#something something two sides of the same coin

[rottenherbs]

Your Champion // C.D x Potter! Reader

Request: hello, can i have a Cedric Diggory request where the reader is Harry's sister (they are the same age). They meet at the quidditch world cup and immediately hit it off. Harry is very protective of her and disapproves of her dating Cedric but then he saves her during the second task?

Word Count: 2.7k

Author's Note: HERMIONE WING WOMAN! This was a good challenge for me! I hope I wrote Cedric well :) I apologize I skipped the Yule ball, i feel if they went together it wouldn’t make sense for the request plotline, and I already have been writing this for too long. —

[mastserlist]

Much Love, Saige

———-

Being a fan of the Bulgarian Quidditch team in the Weasley house was no small feat. It was undeniable that they had such a warm and inviting nature, especially allowing you and your brother to stay at their home over breaks, but conversations became quite pointed once the world cup came around.

The house was so starkly pro-Ireland it astonished you. Luckily Ron and Ginny both had some sense in them and wore their red and black proudly alongside you and Harry. Fred and George on the other hand practically questioned your every move, seeing your allegiance to their rivaling team sparked insidious competition.

“For the last time, I am NOT gambling with you.” You whispered starkly. The whole Weasley family was walking their way through the forest. Fred and George flanked either side of you, far enough away from their father who was oblivious to their antics.

“We're not asking for galleons here-” Fred started.

”Yeah, perhaps just a couple knuts or sickle if you can spare.” George finished, wagging his eyebrows jokingly. “Why.. .dont think you’ll win eh?”

You just sighed, not knowing how far you all still had to travel, you shoved your hand in your pocket digging around for any loose change that would shut them up. Once you removed your hand, both twins shot their fists in the air, happy to see their egging finally broke you into having a little fun.

“We thank you for your business.” Fred chirped, sliding the coins into his own pocket, while revealing a small notebook, swiftly writing down your contribution.

“And you won't regret it!” George slurred, both of them jogging up to their next unsuspecting victims, Ron and Hermione.

You rolled your eyes, annoyed by their brotherly love, but also feeling deep admiration for the day set ahead of you.

It had to have been an hour or two when the scenery ahead widened into a beautiful hilltop. Still quite a ways away, everyone’s attention was focused on something else coming from just over the horizon.

Two figures came into view, one much taller than the other, both waving their arms beckoning the group to come over. Either parties walked briskly to each other, meeting just at the base of the hill. After a moment it became acutely aware to you who they were before Mr.Weasley introduced the groups.

Your attention couldn’t help itself, glancing ever so often at the boy, charmed by how he carried himself, his brown hair lit by the morning glow. Hermione nudged your shoulder, smirking at her feet. Both of you giggled to yourself, the special bond of your friendship could say everything without having to say a word at all.

Like most girls at Hogwarts, you knew of Cedric Diggory; The hufflepuff king. He was known for his academic knowledge and superb quidditch skill, and most of all his popularity amongst anyone who laid eyes on him —

but he wasn't popular like Draco… no, not at all.

He was known for the right reasons, his wit and ability to make friends with anyone was the reason he was so well known - not because of money or power or some evil greed.

You suddenly became nervous, hands clammy and unable to act normally.

Piling with Hermione as the adults chatted, both of you whispered to each other in the back of the pack.

“You know, I heard he liked someone in our grade-“ Hermione started, the sentence only making your stomach flutter.

”Please, we all know it's Cho,” you rebutted, trying to cover your distaste for the girl. You didn't have any serious issue with Cho, but a jealous streak flowed through you, a childlike pain of not being wanted by yet another one of your crushes.

“No no. I heard from Ernie that they both went on a study date and nothing happened. Like nothing.” Hermione whispered, biting her lip slightly at you. Her eyes were attempting to communicate to you, but all you could think about was the fact that it was clear you all were traveling to the game together, and the close proximity was inevitable.

You sucked your teeth at her, a small sound of annoyance yet acceptance as you nodded your head towards the group. The both of you looked up, seeing the group shift towards the hill, the Diggory’s making quick strides ahead.

