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nightmareworks · 1 year

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hi i've been making lancer microfic

its about Allison Wax, a girl who got herself installed in a secondhand cyborg body.

Its about Loverboy, a mech who loves his pilot in the way only a machine built to kill can.

Its about Her, the mysterious someone Allison sees in the mirror, for whom the body was originally built.

I hope you enjoy them.

Allison Wax woke up as she always did. Bits at a time. (Her brain always woke up first.) This seems like a perfectly reasonable place to start, in her mind (ignoring its obvious biases) [Her fingers always came too just next-], and she figured most people started the day this way. First you are aware you are awake, and bracing against the wave of conciousness (The alarm is going off) [-then her hearing, immediately amped down-], and then you're moving a little bit, stirring is probably the word to use, right? (Yeah, she figures stirring sounds right?) [Then her arms and her chest, and then she's all the way on]. She sat up and turned off her alarm with a lazy slap. (It wasn't really hard or anything, she wasn't angry at the alarm, it was just the best she could manage while she was waking up.) She tossed her covers up and off, steadying to her feet and up properly (As her mother would always say.) [You aren't up til you're standing, Alli.] It was a day off, the medical officers had told her she needed it, she'd been banged around on the runs and Trunk could cover her patrols now that they were within light of the gate. (She was fine. The armor hadn't been breached.) [Her Loverboy was fine too. He'd been through worse.] She didn't feel like arguing with them. They were giving her a job, after all. And they were better bosses than she'd ever had, so she wanted to listen. (Even a pity-job is a job, her mother would say.) [Man can't live without work, Alli.] She went to brush her teeth, running fingers through her hair and shaking out sleep. Brush, paste, a little water from the tap, and go to work. Routine, simple, just Allison and the mirror. (This was always the hard part of the day.) [But it was part of the day she had to get through.]

She had to look at herself in the mirror, and like always, make peace with it before she went on with the rest of her day. She had to take care of the person on the other side of the mirror, she reminded herself. So she looked in the mirror, and looked at the person whose body she was in. It wasn't hers, of course. Her original body had been recycled. (Protien by protien, unwoven and reworked.) That was how she covered the surgery to put her brain in a... what did the med officers call it? A full-body prothesis. It sounded way too polite to Allison's ears. Back in the Range, she'd just be a 'borg. (Lots of people were.) [Apparently it was harder to do in the rest of Union.]

Allison looked back at the mirror, and wondered again why Her bangs fell like that, naturally into place with the rest of the hair to make a perfect little style- one that hid the upper part of Her face, and played up the beauty of Her nose and Her lips. Allison did this every day (She tried to puzzle things out about herself.) [About the person this body used to belong to.] It was just something to do. The therapists on the ship had said it was a good idea, to look in the mirror every day and try to practice self love. Allison figured that was as good an excuse as any to try it, but got too caught up in the questions. (Who was She?) [And why'd She dump this body in the trash for Allison's back-alley surgeon to find?] Allison held up the brush and the the hand to the mirror, then spit. Like always, her sleep-shirt came off and Allison looked at her back in the mirror. Right there, in the middle of her back, was Loverboy's crude addition to the Belladona-Lux body She'd left behind for Allison. The ugly little nodes of his Chronos upfeed into Allison's spinal cord and kidneys.

Allison rolled her back, and the nodes twitched along with every other muscle. That was good. She was always still there, and her Loverboy would always have her back. She figured she oughta see him today, he'd done such a good job and everything with the pirate skirmish. She kept moving around her little conapt (She appreciated having space to herself.) [It was a premium on Ketherese.] {You got out, Alli.} and got ready. Her teeth were brushed, she had an outfit clean and ready in the closet, her boots were in the same place she left them yesterday. Allison stopped, and wondered for a minute, and flexed her back muscles in that way she'd learned to. (Squeeze, gently, lower torso, flex some internal muscle.) [Work the dregs of Chronos out of the little nodes.] She felt time drag out, and the world stop spinning. She cut herself free from gravity, and watched Her stand there, with the look Allison had put on Her face. Without gravity holding her down, Allison could think. Could examine. Could dwell on a question she thought was important enough to give a real moment.

Did She ever think about dressing the way Allison did? About walking with that swagger that fit better inside Loverboy than it did in any flesh Allison had ever worn? What had She worn? How had She walked?

The Chronos ebbs, and Allison slinks back into the skin that holds her brain. She holds up her hand, and examines the back of it, curling and flexing her fingers. She gently kissed the back of her hand and went out the door. Down the hallways. Towards the mechbay. She was gonna see her Loverboy, and let him know she thought of him.

---------------

He sat waiting for her. He didn't sit, really. It was just the word to describe the mood. He hung from the standby bay's armatures, held up against the ship's gravity. He waited. For her. She was the light of his life, his girl, who brought light to his heart. He could only wait. He couldn't move without her. Within the frame, the C/Cs stir, the mute-drives sing to themselves. Ammo bins are counted and recounted, heat-vents stirred and hissed. He waited for her, running through everything. Had to be perfect when she arrived.

There'd been battle, and he'd been hit, but she was fine, and that was what he was for. He'd watched her pull his hands into place and put a bullet in the reactor. He lost some armor. The other mech lost everything. And she'd done it for him. She'd moved with him, as one, like electricity. They were bound together. He flushed the nanite tanks, and began producing more. They would need the chronos when it came time to ride again. He had to make sure he was perfect for her.

The mechtechs would watch him, in the standby bay. You could tell him apart from the crowd in a heartbeat. Everyone could. The long limbs of a spacer's frame, the delicate blade-legs of something not designed for in-atmo fighting, the ship armor hammered to his shoulders, the graffiti of butterflies across the matte-black of steel. He was a Lancer's frame. And he was proud of that. The mech techs whisper to themselves when they see his hands moving, twitching, flexing. Holding a rifle that isn't. Pulling a trigger that wouldn't. Killing tools are a long way off. But he has to be ready, in case she needs him.

There she was, she was coming to him now. He could feel her in the halls, his eye creaking and whirring into position to eye the door. The mechtechs don't like it when he moves. Why does he care? They aren't her. She loves him. He knows she does. The way she moves isn't right for the body she's in. She moves like she's in him, big, powerful, with strange swagger to account for the blades of his limbs. She's small though, small and built with proper calves and feet. She doesn't have to walk that way, but she walks like him. And that's how he knows his girl.

Her smile is like the sun for him. "There's my Loverboy." His signals flare. Numbers, data, readouts, everything she could ever want to know about him, he lays bare. The chitter-click-screech of him omnicaster leads into the booming scream of his warhorns. She looks at him with such affection.

He knows he's perfect for his girl.

------------

Loverboy moved like a frame possessed. She's with him, in him, her spine all bound up with his, and her breath is Chronos and his is death. The rifle barks, the blades of his legs twist and spark against the hull, and he's rushing under fire. She pulls the trigger for him.

"One." She counts for him. "Frame downed. Continuing action." Comes the CO's reply. She lets him scream, his warhorn booming against the cold of space. There's no Gravity. It doesn't ring like he wants it to. No atmosphere. But he has to scream, she put the horn in for him.

Allison twists her hands, and Loverboy banks (Allison pulls the trigger, and a mech blossoms against the void.) [Her fingers dance to adjust the verniers.], the shots wing past him. Pirate skirmish. Basic job. Security for the ship. (How she made her daily bread.) [Commanders said security patrols were optional.] And even if they were optional, she'd take them. Time dilates. It stretches out, and Allison is watching Her move. And Allison is watching Loverboy move. And Allison settles back into Her body, and into Loverboy's cockpit. She feels her nerves sing, and she picks the right choice. An interdiction shot whirls bye, detonating where Loverboy had been a moment before.

She pulls the trigger for him. "Two." She counts for him. "Frame downed. Continuing action." He wants to scream, but he muzzles. She's focused, and she's guiding him right. The rifle barks again, the rest of the squad is moving in now. His fire algorithms turn suppressive. He despises the other mechs before them. They're threats. They might hurt his girl. He wants to scream. Instead he fires, and the little machine the mechtechs like sprints past and under his barrel.

Allison twists her fire. Support, she has to let them through. The charge doesn't break. She stands in the breach she's made and she breathes. (She feels like nothing else.) [She feels like she's storming the gates of heaven.] Chronos runs along every nerve. She thinks, she moves just an inch, and her Loverboy dances on her hand. Allison knows, (she really knows) that she'll make it through this. "Three." She counts for him. "Frame downed. Continuing Operation." The others begin their own calls and responses along the tacnet.

He loves her so, as he touches down against the ship hull. His blades click against it as he strides. The wrecks drift off into the void. The twinkling targeting feed data highlights capsules of ejected pilots, collected by one of the hunting ships. The pirates pull back. She lets him scream. His body unfurls, every vernier and thruster blaring as the warhorn echoes in his own frame and his reactor spikes.

He adores her.

#Lancer rpg #Lancer #Lancer oc #Allison & Loverboy #Allison is very trans #and Loverboy is a he/him lesbian #and i love playing with these toys~

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breestanaccount · 1 year

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So i watched the new spiderman movie (like a week ago lolll) and i am finally over it enough to share my toughts so BUCKLE INNN

first of: my baby boy MILES MORALES WHOOP WHOOP

Look at him and tell me he isn't the best. You cant. Ik you cant bc Miles is the best and he needs a damn break man. He is just a kid, like?? He's literally my age (15, i think) and he hit SO close to home in EVERYTHING for me. His jokes, his relationship with his parents, his feelings EVERYTHING. I am very passionate about him. And like, i get it that he shouldn't stop canon events but thats his father that we're talking about. And you can see that miles adores his parents. And given his personality he obviously can't stand back. And miguel had no business saying all that (i'll have more to say about that so bare with me please🙏)

In conclusion: if you don't like miles i do not trust you

NEXT: my girl (who y'all hate 2 much on) GWEN STACYY

She beautiful😻😻.

ANYWAY

the hate she gets is ATROCIOUS. I understand the whole "she betrayed miles" but did she not get a whole group of spider ppl to HELP miles?? Or did y'all skip over that part? What's crazy is the fact y'all hate on gwen and i haven't heard a word abt peter or miguel? Y'all biased as hell!!! She's just 16 and she went through a lot too. And she obviously cares for Miles. All thr hate she's getting is concerning and i will defend her w my life. Miles has all the right to feel betrayed though, I won't argue against that cuz i can't. Ofc, everyone has different opinions, but I feel like she wouldn't get half the hate if she were a man (which is that case with miguel, but i'll get to that, pls don't kill me cuz ik a lot of y'all love him)

CONCLUSION: we love gwen here.

NOWWW ALL YOU'VE BEEN WAITING FORRR (bc ik some of y'all wanna end me rn #iattackedurfave): MIGUEL O'HARA BABYYYYY

He's handsome i won't lie to you, but not rlly my type now let's get into it.

