#just needed to put my feelings in context | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

danysdragon · 1 day ago

Text

Haunted

Aemond Targaryen x ghost!niece!reader

Summary: Aemond Targaryen is haunted by the ghost of the girl whose life was stolen at the hands of himself. He is fighting a mental battle, seeing her face in the shadows and walking about the Red Keep is truly a torturous and haunting sight…

Warnings: 18+ mdni! Brief mentions of smut. Dark context! Manipulation, taunting, blood, haunting, Aemond being in denial, large mentions of death!! Reader teasing Aemond and making him feel bad, Aemond crying, Aemond’s ego being beaten, mostly just regret and denial. Drunk Aegon, Aegon teasing Aemond, Aegon being a dick.

A/N: soooo… I was super excited to write this because it was on my mind for a while! I love the Aemond getting haunted ideas! I hope you love reading this story just as much as I loved writing it💋💋💋💋💋 the photos do not describe the reader in any way!

Aemond Targaryen is haunted. Haunted by the girl who stole his eye all those years ago. Haunted by the girl whose life he stole. He doesn’t know if he regrets what he did or not. But he does know that he is going to lose his sanity if she continues this. This little game of hers. She taunts him, and teases him. She enjoys it more than she enjoyed taking his eye, he thinks. When he sees her, he sees the blood seeping out of the soft skin of her stomach, her dress being stained by the red liquid. When her dragon was hit by dragonfire, it began going down. And she went down with it. She hit the rocks in the sea, dying immediately. She washed up on shore days later. He killed both her and her dragon. He did not mean for that to happen, though. You see, he was angry. He wanted revenge for what she did to him, but he never meant to take it that far. Now she’s dead, and it’s is his fault. It is also his fault this war has started. Rhaenyra was crushed after the death of her daughter, declaring war and demanding Aemond’s head. Alicent was also livid. Livid at how careless Aemond was with his actions resulting in the brutal killing of the girl. The girl he has reluctantly grown to love, but he shouldn’t. She’s dead because of him. And it doesn’t help that he sees her face every fucking day.

It was a busy day in the Red Keep. Helaena and Alicent attended Jahaerys’ funeral, Aegon killed one of the men that took the life of his boy, and Aemond visited a brothel. Aemond has been visiting the brothel a lot lately. He’s only doing this because of his conflicting emotions regarding the recent death of his niece. He needed comfort that his mother could not give him. He has come back and began thinking. He sits by the fire, waiting for her to show up. She always shows up around this time. He has taught himself not to be frightened of her visits, it will only make this battle worse.

He gazes at the flames dancing atop the burning wood in the fireplace. He pouts his lips in thought. The chair he sits on tonight is uncomfortable, more than usual. He can feel her presence, though, she hasn’t spoken yet. He will not look up from the fire until he hears her silky voice. “It is your fault he is dead.” She speaks, finally. Her voice is quiet now, compared to her voice when she was falling. Down and down, into the water. He sighs, his hand clenching into a fist against the arm rest of the chair. “Whose death are you speaking of?” He asks, knowing who she is speaking of, but wanting her to say it herself. “The boy. It was an action made in my mother’s words “blood for blood.” She spoke those words because of you. What you did to me.” He stands up, facing her. She is standing next to his chair, looking into his eye.

“Must you taunt me so?” The Kinslayer asks, not being able to look into her cold eyes. She doesn’t answer. She puts a finger on his chin, making him look up at her. “You did this to me, uncle. You put me here.” He is forced to look into her eyes, now not being able to look away. “Stop it, you’re not truly here.” He forces out. He sees the coldness, the anger, but also the teasing in her eyes. “Oh, but I am. I am in your skin, in your mind… In your heart. I am a part of you now, Aemond.” She takes a step closer, her cold lips nearly touching his. “You are nothing but a ghost, haunting me, torturing me.” Her eyes darken. “Is that all I am to you? Just another soul you snatched away because of your greed and selfishness?” She whispers to him, her voice like a soft breeze in a green forest. He sucks in a sharp breath, wanting to reach out and touch her. To pull her close to him and claim her body as he claimed her life. But he also wants to push her away at the same time. “Stop it.”

He is just about to push her back when he hears a loud knock on his door. Too aggressive to be a simple servant. He looks to the door then back at her, gently pushing her to leave. She sighs and takes a step back into the shadows, disappearing from his sight. He lets out a breath and sits back down in his large arm chair. “Enter.” He grumbles. The large, wooden door creaks open and he soon hears the irritating sounds of Aegon’s drunken laughter. He fights the urge to yell at him to get out, wanting to see his beautiful, darling niece again. The door shuts and Aegon plops down onto Aemond’s bed, still giggling like a child. “Evening brother, I hope I’m not interrupting your… conversations with your little ghosts and such.” He says with a chuckle, looking at his brother. Aemond wonders why Aegon is drunk now. “What do you want brother?” Aemond hisses, not in the mood for Aegon’s antics. “I just wanted to speak to you about… this war, and all these deaths. Father, my son… our niece.” Aemond winces at the mention of his niece. Aegon knows he struck a nerve. That’s what he does, he loves taunting Aemond until he snaps. “What about them?” Aemond isn’t in the mood for Aegon’s games. He doesn’t look at the king, thinking that if he looked, he would become even more irritated.

“Oh, you know… I was thinking. Thinking about you. And our sweet niece. I always thought that there was something between you both. Until you killed her. I wouldn’t be surprised if you two fucked while the Blacks were here to see our dying father. Perhaps it was in your bed, or in a closet… Or on the dining table-“ Aemond snaps. “Get out.” Aegon stops laughing and looks at Aemond, a bit offended and confused. “Sorry? I don’t think I heard you correctly, brother.” Aemond stands up and faces Aegon, peering into his soul like a predator eyeing its prey. “Get out, brother. Now.” Aegon’s eyes darken and his smile completely fades. “Alright then. I’ll leave.” He gets up and begins walking to the doors. He stops and looks at the prince. “It’s a shame she’s dead. I know how badly you yearn for her.” He finally leaves, shutting the door with a small slam. The young prince lets out an irritated sigh, sitting back down. The fire is slowly dying.

He can feel her presence back again. She gently puts her hands on his shoulders behind him, her hands cold. He feels this pain in his heart. He knows she is not truly here, and it’s his fault. He did that to her. And now he’s haunted because of what he did, forever haunted by the ghost of his sweet niece. The girl that was simply trying to protect her brothers all those years ago, causing him to lose an eye. She leans down and gently presses her frigid lips to his jaw. He lets out a small hum, not stopping her from commencing her actions. Her lips slowly trail down to his upper neck, just under his jaw. Her tongue darts out of her mouth to taste his smooth skin. He lets out a small whimper of pleasure and need as he feels her tongue dance on his skin. He feels her hand snake around his throat, squeezing a bit, not hard enough to choke him, but hard enough to make him feel it. She sucks and nips at his sweet spot, enjoying the sounds he’s making. Until she suddenly stops. And he no longer feels her lips on his neck and her hand on his throat. He doesn’t feel her at all. She’s disappeared once again. He sighs at the loss of contact, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair.

Until next time, ghostly girl.

Hello loves! I hope you enjoyed reading! This was a short one but I truly enjoyed writing it. Hope you liked it!💋

-Liv💋

#aemond targaryen #house of the dragon #aemond targaryen x reader #ghosts #fanfic #ewan mitchell #ewan mitchell x reader

76 notes · View notes

fashionteahouse · 2 days ago

Note

ONG I loved ur LSD I need more. Why were they in the room?why have Paul and reader sleeping together? How does the pack feel about this?….

I need answers 😩

omg thank youuu 🤭 ur questions will be answered hope you enjoy :)

L$D - reader x embry and paul x rachel

AN: for context, read: part 1 here this part is more or so the backstory that leads up to part 1. sorry if this story is too long :s

Rachel lounged comfortably as the afternoon sun was shining through the windows.

You lounged next to her. Rachel didn’t allow many people to be on her bed, but you both were very close.

One thing you liked about Rachel, was her openness. However, it was exclusive for those she handpicked to be in her life. Rachel enjoyed how you didn’t experience too much of life without her, she loved the curiosity and zest for life that you had. There have been instances where she had introduced you to things.

She was blunt. She didn’t care. That’s why your mouth was a bit open, not due to shock, but with what she said.

“We became open.”

“Huh?” you question her.

She makes a face that’s proving to you that she’s not lying.

“You could do that?” you ask her.

“Yeah.” she says as she laughs a little, “We agreed on conditions of course.”

“Do tell.” you say, itching for more information.

“I pick the girl. He picks the guy.”

“I guess…That’s fair.” you say.

You couldn’t imagine you and Embry being open. He’s all you’ve ever known. You felt the devotion from Embry to know that he would never go behind you. He told you everything. Sometimes, too much.

You also didn’t know, that imprints could do such a thing. Rachel must’ve seen the conflicted look on your face as she scarily answers the questions that was in your head.

“Paul is in the palm of my world. He just wants me happy. I’m the one who suggested it.”

You’re now in shock. Rachel being the one to give the green light was not what you expected.

“Guys usually are the ones I hear about suggesting open relationships.” you say, but then again, you were going off of the media you have consumed.

Rachel laughs at your statement.

“But, at least tell me why. I thought you and Paul were like…I don’t know, perfect.”

