#Just thought he was ahead of his time | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ladynicte · 1 year

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Just finished reading the Mark of Athena and just started reading the House of Hades and man, can you imagine being Hazel during all this, especially talking about Nico.

Hazel is displaced in time, Nico is the only other person who can possibly understand that, Hazel has lived in both The Underworld and then back in the surface, Nico is the only other person who has done that, Hazel is a Child of Pluto, Nico is the only other Child of The Underworld left.

Hazel only shares being seen as a bad omen, and a bringer of bad news everywhere with Nico. They share having scary powers that seem capable of only bringing pain.

Children of Neptune are only seen as bad signs on New Rome, but they aren't there anymore.

At the end, Nico is effectively the only family that Hazel has left.

She never had a present dad of any sort, she still doesn't, she didn't have any siblings back then, and her abusive mother died together with her 70 years ago.

Nico as a half-brother is everything that Hazel has left in that department.

And then, before she even gets back to Camp Jupiter, she's already told that he has been kidnapped, and she doesn't know where, but she's too busy fighting to keep her city going, and her friends alive.

Then, when she's finally allowed to actually think about her missing brother for more than two seconds, and she lets her friends know because they are supposed to be her friends, they are all supposed to be on the same side, that her brother has been kidnapped, some of them don't even want to go save him.

And Hazel is told that her brother's life, her only family's life, just isn't worth the risk until Nico proves himself to be vital for the quest.

Whenever Hazel shows herself annoyed at how they are all treating Nico's kidnapping as something that can be dealt with later that isn't that crucial or primordial or important, that they can just come over last minute and free him.

They just sorta wave her off, and give her plain apologies. They reassure her at times for sure, but there must be something so isolating and maddening about being treated like what you are worried about isn't real.

They try to make her feel better because they care for her, but none of them are seeing what she's seeing, none of them are processing that her only family might just die in a couple of days, and her friends keep forgetting they are even supposed to be saving him.

There's nobody else in that ship who can understand what Hazel is going through.

The rest of the seven are constantly gambling with Nico's life, and saying, well hopefully we will be there in time, and if we aren't, well, don't think about it too much.

For which, Hazel has got no other choice, but to nod and go along with it, because it's either arriving just in the nick of time to save her brother, or not arriving at all.

Eventually, when she finally does see her brother again, Nico is painfully thin, with deep purple eyebags, and a faraway gaze, deadly pale, having issues walking and eating and even just talking.

Hazel's brother went through Tartarus without her even knowing and he came back with a part of him completely broken off, beyond salvaging.

And nobody else cares.

Just so lonely, to be the only person who cares. Having something so so important to you that nobody else sees in any way. So lonely being the only person defending what you care about.

#just that scene where Nico gets thrown off and a bunch of stuff falls on top of his head and he can't even get up and Hazel tells Leo to #not worry and go on ahead cuz shes gonna tend to nico and his only thought is uh she must be crazy if she thinks im going back for the #creepy di angelo i got bigger things to care about like i was so so angry at him during that #nico di angelo #hazel lavesque #the seven #pjo #luna's meta #like that's what i think that whole thing must have felt like just lonely and condescending being told to calm down like you are the one #exxagerating while everybody else dismisses what you care about time and time again

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clown-owo · 1 year

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imagine if it turns out the friendship scheme was all for nothing

#I don't hate Damian or anything I just think Anya is entirely justified in not wanting anything to do with him. he's kind of a dick to her #i get it he's a sad little boy with daddy issues. i hope that gets resolved. he's a kid he has a whole life ahead of him he can get nicer.#that's not anya's job though #she'd wanna help though i think shes that kind of person.#but the idea of her finding out the friendship scheme won't work (like even he can't really get an audience with his father anyway)#and her just. leaving. goodbye. guess this was a waste of my time #“i thought you had a crush on me????” “i punched you on the first day i don't know what you expected”#og post #my art #Anya Forger #Damian Desmond #Becky Blackbell #Spy x Family #Loid Forger #Agent Twilight #sxf

