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#it's a cool story beat! i'd love to see it explored! but it is not a big enough mystery

yugsly · 19 days

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I really like the be kind my neighbor comic as it is and I'm all interested in a movie adaptation of it but personally I would be a little scared if things completely changed... By that, I mean regardless of storytelling... I just love how a lot of plot things are let up to interpretation and I would be a little worried if some things drastically changed, like by example: any of the characters plot... <:)

It is likely to never happen. Non-known-IPs just do not get funded, let alone a 2-D animated movie featuring trans people. It's sad but that's just the world we live in. Nearly impossible even though I have "ins" at a lot of studios that like me. I was just day-dreaming. But the thing about adaptations is: it doesn't change the fact that the source material still exists and can be enjoyed as is. It'll always exist. A comic and it's movie version can exist as different-but-related entities. To me it is weird to adapt something into a movie verbatim. There's no real reason to tell the exact same story in the exact same way twice. It's cool to explore alternate ways things might work out, it's nice to see other sides of characters you might not have gotten to see yet. For example, it might be nice to explore Glenn as a character a bit more. Learn to know him a bit better. What if his fate was different? We already know how one course of events might go. Giving different plot-beats more breathing room could be nice. I have a lot of ideas I think people would dig. You know how I tell stories. I'd never give all the answers, I still love leaving things up to interpretation. That's never going to change about my work. That bit of audience participation is extremely important to me. Personally, Be Kind My Neighbor exists best as a comic, I don't find it necessary for it to become a movie. But it would be fun. It would be amazing to have a 2-D animated movie like this. I'm just day-dreaming.

#be kind my neighbor

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mwebber · 7 months

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I think the biggest reason why martian appeals to me over other f1 rivalries is that mark never won a wdc. He came sososo close in 2010 but ultimately was beaten by sebastian. Brocedes, prosenna, makkinen, etc, both parties have ensured that they will go down in history. Both have achievements outside of the other. However, mark is doomed to be forgotton by history and forgotten by everyone. That is, everyone except seb. Mark's career is only defined by seb's, but it isn't the same the other way round. They're obsessed with each other and you have made me obsessed with them. Diagnosed with martian brainrot and i'm afraid it's terminal <3 sorry for the long rant

so much to unpack here... like yeah no i'm with u, it's the whole humanizing factor of "almost" with mark that first made me overcome my initial squick. christ, even just sympathizing, it's a gut-wrenching loss. and immediately it's like, how did he cope, what did he do, etc, and i won't lie and say i haven't contributed to this, but it's really just grief porn, isn't it? bleakly realistic or exaggeratedly unrealistic depending on whose take it is, but grief porn nonetheless. who's the real mark webber?

i get what you're saying, but honestly, i'd contest it. mark isn't doomed to be forgotten by history; he's there in the history books as one of australia's best, and also he's literally a world champion in endurance racing. just because he never got that f1 championship doesn't mean he didn't succeed or find fame in other areas. i think there's this idea that he was shit as an f1 driver and his only thing is getting mopped by seb, but when you look at even just the stats, mark still beats out ricciardo. MARK WEBBER is the third-best driver red bull racing has ever had, third only to seb and max.

plus, like, he's literally fine with everything. he doesn't see himself as a victim or a tragic character, the man is just. living his best life! travelling the world! meeting cool people! girlblogging on instagram! not saying this is necessarily you, but i think when one gets deep in the fandom, it's really easy to latch onto the idea of these people and the fleeting snapshots of their stories that are captured in media, and miss the person themselves.

and i'd also argue that seb's career IS defined by mark. i know multi-21 feels commonplace on tumblr dot com, but when the masses of fans think of vettel, they think of malaysia 2013. they think of red bull and 4 championships in a row. sure, haters focus on the tail end of his ferrari career or how godawful aston martin's car was, and haters often have loud voices, but oh my goodness. seb's racing legacy is so deeply entwined with mark's. i think it's reductive to wave that off for the sake of the narrative comparison.

i love that you're just getting into martian, and i love the renaissance that's happening where people are finding their footholds with the ship and exploring the two of them, because there are a great many treasures to find! just be wary of falling into the larger fanon, i guess is what i'm trying to say. this ship has had over a decade to marinate and both seb and mark have had their identities and stories boxed into one-liners like the ones you've described. what else is there? that's where the gold is.

#inbox

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quinnydoll · 1 month

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You should watch Eureka Seven

So there's this neat little show I watched before I turned 10 when I couldn't understand a goddamn thing, and it caused me to think about the cool aesthetics of giant robots flying around stylishly on boards as naturalistic trails flow behind them.

I rewatched the show recently with my lovely nesting partner, because I wanted to revisit its world, and I was offered so much more than I remembered. Yes, the show is absolutely what I just described in the previous paragraph/run-on sentence(fuck you this isn't a school assignment) but it's also SO MUCH MORE.

I'm not going to beat around the bush, there's a singular gif I can show people that usually convinces them to watch it with the added info that this isn't just a super highlighted moment, it's just what the show looks like:

(side note: if you haven't seen this show in its entirety, do not, I repeat DO NOT search for gifs of it on this site, never have I ever seen such a dense wall of spoilers)

Still with me? I'd hope so after that display! Also, for non-mecha fans, PLEASE I am begging you to still give the show a chance, it's so worth it!

So we need to start off with this show's worldbuilding. The giant robots can wait, because first we have to address the most glaring thing: everyone seems to have access to these boards that seemingly allow them to levitate and travel in midair on these almost fluid-like trails. These are explained as Trappar Waves, and not much is explained about them early on. I'm going to keep my explanation brief, because it's way more satisfying to watch the mystery unravel through the course of the show.

Basically, the planet this takes place on is full of these waves, and that's one of the main things that everything relies on, and why we can see effectively airships that are just perpetually suspended in the air without need to refuel constantly. This is what allows them to stay up. Also the reason why we see characters with their nifty little boards. Oh yeah, the giant robots have those boards too.

That's the main thing I wanna address about the world of this show, because explaining the rest would genuinely spoil so much of the show, and the experience would be extremely reduced by me explaining. Just trust me, it's really good.

Now, the format of the show is actually masterfully done. The first arc involves the immaturity of the main character, and the format of the show reflects it heavily in the very slice of life format as our main character is enchanted with the conditions he's been put into. At this stage of the series, it's not very serious, and its stakes are pretty low.

As it progresses though, it eases you into a far more coherent overarching narrative in a way that feels really natural and well done. You'll never really "notice" the point at which "shit gets real" or anything, you'll just find yourself way more interested in the bigger picture of what's going on, because the show puts a larger focus on it.

There's a romance story in it too, and it's actually really well done, which is something I haven't really seen effectively done in a lot of action anime, but I think in this case it's because they don't really treat it like a "subplot." They do a really good job of tying it into the main story, and they make it feel pretty real as a romance, and by the end, the payoff is the most satisfying one I've seen of really any romance plot that isn't necessarily the actual main focus of a story. I genuinely feel like they could've conveyed the story they did without the romance plot, but something truly impactful would've been lost had they gone that route.

I think it's not unfair to compare this show to Neon Genesis Evangelion, but at the time, it would be doing both stories a serious disservice. Evangelion is a really effective exploration into nihilism and mental illness, but Eureka Seven feels like a direct response in the way it delivers its story. It feels like it did a Better Rebuild™ before the Rebuild movies even came out.(let it not be said that I don't like the Rebuild series, it's legitimately in my top ten.) Early on, they communicate a lot of the same themes, but then Eureka Seven diverges hard with how it explores the intricacies of interpersonal relations and how people will strive to do better and how people can genuinely be better to each other. I feel like the way it delivers that is genuinely way more effective than even the extremely cathartic conclusion to Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0.

Seriously though, if you're not interested in watching this show, I don't know how to convince you. It's truly a fantastic show, and it's honestly taken the spot of "favorite anime" in my book. I am no longer a Gundam fan, but an Eureka Seven fan who also likes Gundam. You're going to love this show, even if you're not into mecha anime.

#gundam #evangelion #eureka seven #anime

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haptronym · 7 months

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(Im sorry for so many questions) Between Toshinori and Izuku, if one or the other died, who do you think would take it worse? And who do you think would handle the aftermath better? How do you think each of them would react to witnessing it/finding out?

What an interesting question!

There is the obvious answer that, if Toshinori died, Izuku would instantly get a Force Ghost version of him in his head to chat with forever and ever. He wouldn't be truly gone; he might even be able to be more accessible to Izuku than ever before. This would skew my answer a lot. While I think it would be really cool to see a story that explored the subtle pain and grief of "losing" someone in all aspects except for a mental projection, I'd rather just pretend that part doesn't apply here. Maybe OFA got destroyed, or Izuku passed it on to someone else. In that case…

Izuku's waterworks are one of his defining traits. He's gotten far more stoic over the years, but I am sure this would bypass all that progress. He would be inconsolable, losing the person who shaped his life since he was a baby.

At the same time, Izuku has spent the series growing a strong, healthy network of people who support him. He has family and teachers and friends. He'd cry, a lot, but he'd be able to do so on plenty of shoulders. And he has a lot going on in his life! He has a career to start, he has adulthood looming - he has so much to look forward to, and so much of it became possible thanks to Toshinori.

It would hurt each time he hit a milestone, I imagine - to get on the hero charts for the first time, or do his first big fundraiser, and not be able to share that success with the person who gave him the chance to do so. I would never say that a person's death is "good" for someone, but I think it would be something that spurred Izuku on. "I'm blessed to have been able to know him at all," I could see him saying. "He would want me to keep doing my best."

Izuku loves to ruminate. I am sure he'd never be able to fully stop wrestling over how he could have changed fate and been able to stay by Toshinori's side just a little longer. But everyone dies someday. Toshinori lived a long, full life, and left behind an incredible legacy, one that Izuku proudly helps keep alive in his stead.

Toshinori, I think, would look far less devastated by comparison. He is stoic and solution-focused. He would probably be comforting Izuku's friends and family and doing his best to fix things as best he could. That's what he loves, after all: being of service to others.

But Izuku's passing wouldn't feel like a neatly finished chapter in a book. Old people die, but young people aren't supposed to. Losing someone so bright and talented with so much ahead of him… what a senseless, unfair waste it would be.

And what a blow it would be to Toshinori. After everything he's been through, he finally found someone like him, someone with his heroic spirit, someone who changed his life and his whole way of thinking. He already lost his health, his quirk, and most of his life. To lose Izuku too, after all that, would be unimaginably painful and cruel. His brightest light, snuffed out too soon. And we know how much Toshinori beats himself up about not being able to save people.

Toshinori is a resilient person. He's been through tragedy before, and he bounced back. I don't think he'd break down and become a ruined hollow shell of his former self. But when it came to the private, unseen pain, I think Izuku's passing would harm him far more deeply than the inverse.

So it's interesting: I think Izuku would appear far more wrecked in the short term, but would ultimately heal and be able to carry on and live a full and rich life. Toshinori would seem far less affected, but it would be a crippling loss for him.

That was a fun mental exercise, thanks anon.