For a second, Cedric turned, smiling deeply at your brother, smiling politely and making conversation, every so often looking around. You watched your brother curl his hands, laughing and bantering as best as he could before shoving his thumb over his shoulder and directing his attention towards you.

You were too far away to distinct what was being said, but you could decipher that he was (from afar) introducing Cedric to you, the words “sister”, “same age”, and “wicked smart” all following in quick succession. Your cheeks reddened, both you and Cedrics eyes meeting, a soft inviting smirk growing as he looked at you over his shoulder. Harry’s eyes followed between the two of you, suddenly aware of the implications and interests Cedric had in you. Though he thought little of it and changed the conversation.

Your heart fluttered once you got to the top of the hill, standing precariously close to Hermione and Ron, doing your best to focus on Mr.Weasley.

“Now, if everyone would please touch the boot.” He spoke, smiling from ear to ear. “Yes yes. Just a finger will do. Scoot close please.”

As all the children got close, you became shoulder to shoulder with others, your eyes fixated on the large mangy shoe in front of you. As you took a deep breath in, you looked up and locked eyes with Cedric, his face

“Hold on tight-“ Mr.Weasley shouted, everyone taking a deep breath in.

“THREE” Mr.Weasly started counting down.

“Hey-“ Cedric whispered, smiling softly at you.

”TWO!”

”Hi-“ you breathed out, feeling a warmth rush over you. He blinked slowly, licking his lip nonchalantly.

“ONE”

And with that, the world began to spin. Wind was blowing through your hair and eyes, shutting them out of fear. You couldn’t tell how high up you were or what was happening. You could hear small yelps from Hermione just next to you, your bodies colliding with each other as the air got colder.

“Let GO.” Mr.Weasley announced, his words cut through the wind easily, frightening your eyes open. Cedric and Mr.Diggory were missing, slowly one after another Fred and George let go, their bodies flying out of sight.

You took a breath in feeling zero sense of confidence in your actions and released your grip from the boot. The world continued to spin, your stomach and your heart felt to change places, your consciousness feeling something out of this world.

It only took a few seconds to get to the ground, an invisible net catching your body from slamming into the earth, holding you just a foot above the grass before dropping you roughly.

Harry landed just next to you a second later, the sight of his glasses hanging onto his face for dear life made you break into a deep guttural laugh. He looked at you through his disheveled hair, his hand swinging back to hit you playfully, slumping back into the ground to catch his breath.

Your attention was quickly diverted, Hermione’s hand pointing eagerly towards the sky.

Like out of a movie, Mr,Weaslys, Mr.Diggory, and Cedric were gliding on hair down to the ground.

”You’ve got to be joking.” Fred started, sitting up in the grass yanking his jacket over his shoulders.

”They didn't teach US that.” George rolled his eyes, running his hand through his hair.

Once Cedric landed, he adjusted his clothes quickly before making his way over to you and Hermione. His hand extended to you both, hoping to help you up. Hermione looked at you quickly, the excitement showing deliberately through her eyes.

She grabbed Cedric’s hand and helped herself up leaving you in the dust. Just behind Cedric she winked at you, turning to catch up with Ron and Harry. Cedric smiled, his hand still enveloped with you.

“Come on, they might leave us behind.” He smiled, tugging your arm lightly urging you up. You just nodded, feeling his strength pull you easily from the ground. Once to your feet, you brushed off the front of your pants, grass and rocks flinging from your clothes.

“Is my back bad?” You asked innocently, turning and facing your back towards Cedric. He was grateful you couldn't see his expression, his eyes tracing the outline of your body. There were dark dirt marks on your bottom and he wasn't sure how to tell you.

“It’s not.. well.” He coughed, clearing his throat. “Nothing that won't come out in the wash.” He laughed, your face dropping as your hands covered your butt, wiping it frantically.

“It’s that bad?!” You asked, realizing what you had just asked him to do. He shrugged, cocking his head to the side.

“Cedric!” Mr.Diggory yelled, catching both of you off guard. ”It’s time!” His father coxed you both over, the group now congregating a bit away leaving you alone at the top of the hill.

”Let the games begin-“

———

The events of the World Cup were memorable to say the least. You stayed close to your brother the entire night, fear filling your mind with each step. You tried your best to not show your fear going into your next year at Hogwarts, but you knew something would change, for better or for worse.

