#needed john 2 meet jack | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

turcott3 · 11 months ago

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safety net

jack hughes x fem! reader

warnings?: cursing, semi slow burn, a kiss, angst and some fluff ofc

positions masterlist!

~trippin’ fallin’ with no safety net~

you made your way into the bar, as it was your first weekend living in jersey. you walk in and head straight to the counter, asking for a drink that was sweet and didn’t taste too strongly of alcohol.

“hey stranger.” a voice says to your right and you turn your head.

“dawson?” you say, your eyes widening.

“hey y/n.” he says opening his arms for you to hug him, which you gladly accept.

“how have you been? oh my gosh it’s been what like 3 years.” you say smiling at your old school friend.

“i’ve been good, playing hockey here is fucking awesome.” he says.

“yes! that’s right you play for the devils, how could i forget you getting drafted!” the two of you laugh.

“well how’s your boyfriend? haven’t seen him in a few years either.” he asks curiously.

“funny you should ask, i broke up with him and that’s why i moved here.”

“wait really? why? you don’t have to explain if you’re not comfortable.” the brunette boy asks leaning on the counter.

“well things were so great when we started dating our senior year but within the last year he became a real fucking asshole, so i broke it off and moved away so he couldn’t try to find me and sucker me into being with him again.” you explain, leaving out any details you weren’t ready to share.

“well shit, i’m sorry y/n. i bet that hurt a lot.”

“it did but i’m over it, ready to find someone else.” you say and you practically see the light bulb turn on over his head.

“i think i have someone i want you to meet.” he smirks. you grab your drink and follow close behind him, holding onto his arm.

“hey jack!” dawson says to a brunette boy with bright blue eyes.

“what’s up daws, who’s this?” he says looking at you. you release dawson’s arm and give him a smile.

“jack this is y/n, y/n this is jack.” he says looking between you two.

“nice to meet you, jack.” you say.

“yeah, you too.” he smiles, causing a blush to burn in your cheeks.

“i have to go to the bathroom, you two have fun. don’t get too drunk.” he says giggling and walking off to the bathroom.

“so y/n, what brings you to jersey?” he asks.

“just needed a change of scenery from my hometown. dawson and i went to highschool together.” you tell him.

“oh wow, small world. are you still new to living here or?”

“yeah this is only my first weekend but i’m glad im already meeting people, it was getting pretty lonely.” you laugh.

“well now that you’ve reconnected with dawson, you have a whole new group of people to hang out with.”

“oh are you guys like on the same team?” you ask.

“yeah we are, my brothers around here somewhere. probably tongue deep in some random girl.” he laughs.

“is he older or younger?”

“younger.” he says taking a sip of his drink.

“oh nice.” you smile doing the same.

“can i get your number?” he asks.

“yeah of course.” you say as he hands you his phone.

“what have i missed?” a tall, curly haired boy asks.

“ah yes, y/n, this is my brother luke.”

“nice to meet you.” you say.

“nice to meet you too.” he replies.

“so where were you?” jack asks as i hand him his phone back.

“i was talking to john but i didn’t wanna ruin his game so i came back.” he laughs.

“johnny getting some ladies?”

“he sure was.” luke laughs, taking a sip of his beer.

“i see you’ve met the other one.” dawson says returning from the bathroom.

“yes i have.” i laugh at him. you spent the next 2 hours with the boys, enjoying their presence and the fact that you’d made some friends in your new town.

“well i think im gonna call it a night.” you say taking the final sip of your drink.

“let me walk you?” jack asks.

“yeah sure.” you accept and the two of you make your way out of the bar.

“did you walk here or drive?” he asks stopping once you made it outside.

“oh i walked, i live like two blocks away.”

“okay cool, show me the way.” he says.

“jack you don’t have to.”

“i’m not letting you walk back to your apartment by yourself at midnight in a big city y/n.” he says firmly.

“oh, thank you.” you blush and begin your walk to your apartment. the walk was filled with small talk and laughter, the chemistry between you two growing more and more with seemingly every step.

“well this is my place.” you say arriving at your door.

“alright, have a good night y/n. i’ll text you.” he says as you pull him in for a side hug.

“goodnight jack.” you say shutting the door behind you. it’s been 5 days and you already have a crush on someone you just met. it felt almost wrong. you had broken up with your boyfriend just two weeks ago. you couldn’t allow yourself to move on too quickly. your phone buzzed in your back pocket and you see that dawson had texted you.

dawson: glad you made it back safe!

y/n: thank you! except really you can thank jack

dawson: hahaha well i guess so🙄 have a good night y/n

y/n: you too, see you again soon?

dawson: yes for sure, season starts in like a month and a half i’m sure you’ll get sick of seeing me

y/n: doubt it

dawson: only bc ill bring jack

y/n: bitch

dawson: i’m messing with you lmaooooo goodnight y/n

y/n: goodnight daws😭

you woke up the next morning to a text from jack saying good morning, to which you replied with a simple, good morning. texting a new guy felt so wrong. you didn’t know what to do about it but you couldn’t ghost him so you figure you should just keep chatting and see what happens.

“lunch?” you say reading his next text. the boy asked you to lunch, to which you hesitantly agreed to join him. you made yourself a small breakfast to tide you until lunch. you sat on the couch watching tv, growing more nervous by the second. he didn’t ask you on a date, just lunch. maybe he just wants to be friends? after you ate, you put on a casual outfit and added a natural touch to your makeup. he texted the address and you left your apartment, hoping to arrive after him. once you arrive at the, what appears to be, small coffee shop, you’re greeted by jack smiling at the counter.

“sorry i’m a little late.” you laugh nervously.

“no don’t worry, i was just about to order. what do you want?”

“oh jack you don’t have to pay i can’t wait in line.” you say.

“now what kind of man would i be to let a pretty girl like you wait in line and pay for her own food?” he says boldly, a blush creeping up on your cheeks.

“an iced vanilla latte and a buttered croissant is good then.” you simply reply, finding a seat at a table by a large window. he meets you soon after, with a table number in his hand.

“you ever been here before?” he asks, noticing you staring out the window.

“i haven’t, i didn’t even know it was here until you told me about it.” you say redirecting your attention to the boy who already had his eyes on you.

“i come here sometimes, it’s like my special little spot for special occasions.” he smiles leaning back in his chair.

“what’s so special about this occasion?” you question, wanting real answers.

“it’s our first date.” he smirks causing your face to burn bright red.

“well i guess it is isn’t it.” you laugh.

once you arrive back at your apartment, you throw your purse to the side and kick off your shoes.

“what have i done? what do i do? oh fuck me, i can’t do this.” you say, that piece of your heart never healing from your past relationship. you couldn’t let go of the mistrust you felt. you never wanted to make the same mistake again, so you called dawson.

“hello?” you speak when he picks up.

“hey y/n, what’s up?”

“can you come over, i need advice.”

“yeah of course, send me your address and i’ll be there.”

“thank you so much, bye daws.” you say hanging up and sending him your address. you sat on your couch almost in a panic. you told yourself over and over to not do this again, especially this soon. a short 10 minutes later, you hear a knock on your door and you open it to see dawson standing there in his sweats.

“did i wake you from a nap?” you laugh.

“yes actually you did, but it’s okay, what’s up?” he says stepping in and shutting the door behind him.

“jack is what’s up.”

“oh?” he says plopping down on my couch.

“so we went out to lunch, he called it our first date.” you say.

“okay what’s the problem with that?” he says.

“you’re not understanding, my ex and i broke up what 3 weeks ago? i can’t move on, how do i know i can trust him?”

“y/n, jacks a nice guy, i wouldn’t have introduced you two if i thought otherwise.”

“i just think it’s too soon dawson.”

“relax, calm down, chill out.” he says standing up and placing his hands on your biceps.

“how am i supposed to be calm?”

“y/n, no one is rushing you into a relationship. you are not committed to the guy, you went on ONE date. you aren’t married to him, just relax. i know it’s hard, i don’t know all the details of your break up but obviously you let your mistrust cloud your vision of good people. i wouldn’t let you go down a dark rabbit hole, and you know that.” he says calming your nerves. dawson always had a way of getting to you and calming you down when necessary, even though it had been years since you last saw the boy.

“okay you’re right.” you say sighing.

“and you don’t have to worry, he’s leaving to go to michigan for a couple days tomorrow, so you can spend time away from him and just texting, so you can get to know him better without it being to serious for you.” he adds.

“perfect.” you laugh.

“now why don’t we chill out and watch a movie, you’re clearly stressed and i want you to clear your mind.” he states, grabbing the remote and switching on the tv. after a couple hours, dawson heads home, leaving you alone with nothing but your phone.

jack: hey i’m headed to michigan tmrw morning, hang when im back?

y/n: yes for sure!

jack: ok awesome, see you then

y/n: *loved a message*

you sat with your thoughts. you were terrified of the possibilities with jack, you couldn’t help it. it’s like your brain had been hardwired to push him away, but you fought the urge harder than anyone could ever know.

it had been about two weeks and jack returned from his trip a few days ago. the two of you have been texting nonstop. you learned the silly facts about each other and his personality shined through even on text. he was beginning to give you that glimpse of hope that you thought you’d lost for good.

“i just don’t know.” you spoke to dawson through the phone.

“he’s never texted a girl this long, he obviously likes you.”

“well you never know.”

“he has had women throw themselves at him and he’s rejected all of them. don’t you see it.”

“i do but i just don’t know if it’s the best idea.”

“y/n, just give it another go. go on another date with him. you won’t regret it, you and i both know that as much as you don’t want to admit that your crush is more than just a silly little crush.”

“god, daws you always know how to pick my brain what is wrong with you?” you laugh.

“um nothing, im just correct.” he scoffs.

“okay whatever, ill call him tonight okay?” you reply hoping it’ll shut him up.

“i’m holding you to it, so you better.”

“whatever mercer.”

“hello?” you hear a muffled jack on the other end of the line.

“hey jack, i was wondering if maybe you’d wanna go out again some time? i had a great time with you.”

“yeah absolutely!”

“does tomorrow work?” you ask, holding your breath.

“yeah i don’t have any plans. ill come pick you up at 1?”

“perfect.” you smile to yourself.

“i’ll see you tomorrow y/n.”

“bye jack.” you say hanging up the phone, wanting to scream with excitement. you had no clue how this could feel the way it does so soon after your breakup.

2 months later

“hey,” jack says shaking you awake.

“huh.” you groan opening your eyes.

“i have a skate to go to, ill be back okay?” he says, you fully processing your surroundings.

“oh, yeah okay. have fun.” you smile as he leans down to kiss you on the cheek. you’d stayed the night at his house just like you have for a few nights every week since your second date though you never established a label for your relationship, just placing the boyfriend name tag on him when you’re out by yourself, too afraid to use it around him. the idea of him leaving you to skate sucked, and you shoved down these feelings so they wouldn’t get in the way of anything. you never wanted him to leave your sight. you hated that you’d grown so attached. you pulled out your phone to call dawson, always filling him in with updates.

“hey miss hughes, what you up to?” he asks picking up.

“dawson stop,” you laugh, “i just woke up, jack just left for optional skate.”

“oh that’s funny i’m on my way there now.”

“i’m sure he’ll ive you all the details.”

“yeah he always does but you’re gonna tell me what’s going on in that little brain of yours first.”

“i hate when he leaves dude. i hate it. i feel like i have no right to be this attached. being around him makes me so fucking happy, it’s like all my problems disappear when he’s around. but i need to face it, he probably doesn’t even want me.”

“you’re lying but go on.”

“lying about what?”

“you really think he ever keeps girls around this long if he doesn’t wanna be with them? be for real with yourself y/n.” he says plainly.

“okay well, point is, i’ve grown attached and i don’t understand my feelings daws.”

“i think you love him.” he laughs.

“you’re crazy.” you scoff.

“did you listen to anything you just said?”

“what part?”

“god damnit, think before you speak y/n. the way you feel when you’re around him is love. practically in its exact definition.”

“it’s only been 3 months that i’ve known the guy.”

“bitch do you really think love has a timeline?”

“well n-“

“THEN GO GET HIM.”

“i’m not gonna go, he’s skating.”

“i meant it figuratively, just wait for him to come back and see how different you feel compared to talking to me on the phone. don’t leave. don’t panic and push him away y/n. give him a shot.”

“okay okay, ill talk to you later dawson.”

“alright, bye y/n.” he says hanging up abruptly. you knew deep down that he was probably right and you couldn’t admit it to yourself. you sat on his couch for a few hours, waiting to hear the lock turn again, when suddenly it did.

“oh hey, you’re still here? i thought you’d be gone by now.” he laughs, hanging his keys on the hook.

“no i wanted to stay, your couch is cozy.”

“well i’m glad you’re still here.” he says, kissing you on top of the head as he passed behind the couch. dawson was right, you felt giddy when jack entered the room, and the feeling didn’t settle. he returns back to the living room.

“you look like you’re thinking.” he says sitting down next to you. you sit up and turn to him.

“i am thinking.” you say, anxiety running through your body at full speed, knee bouncing.

“what’s on that pretty mind of yours?” he giggles placing a hand on your leg gently.

“i think i love you.” you say quietly, the words slipping off your tongue with struggle. you finally let yourself trip and fall. it felt almost freeing. his demeanor shifts as a smile grows on his face. he sits up to get closer to you.

“what was that?” he asks, smile growing wider.

“i think i love you. no no, i do. i do love you. i love you jack. i know we never attached a label to whatever we are but i can’t keep pushing my feelings away anymore. i just love you.” you say finally being able to lock eyes with him. he connects your lips in response, framing your cheek with his callused hand. when you pull away his gorgeous smile returns.

“fuck, i love you too y/n.” he laughs, a wave of relief washing over you. you couldn’t believe how jack changed your perspective on love and men so quickly but it never felt more true to you. you couldn’t deny your feelings anymore no matter how hard you tried. you finally let yourself fall, and thank god it was into the right hands this time.

#jack hughes #jack hughes x reader #jack hughes fluff #nhl #nhl imagine #jack hughes imagine #dawson mercer #luke hughes #john marino #nj devils #turcs’ talk #turcs <3

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zepskies · 1 year ago

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Series Masterlist - Smoke Eater

Pairing: Firefighter!Dean Winchester x F. Reader

Summary: Dean Winchester is the cocky, but well-respected Lieutenant at Firehouse 25. He leads by example, but he’s also known to break a few hearts. He’s starting to crave something he’s never had, though. Something stable. Something real.

That’s when he meets you, on a truly terrible day, trapped in a rickety old elevator.

AN: "Smoke eater": a self-appointed slang term for a firefighter.

Get ready for an AU! Several SPN characters will make their appearances: Sam and John Winchester, Castiel as "Cas Novak," Ellen and Jo Harvelle, Jack Kline, Benny Lafitte, Gordon Walker, Meg Masters, Chuck Shurley, Nick (yes, even him), and more!

Series Tags/Warnings: (**18+ only!) There will be a lot of heart, a lot of fun, drama, heartbreak, protective Dean, and even a murder mystery. Rating for eventual smut, perilous situations, and other chapter-specific tags.

🎵 Listen While You Read:

The Smoke Eater Playlist: YouTube || Spotify

Chapters:

Part 1 - Class and Style - Podcast Version!

Part 2 - Lieutenant Winchester

Part 3 - Got a Hold on Me

Part 4 - Rocky Road

Part 5 - Twitterpated

Part 6 - Just Casual

Part 7 - Cherry Pie & Lemon Drizzle

Part 8 - Likewise, Baby

Part 9 - Do Not Disturb

Part 10 - Toil and Trouble

Part 11 - Heart of the Home

Part 12 - All in the Family

Part 13 - Boiling Point

Part 14 - Message in a Bottle

Part 15 - The Good Part

Part 16 - Break Down the Gates

Part 17 - The Real Deal

Part 18 - V for Vendetta

Part 19 - Sacrifice

Epilogue - Easy as Pie

Series Complete!

