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1-49 · 2 months

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송은석 : Tell the cameraman there’s no good side, they’re both attractive.

❝ your ace, your king, your double diamond. your jack of all trades, your 100 and one shades.

ᴘᴀʀɪɴɢ: actor! song eunseok × actress f!reader.

ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: romance. on set / gambling undertones as far as the film storyline goes. w.c 5k

two actors fatally ‘meet’ at a ‘casino.’ with the narrative centering round the ‘value of the moment,’ as the story advances, the ‘love on set’ becomes more evident thru the cameras. as the director realizes this early on, all of his retakes serve as both the actors’ main obstacle and unifying force in achieving their individual & character’s goals.

ᴛᴀɢꜱ: slight mutual pinning (?) both are kinda confused; mixed signals, ofc flirting. makeout :) i had MMA Eunseok on mind while writing this... the gloves and all.

ᴀᴜᴛʜᴏʀꜱ ɴᴏᴛᴇ: why i feel like everyones on sum Eunseok current rn? as if we re collectively riding that wave? am i not right? am i not!? it’s like homeboy was only getting comfortable up until now. or elsee y are his contents as of lately sooo attacking? idk why, but i feel like this type of situation goes so well w him?

this goes back and forth between the film’s plot and the real* on set setting. hope it’s not confusing

It feels like you’re wearing your seductive velvet dress just to let him down one more time. The never-ending takes of filming this movie and wearing the same clothes don’t help Eunseok at all; in fact, your attire has made him even more confused and hell crazed.

Drama, slash thriller, slash…

“Romance is for the weak,”

reads one of the script’s lines. Of course, there is nothing romantic about the way he has to portray the charismatic rival who must rob the same kingpin as you. You both need to be like loaded guns to figure out who will outsmart who. Without a doubt, this isn’t a game for the weak of heart.

Side from the fact that long shoots and endless days blur together, his constant presence both on and off set also distorts your perception and wounds your judgment. Though you know for a fact that it’s a waste of your time to catch vibes.

As you’re getting started & Eunseok is an A-list hitter, it is also completely out of the question. Moreover, even now, you find it surprising how you were cast for this role, but that was exactly what spurred you on to continue & demonstrate your abilities.

Though the weeks of filming went smoothly, as you 2 approach ‘a’ scene, tension is mounting.

But, now that you’re here, you’re reshooting and pacing around the same set of scenes, over and over. There is a clear build-up in tension and skin ship as the film goes. The way his hands would sometimes tighten around your waist, it seems like an old game. Practically, it’s the same same daily.

It’s as if you have been thrown into a loop for a week. Monday through Saturday, which seems excessively intense because you have to look into his big eyes and act unaffected, just like your character. To pretend that you’re razor-sharp when you two touch and to act as though nothing is happening.

The latest take you took was three hours ago, before your lunch. Venue: the casino.

The casino set is unique in that it has distinct widths and depths, & it’s a character unto itself.

You’re shooting at a real place—a candid gambling place with walls painted in every hue imaginable, which is the main ‘bait’ factor. Nevertheless, the place’s real undercurrent is that it has the power to literally tear apart a person. Here, time and space are merely ideas, and much like love, everyone in the plot keeps playing in the hopes of hitting a jackpot.

On the periphery are the people who have come here to escape reality, vibrant lights, music, drinks, and all things magnetic.

However, the more people indulge in these casino games, the more they immerse themselves in sin. The games have a concentric hierarchy, and the degree of wickedness increases gradually until it reaches the heart of the casino, where the money is kept in bondage and bound with a bloody ribbon.

In essence, the characters you and Eunseok play dance and mingle in the depths of hell.

As you both keep colliding in the games you play, what begins as an individual hunt becomes more focused. It’s the way that your objective in this round is to win jointly by lying. Still, at some point in the round, Eunseok’s character betrays you, but that is currently irrelevant, as you’re currently sitting on his lap.

And doing so, you scan the players in front of you. There are eight of them in total, some of whom have girls sitting on their laps as well. Some kiss, some clink their glasses, and some flirt with the person across. A ton of chips, cards, and cash are spread out across the poker table.

Your character remains silent, just like Eunseok’s does. Distraction is something that neither of you wants. However, the fact that you’re sitting on his lap makes this already a deranged situation.

Players sling remarks about your character around the table in an attempt to break Eunseok’s character’s nerve.

“When will it be our turn to have our round with her, at last, exactly when?” Gesturing you both, one of the group members says, perched on the edge of the poker table. “Hm? We may need to take some action because you don’t really share your food here. We may need to bring bad luck to attract her.” The actor laughs narratively, but there is seriousness in the corners of his bright eyes that makes it seem like he is really after you, and there is nothing Eunseok can do about that. It is an amazing acting delivery from him.

And while his remarks are only meant to irritate Eunseok’s character, why does it feel like they also irritate the real Eunseok? Because his leg begins to twitch uncontrollably under you.

In order to stop letting his emotions show and to keep his mind to the job in hand, he needs to snap back into character quickly. He remains to cage you in a respectful manner, though, as his arms aren’t in contact with you because they’re both on the table.

So you have no choice but to put up with the sensation of his breath tickling the back of your neck, and the heat that seeps from his thighs and settles into you.

You feel imprisoned in his cage... On this set.

And, you start to appreciate the little things, like the thicker material covering your flesh, since it seems like your skin is getting uncomfortably slippery under your dress.

Your back is glued to his chest, and his calm demeanor calms you down from the words and deeds of everyone around you—including the real extras from the close-up tables that swarm the set, adding realism to the scene and heightening the atmosphere.

You feel him place his hand on your thigh, something he has never done in previous takes of the scene, but he immediately lifts it. And as he moves his hand, the smooth surface of your dress wrinkles at the drag, making your heart want to leap out of your rib cage.

You lean forward until your elbows rest on the table in an attempt to escape the heat transfer that is becoming too strong between your bodies. More than that, there seems to be an off-energy between you two today that you can’t quite put your finger on. In either case, you’re unable to escape as his hand wraps around your waist and draws you back toward him. Simultaneously, it feels like his cold breath is making love to your throat as it swoops around your neck.

And so, you stay like this… in his arm... until he decides it’s enough, but Eunseok isn’t one to give up easily, so things continue this way. You simply can’t protest because that would ruin the scene.

However, even after going over the same scene several times, it didn’t stick, so the director agreed to let you unwind for the next few hours so that you could focus on the following scene.

And as absurd as it sounds, you might need to expend all of your energy on the next scene. You’ve become tired not just from your long work hours and endlessly repeated dialog lines, but also from being in too much close contact with him. And not to mention that the scene that follows is—

A loud “Action!” comes from somewhere across the room, past the cameras. You’re even deprived of the opportunity to summon all your bravery and take a deep breath. There is nothing you can do about the scene that is already in motion except follow your sync with Eunseok wherever it leads.

This time, the location is a 2nd floor room inside the casino with a glassed view of the floor below where all the ‘magic’ happens. In technical terms, the space you’re in right now is referred to as a ‘control room.’

Control…..

With just the two yellow-toned lamps—one in the corner and one on the metal desk—the room is completely soundproof and somewhat dim. Additionally, the window glass also only sees out but not in, which promises that all intimacy will be trapped inside and not let out.

…. If only you were allowed the right amount of privacy,

but this is a film set, so naturally there are people inside who practically monitor every move you and Eunseok make in great detail.

They… Control…..

His suit jacket, which he had on earlier in the casino, is now draped across the brown leather couch, giving you more intimate time together and expanding his range of motion. And it’s all done purposefully. Everything is a part of the plan, as he’s deliciously in tune with your dress, too.

His glistening velvet suit with diamond motifs fits the ‘rival notion,’ making him an ideal opponent—a fierce equal match for you. This is also reflected in the movie’s concept, which is to give the impression that this is a ‘pair game’ in which both of you are lying in order to get to the big ‘price.’

And all it takes to get there is for you to hurt each other in the process. There are jokes exchanged, teasing remarks, some lighter, some harsher, some even more vulgar, and swear words are thrown around, but neither of your characters ever lets up their confident façade. For they would be falling behind and losing the game if that were to occur.

As you gaze out the window, Eunseok is leisurely leaning against the desk, moving a silver-foil Ace of Hearts card between his black leather-gloved fingers and watching you.

The games themselves give an adrenaline rush, and the lavish, spacious hall downstairs draws in gamblers, but the whole point of the script for him is that you’re a thrill sight and his object of desire. For someone made of steel, your whole sense of appeal lies in the fact that you steal his breath.

The sleek black strapless velvet dress you’re wearing seems to be romanticized by the fake diamonds around the base of your neck. Your smoked eyes and glossed lips are your core points. You don’t long to impress. Your power lies in your strength and independence, but it’s also in elegance, solace, and trance. Another line says, ‘Simplicity is a killer,’ and you certainly are.

However, beneath it all, only you’re aware of how much of a mess you are because he is currently examining you.

... Still, it’s only acting. Eunseok is merely performing in his role as an actor. And, when acting, one can’t really let one’s true self show. As a result, cameras won’t be able to capture how hot you really feel inside or how confused; all you can hope for is that you don’t mess up your next set of lines.

And it’s that scene in the script where everything has built to a climax, and nothing is held back!

When neither of you can decide what brought you together—your shared dislike or your shared goal—and neither of you can explain the bad cues and inexplicable tension.

Where your personal schemes about who will get the ‘shiny stones’ first are screwed by your shared greed and cynicism.

When you two almost simultaneously blow up each other’s plans.

And wherein, in order to make this work for at least one of you, you have selected a room to talk about the remaining options. In this case, the smarter one will really only be the meaner one.

This finally concludes the exchange of hurtful comments; there will be no more!

The door is the most attractive option, and the room is perfectly silent. However, it simply indicates that the first person out has raised the white flag and signed their lost. It’s impossible for either of you to succumb so easily.

Simultaneously, your character is the first to break the dense silence.

“Do you know where we’re going?”

With a rephrased and pointed question, “Where are you going with this?,” you look up at him then, looking a little disappointed and angry at the same time.

Coolly, Eunseok teases, “I’m trying to figure out if I should call it quits.”

As an actor would, his hair is styled to perfection, and the two hair strands that fall into his eyes and give him a luscious appearance are actually just the result of the tireless efforts of the hair and makeup artists who never stop running after him.

You find yourself ‘out of set’ for a split second, wondering what he’s like by himself. How he appears when he wakes up in the morning, how his hair looks after taking a shower, and how his body is dressed in a baggy, worn-out shirt rather than rich pajamas. However, that’s rather a ‘faraway’ Eunseok.

But the present, Eunseok, does he read you?

“You’re only saying that. But I won’t take the bait from you.” Your character is merely attempting to remind his of how he deceived you during the previous poker round. “In fact, I wish you saw you from my view. You ain’t all that, you know?”

Eunseok’s cool and calm demeanor remains unshaken. In fact, he just keeps on getting cocky. Given that you’re affecting him in ways he doesn’t understand, it’s in his character's self-defense mechanism as a means of continuing to taunt your character.

“Really,” he responds, crossing his gloved hands. His vest lifts at his tiny waist, and he tilts his head to one side in a seductive manner. The tone of his voice has been pre-calculated; every syllable has been worked on in detail. His precision in looking at you, moving, and facial expressions is unparalleled.

“See, I’m good for the ego,” his words come across as too sultry, even though he’s the most soft-spoken he has ever been, “but I’m bad for the soul.”

If you two weren’t in front of the cameras, you’d have closed your eyes and allowed his words to give you goosebumps all over your body, but now isn’t the time to do that.

Not that they aren’t doing it already, either...

They’re actually doing that in real time. His voice, his eyes, and his tongue that digs and crawls at the inside of his cheek.

Just a cold-blooded actor. With every take, this terrifyingly skilled individual sends chills down your spine. You almost get the impression that he’s seriously flirting with you because of how excellently he is delivering his role. Nevertheless, the line is exceedingly thin, and the narrative is already in the script. Is it not?

You protest, looking frustrated, saying, “Your games are endless,” yet still simultaneously approaching him more closely to show that you aren’t afraid of him.

Actually, you and him are on the same level. And to add spice to the situation, you say, “However, this time, we both know that you’re going to lose.”