“I have needs as well. I like the feeling of not being tied down or feeling like I’m the reason the person who’s with me is tied down. I enjoy my bit of fun. Especially, since I’m still young.” she says.

“I hope it works out for you guys. You are my couple goals.” you say in a playful manner.

Rachel laughs again, “Who are you telling? You and Embry are already like a married couple.”

“Yeah right.” you quietly say as you wave her off.

“It’s true.” she says still chuckling.

You’re quiet and she notices.

“Hey, I’m sorry. I just think you and Embry are like the ideal imprint couple.”

You start thinking, “Hm…”

Paul came home. You couldn’t help but to watch them as they greeted each other. It was as if the talk that you and Rachel had was nothing.

“I’m gonna head back. Embry’s probably going to try to eat tv dinners so I have to make him something to eat.”

“Boooo.” Paul says in a teasing tone and Rachel laughs as she couldn’t help it.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll see you guys later.” you say and exit out of their shared home.

You hear Embry’s fork clatter down softly and you look up.

“What are you thinking about?” he asks.

“Nothing, really.” you say but he’s not convinced.

“If it’s nothing, then why are you thinking about it?” he asks. You softly sigh.

“It’s only girl talk with Rachel, really.” you say.

He leaves it at that.

Rachel sings along to the radio, as she stops at a red light.

You were in the passenger seat, waiting to go the restaurant she had plans on going to.

A car, pulls beside her to also wait for the red light to change green.

You watch as the two exchange looks, before putting down their windows, exchanging phone numbers.

“Him?” you ask as you both follow the waiter to the booth you were walking to.

As you sit down, tell the waiter the drinks you both want, Rachel tells you.

“If anything, he can just eat me out.”

“Wow.” you breathe out. The waiter comes back and you and Rachel take a sip of the freshly filled drinks. You tell the waiter what you both would like to eat.

“Why not just have Paul do it? Don’t you love him?” you ask.

“I love that he allows me to do what I want.” she says with a smile as she placed the straw in her lips.

You don’t notice her, but she stares at you for a moment before changing the topic.

Rachel’s fingers type back and forth as she messaged the person who seen her at the red light. He was a bit corny. She sighed to herself as she lessened her sentences to him, feeling totally uninterested.

“What’s wrong with you?” Paul asks as he placed a kiss on her temple.

“This guy is lame.”

“I thought I was picking the guy.”

“You haven’t picked anyone yet.” Rachel says, showing signs of impatience. Paul lays back on his pillow.

“You won’t like who I pick.” Paul states as he grins a bit.

“Who?”

“I haven’t figured it out yet.” he says, “In the meantime, stop giving lames the time of day.”

“How do I know you aren’t doing the same.” Rachel teases as she fluffed her pillow.

“You know me.” he simply says. She couldn’t argue with that.

You and Rachel sat on Emily’s porch swing. You whispered to each other. The wolves were in the home and you both wanted some type of privacy from their supernatural hearing.

“I didn’t talk to that guy again.” Rachel whispers.

“I’m just curious. If you’re picking the girl, would it be a random stranger you would think is cute or what?”

Rachel sits back about as the swing swung.

“Someone I would trust. I know Paul and girls will think they can fuck him good enough to take me out of the equation.” she whispers but rolls her eyes at such thought.

“Do you think he shares the same fear?”

“Maybe. But, he knows I wouldn’t like..Leave him.” Rachel whispers.

Paul bursts out onto the porch and you and Rachel jump a bit.

“Yeah, what were you two doing?” he says as he flops right in the middle of you two.

“Being interrupted. What do you want?” Rachel asks.

“To see what you two were whispering about.” he whispers in a dramatic way.

“Nothing.” you whisper back as if you were telling a scary story.

Paul chuckled at this.

Rachel looks at you.

Embry comes out, smiling a bit when he sees you.

You rise and hug him.

“You ready to go?” he asks you. You nod and wave bye to both of them. Rachel watched as Paul watched you walk off with Embry.

Later that night, Embry snored softly beside you.

Your phone buzzed as you watched tv in the bedroom you two shared, you made sure the volume wasn’t distracting.

“I have a question”

“Oh god.” you thought in your head. It was from Rachel and you knew this would not be innocent question.

“I feel like I should be scared to know”

You type back.

Another buzz hits you as you read the message.

“Aren’t you at least curious to know how it feels to have experience to compare?”

You look to the sleeping Embry before typing back.

“It’s never really crossed my mind. I haven’t really thought of it too much.”

You wait for a reply but you don’t get one. You just continue watching your television.

That next morning, you and Embry ate before he had to leave for patrol.

“Can I ask you something?” you ask him.

“Sure. What’s up.” he answers and starts chewing.

“Would you…Hm…What would you do if I told you I wanted an open relationship?” you ask him.

He looks up from his food, “Is..That what you want?”

“No I- It’s just a thought.” you say.

You watch as he chews and thinks for a moment, “I mean..I would ask why you would want one of course. But, ultimately, I would want to know if…That’s what’s going to make you happy.”

You nod as you digest this.

As you and Rachel walked along the somewhat empty beach, you both fall into talk.

“I asked Embry what he would do if I asked for an open relationship.” you tell her.

“What did he say.” she says with a curious grin.

“He said he would want to know why and would want to know if that’s what would make me happy.” you tell her.

“But, would you?” she asks.

“Would I what?”

“Ask him for one?” she asks again.

You sigh softly, “I don’t know. Probably not. But, I am curious.”

“About what?”

You look to her before feeling a wave of shame, “You said something about that guy…Eating you out. Embry’s not into it.”

“Whaaat!” she says as she stops her steps to look at you.

“Rach, come on.” you groan.

“No, you come on. What do you mean Embry’s not into it.”

You shrug quickly, “I don’t know. Going down on each other is just…Something we just don’t do.”

Rachel scoffs, “So, what. You both do the same positions? All the time?”

“So what if we do. We’re both fine with it. It’s not like I’m missing out-”

“Okay, that’s enough. I’ve heard enough. Y/N, come on. The white light is what you’re missing out on.” she says with a hand held up and shakes her head.

You stuff your hands in your pockets and look into the distance.

“Look, don’t hate me after I say this.” she says.

You look at her.

“If I had to pick a girl for Paul, it would be you.”

Your eyes widen.

“Just hear me out.” she says.

“Rachel-“

“Just hear me out. I trust you more than anyone and..I feel like you should at least know what it feels like to have fun with sex.”

Your hands cover your face.

“Look, I’m not saying you’re going to sleep with Paul. It’s just how I feel at the moment.”

You waited at home for Embry to walk in, any moment.

Your mind kept thinking back to the conversation you and Rachel had earlier.

Your mind was uncomfortable but you did wonder if there was a way to spice up you and Embry’s intimacy.

You greet him with a hug and a sensual kiss.

“Hey.” he says softly as he looks at you. You lean back into another kiss.

He got the idea, kissing you back.

Before he did the usual of sleeking himself against your wetness before sinking in, you whisper to him, “Can you…?”

“Can I what?” he asks back, dripping in velvet.

You rub his arm to add onto the persuasion, “You know..Eat me out?”

He pauses and gives a look, “Where’s this coming from?”

“I thought it would be fun.” you say, “It’s fine. Just come here.”

You want him to lay on his back, which he does, but you move your body down on him.

He watched as you then try to put him close to your mouth but he catches you. “Y/N. What are you doing?” he says with a smile.

“I thought it would be fun.” you say, shrugging.

“Yeah, but…” he trails off, you picked up on his uncomfortable smile.

“Sorry. I’m sorry.” you say and kiss him on the face instead, trying to bring the mood back into the room.

He lets his hands caress your body, choosing to use his fingers, not his tongue.

He did the usual, but you didn’t come as hard as you usually did.

In Rachel and Paul’s home, Rachel talked to him as she brushed her teeth. He washed his body while she did so.

“I was on patrol with Embry. Apparently Y/N asked him what he would do if she asked to be open.” he says as the water runs down his body.

Rachel slows her brushing, “Really?” She already knew from you, but she had no idea that Embry would still think about it.

“Yeah.” he says laughing to himself a bit.

“How did he feel about it. Y/N told me she asked him and told me what he said to her.”

The water turns off and he grabs a towel.

“I feel fucked up but he didn’t know I was around, he kept picturing Y/N with someone else. How he felt? Horny as fuck.” he says snickering.

He left Rachel to have it sit on her brain.

Embry had a lot of things on his mind. He barely engaged in conversations at Emily’s.

He watched you and Rachel talk and laugh about. He then observed how Paul was also watching you two. Unwanted thoughts began to flow through his brain.

He wondered if something in you and Rachel’s conversation is what made you ask him to go down on you. He knew that type of talk to especially come from Paul.

As they all rise to move into the dining room to eat, Embry was snapped out his thoughts as Paul slapped him on the shoulder, “You coming?”

Embry shakes out his deep thoughts, “Yeah.”

Embry ate silently as everyone else around him was falling into the fundamentals of an enjoyable dinner.

You noticed his silence. You still made sure to snake your hand in his. Rachel noticed as well. You two would’ve bantered a bit about something if this was any other time. She didn’t say anything though as she continued her dinner.

You and Rachel were saying your final goodbyes to each other as Paul pulled Embry to the side. Paul tried to make conversation with him, but Embry was acting stand offish. Feeling like he didn’t do anything to him, Paul says, “What’s up with you?”