Bonus One-Shots:

Something Real** Now that you and Dean are officially engaged, you take some much needed time off together for a family vacation. But even with the wedding set for next year, the two of you are still at odds when it comes to one key part of your future together…

(Want to listen to the podcast version? Keep scrolling below!)

🎙️ Podcast Fics:

Listen to Part 1 in podfic form!

(A "podfic" is where you can listen to the story narrated.)

(Cover image and narration by @talltalesandbedtimestories)

Or listen to the official Idling in the Impala episode of Smoke Eater Part 1 on YouTube:

Or listen on Spotify.

Listen to the Idling in the Impala podfic episode of the sequel story, Something Real below:

Ko-Fi Me ☕

Join My Patreon 🌟

Dean Winchester Series List

Dean Winchester Masterlist

Main Masterlist

Series Tag List:

Comment below if you'd like to be tagged in this series!

@hobby27 @kazsrm67 @letheatheodore @agothwithheavysetmakeup @jacklesbrainworms @foxyjwls007 @wincastifer @iamsapphine @simpforbuckyb @vanillawhiskeyflavoredkisses @roseblue373 @this-is-me19 @emily-winchester @spnexploration @deans-spinster-witch @deans-baby-momma @iprobablyshipit91

@melancholictearz @nic-kolas @sleepyqueerenergy @wayward-lost-and-never-found @thewritersaddictions @just-levyy @samanddeaninatrenchcoat @deanwanddamons @antisocialcorrupt @lacilou @adoringanakin @theonlymaninthesky @teehxk @midnightmadwoman @brianochka @branj19

@agalliasi @venicesem @chriszgirl92 @lyarr24 @ladysparkles78 @solariklees @xsophianicolex @deansbbyx @candy-coated-misery0731 @curlycarley @sarahgracej @bagpussjocken @ultrahviolentart @chernayawidow @beskarfilms @mimaria420

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spaceagesparkledust · 11 months ago

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Random Doctor Who hcs Part 2

Martha tries to teach 10 how to cook. It isn’t that he can’t. But he’s also not the best and he needs something substantial in his life. He absolutely hates cooking in 1969 but Martha refuses to do all the work.

Each moon landing Martha and Ten dressed as different people. It became a competition on finding the most outrageous costume in the TARDIS closets.

I am a firm believer in Ten and Martha becoming better friends after she leaves. I need this in my life.

Tentoo and Rose hold hands all the time. All. The. Time.

Nine walks around the TARDIS without his jacket on sometimes. It freaks everyone out. Rose stares at him a bit too long, trying to figure out if she likes it or not.

“What”

“You’ve got….arms.”

Jack flirts with him about it. Rose says it makes him look soft and Nine decides right then and there he’s never not wearing the jacket again. (This is a lie, he’s willing to look soft when Rose looks at him like that)

Listen listen listen forget the flow of time for a second: Rose, Martha, and Donna all get along like a house on fire. They have the best times. They can and will fly the TARDIS without the Doctor just watch them.

Rose takes Tentoo to look at animal shelter dogs when he misses K-9. (They wind up getting two dogs and name one K-9.2)

Rose meets Jenny on one of her dimension hops. She never finds out she’s related to the Doctor but keeps thinking she’s familiar the entire time.

Wilf brings the Doctor home sometimes like you’d bring in a stray cat.

I love the idea that Tentoo takes Wilf’s name. John Wilfred Tyler-Noble.

#doctor who #doctor who headcanons #ninth doctor #tenth doctor #rose tyler #martha jones #donna noble #tenrose #ninerose #jack harkness #timepetals

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wannaeatramyeon · 1 year ago

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Adventures of YOUR part time job in the Lookismverse

G/N. You work the graveyard shift in a convenience store. You meet bizarre characters on different nights. Part 1 | Part 2

The customers can usually be separated into 3 categories.

Drunks, students, and weirdos.

Unfortunately for you, lately the weirdos have turned into regulars. But fortunately the weirdos aren't so weird.

The one that made it a habit to check in on you, with the scars and the cheesy wink wasn't so bad. Jack, was it? You can't remember and it's been too long for you to ask. You awkwardly address him as 'you' and avoid any situation where you need to use his name.

He likes to ask how you are, tell a few jokes. Spirit undeterred even when you look at him with a blank face because bless his soul, he's not funny at all but at least he tries and he's a lot less weird than first impression.

He hangs around at odd times, then again you do only work at odd times. Telling you stories about this and that. Something about Big Deal, something about a guy called Sinu and something about another guy called Samuel.

It's difficult to keep track. It's like he wants to talk but he's cryptic and god, it's 4am who can blame you if your eyes are glazing over.

John, or is it Jerry, is waffling again. He seems to always be talking about Samuel. Who he apparently misses and wonders where it's gone wrong and hang on, he's never been explicit but you just had to know.

When he takes a breath to munch on a cookie, you ask, "Hold on, is Samuel your ex?"

Wait no his name is Jason, definitely Jason- freezes mid-chew, "Why would you say that? He's my friend!"

Joshua sprays crumbs all over you but you note how he doesn't say no.

(You think you see this Samuel one early morning. You’re pretty sure you’ve seen him before and man, he really looks like shit.

Looks like the breakup is getting to him too.

Poor Samuel and Poor Jim.)

But sometimes weirdos are just weirdos.

It's ok. It comes with the territory so long as they're not in the habit of hurling abuse or whatever, you can deal with it.

In recent memory, there's only been two people that you have had to almost chase out with a broomstick.

You should have known they would be weirdos when one of them walks in in surprisingly teeny tiny purple camo shorts. Not that you're a pearl clutcher, but you're worried that one wrong move and he could be dangling out.

Besides. Purple. Camo. Shorts. Those words should never follow one after the other, and you repress a shudder at this guy's hideous dress sense when he comes up to you.

You thought the other one was alright, at least there's no hideous purple camo shorts in sight and his hair is nice (huh, this style must be popular, you’ve seen a lot of guys with this hair)-

But then he opens his mouth and asks for snakes and you think it's karma for judging camo-guy for his appearance when his friend is equally odd.

"We usually keep the snakes next to the ramen," you deadpan and the two men actually go to seek out the supposed snake (meat or pet purposes?) only to return moments later, empty-handed and looking confused.

"I think the snake is all sold out," Non-camo guy says as camo-guy glances around as if you might have hidden your snake stock elsewhere.

They must have thought you were stupid as you stood there opening and closing your mouth like a fish (or maybe a snake, do snake do these things), because come on, how are you even supposed to formulate a response to that?

Then you look at their eyes and also notice them looking snakey and surmise it must be some weird fetish thing. Pretending to be snakes and eating snakes and having pet snakes.

You want no part of this and tell them to get out.

"I'm Baek Hangyeol," a new face says, pointing to his ID badge pinned to the white coat.

"Doctor Baek Hangyeol." He stresses Doctor and Hangyeol and you wonder if he is waiting for a round of applause.

You don't say anything but you do notice he looks like a teenager and what idiot would let a teenager operate on them. (Drunk, student, weirdo. He could be all three.) Doctor Baek Hangyeol must be bluffing.

You decide not to call him on his bullshit.

"Cool," is all you respond with because you don't want another complaint for being too mouthy. You are half tempted to tell him you're not a doctor, that you just work here but that seemed kinda redundant so you keep your mouth shut.

"Do you believe in true beauty?" he asks when you finish bagging up his goods (a plain water with added minerals, a bottle of multivitamins and a protein shake) and you think what sort of question is that.

You give a halfhearted shrug and say "Sure" and he hands his business card over.

"If you're ever considering it," he tells you with a wild smile. After he has left you look down at the lettering, eyes zeroing in on ‘Plastic Surgery’.

Excuse me?! What is he trying to say?

You thought he was a weirdo but now he has firmly shifted over to asshole. You regret not telling him to go fuck himself while you had the chance. The complaint would 100% be worth it. Zero regrets.

On your break, you burn the card and feel a small sense of satisfaction.

A tall blonde guy with a creepy vibe (hold on, have you seen him before, he seems familiar. Then again, creepy blonde guys seem to be quite common around here-) walks in with the most billowing coat you have ever seen.

The entrance is kinda cool but the actual coat is kinda tragic with the cheesy red lettering and you wonder if you can pull it off any better than him.

You're still wondering about his coat when he's paying you, and hang on you have definitely seen him before because he says arigatou and hands over yen and you tell him no. Won only.

The idea of the coat, which has evolved into you fantasising about having a full blown cape, quickly loses its charm however, when the blonde gets caught in the automatic doors and you have to wrestle them open to free him.

Afterwards, you ask if he's ok, if he is harmed and can’t resist asking if the coat is ok too. You really don't want a lawsuit on your watch especially when the malfunctioning doors are not your fault.

Your kindness is repaid by him telling you he's not interested (what the fuck) and that his heart will not stray (again, what the fuck).

You accidentally eavesdrop on a couple of students lamenting about missing out on school work. You didn’t mean to eavesdrop ok, the aisles are tight and cramped, it’s a small space.

You peek over, and the one with big ears (seriously, they are huge) is telling the one with his back to you (goodness, his back is huge too) that school is important and he’s got notes the other one can use.

It’s sweet, you think. School is important and it’s good they recognise that. Nice of them to help each other out too.

When they both come to pay (holy shit, that’s a fuckton of chocolate milk), you’re surprised to find Big Ear’s friend, Big Back, looks anywhere between late 20s and early 40s but it’s never too late to catch up on education, you suppose.

You spend the rest of your shift feeling motivated.

“Going camping?” you ask the guy with the sandy blonde hair, chuckling nervously and ringing his items through.

Either he’s going camping or he’s gonna kill and hide a dead body in the forest.

He’s pretty stoic, only giving you a curt nod. You can’t help but probe him a bit more. You’ve got a feeling that if or when the dead body turns up, you want to at least clear your conscience that you’ve tried your best so you make some more idle small talk.

You mention how you haven’t been camping for ages, not since you nearly burned your tent down and singed your hair after you tried to cook some marshmallows over a fire that turned out to be more of a raging bonfire (and might have awoken your pyromaniac streak, but you keep that to yourself).

The blonde guy actually pipes up and says “Master Taesoo would never do that.”

You almost apologise out of principle due to how earnest he sounds, then he mentions something about how good this Master Taesoo is at catching and cooking snake and you wonder what the fuck is up with people and the snake obsession.

Either way, it doesn’t sound like someone is getting murdered. Only a snake (poor snake) so at least you can sleep easy later that day.

“Oh hi DG,” you say, “Sorry about your cryptocurrency falling through. Diegocoin was it?”

He blinks at you a few times in surprise and heavens above. What’s that saying, fool me once, shame on me; fool me twice, shame on you? This guy has fooled you exactly no times with his shitty disguises and his effort has substantially dwindled too.

He has only put his hood up and you did think you might get mugged at one point-

It’s an empty store, for crying out loud. Who comes into an empty store in the asscrack of night with their hood up, not wanting to draw attention to themselves.

Then you notice the pink hair and shifty glance and duh.

“Is it the-?” he asks, putting his hood down and signalling to his hair.

“Yeah, it’s the-” you signal to your own head of hair. “Dude you really need to dye it if you’re going for subtle.” You pause, consider something, “Hold on.”

You walk over to the beauty aisle and grab the black hair dye.

“On the house,” you tell DG because this guy really has no self awareness.

“What do you mean no?”

“No." Your boyfriend peers down at you, arms crossed and at the end of his patience with you.

You open your mouth to argue-

“No. You know nothing about Taekwondo. How can you work here?”

You look around helplessly at the studio. He’s not exactly wrong but you’re sick of dealing with the weirdos and the snakes and the creepy blondes. “But your dad-”

“I don’t care what that stupid old man says,”

“Taehoon!” Hansu scolds from the other side of the room, and Hansu's class of toddlers all whirl their head around to stare.

“I can learn?” you offer and Taehoon raises one skeptical brow.

“So you’re going to be a student?” You nod enthusiastically, “And we’re going to pay you for that?”

Oh. Damn.

He’s got you there.

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insufferableprotagonistpoll · 11 months ago

Text

Please note that a character currently needs at least 3 submissions to make it into the poll

That said:

Has 3 Submissions or more:

Achilles - The Iliad

Adrien Agreste - Miraculous Ladybug

Alexander Hamilton - Hamilton

Batman - DC

Blitzo - Helluva Boss

Charlie Morningstar - Hazbin Hotel

Claire Fraser - Outlander

Clary Fray/Fairchild - Shadowhunters

Daphne Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Dean Winchester - Supernatural

Dr. Heinrich Faust - Goethes Faust

Ebony Darkness Dementia Raven Way - My Immortal

Edward Elric - Fullmetal Alchemist

Elena Gilbert - Vampire Diaries

Feyre Archeron - A Court Of Thorns And Roses

Frasier Crane - Frasier

Gray Wing - Warrior Cats

Holden Caulfield - The Catcher in the Rye

Jimmy - Mouthwashing

Joker - Persona 5

Kirito - Sword Art Online

Kohaku - Dr. Stone

Makoto Itou - School Days

Marinette Dupain-Cheng - Miraculous Ladybug

Navier - Remarried Princess

Nesta Archeron - A Court of Thorns and Roses

Quentin Coldwater - The Magicians (books)

Scott Pilgrim - Scott Pilgrim

Tim Jackson Drake - DC

Tom Paris - Star Trek: Voyager

Victor Frankenstein - Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus

Yukitero "Yukki" Amano - Future Diary

Has 2 Submissions:

Animal Crossing New Horizons' Player Character - Animal Crossing New Horizons

Arthur Pendragon - BBC Merlin

Bakugou Katsuki - My Hero Academia

BEOWULF - BEOWULF

Bloom Peters - Winx Club

Claire - Ship It

Dawson Leery - Dawson’s Creek

Duck Dodgers - Duck Dodgers in the 24 1/2 century

Eikichi Onizuka - Great Teacher Onizuka

Elizabeth - Bioshock Burial at Sea

Elric of Melniborne - The Elric Saga

Emiya Shirou - Fate Stay Night

Eren Jaegar - Shingeki no Kyojin

Ezra Bridger - Star Wars Rebels

Hazel Lancester - The Fault In Our Stars

Jack Torrance - The Shining

James Bond - James Bond

Jaune Arc - RWBY

John Proctor - The Crucible

Odysseus - The Odyssey

Oliver Armstrong - Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood

Peppa Pig - Peppa Pig

Piper - Orange is the new Black

Rhaenyra Targaryen - House of the Dragon

Riley Matthews - Girl Meets World

Roy Musang - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood

Sasuke - Naruto

Sheldon Cooper - Big Bang Theory

Shen Qingqiu (Shen Yuan) - Scum Villain’s Self Saving System

Snow Villiers - Final Fantasy 13

Wade Watts - Ready Player One

William Afton - FNaF Ultimate Custom Night

Zack Morris - Saved by the Bell

Has 1 Submission

Ahsoka - Ahsoka Disney+

Ahsoka Tano - Star Wars: The Clone Wars

Akiyama Shun - Ryu Ga Gotoku/Yakuza

Aragorn - Lord of the Rings

Arek - So This Is Ever After

Ataru Moroboshi - Urusei Yatsura

August Landry - One Last Stop

Ayin - Lobotomy Corporation

Beatrice "Tris" Prior - Divergent

Betty Cooper - Riverdale

Bill Dickey - The Eltingville Club/Welcome to Eltingville

Billy Buddy/Dr. Horrible - Dr. Horrible's Sing Along

Billy Hatcher - Billy Hatcher and the giant egg

Black Star - Soul Eater

Blake - Pokemon Adventures Black 2 and White 2

Bubsy - Bubsy 3D

Caleb Widogast - Critical Role

character Tommy - Dream SMP

Charley Pollard - Doctor Who

Charlie - Charlie's Inferno - That Handsome Devil

Choromatsu Matsuno - Osomatsu-san

Claire Danvers - Morganville Vampires

Clear Sky/Skystar - Warrior Cats

Colin Bridgerton - Bridgerton

Corrin - Fire Emblem Fates

Cory Matthews - Boy Meets World

Dal - Star Trek Prodigy

Damian Wayne - DC

Damon Salvatore - The Vampire Diaries

Daniel X - The Dangerous Days of Daniel X

Data - Star Trek The Next Generation

Dorrigo Evans - The Narrow Road to the Deep North book

Doug Eiffel - Wolf 359

Drizzt Do'Urden - Legend of Drizzt

Dr. Hanna Heath - People of the Book

Ellison Oswalt - Sinister

Emma Nelson - Degrassi: The Next Generation

Equality 7-2521 - Anthem

Frankie Landau Banks - The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau Banks

