#((I think these kind of woes are normal even for a writer)) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

starlessskies94 · 2 months

Text

Mistakes (Ada x Joel)

A/n: A little while ago I got an ask about the possibility of Joel and Ada cheating on each other. While in my main story where two are endgame and I would never have them hurt the other like that because it would break my little writer's heart…I couldn't get the idea out of my head…plus the DRAMA THOUGH!! I was feeling in an angsty mood so…this happened. Sorry :(

Joel sat at the bar slumped over his third glass of whiskey; he and Ada had been arguing again and the fighting had gotten so bad that he couldn’t even remember what had started it. The Tipsy Bison was quiet this time of night and Joel was thankful for that. He didn’t need the whole town sticking their noses in his damn business. Seth had made a few snide remarks at his expense but a stern look and a grumbled ‘Go to hell’ to the bitter old bastard and he’d gotten the message and backed off. Leaving Joel to wallow in peace.

He sighed deeply as the thoughts rushed through his head; taking a swig of his drink.

“Hey Joel, everything okay?” A voice asked, it was Esther, a woman who worked in the hydro plant just outside of Town. He’d met her once or twice before; worked a few patrols here and there but other than that, he’d barely even said two words to the woman. Joel looked up at the woman who approached him and shook his head slightly.

"No...not really..." he muttered before sipping his drink once more, taking a long gulp before he continued. "Things have been a little rough lately..." Joel didn’t know why he was telling her this. Maybe getting things off his chest would ease the knot currently residing in his stomach.

“Oh sorry to hear that, everything okay?” Esther asked as she took a seat beside him at the bar. Joel frowned as he tried to think if he really wanted to open up to this person who was pretty much a stranger to him.

"Just...some personal things..." he said, hoping that she would find that an acceptable answer and move on.

“Are you and Ada fighting again?” She asked tentatively, catching him off guard. His head snapped around as he heard her ask the question...was he that obvious?

"How'd you know?"

“Just a lucky guess I suppose.” She shrugged as she flagged down Seth and ordered her own drink before turning back to Joel. “You know I’ve noticed you around here these last few years; you work hard for the town. And do a lot for patrol.” She said Joel looked a little surprised as she brought up his work and patrol duties. He wasn't really sure where she was going with this.

"Uh…Yeah...I do what I can to keep the peace…making sure things are safe around here..." He uttered. Smiled and Joel knew he was in trouble. “‘Folks appreciate that Joel, they really do.” She said softly before continuing “And I’m sorry that things aren’t going great with your wife right now.” Oh. Perhaps he’d misread the signals. Maybe she was just being polite. Trying to be a friend and offer him an ear to listen to his woes. Usually he and Tommy confided to each other about stuff like this, except…Tommy wasn’t here right now.

"Thanks," Joel muttered as he took another sip of his whiskey.

He was getting sick of the arguing between them. It was exhausting and he was starting to feel like he couldn't handle it anymore. He had really hoped that things would blow over, but now he was worried that this was going to lead to the end of them. Esther seemed to be kind enough to let him talk through his feelings, it wouldn’t be the worst thing to ask her for advice. Would it?

"Hey...can I ask you somethin’?"

“Sure thing.” She said, leaning back on her bar stool.

Joel looked away for a moment, as he tried to figure out if this really was the best question to ask at the moment. He didn't want to make the situation more awkward than it already was.

"Is it normal for married couples to fight this much...? Like...is this normal?"

Esther shrugged, taking another sip of her drink as she chuckled “I don’t know Joel, I ain’t ever been married.” She smiled. Leaning forward and stroking a hand up his arm. “But if you’re ever looking to blow off some steam, my door is always open.” she purred. And Joel went cold.

What?

Joel was taken aback by her blunt words; okay maybe he’d had been reading things right after all. He felt a small shiver when he felt her hand brush further across his arm. She was attractive...but he couldn't...

No...he couldn't. He wouldn’t.

Yet...a part of him wanted to act on this impulse, but he wouldn't because he wasn't that sort of man...He loved Ada and hated himself for even entertaining the idea.

He took another long drink from his glass before speaking again.

"I appreciate the offer...but...I don't think that's a good idea...for obvious reasons..."

Esther shrugged nonchalantly “Your choice, but you know where I am if you change your mind handsome.” She smirked and she walked away. He watched her go and he felt sick, rising to his feet and immediately running home to make up with Ada.

Joel's stomach churned as he rushed home from the bar, his mind flooded with guilt over the idea of entertaining Ester's offer.

He didn't want this...he didn't want to hurt his wife...but there was a part of him that was curious...curious to see if the offer was real...He shook that thought out of his head by the time he made it home. He was going to do the right thing and apologize to his wife.

He rushed in through the door not even bothering to knock. “Ada baby…we need to talk.”

Ada froze at the sight of him. “Joel would are you-“ he cut her off as he took her in his arms and kissed her. “Ada I’m sorry for fightin’, for walkin’ out and tryin’ to drown my sorrows at the bar all night.” Ada looked at him with confusion painted across her features. “Honey, are you okay, you’re shaking…”

“Something happened and I realized that I don’t want anyone else but you. It doesn’t matter what we were fightin’ about, I don’t care whose fault it was, I just want us to be happy.”

Ada smiled lightly “Joel… you’re right.”

There was an instant relief in Joel's face as he felt his wife take his words so well. He was terrified that this conversation would be the final nail in the coffin for their marriage.

"I'm sorry..." he muttered, burying his face into her neck, "I was out of line with how I've treated you...you don't deserve that."

“Joel, I'm the one who was in the wrong. I know you said it doesn’t matter whose fault it was but it was mine and I’m sorry.” She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him on his temple.

“Can I ask you something though?” She asked, pulling away slightly. Joel nodded "Yes?" he replied, looking directly in her eyes.

“What happened?” She asked with narrow eyes.

The question made Joel's stomach sink suddenly. He hadn't expected her to ask him...and part of him still felt like lying would be the safest option. Yet, he was tired of lying to his wife...and the only way that it would ever be right was to just be honest.

"Esther..she made a pass at him while I was at Seth’s bar." he mumbled, looking away with a sigh, "Don't be upset please..."

Ada nodded solemnly as she turned towards the door. “Esther huh?” She hissed bitterly. “I’m not upset…I’m just going to kill her.” She growled.

"Baby please...she's not worth making a big deal over-" he was quick to grab at her arm to keep her from leaving, "...and I put a full stop to it right when she tried to suggest somethin’..."

Ada froze and turned back towards Joel; “What exactly did she say to you?”

Joel swallowed and looked away again as he tried to remember the exact wording that she had used with him. He didn’t want to do this. Not now they were finally making up. But he knew Ada. And there was no way in hell she’d let things go until he told her. He exhaled a heavy defeated sigh as he found new interest in the floor instead of her eyes.

"She said...she said that everyone knew how hard I worked around here...and if I ever needed to 'blow off steam' then her door is always open…”

There he’d told her. He said the words. And as he gathered the courage to look at his wife, he saw a whole new side. She was shaking with anger, her blood boiling.

“So she was offering to sleep with you even though she knows you're married to me and that we were in the middle of a fight?!” Ada sighed “why would she do that?!”

Joel swallowed again as he kept his eyes on the floor as he uttered his next words.

"I-I think she thought that our relationship was in trouble...and I kind of...I kind of did think about going there for a moment… but just thinking about it was enough for me to realize I don't want to be with anyone but you..." Stop talking Joel, stop talking. He chastised himself.

Ada turned cold as she heard Joel’s words gazing at him with wide eyes. “What?” She breathed, “What do you mean you thought about going over there? Were you…tempted to sleep with her?” She asked with tears in her.

Joel flinched and he felt a hot rush of shame wash over him as he watched the way his words impacted her.

"I uh..." he muttered after a long breath, " I would have never gone through with it...I swear...I just wanted to pretend for a moment that everything was okay...that I could just forget about our fight and everything that's been happening recently and act like nothing was wrong..."

Ada scoffed, “Are you fucking kidding me?!” She cried. “How would you feel if I said I thought about sleeping with another man?” She asked in tears

He frowned, “Of course I would be hurt..." he mumbled, looking away as he struggled to even think of what to say at this moment, "But I promise...I would have never gone through with it...I love you..."

“How can I believe that you love me when you’ve just admitted that you thought about cheating on me? How could I ever trust you after that?” Ada spat at him, her heart breaking. Joel couldn't bear hearing this. He had really screwed up this badly then there was no way that he could ever earn back her trust.

"I didn’t mean it like that…it just made me feel…goddamn it I don’t know…" he said again, "Ada just...please…"

He tried to hug her but she pulled away and he felt hopeless as he watched his wife fall apart because of him. “No, I’m done Joel. I don’t think I can ever forgive you for this.” Ada cried.

There was an instant wave of despair that shot through him when he realized that all hope was lost.

"Please..." he said again, this time practically pleading for her to give him a chance.

She laughed harshly through her tears as she roughly wiped at them with her sleeve. “If you want comfort then go find Esther; because you’ll get nothing from me!” She said bitterly. “We’re over Joel..”

"I don't want Esther!" he said quickly, his voice getting louder as the desperation rose within him, "She's nothing compared to you...I just..."

He fell to his knees, looking up at her with eyes that were pleading her to forgive him, "Please...you don't understand how much I love you..."

Ada gasped a broken sob as she wiped at her eyes “I know how much you love me and I love you but I don’t think I can trust you anymore. I’ll make things work with Ellie so we can keep things normal for her but you and me; we’re done.” She said finally.

Joel slowly pushed himself back up from the floor, his body feeling numb as he realized he had just destroyed his family.

The hours seemed to drag as Joel found himself right back where he started. Sitting at the bar with number…he didn’t even remember anymore; of another glass of whiskey. The pain was too much. The alcohol wasn’t working anymore no matter how much he drank. He just wanted to make it stop, make it all go away. Even for just a moment. He found himself walking, his feet carrying him without even really thinking about where he was heading. When found himself knocking at Esther’s door, he felt as if he were in a daze the entire time...all he wanted was to feel what he once had with Ada...if he couldn't have her then at least he could find something else to numb the pain.

His hands were shaking as he stood at the door and finally after a few minutes he heard a small voice, "Coming."

Esther opened the door, her eyes widening as she saw him. "You came back?" she asked in amused shock.

"Yeah..." he muttered after a long pause, “Does that offer of yours still stand..." he stepped into her house and took a breath,

Esther's surprise was evident as she took in his question. She had been a little taken aback by the fact that he had actually come, yet now that he was there...

"It does..." she replied with a grin, stepping to the side to let him in.

Joel nodded, feeling a bit of a sense of relief come over him as he finally felt like something was going his way for a change. She seemed like she could make him forget about everything that was wrong in his life and that was all he needed right now.

Esther led him into her bedroom and to her bed, laying down as she tried to lure him towards her.

Joel's breathing was getting heavier as he followed along, this was a mistake...a big mistake...he told himself as he got closer.

Yet he kept going, he knew there was no turning back now and he couldn't bear to even think about how much he hated himself as his body was pressed up against hers.

—-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What a mistake.

It was the most idiotic thing he had ever done, yet the warmth of Esther's body was all he wanted in that moment.

And it left him feeling sick.

Joel was torn by the two sides.

One told him that this was wrong, that he needed to get back and try and fix things with Ada.

Yet the other...the selfish side of him was telling him to stay there for a little while longer...to forget about everything that had just happened.

He got dressed and left; disgusted with himself for betraying Ada like that…

Meanwhile Ada rushed through the streets looking for Joel. It was heading into the early hours of the morning and she had debated all night whether to go after him or hope he would come back on his own. She hated fighting. But Joel had hurt her with the stupid things he’d said. He’d been drunk and idiotic to the point of trying to be too honest in order to avoid another argument, only to cause one anyway.

He’d been flattered by her offer. That was what he’d meant to say. His drunken brain not being able to say the right words. Ada knew him enough to know that. She’d be lying to herself if she said that she hadn’t even looked at other men or even found them attractive but never in a million years would she ever act on it.

She’d been searching for him for what felt like hours to apologize for their fight getting out of hand, for overreacting. She loved and trusted Joel and she needed to tell him that.

But when she saw him leaving Esther's house adjusting his shirt, she froze, her whole body turning cold.

They stopped and stared at each other. They both knew what he had done.

“Joel….please tell me you didn’t...” Ada uttered with a sob.

Joel stopped and looked back at her, his heart sinking as she spoke. This was it...He slowly nodded his head and looked away from her, unable to even keep eye contact.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered…

#the last of us #starlessskies writes #joel miller #the last of us part 2 #writing #tlou #fanfiction #ada x joel

8 notes · View notes

merge-conflict · 4 months

Text

The appeal of starting from the ending and working back is that you put a cap on every Might Have Been, every wandering tangent, etc. that your drafting mind might otherwise wind down. And there's nothing more irritating then having a good idea when wrapping something up only to realize you didn't have time to foreshadow it like you did the other 2 or 3 recurring consequences (TV writer woes).

Everything in the final conversation Abernathy has with Valentine has to be doing the work of two or three callbacks. Right now I've only hit the initial callbacks, and as I sketch out the ideas mentioned her in passing, which evoke certain strong emotions, then I know I need to do something with V's work involvement with Biotechnica, with some sort of clash with Jenkins, with what Valentine is like when she loses her temper. And I know that because it's what Abernathy is fixated on trying to control this breakup conversation, and also reveals what Abernathy herself is concerned about, and perhaps has been concerned about for a long time and never shown. (Or has she?)

Anyhow I love talking process, so this is the kind of skeleton script I'm going to be working backwards from. It will most certainly not survive exactly like this, but it's a good anchoring point:

“If you tell anyone about anything, I’ll have you removed and handled as a double agent. You have been awful involved with Biotechnica lately.” - “I’m not going to warn you again. Do you understand?”

(dully) “You do that and they’ll know I was telling the truth.”

“It doesn’t matter what they know, it matters what they can prove.” (you know this. we've talked about this. don't be stupid.)

“I suppose next you’ll be asking me to use my new position to spy on Jenkins for you.” (petulant. bitter. a tool, you were always a tool, do you understand?)

“No. I know how you get when you’re angry.” (thinking. malicious. flippant.) “Besides, I thought you’d enjoy a chance to get your claws into him.”

(silently angry. is the implication that she’d do for him what she’d done for her? that she’s just a dangerous beast? that she knows her and her anger so well?)

“Well?”

“What do you want me to do? Beg for leniency? Make some emotional plea? You want me to ask if you ever even gave a shit about me? You want me to put on a show?” - “You wouldn’t believe a word I said anyway. Give me a cigarette.”

(hands one over, lights it. finally makes eye contact. this is real.) “Don’t look so glum. You wouldn’t have gotten half as far as you have without my help. You can cry into your bank account if you want, but it’s not like I’m kicking you out on the street.”

“Alright.” (inhale. peace. emptiness. drains her drink. drops the cigarette into abernathy’s.) “It’s done.”

Re-reading this I already know I need to work in some reference to Valentine's mother and some warning/advice/celebration they have near the end of this reverse story. Something that ties back to her own failed marriage and divorce and dashed expectations. Something about finding a reason to keep going on until you can't bear to any more. Something that echoes the familial stubbornness which means Valentine in the damn things overlap will endure anything so long as she knows the expiration date.

The most fascinating part of writing these two to me is that Abernathy has this very strict rule about never admitting guilt or regret directly, but she'll say something like "I'd apologize but it's already done, isn't it?" and it's like YOU COULD STILL SAY IT! But she sees that as weakness. And Valentine picks up that same attitude here "What do you want me to do? Beg for leniency? Make some emotional plea?" They're mocking each other for the very normal human desire for acknowledgement. They're intelligence agents who think they're just making sure they're not fooling themselves (they're fooling themselves). Sincerity is only useful for pre-empting someone else trying to expose your vulnerability.

Anyway, they're operating on a certain set of fucked up toxic social rules that are in some respects even harsher than the normal corpo set. They're self-policing, because Abernathy is obsessed with gaining favor with someone who is a misogynistic homophobe, and she's playing for keeps against people who aren't reviled by this person. The idea might also come up that she doesn't NEED to be doing it to this degree, but she's warped her own idea of what she needs to do, and what kind of person she needs to be, and applied that to Valentine as well. The tragedy is that they love each other. They work well together. It's never going to work out. It didn't work out. But look at what they had, and how fucked up and funny and exciting it all was before it went to shit.

#ship: hand in unlovable hand #that thrill of showing how in sync people used to be. how even when they're nasty you can feel the wistfulness #and then you get to trace it back to see how much they enjoyed each other honestly. before they sacrificed it for the job #you can't be smart and ruthless and powerful and successful if you're in Love. attachment is weakness #except ironically it's Valentine's utter loyal attachment that gets abernathy where she needs to go. that's why she ultimately gets Fired #placing her in the perfect position for her to warm to Johnny except then she meets Goro Takemura lol #knight-errant origin story #banished for dumb loyalty. bitter and angry but refusing to betray that sworn confidence even in exile. you know??

