#so her death it is. until i can work out what to do with this grief

[the-ace-with-spades]

(sorry this got longer than I thought)

You know what fic I'd love to read?

One where Carole dies but doesn't get anything in order before her death (as is many times the case) and Mav is installed as Bradley's temporary guardian after her death but everything goes wrong very fast

Due to Mav's less than heterosexuals tendencies, Bradley ends up in the foster system. One day a social worker with a police officer just shows up and takes him away from school and he doesn't know what's going on. He ends up in his first not so good foster family the same evening. Mav can't even visit as he is deemed a bad influence and has an ongoing investigation if he is 'fit' to be Bradley's guardian.

He doesn't stop asking about Mav for months. Keeps trying to run away to him (he's about 50 miles away because foster homes are sparse so no dice) and finally his foster 'mom' is fed up with the constant asks to at least try and call Mav so she tells him Mav didn't want him and doesn't want Bradley to contact him.

And because Bradley is twelve, he believes it.

(It's not that Mav didn't try. There was a whole appeal process but Mav had a deployment right after and he couldn't explain to the social workers that no, Bradley would stay with someone trusted while he was gone, because that someone was Ice, the source of his suspected homosexual tendencies. They literally told him he's not allowed to contact Bradley and once he came back from deployment, Bradley was already in a different foster home, a few counties over and lost in the system.)

Bradley spends the rest of his childhood in the system. His first family is dubious and the following ones are a mix of constant hope and disappointment. He has at least two different families foster him every year, until he is sixteen and ends up in a group home. There are only two families that he actually comes close to calling family - a young married couple that stops fostering when the wife is diagnosed with chronic autoimmune disorder, and a couple of teachers that have to drop one of the two kids they foster when the financial requirements to foster raise and decide that Bradley is going to be that kid.

No one ever even thinks about adopting him. He's got good grades and stays on top of school, but that's about what is going well in his life. Some families he's with are average - they let him be and maybe don't care as much for anything that involves him as long it doesn't stir trouble at the fostering agency and Bradley is healthy and safe. Some families are worse - sometimes he is one of the five kids and is expected to stay and be a live-in nanny, sometimes they're only doing it for the money and he has barely anything, barely any food, barely any attention, barely any clothes, barely any school supplies, just so he doesn't cost too much. Sometimes, things get physical - it happens less, the taller he gets and by the time he starts fighting back, he has enough reputation that no one believes it and no one wants to foster him anymore. And group home it is.

By the time he's seventeen, he's enlisted. Just so he leaves the system as fast as he can. It all works out because the Navy fits the bill for his university and NROTC when the time comes - even if he's told he's not a good candidate for the USNA, even if he was told his grades and his achievements should be more than enough, even if despite the circumstances, he managed to meet the same requirements.

Finding out that it was Pete 'Maverick' Mitchell who protested his application and pulled the plug on it is Bradley's second heartbreak.

Bradley bites down any complaints he has about life and enters UVA at 21, with a military scholarship and NROTC bursary. At that point, he doesn't even know if he still wants to go into aviation, it brings so much bitterness in him. But then his grades and his overall achievement are so good, everyone says it'd be a waste if he didn't go to one of the most competitive pipelines. The Navy pays for his private pilot licence when he hesitates, and sure enough, it does feel good.

The pipeline is where he meets Jake Seresin. Jake Seresin, who has two brothers and two sisters and who has jars of homemade jam and chocolate-covered plums sent in a little package from his mom at least once a month. Jake Seresin, who uses all his leave to attend weddings, holiday parties, birthday parties, even a dog's funeral. Jake Seresin, who comes from every Thanksgiving with spare pumpkin pie, who has a new handmade Christmas sweater every year.

Jake Seresin, who, for some reason not known to Bradley, is impressed with how effortless learning to fly is for Bradley, with how much Bradley knows, with how much he leads in the lectures and the flight lessons - most guys find Bradley annoying and cold and Bradley would've agreed with them if any said it to his face. The Navy is the only good thing Bradley's had since his mom died, he has much more time to focus on being good at whatever Navy throws at him and maybe that makes him strange and aloof. But not Jake.

Jake Seresin, who is a competitive asshole that can't shut his mouth for his own good. Who has no idea of personal space, who fills the silence better than a jukebox, who will drill and drill the topic until he gets an answer he can comprehend, who doesn't care what people think of him as long as he knows his worth.

Bradley might have a bit of a crush on him, but it's an annoying crush kind of crush - one he doesn't really want to have, one he doesn't really know what to do with. Jake Seresin, who probably would never look at Bradley twice, especially in that way.

They get separate F-18 training bases and Bradley forgets for a moment Jake Seresin ever existed.

Then, summer of 2011, Jake Seresin gets restationed, right into Bradley's squadron. And he's still his annoying self, inserting himself into Bradley's private space, private time, and doesn't let Bradley have a say in it, at all.

Maybe Bradley doesn't want to have any say in it, deep down.

A few months later, DADT gets repealed. It doesn't change much for Bradley, he's not going to talk to anyone about his personal life. But it seems it changes something for Jake.

Because he asks Bradley out on a date.

Bradley's never really dated. Didn't really have the time to when he was a teenager, moved so many times, and then he enlisted, and then he was in college and NROTC. He slept with people, but he's never dated anyone.

So he gets to know Jake Seresin. Jake Seresin, who despite bringing all that food back with him any time he visits his parents, can't cook at all and who would hang onto Bradley's arm or shoulders whenever Bradley cooked. Who can sew so well that he saves all of Bradley's old shirts. Who can't keep his mouth shut, no matter the circumstances - not in the theatre, not when they eat, not when they just watch a movie at home, not even in bed. Who seems to know every single tune under the sun but can't play a single instrument. Who has elaborate, detailed plans for his life - an admiral by forty, two kids by thirty-five, a nice little house in driving distance to some body of water, a German shepherd or a border collie for a family dog once the house is there, a personal two or maybe four-person plane by the time he's forty-five, maybe co-owning aeroclub by fifty.