Galadriel Higgins - The Scholomance Trilogy

Geralt of Rivia - The Last Wish, The Witcher books

Go Siwon - A Guy Like You

Hamlet - Hamlet

Haruto Kirishima - A Town Where You Live

Haruyuki Arita - Accel World

Heathcliff - Wuthering Heights

Hermione Granger - Harry Potter

Homer Simpson - The Simpson

Howard Roark - The Fountainhead

Humbert Humbert - Lolita

James Bond - The Sean Connery James Bond Movies

James Holden - The Expanse book series

Jaypaw - Warrior Cats

Jean-Luc Picard - Star Trek The Next Generation

Jeff Winger - Community

Jim Hopper - Stranger Things

JJ - Cocomelon

Joaquin Monegro - Abel Sánchez

Jon Snow - ASoIaF

Jotaro Kujo - Jojo's Bizarre Adventure

Joy - Inside Out

Jughead Jones - Riverdale

Kade - Down to Earth Webtoon

Kazuya Tsukasa - Kamen Rider Decade

Kai - The Witch King

Kang Jinha - A Guy Like You

Katara - Avatar the Last Airbender

Katnis - Hunger Games

Kaz Kaan - Neo Yokio

Keiichi Maebara - Higurashi when they cry

Kelsier - Mistborn

Khai - Theory of Love - Thai BL Show

King Arthur - King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)

Korra - Avatar: Legend of Korra

Koyomi Araragi - The Monogatari series

Kun-chan - Mirai

Lelouch Lamperouge - Code Geass

Leroy Jethro Gibbs - NCIS

Lily Blossom Bloom - It Ends With Us

Lionblaze - Warriors (Power of Three and Omen of the Stars)

Luna - Retro

Luffy - One Piece

Lyn - Fire Emblem

Makoto Naegi - Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc

Mal - Firefly

Manaow - Love Senior

Mark Watney - The Martian

Mary Poppins - Walt Disney's Mary Poppins

Merlin - BBC Merlin

Meursault - The Stranger

Mia - La La Land

Michael Burnham - Star Trek: Discovery

Mike Wheeler - Stranger Things

Miyo Sasaki - A Whisker Away

Mordecai - Regular Show

Nancy Botwin - Weeds

Natsuki Subaru - Re:Zero

Nick Carraway - The Great Gatsby

Nicole - Class of 09

Nightheart - Warrior Cats

North Italy - Hetalia

Okajima ""Rock"" Rokuro - Black Lagoon (Anime)

Okazaki Tomoya - Clannad

Okonkwo - Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe)

Otis Milburn - Sex Education

Patrick Bateman - American Psycho

Piper McLean - Heroes of Olympus

Pippa Fitz-Amobi - A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder

Ramona Flowers - Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Ramsey Snow - Game of Thrones

Rebecca Bunch - Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (TV show)

Remy the Rat - Ratatouille

Richard Cypher - Sword of Truth

Robert Langdon - The Da Vinci Code

Rodion Raskolnikov - Crime and Punishment

Rorschach - Watchmen

Rory Gilmore - Gilmore Girls

Ruby - Max & Ruby

Ryo Saeba - City Hunter

Sabrina Grimm - The Sisters Grimm

Sabrina Spellman - Chilling Adventures of Sabrina

Sami Reese - Little White Lie

Satou Kazuma - Konosuba

Senku Ishigami - Doctor Stone

Serena - Pokemon

Sherlock Holmes - BBC Sherlock

Shiori - Six Crimson Cranes

Shrek - Shrek

Souji Tendou - Kamen Rider Kabuto

Spike Witwicky - Transformers IDW comics

Star Butterfly - Star vs The Forces of Evil

Stiles Stilinski - Teen Wolf

Sydney Atherton - The Beetle

Tai Kamiya - Digimon Adventure

Takao - Garden of Words

Tara Webster - Dance Academy

Tarl Cabot - The Gor Chronicles

Teriella Rufeon - My Husband Changes Every Night

The Beheaded - Dead Cells

Tom Wachowski - The Sonic Movies

Traveller - Genshin Impact

Ukiyo Ace - Kamen Rider Geats

Vanellope von Schweetz - Ralph Breaks the internet

Velvet Crowe - Tales of Bersia

Violetta - Disney's Violetta

Winston Smith - 1984

Wolverine - X-Men

Wreck it Ralph - Ralph Breaks the Internet

Yu/Ai - Final Fantasy Unlimited

Yuri Zhivago - Doctor Zhivago

Yuusaku Godai - Maison Ikkoku

Available for Resubmission (needs at least 1 resubmission to participate)

Aang - Avatar: The Last Airbender

Alex Eagleston - YIIK

Anakin Skywalker - Star Wars

Aquamarin Hoshino - Oshi No Ko

Ash Ketchum - Pokemon

Atsuko Kagiri/Akko - Little Witch Academia

Beca Mitchell - Pitch Perfect

Brambleclaw - Warrior Cats

Coriolanus Snow - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

Eragon - Eragon/Inheritance Cycle

Erika Shinohara - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Frank Reagan - Blue Bloods

Gregory - FNaF Security Breach

Harry Dresden - The Dresden Files

Harry DuBois - Disco Elysium

Katarina Claes - My Next Life as a Villainess

Kiris - On the Emperor's Lap

Kvothe - The Kingkiller Chronicles

Kyouya Sata - Ookami shoujo to kuro ouji

Mal - Descendants

Naofumi Iwatani - The Rising of the Shield Hero

Peter Pan - Peter Pan

Pucca - Pucca

Rand al'Thor - Wheel of Time

Rey - Star Wars

Rintaro Okabe - Steins;Gate

Scott McCall - Teen Wolf

Skullduggery Pleasant - Skullduggery Pleasant

Sophie Foster - Keeper of the Lost Cities

Stolas - Helluva Boss

Stuart Little - Stuart Little

The Tenth Doctor - Doctor Who

Tori Vega - Victorious

Wanda Maximoff - MCU

Wei (Ying) Wuxian - Mo Dao Zu Shi

Xander Harris - Buffy the Vampire Slayer

Y/N - Fanfiction

Currently unavailable for a new Round:

Aelin Ashryver Galathynius/Celaena Sardothien - Throne of Glass

Artemis Fowl - Artemis Fowl

Bella Swan - Twilight

Bloom Peters - Fate: The Winx Saga

Bojack Horseman - Bojack Horseman

Caillou - Caillou

Dr Gregory House - House MD

Elsa - Frozen

Evan Hansen - Dear Evan Hansen

Ferris Bueller - Ferris Bueller's Day off

Harry Potter - Harry Potter

Heywood Floyd - Space Odyssey

Izuku (Deku) Midoriya - Boku no Hero Academia

Kazuya Kinoshita - Rent-a-Girlfriend

Light Yagami - Death Note

Meliodas - Seven Deadly Sins

Oscar - Shark Tale

Owen Grady - Jurassic World

Peter Griffin - Family Guy

Rachel Berry - Glee

Richard Rahl - Seeker of Truth/Legend of the Seeker

Robin - Teen Titans Go

Ross Geller - Friends

Ted Mosby - How I Met Your Mother

Tony Stark - MCU

Velma - Velma

Walter White - Breaking Bad

Zoey Redbird - The House of Night

#insufferable protagonist tournament #insufferable protagonist poll

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ago0112 · 5 months ago

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The Bear - Sleight Of Hand Movie Posters

The Bear and films go hand in hand. @chefkids has mentioned movies that influenced the Bear, @thoughtfulchaos773 talks about filmmaking please see the link (thank you for your help! :)) and we discussed the horror themes of S3. (Check out thoughtful for that too.)

We know anything that can be read or seen in a scene is important.

So, let's talk about the movie posters from S1,S2 & S3. Sorry gang, it's a bit long lol.

Each season has a set posters that depict the plot of the season and where the next might go.

S1 - All the Right Moves, Marked for Death, Ghostbusters, Groundhog Day, Speed, Jumping Jack Flash, and Only The Lonely

All the Right Moves- a talented footballer who longs for something more outside his hometown and the family job. (Carmy)

Marked for Death- Main character, DEA agent, his partner is killed in an undercover drug deal. Main character returns home to Chicago to find it taken by drug dealer. (Carmy and Mikey)

Ghostbusters- I don't think I need to explain this one. Lol S3 and haunting and how they have to work together

Speed - the 2 main characters need to stop a bad guy before a bomb goes off. The characters become love interests. (Every Second Counts, Sydney and Carmy.)

Jumping Jack Flash - Whoppi Goldberg is a computer genius who needs to help a secret agent. The characters become love interests. AND HE STANDS HER UP AT A RESTAURANT. I shit you not. (Sydney and Carmy) Also, every second counts theme and calling someone cousin is in this movie.

Groundhog Day -another I don't need to explain BUT it's interesting this theme is more striking in S3. AND how Bill Murray's character falls in love

Only the Lonely - now this one I'll link here. This one needs it's own post. But essentially it's a guy who cares for his mom but he meets a girl, likes her and starts dating her despite what his family and friends say.

BUT I THOUGHT THE BEAR WASN'T A ROMANCE. THEN WHAT THE HECK IS THIS DOING IN S1 SAYING THE PLOT OF S2 and part of S3 and probably S4?!

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Only_the_Lonely_(film)

S2 - Rounders, Alien, White Squall

Rounders - Main character MIKE loses 30k to mobster KGB. And how he pays it back.

Mikey had the original loan and don't forget KBL. Carmy is now left with it.

Alien - this is S3!!!! Alien life force takes over one of the crew and they get tormented (fucked) by it. (Carmy gets taken over and Sydney is left to figure out her shit :()

White Squall - S2 and S3 - how they need to overcome a storm together and learn together

S3 - 25th Hour and Say Anything

25th Hour - guy spends his last day before going to jail trying to make things right. (Possible S4? Main character has a love interest!)

Say Anything - another 80's love movie. "The film follows the romance between Lloyd Dobler (John Cusack), an average student, and Diane Court (Ione Skye), the class valedictorian, immediately after their graduation from high school." <Wikipedia

What I will say about this movie is that the girls DAD does not approve of Lloyd. And Lloyd makes GRAND GESTURES.

Now, again, a romance when we're told it's not...Pppffftttttt! It's been a freakin romantic plot since the start.

Let me know what you think.

#the bear #sydcarmy #carmy berzatto #sydney adamu #sydney x carmy #carmy x sydney #mikey berzatto #the bear season 3

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sheriffaxolotl · 2 days ago

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Bleed, Survive, Remember (Chapter 11) Arthur Morgan x Reader

Summary:

“Not takin’ lip from you,” you shot back, tossing a piece of carrot his way. He caught it easily, his grin widening. “Ain’t givin' any lip, woman,” he said, taking a bite and chewing casually, his eyes meeting yours.

Chapter 11: A Stranger Among Strangers

︻デ═一・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Over the next few days, as your strength returned and you grew more comfortable moving around camp, you found yourself gradually being drawn into its small community. Everyone had their role, their quirks, and their routines, and while some welcomed you more easily than others, the fabric of the camp was undeniably close-knit.

You couldn’t help the way you feel out of place.

Abigail and Jack were among the first to notice you once you ventured out of Arthur’s makeshift setup. You’d been by the camp’s washing line, fumbling with a bucket of water that Susan had insisted needed moving, when you caught sight of a young boy darting through the tents. Jack was chasing a wooden stick, laughing as it bounced across the dirt.

“Careful, Jack!” Abigail’s voice called, warm but firm. She looked up from a pile of laundry near the fire and caught sight of you, pausing for a moment before offering a small, welcoming smile.

“Feelin’ better?” she asked, her voice light as she set down a shirt she’d been folding.

You nodded, brushing a strand of hair from your face. “Getting there. Still feels like I’ve been kicked by a mule, but I’ll live.”

Abigail chuckled softly. “Well, that’s something, I suppose. If you need help gettin’ settled, just holler. Lord knows this place could use a few more decent folks.”

There was an ease to her demeanor, a subtle kindness that made you feel just a little less like an outsider. It became quickly apparent that Abigail was a busy woman, her time split between watching over Jack and tending to whatever needed doing around camp.

Jack, on the other hand, was pure energy wrapped up in a small frame. As you started to walk away, he darted toward you, clutching his stick like it was the most precious thing in the world.

“Is it true you’re a lady gunslinger?” he asked, his big, curious eyes locking onto yours.

You blinked, taken aback by the sudden question. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Uncle says you’re some kind of sharp-shooter,” he said proudly, puffing out his chest as though sharing some grand secret.

“Uncle says a lot of things,” Abigail interjected, shaking her head but smiling fondly at her son. “Don’t go botherin’ her, Jack.”

“He’s not bothering me,” you said quickly, smiling down at the boy. “But I think Uncle might be stretchin’ the truth just a bit.”

Jack tilted his head, clearly unconvinced, but before he could press further, Abigail ushered him away with a promise of a snack. You watched them walk off, the warmth of their interaction settling over you as you turned back to your task—determined to haul the bucket of water across camp without aggravating your side.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

John, on the other hand, wasn’t so quick to strike up conversation. You first spotted him near the horses, sitting on an overturned crate while cleaning one of his pistols. The metallic click of the gun parts echoed softly, blending with the background hum of camp life.

You’d been passing by, carrying some firewood to the supply wagon, when his voice stopped you.

“You’re the one Arthur dragged in, huh?”

His tone wasn’t unkind, but there was an edge to it, like he wasn’t entirely sure what to make of you yet. You turned to find his sharp eyes studying you from beneath the brim of his hat.

“That’d be me,” you replied evenly, setting the firewood down and brushing off your hands.

John nodded, returning his focus to the pistol in his hands. “He don’t usually go outta his way for folks he don't know.”

You weren’t sure if that was meant as a compliment or not, so you simply shrugged. “Guess I owe him, then.”

“Guess you do.” He glanced up again, his expression softening slightly. “Arthur’s got a good read on people, though. If he thinks you’re alright, you probably are.”

The faintest hint of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth before he turned his attention back to his work, effectively ending the conversation. You didn’t linger, sensing that John wasn’t one for long talks, and you won't one to push. Still, the mention of Arthur stayed with you, lingering in the quiet moments as you made your way back into the woods around camp to gather more branches. Thoughts of him—his steady gaze, the quiet moments shared—kept surfacing, weaving through the soft rustling of leaves and the gentle crunch of twigs beneath your feet. The camp buzzed in the distance, but for a while, it felt like the forest held only your own musings.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Sadie, though mourning—which you found out when talking to Abigail—seemed like she was holding herself together by sheer force of will. The pain of her loss was still raw, visible in the stiffness of her posture and the faraway look in her eyes. You’d seen her sitting near the edge of camp one morning, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she stared out into the trees.

You’d been passing by on your way to fetch some water when your footsteps crunched on the gravel, drawing her attention. She glanced up at you, her expression briefly unreadable before her lips curved into a faint, almost reluctant smile.

“Morning,” you offered, unsure if you should say more.

“Morning,” she replied, her voice quiet but steady.

Her eyes lingered on you for a moment, and you had the distinct feeling she was sizing you up—not in an unkind way, but as if trying to determine who you were.

