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moony-2001 · 4 months

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Lore Olympus ep. 255 critique

Boy oh boy.

No remorse and tonal whiplash

We open this chapter with Persephone waking up not dead, total shock in Hades' arms, asking him if what happened was all a bad dream.

When Hades responds that what happened was not all in her head, we as the readers would expect Persephone to react with shock, remorse, something. Nope. Instead, we get this:

"Oh dear" with the most expressionless face ever. Our empathetic, caring protagonist everyone.

Now maybe I'm being too harsh. However, I feel like most people upon being confronted with the fact that they caused mass destruction would be pretty upset, if not incredibly so. But that's just my 2 cents.

We immediately transition into a party that's being set up for Persephone by all her friends and cohorts. We're then treated to this lovely image:

Thanks Captain Obvious.

While Hermes and Megaera argue over whether or not carrot cake is good, Thanatos pulls Hecate aside and notes about the massive uptick in incoming deaths which confirms what I said in my last critique post. While initially denying it, Hecate quickly realizes that something is very very wrong and that's when Hades and Persephone burst through the doors. Persephone bursts into tears and we get the most tone-deaf sentence ever:

Wow. Haha so funny. Comedy. Given the context of what just happened, this attempt at humor fell so flat.

I feel like the first third of this chapter kind of speaks for itself in terms of the writing and art, which is not good. There's just no emotion at all. I get the feeling that we're supposed to feel bad for Persephone and I just... don't. I don't have a whole lot more to say about this portion of the chapter; just that when I read it, I strained my eyeballs from rolling them so hard.

Hades tries not to make everything about himself challenge: Impossible

We transition into the post-party disaster cleanup where Persephone is hiding out in a greenhouse and Hades and Hecate are inside. Hades takes this opportunity to make everything about himself.

First of all, you're not and you're not.

But on a more serious note, this is not the first time we see Hades take a situation that has either nothing or almost nothing to do with him and make it all about himself. In fact, this is something he does frequently throughout the comic. Hades, in my opinion, very much has a "me, me, me, it's all about me" mindset.

One instance that comes to mind is this scene that happens in early s2 after Persephone opens up about her childhood and AOW. She barely has had time to share and process her traumatic experiences when Hades decides that this is the perfect time to dump 2000 years' worth of pent-up trauma onto a girl he's known for maybe 2 weeks at that point. Yet, he refuses to actively seek help during his time before meeting Persephone and even calls his therapist a hack.

Another instance is when Persephone confronts Hades about ripping out Alex's eye in s1 (when she was still somewhat empathetic to nymphs and whatnot).

Hades, when torturing Alex, very quickly shifts from the mentality of "you could've really damaged Persephone's reputation" to "I'm going to punish you because I view Persephone as my property and how dare you do this to me?"

Hades even outright admits it when confronted. He took a situation that had nothing to do with him and completely made it about himself.

Another instance is when Persephone tells Hades about what Apollo did to her and Hades flies off the handle and makes her trauma about himself. About what he is going to do even though that is not his decision to make.

It baffles me how conceited Hades is despite claiming to care about Persephone. I don't understand how you can look at a person who is going through a hell of a time and think "Let's make this about me". But that's a whole other post for the future

Zeus and Apollo

Skipping to the end of the episode, Apollo calls Hades (with Zeus' phone?) and tells him that he wants to take Persephone off Hades' hands.

Straight up, I don't like Hades and Persephone either as characters or together as a couple. I think they bring out the worst in each other. But Persephone is not some dog that needs to be rehomed and frankly, the whiplash Rachel is giving her audience in regards to Apollo's character is going to put me in a neck brace for life. She keeps flip-flopping between trying to make Apollo this sad, sympathetic anti-hero and the most egregious villain to walk the earth. You can not be both Zuko and Azula Rachel. You need to pick a lane and stay in it.

Apollo reveals that Zeus is in a coma and Hermes conveniently has the news up and running so we as the audience can be greeted with this:

"Attempted murder" you say? Of a being that literally can't die? Rachel, do you even know what attempted murder means?

"The defendant took at least one direct (but ineffective) step towards killing another person" and "The defendant intended to kill that person (malice aforethought)" -> California Law and Sentencing

While both of these are true in the fact that Apollo took the steps to kill Zeus and also intended to kill Zeus, they're gods. You can't murder a god. In order for murder to be attempted, or to even happen, the person in question has to be able to die. But then they're a human, not a god.

I feel like a more accurate report would be something along the lines of "Zeus has fallen victim to what seems to be a violent coup that has left him seriously incapacitated." Maybe that's not the best sentence to ever grace the writing scene, but hopefully my point is clear.

Also, how are people still oblivious to the fact that Apollo is, at the very least, incredibly suspicious right now. I mean his father has just been announced to be "dying" and instead of taking the time to mourn or even appear upset, he immediately slides into the position of power as King of the gods.

This chapter definitely wasn't as bad as 254, but it did make my brain hurt. Merry Christmas Eve and Happy Holidays to those of you who don't celebrate Christmas. See you all soon.

#lore olympus #lore olympus criticism #lo critic #lo critical #unpopular lo #unpopular lore olympus #anti lo persephone #anti lore olympus #anti lo #lo hate #lo criticism #lore olympus critical #lo critique

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nymime · 11 months

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TW: child abuse, bad words, homophobia, f*g and f*iry. Mentions of sexual abuse someone.

This just my theory why Steve yells homophobic shit to Jonathan in S1. Enjoy!

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When steve was around 11, close to 12, had his first experience with porn, specifically gay porn. And is not a happy memory. Until the present, what happened that day in the afternoon, haunt him.

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He was in the living room, watching a movie with his mamma, resently they both moves of his nonna’s house to stars living with his “father”, his mamma’s husband from 5 years ago. Richard it wasn’t his real dad, no, his real pappa would never do what Richard did that day. Anyways, they where watching “Jailhouse Rock”, his mamma was teaching him her first crush celebrity actor, in words of her “farle cadere le mutandine” (make her panties fall), he doesn’t understand what she means, but that alright, he only cares of how Elvis unto his belly get butterflies, he tells that to his mamma, she laugh, enchanted for that, but Richard who was listening from his office wasn’t enchanted, not even a little happy for that.

Mother and son just heard a loud slam of the front door, ignoring how everything would change.

After an hour, Richard came back, with loud steps and a face red as his tie, he step in front of the TV, kneeling on the floor, he takes out the movie VHS, throwing it troughs the living room, scaring Steve and his mamma, who stands up and walks slowly to Richard. The man put the VHS he brought, starting immediately with loud mouns and skin hit skin, two man’s where having sex. Mamma gasp while she runs to the VCR trying to take out the porn movie but Richard hit her, making her falls at the strong slap, Mamma hit her head in the center table, she pass out.

While that’s happen, steve was shaking of fear, he never saw his mamma fall like, he never thought that he ever feel that amount of pure fear in his little body. He let out a squeak of pain and surprise by the strong but suddenly grip he felt in his hair. Steve nearly falls into his knees cause Richard force him to stand and walk to the TV which was playing the two guys fuck. The man start’s forcing Steve to watch them fuck while Richard screams at him obscenities: “would you like to be touched like this?” “feel a cock fuck you like that? hm?” “disgusting fucking fairy! i will not accept my stepson being a fag!” “answer me you stupid son of a bicth!” steve let out the tears he was holding from before, when Richard punch his mamma. This goes for a good couple of minutes, until Steve could stutter a little “no, sir”, Richard push him to the screen of the TV and after let him go, Richard left the room. The little brunette was now hiccuping for air while he continues crying, he crowls to his fainted mamma, who was starting to wake up, she hug him and covers his ears, apologizing with a low sad voice, she began to hum and sing softly trying to comfort him. They both cry until the porn ends.

After that day mamma left with Richard in every job trip he has, not because she wants to, because Richard threat her that he would make Steve a “man” with a prostitute. She was scared, but always calls Steve to remind him that she loves him, and he knows.

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#steve harrington #steve stranger things #stranger things #imagine steve harrington #steve harrington angst #steve deserves the world #steve has shitty parents #his mamma is a good mom #steve harrington has a bad father #italian steve harrington #angst #steve harrington headcanon #steve harrington whump #steve harrington parents #steve harrington has bad parents #hispanitalian steve harrington

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eddie-munsons-wifey · 2 years

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Nightmares

Summary: After the events of s4 (Eddie makes it) you keep having nightmares. One night you wake up in a panic but don’t want Eddie to get up so you go outside to smoke. Wayne is also outsideso you and him have a little heart to heart.

Pairing: Wayne munson x G/N reader (platonic, reader is dating Eddie)(no physical descriptions, no gendered descriptions besides from feminine pet names: sweetheart, doll etc.)

Word count: 1444

Warnings: PTSD, hurt/comfort, mentions of death, smoking.

A/N: Okay I know that Wayne has no clue about the upside down but let’s just say he’s been all caught up. (Reader is the groups former dm so was involved since s1)

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Eddie barely made it out alive from the upside down. He had basically been eaten alive by the demobats after giving the most metal concert in history. That was when you and Dustin found him, all bloody and barely breathing, you both thought he was a goner. That was until Steve, Nancy and Robin came back from defeating Vecna and saving Hawkins (which they achieved) to find you and Dustin sobbing over a mostly gone Eddie. Steve had managed to drag Eddie’s almost lifeless frame through the gate and into the trailer where they drove to the nearest hospital. After a few days of worrying that he wouldn’t survive, everyone’s prayers had been answered when Eddie fluttered his heavy eyes open.

After catching him up with what had happened while he’d been out, you both went back to his trailer where Wayne was waiting nervously for the return of his beloved nephew and caught him up. Everything from when you had to babysit a newly found russian girl for your dnd club to Eddies near death experience. He surprisingly took it quite well (after he’d been given a minute to let it sink in), said he ‘wasn’t shocked that a small town like Hawkins was so cursed’. In just a few days (thanks to Hopper being back) his name had been cleared, everyone still hated him, still called him a ‘freak’, ‘murderer’ and ‘satan’ but he was a free man at least.

Finally Eddie was able to doze off, although you’d bet all your money that the lightest tap on his shoulder or a whisper of a breeze would wake him. Deciding to try and get some sleep, you cuddled into his side (mindful of his tender scars) and shut your eyes. When you had finally got to sleep that’s when it began.

“No, NO! Eddie no, please wake up!” His lifeless body lay on the floor, Dustin was nowhere to be found.

“C’mon Eddie, we saved you! Me and Dustin saved you! Please Eddie stop! WAKE UP!”

You sobbed and sobbed over his corpse. This can’t be happening. Steve had carried him through the gate. He was fine. You had saved him and stopped Vecna. But what if that was a dream and this was the reality? What if Eddie was actually dead? What if you had failed.

The thoughts grew louder and louder, pounding away all of the hope you had left of Eddie ever waking up. Of ever being happy without him.

“C’mon. STEVE!? NANCE!? ROB!? ANYONE PLEASE HELP!!”

The pleas for help were no use. He was gone, your Eddie. Gone.

Jumping from the bed, you woke up. A cold sweat sitting on your skin, chest rapidly rising. Taking in all your surroundings, you realised you were in Eddie’s room. ‘It was just a nightmare.’ you repeated over and over to yourself. You look over to your left and there he is, sleeping soundly. Although you know he’s okay, he’s alive, you can’t seem to calm down, Your heart feels as if it’s about to jump out of your chest. That doubt is still there.

Grabbing a cigarette and lighter from his messy bedside table, you quietly make your way to the door, seeking out some sort of relief from your anxieties. You open the worn door and step down the three small steps outside the trailer. Placing the cigarette between your lips and cupping around the tip, it lights after a few small flickers of the old lighter. Honestly, you wouldn’t be at all surprised if he’s had this lighter for years.

