#like i said this isnt the end
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BLOOD||HUNGER
[PREV PART] [AO3]
This is it! The last chapter before the epilogue!
It's also the end of a sort of riddle I've been leaving between chapters... I wonder if anyone even noticed, haha
I decided against splitting this chapter, so it's extra long!
Its name is "Famous Fate"
Page 59 of the âBlooede StarvatfĆre-dÄdeâ, parable 16:
My brothers, who endured the agony of exile, Who suffered many winters in the cold cage, Were once knights, only to fall, They too, were called Beast. The young maiden, who left your companion, A pure heart, was her only sin, To not pray for a daemonâs death, only for her to live, She too, was called Beast. A man, fallen in battle, Abandoned by all but Death, but by worms of the earth, He too, was called Beast. The hunter, the knight tells, Who chases monsters, who alleges to be righteous, He calls himself, a hero. He is no better man than us, the knight says, One who declares himself justice, one who proclaims to be above the word of God, Is one we, as oath-bound knights, Must send to be judged, by the only true measurer, By the only arbiter still by our side, by Death itself.
âI know I wonât be able to understand, probably never will, but⊠I have to ask, Simon. Why didnât you reach out? You knew how to contact me. I couldâve helped.â
âI didnât think there was enough of me left to save, Captain.â
â...What changed then?â
He looks away for a moment, to blue eyes that never knew fear from him. To arms that refused to hurt him. To a man that showed him more kindness than he ever deserved.
âI met Johnny.â
Ghost watches Soap sort through the supplies the 141 brought with them, wondering what kind of new contraptions the Sergeantâs vivid mind is imagining up right now. Heâs grown sickly fond of them, just like everything else Johnny does.
Compromised, a voice growls in the back of his head. Youâre only worsening a future pain, only making the inevitable betrayal more torturous.
No pain would make this any less worth it, another voice answers. It doesnât matter if their destiny only holds blood and ruin, Simon would stay with Johnny as long as heâs wanted. And even then, maybe just a little more.
He senses the presence of another person a moment before Gaz speaks up, âGhost.â
â...Gaz.â he answers, curious.
The Lieutenant shifts in his place, shoulders taut and squared, âsince weâre going to work together, for this mission at least, I figured I should⊠apologize.â
Apologize?
Gaz continues, his eyes finally landing somewhere on his mask, âSoap explained to me, you never tried to hurt him, after that time we caught you two. I shouldnât have jumped into conclusions.â
Ghost tilts his head, âIâd doubt your capabilities if you didnât.â he looks back at Johnny, huffing when the Sergeant grumbles in Scots, âIâm glad he has someone like you on his side.â
Gazâs mouth hangs open in surprise. He shakes it off to say, âItâs- of course.â Ghost can tell heâs hesitating at his next sentence, âI still have a hard time comprehending you were Simon Riley all along⊠Youâre a bloody legend in the SAS.â
âI suppose they had an easier time making my death seem heroic than trying to actually save me.â Ghost mutters lowly. Gaz just nods slowly, eyes dropping to the ground.
And thatâs a kicker, isnât it? That apparently, the SAS made him a myth, someone for the rookies to look up to, a glamorized shell of a man that no one, including himself, will ever live up to. The same men that left him to die, now say his name with fondness and admiration.
Funny, how those same men now fear him enough to send the 141 on him. Ghost wants to grin with the twisted satisfaction it gives him.
âWhatâs your name, Lieutenant?â Ghost eventually asks.
âHuh? Uh, Kyle Garrick.â Gaz raises a brow.
Soap gathers up the last of his creations, face turning to his to nod, âGarrick. I know we started on the wrong foot-â
âUnderstatement of the century.â Gaz offhandedly remarks.
â-But you can trust me with Soapâs six. And I hope we can trust each other on ours, as well.â
Garrick blinks, expression growing serious. He then nods, offering a hand to shake, âenemy of my enemy is my friend, and all that?â
Ghost hums, taking the hand and squeezing. He can feel, even from their short interactions, how Johnny and Gaz were cut from the same honest cloth.
He takes off his mask, âaffirmative. Letâs move.â
Priceâs eyes mellow, the hand on his bicep squeezing gently, âthat lad is something else, isnât he?â
Simonâs scars stretch with a small smile, âI thought he was an idiot, at first. Saving me, giving me another chance again and again. No matter what, he refused to kill me.â he breathes out slowly, the numbness of his limbs ebbing at last, âwhoever discharged him was a goddamn moron.â
The Captain sighs, âI tried convincing Shepherd to let him off the hook, but the bastard was mental. He had Makarov in the palm of his hand, wanted to show off how he locked up the worst criminal of the decade, only for MacTavish to choke him out on exfil.â
It was Shepherd, then? Of course itâs that bloody wanker. Ghost canât help the laugh that bubbles up from his chest, âand hereâs Johnny, fucking everything up for the higher ups yet again.â
God, what did he do to deserve meeting this manâŠ
Konservy warehouse is a large building, surrounded by silos and containers. At least theyâll have some cover, besides the shadows of the night. Ghost can tell the offloading garage is blessedly open, even from the road their vehicle has parked in, meaning infiltration will be easier than they originally thought.
A thunder makes them all look up to the sky. A heavy storm is brewing, threatening to cover the stars and moon. Good. The darkness is their ally.
They jump out of the truck, gathering around the trunk, doing final checks to their gears. His hands move automatically, in the same way all of them were trained in the SAS. Some part of him is unsettled, the one that labelled himself a lost cause, a monster, a sinner with no salvation.
But as he looks up, at the masked faces surrounding him, Simon canât call the position heâs in anything but atonement.Â
Heâll carve forgiveness from the Hunterâs flesh, write amends with their blood. Untie the last knot on his self-made noose.
The poison in Simonâs body makes itself known at all times now â an uncomfortable buzzing tightening around his knuckles, weaving through sinews and leaving little pinpricks of pain. He looks towards Johnny, his blue eyes a silver grey in the moonlight.
Price wordlessly nods to him, a silent check. Simon schools his features and nods back.
They begin making their way to the garage door, the tall grass their only cover. The Captain motions to the left, where two guards stand under a weak light. Garrick pulls out his EBR, and not two seconds later, both soldiers fall dead with silenced shots. Their group continues pushing forward.
Soap stops walking in front of him, struggling with something. He stops besides him, watching for a moment as he tries to get something out of his pack.
He leans in to whisper, âwhat are you trying to get, Johnny?â
The Sergeant freezes, âI made some proximity mines with the C4 Price brought, but theyâre stuck down there-â
Simon reaches into the pack, gently moving Soapâs hand aside. Their fingers wrap around the bomb at the same time, âyou ought to organize it better, what would you do if you were alone?â he admonished.
Johnnyâs eyes widen a little, before they crescent in a hidden smile, âbut Iâm not alone, am I? Ah got ye.â
Soap pulls away, quietly catching up to Gaz and Price. Simon, for his part, stays motionless for far too long, his brain looping Johnnyâs words again and again.
It strikes him then, a sudden stab to his heart, that Soap trusts him. With his weapons, with his wounds, with his six.
Johnny trusts him. Simon fights down a smile, happiness overflowing him. He trusts him.
The others send him a confused stare, when Simon doesnât move. He finally unsticks his legs and sneaks in, eyes instantly drawn to Johnny strapping his unhinged bombs under each vehicle, his âgiftsâ for any hostile trying to get reinforcements in the future.
Simon canât force down the smile that his lips form then, when the Sergeant turns around and gives him a thumbs up, almost child like and so at odds with the amount of potential destruction he just planted in the garage.
