#who is also nameless for the time being because of reasons

[papers-pamphlet]

NEW AMREV OC !!!!!!!!!!

Guys meet Nathan

Okay so to begin with, Nathan Taylor was a 25 year old private in the Continental Army at the time of his death.

He was born to a small family in Massachusetts and lived, what could be said as, a normal life. Anyone who knew him in life would tell you that he was, by all means, an ideal young man. He worked hard as an apprentice at his father's printing press, which gave him some impressive physical strength, he studied to become a lawyer even though he thought he would be better fit with medicine, he even courted a girl and a marriage was arranged between them.

However, one thing that was "wrong", he was never really able to feel any strong emotion, or have any meaningful relationships. He found this out when his mother died from an illness when he was a lad and he felt nothing from it. That realization never troubled him or made him hate himself, he'd simply sort of "put on a mask" of a normal person and it ended up becoming second nature. This can be seen in the way he presents himself, overly and almost eerily polite, and how his smile never reaches his eyes.

When the war began, he didn't exactly have a reason for joining. He just felt strangely drawn to the thought of being in battle. Whether that was the boredom of the insincere life he lived catching up to him, he didn't know. During the war, his politeness got him a lot of people who either really liked him, or found him really weird.

(Upon killing his first redcoat, he simply thought; "oh, I killed someone.")

Anyways, one day in battle, he saw Giles for the first time. The man was massacring his fellow patriots with a smile on his face. He knew immediately that that was the "Nameless Colonel" he would hear rumors about. So, at that moment, why couldn't he move? He knew that being in vicinity of that man, and in the battlefield in general was dangerous --- but it's not like he was frozen out of fear. After a fellow bluecoat saw him standing there like an idiot, he was tackled down so he wouldn't get shot. And in that moment on the ground, he came to a conclusion; he was attracted to that colonel---for the first time, he found someone interesting.

God knows why, but he made the assumption that they were similar, and in a way, they were... but at the same time, they were completely different. He'd thought that Giles was a "better version of himself" that didn't restrain himself, and he admired him for that.

Unlike Joseph, who loved Giles for more than his sadism, Nathan's attraction was solely because of it. And since the two would never interact outside battle (although sometimes he would willingly get himself into close-calls with Giles), Nathan would only just continue to make delusions/assumptions/headcanons about him that would only fuel his interest more.

in @/hamalicious-soup's words --- a "delusional fanboy with a parasocial relationship"

He'd also tell his mates about his interest and they'd all think "whatt= the fuck ??"

Anyways, sometime in 1777, Nathan would willingly volunteer to go on a spy mission at the redcoat camp, if just to get closer to the colonel than actually gathering info. He gets caught near-immediately.

At getting captured, he of course didn't feel frustrated or depressed, he simply accepted that he'd failed, and was going to be hanged.

Well the upside was that Giles was the one that questioned him in his own tent !!!!

And Giles found him "amusing" and that was just about it. He decided to keep him alive for a few more days. He came to know about the rebel's interest in him, and it amused him even more. However he did not return those feelings, he still believed he was incapable of loving anyone, this was of course before Giles met Joseph.

Eventually Giles did kill Nathan. He was a spy, so he should have been publicly hung, but Giles opted for privately strangling him where he was. Nathan didn't complain, he found it intimate.

When Giles put his hands on his throat, their final interaction went something like this:

"I love you."

That caused Giles to pause for a moment. "If that is your way to convince me to stop, it's quite strange."

"No, I am telling the truth."

"Then your affections are misguided." He then began to put in some pressure. "I don't love anyone."

...

"You are --- beautiful." And those were Nathan Taylor's last words.

After that it doesn't take long for Giles to forget about him lol

[unluckycactus]

Before I reply there's something I must clarify: I never said the deal was about transmigration, tho? I just said deal.

I didn't put the word transmigration anywhere, and I specifically talked about reincarnation only the whole time in my first post.

Not sure where you got the transmigration bit about, but this just serves to point out how we all interpret things differently!

Anyways!

You're correct in the fact it hasn't been outright stated that LSH was offered a deal at the time of his death. After all, we solely got CJS' pov through CH.

However, just because we didn't get a word-for-word retell of it, doesn't mean it didn't happen.

It can be truth or not until proven otherwise, simply because in this novel a lot of things happen off-screen or are not revealed before time, but nothing happens without a reason.

Examples of this: the apocalypse on Earth 1, KRS' abilities, ogCale's character inconsistency in general (and boy don't we all know how long it took us to know the truth 🫠), Choi Jung Gun and his multiple identities and so on.

What makes me inclined to believe LSH did get a deal offer is the following trail:

CJS & LSH both made deals in the afterlife. This is canon and confirmed.

If i remember correctly, it is around 423-426 when Cale meets LSH in his dream and gives him embrace. LSH confirms that both CJS and himself made a deal to pass on an ability.

Of course, later on we get to know this deal was LSH's way of earn merit and earn his memories in his reincarnation.

But, to me, it's the fact he got the chance what matters.

LSH's words to Cale during their meeting.

'There are times when gods make mistakes.'

'I didn't die in your place. I died while running wild. Got it?'

In my interpretation of things:

There are times when gods make mistakes = Death fucked up.

I didn't die in your place = dont blame yourself for it.

Which complements with what we saw during CJS' memories about not being CJS time to die yet.

So it can be inferred that maybe, MAYBE, LSH got a similar speech.

I reiterate this is just my interpretation of things and I am no know-it-all, nor do I claim my knowledge is absolute or irrefutable because that's just not true.

Also. You actually brought up my next point yourself!

None of the old Team 1 members (who died in the same day as them) sans CJS & LSH got the chance to make any kind of deal. Not to pass an ability. Nada.

Given all that is why I have interpreted the novel the way I have. I can be wrong ofc, the novel will show me in due time.

Now, as to why I assume GoD fucked LSH over. It is because of the following track record:

GoD made a deal with both CJS and LSH so they would each transfer one of their bilities to a person of their chosing.

LSH confirms that GoD deliberately didn't tell CJS that Choi Han would see his memories and his death in order to earn said ability.

In CH's POV we see GoD admitting to CJS that he didn't even ask his ancestors for consent before transporting them to Nameless 1

The contents of CJS' deal were laughable. GoD essentially just said 'oh boy it's not your time yet, i usually don't ask for permission, but yadda yadda would you wanna live in another world?'

The state of said world shone by its absence during GoD's description.

Following that behavioral pattern we got KRS!Cale own consentless transmigration.

GoD essentially scammed CH out of a good chunk of his lifespan for no reason.

It is true CH did make a deal himself. However, the reason why I label it as a scam is because... doesn't that deal become pointless after Part 2?

CH made that deal to enter the SG's test. Which was taking place in a different world.

And what does everyone in Part 2 do? World hopping.

Sure. Cale and his group do have limitations and constraints when traveling worlds, but no one got robbed the way CH did to make that happen.

You'd think at least the Elves who have long lifespan would have to adhere to similar conditions, but nope!

I know CH is happy and all about his deal cos now his lifespan matches Raon's but ??? GoD ??? what do you have to say for yourself???

So,,, yeah. All that, along with other details that I'm certainly forgetting rn, is why my faith in GoD is at rock bottom and I'm unable to believe he's not fucking LSH over.

Yet again, this is all just my interpretation and opinion based on of all the above tho. Opinion is subjected to change as soon as confirmed information comes out in the novel.

If anything, I want the deets from the author to revisit this at some point and see what did I get right

When I think the God of Death can't get worse I remember that bro offered Lee Soo Hyuk a deal, got turned down, and then he decided to fuck up Lee Soo Hyuk in the afterlife for absolute no reason.

Cos GoD can (and has) gone out of his way to make stuff happen before, but for some reason he got a very stick-to-the-book, migration-agent-like attitude when it came to LSH's reincarnation.

I guess GoD couldn't really do anything when it comes to Choi Jung Soo cos wanderer privilege™ but the change in treatment is very sus.

And before anyone tells me "nah, that's reaching a bit---" let's remember this guy has a track record of kicking people from their homeworlds without consent (CJG, CH, Cale) so I don't put it past him to do it out of sheer pettiness.

