlands tight, they were right here, they weren’t leaving. He had all the time in the world to just soak in their softness.

#jessi doodles #beetlejuice #beetlejuice the broadway musical #beetlejuice broadway #beetlejuice the musical #adam maitland #barbara maitland #lawrence beetlejuice shoggoth #beetlelandsweek2020 #beetlelands #goldenbeetle

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princessamericachavez · 4 years ago

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Heroes Fjeast Talk ep 105

Ladies and gentleman, welcome to another episode of Sofía Overanalyzes Everything With Shipper Googles. I hope you’ve missed my stupid long-ass metas because I’m about to peak apart that conversation the M9 had with Jester during their Heroes Feast and I’m gonna do it mostly from a Fjorester POV so if that’s not your cup of tea, not even from a purely meta standpoint, I suggest you get off this ride now. Otherwise, please keep your arms and legs inside the vehicle at all times because I’m about to yell, use all caps, bolded letters and a ton of screenshots.

Ok? Here we gooooo

First of all, when Jester starts talking about The Traveler, Fjord looks so concerned but clearly seems like he doesn’t want to step in while she’s talking about this, like he’s afraid she’ll deflect. That is, until she looks straight at him while saying:

“I know all of you [looks at him and quickly looks away] are concerned that maybe he’s [looks at him again, holding his gaze] taking advantage or he doesn’t have our best interest.”

And Fjord lets her talk about how important The Traveler is to her and how she still wants him around even if he doesn’t want to be a god. And Fjord insists on why did he want everyone to come here in the first place then, but before Jester can answer Beau brings up the memory-stealing issue with this island.

So Jester admits The Traveler knew. And Fjord. Is. Pissed.

Right up until Jester turns to talk to him again, trying to explain The Traveler’s plan and he’s trying to understand this “unloading of people”

But he’s not happy and you can see clear as day how the dots connect for him, between “getting read of people” and Jester being one of those people, too.

He even nods when she explains the thing about The Traveler wanting to be “not as available” anymore because, for the third time, Jester turns to him in her efforts to explain The Traveler’s actions, looking for support and reassurance.

“But he sent you here,” he protestes softly

AND THEN THEY SHARE A LOOK FOR LIKE 3 SILENT HEAVY SECONDS BEFORE SHE SAYS “YEAH” AND HE INSISTS “what if you forgot him?” but seriously that look is so long and charged with silent words i could dieeeeeeeee

“He promised me he would save me... and us, he said all of us.” I love how Jester and Fjord just zero in on each other during group conversations, like you can tell when they are speaking to all of the group and when they just enter this little bubble when it’s just one on one. You can see it here, by the way Jester is telling him she’d be alright and then she’s like !! well all of us, and turns back to the group.

And then Yasha asks how Jester feels about the Traveler sending people here and she’s so sad. She tries to turn to Fjord as she explains how the Traveler doesn’t always care about how he affects people and Fjord is not happy about that because we know WE KNOW that that is his main concern when it comes to Jester’s well being. Also, the fact that just as he turns to look at her she looks away?? i cry

“To him we are like ants sometimes, you know? We don’t think about the fact when we squish an ant, you know? It doesn’t mean anything to us but the ant is just... really sad.” LOOK AT HOW SHE’S TRYING TO TELL HIM SHE’S SAD

“Or just... dead.” “Or dead.” HE’S SO CONCERNED. JESTER YOURE NO ANT. JESTER THIS COULD GO SO BAD. JESTER. JESTER PLS.

And there’s this pause that you might miss... where all of the M9 are at a loss for words. They all want to help, you can tell, but they don’t know how to. And when Fjord looks out to them, like he’s expecting someone else to intercede, they are all looking at him... expecting him to helm this conversation, even if he didn’t start it. I love that. I love that the M9 collectively acknowledge the depth of the bond Fjord and Jester share and when it comes to this, they often defer to either of them to help the other.

“Jester, we all want what’s best for you, of course. Have you talked to him at all about things going back to how they were when you were little? Just being... your best friend.”

But I love that Fjord is really really really really trying not to come off as judgmental or disapproving of the Traveler. Like, we know that he’s not his biggest fan, but Fjord has repeatedly acknowledged how important he is to Jester, so he tries to come up with solutions that involve trusting her belief in him.

And Jester is so frustrated, getting increasingly upset as she speaks about the Traveler becoming more distance. And I love that, again, when it becomes a little too much and her voice begins to break, she turns to Fjord for support and he gives her the softest nod showing he understands her being upset. “Before he used to be here all the time, you know?”

“You’ve done so much for him and I know he’s done so much for you but trying to make him happy in this, it puts you at risk... it has put you at risk, and us. That doesn’t seem, like you said, the most considerate thing.”

DÑLAKJFÑAL THIS IS THE HEART OF THE MATTER FOR HIM. IT’S HER BEING AT RISK. HE CAN’T TAKE THAT. HE WON’T.

But also I wanna talk about how Fjord seems to be talking about himself a little bit here? About how much Jester has done for him?? and how, sure, he’s also tried to do things for her and support her but maybe he’s worried that his shit will put her at risk with the whole Uk’otoa thing still lurking around??? LOOK LOOK LOOK I KNOW THIS IS GOING INTO DEEP META TERRITORY BUT I’m just saying, Fjord has a tendency of projecting what he wants to tell to her onto other people (like when he compliments Marion and talks about how lovely she is) so I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that his concerns about her relationship with The Traveler are a reflection of his own worries??

Anyway moving ooon

Conversation deviates to Beau’s offer to kill The Traveler and to whether or not Jester more/as powerful as he is. And, here’s the thing, Jester doesn’t seem very comfortable with either of those premises. First of all, she loves the Traveler, he’s her friend and even if things might be strained right now between them I don’t think she wants him killed anymore than she’d ever want any of the M9 killed. Second, the power thing is not how clerics work? AND implying that power is all Jester’s and wasn’t given by the Traveler —while it might be a comforting thoughts for others and comes from a well meaning place— is again putting too much responsibility on her shoulders and she’s losing that support that she’s already mourning when it comes to the traveler being always there for her.

I think Fjord sees this, which is why his train of thought goes else where: he doesn’t point out her awesome magic or her powers (though we know based on his conversation with Beau after the reveal that he thinks what she can do is very impressive)... instead he focuses on what makes Jester special that is intrinsic to her, the things that no god can give or take away and what makes him value her so much.