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sapphire-weapon · 2 months

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"It's not the game. That's not what we're arguing about. It is all about an inherent thing we do of social sorting. The reason we socially sort is because we want to put ourselves into a group that gives us a sense of belonging, a sense of friendship, love, whatever you want to call it, and creating a sense of identity through which you can express yourself. These are very important things to people. [...] That is what people are really fighting over. It's masked under all these arguments over these merits about the game, but that's not actually what people are fighting about. They are fighting to defend their sense of identity and belonging from those who they believe are attacking that with their opinions about the game. [...] "What you can do is at least be aware of what's really going on inside of you when you get these strong feelings -- when you see these opposing views to what you believe. [...] Realize what's happening -- realize what's really happening. Take a step back from that. You have this cognizant higher thinking part of your brain right here behind your freaking forehead that you can use to go, 'Hold on a second, emotional part back there. This actually isn't all that serious.' [...] "Because it's going to happen. You're going to have a feeling that comes up. You're going to see somebody who says something and you're just going to feel annoyed. You're going to feel angry. You're going to feel all those feelings. You don't have a choice in that, by the way. That's just going to happen to you. That's the part we're saying you can't control about your human nature. But you can control -- being aware of where that's really coming from -- how you go about responding to that. [...] "We have to wrestle with this. We have to wrestle with how we respond to this. Because [...] we have tools at our disposal that put us into contact with people who, it feels like, are threatening us all the time when they're not. They're not. They're not threatening you. It feels like they are -- it really feels like it. Trust me, I know exactly what you're feeling. [...] I could not control myself. I literally couldn't for a while. If I saw somebody say something like that, I felt the need to validate my position, clarify, tell this guy or girl or whoever was saying it why they're wrong. It's in me, too. [...] "And, I feel like, just in the past couple weeks, I had a little bit of a breakthrough, where I was looking through some comments and I saw something, and I just kind of laughed at it instead of getting angry. I laughed at it because it was wrong; I didn't get angry because it was wrong. Like, my brain -- the prefrontal cortex finally broke through and convinced the amygdala that: 'You can laugh at that; it's okay. You're not threatened. Just laugh it off and walk away. You don't have to fight this person. You don't have to engage. You don't have to prove that they didn't understand what you really meant. You don't have to do that. It's just a video game.'"

-- Mike from Resonant Arc, talking about video game discourse and shipping wars

#just listened to this podcast and thought it was really fascinating #this was something they wanted to get out ahead of rebirth's release #because mike got introduced to FF7's ship wars with the release of remake #after he got pulled into the fandom discourse following remake's release #because he had become public enemy no1 for a while for his opinions #and realized that the fandom infighting is so much worse than just people dogging on him because he didn't like the game #anyway i wanted to share this #i think the whole podcast is worth listening to #since this blog has been a target for harassment and a lot of my followers have admitted to feeling stuck in their frustration #and that last paragraph in particular is the place that i've been at for a long time #and i'd like you guys to come join me here lmao

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madhushala · 7 days

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#the more i stay around people the more i want to become like them out of spite #because i was so surprised these people are at least 24-26 years age some even did a minor bachelor's before coming here #some have completed post grad and then joined #like aren't you all too fucking old to act that immature #i grew so resentful of everyone how they keep on doing the worst low man shit and then victimize themselves #hypocrites full of shit they don't want to hear the truth #i know no one has the audacity to take a fight with me on here because they know im the youngest here #not because im the youngest but because im better #the girls frown upon me because i don't hear their low mindset humorless jokes and pointo out where they fall short #oh [my irl name] youre so stiff hamesha kami kyun nikalti rahti ho hamesha baat kaatne ki aadat hai learn to take a joke #mazaak hi to kar rahe hain kya yaar #ive cried so many times because i feel suffocated here and out of hate i want to act immature selfish hypocrite too so i do #i become self centered and look into my needs #but everyday bcg shows me how one stays firm in mindset even amidst surrounding of shit people #he points out to me all the time when i start acting like them he says why aren't you trying to rise above #i say ham bhi karte hai na unn chutiyon jaisa behave kyunki unhe unhi ki language mei samajh aata hai #achha ban kar honest banne se kuch nahi milta yaha #but he knows his stuff #he never does these things #however much i let evil thoughts take upon i get astounded everyday how he's practicing his rightful his honesty even tho no one's looking #it makes me want to cry #i hope he gets so ahead in life i hope he stands at the podium one day on a stage and deliver speeches where people actually can see him #like he sees the orator that come to attend our unis gatherings and says everytime kuch to baat hoti hai inn logon mei #i hope he achieves whatever he wants i hope he gets ahead of everyone all this fucking corruption #its not that he's done anything that im applauding he tries his best #and maybe teachers see that too all in class they're only looking at him and teaching they know #do you know how fucking hard it is not get corrupted in this uni and become one of those assholes that have done things unimaginable #im inspired everyday ill try my best to be like him #i do not just want to praise him i want to become someone he doesn't have to say fir tum bhi vahi karogi to kya farq reh jaayega #kuch bada nahi hota logon ki roz roz ki choti choti aadaton se pata chal jaata hai vo kaise hain

