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frvnkcastles · 4 months ago

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LIKE HEAVEN ABOVE ➵ F. CASTLE

Summary: After Frank saves your life, you’re there for him through thick and thin.

Warnings: Violence, language, feminine nicknames, implied smut, mentions of death, reader is a teacher, reader wears glasses

Word count: 5.6k (wow)

Author’s note: Omggg y’all, I dug this up from my Pages app, it’s literally almost 3 years old and that’s why I’m a little nervous to post it but I thought it might actually be some of my best writing, so here we go :) It takes place through Daredevil season 2 all the way to the end of The Punisher Season 1, and I have to admit, I honestly feel like Frank was NOT ready for any kind of love interest during Daredevil but I took some creative liberties, anyway. So this is a little out of character on that front. I’m rambling, I hope you enjoy!! I’m gonna get back to your requests soon <3

Frank felt like somehow days passed by in a flurry yet every second dragged on like the worst torture he had endured — which was saying a lot considering the literal war he had gone through, and the fact he was currently lying in a hospital bed; broken, bruised and with a drilling hole in his foot. And yet waiting to see you was the one thing that got his confidence to falter, his brain to shortcircuit.

For a man so stubborn and determined to do things on his own, he had crumbled so fast when presented with the opportunity to see you again. He hadn’t even realized he had ended up caring about you so deeply, not until the blonde journalist had stepped into his room and the words just poured out of him.

”Would ya do me a favour?” Frank asked as the woman was leaving the room, his gruff voice so uncharacteristically meek and vulnerable, and therefore capable of turning her head immediately. ”Please”, he added weakly, ”my girl… I—there’s someone I need to see. Just once. Please.”

Maybe she was curious about meeting the one person who seemed to mean anything to The Punisher anymore; maybe she felt surprisingly bad for him or maybe it was both, but Karen found herself doing as he asked and tracked you down. She reached out and a few days later… you were walking down the hallways of the hospital, uncomfortably shifting the weight of your leather jacket from one arm to the other, your stomach churning in nervous anticipation.

The sight of several armed guards standing outside the room you were being walked to made you gulp, but you weren’t scared of the man inside. You were scared to see the kind of condition he was in, to fully comprehend the gravity of the situation, scared of the moment you’d have to walk out in the uncertainty if you’d ever see him again. But not him. Never him.

Something in Frank came to life when you appeared at the doorway; something he thought to be long dead and buried only for you to always revive him. He lifted his head from the worn pillows and sighed in some kind of relief, only for guilt to lodge into his heart when he saw you scanning his body.

He looked awful, no way around it. Littered in bruises so severe you could barely see his face, you struggled not to cry while looking at the multiple machines connected to him and the abundance of bandages on his tired limbs. What really got to you, though, was the handcuffs on his wrists and the straps across his chest and stomach to make sure there was no room for him to move any more than necessary to sit up and lie back down.

”Jesus…”, you sighed breathlessly, your hands beginning to shake as you walked over to him with a frown so deep it hurt his heart. He knew he might have been a selfish asshole for dragging you here, for making you see what he had tried to protect you from this whole time, for letting you get attached right before it would all go to shit, anyway. But he wasn’t strong enough to push you away. He was capable of enduring much, but he was weak when it came to you. He had tried it, at first, keeping you at arm’s length but you got under his skin in a way that was irreversible and it hurt more to resist than it did to give in. For him, anyway.

”Looks worse than it is, sweetheart”, he rasped, and with a scoff, you finally met his eyes only for the depth of them to catch you off-guard and make you choke on your own tongue. He looked just as attentive and kind as the day you had met him — you swore you’d never forget the way he had hid you behind the counter of the diner, looked right into your eyes and promised he’d make sure you’d make it to class tomorrow; what would the kids do without their teacher, after all?

”They said your foot was… that there was a…”, you stammered, hoping to counter his words with an argument that failed as soon as you tried to get it out. He had never judged you for your tendency to stutter, though, and he didn’t do it now, either. Simply nodded and let you process.

”Yeah. Yeah, there was”, he admitted quietly, licking his split lips as he watched you move to the chair next to his bed and slowly sink down. Even with all the pain in your eyes, you looked so beautiful in one of your worn band shirts and the skirt you had promptly tucked it into, your glasses heavy on your nose and the shimmer of your lipbalm like a red thread for Frank to hang onto like his life depended on it. Amidst all the chaos and ache of his recent weeks, he could just close his eyes and think back to you, and somehow he felt at peace. At least for a second.

”I wish I could… make it all better”, you whispered sadly, a lone tear rolling down your cheek as you looked at his bruised cheekbones.

Frank’s hand reached for yours only for the handcuffs to stop him, the noise of the movement alerting the guard outside the door and pulling a swear from Frank. When he settled his hand back by his side, the guard seemed to relax a little, making both of you sigh — the man wasn’t even allowed to hold your hand.

”Oh, sweetheart”, Frank whispered, ”that’s exactly what you do. You make all this shit better.” He managed a small smile as he tilted his head at you. ”I may just make it worse, but you? Christ, you…”, he struggled to put his thoughts into words, keeping you on your toes as he finally decided against it, ”I’preciate you comin’. I just, uh, I guess I wanted to see you before I get dragged into a courtroom and… yeah. Yeah, there’s no happy ending for me. But for a moment there, you helped me believe there might be”, he went on, only breaking your heart with each word.

You wiped your eyes and chuckled softly. ”You don’t give yourself enough credit, Frankie. You’ve really made things better for me, too. And you deserve a happy ending, however that might look for you”, you swore, casting your eyes at your trembling hands. ”I know it might be weird to say, but I’m grateful I met you. Life-threatening danger and all. You and everyone else may not see it the same way, but you are a good guy. You are”, you continued before sniffling and getting up from your chair enough to press a kiss on his forehead.

You were careful and gentle, unwilling to hurt him any more than he had already been hurt. Yet when you moved to pull away, Frank grunted and reached for your wrist, stopping you from leaving. For a moment, you were forehead to forehead, your lips inches away and his breath mixing with yours.

”Sit with me for a bit? Yeah?” Frank pleaded, and when you nodded, he swallowed and smiled weakly. ”That’s my girl.”

He didn’t see you again until the trial. He spotted you right there in the benches, dressed in your finest red shirt that had his thoughts running a million miles while being walked to the stand. He was dressed in a suit, too, and he almost wanted to laugh at the ridiculous thought of a date swirling in his head. Maybe, in another lifetime, that could have been reality — not him being on trial for murder with you trying to tune out the hate speech spewed at him from the other half of the courtroom.

Most of his bruises had healed by then. You found small comfort in that.

You didn’t get to tell him he looked good, though. You didn’t get to say a single thing when he was announcing his guilt with a booming roar, and the next thing you knew, he was being walked out of the courtroom with a prison sentence looming over his head. You didn’t blame him for doing what he did, and you certainly didn’t expect him to choose you over his morals. But nevertheless, you couldn’t help but cry as he was taken out of sight and you were left with the realization you may never see him again.

You were sitting outside on the steps of the courthouse when a strange hand extended a tissue for you. Just as you looked up, nearly blinded by the sunshine, you were glad you hadn’t said your thought out loud when you saw Frank’s lawyer poke his cane at the steps until he figured where to sit. He lowered himself next to you just as you took the tissue and thanked him for his kindness.

”You’re the woman”, he stated matter-of-factly, and when you turned to him in confusion, he chuckled quietly. ”I recognize your perfume. It… stuck to him”, he explained — even if his explanation remained vague — but you had no time to present any further questions when he continued. ”Frank Castle is not a talkative man. But I’ve noticed whenever he does speak, his words carry meaning. He doesn’t do small talk or state the obvious, he… he only shares what he considers important. And if that is the case, then… you are extremely important to him”, he elaborated before drawing in a deep breath and sending a small smile your way.

Your heart both broke and leaped at his words. You hadn’t exactly doubted it, but it meant a great deal to know Frank cherished you as much as you cherished him.

”And he is to me”, you returned quietly, pulling a slow nod from the man — Matt — who then turned his head at you curiously.

”If you don’t mind me asking… how does a teacher find herself with The Punisher?” he wondered, and considering it your turn to chuckle, you turned to your hands and recalled the night that had turned your life upside down.

”He saved my life. I know that’s how all the cliché fairytales go, but he did. I was at my favorite diner to get some grilled cheese after a long day of work. I was so close to making it, too, when these, uh, thugs came in. Looking for him, unsurprisingly. There was only one other person besides us and they managed to escape before the shooting began, so… Frank hid me behind the counter. He told me he’d keep me safe, that I’d get to see the kids I teach again the next day— he’d heard me talking to the cashier. He’d make sure of it. And he did. He took care of those guys and afterwards he walked me home. I—I owed him my life so I figured the least I could do was ice his knuckles. He must have been barely ten minutes in my apartment but it meant everything. We just… couldn’t get rid of each other after that”, you explained, the sunlight suddenly feeling warmer on your skin and the smile on your lips so free of worry. For a second, anyway.