The others return from clearing the area, Price readjusting his bucket hat over the mask (which looks as daft as it sounds, but Simon canât help but feel fond of that stupid hat), giving Simon one last look, âhow are you feeling, son?â
âSolid.â he flexes his hands, testing the numbness. Itâs not enough to inhibit his performance, not yet at least.
Price places a hand on his shoulder, patting it, âgood, keep it that way. Our mission may officially be to eliminate the Hunter, but finding an antidote is no less important.â Priceâs face darkens, âdonât take unnecessary risks, Simon. I⊠I donât want to lose you again.â
Simon swallows thickly, unused to this amount of people caring for his fate. It was far easier to accept a bloody end when no one was there to mourn him, â...Iâll do my best, Captain.â
Priceâs moustache lifts with a smile, âgood lad. Iâll see you when itâs all over.â he gives him one last pat before drawing away, âletâs move out, Gaz! We need to clear the way for our boys.â
Gaz gives Soap a fist bump and comes by the Captainâs side, âweâll radio in when you have a way through.â
âSolid copy.â Soap responds, finished with the mine setting, âgive âem hell, mate.â
Garrick grins, âas always.â
âDo you think youâll be able to fight?â
Simon scoffs, âI donât âave a choice, Captain.â
âI am giving you a choice right now. If you think you canât fight⊠We can take the Hunter down without you.â Price says, expression severe.
He thinks about it. It is not only a matter of what he wants. When working with a team, he must take into consideration that his inability to fight will endanger the others.
âThe poison gives me enough warnings to know a few minutes ahead when Iâll be incapacitated. If I fall while we fight, Iâll be able to secure myself beforehand.â he rolls his wrists, muscling through the pain of regaining feeling, âyouâll need every help you can get. Donât do my mistake, do not underestimate the Hunter.â
âWe wonât, I just need to know-â
âIâll be fine, Price. Been fighting my whole life with much less.â
â...I know, son. Thatâs why I would prefer you didnât.â Priceâs brows pull down in sorrow, âbut I trust your judgement.â
â...Canât ask for more than that, John.â
Johnny is silent beside him, eyes glued to the exit heâs overwatching. Theyâve been waiting for Price and Gazâs go-ahead for several slow minutes now, each trickling more sluggishly than the other. The pinpricks on Simonâs hands are growing â he doesnât have much time.
âYe think they need backup?â Soap eventually breaks the silence.
âIf theyâre compromised, we wonât be able to save them now, Sergeant.â as much as he hates the idea of leaving Price and Gaz to fend for themselves, they all knew the risks of splitting up. âFor now, assume theyâre still solid.â
âAye, LT- shite, uh-â Johnny fumbles through the words, turning around to give Simon an apologetic look.
He huffs in slight amusement, at how much Soap seems to care if a word hurts him or not.
âItâs alright, Johnny.â he stops the Sergeant from continuing to backtrack.
Johnnyâs teeth click shut, and he frowns, sheepishly asking, â...ye sure? It seemed to really bother ye, beforeâŠâ
âI wasnât willing to lay my life for you, beforeâ he wants to say.
âI didnât have your trust, beforeâ
âI didnât have trust in myself to lead you, beforeâ
âYouâve earned it, Johnny.â he settles on. It seems to be the right choice, when Soapâs eyes almost close with how wide his grin must be. Simon hates the mask covering his face, for hiding that smile from him.
Their comms choose this moment to start crackling, and Priceâs tinny voice comes through, âCCTV room is under our control, havenât located the Hunter just yet.â
Simon radios back, âhave you been spotted?â
âWe may not be the Ghost, but weâre still professionals, mate.â Gaz joins in.
âHave ye professionals spotted any potential spot fer the Hunter to hide in?â Soap asks, his eyes still squinting with a smile.
âStill looking, this place is massive.â Price grumbles, âstart making your way to the machinery room at the center, take out anyone on the way. Iâm seeing a lot of equipment there, but no soldiersâŠâ
âCopy.â Simon clicks his comms off, motioning with his head for Soap to take point.
The halls of the warehouse are eerily empty, little mementos of past life barely clinging to the barren concrete walls. Not for the first time, Simon wonders why the Hunter chose this city, out of all of them.
Soapâs careful steps thump behind him, a calming presence at his back. Simon is not used to trusting, but trusting Johnny feels⊠natural.
Not for the first time, Simon thanks whatever brought him to Soap. Fate, destiny, a God he doesnât truly believe in, it doesnât matter.
He shakes off those thoughts. If it was important for him to be at his best before he met Soap, now it matters a thousand times over, because heâs not alone anymore.
Their fates are interlinked now. And Simon refuses to be the reason they all fall.
He wonât fail his team a second time.
âAfter all of this is said and done⊠What will you do?â
Simon grunts as he sits up, finally able to move his torso. He stalls his answer for a moment, the truth so simple it scares him. â...I donât know.â
He may have been lost many times in his life, tossed between his fatherâs cruel hands and the cartelâs, but he always had a goal.
âGet outâ
Now, though? The only thing he wants to run away from is the shell of a monster he was before meeting Johnny. A weapon, to be picked up and discarded as needed.Â
Price mustâve seen a conflict twisting his expression, because he starts talking again, âIâd have you back in our ranks in a heartbeat, you know. But I donât think thatâs what you need.â
Simon frowns at the ground, hands massaging his aching legs, âand what do you think I need?â
âSomeone to ground you. Make sure you donât forget yourself again.â
âSomeone like Johnny, then.â
âAnother hostile on your 3, Simon.â
âCopy.â
Simon steps around another stack of crates, every move calculated and muted. The unsuspecting soldier walks right past him, arms relaxed on his weapon.
He waits for him to reach the end of the hallway, and the moment the soldier starts turning, Simon claps a hand over his mouth and slices his neck in a well practiced motion. He catches the body and shoves it into a nearby storage room. âAnyone else, Garrick?â
âYouâre clear for now.â Gaz responds. He continues guiding Simon through the mess of halls that lead to the main room of the warehouse, alerting him to enemies. Soap has separated from him about ten minutes ago, taking the other rooms and making sure no one will be alive to raise any alarms.
Even if Price is keeping an eye on Johnny, Simon wouldâve much preferred if he was in his sights. But he trusts the Captain.
âAny sign of the Hunter showing on CCTV?â Soap radios in, voice steady and calm.
Price sighs, ânegative-â
âWait-â Gaz cuts him off, ânext to the main conveyor belt, right in the middle of the main room, is thatâŠâ
Simon holds his breath in anticipation as the line goes silent, Price and Gaz likely attempting to verify the ID.
âSkull mask, thatâs them. Soap, Simon, PID on the Hunter!â Price nearly shouts.
Gazâs voice is far more tense than before when he adds, âit seems like they know somethingâs wrong, prepare for combat!â
Shit, âJohnny, where are you right now?â they canât be separated if theyâve been discovered.
âOn my way to ye- fuck!â grunts and muted punches fill the comms, the sounds of struggle a sinking feeling in Simonâs chest.
Simon starts running. âPrice, where is he?!â these bloody hallways all look the fucking same! He retraces his steps to the point he and Johnny split ways.
âTurn left, heâs straight ahead from there!â
He almost slams into the wall with how fast he turns, but the pain is barely registered when he spots Johnny.
Johnny, whose chest is heaving, three dead soldiers at his feet. His bright blue eyes meet his, âSimon?â
Heâs capable. You can trust that he wonât die on you.