“Nothing, man.” Embry shrugs.

“I was just checking because you’re not acting like it’s nothing.” Paul says, clearly spending enough time with him to catch him in a lie.

Embry brings on a small grin, “Yeah, it’s nothing. I’ll see you tomorrow.” They both nod off to each other as each went their own direction.

You waited for Embry in bed. He climbed in and kissed you goodnight.

You rub his shoulder and press a light kiss on his neck. Saying it without hardness he lets you know, “I want to, just not tonight. I gotta get up early.”

You slump back and tell him, “Okay.”

You shake your head as you vent. You and Rachel were in a parking lot eating take out. You felt frustrated. It was in the spur of the moment. You couldn’t sleep because you knew that any other time, he would’ve stayed up anyways.

“Since when did he care that he had to get up early.” you say and remember the times where Sam chastised him about being late all because he would leave at the last minute.

“Paul did say he wasn’t like himself.” Rachel mused.

“Unbelievable. I don’t understand. Things were good but I don’t know anymore. With Embry, I knew everything.” you say.

“Well, just try to talk to him.” She says.

You closed the now empty container and had an epiphany.

“What?” Rachel asks as she’s watching you just rack your mind.

“I think it’s my fault.” you say and slump your shoulders.

“What? Why would on earth would you think that?” she asks.

“Things got a little..I don’t know, different since I asked him-“ you say and shake your head.

“Asked him what? What did you ask him?” Rachel asks.

You debrief Rachel about what happened when you asked Embry to go down on you.

“It’s okay. It’s nothing to beat yourself up over.” Rachel says.

“But, I’m the one who made things weird!” you exclaim.

“Did he say that?”

“No-“

“Then you didn’t.” she says deadpanning.

You go back to her home with her.

“Hey.” you both greet Paul as he sits in the living room watching sports. He mumbled a greeting back.

You follow Rachel up the stairs.

You lie your back on the mattress and stare at the ceiling.

“Stop thinking about it, Y/N.”

“How could I not.” you say.

Rachel rested her head on the hand of her bent elbow.

“I literally started bringing things up out of nowhere.” you say.

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Just ask him again.”

Paul comes in and shakes his head at Rachel. Rachel looks, “What?”

“Where’s my kiss?” he asks.

“Where’s my kiss?” she asks and mocks his greeting when you and her came in the door.

This makes Paul laugh and you look away and felt the bed dip and hear a smack from them.

You felt a brush on your leg and look and groan. You didn’t expect Paul to fully make out with Rachel. This makes both Paul and Rachel pull from each other’s lips as they laughed.

“Alright, Rachel I’ll see you later.” you say and move to stand.

“No. No. Okay, get out Paul.” she says. You chuckle a bit.

“How are you kicking me out of my own room?” he asks and gets even more comfortable.

“Me and Y/N are talking.” she says.

“Why can’t we all talk?”

“Don’t you have a game to watch?” you ask to him as you sit next to Rachel on the bed.

“They lost. Now, I’m bored.” he says.

“Not our problem.” Rachel says.

“You two passing secrets or something?” he teases.

“Yeah, it’s about how I can’t stand you.” Rachel says sarcastically.

“I caught you two whispering. I want in on the scoop.” he says.

You swallow and Paul immediately notices and mischievously chuckles, “Something’s up.”

“Nothing’s up. God, you’re so annoying.” Rachel sighs out.

“Alright. Ask who again?” he challenged, letting you both know it didn’t move past his ears as he came up the steps.

“None of your buisness.” you say but it wasn’t confident. Paul had fun with this.

“Who do you think I am?” he says shaking his head, still smirking.

You narrow your eyes at him.

“I can tell you something.” he says enticingly. Rachel playfully smack him on the arm.

“Don’t fall for it, Y/N.” Rachel says.

“Even you don’t even know what I’m about to say.” he says to Rachel and this makes her take a look a him. He wasn’t kidding around.

“What?” Rachel asks.

He chuckles as he looked at her and he then takes a look at you.

“I got back from patrol, right? But, with Embry.” he says.

“Okay, who cares.” you say and Rachel snickers.

“We talked.” he says.

“And?” Rachel says.

“And I want to know what you’re going to ask who again?”

You groan, “Just tell me. Quit fucking around.”

“No.”

“Just tell me.” Rachel says. Paul gives her a look and she rolls her eyes, “Just whisper it in my ear.”

Paul actually considers this but says, “This means you have to tell me.”

Rachel agrees and Paul sealed it with a pinkie promise and tells you, “Move, Y/N.”

You move to the near end of the bed, Paul places his lips close to Rachel’s ear. Rachel had a look on her face and you watch her face carefully. You were mad that Paul was a good whisperer because you couldn’t hear a thing he was telling her. She reacted subtly and this made you really want to know.

She looks at you as he sits back with a smirk.

“What?” you ask.

“Nope. Rachel, tell me.” he says.

“It matches up with what we talked about, Y/N.” Rachel tells you.

“I only asked Embry to… ya know…” you gesture in a down motion and say, “And Rachel only wants me to ask him again. Happy?”

“No, are you happy?” he says humorously.

You roll your eyes as Rachel covers her mouth, hiding her laugh.

“I would’ve never thought Embry didn’t like to get his dick sucked.” he says. You gasp as Rachel scolds him, “Paul!”

“How do you know that?” you question him. That was something that only you knew.

“I told you I was on patrol with him and I talked to him.” Paul says and dives into how Paul was coming back to him and Embry’s meetup spot. There was no signs of active threats in the part Paul was supposed to keep watch of.

Paul stopped moving once he caught a flash of what you two did the night before. He kept it hidden for the time being, but he felt bad when you looked excited but Embry didn’t want to go through with it. He then watched how Embry wouldn’t let you go further.

That’s when Embry thought about the discussion you both had over being open. That’s when the fantasies began.

Paul had to say something, “Just be open.”

“Dude, mind your buisness!” Embry says. He was caught off guard.

Paul then shows Embry how him and Rachel are open.

“You wouldn’t get jealous?” Embry questions as he walked through the woods with Paul. They been could’ve went back to Sam’s but, this was more entrapping.

“I’m made for Rachel, practically. She would choose me everytime.”

“Wow. I mean, I felt bad when I turned her down. I just can’t get into it. It feels too much like teasing…I don’t know.”

“Just think about it. It might I don’t know, create balance if you both want different things.” Paul says.

“So, what happens if Rachel picks a girl and you don’t want her?” Embry asks.

“Rachel is holding off, but I know her. She’s going to pick someone who she trusts the most.”

“Y/N would never.” Embry says with confidence.

“What if she agrees?” Paul asks.

“But, she wouldn’t.”

“But, you don’t know that. Why did she question you then?” Paul challenged.

Embry was stuck, “It doesn’t matter. Look, I’m glad that you and Rachel have your thing going on. But, me and Y/N are fine.”

Paul busts his lie, proving to Embry how he caught him secretly enjoying the thought of you having intercourse with someone else. While he watched.

“Fuck off Paul.” Embry says and continues walking.

“Just talk to her. Look, if she says yes, you could be there in there with us.” Paul says and leave him alone.

You just didn’t understand it.

“How come he’s never talked to me about this?” you wondered out loud.

“Just talk to him.” Paul says.

“Is it true?” you ask Rachel.

“I thought you would’ve figured it out when we talked at the restaurant.”

“Wait, you both talked about this, already?” Paul questions.

“Not like that. I told her it would be my pick of someone who I deem as the most trustworthy.” Rachel tells him.

You look at Paul. Paul looks at you.

“And then, you both are already familiar with each other so it wouldn’t be awkward.” Rachel says.

“I don’t know.” you say as you shake your head.

When you came home, Embry didn’t greet you at the door. You enter the room you both shared and he sat on the bed.

“What’s wrong?” you ask, “And don’t say ‘nothing’ ”

You sit next to him.

He actually looks at you.

“Would you do it?” Embry asks.

“Do what?”

He thinks of his words for a moment before asking, “What would you do if I asked us to be open.”

You sigh softly, “I would ask if that’s something you’re comfortable with doing.”

“Have you thought about it? You asked me about it that one day.” he says.

“I only brought it up because Rachel told me about what her and Paul had going on.” you admit.

“And then when you wanted to do oral.” he points out.

“I’m sorry, if I made things weird between us.” you say.

“You didn’t make things weird. I feel like I did.” he says.

“Why would you think that?” you ask.

“Because…I know you want me to go down on you and everything and you looked very willing and I feel like I ruined your mood by rejecting it.” he says.

“You didn’t ruin anything, Embry.” you say.

“But, would you want to?” he asks.

“Want to…? What?” you ask.

“Be open.” he asks.

Your breath hitched.

“I don’t know. What- What about you.”

“I would do it if you did it.” he says, “You like different things than me.”

“Oh.” you say.

“Would you do it…With Paul?” he asks.

You look at him. So Paul really wasn’t lying.

“Um..I don’t know. Maybe?” you say.

“It’s alright, Y/N. I would be there.”

You stand, “Like, in the room?”

He nods.

It kind of did kill the jitters of the idea of it. If Embry was there, nothing would go out of line.

Paul lay in bed as Rachel pulled the covers over herself.

“I picked someone.”

“Who?” Rachel says, barely paying attention.

“What about Embry?” he asks.

