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alocon · 10 months ago

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A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be [5] - Max Verstappen

written by alocon

Note: Name and Part One based on the song A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be by Jess Benko

Summary: Max is convinced that you are ignoring him, but he can't for sure prove it until he catches you after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Before you read: Use of Y/N (sorry!!), angst x

fc: Blanca Soler

[Previous Part Here][The Masterlist][Next Part Here]

A Soulmate Who Wasn't Meant To Be [Part Five] - MV¹

You were ignoring Max. Well, he was convinced you were ignoring him. Since the sleepover, you had been a little quieter, playing it off as just being tired due to not sleeping well, which he completely understood. However, you were now in Saudi Arabia and he had barely seen you. He had, however, seen clips of you around the paddock talking to other drivers. You seemed really happy around people, but he found it weird how the two of you never bumped into each other. Sure, you still weren't to the level of actively planning to hang out in the paddock due to the way the media would react, but you still bumped into one another usually. Except now, it seemed that wherever he was, you weren't. Almost as if you were ignoring him. It all came to a head for the Dutchman when you were stood talking to Daniel and, when Max came to join the two of you, you only stood there for a moment or two before claiming you had a meeting to get to and retreating to the Mercedes Paddock. He knew that, realistically speaking, there were likely only two people who knew why she was acting like that and, luckily, he just so happened to bump into the two of them. Together.

“Is she ignoring me?” That was the first thing Max asked. No hello, no good morning, no how are you, straight to the point.

“No?” George questioned, confused about the sudden randomness of the discussion.

“Okay, let me rephrase that.” Max paused, thinking of his wording. “Do either of you have any idea why she might be ignoring me?”

Charles shrugged. “I have no idea,” he said as the three walked together towards the media pen. “Did you say something to upset her?”

Max shook his head.

“When did you last properly speak?”

Max thought for a moment, before responding to the Brit's question. “At the sleepover, then since that day she's been acting weird.”

Max found it strange the way Charles’ head snapped towards him after he mentioned the sleepover. “The morning after we all got up?” He watched as Max nodded once again. “What did she say to you? When you were in the kitchen together?” It was as if the Monegasque had a realisation. That confused Max even more.

“She said she wanted to talk to me about something and she seemed serious… and then Daniel interrupted us and she didn't seem serious about it anymore.” He looked at Charles. “Do you know what this is about?”

“I might do,” the Monegasque driver replied, voice wavering slightly as he spoke. “And then after that she became closed off? Acting like she was fine and just tired I assume?”

“Yes, exactly like that.”

“I can talk to her after media?” George suggested

Max shook his head before shrugging. “I just need to know if I did something.”

Charles stopped moving, looking between the two. “Max after you basically broke the girl's heart, she stopped expressing her emotions fully. She expresses she positive ones, but she struggles to reach out when things are… difficult. She won't ask if she needs support or someone to talk to, she just closes herself off. If she was going to talk to you about what I think she was going to talk to you about, Daniel interrupting probably freaked her out and closed her off just after letting her guard down.”

“What was she going to talk to me about? Do you know?”

He looked at Max in response. “I… can't tell you that, it's not my place. If I get a chance to, I'll speak to her.”

And with that, they walked into the press conference. Charles joined Oscar who was sat at the very end of the sofa and Max sat beside Charles. You walked in and joined them, Fernando in tow, sitting beside you. You smiled politely to Max, before it started.

“Are you-” Max started but was cut off by Crofty starting the press conference.

“Hello everybody, welcome to the Formula One Press Conference for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Today we are joined by 5 drivers - From left to right, we have Fernando Alonso, Y/N L/N, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri. Hope you're all doing well?” There were murmurs and nods in response. “Wonderful. Let's get on with the questions, shall we?”

Fernando was asked the first question, which gave Max a moment to lean over to you. “Are you okay?” He whispered. You looked at him.

“I'm okay, why?”

‘Liar’ he thought, still being able to see right through you when you weren't okay. “I'm just worried about you. You've been strangely quiet this week, which is weird because you never know how to shut up.” His words resulted in a bat on the arm from you as he gently chuckled. Your name was then called.

“This question is for Y/N,” the reporter started, before going off on a kind of long explanation from a previous year, before asking a question.

You nudged the Spaniard beside you before whispering “Gentlemen, a short view back to the past” causing him to have to cover his mouth to hide his giggles.

He mentioned how, your first year in Formula One, you had heard a lot of backlash of people doubting your skill and other such things and asked whether you felt like Formula One Press Conferences were more inclusive now for you.

You thought for a moment about your answer. “I guess, in some ways, yes. However, I still do get a lot of unsavoury things said in conferences. Sometimes I wish people would treat me how they treat the male drivers because, even though I'm not male, I'm still a driver and I wouldn't be here if I wasn't a good one so, realistically speaking, they are way too rude sometimes.” You were thanked by the reporter before some questions were asked to the other drivers. You had a few more asked, mostly about how you were feeling for the weekend, especially after 2 double podiums in a row for Mercedes.

After answering a question, Max turned to see if you were busy so he could speak to you again but he saw you already talking to Fernando. He wasn't sure what about but Fernando looked relatively serious whilst they were speaking. He heard a soft response from you. “Nando, I'm alright. I'm fine.”

The press conference continued, until finally, it was over. Max turned to respond to something Charles had just said to him but, by the time he turned back to talk to you, you were already gone. For God's Sake.

Max did not see you for the rest of the day and, when having seen you over the weekend, you had found a way to avoid him. He found comfort in the fact that he wasn't the only one, though. Apparently, and he found this out from Daniel, you had been avoiding all the drivers except Charles, Fernando and the essential members of your team. Not only that, you had also only been having short conversations with Fred, Mick and George when necessary, the longest ones being the debriefs and your conversations with the Monegasque, apparently. He refused to explain why you were being so quiet with everyone, simply saying that you were struggling and talking to people was overwhelming you. You did the same before the race too, only leaving your room to go over to the anthem, standing at the end of the line of drivers, beside Charles and George. After that, you went straight to the car. Max went to his. He turned on his radio, speaking to GP as they waited for the formation lap to start. “Do you know if Y/N is okay by the way, Max? She hasn't said hi to me at all this weekend and she usually does at least once a week.”

“She comes and says hi to you?”

“Yeah. She started doing it when you were together but after you broke up, she'd still come and make conversation. Did you two argue again or something?”

“Mate, honestly, I've got no idea. She's avoiding everyone except Charles from what I've been told.”

“Oh.” GP was quiet for a moment. “Weird. Anyways, formation lap is in 30 seconds so I'll speak to you in the race, Max, mate.”

The formation lap went without any crashes (*cough cough* Charles *cough cough*) and then the lights started turning on.

One light. Two lights. Three lights. Four lights. Five lights.

“And it's lights out and away we go.” Max slammed his foot down, quickly speeding toward the first corner. Beside him, you drove, George slightly behind and a Haas somehow here too. Max easily went into the first corner ahead, focusing on the driving rather than what was happening behind him. It was time for him to get his first win of the season. Lap by lap, he was well ahead, but then slowly, je saw a Mercedes getting closer and closer. “For fucks sake,” he said through the radio, already accepting defeat in his mind, well aware you had the ability to pass him. “How far back is she?”

“She? Mate, George is behind you.”

“Oh really? I can't see the number, I assumed it was her because she is a monster on the track. It's kind of scary actually.” He chuckled.

“George is 1.2 behind. Push as much as you can, Max.”

“Understood.”

Slowly, Charles ended up catching up to George and, somehow, overtook him. This meant that it was him he was fighting for the lead with, now. On lap 41, GP came through the radio. “Red flag, mate, lead everyone into the pits please.”

“Is everything alright? What happened?”

“Appears to be a collision between L/N and Magnussen.”

“Are they-”

“Yes, they've both replied on the radio saying that they're okay, mate. There's just a lot of debris on the track, hence the red flag.” Max let out a sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, you heard your race engineer start speaking. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” You sighed, pressing the radio button.

“I'm fine. I'm fine. Just a little frustrated. Can you let me know when it's safe to get out of the car please?”

“Of course. You are still going to have to wait for the car to come and get you and you may need to go to the med centre.”

K-Mag had been trying to un-lap himself just after you had lapped him for some reason when his car had collided with yours and you had smashed into the barrier. He wasn’t there, though, so you assumed that he was able to continue. You got out of the car, looking as marshals attempted to move your car. Luckily, it was at least manoeuvrable, so you helped to move it as much as you could despite the marshals saying that you didn’t need to because you couldn’t be sure if you had any injuries. Instead, you started helping with the debris until the car got there. Once back in the pits, you headed over to your pit wall section.

“Did it at least look cool?” Was the first question that came out of your mouth when the pit wall crew turned to you. The look on Ben’s face showed that he was not, in any way impressed with that comment. He looked at the grin on your face, shaking his head slightly.

“You certainly know how to crash with style,” George replied jokingly.

You signalled between him and Ben. “See, that’s how we should joke about this kind of stuff,” you teased, watching as Ben rolled his eyes.

“I was worried about you. It said the crash was more than 15g so you have to go to medical, please.” You leant over to hug him, before sighing. “Can I stay here for a bit first?”

Toto, who had now joined you, shook his head. “Why would you want to do that?”

“The longer I stay here, the longer I get peace before the interviews.”

“The quicker you go to medical, the quicker you get through the interviews, the quicker you get to go back to your driver’s room,” George responded. You couldn’t argue with that logic, so off you went.

After a painful hour's worth of tests in the medical centre, they deemed you fine and sent you on your way. Most of the post race interviews went as expected, asking super insightful questions (sarcasm) such as "Do you think being a woman affected your ability to control the car?", "Were you distracted by your personal life, being a woman and all?" and "Do you think your emotions got the best of you out there?" Typical. The best interview you had was with Rachel Brookes.

“Rachel. You look beautiful, as always,” you said, grinning at your favourite post-race interview reporter. She smiled back at you.

“Why thank you, you look lovely too. How are you doing?”

“A lot better now I’m speaking to a reporter who is going to be respectful,” you said, causing her to gain a confused look on her face.

“What do you mean? Have people not been respecting you?” She asked, now slightly concerned.

You shrugged. “You know what they’re like. I think if I hear a question like ‘Is this crash a reflection of women not being as skilled as men in racing?’ one more time, I will go crazy.”

The interview went by quickly and, not long after, you had to say your goodbyes to Rachel. Turning to the exit to the media pen, you saw the Dutchmen leaning against the wall, eyes fixated on you. You attempted to walk past him as you broke off from your press officer, but soon felt his presence as you continued walking in the direction of the Mercedes Motorhome.

“Why are you ignoring me?” He asked, rushing to catch up.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Your response was quick, simple, as you sped up, the Mercedes garage in sight and getting closer by the second.

Max chuckled dryly. “You know for a fact you’re ignoring me. You wouldn’t be speeding up if you weren’t.” He reached out to grab your arm, stopping you from walking into the motorhome. “You’ve done it before many times.”

“Name one time.”

“The last two races of the 2018 season, you didn’t race. I broke up with you on media day in Brazil and suddenly you were too sick to race. What a coincidence, right? And then at Abu Dhabi, you didn’t race, either. You were so excited to race in both of those. And you didn’t, to avoid me.”

“That’s not why I didn’t race, Max,” you responded, voice low as you listened to him get louder the more frustrated he got with you.

“Oh yeah? What possible other reason could you have had to not race other than that? I know you weren’t ill because I saw you with Charles the evening of the race in Brazil.” He rolled his eyes. “You don’t need to lie to me.”

“I didn’t pull out of the races to avoid you, Max.” Your voice was also getting louder now, fed up with his tone.

“Yeah, sure. Just like how you weren’t avoiding me this weekend, yes? I definitely believe that.” He let out a sharp breath.

Then you said something that caused Max to freeze on the spot, looking at you as you turned and walked straight to your driver's room when you realised that a few of the Mercedes workers had heard you. The silence was deafening as Max questioned whether to follow you or not.