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theromanticrationalist · 3 months

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Sheldon: "You realize that I'm not a particularly physical person." Amy: "I know." Sheldon: "When I was little and people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up I always said, 'A brain! In a jar!'" Amy: "Sure." Sheldon: "But I want to be a good husband to you! Intimacy is a part of that. I'm just worried that if I don't schedule our bedroom endeavors I may not think about them. And you'll grow cold and distant and seek solace in a heavily muscled longshoreman." Amy: "Where would I find a longshoreman?" Sheldon: "Along the shore. It's in the name." Amy: "Sheldon, I could never be with anybody but you." Sheldon: "That's good to know. I wouldn't want to fight a man who is brave enough to touch a fish." Amy: "How's this for a compromise: make all the schedules you want, but just don't tell me about them." Sheldon: "Excellent! I will create an algorithm that'll generate a pseudo random schedule. And do you know why it won't be a true random schedule?" Amy: "Because the generation of true random numbers remains an unsolved problem in computer science." Sheldon: *gasps* "Come with me!" Amy: "Where are we going?" Sheldon: "To the hotel room. I'm going to need you to say that again except naked." Amy: 😮 The Big Bang Theory 12x01 The Conjugal Configuration

#uuuuuuuuugh #there is so much here #one that Sheldon's making a schedule of sexy times is his making sure his wife is loved and treasured #that he thought ahead and knew his own weaknesses #so self awareness AND true love all at once!#then his indicating that he wouldn't like it but he WOULD fight a guy for Amy #I mean that's just HOT #and then Sheldon getting sexually aroused by Amy talking mathematical to him #I mean your couple COULD NEVER #shamy #just shamy things #my favorite shamy things #the big bang theory #sheldon cooper #amy farrah fowler #also I relate to Sheldon 10000000000000%#damn why isn't this boy real

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spaceratprodigy · 25 days

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could i bother u for more thoughts on faith and max in a mock apple orchard 🥺👉🏻👈🏻

@gayafsatan — I would absolutely LOVE to brainstorm some fun ideas of them in a mock apple orchard!!

I've been replaying again so they've been rotating around in my mind a lot extra hard and was especially thinking about mock apple picking bc the botanical labs also has a lil orchard where you can pick mock apples up off the ground! But I'm currently in Roseway so oughhh.. ideas....

I want you now I am going to ramble a LOT so please bear with me I swearsies it'll be more fun if we get the full lore dump from my brain 😩💖💕

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👇 ROSEWAY THOUGHTS 👇

(I AM GOING TO TALK ABT ROSEWAY THOUGHTS AS A WHOLE AND THEN EASE INTO SOME SILLY MOCK APPLE ORCHARD IDEAS AT THE END OKAY. OKAY ILY THANK YOU).

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My thoughts are very chaotic and rambly so let me try to walk though my ideas lmao

Roseway is typically where I peg Faith's death wish arc happening, and to summarize what all that entails, it's when the mask slips and the weight of everything finally hits her in full force.

I always envision this story happening over a long period of time so a lot of time has passed since first arriving at Edgewater and the Groundbreaker.

Halcyon. Her situation. Her identity. The life Phineas threw her into abruptly and his expectations for her. Making split second moral decisions where no matter what someone is going to get hurt. Being so alien and alone, no one to understand her or believe in her predicament but having to be the mysterious competent captain regardless.

It finally gets to her. Bad. And she makes some self destructive decisions. She gets sloppy, careless, hoping someone else will end this nightmare for her. Until they almost do.

I am swiftly brushing past many details so we don't get too lost in the sauce. But Max went after her, found her collapsed and injured bad, carried her back to the ship for Ellie to do whatever she could, and then stayed by her side for as long as it took for her to wake up.

This is such a key moment for them getting closer. Because there was a lot of frustration and emotion and being forced to confront the possibility of feelings existing, but nothing they fully understand or are ready to acknowledge as such yet.