“Embry?” Rachel says and looks at Paul.

“Yeah.” Paul says and moved his eyes from the ceiling to Rachel’s eyes.

“Why him?” Rachel asks. She thought of Embry as innocent in a way. She felt like she would do more damage than good.

“Take the stick out of his ass.”

Rachel rolls her eyes, “Of course.” she continues, “Y/N would not let me touch Embry.”

“Just ask her.”

“Our friendship would literally go bye-bye if I asked her.”

“Fine. I’ll ask her.”

“No!” Rachel says.

“You won’t do it. What? How come you can pick someone but as soon as I do, you shoot it down.”

“I’m not shooting it down. I will ask, but if she hates me, I’m blaming you.” she says and lays her head on the pillow.

“She won’t hate you.” Paul says quietly.

“Why are you so quiet?” you ask Rachel as you sat in front her, eating a muffin that Emily had made.

“Yeah, is everything alright?” Emily asks.

Rachel looks at you, “I’m fine.”

You look at her. Oh, yeah. Something was not fine.

“We’ll be back Emily.” Rachel says to you as she tugs you out of the door.

You speed walk to catch up to her.

“What’s going on?” you ask.

“Remember that..Talk..That me, you and Paul had the other day?”

You nod.

“He picked Embry.”

You look to the side, “It makes sense.”

“Y/N.” she says in shock.

You look up, “What?”

“He said Embry.” Rachel says.

“I heard you the first time. Don’t you think it’s at least fair?” you say.

“I don’t want you to hate me for this.” she says.

“How do you think I feel right now? Embry told me he wants to be in the room when it happens.” you tell her.

“Really?” Rachel asks and you nod. Relief washes over her face and this makes you huff out a small chuckle.

“Yes.” you say.

“So, you don’t mind if..I’m there too?” she asks you.

“I wouldn’t expect you not to be in there. That’s your imprint.”

So it’s settled.

You sat next to Rachel on the couch. The boys came in from patrol.

“Where’s Paul and Embry?” Rachel asks the boys as she doesn’t see them come in.

“Went home.” Jared says with a shrug and greets his imprint with a kiss.

You and Rachel looked at each other.

You both rise at the same time.

“You’re not staying?” Kim asks as Jared wrapped his arm around her.

You shake your head.

“How much you want to bet they’re at my place?” Rachel asks you.

You chuckle at this as you both see the home come into view.

You follow her into the door and sure enough, both Paul and Embry sat on the couch.

“Hey.” you and Rachel say at the same time. They greet back and by the looks of it, they were in the middle of talking.

Rachel moves to sit right on Paul’s lap and looks at Embry. You saw the blush on his face and hold his hand.

“Did you ask her?” Paul asks Rachel.

“Yes. She doesn’t mind.” Rachel says while still looking at Embry.

“Embry doesn’t mind either. Right, Embry?” Paul asks him. Embry nods and looks to you, “Are you sure you want to do this?”

You nod slightly.

“You’re acting like I’m going to kill her.” Paul says. Rachel chuckles.

“You might. Before Rachel, on patrol I would see how you used to pound those girls.” Embry defends.

“That’s different. I care about Y/N, I didn’t care about those other girls.” he says as he looks at you.

Rachel gets up excitedly, “Alright, what are we waiting for?”

She pulled Embry up by his hands. She tugged in the bedroom. Paul has his hand out as he waits for you.

You take it and he pulls you up off from the couch. You let out a surprised noise when he picks your body up. As he held you, your face was close to his and he walked to where Embry and Rachel were.

You weren’t used to someone else other than Embry to feel on your body. You look to see Rachel holding Embry into a kiss. She was leading him. He let her.

You felt your chin being snatched in other direction. His lips felt soft and moved with such precision, you forgot that it wasn’t Embry that you were kissing.

It was euphoric as he licked and sucked on your tongue as your hands snaked through his soft hair. He moaned a bit in your mouth before moving your body to feel how hard he was.

It felt like a rush. You were sure that if you took drugs, it would feel like this moment. You were only a bit tipsy.

You look up to the body that was towering over you. The hunger in his eyes made your stomach do backflips. It was intense.

“You don’t have to be shy.” Paul says to you with a grin.

You allow yourself to feel comfortable as you lay back on his bed. He never would forget the sight.

He would never forget your taste as you squirmed on his tongue. His tongue flicked up as he gathered your juices that you kept producing.

You were panting and breathing hard as you plead and beg him, “Please, just please.”

“Please what?” he says as he circled your sensitive nub, staring down at your flushed face. He was going to drag this out as long as he could.

You groan at his teasing.

“Repeat after me?” he asks you. You nod a little.

“Paul.” he says and you repeat him, “Paul.”

“Please.” he says and you repeat him, “Please.”

“Fuck me.” he says and you repeat him, “Fuck me.”

He held you close as he held your sides in a strong grip. The sound of skin slapping filled the room as you both belt out noises of pleasure. He let you know how wet you are and you let him know good he feels.

You head rolls to the side as the thrusts were great.

Embry sat in a chair that was in the bedroom. Rachel rocked his world by the look of his face, she thrusts on top of him as he clutched onto her.

Your chin was moved back to have your face, face Paul.

“Look at me. Look at what you’re doing to me.” he whispers to you and slowly pulls himself out. You looked as he glistened below. You groaned quietly as he slowly stuck it back in. You heard your own wetness as you heard his own groans.

Embry kissed you on the side of your lips.

“Are you alright?” he asks you as you buried yourself underneath the covers.

“Yes, I’m alright. What about you?” you ask. You were very tired.

He makes a satisfied look and nods, “I’m alright. It went better than I thought it would be.”

“Yeah. Do you think things will be weird?” you question.

“Nah. I don’t think so.” he answers back.

He then speaks again, “Me and Paul will keep it from the pack to make sure it doesn’t get too weird.”

You nod as you sink further into the bed. You yawned and before you knew it, you were fast asleep.

40 notes · View notes

purpleheartskies · 16 hours ago

Text

About the framing and marketing of the traumas in Robby's story including the SA

TW/SA

This situation with the SA in Robby's story feels like post-s5 all over again. Robby experienced something(s) traumatic, but the audience is not supposed to consider it traumatic for Robby because of the framing and marketing, and many fans go along with it---though in this case, many fans are opposed to ignoring the SA.

Hayden's comment about the SA seems to indicate that the writers don't see the SA for what it is and won't address it in part 3. However, Jon (privately) 1000% agreed with a fan that consent can't be given while drunk, that he was very upset with Hayden's tweet, and that he himself wouldn't have answered that question in that way. Hayden is a known troll, and given how he has always approached answering questions, his comment may have been a tone-deaf statement that pushed the narrative framing. For example, Hayden had also responded to someone in that q&a that Miguel always sees the best in people. This is not true, looking at the context throughout the story. Miguel definitely thinks the worst of Robby and acts on it whenever Miguel feels like it. These and other points I will talk about in this post make me wonder if the SA may still possibly be addressed in some way as SA.

Although there are definitely flaws in the writing, such as in the pacing, I don't think the skills of the writers can be completely ignored. Their character and relationship writing in particular are quite good (as in consistent and realistic) compared to a lot that I've seen across a variety of stories. I also think that, while many view SA as an egregious trauma that sets it apart from other traumas (hence the more resonant backlash about it), these writers are treating the SA as just another trauma in Robby's story. After all, they've handled Robby's other traumas with a similar writing, execution, framing, and marketing approach. For example, the same day that Netflix posted the ig reel marketing the SA as "Can Tory catch a break?", which matches the narrative framing, Variety put out that interview of Billy glorifying Johnny's relationship with Miguel and claiming that Johnny "needed the boy [Miguel] who needed him", which also matches the narrative framing. As I pointed out in another post, the framing and marketing of both situations treat Robby as inconsequential, although both are extremely traumatic for him.

The storytelling style in the show is very interesting. There's a lot the consistency and patterns throughout the story, especially when it comes to the characters behaviors. For example, my pre-s6 analyses of Miguel's envy of Robby being Johnny's son, Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself for screwing up with Robby, and the blended "family" not being written genuinely (especially Robby's inclusion in it) are inline with what was depicted once more in s6e8. In fact, the occurrence of Robby experiencing a trauma (the SA) while Johnny was off tending to the Diazs is in line with the consistency of how the writers approach Johnny and Robby's story: Johnny's relationship with the Diazs is narratively in opposition to Johnny's relationship with Robby. It is an either/or situation; it always has been.

In this case, Robby was left out of the family situation and was, overall, feeling so unsupported (because he is, despite Johnny's words to Miguel) that his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth were at their peaks, with him believing that Tory had abandoned and replaced him too, so he drank for the first time. In fact, the writers reminded us through Sam that Robby doesn't drink. They wanted us to be clear on the fact that he was drinking for the first time, and the rum and coke doubles he was downing would impair him. Robby telling Sam about his intention to drink seemed to be his counterdependence peaking through: he had wanted her to stop him. (In fairness to Sam, no character has understood Robby's counterdependent tendencies. Though, it would have been good of her, as a friend, to stick around after he told her that he was thinking of drinking. I'm not blaming Sam, though, for Robby's decision to drink. It was Robby's decision to do so. I may do a proper s6 part 2 Robby analysis soon.) It's within the context of Robby getting drunk for the first time and being alone and vulnerable that Zara took advantage of him. This was all juxtaposed with Miguel showing his envy once again about Robby being Johnny's son and Johnny once again committing himself to Miguel in comparison to Robby. In the hospital scenes, Robby's absence was felt including Carmen speaking about the baby having her big "brother" win, as if she has only one brother competing in the tournament.

