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#so this whole thing was just an excuse to showcase that . lmao

theerurishipper · 6 months

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Part 2 of my Paris special commentary (Part 1 here) because Tumblr is an ass and has a word limit.

Disclaimer: This is long asf.

Marinette here playing 5D chess, queen shit.

The most important thing the special confirmed is that Gabe added the word "dark" to his transformation phrase on purpose cause he's a dramatic bitch.

I am here for Claw Noir mocking Gabe. Go off, king.

"Oh nO, iT WAs aN IlLusIon!" That giggle is adorable. She's so cute.

Ladyfly is an ass name, but she looks so great.

Not Gabe getting annoyed at Claw Noir's teasing. See, now this is why we stan Claw Noir on this blog.

Gabe's plan isn't half bad, actually.

Symbolism? In my children's cartoon? It's more likely than you think.

They're having a pun-off.

RIP Chat Noir's ear.

Gabe got feathered lmao

Monarch dipped like a little bitch.

A mirror, I called it. It'll make for some nice symbolism.

"Let alone a calm and gentle mom" I wonder what Sabine is like in their world to make Emonette feel like she's so alone.

I like how they handled the villains tbh. I wasn't a fan of making it seem like Marinette was one step away from becoming a supervillain at all times, but it seems less like that's the case and more like The Supreme took advantage of her suffering and vulnerability at her lowest moments.

It's also nice that they established that Shady and Claw weren't the actual big bads and are just hurt kids who got recruited into a fight they weren't ready for. Their motivation isn't some rehash of Gabriel's, they are literally trying to survive under the rule of someone who will kill them if they don't do his bidding, and because of whom they're dying. Their life is literally full of suffering and they're trying to find something that'll give them a way out. Shady wants Marinette's life, and Claw Noir wants his mother back.

Like, it doesn't excuse their actions, but it does add a more humane element to them that lends itself better to the kind of redemption Miraculous likes to do, which is to fix things with a speech. That's why this redemption works, and Gabe's doesn't.

Anyway.

The back and forth between Chat Noir and Claw Noir was pretty funny ngl.

And we discover that Claw Noir wants his mother back. Of course.

MY POOR BABY

When Marinette was talking about how she was also angry and hurt, but chose to love herself and the world around her and chose to try and fix it... that hit hard. Honestly, it did. It's everything I love about Marinette in one speech. I love it.

And then onto my personal favorite scene in the entire special, possibly in the entire show.

That whole conversation was powerful. "I'm as well as I can be anyway," that's so profound. Like, of course you aren't going to be 100% okay after losing someone you love, but Adrien wants to move on and be happy like his mother would have wanted him to. This scene really showcases Adrien's empathy and his strength, when he acknowledges that having no friends can make it harder for Claw Noir to move on, and then he tells him that only he can make the choice to stop being alone. And that's really true. This scene really showcases everything amazing about Adrien, his hope and optimism, his empathy and his strength. How he finds the strength to keep going by choosing to not be alone. It's beautiful.

Like, it could have been so easy for both Marinette and Adrien to give into their darkest impulses, and Shadybug and Claw Noir really are just representations of how letting your hurt overpower you can lead you down a dark path, and it really highlights their strength, that they choose to make the right choices everyday, despite everything. It really highlights their characters and their arcs. And they're able to take everything they've learned, and look at what they could have been in the eyes and help them change too. It's so poetic.

It would have been a little more impactful if the show had spent more than 10 minutes out of 5 seasons focusing on Adrien's grief and how it has impacted him, but whatever.

Anyway, it also had some Adrien and Nino friendship crumbs, and I'll be darned if I didn't gobble it up like a starved animal. Also, we have confirmation that "Space Mutants vs. Ghost Shark" is Nino's favorite movie, so Nino stans please say "thank you Paris special."

And they are REDEEMED.

Shadybug fixes everything with her Lucky Charm after spending the whole special making destructive ones. My heart.

Shadybug and Claw Noir stop being evil and immediately go from hating each other's guts to flirting shamelessly. They just speedran enemies to lovers in a matter of seconds. They literally just defaulted to flirting. Truly, the natural state of Ladynoir in any universe. We stan.

Gotta be honest, I'm not a fan of the new designs. Wish they had kept the old ones. I'm one of those people whose toxic trait is liking Claw Noir's design, so I'm a little unhappy with it, but hey, it's a sweet scene.

Also, Claw Noir's hair went from the color of rotten bananas to ripe bananas. If that was intentional, I applaud the writers for being both profound and funny as hell.

Aaaaaaand Gabe is back, because we can't have nice things.

The montage going through different realities was great, it was small but I enjoyed it.

They're literally so cute omg. Couple behaviors fr. I'm so obsessed with them.

HUGS

POUND IT

They're holding hands... already... like they're in love... I'm so emotional... I WILL NEVER GET OVER THIS

And they're gone. But their adventures will continue forever in my mind and in my fanfics. And in other people's art that I will ravenously consume.

Cute Alya and Marinette scene. This is really sweet, I love the exploration of the impact Alya has had on Marinette's life.

And now, I'm not an Alyanette shipper, but I think they should kis- oh, wait, never mind, they did it.

And thus, the endless night comes to an end (it happened a while ago but that's just semantics).

Final thoughts

I really loved this so much. Sure, there were some exposition dumps that probably should have happened in the actual series, but that's not the fault of this special. This is probably my bias talking but this is the best special and it's literally perfect, no I will not take any constructive criticism on that. This, this special and everything in it, this is what Miraculous is all about. This is exactly what I wanted, this is what I signed up for. It's literally the best thing ever to come out of this entire show.

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sarabencze · 2 days

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I saw a lot of discourse around Seventeen using AI in their comeback trailer, and I thought I'd share my take on it.

If you're interested, keep reading, it's a lot 😅

Also, please excuse any grammar mistakes, it's almost 2 am lmao

BUT once I watched the teaser as a whole a few more times and slowed it down to really look at each scene, I'd like to think that I understood the artistic vision behind it.

So, do I like them using AI? I don't know, not really if I'm being honest. I'm not a big fan of people using AI for commercial purposes, so I was a bit thrown off at first.

From my interpretation, it's their way of saying how much AI harms the arts.

First of all, let me bring out the line in the very beginning of the video that goes

"In our current reality where anything can be created with AI, who's the real maestro?"

It kind of highlights the fact to me that with music creation becoming more and more "accessible" to people - even those who have literally zero musical sensibility - with the help of AI, being "good" at creating music slowly loses its uniqueness and creditability. People won't look up to others who are good at writing lyrics or creating beats and they won't "idolise" them because they can have it with just a click of a button. It highlights that if we keep going down the route of using AI to create music, people could get credited with little to no music skills, and those who are actually skilled could lose their jobs.

It would also be hard to tell if the songs are actually created by living-breathing musicians with the help of human minds and emotions, or they're just a cheap AI copy that STEALS and uses already existing pieces of art to create something else.

Next, I'd like to talk about the trailer itself.

If you slow down the trailer to the slowest setting and just pay attention to the video, you can see a scene for a fraction of a second where Hoshi is kneeling with his hands tied in the middle of a bunch of robot looking soldiers(?) with their rifles pointed at him.

It's just one scene I distinctly remember, but most of the cuts looked like they were all somehow "controlled" by various types of electronic devices(?).

There are also AI created scenes in between some actual scenes of the guys themselves showcasing robots making music, also somewhat symbolising that people creating music with AI is just like as if it was robots creating it and it has zero human emotions involved whatsoever.

I also saw people saying that "since they used AI, they could've used something better quality so it doesn't look this ass" and all I can say to that is I think that was part of the point they're trying to make?

Like it's kind of symbolising that AI can never truly be as good as a piece of art created from human emotions BY a human? Idk that's just my opinion honestly.

In conclusion, all I can say is that I hope they only used AI for this one trailer alone, or like we'd only get a few seconds of AI in the MV AT MAX.

I'm not really fond of the idea of AI being used for commercial purposes, so I hope they only used it just for this one trailer to make a point.

I mean, we've seen many K-pop groups have trailers to music videos that had literally nothing to do with what was in the actual music video, so I'm hoping it's one of those cases.

I hope it's like a "prologue" to set the scene/tone for the MV itself.

Anyways, if anyone read the whole thing, thank you, I really appreciate you.

I'd also love to hear your thoughts in the comments/reblogs, it's an interesting topic to talk about.

I might also follow up with some new thoughts in a reblog if I remember something else.

#it might just be me but ai pictures/videos really do creep me out for some reason #seventeen #seventeen comeback #svt #17 is right here #maestro

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angeliteonfridgeduty · 7 months

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hi i'm alive, here you go have your daily dose of my silly md au scribbles

this is Y, and now i'm going to casually use her as an excuse to explain assembly drones because let's be honest it's about time i actually did that Y specifically because 1. i drew her 2. she's literally the very first assembly drone character i've ever brought into this cursed land so she technically started all this so basically yeah uhhhh uhhhhhhhh basically these idiots are, for the most part, a bunch of "disassembly drones should die"-minded worker drone individuals that casually, you guessed it, hunt down disassembly drones and kidnap their parts which they either attach to themselves or build some new messed up weaponry shit out of later to shank disassembly drones more efficently yes i am aware that their name is like incredibly cheesy i just can't think of another one for the love of me so "assembly drones" will have to do for now lmao silly taser tails are basically the faction's signature trait sorta thing. they diy those out of dd parts like usual

the whole faction has a bg actually but i won't give you that today because this is about Y and not the whole assembly drone community today and uhh because i'm still developing said bg lol

anyway enjoy this image of what i am only willing to describe as "the average cluster gem maker but murder drones" as i descend back into my casket for until i draw something else to casually showcase to yall

#murder drones #murder drones oc #art #murder drones au #kinda #soup jar. that's it. that's all i'm willing to say #did you know that i came up with Y (and the very concept of assembly drones essentially) over a literal character.ai conversation #bet you didnt #ha ha first time drawing dd clawhandthingy and i hate the way it looks but heyyy at least it worked #if you wonder wth it is Y is holding. it's a chip #she didn't have the silly safety goggles at first but then i tried to make her in a random murder drones roleplay on roblox #and i kinda slapped khan's hardhat on her #and i liked the goggles so i permanently kidnapped said goggles for her design #yeah uh #MD-Colony 262 #yes Y is actually more of a nickname that she wholly embraced as an actual name for no reason whatsoever #no soul has a clue wth her real name is apart from her parents probably #what else do i say uhhhhh #um #no i actually made assembly drones before alice's existence was revealed to me #somewhere before or around june 2 i think #idk why i'm saying that #anyway #i will unflip a biscuit #maybe

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crunchyharold · 7 months

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Thots on how Harold was eliminated each season?

OOOooOOooOooOO okay

i think his island elim was good. well. the timing was, anyway. harold didn't have much of an arc in island since he was a side character, but getting courtney out was essentially him standing up for himself after being bullied for a long time, and there wasn't much left for him after that. also he wouldn't have fit in with the guys all being buddy buddy after the merge since they didnt like him lmao

the whole love letter thing was, on one hand a nice little plotline to remind us that they are literally just a bunch of teenagers, but on the other hand a bit weird. i've expressed my thoughts on the whole lesharold thing in more detail here but to summarise i am not a fan, in canon anyway.

so the timing and circumstances of the elimination i like but the elimination itself uhh i do avert my eyes

his action elim however was BULLSHIT. he did not kill scruffy on purpose he was in fact scared of scruffy and it is not his fault scruffy climbed on him. i would even say that harold didn't even kill scruffy, the vomit comet did. ANYWAY. him confronting owen just before the elimination ceremony was a stupid move and felt to me like the writers just wanted an excuse for someone other than duncan to vote him off

action was harold's season many people are in agreement of this. i think he should have been a finalist. and like i'm not mad that he isn't necessarily (although beth?? really?? i'll accept duncan. but beth?? i get that she was kinda helpful in challenges but her plotline was shit and involved cheating on her boyfriend. at least duncan acknowldges that he sucks ass) but i will say that OWEN going further than harold is a weird move. because owen was already a finalist and he didn't really do anything in action?? even when he was literally paid to stir shit he still didn't really do anything.

so with action i'm good with the timing (although he coulda gone further) but the circumstances were a bit shit imo

harold's wt elim had me HEARTBROKEN the first time i watched it lmao and i am still displeased to this day. i often skip that episode because it's not very good anyway imo.

the thing with world tour is while i get that team victory existed entirely to showcase alejandro fucking with people (and to keep team amazon in) harold still could have stayed longer. he would have LOVED world tour. he could have literally swapped places with dj and he would have had a great time and dj would have also had a great time because he wouldn't have the whole animal curse bullshit

so for world tour i'm good with the circumstances of his elim (i like the "sacrificing himself" thing that was fun. i like leshawna being like Harold That Is A Toy) but he should have been in longer. world tour wouldn't have been his season but he could have had a nice autistic little time exploring different places

thanks 4 the question i love to talk about harold

#total drama #maintagging this so u suckers can see it #look at my thoughts boy #td harold

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biboyhalo · 2 years

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i am not convinced of quackhalo but it's mostly because i don't really follow either quackity of bad, but please convince me i want to see

ok anon so i was supposed to just write a short thing BUT THIS IS SO LONG LMAO anyway what i have here is basically my quackhalo masterpost/manifesto to convince you that they are insane and gay (and have some form of crush on each other in one way or another)

