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softguarnere · 2 years

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Call A Medic (But Not For Me)

Babe Heffron x reader

Request: Can I get a reader that embodies the "call an ambulance call an ambulance but not for me" meme, but the reader actually gets hurt? I have not have a specific pairing in mind. How about do a character that you haven't written yet? Also, welcome to the fandom!

A/N: Thanks for the welcome, Anon! :) I'm not gonna lie, this fic didn't really turn out the way that I wanted it to (just one of those days where the characters won't do or say what you want them to, ya know?), but I hope that it's okay and that you like it. 💕 (This is written for the fictional depiction from the show -- absolutely no disrespect to the real life veterans!)

Warnings: The usual HBOwar stuff: blood, injury, swearing, guns

It's not difficult for the replacements to find themselves in awe of the original Toccoa paratroopers. But Babe finds it especially easy to be impressed by you. Because if he's being honest with himself, you're one of the bravest and most badass people that he's ever met. From the second that he first saw you in a pub shortly before the jump into Holland, drinking Nixon under the table and then still beating him at darts, he knew you were a force to be reckoned with -- a notion that was only confirmed after he saw how well you handled yourself after everything that happened with Market Garden and Arnhem.

So even though Bastogne is cold, and he's spent a lot of time in his foxhole feeling almost hopeless, if there's one person that he's glad to still have with the company, it's you. Which is exactly what he's thinking about as the two of you tromp through the snow-covered woods, trying to find the line after another failed attempt at bringing back plasma for Roe and Spina.

"Babe," your voice brings him back to the present moment. "Where the hell are we?"

Frosty air burns his eyes as he squints through the snow, trying to make out any familiar landmarks. All the trees look the same. The snow is falling so fast that any footprints start to be filled in as soon as they're made. You've been walking forever -- you should have found third battalion by now.

Snap!

Before he can answer, you gasp as the ground before you gives way, swallowing you up to your hips. You look back at him and laugh, your eyes crinkling, like you didn't just scare both him and yourself.

He extends a hand to you. "You need any - "

"Wer ist da?" A muffled voice from underneath the snow in front of you demands.

"Shit!" You're reaching for Babe's hand when the snow in front of you lifts as a German soldier jumps up from his foxhole -- the very hole that you've just found yourself in.

It happens so fast that Babe feels like he's moving in slow motion, watching it all play out in disbelief. The German cries out in shock, raising his gun as he points it at you. Your own gun is slipped off your shoulder in a split second as you whip it forward, using it to knock the German's out of his hands.

The snow keeps it from skidding as far as you would like, but at least it's no longer aimed at your chest. You aim your own gun and squeeze the trigger, only to be met with a strange sound.

"It's jammed!"

The German starts to make a move to grab his gun. He lunges forward, hands outstretched, only to be stopped by you cracking your rifle against his head like a baseball player hitting a homerun. By some stroke of luck for him, and utter misfortune for you, he's moving so quickly that the hit doesn't inflict much damage, but does elicit a string of loud German words that Babe can only assume are curses.

With the German distracted, he reaches down into the foxhole, hooks his hands under your arms, and drags you up out of the hole. "Come on! We gotta get outta here!"

"I almost got him!" You've trained your jammed gun on the German -- still scrambling for his own -- but Babe grabs you by the forearm and tugs you after him.

"What? Are you tryin' to end up back at an aide station?! We gotta move!"

"I'm movin'! I'm movin'!" His grip is so tight that you have to wrench your arm from his hand so that you can turn around and run properly rather than have him drag you back towards the line.

Scattered gunshots fill the air and you stumble slightly as you run, the both of you panting and heaving as snow kicks up around you. Babe only stops when he reaches his foxhole, sliding down inside and running a hand over his sweaty face as he gasps. He expects for you to slide down next to him a second later, but you don't.

"(Y/N)?" He peers over the edge of the foxhole.

You stand a few feet away, staring down at your hand. It takes a second for him to register than it's stained red. And then suddenly he's out of the foxhole, by your side and yelling, "Medic!"

"Babe, I'm okay."

"Okay?! Christ, (Y/N), you're bleedin'!"

"He grazed me, that's all." Footsteps crunch through the snow behind you as Doc Roe approaches. Your eyes widen, darting between him, your bloody hand, and Babe. "Babe, don't let them take me off the line."

"(Y/N), you got hit!"

"He grazed my arm!"

Roe pauses a few feet away, wary at the panicked and angry tone of your voice. When he approaches, he walks slowly, hands out, voice soft, like he's just encountered a wild animal that he's trying not to spook. "Hey, (Y/N), you wanna let me look at that?"