“You need any help with somethin’?” you ventured cautiously, shifting the bucket in your hand.

Sadie shook her head, her grip tightening briefly on her arms. “No. I’m fine.”

There was an edge to her words, not cold, but distant, like she wasn’t ready to let anyone in just yet. You nodded, not pushing further, but as you turned to leave, she spoke again.

“Thanks, though,” she added, softer this time, and when you glanced back, you thought you saw the faintest flicker of gratitude in her expression.

She didn’t say more, and you didn’t linger. Sadie was grieving, and she needed space. You respected that, though you hoped, in time, she’d find a way to let others help her when she needed it.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Javier, by contrast, was easy to talk to. You remembered him from Valentine—the bar fight in particular. He had been charming the saloon girls before it, or well, before Arthur showed up. In camp, you noticed he was often by himself or with a small group, strumming his guitar under the shade of a tree.

The first time you approached him, it was late afternoon, and the warm notes of his music carried across the camp. You’d been gathering some firewood nearby, drawn by the gentle melody. He glanced up as you neared, his dark eyes meeting yours with an easy warmth.

“You play?” he asked, nodding toward the guitar in his lap.

“Not a note,” you admitted with a small laugh, setting down your bundle of wood. “But I can appreciate good music when I hear it.”

Javier chuckled, his fingers still plucking at the strings as he spoke. “Well, stick around. Maybe you’ll learn something.”

You sat a few feet away, watching as his hands moved deftly over the instrument. The song was unfamiliar, but there was something comforting about it, a rhythm that seemed to blend seamlessly with the natural sounds of the camp.

“You were in that fight in Valentine, weren’t you?” you asked after a moment, a grin tugging at your lips.

He glanced up, a playful spark in his eyes. “Ah, sí. A wild night, that one. And you—you were the one Arthur dragged into it, no?”

“Dragged is a strong word,” you teased, crossing your arms. “I held my own, thank you very much.”

Javier laughed, the sound light and genuine. “Oh, I don’t doubt it.”

The two of you exchanged a few more stories about that chaotic evening, and you found yourself relaxing in his presence. Javier had a way of making you feel at ease, his calm demeanor a stark contrast to some of the camp’s louder personalities.

As the sun dipped lower, he played another tune, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the camp disappeared. It wasn’t until he stopped to retune the guitar that he glanced at you again, his expression thoughtful.

“You’re fitting in well here,” he said simply, his tone sincere.

“Trying to,” you replied, lowly.

Javier nodded, a small smile playing at his lips. “Keep at it. This place... it’s not always easy, but it’s good.”

His words stayed with you long after the music ended, thinking them over.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Uncle, on the other hand, was impossible to avoid—and not always in a good way. His eccentric behavior and strange humor made him a permanent fixture of the camp’s oddities. He’d wander around aimlessly, cracking jokes that didn’t always land, laughing too loudly at his own remarks, and regaling anyone who’d listen with dubious tales of his youth. At first, you found his antics bewildering—how could someone so seemingly lazy and nonsensical have a place in this camp? But there was a certain charm to his unpredictability, and, when you least expected it, he’d surprise you with a moment of genuine insight or a kind word.

One morning, you caught him reclining near the fire, hat tipped over his face as if he were sleeping, but as you passed by, he suddenly spoke up. “Y’know, all these serious folks around here could learn a thing or two from a little relaxation.”

You paused, unsure whether to engage. “Is that what you call it? Relaxation?”

He tipped his hat up and grinned at you, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “I call it livin’, darlin’. You should try it sometime.”

It was hard to tell if he was being sincere or just trying to get under your skin, but the exchange left you shaking your head and smiling despite yourself. For all his flaws, there was something oddly endearing about Uncle, even if you’d never admit it to him.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

By that afternoon, as you passed by the camp, Bill was sitting against a tree, polishing his rifle. His eyes followed you as you moved past him, the look in his gaze far from friendly.

“You know,” he drawled, spitting a stream of tobacco into the dirt, “shouldn’t be messin’ with things you don’t understand. That bucket’s too heavy for you. Might as well save yourself the trouble.”

You didn’t stop, keeping your steps steady, but the edge in his voice stung. “I manage just fine, thanks,” you muttered under your breath.

Bill let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “Suit yourself. But you’re just gonna slow things down, making a mess of things. Women always do.”

You bit your tongue, but something about his smug tone made you want to throw the bucket over him.

But you didn't, maybe next time though.

When you were coming back from another lap you realized he’d silently shifted a pile of gear out of your way, as if to make your task easier without drawing attention to it.

Odd.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

And then there was Molly. You had caught glimpses of her from Arthur's tent, finding you watched her a bit during your recovery. She carried herself with an air of sophistication that felt at odds with the rugged, chaotic life of this camp. Her laughter rang out across camp like bells, light and musical, though it was rare for her to direct it at anyone in particular. Molly had a certain charm—quick-witted and sharp-tongued when she wanted to be—that you had seen and heard from the conversations you overheard between her and Dutch or other camp members.

She often fussed over her appearance, brushing her hair or adjusting her dress, her movements delicate and deliberate. You caught yourself feeling a twinge of envy for the way she always seemed so put-together, no matter the circumstances. She carried herself with a confidence that stood out, always impeccably dressed despite the rough conditions, a reminder that she had a life outside all this—a life she seemed to miss terribly, or so you assumed.

Your interactions were few and brief, but she always seemed polite enough. When you had passed by one evening, she had looked up from where she was sewing, her hands deftly working a needle through fabric. “I don’t know how you keep up with all this running around,” she had remarked lightly, a faint smile on her lips. “I’d be half-dead after a single day.”

You’d simply shrugged, not sure what to make of her. She wasn’t unkind, but there was a distance in her words, as though she wasn’t entirely interested in getting to know you—or anyone else, for that matter.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Once you felt well enough to graduate from hauling buckets of half-filled water from the stream nearby, you decided it was time to take on more substantial chores. The camp had taken you in when you needed help, and you weren’t about to let anyone think you were a freeloader. Determined to prove yourself useful, you set your sights on helping Pearson in the makeshift camp kitchen. It seemed simple enough—a little slicing, stirring, maybe seasoning here and there. How hard could it be?

The trouble started almost immediately. Pearson, ever the gruff perfectionist, launched into a tirade about the “right” way to prepare vegetables before you even had a chance to get settled. You barely had time to roll up your sleeves before he shoved a knife and a pile of carrots in your direction, muttering about how “greenhorns can’t even hold a blade right.”

Still, you tried to follow his lead. You had steady hands, trained for far less domestic tasks, but Pearson’s constant grumbling and pacing turned the simple act of slicing carrots into a nerve-wracking ordeal.

“Too thick,” he barked, leaning over your shoulder. “You trying to choke everyone? This ain’t some fancy saloon stew!”

Flustered, you adjusted your grip, only for the knife to slip and nearly nick your finger. “I know how to handle a knife,” you snapped, your cheeks burning with embarrassment.

Pearson raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “Could’ve fooled me,” he muttered, returning to his stew pot with a shake of his head.

You were about to snap back that you were doing just fine when a shadow passed by the corner of your vision. You glanced up, and there was Arthur, strolling through camp with a freshly hunted buck draped effortlessly over his shoulder. He moved with the kind of confidence that drew attention, his boots crunching against the dirt as he approached. Sweat glistened on his brow, and his sleeves were rolled up, revealing muscular arms that flexed with each step. His shirt, damp with sweat, clung to his frame as he walked.

The sight of him momentarily knocked the focus right out of you. You didn’t even notice how still you’d gone until he stopped near the kitchen and set the deer down with an audible thud. He glanced your way, a teasing grin spreading across his face as he leaned on a nearby crate, watching the chaos unfold.

“Well, look at you,” he drawled, his voice warm and laced with amusement. “Right little kitchen hand, ain’t ya?”

His tone was lighthearted, but the way his eyes lingered made you feel like he was enjoying this a little too much. Heat crept up your neck, and you gripped the knife tighter, trying to regain your composure.

“You gonna stand there all day, or you gonna help?” you shot back, trying to match his teasing tone, though the quiver in your voice betrayed you.

Arthur chuckled, the sound low and rumbling. “Don’t look at me. I don’t reckon Pearson’d trust me near his stewpot either.”

Distracted, you almost didn’t notice when the knife in your hand slipped, the blade grazing far too close to your fingers. Your breath hitched as you froze, your heart skipping a beat.

Pearson’s bark came immediately. “Dammit, woman! You tryin’ to maim yourself? I don’t got time to patch up fools!”

You flinched at the sharpness of his tone, frustration and embarrassment flaring up inside you. Arthur, still lounging against the crate, raised a brow and tilted his head as if deciding whether to intervene.

“Easy, Pearson,” he said finally, his voice calm but with a trace of humor. “Don’t reckon she’s lookin’ to take your job.”

Pearson grunted, clearly unimpressed, and stalked off to check the stewpot, leaving you and Arthur alone for a moment. You exhaled slowly, shaking your head as you set the knife down carefully.

“Not a word,” you muttered, glancing up at him.

Arthur held up his hands in mock surrender, the smirk still tugging at his lips. “Didn’t say nothin’. You’re doin’ fine, really. Could use a little less blood in the stew, though.”

Despite yourself, you couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. His teasing was maddening, sure, but there was something in his tone that made it clear he wasn’t really judging you.

“Not takin’ lip from you,” you shot back, tossing a piece of carrot his way.

He caught it easily, his grin widening. “Ain’t givin' any lip, woman,” he said, taking a bite and chewing casually, his eyes meeting yours.

You quickly looked away, cursing internally at the weight of his gaze. “Maybe next time I’ll let you handle the carrots,” you muttered under your breath, earning another chuckle from him.

As he turned to leave, his voice carried over his shoulder. “Just try not to take a finger off, alright? Camp’s got enough excitement without that.”

You huffed, brushing stray hair out of your face and muttering under your breath, “Impossible man.”

Still, as you looked down at the pile of half-sliced carrots, you realized you were smiling despite yourself.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

After Pearson’s scolding, you tried to keep your frustration in check. He wasn’t wrong, of course, but the sting of his words lingered. You didn’t want to be seen as the camp’s walking disaster—not after everything they’d done for you. Maybe returning to your previous chore, like fetching water, would give you a chance to redeem yourself—or at least avoid further humiliation.

Huffing softly, you grabbed a pair of empty buckets from beside the wagon. Normally, you’d only take one, but your mood had you feeling determined, or maybe just stubborn. Two buckets would show everyone, including Pearson, that you were capable of pulling your weight.

The walk to the stream wasn’t far, but the sun was rising steady, and the buckets seemed to grow heavier with every step. You clenched your jaw against the dull ache that crept into your side—a lingering reminder that you weren’t entirely healed yet. Still, you pressed on, ignoring the discomfort as best you could. The soft trickle of the stream came into view, and you knelt down carefully, the cool water flowing over your hands as you filled each bucket to the brim.

When it came time to lift them, the real challenge began. The moment you stood, a sharp, searing pain lanced through your side, forcing a hiss from your lips. You paused, gripping the handles tightly and trying to steady yourself.

“Damn it,” you muttered under your breath, shifting your grip and attempting to find a way to balance the weight.

“Need some help?”

The unexpected voice made you startle slightly. Turning, you found Jack standing a few feet away, watching you with wide, curious eyes. His small frame and bright expression seemed out of place in the rugged wilderness, but his presence was oddly comforting. You hadn’t even noticed him approach.

“Jack,” you said, forcing a smile despite the ache in your side. “What’re you doing all the way out here?”

He shrugged, kicking a pebble into the stream. “I was exploring. Mama says I shouldn’t go too far, but I wanted to see what you were doing.” He tilted his head, looking at the buckets. “You don’t look like you’re doing too good.”

You huffed a laugh, adjusting your grip on the handles. “I’ve got it under control. Just... a little heavy, that’s all.”

Jack stepped closer, peering at the buckets as if assessing the situation. “I can carry one,” he offered, puffing out his chest in an attempt to look more grown-up. “I’m strong, you know.”

The idea of Abigail’s son hauling water buckets was enough to make you shake your head. You could already imagine her reaction if she found out. “That’s sweet of you, Jack, but I think your mama might have my head if she saw you out here doing my work.”

Jack frowned but didn’t argue. Instead, he squatted down by the stream and picked up a smooth stone, rolling it between his fingers. “You don’t need do it all by yourself,” he said quietly, his tone thoughtful. ��Uncle Arthur says it’s okay to ask for help.”

You blinked, caught off guard by his words. For a boy so young, Jack had a way of cutting straight to the heart of things. You crouched down beside him, wincing slightly as your side protested the movement.

“Mister Morgan said that, huh?” you asked, smiling faintly.

Jack nodded, his face serious. “Uh-huh. He says even strong people can’t do everything alone.”

His earnestness was enough to ease the tension you’d been carrying since leaving camp. You ruffled his hair gently, making him giggle. “Well, sounds like Mister Morga’s a smart man. Maybe I’ll take his advice.”

Standing slowly, you glanced at the buckets, then back at Jack. “Tell you what. How about you keep me company on the way back? That’ll help more than anything.”

Jack grinned, clearly pleased with the compromise. “Okay!”

As the two of you started back toward camp—Jack chattering about all the animals he wanted to see and you nodding along—you couldn’t help but feel a little lighter. The buckets were still heavy, and your side still ached, but somehow, it didn’t seem quite as bad.

Maybe you should tell Abigail Jack had wandered quite far from camp the next time you saw her. Maybe you should offer to keep an eye on him. You mulled it over in your mind as you carried the bucket toward Pearson’s wagon.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

The next day, you decided to try something else.

Apparently, you were no good at washing clothes either. Armed with a washboard and a bucket of soapy water, you figured this was something even you couldn’t mess up. Leaning over the bucket, you scrubbed diligently, but your arms soon began to ache. Water splashed everywhere, soaking the ground beneath you, and suds clung stubbornly to your sleeves.

The final blow came when a shirt you were washing slipped from your hands, carried downstream by the current before you even realized it. You lunged after it, nearly toppling over into the water.

Nearby, Tilly and Mary-Beth sat folding laundry, their movements efficient and practiced. They exchanged amused glances before Mary-Beth’s soft laughter broke the silence.

“You’re more of a sharpshooter than a laundress, huh?” Tilly teased, though her tone was lighthearted.

You sat back on your heels, shaking your head with a rueful grin. “Guess I’m better at making messes than cleaning them.”

Mary-Beth smiled warmly, setting a freshly folded shirt on the pile beside her. “Don’t worry. You’ll find your place here. Everyone does.”

Before you could argue, they took over the washing, leaving you to sit back, damp and defeated. Still, you couldn’t help but smile despite yourself.

As you sat back, watching Tilly and Mary-Beth take over the task with effortless ease, you couldn’t help but feel a pang of inadequacy. The laundry wasn’t just clean; it was perfectly folded, stacked neatly like they’d been doing it their whole lives. You bit the inside of your cheek, glancing down at your damp sleeves and the soapy mess you’d left behind.

“Well, at least I’m good for entertainment,” you muttered under your breath, half to yourself, half to the women nearby.

Tilly glanced over with a chuckle, brushing her hands against her skirt. “Oh, don’t let it get to you. Everyone has their strengths.” She leaned forward conspiratorially, lowering her voice just a little. “You should’ve seen Karen the first time she tried baking bread. The gang had to convince her she hadn’t poisoned them.”

Mary-Beth giggled, adding, “Or the time Uncle decided to ‘help’ Pearson in the kitchen. We were picking burnt beans out of stew for a week.”

The stories pulled a reluctant laugh out of you. “So, what you’re saying is, I’m not the first disaster you’ve had around here?”

“Far from it,” Mary-Beth said with a grin, her voice full of warmth. “We’ve all had our moments. Even Arthur.”

That caught your attention. “Mister Morgan? What’d he do?”