He blinks a few times before asking, âwhatâs your status, Sergeant?â
Soap wipes a bloody knife on his pants, âsolid. Letâs move.â
âYour cover is blown. Soldiers are making their way to you!â Gaz tells them, âtheyâre going to the trucks to the front exit, might be trying to get reinforcements!â
He doesnât need to see Soapâs mouth to know the way it curves into a dangerous grin, âthey wonât get far.â
Simon slings his rifle around, toggling the safety off, âtime to go loud, Johnny.â
Soap does the same, âwith pleasure.â
The sounds of shots line up with his heartbeat. In a fast-paced melody of war, Simon and Johnny continue pushing hostiles back, headshot after headshot.
Heavy drops of rain shake the roof, thunder booming so close to them, Simon feels it in his heart.
Somewhere amidst the battle, several far away explosions rattle the warehouse, the soldiers in front of them taken by surprise. Simon thinks he can hear Johnny chuckling darkly under his breath.
Red paints the walls, brushstrokes of blood and fallen soldiers of the Hunter. It gives Simon newfound strength to push through the growing pain in his limbs, a blinding rush of adrenaline that lies to him sweetly, convincing him he could resist the poison in his heart.
One second, heâs shooting down enemy after enemy.
The next, he falls.
His gun clatters to the ground, legs convulsing uncontrollably. Simon uses the last of his powers to drag himself around the corner, to cover.
âSimon?! Fuck-â Johnny appears a moment later, attempting to scan him for injuries between shots, âpoison?â
Simon groans, âaffirm. Sorry, Johnny.â shame bubbles in him. He should be right beside Soap, helping him fight, and the poison decides to take it away from him.
He should be stronger than this.
âNone of that, mo chridhe.â Johnny says softly, taking down another hostile, âIâll clear this wave, and weâll get ye to a better spot.â
How could he be so gentle while killing people? Simon lays back down with a smile, loosening his muscles and letting the poison have its way.
Soap gets the last of them and returns to his side, looping arms under his shoulders and heaving him up, âsteaminâ Jesus, ye weigh as much as a baby elephant.â he complains under his breath.
Simon chuckles, hissing as the jostling shoots pain up his limbs, âyouâre just short, Sergeant.â
âAway anâ bile yer heid, bastardâŠâ
Soap drags him to one of the side rooms, a storage unit that seems like it hasnât seen the light of day for decades. About this time, Simon wishes he had his mask on, if only to filter all the bloody dust in this room.
Johnny fusses over him for a few seconds, until Simon stops him, âIâll be fine, Soap. Once I regain movement, Iâll come to you.â
Soap stops, hands frozen on his shoulders. He frowns like he wants to argue, but he rises to his feet all the same. âI kept yer comms open, so if ye hear anyone gettinâ close-â
âIâll radio in. Donât worry.â Simon smiles, âgo.â
Johnny opens the door, hesitating. Simon is about to order him again when Soap unexpectedly turns around, takes three loud steps towards him, and rips his mask off.
âWhat are you doing, Johnny-â
Warm, shaky hands cup his face, tilt it up. Johnny bends down, and softly kisses his forehead.
In the space between them, he whispers, âIâll come back for ye, Simon. I promise.â
He puts the mask back on, and leaves.
Simonâs heart burns, his cheeks surely bright pink. He doesnât know if itâs from the poison, or fromâŠ
No, the tight grip around his heart is definitely from the poison. An agonizing ache wraps around his chest, heavier than 6 feet of dirt. Simonâs lungs shudder for a breath.
He can distantly hear the others talk on comms, but the blood rushing through his ears prevents him from deciphering what theyâre saying. Simon understands then, that this might be the end. With the poison gripping his lungs, and the lingering warmth of Johnnyâs lips, Simon closes his eyes.
His last thought is of regret, that Johnny wonât be able to keep his promise.
â-The Hunter, theyâre going after-â
Simon groans, unimaginable pain thumping at his head. Couldnât death have at least taken that away from him?
The rain beats in incessant song in his head.
â-Wait for backup, MacTavish-!â
MacTavish⊠JohnnyâŠ.. Simon remembers the kiss, his promise, and smiles.Â
â-Canât-â
â-SOAP-!!!â
Garrick sounds frantic. What are they shouting about?
Gunshots make his brows crease. Fighting someone⊠Where is he?
The warehouse. Price, Garrick. The Hunter.
âJohnnyâŠâ Simon rasps. A loud static is buzzing on comms. He pays it no mind.
He needs to get up. His limbs donât shake anymore, but his lungs hurt like he breathed in sandpaper. Simon whimpers, pushing himself forward.
His rifle is laying right next to him. Trembling fingers wrap around the weapon, and with gritted teeth, Simon manages to take it with him as he gets up. He stumbles through the door, blearily noticing the trail of bodies leading deeper into the warehouse.
Simon follows the paths of blood.
He doesnât know how long it took him to walk all the way to the central room of the warehouse, time slipping between the cracks in his mind. Itâs so hard to breathe, dark spots take permanent residence in the edges of Simonâs vision.
The lights went out before he woke up, plunging the building into shades of red, the emergency lights making the blood appear black.
Only one light remains, a spotlight encompassing two figures. A crimson skull makes Simonâs steps falter.
The Hunter.
Their gun pointed directly at Johnnyâs head.
It takes everything Simon has left in him to lift his gun. His lips move around a prayer, a plea to whoever is out there listening.
His fingers shake around the trigger.
He takes one last heaving breath, his eyes wide with fear.
The Hunterâs head moves from Johnny to him.
Simon shoots.
His bullet hits the Hunterâs arm, the rifle in their hands getting knocked away and sliding under a conveyor belt.
Johnny turns around, blue eyes shining in the light.
Simon smiles.
â...SimonâŠ?â Johnny asks.
He falls unconscious not a moment later.
Several minutes earlier
Soap closes the door on the storage room. He takes a second to roughly scrub down his face. What the fuck did he just do?! Did he bloody lose it?!!
âSoap, whatâs your status?â Price asks over the radio.
âSolid. Poison got Simon, left him in a storage room.â
The Captain sighs, âwe will keep an eye on the door, son. Heâll be safe.â Soap exhales shakily. âMore hostiles your way, keep pushing Soap.â
âCopy.â
No time to consider his fuckinâ action. He needs to focus.
He hears the rumbling steps of soldiers echoing through the empty halls, and pulls out a flash grenade. Now that heâs alone, he can start using some of his more⊠lethal equipment.
Soap huddles behind a filing cabinet, throwing the flash over his shoulder. Even though he covers his eyes, his vision is still painted bright red for a moment. He pops out of cover, noting the disoriented soldiers clutching at their eyes and ears, and methodically dusts them.
From here on out, it is total chaos.
Drill charges, Semtex, frags, every explosive in Soapâs arsenal gets thrown at seemingly endless waves of soldiers. He moves on instincts, hands shooting at targets his mind didnât even register yet.
It is only when he gets to the main machinery room, that he comes back to himself.
Sentry turrets have been set up at the entrance, waiting for him.
Soap rolls away not a moment too soon, the floor he just stood on turning to shattered bits of concrete in seconds.Â
âCaptain, they have sentries!â Gaz yells, âSoap is pinned!â
Soap scans the room heâs in, noting the snaking cables wrapping around the sentries legs. Following them, he spots a large electrical enclosure. If he could create a shock, the sentries will stop workingâŠ
A thunder rattles the windows around them, soldiers spreading out in search of him. âOn your 9, Soap!â Price informs him, and he shoots two soldiers getting too close to his position.
The rain⊠if he can get it to drop on the enclosureâŠ
Soap scans the roof for any weak points. There!