No but seriously, it's so weird how he's willing to bend rules for other ppl but he's an asshole to LSH. I really need a reason for that cos ??? I don't believe in that 'sticking to the rules' bullshit

Allow me to flesh out this idea, in case you missed the point:

The whole thing this is about is how GoD went from 'yadda yadda make a deal with me pls' to 'yeah you're a reincarnator but there's bureaucracy™, so have your own version of the herculean tasks and let's talk about it later' with LSH and LSH only.

And the whole reason I'm bringing it up is because, unless GoD planned to fuck him over like that from the get-go, his attitude is very ???

Didn't LSH help defeat the WS anyways? Or we're just gonna ignore the fact LSH essentially gave Cale a spatial pocket dimension of his own, which allowed Cale kill WS at his own pace 🤷🏻‍♀️

"Oh but that's bc LSH needed to gather merit!" And what was the game plan in the case LSH took the deal instead of dying on KRS' behalf? <<< THAT'S where I'm getting at.

Whether he took the deal or not, LSH was required to help take down WS anyways. The only difference is that the second time was practically demanded of him, but the first time it wasn't 🤨

And that's the point. The rules changed. Like,, GoD pretended to skip said reincarnation bureaucracy once but then backtracked and conveniently became a rule-oriented guy?? Talk about lack of consistency.

You can argue "well, it's because the first time is a deal!" as if LSH couldn't just strike a deal after being dead lol

Let's not pretend the GoD's deals are some exclusive VIP shit, bro does them so often that the concept has devalued a lot over time.

[dreamaturgy]

all the ashes in my wake・゜✭

CHAPTER ONE. ☆ dream x fem!reader (original character) ☆ when a vampire unwittingly bites the dream lord in her sleep, she gets roped into helping him investigate why dreams are mysteriously dying/disappearing. what starts as a reluctant partnership turns into something more as they chase night hags around faerûn to save both the dreaming and the waking world. OR: a sleep-deprived vampire just wanted a nap and inherited dream's problems instead. ☆ warnings: blood, mild horror ☆ note: nine chapters planned. third pov. ratings will 100% go up. and yes i poured my thirst for astarion into this oc don't @ me. ☆ comments, kudos, likes and reblogs are loved ❤

☆ snippet (READ ON AO3):

The dream in his arms flickers, gossamer-thin as it struggles to breathe — as much as a dream can. This shouldn’t be happening. Dreams don’t fucking die, and Morpheus presses his knuckles against its emaciated cheek, swallowing past the lump in his throat. Around them, grass and leaves rustle mournful. “Have I displeased you, my lord?” it asks, somewhere between a rasp and a whimper, and Morpheus shakes his head, the knot between his brows stunned and crestfallen. But it’s not entirely uncalled for. Gault comes to mind — among other things — and briefly he closes his eyes, red-brimmed. “This is not my doing,” he tries to reassure — to soothe a guilty conscience from past errancies, maybe — but it doesn’t matter. The dream fades, regardless of the forces behind the uncanny circumstances, of his own strength and essence poured into its weary soul. “You have served well, and you will serve again.”

He’s never felt so uncertain before, so… disquieted, watching his realm and its folks and its guests succumb to an unknown sickness. And he’s utterly powerless to help them. The dream shudders one last time, its body mirroring the stars above, pinpricks of light winking out one by one like dying fireflies. A dream, gone. Against his will. And it dies smiling, so quick to trust him, to heed his promise and believe. There was a time when he lamented the lack of faith of his subjects. As if he would abandon them. As if it were in his nature, to forfeit his responsibilities. As if he had no heart. That smile should comfort, and cheer, and embolden. Instead it only manages to perturb him. “Something’s wrong, boss,” Matthew announces the obvious, a new frailty in his voice that itches on Morpheus’ cheek; he wipes it off. “Dreams aren’t supposed to die.” “No,” he agrees quietly, sounding so weary all of a sudden. “They are not.”

READ THE FIRST CHAPTER ON AO3.

[s4nguiine]

"don't call me that ever again."

» summary: your little quarrel with sunday leaves you up at night. but then you hear the piano.

» rating: sfw

» notes: this was not supposed to be 1k words

you toss and turn in the discomfort of your bed. you feel too hot, your legs too jittery, and your blanket feels like it’s suffocating you. that, and your thoughts run rampant, carrying a deep set shame with them. you’ve always been an overthinker. this is worse. this is eating you alive.

sunday joined the express just three days ago, and you’ve noticed how uncomfortable he seems around the other nameless. reasonably so, given the events that unfolded in penacony. they may have said that they’re willing to give him a chance, but that doesn’t mean they are immediately going to be relaxed around him. you, however, have something wrong going on with you. because you do not feel threatened by his presence. you feel that he’s changed. and you’re dead set on making everyone get along.

so, in an attempt to make sunday feel welcome, you decided to give him a nickname, and in your proactiveness you completely forgot to account for the type of person sunday is. of course he wouldn’t like being called sunny. it’s sunday. and it took him chewing you out to realize the mistake you’ve made.

you’re an idiot.

there’s no use trying to sleep. you tell yourself this as you lift the pillow off your head and push yourself up with the intention to get yourself a glass of water. it is when your bare feet make contact with the floor that you pause. you swear you just heard something, and as you stop moving and focus really hard, you realize that someone in the party car below is playing music. not just any music… it’s the piano.

you make your way to the door and when you open it and enter the stairway leading down, the sound grows less muffled, until the somber tune is clear in your ears. a couple more steps down and you pause. there, not too far from the stairs, sits sunday at the piano, seemingly absorbed in playing music.

not wanting to disturb him, you take a seat on one of the steps, leaning against the railing and watching him play. though you only get a view of his back, you can clearly imagine the kind of face he’s making right now. his entire body, from his fingertips to his head and his feet, moves with confidence you haven’t seen him display in a while. genuine confidence. and as you continue to listen and your eyelids grow heavy, you think how lovely it would be to listen to this forever.

︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶ ୨♡୧ ︶︶︶ ⊹ ︶︶

you wake up back in your bed. puzzled, you stand up and stretch, then look around yourself. strange. if you’re not on the stairs… was it a dream? were you dreaming of sunday? the thought makes your cheeks turn pink. no, this is to be expected. you were thinking of him while falling asleep, so of course you would also dream of him.

you make your way downstairs once you are dressed, joining the rest of the trailblazers for breakfast. the rest of your day goes as normal, and as you’re not currently on a mission, it is filled with the usual chores around the express. you skillfully avoid sunday, figuring that he probably doesn’t wanna see you anyway. as you complete your chores, however, you can’t not notice the fact that you feel like you’re being watched. every time you take a look around however, everyone seems preoccupied with their own things… including sunday, who’s always nose deep in one of his books.

you decide not to think too much of it.

nighttime arrives and you’re back in your room, back in your bed. sleep escapes you once more, and you find yourself wanting it to. you’re still unsure whether what happened last night was a dream. you’d prefer it not to be. and as you rack your brain for an answer, it comes from outside your door. you sit up and pinch yourself as hard as you can.

not a dream. you’re awake! it really happened! but then - who carried you back?

your hand hovers above the doorknob. what if it was sunday? could you face him right now if you knew it was him? sighing, you finally open the door and step out. it’s not like you’ll join him downstairs. you’ll just listen from high up on the round staircase where he won’t see you.

and that’s what you do. you take a few steps down, then sit down and lean against the cold railing. it’s the same tune as yesterday… melancholic but calming, with a hint of yearning. what does sunday yearn for, you wonder. must be a lot of things now.

you wish to get to know him.

“i was wondering if you would show up,” suddenly comes his voice, piano music uninterrupted.

you flinch, almost hitting your head in the process. “how did you know?”

“the stairs must be uncomfortable. why don’t you get down?” sunday doesn’t answer your question.

you’re petrified. did he notice you last night, too? slowly you get up, making your way downstairs with a racing heart. why do you feel like you’ve been caught with your hand in the cookie jar?

sunday’s eyes remain on the piano’s keys, even when you’re standing next to him fiddling with your thumbs. he then lets out an amused huff, and you feel even more like a deer in the headlights. at last, his fingers leave the keys to rest in his lap and his golden eyes find yours.

“i’m sorry,” you suddenly blurt out. “i didn’t mean to intrude.”

sunday raises his eyebrows. “actually, i was going to apologize too. for keeping you up.”