#do you guys ever think about dying meme #hap yaps #character death #toshinori yagi #izuku midoriya #bnha

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whumpshaped · 10 months

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hey i’m really sorry if this is dumb but do you ever feel bad about enjoying whump? if so, how do you deal with it? i’m having a hard time with liking it. i love reading it but it occasionally makes me feel like a terrible person

its not dumb! i have some disorders that make it hard for me to feel bad abt stuff just for moral reasons alone, but i do get the terrible feeling sometimes when im afraid others will think im a terrible person lol if that makes any sense- so yeah i get the shame around it. i was lucky enough to be the quirky fun guy anyway so having slightly stranger interests wasnt a big deal for me.

this got very long bc i always have many thoughts on this

let me just start this by saying u totally dont have to feel bad for liking it. at all. everybody tends to like some form of whump, even if they dont call it that. the middle aged christian woman reading her 100th romance novel packed with fucking angst is an avid enjoyer of emotional whump in my book. and the guy who jokes about whump enjoyers being crazy and then turns around and watches marvel movies with blood and beat up heroes in it, well-

humans are just fascinated with pain. physical, emotional, all of it. it's just how we are, i think. we love to explore pain in fantasy, through characters separate from us, while we sit in our room comfortably (controlled danger! like rollercoasters). it can be cathartic. it can be how we find and understand ourselves. it can be comforting to know hey, this character went through something like that, that means the author must have some experience with it. there's at least one other human who gets me.

enjoying/reading/writing whump can be a perfect outlet, like hitting a punching bag repeatedly. it can be how someone digests their own trauma. it can just be a kink thing. it doesn't have to have deep moral things attached to it, sometimes seeing fictional characters hurt just tickles the brain and that's that. it doesn't matter, because it's all fictional, it doesn't hurt anyone. unless your preferred media is like, literal hate speech and propaganda against real life people, (in which case it DOES hurt ppl), there's literally nothing wrong with looking at a character being beaten and going "hey, thats cool".

also i will never not say this but even the fucken bible is straight whump and no one will ever change my mind. i tried to be a good christian and what did i find? whump.

also, there's like... a huge portion of people who read whump for the comfort of it. yes the character goes through shit, yes it's horrible, but guess what, they come out on the other side unquestionably changed but still worthy of recovery. they find peace, they heal, they find friends and family, they're comforted and listened to. that's something a lot of people read whump for. there's a reason it's called hurt/comfort. and there's also a very good post about how so many of us read it because the whumpees' trauma is always acknowledged. maybe not in the story, but we as readers understand that they went through some shit, and thus their trauma is always validated in some way. that can be a comfort as well, in a world where so many people's issues get brushed under the rug and ignored and overlooked and straight up invalidated.

but even if you're not into the comfort aspect (which i wasnt for a long time!!!!! i was strictly here for the hurt!!!!!!) you're not some sort of monster for it. i'd say quite the contrary. i'd say if you regularly engage with media like this, where the character's emotions are laid out so bare, and explored so deeply, you're more in tune with your own emotions too. i couldve punched holes in walls like some people i know (i have anger issues), but instead i grabbed my laptop and wrote about a character being beaten to a pulp. no damage to person or property. done. others read it and enjoyed it, and i even got serotonin from likes and reblogs, which lifted my mood, so that was a whole net positive.

seriously look at the most popular media too. it's whump. always has been. a good friend of mine whos a little weirded out by some of the gore i write is OBSESSED with game of thrones for example. and he recommended it to me because hey i love bloody stuff dont i? and i loved the torture scenes and he loved to hate and be enraged and a little grossed out by them. we enjoyed the series together. neither of us was terrible for it.

all this to say, you're not the odd one out. even if your interests count as more "taboo", like some of mine, unless you go out there and punch someone in the face, youre good in my books. and again, even punching someone in the face can be morally neutral or positive between consenting adults so. HUMANS JUST ENJOY EXPLORING PAIN. THATS MY HOT TAKE FOR TODAY.

thank u for coming to my ted talk

#asks #i hope u find peace in regards to ur interest in whump #because the thing is. if u had a good friend who has been nothing but kind and helpful to everyone around #but then it came out that they enjoy reading gorey horror stories #would u actually say they were then a bad person?#give urself some grace. im sure ur a good person. like. consciously. putting in effort to be good #and thats what matters

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starry-blue-echoes · 6 months

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Legally Stars: I just. Had. The craziest idea. Based on the release date of a certain game.

So it's 2002, a good amount of time after the mess in Italy. Jotaro wants to help the kids take a breather, but he isn't sure how. Then he sees an ad for a video game and he pauses.

Right there near the bottom of the poster is, of all characters, Donald Duck. He looks at it more closely and... yep, that's the Disney logo, along with some company called Squaresoft.

He isn't the biggest fan of video games, but Joseph did get the kids a PS2 last Christmas, and Ungalo is a huge fan of Disney. Jolyne less so, but she still likes the company and their movies.

He buys the game, but he's still doubtful. How good can this 'Kingdom Hearts' be?

(9 years later, Pucci is beaten into unconsciousness by a Bohemian Rhapsody-summoned, spiky-haired kid wielding a giant key.)

I'll admit I don't know a whole lot about Kingdom Hearts but the fucking snort I let out reading this holy shit-

I regret nothing about making Ungalo a Disney fan because it opens up avenues of sheer insane bullshit like this and makes everything extrodinarily funnier, and it also just hit me that growing up........ Ungalo and the other kids are probably going to use their Stands a TON, especially given the fact they're in an environment where they can freely do so and explore things, and now I rotating ideas of how that would affect them

Ungalo would of course occasionally use Bohemian Rahpsody on his favorites, but after that gets a TON of attention, he also probably begins to get an appreciation for more niche, unknown media. He learns to control his Stand on a much smaller scale but spends time wondering what would happen if he fully cut loose

Rikiel likes to practice with finer controls and while his Stand can't be played with as safely as his siblings, that doesn't stop them from trying to come up with games so he won't feel left out. One of their favorites is a sort of sight based hide and seek where Rikiel Stands in a single spot and has to try and spot their hiding places and direct the rods to them

and Donatello LOVES walking around places and seeing what the ground can tell him. He knows a ridiculous amount of random, untimately meaningless gossip and loves to regale his siblings with stories of what he's heard. He usually doesn't do anything more recent than the last few years to save himself the awkwardness of knowing the people Under World shows him, but it's still very entertaining nontheless

Naturally when Jolyne obtains her Stand, they IMMEDIATELY jump as the oppurtinity. They'd of course always done their best to include her before, but now that she can actually see their Stands and has one of her own the possibilities are endless

I like to imagine the brothers all make sure to be very calm and un-serious about Stone Free. They little sister had to go through enough stress and fear getting her Stand in the first place, she doesn't need to be treated like she was something dangerous just because she had a powerful Stand. In there eyes, she's still their Jolyne, only now she can turn into string

Jolyne takes a shine to cats cradles and embroidery, but she is also unfairley hard to catch in her brother's opinion. She becomes crazily flexible and anytime when they wrestle or play tag, she'll simply slip out of any holds she's put in and wrap around her opponent so they're the one caught instead

but shifting gears a bit, this ALSO got me thinking of everything Post-Golden Wind and also just Jotaro being a Cool Dad/Uncle. After Jotaro very violently curbstomps Diavolo, I'd imagine there's a moment of hesitancy from the Bucci Gang because yeah this man came out of nowhere and just beat the shit out of the BOSS who's been giving us a lot of trouble like it was nothing, but all their worries abate when all four of the kids tackle him with a hug

it's only later they realize No, Mr.Jotaro Is That Scary, He's Just Got A Soft Spot For The Kids And Maybe Giorno

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greypetrel · 10 months

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For the opinions meme - how about Varric, Krem, Zevran and Sten?

WOOOOH it's a lot! Thank you ask some more. 👀

SOOOO let's spill some tea, shall we. *crack knuckles*

Varric:

First impression: "Omg that's some chest hair." Of course. Nah it was like at first sight even without those, give me an unreliable sarcastic narrator and I'll be content.

Impression now: After reading some analyses and writing him... I still like him a lot as a character, but it's true that he's for sticking with the status quo and is terrified of changes, BUT he changes his mind if you push him enough (a lot), so that's ok. Leave Bianca dude seriously I'm suffering for your sake.

Favorite moment: The fake solo EPIC fight at Bartrand's. Iconic, you go man. Also, the descriptions on ships in Hard in Hightown without a hint of research. He just doesn't care and it works and it's a best seller. You go, Varric.

Idea for a story: I don't think anything about him will ever top the fic "Ask Varric" but I'd love to be proven wrong of course. (It's the fic I read when I'm sad it just sparks joy). I'd just love to see him coping with a Spirit Cole and learning that it's not the end of the world, he's still him. Alas I tend to focus more on my OCs. Maybe I'll try it one day or another, but it's not that day (and if you are reading this and find it a good prompt, be my guest, write it and please tag me)

Unpopular opinion: A centrist character that doesn't want change is actually a good counterpoint for Hawke.

Favorite relationship: *looks at DadWolf AU* AH-EHM. No, joking, I love a good fic that ships him with Cassandra.

Favorite headcanon: Bisexual in the closet, clearly had a one-night with Solas when they both got drunk I read the comic panels and listen LISTEN no homo bro

Krem:

First impression: I think I thought he looked very cool and had a very nice voice, I liked how professional he was and the dynamics of the Chargers from the start, the more he spoke the more I liked him.

Impression now: As above, I can't say much on how it was written but I like him very much as a character, I wish we saw more of him in game and that he was a romanceable option but alas

Favorite moment: I live for his dynamic with Bull they're just... The ultimate found family and they melt my little dark heart.

Idea for a story: Oh damn... Anything exploring his character more, honestly. I will be honest and say I'm not really shipping him with Maryden (I don't like Maryden much...?). Maybe something having him and Dorian in the same room. Add Fenris for the perfect Tevinter reunion and just dig in the chaos. Hateful Eight style. (Sorry Dor I don't think you're surviving this in one piece)

Unpopular opinion: Is there an unpopular opinion about Krem? No, I think my opinion on him are pretty average.

Favorite relationship: Chargers the ultimate Found Family all the way. With Bull, as in platonic. Or you know what. He makes plushies. Josie plays with them. KremxJosephine??? (it's farfetched and I really thought of it right now and with a beer in my belly. But...)

Zevran:

First impression: "Dude who gave you the assassin licence, Elmo?" No listen Zevran is the epitome of the character I like most. Cocky, histrionic, there for show, very charismatic. I was there and I liked him from the start.

Impression now: Same as above, it didn't change much. I only love him more after knowing all of it, he deserves all the love and praise he can get and some more.

Favorite moment: His recruitment is honestly an iconic epic fail come on what's there not to love. But also his banter with Alistair.

Idea for a story: I will write it sooner or later: Zevran and the Warden making spritz in the camp with what they could find/distill themselves. Listen, Antiva is Venezia, hence it's a SHAME that one of his gifts is not a glass of Spritz (the most typical cocktail from the... City or region I won't say or Ali will beat me with a newspaper if I get it wrong). In my mind the Dalish can and will distill alcohol with everything, as good old south mediterranean old people, the Arlathvens are basically a big reunion to share drinks. I will sooner or later write Alyra missing some good homemade liquor, him missing spritz, and the pair combining forces to recreate something with the resources they have. Raiding a tavern, Alyra distracts the host and Zevran slips behind the counter and steals Aperol.

Unpopular opinion: Not really an unpopular opinion but he's Italian not Spanish. The name also sounds from Veneto, if you read it with the accent on the a. Zevràn. It's me being picky, tho, I really don't have ANYTHING against people portraying him as Spanish and using Spanish for Antivan! I saw some very nice iterations. I don't think I have opinions about him that are really unpopular tho.

Favorite relationship: I'm a sucker for a good Zevalistair fic. I said it.

Favorite headcanon: Even in a platonic relationship, he still checks in regularly with his friends from the Blight. They all have a discount.

Sten:

First impression: I was pretty cold about him? Like ok, I'll free him just to piss the Nun off, but meh it sounds like a character I don't really like, too much a boring Paladin for me, meh.

Impression now: He likes cookies and he approves when you disagree with him? OMG I STAN *badum tsssss* Jokes beside, I think he's kind of… A missed chance? He's an interesting character and believe me I generally find his kind of character extremely boring, but… He doesn't have as much insight as the others have, it would have been nice to see more, have some more cut scenes with him or a more complex personal quest that wasn't just a "find the missing object".

Favorite moment: The cookie admission.

Idea for a story: Him and the Warden meeting again, with him as the Arishok. A good old reunion.

Unpopular opinion: I think the real missed chance in romancing a Qunari is not him but the Arishok in DA2 and I will die on this hill.

Favorite relationship: He and the Warden. Or with Morrigan.