“Rough night?”

You jump at the low, unexpected voice before turning to see Wayne, Eddie‘s uncle sitting on the small plastic seats they have placed below a window.

“I- um, yeah you could say that.” Wayne was never a talker. You knew you could talk to him but something always stopped you. The lack of emotion on his face was slightly unsettling. He wasn’t the type of person you would have a conversation with. Let’s be honest, if it weren’t for your sleeping boyfriend you wouldn’t have given Wayne a second look.

He patted the seat beside him, ushering you to sit down, which you obliged to.

“Nightmares again?”, he asked, taking a long drag of his cigarette, not looking directly at you.

“Yeah. I just don’t know what I’d do if he didn’t make it. I wouldn’t be able to cope with myself. I love him so much Mr. Munson.” You took a drag of the cigarette inbetween your fingers, almost fully burnt out from its lack of attention.

“Just call me Wayne kid. He loves you too you know, couldn’t get him to shut up about you for months. Everyday after school he’d tell be about what you did. What you wore. What the conversation you and him had was about. Everything.”

Taken slightly aback by this new information, you stay silent, not quite sure how to reply.

“Thank you.”, Wayne says, almost a whisper.

“What? For what?”

“Not many people appreciate Eddie y/n. No one ever got close enough to know him as well as you do, to get him to trust you the way he does. And if they did, they ran at the first sign of him being a ‘freak’. They think he’s to dangerous.”

Eddie? Dangerous? The boy wouldn’t touch a fly.

“You make him feel normal y/n. Feel loved. Not many people have given him the time of day.”

“I know, I’ll always do that for him. He deserves it.”

And he did, he truly did. Even if Eddie hadn’t sacrificed himself for a town that wanted him dead he would still deserve more than all of the shitty people in Hawkins. As Wayne said, no one ever gave Eddie the time of day. If they weren’t throwing insults at him, calling him a freak or satan, they would just pretend he didn’t exist. But you saw him. Truly saw him. He was the kindest, funniest person you’d ever met. You’d met him when you dropped off some dnd stuff for the boys at hellfire and upon him finding out you were their old dm he was hooked. You two were joined at the hip. You would never forgive yourself if he had died in the upside down.

The door opening pulled you from your thoughts. Out wandered a sleepy Eddie in his old, battered iron maiden t-shirt and plaid bottoms.

“I woke up and you weren’t there sweetheart. You okay?” The concern in his voice prominent. He’d probably panicked a little when he’d woke up, your side of the bed cold and you absent.

“Yeah Ed’s, had a nightmare and came out for a cig. Sorry.” A pang of guilt ran through you.

“Don’t be sorry doll, s’okay. C’mon back inside, it’s too cold to be out here.”, he said, one hand holding the door open and the other outstretched towards you, enticing you in the warm trailer. Making your way to him after giving Wayne a small ‘thank you’ smile, Eddie’s arm wrapped around your waist, guiding you in.

“What were you two talking about?”, he questioned. You didn’t want to give away too much so you just said that you talked about your nightmare. You knew he’d be embarrassed if he knew about your newly attained knowledge.

“The reoccurring one? Why didn’t you wake me?”

Crawling back into the warmth of Eddie’s bed you nestled into his chest. His long arms wrapping around you.

“Didn’t want to disturb your sleep.” You knew he wouldn’t give up on getting you to agree with him but you were awake now so what the hell.

“But sweetheart, that’s why I’m here, to help you. Just wake me up nex time m’kay?”

“Okay Ed.” You’d already given up at putting up an argument, knowing it was useless. He was always so persistent so you didn’t bother trying.

“Goodnight y/n. I love you.”

“Love you too Eddie.”

And with that you both drifted off into a peaceful sleep. Doing that every night after helped you two find out that it stopped the nightmares you both got, the ones that consumed your thoughts. You were safe with eachother. You were in this together now.

#eddie is alive #eddie munson #eddie x reader #eddie x gn!reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie x you #wayne munson x reader #stranger things #stranger things edit

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raayllum · 10 months

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i feel like a way Rayla could realise her self sacrifice issue was bad was if she put herself in danger to save someone and it was all in vain and she ended up injured for nothing and callum’s yelling at her is a wake up call

thoughts?

The tricky thing about Rayla - and indeed why I think her issues are so like, persistent - is because it wouldn't surprise if the scenario you've laid out above is exactly what happened to her during the timeskip to evoke the "We can't save everyone, there's too much at stake" reaction to the drake, and if anything it just made her Worse off, instead

Cause I feel like in a situation like that, Rayla would just internalize it as "I failed to protect them because I'm not good enough," and not necessarily "I need to stop biting off more than I can chew and let people help me" / that she's worthy of that sort of help. Cause self worth issues like Rayla tends to rest on an inherent belief that there's something Wrong with her. Not just with what she does, but inherently with what she is, that she's fundamentally flawed in a way that other people just Aren't. It's not a belief based on reality and is far from fair, but it is an exceedingly common one

We actually kind of see this perfectly illustrated in 1x08, in which both the boys 'mess up' to a degree, and Rayla reassures them back to back

Callum: Ugh. I'm sorry my plan was a mess! Rayla: Nah, your plan was fine! Our execution was a little off. Ezran: I'm so sorry I messed up the plan. Rayla: Ah, you should cut yourself a break. Everyone messes up sometimes.

And then later that very same episode, when Ezran tries to offer Rayla some reassurance/leeway, and Callum in 1x09 reiterates that it's not her fault, Rayla initially steamrolls over both of them and fully over Callum trying to assuage her guilt: "That shouldn't have mattered. I had a job to do" / "No, I should have trusted you. Things only went wrong because we kept fighting." "I let you both down. I let the world down."

Because, according to Rayla, she messes up all the time, and kinda believes she always will. She doesn't really think she can free the dragon and make it out alive, which is probably what it would take for a mission to be deemed 'successful' (and is very Runaan "sacrifice" of her). She doesn't really think she's going to come back after leaving in TTM, either ("I wish I could say that we'll see each other again, but I don't know. I hope so").

She's the assassin and the protector who can't successfully protect anyone. She's the one who spent two years searching for Viren and Claudia and got defeated enough to eventually come home, only to realize they really were out there and she just couldn't find them. She couldn't catch the pouch containing her parents' coins; she couldn't keep Callum safe. She's the defect. The traitor, the liar. The Ghost. The mistake.

So like, what does Rayla need to realize then?

That she can succeed and won't inevitably fail (may be achieved by successfully saving Callum, emotionally/physically, from Aaravos' brainwashing)

That even if she does fail, it's okay and it's okay for her to make a mistake (arguably the more important one) and that she doesn't have to Punish herself for them (or anyone else's mistakes) either

That not everything, even her failures, are universally her fault, and learning to distinguish between her failures, mistakes, and things that couldn't be helped either way

That it is okay, if anything better, for her to accept help and to lean on other people, and that it's okay (even if it's not ideal) for them to want to protect her

Tying into that, regardless of whether she succeeds or fails, she has worth and is worthy of love - that she doesn't have to and shouldn't have to do everything alone

That it is okay to stay and want things for herself

She's got a long road ahead, clearly, but I am confident that she can get there. I always have been, ever since S1 began to show the fractures, and S3 blew them wide open, and I cannot wait to get to see her start healing

#tdp rayla #characterization #thanks for asking #anonymous #raylangst #rayla #mental health #i feel like rayla has enough self awareness to realize her pattern isn't Great for the people around her #but not enough to stop or extend it to 'this thing Also Hurts Me' y'know?#at least not yet

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cbrownjc · 1 year

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That post about Lestat turning Daniel... I also think it's going to be this way but I have the craziest theory about this: the groan in the penthouse is actually Lestat. He's living there as a hostage. one day, Daniel decides to follow the groan and discovers the prisoner. Lestat somehow convinces Daniel to help him out but Lestat is super hungry and feeds himself from Daniel and escape. Armand decides to turn Daniel to avoid his death.

Hi Anon!

I'm 100% with you on "the groan" being Lestat. However, I don't think Lestat is currently conscious or awake. I think he's asleep/in a coma and creating "the groan" unconsciously. Kind of a spin on him/his body protecting itself when he was in his post-Memnoch the Devil coma.

And yes, I, too, can see Lestat attacking Daniel at the end of S2 after he wakes up, in a kind of shout-out to the end of the 1994 movie.

However, I think Daniel will get saved or something without needing to be turned by Armand, Louis, or even Lestat. Simply because I don't think the show is going to make Daniel a vampire that soon, i.e., at the end of S2.

Daniel has just begun to fulfill his story role as the ordinary human among these fantastical, supernatural characters. Even outside of what's been adapted so far, Daniel has yet to be changed enough over the course of the story of the show to be fully brought into that world just yet.

Plus, audiences who haven't read the books have no idea about Daniel's deeper - i.e., Devil's Minion - connection to all of this, just like Daniel doesn't at the moment. And there isn't time to tell that whole story in just 7-8 eps in S2, not with everything else S2 also has to cover.

The dramatic stakes are significantly lowered if Daniel is turned before he learns everything that took place regarding these things if he is turned before he learns it.

Also, I don't think Daniel would help Lestat out if he was in trouble. Like, not at all. Even if Daniel remembers having maybe met Lestat before in the 80s or something, he still barely knows the guy now, except for what he's heard and been told about by Louis. And what Louis has told him hasn't been all that good, to say the least.

That is partly why I strongly feel Daniel - while still human - will be the one interviewing Lestat in S3 when the show adapts The Vampire Lestat.

First, we already know the show's name isn't going to change in S3, Rolin Jones already said so in an interview. The show will still be called Interview with the Vampire in S3. And you've already got Daniel right there, you don't need to try and introduce another different character and set them up to do the interview for Lestat's life story, that's just wasting time. Also, Lestat just telling the story to himself as he writes it down, or something, is just boring visually. No way are they going to do it that way. The dynamics of a back-and-forth interview, as we've seen in just S1, are much more engaging.

And secondly, I'm pretty sure Daniel will have a low opinion of Lestat and his actions going into such an interview at the start, just like I bet many in the audience will (particularly, again, those who haven't read the books). But, the journalist that Daniel is, he'll still be curious to hear Lestat's side of everything and, therefore, will do the interview.

Daniel will push and ask questions that many watching, especially those who don't know the story, would want to ask. And I expect Daniel's opinions of Lestat will change over the course of the interview with him and learning what he does of Lestat's story and side of things, probably for the better in some significant regards.

But right now? Naw. Daniel wouldn't help Lestat, even if he somehow found him awake and in chains or something. That said, I do kinda think Daniel will either discover or be taken by Armand, Louis, or both and be shown the source of the "the groan" which will be a coma-sleeping Lestat.

As for who finally does turn Daniel, which I think will happen a few seasons from now (like S5 or so)? I could be wrong, and it really could still be Armand. I really do think Armand has Dr. Fareed doing something wrt the levodopa Daniel was given. My mom had Parkinson's, and the only time she was given an IV drip of levodopa was when she was in the hospital. Otherwise, she took her levodopa in pill form. So I think Armand has Dr. Fareed doing something to try and stay Daniel's Parkinson's. Because while I still think Armand is dead set against ever turning someone himself, I don't think he wants Daniel to die, and is looking for other ways to preserve his life.

That's why, IMO, Armand gave Louis that look when Louis offered to turn Daniel in EP6. Armand might have asked Louis to turn Daniel in the past, during the show's version of The Devil's Minion, and Louis refused. (And unlike with Madeline in the books, and possibly what will also happen on the show, Armand didn't try to mentally manipulate Louis into doing so this time.)

