#he knows this! he explicitly says 'wait so YOU'RE the bad guys!’ | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

oneatlatime · 3 months

Text

The Crossroads of Destiny

Strap in folks it's finally finale time!

I'm getting a bad feeling from the 'previously on' segment.

*gasp* Song's bird horse!?!?!

Toph gets some serious speed with that earth tongue walking.

Ty Lee's flattery gets less and less subtle. I get the feeling that a lot of Azula's more worrying tendencies could have been curtailed if someone had stuck her on stage as a child.

Is Zuko taller?

The cuts between these scenes are getting ridiculous. Some of these scenes are maybe 15 seconds long.

Zuko knows what's up. He and Iroh have teamed up on that particular fire breathing party trick before.

"It's time I face Azula." Buddy. No.

"You're so dramatic." POT. KETTLE. BLACK.

The last time Iroh and the Aang Gang teamed up, it was also against Azula. She has a way of uniting enemies.

The longer I stare at this the more I giggle.

"Good inside him isn't enough. Why don't you come back when it's outside him too, ok?" Congratulations to Sokka for articulating one of the fundamental human truths. Intentions can go take a hike when all that's visible are actions.

I love that! Iroh says he brought someone along in a tone that very much implies that he asked for help from a friend! Then you go outside and see he kidnapped a dude! And then they just leave him there!

I see your fake meditation. No one as rotten inside as this guy actually meditates properly.

The Dai Li be like

Katara? Why are you ripping into Zuko? Why is Season one bitchy Katara back? I don't want season 1 bitchy Katara to come back.

"No offence." "None taken." Iroh loves his nephew, but Iroh knows his nephew.

The one time Iroh's advice is explicitly solicited is the one time his advice is corny crap. That sucks.

Ba Sing Se is a tel? That's neat.

Hey Toph? Now would be a great time for that new metal bending trick of yours.

Avatar inadvertently validating my fear of subway grates.

I know this is life or death serious and all, but isn't the Sokka and Ty Lee dynamic cute?

MOMO!

This episode's thesis statement boils down to "what happens when you cancel arts programs and theatre kids don't get a chance to monologue in controlled conditions."

Honest question: Is Azula actually so deluded to believe that Divine Right of Kings crap she just spouted, or is she saying what the Dai Li needs to hear to side with her? Usually I think everything out of Azula's mouth is a calculated statement for manipulating others, but the way the show framed that monologue makes me think she actually believes what she's saying.

This conversation between Katara and Zuko, aside from showing that Katara is as capable as Sokka at sticking her foot in her mouth, is actually showing Zuko's growth well. So many of the things that he waves away with an "it's ok" are things that would have made him explode back in season one. It's about time he redefined that scar of his too.

"Aang! I knew you'd come!" "Uncle! The fuck?" Zuko truly has a way with words.

Hey Iroh maybe save your heart to heart until after you've exited the prison?

Wait so this episode is named after Zuko's arc? It's Zuko's destiny this finale is dealing with? Poor Aang's not even the main character in his eponymous show's season finale? Dang.

What was I saying about waiting to chat until you're outside the prison?

So every word out of Azula's mouth here is definitely a lie. She doesn't need Zuko at all. She's got a whole army and already has possession of the throne. What does she need with someone she considers to be an inferior firebender?

Father's love? That guy who burns off faces? The audacity.

"You are free to choose." Is it really freedom of choice if choosing the answer Azula doesn't want to hear ends with Zuko in a crystal cage?

Gotta say I'm intrigued by how quiet Zuko's being for this whole episode. Compare it to the volume of his confrontation with Azula at the Spa place at the beginning of the season.

This is so awful. This is so skin crawly. This is so going to end badly.

Toph can turn doors into ping pong balls. I like that. And what does she need Sokka scouting for Dai Li agents for? She can sense people for miles.

I love the line read on the "I'm not leaving without Bosco!" But does this guy really think he's in a position to make demands, after all the stuff he's ruined in the last, what, two days?

This is a cool move. Full body air bitchslap.

Katara cut her hair! That's kind of like what she did to Pakku with the ice disks.

How has no one been knocked out yet? Everyone in this fight should have at least 5 concussions by now.

I don't know what to make of it, but when Zuko says "I have changed" he sounds more calm and confident than he has all season.

I love the dynamic between Sokka & Toph and Mai & Ty Lee. Everyone involved knows they're second string and no one's really that invested. So they're all kind of chill.

I don't know what's going on in this fight, but Zuko is far too talented and Katara and Aang are both going down too easily.

And this right here is why this fight is only going to end badly for Aang. As soon as Azula's tired of playing, she'll call in reinforcements. Aang doesn't have those.

I hate Azula so much, which means I'm very annoyed to say that she and Zuko actually make a good fighting team. Did they practice drills together or something back in the day? They way they tag out and back in, and exchange fights, flows so well.

Jesus

Crap ok

She nerfed him in the power up sequence! That's not allowed!

So help me god if the writers hook these two up after pulling this crap I will riot.

Iroh could have been helpful if he'd been there earlier. Guess it takes a while to break out of crystals. Although I do like the detail that he stops fighting as soon as Aang and Katara are out & safe.

I was wondering why the magic water was randomly brought up earlier after disappearing for the entire season. I figured it had been lost in the desert with the rest of the stuff on Appa's saddle.

I'm so sorry, but the way Aang's arrow flashes once to confirm that Katara's saved him makes him look like an external USB device confirming successful connection.

I'm loving how immediate the regret from Zuko is. Proof that he has learned over the last two seasons.

"The Earth Kingdom... has fallen." AND WHOSE FAULT IS THAT? This King rubs me the wrong way. Consistently.

I'm fascinated by the fact that they managed to securely transport a bear on Appa's back.

Final Thoughts

Poor Aang has been demoted to secondary character in his own show. This finale was all Fire Nation.

Well done Azula. No matter which way you look at it, she won. If Azula was the main character, this episode would be the crowning glory series finale.

Sokka and Toph spent the whole episode running around putting out fires, only for five more to spring up in their place. I honestly don't know how they and Appa reconnected with the rest of the Gaang to fly out at the end. There's this feeling the whole episode of being consistently one too many steps behind, and I think it's most obvious in their incessant side quests.

Poor Katara went through about seventy billion emotions this episode. I take back my anger at her bitchiness. She deserved a vent session, although I don't think Zuko quite deserved to be the recipient of it. But he took it well.

Congratulations to Zuko for falling backwards into the only right choice for all the wrong reasons. This episode was only going to end with Azula victorious. She recruited an army and successfully executed a coup without breaking a sweat - that is not a level of enemy that Aang and friends has ever faced before, and not one they can realistically win against. Like with Long Feng, this is not a threat you can hit. You can't bend at ideologies and loyalties.

Zuko was going to end this episode siding with the Fire Nation as a free man, or in Fire Nation custody. This way, someone with an actual semi-functioning conscience now has access to the upper levels of the Fire Nation. This could be really interesting.

To be clear, I fully believe that Zuko chose to side with Azula because he swallowed her offer hook, line & sinker. For the guy who invented "Azula always lies" he sure does fall for her lies a lot, especially when she's saying exactly what he wants to hear. I believe Zuko believed her about getting his honour back bla bla bla, chose to follow her because of that belief, and has already realised at least some of what she said was lies by the end of the episode. Which is promising! It looks like there's potential for a Zuko mole next season!

I'm worried for Iroh. Firelords who burn their children's faces off with no shame don't strike me as the type to shy away from executing their brothers.

The Aang fakeout death at the end was not remotely believable unfortunately, mostly because kids' cartoons don't ever pull a Psycho and kill the nominal main character half way through. It probably would have freaked me out if I'd seen this episode as a kid though.

Azula hitting Aang during his power up sequence was inspired. A very well done subversion of expectations, which finally validates my frustrations with the concept of power up sequences in general. Few things bug me more than the mooks politely waiting their turn while the good guy does a quick wardrobe change.

So... is the war over? The Earth Kingdom's fallen, the Southern Water Tribe have been functionally out of the game for a while now. There's only the Northern Water Tribe left, which are only still standing because of a Hail Mary that I very much doubt Aang can pull off twice. So is next season's focus going to be defending the Northern Water Tribe from a final Fire Nation push? I think that's the only place that isn't conquered by the Fire Nation in name at least. On the bright side, this means the Gaang won't be returning to Ba Sing Se. Good riddance. I hate that place.

I've never seen a show with a finale that focuses so intensely on the conflict of someone other than the main character. I don't really know what to make of this episode. I think I liked the one before it better. To be clear, everything that happened made sense - characters were in character, events unfolded as expected (if you handwave an elite force of earthbenders preferring a 14 year old over their seasoned leader), but something about this episode is just a bit boring to me. Maybe they telegraphed it too hard in the previous episodes? I don't know. I'll have to chew on this one a bit.

#atla #avatar: the last airbender #avatar the last airbender #the crossroads of destiny #a resounding meh

142 notes · View notes

sootical · 5 months

Text

Permanence

->Wilbur Soot x Reader (hinted but never explicitly stated) ->No use of Y/n ->I tried to be as gender neutral as possible.

*Hurt, minimal comfort, hopeful ending TW: Su*cidal ideation, Self destructive thoughts and actions, SH mentions/references, depression, lots and lots of depression. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK Summary: You are stuck in a multi-month long depressive episode, and it's gotten so much worse. You're on your last leg, and you need someone to help you. Good thing best friend(?) Wilbur and his band are there to help :] Word Count - 2.4k

Wilbur Soot. Twitch streamer turned famous musician, heartthrob—you get it. He’s everything anyone could want in a partner. Trust me, I would know. He’s been my best friend since form. And since then, he’s only ever been kind and considerate and just overall an amazing person. What a guy right? With his stupid brown hair that covers one of his eyes when it’s outgrown. Stupid brown eyes that have just the right amount of dark and light brown in them. It’s stupid of me really, to ever hope for a future with him that involves us being more than friends. I can only hope though, right? He’s up there, in the states, singing his heart out on a stage. While I’m stuck, on the other side of paradise–more like purgatory–lamenting on how many people adore him. I’m feeling sorry for myself, rotting away in bed at 2 in the morning. It’s not like I have to work in three hours–whaaaat nooooo… A knot develops in my stomach at the mere thought of leaving my bed. Maybe losing my job isn’t so bad. Wilbur has told me time and time again he’d pay me to edit for him. But I could never make him do that. Never would I take advantage of him like that. I’d feel like more of a burden than I already do. The thought of him having to support me financially makes me want to vomit. It makes my skin crawl, so it’s okay if I waste away. If I end up rotting away in my bed. It’s fine. At least then I wouldn’t be able to consume too much of Wilbur’s time. Taking up too much of his time has always been my biggest fear. To me, it came true a long time ago and I’m finally reaping what I sowed. It sucks really, how I thought I'd have a shot. Just for it all to blow up in my face. Now he’s somewhere in America–having the time of his life. Good for him. Bad for me.

Reaching over, I grab my phone. My coworkers probably hate me. I keep asking them to cover my shifts so I can rot in bed for another day. It’s been like this since–September? It started off just once every few weeks. Now, it being almost December, I’ve not gone to work in over two weeks. What’s the point anymore anyways? I can’t do this. I can’t do anything. Deep down, when I started doing things for myself–I knew I wouldn’t be able to do this. That was two years ago. I guess I’m finally breaking.

Pulling the duvet over my head, I try not to think about how my breath smells, and the uncomfortable way the oil sticks to my face. I shove my head into the pillow. Trying to block out the sounds of people existing below my apartment. It’s so much easier to rot away when people don’t rely on you. When you have no reason for existence. I don’t want to die. But at the same time I don’t want to live. I’m too much of a coward to do anything about it, so I lay and wait. I wait for some omnipotent being to strike me down and judge me for how I’ve managed to mess up any and all relationships I’ve ever had with anyone. Me and Nikki haven’t spoken in almost a year. Me and Wilbur haven’t even seen each other in months My family doesn’t talk to me.

I wish I could say “The world is fucked and everyone hates me.” But that’s not the truth. The truth is I am my own undoing. I have destroyed everything I’ve worked for. Any relationships–platonic and romantic–have fallen through because of my own emotions and insecurities getting in the way. It’s not fair for anyone. Well, anyone except for me. I brought this upon myself. My phone is the only thing lighting up my face. I looked at the time. Suddenly it’s six in the morning, and I’m late for work. The thought makes me want to cry, but I can’t. I can’t tell if it’s apathy—or dehydration.