[Word Count - 2.6k]

Hi All, Oops... Might've left it on some drama accidentally. Oh no, what will happen? Who knows. Let's hope this is all a rumour, yes? Is it really an F1 gossip account without some completely outrageous rumours? All will be revealed in the next part, do not worry x OH ALSO PLS IGNORE THAT ALL THE DATES SAY JUNE 1, THIS IS SET ON MARCH 24TH I JUST FORGOT TO CHANGE IT!! Have a good day Alocon

Taglist: @c-losur3 @itsjustkhaos @reidsworld

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frankencanon · 1 year ago

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So... Anyone else headcanon Buggy as Vivi's long lost uncle?

No? Just me? Okay... 🥹

Disclaimer: Do I actually believe this is canon? No. But do I want it to be? Yes.

My reasoning for this is fairly simple:

Blue hair.

-> Click on the "Keep reading" below for a bunch more nonsense on how I think this could actually work...

---

I did my math, and King Cobra is about eleven (11) years older than Buggy — which is a pretty big age gap but we're not focusing on him — we're focusing on his wife, Titi, who Vivi is apparently the spitting image of.

Queen Titi is the one responsible for Vivi's blue hair, and thus she is the one who I'm headcanoning Buggy to be related to.

And, as it is entirely common for couples to have age gaps of a few years or so... Titi can help to close that afformentioned age gap.

Whereas King Cobra might be eleven years older than Buggy, it's not unreasonable to assume that Titi could've been five or so years younger — shortening the siblings' age gap to a measly five or six years — which is not nearly as unreasonable!

Hell, we might as well throw Franky in there as well! He's got similarly blue hair and he's only three years younger than Buggy!

I last looked up these ages like a day or two ago so here's hoping I didn't remember any wrong!

Now, how could they be related if they all grew up in such different places?

Answer: Their parents are unknowns! For all three of them!

If I'm remembering right, Franky's parents were said to have been pirates who abandoned him.

Buggy's parents are a complete unknown since, unlike Shanks, Oda hasn't told us anything about how he wound up on the Rogers' ship.

And Titi? We don't know much about her at all.

So it is entirely possible that Franky wasn't the only kid his parents abandoned...

Not to mention that Alabasta and Water 7 are fairly close to one other.

And we have no idea where Buggy is originally from, but "somewhere in the Grand Line" is a pretty safe estimate.

So. One wound up in Alabasta, another in Water 7, and the third got picked up by Gol D. Roger himself.

Water 7 has a lot of incoming and outgoing ships, right? So it's not that hard to believe that they all could've been abandoned there originally, but two wound up on outgoing ships...

Titi, the oldest, snuck aboard a ship bound to Alabasta as a stowaway.

Buggy, the middle child, got kidnapped by Roger who pointed at him and said, "Is anybody gonna take this?" And then didn't wait for an answer.

And Franky, the youngest, never left in the first place.

---

Edit: OK, so I checked out Franky's backstory and here's how it apparently went:

Cutty Flam, originally born in the South Blue, was yeeted by his pirate parents at a young age — literally. Those jerks actually threw him off their ship and into the water — for some godforsaken reason.

He was then rescued by Tom the Fish-Man, legendary shipwright.

At some point Tom saw Cutty assemble a cannon out of scrap metal, and after that he decided to take him on as an apprentice.

Iceberg, Tom's other apprentice, decided to nickname him "Franky" because apparently "Cutty Flam" is too weird a name. Pot, meet kettle.

And that's all the relevant info.

---

Hmm... Now what can we do with this?

Well, if his parents were just yeeting kids off the ship as they go... That makes things a lot easier, actually.

How did they end up on different islands, all split up? Easy! Their shitty parents were literally just yeeting them off the ship whenever.

First one to get yeeted got picked up by a ship returning to Alabasta, who took mercy on the innocent child and brought them home. (Maybe it was the royal family returning from the Revelry? That could explain how Cobra and Titi first met...)

The second child to get yeeted was rescued by Roger and his crew, who conveniently were already on the hunt for a playmate for their first child — Crocus and Rayleigh were very insistent that it's extremely important for a child's development for them to have friends their own age growing up...

The third child got yeeted somewhere in the vicinity of Water 7, and was saved by Tom; His story after that follows canon.

---

Why were they yeeted in different locations and at different times, you ask? My answer: Consider their ages.

I don't know what kind of scumbag pirates yeet their own children to their supposed deaths, but perhaps it's the same kind who have children for nefarious reasons...

Perhaps they had some kind of use for a young child — fake hostage? bait? tax break?! — but once they reach a certain age... Suddenly, the kid's not so useful anymore.

And so they get dumped, just in time for their asshole parents to give birth to a new heir.

And rinse and repeat...

And so we got Titi, and Buggy, and Franky — all born a handful of years apart and dumped in different locations after they were no longer useful for their parents' schemes.

---

INFO:

Titi (Titi) - Age ??? - ティティ

Buggy (Bagii) - Age 37/39 - バギー

Cutty Flam (Kati Furamu) aka Franky (Furankii) - Age 34/36 - カティ・フラム aka フランキー

Age gap between Buggy (37/39) & Nefertari Cobra (48/50): 11 years

Age gap between Buggy (37/39) & Franky (34/36): 3 years

Age gap between: Franky (34/36) & Nefertari Cobra (48/50): 14 years

If we give Buggy & Titi the same age gap as Franky & Buggy then Titi would've been 40 pre- and 42 post-timeskip, a total of eight (8) years younger than Cobra. Not unrealistic at all!

Then again, she was their first child so it's entirely possibly they held off longer before giving in and having another child to replace her — not because they cared about her, but because they would've been reluctant to have to start all over again with raising another noisy, annoying baby, and would've preferred to keep running the scam with her, seeing as she was already trained and fairly self-sufficient.

So maybe she's a little older. A year or two perhaps? That would be one year to dilly-dally, and one year for the new kid to be born.

Let's make it a total of three extra years: two years they spent convinced they could get the scam to continue working even as she got older, and then the one year it took for them to have baby Buggy after they gave up hope.

So that makes Titi six years older than Buggy, nine years older than Franky, and five years younger than Cobra.

If she had been alive during canon events, she would've been 43 years old pre-timeskip and 46 years old post-timeskip.

---

Drabble:

As the first and oldest, Titi was well aware of her parents intentions to replace her.

And while as a child her first priority was to survive... As she got older and eventually had her own daughter, she might've found herself wondering about her possible siblings...

What happened to them?

How many were there?

Were they still alive?

Had they been dumped and abandoned as well?

Where were they now?

...And could she find them?

Late at night she would have trouble sleeping, frequently thinking of the other children like her that she never got the chance to meet...

Her husband, Nefertari Cobra, would notice and ask her what was troubling her, and she would confess her regrets...

And Cobra, sweet and kind man that he is, would promise to do his very best to find her siblings for her.

And later, when she passed, he never stopped looking.

Until, one day...

---

Oh, and before I forget:

You're probably thinking something along the lines of, "but there are a bunch more characters with blue hair! What about them?"

I hear you, and my response is this:

Not like this. Sure, Buggy and Vivi's hair aren't colored exactly the same — but compared to everyone else with blue hair? The only ones that get close are Franky (who I actually ended up slipping into this headcanon) and Kyōshirō, who...I don't even know what was going on with him honestly, but he definitely doesn't count.

(And even past the hair color, there's also the similar texture and shape that becomes extremely apparent when Buggy and Vivi have their hair styled the same way — as shown clearly in the images above...

I mean, they've got the same waves and everything! For god's sake, even their hairbands are nearly identical! Like, c'mon!

Coincidence? I think not!)

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lover-of-mine · 5 months ago

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The thing is, we are all cherry picking out points, yk? Sure, Buck did ask for the hangar tour and was all starstruck by it on his own, but if we wanna make that argument as Buck initiating contact, we need to consider the way Buck lingers by the helicopter to talk to Taylor because he's starstruck by her and he approaches Natalia to ask about being a death doula. He didn't have romantic intentions with any of those, he wanted to know more about them. At the end of 206 he goes after Taylor to talk to her about the news piece. Buck didn't know Tommy was an option romantically until Tommy kissed him because he was too focused on the Eddie of it all. Buck asks Taylor out during the whole thing with Albert and Veronica and doesn't realize Taylor might be an option until she tells him she was expecting sex because he was too focused on how he was feeling about the Veronica of it all. Buck reaches out to Tommy to apologize after he walks out on the date, points for him, but he only does it because Eddie told him to. And after Taylor walks out from Veronica's place, Buck keeps calling her to apologize, she just doesn't pick up. And at the hospital after the baby is born, Buck saying he thought Natalia wasn't speaking to him, implies he did try, she just didn't answer. Buck repeats patterns in the way he keeps waiting for the other person to clue him in before he does something and goes to the worst case scenario first. Buck just never assumes someone wants him around. And I can apply this to Eddie too. He tugs on Eddie's ponytail until Eddie lets him know he's not trying to replace him. We talk about grand gestures and the insanity of asking someone for a second date to his sister's wedding when they left the first one, but he got an apartment with Ali, he asked Taylor to move in because he cheated, he asked Natalia to buy furniture after 3 dates and a birth. But by this logic, you can paint Carla is a grand gesture. Buck wants people to stay and he doesn't measure efforts to make it happen. Buck sitting down and cooling off after the basketball trying to figure out what was really bothering him before talking to Eddie is just as much of a sign of growth as actually talking to Tommy about his expectations for the relationship. But both have their set of problems because Buck is hiding from consequences when it comes to Eddie and he's jumping off the deep end with Tommy anyway. Buck is complex in such an interesting way and no one is looking at the full picture anymore. Yes, Tommy parallels Abby and Ali and Taylor and Natalia. But he also parallels Eddie. And the Eddie ones are very explicitly said because the episode plays that twist. The parallels with Taylor are glaring, the ones with Ali and Natalia are there and all, and the Abby ones, if you want to say I'm pushing, I wouldn't fight you on it. Every argument can be hollowed out if you see it on its own. Buck assumes no one really wants him around and that he needs to prove he's worthy of it before getting someone to stay. That's the actual hamster wheel. Buck goes all in. And it's a fine line to walk. Even more when the show is making a point of showing that applied to situations that blew up on his face before. If you wanna say Buck was healed by the power of getting dicked down, that's your prerogative, but is he?

#911 #thoughts thoughts thoughts #evan buckley

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noisycroissant · 10 months ago

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The Ascendant's Bride

Part 1

Summary: A vampire wedding to consolidate power. The companions see just how wretched an ascendant can be.

Here's part 2

*******

The invitations had reached them just a week ago. It had landed in letterboxes in Waterdeep, a Selúnite post near Candlekeep, it even reached Karlach and Wyll in Avernus via an imp.

The wedding of Astarion Ancunín, Vampire Ascendant...

....with Lady Eirene Maximilian of the esteemed Vampire Court of the city of Greyhawk...

*******

"Tav, what do you make of this?" Gale asked. He'd been the first one to gather his wits and use a sending stone to try and contact the others.

"Always knew he was power hungry. Didn't think he'd go this far," Shadowheart said, rolling her eyes.

Tav was quiet. She knew all eyes would always be on her when it came to talk about Astarion.

He had been so sweet to her. So eager to find freedom and happiness. Till she'd refused to help him finish the Ritual of Profane Ascension. He'd turned his back on them all that night.

"I hope you die screaming."

That was the last thing any of them had heard from him. Of course they knew where he was and what he was upto. His gathering of power was an open secret. Everyone in Baldur's Gate knew that the new lord of Szarr's Palace was three things:

Handsome. Charming. Ruthless.

People who crossed him were few and far. There were never any witnesses or evidence to nail him to the stocks but people knew as they always have.

The lord in the high castle was not of the realm of men.

"Say what you will about Astarion, I know in my bones that this wedding will be something people will talk about for centuries," Karlach adds with a grin, "We should go and add to the story."

And so it was decided.