First of all I will show you my absolute favourite moment between them.(tumblr link) It's not the biggest or most eye raising out there, but I sing this song to myself regurarly, and I love this moment. Quackity is quite tired in this stream, and he always up to this point just teased and jokingly made fun of bad and suddenly he comes out with THIS 😭😭 you can tell that even bad was taken aback

this..... THIS???? (youtube link) if you dont wanna watch the whole 9 min thats fine but guys just go to 4:00 . context: quackity has convinxed bbh into calling him "big daddy" and bad tries to swindle out of it for the first 4 minutes but then at 4:00 he finally caves in. the way he says it???? (😳😳😳) and also the way quackity has a FULL BODY REACTION for like 5 minutes 😭😭 like he beats up his chair and then just cant stop just like…. full body reacting dhsjskzbjssk like excuse me are you okay sir… is this still a bit…

and this… (youtube link) in a form of animatic bc its fucking great but this just rly ties up badboyhalos ongoing and continuous thirst for buff men.. the reaction he has AND the reaction quackity has to that reaction...... wow. quackity genuinely sounds a bit freaked out i think this was when he first realised "hey bad might be actually genuinely attracted to men" lol

now here (youtube link, if it doesnt work 11:10 - 12:10) Quackity gets exposed for asking bad to face time him and show him his face when they have their late night talks and looks so caught and tries to flip it around into a joke dbajskd. he tries to make it look so casual, but you can tell he's not happy it got flipped on him LOL

bbh calling quackity alex and quackitys reaction :) (tumblr link) very much reads like a bit of course, but with quackity it does seem like he doesn't make up reactions as much as massively overhypes them to make it into a funny bit

now this moment and the next few i only had clips saved on my pc so i uploaded them on one of my saved urls blogs hdiasjdka dont mind me but THIS ONE he is so fucking focused on bads hands his eyes are NOT BUDGING DHISJK. That whole stream he had bad's rat cam in the corner and kept begging bad for face cam, and when suddenly bbh went to pet rat BAM full screen rat cam and complete SIMPERY over hands. like im not kidding he literally cant look away look at him 😭

THIS!!!! i think it's one of the moments where quackity does something without thinking then tries to work around it/make it a joke. Like that smooch came from such a genuine place of love (im not saying romantic love, just love, you cant say they dont have loads of platonic love for each other) and adoration it's so SWEET. he was teasing him abit too much and realised and just went SMOOCH. so cute

this clip is incomplete but its all i have rn, before the clip he says bad's hair looks soft, then all that, but after this he turns it into a joke saying he'd yank it and rip it out but at first he sounds so sincere i think he said the soft hair thing sincerely and then was like oop better joke

the silence after this clip is always what makes it for me. but he said what he said! "you are my badboyhalo" <3

who would i be if i didn't include the "you have to ride me" clip. bc bad's reaction says it all.

this one is so miniscule but i love this moment. they are both so cute. I think it showcases why quckhalo works so well for me, because quackity will go into flirt mode and bad will pretend he doesn't notice, will just act as his usual cute innocent persona. but he's into it 😭

yeah abshidjkahsjk (tumblr) like most of these it was partially a bit, but the fact that his stream ended bc he overhyped his reaction to bbh calling him alex and kicked his computer LOL. it reminds me of the big daddy clip, i think quackity actually has a geniune reaction to these things but makes it HUGE AND BIG so that ppl see it as this bit

(twitter link) they call each other when they're stressed like please i love them

(twitter link) even more!!!!! bad talking about quackity im literally sobbing and crying

(twitter link) EVEN MORE FLIRTING FROM QUACKITY

For my last words i present to you a 25 minutes quackhalo "sus moments" compilation which should be watched by any quackhaloer out there. I love it and I enjoy it and I watch it when I'm feeling down and when i miss quackhalo <3

THAT WAS LONG LMAO anyway here is my quackhalo manifesto

#quackhalo #asks #anon #oct 22

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jvten · 9 months

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homesick (a lil thing from love, decay and mayhem) (it's a flashback tho)

ELLO- so normally whenever i post snippets or oneshots, it's mainly from Beast, but today i figured i'd showcase something from Love, Decay and Mayhem which is basically My Friendly Neighborhood but in an apocalyptic setting i guess?? i dunno man i'm tired

for context, the puppets from MFN and Al Gerzwald, as well as Vi, left the studio because they ran out of supplies. they barely escaped a monster (although that isn't mentioned in the snippet cos im dumb lmao), leaving in a sky-ship they had found, and are now leaving home for the first time.

warnings: nothing too serious, just fluff and comfort because vi's feeling homesick, although she does cry a lil omg my poor baby ;A;

characters: vi (oc), ray and ricky, + gerzwald mentioned at the end, small mentions of the other puppets as well as gerzwald's wife who is also an original character

· • —– ٠ ✤ ٠ —– • ·

The noises and various clangs and thuds from the engine room made Vi stir from sleep, and when they didn’t stop, the fifteen year old girl wandered out of the room, trying not to let the new orientation of her bedroom in this skyship throw her off. She followed the noises until she found Ray at work tending to the engines, attempting to understand them as this was their first night operating it. The large red muppet hadn't seen her walk in.

“Ray…!’ she shouted over the cacophany he was making, covering her ears. “Ray! Ray!” Only when she called a third time did he hear her, ceasing his work on the engines. “Sorry, I— Could you maybe keep it down? I’m trying to sleep…”

Ray looked at her blankly for a second, then nodded, placing down his wrench. “You… Sleep?” he asked, as always being a muppet of few words.

Vi shook her head. “No… I don’t think I can… It’s not because of you, it’s just… I’m not used to this skyship yet.” She sighed, clutching her arms tensely.

The red muppet nodded again, allowing the two of them to exit the engine room. “You — okay?” Ray growled, noticing how much more tense the young girl was now.

“N—No… I mean, I’m… I’m fine, I just…” she stammered, feeling tears flood her eyes. And before she could get another word out, she choked out a sob, unable to hold the dam of emotions, and she broke down crying in front of Ray.

Surprised at first, the red muppet hugged her as she sank to her knees. Vi curled up into his fur, crying into him. Ray knew all too well about how she was feeling. It was the first time any of them had left the studio.

“I’m— I’m sorry,” she gasped, trying to rub her eyes but to no avail, the tears kept falling. “I just… I miss home. I miss the studio. I miss Renee and Pearl and—and Goblette and— I… I wish things could be normal again…”

Ray let out a growl of understanding, gently patting her head. “Miss… home… too.”

They spent a while sitting in the hallway, with Vi slowly settling down and Ray letting her curl up against him the whole time. Vi had hoped no one had heard her crying, she wouldn’t know what to say to them or what excuse to give… She’d hardly cried throughout her life… but ever since the apocalypse started, ever since Renee — the woman who was most like a mother to her — had left in search of other survivor colonies… Vi felt more suspectible to her own sadness. And while she only intended for Ray to know what she was feeling, it seeemed someone else would.

“Vi? Vi? Where are—” called a voice from the ventilation, and a sock puppet poked out of the nearest one. “There you are!” Ricky exclaimed, but must have realised that Vi had been crying because he crawled out of the vent and approached her and Ray. “Hey, what— what’s happening, Vi? Are you okay?”

Vi sniffed, unable to form an answer, but Ray did so for her. “Home… sick,” he replied.

“Oh…” Ricky understood immediately, and crawled up to Vi, who picked him up and let him sit on her shoulder like he always would. “Yeah, me too, Vi. I’m pretty sure we all are. And it doesn’t help with Al shutting himself in his cabin, huh?” When both Vi and Ray nodded, he chuckled a little. “I miss the studio too, don’t worry. Cos you know what?”

“W—What?” Vi stammered.

The sock puppet gently nudged the side of her face. “We all still got each other, and I think that’s still pretty good.”

Wiping her eyes, Vi eventually nodded. “Y—Yeah. I… I guess you’re right.”

The three felt themselves too tired to move to a proper bedroom after that, so for pretty much the whole night, they fell asleep in the hallway — Ricky curled up on Vi’s shoulder, with her lying against Ray who leaned on the wall. And when Gerzwald eventually emerged from his room, he was surprised to find the three of them asleep. But he figured to best not disturb them, instead draping a couple of blankets over them.

It wasn’t just those three who were feeling homesick. All of them were. The other puppets… even Gerzwald himself.

But they had each other. And that would mean a lot in the long run.

#jay writes #wip: love decay and mayhem #my friendly neighborhood #mfn ricky #mfn ray #original character #oc #writing snippet

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zetto-protection-squad · 1 year

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Did u enjoy the 1st A2Z compilation film?

Mod Blue: Heck yea I did!! It was awesome to see Zetto and Kizuna again !!

I think the movies are doing fantastic at adding extra context to the series, which I know some fans desperately wanted (especially in Kizuna's regard). It definitely shows the improvement that Kirb's had over his years of storytelling/animating, and it's nice to see it in the context of my favorite shark man.

Actually, wait, I wanna gush about all the new scenes:

First scene:

I think first off I wished we saw more of that "worse spirits" Zetto that I would have expected post-Episode 0, though it's also SO sweet to see Zetto being more happy-go-lucky; it helps tie into Plan Z's mention of how Zetto actually hated how Rockoon and Doubling used their job as an excuse to destroy the game

I think it showcases that Zetto DOES care a whole awful lot, but also that Kizuna truly does care for his safty (that shot of Kizuna staring at Zetto's glitched stump </3)

Second Scene:

I think this builds a lot of tension about how Alpha was never meant to be involved with Plan Z... also it's just sort of funny to see Kizuna swear and get huffy lmao

Third Scene:

I love seeing Zetto and Kizuna argue; I think it definitely showcases the Factbubble mentioning how Zetto scarcely takes "the mission" seriously while Kizuna is a lot more professional. I think it's also kind of cute seeing Zetto be all "EVERYTHING'S FINE" to Kizuna's "NO IT FUCKING AIN'T"

I think the part where Zetto and Kizuna are huddled around the antivirus leaves me in awe; knowing what eventually happens, and that Zetto is still SO hopeful about it... </3

Kizuna hiding the fact that Alpha's the one with the virus from Zetto, and Zetto being so trusting of her? Breaks my heart ;n; I feel she does regret not being fully transparent with him, but she's definitely putting the mission first above all else. Maybe because she cares so much about Zetto's wellbeing, that she wants to hide it for as long as possible before he finds out, knowing damn well that he won't react very prettily...

Fourth Scene:

This is my FAVORITE scene, genuinely. It gave me chills during Chris' sneak peak and it was even better when all finished! You can really hear the anger in Zetto's voice, and I think it goes to show how much Chris has improved as an actor.

He's genuinely fantastic at letting me feel for Zetto as more than a character (since like... that IS the point of storytelling lmao). There's so much frustration in his voice at Kizuna's brief "betrayal", and that his new friends are now involved with Plan Z. It's also really cool to see Kizuna's character expanded upon; her wanting the game shut down is something only touched upon in the Factbubbles, but there's also the huge conflict between her own interests versus putting Zetto's interests first since he was the one most impacted by the virus.

It's also just nice to see Kirbopher brood a bit lmao

In the Kirbopher part of the scene, I think the little part where he's conversing with Alpha through text is really sweet. Alpha would presumably only get the text, but you can tell Kirb's much more subdued and troubled in his voice. It's really sweet Alpha asks "You OK? We can talk about it, if you'd rather just hang :("; like, that's the cutest thing in existence! Obviously Kirb isn't gonna show himself being upset to Alpha, but it's fascinating to see how he hides that from Alpha here. It's incredibly sweet he does a little smile at the end of the scene; it shows that while he's beginning to get scared over his friends getting involved with Plan Z, he still does enjoy their company and it's his little conversation WITH Alpha that snaps him out of his "oh god, my friend has the arm-hurty virus!" funk.

Fifth Scene:

I love this scene as well; it shows the moment the happy-go-lucky Zetto we see throughout the movie turns into the scary shark man in Episode 5 (literally. his fangs turn into the shark teeth by the end of the scene lol)

Even though his tone is much more angered (once again: Kirb's voice acting is so much more improved and AWESOME), he STILL comes from a place of care; he cares about his friends, he cares about the game, he cares about SOFDTI's sacrifice...

Because this scene comes after Episode 4, it leaves me in awe that such a nice experience with his friends leads him to his obsession with with mission. It's BECAUSE he cares so much that drives him into who he'll be for the rest of the series.

Kizuna's somewhat snarky nature in this scene also gets me real good because she's hot because it adds a little playfulness to her character that goes sort of "Now THATS the Zetto I know" or "NOW you're focused, awesome <3" territory.

It's really cool to see THE moment Zetto gets the arm. I quite like the way he grabs and attatches it; It's not the craziest animation by all means, but it's just satisfying to see lmao.

Genuinely, Zetto's words are kind of haunting but also endearingly nerdy lmao. The way he emotes with the same hand the virus cut off, the way he reassures himself that Kizuna's the brains to his brawn, the way he wants the virus to feel the same amount of fear that HE felt towards it... I think it's a perfect segway into Movie 2, especially since it seems like we'll briefly see Zetto MUCH more troubled about his identity... and we know damn well it's gonna involve Episode 10 too.