I call my boss. She answers. “Where are you?! I haven’t seen you in weeks! I’m worried about you hun, do you need me to call someone?” She opens, sounding both relieved and shocked I even called. I clear my throat the best I can, swallowing saliva feels like eating sandpaper. “I uh..I was calling to let you know I won’t be coming back. I’m quitting. And I’m sorry for not putting in my two weeks. It’s not–” Something foreign is bubbling up in my throat, I force myself to swallow it down. “-It’s not fair to you. And I’m sorry.” I whisper, hanging up shortly after.

I feel terrible for worrying her. I feel terrible for upsetting her. I feel terrible. I am terrible. I’m a parasite. I always have been. Mooching off of others in order to help myself get by. My thoughts fall back to Wilbur. I’ve been mooching off of him for however long we’ve been friends. I want him to be happy. I don’t want him to feel like he needs to be my friend to keep me alive. But at the same time–I can’t do this anymore. I can’t look myself in the mirror and tell myself it’s me. I can’t. I’m not the person I thought I’d become. I’m not the person I thought I was. I’m useless. My phone rings again. I go to decline it, I can’t.

Wilbur’s face greets me. His contact photo, the two of us at the amusement park I helped them film for Tommy’s vlog channel. We’re smiling. His arm over my shoulder, and my head on his arm. I remember that day. Wilbur held me for a bit while Tommy and Phil were off filming a different part of the vlog with Russ. I was overwhelmed and so was he, so we took the time to chill by the snack stands. He got tommy cotton candy, and we split popcorn even though he couldn’t really taste it. We spent a good time just taking funny pictures with each other. I remember that day, it was a great one.

Tears breach my eyes before I can stop them. A sob ripping through me, I force my face into the pillow to muffle it. The ringing stops. My tears don’t, and that makes me feel so much worse. My chest convulses as my sobs reverberate through the room. I’m a mess. I’m laying in my bed, rotting. Wasting away and feeling sorry for myself. Everything is terrifying, every breath I take reminds me of how I’m alive. Reminds me of how I can’t escape the feeling of impending doom that washes over me. I’m going to die here. I’m going to die. I was never permanent.

I knew I couldn’t do this. I’ve been lying to myself, little lies, white lies. To convince myself everything was okay. That it was fine for me to fall in love, it was fine for me to believe I wasn’t just taking up space. That I wasn’t slowly getting tired.

Contemplating whether or not cut myself some slack–but ending up just cutting myself loose. I lift the duvet from my head, staring at the ceiling. My eyes flick to the ground, clothes and food everywhere. Some of it’s moldy. It makes me feel worse about myself. Turning my head, I look to my PC. I should sell it. Someone else would be much happier with it. I haven’t used it in a while anyways. I can’t take care of any of the stuff I have can I?

My phone rings again, this time I do answer.

“Oh my god–” I hear multiple people take a sharp breath in. I can’t stop myself from making a small noise of confusion. “Hey..Your boss–called us.” I recognize the voice to be Joe. I lift the phone, checking the caller ID. It was Wilbur again. “Wil—?” It hurts so bad to talk, I haven’t used my voice this much since the end of October. I hear a choked noise and whispers. “We’re gonna—come over there okay? The tour ended last night, no gigs for a while. Wil’s been missing you y’know.” I can’t tell who said that, “I–no. Sorry.” I don’t know why I said that. I don’t know why I hung up either.

Maybe deep down I did want them to help, I do want their help. But logically–It’s for the best.

I swing my legs over the side of my bed, cringing at how my clothes hang off of me. My back hurts something awful. I’m so tired.

Yet I stand on two feet and walk to my bathroom. I look at myself in the mirror, I don’t recognize them. My hair–too long and too oily for it to be mine. My skin is pale and the bags under my eyes are so dark they could rival a racoon.

It’s then that my legs decide to give out. I can feel my knees split as I hit the tile. I’m so tired. I look down at the sweater I’m wearing. It’s one of Wil’s. I can’t remember when I put it on. I can’t remember a lot of things recently. Like when this got so bad. Or when my arms started to sting. My eyes are heavy, I can barely keep them open. Maybe a nap wouldn’t be so bad.

When I wake up it’s to voices around me. I’m laying on something warm–It’s moving. I can’t find it in myself to open my eyes. My breathing picks up, and I hear an intake of air accompanied by a hand on my forehead. My eyes are shooting open in fear before I’m trembling. He’s above me, looking down at me like I could break.

I look around, there's two other people. I can barely make them out. Joe and Ash. It’s hard to think. It’s so hard to think.

“There you are..” Wilbur whispers, his pointer finger gently stroking my cheekbone. “What happened to you love?” I can’t tell if it’s his tone, or the fact he looks so broken. But I can’t stop my eyes from watering and my body from turning into him, hiding myself away. Embarrassment filled me, they’d seen it all. The moldy food, the dirty clothes. They probably saw the abundance of mail I'd gotten as well. People are walking out the room. Not Wilbur, he stays. He stays and makes me look at him. “Here’s what’s gonna happen, I’m gonna help you shower, and they’re going to clean and get you food. Okay?” My eyes widened. I shake my head so quickly it hurts. His face falls, he looks down at what I’m wearing. His face falls even more. “Love…” He whispers. “I don’t–I can’t. Don’t make me.” I whisper. Wilbur wipes away my tears and shakes his head. “No. You’re going to get clean, eat, and then you will sleep for however long you need to.” He lifts me like I’m nothing.

He sets me on the toilet, turning to the tub and turning on the faucet. He waits for it to get warm before he’s plugging the drain and helping me get undressed. He brushes the hair from my face, he frowns at the sight of the back of my head. He looks down at my arms before I can see him clenching his jaw. “We’ll work on the matts too.” He picks me up again, placing me in the tub and going to shut the door. He grabs a towel from the cabinet, as well as a washcloth. He swipes the comb from the counter.

“I’m sorry.” I can’t help but whisper. He sighs. “I know. But it’s alright. We were worried about you.” Was all he said before he’s dousing my hair in water. He keeps a hand on my forehead, stopping the water from getting into my eyes. And with that, he applies conditioner and starts to de-matt my hair. An hour and countless tub refills later, my hair is de-matted and I’m clean. Feeling slightly better too. Wilbur gave me the crewneck he was wearing for comfort, before planting a kiss on my forehead and leaving the room to grab other clothes. The sounds from the outside are a lot less foggy now. I can hear the boys outside bickering and talking. “Are they okay Wil?” “What happened?” “From your face, I can tell it wasn’t good.”

I can’t help but stand weakly, the towel wrapped around me. I look in the mirror. I look a little more like myself. I touch my face, I look pale. I am pale. My hair is a bit longer now. I don’t smell bad anymore. I do feel better, but I can’t help but think I’m making Wilbur do this.

Wilbur reappears, he looks at me and smiles. He hands me the clothing he picked out before leaving the room once again, though he stands just outside the door.

I dress quickly. Slipping on Wilbur’s crewneck once I have my shirt on. I walk out, giving Wilbur a small smile. “You uh–You didn’t have to do this.” He takes my hand and leads me through my now clean apartment. “I did. Because if I didn’t–If we didn’t, you’d be dead right now, or you’d have killed yourself soon.” He says, sitting me down at the table that’s been cleared off. “Now, be honest. When is the last time you remember eating something?” He asks.

My face drops. That’s the thing–I can’t. “Uh–Tuesday?” I say, like I even know what day it is, his face falls. “It’s Friday.” He deadpans before going into the kitchen, he comes back with Ash, Mark, and Joe. They each have both in their hands. Wilbur has two.

“It’s just soup. Easy on the stomach.” Joe pipes up before sitting on my right, Wilbur sits on my left, and Ash and Mark sit across from me. “We don’t need to talk about things right now, no one is going to make you. But you need to talk to someone soon. Maybe not us, but someone.” Wilbur said, putting his hand on my knee. “Yeah. I think I can do that.” They smile, I eat my soup, and for the first time since September–I feel permanent.

#wilbur soot #fluff #wilbur mcyt #wilbur #angst #x reader #wilbur soot x reader #Wilbur Soot x Reader angst #wilbur soot x y/n #wilbur soot x you #heavy angst #hurt/comfort #Minimal comfort #lovejoy

106 notes · View notes

somethingsomethingwords · 2 months

Text

Hello y'all. Here's another little thing I wrote. This time it's just dialogue, because why not ig. Lance is not kind to himself in this one, but that's what Fernando is there to do. Enjoy 💜.

"You know I like you, right?"

"... What?"

"You know I like you, right?"

"I mean, I surely hope so after what we have done tonight"

"No, what we do is great, but I like you"

"I'm... really not following"

"Lance, you're not just a pretty face or a bed warmer, you are more to me, yes?"

"Oh, I didn't think..."

"Why, because am the bad guy? Just using the innocent boy?"

"Ok, first of all calm down, I'm anything but innocent. Second, I know how I am. I didn't think anyone would like me"

"Lance, what are you saying?"

"I mean, I have Esteban and Mick, and I have friends, but I never thought you would like me"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Mhhhh, because I'm the spoiler kid who you are literally paid to endure?"

"LANCE, is that how you see me?"

"No, of course no. You are Fernando Alonso, 2 times world champion, hungry and focused and magnificent"

"So, is that how you see yourself?"

"I mean, that's who I am, no?"

"No Lance, not even close. You're wonderful, and full of talent, and kind and brave"

"I don't understand, we are already fucking, so why are you trying to butter me up?

"Cariño, this is not about the bed. This is about who you are"

"Am I not the son of my father? Or the kid who gets what he wants easily? They are right about me, you know it"

"No Lance, they don't know the real you. They don't know that every father would do what Lawrence does, if they could. They don't know how hard you work and how hard you are on yourself. They don't know shit. And if you think they do, you also don't know shit"

"Oh and tell me, oh mighty one, what is it that I don't know?"

"You don't realise how lovely you are, and how easy is to love you"

"If I was, there would be proof. But there is none, so..."

"Just because other people are shitty, doesn't mean it's on you"

"Ever considered I am the shitty one?"

"Never, not for one second"

"Why?"

"Because I see you, even when you hide yourself, when you lose yourself, when you don't know anymore. I'm always there"

"You really are, aren't you? But why?"

"Because I love you"

"Don't play with me, Nando. It's one thing to think I have some redeeming qualities, it's another to lie"

"There is nothing to be redeemed. And am not lying"

"I don't believe you"

"You really mean you can't believe me. But that's ok. I am patient. I can wait for you, and in the meantime show my love for you"

"I don't know if I can..."

"Is ok. We have all the time in the world to figure it out, no?"

"Yeah, I guess so"

"You know I like you too, right?"

"Mhhh?"

"The other day? We moved past it, but I wanted you to know that I really really like you"

"Ah, is it so?"

"You don't have to be a dick about it. But yeah, I like spending time with you, I like talking with you, I like sleeping with you. Yeah, both ways, not just sex you asshole"

"Wasn't going to say anything"

"Sure you weren't. Anyway, I just wanted to say it explicitly. I like you"

"You are the sweetest, Lancito. Come here, and show me how much"

"Right now it's close to zero"

"Of course it is. What about now?"

"Co... compelling argument. Tell me more?"

"Claro que si"

"So, that was intense"

"Yep"

"...Is it too soon to say I love you"

"Probably, but who cares. Tell me"

"I love you. For a million reasons, but mostly because you are you, and I am who I am"

"M... Would you believe it?"

"What?"

"I love you for the exact same reasons"

#strollonso #fernando alonso #lance stroll #grumpy cat boy x besotted old man #i love insecure but sassy Lance so much #so does nano by the way #they love each other your Honour

63 notes · View notes

welldonebeca · 2 months

Text

Uncertain Grounds (Epilogue)

Warnings: 1970s, angst. Tension. Pregnancy. Hurt. Closure.

If you like my work, consider buying me a coffee or subscribing to my Patreon. It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it.

Masterlist

Abby could barely unpack when she arrived home.

Ben wasn't the only person she had lost in her life, he wasn't the first and wouldn't be the last, probably. But losing him was what had hurt her the most.

She couldn't move, she couldn't leave the house... her things were gathering dust, her food was spoiling.

Abby had to get out, she knew it.

It wasn't safe to stay in her home when they knew where she lived.

There were only so many months she could hide her belly.

Still, when she sat down to pack up, Abby could only stare at the wilting roses.

They were completely dead by then, only one of them still had petals, but she couldn't throw them away.

They were his gift to her, the last one.

Well... second to last, wasn't it?

