#see it's funny because even in the first instance the role is always a bit deeper than it is | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

jacksgreysays · 4 months

Note

35. things you said that made me feel real + Shikako/Gaara, royalty!AU

Anonymous asked: "welcome to the show," Kankurou and Shikako, chaotic political intrigue with a hefty dose of theater

First off, here are all eleven mentions/instances of the Shikaara royalty!AU that I could find because gods know I never came up with a title for that AU and thus have never tagged them for my own convenience: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. But if you don’t want to read those (most of them are three sentence fic, so it’s not too long, but I get it) then just know that Gaara, youngest prince of Wind, and Shikako, a daughter of a minor noble from Fire, literally bump into each other during Crown Princess Temari’s coronation and the tabloids turn their meeting into the fairy tale romance of the ages.

Okay now that that’s done: Anon(s) I’m also sorry for bundling your prompts together, but this time it’s because they were LITERALLY RIGHT NEXT TO EACH OTHER in my inbox and also, the juxtaposition is SO FUNNY TO ME and also, also, adds additional nuance to both of them that I now cannot untangle them in my mind.

Well, I mean, I COULD. And you would theoretically get a very sweet, serene, straightforward Shikako and Gaara fall in love with each for real during the quiet moments behind what the rest of the world sees as their whirlwind romance via tabloids. Then a separate Kankurou and Shikako being bros and, essentially, grifting [insert number and which countries] daimyo(s) with some kind of stage performance as the cover/distraction while the actual mission is something else entirely. So not exactly The Producers, but a little bit? Also, a little bit like Ask Box Three Sentence Fic 8.2

BUT, what I think I like best about combining the two prompts is that the conflict of the narrative is built in with the softly budding, earnest Shikaara romance having to compete with the wilder, flashier PR scam that Kankurou and Shikako are running. Which does then get into the worldbuilding of: hey, actually, how much privacy do members of the nobility have and what is their duty to their countries and is publicity only good publicity when you control it?

HOWEVER, I’ll be honest, what REALLY got me into wanting to combine these two prompts is that, well…

In response to the first prompt (things you said that made me feel real) my brain immediately went to:

“Do you trust me?” she asks, hand outstretched. Gaara can hear the noise of the press, even muffled as they are by the door separating the green room from the stage. He doesn’t have a very good relationship with the press, his older siblings are more charming, more practiced, he mostly just wants to hide away from all the prying eyes. Though he supposes that’s what got him here in the first place. “Do you trust me?” Shikako repeats, hand still reaching out to him, and it’s now that he notices how it’s trembling, slightly. That she, too, doesn’t like the limelight. That she had also just been looking for a quiet place to hide, during their fateful meeting weeks ago. He puts his hand in hers, matching her grip in an attempt to ameliorate both of their nerves. “Yes,” he says, before they jump into fray together.

And then, because I will always, ALWAYS be in love with Chapter 95 (which even kicked off my whole recursive fic writing in the first place) my brain glommed onto the magic carpet-esque sand platform after the fight and what I’m saying is:

Shikako is Aladdin and Gaara is Jasmine, which ULTIMATELY makes Kankurou the Genie which I think is great :D

And so the second prompt comes in with Kankurou in the Genie role, just doing his best to make this PR machine work in their favor so that he can prove that being a royal doesn’t have to mean being miserable all the time (and also so that he can abdicate his place as first in line after Temari in relative peace)

Because if you really think about it—Gaara is second in line for an entire country (for now, though if Kankurou has his way, he’ll probably be bumped up to first). And, yes, his place will probably drop if/when Temari has kids. BUT, that’s a lot of responsibility. And I don’t exactly know HOW active/how much authority royalty actually has in this world. If it’s more figurehead-ish or if they actually do have executive power in the government. But either way, I don’t think he would have complete freedom over who he gets to be with, in the sense that he still has to do what is best for his country.

BUT, what if Kankurou can make it so that what is best for Wind IS to have the fairytale romance with Shikako and to make it real? (ie, good morale boost/PR for the country, kind of like what was going on with Princess Diana, RIP, and Charles’ relationship but actually good instead of being behind the scenes awful)

So then you have to bridge the gap between literal second (first?) in line for an entire country and the daughter of a minor peerage from Fire. I think I made Fire a five clan oligarchy made up of the canon four noble clans plus the Senju, which—finally my garbage taste in trash manhwa is paying off!—would probably make each of those five clans duchies. And if the Akimichi has the rank of Duke/Duchess, then the Yamanaka and the Nara are their subordinates which means that they are either Marquis/Marquess or Count/Countess.

Add on top of that, Shikako isn’t even her father’s heir. I mean, she could be if she wanted to fight Shikamaru for it, but she suuuuper doesn’t want it or to fight him for it. So… she might not even have a title at all, technically?

I mean, depending on how wild I want to get with the “prequel/backstory” of the royalty!AU (ie, Naruto’s Princess Diaries meets Anastasia fairy tale of realizing that he’s actually the long lost prince of Uzushio because of a grand adventure to meet the Duchess Tsunade) she may have been awarded a title for her “service.” But it still wouldn’t necessarily match Gaara’s second(/first) in line for the Wind monarchy.

Hence why Kankurou has to be the Genie and gas up Shikako’s reputation in Wind a la Prince Ali Ababwa. So you can see how that much chaotic energy and masks on masks and rumor manipulation would be the opposing force of Gaara and Shikako serenely, earnestly falling in love.

Then again, if we REALLY need like… an actual bad guy… I suppose there is the whole… just me scavenging from the Gaara Hiden novel again … Sand council arranging Gaara’s marriage with Hokuto of the Houki family (who would be a high ranking Wind noble in this world). Or maybe I do use the Akatsuki as international terrorist group and technically Shikako is a known associate of one of their members thing? But… I don’t particularly like that plot… so… probably not.

ANYWAYS, just imagine Kankurou having to somehow make the flashiest fairytale romance of the century with two quiet nerds who would much rather not be in the spotlight, please and thank you. He is a stage manager struggling to herd these two cats. Sure, he’s got Jinzo on the Wind side, but he’s also going to need so much of Ino’s help to wrangle Shikako. HE’S DOING HIS BEST WITH WHAT HE’S GOT, OKAY?

Thank you for the prompts, anon(s), I had fun!

#jacksgreyson #anonymous #ask box advent calendar #dreaming of sunshine #shikako nara #sabaku no gaara #sabaku no kankurou #fanfiction #writing #brainstorm

14 notes · View notes

prince-kallisto · 3 months

Note

15 and 16? For me, 15 would be Frollo since with the Masquerade event, he’s already halfway there. It’s hilarious, I can’t help but laugh at the idea because this is by far one of the worst instances of history being “twisted” in TWST, lmao. I thought the beginning of the game where the Great 7 are introduced was funny, but this event takes the cake for me!

For 16, CAPTAIN HOOK. I cannot stress enough how much I have ALWAYS wanted to see a character based off of Hook. Also imagine a hypothetical dynamic between Twisted Captain Hook and the Octavinelle trio 😂

I’d love to hear your answers for these two asks though!

Here’s the TWST ask meme in case anyone is curious 👀 15 is “If you could pick a Disney villain to add to the Great Seven, who would would it be?” Andjsjd, right?? 🤣🤣🤣 Frollo’s introduction was so far off from what he actually did- at least the other Great Seven twisting of the truth felt a bit more manageable. But I think a character that should be with the Great Seven is the Chernabog! 👀 Even though he’s not a character that really received a movie role like the other villains (the Chernabog first appeared in Fantasia), he feels like such a classic villain, and as a representation of evil, apparently he’s just evil for the fun of it! I feel like his aesthetic would fit really well, and he has a lot of mystery to him that feels fitting in the TWST world.

16 is “If you were to make a character that had to be based on a Disney villain, which Disney villain would it be?” I also agree!! I’m really quite shocked that a twisted Captain Hook has not made an appearance yet in TWST…he was such an iconic and classic villain! I’ve heard ideas of him being introduced in the next Halloween event, which feels so perfect! I hope this happens- he feels too iconic to not include in the game somehow. But I’d personally love to see a Twisted Oogie Boogie or John Silver…the Nightmare Before Christmas and Treasure Planet are definitely in my top 5 of favorite Disney films (the Nightmare Before Christmas’ status as a disney film is a bit ambiguous, but you know what I mean 🤣), and their personalities would fit so well in the TWST world!! Fun fact, I actually made OCs for both these characters several years ago before I even made this blog…perhaps I should revamp these old OCs one day! \(//∇//)\ My Oogie Boogie OC was my personal favorite at the time haha, so I’d love to revisit him

Thank you for your ask! 🫶💖💖💖🐦‍⬛ It was a lot of fun both reading your thoughts and answering these questions! ^_^

#kallistopost #ask kallisto #ask meme

3 notes · View notes

scarletmaster143 · 11 months

Text

Skip beat: a hilarious mess full of love, friendship and human connections

(please do not expect cohesion or structure)

Skip beat will always always have a very special place in my heart solely due to the fact that it is the funniest show I have ever watched. The manga is written in an absurd, exaggerated style and both the anime and the drama manage to capture its unique sense of humour excellently. Ivy's over the top acting, siwon's cool but baffled expressions, dong hae's haughty side eyes (so much eyeliner) managed to capture the characters of kyoki, ren and sho so beautifully. It will always be a great pity that we never got a season two for either. (also props to the actors who played Mr yashiro and lory in the drama, they have my heart)

Coming to the characters themselves-

Kyoko: my beautiful bold courageous child, who dreams of fairytales even when she's going through hell. Her journey is amazing and inspiring and I adore how she rejects love but gravitates to cute things. Her friendship with moko is heartwarming and so is her big sister-ship with Maria. She makes so many connections throughout the story and each connection is so precious, i love it. My fav arc for her has to be the natsu arc but i will go into each character in detail.

Rich lady- yes I'm including this in her list of roles even though she didn't really play this part. The anime rendition of this is my favourite episode to watch solely because of how beautiful she looks and how much grit she has. It is also the first of many instances we see where kyoko draws from her own life consciously to act out a role, her past with sho is so shaded by her devotion and his indifference it was amazing to see how she took something positive from that.

Promo clip angel- legitimately gasped when I saw her outfit in the anime, so fucking gorgeous and it was so funny how she couldn't stop crying when thinking of moko (ahhhh kyoko is so adorable) also in the drama when she is bickering with sho (or shang ig?) in this outfit, have a hate-love relationship with the prisoner song tho.

Mio- ah mio, has there ever been a more iconic character, the last one we see in the anime and drama mio is iconic to kyoko in-universe as well as in the real world. The masterful way she crafts the character to be a little twisted but still striving to do the right thing, how she takes ren's advice and completely flips that perception that people have of mio, and how much heart she puts into learning about mio is awe-inspiring. Kyoko looks so good during her entire time as mio and i legitimately forgot how long she plays the role for- so many things happen while they are still shooting dark moon. Mio also allows kyoko to showcase a little bit of her darker side with the spirits of grudge

Natsu- the most delightful and horrifying character natsu's arc is the epitome of a showbiz drama. Her being so determined to shed mio but completely unable to, the entire sequence where the director and his assistant (?) discuss how she carries herself so different from other people her age, HER GOING TO REN'S PLACE AND DEMANDING HE TRAINS HER LIKE A FEMALE MODEL, chef's kiss. I like that she kept mio's wickedness but amplified it in a way that was more true to life. I feel like natsu somewhat resembles sho in certain ways tho I'm not sure if that was intentional. All in all it is the first step in kyoko's journey beyond dark moon and it is executed really well .