2 notes · View notes

knowlesian · 2 years

Text

THIS ONE IS A G E N U I N E REQUEST i mean sure so was the unhinged izzy one but this one i mean for gentle and good reasons, not weird scuzzy little sad idiot man ones.

anyway has anyone seen the gifset contrasting “i could be family”/the goodbye/jim’s return?

i only ask because i need to see the quietest love song play out in full without swapping between tabs.

How’d you find me?

I just followed a trail of twigs... and footprints.

I’ve seen you get lost on the ship sometimes.

oh yeah, buckle up. i’m going full gnaw this like old bubblegum mode from MOMENT ONE today, and i’m not even starting with a scene i mentioned in the half-genuine request, half stubborn refusal to ever let the framing device bit die; these two deserve it. until they get an official ship name (...and maybe even honestly after? when i fall, i fall hard, and as i said: i do so love to commit to the bit) i will continue to call them my muppet babies.

look. i’m not gonna say the writers were subtle here; what i will say is, sometimes you don’t need to be subtle to punch me in the fucking heart.

...also to be a good writer and make your point very well without writing a secret code to discern why izzy is Like That in his word choice about ed’s breakup self-help book era, but the heart-punching is sort of my main focus here. izzy makes me want to write unhinged meta so i can poke at his dumb sad brain to see if maybe i can discern the source of his inability to take a fuckin’ chill pill (or a dick, as that is His Whole Weird Hangup, see: dickclouds) and maybe fix it? if not that, then mock him a lot.

jim and olu make me want to write unhinged meta because they are so, so unbearably gentle and revolutionary for it that when i think about them, i feel like maybe i’m dreaming.

they make me so unhinged the izzy shit looks like nothing. it is known that i am Deeply Normal and Fine about izzy; i am absolutely feral about these two. though neither of them need me to and jim in particular might find the challenge refreshing, i would fight a bear for them, your honor. a bear from space. with lasers.

fuck you, hypothetical space bear with your fucking space lasers, i will say. what did you say about my babies? i will SEE YOU OUTSIDE and not in the loving way i will see the entire team of monster/lighthouses who created and then brought this show to life outside. in the “i’m gonna die, i can’t fucking fight a normal bear and then there’s the LASERS?” way.

...right! textual analysis, i said.

there’s an obvious joke at play. jim is having an Emo Moment, and vico plays this first bit of the scene to convey that, in way in a fun, subtle way i really love; when olu first approaches, they don’t look at him and deliver their question to the vague middle distance, Woe and Burden starting to settle back onto their shoulders.

they are back in their original non-muppet movie context, and in this world when your half-orange rolls up to try and take your emotional temperature you don’t turn to look at people when you say something vaguely badass and dramatic.

and since in those sorts of canons, you don’t get a practical answer to those kinds of questions, olu’s deeply muppet explanation about the granular details of how he found jim is even funnier than it would be if he said it to anybody other than maybe izzy. subverting expectation is one of the general staples of comedy, so there’s that box checked; jim turning to face olu as they give the affectionate/exasperated response that they’ve seen olu get lost on the goddamned ship is also funny.

but then here’s the not subtle but so good heart punching part. olu, who gets lost in the ship, never has any trouble finding jim. he follows the twigs and their footprints, until he finds the heart that beats out the same rhythm as his own, and reminds jim they don’t have to exist in this world alone if they don’t want to.

this is why i love jim just appearing out of nowhere when they return to finally kiss the living daylights out of olu’s beautiful face so i can scream and kick my feet with glee every single time i watch it: i know, the linear time muppets among us are still blowing their stacks over this, but i’m a galaxy brain muppet. olu can always find jim; it stands to reason jim can always find olu. that’s just the way it works, when you’re two halves of an orange meant to make a whole, even if you have to either bend time or teleport to get there. so you teleport! rules on how you bridge the distance are more like guidelines when you decide to take the risk and allow your heart to beat in a chest that isn’t your own; wherever one of you goes, there the other one will eventually be. to speak in the love language of two other big ol’ dopes who make an orange together and also own my heart: that’s the dot in the i. it’s jeremy freaking bearimy, baby.

which brings me to:

She’s a lot. But she’s my only family.

Well, look. If you wanted... I could be family.

“if you wanted.” oh, olu. a man who probably holds community dearest, but keeps respect and autonomy nestled close enough they’re an indistinguishable part of the desire to bring people into the light where he’s so, so comfortable. i want to be your family jim, of course i want to—but do you want me to be? this is why someone like jim allowed olu to speak for them, before they put together the words to do so for themselves. because he loves jim with all his wonderful heart, and still he asks: what do you want? what would make you happy? those things have just as much value to me as getting to hold you close and call you mine.

there is an ache deep in my heart when i ask myself this question: how does a man who was named by people who knew the words to their own songs and had the space to learn how to let them ring out loud find himself in a place where piracy was his only recourse, and jim his only family in sight?

(please oh please, in the s2 i refuse to accept could ever not be inevitable, with my whole goddamned muppet heart, i would like to meet some of olu’s first family. many of the answers i come up with when i ask myself that terrible question are ones that say this would be impossible, but yet: again and again, like olu, i choose to believe the world can be kinder if i throw my heart against the bars of the cage, and grab at every piece of joy i can until they can’t fucking stop me from finding out what’s outside.)

what i want aside, and whatever happened between then and now, here olu is: planted amidst the citrus trees, food in his belly from his welcome into the heart of jim’s childhood. offering, not demanding: i could be family, too, if you wanted me to. we could be family. we sing the same song. our stories are different, the paths we walked to get to this moment are different, but i hear you. and as olu leans in, heart in his beautiful, kind eyes: he reflects the world back as jim sees it, joyously singing from the same hymnal.

his warmth says, even here, where they used to call you another name and are still having trouble holding as fast as you might like to not doing so anymore, i know you are jim: jim, who has never been anything but. who trusted me to hold their truth in my steady hands and speak for them; oh, how i see you.

i see you, in all your complications, all your flaws and your faults, your glories and your triumphs: i see you. i don’t lie to myself, because love based upon keeping the truth locked away can never last, but i love you because of, not in spite of. i love it all: all of it is you. unconditional and true.

this sort of love, olu’s easy, accepting love, is the best definition of holy i will ever be able to give.

(also, they nearly kiss and the way they frame olu’s 10000000% teal earring is CHURLISH. AND. INSUBORDINATE. i get it, jim: teal’s my favorite color now, too. how could it not be? listen to the way this man says cake!!!!)

is it now painfully obvious olu is the character i actually love best? not just like, but love. because he is. i love everyone in this silly/genius intersectional pirate bar (even you, dizzy izzy) if only because i choose to extend that even the worst of us, when it comes down to it: i hold people accountable, but if i stop believing everyone yet drawing breath has the ability to be better than they were yesterday and even become someone i might want to call my home, i think i’ll probably have to relocate to a cave in the proverbial hinterlands, never to return.

i think olu understands this; when their moment is interrupted and jim decides the next part of their journey needs to take place alone, olu doesn’t even try to dissuade them. his love is the fire at the heart of the lighthouse, burning bright and steady. wherever jim goes, there they are. and there olu’s love shall be. jim carries it with them, now, a twin flame burning alongside their own. a beacon, guiding them home.

i want to admit something before i talk about the hat slap, because that and jim slapping at the dumb little cup and practically yelling SCATTER! SERPENTINE, SERPENTINE! as they dash off to do something stupid are my handkerchief/Boot Touch for these two.

it’s about the boot touch. if you had asked me before they casually confirmed taika improv’d it, i would have sworn up and down it had to be scripted. it’s so good! it’s the boot version of darcy’s hand clenching and it’s a visual joke i think about all the time. they knocked boots! they knocked BOOTS. that’s so stupid and funny and good. so yeah, i would have said to you: no way that wasn’t scripted. it’s too all-around perfect.

BUT: FUCKIN. TAIKA. nope! i would have been a big old dummy and deeply wrong.

with that in mind: i’m gonna guess the hat slap (and honestly, the cup too) were probably just vico and samson being ridiculous and unfairly good at this. if i start talking about how this entire group of actors is collectively a blessing and a joy i will never fucking shut up but let me just say: finding people who just get their characters and are funny as fuck themselves is the magic ingredient for a cast like this.

(still can’t believe nobody planned that damn boot thing out in advance. i mean: they KNOCKED BOOTS. why is everyone involved in this working at their absolute peak!!! it is very cool!!!! thanks everyone!!!! love you!!!! see you in the denny’s parking lot!!!!)

so: the hat slap.

do me a favor: imagine jim’s response to anyone else on the crew getting up in their space, let alone batting at the brim of their hat. got it? good. keep that hilarious shitshow pinned while i contrast it with what happens with olu.

jim’s eyes flick down (the sense that they both want to go in for the kiss again but share the understanding it’s once again, just not the right time: ooof. so good. i’m SO MAD AT THESE TWO) and then as olu walks away, they smile.

like, a wholeass no holds barred actual smile. full-on little kid who just got a gold star on the sticker chart impossible to repress pleased grin. it’s so sweet. we found out this episode the vibe that jim never learned the value of a good afternoon nap is because their ability to be a kid who just chills out, safe to screw around and do silly shit died an abrupt death with their family, and here’s olu: bringing big dumb muppet fun into their life, right up until the last second.

the regret and resolve come right after but now jim has olu’s promise of safe harbor stashed away with a kiss owed and it’s off to be badass with jackie (how fucking great is leslie in this, by the way?) until olu’s beacon guides them home.

Why’d you give it away?

I, um... I missed you.

the way olu’s eyes light up when he first sees jim, like he’s just been handed everything he ever wanted and never thought he’d get. i just can’t with samson, i can’t.

before ed rolled up to save izzy’s dumb ass from being thrown overboard, olu was told by the ragtag group of dummies who have also become his home they wanted him to be their captain. he had seen his true value laid out in no uncertain terms, before the chance to lead was taken away from him just as fast as it was offered.

he might say he doesn't want the job, but he could do it. he could do it well and olu knows that, but now he’s not going to be captain after all and worse: he still doesn’t have jim. he’s been pining for the runtime of nearly two whole episodes for them and he can't bear to be in the space where jim’s absence looms largest at the same time all he wants is to go back to sleeping there. that’s where olu can touch the echoes of home and remind himself: he had to wait for jim once already to find it before, he can do it again.

the thing olu knows that makes him so wonderful and able to see people clearly and love them just as hard as ever is that as long as he’s open and looks for it, once he finds the people he’d like to fill it with home is never doing more than waiting for your return, arms open and cake ready.

and now he has jim who was in the room they share literally waiting for his return. i think there was a piece of olu that fell just a little bit more in love there, in a way he didn’t even know was possible. olu is steady; a hearthfire, the kind of warmth you can depend on. he is so often waiting for people to come home to him; and he wants them to. it’s who he is, but the difference between “i was waiting for you, and now you’re back” to “you waited for me; this is a moment when i needed you to comfort me so much it made me ache, and you were just magically here” is just... so very deeply unfair. i mean, jesus fuck, leave me here to weep, etc etc etc. SO unfair.

also unfair, jim kissing his fucking face off and launching both of them back onto the bed together.

there’s this deeply cool and genuinely beautiful part in the bible where they take a little break to do some slam poetry about sex, called the songs of songs. (it’s also about the beauty of having dark skin; i would lay down my life these are both things the writers know about, particularly because there are places it gets Arguably Gay, too.) it’s referred to as the song of solomon as well, alongside a handful of other things, but i’ve always been partial to the emotional resonance of how the first one hits me.

sing not just a song; sing a song of songs. sing not just your song, but the song of every other person alive, all raised together in joyful, unified noise.

the part people tend to know because it’s the part most writers like best is “let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.” and no shade to a very good line, but i just want to throw down a later verse that gets less play and deserves so much more.

His head is as the most fine gold, his locks are bushy, and black as a raven /��His eyes are as the eyes of doves by the rivers of waters, washed with milk, and fitly set / His cheeks are as a bed of spices, as sweet flowers: his lips like lilies, dropping sweet smelling myrrh / His hands are as gold rings set with the beryl: his belly is as bright ivory overlaid with sapphires / His legs are as pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold: his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars / His mouth is most sweet: yea, he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, and this is my friend, O daughters of Jerusalem.

first, this is obviously olu as fuck, because he is not just a snack he is the whole damn meal and dessert besides (respectful).

but: this is my beloved, and this is my friend. usually when people say “oh, the sex isn’t the point” it’s to hide their discomfort and sweep sex had by people they don’t understand in ways they don’t understand off as a sort of niche interest, a conversation piece and not someone’s source of joy.

the sex may not be the point, but it is now Part of It and olu is the little spoon because this isn’t izzy’s sad weird need for tenderness found only through completing all the intricate rituals needed to even begin to fumble uselessly towards grace, and then heading out back to beat metaphors about dicks and daddy issues and god with sticks until they cry.

that’s the old world. this is the new: when it comes to these two, saying the sex isn’t the point here means that before jim and olu ever had a truly excellent first kiss and adorably spooned, jim trusted olu to know the words they wanted to say and how to say them. this is my beloved; this is my friend. wherever they go, there i am.

as with everything on this show, it’s all the point. nana blessed their union in the heart of her church, but olu offered to be family on even holier ground still: the ground jim grew in. all those rough edges, the disappointments and pain that shaped them, refashioned into the place where olu looked at jim and said the words in their hearts out loud: we could be family, but only if you want to.

the old life came back to swallow the new, then, the old fears and vendettas and patterns. but they’re home now, and so jim’s song becomes: i want to. i want you, and together they consecrate yet another space.

in the place they made a home, together they sing a song of songs. they sing it out, and they sing it strong.

...so yeah anyway. anybody seen it?

#our flag means death #ofmd spoilers #oluwande boodhari #jim jimenez #my ofmd meta #MY MUPPET BABIES #O! I LOVE THEM #lol this is even longer than the izzy shit whatever i regret nothing #feels AT ELEVEN #i love them your honor i would fight an army of those damn space bears for them #there are two vibes to this: the holly holy sections and the jackie and wilson sections #...no okay there's also one come healing section #i'm MAKING JESUS SHIT ABOUT SEX AGAIN #this time it's healthy don't worry #many thanks to @tothetrashwhereibelong for a million reason but rn shepherding this into the world with me

129 notes · View notes

naruto-scenarios-plus-akatsuki · 3 years

Note

Are you going to make a part 3 for the Neji one where he has a crush on the branch member and ten ten and Lee find out. You don’t have to but I really enjoy it!😁

Well it took me a lot longer than expected but I say that about all my work now, lol. Sorry everyone I’m a slow writer. But I hope you all enjoy the final piece to this fic.

Part I Part II

Welp! The secret is out, Neji: Part III

The look in Neji’s eyes of pure unfiltered irritation was a look that Tenten would never forget. The minute that you stepped out of the room, Neji had quickly fixed his glare on the two of them. His voice left a chill in the air as he told them to get out with the most even tone. Lee began to apologize, fumbling over his words in his stark surprise.

Tenten’s eyes had snapped way from the cup of tea Neji knocked over in Lee’s hands purposely while your back was turned. She couldn’t believe her eyes and her head was still trying to wrap around the events that transpired. She had to grab Lee to leave when she saw Neji’s fists tighten while he closed his eyes. She knew in that moment that Neji did not want any apologies. He was holding back his anger, so she made a quick getaway towing Lee with her, even while he was still apologizing.

Tenten could only hope that Neji would find it in his heart to forgive Lee for spilling the beans. She knew how private of an individual Neji was; especially, when it came to expressing feelings. She was afraid that this might be the last time he would trust them with his secrets. She sighed, knowing this was a delicate situation.

Lee was currently wailing about his woes while they waited in the training fields for Neji and their sensei.

“I can’t believe I spoke so carelessly.”

“It’s alright Lee,” Tenten tried to console, half-heartedly. “I’m sure Y/N didn’t catch on” at least Tenten hoped and she hoped Neji wouldn’t hold a grudge for too long about the incident either.

“How will Neji ever forgive me?” Lee continued to whine, but then jumped up at an idea. “I know! I’ll offer to do his laundry, or I could buy him some tea.”

“I don’t think Neji’s going to let you touch his laundry.” Tenten shot down, knowing Neji probably had a precise way of doing it and who’s to say if he would really let his whites be washed by Lee. “And… I don’t think tea would be a good gift after what just happened,” she mentioned thoughtfully.

Lee slapped his forehead and exclaimed, “Of course! Not tea! That would definitely remind him of my transgressions. But what can I give then? What can I do?”