I don't think what he did is right. The way he handled that situation is just wrong, in my opinion. And so many ppl excuse that bc he's 1) hot (which is the case in so many other fandoms, with ppl bashing female characters while uplifting male characters for th same actions) and 2) bc of his trauma. But, heads up, trauma is and never will be an excuse. Trauma is an EXPLANATION. There is a very big difference. He went through something traumatizing and that is awful, but he didn't try to understand miles. Like i said, miles is 15. And i get that miguel was just trying to protect the universes, I understand that. But when he was calling Miles a mistake, that he never should have been bitten by that spider, acting as if it was MILES'S fault?? Not the best way to handle that, which, again, trauma. Not an excuse, but an explenation for his actions. I can't find myself to rlly like him just now. Maybe in the next movie. I can't just like a character bc they r hot. And I know this will make some ppl mad, but AT LEAST try to look at this from my point of view, and at least try to understand why i don't like Miguel. If y'all like him, that's fine. But my boy miles deserved better.

Still, I think Miguel is an intresting character with so much room to grow and I really hope to see that.

CONCLUSION: idk. Maybe you noticed i am mixed abt him

NEXT. HOBIE MF BROWNNNNNN

Here's a pic😻🙏

Here's another pic and let's get into ITT

Hobie might be the coolest, and kindest and best character. I don't think he has done a bad thing in that whole movie. He helped miles, he helped gwen and by helping gwen he helped miles AGAIN. I love his vibe, too. His relationship with miles is perfect, like brothers. And his friendship with gwen is adorable, they r similar with similar intrests if you think abt it and i do hope we get to see him again in the next movie, maybe get a little more on him and his backstory, maybe his canon event(?). He's a beauty, what can i say💕💕

CONCLUSIONN: i love him ur honor

NEXT: PAVITR PRABHAKAR

Look at this cutie. Tell me he isn't a lil pookie cutie and that he wouldn't give the best hugs.

Given his personality, it makes sense that he's 13-14 but damn given his looks i would think he's 16 (which means he gets the prize for not looking your age since he had half the fandom fooled).

The edits i've seen of him r the best and the "Chai tea scene" was so funny, btw.

CONCLUSION: he's 10/10 if you don't like him or think he's "annoying" i don't trust you.

HONORARY MENTIONS: JESS😜😜😻😻😍😍

she did all that pregnant u got to give it to her that she's good as hell. In my opinion she might be the strongest. Love my girl🙇‍♀️🙇‍♀️

And that's abt all. Ik there r so many different characters i can talk about but those r the ones that stood up to me the most. Pls don't kill me abt my opinion on Miguel, but different ppl have different opinions, y'know? I don't like characters just cuz they fine, thats just a bonus☝️ hope y'all liked this shit of me goofing along, and if anyone wishes to share their thoughts they r most welcome to!

I am kinda nervous to post this since i hate arguing with ppl on my opinions, but at the same time i am very stubborn and i am very passionate abt my opinions so these two but heads a LOT. But i will be getting over my fear with this and i did come to the conclusion that y'all won't eat me alive so yeah

Bye lovies💕

#miles molares #gwen stacy #miles x gwen #miguel o'hara #hobie brown #pavitr prabhakar #jess atsv #across the spiderverse #atsv #my thoughts

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practically-an-x-man · 3 months

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Face in the Mirror

Featuring @negative-speedforce's OCs Laila and Athena :D

Content Warnings: heavy mentions of dysphoria/body dysmorphia, but with a fluffy (and slightly suggestive) ending

____

First it was just a note.

Athena spotted it when she walked into the bathroom. Right at eye level, partially obscuring her reflection, tacked up right in the center of the mirror.

Remember - you're beautiful <3 -L

Part of her, that spiteful whispering voice deep in her head, wanted to tear that note right off the mirror and discard it without a second thought. She certainly didn't feel beautiful. Her eyebrows were uneven, something that seemed to give her a perpetual look of disdain, and the surgeon who had done her last procedure had botched the incisions, she'd need another procedure at least just to get rid of the scars...

Among other things. There were always other things. Nothing she could do would ever be enough. Nothing would ever stop her from looking like... her.

Athena pulled the note off the mirror and crumpled it into her hand, staring into the eyes of the slum girl she knew so well. Beautiful? No. Never. She'd never be perfect, and anything less wasn't good enough. Laila's little notes couldn't ever match up to the turmoil in her head.

____

She found another the next morning, tagged up on an identical slip of paper. Athena very nearly tossed it without even sparing it a glance, but... Laila deserved better than that. Laila deserved at least the moment it would take to read the words.

I could get lost in your eyes <3 -L

That one almost drew a smile from her. Her eyes were about the only point of pride she had, the only part of her that hadn't been sliced and stitched and remade into something new, and she intended to keep them that way. They were the only part of her she could stand to look at without grimacing, even now.

Still, she tossed the note aside. She wasn't in the mood for these sappy little love stories today. It felt like a disservice to her reflection, a blight on the purity that the mirror offered her. Of course Laila thought she was beautiful- who wouldn't? But she was biased. Everyone was biased. The mirror, that indifferent pane of glass, was the only one who ever told the truth.

____

Laila didn't confront her, though she must have seen the way her notes all ended up deposited in the waste bin. She just kept leaving them, morning after morning.

You're my everything <3 -L

I'd watch the world burn if it made you smile <3 -L

Your body is perfect <3 -L

These, among many others. Some made her pause, if only for a moment. Others she crumpled without a second thought. None quite shook away the fog that hung over her mind.

Once, Athena walked into the bathroom to find that one of her best dresses had been laid out on the counter, and that morning's note had been laid on the fabric rather than affixed to the mirror.

Wear this today, my love. You always look so stunning in it <3 -L

She hadn't worn the dress in months. She'd loved it for a while, that was true, but then that love had grown tainted. She wasn't sure when that had shifted, or why, but not it seemed the dress drew attention to everything that still dissatisfied her. Her hips: shaped well, but clearly artificial, obvious padding over her scrawny Corellian frame. Her breasts, her waist: the same. An obvious cover-up over the body she couldn't stand. Sometimes her body seemed more artificial than some of Laila's siblings, and artificial wasn't attractive.

And that dress only drew attention to it. It made her look like one of the strippers found in dark alleys on Canto Bight, some exaggerated sex symbol with blown-up exaggerated curves. It made her look... cheap. Plastic.

That note was tossed with the rest, and the dress was thrown to the back of her closet. She couldn't stand to look at it.

____

Apparently that was Laila's tipping point. The next note was a little harder to remove.

Laila had scrawled this one in lipstick, garish red like blood across the reflective glass. It was impossible to look away from, and impossible to crumple like she had the others.

See yourself through my eyes, darling <3 -L

She'd covered most of the mirror in the waxy substance, blanketing all but a few scraps of her reflection visible between the cracks, and it looked like she might have trashed a whole tube of lipstick in the process.

Athena frowned. How was this supposed to help? It was a nice enough sentiment, but she knew for a fact that those makeup products were not cheap, not to mention how hard it would be to clean such a mess from the mirror. She just scoffed and snatched a few cleaning products from the cabinet under the sink.

She didn't stop until the mirror was spotless, so clean it could've been a portal to another world, and red-stained towelettes were piled high in the wastebasket. Then she stormed out of the room, pacing like a captive animal until she finally found Laila.

"You seem annoyed." her partner said from the kitchen, nonchalantly pouring herself a cup of coffee. Athena resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

"How astute."

A flicker of a smile crossed Laila's face. She didn't look surprised.

"At me or at yourself?"

"At you, Darth Dumbass. It started as a nuisance, but now you've just made a mess."

"Got you out of your own head, though, didn't it?" Laila purred, utterly immune to Athena's tirades, "It was about time. You've been tossing out stormclouds for two weeks. Here."

She reached across the counter and slid a plate over to Athena, laden with steaming breakfast foods. Athena's stomach clenched with hunger. She'd been grazing here and there, but couldn't remembered the last time she'd been able to convince herself into a full meal.

"Eat."

The best Athena could do was just to slide into a seat, unable to face either Laila or the plate of food. She heard Laila shift beside her, and then her hands held Athena's face, forcing her to meet her eyes.

"Everything in those notes was true, you know. I think you're beautiful. I wish you could see yourself like I see you." she said, her thumbs tracing lightly across Athena's cheekbones, "I love your eyes..."

At that, she leaned forward and pressed a featherlight kiss just above each of Athena's eyelids.

"And I love your nose..."

Another kiss, right on the tip of her nose.

"And your lips..."

A fourth kiss, this one deeper and more passionate as Athena instinctively leaned in to reciprocate. She felt Laila smile just before she pulled back. Her heart kicked out a stray few beats. Nobody could ever pull her out of those raging thoughts quite like Laila could.

"And if you'll come with me to the bedroom, I'll show you everything else I love about you too."

"The breakfast will get cold." Athena fired back, lifting an eyebrow at her partner. Laila's eyes flashed with something bright and alluring, and she ran her lacquered fingernails down Athena's cheek as she pulled back.

"When has that ever stopped us before?"

#my writing #my friends!!!#revan ocs #athena stonehenge #laila salibun #ficlet #tw dysmorphia #tw dysphoria #angst with a happy ending #not my ocs

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ohmyenjolrass · 6 months

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my ranking of every production i have seen (or listened) of jesus christ superstar

we are getting closer to holy week so IT'S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR. this is a remake of this post.

as always, sorry for any grammar mistakes, english is not my first language. also, this is my personal opinion, any other opinion is also accepted :)

without further ado, let's get into it!

1. Jesus Christ Superstar (1973 movie)

YOU CAN'T OUTDO THE DOER.

everything in this movie changed my life. literally.

it was the first time i actually saw jesus christ superstar represented visually (i had only heard the 2007 madrid version before). the overture scene is one of my favourites of all time, the concept is amazing.

the cast is SUPREME. carl anderson is one of my favourite judas of all time; he is an excellent singer and his interpretation is E-V-E-R-Y-T-H-I-N-G. also, yvonne elliman and ted neely are amazing. both their interpretations are absolutely gorgeous.

i love the costume design also (mary magdalene's dress AND JUDAS' OUTFIT FOR SUPERSTAR), i feel like it really fits the 70s vibe and i love that jesus is still dressed as, well, jesus.

overall, it is an amazing production AND the original so 10/10 without a doubt.

2. Jesucristo Superstar (2007 Madrid)

i may be a little biased by this one but HEAR ME OUT. it is an impressive production. i grew up listening to this soundtrack in my parents' car and i feel like it is one of the best cast recordings of all time. the lyrics of this version are different from the 1975 spanish one, but they are equally amazing.

costume design for me in this one is also a bonus, because i love how everyone is dressed as people dressed in spain in the 2000s. also, i like that jesus doesn't wear a tunic, i don't know why lol. one of my favourite costumes is the priests' outfits.

now, the cast. WOW. ignasi vidal is my favourite judas. it is not even up for debate. he is AMAZING in everything he does, BUT JUDAS. his role. his 'heaven on their minds' ('el cielo los cegó' in this production) is on repeat in my brain 24/7. also, miquel fernández, who plays jesus, IS STUNNING. he was my first celebrity crush. his voice and acting is something else (you should really check out his 'gethsemane'!). lorena calero plays mary magdalene, and apart from being THE MOST GORGEOUS WOMAN ON EARTH, i want her voice to sing for me every day of my life.

this production is truly something else, and i feel like it is great heritage from the 1975 version. again, i encourage you to see it! (10/10!)

3. Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 O2 Arena)

LISTEN. i know in my last post i said it wasn't one of my favourites. BUT AFTER A REWATCH, i have a lot to say.

first, setting. how the scene is organised is the coolest. i love the tents, i love the stairs, i love the screens. everything. i feel like it is the best setting (without counting the movie because they are literally IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT).

now, cast. TIM MINCHIN, LOVE OF MY LIFE. i'm not gonna say anything new, his judas is amazing. he plays the part so effortless it makes me think i can do it to. ALSO, BEN FORSTER. i know i talked shit about him before, but i really didn't know how to appreciate him. i love you, bensus, sorry for anything i've said before. mel c still doesn't sit right for me as mary magdalene, but her voice is truly beautiful.

costumes, right. i love how jesus is both dressed in black and white, not only in white. also, JUDAS. serving looks the entire play. one thing i have to say, mary's outfit was not made for me. i love the vibe, but not really my thing.

in general, good production, amazing singers. 9/10.

4. Jesus Christ Superstar (2012 Broadway Revival)

I DISCOVERED AMERICA WITH THIS ONE. OH MY GOD.

josh young ABSOLUTELY blows my mind. his voice, his outfit, his angst, EVERYTHING. he is stunning and i would give my life for him. also, chilina kennedy????? WHATEVER YOU SAY, SWEETHEART. i swear she is a dream, her voice, her acting, HER FACE.

one thing i really liked in this version was the scene, and also the little screen that was saying like '3 days until passover'. i think that was very original and guiding tbh lol.

if i have to say something that i didn't like is paul nolan as jesus. i liked his acting and his voice is pretty, but i feel like his gethsemane was lacking something and it wasn't really my favourite.

also, the dynamic between jesus, judas, and mary in this version was one of the sweetest ever. i loved loved LOVED it.

all in all, 7.5/10!

5. Jesucristo Superstar (Spain, 1975)

i haven't seen this version but i heard it when i was little as well. i still prefer the 2007 spanish recording, but this one is amazing.

camilo sesto's gethsemane never ceases to amaze me. his voice and the pain in it are truly heartbreaking. also, ángela carrasco's voice???? life-saving. i swear everyone who plays mary is GORGEOUS and an amazing singer.

the lyrics are well-translated and the 70s vibe throughout the whole album is absolutely stunning.

now, negative points. teddy bautista as judas is not my favourite. his voice is amazing but i think it is not made for me. however, his passion and interpretation are truly something.

i have to give it a few more listenings to this so i can get a better opinion, but in general, 7/10!

6. Jesus Christ Superstar (2000 movie)

well, after a year, this has gone down a few positions.

what to say, let's see. the scene was cool. i feel like they did a lot with very little decorations. it was original and well-used.

now, the cast. renée castle is a dream. she is absolutely stunning, as a person and as a singer. her voice is just so soothing and relaxing. and tony vincent as simon is SO HOT. the rest, well...

glenn carter is a pretty good singer, but i feel like lots of his songs lacked a bit of something. he is a good actor (never seen a sadder jesus), but i think that there are other jesus that i like better.

now, jerôme pradon. interpretation, 10/10. singing, well. could be better. i love his acting throughout the whole musical, and also his evil twink vibe. however, his voice kinda makes me nervous??? i don't know how to explain it but maybe it wasn't the role for him, i don't know.

costume design was questionable to say the least. i gotta say that judas' outfit is so cool but WHO HAD THE THOUGHT OF PUTTING JESUS ON CARGOS. costume department found arrested.

after giving it a few rewatches, 6/10. enjoyable but not the best.

7. Jesus Christ Superstar: Live In Concert (2018)

this was a bit of a mess, to be honest. let's go first with the positive points.

SARA BAREILLES, MY LORD AND SAVIOR. she could sing me her grocery list and i would listen to her. she has such a captivating and calming voice and she's an amazing performer.

also, norm lewis. that man is just *chef's kiss*. brandon victor dixon is also amazing as judas and i feel like he deserves more recognition. his damned for all time is one of my favourites.

moreover, the set. i think it was very modern and the vibe was so cool with the orchestra in the scaffolds. also, i feel like the public played a very important role in this performance and they really knew how to use it.

costume design wasn't my favourite but we have seen worse.

now, negative things. JOHN LEGEND. my guy could not play jesus and i think he knew it too. his gethsemane sounds like i sound when i sing it in the shower. his acting was also pretty questionable. don't get me wrong, he is an amazing singer, but i feel like he shouldn't play a role that requires reaching high notes.

also, i feel like alice cooper could have done a much better job as herod. he is lacking that dorky, humoristic element that i think is essential in that song.

i gotta say this gets bonus points for glitter. i love glitter. overall, 5.5/10. would rewatch only for sara bareilles.

and that was everything! another year, another ranking. i hope you enjoyed it and tell me your opinions too! see you next year x

#ro likes musicals #jesus christ superstar #jcs #jesus christ superstar 2000 #jesus christ superstar 2007 #jesus christ superstar 2018 #jesus christ superstar 1973 #jesus christ superstar 2012 #jcs 2000 #jcs 2018 #jcs 2012 arena tour #jcs 2012 broadway #jcs 1973 #jcs 1975 #jcs 2007

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kayetra-spade-queen · 3 hours

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Lattu Is Not A Good Friend To Ajay

Another day, another yapping session with me-

I've finished my exams, I'm working on Beyburst fic with 7 chapters and chapter 8 is still wip, now I had another topic I want to discuss.

I'm here to explain how and why Lattu isn't exactly a good friend to Ajay.

Beware that these are just me yapping myself away like I always do, backed up by general researching and observations. Please do not take it seriously. If you have opposing opinions, do share them politely.

Lattu Doesn't Treat Ajay All That Well

Ik you might be saying like; "but Kay, they're close and stuck to each other like glue. And they're best friends-" yeah, I get that, and I understand.

But my point is that, the fact that how easily he could forget about Ajay's existence the moment LS disappeared is-

Many, and I do mean, MANY times when some shit went down, everyone panicked, LS came, save the day, everyone happy.

Plenty times where Lattu was with Ajay when shit like this happened, and not once, and I do mean NOT ONCE Lattu ever spoke out that his "best friend" is missing after the day has been saved.

Boy, you sat RIGHT NEXT with an introvert you befriended, who you call a "best friend" at that, too. But the moment your idol appears, he suddenly became air? Are you being fr rn??

Many will argue that Lattu just forgot it as a one time thing- no, it's not a one time thing, it's a constant thing.

And the fact that Lattu blatantly said that after LS, Ajay is his best friend, straight to his (Ajay's) face to at that, like?? Excuse me?? Ajay might've laughed it off, but you can't tell me that he felt hurt, even if LS and Ajay are th same person.

Imagine if Ajay and LS are completely different people altogether; Ajay would've been more hurt than he was originally. Your own best friend, said that you are second to his idol? Idk about y'all, but if that were me, I would drop that friend immediately, no questions asked. Blocked, distanced, everything. I'm not trying to be mean or anything; I just don't want to stay in a friendship where I wasn't being treated properly.

And treating someone properly is clearly not in Lattu's dictionary, no matter how harsh it might sound.

The Difference Between Lattu And Babli As Ajay's Friends

Listen; I'm not trying to be biased or anything, but I just think that Babli is a much better person as Ajay's best friend.

Like- girlie was the only person in his private life aside from family that know of his dual-life situation, and she supports him and is actually there for him through and through.

Of course, being the daughter of a senior professor might've played a part here a bit, but even if that wasn't the case, she would still be supportive of him no matter what, because she actually cared about him, and being an actual friend to him both as Ajay and LS at the same time.

Through their expeditions together, for Babli, her friend group remains unchanging; Ajay and LS are the same person, so there's no need for her to ask for Ajay to invite him to their little shenanigans with LS. Her best friend is literally already there as is.

Lattu on the other hand, for as much as I know, he never once ever asked Ajay if he would be interested in coming to join their chaos getaway with LS, and he's the person who's unaware of Ajay's dual-identity. He technically treated two people completely differently.

"He might've asked him off-screen". That might be the case, but I will never excuse the fact that Lattu had zero thoughts when it comes to his own best friend in favor of his idol. None.

If Their Friendship Breaks Apart, It's Not Ajay's Fault

I feel like instead of because of how Ajay kept a secret from Lattu, it'll be because Ajay realized he wasn't being treated fairly like a friend when he's being himself, his real self, and Lattu is just too absorbed into his alter-ego than anything.

We have to always remind ourselves that "Little Singham" is not Ajay's real identity; this is explicitly said multiple times already throughout the series. Little Singham is merely an alter-ego that Ajay created due to his work line. The flamboyant and extroverted personality isn't Ajay's actually personality. Ajay has always been the quiet, introverted, and shy kid who is quite invisible in his own class, with only 2 people ever see him, sometimes even 5.

Lattu, basically in a sense, favors Ajay as someone else rather than Ajay's real self, and that's what I think will be the breaking point for Ajay at some point to break away from this relationship; it's no use to be in a relationship where you won't be valued as yourself, and only being valued by only putting up a persona that is anything but yourself.

This might've appeared in an alt universe more than anything lmfao, but my point still stands.

I mean like- Lattu is blind asf dawg; when LS is clearly barefaced, he doesn't realized shit. Suspected Aadi to look familiar, while Baaghi is literally right there not far from them, like hello??

I'm not trying to hate on Lattu, no. He's honestly a good character if he was written right. I just have problems with how he is with his friendship with Ajay, and how bad the relationship is, whether anyone realized this or not.

Then again, they're 9 year old children, I'm not gonna expect them to behave like a teenager when it comes to their relationships, but usually in childhoods, anywhere below 12 at least, friendships are highly valued, and I don't think Lattu is doing a good job on that.

Babli is honestly the most solid friend Ajay could ever had. Cuz not only since they're friends since childhood, they're still close to this day to the point of siblinghood (I'm sure Avishkar took care of him to some extent after Akira left).

That's probably all. If there's more, I'll add later

#Little Singham #Lattu #Babli #istg i have a certain strong dislike on lattu #not hate #just a huge ass dislike #babli > lattu fr

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blue-dream-rhapsody · 1 year

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Spoilers for the end of the TYBW manga! If you’re only watching the anime, this will be in like the last two episodes of the whole show, so look away!

This is gonna sound like me being biased again (and I definitely am, don’t get me wrong) but I think I have a universally true argument here.

Renji was a weird choice to have go with Ichigo to the last clash with Yhwach.

To be clear, I’m very fond of Renji. I also think the conversation he and Ichigo have on their way there was a fantastic moment in their friendship, and want to keep it intact as much as possible. It’s just that, when I think of the magnitude of this particular moment, the literal last battle at the end of the series, it just feels odd for Renji of all his friends to have this pretty prominent spot.