Favorite headcanon: He didn't use "Kadan" for nothing, he sincerely had feels for the Warden.

#characters opinion meme #dragon age #varric tethras #krem aclassi #zevran arainai #sten dragon age

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gothcsz · 1 month

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𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒇𝒂𝒓𝒆 / Chapter II.

gif credit / @azertyrobaz

PAIRING: Javier Peña x Original Female Character

SUMMARY: Javier is slowly beginning to realize that monotony isn't as bad as he initially thought…

WORD COUNT: 9.4k

RATING: 18+ Mature topics such as sex, drugs, murder, the occult, religion, cannibalism and other triggering matters will be explored in this body of work. Minors DNI.

CHAPTER SPECIFIC TAGS: Mutual pining, mentions of masturbation, they really wanna fuck each other, that good slowburn angst, lots of smoking, southern gothic vibes are strong with this one, if you love worldbuilding then this is the fic for you, mentions of a religion, mentions of sex workers, dbf!Javier Peña because I have no self control.

DISCLAIMER/WARNINGS: The Javier Peña referenced in this body of work is solely based off of the character that appears in Netflix’s Narcos and not the actual person. Very canon divergent and I will tweak things as I see fit to compliment the narrative of this story. While efforts have been made to be accurate in terms of canon timeline, a lot of details will be fictionalized, including the usage of the song(s) that Paloma will perform throughout the story.

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Lexi, my beloved, who has been a BIG help in helping me figure out this crazy ass story. Love you bestie, I don't know where I'd be without you < 3 I am… so obsessed with these two and the little universe they live in… *muffled screaming* I hope everyone reading so far is having a good time because I know I am! I've got a lot in store for this pairing, and if you're a fan of the horror/thriller aspect of this plot there's a lot comin' your way ;) Anyways feel free to drop any type of feedback on this blog < 3

♰ read on ao3. ♰

♰ playlist | pinterest | series masterlist ♰

It’s an extraordinarily warm day, which isn’t uncommon for the area however it’s the type of warm that reminds her that summer is just around the corner.

It’s Paloma’s favorite season. While the Seminary heat was unforgiving as all hell; she loves the way the sun feels against her skin, the thin layer of sweat that clings to her gives her the perfect glow and nothing beats cooling down by the creek. The town is also much more lively during the season, too, since tourists heading west often take a rest stop in Seminary.

It’s how she gathers most of her summer weekend crowd. People who do not expect this drive through town to be as charming as it is. While small, it has a community actively keeping it thriving. The businesses that line the streets of their downtown all owned by families who have been here for decades. A lot of love has been poured into their settlement, and while most of the time Paloma feels suffocated by the repetitiveness of her days, she’ll always have a soft spot in her heart for her hometown.

She’s become the performer that she is by staying here. Her shows at The Whiskey Fox have been the perfect training grounds for her to get a comfortable grasp on her stage presence, which aside from singing, is the most important thing about being a musician. An aspiration that she keeps to herself, mostly, just telling those who ask that she’s doing this ‘singing thing’ as a hobby. That her ‘real job’ would be going full time at the library.

That is her plan, the future she damns herself with. As quick-witted and rambunctious as Paloma can be; she’s still not valiant enough to take control of her own life.

Instead, she’s at the beck and call of her father’s.

It is much easier this way, she justifies it to herself like that all the time. If she goes out into the world, pursues her want to be a musician; there’s a chance that she fails and has to return home with her tail tucked between her legs like a shameful dog. At least staying here in Seminary provides her with a stability to keep her content for the rest of her life.

But would she really be content? Would she regret not trying and potentially not even failing?

Paloma bikes the familiar path from her house down into town, woven bag with her belongings in the basket that’s zip tied to the front of the bicycle she’s had since she was in high school. There’s a small grocery list and an even smaller to-do list accompanying her things; a brown paper bag with her father’s lunch also tossed in there.

When Darla, her 1970 Buick Electra , officially died on her; she hated having to bike everywhere. Her father was able to take her places whenever he could, but most of the time it was just Paloma and her bike against the world.

The sheriff even made the suggestion of sending one of the deputies to escort her wherever she pleased, but Paloma despised the idea of having an officer always following her around. So after a few awkward car rides to and from town; she decided it’d be more convenient for her to bike it until further notice. The only time she requests an escort is after a closing shift at the library or a show at the bar.

The most peaceful part of the trek is riding over the abandoned railroad tracks near the old train station. Something about the scenery; being surrounded by the lush forest with nothing but her and her thoughts for miles and miles is very comforting to Paloma, so whenever she arrives at this little landmark of hers, she makes a point to stop and soak it all in.

On days like this, where she doesn’t have much to do; she stays for a while.

Paloma approaches the familiar tracks, stopping entirely and propping her bicycle against a nearby tree. She pops a Linda Ronstadt CD into her portable player, the headphones slipping over her ears as she approaches the tracks. The sound of the gravel crunching beneath her boots is muffled out by the soft country tunes that begin to play. Paloma sits right on the track, a little unorthodox but she doesn’t care. Using her bag as a makeshift pillow, she lays flat and looks up at the sky until her eyes shut close; sighing wistfully as she slips away into another world entirely.

She has been struggling to finish any of her music lately, inspiration lackluster to the point where she’s had to revert to covering songs instead of performing original material at The Whiskey Fox . It is frustrating, to say the least, especially when she knows she is more than capable of writing a good song.

There just hasn’t been much happening that warrants a spark in her passion. No romantic love to pour her heart over, no life-altering event to process with instruments and lyrics. Nothing exciting.

She was in a rut…

That was until a few days ago.

Mind seemingly wanders over to the handsome man that had been in her family home.

Those dark brown, intense eyes that had her flustered any time they made eye contact, the strong cut of his jaw and how it flexed when he spoke, lips that looked so inviting underneath the mustache that she hates she’s so attracted to.

This is the first time any man has left such an impression on Paloma. She giggles softly to herself, remembering how she was harping on her own father for bringing out the fancy scotch in order to impress Javier.

“ Man must’ve left quite an impression for ya to be bustin’ out the crown jewel. ”

Now she understands why. Aside from being quite the eye candy–– she found herself completely engaged in any conversation he partook in. While he was not a man of many words, the few that he did have had her feeling like a freshman schoolgirl crushing on a senior athlete.

She is particularly interested in the fact that he had lived in Colombia for a better part of however many years; curiosity bubbling anytime he mentioned anything about his time there. She is envious that he has been able to experience a country filled with such culture and ecological beauty, even though she understands that the nature of his job probably didn’t entail to him sightseeing much.

That’s another thing; he was very vague about what his role was down there. All Paloma knows is that he was a DEA agent, responsible for cornering one of the most notorious drug traffickers to exist in the modern world. One thing led to another and now he’s back in the United States as a Deputy Sheriff for a small town in the middle of fuck-knows-where Texas.

It intrigued her to know his backstory and how that led him here. What all he’d done and witnessed, even if it wasn’t any of her business.

She finds it fascinating and it adds a layer of mystique to his persona.

Then her thoughts begin to turn into something more… sinful as she imagines the way his mouth wrapped around the colored end of the cigarette, his fingers flexing around the drinking glass before downing its contents in one swift movement, tongue peering out to lick at his lips. Fuck , her eyes flutter open and she squints slightly as the sun beams down on her. Her skin is warm, just how she likes it, buzzing with excitement at the image of the older man nuzzled in between her thighs, teasing her until she was at his mercy.

She takes her bottom lip between her teeth, fingers slowly trailing down her torso then drumming along the exposed skin of her lower stomach. The thought of moving her digits beneath the fabric of her panties crosses her mind for a split second before she remembers where she is. Not that she would be interrupted at this time of day but she has to have some shame, right? It’s already bad enough that she’s fantasizing about him, no need to fuel that fire by touching herself in plain daylight.

Paloma sits up, removing the headphones from over her ears and twisting her body to reach into her bag as she pulls out her notebook and pencil, a sudden stroke of inspiration striking her.

–––––––––––––––––––

Javier lazily leans back against the leather chair he’s sat in, typical cigarette dangling from his lips as he scans the report in front of him, brows pulled in to a frown as he half ass reads it. He’s only been in Seminary for a week and it hadn’t taken him long to fall into routine.

He gets up early to exercise, finding the time in his day to be able to do that again, eats what he considers a ‘healthy’ breakfast (it’s just toast and eggs… maybe some fruit if he’s really feeling it) then heads to the sheriff’s department. The day drags by until he’s at home again. He spends the evenings glued to his couch, takeout remnants on the table, nursing a beer and watching reruns until he goes to bed.

That is the part he dreads the most. The night time. Javi has always had trouble sleeping, but his time in Colombia only made the insomnia worse. He’ll stare at the ceiling, replaying all his fuck ups over and over until day breaks and soft sunlight seeps into his room.

On the nights where he does manage to fall asleep, it’s restless and doesn’t last very long as he jerks awake from whichever nightmare decides to plague him that night. He has a few that revisit him often, involving Helena and how things ended with her. Others about Carillo and his untimely death.

It is quite a vicious cycle that he has not been able to break himself free from. It was much more easier to get ahold of it back in Colombia where he could go pay for a distraction at a brothel or bury himself in the demanding job.

Here, there isn’t a damn thing he can bury himself in.

Well, there’s one person he’d love to find a distraction in but fucking the sheriff’s daughter just to get some sleep is not the best move for him to make considering he’s trying to be a better person nowadays.

There is barely anything happening at the station. The few deputies employed are constantly out on patrol, which Javi had recently revamped by giving new routes for them to follow. A task he’d conjured out of pure boredom yet left Sheriff Leighton impressed by his proactiveness.

Furthermore, the department is left partially empty with just himself, Romeo and Lorraine holding down the fort.

With no further updates in the ongoing homicide cases; there isn’t much to do. He isn't in the mood to go make small talk with the locals, and he’s already driven and familiarized himself with most of the roads within town limits, so he’s stuck in this building for the time being.

The sheriff had reiterated many times not to expect the same hustling and bustling he experienced back in Bogotá or Medellín. A fact that he knew when coming in, but experiencing it is just so damn grueling.

Instead of going home and bullshitting there, Javier decides to be responsible and help Lorraine reorganize their filing system. It is outdated to all hell and messier than anything he and Murphy could have ever conjured up at the embassy, but in attempts to be a more… responsible person, he tells the front desk clerk to not worry about a thing and that he’d handle it all himself.

He might have gone in over his head, but they’re just files. The tedious task something he is very familiar with. Javi had done his fair share of mindless tasks during his DEA days.

He’s at his desk, an unused one he plucked from the center of the room and moved over into a corner that gave him just a pinch of privacy. Romeo apologized about the lack of space for a private office, but Javi didn’t mind it. Being in an office is stifling; and he enjoys, for the most part, being out in the open.

Also, Lorraine is great company. Very unfortunate that she shares the name with his ex-fiancée.

Javier sets the sheet of paper he’s reread a dozen times down, ashing his cigarette and scratching at his nose with his thumb when he hears the sound of their front door opening.

His eyes lazily trail over to the entrance and an immediate smirk tugs at his lips, crease between his brows disappearing.

Paloma Leighton.

Oh, how he’s been thinking about her since that night he had dinner over at their house. How wrong it is of him to be pining after a woman like her.

It is not that difficult to capture Javier’s attention, he is very self aware in that regard. As long as you were interested; you were pretty much on his radar.

Javier loves women. He loves the way they look, the way they smell. Their soft moans and pants in response to his coaxing, how their nails feel digging into the soft skin of his shoulders as they come down from an intense orgasm.

Can anyone blame him for being so attracted to them all the time? Women are a godsend.

He watches her carefully as she saunters over to his desk that’s on the opposite side to where her father’s office is.

“ Now, Miss Leighton–– to what do I owe this pleasure, hermosa ? ” He asks, taking another drag of his cigarette as he keeps his position leaned back in his chair.

With an air of curiosity, he casts a lingering gaze over her form, his lips moistening involuntarily as he drinks in her presence.

