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onceuponapuffin · 1 month

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Fanatic Intervention Part 4!!

Someone mentioned a play on Divine Intervention, and I thought that would make for a short, sweet, tag-able title. So here it is - Fanatic Intervention!

This poll came really close. Gosh. Please share this around. I want anyone who would like a chance to play to have the chance to play. This isn't about followers or activity, this is about letting people know they are welcome and invited :)

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The Metatron walked calmly through the halls of Heaven. Anyone who didn’t know any better would use a word more like “stalked” or “stomped.” Of course, no one in Heaven would ever use these words to describe the Metatron, even if his eyes were angry and his feet fell firmer than usual. No, the Metatron was the Voice of God – he merely walked with purpose, grace even.

At the end of a corridor that did not exist, he approached a door that opened at his touch and his touch alone, into a room that took up no space. It is in here that he stopped, the door closing behind him as it was right to do, and brought his hands together in Prayer.

“I beseech you,” he began, “Mother and Father both of All Creation, Commander of mine tongue, and through whose Grace I carry out Thine Will.” He paused, unsure exactly how to proceed with asking if someone new was supposed to be there. “In my best efforts to bring about the long-foretold Second Coming, I have come upon some trouble. A human was dropped into the path of my efforts* and has suggested that they are here at Your Will. If this is so, please instruct me so that I may step aside or aid them as appropriate. I wish only to serve You, Your Will, and Your Designs.” With this, the Metatron paused and waited. He waited for what felt like eternity, even though he kew all too well it wasn't. He was met with nothing but silence. With a sigh, he spoke now to himself (and if anyone had been around to hear, they might have – mistakenly, mind you – inferred his tone to be sad).

“I suppose I should have expected nothing less.”

He straightened himself. Well, clearly The Almighty trusted him to sort this trouble out for himself. Oh, how he adored the trust and love the Almighty had for him. Alright, so, given that he was sort out this trouble himself, he deigned to use all the knowledge and intelligence that the Almighty had granted him. He had other resources that he could consult.

Exiting the room, he walked once more (with purpose and trust in God – not with pride), to the Room of Records which held The Book of Life. If anyone saw him, they said nothing and let him pass. If he saw anyone, he paid them no mind. The Metatron approached The Book.

The Book of Life holds all the world’s stories, whether they are true or not. Every. Single. One.

He turned the pages to the one where he had seen the passage regarding The Second Coming, and the events leading up to it. His eyes widened in surprise (he was far too important to gawk). The lines that had carefully discussed Aziraphale returning to Heaven, and the Second Coming of Jesus, had all been painted over with what appeared to be a thin white tape. And overtop of this tape, new words were appearing, detailing the arrival of the strange human and their interference. The Metatron glared (not snarled) at the way in which their interaction was being recorded. After a moment, he experimentally scratched at the tape. Much to his relief, the white tape gave way, revealing the original words still lay underneath. Well now, that was good news. The original plan, writing, story, was still there – hidden just beneath the surface. No doubt, if he took the human out of the equation, so to speak, the Plan would continue as is had been written so many thousands of years ago. He smiled, closing his eyes, and thanking God for this insight. Now, all he had to do was find a way to get rid of that human.

Suddenly, the lights in Heaven started flashing red, and a siren began blaring. The Metatron rolled his eyes. WHAT, exactly, had happened now? He went to the room that contained the large rotating figure of Earth, and noticed a large red plume of smoke trailing from it. While all of the lesser angels were fussing with it, Metatron stayed near the door that didn’t exist. He had no need to inspect it closer. He knew precisely what it was.

*(not that kind)

It didn’t take you long to tell them about the Second Coming, and convince Aziraphale and Crowley to ward the bookshop. Well, there was some slight resistance, but you pointed out that if they did a Big Joint Miracle On Purpose, then there wasn’t likely to be anything that anyone could do about it, even when they did notice. And thus, it had gone without a hitch.

Now, Aziraphale was collecting stacks of Bibles that he felt would be helpful for research, Muriel was taking notes, and Crowley had gone to get some wine (something about needing a drink to deal with all this). You look to your phone, pointedly ignore the Lives Counter, and start toward Google to help with research.

BUT

Does your Good Omens playlist still work? You can’t help but wonder, and your curiosity has you distracted and opening the app. Oh, well, there it is. Honestly it’s impressive. But then again, you suppose, Good Omens exists in this world, and the songs in your playlist exist here too, it’s just the show (specifically the Final Fifteen) that doesn’t exist here. Not anymore anyway. Any songs related to the show are gone, but otherwise your playlist is still very much intact. You smirk, crank the volume up on your phone, and start blasting Mother Mother’s Problems.

Now, dear Reader, I will take you aside to reassure you that Hozier is on the list of music they must and will hear. I have merely chosen this one because I don’t know your playlists, but I know mine, and this song fits the mood I expect you must be feeling. You are on the other side of panic, having explained everything, and secured the bookshop, you are now feeling the glee of being in Aziraphale’s bookshop with your favourite characters. You need something upbeat to dance to, wouldn’t you say? And Take Me To Church, being the most upbeat Hozier song that I know of, doesn’t quite cut it.

Crowley enters the room with a bottle of wine and two glasses (only two? How dare he. Doesn’t he know you’re...well...not going to deny a demon the temptation of a glass of red?). Aziraphale sighs the word “Bebop,” and you begin an elaborate sort of bouncing while singing the lyrics and pointing at them in turn.

“So,” Crowley says quietly to Aziraphale, “Any idea what’s actually happening here?”

You, dear Reader, are lost in your dancing. You are having the time of your life making up dance moves and trying to convince Muriel to at least bob in time with the music. You notice none of this.

Aziraphale sighs. “Honestly,” he replies to Crowley, “I can’t say I do. But given what we have to work with, I rather think that trusting them is our best option. Besides,” Aziraphale glances at you, then back to Crowley, “They don’t feel like the bad sort. I may not always be the best judge of character when it comes to angels, but I’m certain that this human is, well, rather the good sort.”

“Mm,” Crowley replies. He pauses, watching for a moment as you try to convince Muriel to stand and take your hands. “And, what about...you know, the thing that Nina and Maggie erm...talked to us about?” He notices Aziraphale’s cheeks turn pink.

“I think that we had best leave that for when the world is safe,” but the angel sounds resigned when he says it. Crowley suspects that “the world,” is actually meant to mean “we and the humans.” He doesn’t mention this, he only nods. The demon pauses.

“Wait a minute, wait, is this song about…”

You had finally convinced Muriel to walk in a twirl under your arm when Crowley finally notices that you had been trying to make it clear as bloody daylight that the song’s lyrics fit them to a T. Now that you have their attention, your smirk grows into a full mischievous smile.

“If you think this is impressive, just wait,” You say. And NOW you turn on Hozier.

❤️ ❤️ ❤️ ❤️ 🖤

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positivexcellence · 11 months

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FRĒDA WOMAN: GENEVIEVE PADALECKI

TALK TO US ABOUT YOU.

HOW DO YOU DECIDE ON A PROJECT?

Gosh. I wish it was that easy! I think to echo what Odette Annable said, “Taking on a new project usually means that I had to work very hard to even “get” the role. The audition process can be grueling with multiple rounds of auditions and each step feels like a victory.” And that's the truth. I think having the ability to be able to work and play in our industry is pretty extraordinary and I feel incredibly lucky that I have been able to connect with the role bond with the team and find light in the message.

WHAT MADE YOU START TOWWN?

The awful truth is that I am a big waster. I have 3 kids. I used disposable diapers. Bought single-use plastics and easy on-the-go snacks. I did what was convenient and the best for my family. But I wanted to understand how I could be better for our planet. The resources that were available to me were ones that we doom and gloom or all or nothing. I wanted something that made more sense to me. Where I could have a solution-based platform that was relatable and evolving.

HOW DO YOU SPEND TIME OUTSIDE OF WORK?

Great question. It depends on the day. But it’s either with my family or with myself, but most likely in nature. On a hike or with a book. But definitely recentering and hopefully getting our hands dirty.

WHAT HAS BEEN MOST REWARDING ABOUT BEING A MOTHER?

Knowing that there is an even greater capacity to love that I didn’t know existed. My heart grew tenfold when I became a mother. And I had such a deeper and greater respect for my own mother. She always told me you’ll never know how much I love you until you have a child of your own. And she was right. I also love how much I learn from my children. They are so wise and earnest. I love seeing the world through their eyes.

WHAT IS SOMETHING YOU’VE BEEN LEARNING ABOUT YOURSELF?

I hope that I am always learning. I think when I was younger I was stuck in a loop of who I thought I was supposed to be. Or how I was supposed to present myself. Now I enjoy letting my guard down and trying to go more with the flow. Not sweating the small stuff and trying to be curious every moment.

HOW DO YOU FEEL SUPPORTED FROM THE GROUND UP?

My family. They are my world. And knowing they are safe and sound and feeling centered makes me feel incredibly grounded.

YOUR MANTRA?

I love a quote from my grandfather which is, “You don’t get what you expect you get what you inspect.” Sometimes I tend to wash over the details and this quote reminds me to pay attention. That I have to work hard to achieve what I want. It’s not owed to me.

I also always tell my kids that today is a brand new day. And we can start fresh.

TELL US ABOUT A FAVORITE SUMMER TRIP.

I grew up going to a place called Graeagle that was nestled in between mountains in Northern California. As kids, we learned to fish; tying flies, cleaning and cooking our fish, hiking the mountains and finding our way back. These trips encouraged self-reliance. In those summers we tuned out the noise and came together as a family. It was heaven for me. Now I try and recreate that feeling for our kids. This year we are heading on a rafting and fishing trip as a family (with zero cell reception, I cannot wait).

ANY FUN SUMMER PLANS?