You prayed for a simple year, each being more laborious for Harry, seeing life not allow the young boy to grow and be a teenager. It hurt you, but it seemed to be going well… at least until the other schools showed up.

The prospect of the triwizard tournament bothered you to your core. Children, yes at least 17 years of age, but children nonetheless being thrown to the dogs for entertainment and forever glory to the school. It was insane!

But it only brought you and Cedric closer

———

“Dragons?” Cedric gasps. Both of you were hidden in the courtyard,

“Yes…Harry wanted to tell you, but his pride.. those damn buttons-“ You stunned, smacking his lapel as the button changed, clearly showing Potter Stinks glimmer in green. Cedric smirked, taking it off at once and holding it in his hand.

“It’s just house pride.” He snuffed, handing it over to you. “I know he didn’t put his name in, but no one else believes it. I’m sorry.” His words were soft yet firm. You hovered your hand over his before grabbing it, the proximity of his body became incredulously apparent to you; your lungs halting their movement.

You could’ve sworn he leaned in-

“Yes. Dragons” You cleared, looking up at the boy. His head was turned down towards you, his height staggering in comparison. He nodded, his soft brown eyes admiring you from his view.

He has been enamored with you ever since the summer. His mind raced with fear for your health and wellbeing the moment the warning shots went off. He selfishly deprecated his father and attempted to look for you, any trace of your presence in the fighting crowds would have eased his anxiety.

But he’d never tell you that. Not now.

“Each student will have a dragon and need to save the egg.” You sighed.

“Sounds invigorating.” Cedric beamed, leaning against the wall behind him running his hand through his hair.

“Sounds irresponsible” you choked.

“Oh please, y/n. They wouldn’t put us in a situation they couldn’t get us out of.” He smirked, watching you fuss with your fingers. He suddenly became aware of your anxieties, biting the side of your cheek, eyes fixated on the ground.

“Listen, darling,” Cedric started, pushing himself back from the wall, standing tall in a way to show his confidence. His arms held either side of you.

“I promise, nothing will happen to me, or your brother for that matter.” He leaned down, trying to lift your chin to look him in the eye.

“Okay?” He whispered, his eyes dancing between yours, the air suddenly becoming stiff.

“Okay.”

He wrapped you in a hug, swaying you back and forth casually.

“Chin up. I’ll put on a show.” He smiled, resting his chin on top of your head. You leaned your head tirelessly on his chest, the thumping of his heart gave you peace, but the thought of never feeling it again sent a new wave of shivers down your spine.

You attempted to gather your emotions, pulling back the tears, too embarrassed to cry in front of him.

“Please tell your brother thank you, and I’ll return the favor.”

———-

The first task came and went with utter success. With only minor cuts and scrapes, both Cedric and Harry had surpassed their dragons. And yes, you could admit Cedric put on a show.

The second task continued around the corner. To the surprise of no one, the confusion of the golden egg stumped each champion.

Harry hadn’t asked you for your help, knowing your small allegiance with Cedric and having his own help from Ron and Hermione; but he had a strong distaste for the older boy and how he had swooned you, worried he would treat you like the other girls and move on quickly.

Harry was nothing but protective. Both of your namesakes brought trouble; people who just wanted to know you or people who wanted to use you.

You hated it, but it was justified and trouble always came when Cedric’s name was brought up around you

“He tried to repay your hint!” You bellowed, confused to Harry’s annoyance at the golden egg

“Right like that does anything. I think he was telling me I was stinky more than anything-“ Harry scoffed. He held the large egg in between his hands, aimlessly tracing the opening with his fingertips.

“Harry. Underwater. Listen to it underwater.” You spoke plainly, looking at your brother with a blank stare. His facial expressions didn’t change, instead they stayed indifferent- the cogs in his mind working slowly.

He stood up at once, shooting you a soft smile, though his eyes said differently.

“I’ll go take a bath then.” His lips tightened, leaving you in the library alone. You sighed, leaning back in the chair. You knew he was under an immense amount of stress, but sometimes it felt like he was competing with you just the same.