She’s wearing cutoff jean shorts that hug her in all the right places and a halter top with an exposed back. She isn’t wearing a bra so her stiff nipples are prominent against the fabric. The sight gets him stirring below his belt, and he has to keep smoking in order to keep his antsy hands off of her.

“ Take a picture, it’ll last longer. ” She throws the typical line at him with a smirk.

“ I forgot my camera at home. Mind comin’ back to mine, cariño ? I’ll make sure to take the prettiest pictures. ” He ashes the cigarette, flirtatious as ever despite telling himself he was not going to go down this route.

But there’s nothing wrong with a little flirting, right? Especially not when she’s playing into it.

“ Clever, charming and cocky. I’m starting to sense a pattern here, cowboy. ”

“ And what would that pattern be? ”

“ I’m still figuring that out, unfortunately. ” There’s a brief pause, “ Those things’ll kill you. ” Paloma changes the subject entirely, nodding her head towards his nicotine stick.

“ I’m going to die eventually. ” Javier rebuttals and she just hums, honey colored eyes watching as he takes another long drag.

Javi is thankful that Lorraine had left early today. He's certain that this little conversation of there’s would have played out differently had there been a third person in the room.

Maybe it wouldn’t have happened at all and he would have been stuck fantasizing about her like a perverted fool.

“ S’that why you’re here? To criticize me smoking? ” His toned biceps flex as he brings his hands behind his neck, fingers interlocking and cigarette hanging from in between his lips.

“ No, just stopped by to drop off daddy’s lunch before I ran some errands. That man wouldn’t eat if it weren’t for me. ” Now it’s her turn to do the ogling, her gaze traveling from the cigarette to his arms, eyes sparkling down at him.

“ Sheriff isn’t in right now. ” He informs her but something tells him she already knew this. Her brows raise at the news and she shrugs.

“ ‘Course he ain’t. Probably already went down to Carl’s for lunch. I keep tellin’ him his arteries are gonna get all clogged up if all he eats is greasy burgers and beer. ” Javier can sense a hint of irritation in her voice.

“ So just let him. He’s a grown man, M’sure he doesn’t need nor want his daughter looking out for him every second of the day. ” He interjects, watching her carefully as she rolls her eyes.

Her hair is in two neat braids, bangs framing her beautiful face leaving the entirety of her back exposed to him. A few droplets of sweat slowly roll down her spine due to the weather and he imagines himself licking them right up; preferably while he has her bent over his desk.

“ Well if I don’t do it then who will? He’d barely last a week on his own. ” Though she is irritated, Javier catches how she genuinely seems to care for her father so with that, he decides to not meddle in their family business and instead moves on swiftly.

“ You know him better than I do. ” Leaves it at that, finishing his cigarette, “ Heard you got a show comin’ up ” And when he says "heard," what he really means is listening to everyone else rave about the sheriff's daughter's incredible talent and how he simply must attend one of her performances.

That sparkle in her eye glistens brighter at the mention of her show and she nods, “ Yup, ” pops the ‘p’, fiddling with the pens he’s stuffed into his faded DEA mug, her body turned slightly to face him. “ Every Friday and Saturday. Will we be blessed by your presence, Mr. Peña or are you going to hide out in your trailer home all weekend? ” Hearing his surname coming from her has his jaw ticking ever so slightly and he watches her eyes take notice of it.

Paloma likes it.

“ Dunno… gotta check my schedule, querida . Things tend to get crazy ‘round here. Or so I’ve heard. ” Sarcastic banter continues paired with a smug smile.

“ Well… if you do decide to find some time in that busy schedule of yours; the show starts at six both nights. ” And who was he to deny her? Especially as she bats her eyelashes at him, an unspoken way of letting him know she wants to see him there.

The front door bell dings, announcing the arrival of someone new, interrupting the comfortable pause of silence they were sharing.

That someone new is the sheriff, and Paloma immediately rises from her spot on the edge of his desk, making her way to her father. Javier straightens up, picking up the previously discarded sheet and feigning interest in it; but Romeo doesn’t seem to notice a thing. He looks deep in thought.

“ There ya are. I brought you lunch. ” Paloma calls after him but he’s already in his office. She lets out a sigh, looking over her shoulder at Javier whom she catches getting an even better view of her backside.

“ See you around, Mr. Peña . Maybe you should start carrying around that camera of yours. Y’know… to get all them pretty pictures. ” She makes a point to sway her hips as she walks away and he runs his tongue over his front teeth slowly.

This girl is going to get him into trouble.

At least he won’t be so fucking bored anymore.

–––––––––––––––––––

Paloma leaves the building twenty minutes after getting her father to agree to eat the lunch she brought and not go down the street to the local diner. He seemed pretty distant so she didn’t press him like she usually would, instead giving him a peck on the cheek before leaving his office. Her gaze wandered over to the opposite corner, hoping to find Javier sitting in his seat already watching her but he was nowhere to be found.

She felt the slight pang of disappointment in her gut at his absence but she pushed it down, a budding smile at the thought of seeing him at her show.

She doesn't even care that the man is older than her, she’s down bad for him.

Paloma swings her leg over her bicycle, kicking the kickstand inwards and riding down the street towards the farmer’s market until she’s stopped by a familiar voice calling her name.

“ Paloma! ” It’s Sloane, who’s jogging to catch up with her.

Sloane McCarthy is the only best friend that Paloma has ever had. Like, ever .

Growing up, she was a very shy child and only had your typical schoolyard friends, but not any that she would willingly swap secrets with or any of that other stuff girls usually do within their social circles.

After her mother’s death, Paloma became more of a recluse. She didn't maintain a friendship outside of school, instead all her focus and energy was put into her artistry. To her, instruments were her best friends. They would always be there to listen, to help her navigate through her grief alongside coming into her own without a mother to guide her through the trials and tribulations of girlhood.

As lonely as it sounds, it was probably for the best that Paloma chose her musical hobbies to be what got her through the hard times. It allowed her to navigate the creation process at her own pace, figure out her strengths and work on her weaknesses.

She is grateful, however, for the guidance she received from Tammy, Kristy and Lola: the sisters that owned The Whiskey Fox .

They helped fill the void left barren by her mother, Abilene, and were the ones who convinced her to start performing at their bar when she was only fourteen.

Paloma met Sloane a few months ago at the library. She had come in with two other guys whom she can barely remember now, asking her about Seminary’s selection on books about the occult. There are hardly any , she had replied, since this town is too obstinate to allow many sacrilegious books on their library shelves.

Ever since that afternoon, they had hit it off and began to hang out together more regularly. Paloma had even hooked her new friend up with a job at The Whiskey Fox as a bartender.

She stops, steadying herself as the girl hugs her from the side then rounds the bike to stand in front of her.

“ Hey Slo, whatcha up to today? ” Paloma asks, eyeing the book in her friend’s possession before meeting her gaze.

Sloane possesses a striking beauty that captivates all who behold her. Waves of rich brown hair cascade down to her collarbone, framing her face like a halo. Her button nose, perfectly proportioned, adds a charming innocence to her features, while her inviting chocolate-colored eyes shimmer with warmth and depth.

But it's the freckles that truly distinguish Sloane's visage, far more pronounced than Paloma's. They form constellations upon her round face, like tiny stars scattered across a canvas of porcelain skin. And above them, her signature touch: baby blue eyeshadow delicately applied across both eyelids, enhancing the allure of her gaze with a hint of playful elegance.

Paloma found herself being envious of Slo and comparing her beauty to that of her best friend’s; especially when she was the main one being approached whenever they went out.

Not that Paloma cared about male attention, however, she still felt that pang of rejection deep in her belly each time Slo was being hit on while she was left making small talk with the bartender or waitress, depending on where they were.

It wasn’t because she wasn’t attractive, anyone could tell you that Paloma is one of the most beautiful women in town; but more so because of who her father is. Sometimes, men don’t approach her in fear of being shot at by the sheriff. It can be very frustrating, but it does help keep the creeps away.

“ Well… ” She drags out, “ I went to the library to look for ya, but Olsen said you didn’t work today so I’ve just kinda been roamin’ town… hopin’ to run into ya before poppin’ up to your place unannounced. What are you so smiley for? ” Her bubbly and chirpy southern accent reminds Paloma of the bright smile she’s still sporting.

“ Just havin’ a good day, s’all. Why are you lookin’ for me? ” She questions, deciding not to tell Sloane about her infatuation with newly appointed Deputy Sheriff Javier Peña just yet, gaze once more flickering down to the thick book in her grasp.

“ ‘Cause, babygirl, I got the answers to all those existential questions you think up in that pretty little head of yours. ” Shows off the printed work, “ Right here. Got a sec? ” She asks but with the look Sloane gives her, Paloma knows she can’t say no.

So they situate themselves on a nearby bench, Paloma’s bicycle propped up against the backside of it. Sloane turns to her, their knees knocking against each other as she begins to explain.

“ Ya know my friend August? He wrote that poem I showed you a few weeks ago… the one that had your face as red as a ripe tomato. ” She pokes fun at her friend, pinching her thigh which Paloma swats away playfully.

“ It was more explicit than anticipated, but yes I know who you’re talkin’ about. Didn’t he come in with you that one day? In the library? ” She just barely remembers him, since he hadn’t said much; just browsed the shelves with the other guy as Slo did all the talking.

“ Sure did! Well, he’s written a few books, none of them published…. they’re more so for record keepin’. However, I told him you were… a fan of his work–– ”

“ Fan is a bit of a stretch, don’t ya think? ” She snorts, stare flickering over to Slo.

“–– So he asked me to share this with you. It’s his prized possession. ” She continues, eyes twinkling as she slides the book over to Paloma.

Paragons of the Sacrificed By Augustus Rutherford Dixon

“ Augustus ? What a name. ” Is the first thing Paloma notices, thumbing through the book and scanning some of its contents. “ This reads like a manifesto, I’m not sure I’m all that interested. ” She tells Slo, closing the item shut and attempting to give it back.

Sloane blocks her from doing so, shaking her head. “ No ma’am, you’re gonna read through it. I promise you’ll enjoy it. I know how you like to get lost in your books and music… this is right up your alley. ”

She seems almost desperate as she makes her case, so Paloma reluctantly keeps the book in her lap.

“ Right up my alley. What exactly does that mean? ”

“ You know… the adventurous fantasy stuff. He’s really into religion and history but not in a weird, bible thumpin’ way how the people ‘round here tend to be. Eye openin’ stuff… real, tangible things that make you want to pack up all your shit and get the hell outta dodge. ”

Slo doesn’t have to say much after that, it’s as if she knew exactly what words to say to get Paloma to be more open minded about reading the book. She chews on the inside of her cheek, eyes falling to her lap and she sighs, giving in.

“ Sure, why the hell not. If it’s crappy, though, and you waste my time I swear I’m gonna get it back in blood. ” She teases, nudging Sloane with her elbow.

“ Oh please, I wouldn’t be bringin’ this to ya if I didn’t think you’d be interested. ”

–––––––––––––––––––

Sloane was right. This book is right up her alley.

After getting over the initial weariness of the man’s introduction, she is fully immersed in the historical events he writes about as well as the practices of an unorthodox religion that’s been on the rise, according to him, since the birth of Christianity.

Her relationship with religion in general is pretty unadorned. Paloma is a practicing Catholic, just like the majority in Seminary, and she attends mass every Sunday with her father.

It’s enervating, in a way, but she knows just how much it means to Romeo for her to accompany him every week so she does it just to pacify him. Now whether she’s as devoted as she makes herself out to be is a completely different story.

She’s not. Paloma believes in a greater being; but not in the same manner that organized religion does.

It would quite literally break her father’s heart if he heard her say that outloud.

August is a talented writer, his words transporting her entirely while also making his message concise and informative. Paloma’s been tucked away in her room, obsessively reading the book for about three hours when the landline in her room suddenly rings and it makes her jolt out of surprise.