In the end, though, as in the books, Armand's hand might finally be forced to realize there is no way to stop Daniel from dying a natural death, and he's just going to have to make a choice to offer to turn him.

The real question is, though, would Daniel accept the offer? And, at the moment, I'm just feeling "no." Because Daniel is in a different place than he was almost 50 years ago. He basically alluded to it himself in EP6.

Unlike when he was in his 20s, being immortal now would now mean watching his daughters grow old and die.

So if Daniel continues to refuse the offer of the Dark Gift, even knowing he's dying (and I think he will), then the only way he's getting turned is if someone turns him against his will. And I just don't know if Armand would ever do that. I, personally, don't think he would.

However, I think Lestat would. And so would Marius.

Marius would do it because he's a controlling ass, and would do it for the same reason he turned Sybelle and Benji in the books IMO.

Lestat, OTOH, I think, would do it for the same reason he forcibly turned David Talbot. Which is that he just wanted to. (And, he didn't want to lose David, which he felt he had when David got his new body, along with a host of other things Lestat thinks about himself at that point, but that's a whole other thing I don't want to go into right now.) Anyway, as far as the show goes, I think Daniel and Lestat might end up having the same kind of friendship and love that book-Lestat and David had.

I know I'm not alone in thinking David Talbot's character has been cut from the show. (I feel more sure of it since Aaron Lightner was cut from The Mayfair Witches series too.) And I think one of the new things that will result in that is that Lestat and Daniel will grow to have an affectionate relationship between them like the one Lestat had with David in the books.

Whether Daniel gets David's body-swapping plot remains to be seen (and could open up a whole other can-of-worms, which I'll refrain from going into here.) Needless to say, I've said elsewhere that the four main characters of the show are Louis, Lestat, Armand, and Daniel, all of whom will have complicated relationships with each other; and I think the way they are going to go into building something between Lestat and Daniel is to pull from the relationship Lestat has with human-David in the books. An older man, who has a long life experience under him, and finds Lestat fascinating while not interested in being turned either, so the relationship develops rather equally.

And ends up with Lestat eventually turning him. And I can fully see the same happening with Daniel.

Damn, can I ever answer an ask without writing an essay in response? I guess not, when I have so many thoughts about this show in my head . . .

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purpleheartskies · 2 years

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One thing that really bothers me about s4 is that Johnny and Daniel spent all this time together and not once did they talk about Robby. Like, they acted like Robby didn't even exist. It was just dissappointing because each season they always seemed to have some fight over Robby. But in s4 Robby's with someone that tried to kill both of them, and for them it's like "Well, that's Robby's decision to stay with the attempted murderer. What can we do about it? 🤷🏼‍♂️ 🤷🏻‍♂️" even though Robby's a teenager and someone can do a lot about it. Not to mention, how dangerous Kreese and his teachings are in general.

So it was like all season they gave up on Robby. And even Daniel didn't think of Robby right away after Daniel found out that Silver had returned. Daniel only went to Robby after Amanda talked about kids like Tory being thought of as lost causes but just needing wake-up calls. So, did Daniel now think of Robby as a lost cause in need of wake up call too? Obviously. And when Daniel did go to talk to him, Daniel just wanted to talk to him about Silver (or previously about Cobra Kai), although it was pretty obvious that Robby didn't even trust Daniel anymore and thought that Daniel only came to him to use him in the dojo war. But Daniel didn't even notice this because Daniel doesn't think that he has done anything wrong. But he should realize that Robby went from trusting him completely to staying the hell away from him and not trusting him, so Daniel must have done something that he needs to at least have a proper conversation with Robby about without Daniel having a self-righteous attitude about it. And don't even get me started on that waste-of-space Johnny whose whole purpose since forever has been to only think about himself and do things to make him feel better about himself, no matter how much he traumatizes Robby in the process. Just disappointed in these two adults who claim to care about Robby and how they left Robby to his own devices this season and didn't really show much concern over who Robby was with or what may be happening to him or about fixing things with him.

Also, Johnny had done what he'd believed would keep Kreese away from Miguel, spending months helping Miguel get up on his feet because Johnny thought Kreese was going to try to take Miguel from him. And of course Daniel wouldn't have left Sam with Kreese no matter what. But Robby is just Robby, so Johnny and Daniel just left him with Kreese and didn't even ask Robby why he would even join Cobra Kai after everything that had happened.

I do give more positive credit to Daniel than to Johnny of course. However, Daniel did screw Robby over by how he didn't fight for Robby's side of the story after the school fight. Robby had been attacked that day, and like I've said before, I would have fought like crazy to protect Robby and his future if he were my kid or someone I cared for, but Daniel thought the worst of Robby because he's Johnny's son and Daniel didn't even care about Robby's side of the story. So, I haven't been impressed by Daniel's character since s3 because he doesn't seem to learn from his own mistakes of not listening to Robby's side of the story, like he had promised Robby that he would do after Louie had pranked Robby in s1, despite Daniel preaching to Robby that Robby can learn from his own mistakes. Daniel also continues to judge Robby by his mistakes despite also telling Robby that his mistakes aren't who he is.

#i just want someone to truly care about robby and really fight for him and always be on his side #cobra kai is robby's story #robby keene

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sakura-chan-25 · 1 year

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Nightmare

Pairing: Simeon, Asmo, Barbatos & Sakura (my MC)

Summary: While they're all spending three days in Diavolo's castle, Sakura has a pretty bad nightmare.

Word Count: ~1.8k

Warning(s): nightmare, crying, hyperventilating, self-harm (Sakura bites herself in the hand), blood, trembling out of fear, cursing

A/n: This fic is based on Lesson 7 in S1. Meaning Sakura is still that shy insecure little bean here. (There’s going to be an A/n at the end of the fic like usual, too)

Sakura shot up in bed, biting herself in the hand to stop the scream that threatened to erupt out of her mouth. She was breathing heavily and tears were already falling freely out of the corners of her green eyes. She bit herself harder in the hand to silent the sobs coming out of her mouth. She couldn’t cry, she wasn’t alone in this room. Simeon and Asmo were still asleep, she didn’t want to wake them up. At least not over something so silly like a nightmare.

But was it really just a nightmare? It felt so real. That thought made her let go of the hand she was biting on. It started to hurt and if you looked closely, you could even see a bit of blood. Now the sobs weren’t choked off anymore and bounced freely off the walls of this unfamiliar room.

While Sakura was slowly hyperventilating and rubbing her injured hand, Simeon moved restlessly in bed. He was still half asleep, hearing her cries, but also thinking they’re not really here. Then his eyes shot open. He was not in purgatory hall in his bed. He was in Diavolo’s castle and shared a room with Sakura and Asmo. Those cries were real! Simeon’s protect-mode turned on and he sat up. Asmo seemed to be still sleeping, so that meant…

Simeon walked over to a crying curled up ball called a human and crouched down on the floor. “Hey. Hey, Sakura. What’s wrong? What happened?” Sakura flinched at his soft voice and curled into herself more, trying to hide. This made Simeon freak out on the inside slightly, but he still asked in a whisper: “Nightmare?”

No response. At least no response in words. After Simeon uttered the word ‘nightmare’, Sakura’s cries had become louder and the hand that was currently rubbing along her wound on the other one started pressing against the wound, making it worse. Suddenly a hand grabbed her uninjured hand and pulled it away from the injured one. “Don’t!”, Asmo’s high-pitched voice screeched. Now the dam broke.

Sakura let out a scream and thrashed around, trying to have Asmo let go off her hand. He didn’t though, so Simeon finally stepped in and told Asmo to give her some space. They let go and Sakura scrambled blindly behind until she touched the bed headboard, trying to have as much distant as possible. “D-Don’t. Don’t. Please.”, She begged while breathing heavily and tears still streaming down her face.

Suddenly the door creaked open. Green hair was to see, before Sakura finally looked at Barbatos’ face, seemingly worried. “Everything alright here? I heard crying and screaming.” Sakura whimpered and tried to hide away. She couldn’t get away. Asmo was sitting on her bed, opposite her, while Simeon was on the left side of her bed and now Barbatos came too and made his way over to the right side of the bed.

“Sakura. Whatever happened in this dream, it wasn’t real. You’re safe here. It was only a nightmare.”, Simeon tried to soothe from his place on the floor, but Sakura only shook her head and let out a sob: “No.”, she sniffled, “Not safe here. Not safe…”

“Not… safe?”, Asmo murmured, not understanding what Sakura was talking about. Barbatos however understood what she meant. He was no stranger to particularly bad nightmares, he had them himself from time to time and Diavolo had them, too. Especially back when he was still a child. Sometimes your own mind could be your worst enemy.

“Sakura? Hey, Sakura. Would you like to follow me to the kitchen?”, Barbatos asked the trembling girl sitting on the bed and patiently waited for her response. A short nod was all he needed. “Alright then. If you would follow me, please.” Sakura scrambled to her feet as soon as Asmo left her bed and stumbled to the door. She wanted out of here, away from those eyes. “You two please wait here until we’re back.”, Barbatos declared as he made his way out of the room with the brown-haired girl behind.

The walk to the kitchen was slow and quiet, except for the occasional hiccups and sniffles from Sakura. Barbatos decided not to talk about it and continued to walk in front of her. Not asking her about it seemed to work better than bombarding her with questions and reassurances like the other two did back in the room. Maybe that is why Barbatos set such a slow pace for the short way to the kitchen.

As soon as they entered the kitchen Barbatos filled a glass with water and handed it to the short girl. She took it with her uninjured hand and, before she could even take a sip, Barbatos asked: “May I treat your wound, Sakura? You could get an infection and I don’t want to risk it.”

If he hadn’t still been holding the glass – supporting Sakura’s shaking hand a bit –, it would have been in pieces on the floor now. Sakura’s eyes widened as she took a few steps back and hid her hand behind her back. “What wound? There is none?”, She laughed uncomfortably.

“You’re a terrible liar, miss.”, Barbatos said bluntly as he put the glass on the counter and carefully took her hand in his to inspect the injury. It was still bleeding, but it didn’t seem too bad. A splash of water, disinfecting and a bandage should be enough. “Follow me, please.”, he said and dragged her to the sink.

As Barbatos was washing her hand, Sakura looked around the kitchen. Her attention quickly went back to Barbatos’ doing as soon as she felt a sting in her hand, though. She hissed and tried to get out of his grasp, but he was too strong. “Relax, it’s already over. I just need to cover your wound with a bandage and you can go back to your room. Wait here for a moment.”, Barbatos left her alone as he got the first-aid kit in some different room.

While she waited, she finally took a sip from the water filled glass. The glass was empty before he even came back and she put it in the sink. Now that the blood was gone you could see the slight teeth-prints. She just hoped that this wouldn’t leave a scar.

“It shouldn’t leave a scar. At least not one you could see from far away.” The girl jumped at Barbatos’ voice. When did he get back? And when did he bandage her wound? “I see you finished the glass. Do you want me to refill it? Or are you ready to get back to bed? It is quite late after all.”

Sakura stumbled over her words, not really knowing what she wanted. She didn’t need him to refill the glass, that point was quite clear. But back to bed? Back to Simeon and Asmo?

Barbatos saw the uneasiness on her face, besides hearing it in her voice. He truly didn’t understand her. He didn’t understand how she seemed to trust no one besides him to an extent. He didn’t understand how she seemed to be more scared of the older angel exchange student than of the demons, than of this place.

“What?”