Kuon- lowkey forgot about it but when kuu asks kyoko to act as his son, it gave me goosebumps. Knowing that kuu is kuon's father and that kyoko has actually met him the past was already exciting, but when she showed up in that American boy outfit, i was stunned. Her meeting with ren was so cool, yashiro being confused af, ren being like wtf and her panicking internally, such a chaotic arc, her relationship with teacher/father is so adorable, she really thinks of kuu as a mentor and it warms my heart, i really want to see more kuu-juliena/ren-kyoko interactions simply because of how much ren's parents adore kyoko individually, but yes kuon is very special to kyoko and it helped her get over he funk with mio and natsu

Setsu- if natsu is my favourite arc then setsu has to be my favourite character. Made up for no legitimate purpose except for the ✨romantic spice ✨ setsu is such a cool character and her dynamic with ren as cain is absolutely revolting but also so cuuttteee. I love her fashion, love her confidence, there is a bit of natsu to her but definitely more outcast-y. My girl is totally a Vivienne Westwood grunge queen and i cannot ever get the hotel-hickey scene out of my head, kyoko's acting grows leaps and bounds here as she works with ren who even falls prey to her, it is beautiful. (Love that she kicks sho just for laughs) I hope we find some way to meet setsu again since we see murasame make a reappearance, would love to see her act as setsu in front of beagle boy,

Momiji- we haven't seen a lot of momiji the character but i do adore a tragic love, the momiji arc was probably the best in displaying how much kyoko has grown and how her connections with other people have shaped her, she's more sure of herself largely because she knows she has reliable people backing her up and their loyalty is a direct result of her kindness/positive behaviour with them. Her faith in her own abilities is very encouraging to see and i find momiji surprisingly similar to mio in that she has to hide her real feelings due to circumstances out of her control, her devotion to shizumasa and her grudging respect for chidori just as she bleeds out perfectly tie up her arc and though she is tragic she is splendid. I like that they took the time to establish kyoko's current position before moving into the route arc which I feel is going to be long and tedious, morizumi was a pain and director kuresaki is so pathetic i love him

4 notes · View notes

theangryjikooker · 2 years

Text

TAJ 🔍 Run BTS! • #4-6

Disclaimer Please note that this is for entertainment purposes only. What I comment on is purely observational, and there is no way for anyone to know the true nature of these dynamics and what motivates them without actually being a presence in their lives or a direct confidant(e). Any statement made that inadvertently comes across as "factual" should be understood as an implication within the boundaries of my perspective.

Introduction The first time I thought about doing this, my goal was to focus on the interactions and development of Jungkook and Jimin. This "miniseries," if you will, went through several iterations as I was watching Run BTS, and I decided to be a bit more inclusive about how the group behaves/interacts with one another with an emphasis on Jungkook and Jimin, when applicable. I believe doing it this way provides a better context and contrast.

Also, my observations won't really take their other content into account that was happening around the same time. I might say something that contradicts a Bangtan Bomb that was released roughly around the same time, for instance, so just be advised. Anyone is more than welcome to chime in with interesting tidbits from other content (if it's relevant).

If the episodes are short enough, or I don't feel like there's much going on, I'm going to fit several in a post.

Episode 4

Practical Joker Jimin strikes! You can already tell he's so charismatic in front of the camera.

Yet another episode where we can witness the group dynamics, which is entertaining to watch. There's a shamelessness among them to sabotage or push one another under the bus, and it's almost like watching a bunch of rowdy brothers having fun. Again, it's one of the likable things about them.

Episode 5

I'm going to sound like a broken record, but I am in awe of how their personalities mesh well with one another. Obviously, the differences in their personalities are expected to make an appearance in high-tension scenarios and occur off-camera, but the relative ease they have in one another's company and how organic it is, is almost unparalleled. Admittedly, this is more than likely a bias at play. There was a 2nd generation Kpop group whose relationship almost reminds me of theirs, and that was DBSK as I knew them. I saw them on a lot of Japanese variety shows, and in hindsight, their chemistry was unusually soft and sweet at the height of their popularity.

One of the best things about this episode is how well they support each other's strengths and will take a step back from their initial roles if required. This is hardly surprising when considering their professional work ethic even to this day, but it's always nice seeing it play out in situations outside of their work.

I still can't get over how much of a Leading Man energy Jin possesses.

I also want to point out that Yoongi is consistently unlike the grumpy character that he's often associated with. I understand where it originates because he doesn't sugarcoat anything, he's straightforward, and his deadpan tone is almost like the cherry on top of his Grumpy Cat appeal. He's an interesting character study in this way because he's otherwise very colorful.

And Slytherin Jimin makes his first appearance: “It's not my life.”

I think this applies to all the members, but so far, Jimin is so unintentionally funny.

Episode 6

This is going to be a common theme, but I am so livid with myself that I wasn't automatically OT7 from the get-go. I can confidently say I am now, of course, but the reality was that it took a while for me to like each member individually. Taehyung was the last member for me, and I don't understand why because his personality is so easily on display in this episode (

Run

was

the

show that cemented my love for them). And the dynamic between Taehyung and Jimin is so transparently adorable with the level of comfort they have to playfully rib each other. The

“이 자식아”

has me in tears because I love when people are playing a role and cheekily slip out of character. This is Vmin in their element, and I love it.

Finally, a real exchange between Jungkook and Jimin.

I still wouldn't have shipped them had I been around at this time, but watching this scene alone, I can see why people would have started to. Right off the bat, Jimin is complimentary, really laying it on thick. Even if it's for play, it's glaringly obvious that Jimin is essentially playing favorites or is at least showing an affinity for Jungkook. I think what makes this striking for a lot of people is that he doesn't do this for anyone else (granted, he's absolving sins of only three members lmao), but at the same time it's a bit hard to make any sort of firm declarations without seeing the other members in Jimin's role and how they might improvise if Jungkook was sitting in front of them. Although I'm sure anyone could argue that watching them in Bangtan Bombs around this time, Jimin leaned into this more than the other members.

I guess one could argue that Jimin is very doting because Jungkook's the youngest, but he's also not that much younger, and they're both not that young here. It's not like they're 15 and 13, where that hyung-dongsaeng relationship might be markedly more different than at 20 and 18. Because they're older, there's that nuance that can influence how a dynamic is perceived, and it doesn't help that Jungkook doesn't affect a traditional maknae vibe (and, as we all know by now, has a predisposition towards enjoying playing into a hyung-like role).

It's well-known that all the members love Jungkook, but Jimin consistently shows it differently. Even when they're supposed to be "in character," Jimin veers off-topic to alter the focus on Jungkook. It's... interesting.

I'm not saying this is specifically the case for him because I don't know him personally (the usual disclaimers apply, etc.), but some people will manifest their feelings quite differently when they don't fully recognize it. With regards to Jikook, and if I wanted to be overanalytical about it, I would question the authenticity of Jimin's hyung role because his behavior calls it into question. There are always exceptions, and Jimin may have just been expressing intense adoration for Jungkook in the same way anyone can aggressively love people they know are cute but don't like past a certain threshold. Certainly possible, but not something I would immediately conclude going off of first impressions.

Side note: A lot of early signs that denote attraction and/or chemistry begins subconsciously, and what happens a lot of the time is that other people will recognize those signs before the people involved. We don't receive a visual feed as comprehensive as others who can see us do. None of this has to indicate anything romantic, by the way, but there's a reason why (in general) other people might sense something about your relationship with someone before you can.

I love that Hoseok is right after Jungkook because you see the hyung-dongsaeng dynamic flipped upright and how Jihope contrasts with Jikook. Hoseok's drama when he's talking Jimin up lends itself to playfulness, which is where their main dynamic is present and why that feeling is much more different than when Jimin was singing Jungkook's praises.

In all fairness, however, if this was the advent of Jihope, I'm not surprised.

Previous • Next

#TAJ posts #TAJ series: Run #bts #run bts #kim seokjin #min yoongi #jung hoseok #kim namjoon #park jimin #kim taehyung #jeon jungkook #ot7 #jikook #kookmin

19 notes · View notes

zalrb · 2 years

Note

do you think any of the current actors have the capacity/are on a trajectory of being a Star™️ in the sense of like 90s movie stars? i feel like zendaya gives me that vibe a bit in her offscreen presence and we’ve already talked about her acting’s growth potential. other than that no one immediately comes to mind. i think you know what i mean but to clarify, when i say 90s movie stars, i mean actors who become household names, whose name is automatically makes me people want to go to the theatre, someone who oozes charisma. like do you think that’s possible in this era or are we too far gone? this obviously for younger actors and not like established folks lmao

It's funny because I've thought about this in the past because I'm always aware that stardom looks different to me than it probably does now but in my view, I agree that Zendaya is probably the closest to that but no one else comes to mind and it's also because movies have changed, basically now, there's Marvel and then everything else that hardly gets any play because Marvel/Disney is cannibalizing everything, so it's basically xyz actor has joined the MCU hurrah! which at least to me only warrants a shrug whereas in the 90s, it would be like all the teen stars you know from your favourite tv shows or that other successful teen movie you like are in this one fun, slasher movie

and you're seeing them everywhere

and the shows in the 90s were, like, defining a generation and the closest thing you have to that now is Euphoria and it doesn't have the same impact as a show like Dawson's Creek

and having that kind of hold generates a desire to see them in other things.

and there was the combination power of a teen actor icon and a teen pop icon so I don't know if I would consider Melissa Joan Hart an icon, but Sabrina The Teenage Witch was popular and Britney Spears was popular so you had Drive Me Crazy

whereas now you wouldn't go to the theatre to see Drive Me Crazy or 10 Things I Hate About You or American Pie or Clueless, you would catch it on Netflix and that just does not generate the same type of star power.

Even the early 00s, the blend of Hollywood and kung fu action movies were having a resurgence in North America because Rush Hour was so successful in '98

and The Matrix had used martial arts

which leads to things like Romeo Must Die in 2000, particularly when there is a history of kung fu movies being extremely popular with Black Americans (i.e. Bruce Lee/Bruce Lee movies in the 70s, Kareem Abdul Jabbar even had an appearance in Game of Death) and there were some crossovers of blaxploitation and kung fu movies, so people were flocking to see Aaliyah in her first film role and I remember it being a huge deal that DMX had a cameo

the closest you kind of get to that now from what I've seen is Megan Thee Stallion twerking in She Hulk and Harry Styles doing whatever the fuck he's doing.

It basically feels like now, actors have, like, cult followings rather than massive appeal? Like for instance, I know that Dylan O'Brien is beloved but it's not like what Leo-mania was in the 90s.

12 notes · View notes

shadlad24 · 2 years

Text

More Funny Little Moments #3: Season 2, Episodes 1-11

Finally. Finally, it. Is. FINISHED! YAAAAAY!!! Like last time, this MFLM will only include one to two additional funny moments per episode.

2.1: Orphan of War

This half of the season at least is SO reliant on characters being dumb! At least Xena gets to sass Gabrielle for once in my posts? heh

2.2: Remember Nothing

Perhaps remembering what dude did to her drumstick, Gabrielle thinks…

Ooh! The realization behind the following collage was actually pretty good! What an endearing/intriguing little reversal, eh?

2.3: The Giant Killer

Hee! My beloved goof. The only reason I left this unnecessary, dramatic stunt out in the main post is because the second of the FFLM points came a beat later. heh

It really must be asked: GabbyWabs, are you blind? How could you watch this chick take a running leap into David’s arms like that, then stand with him in such a way, and not realize that they were romantically joined? LOLz Sorry, kid.