“And you care, about people you know, about people you don’t know. You cause chaos but in the end you don’t wanna hurt people. You care. In many ways you’re much more than he’ll probably ever be.”

THE WAY HE LOOKS DOWN WHEN HE SAYS THAT LAST PART. LIKE HE’S CONFESSING SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY. LIKE HE’S SHINING LIGHT INTO A SECRET OF HOW HE SEES HER THAT HE’S BEEN HOLDING ON TO FOR SO LONG.

This line destroyed me because i remember that one talks where Travis explained how much Fjord values Jester and how that was heightened after he momentarily lost his sword back in Xhorhas because it made me realize that powers weren’t as important or constant for him as her unwavering support and he realized that was what had true value for him. So him deviating a talk about whether or not she’s powerful to highlight her kindness and how that is what makes her so much better than The Traveler could ever dream of being?? Im fine im fine im fine im fine im fine

also that look full of yearning and love and admiration he gives her after?

TRAVIS PLS

so of course the talk goes on about how cool Jester is and how much the M9 love and admire her and iT’S WHAT SHE DESERVES AND IM SO GLAD THEY SAID IT and then Fjord —bless him— gives us the ultimate golden way to close this with the truth about found family that he struggled to understand for so long as he came to terms with his relationship with himself, power and vulnerability... he says the one thing her constant support and love has taught him:

“And, if you ever want to, there’s life beyond The Traveler. We are here.”

LOOK AT THEM

LOOK AT HER AS SHE THANKS THEM FOR THEIR SUPPORT

LOOK AT THOSE SMILES

BYE BYE BYE BYE

#fjorester #fjord #jester lavorre #critical role #IM A WEEK LATE BUT I HD TO BREAK IT DOWN #BEFORE I GET TO ANALYZE THIS WEEK'S JEWEL OF A CONVERSATION

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delicatelyherdreams · 5 years ago

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Pragma(tic) 2: He Becomes a Trespasser

Pairing: Persephone!Bucky Barnes x Hades!Reader

Summary: In a world where the old gods never truly died, you must learn to navigate your way through the ups and downs of immortality. And if living forever wasn’t hard enough, an ancient evil is now threatening to break free after centuries of silence. And as if that still wasn’t hard enough for you, now a pesky and infuriatingly handsome god is trying to wedge his way into your life. Gods, work, love, and conflict—what more could a goddess need? [Hades & Persephone AU]

Word Count: 4402

Warnings: Language

Pragma(tic) Masterlist

Previous 1: Her Morning Takes a Turn

The sun was golden against his skin, shining on the tan color he had come to acquire after so many hours out in the light. It beat down on the flesh, warming it and relaxing him. His arms were folded behind his head as he reclined on the grass. It was soft and cool on his skin; Crete always did have the best grass for lying on. His eyes were closed against the bright light, the rays illuminating his eyelids and highlighting the veins that ran through them. His chest rose and fell with even breaths. If one didn’t know any better, they’d say he was asleep.

But he wasn’t. The young god was just lounging about, listening in on the conversation that was being held not five feet away from him.

The two voices were of young men, one angry, agitated, and fidgeting, and the other slightly exasperated and amused.

Steve, a naiad, was talking with quick, jerky gestures. He was riled up, clearly upset, but not quite enraged. His fists were balled up tightly, almost as if he wanted to punch something. “...the bastard said I couldn’t do it,” he ranted and raved. “He thinks that because I’m a water spirit, I can’t get jewels like that.”

Sam, a dryad, was watching his friend skeptically. He tended to be the more level-headed of the three, always the mediator to calm Steve’s need to prove himself and Bucky’s somewhat erratic tendencies. He was the one to stop the two before they got themselves killed. “Steve,” he started in an attempt to reason, “it’s not worth your time. So what if you can’t get a ruby to prove him wrong? You’ve got bigger things to worry about.”

“Like what?” Steve asked with scalding agitation in his voice. “Like guarding Bucky?”

The young god’s eyes opened at the sound of his nickname and he sat up to look over at the two.

“No offense Buck, but really, you can protect yourself most of the time.” Steve turned back to Sam, his gaze hardening once more. “I want to do more than just be a bodyguard.”

“Like what? Like getting a ruby to prove some stupid nereid wrong?”

“Exactly!”

Bucky’s eyes danced with amusement, catching the sunlight up above and shining. He was always finding humor in his friend’s need to prove himself. Steve has always wanted to be the bigger man, be the one who’s worthy, be the one who can be more than he is. Ever since they were little, when Steve was small and scrawny, he’d been taking on dangerous and daring exploits, fights, and anything else he could get his hands on to prove himself. And even now that Steve was an adult with body mass, muscle, and strength to rival the gods, nothing had changed.

Steve frowned as he began to plot. “Now where can I find a ruby?”

“At a mortal jewelry store, probably,” Sam quipped. “But you know we’re not allowed to go there. Winnifred would have our heads. Besides, we don’t have any money to buy them.”

Steve’s lips turned down in a pout. “Dammit.” He scrunched up his face as he thought. “There’s gotta be some other place we can find them.”

“I’ve heard they’re usually in caves,” Bucky chimed in.

“Caves…” Steve repeated when suddenly his eyes lit up. “I’ve got it!” His whole body turned to Bucky, his eyes wide, his lips parted, his body straight and ready for action. “There’s a ton of caves down under. And the queen is literally the goddess of wealth. If anyone anywhere were to have a ruby, it’d be down there. Now, Bucky…” His voice quieted and his eyebrows knitted together, silently begging Bucky to do something.

Bucky simply chuckled, knowing full well what his best friend was asking of him. “Oh no you don’t. Don’t be giving me those puppy dog eyes. You know my mom would kill me if I went down there.”

“But Hades is dangerous and you’re a god, man,” Steve moaned. “You can’t die down there, I can. Your mother will never need to know about this. C’mon, do a brother a solid?” He tilted his head to the side. “I’ll owe you for the rest of my life.”

“Don’t do it, Buck,” Sam piped up. “Your mom will find out some way or another and we’ll all be screwed. Steve doesn’t need to get a ruby to prove himself. He’s just asking for trouble.”