The antique clock on her nightstand indicates that it’s nine o’clock and she blinks away the sudden tiredness at the realization. Inserting her bookmark on the page she’s currently reading, she closes the book and reaches over to pick the receiver up and wedges it in between her ear and shoulder.

“ Paloma speaking. ”

“ Hola, hermosa . ” Javier’s voice cuts right through her and she’s instantly smitten, the book she was so engrossed in not even a minute ago now forgotten.

“ You sweet talk every girl you meet in Spanish? ” She can't help but ask, feeling butterflies in her stomach at the way he flirts with her. Between his sultry southern accent and alluring dash of Spanish; Paloma can’t decide which one she likes to hear more.

She hears him shuffling on his end of the phone, “ Why? You don’t like it, cariño ? ”

The Spanish. She definitely prefers the Spanish.

“ I do. It’s different. ” Twirls the telephone cord around her index finger, “ You call just to shower me in pet names? ”

He chuckles, the deepness of it having her bite down on her lower lip.

“ No, querida , was hoping I could speak to your father. ” This makes her frown slightly, but also what other reason would he have to call their house at this time of night?

Call for her ? Talk her through an orgasm through the phone, telling her to imagine his fingers instead of hers and whispering those goddamn pet names until she’s panting; wailing out for him? Or even better: offer to come by to get her out of the dry spell she’s been under before her father made it back home?

Both so appealing. Both so ridiculously out of this world.

She realizes she’s been quiet longer than intended, so she snaps out of her sudden wet daydream, speaking up.

“ He’s out with some friends from the bar. Don’t anticipate him comin’ back home till way later so you’re just goin’ to have to catch him at his office tomorrow, Mr. Peña . ” She had taken notice of the way he was so bothered by her calling him by his last name earlier that she does it again, just to fuck with him.

“ You make me feel so old callin’ me that. ” He scoffs and her smile doesn’t budge.

“ Well aren’t you? ” Fuels the teasing, wondering how far she could push it before the fire she’s been harboring burns her.

“ You really want to play this game, corazón ? ”

“ Maybe… ”

There’s a swift pause, all that’s heard is both of their breaths on either side of the line. Paloma braces herself for whatever racy event decides unfold but he breaks the silence first.

“ Just be a sweetheart and tell your dad I called. Have a good night, nena . ” He doesn't even give her the opportunity to give a closing remark, the dial tone ringing in her ears before she pulls the phone away and sets it back into place.

She hadn't realized how tightly her thighs had been clenched throughout that whole exchange. It’s embarrassing how her body reacts to him. Whether it just be his voice or his presence itself.

Paloma groans, standing from her bed and deciding to shower to calm herself down, August’s book being placed on her nightstand next to the landline.

–––––––––––––––––––

Javier walks in to the crowded bar much later than he intended to, stuck at the station with some chatty citizen who called to complain about her neighbors dog.

This is the life he lives now. Went from tracking down dangerous sicarios to listening to elderly women bitch about pets.

Nevertheless, he does what he’s been hired to do.

He hears the music that’s currently got the entirety of the place rumbling spilling out into the street upon arrival. The decently sized bar is filled with so many patrons, that it took him a second to recognize it. Honest to God.

Javier has definitely underestimated Seminary. It becomes clearer the longer he's here. While he does find himself complaining about the monotony most of the time, he’s slowly but surely easing into it.

He finally makes it to the bar and orders himself a whiskey, neat. It’s been his go to order for as long as he’s been drinking.

Dark eyes scan the crowd until they land on the stage where the first person he notices is Paloma; dressed to the nines with a bright smile. A smile he mimics as he watches her strum her guitar, the three other woman sing along with instruments of their own adhered to their bodies. Paloma isn’t currently singing, just adding in to the instrumental of a song that he doesn’t recognize. After paying for his drink, he maneuvers the crowd until he finds Romeo sitting front and center, swaying along to the music with nothing but adoration in his eyes for his daughter.

When he sees Javier approaching, his entire face lights up.

“ Javi, my man! You made it. ” The two share a friendly handshake as Javier sits down in the empty seat besides him, digging in his leather jacket for a smoke.

“ Woulda been here earlier but had a Margaret Lipton call complainin’ about how her neighbors dog won’t stay on its side of the fence. ” He grumbles, lighting the cigarette and taking a lengthy drag as the song finishes.

“ Sounds just like her. Expect a lot more’a those. Poor woman is just lonely; her husband of fifty years died not too long ago. Ever since then she’s been callin’ nonstop over petty shit. She’ll complain if a fly buzzes by, I tell ya. ” Romeo adds on, taking a sip from his drink and this gets a brief chuckle from Javier, making a mental note to limit his calls with one Margaret Lipton.

The next song begins, a very lively country tune that immediately shifts the atmosphere of the already buzzing bar. People begin to flood the dancefloor in front of the stage, but it doesn’t obstruct his view from the person that he’s here to see. He watches as she strums her instrument before approaching the microphone.

♫

“ Came into this world, Daddy's little girl, And daddy made a soldier out of me. ”

Her voice is so rich and smooth, ears perk up at the angelic singing and he takes a swig of his whiskey, eyes not leaving her for a second.

“ Daddy made me dance, And daddy held my hand, And daddy liked his whiskey with his tea. ”

She shoots a wink towards their table, and while Javier knows it’s directed to the man besides him, he can’t help but be selfish enough to think that’s it’s meant for him.

That her attention is all for him.

“ And we rode motorcycles, Blackjack, classic vinyl, Tough girl is what I had to be. He said, "Take care of your mother Watch out for your sister" And that’s when daddy looked at me... ”

The music picks up, can feel it embedding itself in his bones and he’s so entranced by watching her perform that he just barely notices when Romeo leans over to talk to him.

“ Told me she wrote this with me in mind. Swear I’ve never been more proud of her. ” Javi peels his gaze away from her before the man notices how he’s basically eye fucking his daughter.

“ She usually write her own songs? ” He can't help but ask, her voice ringing out passionately as the song continues.

“ Majority of ‘em. Always got her nose stuffed in one’a her journals. When she’s not writin’, she’s at the piano or on the porch with her guitar. Melts my heart every time I see it. ”

Javier doesn’t say much in response, intrigued to hear how her voice sounds when it’s just her singing.

Paloma reproaches the microphone after the long instrumental that had the crowd dancing along to the upbeat country track concludes.

“ My daddy warned me about men like you He said, "Baby girl, he's playing you! He's playing you! ”

She sings with a vigor he was not expecting, making eye contact with him and he catches the way her red-stained lips pull into a smirk.

Just like that, she has captivated him all over again.

Under the stage lights, Paloma emanates an otherworldly glow, her presence as captivating as a celestial being. Clad entirely in black, she stands out against the band's more colorful attire. A leather miniskirt, paired with sleek black stockings, hugs her form, the oversized silver buckle of her belt gleaming under the spotlight's embrace.

Her leather jacket, mirroring the skirt's allure, features intricate silver detailing that catches and reflects the light with every movement. Beneath it, she wears nothing but a black bra, veiled by a sheer mesh top that adds a layer of sexiness to her ensemble.

Paloma's long brown hair cascades around her like a veil, framing her face in an aura of natural elegance. Atop her head sits a black cowgirl hat, a bold statement that perfectly complements her outfit. And completing the look, her feet are adorned with matching black boots, tying everything together with an air of effortlessness.

She appears absolutely mesmerizing. Javier finds himself reaching for another drink, needing its warmth to steady his racing heart.

“ 'Cause when trouble comes in town And men like me come around" Oh, my daddy said shoot Oh, my daddy said shoot. ”

The chorus is repeated once more by the performers and some of the crowd, which has him wondering if this was a Seminary original song.

“ Oh, my daddy said… shoot…. ”

They drag the last lyric out with the rattle of the drum’s percussion before the song officially ends and The Whiskey Fox erupts into a boisterous applause. The women take turns hugging and congratulating each other, though his focus is solely on Paloma. He doesn’t even acknowledge when Romeo gets up to get them all another round of drinks.

" Well, folks, I reckon y'all just witnessed a taste of the good ol' honky-tonk spirit here at The Whiskey Fox! Ain't nothin' like harmonizin' with these talented sisters and feelin' the energy of this fine establishment. Let's raise a toast to good music, good company, and good times at the Whiskey Fox—where the spirits are high and the music's just right! " The bar laughs and this gets a bemused chuckle out of Javier, who stubs out the cigarette he’d been puffing on throughout the performance.

“ So another ‘round of applause for the lovely Lone Star Sisters . ” After a few more formalities and some announcements, Paloma disappears for a brief moment before he spots her again, this time heading in his direction.

She’s stopped a few times along the way by some patrons who simply cannot get over her and her performance.

All Javier does is admire and be amused at how they treat her like she’s a celebrity. Even watches as she signs a slip of paper and crouches down to give it to a little girl. The interaction has his heart racing so he downs the drink in front of him to slow it down.

–––––––––––––––––––

The adrenaline that Paloma feels after a show is indescribable. It’s like she transforms when she’s up there, giving it her all and making sure that the crowd watching is being entertained to the fullest extent. It’s why she absolutely loves it when she sees everyone dancing, has even spotted a few people singing along to some of the original songs she performs regularly.

It’s an even better feeling when she gets off stage and is being praised left and right; it makes her feel like the art she puts out is important as it’s being appreciated by everyone and not just those in her immediate circle. What really melts her heart, though, is when she sees the gleam in the eyes of the younger girls who come see her play. As if they’re looking up to her, seeing their own aspirations performing out on the stage. Knowing that she’s somewhat of a role model to them is all she needs to stay content in her passion for creating music.

After finally getting through the crowd of… admirers (she doesn’t like calling them fans; it feels odd), Paloma reaches the table her father always sits in but is pleasantly surprised to see just Javier there.

“ You came. ” She doesn't even try to hide the large smile on her face, heart still beating wildly in her chest due to the high energy performance.

“ Found a small window of opportunity in my very busy schedule to be able to make it. You’re lucky, hermosa . ” He teases and she laughs with a shake of her head, shaking off the leather jacket on her shoulders and removing the hat that sits on her head.

It is entirely too hot for her to sport it for the rest of the evening, so she drapes the jacket over the back of the chair and lets her hat hang over the corner of it.

“ You’re a damn good singer. ”

The compliment has those butterflies stirring in her stomach again. Paloma won’t ever admit that she made sure to be on her game tonight in anticipation of his attendance. She doesn’t want to come off as desperate, despite how flirtatious their interactions have been since they met.

“ You sayin’ that ‘cause you mean it or are you just tryin’ to become my groupie? ” She cocks her head to the side slightly, sliding into the seat across from him and crossing her legs. She bites her lip once she watches his eyes divert down to her thighs; the top of her stockings showing and a soft slither of her olive skin teasing him to make a move.

“ I genuinely mean it, querida , but being your groupie doesn’t sound half bad. ” Paloma giggles, scrunching her nose and he smiles at her.

Why does she feel like she’s drunk off him? What the hell does he lace his attention with?

Romeo returns right on time, setting down three glasses on the small, round table.

“ Alright, a bourbon for me, whiskey for Javier and a root beer with muddled cherries for my beautiful daughter. ” She reaches for her drink, ignoring the look Javier gives her and she takes a lengthy sip from the straw; the carbonation feeling so refreshing as it travels down her throat.

“ No celebratory drink? ” He asks her, fingers once more fishing out his cigarettes and lighter.

“ I only drink on occasion. Try not to do it when I sing unless I need to loosen up the good ‘ol pipes. ” Two fingers tap against her throat to emphasize her point, his dark eyes trailing the area and she knows his soft lips would feel divine against her warm skin.

The trio fall into small talk for all but five minutes when Javier’s pager buzzes in his jacket pocket. He excuses himself from the table and he saunters away to the pay phone outside of the bar. Paloma’s gaze follows him all the way out, sound of her father talking muffled as he overtakes her thoughts.