2.4: Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

This bit was more of a “Wut?” on my part. Did Xena’s killing Bacchus and reversing his curse somehow kill Orpheus too? No? But dude’s wifey-poo be dead. How can they be together if he’s still—well, whatever gods/immortals do that approximates being—alive?*

2.5: Return of Callisto

Okay, this note probably needs a bit of prefacing. As you may know, I don’t see Xena or even GXe’s relationship as most other fans do. Given how domineering and protective yet dismissive Xena was toward Gabrielle in the beginning, I was seriously like, “Does Xena think she’s Gabrielle’s dad? I think she thinks she’s Gabrielle's dad…” 😆 Especially here…

2.6: Warrior…Princess…Tramp

Joxer is truly something else. Rather than finding his latest tale amusing in any way, I found it …eerie. First, he seemingly casts himself in the role of Perdicas; then he turns into Callisto. Then he is faced with Gabrielle, his friend (whom he apparently sees as a little girl to the point of being his surrogate daughter^) who just days ago lost Perdicas to Callisto. He laughs off his grotesque retelling, in her face. But that’s okay. She chuckles too. Again, despite being just DAYS off of losing her lifelong friend and puppy-love. And no, Joxer didn’t see Perdicas die, but he obviously heard what happened, and, and was inches behind Gabrielle when she professed her grief-crazed desire to kill Callisto herself! Well, GJ soon play the moment off as if he’s describing their first interaction with Callisto, but still …Can we just say yikes here? It’s so terrible it’s almost funny…

2.7: Intimate Stranger

Ahem. Next up we have another instance of really stupid decision-making on one character’s part and yet another glaring example of unobservant-ness from a second character, once more Gabrielle. Callisto does not know how to whisper. She also doesn’t know how not broadcast her plan to the masses nor stop mugging even at inopportune times. But that’s alright. Gabrielle’s hearing range does not extend beyond a four-foot radius, I guess. Same for her vision? Even if she can’t hear what Callisto’s saying, can she not see “Xena’s” face? Read her lips? Notice “the warrior princess” turning the dagger around, shoving it under her own chin, and then holding it there, all the while psycho-grinning at her worst enemy and recent peace-stealer? No? …LOL? 🥲

2.8: Ten Little Warlords

Ahem, part 2. I’ll just let Xena take over here.

2.9: A Solstice Carol

For crying out loud! So, dumb-butt Lynal really, truly thought Xena’s chakram was not just an accessory, but an ornament? Makes sense. I know I always go around with my Christmas-tree-topper star hanging on my hip during Christmastime. Particularly when I’m out and about in a decidedly extremely anti-Christmas town. You know, for the funsies. …But, like, even if we excuse the boy’s idiocy like we had to previously^, why did the chakram go along with it? The round-killing thing sliced Xena’s hand when she thought it was a toy. So why didn’t it cut the kid while he was demeaning it with those bows and all? What the? The chakram knows things, okay? Unacceptable, chakram! LOL!

Quick bit surrounding an odd line:

2.10: The Xena Scrolls

We can’t go a MFLM without mentioning Hope, right? Never! ’Tis tradition to give her a shoutout in these things now! Thus, Xena and I are on the same wavelength again because I said so. ...Dahak did steal Gabrielle’s innocence, goodness, peace, etc., and Gabrielle did abandon them both, after all. Huh! Wouldn’t that be something if Janice really was Hope reincarnated? Perhaps even the cover of a resurrected, immortal Hope? Heh/D’aw/Oh my!

2.11: Here She Comes… Miss Amphipolis

We finish with a small, albeit obvious chuckle. How did the ladies know their ranking? It comes across as if they both knew beforehand and didn’t. Salmoneus at least seemed certain they didn’t, hence his early banter with Xena. And how great would it have been if he interrupted at least once and was like, “Uh, that’s great, Miss ____, but you aren’t who I was about to call”? heheheheh

Welp, that’s that. At last! Yeyeyeyeyeyey!

Here go the…

Season 1 FFLMs (2's are^): #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 + MFLMs: #1 #2

and

Episodic Ficlets: #1 #1 (Truncated) #2 #3 #4 #4 (Alternate) #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #24 + Google Doc

Also-also, this is my 299th post, completed almost a week after my 21st mensiversary (fully updated master post). What should I do for my big 300th post? Please send in some ideas ASAP! Thanks, all!

*No, but really. Orpheus must be dead right? If Eurydice passed so long ago, and her widow was still all bitter about it until minutes ago, that heavily implies that he and she were separated all that time. Now they’re together again? …How? Why? Ooh! Totally-aside-also, but did Eve need to exist since Xena was already killing gods years before the girl was ever conceived? Hmm…

#xwp #xena #xena warrior princess #xena and gabrielle #gabrielle #callisto #joxer #comedy #funny #xena fanfiction #xenafic #drabbles #ficlets #fflm #mflm #link post

5 notes · View notes

riding-and-dying · 2 years

Text

Fluff Alphabet (Teppei Kaneko)

A = Attractive what do they find attractive about the other?

Kaneko respects Chia’s determination, because once she sets her mind on something, she’s hellbent on getting it, and she always gets what she wants. It’s actually due to her stubbornness that they ended up together in a relationship. While he was reluctant, Chia persevered and eventually wormed her way into his heart and bed. He could hardly remember which came first. He honestly used to think this part of her rather irritating, but grew to respect and adore it, remembering how her chin was tilted up in defiance and her eyes glinted with a dangerous, cocky gleam that promised that she’ll win in the end.

Kaneko has also only seen her work the courtroom a few times and each time, it’s like watching an orchestrator conducting the musicians as everyone played to her tune. Her intellect is definitely something to be admired.

Physically, Kaneko is a sucker for her hands. The gentle touch of them and how they graze him when they pass each other sends a high through him. How he yearns to hold her hand so openly, but he has an image to uphold that dares to want to crumble for her, but he can’t, and she understands.

B = Baby do they want a family? why/why not?

Kaneko is adamant about having no more children, he’s content enough with Colt, even though he was an accident. Also, he sees how he raised Colt and sees the man that Colt is becoming and it’s a scalding reminder that he was not the father he wished to be for his son, so he’s not sure he can handle anymore heartbreak in that aspect. He struggles greatly enough with his role as head of the MPC, having more children just complicates things… But honestly, the MPC are something of a family to him, even though they leave; especially because they leave, since it’s like watching kids grow up and leaving the nest is what he imagines. At least, that’s how he views it with Logan and now Brie in the mix. It doesn’t help that Chia adds to the narrative of family, but he appreciates his time with Colt just a bit more now thanks to that.

C = Cuddle how do they cuddle?

Exclusively in private. Kaneko is not big on large displays of PDA, unlike Chia, but she respects that. When they cuddle, it’s occasionally on the couch at his apartment after a tiring day; otherwise, their bed (a fact that Chia surprisingly forgets often, and Kaneko is the one to remind her). At the sofa, he reclines in the corner and Chia’s back is against his chest. His arm that’s not seated on the back of the sofa is draped over Chia’s torso, and her head lolls to the crook of his shoulder. He has to have a leg off the couch to accommodate having two people almost lying down on the couch, especially if she’s sitting between his legs. It’s casual and relaxed, like a married couple settling down on the couch to watch a movie. It’s a scene of domesticity that they both secretly wish for.

In bed, they’re both lying down and Kaneko is the big spoon. He of course has an arm draped over her, and a leg in between hers. A favourite thing that Kaneko does that Chia likes is when he has his arm under their pillow and she practically has her head resting on it. Kaneko doesn’t mind in the moment but definitely finds the lack of blood circulation to his arm annoying in the morning.

Funny thing, they’re rather anal about whose side is whose. Even when Chia is gone, Kaneko feels odd taking up her space on her side of the bed, but occasionally finds himself on her side anyway after dreams that has him longing for her to come back home.

D = Dates what are dates with them like?

Sometimes nights out on the town, just the two of them going out for dinner while the MPC takes care of themselves. Their dates can be extravagant or comfy, meaning a popular restaurant that requires a dress code or a diner with some homemade sloppy joes. It just depends on their mood. In either instance, Kaneko is the one that insists on driving them and having an ambience of romance about their date night, wanting to spoil Chia, you could say, despite Chia being the one to often suggest these getaways. Honestly, it’s his way of saying thank you for taking the initiative, as he’s still put off by romance, even though they’ve been together for years. And typically, their dates end up heated.

Other times, they just stay at his apartment and they order takeout or try and cook a meal together if they’re not so tired. It’s relaxed, but no less meaningful. They follow-up with cuddling on the couch. If they’re feeling fancy, a shared shower and then a hot bath in their rather modest tub; however, it’s big enough that it works for them.

E = Everything you are my ____ (e.g my life, my world…)

“You are my partner,” he said assuredly, deep brown eyes gazing into what she felt was her soul. “In every way,” he promised. And she believed him.

F = Feelings when did they know they were falling in love?

When Colt accepted her into their life, and started viewing her as family, as a mother figure. Seeing her treat Colt like he was her blood was heartwarming to him, and also assuring, because aside from Colt’s biological mother, Kaneko knows that Colt will have someone else to depend on if something were to ever happen to him. He sees and hears how vulnerable Colt allows himself to be around Chia, and while Kaneko is envious, he’s also grateful for this saving grace in Colt’s life.

He knew he was indefinitely in love when he began scouring all of Asia for pieces of jade jewellery for Chia, because he knows she has a special fondness for them. He almost has an entire set of jade jewellery for her… except a ring, which Chia likes to jokingly point out in reference to marriage.

G = Gentle are they gentle? If so, how?

Kaneko is surprisingly tender man, but only for those he cares for. He lets his touches linger on Chia for a beat or two, like when he grasps her arm to gain her attention or touching the small of her back to steer her a certain direction. Also, on occasion, if Kaneko is sitting at the table beside her, he’ll have his hand touching hers, but not holding it. Usually, he’s just a scooch bit closer to her than he would be to others. Honestly though, he enjoys being able to be physically near her as it’s getting rarer by the day.

H = Hand/Hold how do they like to hold? how do they like to hold hands?

They hold hands within occasion, and when it does happen, it’s in his car while he’s driving. One hand over the one handling the stick shift. It’s a familiar place and a private environment. Typically it’s just one hand laying on the other, and rarely is it something like intertwined fingers, unless they’re at their apartment and he wants to express gratitude to her by laying a kiss to the back of her hand. And Chia is the one that usually initiates it, so her hand is almost always over his. It’s rare to see his hand over hers, and surprisingly, when that happens, it’s in public places, like the garage, and happens likely because he misses her or he’s comforting her.

I = Impression first impression/s

Surprised by her upbeat, bubbly personality. He didn’t think she was cut out for this life of deceit and thought she’d croak within a minute. How wrong he was. He also assumed that he’d find her tiresome. However, he did have to admit…. she had a nice ass…

Chia thought he was hot, simple as that, especially when he had his sleeves rolled up. He also didn’t seem like the type to smile much, which is a shame she thought, because that would’ve upped his handsomeness. She also knew that she wanted him.

J = Joker are they into pulling pranks?

They like to pull tiny pranks on each other, like Chia putting salt in his black coffee, and out of spite he’d drink ALL of it with a smirk on his face. Kaneko likes to tap her shoulder whenever he passes by her so when she looks over her shoulder, she sees nothing until she looks over her other shoulder and sees him. She’s a bit of a pouter until he kisses her his apologies (he’s not actually sorry though, he just likes kissing her).

You never really see this playful attitude from him though in public, and only RARELY around the crew.

K = Kisses how do they kiss?

Softly at first, as if he’s seeing if she’s truly there in front of him. Then, but only in private, does it get a bit more seeking and passionate, trying to now affirm that she’s here.

Otherwise, rather chaste and fleeting if the situation disallows them to kiss properly, like when someone is about to come in and they want to steal one more kiss. It’s happened plenty of times in their earlier years because Colt has poor timing.

Kisses are also considered a private thing between them, unless Chia was to peck him quickly on the cheek or even the lips if she’s quick enough. Kaneko is shocked by them and a bit uncomfortable, but also secretly enjoys the surprise within occasion, which Chia can tell.

L = Little things what little things do they love/notice?

Kaneko notices how in certain situations, Chia will stand closer to Colt if he’s threatened in the least. It could be someone giving lip to Colt or perhaps he’s in tangible danger. Even when Kaneko and Colt are having a disagreement, he’ll notice that she’s just a bit closer to Colt than him. It’s evident that she has taken on a mothering role over him, and Kaneko honestly has mixed feelings about it. On one hand, he’s grateful that Colt has someone to depend on and will protect him in instances where he can’t, but also it’s a gaping reminder of what he couldn’t provide for Colt when he was growing up, a parental figure.

M = Memory their favorite moment together

The first time they were together. It felt like there was nothing beyond the room, it was just the two of them that existed. He could shed his titles and responsibilities and give into her finally. It was all adding up to that moment since they first met, and it didn’t disappoint.