âCaptain, Gaz, are there any hostiles around me?â he growls into his mic.
Gaz answers, âNegative, what are you-â
âAhâm gonna drop the power to take the sentries down, might take out the CCTV.â
One beat passes before Price replies, âunderstood. We will come back you up if it goes.â
âSolid copy, Captain.â Soap lines up a shot at a precariously placed piece of the roofing. With only the iron sights on his rifle, it takes precious moments to aim and finally press the trigger. The hairs on Soapâs nape raise as he hears soldiers close in on him.
Time slows as he watches the water spill down, flooding the electrical enclosure.
âHeâs here! Get him!â A soldier shouts to his left.
The warehouse instantly falls dark. The electric hum stops, making Soapâs surroundings eerily silent.
He ducks away, sneaking around crates and containers, moving position to the soldiersâ flank, and just as the red emergency lights turn on, he strikes.
5 shots, and theyâre down.
âThe CCTVs are out, weâre making our way to you. Do not engage the Hunter alone, Soap.â Price orders through comms.
Soap lifts his hand to press the button to answer, but a new group of soldiers appears, shots wild as they spray the area heâs in. He jumps back, searching for his attackers, tracking the glint of the gunmetal. He shoots them, bodies falling, and for a moment he believes heâs in the clear.
Pinpricks at the back of his neck make him turn.
Soapâs eyes widen as he comes face to face with the Hunter.
They stare at each other for a second, before the Hunter simply walks away.
Back towards the way he came from, towards⊠Simon!
âSoap?! Soap, give me sitrep, now!â Price yells, snapping him out of shock.
âPrice, the Hunter, theyâre going after Simon!â Soap doesnât have time to figure out how the Hunter knows that, no time to figure out how he knows that.
âWait for backup, MacTavish! Thatâs an order!â
âI canât let Simon die, Captain!â
At those words, the Hunter snaps their gaze to him, and with near inhuman speed, lift their gun and shoot.
Pain shoots through his right shoulder, making him drop his gun. Soap bites down a scream of agony, the burning of the gunshot spreading down his arm.
âSOAP-!!!â
The butt-end of a gun comes at his head, Soap falling to the ground on his back to avoid it.
A single light turns on above them, the sharp shadows casted on the grotesque red skull mask hiding the Hunterâs eyes.
The commander circles him, Soap crawling towards his gun. If he could only-
The Hunter kicks it away, the firearm clattering when it hits one of the metal support structures keeping the warehouseâs roof up. The reverberating sound bounces on the barren walls.
âIâll never let ye kill Simon.â Soap snarls, desperation clawing at his chest. He frantically searches for an exit, a way to stall the Hunter, before they line the barrel of their rifle with his head.
Heâs going to die here, Soap realizes.
He wonât be able to fulfill his promise to Simon.
A shot from behind him makes him jump, the bullet hitting the Hunterâs hand, making their gun fly off and land under a conveyor belt.
Soap turns around, heart beating out of his chest.
Simon stands behind him, his form shaking, face even paler than usual, standing out against the red lights.
â...SimonâŠ?âÂ
Simon crumples, body falling heavily to the ground.
â-NO-!â Soap rushes to him, when a blade unsheathing makes him freeze.
The Hunter is flexing their injured hand, a knife held tightly in the other. Soap growls.
So this is how itâs going to be, huh?
Soap searches Simon for a moment, unsheathing his knife. The blade is long and cruel, one heâs seen take so many lives in the short time theyâve known each other. Itâs only fair it will take one more.
Soap gets his feet under him, grunting at the pain from his wound.
They start circling each other, waiting for the other to strike first. The Hunterâs head moves for a second away from him, to look at Simon.
Thatâs when Soap rushes in, knife in his left hand, slicing at the Hunterâs other arm. He jumps away before the commander can retaliate, and they start trading blows.
Soap manages a cut at their wrist, bright red blood mixing with their uniform. The Hunter slashes at his injured shoulder, making Soap yell.
He disengages for a moment to catch his breath, watching the Hunter do the same. He feels doomed for a moment, when he realizes heâs fighting a soldier that bested even the Ghost.
How could he win?!
Another blow to his torso that Soap barely evades. He tries to go for the Hunterâs neck, only for them to block it, shoving Soap away with frightening force.
Think, MacTavish! Youâve always been shorter, weaker, younger than both your squad mates and your opponents!
Take those disadvantages, and make them work!
Soap inhales sharply, dodging another lethal attack. The Hunter is far stronger than him, if they managed to get a stab inâŠ
A sharp grin stretches on his lips. Soap twirls around the Hunter, their knife predictably following with immense speed.
He lets it sink into his left shoulder, and he pushes towards it, snarling as it sinks in further.
The Hunter attempts to take it out, but it sank far too deep. Soap locks eyes with the red skull.
In a wide arc, Soap swings his knife, and slices the Hunterâs neck.
Blood sprays on his face, as the commander clutches at him, a pathetic attempt to keep themselves standing.
Soap freezes when he hears the Hunter talk.
Their voice is startlingly old, decrepit, as they whisper, âYou are nothing but a Blind Man⊠a Beast⊠following⊠a Beast⊠you will not be more than that⊠you will die⊠monstersâŠ..â
The Hunterâs grip slips from his biceps, and they fall to the ground, dead.
Soap stares at the blood spreading on the floor, as an unsettling sense that this has happened before washes over him.
He shakes it off when his eyes drift away towards Simonâs still form.
Soap falls to his knees, frantically searching the Hunterâs body, âFuck, câmon, câmonâŠâ
His fingers brush over a set of vials and syringes at their hip, and he yanks them off, trembling fingers slipping while he tried to get the liquid in the syringe.
Once he manages to fill one, Soap throws away the rest, crawling to Simon and tilting his head to access his neck. The poison has blackened his veins, the injection site the epicenter. Soap stabs it and pushes the liquid from the needle into Simon.
He sits back, arms pulsing pain from both of his wounds, the Hunterâs knife still in his shoulder.
âSimon⊠Mo leannan, please.â his eyes start to water, uncoordinated hands pawing at Simonâs chest, âplease, wake upâŠâ
He places a bloody hand over Simonâs cheek, tears now streaming down his face, âI kept my promise⊠I told you Iâll come back, right?â his voice cracks, ânow ye just have to come back to me⊠PleaseâŠâ
Soap feels his adrenaline waning, leaving him tired, so fucking tired. He rests his head on Simonâs chest, sobbing at the stillness of it.
âIâŠâ Soap closes his eyes, âI wanted to tell yeâŠâ his exhales shudder out of him, âI love yeâŠâ
Ba-dump
Soap stills. Did he imagine�
Ba-dump
Ba-dump
Ba-dump-Ba-dump-Ba-dump-Ba-dump-Ba-dump-Ba-dump-
âFuckâŠâ Simon groans. Soapâs head shoots up, and his brown eyes soften, âJohnny?â
Soap barks a laugh, blinking away tears.
Simonâs eyes trail down, to the knife in his shoulder, âfucking âell, Soap, how did you manage that?!â
âThe HunterâŠâÂ
âIs heâŠâ Simon stares behind him, at the growing puddle of blood, âfuck, Johnny, you took him out by yourself?â
âYou and me, Simon.â
Simon smiles up at him, dark eyes breathtakingly deep. He sighs a moment later, slowly getting up to walk to the body of the commander. Soap follows.
Simon takes hold of the red skull mask, staring intently at it before taking it off.
Beneath it, was a face Soap feels heâs seen before, yet in the weeks following, he could not remember. The only feature burned into his memory were the four scars slashed across the Hunterâs face.