Yes! Currently, Jared and I are in Italy. We have been in Rome for a quick work trip and then we explored (are currently exploring Corsica) and then Sardinia. We are also doing an annual trip with Jared's brother and sis in law. It’s become a bit of a tradition now and it makes me so happy to have this time. This year we are biking around France. Last year I tumbled ass over a tea kettle in the Dolomites so wish me luck…then Jared and I and the kids head to Idaho to get lost on the river.

TELL US ABOUT A FAVORITE SUMMER TRIP.

ANY FUN SUMMER PLANS?

THE AUSTIN DIARIES

FAVORITE SHOP: Estilo, Valentines, Maufrais, Hearth and Home, or Alexa James Baby, bygeorge

GO-TO RESTAURANT: Soto, Dai Due, Wu Chow

ALL-TIME BEST BBQ: Terry Blacks

CAFFEINE KICK: I go more for the smoothies and matchas…so Juiceland

SUNDAY ACTIVITY: Gardening, running Lake Austin trail or boating

HIDDEN GEM: I can’t tell you…lol

RAINY DAY DESTINATION: My library

TOURIST ATTRACTION LOCALS LOVE: Probably the bats on Congress Bridge or shopping SOCO

BEST THING ABOUT LIVING THERE: Your neighbors, Austin is an amazing community

#genevieve padalecki #Padalecki goats

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narzissenkreuz-ordo · 5 months

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oh my gosh i actually wrote a complete drabble in one sitting.... theres a possibility for a continuation but i've haven't written this much in FOREVER... have wrio pov reflecting on his prior relation with silvanus:

There was no reason for Wriothesley to come to Palais Mermonia in person this often.

He very easily could continue his regular correspondence with Neuvillette from the comfort of his own office back at the fortress, rather than make the trip for his meetings with Neuvillette every month. He keeps trying to tell himself that these trips were got for himself: to breathe in fresh air and feel actual sunlight on a regular basis. Though partially true, he doesn’t want to pass up on the opportunity to see Silvanus semi-regularly again.

It was extremely selfish of him, after all he was the one to end their short-lived tryst while Silvanus was still interning at the Fortress of Meropide. Aside from their relationship being a theoretical nightmare for the Human Resources department, It was a horrible decision by both of them. Wriothesley had never let himself experience these affections before, finding it hard to trust anyone after everything he had been through. But he genuinely cared for Silvanus, more than anyone else in his life.

It scared him.

But despite his own emotional baggage, he finally wanted to find solace in another person. Even though the two of them had grown up in very different environments, there was too many similarities. His love grew out of the desire to protect her, to make sure she would find happiness and peace far sooner than he did. And he unfortunately knew that he could not bring Silvanus this. He had his responsibilities to the fortress and it would be too cruel to ask her to stay. She deserved so much better than a life underground.

So he left her go. He used the excuse that she had far too much potential to be stuck as a low-level official within Meropide and gave his reference to the Fontaine Research Institute on her behalf. He was sure she understood his true feelings on the matter and chose not to question him further.

He would would ensure her happiness, even at the cost of his own.

And Wriothesley was correct about Silvanus’ abilities. Hearing in passing about her accomplishments and eventual employment at Palais Mermonia.

But after seeing her again in person. He couldn’t stay way, he wanted to see her despite knowing it would only hurt himself more. Wriothesley knows she must have moved on at this point but couldn’t help but feel guilty trying to worm his way back into her life.

This was a bad idea, but he couldn’t stay away

When Wriothesley announces his leave for the next meeting, Sigewinne gives him a knowing glance with a small smile and wishes him luck.

On his walk through the streets of Fontaine, he thinks about how Neuvillette is starting to catch on. At the same time, Wriothesley senses a change in Neuvillette’s demeanor and suddenly realizes that the Iudex’s feelings may be similar to his. He feels a sharp pang of jealousy and protectiveness, mixed in with his own sadness but it quick passes after another realization: Neuvillette could give Silvanus the adoration and happiness she deserved and Wriothesley would make it happen.

‘Yes, that’ll do’ Wriothesley thinks. ‘this will be a good thing for her’

#eitan writes #teatime rabbit #oc: silvanus avenir

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loquaciousquark · 1 year

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4-Sided Dive Highlights - Critical Role C3 up to E40 (Dec. 7, 2022)

It's Christmas! We'll pretend this isn't three weeks late as we join Liam, Laura, Matt, and Taliesin. Liam wins host with a 6 and Matt nearly topples the Jenga tower cheering. The host's script instructs him to intro in song ("Motherfucker!") and to The Twelve Days of Christmas we get "On tonight's 4-Sided Dive/We will have for you/A silly gift exchange game, Mercer's Nein Mighty's reunited, Taliesin played as Kingsley, Orym totally died, and Laura Bailey sundered a tree. Let's fucking do a show!"

What the Happy Holidays Fuck is Up With That? Everyone is sad Eshteross is dead. Matt never killed Allura or Shaun or Essek, so this took the players by surprise. Matt says it was possible in any campaign (Gilmore & Allura did almost die), but it still sucked for him to do. There's been a lot of death for this party in the two-three months they've been together.

Laura says it felt like Otohan was toying with them; the only reason they're not all dead is that she wanted them to live. Matt says it was meant to be a deadly encounter but she was defeatable. Now they have something to work for.

Everyone wants to know where Imogen's mom is. The moon? Yios? Is the city on the moon old or did Otohan set up a popup town?

The were clan was very cool and they were all very attractive. They joke about derailing the campaign to set up a dating sim in the Gorgynei and leaving the moon stuff to Vox Machina.

Matt was so stressed going into the VM stuff, which Liam brings up to discuss as he wasn't on the last episode. "All I could think of leading up to us recording that next session was going, 'Oh shit! I have to do multiple characters of your characters in front of you to each other! Great.'" Everyone agrees that Matt did an awesome job representing their characters. There are a lot of side conversations the players didn't get to see; Matt thinks everyone was communicating with each other on the back end (especially with Percy) while the ritual was going on.

After a dig from Taliesin, Matt reveals that the old Talks faux-pas where some incredibly expensive scotch was mixed with Coke was not actually his doing; it was mixed for him. Sure, Matt. Sure.

Taliesin and Matt discussed Whitestone's advancement and development over the years, since it's a bunch of very expensive resources in a very tiny space. Taliesin tells us that the acid pit has become a low yield battery electrifying street lights at night in the city. "What Lex Luthor could have been with better friends."

Laura protests that she knows nothing about the Ruidus flares and is met with general skepticism. Matt tells us the flares have happened for years with no pattern; this isn't a new thing. However, the recurrences are getting more frequent.

What's causing the flares, the gods trying to break free? Otohan? Laura doesn't think Otohan is on the moon. Laura posits that the city is all the gods' original worshipers; when the gods were bound there, all their worshipers & belief were transported there and bound with them, since that's what gives the gods power. Laura realizes belatedly (and very dramatically) that if this were true, the BH's efforts to figure out what's going on are actually weakening the barriers to belief and helping them be released. Liam has been wondering this for a while, apparently--what if Otohan is the hero and BH are accidentally releasing these evil gods? Horror upon horrors! Matt's poker face reveals nothing, argh.

The Mighty Nein reunited! Everyone loves Kingsley's vibe. Laura regrets not at least calling Caduceus for help. Laura improvs calling him in the moment, and oh my gosh I've missed Cad's voice so much. "Caduceus, Uk'otoa's free and we need your help! Can you come, please? Because you're a healer, and I'm still a healer, but you're better." "Hey. Oh wow! Yeah. Look, I'm kinda stuck here, working on a spell and my house that needs to be fixed. I wish I could help." Taliesin tells us he's in the middle of resetting the Blooming Grove by casting Temple of the Gods, which must be cast in the same place every day for a year. This is partly why Tal played Kingsley; he couldn't justify Caduceus leaving for this, and Kingsley had imprinted hard on the pirate life and would be more fun anyway.

They all loved the incredible fight and AMAZING mini. The tactics were super fun and they loved the opportunitis to experiment. Matt thanks Tyler Walpole who designed the mini and Ian of Iron Tusk who did the painting.

Matt talks about how they left many long term threads open at the end of C2 "like Law & Order for twenty years." He was glad for the opportunity to come back and close this one.

Uk'otoa is not a god, he's the creation of the god the Cloaked Serpent. He's just very powerful, and when the gods were sealed beyond the Divine Gate, he took his old god's dominion in the Lucidian Ocean by the Menagerie Coast for his own. He converted some of the Ki'Nau people there to his worship which gave him power. It wouldn't have been world-ending if they'd failed to seal him, but it would have changed a large chunk of the navigable waters in that area.

The Tower of Inquiry! It visibly wobbles multiple times, but Laura manages to get the block pulled. What would your characters' custom cocktails be? Imogen: a dark and stormy with the beer head being lavender-infused. Orym: an Aviation (which Marisha drinks a lot and Liam dislikes), which apparently tastes like potpourri, yuck. Ashton: a drink Taliesin can't remember the name of which involves pouring lots of clear liquors together with fruit infusions, which must be drunk quickly to avoid it seeping through the paper cup. Matt for Weva: Corpse Reviver (gin, Lillet blanc, orange liqueur and fresh lemon juice).

Gasp, an abuse of power: Liam forces Laura to go pull from the Tower again immediately, which she does successfully despite great sturm und drang. #10: what would your characters' phone cases be? Orym: a blue gem case. Ashton: duct tape over a cracked screen. Imogen: full horse girl with a custom case from a photo of Flora. Eshteross: a Blackberry with a silver stylus, ha!

The Deep Dive! Orym is just trying to do right by his group, lots of push ups and egg whites. He's feeling very overwhelmed all the time, but he tries to focus on the job at hand. There's no way forward without the group, and he's wondering if the current crazy conversations are what Keyleth and Percy used to experience. His death was a moment of certainty in his abject failure to everyone he loved, but he's dutiful and wants to serve, so he keeps his panic quietly to himself. :(

Imogen is also overwhelmed at the minute with the roller coaster of emotion. Her mom's alive but refuses to see her; they don't know what's happening with the moon. Liam marvels at the dichotomy of seeing this path of power before her that she seems clearly fated to master, and yet fearing becoming a villain if she leans into it too much.