Looking at how the writers have written scenes throughout the story, the SA is written as what it is: SA.

First off, there's no narrative "show" of Robby consenting or intentionally getting together with Zara. They don't show him noticing her, getting friendly with her, or drinking with her. They're only shown to have two interactions: (1) the conversation outside of her hotel room the next morning, and (2) during the brawl. In both these interactions, Zara acted entitled to Robby, his body and him, while Robby showed no interest in her whatsoever. Wrt to the SA itself, Robby was clearly shown to be getting drunk and losing his faculties (he couldn't focus enough to talk back to Kwon) before Zara even approached him. The next morning, his hungover state and his statement that he can barely remember anything also prove that he hadn't been in any condition to consent. He was barely responsive when she kissed, and he looked disturbed/shell-shocked as he walked away. In turn, she was shown watching and approaching him at the bar with intent. The next morning, her bold response "well, good thing idea I do" to him saying that he barely remembers, her indifference about his unwell state, and her stealing a kiss from him as if she's entitled to show that she was sober and didn't care if he could consent or not. She had been interested in him, and she'd taken from him what she'd wanted.

The framing and marketing that we should feel sorry for Tory wrt this doesn't match the nuance of what is shown, only the framing of it. Tory seeing them is written as a coincidence. The framing that Robby had cheated and made a "mistake" is set up by Robby's words: "Tory broke up with me. She hooked up with Kwon. I got drunk and I did something stupid". Some fans claim that Robby "cheated" to get revenge, but there is no narrative proof of this. Robby didn't try to throw it in Tory's face and was shocked that she'd found out. Then, his defensive argument with Tory---that she was upset that he'd gotten with someone even though she'd gotten with Kwon---added to the framing. However, Robby is already established as a character with exaggerated self-blame, who blames himself for his traumas when he isn't at fault at all or isn't 100% at fault. In this case, he can barely remember what happened. He knows that he got drunk because he was upset, thinking that Tory had hooked up with Kwon. But, he essentially doesn't know the details of the "mistake" that he is blaming himself for. He was also already blaming himself when he and Tory got into their argument about it, so he was defensive about it.

Overall, the whole situation had contexts of Robby's underlying traumas. He drank for the first time to deal with his abandonment/rejection trauma and low self-worth. He took this step, despite his goal not to become like Johnny. This is also likely a type of situation that his mother may have experienced in the past, given what had been shown about her in earlier seasons. He blamed himself for it, although he essentially doesn't even know details about what he's blaming himself for. He just believes it's his fault. Robby being SA'd the first time he drank and got drunk seems to be a dark irony in light of all this.

Another thing that stuck out is that Tory cut Robby off when he tried to explain what had happened with Zara. This was after Cobra Kai had lost, and Robby had approached Tory in the hotel lobby. Robby not being able to tell his side of the story or details of his side of the story being obscured is pretty consistent with his story so far. When it comes to the school fight, for example, Miguel's wrongdoings against Robby have been obscured, and only Robby's wrongdoing in it have been explored and addressed. In s3e2, Robby clearly told Daniel that he had kicked Miguel (which is a true statement), while he also told Daniel that it was a mistake trying to help him because he can't change (which is his exaggerated self-blame; it had been an accident and there is so much context to consider for that fight). This is similar to "I got drunk" (true statement) and "I did something stupid" (exaggerated self-blame; he couldn't consent and barely even knows what happened).

In s3e2, Robby wasn't able to say more to Daniel because the cops had shown up. Robby stopped trusting Daniel, was put into juvie, and their relationship dissolved. Robby also stopped talking about his side of the story. Even when Kreese (s3e5) and Tory (s3e8) showed him empathy about it, Robby didn't respond. He finally talked about it in s4e4 when he tried to defend himself to Johnny, but Johnny dismissed what he said. Then, in s5e5, after the abusive apartment fight, he explained to Miguel what had happened at the end of the school fight, in response to Miguel gaslighting him about the school fight. Miguel's question implied that Robby had had no reason to not hold back that day in school, which shows how entitled and lacking in empathy and self-awareness Miguel is as the person who had attacked Robby brutally that day. (Robby having a "fight" response at the end of the fight was quite natural, given the circumstances.)

Robby has been scapegoated for their school fight and is still being scapegoated for it, as depicted in the college essay scene in s6e2. The SA being written how it was---as SA---and Robby being scapegoated for it is in line with how he has been scapegoated narratively before. Again, I think people view SA on a different level than these other traumas and situations, but it is a type of trauma and it is being treated as his other traumas have been treated. The SA was also perpetrated by a new character, who isn't endeared to fans in general, so she is being more rightfully called out and given less of a benefit of a doubt. Those who defend her or make gross comments about the SA mainly do so because she's a young, hot female.

Wrt the SA, a question remains about how and if Zara would have flaunted it in Tory's face had Tory not seen them. Zara also later taunted Tory about it on Zara's livestream because Tory was standing nearby. (Maybe Zara saw Tory alone and purposely went and stood close by. We don't know.) By this point, Zara is depicted as an opportunist. She had taken advantage of Robby while he was drunk, alone and vulnerable, and she was taking shots at Tory whenever the opportunity arose. Zara SA'd Robby because she'd wanted him. Tory coincidentally finding out had been a bonus for Zara, which she used to piss off Tory more.

In fact, Zara isn't depicted to have any positive personality traits at all. She started a rivalry with Tory because she saw Robby and immediately became interested in him, but noticed that Robby and Tory have something and didn't like that. She got in Tory's face after she noticed people talking about Tory, instead of her, as a badass fighter. Then, she threw having been with Robby in Tory's face because Tory coincidentally saw her kissing Robby. Then, just to piss Tory off, she purposely commented on her livestream that she plays hard all night. Tory snatched her phone and told Zara's followers that Zara doesn't care about her karate sisters and steals their boyfriends. She started losing sponsors so that pissed her off at Tory more. During the brawl, when Tory tried to get to Robby, Zara stopped Tory, said that she's hers, and started beating on her. After Robby threw her off of Tory, she was shocked that he'd choose Tory over her. She then attacked Robby. (This Zara-Tory rivalry is pretty one-sided and doesn't parallel the Tory-Sam rivalry which was already two-sided before Miguel became an issue between them.)

Zara is depicted as vain, egocentric, envious, entitled, lacking in accountability, violent, and opportunistic. She preys on and assaults guys without a care and flaunts having been with them, and she actually thought that that one night and whatever she did to Robby would make him choose her over Tory, who she knows Robby has a history with. She didn't treat Robby as a person at all, but as something that she is entitled to.

As I mentioned, this isn't the first time that Robby has been subjected to an abuse/assault/trauma that has been obscured with framing and marketing. Robby's story is actually quite dark if the framing and marketing around it is removed. I actually feel that the writers were trying to top the abuses from s5 with the SA, as in what other trauma could they give Robby. As the series has gone on, Robby has experienced the most traumas out of all the kids, almost all of which are not his fault at all or not completely his fault, and are still unaddressed. (Out of all the kids, Robby is also the only one to have gone to juvie, although some of the others should have gone too.) Just like I mentioned above, Robby blames himself for almost all of these traumas, regardless of how much fault he bears... as many trauma victims would. Wrt the SA, Robby is 1000% not at fault for what Zara did to him.

Looking back to s5, consider the Mexico trip in s5e1/2. Johnny subjected Robby to emotional and psychological abuse while Johnny did what he could to find Miguel and told Carmen to stay safely at home. Robby ended up staying to help Johnny after Johnny tried to abandon him again. Now, one could claim that Robby wanted to stay. After all, Robby told Johnny, after saving him, that Johnny's trying to fix things and Robby wants to help. But, as I pointed out after s5, this is a people-pleasing statement. Robby was putting Johnny's needs above his own. Johnny had tried to abandon Robby again after kidnapping him to Mexico under the guise of a father-son trip. Johnny had also psychologically and emotionally manipulated Robby with gaslighting and guilting. Robby also repeated what Johnny had said earlier, that they could make stories together, another emotional manipulation. Robby changed himself to stay with Johnny. Robby even did a chili eating contest to fix one of Johnny's screw ups. And of course that whole trip ended with a big heartfelt "father-son" hug between Johnny and Miguel as Robby watched from the background, a blatant callback to the s1e5 scene that was a trauma trigger for Robby. This time Robby had to swallow his trauma given the situation he was in. The trauma and abuse Robby suffered on this trip was framed and marketed as Johnny needing to find the boy who needed him (Miguel), Robby wanting to stay and help Johnny, and the two of them making stories together. This trauma and abuse are still unaddressed.

There is a follow up though, that shows that Robby wasn't okay with the trip. His conversation with Tory in s5e4 showed that he didn't enjoy the trip and he clearly stated that he and Johnny still have some issues that are too big to solve (Robby looked at Miguel when Robby said this). Those issues have not been solved, but have been tucked away because of the news that came later. In s5e3, Johnny told the opposite to Carmen that he and Robby are good now. s5e4 is the last time that Robby spoke about his issues with Johnny. There have also been NO proper one-on-one scenes or interactions between Johnny and Robby since the Mexico trip. Although many love Johnny and Robby's "father-son bonding" on the trip, the context of that trip shouldn't be ignored (but it is by many). The Mexico trip was never used to establish a foundation for them to start (re)building a relationship. In fact, the trip added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma. The trip also set up Robby completely adopting people-pleasing after he would later hear the baby news.