Bradley's never before thought about the future.

He never tells Jake even half of the things he's seen and lived through when he was in foster care, never tells him about his pulled application from USNA, never tells him about Mav. He doesn't think Jake would be able to understand, the way his family seems perfect and loving and caring. He doesn't want him to know how many things is wrong with him.

But Jake knows he's got no family, that his dad died in the Navy, his mom when he started middle school, that he's been in foster care for all his teenage years. Knows that Bradley has no one to come back home.

"Don't be a fool, sweetheart," is what Jake tells him. "You've got me."

For the first time in his life at the age of 29, Bradley requests Christmas leave.

Bradley's never had a big family, but there was a time he once had a family - or so he thought, when he was twelve and the illusion shattered - so he thought he'd be okay.

And at first, he is fine. Jake rotates him around like a prize piece, introducing him to his siblings, parents, aunts, uncles, nephews, cousins, grandparents, but it's just two or three people at once. Whenever it seems like too much, Bradley drifts away to the kitchen where he can just stay silent and listen to Jake's mom talk to the various people that come by while he slices homemade ham or he steps out onto the backyard and talks to the kids of all the ages gathered around the makeshift playground.

But then they're right before dinner starts - there are over thirty people in the open space of the house, now that everyone arrived, and Bradley feels hot, suffocating in the crowded space, in the clutter of gifts and food and colorful Christmas sweaters.

And then, before he can take any of it in, he hears Jake, saying in his typical loud and teasing tone, that Bradley can play the piano, and look at that, he could play something Christmas-y before the turkey is done, and next thing he knows, there's over thirty pairs of eyes on him and plenty of people asking questions and making teasing remarks and it all seems so tricky--

He can't imagine himself, in that room, with all those people, feeling comfortable. So he walks out.

Bradley doesn't know how to be a part of a family. There's no reason to try and lie to himself and everyone else.

They don't see each other for years after. The next time they do, it's only the eight weeks at Top Gun. The Jake that Bradley knew isn't there - this Jake is bitter and sarcastic and sharp with his tongue. This Jake wins Top Gun and never looks back at Bradley when he returns to his station base.

The next time they see each other is at the Top Gun recall when Bradley is going through a life roller coaster.

Not only is Jake being the biggest ass not just to him but to everyone, for the first time in twenty years, Bradley sees Mav. Sure, maybe he's not moved on from Jake - he still remains the only person Bradley ever dated - but he's managed to dodge Maverick, and Iceman by association, in all those years he's been in the Navy and now he's forced to pretend all is fine.

And Maverick doesn't make it easier.

He tries to approach Bradley like they're long-lost friends, saying all those things about how he missed him and how Bradley looks so much like his dad. Like he didn't leave him in the foster system when he was a kid and didn't fuck up his application for USNA.

So he pretends he doesn't remember Maverick because that's the easiest given that Maverick is supposed to train him.

On top of that, Jake mixes himself up into Bradley's shit life situation when he overhears Mav trying to get Bradley to 'remember' and 'renew their relationship' and keeps pestering Bradley. Maybe he can tell you more about your childhood, why the hell are you so rude to him, he wouldn't make up knowing you, you know, maybe he's got some of your parents' stuff and can share---

And hearing the love of his life that he let get away because Bradley didn't know how to be part of his family side with the first person that told Bradley he's not enough to be someone's family - well, it's not exactly helping the state of Bradley'e mental being.

So maybe he explodes at Jake, a little bit, in the end. You want to talk to the man who left me behind when I was twelve and the only time he looked back was to tell me he didn't think I was good enough? Then so be fucking it.

Instead of butting into Bradley's life, Jake shuts up and starts avoiding him. Bradley supposes he has what he wanted.

Bradley doesn't care what Maverick thinks or if he changed or if he wants something from Bradley.

He still turns around when he's shot down. It's not like he's got someone to come back to anyway. Not because he cares about Maverick.

"I'm not you," Bradley tells Mav. "I don't leave people behind."

The admittance - that he knows and remembers Mav and wants nothing to do with him, wants to be nothing like him - works. They survive and Bradley doesn't see Maverick again, not when they're in the med bay, not when they're in the hospital in San Diego, not when he gets discharged.

He sees Jake instead, waiting on him at the reception of the unit he had been on, patiently waiting for Bradley to sign his discharge papers without using his broken wrist.

"What, do you have someone else to take your broken ass home?"

In truth, Bradley was just going to take a taxi. Instead, Jake takes the plastic bag with Bradley's clothes and silently leads them to his truck before he asks for Bradley's address.

And in all this mess, the first thing Jake asks him is, "Are you going to stay in San Diego?" because they have the offer to stay there and make their place in Top Gun-adjacent brand new squadron.

"No, I'm going to go back to my base," Bradley tells him. There's nothing for him San Diego, but there's plenty for Jake and he doesn't want to be a barrier.

"I think you should stay in San Diego. With me."

He wishes it was that simple but the truth is, Bradley is still the same.

"I can't be the person you want to have in your life."

"But you already are the person I want in my life."

"I think this is going to end up badly."

"Only if you let it."

Bradley's never really could say no to Jake.

It all seems so easy, when he falls asleep on Jake's shoulder watching Top Gear, but at some point, Bradley knows, they will get to the point when it'll all crush again.

There is also the whole thing with Maverick, their now CO, who appears to be some kind of ashamed now that he finally knows that Bradley remembers what he did - or rather what he didn't do. He avoids Bradley like the plague and it seems to be affecting the squad - because they all love Maverick and Bradley is the weirdo who can't have fun or be friendly. He's just waiting on someone to call him out as the party pooper contrasting to their fun CO and deem the problem, as always, just because he can't pretend to be happy to be around him.