Also, it'll have this frame. I hope the context is as slutty as this expression because I am in NEED to see Zetto manipulate mansplain manwhore his way out of this mess

#terrain of magical expertise #the main tag WILL see me love post. this is a Threat.#blue.txt #tome zetto #TOME

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baekhvuns · 2 years

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Bestie I'm gonna send you another ask later to briefly talk about my fan call, because I'm dying of fever (Hwa's effect?) let me just say I felt like shit (I still do obviously), but he made my morning so much better, he also teared up a bit 😭 and loooked so so pretty, but what's new. I was like "pls let him change, not the MuCore outfit" it was distracting 🥴

Lmaoooo 12 points is better than the infamous 0 jshdhshshsgshsgs. Because MuCore is more difficult to win I was once again robbed of Lino x Ateez interactions, Jungwoo too, I wanted to see Hongjoong and Yeosang with him again :/ Skz doesn't attend The Show, so no MC Yeo x Skz moments either :(

Yes Soshi showcase was so fun, I didn't watch the whole thing, but it made me emooooo. Agreed, the song is simple in quite boring way, but anyways at least it's not unlistenable! I hoped the MV would be more interesting though. I've ordered their albums and the packaging especially of the Deluxe edition is so pretty!

Right I'm afraid of the ads, because it's too good to be true seriously 😭

Can't wait to exist in your universe as a fursona who wants to bite Seonghwa

Noddy always seemed like a boy name to me, I met two people with pets named Noddy too and they were boys... poor animals

I'm really lucky when it comes to kpop albums, but that's about it sjsuiamasbhsshbs. Now when I think about it I remember some Ateez members telling me to hydrate, because it was hot and I was like "yeah, ok" like a liar <3

EXCUSE ME WHAT ENDING?! Nvm I don't need that villain fic idc bring the cute runner Hwa one 🙂🙃🙂🙃🙂

Ngl I only listened to SuperM songs a few times, cause I was so pissed at SM for dragging some of their most talented people (minus you know who) and giving them an NCT type of track 😭 but yeah some songs are pretty ok

Bestie do not get me started on hwips and hwaist...😳 hegs lmaooo but yeah we love a long boy. I always say it's Hwa's era but tbh how can I not. Mingi has achieved his final for I'm afraid and it's deadly

Lmao now everyone needs to pass the NOSE TEST 🤭

I saw a tweet that said it should be illegal for bad things to happen to Seonghwa - exactly, you're mean to my Seonghwa? Instant death

I support Real Madrid and I know Jongho got me, I also support Arsenal 🥴

I like the changed format of the Showterview, the one with Jessi was based more on shocking behaviour from Jessi, lots of simping and chaos which was fun, but here I feel like we can learn more about them and some questions were 👀

Idk if I'm ready to read for anyone that isn't Hwa or someone I stan, but I'll keep that CEO series in mind 👀 anything about uber drivers you recommend?

Holy shit?!?!?! Those beach photos you posted, while I'm a strong MILF Hwa enthusiast he does occasionally look DILFy and that's a good example.

Bestie sometimes my browser marks your quiz links as potential fraud and I'm always like "miss Baek wants to send me a virus" Anyway girl what is this 😭😭😭😭 I got little miss princess, some of the things were accurate, but some 💀 what did you get?

THE MINI LIGHTSABER I'M KMS-ING - DV 💖

hi hello!!

omg of course!! BDMWHDNWHDKW NAUR I HOPE U FEEL GOOD 😭😭😭 he wooed you fr fr,,, OH 😭😭😭 DID U GUYS CRY TOGETHER 😭🤚🏼 IN THE MUCORE FIT??? FUCK BESTIE HOW DID U SURVIVE THAT PLS ARE U OKAY /// ?????

NO LITERALLY DHDJDJ but he’s so funny 😭😭 NAUR WE COULDVE HAD LINO AND HWA INTERACTION AFTER THEI DATE DURING KINGDOM FBFBFB 😭😭🤚🏼 the only time we get interactions atp is at mama 😭

nO BC CBDBDBD KEY DID IGAB??? yeah! simple but there wasn’t that oomfp in it,,, but when hoyeon said “we are forever” PASSED OUT GIRLIES RLY CAME BACK TO DELIVER WHAT EXACTLY KPOP IS DBDBD but they looked so goof and all!! OH MY U DID?? SHIT I HOPE U PULL A YURI BC SHES SO PRETTY THIS CB 😭😭 personally their holiday album was so nice, with all the memories in it and miss jessica 😵‍💫😵‍💫 the deluxe version is so pretty!!!

Right I'm afraid of the ads, because it's too good to be true seriously 😭

no literally im afraid they’ll take it down one day and i’ll mourn so bad 😭😭 like with no ads?? how’s that even possible??? and crisp video quality??? 😮‍💨😮‍💨

Can't wait to exist in your universe as a fursona who wants to bite Seonghwa

FURSONA IM SCREAMINGDNDJDJD DV ANON FURRY CONFIRMED AFTER ALL

Noddy always seemed like a boy name to me, I met two people with pets named Noddy too and they were boys... poor animals

poor animals inDEED WHO TF NAMES THEIR ANIMALS NODDY??? 😭😭🤚🏼 im so surprised i told my mom noddy was a boy and she gave me stank face dvdbdb

no u are so very lucky!!!! aS YOU SHOULD,,, HELP THTBRNDH THEY TOLD U TO HYDRATE AND U DIDNT 🔫🔫 😭😭😭😭 YOU LIAR FBFBFBFB

EXCUSE ME WHAT ENDING?! Nvm I don't need that villain fic idc bring the cute runner Hwa one 🙂🙃🙂🙃🙂

WHO WILL DIE WHO WILL LIVE THATS SOLELY UP TO MY BRAIN ATM FBFB pls enjoy the ending <3 i have started witting the first part of it on the side!!

yeah!! tbh i kinda liked the concept bc it was rly cool seeing a mega group to be formed but everyone hated it 😭🤚🏼 HDJDJD YEAH THE NCT TITLE TRACKS DBD tiger inside was rly good!!

HWIPS??? IN DEJA VU??? MAAM. FIRST THE NOSE. NOW THE HWIPS DONT DO THIS TO ME IM WRITING A YUNHO FIC I CANNOT GO WRITE A HWA ONEFBFBFB

Lmao now everyone needs to pass the NOSE TEST 🤭

FBWNBDKW DID U SEE HIS NOSE AT THE FANSIGN IM ASSUMING ☺️☺️

I saw a tweet that said it should be illegal for bad things to happen to Seonghwa - exactly, you're mean to my Seonghwa? Instant death /// I support Real Madrid and I know Jongho got me, I also support Arsenal 🥴

THAT IS SO TRUE NOTHING BAD SHOULD EVER HAPPEN TO HIM NUH UH shinestar’s will put instant death fbdbdb 😭😭😭 oHHHHH MADRID DBDB IM W MANCHESTER UNITED

actually you’re so right this one seems a bit more laid back and comfy than jessi’s,,, NO UR SO RIGHT ON THAT !!! oh some of them questions that one that yunho didnt answer 😀😀

Truly, everywhere I go I see HIM. Everything reminds me of HIM. Not complaining too much, but I would like to be normal for a sec... RIP to your WIPs of other members, but I believe you can fight your Shinestar urges (couldn't be me but good luck!) /// Idk if I'm ready to read for anyone that isn't Hwa or someone I stan, but I'll keep that CEO series in mind 👀 anything about uber drivers you recommend?

RIP TO MY WIPS BC I MADE ANOTHER WIP FOR HIM TODAY 😭😭😭😭😭😭📉📉 “but I believe you can fight your Shinestar urges (couldn't be me but good luck!)” LMFAOOOO EHQJEJWHDEJ everywhere it’s Him every time i see a group photo of ateez my eyes??? immediately on seonghwa 🔫 OH PLS DO READ IT ITS QUITE GOOD !!! here’s your daily uber driver recs ☺️☺️ do u perhaps fancy a uber driver who models?? or a ceo?

Holy shit?!?!?! Those beach photos you posted, while I'm a strong MILF Hwa enthusiast he does occasionally look DILFy and that's a good example.

SOMEONE SAID THAT PHOTO SET REMINDS THEM OF DIVORCE HWA THE HUSBANDY LOOK 😭😭😭 I CANNOT ANYMORE FBWMFBWK

LMFAOOOO 😭😭😭😭 OTS ACTUALLY ME TRYING TO GET UR PCS NOT FRAUD fhwkdhek I got

Art Bitch <3

You probably love to create things, art, clothes, films, books, etc etc. You hide behind all the things you make, you look for a escape in these things, you were probably the art or book kid growing up. You probably used art/books to get away from the things going around you, to bring yourself into a new world. You never grew out of this "phase", you probably want to be a writer, director, artist, etc etc when you grow up even if people tell you to get a real job, you probably felt left out during elementary career day because they never had creative jobs just firefighters and cops. Your favorite class is probably art or creative writing/english, you haven't found your people yet. But someday you will be surrounded with people that KNOW you, and it's going to be the best feeling ever. And you are going to never want to let those people go, keep making your art, share it with the world or keep it to yourself, its your art, your stories, and how ever looks/reads it is going to love it! I believe in you, and I'm proud of you.

🧍🏻‍♀️🧍🏻‍♀️ ???

IM YELLING THIS IS SO TRUE

is this your type of stompers

#✉️ : ask #dv 💖 anon

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dollsuguru · 5 days

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hihiii i don’t usually send in asks but i feel like i’m legally compelled to let you know that i’ve never read writing that portrays this much tenderness and softness - the way you write suguru?? the way you write the reader???? the way you write EVERYTHINGNGG???? has me so GAGGED man reading your work genuinely has me feeling so cozy and comfortable. ‘black is the colour of my true loves hair’ is such an addicting read, if someone asked me how many times i’d revisited it i genuinely wouldn’t be able to remember LMAO i’m obsessed i fear 🤞😔 i love your writing and i love YOUU to the point where i do not care whether or not you only post jjk works lmao IF ITS WRITTEN BY YOU THEN NO MATTER THE FANDOM OR MEDIA IM GONNA CONSUME ITT 🗣️‼️‼️💗 anyways sorry for acting like an overeager fan, it will happen again 🫡

I’M LITERALLY GONNA START SOBBING RN THIS IS THE SWEETEST CUTEST KINDEST MOST PRECIOUS THING ANYONE HAS EVER SAID TO ME 😭🥹🩷 I AM SO FUCKING ELATED (look at me using fancy words omfg… slay :3) THAT YOU LIKE THE WAY I PORTRAYED SUGURU & READER!!!!! that genuinely makes my heart SWELL bc i really did want to showcase their tenderness & softness for not only each other, but for their relationship as a whole and the fact that you said it makes you feel cozy & comfortable??? that’s all i wanted :’) this genuinely means the world to me FR 🥹

AND PLEASENDNDNDN I’M GAGGED BY THIS ASK RN I’M SO !/?)2!2&2/$/! IT’S CRAZY TO ME THAT ANYONE WOULD READ “BLACK IS THE COLOR” ONCE, BUT TO REVISIT AND READ IT AGAIN??? there’s no better compliment or better feeling than hearing that, i’m so serious when i say THANK YOU for enjoying that story bc that fic means the world to me too :’) i feel like i forgot how to write so it’s so funny that you sent this to me rn bc i just reread my fic too to get inspo/remember plot points so i can write the prequel 😭 AHHHHHH I HOPE YOU KNOW I LOVE YOU & WOULD DIE FOR YOU ANON

also :3 since i’m writing the prequel/writing the beginning stages of their relationship rn, if there’s a lil tidbit or anything you want me to add to the fic please lmk! :D if it fits w the story i’ll happily put it in as a lil thank you :’) AND PLEASENDNDNND i fear jjk has a hold on me so strong…… that’s all you’re gonna see here bestie <3 but omfg… thank you again SO much and please know that i love you so much and this is the push & confidence booster i needed to continue writing! THANK YOU ILY 🥰

here’s a lil sugu for you…….. <3 imagine that reader is satoru and suguru says “excuse me she asked for no pickles” bc he WOULD be THAT type of bf :3

#asks #anon #like??? what a GORGEOUS and KIND thing to say!!!!!#it means the WORLD to me anytime anyone says that they liked the fic bc it was my first time writing it but i did genuinely put my love #and soul into that fic 😭😭😭 so to hear you say that you liked suguru AND reader makes me so insanely happy you have no idea #ALSO THE EMOJI USAGE YOU’RE JUST LIKE ME FR BESTIE 😩💯🙏🏼🤝😳🫡#do i use emojis like a teenage boy in 2017? yeah i do… it was ironic at first but it’s unironic now i fr love those emojis 😔#ALSO I LOVE YOU TOOOOOOOOOOOO I ADORE YOU I WOULD DIE FOR YOU ETC ETC ETC #MWAH MWAH MWAHHHHHHHHH <333 🥹🩷🥹🩷🥹🩷 hope you have the best day ever friend :’)#ALSO YOU NEVER USUALLY SEND IN ASKS BUT SENT THIS IN??? I’M HONORED AWHHHHHH #personal #<- so i remember this ask hehe :3

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lilxberry · 3 years

Text

That’s My Girl - Scott Lang

Requested by: @bnhaxreaderquotes

Could I have a Scott Lang x longterm girlfriend fic?? Where she’s like super strong but super dumb?? Like she’s Thor but human and female XD bonus if she lifts Thor’s hammer to get to something and everyone’s like 👀 and she’s like ??? And scots like 🥰 “that’s my gf”

I loved this idea, I just really didn’t want to use the word stupid so much lmao I mostly referred to reader as “slow” I believe but like, this whole thing is kinda cute asf so I’m happy with it. I hope you’re happy with it too

Warnings: Like, a singular swear. Sweet ass Scott. Upset!Reader? IDEK ANYMORE.