She tries to brush past the subject of what happened, deflecting everything until he raises his voice in a way he hasn't since she gave him the journal and she threatened he never talk like that to her again. And it was enough to break through her facade, for her to show just how utterly broken and vulnerable she is, and they have a proper fucking conversation about where she's at mentally. He still isn't ready for the truth about her life before. But it's a step forward.

There is a lot of patience and understanding and just. Yeah. A lot happens here. Some walls come down. There grows some room for them to become softer and closer over more time.

All of this is important because a short piece I had written a long time ago took place in this area roughly after this incident.

It was a personal outlet vent piece, I will be honest. When I wrote it it was after I had a very bad panic attack after an awful scare. And I wrote it into Faith because I just wanted to get some feelings from that experience out of my system.

The shortened version of that one is Faith recovering from a bad episode, trying to calm her breathing, waiting for her ears to stop ringing and for her vision to come back. Her legs gave out on her and she was sitting under the mock apple trees. Her voice locks up on her when she's seriously distressed. Yadda yadda yadda, Max had brought along his datapad so she could communicate anything important and she was incredibly confused because she knows he doesn't like using his datapad ever and then rendered even more speechless to know he brought it specifically for her in case something like this were to happen again. It ends with her just asking if he would keep talking to her, and they sit there under the mock apple trees for a while, in no particular rush to get anywhere.

And after this point, I think the mock apple orchards become a really peaceful, therapeutic spot for her when she just wants a moment to herself. Sits there, breathes, takes in the Roseway scenery and collects herself before jumping back into the horrors of Halcyon. Spends some time picking mock apples to take back to the ship.

I've been having a lot of ideas of her asking Max to go with her. I'm of the mind if she'd ask directly that he'd either decline, or at least pretend to be uninterested but she's the one who asked so he accepts the offer.

But I can see her being vague and just saying that she's heading out if he'd join her and she leads him to the orchards. By this point they're already often in each other's company, she indulges his interests often, letting him be the one who is finally listened to. But in general, they get along very well in conversation when it comes to a handful of similar interests and their personalities and attitudes bounce off of each other well.

(In my story anyway, since she spends an extended amount of time in Edgewater and the Vale, there was also a lot of time spent doing some early bonding with Max. So do with that info what you will. They're not likeee besties yet but they're much more than strangers by this point, ya'know? Just to get an idea of where their familiarity with each other is at and why there's enough respect and trust to some extent already existing. Not to mention how much time they had spent on the Groundbreaker).

They'd be having such a peaceful time away from the rest of the crew.

Oughhh hear me out, okay, Faith loves to bake. She doesn't even ask, she just makes Max hold her bag open while she starts collecting mock apples and after they finally head back to the ship she figures out how to make mock apple pie for the crew 😭 we already know Max doesn't care much for sweets (I wonder how sweet or tart a mock apple pie would be.. Faith girl what all Halcyon ingredients are you adding to that bad boy) but.. what if.... After everyone goes to bed...... He tries some anyway........ Because she made it..........

Most of what's bouncing around in my brain is them early on having wholesome bonding time in a spot just for the two of them. Just enjoying each other's company. Realizing they have genuine respect for each other, Faith feeling like she found a genuine friend who went to lengths further than anyone had in her entire life to make sure she survived. I am specifying Faith's feelings here intentionally. I write Max in a more complicated spot very blinded by his revenge scheme more or less unaware for a long while just how much the lines start blurring between his faith and his Faith. To put it succinctly. (Look I know I'm always drawing The Good Stuff™️ but in actuality their relationship is suchhhh a slow burn. They are not the most romantically inclined people lmao).

But also.. once she realizes she can talk to him when she needs to. I think coming back to this spot, off the ship, away from the crew, she just likes it there. She likes being there with him. She finds comfort in that spot.

OKAY BUT DO YOU KNOW WHAT ELSE WOULD BE CUTE.... they should come back here.. post-scylla and post-gorgon...... Ya'know......... The first being when they establish not wanting to be apart and the second being when they want to make that partnership a permanent one......... ASKING HER IN THE MOCK APPLE ORCHARDS WOULDN'T THAT BE DARLING ough okay I need a minute my brain is going too fast to comprehend

My Roseway ideas aren't the most cleaned up I know BUT so many important bonding moments exist and oughhhh LOOSE IDEAS ARE STILL WORTH TALKING ABOUT OKAYYYYY

I just want them to go mock apple picking together and learn how to get smiles out of each other and not understand why it makes their chests hurt but they know they need to do it again

ACTUALLYYYYY post-scylla when he's much more mellowed out and they're the closest they've been I think would be so so nice. they'd be so much softer and he'd probably be so much more involved in wanting to enjoy silly lil activities with her.....