“Well…” Tenten started but she was a little lost too.

Neji wasn’t much into sweets, nor was he really into gifts of any kind. Tenten had placed her hands on her hips and was continuing to think of what could appease Neji when he appeared on the training field. Both team members were surprised.

“Neji!” they both exclaimed but Tenten was the first to stutter out a response.

“You’re back so soon.” That had her worried. They barely rushed out thirty minutes ago.

“Yes.” Neji’s tone was flat.

“Is everything okay?” Lee asked, concerned.

“Perfectly,” He spoke shortly. His eyes sharp, but his expression was blank. “Lee shall we get started?”

Neji spoke so coolly that Tenten felt a chill run up the back of her neck. Lee easily agreed to start sparring with Neji; wanting to do anything to please him at that moment. However, Tenten could easily see that Neji was not at all at peace. His strikes were fierce against Lee. It was obvious that Neji wanted to pacify his anger and direct it at Lee. Training was the perfect guise for that.

Lee took everything that Neji had. He would block hits and strike with his own but there was a lack of effort on Lee’s part. He fell to the ground many times but kept getting back up to take what Neji had in store for him.

During their skirmish, Gai arrived and stood beside Tenten. He spectated his pupils with interest and noticed right away something was off.

“My intuition is telling me something is off between the two of them.”

“Your intuition is not wrong,” Tenten replied. Her brows were furrowed down in concentration. Her teammates were typically rough with each other, which is why she had little concern, but she was worried about Neji holding a grudge over them for a long time.

“Say you wouldn’t happen to know what this is about, do ya?” Gai questioned. “Neji’s attacks seems to be very targeted at Lee with blunt force and normally, Lee holds a better stance than that and seems to be putting in less effort as if he’s conflicted.” He reasoned, his voice calm.

Tenten sighed. “You’re not off point. Lee accidently confessed to Neji’s crush that he liked them. I don’t think Neji was ready to tell them yet.”

“Ah, yes. A young man’s love can often stir up the fire in his being,” Gai nodded to himself for a moment, stroking his chin. Then once he came to a decision, he patted Tenten on the shoulder and gave her a thumbs up. “I got this.”

She sweat dropped, not sure if her sensei would make things worse, but before she could say anything Gai was already breaking up Neji and Lee’s sparring session.

“Alright that’s enough. Lee why don’t you continue training with Tenten. Neji, come and walk with me,” Gai directed. He put a hand on Neji’s shoulder briefly to signal for him to follow, leaving Lee and Tenten to their own devices.

Neji followed out of respect. He was still feeling grim and annoyed on the inside. When the two of them were far enough away from his teammates, that’s when Gai addressed the issue.

“So, I hear Lee had spilled the beans to the one who has your affections”

“I think Tenten should not be repeating Lee’s mistake and learn to keep her mouth shut.” Neji’s eyes narrowed and his voice was cold once more. He knew exactly who had informed Gai about the situation and it annoyed him further.

“Tell me about the one that ignites the fire inside your being,” Gai prompted, not at all bother by Neji’s display.

“I rather much not talk about it. Especially after today's events,” Neji mumbled, his cheeks tinting slightly red. This was something he did not want to talk about with his sensei of all people.

Gai nodded, understanding Neji’s hesitancy and ignoring it. He understood how Neji operated after three years of training him and he doubt his other students meant to cause such trouble for him. Their intentions probably meant well but a small slip of the tongue probably left Neji in a very unwanted situation. Gai knew that the Hyuga clan which Neji belonged to highly respected privacy and lacked open affection.

His face was serious and did not scold or reprimand him in tone when he continued.

“When I was a young man, I found one such as you did that ignited the fire within my loins. They were beautiful and caught my eye. Not only was my eye caught, but others as well stared at their beauty. I wanted so badly to catch their attention like they caught mine, but alias, my rival had won them over before I could. Yet! I knew to not give up the chase and at least make my affections known.”

“And?” Neji asked simply, not sure where his sensei was going with this. “Did they return your affections?”

“No,” Gai answered and Neji deadpanned.

“Then what is the point of your story?” Neji asked a bit impatient due to feeling uncomfortable.

“That you never know how someone feels unless you try. The one who caught my affections never carried the same affection for me, but their affections were also not returned by Kakashi either. My courage in telling them (despite how they had felt about me) gave them courage to make known their own affections. One just has to come forward in order for any two to be together. You see what I mean Neji?”

“Yes…” He admitted.

“If you like this person, there will never be nothing more if you never tell them how you feel. You’re young and with the life we live, you never know when your last day is coming. It’s better to say all that is on your heart now, than to have it on your mind during your last breath,” Gai mentioned somber.

He stepped forward towards Neji and patted him on the shoulder, giving him an encouraging smile.

“Now why don’t you skedaddle and take a moment to reflect. Come back when you have settled what is in your heart. And try to forgive Lee and Tenten.”

With that Gai took his leave and vanished into the trees.

Neji took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. He was still slightly annoyed but not so much anymore. He knew Lee didn’t mean to say what he had on purpose and he knew Tenten only wanted to help and make peace of the situation. His teammates were cavalier at times, but they were good and honest friends of his. What had really annoyed him was himself for not telling Y/N how he felt sooner and not knowing if you even felt the same.

He hated to admit it but Gai was right. He had no way of knowing how you felt unless he were to confess his own feelings first. He wouldn’t have been so bothered if he didn’t let the fear of the unknown keep him from revealing himself. He could never be with you, if he kept his feelings locked inside unless he had the courage, or you did.

With that, Neji took a slow walk back to the Hyuga compound. He was stalling as he was mauling over what to say to you. He wanted to make things right for earlier as well. He had upped and dashed. He caused a spill you had to clean up. He felt guilty and rude for doing so.

He passed by some wildflowers on his way and picked a few white and yellow daises. He twirled them in his hand, wondering if that was sufficient as his mind ran. When he got to the Hyuga compound, he headed towards his personal corridors and went to his kitchen, looking for something meaningful. He grabbed a tray and started preparing an array of snacks on said tray. He then took an extra step to start squeezing some lemons to make lemonade for you since he knew you did not care for tea. Lemonade was your favorite drink. He grabbed two cups to place on the tray next to the pitcher and the flowers he picked for you neatly placed along the snacks.

When he was ready, he took the tray and headed to your quarters. He knew exactly where you resided. He braced himself as he stood in front of your door. He knocked, trying to steel himself.

When you opened the door, you took his breath away. You weren’t dressed up, but your natural beauty and lovely lavender eyes made him lose himself slightly. You had appeared in your normal attire that you were wearing before he left, your curse seal left uncovered. Your hair was down and cascaded round you.

“Neji?” You questioned, surprised to see him at your door holding a tray out to you. “What is this?”

“An apology for earlier.”

“Oh, you didn’t have to.”

“I do, because I had created the mess earlier when my teammates were here,”

Your eyes grew wide and your mouth formed an o-shape.

“But that’s not all,” Neji continued. “I wanted to do this for you because I like you.”

“I…” You were stunned and felt your heart flutter at the confession. “I like you too, Neji.”

“Would you like to have refreshments with me?” Neji asked more confidently, but there were still butterflies flying around in his stomach.

You smiled in awe at his gesture and were overwhelmed with joy. “Yes.”

With that you followed Neji out into the courtyard, where you two sat and got to know one another better and enjoyed the fresh lemonade he made especially for you. You were finally happy to have gotten answers, that the one you always admired had you written in his heart. Both you and Neji being grateful to his teammates for letting the secret out.

#neji #neji hyuga #neji scenario #neji imagine #Neji Hyuuga #Neji Hyūga #neji x y/n #neji x reader #welp secrets out #rock lee #tenten #branch member #gai

94 notes · View notes

mugi-chan · 3 years

Note

I was just watching some animation and opening and I was like, what the twisted Bois will do if they catch MC singing some song of our world? Not only Disney like, even Grim, that come back at Ramshackle singing "Believer of the imagine dragon" and run(or fly) to find help cause thinking that you are going to overbolting? Or Rook that hear you singing "le festin" and start to walk whit you trying to guess the song 😂 and choose you who will be the most funniest 😂 P.s.: love your writing :,3

ლ Tea Order: Vice Dorm heads: Woah what kind of song is that?

ლ Warnings: None!

ლ Shop owner notes: Trying to think what songs would fit the vice dorm heads where kind of hard 工ｴｴｪｪ(;╹⌓╹)ｪｪｴｴ工 Also I had like the biggest writers block for the past week and suddenly I got inspo to write during school like... bruh

You were helping Trey out for the next upcoming unbirthday party

Trey tasked you with doing the mixing of cake batter

As this was most of the time a really long and boring task you were quietly singing to one of your favorite song

Trey was focused on decorating that he didn’t notice your singing at first

But once he finished decorating one tier of the cake he overheard your singing

He didn’t say anything at first letting you finish your song

“That’s a really nice song, what is it?”

“Oh it’s (f/s)”

Trey was thinking if he heard that song before but drew blank

“I never heard of the song”

“Well I don’t expect you to it’s a song that I don’t think this world even has”

This peaked his interest

He knew your world has different taste then any of their countries

So he took this as a perfect time to get to know your world better

“So how those the song go?”

You were happy that Trey wanted to know more about your world

“Well it kind of goes like this”

You started to sing the song but soon got really embarrassed and stopped mid way to cover your face.

Trey wrapped his arm around your waist resting his forehead on yours

“Aw come on it’s really good, can I hear more?”

Still embarrassed you reluctantly agree

Giving out a helping hand is always needed for Ruggie

Trying to deal with Leona and the rest of the dorm is stressful

So you decided to help Ruggie out with some chores

You two were on top of Savanclaw dorm doing laundry

As you were putting up the laundry you were singing one of your favorite songs

Ruggie being the cheeky little hyena he pretends he can’t hear you

You continue singing until you realize Ruggie was just sitting there smiling

“Aw don’t stop (y/n) that song is really good!”

“Y-you heard?!”

You started to grow shy and turn away

Ruggie just laughed as he got up

“What song is it? I never heard of it”

“It’s (f/s)”

“Ahh must be music from your world”

You two discussed the music that your world might think is good

“Shishishi, one day if you do get back home you should bring back a CD full of your worlds music”

You agree, hoping one day that you can go home but find a way to come back to see your lovable goofball hyena

The next day you could hear Ruggie sing the exact same song you were singing

“Ruggie how can you remember the lyrics already?”

“Shishishi, well I’m just that good”

You nudged his side laughing with him.

(Sorry Ruggie was short I ran out of Ideas)

When Grim first busted into the mostro lounge, jade was going to scold him from busting into the mostro lounge until he saw how distress he was

“Oya oya Grim what seems to be the problem?”

“(y/n)! I don’t know what’s going on but they’ve been muttering to themself for a while in a strange language!”

Now this confused the octa trio

What? A strange language and muttering to themselves?

Azul put Jade in charge of this since clearly Grim is in distress and (y/n) is his s/o

Plus this could make for a good deal, who knows what Azul can get out of this

Jade clearly disapproved of that reasoning but that will have to wait

His main focus is on you

When he got to Ramshackle dorm everything looked normal nothing out of place

Opening the door everything still feels normal, nothing still feels out of place

But who knows what could happen

Entering the kitchen he saw you preparing a snack muttering to yourself

He sees why Grim was worried

He didn’t understand the language you were singing to

A playful smirk appeared on his face as he leaned down behind you

“What a nice song your singing there my little guppy”

You shrieked as you turned meeting face to face with Jade

“Oya oya, Is my little guppy scared?”

“No you just scared me!”

“Apologies”

Jade explained himself on why he was here

A small oh came from your mouth

You gave a small glare to Grim as you explain what you were doing

“Ah I see, may I hear more of it. I may not understand it but your voice is cute”

You rolled your eyes as you went back to what you were doing

You were brushing Jamil’s hair as Jamil had a pretty stressful day

Brushing his hair made him calm

And you singing, oh he feels like he may be in heaven

But this song you were singing, it was strange

You sang in a language he has never heard of

All of these weird intonations

And words he can understand but not know the context for it

How very strange these songs were for him

He let you continue singing as he was trying to decipher what you were singing

Alas he drew blank

Once you finished singing the song Jamil asked you about the song

“Oh, the song? It’s like a pop song from my country”

“Ah I see” Jamil leaned back letting his back meet your chest

“Do you want to hear more?”

“I would like to know the meaning of the song”

A smile crept on your face as you explain the meaning behind the song as you started to braid his hair.

If you think Jamil had a nice soothing voice, your right

But Jamil also thinks your voice is very soothing as well

It helps him relax

A very familiar language echo across the Pomefiore halls

Could it be? Someone in here speaks French as well?

Rook went to the hallways trying to find the source of the voice

Drawing near the end of the hallway he was met by his beautiful and wonderful (y/n)

Oh just seeing you there felt like an angel just fell upon earth and took interest in Rook

He hid from you knowing how much you dislike having an audience

The song was so beautiful, majestic for his ears

Deciphering the words he could understand parts of it

Derniere Danse? What was his sweet (y/n) trying to say?

Your last dance? Oh my, is something wrong?

So much questions forming around his head as he decipher the words

None of these were making sense

Once you finished singing Rook clapped scaring you

“That was beautiful my love, truly magnificent!”

A small blush crept on your face as you tried to look away from his gaze

Rook plopped himself right next you snuggling close to you

“What songs was that?”

“Oh just a song that I knew for a while”

“I thought you told me you never spoke French?”

“Well I may not know French but I can sing it”

“I still think it’s beautiful, may I hear more?”

You nodded allowing Rook to be comfortable as you try your best to sing french songs

Heck you tried to sing the theme song from Ratatouille

But did Rook care? Nope! He’s just happy that his love is speaking… well singing in french

The forest is a great way to get away from all the noise that NRC produce

Rowdy first years, light music club noise, and Sebek

Lilia was at light music club so you had time to yourself

And walk in the woods are nice to have

Hearing the nice calm forest gave you a place to talk to yourself about all your woes and talk about your own world without anyone asking a million questions about the world

I mean you don’t mind answering questions but sometimes it can be tiresome and annoying at times

But there will always be this one thing that will always resonate in you

(f/s), a song you know the lyrics for and the only you can still remember as it have been ages since you last saw your world

Singing said song always bring peace to your just like the forest

What you didn’t know was the Light music club ended early so Lilia was looking for you

Once he did he spotted you in a clearing in the woods singing to yourself

My my my what a strange song you are singing, clearly Lilia drew blank as the song was so strange yet seems so familiar to him

He waited for you to stop singing to appear next to you

Of course scaring living soul out of you

“My my, what a beautiful song you have, mind if I ask what it is?”

“Lilia you’re here early!”

“My club finished earlier than expected”

“Anyway what was that song you were singing?”

“You heard?!”

“Of course”

Oh no did Lilia do something wrong?

You were trying to hide you face in embarrassment as you didn’t want Lilia to hear it

“What’s the matter (y/n)?”

“I didn’t want you to hear me sing”

“Oh my love don’t say that I love you singing it’s beautiful”

Lilia gently grabbed your cheek resting his forehead on yours

“I don’t mind if you sing it a hundred times, it’s beautiful”

Would you like to order something? Look at our Tea shop rules first!

202 notes · View notes

jjk-biased · 4 years

Text

jungkook x reader

requested by @atulipandarose (oooh soulmate/jungkook/one shot!! it's been big missing jk hours over here)

genre: fluff, soulmate au

words: 2.5k of dumb jungkook pining

warnings: none >< cussing here and there, also my first time writing just fluff so please be kind. unedited!!!

synopsis: jungkook never loved the idea of soulmates because he liked you and he wanted only you.

masterlist | events masterlist

There it was, the panging he felt in his heart even if he wasn’t the person in pain. As his chest throbbed, it was emotional pain he supposed, the song began to play in his head. He gritted his teeth, upset to have been reminded once again of the world he lived in.

The world had to be so stupid to believe in such nonsense. It was idiotic. They had to be so naive to rely on this whole scam - to the point where they even revolve their lives around it.

It isn’t true. It’s far-fetched. This whole soulmate system wasn’t reliable.

He lived in a world where the universe decided who each person’s other was. Soulmates existed. It was everywhere. And he didn’t like it one bit.

Whoever made the world like this had to be an utter idiot. Why would anyone allow something like this to take over people’s lives? This bullshit soulmate system gave people a false sense of hope that someone out of the millions and millions of people would be the only right person for you. That somehow, out of 7.5 billion people, someone would be the perfect yin to your yang.

It shouldn’t exist. Soulmates shouldn’t exist.

Come to think of it, how can the universe even be so sure that the person they have “destined” for him is the right one? And, honestly, who even gave the universe the right to choose for him?

Fuck the universe, Jeon Jungkook wanted to pick for himself.