Words: 1,645

Pairings: Scott Lang x Reader (female reader) (super strong reader?)

Unplanned sequel; That’s My Wife

_______________

There’re many words to describe you.

Sweet? Yes. Kind? Yep. Selfless? Definitely. Beautiful? 100%. Strong? No doubt.

Stupid?

No, just…slow.

It’s not that you lacked intelligence, just, your brain worked at a different pace to that of others. Your fellow teammates could tell you that. Especially your partner Scott.

Scott, the sweetie pie that he is, certainly tries his best to help you catch up, to understand things that hadn’t really made sense to you at first. He’s no stranger to defending you either, no matter who or what it’s against.

Including your teammates.

“So, like C-3P0?”

Your head was tilted in confusion and your face was scrunched up as you tried desperately to understand what Tony was talking about.

You had walked into the lab finding all of the Avengers surrounding Tony rambling on about his newest creation, engineering some crazy new robotic tech. The others that had been subjected to his showcasing had explained to you that he’d called them in, forced them to watch the unveiling of Frankenstarks newest monster.

When you had asked why you hadn’t been called in, you’d missed the way Tony and the others tensed up. They knew that you wouldn’t understand a word Stark was speaking, as if the man were speaking some foreign language to you, but they didn’t want to explain that it was because you were ‘dense’.

The heaven-sent that is Scott stepped forward, a big, bright smile on his face as he entwined his fingers with your own as he came up with an excuse for the billionaire, saving Starks’ skin and sparing your feelings.

“He thought you’d find it boring. We all do to be honest honey but only so many of us are lucky enough to have an out,” was the sugar-coated explanation he conjured up on the spot.

You bought it easily, nodding in understanding with the sweetest of smiles before reaching up on your tiptoes to plant a kiss on his cheek. The others visibly relaxed, though you were oblivious as you stared up at Scott with a love-sick expression.

You had then gone on to ask what exactly it was that Tony had been working on which had led to a longwinded explanation with wild gestures and a heap of words you certainly didn’t understand whatsoever. Truth be told, he’d lost you within the first sentence.

Tony heaved a sigh. “No, not like C-3P0. The design is completely different and the level of A.I. being used it higher than that of C-3P0,” he spoke exasperatedly, a mocking tone taking over his tone near the end.

Feeling even more confused that what you had originally felt, you tried once more to understand.

“So…like Vision?”

Sam snorted as majority of the others smirked or tried to supress their smiles, Vision unsurprisingly seemed stoic as ever. Tony, on the other hand, had a look of genuine surprise. Almost looking proud.

“Uh, yeah, actually. You worked that out a lot faster than I thought you would honestly,” Tony said as an off-handed comment causing the others to still and Scott to tense slightly beside you while your brows furrowed.

“What’d you mean?”

Scott once again interjected to save the day, dragging your attention to him instead. “None of us really got it, that’s all. I’m pretty sure Thor still doesn’t, honestly.” He whispered the last part as he pointed his thumb towards the towering, blonde Asgardian.

Although your heart fluttered at the thought of Scott trying to be so sweet and kind to you, you couldn’t help the hurt that spread through you. You knew how the others viewed you, how they thought you were stupid, how you don’t understand anything.

Rather than show it affected you, you forced a smile on to your face and a tiny giggle to pass your lips.

Glancing at the others before allowing your eyes to fall back on to your boyfriend, you kept the feigned smile on your lips as you spoke. “I just remembered I gotta load of stuff to do. I’ll see you guys later.”

Scott flashed you his pearly whites in a wide smile before pecking your forehead and giving you a quiet “Sure babe.”

Walking backwards, you called out loudly to the group before exiting the room. “Have fun with Vision 2.0.”

Usually, when the team unintentionally commented on you in such a way, it would never really affect in such a negative way but today, it was just a series of failure after failure, your day all-round being bad.

From the comment in the lab, to the accidental breaking of a trainee’s arm due to you forgetting the strength you held over others, to Steve and Bucky taking the last of the coffee in the pot of the coffee machine which you had no idea how to work.

You had even bumped into someone in the hallway, the file you had been carrying falling to the ground and the papers inside scattering across the floor in disarray, leaving you to try reorganising the lot, taking a whole hour and a half.

It’s unfortunate that the person to be at the end of your disgruntled mood would be someone who you strongly considered a friend.

The Avengers who were currently residing at the compound were all scattered within the main living area and the open kitchen when you walked in, looking dishevelled as you frantically searched for a package that you had been notified had been delivered.

Walking through, you looked to see if the damn thing was atop any table you passed. Hell, you even lifted one of the chairs slightly to see if someone was cruel enough to hide the thing under it.

Although everyone had opted to watch you curiously, it was your sweet Scott to break the silence.

“Hey honey, whatcha’ doing there?” he asked curiously.

You grumbled out your answer, honestly ready for the day to be over with. “I’m looking for my delivery.”

Sam snorted before pointing towards the island in the centre of the kitchen. “You mean that massive package right there?”

Low and behold, there sat your package on top of the cool, marble surface, just with an added feature. You scowled, storming over towards the thing. You turned your fiery gaze to Thor, who was overall minding his own business chowing down on the entire contents of a Pop Tart box.

“WHY DID YOU PUT YOUR HAMMER ON MY FUCKING DELIVERY?!” You roared out, everyone’s eyes widened in complete and utter shock, Thor even jumped at the sudden loud booming. As he opened and reclosed his mouth repeatedly in a pathetic attempt to say something, anything, you continued.

“There could’ve been something really important in there! Or-or super fragile or something! What if you broke it?!”

During your explosion at the poor Asgardian, you happened to grasp the handle of Mjölnir and lift it with ease, causing everyone’s eyes to widen further and even a few mouths to drop open, gaping at the sight in front of them, Tony choking on his drink that he had been taking a sip of. Although Scott was just as shocked as those around him, he more so looked like a small child who’s completely wonder-struck, a twinkle in his eye.

“Never, and I mean NEVER, put your hammer on my damn things again. GOT IT?!” You shoved the hammer into Thors’ chest harshly, causing him to fumble to get a hold of it.

Once certain he had a tight grasp on the thing, you released your hold and spun on the spot, now becoming witness to everyone’s flabbergasted expressions. “WHAT?” you asked in exasperation and confusion, today completely tiring you out mentally and emotionally.

A pregnant silence befell you all before Scott suddenly jumped out of his seat, face ecstatic, arms raised high into the air above his head, hands balled up into fists, a loud and excited shout escaping him.

“YES!”

“You-you’re worthy?” Thor asked quietly to no one in particular.

Your brows furrowed deeply, now entirely confused and ever so slightly self-conscious. “What?”

“You’re worthy babe! Hell yeah! Up top!” he had made his way over towards you, now one arm raised with his hand now relaxed, waiting on you to give him a high five.

“I’m not following…”

“Only Thor could lift the hammer ‘cause he was the only one who’s worthy or whatever. It’s like impossible for anyone else to lift it,” Clint started to explain before being cut off by Natasha.

“Until you, that is. You’re the only other one whose been able to lift it.”

“Oh,” was all you said before shrugging your shoulders and waddling your way past Scott and towards your package on the kitchen island, picking it up and beginning to walk away.

Before you left though, you thought this to be the perfect opportunity to finally boast about something that you had been able to do that the others couldn’t. “Well, I may be stupid but at least I don’t put my back out by trying to lift a little hammer.”

You smirked as you continued to walk away, your destination being your room, package what would be heavy to most in your arms. Scott laughed loudly, something you could hear as you continued to retreat to your bedroom.

Meanwhile…

“HELL YEAH! THAT’S MY GIRL! WOO!” Scott began to follow after you, still shouting out every single word he spoke. “HONEY! THAT WAS LIKE THE COOLEST THING EVER! DID YOU SEE THEIR FACES?! Oh man, I can’t wait to tell Cass. SHE’S GONNA FREAK!”

The Avengers were still suck in their retrieves of shock, all unmoving, all trying to process the newfound information that you could lift the hammer.

Thor seemed to be taking it the worst, looking ever so slightly frightened, gulping loudly.

“I believe I have new matters to discuss with my father...”

_______________

I love any Paul Rudd character just as much as him

I even have a t-shirt with his beautiful ass face on lmao

If you want to be added to a taglist lemme know

Anywho, I hope you enjoy

As always, constructive criticism and requests are welcomed and greatly appreciated :D

_______________

Marvel taglist:

@thanossexual

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shuahoonie · 3 years

Text

out of love [tom holland]

PAIRING: tom holland x female!reader

SUMMARY: being close friends with your ex is fine, right? even if your love for them was unparalleled among others. even if you were still in the process of moving on from them. even if you know they’re happy with someone else. even if you have no clue whether they loved you like you loved them.

WARNINGS: foul language, so much angst, it starts ok at first then goes downhill from there. i literally write things on the go so i don’t know if this will have fluff at some point

(if it does and i didn’t state it here, send me a cute photo of tom and a message of: ok wow she pulled thru 🤪; and if it doesn’t have fluff, send me a meme and a message of: miss girl i simply cannot today ✋😃)

WORD COUNT: 5.6k

A/N: hello! tonight, we are going to be sad!!! i know i usually like to write about all things fluff, but this?? this is just for me because i am having one of those episodes. i just need to feel something again aside from the stress of writing 3 academic papers per week lmao. i’m def not expecting people to like this type of vibe but yannoe. i apologize in advance.

this is inspired by that one episode from new girl (season 6 x ep 16)

gif credits: @thollandgifs

vanessa’s masterlist | taglist form | part two - pandemonium

“You know, you can still live with us right?” Your friend Maia commented as she placed the box, labelled “fine china that mom gave me but will i ever use them?”, on the kitchen island.

“I know,” You murmured dropping the heavy case of pots and pans on the floor. “But maybe living alone will be good for me.” You replied, forcing a smile. “Besides, I don’t want to int—“

“Hey, Y/N, where do you want this?” Harrison asked as he held out a box that’s labelled with “books that my grandpa passed on. HANDLE WITH CARE!”

“Oh, just set it down on the living room—“ before you could even finish, Harrison dropped the box on the floor as if it was nothing. “Harrison!” You hissed, as you quickly rushed to check on the box.

“Y/N, babe, they’re just books. Surely they can withstand any amount of pressure, yeah?” Haz tried to reassure you.

“Haz, those books are from my grandpa—which I’m sure he got from his grandpa.” You sighed. “They’re really old and fragile, so I just want them to be in a well enough condition to stand in my bookcase.”

“‘m sorry,” He murmured, rubbing the back of his head. “It’s just, why do you have to move out?” Harrison asked, frustrated at the whole thing.

“Like I told Maia, maybe having my own place will be good for me.” You replied calmly, as you neatly put the box filled with your grandpa’s books in the corner room—the initial place where you want to build your bookcase. “It’s been a while since I’ve lived on my own.”

“Yeah,” Harrison acknowledged “But there’s absolutely no reason for you to move out. You can’t possibly leave me with her!” He pointed at Maia who let out an audible gasp. Harrison was being dramatic of course.

“Haz—“ You were trying to fight off a laugh. “You two are my constants and if I became dependant on having you two at my convenience, it’s going to be a huge problem.”

“In my opinion, I don’t see it as a problem.” Maia pointed out childishly. You shook your head in disbelief. You had to move out because you miss having a place to yourself— a place where you can be at your complete worst and you don’t have to think about your friends worrying about you.

Besides, moving out means you don’t have to see Tom that often and that was a bonus in your book. It wasn’t a sour breakup per se, it’s just really difficult to feel happy for your ex when he practically showcases how different he is now with his girlfriend.

You prided yourself as a mature and well-rounded person who could be complete friends with her ex as if that’s normal. You could only keep the façade for so long.

Four months. It’s been four months since you and Tom broke up. You lived with Maia soon after the breakup and that enough was a blessing. Maia couldn’t bear to handle the fact that you would be alone at a time like this. Harrison usually crashes at Maia’s so he was bound to move in with you two. In fact, he was always there more often than you.

That was the point where you were convinced that Harrison liked Maia and that Maia liked Harrison.

Conveniently, you and Tom never ‘officially’ moved in together so you could avoid him freely at all costs.

Of course, that was eventually going to end soon. You and Tom were in the same friend group so you were bound to see each other, much to your dismay. You couldn’t exactly make Harrison and Maia pick friends because it’s not fair for anyone.

You were all friends before you and Tom decided to date. Maybe that’s why people say to never date a friend—especially if they’re near and dear.

You were coming back from work when you found people in the living room, and as if the universe really wanted to test you, it was the least likely people you’d expect to see.

“Y/N!” Maia’s voice was pure panic. “I didn’t know you’d be home this early.”