“Pardon?”, Barbatos tilted his head in confusion and looked at the girl staring back at him.

“You just said something, didn’t you?”

Barbatos hesitated, however, he decided that now was the perfect chance: “I don’t quite understand.”

“Don’t understand what?”, Sakura asked quietly after a moment of silence.

“I don’t understand how out of all the people around you; you trust me the most. You seem to be cautious around Simeon the most, too and I don’t get it. He is an angel, he is the safest option here, so why-?”, Barbatos slowly dropped his ‘butler-speech’ and sounded more irritated the longer he talked.

Sakura couldn’t stop the small smile creeping up on her. “You know, technically? You’re not the person I trust the most, my brother is. But he isn’t here, is he? So what other option do I have?” A tear rolled down her cheek. “Why I’m so cautious around Simeon is nothing I have to share right now, but some angels are assholes. That’s all I’m going to tell you. If you’re not satisfied with that answer, you’ll have to wait.” She quietly laughed and wiped the tears away.

Barbatos nodded his head and seemed to be deep in thought. He wanted to ask about her brother, but that didn’t seem like a good idea right now, so he left it.

“Would you like to change rooms with someone?”

Sakura shook her head, explaining that she’ll manage. Barbatos nodded again. Suddenly the air seemed way too thick, but then…

Barbatos felt a warm embrace and he tensed. Looking down he saw the brown hair of the short girl. A small “thank you” left her lips as she let go off him again. “Uhhh… We can go back, if you want to…”, Sakura said with an uneasy smile, looking at him. Barbatos smiled slightly and nodded. “Well then. We should go.”

The walk back was just as quiet and slow as the walk away from the room, but none of them minded. Before Sakura opened the door, Barbatos hugged her, making her squeak and him laughing softly. “I don’t think I returned your little hug in the kitchen, did I?”, his voice had a teasing tone behind it. Sakura scoffed but hugged him back.

“Good night, Barbatos.”, She said before opening the door and going inside, shutting it behind her again.

Barbatos stood in front of the room a little while longer before he decided to make his way back to his own room. However, before that he whispered with a small smile on his lips:

“Good night, Sakura.”

A/n: I did not expect it to end like that nor that it would be that long, lol. This is based on this ask I received and if you got other questions about my MC feel free to ask them! (Or pick a few out of the ask game I made). I hope you enjoyed and have a good day/night! :D

#obey me #obey me comfort #obey me non-agere #obey me asmodeus #obey me asmo #obey me simeon #obey me mc #obey me mc sakura #my mc #obey me barbatos #obey me barbie

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wander-wren · 1 year

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Wren’s Fanfic Masterpost

completed works or wips already posted to my ao3!! alphabetical order by fandom, post order within fandom categories. feel free to ask me about any of them but especially the wips—no guarantee i ever finish anything unposted, but showing interest might kick my motivation up. once it’s posted, it WILL eventually, someday, be finished.

everything is a oneshot unless stated otherwise. everything is a happy ending unless stated otherwise. for space, i only included archive content warnings, but all fic notes/tags should have more detailed CWs.

other posts have my current wips or concepts im kicking around.

Arcane

afterimage- post-s1 nightmare fic featuring jinx, with vi and caitlyn there to help. strong focus on jinx’s trauma and hallucinations.

transformation- sort of trans jinx (nonbinary girl) character study, including trans dad silco and some stumbling blocks on the road to healing between vi and jinx.

day off (off day)- caitvi hurt/comfort where cait gets badly hurt on the job, ft hospitals, feral protective vi, and panic attacks, hooray.

the things the war leaves behind- whumptober prompt fill for “say goodbye.” a look at what happened when ekko tried to save powder from silco.

BNHA

i’ll set the table (you can make the fire)- post canon/pro hero au with krbkdktd. izuku overuses ofa at work, causing a pain flareup, and his boyfriends take care of him

all systems red- 3-chapter todoroki-centric sickfic that spiralled out of control and turned into an “erasermic find out about endeavor and adopt todo” fic. mostly a fic about my headcanon that todoroki is dissociating half the time.

not what time steals (what it leaves behind)- whumptober fill for “caged.” old guard/immortality au where dabihawks have been psychically connected for centuries, but separated bc hawks is used as the commissions favorite torture experiment. then: rescue!

can’t believe what you see (all eyes on me)- whumptober fill for “waking up disoriented” and direct sequel to “not what time steals,” so same plot/premise.

lie still and let the lights pass by- decidedly unwhumpy whumptober fill for “tossing and turning.” platonic or pre-slash tdbk, there was only one bed, nightmare fic.

wrong place, right time- after all might crushes deku's hero dream, aizawa finds him on the edge of a rooftop, and they have a very long talk. first installment of my quirkless!deku au.

Check Please!

there’s a ringing in my head- whumptober fill for “dazed and confused” featuring concussed!bitty and pre-slash zimbits. iffy on the happy ending bc of miscommunications between jack and bitty.

The Old Guard

in the sea that’s painted black (you’re a king and i’m a lionheart)- au where only nicky was kidnapped by merrick, with much worse and very gross torture, then rescue and healing. and joenicky being in love, of course

walking heavy till the dying’s done- joenicky fic that asks “so what if you were impaled, stuck, but unable to die? wouldn’t that suck?” and yes, it would.

dry drowning- whumptober fill for “running out of air,” ft booker/nile and bonding over quynh dreams

The Raven Cycle

how to keep turning when the world goes still- non-tdt compliant post canon au where adam and ronan are accosted by the past at harvard, and adam doesn’t cope well.

how to be still when the world whirls on- same universe as above, but now facing ronan’s ghost. discussion of past rape/non-con in the usual vein of rovinsky toxicity

stealth missions (your cover’s blown)- transmasc adam has been going stealth at aglionby, terrified that if his all-very-cis friends find out he’s trans, they’ll drop him. turns out he’s wrong about…all of that. mostly platonic gangsey, bit of pynch.

this black thing inside of me (call it irrationality)- also a non-tdt compliant college au, pynch/adam-centric sickfic and emetophobic!adam. sort of a vent/projection fic for me.

hostage situation- whumptober fill for “ransom video,” where greenmantle kidnaps adam to get to the greywaren and ronan goes ballistic.

shields, surrender, shadows on shoulders- whumptober fill for “silent panic attack,” direct sequel to “hostage situation,” covering the hospital visit after the kidnapping.

this circular humanity- whumptober fill for “whipping,” set roughly around dream thieves. pynch crumbs. adam returns to the trailer to speak to his mom, and it does not go well, but his friends help.

old habits- non-tdt compliant au with established pynch, where the boys work through ronan's trauma re: past abusive rovinsky. yes i have two fics like this now, no i don't know why either

Six of Crows

the world owes me nothing (i’m taking from it still)- trans!inej character study set pre-canon, with hints of kanej and lots of Gender Feelings. tagged rape/non-con for canon-typical depictions of inej’s backstory.

without armor (or not at all)- post-ck, kanej, kaz-centric focusing on overcoming his fear of touch. very sweet imo as the author lol.

to take up swords and strike the sea- unfinished 1/3 part pirate!inej fic post-ck. not kanej, not kaz friendly but not kaz unfriendly. inej gets a gf. both of them are trans but that’s just a bg element. also discusses, not in detail, abuse and rape, bc *waves at inej and her entire mission*.

no matter how broken (come home to you)- ck au where inej’s legs are broken by van eck and she grieves, heals, and grows. lots of kanej, lots of crows friendship, lots of disabled characters still being badass.

best laid plans- whumptober fill for “ambush.” pre-canon, jesper, inej, and kaz attempting a bank robbery that goes wrong when dime lions show up. technically sad/cliffhanger ending, but no mc death or anything.

ghost of you- whumptober fill for “back from the dead” ft wesper. jesper doesn’t come back from a job when he says he will, and wylan panics. presumed death and misunderstandings cause angst trope?? my faves

Warrior Cats

swiftpaw’s chance- swiftpaw lives au with bright/swift/cloud, focusing mainly on his journey and healing from the trauma of the dog pack through the rest of tpb. 16/16 chapters.

dusk to dawn- sequel to swiftpaw’s chance, rewrite of the new prophecy focusing on whitewing and nightcloud, then squirrelflight and tawnypelt as well, with others thrown in for spice. 48/70 chapters.

Welcome to Night Vale

unsolvable calamities- carlos goes on a work binge in an attemot to solve night vale and stop so many people from dying, then collapses. cecil helps.

not quite perfect (so you say)- trans!carlos comes out to cecil, panics, and then they have a Talk about how things are different in night vale (they’re better. night vale is queertopia).

wilderness survival guide- whumptober fill for “self-done first aid/makeshift splint.” carlos nearly gets swallowed by the whispering forest and doesn’t make it out unhurt.

#fanfiction #masterpost #warrior cats #bnha #mha #the old guard #the raven cycle #six of crows #arcane #welcome to night vale #check please #doing this post and the other two took me three hours pls appreciate me #pinned

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silencedrage · 11 months

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Okay, so I know this is such a contentious topic about who the Antler Queen is and what the character is supposed to mean, but for me personally, I think the "antler queen" is a representation of all that is going on in the Wilderness. I think it might have been Simone or Courtney in an interview that said the Antler Queen isn't a specific person, but rather a representation of the ideals that they're living by in the wilderness. Obviously we see in the pilot that there's a singular person that wears that crown (and I fully accept that it's often Lottie based on the hints dropped) but I think that within the storytelling of the show, the Antler Queen is a separate character altogether, very much how some religious people envision a god. (not spoiler free under the cut)

So I wanted to take that concept and run with it re: my best goalie Van Palmer so I can parse through the changes that we're seeing on the show and how that plays out in my portrayal. From the start of Lottie's woo-woo shit, Van is right there with her. A lot of it stems from her near-death experience with the wolves and what she saw during that time, but we also know that before this happened, Van is 'jock superstitious'. She might not have full-fledged belief, but can already swayed by Lottie's insistence that she take the bone for protection, and that she was able to predict things in their pre-crash lives. Through the end of the first season and the first half of the second, we see Van wholly embracing what Lottie is putting down. She wears the bone, she prays with Lottie at the end of S1, she goes to her meditation circles. She fully believes that Tai stopped sleepwalking because of Lottie's connection to the wilderness.

Van occupies this really interesting space as someone who is both very pragmatic and practical, and also someone who has an almost childlike view on the world. Smarter people than I have opined about the arrested development of all of the survivors so I won't rehash it here, but I think Van's tends to manifest in her outlook of the world. We know she loves movies, and I fully envision her as the type to get lost in a movie world in order to cope with the pressures of her home life. What that results in is a Van that both understands implicitly that hard decisions are a necessity in life sometimes, but also tries to be optimistic and believe that there are good things in the world, because that's what so many movies do. That there's some kind of reasoning for all the suffering they're going through, and after what happens with the baby, just like everyone else, Van receives a very cruel wake up call. Things don't always work out like they do in the movies. People don't always get happy endings.

In 2x07, she tells Tai that she just thinks they all need to "wake up" and Tai outright says that it doesn't sound like Van. And it doesn't. Up until now, Van's been the joker, who tries to bring a little hope when people are down, who cracks a joke just to give people a smile, but as the episodes wear on, she's not immune to the stress and trauma that they're all going through. Even though Van's been through a lot of shit up until this point, it's a combination of the way Lottie had truly believed that the baby would survive, that would change everything in the wilderness, and how Van had blindly followed in that faith. When that ultimately didn't pan out, Van's now sitting there, like many other religious people have over the years, wondering what the fuck does that mean for all of the rest of it. It's a crisis of faith, and what I find fascinating is that Van doesn't turn away from the Wilderness, but rather leans into it full-steam ahead. Part of this is prompted by Shauna's rage and Lottie's sacrifice, and the final implicit understanding that violence is the only way forward, but it's one thing to have that understanding and another thing to give voice to it.