*******

To the party's surprise, they were the only mortals at the wedding. The grand hall was filled with people adorning the richest fabrics and plushest furs. Rubies and diamonds winked and twinkled off ears and throats. And the hall itself? Polished and decorated with the finest crystal and teakwood furniture this side of Faerûn.

A thousand crimson eyes watch the party as they walk in and make their way to the hall.

And they see Astarion for the first time in ten years.

He looks absolutely the same, down to the curl in his hair. But the aura of power and strength radiating from him was hard to miss. There was a glint in his eye, but it wasn't mischievous anymore. It looked dangerous. Cruel. Unforgiving.

"There you are, my dearest comrades!" He gestures to the rest of the guests, "Everyone to me!! Meet the saviours of Baldur's Gate. In the flesh!"

The same haughty tone in his voice but laced with something evil now.

Tav felt something drop in her belly. She feels Shadowheart grab her hand, lacing their fingers together. "I feel it too. The...evil emanating off him. I think I might shed a tear after all."

"Fan-Astarion! Good to see you too, buddy," says Karlach good-naturedly, "Seems the years have been uh..kind to you."

"Wish I could say the same for you, dear Karlach. The reek of brimstone was evident before you stepped inside the gate. And Wyll Ravengard! How goes your life as a monster hunter in Avernus?" Astarion simpers.

"I'm on the clock, if that matters to you. So watch yourself," Wyll replies meeting Astarion's eye.

"Oh my! Threatening the groom on his big day? Plan to make off with my bride too, Baby Duke?" Astarion mocks.

"Your bride...who is she? Why do this, Astarion?" Tav asks, finally finding her voice.

"Oh my sweet Tav," he says, tone honeyed just like Tav remembers, but this time it scratches her spine with dread, "For power of course. Eirene is a dhampir, born of a fullblood father and an elven mother. Marrying her makes my reach grow. Maybe I'll even be blessed enough to hear the flutter of little bat wings of my own."

"A lamb to a slaughter. For shame, Astarion, I'd assumed you less cowardly than this," Lae'zel spits.

In less than a blink of an eye, Lae'zel had a dagger at her throat. "Spilling blood at a vampire wedding is not unheard of, Lae'zel. I'd advise you to ensure its not yours," he whispers in her ear.

"To your seats, my friends. The ceremony is about to begin."

*******

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deke-rivers-1957 · 9 months ago

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Kid Galahad Review

In a rare departure from the "Elvis-vehicle" formula, Elvis doesn't have black hair and isn't shoved in our faces with every scene. To be specific we go back to Loving You where, despite being billed as the star, Elvis isn't entirely the focus. This movie was made by United Artists who had a different idea on how to work with Elvis. A formula wasn't entirely perfected, so studios outside of Paramount still felt that Elvis had the range to be more than just a comedic singer.

Unfortunately, compared to the huge success of Blue Hawaii, Kid Galahad seemed to have been swept under the rug and forgotten. Colonel Parker saw this as a sign that the people have spoken and Elvis as a real actor wasn't meant to be. The "failure" of Kid Galahad officially ended any hopes of prioritizing good story telling over soundtracks. Were the doubters correct in saying Elvis flew too close to the sun? Or were the powers that be simply too harsh to pull the plug on Elvis' acting dreams? Let's find out.

We immediately get our first song. "King of the Whole Wide World" is a pretty jazzy opening song. There's a swinging brass band. As weird as it is to have this play over a truck, we have no reason to believe this isn't an instrumental on the radio. At the same time when we do have a close up of him singing, you can tell the lip-synching isn't that great. I have no idea why a recently discharged soldier wouldn't have any indication of rank. It feels like an afterthought on that front. It's nit-picky but I don't get the concept of including a detail like that and not following through with it.

So we get introduced to Walter Gulick and he's looking for work as we get introduced to Cream Valley, New York. We get introduced to the people of Grogan's Gaelic Gardens. Just in this first interaction, I get personality. I already understand why Dolly is the way she is when she says she's Willy's fiancee. For once an Elvis character being southern is explained in the story. Despite being born in that small town, Walter's parents died when he was young so he had to be raised by family in Kentucky. There's no reason to go into further detail because the story doesn't need it. A perfect balance between establishing a character and moving the story along.

So we get introduced to Willy Grogan. Just by Gig Young's acting I 100% believe that he's this deadbeat business owner who likes to gamble his money away. Given the history of organized crime's involvement in boxing and in New York period, I totally get why this is included. The mob wants its money and never appreciates someone like him not being able to pay. Naturally when he can't pay for his car, the mob takes it away. This forces Willy to embarrass himself by having to lift a ride from the grocery store's delivery truck.

He meets Walter and immediately assumes that Dolly is having an affair. This introduces the concept of Willy being so insecure about his relationship with her, that he assumes every other man has bad intentions. Walter offers up his "skills" as a boxer until he could meet with the owner of the mechanic's garage. We get more depth on the mob's involvement with Willy's camp. Turns out Willy was a witness to a crime so the boss has his lackeys hang around the camp so Willy doesn't talk. I admit even after multiple watches I don't fully understand everything that was said about this. I won't take points off for this since you still get the idea that the mob's putting Willy in a sticky situation that can't be easily resolved.

This scene works so well despite not being all that grand or climatic. We have a lot of subtlety here. That's something a lot of movies lack. We don't get a lot of characters trying to explain something the audience already knows. Even when we pan down and see Walter's trainer Lew limping, we don't get this song and dance about why that happened. Everything's explained just by watching the movie and taking in the character's expressions. Meanwhile, we get introduced to Willy's sister who looks so much younger than him. Age gaps in siblings exist but it's still an odd casting choice. Turns out she's infinitively more responsible as she has to keep bailing Willy out of financial trouble.

This is the best acting Elvis can ever do. Basic instinct requires you to duck or in some way react when you see a fist coming at your face. A human being not having that ability or even reacting to the pain of being hit simply wouldn't live long. I have no idea how you can teach someone how to consciously control an automatic response. So to see Walter constantly get hit and not have any reaction or protect his face in anyway is just incredible. Watching this actually made me think of the 3 Stooges short "Fright Night" that had a similar comedy of errors including Walter almost accidentally knock out Joey. We also get some nice comedy that was supposedly ad-libbed where Walter's only priority is his five dollars. The fake blood is obvious but because it's meant to be just quickly wiped off it doesn't take away from the overall quality of the movie.

Throughout this scene we get the boxers singing "This Is Living". I love this song. It's not because the song is uniquely written but in the context of this movie, it's just so perfectly intertwined with the story. For once Elvis isn't the main singer. The backup artists do most of the work for this scene and it works so well because these boxers have their own group. Walter isn't exactly part of them yet so there's no reason for him to intrude. It isn't until Joey invites him to sing that he joins in when necessary. Moments like this where we let the side characters and even Elvis just be are what make some of his movies better than others. It's letting these characters be people and not plot devices that allow you to feel something for Walter. Heck none of these boxers, including Joey, really do that much in the story. But they don't need to because just by watching Walter interact with them, we get the idea that they mean something to him. They make him feel included and give him a sense of belonging.

This image of Walter looking at Joey is a nice example of non-verbal acting being able to say more. There's a palpable tension until Joey makes a joke that assures Walter no ill will exists. I love that because they could've easily made Joey the cliched rival who gets all salty that he's no longer the best. Joey isn't jealous of Walter at all and if anything is just in awe of his natural power. He's written to be a real person instead of merely a plot device to foil Walter. So many small details like this add up to being a sign the movie had effort put into it.

So Willy wants to sign Walter to be part of his camp and Lew explains why this is obviously a bad idea. Walter boxing the way he does makes no sense to me. If he had experience boxing in the military, he had to have learned how to block. That's literally the first thing you learn so you don't get hurt. I can understand if this was any other cliched boxing movies where Walter has skill but isn't polished, but that's not the issue. Walter doesn't know how to use the most basic defensive technique. Lew explaining all of this makes perfect sense because any trainer would look at Walter's technique and just groan. Even if Walter has this insane ability to not respond to being hit, that doesn't mean he's immune to head injuries.

A confrontation happens off screen and Walter knocks out a lackey. Turns out he was hitting on Dolly and Walter stepped in. You would think this would lead to a cliched love triangle where Dolly ends up falling in love with Walter. But they don't as there's nothing to suggest she's falling in love or that he has any feelings for her. A nice twist that even the original movie used. Willy is of course jealous that Walter protected Dolly but if anything it speaks to his character that he's also mad at Dolly for not coming to him. Lew and Maynard, the cook, find that one of Otto's lackey's had a gun on him. Turns out Otto had so little trust in Willy, that he's ordered his lackeys to carry weapons. You can clearly put together that if Willy talked, they will kill him.

We get a nice blink and you'll miss it of Lew holding a poster about an actual boxing match that happened in the 1920s. I love the real life references to boxers and boxing history. It shows that the creative team did their research. People who know about boxing would know about John L. Sullivan and Jack Dempsey. Details like this add color to a movie and shows that effort was put into building this world.

I love the car that Walter and Lew find. Walter feeling this need to spruce it up no matter what it'll take is so wholesome. Lew even being in this garage with Walter and supporting his decision to do this is also wholesome. When has an Elvis movie ever had this much of a focus on his character having actual friends? It rarely happens because of concerns that they'll take the focus away from him. Here giving Walter friends, makes Walter shine even more. A good person doesn't have to be boring and by giving Walter multiple relationships with people it gives him depth.

When Rose arrives in Cream Valley, Willy shows just how terrible of a person he is. Despite her being a grown woman, Willy treats her like a child. Like she's still so young and green that she couldn't possibly help him. I don't know if it's out of male pride or if he genuinely believes she can't do it. Even when Dolly comes downstairs he doesn't dare introduce her as his fiancee. And the reason why: He didn't think she could handle such a scandalous relationship. By modern standards this would be completely ridiculous as someone Rose's age would likely have learned at least something about sex one way or another. Even the concept of Willy and Dolly living together despite not being married by modern standards is a nothing-burger. But because it's the 1960s Dolly of course is upset as even back then what Willy is doing is a bit much and if anything makes him a hypocrite. He claims to protect his sister from degenerates, yet by those same standards is also one by having relations with Dolly before marriage.

Walter meets Rose and I immediately support this pairing. The soft focus on the close up works so well. Just by watching them interact you buy the love at first sight cliche. Walter looks smitten and you can tell she appreciates him too. This immediately foils how Willy sees Rose. He sees her as if she's still a child and shouldn't dare start dating anyone. Walter however, sees her as a woman. He's attracted to her, but because he respects her as an equal he doesn't force himself on her.

Everyone's character works so well. Lew is a classic New York tough love type of guy. He doesn't hand Walter things on a silver platter but he still believes in ensuring Walter gets his fair share. Lew makes for a great foil to Willy. Lew has morals and isn't willing to let Walter get hurt because Willy just wants to make a few bucks. He's just so supportive of Walter where at times he looks like a proud mom.

The scene of Walter riding his now repaired Model T demonstrates that. They have to travel to Albany, New York for his first fight and since Willy's car was repossessed they have to take the antique. Lew can just keep to himself but he's so proud of Walter. "Riding the Rainbow" works well in the context of the movie. Walter sings along with the radio and it's such a natural thing to do while you drive long distances.

I love this face. The fact that Walter is just staring at his opponent with a blank expression is just gold. The promoter calling him lamb eyes is such a fitting nickname. It's like how some animals just don't know they're about to die. That's Walter as he's trying to comprehend the severity of the situation and is failing miserably. I have no idea if Elvis was told to look like that but it ultimately doesn't matter as it's just so fitting. Walter had never been in a professional fight before so naturally that would be overwhelming.

In spite of Walter's terrible defensive abilities, he manages to win. Everyone is stunned by this ability but now there's no doubt about his ability to win. While Muhammed Ali was renowned for the "rope a dope" method, Walter still adds a layer of complexity by not blocking. Walter not being able to register getting hit is an unteachable skill that can lead to him being very successful. And he is as he begins to go on a winning streak. He makes it up to the championship fight slated to take place around Labor Day.