Still, no one could know.

She had to leave.

She had to get rid of her car, find a new identity, and get the fuck out of this country. Maybe from the continent.

So why couldn't she move?

When Abby was held by Vought's contract, it explicitly said she couldn't leave the American border.

But she wasn't held by contract anymore.

A knock on her door made her stand up, and Abby hesitated in her spot.

She hadn't shown up in public since the hospital situation. Who would even be interested in what she was doing?

She checked who was outside, finding Crimson waiting, in her civilian clothes, and looking just as bad as Abby imagined she looked herself.

Just then, she opened the door.

"Did they send you to kill me?" Abby sighed.

Crimson scoffed. She was standing far away from her door.

"You think I would knock on your door all nicely if I was?" she asked.

Abby just raised her eyebrows.

"Yes," Crimson confirmed, at last. "But that is tomorrow. Today, I'm here to give you a chance."

"Nice of you to give a day's notice," Abby scoffed.

Crimson pushed her hands into her pockets.

"I'm done killing," Crimson affirmed, looking a little lost. "But if I don't kill, someone else will. If you want to live... well, you won't."

Abby didn't quite answer, watching as she looked around the street.

"You're all taped," she affirmed. "You know that, right? Every room, every phone... your cards, your neighbours, your car... they have access to everything."

Good, now she had to get rid of her car too.

Crimson pulled a card from her pocket, holding it out for Abby.

"I know a guy, I paid him already," she told her. "Abigail... whatever your surname is... she should be dead by tomorrow."

She clenched her fingers around the card, the thought hurting her very being.

Her whole life, all of who she was now.

It was over.

"Tomorrow at 1 pm your house will be on fire," she continued. "You'll have not survived, only your bones will remain. I say take whatever you have in there," she pointed at luggage with her chin. "And leave everything else behind."

She spoke everything quickly, without a care, as if she was talking about the weather.

"Why..." Abby started.

But she remembered the taping, and stepped further away from her house.

"Why are you doing this? Why are you helping me?" she asked. "Is that because of Ben?"

Crimson closed her eyes, shaking her head.

"What happened there, Crimson?" she asked, barely able to speak above a whisper. "How-"

"It doesn't matter," she interrupted her. "Aren't you listening to me? They are going to kill you, burn you down. I'm doing you a favour, just take it. Soldier Boy is dead, and you don't want to follow him."

“Did Vought-“ she pressed, horrified by the thought Vought would do such a thing.

To kill Ben... It meant none of them could be safe. Ever.

But Countess grabbed her, slamming her against the wall, and her eyes were filled with fury.

"Shut up!" she hissed into her face. "Shut. Up!"

Abby gulped, gasping.

"Vought couldn't kill him if they tried," Crimson accused. "But they can kill you. So stop asking so many fucking questions and just save yourself."

She nodded, at last, and Crimson backed off, giving her one last look and leaving Ness to only wonder.

She stared at her, watching her go, and looked at the card as she rested a hand on her flat stomach.

It was time to go.

"Come on, little one," she whispered to herself. "You're my new mission. And I'm not going to fail it."

…

“Uncertain Grounds” was fully posted on my Patreon on 2022. If you like Soldier Boy and other Jensen Ackles characters, and like the idea of having early access to my work, consider checking it out. It’s just $2 a month and I promise you won’t regret it. (link takes you to the public masterlist)

…

Forever Tags: @emoryhemsworth @amythyststorm33 @shaelyn102 @yknott81 @letsdisneythings @maximofftrash @kgbrenner @thefridgeismybestie @magpiegirl80 @mogaruke @shadowhunter7 @musicalcoffeebean @megasimpleplan4ever @deemoriarty @05spn18 @malindacath @kdcollinsauthor @random-fandom-fangirl2112 @widowsfics @frozenhuntress67 @averyrogers83 @notyourtypicalrose @nerdypinupcrystal @giruvega

#Welldonebeca's Uncertain Grounds series #soldier boy #soldier boy fanfiction #soldier boy fanfic #soldier boy x you #the boys season 3 #soldier boy x reader #soldier boy angst

13 notes · View notes

richardsphere · 9 days

Text

Rant On Humanisation VS Redemption. (And why Gilgamesh Sucks)

So there are like, a thousand ways in which people can be media illiterate. But to me the worst will always be peoples inability to tell the difference between a humanisation arc and a redemption arc. I do not exagerate when i say it may verry well be the "original sin" of media illiteracy.

I get it, you're shown the villains life from their point of view, maybe even see them struggle a little and your evolutionary packbonding and social-empathy instincts make you empathise and sympathise with the bastard until you forget they were the bad guy. But there's a fucking difference between these two types of characterarcs and people should really be better at telling them apart.

a redemption arc is about showing that sometimes people can be better and truly change. Meanwhile humanisation arcs are there because a villain cant serve as a warning not to become them unless we can see ourselves in them in the first place. And the literal Ur-example would be Gilgamesh. A story everyone assures me is "the first heroic epic", but which is nothing of the sort. Its the first villain protagonist in our literary cannon. And that is not me interpreting it. That is the explicit text of this fractured stone-tablet. You know how I know its the explicit text? For two reasons: 1: The text literally begins "there once was a tyrant so heinous, rapist and cruel gods and mortals alike agreed to put a hit on him" (I think we can all agree that in a story, when gods and mortals agree unanimously, we can consider it an axiomatic truth of the story that shits dire) But you know, thats the start of the story right? Gilgamesh (alledgedly) "grows" over the course of the story into a better person right? Oh wait no he doesnt the story has to go out of its way in the end to bring in a wise-old-sage figure (Ziusudra) to explicitly exposit to Gilgamesh (and through him the audience) that he's still the same irredeemable, cruel and selfish abomination of a tyrant he's always been. Because even back then writers and poets knew they couldnt trust their audience to grasp the distinction between these two narrative arcs without explicitly telling the audience which one their story was.

The epic of Gilgamesh is clearly meant to be this message of hope for future generations, that whatever despotic tyrant plagues you is as mortal as Gilgamesh himself turned out. That "even this will come to pass". But because people cant stop "draco in leather pants"-ing every villain in the literary cannon the core message of the story just never lands with people, claiming it to be a redemption story when it is explicitly not about that at all. I dont care wether you think GilgameshXEnkidu is the ship of all time, how about you realise the basic premise of the story first.

#literary analasis #The epic of gilgamesh #gilgamesh #gilgamesh bashing #Media literacy #rant #media analysis #tempted to tag it with a certain bee-themed superheroine from MLB #crossing my fingers that the Gilgamesh fandom is as dead as he is

3 notes · View notes

9leaguesofmirrors · 6 months

Text

On With The Show! (a Jed Hunter x reader fanfic)

What's this? Something a little different?

I don't usually write x reader fics, but I had a super cute idea for one featuring Jed Hunter and I had to get it out of my system. Since it's not explicitly romantic, it feels more like a "Jed Hunter AND reader fic". I really hope you guys enjoy it!

NOTE: This story features a non-cis reader, I've done my best to make it as unspecific as possible (so it can be enjoyed by people that use any pronouns), so hopefully it turned out OK

As soon as the cast list gets sent to you, your heart goes heavy. It's not the fact that you've lost motivation to be part of the production, working with renowned director Jed Hunter is a pretty big deal, it's the character he'd given you

Nobody's to blame. You're extremely selective about who you talk about your transition to; Royston Vasey isn't exactly known for being the most tolerant of places. Not that Jed seems like that sort of person, but you can never be too sure. However, you trust your gut and send an email asking if you could speak to him in person

A few hours later, you receive a response:

Hello!

Hope you're taking care of yourself on this chilly day. I have a meeting tomorrow, are you free on Friday at 12pm? If not, we can figure something else out

Wrap up warm!

J.H. 😊

You roll your eyes fondly at the Mum energy that radiates from his email, it might be a little corny but it's nice that he cares. You send an email confirming the meeting and go about the rest of your day

*********************************************

Jed is waiting in the same room you held your audition, sat backwards on his chair as usual. He gets up instantly and goes over to greet you, taking your hand and shaking it with a smile

"Hello hello, good to see you!" He gestured to a chair beside his own and sits down "Glad you made your way here safely."

"Other than witnessing about 5 different people bleeding from their noses, yeah I got here alright." You say as you sit down

"There seems to be a bloody-nose-epidemic, must be nice for vampires!"

It was a silly joke, but you can't help but feel a smile tug at the corners of your mouth. However, the jokes would have to wait, at least for now

"I guess I should tell you why I emailed."

"I assume it's not because you missed me!" Jed laughed a little "Take your time!"

"Well," you explain "it's about the film. I'm sorry, but I can't do it."

The way Jed's face fell a little didn't feel good, he seemed genuinely downhearted to lose you. Nonetheless, he remained professional

"That's a shame, but I understand. Thanks for letting me know ahead of time." He opened his mouth to speak, then put his finger to his lips thoughtfully "If you don't mind, is there any specific reason? If not, that's kewl, but if it's something that happened during the audition process-"

"Oh god no!" You say quickly "The process was fine, it's not that. It's the character."

Right, now I sound like an entitled twat

"Not that it's bad!" You explain "It's..." Come on, get it out "the gender."

You could see Jed trying to work out what you meant. At first, it's a little odd that it's taking him so long to get it, but that's probably what happens when you grow up in Royston Vasey. He didn't seem digusted, just very confused

"Does it not fit the character? I didn't give it much thought, but-"

"Jed, I'm transitioning. Y'know, gender reassignment?"

Finally, the penny seemed to drop and he instantly put his hand to his mouth in surprise

"Oh my god!" He jumps up and starts pacing around the room, looking for something "I'm so sorry, yes! I get it now, let me just..." after a bit of rummaging in a drawer, he found his trusty clipboard

Once he sits down again, you manage to catch a glimpse of the paper clipped to the board - it's your information from the audition. You watch as he pulls a pen out of his pocket and scribbles out parts of it before handing the paper and pen to you

"If you could fill that in for me, that'd be kewl."

"I told you, I can't play the character-"

"And, as director, I have the power to pull a few strings!" He speaks with pride, the charismatic glee on his face feels oddly comforting "We may need switch the script around a little, but Jeremy and I can talk about that."

The last thing you want is to make things difficult, but this was also a huge opportunity. Being in a Hunter film is a big thing, especially in a small town like this. Plus, Jed's known for being very good to work with, and it's hard to find respectful directors these days

And, technically, he was the one that suggested rewriting the character for you. Part of you doubts how easy it'll be, but the chance has to be there

You take the clipboard and pen, seeing the scribbled out sections where your name and pronouns could go

"You've scribbled out my surname."

"Well yeah, so you can write your name in. The one you want me to use."

"I haven't changed my surname," you say, amused by the gesture "I'm not getting married!"

"Perhaps another day then." Jed laughs "If that's what you're planning, of course."

You smile and fill in the form, but your eyes are drawn to the comments he wrote during your audition. Despite the scrawled handwriting, you manage to make out a few of the sentences:

WOW!

So much natural talent

Easy to work with, lights up the room

"Someone has a wandering eye," Jed teases, taking the clipboard back "that's confidential!"

"Don't act like you wouldn't do the same!"

"OK, you got me there." He holds up his hands "But all my feedback for you was positive."

"I just don't want to cause problems on my first project with you. I guess I'm trying not to make a bad impression."

Jed gets up and goes over to stand beside you, placing his hand on the back of your chair. There's an earnesty in his face, relaxed and soft

"Being a director isn't just about creating a piece," he explains "it's my job to make sure everyone's happy. Cast, crew, if something's not right, people should feel comfortable coming to me for support." He moves to crouch in front of you "Don't feel like you can't talk to me or that you're too much, you're allowed to ask for help."

It's reassuring to hear that, and you can tell Jed means every word. And, as you both stand and shake each other's hands something tells you this is the beginning of a fantastic partnership

A/N: So... there it is. This was entirely out of my comfort zone, but I don't think it turned out too bad - let me know what you think!

#steve pemberton #league of gentlemen #the league of gentlemen #britcom #british comedy #jed hunter

8 notes · View notes

kimdokjas · 1 year

Note

Hi~ I binge-read orv webtoon today and I have just finished. I came to Tumblr to know more about the fandom and I realised that people ship Dokja with Joonghyuk. I'll be honest, I wasn't expecting that. I thought their "flirty"(? interactions were just some sort of fan service or silly jokes. Is there anything in the novel that implies a relationship between them? Or maybe something that I missed in the webtoon? (I struggle with picking up social cues, especially romantic cues)

I hope this ask doesn't upset you, you were one of the top orv blogs that Tumblr showed me

(also, I apologize for my bad English, it isn't my first language)

Wait I'm one of the top orv blogs??? 💀💀💀 But for sure, I don't mind at all, anon! I love having an excuse to rant about orv <3

To preface this: yes, most of the heavier joongdok content comes until later in the novel, but there ARE some highlights in the webtoon as well so far.

