#who only wanted someone to love her enough to kill her

[bitters-n-sweets]

she's a menace — jack abbot x fem!reader While celebrating a coworker's birthday at a bar, Jack Abbot gets distracted watching his girlfriend dancing and turning heads.

warnings: suggestive content (minors go away), spicy, we love a supportive king (jack) masterlist

It's girls' night.

Meaning your dress is too short, and your heels are too high—but you feel amazing. You and your girls had pre-gamed at a bar earlier, and now on your way to the 2nd bar.

You needed this. A night to let go. A night to dance and drink overpriced cocktails and scream-laugh in a bathroom stall with your friends over absolutely nothing.

The bar is crowded, pulsing with music and low light, and when you spot the familiar silhouette at the other end, your heart does a small, surprised flip.

Jack.

He’s here. At this bar. Of all nights.

He hasn't spotted you yet, but you can see he's having a great time with his co-workers. Langdon is there, Collins too, and for once Robby is laughing without a care in the world. You want to say hi, but your friends are already dragging you to the dance floor. Besides, you're curious what he’ll do when he finally notices you.

But Jack’s already noticed.

He’s been stealing glances since you walked in, pretending not to look too long as you twirl and laugh under the flashing lights. Your dress clings in all the right places, dipping perfectly to show your cleavage, hugging every line of your body like it was stitched for sin.

Jack’s heart stutters.

The way you move isn’t for anyone in particular, but it damn well feels like a siren call—slow, confident, sensual. The dress rides up slightly as you spin, and your thigh peeks out just enough to make his breath catch.

If it weren't for Langdon calling for his attention, he would've jumped you by now.

"Yo Abbot— Damn," he whistles, "Someone’s out to kill tonight."

"You're tellin' me." Jack mutters, a proud yet hungry smile etched across his lips, "My girl knows how to put on a show, alright."

"Wait, that's your girl??" Langdon follows his gaze.

Jack nods once.

"I don't believe it." Javadi says.

"And you let her dress like that when you’re not around?"

Jack’s expression doesn’t change. "I don’t let her do anything. She can dress however she wants."

Langdon raises a brow. "Alright, modern man."

Jack sets down his glass and says calmly with a smirk, "Besides, she knows who she belongs to."

The table goes in waves of "oooh"s and whistles for half a second before someone murmurs, "Damn, okay," and they all take another shot.

Back on your side of the bar, you’re oblivious to the murmurs about you, caught up in the music and the high of the night. You wander to the bar for another drink, separated from your group for just a moment, when an uninvited man decides to make his move on you.

A guy—tall, clearly drunk, and way too confident. "Hey, beautiful," he slurs. "You look like you could use some company."

"No thanks." You say curtly.

He laughs and leans in closer anyway, eyes dropping to your dress. "You whores always try to play hard to get..."

Then his hand reaches out—fingers grazing your lower back.

He doesn’t get far.

A hand closes around his wrist, firm and alert.

"Hey, buddy—" the guy starts to protest, turning slightly, only to find himself face-to-face with your lover.

"You should walk away." Jack says with the kind of presence that makes everything in the room feel suddenly still.

The guy scoffs. "And who the fuck are you, old man?"

"I'm her man." Jack says proudly.

The guy lets out a sharp laugh. "You??"

Jack tilts his head, smile slow and cool. "Yeah. Me."

He steps in like he’s trying to size Jack up. "Why don't you go play hero somewhere else?"

"Last chance." Jack exhales once. "Back away."

Instead of listening, the guy sneers and reaches to you again—like he’s about to brush against your hip.

That’s when Jack moves.

He grabs the guy’s wrist mid-motion and twists. Not enough to do damage. Just enough to send pain shooting through the idiot’s arm.

The guy chokes out a curse, dropping back, eyes wide now.

Jack leans in slightly, stares at him like looks could kill. "You don’t want to find out what I’d do next. Now walk away."

And this time, he does. Muttering while rubbing his wrist, vanishing into the crowd.

"Hi, hero."

"Hey, trouble." He smirks, hands draping around your waist, making sure he covers the area that asshole tried to touch you. "You okay?"

"Mm-hmm," you hum. "That was kinda hot."

Jack chuckles, "Oh, honey, you're drunk."

"Yes I am," You confirm. "So what are you doing here, handsome?"

"Donnie's birthday," Jack explains, "we're celebrating. Wanna come say hi?"

"Of course." You smile.

As you approach the table, conversation dips for a beat before Santos lets out a low whistle. "No way. This is your girl, Abbot?"

Jack doesn't answer, just gently pulls you closer and kisses you to make a point. His hand settles just above the curve of your ass, thumb brushing slow circles while you lean into him.

Langdon raises his brows. "My mind is blown right now. How'd you convince her to put up with you?"

"He didn't," you say sweetly, crossing one leg over the other. "I just like a man who can handle power tools, bruised ribs… and knows exactly what he’s doing in bed."

Jack nearly chokes on his drink, and the group erupts with laughter and a few scandalized woo-hoos. He clears his throat, glancing at you with a half-smirk. “Remind me to keep you away from tequila.”

You say goodbye to Jack's coworkers and your friends—they all had their jaws on the floor when they finally saw Jack in the flesh. With screams of "you go get it girl" and "someone's gettin' some tonight" following you out, you finally leave the bar, ears flushed, heart hammering in your chest.

You take a deep breath, finally breathing cool, fresh air. Jack's given you his jacket, like the gentleman he is, and now you're walking home, hand in hand.

"You okay walking? Want me to carry you?" Jack asks, glancing sideways.

You shake your head. "Need to walk off the alcohol anyway."

He hums, "So how was your night?"

"Fun!" you say brightly, then wrinkle your nose, "Until that asshole tried touching me. Ugh."

"I'm sorry, sweetheart." Jack says, kissing your hand.

"It's okay, you were there to save me. And you made it all okay." You smile, draping his arm around your shoulders. "Though maybe it’s the dress. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn this."

"No, no, we're not gonna do that." Jack stops walking. "You said no, and he didn't listen, he's an ass, and karma will get him one day."

You hum, though Jack can tell you're still not convinced.

Jack turns to you and gently cups your cheek, his thumb grazing along your jaw. "Sweetheart. You can dress any way you like. You look stunning tonight. You always do."

You smile softly. "Okay."

His mouth curls into that slow, grinch-like smirk you know too well. "Besides... I love being the one to take off those clothes once you're done showing off."

Your gasp, then narrow your eyes playfully. "Is that a threat, Dr. Abbot?"

"Oh, baby," he says, sliding his hand from your cheek to the back of your neck, "That’s a promise."

----

a/n: kill me now || side note I have like 5 drafts all wip about this man, so help me god

[callsign-fox]

Lady Radiance - Bob/Sentry

Pairing: Bob/Robert Reynolds/Sentry x Fem!Reader/Superhero

No warnings, jealous/protective Bob xo

Thanks for all the love! <3

The elevator doors slid open with a soft ding, and Sam strode in first, followed by Joaquin Torres, and a surprise guest—none other than Thor himself, all golden armor, broad shoulders, and windswept hair, commanding the room with his sheer size and godly presence.

Y/N looked up from where she was lounging on the couch between Bob and Yelena, a half-finished drink in hand. Her eyes crinkled as she spotted Sam. “Brought guests?”

Sam grinned as he crossed the room. “Figured it was time to do some introductions.” He motioned casually behind him. “You’ve met Joaquin, and this—well, this is our resident thunder god.”