Walter returns to Cream Valley where it's the 4th of July celebration. Maynard had put Dolly up to supervising his corned beef. Now obviously that's a traditionally Irish product but I admit this is the first time I've heard of people eating it for the 4th of July. If there's any Irish Americans in New York or in general out there let me know if this is a thing. Me personally I would've just went with making it St. Patrick's Day. Even though it's in March, it's not that farfetched to have a warm spring. Plus you give Walter more time to train as opposed to just giving him one summer to take on a fighter who's likely trained for years.

Walter meanwhile starts getting really close with Rose. He serenades her with "Home Is Where The Heart Is" and I love this ballad. You can tell that sparks are starting to fly. We do get a funny moment where Walter gets annoyed about being interrupted. He was about to kiss Rose then just goes "whaaaa" when Lew asks him how they're going to get to the picnic. I just love small moments like this where it doesn't mean anything in the long run, but when put together makes for an entertaining movie.

This is how you do multiple songs in a short period of time correctly. I don't care that we just had a song not even five minutes ago because both songs adequately fit into the scene. This is a 4th of July picnic so naturally there's going to be music involved. "I Got Lucky" isn't a typical ballad he uses for serenading his girl. What adds to the natural feeling of this scene is if you look closely Walter crosses his eyes near the end of the song and it makes Rose smile and almost start laughing. It wasn't intended to happen, but it wouldn't have mattered if she did laugh. If anything it would give her a nice character moment by laughing along to Walter being cheesy. Couples do things like this all the time and it helps you see these two as real people.

So the young couple start walking and talk about Walter's upcoming fight. Despite having different opinions about it, Rose understands why Walter is doing it. We don't get this cliche disagreement induced breakup where we don't see her again until the climax. I like that. It shows that this couple is fully supportive of each other even if they don't agree on decisions being made. Walter isn't doing this as his permanent job. As much as he's friends with the people in Willy's camp, Walter is using boxing as a means to get what he really wants. Walter doesn't need to learn some type of lesson and I'm glad the movie doesn't want to add drama about them not agreeing about his decision to box.

Walter is an underrated feminist icon. Because feminism is about treating women as equals. Walter doesn't ignore Rose's opinions. Even if they don't agree about him fighting against Sugar Boy, he completely understands why she feels that way. He isn't using her as a tool to spite Willy. Walter wants to get married because she wants to get married. It's a mutual decision made by two fully consenting adults. "WE DECIDED TO GET MARRIED" is the most important line in their relationship. Rose doesn't have a big role but at the same time she doesn't need to. She represents why Walter's nickname is Galahad. Walter is a gentleman who respects women as an equal. This is a relationship based on a young couple's mutual feelings of attraction. She is another piece of the puzzle that makes up Walter's forever home. That's something he's always wanted and is why he came back to Cream Valley. We have a high amount of respect for Walter because he's aware of his exploitation and isn't going to let Willy disrespect him or Rose. Naturally Willy is furious but Dolly comes to Walter's defense. After all, Walter at least has the guts to maintain his commitment to his relationship which she's obviously referencing to something Willy doesn't have.

Things get even worse for Willy as the pressure against him mounts. The Chamber of Commerce for Cream Valley and Otto's mob have differing beliefs on who should win. For the Chamber of Commerce, of course they want Walter to win. It's a middle of nowhere town nobody wants to call home, Walter winning would be a big boost to their economy. This is where the exploitation really starts. Walter's body is being sold because people are now going to Willy's camp and paying just to watch Walter train. Otto's mob is equally exploitive but in a different way. Otto had recently "adopted" Sugar Boy so they're now sponsoring him. Naturally Otto would want Sugar Boy to win and for Willy to encourage Walter to take a dive. With Willy in all of this debt to them, he doesn't have a lot of options.

Willy and Dolly's relationship is completely on the rocks. Despite the image above, Dolly is furious. The cliche breakup I mentioned earlier still doesn't exist here. It's a cliche when the drama happens out of nowhere and doesn't reflect the actual character's emotions. Dolly here has been getting frustrated with Willy since before the movie started. Despite stating exactly why she's upset numerous times before this incident, Willy somehow completely misses the point. While Dolly was upset about him gambling his money away, his lack of commitment in her eyes is much much worse.

Watching Walter and Rose get it together despite not being a couple for even a year, was the last straw. There's a difference between waiting to get married because you don't have the money for a wedding and waiting to get married because you have no desire to get married. If you're someone's fiancee for years and have heard nothing about starting any wedding plans, that's a red flag. She shouldn't be expected to wait multiple years for Willy to get it together. He's stringing her along and for all she knows he could never want to marry her. That's a horrible thing to do to someone who is committed to a potential marriage. So she finally leaves Willy and sends him to rock bottom.

The backstory behind "A Whistling Tune" is interesting. Originally it was supposed to be used for Follow That Dream. For one reason or another it was dropped and instead was used here. I'm glad that choice was made. You can argue the songs don't add anything to the movie, but I would highly disagree. The songs' meanings are SUBTLE. Watching Walter and Rose simply be together as they walk to the church is meaningful. You need scenes like this to show that this is a couple that is content with the small things. You are allowing them to exist as people and not as a means to an end because it's an Elvis film and he always gets the girl. Good writing means allowing a couple to have chemistry exist outside of "they're together because the script says so". We need to see why they should be together because otherwise they're not people and therefore un-relatable.

This couple talking with Father Higgins is just incredible. We find out that they've been together for months. So many people complain that they've only known each other for a few days. NO THAT'S NOT THE CASE! Walter's been training over the course of months because if you actually pay attention, it was 4th of July and they wanted his fight against Sugar Boy to be during the Labor Day weekend (for non-Americans that's the 1st Monday of September). They've known each other even before that, but the background is a terrible determination of how time has past. But ultimately, Father Higgins priority was that the young couple was committed to a marriage. They make a great foil to Dolly and Willy's relationship. Walter and Rose know what they want and are willing to support the other if they want something different. That's the type of beautiful, healthy relationship that I wish a lot of people have.

The pressure on Walter mounts as everyone is watching him train. Joey comes back from Boston and I love their relationship. Despite not doing that much, watching them interact gives them both depth. Joey could've easily been a throwaway character that we never see again after he left for Boston. Him coming back was a great move on the writers. It reflects how Walter is more than just a potential cash cow to the town. He's actually well respected even amongst other boxers at the camp. Dare I say these people are his family. Just watching Walter light up when he sees Joey come back is enough to say that these two are good friends.

I love the representation of different cultures. This is supposed to be New York which is the melting pot of America. Ellis Island had only been closed for less than 10 years so it makes perfect sense to have a multi-cultural community. All of the cultures represented in this movie accurately reflect the real life boxing world. Boxing was really a form of exploitation of impoverished minorities. I'll skip the history lesson, but in the US Irish immigrants were in fact considered to be a minority because of their religion. So as a way to make money they would put their bodies at risk by boxing as even with the rules in place, boxers can still get hurt and even die. It was a risk they took because they knew if they were good enough, people would sponsor them. It's a sad reality that still exists and I'm glad that the movie doesn't shy away from how exploitive it can be by Walter outright saying he wants to quit once he wins. I also appreciate how in spite of the ill will that would've very much still existed amongst older generations of immigrants, everyone gets along. Mr. Lieberman and Father Higgins do get in a back and forth regarding the top boxers in their day, but nothing comes from it. They might not agree but they get along because they both love the sport and want to support Walter.

Lew and Maynard talk about Willy's relationship with Dolly. I'm not entirely sure on what to make of Willy going to Lieberman's to try to get her back. She left in the first place because he wouldn't stop gambling and showed no commitment to getting married even after a few years. Maybe there's a part of his character that I missed, but it doesn't really make sense for him to want her back knowing he hasn't changed his mind about marriage. It's nice to see though that we have side characters being allowed to talk without Elvis even being in the room. It's moments like this that make it feel like a real movie in place of an Elvis vehicle.

Maynard leaves the room as Otto and his men come in. Since Lew is responsible for patching up Walter during a fight, they pay him $500 to not show up. Given the amount of money at stake, Otto wants to see Walter lose by being too injured to fight because he was slated to be a favorite. Despite knowing what would happen to him if he refuses, Lew outright says "No!" and rejects the money. Lew is a king for this. He knew by being in the business for so long, that saying no to a mob boss will lead to consequences but he did he anyway. He got his hands broken by some of Otto's lackeys, but to him it didn't matter. Money isn't worth Walter being in an unnecessary amount of pain to Lew. But being injured himself is worth it if it means that plan doesn't go through.

This scene had a King Creole level of tension. The whole fight scene makes you feel like someone might die. It's so incredible to see a fight scene break out and an Elvis character isn't immediately involved. Willy and Lew have a relationship that's lasted for years and we get to see that Willy has a heart. Lew isn't just an employee who didn't fall in line. Lew is his friend who very much risked his life to make sure Walter didn't get hurt anymore than necessary. Seeing him still try to fight despite the horrific injuries to his hands is incredible. It shows that even though he's badly injured, he isn't going to cower in fear.

Seeing Walter come rushing down to save Willy and Lew doesn't necessarily add anything to his character. We already know that even if Willy is treating him like a lamb being fed to wolves, Walter will still stand up for him. So why is this so important? Because it shows that Willy is finally able to swallow his pride about Walter marrying his sister. Willy sees for himself that Walter doesn't have ill will towards him. He didn't help to specifically prove himself, but because it was the right thing to do. Seeing Walter look down at a bloody Willy makes him realize that Walter is good enough. He could've been petty about their argument but he wasn't. And that's what made Willy realize he was wrong. Such a beautiful character moment that didn't have to be verbalized.

We get more development on Willy's plot and while it still doesn't justify him being so overprotective, it at least gives him some depth. It keeps him from being completely irredeemable as a person. Seeing him and the people in Walter's camp emphasize that it's not worth killing himself just to win is beautiful. I love this example of non-toxic masculinity. Walter isn't responsible for making sure people win their bets. All Walter's responsible for is doing his best. The money is nice and is a motivation for Walter, but that doesn't mean he should try to go beyond what he's capable of. It's a good lesson to teach young boys as we still sadly live in a world where men feel pressured to put everything on their shoulders.

We get to see Sugar Boy and despite his involvement with Otto I don't hate him. Sugar Boy is antagonist but he's not at all a villain. He's just as much of a victim of boxing's exploitive nature as Walter is. The sad reality is that unlike Walter, Sugar Boy not being fluent in English would make escaping it even more difficult. I can't fault Sugar Boy for taking this path as we don't even know how aware he is of Otto's plan. So when Otto's lackey shows up to try to "make Walter bleed" Willy shows his true colors by making sure it failed. He took out the saboteur and had some of Otto's men apprehended. With it being a public event, Otto would be trapped from making a scene. That's what makes Willy redeemable. When given the opportunity to do the right thing he does it.

With Walter none the wiser he walks into a surprisingly non-segregated crowd. This wasn't the only one either and given that segregated crowds were still practiced when this movie came out in some parts of the country, it's very refreshing to see. We get a name drop of Elvis' boxing trainer, Mushy Callahan who was a very famous Jewish boxer. I love how they don't parade him around for the movie yet still feel the need to honor him. The ensuing fight is intense but the fake blood here is a bit of a distraction. It doesn't completely kill the immersion though since Elvis is sweating up a storm. In fact he's so over zealous that Mushy had to drag him away from Sugar Boy after the bell rang. It was an ad-lib on Elvis' part that if anything works beautifully with how a competitive fight would be. It's so lovely to see everyone Walter has gotten to know be here to support him. You don't care about logistics of whether he should've won a fight because you understand the emotion behind him winning. When he does win, and everyone erupts into cheers and applause, it feels real. You feel that there's a connection between him and the rest of Cream Valley's residents outside of just money. They bet on him because they believed in him.