“Oh come on, it can’t be hard to sneak in and grab one small ruby,” Steve whined.

“Or it could be extremely difficult and get Bucky in trouble.”

“He’s in, he grabs a ruby, he’s out. Easy!”

“No! Not easy. He’s gonna—”

“I’ll do it.”

“I’m sorry, you’ll what?”

Bucky shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ll do it. I’ll run down and grab Steve a ruby.”

Both Sam and Steve were shocked. Neither of them thought the young god would actually agree to this crazy plan. But Steve just beamed at him. “You are the freaking best.”

“I know.” Bucky barked a laugh and rose to his feet, the grass wedging in between his bare toes. “But how the Hades am I going to get down there? I don’t think the Underworld is on a map and has a giant sign saying ‘Congratulations, you’ve reached the Underworld.’”

“Well duh.” Steve rolled his eyes and looked around at their surroundings.

They were in a clearing on the island of Crete. It was a quaint little place separated from the mortals and their cities. Sitting at the base of Mount Ida, the clearing was directly below the Dikteon Cave where the Olympian queen had been hidden as a baby. The whole area was coated in her magic, especially that cave, and her magic did some weird things to the rift between worlds.

Steve pointed up at the cave’s mouth. “See that up there?”

Bucky had to squint, but he could see it. “Yeah.”

“When Hades was finishing up the Underworld and securing it, she wasn’t able to close the rift between the Mortal World and the Underworld in that cave. The familiar energy from her sister was too strong and it’s been open ever since. That’s your in and out. It should deposit you right next to a cave if you’re lucky.”

“Please, I was born lucky!” Bucky brushed off his jeans and started walking towards the mountain. “I’ll be back!” he called to his friends before pushing on to find a path up to the cave.

The mortals had tried to pave paths to the cave, but none of them got very far. The residue from Queen Carol’s aura kept them far away from the cave. No mortal could get within a hundred yards of the mouth of the cave. Luckily for Bucky, he was a god.

He marched right up the side of the mountain to the mouth of the cave and stepped inside. He could feel the temperature drop about ten degrees as soon as got an inch inside and the hairs on his arms bristled. A shiver ran down his spine to the tips of his toes, setting an uneasy feeling deep in the pit of his stomach. He shouldn’t have been there. He was a god of spring and new life; he had no business being among the dead.

If his mother saw him now, she’d be furious. Winnifred, the goddess of the harvest and agriculture, may have seemed kind and gentle, but she was strict and her wrath was untamable and wild. If she were to be disobeyed, she would guarantee that those that opposed her direct orders would pay for it.

Bucky loved his mother to death, but even he had to admit that she could be way too strict sometimes. She insisted that Bucky always dress properly and in a modest outfit, never permitting him nor his friends to dress in anything less than a pair of nice jeans and a pristine shirt. She required them to have limited access to the Mortal World, stating that they should only go if it was absolutely necessary. She didn’t like them frolicking among the mortals because they were Olympians, and above the humans.

She didn’t have many rules, but she did have one that was absolute: never have any contact with the Underworld or the dead. They were too dangerous for a young god like him.

Bucky couldn’t believe that he was breaking his mother’s most important rule, but at the same time, he was exhilarated. He’d never dared to do something so bold and it was showing. His palms were sweating despite the freezing chill in the air and his heart was racing fast in his chest. He was nervous. He shouldn’t have been there, but it was too late to go back now.

He pushed on, going deeper and deeper into the cave. The air changed around him, growing cold and unforgiving. It was dark and empty and lifeless. He was not in the Mortal World anymore. Bucky took a breath and took a final step, coming out of the cave and entering a chasm.

His breath got stuck in his throat.

He’d heard stories of the Underworld before, he’d heard descriptions of it, but nothing could’ve prepared him for what it actually was.

It was magnificent, regal, and impressive. With towering mountains in the distance on which a large mansion stood on top of, expansive fields of flowers, and hundreds of thousands of people milling about, Bucky was in awe. He couldn’t believe how organized and calm the realm was; he’d always thought that the Underworld would be savage and ugly, but here it was calm and silent.

He could’ve stood there for hours staring at everything around him and taking it all in, but he was on a mission. He had to find the ruby.

He put his head on a swivel, looking from side to side as he searched for a cave. Rubies formed in caves; they had to be there. It wasn’t long before his eyes landed on a single cave carved into the side of a wall, a single river flowing into the mouth of it. Granted, that river was made of fire, but Bucky didn’t think anything of it. He assumed that most rivers in the Underworld had some quirk about them and that this one was that it was on fire.

He slid along the side of the Underworld, getting closer and closer to the cave. He wanted to be in and out before he could be caught. He slipped into the mouth of the cave he saw and turned to face it.

The place was colder than the main part of the Underworld. His hairs were standing on end and he had a dreadful weight sitting in the pit of his stomach. Something was not right about this place. It felt bad; it felt evil.

The young god clenched up on himself, his shoulders rolling in as he attempted to shake the feelings but they refused to disappear. Yet, he pushed on.

It was dark in there, he had to give his eyes some time to adjust to the absence of light. When he could finally see again, he scanned the walls of the cave, his eyes peeled for anything shiny and red. It couldn’t be too hard to find a red jewel, right?

Wrong.

Upon further inspection, he noticed that there didn’t seem to be a single sparkly object in this godforsaken cave. Every rock was bleak and dull, only clothed in greys and blacks. There was absolutely no color in the cave. Bucky was starting to wonder if he’d ever find a ruby here. Maybe they just weren’t in this cave. Maybe he was in the wrong place. But he didn’t have much time to ponder that. The sinking feeling in his gut was growing heavier and heavier with every step he took in. He shouldn’t have been there. There was something massively wrong with that place. He couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

But it put its finger on him.

Bucky jumped when he felt something thin, hard, and bumpy touch his skin and latch onto his ankle. A scream tore out of his throat as he snapped his head down and kicked wildly.

A hand, skeletal and white, had grabbed him and was holding on for dear life. It didn’t want to let him go and it pulled him closer to the body that was attached to it.

Bucky had been too preoccupied with searching the walls to notice the mass of bodies that were starting to pile up around him. There were dozens, maybe more, of skeletons and spirits crawling their way to him. They almost seemed drawn to the life that oozed from him. And, surely, as soon as they touched him, he could feel them trying to steal the life from him. He felt listless and drained when they touched him, and he could tell that they were nothing but evil.

