#they appear really good and solid and loyal on the outside | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

naffeclipse · 2 years ago

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Chapter 11 has been devoured just like the heart of that mothman! (sidenote: when I saw the cw for heart eating my first thought was that they probably really enjoyed this one XD)

Ahh, y/n really was a mess in this one from letting Sun get hurt. Their confidence is dwindling a lot lately as they're so desperate to prove themselves strong. I can't help but think it comes from being alone for so long, since now they have a connection to someone that they are so afraid to lose and it's a bit hard for them to really see how solid that relationship has come along. The hunter does not seem to realize they are still putting a lot of what they have learned to be as a cryptid hunter that only needs to appear professional to other people. Of course they are very caring! But it seems showing weakness is something they have learned to avoid at all costs, whether with the people they interacted with and never saw again, or with their cryptid targets.

Every time that it has happened so far has weighted on them as a failure, even though they strive to believe that they can be scared and still be brave. But it's always been 'scared when no one else can see', and 'brave when they (ususally the monsters) can' . Now they have an onlooker and it's terrifying to them! They are placing themself in a trial where the hunter is the only judge! And boy are they judging! Sun and Moon are right to be concerned about them not taking their own injuries as seriously and reminding them that they are not dragging the DA in this, but rather that they are choosing to follow y/n willingly.

Good thing they have ways to be distracting heh >:3

As for the hunt itself that was so tense! We have that soft moment at the start where y/n is trying not to show themself as too vulnerable even though they are sharing how the demonic encounter changed their life forever. And then we had that very horror game like moment with the enemy so, so close, with light and sound being the worst enemies for survival. The fact that the lightning was disorienting to the Mothman was so cool, and the atmosphere was just excellent. I loved the great show of trust with Moon accepting turning off his optics and just letting y/n take the lead because of their skilled observation as a hunter! Like hey there is a hungry monster right outside (that endangers you), but I'll blind myself because I trust you! Chef kiss! And ooooh, the point blank shot was so cool!! And the detail with the light of the eyes fading along with the lightning!!! I loved that!

And omg it's so funny y/n decided to screw with them one last time with the boyfriend thing fdksljgh But it's even funnier to me that Sun and Moon just boldly flirt with them and make suggestive jokes about them taking their clothes off but the moment y/n sort of implies " you are more my type" Moon immediately is like "f-for realsies? uwu" What a dork XD

This is getting super long so I'll just add a couple more observations! So first F.E.I wants to control cryptids hmmmmmmmmm!! My first thought was how in Pizzeria Simulator Henry designed Lefty specifically to trap the possessed Marionette to manage to bring it somewhere hmmmmm. Got my eyes on that for sure!

Then we have Vanessa! Oh god, I wonder what she's been trying to hint at. Or if it's even her at more lucid moments. Because come to think of it, if the demon has possessed her, I wonder if it could look into her mind and know she knows y/n. And could be trying to attract them subtly through worry to be able to get them finally. The prey that got away. (Or maybe a more suitable vessel?)

Ahhh, things are coming together! I hope y/n is able to help Vanessa, and that maybe the boys start seeing her as less of a nuisance now that they know how loyal a friend she has been to y/n in the past XD Speaking of which, that reminds me of the vow! For a second there they were in a tight spot haha. I just imagine them discussing in their head frantically about what to say fkdjhgjkh and then y/n gives them an out and they are like "we shall be like the fae and word things very carefully" pffff. Now they can keep thei vow without revealing themselves and hold y/n to theirs!

Though I do wonder: can they really demand a vow to be upheld when the one making it upon request did so under deceitful circumstances? Especially if they find out?

Very excited to find out~

Hi, babe! ♥

Oh ho, Sun/Moon enjoyed eating this heart very much hehe

A lot of stress is building for Y/N and naturally, they strive to protect. Failing to do that, especially with their dear friend, broke their little heart ;-; Y/N is attempting to do everything all at once, but ah, neglecting their own health? Nope. Sun/Moon will not allow that!

Ahhhhahha thank you so much! Writing that action was a bit tough but I finally got it to the point where I was happy with it ♥ I'm so happy you enjoyed it!

ALJSFDA The boys aren't prepared for the script to be flipped so they're just all big heart eyes and caught off guard ♥ ♥ ♥

Good. Keep an eye on that F.E.I. and Vanessa stuff hehe

Sun and Moon in their head when Y/N asks for them to make a vow like that special order scene in Ratouttile but it's them growing increasingly panicked about the vow and what to tell Y/N!

"What did we tell them?"

"We told them we would make a vow!"

Good question hehe, hopefully, we'll find out soon ♥

Ahhhh, thank you so much for reading!!! I enjoy your comments so much! ♥

#cryptid sightings #chaotikanvas

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gwarp · 1 year ago

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Xiao Zhan - Where Dreams Begin

At the end of the story, you said: "I really miss when we were young, when we were all skating in Shichahai together."

Coincidentally, the first scene of the filming was the scene of everyone skating in Shichahai. Looking back now, it seems that everything has moved forward, and everything seems to have never changed.

On February 4th last year, at the reading, I stared at the lines on the script, trying to understand Chunsheng little by little. On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, at the cold and refreshing of the vast of Shichahai ice rink, a group of people looked at each other's strange yet familiar appearance with freshness, exhaled hot breath, skated and made noises under the endless blue sky as well as solid ice. It felt like that we all carried the blood and youthful strength that can travel through an era.

Chunsheng is tenacious, loyal, persistent, and unchanged. He values friendship and will not admit defeat, just like beating children. Fast forward a few decades, the times have changed, the people around him have changed, and everything is changing. But he sticks to the people and things he recognizes in his heart, and they remain the same.

You said to me: "Life is more than this Shichahai, there is a wider world waiting for us outside!"

I want to say to you: "As long as a person knows where he is going, the whole world will give him concessions."

In the end, you see, whether it is the ice and snow in the cold winter or the wind and rain in the hot summer, they still remember it, how good it is!

#xiao zhan #where dreams begin #xiao chunsheng

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hiighhonors · 2 years ago

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( TOBY STEPHENS, CIS MAN, HE/HIM. ) could that really be TRISTON ARRYN, the RULING LORD of THE EYRIE and HAND OF THE KING entering the keep ? king’s landing is sure to benefit from the FIFTY SIX year old’s ability to be both COMPETENT and PRAGMATIC, but beware, whispers also say they have been known to be HARD-HEADED and STUBBORN. their loyalty belongs to ORYS BARATHEON and they SUPPORT the notion of peace throughout westeros.

S T A T I S T I C S

☽ name : triston arryn

☽ nickname/s : tris

☽ title/s : lord of the eyrie, hand of the king

☽ age : fifty six

☽ gender : cis male

☽ pronouns : he/him

☽ sexual orientation : homosexual

B L O O D T I E S

☽ parents : lord benedar arryn, jirelle mallister

☽ siblings : one sister, likely married! so hmu

☽ spouse : tbd tbd tbd tbd but she's dead. sorry

☽ other family : mallisters of seaguard! arryns of gulltown! in laws from his wife's side

☽ children : lord utp arryn, son & heir. lady alyse arryn. lady utp arryn.

P E R S O N A L I T Y

☽ positive traits : here

☽ negative traits : here

☽ skills : here

☽ habits : here

☽ likes : here

☽ dislikes : here

A P P E A R A N C E

☽ hair : deep copper auburn, still bright in his age, mostly kept trimmed short. an auburn beard, kept thick and long.

☽ eyes : clear pale blue, framed by deep lines, charming but determined

☽ notable features : his hair is unmissable, and he is generally known for his large physical presence, broad shouldered and immediately noticable.

☽ clothing & style : tris dresses practically and comfortably, generally in riding leathers unless for an official court appearance. he favours the arryn colours of blue and white, often mixing this with blacks and midnight blues. he is not against finery when it suits his political purposes, but in general prefers quality over anything flashy. most notable would be his chain of linked golden hands.

P L O T T I N G H O O K S

☽ platonic : tris needs political allies. he is a good, successful hand, keeps the nobles in hand, and has a calming effect on the council room whenever he is present, but he cannot be everywhere at once and is always suspicious that the other councilors do not take their job as seriously as he does. he is intrinsically loyal to house baratheon over the realm and has his faults, but overall he keeps a firm hand on the rudder of the realm and i would love him to have a good solid faction of support at court! people who respect his honour and stability - even if he's not very exciting.

☽ romantic : to the outside world triston arryn is a typical nobleman - more honourable than most, perhaps, given that there were no rumours that he was unfaithful to his wife while she lived, and he has no bastards and frequents no whorehouses. he is courteous to ladies and popular with them for his tranquil charm and his genuine interest in their lives, but since his wife's death he has been able to dodge any offers of remarriage through claiming grief - and his old age. deep down, however, triston is all too aware of where his heart belongs: he has been orys baratheon's man for as long as he can remember, since he fostered at storm's end, and though the king does not reciprocate his feelings, triston has accepted his own feelings well enough. there may be few, very few dalliances with other men in the past, but only with those who are hyper discreet. he is uncomfortable around those who are flamboyant with their paramours and would not tolerate such in any brief relationships he has had. overall: a man who is so repressed he makes himself miserable. gay divorce era etc.

☽ antagonistic : triston is more loyal to orys baratheon than to the realm, or even the throne, and he has made no secret of it. he is the king's man, and does not tolerate opposition. through the years he has made unpopular decisions, not only financially, but also because he will not accept any rebellious rumblings, no matter how justified, and comes down with an iron fist on those who do not toe the line. families of those he may have imprisoned (or worse) will resent him, as will other great houses who view the eyrie as having too much power and influence at court. tba !!!

#comet.intro #( .intro )#this is sooo incomplete but oh well here's the basics!!

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jiannguo · 1 year ago

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Xiao Zhan Weibo Update 230618

At the end of the story, you said: "I really miss when we were young, when we were all skating in Shichahai together."

On February 4 last year, the day of Lichun, I remember everyone was reading around, I stared at the lines on the script, little by little, trying to touch the appearance of Chunsheng. On the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, Menghai was turned on, and the air was cold and refreshing in the vast Shichahai Ice Rink. A group of people looked at each other's unfamiliar and familiar appearance with freshness, exhaled hot air, slid and made noises, under the blue sky that could not see the edge, on the solid ice, everyone Behind them, it seems that they all carry the blood and youthful strength that can travel through an era.

Chunsheng is tenacious, loyal, persistent, and unchanged. He values friendship and will not admit defeat, just like beating children. Fast forward a few decades, the times have changed, the people around him have changed, and everything is changing. Chunsheng sticks to the people and things he recognizes in his heart, and they remain the same.

You said to me: "Life is more than this Shichahai, there is a wider world waiting for us outside!"

I want to say to you: "As long as a person knows where he is going, the whole world will give him concessions."

In the end, you see, whether it is the ice and snow in the cold winter or the wind and rain in the hot summer, they still remember it, how good it is!

#xiao zhan #daytoyxiaozhan #daytoy肖战 #肖战daytoy #肖战xiaozhan #sean xiao #肖战 #untamed cast

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imagine-darksiders · 2 years ago

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War X Reader

Hey! A wild writing commission appeared!

Requested by the lovely @olenstarbreezeze who asked for a War X Reader fic with Chaos War and hurt/comfort.