He thought this whole sham was an inconvenience. Unlike almost every love-crazed and soulmate-addict person, he thought otherwise. Jungkook felt suffocated at the thought of being tied down to someone who he probably didn’t even like. He didn’t need whoever they had for him. He didn’t have to meet this so-called pre-destined love of his life to live happily.

Actually, he did. Or else he would forever be haunted by it. He’d go crazy.

People had different “soulmate indicators” -- basically something in their body that gave them a hint on whoever they were destined for. Namjoon, his writer friend, had a tattoo of his soulmate’s name on his collarbone. Jimin, the short friend, had a ring on his finger with the initials of his soulmate and would even change colors depending on the mood of his other. One part of Taehyung's hair is the same color as his soulmate’s, regardless if he tried to dye it along with his locks.

To say the least, theirs were easy to find, to discover - much more convenient than what the universe had in store for dear Jeon Jungkook. His had to be the most vague indicator of this whole scam.

A song.

The universe gave Jungkook one specific song that only he and his soulmate knew. Not a name, not a ring, not even a hair color. Just one fucking song.

Jeon Jungkook didn’t want to believe in this obviously fraudulent scheme that the universe set up. Despite his woes and resentment towards the system, Jungkook couldn’t exactly ignore it. The song, somehow sung by both him and the soulmate, always played in his head whenever he or the other would feel down. Somehow, it only played when any of them were sad. Not when they’re happy. Not when they’re angry. Not when they’re bored. Only when one or the other wasn’t feeling well.

But hey, at least he knew when it would start.

There would always be a pang in his chest before it began. It was akin to when the dog dies in the movie, or when someone relayed bad news, or when the character in a book had to leave. The weird feeling would be eased immediately as soon as the song played in their head. It would lull him to sleep, he guessed it held the same effect for whoever was on the other side, and would make him feel at home.

But he did not like this soulmate bullshit.

Not one bit.

Even if the song brought him great comfort. Even if it was the only thing he looked forward to when he had a bad day. Even if his soulmate’s honey-like voice blended well with his.

Wait shit, he should be hating this nonsense. Why did he just think that his soulmate sang nicely?

Fuck it. Forget what he thought. It didn’t matter anyway.

He had other things to think about anyway, especially how to gain the courage to ask his friend out.

Jungkook is currently and sadly a college student, who, aside from drowning in student debt, studies fine arts. He hopes to become a renowned artist someday, and in pursuing so, had to disobey his typical Asian parents’ wish for him to be called Dr. or Atty. someday.

Soulmate hatred aside, art had always been his passion. Despite growing into a family full of doctors, lawyers, and judges, he knew his heart belonged in fine arts. When his brother would play with the toy syringes and stethoscopes, he would be seen getting himself dirty with the washable markers. That love for coloring grew into something more, and so Jungkook decided he would become an artist in the future.

It was always so freeing for him to dabble in the blues and greens and create whatever he visualized in his mind. The pencil in his hand could easily convey the emotions he had trouble vocalizing. All of his troubles would go away faster than you can say worldwide handsome Jin-hyung with the aid of his drawing tablet. Everything about art just intrigued him. Art was easy. Art was comforting.

Art is where he felt free.

It wasn’t suffocating. Unlike his family that wanted him to be someone he couldn’t become and this soulmate shit that wanted to cuff him down to one specific person he doubts would even go well with him.

He wanted the soulmate system gone. For reasons that seemed justified to him and only him.

He could live without the incessant nagging of his very traditional family who wanted to sped things up. Jungkook would finally stop seeing some of his soulmate-less acquaintances miserable. He could finally go on with his sad day without the song that would automatically play in his head.

Wait… that last thought made him feel sad. Perhaps he would miss the song after all.

Anyway, and above all, he could finally court his cute friend without having to worry of the soulmate shabang.

Jungkook didn’t want whoever the universe paired him with. He wanted his cute seatmate and friend, Y/N Y/L/N.

Y/N Y/L/N. Your name was perfect.

The way your name rolled off his tongue felt just right. The way your nose would scrunch as you focused on sketching the naked dude who had to pose in front of everyone. The way you would tilt your head when the professor never made sense with his discussions.

Everything about you was just so… perfect.

You were kind-hearted, considerate, and intelligent. Your humor was unmatched and you were very enthusiastic when you conversed with Jungkook. From a small crush, his liking towards you grew into something he couldn’t exactly ignore. He liked you more than he liked to listen to the duet in his head.

Okay… scratch that. Maybe he did like his significant other’s singing voice. It eased his worries after a troublesome day. Admittedly, he had found comfort in it.

If only the universe allowed him to converse with whoever was on the other side, then maybe he didn’t have to loathe this system so much. He could’ve gotten a friend out of it, not a soulmate… but a friend.

Somehow, his thoughts wandered back to you. God, imagine if you were his soulmate. Jungkook would be more than happy if that happened. But he didn’t need the universe to act on his feelings for you. Jungkook will do something… He knew he had to do something about it. He just didn’t know when.

All of his thinking made Jungkook revert to airplane mode, so it was only then that he noticed you concernedly waving your hand in front of his face for a sign of consciousness. He found your scrunched up face painstakingly cute but holy shit… why are you so close? Please don’t be so close. Jungkook would malfunction if you decreased the space between you two even more.

“Are you okay, kook?” You luckily stepped back once he locked eyes with you.

Ah… that sweet voice of yours that could rival the comforting honey-like singing in his head.

“Y-yeah! Sorry, was spacing out,” Jungkook’s words were jumbled as he noticed he was staring at you like a gaping goldfish instead of answering like a normal person.

Your giggles rang throughout the room at his predicament. He crookedly grinned then laughed along. This must be heaven. Your happiness was always contagious and he’d often mirror the smile on your face whenever you were happy.

You made him feel giddy as much as he did on the days he finished his artworks. You made him complete.

But that damn soulmate thing had to ruin it.

How he wished you were his soulmate.

“I thought something happened to you, kook! Mr. Kang dismissed us some time ago but you were still frozen in your seat when everyone left. I was so… worried,” You chuckled, though quite red and hesitant at the end.

Well did that instigate the butterflies in Jungkook’s tummy.

“Concerned for me?” Jungkook teased, it was his go-to response because he couldn’t exactly flirt in straight sentences.

Your eyebrows furrowed but the pink hue became much more evident. Jungkook didn’t even mind the kick you gave him because he made you feel a bit flustered. Success :D

“Taehyungie’s been busy, hasn’t he?” You said, trying to change the subject so everyone could forget the embarrassment.

Taehyung, the theater kid and drama major, was friends with the both of you. He had been busy for the past month because their project was to create a series of plays to showcase to the school. Their show will be on Tuesday, days away from now.

Right! He could invite you to the play.

“He is… Hey,” You tilted your head and hummed when Jungkook’s voice sounded a bit unsure.

“Do you wanna go with me to the play?”

The red on your face and the shy nod you did made him swell in accomplishment. He can’t wait for Tuesday to come.

Fuck. He should’ve waited for Tuesday to come. Now it is Tuesday and he was too nervous to even stand in a five-meter radius near you. Slapping himself to forget the momentary faltering of his confidence, he shakily waited at the foot of your doorstep with an album in his hand.

You two bonded on music and he knew you well enough to know you’d rather have the CD of your favorite artist than some flower that would wilt after awhile. He was right. The beam on your face when he handed over the gift made him so happy that all his nerves were washed away. You always had a way to ease him, even if you weren’t aware.

“M’lady,” He jokingly tried to replicate a british accent as he offered his arm, waiting for you. And as you always would, you took his arm along with an accent-laced, “M’lord,”

Jungkook forgot his worries for a moment and it was always because of you.

You two sat near the stage to support Taehyung with his play. You two remembered him sharing that their play was about a soulmate-driven world with much more darker consequences. It was about the fictional hanahaki disease, he said.

And boy did it feel so sad. Taehyung acted so well, as if he was really losing his character’s best friend onstage. Jungkook peered at you for a moment and saw your eyes glisten as Taehyung’s cries grew louder and louder.

The story was really heartbreaking.

To the point where Jungkook felt the familiar pang on his chest and the song began to play in his head.

How peculiar. His soulmate was sad just as Taehyung’s scene played out. Perhaps they were in the same auditorium as well. But that was impossible. His soulmate was probably watching some soap opera.

Not that he minded. Jungkook had other things to think about, especially how to comfort you as your tears flowed down from the actors’ amazing performance. As slick as he could, he draped an arm around you and let you rest your head on his shoulder. His heart was beating faster than he could comprehend. Even more so, when you scooted closer to him.

Fuck. You were cuddling. Oh my god. Jungkook is gonna die out of happiness.

He had to play it cool though. Jungkook ignored the warmth in his chest and face as he rubbed your arm in consolation. He was surprised you reacted well. Nothing prepared him for what happened next.

You were humming.

You were humming his song.

hOLY SHIT. HOLY SHIT YOU WERE HUMMING HIS SONG.

You… were his soulmate.

Okay universe… Unfuck you, Jungkook guessed. Apparently the universe was on his side after all… All he had to do was somehow tell you…

Jungkook, his face now an uncontrollable red, nervously turned towards you and successfully got your undivided attention. God, he could die then and there. Gathering courage from glob knows where, he smiled and sang the first line of the song.

Universe might have been laughing at him for suddenly changing his views. Jungkook would’ve laughed at himself if he found out the double-back on his opinion. But this was you.

You and your cute nose scrunch, you and your adorable head tilt, you and your witty comebacks.

This was you.

Everything about you was perfect, and he couldn’t believe that the universe liked him enough to grace him with you as his soulmate.

何故こんなにも涙が溢れるの

[Naze, konna ni mo namida ga afureru no]

Your eyes widened as he sang the song that felt like home to the both of you.

ねぇ側にいてそして笑ってよ

[Nee, soba ni ite soshite waratte yo]

You joined in on the singing and everything just made sense. None of the leaving people in the auditorium mattered at the moment.

君のいない未来は色のない世界

[Kimi no inai mirai wa iro no nai sekai]

Jungkook was so happy. It seemed like the world was brighter than before.

モノクロで冷たい

[Monokuro de tsumetai]

He shouldn’t have doubted the universe’s plan. Everything was better with you.

見つめてる暗闇さえも so beautiful

[Mitsumeteru kurayami sae mo so beautiful]

You smiled shyly as your soft honey-like voice harmonized with him.

僕を信じてほしい

[Boku wo shinjite hoshii]

Jungkook’s smile grew wider, encasing your delicate hand in his.

まっすぐに君だけを見て

[Massugu ni kimi dake wo mite]

For once in his life, he was happy and it was better because he was happy with you.

どこにも行かないように

[Doko ni mo ikanai you ni]

You two shared a kiss that afternoon, on a Tuesday, at the university’s auditorium.

permanent taglist: @luvinseokjinnie @97faerie @amoreguk @bbyjoonies @borednia @tanumiki @taescake

[Extra]

Jungkook: Hey Taehyung! Congrats, that play was amazing

Taehyung: ...yeah… but why did you two make out when I died onstage?

You: ahahaha bye.

#bts x reader #bts #jungkook x female reader #jungkook x reader #jeon jungkook #soulmate au #jungkook fluff #jungkook x you #jungkook imagine #your eyes they tell

210 notes · View notes

zamgoods · 3 years

Video

youtube

Next Generation Roman Empire, NATIONAL TREASURE 3 are Stolen Indigenous Treasures ! Predictions, Easter Eggs +

Sunday September 5th 9.5 5.9 2021 September 5 is the 248th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar; 117 days remain Waning Moon Crescent 3% Illumination Next Dark moon 9.7

Really #NT3! Anticipation is an understatement. The Artifex, Master minds behind these movies are brilliant entertainers for this genre. I love the inspiring and moving music, heart-pounding hunt, and down home banter. But that’s just the spice on the entre sprinkled on the substance. This years #Sibilla Oracle archives boiled down important connections and gems leading to our current state/ circumstances as a Nation as well as our global relationships and history.

https://collider.com/national-treasure-disney-plus-tv-series/

I predict that, like so many other remakes and additional installment of other movies, we will see Asian connections, multicultural caste, rainbow connections, men in heels, and masks of all kinds. I also predict the next generation of GATES in this new movie and maybe even Reilly will father in a POOL boy/girl or even twins. Science will bring the STEM project into it as well. Social Justice and standing for a cause and cure for woes, sickness,

I love this movie theme because Conspiracy theory is the meme of National Treasure. Reilly brings it with his book in NT2 and why sleep on him since he is also a technical maverick. He knows stuff and sees patterns while Ben has knowledge and facts rolling off of his tongue. Together they can unglue any sticky riddle or heist. Abagail is the beauty and skilled curator needed to unearth the archeological digs. And the Patrick Gates, the father who lives in the White House, is the senior advisor and the Anchises to Aeneas.

The Gates Ancestry roots the decadency to the STAGE which is an anagram of GATES. In NT2, when John W. Booth enters the theater to assassinate 16th President, Abraham Lincoln there is a sign STAGE DOOR. That seems benign but I think is a code for the Gates family. A Gate is a doorway or portal.

Pool is a LOop scrambled. Gates is Stage. there fore...

Loop,

Gates,

Stage,

Pool.

Lincoln and Nicol.

The Civil Heroes facilitator’s name was Nicols and we also have Nicolas Cage. Think of Nicola Tesla’s Faraday Cage.

Maybe connected to Bill Gates as well who went on the Ted Talk stages to open up Corona Virus Pandemic and Event 201 simulation of it.

Somethings that have been sitting in the back of my mind...

In NT2, trying to find the Keyword for the Playfair cipher, before figuring DEATH they tried the word BARON. This nods to Baron Trump and the 100 yo book by that name as well as Frank Herbert’s Dune character Baron colonizer of The spice planet.

Charlotte holds the secret in NT1 and is a boat found in the Artic where a Meerschaum pipe of a Boat has a scroll cylinder riddle and key to open treasury room under Trinity Church. But Charlotte in NT2 is the name of George Washington’s slave who held the map by GW himself to Mount Vernon estate.

Civil War and Easter/Good Friday connection with DMX death and new National holiday Juneteenth.

The Knights Templar Treasure in line with Da Vinci Code movie. Ben kneeling as a child to be a Knight and thus a Freemason. Just like Tom Hanks does over the treasure, Holy Grail, at the end of that movie. He kneels on the Pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris, France Rose line. Makes me wonder if the kneel that Colin Kaepernick, Quarterback of NFL, did is actually kneeling to this same idea of a treasure. A bloodline being protected

Which brings me to Aaliyah and Britney Spears #FreeBritney, Meghan Markle which has been pervasive all year long. Are they part of a bloodline, Holy Grail, Royal Blood to be protected. Malta seems to be a puzzle piece here that must be integrated somehow. Remember Britney was supposed to be hooked up with Prince Harry before Megan tied his royal knot. Meghan Markle also carries Maltese blood. Maltese cross is similar to the Templar cross. Remember in March/Easter Season Meghan’s interview with Oprah all about feeling imprisoned and setting herself free from royalty’s snare.

This is in line with the National Treasure’s theme of Civil War, Statue of Liberty, War against slavery and for Freedom. Sic semper tyrannis is a Latin phrase meaning "thus always to tyrants" exclaimed by Booth on STAGE, which suggests the fall of tyrants, T REX. We are witnessing the fall of the Empires and the raising of new crowns surrounding the globe. or flat earth.

I hope Ben’s dad is still alive for this new movie. You know, Angelina Jolie’s dad, Jon Voight. I liked him in the Lara Croft Tomb Raider Movie, where he was a member of the Illuminati.

We will see that the 47th page (74 in reverse) of the secret presidential book may be revealed in the 3rd chapter. The Eagle and the Scroll, page 47, is a global Empire, like the Holy Roman Empire proclaimed it was. The New Holy Roman Empire will crown it’s Cesar with a healthcare symbol of Aesculapius. He will be a doctor and a god. Apollo’s own child with Coronis (Crown and Crown).

The International Treasure 3 maybe a cure and a cause.

Remember when Ben says to the President that page 47 of the Eagle with the scroll.

President: any report regarding what’s on page 47?

BenGates: I believe I can help with that sir...

Pres: so, it’s Good?

BenGates: Life altering sir...

Could it be so Life Altering that it creates a NEW NORMAL? Social Distancing?

And why does he say to REPORT to him. Sounds kind of like a job he has to do or decipher. A riddle, A Cipher. When did Ben have a chance to figure it out?

These National Treasures are stolen treasures from Other Peoples cultures. The Cibola should go to the Indigenous people. Right.

The Templar Treasure starts out in Africa in the first movie’s recounting by the grandfather in the beginning. But Ben spoke of dividing it up to museums in Europe. They even show Egyptian Golden statues and scrolls from Alexandria, in Africa.