The claws of an animal.
Simon examines the mask. It looks similar to Ghostâs, but the red skull is sculpted to look furious, a permanent frown on it.
Simon offers it to Soap, who gives him a confused look.
âYouâve earned it.â
Soap stares at Simon, before taking the mask.Â
The two of them swivel their heads back when a pair of footsteps sound through the hallway behind them. Simon slides a knife down his sleeve, ready to fight, when the source is revealed to be Price and Gaz.
âSoap, bloody hell mate, we told you to-â Gazâs brows slowly rise as he registers Simon, and then the mask in Soapâs hand.
Price approaches them, âthe antidoteâŠ?â
âAdministered.â Soap says, âitâs over.â
The warehouse falls silent as they process the words.
The Hunter is dead.
It is done.
Page 63 of the âBlooede StarvatfĆre-dÄdeâ, parable 17:
And the Beast attacked, cruel claws reaching the hunter, His eyes blinded, by blood and rage, And the Beast says to the Blind Man, you will fight as equals. The Blind Man, the Fallen Knight, Takes a sword, and strikes the hunter down, And as his blood became one with the dirt, the hunter tells, You are not but a Blind Man, not but a beast following a beast, You will not be more, you will die Monsters. And the hunter falls silent, forevermore belonging to death.
#call of duty modern warfare 2#cod mw2#cod soap#cod ghost#cod gaz#cod price#john soap mactavish#simon ghost riley#kyle gaz garrick#john price#BLOOD||HUNGER#ghostsoap#soapghost#ghoap#call of duty fic#call of duty fanfic#call of duty modern warfare#cod fic#cod fanfic#i wrote the first half of this chapter in 3 days#bc it wasnt going like i wanted it to. like at all#and then the second half all today bc when i started writing the operation i couldnt stop lol#i had uni work i needed to do today... alas the brainrot consumed me#like i said this isnt the end#theres one more chapter#and after that will be the post script#so ill leave most of my thoughts for that#but i do really wanna see what yall are gonna say about the hunter.....
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Omg drawing requests?? Can I please see your Pearl doing anything I love your Pearl so much the serotonin she gives me. No pressure to draw it tho!
Was I cut by these teeth, or by your barbed wire?
TL: Is this good? Is this satisfactory?? I really struggled with the colors (again) :( also alt under cut
#every time I want to try some funky new style or look I have no clue how to make it look decent in the end#that said. I hope this looks decent. I played around with the colors and lines and layering for a good 2 hours like an idiot#pearlecentmoon fanart#pearlescentmoon#double life fanart#trafficblr#the stuff coming out of Tilly's nose isnt blood but lava because you know#tubby art
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older designs for my specialest guy
#you actually could pay me to watch boruto the payment is reviving any of madara-obito-itachi in a cheap fan service moment. itd work on me đ#neji hyuga#hyuga neji#art#fanart#naruto#2024#i think konoha would love to project the will of fire shit onto neji after what he did. ya know. trying to give your life 'for the village'#in that way hed probs have a lot of respect from others but respect has never been enough when your life still isnt yours đ#the pessimism would likely take a bit to return to him but it Would return hes just like. less interpersonally volatile#the realization you had two whole very public meltdowns and no one that matters cared will do that to you#anywayfor the happy ending one. i think while neji is always going to be a little bit bitchy hes bound to soften up a lot when he's not#under constant stress and has to micromanage his every thought#i like to think that if he were allowed to hed grow into a very outwardly warm person. sunflower :)#and my general opinions of neji and boruto are:#1. yes it is a blessing to not be made to be straight married#2. however consider: what if i wanted to see neji be a dad. i dont care for romantic njten but i do not hate it. it would be acceptable#when i think abt this guy in boruto hes chronically single but still.talking about what CANON could be. it would be acceptable#3. yes hiashi shouldve gotten his ass killed in the war but i would be lying if i said the awful family reunions#are not fun as a concept#are they fun on purpose? no#but the rule is: A situation can suck if it sucks on purpose#and 4. i know about the time travel episode i have mixed feelings on it.#anyway no hate if you like boruto i like being hyperbolic for fun but its just anime. the kids seem cute#but if any other hyuga-brained person ever wants to get unimaginably angry you should also watch the hiashi birthday episode of boruto#thats my special recommendation from me to you
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So! Here are the sketches for the mcsm stickers i wanna make! I might do more characters in the future (Starting with the 1st place winners of This Poll!) I'm also contemplating making these into keychains, we'll see! I just wanna gauge how many of yall would be interested in these, so here's another poll lol
Thanks again to everyone's support while i've worked on these! I'll continue with the art regardless, bc they're cute, but again thanks yall! If you have any more comments or ideas feel free to let me know :3
#mcsm#minecraft story mode#mcsm stickers#my art#not gonna tag all the characters here lol thats too much now ^^#Jesse isnt included bc like i said#I dont wanna get into making all the jesse's and then have overstock that no one wants#if theres enough demand ill make a few but not yet ^^ plus i may just do one or two favs in the end
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had to draw this to understand the way i feel about him now that the manga's ended. đ„Č on that note: if you like hawks and his ending, maybe don't read my tags lol. it's not bashing (imo) but they're not v nice. đ
bg + unobstructed pose under the cut!
his expression's a lil different 'cuz i only changed the merged layer, all the lighting effects already flattened onto it. đ alas.
#hawks#mha hawks#bnha hawks#takami keigo#keigo takami#bnha#bnha fanart#mha#mha fanart#spoilers#bnha spoilers#mha spoilers#it's not very positive lol i don't really like the way his character ended đ„Č#i think his hero worship for endeavor blinded him from seeing or doing anything that could make a difference#i was so let down when he didm't have any sort of critique or moral dilemma after the touya reveal#and just immediately supported endeavor--it made me think he wss incapable of being critical of his idol.#only further underscored with the way he remembers his endeavor plushie while he defends the rabking system.#like. he thinks about his childhood toy of his hero while he defends the system that ultimately caused that ''hero'' to ruin his family.#so blinded by that pedestal that he unironically thinks about the BIGGEST example of why the ranking system does NOT work#WHILE he defends said system.#he was introduced as this morally complicated guy and instead of his childhood worship of a flawed guy making him more interesting#by having him really THINK about what it means that his hero inadvertently created a super villain#he was instead flattened into an endeavor fan boy. and even tho he was introduced as a guy w a complicated bg of#villainous father + harshly trained by the HPSC from a young age he still doesn't do very much with the system of which he's gained charge.#if he thought of the plushie as a memory of what it meant to have a symbol of hope in his hands it's like...#hawks... abolishing the ranking system wont stop merch and news articles and good PR from happening...#anyways yeah. he was one of my faves for a really long time but the way he ends... i dont like that guy.#that being said him becoming president of the HPSC isnt smth i hate even tho idve given him a vacay and his sought-after free time.#and i like that he brings a katana around now. i tried to make the projection make it look like his epilogue self has wings.#oh and i hated the tiny epilogue panel that made it look like endeavor replaced his entire set of kids. :) just. absolutely loathed it. :))
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this woman tugging the children out of the way/putting herself in front of them as the klingons walk past.. they're just going somewhere do u think they're gonna attack your kids unprovoked? it's such an interesting detail establishing how klingons are perceived by federation civilians but also worf's served on this ship almost a whole season do you shield your kids from him too? did you used to?