“you didn’t keep me up. well - well, technically you did. but not with the piano…” oh aeons, you’re digging your own grave. your words visibly confuse him. “look, i’m sorry. for calling you that nickname. i didn’t mean it out of malice, quite the opposite actually. but i should have thought about it more.”

sunday’s eyes seem to search every single pore on your face, to the point it’s starting to make you feel very exposed and very embarrassed. then, he turns to the piano once more, fingers stroking the white keys idly.

“is that why you avoided me?”

“m..maybe.”

a small smile graces his features. “you’re overthinking it.”

those words feel like a punch to the face.

he continues, “i don’t hate you for it, if that’s what you’re wondering.”

you perk up. “so can i call you sunny?”

“don’t get too ahead of yourself.”

“of course.” and you wilt again.

uncomfortable silence follows. something hangs in the air between you two, despite the cleared up misunderstanding.

so you ask, “what were you playing?”

“claire de lune, by johann debussy. i don’t suppose you know it,” he answers.

“i don’t, but ouch.”

he smiles, again, and you wonder if he enjoys watching people squirm. you chase these thoughts away. then, sunday shifts on the chair and pats down the empty space next to him. you take the cue and sit down.

“do you always follow directions like an excited puppy?” he asks, and before you can answer, his hands assume position and start playing again.

you sit next to him, and the soothing melody does nothing to slow your quickly beating heart. and when you glance next to you, you find sunday, unbearably close. so close, in fact, that you notice his long eyelashes, his unusually relaxed face, and the steady rise and fall of his chest.

it is then that it dawns on you: you are impossibly attracted to this man.

[reminiscingtonight]

Imaginary (Girl)Friend

Leah Williamson x Reader

Word Count: 1.3k

[WOSO Masterlist]

You never talk about Leah. 

She’s your best friend, your better half, the first person you think to tell anything to. But you still never talk about Leah. 

You don’t talk about the fact that the two of you grew up together. Or that she prefers the crust cut off her plain ham sandwiches. Or how she stays up late just to call you even after playing a late night game away from home. 

You never talk about Leah because no one knew who she was. To you, she’s the most amazing person you know, the only person you’ll ever give your heart to. To everyone else, she’s simply another nameless face on another football team. 

And then the Euros happened.

The Euros happened, England won, and everyone started noticing Leah.

It’s hard at first. To watch your normally shy girlfriend have to shoulder the constant attention from both fans and media alike, to go from unknown to stopped every five seconds for a picture. Where Leah once held your hand while strolling on Sunday walks now became group outlettings lest you manage to secure an indoor date somewhere secluded.

Leah didn’t want you being dragged to national attention with her, and after watching the toll it took on her, you meekly agreed. While Leah became a professional footballer, you went to college, got a job, and now work a normal 9 to 5. Being famous for any reason, let alone dating someone famous, was something you never had an interest in.

So no, you don’t talk about Leah the footballer.

Leah the girlfriend however… you talk about her quite too much. 

But your friends always let you gush your heart out about the girl who’s had your heart since you were teenagers.

It’s friends like these that you treasure. They never push too hard, understanding when you skirt around bringing your girlfriend out to public events with large crowds. A couple of them are newer to the group, friends from work, but still respectful all the same.

Some of you even formed a recreational futsal team, just something to do after work once a week. It’s fun, getting to use some of those football skills you’ve acquired through your childhood playing on youth teams. 

Today’s one of those days. After wrapping up the last of your paperwork, you all pile into a car and make your way to the community center. 

The first half goes by quickly, not really memorable in any way.  

You’re taking a quick water break during half-time when one of your friends suddenly stiffens. 

“Holy shit.”

You look up to see her eyes widen at a spot over your shoulder. 

“What?” you ask, alarmed, trying to see what she’s looking at. But two hands on your shoulder stops you quickly, jerking you right back to face her.

“Don’t look, but I think a couple of the Lionesses are sitting in the bleachers, watching our game.”

You almost trip ripping yourself out of her grip, doing the exact opposite of what she just said.

Sure enough, you can spot the Three Best Friends huddled near the back of the bleachers, baseball caps and hoodies on as if that combo would actually help someone go incognito.

Almost as if she can feel your gaze, Leah’s face brightens, resting scowl turning into a grin as she waves at you. Before you can so much as react, a hand on your arm spins you back around.

“Oh my god, what are we going to do? I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of the Leah Williamson, Keira Walsh, and Georgia Stanway!”

You snort, gently shaking her hands off. “First off, it’s just rec futsal. If we lose it’s nothing that life ending. Also, we can always blame it on the court if we play poorly.”

She doesn’t look convinced, but the whistle from the ref calls before you can convince her some more. 

Taking your spot on the court again, you can’t help but feel a bit giddy. With the constant attention and numerous commitments clogging up your girlfriend’s schedule, it’s been a while since Leah’s come to one of your games. 

And so what if you end up showing off a little bit? Your girlfriend is here watching and you’re only human.

By the time the game ends, your team is up by six, four scored by you.

“God damn, we should try to invite the Lionesses out every week if you’re going to ball out like that when they’re here,” Riley jokingly complains, laughing when you shove her back playfully.

“Speaking of the Lionesses…”

Spinning around you see your girlfriend and her friends starting their descent down to the court. You skip to meet them halfway, ignoring the awestruck looks coming from all around. 

Leah gives you a quick hug before pulling back, mindful of prying eyes. 

“Leah! What are you doing here?”

“Just wanted to surprise my girl,” she mumbles, cheeks burning bright red as she instinctively pulls her cap down tighter on her head. “That’s okay right? I just haven’t seen you play live in a while and I--”

“Of course it’s fine.” Your cheeks are starting to hurt a bit by how wide you’re smiling.

You turn quickly to her two friends by her side. 

“Happy to see you guys too! Thanks for coming out.”

Georgia and Keira exchange devilish grins before each throwing an arm around your shoulders. 

“We would’ve come out to a match sooner if lovergirl over here hadn’t gatekeeped when your games were.”

Keira nods dramatically. “It was like pulling teeth with this one, trying to convince her to let us tag along today. You’d almost think she wanted us to forget she had a girlfriend.”

Leah rolls her eyes at the accusations. “A). I wasn’t gatekeeping. B). It was like pulling teeth today --- you wouldn’t give me a moment of peace until I agreed. And C). If I wanted you to forget I had a girlfriend, we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”

“Pshh, as if you could make us forget our favorite Milton Keynes native. We’d choose her in the divorce,” Georgia quips, ignoring the eyebrow Leah raises her way.

Before the three of them can get in a shoving match, you suddenly remember your friends that you’ve left behind.

“Wait, let me introduce you guys to my teammates.”

Your friends look shell-shocked, eyes darting between you and the little posse of professional footballers you’ve amassed around you when you return. 

“Guys, this is my girlfriend Leah and her two friends.”

There’s a moment of stunned silence. Then a whispered, “why are you introducing three Lionesses to us as if you have dinner together on the regular?” Riley honestly looks like she’s about to pass out, but you decide to humor her a bit.

“Because I do? Keira and G come down sometimes during breaks, and I do live with Leah. So…” 

Your explanation seems pretty straightforward to you, but if anything, it only makes things more confusing for your friends.  

They exchange looks with each other before Riley cautiously asks, “You were being serious about that?”

It’s your turn to be confused, face scrunching up. “What do you mean?”

“Well you kept talking about your mysterious girlfriend Leah without ever introducing us to her…”

“Or showing us a picture,” another voice adds on, trying to be helpful.

“We just kinda assumed Leah wasn’t real,” Riley finishes off lamely.

You roll your eyes, elbowing your girlfriend when you feel Leah snort next to you.

She recovers quickly, giving your friends a smile. “Well rest assured, the girlfriend is very much real. It’s nice to meet you guys, I’m Leah.”

[secretmellowblog]

Les Mis Hidden Name Meanings: “Fantine” (posting here because it got popular on TikTok)

Every character in Les Mis has a name with a deeper symbolic meaning— here’s a video I made for the official @barricadescon TikTok about the meaning behind “Fantine!”

Transcript and Digressions I left out of the video, under the cut:

Every charcater’s name in Les Mis is either a pun, a reference to a historical/mythological figure, or had some deep symbolic meaning — and sometimes it’s all of them at on.