Waving the metallic Ace of Hearts card in your face, his quick silver tongue catches your attention as it runs along his lips. In an attempt to look impressive and put an end to the questions, Eunseok nonchalantly admits, “I like the games I play.”

Although you must maintain your image and stay in character, all you really want is for all of this to end. You can’t take this and him anymore, like the weeks of filming together have reached a breaking point. You want to scream, ‘Cut!’ to put an end to this suffering, but you can’t fail your dream or let your character down either.

It’s as though you’re developing feelings for someone who isn’t even real. As though you are losing all feeling of reality as you observe him from up close. And because you know what is coming up next, you’re damn sure that Eunseok will take a piece of you with him when the lights go out and the cameras stop rolling, and everything is said and done.

Trouble…

It’s in his perfectly lethal-hued dark eyes. In the way the lamp light hits his eyes that makes him look so enticing, like a glass of whiskey on a thirsty day of never being enough. Intoxicating. Mysterious. Dangerous. A glass of trouble, really, and you’re fastly becoming a growing alcoholic.

The narrative he tells you hurts as his words continuously fall from his gorgeous lips and seep into your thoughts and emotions like melted wax.

“The truth is, you can’t get enough of me.” Eunseok’s same eye-level with you decreases as he straightens up from the desk and now gazes a little down at you, imposing a slight dominance. He lifts his gloves, causing some veins in his arms to bulge between where the gloves end and his white rolled dress shirt begins.

Without consent, his gloved fingers begin to crawl upward the inside part of your naked arm, waking goosebumps on their way. The trace is slow and faint, but that is exactly what he wants—for you to disintegrate bit by bit.

“Admit it,” he prompts.

He’s being pretty sadistic and adamant by insisting that you know that he knows how you feel about him; which is precisely the situation, and it leaves you feeling so exposed.

And it’s as if his proximity, presence, and dominance have completely eroded you, your character ‘breaks character’ as it succumbs to his dark charms.

You two are so close that you can understand each other perfectly, even in whispers right now. So you fire back in a private voice, “If I cared more about the truth,” miserable and defeated, “I’d be too aware of who was using who.”

In response, all he does is smirk,

and after making his way to your shoulders, he subtly brushes his thumb along your collarbone. Heat is generated by the tiny friction, and much like a fire match is struck, it ignites sparks in the air.

His hand then moves to brush some hairs away from your face and tuck them behind your ear. The black leather of his glove begins to skim first, then caress your delicate skin and the left side of your face.

His eyes pierce your soul like a knife, so you look from them to his lips, breaking eye-contact. They lust for touch and have a unique, attractive shape.

“Stop!” You voice out in shock at what he’s doing, but do nothing. His gloved fingertips continue to graze your face.

“Wonderfull,” he comments silently.

Your brain is fried...

And while in a daze, you notice that his tie is a little loose around his collar.

For some reason, this makes you feel compelled to tighten it, sealing the last bit of separation between the two of you. Eunseok’s brows furrow in concern as he realizes that this isn’t at all included in the script. Although this is blatant improvisation, the performance must continue as long as the director doesn’t yell cut.

You can understand why his free hand, which lends on your waist, is gripping you so tightly and nervously. He kind of breaks his neck shyly smiling away from you before turning back to face you...

Again, something the scene steps don’t cover.

“It was out of pl—”

‘ace,’ it’s what you attempt to offer as an explanation while the camera is rolling, but you don’t finish saying it... Your mouth stays agape in contrast.

You opened it with an intention, got distracted, and now you hold it open with a fresh thought.

...Him.

Your lip gloss is a mirror of his tiny diamond-studded vest’s sparkle, as are his eyes, which reflect your phoney diamond necklace.

‘How’d you get so pretty?’ Your mind stutters and your body shudders, yet the line is plain to see as it’s painted on your lips—ready to perform, ready to be spoken. How do you allow yourself to say it, though?

But for real, when did his lips become this pretty?

It’s challenging to discern which aspect of yourself feels and which acts. There is a messed-up intersection where your character throbs with the need to kiss his character, and you throb with the need to kiss him.

Can he feel it? Are you obvious? Does anyone in the room have the ability to see right through you, as though you’re a transparent bottle filled with all these bottled wicked wants and needs?

Under the necklace, the skin on your neck contracts, relaxes, and contracts once more.

Your lips begin to quiver as the cold leather finally slides beneath your chin. Lifting it, your eyes are drawn back to meet his. You’re painfully aware that it’ll only take a single kiss to weaken a million truths.

“Fuck,” he utters as he begins to brush your lips, causing the leather to become sticky from the shiny gloss.

Taking back his hand, he starts to rub and then separate his thumb and index finger, examining the degree of stickiness between them. He sighs, “You’re making me want to suggest that we steal those stones together.”

“I’m not stealing any stones with y—”

“I know, I know,” he says, interrupting. “But almost…”

Eunseok looks directly at you and presses his tacky gloved thumb to his lips.....

The flawless pair of strands that get in the way of his eyes symbolize his seriousness while his tongue begins to pick up and taste any bits of whatever is still on his lips…

The intimacy is revolting, but you aren’t even given a chance to die from all the obscenities he’s doing as he continues.

“You are,” his voice becomes quieter as he speaks, “almost making me want to do it.”

His lips draw nearer. His breath is what you inhale.

“Almo—”

As soon as his lips touch yours, the rest of the sentence disappears. Just as your glittery, dark eyeshadow is captured in perfect detail on camera, his splattered letters perfectly entangle in your mouth.

Unsurprisingly, he gives you a desperate kiss with hands that dig into your waist.

The greatest corruption imaginable is a kiss that says, “If you aren’t mine, then I’m making you mine!” A kiss that puts your life and breath in danger. A kiss that tears through the façade and the acting mask, growing ever more dangerously real.

What’s worse is that having spent so much time with him, it’s so evident when he’s unable to pretend. And currently, he surely cannot!

He cannot act as though his lips aren’t needy or that his skin isn’t becoming hotter. Or that when he pulls your body more into his and presses his tongue deeper inside your mouth, his body isn’t trembling just a little bit.

Your hands slip off his shoulders and latch onto this vest, tugging on it just a little bit, even hanging on to it desperately for the life he’s stealing from you.

His heart is pounding beneath your hand, which is hard to comprehend considering that an actor with his level of training shouldn’t even flinch when filming a kissing scene. More so than anyone else, Eunseok exudes an air of magnetism despite being largely composed of steel. The fact that you’re seeing him partially fall apart for the first time is mind-boggling.

It’s truly insane what only a kiss can reveal. And of anything, it isn’t fast. For this is something that you should feel, just as the audience should when it’s their turn.

You whine his character’s name in between kisses, only slightly conscious that you’re still in the heat of filming this scene. However, he just hushes you, nuzzles your nose gently against his, and continues. His low, pretty pants and foul moans layer at your throat, just as yours in his.

Given how far out of script you two are at this point, you’re certain the director has had enough by now and will call it quits at any moment, but that never happens.

It’s gross how much of Eunseok’s tongue encircles yours while his cute nose wrinkles and brushes against yours. It all makes you want him even more. For the worst part, he smiles through it. It’s quite vile since he knows exactly what he’s doing.

You can feel his lips burn from the constant, wild collisions. And his scent seeps into your nostrils. That much is certain: it’ll be difficult to forget this—to forget him.

“Do you—Do you?” he stammers, pressing his lips to yours as he breathes heavily and squeezes your waist so forcefully that you fear his hands will split you in two.

Since it’s an entirely improvised line, he eventually comes up with the right combination of words. “Have you indulged in this fantasy before? Have you—Have you ever thought about kissing me?”

Even though Eunseok’s words are already weighing heavily on your heart and lips, he adds even more bitterness by saying, “You definitely have.” He answers his own question by not even giving you an opportunity to respond.

But then, is it untrue?

Of course not, as you feel the weakness in your knees. You find it somewhat unfair that he has granted himself a space where he’s fusing reality and fiction.

You fight, “It’s—” while making an effort to escape and resist his lips, “It’s just this time,” but it’s mediocre at best.

As you step back away from him, his hands hopelessly slip off your waist and slide back to his side. They appear empty-looking, as though they don’t own anything of value, like something was snatched from their possession.

Now, empty handed, Eunseok is back gripping the metal of the desk. It isn’t like it’s just you who is feeling the effects of those frenzied kisses; he has definitely lost his breath too. His lips are pretty roused and ‘used-looking’, much like after an intense makeout, while the tips of his ears throb as they peek out from under his dark hair.

He somewhat manages to come up with another line even though his fairly strong defensive system is down.

“Then perhaps it’s just been my imagination all those times I thought I felt you thinking about me.”

Your mouth drops open at the same time as the director cries out,

“CUT! Beautiful! Beautiful!” He waves his hands in all directions proudly. “That take was spot-on perfect; we’re done here. I got everything I want here”, he says, tapping the big camera that some other guy is holding, and also exclaiming, “One take. It only took one take!” with excitement. “Excellent improvisation! Reshooting would only sour the spark.” He then successfully clasps his hands and says, “That’s a wrap, everyone!”

You’re left standing in front of Eunseok, glassy-eyed, quite sensitive, and shocked, but optimistic that what the two of you just did is still partially justified by your acting profession.

It looks like he’s blinking more than normal; and blinking is undoubtedly one of the patterns Eunseok exhibits when he’s nervous, which you’ve noticed throughout the months that you’ve been working with him. He also seems to be in denial, with confused lines painted on his temple.

Both him and you stay motionless while looking at each other as the director talks about the scene with a different staff member, his voice only sounding faint and far away in your ear.

“I like a good chase in a scene. To me, that’s everything. The actors must have a compelling chemistry and be aware of their roles. They must have trust in each other and their actions, because making a film is similar to a construction site, it must be built. It’s more than a camera, lights, and action.” Taking off his baseball cap, he gives himself a head stretch. “Trust me… what these two have is lethal.”

The longer the director keeps making observations, the more of the ‘real’ Eunseok is in your presence. Adorable, nervous smiles, head turns, and motions; knitted brows that enlarge his eyes even more. It’s as if he has softened his human side, opened his heart, and ‘thrown his metallic armour away.’

Finally, after hearing the comments, he sort of hisses with a ‘Really?’ while tilting his head to the side and putting on a cute, sarcastic look of suspicion.

“Are you okay?” You ask him in a gentle tone, concerned because it appears he’s thinking through and repeating every step of the scene.

He nods, but his face still wears that expression of shock mixed with denial, and a slight, but still noticeable, shy spark in the far back of his ever so silver persona. It seems like he’s coming to terms with everything that just happened, and he’s still quite riding out the wave.

Now that he has had a taste of how you kiss, it’s quite impeccable how you can bite down like an enemy and later be tender to all of those marks like a friend.

You’re high-key giving him so much more to think about—so many more thoughts to deal with than what the sight of you in your dress had already done for him up to this point.

‘Romance’ slash ‘No Control’ slash ‘Trouble!’

So many twists and turns until the conclusion, but the scene is now over.

The drama is done. The ‘acting’?

Done!

You’ll be taking off your makeup and dressing down, but the characters you just played will still exist within the both of you. That despite the fact that it seems like you two will be avoiding dealing with this for the time being, you’re both actors, and currently, the cost of your acting is your sanity.

Starting today, heartthrob actor Eunseok won’t only continue to cause headaches to the millions of girlies who have his posters hung above their beds, but to you as well.

‘.....Nice.’

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bbygirl-aemond · 8 months

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When Dragons Disobey Their Riders

Hi all! I wanted to comment on something that recurs in both Fire and Blood and A Song of Ice and Fire: Instances of dragons blatantly disobeying their riders, often even after multiple attempts by their riders to correct them. If you look at the context of the scenes where this occurs, I think it actually does a lot to show us the level of intelligence and agency that dragons have. Most importantly, in all of the scenes I'm about to discuss, the dragon is not disobeying their rider out of malevolent intent. They are actually trying to protect their rider, and think that their rider is making a request that would put them in danger.