Who is Ichigo teaming up with here? Aizen, the major antagonist for basically half the series. Uryu, the enemy-turned-friendly rival-turned-fake enemy-turned-genuine ally just acting as an infiltrator all along because he’s got roots in this battle. And… Renji. The Guy.

Like seriously, I’m trying to pinpoint exactly what narrative function Renji’s presence here serves, and for every one I can find, there’s just someone who does a better job? Like, okay, say he’s serving as the presence of a Soul Reaper. Except Rukia would also do that, down to the rank they have, and given her meeting Ichigo is how the series began, it would additionally be a natural bookend for her to be fighting alongside him at the end. (And obviously I am deliberately ignoring bullshit like power levels or whatever, because of the four in this alliance Ichigo’s ridealong contributes little more than a distraction while Aizen tanks the damage, Uryu fires the arrow, and Ichigo makes the cut.)

Rukia is also the member of his friend group Ichigo probably interacts with the least in this whole arc who isn’t Uryu Away For Plot Reasons Ishida (or maybe Chad, who I’ll talk about in a moment too), whereas he and Renji go through a chunk of the Royal Palace stuff together. So it seems like that final battle would be the chance to actually give her a meaningful interaction with him as, again, a mirror to the start of the series.

(Disclaimer: I don’t mean this in a shipping sense in any way, shape, or form, though you can certainly take it as you like. That’s not the only way their bond can be relevant, though. My point is simply that Rukia has more narrative importance to Bleach itself than Renji does, compared to how little time she spends interacting with the series’ protagonist in the final arc compared to him.)

So as far as all of that stuff is concerned, Rukia carries more weight, but let’s say Renji was chosen as Ichigo’s closest guy friend or something along those lines. Um. Chad??? My beloved Yasutora Sado??? Like of course Kubo seems allergic to giving Chad anything significant to do at any point past his introduction, but come on! He’s supposed to be Ichigo’s best friend! Again, I’m ignoring power levels. Maybe the combination of Aizen and Yhwach’s presence would’ve been too much for him to withstand given Fullbringer scale, but I still think he’d make more narrative sense than Renji, and that should be what matters more.

Friendly rival? Well that’s Uryu who is already there, and has a way larger stake in this than anyone in Ichigo’s friend group regardless. Less that he doesn’t meet the criteria if we can’t count Uryu, choosing Renji for this reason would just be doubling down on the same thing.

You could also argue Orihime should’ve been the one, as the one Ichigo eventually ends up with (although she at least was with him at the fight just before this, so it being someone else this time doesn’t bother me). And Renji is just, not that!

Renji goes with Ichigo because it’s in character for him, and I don’t disagree with that by any means. But this is the conclusion of the entire 74-volume narrative and I’m struggling to explain why he specifically is the one chosen by Kubo to be a part of this battle if anyone had to be at all. It’s like he went out of his way to choose the least impactful character possible to fulfill this role.

So okay, Kubo, I can play hardball. You want somebody who isn’t Rukia, Chad, or Orihime? I can do that. I’ll even give you someone who’s already right there so you don’t have to make them come running up at the last moment!

You know who should’ve gone with Ichigo to that very last confrontation? Kugo Ginjo, obviously!

Don’t leave, hold on, let me explain myself.

First is the kind of obvious thing, which is that while it was on a smaller scale than they were, Ginjo was an arc villain just as much as Aizen and Yhwach were. He’s the mastermind and the climactic battle of The Lost Agent. So wouldn’t it be fun if Ichigo had the help of the first two arc villains in defeating the third?

The quartet of Ichigo, Kugo, Aizen, and Yhwach is also interesting because they all have connections to the Reio in some form, being either candidates for the role inherently, or having attempted to become or usurp him. There’s really no one else who approaches this (barring Urahara, for the hogyoku).

But wait, you may be saying, why would Ginjo fight on the side of Shinigami if his whole thing is that he hates them? To which I say—he wouldn’t! But I think he would be willing to fight to help Ichigo. Maybe not for everything ever, but maybe for the time where if Ichigo loses, everything will very clearly fall apart, including for the people he obviously still cares about in Xcution. (Also, does he know about Soul King stuff at this point, including that the both of them are candidates to replace it? Preventing that being necessary for both their sakes might be good.)

Not to mention, this would be the first time Ichigo and Kugo can fight together consciously as Deputies. It would give us a more concrete picture of how they feel about one another now that the Lost Agent conflict is over, seeing as this gets very little resolution on either side—and give Ichigo back what it was that Kugo had almost given him during that arc, a “big brother” figure he can rely on in a desperate situation, instead of having to be that figure himself.

Plus… fixing Ichigo’s sword was really kind of just Tsukishima’s repayment, wasn’t it? Ginjo shows up and says four lines, (and probably a fifth on the way there that was “Tsukishima do the thing”) and that’s what exactly? Is that supposed to make up for the extremely personal betrayal? Is that a sufficient expression of gratitude for the respect of taking his body back from the Court Guards’ grasp? He still had to say something about paying Ichigo back because debt’s about all the obligation Tsukishima would ever respond to, but what’s his contribution other than holding that “leash”?

Also for the three of them being revealed alive like a hundred chapters ago, that sure is a whole lot of no payoff. Like for Tsukishima it’s great payoff, but for Ginjo? What was the point of the training they all did with Ganju? Was it really about Ganju getting stronger? And we never got an answer why Kukaku took them in in the first place, could that really have just been chance?

If I want to put on my conspiracy cap—I half suspect Ginjo was meant to go from the time of their reappearance, and more of his backstory was supposed to come to light/he was supposed to get some additional development. But as Kubo’s health deteriorated and he got toward the home stretch, just like it would’ve been difficult to give Rukia the proper due if she’d gone, it became too much for him to do Ginjo justice, or maybe to set up for his role in CFYOW, so he decided to not do it altogether, rather than half-ass it. (This is what I tell myself, anyway). He already has a completely justifiable reason to show up at the last minute with the need for Tsukishima’s ability. He’s been training, supposedly. He owes Ichigo something and acknowledges it. He’s thematically fitting, he’s been absent for so much time after being teased, we know he was doing something because he went looking for Ukitake, it really just makes too much sense.

I doubt Kubo is planning any out-and-out rewrites of anything significant as the anime proceeds, but if he were to tweak the ending at all, I certainly think this would be reasonable.

Anyway, we’ll see what part 2 brings. CFYOW content is getting teased for sure, so who knows what’s in store!

#bleach spoilers #bleach tybw spoilers #bleach anime spoilers #ginjou kuugo #Kugo Ginjo #bleach cfyow #this is still a Kugo-loving household and don’t you forget it

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wiggles-mcgee · 9 months

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OPINIONS ON GRAVITY FALLS

OK SINCE YOU ASKED I WILL ANSWER WITHOUT GIVING SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2!! Because I know you've not seen it yet. Not sure how much of this is opinions and how much is just rambles though.

First, context, Gravity Falls is a show I have been obsessed with since it came out. I own a copy of Journal 3 and Dipper's hat and can't wait to get the Book of Bill when it comes out. So my opinions are gonna be biased!!

The greatest episode of Gravity Falls and my favourite of all time is S2Ep4: Sock Opera (watch the episode and you'll understand why, though please watch the rest of that season too haha). No further questions needed, it speaks for itself in every second of that episode.

My favourite episode from Series 1 would have to be either Legend of the Gobblewonker or Dreamscaperers. Both are fun to watch and have sweet endings and notes to it, as well as incredible comedy and great pacing. They hit so good every time.

Boyz Crazy is one of my least favourite episodes because it reminds me of primary school where everyone was feral about One Direction and I just didn't get it at all, but I still find it hilarious.

Most of my least favourite episodes involve some kind of romance subplot - thats not to say all romance centric episodes are bad, I just find it less interesting to me when it turns out Mabel's new crush is Regular Guy (Normal Man) and not five gnomes in a hoodie. Or oh look Dipper is crushing on Wendy, what's new? Its probably because I never really related to it.

My favourite character is Grunkle Stan. He's funny and a weird old man, as Mabel eloquently puts it. He's gruff, sweaty, wrinkled, and a bit of an asshole. And he cares so much for his family. He tries and thats what counts. Also his absolute lack of shame about cash - like in Double Dipper where he launches himself at that dollar bill - and conning and scamming tourists out of their money is so hilarious to me. Grunkle Stan is dear to my heart and will always be my favourite character.

Pacifica is another one of my favourite characters! She gets a fair bit more character development in the second series, and I still find myself laughing at every interaction the Pines family has with her when I rewatch the show - she's hilarious in every sense of the word. Her growth as a person is really nice to watch.

If I met Tambry irl I think I would inevitably punch her, I cannot lie, she frustrates me too much

Bill Cipher my beloved <3 (you'll see why when he shows up again in season 2)

I have rewatched this show many times since it came out and I firmly believe that so many of the jokes still hold up to this day. It shaped my sense of humour greatly. And the best bit about being older is that now I get all the jokes I didn't get as a kid!!!

My favourite running joke is Guy Who Married A Woodpecker!! He just shows up every now and again and we see a snapshot of his failing marriage and I love him.

The pool guy is objectively and unironically one of the funniest people alive. As is Quentin Trembley, 8½th President of the United States, who also absolutely shaped my personality and humour.

Certain episodes in the later half of Series 2 tone wise feel like they should have been at the start of the series or in Series 1, and the series does suffer for it in my opinion. Of course its a kids show, you don't want it to get too dark, but I feel like some parts of that series just felt inconsistent to the rest of it. Of course the rest of that series is absolutely stellar in my opinion, most of my favourite episodes are in that series, so its swings and roundabouts I suppose.

The Wendy crush is nothing short of frustrating to me every time I see it. Had to reiterate this, and I get that people don't get over crushes quickly, but especially in Series 2 it frustrates me. tbh I probably had a crush on Wendy too as a kid I cannot lie.

The ending is so sweet to me and makes me want to cry or actually cry every time, not just for nostalgia, but because it hits me hard and emotional in so many different ways. No spoilers yet!

And ending it with a really strong opinion here, you should watch Series 2 (a shameless suggestion, I don't regret it)

#wiggles answers #gravity falls #long post #wiggles chats with the void #i have more thoughts #but might have to add those later

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ashes-writing-corner · 11 months

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So yesterday I brought up the idea of writing a dragon rider/fantasy AU and come up with basic ideas/headcanons for it. I'm here this morning to do just that, starting with Simon and his dragon Brightfire because I'm biased, obviously lol

Simon and Brightfire Headcanons

Simon

1. Was (supposedly) abandoned as a baby on the steps of the Dragon's Keep because of a deformity of his skin.

2. He has patches of scales on various parts of his body, including his face which is why he wears the mask in this AU.

3. Lives in Dragon's Keep, serving as guardian to the hatchery, but is every so often commanded to go out and do work for Nova (the dragon queen who raised him), which he does gladly, as it's mostly spying or the VERY rare occasional assassination.

4. Is known as the Dragon Keeper because of his position, as the only human to live in Dragon's Keep. People have also taken to calling him the Ghost of Dragon's Keep, as some folks believe he's not even really alive because of his quiet and somewhat unnerving nature.