I think most of the appeal of early joongdok interactions in the webtoon comes from the enemies to lovers vibe they have going on. Picture KDJ hyperfixating on his single favorite character for 10+ years, through every up and down of his life. In his narration during their FIRST meeting he explicitly says:

I liked you, hated you, resented you, and cheered for you. I was with you throughout your three-thousand episode journey. (webtoon ch. 12)

AND THEN. He finds out his favorite blorbo comes to life and proceeds to annoy him until he starts choking him over a bridge with a sunset backdrop like something out of a romance drama. It's all about the tension and subversion of expectations 🤌

Their relationship is very much a slowburn. YJH very reasonably distrusts KDJ at first (due to some past trauma) but we do see him gradually start to warm up to KDJ as the story progresses.

One of the main highlights is during ch. ~100 in the Disaster of Floods scenario. When KDJ sacrifices himself for YJH, he proceeds to freak out, tries to save him even when he knows it's futile, and refuses to kill him for coins even when YJH is often largely pragmatic in his interactions with others. We're told that YJH pretty much never uses the word "companion" because it holds too much meaning for him and he's never acknowledged KDJ as such, even though KDJ insists they're "life and death companions" (which is already pretty damn poetic if not romantic imo). But when Shin Yoosung asks who KDJ is to him, YJH says:

"That guy. He is my companion." (ch. 102)

(This got translated as "a companion of mine" in the webtoon but the novel is where it's at.) And keep in mind this is also an actual quote from the novel btw:

The weight of this word, 'companion', was too great for Yoo Joonghyuk. (ch. 12)

However, as I mentioned, their relationship only really starts to develop until later in the novel. To be clear, there's no explicit romance in orv–which I personally really appreciate because it opens up the floor instead to flesh out all the platonic relationships all of the characters have with one another that are JUST as deep and profound.

But even so, joongdok is very much canon to me. I don't want to give too much away because I'd be spoiling the rest of the novel for you, but they really are cosmic soulmates meant for one another in a way that is so narratively profound and completely goes full circle. The lengths they go to for one another are actually insane and there's no doubt in my mind the love and devotion they feel for one another is real and simultaneously indescribable by mere labels.

I really hope you're planning on continuing to read the novel now that you finished the webtoon! I truly cannot recommend it enough. It is literally and unironically the single greatest piece of literature I've ever read and the journey is 100% worth it. Plus, the webtoon will take a long time to complete at the current rate so the only way to find out what happens next is by reading the novel 😉

Anyway, I hope this was somewhat helpful to you! I think it's really admirable that you're trying to search for a different interpretation from your own. There's a saying in orv by one of the characters: "Read it again", and the intention there is that by rereading (or looking at things again in a new light) you will always find new meaning even within the exact same text, as long as you're willing to look for it. So the fact that you're asking this question is very much in the spirit of orv itself <3

And this goes without saying but you're also completely free to interpret them in your own way as well!

(By the way, I highly advise you to blacklist the "orv spoilers" tag and try to tread with caution if you're searching for content! There are spoilers literally EVERYWHERE and while orv is still very much enjoyable even with spoilers, all the reveals won't hit as hard–trust me. There really is so much that can be spoiled.)

#oh this got long but i just have SO many thoughts about orv i need to physically shake them out of my brain #another underrated jd moment is again around ch ~100 when yjh exclusively seeks out kdj and thinks he sees kdj and ysa about to kiss #and then proceeds to get super jealous and sulky and storms off all moody AND THEN.#he tries to act all gracious abt it when he tells kdj it's fine if he stays behind bc he has “a woman he loves after all 😔”#LIKE. YJH I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE 🤨🏳️‍🌈#also anon you actually got me to use proper punctuation for once for this lmaooo #oh and no worries about your english!! you actually speak it really well!!#feel free to let me know if you have any other questions!! i could honestly talk about orv all day tbh #ask #anonymous #orv #joongdok

30 notes · View notes

myers-meadow · 1 year

Note

Okay, so, I hate to slam this down on you my dear writer, truly, because this is just, so self indulgent.

but I have something called hypersomia, which is basically the opposite of insomnia. I’m always tired, no matter how much I sleep, and for the past couple of weeks I’ve been absolutely Zonked out, like sleeping through the whole day, only waking up to eat or use the bathroom, and then falling right back to sleep (that’s why I’ve been gone for so long, so, I apologize!!) so, how do you think Otis handles this with his S/O?

cause, his S/O isn’t lazy! They can’t help it, really!

do you think Otis would understand, or would he be one of those people like “….just..don’t fall asleep?”

anyways, you don’t have to do this, since this is such a self indulgent ask, and as always, feel free to take out/dilute any part of this if you do choose to write it.

hope your having a great day/night! <3 ❎-

My friend, so glad to hear from you again!

Never worry about being self-indulgent - that's all I'm doing here too ^^. I hope I'm doing this justice! Hope you're alright these days and that you had a good (restful) weekend <3. More explicit thoughts are below the read more.

Otis is an interesting case, since he isn't as overtly doting and sweet as some other slashers, and complains easily - without meaning much by it. His complaints come from a place of missing you, and of concern for you. So yes, he's an asshole sometimes - but he is that regardless or not you sleep very much. If it's not that, he'll find something else to bitch about. (ah how we love him <3) When Spaulding or RJ or anyone else says something like "just don't fall asleep" he's jumping to your defence though!! No one says a bad word about you, or they'll come to regret it.

As for other situations: expect to be dragged out of bed at random times; either to look at his art, or when he's going to the store or picking up take-out so he can ask you if you want anything, or because there's 'visitors' and he needs you to be aware of them. If you explicitly ask him to let you sleep, he won't wake you for the stupid silly shit, but he's not one to be gentle.

Otis comes to your shared room after he's made food, sinking down next to you on the bed, already talking to you as soon as he entered the room, waiting for you to wake up properly to give you food. Other times a plate will be waiting on the nightstand. I head canon his main love languages to be acts of service and quality time, so this is just a given of living with him. Cooking duties are shared between the family members, but he makes sure to always keep food you like around so you don't wake up to empty cupboards.

Quality time counts sleeping together, with arms and legs entangled. When you're asleep and he's awake, he's often working on art, or reading or writing in the same room, glancing over at you every so often - enjoying that he can do his own thing while still being close to you. Him reading in bed, leaning against the headboard, chest bare, your head in his lap, fingers playing with your hair as you sleep, pale early morning light filtering through the cracks in the curtains... 🥺 He has sketchbooks full of drawings of you, part of those drawn while you were sleeping so he could really take the time to study your features.

Sure, he may complain sometimes he doesn't get you awake as much as he'd like, but his eyes turn soft every time he looks at you on the bed while he's skinning some poor guy at the other side of the room.

Imagine getting out of bed at three in the morning, hungry and groggy, and he goes down to the kitchen with you, you sit at the table while he makes you something, yawning, scratching at his shoulder, just wearing boxers, but he doesn't say a word about you woking him up in the middle of the night.

He'll bend you over the kitchen table too, making you promise to be quiet, but teasing you until you're screaming his name and frigthening the sleeping dog.

And I don't know how explicit I can be, but... have you heard of somnophilia? I'm sure you can imagine how this'd go ^^. It's really his thing, and this way he makes sure he doesn't miss out on much. If you wake up sore, he'd enjoy it even more. If you had a wet dream, he's gonna tease you relentlessly and he'll be annoyingly smug about it if he makes you cum in your sleep.

And umm... try telling him you sleep better after an orgasm and see what happens... 😳

This got SO long I'm sorry adlkfjskldjf. I hope that some of these brightened your day and were fun to read! Thank u for always being appreaciative of me and understanding of my limits, it truly goes a long way and I always look forward to seeing the ❎ pop into my inbox <3333

xoxo

#otis b driftwood #otis driftwood #anon #ask #otis driftwood x reader #ps if you want to read these back or cant find them bc i can reblog a lot sometimes #theyre all reblogged over at my archive blog myers-meadow-archive

44 notes · View notes

teaveetamer · 9 months

Note

Gotta say, I follow BWIIDT and I've read her critiques but I don't recall her ever having done what raxis had done. She never linked to the fic or even outright named it? And she certainly never linked directly to the author. So I still have never seen caps fic , have no idea what the fic is called , and I still don't know who "captain" is.

But if she did the same shit Raxis did and explicitly linked people to the fic and to their social media I would definitely know who they were .

Just want to point out the difference.

Like if I want to know who cap is and read the fic myself I can probably put in the effort and ask or go out of my way to look for it. But that requires actual effort. you need to make a choice and go out of your way to even DO that.

But raxis pasting links and listing names left and right ? that is literally just a mindless click away and the entire fandom knows how aggressive edelstans are , so it's a literal invitation to harassment.

Raxis is basically giving an angry mob the identity and address of a random author he dissgrees with and he's Pikachu face surprised that his MakeAdrestiaGreatAgain buddies stormed over there (literally 1 click away) to attack the author on his behalf? Nah, Raxis has done this for years. he knows.

Combining these two

Thanks, so from what I'm hearing I was right about BWIIDT never providing links or naming the fic?

I initially wasn't following the fic critique. I knew it was going on but I was kind of just not interested in it cuz I didn't really see the point of critiquing the fic at first. Then I started seeing it get recc'd everywhere and shortly after I saw what I believe was BWIIDT's breakdown of Dedue's treatment and I was like. Oh wait this is actually way worse than I thought it was. I thought it was just gonna be some guy's silly little wish fulfillment fic I didn't realize it was gonna be that bad.

But like yeah here's the thing. Sure, people could go figure out Cap's fic from BWIIDT's posts. However, if there's one universal truth about people it's that people are fucking lazy and 99.99% of people are not going to put in the effort to go find the thing.

And also, in forcing people to actually go looking for the thing you greatly increase the chances of someone stopping and saying "wait, what am I doing do I really need to be doing this? Because it just takes longer to find something, and that gives you time to cool down and think about what you're about to do.

I can't tell you how many times I've been pissed off about something and gone to do some research, and in the process of doing the research I've had a second to cool down and suddenly I'm not as riled up or inclined to do anything with the info I've found.

Not related to fanfic but in the same spirit, just as a real example of what I'm talking about. I've been running fandom tournaments and I have spreadsheets for those where I calculate out everyone's total number of votes and rankings. I debated organizing everyone by votes and then posting it midway through the qualifying rounds so people could know who was in the lead, who was behind, who they might wanna focus votes on if they wanted to boost someone into the bracket, etc.

Ultimately I decided against it because I didn't want any potential messiness of someone, say, looking at that frankly presented data and doing some kind of vote manipulation or something. A lot of the characters lower down on the bracket were within only a couple of votes of each other so it would have been really easy to boost someone up with just one or two alt accounts.

Sure technically all of that info is public right on the tournament blog. I've shared the methodology for how I pick the brackets in the past. You could very easily go through the polls and calculate it out yourself to know who is going to be cut. Thing is, most people aren't going to bother to do that, even if they would be willing to try vote manipulating if they just saw the data laid out for them. And it takes like an hour for me to go through and update the spreadsheets and reorganize everything, plenty of time for someone to start trying to calculate everything out and realize that vote manipulating a dumb tumblr poll is, well, dumb.

The point I'm trying to make is, it absolutely matters how easy you made it for people to go find something. Because that will actually make a huge difference in how many people go on to harass an author. And again, that is honestly self-evident at this point? Everyone knows if you link a fic and/or name the fic and the author people are going to be a LOT more likely to go harass them.

10 notes · View notes

p2ii · 2 months

Note

HEHE OK!! Here's my current fic dumping:

Takes place like... Just after the cover story where NEO-MADS formed, semi-during Wano (though Wano events are p much irrelevant, its just a timeframe). Levely ig also going on which IS funny to me because. The fact that the one Levely we see is the very first one Germa doesn't get invited too is crazy. Vivi has probably met the Vinsmokes once. They would be as problematic and unhelpful as Wapol is.

ANYWAY! Germa is trying to restore itself after Whole Cake Island, and Caesar is specifically currently helping to restore labs and gather supplies for them.