The ending goes by too fast for my liking. While Otto's lackeys get caught, we have no idea what happens to Otto himself. If they had simply shown him try to leave but get caught by the security guard, we can at least put it together that he'll be punished. Also since Sugar Boy lost, you feel bad because you have no idea what Otto might do to him if he did get away with it. Dolly coming back to Willy is strange as Willy has shown me nothing to suggest he changed his mind about marriage. I get that he did go over to Lieberman's to try to win Dolly back, but I feel like it could've been done better. Walter doesn't even get to talk to Rose. He just kisses her as we get a reprise of "I got Lucky" before fading to black. Given the run time, I think you can afford another 5 minutes if not less to wrap things up.

My criticisms can be written off as nit-picky and simply be a matter of creative differences. That's how good this movie is. If we were to rate movies independently of other movies that came out and the economic situation of Elvis fans, I have no idea how the higher ups can look at this movie's "lack of success" as a failure. I can go on forever about this, but Colonel Parker and the higher ups in Hollywood were wrong to consider this a failure when compared to Blue Hawaii. This isn't a copy and paste version of every other boxing movie out there. It isn't even a copy and paste version of the original Kid Galahad made in 1937. Are there similarities? Yes but there are enough differences that to me makes it above a generic movie.

Is this a perfect film? No but it very well could be in other people's eyes. This movie can very easily be the perfect movie and is a great example of how a movie doesn't have to be Citizen Kane or The Godfather level big to be good. It's also a great example of how a smaller level story doesn't mean shallow. Therefore, I'm giving Kid Galahad my highest rating so far of 9.5/10. I highly recommend watching this movie. It doesn't matter if you're an Elvis fan or not, it's just such a nice story. Simply saying it's a movie about an army vet becoming a boxer and finding love, doesn't do it justice. There's so much depth to even the side characters that you can feel the care put into this movie. A real treat if you want the best of both worlds when movie watching.

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AN: Thank you @arrolyn1114 for requesting this movie. If anyone wants to request a movie I haven't already reviewed feel free to send them in.

Tagging: @smokeymountainboy, @peaceloveelvis, @mercsandmonsters, @vintagepresley, @eapep, @tacozebra051, @hooked-on-elvis, @dragonkingsdaughter, @i-r-i-n-a-a, @presleyenterprise, @m5t1ld5, @huhhhhsthings, @tupelomiss, @atleastpleasetelephone, @sissylittlefeather, @sfull12345, @jhoneybees, @mitsyscoolplayhouse, @sillybookmarks and @alienelvisobsession.

#elvis film #elvis film review #walter gulick #kid galahad #1962

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t4tgempearl · 6 months ago

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⋆˙⟡ (Late) HFFF day 1 (Make It Sapphic)

Lexthan | Coming out | Hurt/Comfort | 1,213 words | (@femslashfortnight)

Summary: Lex gets a worrying message from Ethan while at work. Ethan thinks he's not enough, Lex makes sure he knows how much she loves him. A/N: Do not be fooled by the he/him pronouns, that blorbo is not cis. Also this is my first ever fic, so here goes nothing :]

Toyzone wasn't busy today. But that wasn't really a surprise, it wasn't a shop that was known for its lively social life, or thousands of customers rushing in every day after all.

Lex sat at the register, her legs thrown atop the counter while she was absent-mindedly scrolling on her phone. Besides a few snarky comments from her boss, telling her how much she wasn't doing, Lex barely paid attention to anything around her.

A soft chime played through Lex's phone, the sound indicating a new text message. It was from Ethan. Lex clicked on the floating notification, assuming it's going to be something simple, one of Ethan's usual texts of 'love u' or 'were out of eggs :('.

Her face dropped as she saw the message. It wasn't long nor was it angry. It was a simple "Hey, when you get home, can we talk?" which struck fear in Lex's heart.

She had never really seen Ethan this serious, using proper punctuation and grammar in his texts was definitely a cause for concern.

Many different thoughts were running through her head. Did something happen to Hannah? Did they not pay enough rent and were getting kicked out? Did... did Ethan want to break up with her? What could have possibly happened that warranted that tense of a message?

Lex tried to stay calm and rational, but her panic got the better of her, causing her to grab her backpack and storm out the store.

"Get back here young lady!" Lex's boss, Frank Pricely, shouted as she exited Toyzone. His attempts were only met with a certain impolite gesture as his employee left.

He sighed, rolling his eyes and rubbing his temples. He would've fired her right then and there if she wasn't his only employee, knowing he definitely couldn't afford to hire another one. He reluctantly went back to his job of watching over an empty store, hoping Lex is okay because deep deep deep down he did care for the kid.

———

Ethan sat on the bed in his and Lex's tiny apartment which wasn't big nor grand, but it got the job done. They had a fridge, a bathroom and running water and didn't really need more than that.

Black streaks of dry eyeliner were smudged down Ethan's cheeks as he was clutching the phone in his hand. There was quiet sniffling accompanied by a nearly silent sob not wanting to alert Hannah.

That kid already had enough on her plate as it is.

He didn't know what to do. Everything he thought he knew about himself felt like it was a mirror shattering into thousands of shards which scattered across the floor.

The apartment door swung open with force, but not anger. Lex bent over, leaning the palms of her hand on her knees and taking a moment to catch her breath along with wiping small beads of sweat off her forehead before standing up again.

"..Ethan?"

Lex asked tentatively. Her voice made Ethan's ears perk up and a daunting feeling washed over him. Ethan didn't think she would come this early, especially after not replying to his text.

He quickly brushed his hands across his face, trying to make sure he doesn't look like an absolute mess.

"Y-yeAh"

He cleared his throat, a little embarrassed from his voice cracking but swiftly carrying on. "I'm in the bedroom,, babe"

Ethan said softly but loud enough for Lex to hear and rush over to the small room, opening the door slowly but not fully paying attention.

"Is everything okay? you texted me and you sounded really serious and I-"

Lex immediately paused as she saw Ethan's face, tear stained cheeks with puffy red eyes along with his signature smoky eyeliner smudged all over his skin.

Her face dropped as she saw him, turning from a look of panic and distress into one of simple concern, her eyes carrying a soft feeling with lips parted ever so slightly. She wanted to say something, but no words came out.

"Hey babe"

Ethan said in a meek voice, using the same comforting tone he always did. Trying to wipe the final bits of smeared makeup off with the back of his hand. He gave Lex a half-hearted smile, trying his absolute best to appear composed but was failing pretty miserably.

With no words Lex practically lunged towards Ethan, tackling him onto the bed in a tight and warm embrace, starting to tear up ever so slightly herself.

"Oh my god! you scared the living shit out of me Ethan, I thought you got hurt or something-"

Lex paused, feeling Ethan's arms limply wrapping around her without much energy, signaling that not everything was as good as she thought. She pulled away gently, looking tenderly into Ethan's eyes. She brought up her hand, tenderly cupping Ethan's cheek and rubbing her thumb back and forth in a, hopefully, soothing motion.

"Babe... what happened?

Ethan took a deep breath, looking back at Lex before saying "I… I don't think I'm a guy-"

"What?" Lex tilted her head in confusion.

Ethan's jaw was trembling, his hands shaking as he brought them in his lap, trying to stay calm in front of Lex

"Like, I don't feel like a dude right now," He gulped, trying to get rid of the lump in his throat.

"I'm not the big tough guy you think I am. I'm sorry Lex-" Ethan felt the tears creeping up again, trying hard to push them back to no avail.

"I-I'm meant to be able to protect you and Hannah, I fix things 'round the house, that's what I'm supposed to do. And I just-" He sniffled. "if I can't be your boyfriend and do all of that... then what am I?"

A soft tender smile spread on Lex's face along with a look of pure love and adoration. She cupped Ethan's face with her other hand, embracing his soft skin. Leaning closer, with their foreheads almost touching, Lex spoke.

"Ethan, I love you. I will love you as my boyfriend, as my girlfriend or literally anything else," Lex said softly. "You're the most amazing person I ever met in my life and I love you so much, and I would never want you to think otherwise"

She gently wiped away a tear rolling down Ethan's cheek.

"And you don't have to be this big macho guy all the time, you're allowed to just be... Ethan"

Ethan pulled Lex into a tight hug, never wanting to let her go. There were so many things he wanted to say, so many thoughts running through his head and crashing into each other like bumper cars.

No words managed to come out, but that's okay, Lex was here. His girlfriend, the person Ethan loved more than the world itself, was still here saying how much she loves and adores him and everything was fine.

He sometimes still can't believe he managed to land such an awesome girlfriend.

Lex pulled away gently, looking at Ethan with a warm gaze.

"Hey, how about we go wash your face and then maybe I could try some of my 'fancy' makeup on you, if I still have some left-"

She put her hand out, offering it to Ethan.

"Yeah... I'd like that"

#hfff #hatchetfield femslash fortnight #lexthan #lex foster #ethan green #starkid #hatchetfield #Silly writing

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cowboinifaggotini · 6 months ago

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okay, look far too many people are saying that Blitz was in the wrong here so here are some reasons about why I think Stolas handled this terribly and he is actually in the wrong and not Blitzø (even though both of em are in the wrong)

1. Before we even get to the actual meeting, the fact that Stolas had not prepared Blitz for what was about to happen at all, like he went 'hey come over to have sex'. This is the first thing that makes me feel like even if Stolas deeply cares for Blitz he does not consider his feelings at all. It is just saving a lot of hurt in situations like this to just say "hey come over, we need to talk about something, nothing bad I promise". or anything similar.

2. The fucking book thing. God the fucking book thing, like I don't know how much of Blitzøs emotions Stolas understands but this scene was very much meant to be obvious to him. Like Blitz is convinced he is loosing his job and everything he worked for and the guy he likes (even though he wont fully admit the last one) and he is ranting and begging and tearing up. And. And Stolas is just allowing him to do that. He is like walking to get the crystal and after that explain that everything is going to be okay while Blitz is following him literally begging. For what? For the Dramatic effect? For the grand gesture? What? Like again my issue with all of this isn't that Stolas does not care for Blitz but that he considers his feelings so little that Blitz is getting hurt.

3. The "Why are you giving me this, am I not fucking you good enough? because I can always-I can always do better" getting completely ignored. My man says that he wants for this to continue regardless of the book, and Stolas just acts like this was never said and goes on with his monologue. So when Blitz falsly assumes that he is fucking with him and its all a role-playing sex thing (because a.thats what he was prepared for- sex. and b. lets face it the boy has issues) thats all that Stolas hears, and yes it is one of the most hurtfull things Blitz has done to Stolas so far but is he wrong to assume? Like as blind as Stolas is to how Blitz feels that was something that at least has been hinted to him, in s1ep7 "Ozzies" Blitz literally tells him "our relationship is just you wantimg to fuck me" and does Stolas not reflect on why Blitz might feel that way? What he has done to make Blitz feel that way? When Blitz does the role-playing thing Stolas just stops him thanks him and goes to leave.

4. "the fact that you couldn't believe that I might have these feelings about you, that your first instinct is that its always about sex" I'm sorry?? I'm sorry???? Whose fault is that? I am so upset about this, 2/3rds of their adult relationship is him sexualising Blitz and he gets upset that Blitz internalises it? Like just no self reflection about what he has done wrong in the relationship.

5. Somebody here said that he wasn't victimising himself. He was victimising him self. Like Blitz finally gets a turn to speak after this entire emotional roller coaster of 'lets have sex-am I loosing my job-I have feelings for you- thats cant be real is this about sex?-oh this this wasnt about-more feelings- you dont care about anything but the sex-' and he gets upset, in my opinion rightfully so, considering that what he says is that Stolas cant treat people like this. Stolas has yet to realise how his position of privilege is affecting his relationship with Blitz, but he also didn't realise how he had a privileged position in this entire conversation, I feel like this entire part of the episode where they talked is a representation of Stolas's and Blitzs entire relationship. And after all of this Blitz is upset and he tells Stolas that he used him like his "little butler" (witch he was doing in season 1) and now he is dismissing him without giving him a moment to think about how he feels. He makes it clear to Stolas that this is about class and privilege- and yes he calls him a rich pompous asshole- and he tells him to get to his level-to actually argue with him and not just monologue- and what does Stolas do? say "I think so very highly of you, I didn't realise you think so low of me". This scene, I swear to god. I got ptsd from my almond with this scene. Is he hurt? yes, ofcourse, but once again he completely dismisses Blitzø and all the feelings he just expressed and he says "I love you, you dont love me". That is victimising oneself, if you have been raised by parents that have a tedency to shut down arguments where you tell them they hurt you by saying "oh Im just a terrible parent, I guess you hate me" you see how Stolas reaction is him victimising himself. And then just fully dismissing him and ending the argument because he just wants to even though Blitz still has stuff he needs to say.