5. Was raised by Nova alongside other hatchlings, so he sees the youngest dragons as his siblings. He respects the older dragons, viewing them as uncles, aunts, and cousins.

6. While most respect Simon for his position, others see him as a sort of pariah, someone who rejected his own humanity to live alongside the scaled, fire breathing beasts.

7. Not so secretly admires Princess Lyra, heir to the throne of Athana, who treats Simon like anyone else, and is his best/only human friend at the beginning of the story.

8. Is the last of the group to get a dragon, as he feels he doesn't deserve one and he doesn't feel like they should be used that way. He doesn't mind that Riders exist, he just thinks there's a few ethical issues surrounding it.

9. As the closest to the dragons, he knows the most about them (how they think, how their culture is structured, etc), and he knows their stories and myths. He's remarkably tight lipped about it, unless given permission from Nova to give this information to his fellow Riders.

10. Is chosen by Brightfire due to his bloodline and the parallels between them...

Brightfire

1. After Nova, he's probably the oldest dragon in existence.

2. Was the first dragon to ever be ridden by a human, and together they started the Riders.

3. According to legend, he and his Rider used the last of their power to imprison a great evil that threatened the kingdom, and potentially the world, so everyone at first thinks he's dead.

4. Bright has lived as mostly a wild dragon since his Rider died, losing most of his "human" side and living/thinking more like an animal for the past two millenia.

5. Was also raised by Nova, though he isn't biologically hers. Like Simon, he still feels a sense of loyalty to her.

6. Hasn't made an appearance in two millenia and most people think he's dead, though he often showed up in Simon's dreams carrying a dire warning.

7. While all dragons have a sort of telepathy, Bright can project his thoughts and feelings into others around him, not just his Rider. In a sort of mirror to this, Simon can understand all dragons, regardless of whether or not their Rider is present, while other Riders can only understand their own individual mount.

8. Has a hard time trusting most humans, but is deadly loyal to Simon and, a little later, princess Lyra. He also grows to care deeply for Price, Gaz, and Soap.

9. His fire is white, with streams of gold and silver in it.

10. He technically should be the biggest dragon in existence, after Nova, due to having unlimited space and food, but because of his fractured mind, Bright's growth is paused until he meets and has his first flight with Simon.

And there we have it! I have the others planned out too, if anyone wants to see anyone else! All dragon pictures I include in this series are drawn by Kenny Kwan Brenes (kennykwanarts on Instagram, seriously go show them some love because their dragon art work is just...immaculate!) I don't own the art, I just own ideas for dragon characters and a few human characters. Thank you ^^

#fanfiction #headcanons #fantasy au #cod fanfic #simon riley #simon ghost riley #dragon rider AU #think I'll call this AU Dragon's Keep #dragon rider au #dragon rider

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girluninterrupted11 · 11 months

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Next up, one of the most iconic decades....

The time has now come for the 1950s, a decade that I’m sure we are all more familiar with. Poodle skirts, Grease, Marilyn Monroe, all of that good stuff. I know when I think of this decade grease (the movie not oil) is especially what comes to mind, but that might just be me. I remember watching that movie for the first time in my childhood best friend’s basement and being so confused (I was 8 or 9 so cut me some slack here) but still interested. Olivia Newton-John’s character Sandy had this black outfit that I will always associate with the 50s. I don't think I knew much else at the time, besides the classic blond bombshell trope that the time period is known for so for me this was a whole new world. Quite obviously, since then I’ve definitely learned a lot more about fashion and it’s evolution through the decades (I wouldn’t be doing this blog otherwise). Let’s get into it then …

Now, I can't talk about the 1950s without dedicating a good chunk of this post to icons that changed the fashion game. So, first is our blonde bombshell of the 50s. I couldn't do this without bringing up Marilyn Monroe could I? One thing she really popularized was blue jeans (so did other people, like Elvis) which she wore in one of her movies. Now, we obviously all wear jeans all the time, especially Levi 501s. Fun Fact, these are my go-to jeans, just like many people for the past 150 years. Not only did she popularize them but she also showed a different side to jeans, one that balanced glamour and femininity with comfort and practicality. Marilyn is the idea of femininity for a lot of people and I think that this definitely shines in her jean outfits. I think this is something she does really well. Jeans are versatile and can go either way depending on how you style them (which is quite different from fashion before). I do have to say I do love Marilyn Monroe so I might be biased here. I’ve had a massive poster in my room for years (right next to a Kate Bush poster and a Bangles poster). Now, Marilyn is known as being a sex icon and her glamour. The blonde hair, the red lips, the dark eye makeup and the accentuated figure. This is a key part of 1950s fashion, but it's not the only side.

Now, Marilyn is known as being a sex icon and her glamour. The blonde hair, the red lips, the dark eye makeup and the accentuated figure. This is a key part of 1950s fashion, but it's not the only side. Audrey Hepburn is the perfect example (not saying that either is better, but the different aspects of the decade, love them both equally). Her style is a more subtle femininity, one with more elegance. Accordingly, she popularized ballet flats, big sunglasses and capri pants. Personally, I'm really not a big capri pants fan, especially myself, but I think she manages to make them look good. I always feel like they just look awkward and weird. Like why? What’s the point of the length? They’re not short enough to be shorts, but not long enough to be pants. I want to know who got up one morning and said “You know what we need? Pants in that awkward in-between length? That’s what’s missing from my life” Why? It also always makes me think of being a kid and wearing those plaid capris that were popular in the 2000s-2010s and are horribly ugly (if you know what I'm talking about then you’ll get what I mean, if you don't, consider yourself lucky). On the left picture below is Audrey wearing capris for her movie Sabrina (great movie by the way, 10/10 would recommend if you haven’t watched). For some reason I think they look good in this outfit, it's simple but cute nonetheless, and the capris somehow aren't evoking a visceral reaction so I consider that more impressive than anything.

She is also wearing ballet flats in this image, which I will always consider to be timeless and cute. A classic black flat is something that you can never go wrong with. They add just the right amount of elegance to any outfit (like the capris in this outfit) which again is something the 50s really gets right, the art of elegance and femininity.

On the right is an image from Breakfast at Tiffany’s (one of my all-time favourite movies, I’ve watched it a dozen times since I was 10). As you can see she is rocking the chunky sunglasses, which I can absolutely get behind, unlike the capris. I love chunky sunglasses, and they are absolutely a must-have for me in the warmer months. I think some people look better with smaller sunglasses and can absolutely rock them, but I am not one of those people. I wear big sunglasses for the same reason I wear big earrings, it's necessary when you have curly hair (and a lot of it). Smaller pieces just get lost and it becomes pointless. I guess I just have to thank Audrey Hepburn for being able to wear big sunglasses.

That brings us to the end of this segment. From Marilyn Monroe’s sensuality to Audrey Hepburn’s elegance, the 50s fashion trends continue to remain timeless.

Next up, I’ll be talking about my favourite decade so stay tuned !! See you next week xx.

#fashion #1950s fashion #marilyn monroe #Audrey hepburn #old hollywood #sabrina #breakfast at tiffany's

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alotogifs · 2 years

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A League of Their Own Cast Live Tweets 1x08 Pt.2

Abbi: I had a hard time keeping it together in this scene with Kate Berlant. Will: Hahahaha. Kate Berlant for president.

Will: Oh boy the song! We were all very nervous. Kelly has a beautiful voice.

D’arcy:😍😍😍 #Delucathebazooka 😍😍😍 Will: It is heartbreaking to see Jo in a Blue Sox uniform. It felt like something was wrong on set! Abbi: If you notice, some of the music is not from the same period that the show takes place-- this was very intentional! We wanted to use music that felt rebellious like our characters + that meant jumping ahead in time a bit.

Will: This is the real hurt for Bert and Toni. Abbi: "For some of us, safe isn't safe" Will: "For some of us safe isn't safe." Follow @/butchythings who plays Bert!

Will: GODAMMIT CHERYL Abbi: This scene right here between Chanté Adams and Gbemi Ikumelo THIS SCENE and these two. One of the most dynamic and real and nuanced and deepest friendships on TV. I might be biased, but it's just true. Chanté: This was Gbemi’s last scene of the season. It was hard. While most of us were going back to LA and NY, Gbemi was going back to London and that broke my heart. I tried to get her to move next door so we could see each other everyday and raise our kids together but she couldn’t 😭 Gbemi: Still tryna make it happen 😭😭 Will: This is the scene in the whole show that makes me cry the most, because you can see them realizing they've never said goodbye before. Chanté Adams and Gbemi Ikumelo are geniuses. Will: The score from Zach and Nick and Deantoni here is just amazing.

Abbi: I love Lupe + Roberta Colindrez.

Will: There is a story about how this speech was filmed. HOW DO YOU WANT THIS TO END? Abbi kills it here. Will: Okay. I'll tell you the story! We shot the reaction half of this scene on the field, and then it started raining. So Abbi had to shoot her side of it a week later, on a platform in the middle of the street outside Toni's house. Will: She is yelling at the crew mostly. It was amazing. She's so talented. Will: Rob the bank! Has become our unofficial motto for the process of making the show too.

Will: Okay. Them carrying around here is a real story from a softball team. And it came to the show courtesy of ABBI'S DAD. Who is now in charge of finding the end of every season. Abbi: My dad gave me the end of the Peaches story here. Still cannot believe it. I called him one night, stuck. He told me this --It is inspired by a real story from women's college softball. Thanks Big Al. Love you.

Will: Barnstorming is such a huge part of baseball history, and Marquise does such a beautiful job bringing it to life as Red [Barnstorming refers to sports teams that travel to various locations, usually small towns, to stage exhibition matches.] Will: GODDAMMIT CHERYL

Will: WE TECHNICALLY LOST D’arcy: how many times have y’all watched this finale? Abbi: Dale Dickey gets me every damn time. What a masterful actor. D’arcy: WE! HAVE! TO! TAKE! CARE! OF! OUR! OWN! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ oh Dale & Kelly 😍 Will: WE HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN with Beverly kills me. "war bonds" was an improvised callback.

Abbi: Ohh boy. This is prob my favorite scene with my girl D’arcy Carden The Peaches come between them... just like the world. D’arcy: LOL IM CRYING Will: Abbi and D’arcy just kill me in this scene. They both come from comedy backgrounds and look at what they are doing. We are so lucky.

Will: Seeing Max in uniform killed me too. Abbi: Max finally in her own uniform! The fucking best.

Will: Repeating GO GET A THING was an improv from Kelly and Roberta. Abbi: Always... go get a thing.

Will: Abbi wrote "you changed my whole life" "you opened me up again" and it made me cry when I first read it.