Liv said in their post-episode interview that Van is the "ringleader" in the moment with the cards. With Lottie out of commission, Van is at the top of the "hierarchy" when it comes to this makeshift religion that they've cobbled together. Even if Van herself doesn't fully believe in what Lottie is saying anymore, she still admits that she "can't imagine" surviving in the wilderness without Lottie. She's not trying to claim that top position for herself, but she's trying to get the others to "wake up", as she said before. What they've been trying to do up until this point, dancing on eggshells around each other, pretending that they're still the same people who got on that plane months ago, and Van is done with it. She was done with it when Tai kept insisting that Van didn't actually believe in Lottie's bullshit in 1x10, and she's done with it now.

There's a shot of Van in this episode at the beginning of the card scene, where the antlers are framing her head, and I think this is the show's way of granting authority to the person it's framing. Before, we've seen it with Lottie and Shauna, even Ben when he was in the midst of his own hallucination (therefore having the greatest authority in that situation). We see it for Van as she holds up the Queen card and begins to shuffle the deck. No one is talking, and everyone is looking at her to continue. Since Lottie can't speak in this moment, Van is the priestess speaking for her.

I wrote somewhere before about how Van, of all the survivors, is the one who can't escape post-rescue. While the others still have their own struggles that they deal with, they don't have a physical reminder of that time as the first thing that people see about them. For Van, having those facial scars means that she can never fully leave the past in the past, no matter how badly she wants to. And I think this moment plays along with how bitter and furious Van got in 2x06, when they were talking about what they remembered of their time in the Wilderness. Van can't forget what happened out there, partially because she has a reminder every time she looks in any sort of reflective surface, and partially because she was the one that set this all in motion.

As much as the narrative and even the others want to blame Lottie for what happened (and to be fair, I'm not saying Lottie is innocent in all regards), Lottie was bedridden in this exact moment, and all she said was, if she dies, don't waste her body. Van was the one who, in realizing that this is the point they've reached, interprets that to mean the Hunt. Van is the one to declare that the "Wilderness chose" its victim in Javi, and even more, no one argues with her interpretation? They all just accept that this is the path that they're taking, one that Van set them on.

To circle back to my original point a million years later, I do think that the "Antler Queen" is more of a symbol rather than a single person. I think it makes sense that Lottie is most often portrayed as that single person because she has the closest proximity to the Wilderness as a concept, but that doesn't mean the title solely belongs to her. In this moment, Lottie can't participate, so the Antler Queen moniker shifts to Van, and everyone in the circle gives her that same respect and reverence. No one questions the rules Van came up with for this moment, and it's a heady level of responsibility that I'm not sure Van is ready for, and I think it haunts her as an adult. It's the one thing that she cannot forget, however much she wants to.

#[ ch: van palmer. ]#[ hc. van palmer. ]#yj spoilers //#as always i never know if i'm putting on my spinfoil hat when i write these #i just have a lot of emotions about van and the aftermath of everything

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arelyhb · 1 year

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hi, im the person who asked for spoilers:)

i personally have no problems with spoilers and ive seen playthroughs of the game twice, but back when they came out and i dont remember everything, especially not chronologically. i know what happens to joel and the hospital scene and what happens to ellie after that, but im not sure if that comes right after david or not (especially since they are making a s2, i think it'd be strange to make the hospital scene the finale of s1). i feel like im missing something in between is all

thanks a lot again!!

Ok. Very well...

TLOU SPOILERS AHEAD.

So, after David, Joel and Ellie carry on in their search for the Fireflies and there seems to be a reversal of roles. Ellie is clearly dealing with some PTSD after David so she's more serious and quiet now while Joel seems to be in a much lighter mood and doing all the talking now as they walk through another abandoned QZ. This is when Joel tells Ellie that maybe when they're done he can teach her how to play the guitar. We can now see that Joel definitely sees Ellie in his future once they're done with the Fireflies. Ellie is still a bit off until she sees some stray giraffes in the city and runs through the second floor of an abandoned building to get a good look at them. Joel follows her and she's mesmerized and finally happy again. Joel encourages her to pet one of the giraffes and this is super relevant because of the symbolism; Sarah had a stuffed giraffe in her bedroom. Joel now definitely sees a daughter in Ellie too.

Joel glances at Ellie and tells her they don't have to do this and can just go back to Tommy's but Ellie says "after everything I've done? Everything we've been through?" So clearly we can see how this kid carries the weight of the world on her shoulders. She thinks it's her OBLIGATION to save the world. Joel knows better because he's a grown man but up until this point, he respects her decisions because they both have no idea what making a vaccine will require. So they keep going and talk some more about going back to Jackson when they're done and Joel says "I am not leaving without you." It's sealed then. Their future together is sealed. They cannot separate now. They are father and daughter practically at this point.

They enter a freeway tunnel, deal with more infected then Ellie falls into a flooded area and almost drowns. Joel is performing CPR and a couple of asshole Fireflies show up and aim their guns at him. Joel is triggered once again because he's not going to stop until the child is safe but he's knocked unconscious.

He wakes up in a hospital, Marlene is sitting next to him, so we learn that they were brought in by actual Fireflies and the journey is over. Joel wants to see Ellie but Marlene won't let him. She assures Joel she's fine but she's already being prepped for surgery. Joel is like "What do you mean surgery?" and Marlene goes on to explain that the virus has mutated which is why Ellie is immune, that once they remove it they will be able to reverse engineer a vaccine. It dawns in on Joel that the infection grows in the brain, so they'd obviously have to kill Ellie to make their so-called cure. Joel immediately demands to see Ellie but is hit by Marlene's guard and then she basically tells Joel that whatever he's thinking is nothing compared to her because she knows Ellie since she was born. Yes, Marlene was friends with Ellie's mom. Yes, that still won't stop her from killing a child without even giving her a heads up.

In this part I confirmed why I hated the Fireflies so much. Not only do they have God complex but they're also okay with killing a 14 year old girl to save a world that's beyond saving. To me, if it isn't the Cordyceps virus, it'll be something else; a war, another illness, etc that will kill humans in the end. So Ellie dying to stall that inevitable end of human race is pointless. But the moral dilemma is presented to the gamer or the viewers. This is what I think but what do you think right? What do others think? Save one girl or save the world?

So Marlene threatens Joel and tells him to just forget about her. Then Joel goes crazier than ever before, goes on a killing spree at the hospital until he reaches the operating room where he kills the surgeon and nurses in cold blood and rescues Ellie who's unconscious therefore unaware of everything going on around her.

Joel just makes a complete MESS.

Marlene appears again right when Joel is about to leave with Ellie in his arms. She tries to stop him then tries to convince Joel to let her live, to which Joel responds "You'd just come after her" and BANG shoots Marlene in the face. (I love this man).

So at this point we know that Joel acted based on that open wound Sarah's death left in him. He's traumatized and if he couldn't save his daughter, he is definitely going to save Ellie who's now like a second daughter to him no matter what. When she wakes up she's in the backseat of a car Joel's driving asking what happened.

Joel... Joel lies to Ellie. He tells her the Fireflies ran tests and turned out it wouldn't make a difference because there are a bunch of others who are immune so they've stopped looking for a cure. Ellie is very sad and disappointed but she doesn't know that they were going to kill her without even asking her if she was okay with it or if she at least wanted to say goodbye to Joel or something. Joel thinks he's protecting her by lying but this is just a time bomb that will eventually go off on him.

Joel, as we see through the video game, is not a good guy but is also not entirely bad either. However he was a bit selfish but also right in what he did, I mean... the moral dilemma of this mind-blowing story is up to each viewer or player.

I've always thought that Ellie never truly believed Joel, so in the final scene we have them already going back to Jackson and Joel is just happy and pleased but Ellie has a lot on her mind. We see that Joel is much more comfortable now opening up to Ellie and talking about Sarah. So is Ellie since she finally tells Joel that when she got bitten she wasn't alone. She tells him about Riley but never specifies the romantic side of their relationship. This kid obviously isn't ready to come out let alone to Joel yet. But the thing is, we understand one of the many strong reasons Ellie cares so much about the cure because she's filled with guilt, not just for Riley but also Tess and Sam, and being immune makes her feel even more guilty. Joel assures her that none of that is on her.

Ellie then snaps and demands Joel to swear to her that everything he said about the Fireflies was true.

Joel not only lies AGAIN to Ellie but he looks her straight in the eye when he does it. And we can see that Ellie is still not completely buying it but she settles and says "okay". And part I ends.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO This is so fucking good but part II is even better.

Hopefully... they won't change any of this in the show because it's all crucial for part II but I guess we'll find out.

I hope I helped. I am sorry for writing a whole bible here but once someone mentions The Last of Us, I don't know how to stop.

~A.

#TLOU SPOILERS #The Last of Us #TLOU #SPOILERS

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gilmores-glorious-blog · 2 years

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final tua liveblog!! those last two episodes were… really something. wow.

episode 9:

- luther being spaceboy <3

- luther signing his package to reginald “love, luther” and then scribbling out the word love </3

- poor luther :,( this whole thing would suck real bad

- OH SHIT IS THIS. THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON 👀 i.e. where reginald hargreeves keeps his fucked up little experiments or whatever??

- WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHAT THE FUCK WHO THE FUCK IS ABIGAIL HARGREEVES??!!?!! is this reginald’s wife from the alien planet in s1?? it’s gotta be because i don’t know who the fuck else it’d be,,,

- oh heyyy shirtless ben 👀

- five sleeping on the shelf in the kitchen :,) he’s just a Little Guy <3

- NOT FIVE’S WEDDING SPEECH 😩😩

- “jesus.” “he’s due any minute now……….…. that was a joke.”

- okay reginald’s deal was definitelyyyyy with allison, there’s no way she just had this change of heart overnight

- “you’re my husband” <3

- reginald’s backstory when?!

- ooooo diego’s got cool leather prosthetic fingers now

- diego getting up and lila falling to the couch with a soft little “ow” was way cuter to me than it should have been

- oh fuck allison’s definitely not being genuine, isn’t she?? i want this conversation to be real SO BADLY but,,,, she is an award-winning actress,,,,,,,,

- “diego and lila. yeah. they do it on the stairs sometimes.”

- “everyone was boning everyone last night 🙄” five is my aroace king

- awwww viktor listening to harlan’s tapes </3

- this show always pops off with its montages

- “we’ve all lost people.. *looks at five*….. mannequins”

- “there must be seven” i knew this bitch adopted seven babies specifically for a reason!!

- this family is just a bunch of drama queens who love to guilt trip the others :/

- emmy raver-lampman deserves a goddamn emmy (the irony only appeared after typing this out),, the scene where allison just broke down sobbing completely broke my heart </3

- “are you okay?” “this is the failure of my life.” lmao relatable

- holy. fucking. shit.

- i was literally about to pick up my phone and type “the luther and reginald hug feels like it should be sweet but i have a feeling something’s going to go terribly wrong” and then THAT happened…. the fucking GASP i just let out oh my fucking god!!!!!!!!!!

- reginald’s line about weddings and funerals,,,, the first episode of the whole show being called “we only see each other at weddings and funerals”,,, full circle moment

- this is legitimately so chilling and also i’m gonna sob if luther’s actually dead

- forget everything i said about liking reginald this season FUCK this fucking bastard

- i’m. literally in shock omfg.