–––––––––––––––––––

Javier digs into the back pocket of his jeans, pulling out a few coins to insert into the public telephone then punching in the familiar number of his former partner. The line rings three times before Murphy picks up.

“ We got him. ”

The words knock the wind out of him and he stabilizes himself by sticking his hand out to lean against the payphone stand.

“ Alive or dead? ”

“ Trujillo shot the fucker right between the eyes. ”

He presses the phone against his forehead at the news, eyes closing as he allows it to fully sink in. Knows he should be relieved… that the weight on his shoulders should dissipate now that Pablo Escobar is dead.

Not in custody or cornered. No, dead .

Yet he isn’t relieved. Not as much as he would have wanted to be. It’s a bittersweet feeling, really. They can rejoice now that they got one dirty narc over and done with but if Javier has learned anything in the past few years–– it’s that this war on drugs is far from over. The rest of the Medellín cartel has yet to fall and Cali just reached its peak.

You know what they say: cut off one head and two more take its place.

But that’s no longer his problem. He had been reassigned, sent somewhere where he could chill the fuck out and start making amends for his fuckups in Colombia. His only focus now, as long as he’s concerned, is dealing with what happens in Seminary and Seminary only.

He and Steve finish their conversation, reminiscing on all the crazy ass shit they had to do and endure in order to get to this point. Steve ends the call by telling him that he should have been here to see it all the way through and that, in a strange turn of events, he was proud of everything they accomplished together despite the bullshit that ensued.

Javier doesn’t say much, as per usual, but he doesn’t have to. Steve knows he’s appreciative.

Fingers itch to pluck out another cigarette but he goes against the urge, instead collecting himself before reentering the bar.

–––––––––––––––––––

Paloma was left alone shortly after Javier left to take his phonecall, her father being pulled away by his buddies while she finished up the rest of her drink.

When Javier does return, she immediately notices the change in his demeanor but doesn’t know how to ask him what’s wrong without coming off as bothersome.

“ Everything good? ” Is what she decides on, leaning in to rest her chin on the palm of her hand as her elbow sits on the perpetually sticky top of their table.

“ Everything’s alright, muñeca . ” He takes his seat again, still being flirtatious but there’s an edge to it. He grabs his drink and swishes its contents around the glass before downing it all in one swift shot.

Paloma doesn’t say anything else, and she doesn’t get the chance to when her father returns to them.

“ I gotta go handle some shit that’s popping off with the Sullivan’s. Go get your things, baby, we’re leavin’. ” This pulls a groan from the back of her throat.

“ I do not want to tag along while you deal with whatever the fuck they got goin’ on. Not after last time. ” Very rarely does she tag along with her father when he’s on the job; and last time they had been called to the Sullivan farm–– she didn’t expect to be there for almost three hours trying to help calm down Mrs. Sullivan, who was threatening to shoot her husband with their shotgun.

The conversation seems to intrigue Javier, eyes darting between the both of them as he begins to smoke again.

“ Well, you’re gonna have to hitch a different ride, then. ”

“ That’s no problem, Mr. Peña will take me. ” They both look over to Javi as she’s just volunteered him to drive her home.

“ Paloma––– ”

“ It’s fine, Romeo. Go handle it, I’ll make sure she makes it home safely. ” His thumb drags against his bottom lip as he stares right back at Paloma and his intense gaze has her shifting in her seat, the familiar feeling of arousal shooting heat up between her thighs.

It doesn’t take much convincing to send the sheriff on his merry way, her body tingling at the idea of being alone with Javier in his truck as he takes her home.

“ You gonna make sure I’m fine? That I make it home safe and sound? ” Paloma asks with a bat of her eyelashes, leaning close enough to where their knees brush up against each other beneath the table.

He follows her lead, leaning forward and taking a drag from his cigarette. “ S’what I’m here to do, princesa . Make sure beautiful girls like you stay safe. ”

There’s still some bite to his words but it’s hot the way he flirts with her. She catches the scent of his musky cologne mixed with the liquor and cigarettes he's consumed and it’s intoxicating.

“ I thought I told you these things’ll kill you. ” She plucks the nicotine stick from between his middle and index finger, putting out the nearly finished thing against the ashtray.

“ And I thought I told you I’m gonna die eventually. ”

“ Try not to make it anytime soon. ”

“ Why, would you miss me, cariño ? ” His brows raise inquisitively as he asks her, brown eyes gleaming beneath the dim lighting.

Paloma shrugs, sliding out of her seat. “ Probably not. I’ve just met you. ” Is said nonchalantly, despite her head spinning from how badly she wants him. She grabs ahold of her jacket and hat, “ I’m going to go pack up my things. Meet me in the back alleyway in ten. ”

–––––––––––––––––––

After getting her stuff into the back of his truck and watching her say goodbye to everyone, Paloma is sat in the passenger seat as Javier drives along the familiar road towards her house.

It’s quiet at first, the radio playing some song softly to fill the void from the absence of conversation.

“ So… you got a girlfriend? ” Paloma’s question catches him off guard and he actually laughs in her face. “ Or boyfriend–– I don’t judge. ” She raises her hands defensively.

“ Why, you tryin’ to apply for the spot? ” Javier briefly takes his eyes off the road to look over at her, biting his tongue once he sees how she’s staring at him.

She leans against the door, the soft hue of the radio's blue light casting a tantalizing shadow across her face as she draws one knee up to her chest. In that moment, she exudes an aura of irresistible allure, beckoning with every curve and contour bathed in the seductive glow. Javier contemplates pulling over just to grab her by the neck and press his lips against hers.

She just rolls her eyes, playing with the ends of her skirt.

“ Not really, just curious. ” He can hear the sincerity coating her words and while he usually wouldn’t divulge in his personal life, let alone his romantic relationships, he decides to answer her truthfully.

“ No girlfriend. M’not really the settle down type of guy. ”

“ Ah, so he’s got commitment issues… ” Paloma trails off, messing with him.

“Somethin’ like that. ” He isn't offended by her assumption, since it is the truth.

“ So no girlfriend back home? Or in Colombia? ”

“ Why the sudden interest, princesa ? ”

“ Just trying to get to know you, cowboy. ” There she goes with that nickname again and he just shakes his head softly.

“ The honest truth...? No girlfriends anywhere. Lots of hookups in Colombia, though. The women there are very beautiful. ”

She’s silent, which has him looking over at her again yet this time she isn’t staring back, instead looking ahead at the road in front of them.

“ So you’re a slut. ”

He laughs again, much more lively this time, “ Most people would agree with you, yeah. But I had my reasons for sleepin’ around. ”

“ Aside from pleasure, what were the reasons? ” Her brows raise, her arms crossing against her chest, pushing her breasts together and the sight is like something straight out of a Playboy magazine.

“ Most of ‘em were informants. Prostitutes who had vital information about the criminals we were after. ”

“ So in return for intel, they got to spend a night with you? ”

“ That was part of it. ”

She hums and he turns the question on her before she starts asking about other aspects of his life in Colombia.

“ What about you? Got a boyfriend–– or girlfriend. I don’t judge. ” He repeats her own playful words back to her, making a turn then flipping on the brights as the street lights have decreased to none; leaving them traveling down the dark back roads.

“ No, not at the moment. I’ve only ever had one real boyfriend. ” Paloma leans her head back against the window, eyes still trained on the emptiness of the night. “ And that ended terribly so I didn’t bother trying again after that. ”

Curious to know this terrible ending she speaks of, Javier proceeds to stay on topic. “ Must’ve been real bad if it got you to give up entirely. ”

“ Yeah. His name was George. We dated in high school... can you keep a secret? ” She sudden;y asks, ripping her gaze from the windshield over to him. He can see her from his peripheral.

“ For you, nena , of course. ”

“ We were supposed to get married and run off the night before graduation. Had planned the whole thing out, even bribed an officiant to wed us in the middle of the night down by the cemetery. It didn’t take him much convincin’; told us he had a soft spot for young love. ” Javier doesn’t say anything in response, instead letting his silence speak for itself and allowing Paloma to continue on with her story.

“ The big night came. I was so nervous I coulda puked. Me and the officiant waited for what felt like an eternity until eventually he apologized to me and left. I cried there all night, a stupid and naive part of me hoping George would eventually show… he didn’t. ” She sighs heavily and Javier wants to reach his hand out to rub comforting circles with his thumb against her thigh but he doesn’t, instead driving down the driveway that led to her home.

“ Found out the next day that he had left for the army. Which was so heartbreaking since that’s why he wanted to leave Seminary. He didn’t want to enlist like his brother and father had. Guess something changed his mind… haven’t heard from him since. I never told anyone about it, and the officiant passed away shortly after so… ” She trails off and Javier genuinely feels for her.

However, he can relate to an extent. Not to her but to her ex. His relationship with Lorraine back in Laredo a haunting reminder of the type of man he was slowly turning into. Instead of leaving for the army, though, he’d left her at the alter to run off to Colombia.

“ That’s… tough, querida . ” He's never been the best at comforting and it doesn’t seem like she minds his scarce sympathy.

“ It is what it is. I got over him eventually. ” They roll to a stop once they’re at the large country home, he puts the truck in park and cuts the engine; letting a comfortable silence fall over them.

“ Thank you–– ”

“ Do you need–– ”

They both speak at the same time, interrupting the other and they share a laugh about it. “ Ladies first. ” He beckons her to continue, shifting his body slightly to face her.

“ Thank you for bringing me home. I know I didn’t give you much of an option. ” The soft click of her seatbelt being undone brings a sense of reluctance over him, knowing that her departure is imminent and he's already dreading the moment she must leave.

“ Anytime, hermosa . ” Javi's dark eyes soften, “ Do you need help getting your things inside? ” Paloma nods and he’s quick to hop out of the truck, rounding it to open the door for her before she even gets the chance to reach over for the handle.

“ What a gentleman. ” She purrs, her hand brushing against his shoulder as she walks past him to help unload her equipment.

The desire to push her up against his truck and passionately kiss her, have his hands explore every inch of her body is tempting as all hell but he shows some self restraint.

They get everything into the living room and she walks him over to the front door.

“ I appreciate your help, Mr. Peña . ” Paloma leans against the doorframe with a teasing simper. They’re close enough to where he can see all the small imperfections that litter her skin. His eyes taking in how beautiful she looks up close, their bodies slowly gravitating towards each other.

“ You ever gonna stop callin’ me that? ” He asks, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, hands landing on either sides of his hips.

The girl shrugs, blinking slowly. “ Not till you’re not bothered by it. ” They exchange a lustful stare until he decides it’s time for him to leave before things escalate and he crosses a boundary he’s helplessly trying not to overstep.

“ I’ll see you around, Miss Leighton. ” Very reminiscent to their last goodbye, her smirk softens into a smile.

“ Goodnight, Javier. ” One, two seconds pass before she’s leaning in to place a gentle kiss against his cheek, the feeling has his heart racing and she pulls back slowly before taking a few steps back and closing the door.

Javier is left in a stunned silence, the small act of affection impacting him more than he would like to admit.

#javier peña fanfic #javier peña narcos #javier peña smut #pedro pascal fanfic #pedro pascal character fanfic #javier pena fic #javier pena narcos #javier pena smut #javier pena fanfic #javier pena fanfiction #pedro pascal

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myersesque · 11 months

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hey can you info dump about hobie to me please :D

hello!!! sorry this took me a while to get around to, i got SO nervous that i'd get smthn wrong n an army of comic book dudebros would emerge from hell to smite me down - but then i remembered that i don't care and hobie is fun to talk about, so hello!!!