Charles Segars is a mystery to me. He is into movies and National Security. Like our former Treasurer, Mnuchin, seems very much in the know of future happenings.

There is an unnamed writer for this movie that I can’t remember his name. I’ll try to look him up. But his other works are spot on to future events as well.

I love the movies and can’t wait to see the next one, but that doesn’t mean that what is represents sits well with me.

Should these movies actually be called STOLEN TREASURES? And they honor people who are despicable villains of history. You maybe rooting for the “good guys” but are they really just on the same coin of tyrants? After all they are in cahoots with the bad guys in both movies.

#FreeBritney #FreeMeghan #NationalTreasure #NationalTreasure3

1 note · View note

longingkisses · 4 years

Text

not so silent dinner night - willvinc

Warnings: None

Characters: William Shakespeare (Ikèvamp) , Vincent Van Gogh (Ikèvamp)

Pairings: WillVinc (pre-relationship, pining)

Tagged: @arsnovacadenza (Let me know if you want to be added in tags in the future!)

Notes: this is so old, i've had this sitting out for forever until i remembered... i should actually drop it lmao. takes place during the drunk off your love event a while back, sharing some dialogue with the story.

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26801260

Clink, clink.

The sounds of silverware and glass sound throughout a table of two, as they spent the night taking in both fine cuisine and wine. It was a rare occasion for Shakespeare to have company like this normally, but with Vincent, such things became natural between the two. After all, was Vincent not his only friend? In this fact Shakespeare was content to wind away with him.

So naturally, any caution with their wines and various other beverages were thrown out the window. On this night in particular Vincent had requested to finally try reaching a state of drunkenness. Almost instantly did Shakespeare jump at the offer, curious at the results.

It was truly fitting for him to throw away any sort of common sense for an angel. There was always something about intoxication that made one more bold and open, this time in the expense of the playwright.

"Vincent, may I ask your advice on something?" At the call of his name, Vincent looks up at Shakespeare with a smile.

"Sure! What is it?" Innocently, Vincent looks upon him with curiosity, as well as affection. Almost immediately does the writer look away.

Looking down to the glass held in his hands, Shakespeare continues. "Sometimes in the still of the night I find myself gazing up at my noble, chaste mistress of the moon, and wondering.."

He stops for a moment, sighing slightly. "Why is it that I bear this gaping hole in my heart..?"

"Hmm.." The painter hums, taking genuine thought into his answer. "Maybe it's because you're all alone." Vincent's striking blue eyes stares into Shakespeare's figure, watching for the other's reactions. In his innocent heart, he hoped that his words could help bring a realization to his friend.

But with a slightly agape mouth, Shakespeare soaks in Vincent's words, only to look at the other with a confused expression.

"What?"

"Hmm? I just thought you might be feeling lonely, since you're all alone." Concern fills up in Vincent's eyes, distressed at the other's confusion. Even if he was intoxicated, his eyes were always bright, looking into Shakespeare's soul.

Under the other's gaze, the playwright felt bare.

"Um, Vincent.." It was even enough to make Shakespeare feel uncertain in his words. Which was quite a feat, considering his own mannerisms. But if it was Vincent, perhaps it was to be expected.

"Oh, but I forgot- you chose to leave the mansion on your own accord right? In that case, I guess maybe you like feeling lonely." Vincent speaks with such innocence in his tone that it makes Shakespeare's heart ache.

It is there that Shakespeare lets out a breath he wasn't aware that he was holding. His friend was truly too perceptive, despite his air of innocence. Perhaps it was the quality of a true artist, being able to perceive the world around them.

"It's all for the sake of your works, isn't it?" Vincent's gaze was always so kind. Even when Shakespeare was scorned to the other members of the mansion, there was always an angel reaching out for him. "You know, you're pretty cool, Will."

If it was possible for an intoxicated man to blush even more, then so be it. The playwright can only thank the alcohol for providing a sort of cover, albeit flimsy to the trained eye.

"..I must thank you for your kind words. It is true, being alone provides such clarity to me when I write. But.." Uncertainty paints itself onto Shakespeare's expression.

It is not a look that Shakespeare would not acquaint himself with. But would it even matter when Vincent was with him? His purity would look straight through, perhaps even catching a glimpse of the whole image that was the playwright.

"Ah.. thank you, Will. You're really nice. I said it before, but you're really cool.."

What pains Shakespeare the most is that those words can easily be proved false if said by anyone else. But the feelings of such praise is rather undeniable, that he makes no moves to deny Vincent's words for now.

The murmurs of the restaurant also silences itself slowly, signifying the time for its patrons to leave. Tentatively a hand reaches out for Shakespeare.

"Should we go?"

It was natural for Vincent to smile at all times, but in this moment it was so romantic that it hurt. But the pain doesn't show on Shakespeare's face, of course.

Leading each other out back onto the streets, the stars gleamed on them softly as they stood in the dark. But what was brighter than any other light was Vincent, and Shakespeare can only blame the other's stereotypical angelic appearance.

"Quite late, isn't it? Oh, I hope Theo isn't too worried.." Their hands are still linked even as Vincent speaks, and neither make any move to separate.

"May I remind you that you are the older brother? I would hope by now that Theo would be aware of your own independence." Shakespeare spoke with finality, aware of his own harsh word. If anyone was curious, he would simply blame it on the effects of alcohol.

While he had no real ill will towards the younger Van Gogh, having someone who was actively against him meeting with Vincent was something of an annoyance. But this particular woe was rather miniscule in comparison to the rest of Shakespeare's troubles.

"..Hm. I still wouldn't want to trouble him.. Especially late in the night. I hope he's sleeping right now. If I came back, I think I would cause a disturbance." Vincent maintains his hold onto the other, only gripping ever more tightly as he goes on.

Such an action definitely piqued Shakespeare's interests. He had always taken the painter to be somewhat passive, but as always, the supposed angel of the manor always had a few surprises. To his painting and personality, the playwright was always enraptured.

"If I returned in the morning.. Then I can stay with you tonight, right Will?" Vincent asks with a new sort of smile, genuine yet teasing. If one stared at it for too long, it would certainly blind them, even in the dark.

"Of course. I enjoy all manner of visits from you."

Their carriage eventually makes its way to Shakespeare's familiar villa, the two both very familiar with the home. Even in the dark, Vincent manages to navigate his way inside, perhaps not even needing any help with Shakespeare's hand guiding him.

They both breathe a sigh of relief when the villa rooms light up, Vincent immediately resting on the living room's couch.

Vincent almost immediately goes to rest his head on the cushions, with his eyes closed and his body relaxed. Shakespeare admires the scene from one side before arriving at the other with extra blankets and pillows in hand.

"Are you sure? I would not mind if you slept in any of the villa's beds tonight. Comte was rather generous when he allowed me to live here, you know." It's a question Shakespeare already knows the answer to, but he asks out of courtesy nonetheless.

"Ah, I'll be fine. I really wouldn't want to impose on you too much. But thank you anyway, Will. Goodnight." Even when he was exhausted and supposedly drunk, Vincent remained both polite and immaculate. It was his true self, no mask hiding any nefarious intent.

That sort of beauty would be something dazzling to Shakespeare, even if it terrified him to his core.

And that is why, in the dead of the night, the English playwright admires the angel sleeping on his couch.

His lips ghosting over the cheek of this angel on Earth.

A fleeting moment, but it serves as a supplement for Shakespeare's own romantic desires. Just enough, to stave off complete starvation.

Basking in the feeling of his soft affection, Shakespeare slips away.

In his own hastiness, he would miss the small smile that would form on Vincent's face.

#Ikemen Vampire #ikevamp #ikevamp fic #ikevamp vincent #ikevamp shakespeare #willvinc #bl? eh they r just not Straight #talk me abt them... if u want

17 notes · View notes

imamotherfuckingstar-lord · 5 years

Text

The Things We Tell Ourselves

Dean Winchester x Reader

A/N: for the amazing @coffee-obsessed-writer . This story means so mch to me, I put very personal emotions into.

Warning: relationship issues, a bit of smut in the end (not too graphic).18&over.

Summary: Stuck in a stale relationship, a visit from Dean Winchester changes everything.

The dive bar was your typical joint, neon decorate lights, a wet look to it, and old country music that would depress the happiest of people – it was your kind of place, a dark secluded secret lair you often went to when things at home got too bad. Now, your ex or at least soon to be ex, was not an overly bad person. He had been great in the beginning, but things had fizzled a few years too late and now you were stuck in a gaping hole that was proving to be hard to climb out. You were a creature of habit and admittedly, afraid to investigate a future that did not involve the ex. It seemed you were just plain ole stuck and that was a reality you were not up to facing – at least, not tonight.

Work had proven to be a painstakingly long day and when you arrive home to the apartment you shared with, he who shall not be named, you were relieved to not see his car in the carport. He must have stayed longer or maybe he was having an affair – you preferred the latter, that way you did not have to feel for not wanting to see him. Maybe he was really having an affair, an idea that swelled the urge to leave the relationship. It would make it easier to leave him, but he was never an adventurous person and an affair would require effort, something he was not known to put forth.

Edging on the bar stool, you asked for another whiskey on the rocks. You waited patiently for the drink because you had nowhere else to go or wanted to. Although your ears perked up when someone had finally done everyone a favor and changed the sad country song to a sad Fleetwood Mac ballad. It was smoother on the ears and when the drink arrived, you grabbed it and held it up in the air – saluting the music changer. It was the little things in life, right? That was what you told yourself, every time things seemed to become stale and gray. You would buy a new dress or style your hair differently, anything to arouse something out of the man you thought you loved. Nothing ever worked and you secretly were grateful, more satisfied with the effort.

Drinking the whiskey, you started to think of excuses to not go home; maybe someone would kidnap you, a handsome stranger who was kind but a little rough around the edges. Someone who knew how to treat a woman, knew how to not make her bitter. It wasn’t like you were asking for the world, just a little devotion and a whole lot of appreciation – was that so bad to ask?

Were you the one looking for too much?

When did this all become so cliché?

You could not pinpoint when it all started, but you remembered the day you realized something was wrong. He was gone for a weekend, went to visit some old friends and you had never felt freedom like that before. Slept in, lounged around reading, and when you finally ventured out for some late lunch, you met a man. You were dining alone, and he was seated at the next table, he was handsome and when he noticed the book you had brought to read, he initiated a conversation. It turned out he was an English teacher and very much single, he joined you at the table and the two of you talked about books for two straight hours. It was thrilling, the attention he was giving you and when he asked for your number, you regretfully declined, and that was when you realized how starved you were. Starved for human reaction other than paying bills and asking about recorded television shows. You craved real affection and connection, and that day, you noted that it was the first time in a long time that you felt any connection with a man – and he was not the one you were going home to.

After that, you pulled away from your relationship with your long-term boyfriend and it hurt when he did not seem to notice or care. You should have left long ago, but now it seemed damn near impossible. Too many things locking you in – an apartment lease, a car lease under both your names and other things that came with coupling. But were those just excuses?

Of course, they were.

“Another whiskey, please.”

“Sure thing.”

That was number three now, but nothing could fill the void in your stomach, and that was when he popped into your head. Not the will he ever be ex, no not him. The he you suddenly were thinking about was Dean Winchester – a man you had known for years now, a friend that helped your father when some things came bumping in the night.

Now this is where the story might get odd, hell, the Winchester’s were an urban legend in many people’s books, but to you, they were just Sam and Dean. Their problems seemed far more superior than your bad relationship woes – real life monsters, ghosts, vampires, werewolves, demons, and everything else in between. The thing was, you came from a line of supernatural hunters, but dipped out of that life pretty early on, opting for a more normalized existence. Sometimes you regretted it, when those phone calls would come in from Dean- every few months, updating you on the hunter life and declaring you were missing out. You never knew what number he would call from, so you always made sure to pick up every time your cell rang.

Dean Winchester was a man, a man God himself foretold to be something more than ordinary, but to you, he was just a boy you once knew. Your fathers were decent friends and growing up, Dean and Sam would spend time at your house whenever your dads went off on a hunt together. You were the same age and more times than not, would exclude Sammy from the teenage fun you’d find yourself in. Drinking from your dad’s cabinet, watching adult films and being completely grossed out, even once the two of you kissed. It was fleeting and innocent, but you had never forgotten it and sometimes, when it was quiet at night, you still thought of it.

You were thinking of it now, and it made your skin warm, toes curl and throat clench. So, you asked for water this time and drank it fast, little bits dripped from the corner of your mouth. It was one kiss, but it meant more to you than any other kiss you participated in after. It meant more to you than the peak of your current relationship, when things were actually great, and you were happy. It felt silly, to fixate on childish things but Dean had always held a special place in your heart.

Just thinking about Dean was making you nervous, so when your phone started to buzz and you saw that it was an unknown number calling, you nearly threw up. Taking a deep breath, you placed a hand on the bar for support and answered it with a quiet voice.

“Hello?”

A long pause met you and a second later a laugh of relief filled your ears. His voice was husky and sexy, and when he said your name, you smiled so wide, it hurt the corner of your mouth. “Hey, sweetheart.”

“Dean, it’s good to hear your voice.”

“It is? That’s good? But how good would it be to see my face?”

Confused, you asked what he meant.

“Turn around, sweetheart.”

Whipping around on the stool, you nearly fell when you saw Dean – he was standing near the bar entrance, wearing jeans, a gray flannel and a green jacket over it. His hair was cut in a different style then you had seen last, hair swept up a bit. It made him look a bit more modern, but nonetheless handsome. He grinned and started toward you, but you met him halfway and held him tight as he embraced you.

“What the hell are you doing here,” you asked, hands on his biceps as you pulled away. He shrugged, explaining that Sam and he were passing through, and he could not pass up the chance to see me.

“I went to your apartment and that douchebag you call a boyfriend said he didn’t know where you were. I asked him what kind of boyfriend doesn’t know where his girlfriend was, he wasn’t too keen on my attitude.”

“He’ll live.”

Dean rolled his eyes but hugged you again. “Anyway, called your pops. He told me you had a favorite bar you went to, didn’t know the name. This was the third bar in town I checked, lucky me.”

Your hands stayed on his forearms until he threw his arm around your shoulder and walked you back to the bar, asking if you already had too much to drink. “We plan on staying through tomorrow night, figured we could do some catching up.”

“That sounds great, Dean. I would love nothing more.”

He smiled wide and leaned in to kiss your forehead, telling you whatever you wanted was on the him. Deciding you wanted to be sober for the remainder of the time Dean was in town, you opted for a beer and lemonade, while he ordered a whiskey for himself. The two of you took up a corner booth and he sat across from you, shrugging off his jacket. He was gorgeous, aging well. He talked about hunting through the country, listed a bunch of places he had been and how they now had an angel friend. It was wildly ridiculous, but it sounded like an oddly nice life – a life you might be missing out. Then he talked about getting hurt on the last hunt and you remembered the times your dad came back with looking worse for the wear. You would watch from the kitchen doorway as he fixed himself up, because he never wanted to wake your mother with worry. He knew you were watching and eventually would call your name, telling you to take a seat. Asking him what happened, he’d recount the hunt and how lucky he was to be home. Hunters weren’t always so lucky, he made sure to make that a point until you asked if John Winchester had helped him. He really knew you were asking about Dean, and he would just laugh – even then, by the age of 12, you had the oldest Winchester boy on your mind.

“So, what’s with the boyfriend of yours? I could take him, you know.” Dean was teasing, he always teased about the boyfriend, never understood how you could fall for such a douche – his words, affectionately.

“Nothing’s up, it’s just.”

“Hmm, well, what does your old man have to say about it?”

Your dad had a lot to say, more so than anyone in your life – mom had been gone a few years now and it was just the two of you during the holidays. He hated the boyfriend but respected your decision as an adult – although sometimes you wished he’d demand you to break it off, move back home with him.

“I don’t want to spend the little time I have with you talking about my crumbling relationship.”

Dean nodded and leaned back into the booth, asking if you wanted to go see Sam. “He wants to see you.” You suggested the three of you go out to dinner tomorrow before they leave town, a real nice place; your treat. He grinned and agreed, reaching his hand across the sticky table to yours. His fingertips touched the edge of your knuckles and it made you sad, the feeling it aroused in the pit of your stomach. Dean’s single touch had more impacted than all the touches you had received in that lonely apartment – all the years’ worth of stiffened hugs and chastised kisses. You smiled at Dean and he smiled back, squeezing his palm over your hand before pulling away and thanking the waitress for the round of beers she brought over.

“You know Baby has room for three, we could use a hand – we have a permanent place now.”

We have a permanent place now – that had to be the most important sentence ever said in the existence of the universe, it felt that way, anyhow. It bounced in the air; you could see it – like a large neon sign over a coffee shop. Open for business; we have a permanent place now. It made you feel jealous and excited at the same time, and the way Dean grinned suggestively, it made it seem like he knew you were itching to get out of the life you had made. A life you had carefully rolled out of clay, hoping it will stay up until you realized it had tired and was slowly crumbling into its first form.