I uh... I might have gone over the word limit a wee smidge :S

Also, while this is set during the first game, I tried to take more from War's personality in Genesis.

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“Beware the loyalty of a Horseman...”

That had been Ulthane's rumbled warning to you, spoken in the dull hush of his underground hovel.

Between clucking over the wounds you'd sustained from your run-in with the Griever and grumbling about the state of his front door, he'd sent a surreptitious glare at the cloaked figure looming on the other side of his home.

“Havin' a Horseman on your side is like havin' a bloody army at your back,” the maker had continued in a low thrum, meeting your eye once again and giving you a look as stony as the bench you'd been sat on, “Take care how you use it, eh?”

That had been a week ago.

At the time, you'd simply smiled and patiently agreed to be careful. You certainly weren't about to argue with the giant who'd been kind enough to offer you a safe haven from the demon-infested world outside, whilst the Horseman regathered his strength and planned the next leg of your journey.

You had merely found it hard to imagine that the Apocalyptic Nephilim could be loyal to a human he'd only known for a few, short weeks.

Now however, almost seven days after Ulthane told you to tread carefully with the Horseman's loyalty, you're starting to wonder if the old giant had been right to warn you after all...

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“You can change back now, you know...”

Your gentle suggestion cuts through the silence that has cocooned the dilapidated city hall for the last half an hour, and although you'd made an effort to whisper, you still wince at such a jarring shift in volume.

Regardless, you think you've posited an issue that needs to be brought up sooner rather than later.

War, the battle-hardened and stoic Horseman of the Apocalypse, isn't quite himself.

Literally.

He hasn't been 'himself' since he came thundering into that demon encampment over an hour ago, whipped up into a frenzy and enraged like a maddened bull, hellbent on rescuing his unwitting charge.

A Phantom General had thought it would be a good idea to not only kidnap you right out from under War's nose, but to ultimately force you into the role of 'bait' in some harebrained scheme to ambush the Horseman and cleave his head from his shoulders.

Of course, the General and his legion of Phantom Guards had been expecting to fight a Horseman.

They never thought they'd instead come face to fanged face with a flaming, bipedal juggernaut that came charging towards them, its skin charcoal dark and solid like basalt, and an eternal fire enveloping its body as if it has been doused in gelatinous napalm.

With your neck caught in the cruel, crushing grasp of the startled General, you'd watched on in horrified awe as War's most vicious and primal form demolished the unsuspecting demons, tearing them asunder with immense, cragged jaws and sweeping horns that curved out in front of his head and stretched their fiery tips towards the sky.

Power and outrage given a physical form...

He'd become Chaos. Fierce and devastating Chaos.

Even now, tucked somewhat safely inside what had once been a bustling city hall, 'Chaos' is still maintaining control, and he's planted himself squarely in the entrance with his colossal shoulders quivering in agitation and his whip-like tail lashing back and forth behind him.

The flames licking up his back haven't dimmed in the slightest.

He's been in this state for some time, wound tighter than a coiled spring as he growls quietly at the closed doors, either unable, or unwilling to allow War to reclaim control.

“War?” you croak again, raising your brows expectantly, “I really don't think anything's coming through that door for a while... You cleared the whole city block.”

That isn't an exaggeration. The streets had run crimson with the blood of innumerable demons, whose shrieks and death-cries will likely haunt your dreams when you eventually lay down to sleep tonight.

Though the almighty beast's ear twitches towards you, he otherwise doesn't react to your words.

Clicking your tongue, you shake your head and mutter, “Stubborn Horseman...”

Realising that you're getting nowhere, you cast your eyes down to your left ankle, chewing apprehensively on your lip.

You hadn't escaped that encampment entirely unscathed...

You've yet to pull your injured leg from the confines of its boot, admittedly hesitant to acknowledge the extent of the damage within. You don't have to see the Ravager's bite to know that it's bad. The fire burning under your skin is painful enough to clue you in on it.

The only consolation is that the hell-dog that gave you the injury is now dead, crushed savagely under Chaos's earth-shattering fists.

Still, while you've got a moment, you suppose it would be prudent to find some water and clean the wound of dried blood and dirt.

Hissing through gritted teeth, you swing yourself sideways on the rickety, wooden pew you've claimed and haul your leg up alongside you, bending at the waist to reach your shoelaces. Lips pressed into a thin line, you barely manage to hold onto a whimper as you peel the boot and sock loose, letting both drop off the bench to reveal the mess of flesh that has grown sticky and brown with your congealing blood.

“Oh, boy,” you breathe shakily, ghosting your fingertips around the tooth marks, “That's probably gonna sting tomorrow, huh?”

All of a sudden, the sound of a deep, strong inhale draws your gaze up to the red behemoth standing guard by the doors. Chaos has raised his head to give the air a generous sniff, only to abruptly heave his bulk around to face you with an urgency that puts you on edge. Those wild, golden eyes drift down to land upon your damaged leg, and you mentally admonish yourself for your oversight.

In taking off your boot, you've essentially saturated the air with the stench of your blood.

When he'd carried you away from the encampment, Chaos had done nothing but try to lap at the bruises around your neck until you shoved his snout away and told him sternly that his sandpaper tongue was hardly helping matters.

Evidently offended, he'd been immensely huffy about it. You can only imagine what the smell of your blood is doing to the primitive hindbrain that takes over whenever Chaos is brought forth.

With a resonant, guttural bark, he takes two strides on his digitigrade legs until he descends upon you, dropping heavily to his forelegs with a 'whump' that causes the linoleum floor to squeak under his impressive weight.

There's an instinctive part of you that fears the giant maw pushing rudely into your space, and you shrink against the bench at your back, angling your gaze away from his fangs.

A gush of hot, damp breath washes over you when he parts his jaws and grumbles unhappily at your ankle, and before you can stop him, that broad, coarse tongue is lolling out of his mouth to thwack dully on top of your calf, giving your leg a firm lick.

“OW!” you squawk at once, jolting at the sting of pressure on your tender wound, “War! Knock it off! That's gross!”

The beast just grunts in response, but he does slow down as he rolls his tongue to your ankle again and steals a second lap.

Pulling a face, you plant your palms on the rock hard tip of his snout and lean your whole weight against him, fruitlessly attempting to push him away. “For goodness sake!” you gripe, “I can clean it myself. With actual water.”

When all you receive is a churlish huff in response, you let out a groan and take the rather hopeless notion that you could escape his persistent tongue by simply hopping off the pew, ducking under his horns and hobbling off to find the closest bathroom you can lock yourself in.

Of course, as soon as you try to stand, Chaos lets out a sudden growl and firmly - but recognisably gently - bunts his snout into your chest, pinning you against the back of the bench with his lips peeled apart in a clear warning.

Your hands fly up at once, held placatingly in the air.

It's easy to forget sometimes that while this may be War, it's a side of him you hardly know in the slightest. He seems more beast than human in this form, and you're not keen on testing the limits of his patience....

“War...” you murmur, eyeing his bared teeth warily, “War, please... You're scaring me.”

His scalding, yellow gaze bores into you for a few more seconds before he blinks and his eyes suddenly grow wide.

In the next instant, his massive head pulls away and he stares down at the spot where you've huddled yourself into a tiny ball on the pew.

And then, all at once, he's dropping his head until his jaw hits the ground, and in an explosion of red light and thick, black smoke, Chaos is gone, replaced instead by the hunched, hooded figure of War, in all his armoured glory.

Substantially smaller than Chaos but still able to utterly dwarf you in stature, the Horseman is crouched on the ground in front of you, his fists pressed to the linoleum and his white, blonde hair spilling out of his hood as he gives his head a firm shake.

Even on his knees, he's still a figure of immense proportions.

Slowly raising his eyes to you, War adopts a familiar scowl and through clenched teeth, he growls, “What... were you... thinking?”

Taken aback, you scrunch up one side of your face and blurt, “Excuse me?”

Curling his lip, the Nephilim glances around at the room, spotting your backpack leaning up against the side of the bench. “I told you to remain close,” he grumbles, bending down to rummage through the pack and straightening up a moment later, this time with one of your scavenged water bottles clutched in his too-large fist.

Bridling, you protest, “I had to go to the bathroom! I wasn't going to go with you watching.”

“And that demon was able to capture you,” he spits venomously, "Because you were alone."

“Yeah...! Well...” You press your lips together, irked. He's right, of course. The second you tried to leave his side, you were taken... It wasn't your proudest moment, getting caught with your trousers down by a horde of Phantom Guards who happened to round the side of a building at the most inopportune time imaginable.

Tutting noisily, you cross your arms and sigh, “You got me out of there eventually... So, all's well that ends well, I guess.”

War lets out a hot breath, nostrils flared in aggravation.

He closes the top of the bottle in his fist and gives it a sharp twist, letting the cap topple from it and clatter onto the floor nearby. Then, lowering himself onto a knee in front of you, he reaches up to grasp the fabric of his scarlet cowl, and with one, strong tug, he rips off a strip and pours a few glugs of water onto it, soaking the fabric a deep, wine-red.

“War?” you say incredulously, mouth falling agape, “Your cowl!”

The Horseman's sizeable shoulders rise and fall with a shrug as he sets the bottle of water to the ground without bothering to replace the lid, though only because his gauntleted fingers are too large to allow for such dexterity. “It will have to suffice,” he tells you matter-of-factly.

“But... But, you never even take it off.” Falling silent, you watch him bring the damp rag up to your injury. “It's important to you.”

Almost at once, his eyes snap up to lock with yours. “And you aren't?” he growls.

.... You don't think even he expected to say that out loud.

Swallowing thickly, you remain quiet under the Nephilim's scorching, blue glare until he blinks, blowing out a rough exhale and dropping his eyes to your leg.

You can't keep yourself from flinching slightly, even though his touch is feather-light.

For such a large and intimidating Nephilim, War's ability to be gentle with you continues to astonish.

'A millennia of discipline,' you suppose.

His hand stills when you jolt though, and he glances up at you, his expression never once shifting out of the scowl that seems to be a permanent feature on his rugged face.

Knowing that he won't wait forever, you offer him a tiny nod.

Just then, too fast for you to really get a good glimpse, War's expression seems to relax by a fraction, but before you can be sure you aren't just seeing things, he tips his chin down so that his hood shadows half of his face, and as if he's handling the finest china, he slides his prosthetic hand underneath your foot, propping it up in his palm.

You're so surprised by this, it takes you a moment to gather your thoughts while he works to meticulously sweep the scrap of his cowl over each of the four puncture wounds decorating your ankle.

Gradually, one of your eyebrows slides up your forehead. “Uh, War?”

Silence.

Your other eyebrow shoots up to join the first. “You know you don't have to do that, right? I can take care of it.”

The Horseman's mouth opens, but only for a brief moment before it snaps closed again and he substitutes words with a shrug of his immense shoulders. If you didn't know any better, you'd think he looks guilty.

But that would be absurd.

.... Wouldn't it? He is glaring at your injury as if it has somehow personally offended him.

Slowly, your brows come together and create a deep furrow in the centre of your forehead. “War,” you say again, carefully, “What happened – You know it... it wasn't your fault.”

That, at last, provokes a response. A rather explosive one, at that.