- no no no no no they’re all about to find out and when they find out it’ll be real no no no

- ha i called it on reginald’s deal being with allison (i know it’s objectively very obvious but shhh let me have this)

- NOOOO SLOANE 😭😭😭😭

- reginald hargreeves i want you dead so badly.

- i think allison knows that reginald killed luther and is gonna have a redemption moment

- PLEASE let klaus summon luther’s ghost please please please all that power buildup can’t have been for nothing

- welp there goes chet :/

- diego all angry towards the guardian saying they killed luther…. i want him to kill his dad SO BAD

- holy fuck reginald no leave klaus alone you fucker

- i swear to god the immortality better extend to the kugelblitz or i’m gonna lose my shit

- oh my god. no. i think i know what klaus’ plan was but if i’m wrong or if it didn’t work i’m. i’m actually gonna not be okay.

- i like the color inverted credits tho 🥲

episode 10:

- i feel like it’s important to state that i’m starting the finale at one am on a vacation with my entire extended family.. i’m sitting in the dark in the living room of our rental house watching with headphones on….. and i’m trying harder than i’ve ever tried to not scream/stim/wake up my family due to sheer panic and nervous excitement

- reginald you lying bitch

- sloane 😭😭😭😭😭

- the siblings being in denial that two of them died,,, me too besties,, me too 😩

- sorry i’m. gonna lose it,, lmfao.. the audience + all the other characters are having breakdowns and meanwhile klaus and luther are literally just vibing in the afterlife

- “welcome to my hood :)” i love this immortal bastard

- “he’s an alien!” “we’re trying not to use that kinda terminology here.”

- “you could just say he’s…….. b r i t i s h.”

- obsessed with luther freaking the fuck out while klaus is just chilling

- this is simultaneously so angsty for klaus and also so rad for him,, i love this ghost bitch with all my heart

- thank you five for having braincells!!

- “luther loved you…. to the moon and back” 😭😩

- klaus just fucking hissing at luther,, i love him

- “the Void is my house!”

- i’m losing my actual shit over the fact that when klaus makes a weird ‘oOooOoO’ noise, the captions say [imitates theremin] that’s the funniest fucking thing ahskrsjadkdksks

- reginald calling ben number two… ouch :/.

- “you’re a duo. no one wants to listen to your endless bickering.” i hate reginald so much but points were made here

- oh yeah reginald, you “forgot your journal”,, yeah right you lying bitch,,, what shit are you going to pull now!?

- don’t you fucking ring that bell.

- not creepy clock ticking sounds 😩😩 i’m still recovering from stranger things s4 they can’t do this to me !!

- these bitches and their parental trauma :/ (this is about diego and lila but isn’t it really about all the characters?)

- i love diego so so so much he’s so sweet

- SIR you just wasted your ONE shot from that speargun

- klaus coming back to fuck with reginald,, bastard boy <3

- “one bell ring away from my prize” oh i hate the sound of that

- “oh if i had a nickel for every time i heard that, i’d have a dollar!”

- wellll shit.

- diego and lila are using so many pet names for each other and it’s making me soft :,)

- ohh i hate this guardian motherfucker

- sloane is such a girlboss,, ben’s right, revenge DOES look good on her

- oh SHIT they’re all getting separated

- “who has no part in the gestation of the baby for the next six months. ~nice try~”

- diego noooo don’t do this

- lila crying </3

- fuck yes ben that was so cool !!

- why do i feel like there’s multiple guardians,,

- yeppppp there it is (re: the above point)

- lila and viktor are so fucking cool

- klaus please tell everyone what happened i need reggie to get his ass kicked asap

- lila saying “i love you” super angrily <3

- the sigil is on the floor isn’t it,,

- OH FUCK FIVE!! YOUR HAND!!!!

- “NOBODY HURTS MY WIFE YOU SON OF A BITCH” AHSKTKFJAKDKS 💗✨HIM✨💗

- oh great,, after all that the guardian’s face gives me INTENSE trypophobia 😐

- KLAUS yesss use those powers !!

- “we’re the bells :0” i say this with love,, yeah no shit

- reginald saying “not you” to allison about stepping on the sigils does NOT bode well for the rest of them,,,,

- ewwwww the guardian was all cockroaches,,, oogy boogy from nightmare before christmas type beat,,

- what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck what the fuck—

- c’mon allison….

- this might just be wishful thinking but it looks like klaus is clutching the dog tags as he disintegrates 😩😭

- YES ALLISON!!! MURDER THAT WEIRD ALIEN!! SAVE YOUR FAMILY!!!!!!!!

- FUCK,, allison,,, pushing the big red button is literally never a good idea

- okay obviously this is bad and there’s gonna be some serious repercussions, but also,,,, claire and ray and allison :,,)

- LUTHER :D !!! and he’s normal sized!!

- the luther + viktor hug <3

- fuck.. where’s sloane?!?

- oh FUCK do they not have their powers?!??!??

- “yeah kick his ass 😀”

- diego remains my himbo king 😩😌

- *twirls knife* *drops it* “…. that’s not good.”

- holy shit klaus’ palm tattoos are gone !

- “this means i’m mortal again? awww man :,/”

- oh shit i don’t think they have their umbrella tattoos either !!!

- does. does klaus.. does klaus not have the dog tags. because i will genuinely scream.

- “asshole.” you tell him, viktor!!

- NO is reginald just a trump-esque billionaire in this timeline??! 😩😩

- ahh shit abigail’s alive :0

- what the FUCK was that after credits scene??????? i thought there were two bens in this timeline for a second but i think it’s just sparrow!ben up to something nefarious?? i don’t know but it’s weird

- i can’t believe i have to wait two more years for more of this shit :/

- i. i hate this actually. this is the saddest possible outcome to me and i can’t even explain why,,,, obviously i’m glad they’re all alive (?) and if they’re happy, i’m happy, but like. that’s just gonna erase their pasts and they all split up and i can’t stand it,, i hate hate hate when found families go their separate ways,,, they BETTER find a different way to resolve this shit >:(

- wait shit,, i’m reading some articles and,, is allison supposed to be dead??? because if so i will s o b.

- y’know what bugs me? this entire season had so much plot and lore explained but never once did it explain what the fuck was up with christopher. which is objectively very funny, but still,,,

anyways. that’s a wrap on my absolute mess of a s3 reaction. i’m gonna be thinking about these bitches for a while,,, i’d missed them <3

#i actually finished on sunday but it took me this long to process my thoughts lol #the umbrella academy #tua #tua spoilers #the umbrella academy spoilers #tua s3 #i feel in shock that it’s over. i waited two years for this and now it’s finished and i have to wait two more :/.#long post #eli.posts

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werechampions · 22 days

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From the start of Lottie's woo-woo shit, Van is right there with her. A lot of it stems from her near-death experience with the wolves and what she saw during that time, but we also know that before this happened, Van is 'jock superstitious'. She might not have full-fledged belief, but can already swayed by Lottie's insistence that she take the bone for protection, and that she was able to predict things in their pre-crash lives. Through the end of the first season and the first half of the second, we see Van wholly embracing what Lottie is putting down. She wears the bone, she prays with Lottie at the end of S1, she goes to her meditation circles. She fully believes that Tai stopped sleepwalking because of Lottie's connection to the wilderness.

Van, of all the survivors, is the one who can't escape post-rescue. While the others still have their own struggles that they deal with, they don't have a physical reminder of that time as the first thing that people see about them. For Van, having those facial scars means that she can never fully leave the past in the past, no matter how badly she wants to. And I think this moment plays along with how bitter and furious Van got in 2x06, when they were talking about what they remembered of their time in the Wilderness. Van can't forget what happened out there, partially because she has a reminder every time she looks in any sort of reflective surface, and partially because she was the one that set this all in motion.

#[ ch: van palmer. ]#[ hc. van palmer. ]

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bisexualgarrus · 2 years

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honestly the only correct direction arcane's writers can go with caitlyn is to make her quit the enforcers. we have the build up on s1. also the message "good cops don't exist bc if they're good they will be forced to leave" would fit the overall plot so well. if they don't do this on s2 i'm going to be really disappointed

#it's like i want to like caitlyn but why does she have to be a cop 😭 it doesn't fit her personality #i mean it makes sense considering her family but #after everything that happened on s1 that has to be a wake up call for her #arcane #caitlyn #martuposting

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redxblueihateloveyou · 3 years

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how do you think rinharu will solve this issue? having rin stay in japan won't solve haru's abandonment issues and i wonder if competitive swimming is meant for haru, he seems to struggle a lot

Nah-ah, competitive swimming is not the problem here. He has the same amount of struggles with it as Rin and Ikuya. He actually as we saw in s3 surprisingly likes it a lot, and he was very excited about taking on Albert and he wasn't even upset about losing to him, he got worked up. It's like yeah, he takes pressure from others worse than Rin, but Rin for example is taking loses far worse than Haru. But this in fact doesn't mean they can't handle those. They both know that it's just how competitions are and they both knew what they were going for. And when Haru is happy, trash-talking opponents make him go lol and he just has his fun with this too.

The additional stress just simply unlocked the real reason why he's hurt. If it wasn't for this Rin thing he carries with him for like 10 years this would be nothing. Stress from the competition, but more specifically the fact that Albert kinda took away his main stress-relief by "polluting" the water just gave it a rise, but it's not the cause of that. Thinking of Rin easily resolved the "water pollution", letting him pass the free race. It's watching Rin lose and taking it this way that just triggered his ptsd.

The problem was and is what Aki said back when they were little “Nanase-kun seems like he can do anything all by himself, doesn’t he? He’s good at studying and sports and even art. He really can do anything, right? That’s why everyone relies on him, but it would really be something for Nanase-kun to rely on anyone, wouldn’t it?”

It's the fact that he feels too much, feels for everyone and his inability to ask for help in this case from the only person who can help him and from whom he needs it the most.

The problem is that last year when Hiyori decided to laugh about Rin leaving him into his face, rubbed salt into his deepest wound, Haru in return only gave him positive energy, swam with him, gave him happy Ikuya back and watched them being happy while smiling. Did Hiyori maybe say that he didn't mean those words? No. Did someone else the moment he said it corrected him? No. Where do you think stuff like this go?

The problem is that s1 drama was resolved just for Rin. It was never resolved for Haru. It's been just piling up for like 7 years now. I once again will say it, Rin only told Rei that none of that was Haru's fault, Haru still to this day thinks it is.

As for the second part, in my opinion, this isn't quite just about his abandonment issues, it's about his Rin issue. Bc it really doesn't matter if he's in Japan or not in Japan, in a free race or not in a free race (bc whether Rin chose to swim free or not, Rin is right there, and they can still be on a relay team together, and travel together etc). This is only partially about his fear of him leaving.

The problem here is that for Haru it's never enough. When everything was fine and he could swim against Rin and had a great relay team of his friends, he wasn't satisfied.

Rin was near the whole season, he still missed him.

They spent whole days alone together, was that enough? No. He still didn't want him to leave.

But saying stuff like "I know we came here to support our kohais, but please, don't leave, sit with me, not with them" is selfish, no matter how much you want it.

Here he is right next to him. Still not enough.

My point is.. thats not what this is about and I'm pretty sure that's not what Haru's talking about. It's bc he always does everything to stay with him for as long as possible, but Rin is blind as a bat and deaf as a doornail.

And I don't really know what else you can say in some situations. Bc like when Rin spent the night at Haru's and Haru asked him to wake him up at 5am just to spend more time with him Rin answered with something like "hahaha that's great, good night".

And I will never in general understand how Rin even translates what Haru says. Bc when Haru asked him to call, Rin read it as "let me disappear for 5 years, go home for each holiday and avoid you like a plague".