N = Nickel do they spoil? do they buy the person they love everything?

He spoils her lavishly, which is why he is also known as a jewel procurer, particularly jade jewellery, because it’s her favourite stone. Whenever he travels to Asia for any reason, he always gets her 1 piece of jade jewellery that is slowly accumulating to entire sets. However, she likes to joke that she’s missing the most important part, the ring. Joke’s on her, because he actually does have the ring… he’s just waiting for the right moment...

O = Orange what color reminds them of their other half

Jade, the colour of her favourite stone that shines on her ears, wrists and neck, all gifts from him and intricately detailed. The gem of her childhood she claims, recounting to him that her fondness of them came from her grandma that passed all her jade jewellery to her, but was unfortunately lost at one point. Her nostalgia for them became the basis of his gift-giving habits.

P = Petnames what petnames do they use?

He tends to refer to her by name no matter the circumstance. It’s during the most tender of moments will he slip up and call her “dear”.

She usually likes to call him, Te. This nickname is spoken only in front of him and the crew.

Q = Questions what are the questions they’re always asking?

“Why me? Why go for the most emotionally stunted man that struggles to grasp the hand of the woman he adores with his entire heart? Why doesn’t she go for a person that can smile as brightly as her and won’t be so timid in their affections for her?”

R = Remember their favorite memory of each other

When they were swaying on the dance floor of a high end restaurant, enjoying themselves despite actually being on a mission. They were dancing to “Unforgettable” being played live for the clientele to enjoy and bask in. It was an incredibly intimate moment for them as Kaneko is not one to do PDA. Also, it felt like they were in an alternate reality in that moment, living a life that wasn’t theirs, wherein they were a normal couple celebrating their anniversary rather than on a covert mission to meet with a buyer.

S = Sad how do they cheer themselves/each other up

Kaneko would be the one to initiate physical affection, going to kiss her cheek or perhaps hold her hand if he so dared. He would also clear out his schedule for the day to cuddle with her on the couch and watch whatever she wants. He’d also offer to cook or order out for them. It’s simple and domestic, something that Chia so desperately wants in life, and during her worst moments can he indulge her in this fantasy where they aren’t always on edge and worrying if they’re gonna get caught.

If they’re far apart, he’ll chat with her for as long as she needs, letting her vent or simply leaving the phone on while neither talk as a form of connection. Also, he’d often say to her “I’m not there… but I am here.” as a sort of gentle reminder that he’s a constant and that no matter what, she can return home to him at the end of the week if she so desired, while also being a simple encouragement that he’s supporting her.

He cheers himself up by going on a drive along the ocean shore where he would take Colt as a child. Sometimes he’d park by that cliff and get out to get some sea breeze air to clear his mind. He also would call Chia and vent to her about any of his troubles and seeking her guidance. While she is younger than him by a couple of years, he can’t deny her intellect and analysing skills. It is after all the reason why she works with interpol.

T = Talking what do they love to talk about?

It’s a double-edged sword, but Colt. He loves hearing her gush about how much she adores him and considers him a son, but also he feels detached from this because he doesn’t see Colt a lot or they aren’t on good terms. However, their situation has been slowly improving, so Kaneko occasionally chimes in with his progress with him.

They also like filling each other about events they weren’t able to message each other about, like her finished cases and his successful plans. Also, if they haven’t figured out a solution to their specific predicaments, they tend to bounce ideas off of each other and give input as well. It actually helps them to see the solution to their dilemma. It can be as simple as pointing out something or actively offering their help to the other.

U = Universe use a metaphor, what are they to each other? (e.g he was the universe, ever-changing and mysterious)

He was a warning sign, stern but tempting to break.

V = Very ___ their thoughts about each other (e.g she’s very smart, he’s very stubborn, they’re very annoying etc.)

“She’s very stubborn,” he remarks and laughs. “But I like that about her… She’s not one to give up easily…” He smiles. “It’s also due to her stubbornness that we’re together now. While I was reluctant, she never gave up and…” he sighs. “I’m actually happy she never stopped trying to worm herself into my heart…”

W = Why reasons why they love each other

Chia loved the challenge he posed at the start, and after winning she got addicted to the sense of winning just by surpassing his expectations and sticking with him. It’s like a high to her to be with him. Also helps that she thinks his tattoos are beyond hot.

Kaneko adores her intellect and perseverance, but also her gentle nature that greatly contrasts with his. She’s like a missing piece, and she genuinely makes him want to do better and be a better person.

X = Xylophone What’s their song?

“Unforgettable” - Nat King Cole

Y = You’re the ___ to my ___ (e.g the cookies to my milk, the macaroni to my cheese)

“She’s the racer to my car,” he chuckles, “Without her, I’d be stagnant and never move my life forward,” he pauses. “And I’d never would have tried with Colt if it weren’t for her.”

Z = Zebra if they wanted a pet, what pet would they get?

A dog! Because Chia adores them and Kaneko finds them practical in terms of having them serve as guards for the garage.

#teppei kaneko #teppei kaneko x oc #chia #my writing #playchoices #choices #rod

1 note · View note

dramatisystem · 4 months

Note

3, 6, 11, 18? glad to see the blog :3

Heya! Alrighty, answer time...

3. What’s your system name if you have one, and how did you choose it?

Our system name is Dramatis. We came up with it during one of our Uni lectures! We're studying english, with a now budding major on literature, and we had a literature basics class where they talked about shakespeare and the dramatis personae lists. Now, that's already a fun one. A list of roles in a play. But this system's doorcode is pretty much "dramatic with possible side-dish of asshole, theater kid". And Dramatis rolls off the tongue nicely, and is Latin for dramatic.

6. What’s the average age of your systemmates?

See, this is where things get... Wonky. We skew majorly towards time abyss. Ghira is a being that, self-professedly, was made before time existed. In his source and our system his age is best categorized as "yes". Snatcher is, depending on if you count his years as a ghost as well, either 27 or 527. Grimm is as old as the nightmares are, but this specific instance/vessel of him is the equivalent of 35. Star lived through over 4 million years. And then we get to the vaguely more "normal" spectrum with Ludwig who is 55, and Dell who is 48. And then we go right back out with Astarion, who is around 239. I myself am a solid 22, so that is. Something. Age is weird. I want to retire. I didn't even enter the workforce.

11. What does switching feel like to you, if you switch at all?

So... Switching is a bit of a funny thing for us. Without fail, the first thing we notice is that we stare at our hands for an extended amount of time, before blinking a few times and going back to business. It's a brief moment of disassociation, where for a moment we don't feel like anyone at all, before the sense of self returns. We have a bit of a median tilt to our system, so everyone's always aware of everyone who is in right now, so to say, and I never fully leave front. I do move from the driver's seat to shotgun though, so to say. It's mostly so we can keep our way of speaking, because only one other headmate can speak German.

18. Are there differences between systemmates surrounding sensory things? (For example, one person likes the taste of one food and another doesn’t.)

We got some, yes. Ludwig likes his alcohol, especially beer. I don't, not much. We eventually settled on a compromise where we mix it with soda if we get beer. Just to make it a bit more palatable. Otherwise... I don't know if it counts? But whenever Dell fronts, our arm feels mighty weird. Right about at the cut-off point. It's most certainly a sensory thing. Hm... Other things... Ghira has absolutely no spice tolerance. He never needed food in Source, and thus he never consumed anything spicy, and he hates that he can't deal with it. Dell, meanwhile, loves spice. My middling spice tolerance suffers.

#dramatisposting #ask answered #endo safe #actually plural #fictive heavy system

0 notes

seohwang · 3 years

Text

Tears. / YH & JH version

Ateez reaction to making you cry / you making them cry during an argument

Genre: angst

Word count: 1 554

Warnings: crying (obviously), neglect and bad communication in relationships, mentions of weight gain and insecurities in Jongho’s reaction

A/N: It’s finally here! The long-awaited Yunho & Jongho version of my first reaction! I finally feel confident enough to write about them, so I hope I did them justice. Thank you for waiting, and I hope you enjoy my fic! I feel like my writing’s gotten worse, so I’m sorry if this is bad.

A/N 2: Yunho’s reaction was kind of inspired by this scenario by @fantastic-bby where he tries to joke around even though you’re upset. However, to mix it up (and because I see Yunho as the more sensitive one in a relationship), I decided to switch the roles a bit.

The rest of the members can be found here

Part 2: here

Yunho

When it came to your and Yunho’s relationship, you liked to keep things light-hearted

How could you not, after all, when you had someone as bright and friendly as Yunho by your side

He loved your energy too, since it always helped the both of you feel more comfortable when discussing any private or sensitive topics

These days, however, he started to feel a bit differently about your attitude

He appreciated the cheerful atmosphere between the two of you, he really did

But he began feeling as if he couldn’t really talk about serious things with you anymore

Because each time he did, you just kind of played it off, focusing more on cheering Yunho up rather than actually discussing the issue with him

The same thing started happening with arguments as well

Whenever Yunho was feeling upset by something you did, he always tried to tell you so you could talk it out together

But you’d always brush it off with a funny comment, giving him nothing but a small “Sorry about that, baby.”, or something of the sort

At first, he thought you were just busy or didn’t notice that he was actually upset, but when you kept doing this, he couldn’t help but feel upset

It felt like you weren’t taking your relationship seriously anymore

It felt like you weren’t taking him seriously anymore

And so, one night, he decided to take matters into his own hands

You were supposed to go out with him that very evening, but you forgot because of your busy schedule that day

This alone already made him a bit upset, as he was stuck sitting in the living room for more than an hour, waiting for you to come home so you could go on the date

He even messaged you a couple of times during the wait, but never got a text back

You didn’t even read the messages, making him concerned if you were okay

And so, when you did finally come home, you were greeted with your boyfriend already standing by the door, giving you a look of both sadness and worry

You immediately realized your mistake, guilt overtaking you as you looked at your upset boyfriend

“You forgot our date,” Yunho muttered, pouting as he followed you down the hallway and into the living room

“I know, baby, I’m really sorry. I just got caught up at work and then there was a lot of traffic, so I wouldn’t have been able to come any earlier anyways,” you explained, only receiving a small hum in response

You put your bag and coat on the couch, just now noticing the big fluffy teddy bear Yunho once got you lying on the cushions

You smiled, picking up the bear as you turned around to face Yunho once more

“Hey, at least you had some company with you, right?” You said with a playful grin, showing Yunho the bear he’d been hugging to his chest just a few minutes ago

Yunho knew you didn’t mean any harm with the way you responded, but he couldn’t help but get upset, even more so than he was until now

Already, he had been feeling insecure about your relationship and lack of communication for the past few weeks, and this just felt like the last straw

Every single instance when he’d recently felt neglected by you just dawned on him at once, quickly overwhelming him

Before he knew it, he was tearing up, feeling his throat constricting

“Y-Yunho?” You stuttered out, shocked to see tears welling up in your boyfriend’s eyes

He was upset, you knew that

But this was a reaction you didn’t expect in the slightest, catching you completely off-guard

You hesitantly reached your hand out to him, but he just stepped back and avoided your touch entirely

He covered his face as he felt his bottom lip tremble, fighting the sobs threatening to spill out

“Baby, why are you crying?” You tried to ask again, hoping to get him to talk to you

But your question just managed to fuel his emotions even more, because clearly, you had no idea he was feeling like this the entire time

Without a word, Yunho just stormed away, leaving you confused in the living room

You heard the door slamming, flinching slightly at the sound

Silence filled your apartment, leaving you only to your thoughts

Your very, very confused thoughts

Baffled, you sat down on the couch, trying to wrap your head around what had just happened

The bear was still in your hands, staring back at you as you replayed everything over and over again, trying to find the cause of all of this

Just what could have made Yunho this upset?

Jongho

Jongho was tired, to say the least.