How had he gotten so far in without noticing? Was he that much of a fool?

Apparently so.

The spirits around him collected around his feet and reached up, clawing onto his pants and dragging him down.

He struggled in their grasps, doing his best to fight them off, but every time he shook one off, two more would take its place. They were slowly overpowering him, pulling him closer to the ground where more of them could absorb the life from him. He could feel the toll they were taking on him, and he hated himself for feeling so weak. He’d never been so powerless before, and it scared him. For the first time in his relatively young life, he was truly afraid.

With his mother around, he’d never had anything to fear. But his mother wasn’t here now and he was alone. And this was the end.

The spirits dragged him down to the cave’s floor and swarmed him, clamoring on top of him to maximize their hold.

“I don’t want to die” was the only thought running through his head, but Bucky simply closed his eyes, too afraid to do anything else, so he could wait it out. It’d be over sooner or later, and he was too tired to do anything to stop them. His energy had been drained. Maybe a nap would be nice and when he’d wake up, this would be all over. Yes… A nap sounded delight—

“Hey!” an angry and powerful voice boomed, the sound filling the cave and drowning out everything else.

The hands-on his body stopped dead in their tracks. It shouldn’t have been possible, but now Bucky felt their fear instead of his own.

“Get your hands off of him!” the woman yelled again, her voice filled with more power than Bucky could’ve ever imagined hearing.

The spirits obeyed, at once letting go and scurrying away from something—or someone—behind him.

Footsteps slammed against the rock beneath them, growing louder and louder as the mystery woman marched to Bucky. A hand latched onto the collar of Bucky’s shirt and yanked him back away from the spirits. A two-pronged bident took his place, swinging at the spirits menacingly and driving them away. It glowed the faintest blue in the darkness, illuminating the faces of the damned.

The ghosts and skeletons shied away, curling up on themselves and scrambling to get away as they hissed. They were obviously afraid of the person it belonged to.

Said person tightened their grip on Bucky and began to drag him out of the cave, the bident staying in front of him as they aimed to protect him.

Bucky tried to turn his head back to see his savior, but he couldn’t turn his head very far without being stopped by the hand on the back of his neck.

She pulled him out of the cave, past the river of fire, and threw him on the dead grass outside.

He landed flat on his ass with a satisfying “oof”. His hands shot back to catch him before he could fall on his back and he looked down at his body.

His once white shirt was now a dark shade of grey and torn and his jeans were torn nearly to shreds. There were scratches, scrapes, and bruises covering his legs. Little rivers of ichor ran down from the cuts, coating his skin with gold. He looked like a war-torn battlefield. His mother was going to kill him. If those spirits hadn’t finished the job, she sure would. He was dead meat. Steve and Sam better start planning his funer—

“Just what in the Hades were you thinking? Are you trying to get yourself killed?” the same voice from the cave demanded, only this time, she seemed more pissed than powerful. Her voice had lost the booming effect it had previously, but it was still sharp enough to send shivers down his spine.

Slowly Bucky lifted his eyes. The first thing he saw was a pair of black flats below black pleated pants. Looking further up he saw a black blazer covering a dark grey shirt, and further up still, he saw the face of a woman. She was quite beautiful in the way that something cold and hard like a statue was beautiful. He would’ve admired her features but he was too afraid of, and yet so enchanted by, her eyes. Her eyes, unlike most, weren’t a brown, blue, or green; no, they were red—a bright and fiery shade of scarlet that seemed to glow in the darkness of the Underworld. They held him trapped, hypnotized by the brilliant color.

He felt so small beneath her gaze, even though he was comparatively larger than she was.

She radiated power as she glowered down at him, the bident by her side making her even more intimidating. Her lips curled back in a snarl. “I asked you a question; answer me!”

Bucky flinched and started to stammer out, “I-I...”

She seemed exasperated by his loss of words and bent down to him.

He shied away, afraid that she was going to attack him, but she simply grabbed onto his wrist and pulled. Her skin was shockingly cold against his flesh and he inhaled sharply.

She dragged him to his feet and began to pull him after her as she walked away from the cave. She was beyond angry and that made her scary. The only saving grace was that her bident had seemingly melted into thin air, probably stored in some magical pocket somewhere. She was trembling with rage as she began to rant and rave, her grip never once loosening. “Of all the idiocy I have seen in my life, I have never seen someone as stupid as you. What kind of imbecile walks into the pit willingly? Do you have a death wish? Gods, it is not my fucking job to save daredevils from the edge of the pit.”

Bucky only stared at her, filled with confusion. His mind was racing a million miles an hour and he asked, “The pit?”

“Tartarus, you insolent fool!” she snapped, quickening her pace as she pulled him towards the place he’d come in. How she knew about the exit, Bucky didn’t know, but she continued speaking, “The prison of the worst souls known to man, the titans, and any monster you could dream of. How could you possibly—” She froze in her steps as if it suddenly dawned on her that she didn’t know who Bucky was. Rigidly, she looked over her shoulder, her red eyes glaring at him. “Who are you?”

“M-Me?”

“Yes, you!”

Bucky blanked. Who was he again? He could barely remember under her intense gaze. “I’m, uh… I’m Bu— James. I’m James, god of spring, son of—”

“Demeter,” she spat out, her voice dripping heavily with venom and contempt. “Great. Just fucking great. You’re a new god. And not just a new god, the fucking son of Demeter.” She pinched the bridge of her nose in between her thumb and forefinger and heaved a great sigh.

He stared at her, even more confused than before. “H-Her name is Winnifred,” he stuttered out, his voice cracking.

She rolled her eyes. “Same fucking difference. It’s the same woman.”

“Well, yes, I suppose. But wait! You know my mother?”

"Of course I know your goddamn mother. She hates my guts and I'm not too fond of her either.” The woman squeezed her eyes shut and let her head fall back with an even louder groan. “Gods, she's probably going to think I kidnapped you or something! Do you realize what you being down here means?"

“I—”

“Of course you don’t! How could you? You’re just some young, stupid, idiotic god who thinks he can go anywhere he pleases. Well, news flash, you’re not allowed to roam my domain without my permission. This is not a place for the living, and you’re lucky you escaped with only minor wounds.”