And this outburst of "the greatest pain of my life is when you leave" was read as "let me just leave again".

The problem is Haru tried and tried to ask and show things in many different ways (which was pretty hard considering how he is), but couldn't ask directly for what he really wanted for obvious reasons. And no joke, there is a chance that Rin still wouldn't get it even if he did.

Rationally I think the resolve would be pretty simple, Rin will just enter the free race, bring him back and they'll talk after that.

It's just that with the way this set up right now, for Haru to be happy... I only see one option for how this talk can go, that I always was sure this anime can't give us. But then again I also do not quite get why even go there then.

I guess what I mean is with all my imagination I can't understand how he can ask for help in this situation, except for like I wrote here to ask him "just... be with me. I really need you to just be with me." If he already admitted how much it hurt him each time he left, idk what he's supposed to say at this point.. "please, stay and love me"? also "please, tell me what happened all those years ago isn't my fault" (he won't, bc he thinks it is), "please tell me you painfully missed me each time you were away too" (not to this extent, no, at least first times)?

What I personally want is same thing as in a fic for Rin to ask him to just tell him the truth, ask him to "please, I need you to talk". Gradually, step by step, from the beginning, all that's been eating him up all this years. Just to please tell Rin everything, so he could honestly reassure him, clear up all their misunderstandings, just TALK.

Bc if he let it all out, Rin can easily erase all of Haru's doubts and that nonsense that he is the reason why Rin never stays, that he was the reason he left in the first place etc, and eradicate the root of the problem, after this Haru would stop reacting to each time Rin leaves for a grocery store as if it's WW3.

P.S. I honestly think everyone should just go turn on Sam Smith - My Oasis and cry with Haru, bc this is probably the closest it can come to explain how he feels and just the whole mood for this situation rn. Like I've made a gifset to this a while ago, but rn the whole song is just super on point.

P.P.S. what I'm saying shortly is we all know how you can stop Haru's struggles easily, but what they would come up with hell if I know.

#answered #anonymous #free! the final stroke #nanase haruka #rin matsuoka #rinharu #harurin #free!

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kaypeace21 · 3 years

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Idk if this is possible or not or if you've done it already but could you list all the rainbow references in the show?

Haha- talk about pandora’s box. Sure, personally i think the rainbows have multiple meanings -3 meanings to to be exact

1) Rainbows being associated with psychics + Will’s powers plot twist

*We see in the stranger thing novel 'suspicious minds' when overusing powers you may hallucinate rainbows (which are also associated with the void/ monsters in the series) .

Terry: “Spots bloomed behind her eyelids. Every color … as the sunlight turned to rainbows” ( p44-45), “streaks of rainbow appeared (p47)”,“The rainbow stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: darkness. A pit.”(p. 48).

Alice (who sees visions of the future) : “Snarling, snapping monsters,RAINBOW LIGHTS playing in the air around them” (p. 121).

cough Will being in the upsidedown/being chased by “monsters”. And Joyce communicating with Will via “rainbow lights.”

The rainbow room (from s2) also has a rainbow on the door- according to the novel kali drew that rainbow. Similar to Will's rainbow drawing. Kali in the book also creates a rainbow allusion with sunflowers (Terry ref).

Kali: “field of yellow sunflowers grew up around them. A rainbow arcing over the golden tops.” (p. 139). “He noticed she’d drawn up there, a rainbow with her colored pencils. Maybe he’d suggest that for the playroom” (the rainbow room we see in s2) (p. 298)

I also already talked about how Terry saying "breath, sunflower, rainbow " is actually a reference to s1 Will- here (in link including pic of Will and Terry being told to “breath”.

*El in s3 also thinks of papa, her mother , and the rainbow room- cause she sees a cereal box with a rainbow (on it).

Dustin and susie sing a song from the film adaption of the book "never ending story". Which indicates how Will is subconsciously creating the supernatural creatures & people in the series . Before they sing, we also see susie is next to a ‘wizard of oz’ posters & she reads & talks to Dustin about the book "wizard of earthsea'. 2 of the 3 examples have rainbow-related songs (in their film adaptions) & all 3 hint at Will’s powers.

* wizard of earthsea:

It’s about a pre-teen wizard named Ged who has a bowl cut (Will) who casts a powerful spell, but the spell goes awry and instead he releases a shadow creature (by opening a portal between the living & dead- Will is a zombie boy remember?)! The new Archmage, Gensher, describes the shadow as an ancient evil that wishes to possess Ged. But the ‘shadow’ turns out to be a representation of the darkest aspects of his personality. It’ only when he calls the shadow monster by his own name “Ged”(cough mf=will the wise) does the monster stop acting out. The only way to save the world is for ged to then merge with the shadow(and for Ged to accept himself-and “become whole”).This also reminds me of the “Jungian shadow”

* never ending story:

Bastian ( who has a bowl cut- and is from single parent house hold) subconsciously creates a fantasy world being over run by darkness (symbolizing the loss of hope and dreams). One of the characters he creates is Atreyu (El). Atreyu ( was the child deemed the ‘chosen one). “Atreyu is knocked into the sea of possibilities. There he wakes on the shore of abandoned ruins. And Gmorick (mindflayer) then latches his jaws onto Atreyu’s (El’s) leg.”Pretty much what happened to El.”The Empress in the story later tells Atreyu, that despite being told he was the chosen one (he never was). And that it was always Bastian (Will) who was the chosen one-since his imagination created Fantasia (so he’s the only way to stop the darkness from over -running it).”

Will has mental health issues and accidentally writes a “story” about the shadow monster (reflecting his tra*ma). Bastian is depressed (over his parent) and subconsciously creates a story about darkness over-running everything. Like how Hopper describes his depression- like a black hole.

song Dustin & Susie sing:

“Written on the pages is the answer to a never ending story” (cough the books susie referenced - are explaining the answer to what’s causing the mindflayer/upsidedown/the lab...this story )

“DREAM a dream. And what you DREAM will be” ( Will’s imagination making his nightmares come true)

“Rhymes that keep their secrets Will unfold behind the clouds.And there upon a RAINBOW Is the answer to a never ending story.”

(the lyric “rhymes that keep their SECRETS” purposely pans to Will both times the song is sung). Because the ‘SECRET’ is -he’s causing everything. And thus he’s the only way to stop it- or they’ll all be stuck in a never-ending story. The only way to stop it is for Will to face his shadow/the mindflayer (aka the other Will) who is always shown within the STORM CLOUDS . Will needs to create a RAINBOW (out of those storm clouds). Like rainbows that show up AFTER a storm.He’d do this by accepting himself , his tra*ma/mental health relating to his dad, and or his gay identity- then the story will be able to end.Dustin even says “ defeat his RAINBOW of DARKNESS” (and later says a “rainbow is the answer ”(to the story). st book:”The RAINBOW stayed with Terry for a long while, but eventually it faded and in its place: DARKNESS. A pit.”AKA: Will has to face his symbolic darkness and the storm/and than create a rainbow from it- for the story to end...

When Dustin says ‘rainbow of darkness’ he talks about my little pony- where one of their friends became a dragon. in d&d wizards can become dragons &Bastian also summons a dragon with his imagination powers in ‘never ending story’. And Will is associated with dragons: s1he has dragon comic & drawing, s2 Will has dragon poster in his room + watches his friends play dragon game. And again... dungeons & dragons.

Also tw for s.a/parental ab*se (so skip to ‘wizard of oz’ if you prefer ). In the 4th book of wizard of Eathsea (20 years after the original, where ged was the protagonist). The new main protagonist - was r*ped and burned by her father as a child (and in the sequel she became a dragon as a form of empowerment ). which goes with my lonnie theory-sadly.

*wizard of oz:

it’s about a Dorothy creating a mythical world based on people she both likes and dislikes . Dorothy sings in the movie a song about a ‘RAINBOW’ and references ‘DREAMS’ coming true in a mythical land -much like the ‘never ending story’ song (referencing “rainbows”/”dreams” coming to life).

“There's a land that I heard of once in a lullaby Somewhere over the RAINBOW, Skies are blue, And the DREAMS that you dare to dream, really do come true...”

We see in s1 Hopper cop-partner calls the lab “emerald city”. Murray in s2 says people “don’t want to look behind the curtain” (to see what’s causing the supernatural -in the film what was literally behind the curtain was a wizard-cough like Will). We also have -lion, tiger, and bear stuffed animals (as a ‘lion, and tigers, and bears-oh my!’ quote )from the film. And David harbor (Hopper) when referencing the s4 rainbow room (quotes the song) and he also quotes a speech from Dorothy-when posting about the cabin the mindflayer destroyed.

2) Rainbow cups (hinting at Lonnie’s return)

We see 2 rainbow cups in the series.

in s2) when Mike & Will are sitting together & saying they’re “crazy together” . This cup next to them says “happy birthday” in rainbow. Later that season- they talk about Will’s birthday-rainbow drawing, Mike&Will meeting & Lonnie leaving. And in s2, we also see in Will’s room a card that says “sorry, I forgot your birthday”(most likely from Lonnie). So both Lonnie & Mike are associated with Will’s bday.

in s3) We see a woman yell “I don’t want her in my house!” (while she sits next to a rainbow cup). reminiscent of Joyce saying to Lonnie “get out of my house”. We also know there are rumors s4 takes place during Will’s birthday & Lonnie’s actor may have been spotted on set. Along with the fact (it’s pretty much confirmed) Mike will be visiting the Byers in s4. However, the woman (next to the rainbow cup) also says “2 visitor only. 2!″

THE 2 VISITORS ARE MIKE &LONNIE (for Will’s b day).

Also, in s3, when El is drinking from cup- she sees a rainbow. And what’s the first word she thinks of? “Papa.”

so rainbow+cup= shitty dads (lonnie & brenner) probably returning

*And of course if that’s the case -Lonnie (the same guy who called Will h*mophobic sl*rs) will not be supportive of Mike & Will’s “friendship”. And will not be nice to Mike (to say the least). Like... imagine Hopper in s3 - but we know he’s not bluffing and the audience won’t have the option to take it as a joke... and yes the s4 movies hint at that...

3) gay symbolism

First we have Mike wheeler. He in s1 has rainbows sheets, rainbow bedroom blinds , and in his basement there’s a heart propelled by a rainbow. This is like how in s3 Mike kisses El and there is a drawing that says "Mike'. And on the drawing is a heart propelled by a rainbow. I already explained how its symbolic of him trying to be straight/fighting his feelings for Will, but wherever he goes a rainbow still follows (even when he tries being romantic with El). He’s trying to hide his “rainbow heart” by dating El- why in s3 (the rainbow-heart in his basement) mysteriously disappeared from his room (but a similar symbol follows Mike even when he kisses El).

Even in s2 when talking about Will (in the AV tech room): Mike is placed in the center of 2 objects : an object with 11 on it & on the right a rainbow apple (this apple is supposed to be an ode to the gay father of computers- but also about the forbidden apple). Hinting at the love triangle of Mike (with El/Will). PLUS, in the ST book ‘worlds turned upsidedown’ they literally show Mike in the AV room- and put the caption “FALLING IN LOVE- with tech” (and placed rainbow flags next to the caption). And of course we have Mike & Will pose next to the rainbow apple- in the AV room.

We also see when Mike and Will says they’re “crazy together” (aka LOVE-as Flo stated) and they’re next to a rainbow cup that says Happy birthday .