———

The night before the second task, Hermione and Ron and you were all round up by professor Mcgonagal after the dinner bell, pulled away from the celebrations in the great hall.

Unsure to what it could be, you caught Cedric’s attention in the hall, walking opposite to you. Knowing you had no time to speak, your eyes met.

You both said nothing at all, but the softness in his eyes lingered, turning his body to watch you walk. Just before you rounded the corner, you blew him a kiss, hoping you would have time later tonight to see him.

You had no clue what that kiss did to him, his head hung as he walked away smiling foolishly to himself.

Neither of you knew he would have to save your unconscious body underwater in just 12 hours time.

[kys02]

How the Digital Circus characters are connected?

Alright, I think we can all agree that the main five characters weren’t chosen randomly. Each of them has their own issues, and the way they interact only makes those issues more obvious.

Ragatha & Jax — Two Sides of the Same Coin

Ragatha is sweet, caring, and optimistic, but there are moments that hint she’s not as “perfect” as she seems:

• In the Pomni dream:

Cane: Looks like our new friend's already abstracted!

Raghata: Well, I guess we're not all cut out for it.)

• In episode 4, she tells Gangle: I feel like I'm way more responsible than you.

Sound familiar? Yep, that’s Jax energy. But while Ragatha plays the role of the good one, Jax does the opposite—he breaks rules, annoys people, and insults everyone (except for Kinger). That being said, there are moments where his real emotions slip through:

• In episode 2, he actually looks sad at Kaufmo’s funeral.

• In episode 4, he’s exhausted from all the shift and actually talks to Pomni and Ragatha in a neutral tone—no sarcasm, no teasing.

Basically, Ragatha pretends to be all kindness while hiding her anger, and Jax pretends to be all cruelty while hiding his kindness.

(by the way, I had a post on the topic: why the 5th and 6th episodes will be about Jax and Ragatha at the same time. That's the main reason.)

Zooble & Gangle

Remember that moment in episode 4 when Zooble gives Gangle a plastic mask? By the end of the episode, it turns out it doesn’t work, and Gangle gets upset.

Gangle: The mask didn't work…

Zooble: Look, the new mask was bust. So what? I'm sure we'll find something that works eventually.

Now, here’s where it gets interesting:

• Zooble hates their body and keeps replacing their parts, trying to find something that “fits.”

• Gangle wears a happy mask because, well, no one likes sad people. That’s literally a stereotype—crying is seen as weakness.

Fun fact: in one of the official artworks, Gangle is shown wearing different masks, some of which reference old Gooseworx projects.

Both of them want to change something about themselves, thinking it’ll make them feel whole. But the truth is, Zooble is still Zooble no matter what parts they have, and Gangle is still Gangle with or without a mask.

Kinger & Pomni

(in short, because I don’t see any big similarities here. Just little things that I noticed)

Kinger once told Pomni that he lost his wife.

In episode 2, Pomni makes a new friend— Gummigoo, and when he disappears, she feels the exact same loss that Kinger did.

Every character in the Digital Circus reflects a deeper conflict. Their interactions aren’t just fun or dramatic—they reveal the struggles they’re dealing with in their own ways.

I might add more to this later, but that’s all for now! And remember: everyone is always connected) Thanks for reading! 🩵

[deathpactagainn]

Pencil and Pen, two sides of the same coin.

My personal analyses of Pen and Pencil

I wanted to take a crack at looking into these two's back to back lash out's. Firstly, I'd like to cover these two's obvious parallels seen in both the writing and visuals. As seen in the picture, they both have very similar scenes of which they both respectively begin to lash out at someone, both due to built up anger. They both share the similar mindset of "I can't lose this challenge", however, for completely different reasons.

Pencil is very clearly traumatized by her 6 years in the exit, being mortified by just the presence of Four. She sees challenges as no more than obstacles she must get through in order to win, but not just to win the game, but for immunity, for her guaranteed survival. She disregards her teammates and have little to no care for them due to this fact, but also due to her 'isolated' mentality. She believes she has no allies in this game and that people don't care for her, even when she quite literally has people shouting otherwise in her ear. All of this combined just drives her further to do anything to win, and that is where she is similar with Pen.