Currently writing in 3rd person Yonji POV just... bc thats what I ended up doing, he's fun to write.

Ichiji is the main one who is kinda... off, after WCI. I read a good post pointing out how Ichiji was probably the one who decided to save his brothers, not Reiju (who mostly just sees them as machines) and I kinda ran with that idea. I have BIG interest in Ichiji being the first to break down, I mean, he's the most PERFECT and emotionless, and the next in line for king, so when he crumbles... what are the others supposed to do?

Though my main original idea here... Judge has that "Soldier Stock Depot". Judge is one of the only characters we know who knows how to clone, the other being Vegapunk himself (iirc). If his greatest experiment (as in, his literal CHILDREN whom he "lovingly" named 0 1 2 3 4) all end up failing him... his greatest failure being the main savior of the WCI incident... well. What's stopping Judge from starting all over, and cloning his little failures to make new ones?

A bad experiment is one with only one, maybe two trials. Maybe Judge even gets inspired after a non-serious, one-off comment from Caesar. Either way, its safe to say the cloning room is off-limits to the siblings again, for some inexplicable reason.

YAAAY :DDD!!!

I think it's so cool you're settting it after neo-mads formation cause I don't think I've read any other fics that include ceasers involvement with the vinsmokes. he's such a silly guy I can't wait to see what kinda chaos he will cause XDc

yonjis POV of post-wci... that's so interesting 👀 I've noticed for people tend to see him as the 'most emotional' of 124ji since he's explicitly silly and horny on-panel, that and being the youngest opens up alot of potential characterization for him! can't wait to see where you take him (also glad Ur having fun, I love when a character is just delight to invade the mind of)

i think I read that post before! there's something about him being the heir and also the emphasis on second OLDEST (because judge is a sexist prick) that puts him in such an interesting position. LOVE LOVE LOVE that your're going that direction w him it's one of my favourite kinda of plotlines for them.

I mean, he's the most PERFECT and emotionless, and the next in line for king, so when he crumbles… what are the others supposed to do?

THIS OMG... my heart </3 you are so right like. everything just crumbles. reiju doesn't care for 24ji like that and judge is their obvious abuser, all they really have is each other and this strict hierarchy they live by 😭.

clone angst... clone angt smy beloved...

Either way, its safe to say the cloning room is off-limits to the siblings again, for some inexplicable reason.

THE MYSTERY AND HORROR PF IT ALL TOO IM DYING. bro if I wasn't already hooked this got me. the angst and suspense alone wow.

just know I'm hyping you every step of the way with this dude Ur mind... happy writing!!!

#psii.txt #ask #burnttoastlife

3 notes · View notes

natasha-in-space · 1 year

Note

What are your headcanons for Saeran having Triplets?

Saeran having triplets

I'll be going off of GE Saeran here, cause I believe he's the most likely one to have children.

Saeran wants to start a family with you, and he says that explicitly. Kids are not a necessity for him, though. Family can take a lot of different forms! He's okay with having kids, and he's okay with not having them. It's a shared decision between the two of you. If you do want kids? He's elated. You don't want them? He's more than happy to spend the rest of his life with you and his brother as his closest family.

Now, if you do eventually decide to have kids, it should be noted that it's a huge responsibility. Doesn't matter if you decide to create a child yourselves or adopt one. It's a whole another human being you're now responsible for! Your decision with him will be thoroughly planned and talked about numerously. He'd love to start a family with you... but he does have a tendency to get carried away at times. You'll find him making notes and researching everything there is to know about raising a kid months before you two finally decide to take this first step into the new chapter of your lives. He just wants to be prepared! Depending on your stance, you two might consider discussing this in therapy. After all, having a child is nerve-racking, even if you plan everything advance. Still, despite all the doubts, you two have each other to rely on, so everything is going to be okay through all the hurdles you may have to face.

As I said before, it doesn't really matter which route you want to go with. Not everyone is capable to - or even wants to for that matter - go through pregnancy and childbirth. Saeran respects your decision, and he will love his kids with all his heart, regardless if they share his blood or not. It makes absolutely no difference in his eyes. Family is so much more than just blood to him. He'll be right by your side throughout every step of the way, be it pregnancy, or preparing for adoption. Both of these processes are very stressful and exhausting in their own way!

Saeyoung, and the rest of the RFA members will be elated at these news. The older Choi in particular will practically vibrate with excitement for weeks on end. Saeyoung adores kids and the thought of welcoming another addition to the Choi household? It makes him so happy he could burst. He'll be tinkering away at a whole collection of various toys, as well as other necessities. You won't even need to shop that much - he will create everything by hand.

When it comes to triplets, Saeran will be quite surprised at first. It's not something bad, it's just... a lot. He doesn't really know what to feel, and he will need some time to sort through his feelings properly. He's happy, he's scared, he's excited and he's unsure - all at the same time. It makes his head spin! He's not alone in this though, and that notion helps him a lot. While he does want kids, he also wants to be the best parent he can be. There's so many doubts clouding his mind... What if he's not good enough? What if he hurts your children somehow? What if he'll fail them as a father?

Hold his hand and reassure him that everything will be alright. He's this worried in the first place because he cares so much. Because he already loves his kids, and wants to do right by them, even before they came into his world. And that's the most important thing of all. Once some time has passed, he will lift his head high again.

He can do this. He knows he can. And he can't wait to greet his little angels into their new life on this Earth.

The first few months of being a parent to triplets will be chaotic and stressful. There's good days and there's bad days. No matter how much you've researched and prepared yourselves, it all seemingly falls apart when reality hits you straight in the face. Caring for one child is already hard work enough, but three? Oh boy, you guys have your work cut out for you.

Still, change is always stressful. That doesn't make it a bad thing! Both you and Saeran will be clumsy at first, slowly figuring things out as you go and trying to adjust to the new order of life. You try to split the household chores as much as you can. Both of you are tired, and it feels like you haven't had a good night sleep in ages! Though, all this fatigue fades away seemingly in an instant once you see these three adorable bundle of joys snoozing peacefully in their cribs. Saeran still sometimes tears up upon seeing them, just like he did the first day he held them in his arms.

He never imagined that he'll be able to create something so magical. That he would become a father. When he looks at his kids, he can't help but think of himself and his older twin. They're so small... so fragile. It makes his heart ache with both affection and sorrow for what they had to go through.

He vows to provide his children with nothing but his unconditional love and care. He'll accept them and protect them, no matter what.

You're not alone in your quest to keep the triplets safe and happy, though. Uncle Saeyoung, as well as other members of the RFA, and even Vanderwood often come by to babysit and help you guys with your chores. Your friends also make sure that you and Saeran can spend some time alone occasionally! It's hard to find some peace and quiet when you got three hungry, or sleepy, or bored kiddos on your hands. Saeyoung in particular is great at entertaining them! When it comes to dirty work, though? Yeah, you had to teach him more than once on how to do it right.

Overall, even despite all the sleepless nights and messy days, you wouldn't change them for the world. Saeran got dozens of photos in his diary, depicting your new life almost day by day. With time, everything just falls into place, and all of your worries slowly fade away, being replaced by pure domestic bliss.

Now, as the triplets gradually grow up, it'll all depend on their personality. I'll just write out my headcanons for Saeran as a dad in general!

Saeran, first and foremost, is a caring and doting father. He adores his children to the moon and back, and you don't have to look twice to see it. He has given nicknames associated with plants and flowers to each of them! Be it: 'petal', 'sunflower', or even 'wildflower' - they're all unique to the personality of each child. He makes sure that nobody feels left out. He adores participating in his kid's hobbies and interests. It's like he can learn something new along with them! What's not to love about that? Saeran's also the one helping with their homework most of the times. He never really experienced school for himself, so it's a perfect chance for him to do exactly that.

He's gentle, but can be firm when he needs to. It took him a while to find that perfect balance, but he always conveyed that his love for his children is unstoppable. It doesn't matter if they say something wrong or mess up sometimes. His kids are allowed to make mistakes and learn from them, and he'll never berate them for that.

He does get a little choked up whenever his beloved petals remind him of himself and his brother too much. It's like... he can provide his past self with something he could only dream about, albeit not directly.

A happy loving family.

That's a sentiment he shares with his brother. They often discuss this among themselves whenever they have the time to take the triplets out for a walk in the park together.

They look so happy, and... free.

And that's all he wants.

Saeran will make sure that his children will always have warm food on their table, a parent's caring embrace whenever they need it, and the freedom to play under the blue sky any time they want. And he has you to thank for all of that.

#mystic messenger #mysmes #mysme #mm #mystic messenger headcanons #saeran choi #ge saeran #mm saeran #saeran x reader #i'm kinda drowsy from all the medicine today but i hope you like it!#i had a lot of fun writing this out #dad saeran is such a comfort scenario for me tbh #ask

52 notes · View notes

sodiumlamp · 4 months

Text

Picard

So this is actually where I came in, because I put the wrong disc in my DVD player, and it took me 10-15 minutes to figure out that it was Season 3 instead of Season 1.

My initial impression was that it looked kind of ridiculous for Dr. Crusher, now 70 years old if I'm not mistaken, to get in a crazy laser gun shootout. I mean, I don't know who's chasing her, but presumably they sent two of their better henchmen to get her, and she smokes both their asses. I could live with that, because the good guys always do a little better than they ought to in these kinds of situations, but there's a couple of moments where she just darts across the room to get to a better position, and the bad guys just sort of shoot at everything else in the scene while she's out in the open less than twenty feet away.

But now that I've seen Seasons 1 and 2, I realize this is just how the show rolls. Ridiculous gymkata battles, ridiculous BFG shootouts, it's all good on Star Trek: Picard. I guess I should be grateful Beverly didn't spin kick an alien, but there's still nine more episodes for that to happen.

Wait: Fantasy booking. Crusher and Troi have to stop a bad guy, and they lure him into a hallway with a mirror in it, and he's like "What the hell is going on here?" Then they come out wearing their backwards aerobics gear from TNG Season 3, and karate the shit out of him. I mean flips and kicks and elbows all over the place. Then the bad guy tries to open a door to escape, but Geordi rolls under the bottom of it and he's all "Going somewhere?" and bam! He kicks him in the nuts! Take that, alien bad guy! Then Geordi shoots heat vision from his cyborg eyes and he says "Take a look, it's in a book!" Then he says "fuck", because this is Picard and everyone swears.

Crusher sends a coded distress call to Picard and he takes like... a week to respond. First he gets the message, and Crusher explicitly warns Picard to "trust no one". He immediately tells his housekeeper to get her advice. Crusher also warns Picard not to go through Starfleet, so the next person he tells is Will Riker, his old buddy from Starfleet. Riker's idea is to get on a Starfleet ship and pull rank to get it to take them where they want to go. The ship's captain, a man named Shaw, tells them no, because he's not an idiot.

Okay, so the show goes out of its way to make Captain Shaw look like the biggest horse's ass in the universe. When they board the ship, they're greeted by his XO, Seven of Nine, who's now a real Starfleet Officer. But he makes her go by Annika Hansen. I thought Seven preferred Annika for a hot minute, but maybe I missed something. It's still weird that Captain Shaw can just order you to change your name and there's no Starfleet HR you can take that up with.

Shaw invites them to dinner in the captain's mess, but he's already eating when they get there, and he makes some weird joke about it to explain his behavior. Then he makes fun of Riker's musical tastes, and says a bunch of shit to Picard, who's a friggin' admiral for pity's sake. They really, really want you to hate this guy, but they overdid it. It just made me wonder how he got a command in the first place.

The idea is that you're supposed to think Captain Shaw's a jerk when he refuses to take Picard and Riker where they want to go, but no. He's a jerk for unrelated reasons. He's kind of within his rights to refuse their order for a course change, since he has orders from higher up to go where they're already going. So Seven does it behind his back while he's asleep, because she's the cool Starfleet officer who helps out the main characters when they're in a jam. Pretty sure she'll get court martialed for this, but no one seems to care. I think Shaw dies in a few episodes anyway, so it won't matter, but this is still incredibly dumb.

I mean... Picard had the exact same problem in Season 1. He needed to search for Bruce Maddox, but he couldn't involve Starfleet because he didn't work there anymore, so he made a few calls and hired Rios to take him where he needed to go. Why couldn't he just hire another private ship to do the same thing? Instead, they hijacked Captain Shaw's ship, and got caught the second Captain Shaw looked out the damn window. Then they stole a shuttlecraft to get the rest of the way. What were they going to do when they got back? Bring an injured Dr. Crusher onto the ship and pretend like they just happened to find her? She told Picard "no Starfleet" and now Shaw's going to file an official report to Starfleet about it.