Our first mention of this is with Alysanne Targaryen and her dragon Silverwing, in Fire and Blood. Alysanne is up North, by the Wall, and attempts three separate times to direct Silverwing north of the wall, but Silverwing refuses each time. Some people think Silverwing was wary of the cold, but I think this is unlikely since otherwise she would have refused to come that far north entirely. I think it's much more likely that Silverwing knew some freaky magic was going on beyond the Wall, and that it could be very dangerous for her rider.

Our second mention of this is with Area Targaryen and her dragon Balerion, in Fire and Blood. On her first ride with Balerion, Aerea disappeared for over a year, and both rider and dragon returned severely injured. Aerea's illness in particular was just straight up terrifying and very gorey, and she eventually died from it. Because of this, it's suspected that Balerion actually took Aerea to Old Valyria and that they encountered some freaky magic there. At this point in time, Aerea was trying to escape and go home, and there's a popular theory that Balerion, doing his best to obey her request, took her to the place he thought of as his home.

Our third mention of this is with Lucerys Velaryon and his dragon Arrax, in Season 1 Episode 10 of HotD. When dragon and rider are being pursued by a much bigger dragon, Lucerys is unable to calm Arrax down, and he attacks, which eventually leads to both of their deaths. Arrax is quite young, and he very obviously did this because he was feeling cornered and threatened, and felt like he had to defend himself and his rider.

Our fourth mention of this is with Aemond Targaryen and his dragon Vhagar, in the same episode, right after Arrax's attack. If you go back and look at GIFs of what this attack actually presented as, note the side the attack came from. Arrax flames Vhagar's entire head, and he does it from her left side-- the same side where her rider is blind, specifically because Arrax's rider blinded her rider. It's no wonder Vhagar retaliated; she felt that her rider had been attacked in a very vulnerable place by the same person who made her rider vulnerable and never demonstrated remorse for doing so.

Our fifth and final mention of this is with Daenerys Targaryen and her dragon Drogon, in the A Song of Ice and Fire series. For those of you who watched Game of Thrones, I'm talking about the scene in Mereen where Drogon rescues her from the assassination attempt in the fighting pits. Daenerys wants to remain in Mereen and continue to try to handle the conflict there, but Drogon ignores her commands and flies far off into the wilderness. As far as Drogon's concerned, Mereen isn't safe for Daenerys, so why should she want to stay there?

I think these instances all point to dragons being intelligent, but not enough to really understand politics--that, or they don't care. Vhagar doesn't understand or care that killing Arrax and Lucerys will cause a war; just as Drogon doesn't understand or care that Daenerys wants to remain in Mereen to rule. They prioritize their riders' wellbeing and demonstrate that they don't always think their riders know best. This makes a ton of sense especially for the older, more experienced dragons, who probably had to make more decisions during combat in order to keep their riders alive rather than just waiting for commands.

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workersolidarity · 6 days

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[ 📹 Scenes from the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south, where 392 bodies of Palestinians, at least 10 of which had their hands bound, are recovered from several mass graves discovered in the hospital's courtyard. Only 65 of the bodies have been identified so far. 📈 The death rises yet again, now exceeding 34'305, while another 77'293 have been wounded in the Israeli occupation's genocide in Gaza.]

🇮🇱⚔️🇵🇸 🚀🏘️💥🚑 🚨

ISRAELI OCCUPATION MASSACRES OF PALESTINIANS CONTINUES 202 DAYS INTO GENOCIDE IN THE GAZA STRIP

On the 202nd day of "Israel's" ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) committed a total of 5 new massacres of Palestinian families, resulting in the deaths of no less than 43 citizens, mostly women and children, while another 64 others were wounded over the previous 24-hours.

As the Israeli occupation army leaves more dead Palestinians littering the streets of the Gaza Strip, the bodies of previous Zionist massacres and atrocities continue to be revealed.

The discovery of multiple mass graves filled with the decomposing bodies of dozens of Palestinians of all ages and sexes, including at least 10 with hands bound, and only 65 that have been formally identified, have shocked and horrified the world.

In total, 392 bodies have been recovered from the mass graves, discovered at the Nasser Medical Complex in Khan Yunis, in the southern Gaza Strip, in addition to dozens more discovered in a separate set of mass graves previously found following the withdrawal of occupation forces from the Al-Shifa Medical complex, in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of Gaza City.

For its own part, Gaza's Media Office slammed the Israeli occupation for its "heinous crime" at Nasser medical complex.

"Storming it twice, and destroying some of its parts, demonstrates the extent of the barbarism of this occupation and the immorality of its army, which destroys all aspects of life and means of survival inside the Gaza Strip,” the media office concluded.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation continues with its mass murder and ethnic cleansing operations in Gaza, resulting in dozens of Palestinians being murdered in their homes, or in the streets, over the last day, with the occupation's bombing and shelling focusing mainly on the central Gaza Strip.

In the latest occupation atrocities, local medical sources said an Israeli airstrike targeted a residential home belonging to the Al-Oweidat family, east of the Al-Bureij Refugee Camp, in central Gaza, killing a civilian and wounding several others.

At the same time, occupation warplanes bombed several Palestinian homes north of the Nuseirat Refugee Camp, also in central Gaza, resulting in the death of a female civilian and wounding a number of others.

In yet another criminal atrocity, an IOF drone bombed a group of civilians near the Wadi Gaza Bridge, slaughtering four civilians and wounding many others.

The body of a civilian Palestinian was also recovered from under the rubble of a residential home, following an Israeli missile striking her house in the Nuseirat Camp.

Additionally, an occupation artillery shell, which fell west of the Nuseirat Camp, in central Gaza, wounded a civilian who was taken to Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah.

Yet another occupation drone targeted the area near the Old Balad Mosque in Deir al-Balah, in the central Gaza Strip, resulting in the wounding of three Palestinian civilians.

The martyrdom of another civilian was recorded following an Israeli occupation airstrike on a house in the Al-Mawasi area, west of Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south.

Khan Yunis was targeted yet again with an Israeli occupation raid, which hit near the Islamic University, east of the city, killing one person and wounding another.

The Zionist occupation army continued its abhorrent war crimes with an airstrike on the residential home of journalist Mohammed Bassam Al-Jamal, in the Al-Geneina neighborhood, east of Rafah City, in the southern Gaza Strip, killing the journalist along with at least 5 members of the Nabhan family.

Similarly, the occupation forces fired a missile at yet another residential building, this one belonging to the Abu Arar family in the Al-Musabah neighborhood, north of Rafah City, wounding three civilians.

IOF fighter jets also bombarded a residential home belonging to the Hassanein family in the Yabna Refugee Camp, south of Rafah, murdering two civilians and wounding several others.

According to sources in the south of Gaza, the Israeli occupation forces launched at least 5 air raids targeting the Rafah area in the southern Gaza Strip, killing and wounding an unknown number of Palestinians, as many remain buried under the rubble.

Zionist occupation warplanes also targeted agricultural lands in both the Khirbet al-Adas area, as well as the Shaboura Refugee Camp area, wounding a number of civilians who were quickly taken to a nearby hospital.

The horrific slaughter of Palestinian families continued with the intense artillery shelling of the Al-Fokhari neighborhood, southeast of Khan Yunis, in Gaza's south, while in Gaza's north, Zionist artillery forces shelled, while occupation aircraft bombed, several neighborhoods in Gaza City, including the Al-Zaytoun, Tal al-Hawa, Sheikh Ajlin, Al-Janoubi, and Al-Rimal neighborhoods, wounding at least 10 civilians, including three children.

Also in the north of the Gaza Strip, an occupation air raid targeting the Al-Shati Refugee Camp, west of Gaza City, resulted in the murder of a Palestinian woman named Amna Hameed, and also killed her two children.

The Zionist occupation also bombarded a civilian home near the Indonesian Hospital, in Beit Lahiya, in Gaza's north.

Occupation warplanes also repeatedly bomb civilian homes in the Al-Mughraqa area, south of Gaza City.

As a result of "Israel's" ongoing special genocide operation in the Gaza Strip, the death toll among Palestinian citizens has risen yet again to now exceed 34'305, including over 14'690 children and 9'680 women, while another 77'293 others have been wounded over the previous 24-hours.

April 25th, 2024

#source1

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#videosource

#graphicsource

@WorkerSolidarityNews

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arcaneillusion · 9 months

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Before she was "mad”, Annie Cresta was a Career.

Although Annie is generally depicted as someone who has always been a relatively timid (or even 'weak') character, I think there is a far more convincing argument to be made for Annie being a Career tribute. For the sake of organisation (and preserving my sanity), I've split this into three main points: the purpose of Annie's character, misconceptions about the 70th Hunger Games and the likelihood of Finnick being a Career compared to Annie.

(Note: this ended up being a lot longer than intended, so uhh... sorry in advance.)

The purpose of Annie's character, and how this relates to her being a Career:

Given that District 4 is a Career district, it is not entirely beyond the realm of possibility that Annie received some form of training prior to her Games. It is also worth noting that she was 18 at the time of the 70th Hunger Games (according to the Hunger Games Exhibition, Annie was 23 during the events of Catching Fire, thus making her 18 years old at the time she was reaped). So you have a girl from a Career district who is reaped at the age that Careers tend to volunteer. Of course, this could just be a coincidence - Annie's name would've been in the reaping bowl 7 times by this point (assuming she hadn't applied for tesserae), so it could've just been poor luck that she was chosen. However, I think it's important to consider the purpose of Annie's character when pursuing this line of argument.

One of the most significant aspects of her character is how deeply she is affected by the Hunger Games. Although Suzanne Collins very clearly demonstrates how the Games affect the victors in various ways, Annie can potentially be seen as the personification of this trauma. Almost every time she is mentioned or is present in a scene, the impact the Games had on her is also brought to the reader's attention. During the reaping for the Quarter Quell - the first time her character is mentioned - Annie is described as being "hysterical".

The next significant mention of her is during the jabberjay attack in the arena, and Peeta subsequently refers to her as "the one who went mad".

Annie's character is inextricably tied to her trauma - it haunts the narrative of every scene she appears in. In Mockingjay, for example, Finnick’s suggestion to Peeta (that he simply ask someone for help if he is unsure about whether something is real or not) is inspired by Annie’s response to her own trauma. Even in more lighthearted moments such as after Annie and Finnick's wedding, the Games' influence on her is both alluded to and stated outright. For instance, she is described as being "lost in some daze of happiness", then revealed to be prone to flashbacks / disassociation.

On its own, the phrase “lost in some daze” does not seem to carry too much weight; but given that the words most frequently used to describe Annie are "mad", "unstable", "strange" and now (even in a moment of relative peace and joy) "lost" and in a "daze", it only strengthens the idea that as a result of her Games Annie is, as some might say, not quite all there. Almost every mention of her is tied to the impact the Games had on her. Perhaps even more compelling is a throwaway comment made by Johanna:

Although Johanna is acknowledging that the Games changed all of the victors in some way, there is an implication that Annie's transformation was the most dramatic. "Don't get me started" - as if the Games changed Annie so thoroughly, so completely that hardly anything of the person she was before remains. In short, Annie's character can be seen as a symbol of how the Games (or traumatic experiences in general) can change a person.

So what does this have to do with Annie being a Career?

Assuming that this is the purpose of her character, then Annie herself must have been irrevocably changed by the Games in order for this narrative to work. If Annie had always been a rather timid, 'fragile' character, the difference between who she was before vs after the Games would not be as stark (that is not to say she would not still be traumatised, only that this imagined version of who she was before the Games is not all that different to the person Katniss is introduced to in the trilogy). However, if Annie were to have been a Career, this would further emphasise the theme of how trauma can change a person and make this message all the more impactful.

Picture Annie as a cunning, skilled fighter. Imagine her as being adept at strategising and familiar enough with combat that she can remain level-headed during high-stress situations. Think of her as a tribute that many people were betting on to win - they were that confident in her abilities as a Career. Envision her as being bloodthirsty, prideful - honoured to represent her district and bring it glory. Annie with a sense of superiority and overconfidence, possessing a tendency to underestimate her opponents. Annie with her district partner, who she had known and trained with for years, and trusted enough to know that he would not turn on her before the time came when they had no choice but to go their separate ways.