Orym is flat-out the reason that Ashton joined the group because of his connection with "Ashari," similar to the "Hishari" keyword connecting Ashton to his past. The moment everyone went down in the Otohan fight was the moment Ashton realized he was genuinely invested and was going to have to put in an effort to build these relationships. Liam loves Ashton's reaching out to people and feels Orym and Ashton have started becoming quietly supportive.

Matt imagined the Claret Orders scattering throughout the world to help those who were cursed. The Gorgynei were a splinter group focused specifically on lycanthropes, and Matt created them in response to Chetney. Matt LOVES taking elements from the characters' narratives (some backstories, some future goals) and getting to tease and reveal it in game. Travis especially "lights up like a lighthouse" when he realizes they're getting into character material. Matt also says definitively that there are no wereherbivores. Alas.

Orym doesn't really blame himself for having his mind read to reveal Eshteross's location; he's a swordsman with no magical defenses. Matt knows a ton about Eshteross's backstory and hopes to get to discuss it soon.

Imogen doesn't think she created her own dreams, even though she can control aspects of them now.

Character block break!

Ashton's habitually being left behind causes low expectations of other people. "People come. People go. People die. People don't. It's kind of just how it goes. It's a very low-impact reality." All his intimate relationships thus far have been built on that, with knowing everyone loved and cared for each other while still maintaining a safe distance.

Yios, the City of Flowing Light! It's illustrious and in the middle of the lake and is rivaled only by Ank'harel in its places of learning. It's a mostly orc/half-orc society.

Orym felt awful about being chosen over Laudna; it echoed everything in his past where the important people were gone and he was still there.

Imogen/Laura "sobbed every single day" Laudna was dead.

Ashton's feelings about his own death are very different to Laudna's resurrection. He deserved what happened to him; she didn't.

Matt considered bringing in Essek to fight alongside the M9 but didn't want to overshadow the main characters; plus, he's still in hiding from nearly being executed. It would have had to be seriously dangerous for him to come out. Matt was glad for the brief cameo at the end.

The Tower of Inquiry, Reprise! Laura pulls a third block even faster than the last two, but the tower wobbles dangerously. What would your characters hoard as dragons? Ashton: things that are not useful: string, packaging from iPhones. Caleb: a pile of flame-retardant books. Orym: a pile of pies; Vax: a horde of days in the sun, ouch. Percy: a mine of money and magical rocks and oh, right. Jester: sweets. Imogen: a field of flowers.

The Tower of Inquiry, Matt Edition: he baaaarely manages to pull one successfully, but does. Laura: "Let me propose something to you. If we stop pulling from the tower now, then whoever does 4-Sided Dive next is going to have to suffer the consequences of our actions." Liam: "You're asking me to band together with you and turn on them. I'll take it into consideration."

Is it hard to keep character backstories from each other? Liam prefers delighting/disappointing people at the table, so it's not hard for him. Taliesin likes keeping it secret as well, but did talk with Travis about blood hunters. He often tells secrets to Dani because she likes knowing secrets, ha! Laura has a tough time not discussing it with people.

Liam is gone to the bathroom and orders Laura to pull another block while he's gone. However, mutiny from the inside reveals no block pulled and a charade played by all remaining actors instead. Except--a second twist! Liam doesn't actually go to the bathroom, he goes to play a wolf puppet with glasses whose mouth hardly ever moves (I get the impression Liam is having to work very hard to stay up with the teleprompter). Wolfie tells us the story of Winter's Crest with more racing hot rods and Errevon the Rimelord vs. Santa than I think I remember from C1.

Post-Break Shenanigans! A gift-exchange game based on die rolls, apparently a combination of White Elephant and Dirty Santa, along with questions scattered about throughout.

Weva was created as an interesting mirror to a society that can speak with the dead and bring the dead back to life. She reminds Matt of the theater goth girls he knew in high school that used to ask him if he knew about rotten.com.

Orym has gotten glimpses of Percy & Vex in the past, and it was cool for him to be in the company of greatness.

Ashton is growing more comfortable with physical contact from the BHs the more he gets to know the BHs. Strangers cause worse pain.

Matt was very excited to get to play the Uk'otoa oneshot. The Earthquake spell at the temple really shook up his plans, ha ha ha.

For Laura, killing Delilah twice was beautiful. She was terrified to fight her at that level.

Laura keeps rolling the "steal a present" number and holds the entire stack in her arms like a child. It's hilarious.

Jester loves living at sea; all she wanted when she left home was to have an adventure, and this is a chance for her to get to destroy and create. She thinks she and the Traveler have become really good friends but she understands him better now; it's like knowing your parents after you've grown up, where you understand better where they've come from.

For Laura, seeing Vex in all her glory was fabulous. She thinks Matt well understood Vex's motivations and her greed/generosity.

Liam felt so low with Orym's death. "It was not the way I would have ever wanted his story to end." Seeing Will was beautiful.

Caleb went to the Soltryce Academy because it's better to keep your enemies close, and also Beau made him.

Final gift tally:

Taliesin: looseleaf tea, a ball of Band-Aids (ew!), a laser pen, and deer knuckle bones (fitting)

Matt: an Oculus Quest 2 (!) and staffer Jerry's stapler

Laura: a small digital camera that insta-prints photos, A BAG OF SAM'S BABY TEETH GOD WHY

Liam: a ream of printer paper, the original shellacked Tower of Inquiry (ha!), candles from Cantrip Candles, and duct tape & gaffer tape

(It should also be noted that I was tracking these in real time as they switched and stole from each other, and at one point Laura gave Liam the shellacked tower in exchange for another gift--only at that point the tower was actually TALIESIN'S and not hers to give, so clearly the whole thing is moot and ought to be redone)

Liam makes Laura draw one last time from the Tower due to her earlier truthlessness, hahaha. No topple, though this sucker is now precarious. Theme songs for characters? Imogen: Barracuda by Heart. Orym: Queen. Ashton: War Baby.

We close on a gripping monologue about the tragic ephemeral joy experienced by seasonal decorations from a set Santa statue in a pilgrim hat. Who's writing these??

And that's it! Merry Christmas, and is it Thursday yet?

#critical role #critical role spoilers #4 sided dive #4 sided dive spoilers #long post for ts #very long post for ts #talks machina

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erin-bo-berin · 2 years

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Hi can I request a steve x fem reader where she has an unhealthy obsession with dogs and every time she sees a stray she gets so upset and Steve always knows whenever she feels that pain in her heart and so every time it happens he grabs her hand and asks if she wants to get ice cream as a way to cheer her up?

Aww oh my gosh can you imagine him working hard and extra shifts at Family Video (or wherever considering the aftermath of the s4 finale but for this instance let’s just imagine that it’s FV) to save up enough money to adopt one of the dogs? Like he’d surprise her with a trip to the shelter and tell her he wants her to pick the dog they’re gonna adopt I’m so SOFT. Okay anyways, blurb incoming I’m sorry it’s so short 😩

Dogs were the love of your life. Well, besides Steve Harrington—the human love of your life.

You’d had pets growing up, but they were always your parents’ dogs or other family members. Needless to say, your love for dogs started at an early age.

Steve always teased you about your soft heart when it came to dogs, but you knew he loved it. It was true though, you just had the biggest heart when it came to panting tongues, messy paws and sloppy kisses. Wagging tails made your heart happy, furry, warm, four legged babies made you happy and Steve knew it.

What hurt the most though, was seeing strays.

“I don’t know how anybody could toss a pet like it was last week’s garbage,” you’d always mutter.

Sometimes, humanity baffled, infuriated and saddened you. It was the strays that always pulled on your heart strings.

When you first started living with Steve, he’d had to get used to the amount of stray dogs that would come and go in his backyard. You constantly had dog food and water in rotation for any dogs who needed a safe space.

You kept things from flea treatments to first aid too, to help any injured canines that might wonder your way.

“You’re the Florence Nightingale in the dog world,” Steve would lovingly tease, giving you a hug from behind when you were busy and a sweet kiss on the cheek.

It was a rewarding, but emotionally exhausting task. Sometimes, it seemed like you couldn’t do enough. There’d always be more and not enough supplies, money or resources for you to help. Most of the strays always went on their way after finding your help, something that you understood but it also broke your heart. Most would hesitate to trust again after being treated so awfully.

It was when it took its toll that the heartache would really begin. Sometimes you’d just sit and cry, wishing you could do more.

There was one instance where after a tough week, seeing a stray on the streets while you were out in town with Steve caused you to have a break down. The tears just started coming and didn’t want to stop.

He didn’t even have to ask, he just stood and held you in the middle of the sidewalk while you rid your body of all the worry, stress, tension and emotion that had been building. He rubbed your back, murmuring to you.

“I don’t know anyone else with a better heart than you,” he whispered into your hair.

“You,” you sniffed, wiping your face as you pulled away, “You care so much about everyone you love.”

“Well,” he smiled shyly, not used to being complimented so much, “I have an excellent teacher.”

He tapped your nose with his finger as if it to make his point.

“Come on, how about some ice cream to cheer you up. I’ll get you your favorite flavor.”

“Two scoops?” you asked, looking up at him with puppy dog eyes.

“Two scoops,” he confirmed, nodding.

It became a tradition ever since.