Your eyes quickly flickered between the two people standing across you before you diverted your attention to Maia. “Uh—yeah. There wasn’t really much to do in the office so I came home early.”

Maia turned to Harrison who was equally lost on how to handle the situation. I mean, who wouldn’t?! What were you supposed to do when your friend drops in unannounced with their new girlfriend and to makes the matters worse, your other friend—whom your friend dated before— decides to come home early?

You didn’t know how what kind of spirit took over your body that prompted you to extend your hand to the girl sitting beside your ex and say: “Hello, I’m Y/N.”

The girl looked surprised but shook your hand in return. “Nadine,” Nadine smiled slyly “I—um, I’m Tom’s girlfriend.”

Tom looked mildly uncomfortable but you chose to ignore it. You were becoming good at that—ignoring Tom.

You returned the smile at Nadine. You could feel the burning stares from your friends, mostly Maia. You cleared your throat and said, “I’ll just be in my room to finish the papers I need to send to my editor if you’ll excuse me.”

Before you left completely, you gave Nadine another smile and said, “It’s nice to meet you again, Nadine.”

You don’t remember how you got to your room but that was the least of your concern. You were just undeniably overwhelmed with what just happened that you didn’t even notice that there was a knock on your door.

When you opened the door, it was the last person you expected to see standing in your doorframe.

“Can we talk?” Tom asked in almost a whisper.

You gave him a half shrug and opened the door slightly wider for him.

“We’re okay, right?” He asked, looking at you in the eye.

At this point, you convinced yourself that you were numb. You never talked about the breakup. You never overtly said anything about what you felt. You felt empty. You convinced yourself that you were empty.

You stared back at Tom and without missing a beat, you replied “Of course. Why shouldn’t we?”

“Just admit that you two will miss me,” You teased, grabbing another box from Maia.

“Only if you admit that you’re moving out for an entirely different reason,” Maia whispered carefully as her eyes flickered towards Tom who was also helping with your move out.

You pressed your lips together and acted like he wasn’t even there. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.” You said, you know, like a liar.

You weren’t a vocal person. The idea of talking about your feelings was really difficult for you so you try your best to avoid it. Actually, it’s worse than that. You’d go to extreme lengths to avoid confrontation.

Obviously, it wasn’t healthy. You would always distance yourself whenever you feel emotionally exhausted, and you really meant that distance. It wasn’t bad at first—maybe a day or two was all you needed before you felt comfortable enough to be around people again.

Then it became worse when you were in university. You were beyond unreachable. Aside from being emotionally exhausted, you were mentally drained too. You were always buried with papers and readings which was unavoidable but it took a huge toll on you. So whenever you get a chance to get a break, you completely shut off from people.

Your friends definitely noticed it and they tried their best to help.

Tom was among the people who definitely went out of their way to help you. He would always drop by at your dorm with food or coffee—he would literally just drop them off, most of the time. He would leave small notes that up to this day, you still kept and tucked away in a box.

Both Maia and Harrison followed Tom’s approach. They would all alternate on who’s dropping what and when. Some days, Maia would drop off a new skincare product she’s been using or a lovely box of macarons from your favourite patisserie.

On other days, Harrison would drop off some of his home-cooked meals or maybe a book he saw from a local bookstore—a book that reminded him of you.

Tom was very persistent though. He would sometimes wait out on the hall, just so he could see you and reassure himself (and your friends) that you were okay.

You found it taxing at first—you would often try your best to match the energy from your friends, which only left you exhausted at the end of the day. You wanted space and you clearly weren’t getting that from Tom. You did acknowledge that he only did it out of pure concern.

You often wondered why he did that, staying, but you didn’t ask him. You never did.

Maybe you were afraid that you’d come off as rude or that you’d seem ungrateful for dismissing someone when they’ve clearly taken the time off their day just to check on you.

However, every time you’d open that door, it always seemed that Tom would breathe a huge sigh of relief when you lock eyes. Even if it was just for a quick second. You wondered about that too.

Tom wasn’t really being intrusive. Most of the time, he will leave a few minutes after you’d open the door to get the things your friends would drop off. You’d always ask him if he wants to stay inside for a bit, but he’d always decline.

Except for that one time, though. That one time that you knew you were going to fall in love.

It was the week of midterms and deadlines. You were knee-deep with papers from different classes that demanded to be finished that week, one of which was a research paper that practically tied you to your laptop and made you consume an unhealthy amount of caffeine.

It wasn’t until 2 am when you were about to go on a quick drive to a McDonald’s but saw Tom dozed off in the hallway, his back pressed against the wall.

“Tom,” You shook him gently, trying not to startle him. “Tom, wake up.”

His eyes slowly fluttered open, seemingly disoriented at first but would soon fall into the warm familiarity that your face always brings.

“Why are you sleeping in the hall?” You asked quietly, careful not to make a fuss. The walls in your dorm were very thin and you learned that the hard way. You’d think they’d put a disclaimer about that in the lease when you’re housing a bunch of university students with raging sex drives.

It took Tom a minute to fully comprehend the question, seeing that the bright fluorescent light was being harsh on him and that he’s generally like that when being jolted awake.

“Oh, erm, I—” Tom was finding the right words to use. He can’t exactly exclaim ‘I’ve been worried sick about you!’ out of nowhere. Instead he said, “I was waiting for you to open the door, just to see if you’re alright.”

“All night?”

Tom scratched the back of his neck. “It seemed that way, yeah.” He muttered sheepishly.

You were dumbfounded. Surely this was the first time someone actually fell asleep outside your door, waiting for you to come out. It was sweet but highly unnecessary.

“I was just about to head out and get some McDonald’s, do you wanna come with?” You asked, giving him a hand to hoist himself up.

“I should get going—“

“Have you eaten yet?” You asked cutting him off, taking Tom by surprise. He shook his head no. “Then you should really come.” You said, jingling your car keys in front of him.

Tom was debating whether or not to go with you. It’s been a while since you hung out, but that was the same case for everyone. None of your friends have properly hung out with you ever since the semester started.

Tom should say yes, right?

“Let’s go, Tommy,” You said as you grabbed his hand and dragged him across the hall. “I’ve been staring at my laptop all day and I really need some unhealthy food to balance out the concerning amount of caffeine I’ve consumed.”

“Is that why you’re practically bouncing off the walls?” Tom asked amused, trying to keep up with your pace with your hand holding his.

“Totally,” You grinned at him. “I need to wear out the caffeine or else, I’d have to skip my morning class again.”

“French?”

You nodded. “They’re counting the amount of absences in that class and I really need to keep my shit together.”

“‘m not exactly sure why you took that as an elective,” Tom commented, properly wrapping his hand around yours with fingers interlacing each other.

You tried to ignore it, you really did, but the warm feeling that settled around your stomach drove you crazy.

“Why not? I think it’s cool to learn another language.” You nudged him playfully which he gladly returned.

“I know and trust me, I’m in awe that you’re learning another language! erm—I guess it’s just I feel like you’re overworking yourself too much.” Tom pointed out softly, hoping he didn’t come off as rude or intrusive.

“Eh, I don’t mind.” You replied “It’s what drives me to keep going and for me that’s more than enough. Even if it leaves me little to no sleep, even if it takes too much of my time—it’s enough reason for me to do it.”

Tom stared at you in admiration as soon as those words slipped out your mouth and you didn’t even notice it. You were walking towards the student parking lot, consumed by the twinkling lights from the neighbouring lanes near campus.

Maybe if you weren’t busy consuming the quiet campus grounds, you’d notice the very first time Tom fell in love with you.

“Besides, I know a phrase in french now.”

“Hm—and what’s that, then?”

“Je ne suis pas l’escargot”

“L’escargot? Isn’t that—“

“I am not a snail,” You giggled. “Well, it’s true, isn’t it?”

Tom laughed, “I supposed so.”

Maybe if you weren’t so afraid of confrontation, you’d have an idea of when Tom knew that you were his person.

See, the thing is— you needed to face reality sooner or later and both your friends could see right through it.

“Honestly, Y/N, how on earth can your box of art materials be this heavy—” Tom appeared in front of the door frame, heaving as he carried the box from two flights of stairs.

You quickly averted your gaze from Maia, who was staring at you expectantly, and cleared your throat. “You can just set them by the door, Tom. I don’t know where to put them yet.” You said as you tried your best to act normal.

“You sure? They’re a tad heavy and I don’t want you to strain yourself.” Tom asked with furrowed brows.

All you could do was nod. The last thing you wanted was Tom’s focused attention on you.

“If you say so,” Tom sighed in defeat “I’m going to grab more boxes—Baby, you don’t have to carry that!” Tom was quick to disappear as he urgently dashed towards his girlfriend, Nadine.

“Oh, but I want to help, Tommy.” You heard Nadine say sweetly, assuming she was also pouting.

You could see Maia roll her eyes, urging you to give her a nudge and a taunting look. “Maia,” you called her out, silently pleading her to stop.

Maia settled down but she wasn’t exactly calm about it either. “I’m still not sure why she’s here.” She murmured. You and Harrison were close enough that you can hear her rambles—which was expected from her anyway.

Maia and Nadine go way back—like toddlers and playgrounds kind of way. Though that sounds figuratively adorable in a way, Maia and Nadine never got along.

Nadine used to date Maia’s brother, which already caused Maia a great demise. As one could expect, the relationship didn’t end well. She left him out of nowhere, saying she needs to find herself—or something along those lines.

A week after the breakup, what Nadine found was herself in the arms of another man. Of course, Maia’s brother was devastated—He truly loved Nadine. Maia had to be the pillar that her brother leaned on. It took Maia a great amount of time to help her brother pick up the pieces that Nadine left.

So yeah—Maia wasn’t thrilled when she heard that Tom was Nadine’s new boyfriend.

“She offered to help, Mai,” You whispered “Who am I to deny help?”

Maia looked at you as if you managed to empty your head while you were moving in between flats. “She’s been after me ever since we were kids. She’s also the reason why it took my brother months to get out of bed,” Maia deadpanned “and She’s Tom’s new girlfriend. Remember Tom? Your ex?” She said rather loudly.

You gave her a tiny pinch on her arm, causing her to yelp. “Maia, are you nuts?!”

Harrison left the two of you so he could grab more boxes, while you and Maia bickered silently amongst each other.

“You are thicker than I thought—Seriously, Y/N. Quit pinching me!” Maia aggressively rubbed her arm.

“They’re going to hear you!” You hissed. “The last thing I want is for those two to get involved.”

“Babe, they’re already involved. Tom, especially.” Maia remarked. “I see the way you look at Tom. I also see the pain you feel whenever he’s with she who must not be named.”

“I’m not doing this Maia,” you mumbled as you walked past her. Your objective was now to help Harrison with the remaining boxes. Your objective was anything but to talk about you and Tom.

“You have to face it sooner or later, Y/N.” Maia called out “I’m not leaving you or this apartment until you tell me what really happened.”

“What’s going on?” Harrison asked as he entered the apartment, carrying three sets of boxes. You grabbed one from him and actively avoided his question.

Before Maia could reply, Tom and Nadine appeared on the doorframe, with Nadine practically glued to Tom.

“Harrison got the last remaining boxes so we’re heading off now,” Tom announced as Nadine’s face painted with clear desperation to get out of your place. “Are we still going bowling tonight?” Tom asked before Nadine whispered something in Tom’s ear and left.

“I’m actually exhausted so I’ll pass,” You answered, obviously avoiding spending time with your ex and his current girlfriend. You’re not that pathetic.

“Same might actually have to just drink the night away,” Maia responded with a grin.

“Well, there’s no way I’m third-wheeling so I’m good,” Harrison said as he threw himself towards the plush teal couch that you snagged from a flea market.

For the tiniest second, Tom seemed disappointed but gave a tight-lipped smile. “Oh, maybe we can reschedule our bowling night, then?” He asked. “It’s not as fun to go bowling with just the two people.”

You, Harrison, and Maia all shared a look. You weren’t on board with bowling-night, to begin with, but you didn’t want Tom to feel as if you were avoiding him—which you were but no one needs to know that.

Maia looked at you, waiting for an answer because god knows she will solely depend on her decision based on yours. You don’t even have an answer, to begin with.

“What are you two supposed to do then?” Harrison asked Tom. Thank god for Harrison.

“I might take Nadine to this poetry jam event that she’s been dying to go to” Tom replied with a soft voice.

“A poetry night?” Maia almost wanted to laugh “You don’t even have the slightest interest in literature, Tom.” Maia didn’t mean to offend him or maybe she did? She wasn’t completely fond of Tom ever since you and Tom broke up—well, she wasn’t fond of the idea that Tom was dating her ‘arch nemesis’, but Tom was her friend and so were you.

“I know that, Mai.” Tom rolled his eyes “but Nadine likes it and I’ll do everything to make her happy.” That left a bitter taste in your mouth.

“If you say so,” Maia murmured before she took a quick look at you. She looked like she wants to give you the biggest hug. But you held a stoic look on your face—something that you picked up because you were afraid of confrontation.

“I’m serious,” Tom defended, lost in his feelings, which only irked Maia even more.

“I know, I heard you— we heard you,” Maia replied, her face showing only one emotion: annoyed. “God, read the room,” Maia grumbled to herself. Harrison had to reach for her hand, urging her to calm down.