All right, so they make it to Crusher's ship and they take their sweet-ass time searching for her, even though their sensors confirmed she's wounded. Fortunately, they find her in a healing tank. That's sad, because it'll take like fifteen episodes for her to get back to full strength, and Picard and Riker will have to fight Frieza by themselves in the meantime... wait.

The other guy on the ship claims to be her son? Everyone mumbles their lines on this show, especially whenever they state important exposition. It's not Wesley, since we just saw him in the last episode. It looks more like that guy who played Adult Wesley when Riker got Q powers and turned him into a grown man. I don't know if that's what they were going for, but it's the first thing I thought of.

The bad guy ship closes in on them, and Picard's like "Who's after you?" and the guy's like "See for yourself", and we see the ship, but I don't recognize it. Usually when they do that on a TV show, it's so the audience can see it's someone they recognize. Like you'd see a Cardassian ship and go "Oh, so the Cardassians are after her... but why?" But it's some new ship design which tells us nothing. Dr. Crusher's other son is a jerk.

While all of this is going on, Raffi is off doing her own separate TV show where she's trying to prevent a terrorist attack and fails miserably. She's all weepy and bitchy and annoying and it's impossible to tell what's going on with her. I remember being frustrated that we never got closure on her estranged son, but now I get why he was fed up with her bullshit. Cripes, imagine being her son. Man, nobody's got time for that.

Speaking of bitchy, I'm getting really sick of how everyone in this show has a beef or points a gun as soon as they show up. It usually happens to Picard, but that's only because he's the main character. Other characters will talk to people, and it immediately turns hostile. Picard goes to meet Raffi and she pulls a gun on him. Raffi goes to reconcile with her son and he tells her to get lost. Picard goes to find Guinan in the past and she pulls a gun on him. Guinan takes Picard to the Watcher lady and she pulls a gun on him.

Picard meets Captain Shaw and Shaw treats him like shit for no good reason at all. Like, you'd think Picard killed his wife or something. That's not even a hypothetical scenario, because Picard killed Sisko's wife and he still treated him more professionally than Shaw does here. Maybe Shaw had two wives and Picard killed them both? No, wait, he had seven wives, and Picard killed four and Riker killed three, and that's why he makes Seven of Nine use her birthname.

Sorry, I got off track there. Picard and Riker go to save the Crushers and Beverly's son... you guessed it... pulls a gun on them. It's a cool trick when used sparingly, but watching this show you'd think it's just a standard greeting in the 25th Century.

And it just keeps happening. Raffi and Seven were dating in Season 2, and all they did was bicker constantly. Rios and Jurati bickered a lot, but they were no longer dating. The key thing is to bicker, regardless of your romantic status. This might explain why Elnor hardly ever did anything on the show. His whole deal was "absolute candor", speaking honestly and without reservation. So it's hard to have him get in an argument with a friend or comrade, because if he was really hot at someone he would just say "I'm very mad at you" and leave. The writers didn't know how to write for him.

The biggest annoyance I have is when Picard first approaches Riker, and apologizes for taking him away from his family, and instead Riker notes that Deanna and Kestra would enjoy some time away from him. The fuck? We're doing a separation subplot with Riker now? We already did estranged Riker and Troi, and it was all seven seasons of TNG, plus two of the movies!

She'll be joining him before this show is over, so maybe they're just setting up some drama for later. It's not a terrible idea, but I don't trust this show to get it right, because they just have everyone mad at everyone else all the time. Worf and Geordi will probably show up later and they'll pull guns on each other and bicker about their failed marriage to each other. Then they'll see Picard and put aside their mutual loathing to point their guns at him, their common enemy.

This show is a tire fire. I don't like it.

#mike watches picard #sheer fucking hubris

3 notes · View notes

pearcinglyours · 2 years

Text

on artem’s 2nd personal story SSR “belle nuit d’amour”…

A/N: this is just more of a rambling post than anything. card spoilers below!

image source: @yooneunji33 | story recording: 日和风物诗 | translations are mine!

…

like all other PS cards, the story revolves around a memory that touches on an "issue" in their relationship- in this one it's about not having to have clear boundaries between work and family life because it's natural for a partner to want to know everything that goes on in their s/o's life, good and bad etc.

to quote rosa, "even if the road's a little rocky, it's alright. we've (refers to artem's mom and fiancee) made the choice to love you, and we'll do whatever we have to do to deal with everything." which like. GIRL how do you always know what to say... i'm in shambles actually because artem wasn't even the one who told her about some issues he's been facing at work. he made up an excuse until she pestered him to know more info about it and SHE'S SO CUTE WHILE DOING IT just look at this.

it also references a movie that people on bili have been speculating to be "the legend of 1900", but it's not explicitly stated in the card itself. most importantly it references a scene where the protagonist was able to use patterns of flashing light to find a way to land- which draws a parallel to artem's relationship with… basically everyone around him.

he's so worried that asking for help or talking about his problems to his loved ones is just merely burdening them. but implicitly i could understand that artem not outright telling rosa what was wrong and him seeming very out of place was even more of a "burden"??

THE ENDING OF THE CARD AND THE PHONE CALL THOUGH... deep breaths.

context: they're walking home from a dinner with their client and suddenly artem receives a message from his mother saying that she's at his house, and because they both don't want to let their mother wait they start running (it's mentioned that his house is very close by the place they're at)

here's the scene the PV lines were selected from:

Artem: "Initially, I thought I wanted to leave everything behind, but deep down in my heart I realised... that I was hoping for someone to find me. (...) it feels very liberating- like a part of my heart that has always been a deep slumber had just been gently touched by someone. (...) It's because of admiration we choose to not say anything. But because there's too much admiration for that person... I want to tell them everything no matter what. (...) Maybe it's a long process, but I hope that you'll always be my side and be that "listener" of mine.

eventually they had to stop at a traffic light (while still holding each other's hands and being in very close physical proximity with each other) until they saw someone waving at them from the other side of the street and this guy freezes. because of course he hasn't been displaying pda in front of his mother 😭 THE NARRATIVE IS SO FUNNY TOO it reads "the moments in which he's the most relaxed and "un-artem" of him was just completely exposed in front of his mother, and he was still tightly holding my hand"

and of course rosa teases him with "you're not someone who just started dating, so why's your face still so red?" "to a certain extent, letting your elders seeing you interact with your significant other casually is still a form of exposing "things you've once hidden"." CAN YOU SEE HOW HARD I CAN CRY…!! ? artem: "... you're right. i'll change this habit of mine" like HELLO? SIR.

and rosa asks if he's ever tried something... he asks what's that "something", but rosa told him outright that she's just asking the obvious. because in all the moments she's intimate with him, it's always in private places like their home theatre. so she tells him, "of course you've never kissed at a place like this..."

*director's cut*

(literally. that's the end of the card 😭)

i think one thing worth mentioning is the way his mother was actually featured a considerable amount here, mainly because she wants to help her son and correct any past wrongs and misunderstandings she's had with him, and show him with her actions that she's willing to and is capable of helping him, i just really enjoy seeing their relationship because it really feels like a family reunion TT

the call at the end of the call was also very cute! just two almost married and almost 30 adults talking about how you can create rainbows when you spray water in a certain direction. i get SO sappy seeing that they can really be the truest version of themselves around each other.

that’s all for now! i originally intended for this to be a twitter thread but honestly i think this is a bit too long to be digestible in thread format LOL if anyone else has also read this card i’d love to hear your opinions on it! i just couldn’t resist the wait because the illustration is so… so pretty.

#tears of themis #artem wing #tot cn spoilers #sorry the spaces on the image translations are so wonky i edited everything on canva and #oh my god i have terrible eyesight

22 notes · View notes

litgwritersroom · 2 years

Text

A Bitch of a Smile

Part Four of All's Fair in Casa Amor

read it on AO3 | chapter written by @crimswnred

Night three in the Villa. Tensions are high and the desperation is real as it's the last night for any of the girls to make an impression.

| Part One | Part Two | Part Three |

Bobby adjusted the black baseball cap on his head and climbed down the stairs, watching as Rahim and Shannon whispered to each other and looked pretty cosy together on the tiny sofa. Next to them, Siobhan tried a conversation with Noah and Henrik but only the latter looked really interested in the talking. He chuckled to himself, knowing damn well that with video or not, there was no chance in hell that Noah would actually bring a girl back.

He, on the other hand, was feeling free as a bird. Marisol looked like she was switching and good for her. She shouldn't feel as if she owed something to him and he for sure didn't want her to feel bad or guilty about him being single, so, in total respect for their friendship, Bobby was willing to go out and really try with these girls…

Oh, who was he kidding? He liked Astrid, that was all.

It was funny if anything. Throughout these two first weeks on the show, he hadn't felt a single flame. Not even a tiny spark. He had kissed some girls but there was never more than it. They turned out to be his mates, in the end, a pure stroke of bad luck. But in less than three days, Astrid had made him feel good again. She was flirty, beautiful and seemed to be really into him – even the other guys were telling him so. If she was playing the game, she was damn good at it and he was willing to let himself be played.

Deciding to take a chance this time, Bobby strolled onto the lawn, eyes searching for her as a smile grew on his face. Tonight, he would truly flirt with her, without averting her eyes and, who knows, maybe he should kiss her again.

No. He would kiss her.

But before he could find her, he felt a hand pulling the hem of his shirt. He stopped, then turned, only to find Emily smiling bashfully at him.

"Do you mind if we go for a chat?"

He looked over his shoulder, still unsure. In the end, he turned back to Emily and nodded. "Sure," he said, following her to the swings.

"So," she said as she sat down next to him. "I've noticed that you look a little… torn between Astrid and me, and I get it. It's not a fun choice to make but–..."

Wait, wait, wait. "What?" Bobby stopped her, for sure a puzzled look finding his face. "I'm sorry but where did you get this impression?"

She tilted her head, confused. "I'm sorry, all the girls have been saying… Am I wrong?"

He didn't know where, how, when. Did he say something wrong? Were there ever misleading moments? He tried to remember it. The boys were under the impression he would bring Emily back and, yes, he had been friendly with her. Did he somehow overstep? Maybe led her on?

"Yeah, listen, Emily…" He turned his body to her, trying his best not to frown or look anything but sympathetic. He should make this right. "You're a really nice girl. You're fun, extroverted, the centre of the party and any guy would be lucky to have you. Like, look at you, right? You're flames. The thing is…"

But before Bobby could explicitly tell her he was not interested, she kissed him.

She closed the stupidly big gap between them so fast that he wasn't able to process it until he realised he had spent too much time kissing someone he didn't even like. As if lightning had struck him, Bobby jumped from his seat, breaking the kiss and looking at her with wide eyes and a long face. He was shocked, stunned. What the fuck?

"W-Where did this come from?"

Emily frowned and cocked her head back, the pure confusion drawn all over her face. Oh, god, he had fucked this up so badly. She liked him, didn't she? And he let her believe he felt the same.

"I thought…" she stood, taking a step towards him, who took one back, almost instinctively. "Did I do something wrong?"

His heart sank. His stomach turned. Fuck. Bobby raised one hand to his forehead, pressing his fingertips against his skin. His head hurt.

"You did nothing wrong, I just…" he sighed, trying to find his words and make them look better. Fuck. He had done this. It was his fault. And now he couldn't even properly do this. "Emily, I'm so sorry."

She looked down at her feet, shoulders slumped. "Is this about Marisol?" She asked with a tiny voice.

He wanted to explain it but nothing got out. Instead, he stayed there in silence, hanging his head and stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Astrid, then?" She asked again.

He raised his head, making the terrible mistake of looking her in the eye. There was more than sorrow in them now. Anger. Disappointment. Resentment.

"I'm so sorry." It was the only thing he could say now. "It was not my intention to make it seem like there was something there for me. I'm sure one of the other guys will treat you so much better than I ever would."

Emily stood, one hand at her hip. She looked shocked. Incredulous. She rolled her eyes, staring at him with a scowl. Everything reminded him of what he had done. "It's fine, Bobby, no need to play nice now." She huffed, crossed her arms and pushed past him. "I don't need your bullshit."

He turned on his heels to watch her leave the swings, going directly towards Siobhan, who was now hanging out with Shannon inside. Bobby sighed, kicking the lawn and hanging his head back.

Astrid.