Jake hasn't said anything about the Maverick thing explicitly but he gives Bradley those looks whenever Maverick is nearby and sometimes he makes those quips

[sharkie06]

༄ Happy Birthday Dixon

Pairing: Daryl Dixon x fem!reader

Genre: fluff

Warnings: some violence & risk of death (walker attack), mentions of weapons,

Background Info: Y/N had been traveling with Daryl and the group since Atlanta, and before that she lived in the same trailer park as Daryl and his brother. This work is taking place during the prison era, shortly after they took in people from Woodbury and before the outbreak happened.

A/N: aaaaaaaa Happy Birthday Norman Reedus!!! Wasn’t quite sure what to do to start up my works on this account but wanted to do something for his birthday so figured I’d do a little oneshot! I enjoyed writing this and hope people enjoy reading it :)

The day starts out like normal; rousing yourself from the cot in your cell. You get up and tug your faded green denim shorts on, pulling on a beige long-sleeved shirt with a v-shaped neckline over your white tank top. You run your fingers through your hair to try and detangle it a bit before you head out to see the others, then turn and pick up your knife and gun, sliding them both into their holsters on either of your hips before slipping on your boots and heading out.

To nobody’s surprise, Rick is already up and looks to be getting ready for a perimeter check with Glenn, the two of them waving slightly in greeting as you pass them on your way to the exit door. You find Beth on the stairs with baby Judith, going and stopping beside her. “How’s she doin’?” Your voice is soft and curious as you ask Beth, reaching over to gently play with one of the baby’s hands. “She’s alright, but Rick says she was fussin’ all night. She needs more formula too, we’re running out pretty quick.” Beth responds, bouncing the baby slightly in her arms, to which Judith lets out a small giggle. Both of you pause, as does Rick before he comes over in quick strides, a hesitant smile on his face. You reach over and gently tickle the baby until her giggles ring throughout the cell block, Maggie and Carl each coming to the doorways of their cells to look over.

You hear soft footsteps behind you and turn to look up the stairs, seeing Daryl there watching as well, having come out of the guard tower where he spends most nights. Carefully standing back up, you make your way up to him and the two of you discuss the run you planned on going on today. “Judith needs more formula, and I wanna try ‘nd see if I can find some new clothes for everyone. We got what’s on our backs and maybe a few other shirts or pants but most of it’s gettin’ pretty ripped up and stained.” You speak softly, keeping the conversation between you and Daryl as you both watch the others start their day as well. You hear him grunt softly from beside you, nodding in agreement with your words.

Hours later, when the sun is high in the sky, you and Daryl head out on his bike to find supplies. The two of you make your way to an old strip mall he had found a few days prior and he parks his bike, covering it with some shrubbery and hiding it once you both hop off of it. You wait patiently for him before the pair of you head into the first building, a pharmacy that you clear out pretty quickly and find some unused antibiotics and bandages behind the counter. The next building is empty and seems to have been an old small grocery store, so it doesn’t take too long before Daryl finds some containers of formula for Judith, shoving them into his pack carefully before you make your way to the following store.

The next one seems to have been an old ammunitions store, which of course has mostly been picked over. Daryl does manage to find some more arrows for his crossbow, and you find some comic books behind the counter, stuffing them into your pack for Carl. As you walk out of the store and up to the next one, you look to Daryl, “We can probably split up for these last two; haven’t run into anything yet and we’ll be within shoutin’ distance.” He looks uneasy but he hesitantly nods, heading over to the next, and the last, store in the row. Meanwhile you head into the one you had stopped in front of; an old clothing store.

You carefully make your way through the aisles, doing a quick sweep of the place before grabbing a plastic basket and heading over to the mens’ clothing section. It had been a while since you’d gone clothing shopping, even before the apocalypse sent the world into chaos. But you still remember what size clothes Daryl wears, so you make a beeline straight for it. He’d never been big on fashion, but you’d been counting the days and marking them in your handheld journal, and you were sure today was his birthday. Daryl had always been a difficult man to shop for, but you had found what was practically a jackpot the other day at a convenience store; a near-fully stocked shelf of his favorite cigarettes, and a lighter that miraculously still worked.

So, you figured you could also find him some fresh clothes, since nowadays he was getting pretty grimy, but trying to convince him to shower at the prison in the community showers was like pulling teeth, though he always ended up taking one with enough pestering from her. He always mentioned that he didn’t like the idea of being so vulnerable with his back turned to any possible danger. You’d mentioned time and time again that nobody there would pose a threat to him, but he was just as stubborn and determined as he had been when they were kids. Returning your attention to the clothing, you find a solid black tshirt and a dark grey, slightly textured long-sleeve shirt, both in his size and in good condition, so they both go in your basket.

Moving over to the pants, you’re able to find a pair of jeans for him that are in pretty good condition, which also go into your basket. You go around the store, picking up items of clothing here and there, first for Daryl but then also for yourself, even finding a new top for Beth and a sweater for Maggie. You make your way over to the coats and jackets section and set down your basket to go through the racks, when suddenly a walker comes out between the clothes, knocking over the rack on top of you and trying desperately to get at you. You can feel its fingers digging at your legs and your side, trying to break skin as you push at the metal rack, using it to try and push the walker back, unable to reach for your knife or your gun.

The blood is rushing in your ears, muffling all the sounds around you as the adrenaline pumps through your veins. Suddenly, you remember Daryl, starting to yell for him, kicking and screaming as the walker on top of the bar is suddenly joined by a second, it taking all of your strength to keep them pushed up and away from you. Then you hear running footsteps and seconds later one of the walkers is shot through the top of it’s skull with an arrow, the other being yanked off of you by Daryl as you quickly squirm out from beneath the bar, grabbing your basket of clothes and a coat you had been eyeing as he swiftly and easily takes down the walker.

More walkers burst through a closet doorway in the back of the store and you and Daryl waste no time leaving the store, clothes and both your packs in your possession as Daryl retrieves his bike and the two of you head back to the prison.