“Your domain?” Bucky furrowed his brows, his steps faltering. “Wait… Then, you’re—”

“Hades,” she confirmed. “But that’s just what the mortals call me. You need not know my name, you only need know that you have to leave. You were never supposed to be here in the first place and you will never get in again.” She dragged him towards the cave he’d entered the Underworld through and yanked him in.

Crossing the threshold, he could feel the immediate change in the air. He could feel life surging back to him as they entered the Mortal World. He could also feel Hades stumble as if the sudden rush of life was startling to her.

She pulled him through the Dikteon Cave and out into the sun at the mouth of the cave. “Where did you come from?” she demanded, her voice low and cold as her hands.

Bucky pointed down towards the clearing where he could just barely make out the figures of Sam and Steve.

She let go of his wrist and grabbed his upper arm instead. “Hold on.”

He didn’t get a chance to ask her what she meant, because she leaped up into the air and off the side of the mountain, pulling him with her. The wind whistled past his ears as they fell, and he had to trap the scream that was rising in his throat.

They landed on the edge of the clearing, the ground trembling beneath them. She released Bucky, throwing him forward a bit before straightening up and glaring at Steve and Sam who had started running over.

With her shoulders rolled back and her body completely in the light, Bucky could now observe her fully. The red had faded from her eyes, revealing a wonderful shade of (e/c) that had red-rimmed around the iris. Her skin was devoid of life and she had deep, dark circles covering the skin beneath her eyes. Bucky hated to admit it, but she almost looked dead. She was unsettling but in a gorgeous, powerful kind of way.

Steve ran over to Bucky’s side, his face panicked. “Buck,” he breathed out, “are you alright? What happened?”

“He went where he had no business going,” Hades answered, her voice agitated and disgruntled. “You two are his watchers, no?”

“U-Um, yes, Ma’am?” Steve responded, thoroughly anxious.

“Then fucking watch him,” she snapped, her voice suddenly growing in volume. “The Underworld is no place for fledgling gods who have no experience in the real world.”

Sam turned to Bucky, his eyes wide with alarm. He probably wanted to say something in their defense, but the only thing he asked was, “Did you get the ruby?”

Bucky could’ve smacked him.

Hades glowered at Sam. “What ruby? Explain yourselves.”

Bucky gulped. “It’s the reason I went down. My friend wanted a ruby and I thought I could find one in the Underworld and I…” He couldn’t even finish his sentence, realizing how stupid it was under her incredulous look.

“You mean to tell me you went to fucking Tartarus for a ruby? A single ruby that’s worth hardly anything to a god?”

“...Yes.”

She barked a bitter laugh, doubling over and placing her hands on her knees to steady herself. “I can’t believe this.” She held out her fingers, maintaining a small gap in between her thumb and forefinger, and a single, raw ruby, red as blood and the size of a large pebble, formed out of thin air. “Here. Take your damn ruby.” She chucked it at the ground at Bucky’s feet before narrowing her eyes at him. “You got what you came for, and now you have no reason to return. If I ever, and I mean ever, catch you in my realm again, I will teach you why the mortals call it Hell.” She spared the men one last snarl before taking a step away from them, digging something out of her pocket, and dropping the minuscule item on the ground.

At once, the ground trembled and shook and a hole opened up at her feet. The ground swallowed her, pulling her into the depths before closing up again like nothing ever happened. In her place stood a single flower with an elongated stem and a spike of white blossoms: an Asphodel.

Bucky’s gaze switched between the flower and the ruby until it finally settled on the jewel. Slowly he reached for the ruby and picked it up to examine it. It was heavy in his hand, beautiful and clear. It filtered the light that passed through it and cast odd shapes that mimicked its raw cut in red on his palm. But it wasn’t the ruby itself that mesmerized him, it was the color; the same color of her eyes. Bucky was certain that that shade of red would be burned into his memory for all eternity, and as he stood there with Sam and Steve fawning over him making sure he was okay and talking about getting him cleaned off and changed into new clothes because he “reeked of death”, he couldn’t help but think of her: Hades, the woman whose name he did not fully know, but whose face had suddenly washed over his mind and infiltrated every nook and cranny of his thoughts. His grip tightened over the ruby and he smiled to himself softly.

Next 3: Her Head Aches

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angelhummel · 4 years ago

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which season of every character you prefer?

Oof man idek where to start. I think I’m only gonna talk about the characters that we’re/I’m always talking about lol. And although it will be hard as hell for some of them, I am only going to focus on the positives

Kurt - Season 5. I just love seeing sexy mature Kurt being successful in all aspects of his life. He’s going to school, he’s in a band, he’s got a job. He’s making new friends, trying new things, having new adventures. I think he’s the most himself this season and it’s really fun and interesting to watch

Blaine - I like s2 and s6 for Blaine. Mostly because they’re kind of similar. Not that I don’t like seeing Blaine growing and changing but in those seasons he’s just so confident and knows who he is. He’s in a well suited position of authority over the Warblers. He’s helping newcomers (Kurt, Jane) adjust and trying to find where they belong. And especially in s6, he’s not trying to be a people pleaser. He’s looking out for himself and not letting himself get walked over and I love that for him

Rachel - Mid to late s4, early s5. I like seeing her out of McKinley and navigating her adult life, just like I like for Kurt. I also think she’s a good friend in these chunks of episodes and you know that’s important to me. I love her dynamics with Kurt and Santana and even Brody for a while. It’s a nice change of pace from Lima Rachel. Although I do have a soft spot for s1 Rachel. Yes she has her flaws but like she’s so lonely and sad and I really felt for her

Finn - Season 4. And we know what he does in s4. But for positives: I liked how he treated Artie and Unique and helped them with their problems. I liked that he was finding his place and learned he wanted to be a teacher. I liked his mini mentor relationships with the newbies. And he was a better teacher than Mr. Schuester so yay

Santana - Season 4. I hate that she’s not in it a lot but she still manages to have great moments and make a big impression. I love seeing her flirt with, kiss, and sleep with other girls without even a whisper of biphobia yay. I love how fiercely protective she is over Marley, who she just met, in Thanksgiving, and over Rachel in the later half of the season. I love that she went back to her old school to perform one of the main leads in the school play, and had the whole thing about wanting to dance. Because even if she was lost or confused, she still wanted to perform which makes me even saltier that they dropped that half way through s5 so she could fuck off with brittany oops

Brittany - Season 2. Her Britney and Kesha numbers were iconic. I actually liked Bartie, I thought their relationship was cute. I love her little speech to Santana in the season finale. “What are you going to be for Halloween?” “I’m going as a peanut allergy” is one of like four actually funny Brittany lines. And I’ll take a plot about Santa Claus over leprechauns or the Mayan apocalypse any day!