Tilly smirked knowingly, setting another folded shirt in her lap. “Let’s just say he’s better off in the saddle than trying to mend anything. The man once stitched his own shirt to his pants without noticing.”

You barked out a laugh, the image of Arthur Morgan grumbling over a needle and thread too vivid not to enjoy. It was the first time in days that you’d felt anything close to normal.

Mary-Beth’s smile widened. “Oh, it’s true. He’s a damn good shot, but anything that requires actual patience—forget it.”

You shook your head, still chuckling. “I don’t think I’ll ever look at him the same way again.”

Tilly leaned back, tossing a completed stack of laundry onto a neat pile. “Trust me, he’d probably take it as a compliment.”

The three of you shared a quiet moment of laughter, the tension that had clung to you for days easing just a bit. Maybe you weren’t cut out for laundry, but at least you weren’t alone in your mess.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

As the afternoon sun shifted, you found yourself wandering back into camp, searching for something else to do. You spotted Charles by the campfire, sharpening his knife with slow, deliberate movements. A neat pile of firewood sat at his feet, and for a moment, you hesitated.

You’d met Charles only briefly a couple of days prior when he introduced himself. It was a quiet moment, just after you’d started walking around camp instead of being confined to bed. You’d been easing your way along the edge of camp, careful not to disturb anyone, when he’d approached with that calm, steady presence of his.

“Charles Smith,” he’d said simply, offering a hand.

You’d taken it, noting the firm grip and the quiet sincerity in his dark eyes. “Nice to meet you,” you’d replied.

“I didn’t want to bother you while you were resting,” he explained. “Figured you’d want to get your bearings first. But... if you need anything, just ask.”

That had been the end of it. No prying questions, no awkward small talk—just an offer of help, given freely. It had stuck with you, though. Something about Charles seemed grounded in a way you didn’t often see in this life.

Now, as you approached the campfire, you found yourself grateful for his earlier kindness.

“Need a hand with that?” you asked, gesturing to the firewood.

Charles looked up, his dark eyes assessing you for a moment before he nodded. “If you’re up for it. You’ll need to use the hatchet, though. Don’t think your aim’s good enough to split wood with a bullet.”

The teasing in his tone was subtle, but it was there, and you grinned. “Oh, you’d be surprised. But I’ll stick to the hatchet.”

He handed it over, stepping aside to give you space. You’d chopped wood plenty of times before, but after a few swings, it was clear your strength wasn’t what it used to be. The first log splintered awkwardly, and the second sent the hatchet bouncing off at an odd angle, nearly taking your fingers with it.

Charles reached out, steadying the log with one hand. “Here. Like this.” He positioned your grip on the hatchet and shifted your stance slightly. “Let the weight do the work. Don’t muscle it.”

You followed his advice, and this time, the blade sank cleanly through the wood, splitting it in two.

“There you go,” he said with a rare smile. “Not bad.”

For the next few minutes, the two of you worked side by side, the rhythm of chopping and stacking lulling you into a calm focus. Charles didn’t say much, but his quiet presence was comforting. It reminded you of the value in simply doing—finding purpose in the small, tangible things.

By the time the sun dipped lower, painting the camp in hues of gold and orange, you’d stacked enough firewood to keep the camp warm for days. Wiping the sweat from your brow, you leaned against the chopping block, catching your breath.

“Thanks for the help,” Charles said, his tone genuine. “Not everyone pitches in like this.”

You shrugged, a small smile tugging at the corners of your mouth. “Figured I’d make myself useful."

Charles nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Well, you did good. This’ll keep the camp going for a while. Just don’t push yourself too hard.”

You opened your mouth to reply, but the sound of approaching footsteps made you glance up. Arthur emerged from the tree line, his stride easy but purposeful. His hat was pulled low against the golden glow of the setting sun, casting a shadow over his expression, but there was something in his stance—tense, deliberate—that caught your attention.

“Charles,” Arthur greeted with a slight nod before his eyes flicked to you. “Didn’t know you were takin’ up lumberjackin’.”

His tone was casual enough, but there was an edge to it, like he was sizing up the scene. He leaned against a nearby tree, arms crossed, watching you and Charles with an unreadable expression.

You raised an eyebrow, wiping your hands on your pants. “Figured it was better than sittin’ around doing nothing.”

Arthur’s gaze lingered on you for a moment, his jaw tightening slightly before he gave a low chuckle. “Well, you look like you’ve been put through the wringer. Hope Charles here didn’t work you too hard.”

Charles, seemingly unbothered, shrugged as he finished stacking the last of the firewood. “She held her own. Better than some of the others around here.”

“Is that right?” Arthur drawled, his eyes narrowing just a fraction. “Didn’t think you were the type to take on apprentices, Charles.”

You frowned, glancing between the two men. “It’s just firewood, Arthur. No need to make it sound like I’m learning a trade.”

Arthur pushed off the tree, his expression softening as he looked at you. “Just sayin’. You’re still recoverin’. Don’t want you overdo—” He paused, his eyes catching on the faint smirk Charles was giving him, and his voice shifted. “—overestimatin’ yourself.”

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms. “I’ll keep that in mind, Mister Morgan.”

Charles chuckled under his breath, grabbing his knife and giving Arthur a nod. “She’s fine, Arthur. You don’t need to keep hovering.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened again, but he gave a faint grin, tipping his hat. “Ain’t hoverin’. Just lookin’ out, is all.”

The air felt heavier for a moment, the unspoken tension between them palpable, but Charles shrugged it off as he stepped away. “Well, I’m done here. Firewood’s all set. You two enjoy the rest of your evening.”

He gave you a brief smile, then walked back toward the campfire, leaving you and Arthur alone.

Arthur watched him go, his posture relaxing slightly as he turned back to you. “He’s a good fella, Charles. Quiet, but reliable.”

You tilted your head, studying him. “Seems like it. Why? You worried about something?”

Arthur hesitated, his eyes meeting yours, and for a moment, he seemed to weigh his words. Finally, he shook his head, his voice softer now. “Nah. Just makin’ sure you’re settlin’ in alright.”

You didn’t miss the way his gaze lingered on you, warm and steady in the fading light. For a man who could be so guarded, there was something honest about the way he looked at you now, like he was trying to figure you out but didn’t mind taking his time.

“I’m fine,” you said, your tone gentler. “Thanks for checking, though.”

Arthur gave a short nod, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “Good. Let me know if you need somethin’. Don’t need you runnin’ off with Charles to split wood all the time.”

You laughed, shaking your head. “You’re impossible.”

“Yeah, well,” he said, turning back toward camp, “you’ll get used to it.”

And as he walked away, you couldn’t help but smile to yourself, the faintest flicker of warmth settling in your chest.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

The camp was still bustling with evening activity—chatter around the campfire, the clink of tin mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. You let out a breath, thinking about Arthur’s words and the strange comfort they brought.

But that peace was short-lived. You turned toward the wagon where you’d been keeping some of your things, intent on finding something useful to occupy your hands. Before you could take more than a few steps, Susan Grimshaw appeared, her sharp gaze locking onto you like a hawk spotting prey.

“Well,” she started, hands on her hips, her tone already carrying an edge, “I see you’ve made yourself comfortable, but there’s plenty more that needs doing around here.”

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden confrontation. “I wasn’t exactly sitting around—”

Susan cut you off with a curt wave of her hand. “I’m not interested in excuses. Everyone pulls their weight in this camp. If you’re fit enough to be choppin’ wood and chattin’ with Arthur, you’re fit enough to help Pearson with the supplies or other chores.”

Her words weren’t unfair, but they stung nonetheless. You opened your mouth to defend yourself, but something in Susan’s expression gave you pause.

“I get it,” you said, keeping your tone level. “I’ll help where I can.”

Susan’s brow arched, clearly not expecting your lack of resistance. “Good. Starting tomorrow, I’ll have a list for you. No more wandering about without purpose.”

You felt your jaw tighten, but you nodded. “Fine.”

She gave a curt nod and turned to walk away, leaving you standing there, frustration bubbling under the surface. You weren’t trying to shirk responsibility, but the constant need to prove yourself in a camp full of strangers was beginning to wear on you.

You took a moment to breathe, reminding yourself that this wasn’t about pleasing Susan or anyone else.

As you turned to head back toward your spot by the fire, you nearly ran into Abigail, who was carrying a bundle of laundry.

“She give you an earful?” Abigail asked, her tone more amused than sympathetic.

“Something like that,” you muttered.

“Don’t take it personal. Grimshaw’s like that with everyone, especially the women. She thinks it’s her job to keep us all in line.” Abigail adjusted the laundry in her arms, her expression softening. “But she means well... most of the time.”

You gave a small nod, not entirely convinced. “Guess I’ll have to get used to it.”

“You will,” Abigail said with a small smile. “Just don’t let her see you slackin’. She’s got eyes in the back of her head.”

The comment drew a faint laugh from you, easing some of the tension that had settled in your chest.

︻デ═一・・・・・・・・・・・・・・一═デ︻

Emotionally, you felt drained after the past few days. Talking to so many people in such a short amount of time wasn’t something you were used to. You needed space, a moment to clear your head. After a brief pause near the campfire with Abigail and Jack, you quietly slipped away, heading toward Tater.

The horse stood with an air of quiet confidence, as if she knew she’d been spoiled and cared for. Her coat gleamed under the fading light, and her saddle looked as though someone had taken the time to polish away every scuff. Tater nuzzled against you, her soft breath warm on your hand as you gently stroked her neck.

"Hey girl," you whispered, a small smile tugging at your lips, "you got a secret admirer or something?"

Tater snorted softly, swaying slightly in contentment. You chuckled, leaning against her side as you ran your fingers through her mane. The quiet moment was soothing—just you and Tater, away from the chaos of being social.

You closed your eyes for a moment, the sound of the campfire and distant chatter fading into the background. It wasn’t often you took time like this to ground yourself, to reconnect with something that wasn’t people. It was just Tater and you.

You took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill your lungs as you leaned against the horse, feeling a quiet sense of peace.

But that tranquility didn’t last long.

From the edge of the clearing, you heard footsteps approaching. Your eyes opened, and before you knew it, Arthur appeared from the trees, his long stride steady and confident. His hat was low over his face, casting shadows across his brow, with a rifle over his shoulder.

"Taking a break, huh?" His voice was calm but held an edge of curiosity. He must be coming back from watch.

You straightened, adjusting your stance. “Thought I’d give myself a minute,” you replied, raising an eyebrow. “Figured Tater could use some attention... Someone been looking after her while I've been bedridden, I think.”

Arthur studied you for a moment, his gaze lingering on Tater before finally resting on you. “Yeah, she’s been lookin’ well. Seems someone’s been takin’ good care of her…”

You shrugged, your fingers still brushing Tater’s mane. “She’s a good horse. Didn’t see the harm in it.”

Arthur’s gaze shifted between you and the horse, his brow furrowing slightly. “Not the sort to stand around doin’ nothin’, huh?”

You glanced up at him, a faint smirk playing on your lips. “I wasn’t exactly sitting idle.”

Arthur tilted his head, studying you for a moment longer before letting out a soft chuckle. “No, I guess you weren’t.” His tone remained neutral, though there was a faint glint of something you couldn’t quite place in his eyes.

Arthur cleared his throat, shifting his weight as he adjusted his rifle on his shoulder. For a moment, he didn’t respond, and the silence between you stretched again. You studied him as he watched Tater, the faintest crease of thought on his brow.

“I reckon you don’t need to keep giving up your bed for me anymore, Mister Morgan,” you said, breaking the quiet. “I’m feeling well enough now.”

Arthur shifted his gaze from the horse to you, his brow furrowing just a bit. “Ain’t a matter of needin’ to. Just figured it made more sense, is all.”

You crossed your arms, tilting your head as you studied him. “Don’t seem like you got much sense when it comes to your own rest.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened slightly, but he didn’t look away. “I’ll manage.”

You stepped closer, lowering your voice. “You’ve been sleeping on that log over there for days. Might be time to take your bed back.”

Arthur didn’t answer right away, his gaze flickering to the ground. The tension between you seemed to grow, heavy but not uncomfortable. His fingers tightened on the rifle as he shifted his weight again, posture a bit more rigid now.

“Maybe,” he finally said, his voice softer, more measured. “But if you need it, I’ll keep movin’ out of the way.”

You frowned, tilting your head, sensing the quiet resistance beneath his words. “I don’t need you to.”

“You sure about that?” His voice was quieter now, almost a murmur.

“Yeah,” you said, softly. “I’m sure.”

Arthur studied you a moment longer, his gaze lingering, as if trying to gauge if you were being honest. Then, slowly, he gave a small nod, his lips twitching into a faint smile. “Alright, then.” He mumbled as he moved closer to you, his hand settling on Tater, as he pets the horse.

“You seem real insistent on gettin’ your way,” Arthur said, his tone lighter now, almost teasing. You don't miss the way his fingers brush against your hand as he pats Tater.

You smiled, stepping closer, your voice barely above a whisper. “Someone’s gotta keep you in check, Mister Morgan.”

Arthur tilted his head, his smirk growing. “Yeah? Might be you’ve got a knack for it.”

His eyes held yours, and in that quiet, shared space, there was a flicker of something deeper. You didn’t look away.

"Maybe."

Arthur’s smile lingered as he let his hand slide down Tater’s neck, fingers brushing against yours just a little longer. The tension between you hung in the air, thick and heavy but not unpleasant. He didn’t seem in any rush to break the quiet moment.

After a beat of silence, Arthur shifted his weight, clearing his throat softly. “You always this quiet, or am I just not sayin’ the right things?” His voice was low, teasing, but there was something more to it now—a hint of curiosity.

You took a breath, letting the smirk play on your lips deepen just a fraction. “Maybe you’re not asking the right questions, Mister Morgan.”

His eyes sharpened, narrowing just slightly as he studied you. “Is that right?” His voice dropped a notch, smooth and measured.

You shrugged, your gaze steady. “Might be.”

Arthur stood there a moment longer, his expression unreadable, as though he was trying to figure out whether to lean in or back off. But instead of moving away, he shifted a little closer, his presence enveloping the space between you like a slow, deliberate pull.

He wasn’t pressing, not yet, but the heat of his stare and the quiet understanding passed between you was impossible to ignore.

His hand grazed yours again as he shifted his rifle to his other shoulder, the touch barely there but enough to make the hairs on your arms stand. “You always this bold, or am I gonna have to drag it outta you?”

You smiled faintly, stepping a fraction closer, the distance between you shrinking. “Maybe it’s not about being bold,” Your voice was quieter now, almost a whisper, like the moment itself was fragile and precious.

Arthur exhaled, his smirk softening into something more genuine. “Maybe it ain’t.” His eyes searched yours for a moment longer before he let his hand drop from Tater neck, letting it settle nears yours.

For a second, neither of you said anything. The camp around you felt distant, the firelight casting long shadows across the clearing as if the world had narrowed down to just the two of you.

“Maybe we’ll see,” he said finally, his tone low and contemplative. His gaze remained fixed on yours, steady, the faintest flicker of something softer behind his eyes.

You didn’t look away. “Maybe.”

Arthur stood there, his expression softening further as he let the quiet stretch between you. The weight of his gaze was intense but not uncomfortable. He adjusted his hat slightly, his fingers brushing the brim, before finally speaking again, his voice low.

“Call me Arthur,” he said, his tone steady. “No need for all that ‘Mister Morgan’ business.”

The sound of his first name on his lips sent a small shiver down your spine. You hesitated for a moment, letting the weight of what he’d said sink in. Arthur. Simple, quiet, familiar. Perosnal.

You met his gaze and offered a faint smile. “Alright… Arthur.”

His eyes flicked down to your lips for a split second before returning to yours, that smirk still there but softer now, more genuine.

“Just Arthur,” he repeated, more to himself than to you, before letting his eyes hold yours once again.

