#seeing them in new projects together would heal me i think and the more projects the better | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

just-dreaming-marvel · 2 months ago

Text

Love That Burns ~ 7

LOVE THAT BURNS MASTERLIST

< previous chapter

Word Count: 2,180ish

Summary: James finally makes it to the island and finds out the truth.

Warnings: fighting, bullets, mind-control

Notes: Technically, this is the official end of the Origins movie! Hope you liked this so far! Reminder: I DO NOT do taglists. Please don’t ask. Please follow and interact! I appreciate any reblogs, likes, comments, and asks!

You couldn’t tell how long you’d been tortured and experimented on. Everything had blurred together. All you knew was that they hadn’t allowed you to heal and you were barely allowed to get any rest, being woken up every time you passed out.

Stryker smiled at you when he entered the room. Oh, how you longed to burn his face off.

“Need you for one more project,” Stryker told you, standing over you. “One more mission.” He looked at you like he was inspecting you. “You know? Logan—or James, as you so fondly call him, he’s a changed man. Revenge will do that to you.”

It made you sick to think of James out there fighting again, and simply out of revenge.

Stryker looked at his people in the room. “Take Weapon 12 to a cell,” he ordered.

You were freed from the table and dragged away into a cell. Weapon 12? What were they going to do to you that required them to strip you of your name? You were tossed into a cell with the door slammed shut quickly afterward. Curling into a ball, you were finally able to let the emotions come to the surface. The sobs wracked your body as you allowed yourself to drown in the emotions of what you had been through.

Victor had found you and attacked you.

Victor injected you with something that killed you.

You woke up on the ground outside of your home with Stryker and Zero there.

James… James…

Your sobs got worse, threatening to choke you, as your thoughts focused on James.

Was he okay?

Would you ever see him again?

What did Stryker mean by James being a changed man?

James had a long, hard life. He deserved rest. Not this.

~~~

Stryker came in a few hours later, with dog tags in his hand.

“I’ve got a gift for you,” he said before throwing the tags in front of you. You shakily reached forward. “One of them is your original team tag while the other one is new. Weapon 12.”

“What—“ You paused to swallow, throat rough. “What do you want with me?”

“Your mutation, of course. It’s what I’ve always wanted. And, soon, you will have more mutations given to you. To help the cause.”

“What cause?”

“To end the war with mutants before it starts.”

“I won’t help you.”

“You won’t have a choice.” Stryker turned to leave. “I wouldn’t let yourself dwell on Logan too much, you won’t remember him soon anyway.”

The door shut, leaving you feeling utterly alone once again. With a shaky hand, you took the dog tags and placed them around your neck. You held your old tag and thought about what life would have been like if you hadn’t left with James when you did. You were sure that it would be a similar hell to what you were currently experiencing. Perhaps you would have been dead already.

You would never change what happened—you choosing to walk away with James. It brought you the happiest years of your life. You wish that you could have had more, but you were grateful for what you had.

~~~

With some help from Remy LeBeau, James got to the island. He snuck through the gates and warehouses, seeing the mutants—mostly children—for himself. It made him sick to think of all those kids being used for Stryker’s game. Just like you were. James found his way up the stairs and into the large laboratory where monitors and people were working on a body. Stryker stood near them, monitoring them.

“Logan,” Stryker greeted. “Welcome back to the war.” He nodded at a nearby guard behind James. The guard disappeared before James could do anything about it.

“Before I gut you, I want to know why,” James demanded.

“I needed your powers for the Pool.”

“For the what?”

“The mutant killer. Deadpool. Years of searching and refining, finding the right powers that can coexist in one body without ripping it apart.” Stryker turned to finally face James. “My son was the first piece of the puzzle. Logan, you were the last. You made weapon 11 possible. I asked you to help, but you said you wanted the quiet life. Well, I’ve learned that nothing motivated the men in your family like revenge.”

James inhaled sharply when the familiar scent first hit at his nose. Something—or someone— was being dragged closer from behind him. His heart began hammering against his chest.

It couldn’t be.

You were dead.

He had buried you himself.

Slowly turning around, James’ stance faltered at the sight. You were being held up by two guards, your knees on the floor. You were covered in dirt and dried blood, with your head barely holding itself up. Your clothes were ripped in various places and you looked like you’d gone through hell. Which James was sure that you had.

“James…” you rasped. That brought James to his knees, eyes locked on you.

“Did you really think I’d let Y/N die?” Stryker taunted. “Her abilities are too valuable for death. After Y/N put up a little fight, Victor injected her with a formula of our own making. She literally died. I wasn’t surprised when we found her buried at your home. We injected her with the antidote and brought her here.”

“Let her go,” James growled, his claws poking out of the surface of his skin.

Stryker gave the guards a nod and they threw you towards James. He quickly caught you before sinking to his knees again.

“James…” you repeated.

“I’m here, baby,” he whispered, his face up against yours as he tried to force himself to believe that you were real. “I’m right here… I’m going to get you out of here. They aren’t going to hurt you again.” He scanned your body, noting every new scar that they had placed on you. “What did you do to her?”

“Told you if you came down this road, you wouldn’t like what you found,” Stryker said. “You were weapon X, this is weapon XI, and Y/N is weapon XII.”

“Not if I can help it.”

James stood up with you in his arms. He glared at Stryker and began walking out with you. Stryker stopped his guards from following the two of you before turning his focus back to weapon 11.

James’ whole focus was on you. You cried against him as he carried you out of the warehouse. He was trying his best to soothe you, but his own emotions were all over the place. That allowed him to miss Victor running up and grabbing him by the neck from behind, pulling him back. The sudden jerking caused James to let go of you. You cried out as you fell hard to the ground.

James roared as he turned around, claws out, and began fighting Victor. It didn’t take long for James to pin down Victor, pointing his claws at his brother’s throat.

“Feels good, doesn’t it?” Victor teased. “All that rage… Do it.”

“James!” You shouted, standing up on your shaky legs.

James turned to you, face softening. He hit Victor hard in the head, causing him to pass out, before rushing back to you.

“We need to get out of here,” James said, moving to hoist you up into his arms again.

“We can’t leave yet,” you said, stopping his movements.

“What?”

“The kids. We need can’t leave the kids.”

James nodded, knowing that determined look in your eyes too well to argue. He grabbed your hand and the two of you hurried to where the kids were being kept. You melted through the gates, James close behind you. He glanced at the cages the kids were in before his claws came out. He held his hands out as he ran between the cages, slashing the locks open. You helped the kids out of the cages and towards James.

“We’ve got to go,” he said, grabbing your hand once again and leading you towards the large doors.

The doors opened before any of you got there, revealing Wade. He had been experimented on, his face clearly showing that by the way his mouth was sewn shut. You and James came to a sudden stop, the kids stopping behind you. James let go of your hand and stepped forward, revealing his claws once again. You gasped as two long swords slipped out of Wade’s knuckles.

“Y/N, get these kids out of here,” he ordered.

“I can help you,” you told him.

“No.”

“James—“

“Go! Find another way out. I’ll be right behind you.”

You quickly kissed his cheek before ushering the kids in a safer direction. You hated the thought of leaving James, but you were in no shape to fully fight and these kids needed a way out. You didn’t get far before Stryker had soldiers raining bullets down on you. The kids hid on either side of the gate while you stepped up. You formed a protective wall of fire around the kids before aiming flames at the shooters. The soldiers cried out, dying quickly because of your flames. You fell to your knees as your flames disappeared, having used too much of your energy.

“Keep going!” You told the kids. “Go! Run!”

The kids rushed away, trying to find a way out. You tried to catch your breath and gather more strength. Your head snapped in the direction of one of the large concrete towers as it began to collapse.

“James!” You shouted, getting up and running towards it. “James!” The dust in the air was thick, causing you to cough more and more. “Ja—James!”

“Y/N!” James shouted, running towards you. He quickly enveloped you in a hug, pressing his lips against yours. “I love you, I love you, I love you.”

“I love you,” tears were slipping down your cheeks.

“I can’t believe you’re alive.”

“I’m so sorry.”

“None of it was your fault.” James kissed you again.

“You have metal claws,” you suddenly said, finally comprehending the things you’d seen.

“I do… is that okay?”

“Well, it’s not like we can change that now, can we?” You gave him a small smile.

“No. I guess not.” He moved to hold your hand.

“You are going to have to explain why though.”

“Can do, sweetheart.” He pulled your hand up to kiss the back of it. “Let’s get out of here. We can talk some more in a safer location.”

James held tightly to your hand as he began guiding the two of you through the debris and towards a small plane nearby. You were finally feeling like you were going to be free when two quick gunshots were heard. You gasped and fell forward, onto the dirt, at the impact of the adamantium bullet to your back. Before James could do anything, he fell to his knees as the other hit his back.

Looking at you, James saw the blood rushing out from your wound. He knew you would heal was soon as the bullet came out, but there was no time to take the bullet out before Stryker hit James with another bullet. James roared as he turned around, claws out, and raced towards Stryker.

“James, no!” You shouted after him.

Stryker continued to shoot at James, hitting him. James ran up a ramp of debris, launching himself at Stryker. Stryker shot James in the head, causing James to fall to the ground with a loud thud.

“JAMES!” You screamed, rushing towards him as Stryker shot another bullet into his head.

Using your fire, you launched Stryker away from the two of you before you fell to your knees beside James. He wasn’t breathing and the two bullets in his head weren’t healing.

“James,” you cried, trying to shake him awake with the arm that wasn’t effected by the bullet. “James, please.” You fell into his chest, sobbing. “Please don’t leave me… Please don’t do this…”

“Y/N,” you heard a strange voice echo in your head. Your head snapped up, frantically looking around. “Hurry.”

“I can’t leave him,” you responded, not knowing who to or if they would even hear you.

“It’s not safe… hurry.”

You threw yourself over James’ body. “I’m not leaving him!”

“I’m so sorry about this.”

Suddenly, you didn’t have any control over your body. “No,” you sobbed as you stood. “No!” You tried to fight it but something was preventing you from doing so. “No! Stop it!”

Tears rolled down your face as you were forced to turn and head towards a black jet waiting in the nearby clearing. There was a bald man in a wheelchair, seated at the end of the ramp. You could see the children were in the jet already. Eventually, your movements stopped you in front of the man in the wheelchair.

“I’m Charles Xavier,” the man greeted. “I’m sorry for controlling you, but I’m here to bring you to safety.” He wheeled himself closer and gently took your hand, giving it a light squeeze. “You’re safe now.”

next chapter >

173 notes · View notes

beenoeila · 9 months ago

Text

A list of underrated fics I adore.

▪️this don’t feel anything like sinking by

@dontcallmebree

A little over six weeks and his knee heals only for his breathing to act up. It may have been a handful of decades—coming up on a century, even—but he never did forget how it felt to wheeze through the night.

Steve sees it coming when Dr. Youssef tells him his lungs are taking a turn.

The year 2032 brings about the Summer Olympics, the coldest winter of the decade, and an end to Project Rebirth.