Mercedes - Season 5. Same with all the others, I just love seeing her being happy and successful in New York. She’s more radiant and confident and self assured than she’s ever been before. She’s successful and making her music but she’s still a loyal friend. Never too busy to help out her girls. Also I love that they took the whole “waiting till marriage” thing seriously and she never compromised her beliefs bc she thought it was what someone else wanted. I really do think she matured the most, especially there in the end of s5.

Tina - Season 1. Her punk and early goth looks were sooo fucking good. She was actually getting lines and solos and chances to shine?? Unheard of. She was sweet and funny and a good friend, but wasn’t about to put up with anyone’s bullshit. I’m not one of these dumb ass tHeY bUtChErEd HeR cHaRaCtEr people buuut they actually used her and appreciated her in s1 and I gotta go with that

Quinn - Season 1. She was the HBIC and it was interesting to see her journey. I said it somewhere else but for me, Quinn getting pregnant is like what kicked off the show. She had some good songs and lines, and tons of closeted lesbian moments lmao. Also this was the last time the show or any characters genuinely cared about her so that was nice to see

Sam - Season 2. Before he disappeared and came back and was kind of weird and then got the Brittany treatment and it was just a mess. I still love him but I can’t deny he shines brightest in s2. Showing up and instantly being better than Finn in every way. Being a loyal boyfriend who didn’t deserve the crap he got. Sticking up for Kurt and not caring about dumb homophobic opinions. And even though they weren’t all great, or all romantic, I love his relationships with Quinn, Santana, Mercedes, Rachel, and Kurt. All their scenes are honestly highlights of s2 for me

Aaand those are all the characters I care about! Or that anyone likes to talk about. I’m not really interested in the other boys, and anyone else who was introduced after s2 doesn’t get enough to do to be different in each season so. There you have it!

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alexrideraddict · 5 years ago

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HEY SOCKS: DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND READ NIGHTSHADE!!!

[This is quite long but I believe this book deserves all this praise. Please read! There are NO SPOILERS!]

It BLEW MY MIND by how much it completely surpassed my expectations. Now I know most of us are most familiar and devoted to the early iconic AR novels, the ones with TONS of explosions and gunfire and witty puns and banter. In my opinion as the series went on some novels were more boring; it felt like the same thing each new book. (Crocodile Tears for example, I thought didn’t add much of substance.) I loved Scorpia but Scorpia Rising felt like scattered, leftover pieces of a storyline. I was super glad when Never Say Die came out, continuing the series chronologically, but the book was kind of a bummer for me because it felt formulaic, the same thing over again. It felt like AH was just dragging the storyline along.

Don’t get me wrong, I love all the action scenes even if some seem repetitive in certain novels, but what I feel truly makes an AR book amazing is seeing Alex as a person, not just a spy. When you can feel Alex’s inner turmoil or sense of betrayal, like in Scorpia or even Snakehead with Ash, that’s what makes a novel great. Alex going over to Yassen at the end of Eagle Strike and accompanying him in his final moments spoke volumes about who he was as a person. The best Alex Rider books involve something personal to Alex where he shows his own character.

Enter Nightshade.

First off, we have a new criminal organization. I must say that Scorpia pales in comparison to Nightshade. (This isn’t a spoiler, it’s made clear from the beginning, even in the end of Never Say Die:) Nightshade uses children, which I think draws a stark comparison between them and MI6 with Alex. A huge tenet of the AR series is children being used in dark situations like spying, killing, etc. I think this new agency rings true to a this central topic of the series, all the more fitting for this agency to take hold in the storyline. Overall it’s like Scorpia but hitting closer to home for Alex because of the similar ages.

This also means some of the main antagonists are Alex’s age. I won’t get too much into it here since many of you may not have read it yet but let’s just say that the dynamic between a teen spy and teen killer(s) is much different than one of a teen spy and power-hungry old guy who wants to take over the world (a.k.a. the main villain of basically every other AR novel lol).

What I love most about this novel is that you see Alex’s character, his compassion even in the most unlikely circumstances, his care for people both close to him and even enemies. I don’t think any other novel illustrates this as much as Nightshade, not even close. And I think there’s a good reason earlier novels didn’t: when Alex first starts going on missions, he’s a little bit cocky and a smart-ass (all those iconic insults!). It’s not until much later in the series, especially Scorpia Rising, where we see the traumatizing toll his work has taken on him. Alex has grown up. Of course, there’s still some golden sassy one-liners in Nightshade, but my impression of Alex in Nightshade was one who was more cautious and careful, aware of repercussions, and thoughtful. There’s a hilarious chapter where he manages to cause a ton of chaos but overall, he wants to minimize who gets hurt. There’s definitely a shift in Alex that’s different from the most early novels, but I think it’s a good change that really shows his increased maturity and experience and takes the storyline to even greater heights.

Second, the plot itself is paced superbly and you don’t want to put the book down. The plot is interesting and this novel really does a great job of putting in foreshadowing that doesn’t hit you until the moment it is used and you just go “wow so THAT’S what it was for!” There’s less explosions/fighting than previous novels, but I didn’t mind because it goes with how Alex wants to minimize chaos. I was literally holding my breath for certain scenes. What really makes this story pop is how in certain scenes, I didn’t really know what Alex was going to do next. Once again, he shows his own character by some of the decisions he makes. Overall, though, I believe the storyline in Nightshade is way more well-constructed than most of the books in the series. The foreshadowing is awesome, when Alex gets out of certain situations it’s never in a cheap, deus-ex-machina way. This novel is quintessentially Alex 100%. That’s what I love about it.