Matt listened intently — not only to what you were saying, but you. And it didn’t take him long to come to a conclusion. ”You love him”, he declared, and with your head snapping towards him, you frowned.

”We haven’t—there’s nothing—”, you began, your stutter seeping through again, and Matt smiled.

”Whether or not you’ve acted on it, I can hear it. You’ve fallen in love with him”, he emphasized before humming, ”and I think, somewhere deep down underneath all that trauma and guilt and unwillingness to face the facts… he feels the same way.”

You stared at him, disbelief all over your face as you thought about Frank and all your brief touches, all your sweet words and reassuring looks.

”Could you tell him I’ll be right here? Please? Just… let him know that even if I can’t be by his side, he’s not alone”, you whispered, and although he seemed to consider it for a second, Matt ended up nodding.

”I’m sure he’s gonna need that.”

And he wasn’t wrong. Prison was no easy feat, not even for The Punisher.

He hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to you. One moment he was sitting in court, listening to his vigilante of a lawyer speak on his behalf, and the next he was being dragged out in chains with your worried face amongst the angry civilians being the last thing he saw. And the big bad Punisher had gone so far as to beg Karen to let him see you for the second time; let you see him, but before she could even consider making it happen, he had been shoved into a white onesie and sent on his way to prison with his jagged memories trying hard to recall the last words you had spoken to him.

It had been something kind — that much he had decided on while sitting in his cell. You were always so fucking kind, and so understanding, even when he doubted he deserved it. You were a good person; a troubled one but you had weathered every storm and stuck to your morals, and he admired that to no end. You didn’t have a judgmental bone, not a single ounce of hatred for anyone who didn’t deserve it, sometimes not even those who did. He thought that maybe he was unworthy of your friendship and sympathy sometimes, but you gave it to him anyway, without question and without expectation. You liked him for who he was, not who he had been, and you didn’t try to change his mind and steer his path.

At least he had the message Red had passed onto him to keep him going.

It was those unexplainably good-hearted intentions of yours and the unconditional support he hadn’t realized he missed so much, that made him fall in love with you. He struggled with it for a while, wondering if he was ready; if he should have felt guilty, but eventually the desire to keep you safe and the longing to hold you close became too evident to ignore.

And he truly knew when one of the assholes he had put down had taunted him about his lady, only for his mind to go to you instead of Maria.

He had been writing a letter to you when his heart-pouring onto paper was interrupted by a taunting laugh outside his cell. ”Writing a love letter to your lady?” one of the gang members in his block teased, and with a grit in his teeth, Frank forced himself to not pick a fight — a successful attempt until the burly man went on. ”Would be a shame if anyone got their hands on your girl now that you ain’t out there to protect—”, he continued, his words cut off with a wheeze when Frank clamored out of his seat and promptly stabbed the pen into his neck. It was a good thing he had already signed the letter.

Realistically, he knew it may have been an empty threat. Nonetheless, as soon as he was out of prison, the letter tucked in the pocket of his jacket, he made his way to you. Making you were safe was priority number one — and if he’d get the chance to hand over the envelope and open his heart to you… Well, that would just be the cherry on top. He had promised to get out and tell you how he felt, to stop being a coward and admit that he wanted to be there for you, that he loved you, and that was exactly what he planned on doing.

Although, things never went exactly as planned.

He had so much determination and courage in his heart when he knocked on your door, but as soon as you opened it and your short figure appeared right in front of him, it all drained from his system. All he was left with was bare amazement and the reserved hope that you’d still welcome him into your home — he knew he had burned more than enough bridges with his little stunt in court, and he had spent many sleepless nights wondering if he had scared you off, too. That worry only now flared into a genuine fear as he watched astonishment wipe across your face, his own expression meek and his large body trying to shrink on itself to seem less intimidating.

”Hey, sweetheart”, he managed, his voice raspy as ever, his dark eyes scanning your face and trying to make sense of the speechless trance you had been stunned into.

It was justified, of course. Who would expect a convicted criminal on their doorstep?

That wasn’t exactly what was on your mind, though. You had never doubted that Frank would get back up somehow; he couldn’t be kept down — but you couldn’t believe he had come to you. A man like him surely had places to be, people to kill, things to do and somehow… he was right there in front of you in all his glory, not bleeding out and in need of stitches, either. Just… there.

You didn’t realize how emotional the sight of him had gotten you until you opened your mouth and the words escaped you with a choke. ”Is it okay if I hug you?” you cracked, and with a deep, even relieved sigh, Frank let his tense shoulders drop and his head bob in a nod as he opened his arms.

He welcomed you gladly, his big arms winding around your smaller body to encompass you against his entirely. He realized then that you were wrapped up in one of the hoodies he had left behind, his confidence boosting but his heart breaking just a little at the thought of you sitting at home alone in his clothes, comforted by his scent and wondering if he’d ever come back to you. And right there and then, he knew he had made the right choice in doing so.

”I missed you”, you whispered into his chest, your heart doing somersaults at the firmness of it, your eyes fallen shut as you breathed him in and basked in his warmth and all his rough edges that only confirmed he was real and not a figment of your imagination, not a daydream, even if he had occupied nearly all of them for the past months.

”Missed ya too, girl”, he muttered into your hair, and as he held you there, grateful to have you again, the doubt began creeping in and the letter in his pocket started to seem like a bad idea. What if it would simply push you away, just when he got you in his arms?

Swallowing, he then decided maybe it was better not to bring it up.

”Hey, I, uh…”, he cleared his throat when you stepped back to welcome him into your apartment. He treaded carefully, like any second now you’d change your mind and turn him away — and he wouldn’t blame you, either. Trouble followed him wherever he went, and yet he couldn’t stop himself from coming to you every time. ”Look, there’s… a lot going on, y’know? Some shit might go down and I just…”, he continued, uncertain of his own words as his gaze fell to the nervously fiddling hands in front of him, ”I don’t want ya to look at the news and rethink the kinda guy I am, y’know?”

Chuckling, you shook your head at him. ”The news couldn’t change my mind about you, Frankie”, you reassured in a way that had his chest tightening. ”You’re my friend and—and a good guy, even if with… unique methods. But you are. Just because you have blood on your hands, doesn’t make you a bad man”, you went on, but he could tell you were nervous, too. He just couldn’t see past himself enough to understand it wasn’t fear making you tremble.

”I think you are loyal and sweet and protective and… capable of making people feel safe and appreciated. When I’m with you, I feel respected and understood. Never judged or unsafe”, you added, and with an amazed twinkle in his dark eyes, Frank looked up at you. Jesus, that was exactly how he felt around you. His lungs and throat were screaming at him to just tell you, but instead, he gave you a doubtful tilt of his head.

”You’re not scared?” he confirmed quietly, and with a small smile, you gave him a look.

”I’m not scared of you, Frank. I’m…”, you breathed in, hesitating before widening your smile and shaking your head, ”I’m not scared.” What you really wanted to tell was that you were nervous because you liked him — loved him. But you never felt threatened by him.

”Good”, he swallowed, defiance suddenly ablaze in his eyes as he seemed to relax. ”’Cause I’d never hurt ya. Shit, you make me wanna…”, he laughed, unsure where he was going with that thought. ”I just wanna keep you safe, sweetheart. Look after you”, he finished with a sigh, the kind that knew he was officially in too deep. You got him good.

”Then I’ll look after you, too”, you promised, gesturing at his hands, ”starting with those knuckles of yours.”

He was almost amused, but when you seriously dug a small tube of hand cream from your bag and began rubbing the lotion onto his bruised hands, all he could do was stare at you, completely enamored by your kindness and the feeling of your gentle hands tending to his damaged ones.

It was almost ironic, really — you were gentle, he was damaged. In your mind, it was the other way around, and maybe that was why it worked. You were different in so many ways but the bare essentials were still there, making you an undeniable match even if neither of you were brave enough to say it out loud right now. But him being in your apartment and you lotioning his calloused hands spoke in volumes, reassuring you both that it was safe like this.

He hadn’t been wrong, though. Shit hit the fan fast and in a matter of days, Frank Castle was a dead man as far as the world was concerned.

Before that, though, he was coaxed further into the realization of just how important you were to him. He was used to nightmares, in fact, he anticipated them each night. And yet, that night, his hands still smelling like your vanilla lotion, he found himself dreaming of you, your big smile, your sweet laugh and your soft lips.

Jesus Christ, he wanted you so bad. All of you.

It was a little harder to go about his mission then. You occupied his mind constantly now, and he began to resent himself for being such a coward and not giving you the letter, after all.

And when he jumped off an exploding ship, he wondered if he’d ever get the chance to tell you. Once he made it out in one piece, he decided he couldn’t risk losing the opportunity again.