Currently imagining him reading out loud to her, all the conversations they'd have, maybe he brings his tossball cards to show her, maybe they bring one of the lil games, have a lil makeshift picnic....

Godddd the transition between just how much enthusiasm he shows spending time with her is enough to make me explode. Can you see my vision. The reluctance, to the hesitancy, to becoming absolutely inseparable.

I HAVE A LOT TO THINK ABOUT BUT I'M GETTING SLEEPY SO SENDING IT!!!!!!

Literally feel free to add on or share your own thoughts I'm begging you lmao I promise there is so much room for ideas to be fleshed out and better put together, I'm mostly just spitballing what all I think would be incredibly fun ideas to work with. Plus I'm kind of thinking across the timeline and how much their relationship would change between each visit. And how over time they would enjoy it more and more and make each visit more special than the last.

WAIT BEFORE I LOSE THE THOUGHT!! They make a stop RIGHT BEFORE HEADING TO SCYLLA TO GO TO THE HERMIT'S LODGE!! Oh that could hurt so good omgggg. Okay okay I need to stop now I NEED TO STOP.

#MY DEAR FRIEND I WROTE SO MUCH I APOLOGIZE AHEAD OF TIME #I had a LOT of roseway thoughts I needed to get out of my system #that lead into why the mock apple orchards would be such a special spot they'd want to keep returning to 😭#my thoughts are all a mess tho I know I know I have a lot that's needs cleaning up and better fleshed out #but hey! what's the point of having ideas if you can't talk about them no matter what stage of development they're at!!#enjoy my long winded roseway ramble #I really do think the orchards would make such a lovely spot to just be alone and bond #not that it was ever their intention. it certainly wasn't supposed to happen he'd think.#yet there he is. unable to deny her invitation and realizing all too late how many details about her he has committed to memory #always so collected and calculated. never stumbling on his words. always knowing just what to say.#until it comes to her. until she days his name. until her voice like a siren song has his tongue tied in knots.#'vicar max if you prefer brevity' he tells her. yet maximillian she'll call him. letting his name linger on her lips for as long as possible #I think I need to go lay down #faith and max #my writing #long post #says*

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fluffydice · 9 months

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It’s Kusuo’s birthday why am I thinking about how tragic of a character he is

#the Saiki k curse #do you ever think about how when his powers finally came out in the open he still went back and changed it #did he believe it just wasn’t meant to be? was he scared of them pushing him away in the future once it all set in?#it’s like when he tried to break things off with kaido before kuboyasu saved them #he wanted to get ahead of his apparently inevitable abandonment #or maybe he just thought it was too much a burden for them to bear to know something like him existed on earth #his first instinct is always to go back and fix it like with akechi #only this time his apparent ‘mistake’ was easily fixed #man #saiki k

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dimiclaudeblaigan · 6 months

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"i know we shouldn't be killing rhea and i personally am against it and my gut tells me this is wrong but i'll do it anyway because nobody else uses logic on this route anyway!"

#DCB Three Hopes Run #this is no thoughts head empty route so she's just going to blindly trust claude who has faced plenty of pushback #for his decisions and go ahead with helping him and the others kill rhea for reasons they have zero and sometimes negative evidence of #like rly why wouldn't she just be like hmm I don't agree with this can I sit this one out. nope she's gonna get involved anyway #it would've been more interesting if marianne disagreed and grew backbone and sided with the church instead #they try to write the routes as like... everyone is happy with their leader (unless you're dimitri #bc then felix gets to talk shit for half the game in houses and ppl ate it up like pie)#and they don't ask questions. when they do ask questions it's a brief answer that just shoots it down #even lorenz in gw saying they should just leave edelgard for dead was ignored #for all the proper reasoning he gave everyone else just went lol you're like (edelgard or claude depending on your choice)!!!#and then went on about the uwu classmate thing (even tho they didn't rly even know each other at all in this game as classmates #and by the timeline edelgard left the monastery before even the lions so she was around them the least amount of time)#like... actual reasoning in this game gets shot down so fast so it's no wonder marianne didn't actually DO anything #and didn't stick by her actual feelings/beliefs but it's still annoying that she didn't #maybe it would've made claude and friends think twice abt the whole thing if they had to cut marianne down too #for refusing to go along with it bc she she didn't believe it was the right thing to do