Abbi: Thanks so much for watching with us tonight and in general. What a treat. Will: Thanks for watching with us! Wow. There's a lot of you! Will: This is a show for everyone told through perspectives you don't usually hear universal stories from. Thanks for helping get the word out! Will: WE ARE ALL FRUIT NOW

#aloto #a league of their own #alotoedit #will graham #abbi jacobson #d'arcy carden #chante adams #peaches #s1 #1x08 #cast #bts #live tweeting #twitter #i had fun making these #hopefully it means you can follow the tweeting better #will make them again if the cast watch another episode #what a finale #what a season

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havendance · 2 years

Text

No Man’s Land Comics Timeline (and Reading Recommendations)

Made to accompany my No Man’s Land Plot Timeline (for if you want to write fic set in No Man’s Land and want to know when stuff happened). This is the order the comics are in the No Man’s Land Omnibuses and thus the order that I read them in. I've bolded the issues that I really enjoyed and added notes by some others that didn't make the cut but I'd definitely recommend checking out for one reason or another.

Batman: No Man’s Land #1

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #83

Batman #563 - These first three issues really just set the scene for No Man’s Land and do an excellent job of it, you should definitely read them if you’re going to read No Man’s Land

Detective Comics #730

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #51

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #116

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #84

Batman #564 - You can take or leave the story that this issue is a part of, but Leslie Thomkins shows up in this issue and has a nice moment with Bruce

Detective Comics #731

Azrael Agent of the Bat #52

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #117

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #85

Batman #565

Detective Comics #732 - The story in these two issues features some good Barbara Gordon content and her discovery that there’s someone else out acting as Batgirl.

The Batman Chronicles #16

Azrael Agent of the Bat #53

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #118

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #86 - A nice standalone issue about a normal guy in No Man’s Land

Batman #566

Detective Comics #733

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #54 - 55 - I don’t particularly care about Azrael, but this story was pretty good if you do want to read some of his comics. It’s got Baraba Gordon and Leslie Thomkins in it.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #119

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #87 — A lot of plot hits in these two issues which sets up the next couple story arcs.

Batman #567

Detective Comics #734 — These two issues are the “Mark of Cain” storyline which is where Cassandra’s introduced! Definitely check them out.

Young Justice: No Man’s Land #1 — It’s young justice and just good fun.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #120 — All the bat-gangs here! Plus, good Helena content.

Robin #67 — Dick and Tim make their way into No Man’s Land together.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #56

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #57

Batman Chronicles #17 — Specifically, the second story in this is really good.

Nightwing #35

Nightwing #36

Nightwing #37

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #88

Batman #568

Detective Comics #738 — In this story Batman and Robin team up to go against Clayface and they end up making an alliance with Poison Ivy.

Catwoman #72

Catwoman #73

Catwoman #74 — The Catwoman story is just really fun. Plus, Maxie Zeus shows up in it which is always a plus in my book.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #121 — I can’t in good conscious recommend this as a *good* issue, but it is rather entertaining in a comics sort of way. Batman vs Mr Freeze.

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #89

Batman #569

Detective Comics #736

Robin #68

Robin #69

Robin #70 — The only reason I’m not bolding this is because then I’d basically be recommending all of the Robin comics and I’m trying to hold back at least a little of my biases (I just think the Robin comics are fun, okay?). Anyway, the story in these issues reveals the fact that apparently some of Tim’s old classmates are just hanging out in Gotham’s sewers, larping as their DnD characters, which is honestly one of the more absurd No Man’s Land details.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #58

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #122

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #90

Batman: #570

Detective Comics #737

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #123

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #91 — The story in these two issues was my favorite in volume 3 of No Man’s Land. You should definitely read it. It’s got everything that really compels me about No Man’s Land — namely people staying and doing the best they can in a city that’s hell on earth.

Batman #571

Detective Comics #738

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #124

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #92 — Superman enters Gotham pt II, this time as Clark Kent.

Batman: No Man’ Land Secret Files #1 — This issue flashes back to the night they blew the bridges. Probably my second favorite story in volume 3, cool stuff with the city itself speaking to some dude. Also, Huntress (my beloved <3) shows up.

Robin #71

Robin #72 —Tim, still recovering from an illness, goes up against Killer Croc. [Also sets up future plot points?]

Batman Chronicles #18

Batman #572

Detective Comics #739 — Jim Gordon, Rene Montoya, and Two Face in a No Man’s Land courtroom drama. Two Face is really good in this.

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #125 — Batman and Jim Gordon finally talk. A really good focus on their relationship

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #59

Catwoman #75

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #93

Nightwing #38

Nightwing #39 — these two issues have that sweet, sweet DickBabs content if that’s your jam.

Batman: No Man’s Land #0 — The origin of Batgirl!Helena as well as Bruce’s return to Gotham.

Batman #573

Detective Comics #740 — A plotty couple of issues, these set the stage for the grand finale.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #60

Catwoman #76

Catwoman #77 — I’m trying to avoid recommending every issue of vol 4, but these Catwoman issues are just good fun.

Azrael: Agent of the Bat #61 — This has some really nice interactions between Azrael, Barbara, and Cass

Batman: Legends of the Dark Knight #126

Batman #574

Detective Comics #741

Robin #73

Batman: Shadow of the Bat #94 — Minus the Robin comic, these last comics are all the concluding arc of No Man’s Land. The Bats vs the Joker and Lex Luthor.

#comics #reading list #comic recs #long post #timeline #carthago delenda est #no man's land #dc #bats + birds + affiliated #my comic reading orders

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kazewhara · 3 years

Note

I'm a sucker for calm, sunshine-y characters going berserk upon seeing their loved ones hurt. Can I request Kazuha and Thoma rescuing their kidnapped s/o from treasure hoarders, only to find them bruised and beaten? Tysm ❤️ And congrats for 145 followers, you deserve ten times more!

close your eyes for me.

masterlist!

# — pairings: thoma, kazuha x gn!reader

# — characters: gender neutral reader, thoma, kazuha, ayaka, beidou, treasure hoarders

# — summary: he doesn't want you to see him like this.

# — warnings: violence, blood mention, minor character death, injuries, kinda ooc thoma

# — tags: drabble format, angst, kidnapping and rescue, revenge, hurt/comfort (physical), fluff

# — notes: anon, i really, really, really like your taste :D i actually almost made myself sad writing thoma's.. i love him dearly :( as always, reblogs and reactions are always appreciated, and i hope you enjoy!!

✧— 𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐚 — ✧

thoma doesn't panic right away when you don't arrive on time.

you were supposed to meet him at komore teahouse for a date; you two made it a routine to have dates there at least twice a week whenever he had the time. it wasn't normal for you to be late, but you'd told him in advance that you were coming from konda village after staying there for a few days, since your parents lived out there. thoma told you to be careful on your way, since there were wandering ronin and treasure hoarders on the outskirts of the island.

"i know you can handle yourself just fine, but," thoma's green eyes swam with concern, "if you come across them, try not to fight, okay?"

you patted his cheek twice. "alright, you big worrywart." you laughed when he perked up a little and leaned in to kiss his nose. "i'll try my best."

thoma wrapped his fingers around the back of your neck, preventing you from pulling away. "do you promise?" he said lowly.

you hummed, an enamored smile parting your lips. "i swear i'll be as careful as i can. if i come across any danger, i'll get away as quickly as i can."

the two of you made a rule early on in your relationship that promises were to be sealed with a kiss, so you kissed him twice for good measure; once to seal the promise, and another time to keep him from whining. as charismatic and confident as thoma may appear, he was actually quite clingy when it came to you. you thought the two kisses would be enough, but thoma doesn't let you go.

"not yet," he murmured against your lips. "just a little more."

you chuckled. "you're so greedy."

as the minutes become hours, thoma's stomach starts to sink. was something wrong? did something happen to you? did you get into any fights and lose?

"no." thoma denies quickly. you wouldn't lose -- you couldn't. call him biased but your strength was unparalleled; you wouldn't let some random treasure hoarder best you. he closes his eyes as he thinks about you wielding your claymore against a mob of attackers. you handled your weapon with so much grace that people often thought it weighed nothing. thoma's about to lose himself in daydreaming about you when a worker of the teahouse appears in the entryway.

"sorry to intrude," she says with a bow, "but i received a letter for you. it was delivered by a suspicious individual, so i came to you right away." in her hands is a yellowed envelope, the edges of which seemed to be burnt.

thoma struggles to keep his expression even as he takes the letter. only when the employee is gone does he allow himself to be swept away by the waves of anxiety. he doesn't have to open it to know that this is a ransom note; this wouldn't be the first time he's seen one. he removes his headband and tentatively removes the seal and pulls out the letter.

the first thing that catches his eye is the large stain on the paper. bile sours thoma's tongue when he works out what it is.

the blood -- your blood -- has already started to oxidize, the stain taking on a rusty color. you must have been gone for far longer than he'd thought if that was ths case. thoma works his fingers through his hair as he reads the contents.

'two billion mora,' the letter reads, 'or they die.'

"two billion." thoma echos. he puffs out an incredulity. you were worth so much more than some two billion mora, but as comforting as that thought was, he knew the kamisato clan didn't just have that much money lying around. even if they did, as a retainer, it wasn't his place to ask for such a large sum anyways; his reputation amongst the staff was very good, but it can't possibly be that good. he makes himself sick just thinking about ways to preserve his reputation while you were missing.

as much as it pains him to do it, thoma tries to go about this rationally first. his body is itching to scour every nook and cranny of jinren island (since your abductors were kind enough to tell you where they were -- probably for ransom delivery), but he knows he would achieve nothing that way. plus, he'd likely be outnumbered. thoma smiles bitterly as he puts his headband back on. who cares about being outnumbered? he needed to see you safe and sound sooner rather than later.

he gets back to the kamisato estate in record time, where he heads straight to ayaka. she's having tea with ayato when he sees her. if this were any other day, he'd feel bad for intruding; the siblings don't get much time to see each other due to their respestive duties, but this -- you -- were far more important.

"thoma, you look exhausted," ayaka comments as she stands and makes her way over. he'd tried to keep a level head as he traveled, but he must have tried to sprint all the way here. no wonder his chest was burning. "you look about ready to pass out. is everything alright?"

thoma doesn't respond right away. he can't, not with how tight his chest feels. his breath comes in short and shallow. he pulls the crumpled letter from his pocket. he'd crushed it impulsively after reading it. ayaka tentatively takes the note from him and gasps when she realizes who exactly was missing. there was only one person that could make him panic like this.

ayato approaches next and reads the note. his face hardens and he crumples the paper back up. "i don't believe we can spare that much mora," he says through grit teeth, "but if i explain the situation to the tenyrou commission, then--"

"that's very kind of you," thoma interjects, "but what would people think of the yashiro commission if they found out you were doing all of this for a mere retainer?"

ayaka looks cross. "you're not just a retainer, thoma." she rests a hand on his shoulders, squeezing gently when she feels trembling. "you are like family to us; you know that."

thoma inhales sharply. he's already past his limit. he hasn't felt this helpless since he first arrived in inazuma all those years ago. he really didn't miss this feeling. ayaka's heartfelt words do very little to soothe him. because while it's always nice to know that he's got a family within the kamisato siblings, he also has a family in you.

but you're not here.

molten tears sting his eyes, but he blinks them back before they get the best of him. thoma's never cried in front of anyone before, and he didn't want to start now. "i appreciate it," he says after a while, offering the siblings his most grateful smile. "but i think i'll go and get them on my own."

ayato puts his foot down. "absolutely not. you're far too valuable, thoma; going there alone would be a suicide mission, and i refuse to endanger you like that."