Later that night, you’re both back at the prison and Daryl has retired to the guard tower for the night. It takes longer than you’d like to admit to find something to wrap up the things you’d gotten him, but you eventually find some newspapers and old rope and wrap up the cigarettes and the new clothes. You make your way through the cell block, dropping off Judith’s formula in Rick’s cell and bringing a fresh bottle to Beth to feed her, then you head up the stairs to the guard tower.

When you get to the door, you see Daryl sitting on his cot. He’s cleaning his crossbow, looking freshly showered with his hair still slightly dripping water. You observe him for a moment, lit up slightly by the few candles on the windowsills in every wall of the tower. It’s moments like this where you’re reminded of your life before the world went to shit; when you and Daryl could go out in your dad’s truck and just escape for a few hours, be together away from your fathers and Daryl’s brother.

You knock lightly on the doorway, Daryl’s eyes flitting to you and wordlessly inviting you in with a soft grunt and a tilt of his head. You walk over and sit beside him on the cot, his attention caught momentarily by the newspaper-wrapped package now resting in your lap. “Wha’s tha’?” He questions quietly, still cleaning his crossbow. “It’s your birthday present, Dixon.” You speak softly, his eyebrows drawing together slightly in confusion and surprise as he sets down his weapon, accepting the package when you hand it over.

“Didn’t know ya were keepin’ track.” Daryl speaks softly as he unwraps the newspaper, chuckling softly at the packs of cigarettes before unfolding the clothing to look at it. “What’s wrong with ma’ clothes?” He questions, giving you a slightly offended glance. You smile a bit, patting his shoulder gently as you pull the lighter out of your pocket and hand it over to him as you speak, “Nothin’. Nothin’s wrong with your clothes, just figured it’s easier for the days I do the wash, for you to have something else to wear. Y’know, since we’re finally starting to… settle in here.”

Daryl turns to look at her, visibly fighting back his own smile as he stands up, tugging off his tshirt to try on the new long-sleeved shirt she had gotten him. He speaks softly again as she stands up to gently fix his hair, “Settlin’ in? I think I like the sound of that.”

[deeplyshalllow]

Do the gale force soldiers witness Fiyero’s transformation? Or do they leave him tied up and come back for Torture part 2: For Bad in the morning/after a coffee break then panic because

a. someone’s obviously used the clothes of their mostly dead ex-captain to make a creepy scarecrow decoy, suggesting the real Fiyero has miraculously escaped in his underwear,

b. they believe they’ve forgotten where they put him, because there are so many other scarecrows (a frankly ridiculous amount!) already in that cornfield, Fiyero’s body blends right in and it takes all day to check them all and come up unnervingly empty. (Oops! All scarecrows!) Prompting the soldiers to check them all again and again “How could you forget?” “Why did you have to tie a sack over his very recognisable face?” “You told me to?!” “Stop gaslighting me!” Etc

c. free space

d. they did see the transformation and it terrified them so much they scarpered to the nearest pub and drank to forget

a.a. they assume Elphaba has taken their dead guy, wholesale, “What do you even do with a dead prince?” “Bury him I guess,” “Use his bones for evil spells,” “I would put the dead prince in an ornately crafted glass coffin in the woods, so that the Winkies and woodland Animals can pay their respects and gaze upon his beautiful face.” … “Except we beat his face up.” “Yeah we beat his face up.”

I’m suffering the thought equivalent of zoomies I’m so so sorry

Loolll Firstly I got a good chuckle out of Torture part 2: For Bad, so thank you for that!

Honestly I've always thought option D - that they did see his transformation for several reasons:

They're supposed to torture Fiyero "until he tells us where the witch went" and (despite the fact that they do know where Elphaba is by March of the Witch Hunters - I think she's beyond being subtle at that point, and she does have good defences) I just can't believe Fiyero would ever tell them, he'd die first. So I do not think they are done with the torturing when he's transformed.

You have to remember that these are Fiyero's men. Guards who have worked under Fiyero, probably considered him a friend, and all along he has been betraying them and working for the Witch. They are probably not the most pleasant people in the first place and they are angry. I don't think any of them are giving up for a coffee break until he's done what they want and is dead

I actually think she casts the spell pretty fast? Like wishing for his flesh not to be torn and to not be feeling pain when he's beaten, is going to be pretty redundant more than 10 minutes after Fiyero has been captured (like it's obviously long enough for there to be some possibility for him to be "already dead or bleeding" but there's also a chance of his survival)? I imagine she got to the nearest safe place and cast. And Elphaba doesn't even cast the spell for that long before giving up and falling into despair so yeah, I imagine the men see it

They would want the body. There's a lot of power displaying tortured Fiyero to Oz whether it be "look what the Witch did to our beloved Prince" or "look what happens to traitors" it sends a message to the Ozians. I can't imagine them going without it if they can help it (and the fact they do come back empty handed and presumably lie about what happened to Morrible, can't have impressed her much)

Why doesn't the scarecrow get caught later then? I imagine the guards still don't necessarily know he's turned into a scarecrow - I imagine they ran away the moment the freaky magic started happening (and again, lied about the success of their murder when questioned by their superiors). There's also a non zero chance that, when they were taking a stiff drink after it all, Elphaba all "no good deed will i do again" returned to the field, found no Fiyero and the guards drinking (she presumes in celebration) and just burnt them all to death.

Thanks for the question! It was fun to specuate!

[flowersforthemachines]

Wip Wednesday (featuring post-canon Rookanis divorcees)

Recently got into thinking about all the ways Rook and Lucanis could burn and crash post-canon. And also of Lucanis's banter about putting Wardens out of their misery at the end of their Calling at their requests. And so the idea of him agreeing to do the same for Rook despite them not seeing each other for a while was born.