You had just seen the news on the TV, and as badly as you wanted to believe no body meant no death, your stomach was twisting and turning. The idea of Frank being gone, just like that, was one that began chipping at your sanity. Thankfully, you didn’t get to sit with it for very long when there was a knock on your door, and you practically ran to open it, never more relieved to see the hunk of a man.

You tugged him into your apartment and sealed the door behind him before hugging him tight, on the verge of tears as you felt his firm body against yours and consoled yourself. He was there. He was alive. Well? Debatable.

”I’m okay, sweetheart, ’m okay. Can’t get rid of me that easy”, he chuckled darkly, his heart skipping a beat when you pulled away and looked right into his eyes. You looked so beautiful yet so vulnerable, and he couldn’t put his feelings into words when he realized he had gotten you so worked up. He hated to cause you any pain, but to know you cared that much?

”Shit…”, he breathed, licking his lips as he gently placed a hand on your jaw and groaned. ”C’mere”, he whispered before leaning down to kiss you, both your eyes closing as he placed his lips on yours, deep and tentative. You melted closer to him, your hands resting on his vest while he cupped your face and kissed you hard, breathing you in and reveling in the taste and feeling of you.

It was better than he had imagined, all anger and hatred leaving his system for the fleeting moment when he got to have just you, nothing else.

He wanted to take his sweet time with you but the yearning was too great to contain. In no time, you were lying on your back on your mattress with Frank on top of you, trying to hold back some of his weight as he kissed your neck and unzipped your skirt. He muttered words of praise and flattery against your soft skin, eyes blown wide with genuine admiration when he kissed his way down to your thighs and made you repeat his name in desperate begs and pleas.

A part of him was sure he was dreaming again, your head rested upon his bare chest, his fingers carding through your hair as you listened to his heartbeat and basked in the afterglow of the hours spent together. It was the middle of the night by now, the sounds of city never fully gone but toned down, your bed feeling like a safe haven amidst all the chaos around you both.

But Frank knew there was no permanent escape from what he had reshaped his life into. The thing was, you didn’t want to be an escape — you wanted to be part of it.

Nevertheless, he spoke up gruffly. ”Y’know I can’t stay, right?” he was quiet, his words a weak whisper, like a shameful confession he didn’t want the world to know. ”I mean, I’mma be with you tonight if you’ll let me, but I… I can’t leave things unfinished. The world thinks ’m dead, y’know, that’s just… It’s an advantage and I just—”, he went on, but you interjected with a nod and your hand smoothing up and down his chest soothingly.

”I know. I understand”, you promised before kissing his collarbone softly, ”I know, Frank. You don’t need to explain any more than you want to.”

He swallowed then, trying to muster up the courage to say what had been on his mind for so long. ”I, uh, I can’t ask you to hold out hope for me, but uh… I just want you to know…”, he tried to find the right words, licking his lips nervously before sighing and burying his face in your hair with a somber kiss. ”You don’t owe me shit. But you’re the best thing to happen to me in a long time. Look, I gotta do my thing, but I don’t want you to think it’s easy to walk away from you because, fuck… I don’t wanna lose ya, sweetheart”, he explained further, making you smile against his scarred skin.

”I will always hold out hope for you, Frank. My door will always be open for you”, you replied simply, and even though you didn’t elaborate further, it was all he needed to hear. Just knowing you weren’t ready to give up on him.

And that was why he wasn’t going to do it, either.

He kept in touch in whatever small, Frank-esque ways he could. A note on your door, a novelty mug on your windowsill, a comforting message from an unknown number. Sometimes all you had was the remains of his aftershave enveloped in the sweaters he had left behind, or the slander of his name on the news even when he was presumed dead — it was small but it reminded you that he was, in fact, alive, and as long as he was that, then you had faith that one day he’d be back on your doorstep.

Sometimes he felt like an irredeemable asshole for making you wait for him. If only you had the chance, you would have told him to get his head out of his ass — you had fallen for him, and whether he wanted you to be there or not, you would have thought about him, worried over him, longed for him. He could have tried to distance himself from you if he wanted to, but he was so deeply entwined into your life by now that all the roots simply couldn’t be plucked out anymore.

And he may have been stubborn, but he wasn’t stupid. Knowing how he felt about you, how being away from you made him ache, he suspected you shared the yearning and he knew that trying to push you away wouldn’t have healed either of you from it. So he kept in contact however he could, but not too close to keep his enemies off your trail.

You checked the news every day. And when you saw Billy Russo’s face plastered across your screen, his arrest making the headlines, you knew it was a good day.

Accordingly, there was promptly a knock on your door, and you felt your heart soar as you peeked through the peephole and saw the only man worth waiting for on the other side. You swung the door open, and in an instant, a smile stretched across his bruised face as he help up a bouquet of daffodils, making you grin, too.

”Hey, sweetheart”, he murmured, pulling you into a hug that shut off your senses from everything but him — all you smelled, felt and heard was him, your systems threatening to fail as you clung onto him like your life depended on it and felt his lips leave soft kisses on your forehead and hair. ”There ya are. As goddamn beautiful as I remembered”, he whispered, relieved to be holding you again, even a little proud of himself for making it here.

It wasn’t like he needed the extra motivation on all those long nights away — avenging his family was all the fuel he craved, but knowing that at the end of it all, he had someone to fall back on, encouraged him even more.

”I could say the same about you”, you chuckled while pulling away enough to place a gentle hand on his face and observe all the purple and yellow markings left there. It was obvious he had taken a beating, but if the news was to be trusted, Billy had suffered a fate much worse. And despite all the slowly healing scars on Frank’s sharp features, he was alive, and he was right there for you to admire and tend to.

”This ugly mug?” he snorted while kicking the door shut and pushing his hood off of his head, his hair grown out again and begging for your fingers to run through. Regardless of the mangled appearance, though, he seemed almost hopeful, a small smile playing on his lips as he looked down at you with a twinkle in his dark eyes. He seemed exhausted physically, but mentally, a little less tired. And that made you indescribably happy for him.

”I’m proud of you”, you breathed out, a smile crawling to your own face, ”you did what you needed to do, right? You… you did good. You deserve to rest now.”

Frank looked a little taken aback by your words. Not in a bad way, but it was obvious no one had told him before nor had he expected anyone to. But the quiet chuckle that rose from his throat was genuinely flattered, as was the squint of his eyes as he leaned forward and gave you a tiny nod.

”Thank you, sweetheart. Really”, he rasped before taking in a deep breath, ”any chance I’d, uh, get to rest here? With you?” The look in his eyes was almost boyish, almost nervous, and it made your heart soar the same way his gaze had the first night you had met.

”Always, Frankie”, you promised before placing a hand on his chest and beaming up at him, ”I was hoping you’d say that.”

He licked his lips and looked down at you, hand coming to your neck tenderly with his thumb brushing across your chin. ”I feel like shit for the way I left you back then. I, uh, I hope you didn’t feel like I was just… tryna get in your bed, y’know? It was more than that to me. You are more than that to me. It’s, I dunno, hard for me to put it into words but I care about ya. More than I have about anyone in a long time, I guess”, he explained awkwardly, but you didn’t doubt his sincerity for a single second.

You leaned up to briefly kiss him, and the way he leaned forward to get more made your stomach churn. Nevertheless, you pulled apart to speak your turn, your smaller hand still resting on his bruised cheek.

”I know. I never doubted it. And I don’t expect you to be anyone else but you. I want you as you, Frank”, you reassured, and with a heavy sigh, he dropped his forehead to yours.

”Girl… I want you”, he urged, and you smiled as he briefly touched your lips with the tip of his finger.

”I’m all yours, Frankie.”

#frank castle #frank castle fanfiction #frank castle x reader #the punisher #the punisher x reader

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blazingstar24 · 6 months ago

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And if I say that both Anakin and Thrawn suffered the same childhood trauma and it manifests in completely different ways that makes their dynamic very interesting, what then? The loss of a family member and how they reacted to it is crucial in their characters. It is the loss of Shmi that turns Anakin’s love into a possessive, obsessive, abandonment fearing mess. It is the loss of Vurika/Borika, that informs Thrawn’s view of himself and others as just assets to a larger cause.

Regardless if Anakin could or couldn’t have saved his mother if the council listened, Shmi’s death in his mind is framed as an event in that Anakin was too late, he wasn’t there. It is a loss that turns into this idea that if he doesn’t protect what he loves, someone or something will take it from him. We see this in the Rush Clovis arc, we see it in the way he immediately jumps to jealousy at Obi Wan in ROTS despite Obi Wan never having such a relation with Padme. For Anakin, loss is always framed as someone took something from me. Even platonically, we see this in the Rako Hardeen arc. And it is evident that this started after Shmi’s death because Anakin does not have the same sort of hatred for Maul who killed Quigon.

For Anakin, it will always be that someone took something from me, so I have to do something about that. And it’s why Palpatine can manipulate him so easily, because all Palps has to do is point at someone, give him a target to blame and say kill.