#steve harrington #steve harrington smut #steve harrington fic #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington blurb #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x fem!reader #steve harrington x reader #stranger things #stranger things fluff #stranger things blurb

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multiplicity-positivity · 2 months

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Hi, I'm George, and I suppose I'm questioning whether or not I am a system. I'm not sure if this is the right place to come for this, but I saw some similar asks on the blog, and doing this myself has been very frustrating, so I figured I might as well try. So I occasionally have these very strange dissociative episodes, where I have these intense screaming arguments in my head with myself. I spent a long time thinking they were just auditory hallucinations, but I'm not so sure about that anymore. In the past year or so I've been under a lot of stress, and some of these arguments have turned into almost calm conversations where I actually start sorting problems out. I've noticed in these conversations I'm both an active and passive participant on both sides, if that makes sense. In addition to this, I often feel like I have multiple identities. I am an atheist, but I sometimes strongly feel I am part of religious groups that I have literally nothing to do with. I'm also transmasc nonbinary, but sometimes I get the idea that I should be transfem, which is always very confusing to me. I will occasionally refer to myself with we/us pronouns on accident, but other than that I've never had the common symptoms of plurality, like amnesia, or people I don't know knowing me, and I'm running out of other explanations. Again, I'm not sure if this is the right place to come, but I couldn't find a better place, and therapy isn't an option for me right now. I'm just not really sure what to do or where to go, so any resources or insight you might be able to offer would be a huge help. Thank you : )

Hiya, George! So we’ve got a few things we can say that might help you :3

Since it sounds like you’re questioning things right now, the best resource we can give you is our resource post for questioning systems! It has a ton of links to articles with info on a bunch of different kinds of systems and plurality. It’s a great place to start for anyone hoping to learn more about multiplicity! >w<

Honestly, we’re not going to be able to confirm or deny whether or not you’re plural… sorry about that! >_<” But! What we can say, is that amnesia is not a requirement for plurality! And as far as dissociative amnesia goes, it’s possible to experience it without really knowing that’s what’s going on! We’ll link a post we wrote on dissociative amnesia, too, in case that might help! :3

We’re not trying to deny or dictate your experience at all here!! Members of our own system didn’t really know or understand that we were experiencing amnesia before we knew about our system, so we thought it was worth it to bring this up >w<

In the mean time, while you’re still learning about yourself and whether or not you’re plural, we’d like to say that anyone who feels like the plural framework is good for them is welcome to use it. So you can definitely call yourself plural if you want, as you are! If you find out later that you’re not actually plural after all… no harm done! It’s okay to question, and it’s okay to be wrong, too :33

Um, one last thing we’ll include here, is a post we wrote on establishing contact with headmates. If you’re questioning whether or not the voices you hear in your mind are other system members, this post might help y’all begin to make connections!

Gosh, we hope that this response here will be useful for you in some way! No matter what you end up deciding or discovering about yourself, we’re wishing you the best of luck with everything!! :3

#long post #questioning system

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princeescaluswords · 1 year

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And oh gosh, now I am overthinking my overly blasé comment at the end of what I just sent. I am absolutely not wanting to come across as dismissive of what the fandom has done to your favorite character and the actual pain you might have gone through, and I apologize if it came across that way. I just wanted you to know that I wish and mean you well!

First off, thank you for your concern. I'm not being sarcastic. We'd all be a little better off if we took a moment to reflect on not only what we're saying but how we say it. I appreciate it. And while my words below might seem to run counter to this, it's okay if you don't share my attitude toward the fandom.

But, to be clear, I haven't devoted a significant amount of my online presence to this particular situation only because it causes me pain. I didn't join a fandom until I was middle-aged, and if my participation mostly served to make me miserable, I would simply stop participating. After all, I have enjoyed media for decades before that, sometimes quite intensely, without it. I feel my motivation goes deeper than that. I am motivated by justice. I am motivated by teenagers. I am motivated by Ronald Reagan, and I am not joking.

I know it might sound a little over the top, but as a product of my life's experiences, I see this fandom's behavior and I know that it is wrong. The usual counter to a statement like that is that while it might be wrong, it's trivial. Even if people are disappointed by the rampant racism and misogyny, it's about a fictional character on a television show. How much hurt could it cause?

I remember growing up as a teenager in the 80s, and while I've talked about this before, this is from where my conviction arises. We lived in the suburbs where there were limited cultural options. We moved around a lot due to my father's occupation, so I never developed a large friend group. My father practiced an authoritarian parenting style, limiting my options. So when I became aware of my own sexuality, the only resources I had for what this might mean was on television. Gay characters on television in the 80s fell into three major categories: clowns, predatory criminals, and victims. That's what I saw. Without peers, without parental support, that's how I came to view myself. It was damaging, and I had to struggle with internalized homophobia for a long time. I sometimes daydream about what I could have accomplished with my life if I had been born twenty years later.

I experienced first-hand how cultural depictions can shape identity, so I am indeed sensitive to the fact that they still do. When I watch as the Teen Wolf fandom -- and it's not the only fandom that does this -- goes to extreme lengths to establish value in white male characters and only white male characters regardless of these characters' narrative purpose or even their behavior, I am fully confident that this is not just. It's not about something as personal as liking or disliking something. We are indeed individuals with our own wills, but those wills can only act in the environment in which we find ourselves. Parts of the Teen Wolf fandom work hard to create a toxic, racist environment. They should stop.

We see the impact it has beyond influencing the narrative or fandom interactions. It's been known that Dylan O'Brien wasn't going to be in the Teen Wolf movie for nearly a year before it came out, and he's still the primary media focus. The response to movie has been primarily driven by this. How is this remotely a good thing? Imagine the decision making in the editor's room about how to cover this story: "We know this show isn't about this white man, we know this white man isn't in the movie, but we're going to focus on it anyway." The sad part, the source of injustice, is that this isn't an innovation. Hollywood has always been this way.

And that's when we get to Ronald Reagan. I spent a lot of time during the 80s and the 90s thinking about him in terms of the AIDS crisis. (And if you think that crisis didn't scare the crap out of a young gay man, let me disabuse you of that notion.) Unlike some people today, I don't think he personally hated gay people. I don't think he turned to Nancy and said "Let those Sodomites die." He had to have known gay people; he had to have worked with gay people. He spent three decades in Hollywood before entering politics. But here's the thing -- the way Hollywood dealt with gay people during those three decades was to pretend they didn't exist. This isn't my opinion -- read any history of that time period in Hollywood. Sexual minorities were part of the day-to-day business, but to function the powers that be simply edited them out of their perception of reality. So I believe that at least part of what motivated Reagan's response to AIDS was habit. He was so used to not mentioning what was behind the curtain that he simply didn't perceive any value in talking about it openly. People like him created an alternate reality where what actually happened didn't matter as much as what they wanted to have happened.

See the connection? It doesn't matter how many actors of color Hollywood employs or how many stories about characters of color they tell if at the end of the day the production and the audience still act as if white characters are the only thing worthy of time and attention. Fandom has become a significant part of media. It's undeniable. So anodyne bullshit like "Don't like; don't read" or "Fiction =/= Reality" isn't just distasteful to me, it's the root of the problem. This false consciousness -- this daydream that fandom can create enormous amount of content vindictively transforming a story about a Latino character into a story about white male characters and it's not about race at all -- is just another manifestation of an ongoing social injustice.

I'm not, and I never will, ask people to see this situation exactly as I do. But I won't stop talking about it. Not yet. I think it's too important.

#media criticism #fandom problems #teen wolf fandom problems #fandom racism #personal post

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booasaur · 2 years

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*FOR ALL MANKIND SPOILERS*

I thought Larry was gonna do something right for once BUT HE COULDNT DO IT. Then Ellen stepped in and was like “ILL SHOW YOU HOW ITS DONE LAR”. I’m so happy for her, I mean I know she’s gonna be going through a lot of backlash but I hope the shitstorm ends with her and Pam OR ANYONE AT THIS POINT I JUST WANT ELLEN TO BE HAPPY 😭😭😭

ALSO THAT ENDING!!!! 🫠🫠🫠

Awww, I do actually give credit to Larry for deciding to do it in the first place, and if Ellen hadn't walked in like a badass, I think he'd have been able to stumble through it. So, I think I'm in a better place with him.

AND GOSH! I knew Ellen'd do it this season but it was still so cool to watch. At first I was just taking in that it was happening at all, and Margo and Pam's reactions, and how Will specifically was mentioned, and his reaction after. I warmed so much to the Helios + NASA crew around him in that moment. FAM's always been so good with those scenes, like mission control after a daring rescue, and it's kinda lovely that they treated this as a similar climactic emotional payoff.

On rewatch though... Well, y'all know how I feel about people being treated like they're liars and in the wrong for being closeted. I get that this is an extremely complex situation because she did lie in actually significant ways and did indeed do wrong with DADT and Will Tyler, but the other part of me was like, screw the armed forces and the American people, you were right to distrust them, they should be apologizing to you! And the situation with Pam is so much more complicated than just refusing to come out.

But I don't feel those objections toooo strongly, they were just kinda in the back of my head and I didn't want to put them in the tags of my gifset, lol. Ultimately I'm quite pleased.

And indeed, quite interested to see what happens now, considering she's still president. Executive order everything, President Waverly! And I mean, if the season doesn't end with her and Pam together now, I'm really gonna be crying foul. This is one of those times I really wish we didn't get side character love interests because I'd have loved to see more of what was happening around Pam, a whole group of queer friends, and what the reaction this would have been in those circles.

At the end of the ep, lol, I have to laugh. That kinda thing seems as silly as Kelly's pregnancy. Just like it really stretches our credulity to believe that grown adults didn't realize what could happen if they had sex and it wasn't already drilled in them not to and everyone else wouldn't have stopped them and NASA wouldn't have fitted them with fancy alt reality birth control, we're supposed to believe this country with no resources was able to get a whole alive astronaut to Mars, okay. Or maybe I'm just salty that Dani wasn't the first on Mars, haha. I guess I'll wait to see what happens now.