“I really love her,” Tom whispered. That left a slap in the face.

It was a cold Saturday afternoon and it has been raining almost all day. It was one of the rare weekends that you weren’t really occupied to do anything other than to lay on your couch and consume a copious amount of entertainment.

Despite the spitting rain, you actually want to head out this time. Being confined to your desk and the university was torture especially since you couldn’t do anything about it—the four of you were graduating this year, no one could afford to slack off.

You and Tom were cuddled against the sofa— Tom was busy watching something on TV while you were busy scrolling on your phone.

“Hey, Tom?”

“Yes, my sweet girl?”

“Do you want to go downtown?” You asked, looking at your phone as you read the details of an event happening this weekend.

“Right now?”

“Mhm,” you hummed. “There’s a book fair being held at the local theatre.” You rested your chin on top of his chest and gave him a pout. You were getting sick of being cooped up between your study table and the library. This book fair was a change of scenery and it’s definitely right up your alley.

“But it’s raining, darling” Tom tried to say in the softest way possible. It’s not exactly up in Tom’s interests though.

“I know,” You sighed “I guess I’m just getting sick of this place.”

“You’re getting sick of me?” Tom asked with a huge pout. He was kidding of course.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of you, Tom.” You chuckled softly.

“Okay,” He hummed, pulling you closer to him—if that was even possible. “Then can we stay like this for a while?”

“Anything for you, angel.” You whispered as you closed the details about the local book fair. Maybe next time.

Soon after Tom left, Maia pulled you to her side and asked, “You okay, babe?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” You feigned innocence. It was clear as day that you weren’t okay, your friends knew that.

Knowing that you weren’t going to budge, Maia walked towards the kitchen and brought out a bottle of wine from the fridge.

Harrison raised an eyebrow at her and asked, “When did you manage to put that in the fridge?” All of you had been occupied with grabbing boxes that there was no way that Maia had the time to put wine in the fridge, let alone obtain them from somewhere.

“It was supposed to be a celebratory drink for Y/N’s new place,” Maia replied as she set the wine and three various mugs on the coffee table. “Obviously, that’s not happening now.” Drinking wine using the oddly designed mugs you collected over the years was a cry for help.

“It’s 4 pm, Mai.” You pointed out as you stared at the white LED clock that you bought off Amazon—another impulse purchase enabled from scrolling on Pinterest for way too long. “We haven’t even had lunch yet.”

“Oh please,” Maia snorted “If there’s one thing that I’ve picked up from university, it’s drinking with little to no food consumption.”

“And if there’s one thing that I’ve picked up from university, it’s cancelling all of my plans for the entire day because I have to tend your hungover-self, Mai,” Harrison remarked as he grabbed the bottle and placed it back on the fridge. “I’m ordering food and no one’s drinking until everyone has finished a meal.”

You heard Maia mutter a string of curses but most especially the part that she said, “This is not the version of daddy that I envisioned Harrison to be.”

All of a sudden Maia’s idea of binge drinking doesn’t seem like a bad idea, you thought.

Turns out Harrison had no intention of letting any of you drink. He was pretty adamant about not having to babysit two drunk messes in one night.

“As if babysitting one isn’t enough,” You recalled Harrison say. He was obviously pertaining to Maia, in which she just huffed the entire time. You often wondered if Maia and Harrison noticed the obvious tension between them, because personally you found it endearing. It was no question that they were meant for each other.

“Y/N, you still haven’t told us whatever happened between you and Tom.” Maia suddenly pointed out. You, Maia, and Harrison were still in the living room, silently watching TV.

You were actively avoiding this conversation for the longest time as you haven’t told anyone about it, and based by the curious faces of your friends, you figured that Tom didn’t tell anyone about it either. You’re still not sure whether that’s a relief or not.

“There’s nothing to talk about.” You mumbled. It’s not like you were lying, there really was barely anything to talk about. Heck—You and Tom never got to talk about it properly either.

“We see the way you look at him, Y/N.” Harrison replied softly. “I think there is something.”

“Look—” Maia sat up properly “I know you’re not really vocal about your feelings, but the fact that you’ve never talked nor showed any emotion about your breakup terrifies me, babe.” Maia’s tone was laced with concern.

“I remember the day you told us about it too,” Harrison couldn’t hide his concern too “We were having brunch together at our usual diner and half-way through our meal, you promptly said “We broke up” when Maia asked where Tom was,” Harrison recalled it like it was a fever dream. He and Maia had already expected that you weren’t going to tell them about the breakup when it just happened. However, it baffles them that it’s been over a year since you and Tom broke up, and not one word has been said about it.

It was silent for a while, except for Criminal Minds that was playing on the TV. You blankly stared at the screen, hoping that you’d catch whatever the agents were saying. It was impossible, especially when all your mind could focus on was the recollection of the day Tom knocked on your door at 1 am to breakup.

You were relatively busy that day from volunteer work, so you haven’t seen any of your friends the entire day—or Tom for that matter. Actually, you haven’t seen Tom in a few days. He would send texts periodically throughout the day but they were always short and most of the time, you always forget to reply.

You figured Tom was busy with his own thing and both of you established early on in your relationship that texting—or lack thereof— shouldn’t account to your relationship, especially since both of you are equally bad at it.

You didn’t think any of it since you were bound to see your boyfriend and your friends tomorrow for brunch anyway. He will have your undivided attention by then.

So imagine your surprise when you heard a soft knock from your door at 1 am, only to find Tom in disarray. His eyes were bloodshot red, tears falling down his face. His messy curls were masked under the hood from his jumper.

At first you were in panic, you thought that something terrible had happened to any of your friends—his family even.

But as soon as Tom dropped to his knees and whispered, “I’m sorry,” you had a clear idea what was bound to happen next.

It’s been silent for a while. The door was still open and Tom sat out in the hall with his back leaning against your wall. You did the same thing except you were on the other side of the wall that Tom was leaning on.

You two were close enough to the door frame that you could hear each other, actually facing each other was a whole other thing. Tears kept streaming down your face as you kept your eyes closed and rested your head against the wall.

At some point in your relationship, you prepared yourself in case this happened— that you would accept whatever happens between you and Tom. You didn’t exactly anticipate that it would happen so soon.

“Was there someone else?” You asked quietly. It was the first time you spoke after Tom dropped to his knees. You hoped there wasn’t. In fact, you silently begged to yourself that there wasn’t someone else, because you knew that you couldn’t handle that.

“No, no—of course not.” Tom immediately answers.”I could never do that to you.”

It was silent again. You were starting to feel numb—you tried your best to gather your thoughts and forced words out of your mouth, but you couldn’t.

“Are we not worth fighting anymore?” You practically whispered. It was a gamble— you weren’t exactly sure if Tom had heard it and you don’t have enough strength to ask it again.

“Y/N,” Tom sniffled. “You can’t say that.” He placed his hand on top of yours. You had your hand resting on the floor and you didn’t exactly notice that it served as an invitation for Tom hold it again.

You love Tom with all your heart. He kept dismissing it but Tom made you a better person. He made you feel like love can be expressed through different forms of things—not just words.

You loved him by exclusively making time for him. You went on museum dates where he would make cheesy remarks, saying that you’re the most remarkable piece of art in the entire place. You went on dates to watch football games—you never understood it but Tom was happy, so you were happy.

You loved him through your touch. You would often massage his back because he had been tirelessly working himself to the core. He didn’t ask for it but you knew it would make him feel better. Your touch didn’t have to be intimate—though you expressed it through that way too

You loved him through mindless actions. Almost every time you would stop by at the local cafe to grab yourself some coffee, you would always recite Tom’s favourite order on autopilot.

You loved him through silence. Study dates were gems for you. Even if you didn’t talk for the entirety of it and even if you were the only one who studied for the most part and Tom was just playing on his phone, having Tom beside you was enough.

You loved him so much that it pains you to think that maybe you weren’t enough for him.

“I don’t think I can fight for someone who doesn’t even want to,” You muttered bitterly. “Just answer the question, Tom.”

He didn’t answer. All you could hear were the silent sobs that you two were trying to hold back. At this point, you knew you wouldn’t look at Tom. Your heart wouldn’t take it—it will crush you.

“Are you not happy anymore?” Your voice cracked as you broke into a sob.

“Y/N—“ Tom squeezed your hand even more. You’re going to miss it, but you had to let go.

“Tom, if I’m standing in the way of your happiness then we should end this.” You cleared your throat and pulled your hand away. There’s a ghostly feeling that still lingered from Tom’s touch.

“Please, Y/N, let me explain—“

“It’s okay, Tom.” You whispered. “I understand.”

“You know I love you, Y/N.”

“I love you too, Tom.”

“But—“

“But maybe it’s best if we end it, I know. I got it.” You let out a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down from crying. “Maybe it’s better if we stayed as friends.” Maybe it’s better to realize that whatever you and Tom had were too good to be true—that your love will never compare to the love he deserves.

“Do you want the truth?” You asked your friends, with tears forming in your eyes. You can’t even decipher how they looked at you because of the tears clouding your vision.

Were they looking at you in pity? Empathy? Sadness?

“The truth is—I’m mad.” You gritted the words through your teeth. This was the first time your friends had seen you like this. All of the pent-up sadness, aggression, and hurt you felt was starting to get the best of you.

“I’m angry. I’m hurt.” You snarled, furiously wiping the tears from your face. “I’m angry at the fact that I can’t seem to be genuinely happy for Tom. I’m hurt at the idea he seems to be a better boyfriend for Nadine, that he constantly makes an effort for her.”

“I don’t even know if he even loved me the way that I loved him,” Your voice became quiet “and it’s selfish for me to think that way because I never fought for it—for us. That’s enough reason to keep me up at night.”

That’s enough reason for you to wonder if you’ll be capable of loving someone so deeply again.

PERMANENT TAGLIST:

@quaksonhehe @dark-infernal-instruments @trustfundparker @emsma11 @tomshufflepuff @spider-babe @goodgirlgonetom @tabi-toast

#tom holland #tom holland imagine #tom holland angst #tom holland x you #tom holland x fem #tom holland x reader #tom holland fanfiction #tom holland fluff #tom holland fic #tom holland blurb #tom holland and reader #tom holland and you #tom holland imagines #tom holland x y/n #tom holland au #tom holland and y/n #the girl writes i guess #txmhoellandwrites

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butwhatifidothis · 3 years

Text

So. Took a look into that fic @nilsh13 is going through the comments of. Dunno if I’ll actually go through the entire thing - 300k words is certainly a lot of words to read through, especially with it still updating, but I’ve read through/am reading through longer ones - but I jumped to the latest chapter to get a feel for where the fic’s at now.

I’m not halfway through the chapter and I have Words To Say lmao, under the cut

This is going to be as serious a critique about the sections I’ve selected as possible - I want to be clear why I think what is being written is not of high quality, pointing out specifically what I have wrong with it.

Here are some snippets of the fic (boldened), and following those snippets are my thoughts on them:

“My actions have caused immense turmoil, pitting friend against friend, mother against daughter, and brother against sister*,” muttered Edelgard, desperately trying to drive any hint of self-pity (emphasis mine) from her voice. “My best friend has been disowned by her family, Hubert and Ferdinand’s fathers are dead or imprisoned, and the woman I love is now deemed a heretic by the Church that once offered her shelter. The weight of my decisions seems to pull down all who are caught in the shadow of the Imperial crown.” The Flame Emperor gave Professor Hanneman a wan smile. “Whatever imagined slights you believe you have committed against me, they pale in comparison to the carnage my own words and deeds have unleashed.”

""I made my choice, the only choice I could make, and dragged this continent down to hell with me. It makes me a poor ruler, and an even baser person, but that was the path I knew I must take.""

“"It is funny you use the word ‘choice’, Miss Edelgard. When I resigned my title to study at Garreg Mach, I lost marriage prospects, became penniless outside of a small stipend…I even renounced the opportunity to have a family.” Hanneman smiled, his whole body suffused with melancholy. “Really, how could I dare to dream of bringing a daughter into a world this senseless and cruel, knowing that someday, she too, could be hurt in such a way? I…I would not survive it.” The man’s body shook. “I sacrificed those things, things I desperately wanted, because the chance to allow my sister to rest in peace was more important. And I would make that choice again, despite all that it has cost me. You are much the same.”"

"“But your sacrifices were your own,” protested the Emperor of Adrestia. “Thousands bleed for the choices that I have made, and sacrifice themselves for the cause that I have placed before them. There is a profound difference-“"

"“We are both wise enough to know a painful truth,” said the scholar with a melancholy smile. “No matter how grave the sins, no matter how many innocents suffer…there will be countless individuals who will defend the law not because it is just, or righteous, but because it is the law. They will permit a hundred Abysses, and a thousand women to be raped, and a million dead children, as long as such actions do not disturb their order.” He placed a hand on Edelgard’s shoulder. “To stand against such moral rot, knowing that the world will despise and vilify you for it, is the truest sign of not only a just ruler, but a good woman.”"

"The academic’s words blazed with the passion of both a scholar and a man who had watched his world crumble to ash. A man who had been forced to live in the remnants of a life forever altered by the cruelty of both society and of humanity. And yet he had fought, the only way he could, to make the world better. It gave the Flame Emperor new resolve."