For Thrawn, yes it is slightly different as Borika isn’t dead. But it is a loss nevertheless. Thrawn on the flip side of Anakin, registers loss as something inevitable and thus why harbor deep attachments? Not to say he doesn’t care because we know he does. Thrass, Ar’alani, and Eli all speak to the fact that he does very much care and love. But in every instance, he does keep them at a distance, he pushes them away just as they get close. And it stems from Borika because the reason why he loses her is so she could serve the Ascendancy. It is not a choice she made and he knows this. And that informs why everything he does is for this goal, because all he knows is that everything, even things that caused him pain is supposed to be for this goal.

Where Anakin sought to justify the loss in blaming himself and then others, Thrawn justifies the loss by trying to give the pain purpose. If it meant something then he shouldn’t be upset. It is what it is. Yet, just like how Anakin’s possessiveness leads to his downfall by Palpatine, by pushing all his friends away instead of keeping them close, Thrawn leaves himself vulnerable and surrounded by his enemies instead. All those friends will serve the larger goal, the Ascendancy, but who is left looking to him?

Idk what I’m really trying to say other than yeah that’s some interesting character dynamics. The idea that both these characters are defined by loss as much as they are also defined by hope as their shining moments of good.

#thrawn #anakin skywalker #and lol my thranto loving ass has to stick this in here: this is why Eli Vanto needs to come back #b/c it would be so perfect for him to haul his ass home because fuck ur bullshit u can’t push me away #like ‘when one is remembered by a friend’#but aren’t u tired of remembering? don’t u want to gain new memories #and it would further parallel Anakin because how does he come back?#luke. luke who rejects the possessive love of anakin/vader in ESB and in ROTJ Luke steps forward and claims Anakin as his kin #not the other way around. and that inspires the selfless love of anakin to return to kill Palps

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yanderes-galore · 3 months ago

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Can I ask for The Spirit from Dead By Daylight concept? Thank you!

I feel she doesn't have enough characterization for me to do much... but I'll give it a shot.

Yandere! Rin Yamaoka/The Spirit Concept

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Stalking, Trauma, Clingy behavior, Violence, Blood, Murder, Minor isolation, Possessive/Protective behavior, Dubious companionship/relationship.

Unfortunately, Rin's back story is lacking and her tome only makes her oddly out of character.

She was murdered by her father under The Entity's guidance and influence.

Ever since, The Entity decided to take her as a pawn instead and made her into a killing machine.

Similar to her ancestor, The Oni, she's driven by vengeance and rage.

She's a grudge, essentially.

Rin, The Spirit, is equipped with a powerful ability that she no doubt uses to her advantage.

She can sneak up on Survivors easily and it makes her hard to detect.

This is an ability she'd exploit to pursue her obsession, for one reason or another.

In terms of her motivation... Rin could be a familial yandere.

She may view her obsession as a family, at least, the family she enjoys.

She may see her obsession as a form of comfort, regardless of if her intentions are platonic or romantic.

She isn't sadistic, just vengeful on those who wronged her.

She has nowhere to vent that energy but into the poor Survivors The Entity set up for her.

Her back story depicts her as a victim (ignoring the tome).

She grew up in a poor family and was trying her best to support them.

So, other than initially needing to vent her rage, she may not want to hurt her obsession once attached.

She's someone who shouldn't be underestimated though.

She may enjoy your presence, but it isn't like you entirely control her.

Towards her obsession, she'd keep her distance at first.

She hunts down other Survivors, yet observes you.

The best explanation is you may remind her of someone in her original life.

Maybe she had a crush... or maybe someone in her family... Either way, you remind her of home.

Home before her father ruined everything.

The fact you remind her of someone in her life may be a good motive for her obsession.

I don't doubt Rin wants normalcy of some sort.

She's currently meant to be a puppet for The Entity, a toy in the toy box... meant to break other unfortunate victims.

Yet with you? She feels things are... better.

She hesitates on hurting you.

Whenever she sees you in trials, she tends to keep her distance.

Even when she sacrifices the rest of the Survivors, she saves you for last and lets you go.

She doesn't approach you until a few trials in.

She's almost scared to hurt you... not wanting to be a monster in your eyes.

Even though she coats herself in the blood of your friends.

You being scared is reasonable.

That's one of the reasons she prefers to silently stalk you through the trials rather than hunt you outright.

Later... She gets bolder and approaches you.

She's careful, stealthy, as she comes up to you.

When she corners you, you expect her to cut you with the shards of glass she wields.

Instead... She's oddly gentle.

Ironically, compared to her behavior towards your fellow Survivors, she treats you as though you're fragile.

Fragile like glass... Fragile like her...

So easy to break.

Rin would see other Survivors as potential threats.

That's why she works so hard to remove them.

Yet... It's those same blood stained hands that lightly touch your skin, that treat you as though you'll shatter.

Rin wishes to show you she cares about you... but struggles on showing how.

One could argue she'd be clingy when not distant.

She doesn't seem too keen on losing her only source of comfort.

Which leads to her watching you like a hawk and treating you like porcelain.

Even as she carries you, she's careful not to cut you too much.

She's gentle, intimidating, but careful.

She may also be projecting with her obsession.

She wants to treat them the opposite of how she was treated.

She wanted to be treated the way she treats you.

Gentle, cared for, loved.

The Entity finds entertainment in Rin's desire, allowing her to spare you in trials.

A treat for a pet.

Rin would lock you in a trial for hours if she was given the chance.

She quickly removes any threats to her obsession.

That's the other Survivors... a bloodbath you unfortunately have to sit through.

By the end of it, she approaches you covered in blood, yet excited to see you.

You are quite literally her only joy now.

Her only sense of normalcy.

All work and no play certainly dulls The Entity's entertainment.

Which means... Rin gets to have you for being such a good pawn.

Rin is protective, but due to her connections to The Oni, her behavior may also come off as possessive.

Rin sees you as a guilty pleasure... she wishes you could feel the same way.

Compared to other Killers, she finds distaste in taking her anger out on you.

Rin merely wishes to care for you, to isolate you and keep you all to herself...

She's hesitant and unsure with affection.

Not wishing to cut you with her glass, she gently pets your skin.

She wants to hug you, to tell you it's all okay...

But she can't speak, and she may just cut you.

She feels guilty for scaring you.

No matter what she does, she knows you'll always be scared of her....

It doesn't matter what she changes, in this situation you'll never reciprocate.

That hurts her... so much...

Even if you notice she's different from other killers...

The fear never truly goes away.

You're still prey...

No matter how the predator feels, you'll always be prey one way or another.

You make her happy... she'll keep you safe...

She doesn't want you to break like she has.

In her grasp, she'll prevent such a thing...

Even if it means sacrificing everyone else to fulfill that.

#yandere dead by daylight #yandere dbd #yandere rin yamaoka #yandere dbd spirit

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arliedraws · 6 months ago

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Hello, I wanted to know your opinion on...If Dumbledore had known regulus death circumstances....would he have reconsidered his Sirius trust issues? Because I don't understand ....why he would do that to him....Harry is really a weapon to him...and still got attached to....he says so when he explains after Sirius died...can you believe this man....Harry just went through such a harrowing experience...and he says to that boy...sorry for getting attached to you...I can't...it just burns in my memory and crawls back up unexpectedly...to leave me more in melancholy. Sorry for ranting...I just thought you might have good insights into it.

PS: loving all your art btw...keep it coming.

Aw, thank you!!

Hmm. Let me piece together what I think you’re asking about.

1.) If Dumbledore had known about Regulus’s death and attempt to destroy a Horcrux, would it have changed how he saw Sirius? Would he have trusted Sirius?

The first thing to consider is that Dumbledore, like anyone who would have known both brothers, would have seen the Black brothers as two completely different people. Dumbledore’s thoughts about Regulus would not have influenced his opinions of Sirius. By the time Sirius had left Hogwarts, there is little evidence to suggest Sirius and Regulus ever saw each other again—they were done with each other. The second, I don’t think Dumbledore distrusted Sirius so much as he saw him as a liability. Sirius did everything Dumbledore asked of him and never gave Dumbledore a reason not to trust his loyalty.

2.) Here is my full disclosure: I really like Dumbledore as a character. I love that he is the other side of the good/evil coin—like Voldemort, he demands loyalty, he cannot fathom that someone would betray him, and he preys on the most vulnerable people to do what he believes is right. When I was in grad school and learning about teaching climate change literacy, I read an article that suggested that a movement of activism is most likely to succeed when the leader of the movement has great ambition and also an emotional detachment from those people that they lead. You must inspire loyalty but have the strength to carry on when your fighters are wounded or die. This is a callous, terrible way to live—but does this not sound like Dumbledore?

Dumbledore is cruel in his ability to overlook deaths caused by the Movement. For Dumbledore, when an Order member dies, he rarely needs to do more than mourn and say, “At least they died doing something noble.” Besides, Dumbledore does not fear death—this is what he sees is his advantage over Voldemort who, as we know, fears death above all things.