Thor stepped forward with all the confidence of someone who had stopped alien invasions and bench-pressed planets. His eyes landed on Y/N like a spotlight. “And who might you be, Lady Radiance?” he asked, voice deep and silky with a grin that could shatter worlds.

Bob sat up a little straighter on the couch, hand tightening on the armrest.

Y/N chuckled, rising smoothly to her feet. “Y/N. No title necessary.”

Thor arched an eyebrow as if offended by the idea. “A shame. One such as you should be worshipped, not left untitled.” He took her hand in his large one and brushed a slow, dramatic kiss across her knuckles.

Bob was on his feet so fast the couch cushions shifted.

Yelena muttered without looking up from her phone, “Here we go.”

Sam tilted his head toward Bob and let out a low, “Oh boy.”

Before Y/N could gently pull her hand back, Bob stepped in between her and Thor—not aggressive, but the message was crystal clear. His shoulders were squared, his body language radiating that rare, focused intensity that only came out when it really mattered.

“Easy there, big guy,” Bob said, his voice calm but tight.

Thor blinked at him in amusement. He was a full head taller, but that didn’t seem to shake Bob in the slightest. “And you are…?”

“Bob,” he said flatly. “And Lady Radiance is already spoken for.”

Y/N crossed her arms and tilted her head, a smirk tugging at the corner of her mouth as she watched the exchange.

Thor glanced between the two of them. Y/N’s small frame was barely visible behind Bob, who now stood like an immovable wall between her and a literal god. “Is that so?” Thor said, a teasing lilt in his tone.

Y/N’s hand landed on Bob’s shoulder. “Easy, hotshot,” she said softly, the affection in her voice immediate and grounding.

Bob didn’t budge, not right away. He didn’t even look at her. His eyes were locked on Thor’s, protective instinct written all over his expression—like he’d throw himself into the sun before letting anyone so much as flirt with her.

Y/N stepped out from behind him, pressing her palm gently against his chest and curling her fingers into the fabric of his shirt to bring him back to her.

“Bob,” she whispered, catching his eyes. “It’s okay.”

From the couch, Yelena smirked. “You’re not the only god on the team anymore, Thor.” She winked without looking up. “I think you two should fight so we can find out who the strongest Avenger is.”

Y/N shot her a look. “Yelena—”

But she only shrugged. “What? I’d put money on Bob. Quiet ones always snap.”

Y/N turned her eyes back to the two men. “As much as I’d love to see that matchup,” she said, smirking again, “we just got this place looking nice again. If you two get blood on the new floors, Valentina will actually kill you.”

Bob finally let out a breath through his nose, just enough of the tension draining from his frame that his shoulders lowered a fraction. Thor let out a loud, booming laugh.

“She’s fierce,” Thor said, eyes crinkling at the corners. “I see why you guard her like a dragon’s hoard.”

Y/N grinned and tilted her head up at Bob. “He doesn’t have to guard me. He just wants to.”

Bob wrapped his arm around her waist then, pulling her in without needing to say a word. He kissed her temple with a quiet intensity that made her heart flutter.

“I do,” he murmured against her skin.

Thor clapped Bob on the shoulder, a hearty thud that nearly knocked him off balance. “Then you’ve chosen well, Bob of Earth.”

Yelena shook her head. “Damn, I really wanted to see them fight.”

Y/N rolled her eyes fondly and turned into Bob’s side, leaning close until her lips were near his ear. “You were really about to fight the God of Thunder for me?” she whispered, voice warm and teasing.

Her arms slipped around his neck as she rose up on her toes, pressing her forehead gently to his.

Bob gave a quiet huff of laughter, his hands settling firmly around her waist like she was something priceless he wasn’t letting go of. “I’m not going to lie,” he murmured, his voice low and honest, “I was a little nervous. He’s got lightning. I’ve got… new powers I can barely control, and anxiety.”

Y/N burst out laughing, nose brushing his. “You have way more than that. You’ve got heart. Loyalty. Ridiculously good abs.”

He flushed, smiling sheepishly before leaning in as if drawn by gravity. “And you,” he said simply.

She kissed him then, soft and lingering, like the rest of the room had melted away. One of his hands slid up, cupping her cheek with that same gentle admiration he always gave her—like she was something rare, and he still couldn’t quite believe she was real.

“Alright, alright!” Yelena called from the couch, lobbing a pillow at them with pinpoint accuracy. “Can you not make out in the common area? Some of us are emotionally repressed and trying to watch The Great British Bake Off.”

Y/N pulled away with a laugh, forehead still resting against Bob’s. He chuckled too, their eyes meeting like the world hadn’t just paused for a moment.

And just like that, they both started laughing—soft, warm, shared—and didn’t stop.

[sparkles-rule-4eva]

Thinking about this scene again, because do y'all understand??

This scene is one-of-a-kind.

This scene will never happen again.

And we could never, I mean never, get a scene like this in the games.

Because what do you mean Sonic and Shadow sat quietly together and genuinely talked about their trauma?

There was none of the banter that the game versions typically share. None of the pettiness or trying to outdo one another. None of the preconceived notions of each other's personalities that barred their potential friendship.

This scene, and those that followed, was what made the movie dynamic between these two my favorite, tied only with Sonic Prime.

This scene is quiet, tranquil, surprisingly so; considering only moments before this they were fighting to the death and Sonic nearly beat Shadow to death with his bare hands, and Shadow had wanted him to do it.

This scene is haunted with grief. But it's also brimming with raw, honest emotion. Seeing that kind of mood in a scene with just these two is absolutely amazing.

However talkative our little Sonic Wachowski can be, it was Shadow who broke the silence here. Sonic was understandably shaken by his own behavior, but still. He told Shadow the one simple thing, the reason he hadn't killed him when he easily could've: "There are no winners with revenge." And then he fell silent.

The way they sat silently, each lost in their own memories and grief, either staring at the ground or the stars.

Shadow broke the silence. It had provided the opportunity for open, honest communication. He was already his own mess, having seen what Sonic was going through. He'd initially used it to justify his own behavior, saying that Sonic had no right to fault him for dealing with his pain the way he was, since Sonic was making the same choices. Except in the end, when it really mattered, Sonic did make the right choice. He set the example on accident.

Completely isolated from anything that could possibly interrupt them, in literal space, Shadow finally had the freedom to share his trauma with someone who understood. Someone who'd lost his own loved one, and was in the position of possibly losing another. Shadow didn't ask for answers at first. He simply shared the memory of sitting with Maria under the stars, like they were in the present. He expressed his side in a way that no longer tried to justify it. He just said it as it was.

"I've felt this pain for so long... it's all I know."

Sonic didn't immediately try to correct him. He didn't even say that there was a better way, in that moment. Instead, he empathized with him. He understood. He validated him, without justifying all the violent things Shadow had done.

"When I lost Longclaw, I felt the same way."

And with that, Shadow had it in stone that Sonic had been through the same thing. So he asked a simple, quiet, invisibly desperate question.

"Did your pain eventually go away?"

They still weren't looking at each other. They were sharing some of the deepest, most painful parts of themselves with one another. The words were vulnerable enough, to the point eye contact would've been too much. But the words were the most important part.