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gregoftom · 1 year

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awful, just awful

#succession #tomgreg #biting my pillow like that dog meme #where do i even begin with this TOM IS LIKE A SCHOOLBOY WITH GREG ITS ACTUALLY INSANE #he reverts to like 20 years younger from his emotional swings to his obvious crush #and his EXPRESSIONS THROUGHOUT THIS SCENE BY TALOS MY STOMACH IS IN MY ASS. MATTHEW!!!!!#his hurt at the thought that greg might somehow be trying to blackmail him again to just sadness because of greg's fear of going to jail #his downcast eyes as he says ''yeah'' SHUT the up #like yeah maybe he's reflecting on his own hurt and pain at the fact that he's going to jail and shiv handed him another rejection #just before. or maybe. he doesn't like hearing greg suffer like this. i mean. from what i know about later #that tom is fully prepared to go to jail and ''throw it all out for love'' or whatever tf for greg's sake #it's just. it's plausible is all i'll say. it's very plausible when we think about that future scene.#idk i just think that people refuse to hear when anyone would say tom is absolutely GASPING to love somebody. like yeah he's got issues #but who tf is well adjusted in this economy LMAOOO even in these rich fucks' worlds nobody is #so i know. i'm not stupid i know he can be nasty. but so can all of them. GREG WAS PREPARED TO SUE GREENPEACE AJDLAKDAD #i mean idk if he will. but my point is if tom wasn't like that he wouldn't be such a good character imo. if he was just a straight up #asshole. who would care if something bad happened to him? i wouldn't. something that makes him so compelling to me #is that he can be SO WRATHFUL AND MANIACAL #but he can be so. so fucking soft and vulnerable at the same time. and matthew plays him so organically i just wanna fuckin WEEP #and then GREG here. he wasn't even thinking about using a connection of any way to get ahead he just wants to be saved. he's still early 20s #i believe anyway. and tom has taken care of him. looked after him #protected him. he always listens to him. he's learned that tom is there for him so ofc he's gonna plead for help but like. not directly #''just asking for advice'' = i'm fucking terrified how do i make it stop help me #hoe but keep it fashion #SORRY GOD I KEEP DOING NOVELS IN THE TAGS BUT GODDDDDD THIS IS SO MUCH evyerhting is sos oafujfdmwkqfd #ok i'm stopping now but anyway. they're important to me. sorry. sorry bye

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themyscirah · 6 months

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Aunt Jessica is WILD (for context they legit met last issue)

#also WHEN did simon break his arm. am i crazy here when did this happen #i could have SWORN i was reading in chrono order like ?????#maybe it happened in justice league? but i thought i was up to date with JL timeline wise?#technically im 2 issues ahead in gls but thats bc im reading it 1 arc at a time not by publication #idk whats going on here but aunt jessica is literally so wild #blah #simonjess #simon baz #jessica cruz #panelposting #okay just checked and he did break his arm the arc before this so that tracks #i just forgot bc i started JL 🤢🤢🤢 in between

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bunnyb34r · 5 months

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Facing my fear of movie theaters by going to the first showing of the day sgdggdgd

I think I'll be the only person there which would be awesome tbh

AND I dont have to break my streak of having seen every hunger games movie in theaters :D I'm excited man

#marquilla #first one i saw with my friend from middle school and her weird ass family sgdgdgdggd second and third was with my ms/hs best friend who #also loved the books (we would have 'arguments' over what character was the best cough cough finnick cough cough which drove my dad insane #listening to every single time we would pick her up to come over (40 min drive one way atgagagsg)#and the last one i saw with my first boyfriend who really didnt have any thoughts one way or the other ab the books but he DID think gale #was better than peeta which lead to an 'argument' in the parking lot while we were looking for his moms car sgdgdggdgd we both #agreed that finnick was better though sgdggdg #and by arguments i mean they were those goofy 'my fav is better than YOURS' debates you have with friends that are always in good fun #now this time im going alone bc i really wanna see it and mom didnt read the book yet/isnt really interested (more like eh ill get you the #dvd when it comes out and we can watch it) this is my first time going by myself though which is kinda exciting sgdgd #did you know you can order food ahead of time and have it delivered to your seat?? thats wild to me #id feel so awkward doing that especially since it's probably just gonna be me today shhdhdhdhd