Now, take the apartment fight and baby news in s5e5. Robby had made his boundaries clear to Johnny. Robby didn't want to be Miguel's friend. Robby was also willing to be okay with Johnny's relationship with Miguel. But, Johnny cornered Robby with Miguel and with the psychologically and physically abusive, "Johnny classic"/Cobra Kai solution to "fight it out". Robby noticeably didn't want to fight and hesitated before and after saying yes to the fight, which he only said yes to to posture after Miguel said yes to the fight. Robby, especially, started out fighting hesitantly. Johnny egged them on, and it was after Miguel drew blood that Robby stopped hesitating.

As they fought, the boys ended up on the second floor balcony. Miguel gained the upper hand, and Robby stopped fighting back. Robby looked on in fear but Miguel suddenly stopped fighting, which is stated in the script as "showing mercy"---a callback to how their school fight had ended. The end moments of this fight were juxtaposed with flashbacks of Miguel's side of the school fight, a "tell" that framed Robby as the bad guy/aggressor in that fight. Robby then asked Miguel why he held back, and Miguel gaslit him about not learning karate to hurt people but to be badass and learn balance. This is not completely true. Miguel had just said yes to this fight so that he could hurt Robby with his karate, as Miguel has done a few times before. Also, Cobra Kai, which Miguel had learned first, doesn't teach finding balance. After this statement, Miguel asked Robby why he didn't hold back in school. As I described earlier, this is another gaslighting statement. As Robby explained his actions at the end of the school fight, Robby acknowledged that that was the worst moment of both of their lives. Both of them had also just relived the trauma of the school fight with this apartment fight. Johnny asked if they were good now, and Robby hesitated but then nodded yes. For both fights, Miguel got resolutions completely in his favor and is no longer dealing with repercussions from the fights, while Robby got no resolutions on his side and is still dealing with repercussions. This apartment fight was marketed as a "therapy session" for both boys and the video for it showcased the younger cast minus Tanner (who was filming a movie at the time) watching the middle to end of the fight, the latter of which frames the narrative in Miguel's favor using flashbacks as "tell". Again, Robby's side of the school and apartment fights and his lack of resolutions were obscured in the framing and the marketing.

This abusive and traumatic experience for Robby also ended with tonal shifts, like the SA scene does. Johnny let slip about the baby news. As Johnny and Miguel became excited over it, Robby is visibly shown to be processing the news and only acted overly excited after Johnny pointed to Miguel and said to act that excited. Suddenly, Robby exclaimed that that is awesome, and they all hugged and all was good between them, with a guitar riff score playing. The SA scene also ended with tonal shifts. As the elevator opened, the ominous music that had been playing intensified, shifting the focus of the scene from Robby to Tory. After Robby walked away visibly disturbed and Zara spotted Tory, the music shifted once more. This time from ominous to upbeat/playful, and Zara blew Tory a kiss. In both cases, the scenes became about the other characters' feelings and dynamic, while Robby's traumatic experience in both these situations was ignored and later framed as him being in the wrong. In s5e8, Robby talked to Kenny about the rivalry as if Robby's hate had been the problem, and once he let that go, all was good. This of course is not true, as Miguel clearly is the one who had started and maintains the rivalry with Robby as Miguel feels entitled to. This is shown again in part 2, with Miguel acting like a jealous ass to Robby until Johnny promised to give Miguel preferential treatment again, compared to Robby. Miguel later gave Robby the pep talk to help them win. In s6e9, Robby took the same approach of putting the blame of what Zara did to him onto himself, despite barely remembering what had happened and Zara clearly remembering. Zara however is the one who is clearly at fault for whatever she did to him. She acted entitled to him and took advantage of him. Her expectation that he choose her over Tory after that night also shows her entitlement.

In s5e5, at dinner after the apartment fight, Robby was now miraculously happy with both Johnny and Miguel. After Carmen came home, Robby kindly asked if he could stay for dinner. After she paused and said yes, Robby cautiously watched her as she walked away. Robby's place in the family is clearly unstable, and this is still indicated in s6, including in s6e8. When Carmen asked about the boys' bruises, Johnny told her that the boys beat each other into submission. This is not true. Miguel had beaten Robby into submission. Johnny's claim is meant to frame the resolution as fair for both boys, just like the marketing attempts to, but this doesn't match what was shown in the actual fight and resolution. s5e5 also added to the continued narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experienced more trauma.

Robby's story has gotten darker as the story has gone on, though the context and tone of his story remain obscured using framing and marketing that minimizes/removes how dark and traumatic these experiences are for Robby. At the same time, Robby still lacks a stable support system and his mental health is shown to be worsening. After s5, many claimed that Robby had found balance. So far, s6 is showing that Robby never found balance. In fact, his mental health has gotten so bad that he eventually chose to drink to cope with his poor mental health, just like Johnny does, although Robby's goal is to not become like Johnny.

The SA narratively fits as another traumatic experience that Robby has had and that he blames himself for. The SA is framed and marketed as something that only affects Tory. The narrative thread of Johnny's relationship with the Diazs being in opposition to his relationship with Robby, while Robby experiences another trauma also continued. The SA has been dealt with in the narrative and in the marketing the same way as Robby's other traumatic experiences have been. Throughout the story, the writers have been "telling" the audience to ignore all of the abuse and trauma Robby has been "shown" to experience. The SA isn't a unique circumstance. I've said before that this story is full of irony:

"Irony introduces depth, nuance, and multi-layered meaning. Its ability to present contradictions and incongruities between appearance and reality, or between expectation and actuality, demands critical thinking from the audience to uncover the intended deeper significance. Rather than passive acceptance of face value, irony prompts an analysis of context and subtext — engaging viewers or readers in a richer interpretive experience."

If the SA were the only trauma dealt with in this way, I wouldn't be writing this post. But Robby's other traumas have also been dealt with this way. We have been "shown" what Robby has experienced throughout the story, but the "tell" obscures so much of it, and he and the other characters have yet to understand what he's experienced and how it all affects him.

Since part 2 came out, it's been good to see that people have been calling out the SA by calling out the nuances of the scenes involved---body language, dialogue, and context. I've also seen people say that they recognize Robby blaming himself for it as a trauma victim would, and as Robby specifically would. After s5, it was so hard to talk about Robby's abusive/traumatic experiences during the Mexico trip, apartment fight, baby news and the family dinner scenes. People would dismiss all these storytelling nuances that were clearly portrayed as Johnny used and abused Robby to find Miguel and later abused Robby to force his submission into Johnny's new family. Johnny forcing Robby to be friends/family with these people, especially in such a violent way, is a violation of Robby's boundaries. Zara SAing Robby is also a violation of his boundaries. The storytelling nuances have also always been present and ignored by many the whole time as Johnny and Miguel's relationship has been built at Robby's expense, with the persistent layers of Johnny using Miguel to feel better about himself and Miguel feeling entitled to Johnny over Robby and being jealous that Robby is Johnny's son. These nuances and layers are still there in s6, and especially in s6e8.

After part 2 came out and especially after Hayden's comment, many said that they needed female writers because of how the SA has been handled. But, two women wrote s6e8 and a woman directed it. In fact, the woman who directed it also directed s5e5, which had the apartment fight, baby news, and dinner scenes. That episode has so much nuance that people choose to ignore. I still remember how some people would openly dismiss Robby's body language in those s5e5 scenes that I've described above. I also remember a lot of people claimed after s5 that the writers didn't remember Robby's traumas and mental health issues anymore. Now I'm seeing some of those same people talk about Robby's mental health being the reason he drank.

Despite many going along with the framing and marketing of Robby's other traumas, it's a relief overall to see that many still hold the view that this is SA and haven't been swayed to believe otherwise. (Although, I have seen that some have shrugged their shoulders and have adopted the view that Robby "cheated" or had "casual sex", which is not supported narratively with "show" but is framed and marketed as such using "tell".)

I really hope that people keep the conversations going in the fandom about the SA, as well as about Robby's other traumas and all of the nuances in his story.

#cobra kai is robby's story #robby keene #cobra kai

37 notes · View notes

lewis-just-lewis · 2 days ago

Text

Hello Viktor enjoyers I make my return..I have thoughts about this latest season. Before getting into full criticism, huge props to the artistic talent that worked on this show. Fortiche as a whole has genuinely changed tv animation, the combination of 2D and watercolor sequences-the super stylized music and fight scenes, absolutely thee best animation I think I’ve ever witnessed. The music, the art, the animation-even the character designs. While I don’t care for certain choices, the designs have so much artistic talent put into them. I adore cosmic horror, and to see that utilized was very cool!

To see the character it was used for, I have thoughts on. But I enjoyed the design as it was-the writing on the other hand..I’m upset with.

Admittedly, the first watch through I had was pure adrenaline. I went into this season with two things I wanted. I wanted to see Viktor evolve closer to his league self, and I wanted to see what route Sevika and Jinx would take-whether that path be together or as individuals, I wanted to see how they helped Zaun. And technically, in a way, I got what a wanted..for a moment.