Sonic barely hesitated when he replied, "No." He wasn't going to pretend or lie. There was no reason to, no point, and all the walls he'd previously had up were torn down by the day's events. But he did have something to share. It had been likely around 12-13 years since Longclaw died, and even though Sonic had been so young when it happened, he had taken something away from it all. To the present day, he had continued to honor her memory by trying to make her proud in how he lived.

He expressed that in the beginning of the second movie. He timidly asked Tom if she'd be proud early in this same movie. It had never stopped being important to him.

Because he'd loved her. And that was the lesson he shared with Shadow, pulled straight from his own painful experiences. It wasn't even a "live the way she would've wanted" type of encouragement. It was "you loved her and she loved you. So focus on that. Hold onto that memory." He didn't give false reassurances by saying the pain would eventually fade, because he knew firsthand that it wouldn't. He simply gave him a different focus.

And Shadow listened. He took it silently, and just as he was processing the new perspective with a kind of wonder in his eyes, the sun rose.

This kind of honest, deep-seated conversation could've only happened in this universe, simply because Game!Sonic doesn't have a confirmed backstory and isn't really allowed to open up like that. This is where the lack of mandates on the SCU makes for beautiful opportunities like this.

This wasn't an exchange between rivals. This was a heart-to-heart between two young boys with similar trauma. Something that connected them and became the foundation for their friendship.

The idea of rivalry is barely addressed in this movie, and I love it. Whatever banter they share as they fight alongside each other later is all friendly and lighthearted, paired with smiles and excitement.

Shadow confessed that he'd felt like he had no choice in the things he'd done, but he phrased it in a way that made it clear that he knew now he'd been wrong.

Even so, Sonic— in classic fashion— extended an open hand to him and told him the simple, profound truth: "You always have a choice."

Better yet, even though they still had a mess to clean, neither of them would be facing it alone. And with their friendship finally established, they were able to move forward.

Again. This scene was perfect. The honesty, raw emotion, open communication, and shared past between these two, as opposed to their strained dynamic in other universes, will always stand out to me, and among many reasons will always be a reason I love these movies so deeply.

don't tag as ship or i'll sell your elbows to the dark web

[midnite-c6]

heyy i can pls request a thanos and namgyu x reader, where thanos is readers step and brother and namgyu is his friend who had come over for a sleepover? maybe the reader accidentally does something wrong and they decide to punish her. <3

sorry im usin' your request for an idea i got that's like it, but it's only nam-gyu with thanos's sister! :0lowkey namgyu starts off gentle in this one (this is finally leaving the drafts!!)

nam-gyu x thanos'sister!reader warnings: 18+, dumbification, degradation, lowkey hate sex, DUBCON, filthy!nam-gyu, outside of the games, no proofread

•⁠⊂⁠ ⁠*⁠.⁠✧ shock. that's what he felt when he found out thanos had a sister. because why would someone who's rooted with such a deep mysogyny had any mother figure in his life? he also felt a tinge of sympathy, because he'd also feel bad if a person like him had a sister.

but you were tough, just like your brother su-bong, you had a fighting spirit, and you talked back. everytime he'd see you bickering with thanos, everytime you'd walk out the bathroom in just a towel, right infront of nam-gyu's eyes to see, thanos wouldn't miss to comment "you're really trying to flash my good ol' buddy over here?" or "cover up, slut! you're givin' nam-su a boner!" you'd spit back, "please! you're sluttier than me, don't forget it!" a finger flipping both of them as you walk to the other room of the small, cramped apartment, sharing an apartment with your brother wasn't on your list, you're tough, but the economy's downfall is tougher. "plus, nam-su, no fucking looking!" you add, and it was the hottest thing someone could do. he's almost puppy-eyed, though he shakes it off, it just gave him a better motivation-- to fuck that attitude out of you. and he does have a hard-on now.

nam-gyu was driven by motivation, to get something he wants, he plans every second on how to get to that point. so when your not-beloved brother decided to go out to by more alcohol, nam-gyu was practically jumping to see you. opening your room, (there was only one room besides the common area and bathroom, and you fought su-bong tooth and nail to get it.) seeing you laying on your bed, still in your towel, and on your phone, holding it up to get some signal since your not-beloved brother forgot (didn't have any money) to pay for the internet cable.

you'd look up, like you were grateful you were seeing anything but the constant loading screen of your phone, giving him an automatic glare. "no. get out." and in response, he only chuckles, he's not downplaying how he's so fucking good at getting under girls' pants. "oh, please, you look like you haven't felt anything in years."

you raise a brow. "seriously? i'll die before i let my brother's friend touch me." then die. he thinks, but he doesn't really wanna scare you off, not a pretty little thing like you. even though the words were the exact opposite, he'd take it as an invitation to come inside, you weren't far, the room's small enough. "yet you still haven't worn any clothes? your brother was right." you'd sit up, was this motherfucker for real? "i can have him kill you, you know." wow, you were just like him. "i don't think your brother cares whether i touch or fuck your brains out, you think that too, i'm sure." "i don't think you understand that i don't fucking care what you think, and i don't wanna fuck you." but they both, you hate to say it, were right, why else would you be wearing towels in-front of a grown man?

this time he'd actually jump on you, his silver chain necklace would hit your face slightly, making you wince, as he's got you caged underneath him, "let's test that, yeah?"

～つ⁠｡⁠☆

you'd try and flip him over, but obviously it didn't move him. at all. but it just gave him the 'yes' you would have never wanted to say, "let me-" he grips your jaw, tighter, to warn you, but not to shut you up, he loves when you'd speak back. "what? you're still the one under me, bitch." he spits out, just like how you talk back. in a swift motion, removing your easy-access towel, spitting on your cunt and you whine, a hint of submission. "you won't even fuck me that good." your words were venom, each time, but he deserves it, it motivates him just enough to prove something. "don't care." casual delivery, but there was nothing casual about how his dick was already twitching dreaming for you. he unzips his pants, pull down his boxers, already lining up to enter. "fuckin' idiot! i need prep!" you're ignored. "i'm not treating you like..." he'd just stare at your pussy, holding his aching dick. you'd moan as you feel his tip ghosting over your hole, "a princess, you aren't one, you're a common whore, yet ya' know that, right?" "you don't know a fucking thing about me."

and then-- it slid, the only lube being his spit, immediately hitting your cervix. it hurt. dragging his cock longer than he should inside you, his dick the perfect size to hit every spot that itches, no prep, but you get used to it, just like a proper and good slut, you knew how to handle dick, atleast his dick, now proven and tested. suddenly you know how to moan his name correctly, without any talking back.

it wasn't new to him, fucking a girl until he sluts them out, fuck their brains out until they only remember him, what's new was he reminded you of thanos, of his best friend, and maybe that's something he'd discover for himself. ～⁠ˆ⁠｡⁠☆

still dommy namgyu but wanted a kinda dom- reader too! and... hello sweeties time to hiatus for another half a year ... i honestly liked this concept :3

[jammatown919]

I need to see Sammy happy again.

Like, it's genuinely heartbreaking to me seeing how grief and trauma have changed her. We were introduced to her as this happy-go-lucky, cheerful, positive person who had so much faith in her loved ones and wanted to be friends with everybody. And she still is that person, deep in her heart, but she's so hurt right now that she feels like a shell of the Sammy we met in Camp Cretaceous.

She's so much more anxious about her relationships. Her positivity becomes less and less genuine and more and more of a means to cope with being alone for so long. She's become so used to people not being there for her that, right now, the only way she knows how to put herself first is to stop trying with these people.