Third, you get to learn so much about MI6. Granted, MI6 is much different in this novel compared to previous ones due to Smithers and Blunt leaving earlier, so it’s basically just Mrs. Jones and Crawley. But you get to see a much more human side of them and their personalities, and MI6′s weakness at times. You learn SO MUCH about Mrs. Jones, and I’m really glad her story is becoming much more prominent in the overall storyline as it really ties the constant key players from the start of the series together now as time has passed. Personally, I’ve always kind of loved Crawley and he really shines in this novel as he has a much more prominent role. Something new I learned this book was that Crawley has ATTITUDE(!!) and is overall, a badass. #stancrawley

Fourth, this book highlights Alex and Tom’s friendship better than any other novel, even Scorpia in my opinion. Tom is also a badass, that’s all I’m gonna say. (Jack is also a badass, but let’s be honest, we knew that already since Stormbreaker.) Nightshade also highlights Jack and Alex’s relationship and overall, the bonds between everyone in this series. (Not rly a spoiler since it doesn’t have anything to do with the plot but there’s not even a mention of Sabina in this book but honestly I breathed a sigh of relief at that. Thank god we’ve escaped from her at last.)

Lastly, the book really does take a new direction for the overarching Alex Rider storyline. There’s the organization of Nightshade and a bunch of new characters introduced, mostly antagonists. BUT THEY’RE ALL HIGHLY INTERESTING GREAT CHARACTERS THAT YOU WANT TO READ MORE ABOUT!! Early AR novels gave us the icons Yassen Gregorovich and Julius Grief, now Nightshade has given us ****** ****. (<-- not trying to give spoilers so once you have finished the book, figure out the name that spells this. Hint: monkey toy) This character has filled the hole in my soul that Yassen and Julius left. If you’re looking for a new baddie to appreciate, look no further than that guy. (I rly do be shipping him with Alex...)

Basically, this Nightshade book has given me newfound hope in the continuation of the series. (Never Say Die took away this hope big time but it’s all back now!) I have been reminded of why I love this series from reading this book. Nightshade has everything you want in an AR novel but with deeper meaning and connections between characters. Anthony Horowitz, I forgive you for the infamous crime of the Fox/Wolf identity mishap; you have proven yourself with this book. I am so excited for the future of this series after seeing how good this book turned out.

IN CONCLUSION, IF YOU LOVE ALEX RIDER PLEASE READ NIGHTSHADE ASAP. IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO WARRANT ME WRITING A WHOLE ESSAY HERE ON WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT!! REBLOG AND SPREAD THE WORD, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, GO READ NIGHTSHADE!!!

#alex rider #alexrider #nightshade #anthony horowitz #alex rider tv #new book #new books #book review #review

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vgperson · 5 years ago

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What Did I Do In 2019?

#vgperson

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annieandjakemovies · 4 years ago

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Iron Man 3

When Jon Favreau kicked off Marvel's amazing string of interconnected superhero films with the first Iron Man back in 2008, I doubt if he knew exactly what he was getting himself into. The second film (which Favreau also directed) was saddled with the unenviable task of fitting in tons of references to S.H.I.E.L.D., resulting in a disaster that felt more like a calculated piece of franchise set-up than a real movie. But now Favreau has wisely handed off directing duties to Lethal Weapon writer Shane Black, and he has reinvigorated the Iron Man series with its best entry yet. Iron Man 3 is smart, clever, fun, full of surprises, overflowing with action, and loaded with terrific moments. It's the perfect way to kick off Phase Two of Marvel's Cinematic Universe.

Iron Man 3 Co-writer/Director: Shane Black Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Ben Kingsley, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall

The events of The Avengers have rattled Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.). He can't sleep, spending nights in his lab tinkering with new models of Iron Man suits and worrying about protecting his girlfriend and Stark Industries CEO Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). A terrorist called The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) has become increasingly brash with his attacks against the United States, threatening the life of the President and setting off mysterious bombs around the country. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes (Don Cheadle) has been re-branded from War Machine to the red, white, and blue Iron Patriot and tasked with putting an end to the Mandarin's reign. Meanwhile, scientist Aldrich Killian (Guy Pearce) - a socially awkward Jim-Carrey-as-Edward-Nygma-in-Batman-Forever-type who Tony ignores in an opening flashback sequence - has created a new healing technology called Extremis and is trying to speed along the next step in human evolution.

It's no accident that the film's first images are of Stark's Iron Man suits being destroyed in an explosion. This movie is all about stripping Tony of everything he loves and having him start from scratch, so much so that at one point he actually builds a makeshift new suit for himself out of parts from a hardware store. It's a much more personal, character-centric story than the previous film, and though flying through that wormhole haunts Tony's dreams, that's about the extent of references to other movies in the Marvel universe. The story, written by Shane Black and Drew Pearce, puts Stark's insecurities on display and makes him question not only his superhero identity, but how much that identity defines him. It's not so much Iron Man 3 as it is Tony Stark 3, if that makes sense.

Black popularized the modern buddy cop dynamic when he was only 23 years old with Lethal Weapon, and in the ensuing years he's carved out a specific and recognizable writing style. He's only directed one other movie thus far - 2005's underseen but brilliant Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, also starring Downey - but Iron Man 3 doesn't feel like a sophomore effort in the slightest. Black has been around this business long enough to know exactly what he's doing, and he made the jump to a project of this budget and scale with ease. It's surprising how much it truly feels like a Shane Black film, too; I don't know if it's because this is the first movie in Marvel's Phase Two, making it unburdened with having to weave all of the studio's moving parts together, or that they just allowed Black the creative freedom to do what he wanted, but fans of his previous work are really going to be happy with what he does here.

The story beats all work wonderfully within the themes and parameters of the series so far. In the second movie, scenes seemed to be thrown together with very little sense paid to character motivation; in this one, everything from the "creation" of Killian as a villain (you'll see what I mean in the film) to the way Tony is forced to deal with himself as a man instead of as a hero feels totally organic to this specific story being told. Even the action sequences - of which there are a ton, and almost all of them are jaw-droppingly excellent - feel natural and not boxes on a checklist being ticked by blank suits behind the scenes. The destruction of Tony's Malibu mansion is absolutely beautiful to behold, and the sky diving sequence seen in many of the trailers instantly ranks as one of the best sky-diving action scenes ever committed to film. Iron Man 3 is fast-paced and often genuinely thrilling, and though those should be given qualities for a summer blockbuster, it doesn't always shake out that way.