🔹 Learning to want by @luna-rainbow

Bucky is still trying to piece together his memories, but at least he now had Steve with him.

When Steve asks him if he wanted to meet with his sister, Becca, his response was, "I don't know about wants...I'll start with the shoulds."

Steve and Bucky goes for lunch with Becca. Steve and Bucky dealing with memory loss. Steve and Bucky being mutually pining idiots.

▪️better to speak or die by emilywithoutY (@between-a-ship-and-a-hard-place)

Summers in C. are as endless and hazy as when they were kids. All James wants is to play his part well enough that his mother stops looking at him with that twist of regret in her smile.

The only thing to break the sun-soaked monotony is the arrival of the new summer intern. While the rest of the household—and half the village—fawn over Steve Roger’s movie star looks and understated charm, James finds him aloof and his polite interest near unbearable.

But as they collide in vulnerable moments, the sparks of frustration ignite something neither has the power to stop.

Do you think Jonathan understood what happened that day David first stepped into his father’s court?

🔹The weapon remembers by pushdragon

The Winter Soldier finds old fantasies of Steve in his memory, and takes them for reality.

He's got two days to sort out all his mixed-up history, before he puts himself back in cryo freeze. Harder still, he's got to convince Steve to let him do it.

▪️Preberseeschießen by Ginny_Potter (@hipsterdiva)

Bucky takes his time, ignoring his comrades’ cheering and Gaiswinkler and Mariandl’s teasing. From his position, Steve only has an oblique view of Bucky’s face, which is mostly in the dark anyway – the strong line of his jaw, a smudge of grease on his cheekbone, a sweaty lock of hair curling on his forehead, his mouth pouting in concentration. Steve itches to draw him, to take out his battered sketchbook and reproduce that instant of perfect imperfection. Steve itches to touch him, push back his unruly curls, wipe away the smudge on his cheekbone, cup his face in his hands and…

Bucky breathes out and shoots. The bullet hits water… and there it is, the zapping sound of paper tearing.

The light turns on and off three times. Third circle. Just a lick out of bullseye.

The Howlies explode in cheers.

Or, the Howling Commandos play a shooting game with the Austrian Resistance and Steve has lots of unresolved feelings about himself, his new body, and his changing relationship with Bucky. In other words, comrades are comrades, angst looms, and Steve feels.

🔹Till there were no more wolves in the West

by @dharmasharks

“I’m afraid of a lot of things, Steve,” Bucky says softly.

“But this thing sticking in my heart—the part of me that’s yours? It is the best part of me. Maybe the only good part.” His rueful smile wavers. He makes a pained expression.

“What if it’s the only good part?” he asks.

Two Brooklyn boys find themselves aboard an orphan train headed west in 1854. Across farmland, war, and the lawless frontier, a childhood promise helps them find each other again.

(A Western SteveBucky retelling.)

▪️Hiraeth by ixalit

Hiraeth

noun /ˈhɪraɨ̯θ/

[Welsh] A homesickness or nostalgia, an earnest longing or desire, or a sense of regret. The feeling of longing for a home that never was.

🔹Undone by justanotherStonyfan

You’d think, given everything, that if one of them were going to regress, that if one of them were going to break down, it would be Bucky.

(Set mostly after Endgame - canon deaths remain but Steve doesn't leave)

▪️But You Can Hold Me (Only 'Cause It's a Cold Night in Brooklyn) by Voylitscope_speed (@voylitscope)

This should just be two friends getting off after the burlesque show. This should just be two pals both thinking about the girl. That would probably be okay, Bucky thinks.

But then he ruins it all when he says,

"Come here," and puts a hand out to tug on Steve's shoulder.

(Or: Sometimes, Bucky and Steve lend each other a hand, literally. Bucky tries not to be weird about it, but he's always been bad at controlling his thoughts about Steve.)

🔹Midlife Crisis by profoundalpacakitten

Steve isn’t expecting much of anything from life, he’s content to coast by, letting life flow past. Get up, get dressed, get to work, get home, get to sleep, rinse and repeat.

▪️ The Magic Touch by @broodybuck

The soldier is finally free but he has one big problem, he can't finish. Until he meets a man called Steve who apparently has the magic touch.

#stucky #stevebucky #fic recs #stucky fic

234 notes · View notes

violetasteracademic · 15 days ago

Text

Velaris Memorial Hospital

A Grey's Anatomy x TTPD inspired Three Brothers and Three Sisters Three Part Fanfiction

Hey. Life is horrible and scary. I want to share a teaser for a project I have been pouring my heart and soul into that I hope some of you might find some joy and reprieve in.

These stories are tightly woven together and designed to be read in order. Fesyand, Nessian, and Elriel's journey's will be posted individually and chronologically, and occur on an overlapping but staggered timeline. However, there are incredibly heavy themes and topics that may not be suitable for all readers. I will do my best to ensure each individual story can be enjoyed on its own if there are topics you would rather avoid. Please read the content warning for all three stories and take care of yourself first. This collection is coming soon if I can pull myself out of this black hole, but here is a synopsis of each story ahead!

Part One:

Feyre Archeron is an art therapist for the children's cancer wing at Velaris Memorial Hospital. After leaving her abusive fiancé and moving back in with her sisters, her plans to heal and move on with peace and privacy go up in flames when women begin to come forward with sexual harassment allegations against her ex, Tamlin Thornwood.

If she doesn't come forward with her own story of abuse and testify against the man who harmed her and so many other women, he stands a chance at winning his countersuit for defamation and wrongful termination. Terrified of what her patient's families will think of her if they find out the truth, struggling to forgive herself, and suprised to be falling for the absolute wrong man, Feyre has to dig deeper than she ever has before to find her strength.

Rhysand Noctis is the owner and CEO of Eventide Enterprises. After losing his mother to cancer, he has felt adrift. No amount of money and acclaim has been able to give him the sense of home and belonging he has lost.

When an old family rival, Tamlin Thornwood, is tangled up in a scandal and lawsuits, Rhysand learns that Velaris Memorial Hospital is in trouble. The only non-profit hospital in Velaris and the place that cared for his mother has lost all of their donors and board members. Rhys decides to purchase the hospital and dedicate his time to restoring its reputation and making it a safe place for women and the community of Velaris to work and receive affordable care.

A chance encounter sends Feyre and Rhys colliding towards each other before they realize how inextricably their personal and professional lives are already intertwined.

CW: Domestic violence, sexual assault, sexual harassment, child death, trauma, mental health, explicit sexual content.

*Additional note: I don't typically like to use the term "anti" in this fandom, but it is best to be exceptionally clear that this is an abundantly anti-Tamlin piece. If seeing this character portrayed as a serial abuser makes you feel upset or uncomfortable in any way, please protect yourself (and me) by skipping this one.

Part Two:

Nesta Archeron doesn't need anyone to take care of her. After losing both her parents at age eighteen and becoming legal guardian to her two younger sisters, she gave up her dreams of going to law school and worked her way up from from an assistant with nothing more than a high school diploma and unmatched grit to become the head of public relations at Velaris Memorial Hospital.

When her younger sisters ex-fiancé scandalizes the hospital and leaves them without funding or a board of directors, she has to work closely with the new ownership, Eventide Enterprises, to save the hospital and prevent it from becoming for-profit like SkyView, their rival hospital in the financial district. She has full confidence in herself and her plan. However, Eris Vanserra, the head of PR and legacy staff at SkyView, is out for blood after Nesta won over the youngest Vanserra to Velaris Memorial and got an op ed published on the negative outcomes associated with for-profit care. That, and she now has to answer to Cassian- a man she has already sworn to hate before learning who he was, and is making her job- and life- an absolute pain in the ass.

Cassian is the lead financial strategist and project manager after Eventide Enterprises purchased Velaris Memorial Hospital. After having to drop out of college before sophomore year to deal with the death of his mother, he struggles to overcome the chip on his shoulder being in an industry where name, money, and education is everything. Restoring the reputation and the financial security of Velaris Memorial Hospital is not only personal, but professionally the largest responsibility he has had in his career thus far. Everything is on the line.

Complicating matters is his reliance on Nesta Archeron, the steely and fiery PR director working side by side with him to ensure the Starfall Ball is a massive success and wins back the hospitals donors. There is no denying that the difficulty maintaining their professional lines is fueled by both hate and attraction. But as they continue to work closely together, the layers peel back and they learn that they have more in common than they thought. Family secrets, generational trauma, and their deepest shames are somehow safe in each other's hands. However, lines are crossed that might be impossible to come back from.

CW: Extortion, blackmail, discussions of suicide, trauma, mental health, explicit sexual content.

Part Three:

Elain Archeron has always strived for perfection. After competing in pageants her entire childhood and teen years, she shocked everyone by using her scholarship to relentlessly pursue a career in the medical field as a labor and delivery nurse instead of fulfilling her mothers dream to go on to compete in the Miss Universe pageant.

She spent her early twenties working instead of dating, but her plan to get married and start a family is back on track now that has the "perfect" fiancé, Graysen Nolan.

However- the grueling hours, cracks in her relationship, and anxiety over what her life will look like when she becomes a Nolan begins to sink in. It's not easy for Elain to change her plans or take a leap, but when a tragic accident sends her life into a tailspin, she is forced to pick apart the shattered pieces of her soul and learn what unrealized dreams are truly hers and what belongs to the ghosts of her past.

Azriel Singer is an award winning photojournalist who has spent his life travelling the world. He has lived for the thrill of never knowing what comes next, being on the front lines of danger and history in the making. He is used to going to sleep in one city and waking up with a contract on the other side of the world, not knowing if he'll be headed into a war zone or march for justice.

When his brother Rhysand hires him for a six month corporate contract as the photographer on retainer for Velaris Memorial Hospital as they rebuild their image, his path crosses with Elain Archeron. In so many ways, she is his opposite. She has always wanted to travel, but has never left Velaris. She has always wanted to start a family, a thought that has only ever given Azriel night sweats. And she is engaged.

Azriel and Elain wind up forming a deep friendship, creating bets with each other to help push them outside of their respective comfort zones. The more they get to know each other more deeply than anyone has before, the more they question who they are. No amount of planning and on-paper perfection could have prepared them for a connection that pushes them both beyond the narratives they've written for themselves before meeting someone who can challenge them in all the most terrifying and most fulfilling ways.

CW: Fertility issues, child abuse, infant death, parent death, medical trauma associated with car accidents, birth, and premature birth, explicit sexual content.

This is my first time writing modern AU and contemporary romance. Thank you so much to @nikachansstuff and @rosanna-writer for offering to beta!

I truly hope I do it justice. I also want to reiterate that these are dark and very emotionally heavy stories. The characters will be dealing with issues that are deeply personal to me. They will sometimes be hard to understand and harder to love.

While I am not a mental health professional, I am a huge mental health advocate and that will come through in a blend of my own personal experiences and research, but mental health is extremely personal and not one size fits all. Nothing should be taken as mental health advice. Please reach out for professional help if you need, and don't give up.

This is by far the most terrifying but meaningful work I have done, and I am scared shitless and deeply excited to share it with you. This will not be for everyone, but I hope it will find where it is meant to go.