#replies #femslash related stuff #sent on 20220805 #Anonymous #5 #for all mankind #for all mankind spoilers #for all mankind 3x09 #ellen x pam

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rheallsim · 2 years

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Hi and thanks a lot for Felicity eyes edits! : ) I really prefer my default eyes to be without shadows and you made some very nice recolours as well. And the wrench icon replacement mod is amazing. And I also really appreciate how informative and clear your download posts are! Have a good day and thanks again! : )

Oh gosh, it was so nice of you to send me this ask! 😭

I'm seriously so happy that folks enjoy the MM Felicity Eyes and get some use out of them! Aveira did such a fantastic job on those eyes, anything that helps more people appreciate them is a win to me! The recolours were also a lot of fun to make. 😁

I wouldn't be able to function without my CC wrench replacement mod anymore, I've used it for so long! I'm just so happy it helps other people out, too. ^^

As far as my download posts go, I often feel I'm yammering on too much! I'm really *not* good at brevity. But I often return to my own downloads posts to refer to resources, so I hope they're useful for others, too! I just love empowering people to make their CC and games work better for them. It's so easy to make simple categorization edits or reorder eye swatches and the like, and I love being able to help people figure that out for themselves.

Thank you again, so much, for these kind words!! I wish you all the best, and as always, happy simming! <3 <3 <3

#ask #Anonymous #Rheall Replies #<3 <3 <3

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isabellehemlock · 2 years

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The mult question gremlin strikes again Weird Questions for Writers: 2, 11,14 15, 23, 32. You can pick and choose which of them you'd like or not like to answer. Or or mix up the order! Hope it helps distract ya

Hi Wolfie 🤩 Thank you so much for sending me such a fun set of questions from the ask game.

I'll do the first five since I got a second ask for that last one as well 😊

2. If you had to give up your keyboard and write your stories exclusively by hand, could you do it? If you already write everything by hand, a) are you a wizard and b) pen or pencil?

I genuinely do not think I could lol. I'm this gif when I'm typing -

I'm literally someone who can talk and look at you while I'm typing 😅 Versus like, by hand would be so slow to a point where my brain would likely grow frustrated by the pace 🤣

11. Do you believe in the old advice to “kill your darlings?” Are you a ruthless darling assassin? What happens to the darlings you murder? Do you have a darling graveyard? Do you grieve?

Oh gosh no - nah, I've never been like the killed and let them stay dead kind of a storyteller. I've had anything from, revived with medical attention kind of comeback death, and the supernatural kind. So sure I have like killed someone in a story, but not for very long and like maybe a handful of times across some fifty plus works.

14. Do you lend your books to people? Are people scared to borrow books from you? Do you know exactly where all your “lost” books are and which specific friend from school you haven’t seen in twelve years still possesses them? Will you ever get them back?

I don't think I can recall lending books to people? I think I've read digitally for a long, long time, so that's probably why - yet somehow I've had people hand me their books and even when I try to give them back they'll be like "Eh I'll pick it up some other time" . . . And then, it's still here years later lol.

15. Do you write in the margins of your books? Dog-ear your pages? Read in the bath? Why or why not? Do you judge people who do these things? Can we still be friends?

I'd always feel guilty for writing in books! And yet I love buying a used book and seeing what people have written in margins lol. I've definitely done the dog ear page thing over the bookmarks - mostly bc though I think bookmarks are stunning, when I have carried books around I've dropped so many that yeah, dog ears are better for me. And lol no judgement on my end - everyone gets to consume their content how they wish :)

22. How organized are you with your writing? Describe to me your organization method, if it exists. What tools do you use? Notebooks? Binders? Apps? The Cloud?

Okay get ready for a lot of numbers lol! . . . So sure, if it's like a one shot I don't necessarily do more than one google doc of like bullet point outline, get most of the dialogue written and then return to the top and write it linear to connect it all together.

However if it's a multi chapter? Oh boy 😅

So, for Endless Ocean, I copied and pasted into the google doc as the plotting DMs unfolded - all in all 19k spread across 104 pages - lots of DM screenshots (so it ending up being 248k on ao3 should not have surprised me as much as it did lol). Now once that plotting was done, I then organized it more - 18k across 34 pages so it would have a nice outline for me to refer back to as I wrote each chapter. Here's the beginning of it:

For Their souls were knit together (and he loved him as himself) - the outline doc with resource notes and links, and basics was 11k spread across 23 pages.

Here's the one for the Cult AU I'm writing after I wrap up some fandom events in October :)

6.2k across 15 pages

Like boy do I love to plan, and I also love Google docs, so -

Thank you for the fun ask! 🤩

#answered ask #weird questions for writers

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bazzybelle · 8 months

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13, 16, 17, and 27 for the historical asks ❤️

Oh my gosh! So many questions! :D Thank you for the ask, my lovely!

13) Something random about some random historical person in a random era.

Here is an interesting fact about Dante Alighieri, one of my favourite writers/poets.

Dante was the first writer who used a different language other than the commonly used Latin. Instead, he promoted the use of a more easily accessible vernacular language, based on the dialect of his beloved Florence. His treatise De vulgari eloquentia (On the Eloquence of the Vernacular), outlines the ways in which promoting the vernacular language is better for unification of the people. He was essentially a pioneer in this, and his views on language will be instrumental several centuries later, when Italy finally unifies.

Another fun fact, the "Italian" that is typically taught in schools and which is heard on the news is based on Dante's early Florentine vernacular.

16) Do you own some historical item? (coin, clothing, weapons, books, etc) If yes which one is your favourite?

Sadly, I do not. My husband has some fancy printings of famous books, but they're just a fancy version of them. I wish I did, though.

17) What historical item would you like to own?

I answered this question in another ask, but I can try to think of another answer. I really love period clothing. I've been wanting to try and find retro-style clothing for myself because they're just really gorgeous. I really like clothing from the 40s and 50s in particular. So, if I could get like a wardrobe of various period clothing and learn how to wear them, I'd be very very happy. :)

27) Favourite historical “ What if… ” ?

Oh man, this is GOOD one. Ok so I LOVE finding videos on YouTube that dive into these What If... scenarios. It's always fun to look at massive historical events, and see how the patterns of history would have changed had something not happened the way that it did.

One of my favourite What Ifs to follow is about The Black Death and what would have happened if it just never had the massive impact it did, or if it just never occurred.

Now The Black Death (the medieval one) had a DEVASTATING toll on the world. In Europe, it wiped out nearly a third of its entire population. This had an effect on the economy, as now workers were able to demand better wages and respect from their Lords, or simply move out of the farms and into the cities.

During the Black Death, a LOT of people lost faith in the Catholic Church, leading to an era where philosophy flourished, as well as hedonism and an appreciation for beauty. I think you know where I'm going with this... The Renaissance.

But, what if it didn't happen? What would change? The YouTube channel AlternateHistoryHub does a pretty decent dive into the What If scenario here, so I encourage a watch if you're interested. Take care though, he goes in depth about the Plague and its effects, and talks about the rampant anti-sematism that occurred during this time.

youtube

He presents a very bleak alternate history, talking about overpopulation and a severe shortage of food and resources. Feudalism stays in tact, no peasant revolts, no shift in culture. He does makes it clear that it wouldn't mean we'd all be serfs to this day, but that certain shifts would have taken a lot longer to occur.

Really fascinating stuff.

ASK ME THE HISTORY QUESTIONS PLEASE!

#belle babbles #history asks #this is my jam you guys #I have been loving answering all these history questions #ask me the things #ask game

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waitingforwinterwinds · 1 year

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A Clash of Kings - 08 TYRION II (pages 111-123)

Tyrion fires Janos Slynt, with well deserved prejudice, then gossips with Varys about the philosophy of power, and treason.

"Ser Jacelyn thinks overmuch of imself and his honor, as I see it. You'll do better leaving that one where he is, my lor- Tyrion. Allar Deem's the man for you." ... "The carrack Summer's Dream sails on the morning tide. (...) When you see Lord Commander Mormont, give him my fond regards, and tell him I have not forgotten the needs of the Night's Watch. I wish you a long and good service, my lord." Once Janos Slynt realized he was not to be summarily executed, olor returned to his face. He thrust his jaw out. "We will see about this, Imp. -" ... Slynt spun on his heel like the watchman he'd once been, and strode the length of the Small Hall, boots ringing on the stone. He clattered up the steps, threw open the door... and came face-to-face with a tall, lantern-jawed man in black breast plate and gold cloak. ... "Lord Slynt," Tyrion called out, "I believe you know Ser Jacelyn Bywater, our new Commander of the City Watch."

Love this, it is exactly the right blend of identity/promotion reveal and "you and what army?"|"Well, mine, actually."

But oh gosh, Slynt's people killed baby Bara and her mum. It was a baby, and a girl, you actual human garbage!!!!

"Some say knowledge is power. Some tell us that allpower comes from the gods. Others say it derives from the law. Yet that day on the steps of Baelor's Sept, our godly High Septon and the lawful Queen Regent and your ever-so-knowledgable servant were as powerless as an cobbler or cooper in the crowd. Who truly killed Eddard Stark, do you think? Joffrey, who gave the command? Ser Ilyn Payne, who swung the sword? Or... another?"

Power resides where we believe it to reside, and where, by our belief in it's right, it is enforced. Each person is responsible for their own part, when they actively seek to participate in causing harm. Joffrey gave the order believing it would be carried it out, and Ilyn Payne committed the physical act, whatever events led them there, they were the final two who could have stopped his death, but chose not to. They are both guilty. It's almost like blame and fault are self-generating resources.

Varys smiled. "Here, then. Power resides where men believe it resides. No more and no less."

*coughs awkwardly* sorry, got a bit ahead of Varys there.

Tyrion was a little drunk, and very tired. "Tell me, Bronn. If I told you to kill a babe... and infant girl, say, still at her mother's breast... would you do it? Without question?" "Without question? No." The sellsword rubbed thumb and forefinger together. "I'd ask how much." And why would I ever need your Allar Deem, Lord Slynt? Tyrion thought. I have a hundred of my own. He wanted to laugh; he wanted to weep; most of all, he wanted Shae.