Arthur took a slow breath, his gaze still locked on yours, as though he was trying to say something more, something deeper, but the words hung unspoken. The weight of the moment stretched out, the quiet settling around you both. You could almost feel the space between you narrowing, as though he was leaning closer, even if just a little.

But then, just as the silence was beginning to feel unbearable, Tater gave a low nicker, her ears twitching as she turned her head. The soft nudge against your side broke the stillness, and you couldn’t help but let out a small laugh at the absurdity of the timing.

Arthur blinked, pulling his gaze away from yours, his smirk returning, albeit more subdued now. “Well,” he said, clearing his throat, “seems someone’s got a better idea of what’s important than we do.”

You shook your head, chuckling softly as you patted Tater. “Looks like she’s not one for quiet moments.”

Arthur sighed, adjusting his hat as he looked at the horse. “Guess not. Can’t seem to catch a break when you’re around, can I?” His tone was laced with humor, though it still carried a thread of seriousness.

You smiled, feeling the tension shift but not entirely dissipate. “Can’t help it if I’m good company.”

Arthur let out a low chuckle, the sound more genuine now. “You keep tellin’ yourself that.”

For a moment, neither of you spoke, letting the quiet settle back into the space between you. Tater stood contentedly between you both, her presence grounding, as though reminding you that the world beyond this moment still existed.

But something lingered beneath the surface.

“Well,” Arthur said at last, his tone lighter. “I should get back. Don’t wanna leave the camp without a watch.”

You nodded, reluctant to break the connection, but understanding the need to pull away. “Yeah. Guess I’ll head back, too.”

Arthur tipped his hat, the corner of his mouth tugging into that faint smirk again. “See you around, darlin’.”

As he turned, his footsteps fading into the distance, you watched him go, a strange mixture of relief and longing settling in your chest.

Tater stood beside you, softly nuzzling your hand once more, as though sensing something had shifted. You let out a slow breath, brushing your fingers through her mane, lost in thought.

Maybe this wasn’t the end of whatever it was brewing between you and Arthur. But for now, all you could do was wait and see if the quiet tension would ever return.

You sighed, shaking your head with a small smile. “Awful timing, Tater.”

︻デ═一・・・・・・・一═デ︻

I really should be working on my assessments 📚, but I couldn’t resist writing another chapter now that the setting has reached camp 🏕️ and the gang 🤠. I hope you enjoyed this chapter !

#arthur morgan x female reader #arthur morgan x reader #arthur morgan x you #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 x reader #red dead redemption 2 fanfic #arthur morgan #arthur morgan fic #slow burn #romance #cowboy #sheriffaxolotlwriting

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companion-showdown · 3 days ago

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Showdown 2k25

Just like last year I want to kick January off with a flat popularity contest, showdown 2k25.

Automatically competing - everyone from last year (list), with the following exceptions

Last years winner - Donna Noble

Possibly Rose Tyler as the 2023 winner, but I need to think on it a bit more

I'm going to reassess a few from last year, specifically the real people

Rules for new nominees (tardis wiki list referenced below)

Anyone on the list will automatically be accepted

TV companions MUST be on the list

EU companions not on the list will be considered on a case by case basis. If they meet a reasonable definition of companion I will accept them, basic guideline is has their own tardis wiki article so I can actually check, multiple stories with the Doctor, none of these guidelines are hard rules, if you can justify them to me, I'll let them in

Propaganda is not carrying over from last year, if you want to go to bat for someone, use this same form

You can use this form to make multiple nominations/give multiple bits of propaganda at once.

You have until at least the 1st of January

list of competitors, anyone in green has propaganda submitted for them

Classic Who

Ace McShane

Adric

Barbara Wright

Ben Jackson

The Brigadier

Chang Lee

Dodo Chaplet

Grace Holloway

Harry Sullivan

Ian Chesterton

Jamie McCrimmon

Jo Grant

Kamelion

Katarina

Leela

Liz Shaw

Mags

Mel Bush

Mike Yates

Nyssa

Peri Brown

Polly Wright

Romana I

Romana II

Sabalom Glitz

Sara Kingdom

Sarah-Jane Smith

Sergeant Benton

Steven Taylor

Susan Foreman

Tegan Jovanka

Turlough

Vicki Pallister

Victoria Waterfield

Zoe Heriot

NuWho

Adam Mitchell

Amy Pond

Bill Potts

Canton Everett Delaware III

Clara Oswald

Dan Lewis

Graham O'Brien

Grant Gordon aka the Ghost

Handles

Inston-Vee Vindor

Jack Harkness

Karvanista

Kate Stewart

Martha Jones

Mickey Smith

Missy

Nardole

River Song

Rory Williams

Rose Noble

Ruby Sunday

Ryan Sinclair

Wilfred Mott

Yasmin Khan

Audio

Alex Campbell

Anya Kingdom

Bliss

C'rizz

Cass Fermazzi

Charley Pollard

Cousin Eliza: Christine Summerfield: Horus

Dalek Test Subject 2

Erimem

Evelyn Smythe

Helen Sinclair

Hex Schofield

Iris Wildthyme

Liv Chenka

Lucie Miller

Mark Seven

Molly O'Sullivan

Narvin

Oliver Harper

Sheena (The Starship of Theseus)

Tania Bell

Novels

Anji Kapoor

Anna (Good Companions)

Badger

Barusa

Bernice Summerfield

Business woman (Time on a Vine)

Catherine “Cat” Broome

Chris Cwej

Cinder

Claudia Marwood

Compassion

Dorothy (The Wonderful Doctor of Oz)

Fitz Kreiner

Guinevere Winchester

Hector (All Flesh is Grass)

Homunculette

Ikalla

Irving Braxiatel

Jack McSpringheel

Larna

Marie (Alien Bodies)

Milena

Patience

Penelope Gate

Peter Summerfield

Rosie Taylor

Roz Forrester

Ruth Leonidas

Sam Jones

Serena

Sibling Different aka Mae

The Mortimer Family (Ida, Alan, Helen, George)

Trix MacMillan

V.M.McCrimmion

Wolsey the Cat

Zeleekhà

Comics

Abslom Daak, Dalek Killer

Alice Obifune

Angus ‘Gus’ Goodman

ARC

Chantir

Child Master (The Then and the Now)

Cindy Wu

Dave Lester

Destrii

Duh

Flanx

Fey Truscott-Sade

Frobisher

Gabby Gonzalez

Gillian & John Who

Grayla

Hattie Munroe

Izzy Sinclair

Jayne Kadett

John Jones

Josie Day

Kroton

Ly Chee the Wise

Majenta Pryce

Maxwell Edison

Olla

Rose-the-cat

Shayde

Ssard

The Squire

Weeping Angel (Origins)

Real Life

Alan Turing

Claudia Winkleman

John Lennon

Jules Verne

Mary Shelley

Peter Cushing

Other

Alison Cheney

Andy Davidson

Antimony (Death Comes to Time)

Brian the Ood

Dormouse (The Red and the Blue)

Emma (curse of fatal death)

Koschie

Romana (Battle for the Universe)

Splinx

Susan Who

Tom Campbell

#doctor who

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velvet-vox · 7 months ago

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My Top 10 Favourite Male Villains of all time.

"How arrogant of you to think that any of us are anything but irrelevant". -John Greer, Person of Interest (2011-2016).

There comes a moment in a blog's life where some things are just long overdue, and while the argument could be made that this happened way too early, I'd say that as long as this helps me to find my groove, I am free to experiment as much as I want.

So..... Villains.

Gotta love them. As long as I do not meet them in real life. This post is in particular about male villains since I have one dedicated to their female counterparts in the pipeline so expect that to come soon enough and for this part to be rewritten. By the way, "villain" is a generalisation, I can totally put antivillains, antagonists or more general antiheroes in this list; your definition of "Bad Guy" can vary greatly and so can mine, someone like Walter White from Breaking Bad could have made it in here. My taste is very unusual, so prepare yourself for some unexpected picks.

Also, since these are meant to be some big celebratory posts, for the occasion I'll reveal my Italian heritage and translate every line of dialogue in Italian and publish it separately with a link, so that English readers who are learning Italian can exercise.

Here's also a follow up to this post, the first part of my top 30 favourite female antagonists of all time. Check it out, if you are curious to see more.

The bad girls

But first, some honourable mentions:

Oropo (Wakfu): Once you see the number 2 spot for both this list and the female villains list you might notice that I tend to gravitate towards characters with wasted potential more often than not, but while we're just talking about this guy, I cannot stress enough the amount of unceremonious mishandling that lies within his concepts and execution. Really needed two seasons of 25 episodes each to explore it to their maximum.

Tai Lung (Kung Fu Panda): I love him, but not as much as others, it's a matter of personal preference. He's an amazing antagonist, so even if he is just an honourable mention, I wouldn't call him a lesser villain by any stretch of the imagination; I once felt like he was too sympathetic for his movie's sake, but looking back at it again, he's actually moderately evil for a lot of reasons, even if Shifu is the main one.

Bill Chyper (Gravity Falls): It's been way too long since I watched Gravity Falls, I really can't give you an accurate opinion on this guy anymore.

Flintheart Glomgold (DuckTales 2017): That season 2 episode. If you know what I'm talking about, you KNOW. Also the music for that whole sequence was a banger, really driving home the deranged nature of that twist reveal.

Big Jack Horner (Puss in Boots The Last Wish): I feel like when people praise Jack for being a breath of fresh air in a stale environment, they often forget just how good of a villain he was in his own right without the larger industry wide void of truly devious antagonists that act out of pure malice.

The Wolf (Puss in Boots The Last Wish): Two villain entries from one movie? Of course it was gonna be The Last Wish, what else could it be? Honestly I don't even wanna talk about this guy, you need to experience the movie for yourself.

Rob (The Amazing World of Gumball): Everything I have to say about this guy gets talked about much better by the number 6 Spot on this list, but as it stands Rob was my first villain OTP and the guy who opened the box of Pandora for me on what an antagonist could and should be, since then my perception of villainy only widened and now I enjoy their role in a story in much different way.

And now, with that out of the way, let's finally start with the ranking of my personal favourite male villains of all time.

Major spoilers down below:

Number 10: Silco (Arcane)

This guy is the reason that brought me to specify who or what counted for this list as trying to simplify Silco into one specific group of characters is a challenge that can only end in a misunderstanding of what makes Silco such a complex and fascinating character with an amazing character arc, that ends with him not being redeemed, mind you, but allows the audience to grieve in such a way that would make a side character death jealous.

When writing an antagonistic character, Silco is my goal and high standard, and just for that he deserves all of my respect and endless praise.

Now, admittedly, Silco's arc takes a while to kick in, but it works out to his advantage by the end of it since you don't realise just how much you've grown to care for him until he's dead and you're left with the surprise.

10 out 10, the nation of Zaun would have been much better (worse) with him than with Vander.

Number 9: The Riddler (DC)

The Riddler is literally my ride or die villain, when I'm in the mood for him, he's literally my favourite antagonist ever; when I am not in the mood for him, I completely forget about his existence.

When compared to many other entries on this list, Riddler is definitely more on the pop culture side of antagonism, and when you've been around for almost a century, you tend to have many different versions of the same character written by different writers, so I wanted to highlight here my favourite versions of him:

Arkham Games: He's hilarious. He's not my ideal Riddler, but whenever he comes on screen, his whiny rat's ass voice stimulates my pheromones.

Batman The Animated Series: I've heard somewhere that this version of him is disappointing, and to that I'll say... yeah, but only when he wasn't on screen, because otherwise, he kind of slayed.

Matt Reeves The Batman: This is the version that rekindled my love for him after so long. Out of every interpretation of The Riddler throughout the years, this is the one version that treated Edward more as a character rather than an obstacle for Batman to overcome, and for that I'll be eternally grateful.

LEGO Batman The Videogame: My very first introduction to The Riddler and the Batman universe as a whole, this version has a permanent place in my heart , I love how much information and emotion you can get out of him by just looking at his mannerisms and quirks alone; unironically, being silent helps him reach that quote on quote idealised version of Riddler that I was talking about earlier.

Number 8: The Snatcher (A Hat In Time)

There are many things that can carry on a villain in a story, their evolution, stage presence, complexity, thematic contrast to their counterpart, and so on and so forth. While an antagonist can check off many of these boxes simultaneously (like the one pictured), there's one box that is almost impossible to truly nail perfectly: comedy.

You see, comedy is subjective, and when your main antagonist is also the funniest part of a given story, it becomes hard to also match a sense of gravity and menace that allows them to also be an imposing threat, even harder is to give said antagonist depth and a tragic backstory.

But somehow, out of nowhere, The Snatcher from A Hat In Time manages to simultaneously be the funniest character in his section of the game, carrie said energy throughout the whole experience even down to the DLC, simultaneously strikes the balance between being scary, wholesome, sympathetic and tragic, exude an insane amount of charisma, all while having a deeply disturbing backstory that touches on some heavy themes and re contextualises his actions into something more complicated and out of a broken man, everything I just said + he's the biggest bastard in his videogame and never repents nor does he have his actions called out.

Snatcher really has all the right cards that make a stationary character work and uses them to his maximum potential, and it works because his character arc throughout the game is more about becoming affectionate to Hat Kid than it is about redeeming himself.

Lastly, his voice actor, Luke Sizemore, aka Yungtown, really sells the performance of this devious soul eating worm and burns his catchphrases into your brain for the rest of eternity, much like his boss theme,

Your Contract Has Expired

A song that switches around being scary, epic, energetic and desperate in a short, yet perfectly paced amount of time. You need to listen to it regardless of if you've played the game or not.

Fool.

Number 7: Judge Claude Frollo (Hunchback of Notre Dame)

You can never say no to a classic.

There's nothing that I could say that hasn't already been said by thousands of videos on YouTube, but I'll try anyway: you see, Frollo is the reason why we need a new term to identify certain villains that aren't "sympathetic" but still make you feel some sort of human emotion and a form of "I wish someone could give you the care you need to fix your life", I guess the term empathetic exists, but when do you really see it used?

Now, don't get me wrong, Frollo is absolutely not sympathetic in the slightest, he wants to r##e a Romani woman that's way younger than him, but you can still feel that he's very troubled about it in the Hellfire scene and has definitely a lot of unidentified issues and internalised bigotry that could be worked through, even if it's too late to work through them right now.

In general, I feel like people forget that the main reason why past Disney villains worked had to do more with their human traits juxtaposed to their malice rather than just their plain wickedness, otherwise the Horned King from the Black Cauldron would be top of the Disney villains league and that couldn't be further from the truth.

We should really strive towards writing more villains like Frollo, less omnipotent beings that end up falling flat because they don't have much thematic relevance aside from being a threat (Bill Chyper works because he represents Ego and he's used sparingly) and more average vicious individuals who use their power and influence to get what they want.

All in all, if you've seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame, then you know why this guy is here, but just to cite a couple of repeated points, the Hellfire scene is perfect. It's immaculate. It's unreproducible; there will never be another scene like this coming out of the House of Mouse or animation ever again, the excessive amount of stars and elements that came together to create this gothic classic is so vast that it's literally a miracle.

Frollo is truly the personification of the dark, twisted side of humanity peaking through the door and into your mind, from which he shall never escape as his performance still remains perfect to this very day.

Number 6: The Spot (Spider-man across the Spiderverse)

"You've hit me with a bagel!" It's still the greatest villain origin story of all time. There's truly something maniacal about this reveal, like the entire universe was shattered and reality was shocked at the mere realization that while Miles was having his coming of age moment back in the first film, this guy was having his normal life completely and utterly shattered by a combination of both our heroes stepping up to do the right thing and our doofus lack of foresight and self reflection; all of this stuff is hilarious and completely made up for the film but good god they did such an amazing job tying all the elements together in an unexpected way that makes sense and parallels the journey that our protagonist faced in the first movie.