He was currently sitting on a bench in front of the changing rooms, scrolling on his phone mindlessly as he waited for you to come out

When you said you wanted to go shopping, he was happy to tag along

But now, after hours of walking into countless stores, only to come out empty-handed each time, he couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed

Not with you, of course not

It’s just that the loud buzz of the other people in the mall, along with constantly having to avoid them in cramped isles full of clothes, was becoming a bit too much

Now, the shop you were currently in was luckily a lot quieter, stashed in the back of the mall with only a few customers inside

But nevertheless, Jongho was exhausted, bored, and hungry

There was nothing he was looking forward to more than going back home at this point

You couldn’t blame him, though, as you were feeling quite frustrated yourself

You were trying on what seemed like the millionth pair of jeans by now, but none of them seemed to fit right

Too tight here, too loose there, too this and that everywhere

With each pair of jeans you had to put back, you could feel your confidence steadily dropping

Or what was remaining of it, at least

You hadn’t told Jongho the exact reason for why you were suddenly so keen on going shopping today, but there definitely was one

You see, during the past few weeks, you’d suddenly gained some weight, and it didn’t seem to be going away anytime soon

What’s more, your favorite pair of jeans didn’t fit anymore, meaning you had to find a quick replacement

And now, here you were, feeling worse and worse about yourself after each pair you tried on

But finally, at last, there it was

Your saving grace, taking form of the dead last pair of jeans you’d managed to find in the store

You tried them on, turning around in the mirror to get a proper look at yourself

And, lo and behold, they felt great

You couldn’t help but smile, relieved to finally find something that fit you well and was actually comfortable

With your newfound happiness, you quickly opened the door to the changing room, getting the attention of your waiting boyfriend

“Check out these ones!” You exclaimed, letting Jongho examine you

After a beat of silence, you spoke up again

“Well? What do you think?” You asked, waiting expectantly for his response

Your smile faded a bit when he let out a quiet sigh, making you suddenly nervous about his opinion

“I don’t know, babe. They make you look kind of big.”

...

Oh.

Now it was your turn to be silent, as you stared at him in shock

You could feel your chest tightening, not expecting your boyfriend to ever say something like that to you

“What? I’m just stating my opinion like you asked me to,” Jongho continued, trying to justify himself (aka digging his grave even deeper)

You scoffed, feeling both angry and incredibly hurt in that moment

Did you really look that bad?

“You’re right, I did ask. So thanks, I guess,” you said sarcastically, watching his expression change into that of surprise at your sudden tone

“You know, I am aware that I’m ‘bigger’ now, as you’ve put it, since that’s literally the reason we came here. Doesn’t give you the right to throw it in my face like that, though.”

And with that, you turned around, storming back into the changing room to take the jeans off and hide the tears already forming in your eyes

You didn’t even notice the way Jongho’s face fell at your words, instantly regretting everything he’d just said

He just wanted to honestly tell you what he thought, not realizing how his words might affect you

He didn’t even notice you’d gained weight, nor that you were feeling insecure about it

It was never his intention to hurt you, obviously

But here he was, accomplishing just that

He stared at the shut door of the changing room, desperately trying to think of a way to fix the mess he’d suddenly found himself in

But no matter how hard he tried, in the end, he had nothing.

Thank you for reading! And remember, any feedback is always appreciated! ♥

#ateez reaction #ateez scenario #ateez angst #ateez reactions #ateez scenarios #ateez x reader #ateez imagine #ateez imagines #ateez headcanon #ateez headcanons #jongho x reader #yunho x reader #jongho angst #yunho angst

496 notes · View notes

stellocchia · 3 years

Text

Okay, now that I have a bit of time it’s time to analize that disaster of a custody battle stream, also known as Tommy and Wilbur visiting Las Nevadas!

As always this is gonna be quite long so I’ll put everything under the cut and remember that I’ll only be talking about the characters. Also for the dialogues the colors are: Quackity, Tommy and Wilbur

One thing that I would like to point out before we get into it is that c!Tommy is pretty much spiraling throughout this stream (he dissociates and shows his suicidal tendencies more clearly) so it’s good to keep this in mind when analizing his actions and words.

First of all here’s Wilbur’s pov of it: Wilbur's POV

And here’s Tommy’s: Tommy's POV

I’ll be using both for this.

One thing that is immediately interesting to notice is that, despite supposedly living with Phil we mostly see Wilbur around L’Manhole.

“Have you been sewing? Knitting? That can be a dangerous sport if done too quickly” (just wanted to point out the tailor!Tommy bit)

So first of all is the confirmation that the stone never had a use beyond keeping Tommy occupied back when Wilbur asked for it. The task of gathering the stone could also have been a test on Wilbur’s part to test Tommy’s obedience considering that it was a tedious and apparently sensless task that most people would not have taken on.

Afterwards we have an interesting little bit where Wilbur demonstrates that he is still extremely knowledgable when it comes to tnt, knowing which blocks are more resistent to it and even being able to deduce that the ufo was blown up from the inside (something he’ll lie about later).

“Someone’s a little copycat. Hey tommy someone’s a little copycat~” (in reference to what happened to Purpled’s ufo. This could be interpreted as derogatory we’ll have to see if Wilbur appreciates someone imitating his work)

Quackity’s book is then introduced, though at first Wilbur is very vague about it’s contents before straight up lying about them (saying that it said: “My dearest friend Wilbur, I’ve really missed seeing you, come to project Nevadas your best friend Quackity”), here’s the actual contents of it:

It is possible that he didn’t mention the actual content to Tommy because he was afraid Tommy would have kept him from meeting Quackity if he knew that he seemingly agreed with Wilbur’s ideology, though this is just a theory.

Another interesting thing is that Wilbur keeps referring to Ghostbur’s resurrection site as his “tombstone” despite Tommy having already told him last time that he didn’t get one. Perhaps this is a show of Wilbur’s own fear of being forgotten or of having been inconsequential to the bigger narrative (his continued search for the confirmation that he did have a big impact would seem to point to this).

“Will, I’m accustomed to people lying to me. Just tell me: will the book, whatever is in there, bring us more primes?” (this is an interesting way for Tommy to let Wilbur know that he knows he’s lying while still trying to keep the conversation more light herted)

On their way to Las Nevadas there is an interesting instance of Wilbur standing still near a creeper instead of trying to protect himself so that Tommy has to intervene (similar instances happen multiple times throughout the stream) which could be a portrayal of his self-destructive tendencies and kinda mirrors Tommy's behaviour in exile.

“Every person we’ve spoken to aside from say, I don’t know, Jack Manifold. Every person aside from Jack Manifold has taken a bit of a disliking to me. Oh and Phil, Phil was lovely too, and you actually! Come to think of it the 3 people I care about most, Jack Manifold, you and Phil, have been the nicest to me”

There are a few things I wanna say here: first of all there is one manipulation tactic that consists of making yourself out to be the victim in a certain situation in order to gain pity, sympathy or evoke compassion in the other and that’s what Wilbur has been doing both in this stream and in the past when mentioning that people hate him despite every single person he met (aside from Tommy himself) actually being rather kind and accomodating. This does probably come from Wilbur’s own self-hatred and his view of himself as a villain but, once again, I would like to remind you that manipulation is still manipulation even if you believe in what you’re saying.

The second point I wanted to talk about briefly was the line about only caring about the 3 people he mentioned. Aside from how truthful he is about all 3 of them (I’m sorry but I have a hard time believing that he cares deeply for Jack Manifold when he didn’t even used to remember who he was) he also later mentions that there are other people he would like to see, basically it’s like the L’Manburg situation: just because Wilbur says he doesn’t care about something it doesn’t mean that it’s true.

“They told me it was like a small little town where Big Q sells funny potions and liquids from his van” (so from Tommy’s understanding Las Nevadas was a mix between the drug van and og L’Manburg. I wonder if we’ll find out who gave him this idea)

Little note about Wilbur throwing Linda (Tommy’s prized shovel) away twice during this stream almost casually.

“Tommy stand back. Tommy stand back” (Wilbur interposing himself between Tommy and a situation that might be dangerous, I’ll talk about this a bit later but keep it in mind)

“I’ll tell you what: it’s nice to see you out of that stupid vice president shirt. You know I never thought you were fit for that vice president thing anyway, I think that this is- this is- what- what are you like the concierge of this area? Like the cleaner?” “This is so nice!” “I don’t know what to call it Wilbur all I know is that this is my place. This is mine. I own this place”

It is interesting to note that Wilbur apparently did not think too highly of Quackity, immediately assuming he must be and employee rather then having a leading position, he even expresses that he didn’t think Quackity was fit to even be vice president. It’s also interesting to point out that Tommy gets immediately uncomfortable with where the conversation is going and splits off from the two to explore while also being extra obnoxious in an attempt to split up the fight he knew to be coming (he is always rather perceptive), to which Quackity responds only with amusement (actually humouring Tommy), while Wilbur simply ignores it for the time being.

“If I’d known there was a place I could align myself to as quickly as this I would have done it sooner” (could be both a search for community as well as him generally prefering being aligned to a country as he comments later on that he’s not a fan of anarchy by mentioning that him and Phil don’t see eye to eye on this)

This is when Wilbur brings up Quackity’s book for the second time mentioning that he assumed it was an invite to joing Quackity in Las Nevadas, which turns out it wasn’t.

“So that’s the invitation to work alongside you I assume, I- I accept. I accept. I’d love to come in” “Big Q I also wanted... can I move into the big- the big penis?” “*laugh* No Tommy. Wilbur, Wilbur” “Yeah?” “No? No?” “That was... that was not an invitation I’m sorry Wilbur” *Wilbur checks the book again* “That’s not an invitation. Wilbur, Wilbur, my nation will not be subject to your... unpredictability, alright? Thank you so much for coming, thank you so much for visiting Wilbur but, uhm... I don’t need any- I don’t need any extra members right now”

So taking this conversation a bit at a time: Quackity is the first person since Wilbur has come back (aside from Tommy, but Tommy’s opinion really doesn’t matter to Wilbur) who hasn’t tried to accomodate him. He set his own rules and stuck by them not willing to budge on it at all. Also it is interesting to note that Quackity so far doesn’t seem to be interested in letting Tommy join either, only changing his demeanour later after Tommy calls Wilbur out on his lying. This change of mind could both be tied to a crack he noticed in Tommy’s loyalty to Wilbur as well as done to spite Wilbur himself. Or both really.

“[Las Nevadas] It’s like one of those visions you have after being in the mines for several hours” (Tommy mentioning having hallucinations once again)

“No... no, you’ve got it all wrong. You’ve got it all wrong man. Okay okay, maybe, maybe I was unprdictable in the past” “But it’s really nice...” “But I’ve turned over a new leaf Quackity! I don’t lie anymore, I don’t- I don’t, you know, I don’t deceive, I know nothing about tnt anymore. I’ve forgotten everything I knew about tnt, it’s ridiculous I-” “*snicker* Ok- mmm, well... Will, well” “Is he lying Tommy?”

Also here we have a clearer example of Wilbur lying and deceiving right after asserting that he doesn’t do it anymore (he deceived Tommy on the book and lied about his knowledge on tnt) together with Tommy calling him out on it.

“This is the best place on the server! This is like heaven! Paradise!” “Quackity we can stay, right?” “You seem to like it a lot Tommy”

Immediately afterwards there’s where Quackity seems to change his mind about letting Tommy stay while also ignoring Wilbur in the process. Again we really don’t have any definitive indication for the reason why he changes his mind, it could be because he saw how much Tommy liked it here as much as it could be to spite Wilbur. Any conclusion for either is pure speculation.

“Quackity look at me, look at me in the eyes. I. Am. Your. Servant. I am at your service. I have run countries, I’ve won elections, I’ve done everything that you will need in a leadership role, Quackity. Even not in leadership! I can- I can be, you know, assistent to president”

Another less known form of manipulation. Wilbur wants power within this new country so he offers to cover a more “subservient” position to have Quackity let his guard down so that he can achieve his role.