[quick note before we start: hobie will be referred to as either "hobie" or "spiderpunk", for the sake of not being confusing, since there are 47385783643 spidermen in existence. yes, he prefers "spiderman" and initially took spiderpunk as an insult, but as of his latest solo run, the battle of the banned, he really could not care less n actively refers to himself as spiderpunk. i'm noting this now so i don't get 50 people correcting me in the replies lmao. i also don't hyphenate spiderman because i'm lazy]

you didn't ask for anything in specific so i'm gonna just Keep Going until i lose steam, hope that's alright!

first things first: hobie isn't an original character created to be spiderpunk! he's actually a variant of hobart "hobie" brown, earth 616's prowler, which i think has a LOT of interesting potential for btsv, if you catch my drift:

why did they choose to make him a hobie variant rather than make up a new spiderperson? who knows! could be that they saw how painfully fucking close hobie was to his "capitalism is the real enemy actually" breakthrough before deciding to become a supervillain about it; maybe it's easier to get comic book nerds into new stories if they're vaguely familiar with one of the characters involved. who knows. i can't actually find any source on this one.

(interesting sidebar: in the spiderverse movies, peter b parker is from earth 616, and intended to be a direct page-to-screen adaptation of classic comic book peter parker - which makes me wonder how he reacted to meeting hobie for the first time. i doubt we'll ever see that first interaction, but it's cool to think about!)

spiderpunk's design actually originated as concept art for spider-UK, as drawn by olivier coipel (the punk movement is often credited as having started in the UK - more accurately, by black british punks, using elements of jamaican reggae - so it makes sense that they explored a punk angle for spider-UK at some point). they felt it didn't fit the character, but still loved the design, and so they wrote an entire character to fit around it! (that's also why hobie is often portrayed as british despite being written as american in the comics - his whole concept is essentially a love letter to black british punks, and tbh even when i'm reading the comics i pretend he just ended up moving to new york from london bc i cannot imagine him as an american lmao sorry)

a lot of people who learnt of hobie from atsv seemed surprised that he's genuinely punk and not just using the aesthetics - but, like, he's genuinely punk, guys. he lives in a fascist dystopia (the spider that bit him was irradiated from all the toxic waste the government illegally dumps) where norman osborn is president of the united states (and referred to as "ozzy osborn" lmao) and also a massive fascist dickbag (and venom's current host!). he then proceeds to beat said fascist dictator asshole to death with his guitar! by which i mean quite literally hit him so hard his organs come out ✨

(like - i saw someone theorising that hobie would be the twist villain of btsv and actually just using miles for his own benefit, and i had my own little "he would never fucking do that what the fuck 😡" moment before realising that they were probably just some 14 yr old kid who's never seen hobie before and is trying to come up with a dramatic twist. so i'm not taking it to heart! but please know that it was very bad and incorrect, hobie is a real one and would never 🫶 /lh)

if you get a chance to pick up any of his comics (or, uh, discover them in alternative ways, wink wink nudge nudge capitalism is a prison but seriously please consider buying them from small local comic book stores if you do - that way your money goes to an actual local business & the writers rather than a massive chain store corporation) then i highly recommend - not only are they super fun, but they're gorgeous,

(i know that the covers are always rendered differently to the actual comic pages but i just needed you to all look at these images, please, especially all the intricate details on the second one. i literally paused midway through reading my comic to stare at that cover with hearts in my eyes. he's so cool i adore him)

and they're also full of lyrical references to punk music, such as these (the first two off the top of my head - there are TONS more):

and they're pretty dang diverse, too! including, like, explicitly and undeniably queer characters (note: there's been a lot of misinformation spread around - hobie and karl (captain anarchy) aren't explicitly confirmed to be anything but platonic friends. karl DOES have a boyfriend whom he is explicitly romantic with, but it's not hobie! he's still totally queer though and nobody can convince me otherwise), which is pretty neat.

this isn't really relevant to hobie in specific, but it's part of his universe and i'm a massive daredevil fanboy, so i NEED you to witness his daredevil variant, mattea murdock:

tumblr isn't gonna let me add any more images (sob) so i'm gonna try n wrap this up fairly quick !!!

lightning round of just. fun and unfun facts, i guess:

hobie's homeless and lives in a community centre with the rest of his band

iirc "spiderpunk" was essentially his equivalent of "spidermenace", which he eventually adopted for himself because, well. they aren't wrong. (he got the name for the obvious reasons of his style and politics etc, but also because he can be quite brutal when he needs to be - see norman's very bad no good day above.)

his band is referred to as both "the spider-band" and "the daredevils" (after meeting mattea), which made my little daredevil fanboy heart soar a little ngl

in spiderverse specifically, hobie took 3 years to animate due to all the specific ways they stylised him and his movement! i am not an animator and cannot put it into actual technical terms so here's a tweet of one of the animators discussing it for anyone who's curious :]

he has a van called the spider-van, and sings the spiderman theme song at it sometimes ("🎶spider-van, spider-van, driving cross-country as fast as we can!🎶") which is ADORABLE. i love how cool he is in atsv but i need you to understand he's a DORK he's a NERD

another one for the dork point: he doesn't swear unless he's yelling at fascists (he's instead prone to a good "frick" "heckin" "motherlovin" etc). which i realise is probably just comic book censorship and them only being able to get away with a certain amount of tastefully censored swears and gore before someone gets in trouble and/or has to bump up the age rating, but also it drives his bandmates INSANE so i like to think he just does it for a giggle tbh. again, massive dork

and finally, to end things on a fun note: his current solo comic writer, cody ziglar, made him an official spiderpunk playlist so maybe we can stop having pointless playlist discourse and let people have fun!

i hope this infodump was alright and didn't disappoint fjdnfjfn!!! i definitely forgot (and/or ran out of space for) a bunch of shit but that just means i get to do this again, so :]!!!

#now i need the btsv writers to have hobie's bandmates out him as a total nerd /j #anyway i hope this is ok!!!#ask #infodump #fav

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sunnyyyteaaa · 1 year

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What is your favorite thing about the Rise of TMNT movie, and why? What hit you the most?

🌺 YAYYY A CHANCE TO INFODUMP THANK YOU!!

All thoughts under the cut cuz i'm going to write a lot lol (also apologies if my ramble makes no sense i am not a very well-spoken person teehee)

but tl;dr the balance of angst/comfort, the subltety in facial expressions and how it adds so much to the story, the animation in the action scenes

OKAY SO-

My favorite thing about the rottmnt movie? Oh man i dont think i can pick one thing. I'll just list the main ones 🤭

The fact that it was able to stray away from the goofy and lighthearted nature of the show but is still able to feel like rottmnt. The rottmnt movie is much darker and angstier than the show, but it still captures the essence of the characters and their personalities very well -- and it also explores their characters in a situation that calls for a more serious tone and it is beautifully done. The suble facial expressions and body language in each character speaks volumes on their personalities.

Speaking of which, i absolutely love the story they were able to tell solely on the facial expressions of the characters -- namely leo. In the movie, leo goes uncharacteristically quiet in some scenes, so it's much easier for the viewer to analyze his face to try and read what hes thinking.

Here, leo is face to face with krang for the first time in the movie, and it is apparent in his face. The look of sheer horror as he's trying to process what exactly he's fighting. The intense strength and overwhelming size of this... monster is absolutely daunting. He doesn't know what to do.

This is just one of many examples of the story leo creates with just his face. Down here we see another, clearer example.

Contemplation. Realization. Determination.

Leo understands the weight of the situation. Casey warned them it will only get worse if they do not get that key. But everyone is compromised. They have retreated. Everyone except him. He understands what he must do next, but is incredibly afraid. Going up there alone is a definite death wish. But someone has to pay for his mess, might as well be him. He readies himself to release the escape pod.

Like OHH MY GODDD. This part has to be one of my favorite scenes from the movie. It gave me goosebumps the first time i watched it. It clearly expresses his emotions to the viewer without him having to say anything. Just 10/10, beautifully done scene.

I could honestly write a 10 page essay on just the facial expressions in the movie, but moving on before this gets too long. The action scenes. They were so beautifully animated.

Especially this one right here!!! The camera moves at a pace to where its not disorienting/dizzy. And the colors of the turtles' ninpo makes it easier to understand what's going on. This entire scene was incredibly well choreographed. The showcasing of each of the brothers' fighting style (donnie's and leo's are more apparent in the deleted storyboard version but still) was soooo cool. And they're ultimate combo move was absolutely amazing as well (even though they got their asses beat right after 💀).

And this might be a basic answer but what hit me the most was the leo crying scene. Seeing the comical, pun-loving, unserious character break down thinking those were his last moments alive absolutely destroyed me. I honestly love the "comedic relief dies a hero" trope so this whole movie catered to my tastes very well lol. Anyway, rant over. I'd be surprised if you read this far but thanks for letting me infodump i've been waiting for someone to ask me about this movie since i watched it 👍

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bloobluebloo · 4 months

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I feel like Disney, MCU Thanos and Star Wars kinda soured the nuanced villain for the mainstream folks... I mean if I saw Kylo Ren I'd go back to wanting pure evil jackasses too.

As a certified hater of Kylo Ren I would love to blame him and Disney/MCU for people’s inability to see merit in properly developing a character. Unfortunately, for me that line of thinking is very low hanging fruit.

I've said it a couple of times already, but pure evil villains don't just exist in a vacuum, at least in a story that is decently written. Perhaps the villain themselves may be "evil just because they are evil" but their existence generally serve as a commentary on what is happening in the story they find themselves in. People love to cite Sauron as an example of an absolute evil antagonist, Tolkien himself saying as much. However, and not to start going into detail, Sauron himself has a lot of supporting backstory that gives you insight into why he is that way as well. My point is, a story that cares for telling a compelling story won't just stick in a character and say "he is evil" because then you, as the audience, won't care at all for it. I still cannot comprehend how people don't understand that if your antagonist, typically a part of the end goal for the protagonist, isn't interesting then you will really not care for reaching the end goal. Going back to TotK, even when I see people staunchly defending it and its storytelling, no one ever really talks about wanting to go fight Ganondorf, or feeling compelled to see him defeated. It's always about Zelda's sacrifice in becoming a dragon, or the many uses of Ultrahand, or the adventuring aspects amongst others. Everyone says that yes, when you do eventually go down to meet Ganondorf that the entire sequence is cool but there is no sense of urgency to actually go visit him. Maybe that was the intent of the dev team, to not have the player feel like they have to reach the end goal so that they can explore at their leisure, but that also makes for a boring villain that doesn't seem that threatening to begin with. Additionally, Ganondorf himself seems completely divorced from having any sort of interesting ties to Link and Zelda. His hatred lies with Rauru, and the only reason he seems interested in any way with Link is because Rauru said Link would defeat him. Zelda herself barely interacts with Ganondorf, which makes it even stranger that he chose to make a puppet out of someone that he seems to barely know nor care about. You would imagine that Ganondorf, hating Rauru and his kingdom as much as he does, would create a puppet out of Sonia with the goal of hurting Rauru with the image of his wife. Even the main quest of TotK is to "Find Zelda" aka Link's main concern is finding Zelda and bringing her home. Ganondorf is not Link's antagonist at all, but rather Rauru's, and then we learn little to nothing about Rauru. We actually learn little to nothing about Ganondorf as well, the game really banking on the fact that you as the player know that Ganondorf is the bad guy and the king of Hyrule is the good guy and running with it. Anyways, all's that to say, I love villains that are bastards. If Ganondorf was a tragic meow meow that spent his time lamenting his fortune I don't think I would like him as much. I want the game to make me feel like I need to beat him. Sticking him in a game and being like "yeah here he is, the bad guy, beat him" is boring and uninspired. I actually visited Ganondorf about 90 hours into playing TotK because, truly, the only thing compelling me to visit him was that he was my favorite character. There was no other sense of urgency for me. Compare that to OoT or WW where I wanted to get to him and see him defeated. Anyways I think I've rambled enough.

#ganonthots #bloothots

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devondeal · 2 months

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For the weird Star Wars ask, questions 1,4,7,8,10,11,14,17,18 and 20 😌😘 Have fun

Oooo good ones. Also hard ones 🤣

1. Qui Gon Jinn. Love or hate? Discuss.

I love Qui Gon Jinn. I love how calm he is and how contemplative he is. This doesn't mean I can't see his flaws though. Regardless he is a one of the coolest Jedi the prequels have introduced, I just wish fans wouldn't put him on a pedestal. Let characters be flawed and wrong sometimes, it's ok I swear y'all.