The Rider's head shoots up so abruptly that his hood goes tumbling back to pool around the base of his neck, revealing the extent of his long, white hair.

“Do NOT try to coddle me!” he snarls, showing off his sharpened canines, “If I had been more vigilant, this would never have happened!” With a jerk of his chin, he indicates your leg. “I swore an oath to keep you safe, and I have already failed you!”

… Taken aback, you blink.

That's... news to you.

“An oath?” you echo, scrunching up your nose, “When did you do that? I don't remember you making any oath?”

“I-...” War stops in his tracks, his eyes darting to the left before they return to meet yours again. He holds your stare for a while, and you're shocked that he's the one who looks away first.

Dropping his focus to your ankle, he seals his lips into a tight, unhappy line. Well... unhappy-er.

“The Horsemen...” he starts, and for the first time since you met, he actually sounds uncertain of himself, “We do not have friends. We were not created to build connections. Only to uphold the balance.”

Your face falls, but War resolutely refuses to meet your solemn gaze.

“For millennia, I have always believed that...” Quite unexpectedly, he raises his head once more and you're stunned to see genuine confusion creasing the lines under his eyes, far more prominent than the ones he gets when you try to engage him in a joke.

“And then I met you,” he utters as if he can't quite believe it himself, “And I -”

He's struggling to get his words out, baring his teeth in frustration.

Patiently, you fold your hands in your lap and wait, making no move to rush him along.

Your patience is eventually rewarded as the Horseman squares his jaw and continues, “I think you are a friend.”

This time, you don't miss a beat. Cocking a lopsided grin at him, you reply, “Well, I should hope so! You're kind of the only person on Earth left to be friends with!”

You think you see the corner of his mouth twitch, but quick as a flash, his far more fitting frown has slipped back into place. He's stopped cleaning your wound, not that there's much blood left to get rid of now anyway. Instead, with your foot still resting in the palm of his prosthetic, his other hand simply sits on top of your calf, a steady and solid warmth that distracts from the sting in your leg.

“You should not have been taken,” War utters, lowering his eyes down to your wound. You see the muscles in his jaw grow suddenly tight before he adds, “I should not have allowed it to happen...”

The Horseman falls silent, and you know why. There's an apology hidden in there somewhere. But War, as you well know, does not apologise.

He's still eyeing your ankle, nostrils flaring, and bright, blue eyes flashing with barely suppressed outrage.

To think... a Horseman of the Apocalypse... blaming himself for letting you get hurt...

He's always been a dour and austere man, but seeing him like this tugs at the residual humanness that still clings to your soul and keeps you from rocketing off the deep end.

It strikes you as very wrong that the proud and stalwart Horseman should have his eyes cast down to the ground...

Without any real thought behind the action, your hand slowly inches towards his face.

War's eyes snap up to you just as your fingertips brush gently against his cheek, and he turns stiff as a board beneath your touch, stilling you in place.

You swallow.

Back and forth, he looks between you and the fingers resting delicately against his cheek bone, a wariness bleeding tension into his shoulders, as if he expects that at any moment, you're going to strike.

You wonder if he's ever felt a kind touch before in his life.

After several moments pass and he neither snaps your hand off nor wrenches himself away from your touch, you ever, ever so slowly slide your fingers around the curve of his cheek until your palm meets his warm skin.

Again you hesitate, tentatively seeking permission. When his expression doesn't shift in the slightest, you gather your courage and press your palm flat against his face, cupping his pale cheek and knowing full-well that you could be treading into uncharted waters.

"You didn't allow anything to happen, War," you tell him kindly, watching the tension in his jaw gradually ebb as he stares back at you, rapt, "You got me out of there. You saved me before those demons could kill me. I don't blame you, and I'm the one who got kidnapped, so don't you start blaming yourself, okay? You've got enough on your plate as it is."

... The quiet stretches on without a response from the Horseman, long enough that you start to feel the stirrings of awkwardness in your chest. And yet, just as you're starting to think you should pull away and apologise for touching him, the mountainous man knelt in front of you gives the slightest shift, a barely noticeable turn of his head that you would never have even seen if you didn't have your hand on his cheek.

By the tiniest degree, War leans his weight into your palm.

You very nearly let out a breath, but at the last second, you swallow it down.

For several moments, the two of you find yourselves caught in a staring match, Human and Nephilim, neither sure of the other's thoughts, but both absolutely certain that this is a turning point in your relationship.

'Ulthane must have been right after all,' you muse, 'Guess War sees more in me than I thought.'

And maybe the Horseman isn't the big, bad, heartless world-ender you thought he'd turn out to be. God, there has to be blood flowing through the veins underneath your finger tips, his face is almost hot to the touch.

"Y.. you're like, really warm," you tell him in a soft laugh.

In response, his eyelashes flicker as he emits a questioning hum from his chest.

Of course, as with all good things, the tender moment has to end.

Blinking, War's eyes burst open wide and he very gradually leans back, as though you've just broken him out of a trance, causing your hand to slide from his face and flop down into your lap.

"Ahem..." Coughing into a fist, he replies, "Well... I was on fire only moments ago..."

"I know you were," you grin, "I got a front row seat... Thanks for the weird tongue bath, by the way."

War's head cocks to one side, his snowy, white brows knitting together in a baffled frown.

By way of an explanation, you purse your lips and lower your gaze pointedly to your blood-free leg.

It takes the Horseman a few more seconds to catch up with you, and once he does, he's quick to find sudden and inexplicable interest in the far wall behind you.

"Ah... That," he falters, mumbling through his teeth as if it pains him to admit, "I am not always... coherent when I turn."

"S'okay," you shrug with ease and wave a hand through the air dismissively, "You were only trying to help.... And~ speaking of help..." You throw the Horseman a weary, if mischievous smirk. "What do you think, Doc? Do I need Ulthane to stitch me up again?"

At the query, War's face pulls into a tight grimace. "Hmph. I confess I do not know. Perhaps it would be best to visit the maker, just to make sure."

"You don't seem too happy about that," you remark.

In an occurrence so rare as to be nonexistent, the Horseman's lips twitch briefly, and before your very eyes, they tip up into a hangdog smile. "Nor should you be," War retorts, pushing himself onto his feet to tower over you once again, "Because once he sees the state of your leg, we're both going to be in trouble."

#darksiders #darksiders 1 #darksiders war #War x Reader #whump #blood #injury #hurt/comfort #chaos war #big monster is soft for the human he likes? oh yeah

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undead-merman · 3 years ago

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Heyo! I loved your headcanons for the brothers and Simeon as sirens, they were a truly *chef kiss*. Can we also have siren Barbatos and Diavolo? Yandere too and sfw, please!

Thanks in advance!

I'm always down to write Aquatic monsters.

🧜‍♂️Siren Diavolo and Barbatos🧜‍♂️ as a yanderes GN- reader SFW

Diavolo

Appearance

Diavolo is much, much larger than other sirens. While sirens grow to be about a foot or two bigger than humans, Diavolo is massive, fifteen feet long and with tons of bulk and muscle to match his massive size. He looks more similar in size to a giant than a siren.

Despite his size he is dazzling in the sun. When his crimson hair catches beams of light he looks divine, almost like a holy glow surrounds him as he rests on the rocks. His tail is the same stunning red as the blood red sunset and has a bright pearlescent. His scales are just as reflective and polished as a bright red sports car. His skin is deeply kissed by the sun, making his skin look smooth and shiny. His nightshade red fins are long and butterfly shaped; they trail slightly behind him like silk.

He wears all kinds of jewels and golds, all of them perfectly fit around his skull and fins. They drift perfectly around his large frame and glimmer even in the smallest amount of light.

Diavolo is the only siren able to keep his glamor up even if he’s excited, in the water, or even angry. He has full control over it and only shifts to it when he’s actively trying to strike fear into something or someone. His true form is like that of sea monsters in folktales, monstrous in size and able to take a ship down into the dark depths of the open ocean, to swallow whole crews, and create winds and storms as he lets out a devilish scream which can be heard for hundreds of miles around.

Royalty amongst Loners and Sunken Hideaway

Despite their lone lifestyles, only really enjoying the company of their mates, most Sirens look to Diavolo as more of a god than any type of king or prince despite having the title of prince. They worship his power and bow down to his whims and needs. They bring him tributes in the form of small treasures and Diavolo returns these gifts with blessings of more intoxicating songs, stronger wills, his watchful eye and protection, or just overall greater strength. Diavolo seems to freely give these boons no matter how small the gift.

Since he’s a well known and well visited siren, he’s built his home in the sunken ruins of a castle in a city whose culture and history has died long ago. It’s well taken care of by servants who have pledged their lives to Prince Diavolo and are surprisingly pleasant and tolerable with one another. They equate this to Diavolo’s power and grace but only those who are truly loyal to Diavolo stay here.

His voice can bring either madness or blessings and can be the most beautiful thing your ears could ever hope to hear or one so evil, devious, and grotesque you’re driven into a hypnotic bloodlust to those with even the strongest wills. His lullabies sound so melancholic.

He hides away in a large garden which has its own open air biosphere bathed in light by a glass ceiling which has yet to crack yet bathes the whole garden in a beautiful light. A single golden curly willow grows in the center with dozens of flowers growing around it. Here the air is surprisingly fresh and floats on the surface never touching the water around it like it’s a time capsule. He’ll lounge here to clear his head watching the butterflies that have grown here, alone and have never seen the outside.

Spending time with you

You and only you heard his song and wept. The feelings of his loneliness tugged at your heart instead of your head being filled with euphoric thoughts of power and blessings or instantly pounding through your skull until you screamed. You truly heard his song, understood the lyrics behind them and felt the way he did when he sang them. When he saw your face littered with tears and face hot with sympathy for him he felt his whole body go numb. You were something special, someone truly remarkable. He needed to know more about you.

And so started a passion in his heart to learn everything about you, your traditions, your light quirks, your hobbies and everything he could possibly learn. It sent him down a rabbit hole of studying humans that he refused to climb out of and gladly let swallow him if it just allowed him to get closer to you and understand you better.

He doesn’t mind what form you see him in, as long as he can see you he’s thrilled and happy. He’ll approach you like a dog, his tail swishing excitedly as he asks you questions he formed in his head from the day. He has to be careful in his true form otherwise he can cause a lot of damage to the nearby area and draw too much attention to you two.

He loves to pick you up and hold you, be in his true form or not and travel with you on his back, or when his true form shows in his hands or on his head as he intentionally kicks up some water to playfully mist you. Moments like these make him forget he was ever even alone to begin with.

If you ever wanted to see some kind of sea creature or visit some island he’s happy to oblige bringing the creature over with his divine rule over the ocean or happily just takes you there one day while making you cover your eyes to surprise you. The look on your face makes his heart swell so much he almost feels like it will jump out of his mouth if he’s not careful.

Dark Tendencies

Diavolo isn’t against using others to get what he wants, he'll ruin everything for anyone or anything to get what he wants. He’ll destroy small islands and wipe out ports so nothing can distract you from dates he takes you on.

If he feels like you aren’t close enough to him or are drifting away from him, for some reason or another, he’s simply going to just pluck you away from your old life so you don’t have any excuse to be away from him anymore. You're his now, you don’t have to worry about that silly stuff anymore, both of you can be together now. Why not just get married now? It would be much easier. Siren’s don’t marry, they just pick a mate but he’s willing to put the frills on it for you and your human ways. He finds it cute!