Now imagine the character we are introduced to in Catching Fire - the "hysterical young woman" whom everyone believes to be "mad". Annie, who seems to lose her hold on reality every now and then, closing her eyes and covering her ears, falling into a state that seemingly only Finnick can pull her out of. Picture the devastation she must have felt when she saw her district partner - someone she trusted deeply and had come to care for - be decapitated right before her eyes. The realisation that no one can truly win in the arena, that she is just a pawn in a game so much larger than herself, and all of her training meant nothing: She would likely die anyway. The despair, the terror, the betrayal, the powerlessness - it shattered her.

To see a victor go from being a calculated killer to a mere shadow of her former self would do more than drive home Annie's role as the personification of trauma and its consequences: It would make the sheer barbarity and inhumanity of the Games all the more apparent.

Misconceptions about the 70th Hunger Games:

Admittedly, not very much is known about the 70th Games, but we do have enough information to put together a very, very vague timeline of events. At some point during her Games, Annie witnessed her district partner getting beheaded, an event that was (understandably) extremely traumatising. This led Annie to isolate herself for the rest of the Games, a strategy that we can assume worked reasonably well... until an earthquake caused a dam to break and flooded the arena. Being from District 4, Annie was an exceptionally strong swimmer. In the words of The Hunger Games: Tribute Guide, citizens of District 4 "can swim like fish themselves." This would ultimately lead Annie to be crowned as victor of the 70th Hunger Games, as she was able to save herself while the remaining tributes drowned.

A common argument against the idea that Annie could be a Career is that all she did was hide for the majority of the Games until the earthquake hit. However, I believe this to be based on a misunderstanding of the events outlined above. Once again, there is very limited information available about Annie's Games. That being said, whilst we know that at some point in the Games Annie isolated herself, we do not know when this was. It is entirely possible that Annie was an active member of the Career pack for a period of time, even if it was only for a few days. Only when her district partner was killed did she go into hiding - and, again, we have no indication of when that was. For all we know, that could've happened a few days before the earthquake broke the dam and flooded the arena, meaning Annie would've been part of the Career pack for the majority of the Games; perhaps it happened only a few days into the Games. The point is (like so much else about Annie) we do not know.

I will concede that because of the lack of information about the 70th Hunger Games, it is of course possible that Annie had no involvement with the Career pack, did not come into conflict with any other tributes, and won purely because she was a strong swimmer. However, based on everything I discussed in the previous section (Annie being from a Career district, reaped at the age Careers tend to volunteer, the purpose of her character as a symbol of trauma, emphasising the barbarity of the Games, etc.) I think it makes far more sense for Annie to have been a member of the Career pack. Ultimately, there is no solid reason, no hard evidence in canon, to suggest that Annie was not a Career tribute. If anything, the details we are aware of all seem to support the idea of her being one.

Finnick Odair — a volunteer, or simply out of luck?

As a quick side note: I do acknowledge that most of the points I have raised are largely based on assumptions. Assumptions supported by canon, but assumptions nonetheless. Having said that, there is one final topic to be explored in the case for Annie being a Career - and that is Finnick Odair.

A simple comparison between Annie and Finnick highlights Annie as the far more likely Career tribute of the pair. Indeed, there is arguably more evidence (however tenuous) to suggest that Annie was a Career than Finnick was. I am hardly the first person to point this out, but I do think it is worth mentioning and is quite interesting to consider.

The two main points of this discussion are 1) the age of the tributes and 2) Finnick's weapon of choice.

Firstly, we know that Annie was 18 when she was reaped for the Games and that Finnick was 14. Given that District 4 is a Career district, it doesn't really make sense for Finnick to have volunteered as at this age since he would be at a significant disadvantage. One of the first things we learn about Finnick is that he was the youngest victor, meaning that before the 65th Games nobody his age had survived the arena. Entering the Games as a 14 year old was just as much a death sentence as entering it at 12 or 13. There is of course the possibility that another 14 year old had won before and Finnick was simply younger by a few months; but even so, we can assume that it was a rare occurrence for anyone under the age of 15 to survive.

Why would a 14 year old boy, who (if he'd even been training in the first place) likely had not completed his training, volunteer for the Games? Why would he volunteer at an age when he was so unlikely to win, especially when Career tributes are known to volunteer at 18, meaning he would be so much younger than his fiercest, most lethal competitors? Why not wait until he was 18 and had the best chances of winning he could hope for? With this in mind, it seems far more likely that Finnick was just another kid who was unlucky enough to have the entry slip with his name on it selected.

What makes less sense is why, in a Career district, no one would have volunteered in his place. I've seen so many possible theories for this, some going with the idea that Finnick was a volunteer and either had very little training (with there being some other motivator for why he volunteered) or had received a good amount of training and was, for one reason or another, chosen to be D4's male tribute for that year. Others follow the theory that Finnick was not a Career, and it was merely a string of unfortunate events that led to nobody volunteering to take his place - for example, there being some sort of tragedy that left District 4 without any Careers-in-training. Once again (take a shot every time I say this lmfao) we do not know the specific circumstances surrounding the reaping for the 65th Hunger Games. However, based on what we can piece together, it makes far less sense, given his age, for Finnick to have been a Career. On the contrary, Annie's age at the time of her Games makes for a much more convincing argument in favour of her being a Career.

As for Finnick's weapon, it has frequently been pointed out that a trident is a strange weapon for a Career to be adept at using. Why would Finnick's training dedicate so much time to becoming skilled with a weapon that is so unlikely to be available at the Cornucopia? Instead, perhaps Finnick simply knew how to use the trident because he was a spear-fisher's son from the district that specialises in fishing.

Moreover, we are told that Finnick was adept at using spears and knives. These are weapons you would expect a Career to have been trained to use, but since District 4's industry is fishing it is entirely possible that Finnick knew how to use these tools simply because he had often worked with them before.

I do think this point about Finnick's weapon is a slightly weaker argument than the one concerning his age. Finnick may have been taught to wield spears and knives during his training as a Career, with it still being possible that he knew how to use the trident due to D4's major industry being fishing - a trade he almost certainly was familiar with, even if only slightly. In the case against Finnick being a Career, I would argue that his age at the time of the 65th Hunger Games is the most compelling point. Of course, there is no reason why Annie and Finnick couldn't have both been Careers. The reason for this comparison is simply to highlight that there is as much evidence to suggest that Annie was a Career as there is to suggest Finnick was. And in some ways, Finnick being a Career raises more questions and doubts than Annie being one does.

TL;DR:

Annie Cresta should not be overlooked just because she does not fit the stereotype of a 'strong' character. If anything, her instability due to the Games is all the more reason to suggest she was a Career. The point of her character is to show how the Games (or traumatic experiences in general) affect those who endure them, so Annie must have left the arena as a completely different person to who she was when she entered it. Most of what we know in canon seems to indicate that she was a Career; in fact, there is potentially a stronger case to be made for Annie being a Career than Finnick. Since we know so little of Annie Cresta much is left up to the interpretation of the reader, but this does not negate the fact it makes more sense for Annie to have been a Career based on the details we do have.

#thg #annie cresta

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hemipenal-system · 5 months

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in honor of a hoiiday where everyone eats a shitload of food

i've had a fantasy for a long time about like some kind of dragon feeding show. like a bunch of people come sit in an amphitheater to watch a dragon eat a lá what they do at zoos with dolphins n shit

there's just this massive fuckoff dragon sprawled out in the center of the stage, sleeping peacefully until it gets woken up at the beginning of the show by its handler, who proceeds to introduce it to the audience and talk about dragons and what they eat and stuff that happens at every show like this. everyone just wants to skip to the bit where it devours a goat or something.

so the handler gets everyone really pumped for this, and everyone's screaming and cheering bc spectacle and all that. and then she just leaves the stage. stage crew in heavy fireproof bite suits wheel out these weird tall objects covered in black cloth and get them set up, then whisk the covers off to reveal people.

they're long clear tubes, likely plexiglass, and metal frames. there are three or four, and each one contains a human wearing nothing except a cute little gag. between that and the plexiglass, the audience can see them writhing around in their containment, likely begging for help, but can't hear them, and oh that's why this show was 18+ we were wondering about that

the handler comes back and explains to the audience that because dragons are used to working for their prey, for demonstrations like this they have to eat from elaborate puzzle feeders, which is what the audience is looking at. each feeder has a slightly different solution to prevent boredom. and before you ask, they'll be fine. they signed extensive waivers. legally, we're not responsible for them not reading them. (they were wondering about the wording they got from the ushers about the "inside-the-scenes tour." by the time they figured it out, it was too late)

by this point, the dragon is well aware what's happening, and it's hungry. it's being offered three delicious courses, which it gets to eat in front of an audience that's incredibly eager to see this. the thick chains attaching it to the stage give it plenty of mobility, so it sidles up to the first feeder, lazily prodding its nose at it.

the feeder spins over, dumping the human out the open top and onto the stage. the meal tries to stand up and run, but the dragon's on him before he can get to his feet, jaws locked around his waist as he's swallowed whole, the audience wincing at it.

the second puzzle feeder doesn't spin in the middle, but it tilts at the bottom. the dragon takes the tube in its claws, leaning backward to tilt it back enough it can reach into the tube to get the treat inside. it gets a good angle, dipping its muzzle as far inside as it'll fit.

now that the top's open, the audience can hear the crying and begging for just a split second before the dragon's teeth close around her shoulders, lifting her bodily out and holding her up, head tilted back so the audience can see the way its throat ripples as it pulls her down as well.

all the while, of course, the handler is explaining what's going on in the dragon's head, how this benefits it, stuff like that. the audience is a curious mix of rapt and horrified. two people have been eaten alive and a third is about to be, and she just. doesn't care.

the third feeder doesn't rock or tilt, and it has a complicated lock that can only open from the inside. this one's the most fun to watch. the dragon rears onto its hind legs, spreading its wings and roaring, shooting a burst of flame into the air, to momentous applause. the handler has to stifle a smile. she knows how much it loves showing off for the audience.

grabbing at the top of the tube for stability, it looks down, carefully inspecting the feeder. it's smart enough to figure out this lock, and it has before, but the handler changes it just slightly every time. it snarls quietly, frustrated, and it's the loudest sound in the auditorium.

the human inside is terrified. she's just watched two other people go into the dragon, and she's about to be next. she can't run or scream for help, and no one who could hear her would help her anyway. when the dragon snarls, she starts openly sobbing.

opening its mouth, it dips its tongue into the slits at the top of the feeder, carefully moving around the metal bars and knobs that comprise the elaborate lock. each movement with its tongue drips more saliva onto her body as it plays with the mechanism right over her head, the bends in the tongue occasionally slapping across her face or curling over an ear. each time it touches her, she gets more scared, and the dragon relishes that.

the occasional brushes turn into curious licks, which become prodding kisses as the audience finds out what that metal ring in her mouth is for. they can see her throat bulging and turning through the glass, the dragon purring as it takes its time, putting on a show. as it kisses her, the body of its tongue keeps working on the lock while the tip ravages her throat.

when it releases her, she gasps for air as the tongue curls down her back and between her legs. it suddenly lifts up, carrying the unfortunate morsel into the dragon's jaws so suddenly she only has time for one last cheesy, bloodcurdling scream. its teeth close around her feet and it snaps her up quickly.

the handler asks if they want to see one more trick, and is met with thunderous cheering. she cues the dragon, and it spreads its wings, leaping into the air and holding itself there as it surveys the audience, chains rattling with each pulse of motion.

she tells it to come back down, and it doesn’t listen. it’s giving her a weird look. she tells it again and it doesn’t move, except to lick its chops and snarl. she tells it one more time, and this time it does.

this feeding’s not like the others. it swoops down at her, grabbing her in its teeth, and bites down hard. blood goes everywhere. people are screaming. this wasn’t supposed to happen. she said at the beginning there was a risk to working with these creatures. maybe she was right. they can hear her muffled screams from inside its mouth as it begins to chew ponderously, the panicked cries lasting an uncomfortable amount of time before going silent.

the dragon lays down, closing its eyes, almost appearing like it’s going back to sleep until its wings open vertically, blocking off a sizeable amount of the stage. there’s a pause, then they snap back, revealing the handler, alive and well, gesturing to the audience.