"“I…” He turned and looked away. “I believe in you, Miss Edelgard. When I see you, and your determination, your spirit, your bravery in choosing not what is easy, but what is right…it reminds me of her.” Fingers clenched around his locket. “I will fight for you, in the way I should have fought for my sister, long ago. My strength is meagre, and my courage more meagre still. However, all of it is yours.”"

The author writes Edelgard as one trying to give pity onto herself for her actions, despite how negatively they affect her, due to the immense ramifications those actions have had on those both around her and those under her care. This is the appropriate response to someone who has done as morally dubious an action as starting and spearheading a war that has led to the deaths and suffering of countless innocent people, some of whom were undoubtedly already going through immense suffering without war compounding itself onto their already existing pain. She - rightfully - points as, as a negative towards herself, that she has forced thousands of people to sacrifice their lives, livelihoods, friends, family, homes, etc. in order to continue with her war. Edelgard's canonical self-justification - that she had no other choice to do this - is properly utilized, and further characterization is given to her when she herself recognizes that performing such horrendous actions on the people under her care makes her a poor ruler and terrible person. This is, in truth, a decent set-up for her to go onto a possible path of redemption or self-realization.

However, that progress is forcibly stopped and reverted by Hanneman justifying her actions and recontextualizing them in a morally good light. In fact, the entire story does this, as characters act wildly out of character in order for Edelgard to be seen as good in comparison to them. Focusing on the quoted lines, however, Hanneman relating him giving up nobility and going into momentary poverty - whether true to canon or not - to Edelgard's war actively paints her actions as something that she had a right to be making, which she does not, as they force others to make sacrifices for her cause. When she herself rightfully points this discrepancy out, Hanneman excuses her actions by pointing to another - supposed - source of turmoil and essentially saying "You are more right than x, therefore your y actions are not only better, but objectively good, and make you a good person." He says nothing of the inherent injustice of taking away the choice of the people to live as they want and fight for who they want as well as deliberately taking away any semblance of safety from them, and makes objective statements about Edelgard's moral righteousness despite her taking actions that would, by definition, make her moral righteousness a subjective matter at minimum.

Hanneman is projecting the image of his sister and his own personal sense of justice onto Edelgard, and thus sees her as just as much a victim of the war and society as everyone else. Edelgard is a young woman who has gone through trauma due to Crests, as was his sister, and he himself (in this story, though not within the quoted lines) wanted to beat the man who abused his sister to death, and so he sees Edelgard using violence as a means to achieve justice as not only not questionable, but morally good and brave, as he felt he was not brave enough to enact "justice" onto the man that caused his sister's death. Instead of this being settled, focused on, or even mentioned, despite its obvious nature due to deliberate connections Hanneman himself makes, it is used as a means to showcase that Hanneman is a, for lack of a better term, "expert" on what he is saying when speaking to Edelgard. He knows what it's like to want to force change, he has by-proxy experienced the apparent injustice of the Church - not human society, not his family's decision to allow his sister to be married off, not the man who caused her death's decision to discard her, but strictly the Church and only the Church - and so he can "rightfully" justify and excuse Edelgard's morally questionable actions and paint them in a solely positive light, with no nuance or gray whatsoever.

Edelgard, in the first quote, attempts to say her actions without a tone of self-pity, and yet the narrative itself pities Edelgard. She should be allowed to feel bad about her actions - not because they are causing unfathomable suffering on people who were underserving, but because they’re just hard decisions that she was good and brave to make and maybe she can feel a little bad for herself for making them. She shouldn't feel responsible for choosing to start the war - in fact, did she really have a choice, or did everyone else in society force her to? She shouldn't question whether she's a good person or not, because she simply is - no debate, no question. She is - “justly” - standing up against "moral rot"; that she does so with even more moral rot is irrelevant, because, according to the story, it is not as rotten as that she's up against, therefore it is no longer rotten in the first place. War has been completely justified, as it is now not the last resort of desperation that could only ever be morally grey at its absolute best, but an objectively morally white decision of an objectively morally white person who is facing an objectively morally black opponent.

The actions of other characters attempt to paint Edelgard as someone closer to the former, but I will - maybe - eventually go over how those characters are extremely mischaracterized in order to prop Edelgard as their moral superior.

#anti edelgard #Anti-edelgard #Edelgard critical #o captain my captain #<- borrowing nilsh's tag for this lmao in case I do end up continuing this #but yeah from just the latest chapter there are characters that 100% cheerlead for the pure righteousness that is Edelgard #so yeah that's... gonna be fun lmao

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calliopecalling · 2 years

Text

QOTS Rewatch - Season 1 Retrospective

Before moving on to season 2, I want to take a look back at season 1 as a whole. Buckle up because this is going to be a long-ass post. Here’s what I’m gonna cover:

My Top 3 Episodes

My Top 5 Scenes

Season 1 Episodes Ranked

Teresa’s Journey

Jeresa, DUH

Top 3 Season 1 Episodes

This wasn’t actually that hard.

#3: 1x05, Un Alma. Un Mapa. Dos Futuros.

Let’s be honest, this one is in this position for purely superficial reasons. I just fucking love the hilarity that is James ogling Teresa in this episode. Like it makes me literally cackle, watching him trying not to be attracted to her and failing miserably. That, combined with her death glares at him, and then the actually narratively significant struggle in the car at the end of the party over watching the Birdman kill a man, combine to make this a real gem. This episode is almost the tipping point towards James irreversibly falling for Teresa (I think the honors for that go to 1x06) but I overall enjoy this episode more than 1x06 because of the humor and the “enemies” vibe between Teresa and James. What can I say… I love a good trope.

#2: 1x02, Cuarenta Minutos

My season 1 runner-up. For OBVIOUS reasons. The Jeresa meet-cute LMAO. Their first looks. First words. First life-or-death adventure. Like really they were thrown right into the deep end and their dynamic from the get-go here is absolutely electric. Epic scenes like Teresa swallowing the coke packets, the car struggle, puking the coke packets back up. Great pacing, great narrative tension, great acting. Teresa-centric but really making things interesting by introducing James. We get some great Camila/Epifanio repartee. Really could be my number 1 except that my number 1 is all of those things but just even better...

#1: 1x03, Estrategia de Entrada

This is my favorite season 1 episode. It’s the first one in which Teresa’s not just furiously surviving, if that makes sense--we start to see her business instincts, not just her survival instincts. It’s a classic Jeresa episode, showcasing them at their early best with multiple amazing scenes (warehouse staring contest; Sam’s Club; Lopez and the counterfeit money). It’s got a great soundtrack. And it’s well-balanced: mostly Teresa-focused, with lots of James, and the Camila scenes don’t drag. Really an amazing episode. Not a single complaint, not a single misstep. A pleasure to watch and rewatch.

Top 5 Season 1 Scenes

Look this is really impossible to do. Rank my top five of ALL the scenes in the season. And my answer might be different in a month than it is today. But today, when I look back through all my recap posts, these five were the ones that gave me the biggest jolt of FUCK YEAH.

#5:

The scene: 1x07, Teresa’s stare-down with Camila after she gets back to the warehouse with the medicine for the sick girl. “I just don’t wanna have to worry about you. Do I have to worry about you Teresa?”

What I love about it: Teresa’s epic cool. Camila’s thinly veiled anxiety. James watching the whole thing, and as a viewer, knowing he’s already a goner for Teresa.

#4:

The scene: 1x03, Teresa’s staring contest with James in the warehouse when she thanks him for upgrading her from the floor to a cot.

What I love about it: The stare that is waaaay too long to be appropriate. Teresa’s epic cool (again). James grabbing her (any excuse to touch his wife amiright) to give her advice but the electricity btw them being so obvious it’s practically visible.

#3:

The scene: 1x06, the drive to the parking garage to pick up the shipment, when Teresa and James fight over the radio dials and then James shares the cave metaphor.

What I love about it: WHAT’S NOT TO LOVE. The bickering. James’s nervous ticks. James revealing the permanent darkness he lives in, not realizing he’s just shown his hand to Teresa in a way that is about to turn his life upside down. Teresa’s epic cool (again).

#2:

The scene: 1x04, “You are trouble.”

What I love about it: The red glowiness. How pretty they both are. James’s posturing. Teresa’s epic cool (again).

#1:

The scene: 1x10, James’s conversation with Brenda and his stand-off with Brenda’s number 2 and 3.

What I love about it: Literally everything. It doesn’t even include Teresa (so I’m shocked it’s my favorite of the season) but it’s all ABOUT Teresa, so. Technically this is more than one scene (the final bit of James in the motel with the two guys, when Teresa finally calls him and he looks embarrassingly relieved) is at the end of the episode. But I just love James’s whole mood; the way Brenda calls his bluff; how talking to Brenda gives him just a little glimpse at a side of Teresa he doesn’t know; how the two guys are all BIIIIITCH. I could just watch this whole bit unfold over and over. And all of it is because James is having a whole meltdown about Teresa running away. And she’s delightfully oblivious.

What’s funny is how many of these are me being obsessed with how cool Teresa is. Lmao. I guess I’m predictable.

Season 1 Episodes Ranked

1x03

1x02

1x05

1x10

1x01

1x06

1x08

1x09

1x04

1x13

1x07

1x11

1x12

Teresa’s Journey

Obviously the series opens with Teresa as a full-on drug lord, running the largest drug empire in the western hemisphere, and so we know that’s where we’re headed as soon as we begin. And then in the first few episodes of this first season, we’re introduced to a Teresa who is just, so compelling. Someone we fall in love with because she’s strong and smart and good. And as we’re falling in love with her we also know, in the back of our minds, that she’s going to go down this dark path, that she’s going to lose scruples over time, that she’s going to be dangerous and, via her business, responsible for a lot of pain in the world. It’s an interesting dilemma because we’re also clearly meant to be invested in her and root for her. I remember the first time I watched this and feeling so curious how they would resolve this problem, the problem of rooting for the antihero. How they would sell us on her descent into moral corruption.

Well, it happens slowly, and we see in this season just the very beginning of those compromises start to happen as a result of trauma, relentless trauma, and a desperate will to survive. In the first half of the season she’s really just trying with all her might to get out. Even in episode 1x08, when she kills John Terris, she tried to let him go first and ultimately had to shoot him in self-defense. She subsequently risks everything, including her life, to save the hotel maid who could have identified her to police. It’s really not until she loses Brenda in the final moments of the episode that she is able to truly get into the driver’s seat of her own queenpin journey. (I argued this in my 1x13 recap too.) That’s when she takes the gun and shoots down El Limpiador--out of revenge. The cumulative affects of having killed Gato, gained Pote’s allegiance, lost Brenda, and killed El Limpiador are in my opinion the major drivers of her first step towards the top of the drug business.

But in some ways she was making incremental decisions all along the way that started orienting her in that direction:

She volunteered herself as a drug mule to Camila, in order to avoid being made a sex slave.

She asked to go with James to the meet with Lopez and then chose to speak up about the counterfeit money.

She walked away from the handcuffed man at Birdman’s party.

She held the maid hostage--of course this was her assignment, so it’s not really something she chose, but she clearly had to sell a piece of her soul to carry it out.

She shot Terris which, yes, it was self-defense, but borderline.

She shot Gato which, again, totally self-defense… AND revenge.

Looking at this list it’s like, you can’t judge her for any of this. All of these things were done in order to survive. Whether because someone was ordering her to do it, or because her own life was directly at stake, her choice in each of these situations (or at least, her choice as she understood it) was between the moral compromise and her own survival. It’s just that, because of her circumstances, her choices continually narrowed until it felt clear to her that, as James told her in 1x05, the only way out was up. So, finally, in the season finale, we have a Teresa who has resigned herself to no longer trying to run away and who instead is leveraging the limited power she has to gain a foothold in the business. Every attempt she’d made to run failed epically. The last one resulted in the death of her best friend. So, getting out of the business was at direct odds with surviving.

This season, the compromises were relatively forced, but as the seasons go on and the stakes grow higher for her, the compromises get harder and harder to watch. But the seeds were definitely planted here in this season, and she’s now taken the first small steps towards losing sight of what “survival” actually means. It’s just that in this season, you still have complete sympathy for why. Each season those compromises become harder and harder to stomach, almost without you noticing. That’s part of what makes her story, and her character’s journey, so remarkable.

Jeresa

I’ve written a lot in my recap posts, and in two meta posts earlier this year, about the evolution of Jeresa over the course of this season. But I mean, obviously that relationship is at the heart of the show. James falls in love with Teresa for the same reasons we as viewers are invested in her, and it’s through his eyes and his journey that we understand exactly how powerful she is as a character. When he meets her, he is totally unprepared for the impact she will have on his life. I’ve said this in other posts but she really manages to find a crack in his countenance and wedge a toe in it until it slooooowly widens and eventually breaks open. All without even realizing she’s doing it. That’s the best part. She’s largely oblivious. Or at least, uninvested. I think by 1x05 she’s somewhat aware there’s energy there. But he--well. He has the truly most epic character arc this season.