He doesn’t ever connect the dots if you struggle against him or plead for him to let you go, he’s wrapped up in his own delusions of you being a happy little couple that he’ll blame some outside force. If you go along with him he’ll remain peaceful and sweet.

He absolutely hates it when other sirens see you and while he’s not outwardly violent to them he is quite hostile. Grinding his teeth and asking them to look away from you while his tail twitches with the intent to lash out.

He gave you your own little haven to decorate, he gave you the garden all for your own. He even made sure to promise to give you your own space and privacy here, just as long as you come to his call. Don’t worry though, only you, him, and Barbatos know of this place, and you can’t run from him here!

Misc stuff

His scales shed infrequently since he doesn’t get into fights with other sirens since all of them know better. His scales are radiating with his power and are well known to bring massive good luck to all those Diavolo gives them to. He’s always giving you things made from his scales and he’s so thrilled to see you in them. He likes adding them to a circlet crown he had made custom just for you so you can match him. He plans on matching you to him with every little piece of jewelry, even down to matching rings.

He requires you to sleep with him. He can sleep out of the water perfectly fine and just pulls you into a lavish den he made for the two of you. It’s somehow unbelievably cozy sleeping with him. His body is warm and everything he set up is the best out there. He just holds you in his warm arms and nods off with you.

He’s quite a picky eater. He refuses to eat anything he doesn’t like and will only eat it if you so happen to beg him to, but only if you're insistent, otherwise he’s already slowly drifting away from it.

Barbatos

Appearance

For a siren he’s smaller than most. He’s quite slender and not much muscle to him, but despite his size, his appearance is perfect in every way, not a hair out of position, not a scale that isn’t out of polished or asymmetric, and his skin without a blemish or scar to be found. He takes a huge amount of time to groom himself perfectly.

His scales more resemble sea snakes, even having black stripes like them, though his tail is a solid dark seafoam green. He’s not especially radiant compared to others, but he doesn’t mind at all, he prefers to melt into the background more.

His tailfin is wide though, having a lyretail shape with black stripes going across it. It’s the same dark color as his scales and he has only two side fins but they look like long ribbons stretching from his hips to about halfway down his tail.

His glamor when melted away leaves behind an even darker looking creature. He looks like a stormy sea and is covered in nasty sharp thorns that don’t just stop at his elbows but lead down to his hips and thin yet long and sharp claws and stark black webbing in between without a tear or hole.

Serving Another

Serving the Royal Family was an honor his family was born with for generations and one he realizes the importance to. Diavolo is powerful enough to sink ships and cities and he provided some of that power and grace onto him rewarding him and his ancestors before him for loyalty, slowly turning Barbatos’s family into nearly just as powerful creatures as him.

He enjoys watching the whims of a child like god try to make sense of a kingdom, it's good fun to see him enjoying his life he is able to live vicariously through his high energy.

He puts his all into everything he does, he hates wasted efforts so he does everything he can into what he does but it gets tiring. Sometimes when trying to sleep, he finds himself unable. He’s always had poor sleep but he’s dealt with it for so long now that it's normal for him now. He starts his morning eating a small slice of kelp known for reducing head pain, all while preparing for the morning.

Spending time with you

If Diavolo took an interest in a human then you certainly had to be interesting. Well when he met you and saw you drinking tea with a huge Diavolo stretched around the floating garden. He just knew you were a human with a soul like no other.

He often brings you your favorite beverages and chats with you, simply at first to get to know you but he found you captivating, each word you spoke he held onto like it was the last he would ever hear and it was gospel. He smiles as you recall old memories, describing how you ended up here. The way you phrased things was unlike anything he had ever heard.

He’s taken the time to find old waterlogged books that were left abandoned in the old library and help restore them for you to read. Inside you find wondrous and fantastical stories of this old kingdom all of them enthralling, and as you read he’s happy to bring you a beverage once more and enjoy your company even if it’s in silence.

Once he’s grown closer with you he often finds himself giving you lingering touches as he pats your shoulder for your attention or grazes his hand on yours when delivering food to you. He even says the most romantic and poetic things to you without even noticing. He falls in love slowly but deeply and almost innocently. He just treasures your time and you as a person, never judging or doubting you.

There was a day when he had pulled you into a parting hug, wishing you a goodnight as Diavolo would return you to the surface but he had simply fallen asleep in your arms. Even Diavolo was shocked as he had never done anything close to something like this. It turns out Barbatos is at the most ease when he’s with you. All of his sleepless nights had just suddenly caught up with him.

Dark Tendencies

His love quickly shifts one day when he see your finger pricked by a stray thorn from a wild flower and as he wiped up the blood with a handkerchief and sees those butterflies fluttering around the wound to drink the blood he realised just how fragile you really were and how nature and life take advantage of that as soon as it could. He couldn’t take losing you. So one day he calls you and just takes you. You think it's just another visit with Baratos fetching you but he takes you to a deep and dark underground cave. Soft phosphorus moss grows all over in cushioned patches and with every step it glows brighter under your feet.

He explains it all to you, openly and honestly but no matter how you plead or try to reason with you, he believes you need to be down here forever. Away from the outside world that would care so little for the death of you and move on like nothing were to happen. He wanted you safe, around and immortalized; he'll never forget you.

He provides you with an array of pleasantries that would have no chance of harming you. He’s damn near baby proofed the small cave but he ensures it's as comfortable as it can be, bringing you three meals a day, all of your favorite drinks and snacks even if you fight him or give him the silent treatment he’s never neglectful of your needs. He believes one day you’ll come to see how much he did for you and understand he just wants you safe.

Misc stuff

He’s a clean freak and refuses to let you sleep on dirt or muck, he’ll thoroughly wash the moss through and treat it so it feels like you're walking on clouds without feeling any slime, having bugs, or being dirty. It's so well taken care of that they look fake.

He hates crabs. He hates those distasteful bottom feeders, their disgusting pinchers and empty eyes. He’s sure to keep them as far away as he can, if startled by one he slams it with his tail with enough force to turn it into little pieces and he’s still frightened by them despite the power difference.

#obey me #obey me diavolo #obey me barbatos #obey me monster headcanons #diavolo x reader #barbatos x reader #yandere diavolo #yandere barbatos

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dangermousie · 3 years ago

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tell us about gu yun? I remember you saying he was one of your favourite shou’s and I find him really intriguing

Ohhhhh, I love this ask!!!

To back up from talking about Gu Yun (it's connected, I swear), I am gonna talk about Priest. Priest is an another who is epitome of "it's not you, it's me" for me. She is clearly a rock solid author with a good grasp on both plot and character writing and yet her novels generally do not work for me at all in terms of obsession because her narrative style and priorities and characters and the things she chooses to focus on within the narrative are not anything that resonate with me. I can appreciate her skills but they tend to leave me emotionally uninvolved; it's all too spare for me.

Sha Po Lang is about the only exception and that is largely because of Gu Yun. In a lot of ways, Gu Yun is a trope of a tragic noble general destroyed by a mistrustful incompetent emperor that appears in so many other fictional set-ups - he is deadly competent in battle (a sheer genius in fact), a child prodigy, someone who has a tragic backstory (parents who pushed too hard; poisoning that wrecked him), who is unflinchingly loyal and patriotic.

Honestly, I am a sucker for that sort of set-up, especially when the character is gorgeous. I have a competence kink and when you stir in tragedy, yes please.

But also, I love it because Gu Yun carries a lot of resentment towards his dead father and towards the old emperor - he chooses not to focus on it but he definitely feels it. He is a good person but not saintly and being loyal and steadfast is a choice, not a default and it is a continuous choice he makes over and over, not one and done.

He is also someone trapped by and in his failing body - due to that poisoning, he periodically goes blind and deaf and the medicine is less and less effective as time goes on and that whole working around your severe limitations and just pushing through is narratively compelling, especially since it gives me a combo of both competent/deadly and vulnerable/needs to be taken care of.

I also like that I just get a feeling of stillness from him. I am hyper myself in RL but I am not a big fan of hyper characters. Whenever I think of Gu Yun, I think of his kneeling in the snow not moving for hours - very very still. Plenty of characters have these scenes but that quiet resolution in him feels very innate, if it makes sense.

The thing is also, unlike the tragic loyal general trope, Gu Yun is lucky to attract the steadfast love of Chang Geng who is possibly even more competent but also definitely much less loyal. Chang Geng, who grew up in horrifically abusive circumstances and outside the court environment is not loyal to the emperor or the imperial family. He wants the country to run well and he wants Gu Yun protected and happy and the latter is bigger priority than the former and the current emperor is a barrier to both. One of the things I love about SPL (and Gu Yun) is how much the novel is about Chang Geng undertaking basically the smartest, slowest, and most thorough act of treason and usurpation to protect the most steadfastly loyal man in the country. It's delicious. And Gu Yun, who is no dummy, does figure it out eventually, and the tension!

The other and final thing is, I am very fond of how Chang Geng wants to be indulged by Gu Yun in bed and how Gu Yun goes along with it. In a lot of ways, their dynamic - with the younger gong prone to possibly fatal metal illness (or fantasy version of same) with violent flareups who wants to be indulged in bed by an older, former authority figure with fragile health - reminds me of He Yu and XQC if XQC actually was the put together person he appeared at the start of the novel and not an utter destroyed wreck he turned out to be.

Short version: Gu Yun is amazing and anyone who hasn't read Sha Po Lang pls do so!

#asks #cnovel #sha po lang

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fruitcoops · 4 years ago

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Two of A Kind

I’ve been focusing on asks a lot lately because of everyone’s awesome ideas, but I saw a Cut video that was similar to this and just couldn’t resist. Hope you enjoy! Sweater Weather credit goes to @lumosinlove!

TW for mentions of sex and endless simping!

“Are you ready?” Marlene asks behind the camera. Kasey sits alone on a stool in the middle of the room, drumming his fingers on his knees.

“Yep. What am I doing again?”

The video cuts, revealing the same room, this time with James Potter on the stool. “You’re going to be answering a few questions,” Marlene explains. “And then we’re also going to be interviewing your wife and comparing your answers.”

“Oh, God,” James laughs. “Okay, hit me with your best shot.”

A title card appears on the screen. First Question: What was your first date?

Remus thinks for a moment. “Like, our first official date, or something that was definitely a date but we were both too dumb to notice?”

“Kasey took me to an ice rink,” Natalie says. She is inexplicably sitting on a folding chair rather than the stool. “We spent about three hours there, drinking cocoa and talking. It was a ton of fun!”

“Ice skating.” Kasey grins. “She told me she could skate, but she had never stepped on the ice in her life.”

“It was at Sid’s.” Sirius smiles to himself. “We had been together for about three months at that point.”

“Remus asked us to define ‘first date’,” Marlene says, sounding amused.

“Is there a different definition that I’m not aware of? We hung out at Sid’s a bunch before we actually got together, but those didn’t qualify as dates.” He pauses. “Looking back, they kind of were dates. We just didn’t know it.”

The video transitions to Lily and James, whose interviews are lined up side-by-side. “Lily took me to get ice cream after we went for a walk in the park,” James answers with a bright smile.