“Will this is so cool!” “Tommy SHUT UP!” “Hey! What a fu- hey what a fuck?!” (a bit of Wilbur’s “affable” persona slipping away paired up with Tommy immediately noticing that that was not okay and calling Wilbur out on it)

“Wilbur listen to me: I saw what you did to L’Manburg and I’m not letting Las Nevadas have the same fate as L’Manburg. I appreciate Tommy here, I appreciate you checking this place out Wilbur but, I don’t need your services, I don’t need your presence, you’re very unpredictable” (Quackity once more standing his ground and repeating that he does not trust Wilbur in the slightest and also reaffirming that he does want Tommy there instead)

It’s interesting to notice that all throughout this exchange, while Tommy was off exploring Quackity was the one often paying attention to him while Wilbur ignored him the whole time before snapping.

“So we’re not allowed?” “Tommy, I need to talk to you Tommy” “Am I allowed? Or is it just Will?” “Well, I’d love to discuss it with you” (Quackity is the first person that actually directly addressed Tommy while ignoring Wilbur since Wilbur’s resurrection and that’s quite interesting. It could be that perhaps he noticed that Wilbur seems to consider Tommy almost like an extension of himself and that he tried to drive a wedge into that)

The next few minutes are spent with Wilbur trying to find out exactly where the confines of Las Nevadas are.

“Tommy come with me. Tommy at my side please” (addressing him like a soldier again)

There is a back and forth between Wilbur and Quackity where Quackity tries to deflect Wilbur’s question about his ownership of the adiacent forest multiple times, but Wilbur does end up finding out that it’s not Quackity’s land. (Wilbur also has a throwaway comment about that forest being Paradise in response to Tommy calling Las Nevadas that which Tommy disagrees on).

“What’s the point in capitalism without healthy competition?” (Wilbur announcing he wants to create a country next to Quackity’s)

“Wait, where are you going?” “Just over here Tommy. Stay by my side, by my side” (once again an emphasis on wanting Tommy nearby, which isn’t new)

“You know what Wilbur? You’re right: capitalism strives on competition and I’m ready for all the competition you can bring me” (Wilbur is positively giddy at this declaration, which makes me think that he does truly see this competition mostly as a game)

“Will I don’t want to start a country, I very much like that country there” *Tommy points at Las Nevadas* “With the stone-” “Tommy we- we’ll discuss this in a minute” “No...” “No no no, Tommy seems to have some concerns about building a country from the ground up” (Tommy under) “Listen, listen, guys, guys, I was over there” (Quackity over) “So how about you take Tommy’s opinion into consideration? For once, for once in your life since you’ve never done so before” (Tommy under) “Can we please listen to me? You [Quackity] are not lis- you’re not lis- you’re actually speaking over me”

This is the first one of many conversations this stream where the fight has moved from the power pissing context Wilbur and Quackity had going on to Tommy. It’s also where they starting weaponizing him more and more (his traumas as well as the other’s treatment of him) while each trying to prove that they’re better for him then the other. Of course this isn’t actually about Tommy, it’s about power once again. Quackity has undeniably noticed by now how Wilbur treats Tommy (aka as an extension of himself) together with being pissed that Wilbur challenged him on his own territory (challenging Las Nevadas which is Quackity’s most prized possession) so he decided to repay him in kind.

From here on out Tommy seems to spiral more, standing up for himself less, looking more and more uncomfortable (especially when the other two start bringing up his traumatic experiences) and slipping back into dissociation and self-loathing behaviour.

“You showed great interest for my country Tommy and I would like to speak to you about that” “Yes” “Wilbur I don’t think you’ll hold Tommy down and make him join your country” “I have utter fate that Tommy will make the right decision” (both of them starting to put pressure on him, subtly influencing him with their wording)

Tommy and Quackity have a chat together alone (though Wilbur is listening in).

First thing that happens is Quackity bringing up the hotel which Wilbur implies later was done maliciously, though we don’t know if Quackity knew that the ownership of it didn’t go back to Tommy once he came back to life.

Afterwards Tommy asks Quackity about his scar.

“If I’m gonna speak to you I want you to be honest with me, ‘cause I’ve spent quite a lot of time with people who just bullshit me, they lie to me and I’m not doing that anymore” (this is one of Tommy’s 2 priorities in life right now. What he wants can be boiled down to honesty and safety)

Quackity does explain honestly what happened, though the information that they spent their time hunting down Techno while Tommy was in exile instead of trying to help him does understandably upset Tommy quite a bit. (Also Wilbur finally makes himself a sword).

“But if this [butcher army] was while I was in exile you’re meaning to tell me that you put in all of the effort to kill Techno instead of helping me?” (...) “You know I needed help and no one came to see me” (this set back his mentality regarding exile quite a bit I’d guess. The anger is more then understandable)

Quackity doesn’t deny the accusations but he does deflect a bit saying that they can talk about it another time and that he is not Tommy’s enemy to which Tommy agrees.

“How would you like to run the official food business of Las Nevadas” (this is Quackity’s big offer for Tommy)

(Wilbur putting pressure on Tommy in the meantime)

After this Wilbur intervenes directly inquiring on wether or not they were done. Quackity tries to get in a last minute sale pitch to Tommy who is getting quite overwhelmed and asks for some time to think (which he is now given by Quackity, but not later by Wilbur)

Wilbur also expresses worry for Tommy’s safety while they’re coming back, though how sincere it is it’s unknown (I think it's at least partially sincere worry, but I doubt that's all there is to it). That said I want to say that multiple times in this stream Wilbur has seemingly shown to be protective of Tommy when it comes to Quackity, often almost treating him as if he was incapable of defending himself (as if he couldn’t 1v2 the two of them easily). For example here, even though Tommy said that he can take care of himself Wilbur immediately responds out loud with an: “okay I’m coming” and bringing out his sword.

“Listen Tommy I heard what he was saying to you man and you don’t seriously believe that do you?” (keeping the question very open so that Tommy can interject his own doubts. Also Quackity technically didn’t lie once to Tommy and, while there was a bit of deflection on his part so far he hasn’t been all that manipulative if I’m being honest)

Wilbur proceeds to tell Tommy that if he stays with Quackity he’ll be nothing more then a caterer (strongly implying that that’s not something he wants) and Tommy chimes in saying that that’s not for him.

“Listen Tommy I’m not gonna stop you but, I’ll be honest with you man, you’re all I’ve got” (set up for the guilt tripping later as well as once again putting himself in the position of the victim so that Tommy won’t leave him. Also he denies that Jack and Phil count as well because the first is too busy and he doesn’t agree with the political views of the latter)

“I wanna make a place where we can be safe for once. Tommy it’s been so long since we felt safe and man you deserve it. You’ve been through so much, you’ve done so much, Tommy you’ve changed the world! And all you’ve got to show for it is some scars and some trauma. Tommy you deserve this safety and this sanctuary and that’s why I wanna make it with you and you won’t get it over there”

Now this should sound familiar to quite a few people, mostly because it’s pretty similar to the tactic that Quackity himself uses. First identify the victim’s vulnerabilities and their desires (Tommy only wants 2 things and only one is connected to physical places so safety it is). Second relate to the victims experiences repeating that they do deserve to get what they so desperately want (check back Quackity’s conversation with Fundy if you want to see that done really well). And lastly emphasise that you’re the only one who can give them what they want.

“You know what has substance Tommy? Family. Blood” (what sparked back the canon sbi discourse)

“I haven’t- I don’t wanna make my mind now ‘cause it’s- it feels like-” “Tommy you need to make your mind now” (putting a ton of pressure onto Tommy, enough that Tommy is reminded of his time in prison)

“Tommy I love a challenge” (considering the context and the fact that this is in response to Tommy hesitating on who to join this is most definitely about him. Wilbur definitely still considers this, at least partially, part of his and Quackity’s game)

“If you pick Las Nevadas what am I gonna do? Man, what am I gonna do? I’d never hurt you. I’d never want anything bad for you Tommy” (mixing in a bit of guilt tripping with a bit of lies. Now, it’s probably not a lie that he wouldn’t want something bad for Tommy, but the thing about never hurting him? I mean, this stream is a proof of the cotrary)

“You can go with whatever you want, but just know what you’d do to me” (once again painting himself as the victim while guilt tripping Tommy)

“I put a lot of things to the side that I shouldn’t of. I prioritized the wrong things, I put revenge over humanity. I guess all I’m seeking right now is someone who’ll be honest with me and a place where I can feel safe”

Here it is, we got Tommy’s desire spelled out by him. This is what makes him so vulnerable to Wilbur’s manipulation, the fact that Wilbur knows how to pretend that he can offer this. Also the first part of this is another recognition of how unhealthy his mindset was while he was with Technoblade, which makes him saying that he betrayed Techno and feels guilty about that afterwards even more sad because he recognizes that being with Techno was not good for him but still bashes himself over leaving him even if he really didn’t have any other choice if he wanted to stay true to himself. It’s quite tragic and it’s once more a show of his self-loathing.

“This can be a safe place for them [Techno and Tubbo]” (Wilbur is using the informations Tommy provided him in a moment of open vulnerability to manipulate him further)

Tommy then agrees to stay with Wilbur though he seems far from enthusiastic about it. He seems to believe Wilbur when he says he's gonna make a safe space for him and the people he cares about, but also seems hesitant to fully trust him.

“Big Q is gonna wish he never fucked with me” (still in regard to challenging Wilbur’s perceived ownership of Tommy)

The stream is far from over though. After that conversation between Wilbur and Tommy they start to build a stone penis over the lake and Wilbur and Quackity get in a very heated argument that leaves Tommy incredibly uncomfortable. The whole conversation consists in Wilbur and Quackity shouting at each other about things the other has done to Tommy (all traumatic for him) while Tommy makes himself smaller and shuts down. First Qauckity accuses Wilbur of emotionally manipulating Tommy (which is true), then Wilbur accuses Quackity of using the hotel against Tommy (which wasn’t actually true) and they keep going like that.

“The one thing [the hotel] Tommy’s tried to do was a failure” (way to undermine achievements like putting Dream behind bars there... however to be exact this is a manipulation tactic known as “shaming” which consists in undermining the victim’s worth to foster feelings of inadequacy which makes them more vulnerable. It’s a tactic Wilbur has used quite often since Pogtopia)

“Great job Wilbur of doing to Tomminnit what you’ve done your entire fucking life” (Quackity does sound actually upset)

“Don’t try to compare me to you Wilbur, me and you are not the same” (this does align to Quackity’s desire to not live in other people shadows any longer)

“Hey hey hey hey, don’t come near Tommy, don’t come near Tommy” “Will, Will, hey hey, let me speak! This is about me so let me speak! I don’t know I-” “I just don’t want him to hurt you. I just don’t want him to hurt you” “I can fend for myself. You weren’t here for a long time. I thought, I thought you [Wilbur] were gonna make me feel a little bit safer, let me tell you now either of you-” “Fellas fellas” “No shut the fuck up! I didn’t feel- that didn’t make me feel- that was weird, I didn’t- don’t do that either of you”

Now this is both Wilbur once again babying Tommy and treating him as if he’s not capable of taking care of himself (it could be done out of sincere care, but that doesn’t make it any less patronizing) and Tommy actually standing up for himself. Tommy made himself as little as possible during their confrontation and didn’t utter a word and now he finally got a bit of confidence back to say that he didn’t like that and both of them still tried to interrupt him. And Wilbur immediately went to say that he won’t do it again, but Quackity will as if he didn’t listen to a word Tommy just said. That said after that Quackity does apologize to Tommy specifically (though how sincere that was is debatable and Wilbur also accepts the apology as well even if it wasn’t directed at him) and invites the both of them to have a tour of Las Nevadas. Tommy wanted to refuse the tour because he was already visibly overwhelmed, but Wilbur ignores him and proceeds to accept anyway.