Like with Rob from The Amazing World of Gumball, and a little bit like number 2 on this list, I just really enjoy the concept of turning background characters who had no relevance whatsoever into the big bad of the story who's been there all along and the heroes (and the audience) just couldn't notice.

With The Spot in particular, there's that sense of satisfaction of turning the wasted potential of a villain who has been underestimated for literal decades and treated as a "villain of the week" (God do I love the meta narrative of this movie) into an actual competent, well written antagonist that is aware of his reputation and strives towards bettering himself and his powers.

He's also the funniest character of his movie too and the voice acting of Jason Schwartzman only accentuates his mannerisms and pettyness.

He also has the coolest usage of portals I have ever seen and his whole "There's a hole inside all of us" metaphor is simultaneously hilarious and very deep personal information that can only be understood if you put yourself into his shoes.

I can't wait for Beyond the Spiderverse to come out and see how his arc resolves, more importantly, I wonder if he's going to rank higher in the future.

Number 5: Lord Shen (Kung Fu Panda)

"Happiness must be taken. And I'll take mine"

.....

What a character.

What a movie.

You cause so much pain and suffering, because you don't understand the people around you, and then those people banish you, and you can't understand why, so you start to believe that they hated you.

They never loved you, so you keep causing pain and suffering but it's not that easy anymore; the guilt starts to resurface, all those bodies keep piling up, but you can't stop because then it would have all been for nothing; so you keep chasing those dreams of grandeur because that's all you have left; the emptiness in your heart can no longer be filled by love, so you try to fill it with something else.

You try to fill it with power. You try to fill it with glory. You try to take everything else for yourself so that you can fill that cup, but it doesn't work, because that cup has no bottom.

And so you're left... with yourself.

And the damage you've done. But now it's different; you've failed. You are left with nothing. Nothing.

And so you outrage, for the last time... And then it all ends. Forever. And you've finally come to accept this, after all....... Who could ever love you?

Number 4: Spamton G Spamton (Deltarune)

You know, in retrospect, it's kind of insane what Toby Fox managed to achieve when creating Spamton.

Not only because Spamton feels like the most insane combination of ideas ever conceived, but also because Toby Fox created such a complex character with such a complicated language and personality and then not only shafted it all aside for the players to go out of their way to interact, but also made all of this in what are officially 2 or 3 cutscenes at most (4 if you consider his shop encounter as one) and only one of them being truly mandatory.

You spend so little time with Spamton, and most of that time is spent fighting him, and yet by the end of it you've become enlightened by the knowledge of him, that after a while... you forget how scary it all was.

All the memes comparing Spamton with Turbo are 100% correct and justified, Spamton truly is Turbo but better; you go through an insane rollercoaster of emotions with this character that you are left absolutely dumbfounded when it all comes to a stop and you go back to play the rest of chapter 2 normally.

His insane mannerisms and mood swings are pretty funny at first, but once you peel back the layers a bit they reveal a pretty realistic and sad portrayal of mental illness, mania and hysteria coupled with an unhealthy amount of social distancing, loneliness, and abandonment issues, that reinforce into your brain the idea of someone lacking proper healthcare and needing to be locked away from society for their (society) own good, simulating the vicious cycle that Spamton lives by: nobody wants to help him but he's still expected to act like a regular individual despite the amount of hardships he's facing and the lack of a support system keeping him from falling back into his bad habits.

I'll admit, I've considered putting Spamton in place of the Number 3 spot on this list; but then I've realised that on an objective level, the next entry totally deserves to be ranked above Spamton; plus, with at least 5 more chapters of Deltarune on our way, whose to say that one of the next gremlins won't be able to dethrone even the number 1 spot?

Drumroll for our top 3:

Nox, the Watchmaker (Wakfu)

There will never be another experience in my life as cathartic as watching the first season of Wakfu for the first time ever again.

On a later rewatch, the initial problems that you've noticed throughout the first half of the season and a little bit in the second half become too apparent to ignore, but the first time everything that goes from the ball tournament to the finale is one of the best paced arcs of television, and everything that happens when the team reaches the Sadida kingdom is just peak Wakfu.

And the king, the culprit, the crown jewel of properly paced stories and arcs is no other than the sad clockwork dilf himself: Noximilliem Coxen the Watchmaker.

Arguably, the greatest sympathetic villain of all time. There has never been another case of a character who has committed such vile, unspeakable crimes, and yet still managed to make me root for them while simultaneously not putting down the heroes.

And let's not be mistaken here, Nox is pretty evil:

Aside from the generic murder, Nox also defiled and stitched together the corpses of multiple victims and turned them into his obedient puppets in order to commit even more murder and genocide in order to achieve his goals.

Also, this is one of the funniest crimes Nox has committed: he abused his dog. It's really not that hilarious nor is it that important in the context of the show, but if you look back at it from an outside perspective then it's really like: Oh yeah. That happened too. Lol.

One of the best parts of his entire arc is his defeat. The "20 minutes" scene deserves a "One Villainous Scene" coverage video to forever immortalise it amongst the greatest. Everything from the music, the subversiveness, the cinematography, the voice acting and just the general art direction of it is worthy of an Eminem award at the Oscars, there's genuinely nothing wrong with this scene, it's truly immaculate.

Words alone cannot do justice to the treacherous, gut wrenching emotional rollercoaster that is experiencing his story for the first time. An hour long video essay would only serve to cover the basics and fundamentals, while for the real deal you need to watch the first season of Wakfu for yourself.

Number 2:

Bradford Buzzard (DuckTales 2017)

And now it's the perfect time to pull out my final wild card, the hole of the sink of my autism, the masterpiece of wasted potential that is Bradford Buzzard from the DuckTales remake of 2017.

When you'll also see the number 2 spot on my villainesses list, you'll come to realise that this spot is more of the "I really wish I could put this at number one but I can't because objectively he doesn't deserve it and the majority of things I love about him in canon were probably an afterthought and in fanon were never plausible to begin with."

And that's how I feel about Bradford Buzzard, an antagonist I spent more time thinking about than probably anybody else on the Earth.

The show runners were so genius for this: we are going to create an original character that will probably struggle to maintain a foot print on the franchise due to the way the Duck verse works, we'll give him an insanely cool backstory and motivation, all coupled with interesting character traits and ideology, we'll make him the ultimate foil to Scrooge McDuck that has been working with him for literal decades, we'll make him the one who has got the closest to isolating Scrooge and destroying his family, and THEN we'll turn him into a generic anime villain that shoots lasers and fumbles his own plan and loses because of insane plot armour and contrivance. Good job writers.

Anyway, I should probably make the case for why this guy ranks so highly in my mind to the point of almost taking the podium for my most liked villain of all time, especially when compared to the stiff competition that we just went through.

Now, part of it is just because this is a personal top 10 and so I can put whoever I want in whatever order I want. But also, with Bradford in particular, there's a personal aspect of relatability, various interests, and passions all coming together to make him stand out in my brain.

The thing is, I've had a pretty strong connection to Disney's Duck's comic books my entire life, even if my love for them came dwindling over time, so when I finally started watching the Reboot and it was amazing, all of that buried passion and love finally re emerged back to the surface, turning me into an annoying super fan. But while season 1 and 2 were great, season 3 actually gave me something to latch on for the rest of time even after the show had ended: the character of Bradford Buzzard.

You see, DuckTales, both in the shows and comics, always had a plethora of villains; from the crazy, megalomaniacal millionaires, to witches, demons, and other mythological creatures, to power hungry aliens, to straight up super-villains. But while all of that is true, there has never been another villain, aside from Magica, Glomgold and Rockerduck at traits, that was built specifically as the anti Scrooge McDuck, and even further, there has never been another antagonist who challenged the very core ideas and concepts of the entire franchise.

Bradford is like the Frank Grimes of DuckTales: just a regular, average, real world guy who's fed up with the nonsensical constant state at which their fictional universe operates and seeks to correct it in the most logical way possible. And while Frank was ultimately a victim of a world in which he couldn't conform, Bradford's outrageous and extreme plans and methods put him on everybody's hit list until he was left all alone, but not before indirectly causing every major disaster throughout the reboot's runtime.

A cold, calculating, machiavellian mastermind whose impact and presence secretly permeates the show, right till the very end.

Shame he wasn't written better.

And now, for the one and only,

Number 1:

Qilby (Wakfu)

Qilby is the biggest example of an anomaly that you could ever observe in a work of fiction. The first time experiencing a story is the most important and impactful moment of that story, as every future rewatch won't be as good as the first. In particular, this is an important aspect of twist villains, as they can only surprise you the first time, since at future rewatches the twist becomes predictable.

Furthermore, if the twist ends up ruining the character that was established up to this point, or it doesn't make any sense, then the story is kind of ruined and it only gets worse on future rewatches, since now you know that everything that you are seeing right now is ultimately worthless and doesn't provide any value.

So why do we love twist villains and keep churning them out? Well, you see, it's a matter of execution. A bad guy introduced in an unconventional manner is much more memorable than one introduced in a straightforward way; the twist can also serve to showcase different aspects of the character before becoming an obvious obstacle, be it quirks, interests, personality in casual settings, or cunning.

Let's not beat around the bush.

If Nox is the single greatest sympathetic villain of all time, then Qilby is by far the greatest twist villain of all time, and the crazy thing is, that he surprises you two times in a row, at first by revealing himself as more evil than you could ever imagine, and then, by outing himself as more complex than you could have ever anticipated.

Let me paint you the picture: you just finished the first season of Wakfu, and you are still pretty fresh of the hype surrounding Nox, so you think to yourself "Oh, now every future antagonist is ruined because nothing could ever top the emotional gut punch that I just went through. Whatever, I'm going to stick around just to see if the story gets worse" and you start the second season.

So far, everything is normal, even better of the first season in terms of engagement value, but you can't help but feel the lack of a Nox like figure inside of the story, but at this point, you just accept it.

Then the final six episodes roll around and OH MY GOD WHAT IS HAPPENING, HAS THE WHOLE SHOW JUST GONE INSANE?

Somehow, in some mystical, french, magical way, the season 2 finale is arguably even better than the ending of season 1 despite the fight having less buildup and introducing a lot of brand new characters and an entirely irrelevant faction into his conflict.

The entirety of the scene in Emrumb is some of the best writing I have ever experienced in any work of fiction, and the music accompanying it only accentuates the repressed dopamine being released after various episodes of filler, all of them important for this moment to be as impactful as it is.

Qilby is also just a great, tragic character, that is simultaneously an unforgivable bastard that tried to kill his family and doomed his entire race for a family trip, and a sad, nihilistic man still trying to reconcile his love for his family and his need for knowledge and discovery; his curse never truly allows him to move on or relate to others but his ego and need for his forgetful brothers attention just pushes him even further into resentment, ending up damaging himself and those around him, until he's finally isolated again by the vary people he harmed and showed his love towards.

He's as good as the evil secret sibling trope can get and I never get tired of watching him on screen. His reveal scene to Adamai still gives me the chills to this very day and demonstrated me just how good the surprise villain concept can get when it's executed correctly.

Just an all around great show.

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stitched-mouth-vs-the-world · 1 year ago

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Welcome to Stitched's first Kinktober! I'm very excited to share what's in my drafts as I am very proud of myself for once. Chapters will be posted midday (BST) everyday, chapters that have been missed thanks to Tumblr will be posted today as soon as I can. If you can’t wait go to my Wattpad or AO3. Here's a run down of what to expect in this book:

Day 1: Master’s Whore (Creampie Kink)

Summary: Vincent Phantomhive fucks his maid just a room over from his 'happy' family.

Vincent Phantomhive x Fem! Maid! Reader (Fic)

Day 2: Making Porn With The Number One Pro Hero (Amateur Porn)

Summary: You had a sex dream about your boyfriend, the Number One Hero, All Might wants to make that fantasy a reality after you punch another All Might slut in the face.

All Might x Younger Fem! Pro-Hero! Reader (Fic)

Day 3: Being FWB With Ramona Flowers (Casual Sex)

Summary: Imagine being FWB with Ramona Flowers.

Ramona Flowers x GN! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 4: Before Her Show (Behind The Scenes Fucking / Affair)

Summary: Imagine secretly banging the World's biggest singer.

Envy Adams x Scott's Sibling! GN! Reader (Imagine)

Day 5: Mommy’s Sweet Praises (Praise Kink)

Imagine Layla El Faouly with a major Praise kink.

Layla El Faouly x GN! Reader (Imagine)

Day 6: In The Dark Of The Night (Demon Fucking)

Summary: After arriving at and joining a Covent you so didn't want to join, Valak takes an unusual liking to you.

Valak x Nun! Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 7: Just For Research (First Time)

Summary: When Rick discovers his top student is a virgin, he knows he must change that so she can write her paper on human pheromones.

Rick Sanchez x College Student! GN! Reader (Fic)

Day 8: Inappropriate Workplace Behaviour (Office Sex / Boss x Employee)

Summary: Lord Death can't stop jacking off to his decades younger secretary.

Lord Death x Younger! Secretary! Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 9: Naughty Girls Are Punished (Spanking)

Summary: Georgia decides to teach her mischievous girlfriend a lesson.

Dom! Georgia Miller x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 10: Hot Ice (Temperature Play)

Summary: Nadia has always liked ice. It was always nice to crunch down on after a cigarette and you liked how cold it made her mouth feels. So by accident one nice, it joins you two in the bedroom.

Nadia Vulvokov x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 11: Revenge, You Thought (Bondage)

Summary: John enjoys teaching his naughty little thing a lesson and you enjoy learning it.

John Brown x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 12: Car Hookups (Car sex)

Summary: You and Oboro regularly meet up late in his car for sex.

College AU! Oboro Shirakumo x GN! Reader (Imagine)

Day 13: Pegging L Would Include… (Pegging)

Summary: You manage to convince L to part take in a kink you've been wanting to try out.

L x GN! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 14: Wet Fucking (Shower / Tub sex)

Summary: Whilst the Handler is away, you and Lila decide to make good use of the beautiful bathtub in the hotel.

Lila Pitts x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 15: Insatiable Needs (Marathon sex)

Summary: When Steve is unable to satisfy his new wife's insatiable needs, he calls a friend.

Estefania x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 16: Mommy’s Baby (Lactation)

Summary: Carol's duty as a mother is to make sure her baby is always well feed. She's your Mommy now so she must make sure your well fed.

Carol from Cobweb x Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 17: Bruno Needs A Spanking (Orgasm Denial)

Summary: Denying Bruno Madrigal an orgasm includes…

Bruno Madrigal x GN! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 18: Slowly Stripping (Exhibition)

Summary: Julieta can't help but find something so hot about being fully nude in front of her lover.

Julieta Madrigal x GN! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 19: Choking and Gasping (Breath Play)

Summary: Morpheus discovers he loves the sound of hearing you struggle to breathe.

Dream x GN! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 20: Edge You To Death (Edging)

Summary: Undertaker enjoys ruining your orgasms.

Undertaker x Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 21: (Nun Fucking)

Summary: Sister Irene teaches you a holy lesson.

Sister Irene x Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 22: Only Good Girls Get To Cum (Mirror Sex)

Summary: Ming forces you to watch yourself fall apart from just her fingers, just so you know how much of and dirty girl you are.

Ming Lee x Fem! Reader (Imagine)

Day 23: Pegging Fantasy (Pegging)

Summary: Jaime tells you his biggest sex fantasy and you make it your mission to make it happen.

Jamie Reyes x Fem! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 24: Green Mommy (Monster Fucking)

Summary: Your girlfriend's new power has made your sex life a whole lot more interesting.

Jennifer Walters x Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 25: Papa’s Pet (Public Sex)

Summary: Dr Brenner will absolutely use you teach someone a lesson about the consequences of trying to steal what belongs to him.

Dr Martin Brenner x Fem! Reader (featuring 001?) (Fic)

Day 26: Blindfolding The Snake (Blindfold Sex)

Summary: You blindfold your good boy and reward him for all his hard work.