Lily laughs. “Our first date was a disaster. It was twenty-five degrees outside and we got ice cream. I think our brain freezes lasted about three straight minutes, but I had a great time.”

Second Question: When and where was your first kiss?

“Our first kiss happened on our first date,” Natalie says. “Kase caught me when I fell over and I just leaned right in.”

Kasey’s dopey smile makes his eyes crinkle. “At the ice rink. It felt like something out of a movie.”

Lily frowns in thought. “Oh, god, maybe our sixth date? He dropped me off at my apartment and kissed me goodnight.”

“I pulled a move straight from a John Hughes movie.” James grins and stretches his arms out. “Walked her to the door and everything. It was perfect.”

“Pascal Dumais’ basement,” Sirius says with a light laugh. “Which is a surprisingly romantic place.”

“It happened right after Sirius’ birthday party, which I was tricked into attending.” Remus gives the camera a mock-serious look. “Always be suspicious of Pascal Dumais. Always.”

Third Question: Who said ‘I love you’ first, and what was your reaction?

Sirius bites his lip. “I said it first, but only by two seconds. It was a long time coming, to be honest.”

“Sirius said it first.” Remus smiles at the memory. “We were both kind of wrecks at the time, but it was…amazing. I think I just cried harder and kissed him.”

Lily rolls her eyes fondly. “James said it first. We were both super drunk and he just blurted it out in the middle of the club.”

“She ran away!” James practically shouts as the video cuts to him. “I told her I loved her, she gave me this shocked look, and then disappeared! I get a text an hour later saying she caught a cab and went home, and she signs it with ‘love, Lily’. What the fuck was I supposed to do with that?”

Natalie coughs slightly. “Um, I don’t remember who said it first.”

Kasey grins at the camera. “Natalie said she didn’t remember,” Marlene calls.

“Oh, she remembers.”

Fourth Question: How’s your sex life? Anything you can do differently?

Sirius, who was taking a sip of water, chokes. “Excuse me?”

Remus is dead silent for a second, blinking at the camera in shock. “It’s, uh, good.”

“If we gave you some alcohol, would your answer change?” Marlene asks.

“Probably. Does anyone else feel like they’re suddenly in danger?”

“What sex life?” James snorts. “We have a baby. There is no time or energy for anything anymore.”

Lily raises an eyebrow. “You think I want him anywhere near me after I just shoved a baby out of my crotch?”

“It’s damn good.” Natalie winks, uncapping her own waterbottle. “Pro tip for anyone looking for a hockey boyfriend: go for the goalies. They’re flexible.”

Kasey is laughing into his hands when his interview appears. “She said that?” he manages. “Oh, Christ.”

Fifth Question: Do you dirty talk?

“Yes.” Kasey and Natalie say at the same time. James winks, and Lily shrugs with a sly smile.

Remus gives the camera crew a disbelieving look. “Are all the questions like this? Were we lulled into a false sense of security?”

“Answer the question, Loops!”

Remus sighs deeply. “On occasion, yes. I’m going to regret saying that.”

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Sirius says, narrowing his eyes as he sets his water down.

Sixth Question: How well do you sleep?

“Not bad,” Remus says. “Better than I used to, that’s for sure.”

“I don’t sleep,” Lily scoffs. James just looks at the camera and wordlessly gestures to the shadows under his eyes.

“Pretty well,” Natalie muses, slinging one arm around the back of her folding chair.

Sirius nods. “I’d say I sleep well most nights. It’s more comfortable with another person, which was surprising.”

Seventh Question: Why do you feel obligated to share a bed?

“Obligated?” Sirius and Remus say with matching tones of incredulity.

Lily’s smile becomes softer. “I really like sharing a bed. It makes me feel safe.”

“Oh, I love sleeping next to Lily.” James’ gaze turns dreamy. “She smells nice, she’s so warm, and sharing a bed makes childcare much easier when the other person is within reach.”

“You can’t tell her I said this, okay?” Kasey looks around at the camera crew before answering, and his cheeks turn light pink. “Nat’s side of the bed faces east, so if I get up for practice and the sun is rising, she glows a little bit. I dunno, I like it.”

“Kasey is really warm and cuddly.” Natalie says after a moment of thought. “He’s like my own personal heater and I’m never cold if he’s there. Don’t tell him I said that.”

Remus bites his lip before speaking. “I’m not much of a cuddler, but I sleep better next to Sirius than I ever have before. It’s incredible.”

Sirius cocks his head to the side with a smile. “Hmm. Having someone there to hold, especially someone I care about so much, is the best feeling. If I ever wake up in the middle of the night, he’s just…always there.” He half-shrugs. “It’s sappy, but it’s true.”

Eighth Question: Rate your attractiveness on a scale of 1-10

“Eleven,” Lily and Natalie say in unison, as if it’s obvious.

“I’m going with a solid six,” Remus decides after a moment’s deliberation.

“Eight, maybe?” Kasey answers.

Sirius makes a face. “Six? Seven?”

James is mid-laugh when the video cuts to him. “Um, seven. Lily and I have talked about this before and I got in trouble for saying ten, that’s why I’m laughing. Sorry.”

Ninth Question: Rate your partner’s attractiveness on a scale of 1-10

Not a single one hesitates. “Ten.”

“Remus said he was a solid six,” Marlene says as the camera focuses on Sirius.

His eyebrows shoot up. “What? Where is he? Re!”

“What?” a distant voice shouts back.

“You’re a ten!”

“On what scale?”

“Nat said eleven, didn’t she?” Kasey asks with a grin as the clip changes. “I love it when she does that.”

Final Question: What animal is your partner and why? Give three reasons.

Lily gives Marlene a hard look. “Marley, I love you, but what I say right now needs to stay confidential from my husband.”

Sirius laughs quietly. “Oh, he’s going to hate me for this.”

“Lily is a lioness,” James says immediately. “She’s strong, fierce, and unbelievably brave.”

Natalie tilts her head. “Good question. I’m going to go with a bear, since he’s got a big, tough reputation but he’s all soft inside. He’s a pretty solid guy, too, and he likes cold weather.”

“Nat is one of those really colorful birds,” Kasey says. “The ones with big personalities and the pretty feathers.”

“James is a lion.” Lily thinks for a moment longer. “It’s not just that he plays for the Lions, but he really is one of the bravest people I know. He’s protective of his family and cares a lot about keeping everyone together.”

Remus grins at the camera. “Sirius is a dog, and I will happily tell you why. Number one: he loves going for walks. Number two: he is endlessly loyal to the people he cares for. Number three: peanut butter.”

“So, Re is either a cat or a dog, and I really can’t choose.” Sirius’ eyebrows draw together in thought.

“You can choose both if you have reasons,” Marlene calls behind the camera.

“Really? Alright, he’s a dog because he’s friendly, loyal, and brings people trinkets as gifts. Um, I don’t have a legitimate reason for the cat one, but do any of you know that one vine with the cat that’s being dragged around on a leash?”

The camera crew bursts out laughing, and a small picture of the cat appears in the upper left of the screen.

“Anyone who has tried to pick Remus up knows that he looks exactly like that. Goes completely limp, it’s the funniest fucking thing.”

The video cuts to Remus, who raises his eyebrows. “He said what?”

The title card appears and Marlene’s voiceover begins. “Thanks for watching, Lions! Special thanks to Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James and Lily Potter, Natalie Darcy, and Kasey Winter for being with us today. Like and subscribe for more!”

#sirius black #remus lupin #james potter #lily evans #kasey winter #natalie darcy #marlene mckinnon #social media #sweater weather #coops #jily #kat #lumosinlove #my fic #fanfic

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xxdragonwriterxx · 4 years ago

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🔥Wings of Freedom (Part 2)🔥

A/N: Finally got part 2 done! Thank you for your patience with this mini series, I’ve been so busy with school lately and I still have so many drafts that I’ve been trying to publish them evenly so I don’t keep you guys waiting for anything too long. Thank you so much for your support, I love all of you so much and I can’t wait to show you the other stuff I have planned for this blog. I have a few requests on the way, so stay tuned for that, but for now, here is the sequel to Wings of Freedom (finally)!

Part 1 is here if you haven’t read it yet!