A healthy Sammy would be more willing to try to understand Brooklynn. A healthy Sammy wouldn't willingly separate from Yaz on uncertain terms (and frankly I believe a healthy Yaz would've been kinder during their arguments but that's a topic for later). A healthy Sammy would hear "family is always there for each other" and be like "hell yeah we are" and get in the car to go to Malta.

But she's spent probably around a year with NO ONE there for her. Whatever happened with her family is clearly affecting her deeply. Yaz, despite her good intentions, did leave her behind without enough explanation or reassurance. Her friends clearly haven't been checking up on her. Brooklynn died, then came back, then willingly left her.

She's been sitting with this loneliness and pain for so long, and the second she's around people again and maybe starts feeling a little better about her connections with her friends, she gets hit in the face with the brick that is Brooklynn. So, she hears "family is always there for each other" about this person who just hurt her and she thinks "are you fucking kidding me?" because where was that attitude when she was alone on a ranch wrangling BEN'S dinosaur, fighting with a nasty neighbor, and drowning her loneliness in random hobbies she picked up to fill the void?

She doesn't want things to be like this. She doesn't want to be split up from all her friends, on weird terms with Yaz, cut off from her family, or even to be apart from Brooklynn. But she doesn't know what else to do. She needs so badly for someone to just tell her "you're right to be angry, I'm sorry, I hear you", and right now Kenji is kind of the only one doing that, so he's the only one she can be around.

And that KILLS me. I need to see this woman get her support system back. I need season four to at least partially be Sammy's season. Season four save her.

[evenfallreads]

evenfall's aftg masterlist

evenfall's aftg fics

(the masterlist's pretty much just have mood board's in them along with me talking about the au and throwing ideas around)

to be buried six feet under || presumed dead nathaniel au - au masterlist - let bygones be bygones ⇏ [🖋 ♥ ● ] [Nathaniel is both the best and the worst thing that has ever been given to Mary and Nathan, is the one to get injured as he tries to protect his brother and is left to watch strapped to the medical bed as Jean and Kevin leave the Nest. The first time that he allows himself to act selfish is when he joins the foxes.]

to be a fox || neil klose au - au masterlist - teach me how to be a fox ⇏ [♥ ●] - (currently working on it) ⚠ [🖋 ♥ ●🗡] [Nathaniel is brought to death's door at his father's hands when he is 14 years old, after Nathan is cast away by Kengo. Stuart is able to save his nephew on time, but not having the heart to look at the boy who has lost his memories he ends up sending him to Germany instead. There, after an unfortunate accident, Neil finds himself getting adopted by the Klose family.]

those of fortune || fortune/chaos au - au masterlist - misfortune of the fortunate (rewrite) ⚠ [🖋 ♥ ●] - misfortune of the fortunate ones (old version - being rewritten) [In a world where humans are put into different classes based on their core energies, Nathaniel is a child of dusk, a part of the rarest class. Joining the foxes, a group mostly consisting of children of night and dawn is like a death wish for someone like him. Yet he still takes his chances, knowing that he'd rather die than let go of Exy, the only thing that makes him alive after all that he had been through.]

if we have eachother || mamma betsy & abby au / andreil different first meeting au - au masterlist - never letting you go ⚠ [♥ ● 🗡] - night's filled with hot choco and peach tea ⚠ [♥ ●] - little oasis [● 🗡] - never letting you go old version [Mary kills Nathan before leaving with little Abram, soon enough leaving the boy in the care of a friend of hers who ends up brining Nathaniel to an orphanage after Mary ghosts them. Neil is put into foster system soon enough, and in one of the houses he finds himself befriending Andrew. Soon enough, they both decide to protect one another from the rest of the world.]

all for the menu || the menu & raven nathaniel au - au masterlist - the fox trap ⇏ [● 🗡☁︎] [Nathaniel was never supposed to go to a remote island with Master and a couple of other Raven's as Riko's date, but after Riko's date dumps him and he can't go alone if he want's to impress his father, Nathaniel has no choice but to dress up as his 'girlfriend'.]

blood stained bare teeth || spies & hackers au - au masterlist - to hunt a rabbit ⚠ [🗡] - (planned) [♥ ] [The foxes are hired by Stuart Hartford to find the whereabouts of his nephew and to protect him, which is easier said then done.]

was there any truth to it, to the pipe dream that you once were? || andreil soulmates au - au masterlist - more than just a pipedream [♥ ● ☁︎] - (currently working on it) ⚠ [♥ ● 🗡☁︎] [Everyone had different marks left on their soul by their other half, something that bound the two souls to one another. And Nathaniel, he had his dreams.]

we can meet again somewhere, somewhere far away from here || espers & guides au - au masterlist - promises better left unkept ⚠ [♥ ● 🗡☁︎ ] - (planned) ⚠ [♥ ● 🗡☁︎] [In a world where dungeons, esper's and guide's exist, Neil is an esper who is hiding from the government with no memories of his past, while Andrew is an official guide of the foxes, who is searching for a boy named Abram, whom he can only remember the name of.]

we ain’t angry at you love, you’re the greatest thing we’ve lost || foxes time travel au - au masterlist - till forever falls apart ⚠ [♥ ● 🗡☁︎] [Neil dies in Baltmore, crawling in a desperate attempt to get to his foxes till his last breath. His foxes, who grieve him for years, who one day wake up in the past and decide to protect the redhead this time around.]

i'm on the run with you, my sweet love || runaway andreil au - au masterlist - when one door closes (another opens) [🖋 ♥ ● ☁︎] - (working on it) ⚠ [🖋 ● 🗡 ☁︎] [AJ takes Neil’s hand and leaves behind the Spears when he is only 10 years old. Now after having been placed under witness protection for four years, they join the Foxes of Palmetto State University.]

mary & nathan role reversal au - au masterlist [≡ ♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎]

the martian au - au masterlist [≡ ♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎] [when he is just a kid, nat meets matt on the rooftop of the apartment him and his mother has been living in for a while. they are quick to become friends, and when matt shares his dreams with the younger boy, they soon become neil's too. their dreams are what ends up saving them in the end, giving them a much better future than the one that had been promised to them due to the life they had been born into.]

highschool/apocalypse/time travel au - au masterlist [≡ ♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎] [neil josten is the last man standing at the end of the world, surrounded by millions of zombies with no way out. when he closes his eyes he doesn't expect to open them once again, but when he does he finds himself 5 years in the past.]

normal & trans neil josten au - au masterlist [≡ 🖋 ♥ ● ☁︎] [neil josten is a nobody that finds himself in millport after running away from home. He decides to join his schools exy team after the coach finds him sleeping in the lockers, being in the wrong place at the right time. that all changes when david wymack comes to recruit him for the foxes along with kevin day and andrew minyard.]

transmigrator au - au masterlist [≡ 🖋 ♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎] [neil finds himself in the body of a side character that is going to die soon enough just for the sake of plot development.]

nobody's son, nobody's daughter || coach neil josten au - au masterlist [≡ ♥ ● ☁︎] [neil josten hasn't been a coach for much long, but he has still managed to charm the kids whom he looks after, and neil finds himself caring about the kids just as much if not more. he hasn't had much problems with the kids parents before, but that all changes when the kid that andrew minyard starts fostering, whom had been one of the brats that neil took care of before the kid lost his parents, is found in the locker s of his club again and again.]

ghost foxes au - au masterlist

short fics - devils come out when the sun goes down ⇏ [♥ ● ☁︎] [foxes + katelyn go to eden's together for halloween]

- i know that i did you wrong (but will you trust me when i say that i'll make it up to you somehow) [♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎] [rather than a countdown on nathaniel’s birthday neil was given a gift in the form of a promise instead, one that after all that he had been through, he hadn’t dared to hope for. one which tasted too much like what he had once supposed freedom would taste like.]