Whilst Pencil has (arguably) selfish motivations, Pen has selfless ones. He believes he needs to win the challenge's to guarantee his friends are safe, not him. After losing his closest friends (Blocky, Eraser, Needle) he is terrified of the possibility of losing more. He see's it almost as his responsibility to keep his friends safe, and it leads to so much repressed anger inside of him (but we'll get back to that later). Pen is angry at Pencil due to believing she was the reason Eraser got out (at the time his only friend in the game), and once he finally finds something to put his anger towards, he snaps. We quickly see how even when he's mad he tries to keep his cool, like how he still tried to save Pencil, but I think his anger is a new side of him they should touch on more (again, we'll come back to this).

Now, I also would like to touch on the topic of friendship between these two, because I think their respective relationships with other characters are very important to them as individuals. This is mainly prominent with Freesmart and the Blocky, Eraser, Pen trio.

Pencil still tries to hold onto Freesmart, despite everyone else (for the most part) letting it go. It's her only sense of normalcy in this game, especially considering how she was a late joiner in TPOT. She cannot bear the idea of someone else caring for her due to her character, so she chases after people she already knows, however, these are people she's actively hurt. Book and Ice Cube actively try to leave Freesmart in the past, seeing it as a toxic environment (and rightfully so) but which how much Pencil is attached to the concept of Freesmart being back in their prime (example; her getting back the freesmart supervan) she can't let the two go, even if they've already let her go. Pencil is not evil, of course, but that doesn't mean she isn't flawed. She's careless to the people she loves until it's too late yet turns away any sort of care from other parties. She's almost stuck in her ways, what with how badly she want's Freesmart to come back despite the ways in which she's hurt them.

Now, juxtaposed to how Pencil chases friendship's she actively diminished, Pen chases relationships diminished by others. I would like to preface this by saying that I don't inherently believe Blocky or Eraser are bad people or even bad friends, but rather they've done bad things. Moving on, we see in TPOT 1 that Pen doesn't even know Blocky is gone. Isn't that a little.. strange? Considering how close the two are, it's so weird to me that Blocky left without saying a word, even knowing that they'd be separated for not only months, but years. It's such a small detail but something I can't help but point out. Onto Eraser, I think their relationship is a little more complicated. Again, this isn't to say that Eraser doesn't like Pen, but it's always so obvious who puts in more effort towards their relationship, and it's not Eraser. Pen is always giving 110% with his friends whilst he just doesn't get the same in return, which I believe should be turned into somewhat of a plot point. And now Pen's anger is back (told ya). I think it'd be interesting if rather than Pen turning his anger into something to mourn his friends, he'd turned into something against them. I feel like he lets them off the hook too easily just for simply being his friend, and I'd like to see this be brought up in an episode rather than just throwing a plot point of Pen being mad at Pencil for whatever reason.

I might've gotten a little sidetracked but whatever. My point is that Pen and Pencil have many parallels with their relationships and the way they're almost obsessed with their friends, with them obviously differentiating with how they treat their friends and also with the way they treat new possible friendships, such as how Pencil turns away Cloudyay to protect herself but Pen instead embraces BAGGED and tries to protect them.

That's all I really have to say I guess. Sorry if any of this doesn't make sense, I'm just spitballing here lol. Feel free to share any thoughts of your own of gaps in my writing :p thanks for reading

[apple-onigiri]

assigning songs from mitski's laurel hell album to siffrin and loop (because they've consumed my life)

as mentioned by me and requested by @starrycat123-blog (so sweetly, might i add!! they were so polite about it, not realizing being asked to yap is the highlight of my day), i am putting together a comprehensive list of all the songs from mitski's laurel hell album assigned to sif/loop/sif and loop two sides of the same silver coin style

Valentine, Texas this is so loop-coded, to me. me when i become someone else only i am privy to (note: this includes my other self) and live in the constant state of remembrance of my ghosts. "who will i be tonight?" <- me when i lie. me when i create a persona to hide behind. me and my disconnected sense of self. me when please let me live in my memories of things long gone please please please