His eyes searched for her again. He needed to tell her what happened. If Emily and the other girls thought he was somehow interested in Emily, there was a great chance Astrid also believed that too. He needed to tell her what happened. For better or worse.

Bobby walked down the lawn, this time straight to Astrid who was sitting on the daybeds alongside Noah, both of them laughing loudly – or at least, the loudest Bobby had ever heard Noah laugh. She had one hand supporting herself behind her as she leaned back and hung her head. Noah, on the other side, was looking down at his own feet, shaking his head with a grin and lingering laughter on his lips. Their knees were nonchalantly touching, the sight making Bobby's stomach flip.

Because I haven’t thought about it, Noah had told them just this morning when they were talking about switching. Now, Bobby was left wondering what he meant.

Before he noticed what he was doing, Bobby reached them, hugging Astrid from behind and letting his arms fall over her torso. She tilted her face upwards, looking and smiling widely at him. His heart fluttered and the butterflies showed up again, his head feeling light.

"I thought you'd never join us!" She said, resting her hands over his arms and squeezing them.

"Had to find this new cap," he responded, a smirk working on his lips. "How do I look, lass?"

He wiggled at her and she giggled, blushing. "I knew it would look cute on you."

Bobby chuckled, resting his chin on her head and bringing her closer before he tickled her and she broke into a feverish fit of laughter. He had almost forgotten Noah's presence if it wasn't for the taller boy insisting on clearing his throat and bursting their little bubble.

"Is it ok if I stole Astrid for a chat, Noah?" Bobby asked him.

Noah looked embarrassed at Bobby's request. He stood, smoothing his jeans. "Yeah, sure, I was just about to leave anyway, gotta find Rahim."

"I'm pretty sure he's still snogging Shannon's face off," Astrid said, nodding back to the Villa.

"Yeah, probably… anyway, thanks for the chat, A."

A. Bobby scowled watching Noah leave but in the end, he decided to leave it as it was. He had had too much emotion for a single day. There was no need for getting himself into additional problems.

He still had to tell Astrid about Emily.

Oh boy.

"Wanting to be alone with me, then, Bobs?" She said as soon as Noah was out of earshot, tilting her face back to face him.

Bobby broke their hug, sitting with her on the bed – the same one they had been sharing since the first day of Casa. His eyes wandered off to the Villa as his head tried to work the words out. He needed to be more assertive and needed to play this right. The boys were right, after all. He couldn't let this opportunity go to waste. Not because of the game but because he liked her.

He liked Astrid.

So much.

"Something happened…"

Astrid's face screwed itself to a confused one and then, a concerned one. "Is everything ok?"

His heartbeat raced. It was going so fast now that he was sure it would escape his chest at any given time.

"So…" breathe in, breathe out, he bit his lips and closed his eyes. "Emily kissed me." He burst out, so fast that it almost felt like the words were capable of burning his tongue. He wasn't sure if she heard it and he wasn't going to repeat it.

Silence.

He shut his eyes tighter, lowering his head.

Oh, he had fucked this up already.

Without knowing it, he started explaining himself. "It was so fast. I was talking to her, she told me she was into me and wanted to know if there was something between us. I got so confused 'cause for me… 'cause for me there never was. So, I tried to tell her that but she kissed me. I swear I broke it off and turned her down as soon as I realised."

Her voice was steady, a little more serious than he was now used to hearing it.

"Why are you telling me this?"

There it was, the chance he had begged for all summer, slipping through his fingers.

With all his might, he tried to grab and keep it. He raised his head again and locked eyes with her, before confessing. "Because I like you."

But then the weight of her hands found him, the warmth of her skin emanated to him and she squeezed his hands.

"What did she tell you?" Astrid asked him with a soft voice. Almost concerned. "You seem worried."

"That the girls were commenting that… that we had something going on? I don't know what I've done to make her see something between us but I feel like pure shite now."

Astrid slipped her right hand over his, locking their fingers. "Bobby, hey, Bobby," she called, making him look at her again. "No need to worry. You've done nothing wrong. She was the one telling people you'd take her back, not the other way around. All she wants is to be part of the main Villa. She's playing the game."

"You think so?"

"Yeah, I do," she nodded promptly. "Annnnnd I like you too," she giggled, scooching closer, allowing him to take a look at her beautiful face. Was he dreaming? It felt like dreaming. "I had a feeling she'd try something tonight. Actually, it's a relief that she only tried it now…"

"I should've put an end to it as soon as I figured I wasn't interested," he huffed.

She nodded. "At least that's over with now." Astrid pulled a face, making him chuckle.

"Ah! I feel silly now. Thought you'd make me sleep alone tonight!"

He propped himself onto one of his elbows, turning his body to her as if he was shielding them from the rest of the Villa. She did the same, mirroring his pose with a smile.

“But I must say, it takes a lot of balls to kiss you while you're wearing my cap."

He chuckled at that, shaking his head. "I guess she was too eager." He said, with his signature boyish grin and a half-shrug.

Astrid gasped, shoving him. "Oh, now you're just getting cocky."

"A pretty girl just told me she liked me, it's hard not to gain an ego boost," he said, leaning closer to her.

"Boy, you better stop calling me pretty before I believe it."

"Oh," he frowned, tilting his head as his grin turned to a mischievous one. "Did you think I was talking 'bout you? I meant Emily." She gasped again, her mouth shaping into an 'O' before she stood. "Too soon?"

"You shall face my fury now, Bobby McKenzie!"

And with that, she threw herself over him, rolling him over and pushing him back to the mattress while her hands tickled him all over, making him roar with laughter. In a second, she was straddling him, her long blonde hair like a curtain over their faces as she locked their gazes and rested their foreheads together, both panting and smiling at each other with hearts racing in sync.

Her eyes flickered from his eyes to mouth and eyes again. "I might keep you like this all night," she whispered, brushing their lips slightly before intertwining both of their hands together and bringing them over his head. He couldn't help but smirk when she winked. "As a punishment."

"Please, don't threaten me with a good time," he told her back before capturing her lips with his own.

Kissing her was his new favourite thing. He could taste the cheap champagne, could feel her hands cupping his face and see the smile of approval that she had once his own hands were resting on each side of her waist. Surely, there was nothing better in the world than this, not that he was aware of.

Astrid let a sigh escape her, welcoming his tongue inside her mouth. In an almost instinct, Bobby brought her closer, causing her to spread her legs even further over him, the friction of his jeans and the lace of her underwear being the only thing separating them. God, it had been a while…

"Oi! You two lovebirds," Gary shouted from nowhere, making Astrid pull back and look up. "Get a room, will ya?"

She rolled over him, giggling furiously as she burrowed her face in the crook of his neck and he hugged her, hoisting them up and helping her stand before he turned to Gary and flashed him the cockiest of smiles and shouted back: "No need to ruin it for me just 'cause you're not getting some!"

Gary and the boys around – Lucas, Rahim and Henrik – fell about laughing looking like a group of teenage boys that just heard the word "boob" for the first time. Bobby rolled his eyes and shook his head, circling Astrid's waist with one of his arms. "Sorry 'bout them."

"We were not very discreet so it's not like I'm shy," she grinned at him. "I might need to fix my makeup, though..."

"Yeah, sure, I'll be with the boys!" He kissed her cheek before letting her go. "See ya!"

He watched her going, hips swaying side to side, making the view from behind look almost as beautiful as the front one. She went straight to Ali, pulling her back inside the Villa but not without checking behind her shoulder, stealing a chance to take one last look at him. When they locked eyes, she threw him a kiss, to which he chuckled and sent it back. He was down bad.

When she was out of sight and, more importantly, out of earshot, he made his way to the boys in the kitchen with a bitch of a smile working on his lips. "Gary, I'll fucking kill you."

"Next time go somewhere private, my dude," Gary said between chuckles.

"Like the pantry?" Bobby shot him a glance, opening a cupboard. "Where are the crisps?"

"It's a party, Bob, where do you think?" Henrik piped in, nodding at the three bowls filled with crisps on the counter.

"Shit, I didn't notice it."

"I wonder why," Gary added making him roll his eyes, unable to hold back his smile.

"So, are you switching, then?!" Lucas questioned Bobby, raising an eyebrow at him as he grabbed some crisps. "You and Astrid seem to get along well."

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

"He's switching, 100%." Gary nodded knowingly.

"Good for you mate," Rahim nodded, satisfied. "Good for you."

Bobby was about to say something when he heard a phone going off. He turned, looking at Lucas, who was holding his phone in his hands before he shouted. "I got a text!"

The other islanders all huddled around Lucas in less than a minute. Astrid came too, her lipstick looking way less smudged as she squeezed herself beside Bobby, who snaked both arms around her waist and brought her closer.

"Islanders, it's time for a game of beer pong! Please, head to the fire pit. Hashtag I dare you. Hashtag knowing me, knowing you."

Gary bolted out of the kitchen dragging Ali with him between laughs and the islanders followed the lead shortly after. Bobby and Astrid took their time, strolling the lawn to the fire pit slowly, hand in hand.

There was this big ping-pong table in the middle of the fire pit. They stood back while Siobhan read the rules. It was a boys versus girls game and if one of your cups was hit, you had to drink it and do whatever dare was written on the bottom. Fun, right?

The first to play were Gary and Shannon. Despite all Gary's big talk, Shannon easily scored in her first try, causing him to neck his drink and read the dare.

"Switch clothes with an islander of the opposite sex," he read it out loud before immediately throwing his shirt at Ali, making her snort.

While they switched clothes Bobby caught himself wondering if he had ever seen Gary have that much fun. Lottie would never join in with his silly jokes and the embarrassing challenges, even if he asked her for it, while Ali just seemed to… get him.

But he immediately shook the thought off his head. It was unfair to compare them like that.

The group clapped when Gary finally found a way to slide Ali's dress down his hips and even Astrid was roaring with laughter as Ali striked a pose with Gary's large jeans.

"You look ridiculous, mate," Lucas said between chuckles. "That dress is too much."

"Peak television," Henrik agreed.

"None of you can rock a dress better than Bobby," Astrid added, crossing her arms as her eyes were lit up with humour. "That was peak television."

"I'm sorry?" Gary feigned shock, looking at Astrid with his mouth in a perfect 'O'. "This, my darling," he paused, striking a pose, "it's elegance."

"Sure, sure…" She rolled her eyes playfully.

"Why don't you go then, Astrid?" Emily piped up as she picked her nails. "Since you already made yourself the centre of attention… again?"

From the corner of his eyes, Bobby watched the playfulness of Astrid's face melting as a scowl replaced it.

"At least I know how to keep my tongue inside my mouth," she said softly before turning on her heels and marching to the ping-pong table. "C'mon, who wants to face me?"

Bobby was about to join her when Henrik quickly untangled himself from the crowd of islanders and stood on the other side of her. They tried twice before Henrik finally dropped the ping-pong ball inside one of the red cups.

"Unzip someone's trousers," she read, giggling to himself and eyeing Bobby with blushed cheeks, "without using your hands."

There was a choir of "oohs" and "aahs" as Bobby smiled down to his feet with burning cheeks. He could hear her getting closer and, when he looked up again with a smile that would probably be read as cocky, she was facing him.

"Do you mind?" She whispered.

He did too. "No at all."

She winked at him and ran her fingers through her hair, before tying it up and kneeling down before him, causing the boys to go crazy. Bobby could hear them screaming and jumping up and down like crazy as himself couldn't believe that this was happening to him.

Bobby looked down at her, watching her up close as she bit down her own laugh and leaned forward, grabbing his zipper between her teeth and looking at him. His body was now stiff from the contact and a fire grew from his toes all the way up to his ears, barely letting him hear a thing around them.

She slowly brought it down, making him flinch with the slow movement. Her face was too close, her eyes were too magnetic, the moment was too intimate. And when her cheek brushed against his jeans, he felt his cock twitch, holding his breath. It had been, what? Weeks? Nearly a month? One could call it a drought.

But then she was done and up again. Standing in front of him with a mischievous smile before turning around and letting him hug her from behind as the others clapped and he burrowed his face in her hair.

"Fuuuuck me," he muttered.

And he was sure that he heard her saying, in a breath: "Later."

Bobby couldn't pay attention to the next part of the game but Rahim and Blake took too long before she finally hit his cup. He took his time, drinking slowly, time enough for Bobby to cool off and relax behind Astrid.

"Snog the islander you fancy the most and the islander you fancy the least." Rahim read out loud, staring at the bottom of his cup.