Suffering, however, upsets him. Why doesn’t he ever check in on Harry? Because he would have to admit that Harry was suffering. Why not tell Harry the truth? Because he cannot bear to see Harry bear that weight, and he would rather shelter Harry from the truth to spare him this suffering (and haha doesn’t he wait until he’s dead to ‘tell’ Harry that Harry must sacrifice himself?) . Dumbledore avoids seeing pain when he can because he is empathetic but cannot afford to be (at least, so he believes). Dumbledore loves Harry very much. He fights between being the leader he believes the world needs and his natural inclination to care about people.

I love when people have such personal, visceral feelings about liking and disliking characters, but your local literature teacher here really hates to designate a character as a “bad person” vs. “good person.” Dumbledore is neither. In the series, he demonstrates great kindness and great cruelty. That is the ENTIRE point of Deathly Hallows. Any single person is capable of being terrible.

We often consider Dumbledore’s cruelty because of how he treats our favorite characters, but also consider the things he did because he felt a sense of empathy—he saved Sirius even though it would have suited his cause to let the Dementors Kiss him; he even saves Buckbeak too (does he make children do it? hahaha yeah, so still a complicated thing). When we look at this action, neither Sirius nor Buckbeak’s survival serve Dumbledore��they are both, essentially, useless to him. Yet he cares for the people around them and hates to see the people who love them suffer.

Is this a Dumbledore defense post? Abso-fucking-not. He doesn’t need defending. The thing that makes him interesting is that he GENUINELY cares about people but forces himself not to. Isn’t that fucking delicious? It’s so twisted and awful and fascinating. Dumbledore fears love as much as he lauds it—love can make you lose your way; love can distract you. He loved Grindelwald. It was love that drove Harry and Sirius apart. Love is what killed James and Lily Potter. Love killed his sister. He recognizes the power of love because it is LOVE that has always been his downfall. Yikes!

Anyway, this got much longer than I anticipated. Thank you for the ask—it made me really think about why I appreciate Dumbledore as a character!

#albus dumbledore #hp meta #asks #i love complicated characters

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mazyb0i · 9 months ago

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Someone on Reddit tried to say that Rick only truly loves Beth, and to prove them wrong, so here I am!

tldr:

Character analysis of Rick Sanchez from an autistic fans point of view, understanding his attachment styles.

He'll do anything for BP, if season 6 proves anything, it's that he'll die for BP. He literally admitted to loving him, which I have not heard him tell or say about anyone before in the show. When

he does say stuff like that it is significant. Bird person is the only character on the show he has been openly genuine with.

If season 7 proves anything, Pers is the only one that can sneak up behind him and grab him out of nowhere without getting some snarky comment, mean look, or a left hook. They both care about each other deeply, that is clear. Rick was extremely

upset by the wedding with Tammy. Rick told the bird person how much he respected him more than anyone, even when he contradicted himself by saying nothing matters, he wanted to be with Percy. He wanted to travel with him and spent every moment with him.

"Then why did you help me?"

"I respect you, and I wanted you to know that you could respect me too."

" But if nothing matters...?"

"You matter! You matter to me."

"Uhhh- Rick... the relationship we have-"

"I never used that word!" - Rick (denialism)

It's funny how after this he calls him a judgmental dork, and not something much harsher.

"Why the fuck are you risking your life for that asshole!?" - Memory rick

"Because, you love him."

"You do maybe, but I don't."

"Yeah, yeah, you're real cool. Now, come help me save his life or fuck off, because I don't need you.

(Very much so loves BP.)

"I'm sorry Rick, but we cannot choose the ones we love" - Pers

"You got that right! Why do you think I'm still fucking down here!?"

Birdperson mentions that he would be dead if it wasn't for Rick, this also accounts for multiple times now since he brought BP back to life recently. Rick has stuck his neck out for the man so many times contradicting his "nothing matters" front, because that's what it is, it is a horrible coping mechanism to ignore your problems and pretend they don't exist because 'nothing matters'.

Its a problem that I have and I'm working through in therapy myself, it's called Denialism. Because 'if you shut yourself out from the world and your problems, then nothing can hurt you, and they don't exist'. You convince yourself you're in control when you're not, you have the least control, and it fucks you up. Rick isn't truly and fully nihilistic, or else literally nothing would matter to him. He makes sure to keep his Morty alive, he constantly brags on about how he can just get a new family, but he has the same Morty that he's had since the beginning and sticks his neck out for him as well.

"No, Morty. Because you were too afraid to tell me. What we had was abusive, don't you see? I'm a bad partner, because I never made you a true partner."

"I was afraid if I jumped in a hole you would just stand there and watch me, you wouldn't even jump in after me!" -Morty

But then Rick in season 1 literally jumped in after Morty when he fell through the garage floor into the Schrodinger's cat void.

"Be good, Morty, be better than me."

And when Rick starts crying at his memories of Morty in season One, but he refrains from expressing it so that Morty does not become, as he puts it, "cocky" (denialism)

I would also like to point out I feel like in the later seasons he starts calling Morty 'buddy' more?? he's a lot nicer to him than he used to be, and just recently allowed Morty to hug him without pushing him away, actually hugging back. He's also stated that he respects summer very deeply, which if he says that about someone, it really means that he does. He sees his Diane in Summer, and he also implies that summer is like a cat, her affection and respect needs to be earned; unlike Morty's dog like affection that is just given away. But we also hear Rick say that Morty reminds him a lot of himself when he was younger, this implies a lot of parallels.

Memory Rick brought out a lot of Rick that we didn't see previously, a person who wasn't fully tainted by the lack of treating mental Health issues, coping issues, unhealthy attachments, and all the other things that led up to Rick being the way he is. he said his heart broken so many times, he's been backstabbed, he is very hurt person. This doesn't excuse all of his actions but is a very good explanation and reason for why he is the way he is and the way the human psyche copes with it's environment to protect itself. it's like walking up to a caged animal with a taser, these are his defense mechanisms, it makes him look like a dick on the outside but currently it is the only thing that he knows how to do on instinct for protection, and that's why he's in therapy. This is why I believe he's genuinely trying to get better, he can get along with his therapist more than ever, even if he has sly remarks he genuinely listens to Mrs. Wong.

"I don't like being told where to go or what to do. I consider it a violation."

"There's a lesson here, and I won't be the one to figure it out"

"I don't discuss problems, I incinerate them"

"It was charmingly analog. For a sec, you kind of made me like myself." - Mem Rick

"You'll grow out of it." - Rick

He resents his younger self for helping him and makes sure to mention that he "grew out" of his ability to like himself, Rick has some extreme self-hatred. it's hard to fully love someone or Express a healthy relationship when you can't even have a healthy relationship with yourself.

"You act like you're the one that got stabbed in the back!" -Morty

"Because I AM THE ONE, Morty. You wanna know why I replaced myself in the beginning of that stupid knights of the morning sun thing!? I SAID don't take the fucking sword! And you were like "Whatever", like I'm our neighbor Jean or David Arquette or something!! You called me boring! I've become dog shit to you! That's what happens when you let people in and they stop respecting you! They touch your shit, they screw things up, they KILL your fuckin family! Go ahead and trust them, you're gonna learn the same fuckin thing." -Rick

#character analysis #rick and morty #rick sanchez #birdrick #rick n morty #birdperson #morty c137 #rick c137 #summer smith #dr wong #therapy #mental health discussion #analysis #character development

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kraken-o-doyle · 1 year ago

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My delulu brain gives you an assessment of the characters of Blades. Fair warning it's a lot 😂 Enjoy.

Nia, obviously her backstory is literally being snatched up and taught how to use her light from literal birth is controversial to say less. And after joining our party, she began seeing all the things wrong with what she was conditioned to believe - and dear god that would fuick up a person (depends on the matter). Even a year later Nia is struggling with the fact that she is still the shadow creature and I think losing MC made her stronger and less shy, but at the same time yours truly believes she cannot trust anyone - it was only revealed to MC that she is still struggling with the aftermath of Dreadlord dying and turns into this creature when she is in danger BY ACCIDENT OR SHEER DUMB LUCK.(PLOT DEMANDS IT) why is MC still covering for her?????

Imtura at first was literally denying the fact that MC was even alive and to be fair, she is the last person to be recruited into the team in book 1, but in my humble opinion it's evident that Imtura and MC(moi mc)relate more to one another than any other character. And her not making too many friends due to being a ✨princess✨is such BS but you know (I would be more than grateful to be in a princess' corner as a good friend) and as stated in book 1, we weren't told she was a princess because she's a captain of a ship and that way she could keep others' respect before they literally fall over themselves to please her. And when our little party didn't treat her any different before and after knowing who she was, she opened up...