Working for the Knife both of them!! this is the Ultimate Time Loop song. looks at the "i always knew the world moves on; i just didn't know it would go without me" line with an understanding but still very aware gaze. this is also peak living in the midst of your poor choices. you wake up on the grass of the meadow and, as you start reconstructing the same blinding script because you keep deciding to do so, suddenly this starts playing. what do you do

Stay Soft the "if i refuse to be open and honest and vulnerable i'm basically impervious to being hurt" is so very much mid-game-but-specifically-act-4 siffrin, fake smiling his way through his stupid-ass script because it protects his heart from any change that has at least the slightest potential to hurt him. the sheer possibility is too much. also bonus guilt of wanting, and circumventing it by focusing on what others want 'do you need help with anything' style. also also bonus+ "where the dark remembers you". i need to kill, maim, destroy because this play is about mpd who haunts the narrative of this album and this post

Everyone act 5. act 5 siffrin to an insane degree. i feel slightly ill about this actually like you cannottttt be serious. this song is deeply siffrin just going through the house after pushing away everyone else. "i left the door open to the dark; i said, come in, come in, whenever you want" and "and i opened my arts wide to the dark; i said take it all, whatever you want". looks directly into the camera mouthing "mal du pays"

Heat Lightning both. really really both but!! specifically with loop being the first half and so to speak passing the torch in the bridge to siffrin who's the second half. goddd i genuinely could make an animatic for this if it was as simple as beaming the images directly from my brain onto the screen, i'm walking around my room like a demented detective haunted by a cold case just thinking about it. "there's nothing i can do, not much i can change", by their own unbreakable rules!!! it's about the act of losing strength to keep fighting after doing that for so, so long and just wanting to rest, please with the people you love, please. "would that be okay?" i need to stop i can't make 1/3 of this post be about heat lightning (it could be)

The Only Heartbreaker siffrin 'i manipulated him into liking me' no last name. because when you're the only one in the time loop and the only one also in the loop, it's easy to view the positive interactions you're constantly getting as ones that you coerced. "so i'll be the loser in this game; i'll be the bad guy in the play". i actually feel haunted by this, i'm not kidding

Love Me More are you kidding. both. that's a song about what started this whole mess. the love-starved anthem that also has themes of searching for something to keep you going and of not trying anything risky out of fear to avoid getting hurt and of days repeating and repeating and repeating, and of needing the love to drown you, overwhelm you, purge you clean. this is their song. goddd

There's Nothing Left For You loop 'formerly siffrin' 'not anymore!' 'get replaced by your other self, idiot, you can't go back!' no last name. 59 dead, 118 injured. "nothing waits for you; you had it before; not anymore". "so go on ot that sweetheart's door; and find a new you". "it was your right, it was your life; and then it passed to someone new". i literally don't think i need to add anything. it not only speaks but screams out for itself

Should've Been Me loop song. we all know this. i hate it here. "when i saw a girl looked just like me". c'mon. we've all seen the animatic, also. i literally have nothing else to say here, i'm basically out of a job

I Guess this is a spicy one - this is siffrin specifically after the two hats ending. this is a very short song but i'm struggling to keep this paragraph contained. "it's been you and me since before i was me; without you, i don't yet know how to live". i cry out dramatically, clutching my chest. "if i could keep anything of you; i would keep just this quiet after you". i fall on my knees and hit my fist against the floor. "it's still as a pond i am staring into; from here, i can say thank you; from here, i can tell you thank you". i'm sorry, siffrin. and thank you, loop. someone get me out of here

That's Our Lamp everybody say hiiiii act 5 siffrin but specifically pre-house. because he has a little demon in his shoulder telling him "they don't love you, they hate you" and making him crash out on everyone. so love-starved his body is rejecting any sign of care and love like someone starved eating too much and their body rejecting it. "that's where you loved me" in the context of looking over all the places in dormont where you "made" your found family love you is diabolical

and that's it!! i genuinely could go into deconstructing lyrics especially for some songs where it's clear i have more to say like heat lightning or love you more but i went into this determined to not go completely crazy with the length of this thing. love and light, everyone, hope you enjoyed

[elioas-diel]

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀; 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ an upcoming gally x fem!reader fic || TEASER

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ !𝐃𝐈𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐀𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐑! :: i DO NOT own anything - except the character y/n in this specific story as well as ORIGINAL subplots i have come up with that, might appear during the main plot; all credits and rights go to James Dashner’s fabulous triology of TMR!

˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆ 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: most of the lore will be book focused whilst character descriptions will be based on the movie (so spoilers will be evident throughout the fic), violence will be evident in later chapters, major character death in later chapters - i’ll update warnings for later chapters

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 - 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

-୨୧-

She came a year after he did, the gladers just establishing a steady routine. Change was her, and he didn’t take it easy.

Y/n and Gally bickering wasn’t an unfamiliar sight to the glade - in fact it was abnormal to not see them arguing over something dumb.

From the moment he had seen her confused face it was there, that hatred he had for her - one that wasn’t just driven by the disruption she had caused but it seemed to run deeper than the either knew.

He took note of those feelings but always kept it to himself, his character too stubborn to speak out or have the rivalry go deeper than meaningless annoyance, frustration and competition. Afraid with what he’d find out.

Though, that doesn’t mean his bubbling suspicion for Y/n didn’t eat him alive. That nagging feeling that made him go crazy every time he saw her - something, a voice? - that told him he knew her, but from where?

It couldn’t have been more the opposite for her. She couldn’t have cared less for him, Y/n had set her mind on survival; that worry being on the top of her list.

The psychological mechanics embedded in our bodies from birth, one called the fight or flight response system had been surging through her the moment she had woken up in a moving chain-mail box.

Dangling thousands of feet above pure darkness.

When the warmth of what felt like she remembered to be sun met her features, he had jumped in and clouded it.

His sharp blue eyes observing her weirdly, grazing her figure like she was some abnormal creature - it didn’t help but make her even more terrified than she was puzzled.

She didn’t hate him, didn’t feel some sort of connection, but with his fixed “unwelcoming-snarky,” attitude towards her, she felt the need to know why it was so.

They were bio-hazards sewn on to themselves - the death of each other and she fell into a trap that was known as Gally.

Love, trust and relationships were a dangerous thing, especially in a place where nothing was certain.

Peace in the Glade had its run. Peace between the two of them had its fun.

Everything had never been as it seemed and it was all about to change a year later.

After-all, uncertainty and certainty were two sides of the same coin.

“Bring bloodshed on them,” - ??

-୨୧-

𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐀; 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐝𝐨𝐦

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ an upcoming gally x fem!reader fic || OFFICIAL TEASER

˚₊· if you’re interested, join the tag-list! (by shooting me an ask in my request box) so you can stay updated on this new fic of mine!!

“Let the games begin,” - ??

[arthur-lesters-glabella]

I though of something today I wanted to add!! Fire vs. water symbolism in malevolent and how it ties to grief and violence and the Bad™ things established in the narrative, alongside the Good™ ones tied to fire could be somewhat summarized through the contrast of passivity vs. activity.

Malevolent is all about choices, and when it comes to water the choices tend to be directly passive or somewhat influenced by passivity, such as Faroe's death where Arthur is passive and lacking in action, unaware his daughter is drowning. Interestingly, it's while he's doing one of his passions, passion and purpose being tied to fire, that this occurs. It is this fascinating dynamic of being blinded by light and becoming passive to all else. Now, mind you, Arthur's grief around Bella is also very present at this time and part of what weighs him down into passivity, again going back to water symbolism. They weave back and forth a lot.