(Bellara is there because I have a headcanon of blighted!Bellara joining the Wardens after the events of the game. if you get it you get it)

“How did you know I was there?” he asked. “In the Eluvian room.” “Oh, I didn't know it was you, precisely," Bellara replied. "But I felt the Eluvian’s magic so I knew there'd have to be someone. Like a guest.” “Or an assassin.”  “We haven't had those in a few years,” she laughed. “Which is good. I don't miss almost getting stabbed. Or poisoned.” Lucanis, if I can have one last request: please make our break-up at least somewhat public among the Crows. I've had too many dealings with assassins who want to get at the First Talon through me.  “And they kept spooking the griffons.” Bellara scoffed.  “How are the griffons these days, by the way?” he asked.  Why. Won't you. Ask about. Rook?  “Good. Better. Bigger. You can't believe how big they can grow until you see it. I'm not sure if even I believe that, and I've been here the entire time.” He couldn't pay any mind to the halls they walked through — his concentration worked only to keep himself together. All he could do was walk forward. It felt like the tiniest slip could be his undoing.   “And how are the Crows?” Bellara asked in a way that begged to fill the silence.  “Betrayal, succession feuds, assassination. You know, the usual.” “I don't think it's usual,” she mused. “Not for most of the world anyway.” Ask. Her. About— “How’s Rook?” The words burst out of him like a dog breaking off a leash.  Bellara stopped.  “Bad.” Back turned towards him, she continued, “I almost said that you can imagine, but you can't, I guess. Not like I can. The Blight, it's… It's a lot. Too much by now. When it's over, it's… It will be a relief. For her.” She let out a shaky breath and turned around. “So thank you. For coming.” We. Will. Help.  “Death is my calling, after all,” he said. “It’s what I do best.”

[11queensupreme11]

Thou highest majesty of our own archives, I played my eyes upon your dutiful masterpiece nearing a year from today. Her highness Queen, I must add my admiration to your charismatic, most captivating, and thought capturing work. For I have never seen a piece of literature call out to me, like yours has done, may I speak of the story route, delightful. I was most pleased and impressed by the latest chapter, daddyseidon, was finally offered the fruit of his hard fought labor. The vultures around pecking on the fruits of his work, demanding their own sample. But he stood firm, his hand out held the might of time, but I fear it is now too late to turn back. For now, our lady Percilla, shall lock her mind to the tightest of Knox, may the fates be on his side. Precious Percy, what shall her husband and obsessive divorcee do next. I am anticipating a kidnapping, this one more grand and audacious, than all before. Now to speak of Ragnorok itself is blasphemy to Percy herself, but to understand and begin to undress the glory of your story one must speak of that dreaded tournament. May all of our suitors hold firm against death, I am also hoping for good news of the first man Adam’s fate.(Breaking character, please don’t kill daddy Adam, Percilla needs one father figure) Bug this one is losing hope day by day for Adam’s continued survival. I shall now attempt to surmise my passion for this series and my excitement for your reaction book, for I am sure the story will be as grand and exciting as all your other masterpieces. For as one of your loyal knights, I must pledge all loyalty towards thou, I, your holy knight pledge to stand by you, and your stories, for however long thou shall write. In short I bid the adieu.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I loved the latest chapter, DADDYSEIDON may not have been the first husband but he was the first to hit that. At the end of the day he’s winning, there’s the husband who can’t see his wife, the ex divorcee single dad, a pretty loser with no Percy privilege, an emo suicidee who can’t get over grief after thousands if not millions of years, and a Percy freak who kidnaps her and slept with a horse. Percy is 18😍 atleast she can tell herself that she didn’t sleep with someone until she was 18, but losing it on you birthday😬 Now speaking about Ragnorok, honestly, screw most of the human fighters, but don’t take daddy Adam, we need one healthy father figure, that won’t try and sleep with Percy. But I am loving this series, chefs kiss, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for any updates on the beginning of you reaction fic, but this is Adieu

omg u calling anubis a divorcee just made me realize that PERCY is also a divorcee 😂 she got married twice and divorced once ALL AT AGE SEVENTEEN LMAO 😭😭😭😭

i won't say anything about the fates of the human fighters (or the fates of the yans hehe), but ADAM...... omggggg.... i just recently wrote a chapter about him and omggggg that's FATHER 😭💖💖💖💖💖💖💖

there's so much i wanna say about what i have written for percy and adam so far BUT I DON'T WANNA SPOIL ASDFSHG 😞😞

[brunosaderogatory]

Hello.

So... What do you think of Daniela and/or Lorenzo?

Hello, and oh buddy don't get me STARTED /ref

Honestly, I do not know where to begin with these two. I love them. I hate them. I want to keep them in a controlled environment so I could conduct a study of them with a little microscope and also squeeze them until their eyeballs pop out as if they were a pair of Panic Petes. In other words, I like them a lot as characters in a narrative and characters in a world. My opinion of them as people differs from minute to minute, but that is because they reflect the morally ambiguous, and sometimes outright cruel--but equally often loving--world in which they exist.

That being said:

At first, Lorenzo seems to be a very two-dimensional character. He's just a goofy dad who is more concerned with his avocations than he is with his son or wife, a painfully overdone trope in the world of children's cinema, but a few key details (and a bit of useful input from Enrico Casarosa) reveal something more.

For starters, Lorenzo is a lot like Luca. Rather, he is Luca---or who Luca could have very easily become. Lorenzo is meek and lets his wife take the reigns when the situation gets tough. Lorenzo is often off in his own little world, not paying much attention to anything but his own interests and inclinations. Lorenzo is kind-hearted and seems to want change, but is too burdened by his own anxieties or past failures to work up the courage again. And, I do say "again" because the search for his son was not the first time Lorenzo was on the surface.