The name “Fantine” comes from the french word “enfantine” or “childike, infant-like.” Her name basically means “Baby.” And obviously this speaks to her innocence and niavetee. But also “baby” is kind of,.,, well it sounds more like an informal term of endearment than an actual legal name?

And that’s because– Plot twist– Fantine isn’t her legal name! What is her legal name? She doesn’t have one.

And the reason she doesn’t have one is directly tied to political turmoil of the era she was born into.

Fantine grew up an orphan living on the streets, without a family without parents. Hugo tells us the origin of her name:

“she bore on her brow the sign of the anonymous and the unknown. (...)She was called Fantine. Why Fantine? She had never borne any other name. At the epoch of her birth the Directory still existed. She had no family name; she had no family; no baptismal name; the Church no longer existed. She bore the name which pleased the first random passer-by, who had encountered her, when a very small child, running bare-legged in the street. She received the name as she received the water from the clouds upon her brow when it rained.”

This moment is adapted beautifully in the Manga adaptation by Takahiro Arai, which I recommend to anyone who loves Les mis, manga, or any combination of those things.

But now let’s talk about the Directory.

To wildly oversimplifly a lot of complex history: Before the French Revolution, the Catholic Church’s records of baptismal ceremonies were often used as a registry of people’s legal names. During the French Revolution, the Revolutionary government– including the Directory– put in place a series of policies we now call “dechristianization,” where they attempted to dismantle the power of Catholic church.

Fantine was born during the age of these dechristianization policies. So she was never baptised, her baptismal name was never recorded, so she has no recorded legal or family name. She’s slipped through the cracks of the legal system, and ended up completely anonymous.

It sets Fantine up as this anonymous child of the Revolution– a stand in for everyone who was left behind when the Revolution was left behind, and kings were restored to the throne.

Fantine’s namelessness is meant to show atomized . How she has NO support system. She has nothing to connect her to other people, nothing to connect her to a support system.

Finally, the way Fantine tends to “slip through the cracks” is something that follows her throughout her life. When she’s fired from her job at a factory, Maroy Madeleine never learns of it– Fantine has this tendency to overlooked and forgotten. She is born anonymous and she dies anonymous. At the end of the story, she is buried in an unmarked grave, with not even the name “Fantine” on her headstone.

It ties into novel’s questions about which people we consider worth remembering, whose lives are worth being records.

And obviously Fantine is not the only character in Les Mis whose name has a deeper symbolic meaning. If you have any other Les Mis character names you’d like to explain, leave their name in the comments below.

Thank you for watching!

From the description of the original tiktok, here are some things that were left out of the video for time:

How this all relates to Cosette’s name(s)

Fantine’s nickname “The Blonde,” and how this relates to the way she’s dehumanized by Tholomyes

How the 2018 Bbc series fundamentally misunderstands Fantine’s character, and how one sign of this is that they give her a full legal first and last name

How Fantine’s name shows up/is revealed is significant parts of the story (like when Valjean reveals her signature on a letter to Thenardier, allowing him to take Cosette away)

How Fantine’s inability to write ties into the way it’s difficult for her to record her own story

How some of Valjean’s last words are revealing Fantine’s name to Cosette

Thanks again for reading!

[beggars-opera]

Hey, so we don't talk enough about A Christmas Carol as being at least a little bit about not continuing a cycle of abuse and neglect, both against others and yourself.

In the book little Scrooge is left languishing over the holidays in a boarding school for some never-explained reason, but it is made very clear that this is miserable and unfair, and that his father is doing this on purpose. His sister specifically comes to tell him that "father is so much kinder now than he used to be, that home's like heaven." This also reflects a bit of Dickens's own childhood when his father went into debtor's prison and little Charlie was forced to support his family working full time in a shoe-blacking factory at the age of 12 (which is also why so many of his books seem to have a moral of "hey, kids are people too and maybe we shouldn't make them work in the mines.")

Whatever family reunion happened after didn't work out, because Scrooge continues believing that no one is coming to save him and pulling himself up by his bootstraps at the detriment of all other social relationships is the only way forward. And the more he lives by that philosophy, the more miserable he gets, because obviously he pushes away anyone who has that hope that he lost. They threaten to break down the walls he's built and teach him that a big pile of money doesn't have to be the only thing that he can rely on, if he'd just let himself be vulnerable and have a relationship with people who care about him, because they're out there even if he's ignoring them.

There is a certain type of person still very much out there who thinks this way. "I've never been happy in my life, so no one else has a right to be either. I was abused in my childhood so it's only fair that everyone else suffer as well." We see this in parents who still try to use corporal punishment, and in wealthy people who ignore the social factors keeping others down and scream that everyone else is just entitled, that only those who suffer and scrape deserve happiness. And they especially hate the people like Fred who represent the past that could have been, who have maintained hope for the future, and seem to be rubbing their optimism in your face, when in reality they're just maintaining hope because it's the only way you can survive.

It's so important for Scrooge to actually see the impact this thinking has on both himself and multiple generations. Rich people have this weird hangup about this story because they think Scrooge is bad because he's rich. He's not, he's bad because he's a horrible person and a miser - he doesn't use his money to better anything, including himself. Salting the earth, everyone suffers here, including him. And he learns that he's going to die old and alone without ever having spent or enjoyed his money, and that his family feels sorry for him, and that the nameless masses of poor people out there that he decries so much are in fact living, breathing people, including tiny disabled kids who don't deserve to suffer just because you decided life isn't fair.

In the end he takes responsibility for actually uplifting the people in the next generation who are trying to make the world a better place and no longer punching down, because it doesn't have to be this way. So many people out there just give up hope because things are hard and they think trying to improve things is a pointless exercise that makes them look dumb. How dare you grow a year older and not an hour richer! How dare you marry for love! That's the only thing more ridiculous than a Merry Christmas! When in reality, there are plenty of people who would love to see them happy if they just had a chance.

It's really sad that, while the language used to describe it has changed, these problems still persist. That people feel so wronged and isolated that they spend their days ensuring everyone else will be as well. That they fail to see their fellow humans as fellow humans who are just as deserving of love and kindness and a roof over their heads. I don't care what time of year it is, we should all be lifting each other up rather than tearing each other down.

[justatalkingface]

If society is the reason for the personality of Bakugo, why aren't there more Bakugos in society?

If "strong" quirks turn people into violent a**holes, why aren't Nejire, Tokoyami, Kaminari, and that loud wind quirk guy relatively well-adjusted to social interaction.

The answer is simple: because it isn't society's fault.

Like, don't get me wrong, it didn't help, that's for sure, but Bakugou's problem isn't society, it's that he's a jerk. Bakugou is unironically high on his own brand.

Part of that is how other people treated him, true (though it was happening even before he had a Quirk, so it's not society in the way it's usually used for Bakugou, where it's about his Quirk), because he was cool and competent as a kid, which made the kids praise him, which fed his ego, which made him want to do it more, in a vicious cycle... but even with that, there's still something unique to him that is at fault here: he's told, as a kid, that he has a good Quirk, and he can be a hero with it. This is basic, bog standard encouragement; it's a good Quirk, but he's, what, ten? That woman is probably telling every single kid that their Quirk is great. But Bakugou, though, he hears this, and his mind instantly snaps to a conclusion: he realizes that he's The Best, TM. That he's special, that he's better than everyone else. And that? That's not 'society', that's not the fault of people around him, that's Bakugou's fault, Bakugou's problem.

I'll be honest here, kids are stupid; Bakugou isn't the first kid to have a delusion of grandeur and he's not going to be the last. What makes it different with him, though, is that it's more than just a passing phase. That philosophy, his fundamental superiority, is a train of thought that remains with him for the rest of his life, and not only that, it is a cancerous logic that festers in his mind like a disease.

You know how Bakugou calls everyone else 'Extras'? That's the logical conclusion of his superiority complex, of the idea of that he alone is special, superior, the honored one: because if he's special, what is everyone else? Less then him. An extra in his story. Or, as Shigaraki would put it?

An NPC.

That's concerning. More than that, that is deeply alarming. Unironically, I think that counts as a mental disorder of some form (probably narcissism?), and it also inherently dehumanizes other people... which explains why he's so casual about hurting everyone around them.

And to be blunt? That's a very, very bad thing. Dehumanizing other people is how people are taught that it's OK to hurt others, or even kill them; fundamentally, Bakugou is radicalizing himself against everyone who isn't Bakugou.