#helluva boss #tw dyslexia

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redbullcateringfiction · 1 year ago

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New multi chapter Toto Wolff fanfic -

Cantata

Arabella is the executive assistant for Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. 10 years into her career, it looks like the tide is changing, and she's beginning to question her relationship with him. Is it something more, or nothing but an idea lingering in her head?

F/M, Fluff, Boss/Employee Relationship, Romance, Pining, Love, Slow Burn

Read the 1st chapter below the cut or on AO3

Hello Reader,

I wanted to let you know that I am in no way speculating on Susie Wolff's sexuality. I simply wanted to write a happy fic with no affairs and no messy divorces. Susie is lovely. Susie is baby girl. She deserves nothing but the best. I simply want this fic to focus on Toto and an original female character's relationship with no underlying narratives.

Thanks,

A.E.

chapter 1 - solo

My father has a habit. He will always play classical music. In the car, in the living room, in the kitchen, as he read us bedtime stories. Always. There was never a moment in my childhood home that wasn’t covered with classical music. He also has a deep appreciation for Formula racing. The television was always on something related to F1, and if we dared to change the channel, we best change it back before he got back home. Eventually, we all gave up on changing it at all.

I noticed on one of those particular Sunday mornings the way the cars and the classical music moved together in one beautiful melody. I watched as the cars turned the corners delicately, coming nearly to a halt, before speeding ahead. I loved watching as the grid took off. How they all came around the corners slowly. My father’s favorite driver when I was a child was Ayrton Senna. His passing hit my home like a tornado. The classical music never stopped, until that day.

There were no races in my home for an entire year. My father refused to watch a race without Senna. March 10th, 1996, the television turned on again. So did the music. I watched as my father sat down, and suddenly I became just as entranced as him. The first race of that season, and the grid was just as delicate as a dance as I had remembered.

"You misspelled my name," Toto mumbled, leaning over me. He rolled his eyes, and laughed about it as he rapidly pressed backspace. For the first time in our long relationship, I had found myself mindlessly savoring the scent of his expensive cologne. It lingered in the way a cologne does when it's noticed and not announced.

"Torger, not Torfer," he smiled. "You don't know this by now?" It froze me in my tracks. My typical sassy response failed to come to my mouth like it usually would. I was so caught up in actually, for the first time, properly noticing Toto Wolff.

"I'm joking, lighten up," he said, finally backing away. He must've noticed the way I had locked my jaw and could barely focus.

"Oh, sorry. I just got a little lost in thought," I responded.

"I can tell. You did misspell my name after all," he said, sitting on the edge of my desk. I swatted my hand in his direction. I hate bent papers and he was dangerously close to my pile of documents. He lifted himself up just long enough for me to grab the pile, and he sat firmly on the edge again.

"How are things going?" he asked.

"It's been hard to schedule the team strategy meetings, and between interviews and engagements, the schedule is relatively heavy for the next few weeks."

"Ah well that's interesting but I meant how are things going with you?"

Despite having worked with Toto for several years, I was never prepared for that question. It wasn't exceptionally rare or anything, it just seemed to be that he always asked during a busy period. A kind thing to do, but busy periods such as this were always excessively intense for Toto and I. The kind of busy where I yelled at him for being 5 minutes over in his meeting because it meant we were twenty minutes late for the next. So, I always assume it's a work question.

"Things are good...Yes, good."

"Are you excited?"

"For?"

"The Grand Prix? Is your family flying in? Your sister had a baby, right?"

My family. Right. I shouldn't have forgotten. This is one of three Grand Prix’s my family will attend. Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, and the Dutch Grand Prix. It's only really that my family lives in the Netherlands. Am I Dutch, though? I prefer the term "vaguely European" to describe myself. My family comprises of Moroccan immigrants. I don't have the height, nor the blonde hair and blue eyes. I don't, however, have the Moroccan culture present in my life. My family are immigrants. As part of our citizenship, our culture slowly faded away 2 generations ago. It's always a small bit of my life that I've resented. Feeling so lost in the classroom, in the professional world, in...well every aspect of my life. Maybe it isn't so small. Either way, deliberately destroying the traces of your culture also deliberately destroys your family dynamic. There is no glue to hold us together. Just blood and irritation. I can dislike my father's rigid way of thinking, but I can't reason it away with "it's where we're from." It isn't. You've ridded yourself and us of it. Instead, all I can do is take a job where I am constantly galloping across the world with a swank apartment in London. Then, you can stop by at one of 3 races. The first, the middle, and the last. They happen to speak your language that you forced me not to speak inat the first and the last, and in the middle one I get to feel uncomfortable as everyone is excited for my “home” race. Yay.

“She did have a baby. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her though,” I brushed the conversation away. He gave me a notably flat face in response.

“You have to make time for family. Even I do,” He crossed his arms.

Frankly, I don’t want to. This also isn’t a fight I want to take with Toto “Twice Divorced” Wolff. If he can be best friends with both of his ex-wives, who am I to complain about a little bit of immigrant family drama? More so, his relationship with Susie couldn’t be more sickeningly sweet. When she came out as a lesbian, he was the first one to support her in every way. There was not a single moment of hardship between them. And I, therefore, cannot for a moment consider complaining about my mommy and daddy issues.

“You’re right,” I mumbled, going back to typing my email.

“You don’t genuinely think I’m right. You never do,” He chuckled.

“So, maybe I was lying,” I winked.

“Well, I’ll stop bothering you, Arabella,” he sighed and stood up.

“Not so fast, Torger, ” I nearly hissed. “We have to leave in 5 minutes for a meeting. If you’re tempted to forget with who, I’ll kindly remind you that we have a sponsor function this evening.”

“I hadn’t forgotten. I was simply off to pack my bag.”

“I doubt that,” I chuckled. I know very well the role I serve here. I’m the executive assistant. That means I don’t just run the schedule, but rather in a way, I run him. At some point during the day, I leave the office or paddock and head to a plane, hotel, or home. But for the other 80% of the day, I am the best micromanager this side of the Atlantic. It’s something I enjoy, and that’s the most important part of Formula 1. For the drivers, it’s an enjoyment and a true passion to race. For the team principal, there is an enjoyment and true passion to lead a magnificent crew into victory. For me, I know these things require an obsession. I have to be 5 feet ahead of everyone else, and 6 feet behind Toto.

I quickly sent off my email making sure not a single typo said “Torfer,” and packed my own bag. I opened the padfolio and placed the important materials into it and prepared to debrief. I picked up my cell phone and texted the driver to ensure he was waiting outside. I just know I’m the most annoying person in Brackley.

Toto finally wandered out of his office with just enough time for us to get down the elevator and out the door. “You just love running down the clock,” I mumbled.

“We may be a racing company but not everything has to be a race,” He answered as we walked towards the elevator.

“Do you look at your schedule? At all?”

“If I did, what would I pay you for?” He chuckled. I knew that was a bold-faced lie. If he wants to rearrange his entire week, he might require a bit of help, but most of the appointments seamlessly find a new spot. We speed walked to the car and hopped in the back, and I quickly opened the padfolio.

“UBS London, correct?” The driver, Reggie, asked.

“Yes,” I answered. I passed the padfolio to Toto, and he took his glasses off his shirt collar and looked at the papers.

“First, you’ll be meeting with the investment team. It should be a 45-minute meeting where you’ll run through the projections for the upcoming season. The data is on the next sheet, and after that you’ll find the design for the investors showcase tonight. It’ll consist of UBS staff. The car is on its way to London, and will be in the center of the ballroom, and next to it will be a race suit. Just spend a nice amount of time pointing out the UBS logo on the clothing and you should be fine,” I explained.

“And the scheduling?”

“The meeting is at 1pm. You’ll head to the hotel, and you’ll find the clothing for tonight in the wardrobe. There are some options there. At 6pm, you’ll head to the hotel ballroom, give a quick speech with a UBS representative, and head back up for bed at 11pm. Or later if you prefer, it’s up to how much sleep you’d like. At 8am, we fly to Sakhir and get ready for testing the day after.”

“I don’t know why they’re so desperate to be this close to the first race,” Toto sighed. “Will you be there the whole evening?”

“I’ll head out at about 7, after the speeches,” I nodded. “I’ll get to the airport about an hour before you.”

“Lewis and Valtteri, what about them?” Toto asked.

“What about them? I don’t dare to touch their schedules. Their assistants have razor sharp teeth and bite.”

He rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“They’ll be in that night prior to testing. Let them get a good rest in. If you want to bother them then, feel free.”

“So, is your family flying in?” Toto asked.

“Anyway, the hotel in Sakhir is the same as last. Everyone loved the bathrooms. Quite fancy even for F1 standards.”

“The hotel I presume your family will be staying in?” Toto smirked. I turned to see he was holding his reading glasses, while staring at me expectantly. I clearly was not getting out of this.

“I booked them two rooms, yes. And they’ll fly in right before the race,” I nodded.

“Are you meeting with them? That should be nice.”

“I had no plans to. Far too busy. They’re really on here for the race, not for me.”

“Paddock passes then. You can give them a nice tour.”

“I don’t have time to do a tour.”

“I’ll make sure you have time to do a tour!” Toto answered.

I stared rather blankly at him. Pick your battles, pick them wisely. Is this a fight I want to win? Ever since I’ve started here, Toto has encouraged me to give the free tickets to my family. I, then, get to spend a shocking amount of time and money ordering them their flights and arranging them like a herder. Then, I get to smile and wave from just outside the paddock and strategically avoid them with nothing more than a quick apology. Sorry! I got caught up. I’m sure you can imagine how busy it is. I’ll see you guys during the holiday break! And then, once a year, I sit surrounded in chaos at my parents’ home, practically watching dishes fly to the dinner table. I then completely dissociate from my body, someone has very nice conversations with them pretending to be me, and I then reenter my body. I fly back to London and have a good 2 weeks of Tinder dates. Ah. Right. Tinder.

I can absolutely use that to move on from this conversation. I open my phone and begin the swiping adventure without a second thought. I could sense Toto staring at me waiting for a response.

“Sure. I’m sure they’d love paddock passes. My dad is a big Hamilton fan,” I nodded.

“Great! I’ll get it done,” Toto answered before getting on his own phone, presumably to provide my father with his dream of meeting Lewis Hamilton. Well, I expect this season will be very similar to the last 9.

#fanfic #toto wolff #f1 2023 #toto wolff x oc #oc of color #toto wolff fanfiction #toto wolff fluff #toto wolff fanfic #formula 1 rpf #f1 fandom #f1 fic #f1 fanfic

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landscaping-your-mind · 8 months ago

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I know I said I wasn't going to post another TMA fic, but I've been getting into it a bit more, so here goes. It's a vampire AU! It's not complete, but I have been working on it on and off. I never thought i'd actually finish it enough to post, but here's a first bit :3

---

Jon hates job interviews, especially ones he’s not qualified for. But he wasn’t qualified for research, either, with a degree in literature, so it can’t hurt to try. Besides, if he doesn’t get the job, he might get the assistant archivist position, learn a few things. All in all, it’s going to be good for him.

His anxiety is not convinced.

“Mr. Sims?” calls Mr. Bouchard, leaning out of his office. Jon stands up and takes a deep breath. The worst he can do is say no.

Mr. Bouchard ushers Jon into his office, closing the door behind him, and taking a seat in his chair. Jon sits in the other, and tries his best not to look as anxious as he feels.

“So, tell me, why do you think you are the right fit for this job?”

Jon recites his rehearsed speech about how he’s committed to the preservation of documents, deemed both important and not, about the skills he learned in research, his own interest in anthropological research into the supernatural and his disappointment in the state of the archives disorganisation. It’s convincing, he’ll say so himself, and as he talks, he thinks he can see Elias warm up to him.

Hello, Jon. Apologies for the deception, but I wanted to make sure you started reading, so I thought it best not to announce myself. I’m assuming you’re alone; you always did prefer to read your statements in private. I wouldn’t try too hard to stop reading; there’s every likelihood you’ll just hurt yourself. So just listen.

Now, shall we turn the page and try again?

Statement of Jonah Magnus regarding Jonathan Sims, the Archivist.

Statement begins.

I hope you’ll forgive me the self-indulgence, but I have worked so very hard for this moment, a culmination of two centuries of work. It’s rare that you get the chance to monologue through another, and you can’t tell me you’re not curious.

Why does a man seek to destroy the world?

It’s a simple enough answer: for immortality and power. Uninspired, perhaps, but – my god. The discovery, not simply of the dark and horrible reality of the world in which you live, but that you would quite willingly doom that world and confine the billions in it to an eternity of terror and suffering, all to ensure your own happiness, to place yourself beyond pain and death and fear.

It is an awful thing to know about yourself, but the freedom, John, the freedom of it all. I have dedicated my life to handing the world to these Dread Powers all for my own gain, and I feel… nothing but satisfaction in that choice.

I am to be a king of a ruined world, and I shall never die.

I believe there are far more people in this world that would take that bargain than you would ever guess. And I have beaten all of them.

Of course, this desire did not manifest overnight. When Smirke first gathered our little band – Lukas, Scott, and the rest – to discuss and hypothesize on the nature of the things he had learned from Rayner, I felt what I believe we all felt: curiosity, and fear.

But as he compiled his taxonomy and codified his theories on the grand rituals, I began to develop a very specific concern. Smirke was so obsessed with his ideas on balance, even as our fellows began to experiment and fall to the service of our patrons.

I began to worry that if one of them successfully attempted their ritual, then I would be as much a victim as any, trapped in the nightmare landscape of a twisted world.

At first, I attempted prevention, but the cause seemed hopeless. The only way to ensure I did not suffer the tribulations of what I believed to be an inevitable transformation was to bring it about myself. So what began as an experiment soon became a race.

Beyond that, I was getting older, and mortality began to weigh more heavily on my mind. How much in this world is done because we fear death, the last and greatest terror?

I convinced Smirke to work on Millbank, leading him to design it as a temple to all the Fears in equilibrium, such that my own modifications to the design of the Panopticon went… unremarked.

It. Took. Years, for the dread of the prisoners to fully suffuse the place, and I was an old man before I made my first attempt at the Watcher’s Crown, sat in the center of that colossal eye, the great ring of cells encircling me like a coronet.

It was… flawed, of course, as all Smirke’s rituals were, and none of the inmates survived as the power I attempted to harness shook the building almost to pieces, and the murky swamp upon which the prison was built consumed it.

But it left me a gift: For sat in that watchtower, I could see everything I turned my mind to.

It was a dizzying power, and one I discovered I maintained even as I found vessels to extend my life. Of course, I had to make sure the location was kept under my control while I worked on revising my plans, and so I moved the organization I had founded to assist in my research down to London, and the Institute as you know it was born.

I’ll not bore you with details of my bodies and failures through those intervening years. Suffice to say I kept busy, both planning my own next attempt, and doing my best to stymie those others who tried versions of their own.

Surely my interpretation of the Watcher’s Crown had been incomplete; there had been some element of the ritual I had overlooked.

It was not until I met Gertrude Robinson that things began to really come into focus.

You see, the role of Archivist has been part of the Beholding for as far back as my research can go. This isn’t uncommon for the Powers; most of the beliefs around them are guesswork and fallible human interpretation, but there are certain throughlines and consistencies that can be spotted, regardless of the trappings.

But Gertrude was unlike any other Archivist. She simply did not care about compiling experiences or collecting the fears of others. She was driven to stop those who served the Powers.

More than once I thought she must secretly be of the Hunt – but there was never that sick joy in her, that thrill of predator and prey. She had simply decided that this was her position in life, and went about it with a practicality that even I found disconcerting at times.

I once asked her what drove her, what had started her down that path. She told me the Desolation had killed her cat.

I don’t know if she was joking, and, to be honest, I could never bring myself to look into her mind and find out for sure.

In any case, Gertrude’s ruthless efficiency in derailing and collapsing rituals threw into stark relief a question that had been bothering me for almost a hundred and fifty years: In the whole span of humanity, why had nobody ever succeeded?

Perhaps there were a long line of Gertrude Robinsons throughout history, but I found that hard to credit. Could it be, then, that there was something in the very concept of the rituals that meant they couldn’t succeed?

She was clearly having similar thoughts in that last year, all of which culminated with the People’s Church.

When I saw that she was making no preparations whatsoever to stop it, I realized she was putting into practice a theory, and one she couldn’t afford to be wrong. She was going to wait, and see if the unopposed ritual succeeded, or if it collapsed under its own strain as mine had all those years ago.

Knowing Gertrude, I’m sure she had a backup plan if she had miscalculated – but she had not. The ritual failed. And all at once, I realized what had to be done.

You see, the thing about the Fears is that they can never be truly separated from each other. When does the fear of sudden violence transition into the fear of hunted prey? When does the mask of the Stranger become the deception of the Spiral?

Even those that seem to exist in direct opposition rely on each other for their definition as much as up relies on down.

To try and create a world with only the Buried makes as much sense as trying to conceive a world with only down.

Every ritual tied itself so closely to a single power as to render itself impossible. They could bring their patron close, but never sever it from the others, and eventually it would be violently pulled back into the place next to reality where they dwell.

The solution, then, is simple: A new ritual must be devised which will bring through all the Powers at once. All fourteen, as I had hoped I could complete it before any new powers such as Extinction were able to fully emerge. All under the Eye’s auspices, of course. We mustn’t forget our roots.

And there was only one being that could possibly serve as a lynchpin for this new ritual: The Archivist. A position that had so recently become vacant, thanks to Gertrude’s ill-timed retirement plans.

Because the thing about the Archivist is that – well, it’s a bit of a misnomer.

It might, perhaps, be better named: The Archive.

Because you do not administer and preserve the records of fear, John. You are a record of fear, both in mind as you walk the shuddering record of each statement, and in body as the Powers each leave their mark upon you.

You are a living chronicle of terror.

Perhaps, then, if I could find an Archivist and have each Power mark them, have them confront each one and each in turn instill in them a powerful and acute fear for their life, they could be turned into a conduit for the coming of this – nightmare kingdom.

Do you see where I’m going, John?

It does tickle me, that in this world of would-be occult dynasties and ageless monsters, the Chosen One is simply that – someone I chose. It’s not in your blood, or your soul, or your destiny. It’s just in your own, rotten luck.

I’ll admit, my options were somewhat limited, but My God, when you came to me already marked by the Web, I knew it had to be you. I even held out some small hope you had been sent by the Spider as some sort of implicit blessing on the whole project, and, do you know what, I think it was.

Of course, I had to bide my time, get a measure of you before I began to push, learn how you worked – So I decided I would wait until something came for you, and see how you reacted. Attacks upon the Archives were not uncommon during Gertrude’s tenure, and, while she was always prepared, I made sure you would not be.

I reasoned if you couldn’t survive a single encounter, you were unlikely to make it through all fourteen. So, when Jane Prentiss attacked, I watched eagerly, one hand on the gas release from the start.

You acquitted yourself well enough, so I decided to see how far you would get, though I waited until the worms were in you before I pulled the lever. I needed to make sure you felt that fear all the way to your bones.

The discovery that one of the Stranger’s minions had infiltrated the Institute in the aftermath was certainly a pleasant bonus. Even if that sliver of paranoia, that vague wrongness you couldn’t quite place wouldn’t count as a mark, it was only a matter of time before it confronted you in a far more direct and affecting matter.

Admittedly, given the advent of the Unknowing, I needn’t have bothered. But what’s the old saying about hindsight?

More important to me was Sasha’s encounter with the Distortion. If it had taken an interest, then I very much wanted it to cross your path.

So I found one of its current victims and convinced her to make a statement.

Poor Helen. I actually had to put her in a taxi myself, she was getting so lost in those narrow London side streets.

It worked, though.

Between the stabbing and at least two desperate flights into its doors – you’re marked very deeply by the Spiral.

Jurgen Leitner was a surprise, of course, and I was forced to improvise. I had no idea how much Gertrude would have told him, and he could very easily have derailed everything if you learned too much too fast.

I… justified it to myself saying I was going to have to send you out into the world anyway, if you were to encounter more of the Powers, but I can’t honestly pretend it wasn’t a… rather rash move.

Still. I’d requested Detective Tonner be assigned to the case when they found Gertrude’s body in the hope that having a Hunter in the mix would eventually lead to a confrontation, and setting you up as a killer certainly hastened that.

Then it was just a matter of feeding you statements to lead you to a few Avatars I thought were likely to harm you – but probably would stop short of actually killing you.

Jude served her purpose exactly as I had hoped, as did our dearly departed Mr. Crew, marking you for the Desolation and the Vast.

Honestly, I had – nothing to do with Melanie and her Slaughter adventure, but when I saw the situation, I made sure to trap her here, so when her rage bubbled over you would be right there, a ready target.

I didn’t foresee the mark coming from surgery gone wrong, but it was a very pleasant surprise.

The Unknowing was a distraction, but not an unwelcome one. For this to work, you needed more than just the marks; you needed power. And that was something the Unknowing served to test, though it posed no actual danger in the grand scheme of things.

And it did serve another purpose, of course. It inadvertently pushed you to confront death, a mark I had been very worried about trying to orchestrate. If I tried too early, you’d just die. Too late, and you might be powerful enough to see the attempt coming, and maybe even understand why.

As it was, it was just right, and once again, you came through with flying colours.

By this point, your abilities were coming along in leaps and bounds, and I was concerned that meeting face-to-face might end up with you Knowing something you shouldn't.

I had initially planned to go into hiding, but when your colleagues surprised me with the police, well. It was simple enough to cut a deal.

All that remained, then, were the Dark, the Flesh, the Buried, and the Lonely.

I was a little put out when that idiot Jared Hopworth misinterpreted my letters and attacked the Institute too soon, before you were even out of the hospital, but then – Ho, you should have see my face when you voluntarily went to him.

I couldn’t see what happened in there, of course, but given how you came out, I’m very sure it counts as a mark.

I suspected the coffin might turn up again, and once it did, it was simply a matter of getting any, uh… restraining factors you might have had flying off on a wild goose chase, and waiting.

Honestly, Detective Tonner has been proving invaluable through this process. I’d been racking my brains for months about what I could use to lure you in.

And, of course, I knew the Dark Sun was just sitting there waiting. So when it came time, I just whipped up another apocalypse and sent you on your merry way.

Then all that remained was the Lonely.

Poor Peter. He really should have left well enough alone. Or just done what I’d asked in the first place.

Ah well. He knew what I was attempting, and was very unwilling to cooperate until I made him a little wager about Martin.

Of course, he had no way of knowing that, in addition to setting you up for the final mark, he was giving you all the tools you needed to escape from it.

How is Martin, by the way? He looks well. You will keep an eye on him when all this is over, won’t you? He’s earned that.

And there, I think, we are brought just about up to date. I have enjoyed our little trip down memory lane, but past here lies only impatience.

You are prepared. You are ready. You are marked. The power of the Ceaseless Watcher flows through you, and the time of our victory is here.

Don’t worry, John. You’ll get used to it here, in the world that we have made.

Now, repeat after me.

You who watch and know and understand none. You who listen and hear and will not comprehend. You who wait and wait and drink in all that is not yours by right.

Come to us in your wholeness.

Come to us in your perfection.

Bring all that is fear and all that is terror and all that is the awful dread that crawls and chokes and blinds and falls and twists and leaves and hides and weaves and burns and hunts and rips and bleeds and dies!