His older brother (and possibly twin) Ugo was not the only one in their family to have explored the surface world before; Lorenzo was, most likely, right along beside him. Now, we don't know what exactly happened that resulted in Lorenzo's parents sending Ugo to the deep nor Lorenzo to stop trying to get a taste of the human way of life, but Ugo was sent. And Lorenzo did stop. However, it is unlikely that any tragic event took place. Rather, I believe the conclusion to Lorenzo's explorations happened out of conformity to the rules and traditions of his culture because Lorenzo never once spoke ill of humans.

Daniela calls them bloodthirsty lunatics. She insists that Luca has a death wish, and, very explicitly, she insinuates that he will die trying to hang with the humans. On the other hand, Lorenzo only gawks at his son's audacity and tenacity. Lorenzo even tries to reel in Daniela as she threatens Luca with a trip to the deep, but, of course, it is a fruitless attempt because he is meek. He does not have his son's tenacity nor his audacity---those traits were derived from Daniela alone. And this impotence serves as his most abhorrent attribute.

No, he's not doing anything wrong, but he's being a willful bystander. He's compliant with the evils, and, when it gets down to it, he backs them up! He makes no decision for himself, but when he does, he either chickens out of it at the last minute or doesn't know how to bounce back from a failure. Despite being fully aware of what the deep sea can do to a person--despite very likely disagreeing with his wife--he allows her to almost put their son, his son, in a situation that will inevitably, undeniably, deform (translucent skin, eroded teeth, discolored eyes, discolored fins) and disable (cardiovascular issues) him with time.

I'm glad he changed his side for the brighter half in the end, but I didn't see any actual change happen. He's still following his wife around from the looks of it, and that isn't what's needed for him to grow as a person and as a character. Although he's a three-dimensional character that appears to have only two, he's a static character that's been played off as a dynamic for far too long. He was a meek follower in the beginning, and he was a meek follower in the end. The only reason he came onto the good side of things is that the person he was following changed paths, and that isn't enough for me to truly like him (but it sure as hell does give me a lot to work with as a fanfic author, so thank you, Luca crew!).

Now, Daniela. When I think of Daniela, I think of a girl that (for lack of a better metaphor) was raised in a church who could have very well turned out queer, but due to the teachings she was fed---and possibly a very messy lesbian breakup---turned into a very, very hateful woman who, years down the line, rediscovered her bisexuality after the boy she was raising to be a goody-two-shoes, god-fearing, church-going fellow come out to her as vivaciously gay. That is to say, if it wasn't for Massimo, Daniela would be the most dynamic character in the movie. And if it weren't for Alberto, Daniela would be the most complex character in the movie. This is because, like her husband, Daniela tried out the surface life before, but unlike her husband, Daniela is a cruel, unjust force actively working to destroy her son's hopes and happiness at whatever cost necessary--even if it means her son's mental, social, and physical wellbeing. However, the force is derived of only love, fear, and care.

Just as it was in Lorenzo's case, but now far more severe, we lack explicit information about Daniela's past. All we have are the behaviors and beliefs displayed in the movie and information graciously given to us by Enrico Casarosa. These behaviors, beliefs, and Casarosa-given information are: having previously been to the human world; calling humans "bloodthirsty lunatics"; believing humans only go out on the waters for murder; understanding the motions made with a harpoon; attempting to send Luca to the Deep; waiting for Ugo to arrive rather than confronting Luca when she first notices his whereabouts; helicopter-parenting her son; being aware of Luca's interest in the surface/dissatisfaction with the sea; ensuring that Luca stays "safer than safe" while still letting him run off to Genova.

Given these, we can begin to piece together the picture: In her youth, Daniela adventured up to the surface and explored the human way of life, but something went wrong. She was caught in some dangerous situation that likely involved harpoons, or she bore witness to the same thing Luca did as he walked into Portorosso---the statues, the wanted posters, the carvings, the propaganda strewn about, adorning every angle of the town. Regardless, she became terribly fearful of humans and never returned to the surface again.

Unlike Lorenzo, Daniela is not simply abiding by the rules and traditions of their underwater society. Her evasion of humans is born of a completely justifiable fear. Humans hunted sea monsters. Humans put up wanted posters worth $4.5k in today's money for sea monsters captured, dead or alive, and fishermen armed with harpoons lined the waters for a children's race. I feel this is an often forgotten fact when the topic of Daniela's control over Luca comes up: Luca was in real, mortal danger going into Portorosso. Daniela might have been wrong to send Luca to the Deep, but from there, it becomes a discussion of which is worse: possible disability or possible death. Such a discourse grows even more complex when you call to mind that Daniela might not have even been aware of the physical and physiological changes the Deep has on a sea monster before Ugo's arrival.

Daniela's attempted actions are cruel, no doubt, but they are not at all unwarranted. She wants Luca, who she adores and deeply cares for, to be as safe as possible. If she has to be the bad guy to keep her son alive, then she will be the bad guy.

However, Daniela does not stay the bad guy. When she realizes Luca is safe in Portorosso (rather, when Portorosso becomes safe for Luca), she becomes open to the possibility of allowing him to continue living on the surface. She even, after a bit of convincing from Alberto and Libera, allows him to attend school in Genova for nine months out of the school year. At the end of the movie, she is assured of Luca's safety and the humans' ability to change for the better---to stop all the killing, hunting, and fear and begin a peaceful coexistence. This stability allows her to relinquish control over her son and support him in his dreams, even if it means she'll only see him in the summer months.

Daniela is an intensely dynamic and intensely complex character. She's a beautiful foil to her husband, and, quite frankly, I'm obsessed with her and desperately wish to see more of her growth and her past.

Also, Daniela and Lorenzo are peak malewife x girlboss material and I will not be hearing any slander toward their relationship. no idea how Lorenzo managed to bag her, but so glad he did. beautiful. love it. 10/10.

[achaotichuman]

OMG where have you been all this time?😭 People like you could have saved me from this series. I was introduced to the pro- fandom first and so I already had this impression on the characters. Then this Cassian walks in with his ‘I am an adorable goofball who doesn’t understand social cues but I have a heart of gold’ attitude and narrates their past. Then the Morrigan history. I WANTED TO CLAW MY EYES OUT. I was so lost, how can anyone think it’s normal? It’s not even a slow unpacking for people to build a barrier yet. I was hoping for his death at the end of WAR but that fucker survives. Then he gets worse and worse.