If they are less than him, if they are not 'real people', if they are just extras... then it doesn't matter if he hurts them, insults them, because... why would it? It's not like they're actually people, it's not like they're important. They're just extras in The Great Story Of Bakugou. They're just NPCs in the Hero Game he's playing, and nothing else.

People do horrible, horrible things to NPCs in video games that they would never in a million years do to people in real life. They do it because NPCs don't matter, not like real human beings do. Think, for a minute, how you treat the random characters in Fallout or whatever, the nameless mooks you that will always more of, because they will always respawn after whatever you do to them. Think about what would happen if you did that to a real person.

You can even see it in how he acts in the various flashbacks back when he was a child: when he was young, Bakugou was brash, a bit aggressive, but largely an OK kid. But as time passed, his aggression grew, and his respect for others shrunk. He went from insulting people (at times probably accidentally), to actively bullying them. He became more and more comfortable not just verbally abusing others, but then physically hurting them. By the time canon starts, Bakugou seemed to treat, and consider, other human beings as barely more than trash, and Izuku's existence in particular as something like a cosmic mistake he was 'graciously' tolerating.

And then we find out that he was willing, in fact, to kill people. It's very likely that, if driven to a corner, that people may be willing to kill to survive, but that isn't what happened to Bakugou: he was in school. He was unironically playing cops and robbers.

And yet, Izuku's basic unwillingness to just... give up, to just sit back and let someone maim him as much as he wanted is what 'cornered' Bakugou to the point he resorted to overwhelmingly lethal force. He doesn't feel an ounce of guilt about it afterwords, either, and he only stops because he's threatened... with being kicked out of the exercise. He's not even serious about, he's willing to kill someone but he values winning more than his murder attempt, winning at something that's essentially worthless, even. It's an impulse, one that he doesn't ever question or think about again after the fact.

To be fair, his... radicalization, or just plain assholishness, got noticeably cut back after that point (to the point where it seems more like retcon than character development), but if it wasn't for that? Clearly, no one was willing to call him on things before, so if he didn't get serious consequences, and he had killed Izuku? He probably would have grown more and more comfortable with killing, the same way he did with everything else he's done.

But it's more than just that. His parents are... well, they're good people, but... they don't seem to be the best at making their son not be an asshat; both of them were pretty OK with their son calling his mother a 'hag', and not even in a sarcastic, well meaning way, but as an actual insult.

His mom is cut from the same cloth as her son (normally, it'd be the other way around, but Bakugou's character probably came first), if more restrained. Unfortunately, that means she's probably a source of a lot of his more aggressive behaviors in the first place, and not just in a genetic way: he watched what she did, and then learned to do it from her. She tries to get him to stop the worst of it but she doesn't seem to making a serious effort? It's not a serious punishment, or a heart to heart talk about his behavior, it's... basiclly the fan gag, which doesn't really teach anyone anything?

His dad, meanwhile is more passive, grounded, but at the same time: he married Bakugou's mother. He's clearly OK with behavior in that vein. It's good he's not contributing to the problem, but he's not solving it, either.

At the end of the day, while there are contributing factors, not of them are enough to explain, much less justify, Bakugou's actions or personality. Society didn't make him like this. No one taught him that it was OK.

The only one with responsibility was Bakugou himself.

[thebomb-thebird-andtheburntbitch]

the general of the luofu has a habit you've picked up on. a habit in which when he finds himself in a place of predicament, he will gracefully place his hands atop each other at the small of his back. that is why you also decided to develop a similar habit of standing just slightly behind him.

never when you had first relocated from a separate xianzhou alliance ship to the luofu's exalting sanctum did you imagine you'd be standing within the seat of divine foresight on a near regular basis. of course, the notion was not unheard of since it is the office of general jing yuan, but then again you hadn't expected yourself to eventually be working so close to him either.

working nearly in step with jing yuan was not in your relocation papers. when you first arrived and he was always on your heels, it nearly made you lose your cool more than you'd care to admit. the way he would just smile your lack of alone time off irked you further. you figured he was just doing it because he could, because no one would demand the general to knock it off aside from the master diviner and- more often than not- her nags were brushed aside unless absolutely dire.

but with that same, insufferable smile and persistence of his, jing yuan did what he did best and used it to his advantage until you were absolutely smitten with him, and he knew it.

you had attempted moving your work to central starskiff haven where all the hustle and bustle of the main hub for all things imaginable could take your mind off the dozing general, but it was a useless feat.

the bond between general jing yuan and yourself was something precious yet unnamed. it was seen and noticed, but you both refused to adapt to the way of labels- another thing jing yuan had a habit of. superstition about labels and them ruining everything he holds dear to him was a belief he had yet to be proven wrong.

the labeling and eventual tragic fall out of the high cloud quintet was more than enough proof for him. he would not risk you slipping away from him if he were to try and repeat the mistake. jing yuan was more thankful than you could ever imagine when you told him you understood.

"labeling a relationship with you, general, would surely bring unwanted gossip."

a rather poor excuse to try and ease his mind, since you both would float around each other's orbit, but it still worked nonetheless. thus, the nameless, labelless, and unspoken relationship that everyone aboard the Luofu knew about grew.

"he's like a weed," you had told fu xuan when she was once again pleading with you to try and convince him to do his job behind his desk and not run around avoiding it. once successfully coerced, fu xuan admitted she had no idea how you could withstand his stubbornness. "he's persistent and tough to get rid of. i just kind of let him be after getting too tired of trying to fix my garden."

jing yuan was easily within earshot of the jab, whether you meant to hurt his ego or not, you did bruise it. how could you not when you were calling him a weed just 20 feet away from the very desk he was confined to?

time can be both noticed and unnoticed by long-life species. on one hand, the passing of time seems so endless it just flits by seamlessly. 100, 200 years are nothing short of youth to them. until you reach the gate of older age where you then worry about when the mara will eventually strike.

jing yuan did not speak much of his past to you, and you never found a reason to harp and pry on it. you knew more than enough from texts and scrolls recorded in the halls you were fortunate enough to work in; no need to reopen old wounds he is too stubborn to admit still bleed.

the general who cares for the luofu cannot decide if he fears being stricken with mara himself and slowly losing his sense of identity to the point he cannot recognize you, or you being marked as an enemy for him to strike down because the mara struck you first more. should the former ever come to pass, he has faith that what needs to be done will be and you will stay safe with yanqing.

now, as you stand in the seat of divine foresight with the newly arrived trailblazers from the express also occupying the office with jing yuan, you notice his hands neatly folded behind him.

a slight advantage to the many layers of clothes he puts himself through dressing every day is that his two-tailed half-cape that rested on his shoulders and flowed down to his hips can offer some peripheral coverage.

like clockwork, when you noticed his hands placed in the small of his back, you took half a step closer to his diagonal and placed the pads of your fingers in the middle of his open palm. his fists would never fully curl behind his back, left open and lazily sitting on top of each other.

jing yuan's shoulders would drop just a fraction- hardly noticeable to anyone even if they were looking directly at him- every time you did so. the tips of your fingers were warm, a reminder of the present and also a teether to not let his mind wander too far.

he could feel the callouses on them, the rough skin so accustomed to battle ingrained into the skin of your hands and it brought him such comfort. his eyes gently shut and a smile lifts his lips, not one to mask behind, but one brought about naturally.

and just like always, when he felt your fingertips push lightly into his palm, his hand opened further, fingers pulling apart before he was curling them into yours.

yes, the general of the luofu has a habit you've picked up on. but he has also picked up a new habit of waiting for you to hold his hand when they're behind his back.

[5targh0st]

NUMBER ONE GIRL

23. i gave my all (written)

prev // m.list // next

"Why are you so smiley?" Yeji asks, looking at you with an expression you can't quite read. It's almost as if she knows something you don't.

"I'm excited! I wrote this song and had a lot of fun doing it and the guys loved it." You say while brushing your hair, for some reason you want to look pretty tonight.

"So it's not about Yeonjun being there?"

"He was there last time," you try to defend yourself, " it's really not that big of a deal "

"I'm just saying," she smiles at your reflection in the mirror, "there's nothing wrong with liking someone."

"You think I like Yeonjun?"

"Doesn't matter what I think, but I feel like you need to hear it. It's totally fine if you like him, it's been amazing to see you all smiley and glowy again."