- just woke up from a dream where you and i had had to say goodbye [♥ ● 🗡 ☁︎] [With their match against the Bearcats coming up, Andrew ends up having a nightmare of what happened in Baltimore a year ago.]

SMALL KEY!

[♥ - fluff] [● - angst] [🗡- character whump] [☁︎ - hurt/comfort] [🖋 - canon rewrite] [⚠ - ongoing] [⇏ - on hold] [≡ - kevandreil] - otherwise it's andreil

[strawb3rry-hon3y]

Figure You Out

Pairing: Na Baek-jin/Park Hu-min’s x Fem!Reader (told from Park Hu-min’s POV.) Requested: No

Summary: Based loosely on “Figure You Out” by VOILÀ: Park Hu-min quietly falls for his childhood friend, now dating Na Baek-jin. When a fight drives her into Hu-min’s arms, one kiss changes everything… and nothing at all.

Length: Genre: Angst, Drama, Slow Burn, Forbidden Love, Emotional Hurt/Comfort.

Warnings: Toxic relationship dynamics, Verbal arguments, Unrequited love/love triangle, Feelings of worthlessness/insecurity. Status: Complete!

I heard he bought her a designer clutch last weekend.

One of those limited-edition ones, the kind you’d only see in some influencer’s hands online. Gold hardware, flashy enough to catch the light even when it’s overcast. He posted a picture of her the next day. She wasn’t even looking at the camera. Just standing beside him, fingers wrapped around the strap like it didn’t quite belong there. Like she didn’t quite belong there and I knew.

I knew the moment I saw her face in that photo. A tight smile, the kind she only wore when she was trying not to be ungrateful, that she hated it.

She told me once, years ago, that she hated carrying bags at all. Said they slowed her down. She liked to keep her hands free for snacks, for balance, for pointing out dumb clouds shaped like cats. So why would he buy her something she’d never use if it wasn’t for the look of it? For the image?

Because that’s what she is to Baek-jin now, an accessory. A status piece. A quiet, pretty thing to place beside him while his friends clap him on the back. But I remember her before all this.

I remember scraped knees and summer popsicles. Her tugging my sleeve when Baek-jin was being a brat and whispering “He’s impossible.” I remember how she used to laugh full belly, no filter, wild like the world couldn’t touch her. I still hear that laugh sometimes, when she forgets to be composed around me.

She’s different with me, Not the version they want. Not polished and packaged. With me, she’s soft again. Real. I hate that I’m the only one who notices.

It burns watching him parade her around like she’s his prize. Touching her lower back in front of everyone like he owns her, not like he loves her. He doesn’t know she hates PDA. That she only lets him hold her hand in public because she doesn’t want to make a scene. That she flinches, just barely, when he kisses her too long in front of his friends.

He doesn’t know her like I do. But he has her, and that’s what kills me.

I should be happy just being near her. Sometimes I convince myself that I am, that friendship is enough. She still messages me, still visits when she’s nearby. She shows up with snacks in her hoodie pocket, the way she used to, and we sit on the stairs outside my dad's house and talk about dumb things. School, weather, our favorite songs from middle school.

And the whole time I’m thinking, This could’ve been us. It should’ve been. But I keep quiet. Because what we have now: this fragile thing, it’s better than nothing. If I say something, if I ruin it, I don’t know if I’ll ever get her back. Even as just a friend.

So I let myself hurt. Quietly. Let myself love her the only way I can: in silence, in stolen glances, in the space between words. And he keeps giving her things that glitter. While I’m still holding all the pieces of her he never bothered to learn, and I hate that.

Sometimes, I think I could love her with my eyes closed.

Even with the distance: different schools, different circles. She’s still the one I see most clearly. It’s strange how people can live separate lives and still feel stitched to someone. Like no matter how far we drift, there’s always this invisible thread pulling me back to her.

She texts me before bed sometimes, usually about nothing—a picture of her cat curled up in her lap, a dumb meme, a rant about her math teacher. I save every one. I replay her voice notes when the days feel too quiet.

She still comes by the corner store near my place on Thursdays, the one with the old vending machine that barely works. I wait around those days, pretending I just happened to be there too, and she pretends not to notice that I never have anything in my hands to buy. Every time she smiles at me, really smiles, I feel like I’m thirteen again and she’s the only person in the room.

He’s got her, but he doesn’t get her. I see it in the way she sighs when she tells me about another expensive thing he bought her, like that designer necklace last week—the one she left in her bag all day because she said it was “too heavy.” She’d rather spend a weekend painting old flower pots or biking along the Han River than showing off some stupid necklace at a Union event.

She told me once, years ago in that park we used to sneak off to, that she hates people who try to fix everything with money. She said love should feel like being known, not bought. I’ve never forgotten that. I don’t think I ever will.

She looked at me once, after a particularly bad fight with him, and said, “Sometimes I think you understand me better than he ever will.” I didn’t say anything then. I didn’t want to ruin the moment, or maybe I was just scared of what it would mean if I said how I felt.

But the truth is, I could love her in the dark and still recognize every piece of her. I’m not trying to be her rescue. I’m not waiting around with some fantasy that she’ll leave him for me. I just..I don’t want to lose what little of her I still have. Because every time we talk every Thursday at that store, every time she texts me instead of him, I feel like I’m this close to figuring her out all over again.

I heard he started calling them her friends too. Guys who hang off his shoulders like shadows. Big names in the Union. Bigger egos. They don’t know a damn thing about her, but he parades them around like they’re hers now, like he’s giving her something special. When will he learn she doesn’t need anyone to give her a future? She already built one for herself.

Tonight, when she showed up at my door, her eyes were already red. No words, no explanation, just a plastic bag full of snacks, trembling hands, and that look in her eyes like she was trying not to fall apart.

She didn’t speak at first. Just kicked her shoes off quietly, curled up on the couch like it was the only place left in the world that didn’t hurt. I sat beside her, close enough for her to know I was here, but not close enough to make her flinch. I didn’t ask. Not right away. We sat in silence for what felt like forever. The soft rustle of chip bags and the quiet hum of the fan filling the space between us. Then I asked softly, “Do you wanna tell me what happened?”

She blinked a few times, like the question startled her. Then it all came out. “He said they were our friends. Ours. But I don’t even know them, Hu-min. They make jokes about stuff I don’t find funny. They talk about the Union like it’s a game… like people aren’t getting hurt.”

Her voice cracked, and she looked away. “I told him I wanted nothing to do with any of it. That I didn’t want to be dragged into the crap he and the Union are doing. And then he—” She stopped herself, lips trembling. “He said some things. Things I didn’t think he ever would.”

Tears welled in her eyes, and then she was crying again. Fast and silent, the way she always did when she didn’t want anyone to know she was hurting. I moved without thinking, wrapping one arm around her, pulling her gently against my chest. She didn’t resist. She curled into me like she belonged there, and for a long moment, she just cried.