You stayed quiet but Dean went on to describe the bunker. “It’s safe as hell, got plenty of rooms. Hell, you don’t even have to go on hunts. You can just keep the fort down for us, be our person on the other line – what Bobby did.”

“I miss him,” you said, and his face dropped. The two of you picked up a glass and held it up for the fallen hunter, before swishing down the beer and laughing when it came spilling out of the corners of your mouth. “Shit, you make it sound so easy, Dean. Just pick up and leave, like I don’t have any responsibilities to leave behind.”

Dean’s eyes softened, as they always did when he talked to you. “Hunters don’t have the same rules as everyone else, you’ve always been a hunter – you’ve just been on the bench for way too long. Sammy could use a research partner too.”

He threw his brother in to make the deal sound sweeter; he knew how much you enjoyed spending time with Sam, researching through old books and the internet. It almost seemed perfect, the great escape you had been longing for, but something inside you was petrified. Too many years had passed, you got too comfortable in the place you had now – had normal responsibilities to think of and mostly, you were afraid of being around Dean, because deep down, the torch you held for him had only grew larger throughout the years. It was painful to think he had not thought of you in the same light and although he was extending a hand to get you out, it didn’t particularly feel romantic. It felt exactly like what Dean Winchester would do for a friend, for family.

“So, what’s up with your angel friend, he cute?”

Dean rolled his eyes, obvious of the deflection. He let it pass and he asked if you wanted to meet him. “One call and he’d be here.”

“I can barely handle two Winchesters in my town, I don’t think I’m ready to meet an actual angel tonight.”

“Next time then, I know Cas would love to meet you. Sammy talks about you all the time.” It was the way he said all the time that clued you into the fact that it wasn’t Sam doing all the talking; it made you smile down at your fingers. They were holding tight to the beer sitting in front of you and for a moment, the whole bar went quiet. Everything stilled in a peaceful silence, time seemed to slow down as you finally looked up at the man sitting across from you. His jawline was shaper than it had been nearly fifteen years ago – when he was scrummaging the line between boy and man. In general, he looked more refined and it was a good look on him.

“Why are you so quiet? I thought you’d be happy to see us?”

He said us but meant him.

“I am, believe me,” you assured him, pushing away the beer. Your stomach could not handle any more drinking, and neither could your heart, because you were one drink away from doing something stupid and reckless. “I just have a lot on my mind, and I don’t think I should drink anymore.”

Dean listened and stared, watching each word fall from your lips. Then he said okay and got up, leaving his beer half full. Your eyes followed him back to the bar, where he pulled out his wallet. He took a few bills out and settled the bar tab, shaking the bartender’s hand before making his way back to you. He asked if you had brought a jacket and you said no, and he asked if you wanted his. You said no again, because you did not want his smell to linger on you after he left – it would hurt too much. A reminder of what you could have had if you were brave enough.

“Suit yourself, come on. Let’s get some food in you, any good burger places around here?”

…

There was this burger stand near the bar, it stayed open late because of the bar hoppers. The food was not particularly anything to write home about, but they did the job when one was sozzled. You weren’t exactly drunk, but a heavy buzz rang over your skin as Dean walked back to Baby with food. He was smiling and each step he took closer to the classic car, your heart and nether regions took a hit. Then he got in and handed over the food, teasing that you better not get Baby dirty. Ignoring him, you started devouring the burger and fries, thanking him when he handed over a water bottle. He watched for a moment, delight in his eyes, as you ate before digging into his own food. For a few minutes, the only sound in the car was Led Zeppelin in the background and the ruffling of the white paper bags the food came in. You ate and stared out the window, watching a couple eating a few cars down. He was cleaning something off her chin, and she was eyeing him like he was the entire world; it made you feel jealous, a bit bitter inside.

“Stop staring at people,” Dean murmured, shoving a fry in his mouth. He had this annoyed look on his face, but you knew that was just him messing around. You apologized and said you forgot how much attention he needed. He smirked and nodded. “I never get attention; all the girls love Sammy and his damn hair.”

That was a lie – a bold face one. Women loved Dean, beyond the obvious good looks.

“I’m sure you’ve had your share of women,” you said, looking back at the window. The couple had pulled out and the spot was empty now. You felt sad that they were gone and wondered if they were going home together or maybe they weren’t together, maybe they each had someone had home. Maybe they were secretly meeting and living out a side storyline – lovers that couldn’t be together.

“Nah, been too busy. Besides, somethings just don’t compare.”

You barely registered what he had said, because a new car had pulled in two spots down and you recognized it with a sharp pain in your chest. It was his car; he loved this shitty burger stand. Slouching a bit, you watched out of the corner of your eye – seeing if he was with someone and God, hoping he was. He wasn’t, that would be too exciting for his life. He was alone and you watched as he got out of the car to order at the counter. Dean was talking in the background, something about you going with him, but nothing was hitting the brain. You focused on him and what he was doing, how different he looked without you at his side. He ordered and waited patiently on the side, because again, he wasn’t a particularly terrible person.

“Earth to dork, you listening or what?”

“I’m sorry,” you apologized, averting your eyes back to Dean. “I’m not feeling so hot, can we get out of here?”

“Sure thing, want me to take you back to the apartment?”

God, no. Sure, he wasn’t home, but just the thought of stepping foot in the place – tarnishing the very night you were having with Dean, to end it – not, you did not want that. “No, let’s go see Sam. I think we should go see him.”

Dean said nothing, but quickly finished off his burger and took a long sip of his coke before asking if you were ready. By the time he was done eating, you had put the rest of the food back in the takeout bag and said yeah, you were ready. The car revved up and you were suddenly aware of someone staring at you, and that was when you locked eyes with the man you had spent years with. He was leaned against the counter, waiting for his food. For a moment, you thought he was staring at you but the fleeting tightness in your chest disappearing when you noticed him admiring Dean’s car. Yes, the man was so blind to you and your existence, he had not noticed you watching from the passenger seat. It was so hilariously sad, you laughed. Full blown laughed as Dean pulled out, asking what was so funny. Relaxing once again, you smiled and turned your head to him.

“Life is.”

…

The motel was a dime a dozen, nothing special. Neon light announcing vacancy and an ice machine near the main check in lobby, several cars parked in the lot. Sam had opened the door with a warm smile and even warmer hug, his height pillaring over you as he pulled you into the room. Dean followed and closed the door, walking over to the small green table near the only window. He placed the left overtake out and shrugs off his jacket, tossing it on one of the two chairs that accompanied the table. Sam lead you to one of the beds and the two of you sat on the edge, catching up just as Dean and you did. It felt good to be near both the Winchesters, and admittedly, felt safe.

“Dean couldn’t pass up a chance at seeing you,” Sam said, eyeing his brother who huffed as he made his way to the bathroom. He waited until the door closed before smiling at you. “We both wanted to see you, how have you been?”

“Good,” you lied.

“Let’s try again,” he laughed.

“I’m getting by, Sam. Just…going through the motions of life.”

His eyes fell on yours and he asked if everything was okay. “You know you’re always welcomed to come with us, that’s all Dean talked about on the way here. He thinks…”

Sam’s sentenced trailed off and you stared as his mouth closed. It seemed he had placed his large foot in his mouth and you had not missed that fact; asking him what Dean thought. His eyes moved to the door of the motel bathroom and he sighed, explaining that their trip here was no unplanned.

“Dean’s been wanting to come check up on you, didn’t like the last phone call you two had. He thought something was up with the boyfriend and he…he planned on convincing you to move to the bunker with us.”

The information settled in just as Dean walked out of the bathroom, drying his hands with a small washcloth. When he was done with it, he threw it on the bed and asked what was up. Sam said he was going to head out to catch a bite to eat. Dean mentioned there were leftovers, but his face pulled up in disgust.

“I’ll go find something a little healthier, a lot less bacon grease. I saw a diner down the block, I’ll walk.”

Dean scoffed. “You ain’t right, man. Who doesn’t like bacon?”

‘It’s the American way,” you joined in.

Sam rolled his eyes, putting on his jacket. “I don’t partake in peer pressure, I’ll see you guys in a bit.”

You laughed and waved bye when he walked out of the room, leaving Dean and you alone. The room grew quiet then and all that could be heard was the sound of Dean’s boot moving across the dingy beige carpet. Eyes glued to the floor; you couldn’t look up as he claimed his brother’s spot on the bed. Unlike Sam, who kept a respectful distance Dean seemed to engulf the little space left between your bodies. His knees brushed hard against yours and his arm nearly hung over your right arm; the situation was stressing you out because suddenly you felt guilty. Guilty that you were in a motel with a man who was not the one you were currently in a committed relationship with; that alone had you rushing off the bed and walking toward the door until Dean jumped up and chased after you.

His hands flung to your shoulder and when he turned you around, your heart was beating so fast and hard, you were scared you were going to have a heart attack; his mossy eyes stared into yours and he asked you to stay.

“Please.”

Oh, that please; it was more than you could handle. It was so quiet and desperate, before you could say a word, your mouth was on his. It was only the second time in your life that you kissed Dean and it felt just as it did the first go around. Sweet, yet longing, his hands went up to your face and he held you gently. You groaned against his body, hands on his hips as you guided him back toward the bed. It felt suddenly when he broke the kiss, your eyes still closed until he whispered your name. Fluttering open, Dean’s face unblurred and a smile appeared, his hands now on your shoulders. His fingers were warm, even over your clothes and he asked if you were sure.

“Sure?”

He sighed. “I have ears, I know Sam told you my plan. Jeez, never could keep a damn secret, huh? Doesn’t matter. I want you to come live with us. Like I said, the bunker is safe, and you don’t have to hunt, can just hold down the fort when we’re gone. I know things aren’t right here for you, and it might be a lot to ask, picking up and starting over, but we want you to come with us.” He paused. “I – I want you to come be with me…”

His words hit harder when they came from him and suddenly, all the doors flew open – the windows too. Fresh air flowed up the back of your shirt and tickled the nape of your neck, even your toes curled at the opportunity – lifeline, Dean was giving you.

“With you?”

You had to know, wanted to hear the exact words from his mouth before anything could go further – this way it would make things easier. There was no way you were going to leave with the Winchesters without knowing where the two of you stood, if you were going to start fresh, you had to know.

Dean’s smile faded as he stepped closer to you, his hands moved from your waist to catch your hands at your side. He seemed nervous and that made you smile, and when he cleared his throat, your heart raced. This was it; he was the key and while you never wanted to rely on a single person for your happiness, you knew you deserved to be cherished. Deserved to have someone look at you from across the room and see their face light up when you smiled at them. Someone who held you before bed, took up most of the room and occasionally made breakfast in bed. A person who knew how to dot on their partner, who delighted in seeing them walk through the front door and ask them about their day – someone who wanted to touch you in every way. That’s what you deserved, you knew that much, and more than that, you knew you wanted Dean to be that person.

“Yeah, you, who else?” He laughed as if it was all so obvious and you reached up to smack his chest, but he caught your hand and gave it a soft kiss. “Come on, it’s always been you – you’re my girl.”

That was it, all that needed to be said – no worry about the apartment and figuring out the logistics of moving out or the bane of shared accounts and bills. Those minor inconveniences where just that – nothing to pain over and not worth staying behind for. He kissed you then, this time more eager and rougher, the tips of his thumbs spread across your cheeks and he murmured that he wanted you now, and that he couldn’t wait. You asked about Sam and he joked about putting a sock on the doorknob.

“No, it will be fine,” he whispered, pulling up your shirt over your head. “He knew as soon you came, that I would convince you to stay. He’ll be out for a while, we have time. Besides, you’re going to be living with us now, he’ll have to get used to the noise.”

You chuckled, eyes rolling he kissed you more. Hands rose to your chest and he touched the top of your chest, tongue moving against yours. The firmness in his jeans pressed against you and that’s when neither of you could take it. It took a few awkward maneuvers before the two of you were in bed – you on your back and Dean over you, nothing but a sheet covering your bodies. The awareness of your body naked against his heightened the excitement in your chest, his eyes roamed you up and down until landing back to your face. His eyes seemed to be glistening in adoration, and for the first time in such a long time, you felt seen, and when he pushed into you – you felt loved.

#dean winchester x reader #dean winchester #dean x reader #spn #spn imagine #supernatural #dean

342 notes · View notes

seyaryminamoto · 4 years

Note

I recently saw a heavy criticism of The Beach saying "it's the single least realistic portrayal of teenagers on television: spoiled, rich kids don't actively shun Zuko for having a disfiguring scar on his face, no one tries to start shit with Azula over the volleyball game, teenagers referring to themselves as teenagers, a teen boy tells people not to make a mess, a bunch of 14-16 year-olds sit in a circle and psychoanalyze each other, everything else about the campfire scene." Your thoughts?

:’) that someone looks at the Beach and dismisses it for being “unrealistic” by whatever their cultural standards are is probably enough of a sign of the irrelevance of said person’s opinion. I mean, obviously they’re free to think what they will, but...

Fire Nation society is not American society. I’m going blind here, maybe this person isn’t American at all, but somehow I mostly see such kinds of narrow-minded criticism from first-worlders who are seldom exposed to lifestyles outside their particular, contemporary bubble of experiences.

Now then, let’s get into the actual debate: Fire Nation society values violence quite a lot. Fire Nation society is full of people who saw Zuko’s literal Agni Kai burning scene, and didn’t look away: the only character who does is Iroh, a very obvious hint by the writers that Iroh has discarded the cruel moral values the rest of the Fire Nation upholds.

With this in mind, a boy with a scarred face might earn all sorts of “ews” from our societies, damn right. From Fire Nation society, though? If even watching how the burn is inflicted didn’t bother most of them, why would the result be a problem? If anything, I wouldn’t be surprised if people with burn scars are even seen more attractive because it implies they were caught in violent scuffles with fire and still survived? Of course, the argument might go that Zuko’s burn is meant to be a mark of shame... but it’s a mark of shame for PRINCE Zuko. For that mysterious boy with the emo haircut in Ember Island, whose real identity is a mystery? It is shown, instead, to result in this reaction:

Now then, we could say that this is meant to be a jab by the creators and writers at Zuko’s hordes of fangirls, because frankly, Book 3 has several instances of groups of girls swooning over Zuko and it might be what they were going for. In this case, though, they’re swooning over him WITHOUT knowing who he is, as opposed to the fangirls in Nightmares and Daydreams. So, while it absolutely can be inspired on the many Zuko fangirls the staff knew about, this actually ends up serving to characterize a society, a culture: they don’t think his scar makes him unattractive. It’s blatantly stated that their reaction is the opposite. So, instead of thinking “oh god that’s so unrealistic”, how about we actually stop trying to measure everything by our standards and consider that this could be an element of WORLDBUILDING...? :’)

(Also, I’m pretty sure there’s a fair share of privileged young women in our current society who think Kylo Ren was hot as hell with a huge scar across his face... are those people not real, by any chance? :’D If anything, they’re living proof that girls swooning over a scarred boy in ATLA are absolutely feasible, no matter if not everyone shares their opinion)

Continues under the cut becasue this got long....

Now then, Azula is shown to take the Kuai ball game too far. She outright causes the ball, in the final kick, to burst into flames and burns the net. Going by Chan and Ruon Jian, these kids are privileged idiots, why lie... but are these privileged idiots stupid enough to see a girl flying three feet into the air, kicking a firebent ball and then giving a foreboding speech, and say “OKAY WE’RE GONNA PICK A FIGHT WITH YOU FOR BEING SO COMPETITIVE!”???? I mean... honestly. Why would anyone do this? Azula turned an inoffensive Kuai ball game into a battlefield singlehandedly: THIS, as well, is meant to be a display of characterization. That people don’t take the game so seriously, that they wouldn’t pick a fight with her because she’s dangerous or because they just don’t care as much as she does... it’s characterizing Fire Nation people every bit as much as it characterizes Azula.

Azula and Zuko are both shown reacting in ridiculous ways to casual things in this episode: Azula takes the game too far, potentially stages the burning down of a house in retaliation for being rejected by a boy, Zuko is hysterical and jealous and snaps at Mai over stupid things... it’s, again, a matter of showing how poorly adjusted these characters are. They’re not normal kids. They DON’T behave like normal kids. Normal, privileged kids in the Fire Nation, are kids like Chan and Ruon Jian. The episode literally gives you the chance to see Fire Nation society for what it is, in a way no other episode does... and because it’s not like our societies, it’s somehow wrong?