You clamp your bloody hand back over the wound on your arm. "Doc, I'm fine, honest. You should see the other guy. If anyone needs a medic, it's him, really."

Roe doesn't listen. There's still some distance between you, but he squints at your arm and nods. "It doesn't look too bad."

"Like I said, he grazed me."

"Probably just need to be bandaged up." He meets Babe's eyes and nods, assuring him that you're okay.

"So I won't have to be shipped out?"

"No, I don't see why you would."

No one misses the way you mutter, "Oh, thank Christ" under your breath, or how you flinch a little under Roe's gentle hands as he bandages your arm, but for your sake, Doc pretends not to notice it. Babe, on the other hand . . .

It's another unforgivingly cold and sleepless night on the line. Even huddled together under a blanket and with the tarp covering the top of the foxhole, any morsel of heat you can produce manages to escape before it can do any good.

It doesn't matter, though. Not really. Babe wouldn't be able to sleep if he tried -- not with the image of you staring down at your blood-covered hand etching itself onto the backs of his eyelids any time that he so much as blinks.

"You're stubborn."

The back of your helmet almost knocks against his chin as you turn to look at him in the darkness. "What?"

Babe just nods. "Just thinkin' about how you didn't want to admit you needed a medic. You're stubborn."

"Not stubborn," you huff -- very stubbornly, proving his point. "Just . . . Can I tell you a secret?"

If you didn't have his attention before, you do now. "Of course."

"Scared."

"What?"

"I wasn't being stubborn, Babe. I was just scared."

"Of what?" There are countless horrors that everyone has encountered since coming to Bastogne, but after being stuck with them day in and day out, they start to lose their power, until they dull, like an old knife, no longer inspiring fear. Then you start to feel brave, like you can handle being on the line, until a new horror that you didn't even know you could fear comes along and the process starts again.

But you, being scared? Babe can't imagine anything in this frosted nightmare of a place that could inspire such a feeling in someone so confident and composed.

You let out a small laugh. It sounds defeated. "Never mind. You'll think I'm stupid."

"No I won't." He nudges you under the blanket. "Promise."

You huff out another small laugh. "I was afraid that I would be taken off the line and to a field hospital or something. I was afraid of being separated from the company . . . Of being separated from you."

Oh.

"From me?"

"Yeah." A pause while neither of you can quite figure out what to say. Then you, always so brave, "I'm glad that we found each other, even under the circumstances."

"Me too." It takes him a minute, but under the blanket, his hand finds yours and he squeezes it lightly. "I wouldn't let them separate us."

"I know you wouldn't." He feels you squeeze his hand in return. "Guess we're stuck with each other for the rest of the war, huh?"

"Well, since we're both so stubborn about it, I guess we are," he teases. Through the darkness, he can hear your small laugh, and picture your smile as you tuck yourself closer beside him under the blanket.

Babe can be stubborn when he wants to be -- and, like your earlier stubbornness -- maybe part of his reaction is born out of fear. But he makes up his mind then and there that nothing is going to come close to hurting you the rest of the war. If anyone tries, they're going to be the one who needs a medic.

#someone tell me why I work on/go to upload fics in the middle of the night #and am shocked every time that I find typos #as if I didn't think it would happen?#babe heffron x reader #band of brothers x reader #band of brothers #babe heffron #eugene roe #band of brothers fanfic #anonymous #band of brothers imagine #my writing

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nuatthebeach · 2 years

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Hey, what are your thoughts on romoine? Please do share

Hi again!

Romione is not my favorite couple, obviously, so I don't really read much fanfic/meta about them since they're pretty transparent as a couple and thus don't really have much about them that's left unexplored that I'm interested in talking about.

But I really do love them together as a couple and - no matter how many AU fics I read - can't for the life of me see them with other people. (Not saying it's not possible or that others shouldn't multi-ship, just saying I personally can't. Same for Hinny for me.)

I love the dynamic push-and-pull that Ron and Hermione have, the friction in their fights and make-ups, the words that are more often said than unsaid (lol), and most importantly, the realism that their arc exemplifies.

They do not follow the soulmate storyline, they do not always understand each other in every little interaction, they do not always get it right the first time around, but this is what makes them real and visceral and present, and they are willing to fight for themselves and their relationship always. They are willing to do better.

I remember the harsh discourse they received as a result of that JKR & Emma Watson interview ages ago, when couple's therapy was brought up as one "terrible" thing the couple might be facing. I remember the backlash and the triumph that Harmony fans had when they thought this meant that JKR was regretful for creating the entire pairing altogether and by default suggesting that Harry and Hermione would ride off into the sunset on a hippogriff and their kids could finally be rid of the dreaded, tainted redhair gene for all time and conveniently forgetting the fact that Harry has his own choices in the matter and even if Hermione did choose him that wouldn't mean he would choose her, but who cares if "Harry and Hermione are true equals" and "it's as much Hermione's journey as it is Harry's" anyways as stated by E.W. herself, right?