I honestly don’t care about the plot in these books really, a whole lot of faux women power and male ego and sword swinging which is tbf exhausting at this point. She found one formula that worked best the first time and she’s milking it. She knows her MMCs are more popular than her FMCs which is the saddest thing for a female author writing a female-centric books. But she doesn’t care, she actually is one of the groupies.

Feyre was her self-insert in TAR and her story was at the centre, not Tamlin. SJM was as neutral as a writer can be towards him. But her interests and love shifted to Rhysand and ever since the books have been about him rather than her FMCs. She retired Feyre so she can imprint on Nesta and even then, rhysand gets more attention than Feyre, who is Nesta’s sister, and it is their tumultuous relationship that apparently leads to SF.

The only comfort I have about Gwyriel is that they aren’t enemies as of now, they have childish banter and some understanding. So there wouldn’t be that heavy tension Feysand or Nessian had. So I’m hoping Gwyn won’t be traumatised for Azriel’s sad boy wallowing. But SJM won’t give up on violence and it’s concerning since both already have a terrible past.

I’d rather have Lucien happily prancing around in Spring all alone than him ending up with Elain😭 That man deserves some happiness and I KNOW how this is going to go down.

(P.S DID YOU SEE THE NERIS POST? DID YOU SEE THE NERIS POST? TELL ME YOU SAW THE NERIS POST!!)

Well this took me forever to respond to, I am very sorry about that 😭

I get you with being introduced to the Pro-fandom first, I learned about ACOTAR through TikTok shortly after reading TOG, when I tell you I was *fanatic* for these series, I *loved* them. Dived right into the ACOTAR fandom, I knew the entire series plot like the back of my hand before I even read it, so there were no surprises for me when I read it. And whilst I was never 'anti Tamlin' at any point during my read, I was very pro IC for a while, then Silver Flames rolled around and I was like "Yah... fuck this." And I wrote my own fanfiction.

She found one formula that worked best the first time and she’s milking it.

Preach. SJM is praised continuously for being this super #feminist author, when in reality the themes of feminism in her book are extremely shallow and dependent on what her favourite MMC of the book is doing. There is going to be no reality in which the plot of the future books in this series get better, in fact, I suspect they will get far worse. ACOTAR, especially when compared to her other series, is a money maker. Shitty work that is low effort, that follows a specific formula that she is certain works. It's nothing more.

Entirely agree with you on SJM being at the very least neutral on Feyre and Tamlin's story until she fell in love with Rhysand, then she molded Feyre into an accessory of his. It's *especially* evident with Nesta, as you mentioned, Rhysand is still a focal point in Nesta's own story, despite her not liking him and having zero reason to like him. Their relationship, and 'hugging it out' at the end of Silver Flames is *incredibly* forced, Nesta just gave up everything for him after almost dying in the Blood Rite and the only connection she had with him or the IC before the Rite was them physically punishing her and wanting her dead. It was a cheap shot at creating a relationship for Rhysand and Nesta so SJM can fawn over him.

I definitely believe Gwynriel will be the least abusive of the three bat boys relationships, but I have no hope in Gwyn remaining an independent person, with a title of her own, forging her own path and healing on her own. I will bet two dollars at the end of this entire series, Gwyn, Nesta and Elain will all have babies, and ofc, Emerie being the only POC character will be forgotten about and maybe mentioned if we're lucky being seen alongside her shining, far far far more beautiful, definitely doesn't serve, no one knows why she choose her, girlfriend Morrigan.

I can't even with Elucien. I can only pray that SJM retcons Elain's shitty, shitty personality and she's not as much of an asshole in the Elucien arc, but I highly highly doubt it.

(YES YES I SAW THE NERIS POST, I DID I LOVED IT)

[necrotic-nephilim]

i think stephcass could have been potentially interesting if fandom let steph be herself and not ultimate uwu girl boss erasing all her negative traits. where is her jealousy? unhealthy obsession with her crush and complete lack of understanding of the concept of boundaries ESPECIALLY if that person is already dating someone? where is her almost manic urge to push away other potential love interests (and at this point i realized she would NOT have been so chill with ives if tim had come out much earlier yikes)

BIG AGREE OH MY GOD YOU PUT IT INTO WORDS.

because i love TimSteph for the reasons you listed!! there's something very unhealthy and teen girl-ish in the way Steph approaches relationships. she's angrily jealous and she thinks about Tim in a possessive way. like she is just so consumed by him and it's meant to be male comic writers writing how they think teen girls write about boys in their diaries- but it comes off as incredibly toxic. it's one of her deepest character flaws and what endears me so much to 90s Steph. she throws herself so deeply into romance when she has it, like she's afraid if she lets go of it for even a second it's going to leave her. and god forbid you be the person she falls for bc you will never maintain a healthy relationship with someone she views as competition, she *will* sabotage it. and to me these are all pros of her character. i *like* seeing how vigilantes struggle to maintain normal relationships- *especially* teenage vigilantes. Steph struggles to balance her "regular" life with being Spoiler and what things deserve a Stephanie Brown reaction and what things deserve a Spoiler reaction. and when she's dating, it's almost *always* going to be a Spoiler reaction and she shades her relationships through that lense. it's why civilian partners for Steph never really interest me. (besides the fact they always feel forced and clunky, like Steph's recent think with Maps' older brother?) it doesn't explore the way Steph loves to her fullest extent and how far she goes when she's into someone. there's no sweet puppy love for Steph, when she's all in, she's *all* in. she will do what she thinks is best for Tim oftentimes by her own will without his knowledge or approval, and sometimes massively fucks things up for him. bc she's just so wrapped up in what she believes is best, consequences are secondary.