Circling back to Imtura believing MC to be dead; if I was in her position and a friend that I saved the world with just 💨, I would too think they're gone since the other implications are that they are being tortured in a dungeon and bled dry by an empress' daughter. 😳

Mal, sigh, he is just wracked with guilt from losing MC, I kid you not I feel like he made some deals to try and find MC; only for someone like Tyril to find out and absolutely berate him (which is why Tyril in the newest chapter called him reckless). I'm sure there is gonna be more reckless behaviour that Mal had done through the year for both characters to use their first names. And got his stupid ass corrupted by shadow - whether or not he knows if he's infested and becoming a Thrall for the Ash Empire... we'll have to wait and see.

Tyril, from what we know so far tried from beginning to end to find MC (to be honest from what we were told Nia and Mal helped a lot until they stopped? why though - correct me if I am wrong.) even if you are romantically involved or just platonic friends, he literally sees you as an equal and is equally happy to see you back in the land of the living. Him grovelling and desperately trying to find answers on how to find MC shows what type of person he is, but I'm sure he is keeping some feelings or all of them back due to just being happy to have MC back in his life. (And doesn't want to burden MC with his problems)

Aerin better come back because whether or not I missed his jabs at the group and him only having eyes for MC(s phone, do you have some games). But genuinely what did he give the group (only heartache), because if you didn't catch him in book 1 he literally comes in one chapter - takes a stab at MC's celibacy - leaves the next. Where the hell did you crawl off to Aerin, did you go off to finish off someone?the king. Jesus, imagine. Or even worse he won't come back this book...

WILL WE GET KADE, LOOLA AND THREEP THIS BOOK BECAUSE ITS DIFFICULT WITHOUT THEM. I miss them a lot, also definitely not catching up with Kade like we should've; imagine if MC dies and the rest of the group (after saving the world and whatnot) comes back with her corpse with a note attached - sorry. 😐

I would scream if we have a therapy session with some certain characters - say certain someones we haven't seen in the WHOLE BOOK. Very disappointed in that department. Because from where I am sitting we NEED YEARS WORTH OF THERAPY.

#mal volari #imtura tal kaelen #nia ellarious #tyril starfury #aerin valleros #why am i like this #i overthink too much #hopefully we dont see anyone die horrifically or we dont at the very least #blades of light and shadow #choices #choices stories you play #choices bolas #playchoices #how much is it too many tags?

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watermelinoe · 4 months ago

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don't say that i want to read your isekai opinions

i feel like i am being buttered up here but i will allow it bc i do love talking abt isekai hehe ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

so for context what made me think more abt isekai as a genre was finishing the main story chapters of saving my sweetheart, which i think is really strong for the first two thirds and then loses it in the last third for reasons i will explain shortly

and i've had this issue w other isekai/regression manhwa (i pr much lump these together under the isekai umbrella even though it is not technically the same thing) where things are just too easy, one that comes to mind off the top of my head is i shall master this family, which has great art and i like that it's less focused on romance but i ended up getting bored bc the protagonist just. never loses. she can always use her past life experience to perfectly predict what will happen and completely curbstomp whoever her opponent is.

"but isn't that the appeal of an isekai??" you may ask and you would be INCORRECT, yes the wish fulfillment element of isekai is about getting a do-over, but more than that my favorite thing abt the genre is how it plays with expectations and the idea of fate/any kind of higher power that decides how things are "supposed" to be. and oftentimes this force is an active character and antagonist. i've seen several manhwa now where the characters essentially have to beat "god" in order to get their happy ending. there are no predestined endings and true love is the love you make with the person you choose, not someone who is chosen for you. soulmates are made, not created. these are all themes that are extremely important to me and why i think isekai as a genre works so well. i'm someone who LOVES tropes - as tv tropes always says, Tropes Aren't Bad. isekai plays with tropes like i used to play with my dinosaur toys. it's supposed to be self-aware, it's supposed to subvert expectations, it's supposed to be fun and genre savvy and meta. it's really a treat for people who care a lot about the mechanics of storytelling.

the working isekai formula relies on establishing the wish being fulfilled - why is this person being reincarnated? and the answer to that question generally determines how the story first plays out, which is typically one of two ways, where the female lead either has to claw her way up through obstacle after obstacle, or the female lead is immediately welcomed and loved in her new life (but often there is still some underlying conflict that keeps her from being at ease and embracing Happily Ever After, such as her knowledge of what's "destined" to happen in the future). the latter is more of a hurt/comfort trope usually following a depressing first life. in either case, at the beginning the female lead can rely on her insider knowledge to score some wins early on, but the essential key is that there comes a point where her past knowledge means nothing anymore because the story has changed too much. and usually there will be an additional twist as well. this is to keep things from being too easy for the female lead, because even in a revenge story, it's not actually satisfying to watch someone win over and over with no meaningful conflicts. the archvillain's daughter-in-law also has a female lead who seemingly never misses, but the difference is that she thinks her father-in-law is planning to kill her so his son can remarry the royal princess (divorce is illegal), and honestly at this point in the story without spoiling anything that still seems like a reasonable fear. so the story isn't boring because you have this conflict of interests, she's attached to her new family but also knows she needs to be dead for her father-in-law to accomplish his overall goal. i shall master this family doesn't seem to have that extra layer, everything just goes her way.

saving my sweetheart does a great job with challenging the female lead for the first ~90 or so chapters and then in the last third, i swear literally every single obstacle is squashed before you can even start to worry about it. including the main looming death flag introduced at the very beginning of the story. it just no longer matters at a certain point. and obviously as readers we know that these types of stories will work out in the end, but for some reason this story decided that the characters should know that, too. in the third act. they literally solve things by showing multiple characters the future. sorry but if the main characters already know it's going to be okay... why am i here exactly lol it was like the story said yeah yeah you know what it's gonna be like huh??? what a baffling choice

and it's dangerously easy for stories that use gods as major players to eliminate any real challenge for the main characters because they literally have the power of god and anime on their side. there has to be some excuse why whatever divine power can't just stomp the bad guys with a giant foot monty python style. it's also just.... less satisfying for a story to have the Ultimate Objective Good on the side of the main characters. Good is often Boring. i liked how flirting with the villain's dad portrayed its god as more human and flawed, like a greek god.

what really left a bad taste in my mouth by the end of saving my sweetheart was that fate was never against them in the first place, it was the villain who upset the balance, and the two Good gods just give the main characters the answers because fuck it, you all know how it's gonna turn out anyway, who are we kidding. there's an especially laughable moment at the end and this will be a spoiler, but when a major character has to go to the land of the dead at the end to persuade another character to come back to life, this character worries bc in the happy future he originally saw, he wasn't in it. and for a split second you think there's going to be a nice message because the major character says smth like "i can't guarantee the future but i know we would be less happy without you in it" BUT THEN the goddess literally just fucking SHOWS the dead guy the future with him in it to prove it will all be fine and i am still not over it because WHAT WAS THE POINT THEN, what was the point of any of it, no one had to be uncertain for a single fuckin second because yknow power of god and anime

and i feel like an insane person bc everyone else was just like "this felt kinda rushed" but i had this whole rant built up inside me lmao i am aware i'm too into this genre but i think there's interesting parallels you can make here to like, christian media and why it's boring...

#answered #weeb hours #if anyone actually read all of this i am promoting you to knighthood bc i have royal bisexual authority now according to that last anon

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auspex · 5 months ago

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VtM Fangfest 2024 Prompt 8: The Chariot

Hello! Here is my eighth fic for Fangfest 2024 :)

All my fics will be about characters that are previously established, so you might not have context for everything mentioned or hinted at within :( Feel free to reach out to ask I love explaining!

I've never really posted my writing before so be kind!

my first fic is here

my second fic is here

my third fic is here

my fourth fic is here

my fifth fic is here

my sixth fic is here

my seventh fic is here

This fic is about Sampson, and the last time he ever spoke to Mark. This one will probably be the hardest one to enjoy without context.

Sampson, before Mark's embrace, was Mark's boyfriend. But, he was ghouled and used to spy on Mark to see if he was a suitable candidate for embrace, and had his memory erased often. After Mark's embrace, Mark saved Sampson from dying (long story, keeping it brief) and Mark unintentionally ghouled him in the process. Later, unbeknownst to Mark, Sampson was approached by one of Gaius's contacts to help Mark in kiling his sire, Julius. Sampson also wanted this to happen so he could get the fuck out of the city without being killed as a possible masquerade breach (Julius would definetely have had him hunted down and killed).

Theres a lot more context and history but... we don't have time for a full plot summary. if you aren't familiar with their story you might consider skipping this one... but if you do know them... without further ado...

Sampson leaned up against his truck, waiting for Mark and that other kindred he’d apparently attached himself to, JP.

Their new neighborhood, East Village was on the outskirts of Detroit and solidly straddled the line between urban and suburban. Most houses had chain link fences, and were kept relatively free of trash. It wasn’t the worst place to live. Sampson couldn’t help feeling guilty when he thought about the others living here; he had enabled two monsters to move in. He could never let himself forget that Mark was a murderer.

Finally, Mark’s car pulled up. “Took you long enough. It’s almost 8,” Sampson spoke, annoyed, as both kindred exited the car. JP for his part looked deranged as always, but thankfully stayed behind Mark.