✨ta-da!✨

#terato #monster fucker #terato blog #nsft #fantasy nsft #monsterfucker #v0re blog #v0re #dragon #dragon vore #dragon pred #tw gore mention #vore concept #tw vore

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miraculouslbcnreactions · 11 days

Note

Can I ask what do you mean that Félix is “far from the only victim of the issue?” What other characters have this issue from Miraculous?

When I said, "Felix is far from the only victim of this issue," I was referring to the ongoing problem of inconsistent characterization. Generally speaking, characters should act according to their own internal logic. When they do, they come across as reasonably consistent, predictable, and - most importantly - realistic.

I'll talk in depth about the concept of consistent character logic and how you get around it in a moment. Before I do, I want to give a few examples from the show to demonstrate what I mean by inconsistent characterization as we must understand what the show is doing wrong before we can discuss how to do it right. This issue is so widespread that I could go character by character and give examples, but for the sake of brevity, I'll just pick the first three that come to mind.

Alya

In Chameleon, we get this exchange:

Alya: A good reporter always verifies her sources. Can you prove [that Lila] doesn't actually know Ladybug? Marinette: Well I–uh… I… I… Okay! You want proof she's lying? Hey Lila! You forgot your napkin!

In this scene, Alya comes across as massively hypocritical because we all know that Alya isn't holding Lila to the same standard that Marinette is being held to. Alya will happily believe whatever BS Lila spouts and even post it on the Ladyblog for all the world to see.

We also know that this habit of not verifying sources isn't a new thing for Alya. We saw it bite her in the ass a couple times back in season one with things like the Lady WiFi incident where Alya thought that Chloe was Ladybug based on little more than circumstantial evidence.

But at the same time, we get things like this scene from the start of Feast:

Alya: Now you know back in the day sculptures were painted, right? Most of the paint vanished over time, but tiny microscopic pigments still remain. Thanks to this special app, witness how it originally looked. But here's the big thing. All these works of art have something in common. It's the same symbol! Look, everywhere. (Marinette gasps as she imagines Master Fu's mission) It's like some kind of secret society emblem. As if a kind of Order of the Guardians has been watching over the superheroes since the beginning of time!

This scene showed off some serious research skills. Alya uncovered secrets that the guardians had kept hidden for centuries or possibly even millennia! And this isn't the only time where we see Alya pull off this kind of quality research. If you pay attention, you'll realize that she clearly wasn't kidding when she says that she checks her sources!

In other words, depending on the episode, Alya is either a brilliant reporter who does her research or a tabloid journalist who takes anything she's given at face value as long as it makes for a popular blog post. There is no consistency nor is there a gradual change over time. The quality of Alya's journalism jumps back and forth from episode to episode depending on what the writers need it to be for the plot to work.

Nino

Nino is the holder of the miraculous of Protection and we were told many times that a miraculous must suit the person who bears it, so Nino supposedly embodies the spirit of Protection. And yet, in the season five episode Illusion, we see him:

Out his secret identity for no reason

Out his girlfriend's secret identity for no reason and without her permission!

Purposefully antagonize his best friend's father even though he knows that Gabriel and Adrien have a very tense relationship

Willingly get someone akumatized without taking any precautions to minimize the damage that akuma will do

Does that sound like a protector to you? Does it even sound like someone who should be made a part-time hero? I'd say no. Especially since Nino doesn't apologize for any of this. He happily justifies his own behavior and is even treated as being in the right. The only sudo-apology we get is this:

Nino: Mr. Agreste, I owe you an apology. All your troubles today, the pizza, the pasta, the chocolate, all that was... that was a plan to help Ladybug and Cat Noir. And it worked, dude! I mean, sir... Ladybug, Cat Noir, look! (shows a picture of Gabriel’s akumatization) Magic lightning! That's how Monarch gives his akumatized villains the power of the Miraculous!

Which is followed by everyone praising Nino for uncovering a thing that we now know goes nowhere. The heroes never try to track down the "lightning" Nino caught on film, so he risked Adrien's relationship and freedom for nothing. If that's protection, then count me out!

Adrien

At the start of season two, we get Glacitor, which gives us this exchange:

Cat Noir: There's a boy? Who is...? Ladybug: It's— I can't tell you who it is. We can't know anything about each other. Our identities must remain a secret. We're both superheroes, Cat Noir. We don't have a choice. (There's a silence. They look at each other sadly. Cat Noir walks closer and smiles before he hands her a rose, which Ladybug takes) Cat Noir: I get it, Ladybug. Your friendship means everything to me. (kisses her cheek) You can keep the rose. It goes with your costume.

And then, in this same episode, when Adrien is alone with Plagg, he says:

Adrien: Perhaps Ladybug will love me someday. I mean, like, I love her. I have to believe. In the meantime, her friendship is the best gift of all.

Driving home the fact that he truly meant what he said to Ladybug. He is happy to just be her friend, though he does hope that, one day, their relationship changes.

Then, towards the end of season two, we get Frozer which has Chat Noir do this:

Cat Noir: For you, M'lady. (kneels and showed the rose on his hand.) Ladybug: Seriously, Cat Noir? You're about to transform back! (points his ring) Cat Noir: So what? Ladybug: Well, if you transform back, then I'll know who you are and then... Cat Noir: And then we won't keep secrets from each other anymore. (transforms back to Adrien and Ladybug is shocked) Adrien: We'll be united, more powerful and free, we'll defeat Hawk Moth, then we can both run away to an island! (Ladybug smiles a little bit) Far away from everything. We will live off nothing but fruits, and we will have a little pet hamster and we will name it- Ladybug: Cat Noir! (It was revealed it was a daydream from Cat Noir) I can't accept this rose from you. I told you already. I'm in love with someone else. Cat Noir: I know, M'lady. But if he weren't here, would things be different between us?

And this:

Ladyice: Cat Noir. We need to set up a trap for whoever turned the city into a giant ice rink. (throws yo-yo) Icecat: (bitterly) My feline instincts prefer to track and observe before I attack. You go your way, I'll go mine. Ladyice: Please don't tell me you're mad at me about the rose. Icecat: There may be a certain chill now between us. Ladyice: I get it, but we should really focus on saving Paris right now. Icecat: We don't always have to do everything together, after all. It's not like we're a couple. (skates away) Ladyice: Cat Noir, don't get all pouty on me!

And this:

Adrien: I hope this helps you get more students to sign up. (walks away with Kagami) Kagami: You still keep doing what other people want you to do. Adrien: No, I just want him to be happy. And I'm not changing my target. Even if it means failing over and over again, because one day, I will succeed and hit it.

Oh yeah, he's totally respecting Ladybug's "no" and prioritizing their friendship over his feelings! This is top tier dreamy romantic lead writing!

On Characterization

By now, you hopefully see I what I meant when I said that Felix is far from the only character to have magical personality changes for the sake of The Plot. No one is safe from being rewritten. Sometimes characters change permanently without a real explanation. Sometimes characters ping pong back and forth. Other times they're so weird and wacky that you truly have no idea who this character is supposed to be. This is a problem because well written characters tend to be predictable. That doesn't mean that you'll always know exactly what a character will do. It just meant that a character's actions should make sense to the audience.

But, if you're a writer, how do you do that?

Allow me to explain!

If you want to write a solid, believable character, you have to keep them logically consistent. This does not mean that their actions need to be logical. All it means is that any character-based logic you establish has to be respected and followed.

For example, if you establish that Marinette can't talk to Adrien without messing up her words, then you cannot have an episode where she's suddenly able to talk to him because you are breaking one of Marinette's character rules.

If you have established this rule for Marinette, but your story needs to let Marinette talk to Adrien, then you need to do one of two things: create a situation that logically breaks her rules OR give her a character arc. That's just how characterization works! You establish a character, let the audience get to know them, then find ways to tell the story you want to tell while honoring the character you introduced the audience to. If your characters' are ping ponging all over the place and acting completely different from episode to episode, then you are failing at characterization.

Before we end, let's take a moment to rewind and explain what I meant when I talked about the two ways to get around a character's rules. We'll start with the easier way: breaking rules by putting the character in a situation that forces them to do something they'd usually never do.

Extenuating Circumstances

This is the first of the two ways to get around character rules and Miraculous occasionally does it well. For example, in Risk, they needed to get Marinette and Adrien to talk about things that Marinette and Adrien would never discuss, so the writers had an akuma make them talk. That's good writing! Special circumstances can - and often should - override character rules. No one will struggle to believe it if a pacifist becomes violent when their loved ones are threatened. In fact, in that scenario, keeping the pacifist a pacifist may make the character feel unbelievable depending on why they're a pacifist and the nature of the threat.

It's important to note that these rule breaking moments tend to be short lived like how Marinette and Adrien both reverted as soon as Risk was no longer affecting them.

Above, we discussed how out of character Nino was in Illusion, but his behavior in that episode isn't all that different from his behavior in Rocketear and I have no issues with Nino's writing in Rocketear. The reason for the discrepancy is that, in Rocketear, Nino thought that Alya was cheating on him. That's the kind of extenuating circumstance that would make someone act a little weird. In other words, Illusion's problem is not Nino's behavior, it's the context of his behavior. The writers simply didn't put in the work to make Illusion feel believable.

Character Arcs

Now that we've talked about temporary changes, let's switch gears and talk about the way you make more permanent changes to a character's rules. Namely, character arcs.

People are probably more familiar with this tool, but I'll still quickly define it: a character arc is when a character undergoes a change in personality, behavior, and/or beliefs based on an experience or series of experiences.

Miraculous is terrible at character arcs, so I don't have any examples to pull from in canon. Instead, let's take the Adrien example from above and rewrite it to be a character arc where he goes from pouting about being turned down to accepting that he really is happy to just be Ladybug's friend.

It is incredibly common for teenagers to struggle with the concept of rejection. Heck, even full grown adults struggle with it! You meet someone and you're drawn to them and you start building up this wonderful relationship in your head but, before that dream even gets a chance to become reality, your love interest blows it up with a, "No." Instead of accepting that, "No," you become obsessed with changing their mind. If only they'd see you in the right light, you know that they'd love you like you love them!

Obviously that's not how things work and this point of view is quite problematic, but this is a kids show and Adrien is only 14. It's reasonable for him to need to learn this lesson. I'd even go so far as to argue that we need characters to learn this lesson in kids shows. And if you don't think it should be learned by characters who eventually do end up with their love, that's fine, I don't disagree. However, I do think the lesson still works so long as we get a good gap between the character learning it and the character getting together with their love interest.

On to the rewrite!

In this new version of season two, Chat Noir doesn't take the Glaciator rejection well. Instead of smiling and accepting it, he asks if he has any chance and he's devastated when he's told, "No." We'll even add a scene at the end of the episode where Adrien tells Plagg, "I'm going to change Ladybug's mind!" In other words, Glaciator now plays like Frozer and it also leads into a season-wide conflict where Chat Noir is good to his word.

Throughout the season, he keeps pushing things, trying to prove that he's the better pick and that mystery boy is a waste of Ladybug's time. This all culminates in the new version of Frozer, wherein Adrien decides to go out with Kagami to make Ladybug jealous. But remember, that episode only happens because Kagami is trying to convince Adrien to give up on his crush and crush on her instead. Aka, the exact same thing that Adrien has been doing all season.

As you may have already guessed, in the new Frozer, we see Kagami do the same kinds of things that Chat Noir has been doing to Ladybug because Kagami is equally desperate to prove that she and Adrien are meant to be. He just needs to wake up and get with the program!

The more Kagami pushes, the more Adrien realizes that this date was a terrible mistake. He also realizes, "Oh shit, is this how I've been acting? Gosh, I'm an awful friend! I'm going to ruin my partnership if I keep this up."

By the end of the episode, Chat Noir apologies to Ladybug and Kagami can either learn the same lesson or promise to not give up, leading Adrien to sigh and promise to suffer through her advances for at least a little while longer because he wants to try and get her to learn the same lesson he did.

From that point on, Chat Noir is totally respectful of Ladybug, but still very much in love with her. She can even say that she hates hurting him, to which he'll reply, "You didn't do a thing to hurt me, my Lady. You've been perfectly clear about what you want. I'm going to do my best to respect that because your friendship means everything to me. I don't want my feelings to ruin what we have."