Servant! Snake x Master! Fem! Reader (Headcannons)

Day 27: Othello’s Experiment (Pregnancy / Breeding Kink)

Summary: Othello's newest obsession is pregnancy and all the symptoms that come with it. You've so generously agreed to help him in his little experiment for his research.

Othello x Fem! Human! Reader (Imagine)

Day 28: (Threesome)

Summary: Nemuri, your girlfriend, is shocked to hear about a filthy fantasy you've been thinking about. But still, she's more than willing to help her lover made said fantasy come true.

Midnight x Mt Lady x Fem! Reader (Fic)

Day 29: (Vouyerism)

Summary: Gabe has been watching you for a while now and has finally decided it time to come out and introduce himself.

Gabe x GN! Reader (Imagine)

Day 30: (Size Kink)

Summary: Nana is big and buff for a woman. She is quite used to hearing negative things about her muscly figure. The first thing she's ever received a compliment about her body was when you, her young girlfriend and successor's older sister, make a comment on how sexually aroused you are by her big muscles and all the filthy things you imagine she could to do to you with them.

Nana Shimura x All Might's Sister! Younger! Fem! Reader (Fic)

Which ones are you the most excited for?

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destieltaggedfic · 6 months ago

Text

Canon Divergence - Part 13

I'm back from my mini-holiday and I haven't had a lot of time to read new fic so its back to regular posting.

virga(e) – shineforthee Ao3

Canonverse AU. Drifting after John died on a hunt and with Sam still at college, Dean feels the need to go to Death Valley, expecting plenty of ghosts that will need to be dealt with. Instead, he meets something that is not a ghost. Castiel doesn’t know what he is, all he knows is that he hasn’t been able to leave the desert since he appeared there 26 years ago.

Word Count: 72k Graphic Sexual Acts

Windows – someonetoanyone Ao3

Set S12 AU. In the aftermath of Dean’s death with Amara, Cas is taking care of Sam and sometimes that is the only thing holding the angel together, but occasionally he slips and unleashes destruction in his grief, especially as Sam slowly starts to heal over the months. Meanwhile Amara has Dean visiting people in heaven until it’s the right time for him to go back to earth.

Word Count: 20k No Sex

Do I Have To Say The Words - Tess_Lucetram Ao3

Set S6 AU. After an alternate civil war NOT involving Crowley, Dean and Cas slip into a relationship. Sam lets slip that he worked out the handprint was actually an angelic mating claim and that the 2 are married in the eyes of heaven. Just for a bit extra, while consummating their bond Dean gets some shiny new wings.

Word Count: 23k Non-Graphic Sex

One Drop, when What You Need is the Ocean – Baileys Ao3

Set S12 AU. Cas at first was missing for a few weeks and then Jimmy’s corpse was found, leaving Dean a wreck until Eileen happens to find him. Now his grace is practically non-existent and both he and Dean are having strange dreams, which is making Cas remember the things that Naomi had wiped from his brain so many times.

Word Count: 47k Non-Graphic Sex

Chuck’s Vision - TheWritingPrisoner AO3

Set S15ish and S12. Chuck wakes up Sam and Dean from a vision of a possible future. A future where because they all didn’t stick together Jack was able to manipulate people and events from his birth in order to become god. Chuck also takes the time to point out a few characters flaws in the Winchesters and how they should fix them.

Word Count: 13k No Sex

#destiel #fic recs #canon divergence

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m34gs · 22 days ago

Note

Another Saw AU ask!

This time it is the housewardens (and the dorms) up for evaluation as Saw Apprentices! Please tell me on a scale from 1 star (lowest) to 5 stars (most) where the dorms rank on the following categories:

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms

2. Organization/Punctuality

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment

Hi friend!!! Another Saw AU ask! Thank you! This will be so fun to answer, I am putting so much thought into it!!! For those unfamiliar, my friend @kimium and I have a Twisted Wonderland Sort of Saw Franchise AU. See my pinned post for links to other posts regarding it and our AO3 series!

I'm so excited for this ask! Sorry it took so long, I've had a lot going on this week...but I'm here now! (Answers under a cut because this will be LONG lol!)

Heartslaybul

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 4 stars. Riddle, of course, is always on top of his game and courteous. Cater is no slouch either, when it comes to actually impressing other people with his manners. He's pretty good at putting on masks, after all. It's Ace and Deuce who need a little *reminder* once in a while on how to act and conduct themselves.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 5 stars. Mostly because of Riddle. He is always on time and his traps tend to run closest to their estimated run times. The rest of Heartslaybul is also punctual, lest they be hit with Riddle's signature spell.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 3 stars. While Riddle is definitely here for the Justice aspect of it, the others are a little...less good at upholding the ideals. Deuce is really just there because the boss (Riddle) is, and because he likes being able to work closely with Ace. Cater...well Cater's true ideals are as of yet undiscussed but you *know* he probably doesn't fully buy into the "appreciate your life and change for the better" lesson John says they're giving people.

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 4 stars. Riddle would obviously do his best to ensure rules are followed but also that appropriate break times/measures are also instated. Cater is picking up the rest with his bubbly persona and making an effort to make sure everyone has something at the workplace to smile about. It may be a dusty old warehouse or abandoned workshop, or any other number of derelict places, but Cater's gonna make sure his friends have a little happiness in their days. Ace mostly complains, rather than trying to make the workplace better (Ace would like to point out he should not be blamed for this as they are literally murdering people and so he does not think putting up decorations and eating fancy dinners together completely offsets that vibe) and his whining often gets him in a scuffle with Deuce (they may be dating but they fight like an old married couple) which does bring down the workplace vibe a little bit and thus keeps them from achieving 5 stars.

Savanaclaw

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 3 stars. Leona's attitude and outward demeanor detract from the rating. However, Ruggie works his ass off to get the job done and get it done *right*, and Jack doesn't like acting what he views as rude. The efforts of the two of them earn them the 3 stars.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 5 stars. Despite how he often skips classes to nap and doesn't seem to really care about meeting deadlines or being on time, I believe Leona can be pretty punctual when he needs to. He wouldn't be so good at Spell Drive if he didn't have at least some sense of timing and punctuality. I also think that, despite him still thinking John is bat-shit fucking crazy, Leona prioritizes punctuality for the trap because it CANNOT interfere with his daily life and responsibilities as a prince, so as to not garner suspicion. Ruggie is also very punctual, since he often works many jobs and would never allow himself to be docked pay for being late if he could help it. And Jack would consider showing up late to be rude and disrespectful, so of course you know he would strive to be on time. John doesn't really have an issue with any of them regarding punctuality, and the traps are pretty organized in order to ensure they don't mess with Leona's life.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 1 star. Leona doesn't give a shit about John's ideology, he thinks he's fucking crazy. The main motivation for him is to go along with it to protect his own (Ruggie, Jack, Yuu, Grim, himself, etc.). We all know Ruggie would do anything for money, but John isn't paying them. Leona is (as per the murder fic for their dorm) but he's only doing that to make sure Ruggie is on board and therefore safe from John. I also think Ruggie would get a bit too vindictive at times, which is again not the ideology John is trying to "teach". Jack tries but he has a hard time stomaching a lot of things.

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 2 stars. Let's face it, they're not exactly enthused to be doing these little projects. The 2 stars comes from Jack's attitude and respect. Ruggie and Leona do not contribute. (Ruggie would like to argue he makes the environment very positive. Jack tells him they are being evaluated on the actual work, not the sex afterward...)

Octavinelle

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 5 stars. If there's one thing these boys know from running a restaurant chain, it's professionalism. Even Floyd can play along, if he feels it suits his interests. And he finds this work very interesting.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 4 stars. Jade and Azul are always on time and ready to go. And, let's be real, Azul has his traps planned to death and back again, with multiple back-up plans for any possible issues he can think of. Floyd is hit-or-miss, depending on his moods. He shows up relatively punctually the majority of the time, but if something grabs his attention...good luck getting him to show up at all.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 3 stars. See, for the most part they do it right, targeting people who "deserve" it and using it to protect their restaurant and staff; an arguably noble cause. But then, there's the fact that Jade's motivations also stem from wanting to see what would happen. He's the type of person to put someone in a death trap just to see what would happen. While that curiousity is not completely out of line with John's teachings, Jade's sadistic enjoyment from it is. Everyone knows Floyd just does what he finds interesting and fun. He doesn't feel overly attached to making the victims have a "change of heart" or "learn something". He prefers when they suffer and die. (this is why he's not allowed to do traps by himself. Azul and Jade both know he'd likely get bored or angry and just kill the person himself. And that would land them in a little bit of hot water with John, which they'd rather avoid).

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 4 stars. Overall, Jade and Floyd have a pretty positive attitude when working on traps. Once in a while, Floyd gets restless and distressed or distracted and starts messing with things or throwing fits. However, given the nature of the work, it doesn't take much to pull him out of that mood. Azul is really the one where they lose points here. As much as he makes sure proper body mechanics are being used so as not to wreck their backs and cause injury, and puts in all sorts of safeties for their group to make sure they don't get injured while on the job, his work habits follow him even here. He doesn't take breaks when he should, worries and stresses over every little piece of the plan, and basically continues to be a workaholic.

Scarabia

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 5 stars. Kalim is the oldest son of a wealthy merchant. You better believe he knows how to be professional and cordial in a work environment. His attitude may be described as "casual" by some, but in reality it's more "welcoming", which bodes very well for professionalism. Jamil is professional in a different way. He would lean more toward the formal and polite side of it. Neither way is necessarily wrong. John enjoys talking with both of them and discussing their traps with them.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 3 stars. Kalim's downfall is that he can be a bit scatter-brained. I do think he'd be a bit more organized after having graduated, but I don't think his old habits would go away entirely. Jamil is the one who keeps their plans neatly documented in folders and binders and makes sure they have all the supplies they need. I would also like to point out that it is harder for Kalim to participate in this part because he really doesn't enjoy the murder part, so he tries as much as possible not to think about it ahead of time.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 3 stars again. This time, it's Kalim pulling the weight. Kalim is the one who sees this less as something he wants to do and more as something he needs to do. It's a responsibility. He wants the world to be a better place and if this is a way to make that happen, he will try. Jamil is where they lose points. Jamil is the one who would create the inescapable traps. He sees it more as a way to hand down judgement and punishment on "deserving" people, rather than a way to teach them.

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 4 stars. As solemn as the job is for Kalim, and as vindictive as Jamil can be, the two of them try to have a rather positive workplace. Kalim always makes sure they take lots of breaks, so as not to get exhausted emotionally or physically, and Jamil always has many snacks prepared. The one star they get removed is because Jamil can get a little self-righteous and go on rants at times, which kind of detracts from the atmosphere.

Pomefiore

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 5 stars. Vil is the epitome of professionalism. He will allow nothing less in all that he does. Epel sometimes grumbles about needing to be so concerned over how they conduct themselves when putting people in murder traps, but he begrudgingly goes with it, dress code and all. (Vil makes them wear clothes suited to the job. He has issues with the robes and masks, but he understands the logic behind the disguise and agrees that it is not something anyone would expect Vil Schoenheit to be caught dead in, and so it makes a very good part of his alibi).

2. Organization/Punctuality: 5 stars. They are never late. Vil will not hear of it. Epel came close One(1) time, and Vil lectured for a full thirty minutes after they finished with the trap. In all honesty, Vil really can't afford to have things running late. He has a very busy, very public life. He can't afford any suspicions. His traps are planned down to the minute, with a small window of cushion time to allow if things go wrong.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 4 stars. Vil, much like Kalim, sees this less as something he really wants to do and more as a solemn responsibility. Rook finds there to be beauty in giving people a chance to change, and there is beauty in desperation and what people are willing to do to live. Epel sits in the corner and questions if Vil and Rook are actually ok or if they need some therapy (they do, but like so does all of the Twisted Wonderland cast). Epel is the one who doesn't fully buy John's ideology. However, he is respectful to John (his granny would kill him if she heard otherwise) and they have many discussions about right and wrong, so John finds he cannot dock too many points based on Epel's attitude.

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 4 stars. Vil does his best to make sure they have scheduled breaks and enough time to complete the traps without causing injury to themselves. Rook tends to light up the workplace with his mannerisms, and I like to think he brings in art to their various workplaces because a beautiful workplace can be inspiring and good for the soul, or so he says. He would also be the type to come up with all sorts of activities and exercises for team-building in the workplace. Epel is the one most likely to be pouty or moody or be an unwilling participant in whatever workplace bonding activities Rook comes up with.

Ignihyde

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 1 star. Listen. Idia's idea of "professionalism" for this job is wearing pants when he monitors the trap from the comfort of his basement, with a blanket wrapped around his shoulders as he chews on some gummy worms. The 1 star is because Ortho is always polite and well-polished when he interacts with John and when the trap is running.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 5 stars. Idia isn't playing around. He would never let a trap interfere with the important things in his life (playing video games, defeating bosses, participating in limited-time events for his mobile games, etc.). He's gonna make sure his traps are set up and start and end on time. And, he's more organized than he looks when it comes to tech. His workrooms and everything may seem chaotic, but he knows where everything is and has his traps planned out to every little detail. Each trap is like a challenge, and he does like showing off.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 2 stars. While Idia and Ortho do make sure to trap people who follow John's criteria for victims, Idia is more in it for the challenge of building the traps and Ortho is mostly in it because his brother is (though he doesn't mind getting revenge on people who piss them off...)

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 3 stars. Ortho is very positive and charismatic and charming in the work environment. Idia doesn't talk to anyone aside from Ortho unless he absolutely has to contact John, and even then it's usually via emails and rarely in person. Idia's also not exactly known for scheduling appropriate break times. He tends to get very wrapped up in watching his tech and making notes on what to improve and seeing if the victim can beat them...he often doesn't take breaks for hours at a time, depending on the trap's runtime. (Idia would like to point out in response to this evaluation that the workplace is VERY positive for him. "Nii-san. Please leave your computer, it's been six hours," Ortho begs in response.)

Diasomnia

1. Professional Conduct/Mannerisms: 5 stars. Malleus is a prince. He has been taught manners and how to conduct himself in a regal way since he was young. Lilia used to be a general. He knows how to behave professionally in the workplace. Sebek and Silver both feel they should maintain professional demeanor, as retainers to Malleus. John doesn't always understand all their mannerisms, but he does chalk most of that up to them being Fae and likely having different rules than humans, and he finds they are always polite and cordial so he really has no problem with their conduct.

2. Organization/Punctuality: 4 stars. Sometimes, Malleus gets lost in his own world (he is a Fae, after all, so his concept of time is very different at times). However, Lilia can find him most times and with his teleportation it is easy to be there relatively close to on-time. The rest of them are usually on time.

3. How well they uphold the Ideals of the Job: 3 stars. While Malleus does see this as an opportunity to make the world a safer place for Yuu, he also sees this as a way to sate some of his curiousity about humans. That's not *exactly* what John was going for, but he'll take what he can get. The rest of Diasomnia is basically there because Malleus is. They're not as interested in the actual work. Sebek tries to understand and follow John's teachings because Malleus seems to find them interesting, but I think his main motivation is still more about Malleus than the actual ideals John is trying to impart. Lilia is mostly there to be a bit of impulse control for Malleus, let's face it. And Silver feels he should be there out of duty to Malleus. So, really, Malleus (and sometimes Sebek) is the only one who sort of tries to follow John's ideals.

4. How they contribute to a positive work environment: 4 stars. They do their best. Lilia brings a lot of positivity and fun to the workplace to keep it stress-free. However, when Silver tests out parts for the traps, it drives him a little up the wall and he has to leave the workplace. The rest of the time, though, the workplace is rather positive and relatively relaxed as they plan the trap and set it up.

There you go! The evaluations of the dorms as Jigsaw Apprentices!! Hope you enjoyed my answers, this was a very fun ask!

#thanks again for the ask #sort of saw franchise au #twisted wonderland

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