... Also, teenagers referring to themselves as teenagers is somehow unrealistic? I mean... is it nowadays? I don’t think any teenagers had a problem with saying they were teens in my youth :’DDD literally remember MCR released a song called Teenagers and a lot of us loved it to pieces. What exactly is so outrageous about it? Might be that this worked better in the mid-00′s, but I hardly think this makes no sense? Aang refers to himself as a kid earlier in the show, is that unrealistic too and worth rebuking a whole episode over? Are all teenagers supposed to be pretending to be grown-ups, like so many 16-year-olds on Tumblr who always talk like they’ve figured out the world and try to impose rules on fully-grown adults upon whom they have absolutely no power? :’DDDDD Yeah, I think this particular point is a stupid thing to make a fuss over. Honestly, it is.

Chan tells people not to make a mess = unrealistic. Ha. Did this person ignore his reactions at the chaos Azula, Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee caused in his house? “YOU BROKE MY NANA’S VASE!!!”, anyone? Like... I’m sorry, but this IS characterization, yet again! This shows Chan is a spoiled brat who wants to stay in his family’s good graces. The party isn’t at all as crazy and wild as you’d expect from, again, an American teenage party... and why? Because, for one thing, Chan is clearly afraid of the consequences of too much chaos in the beach house: this implies fear of authority, of his parents, perhaps even his grandparents.

For another, again, FIRE NATION SOCIETY: what does this clever critic know, by any chance, of Nazi Germany’s Hitler Youth? I’ve watched a few documentaries about it, and basically if you were a boy and you weren’t in Hitler Youth, you were no one. You were worthless. And what happened in Hitler Youth? Conditioning to the extreme. These kids were taught all the alt-right ideology that Tumblr despises, and they were made to believe it was an undeniable reality. Were there cases of kids who didn’t like it, kids who didn’t approve of it? Surely. But the general idea of Hitler Youth was to educate every kid to behave in the way Hitler considered appropriate, to the point where “the notion "Germany must live" even if they (members of the HJ) had to die was "hammered" into them.”

This is, of course, an extreme example and I’m sure Fire Nation education wasn’t that extreme because we saw it for ourselves, it’s not. But a slightly milder version of it? That’s absolutely feasible and consistent with what we see in The Headband. Therefore, kids getting high and drunk at a party? Maybe that kind of thing simply DOESN’T happen in a Fire Nation party? :’) Maybe they’re taught that those kinds of things are off-limits to anyone under a certain age (or outright forbidden, might be the case with drugs), and as they live in a tyrannical society that priorizes the Fire Lord and his decrees above all else, where his word is treated as that of a god, even mischievous teenagers refuse to act out? :’D oh, what an implausible concept, this just can’t possibly make any sense! Hitler Youth is unrealistic too!

Lastly, that a bunch of kids would sit in a circle psychoanalyzing each other seems implausible to this person is actually laughable for me. Not only have I constantly found myself, from my early teenage years to current days, serving as some sort of unofficial therapist for many of my friends, who share their woes and ask me for advice (whether they’ll heed it or not), most importantly, I once had an experience with a friend, back in high school, much like what happens with these kids in The Beach, after I’d spent years doing a lot of post-depression introspection. I shared a lot of stuff I didn’t often talk about, and beats me WHY I felt completely comfortable sharing it with my friend that day, but I did. She understood me, listened, offered her opinion, and we talked about her problems too. This happened when I was 15-16. If this person has never experienced such situation... why, that’s not anyone’s business. But it’s certainly not their business to determine this just DOESN’T happen, to anyone, ever. I can safely say it does, to people who do have problems and who sometimes just need a friendly shoulder to rely on. Maybe this critic’s life is just so perfect they’ve never had to share their woes with anyone else :’) I’m afraid that doesn’t invalidate those of us who are different, and it doesn’t invalidate the possibility that those four could talk, as they did, without breaking characterization, in the scene of the fireplace at the beach.

ANYWAYS...

Saying that a show about a group of kids who save the world and then effectively become leaders of such world, facing very little opposition in the process, is unrealistic because “teenagers aren’t like that becuase I wasn’t like that as a teenager” may be one of the most ridiculous and shortsighted things I’ve seen in this fandom, AND I’VE SEEN A LOT OF RIDICULOUS AND SHORTSIGHTED THINGS. A person’s experiences are NOT universal, regardless of how widespread their culture may be. More importantly, fiction does NOT have to abide by rules established by our current society’s state and cultural values. ATLA, as it is, is a completely different world from our own, regardless of its inspiration in many Asian cultures.

I, personally, find it a lot more unrealistic that Fire Lord Zuko can become Fire Lord without much in the way of visible protesting or boycotting when he was a banished prince who didn’t even win in his Agni Kai against Azula since it’s Katara who ends up defeating her and, as far as the rules go, Azula technically won even if not in the most dignified of ways. I find it even more unrealistic that LOK tells us Zuko was Fire Lord successfully for 70+ years and the Fire Nation has been fully reformed into a non-warmongering country despite the 100+ years of indoctrination started by Sozin’s rule. That this gets swept under a rug, not only in the neatly wrapped finale that leaves a thousand unanswered questions, but in the sequel show that merely confirms Zuko succeeded and shows NOTHING of how he managed to reform such a fucked up society...? That is a thousand times more important to me than “privileged kids aren’t acting like privileged kids OMG!”. Honestly, you want privileged kids abusing all their privileges in our society? Go watch Gossip Girl, I genuinely recommend it. You want something that proposes a completely different possibility and a glance at what a society guided by a tyrannical dictator looks like? Feel free to watch The Beach again with a completely different focus and MAYBE you’ll understand what the writers were going for.

If this person happens to see my answer, I hope they learn that worldbuilding, for a storyteller, entails CREATING a world that isn’t necessarily like the one we’re familiar with. There are multiple layers to such a world, and society and culture are some of them. Not all cultures and societies work the same way, which is part of why sometimes you’ll find behaviors from people who belong to wholly different cultures and wind up perplexed because whatever they’re doing is completely unfamiliar for you. Are there any universal behaviors in humans? Maybe! But in a work of FICTION, even the most universal of behaviors can be changed, deleted, altered however the writer sees fit! :’D it’s not a novel concept, and as far as logical fallacies are concerned, this show features a whole slew of those that have nothing to do with this peculiar sense of “realism”, fallacies that absolutely can and should be called out. Namely, things that contradict the internal logic of the show, rather than things that are incompatible with OUR world. Portraying a world that’s very different from ours, on virtually every level you can think of? That’s called creativity, not lack of realism. Please learn the difference.

#anon #... excuse me #but I got really unnerved by this one #just wtf #if this is supposed to be some sort of important critic #rather than a random someone on Tumblr #please don't ever watch anything they do ever again #realism ffs #BELIEVABILITY and realism are not the same damn thing #and solid worldbuilding requires the former not the latter #god I'll just #go chill #why #just why

39 notes · View notes

question-why-not · 4 years

Text

So let’s talk Doctor Who

So with the current Doctor, writing woes aside, (the season 11 plot was honestly a miserable garbage fire in my opinion), something feels fundamentally different between this Doctor & previous ones, which isn’t just due to different (and frankly, in my opinion, worse) writers.

To clarify, I certainly think the writing of the show, at least for season 11, has been seriously degraded, and I’m so-so about season 12, as it’s better than 11 but still not particularly good.

However, the difference I wanna discuss here isn’t the difference in writing, and it isn’t a negative difference either in my opinion.

I just kept feeling that Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is somehow inherently different than those of David Tennant, Matt Smith, and Peter Capaldi, and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

It took me quite a while to figure this difference out, but I think I did now, although that’s just my interpretation, how I choose to read the story so far, not in any way a claim about what the story is objectively telling.

I don’t know if it’s intentional or not, but I think that Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor is more humble.

The previous Doctors I mentioned all had quite a bit of a god complex.

I think that’s one thing that made the Doctor appealing to many people, the classic self-insert “hero far greater than others, yet alone in their greatness” character we see in fantasy stories.

I just don’t get that feeling from Whittaker’s Doctor, I don’t think her Doctor really considers herself above her human companions, or above anyone else she meets, really.

The previous Doctors were kind to people, sure, but they still put themselves above those people.

And honestly? I think that’s some great character development for the Doctor right there.

I do feel like Whittaker’s Doctor is more similar to Hartnell’s as far as mannerisms go, but I think that it comes from an entirely different place, character-wise.

Eccleston’s Doctor is fresh off killing all of his own people in the Time war.

He’s ashamed.

He doesn’t go around boasting who he is, and what he’s done, because he’s not proud of what he’s done.

He’s well aware of his capabilities, his well-deserved reputation, his almost godly status.

But he doesn’t behave like a god amongst mortals, because he isn’t proud of what he used his “godly powers” for.

David Tennant’s Doctor is slowly bouncing back from that shame.

He’s used his abilities for good for quite a while.

He starts feeling proud again.

Very quickly, he becomes too proud.

“Time Lord Victorious”

That’s actually why he decides he has got to die in the end.

He doesn’t like what his pride, his god complex, was about to turn him into.

Not one bit.

And then we have Matt Smith’s Doctor.

He’s somewhat more childish, takes himself way less seriously most of the time.

But that’s just a mask, an act he’s putting on not to fool others, but to fool himself.

To keep his pride in check.

To keep the Time Lord Victorious in check.

Therefore, in key moments, when he’s pushed just a tiny bit too far, we see it.

Not just the rage inside the Doctor, no.

His pride.

That’s what “the Coming Storm” is, in my opinion.

It’s not the Time Lord’s anger.

It’s his ego.

But this time, things start being different.

The Doctor’s companions aren’t just proactive anymore, some of them start becoming comparable to him in their abilities.

Amy, Rory, and River.

River is the most obvious example, but Amy and Rory had their fair share of feats too.

Amy slowly became more & more like the Doctor, to the level that she could read him like an open book by her final season, and I believe that the Doctor realized that.

Rory, by choosing to become the Last Centurion, became a person pretty much as old as the Doctor, and the Doctor respected him after that.

The Doctor still didn’t see River, Amy, and Rory quite as his equals, at least not until very late in their relationship.

But it was a start.

Flash forward to Clara’s time with the Doctor

Now we see more & more characters becoming somewhat comparable to the Doctor.

Even characters who were previously considered “small” characters, suddenly became much more proactive, much more important.

That lizard woman & her wife, even the supposedly dumb potato-warrior-guy.

They all started becoming proactive at a level which was previously reserved only for the Doctor and River Song.

Clara is more like the traditional companion, but she also does something completely unprecedented.

She makes a conscious decision to save the Doctor, and in a way which makes up an incredible feat, going into his timeline and splitting herself apart to save him at literally every moment of his entire life.

River also made such a proactive decision to save the Doctor, and Rose also pulled off an incredible feat to save the Doctor, but Clara’s case was different.

River Song was part Time Lord, she was different, special.

Rose pulled her feat off by accident, it wasn’t a deliberate, knowing choice on her part to absorb the Tardis’ core & to become the “Bad Wolf”.

Clara was a totally normal human being, and she CHOSE to pull off this absolutely incredible feat to save the Doctor, knowing EXACTLY what she’s doing.

I think that humbled him a lot.

Flash forward to Peter Capaldi’s Doctor.

At the start, he’s very much like Matt Smith’s.

Kind, doesn’t take himself too seriously, but still wrestling with that ego under the surface.

But he’s changing.

Slowly, but surely, he’s changing.

The Master comes back as Missy, and that change starts becoming quite clear by contrast.

Missy, if nothing else, is even MORE explicit than the previous Master about considering everyone but the Doctor impossibly inferior to her.

When Clara asks Missy what is her relationship to the Doctor, and how it’s different from her own relationship to the Doctor, Missy likens herself & the Doctor to a couple they see walking along, and says Clara is like the small dog that couple is walking.

But it doesn’t seem like the Doctor shares that sentiment anymore.

Previously, it was quite obvious that he did, somewhere inside.

David Tennant’s Doctor connected with the Master in ways we didn’t see him connecting with any other character, except for maybe Wilford at the end of their relationship.

But Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is fundamentally changed, and we see it more & more in Bill Potts’ time as the Doctor’s companion.

It’s hard to put a definitive measure on it, as it’s more of a continuous process, not a dramatic, sudden change in character.

But by the time that Capaldi’s Doctor time is done, he doesn’t really view himself & Missy as being above their peers.

He still has a little bit of an ego, “oh I know they’ll get it all wrong without me”, and such, but this Doctor finally acknowledges that other people can do stuff too, not just him.

He finally understands that he was never “alone in his greatness”, he was just blinded by his ego, blinded to the greatness of all the regular people around him.

And now we have Jodie Whittaker’s Doctor.

She doesn’t exactly “shine” like the previous Doctors did, no big glamorous speeches about how she’s the most dangerous thing in the universe, or how she’s basically an unstoppable god, like we would see from Tennant’s, Smith’s, and Capaldi’s Doctors.

She lets herself just be another person in the story.

She does hide things from her companions, but not because she views them as inferior, but rather out of fear that they’ll start viewing her as superior if she shows them her past.

She doesn’t want them to admire her, she wants them to see her as their equal, if somewhat more knowledgeable friend.

I think that she still has that ego inside of her, somewhere.

But it’s not controlling her anymore.

She’s a more matured Doctor.

It’s ironic, really, how the previous Doctors kept talking about how they’re so very old, ancient even.

But it’s Whittaker’s Doctor who’s more mature, saying absolutely none of that bullcrap.

That’s the big, inherent difference in my opinion.

#doctor who #fan theory #character development #long post

34 notes · View notes

badbookopinions · 3 years

Text

War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy

It took me three goddamn months of my life spread out over two years, but I finally did it - I finished this book. And though I'll admit without shame to skimming lots of the stuff on military history and philosophy, I genuinely enjoyed it.

Tolstoy wrote this book as a history of the Napoleonic wars, but its real value is in the chronicling of the lives of several Russian aristocrats and the ways their stories intersect. Natasha is young (yes this was a Great Comet reference) and flighty. Andrey is cynical and disconnected. Pierre is foolish and tactless. Along with their families, friends, and enemies, we follow them for seven years.

First of all, there is SO much misogyny in this book. Every woman in it deserves more than they were given. I think it's worth a read anyways, but it's the sort of thing people like to make their own decisions about.

Also, yes, it is frighteningly large. If you're reading this for pleasure, any time you see a chapter that's a big block of text, it's probably on history and isn't relevant to the plot. You can skim it and then read the chapter summary on Sparknotes after to save yourself some energy. If you are reading this for the history, you're a braver person than I am and good luck, I guess.

I do think it's worth reading, though. The sheer scope of it, for one thing - following people as they grow and change through seven years of their lives. It's a rare thing, and one so special to see.

And Tolstoy is such a good writer - he's got this gift for interactions that are so specific and so believable, and for characters that seem real.

Plot: I know I've said this like eight times, but skip the history. It's not important. Just skim it. It'll make the overall story so much more readable, because at the end of the day none of us are here for the Napoleonic wars, we're here for the soap opera! We want to find out who gets married! (Also the epilogue made me very mad. I didn't want to spoil it so it's at the very bottom of the review.)

Characters: Tolstoy has such a gift for creating 3D characters that the ones he doesn't put effort into are very obvious. Justice for every woman who has appeared in this book, especially Helene and Sonya. You cannot write characters like Pierre and Andrey as complex people who are entirely themselves and then write Helene as a stupid slut with no redeeming qualities. Natasha and Pierre are some of my favourite characters to ever exist, though, and I only want good things for them. I also love Petya because he is baby and Sonya because I project onto her as an eldest daughter. Tolstoy writes very good friendships and relationships between siblings, but his romances tend to showcase his misogyny.

Setting: well, we got a lot about the military! I would not have minded more detail about the everyday lives of the characters (what they wore, what they ate), but I'm afraid of how much bigger the book would have been with those, so maybe it's better that they were cut after all.

Prose: lots of what makes Tolstoy wonderful is in his specificity. The way Natasha stands with her arms slightly raised, the way Nikolay met Boris and wanted to do something more special than say hello the normal way, the way Petya conducted the music of the world (in one of my favourite scenes in the book). And, of course, this passage about the comet of 1811, one of my favourite things I've ever read: "It was clear and frosty. Above the dirty, ill-lit streets, above the black roofs, stretched the dark starry sky. Only looking up at the sky did Pierre cease to feel how sordid and humiliating were all mundane things compared with the heights to which his soul had just been raised. At the entrance to the Arbát Square an immense expanse of dark starry sky presented itself to his eyes. Almost in the center of it, above the Prechístenka Boulevard, surrounded and sprinkled on all sides by stars but distinguished from them all by its nearness to the earth, its white light, and its long uplifted tail, shone the enormous and brilliant comet of 1812—the comet which was said to portend all kinds of woes and the end of the world. In Pierre, however, that comet with its long luminous tail aroused no feeling of fear. On the contrary he gazed joyfully, his eyes moist with tears, at this bright comet which, having traveled in its orbit with inconceivable velocity through immeasurable space, seemed suddenly—like an arrow piercing the earth—to remain fixed in a chosen spot, vigorously holding its tail erect, shining and displaying its white light amid countless other scintillating stars. It seemed to Pierre that this comet fully responded to what was passing in his own softened and uplifted soul, now blossoming into a new life."