#feysand fic #nessian fic #elriel fic #three brothers and three #feysand au #nessian au #elriel au

66 notes · View notes

sitp-recs · 7 months ago

Note

Thank you so much for your recs—they are fantastic! I wondered if you had any for Draco and Harry becoming friends at (and eventual lovers) at Hogwarts (doesn’t have to start with 1st year, but can!). Thank you!!

Hi there! Happy you’re enjoying the recs 😊 I got a couple recs, the majority is 8th year since I don’t really read canon rewrite AUs. I hope you enjoy these!

Thermodynamic Equilibrium by DorthyAnn (T, 5k)

Harry's far too hot. Draco's always cold. And somehow against all odds, together they create a perfect equilibrium.

Good Company by Greenflares (T, 8k)

With Hermione and Ron always together, Harry's return to Hogwarts to complete his education isn't exactly fun. Somehow, it's his unlikely friendship with Malfoy that keeps him sane.

Stand Back: I'm About to Perform Archaeology by Blowfish_Diaries (E, 10k)

A new Muggle Studies professor takes the Eighth Year students to work on an archaeological excavation. In which Draco is lazy, Harry is sweaty, Hermione is drunk, and Ron turns red.

Nice Things by aideomai (M, 22k)

The first thing that happened was Theodore Nott came back from France.

Makes Me Stronger by Lomonaaeren (E, 29k)

Rita Skeeter’s Harry James Potter: An Unnatural History is a best-seller, mostly due to the fact that Skeeter’s collaborated with a photographer who’s infused the pictures in the book with Harry’s actual memories. As Harry struggles to survive the storm consuming his eighth year at Hogwarts, Draco Malfoy becomes an unexpected ally.

On Our Way by evils (E, 30k)

Draco is trying to spend the summer keeping his head down, but a repair project and a certain snowy owl have other plans for him.

Eager for the Sky by @oknowkiss (E, 35k)

It was announced, just as the Triwizard Tournament had been, at the start of term feast. A year-long, international Quidditch varsity match — the inaugural Wizarding Academy Cup. In which Harry is Hogwarts' star Seeker, Draco is on the bench, and they both have a thing or two to learn about playing for the same team.

Like Lightning at Your Fingertips by potterwatch (T, 43k)

The problem with living with another insomniac is, eventually, they find out you’re one, too. When Harry and Draco return for their eighth year, they think they’ll see very little of each other. Then McGonagall assigns them to room together. And the castle starts breaking. And there’s that thing with Potter’s magic.

The July Tree by @oknowkiss (E, 51k)

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail… nor well-meaning friends, nor questionable communication skills, nor seven years of hating each other’s guts can keep Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy from falling in love.

The Promise of Summer by Omi_Ohmy (M, 67k)

How was Harry supposed to know that coming back for eighth year would be so confusing? Everything is the same, and yet not the same. And nowhere is this more obvious than with Draco Malfoy. Harry finds himself once more watching and following Malfoy, trying to work him out. When they are drawn together to heal the castle, Harry doesn’t just find Malfoy - he also finds himself.

Azoth by @lol-zeitgeistic (E, 88k)

Now that Harry is back at Hogwarts with Hermione for eighth year, he realises that something’s missing from his life, and it either has to do with Ron, his boggart, Snape, or Malfoy. Furthermore, what, exactly, does it mean when one’s life is defined by the desire to simultaneously impress and annoy a portrait? Harry has no idea; he’s too busy trying not to be in love with Malfoy to care.

Helix by Saras_Girl (E, 93k)

Seven months after the end of the war, Harry is feeling lost. Fortunately, he is about to be offered an unexpected and sparkling chance to find himself again.

Changing Tides by carpemermaid (E, 109k)

Draco has spent half of his life spouting the things his father has taught him without much thought about how he feels about what he says. When he unexpectedly comes face to face with the Dark Lord, he grapples with the harsh realities of the world and struggles with his changing views on life.

Written on the Heart by who_la_hoop (E, 114k)

Unnerved by the attention he’s attracting from everyone – the Slytherins are the least of it, to be fair – and struggling with a raft of changes to Hogwarts itself, Harry wishes he could be happy that one constant remains: Draco Malfoy really fucking hates him.

Twist of Fate by Oakstone730 (T, 300k)

Draco asks Harry to help him beat the Imperius curse during 4th year. The lessons turn into more than either expected. A story of redemption and forgiveness.

#asks #magtops #Drarry reclist #8th year friends to lovers #slow burn

119 notes · View notes

howlsofbloodhounds · 3 days ago

Note

How do you think Color and Something New Chara would have interacted if they got to meet each other? Like, if Color stumbled across the Something New AU in that period of time when Killer and Chara were running rampant together still.

I've been trying to figure that out, but you know way more about Color than me, so I wanna hear your opinion

If Killer were still with Chara, I can’t imagine him being willing to even listen to Color. Any doubts Color starts to raise would feel threatening, like he’s trying to take away everything Killer knows.

I think Chara would feel heavily threatened by Color, over time. Especially if they can tell that Color has the other human souls with him.

So not only would he be magically powerful, he’s also another Sans—who could serve as way to make Killer start questioning himself, and by extension, Chara, because Stage 1 would be primed to be triggered. Which means attempts to go against the Player or leave Chara.

Color would probably be pulled in a few directions—all by the souls. He’d definitely be able to recognize the hold Chara has over Killer, but I don’t know if Color is aware of Players by this point or not.

Color wouldn’t agree with anything Chara is doing, I’d say his justice and integrity would push him to be very upfront and blunt about it (which would immediately other him in Chara and Killer’s eyes) but I do think he’d seek to understand why they’re doing this.

Seeing as he was able to intuitively sense that he and his group were in danger in the Sans Hazard comics and is able to intuitively sense that Killer’s words never matched up to his actions in their more canon story, he’d probably be able to tell over time when something isn’t adding up about Chara.

He may not directly guess Player involvement, besides taking into account the possibility based on what Killer has said, but here’s the thing; Killer probably sounds indoctrinated by those who aren’t meta aware. Brainwashed, if you want to use that term.

There’s no viable proof of a Creators’ or controllers existence besides word of mouth of a few individuals.

To anyone else, it may sound like Killer is delusional, indoctrinated into some type of religion or magical thinking, coping, or using it to avoid taking responsibility for his actions or facing what happened to him, and what he did as a result.

So i think Color would be cautious about trying to understand why Chara is doing what they do, why they drag Killer with them—and he’d try to be both rational and fair without getting sucked into it.

I think he’d also help Killer realize that he doesn’t just have to go along with this stuff—-such as stepping in and protecting people when the buttercup duo want to kill them, healing people they hurt, and asking very pointed questions about Chara and Killer’s beliefs. And if Chara tries to do their usual gaslighting and manipulating, he’d call that shit out immediately and shut it down.

I also think he’d probably ask Killer specific questions—even Killer likely doesn’t trust Color at all during these moments.

Such as whenever Killer immediately neglects himself to attend to Chara, despite how Killer is literally covered in blood and injuries, asking questions like “Why can’t Chara do that themself?” and “why can’t they just Reset?” and “Do they ever take care of you?”

He’d ask similar questions to Chara, too. “Why do you need him to do that for you?” and “You have this look on your face when he does that. Remind you of something? Or..someone?” He’d point out how often Chara projects Asriel on to Killer.

But ultimately this isn’t Color’s timeline, and the human is still the most Determined, the one who controls the Resets. If his six souls don’t have the capacity to protect him, Color could still also be trapped under the human’s control. Especially if he can’t leave.

I don’t think Color could get anywhere with either Chara or Killer if the human still holds all the power there. Color would stop them from hurting eachother or anyone else, point out how the shit they do isn’t okay or normal.

I do know Color would never force or take Killer away from Chara, because it’ll only serve to make Killer distrust him and attempt to go back to Chara if he never wanted to leave in the first place, though.

So instead he’d focus on trying to protect Killer from Chara, and protect the residents of the Underground from Killer and Chara, and try to understand and get through to Chara at the same time.

Color would be something new, something real, in a way Chara wouldn’t like. Killer may just be curious—fascinated—about him, but perhaps he’d be more inclined to wanting to keep Color. If only because he’s so interesting and new and entertaining, and Killer wants to figure him out.

Perhaps Color is like a gift, or even a new partner, from them.

Killer would probably be drawn to the way Color challenges and confronts him (and Chara, something likely believed to be inconceivable to Killer), finding the arguments between Chara and Color amusing, the way he still decides to take care of him, Chara, and even the ones who aren’t real—and is still willing to stop both him and Chara whatever way he has to, regardless of the Reset.

Regardless if Color knows it’s all pointless in the end.

Killer would be inclined to challenge Color’s views right back, try to tempt him into doing what he and Chara do, or maybe try to tempt him to even take Chara’s place, if he’s already decided that he doesn’t need Chara anymore via Color’s arrival. But he’d just be trying to hand control over him back from Chara over to Color.

Which is why i think it was very important that he turned against Chara himself, and made that choice himself—even within the framework of what made him.

32 notes · View notes

lurkingshan · 9 months ago

Text

Japanese QL Corner

ICYMI: There are so many Japanese qls airing weekly, so I’m going to start posting this little round up at the end of each week. Most of these shows are on Gaga and I highly recommend watching!

Tsukuritai Onna to Tabetai Onna 2

Another great batch of episodes this week, as Kasuga and Nomoto settled into dating life, all the gals got together for various food related events, and Nagumo began seeking treatment for her eating disorder. This show is just always so compassionate with its characters, and manages to find interesting conflicts without going for high drama. I am very much enjoying seeing Kasuga and Nomoto figure out how their relationship should look now that they're dating and also how to communicate and respect each other as they make decisions. Kasuga's tendency to let Nomoto steamroll her feels harmless when it's about picking fruit or vegetables, but it won't be when it comes to making decisions about where they live and how to set up their home, so it's great they're addressing it early. It's also awesome to see them expand their circle of friends and deepen their bonds with Yako and Nagumo--I was high key jealous of the curry and s'mores parties. And Nagumo just has my whole heart. When she expressed profound relief at learning there is a name for her illness and ways to treat it, my mind immediately jumped to Rachel Bloom. Looking forward to her healing. I can't believe there is only one more batch of episodes coming, love and gratitude to @furritsubs!

Chaser Game W

I’ll keep this brief. This show was a mess, and not even in a fun way because unfortunately it was also extremely misogynistic. @twig-tea covered the major issues well in her post. Wild that this show aired simultaneously with TsukuTabe, what a dichotomy.

My Strawberry Film

This one is really not grabbing me. It feels kind of slow and muted and uncertain about what it's doing. I am not finding the mystery or the love rhombus compelling, and this week's focus on Hikaru's infatuation with Minami had me yawning and picking up my phone a lot. But it's early, I am hopeful it will pick up some steam.

Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

This was a cute episode about Sakae and Soga getting past their initial awkwardness, learning how to communicate with each other, and moving into a more intimate phase of their relationship, and I think I would have loved it if we'd gotten it two weeks ago. This should have been the episode that followed their initial confessions, but instead the show did a two week diversion into love triangle nonsense, and unfortunately, I think it really threw off the pacing and the connection to these characters for me. It just feels too late in the show for this relationship to still feel so new. We haven't had time to settle in with them as a couple, or for them to develop a strong foundation to make us root for them to overcome the coming obstacles in the final arc. Still, this episode had some delightful scenes--Soga finally paying a visit to the sauna was my personal fav, and I also enjoyed the metaphor of Sakae literally catching Soga's love (and knowing @bengiyo would lose it over another important SPORTS moment in bl). This is a show I really want to love, but something just isn't connecting.

Perfect Propose

I love this final episode and I love this show. Hiro quit his job, Kai resolved things with the shop owner and his son, and they finally got on the same page about their relationship and made out about it. 10/10 no notes for this finale. It was lovely to see Hiro finish his project and make a decision to quit the daily grind--I loved, too, that he is still in touch with his former colleagues--and we saw the change in him so quickly. He looked happier, lighter, brighter. His skin was cleared and his crops were watered! And Kai got to have his moment of catharsis too, sharing his fear that he is a burden on others and having Hiro affirm for him that he wants him in his life and he's a help, not a burden. And I loved that we got all that plus a great kiss, a bed scene (with a very cute leg cramp diversion) and a small peek at their new domestic life together. This show makes me happy and it will definitely be one I return to for rewatches.

Ossan's Love Returns

I'm of two minds on this finale. On the one hand, I really loved it as a single episode of the show, was happy with where all the resolutions landed, and was left with a very warm feeling toward the show overall. The cherry blossom scene especially really got me right in the feels; I've loved the progression of Maki and Haruta's relationship this season and I love the way they talk to each other. They have earned themselves a spot on my list of favorite drama couples who I actually believe are going to stay together. I also loved everything about the big chaotic group scene and all these characters coming together to pour love on Haruta; it felt earned after a season of him knocking himself out for all his loved ones. The end joke with Chief moving in next door, and getting a final Maki/Kurosawa battle, was *chef's kiss*. And Takegawa's perfect life partner being a cat? 10/10 no notes. I will be clutching my aroace Takegawa read tightly to my bosom.

On the other hand, the episode reinforced for me that the way we got to a lot of these resolutions didn't feel quite right. In particular, I don't think the way Kurosawa's health scare played out across the back half of the season worked, and I'm not too pleased about spending three episodes in a downbeat, tragic mode for the sake of a simple pun joke. I think the whole plot would have landed a lot better for me if the audience was let in on Kurosawa's mistake at the start and the tone of his overwrought goodbyes was farcical all the way through. Not only would that have maintained the comedic tone of the show, but we could have used that story time to better seed some of the themes of this episode with Haruta's crisis of confidence and yearning for family. I'm pretty much agnostic on Kiku and Izumi; they never sold me on that pairing but I wasn't mad about their ending.

Overall, I am very glad I jumped into this show and enjoyed the watch experience a lot, despite my quibbles with some of the overarching writing choices. The cast is amazing and all the characters make me smile. If they make another season, I'll be watching!

Bonus: Josi teki Saikatsu

I finally watched this drama this week--I held out for awhile hoping to find it in better quality, but no dice, it's 480p in the grey--and despite the potato lens I loved it so much. This is the story of Miki, a transfemme lesbian, just trying to live her life in the way she wants, and all the barriers she comes up against in that pursuit. Our story begins when her childhood friend, Goto, comes looking for his old pal in a moment of desperation and is stunned to see how she's changed. The show is only four short episodes, but they manage to paint a full picture of Miki's life at home, at work, with friends and lovers, and with her estranged family, and show us how she became who she is. Miki is whip smart and perceptive and generous, but also wary of trusting anyone after she's been let down by so many loved ones. I love her so much, and you will too. This story was written by a trans woman and it shows! Brave the 480p and check it out.

#japanese ql corner #tsukuritai onna to tabetai onna #she loves to cook and she loves to eat #chaser game w #my strawberry film #sukiyanen kedo do yaro ka #perfect propose #ossan's love returns #josi teki saikatsu #life as a girl #japanese bl #japanese gl #jdrama

95 notes · View notes

haliteatiger · 4 months ago

Note

I’m only just now seeing the dogblud stuff so I’m a bit late, but I just wanted to say that WOW firstly I am so sorry you went through that. And secondly I am autistic + ADHD and struggle with very severe meltdowns at times. I also have other mental stuff goin on that worsens them. but not even in my worst episodes or meltdowns have i EVER felt like it’s been ok or appropriate to speak to someone the way dogblud spoke to you, threatening suicide and so totally demeaning and subduing you. Actually appalling. Being autistic never gives us the right to treat someone like that. damn. I hope you have much better and more positive, healing, and enjoyable collaborative experiences going forward ❤️

Thank you so much for the reassurances, I really appreciate it!! I'm already well on my way to healing thanks to the new friends I've made through this, which I'm only sorry had to be through *this* at all. At the same time it's also making me realize the true extent of the damage as, despite my best efforts, I've been very anxious about collaborating with anyone, especially with regard to werewolves. I'm trying my best to avoid expectations of failure, disappointment, or worries of deceit, and carry on like I might have otherwise, but it's a struggle some days and carries a very similar tone to an earlier period in my life, so at least I know I will eventually grow beyond it provided I don't allow myself to be drawn into a similar situation. Healing, learning to function again in a similar space after what happened, isn't supposed to be easy, I suppose. For now, I'm more than happy to support and elaborate on others' projects and characters, and I know that, in the end, the biggest fuck you I can offer to Dog would be to complete and publish something. Bonus points if it's anything like what we had been working on together at the time. As it is, I can hardly bring myself to draw my own OCs from that period any more. I'll know I'll have made it when I can. In the meantime, I'm very grateful for the support folks like yourself have shown me after posting my story. It makes me physically ill looking at those screenshots. At one point in time, I would have become more angry than scared. I really, really wish I had just gone with my first impulse and pushed back a lot harder than what I did. All I kept thinking at the time, however, was "This is bad. Don't make it worse". lol I think Jackal and Rex handled things so much better than what I did, and admire their strength. I'm incredibly flattered that Jackal has asked to collaborate with me whenever I'm ready, too. I think, together, we'll make something wonderful that will more than make up for whatever we might have lost beforehand.

#ask #ask response

27 notes · View notes

mysterious-moonstruck-musings · 1 year ago

Text

Destiny & Deliverance: Chapter 23

Destiny & Deliverance Masterlist ||| Dieter Bravo X OFC New as of 10/06/2023

SUPPORT YOUR CREATORS. REBLOGGING & COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED.

Series Rating: Explicit (18+)

Series Summary: Natalia Cohen is experiencing major life changes, beginning with leaving an emotionally abusive husband. She is learning how to navigate life on her own while dealing with high functioning anxiety, depression, and mild PTSD. Everything is looking up for her. She is a highly respected consultant for a major LA firm, has her best friend, Lauren, by her side, and is on her path to healing. Everything changes when she meets a handsome and broken stranger on a work trip. He turns out to be a well-known actor, with a heart-breaking past. They quickly develop a connection that will forever alter their lives.

Warnings: Themes dealing with mental health, emotional trauma, alcohol use, and discussions about suicide. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn type of story. Read at your own risk.

Chapter Quote: You meeting someone?

It had been three months since I left Dieter behind. All things considered, I felt like I had handled it well. Most days I managed to get through my routine without thinking of him, throwing myself into work and small craft projects. The paparazzi appeared to have gotten bored with following me around since there was no story to report on. I wouldn’t interact with them and there had been no sightings of Dieter and I together. The assumption was that we had split, and any drama related to said split had passed. Not having the paps shouting questions and sticking a camera in my face on my daily commute to the office made a huge difference in keeping him off my mind.

Staying away from social media and tabloid sites had also been crucial in being able to get back to some kind of normalcy. It had become vital to keep this distance, because Dieter was all over the news feeds due to his reinvigorated party boy ways. He didn’t seem like the same person anymore and it was too painful to see it over and over. As far as I knew he hadn’t been home during any of his filming breaks, and with the production of his movie wrapping up soon, I was anxious to know if he would finally come back to LA. Part of that anxiety was rooted in my concern about running into him. No matter how many times I had tried to imagine it, I wasn’t sure how I would handle suddenly being face-to-face with him again.

I would be lying if I said that I was over him. There was no doubt in my mind that I will always love him. How could I not? He had changed me for the better and helped me through a rough time in my life. During the time that we had been together, and he had been doing well, life had been so much more fulfilling. He showed me what it was like to be loved and appreciated. What it meant to be truly happy. Perhaps even more than that, he had given me the confidence to be myself. I could honestly say that I didn’t know any of that until him. I was able to acknowledge that he did all that for me, but at the same time I had also become mostly numb about it all. Maybe it was the anger, maybe it was denial, or maybe I had figured out how to move on without him. Either way, I felt like I was going to be ok, and I had accepted that he wasn’t going to be a part of my life anymore.

It was late on a Wednesday evening when I got news that he was back. Lauren texted me to let me know he had been spotted at one of the fancy restaurants that all the celebrities tended to hang out at. Unsurprisingly, he had been there with Anna and a handful of other people. I had asked Lauren not to tell me anything she read about him, but I still found myself grateful to get the warning. At least now I was aware that there was a possibility of running into him, so it wouldn’t catch me completely off guard. What I didn’t realize is how soon that would happen.

The following morning, I was surprised to receive a call from Ethan Carrington. He called to let me know that he was in town and wanted to have dinner to catch up. I thought it was a little odd, but he was one of our top tier clients, so I agreed to meet him that evening. I wasn’t surprised when he proposed meeting at one of the most upscale restaurants in town. We made plans to meet there by 7 PM and he let me know a table had already been reserved under his name.

To say I was flustered by the time I left the house was an understatement. All my afternoon meetings had run over, causing me to finish up work much later than I had planned. I had to rush to find something to wear, then shower, and get ready. To save some time, rather than trying to tame my hair, I blow dried it and pulled it back into a sleek low bun, then threw on a light layer of makeup. I got dressed in a navy sleeveless scoop neck A-line chiffon dress that had an asymmetrical bottom and was embellished with a sash around the waist. I dug out my matching navy peep toe high heels with ankle straps to wear, then quickly grabbed my purse and walked barefooted to the car.

With traffic slowing me down as usual, I made it to the restaurant with only minutes to spare. Luckily it had valet parking, so I didn’t have to worry about finding a spot. I did feel slightly embarrassed about making the valet wait while I put my shoes on. He assured me that this wasn’t even close to the strangest thing he dealt with, and we had a good laugh about it as he waited patiently for me to exit the vehicle.