Ben Kingsley's performance as The Mandarin is one of the film's highlights. He's a terrorist who uses the media as his main weapon, inciting fear and inspiring anti-American sentiment in cells around the world. His iconic line - "You'll never see me coming" - takes on a different meaning in the wake of the recent Boston bombings, but as unfortunately represented in real life events, that randomness is utterly terrifying. Guy Pearce's Aldrich Killian seems like he should have been in an X-Men movie with all his talk of recoding DNA and creating the next step in human evolution, but Pearce is consistently mesmerizing playing villainous roles, so even though his character is probably the most tonally inconsistent with the rest of the characters in the movie, he still excels. Rebecca Hall also does fine work in a small role as one of his employees, but having seen her shine in other movies, it's tough not to think she's too good for what she's given here.

As usual, Downey is perfect as Tony Stark, bringing a humanity and conflicted struggle to the character that we haven't seen before. Gwyneth Paltrow finally gets a handful of moments to shine this time, and Don Cheadle seems a lot more comfortable as Rhodey here. He and Tony have some great moments together, their banter is always a highlight, and Cheadle also gets to take part in a lot more action outside of the confines of his suit as well, so it's fun to physically see these guys actually working together instead of just hearing their voices while a whirl of CGI flies around on screen.

After a disappointing second movie and in the wake of the massive box office success that is The Avengers, the folks at Marvel seem to have righted the ship for this particular franchise. Iron Man 3 is witty, surprising, and spectacular all the way through to its fantastic end credits sequence. It's sad to think that Downey can't play this character forever, but it's also intensely satisfying to know that we'll always be able to cherish this movie, which is as close to perfect as an Iron Man film can get. Until next time...

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popculture-etc · 4 years ago

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Golden Child - Take a Leap (4th Mini album): A review

Tonight, there’s a lull and today, I just received this one in the mail. I got the Version B which came with a Daeyol 1/4th-ish huge solo poster and finally, a Sungyoon/Y photocard. Yay!

Lately, I’ve taken to collecting Golden Child, Infinite’s Kim Sunggyu (I have some coming in the mail soon) and Pentagon albums from Woollim Entertainment and Cube Entertainment respectively since getting a full time job a couple years---I’ve just resigned this year so, yeah. I’m after other opportunities yet even with the pandemic hovering around us still so yep, good luck to all of us at this time moving forward...well, not to sound all that ominous but yeah...

Anyway, should I post a lot of the other purchases I’ve had since getting into kpop just a couple or three years ago? I started with Beast, they’re now Highlight, and it snowballed from there. Lol. Now, I’m settled into both Pentagon and Golden Child and at times, Infinite---I have a bias on Kim Sunggyu thanks to his shining, very charming, sooo adorkable personality in variety shows---as of late.

Yes, back to this one, Golden Child’s Take A Leap...

I’m on the fourth track now and I LOVE how easy going 혼잣말 is!

Just a quick rundown of my first brush with Golden Child

I first got into Golden Child because of their first release, their debut album. SEA was my first introduction to them and the conclusion of Woollim Pick, their first showcase (it’s on youtube, yes) and their MV for it still are my go-to’s for feel good Golden Child tracks. It domino’d from there and I’d become a solid fan when It’s U, Genie and Let Me came out. It did take awhile for me to get to know them well and until now I’m still unfamiliar with the members outside of Joochan, Y/Sungyoon (he’s my current bias, yes), Jangjun, Daeyol (I know him because of Infinite’s Sungyeol, lol) Tag and Bomin. I’m still more familiar with Pentagon, not gonna lie, because I’d been following this one since their 2016 debut (I had a Yuto bias and I still have a Yuto bias where Pentagon is concerned, yes but I’ve been wavering a bit as of late so...lol).

But yes, like my attachment to Pentagon, I got into Golden Child because of their music. I had their first and second mini albums on my phone on eternal repeat---I play them along with some of Pentagon’s tracks right before work, when I’m getting for work at the office...when we weren’t home based yet due to SARS-COV-2 pandemic, yes. I did say SEA was my fist intro to them so yes, music is always what makes me get into boygroups, kpop or otherwise.

All of that out of the way, hmn...this album, Take A Leap, doesn’t disappoint. It’s not as disjointed as their first full album and the repackaged one---this, I can confidently say. It’s GREAT for a lull-some friday night, chill and easy listening. It’s definitely money well-spent and a pre-order that didn’t result to disappointment. If there’s one thing I love about Woollim Entertainment, it’s that their artists’ album intros are HELLA GOOD. It’s the one thing I loved with Infinite’s Top Seed, Golden Child’s first full album and it carried onto this one, Take A Leap 4th mini-album. This one didn’t have the solo or duo or trio songs that the full album and repackaged albums have so it’s definitely more cohesive, much like it’s an ode to their older mini-albums that I loved. Golden Child just keeps giving the goods, huh? In my opinion, in my pop-music-loving book, YES! Now, I’m not saying that the full album and repackaged full album wasn’t as cohesive, I just thought some songs from these two were skip-worthy and Take A Leap’s...just has no track worth skipping, yes.

TL;DR, I wouldn’t skip anything from Golden Child’s Take a Leap, yes. And it’s well sooo...worth the 800-900 Php I spent for this thing on pre-order. (insert a ton of hearts here)

I liked the sunnier, lighter, more GOLDEN, Golden Child way back but I love their transition into the darker, edgier sound too.

I won’t go too in depth with the tracks in the album but I’ll just say: the songs transition seamlessly from intro to the last one that you’ll want to put the whole album on repeat the whole of this chill Friday night in when you listen to said album in. Off tangent, but what better time to do so than around this time of a global health crisis when movement is very, very limited. Yes. Back on topic, I haven’t watched One (Lucid Dream)’s music video much and given it the number of views it deserves but yes, Take A Leap is no disappointment to people who purchased it for their listening pleasure like myself.

And with this, I’ll leave this one here: I’ll keep supporting Golden Child (and Pentagon), yes. I’m always up for high quality, easy listening music and they hardly ever really disappoint with every release.

#Golden Child #Take a Leap #Take a Leap (Version B)#Golden Child - Take a Leap (4th Mini-Album)#Woollim Entertainment #mini-album review #kpop #music #pop music #easy listening on a friday night #friday night easy listening #new purchase #just arrived #thanks to Arasseoni on twitter instagram fb and her website

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