#ik i said I was just gonna watch this episode braindead but i can't help it#like youve got this setting where discrimination and bigotry among humans isnt sposed to exist anymore but then#you write these alien characters and have people treat them like That#and then there's the whole layer of racial coding and the abject Mess of that to consider...#and then at the end of the day im thinking about worf surrounded by people who treat him with apprehension just trying to do his job#tlhIngan#ghItlhpu'wIj#klingon ep liveblog
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gonna have to deal with people missing the point of louis singing 1d songs in festivals... don't get me started on the other covers
#festivals is for exposure#once again: festival is for exposure!!!!#for the people that know him only from the band its like oh its him? let me check him out#for the indie ppl that he wants to appeal to its like: oh isnt this from [band]? let me check this dude's redemption of it#why must it be said every time!!!!!#same thing can be said even for tour#have we not seen the clip go viral on the first time he said 505?#and people will be buying tickets to hear a 1d song live out of nostalgia even if they dont know much of louis' own stuff#and come out of there thinking hm i actually enjoyed his as well#thats the way it goes#it doesnt say anything about his solo abilities and he's not selling himself short#there will always be people that are there not fully entirely for all of his songs either#it happens to mainstream artists and their big hits#the way this fandom want to complain about everythinggggggg#edit: sorry this isnt direct shade#i just have to see it multiple times everywhere because i update dailytomlinson đ#last one add because AJSKAK truly irates me#stop trying to make this as some hard task for him that he's only doing it because he's not as big or something#i promise you he doesnt need you fuming over this my god#i know its mostly pettiness disguised as a real constructive opinion over how louis manages his career or whatever#but my god. arent we tired of focusing on the stupidest things? end rant
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mouthwashing features a mc who rapes and impregnates a woman and then crashes a spaceship full of innocent people to cover that fact up when the news gets out to the ppl she confides in and the captain tells her her assaulter wouldn't do that because he "knows him" and the mc pretends like it never happened as he is haunted by the images of his lies and deceit and cowardice and the image of his unborn child and the sound of a child's cries and the captain who failed to act cannot move himself or feed himself or speak for himself or defend himself when the mc attacks him and berates him and blames him for every lie he's ever told as the captain loses every scrap of autonomy he has left. but yeah it's about fucking. capitalism and yaoi. whatever i guess
#rape tw#tw#pulls at my hair i just feel like theres so many stories about SA that revolve around and are so obviously about SA that people just want to#ignore#it means a lot to me#what a tragic and haunting and sickening story where sa is so... forward#the entire story is about autonomy - and the lack of it#from curly feeling like hes stuck in the role as captain and has no choice if he stays or goes#to jimmy and what he did to anya#to anya and her pregnancy#and curlys end of life state#jimmy attacked anya but he stole the autonomy of the entire crew and you see every step from his eyes. terrifying#i wish things can be processed as more than just... male feelings and men kissing. that's all. anya deserves better.#this isnt even scratching the title being mouthwashing which is obviously referencing the cargo but is also alluding to the action#usually the punishment#of washing one's mouth with soap after theyve said 'a bad word'#i wonder who it was in the story that said something to some particular people that ended in them being punished... hm....#anyway.#my soapbox
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I know this sounds cruel, but Fcg was a great choice for a PC death. I dont say that because I'm not sad. They were a favorite of mine! It's just that he was at a good place in his story for it. If Imogen or Fearne, who have really important plot/personal connections that still need to be explored died, it would feel like we lost too much of the story. While Chetney nearly dying felt more somber than tragic because he'd already lived such a full life. Fcg was at a good middle ground where it feels like we could have had more while still being a satisfying end for them. His story feels both complete and incomplete, and that's what makes it such a great tragedy.
#critical role#cr spoilers#fcg#this is not to say it isnt sad! i know i said that in the post but just clarifying i fucking love fcg!!!#possibly more than i love the characters i used as examples!!!!#a good tragedy should feel narritively satisfying and complete#while feeling emotionally like theyve been robbed of the happy ending they deserved#and thats what sam did!!!
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Poppy for N2 au, it took me so long to make her design cuz I didn't really know what I wanted to do only because I feel like her design is pretty perfect.
But then I just thought about fun outfits to give her or outfits that I would find comfortable if I was wearing them and it all came together.
Poppy here is pretty much the same as here movie counterpart, as nothing really changes on her end of things other than having more insight on Branch through his brothers, and through Lief. Shes also a bit more understanding a bit earlier on because of it but it doesnt do much to change her own character arc I would say.
Bonus
Part of Poppys design was based off a design I had made for previous rulers of Troll Village/Tree
Namely Queen Protea who I designed as Poppys grandmother
Named after the Protea flower which part of her design is based off :D
In the context of this Au Protea was the one who conceptualized the tunnels while her son, King Peppy, was the one to follow through after her death
#my art#dreamworks trolls#trolls#trolls 3#trolls au#trolls band together#trolls branch#trolls poppy#trolls oc#trolls oc lief#trolls oc protea#its really hard to mess with poppy at least in the context of this au cuz like i said nothing really changes on her end#whats changed in this au was just stuff on Branchs side of things#Poppy can witness these things but she herself isnt really changed by them#she of course would have more insight on Branchs life through his brothers and the addition of Lief as a character#but idk if that would fully change her approach with him other than what ive displayed#where shed try to relate to branch rather than trying to force him to relate to her#which would then most likely make her more understanding going forward than she was in canon#im still figuring her out#also since im in the tags and nobody really reads this#i feel brave enough to say#that secretly#ive been kind of sort of#posting a fanfic of this au under the name not the only one#on ao3#and thats where Protea comes from#its not well written in the slightest#but its just for fun and practice so in my mind it doesnt really have to be entirely#but i am having fun with it#so if you see this and check it out please be so very nice to me please
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this came to me in a vision
#i was listening to the sarazamai soundtrack and was thinking about how it and bishounen tanteidan end in almost the exact same way#these are like the quintessential animes about growing up to me#growing up is fucking weird man#as always if you havent seen any please go watch#bishounen tanteidan especially i feel like isnt talked about enough its so good#well i actually wouldnt say its on the same level of good as sarazanmai and tsuritama but its still a fave#also once again sorry the pic is so blurry idk why#tumblr hates beautiful animes#one time in class i said i like making venn diagrams and honey i was not lying#sarazanmai#bishounen tanteidan#pretty boy detective club#tsuritama
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i finished the game last night, here are my unpolished thoughts about the final act and what i liked & didn't like. this is very long and probably incoherent lol
what i liked:
the whole final battle was awesome, i loved the combat, and i really enjoyed the huge cutscenes of everyone fighting together. i had been really disappointed earlier about the lack of a battle scene at weisshaupt a la ostagar in origins, and this definitely made up for it
i liked the suicide mission and actually getting to assign people their roles in the battle
i LOVED Solas's betrayal, that whole section in the fade prison with the statues was one of the strongest scenes in the game, i think the entire relationship between Rook and Solas is really well developed. as the player, we know Solas is manipulating them, but i think they did a good job making it so it's still believable for Rook to fall for his tricks, especially with the Blood of Arlathan quest before this. (also it's very obvious Solas is Weekes' favorite, wish they would have just stuck to him and not all that other dogshit...lol)
i liked the idea of Varric's role here, but not the execution. i'll come back to this lmao
the giant dread wolf and archdemon fight was cool as fuck. no notes. that's just classic rule of cool, baby
also i had Davrin in my party while fighting alongside Solas and i really enjoyed his banter with him and how hard he laid into Solas's ass. it was very satisfying. yippee go Davrin!
okay. now. what i didn't like (sorry not going to bother with bullet points, it's going to be longer down here lol):
while i liked the suicide mission structure, i hated how the game all but told you who to assign where. there were no stakes at all, there was no way to get it wrong unless you did so intentionally.