If I had to pinpoint the evolution of his feelings for Teresa and the impact they have on him, I would probably say that at first he’s disconcerted by her and impressed, which results in him doing this weird posturing around her, trying to impress her while trying to still act as though me? I don’t care. But even while he’s trying to act like he doesn’t care, he still has room to respect her, as evidenced in the counterfeit money situation. I don’t think he really realized he was drawn to her in any special way until the party at Birdman’s, though. By then, Camila had ordered him to get close to her, so his taking her under his wing until then was not because of his own attraction (at least, that’s what he could tell himself). But his ridiculous flirting, with her and in front of her, in that episode really makes it apparent (to him, too) that yeah… he’s attracted to her. And he’s enjoying being attracted to her.

But it’s the next day, when Teresa goes back for him after the DEA bust in downtown Dallas, that what probably seemed like, ok, this is relatively harmless attraction, started to take on a deeper layer. On their way to meet that shipment, James told her the deeply personal “you learn to live in the dark, because you’re in it every time you close your eyes.” I don’t think he even intentionally shared that with her. Like I don’t think that was orchestrated. I think he just… felt compelled to open up to her, to get closer to her. And then she went back for him and threw his cave metaphor back in his face. I already wrote this in my recap of that episode but to me that is clearly the moment he last the battle against the developing feelings. He spent the next several episodes trying to pretend to himself as if none of that had any significance whatsoever, no, definitely not. Until finally surrendering to it in episode 1x10, when he lied to Camila about the maid to cover for Teresa. That’s THE moment, in my opinion, that James had to acknowledge to himself that he was in over his head.

And I noticed, too, that despite the fact he’d been gunning to kill Birdman all season, that when Camila finally said at the end of 1x10 that it was time to kill him, James looked conflicted. HE’S A CHANGED MAN. Suddenly he realizes he has scruples. Teresa’s influence already settling in. James will never again be that excited to kill someone… unless it’s someone who’s coming after Teresa, lol.

Meanwhile Teresa, as I said, is relatively uninvested in James this season. You can’t blame her; she’s just trying to survive. And he’s one of her captors. She doesn’t trust him, or at least doesn’t think she trusts him. I think by Birdman’s party she’s vaguely aware of his attentions but I really don’t think she’s at all ready to receive them or pay them any mind whatsoever. When she goes back for him after the DEA bust the next day, I don’t think it’s because she’s worried about him so much as it is because she wants to prove to him that helping each other--being “in it together”--is a better way of doing things than every man for himself. (And boy, does he take that and run with it…) Arguably James had been helping her from the beginning, but I don’t think he was self-aware about it. If anything, I think he tried to act like he wasn’t that type of person. (I mean, look at how, in 1x06, he yells at her “jump or die!” when they’re facing the DEA’s gunfire! And then he jumps first and doesn’t look back!) But when she goes back for him, that changes. She’s just not fully aware that that’s changed for him until he covers for her with the maid. That moment, at the end of episode 1x10, is her moment of recognition that there’s something deeper going on with him. That’s when the seed is planted for her that he’s someone she could potentially trust in a deeper way. I still don’t think she’s ready to think of it in terms of her own emotions, but I think she recognizes his, and that recognition helps her to understand him on a more personal level. While the rest of the season after that she spends trying to escape (so, clearly her mind wasn’t dwelling on any romantic possibilities, lol), this recognition sets the stage for early season 2 when she’s resigned herself to staying in the game.

WELL. I think that about covers what I have to say about season 1. Oh, also, as far as how James pronounces Teresa’s name: it’s consistent all season. The lazy American “r” ter-RAY-zuh. (Does James actually speak Spanish?! It’s a mystery…)

#queen of the south #qots #qots s1 #2021 rewatch #txt post #qots meta #season 1 retrospective #episode rankings

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ruby-whistler · 3 years

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It’s funny how much the fandom fights to dehumanize c!Dream because it’s such a disservice to his character — what makes his character so impactful is how human it is.

the use of “it” in the last sentence really cracked me up considering what you’re talking about dkhfk

no but i totally agree. but it’s also just,, really difficult to notice? like, back in the dark ages (aka my pre-apologist days) i never noticed that i was biased against the character because he was the villain, but i was now that i look back at it.

a few days ago i was looking through old discord messages for some references and i found me saying “dream was manipulating sapnap and george in the dethronement scene, really scary to think if quackity hadn’t stepped in it would’ve probably worked” and i just went oh. i really thought that lmao

like that’s a scene of his friends abandoning him which has become really personal for me lately. and i had perceived it differently only because of my preconceived notions about the character, you know, “puppeteer” - because people like wilbur, tommy and quackity had called him that.

and it wasn’t like i was always like that either. just from the pogtopia era, i did a whole bunch of analysis in this one discord channel of the vassal scene because the whole wilbur “villain arc” was such a big deal back then. i characterized dream as “morally grey” there; wait, actually, let me find it.

“Dream was the hero from the beginning, but after Tommy bribed him with the discs, he gave up on helping the revolutionaries get out of Wilbur’s manipulation, and let them be. He was also pressured a lot since he was unfairly villainized.

He knew that Wilbur did this in order to have power over others, and he wanted to stop this scheme, but people, much like Tommy, believed Wilbur had good intentions. Which was wrong, now it seems. Like this Dream became a neutral, and ended up trying to get into the peoples’ favor again by helping Wilbur- but this time, Wilbur was the villain.

Does that make sense?”

“I feel like at the end, Dream actually was one of the good guys. Tommy and Tubbo and Fundy and Eret also, because they were all doing what they believed was right for others. The true villain was Wilbur, because he did everything from a selfish intention.

Idk morality is a difficult question.”

ofc those were very bad and uninformed analyses, i was literally just theorizing in a discord channel, but you could say i had the spirit before i,, villainized dream like everyone else did because the narrative seemed to be pushing it so much.

the thing that actually made me a dream apologist (again), was three things at once. first it was dream’s “i don’t wanna come back down” and desperate shouting during the disc finale. i am very high on empathy as an infj so this literally broke me for some time as seen here:

“when dream says "i'm not coming back down" he sounds so vulnerable how dare that bastard try pull at my heartstrings??? i'm a sucker for scenes where villains are scared/helpless because it really brings out the humanity in them and this is honestly just amazing and i don't feel accomplished i just feel sad”

i lived through that, found out dream apologists exist and got very confused, and then this freaking sad-ist fanart dropped and ruby.exe has stopped responding.

then i found dr3′s threads when my techno apologist friend retweeted the “dream doesn’t break beautifully” one and,,, it went downhill from there.

what i’m getting at is, i’ve been in that position.

dehumanization isn’t something we decide to do. it’s a subconscious process, which is so incredibly subtle that the majority of the fandom are actively doing it without realising it. it’s even harder to admit it than to notice.

dehumanization is often how we mentally justify something bad happening to someone. which is how people excuse things let’s say, quackity, tommy or wilbur do to him; because they don’t want to admit that the characters they like would hurt someone on purpose. and let’s be honest; c!dream is easy to dehumanize.

he’s done bad things, and just by calling him “ab///r” or “manipulator” or “tyrant” or “murderer” - any of these titles, and our inner moral compass is soothed.

it’s not a lack of empathy. i’m too empathetic for my own good, but i fell for it!

i think the best we can do is try to analyse, explain, and especially make art. art will always be so much more powerful in shaping the public’s opinion than talking to someone directly ever could be.

when you say “you are wrong, and here is why” you are talking to the person’s logic. it is easy to ignore logic in favor of bias.

if you make art (drawings, animation, writing) and make people actually feel things? it’s impossible to ignore that and you will question your opinions.

what i mean is before we expect to see people stop dehumanizing him, we need to try humanize him first.

are people who do it justified? no. does it make them terrible people, uncompassionate or stupid? also no! they don’t do it on purpose.

what i mean is that if dehumanization is a process, so is re-humanization.

just, you know. showcase that impact of humanity in c!dream. show them there’s a different perspective there, and let them pick for themselves - don’t force anything, just do you. if they were ever going to pick the right option, they’ll do it at some point :]

#c!dream #c!dream sympathetic #my asks #anon #tw dehumanization #dreblr

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iheartbookbran · 3 years

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I think the whole Daenerys burning KL thing has a lot less to do with her than it does several other plot threads and themes in the story. Unfortunately I think GRRM is going to use Daenerys to confront the concept of paying for your ancestors crimes, her father put that wildfire there, her legacy (as a Targaryen, not as Daenerys herself) is literally built on fire and blood. The Targaryens might have united the 7 Kingdoms, but they did so with a lot of unnecessary bloodshed, and there was almost never a time in their history of reigning where there wasn't war. Daenerys as an individual is not responsible for any of this, and I wholeheartedly agree with you that she doesn't need to be taught a lesson about abuse of power, but unfortunately I think GRRM is going in this direction anyways, because he's going to use her as a climax for the entire Targaryen reign. It's a cruel sort of irony, that the place her ancestors built from the ground up will be the cause of her "downfall" and probably turn her into a morally ambiguous historical figure in the future, regardless of what she does to save Westeros from the others.

And there's the fact that the wildfire beneath KL is a huge chekov's gun. Someone *has* to ignite it, and if it's not Daenerys, I'm not entirely sure who it could be. Cersei is definitely a contender, but seeing as she doesn't know about the wildfire yet, it's a little bit of a reach. I think it would be a very tragic way to wrap up Daenery's storyline, but it seems like that's the direction GRRM is headed in :/

Hey there! Ok, a little disclaimer before I start: today I got my first covid vaccine shot and I’m a little dizzy as a result so I might not make much sense right now. Sorry in advance.

While I completely get the whole ‘paying for the crimes of your ancestors’ concept you’re bringing up, and that’s a theme GRRM is definitely fond of exploring, to me it would be like holding Dany at completely different standards than the rest of the characters. Because it’s one thing for Dany to be in conflict with her father’s legacy—which tbh I would say she already kinda is?—and another entirely to punish Dany for every bad thing the Targaryens ever did because Monarchies=Bad and therefore Targaryens=Bad. I mean we wouldn’t be getting anything similar from the other major POVs. For example, I don’t believe a house like that of the Starks could rule for literally thousands of years without a little blood in their hands, it’s just GRRM doesn’t focus as much on them (and they didn’t have dragons, but I already explained why I believe Dany doesn’t need a lesson on how her dragons can be dangerous in the first place).

I think when it comes to fathers and legacies characters like Dany, Tyrion and Jon are very similar because a part of their stories is about showcasing how they’re not like their fathers. Tyrion has to confront his father… and kill him so he can move on with his life, which in turn kickstarts the downfall of House Lannister, but that was something Tyrion was alive to see, and to question and to know that it wasn’t as glorious as his family wanted to believe it was, but instead shallow and rotten; Dany on the other hand never got to see her family in full power and reap the benefits of that; in fact, she was actively a target for most of her childhood because of her name. With Jon I think he will be confronted with the legacies of his biological Father (Rhaegar) and his adopted one (Ned), and try and decide which one he wants to honor, or that maybe he ought to forge his own path entirely.

Now with Dany, again she’s already starting to question Viserys’ narrative about their father, we see it in her conversations with Ser Barristan and her fears of ‘turning mad’ like Aerys (and tbh that’s all the reasons I need to know why she wouldn’t go mad) for me not to believe she’s going to try to distance herself from what her father represented. The destruction of KL and the knowledge of her father’s role in it would just solidify that in Dany’s head plus the internal emotional conflict that would come with it but without the extra steps of the author needlessly lecturing Dany (and us) about the dangers of unchecked power or that a throne is not all there is in life; I would argue Dany already knows that. She doesn’t need a reason or an excuse to be a rescuer, she already is one, as Tyrion (GRRM) said for several paragraphs in ADWD.

The part that you mention about the destruction of KL giving Dany bad PR? I believe she already has it lmao. Just remember how she was talked about during Quentyn and Tyrion’s POVs, while a lot of people love her, many others hate her guts to a hilarious degree and demonize her for what she’s done to the poor defenseless slave masters. Such are the woes of women who rise to power and then go like “hey… maybe owning people is wrong?” but I digress. As you said, there are currently many contenders for the honor of getting to burn KL, and who knows, maybe it will be a group effort! I suspect the dragons will be involved one way or another, but the stolen ones (idk if Euron will steal more than one dragon) so adding Dany to the mix wouldn’t make much sense except to make way for her showdown with Aegon VI, that at this point honestly I’m not that interested in. I think Dany has more important stuff going on for her. Like, there’s a lot of confrontations I would like to happen that I believe the narrative as it currently stands doesn’t have much room to allow to breathe properly, like Jaime/Tyrion, Cercei/Tyrion, Arianne/her family in general. At the end of the day those dragons are her dragons, her children, and she will blame herself strongly for whatever they do (and others will too, enthusiastically, I’m sure), just remember how much guilt she feels over Drogon killing that little girl, and no one was controlling him then, not even Dany.

So basically what I was trying to convey during this mess of a response is that I’m not saying Daenerys has no buisness in the KL conflict, but rather that making her the one responsible for its destruction would feel way too contrived for me, it would require the plot to stay on hold for god knows how long until she’s done with her business in Essos and it would do absolutely nothing for her character or development but rather serve as some kind of twisted double-standard in which only Dany has to atone for the sins of her ancestors, as if living exiled and destitude all her life wasn’t enough.

#again sorry for my rambling and not making any sense i swear i’m dying a little here and my arm hurts like hell #Anonymous #ask #ask pam #daenerys targaryen #stormborn #asoiaf #asoiaf meta #a song of ice and fire #valyrianscrolls #pro daenerys #meta #my meta

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