Mmmm, there's this thing the show does, where even in moments like this, they would have made Bronn seem like he was making a complete jest and would never have a price to kill an infant, where the show makes all the characters (that D&D liked) seem like they have secret depths and morals and a hidden heroic ideology.

But they don't, do they. Bronn doesn't, does he. He has a price.

Little light on talking points, but it's late because I've been watching the Quantum Leap reboot, and I have an early morning tomorrow, so I focused on the highest of lights~ I should maybe put my reading a little earlier in the day instead of right before bed...

#a clash of kings #a song of ice and fire #tyrion lannister #a chapter a day reading #acok #asoiaf

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khneltea · 3 years

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Jasonette headcannon #1 section b.

Woah, so apparently y'all like this stuff. Uhm, takes inspiration from @mochegato and @SquareBrain on AO3

↬ Jason will never admit that he felt scared out of his wits as he rocked up to the shop

↬ nope, nuh-uh, never

↬ the store owner who stood a head shorter than him wasn't scary in the slightest

↬ so, dressed up in his best leather jacket and jeans, plus that old red shirt that may or may not have a bullet hole in it somewhere but was the best one he could find, he opened the door to the shop

↬ only to tremble in his boots at who was in the shop (whether it was anger or sheer fear, he will not admit to either and will deny all allegations of said trembling)

↬ inside was 2 of the biggest crime lords in Gotham, the one from the docks and the one from the underground, notorious for trying to tear each other's throats out, sitting peacefully on pretty pink cushions and enjoying pastries and tea out of tiny dainty tea cups

↬ what.the.actual.fuck.

↬ the glaringly pink (he supposed that was the theme) door to the right suddenly burst open and out comes the lady of the hour, and behind her was a very hot teenage girl (about 15 years old), but for some reason, he didn't really pay attention to her

↬ all eyes were on the two ladies, the hot one giggling away about a quinceañera while the owner of the shop smiled serenely, surveying the surroundings (probably checking if there was a gang war)

↬ her bluebell eyes popped out when they saw him (he says it was because he was handsome, but don't listen to him-)

↬ "hello! Welcome to my boutique, would you like to take a seat while checking our ready-made garments? Or are you here for a commision?"

↬ "uhhhhhhh..." Jason didn't think that far ahead. And it's hard going impromptu when there was a beautiful lady devoting all her attention on him

↬ she smiled like she knew exactly what he was thinking

↬ "why don't you take a seat, monsieur, and I'll help you out dans juste un instant (oh gosh, I'm sorry all you people who speak french who are going to call me out for using Google translate-)"

↬ so he's just sitting there, a tiny tea cup with little black cats and ladybugs on the sides held in his hands as he sees her negotiating a purchase with one of the mobster groups

↬ he nearly sighed in relief when the crime lord by the docks left with the gorgeous girl (probably his daughter now that he thought about it) after leaving a heavy briefcase and a business card in exchange for a beautiful sleek gown and matching accessories

↬ kinda scared him how friendly they both seemed to the store owner and how...warm that look in both the father and daughter's eyes were

↬ and he couldn't help but flinch when the crime lord from Gotham underground (is this a thing-) grins while the blue eyed woman started taking his measurements

↬ "doll, you're always welcome to come over anytime. You're good at business, I need more people like that."

↬ she has the fucking audacity to laugh. Laugh, I tell you

↬ "non, non, monsieur. I am quite happy with my little shop over here. Besides, the young ones would miss my pastries too much if I moved."

↬ he waved a hand. "Those street rats? If that's all that it takes to get you on my side, then consider them to be in better protection and care than those kids Wayne adopts every 5 seconds."

↬ got to say, his heart went thump when he pieced together that she took care of the street kids

↬ she grins "well, you're already giving them protection for living in my block, so that's all I need. Don't worry about the rest, I've got it covered."

↬ the crime lord shrugs. "Eh, I don't really care about the brats. But you, you're the one that needs protecting. Where else will I be getting these good suits that don't tear all the goddamn time from knives and guns? Plus, what's another 5 or 6 men patrolling this area to keep my favourite designer safe? If it makes you happy that they're inadvertently looking out for the kids, then better for me."

↬ wait those suits protected him from knives and guns????? Who the hell was this woman???

↬ smiling in response, but not as brightly anymore, she stood up, jotting down some notes in her book

↬ "alright, monsieur, you'll have to come in to a fitting on Saturday, presumably before your interaction with Monsieur Falcone at 1pm, so would it be presumptuous to ask if you come in at 10:30?"

↬ "not at all, my dear! it's a pleasure of doing business with you"

↬ "also, preferably, don't wear the flashy red suit you have, might i recommend the blue one from the fitting before last week's? Monsieur Falcone would gladly appreciate the red suit blaring in his eyes after the concussion he received recently"

↬ wait

↬ how the fuck did she know that

↬ falcone got that last night (he should know, he gave it to him)

↬ and the only ones who should know about it right now are him, Falcone, and no one else

↬ either this kid was magic, or she was Alfred level shit (he's still not convinced that Alfred is fully human)

↬ "thanks doll" and the crime lord leaves

↬ she turns to him, smiles and everything

↬ "alright, monsieur hood, what would you like to purchase today? or are you still having difficulty choosing?"

↬ uhm fuck ok

↬ how the hell do you talk to pretty, badass women that can probably take over the entirety of Gotham in a day

↬ "uhhhhhh got anything in red that doesn't make me look like a fucking period stain?"

↬ she giggled in a way that you know it's not flirting but just generally found it funny, and he thought it was the creation of the universe

↬ "i'm sure we can find you something, monsieur hood."

↬ proceeds to pull him up (what the fuck she was so strong for such a tiny girl) and lead him to the back room

↬ fabrics upon fabrics upon fabrics lay everywhere in chaos, but he felt like if he moved something, the balance of the room would be upset

↬ finally comes to a bar that ran from one end of a rack to the other, thin fabrics lining it

↬ the blue-eyed girl takes a beautiful black silk cravat with red embroidery that boldly stood out (yes, he knows what a cravat is, sue him for wanting to know what Mr Knightley, Mr Bingley, and Mr Darcy wore in the books) and drapes it over his neck, critically eyeing it

↬ in the process, pulling him down by the neck to look at it and being very close to her pink plump lips

↬ uhm fuck what do i do what do i say who am i what is life what the fuck austen you didn't prepare me for this-

↬ "as i thought", she says, "this is a good colour scheme for you, but probably more of a black with a tinge of brown and a more muted red colour scheme for everyday use."

↬ she walks away and comes back with a measuring tape and measures his neck, shoulders, arms, and starts measuring around the torso

↬ he doesn't even register this because of how efficient she is and because he was used to it from living with Bruce fucking Wayne (he won't admit that he was just too distracted by the way her dainty little fingers brushed against the back of his ears as she leaned forward to check the measurements, nor when they fluttered against his biceps and chest)

↬ when she's done, she starts writing measurements and mumbling under her breath, which snaps him out of his stupor

↬ "why did you take my measurements?"

↬ "a good cravat needs a good suit, and what better than for me to make a matching one when I have the time and resources to do it?"

↬ she fucking grinned at him like a devious minx who knew more about him than she should and he melted a bit.

↬ just a little bit.

↬ turning around, she stuck her hand out, still smiling like a fucking seductress

↬ "I'll be making your suit and cravats, let's hope to a wonderful relationship, it's going to be a pleasure working with you."

↬ he tried to match her smile, but ended up feeling like a dork with his heart beating 200 times a second. and he felt like an even bigger dork when he took her hand and gave her a small kiss on the knuckles. "believe me, the pleasure is all mine, dove. might i dare, i fain would ask, for your sweet name? that while a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, i feel that yours would double in so."

↬ she smiled back at him.

↬ "why, good sir, it is a good show of faith in the honey to the flower of life, as Hugo quotes, but I wish you would take me to dinner first before such matters. My name, you ask? It is Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

↬ He smirked. "My name is Jason Todd."

↬ "I know, Monsieur Hood."

↬ "Wait, how the fuck do you know-"

#what the fuck was this #ok this was way longer than planned #designer mari #jasonette #mari is alfred #mari can be overlord #didn't plan for this but it happened #maribat #ml x dc #miraculous ladybug #dc comics #prompt?#headcannon?#what is my life #jason todd #red hood #marinette dupain cheng #jason x marinette #jason thinks she's hot

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batfamcraze · 2 years

Note

Jason for character ask?

Jason Todd 💕

First impression: I got into DC by watching Young Justice and Gotham roughly at the same time. I got really into those shows in my early teens and I was like “oh my gosh this world is so cool and interesting???” So I did like a bunch of research online and stumbled onto the Batfam (all at the same time). When reading Jason’s wiki page I thought “Damn he sounds really cool and awesome”, then I watched the animated movie of UTRH and got into it deeper. I got obsessed with the Batfam, and I became a Jason stan :)

Impression now: For a while I definitely felt like DC didn’t know what to do with him for years, it felt like Jason was kinda floating in space, unsure of himself (maybe in-character for Jason? lol). I still loved his character but I constantly wished that they could really use the writing potential he has, especially since I hated Lobdell’s writing for New 52 Outlaws (Rebirth Outlaws was okay ig). There were decent moments between those two comics but I couldn't stand the way he wrote inconsistently, and the retcons he placed (Like Willis Todd being abusive to Jason and Catherine when he was never written that way before New 52, and completely erasing Sheila Haywood as Jason’s biological mother in Rebirth when it’s such a key factor for his death? Although that could be solely DC’s fault since they retconned Jason’s death as him being “stupid", but nevertheless I’m still salty about it lol). But this year, it looks like DC is finally choosing a direction/progression for his character. After reading Task Force Z #3 by Rosenberg (when he killed Bane), it makes me think that they won’t completely stop him from killing villains but doing it when he has to, which is definitely character growth imo. Right now, I’m pretty optimistic! I’m hopeful because I’m taking into consideration that Martinbrough is going to write Jason’s new solo series coming soon, and I like what he’s done with Jason recently (Red Hood: Outlaw #52). Jason was really suffering from inconsistency for a long time, and with this new information it really seems like DC is finally sitting down and thinking about his characterization. My impression now is positive!