There was a rumor in circulation, that arcane was meant to be five season long. I genuinely believe this wasn’t a rumor now. There was so much missing, there were so many interactions that were needed to feel this story the way it was felt in season 1. With everyone, but primarily with Viktor and Jayce. There’s that rebuttal old as season one that goes: “Arcane is meant to be about the sisters!”

Okay, how did the sisters mend their connection? Did they ever talk about it-the fact that Vi made Jinx-or how Vi committed chemical warfare on people-HER people?? Additionally, if Viktor was meant to always be the big bad we absolutely needed more time with him!! We needed to see the wedge driven between him and Jayce, to see when that good intent took a turn to the extreme. We needed to see him have more interactions with different characters-or expand further upon his already existing relationships!

There were seeds planted that the writers completely forgot about and let decay in dried up soil. In act 3 of season 1, Viktor starts getting snippy-and then outright mad at the people around him. Someone on here did address that, Viktor does have a temper. One that we were shown, when he snaps at Jayce on the bridge-literally smacking his hand away when he tries to help him up after being outright discriminative. When Mel even alludes to hextech weaponry, he gets upset-and then outright angry-teeth bared angry at the fact she would bloody their work-HIS work with Jayce in war. He and Jayce linger on it-he begins experimenting on himself because he realizes Mel has gotten to Jayce in a way he can’t pull back. The promise to destroy the hexcore, the thing he MADE Jayce promise his last wish was violated.

He stumbles out of this upright chrysalis entirely changed, amalgamation of flesh and organic looking metal-braces permanently encased to his body. He sees the blueprints for hextech weaponry, he SEES the schematics for Catelyin’s rifle. And he just..leaves, just “I must say goodbye to this place.”

I’ve seen the argument made: “the hexcore is controlling him!”

Then why does he show clear emotion in episode six? Why then and there can he express fear, concern, gratitude, outwardly. Not in the astral realm! Outwardly-his sass is even shown to be intact when Jinx thinks she has jokes! So why the hell did he never once get angry about his agency being robbed, about his life literally being left in someone else’s hands when that was something season 1 was alluding too?

And what about sky? I’m still so throughly confused on what her purpose of being back was about. Writers have had to clarify what she’s meant to do because of the lack of context! It feels like we have four, forty-five minute episodes missing. And not just of context and story for Viktor but of Sevika-of Jinx-The underground-Zaun’s conflict with piltover! The crux of what season 1 was, these two sisters and the two cities. A Zaunite and Piltovian, we had Cait and Vi, Jinx and Silco, Jayce and Viktor-dynamics that were mapped out. That needed to be explored, how did the undercity come to forgive Jinx after her father exploited most of the residents with Shimmer?

There was an entire lead up to Cait’s role as a dictator and we see..none of it? And the aim changes to finding Warwick and then to Viktor and there is so-so so much happening. It really does feel like three seasons compressed into one, but to the worst extent that the characters don’t feel like themselves. Viktor’s confidence he exudes in season one, that defiance, that determination, the anger we see him hone later. It’s gone, we he does fight Jayce there is not a HINT of anger or resentment-just: “Oh well-I was trying to be peaceful-I am going to kill you now though.”

Sevika’s urgency to make topside pay, is still there-she’s rallying people together, but then we just don’t see her until the big fight. Sure Scar is with her there-but that doesn’t say anything about it she’s leading whole different factions of Zaun after the prison break!

The finale left more questions than things answered, and I extremely dislike the usage of a time loop. Jayce’s line to Viktor of about his disability and his disease made my blood boil on my first watch through. There are so many others ways to say humanity’s imperfections are what make us perfectly human. Use emotions for example-scientifically we as humans have the highest range of emotions, but they don’t make us weak. Our ability to feel things vastly is what drives us to do certain things, art, writing, music, creation as a whole is driven by emotion. Creation can be good or bad, enlightening or destructive, but as humans we have that innate urge to do it because of emotion. Especially those who are artists, by far my favorite part of season two is how many artists looked at what was given and went:…so. I’m going to take this, and make it my own because you clearly cannot be trusted.

In conclusion, when writing fanfic or making art it will be of season one Viktor and the Machine Herald, not the Herald of the Arcane. Shoutout to The Boy Savior though, Ekko also has issues but man did he get the best end of the deal. Viktor enjoyers take care of yourselves, canon isn’t the end all be all. Have fun with making your Au’s or fixitfics, have fun drawing versions of characters you enjoy. And if it helps, season one does end on a very bleak point, but it could be seen as the ending.

#viktor arcane #arcane #arcane critical #arcane criticism #arcane season 2 #arcane season two spoilers #sevika #jinx arcane #viktor #jayce talis #arcane league of legends #not my usual content #but i needed to get it out #what could have been #quite literally #still Viktor my beloved

32 notes · View notes

eowynstwin · 2 days ago

Text

I've come to the last thing I'd like to talk about, and unlike the rest it's something I've already made progress working through. I want to try keep this subject brief, because 1) it's taken a LOT out of me to get through all this and 2) even so, it's helped, and I'm ready to move on. I just don't want to leave anything important to me unaddressed.

So, I mentioned that when I returned to this blog, it felt like everyone had moved on from the Myka issue. I didn't see the same kind of support when I came back as I did when I left—and maybe it seems presumptive of me, but I had been expecting it. There was precedent, after all.

And I'll be honest—it took pretty much all the wind out of my sails. It kind of felt like it didn't matter if I was here or not—like, outside of the Myka issue, I hadn't actually made enough of an impression on anyone, with my own work or my support for others', for them to really care if I came back. Which, considering how many people were there for me when I left, I believed I had. That belief felt pretty misplaced after that. And to put it mildly, that did not feel good.

At the same time—and I've already talked about this in the past, so I don't want to retread old ground too much—I noticed a drop in engagement with the new work I posted. I understand now that that involved a lot of factors—my long absence, the change in my url, general fandom trends—but because it happened around the same time as my return, it compounded that feeling of my irrelevance.

So as I’ve been writing this whole time, and posting, I’ve lived with this undercurrent of god I hope this is good enough for them to care about me again. I felt like I had never actually been good enough for anyone to think of me outside of the Myka incident. I couldn't enjoy my own work without thinking none of this was ever good enough. I got to the point where I couldn't enjoy other people's work without thinking everyone likes them, but they don't like me.

Now, obviously this is unhealthy. It's also patently untrue, as demonstrated by the support I and my work have been given in the months following my return.

A part of me kind of cringes to discuss this at all, because it feels unfair to the people who've offered that support—I don't want anyone to feel like I haven't appreciated it, because I have. But I lay all this out to lead to the conclusion I've come to, which I want to share, because it feels like the gateway into finally leaving Myka, and all of these things I've been feeling, behind for good.

I've talked to friends since then, gotten context, and I've evaluated my tenure as a whole in this community in effort to understand.

The thing at the core of this issue is that my confidence was shaken. Both by the incident itself, and everything that followed it.

While it was happening, I was under a microscope, and found inadequate. I couldn't talk about it, because that would only make things worse for me. When I came back, I felt like I was still under the microscope, and I still couldn't talk about it—and in addition, it seemed like I had earn my place here again.

Feeling like that has made it really, really hard to enjoy being here. But I know that feeling isn't entirely rational. And if I don't want to feel that way anymore, I have to let myself say the things I need to say and make the things I want to make, and I have to let myself enjoy doing it.

I want to be here. Despite everything, I still belong here, even if I don't feel like I do. I've been so afraid to talk about Myka all this time, really, because I didn't think any of you wanted to hear about it. I thought it would drive you away.

But I've talked about it now. And you've all listened. So that means I'm allowed feel confident about everything else.

Thank you.

#the fuckening #: the finale

47 notes · View notes

demonzhalo · 3 days ago

Text

I finally got around to watching a full run of Mouth washing, so here's my take, and you're more than welcome to add more (warning, I'm very bad at picking up cues. Also mentions of SA and narcissism and graphic themes.);

The bad guy(s); Jimmy, while the the worst guy on board, isn't the only one. People like to put Curly onto a pedestal, and he IS a victim of Jimmy, but he's still a bad person. A lesser of two evils, if you will. He knew (whether he figured it out before hand or because Anya gave him confirmation) that Jimmy had assaulted Anya, and his first thought was "I can fix this". While conversing with Jimmy, it's revealed that Jimmy most likely had done something similar, or exactly, in the past that Curly helped get him out of. Helping him avoid responsibility. Making Curly the bad guy instead of Jimmy, something that I've seen get horribly overlooked or joked about. What people need to realize is that Curly has been enabling Jimmy, overlooking Jimmy's narcissism in order to help him.

Just Jimmy thoughts; In the scene where Jimmy is walking past the IDs, we can't see Anyas. He doesn't care what he did to her, he only cares about what happens to HIM. How it affects HIS career, HIS life. Polle (the Pony Express mascot) being symbolized as a fetus kinda shows Jimmy fear, dislike of another "burden", negligence of responsibility, and also his guilt for the unborn child. One that he forced onto Anya. The entire story line is him trying to fix a problem HE created but won't admit to. He self victimizes because it's easier to play victim then to take responsibility for your actions.