Come to us.

I – OPEN – THE DOOR!

#tma #tma fanfiction #the magnus archives #hope y'all like it :3 #my lonely writing #i'll post it onto ao3 at a later date #idk i need to refine it more lol

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dario-the-deer · 2 months ago

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You Won't Get Into Heaven IV

He was practically dragging himself away from the medical tent - he couldn't be near him. Proximity was a killer, and it wouldn't be by his own hand. There were healers at the ready to address any and all wounds, be it physical, mental, or emotional... and Dario couldn't give his own labor in that regard. Battered and bruised from the onslaught that preceded their assumed defeat of the Grand Illuminar, he managed to plant himself firmly with his back resting against the rubble of a completely destroyed watchtower.

Once he was adequately settled against the rock, Dario closed his eyes, feeling the back of his head gently rest against brick as he sunk into his consciousness. The space was liminal and dark - foreboding and lonely, but only as long as he would allow it to be. His projected self looked over his own ethereal form before staring ahead with conviction.

"We need to talk."

The silence that followed wasn't long enough to force Dario to repeat himself, but was enough to allow a creeping uneasiness to overtake his chest. It caused him to jolt once the voice stepped into his mind. The ominous cloaked figure hovered many yards in front of the stag; faceless, but still regarding him with a neutral demeanor.

You surprise me, Hjort. I would not have expected you to resist me to the lengths that you have today.

"Not sure if you noticed..." Dario winced, feeling his back burning against sharp stone and dirt despite his temporary disconnection with his corporeal form. "...but some things came up. My apologies if you weren't my first thought..."

Kalmah.

That's right. You can read my mind.

You abandoned the scout fairly quickly, did you not? Are you confident in his condition enough to stay away?

The deer half-breed scowled, feeling a burning in his gut grow increasingly hostile. He couldn't place if his rage was a result of exhaustion or genuine disgust, but he leaned into it regardless.

"You know perfectly well why I choose to stay away. I did not forget what you said earlier. I did not come back here to betray my best friend, I-"

The ink dried on your chapter long ago, Hjort. You have simply served as a vessel. It was never my intent to remain here longer than was necessary to carry out my ultimate objective, but simply returning you to this plane incurred the wrath of many above my station.

The stag's headspace grew silent, but Kalmah's presence remained. It felt almost mournful; a sensation that should have been familiar to Dario, but was incredibly foreign in this context. He remained in the space, desperate for clarity when the voice returned, albeit softer.

It is unfortunate that I cannot return to the status of which I once was the incumbent, but make no mistake - the seidkonur holds much the same, if not more weight in all of this.

Dario's head shot up at the mention of Milae; it was a blindside he couldn't have prepared for.

"How... how is Milae involved?" The stag instinctually glanced over his shoulder, cautious not to speak too loudly in the event pertinent company were present, but was greeted with void. "I mean, there was the one instance of taking me to another timeline, but... that was after you brought me back. You let that happen. I don't see how those are connected."

Again, let me make it clear for you. Kalmah rumbled in Dario's brain with a slight agitation. You were but a tool; a proposed weapon to correct what should have never been. A means to an end, if you will. Life restored to your veins was a byproduct of the seidkonur's actions many years ago. In circumventing death, nearly in concert with your own faults in another life, Yun Milae showed grave disregard for the authority I once held over the veil between the living and the dead.

"...how was that your authority? Milae had the Norns, he-"

The Norns present their own set of... unique circumstances. Dario could have sworn he tasted vitriol on his tongue in that moment. The legends of strife long told throughout history are often traced back to disagreements amongst the divine. It is certainly not anything you could begin to comprehend, nor do I find it overly relevant to our discussion at hand... but understand that the Norns provide their own complications that I hope to one day remedy.

Dario bounced the pads his fingers against one another, painfully aware of his heart rate increasing by the second.

"The Norns aren't in the picture anymore. At least, not for Milae."

Kalmah continued to float in the expanse before him, taking a moment to ponder the statement before continuing.

This may be the case, but it does not absolve the seidkonur of his past actions. You cannot continue to exist in a timeline that Vox Arnason inhabits, and I intend to redirect course to ensure that happens.

"But you brought me back!" Dario's throat was tight - he knew he was screaming, but in this space, it felt little louder than his normal speaking voice. "Vox was already here, and it was you that brought me back!"

He didn't have time to react. Kalmah's form rushed forward, enveloping Dario's mental projection in a darkness that felt impossible compared to before. A pin-sized light appeared in the distance, slowly growing outward as the stag was presented with visuals of a forest; a thicket not unlike those encountered by himself and Vox in their own travels. The expanse around Dario was unbelievably realistic - he was present in this moment, for all intents and purposes. The sound of rustling leaves and cracking branches alerted him to movement behind him, and with great urgency, he spun around to meet the eyes of a blood-soaked Darien.

He cannot see you.

Kalmah remained suspended next to the stag, observing Dario's slack jaw and shocked expression. The man and his familiar were looming over a fresh corpse; still warm, and glaring directly into the stag's eyes. The deceased form of Vox Arnason was still at Dario's feet.

"N-no, he didn't... he's alive now, there's no way he-"

He was always destined to die. Kalmah levitated, with its cloak blowing in the breeze of the recollection. Whether by the hand of The Warden, or by Darien Whiteland... Vox Arnason was not long for this world.

The last of Kalmah's words were cut off by an intense pressure; a loud rush of sound that was nothing new to the stag. The pair of Kalmah and Dario were now on the outskirts of where the Rebellion once congregated - familiar faces dotted the distance in which Dario could make out Treepelt, Grey, Tezz... and Vox.

"...how?"

Do not let your bias deceive you, Hjort.

Dario felt an invisible limb pull his head to the right, where he could see the form of a visibly exhausted Milae among the trees. It clicked.

"He didn't. He couldn't have, he-"

Had Vox Arnason been laid to rest as fate intended, there would have been no need to involve you further. In circumventing this, Yun Milae forced my hand, despite the objections of the elder deities. I took matters upon myself, and will pay that debt in time.

The cloak shrouded Dario once more, warping him back into his present form as a jolt against the stones he was pressed against. The stag was breathing heavily, struggling to process the information presented to him.

"I don't understand!" Dario found himself pleading, begging for clarity. "If Vox died, how could Milae have brought him back?"

Kalmah's presence was distant, but a response echoed in the deer's head just a moment after his question was posed.

Ask Yun Milae which timeline Vox Arnason belongs in. I give you my assurances that it is not the one that you presently occupy.

#botgd2 #dario blogs #kalmah blogs #uh oh!

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piffany666 · 1 year ago

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Ok just one more punk progeny won't hurt ~

Chapter 3: consent (part 1)

(Ftm trans Bright eyes - he/him pronouns)

Let it never be said that Samuel was proud of the way he had treated Bright when he was first turned.

He was harsh, however at the time it seemed appropriate considering Bright had essentially led Sam's progeny to his death.

Because of that, Sam had placed all the blame onto Bright since the beginning of his turning.

That combined with Bright eye's already existing young-adult-angst, newborn vampire emotions and a newfound hunger.....let's just say they didn't exactly mix well.

However it wouldn't be fair to leave out the struggling situation Sam had found himself in at the time.

He had a thousand excuses but none of them got him any sympathy from Bright. But its not as if Sam was looking for it.

He only began to regret his treatment towards Bright after meeting his darlin, Tanker.

Meeting Tank gave Sam a chance to better understand Bright.

Maybe it was wrong to say, but they had so much in common. And the way Tank talked about how they acted in their adolescents, it made sense that they got along with Bright so well.

Admittedly, introducing the two was a way to get Bright off his hands but funly enough, Bright having somone he could talk to that he knew wouldn't judge him was actually decreasing the amount of arguing Sam and Bright did.

So, when Sam got a call from William requesting a meeting, he wasn't anticipating it being about Bright eyes.

He assumed it would be something to do with Porter coming back or the upcoming summit, maybe Sam would be lucky enough to find out why he wouldn't be attending.

So you can imagine his surprise when William revealed that the meeting was about his troubled grand progeny.

His instant reaction was getting very quiet and eventually saying in a cold and serious tone

"What did he do?"

But William was quick to jump to his defence

"He didn't do anything Samuel, you have nothing to fear"

He said this but after a moment, William looked...unsure

Maybe it was a good idea not to mention the whole, broke one of my walls and burst into my office situation, thought William.

"With all do respect your highness, I don't believe you"

"I assure you, nore him or yourself are in any form of trouble"

Sam paused for a moment

"Then what is this meeting about?"

William sighed, Sam prepared himself for what was to come but no matter what, he would have never anticipated this.

"It is no secret that you two don't get along very well and with all due respect, it's gotten out of hand. I'm aware that your arguing has died down and you know that I am very sympathetic towards you, but tell me, how is Bright doing in terms of his vampire training in comparison to Fred?"

Sam felt embarrassed. He didn't want to seem immature for his treatment of Bright or that he was being petty in any way but he had to answer honestly.

"He's far behind Fred....but that's probably just cos he was turned by someone who was turned 2 seconds before him"

Despite his excuses, William looked like he had heard enough.

"Between your arguing and Brights inability to use and understand his powers, I'm sorry but I don't see you being his mentor going anywhere

It's unfair that your realationship has, though I'm sure unintentionally, stifled his learning"

Sam was defeated. William had made up his mind. And he had nothing to say about it.

Because he was right.

........

"So what do you propose we do?"

"Well~, I've been pondering this idea for a while now and I've ran it by Vincent and asked for the opinion of Bright eyes himself on the matter and~"

William reminded himself not to look so happy and to restrain his excitement.

"I would like to ask for your consent to take Bright eyes on as MY progeny".

Sam was dumbfounded to say the least. There was a part of him that was expecting that but it was such a small part that he didn't expect it to be correct.

After a long pause, Sam began.

"What did Bright say to that?"

William explained that after telling Vincent, he then went to tell Lovely and Bright overheard them.

Sam assumed the worst, Bright bursting in and screaming at William and just genuinely being a brat.

He was prepared to start apologising for whatever Bright did on his behalf but then William went on to say that after he had explained that it was up to him, he calmed down and they had a quote 'delightful' conversion.

Sam couldn't possibly fathom the consept of Bright being 'delightful' but he listened on.

"So he said he'd 'think about it'?"

"Yes"

It was better this way, he knew that, but somehow, for some reason, it still hurt.

He had failed one of his progenys.

"You can have him"

He was about to leave but then somthing came to his attention.

"But before that I have one question...

Why? Why go through all this trouble? Why NOW?"

Sam mentioned to Tank before this meeting that William wasn't one to do things just to be nice but he couldn't think of any other reason why William would want to take in a punk like Bright eyes.

The real reason was simply because......he couldn't help himself.

Every time he has had a new progeny it's been the same.

He couldn't help himself with Alexis and she was a.....disappointment to put it harshly.

So he said "no more. Never again"

Then he saw Vincent and he COULD. NOT. HELP. HIMSELF.

So he said "one last one"

Porter was a different story all together.

And now there was Bright eyes.

He had accepted by now that when he sees a troubled vampire youth he simply cannot help himself.

But he wasn't about to tell Sam that.

"Well....you know the summit is coming up-"

"Ah right of course-"

"Let me finish"

William knew what Sam thought about the summit. That it was just a huge pissing contest and an excuse for vampires to show off to each other.

While he did have a point, it meant more than that to him.

"I simply meant that it would be most convenient to make this kind of decision at this time because if he says yes then its just easier to make arrangements for his coronation. As you know I won't be attending this year so I'll have yo make arrangements for what to do regarding that"

That did technically answer the question of "why NOW" but Sam wasn't convinced.

I guess we won't know until he decides, thought Sam as he got up from his chair and left.

Bright wasn't his problem anymore....so why did he feel so...

Disappointed in himself?

Tagg - @darlin-collins

#redacted audio #redacted asmr #redactedverse #redacted fanfic #redacted fic #redacted bright eyes #redacted william #redactedsam #ok just one more punk progeny won't hurt~

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