He took a look around, stopping right when he clocked Shannon. Within seconds, they were already snogging each other's faces out. Bobby hid his face on Astrid's neck laughing while the boys all wolf-whistled and chanted Rahim's name. The girls on the other hand were giggling and clapping, watching as the boys went wild.

They broke off the kiss some good time after and Rahim turned back to face the other girls. His eyes longed a bit on Astrid, who nervously played with her hair, combing them out of her back and letting it fall to the side, showing Bobby a glimpse of another tiny tattoo.

But Rahim dodged her and strolled to Siobhan, giving her a proper snog that didn't last long and didn't get that much applause and cheers from the other boys.

"Ugh, that's brutal," Astrid whispered when Bobby rested his chin against her shoulder. "Like, even if I don't like him, I was already gutted thinking he would choose me."

"I know," he said softly. "I'd feel like a mug."

"Ok, ok, that's fine," Gary clapped, grabbing the attention. "Next man in line, please!"

"Why don't we do Bobby and Emily?" Siobhan suggested as she fixed her makeup.

Bobby just shrugged and squeezed Astrid's waist before getting himself into position. Emily left the crowd, too, standing right before him. It didn't take long until she had hit one of his cups.

He grabbed his blue cup, hanging his head and letting the cheap warm beer slid down his throat all at once. He could feel the disgusting light hints of alcohol slipping under his tongue. God, who told the producers it was a good idea to let a bunch of beer out in the hot Spanish summer.

Still grimacing from the bitter taste, Bobby turned his cup upside down and read the paper glued to it out loud: "Take off all of your clothes but your underwear."

He heard clapping followed by a wolf-whistle before the girls were all chanting 'take it off' at him. He sneaked a glance at Astrid, who was laughing and chanting as she used her hands as a megaphone.

Bobby winked at her, sending Astrid into another fit of giggles while he unbuttoned his shirt. "Well, at least my pants are already half opened," he said, making the boys roar again. On the other side of the table, Emily huffed, but it was soon muffled by the rhythmic applause from the other girls.

With a smile that he couldn't drop and pink cheeks, Bobby unbuttoned his shirt and let it on the table. As he finished taking off his jeans, Henrik and Gary snuck closer and snapped his pieces of clothing out of his hands, running around the villa with them on hands as if they were flags and screaming like idiots.

"Very funny, now give it back." Bobby shouted, catching Astrid's eyes. She was smiling but the hint of humour in her face made Bobby feel self-conscious. God he was wearing boxers and converses. Not a good look.

"What?" Gary asked, taking Bobby's jeans from Henrik's hands. "This?"

And as the girls laughed, there was a huge splash on the pool as Gary came out of it, soaking wet, leaving Bobby's clothes behind.

"My dress!" Ali shouted, but by the joking tone of her voice, she was not mad at all.

Bobby laughed it off, feeling his cheeks burn a little as the boys joked about.

Astrid got closer to him, taking his attention out of the lads. "Do you want a towel?" She asked him, not louder than a whisper. "To cover."

"It's that bad, huh?" There was a smile on his lips that didn't meet his eyes.

And she sure realised it, cause she got closer, circling his waist with her arms as he did the same to her. "I mean, I would rather have the vision for myself, you know? Feels weird knowing three girls here have already kissed you and seen you half naked."

Bobby chuckled. "Not everyone had unzipped my jeans with their mouths, though."

"And I better be the only one to do so," she said, narrowing his eyes playfully at him.

Bobby was about to tell her how she was the only one he was planning letting be that close but Noah's voice interrupted him. With an apologetic look on his face, the librarian turned to them and said: "I pick Astrid."

There were a few gasps as Astrid untangled herself from Bobby and walked to Noah with a confused look over her face. Bobby watched as his friend glanced at him as fast as he turned back to Astrid to whisper something.

And before Bobby knew it, they were kissing.

The few seconds they spent like that felt like hours for him. It surely wasn't long and passionate like their kisses but it lasted longer than it should have. A bitter feeling grew on his stomach, a feeling he hated. He tried to keep his composure, sitting on the bench in front of the table, the cold of it only making him feel even more stupid with his boxers, converses and cap combo.

Suddenly he wasn't having that much fun.

When they finally parted, it was liked someone had just turned the volume of the TV up. He could hear the cheering and the claps, not so loud like the other turns but happy nonetheless.

Astrid came back to him immediately after, looking like she couldn't be bothered by Noah which surely made Bobby feel a little better. She looked at him, tilting her head with a smile that was hard to say no to and raised her eyebrow as if she was asking permission. Bobby straightened up, confused, before she sat down on his lap and kissed his cheek.

"What was that about?" He whispered, trying to distract himself from the fact her legs were brushing his boxers and that his hands were palming the skin between her top and skirt.

"He had to kiss the girl he thinks is wife material."

That stung a little. But Bobby raised his chin and smiled at her charmingly. "That checks out."

The game kept going for a while. Siobhan gave Henrik a body shot and he returned the favour on his turn, giving her a sexy massage. Blake's dare was to do a sexy crawl to the islander she fancied the most and Bobby felt relieved that his challenge was just to take off his clothes.

Ali had to suck the earlobe of the prettiest girls and she chose both Blake and Astrid – who was left with a fit of giggles and reddened face that gave Bobby some idea of what she enjoyed. And that was not the last time she stood up again that night with Lucas asking her and Blake for a three way kiss that looked more sloppy than enjoyable.

The last islander to have a challenge was Emily. She had to choose an islander to arm wrestle for a kiss on whoever they liked. Bobby didn't even have to try to guess who she was going to pick right.

"Astrid," Emily said with a disdain that didn't sit right with Bobby.

Gary and Rahim set everything up for them so it would be "as fair as possible" according to them. Bobby watched as Astrid flipped her hair back and set her elbow in place, looking pissed. And hot. Very, very, very hot.

Oh, Bobby hoped she won.

"Ready? Set. Go!" Rahim counted before letting go of their hands. The girls were cheering, the two groups really clear now. While Ali and Blake were squealing beside Astrid, Shannon and Siobhan were saying some encouraging words next to Emily.

For the most part of it, the match was pretty even. Every time one of them would get the upper-hand, the other would find a way of turning around. Until almost the very end, Bobby couldn't tell who was going to win but then Astrid glanced at him and bit her lips, forcing her arm to the side and taking Emily's with her until they touched the table.

"Astrid wins!" Rahim shouted, the boys celebrating and (half) the girls squealing. Bobby took her by the waist and twirled around.

"That's my girl!" He screamed, making her giggle.

When she was back to the ground and the celebrations had wind down, Rahim cleared his throat. "Now you have a prize to collect, miss."

Astrid laughed and, with a grin, she took Bobby's neck by the hand and kissed him full on the lips, pressing her body against his and taking a grasp of his hair. In no time, Bobby's hands were on her hips and his mouth was meeting hers again, the bitter taste of beer and the loud screams of the others taking his senses. He wanted to be taken by this moment, to be stuck right there. With their lips together, with happiness around them and with his heart beating with a feeling he hadn't felt in a good while. Over and over again.

They broke the kiss but didn't break their embrace, not until every other islander had gone to bed. Gary told him he was sorry and left hand in hand with Ali. Rahim also left together with Shannon and so did Lucas and Blake. Shiobhan and Emily left shortly after the couples, whispering to each other while Emily took a few glances back – but every time she did, Bobby just avoided her eyes.

Noah was the last one to go before them, nodding with an awkward smile. That weird feeling struck Bobby like a lightning but he gladly let it go again as he watched Noah head to the daybeds.

"We should leave too…" He told her, resting his head softly against hers.

She puckered her lips, looking at him. "Do you think if we asked Emily to sleep on the daybeds so we can sleep inside, she would?"

"After how you beat her ass?" Bobby laughed, squeezing her and making her giggle too. "I think she would tell you to fuck off."

"Probably." She nodded knowingly. "I just wish we had more… privacy, if you get me."

Oh, he did. He. Fucking. Did.

They made their way to the daybeds without hurry, chatting about the challenge and the day. She felt more at ease now than the day before, probably due to him telling her how he felt. It was absolutely not the right way to play this game of Love Island, at least not during Casa Amor but being honest was always Bobby's policy and he did believe it was the best.

After changing to their pjs, Bobby snuggled under the duvet, his usually warm body feeling the chill breeze of the night a little. His eyes followed Astrid as she tied her hair up and laid down next to him, turning to face him with a smile he couldn't help but mirror before bringing the covers under them.

"Today was fun," she whispered to him, her never resting eyes watching him with a hint of humour.

"Glad you're liking your Villa experience…" he told her as he brushed his fingertips against the soft skin of her arms nonchalantly.

"Are you?" She raised an eyebrow. "Enjoying your Casa Amor experience, I mean."

"Actually, yes." He said, looking up, then back to her. "You've made it much easier."

She opened a wide smile, an honest one, sending the butterflies right back to his stomach. Even in the darkness she was gorgeous and he could feel his body being pulled by her, racing his heartbeat, as her fingers held his neck and her thumb caressed his cheeks. Before he knew it, there was a gap so small between them all he had to do was kiss her.

So he did.

It started as sweet as their other kisses did and escalated as quickly too. All at once they were tangled under the sheet, he was leaning forward – almost on top of her –, her hands on his hair and back, his legs between hers and her camisole rolled up, exposing her hips. He could feel his heart beating fast and hard, a now familiar warmth radiating between them as he pressed their bodies together and his cock throbbed against her underwear.

And she must have felt it too, because she rolled her hips and palmed a hand against his stomach and slowly stroked her nails – down, down, down. Until she was playing with the waistbands of his shorts.

Bobby moved his lips from her mouth to her jaw and she opened it to him so he could leave a trail of wet kisses on her neck before he nibbled on her ear, earning a delicious, involuntary and low moan from her that made him want her even more.

"Found your weak spot?" He asked in a whisper against her ear.

She nodded, closing her eyes, and he could see the goosebumps it sent through her body. He moved one of his hands under her camisole, feeling her soft skin before he cupped one of her breasts and teased her already hard nipple with his fingers as he hummed with approval next to her ear.

She gasped, immediately biting down her lips in a way to keep quiet and Bobby kissed her neck again, moving his other hand to the other breast so she could also pinch and tease it too before his kisses followed the path of his hands and he had them on his mouth.

With a pop, Bobby left a nipple and moved to the other, letting his hands travel even further, until they found the black material of her underwear and she flinched, making him smirk. His fingers took their time, circling her clit carefully as his lips and tongue made their way back to kiss her.

Her hips rolled again, this time against his hands, and he took that as a plea. With both hands, he rolled her knickers down to her ankles, letting her kick it before his fingers were back to her clit and he was biting her lips.

"So fucking wet."

Astrid's mouth hung open and she frowned her brows but her chocolate eyes never left him, not even when her hips synced with the slow movement of his fingertips.

Not even when he slowly slid a finger inside her. She let out a breathy moan, doing her best to keep quiet but wanting him to watch her. That made his cock throb; lust and need almost taking over him. He wanted to fuck her so bad, he needed to fuck her. But he wanted her to cum first.

Bobby pumped into her with a slow pace before inserting a second finger. Astrid took his hair by the hands, pulling it in random movements that made him increase his speed. "Bobby…" she let out with the most beautiful voice in the world when she worked her hips on his fingers and a high pitched moan dropped from her lips.

He couldn't help but grin as she turned her back against the mattress so she could move her hips better. Like that, he found the way to her earlobe again, biting it and humming approvingly against it as he curled his fingers inside her and watched her clasping a hand over her mouth while the other pinched her own nipples.

And with a muffled moan followed by a muffled "Bobby," he felt her walls clasping around his hand and her body stiffening before it relaxed. He worked her through it, as little shock waves and goosebumps took over her.

Astrid turned to him with a smile, panting. She leaned forward, her nails brushing his skin again when they heard:

"Are you two done?" Noah asked from the other bed with a hint of humour mixed with another thing.

Bobby's eyes widened and Astrid mirrored him. The two of them kept staring at each other until Astrid finally gave in and snorted. He followed her, laughing loudly beside her as she burrowed her face on his chest and he hugged her.

"Sorry, Noah, mate!"

Next time

“You look like the feather duster from Beauty and the Beast.” He said.

Her smile turned to a thin line.

“Weirdly, I always fancied the feather duster.”

She snorted. “Come on, let’s go eat. God knows we’ve worked up an appetite this morning.”

Part Five.

#litg #litg writers room #writers room #litg fanfic #love island the game #litg season 2 #litg bobby #afica #alls fair in casa amor #prompt #chapters five

42 notes · View notes