"then you can rest easy; you're not the one putting me in danger." thoma feels a bit of his usual energy return to him as he give ayato a reassuring smile. "i'll be endangering myself."

"that's not--" ayato sighs harshly. he rolls his shoulders back -- a sign that he's admitting defeat. as expected yashiro commissioner, he's likely already thought ahead. he can't stop thoma. they both know it. "very well. come back safe. do you understand? that's an order."

ayaka nods and steps beside her brother. she doesn't look like she agrees, but there's not much she can do now. thoma supposes it's for the best. he gives them both a grin before accepting the order and leaving a bow. as soon as he exits the room, the smile drops from his face. he was going to head straight for that island without wasting another second. "i'll be there soon." he mutters to the open air.

getting to jinren island took a lot longer than he hoped it would.

it was so far off the coast of narukami; he could see why it was a gathering place for criminals. thoma hadn't been very subtle in his arrival, so he's greeted by about four treasure hoarders, two of which held large shovels. after doing a quick sweep, thoma notices that none of them have visions.

good. that makes this a lot easier then.

thoma raises his hands in surrender. "gentlemen." he greets with his most diplomatic smile.

"where's the mora?" one of the bulkier men demands. he growls when thoma clicks his tongue.

"now, now, don't you boys know how negotiations work?" he chides gently, like a parent scolding their child. "especially when something as precious as another person's life is at stake... has no one ever taught you this? let me confirm that they're alive first, and then you get the money."

the treasure hoarders aren't as stupid as he was hoping. one of them shoves a blade in his face. thoma doesn't flinch.

"boss says that that's not how it goes."

"do you not trust me?" thoma raises a brow before jerking his head in the direction of the boat he came in on. "if you don't believe me, then by all means, feel free to check my bag."

the criminals locate his bag easily. they lift it with some difficulty and hear the familiar jingling of what they assume is mora. thoma has to bite back a mocking laugh when he realizes that they didn't even check the bag; they just thought he brought mora. content with the "ransom", they escort thoma further onto the island.

there's a wooden cage in the center of some platform on a hill, and more treasure hoarders standing guard around it. there's more wooden cages, but since no one is near those, it's safe to assume they were empty. when thoma finally steps onto the platform, he sees you.

you're crumpled on the floor of the cage, your body curled in on itself. it looked like you'd passed out while clutching your stomach. thoma blindly sprints towards you and glares at a treasure hoarder until he opens the cage. the door swings open, and thoma's by your side in an instant, fretting over your unconscious body. you don't wake when he shakes you, and bile rises to his mouth again. he tilts you to get a better look at your face, and--

"how long were they here." thoma doesn't recognize his own voice. he gingerly wipes the fresh blood from under your nose with his thumb, grimacing when he feels some more dried blood crumble beneath it. your breathing shallow and stuttered, and thoma feels rage beginning to simmer. you have a black eye and there's both dried and fresh blood caked to your forehead. you have a few deep cuts on your cheeks that have clearly been treated with very little care, and as thoma's eyes trail down your body, he sees violet and yellowing bruises extend down into your clothes.

the rage grows to a boil in no time. "i asked how long they were here." thoma speaks again. "answer me."

a scrawny treasure hoarder nearby shrugs. "about three days."

that's exactly how long you were gone for. you must never have even made it to your parents.

thoma's about to summon his spear when a deep groan bubbles out of your chest. his anger fizzles like a spark dampened by water as he watches you wake up. "hey, hey." he whispers, his smile fragile as your eyes flutter open. his heart crumbles as he sees you try your best to focus on him, especially with your bruised eye. "good morning, sunshine."

his attempt to keep you calm doesn't work. you hardly get to rasp his name before you're coughing violently, tears forming in your eyes as you do. you can't seem to stop, and the very sensation only seems to worsen the pain. "what are you--" you're interrupted by your own coughing again.

thoma shushes you gently. you must have a broken rib. "i came to pick you up. you were late for our date, you know." he's trying so hard to remain calm, trying to keep himself sane since he's finally found you, but when you return his weak smile and he sees the blood staining your teeth, the rage reignites itself.

"took you long enough." you wheeze. your eyes lose focus again. "you're a little blurrier than i remember you." you try to joke.

thoma doesn't laugh. he knows you're trying to put him at ease, but it's not working. it's not going to work. he slips away from you and rises to his feet. "that's fine, baby. get some more rest for me, yeah? let me finish up here and then we can go home."

the treasure hoarders around you two sense something’s off and brandish their weapons, pointing them at thoma, whose got his own polearm at the ready. "what do you think you're doing?!" one of the men yells.

on the ground, you call thoma's name. "w-what's going on? what are you--?"

your boyfriend turns around for a second and gives you his sweetest smile. even with hazy vision, you can see the playful shimmer of his emerald eyes. "sleep for just a little while longer, baby." he faces the enraged treasure hoarders again, his voice dropping to something you've never heard before. "i'll be quick."

(he wouldn't know until it was over, but you had actually passed out as soon as soon as he told you to sleep. it wasn't so much that you were obeying him, but more that you physically couldn't stay conscious any longer.)

thoma doesn't think he's ever fought so viciously in his life.

he swings his polearm to the side, relishing in the cracking he hears as he knocks over two treasure hoarders. he makes quick work of the potioneers, bringing the base of his polearm down on the backs of their heads without a second thought. they crumple like ragdolls, and for a split second, he wonders if he killed them. he wanted to kill them -- he wanted nothing more than to skewer each and every one of these bastards and fling them into the ocean -- but if anyone were to find out what happened here, it would only complicate things.

he tries to avoid killing the remaining few, but not without stabbing them in non-vital areas with the blade of his weapon. one of the treasure hoarders has the gall to beg for mercy. "funny," he chuckles, swiping the blood off his cheek with a thumb, "i'm sure my lover said the same thing."

the last treasure hoarder gives him a hard way to go. the rest of the shovel holders went down pretty quickly, but this one clearly dwarfed everyone with his size. thoma assesses him very quickly and nearly succumbs to the darkest thought in his head.

someone had to die for this. one body wouldn't hurt, would it?

his next thought halts him in his tracks, nearly getting his head crushed by the burly treasure hoarder. as nice as it would be to kill at least one person, screw the commission -- if you found out, what would you think of him then? thoma makes up his mind quickly and inserts himself into the fight once more.

after a lengthy struggle, thoma finally manages to jam his polearm into the treasure hoarder's thigh, bringing him to his knees. thoma finishes the fight with a solid crack to the back of his head, knocking him out cold. he observes the mess he made and nods to himself. this felt good; giving them what they deserved. he makes his way back over to you.

you're exactly where he left you, curled on the floor of the cage. thoma picks you up as gently as he can and carries you back to the boat he came in on. he's about to rest you down when he sees two more boats coming in, both bearing symbols of the kamisato clan.

ayato and ayaka were on one boat. even after he told them not to, they came to assist him. the other boat held a few samurai to arrest the treasure hoarders. ayato helps thoma carry you onto their sturdier boat while ayaka strokes your head to keep you asleep amidst all the commotion. her touch is feather light, and it works to keep you asleep.

maybe it works a little too well, because the next time you open your eyes, you're in a bed.

you wake with a start, desperately sucking in air as if you were drowning. you regret it immediately as your lungs and ribcage scream in protest. a large set of hands is on you quickly, the one on your back rubbing soothing circles. you slap it away quickly. "don't touch me, i-- thoma?"

any fight you managed to muster leaves your body at the sight of your boyfriend by your side. there's dark circles under his eyes, shadowing their usual forest green color. "hey, stranger. you feel any better?"

your shoulders droop and you reach over, holding his face in your hand. thoma leans into your touch, holding onto your wrist for dear life. he practically nuzzles your palm with closed eyes, waiting for you response. you're so shocked by his behavior that it takes you a minute. "how... how long was i asleep for?"

thoma's eyes open, but not all the way. "about 36 hours. you..." he sighs, clearly bothered by the information. "you got roughed up pretty bad. how do you feel?"

"i feel like death, but did you sleep?" you brush your thumb over his cheek, your heart cracking when he sighs, content. "you must have been so worried, thoma, i'm sor--"

"don't," he snaps. he catches himself, murmuring an apology. "don't say sorry. no, i didn't sleep much. i was just-- i was worried you'd disappear again. last time you left my sight, you..."

every word seems to take more and more energy out of him. you may be the injured one, but thoma's distress has to be the most painful thing for you right now. love works so strange sometimes. you move your hand and run your fingers through his hair. "i'm not going anywhere again, okay?" you giggle lightly when thoma nearly purrs at the feeling. "look at you. you're like a giant cat."

"i'm your giant cat." he smiles then, and you see a glimmer of his usual self start to show. you know you mean a lot to him, but to see just how much is almost overwhelming. "i love you. so, so much, you know?"

"yeah." you grin. maybe you'll heal faster with him by your side. "i know. now go get some sleep, thoma. i'll be here in the morning."

"...you promise?"

you beckon him towards you, remembering your usual promise tradition. he leans in and you peck his lips, laughing when he starts to pout. there he is, you think. there's your thoma.

"i promise."

✧ — 𝐤𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐡𝐚 — ✧

kazuha will never forgive himself for not being the first to notice your absence.

it's beidou who brings it up first. it had been a few weeks since the crew made a stop in liyue harbor. everyone went their separate ways; some to visit family, some, like kazuha, to explore the surrounding areas. you and kazuha had gone your separate ways two days ago since he decided to venture further out, but you had responsibilities aboard the alcor.

"are you going to set sail with us again?" you finally mustered up the courage to ask. you were on edge all night, caught between asking kazuha to just stay with you and letting him go. you knew he was a free spirit, and you feared that once he started on his journey, you two would have to part ways for good.

kazuha crossed the room and sat beside you, his head tilted in question. "are you afraid that i might not?"

you nod wordlessly. it's embarrassing enough that you had to ask; you probably sounded clingy, and you knew how much kazuha hated it, even if he never said it out loud.

"...it seems like you've come to a conclusion without me. may i pick your brain, my love?" he nudged your shoulder with his.

it was impossible to keep secrets from him. you knew this. kazuha's observation skills were second to none, even when it didn't involve nature. you decided to confide in him, knowing that your relationship wouldn't grow unless you communicated. "i'm just worried that you might not return."

kazuha hummed. "if it's my combat skills that youre concerned about..."

"no, no, it's not that! i... i feel like once you leave, you'll find that you're happier out there." you swallowed down the unwelcome tightness in your throat. "you're a wanderer, kazuha, and i'm bound to the alcor. i'm scared that after this little break, you won't want to come back."

kazuha, stunned by your vulnerability, blinked a few times. even though you valued communication, you still struggled to talk to anybody, including him. he looked at you a little longer, trying to figure out why you would think he would ever leave your side.

it's true that he's a free spirit, but even the wind has to settle sometimes.