Onto fire. We have already established it is tied to purpose, hope, passion, love, and other similar characteristics which lead to what? Action. In s3 or with MD we see the harsher side of this coin, where their purpose and past love leads them (Arthur and MD) to enact violence and vengeance. In fact, I would look to that Dies Irae post again for more examples with Arthur when it comes to the devastating effects of his fire. I think this interpretation also applies to William and the train incident, as Arthur's trauma and pain around losing his beloved parents and lacking a "Good" purpose at the time (alluded to in part 20 I think? He finds purpose in art eventually but I don't think he did at the camp yet, instead being pushed to find it in the toxic cyst pool of christian masculinity) blinds him from better actions and leads him to feed the train and his friendship into the fire. These are the choices that come from flame. I could summarize it better but I hope you get the idea. It's so good to have his past experiences, painful or not, give purpose to him now. As Malam said in part 45, he did not have that same purpose and passion before his losses. This also applies to John and everyone else of course (I mean, John comes back with a whole wack load of new purpose in s3 after his not-so-fun-time in the Dark World), but we see it the most flushed out in Arthur as of late. There is something to be said about this purpose and passion most often being used to avoid passivity and therefore water 'n shit, meanwhile MD readily mixes both together (ex. "roils"), but I don't have time to expand on that rn. Also wanted to mention that fire often is tied to comfort in Malevolent, such as in the tale that Arthur tells Percival or in part 45 where John, Arthur, and Malam all talk about fire as something that can be a comfort. Notably, it is said with caution, also being something that can burn, but still. This addition to fire as a symbol means it does have some ties to passivity, but a more temporary kind, like a safe zone in a horror game, not like the heavy, extending kind that comes from water.

That is honestly all I had to add, just thought it was a fun summary of how the two symbols interact with how trauma and pain manifests in Malevolent. These symbols obviously have more dimension than the two-sided coin I present them as, especially when you add the other symbols they interact with in the mix, but still a fun thought.

The ominous meaning of Arthur heading towards a coast, a massive body of water, is… notable

[keykeychain]

destiny duo oh pls oh pls oh pls

"I can see you in me, and that's terrifying"

[bread-wizards]

I wonder if Dorian's views towards the gods could best be summed up as something like, "I wish my family didn't have to die for [their] brighter tomorrow."

[day-azevir]

Your goddess

[cat-draws-stuff]

Sweet dark mouth, all peoples of the world emerged from your great dark depths. Sweet dark mouth, you shall widen again.

Linocut print of Faulkner.

[amelia-friend]

Something, something, Jack Kelly red shirt, blue necktie, Crutchie blue shirt, red necktie.

(Except in the refuge where it’s Crutchie blue bruises, red blood)

[isneezelikeamouse]

Ykw I usually see the wh fandom painting Julie as airheaded while Frank is the one who has to rail in her naïveté or w/e but I don’t think that’s right at all. I think they’re both very smart, but that intellectuality manifests in different ways for them — Frank is more inclined to the practical things while Julie is more inclined to the abstract stuff — and I also think they can both act very obliviously in their own ways (see what’s the deal with airline food joke from Barnaby).

[mids-dumbbrain]

Duality of man

Yeah

[darkdragon768]

Me, over the day: "Hehe, silly ninja man who likes bananas, i love you so much"

Me, once the night hits: "These little creatures will experience so much pain and misery "

[hawnks]

You're jealous. It makes you lash out, makes you meet Keigo with claws and teeth and cruel, irrational accusations.

You pack a bag after your last big blow up, shame dogging your every move. A week. Maybe a little more. However long it takes you to stop feeling like a monster, to rein in these dark impulses that have taken hold of you.

He stops you at the door with a firm grip around your arm. Looming over you, leaning down until he's in your space.

"Why?"

How can you even respond. Why? Isn't he angry with you? Doesn't he see how unreasonable you're being?

You tell him the truth. "I'm embarrassed, Keigo."

His hold on you tightens. "So you're running away?"

"I'm not--" You let out a long breath. "I just need to calm down. Get a hold of myself."

"You can do that here. At home."

You tug. He doesn't release you.

"I don't want you to see me like this."

His expression turns stormy.

"You want to keep secrets from me?" You can't even question this before he's continuing, eyes amber bright and sharp as he pulls you further into his space. "You don't want me to see you what --jealous? Don't I have a right to know? Don't I deserve to be with you for this? We're lovers, and you still want to hide pieces of yourself from me?"

Trembling, you let yourself be drawn back into the penthouse. You couldn't fight him even if you tried.

He sets you on the bed, so he can push you down, curl up on top of you, all around you. Caging you in.

"There," he says. "You're not going anywhere. Would it help if I told you about all the times I wanted to kill anyone who touches you? How about how I want to lock you up, forever and ever? I can show you the collar I picked out, if that would make you feel better." He leans up so he can nibble your ear, whisper, "Or you could put it on me, if you want."

[magicicephoenix]

i think they are a bit like brothers

bonus: