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newkatzkafe2023 · 2 months ago

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Hey have you ever heard of Courtnapping among demons? Basically when a demon really likes someone, they make their home as welcoming and comfortable as possible as well as have enough to provide their potential mate with anything and everything they need, so let's say the Monkeys are having a stroll one day when suddenly they're picked up by a female monkey who's larger than them and taken to a very large but very homey cave. This cave has food, drink, clothing, weapons anything they would want or need. While the monkeys were impressed, they decided to ask why they're here, she looked into their eyes and said, "I've kidnapped you, so you're my mate now."

I HEARD OF COURTNAPPING AND I LOVE IT SO MUCH🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩 and I think we can do something better the a cave😉😉😉😉

(Lmk Wukong) Honestly you're not the first demon to try and courtnap him, but you are the first to succeed though🤣. Wukong was always able to slip away from anyone trying to get him, ever since he became the great sage equal to heaven people and demons of all kinds wanted a piece of him. Now for the first to succeed part well he was taking a nice long he was then bought to a incredibly luxurious Mansion and saw food, drinks, weapons, cozy and warm blankets with a giant Flat screen TV. Wukong was shocked by how privileged he feels and finally saw you come in with hot chocolate, he asked you why did you kidnapped him you then told him that you took him to be your mate. Wukong was Blushing and totally caught off guard by your Purposal, well at least your adorable.

(MKR Wukong) Ok he is just trying to wrap his head around the situation he's in, one moment he was patrolling the camp protecting his master. The next moment he was thrown over the shoulder of a tall, large female monkey who was heading for this massive fancy Mansion. Wukong was bamboozled by your surprisenly fancy mountain home and had all the stuff he could ask for in it. The house food, drinks, weapons and other cool treasures and items and Wukong was admittedly impressed by the display. He had to snap out of it and he demanded to know why you had kidnapped him and why did you bring him to your house. After a while you finally answered stating your name and the reason why you kidnapped him is being you wanted him as a mate. With this info Wukong had put two and two together before his face became red with embarrassment, and he felt something else. He got courtnap..HIS ASS GOT COURTNAP, and for some god Forsaking reason, he is not angry at all as he was hugged and kissed by you.

(HIB Wukong) He definitely put up a good fight at first, so you had to use a slightly drastic measure, but nobody was hurt. Now he was bound and gagged as he was carried to your home in another mountain. It was filled with treasure, food, drinks, weapons, and Apparently baby clothes, toys and medical supplies, and more. Wukong was admittedly impressed, but he had to get back to Luier and Silly girl and with that Wukong had asked you what you wanted and why you kidnapped him for. You then said that you successfully got him so he's officially your mate now, ohhhhhhhhhh the look on his face was priceless as he sat there blushing and shocked at your words. You are admittedly attractive and clearly interested in him to the point you had went and courtnap him, Wukong could never recover from this.

(NR Wukong) Ok, you'll need patience, careful planning, and a lot of booze in order to catch this guy because catching a butterfly is way easier than catching him. What you did catch him with was deep fried fish you made, and he was busy eating that as you carry him back to your home. When Wukong was done eating, he looked around your surprisingly fancy house and found it impressive even with all the stuff he saw with the food, drinks, weapons, and more things he's never seen before. Wukong was impressed, and when you came along, he asked why you bought him here, and you told him that you courtnapped him, so he's your mate now. Wukong brain was buffering excessively, so he was kidnapped by a hot lady who was very interested in him. You know you could have just asked him right??

(Netflix Wukong) He's freaking out a like alot he has no idea how to handle this situation at all. Wukong was coming home to Lin's house after fighting a bunch of demons when suddenly he found himself, Tackled, Tied up and carried over the shoulder of a tall monkey woman AKA YOU!!!! He rightfully panic as he's never expected something like this to happen to him. Later on, he was put in a cozy house with food, drinks, weapons, cozy pillows and blankets, and a bunch of other awesome stuff. Wukong was soon given peach tea from you, and he took this time to Interrogate, you on, what's going on?Why did you kidnap him and what your intentions are??? You laughed as you told him your name and said that since you successfully courtnap him that he's your mate now🥰🥰🥰. Now Wukong heard of courtnapping but never thought it would ever happen to him and by a Gorgeous monkey woman at that. He's not sure if he should be fortunate or not, but at least he took this chance to brag about himself to you.

(BMW Wukong) How is this even happening right now like seriously, he's at a lost at this. Let me explain Wukong was just being himself looking for enemies and adventure or looking to cause trouble, when he spotted something in the distance a tall female monkey which was you. Wukong demanded that you state your business as he was cautious incase you want to try something, but the next thing he knew he was being bound and gagged by the same female monkey who was now carrying him away. Wukong was then bought to a Huge bur comfortable looking house, where it was full of treasures he had never seen before along with food, drinks and other cozy comfort items. Wukong was admittedly impressed by everything but still wanted an explanation on why he was kidnapped, and well you told him😏. After given the explanation of your introduction and intentions He found himself in a state of shock at you calling him your mate, meaning he just got courtnap by this powerful Strategic Attractive devil monkey woman got him off guard. You sexy little Theif😍😲

(Destined One) He's confused at best because he appears to be being kidnapped by a taller than him female monkey. Now the shenanigans continue as you bought him back to your home that what a big cottage in a quiet and peaceful looking forest. The Destined one already like your house and it gets better on the inside it has everything he can ask for, their was his favorite food, drinks, awesome weapons and cool treasures that were never seen by him ever. Their was ever a cozy soft heavy slightly heated blanket just for him to snuggle and nap in. The Destined one was very impressed by the place he was bought too, and before he could almost fall asleep on your couch, you came in introducing yourself and openly called him your new mate. The Destined one instantly knew what happened, and considering you went on, you went out of your way to provide a good, safe, comfortable place for him. Also, you were adorable and attractive looking and clearly strong if you could haul him around with absolutely no trouble, and that's secretly sexy to him.

Feel Free to Reblog🔔💒💍👰‍♀🤵‍♂️

#monkey king netflix #monkey king reborn #monkey king x reader #nezha reborn #lmk monkey king #monkey king hero is back #x female y/n #black myth wukong #the destined one x reader

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promptthebear · 5 months ago

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Could you do a 🐰 Drabble with Peter for 27?? Or anyone really, I just think that it needs to get out in something thank youu

Below the Belt

Tormund Giantsbane x Fem!Stark!Reader

Summary: Tormund is in love with you. It isn’t reciprocated, and a little wager goes horribly wrong.

CW: Swearing. Tormund behaving like a little boy with a crush, think pulling pigtails for attention. Kind of enemies to lovers dynamics but not quite. Mild implications that the reader has been abused. 2nd person, reader is referred to as "you"

A/N: I’m baaaaaaaccckk! This is my first time writing for Tormund so pls be nice.

Tormund was bored, which meant he had gone from being a tolerable pest to the biggest, loudest nuisance in all the Seven Kingdoms. Even worse, he had somehow used the ale soaked lump he called a brain to convince himself that he was besotted with you. And so, since Brienne had found you wandering through the ass end of the North and started bringing you back to your half brother on the Wall you hadn’t known a moment’s peace.

“Can’t you make him shut up?” you begged the lady knight one evening, not even bothering to hide your desperation. You’d been through a lot these last few months, far too much to have stupid stories about she-bears and giant’s tits be the thing that finally broke you.

“Trust me, my Lady,” Brienne replied, not even glancing up from where her whetstone slid across the edge of her blade “If I knew how, I would’ve done so the moment I met him.”

You glanced over your shoulder to shoot Tormund a withering look. As though he knew he was being discussed, the giant Wildling met your glare with a broad smile and a wink. You scoffed, tugged your cloak tighter around your shoulders and stared into the meagre flames of your small campfire. Perhaps if you looked at it long enough and wished hard enough, it would suddenly blossom into a full hearth complete with a pot of mulled wine and aurocs on a spit. And perhaps, dragons would live again and every last one of the Lannisters would drop dead by morning.

“Y’cold, beauty?”

The first time you’d heard Tormund address someone as such, it had been Brienne. However, when she’d shoved the tip of her sword against the hollow of his throat and told him she’d forsake her honor without hesitation should he even think about calling her that again, he’d awarded the title to you. You’d also threatened his life in increasingly creative ways whenever he did so, but unfortunately your words didn’t have the same impact as Brienne’s. Instead, they only seemed to spur the stupid man on and multiply his interest in you tenfold.

“No,” you shot back, your tone just as icy as your frozen toes. “Not in the least.”

“Then why are you shivering?” Tormund asked, eyes gleaming “A delicate little southron blossom like you isn’t meant to sit in the snow.”

“I’m from the bloody North, Tormund. How many times need I tell you?!”

The giant made a rude noise in response, blowing air between his lips and shaking his head.

“No, girl. I’m from the North. The Real North. You Winterfell lot and your ilk are nothing more than a lot of Southern twats who wandered too far up the coast and were too busy freezing your arses off to bother going back.”

“Lady-” this came from Podrick, who usually was too shy to say much to you but even he could recognize that Tormund had taken things a step too far. You were on your feet and bearing down on the Wilding before you even really understood what was happening.

“How dare you?! How dare YOU?! I am a Stark. My ancestors were the Kings of Winter. My father, his grandfather and his great grandfather were all Wardens of the North. We are descended from the First of Men, we drove the Andals out of Westeros and brought Kings to their knees. We have endured for hundreds of years, and thrived where lesser men have withered. Our crypts go as far back as-”

As quickly as your tirade began, it stopped with the faint sound of your teeth clicking as your jaw snapped shut. Echoes of your enraged speech bounced around the clearing, your righteous anger drifting up into the bare branches of the skeleton trees and into the black night sky beyond. Your cheeks still burned hot with ire and your chest heaved, your breaths coming in shaky huffs while your hands fisted and tangled around handfuls of your skirts. Were it not for the love you bore your late mother, you would have reached out and shook Tormund’s neck until it snapped. Because even after the earful he’d just gotten, the fucking fool was laughing at you.

Not just a little chuckle, either. Tormund’s head was tossed back against his shoulders, his mouth open wide while tears streamed from his eyes, laughing as though he would never stop. The flush on your cheeks quickly turned from one of anger to one of embarrassment. Of course. You had fallen right in to his trap. Tormund had wanted you to become angry with him, he had poked and prodded at you the same way a bear might be baited at a feast. The intent was the same too. He was looking for amusement. Gods, how you wanted to kill him.

Eventually, the Widling man managed to quiet himself down to the point where he could speak in between a few sparse chortles though it took several deep breaths and even then, his shoulders still shook with lingering mirth.

“Well,” he said, dabbing at his eyes with the edge of his cloak “You certainly sound like a Northerner, and you’ve shown me that pretty hair of yours is for more than just good looks. But, I’m afraid you’ll always be a little Southern princess to me. Unless…”

While you sported your father’s grey eyes and your mother’s red curls, you hadn’t inherited their stoicism or their tact. You were far too often entirely bound to the whims of your temper, especially when someone waved a challenge so obviously right beneath your nose. The clever thing would have been to walk away and leave Tormund stewing for the night, but the temptation to put him in his place was far too strong.

“Unless what, you blithering idiot?”

Tormund grinned, his blue eyes turning soft as though you were cooing sweet nothings rather than barking insults. He then rose to his feet and strode over to you, his long legs closing the distance in a matter of seconds. You’d expected him to at least have enough sense to stand at arm’s length from you, but that was far too much to demand of his simple intellect. No, Tormund didn’t stop until he was practically standing on top of you, so close you could feel his breath ghosting across the crown of your head and smell the dampness on his cloak.

The sound of a sword unsheathing made you glance quickly over your shoulder, where you saw Brienne now standing with her weapon drawn. You gave a subtle shake of your head, to which she responded with an equally short nod though you noticed she didn’t remove her hand from her hilt either. You stole a brief look at Podrick as well, though the young squire had little more to offer you than a half hearted shrug.

Grumbling under your breath, you turned back to face Tormund. The sudden closeness now meant that you could no longer look the man in the eye without craning your neck upwards or taking a few steps back. Not wanting to seem intimidated by his nonsense, you chose the former and fixed the Wildling with a searing gaze. Tormund chuckled in response, the sound as rich and dark as Dornish wine. A unwanted, tingling warmth began to grow in your belly but you quickly squashed it with a hard bite to the inside of your cheek.

“Alright little one,” the giant said so softly he was nearly whispering “You want to be a real Northerner? Then show me. Show me you’re more than just talk, and I’ll believe you.”

You wrinkled your nose, but didn’t break from his stare. It felt as though his deep, ocean blue eyes were boring right in to the depths of your soul.

“How?”

Movement at Tormund’s hip made you flinch involuntarily, which caused his brow to crease in concern. However, when you didn’t react further he pushed aside his cloak and pulled out a stone knife with a bone handle. You stared at the flint blade, watching the way glinted in the faint firelight.

“If you can take this from me in the next minute or so, then I’ll believe you’re truly a Northerner…” he paused and drew in a sharp breath “And, I’ll be yours. Mind, body and soul, from now until my dying breath.”

You let out a derisive snort.

“Is that it? Truly? You’re betting your freedom on whether or not I can take your poxy knife? Tell me Tormund, are all Wildlings this stupid or are you the exception?”

You couldn’t help but relish the way the ever present grin fell from the giant man’s face. Clearly, his little proposition hadn’t garnered the reaction he’d been hoping for.

“I’m exceptional in more ways then you know, beauty.” He replied, quickly regaining his composure and leering openly at you “Though perhaps it isn’t quite fair to pit such a sweet little thing against a mighty warrior such as-”

Whatever Tormund was going to say next would forever remain a mystery. Instead, all that could be heard was a faint, guttural sort of choking sound. Tormund quite looked like he was choking too. His pale skin had turned almost as red as his hair, while his mouth hung open in a silent gasp and his wide eyes stared blindly down at the snowy ground.

“How?” he sputtered, bent double with his hands clutched over his loins.

“Easy,” you replied, tossing his knife from your right hand to your left “I have two older brothers. Three, if you count that traitorous Greyjoy fucker. When needs must, I know where to hit.”

Tormund drew in another deep breath, which was followed by a series of coughs and a few strangled laughs. For some reason, this made you grin all the wider. Even after taking a full on strike to the bollocks, Tormund could still find a reason to laugh.

“Clearly, I underestimated you girl.”

“Clearly.”

You gently placed the tip of the knife beneath Tormund’s chin, slowly tilting his face upwards so he was looking you in the eye. He looked at you as though he had just discovered his own personal goddess, and he was about to become your most devoted worshiper. The tingling warmth erupted in your gut again, though this time you didn’t try to stop it.

“Do you yield?” you asked, keeping your voice low so only Tormund could hear you. He nodded as much as the knife would allow, and swallowed hard before answering.

“Yes.” came the reply.

“And do you promise not to call me a southerner anymore?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” you said, giving Tormund’s cheek a rough pat before straightening and turning round to face Podrick and Brienne. The young squire was gawping at you with renewed fear in his eyes, while Brienne was grinning at you from ear to ear. It was the happiest you’d seen her in months.

“Will one of you please see to him?” you asked, your voice practically dripping honey “It would be a shame if our journey was delayed because Tormund was too sore to sit a saddle.”

As you began to walk away, snow faintly crunching under your boots, you saw Podrick dart past from the corner of your eye. He immediately went to Tormund, bending at the waist so he could better assess the Wilding for damage.

“Are you alright…Sir?” you heard him say hesitantly

“Oh look,” came Tormund’s reply, sounding far too pleased for someone in his condition “My will to live. It’s gone.”

#easter askbox event #tormund x reader #tormund x you #tormund giantsbane #tormund giantsbane x reader #got imagines

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two-white-butterflies · 2 months ago

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the butterfly and the tree | thranduil

Description: Theradis has always been fascinated with the rivers and rocks, cursed with the burden of foresight. This is the story of Thranduil's doomed queen.

Warning: Angst. Slight OC x Annatar if u catch my drift.

Word Count: <5k

A/N: A longer version of my fic 'Cassandra' and 'How Long' this fails the reverse bechdel test. canon diveregent ik but we do it for the plot.

There were things in the darkness that remained unseen. A darkness has been plaguing Theradis’s dreams, it watched her; watched the events unfold, but remained silent. When she was younger, the dreams were tame – one of her brothers breaking their mother’s favorite vase or her sister scraping her knees while running down the halls.

As she grew accustomed to the darkness, the dreams turned grim.

It played in her head repeatedly: Greenwood marred by darkness, and the elves fleeing to Valinor. It left her haunted.

“My child,” her father places a hand on her shoulder, he knew the burden of foresight too well. “Darling,” he whispered again, seeing tears gather in the corners of her eyes.

Despite his attempts in reviving her from the drown, her trance does not break. Theradis remains inside of her dreams. Father’s eyebrows merged together, able to see both fear and sadness in her features. Theradis – Luthien incarnate, and in tears. “Does she wake?” Elladan breaks the silence, both father and son share a knowing glance.

This has been a common occurrence in the household. When the moon is at its peak, and the members of House Elrond are in deep sleep – Theradis wakes, and dreams of the future. “Return to your room, my son. There are things that should be beyond your concern,” Elrond forces a smile on his face, but it does not reach his eyes.

A sigh escapes the younger twin’s mouth.

Theradis will always be his concern. His older sister, who had a gentle disposition and a kind smile. He takes a step forward, sitting beside the plump pillows that surrounded Theradis' body. The mattress shifts to accommodate their shared weight. “When the rain comes we’ll prepare barrels, but do not forsake the sun.” He pleaded, reaching for her clenched fists.

He unclenches them gently. It hurt him to see her like this, haunted by the inevitable, a future that she has no control in.

Almost instantly, her eyes open.

Father tries to calm her from the drown, but it is clear in her features that she is haunted. “Theradis,” Elrond repeats her elvish name. She takes ragged breaths, playing with the hems of her nightgown. She tries to speak but neither a croak or a whisper comes out of her mouth. The darkness was preventing her from speaking – preventing her from unfolding the future.

She claws at her forearm, tears flowing out of her eyes.

“Naneth,” she forces herself to whisper.

Soon after the prophecy, Lord Elrond called for all of his soldiers to follow the path that Lady Celebrian traveled on. Elladan and Elrohir tried to ask her questions, but the words refused to escape her mouth.

She tried to speak, tried to open her mouth – but no sound wanted to escape. She was a prisoner in her own mind – aware of what was to come, yet unable to do anything about it. Everywhere she went, every warning that she was able to muster out, it was useless, for she already found herself there.

Lady Galadriel entered her chambers, a light aura following after her. “Theradis,” Galadriel’s voice echoes throughout the closed chambers. “- you must fight against the darkness, you must tell us where your naneth is.” She added, her eyes focused on her granddaughter.

Theradis knew exactly where Celebrian was, but she could not say.

“I,” the younger elleth opened her mouth to speak, but all breath exited her lungs. Eru Illuvatar, why give me the strength to see the future, if you will not let me save the one that I love the most? “I cannot begin to imagine the sadness that you feel, there is a reason that the Valar make you unable to say, but as your grandmother – I beg of you.” Galadriel breathes.

Galadriel cannot stomach the thought of her daughter sitting inside of a damp cell, starving and stolen the right to bask in the warmth of the sun. All her sufferings, her tryst with Halbrand, the loss of her family – it will all be for nothing if her daughter is unsafe.

“I want nothing more than to tell you, but every time I do – all breath is robbed of my lungs.” Theradis cried, her hands on her chest. She grabs her grandmother’s forearm. “Please make it stop.” She begged, seeing the visions flash through her head in uncontrollable flashing lights of torture.

Galadriel silences her with an embrace.

A month later, Elladan and Elrohir arrived in Rivendell – both carrying the shell of their mother. All remnants of self control evades Theradis’s body, she traps herself inside of her room – not allowing anyone to enter. One night, Lord Celeborn is able to slip through – due to her forgetting to lock the door.

“It is not your fault,” he says, the only thing that she wanted to hear. “Celebrian will heal, and all will be fixed.” He adds, but they both know that it isn’t the truth. She burrows deeper into the warm floral sheets. “There are scars that cannot be healed here,” her voice is partly muffled by the sheets.

Celeborn does not reply.

She removes the sheets that cover her head, meeting the eyes of her grandfather. She sees the same fear and sadness behind his eyes, his pain is unfathomable. What does it feel to lose a child? Unbearable torture, is the only appropriate reply. To raise someone for thousands of years, only for an unworthy hand to pry them away from your hands, is disrespect.

The following day, mother left for the Grey Havens. She didn’t leave any letters, but Lady Galadriel says that she visited the children’s chambers in the middle of the night – pressing a kiss to their foreheads, and she left. Father escorted her to the shores, and it will be a long time until any of them are able to follow.

“You must eat.” Lady Galadriel encourages, her voice filled with tenderness. Theradis’s eyebrows merged together, memories of her mother’s imprisonment – and her appetite was ruined for years to come. “I’d rather not,” Theradis responds sharply.

It would be easier if these dreams left her line of thought, but it is impossible. These dreams have been plaguing her sleep, until the very thought of sleeping made her want to vomit. “You must learn,” Celeborn says – his tone mirroring her sharpness. The others were treating Theradis like a babe, customizing every movement so as to not cause her sadness, but Theradis needed to learn. She needed to tolerate her dreams, it is the only way.

“You don’t understand, adadar.” She whispers, keeping her eyes on the tablecloth. Every child thinks of their parents as indestructible, to see Celebrian in that manner – it broke her. “In any society there must be tolerance, you must tolerate your dreams, only then will you survive.” Celeborn’s voice turns rigid, a reminder of his past.

His granddaughter needed to learn how to tolerate madness, it is what he has been doing all of these years. Shaking hands with the Noldor, shaking hands with the descendants of Feanor – even when they are the cause of his family’s demise.

“I wish I could tell you that it will get better, but it will not. Life is filled with tragedies, Theradis. Luckily, we are elves and have the opportunity to go to the Grey Havens. Your mother is healed, there is no sorrow in her. When will you heal, Theradis? Will we lose you to the Grey Havens too?” He inquired.

Theradis begins to understand.

“I’m sorry for refusing to eat dinner, adadar.” Theradis apologizes. “I blame myself for naneth’s departure, I should have fought against the darkness. I've been victim of it far too long, falling into the illusion of Annatar, and now the dreams.” She whispers, her voice always sounded like a whisper – like a little mouse suddenly gaining the ability to speak. “You are strong, but there are things that you are yet to learn.” Celeborn says in a gentler tone now.

She takes a deep breath.

“I often ask Illuvatar why he gave me this gift, I am not the strongest of my siblings – nor am I anything like my father.” She admits, always insecure about her capabilities. “You remind me of Luthien, my child.” Celeborn remembers.

His cousin from so long ago.

“Luthien was able to bring the Dark Lord to his knees,” he chuckles at the memory. “Then I am nothing like her then, for I am unable to even open my mouth and reveal the location of naneth.” She breathes, not seeking approval but stating the obvious. “You look like her in some lights, she was exactly like you when we were elflings. Her nose was up in some book, refusing to participate in her father’s council until her thousandth name-day, where she finally was interested in the workings of King Thingol’s court. She would have made a wonderful Queen, but alas – she is for Beren.” Celeborn smiles bitterly.

Doomed and blessed Luthien.

“This meekness and gentleness of yours is not a bad trait. Do not blame yourself. I doubt that even if you had the ability to tell, that it would change anything in the future.” He comforts. He’d do anything to lift the boulder of foresight from his granddaughter.

“What a troubled life I must lead, then.” Her eyebrows relaxed.

“Come with us to Lothlorien, your grandmother will cast an enchantment – you won’t be able to remember those wicked dreams.” He suggested.

Lord Celeborn was right!

Lothlorien filled her with tranquility, a feeling of safety that she had previously lost. It felt like a warm blanket, a mother’s embrace, protecting her from the fall. “Thank you for letting me stay here, nananeth.” Theradis smiles, feeling warmth enter her body. “Lothlorien is your home too,” Lady Galadriel answers.

Happiness was beginning to return, starting from her stomach – to her shoulders – to her cheeks, the warmth invading her cold. “- you must rest, it has been a long journey.” Galadriel covers the younger elleth’s body with a blanket, mirroring their routine from when she was an elfling. “The dreams?” Theradis inquires, as it has been nagging her for a while now.

“They will not bother you,” Galadriel asserts, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “Goodnight,” Theradis whispered – closing her eyes and falling into deep sleep before her grandmother could reply.

“Look at them, they are precious.” Her husband muses.

Erynlas and Legolas, the twins.

Erynlas inherited her mother’s raven-black hair, and her striking resemblance to Luthien. Legolas, however, inherited his father’s looks – although his mother’s gentle disposition. “A perfect mixture of us,” Theradis smiles, feeling her husband press a kiss to her neck, inhaling her scent of roses. “They are the better versions of us, meleth.” Thranduil breathes.

As if she is aware that this is a dream, Theradis turns around – meeting his amber hues. He has a perfect face, and both masculine and feminine features. He is beautiful. He looks like everything that she has ever desired, and in her heart – she could feel love. A love that does ask, or get jealous – but exists because it can, because it is second nature.

“Theradis,” he whispers her name like it is his breath. “- is all well?” he inquires, and she reaches for his cheeks - cupping it with her cold palms. “Yes.” she answers with a smile.

What more could she ask for?

A few decades later, her dream came true – and a man by the name of Thranduil arrived in Lothlorien, for reasons that she does know. All that she could remember was that she loves him, and has been waiting for him for all her life. “You are fascinated with nature?” Thranduil inquires, seeing her sitting on the riverbank – inspecting rocks and watching the river bend.

“I have always been,” she replied, patting the empty space beside her, inviting him to sit. Thranduil wonders if this is what Beren felt when meeting Luthien, entranced by Theradis’ blue gown, her hair moving to the power of the wind. More akin to Yavanna than elf or men. “- I’ve always dreamed of visiting Greenwood. It must feel good to live in a place where nature is unmarred by war,” she ponders placing the rock down and reaching for a caterpillar.

“It is indescribable, my lady.” He finds that he cannot take his eyes off her. “My grandfather visited once and he says that it reminds him of the first age, where everything was good, I assume.” She made an assumption, causing a chuckle.

Her eyebrows merged together, “Have I done something?” she asks and he shakes his head. “I would prefer to live in this age instead of the First,” he admits. His naneth was still alive then, but the gruesome torture – the fall of kingdoms. It was too much to bear, and he would rather live in solitude in Greenwood than face that again.

“The Valar were in this world, you could feel their fea in every rock and tree, but there was also carnage. Melkor seeking to tear our realm asunder. I find peace now, I believe.” He confesses, the first time that he has told anyone about this.

Behind Theradis’ eyes, he could see kindness – she was the type of elleth who had no meanness, or jealousy. Theradis is good, and Thranduil has spent a lot of time with people to understand their nature. “I feel happy for you…?” she pauses waiting for him to reveal his name, although she already knows. “Thranduil,” he smiles, shaking her hand.

“I am Theradis, daughter of Elrond.” She introduces herself.

He takes a look at the caterpillar that she is holding, “She will turn into a butterfly soon. A big blue butterfly.” He informs. “Really?” She asks, happiness flooding her features. “Yes, when they are at that size, it will only take another day for them to make cocoons.” He explains, moving a bit closer until he could see the caterpillar closely.

“If I could be any other creature, I would be a butterfly.” She admits.

“They only live for a day,” Thranduil frowns.

“What a glorious day to be alive.” She breathes.

She tilts her head, meeting his eyes. “What animal would you be, Thranduil?” She questions her first time uttering his name yet it felt normal. “I would not be an animal. I would be a tree, watching as everything grows – a wise mind that shall live forever.” He answers.

“Oh, how different we are.” She observes. Theradis wanted to live for one glorious day, while Thranduil wanted to live forever – unchanged, unmarred, but wise. “That is not such a bad thing, my lady.” He responds, and thus begins their friendship.

Theradis looked lovely in all the lights, each time that he glances at her, he finds himself taken aback by her beauty. “The trades between our kingdoms will be for the betterment of both realms,” Lady Galadriel explains – oblivious to the Prince unable to pay attention to her words. For he was staring at the lovely Theradis. “ – I hope that we find a middle ground, my prince. Lothlorien needs the fruits, and your kingdom needs grains.” Galadriel breathes, only beginning to realize that the person that she was talking to was not paying attention.

She turns around to look at the object of his attention, and to her surprise, he sees her looking at Theradis. A sigh escapes her mouth. “My prince,” she says much louder. “Lady Galadriel,” the man responds, mouth dripping with respect. “I hope that you convince your father to approve trading between our kingdoms.” Galadriel put it in simpler terms.

“Yes, my lady. I will make sure of it,” he promises.

Thranduil places a hat on Theradis’ head.

“Where did you find this?” She takes the hat off her head, holding it with the tips of her fingers – lest it come from somewhere disgusting. “On the ground,” he responds while nestling on the bottom of the tree branch beside her. “On the ground?” She raises an eyebrow.

Thranduil was a peculiar fellow, he seemed to reach levels of crazy that she herself is unable to reach. “It’s yours now,” he said and a chuckle escaped her mouth. “What if the owner accuses me of stealing this hat?” She queries, placing the hat on the ground. “I asked around and no one claimed it. Celeborn says that I should keep it, but it is unkingly to wear a hat.” Thranduil plays with the tips of Theradis’ hair. “- but you are not a king, and this hat is wet.” She rolls her eyes.

“It came from me! You are disgusted with me.” He accused.

“Yes, I’ve seen you eat something that fell on the ground.” She points out.

“Not on the ground, on the table and it was an orange. An orange that still had a peel on.” He argues with a smile. “Peel or without a peel, I’m not wearing that hat.” She crosses her arms in a huff. “I’ll give it to someone else more thankful,” he taunts.

“I don’t care.”

“You don’t care?”

“Not a single bit.”

“Pfft,”

“Pfft.”

“Fine,” he rolls his eyes.

“Fine,” she teases.

“I’ve not heard the sound of a harp for a long time,” Theradis admits, sitting on the ground beside Thranduil. He was playing with his harp, allowing the soft music to fill the garden with tranquility. “Really? It must be horrible living in silence,” He teases.

He freezes only when he sees that look in her eyes.

“I’m sorry,” he apologizes and she forces a smile on her face. “My mother liked playing instruments. I assume that is where my aversion comes from.” She tells, and he remembers the story of Celebrian’s abduction. Theradis is her daughter, and the pain of losing a mother – is a pain that he knows well. “I cannot remember her, I’ve forced myself to forget.” She continues.

It was a horrible thing indeed, to forsake the good memories just to forget the bad ones. “I lost my mother to the war, and until now I cannot bear to look at her portraits.” His lips pressed into a thin line. “- there will be a day where we long for our mother’s warmths,” She adds.

“And we will receive it in due time.” Thranduil’s hand rests on the arch of his harp. “Would you like to learn how to play the harp?” he suggests, and she answers with a nod.

They were wedded a few years later, in the light of Greenwood with their families as a witness. Their marriage was special – for now the branches of Elrond and Oropher were united. A marriage of love – love that allowed them to just be.

“You know how singers sing other singer’s songs?” Theradis says, and he smiles. “Sounds like a tongue twister,” he mumbles – burrowing deeper into her embrace. “Yep, but what if writers had the chance to write other writer’s books but in their own words.” She states, always able to bring the most unique level of thoughts.

“Like, translators?” He grins, and she rolls her eyes.

“I hate you,” she groans.

He places a hand on her stomach, “Yes, you hate me so much that you have allowed your stomach to swell with a child.” He teases, their love not mellowing to the tune of time. “Not like translators, but remember that poem that Glorfindel wrote with a really good idea.” She reminds and he nods. “The Lament of Winter?” He squints, barely remembering the poem. “Yeah, he made really good points but the words that he used were … juvenile?” She struggles to find the right term to describe it.

Yes, Glorfindel has spent a substantial amount of time complaining about that poem. “He says that if anyone else were to write that poem, they would deliver the message better.” She recites his words verbatim, and Thranduil agrees. “What are we talking about?” He chuckles, walking between a thin line of sleep and consciousness.

She giggles, “I don’t know – random thoughts?”

“Speaking of random thoughts, you were mumbling something in your sleep last night.” Thranduil remembers, and her eyebrows merged together, having long forfeited the ability to remember her dreams. “Is there something that requires my attention? Are those dreams bothering you again?” He asks, his voice gentle and filled with love.

“I have long forfeited my ability of foresight, meleth. I cannot remember any dream.” She confirms, and his face momentarily relaxes. “But you’ve earned my curiosity, what was it that I was talking about?” She asks, he pulls her body closer – allowing his warm body to bring fire to her cold one. “You said that we’d have twins, a boy and a girl.” He informs.

“What a wonderful blessing it would be then,” she smiles, and he presses a kiss to her forehead. “Indeed,” he agreed.

And her dreams were right, again.

Theradis gave birth to twins: Erynlas and Legolas.

In her dreams, she saw their faces clearly – Erynlas’ inheriting her features and Legolas inheriting his father’s. For a moment, everything was well. There was nothing in this world that could stop their golden family, there was nothing in this world unreachable to them as scions of both Lady Theradis and Prince Thranduil.

“She looks exactly like you, my child.” Lord Elrond smiles, seeing his own eyes stare right back at him – through Erynlas. “It may seem that way but she’s inherited her father’s disposition, it is a good thing that Legolas is calm, always sleeping, else we’d lose our heads trying to keep both of them in tact.” Theradis breathes, watching Erynlas play with her grandfather’s gold-encrusted robes.

“Remember your brothers?” Elrond reminds, and she answers with a laugh.

“I’m thankful that my twins are nothing like them, I never understood how you were able to do it.” She remarks, her parents were undoubtedly strong. “Nana,” Theradis cooes, walking towards her mother’s direction, “Yes!” Legolas answers. “Yes yes yes,” Legolas babbled.

Yes, was Legolas’ first word – something that Thranduil did not appreciate. (Erynlas’ first word was Naneth) but Theradis promises that their third child’s first word would be Ada. Both of her twins were in her arms now, talking to each other in a language that only they could understand. “You were right, Ada. In all of it.” Theradis smiles.

Life did not end the day that her mother died, nor did it end when her dreams became uncontrollable. Her life began again, with her husband and her twins.

“You were dreaming last night.” Thranduil wraps his arms around her, filling her body with warmth. “You were mumbling words that I could not fathom, none except the word ‘no.’ I am worried, meleth.” He reports, concern evident in his features. It was clear that her dreams were born from something sinister, and as her husband it was his duty to protect her.

She tries to remember the dream, but it is no use.

A familiar tightness returns to her chest, constricting her lungs and preventing her to speak. “What if something were to happen upon us?” She asks a question of fear. She feared for her children, what if something were to happen to them? “I will not allow that,” Thranduil insists. “- I will add more guards. I will ensure that every movement of our family is monitored closely.” He took active actions against the inevitable.

She reaches for his arms, pulling his body closer until she meets his eyes. “If I have dreamed about it then nothing can prevent it.” She whispers. She has tried to change the future a thousand times, to no avail – for when it is written upon stone, no water can erase its mark. “When it comes between the future and my family, I will exhaust all options to prolong danger.” Her husband promised, and she believes him. Thranduil would move the very mountains, if it meant keeping his family safe.

That is love.

The dreaded day has come.

Theradis awakened in the middle of the night, she lifted the covers off her body. She frowns, not seeing her husband inside of the room, so she decides to visit her children’s chambers. A groan escapes her mouth, feeling a horrible headache form at the back of her head. Could this be? She asks herself.

Is this another one of her dreams?

She walks through the empty hallway, seeing no guards in their posts. Matter of fact, there wasn’t anyone in the entire wing. “Hello?” Her voice echoes through the halls, but she is greeted with an eerie silence.

She takes a mammoth stride towards her children’s chambers. A million thoughts ran through her head, they could be hurt – or starving – or crying – or getting bitten by ants. All the worst possible scenarios brushed through her head, and a sigh of relief exited her mouth when she saw them sleeping soundly.

She presses a kiss to their foreheads.

A mother’s anxiety, she tells herself. It is normal, she reminds.

If this was a dream, then it was a pleasant one.

But she should not have spoken too soon, because a second later a dagger was pressed to her neck. Her eyes trail away from her daughter’s sleeping body, and to the attacker. He had long brown hair that reached his shoulders, blue piercing eyes, and a face filled with scars.

“Who are you?” She asks, glaring at him with the intensity of a thousand stars. “I have many names,” he answered. “You are a man, you should not be here.” She tries to warn him. A man is no match for Theradis, a seasoned warrior. “You do look like her in some lights,” the man mused – still unwilling to reveal his true identity.

“What is it that you require?” She places a hand on his dagger, carefully directing it away from her face but in a swift move – the man cuts her cheek, allowing the blood to trickle down her face. “Still as beautiful as the day I left.” The man adds.

A gasp escapes her mouth.

“You may leave, Theradis of Lindon. My arrival here is not for you.” The man’s grip on her arm does not soften. This scene has already played before, in her dreams but she cannot remember, no matter how hard she tries. “Your arrival is for nothing, for I would rather die than surrender my children to you, Gorthaur.” She breathes, remembering bits and pieces of her dreams now.

Gorthaur lifts his hand and suddenly all fades to black.

Annatar was addicted to her presence, not because of love – no.

Every time he lays his eyes on her, a grand orchestra plays, akin to the orchestra of Illuvatar creating the world. Theradis has so much light inside of her, it reminded him of his home. It tempted him in ways that would lead to the world’s ruin. Is this what Melkor felt when he laid his eyes on Mairon? The deliciousness of innocence, and the temptation to ruin all of it.

“Walking amidst starlight,” Annatar hums, his eyes not taking a second off hers.

“Your compliments do nothing to dissuade my grievances,” Theradis taunts, reminding him of the time that he ditched their meetings in favor of meeting with Celebrimbor. “Allow me to make it up to you,” his eyebrows merge together mockingly pleading with her. “Why do you know so much of this world? I’ve always wondered why you are so informed with dealing with matters of nature and geology,” she asked out of the blue.

Although, it was with reason – as she could not keep up with the other elf’s banter.

“I am an emissary of the Valar, and I have spent the majority of my life studying the happenings of this world. There is a vast amount of knowledge stored in the back of my head, and I am willing to share it with you, as my scholar.” As my wife. As my servant.

“The Valar has always kept to themselves. Sometimes, I feel as if they are slowly beginning to take away the magic of this earth, piece by piece. Since the departure of Melian, since the mortality of Luthien – great sorrow has washed upon these shores.” Theradis laments.

His hands snake down her waist, oblivious to the audience watching them.

“There is great sadness in this world,” he repeats a phrase previously uttered by his master. A phrase that began his defiance, his rejection of Illuvatar’s music. “I was born to serve the Valar,” he lies – but he does it so that she’d begin to understand his side.

He twirls her around again, their bodies pressing close to each other.

“I’ve bared witness to them, watched them create animals and plants – and everything that covers our world. I’ve also watched them create discord, injustice, and pain.” He rambled, staring deep into her eyes – reading her mind like an open book, softening her resolve.

“I’ve thought to myself sometimes, are these the people we worship? Imperfect gods who refuse to blink an eye when entire populations are genocided, when children are pried away from their mother’s hands? I think I would like it better if they never existed, then, I’ll only have myself to blame when something goes wrong.” He chuckles, her eyebrows merge together.

“We cannot measure their goodness or badness in measurements of elf and men.” Theradis breathes, but she is starting to believe his words. “It would be hard to blame them if we didn’t,” Annatar responds with a deep breath. When Melkor tortured him, corrupted his soul, the Valar did nothing, Eru Illuvatar did nothing. He wonders if they ate, and drank, and fucked while he was in agonizing pain. He wonders if they blame him for the corruption.

His power wanes.

Theradis pulls on his collar.

Pulling his face closer to hers so that he’d be the only one listening in to their conversation. “Are you truly an emissary of the Valar, Annatar? I'm beginning to believe that you are not. ” She interrogates.

Theradis opens her eyes to a battlefield. She sees the entire field engulfed in flames, but something shines against the darkness. "Erynlas," she whispers. She was holding the ring in her hands.

But even the ring corrupts the kindest of minds.

"You must take it Frodo," Erynlas opens her mouth and the hobbit nods. "Destroy it," she insists raising a hand and using her powers to fend off the darkness, to fend of Sauron's darkness.

She is his doom. One of the reasons of his fall. That is why he is here.

She wakes up minutes after his enchantment, a mother's love breaking even the tightest of spells. "Annatar." She exhales seeing him lift his dagger but she stops him with a hand. He was weaker in this form, easier to fend off. "She is your doom, I have foreseen it." Theradis states.

He pushes her away, this time his dagger on her neck. Mayhaps, he was beginning to realize that nothing could prevent his fall, and thus decided to aim his anger at her. He takes on another form - from human, he turns into a face that she knows well. Annatar.

She's beginning to realize his resemblance to her husband. Did he use that as a means to control her?

"You are not the only one burdened with foresight, vilvarin." He presses it closer to her jugular, until Theradis had to stop breathing - in fear of death. "I would have stopped at nothing until the entire world has bent to the light of its queen, but you have forsaken me. And that creature from your very womb shall be my doom," he yells.

"It will change nothing." she whispers.

It will change nothing.

#thranduil x reader #annatar x reader #sauron x reader #thranduil fanfic #thranduil imagines #thranduil wife #thranduil #modern thranduil #thranduil imagine #x reader #reader insert #reader insert request #the hobbit #the hobbit x reader #the hobbit smut

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ravnervn · 26 days ago

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Okay fuck it. I need to exorcise this from my brain. This has haunted me for 2 or 3 years since I saw this film by chance, so I am going to, as best I recall, recap the plot. And then at the end I will say what it is so you can understand why it haunts me. I will say off the bat that you might read this ramble and go "huh this sounds good actually" and it is not. It is not a good movie.

So the film is framed as a story being told to someone -- we're not quite sure whether it's meant to be taken literally or allegorically but the ending and some other details IMPLY it's actually true.

So there's our narrator, who is an average mortal guy living a happy life. And then there's our second protagonist and actual main character, a celestial bureaucrat whose order's numbers are drawn entirely from those who have been denied a chance at a normal happy life. Whilst they can forsake their status to become mortal, as far as the bureaucrat and his peers are concerned, they are happy and performing a valuable service to reality. Our MC has been sent to Earth to investigate a threat to his organisation, and to do so he has infiltrated the narrator's life, seemingly metaphysically convincing everyone that he is the narrator's brother -- except the narrator, who sees through him and ends up convinced to help our MC as it's mutually beneficial; once the mission is done, the narrator's life returns to normal and the MC returns to his role.

So what's happening is that a rival organisation to the MC's has started up and is diverting... Okay so you can see the obvious parallels here and "worship" would fit, but I'll use the film's term of "love" because it's thematically coherent. Anyway, this organisation has a big scheme they're going to hatch to divert all love away from the Rightful Celestial Bureaucracy, and it's up to our protagonists to stop them.

See, the thing going on here is that love is finite. If someone only has one thing to love, they'll love it wholly, but if they have two things to love, that divides the love in two and so on. If they find something they love more than the original object of affection, it could fully supplant it, and that's the crux of the villain's plan.

Because the villain is a fallen celestial bureaucrat who lost his ability to hold onto his celestial form and was forced to become mortal. His plan for revenge is to supplant the love people have for his former order with love for a false idol, thus destroying the whole celestial bureaucracy. The fact this is considered a legitimate and real threat by the celestial bureaucracy implies that this is, metaphysically, how this works. Even if we take this story allegorically, the allegory still has the basis "love is a finite resource and you learn to make do".

Obviously our heroes defeat him, and obviously during this time they've genuinely bonded and decided that maybe having this guy as a brother/maybe having a loving family as a mortal is okay actually. So our celestial bureaucrat becomes a mortal and this whole story becomes just a funny whimsical reframing of the brothers' childhood.

Yes, childhood. Because here is where I unbury the lede and reveal that the villain is the CEO of PuppyCorp, whose plan is to give everyone a free puppy so that they'll love babies less, because the celestial bureaucracy is BabyCorp.

The movie I have just described to you is Boss Baby. I am being deadly fucking serious.

#rvnspeak #i cut a lot of stuff out but i promise you that i kept the overall plot intact. i just cut out the scenes you'd expect of This Movie #there's like a whole thing where the infiltrate the rival corporation. doesnt matter.#anyway the existence of the extended universe of this film implies we are meant to take the events literally. which is insane #also yes the celestial bureacracy is in the clouds and very heaven coded. it is literally a celestial corporation.#this film came on TV over christmas several years ago and i half-watched it. it haunts me. what do you mean THIS IS ITS PLOT

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the-way-astray · 3 months ago

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okay wait if you don’t mind me asking why don’t you like incorrect quotes?

anon, i swear this was not meant to be this long

my reasons are 100% subjective. over the years, i've dabbled in several different fandoms. and i find that the same incorrect quote format is used to describe relationships between characters in different series that i find to not be alike at all. for example, i've seen multiple of the same incorrect quote formats used for both percabeth and sokeefe, when i don't find the relationships to be that similar to one another at all. it's just that people see one dimension of sophie and annabeth (let's say smart) and one dimension of percy and keefe (let's say funny) and then the entire incorrect quote becomes about that. i find sokeefe and percabeth to be two entirely different relationships with few things in common (which i've talked about), but the incorrect quotes flatten them to those qualities only and i don't like that.

the sokeefe-percabeth thing is just an example, by the way, one i picked because i feel most people i'm talking to would understand it, but i've also seen the same incorrect quote formats used to describe relationships like jurdan or kanej . . . and if you've read tfota or soc you know how drastically dissimilar jurdan or kanej are to either sokeefe or percabeth (and each other). and i find that these indirect comparisons drawn between relationships like this flattens certain characters quite a bit. this is how we get stuff like "sokeefe is basically kotlc percabeth" and stuff like that.

then, once a character has been given a "role" (i use the term loosely) they have to occupy all the aspects that come with that "role". so then they're only allowed to be that "role" in the incorrect quote, even if the quote requires them to say/do things they would never say/do, because they've been slated into that role based on that one aspect. take this quote for example:

keefe has been slated into the role of "one that has a crush on sophie" for the purposes of this particular quote. but keefe doesn't ramble like this. he doesn't like his dad and would never discuss a crush on sophie with him (but this one i'm not that mad about since you could as easily change cassius to ro or something). he doesn't use exaggerated metaphors to describe things and he doesn't speak in purple prose. he does a pretty good job hiding his crush and would never inadvertently reveal it like this. do you see what i mean? because of the fact that the format requires him to be "one with a crush on sophie", he now has to fulfill all the other aspects the format requires, even though they don't apply to him. and it no longer feels like keefe. it flattens him down to this one aspect.

i feel like this flattening aspect of incorrect quotes does have a (very small, sort of indirect) effect on the way characters are perceived in fanon. and i don't like it? it's very weird to me. so i prefer to stay away from it. (best examples i can think of are cardan and kaz, who are both morally gray, but lots of incorrect quotes portray them as hopelessly in love with their love interests or malewives, and while that's true, them being slated into that role for the purpose of the incorrect quote often makes them out to be the kind that would doodle hearts around names in notebooks or blush or be in that sort of cutesy-teenager-with-a-crush kind of romance. and . . . uh . . . yeah, they love jude and inej, but that's like. not at all what either relationship is like. it's just not.)

also some incorrect quotes are so desperate to slate characters into certain "roles", as i call them, that they forsake crucial aspects of the character in the process, or actively make them do/say things that go against something that is a core aspect of that character. and i don't like the way the quote is willing to misinterpret something so crucial to the character for the sake of the incorrect quote exemplifying something much less important like "the funny one" or "the one with a crush on ___".

incorrect quotes also have a tendency to portray what a character actually wants to do, rather than how they would realistically behave, given the circumstances. take this quote (and ignore the weird anti-sophitz-ness for the moment, i'm trying to make a point):

in canon, it's kind of a point that sophie "isn't aware" of her crush on keefe, so to speak. she knows she has a crush on fitz. she may subconsciously want to kiss keefe, but remember, she thinks she likes fitz. so this incorrect quote just frustrates me because that's not what sophie would do!!!!!!! she would kiss fitz. actually, she would get all nervous and blushy and try to worm her way out of it. and if this is a post-stellarlune quote, and she knows she likes keefe, she wouldn't address fitz directly like that??? she would trying so hard not to look at fitz because omg omg omg i have to kiss my new boyfriend in front of my old boyfriend who appears to still not be over me. like the quote requires you to change fundamental aspects of sophie's personality/behavior to buy it. my analysis brain can't handle that. my problem is that i can't enjoy the quote for the quote, because my brain is always instead picking apart how un-character the incorrect quote feels.

having said all of that, i fully understand that anyone who likes incorrect quotes or engages with them frequently knows all this. i don't think you all are stupid. obviously keefe would never say something like that first example i showed in canon. that's understood! the point is to make fun of his crush on sophie. i get it. it's all in good fun. i just prefer not to engage with incorrect quotes because the flattening aspect makes me personally want to scream that the character would never do or say that, because at this point the character doesn't even feel like the character, so what even is the point of the quote anymore??? and then i get stuck in a loop.

and like i said in my original tags, i would never want to completely get rid of incorrect quotes. they're easy to make, fun, easily digestable, and in general sort of a safe way to get started in fandoms. they're the safety net of fandoms, and i think they really are crucial for smaller/more obscure fandoms where nobody wants to do hardcore analysis stuff but people still want to talk about their favorite media. so i think, for the purposes they fulfill, they're alright.

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stars-interlude · 5 months ago

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Even a worm will turn

a/n: YAYYYY FINALL PART (dw all 3 parts are on here so it’s the full story) ngl xiao is kinda a bully at the end of this 😭

pairings: prince!xiao X princess!reader

Tags: medieval, Fem!reader, oral fem receiving, dom to sub reader

symbiosis; having an arranged marriage was something you’ve been dreading for years as a princess then you see the man your supposed to make new heirs with and could he really be that bad?

It was a bitter day for the bride as you stood next to your soon-be husband. You could feel her father's glare burning on your back, a sharp reminder of the fate that was chosen for you. The prince seemed like a handsome man, but it was all too easy to see the anguish in his heart, like a storm brewing far on the horizon. As the tension in the air rises you couldn’t help but feel like you were about to be pushed off a cliff by your father after your vows were exchnaged. Falling into a deep darkness “Xiao do you take [name] as your wife to live together in holy matrimony to love her, honor her, comfort her, and to keep her in sickness and in health, forsaking all other, for as long as you both shall live?” Xiao responded swiftly “I do” the Notary soon said the somewhat similar words to you but none of it really mattered because you never loved Xiao.. Soon after the Wedding you talk to your father “I never wanted to do this! tell me why father, why did i have to marry this prince?!” “My dear do not fret you will not be in this God forsaken marriage for long, we just need you to make the prince open up and while your in his kingdom you’ll get his father’s warfare plans and we can destroy their kingdom.” When you heard this plan come out your father’s mouth you were in a way shocked. Not only were you allies with this kingdom so it made no sense why your father would try to hurt them but looking at the riches and power in the palm of your hand was just… you were thinking of a word.. It was just exhilarating.

———————————————————————

Of course you agreed to your father but this plan was easier said than done. “Oh Xiao shall we go to your kingdom? I would love to see the customs there” First you had to find a reason to be in your husband’s palace in the first place. “Hm.. It doesn’t take much long just a few hours or so. So I don’t see why not.” Packing your stuff with Xiao was quite easy you only brought a few changes of clothes, a night gown and undergarments of course. As you stepped in the carriage with your husband you thought of your mother she taught you many things like how to cook some foods and many other things but your favorite food thing she taught you was common phrases “Even a worm will turn. It’s an expression used to convey the message that even the meekest or most docile of creatures will retaliate or seek revenge if pushed too far. Now if someone pushes you, you can always tell me and i’ll have them dealt with.” Your mother kissed your forehead and went back to showing you how to cook. The carriage came to a sudden stop, you were so engrossed in thought that it made you forget about how long this trip was supposed to take. “Darling shall we go?” Xiao asked “we shall” you chuckled to yourself. Xiao then helped you out as you took his hand and looked into his eyes you felt something spark within but you didn’t know what it was. Was it love.. No it can’t be. you thought to yourself.

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When you went into the palace of Xiao’s kingdom it was as luxurious as you thought it would be. Artwork on the walls it was anything you could’ve dreamed of. “This will be your room” Xiao then showed you a beautiful bedroom “wouldn’t we be sleeping together?” Xiao’s cheeks turned a bright pink “well i suppose so” you put on a smile and gave Xiao a kiss on the cheek making him more flustered than he already was. “We are married after all” after you got into your night gown you saw xiao and he looked better than you thought his hair falling on his face beautifully and the pajamas he was wearing fit just right. “Xiao.. you look perfect” he looked at you like you said something out the ordinary “As do you..?” He said this more like a question than a statement. You then walked closer to him “well yesterday was our wedding night but we didn’t do much how about you make it up to me.. what do you think hun?”

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you walked closer to you husband then you already were, then you pulled him into a deep kiss as the kiss got deeper he pulled you into his lap. you could feel his cock getting harder under your cunt as you two kissed n’ grinded, he placed his hands on your hips “getting bold, are we?” you said after feeling his hands. he kissed down your neck and his hand slowly moved up your nightgown feeling your chest and pulling at your nipples. you let out a soft moan “xiao..” Xiao's lips curved into a smirk as he heard you moan his name. He continued placing kisses down your neck, his hands roaming your body "You like that?" he whispered against your skin, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. “mhmm love it” you could feel yourself slipping away from your dominant attitude. “you always act so tough, i know you’re soft on the inside” Xiao said this as he gripped your hips tighter enough to bruise later. He picked you up bridal style and placed you on the bed you two were supposed to share for the night. instead of his hands going up your body he goes down and hooks his finger on the band of your panties, he looks at you before he goes and feels your cunt “so wet from just kissing? how dirty..” you let out a soft whimper “you had so much to say, what happened where’d that bold attitude go?” xiao then pulled down your panties “ ‘m not dirty!” he slipped two fingers in your cunt “if you weren’t dirty you wouldn’t be moving your hips when i thrust my fingers in you” you didn’t even notice that you were moving. you quickly covered your face after he said that. Xiao pulled out his fingers and you felt empty until you felt his breath on your cunt, he kissed your clit before he started fingering your pussy. you gripped onto xiao’s hair cause of the waves of pleasure going through your body. Maybe your father’s plan could wait a little longer..

a/n: i felt like i should quickly finish this before i start doing all the requests i got WHICH IM SOOO HAPPY ABTT TYY FOR ALL OF THEMMMMM

#genshin impact x reader #genshin smut #genshin x reader smut #genshin impact #xiao smut #spotify #xiao x reader #starsinterlude

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adracat · 2 years ago

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GWitch: A Tale of Two Calibans

In the Tempest, there is a character called Caliban. If you've seen episode 21 then this will sound familiar to you. We're told Guston and Belmeria need Suletta to pilot this monstrous gundam and it's without a permet filter. A true cannibal. Dire stuff, and not what we want for Suletta.

Yet I'm not entirely sure she will. Though she has some characteristics of Caliban, bound in servitude to Prospero, he's a symbol of impotent wrath beneath a slaver's chains, the injustice of colonialism, and failed revolution.

He loathes Prospero and is routinely tortured by the man's magic. Yet Suletta, even while outcast by her family, never succumbs to anger. Hers is a heart filled with love even as her Miranda (Eri) and master forsake her.

Caliban by contrast is unable to forgive Prospero for his misdeeds and scorned by Miranda's harsh treatment of him after her rejection. You can interpret that his love was true and he did not intend rape, but his affection for both Miranda and Prospero has soured into hatred.

It's a bit ill-fitting to place Suletta in the Caliban machine as a monstrous gundam capable of devouring its pilot. But then if it's not her, who else?

The Tempest describes Caliban as the son of a witch whom Prospero took as his servant. 'Hag-born, not honour'd with a human shape'

Elan 5, like Suletta, is the unnatural progeny of a 'witch', in this case Belmeria. And also subject to the injustices of Peil, his Prospero. He rankles beneath his fetters and wants more than anything to gain freedom. We're told Peil steals orphans to be used as research, the effects of space colonialism. He's the closest to a true Caliban this show has.

And like Suletta. he was rejected by Miranda. Only his was an attempted violation. It's no coincidence as I see it that 5lan aggressively harasses Suletta either. They are specifically invoking the Caliban parallel. And it's the same for his sympathetic moments

5lan wants freedom from his chains, to live freely without sacrificing himself for a corporation's whims. He's sly and angry but not without cause. And there's a certain weight to how he was forced into servitude wearing another man's face. It's like Suletta, but unlike her he does not serve with love. Only discontent.

As with Caliban, who allies himself with Trinculo and Stephano in the hopes of killing Prospero, I see 5lan doing the same. Him using a brutish path to freedom because it's all he knows and throwing it all on using a gundam, even if it means his death, would be fittng. We know he wants to live but in the wake of Norea's demise I wonder if he's concluded death is inevitable so why not take Peil down with him? This is just speculating on my part, but I did find his change in attitude strange. He's weirdly calm, it reminded me of 4lan. And that's not a good thing. Most tellingly, while Caliban rails against his master, he isn't freed; a message none of us want for Suletta.

I may very well be reading into things, as is my habit, but the fact these two are juxtoposed is significant. We do have two unanswered gundams coded with a black name, one male and the other female; Calibarn and Schwarzette.

#g witch #analysis and speculation #suletta mercury #elan 5 #elan ceres #g witch spoilers #gundam witch from mercury

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synchodai · 3 months ago

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Prompt: Cregan delivers the message that Baela wishes to break her betrothal to Jace.

Word count: 900+

Disclaimer: WIP of an upcoming chapter. The final version will be heavily edited. Full fic on AO3.

Lady Baela's message was easy enough to deliver. The difficulty was watching Jace receive it. They had a view of the entire courtyard atop the parapets. The northmen's arrival breathed a new life into it, regardless of how tense and uneasy their interactions were with the southron knights. Steel clashed on steel and the clacking of horseshoes filled the air, but instead of watching the men-at-arms ready themselves for battle, the king looked out to the Blackwater and towards the narrow sea.

"So, that's the end of it?" said Jace, his voice distant.

Cregan frowned, a storm welling in his chest. He wanted to ask what the Lady Baela meant when she spoke of Jace delaying their wedding. It means that we are at war. Did Jace have any feelings for her? Why does it matter? Cregan loathed to think that he had anything to do with this — with Jace forsaking his duty to his betrothed. Oh, but she knows. His clenched fingers felt the scar on his palm even through his moleskin glove. Clearly, she knows.

"I'm sorry, Jace," said Cregan. From the outside, he sounded like a brother offering comfort or a humble servant excusing himself. But between the two of them, they heard the guilt in his voice.

"Rest easy, Cregan," reassured Jace. "Between the two of us, it's not you Baela despises."

"She seems to believe this decision was in your best interests. She mentioned you finding a new queen. The war has made landed widows aplenty."

"More vultures come to my court to make opportunity of tragedy," scoffed Jace. "Baela would have made a fine queen. You've met her, and I am no fool. Our betrothal was arranged to bolster my claim to the throne — a claim that grows weaker with every passing day. If the gods were just and I were not my father's son, she would have been my queen and Luke would have been Lord of Driftmark with Rhaena as his lady. It seems the more I fight for this damnable throne, the more what I had thought certain gets whittled away. For years, I was convinced Baela was my future."

"It is within your rights refuse her," muttered Cregan, though he did not sound entirely convinced himself. "You are the king. You needn't accept her terms if you find them disagreeable."

"No, Baela sees through me," sighed Jace. "When I told her of us, she said it was a strange relief that she need not pretend to be a lady for my sake. This, too, I feel is a strange relief."

"Ah, so you told her... of us?" Cregan was caught off guard, letting out an awkward cough. "I hope you did not make the mistake of choosing 'us' over a queen," he managed to say.

Jace chuckled dryly. He then leaned over Cregan's shoulder and whispered, "Would it really be such a mistake?"

Cregan coughed again, raising his fist to his face to conceal the heat on his cheeks. "As your Hand, I would advise against it. You'll need a worthy and willing queen to give you heirs — that much is common sense. But as a man..."

Cregan's eyes held Jace's dark gaze for a heartbeat. There were many things he could have said. As a man, I do not expect to be chosen. As a man, I must sacrifice and be sacrificed. As a man, I have been taught that what I desire shall never be mine lest I take it. As a man, never has something so precious been so freely and willingly mine. As a man, I am weak.

But Cregan did not say any of it. Instead, he shook his head as he looked away. "I am sworn to give you all I can, Jace, but an heir is sadly beyond me."

Though the king claimed to be relieved, Cregan could not help but notice the clench of Jace's jaw, his pursed lips, and how tightly he gripped the stone as he leaned over the parapet coping. Try as he might to conceal it, Jace was upset.

Cregan was no stranger to mourning lost loves. Just a few years ago, Jace had been one of them. It mattered little what Jace and Baela had — surely the loss of it devestated all the same. Cregan put a comforting arm on his friend's shoulder, just as he did two years ago when Jace first came to Winterfell.

"Any woman would be lucky to have you," muttered Cregan. A common line said between heartbroken men, but he meant it in earnest nevertheless.

And suddenly, Jace kissed him. With Cregan's back pressed against the wall, away from the eyes of those below, Jace's lips brushed against his, their breath mingling in the chill air. Even through his boiled leather and their cloak of heavy furs, Jace's heart pounded against Cregan's own chest — so close that he could not tell his king's heartbeat from his own.

"If only you were a woman," breathed Jace.

So brief was that moment, Cregan would have thought he imagined it, were it not for the lingering taste of woodsmoke upon his lips.

#jacegan #hotd fanfic #trials of winter #jacaerys velaryon #cregan stark

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padmestrilogy · 7 months ago

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So you know how the handmaidens don’t have last names technically cause of the whole anonymity/security thing? Would they use the queen’s name as a “last name” if they needed one for something (like travel documents or whatever)? I still need to read the Padmé books but it’s also not mentioned on wookieepedia so maybe that’s just not a thing but it definitely adds an interesting layer to the whole depersonalization/separation of self thing that they have going on. Just some thoughts I’ve been having.

these ARE interesting thoughts. i’ll admit im not super up to date on padme’s beyond-movie lore either: i’ve looked around at the books and comics and i think there’s some cool stuff in there, but also part of the appeal of padme for me is that when people try and reinterpret her, they typically end up transforming her. they make her infallible; they make her the Worst. she’s a character who it’s very easy to get wrong, as evidenced by 90% of fandom making her the Girlboss and moving on. so when it comes to filling in the gaps for padme’s lore i usually return to the movies, no matter how disinterested in padme’s heart they are, bc watching comic writer #56 waffle between her and anakin’s relationship as Toxic or Domestic is pretty tiring. (i know they’re doing their best too ! it’s just not fun)

if i’m just sticking to the movies when thinking about this, i’ll say it’s pretty obvious the handmaidens enter into this arrangement expecting to live their whole lives around padme. they are the shadows in every room she’s in, they die for her, they speak for her, they surround her. any and all handmaiden characterization we get in the movies is through their interactions with padme. even when they’re dying, they only speak of her and their duty. you talk about “travel documents” but it’s hard for me to imagine a reason a handmaiden might need to travel independently from padme, or why they’d need legal identification other than “handmaiden of naboo”. even with the handmaidens supposedly going on to have lives after padme, that’s not how they’re represented in the films. even if they do have political careers, i’d imagine they’d get into the naboo system by being known as a handmaiden, not a new identity.

i think the devotion of naboo’s handmaidens, who chose to forsake their lives and names at 14 until they die, is a solid parallel to the jedi, especially in a trilogy so obsessed with duality. that’s really where i’d start with questions of names and depersonalization. think of the jedi’s monk levels of isolation for the sake of the Cause, but the Cause in this case is a fourteen year old girl, and you are also fourteen. and even when you are an adult with grey hair and supposedly moved on, you will still bear the mark of being fourteen and having served and loved this girl.

#a real ramble my bad #padme amidala #naboo handmaidens #star wars

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seyaryminamoto · 1 month ago

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Any thought on Toph's writing and "arc" in ATLA? I personally think Toph was the most stunted and underdeveloped character. She never really develops at all and is mostly just a walking joke. It's clear that the writers loved her but also clear that they never did anything with her.

If you mean stunted and underdeveloped character in the main cast, definitely yes. A lot of minor characters were done a disservice by the show, given next to no complexity, so I wouldn't rank her as #1 altogether, but among the main cast, absolutely.

Now, I wouldn't say she had zero growth, it's just... not an arc. I also don't think she was only a joke, though they used her for comedy a lot. It's part of why it weirds me out when the fandom acts like Sokka, and only Sokka, was comic relief in ATLA. Toph, Aang, Iroh, even Zuko whenever the narrative wanted to poke fun at him, provided comic relief often, so it's kind of stupid to pretend it was only ever Sokka.

... But that ridiculous perception, then, caused the not-so-funny LOK phenomenon of "Bolin is the funny one", where basically all comedy was meant to be about/around this one character, which didn't work nearly as well as they expected it to, and did nothing for the team's synergy and bonding, but I digress...

What do I think about Toph's story and journey in ATLA?

Toph starts out as a girl who wants nothing more than to be independent and for people to stop underestimating her. When we consider that, in her final action scene in the show, she's clinging by her fingertips to someone else, and that her survival and life depend expressly on HIM, it suggests that she's learned that she doesn't have to go at everything alone, and also that she doesn't have all the answers to all situations. The first time we met her, it doesn't really feel like she wants to work alongside other people, as shown in her conflict with Katara in The Chase, where Toph felt absolutely no need to chip in and help out with anything but her personal needs.

I will say, in Toph's defense about that last thing, it's perfectly common for a child who has spent most her life being cared for, not having anyone expect a single thing out of her, to not understand why she needs to contribute ANYTHING to the team. It doesn't hurt that she's new, which implies that the others have been setting up camp, finding food, traveling across the world, without needing an earthbender's contributions. So it's fairly easy to see her side in this: why does she need to help at all? Why can't they handle things on their own when they always did?

But in her chance encounter with Iroh, Toph is given a chance to think on things and ponder that there's nothing wrong with relying on others. It's so effective that this scene concludes with Toph telling Iroh that maybe he should tell Zuko that he needs him too. This might even be one of Toph's strongest moments in the entire show, honestly. She has no idea who she's talking about, has never met Zuko or Iroh before, but what she tells Iroh doesn't sound like it comes only from having determined that IROH needs Zuko: it sounds like self-reflection, based on Toph realizing that maybe she can open up to needing her friends, too, and working alongside them isn't such a bad thing.

I think this is decent writing. Really!

The issue is... this is about as good as it gets with Toph.

I really like her character, she has a lot of good jokes, some interesting moments of vulnerability here and there, but this scene with Iroh is the only instance of the show I can think back on that actually features Toph questioning her strict ideas and reasoning with them, choosing a different path and abandoning something else she wasn't ready to forsake (complete and utter independence). What's more, this isn't even the kind of growth where Toph has COMPLETELY abandoned her individualistic mentality: she's adjusted it. She allows herself to consider she could be part of a team, to have friends, to work with others, but that doesn't mean she's tied down to them. It never stops feeling like Toph is more than ready to do things on her terms, in her own ways. No matter how much she bonds with the others, she will rely on them exclusively when she needs them (see how she clings to others when she has little to no visibility), or when they need her in combat and such, but outside of such spaces? It's unlikely that Toph will be the type of person who feels the need to be accompanied all the time, who feels better if someone is constantly watching over her. Her friends allow her to find some kind of balance between her need for independence and the comfort of having allies and friends to connect to... but that doesn't mean that she'll never break off on her own when the urge hits her, when the big battles are settled, when problems are resolved.

And I'm the last person to think Yang, of ALL PEOPLE, has any solid understanding of these characters, but whether it was his idea or Bryke's to feature Toph as a teacher, and to have the Gaang drop by to pick her up during The Promise? Ultimately, this just proves she doesn't feel the need to be with Aang, Sokka and Katara non-stop. If even someone like Yang thought she'd go do her own thing (... the quality of what he wrote is, of course, forever in question), down to even leaving her out of The Search entirely? It's clear that they're not trying to promote the idea that Toph is forever clinging to her friends now. She's still independent.

But like I said earlier... this balance Toph finds between her friends and her freedom isn't the product of multiple episodes and lots of hard work and bumping into obstacles to achieve. This... is literally just Toph's second episode. That's the last time the show actually challenged Toph on a PERSONAL level that doesn't involve "becoming a more powerful bender".

Take her relationship with her parents, for instance: the fandom is convinced they were abusive as fuck and that Toph would hate them forever. Ironically, the show DOESN'T promote this notion at all (which makes The Rift kind of insane when compared to the show's treatment of Toph's parents), for it features her parents as two idiots who underestimate Toph immensely and who simply want her to come home and stay out of danger. This could be deemed as abusive in some people's minds, as usual the word needs to be taken more seriously nowadays... they're not good parents, there's no denying that. They don't understand their daughter, outright. They allow their preconceptions of her disability to determine who they think their daughter is. There's nothing in the show that suggests otherwise.

So why, exactly, is it that every instance where Toph considers communicating with her parents or meeting them, she seems to be perfectly content with doing it?

Xin Fu's trap for Toph was completely cemented on the notion that Poppy Beifong had come to visit Ba Sing Se and that she finally accepted her daughter for who she was. Toph's reaction isn't some kind of jaded dismissal because there's noooo way her mom would ever accept her... she outright goes to see her. Which allows Xin Fu to trap her. Which then results in Toph discovering she can metalbend. But the thread that started this whole plotline? It... goes nowhere. Of course, Toph's parents AREN'T there, there's no real reason to assume they've changed, and this was just a trap... but we get no reaction from Toph when it comes to this. We see no conflict. She simply embraces her new abilities and runs back to Ba Sing Se. A quick glance through the transcript shows zero focus or interest in what she went through. Hell, there's not even any acknowledgement that she learned to metalbend. It's all about Aang's struggles with the Avatar State and Katara being in danger.

Next time? The Runaway. A very frustrating and annoying episode. What happens here? Katara decides to dig into Toph's old wounds regarding her parents, tries to psychoanalyze her and decides that all of Toph's rebelliousness against authority boil down to having a bad relationship with her parents. Which... maybe it's true? Doesn't really justify Katara trying to act like her mother anyway? And then the episode ends with Toph asking Katara to help her send a letter to her parents, which sounds like Toph has made her peace with them and like she's ready to accept that she would like them in her life too, and that she wants them to accept who she is. Yay.

... The issue here is there's no follow-up. This doesn't feel like development because nothing comes from it. Nothing really changed. It doesn't come from organic writing either: it comes from Katara's forced "mother friend" role that she didn't use to hold at all (as I said in the ask about why I think Katara loses her appeal as a character the deeper we go into ATLA), and it never actually confronts Toph with her parents again. It doesn't feature a deeper reflection from Toph regarding why she feels the way she does about her parents, nor does it feature Katara realizing that Toph's parents actually did fuck up a LOT with her and that she has every right to push back against them. It merely makes Katara calm down because she realizes the others care about her (while eavesdropping, ofc) and are ready to accept her for who she is... even though she, too, merits a LOT of reflection regarding this mom friend role and nobody else should be comfortable with that, let alone her :'D

Point being, the show really just holds this as the only thing about Toph that wasn't actually resolved, but it acts like it's fine because Toph sent a letter. What growth did we see in Toph that actually means this letter makes all the difference, though? We have no idea how it affected her parents -- as much as Yang acts like it didn't affect them at all, it could have made them rethink some things, or it could have made them mount an even more desperate search for their child, who knows? And it's a pretty solid thread to pull at, to tug loose, to TRULY challenge Toph's character... aaaaaaand they just don't do it at all.

The way I see it, that's really what it boils down to. The show doesn't challenge Toph in any significant way after her... second episode. This isn't the case for most main characters, and I'm not even asking for Toph's story to feature an intense, horrible, super harrowing and difficult plot...! Just, make some things complicated for her. Show her frustrations, show her difficulty to grasp things she hasn't experienced before. Confront her with realities that she, a sheltered girl from a pretty well-off city, has never really needed to face before. Her attitude towards Ba Sing Se is never questioned or challenged narratively: she's constantly proven right about the city being fucked up, and about her reads on all high society people. While all this makes Toph feel smart to a viewer, the issue really comes where this character basically only has her admittedly sizable charisma to win us over. She succeeds! But what does this show give her to work with besides a very quick "I don't wanna work in a team-I learned to work in a team" conflict that is resolved even faster than Sokka's sexism, which pretty much died out within 4 episodes?

There's definitely a component here were Toph is successful not only because of her personality, her abilities, her strength... but also because of the message she conveys regarding disabilities. A LOT of disabled people have clung to Toph as an example and inspiration to not allow whatever ails them to define them or hold them back. Whether the comparison between a blind girl with magical powers and a disabled person of our world without them is valid or not? The effect Toph has had on a lot of viewers who related to her struggles is undeniable. In a sense, it almost feels like the fandom's worship of Toph suggests that in not giving her further challenges on a personal level, they actually hit some kind of jackpot as far as social messages are concerned... but once you actually scope in and pay proper attention to her character, you might find she's got so much more potential that went ignored by this story in favor of presenting her as this unquestionably strong girl who relies on others when she really needs to but otherwise is independent and free from all of society's restraints on her.

Personally, I know this to be the case because of the pushback and reactions my version of Toph in Gladiator initially resulted in. She had no reason to think anything of Sokka and damn near killed him when they first clashed in the Gladiator League... and this horrified a LOT of people! They couldn't BELIEVE Toph could be like this! An older Toph, 7 years older to be precise, who broke free from her parents' hold, struck a bargain with her would-be-captor to get him MORE money than he'd find if he turned her in, and who wanted nothing but to measure her strength against other powerful fighters. If she doesn't have Aang's group's influence on her as early on as when she's 12-years-old, is it REALLY that crazy for Toph's problems with her parents and authority to fester, for her craving for independence to reach new heights, for her readiness to prove herself stronger than anyone to actually be a hazard for other people who stand in her way?

Thus... a lot of the work I've done with this character has been deconstructing these flaws, building her into someone who understands herself better. It's in learning from the examples Sokka and Azula set for her that she starts to realize what kind of person, what kind of LEADER she wants to be. One of my favorite scenes to write about Toph is when she's setting her city free from Fire Nation control, extending her earthbending reach all across Gaoling, putting a stop to the FN army while focusing on creation rather than destruction. On building up her people, on leading her forces with the power of her seismic sense, on capturing the enemy leader, all of it without razing her home city to the ground. Early Gladiator Toph? She wouldn't have cared one bit to join the war to begin with, and if someone had told her that her city, the place she associated with rules, limitations and restraints would be razed to the ground? She might have even encouraged it. Yes, a part of her would have felt guilt over her parents... but she would have been so emotionally stunted that she would have forced herself to ignore any part of her that still cared about them.

And worth noting? One of the biggest personal issues Toph faced was actually nearly killing Azula and Sokka because of her absolute determination to win against them during an event. They were already friends, but they were also each other's biggest rivals in the League... neither side holds back when it comes to this particular competition, and Azula and Sokka had actually beaten Toph and Iroh on their previous encounter! Which meant Toph's desperation for victory was driving her a bit crazy. But once Toph takes it too far at one point, she freaks out. It triggers guilt that actually jumpstarts a much deeper and more complicated arc than anything she'd been through before. Her determination to win at all costs, her pride over her lifelong winning streak within the League... she's suddenly facing the possibility that all this shit she used to cling to, so damn hard, means NOTHING when she could lose two of the people she cares most about if she continues to privilege all that stuff over their wellbeing and safety.

And this doesn't mean that she didn't like fighting as a Gladiator anymore... it means she really came to terms with the fact that other things mattered more. Later on? She realized there are BIGGER fights out there, too, than what's going on in the League: she was the last line of defense against a brutal attack by a rogue waterbender who killed a lot of people and could have killed many more... and after the fact, she spends quite some time worrying about what could have happened if she had failed to protect everyone, if her strength had faltered when she needed it most.

Yes, touting my own horn a lot... but everything I've typed about my own story is exactly why it can even piss me off, at times, to see Toph's potential as a character squandered to the extent it is in canon. I've done so much more with her than they ever did, and granted it's a huge story, but Toph ISN'T the main focus on it and I still managed to give her more to work with than canon ever did. It makes no sense, does it?

I don't think she was given the respect she deserved, and partly, I feel this happened with a lot of female characters who straight-up don't have arcs at all. There's this latent fear that in questioning a character, showing they're flawed, they could become unlikeable... ironic how this is seldom a concern over male characters, but it is with female ones. And mind you: it DOES happen to male characters, because Aang himself is the most egregious example of a male character showcasing flaws and people spiraling over them, turning them into something they never were, all be it to pretend SOMEONE ELSE (*cough* Zuko *cough*) is that much better than him. But they WEREN'T scared of writing Aang into complicated situations that showcased his flaws and resulted in his growth, though. They are with Katara, Toph, Suki, Mai, Ty Lee... :') wonder why, huh?

Ultimately, Toph is a much better character, boiled down to basics, than many characters I tend to talk about and criticize openly. The issue with Toph, for me, isn't really that she fails as a character, or conveys wrong messages, or that the narrative is biased in her favor (though sometimes it is...).

The problem with Toph is she has no chances to truly grow into her own. That her biggest growth comes from a singular conversation with Iroh in episode 2x08 is incredibly unfair to a character who can provide SO MUCH if you simply give her a chance and let her be... human. Flawed. Complex. There's so much more that can be done with her, and if given a chance? She really could have been the best character of the entire show. Too bad they didn't have the guts to let that happen.

#zuko-always-lies #I may take longer to answer the other one because time #but I figured I'd drop this one right away :'D #I wonder if this is gonna ruffle feathers #for whatever wild reason even though I really like Toph #she's the character whose fans have consistently been most dickish at me #I'd say I don't know why but nah I do know #at least #a particular subset of Toph fans :')#who happen to be the ones who have been a pain #not all of em #but enough of em #regardless of their whining I still believe Toph deserves more

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