🐉Song Recommendation: “Machine” By: MisterWives 🐉

Word Count: ~3.9k

~~~

Levi felt like he was experiencing deja vu as he glanced around the courtroom from where he stood beside Erwin, waiting for Hanji to come back. Only, he felt a lot more nervous. The first time, he had felt nothing but an impatience to get the event started, his eyes hard and cold as he had looked down at an immature, green-eyed brat who could turn into a titan, waiting for his future to be decided as either a useful tool for humanity, or a human experiment to be tortured in a lab. Now, his insides were doing their best impression of a pretzel, churning and twisting until he felt sick with worry. This wasn’t going to be a meeting about some random brat from the streets, this was concerning the fate of the love of his life.

The night she had come back had been bittersweet for both of them. They had spent the night wrapped up together, (Y/N)’s wings out for the first time around Levi, the warm membranes curled around him protectively so he could feel her heartbeat thrumming through his entire body. They had been cuddled close, holding each other like it was the last time they would be able to do so, unsure of what events would unfold the next morning. Both Levi and (Y/N) knew everything was about to change, knew (Y/N)’s fate would be challenged and decided the next day, but it didn’t stop the anxiety from rolling around in his gut, making his stomach give another violent lurch.

“Hey,” Erwin said lowly, placing a hand on Levi’s shoulder when he noticed his friend’s queasy expression, “She’s going to be alright. We will fight for her with everything we’ve got.”

Levi managed a stiff nod in Erwin’s direction, his heart warming at his friend’s support. Although Levi had never doubted his friends, he had been surprised by how supportive and accommodating they had been when Levi had announced (Y/N)’s initial reappearance. They had both expressed their immense relief at her safe return while Hanji worked to heal her bullet wound, keeping her enthusiastic questioning to a minimum at Levi’s insistence.

Levi’s thoughts were cut short by the appearance of said energetic scientist, the tall brunette carefully picking her way through the rows of gathered officers and moving to stand on the other side of Erwin.

“She’s doing okay,” Hanji said before Levi could even open his mouth. “She’s a little nervous but that’s normal. Everything else is going smoothly so far, so she will be brought out in a few minutes.”

Levi nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He was trying his hardest to stay calm, to keep from lunging at Premier Zackley and strangling him until he promised to let (Y/N) go, but it was starting to strain on him. His skin broke out in a sweat as he forced himself to take deep breaths. He could do this. For (Y/N), he could do this.

He immediately looked up at the sound of the large wooden doors opening with a loud creak, his attention settling on the (h/c) haired woman handcuffed between two guards, her head down so her hair curtained her expression from others. His eyes narrowed and a low growl slipped from between his lips at the sight of the bruises on her arms and legs from the chains and cuffs she had been wearing in her cell. His blood was roaring in his ears as he fought every instinct he had to swoop down and bring her back into his arms. He had almost lost her once, he wouldn’t lose her again, no matter the cost.

Her wings were hidden, the huge black membranes tucked safely in the slits of her back, away from the prying eyes of the assembled soldiers. That at least gave Levi some relief, the knowledge that the extra sensitive appendages were kept from harm or unwanted touch.

The dull chatter in the courtroom hushed as (Y/N) was brought to the center of the room, pushed into a kneeling position on the same platform Eren had been placed on just a few years prior. One of the guards holding her leaned down and clapped her manacles to the sturdy metal post behind her, double checking that she was secure before backing away, moving with the other guard to stand on either side of Premier Zackley, guns at the ready.

The room was so quiet you could’ve heard a pin drop. The people in the room barely breathed as they waited impatiently for Zackley to finish preparing his notes, eager to see if they rumors were true. The Premier cleared his throat, shuffling the papers in front of him as he peered down at the woman on the platform from over the top of his glasses.

“(Y/N) (L/N)?”

(Y/N) looked up when her name was called, her eyes hard as she stared up at the older man.

“Yes.”

“Member of the Survey Corps. Age (#). Cadet under the command of Squad Leader Hanji Zoe,” Zackley read off, glancing at her after every sentence for her quick nod of confirmation. “It looks like you have no criminal record, but your place and date of birth are unknown, so that technically can not be confirmed nor denied outside of the information gathered during your time as a soldier.”

(Y/N) swallowed hard but did not respond, waiting, just as Hanji had told her to do, for the Premier to make his point. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to be patient, knowing that if she rushed this, if she wasn’t careful, she could easily be thrown to the wolves.

“It looks like, based on these reports, that you are a loyal soldier who has a clean background, a solid record, and a hard working personality, since it is labeled here that you are about to be promoted to Squad Leader,” the Premier leaned forward, “that means, we are here for a different reason entirely. Tell me, do you know why you are here?”

“Yes,” (Y/N) answered clearly.

“Very good. Now, without further ado, this court is now in session.”

As soon as Zackley opened the floor, a man from the Military Police stood, a smug grin on his face as he glanced at the annoyed scowls of the Survey Corps officers who were watching him.

“Premier Zackley, thank you for that wonderful introduction,” the man started off, making Levi roll his eyes so hard they hurt. “I would like to start off on behalf of the Military Police and say that this woman should be placed in our custody.”

The Survey Corps officers exchanged glances at that. They had been expecting the man to rant on and on about how she should be tortured, experimented on, or killed, not taken in by another branch of the military. The one closest to the King, no less.

“Interesting, state your case,” Zackley said, folding his hands in front of his face.

“We believe she could be of great use with us, sir. She could be a viable source of protection for our current ruling monarch, and we could use her to increase funding for our resources and supplies. Nobles would come from miles around to see her, it’s something we can use to better the lives of all of the soldiers in the military! Instead of groveling for money at their feet, we could charge them to come see her, within the safety of the walls, perfectly ready to display for anyone who is willing to pay.”

(Y/N) had to fight to keep from grimacing in disgust at the thought of being constantly gawked at like some kind of freak, put out for people to see as if she were some sort of entertainment for them, rather than a human being trying to fight for humanity.

“What use is earning money from her like some kind of exotic beast if our soldiers keep dying?” Erwin cut in, making (Y/N)’s eyes soften at the sound of her friend’s hard voice trying to make others see reason. “She is needed in the Survey Corps with us, it’s what she was made for. She can continue to fight against the titans with us, allowing us to give her the proper protection as she uses her gifts to make fighting these man-eating monsters a hell of a lot easier. She would waste away if she was stuck within the walls with the Military Police.”

“Well, as I see it, Commander Erwin, she can’t be trusted outside of the walls with you. She hid this for how long? How many years now has she let her comrades die over and over again, never stepping in to save them? According to her reports, she didn’t try to assist any of you during your missions other than with the normal efforts displayed by every soldier, at least, until she apparently saved Captain Levi. And rumor has it, those two are sexually involved with one another, which would make for that incident to be purely based on bias rather than a change of heart. If she really was meant to be a helpful tool for humanity, she would’ve become that by now.”

Erwin shook his head, his hand reaching out slightly to touch Levi’s forearm when the shorter raven-haired man opened his mouth to retort. “She has already explained to us her reasoning behind that. If she had shown herself on base, she would’ve risked getting hunted or killed, or getting those around her injured if someone decided to use her friends and comrades as blackmail for her capture. If she had shown herself on the field, she would’ve risked sending her comrades into shock, making it difficult, if not impossible, for them to concentrate on the mission, running the risk of twice the number of soldiers dying. She has tried to find the right time to reveal her gift to us, but it’s been nearly impossible for her, something that was proven by the men of the Garrison out on the field when she finally did reveal herself, only to get shot and chased.”

“So you are saying that she was justified in letting the hundreds of lives she could’ve saved die? Because she couldn’t find the right timing?” The Military Police pig said incredulously, his every word like a punch to (Y/N)’s gut. “I was unaware the soldiers of the Survey Corps were so selfish, cared so little about their men in battle. If this doesn’t further bolster my claims, I don’t know what would.”

“That’s not what I said,” Erwin said, his voice cold. “I said-”

“And you brought up the men from the Garrison,” the MP cut off Erwin, smiling wider at the glares thrown his way. “I have actually brought them today as witnesses. They would like to say a few words, if that is alright?”

The Premier thought for moment before giving a slow nod.

As soon as the all clear was given, the MP motioned for two of the Garrison soldiers who had fought beside the Survey Corps that day to come forward. (Y/N) growled low in her throat at the sight of the men, especially the bigger of the two, the one that had shot her. She noticed Levi tense out of the corner of her eye, knowing he remembered just as well. She threw him a quick reassuring glance just as Hanji placed a hand on his shoulder, imploring him not to react. Levi managed to calm himself, crossing his arms over his chest, but she could tell it was taking every ounce of effort from him not to kill the man.

“Names?” The Premier asked.

“Louis Bordgenson.”

“Graham Pickett.”

“Bordgenson, Pickett, could you please explain why you are here? Why do you believe (Y/N) (L/N) should be placed under Military Police custody?”

“We were two of the few to witness what happened when (L/N) saved Captain Levi from the titans, sir,” Graham said. “We are here to support the Military Police in their decision of taking (L/N) into their custody because we believe that what we saw on the field is a perfect example of the Survey Corps’ shortcomings as a branch. They need to be improved, restored with proper management and leadership. And it all starts with weeding out the soldiers that need to be corrected, allowing them to reevaluate their life choices in a place that won’t get others killed. Out on that field, we were attacked by all of the Survey Corps officers when I shot at (L/N) for my own defense, without even pausing for a moment to consider the situation. That woman attacked me, nearly knocked me right into a titan’s mouth with her wings, and flew off, leaving her comrades for dead, even as they still fought for her in the end.”

Louis nodded along with what Graham was saying before opening his mouth to add on. “Exactly. And when we got back from beyond the walls, we were arrested for attacking a Survey Corps officer. We were called lunatics, psychotics, for claiming to have seen a winged woman, and yet, here she is. We were right all along and none of the Survey Corps officers stepped forward to say it was wrong. To top it all off, when she came back, they sheltered her! Hid her with them and tried to pass everything off as normal.”

“From what I saw, (Y/N) (L/N) did not attack either of you,” Erwin said, cutting the two younger men off from continuing with their ranting diatribe. His tone was sharpened ice and his voice was filled with venom, waiting to strike like a snake in the shadows with barely suppressed fury. (Y/N) felt a conflicting wave of pride, gratitude, and apprehension wash through her. She loved Erwin, he was a close friend of hers, but that sometimes made her forget how god damn scary he could be when upset.

“You boys seem to have forgotten that you two were not the only ones on the field that day. From what everyone else saw, (Y/N) performed a great service to save a comrade, exposing herself in the most vulnerable way possible to try to help us escape. To help you, escape. She never singled you out, never tried to approach you in any manner other than one of friendly disposition. She did knock you over with the power of her wings as you mentioned, but she only did that because you were standing too close to her in your attempt to capture her for yourself. She was just trying to fly away peacefully, and would not have left us on that battlefield if you had not ordered your men to charge and fire. Your imprisonment was valid, and your accusations are dramatized and inaccurate.”

(Y/N) closed her eyes as Erwin’s last word rang out. Her stomach was churning and she felt lightheaded, her heart conflicted with so many differing emotions at once. She was grateful for Erwin and the Survey Corps, her friends who were fighting for her, fighting for her future, but she couldn’t help but feel as if she didn’t deserve them and their efforts. While she hated to admit it, the men from the Garrison weren’t wrong. She had spent years hiding her wings away, failing to save her comrades because of her fear, watching as they were devoured when the faster speed of her wings possibly could’ve saved them. Her head drooped a little as the men in front of her fought. Could she even call herself a soldier? A scout? Did she deserve to fight alongside them? Did she deserve… Levi?

She sucked in a shuddering breath, willing the tears to stay back. Maybe she did deserve to be nothing more than an animal to be viewed in a cage. Something to be gawked at and displayed like some kind of trophy. Could she even be considered human? She was so abnormal, so fucked up, mentally and physically. How could she possibly be considered safe enough to be around those she cared about?

Just as she was about to succumb to the notion of her worthlessness, a sharp, deep voice made her eyes snap open and glance to her left where her lover was standing steadfast beside his commander, his silver eyes burning like molten iron.

“Now listen here, all of the claims you have made so far have been either disproven or provided with solutions. (Y/N) has been nothing but the most amazing soldier, dutifully working to take care of everyone around her and constantly fighting for a better world. Just because you fuckwads can’t get your heads out of your asses long enough to see it, doesn’t mean it’s not true. (Y/N) was faced with an incredibly tough decision in her life, and she’s been forced to deal with it ever since she was born. She is just human. Simply, wonderfully, human, and there is nothing wrong with the choices she made,” Levi said, making (Y/N)’s eyes water with the love she felt for the raven-haired man.