As I was walking up the few steps to the entrance, carefully watching my feet to avoid tripping in my hurried pace, I was stopped in my tracks by a set of feet that had come to a standstill directly in front of me. When I looked up, my breath caught in my throat. Dieter and Anna stood in front of me, staring back at me and saying nothing. Dieter looked tired, the telltale sign of dark circles under his eyes revealing his sleep problems were probably still very present. His hair was longer than it had been the last time I saw him, and it was styled into soft, messy curls. He was dressed in charcoal dress pants with a black button up dress shirt. As usual, the top button was open, and the sleeves were rolled up. He also had his glasses on. A little voice in the back of my mind begrudgingly pointed out that he looked just as sexy as always. Still, something was off about him; it was clear in his fidgety body language, and particularly the turbulent look in his eyes.

My eyes widened as I took him in, my body almost reeling just as strongly as my mind did. “Dieter…umm hi,” I stuttered out. I was startled by his sudden appearance and did not know what to say or how to act. His stare shifted into an unsettling smirk, his dilated pupils making his eyes look darker than usual, and by the way he tipped his head back slightly I could tell that he shifted into performance mode, emitting a boisterous energy that became even clearer when he spoke.

“I’m surprised to see you at a place like this. You meeting someone?”

His tone sounded heavy, maybe even a little hostile. Ah, so that’s how this was going to go.

“Yes, I am.” I inhaled deeply and straightened my shoulders, unwilling to play whatever game he was trying to set up here.

“A guy?” He stared directly into my eyes as he spoke, unblinking, and it struck me how empty the expression on his face was. It was almost like he wasn’t in there and someone else was pulling his strings.

“Not that it’s really any of your business, but yes. It’s a guy.” I didn’t break eye contact, hoping that I was able to keep a neutral expression on my face. All of it felt like a test, but I wasn’t quite sure if I wanted to show him that I could easily pass it. Maybe the best response was no response at all.

He pursed his lips and arched his eyebrows before he shook his head, his eyes shifting downcast momentarily before he looked back up at me. Straightening up as he gathered his composure.

“Well, I hope you get to know this one a little better before jumping into bed with him. Assuming he goes for this whole… polished stepford wife look or whatever this is,” he said, his voice having just the slightest slur to it.

I could feel my jaw tighten, my eyes blazing with anger that his words suddenly re-kindled in me. I gave him a tight smile in return.

“Hmm,” I said, shaking my head slightly from side to side as I rubbed the fingers of my right hand across my bottom lip in disgust. He continued to stare at me expectantly, clearly wanting a response, and I had to look away for a moment before I met his intense gaze again. “I see what you’re doing, you know. Don’t worry, it’s still working.” I paused briefly, “So, fuck you.”

“Ooh, you already did that, sweetheart. A whole fuckin’ lot.” He gave me a cunning smile, teeth bared for a moment as there was nothing friendly or sweet about it.

I could feel my face tensing further at his combative remarks. I knitted my brows together and shook my head from side to side again. He was clearly trying to piss me off, and it was working. He knew exactly what to say to push my buttons. I wasn’t even going to attempt to understand why he was being like this, it simply hurt too much. I didn’t want to engage in an argument. I just wanted to protect myself from more pain.

Anna chuckled as she leaned in to break the intense stare that I was giving Dieter, “Damn, you’re a feisty one, aren’t you.”

I gave her a tight smile wrapped up in thinly veiled contempt. “I suggest that you don’t fucking speak to me,” I said very quietly, for a moment actually entertaining the thought of punching her in her smug little face.

She backed away slightly and grabbed onto Dieter’s arm, moving so that he was positioned between us. Clearly, my intimidation attempt struck its mark with her.

My attention was drawn away from them when I heard someone call my name. When I turned, I saw Carrington walking towards me from the entrance of the restaurant. Trying to shift gears, I tried to relax my face and gave him a polite smile as he approached. He looked like he had just stepped off the set of a James Bond film in the expensive tailored suit he was wearing, oozing confidence, and looking just as handsome as I remembered.

“There you are, I was beginning to think you stood me up,” he said with a joking tone as he leaned in to give me a small kiss on the cheek. “You look nice,” he added as he pulled away with a wide smile on his face, his eyes warm as he gave me a quick once-over.

“Ethan, thank you! Sorry, I was just catching up with some friends,” I said dryly, glancing back toward Dieter, who was now radiating disdain. His jaw twitched as glared at Carrington, his eyes narrowing and somehow turning even darker as he glanced at Carrington’s hand that now rested on the small of my back. Correcting himself, his eyes quickly moved back up to meet my gaze.

I didn’t flinch as we locked eyes and spoke up, “I guess I’ll see you around. Have a good evening.”

I gave them both a sarcastic smile. Carrington’s hand stayed on my lower back as he guided me toward the entrance. I may not have wanted to engage in the game that Dieter seemed to play, but part of me enjoyed that it clearly bothered him to see me with another man. A handsome one at that. Even if it was a work meeting, which he didn’t know.

As we were being led to our table, I had to take a few deep breaths to calm myself. I wasn’t even upset about seeing Dieter, only livid about his attitude and the way he had spoken to me. The waiter seated Carrington and I next to a window toward the front of the restaurant, handing us the menus which we looked at in a comfortable silence. From the corner of my eye, I could see Dieter and Anna were still outside, waiting for their car. She was on her phone, but he had spotted me through the window and just stood there, staring with his hands pushed into his pockets. I tried not to look directly toward him, but that didn’t stop me from peeking over my menu every so often to see if he was still there. Despite all the bravado that had been there earlier, and the confidence with which he had carried himself, he looked like a broken man now. It tugged at my heartstrings as I wished I knew what was going through his mind. I could tell the cocky front he was putting up had diminished to something that resembled hurt or maybe even regret. All the showmanship had left his stance as he seemed to be unaware of what happened around him, Anna even needing to pull him aside when someone tried to walk past them. Luckily, the valet pulled up with their car right after that, so I didn’t have to endure that sight for very long.

Carrington’s voice tugged me back into the present and out of my thoughts when he spoke up, “I would ask how you’ve been, but I think I may have a general idea of the answer.”

He gave me a sympathetic look before continuing, “That was him, wasn’t it?”

I smiled nervously as I glanced down at the table, wondering how much he knew. Probably everything there was to know publicly, be it true or false, “Yes, that was him.” I nodded as I looked back up at him, finding his eyes were as gentle as his voice had been when asking me the question. “I’m sorry my drama made me late and that everyone across the US knows about it, apparently.”

“Yeah, it was all over the news.” He seemed apologetic about it. “Hard to miss. I wasn’t sure if you needed rescuing or not, so I’m sorry if I interrupted something…”

“Not that I need rescuing…but thank you for that.”

He laughed, “Yeah, I doubt you do. You're pretty fierce on your own.”

His eyes stayed focused on my face, briefly dropping down to my lips when I smiled at his comment. I wasn’t sure how to take that, but I felt like he was possibly flirting. We were interrupted by the server coming over to take our order.

We proceeded with small talk while we waited for our food. He gave me an update on how the company was doing and mentioned the possibility of expanding soon, staying vague on the details. As we chatted, I noticed how attentive he was. Always looking me directly in the eye as I spoke, gesturing subtly to the waiter when he noticed I was low on water. We hadn’t really had a chance to interact outside of a business setting, so it was interesting to see him in a more personal manner and have an easy conversation. I was getting small glimpses of his personality that I hadn’t picked up on before. He was very witty and had a good sense of humor.

Once we started to dig into the main course, he got down to business.

“Well, I think we’ve run the gambit on small talk. I guess I should get to the reason I wanted to meet with you and stop beating around the bush.” He gave me a nervous smile. I gave him one in return, unsure of where this was going.

“I talked to Aubrey about this, and she indicated that you may be open to a change, given recent events and she’s supportive of it.” He gave me a small grimace, realizing that may not have been the best opener.

I smiled and motioned for him to continue.

“Our Chief Operating Officer will be retiring soon, and we’ll need a replacement. You’re the first person that came to mind for the position. I know, it’s a big change, so I don’t expect an answer now. I do, however, want to let you know that it’ll be a significant raise and we’ll cover the cost of any moving expenses and travel.”

Whatever I had been expecting from the meeting, this wasn’t it. He had my attention. “How significant?”

“Seven figures, significant.” He gave me a smirk as my eyes widened.

“COO…I mean, am I even qualified for that?” I laughed in disbelief.

“Well, you’re already basically telling me how to run my company and saved me a lot of money in the process. I’ve seen you in action. You have a brilliant mind, and your problem-solving skills are unlike anything I’ve ever seen. You’re also really good at handling difficult situations. Why wouldn’t I want that?”

He wasn’t wrong, he was indeed running his company based on my suggestions. I shook my head in agreement.

“It would require moving to New York though?” I asked, trying to process the information and what this all would mean for my future.

“Yes…and no. I would absolutely love for you to join us in New York. In fact, it’s my preference. However, like I said, we’re planning to expand. We’ll be opening another branch in Silicon Valley. I’ll need a COO there as well. Just know that if you choose that location, you’ll be building from the ground up. You’ll be fully involved with all planning. It’ll require you to spend some time in New York while we work out the details, but once everything is set, you would only need to travel occasionally. It also comes with slightly higher pay due to the extra work that’ll be involved.”

This time I sat with my mouth hanging open in shock, “I don’t even know what to say.”

“I don’t expect an answer right away. We have some time before I need to know.”

“I mean, it’s not a no. Umm, but I do have a lot to think through.” I reached for my water, taking a deep drink now that my mouth suddenly felt very dry.

“Of course, I wouldn’t expect anything else,” He took a bite of his food as he studied me, obviously trying to figure out where I stood on the offer.

He continued to tell me about the many benefits the company offered. He was trying his best to sell it to me. The offer was appealing and something I really needed to consider. We eventually moved on to other non-business related topics. It was nice getting to know him on a more personal level. Time seemed to fly by as we continued to chat, even after our meal was finished.

We finally decided to call it a night after he insisted on covering the bill. We walked out to collect our vehicles. While we waited, he leaned in to give me a polite goodbye kiss on the cheek, lingering slightly longer than what is socially acceptable. I got a whiff of his musky scent. I couldn’t deny, he smelled amazing. I cleared my throat as he pulled away, trying to correct my train of thought.

He smiled sheepishly, “Sorry, I lingered. I made it awkward. Forget that happened.”

We both laughed. I caught myself biting my bottom lip, which seemed to briefly bring his attention back to my mouth again. Fuck. Was I flirting now? Thankfully, we were interrupted by the valet returning with his vehicle. Mine followed behind a few seconds later.

“We’ll talk soon. Have a good evening,” he finally said as he took his keys and walked toward the driver's side door, giving a charming smile as he went. I agreed and gave him a wave as I collected my keys and moved toward my own car.

My head was reeling during the entire drive home. I wasn’t sure what just happened, and I had conflicting feelings about the whole thing. Did we have vibes? Were we flirting? Also, what the hell was wrong with me for allowing that to happen? There was no way I could work for him under those circumstances. Not to mention what had happened with Dieter and Anna. I needed to talk through this with Lauren.

When I got home, I quickly changed into my pajamas, then facetimed Lauren. She didn’t answer. I gave it a few minutes then tried again. She answered on the second round, a surprised look clearly visible on her face despite the dim lighting around her.

“Talia? Something wrong? Why are you calling me back-to-back?”

“For starters, you signed up for excessive calls when you decided to be my friend,” I reminded her. “Also, don’t get me started on your texting habits.”

“Okay, what the hell has gotten into you?” She laughed as she shook her head, leaning behind her to switch a lamp on, which illuminated the view on my screen considerably.

“You’re not going to believe how my night has gone. I’m turning the tables; I’m the one that needs life advice.”

She had an odd look on her face and seemed to be distracted, her eyes trailing off as she looked at something off camera.

“Hello? Did you hear me?” I was pacing around my bedroom by this point, bursting to spill all the details of what had happened.

“Yeah, sorry, I heard you. What’s going on?” She seemed to have her focus back on me now.

I went into all the details of how the evening had gone from start to finish as I continued to pace around my room. I was feeling flustered and anxious about the whole thing the more I thought about it. I wasn’t even sure how to begin to make a decision about the job offer and I was completely avoiding my thoughts on Dieter. While his behavior pissed me off to no end, I couldn’t help but feel hurt all over again. Which was a feeling I didn’t want to acknowledge out of fear that it would send me spiraling all over again.

Lauren sat staring at her phone, wide-eyed. She looked overwhelmed with the word vomit I had just thrown her way.

“Ok, I need a minute to digest all of that,” she finally said. Her attention was again drawn to something else as an exasperated look formed on her face.

“What the hell are you doing over there? Is somebody there?”

“NO! No, it’s…” She appeared to swat at something before she continued, “it’s a cat. I have a cat. A stray. It’s not staying. It’s kind of an annoying jerk,” she said with a nervous laugh. I wasn’t sure if I bought that. I gave her a skeptical look.

“So, Dieter really said all of that to you? Seriously?” she asked, quickly changing the subject.

“Yes, he did. He was a total asshole. He looked like he was on something. He’s like a completely different person.” I shook my head in disbelief.

“Did you ever consider that maybe he’s trying to piss you off on purpose? To push you away?”

She had a sympathetic look on her face now.

“Oh, I know he was trying to do it on purpose. I know him well enough to know when he’s putting on a show. He’s just not usually so cruel about it. I don’t know why he’s being like that.” I shrugged, unsure of what else to say.

“Maybe you should try talking to him again. He’s kind of hardheaded. Perhaps putting some pressure on him might bring him back to his senses.”

“No, you know what, let’s just not focus on him.” I paused briefly, shaking my head again, “I don’t even want to think about him. He’s made it clear how he feels.”

“You can’t avoid it forever.” She gave me a pointed look.

I threw my hand up in frustration as I rolled my eyes, “I’m not avoiding it. I’m accepting the reality of the situation.”

Lauren rolled her eyes in return, “No, you're locking all those feelings away in a secret room in that pretty little head of yours and pretending they don’t exist. I know how you are. You’re both so fucking stubborn.”

I was taken aback by how blunt she was being. That was usually my role.

“Ok, whatever. Can we talk about Carrington now? What should I do about that? I mean, if I take the position in Silicon Valley, I wouldn’t really have to see him once things got settled. So, if there were vibes, it would be a non-issue, right?” I drew my brows down together as I contemplated that choice.

Lauren sighed heavily before she responded, “Look, I can’t tell you what to do about that. All I can say is don’t make a choice based on a man. Any man. You’ve wasted too much of your life doing that. Don’t take the job just because you want to get away from Dieter and don’t not take it because this Carrington guy may or may not have been flirting with you. You do what you want, then we will deal with what comes after.”

She was very matter of fact in her response. Even though that wasn’t the answer I wanted, I knew she was right. I needed to remove the men from the equation and figure out what I really wanted. Lauren spoke up again, pulling me from my thoughts, “Sorry to cut it short, but I gotta go. I need to feed this cat, so he’ll chill out.” She was fighting a smile.

“Why do I feel like you're talking in code about something else?” I gave her a confused look as she started to laugh.

“Oh, gotta go. We'll talk tomorrow. Bye.”

She did not even give me a chance to say bye before hanging up, “What the hell was that about?” I shook my head as I set my phone down on the docking station. There was definitely something going on; her behavior during the call was kind of bizarre, so was the excuse about the stray cat. As if I needed something else to wonder about.

I decided to finish getting ready for bed after that. Even though my mind was racing with so many different thoughts brought on by the day’s events, I was happy to settle in for the night. I laid there for some time, waiting for the melatonin to kick in. It seemed like it took a little longer than normal, but sleep did finally take me.

Two weeks after my dinner with Carrington, I still hadn’t decided. Luckily, he was understanding and said I still had some time to think about it. Lauren was still being weird and dodging questions. I had reached a point that I didn’t care what she was up to. If she wanted me to know, she would tell me. I already had too many things on my plate to worry about. Of course, the universe still wasn’t satisfied with my long list of troubles and decided to add to it.

I was sitting on the couch, attempting to read a book in between my spells of wandering thoughts, when the doorbell rang. To my surprise, it was Gabby. We hadn’t talked at all since news got out that Dieter and I were no longer together. She would send the occasional text to check in on me, but that’s it. Honestly, it was too hard for me to talk to her. It only made me miss him and the life we were building together even more.

Gabby greeted me with a tight hug. When she pulled away, I could see the worry in her eyes.

“I’m sorry to just barge in on you, but I wanted to talk to you in person.”

She gave me a nervous smile as I waved her in and led her over to sit on the couch. She had a tentative look on her face as she asked me how I was doing.

“I’m actually ok. I’ve just been keeping busy and focusing on work mostly.” It was hard to meet her gaze, because I knew that if I did, I wouldn’t be able to hold it together. Her eyes reminded me of her brother’s, which seemed to unearth the raw emotion that I had managed to keep locked away thus far. It was all simmering under the surface for me, and I knew it wouldn’t take much for it to start peeking its ugly little head out of its hidden room.

“Have you seen any of the gossip sites lately?” She started to rub her hands against her thighs, clearly nervous to bring up the topic of her brother.

“Uhm, no. I try to avoid all that stuff these days. I don’t want to know what your brother is up to.” My chest tightened at the mere thought of him. I rubbed my shoulder with my right hand, trying to remain calm and grounded. It was impossible though.

Gabby sighed heavily, “Talia, it’s getting bad,” she said, and I could hear how upset she was. “Every other night he’s out partying with Anna, and he’s gotten into several confrontations with random people at bars and clubs. He isn’t acting like himself at all. I think he’s using something, but I don’t know what it is. We tried to talk to him about it and now he won’t even speak to us. I’m really worried about him.”

I could feel her eyes on me as I stared at a random painting on the wall. Focusing on the swirls of color and different brush strokes to distract myself from what I was feeling.

“I’m not sure why you’re telling me this. I can’t do anything about it. He’s made it pretty clear how he feels.”

“I don’t know what his fucking problem is, but he loves you. I know he does. We could all see it. I think he would listen to you if you would just talk to him.” She had an edge to her voice as she spoke. She never took her eyes off me. I briefly glanced over at her. The fear in her eyes nearly broke me. I could feel the tears forming in my eyes as I looked back toward the painting.

“I tried Gabby. The night he called and ended it... I had a flight booked for the next day and he told me not to come. He lost his shit when I asked him if he was on drugs. He doesn’t want to talk to me.”

She reached over and grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly, “You should have gone anyway. I really think if he sees you in person, he’ll listen.”

“I saw him… Two weeks ago. He was an asshole and made it pretty clear that he didn’t want to speak to me.”

I let out a shuddered breath as I looked down at our hands. Telling her that I couldn’t do anything to stop her brother from hurting himself was one of the hardest things I had ever had to do.

“Maybe if we all tried. I’m pretty sure he has blocked everyone at this point, but we could all show up at his house and talk to him.” Her voice was strained. I could tell she was trying to keep her emotions in check as much as I was.

“Gabby, I just don’t think you can help someone who doesn’t want to be helped.”

I looked up at her and watched as she knitted her brows together at my words. A mixture of frustration and anguish written all over her face.

“You’re not even gonna try?”

“I can’t,” I said quietly. The tears finally spilled down my cheeks.

She shook her head from side to side, not understanding where I was coming from.

“Why not?”

“Because…if I give in, he’ll completely consume me. And if I can’t get through to him, then you’ll lose both of us. I know I won’t be able to come back from it and that scares the hell out of me.”

I could see the fight drain out of her body as she took in what I was saying. I cleared my throat.

“I guess I should probably tell you, I’ve uhm...been offered another job. I have a choice of going to New York or Silicon Valley. I haven’t made my final decision yet, but I’m leaning toward accepting one of them.”

She couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, “You guys are really over, aren’t you?”

“Yeah, I think so.” I shook my head in agreement. The tears were now blurring my vision as I felt my face tighten. I gave up on trying to hold it back. She pulled me in for another tight hug.

“I want you to know that I still consider you to be part of this family. I don’t want you to forget that. I’m still holding out hope that fate will bring you guys back together somehow. I’m convinced you two are meant to be.”

I pulled away, giving her a small smile as I thanked her for being there for me when she didn’t have to be. She left soon after that with promises to keep in touch. After she was gone, I laid down on the couch. I stared at the ceiling for who knows how long, completely disassociating. Once I finally came back to my thoughts, I couldn’t help but to question every decision I was making. I felt lost and now I had the added concerns of Dieter’s wellbeing. I had managed to ignore that piece of the puzzle thus far by isolating myself from the knowledge of what he was doing. Now that I was aware, it was going to be hard continuing to ignore it.

A/N: Happy Friday y'all! How are we feeling about asshole Dieter? That was some seriously rude things to say to poor Talia. How about that dinner with Carrington and his offer (and maybe flirting)? And what the hell is Lauren up to? Also, Gabby is seriously breaking my heart right now. So, just another warning...the next chapter is going to be A LOT. When I say they hit rock bottom, I mean it. It's all (slowly) uphill after that though... Chapter 24 is complete and currently with my beta. I'll post the teaser on Monday. The chapter will come as soon as we are done with final edits. 💜

Lastly, everyone give a big thank you to @for-a-longlongtime for her excellent beta skills. She never fails to take things up a notch.

Sound off about your thoughts and feelings for this chapter. You know it gives me life. 😉 As usual, I have included the mood board for this chapter below.

Next Chapter

Tag List: @rhoorl @bitchwitch1981 @readingiskeepingmegoing @runningmom94 @for-a-longlongtime @hisandsnakes @chaoticfestninja @survivingandenduring @partyofone3413 @cakipy-blog @titlee78 @poodlebae @guelyury @weho2kcmo @missladym1981 @maried01 @alokaerza @samiamproductions @misstokyo7love @themonadiaries-blog @madnessofadaydreamer @pedrostories

Let me know in the comments below if you would like to be added to the tag list.

#dieter bravo #dieter x ofc #dieter bravo fic #Destiny & Deliverance Series #pedro pascal #pedro pascal characters #dieter bravo x ofc #pedro pascal character fanfic #pedro pascal fanfiction #Pedro Pascal Fanfic #dieter bravo x oc #dieter bravo fluff #dieter bravo fanfiction #pedro pascal smut #the bubble #the bubble fanfiction

109 notes · View notes

thedeviltohisangel · 4 months ago

Text

Fall For A Shooting Star//Cassian Week 2024: Day Five, Scars

a/n: the idea for this was grounded in cassian and bryaxis and then my mind went wild with lore and possibilities and chaos. in terms of the theme of scars, it talks of healing and emotional scars and perhaps the creation of new, generational scars and wounds we didn't know we had so we could never heal. anywhooooo, enjoy!

previous part

The only sounds in the kitchen were his whistling and the sizzling of steak on the stove. Cassian had been away in the Illyrian Steppes for weeks and had missed Thea endlessly. The bond, cemented with an ostentatious ceremony months ago and a frenzy properly explored for weeks and weeks after, soothed a bit of his ache as it ensured they could communicate even when they were apart. But it had increased his ferocity in wanting to be home with her. Put him on edge in every interaction with the winged warriors. Rhys and Az had together had struggled to keep him on a leash but he made no apologies for it. He had always been a simple male, with simple needs and he would continue. Needing his mate was very simple.

But he had arrived at their newly renovated, Velaris based penthouse and not seen her. Her scent lingered but her presence was void. He had tugged the bond between them and felt her at the end of it, a simple projection that she was at the library working with Clotho but would be back soon. And that she was hungry. For him and for dinner.

He respected her bond with the priestesses in the library, Cassian taking the time to introduce her to the concept Rhys had instilled for it being a place of healing. While he was anxious to see her, he would never, ever pull her from the journey she was going on with the priestesses. There were some scars that even his love couldn’t heal. Some scars Thea would only be able to mend herself and with time and painfully hard work. And he-

A bell.

A bell to signal a threat.

----

She had heard Cassian tell the story of the darkness at the bottom of the library. Or as much of it as he could get it before he shivered and let the memory pass. Thea had never been one to chase thrills. She left that to her mate and his brothers. But she couldn’t deny that something about the depths of the library intrigued her. And the weeks without Cassian had left her more curious seeing as he wasn’t there to warn her of the danger. And only a long, dark corridor now separated her from knowing what it was that had scared the Lord of Bloodshed so deeply.

I can feel you, my child. Let me see you. The voice felt like an itch she couldn’t reach. Prickled down her spine and made her muscles tighten instinctually. The creature had lived down here without harming anyone for so long. Please. She lifted her faelight lantern and began the walk into the abyss.

Her eyes adjusted quickly. Quickly enough she could see swirls in the distance. See rocks on the ground. See undisturbed dirt on the ground to show no one had traversed this path in centuries.

“You’ve been talking to me for weeks. Why are you silent now that I am here?” That fact had also been a secret she’d kept from Cassian. That the darkness beneath the library had found a way to talk to her outside of the building. It wasn’t worth thinking about the other voices that were blending in. Voices of the Bone Carver and other despicable creatures in the prison. Thea thinks Amren was beginning to look at her differently. She didn’t know why any of these changes were happening with suspicious timing to her mating bond acceptance with Cassian but not a part of her felt…worried. And if that in and of itself was supposed to concern her, it didn’t.

My apologies, my lady. Had I been able to scent you, I would have known of your status beforehand. I apologize for my lack of deference.

“What does that mean?” She swears the darkness swirled into a bow. And didn’t rise.

Your power, my lady, deserves fealty from those who are fortunate enough to cross your path. The thumping in her ears was her own heart.

“I don’t have any power,” she replied breathlessly.

Your father would be disappointed to hear you say that. The creature seemed to sniff the air. But he would be thrilled by the power of your mate.

“My father hates Cassian.”

That male, that putrid excuse of a male, is not your father, my lady.

“THEA!” The mountain rumbled as the beating of his wings extinguished the faelights and left only his Siphons glowing in the darkness. Cassian catapulted into the bottom of the cavern and landed in front of her. A shield between his mate and the nightmarish monster. “Did it hurt you?” She took in the way the Siphons seemed to be straining against the sheer force of his power.

“No-”

I couldn’t hurt her, General, even if I wanted to. Cassian reached behind him to grab Thea’s hand, pulling her to his side.

“Arms around my neck.” He was launched in an instant and didn’t stop even as they hit the open air, just banking towards their home without a word.

It was silent when they landed on their balcony. Thea focused on catching her breath from the flight and trying to remember the words of the creature below. “It’s nice to have you home.” She was smiling but he looked furious.

“Did you…Did you go down there on purpose?” His hands were clenching in and out of fists at his side. His Siphons hadn’t calmed.

“Yes.” His nostrils flared. “Ever since we mated, the creature down there and the creatures at The Prison, they’ve been talking to me.” A step forward.

“Talking how?” Something flickered in her chest noting that he hadn’t asked why she’d kept it from him. Was only focused on her and her well-being.

“You’re not going to yell at me?” she blurted.

“Yell at you? Thea, am I angry you put yourself in danger? Yes. Am I upset you’ve been going through something while I’m away and I had no idea? Yes. But I would never hold the circumstances of our life against you. Never.” Thea hugged herself.

“I’m sorry.”

“None of this is your fault, my love.” Cassian gathered her into his chest. “We are going to figure this all out. I promise,” he whispered into her hair.

Even if it means talking to the creature of your nightmares again?” Her voice was muffled as her face stayed buried in his chest.

“For you I’ll do anything. Anything, Thea, okay?” She rested her chin against his chest and closed her eyes, puckering her lips.

“Kiss?” she requested. Cassian hummed in mock contemplation.

“You smell like an evil demon.”

“Amren might find that attractive about me.” He laughed, obliging her kiss.

“I was prepared to fight against the attraction to Az but never Amren.” Thea smiled again but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Is it okay to be scared?”

“Of course,” his hand cupped her cheek, “Nothing we can’t face together. We were made to face challenges together.”

“I love you, my prince,” she whispered as his nose nuzzled against hers.

“I love you, my queen,” he answered back. He loved being her prince. But he would always be ready to be her knight.

@cassianappreciationweek

#cassianweek2024 #cassian #cassian fanfiction #cassian x oc #acotar #acotar fanfiction #acomaf #acowar #acofas #acosf #cassian x thea

16 notes · View notes

thats-my-passion-right-there · 6 months ago

Text

Also we could have made it SO MUCH GAYER?!?

I finally saw the mean girls musical (the movie one) I have so many fucking thoughts oh my god

#oni talks #thoughts #mean girls 2024 #mean girls adaption concept is so fascinating to me bc there’s so much material to pull from? but it’s also simple enough that you have #room to breathe if you wanna add more or make new shit? like there’s lots of little prompts since there’s a lot of side characters that get #bits and pieces or have characterization but little plot to use that characterization in like with Gretchen or Kevin #or even that girl at the end for the mathlete meet up? you could definitely turn her into a developed interesting character just from what #we saw from her? expanding on the clique characters could be interesting in a show format too coz you could see the differences in how #each clique functions and interactions both inside themselves and with each other like we even saw a little peek of like with the mathletes #that obviously was supposed to be mirroring Regina and Gretchen but I just find that so interesting! also Gretchen’s high IQ is only really #used at the end & feels like a reference to the original but bc we don’t have that weird race shit anymore it lacks as much punch & feels #like it could do with some more flesh too at least to me? idk like another thing I know everyone finds the tiktok stuff in the movie cringe #& super dated but I kind of love it? and in my ideal show format it could be such a perfect opportunity to interact with fans or have more #worldbuilding kinda reminiscent of like other shows when sometimes they will make like an account meant to be one of the characters accounts #or like having a cool fun interactive website filled with worldbuilding!! used for teasers or trailers or fan forums or behind the scenesetc #also more songs but also some of those songs need some work imo? idk basically everything Renee or Regina focused I generally loved but #some of the other stuff needs help? if we wanna give Janis more character development having her gf be a method for that could be really #interesting like how does Janis quest for vengeance effect her relationship with this new girl? what about their history together? I doubt #she’s perfectly healed hence the revenge quest so it would be in character imo to project or be wary of this new girl right or for her #obsession on getting one over on Regina to get in the way of growing closer with this new girl? also how do these two meet? since they seem #to go to the same school and Regina is a central figure does this new girl have any interactions or history? is she a transfer? does she hav #to go to the school since she could easily be more related to the art & art fair for janis right? how did being outed to people effect janis #and her interactions? how much did she lean into being out? is this girl out? we could easily have the classic 1 out girl attracts the non #out girls or causes a domino effect coz like I’ve been there lol what about Damian? the too gay to function thing has always been somewhat #odd to me bc from what I can tell he seems to be pretty out & proud so it’s not like outing? tbf too gay to function is also like *to me*#not really a particularly teeth-y insult? hence why it works as an in joke lol also I think Cady as token straight works really well between #Regina & Janis? since she’s being used against them & I think it also changes the story if since janis & regina were friends did janis ever #have any idea Regina was closeted? that return of the pride plush was that her coming out? also the heels thing would me more interesting if #you consider the only acceptable interaction for Regina to be nice to a girl is to be making fun of her & can’t b bc she wants to see Cady #in heels she gave her lol? similarly if Regina having that plushy around if instead of it being a close object she was using the bullying to

5 notes · View notes

meowzerswowzers · 23 days ago

Text

Da big Shadow AU design doc

Decided to put together a little design document for my Shadow Is The Main Character AU. Most of this contains old art I've already posted, but it's helpful to put it side by side with the info for visual clarity.

Shadow is the protagonist au:

just a fun "what if" alternate history for sonic as a series. What if Shadow was the series' main character? How would it shape the tone and story of Sonic?

The Thesis:

To me, a lot of Sonic is about meeting people and helping them overcome their struggles. For Shadow, I picture the inverse. The people Shadow meets makes him a better person. Think a Yusuke Urameshi sort of journey.

Color palette identity:

Sonic is characterized with a lot of primary colors. It gives me the feeling of a bright waterpark. There's a lot of beachside imagery in Sonic that lends to this too.

For Shadow, something darker but not bleak is a good equivalent. Like those fun arcade carpets. If the idea is the series is still created in the 90s, but with Shadow as title character, the tone should reflect the sort of in-vogue imagery of the time.

Shadow's 2000s style COOL wasn't a thing yet. It would be something a little different...

Here's a scene I never fully colored, but it + my reference images kinda help get the idea across.

The Story:

Shadow's backstory largely remains the same. He is created by Gerald Robotnik in an attempt to find a cure for Maria's illness. The project is ended in the same hostile way, Maria sends Shadow to Earth to escape, she does not make it.

Shadow remains in a deep sleep where he lands, until the site is one day disturbed…

Fastforward:

Eggman has known about his grandfather's creation for his whole life. Despite his own innovations, he can never seem to get his world domination plans off the ground. Knowing what he does about Shadow, he's convinced that some part of his remains must still be out there. For years, he searches, until he is eventually successful.

Eggman finds the ruins of the crash site. There, he is determined to revive Shadow.

Picture the part of Megaman Zero where Ciel first finds Zero. That's the vibe.

Shadow knows who he is, who created him, but the details about his last moments aboard the Ark are fuzzy. Eggman introduces himself as part of Shadow's family, informing him Gerald was indeed his grandfather and Maria his cousin. He takes on a faux sympathetic role, telling Shadow all that's transpired since the loss of the Ark. Taking advantage of Shadow's lost memory, it is all too easy for Eggman to entice him to take revenge.

Shadow joins Eggman's side and a successful campaign to conquer the world ensues. But while Shadow is plagued by doubts, it takes far too long for him to realize this isn't what Maria would have wanted.

Eggman rules the planet.

Fastforward again:

Consumed with guilt, Shadow decides the only way for him to make amends for the destruction he's helped cause, is to turn against Eggman.

And so, Shadow's journey begins! This would be where the series starts. From here, Shadow continues to meet new friends who help him heal.

The Characters:

Shadow:

Design wise, he needed something to visually set him apart from Shadow as he currently is. I'm personally too big of a fan of his design to change much about him though, so I settled on a little tattered capelet that visually echoes Eggman's post SA1 coat. It shows his ties to Eggman, while also getting the idea across that he no longer holds allegiance to him.

Eggman:

Eggman is in complete control in this world (save for that pesky hedgehog). I wanted his design to reflect how much more laid back he is here. That corporate bigwig that brandishes luxury athleasure. He hasn't a care~

There's a bit of dark comedy and industrialism to his reign. Most goods are branded by him, he probably has his own fashion line. You'll love the new Eggman power suits, because you don't have any other options. There is some animosity on a personal level between him and Shadow too, but see Metal Shadow's section for that.

Tails:

Tails is still a work in progress, so I have less to write about him unfortunately. He and Shadow have a rocky start that later forms into the brotherly bond he and Sonic have. Tails marks Shadow's commitment to make things right. He's the first person he is able to rescue from Eggman. But that trust is hard earned, as Shadow's involvement can't be ignored. Eventually forgiven, but not forgotten.

Amy:

Amy's design is mostly just her Fleetway look, with a few touches of Shadow's colors to tie her to the setting. Amy is a waitress at a roadside coffee shop. But she's not satisfied with a lackluster job in Eggman's world. Amy has dreams of being a hero. By day, she is taking orders for waffles and pancakes, by night, she is a self proclaimed "vigilante of justice"! (Which mostly involves her sticking it to the man by smashing stuff with her hammer.)

Shadow and Tails meet her on their journey when they stop at the cafe for lunch. Shadow later meets her again during a late night of her smashing parking meters and other Eggman property.

Amy does have a crush on Shadow, but the difference is that she's eager to hide it. (yes, yes you can make your tsundere jokes now.)

Shadow may or may not feel something for her too (he isn't sure), but it's a limbo sort of romance sub plot. Forever sorta stays in the "will they, won't they" territory. Feels different enough from Sonic and Amy's one sided dynamic, while not straying too far either. Both versions never see any real resolution.

Metal Shadow:

Metal Shadow has his own side plot/character arc going on. Eggman creates him much in the same way as Metal Sonic. He's a tool meant to aid his fight against Shadow.

Eggman has a personal axe to grind here though. Harking on his dialog in Sonic Frontiers about how everyone ignored him in favor of Maria (and ykno. Generally being happy about the idea of Sage being like a daughter to him) Eggman does have a real want for a family connection. Shadow turning against him was another notch in the ol' abandonment issues. Metal Shadow may have also been made to fill some of that void. However, now that he's here, Metal Shadow is just a reminder of what's gone. While proud of his creation, Eggman resents Metal Shadow. Metal Shadow in turn, is a little confused.

oh yea and i still gotta hit him with a train somehow.

#my art #sonic #sth #shadow #amy #tails #eggman #shadow au

10 notes · View notes

equixen · 26 days ago

Text

Looking back at ‘Before You Go’

youtube

Welcome to part 2 of my Narnia fanvid retrospectives which consist of me talking about a specific fanvid I’ve made and how I’ve interpreted the lyrics. This time, I’ll be talking about my second Caspeter fanvid, ‘Before You Go’, which I uploaded almost one and a half years ago now [original post].

Before I get into it, I just wanted to say that this one is especially for @an-angels-fury because she enjoyed my retrospective post for ‘Run To You’ and said that ‘Before You Go’ is her other favourite of my Caspeter fanvids. 😊

Okay, so this one actually has an interesting origin story and that’s because this fanvid was very close to being my first Caspeter fanvid and also very close to never happening at all.

Let me explain… 😊

When I first became obsessed with Caspeter, it wasn’t long till I decided to try making a fanvid about them. I started by going through my music and eventually narrowed it down to two songs. This one and ‘What Hurts the Most’. I liked both songs very much so it was quite possible that ‘Before You Go’ would have been the first one to be edited although I ultimately decided on ‘What Hurts the Most’.

As for why this fanvid was almost never made at all… well that’s because, at the time, I thought Narnia and Caspeter would go the way of many of my other recent fandoms up till that point. That I would do one fanvid, maybe two if I was lucky, but eventually either my interest in that fandom would wane or something new would come along to take its place as my latest obsession. So, I knew that by picking one song over the other, it was quite possible the second one might never have been made.

Well, we all know how that turned out. 🤣 Several more fanvids (and even fanfics) later, Caspeter and Narnia ended up becoming so important to me for various reasons (I’ve written more about this in another post if that’s of interest) which led to Caspeter becoming my OTP of OTPs. 🥰

Alright, now onto the lyrics. This fanvid is all from Caspian’s POV.

‘I fell by the wayside like everyone else’

I feel like there are a couple of ways this line can be looked at for Caspian. Firstly, it’s Caspian personally feeling like he doesn’t measure up to the High King from Narnia’s golden age. And secondly, that Caspian thinks that Peter sees him as less-than because of his Telmarine heritage. Also, I still really like the visuals I chose for this sequence… of Caspian deferring to the higher status of the Pevensies and hanging back as they enter the How for the first time.

‘I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, but I was just kidding myself’

Yep, Peter drives Caspian absolutely crazy in the beginning. Two young men with their own axes to grind and who are out to prove themselves. Caspian both hates how stubborn Peter is during the strategising at the How, but also can’t help seeing beyond that tough exterior that Peter puts up. Someone who is both more and less than what Caspian grew up hearing about in all those stories. Because Peter might not be all that he imagined in terms of the magnificent battle-hardened warrior (at least not at first glance) but he’s also more human and more beautiful and has more heart than Caspian ever could have imagined.

‘Our every moment, I start to replace, 'cause now that they're gone, all I hear are the words that I needed to say’

Despite the connection they share, their time together is over too soon. And once Peter is gone, Caspian can’t help regretting all the things he never told Peter while he had the chance. While I’ve had multiple versions of what Caspian might regret after Peter leaves Narnia in my head for different projects over the last year and a half, when I was editing this fanvid, I was very much imagining this to be that Caspian never told Peter that he loved him.

‘When you hurt under the surface, like troubled water running cold. Well, time can heal but this won't’

I think this was the line that first made me take notice of this song as a potential Caspeter fanvid. The way it reflects their regret over the loss of so many lives after the failed castle raid. It is something that will probably haunt both of them for the rest of their lives. And even though we had no closeup of Caspian’s face when they escape the courtyard, I was rather pleased that I was able to fake one by using a shot of Caspian from the start of the film which I still think works rather well. 😊

‘So, before you go, was there something I could've said to make your heart beat better? If only I'd have known you had a storm to weather’

Apart from his siblings—who Peter could never hope to hide anything from—I feel like Peter is the kind of person who’d keep his troubles close to his chest. So, for most of the time that Caspian and Peter would have known each other, there’s so much about Peter that would’ve been a mystery to Caspian. And at the top of that list would be the hardships Peter had faced as a result of being forced back into his old life after living in Narnia for so long. Constantly being underestimated by the adults in his life as well as being bullied and belittled by his peers.

‘So, before you go, was there something I could've said to make it all stop hurting? It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless’

There are definitely times when Peter feels worthless. But for the first instance of this line, I chose a moment where Peter feels like he’s worth less than others. And what better representation is there than the, “what about your own future?” deleted scene between Caspian and Peter. Caspian learns for the first time just how much Peter is willing to sacrifice for those he loves and for the greater good. Even his own life. That thought alone scares Caspian more than anything so he prompts Peter to think about his own future in the hopes that it will give him something else to fight for.

‘So, before you go, would we be better off by now, if I'd have let my walls come down? Maybe I guess we'll never know, you know, you know’

The moment when it all comes to an end. Caspian has just been crowned King and is looking forward to getting to know Peter away from the hardships of war. Just seeing where these feeling take them. But then Peter drops the bombshell that they’re leaving and Caspian can’t do a thing to stop it. All he has left now is regret. Regret over all those missed opportunities where he could have said how he felt but didn’t as well as wondering what could have been if he had. 😢 And I still rather love that sequence for, “I guess we'll never know, you know, you know,” where it looks like Peter is kicking himself for not being brave enough to say something to Caspian when they’d had a moment upon first entering Cornelius’ office. 😊

‘Before you go, was there something I could've said to make your heart beat better? If only I'd have known you had a storm to weather’

When Caspian finds Peter during his and Susan’s talk with Aslan, he can see that something isn’t right with Peter. He wants to help but how can he when he never knew the depths of what Peter, a king to a nation that had been home to him and his siblings for 15 years, had dealt with by being flung back into their own world against his wishes. A loss of self, of purpose and of feeling like he truly belonged.

‘So, before you go, was there something I could've said to make it all stop hurting? It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless’

And now we come to the second instance of this line where I focus on a moment when Peter feels worthless. Of course, no one is harder on Peter then Peter himself. As the High King, he has the weight of the world on his shoulders and he when he messes up, he feels the shame of it in every fibre of his being. After the failed castle raid, and the subsequent run-in with Jadis, Caspian starts to see a side of Peter that he never had before. The side that makes mistakes and, in his darkest moments, doubts his value. And that only makes him feel for Peter all the more and wish he knew the right things to say that would make Peter feel otherwise.

‘So, before you go’

And lastly the ending. What can I saw about the ending that hasn’t already been said. I mean, between Peter’s, “we’re not really needed here anymore,” and Caspian’s, “I will look after it until you return,” has there ever been a scene where two people who love each other have said so much and yet so little at the same time?? They were so close to having it all and now they’re being torn apart as Peter walks out of Caspian’s life, never to return. 😢

--------

And on that note, I think I’ll leave it there. I’ve had so many feelings about these two over the last year and a half and, with yet more fic/vid ideas percolating in my mind, I don’t think that will be ending anytime soon. 😊

#my fanvids #me talking about my fanvids #my caspeter headcanons #caspeter #caspian x peter #caspian/peter #peter x caspian #peter/caspian #peter pevensie #caspian x #narnia #the chronicles of narnia #tcon #prince caspian #Youtube

9 notes · View notes