Diversity rating: bad. Just accept it and move on.

What annoyed me about the epilogue: first of all, Sonya ended up miserable for pretty much the rest of her life, which I hated. Second, the culmination of Natasha's arc. Her story is about growing up, the wildness in her being tempered by the world, like a pebble being smoothed by a river. You can argue about whether or not this is misogynistic, but as someone currently growing up, and currently being smoothed by the world, it was something important to read about. I think the epilogue takes it too far. I'm not upset that Natasha loves her children and her husband and that she's happy - I'm upset that she stops singing. Tolstoy says it's because her husband already loves her, so she doesn't need to dress up or talk about interesting things or sing because he's already attracted to her. But I think she did those things at least partly for herself, and I don't like the idea that she stopped altogether when she was no longer an object of desire. Even in the case of his favourite, Natasha, Tolstoy's misogyny still showing.

#war and peace #leo tolstoy #adult fiction #classics #characters!

2 notes · View notes

mobius-prime · 4 years

Text

243. Sonic the Hedgehog #174

Oh, gee, I wonder? Who could possibly be getting married in this issue? From what I've heard, apparently a full version of this cover with Bunnie and Antoine does exist, but this version was created for teaser and promo purposes, and for whatever reason just ended up being used as the cover instead of the full version. Strange, but oh well.

Union

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley! Colors: Jason Jensen

Well, it's time, everybody! We saw it coming for a little while there, but Antoine and Bunnie are finally getting hitched! It's the big day, and the morning sees everyone preparing for the ceremony, starting with Uncle Chuck helping Sonic get dressed in a sharp half-tux ('cause, you know, he never wears pants). He says goodbye to his parents and connects with Tails on the way to Freedom HQ to check in on Antoine, who has a pretty bad case of the pre-wedding jitters.

Where is Espio, then, anyway? Well, he's on a mission inside New Megaopolis, walking invisibly amongst the robots there to investigate Eggman's latest plot. As he sneaks his way into Eggman's main base, Sonic heads over to Bunnie's room, but is shooed away by Rosie and Sally, who are helping Bunnie get dressed - though they're happy to toss flower girl Amy out to be "entertained" by her crush. Bunnie's dress is uniquely hers: white as most wedding dresses are, but with metallic accents that complement her cyborg parts - and adorably, Sally has helped do her hair for the wedding, calling back to when they were younger and Bunnie wanted to be Sally's royal hairdresser.

While Bunnie and Rosie tease Sally further, Espio snoops around Eggman's base, and discovers a strange suit of battle armor that confuses him, wondering what it could be used for. As he continues to look around for clues, Sonic finally heads off to the castle to meet up with the rest of the party, running into Knuckles and Julie-Su on the way. Knuckles is pleased to see Julie-Su all dressed up, but Julie-Su hates it, eager to get this over with so she can change back into her normal comfortable clothes. Incidentally, I just want to point out that I absolutely love both her and Knuckles' outfits - they're not your traditional tux and fancy dress, but rather (as you can see above) Knuckles' outfit is some kind of tribal-inspired poncho, and Julie-Su's has a similar flair. It's honestly a great way to pay a little bit of respect to echidna culture, though obviously based a little more on the culture depicted in the games rather than Penders' version of echidna society. Anyway, Sonic jokes about the two of them getting married someday, but they both agree that they don't feel the need to, seeing their word to each other to be as good as anything. With that, Sonic finally heads into the castle proper to meet up with the main wedding party, minus the bride and groom.

Oof, that's a sore point there, Elias. Rosemary and Amadeus show up, the latter having been asked to act as the leader of the honor guard for the ceremony, and he seems pleased with Elias having become king in his absence. He makes a strange comment as Elias walks away, however, seeming to imply that Elias won't be in power for much longer, and when Tails asks him what he meant, he simply replies that in his and Rosemary's time in space, they developed some ideas for how to improve the government. I mean, Amadeus, I think we totally agree that this kingdom's government is kind of broken, but you don't need to say it in such a weird, villainous way…

And with that, the ceremony begins! Unfortunately, Espio still isn't back in time to witness it. He's currently hacking into one of Eggman's computers, and within its data, discovers all Eggman's plans laid bare, detailing the exact method he's going to use to take Knothole down. We don't get to see it, but whatever it is, it causes Espio to panic and forget to turn invisible again, meaning a sentry robot spots him and the entire city goes on alert. Elias conducts Bunnie and Antoine's ceremony while Espio runs for his life, being shot at and surrounded by more and more robots, with everyone at home unaware of the peril he - and all of them - are currently in.

With that, Espio is zapped away into one of Eggman's Egg Grapes, and Eggman stands there gloating, backed up by his entire army, ready to unleash his attack on Knothole without delay…

See Ya' Later Chao! (Part Two)

Writer: Ian Flynn Pencils: Tracy Yardley Colors: Jason Jensen

…wow. Well, on that note, time to go back to the silly chao garden stuff! Yeah, a real jarring shift in tone there, but I guess Ian had to find some place to complete this story. Eggman was quite disappointed at having tracked this seemingly-important energy source only to find a lousy, useless chao garden in its place, so naturally, the answer to his woes was to just make Sonic's life a little harder instead!

Knuckles caught the drill, and Tails came up with a plan to stop it and take out Eggman. He quickly flew over to hotwire the drill's control panel to send it flying in the direction he wants it to, then ordered Sonic to hit it on the side at the same time that Knuckles, with the help of their new chao friends, flung it upwards, causing it to crash directly into Eggman's hovercraft.

Aww, poor chao! Luckily, Sonic knew the perfect place to relocate them - the actual Lake of Rings next to Knothole, of course! Back at home, Sonic finishes his story to his mom, and she congratulates him on his heroism. Sonic somewhat cheekily points out that while all else is well, the chao that Jules has been playing with during this story has started to become metallic… looking exactly like… OMOCHAO! AAAAAAARGH!

Jokes aside, I do feel like I have to mention that this is the final appearance of Hershey the Cat in the entire comic, within the crowd at Bunnie and Antoine's wedding. (I didn't feel it was appropriate to mention this right after Espio got zapped away…) She is mentioned later on, but never again appears in person. It's a bit sad, as I do like her as a character, but at least even if we don't see her, we know she continues to exist and do her thing offscreen.

#nala reads archie sonic preboot #archie sonic #archie sonic preboot #sonic the hedgehog #sth 174 #writer: ian flynn #pencils: tracy yardley #colors: jason jensen

8 notes · View notes

theputterer · 4 years

Text

Galentine’s Day Fic-Readers Rec

Okay so I am The Worst when it comes to reading fic, and my recs are few and far between (because I am, again, the Worst) but I saw that there is a celebration week going on right now so I wanted to take a hot second this Galentine’s Day to shoutout a few lady (and a few I am not certain about) friends I have made whilst writing in the ROGUE ONE fandom.

@leaiorganas (marcasite) is consistently the most supportive mutual one could ever ask for. I am so delighted to say we have gotten to the point of exchanging mailed notes every now and then, which is such a fun, real life treat. In 2019, Michelle even printed the Nonsense for me, which is one of the best surprises I’ve ever had. what a bizarre and unexpected joy to have and hold my work. she also has made moodboards to go with several stories, and to know she has taken so much time to give me gifts like that is more than I know what to do with.

@callioope (callioope) was my first real friend in the fandom, and I remember one of her comments on YOU MUST REMEMBER THIS where she mentioned starting the story during her lunch break and just leaping into it from there. We’ve had some solid talks in the time since, including on the Horror of Original Writing, and it is so lovely to see Liz’s posts on my dash, particularly the personal ones and the meta ones.

@magalis (galaxiesglitter) was an early supporter of the Nonsense, though I think she kind of stumbled into GRAY AREAS from BLOOD BROTHERS, which I imagine was strange. Maggie has been a delight to follow here, and on instagram, and I truly enjoy exchanging baseball woes and wishes with her. Maggie is a very generous reader in particular; she even read one of my ST fics, even though it was not something she’d normally be into; she read it because she wanted to give me a chance, and I really appreciate that.

@vaderkat (vaderkat) What can I say about Mon? She is the kind of diehard reader and feedback-giver that I could stan forever. She often returns to me with thoughtful, interesting comments that make me reevaluate my work in a positive way, and I gotta tell you; that’s not an easy thing! Mon was also one of two people (hello @smoke14!) who expressed interest in a story about an OC, which is bananas and, like, the coolest thing. Mon has followed me into my current ST nightmare, which is definitely going above and beyond. Her insight on her experience as a mother of sons has been particularly helpful. I would die on a battlefield for her.

@castiellover77 (casandangel4ever) is a comedic treat who reacts with such enthusiastic emotion that it makes me laugh and also makes me feel gratified. Their comments are always so warmhearted and sincere, and what more could I ever want, really?

@cassianserso (I know you have an AO3 but I’m blanking) makes fantastic gifsets and has a rabid passion for the ship and the fandom. I mostly remember Cherry being one of the very first people to jump in when I said, “ANNIHILATION + ROGUE ONE AU: thoughts?” with a pretty interesting taking on the great movie that is ANNIHILATION. the AU was a bananas idea but Cherry made me want to give it a shot, and I really appreciate anyone who can snap a writer into action like that.

@roguewrath (roguewrath) was one of, if not the, first people to mention the Nonsense on tumblr, back when it was a 200,000 word beast that a total newbie fic writer just kind of threw into the void without knowing what to do with it. Gela also uses a lot of all caps in their recs, which is kind of always ideal, and very emblematic of their passion.

@alittlemomentum (alittlemomentum) is also someone I’ve been lucky to chat with on tumblr, following a trip to AO3. I remember one time when they told me something along the lines of “I know you think no one wanted [this story], but you should know that I did” which is one of the most heartwarming things any of us can hear. Particularly since I tend to write stuff that is full of grief and not much of a walk in the park. it is comforting to know other people absorb grief writings just as wholly and welcomely.

@i-am-slain (AO3??) Morgan first came to me when they compared GRAY AREAS and the Mood of it to an evil moon in Zelda. I had to look that up because I had no idea what it was. it’s this thing. Morgan was right in a way that is probably a bit meta, but fun. it’s been so cool to have a mutual who lives in my neck of the woods here and can talk about the Planet Yakima with.

@yavemiel (Yavamiel) was a very early recc’er of GRAY AREAS here, in a master post of fic recs that I think is still probably the best and most extensive one out there. Ro repeatedly came back for more suffering even after slogging through that Monster, and like... well done, buddy.

@fortysevenswrites (fortysevens) has been here for the ride for awhile, and is another one of the Baseball Pain Train (though Kathryn is a Dodgers fan so she doesn’t really have anything to complain about. I kid, mostly). Kathryn has really been churning out stuff lately for another fandom I have no connection to or idea about, but it is always nice to see someone succeeding at something they enjoy.

anyway you are all great people and my deepest apologies to those I failed to shoutout here.

#personal #friends

24 notes · View notes

sweetcatmintea · 4 years

Text

The sad man, the fox, and the woods

Oops, I slept in <.<;; This was the other idea I had from this Fridays prompt! It gave me such a strong image I didn’t want to ignore it but, if I’m being honest, this probably would have been better in a visual medium. Oh well, it’s written now. Hope you have fun in the woods! Feedback is appreciated ^u^

Flash fiction friday is organised by @flashfictionfridayofficial

Prompt: Weeds and Ruins Words: 1017

---

It wasn’t an accident that he wandered into the forgotten wood. Forgotten on purpose, forgotten by accident, it didn’t matter when the result was the same. Broken hearted and stumbling, he grew more and more lost in his effort to find whatever was left behind of himself. It was all too much. Too much pressure, too many expectations, too many cold shoulders when he finally crumbled to dust.

The bird song in that ancient place was a welcome reprieve from his troubled thoughts as he plonked down onto a smooth, cool stone in the shade of a great oak tree. No destination in mind, here was as good a spot as any to rest. It had been good foresight to bring lunch along. There was no use being sad and hungry. Bread and cheese. Nothing fancy, but enjoyable none the less. As he unwrapped the protective cloth, he became increasingly aware of a presence half hidden in the trees ahead. Expecting little, he called a friendly greeting to it. The presence drew closer, a red fox trotting forward with a handsome face and beautiful pelt. It approached with a pluckiness he couldn’t deny was charming.

The young man smiled. “Hello there. Did you come join my lunch?”

The fox sat in front of him and, very properly, responded. “I’d be honoured.”

To his credit, the young man blinked but once in surprise, then carried on as normal. He halved the loaf and cheese, offering the larger of the two to the fox, placing it upon the cloth on the ground. He’d heard many a strange tale of the creatures of this wood. He may as well see where this goes.

The fox ate with a politeness he could not adequately describe. It kept pace with him, finishing at the same time.

“Thank you.” It said, something glittering in its dark eyes. “We haven’t made introductions. Would you be so kind as to give me your name?”

The young man made himself comfortable, resting his chin on his palm. “Wouldn’t it be more appropriate for you to lead, since you joined my meal?” His intention was not to irritate the creature, but he could not dampen his teasing nature. To his relief, the fox grinned.

“Yes, you’re right, of course.” It put a paw to its chest, dipping its head. “You may call me Russet. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

“The same to you Russet. You cannot have my name, but you may borrow it for the afternoon if that suffices.”

Russet laughed lightly. Not a cruel or plotting laugh, a genuine one. “That would be lovely.”

The young man held a hand to Russet. “My name is Logan.”

Russet accepted the handshake and, as he did so, his dark paw melted away to leave brown skin. In a heartbeat, the fox had vanished, leaving a handsome young man in its place, the beautiful pelt settling over his shoulders like a cloak. His warm, mischievous eyes that glittered even still did nothing to detract from the welcoming smile that suited his face so well. He laughed again.

“You’re a clever man Logan. I dare say I like you.”

Logan couldn’t deny he liked the way Russet said his name. “The feeling is mutual. Are you one of the fae?”

Russet winked, pulling Logan to his feet. “Is it not obvious? How many foxes have your tongue?” It was only then that Logan realised they were still holding hands. Russet’s skin was so soft compared to his rough calluses.

“I hadn’t met a talking fox before, that’s true, but I hadn’t met a fae either. I’d say it’s a fair question.” Logan followed Russet’s lead, allowing him to take them further into the woods. Of course, he knew the tales of fae leading travellers astray, but disappearing didn’t sound so bad anymore. Not if he stayed in the company of this strange man.

“It is a fair question,” Russet nodded, “so if you must know, yes, I’m one of the fae. Does that frighten you? You can stop and go back now if you really want to.” His expression softened. Not quite sadness, but understanding the reality of the situation.

“It doesn’t. I’d like to spend more time with you.”

“Excellent!” He perked up again. “Then, in the name of equal exchange, allow me a question. What is a bright young spark like you doing in a place like this? These woods will eat you right up if you’re not careful.”

Logan paused, biting the inside of his cheek. “I’m, well, I guess you could say I’m not having a great time lately.” He laughed. It was not bright and crackling like Russet’s, but hollow and defeated. “I think maybe I was looking to be lost for a little while.”

“Hmmm. ‘tis a shame to hear little mortals spending their precious time in melancholy. Why don’t you spend the day with me? Take your mind off your woes for a little while. I promise I’m not trying to trick you and a fae’s word is not something to sneeze at! Tell me, do you know how to dance?”

“No, I don’t really know how to. I’m sorry.”

Russet brightened. “Even better! I’ll teach you. See here, you put your hand here, on my waist, yes, like that! The other hand goes here. Don’t worry, you’ll be fine.”

Russet’s fox skin tickled Logan’s fingers as he was led through a simple waltz. They moved to the rhythm of the earth. One he couldn’t hear until the steps became natural. They danced all day, over weeds and over ruins, wandering through the forgotten wood at a gentle tempo, laughing and smiling and forgetting themselves entirely.

When the evening came, Russet donned his fox skin and led Logan back to the entrance of the wood. For three days, Logan raced to the smooth stone as soon as day broke, spent all of the sun’s hours with Russet, and returned home ready to leave again in the morning. On the fourth day, Logan stayed lost. They danced and they were happy.

—

Tag List

@snobbysnekboi, @inkovert, @kainablue, @i-rove-rock-n-roll, and @goblin-writer

#writing #writblr #short story #flash fiction #Flash Fiction Friday #tender rights #Got some good brain images of a fox fae shedding his skin like a selkie #More at my deviantArt SweetCatMint

25 notes · View notes