“I know she will continue to be a necessary asset for the Survey Corps, where she can keep doing what she knows how to do best. If we lock her up in some manor to be cooed at by nobles, we will be lost. For god’s sake we have to deal with Jaeger every day and she’s significantly less of a threat than he is, but has twice the amount of usefulness to us.”

“Oh, as if that little experiment is going so well,” the MP said with a sneer. “The Survey Corps got custody of that one and look what’s happened? Cities destroyed, people lost. Captain Levi, your own squad got brutally murdered by an abnormal on an expedition because that titan shifter was too useless to do anything to help you. If we let you take custody of this one as well, we fear that the odds of humanity winning this war will shift further downwards. The fate of every human within these walls is in the hands of the Survey Corps soldiers. The last thing your branch needs is another distraction, or in better terms, a mistake.”

(Y/N) winced at the insult, her body flooding with icy fear as murmurs of agreement floated through the crowd. She knew she should’ve expected this possibility, had even reminded herself of the fact when Erwin left to tell the Premier about her existence earlier that week. She had known from the moment she had agreed to reveal herself publicly and use her gifts in battle to fight the titans and save her friends that this could happen. She could be turned against, experimented on, taken back to a cage and locked up, just as she had spent most of her early life. But even knowing about it didn’t stop the anger, the fear from filling her from head to toe, making her shift nervously on the wooden platform. She wanted to speak, wanted to say something to counteract what the Military Police were claiming, but she kept her mouth shut, knowing it was for the best. If she started talking now, fueled by her emotions, after spending the entire time staying quiet, it would look as if she was becoming desperate, trying to hide something. And with how hard Levi and Erwin were fighting for her, the last thing she wanted to do was ruin everything by opening her stupid mouth.

Levi and Erwin were about to retort when the Premier held up his hand, his eyes closed as he waited for the room to settle down again. The room quickly hushed. (Y/N) waited, her entire body tense as she stared up at the Premier, her heart thumping so loudly she was surprised he couldn’t hear it.

Everything will be fine.

“Based on the claims made by both parties, I have come to a decision on where the defendant shall be placed until further notice,” Zackley said.

I won’t let them take you away from me.

“While both parties have put forth compelling arguments, I can not determine whether or not bias or deceit is at play here on either side. It is because of this that I have decided to put you in the place that I believe would be the safest for humanity should things take a turn for the worst.”

No matter what, we are in this together, wings and all.

“(Y/N) (L/N), I am officially placing you under the custody of the Military Police, where you will be kept and cared for until I can find the proper evidence to prove your innocence.”

I love you.

(Y/N) felt her world shift. She heard Levi’s roar of fury, Erwin’s sharp voice ringing out into the hall as he tried to reason with the Premier, Hanji’s screech of shock and anger, but no words registered. The Military Police. Anything but the Military Police. She wanted to struggle against her binds, wanted to roar and scream and snap, wanted to stretch her wings and fly away, far away, just her and Levi together. But she couldn’t do that. She hung her head, unable to hold back the tidal wave of tears this time as they slid down her cheeks in clear rivers, running down her soft skin to splatter on the floor beneath her.

She could practically hear the smirk in the MP’s voice as he thanked the Premier and barked orders at his assembled soldiers to grab her. She wanted nothing more than to slap that smug grin off his face but she knew she couldn’t. She forced herself to take deep breaths as she felt hands rain down on her, touching her, dragging her, chaining her.

When she was finally unhooked from the steel post in the center of the room, the Military Police soldiers holding her tightly between them, dragging her towards the door, (Y/N) managed to look up. She caught Levi’s eye from where he was being held back by both Erwin and Hanji, the sorrow and desperation in those stunning gunmetal hues making her heart shatter. She didn’t know when she’d see him again, if she ever would see him again. And even if she was granted the opportunity to see him, she knew she wouldn’t be able to hold him, kiss him, love him like she always did.

Even though her heart was being ripped to shreds, (Y/N) managed a watery smile in his direction, her lips moving to mouth the words, “I will see you again, I promise,” to him. She saw him stand a little straighter, a glint in his eye as he took her words to heart. She just knew that he was going to do everything in his power to make that happen.

No matter what, we are in this together, wings and all.

(Y/N) kept her eyes on him as she was led back through the large wooden doors of the courtroom, refusing to look away from her lover until the doors had completely shut behind her, officially separating her from the love of her life.

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miniherodesktales · 3 years ago

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How Loki lied to Mobius

I’ve noticed that Loki repeatedly uses the tactic of throwing out obvious lies that people will easily spot or make a clumsy attempt to smooth talk them knowing that they will reject him.

In Thor 1, Loki does not want to go to Jotuneheim. When Thor intially suggests it Loki tries hard to dissuade him, but as soon as the Warriors 4 are brought into the discussion Loki is suddenly all, “I won’t let my brother march into Jotuneheim alone!” How touching, Loki, you couldn’t possibly be the one behind it all, could you,you loyal little angel?

In a cut scene we see Loki pass a note to a solider that will alert Odin to their outing, unfortunately the soldier delays and the group make it to the Rainbow Bridge, further than Loki intended.

Before anyone else gets a chance to speak to Heimdall Loki cockily says, “I’ll handle this.” It appears that he fails tries to sweet talk Heimdall into allowing them to pass, but in fact Loki intended to fail. He was intentionally grating because it wasn’t part of his plan that they should make it into Jotuneheim.

It did go wrong in a twist with Heimdall saying yes, but still a good example of how Loki pretends to screw up in order to manipulate events in his favour.

Likewise in this scene, Loki gawkily claims, “I’m playing a game of my own, I’m ten steps ahead of you!” It’s not subtle at all and it’s not meant to be. Mobius, of course, calls him out on it, but that’s part of Loki’s manipulation.

He knows that Mobius has studied him closely, so Mobius expects to be lied to. However, Loki can come out on top by giving the impression that he’s not as clever as he thinks he is and that his lies are obvious.

He wants Mobius to underestimate him.

He makes an obvious lie, Mobius spots it, Loki acts dejected and works harder to not be pruned, Mobius feels more confident and secure that he can handle Loki, Loki has more freedom to manipulate.

In episode 2 it went like this.

Loki: If you go outside this tent the Variant will kill you, he’s waiting for you.

Mobius: Really?

Loki: Wolf’s teeth/ears speech

Mobius: He’s wasting our time. My ears are sharp too.

Loki makes a sad face.

Mobius: Yeah, I know you like to stall for time now. You’re on your last chance. Help us or get pruned.

Loki sadder face, defeated.

Loki works hard, figures out where Varient is hiding, acts likes a hyperactive, talkative puppy.

Mobius: I’m so proud! You messed up earlier but now you know who’s in charge you’re doing much better.

Loki: I know I have to earn that trust.....so I’m happy to leave you, Mobius, and go with B15...

Mobius is slightly suspicious.

Loki escapes with Sylvie, proposes alliance.

Mobius sad face.

Lesson of episode 2: Mobius underestimated Loki because he thought he knew him well and enjoyed outwitting him.....be wary of hyperactive puppy Loki

#loki #loki series #loki positivity #mobius #mobius m mobius #thor 1

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michibikionmain · 4 years ago

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Ik the drama with Tommy and Tubbo is like cool and all on the Dream SMP but can we PLEASE talk about the other arc that’s going on??? Because despite the super jokey name, Mexican L’manburg is SUPER interesting from a story point alright? And so are the people in it.

IK Eret is kinda doing a redemption arc thing, which like cool good for him I love him, but the redemption arc of everything in Mexican L’Manburg is slightly better written and more compelling imo. Like consider... everyone that’s a citizen in Mexican L’manburg right now has done horrible things or been associated with horrible things on the server. Quackity helped get Schlatt elected and was his vice president. Sapnap was a loyal solider to Dream, killing and causing chaos at the drop of a hat for him. George also assisted Dream in wars, but also from a story perspective just sat by and essentially ignored all the struggles going on in Manburg while he was supposed to be part of the cabinet alongside Quackity before becoming King for literally being so separated from the country he was supposed to help run that Dream saw him as the most neutral person on the server. Karl hasn’t exactly done anything bad/redemption worthy, but he is desperate for attention and affection from anyone and to be recognized.

What do all these characters have in common? A need to prove themselves, whether it be their goodness to others, to themselves, or just their own worth. They all need a new start that they’ve created with Mexican L’manburg. Quackity lost Schlatt, who he’d canonically been in an abusive relationship with, and while he’s the new vice president of L’manburg, he still clearly feels torn up over what happened in the Pogtopia and Manburg war. Sapnap believes/has realized that Dream has just been using him as a war pawn and that he doesn’t care about him according to his outburst to Tommy, and now he has to deal with the crippling reality that all those horrible things he did in the name of friendship were done in the name of essentially nothing as he deals with that sense of betrayal. George is in a similar boat, but he also has the struggle of realizing that the reason Dream made him King wasn’t because he trusted him with the power to rule, but because he trusted that George would be a compliant idiot and do whatever he told him, and now his power is removed because Dream doesn’t trust that he can take care of himself and follow Dream’s directions without hesitation. Karl has been on the sidelines for all of the Manburg war, trying to get involved anywhere he could, but no one took him seriously and he was essentially pushed to the side until the final battle in the war where he was used more like a meat shield/extra body to have around than an actual ally.

This is also helping lead into a humanizing arc for Dream. Since he stopped streaming the SMP, a lot of his character’s thoughts have been a mystery to the audience, and the fact that he’d rarely been appearing on his teammate’s streams meant we only ever got to see him through the eyes of those who saw him as an enemy, which is never a good look. Especially Tommy, who he has a historically bad relationship with, to the point of Tommy basically just seeing him as a stereotypical bad guy on the server. But this arc? It’s changing that, even if we still don’t directly see his perspective. We see Dream experience actual anger at what’s happening. Literally the whole thing going on with Tommy and Tubbo and the exile is because Dream was furious that Tommy griefed George and demanded retribution. He was never properly angry during the revolution, only wanted to hold onto L’manburg for the sake of power. He had no proper stakes in the Manburg/Pogtopia war, and only got involved for the fun of chaos. But this? This is personal to him, a direct attack. War isn’t fun now, it’s personal and so he’s going to make it personal for everyone else. However, he doesn’t realize that by making it personal, he’s left himself exposed. The logic he usually uses to handle war isn’t as ruling as before and he makes multiple slip ups. Similar to the story Technoblade used to compare Tommy to a tragic hero, Dream’s hubris has become his downfall.

He says he doesn’t care, not really, and that everything has been for power, severing the threads of friendship he has with some of his only remaining allies. He’s not completely alone, but almost all of his friends and allies have left him now, not that he had many to begin with. The Badlands emancipated themselves from the SMP Lands, most of the new members joined L’manburg, Wilbur died, Techno retired and became an anarchist, his fiancée is part of the cabinet in L’manburg--his greatest enemy nation--, he ruined his friendship for now with Sapnap and George. All he has left is Punz, who only sticks with him because he’s being paid a massive amount, and Captain Puffy, who’s loyalty isn’t even set in stone because she has plenty of loyalty to people outside of the SMP lands and is likely to side with friends over her country in conflict if it came to it.

He’s slowly losing his power and control over the server, and that’s also partially of why he wanted the disks so bad. If he can’t use people to get what he needs, he’ll need material items to accomplish his goals, hence him calling the disks his now. Dream is definitely still the villain and in the wrong right now, but his humanity is showing, and it’s leading to some of the most compelling personal conflict on the SMP in my opinion. Sure, he’s fighting normal L’manburg and what not too, but he’s mostly fighting with Mexican L’manburg, his friends, all of them trying to prove themselves in one way or another.

I probably has a different perspective of the overall story than a lot of people because I didn’t get into the lore watching Tommy or Wilbur’s perspectives of things, but GOD if you take the time to look into it the other characters are so fuckin cool.

#dream smp #dream smp spoilers #Dream Team #dreamwastaken #sapnap #georgenotfound #quackity #mexican l'manburg #karl jacobs #Oops #Its a long post sorry yall #i just have SO many ideas and thoughts about this arc and NO ONE is talking about this #ik the tubbo and tommy stuff is cool but we are SLEEPING on this storyline that we've needed for a while!#i've barely seen any works talking about this #so yknow what? ill do it myself #if u have thoughts PLEASE DM ME IM DESPERATE #Im also making much fanart but that takes longer so zzz #mcyt

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gale-gentlepenguin · 4 years ago

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ML Analysis: Alya Cesaire: Best friend or Plot Puppet?

Thank you to @cakercanart for commissioning this analysis.