"What's that supposed to mean?" You ask genuinely confused. Sure, you'd been kinda off after breaking up with Sunghoon, but you wouldn't say it was that serious.

"It's been years since I've seen you this happy. You were fine with Sunghoon, but you weren't sparkling. Now, I'm not saying Yeonjun's like your soulmate or something like that, but you do have fun with him and there's just this aura around you... I'm probably not making any sense, but I just wanted to remind you that it's okay if you have feelings for him, or anyone else for that matter."

You want to ask why the sudden urge to say those things, but her phone rings and, judging by the big smile on her face, it probably is Felix so you smile at her and try to forget about it for the time being.

Getting ready to perform is still new to you, there's just so much going on and you can barely catch up. You can't be more grateful for the two idiots with you who, surprisingly, always seem to know what they're doing.

"Everything okay?" If there's one thing you've noticed about Hyunjin is how caring he is. He may always seem to be distracted or uninterested, but he's always looking out for those he cares about.

"Yeah," you try to sound convincing, "I'm just nervous, I guess."

"If you get anxious on stage, it sometimes helps to focus on something... or someone."

There's that same smile again. Hyunjin and Yeji are definitely on to something, but you don't get to ask about it before Jisung tells you to get going.

The view from the stage is one you'll never get used to. It's fun, of course it is, and you have a great time playing pretend with Hyunjin and Jisung, but you definitely feel way more comfortable being on the other side of the camera. This many people staring at you makes you feel anxious. You scan through the crowd, and see Sunghoon with Somi; he smiles at you awkwardly. You don't find in you to return the smile, but you do nod in his way.

And then you see him. Yeonjun is, just as he said, in the front row, next to his friends who are also cheering for you. You really appreciate Soobin's and Heesung's presence there, although you've just met them a handful of times, they look excited for you. However, you can't take your eyes off of Yeonjun.

Is it-

"You can do it!" Says Jisung with a hand on your shoulder.

Suddenly, you're more than aware of Sunghoon's eyes looking at you. It doesn't make sense for you to feel this anxious, you've done this a couple of times before and it was easy. Maybe because the first time you were pissed, and the second you were just a messenger for Hyunjin's feelings. Trying to sing something you wrote on your own was very different.

You're about to turn around, but you notice Yeonjun trying to catch your attention and gesturing for you to breathe deeply. You do as he tells you, mimicking his movements, and then you're unable to look in any other direction.

"Hi, everyone," your voice almost breaks. "We're still nameless but I'm sure you know my friends here so yeah. This is yet another original song and I'm personally proud of this one so I hope you enjoy it..."

You still feel weird. It's true that you already put an end to any negative feelings you had towards Sunghoon, but this is for you; for all of the months you spent wondering what you did wrong, for the time you lost blaming Sunghoon, for the guilt you felt, for your anger, your sadness, even your happiness. It's true that Sunghoon wasn't meant for you, that you've always worked better as friends, that he hurt you, that he made you happy, that he was there. This is a goodbye and a thank you.

And, still lost in someone's eyes, you think that maybe this is also a hello, a way to welcome new things to your life.

The song ends and your friends cheer, even Sunghoon smiles and, surprisingly, Somi looks like she's having fun. You don't stop to question anything. A sudden urge to see someone takes over you and you find yourself running to get off the stage and straight to someone, but something great in your way.

Minho is standing in front of you and he seems sad and apologetic. Under different circumstances, you'd feel bad for him, but right now you just want to see someone else.

"Can we talk?" he asks grabbing your wrist so you don't go away. "Please."

You don't want to waste time, and neither do you want to be cruel.

"You have five minutes."

"I'm sorry. For everything. I genuinely thought I was looking out for you, but I didn't have the right to tell you who to be friends with."

"No, you don't have any right."

"I want us to start over. I haven't been fair to you and I hurt your feelings. I'm really sorry, and I do understand that you may not forgive me right now, but I really hope you can at least think about it."

"Why? You never wanted to be my friend in the first place. You can't even stand me."

"I won't explain my feelings for you right now, I just wanted to apologize." He looks into your eyes and there's something there, some longing you don't understand. "If you decide to give me a chance, then we can discuss anything else."

You watch him turn around and get lost in the crowd. Why did he have to be this way? You just can't understand what he's trying to achieve, but you don't have the time to dwell on it cause, as soon as he's gone, Yeji hugs you and says how proud she is of you.

"You did amazing!" Says Karina excited.

"We have to celebrate." Maybe, but you know Felix is just looking for an excuse to spend more time with Yeji.

"We do," Yunjin, to no one's surprise, agrees, "but I think someone is waiting for you." She steps aside and you can finally see Yeonjun waiting for his turn to congratulate you.

It's endearing how he, as tall as he is, manages to look so tiny and awkward standing there as if your friends (specifically Minho's friends) were some kind of feral wolves ready to attack him.

You walk up to him and can't even hide the smile on your face, "Waiting for someone?" You ask playfully.

"Thought you'd never notice, you're quite popular." He smiles.

"What can I say? I'm a charmer like that."

He laughs and you laugh with him. Is it weird that you can't stop smiling whenever he's around? You can't be this happy all the time, right? Isn't something supposed to balance it out?

"What are you doing tomorrow night?" He asks trying to look serious.

"I still don't know."

"Don't make any plans, we have to celebrate your first song ever!" He looks so excited.

"Why not tonight? I think we're going to the club so you could come and maybe invite your friends."

"I wouldn't want to impose and I saw you with Minho earlier so I don't want to risk the chances of running into him again." He looks upset at the thought of even being in the same room as Minho.

"Fine," you give in, "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Great!" You don't expect it, but he gets dangerously close to your face and kisses your cheek.

Before you can even react, he runs away and you're only sure it happened because Yeji is looking at you surprised.

"Don't even mention it!" You say before she even gets the chance to tease you.

She walks back to Felix, and Hyunjin takes her place beside you.

"Ready to get absolutely wasted?" You hear Hyunjin's excitement and you decide that's exactly what you're gonna do.

"Of course!"

notes:

more drama 🤡

Minho was there because Chan invited him and no one seemed to have a problem with that

yn didn't talk to him tho, she still has a lot to think about

yn drunk texting yeonjun is entirely Hyunjin's fault lol

hope you enjoy it and I'm trying my best to keep a balanced pace but sometimes I get the feeling that it's kinda rushed

pls let me know what you think!

taglist: (35/50)

@estella-novella @poetryforthesad @lisaswifey @angelzforu @ihrtlix @gloriousqueenking @domfikeluva @circus-of-thoughts @conwunder @miniature-tragedy @jeonginplsholdmyhand @sh0dor1 @yourenzoo @tkshairband @realrintaro

[thatidiotsuds]

hey ,sorry to bother, but can you pls make a fic about John McTavish where he is off from work and a few weeks later he gets a call in the middle of the night by one of the men in 141 asking if he is okay ,because no one has heard from him in a while( while they talk softly trying not wake you , 141 did not know john had a partner , you wake up and he apologized) pls if you have time, and thx if you can. All love❤ .

Hey Alicia4674! 🎉 You’re my very first request, I hope you like this. Feel free to throw more requests my way— Hope you’re having an awesome day! 😄✨

John "Soap" MacTavish x Fem Reader

Secrets for Safety Reasons

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or images used in this work, nor do I claim any rights to them. GIF not mine

Warnings ⚠️: None, maybe grammatical and spelling errors 😅

Johnny "Soap" MacTavish was always a protective soul. If he were an animal, he’d be a Leonberger—loyal, strong, and always on guard. He might deny it, but deep down, he knew he was fiercely protective. Anticipating any possible danger was just part of who he was.

When Captain Price called him up during his daily training at the base gym to meet in his office, Soap felt a rush of hope. Maybe this was it. Price handed him a letter, and Soap’s heart raced as he read the words: he was finally relieved from duty and allowed to go home.

“Cheers, Captain,” he said, trying to keep his excitement in check as he made his way back to his chamber. He shut the door behind him, urgency coursing through him. Just like every time he was on leave, he quickly gathered his valuables, desperate to get back to you, his beloved wife, whom he hadn’t seen in far too long due to his missions.