"dove," he said, taking your hand in his own, "i could never leave you for long." he chuckled at the look of mild disbelief that you gave him. "to me, it sounds as though you thought i would be upset with you for asking me to stay."

"i don't want to stifle you." you confessed. "i love you too much to do that to you."

kazuha made a small "ah" noise. he got off the bed and stood between your legs, tilting your head so you could look up at him. "ask me to stay." he pursed his lips for a moment. "on second thought, tell me to stay."

it wasn't worded like a question. you hesitated.

"i love you as you love me, perhaps even more so, if you would believe me." kazuha's hands explored your face gently, fingers smoothing over your eyebrows or lightly pinching at your nose. he had the most lovestruck smile on his face, and it made you flush. "i would do anything for you; i would grow roots and stay by your side if you'd let me."

"of course i'd let you!"

kazuha leaned down. "then tell me." he whispered. "tell me to stay. wherever you go, i'll go; wherever you stay, i'll stay. to the ends of teyvat, my dove, i would follow you anywhere."

this wasn't what you had in mind when you made up your mind to talk to him. you felt as though you were a child with a crush all over again, growing more and more flustered by the second with how close kazuha was to your face. he kissed your cheek. "go on, dove. say it."

"kazuha..." your heart sat in your throat, and the lump you suppressed earlier returned with a vengeance. "i don't know, i--"

your lover kissed your other cheek, his ruby eyes encouraging you to answer. you hated that you were so conflicted over this, but if he grew to hate you for forcing him to settle down--

"you're not forcing me," kazuha said. your face burned as you realized you said that out loud. he kissed your lips this time. "you're so lovely, my little dove. say it."

your walls came toppling down a lot easier than you expected. the pros of having kazuha around greatly outweighed the cons, and if he ever did wish to go his own way, then that was a conversation he would most likely have with you. he wouldn't just abandon you without a word. so you tell him.

"stay." you barely had the word out before kazuha kissed you, stealing it right from your lips.

"again." he murmured.

"please, stay."

kazuha pressed light kisses all over your face, drinking in the giggle you gave him. "as you wish."

you had little difficulty parting with him after that. reassured by the promise of return, you flew through your tasks aboard the ship with ease as you waited for the day kazuha returned.

but when he did return, you were nowhere to be found.

kazuha knows that he shouldn't blame himself for not being able to find you first, but he does anyways. he wasn't the first to board the alcor -- beidou was. when he got there later that morning, she pulled him into her cabin and slammed two things on the table. it was a dagger and a sheet of paper with demands scribbled on it. he didn't have to read the contents to know what it meant.

"i couldn't find them when i got here," she sighs, her arms folded tightly over her chest, "so i asked any early crewmates but they said they haven't seen them either. then i found this stabbed into my door."

kazuha's jaw jumps as he tries to find the proper words to say. he now understands how you must feel whenever you're trying to stop yourself from being crass with people who you dislike. his eyes flutter shut. if he looks at that letter any longer, he'll have much more trouble containing himself. "what does it say," he asks flatly. "who is it and what do they want?"

beidou, who seems equally as pissed as kazuha, reads the ransom note again. "they want all our valuables, so... my guess is treasure hoarders. how did those scummy bastards manage to organize something like this in the first place?"

how, indeed. it's a great question. kazuha doesn't care for the answer. "is there a location?"

the captain squints. "don't tell me you actually want me to surrender our supplies." if she were anybody else, that would come across as her prioritizing materials over your safety, but kazuha knows her better than that. he can see it when he opens his eyes. "it says they're near qingxu pool. there's a bunch of abandoned homes out there, so--"

"will you assist me, captain?" kazuha's not the brash type, never one to interrupt someone midsentence unless absolutely necessary, but beidou takes no offense to it. his expression is blank -- too void of emotion to be normal. needless to say, she gets why he's being a little impulsive.

beidou herself isn't one to dive headfirst into situations like this. as the captain of the crux fleet, she is not only responsible for overseeing the crew's behavior and the ship's maintenance, she is also a diplomat meant to keep the peace.

but she, like kazuha, is also a fighter. her answering smile is sharp. "i'll go inform the crew that we're gonna delay our departure."

once technicalities are out of the way, kazuha and beidou exit liyue harbor and walk towards the designated location. the trip is silent as kazuha tries to imagine all the ways this could go.

if he found you and you were unscathed, then he would have no trouble taking you and leaving. treasure hoarders like these don't have the means of following you. if you had a few scratches, then maybe he'd have to get physical.

an intrusive thought gives him pause. what if this was a trap and you were already dead?

"kazuha." beidou's voice makes him jump. she's stopped walking as well. they're finally here. "just know that whatever happens in there, i don't blame you."

kazuha runs her words through an internal translator right away.

"if you feel the need to kill someone, then go ahead."

it's sickening, feeling like a rabid dog on a stray leash. but never, not once in kazuha's life has he ever experienced something like this. he's a bit lost in the motions. he follows closely behind beidou as she approaches where the treasure hoarders are holding you captive.

your kidnappers did a horrible job hiding you. kazuha and beidou find you slumped against the concrete wall, your hands bound by some flimsy rope. neither of them make a sound, nor do they move to free you right away. it's not the presence of poorly hidden treasure hoarders that's got them frozen in place but rather, the that state you're in.

dried blood cakes the wall behind you, smeared a little bit above your head and trails down to where the back of your head rests. a rainbow palette of bruises paints your arms and face, and there's blood on your forehead and at the corner of your mouth.

kazuha reaches for his sword without a moment's hesitation. beidou stops him. "not yet." she warns. then, "we know you're there! come on out before i come and find you myself."

surprisingly (or not; treasure hoarders are pathetic excuses for human beings), the kidnappers come out. there's a large number of them, but that, too, is to be expected. they provoked the woman who took on the haishan alone and a samurai whose skills they knew nothing about. their cooperation may be a ploy, but a head count is pretty helpful.

"fourteen," kazuha says aloud. seven shouldn't be a problem for him. he's encountered more enemies on the run.

"where's the goods?" a skinny treasure hoarder asks. "we told you we'd kill them if you didn't bring what we asked."

beidou shifts her posture once before summoning her weapon, resting it on her shoulder. the entire room crackles with the tension of an upcoming battle. "touch them one more time, and i'll have to get my hands dirtier than usual."

her threat does nothing. a treasure hoarder next to you pushes you with his foot and you groan. you're alive, but--

"kazuha, wait." beidou commands.

kazuha didn't even realize he'd drawn his own sword. you once praised him for his exceptional restraint and ability to keep himself cool under pressure. he skims your body once more and notices that something’s... off. something’s missing. "their vision." kazuha finally speaks. "where is it?"

a treasure hoarder to his left laughs and pulls your anemo vision from his pocket, waving it around tauntingly. "you mean this thing?" he sneers.

the flashbacks happen so fast that it nearly blinds him.

the sight of his best friend being defeated right before his eyes, his cracked blade falling at his feet. his vision flying through the air, devoid of its elemental glow.

the hysterical cries of people who had been robbed of their visions -- their ambitions. the rainbow that projected onto the ground in inazuma city during mid-afternoon, the sun reflecting off of the confiscated visions.

there's a flash and a clang before something -- the treasure hoarder's severed forearm -- hits the ground with a dull thud.

your vision now rests safely in kazuha's hands. "yes," he replies to the treasure hoarder he unknowingly attacked, his agonized screams falling on uncaring ears. "this thing."

beidou mutters, "fuck it," before charging at the seven treasure hoarders on her left. her powerful strikes are audible as she swings her claymore. kazuha cradles your vision as he takes on the remaining six treasure hoarders.

if you were to ask kazuha what happened that day, he probably wouldn't be able to tell you. not because he's ashamed of what he did, but because he really and truly doesn't remember.

adrenaline and molten fury give kazuha the strength he needs to cut down each of his opponents. he doesn't miss a single one -- doesn't leave a single stone unturned. each treasure hoarder he encountered met the same fate. when there's finally one treasure hoarder left, kazuha doesn't kill him right away.

"in your next life," kazuha seethes, his voice foreign to his own ears, "you will die another death by my hands." he silences the treasure hoarders please by dragging his sword across his neck, and like that, brings the fight to a close.

kazuha peers down at your vision, which is still pulsing with life. you may be incapacitated, but perhaps this was your way of giving him strength. when he sees blood smeared on the shell, a twinge of guilt starting to grow. "you said you wouldn't blame me." he says as the adrenaline seeps out of him. "do you think they would--"

beidou slaps the back of his head, shutting him up. "please, they'd have started fighting a hell of a lot sooner than you did." she looks him over once before looking down at herself. the two of them are covered in blood, none which was their own. "ugh, let's go. there's doctors that can treat them on board."

kazuha cups the back of his head with a quiet hiss, but follows along anyways. he heads over to you and picks you up as gently as he can, careful not to upset any wounds you may have that he can't see. "i'm sorry i didn't come sooner, dove." he whispers. "i'm so, so sorry."

when you finally wake up, it's to the sound of seagulls. you shoot into an upright position, but your vision starts to swim and you feel the need to throw up. you lean back on the headboard. what the hell happened? why did you feel like someone ragdolled you into a wall? you close your eyes and try to listen to the crash of waves outside. at least you were on the alcor -- maybe you should try to remember what happened until someone came in. the door opens about 45 minutes later, and you're greeted by a familiar head of platinum hair.

it's kazuha.

he rushes over and kneels at your bedside. your lover doesn't say anything for a long while as he cups your hands and bows his head away from your sight, his shoulders shaking slightly. thankfully, you managed to recall what happened in the two days you were apart, so you can't blame him for being this way. he must have been scared stiff.

the only thing you can think to say in the moment is, "welcome home, kazuha."

his shoulders still for a moment before starting again, but this time, you can hear soft laughter. kazuha looks up at you, his eyes teary. "i'm back, dove," he says, pressing your hands to his forehead. "i'm back."

"did you miss me?" it's a cheeky question, and probably a bit calloused considering what happened, but you both needed a smile right about now. kazuha's smile grows, and your heart flutters.

"more than anything." kazuha kisses the back of your hands, the gesture laden with affection and longing. "a day apart from you feels like an eternity, my star."

you chuckle. "never have truer words been spoken."

kazuha pushes himself off the floor and sits on the bed near you, holding your face in his hands. you're sure you're still swollen and bruised; you must be unsightly and yet kazuha's looking at you like you hung the stars in the sky for him. he leans forward and rests his forehead on yours.

"you are my everything." he declares softly. it's like a prayer to you and you alone, spoken a space inhabited only by the two of you. his words are sacred and special, and you soak in every last one. "the brightest star in my sky; my universe."

you're starting to get dizzy. he must have been terrified by your absence. "kazuha--"

his lips cover your own and you melt, unable to resist him. "i adore you." he says when he pulls away. "i always will."

you cling to those words like they're your last lifeline. "and i, you." you say in return, shutting your eyes when he kisses you again.

✧ (whew! this monster grew bigger and bigger as i wrote it! i got carried away again,,, but! i do hope you enjoyed reading it as much as i enjoyed writing it!)

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