Curly; Curly is an enabler. I'll say it right now. He enables Jimmy's behavior and overlooks/neglects the smaller details in favor of the bigger picture (something hinted at during the broken pixel scene). He is not a good person. Curlys decisions reflect on (most) men's relationship with a friend like Jimmy; unwilling to recognize their horrible actions and instead try and find a way to "justify" or "fix" it. However, there's not much he could've done, he's up in space months away from Earth and Pony Express probably would've deducted the teams pay, not to mention that if Curly tossed Jimmy into one of the cryo pods and something happened to him, they would need a copilot. But it's also cruel the way Jimmy thinks he's "saving" Curly, when in actuality he's taking the easy way out and prolonging Curlys suffering, and also staging it to set up Curly as the main bad guy again.

Anya thoughts; First of all. Why the fuck didn't she get evals too? Second of all, I wouldn't be surprised if Anyas suffering and assault was purposely overlooked because A) Jimmy is an unreliable narrator, and B) It reflects on how people don't typically see such things unless they expect it, and they especially tend to overlook it when it involves a close friend/family member. Rewatching, the viewer can pick up hints and details and put together the picture using context they've been given later on in the story. I feel incredibly sorry for her when the man she confided in and trusted turned around and went about trying to help the abuser, which also reflects how people will do anything BUT help the victim. Anya is terrified of Jimmy, something we can clearly see (context or no context) when we first interact with her. Jimmy downplays her role, meanwhile, SHE'S THE ONE KEEPING A SHOULD BE DEAD MAN ALIVE, and he's breaking over being asked to do the job HE FUCKING WANTED (Can you tell I really fucking hate this?). Not to mention I've seen AUs of Anya keeping the child because she was already past the legal abortion stage. That kid would not have survived, the mouthwash has no nutritional value to it so between that, the extremely low rations, and eventual shortage of oxygen, she most likely would've miscarried.

Swansea; He reminds me a bit of my father. An angry man who might mean well but can't get that across. I think Swansea was saving the pods for Daisuke because he still has a life to live. Swanseas wife is ill and his kids don't speak to him anymore, Anya and Jimmy are in severe financial stress, and Curly is just clearly fucked. It's mentioned that Anya has been talking and possibly telling Swansea about the abuse she's been suffering because of Jimmy. Him lodging the axe into the holographic sun is, at least in my opinion, slight foreshadowing to him killing Daisuke. Swansea kills Daisuke to kill his suffering (much like a real swan).

Daisuke; I don't have much on him, but I keep seeing videos of people imagining how he would react to Jimmy after learning what he said, it's... Not quite what I see. Daisuke is pretty young and looked up to Jimmy (because he didn't know the suffering Anya went through), Jimmy is years older than him, and much bigger too (not to mention being a loose cannon). In a situation like that there isn't much he can do except to keep an eye on Jimmy and stay close to Anya. He might've been scared when Swansea was prepping to kill him, but it was better than trying to prolong his life. Anya mentions when we first saw the mouth wash that it's mostly made up of sugar and not alcohol, so it wouldn't have disinfected the wound and might've even made it worse.

Extra; When we first open the game, we get an achievement that says "I hope this hurts". This can either be Anya, telling the protagonist that she hopes their suffering hurts, or (and I don't think this is confirmed!!!) it's the dev, telling whoever they hope this game reaches, hurts them.

#mouthwashing #thoughts on the game #captain curly #jimmy mouthwashing #anya mouthwashing #swansea mouthwashing #daisuke mouthwashing

26 notes · View notes

biff-adventurer · 2 days ago

Text

roleplay tips: characterization

so it's come to my attention that there's a misunderstanding on what "characterization" actually is. we all know what the phrase implies: we make sure we know why characters do what they do, be it an immediate influence or one from the distant past, as well as the beliefs they hold and the personality traits they display.

however, i've seen people have trouble actually executing the character traits they want to the detriment of themselves and others. this post is meant to clarify the execution of characterization in the context of spontaneous roleplay.

i'll take biff as an example just so no one else feels self-conscious. so biff, poster boy wol, himbo, literal meme incarnate (born from the little comic that goes: i wonder what the wol is doing? while wol is bouncing on the egg mount in the background), hero of eorzea blah blah.

what did i want for this character?

thematic cores: love, adventure. what kind of love? love in all directions; what does it mean to love so fully and so easily? what does it mean to have unfettered compassion for the problems of others? life is an adventure, and i want to see the world. i am full of endless curiosity, i am excited to find all that life has to offer. wherever i go, i love and i learn. because i love you, i will do everything in my power to bring you ease and happiness. (i want to be loved. i want to be worthy. do i matter? i'm sorry. i'm trying my best.)

personality traits: passionate to the extreme, whether it be joy, sorrow, anger, fear, guilt, etc etc. not book smart, but heart smart (he has to be able to make friends somehow). self-effacing, to a fault. temper problems. an insecurity driven need to always be useful to the people he loves, or else he will be irrelevant and forgotten. a strong sense of justice. incredibly stubborn. untrusting toward those he loves, and too trusting of strangers. impressionable. very emotionally sensitive, and wears his heart on his sleeve. pretty standard hero character stuff, anyway.

how do i enact this in roleplay?

spontaneous roleplay often puts roleplayers in situations where they have to make quick decisions while they respond to the simuli around them. since we want to be expedient for the sake of others, it can be hard to see what shape your choices take in the long run.

to deal with this, i look at my character's internal emotional reaction first. then, i go on to consider what possible dialogue choices i have to work with, and what trait each would show about my character. since the telltale games were very popular when i was a younger rper, i tend to map out my characters' responses as though they are part of a telltale storyline.

Biff's Husband: “You have such a soft, tender heart. I love every inch of you.”

the options i can consider here:

"Even the dangly bits?" eyebrow waggle (flirty)

"Yer always so kind to me, husband." (low self-esteem)

"I can't help it. I know how it feels to be a stray." (empathetic)

"And your wisdom protects it valiantly." (grateful)

"I wish I could see it the way you do." (frustrated)

the action or dialogue i choose depends on how i want the RP to go, or what tone we established earlier, or what kind of plots we've agreed to cover. from the above, i chose option 3 because it extends to a greater conversation about feelings and motivations. it lets in the other character while also giving biff a chance to talk about himself in a way that invites someone else to share something vulnerable.

obviously, it demonstrates empathy. the other choices would have lead me down other roads. i usually have a flowchart in my head for how i think this will all play out.

flirty > his husband likely feels dismissed > husband frowns and elbows biff (or worse) > biff is embarrassed for trying to flirt so either he laughs it off or very sadly apologizes > if he laughs, it makes his husband feel dismissed again > suddenly our characters are in a conflict and we're tasked with ushering them out of it, which is a pain > can point toward an unwillingness to open up

low self-esteem > husband feels compelled to comfort him > biff grows upset that he's made it about himself > onus on husband to dispel the situation or let biff sulk by himself > uncomfortable for ooc and ic, and demonstrates a self-absorption trait we don't want (unless this story was originally sought out)

empathetic > husband feels invited into the conversation and shares how he feels like a stray > biff asks him to say more about that > suddenly they're having a deep conversation about their pasts > possible character development or bond deepening

grateful > husband feels appreciated and vows to continue protecting his husband > biff holds him tight > romantic sweet nothings ensue in perpetuity > fluff roleplay activate!

frustrated > husband concerned about biff's temper > biff continues to grow frustrated at his own inadequacies > roleplay turns serious in tone > suddenly i have to find a way to diffuse biff's temper or burden my rp partner with the task > can imply instability of character, which can be dangerous for character and relationship

i apologize if this all sounds very "duh, gwenny, i'm not STOOPID", but i think it's important to make explicit what often goes unsaid, for the benefit of those who can't articulate exactly what they're looking to do. i could give another example involving more conflict, but i think that might be overkill.

all the little choices in dialogue are the actions you're taking in character. not just the literal actions of whether or not you're fighting. what your character says reflects what they believe. if you want them to show up as an empathetic person, you've gotta actively choose empathy or make it obvious to others the way your character speaks that they're coming from a place of empathy. it all adds up to a bigger picture, and suddenly you've realized that you're getting the ending that you wanted, because you worked hard to get there.

obviously, you can't always know how others will receive your character. my character would be a lot louder, cartoonish and unhinged in a closed story than he typically is in roleplay venues. that's because venues are active scenes where we're dealing with other parties who want to have a good time! we don't wanna put a damper on their day unless they're expecting meatball-spicy drama. we often have to give a lot more space for others to be included than we normally would in a fic, where we establish everything on our own.

BUT, having several different choices prepares you for any future misunderstandings. you can tell them your character's motive during that period, but when you are ultimately asked to do something different because of some mistake, you have other choices and a clearer picture of how to have your character create and progress relationships in a story. and you show you are willing to work on both your character and yourself, as well as offer compromises via these other paths, in order to tailor the bond between two characters in a way both parties can agree on.

and it becomes a lot easier to own up to mistakes when you look at your character as both a person that is not you and a literary device meant to convey certain ideas. it's not a personal attack on what you believe, but rather a comment on how people feel from what you've written. that is very useful feedback, for both fics and roleplay writing.

trust me, this comes from years of making incredibly embarrassing mistakes and having to write them into character development unwittingly, because i was an idiot. so unto you i bestow these tools to avoid the shame i suffered......

#roleplay #final fantasy xiv roleplay #final fantasy xiv #open roleplay #roleplay advice #gwenny writes #ooc;;

21 notes · View notes