He couldn’t wait to share stories of his adventures, leaving out the dangerous bits, of course. He knew you’d give him that disapproving look if you heard about the close calls. But he also knew you meant well; you loved him, and that was what mattered.

As he packed, he included some gadgets and tools he’d picked up during his missions, knowing how curious you’d be about them. A smile crept onto his face as he thought of your excitement. He placed his journal on top of the neatly folded clothes in his duffle bag and zipped it up.

After exchanging handshakes and hugs with his mates, he made his way home, leaving you a voice note on your nameless caller ID, the icon of a shampoo bottle making him chuckle. He kept his private life a secret, even from his closest friends. Not even Simon Riley knew he had a wife. The thought of the enemy finding out and coming after you made his stomach churn with anxiety.

That was why he chose to live in a small, secluded town in Scotland—somewhere hard to find but still accessible.

Once he landed and made it home, he spent every waking moment with you, showering you with kisses, even while you were cooking. He didn’t want you to leave his side; he just wanted you safe in his arms after being apart for so long. At home, he was the complete opposite of the serious, tough soldier everyone knew. He was clingy, affectionate, and playful, allowing himself to be vulnerable around you because his love for you was deeper than words could express.

Weeks later, one night, he woke up in a cold sweat, panting as memories and trauma from his missions crashed over him like a tidal wave. He shot up in bed, trying to calm his racing heart.

He glanced over to see you reaching for his hand in your sleepy state, and it made his heart flutter. Just then, his phone vibrated on the wooden surface of the bedside table. He picked it up and saw multiple missed calls and messages from his team. He quietly got out of bed and walked to the window, answering the call, knowing they must be worried since he hadn’t sent an update about his safe arrival.

“Hey, Lt.,” he said in a low, husky voice, careful not to wake you.

“Johnny, how’ve you been?” Ghost asked. “Garrick and Price have been trying to reach you for weeks.”

“I’ve... been busy, that’s all. A lot of things going on here at home,” he replied, glancing back at you as you shifted in bed.

“I’m glad you made it home. I’ll let the others know. Watch your six, alright?” Simon said.

“Cheers, Lt. You too, mate,” Soap replied with a small smile before hanging up. He placed the phone down on the nearest shelf and climbed back into bed, pulling you against him and kissing the top of your head, lingering there for a moment.

“Who was it?” you mumbled sleepily.

“Sorry to wake you, Bonnie. Just the lads checking in,” he reassured you softly. “Go back to sleep, love. I’m right here.”

With that, he settled back down, feeling the warmth of your presence beside him, and soon drifted off to sleep, comforted by the knowledge that you were safe.

---------------------------------------------Hope you like this fanfic, let me know if you have a request, feel free to send it over.

MASTERLIST

[blasphemousclaw]

i love how hornsent (npc) is unnamed and how it seems that in hornsent culture names are maybe are only for those of high rank (elder inquisitor jori is the only named hornsent, hornsent calls his family "mother, wife, and child" and refers to leda as "the woman" despite leda clearly having introduced herself to her other comrades and also announcing her name before the enir-ilim battle, but calls marika and miquella by their names, then calls messmer just "the impaler" before clarifying his name) and how it makes you address your ability to have compassion for someone who doesnt like you and doesnt want to be your friend and doesnt give his name. but also its so difficult to talk about hornsent (npc) and hornsent (people) because of this. do we call him the hornsent man??? do we keep going hornsent (npc) forever. to be clear i dont want to him to have a name but its so awkward..

yeah I think it’s super intentional that Hornsent doesn’t have a name; I don’t think it’s because that’s a part of hornsent culture tho because we do have a few other named hornsent of varying roles in society… in addition to Jori there’s also Curseblades Labirith and Meera, Divine Bird Warrior Ornis, and we don’t know if Romina and Midra are themselves hornsent but they’re at least culturally aligned with the hornsent… the Curseblades were not well regarded in hornsent society at all, and were in fact imprisoned before the time of Messmer’s invasion… so I do think that all hornsent did have names in the past, and the reason we don’t know a lot of them is more for thematic reasons

in one way I can see the lack of named hornsent as a testament to how thoroughly they’ve been decimated and erased from history, but I think even more importantly, we have to remember our character is grace-given, so living people like Hornsent and Hornsent Grandam have every reason to be suspicious of us and withhold their names! both respond to us in a very guarded and standoffish way, with good reason!

I also really like the idea that Hornsent no longer uses names from his past because his old self “died” in the fires alongside his family (@katyspersonal puts it really well in this post), like he’s making a choice to be nameless because he can never be that same person again! (also re: Leda I think he just didn’t care enough about her to use her name LOL)

but I 100% agree on the idea that the hornsent NPCs not having names is like, addressing your compassion as the player… these guys aren’t soft, weepy victims who are looking to be your friend… they’re angry, they’re hurting, and they want nothing to do with you! and why should they? their entire world was destroyed! I really dislike the attitude that if you’re not the “right” kind of victim, you clearly deserved everything you got. which is unfortunately how a lot of people have responded to the DLC

with all that said you’re so right that Hornsent just being called “Hornsent” is really confusing lol… I made a post somewhat recently about Hornsent not being able to heal (using the flasks of crimson tears) and like half the replies thought I was talking about ALL hornsent enemies healing lmaoooo it really is a problem… I try to differentiate by exclusively using capital-H Hornsent for our guy and lowercase-h for the hornsent as a whole because that’s how it is in game but it’s still not super distinct. oh well I guess I’ll have to keep typing Hornsent (guy)

[captaineyayah]

I’m starting to get kind of frustrated with all the negativity about the newest episodes of tlovm, so I’m throwing my two cents into the pile.

Now, to be entirely fair, this is coming from someone who hadn’t seen all of c1, but I have been loving the new season. Sure there are some things that aren’t perfect, but it hasn’t made my enjoyment any less.

Why is one of the big complaints I keep seeing about one scene outlining a bit of Ripley’s backstory? It’s not meant to make us feel bad for her, it’s to show the parallels between her and Percy. Both lost their family and people to a powerful force, both let vengeance consume them, but in the end they chose to go down separate paths. Percy gave up on his need for vengeance; Ripley chose to let it continue to consume her - Ripley is what Percy could have become.

In a similar vein, Percy showing mercy towards Ripley and trying to give her an opportunity to move past her vengeance is him continuing to move past his. He offers her that opportunity because that’s what Vox Machina did for him and he wants to give her that same opportunity.

Also, the chances of Percy being perma-dead are probably not that high. It’s such a massive change that affects everything else so heavily that I don’t think that’s something they’re going to do. But of course they’re not going to instantly try to resurrect him. Resurrection has been shown to not be as commonplace in this version of the story, and the only time it was attempted the only reason it succeeded is because a deal with the goddess of death was made. It is really unfortunate that it meant that Percy was absent from the Thordak fight, but I understand why it was done that way.

One grievance I do have is that they killed Kash cause I love his character and it surprised the hell out of me when it happened. However, I do also understand from a plot standpoint why it was done. If the only people dying in a huge stakes battle are just nameless soldiers, then it’s just not realistic no matter if shock value is a factor or not (still want them to bring him back, though, even if it don’t think it’s going to happen).

Having Scanlan not be dead-dead so soon after Percy was probably the right choice in my opinion. It would have just be treading on the same plot idea, so they’re obviously changing it and mixing it up like some of the other instances where a character should have died but didn’t.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but you can’t forget that this is a different medium to share the story so changes are going to have to be made - they said that going into the release of the first season years ago. These are decisions that are being made by the people who created these characters and their story, meaning what’s being changed most likely has a purpose.

[apoloadonisandnarcissus]

Has Galadriel already touched the darkness?

Yes. When? In this scene:

And she’ll have to deal with the consequences of it in Season 3.

Until this point she didn’t touch the darkness. Her being proud, rebellious or killing Orcs isn’t “touching the darkness”. From that point of view, every Elf was dark, which isn't the case. She's royalty, she's a princess, and behaves as such: of course she's arrogant, and proud, and thinks she's always right and can do whatever she wants. That's not being "dark". She enjoys power, and for others to bow down to her will, that's the reason why Sauron's temptation was to make her queen, because that's what she truly wants. And that D, but that's a question for another time.

The "darkness" in Tolkien lore is absolute corruption, and perversion of purpose and of Eru’s creation. It’s what Morgoth did to Mairon, and to every other Maia who became a servant of his.