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youssefguedira · 2 years

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Yusuf is there when Nicolò enters the old temple, not a vision of him, no portal behind him that will take him somewhere Nicolò cannot follow yet again before he has the chance to reach him, just Yusuf. He's alone, his head tilted upwards and eyes closed, illuminated by the shafts of sunlight that fall through the cracked ceiling. The sight of him - here and safe and whole, finally, after everything Nicolo's fought through to reach him - takes his breath away.

"Nico," Yusuf says, and opens his eyes to look at him. He smiles, and he's still Nicolò’s Yusuf, even after everything that's happened.

Nicolò can't wait another second, then, sheaths his sword at his back and walks up the stone steps towards him. Yusuf's smile widens, and then he's stepping into Nicolò's already open arms, laughing. "I missed you."

"Missed you too," Nicolò says. He kisses Yusuf's temple, holds him close. "So much, Yusuf, you have no idea-"

Yusuf leans back, cupping Nicolò's face in one hand. "I know. It's okay. I'm here."

But Nicolò knows him well enough to know something's wrong. "What is it?"

"It's not over, yet." Yusuf steps out of Nicolò's arms and back a few steps, leaving him cold. "There's so much more you don't know yet, but we're running out of time. He will return, soon, and we're not ready."

"Tell me what I need to do," Nicolò says immediately. He can't bear the idea of Yusuf disappearing again, not now when he's finally here, when every other time Nicolò has tried to reach him he's been a second too late. "Anything, and I'll do it, whatever it is. Just tell me what you need."

Yusuf smiles again, sad. "It's not you, Nico. We need more time. And I can buy it, but-" He cuts himself off.

"Then I'll help you."

Yusuf shakes his head. "You don't understand. For this to work, I need to reform the seal, and I can only do that by" - there are tears in his eyes, now, and dread running down Nicolò's spine - "by sealing myself away along with it."

Nicolò realises just a moment too late what that means. "Yusuf-"

"If I seal myself here, in the past," Yusuf continues, "when you return to our time, it will be just strong enough to hold. You will have the time you need to finish this. And once all this is over, the seal can be broken in our time."

"I can't," Nicolò says. "There has to be another way. This can't be it."

"It's the only choice we have," Yusuf says. "I cannot - this was always my path, Nicolò."

She's manipulating you, Andromache had said, the goddess. She's using Yusuf to make you do what she wants, can't you see? If Nicolò hadn't understood then, he does now - neither of them ever had a choice in this. Yusuf was chosen because Nicolò would follow him anywhere, and Nicolò was chosen for the same reason.

Nicolò realises something else then. "If you seal yourself here, you'll be trapped for thousands of years."

"I'll be asleep," Yusuf says, soft. "It'll be like the blink of an eye. So when this is all over, you'll have to come wake me up." He smiles, then, even through his tears. "Just like old times, no?"

And before Nicolò can say anything else, the air around him begins to glow gold, condensing around Yusuf, who tilts his head back and closes his eyes, and Nicolò cannot move, frozen in place by something beyond his control. All he can do is watch as the light gathers around Yusuf, blindingly bright, until Nicolò cannot see him anymore. Whatever's holding him releases, and he runs towards Yusuf even though the light hurts his eyes, and just as he reaches out the light fades.

Before him is what looks like a crystal, tinged orange, clear enough that he can see Yusuf inside, his eyes closed. He looks like he's just sleeping, like this is one of the mornings Nicolò had had to wake him but had paused for a moment just to watch him.

Nicolò lifts his hand to the crystal. It's freezing cold when he touches it. Yet again, he's too late.

"I'll come back for you," he tells Yusuf, even though he knows Yusuf can't hear him. "I swear it. I'll finish this, and I'll come back for you." His voice is trembling, but he can't let himself break down now, not when there's still work to be done. The faster he finishes his task, the sooner he can wake Yusuf.

(Nile is the first to ask when he returns through the gate, waiting for him with Andy, Quynh and Sebastien nearby. "Where's Yusuf?" she asks, looking behind him - the plan had always been that Nicolò would bring Yusuf back with him, after all.