Then, in between soft sobs, she laughed. This weak, broken thing that made my chest ache. “If I would've known it would be like this, I would’ve rejected his idea. I mean… I know it was our parents. I know this was their whole big plan, but…” She shook her head. “I was hoping, Hu-min. Just hoping maybe it would be nice. That he’d care. I’m so stupid.”

“You’re not stupid,” I said immediately, tightening my hold on her. “You just wanted something good. That’s not stupid. That’s human.” She went quiet. Her breath slowed, but her eyes stayed damp. From under my arm, I felt her shift slightly. When I looked down, she was already looking up at me.

Big, tear-filled eyes. That half-sad, half-sweet smile she always wore when she was trying to be strong. I didn’t realize how close we were until I felt her breath on my neck. Then, without a word, she leaned up and kissed me. It was quick. Like she was afraid she’d change her mind if she waited. Soft, warm lips pressed to mine, trembling just enough for me to know how scared she was. But I kissed her back. Desperately. Like I’d been holding my breath for years and she was the air.

There was so much in that kiss. Every unsaid word, every hidden glance, every Thursday afternoon at the corner store when I wanted to tell her but didn’t. I poured it all into her in that moment.

Then, like something shattered inside her, she pulled back. Eyes wide. Panic. “I—I’m sorry,” she whispered. She stood up so fast the snacks nearly spilled off the table. “I shouldn’t have— That was a mistake. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

“Wait,” I said, standing too. But she was already halfway to the door. “I shouldn’t have come,” she choked out. “I just— I’m sorry, Hu-min. I’m sorry—” The door closed behind her before I could stop her. I stood there in the empty silence, heart still pounding, lips still warm from hers. All I could do was whisper her name into the space she left behind.

It had been four days since the kiss.

Four days of silence. No replies. Not even a single “seen.”

My fingers hovered over the keyboard more times than I could count. Messages typed, deleted, rewritten, unsent. Hey, are you okay?I’m not mad.I just want to talk to you. Please.

But nothing came back. No double check marks. No bubbles. Just a blank screen and the sharp ache in my chest every time I opened our thread. She wasn’t mine to miss. Then Baek-jin called.

“Come by the bowling alley,” he said, his voice cocky and casual like always. “We’re regrouping. I’ve got some moves in the works. Could use you” I almost laughed. But then, like a damn idiot: I thought of her. Maybe she’d be there. Maybe I’d get one second to see her. To explain.

So I went.

I pulled my black hoodie over my head, stuffed my hands into the pocket to hide how bad they were shaking, and walked the same streets I used to take with him, back when things made sense. Before money and pride and the Union started to rot him from the inside out.

The moment I stepped into the bowling alley, it hit me like a wall.

The air was thick with smoke, laughter that felt too loud, like it was covering something ugly, and the clinking of bottles and cheap music blaring through busted speakers. The scent of stale beer soaked into the cracked vinyl booths and warped wooden lanes. Half the guys here didn’t even bowl they just sat around, played cards, and acted like kings in a crumbling castle.

I kept my head low, eyes scanning the dim lights, the shadows. Every girl made my stomach flip until they turned around and it wasn’t her.

My heart was racing by the time I got to the hallway in the back. Flickering light overhead. Dirty walls. My footsteps felt heavier with every step. I didn’t know if I wanted to see Baek-jin or if I just wanted one glimpse of her. 

Then I saw her.

She was sitting on the couch, tucked in the corner of Baek-jin’s office, legs crossed, shoulders hunched like she was trying to disappear. Her phone sat loosely in her hands, screen dark. Her eyes were distant, tired, and that soft pout to her lips told me everything I needed to know. She wasn’t okay.

Baek-jin’s voice cut through the fog. “Hu-min.” She looked up. Fast. Like the sound of my name had jolted her awake. Her gaze hit mine, and for a split second, it was just us. Before Her eyes glanced away, worried I’d see something in them.

My throat closed. Her expression didn’t change still sad, still closed off. But I saw that flicker of something. Recognition, Pain. She stood slowly, not saying a word, still not looking me in the eye. “I’ll give you two space,” she murmured, brushing past me.

Instinct kicked in. My hand reached out, catching her wrist gently. She stopped in her tracks, her gaze falling on the hand on her wrist. I didn’t say anything. Just looked at her, silently begging: Don’t go, Not like this.

Her eyes met mine. Finally and it was like someone ripped a breath from my lungs. There was so much swimming in those eyes. Confusion. Hurt. Guilt. Something else she didn’t want to name.

She looked over my shoulder at Baek-jin. He was watching us, head tilted, brows creased in suspicion. It was only a second, but it was enough for her to make up her mind. She pulled her hand from mine. “See you around, Hu-min…”

It hit like a punch. She turned and walked away, back stiff, pace fast. But just before the hallway swallowed her, I saw her do it. She smiled at him. Small. Forced. Like she was trying to prove something.

I was still standing there when Baek-jin scoffed. “Didn’t know you and my girlfriend were still so close.” I didn’t look at him right away. I couldn’t. My gaze was stuck on that hallway, the space she used to fill, now empty again.

When I finally turned, I wasn’t angry. Not the way I thought I’d be. I was tired. There was no point in fighting over something I never had in the first place. Hands in my pockets, I stepped toward his desk. His throne. The place where he played king of a kingdom built on fear and fake loyalty. “What do you want?” I asked, my voice flat.

Taglist: N/A Header Creator’s: @saradika-graphics

[fuckitpossumorb]

New sdr episodes done ✨❤️ and I have so many thoughts!!! Spoilers below people <33

First off Ko is such a massive dumbass through this whole two episodes ans I LOVE her for it, she’s a big dumbass but tries to do good over it all, she’s just so EXTRA on everything. She feels so much all the time about everything and it’s great!! I love Ko oh god I love her so much.

2. WE WERE SO CLOSE TO A HONEYPOT SQUEME PEOPLE SO CLOSE!!! it was even Ziggy who suggested it!! I feel insane!!!!!

3. Welcome back Rex Maxim, diva extraordinaire. I thought he was a massive diva on overture oh baby that was NOTHING! THAT WAS DRAG!! Also washed out celebrity is pretty much what he was doing in Overture only that slightly less desperate.

Can’t wait to see Rett and Pyke struggle and generally let out waves of hate in his vicinity in the next eps, when they find out the blackmail and Pyke finally experiences joy after many years is peak comedy, I strive to be as petty as this man.

4. Speaking of Pyke he’s a liar!!! HELL YEAH! For a second I thought he was going to try and impersonate Rex but hell yeah, he totally used to do this type of shit when he was working alone.

Better enough Rett says something like “making up stories, being someone he’s not, this is what he’s good at” about Pyke to Ko. That’s a hell of a quote. Either Pyke was a spy at some point or there’s something deeply wrong with him.

5. PIXEL POP!! PIXEL POP oh how I love thee, I was not sold on her character at the start but the more time we got to spend with her, the little morsels of worldbuilding and how she’s connected with it, and then she killed a man!!! Way to go PIXIE!! Also props to mace for acting his ass out on that scene I could’ve sworn he was actually dying.

Rett’s over here collecting children like they’re Pokémon cards I love that for him.