“I know, I’m sorry. We had to pick something up that we had left on my territory. Uh, but thanks for meeting me.” Mark gave one of his ‘I’m trying hard to be normal’ smiles.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever.” He held out the house key. “Well, there you go. I left the deed inside.”

Mark took the key. “Thank you Sampson. Uh, how are things with you?”

Sampson stuffed his hands into his pockets and looked out to the road. “Good enough. Yeah.” He took a deep breath. Time to tell him. He wished JP weren’t here. “So. I’ll be leaving town at sunrise.”

“What?”

Mark looked shocked, as he expected. He pushed through conflicting feelings and kept his voice steady. “You know I wanted to leave.”

“Yes, but this soon?”

“Yeah. Your sire’s dead. I can leave without him sending goons to hunt me down. So I’m going.”

There was silence for a moment. JP cut in, thank god. It was hard to relax with him there. “Hey uh, Mark, why don’t you give me the key?” Before waiting for a reply, JP took it from Mark’s unmoving hand and turned towards the house. “Nice to meet you and good luck Sampson, um. Thanks for everything. Bye. Good luck Mark. See you inside, uh, soon.”

He shuffled away towards the house. Sampson and Mark were left standing outside.

Sampson released his held breath, but Mark spoke first, fast now. “Now hang on Sampson, I know you wanted to go but everything is happening really fast, things are uncertain, and I-”

Here we go. “You what? Can’t promise it's safe for me to go? You can’t promise me safety, period. This is the best time. Or, fuck, even if its not, I’ve gotta chance now and I can’t wait any longer. Neither can Kaylee. It’s killing her, being here, knowing you and others are around.” He glanced over his shoulder, as if someone could be watching them right then. “I’m, uh. Man.” He sighed. “Look Mark, I hope your sire’s death is good for you too. But I was trying to get out, that’s why I helped you do that, and now I can. So I’m going. There’s no reason for me to stay.”

“Could you wait until I’m a bit more settled? I-”

Sampson grimaced at that - did he not realize they couldn’t be friends, that they were not friends? “No. I’m leaving. And this is goodbye.”

“I.” Mark’s face fell. ��I can’t believe it. I mean! I know you wanted to go and I support you in that, you know I do, it's just I didn’t think it’d be so soon. I just, don’t know. I don’t really even know what I’m going to do, yet, I’ve just been taking it one step at a time.”

“Then fuck, you’ve got to figure it out. You don’t need me for that - I don’t even think I could help with that. Oh, here’s another key for you. To The Forgetful. Whoever that monster is who helps manage your territory can run the damn bar now. I guess. Or you can. It doesn’t matter. Hell, you could even rename it.”

Mark stared at the key for a moment before carefully picking it up from Sampson’s outstretched palm. “I. Ok. Sampson, I…”

“Don’t, Mark. Just let this be the end. Don’t contact me.”

Mark opened his mouth in shock. “But, wait, why not? I would just want to make sure you’re ok, I wouldn’t ask for details, or anything.”

“No. I’m changing my number. Might even change my name. Don’t try and find me.”

Mark spluttered a bit. “What? I. Okay. Okay fine. Take my number at least. Okay. Why don’t you take mine at least?”

Sampson sighed as he observed Mark scribble his number down in a notebook he had in his bag, rip it out and hand it to him.

He took it wordlessly. No way he’d ever call.

“There, so, just call me if you need anything. You’re really leaving tonight? Where will you go?”

“You don’t gotta worry about that anymore.”

“What about Lucky?” “Not your problem anymore either. Don’t worry about shit to do with me, Mark. It’s my life. I’m trying to go live it. Go enjoy your l- er, whatever the fuck you have.” There was no longer any venom in Sampson’s voice, but no love either. The situation was just sad. He ran a hand over his head and sighed. “Look, I am thankful, ok? You sure fucked up a lot but you could have done way worse by me, and well. I survived. I have another chance in life, and you could have tried to stop me from doing that, but instead you helped. So thank you for that, Mark.”

“I… of course Sampson. You know I, I would do so much for you. If you only asked. I didn’t want things to be like this.”

“I know.” Mark was always saying that, as if it really meant anything.

For a minute, the only sound was the echo of cars, streets away, and a dog’s solitary bark.

Sampson broke the silence. “Is there anything you need to ask me? I really am about to leave.” He wasn’t about to get emotional around Mark.

“I, I mean, I guess not. Not much anyway. Do I have to worry about whoever was helping you get me that stuff I needed to break the bond?” “No.”

“Ok. That’s good I guess. Um.” “Anything else?” “I mean.” Mark struggles with his words, but eventually simply blurts out: “What do you think of me, really?”

Sampson paused for a moment, thinking. “That you’re in an impossible situation. A bad one.” Sampson blew air out of his lips, making a ‘pfft’ sound. “And, well damn, I feel bad for you, but like how you would feel for a stranger going through it, y’know. Plus the whole ‘you suck people’s blood until they die’ thing. And I want nothing to do with it.”

“Right.”

Let Mark sit with that for the rest of his existence, as he lost the shell of who he was and fully became a monster. If Sampson was a braver man, if he really wanted to do something to help out the man Mark used to be, he’d really kill Mark now.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do that - Mark was too similar to how he had been when he was alive, even if Sampson would never forget that he had murdered someone.

“Anything else?”

“No. I understand that you have to go. So, this is goodbye?” Mark had his characteristic mask up; his voice was detached, and formal. “That I do. Yeah. You won’t see me again but I wish you the best.” Sampson wasn’t sure if he was lying, but he held out his hand for a handshake anyway.

Mark took a moment to compose himself before returning the handshake. “Thanks for everything that you did for me. I am here if you ever need. Don’t lose that number. Please.”

“Mmm. Goodbye, Mark.” Sampson met his eyes for a moment.

He felt Mark’s cold hand slip away as he released it. “Goodbye, Sampson.”

With that, Sampson quickly turned, went into his truck, and without a second glance, drove away. Mark was left on the driveway fighting back tears.

Mark stood there for a moment, watching Sampson’s truck get further and further down the road. Soon, Sampson couldn’t make him out in his rear view mirror.

All that was left was to pick up Kaylee. And they could both get out of this city.

#vtmfangfest24 #mark vtm oc

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the-mercurial-star-o-vesper · 1 month ago

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More UT and DR, coming right up!

Spoilers for Undertale.

I don't think No Mercy Chara destroys the world.

When I do my analysis, I run on the "Lowest Energy Option" analysis.

Its too easy to made grandiose ideas that, while nice for dramatics, are often world-build breaking or reality breaking. Dramatics like that, tend to disrupt the narrative. Good for fanfic and make-believe, bad for an already established world-build with already established rules.

Keep it things to the lowest energy option possible, the easiest choice with all evidence taken in... and you find the most reasonable choice (until outright proven otherwise).

Chara is, like, 10, at most.

They don't have any monster soul to use to perform magic, they can't use other human souls, they can't do any more damage than what you can do--and you can do a lot more.

Gaining LV doesn't unlock godmode, it just makes you into a bastard. There aren't any skill trees or magic books to speak off in undertale, so there isn't any unlocking skills or spells that will magically give us, Frisk or Chara, some reality breaking ability over the world.

In fact, they're less powerful than the other soulless entity running around with us--Flowey. Flowey is pretty much the most powerful thing here by sheer malicious cunning (and I'm pretty certain he's got a whole root system underneath the ground of Underground, because how else is he moving about or commanding so many vines?)

So what, by all this, went on when you decided that killing everything in sight was a good idea?

Well.

Remember that we have the Red Soul, so think. What abilities do we do, with the Red Soul? We... ... Make choices for Frisk, as they appear. ... Fight, Act, Item and Mercy (which includes Fleeing or Sparing) ... React in the Battle Box.

But we additionally do... ... Save, Reset, Quit.

We know what happens when someone Hijacks the Save File, just ask Omega Flowey. (Yes I know he's "Photoshop Flowey" but Omega sounds cooler, so shush you.)

So what happens, when a 10 year old, driven psychotic by an eldritch force, who has some pretty severe guilt issues and strict ideas of "just rewards", is given the Red Soul?

They claim they're "destroying the world".

All they would be capable of doing is basically, forcing Quitting you. Crash the game, severe the connection.

Telling you the world was destroyed, was the easiest way to ensure you don't come back to do more damage. When you do come back, they offer you the ability to reset (but with their hands on the controller this time), in order to get the best ending.

Its in character for Chara, who poisoned themselves with the same buttercups that Asgore was accidentally poisoned by, to take the most strict just path possible to make up for guilt.

But the actions performed by a serial murderer, stay performed. Nobody is above consequences.

ADDENDUM:

Why would Chara go along with you? Well, its not like they have a choice, man. They're dead, they're attached to the red soul, they can offer choices but they can't make them themselves.