For this we will be discussing Alya Cesaire

This is a LONG POST, so I am posting a read more. I would love to hear your thoughts on this analysis. Do you agree? Do you disagree? Did you want to include something? Let me know.

I think in order to organize this post I will be splitting it up as follows.

How to write a best friend.

Alya Cesaire the Best Friend

Alya Cesaire the Plot device

Canon vs Salt

Final thoughts

So lets get to it

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How to write a best friend.

In fiction, the best friend is best known as the main characters's closest non-romantic associate and confidante in the story. This role is very important when the show, book, game or other type of media needs a character to help express the main character’s motives and actions. Now writing a best friend always ends up coming off as trope heavy and this makes a character come off as less real and more of as a plot device. For a best friend character to be a good best friend character they must follow 3 important rules. First, they must have their own rules. Second, Give and Take, friendship is a two way street. Lastly, they must be more than just the company they keep.

The Best friend must have their own rules. Now this is important because you need to establish what this character values. What does this character think is most important? Do they believe Loyalty is more important than honesty? Do they think stealing is wrong under all circumstances? It is important that we as a viewer understand what makes the best friend tick, we need to already have an idea of where they are going to go with something before the main character goes to talk to them. In a way, they. are more rigid than the main character, since we spend less time with them, we need to have their character more realized than the main character. Now this does not mean a character can't change over time, but there needs to be a solid reason on WHY the character’s opinion on something flipped, it needs to be something clear, like having them learn a lesson on screen. Think of the Best friend’s rules as Pillar in solid ground, they need to be strong and apparent so the Main character knows what side they are standing on in a situation.

Friendship is a two-way street. This is something that needs to be apparent in the relationship between the best friend and the main character. Do they spend time together, are they able to hold conversations outside of the main character’s problem of the day? What has the main character done for them lately? Does the MC value their friendship? Are there rough patches? The relationship itself is important to the dynamic as the best friend, and really is it a friendship if only one person benefits?

The Best friend character needs to be more then just the best friend character to the protagonist. The BFF needs to have a life outside of that bubble, like real people, they need to have other priorities at times, but they will do what they can to help. If this character suddenly stopped being friends with main Protagonist, will this character be able to develop outside of that. They need to be something a kin to a friend you could have in real life. Do you know someone that could match this person? Do you feel that they could exist?

These 3 are the main guidelines in writing convincing best friends and are crucial in establishing the best friend as something more then just ‘Plot device number 1. This criteria will be what we use as a gauge to measure Alya Cesaire. Now we move to the next section.

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Alya Cesaire the Best Friend

Alya Cesaire is the canonical best friend of Marinette Dupain Cheng. She is also the person that runs the Ladyblog, the source for all things Ladybug related. She is a headstrong, confident, can do gal that will do anything to get the scoop. She is Loyal and wants what’s best for her BFF. But the question is, based on the characteristics, how does Alya fair?

The best friend has their own rules. Alya cesaire believes in loyalty, good triumphing over evil, and the truth. As a fan of super heroes it would make sense that she would have a more paragon approach towards things. In that regard, Alya is rigid, but she is willing to bend the rules if it helps her get the truth. To be honest, Alya is a loyal friend, does seek the truth, and believes good should always triumph over evil, but the problem is that she is not consistent on what she values more. Depending on the episode’s need, Alya would be gunho, loyal BFF to the max, like in Befana, Startrain, Origins, but then other times, she puts having evidence and truth over her own best friend’s take, Like in Chameleon, Oni-chan, and Volpina. Its a bit of a mixed bag with her, though I do say that her loyalty and support of Marinette is more of her more common traits. But this constant shift on what she values more is concerning.

Friendship is a two way street. This is where I find Alya does shine brightest. Her relationship with Marinette is very consistent. The two hang out, talk, and enjoy each other’s company. Both have helped the other when needed, and they take time to listen to each other. Sapotis, Stormy weather and Ladybug are the best examples. I will say that Marinette and Alya do not have a one note friendship, Marinette and Alya do talk about things outside of Marionette’s relationship status, Alya and Marinette do debate about things, even going so far as to even tease and joke with the other. In terms of friendship being a two way street, Alya and Marinette have a pretty good friendship going.

Alya as her own character is a bit more solid then one would anticipate based on all the salt surrounding her. She does have a strong character, she has her own relationships, her own actions outside of Marinette. She does have a boyfriend, does have hobbies that don't always involve Marinette. Alya is more then willing to put her needs into view. She has a unique dynamic with her family, she has a developing relationship with her boy friend. She even is friendly to someone Marinette is not the biggest fan of, and still maintains her friendship with Marinette in spite of it. Alya could exist without being Marinette’s Best friend, but it is good that they are friends.

Overall, Alya has a very good dynamic with Marinette and has her own character outside of that friendship, her main flaw is that with inconsistent writing her standing as ‘The pillar’ is not very effective, she can appear to be at the whim of the writers at times because of this inconsistency. But to determine if she is really more Plot device then Person, we head to the next section

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Alya Cesaire the Plot device

The Concept of a Plot device is simply a literary device (a character, an outside force, etc) that helps move the plot along in some way shape or form. The problem with Best friend character’s is that if they aren't the ones with the super powers, they are often put into the position of being the plot progression button in one of two tropes, the Plot voucher or the Quest giver. The plot voucher is the character that gives the lesson or solution early on and tells the MC that they should do something and often its what the character needs to do in order to solve the problem. Think Chekov’s gun. The Quest giver is the character that states what the character needs to do, often propelling the character into the situation. whether intentionally or not. Alya cesaire is often criticized as being a plot device since she is often the one pushing marinette to do things. Now to be fair, characters in the show can still be their own character while being used as a plot device, but the problem occurs when Plot is prioritized over the character. In order to judge if a character is more of a plot device, I have come up with 3 solid criteria. In order for a character to be more plot device than character they must achieve all three of the following, contradict their own morals on more than one occasion, Formulaic role writing, and P.R.E.G.O. These three criteria are crucial in judging one’s character.

To start off, contradictions in character. What this means is that the plot of an episode will do something that will make a character do something that would go against the core attributes of a character without explanation. Like having a vegetarian character eating meat. Now there are times when writers make a mistake and if it happens once then it is more like a mistake and not a constant trend. An example of Alya having a contradiction in character would be in Chameleon. (This is where a lot of the salt started so this is understandable), where Alya tells Marinette that she would need proof on her accusations. Now this is a case where additional dialogue would have made this NOT a contradiction. If Alya showed self awareness, like if she said, “I have learned my lesson about making accusations without solid proof.” That would have probably been fine and also a good moment of character development. But the expression (without that addition) comes off without context. Alya does show another moment of hypocrisy in Oni-chan, when she tells Marinette to ignore Lila when she was talking with Adrien, but at the end of the episode then questions why Marinette isn't spying on them. Now in the context of the episode, its to show how Marinette learns a lesson, but in this case (which I find as MORE egregious than Chameleon) this makes Alya look like a massive hypocrite. There are a few other times in season 3 where Alya has shown a few bits of hypocrisy which makes me say that Alya has matched this first criteria.

Formulaic role writing is a criteria that is less on the character of Alya, but on the show’s treatment of Alya. So to explain Formulaic role writing is where a character is put in a show to always do a specific thing for a character or for the plot. This is very common in episodic shows, like how in the original Power rangers, Zordon is the one that calls the rangers to fight a monster, he is basically the ‘Alert system’. In Alya’s case she is often regulated to 2 specific parts, Wingwoman and Lore finder. In her role as wing woman, she is basically trying to help Marinette out with Adrien, in whatever way she can. This results in plot progression and getting Marinette from point A to Point B. The second role is Lore finder, she is the one that goes searching to find out stuff regarding the heroes, because its for her blog. Now Alya has shown times when she is not in either of these roles, such as in Anaisi, heroes day, Stormy weather 2.0, Timetagger, just to name a few. It has Alya living her own life and existing outside of these roles. This helps because these examples are not in the character contradictions category, which helps us evaluate that Alya does not completely conform to this trait.

The final criteria is P.R.E.G,O or better known as Plot Relevant Exposition Given Only. What this means is that a character is only given lines that help further the plot, character development of the MC, help solve a problem, or cause a problem. P.R.E.G.O is the epitome of finding out how one-dimensional a character is. If you can fit all of the dialogue into a category covered in P.R.E.G.O, then it is simple to determine if a character is simply a plot device for the author’s to utilize. To put it simply Alya does break out of the P.R.E.G.O model as she does develop as her own character and has moments where she is doing her own thing. Both in canon, and on the Instagram. Alya has a boyfriend, a strong relationship with her sisters, her own goals and hobbies, and even her own insecurities. Alya as a character, while not correctly utilized is not fitting of this criteria.

Overall, Alya is more then simply a plot device, but she has been used on occasion to further the plot in ways that would contradict her character. The writing for her can be vastly improved and while she does have her flaws, should not be dismissed as simply a mouth piece for the shows plot.

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Canon vs Salt

Alya cesaire is often found to be one of the few characters (ever since season 3) to be heavily criticized and bashed by a chunk of the fandom. Now with how the fandom reacted to her, I was curious on what brought such unfettered hate onto her. It was sort of surprising to see how far the fandom went with not liking her. So after careful analysis, I managed to isolate the two main reasons on why she is so polarizing to the fandom. These reasons are, poor Writing and projection.

The writing on Alya has been inconsistent at times and in early season 3, with episodes such as Chameleon, Oni-chan, Oblivio, and Reflekdoll. The salt for her really started to rise. The most common assertion by the salters is that Alya is completely inattentive to other people’s needs and will prioritize her own desires above all else. Like in Oblivio, when Alya posted the photo of Ladybug and Chat noir kissing when Ladybug stormed off after seeing it. Now in the context, it seems rude, and it kind of is. Sure Ladybug didn't tell Alya not to put it on the blog, and she wasn't even mad at alya who took the photo, so the argument could be that alya would have not posted it if Ladybug told her not to. But it is still something alya should have asked before posting. Not that all journalists and reporters ask for permission before posting things, its common curtousy. So in this regard, criticism towards Alya is warranted if one wants discuss terms of improvement. However, in alya salt, she is often depicted as someone that would throw marinette under the bus and dismiss her, that is something Alya has yet to do and would likely never do. Alya has disagreed with marinette at times, but she has never (while in control) insulted or dismissed her friend. The salt/bashing of Alya’s character in that regard is inaccurate and is not warranted.

Projection is the action of placing issues onto another that are not applicable to one’s character. This is where all of the bashing of Alya’s character comes from. Alya is often projected as being one of Lila’s main enablers and the one that makes marinette feel awful. Alya is often portrayed as one of the worst people in salty au’s because she is the one closest to marinette. Her ‘Betrayal’ makes the pain Marinette feels much worse. Alya is being used by salters to place their own issues of broken friendships from the past onto her. From the few au’s and fics I have read with Alya salt, the betrayal that alya often does seems far more personal when described, as if the author was pulling from personal experience. Alya, according to the salt community, has become the perfect character to project the agony of betrayal because of the massive salt that has been piled on from chameleon onward.

In conclusion, Alya is critiqued because of poor writing from the show, and is bashed because of fan projection. Alya is a character with faults and suffers from poor writing but she is not deserving of the unabashed hatred she has received.

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Final Thoughts

Alya Cesaire is a character that could use some better writing and could use some better establishment on her traits, but she is still good on her own merits and I conclude that she is more than a tool of the plot, she is a multifaceted character that will hopefully improve in season 4.

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