Her relationship with Ko and Ziggy was great, how she interacted with Rett and Pyke when the ruse was down felt so much more natural! She’s an amazing addition also hi Nikkie hi. I think her and Ko should kiss anyways,,,,

6. Space vampires? Space vampires. Space vampires that feed on your soul!!! Hell yeah. That’s metal as hell. The way Mace described all of it was very fun, also Pyke seems to know something about this? About the silent and the harmony I’m interested

Also that scene where Pyke calls out to the crew “They’re the silent” and everyone goes “what?” Is amazing. Peak comedy.

I wonder if anyone will bring it up again, like I would live to see Pyke trying to explain to Pixel this whole soul/harmony thing. When Rett tries to explain it to Ko and says that’s what they explained to him does he mean the corp he worked for before? Or Pyke himself? Pyke’s connection to the stars in overture was very fun to think about I wonder if it translated to this at all.

7. Ziggy they could never make me hate you, also the fucking curveball with the bugs on Pixel’s things this man is a fucking madlad I love him

8. The last part, the ex-girlfriend plot line! I’m invested, and a little confused. Did she maybe die in whatever experience Pyke had with someone like the vice-roy before? Did she betray him and he faked his death? Or did she just leave him?

A part of me is sure it’s a girlfriend and a part of me thinks it could maybe be Dandy. Idk I’m just wondering how she could tie up in this new universe, I mean she’s not dead, but she isn’t around.

Why do I think it could be Dandy? Because of two lines, one Pyke says that is “she went through a phase” and another that Ko says which is “she was just a coworker”.

The first one still works with the girlfriend but because he could mean that there was a time she was really into clubbing, but it could also mean she had a phase were she wanted to be a dancer/pop star and that would’ve been the scene she would be into which to me sounds more paternal idk?

Ko’s like also works with both scenarios, it could imply that they weren’t even partners at all and Pyke is just hung up on a crush, or trying to minimize her relationship with Pyke to make him feel better OR it could mean that Pyke only ever described her as a “coworker” to Ko and she just assumed it was a romantic sort of relationship when it could be diferent.

Anyways,,,, that’s all I have to say for now. Stay tuned for more of my bullshit.

[acourtofthought]

"But it was Elain's fault too!"

How did Elain enter the Lucien vs Az drama? Can there not be a single post where someone doesn't feel the need bring her name into the conversation just to drag on her?

The initial argument was some accusing Lucien stans of "applauding" his rakish ways (nobody does that) while then claiming Az's behavior in the bonus was problematic (it was, hence why Rhys was pissed). But somehow, some also need to put Elain's name into the conversation because the fandom can never just discuss the male characters and leave it at that.

Between Elain and Az, which character is currently asking something of Lucien?

If memory serves, it is Azriel who personally asked Lucien to permanently station himself in the Spring Court to be their eyes and ears. Azriel who gathered information from Lucien on the Autumn Court.

Memory does not serve Elain asking Lucien for a single thing. Would it be nice if she talked to him about their bond? Absolutely! Is she required to talk to him about their bond? Nope, he hasn't talked to her about their bond either. Bond or not she is a free agent and if you're going to say she's in the wrong for deciding to kiss someone then you're basically saying she has no choice but to be with Lucien just because they were given a bond neither asked for.

Az is also a free agent but why, when he's the one who is asking Lucien for HIS help to provide information to HIS court would he decide to say "Fuck that guy, he doesn't deserve his mate and even though I don't want a real future with her, I'm going to hook up with her anyway." You can say Az can also do whatever he wants but this is where the gentlemen conversation comes into play because a true gentlemen would not do that to someone else, especially not someone he is asking something of. Azriel and Lucien have business dealings with one another whereas Elain is actively trying to have no dealings whatsoever with Lucien at this point.

And if Elain is asking nothing of Lucien, has zero expectations of Lucien then why should we blame HER for Azriel's actions on Solstice? She didn't force him to reject her. She did not force him to flippantly declare he'd kill an ally to the NC. She did not force him to say Lucien would never be good enough.

We don't love that both Elain and Az wanted to kiss (or more than that for him) but the kiss was not the problem. It doesn't surprise me though that some walk away thinking "sex" is the most important conversation to be had. It's the attitude that Az had about Lucien that is the issue and the way he handled (or did not handle) everything with Elain afterwards. The only thing Elain has ever said about Lucien is that she doesn't want a male or a mate, she has never said anything disrespectful about who he is as a person or his worth.

But Az being an ass to an ally, not showing respect to another males mating bond when he himself is so desperate for one then expecting Lucien to continue giving him the information the Inner Circle counts on? Yeah, it's ok to make this an "Az" thing and not try to absolve him by once again blaming a female instead. Yes Elain is an adult but there is a huge difference between 24 and 500 plus. There is a huge difference between someone who is VERY new to this world versus someone who has lived it for centuries. And there is also a very big difference between Elain trying actively not to engage with Lucien versus Az who is actively asking Lucien to rearrange his life in order to help the Night Court out while he then turns around and has no remorse for wanting to bang his mate while barely blinking at the thought of killing him.

[tangent101]

Actually, I think that the A Life to Paint ending says something significant about some of your comments here, and I'm not sure you are going to like this interpretation of events here... but it also explains why two of the characters don't make an argument that you felt should have been made.

Specifically? The beings in the Canvas are not sentient, they are constructs. While Alicia/Maelle and Renoir might claim otherwise, if I remember correctly Aline does not ascribe to this viewpoint. And she is the one who created the humans in the Canvas.

I state this because the Gommage did not seem to affect Verso's creations in the story, just the humans of Lumiere. The two oldest creations of the Canvas, Verso's best friends, were untouched by Renoir's efforts to wipe out the eldest creations of the Canvas - creations that his wife created, not Verso.

So then, let us consider Lune and Sciel arguing that Maelle should be allowed to stay, but does not argue about how they deserve to live. They don't even consider this argument because they are in fact not real and are only defending Maelle's desire to remain in the Canvas because Maelle does not want to leave. We may love the people of Lumiere, we may love Verso's creations as well, but they are just painted imaginings of Verso, his mother, and later his sister.

Why do the people of Lumiere seem so real then? It's because of escapism. Aline created Lumiere and all of its people so she and her new family could live there and she could pretend that Verso never died, that it was only Alicia who was harmed. (Why have Alicia burned at all? Because Aline hated that Alicia "killed" Verso, ignoring the fact that it was the Writer who did the attack who murdered her son and maimed her daughter.)

Actually, that last point also suggests that Clea is the one with the right idea. Her "lone battle" against the Writers makes sense when you look at how Alicia is horribly scarred... but the wounds look far worse than they are. Alicia was scarred across her face, she lost an eye, and yet she can still move. She can draw breath without massive amounts of pain. She is not relying on morphine to just exist. Hell, she can even "paint" a voice, though that voice sounds quite childish, more that of a 13-year-old child than the girl of 16 that so many people assume Alicia to be (reflecting Maelle's own age).

The maiming of Alicia was a warning shot fired across the bow. The person who sought to save Alicia was the real target - and it probably wasn't Verso who was supposed to die, but Renoir, who considered Alicia to be his favorite child. And the fires were meant to torment and maim, but not kill Alicia. Ironically enough, this whole situation with Verso's Canvas likely distracted Renoir from being drawn into a battle in which he would again be targeted by the Writers.

Is Renoir (and copy-Verso) violating Aline and Alicia's agency in their efforts to destroy the Canvas? Well let's look at it from another perspective: did Alicia violate copy-Verso's agency? If he is not sentient and just a construct, a creation of Alicia's, a doll, then no. He has no agency. She is playing with her toys and can do what she wants. And as such the destruction of the Canvas is not horrific, it is just putting to rest the remnants of a dead man's soul.