4. Do you prefer the prequel, original, or sequel trilogy, and why?

God this is a hard one. Original is more nostalgic for me, like I watch them for comfort since I watched them when I was a kid all cozy with hot cocoa and blankets and just adoring the characters and twists. But the prequels are just so meaty and entertaining with the flashy visuals and meme humor.

It hurts to choose but I guess I'll go with prequels cuz I do engage with them more in fandom given how juicy they are. That's not to say the OG isnt juicy but the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker is kinda hard to beat there.

7. Dumbest Star Wars moment

God so many to choose from 🤣 but yeah Jar Jar stepping on shit then immediately getting electrocuted. I may have the order wrong on those sequence of events but either way... dumb.

Honorable mention: Jabba's CGI band with Roach and Miss Lips Close up. Just thinking abt it makes me laugh. Like George what were you on? 🤣

8. If you could ask George Lucas one question, what would it be?

I would ask him how he would continue Leia's story after the OG trilogy. I just always felt she deserved more in depth character exploration and I'd want to know his POV on that.

10. If you could pull a George Lucas and sneak into Disney Plus to edit any Star Wars scene, what changes would you make?

I'd take a away the "No... NOOO" from the Vader scene in Return of the Jedi. Just takes away from the suspence of if he will save Luke and ruins it for me. That's really it. Not much of an edit since it wasn't there to begin with. So an un-edit?

Next, I would edit some squeaking noises for C3PO during the Luke and Leia kiss, maybe an "oh my" even though he wouldnt be sure why he didn't like it 🤣 maybe some background dialogue for him and and R2 abt it.

11. Who would you want as your Jedi Master? (Why)

Luke Skywalker. I feel like he would really help with my confidence issues with his tendency for positive reinforcement. And he's nice and calm so he wouldn't trigger my anxiety. But still enough discipline so that I stay sharp and on it which I also need as a scatterbrain. I feel like because he started as a scatterbrain himself, he'd know where I was coming from.

14. BESIDES THE ROTS NOVELIZATION, what is your favorite Star Wars book?

The Approaching Storm is just a chock full of Jedi fun. It gives you an idea of what Jedi are meant to do and you get to see familiar characters in a more relaxed (for Jedi that is) setting.

17. Pick one Star Wars line to describe your life, what would it be?

"All his life has he looked away... to the future, to the horizon. Never his mind on where he was. What he was doing."

This Yoda line about Luke very much described me for a very long time. I've always felt and sometimes still do. I tend to live in my head and struggle with being present. I guess Qui Gon's line about being in the present applies too.

18. What is your favorite piece of Star Wars merchandise that you own?

Oof I can't narrow that down to one. So it's gonna be the Ahsoka doll you gave me 😘 also the Savi's lightsaber I made. My Lego collection is huge but I have a soft spot for the Tie Fighter and Luke's Landspeeder cuz they were what got me back into Lego since my childhood.

Literally any Lego clone minifigure.

20. Please describe in as much detail as possible the signature scent of Ewan McGregor and/or Obi-Wan. (Are they different? Probably)

Omg, really making me think like a straight woman eh? 🤣 Idk or care what Ewan smells like even though cool dude. Obi Wan... hmmm....

Tea leaves and really faint raspberry. Why? Cuz the nerd eats them off the Jedi Temple gardens. Just seems like a raspberry guy to me. His robes are always clean so probably fresh laundry. His hair smells like puppy breath idk.

#ask game

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monty-glasses-roxy · 7 months

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To clarify before I tell you what these all entail... this will probably not effect what I choose too much as my choice will be on what's likely to be the easiest option to get back into writing again. I'm just curious what people would want to read from me, hence the poll.

Tubehell Challange:

This is the thing where I use the exact same amount of words as Andrea Waggener to tell The Storyteller and The Mimic stories from the books, but with less credenzas and hopefully more impact. This option would leave me a little over 14k words to write before I'd officially beat Nano this year, meaning I'd be able to maybe make a good start on one of the other options if I get that far. This is like a combo I guess. If I can get the two short stories done, I can do whatever else afterwards to reach the Nano goal of 50k words. Optimistic? Yeah... but it's two short stories I think I can do that in a month lmao

Ruin Aftermath AU:

This is the AU I have in mind for what comes after the standard Ruin ending. Roxy, Cassie and some Minis would be working together to deal with Mimic, escape the underground, and keep eachother safe. This AU is the basis of Ruin Meteors, and where most of my Ruin compliant AUs stem from, so I for sure want to do this one at some point. I don't know how long it'll be though, but is intended to be much shorter than anything like Meteors would be.

Start Ruin Meteors AU:

Yeah this is the Meteors AU I've been talking about recently. A meteor strikes the planet and does a bunch of cool magic stuff over an extended period of time. This includes turning the animatronics into flesh and blood versions of themselves one by one. This one needs a lot of prep work and is incredibly long, but I really enjoy it and would love to explore some of the ideas I have for it sooner rather than later. It's really long though, so even if I beat Nano with it, I'd probably still have a long way to go to finish it.

MXES Roxy/Jurassic Bark shorts:

This is what it says on the tin. I could focus on short stories of my own and explore some of the ideas I have for Roxy being a part of the MXES and some unrelated Jurassic Bark ship ideas for the variety. Ideas for MXES Roxy include what she can see with her eyes, being the last one infected, having different security based abilities to the others, etc. Ideas for Jurassic Bark would sometimes overlap with MXES Roxy, but also include shorts on little conflicts they have, comforts, date nights, silly goofs, etc.

And then of course, the last option is for those that have no preference.

I'm only polling for what you guys would be most interested in, I'll be doing whatever I think is best for getting me back into writing again, regardless of the results. I'm just curious!

#if you want my opinion... you'll have to wait till after this ends lmao #oh also the WHEN of these things will vary drastically #I won't start posting Meteors until I've reached whatever goal I set for it #the ruin au would be a similar situation though not as lengthy #and the shorts would be probably a day or two after they're written and I've proofread them #Tubehell Challenge would be posted when both are complete and Storyteller has been proofed #and also when I'm satisfied with the connections between them #so yeah I'll mention this again later maybe #but that's the general idea of this

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cloud-somersault · 5 months

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You being one of the few people who write shadowpeach with 'wukong killed macaque' in mind is one of the reasons why I follow you!! Others being just. I like how you characterize lmk characters in general and your writing is fun to read.

But if we're talking about the shadowpeach murder fight (and if you don't wanna get into this just ignore the rest of this ask) I'd love to hear any thoughts you have on it? Like is there something that you think did or didn't happen that you think no one's really talked/no one you've seen really talk about? Like, I always think that the final blow wasn't an instant kill? And Wukong backed off.

So Macaque watched Wukong 'leave' while he was dying (since he always focuses on Wukong leaving him, not the actual death) and Wukong went into denial and rationalized it (cause in the show Wukong does NOT act like a guy who buried his lover/best friend to said best friend). I always thought that'd be a fun angle to explore for canon/an au.

Aw, thank you! Not trying to be arrogant or what have you, but yeah, there aren't very many who write with Wukong Doing a Murder in mind.

Hold on, I have to shift into canon to answer that. And I'm probably gonna mess up, because tbh, I haven't thought about canon in a long ass time LMFAOOOO

ngl, I like both options of Wukong leaving Macaque to die AND it being a powerful final blow that did Macaque in. And you know, since I'm a little unhinged, I like playing around with motivation. Like maybe Wukong enjoyed doing it, enjoyed proving which one of them was stronger. I dunno.

(kicks a rock) maybe while Wukong was on the journey, fighting macaque brought back memories of those fun times when he could be reckless. And I like to play with that bc in JTTW Macaque is the embodiment of all of Wukong's negativity, which can be translated or interpreted as his "darkness." The parts of himself he's trying to run away from.

I like to play along with like "Maybe Macaque was being a little asshole and had to be stopped" y'know, like DBK. Just for funsies.

I also like to play around with "Wukong was an illusion cast by someone else" because it ties into the whole "Macaque pretended to be Wukong" in JTTW. I like illusions playing some part in that fight. Like, perhaps Wukong saw an illusion and thought Macaque was another evil demon that he fought before, while Macaque saw someone else, too. Like maybe they were BOTH fooled.

Also love it being like "Macaque wanted Wukong's attention and Wukong rejected that and said they're not friends anymore" love that flavor, thanks! Maybe because Wukong wanted to kill any remnants of his life before the journey or at least like. stop hanging out with those people who threw an uprising in Heaven and thought that was a solid plan.

As for the burial thing.... 🤔 I think it's cool if Wukong did bury Macaque and when he sees him again, he's initially scared af and confused...but Macaque attacks him and doesn't give Wukong answers. And I think, when we first see them interact in the show, isn't the first time they've interacted since Macaque came back to life. I don't think that because the story is centered on MK and Macaque saw an opportunity to manipulate MK to get his powers and use that to try and beat Wukong. He's just searching for ways to kill this monkey LMFAO

BUT ALSO...not burying Macaque is spicy too. leaving your best friend's/former lover's corpse on the side of the road? damn, how do we come back from that... huh.

Fun fact! Wukong did bury Macaque in constellations AU. but we'll get into that in the epilogue...perhapeth.

#ask #thanks for this ask and the nice comments!!#sorry i didn't have much to say #it's hard for me to think about canon anymore #(looks off into the distance) i've ascended beyond it

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viscountessevie · 9 months

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Dark Olympus #0.5: Stone Heart by Katee Robert

Overall Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ Summary:

In the city of Olympus, people hardly dare to say Medusa's name aloud. She is Athena's agent, the one she sends when she wants someone to disappear. Medusa owes her life to Athena, and if staining her hands with blood is the only way to repay her debt, it's a small price to pay. Until Athena sends him to find Calypso, the mistress of wealthy politician Odysseus. Calypso has done nothing worthy of a death sentence, and her conflicting feelings only worsen when Medusa first sees the woman behind the name. Calypso is beautiful, cunning and above all ready to do anything to save her life, including seducing her potential assassin. But what begins as a ploy to escape quickly turns into a real attraction. Because Medusa is not the cold killer that rumours suggest, and Calypso is much more complex than it seems...

My Review:

So it's been a week since I first read this and these two are still stuck in my head. I just adored this interpretation of their respective myths and how well they meshed well together. We've got disaster lesbian Medusa who thinks she's a monster and no one will ever desire her paired with cool and elegant pansexual Calypso who has only ever been desired in a transactional sense paired together. My my, IS IT BEAUTIFUL!! I seriously needed a full length novel of them exploring the themes of their characters and how true it rang with their original myths. Katee really knocked it out of the park with these two.

I really enjoyed the set up for these two. Like just the hunter and the prey but when they actually meet, Calypso flips the trope on its head. There's just many instances throughout the novella where you think it's going one way and we're given something completely unexpected.

Their sex scene(s) were top tier and it really hits you in the feels which is why I gave the book a full spice rating. It just added to their love story and elevated both their characters since their backstories were a lead up to the scene.

My main complaint is that's IT'S TOO SHORT AND WE DESERVED A FLESHED OUT ENDING. That's why they've been burnt into my brain. The book's ending was a little bit of a cop out and has a very powerful God playing their ex deus machina. So I kind of felt cheated out of the girlies fighting for themselves and their happy ending. Lowkey makes me wanna write my own ending but I don't think I can pull it off to match this book's calibre.

Overall, I'd say this is my fave book of my series so far which surprised me because I did not think anyone could beat Eros and Psyche in Electric Idol! I think anyone who is into romance novels and Greek myths can appreciate this one. The way Katee interwove both Medusa and Calypso's OG myth backstories into a great modern adaptation hit really well. 10/10 would recommend and happy reading!

#Dark Olympus #Dark Olympus Reviews #Katee Robert #Stone Heart #Greek Mythology #Stone Heart by Katee Robert #Romance #Romance Blogging #Greek Mythology Retelling

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