We see the effects of darkness in both Mairon and Adar. Adar tell us a bit about this process, in 2x01: 

In the eldest of the Elder Days. Thirteen of us were chosen to be blessed of Morgoth's hand, with the promise of power. A new birth. I was led up to a dark and nameless peak. Chained and left. And after what seemed endless thirst and hunger...

And this is why Sauron cries in this scene: he’s recalling the “lovely time” he had being blessed by Morgoth’s hand.

Mairon being the worst case, here: he was a Maia of Aulë, as everyone must be aware by now. He fell prey to Morgoth’s seduction of promises of power, and betrayed the Valar, and eventually become Sauron.

How did Mairon became Sauron, you ask? Thousands of years of torture and corruption, where Mairon was broken, ripped apart and reshaped by Morgoth until all of his original Eru ordained purposes were reversed: loyalty became deceit; good became evil; order became control; perfection became domination; loyalty became deceit/treachery; and beauty turned into abomination.

We joked about “evil Barbie” and how Sauron gets more androgenous as he goes deep into evil, but this is also a side-effect of Morgoth’s corruption of him, actually. Because Aulë is suppose to be “macho man” on steroids (hyper masculinity). We see this with the Dwarves (Children of Aulë) too: both men and women are very masculine and have beards, and, according to Tolkien, it’s hard for outsiders to tell them apart.

The Children of Aulë are pretty much what we saw from Halbrand (Repentant Mairon) in Season 1. While Elves are "delicate beauty", these tough mountain dwellers are Dirty Hot beauty. So, I don't understand why so many in the Tolkien fandom expect the Maiar of Aulë to be any different, only more "angelic" looking.

OG Mairon would have looked something like this, but angelic instead of human:

Look at this freaking Dwarvish-inspired necklace! This is peak Mairon, the Maia of Aulë.

So, another one of the side effects of Morgoth’s corruption was the “feminization” of Mairon, and he'll get more androgynous as he goes deeper into evil. Meaning, Morgoth corrupted his hyper-masculinity, which raises some... strange questions.

So, yes, Halbrand/Mairon/Sauron is absolutely correct when he asks Galadriel “what do you know of darkness?” Because she’s acts like she does, but doesn’t. At all.

“Touching the darkness” is what happened to the Sons of Fëanor, during the quest for the Silmarils, and it involved endless bloodshed, kinslaying, etc. And at the end, Maglor and Maedhros were so corrupted by darkness they couldn’t even hold the jewels on their hands, anymore. Galadriel knows nothing of this, because she never done things like this.

[mychlapci]

https://www.tumblr.com/mychlapci/767233344873316352/thinking-about-runaway-bride-tfa-optimus-imagine

Oughhhhhh this is getting at my wedding kink (idk even know if that’s a thing, but for some reason I love the idea of bots getting married and fucked in their wedding dresses)

I have an idea… maybe after TFA Megatron escapes, he manages to grab Optimus on the way. Optimus thinks he’s just getting revenge or will be executed, but it turns out Decepticons like to kidnap and then marry those who have bested them in combat. (Strika and Lugnut’s wedding was very romantic to the Decepticons, with Lugnut in chains and swooning during their ceremony.)

So Optimus is still being held prisoner, but it’s also humiliating the way he’s being pampered and treated like he matters by Megatron.

Eventually he’s put into a wedding dress which fits him perfectly and emphasizes all his curves, decked out in crystal jewelry and gold, and carried down the aisle by his new fiancé to their consort ceremony. It’s a beautiful event full of Decepticons, and even the front seats have his closest friends (in stasis cuffs and kidnapped for the ceremony, but it’s the thought that counts right?)

Who is Optimus to tell him no? To pledge himself to this warlord, and soon after loosing his seals and squealing to him while in his wedding clothes (or maybe even the lingerie under the wedding dress…)

Sorry this isn’t longer, I wanted to but my period is a cruel mistress… making me horny then unable to write it down >:(

-Nameless Anon

oooh you can call it wedding kink. i just say i have a thing for brides. because i sure do. tfa megop are perfect for it. i love it when Optimus gets caught up in weird decepticon courting culture. soooo, i’m thinking, he kicked Megatron’s ass, which means that Megatron, to regain respect of his troops, has to snatch him up and make him his bride. that’s how it works, in fact, decepticons rarely get married in the old fashioned, autobot way, with the flirting and the lovey dovey feelings. Decepticons much more prefer simply grabbing whoever it is that you want to turn into your carrier and if you manage to hold them until the wedding is finished, it’s fully, entirely official!

you’d think that just because Optimus is so small and surrounded by ‘Cons, he’d be easy to restrain and marry, but god he proves himself to be such a nuisance. Megatron does nothing but pamper him and give his bride distance, but he still keeps trying to escape… the wedding has to be quickly hurried on, before Optimus manages to humiliate him a second time. also i like to think Megatron is trying and failing to cheer Optimus up by kidnapping and seating his friends in the front row. they’re all tied up and gagged and Optimus fears for their life, while Megatron is all smug like… Hell yeah, figured it out, autobots like friends = friends make them happy = happy autobots don’t try to run.

but onto the wedding night… i need Megatron to start ripping Optimus’ dress to shreds in order to get to the goods underneath. He startles at the lingerie that Optimus was put into, against his will of course, hard spike popping out immediately, and i need him to peel the panties off with his teeth. his little autobot came gift-wrapped for him, how could he not indulge himself?

Optimus squirms and kicks and punches his shoulders, but he’s getting hot. Megatron is so big and he’s unstoppable and he’s going to fuck him and Optimus is into it, for some goddamn reason. the fact that he has no choice, that Megatron is simply going to take what he wants, that Optimus doesn’t have to face his own shame regarding saying yes… it’s perfect. best wedding night ever. and he’s a virgin bride too, hrghh, Megatron will enjoy pushing his spike through fresh seals for the first time in millennia. they should fuck all night until Optimus’ pretty wedding dress is in pieces all over the bed and the floor.

[kandadze]

The death of the nameless guard in FoF ep 1

I was planning on including this in my bigger meta on deaths in FoF, especially since it's shown in juxtaposition to the death of the bunny demon WX caught earlier in the episode, but seeing that I'm here anyway...

I think that especially on the first watch, this senseless death, basically a kill in cold blood to make a point, is understandably considered a serious flaw in ZYZ's characterization overall. I also think that on the first watch, and in the very first episode, we're *supposed* to be disturbed by this. We're *supposed* to sit there with our mouths gaping open, going, what the fuck, man? Because in ep 1, ZYZ is supposed to look and feel and *be* the villain. We shouldn't forget that this is a powerful being who ZYC must hate for a good reason; oh sure he folds like a wet tissue when WX knifes him later, hahaha, great demon who? but she's the only one he allows to treat him like this, and we need to remember how terrifying this guy could be, if he chose to - he can literally kill someone by crooking his finger at them.

Cool motive still murder? Sure it is. The great demon killed a human being in cold blood. A few blocks down the road, the Chongwu Camp killed a defenseless bunny demon, also in cold blood.

Now what I didn't quite think of on my first watch, but realize is pretty obvious now, is that we need to look at the context of where we are when ZYZ makes his point so drastically, which will help us realize that there's (at least) one key difference between the bunny and the nameless guard (or at least the one difference I'm going to focus on). Our nameless guard is *not* a defenseless petty criminal, or a random human who just waltzed in from the street. (Like, y'know, not to look far, those patients who stepped into WZY's clinic that just happened to be situated above a dungeon full of captive demons.) He's a guy who signed up to work for a Demon Hunting Bureau. His *job* is to hunt - and often to kill, no doubt - demons. Right at the time ZYZ taunts ZYC with his powers, this guard, along with 15 others, is at the ready to step in and help ZYC to subdue the great demon, by any means necessary. Our nameless guard should know the risks of this line of job - how easy it is to turn from hunter to prey; heck, he probably signed a Tiandu equivalent of a safety waiver.

So, was this guy's death untimely? Sure it was. Was it senseless? No more than the bunny's. The difference is, even so early in the story, and painted as the villain, ZYZ didn't kill a civilian. For all intents and purposes, he killed a fantasy equivalent of a border patrol officer, who was ready to kill *him*.

(I have more thoughts but I think I got my point across. Off to gif stuff.)