this also brings me to. The Choice. between Davrin and Harding. i understand the need for a "fallen hero" here, it ties into the entire theme of regret with Solas as we see in the fade prison, it was necessary for Rook to be the person "at fault" (aka directly make the choice that ends with someone getting killed) but this choice was dogshit. it also was really fucking stupid to see Harding climb up and stand atop a giant stone pillar, and then NOT use her stone magic!!! i don't hate the idea of someone dying here, but this was just a series of failed choices over and over again. we should not have pitted returning fan fave Harding against the single Black companion (who comes in late and barely even gets his own story outside of his damn pet)-- it should have been Harding (narratively satisfying, she's been here since the beginning and dies for the fight) or Lucanis (he is literally the guy taking the shot), we also shouldn't have tied all the dwarf lore revelations to a character that can just fucking die at the end, and we shouldn't have had her stand on a giant stone pillar when she has STONE MAGIC!! i knew this choice was coming but her death still caught me off guard cus i was fully expecting her to collapse that stone pillar on her, not use her stupid puny bow đ
i think this choice is also weakened by the fact that it's THEE only choice. it's obviously an echo of the earlier Treviso and Minrathous choice, which also didn't really seem to affect much outside of potentially losing the corresponding factions (and i think Lucanis's romance gets locked out?) i saved Treviso, so i got the Treviso questline later, and i assume that you get a Minrathous specific questline with the Shadow Dragons if you save the other instead (haven't seen myself tho so i'm not sure, just guessing). but it's very easy to recover the Shadow Dragon's reputation, and the final battle takes place in Minrathous no matter what. the only way for companions to die or the battle to fail is to just straight up ignore quests. you can't lose a faction's support at all unless you intentionally try to do so. i don't even think you can lose companions at all unless you intentionally ignore their quests and place them in the wrong spot. though the game still holds your hand through the battle and basically Tells You who to put where so they survive.
and to be fair. this is true for the suicide mission in mass effect 2, but the thing is, there is so much more dialogue and variations with how you can play your character and interact with the companions and the world than there is in veilguard, it makes it feel like you do have more control over your character and the narrative, even if it's just the illusion of choice.
and then with Solas, it doesn't matter, he always ends up trapped/linked to the Fade, it just changes how he feels. (they also do this with the First Warden. i was excited for a potential variation between punching/not punching, but all it changes is his attitude when you find him later in Davrin's quest) okay.... well. is he going to return again after that post credit scene? and are they really going to write 3 (or 4, with lavellan i guess) different branching personality variations?
i think the powers that be just wanted to get rid of him in a way that would still leave the dragon age setting ultimately unaltered and open for more games in the future. especially given the secret post credits scene. which i also have an issue with. we're going to go from "it was all the Evanuris fault" to Actually, it was this secret third thing and everything we did was for nothing! AGAIN! if they want to make more dragon age games, they can just... start a new story. do they know that. (the fact they're implying Loghain was influenced by some outside force to do what he did at ostagar actually has me livid lol. leave origins alone!!!!)
anyways. now the fade prison. i have two issues, my main one being Varric. i actually started to suspect early on something was up with him, because he just sits in that damn infirmary the entire game, no interactions, barely any dialogue. i think Varric was horribly underutilized in this game, and it results in all of the emotional beats around him falling flat for me. of course, it's emotional for ME, the player, because Varric is a fan fave returning character and one of my own personal favorites. as far as i've seen in game, though... Rook has no relationship with him at all. i think this game would have been vastly improved with short playable origins that showed the two meeting and developing a relationship, and also he really really needed to have more scenes and dialogue in general. he's barely in the second half of the game, literally just sitting all by himself in that damn room, and even when he is in the cutscenes he has one single line that everyone obviously just ignores. it sucked. very disappointing finale for a really beloved character... it could have been so good if it was good....
because i DO love the idea of Solas using him to manipulate Rook (and i really like Varric and Solas's relationship & the way they contrast against each other), and also the idea of how being tricked in that way would actually affect Rook-- what's real, what's not, can they even trust what they're seeing at all anymore? especially when Solas "glitches" between Varric and Lucanis (idk if it's always him or your LI? would be cool if it's your LI, that's what i assumed) after slaying Ghilan'nain-- this could have tied in with the final romance scene. but of course the game doesn't get into any of that at all.
and now issue 2. how the fuck did Solas do that LOL. how did he switch places, how did he get out, how did it take Rook in his place when it was designed for elven gods? where are the other elven gods (did i just miss this explanation? did the other two just kill them in there)? đ€· when did this place suddenly turn into a prison of regrets? was that Solas's presence influencing it, or did he do that intentionally for Rook? dont know! who cares. moving on...
i romanced Lucanis, and i was really disappointed with his romance. the final scene was sweet, but.... i think particularly with Lucanis you can tell so much of his story and arc ended up on the cutting room floor, it feels disjointed and as if we're missing pieces, and you can feel it in his romance, too. i also really didnt understand the "keep flirting (not a lock in) or end it now" choices that didnt feel like they did anything at all. why was i given like 3 different times to break up with him when we weren't even dating yet lmao. the romance was a bummer, of course i love the setting and the story but i go into these games expecting strong romance along with it and i was really banking on that being the highlight in this mess of a game but. alas
this also segues me back into the whole "trapped in the Fade prison" section. why was there no reunion with both your LI and everyone else? apparently Rook was in there for WEEKS!!! they hardly communicate this and Rook just reappears and jumps straight back into leading the team, no tears or questions asked about how they found them, how they got out, what everyone was thinking while they were gone... we also get a deus ex machina knife, how convenient that they did all that while i was gone and no explanation is given as to how it could possibly fool Solas, just trust us bro! đ i feel like trying to craft our own copy of the knife should have been something actively happening in the background throughout the entire game, and it gets finished while Rook is in the Fade. but this truly came out of nowhere lol
again i think it's obvious things were cut and rewritten and maybe this was the result of a frantic scramble to come up with something that would work, and i'll be generous and blame it on that, i guess...
when we finally get to the final confrontation with Solas, i was very excited, because again i feel like Rook and Solas's relationship is the best in the game, Solas's writing is consistent and strong, i knew this scene had to be good.... and i guess it was? but it felt so unsatisfying. i chose to fight him (my Rook would do anything to get him to shut up) and i was hoping for. an actual fight. you can do it with Mythal earlier in the game, and we already saw his giant wolf form, i was so excited. and then. no<3
okay! sure. we beat him with the power of friendship (not surprised and not even making fun of it here, it makes sense narratively, i knew some version of this was coming after the whole comparing Rook versus Solas bit in the Fade) but come onnnnn i wanted to fight the giant wolf.... sigh. i did check out the other endings as well, and it's clear the redemption ending is the "true" ending and also the best written one imo.
overall. this was a bad dragon age game. i had a lot of fun playing it though, so it's not a bad game game. the gameplay loop never got boring, i never got tired exploring or doubling back, i loved the maps, i loved the combat, and i did love the companions. but the writing is atrocious and racist. this is a horrible dragon age game. i don't know where i fall on recommending this. again, i've had a lot of fun playing and dissecting it, but i dont know that i could recommend this to dragon age fans. this would have been way more successful as a completely different fantasy game. the changes to the lore, disregarding the majority of the games that came before it, the horrible depictions of returning characters (the inquisitor and isabela were the worst offenders for me) the setting and characters feeling watered down and incomplete, the complete lack of the classic "grey morality" shtick (even if it's not always been implemented well)... idk man. bummer! it's obvious there was a cohesive vision at one point, i do think this game is a casualty of the current state of the gaming industry (i was honestly surprised it was functional on launch. not shade at bioware just in general that is rare to see now) we know EA thrashed bioware throughout development, and bioware made a lot of really bad choices, too (the racism is absolutely their doing, they made that choice back in inquisition). but we can see, particularly in the artbook, that there were good ideas & an intention to actually tie everything together and give this story the finale it deserved... but it all got lost along the way in a very ugly, chaotic development. and the game really suffers for it.