Why are they so encouraged to go psychotic when the end nears? ... Its call "Fawning", its a trauma response. Unfortunately, this kid is far too acquainted with trauma, judging by their implied history...

I am, not gonna lie, real tired of the Chara is the Villian malarkey. So will warn, that specific debate is not open for discussion with me.

#undertale #no mercy route #chara dreemurr #ut chara #analysis

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aro-laurance-zvahl · 2 years ago

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I know nobody asked but fuck it I slept and shit and am still thinking about it so like. Here’s why I hate Garroth’s betrayal arc, and what I would do instead!

Mind control is STUPID

I know some of what I’m gonna say is gonna be able to be countered with the whole implied mind control stuff. And yeah sure if he’s being mind controlled anything can happen! But also? Mind control is a stupid plot device. If the only way you think you can get a character to do the thing you want them to do, is to inflict them to mind control/corruption for multiple days or even weeks, then maybe it’s time to reconsider the plot point.

(This post is long so I’m putting a keep reading)

It’s out of character

It just makes no sense for Garroth to betray not just Aphmau, but Phoenix Drop as a whole. It’s established very early on, and is pounded in after this betrayal, that one of his most core traits is loyalty. It’s his fatal flaw! It prevents him from really trying to kill Zenix back when he attacked Phoenix Drop.

But then he sees Aphmau kissing Laurance and that Laurance broke their bro code...and oh man....he’s just gonna betray his home for fucking O’KHASIS cause of that. Screw loyalty I guess!

It’s start of the end

By this I mean it’s the start of some characters being boiled down to their attraction to Aphmau.

Suddenly Garroth’s fatal flaw isn’t loyalty, it’s Aphmau. He’ll betray the home he stood by even when shit went down the drain and their lord was dead and roads were falling apart, cause his crush likes someone else. He’ll help O’Khasis and the brother who has murdered entire villages cause of that. Cause that’s all that fuels good ol’ Garroth, his massive crush on Aphmau! Not a sense of justice or guilt from his past or anything of that nature. Just Aphmau.

Had very little lasting impact

And I know that sounds weird cause like yeah it did it changed the course of the whole story but like. It did a few things, but none of them have to do with the act of betrayal. Basically if Zane and Lillian did it all on their own and then Garroth stayed because that is in character at least, the few things that had a lasting impact would still happen

The 15 year time skip

Garroth is not in the overworld

Making the Divine Warriors important to their goals

Giving Aphmau Irene powers

Killing off Aaron

And that is about it. Dynamics with Garroth didn’t change, no one seemed to see him differently, he wasn’t even the focus when he finally got saved which leads me to my next point!

Him getting saved wasn’t about him!

Garroth got saved, he’s finally home, you the viewer who has been watching this shit unfold live are so excited and can’t wait to see the reactions- but wait.

Sure, Garroth is finally safe. Sure, he’s finally home. But...but Aaron is dead. Aphmau notices Aaron is dead, and that is what this arc is about. Not Garroth coming to grips with the world he reenters, finally seeing how unkind fifteen years have been because of his actions. Not about friends finally seeing him afger fifteen years, not about the friends he saved who know he also betrayed them having a swirl of conflicted but overall relieved emotions. No, it’s not about any of that. What it is about is Aaron’s death and Aphmau’s grief of it.

It was Aaron that sacrificed himself to do it

Aaron didn’t know Garroth. I don’t think the two ever actually talked, and sure it’s clear Aaron didn’t do it for Garroth. He did it to kill Zane and also. For Aphmau. (Remember that point about some characters getting boiled down to their attraction to her and that taking over character motivations? I think that applies here.)

Its just such a missed opportunity honestly. If someone dies to save him, Garroth should feel some personal grief! The person should have personal attachments to Garroth! Make it Laurance! Make it Dante! Make it Vylad! Make it fucking Azura! Not someone who Garroth will go “Oh. Who is that again?”

What I would do

My personal favorite way to change this arc while keeping those first four major impacts, is for it to be Aphmau’a icarus moment. It goes a bit like this

Garroth has just been approached by Zane and Lillian, he is sat in his room and filled with some sort of panic. They have some sort of plan, a plan he knows will not lead to good things for Phoenix Drop or Aphmau. The kiss he saw is barley on his mind because this takes priority. He has to tell Aphmau, as soon as possible but he knows now is not safe. He knows they must be stalking outside, keeping an eye out to make sure he doesn’t warn anyone.

That’s when he sees it, a deep purple enchanted amulet secured to a similarly enchanted golden cord. He doesn’t hesitate in grabbing it, whispering a plea in hopes Aphmau still has hers. And she does. He’s able to tell her all about how Zane is here and scheming something and how he’s trying to use him to get it but that means they can stop him before anything has the chance to start, plan an ambush or something of the like.

Except Aphmau sees opportunity. She sees a way into Zane’s plans, into his resources, it’s a perfect opportunity. Not only to stop his plans, but to learn what they are. Maybe even use them for good! Garroth just has to go along with it.

Of course he’s hesitant, the last thing he ever wants to put Phoenix Drop in danger, but he trusts Aphmau and sees her point. He agrees, even if every bone in his body is telling him it’s too dangerous and not worth it.

This continues on. Garroth feeds her the little information he gets, and she tells him to keep playing it up even as he voices his concerns more and more. She’s confident it will work out, that they’re so close to being one step ahead of Zane. But Garroth can see things are only getting more risky, but he places his instincts to the side.

And it keeps spiraling. It reaches the point where Garroth needs the artifact Laurance is protecting, and that is where Garroth tries to draw the line but it’s too late. The only way they’re getting Zane into another vulnerable position is with that amulet in Garroth’s hand, and there’s no time. No time to fill Laurance in, no time for Aphmau to tell him to pass it off to Garroth, and they both know that. Aphmau’s orders him to keep going, to do what he needs to get that amulet and that Laurance will understand later, and despite the pit in his stomach he doesn’t defy the order. He knocks out his best friend.

And as Garroth thinks that must be rock bottom for this whole messy scheme, it only gets worse. He is stuck following Zane’s orders, attacking his friends, until Aphmau says enough is enough. Except he realizes as he is sworn into the Jury of Nine, filled with power that makes him sick, that she’s not going to. She will not relieve him of this messed up situation until she gets the information she wants that he knows Zane won’t give until he’s already done it. And so, he finally defies.

Of course, it’s too late. It’s a blur of confusion, there’s a portal, they’re in some towering marble cathedral, and only as Irene’s relic enters her, as Zane grows into a monsterous rage fueled magical form, does Aphmau realize she took this too far.

Laurance and Garroth are struggling to hold off Zane, there’s a crack that at least signals Katelyn has dealt with Lillian, and then a portal opens. For a brief second, everything is gonna be ok! A familiar voice with an unfamiliar look is urging them to hurry, abs thwy will.

The issue is, Zane tries to as well. That’s when Garroth taps into the magic he hates, because he sees Aphmau trying to return to the fight and he cannot let that happen. He doesn’t care if it’s her fault because it’s his too, he should’ve put his foot down long before it got so far and by Irene he will not fail to keep her safe because of it. He tells Laurance to get her out, and there is a moment where Aphmau thinks Laurance won’t listen and leave him here to die because that is what doing this will do, but he does. He forces Aphmau through the portal with him, and then it closes.

There are a few quiet seconds, where they catch their breath and do headcounts, but no matter how many times they do it they are one short. And Laurance, confused and hurt but above that he is angry, he looks to Aphmau and in a unsteady voice bubbling with emotion, he asks “What was that?!”

And all she can say is “It wasn’t supposed to go that far.”

And now Aphmau’s determination to bring Garroth home isn’t only fueled by the fact it’s Garroth, but now by guilt. Guilt about how she pushed and pushed and pushed against his warnings, which previously had worked out in her favor before. It’s what got her to be a lord! But this time, this time it didn’t and the price was steeper than she could’ve ever imagined.

Of course my changes don’t stop there, because I also believe it should be Laurance who sacrifices himself to save Garroth, but expanding into that is moreso about my distaste for Aaron and less about the betrayal arc so I’ll save it for another day

How it pertains to the betrayal arc is giving Garroth grief and guilt, having him feel the weight of the sacrifice as much as Aphmau and doubt he was even worth it. Also since I believe Garroth loses his sword in the Irene Dimension abs I think Laurance still has his (and if he doesn’t he will in this AU), imagine Garroth using Laurance’s sword.

It also expands on Laurance’s motivations, about how the last thing he wants is to fall to his shadow knight side and as we see in season two, he gets dangerously close. Him making the choice is him deciding to die a hero instead of living long enough to become a villain, or more specifically someone who would hurt Aphmau or someone she might have to kill.

And I think that’s everything! I hope anyone reading this enjoyed!

#minecraft diaries #mcd garroth #garroth ro'meave #mcd aphmau #mcd laurance #laurance zvhal #mcd laurence #laurence zvhal #also yes i did pretend Aaron doesn’t exist in my little rewrite idea #what about it

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