Favourite moment: Omg there’s so many!!! It’s so hard to choose just one lol!!! And Jason has so many cute moments from his Robin days too, he was so adorable. The “He took me away from you” speech and “Being robin gives me magic!” are classics of course. But right now I can't stop thinking about how its literally canon that when Jason doesn't have anymore bullets, he just chucks his guns at some guy’s face and catches it back in the air!!! It shows how ingenious and resourceful he can be at the last second lol. Iconic. Also Dexter Soy really blessed us with his art.

Idea for a story: Jason continues the path that he’s on right now, and he re-introduces the Red Hood gang!!! He has his own territory that he fought for, and it would be like a full-circle moment because the Red Hood gang existed before. Jason would train his goons and they would go on patrol in squads because he's still an anti-hero and wants to protect Gotham as much as he can. When Jason is going through a huge event or whatever, he doesn't have to worry that there won't be anyone helpless in need. And there’ll be funny moments where Bruce doesn’t want to deal with his gang but admits that he’s making a difference. Jason has his goons and they love him and they call him “Boss” lol. The Red Hood gang become the most feared and beloved gang in Gotham.

Unpopular Opinion: oh boy, I think I do? I hope I don’t get hate for this but I also don’t know if this opinion could be unpopular or not but here goes... I think Jason’s re-introduction as a villain was written incredibly poorly. Jason’s villain era was missed potential. I am a Jason stan, and I don't hate him for being evil at all btw! I just wish that DC/Winnick sat down and tried to think about how they could've executed it better in UTRH and so on. Jason was an innocent, cute, and good hero as Robin, he had an established personality and background and then there’s Resurrected Evil Jason™ who was all over the place and just evil lol. However, I enjoy how intelligent and dangerous Jason was against Bruce and the rest of the family, it’s one of the reasons why I like him! But I have a lot of issues in some of his evil moments. Evil Jason™ was killing criminals left and right. There’s Robin Jason, who was aware at a very young age, that not every criminal was evil, they did crime to survive because of how BAD Gotham’s environment is. Before Bruce adopted Jason, he was stealing and had his own apartment (a girlboss). We are LITERALLY introduced to him stealing Batman’s tire hubcaps! Jason killing any/every criminal he could to control Gotham is a little strange, and I know that he had his own valid opinion because of Joker killing him (Which is fine! because hey man it’s your villain origin story right?). But before reading the comics I assumed he meant like the REALLY bad ones, Joker as one of them duh. But there was something off about his villain era because it doesn't seem that authentic to me considering his Robin and Pre-Robin days? For example, there’s the prison cafeteria scene where Jason was arrested, and then he killed a lot of inmates by poisoning them (in Batman and Robin #23? 2011), a cool scene but it doesn't make sense with his original character because Evil Jason™ should be aware that the GCPD is usually known for having corrupt police officers sometimes, so its possible that there was a huge rate of falsely incarcerated inmates at the time, and the amount of inmates that were in there, were probably petty criminals just like Jason once was Pre-Robin. (Maybe we should’ve seen him kill crooked cops? Sorry just a thought). Another example is at the end of UTRH where Jason blows up Blüdhaven for no reason? Like there are millions of innocent people in that city and you’re going to drop a Chemo-bomb after you explain that you’re only going to kill criminals? Sure. Like you’re kinda acting hypocritical, Jason, you just became who you hated most? (I don’t know if that’s the point of the story but based on Jason’s speech of “he took me away from you” it doesn’t feel that way. It feels like his death was his villain origin story to be Gotham’s new ruler and to have Bruce kill Joker, but if the point of the story was about him becoming who he hated most, then he would just be the new Joker, but that’s not what happened. He became a different villain instead which is exactly my point, Jason was a potentially better villain than Joker but executed poorly).

It’s those moments that make me wish that there should’ve been a better writer, a writer that could've written his villain arc in a believable way. To me he came across as incredibly crazy, unhinged (not necessarily a bad thing in evil characters though but still) and ooc compared to how Jason used to be Pre-death. They could’ve written Jason as a villain that didn’t contradict what he lived through in Gotham, and he definitely has a more intimate relationship to Gotham than Bruce does, which would’ve been so interesting to read. But nope, instead DC was like “blah blah blah he’s evil now so let’s write him crazy”. Idk I have very conflicting thoughts on this, because there are a lot of really good moments of him being evil so I don't completely hate it, I just wish they could’ve made it better I guess. Don’t get me wrong though, I think that Evil Jason™ is still iconic and I’m kinda like “maybe I shouldn’t think about it too much, just enjoy him being chaotic which is good enough”. It’s a love-hate relationship lol. But since Jason isn’t evil anymore it doesn't matter now, and I want to re-iterate that I’m not mad that he kills, I love murder actually, it makes the story a little more fun. I like the character he’s become now and I'm excited for his growth in the next solo 💕 (I still support his rights and his wrongs, because he did nothing bad ever lol)

Favourite relationship: I like Jason with his Outlaw friends (I ignore their ooc-ness lol), Jason with his family like Dick, Duke, Damian and Alfred, they have such cute moments together!!! For dating I’m not really sure (I haven't liked a lot of his canon relationships lmao) but I’m kinda liking JayRose right now because they’re cute and they’re such a power couple 💕

Favourite headcanon: The Lazarus Pit Madness headcanon. It’s not necessarily my favourite headcanon though, but I do think that it explains why Jason was a little crazy as a villain. Like I explained before in “Unpopular opinions”, Jason was all over the place so I don't blame people for thinking its literally canon. I prefer to think that the Pit Madness doesn't completely alter your brain but that it makes you a little more emotional and have slight tunnel vision, and the effect goes away after a while. In Lost Days, when Ra’s warns Talia that she “unleashed a plague onto earth” by bringing Jason back/fixing Jason, is Ra’s way of telling her that he might have a stronger effect of Pit Madness (but he is still fully aware of his actions). I'm not fully into the headcanon because it implies that he doesn't have full autonomy of his actions. But in MY version of Pit Madness, he had total control of his mind when he was evil, but sometimes it took over when he thought too emotionally or when he was too determined for a goal that he spiralled and it made him commit to rash and intense decisions. Over time it slowly faded and he realized what he did. I think my version doesn’t get in the way of canon and helps explain DC’s inconsistency with writing characterization lol.

Whoooo boy I didn't expect this to be so long, sorry about that! Jason is one of my favs so I got really passionate talking about it lol. Also if I made any comic reference mistakes please let me know and I will edit. My comics memory is not perfect lol so please keep that in mind! But I had a lot of fun writing this and can’t wait to do more! Keep ‘em coming 💕

Source for Character Ask!

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mooniefics · 3 years

Text

just one night

pairing : reiner braun / reader

word count : 2.9k

tags : fluff, angst, heartache, acknowledgement of reiner’s suffering </3

summary : being a field nurse had it's ups and downs, but everything about taking care of reiner braun was the best and worst thing about your job.

— originally posted 12 / 16 / 20 on ao3 —

"oh, you're finally awake." you set the tray of medical supplies in your hands down on the small desk beside the bed, shutting the privacy curtain before you returned to his side, "i was worried about you, you know?"

though most of his body had regenerated over the seven hours he'd been unconscious, he was still missing a majority of his right hand up to the wrist, the steaming, incomplete appendage he was now examining with a tired look on his face.

"what time did they bring me in?" his voice was husky with sleep, eyes low as they flitted over to look at you.

"around eighteen hundred hours yesterday," you said, placing the back of your hand on his forehead to check his temperature, "i administered some pain meds a few hours ago, but let me know if you need any more."

being a field nurse for the marleyan army wasn't the easiest job in the world, mostly consisting of lots of running around in the trenches with your heavy kit and avoiding as much gunfire and blood splatter as you possibly could while still helping the wounded. you had volunteered to work soon after the conflict with the mid-east allied forces had begun, seeing as it was either that or see your father be drafted out into the eldian unit to become cannon fodder like so many of the soldiers you'd seen barely able to crawl their way back over the sandbags just to bleed out and die before you could even begin to assess their injuries. you stopped keeping count of how many people you couldn't save after your first few days of active combat, becoming more focused on not going insane from how little you slept due to the rumbling of the ground from enemy artillery that shook the walls of the underground quarters and reading the letters your family sent from back home to maintain a shred of morale for the future.

though, the job did have some perks. it was always honorable for eldian families to have someone enlisted, and it also meant you could support your parents with your minuscule paycheck from the government. and, of course, meeting reiner braun was the biggest plus of them all, though you probably wouldn't admit it if anybody asked. you were a hard worker, and evidently had enough natural skill to quickly be promoted to the position that you were at now, assigned as one of the few nurses who monitored the wellness of the warriors and their prospective candidates.

"my regeneration has been slowing down lately, i should have more of my hand back by now." reiner murmured, more to himself than you.

"of course it has, you haven't been eating as well as you should be. i don't know much about titan biology, but i do know that a soldier like you, a warrior no less, shouldn't live off of sandwiches and beer, you've been losing too much weight."

he chuckled, a quick smile flitting across his face before he returned to his previous sulk. "you sound like my mother, chiding me about how i need to take care of myself. isn't there other patients that need your attention?"

"you wish. me and another nurse have already taken care of this entire hall, and you, mr. celebrity, get a room all to yourself." you grabbed a pen and his chart, scribbling down a few notes about his current status while you spoke, "plus, i'm supposed to be checking up on you every hour until you're all put back together, magath's orders."

he paused, thinking to himself before speaking. "so does that mean galliard is ok?" you nodded.