“Quackity I wanna say from here on, as much as we may have our disagreements here man I- we gotta leave Tommy out of this” (they don’t)

“Tommy I’ll take it back, I’m fine with you working here and still being, you know, as long as you still hang out with me and don’t leave me on my own I have no problems with you working here man” (except they both already put an incredible amount of pressure on him and Will in partucular already made him feel guilty for even considering sort of leaving him)

“At the end of the day it’s okay Tommy, you make your own decisions, but let me keep showing you around the TommyInnit res- uh, I mean the restourant” (very sneaky there Quackity. Naming things creates attachment btw)

Btw, Quackity and Wilbur are still very tense, but they both put their differences aside in a split second to get Tommy away from the strip club, which honestly is just funny. Also once again Wilbur goes before Tommy inside the casino in case it’s dangerous.

They then gamble for a bit and Tommy bets Linda away and looses it. They then go up in the white tower.

“This would be such a good point to just jump off and just end it. Woah” “no no no Tommy get down!” “Tommy get down from the rail” (casual reminder that Tommy is still extremely suicidal, though at least this time there was someone there to get him down)

Quackity and Wilbur have a small conversation while Tommy is still checking out the view which mostly consist in Quackity trying to find out more about the Revival Book (while feigning complete ignorance about it).

Meanwhile while dissociating Tommy puts down some water to the side of the tower and then jumps in it while taking it away (therefore technically jumipng off, but not dying because his fall was slowed down). Quackity notices and immediately panics, while Wilbur places some water down for him so he can get back up.

“Tommy come here, I’ve got you, I’ve always got you” (both helping and emphasizing his wish for Tommy to depend on him as much as he does on Tommy)

After that they talk for a while and Quackity brings up the conversation that he had with Wilbur which is the moment Wilbur realizes that the “You were right” in the book was referring to the pre-Pogtopia him. Also Wilbur talks about the things he’s lost (years of his life and people are the two things he mentioned).

“There’s lots of people I wish I could see. Like I wish I could just tell them ‘I’m alive’ and apologize and also thank them” (I do think he’s sincere, but it does make me a bit sad that Tommy was not in the list of people who deserved an apology in Wilbur’s mind)

After that Quackity seems to take an interest in Wilbur’s plans specifically, but, before he can investigate further, Tommy gives him his own answer and declines his offer of manning the restaurant saying that that life is not for him, it’s too relaxed (Wilbur's reaction to it is also worth notice).

“I don’t wanna run a food stand. Wilbur gets things done” (sorry to Tommy here, but, genuinely, when’s the last time Wilbur got something done without Dream’s or Tommy’s help?)

After this they get back on the topic of the Revive Book and Wilbur reveals that Dream is the one who brought him back. He also admits that he wants to thank Dream for saving him and describes him as his “hero” again. Quackity himself reveals that he has been visiting Dream.

“Oh who cares about Ghostbur?” “Don’t fucking say- don’t- he killed Ghostbur” (once again Tommy should not be here for this conversation considering how triggering the subject is for him)

“I can’t believe- you’re like a misinformed parent, you’re just wrong” (Tommy both pointing out that Wilbur is wrong and admitting that that’s due to a lack of information)

“The prison is not just this thing, this dandelion. No no no, the prison-” “How are you back then Tommy? If you died” “Dream killed me to prove a point. That he- (continues under) he’s omnipotent, he’s got this God complex” “Quackity I need to get in there”

Once again not letting Tommy speak even if Wilbur himself asked the question, though this time it may be because if he listened to Tommy’s story and his experience with Dream he would realize that there are some incongruences between the version of Dream he created in his mind and the real Dream. Between his hero and Tommy’s abuser who beat him to death to prove a point. This split in his mind in how he views Dream was already evident in the last stream with him fip flopping between wanting him dead or not.

��Tommy, Tommy, I’m not gonna talk shit about them [Sam] without their presence here alright?” (Quackity being protective of his own business patners)

Also Tommy manages to deduce on his own what Quackity has been doing to Dream, though he gets to the conclusion with the wrong clues. Either way after finding out how to visit the prison Wilbur leaves in a hurry telling Tommy to go with him as well.

“I’m a big boy Tommy, I’m a big boy, I’ll be fine” “Wilbur I’m a big man, but I was not fine” (Tommy tries to explain Dream’s danger to Wilbur by making himself vulnerable again, but it doesn’t work as Wilbur doesn’t listen)

Afterwards Wilbur tells Tommy that he is going to the prison and ignores any of Tommy’s concerns on the matter.

“Tommy listen, I didn’t wanna spring things on you because I’m really trying not to be a shit person to you Tommy, right? I’m really really trying. And it’s easy, it’s easy not to be a shit person to you, right? Because we got people like Quackity over there who are just- you know he said it best I’m not gonna talk shit about him behind his back"

If he’s not trying to be a sh*t person to Tommy he is failing miserably. Truly this whole stream he either ignored him, talked over him, talked about incredibly triggering stuff in front of him or tried manipulating him. This was all their interactions summarized. Pettiness aside though, he still badmouths Quackity by handing Tommy the book and telling him that Quackity agreed with the “old Wilbur” (not specifying that he is referring to pre-Pogtopia Wilbur and that he himself still agrees with the “old him”) to villainize him. He also acts like Tommy is being unreasonable for not wanting him to go, despite having died there and having seen Ghostbur die there. Wilbur does say that he won’t go if Tommy really doesn’t want him to, but he leaves telling him they’ll talk about it again right after Tommy tells him this:

“I don’t think you should do that, he’s more powerful then you think you are”

Left on his own Tommy reminisces of when he went to the prison looking for closure as well. He then borrows an ender chest from Quackity for his and Wilbur’s little stone shack and then goes to the middle of the lake to listen to cat.

#dream smp #quackity #wilbur soot #tommyinnit #dream smp analysis #character analysis #relationship analysis #tw manipulation #tw abuse mention #tw suicide #long post #I'm fried #this was so long #who made me do it?

354 notes · View notes

notophelia · 2 years

Text

Vax, the Briarwoods, and things both lost and gained in adaptation

[Spoilers for The Legend of Vox Machina episode 3 "The Feast of Realms" and also for Campaign 1 episodes 24 "The Feast” and 25 "Crimson Diplomacy," as well as a minor allusion to events later in the arc.]

In the midst of half the internet (quite understandably) losing the entirety of their shit over the hotness of the Briarwoods, and specifically of the Briarwoods toying with Vax (and Matt cheerfully assuring Mica during the watch party that the horny implications are "VERY intentional"), I've been utterly fascinated by that moment as a microcosm of how beautifully this whole adaptation thing is working.

As at least one post has pointed out, it's a very different experience from the first time around, not only because of the streamlining/tweaking of various plot details, but because it's a dizzyingly fast chain of events as opposed to a solid 40 minutes (not counting a WEEK in the midst of it, because cliffhanger) of mounting stress between paralysis and healing.

And that's true, and a function of the tools building the story making things read a bit differently, but there's also the factor of audience knowledge and expectation.

When we're watching them at the table, the game mechanics are always there. One of the key ways Matt facilitates immersion is by describing magic effects as perceived by the characters instead of naming them - for instance, telling Liam what Vax feels when his body is paralyzed without saying "Hold Person," and even giving him the cue of feeling something trying to penetrate his mind when he succeeds on the WIS save and isn't affected... which then leads to the hilariously bad attempt at pretending to have been affected.

Which, not gonna lie, I kinda missed in the TLOVM version. But it wouldn't really have worked, and the way it does play out (a) is fucking terrifying, and (b) sets up the challenge they're about to be facing in a completely different, but equally effective, way.

The tools at Matt's disposal for the workings of Sylas' power in-game were clearly delineated: Hold, Charm, Suggestion, Dominate. He could keep a certain amount of mystery about what he was rolling behind that screen, and with things like making us wonder exactly what he intended to do to Vax's mind if Liam hadn't made that save. But it's the nature of the game for the mechanics to show.

In the animated series, though, things have space be... murkier. And they take full advantage of that - we see Vax struggling, and clearly he can't move, but we don't know if that's all of it. Especially when it involves the same eye-glow visual effect established a few minutes before, when Sylas was very definitely manipulating Uriel's mind. Add in the way Vax's physical reaction (as noted by half the internet including Mica Burton) can be interpreted in more ways than just fear, and Sylas taking a moment to play with his food with that jaw-trace before the big chomp, and things get very murky indeed.

At this point, by the classic conventions of vampire media, Vax is presumed compromised. If I were coming to the show cold, with no prior knowledge of Critical Role or even of D&D, I would expect/hope to see increased vulnerability to Sylas' influence, probably being used against the group, drawing on the love of his sister and friends to resist and ultimately prevail. (And, as a side note, would think it was a nice little trope inversion to put him in that position instead of, say, Keyleth.)

Funny thing is... I do have that prior knowledge, and I still instinctively have those thoughts about it. Not only that, but I can see certain events as they played out in-game reading as exactly what I just described above. It'll be interesting to see if they do!

(Also of note: All these people are children of the 70s and 80s whose formative vampire media experiences mirror my own. They know damn well this is what they’re doing. :-D)

#tlovm spoilers #cr1 spoilers #vax'ildan #sylas briarwood #delilah briarwood #you look delicious #i feel like this is expressing my thoughts very poorly #but it's the best i've got #i don't think in words okay guys #these thoughts take a lot of translating #vax and the briarwoods

33 notes · View notes

sweetwolfcupcake · 3 years

Text

Allurement: Waves

Yandere Namjoon x Reader

The scantily-leaved trees held on to the last of their dying offspring. But the west-winds seemed to be unbothered, trying to tear away those leaves from the branches as the rest, hued in dull to bright shades of nature danced along on the ground.

And a few crushed beneath (Y/N)'s shoes, it would have been a fun activity: crushing dried leaves under her shoes. But she was rushing towards the car waiting for her.

"So quick!" Park Jimin, as sweet and polite as the man could be, was no less a sassy hellion if he required to be. And of all, he loved to sass around her the best. But most of the time, he did have a good reason to.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I woke up late." (Y/N) was quick to apologise, as she passed him a sheepish smile while taking a seat beside him.

"You are lucky that I like you, besides, we can always drive a bit faster, or take the shortcut? So do put on your seatbelt." he smiled at her before the car roared to life and the wheels came to life and the car went off.

It had not been too long since she had begun working under Mr Kim as his secretary, temporary secretary. About three months or so. But the previous autumn, when he had put forth the proposal of giving her the job, it did not feel long ago, while in reality. it had been a year, a whole, complete revolution of the earth around the Sun and there she was, riding with Jimin to her workplace- the Kim Group of Companies' headquarters, where the respected young CEO sat and operated from.

And within a year, nothing seemed to have changed, the water of life seemed to be stagnant. But she could feel the change, deep, greater changes like upheaval in the ocean, the waves, gigantic, monstrous, terrifying. Threatening to drown her. There was so much that had changed.

Park Jimin was a great company and an excellent friend. She had found out soon after the bond of friendship had been established between the two.

Kim Namjoon was an excellent boss and that, her job as his secretary, as reasonably draining, had so much to learn from. She admired Miss Choi for her efficiency, (Y/N) had so much more to learn, both from her job as well as her employer.

And she also discovered, gradually of course, that behind the all too sophisticated, groomed gentleman laid a clumsy gentle giant who would often burn his fingers trying to make himself a cup of coffee, or even trying to pass on hot food and drinks to her. And it was devastatingly endearing.

But most of all, (Y/N) had learnt that her mother was dying. The illness was eating her mother away, chipping away her health and endurance and there was nothing (Y/N) could do about it, nothing could prevent the inevitable. So she made peace with the fact, even though she knew that deep within, she was dreading the day her mother's sunken eyes would close for eternity. But she came to accept the fact that her mother could not be saved. All she could do was to make peace with the tragedy of life, that lied within the shortness of it.

So on the surface, (Y/N)'s life was calm and stable as a lake, yet the giant waves of changing wind terrified her under the same surface.

----

"You have a meeting with the lead investors this morning, the files and reports have been arranged at your desk." she listed off from her phone gifted by the company. It was not the day's schedule, a day in Kim Namjoon's life was nothing if it could not be defined as 'busy', it was the first half of a typical Monday morning in the company.