Nicolò can't bring himself to say it out loud.)

--------------------

It feels like an age before Nicolò returns to the temple, now in the present. It's over, finally - the five of them have sealed the demon king away for good. The others are outside.

The crystal is overgrown with vines, now, just like their old favourite meeting place on the island where all of this had started. Its surface is scratched and clouded with age, but Nicolò can still make out Yusuf inside it, looking exactly as he had when Nicolò left him in the past. He hates to think of the crystal here, alone, for so much time.

There's a glowing mark on the crystal's surface that hadn't been there before. Nicolò approaches it carefully and places his hand over the mark.

Almost immediately, glowing cracks begin to grow from where his hand touches the crystal, spreading across the whole thing until it's glowing as brightly as it had when it was formed, but he can't look away. When the light dies down, Yusuf hovers in the air for just a moment before whatever spell had held him there finally breaks, and he collapses, but Nicolò is there to catch him, sinking to his knees and cradling him close. He doesn't move for a moment, and Nicolò is terrified, because what if something had gone wrong-

Yusuf gasps awake, his eyes fluttering open. He looks around frantically before catching sight of Nicolò above him, who nearly sobs with relief, holding him impossibly closer.

"Nicolò?" Yusuf whispers, his voice hoarse. Nicolò nods, unable to speak just yet, blinking back his tears and brushing Yusuf's curls away from where they've fallen into his eyes.

Then Yusuf asks, "Did I oversleep?" and Nicolò has to laugh even though it comes out sounding more like a sob, kisses his forehead and smiles. "It's over, then?"

"It's over," Nicolò confirms, and then, "I love you."

Yusuf sits up and wraps his arms around Nicolò's neck, buries his face in Nicolò's shoulder and holds on tightly. "I love you too."

(When they return, Nile is the first to them, hugs Yusuf so tightly he laughs, and then it's Sebastien's turn, then Andromache and Quynh both.

They choose to stay on the surface, all six of them. And neither Yusuf or Nicolò are the same people anymore - sometimes Nicolò wakes screaming, sometimes Yusuf gets a distant look in his eyes and it takes a worryingly long time for him to come back to himself. Sometimes there are things Yusuf still can't tell Nicolò, and vice versa.

They make it work, though. They find a quiet place in the woods, far away from the temple and any danger, and they're safe, and happy, and together.

It's all Nicolò's ever wanted, really.)

#neon writes #posting this separately in an attempt to unbury it a little #the old guard #kaysanova #ANYWAY guess whos playing skyward sword. thats right folks this is ANOTHER different zelda au #ive condensed the entire thing into this because im not going to write much else for it #but. the plot:#nicolo and yusuf are childhood rivals-to-friends-to-lovers. at the time when Shit Goes Down they're coming up to the point where they have #to pass a specific test to become soldiers/knights/whatever. the wing ceremony if youre a zelda fan but theyre both participating. anyway #they both win (andromache and quynh are two years ahead of them nile and booker are the year below but they're all like. adults. not 17)#anyway they win and go on some kind of flight around the clouds because the kicker is that this takes place on a sky island and they get #around by riding giant birds i love ss. anyway while they're flying around (victory lap or something) yusuf mentions weird dreams he's been #having. then a giant tornado appears things happen yusuf falls below the cloud barrier separating the land from the sky nicolo is thrown #from his bird. wakes up explains this to andy who is like Well Shit. cue epic quest to find yusuf who has some destiny shit to do #gods and all that. its not important #but theyre trying to defeat an evil demon king before he comes back. merrick with horns can be the visual for that. nicolo spends half of #his time chasing after yusuf who always has to leave before they can talk. maybe quynh isnt with them on sky island and is the one guiding #yusuf instead i dont know anyway eventually nicolo has to do some hero stuff and all that. and this happens when theyre running out of time #as a kind of last resort. but then nicolo nile booker andy quynh defeat The Evil and rescue yusuf and its all good #the plot of this isnt very well thought out. i just thought about that scene with zelda and then about them and had to make this about it #enjoy #the reference to yusuf oversleeping is bc there's a bit in skyward sword abt link always sleeping in and then having to wake zelda and it #causes me 10 psychic damage so i had to adapt it here. that line is the whole reason this fic exists

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