and sure, she maintains healthy friendships. bc most fodder with StephCass is very healthy and soft. bc it's a *friendship*. and it changes radically when Steph is involved romantically. it's why there's such a difference in how Steph regards Tim when they're just friends as to when they were dating. she loves him and he's always going to be important, but that obsessive passion isn't what drives them anymore. so it's something you have to consider with *any* Steph ship in which it's a character she's had a friendship with- that how she interacts with them as a friend doesn't necessarily inform how she'd regard them as a lover. and that's the issue with StephCass. even the StephCass content that *is* comics informed (tho, a lot of it isn't and while i don't think fanon needs to be based on the comics to be good, i do think Steph and Cass are difficult characters to tackle if you aren't at least semi-familiar with their canon content bc of how warped they are in the fandom-) comes off with such a rose-colored lense that sours it for me. hell, even on Cass' side, things she's *canonically* done have been weird and obsessive about Steph. but that's never explored.

(tbh dare i say it's something to do with the phenomena in fandom that yuri is morally pure and perfect and yaoi is always dirty and bad- there's this almost sanitizing of sapphic ships sometimes to make them perfect and cute together and while i'm not here to yuck someone else's yum, i do think it's *telling* that women in fandom never get to explore the complex depths of unhealthy and toxic love in the way men do bc if you make a woman evil, it's misogyny. if you sexualize a woman too much it's misogyny. if you write her doing morally fucked up things even with the understanding it is her canon character, it's misogyny and you're villainizing her. i can sit here and say Tim is canonically shitty at relationships and ppl will not. if i say the same about Steph, then i'm critiquing a woman and holding her to an unfair standard. it's exhausting. it feels like StephCass only ever exists to depict Steph and Cass as morally pure and in love angels kissing in the background while the men get to do complex and nuanced and fun things in the foreground. this thought has probably been far more explored by others with more developed nuance on it, but i just wanted to point it out bc it's a very real thing i keep seeing *especially* in the Batfam fandom-)

and equally i think Cass' reaction to this intensity and obsession from Steph could be interesting. Cass historically has had poor reactions to knowing everyone is attracted to her and thinking about her, so that level of intensity i think could cause some negative reactions out of Cass that would add some very layered conflict to the ship. some of Steph's most negative traits *do* clash with Cass' wants and needs. it makes the ship more fun! it puts Steph's flaws on display as well as Cass' flaws and her internal issues surrounding romance. StephCass could be so weird and fucked up. but it's been defanged by this fandom in a way that turns me off to it. i love both Steph and Cass and i love exploring sapphic Batfam ships, so it *should* work for me. but the irony of it being popular in anti spaces combined with no one being able to acknowledge the flaws either of these characters have for the sake of making them kiss just. bores me and it's sucked any interest i could have out of it. bc god forbid women just be a little fucked up. </3

[neonhellscape]

new rt everyone shes a freak whos pretty sure shes been been given the role of rogue trader as an act of divine intervention to eventually replace the godemperor and bring new glory to the imperium which she thinks is dull and stagnant. dont worry about why she keeps marazhai caged in her trophy room like he's bait its not important and completely irrelevant to the fact ive joke nicknamed her simon thresh. has anyone noticed a lot of slaaneshi demons during warp jumps lately

[cuteniarose]

Me: *creates an OC*

Me: *heavily implies OC will meet a bad fate*

OC: *meets bad fate*

Me:

(Alternatively, I may have started it, but @katkastrofa enabled me and now I’m losing my mind)

[tenwhiteandalusians]

and then no one said anything about the fact that if i watched ONE MORE episode tenax pulls a "i'm not angry i'm just disappointed i'm hurt" about scorpus signing with the white faction.

[marklikely]

i feel like im never going to be fully satisfied by any saw sequel (or the fanbase for that matter) bc i dont think the majority of ppl involved read jigsaw the same way i did.

[pentaghast]

hmmhmhm trying to decide how long roan wouldve known gortash bc i want to know if they knew about karlach

[ragsy]

MOTW NPC Rach Lombardi, Mark's toxic ex who got ripped to shreds by dogman and then whose revenant ghost latched onto someone else who was on their own dogman revenge quest (player character Tatara)

she's fun.

[nomaishuttle]

literally consumed by thoughts abt my freaks .

[the-girl-from-another-time]

To preface this I do see and appreciate the homoeroticism of Glinda and Elphaba’s relationship, but that being said, I’m noticing a phenomenon of people who’ve seen the movie but not the full show saying “Glinda and Elphie are obviously gay, and also Fiyero is lame and unnecessary.” For one thing, those opinions on Fiyero will likely change after Part 2 comes out because he is both important and awesome, but also? I really do love Glinda and her bond with Elphaba, but quite frankly I don’t think she deserves Elphie. Glinda’s biggest flaw is her cowardice (and even that isn’t fair, because she’s in a tough situation and her survival mode is to work within the system as best she can), and Act 2 proves she simply won’t take the same risks that Fiyero will for Elphie until it’s too late. Fiyero is brave and devoted to Elphie in ways Glinda isn’t (even when she wants to be). Glinda isn’t the one who sacrifices everything she’s ever known and nearly gets tortured to death to protect Elphaba. Not to mention that Elphaba’s fighting spirit and willingness to speak up are matched in Fiyero. AND the way the theme of finding not just worth but beauty in “unattractive” people comes full circle with Elphie and Fiyero. Just. End me now. They make me INSANE. It isn’t until after Elphaba’s apparent death that Glinda’s bravery really shines. The end of the show is basically Glinda acknowledging she should’ve done better and promising she WILL do better, she will be Glinda “The Good,” all thanks to what she’s learned from Elphaba. It’s kind of the point that Glinda wasn’t perfect for Elphie (and that’s okay, because their relationship was beautiful and profound anyway). I’m so excited to see movie fans experience this ride once Part 2 comes out.