I'd also have this conversation establish that the flirty banter is okay by both of them and have them both promise to say something if their boundaries change, but I'm not writing all that out. What really matters is that Chat Noir has now learned a valuable lesson and we can have all of the Ladynoir hi-jinks we love so much without any of that nasty, pushy undercurrent we get in canon. Instead, we now get some lovely, heartfelt pinning that's going to play so good when the reveal happens!

If you want to really have some run, you can even let Ladybug develop feelings for Chat Noir to really highlight how sexy respect is. It's up to your preferences, but I do enjoy a good "two crushes" crisis and Marinette's sexual/romantic alignment seems to allow for multiple crushes based on the Luka and Catwalker stuff.

Conclusion

You can make almost any character do almost anything if you play your cards right, but Miraculous isn't playing the game. The writers seem to do whatever they want and it's sad because there's a good show to be had here. Good characters, too. It's why I continue to defend them in spite of the mess that is canon. Every single character in this show could have been great if the show had put in the effort to make them great.

#ml writing salt #ml writing critical #adrien deserves better

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raayllum · 8 months

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Already touched on this scene regarding the differences to the brothers, so I'm not going to repeat myself too much here, but I am thinking about the like... Purpose of this scene from a narrative/characterization standpoint in line with that. Because like, think about it... This scene would hit so different, as a debate, if we didn't know how far along Claudia and co. were in their quest to free Aaravos; then we could lean one way or another operating with the exact same information the characters have.

But we the audience Know that Aaravos isn't out, which is the primary reason Callum gives regarding incentive to get the Nova Blade. Nor is this the first time that Callum has a perspective we know isn't necessarily, well, necessary because we know more than the characters do. So we're already inclined to be more on Ezran's side because we know his line of thinking - that Aaravos isn't out and it's worth trying to just stop his release - is worth following.

It is likewise worth noting though, that Callum thinks the Novablade plan is good whether Aaravos is out or not. While he brings up that Claudia and Viren might've already released the Startouch elf, when Callum initially proposes the plan (shown above) he says, "Then we wait for Aaravos to get out." Even though if Aaravos gets out, that would kind of put him in the best possible place to possess Callum again, given how it operated last time. Even though if Aaravos gets out, he'll be even more powerful and likely to do real harm and even harder to defeat.

All of which to say this scene has approximately three purposes

To reinforce the differences between the brothers and possible seeds of conflict for the future, in both Ezran's pacifism (possibly to set up contrast with his latter choices) as well as Callum's more pragmatic side

To reinforce, by giving Rayla the deciding vote and having her side with Ezran, that Callum's morality and inclinations is different than both his brother and his partner

And on that note, characterization wise, to start highlighting what Callum is willing to do and that he's always had this streak in him (cue both he and Viren watching dark magic corrupted enemies die by their own hand at the Storm Spire while Ezran and Harrow feel somewhat conflicted about it, at least) / can often be more solution oriented ("How does this solve anything?" from 1x02) and willing to take the path he perceives as easier/more efficient

Sarai: You said you want to make a difference, to build a better world. But that's going to take decades of hard work. There's no monster you can slay to solve all of your problems. There's no shortcut.

Some other interesting notes:

Shows the different in the trio's dynamic regarding decision making, since previously it had normally been Callum and Rayla having the final call with Ezran going along with it (2x03, 3x08). Now, the brothers discuss first with each other, highlighting that they've spent the last two years without her and that Ezran has become more assertive, but that they still fully include her in the decision and have it be one they made as a group, signifying their heightened unity upon reunion and healing, and the way they all trust/look to each other.

It also demonstrates growth from Rayla, as last time she thought there was a potential threat to the world, she went the more violent route in wanting to track Viren down (alone) and kill him. But now that she's come back and reintegrated herself into the group, she's taking the more level headed, preventative route in some ways.

#tdp meta #tdp #dragons liveblogs #5x05 #mini meta #analysis series #analysis #this isn't as coherent as i wanted it to be bc i'm Sleepy but here enjoy #the dragon prince #also final screencap please be foreshadowing do it for me #tdp broyals #the english major strikes again #bc that's the tag for structure

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magicwhiskers29 · 4 months

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So... Prime Season 3, huh?

I guess this is somewhere between an analyss and just general thoughts post. Probably too incoherent to actually be an analysis, but I just finished the season, and I'm going to talk about it.

So for this post? I want to talk about Nine.

Okay, so, yeah, Nine was FANTASTIC. His solo conversations with Sonic were brilliant, and so many of them hit so hard. His taunting of Sonic when Sonic first gets back to New Yoke is so good. Just. Wow.

"Don't you realise the power I have at my fingertips?" I love the delivery of this line. It isn't said as particularly menacing, as a typical villain line -- Nine sounds curious, really. Slightly irritated too, but he's not just raging, because all the time he's been convincing himself he hates Sonic, and that what they had really was just a lie. He wants to believe that so badly, because it justifies this, and what he'll have to do to Sonic.

We see things like Nine getting shocked, maybe even a bit upset, in episode 2 after noticing the citizens he's put in danger. His goal isn't to cause hurt, but he's just not above it. Despite it all, he trusts Sonic too. Trusts that Sonic will just keep everything safe, so he can do what he likes.

Later on, this even goes so far as he trusts that if lets the Shatterverse decay as far as it can go, Sonic will then come back to him, o save it, and give him up willingly. It's extreme, and it's villainous, but it's a gamble reliant on trut, and an understanding of Sonic's good character that isn't quite the same as just the 'You're like this because of guilt' type that he accuses Sonic of before this.

And oh. Oh. I cannot not talk about Nine and Sonic's conversation at the end of episode three...

SONIC: Ever wonder where we'd be if things had gone differently between us?

NINE: Not anymore.

SONIC: ...I do. All the time.

Nine: You had your chance.

Sonic: Right back at you, bud.

I really don't think just a transcript can do this scene justice, because the voice acting (aghghhhhh it's so good) and pauses in this exchange really give it life.

Despite what everyone says about Sonic, I think this scene really demonstrates that he does see Tails and Nine differently. He's clearly thinking of Tails when he asks about things going differently, because he knows a universe where things have gone differently, and Tails is his best friend, Tails his 'Always his wingman'. But it's more than that. He wants a universe where he and Nine are friends too. he says he's missed Tails so much, when he sees him again at the end. Nine can't just be a replacement Tils to him, but he still cares about Nine, because he knows the kind of person Nine could be.

He cared first because of Tails, and now because he believes in Nine. throghout the season, he always does. Even when he ahs to fight him.

And augh, if that "Right back at you, bud" doesn't half hurt... He says it so bitterly.. He admits here, that he wasn't all in the wrong for what happened. He has Nine telling him that he was cruel to him, that he used him, and he has everyone else telling him he was a fool to ever trust Nine, but he wasn't. He didn't listen, and that's what he later apologises for, but he wans't a fool for believeing in someone like Nine, and Nine just as much didn't listen to him. They never talked.

Nine had his chance to explain to Sonic what he really wanted. He didn't take it. this is on both of them.

Seeing Nine get all mad scientist at the slightest thing going wrong was fun, though, on a different note. I think Nine has always really worked because he's just kind of eerie. So much more jaded than Tails, so he often feels just sort of... off. So them leaning into Nine being kind of creepy like that was fun. Whilst still feeling a very Tails-y direction to tke villainy.

Alright, light note over. Sonic himself? Also fantastic.

Nine is right about his guilt, but he's wrong to call it Sonic's only motivation. He wants to save his friends because he cares about them, not just becaus ehe destroyed them accidentally before. But Nine has never felt like he's had anyone to look out for him like that before, so he doesn't get that. But Sonic sees Nine that same way. It's why Nine doesn't believe him when he tells him that. And it's why Nine is so eager to believe Sonic betrayed him, and is a bad guy, because he wants to reduce Sonic down to a guy that's just all about himself because that's easier to picture as the bad guy, easier to picture as the kind of bully he's always been dealing with.

But Sonic isn't that. Sonic is ready all season to die to save the Shatterspace, and that isn't just because of guilt. That isn't just because Shadow beat him around a bit and told him this was his fault. This isn't because he's seen the chaos that he's caused the alternate-universe versions of his friends. And isn't just because Nine told him that, once again, he hadn't listened.

No, Sonic can't fathom him having hurt his friends, and yes, he'd do anything to not do it again, but... He'd have done that before, right? His flaw was that he didn't listen to his friends, and that he didn't rely on them, not that he was ready to leave them behind, or that he wouldn't have given his life for them before. He was careless, but he always had a big heart.

Nine keeps calling him predictable, but he never predicted Sonic's biggest motivation, because he never wanted to consider what it was, because that would mean Sonic actually cared about him, and he would have to care if taking Sonic's energy killed him.

It hurts Nine to do that, in the end. It hurts him to have to potentially kill the only guy who ever did listen to him, and speak up for him. But he does it because, like always, in the end he does believe in Sonic.

Their hug at the end is very sweet. Sonic listens to Nine, and Nine admits that he can care, and does care, to Sonic.

Nine will never be, and would never have ever been, Sonic's best wingman, not like the Green Hill tails, but he could be Sonic's friend, and a very different kind of Right-hand Man.

If the ending was a tease for a season 4, I definitely hope we get a Sonic and Nine reunion in it!

#sonic prime #sonic prime spoilers #prime spoilers #sonic prime season 3 spoilers #sonic the hedgehog #tails nine #analysis #long post #whiskers rambles #I still have more to say about the season. so uh. Onto a new post!

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jksprincess10 · 7 months

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Exile 6. You call the shots, babe

After Steve Murphy's unforgivable death in the never-ending fight against Pablo Escobar, Javier Peña finds himself stuck with a new partner. A girl that they brought from Miami. Smart, devastating, strong. Nothing he would have thought her to be. Their rivalry builds up to something intense, destructive. CW: canon violence, mentions of death, smoking and drinking, language, bullshitting my way through the Narcos plot, no y/n (3rd person), no physical and racial descriptions of the girl, explicit smut. Divider by @cafekitsune Masterlist for exile Notification blog

They don’t have to reach for reality when work starts on Monday. It crashes on them, violently, and they’re too busy with the current crisis to even think about all the unsaid words.

It starts with a call. And then, everyone’s moving, heavily armed, wearing their bulletproof vests. She ignores the way the green fabric struggles to stretch around Javier’s body. She ignores the fact that she knows just how pretty he is under.

He asks her if she’s sure, and she says yes. But he promises that the sight will be rough. She’ll get used to it.

Carrillo is on the scene, visibly upset. It’s a carnage. Three of his men, disfigured. The violence had kicked up a notch. “For Gustavo” carved on their bodies. She doesn’t vomit this time. She just takes pictures of the scene to bring to the office for evidence, while Javier is cursing somewhere else. The polaroids coming out of the camera don’t even do the scene justice. The blood isn’t tangible enough. Here, she can almost taste it on her tongue.

She lets the men communicate amongst themselves while she keeps photographing evidence. The bodies aren’t warm, they have been here for at least one night. She helps cover them up, and let the Columbian police deal with the aftermath.

When they go back to the office, they have an emergency meeting, and she does her best to listen. They try and plan out their next moves, but it’s hard when the violence has already gotten out of hand. They have to find where Pablo is hidden and fast. They look into what else they can do to spy on their communications. But technology isn’t on their side.

They don’t count the hours and it’s already night when they decide to head out. On the ride home, Javier clears his throat finally talks, with a cigarette hanging from his lips.

“You’ve been good today.”

Good girl. Fuck.

“Because I didn’t vomit?”

“Hmhm. It was a lot.”

“It was.” She agrees.

In the quietness of the vehicle, without the buzzing of the office, what happened between them has the time to creep up their minds.

“Listen, about what happened Saturday…” Javier starts.

“Nothing happened.” She cuts him, even though she still fantasized about the way he talked to her during that time. She bites her lip and looks out the window, streets passing them by as he drives to their building.

“Right. Nothing.” He swallows.

And then, they’re both in front of their respective doors. Javier wants to invite her over. Wants to ask her to stay. But they just give each other a knowing nod, before going their separate ways.