As soon as she was done, which was rather quickly, she placed a cup of steaming brew in front of her employer- double expresso with two cubes of sugar- just the way he liked it. Mr Kim smiled at her appreciatively. It was one of the many things she liked about him and admired. He never took his employees for granted, he had never failed to let her know that he appreciated her efforts to keep his day running smoothly and sorting things out for him.

"Thank you (Y/N), I hope you had your share of morning booster as well?" she nodded with a faint smile playing on her lips before handing off the files to him as she began to brief him regarding the topics and issues he and the company had been working on.

The projects and the required consumptions and stock- price data. It was not every day that the investors would gather at the conference room, but since a new project at hand was to begin, a meeting with the investors was required.

"Well, the reports look good (Y/N), did Mr Min mail you the required files?"

"Yes, the deal was explained there. He would be presenting along with you, it is regarding the profit margin and how the chances of loss and risk are low this time," she explained, to which he nodded

"Yes, and I require you to be with me in this meeting."

"Of course I will be with you, Sir, I am your secretary."

"No, I mean sit beside me, you won't be standing behind as you have been. And I expect all your focus on the presentation, okay? There is so much you would be learning from this." she gave him an obedient nod with a small smile.

She did not intend to disappoint him at any cost. Mr Kim was her role model, she looked up to him. Given, that she despised the spotlight and the position of CEO was not for her, but she was found herself to be a perfect fit for the position of secretary. Despite how demanding her job could get, Mr Kim was an excellent boss and mentor. He was at ease, most of the time. At most, she had seen his eyes grow cold and jaws clenched, perhaps only twice, that too if something went seriously downhill. It was a sliver of what might be laying under the controlled and calm persona. He was a human too after all.

She made her way towards her desk as soon as the briefing was over. Mr Kim's office was massive, and he did not wish to waste time on having to ring her to come to his office, thus he had a desk for her arranged in his office itself. It was kind of a mini-open office, her boss and her working under the same roof, no barriers between them, she could approach him anytime she wanted to and he did not need a phone anymore to summon her.

They had settled into a routine like that. She would begin her day by bringing him his much-needed cup of coffee and listing the first half of his morning schedule, then she could begin with her works of arranging files, stacking reports, sending emails, scanning through and replying to the mails, researching on the potential business partners, making and answering phone calls, deciding and listing appointment and other project-related materials those were deemed necessary by Mr Kim.

And all the months of working under him had been able to provide her with a unique perspective of him. There were so many things she would have never been able to discover otherwise, for instance, the fact that he loved crabs- not on his plate- but on his palms as he would gently cradle those tiny creatures whenever he would come across them. He even owned a crab, a pet crab. She would not have known had he not rambled off regarding his love for crabs while he had ordered gourmet food for them when she was required to stay some extra hours, which was a frequent occurrence. The workload could be a bit too much for him to handle, besides, those extra hours consisted far less of work one would expect and more of them talking, she had finally been able to let him enter her comfort zone, she would be damned if she had not. He had been exceptionally generous to her, he was kind and approachable, time and again he had proved it, both as a superior as well as a person.

He was warm, gentle and funny, unintentionally funny. Especially when he would break his glasses more than once a month, it would be a miracle if his AirPods would not be lost within the first week of purchase. And while his constant misplacement of files and other such important documents had managed to make her purse her lips in annoyance more than once. The warm, dimpled sheepish smile had did not allow the annoyance to remain. Because even if he would be exhausted after a day's of overwhelming work, he would not forget to wish her good night before they left the office, because even if she would be a bit late with her coffee, he never threw a fit like one would expect the boss to do. And because despite his busy schedule, he would manage to inquire about her mother's health.

Mr Kim was different. He was everything any woman would crave for and desire. And despite not being the one with shallow indulgence, she had found herself falling for her employer. It did not happen overnight. It was a gradual process, like sleep.

(L/N)(Y/N) was in love with Kim Namjoon, her boss, the heir of the legendary Kim Group of Companies.

And it had been so easy to fall in love with that man. Despite her previous reservations. And she was well-aware that the love would go tragically unreciprocated. They were worlds apart in more than one ways, the social gap, the economic gap, the professional. Everything laid in front of her to see, understand and accept the fact that her love for Kim Namjoon could not bridge the distance between the moon and a mere earthly admirer. To him, she would be many of the faceless women waiting for his attention and thronging around him if he came to know about her newfound feelings. And she did not want that to happen. She did not wish to ruin the sweet, friendly professional bond she had established with him.

And yet, she could not help the bittersweet blooms in her heart every time she would see him smile. Because she knew that sooner or later, he would be having a much warmer smile, eyes shining with love and adoration for a woman who would own his heart. It was impossible for a man like Kim Namjoon to remain single for long, he was the country's most eligible bachelor after all. Or perhaps he already had someone special in his heart, a secret lover perhaps. The mere thought dimmed her mood and often made her shoulders slump.

Of all the massive, daunting waves threatening to crash upon her, her newfound romantic attachment to her employer was the most terrifying one. Because she knew that wave would come crashing down and drown her. And that single wave against all others frightened her the most because it threatened to cause upheaval on the calm surface of her life and become the cause of her ultimate demise.

****

Taglist(Kindly remind me later if I missed anyone)- @whatpageisthis @amoc94 @theresa-nam-nam-me @dearbambideer @casualminiaturetimemachine @njrwifey @kpopisnicee @illnevertrustmyselfagain @potterbrooke @luvaffaire @bighitfics @mochimochipie @vixenwerr

#yandere namjoon #yandere bts #yandere rm #yandere ceo namjoon #yandere rm x reader #yandere bts x reader #yandere namjoon x reader #yandere kim namjoon #yandere dom namjoon x innocent reader #yandere ceo namjoon x reader #yandere dom namjoon #allurement

237 notes · View notes

ladybirdwithoutdots · 3 years

Text

I was just thinking about the fact Emma 2020 is clearly told from Emma's protagonist-perspective but Mr Knightley is the one character whose pov you see indipendently from her (or when she can see him) since his first scene, so he essentially is treated as co-protagonist by the narrative. Even his yellow riding coat seems to be a nod to Emma's own yellow ensemble but at the same time, it does place him in a co-lead role and there is even a parallel between Emma's scene with Harriet and his own scene with Robert Martin. One is meddling in Harriet’s personal life manipulating her, the other is accidentally finding himself on the side of a Harriet/Robert supporter, lol.

Notice for example that the only scene Harriet gets that is just about her (meaning not something functional to Emma's story or that Emma can see too) is the one in the end between her and Robert because it's the moment she gets rid of Emma's bad influence and makes her own choices following her own feelings, which signals her own character growth.

For Mr Knightley it's a bit on reverse because he has a different character arc: he starts as an independent character from Emma but as the story progresses, while he's still independent, he also realizes how much he needs her and the thought of losing her brings him despair, and from that moment (the aftermath of the ball), everytime you see him again it's about Emma. His character arc is about realizing how much being alone and independent isn't enough for him anymore..everything he was sure of before is challenged, and he understands and admits he actually needs Emma more than he could have ever imagined when he met her. In fact, in the end it's part of his independence he is willing to give up to be with the woman he loves. There is something foundamental Mr Knightley learns, and it's also part of understanding Emma's loneliness better than he ever did before.

A lot of things about Mr Knightley kind of represent an epiphany of sorts. There are phrases from the beginning that are foreshadowing of his own journey and his character arc. You could say he has to eat his own words too sometimes, lol. For instance, in his first scene with Emma he teases her about people crying at Miss Taylor's wedding: in the end you see him moved to tears at his own wedding^. And of course there is the infamous "I want to see Emma in love and with some doubt of a return" that backfires so much 😂.

I think it's a clever way to highlight his own character arc from the book too. In the novel, you think he's very independent mostly at the beginning (*) but with time, you realize in retrospect how much he needed Emma and why he spent so much time with her and her father. He's ok alone, he's a dynamic, independent and kinda energic person, but Donwell is empty (love the movie shows how much it's preserved but only his room is *home*. Cue the dust sheets covering the furniture in other rooms) and deep down a part of him longs for a companion, someone whom he can share his life with. He doesn’t realize that or admit it at first, in a way he thinks he’s independent and unaffected by some things but he realizes that he isn’t. Deep down he wanted to marry and have kids like his brother, and he could've easily found himself a wife but he was already in love with Emma without realizing it, somehow ‘waiting’ for her without knowing he was essentially doing that (it’s the same for her, they both subconsciously put their feelings away because they think the one person they really want isn’t interested about them that way). It's the discovery of his own loneliness, and how much he loves and needs Emma, that helps him understand her and her own loneliness (that she compensated with the match making and trying to find a friend in Harriet after the loss of Miss Taylor) even better. (*) (the beginning of the novel also coincides, for me, with the only time in the story where I do remember he’s older than her. By the time I get to the end, the more I realize he needs Emma and loves her, the more I forget about this aspect and he seems to be..younger. Funny enough, that’s also a moment in the story where Austen tells you that he comes across as young to Emma herself. The way she subtly hints that HE is the love interest is delightful btw.)

I must say, Emma has a similar journey about romance and marriage. At first, she thinks it isn't for her and she tells herself that she doesn't want to marry, when really the thing preventing her is mostly duty towards her father. I think a lot of people misunderstand her character to ostensibly try to make her a modern feminist heroine, which isn’t a bad thing per se but often it ends up erasing a good part of her own character arc and what still is a very important point. The thing is, Emma does have a romantic heart that she tries to express through match-making by finding a companion for her friends, because in that moment it's the only way she feels she's allowed to experience romance too. Emma thinks she’s free but she really isn’t, psychologically at least she is trapped in a cage where her father’s needs are the priority no matter what her heart wants or may want. This aspect is important because at the beginning of the story, she's naive and an unreliable narrator of herself and her feelings. In the end, when her delusions shatter she realizes she isn’t as immune to some things as she thought she was, and she had always been in love with Mr Knightley. You could argue that it’s not so true Emma isn't interested about romance or marriage... she is, with the man she loves. She simply isn’t ready at the beginning, nor she thinks she is allowed to have what she wants. In fact, she does a 180° about the whole "I don't want to get married" thing when he asks her to marry him, and she is pained by the idea that they wouldn't be able to marry asap because of her father. You'd think it wouldn't make a big difference for her either way given Mr Knightley would still be with them every day like be always was, and she could still preserve their routine that was so dear to her; but it's not enough for her anymore. Acting as friends only isn't enough anymore. That's why she's pained by the idea she may not be allowed to marry him asap: she longs to have a companion, to have an intimacy she wouldn't be allowed to have with him without being married. And when he does find a perfect solution so they can be together, she's conflicted about his sacrifice but also incandescently happy that they can marry sooner than she thought they'd be allowed to. The point is, part of Emma's coming of age arc is discovering her own sexual agency too, and the fact she finds herself wanting things she didn't think she even wanted before. Austen is subtle like you'd expect her to be in context but that’s what she implies in the end, in the most dignified way sure but she does that in the way Emma's feelings about marriage completely change when she knows she's in love and he loves her back.

It's also interesting to notice that, in a way, just like Mr Knightley understands some things about Emma better in the end when he discovers his own vulnerabilities, Emma also does start to fully understand and respect Harriet's feelings for Robert and his for her only when she herself realizes her own love for Mr Knightley, and thus she understands that marriage isn't necessarily just a matter of convenience like she thought it was.

(ps: I headcanon Emma as demisexual/demiromantic, btw. I feel like a lot of things about her make even more sense when you think that beside the lack of experience, she is someone who needs to be in love and share a strong bond with a person to fully understand and want some things. The moment at the ball when she’s dancing with Frank but she’s completely distracted by how attractive she finds Mr Knightley is one of my favorites. She’s generically able to appreciate people’s beauty from an aesthetic perspective such as noticing someone has pretty eyes or hair etc, but when it comes to real attraction Austen is all about Emma finding Mr Knightley hot because it’s him, not really because he has this or that physical feature she finds pretty.)

#emma 2020 #emma #emma x knightley #mr knightley #emma woodhouse

124 notes · View notes