"and pieck?" you nodded again.

"and zeke?" you sighed, but reaffirmed once more.

"you've been checking up on me all night by the looks of it. aren't you tired?"

"gosh reiner, would it kill you to focus on yourself for a minute?" you rolled your eyes at his confusion, pulling up the chair at the desk to his bedside and seating yourself down, "this is my job, i'm used to doing my job. in fact, this is one of the easiest nights i've had in weeks. i don't know about you, but it shocks me that the guy they blew to pieces yesterday afternoon is asking me if i'm the one that needs to get some rest."

his brow furrowed, mouth drawing into a small frown. "sorry. i know that the war has been hard for all of us. i just don't want to make it any harder for you than it's already been."

you couldn't help but smile at his genuine concern, planting your elbows on your thighs and resting your chin in your hands. "you don't have to worry about bothering me, reiner." you replied softly, playfully adding, "you know you're my favorite patient anyways" just to see his cheeks flush red.

"is that so?" he murmured in reply, now smiling with you as he met your gaze.

"maybe." you teased, leaving him hanging for a few moments before you continued, "galliard's always awkward when i'm in the room, jaeger never has much, if anything, to say, and pieck, she's nice to be around, but she always looks so tired i feel a bit bad when i chat for too long with her. so, if it's anyone i'm stuck on the night shift with, i'm glad it's you."

you laughed softly at his expression, feeling a bit sheepish under his gaze. he'd changed quite a bit over the two years you'd known him, the shadows under his eyes deepening with a clear exhaustion, cheekbones becoming more pronounced and face growing gaunter as the stress of the war withered away at his physical and mental wellbeing. before you personally met, you'd always seen reiner as the physical embodiment of marley's armor, with his sturdy, unyielding frame, towering over nearly everyone he met from his stature, and the iron will that never seemed to falter no matter how many times he returned broken to the barrack's infirmary.

but now, you could see how everything had been taking a toll on him, how he was growing thinner and weaker each time he returned from a successful military assignment. you had come to learn that despite his regenerative properties, he felt every bit of pain that came with the injuries he sustained, experiencing the absolute agony of having his limbs shredded and bones shattered by cannon fire in his titan form and still having to push forward on the battlefield. you had an immense respect for him and his unyielding nature, but you always worried. even though you knew he would always manage to get himself back together again, you always worried for him. you remembered how you felt as you peeked over the sandbags, watching with a mixture of awe and dread as reiner threw himself in front of jaeger at the last moment to shield him from the unexpected volley of naval artillery, the way your heart thundered so loudly in your ears at the sight of his titan crumpling.

the relief you felt upon being ordered to his hospital room and finding him still alive was indescribable, and the relief you felt now being able to talk to him, to stare into his tired eyes and take in his handsome features you'd become so familiar with, flushed softly from your playfully exchanged words— you didn't want to see him go again.

"l-let me go get you a blanket," you said, snapping yourself out of your unnecessary thoughts, "i packed it away since i didn't want the steam to overheat you, but now that its just your hand and ankle i think it'll be ok to let you have it back now."

you quickly got up from your seat and slipped past the privacy curtain, opening up the supply cupboard with sheets and extra clipboards and things of the sort to pull out the blanket you'd originally taken off of him and put away.

you had to control yourself, to stop letting yourself be distracted by these thoughts and concerns about him. you knew as well as anyone else in marley that he didn't have long left to live. you hated that everyone referred to it as his 'term', as if after two years passed he could return home to live a peaceful life away from the war and bloodshed, to enjoy the luxuries of a normal existence that had been snatched away from him from the very start of his life. he only had two years left before he had to be eaten by one of those children, children that had similarly had their innocence and adolescence stolen from them by the marleyan government. you had told yourself over and over to not let yourself get so close to him, to not trick yourself into believing that maybe something could work between the two of you after marley's greed for natural resources had been sated and all the nations were finally at peace.

but you knew better than anyone that these feelings had been growing out of control, and each day you spent tending to him, watching him out on the battlefield, finding more and more about who he truly was besides a soldier only fed the fire you'd been fighting between fueling and snuffing out for months now. taking in a deep breath, you forced a smile onto your face, not wanting to concern him with an upset expression and risk dumping all your pathetic emotions out under his scrutiny.

"here we are." you hummed, flapping out the blanket a few times before you stretched it over his lap.

for a moment your face was close to his, close enough to see the small brown spots freckling his golden irises and realize just how intently he was gazing at you. you quickly retreated back to your seat at his bedside, still feeling his stare lingering on you, stopping yourself from asking him what was interesting enough to make him look at you for so long.

for another moment, there was silence, and you debated on making up some excuse to leave the room, but you knew you would have to come back in an hour, and he most likely wouldn't be asleep by then, but he spoke before you could think up any other escape plans.

"you know, i was happy to wake up and see you." you felt your heart skip, blinking at him, trying to make sure you weren't hearing things.

"really?" you mustered, feeling your cheeks grow warm at the sight of his smile.

"yes, really." he affirmed, the brightness on his face dampening a bit as he continued, "most of the time when i sleep, i get a lot of... memories, from my time in paradis, and they're not the most pleasant things to see while i'm asleep. and i was having another one of those dreams just now before i woke up, so it was nice to not be alone, you know? it's always reassuring to see you."

you felt a light flutter in your chest, nodding in response, torn between feeling sympathy for his nightmares or happiness from honest words. no, you had to stop being selfish. you had to stop letting yourself play along in this fantastical idea of a happy future.

"y-yeah, i understand," you replied, fixing your gaze down in your lap as you tried to avoid his intention, "i could put in a request for sleeping aids, if restlessness is becoming an issue."

"you know that's not what i'm trying to say." his hand reached out to rest over yours, giving it a gentle squeeze, imploring you to stop ignoring the obvious.

"reiner." you said firmly, lips pressing into a firm line, "we can't. i can't."

you could feeling that light, airy joy twisting down into something irksome, settling like lead deep in your stomach as he replied. "what's stopping you?"

"everything!" you snapped, stopping yourself to take a deep breath and regain control of your volume before you began again, "everything.. this war, this never-ending conflict, and.. y-your term, your life-"

"you think i don't know that?" he said softly, too softly, somber gaze flitting between the hand in his grasp and your face. he seemed so small just now, seated up against wall behind the hospital bed that was too little for him, barely covered by the thin, old blanket that was fraying at the seams, not at all like the stoic, unwavering warrior he made himself out to be in the public eye. "don't you think i'm tired of pretending? tired of having people toss the topic of my death back and forth like they're discussing vacation plans? i love marley, and i love what i can do for the people who look up to me, for the people who rely on me to be the hero. you never ask me about paradis, you never ask me about how i feel about all of this, you never expect me to be the hero, and you're still always here to listen, always here when i need you to be. but i just want to feel like i don't have to worry about all that, even if it's just for one night... i know it sounds counterintuitive, but i want to pretend like things will be alright.. for you, for me, for everyone. can't we just have this one night?"

your hand trembled, fingers lacing easily with his like you'd risked doing a few times before, tears pricking your eyes, feeling like there was something cinching around your heart and lungs and squeezing tight. the heat of his hand in yours was pleasant, calloused palm fitting perfectly against the contour of your own, thumb stroking softly over the side of your own hand.

you swallowed your apprehension, steadying your breath and blinking away the mistiness threatening to spill down onto your face as you moved from the chair to take a seat on the side of his bed. "ok. one night."

the relief that bloomed across his expression warmed your heart, the stress that had been creasing his face softening back into the relaxed, sleepy looking smile that you always poked fun at when you brought him his breakfast in the morning.

"you have to be up at seven, so lay down right, i don't want you to complain to me about your back hurting tomorrow." he complied, shifting back down in the bed to rest his head back on the pillow, allowing you to let go of his hand momentarily to tuck the blanket around him. "do you want me to go get you something to help you sleep?"

"no." he murmured, gazing up at you, "just stay here with me, please. i'll sleep just fine as long as you're here."

there was something so childlike about his words, not in the way of immaturity or naivety, but something that just made you want to take care of him, to protect him from the corruption of the world outside of the obsolete confinements of his hospital room.

"i will." you said, letting your other hand find the side of his face, "i promise."

and so you stayed, you stayed as long as he needed you to, alternating between stroking his cheek and slowly running your fingers through his hair. there were no words exchanged, but the silence was comforting, the quietest night you'd both had in weeks, only occupied by the intermittent footsteps of the other nurses making their rounds around the hall and the soft evening breeze blowing through the half-open window above the desk. you didn't care for how long you had to sit there, replying back to the small movements of his hands with your own reassuring squeeze as he slowly but surely fell back asleep. but even after his breathing had steadied out, and his grasp on your hand had loosened, you still stayed seated at his bedside, just gazing down at his sleeping face as your thought to yourself.

the war against the mid-east allied forces had come to a rocky close, most likely guaranteeing marley at least a few months of tension-filled peace before another nation made their strike on their borders once again. but you knew that marley wouldn't wait for that, you knew that they wouldn't stop until they had the world in their hands, paradis included. you'd heard the private murmurs of jaeger before you entered his room, seen the open pages of his journal when he fell asleep at his desk, you knew what he had been planning. and you knew that reiner would have to go running back to the island once again, and even if jaeger's grand scheme didn't drag him there by his collar, he would probably go searching out his own resolution him.

you checked your watch. 2:10. it was your turn to check the patients in critical condition down the hall. you sighed quietly, pulling your hand away from his and leaning down to gently press a kiss on his forehead, something you risked doing a few times before when you had these especially long conversations that made your heart ache for him.

but at least, you thought to yourself as you flicked off the lights, reluctantly leaving the room and shutting the door behind you as quietly as you possibly could, at least you could give him just one night of repose.

#reiner braun #reiner braun x you #reiner braun x reader #reiner fluff

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