They both keep their minds and their hands busy for a few days, and with the matters on their hands, it’s not too hard. She stays far from his body, not to get reminded of the electric feeling of his lips.

But things escalate when she has gun training with him as her private teacher. He’s so close, and they’re both alone and it’s so late that everyone had fled the office.

“I noticed that your hands are a little shaky when you hold your gun. You need to be steadier.”

She nods. For once, he’s right.

“Show me your grip.”

She holds the gun the way she usually does, and he easily takes it from her hands. She tries to ignore his proximity, and he does the same.

“Let me demonstrate.”

She watches as he holds the gun and shoots almost in the middle of the target. She jumps a little at the loud sound in the silence of the room.

“Show off.” She rolls her eyes.

“Yeah? Try to take it from me now, princesa.”

The nickname produces a reaction that she wants to muffle until it disappears. It rolls off his tongue so deliciously. She can almost taste the word from his lips.

She, of course, struggles with it, and of course, he has to play with her. With a cocky smile, he lifts up the firearm too high so she can’t reach it.

“Unfair.” She groans. She hates how arrogant he is, she hates how he keeps teasing her. Since his mind is set on keeping the firearm away from her, she opts for the best strategy she knows, lifts her knee, and hits him right in the groin. Javier folds in half, the weapon flying across the floor, as he holds his balls in pain.

“You’re a fucking psychopath.” He growls.

“It worked.” She shrugs. She almost fucking skips to get the weapon, like a happy and arrogant little girl. She bends to grab it and he looks at the sweet curve of her ass in her work slacks, at the unmistakable silhouette of her panties. She shoots as she holds the firearm in a firm grip, hitting a few stripes away from the middle.

“Better?” She asks as she turns around. Javier is still bent in two, but his gaze isn’t on the target. It’s on her.

“Were you looking at my ass, Agent Peña? How unprofessional.” She reprimands him, coming closer to his body. She puts the safety on and makes a show of putting it back in Javier’s pants.

“You’re so fucking full of yourself, princesa. Always think everything is about you, huh?” He straightens up, trying to ignore the throbbing pain in his groin.

“I don’t know, Javier, you’re the one who jumped on me at the office party.” Her fingers trace the slightly open collar of his shirt, barely brushing his golden skin.

She remembers the way he felt against his lips, his hypnotizing taste. She wanted to drown in him.

“You’re fucking crazy.” He breathes, but his lustful gaze says otherwise. He eventually gives in, lips crashing against hers. His kiss is bruising, almost angry. He exchanges their positions, and her back hits the solid wall. She moans against his lips, his mouth and tongue swallowing the sound.

“Oh, you love it.” She finally breathes against his lips. Her hands trail down his shirt, to his brown leather belt, that she opens. She gives him a mocking laugh as she sees the sees the prominent bulge in his tight jeans. “How can you be aroused after I literally destroyed your nuts, hm?”

“I love a feisty woman.” He smirks.

She bites on his bottom lip as she unzips his pants to free his hard member. She wraps her hand around him, hers can’t grasp him fully unlike his. He just watches, admiring how she holds and squeezes him slightly.

“Touch me or I’m stopping everything.” She orders against the shell of his ear.

“Beg for it.” Javier bites back.

“No.”

And she stops moving, leaving Javier to desperately thrust his hips in her grasp. “Touch me, Javier.” She repeats.

The control she has over him is exhilarating. He loses all self-control, loses the way he wants to make her beg instead of barking orders at him. His hand unzips her work pants and plunges in her wet panties, feeling her warmth. He could cum in his pants right here and now. She pumps him slowly, delighted in the way he groans and curses lowly. After cupping her sex, his fingers start moving painfully slowly, teasing her little ball of nerves. Electricity fills her veins, she could explode. Her forehead rests against his shoulder as she moans softly. The asshole knew what he was doing.

“Faster.” She demands breathlessly.

And for once, he obeys. She mimics his speed, lewd sounds filling the training room.

“F-Fuck, Javier… I’m gonna…”

And she explodes, her whole body shaking so much she lets go of him. He holds her as she calms down.

“Eres tan fácil de complacer (You’re so easy to please).” Javier teases.

“Usted también, señor. (You too, sir.)”

And when she falls to her knees in front of him, he loses his grip on reality. Her lips close around his hard member, her hand holding the base. She’s incredibly dirty with it, slurping and sucking like she wants to swallow him whole. His back hits the nearest wall and his eyes close as he pants softly. He never felt anything this good before. And when he cums on her tongue, she lets go of him with a smirk.

“So easy.”

“Stop being so humble.” He rolls his eyes and clears his throat.

They both adjust their clothes and leave work after a “good training session”. His taste is on her tongue, and she’s not sure if she ever wants to taste another man in her life.

#exile #javier pena #javier pena x reader #javier pena x you #javier pena smut #pedro pascal #pedro pascal fanfiction #narcos #narcos fanfiction

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whiskeyswriting · 2 years

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Natural | Chapter 1: Natural

{ Masterlist }

📝A/N: Song lyrics incorporated will be in bold and blue. Flashbacks will be italicized. Any lines or scenes used from the books and/or movies will be done in green. I do not own the characters of the Divergent series. The credit for that goes to Veronica Roth for creating the series. As such, anything in green or blue are the intellectual property of their respective owners.

〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪

This is it. The moment your future, and that of all the factions, changes forever. You hear your name called again during the choosing ceremony.

As you walk towards the stage, your blue sweater clinging to your body, you recall that the choice of faction was already made by you. For a few years now, your life and training and education had been leading to this moment.

As you grab the knife in your hand, you take a moment to look over the five metal bowls. Each one contains a substance that represents each faction: gray stones for Abnegation, water for Erudite, earth for Amity, lit coals for Dauntless, and glass for Candor.

Taking the knife in your hand, you remind yourself that the cut will sting. Your training, however, kicks in before you can hesitate. You press the cool metal deeper into the palm of your hand and then drag it down until you see the blood pooling into your palm. Before it can fall onto your clothing or the floor, you move your hand so that the blood drips over the coals of Dauntless.

〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤

Three Years Ago

“You can do this! You know how to cheat the aptitude test. You’ve already learned knife throwing. Now it’s hand-to-hand combat,” you hear your father exclaim.

You stand in the middle of the room facing the boxing bag. Hands bare and knuckles already red and bloodied, you make sure to keep your feet firmly planted and keep your core tense to ground yourself. Closing your eyes, your stop to focus on the sounds and air around you. Before the hit comes, you feel the change in the air of someone being in front of you. You turn to your left and bring your arms up to block the blow.

Ducking, you punch your opponent’s stomach and you focus on the air that rushes out of them. You then sweep your leg under theirs and they fall. Finally opening your eyes, you move to wrestle them to keep them on the ground. What surprises you is the kick to your back which causes you to loosen your grip on them.

“You will have to learn to take hits as well as giving them. You already chose Dauntless. You have three years to prepare for your initiation,” your father tells you as he helps you up from the floor.

You nod and grab your water bottle and drink. “We still don’t know what exactly it is that Jeanine is trying to create. I’ve been following them to see but have found nothing so far.”

“Just be careful. We can’t risk you getting caught and our plans falling through.”

You both walk in silence back to the living room.

“Dad? What if I can’t succeed in this…? What if out of the 10 other the factions have been and are being trained… what if I’m the one to fail?” You ask after a few minutes.

Normally, your Erudite training would suffice in keeping you confident. However, you were facing an uncertain future which caused your inner Candor to speak up.

"Love, you were not selected for this just because you're the daughter of two divergent and Erudite leaders. You were selected because you have always demonstrated your intelligence, bravery, and honesty when dealing with others. Those are the qualities of a true Dauntless leader that will restore our city to the original purpose for its founding.”

〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤

After the Choosing Ceremony, you joined the other initiates in running to jump on the train. The adrenaline rushes as you, purposefully, jumped in at the last minute, just before the platform ended. You stay standing by the open door feeling the air rushing and letting the sound of the passing buildings calm you for what was to come.

An exhilarated shout comes out from you as you jump from the train to the top of the building. You knew you were here for a reason. You were trained for this moment. Leaving behind your family and friends in Erudite was not easy, but you knew the importance of you being Dauntless now.

The training, however, did not show you how to tamper down your excited energy. 'Oh well. I'm still me,' you think as you start listening to what is going on around you.

“Several stories below us is the members’ entrance to our compound. If you can’t muster the will to jump off, you don’t belong here.” You tuned out the rest of the speech as you made your way to the front of the group of initiates.

You knew what the leaders were trying to do: intimidate from the beginning to identify the weak initiates.

Next to Max, whom you had learned was one of the Dauntless leaders, stood a young man with piercings over his right brow and tattoos on his neck. There was something about him that called out to you, making him seem familiar, but you couldn’t pinpoint it at the moment. ‘Cute… but not my reason for being here,’ you think to yourself.

You don’t hesitate as you push your way to the front. Smiling, you stand on the ledge face up. “Took an oath by the blood on my hand, won't break it,” you say, and with a wink towards the young tattooed man you let yourself fall backward.

Max and the other Dauntless leaders look over the edge in disbelief.

“She’s a natural,” Max tells the rest. “She will be your biggest competition during the first stage of initiation. Now who is willing to go against her and jump next?”

As the initiates slowly make the jump, Max directs Eric and one of the other leaders to keep an eye on you throughout initiation. “She’ll be trouble if her smirk was anything to go by.”

At that, Eric’s interest was slightly piqued. From the moment you jumped from the train his eyes fell on you. The blue of your sweater reminded him of a place he once called home. But this is his home now and he refuses to let anything or anyone distract him from completing his mission.

〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤🔪〽️🖤

Tag List: @taina-eny @ghostedgrim @l0nelygamer

#mrsjaderogerswrites #divergent series #divergent fanfiction #eric coulter imagine #eric coulter x reader #Eric coulter #Eric coulter rewrite

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fearlessinger · 1 year

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How does Athena foil Apollo?

oh in so many ways… Love that you picked her. (Granted Athena herself, like all the gods who aren't Apollo, has had a relatively low amount of screentime in the rrverse so far, but I believe there's enough to paint a pretty complete picture if you read between the lines, and take into account what other characters - mainly Apollo and her children - say/imply of her. So.)

Athena is Zeus's favorite, I would argue even above Artemis, because she's the only one out of all the gods who never feels the need to resort to going behind his back in the course of the three pentalogies. She's the only member of the Olympian council that we know he actively seeks the advice of.

Apollo on the other hand, is possibly the least favored of Zeus' progeny in the present day. In Apollo’s own words, Zeus “hasn’t trusted [Apollo] for millennia”. By the time we meet him, Apollo has been left by his father barely any room to maneuver even within his own domains, as demonstrated by the fact that he can’t even independently choose to cede the reins of the sun chariot to anyone that Zeus might not approve of. He is the one Zeus immediately points to when he needs a scapegoat. He gets hit with a punishment so harsh it's quite literally a miracle he survived, to the point that we find ourselves wondering, in the end, if he was actually meant to.

But it wasn't always like this. Once upon a time Apollo too enjoyed Zeus' favor. He and Athena both used to be Zeus' main enforcers and right hand people. We still see evidence of this in the kind of relationship they seem to have.

Athena is the only one of Apollo’s family members whose counsel he explicitly wishes he could ask during his trials, as opposed to his wishing for material help from most of everybody else. She is the only one of the gods to openly speak against Apollo’s punishment, right in front of Zeus too. She words her disapproval carefully enough that she retains plausible deniability, but just barely. And she alone bets on Apollo’s survival in Hermes’ pool. In that last council scene, she and Apollo are able to silently communicate with just a glance. It’s clear that they share some deep camaraderie, an old well established ease with each other that the recent distance between them has not diminished.

We’re never given the full explanation, but it’s not hard to figure out how their paths must have diverged. It’s not even hard to figure out why. Apollo’s ruled by his heart, while Athena can’t fathom following anything but her brain. As Apollo started more and more chafing under their father's rules, more and more refusing compliance, Athena clearly made the opposite choice. Nowadays they play opposite roles: the beautiful fool and the dutiful lieutenant. Everything about the way Apollo chooses to present himself is a middle finger to his father, whereas Athena is the staunchest of Zeus loyalists.