Now let's take this one step further. Is Renoir (and copy-Verso) violating Aline and Alicia's agency? Yes... but. And the but is a big one. Is it violating someone's agency to prevent them from abusing drugs by destroying those drugs and preventing that person from getting more drugs? Yes it is. And yet it can be necessary because the alternative is the person overdosing and dying.

The Canvas is a pretty drug. It is a simulation that is so realistic that the people using it ignore their life. They stop eating, they stop drinking, they just exist in their Second Life until they die. And do note: Copy-Verso only chose to destroy the Canvas when he couldn't convince Alicia to leave, pointing out that she can visit. The game does not need to be her entire life. She can grow beyond it, use it to relax and to cope... but not ignore what is going on outside. She refused this. She needed her fix. She couldn't stop.

One last point here. Let us assume that the peoples of the Canvas are in fact alive and sentient. Well then, the people of Lumiere are already dead. Renoir wiped them all out. While Maelle might be able to craft new life that is nearly identical to what was originally there (given that Aline likely created the people of Lumiere), Maelle's recreation of these two is based off of her perception of them rather than what Aline or even Verso had created prior.

A Life to Paint hints that Maelle is living in one day, over and over again. That suggests then that she doesn't create new life. She just paints a memory and lives in that memory. After all, she can do what she wants. This is a 16-year-old girl, not including however many years Alicia lived (while it's assumed she's 16, I get a feeling she might be younger than 16 and there's no verified age for Alicia by the developers). She doesn't have her mother's imagination or experience in crafting worlds. Hell, she might have tried and failed to recreate Lumiere... and retreated into a single memory that she could succeed in crafting... in ways, a still-life. One moment.

It's not a happy ending. But it's a realistic ending. Alicia was a girl who dabbled in Painting but didn't do very well according to Aline's standards (and Verso himself only ever created one Grand Canvas before he chose to go into music instead of Painting). She retreated into reading... a habit that ultimately doomed her and her brother. How would she be able to recreate everything Aline crafted? She can't. There's no going back.

tl;dr - The inhabitants of the Canvas are not real even if Alicia and Renoir might pretend they are. Their deaths are not genocide as a result. If they were real... then all Alicia is doing is creating new life to replace them as they already were slain by Renoir, and she lacks the skill to replicate what Aline created prior to Renoir's wiping the board.

I think one of the unintended consequences of Clair Obscur writing falling apart completely in Act 3 is showcasing just how effective propaganda can be and just how many people can be made to be okay with attricities by using nothing but simple narrative framing and some emotional manipulation.

It reveals how many people are willing to ignore the horrifying and grotesque atrocities and justify them just so they can feel better emotionally about their choices — ironically an opposite message than the game attempts to present.

It doesn't inspire hope for humanity for me but it does shed some light on responsibility an author has for the themes in their story and why it's important to figure out those concepts first and foremost.

Figure out your endings and thematic conclusions before you even start to outline, people. Or you'll end up like this game.

[nihilisticlinguistics]

it's not that I wasn't expecting to feel emotional about the approaching end of a D&D campaign. it's been nearly five years, after all. it's that it has come on like a weird malaise, a sort of quiet heartache feeling.

I think I was imagining a more cathartic feeling. maybe that comes when I close the last door and turn out the last light. there are still final battles to complete, one more mission to finish. but we've reached the end of something, nevertheless. three player characters, with whom I have spent five years, have left mortality behind and that's a kind of dying, right?

I think I'm mourning something, but it's not a regretful feeling. I helped to bring them here. They have been transformed. And maybe the catharsis of this tragedy comes when, in the end, they win, having already lost everything.

(I hope so.)

[angy-grrr]

I don’t get why ppl keep saying bkdk is dead or Horikoshi broke off bkdk. If that were true, this extra would look very different as you pointed out multiple times. The extra was still heavily focused on them and I hate how ppl are letting one no dictate the entire relationship. Izuku asks him to be a special lecturer too. I think the no just needs more clarification but other than that it is mostly fine. If a ship were to be shut down by the creator, it would look very different. Same logic for if a ship were to be canon, it would look different than what we got in the end for izu///ocha. This extra was bad in different ways from ships. It was just a whole lot of nothing that doesn’t meaningfully add anything to the story but I guess we shouldn’t be surprised since it is an extra. It is still an ambiguous ending that can be pretty fixable by one shots by Horikoshi in the future or even better by fanfiction lol. Except for the Toga part. That is just inexcusable

himiko-chan :(

and yeah! like even tho 431 is terrible not only for pairs but also for the whole story, it only confirmed Katsuki feels something really strong for deku and he doesnt notice bc he doesnt consider himself to be that great; they keep talking, and they keep being in each other's lives with no problem -they also imply they will work on communicating their feelings, as the special lecture is about this topic and deku also thinks katsuki doesnt see himself in a high regard. This is actually something that could be used in the future, as their relationship and arc isnt completely finished -in the way that they arent at a point of no miscommunication, no yearning, etc. They still need something to work with in regards to themselves and each other in the process. When it comes to midoriya and uraraka, idk what exactly could develop from what 431 tell us -seems to be mostly about paying attention to the ppl in your life instead of just letting life happen I guess? But idk what conversation or arc they could have together that wasn't resolved already, it was a really weird choice to focus on them as if there needs to be more explored -which is why choosing to not make them talk to each other nor think of the other in these years is potentially interesting, like the only way they could actually need to talk things up or have a separated special moment is if they just stop being friends and want to talk more from now on. Like, if they kept their friendship these years and were part of the other's life, there wouldnt be a moment like this at all.

I think it hurt mostly ochako -and deku if we interpret it as "deku just wants to be teacher, he is super happy about it, and loveeees so much his ex bestie after 8 years of no contact and never thinking about her"-, more than the bkdk relationship.

It would be interesting to see those one shots, if he does them -I know he said he wanted to do more things and little drawings and content for it, but idk if he will do something elaborate or just one page of something silly. I think he still has to opportunity of working with the material and make something at least not this bad -or completely ignore 431 and just continue with their adventures like 430 implies lol If he wants to double down with the "romance" I have no idea how he could do it with what he has tbh, unless he just ignores the plot and their personalities.

[neverendingford]

.

[juliareed]

Fandom: Alias Relationships: Sark/Sydney Song: Spiracle by Flower Face Content warnings: Blood, death, violence, spiders, insects, flashing lights

[monty-glasses-roxy]

Was thinking again about Montceratops earlier and how fucking Normal it would be for Roxy to have found another fucking missing animatronic by that point. Like okay cool. Another one. This one is how old??? Aight... okay then. That's a new record I think...

Roxy and Cassie's dad asking for help for Montceratops at this point is like "let me guess. Roxy found a new friend." and it's not even a question. They don't have any idea what the fuck she's found this time but they see Cassie's dad walk in like "hey so uh. You wanna maybe prep the cylinder?" for the very first time asking the other techs for help and they just fucking know Roxy's found some old fucked up lil guy in the god knows where lmao

They learned from the dinosaurs, the chicken, the duck, the Eclipse and the fucking herd of horses that Roxy wasn't gonna get in real trouble for any of this shit. At this point? Yeah they might as well-WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT'S A FUCKING DINOMONTY?! WHAT THE FUCK????

[everykonan]

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