And later that season they ref the rainbow ship Will drew for his birthday-which Joyce was "proud" of. And while dancing with a girl (Will according to the script was looking at Mike instead of her) . That girl is wearing a rainbow heart hair pin. This is essentially a parallel to Mike . Will (next to a rainbow heart) is dancing with a girl, but is secretly thinking of Mike. Mike (next to a rainbow heart) is kissing el but secretly thinking of Will (and immediately goes on a movie double date with Will after this). The lyrics of both these scenes indicate they're not happy pretending to be straight. The lyrics for Will are "every smile you fake". And Mike while kissing el is "just a little uncertainty can bring you down" (and during this lyric is when El puts her hands on him-and he removes her hands from him *aka he’s not as confident in the relationship as he pretends to be.

We see in s4 bts that the rainbow heart hair pin (worn by the girl Will dances with) is also worn by nancy while standing next to Robin (who is gay). So being near a ‘rainbow-heart’ is prob a hint a character is gay. Aka robin & Will & Mike.

tumblr user “awhstrangerthings” pointed out the nancy -hair clip detail.

In s1 when troy is calling Will h*mophobic sl*rs (in front of Mike) he wears a rainbow shirt. And max while often critiquing m*leven (in s3) (to Mike) often wears rainbow shirts. I talked about how I thought Troy and max subconsciously remind Mike he isn't straight - so they're associated with the rainbow iconography-post here. Like we see Max with rainbow sheets (like Mike) and than she immediately talks to him on the phone. I mean she could be queer- but I lean to that theory at the moment.

The whole being near rainbows when associating with a queer character makes sense (it’s like a ‘gay-dar”). Similar to Nancy’s hair clip when being near Robin/ that Girl having the same rainbow hair clip when dancing with Will. If we assume this theory than see a pattern with other characters (when speaking about/being near queer coded characters)....

it’s similar to how : When lucas (via subtext) criticizes m*leven- he is also next to a rainbow (in Erica's room). I explained here- why it’s about m*leven.

or when Jonathan says he’s going to hang out with Will (it’s near a rainbow).

This Jonathan moment -Is similar to when Steve ( who has a rainbow bandaid-from the Byers’ house) calls Mike “Nancy” (which is slang for a gay guy)

*another addition: you see in the comments of this post ghostgirlsatin mentioned Dart has a rainbow blanket. But, I noticed a couple of other things.

notice Dustin says "we have to talk- its about my friend ,Will". As Dustin is near rainbow lights and a rainbow bed sheet. Like how

A) rainbows are associated with the supernatural creatures + Will

B) rainbow lights associated with Will

C) rainbows near straight characters when talking about /near queer characters... similar to how Jonathan is near a rainbow when talking about Will

*also can’t tell if that is a ‘rainbow ship’ poster?

We also see Erica has a sunflower & rainbow drawing in her room... at the moment not sure if its just a random easteregg , foreshadowing something supernatural we're not aware of yet? or just for the m*leven diss?

(although given the fact i think some characters were created by Will- and given all the Max &Billy/Will & jonathan parallels ... the rainbow stuff may be a hint Will created them? I mean they even made a Troy comic just to show his dad is a bully.) But, at the moment, i still lean to (some) characters having rainbow iconography because they’re referring to/are near a queer character.

#will byers #byler #mike wheeler #dustin henderson #el hopper #lucas sinclair #max mayfield #steve harrington #robin buckley #nancy wheeler #jonathan byers #jim hopper #joyce byers #stranger things #stanger things theory

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darlingshane · 2 years

Text

7 Days of Kastle

Day 6: Jigsaw

Pairing: Frank Castle/Karen Page

Other Characters: Billy Russo

Content: Angst.

Warnings: Kidnapping. Language. Violence.

Word Count: 1,685

Summary: Billy kidnaps Karen to lure Frank into an abandoned building. (post the punisher s1, kind of my own re-imagine of s2)

Prompt: The Fights

It's not the first time she's been held hostage. Karen has lived long enough to tell the tale of James Wesley, The Hand and Lewis Wilson.

This time feels different though, more brutal. She was bluntly hit in the head with what felt like a hammer. Her head stills throbs, a string of blood trickling down her temple. Unable to see due to the black hood covering her head, she can feel that her hands and feet have been tied with what feels like wire to the uncomfortable metal chair she's placed on. There's also a chain strapping her waist and torso that rattles as she tries to move. One of her shoes is missing and her toes are touching cold ground.

She tries to collect every piece of information off her senses only. The air tastes dusty behind the mask and the piece of duct tape covering her mouth. Trying to yell is fruitless, her voice gets stuck in her throat, weak and muffled, she could choke on the knot building right in the middle.

"Shhh, it's okay," she can make out the sound of someone stepping closer, as a hand pets her head softly, "everything will be okay if Castle gets here on time."

The voice sounds familiar, it's a man's voice she gathers, but she can't quite place it right now. There's an underlying rage in its delicate manner.

She makes an attempt to flinch away from this terrifying, blind touch. He just laughs at her and it echoes, just like his shoes as he walks away.

It's utterly enraging to know that she's once again the pawn of someone else's game.

Castle. The voice said.

So whoever it is, it's after Frank and not her. He sure does his list of enemies but he's been laying low for a long time now. Ever since Billy and the carousel, he’s stayed out of trouble. Whoever this is, must be someone from before.

Her heart races as the clock ticks away, trying to remember how she got here at all… she was supposed to meet a source. It was a last minute call about the staged fire in the psychiatric wing at Bellevue Hospital that killed five people and allowed the escape plan of three of their patients six months ago to succeed. She could’ve just left it for tomorrow, and went home to Frank, but her curiosity has always gotten the best of her. The last she remembers is getting to her car, the rest is a blank until waking up here.

Keeping his wits, the man speaks again, trying to calm someone else down. Frank most likely.

All of a sudden the man removes the hood from her head and all she can see it's a phone pointed at her face and a light above blinding her sight.

She focuses on the screen and behind the blur comes Frank's face, yelling desperately that he's coming for her.

"I wanna hear her. Let her talk, goddammit," Frank demands.

With exasperation, her kidnapper rips off the tape from her mouth.

"Frank," it's the only thing she can say, it comes out watery out of her throat as tears slide down her cheeks.

"Hey, hey… Karen, listen to me. You're gonna be alright, sweetheart. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you."

The man pulls the phone away to talk with Frank himself.

"You know the rules, Frankie. Come alone. Play any games and she dies."

"You're a dead man, Russo."

"So I've heard."

Russo… It can't be. He's supposed to be dead, then again so does Frank and Matt.

He was one of the patients at Bellevue, supposedly one of the victims of the fire. Most likely to be the one who started it in the first place.

It brought Frank some sort of peace knowing that something else finished the job he couldn't. Now, he's back, playing games with him, using her to lure him into this location, wherever it is. She's in a much bigger room than what she expected. It looks like an old building ready to cave in, dirty and partly destroyed.

She slowly turns her head to him, he's wearing a black mask covering all his face and dressed in dark tactical gear.

"You've probably wondering how I am alive."

Karen shakes her head, inhaling sharply. Trying not to provoke him.

"You're putting two and two. Good for you."

"Did you ever lose your memory like they said or was it just an act?"

"Hm, do you think I'd ever forget who did this to me?" He crouches in front of her and takes his mask off, revealing the paramount of scarring crossing all over his face like a puzzle with missing pieces, showing partially bone and teeth on one side of his jaw as one of his eyes bulge out.

"I think you got off easy," she swallows anxiously.

"Yeah? You think he should have killed me?"

"You killed his family."

"Wrong. I wasn't there, I didn't pull the trigger."

"You knew it was happening, might as well kill them yourself. What did you do that day? Just sit at home, grab a beer and pretend your best friend and his family, his wife and kids, weren't going to be massacred? Was it that easy for you? Did it make you feel like a big man sitting that one out?"

There goes her original plan of avoiding poking the bear.

His hand suddenly moves to grasp her neck, "careful, Miss Page. I don't intend for you to get hurt today."

"What? Did I hit a nerve?"

"Several."

Good. She thinks.

Billy grits his teeth, as his grip tightens around her neck for a long second before releasing her. He then stands up, sliding the mask back in place.

She watches him walk away to retrieve something and comes back, holding a marker.

Billy grabs her hair, pulls her head back with his free hand, and starts drawing lines on her face with the marker.

"The hell are you doing?" she attempts to shake herself from his grasp but he just grabs her harder.

"Just tracing the pieces I'll start cutting if he shows up a minute late. It'd be a shame if he does. I really don't wanna mess up your beautiful face."

"You're a psycho."

"And you're delusional, Miss Page. You think you can replace them? You and Frank playing house was never going to work out. He's never going to marry you or put babies in you, he's broken."

"Go to hell," her lip snarls.

"I can see why she likes you," he laughs, observing the finished grid that he’s drawn on her face, “hopefully, it won’t come to that.”

He puts another piece of tape in her mouth and leaves her there alone after that.

She takes that opportunity to try freeing herself from the restraints, keeping an ear at what he’s doing, and notices he’s climbed one floor above. Probably keeping watch for Frank’s arrival.

Her restraints don't budge that easily and she gives up in frustration, noticing the wire cutting her skin every time she yanks a little harder. It'd be surprising if she could escape those chains around her torso, maybe Houdini or someone better skilled could do it but she's neither, so she saves that strength for later, she's definitely going to need it.

It’s surprising that this is all Billy’s genius plan. For someone smart enough to stage his own death, and months of preparation; it doesn't seem like the brightest idea to lure Frank to an abandoned building under the pretense of having her kidnapped. But she keeps looking around to discover the place rigged with C-4, wired corner to corner and wall to wall.

Okay, so maybe she underestimated him a little.

She’s not worried about Frank not showing up, she wholeheartedly knows he’s already minutes away. She’s also aware that Billy is not going to let her go that easy once he’s here, and this is going to end badly.

Hearing a vehicle coming to a stop outside makes her heart race again. He’s here.

Relying on her hearing only, she can make out Billy rushing down the stairs to face him, asking him to surrender all and any weapons that he’s carrying.

Frank counters that he’s not doing shit until he can see that she’s still alive.

Imagining they're both aiming at the other, there's a long pause of silence that's broken when a shot goes off.

"Where's she?" Frank shouts gruffly, followed by them brawling for a long time until one of the charges inside explodes.

Karen almost jumps out of her place by the sudden explosion, however it seemed one in another part of the building but she can feel the whole room shake. She tries to drag the chair towards the exit as a second one makes the chair tumble and fall to the side.

She's swearing a storm behind the tape as pain flairs through her body.

It's then that Frank drags Billy inside by the neck and cuffs him to a pipe.

They've both beaten the shit out of the other when Frank finds Karen and removes the tape off her mouth.

"Frank," she pants.

"Shh, shh, I'mma get you out," his breath is ragged, as he attempts to free her from all the wire.

A third detonation makes part of the roof collapse nearby and he covers her body quickly as smoke starts filling the room.

"You're both dead," Billy laughs maniacally before starting a countdown from 30.

"Frank, you have to go!"

"I'm not fucking leaving you here."

With no time to figure out and cut her out of the chains, Frank picks her up, chair and all, and rushes outside, making the executive decision of walking past Billy; if this doesn't kill him, he'd have to find another way later, but he's not letting Karen die because of him.

After putting her at the back of the van, he drives off fast as a chain of explosions take the building down behind them.

A/N: This is part of a drabble collection that I wrote for @daredevilexchange's Fan Week featuring different alternate universes and situations with Frank and Karen that I've always wanted to write.

#daredevilexchange #fanfiction #frank castle x karen page #karen page #frank castle #billy russo #the punisher #the punisher fanfiction #kastle #kastle fanfic #darlingwrites #7 days of kastle #jon bernthal #deborah ann woll

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