And yet it looks like they still have a lot of respect for each other. Which isn’t surprising because they have some significant similarities despite their very different characters. Firstly: they share a similar sense of responsibility. It’s undeniable that Athena takes their job very seriously, and much as it may seem that Apollo has the opposite attitude on the surface, we know, having reached the end of TOA, that that was never the truth. Secondly, they are both extremely intelligent and acutely aware of it. They both expect to be the smartest person in the room at any given time. And they are right except of course for when they are wrong bc their intelligence most definitely does not prevent them from being also incredibly dumb. You may be wondering how can I so confidently make this latter assertion, since we never get a peek into Athena’s head, but I think Annabeth saying that the first lesson Athena’s kids must learn is that “mom is always right and don’t you ever dare suggest otherwise” backs me up here.

On this note, it’s interesting to observe that Athena’s children and Apollo’s children both display a strikingly unusual amount of faith/confidence in their divine parents, compared to… basically all the other demigods.

Annabeth won’t ever stop singing Athena’s praises/boasting about being her daughter, even as she makes comments like the one I cited above. And Will famously stood in front of the army that was about to raze CHB to the ground in Apollo’s name and called bullshit on the idea that his father would ever approve of such a thing with enough conviction that the matter was considered settled and nobody even for a second thought of doubting Apollo afterwards.

And yet “dad is always right” is very obviously not an idea that has ever entered the mind of any of Apollo’s children. They show absolutely no reverence, let alone fear, toward their father. Will doesn’t hesitate to legit SCOLD Apollo in front of the whole camp in THO. The loyalty that Apollo’s children have toward their father is nothing like that of the Athena kids toward their mother. In this too it seems like Athena has chosen to stick to the path traced by Zeus, while Apollo has rejected it.

But their divisions aren’t irreconcilable, and that little secret nod she gives Apollo at the end of TON proves it. Remember when I said Athena is the only one out of all the gods who never feels the need to resort to doing stuff behind Zeus’ back? That changes here. For the very first time, we see her take initiative without her father’s knowledge or consent.

#colorsunlikeanythingseen #rrverse #toa #toa meta #*cough* someone ask me about hermes next *cough*

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nyxreads · 2 years

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"Elain and Azriel barely had any long conversation + she doesn't challenge him"

So are we gonna ignore this?

It was three by the time the others went to bed. By the time Cassian returned, quiet and brooding, and knocked back a glass of liquor before stalking upstairs. Mor followed him, worry dancing in her eyes.

Azriel and Elain remained in the sitting room, my sister showing him the plans she’d sketched to expand the garden in the back of the town house, using the seeds and tools my family had given her tonight.

Just because we didn't get to read what they talked about doesn't mean they didn't have a conversation and not important (it is, if we're going to consider the build up for their book). This is just one out of all those scenes where Azriel led Elain to the garden alone and had a conversation.

Realtalk, Azriel always initiates contact with Elain. Reaches out to her and she willingly accept him. But he never felt it like an obligation, never felt this kind of regrets:

His shadows had not warned him. It was too late to bank without appearing like he was running

He answered Elain right after her first question , even being too poetic for his own good,

Elain said to Azriel, perhaps the only two civilized ones here, “Can you truly fly?” He set down his fork, blinking. I might have even called him self-conscious.

He said, “Yes. Cassian and I hail from a race of faeries called Illyrians. We’re born hearing the song of the wind.”

“That’s very beautiful,” she said. “Is it not—frightening, though? To fly so high?”

“It is sometimes,” Azriel said. Cassian tore his relentless attention from Nesta long enough to nod his agreement. “If you are caught in a storm, if the current drops away. But we are trained so thoroughly that the fear is gone before we’re out of swaddling.”

But didn't gave the same energy to others

“Fine,” he said, and realized a heartbeat later that it wasn’t a socially acceptable answer. “It was nice.” Not much better.

So he asked “Did you and the priestesses have a celebration?” “Yes, though the service was the main highlight.” “I see.” She angled her head, hair shining like molten metal.

“Do you sing?” He blinked. It wasn’t every day that people took him by surprise, but . . . “Why do you ask?”

With Elain, Azriel readily answered, with others he also did but avoided the question at the same time:

Azriel couldn’t help his soft chuckle. “Yes.” She opened her mouth to ask more, but he didn’t feel like explaining. Or demonstrating, since that was surely what she’d ask next. So Az jerked his chin to the sword dangling from her hand. “Try cutting the ribbon again.”

I don't even remember Azriel lying to Elain but to other people? Easy.

The lie was smooth and cool, as he knew his face was. His shadows peered over his wings at her. The young priestess smiled—and Azriel thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows.

It's not always how long the conversation goes but the substance, the quality, of what Az feels and how he answers that matters.

Love is not even a competition. It's exhausting to always try and prove yourself to someone, but with Elain? We saw Azriel in his most relaxed state, laughing with pure joy, his insecurities being called beautiful by Elain, and in the rescue scene where Az flies and Elain kicked the beast? Or how Elain didn't panic during the rescue scene? It's a proof they work good together. Relationships doesn't always have to challenge one another, there's a relationship where people support one another instead of taunting them to do better. And as far as all the canon Elriel scene we get, Elriel falls on the category of two people down to support and work together as partners.

And for once, can we stop and listen to what the characters really want rather than what WE think they want? Or what we assume they want?

In canon, Azriel and Elain wanted each other. They're adults and capable of deciding for themselves so they know who's right for them. In canon, we didn't even see any hint that Az feels any romantic feeling for Gw*n or vice versa, and even more so of Elain to L*cien.

Elain and Azriel in the bonus chapter, parted with a little miscommunication. And Az likely to stay away at first. In romantic setting (aside from the plot) this follows the Feysand and Nessian pattern where Rhysand and Cassian both tried to stay away at first (crdts to @daisybrekker) 😉. If Azriel would move on simply because "it's too complicated now" then I'm afraid we're not following the pattern.

Azriel if we'll look at canon is not the kind of guy who will move on easily from the woman he loves. And it'll make him a douchebag to jump on the next female available.

And what I really love to point out is this is how Elain sees Azriel:

Azriel, graceful as any courtier, offered her an arm. I couldn’t tell if she was looking at his blue Siphon or at his scarred skin beneath as she breathed, “Beautiful.” Color bloomed high on Azriel’s golden-brown cheeks

And how Gw*n sees him:

The young priestess smiled—and Azriel thought it might have been directed at his curious shadows.

Elain sees Az and his scars and complimented it, Gw*n focuses on his shadows not on Azriel himself, hmmm?

I love Elain as well as Azriel too, and I prefer a woman for Az who sees his scars and still clings to him rather than seeing him for his powers. And I rather want a man for Elain who stayed with her during those long nights and listened and who she wants/loves.

Thanks to @offtorivendell and @ladynightcourt for answering my earlier question!

#pro elriel #elriel #azriel and elain #elain archeron #pro elain archeron #azriel shadowsinger #pro azriel

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itsclydebitches · 11 months

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Can someone ezblain why we had that whole roy vs jamie over keeley fight revived? I was happy that they were being friends. Then they went to keeley's house and wer liek you pick and I was so sure she was going to be like why not both? I was on that train. Her canon reaction made sense but then made ask why bring it up at all? They were doing fine. Their relationship grew beyond fighting over a girl, after what they went thru togtherr? Idk

I really wish I could explain it, anon. Personally, I think the problem started an episode before when they suddenly introduced the "I don't want to just be friends" conflict when, from where I was standing, Roy and Keeley had already gotten back together, concluding the journey we've known they were on since the start of Season One. Keeley starts falling for Roy, they date, have some struggles, overcome them, and presumably conclude the series as an item, demonstrating that Keeley can be a strong, independent boss while also indulging in the romance she's been interested in since her introduction.

But then, suddenly, their night together + Rebecca's realization doesn't mean they're dating again. Okay, weird to introduce that in the literal final hour, but I guess they wanted one last conflict for the finale. I got ohhhhh so excited when Roy admitted to being anxious about "stuff" because what could that possibly be except him grappling with feelings for Jamie too? He and Keeley JUST slept together, he JUST wrote her a love confession, he JUST said overtly and without reservations that he wants more than friendship, so there's nothing Keeley-only related that he'd be this nervous about. It's got to be the poly plot-line that's been happening in the background. This is why everyone looks to Jamie during Colin's coming out scene. This is how we confirm Beard's reminder that there are more queer people in the room. This is why we see Jamie's bedroom with a sexualized Keeley AND a poster of Roy right beside it, positioning them as equals. This is why we got moments like Jamie attending Roy's uncle party because yeah, they haven't just become friends, they've become intimately close. Holy shit, Ted Lasso's actually gonna do it!

So I went into the bar scene not liking the regression to jealousy -- and I hated that Jamie used the video to try and one-up Roy, especially after all the good work the writing did with that: having him apologize and keeping that information from Roy when it was none of his business -- but I figured this was just the messy way the story was getting us to that poly ending. They need to act in the traditional Manly Fashion over the girl, going so far as to demand that Keeley choose one of them, in order to access the opportunity for her to say (and I could hear it so clearly in her voice): "Why should I choose just one?" The lead-up to this could have definitely been done better, I thought, watching the three of them sit down at the table, Like, I hate that we're suddenly regressing to set this up, it's stupid, but a canonical poly ending will be worth some missteps. Hell, I'll forgive a LOT here because we almost NEVER get that representation and in a show this popular? Hot damn, that's amazing.

And then Keeley just kicked them both out.

Thank god she remained single, like she always should have been. Strong and independent! I've seen a lot of fans say post-finale and I'm just in my corner going wait, I'm happy for you, truly I am, but I'm asking in the nicest way possible if we watched the same show?? The one where Keeley has ALWAYS wanted a romance? How she's an amazing character in part BECAUSE the writing allowed her to love romance and sex and being a badass boss? Where she and Roy were set up to be the True Love story from the very start? How a Keeley/Roy/Jamie story has been happening subtly in the background, now primed to become canon in the season largely focused on queer identities? How Keeley did not need to be the narrowly defined strong, independent, single woman when Rebecca Fucking Welton was right there, loving her life post-divorce, and instead the story decided to give her a man and a little girl at the last possible second?

They'll at least address that and have Keeley announce her intentions to stay single for a time after that mess with Jack, as a way of wrapping up her story, I thought and then that never happened.

They'll at least address Jamie and Roy's lingering feelings for Keeley because surely, after that bar confrontation, resulting in an actual FIGHT, they won't just shrug this off over some kebabs, I thought and then that never happened.

Well, it sucks that we didn't get a poly couple, but I suppose it was always a long shot--

[Dani slams in with two model women we know nothing about, just literal arm candy at a wedding where Beard marries his abuser that, intentionally or not, is kinda framed as a dream and wait wait wait THAT'S the canonical poly rep we're ending on??]

I've seen a couple people say that they enjoy the finale more after a re-watch and hell yeah. More power to you. Wish that were me. Unfortunately, outside the stuff I liked right at the start, I've enjoyed the finale less and less the more I've returned to it. So much just feels like it came out of nowhere, regressed the characters, contradicted long-term setups, and generally left me feeling disappointed about things they I believe we had good reason to expect from the show. These weren't things we simply hoped for and thus fans are in need of a reminder that this is not their story. This was stuff Ted Lasso textually and thematically implied... and when you're the feel good show of the quarantine era, pulling back from those implied promises feels even worse. The long-running couple break up in the most confusing, backsliding way possible. The last episode cruelly teases one of the most popular ships. Nate's entire redemption arc was rushed/had key moments pushed off-screen, giving him almost no time to re-connect with Ted. The established abuse plot-line is played straight at the end. Ted goes back to Kansas and, according to the montage, full-on abandons his found family in the name of doing right by Henry -- a level of sacrifice I don't think this kid needs or, if given the chance to have a say in all this, would necessarily even want.

Idk, there were a LOT of fantastic moments (the sign reveal makes me SCREAM!!!!!) but overall the bones of the finale left me feeling sad. The Roy/Keeley/Jamie situation is pretty reflective of that feeling.

#Ted Lasso #Ted Lasso spoilers #Keeley Jones #Roy Kent #Jamie Tartt #mymetas

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