#datv spoilers#datv critical#i mean theres some positives too.. lmao#this isnt really as articulate as my other posts im not really digging in too hard this is just. straight off my dome after playing#i do eventually want to come back to davrin's quest and write about that but i really . don't know what to say. it's Bad lmao#HIS ENDING SLIDE JUST BEING THE GRIFFONS. NOTHING ABOUT HIM. LMAO#anyways. i might give it a day or two before jumping back in with a different playthru to see what i've missed#maybe my opinion on some things will change but. we'll see#obviously this is just my experience with the game#im sure there is lore or potential explanations for some things i may have overlooked or missed. but đ€·#idk if i'll make anymore formal posts at this point i feel like ive said what i have to say#i was possessed but now im free#da posting
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re âmost popular lannister in fandomâ discussion lol i love cersei obv but im not particularly shocked at her not being as immensely popular as her brothers in book circles. not even just because of misogyny but the type of character that she is and her âlikabilityâ. nonetheless, there is a lot to say and discuss about her and her complexity anyway and id love to see that more over âgirlboss delulu queen x100â. idrgaf about what others think but the only thing that kinda bugs me is when i see multiple ppl complain about tyrion specifically lacking the intrigue and discussion that sorrounds jaime sometimes (which is a gripe i entirely understand and resonate with, especially bc we can guess the types of things it could be rooted in; and there is a lot of material to discuss with him ofc) and then never discussing him or really mentioning him themselves either, especially centering him. like ye i write like 800 pages on jaime or whatever and not as much about the other two bc i find him the most compelling personally for whatever reason but lol thats just me. be the change u want to see, especially if u find him the most interesting personally
#like i think cersei isnt written as âlikeableâ necessarily which i do love tho#it doesnt impact character writing quality but it does affect popularity đ#to be fair the longest thing ive written is the aerys cersei thing whatever i think of what i said in that now lol#i disagree w some of it certainly but its painfully long im not touching it again lmao#it feels too connected to discourse anyway which is just frustrating to me#like if u invest time into discussing fandom pilled whatever over the actual book u r gonna end up with kinda dumb thoughts anyway#bc u r trying to argue with nonsense and talk with premises that r so out of left field in mind
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since ive started my most recent playthrough of the series im just. constantly reminded of how shitty of a hand the bandits got dealt. starting with dahl dumping thousands of convicts into pandoras penal colonies, as well as establishing civilian settlements like fyrestone. this went on for generations, maybe. long enough for zed to be born and go grey. atlas shows up, chases off dahl and the planet is put under new, neglectful management. this opens the prisons, and the "unworthy" convicts clash with the "worthy" dahl settlers for resources. violence breaking out is inevitable because violence is the only thing the bandits have. BL1 VHs come in, killing their way through every camp and mine and settlement they can get into, for no other reason than Bandit Bad and theyre in the way of our money. lets go into their homes and kill them because they would have probably tried to kill us if we hadnt. the first people they meet are settlers, of course theyre going to feel this way. the only pushback they get is atlas trying to "protect" barons territory because they want the vault key from his men. and it doesn't stop them from throwing him to the wolves once his value as bait outweighed his value as an asset. atlas sends them after flynt with the false promise of a key fragment, something the VHs have killed for before, so why would this be any different? the vault key is reformed. destroyer pops out of the vault, cracks open the planet, and then hyperion hits pandora. i dont need to explain hyperion. everyone, if nothing else, has played BL2. more prisons, more exploitation, this time on a scale several times that of dahl or atlas. but the bandits still dont get the benefit of a doubt, even though they are facing the same dangers that sanctuary does. and worse, seeing as how they dont have a flying city with a bubble around it. once the BL2 VHs touch down, theyre mincemeat. all of a sudden, theyre fighting a war on all fronts. so they lose their leadership. captain, flanksteak, mortar, nisha in 2. nine-toes, sledge, krom, baron in 1. and they also lose a good half of of their population to boot. so...what can they do that wont get them steamrolled by pandoras benevolent saviors? they unite. BL3 rolls around and every bandit clan on pandora has been assimilated into the COV because that is the only level of security they have left. except it still isnt safe because now theyre quite literally being eaten and mutated by the ones who are supposed to be protecting them. and then theyre still being mowed down regardless, because the calypsos dont provide any real kind of safety, they just have a veil of community. which is then lost when the twins die and the world almost gets destroyed by the great vault. and now the crimson raiders are...leaving, maybe? which might be for the best. maybe what this planet needs it just to be left the hell alone.
#borderlands#this isnt worded very gracefully. alas. also part 1 of 2 bc i wanted to talk specifically abt the crimson raiders as well.#this thing has been in my drafts for. like two months.#anyways if youve made it to the end. ty for reading my rant im sure this has all been said before.#anyways its bandit apologism now and forever. those are just people!! theyre just people!
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Shadow the Hedgehog is a canonically suicidal teenager full of self-hate and survivor's guilt and I'm not supposed to love and cherish him like my son? alright
#suicide ment#If anything in the manga/that one ending of shth 2005 is anything to go by for context#He felt like his birth was a waste of time and that he failed to perform the Thing he was Created To Do. he was doomed on arrival.#its not his fault but he blames himself for everything and wont let people get close#and the people who DID get close manipulated him. damaged his brain for their own gain. forced him to work with them or face annihilation.#except for a select few. who continue to try and include him despite everything he's done#but he feels like he doesnt deserve their kindness. that he isnt worried of love#SHADOWWWWW#the amount of insight we're getting for my favorite character has left me a mess. I wasnt reading too much into it. it IS that serious#No one said that btw I just love gushing abt him.
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something in me needs needs needs Ekko to tell Jayce that he followed him to Benzoâs shop that day all those years ago
i need a scene where Ekko acknowledges that had he not followed Jayce that day and not told Vi about it that the first explosion wouldâve never happened and then everything that followed it
not that I blame Ekko -gods and my specialest boy- but everyone else is carrying a good amount of grief and guilt over the mistakes of their past and i canât help but wonder if weâre gunna get that from Ekko. âŠlike does he even realize that he knocked over the first domino??
Jayce certainly doesnât seem to know that his new science partner is the reason his apartment got broken into and exploded and himself expelled and almost exiled. i wonder if heâd be upset about it still or if it was so long ago -and because it led to hextech being fully developed- that heâd just let it go as the past
idk idk idk i have worms in my brain and theyâre all freaking out over Ekko and Jayce working together and how their roles in everything thatâs happened so far will effect their new partnership going forward
#arcane#arcane season 2#ekko#jayce talis#this isnt putting blame on anybody. everybody played a part and continues to play a part#but likeâŠ.the ANGST potential. i need them to have a huge argument blaming each other#and it just fizzles out to both of them sitting with their grief and guilt and just sort of going like#âok..so where do we go from here?â#im normal#this isnt ship#but feel free to see it that way. last season it was a crack ship but now yall actually have em in the same room#more than that theyre science bros now. jayce said friendship ended w viktor ekko is my new best friend
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