I apologize if that brought back scary memories; it did for me too.

Bottom line is, Ron and Hermione are not doomed even if JKR wasn't full of shit (rare hypothetical scenario, I know) and they do need couple's therapy. In fact, I even headcannon this because of their willingness to atone for their mistakes after their fights and be a better version of themselves than before even if we only really have canon evidence of Ron doing this more than Hermione. I am a firm believer that being honest and vulnerable with one another is the bravest thing anyone can do, and most can't even realize that these days without throwing around the word "toxic" (for fictional relationships of all things), undermining the relationships that actually should be labeled as such (...I would name some, but I've decided I don't want to instigate anything today, so I won't).

So, yes. I do think Romione is a great couple. Yes, I do think they may need therapy. These concepts are not always mutually exclusive.

#romione #ron x hermione #i apologize if this sounds like i dislike hermione which is not true it's just that movie!hermione tainted my perception of her a lot #i love me some unhinged book!hermione #thanks for the ask!

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logicalstansadvice · 1 year

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Can I be really honest? I believe that most of people who don't like Annabelle Wallis and ACTIVELY spend time stalking her, her friends, what she does, where she is, etc, spread rumours, make conspiracy theories and the craziest assumptions about Seb, have a sort of inferiority complex. Annabelle is not what THEY want for Seb, they want someone who somehow can give them the validation they need from him, and find any excuse to talk shit about her and why he doesn't look happy with her.

Idk, maybe I'm wrong, but, while they are convinced that this whole thing is pr, I firmly believe they need to find something better to do than constantly talking about celebrities's personal life.

PS: just saying, I don't care if this is real or pr neither I have an opinion about Annabelle. I just think this whole situation is ridiculous.

Anon 2: The bravest are the ones who think they know what's better for his mental health as if they're his therapist or one of his close friends. Seriously, maybe that's the most upsetting thing tbh. Look, I struggle a lot with my mental health and hearing Seb speaking so openly about it and not being afraid to admit his weaknesses, warmed my heart. But this doesn't give us the right to dictate what he should do, to speak about his trauma and how he should get over them, to make assumptions about things we DON'T know. It's a bit disrespectful imo.

Anon 3: + sebastian said that dm isn't trustworthy / pretty ironic that he never said it, actually. Fans who hate DM keep twisting his words in that interview where he briefly mentioned it. Seems like it makes them feel better about their delusion: Seb told us to not trust these spottings of him&his gf, so relieving, they're all fake!

Anon 4: I find it ironic that the “it’s a fake relationship” side of fandoms are typically the most invested in the relationship. > Because they know it might be true. They keep saying it's fake to make themselves feel better, in hopes that if it ends, they'll say OMG it was fake, he never fucked her. Even if he gets married, they'll still say it's fake.

Anon 5: A pro-pr blog’s follower admitted they sent the fake spotting to mock AW and DM. >> How cool, so she confirms that DM sucks, and they can stop believing in DM when it's convenient like they've done for the last few years.

Anon 6: they sent the fake spotting to mock AW and DM. > uh? Do these fans really think Anna cares about the shit they write about her? Do they really think Seb didn't warn her about the crazy fans he has? She must be used to it by now because Pine. Anna and Seb are living their lives, she has nothing to hate. There's no mocking her with false rumors because she's riding his dick in London. Even who thinks it's fake, she's enjoying his company, something that won't happen to us.

Anon 7: Seb's lovely fans who bought them decided to crop her out and not post some shots🙄>> Doesn't mean they don't like her, many don't like fandom gossip. But, if I didn't like her, I would cut her out of the pictures. If you don't like it, don't look. The bad thing is sending hate, and participating in these hate blogs that make up lies.

Anon 8: "A pro-pr blog’s follower admitted they sent the fake spotting to mock AW and DM." Maybe we can all remember this the next time there's a blind indicating he's openly doing drugs and propositioning women with them at industry events when the reality is that he's created a network that includes some of the top women in HW (it's not chance that Nicole K is working w/ Mimi IMO) because (1) he's amazingly talented and (2) he's refreshingly noncreepy to women. Many of his fans have their own agendas.

Vamp - gossip is like a buffet....we all pick and choose what we believe to satisfy our own narratives.

#logical stans advice #logicalstansadvice #opinion blog #asks answered

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phantaloon-books · 4 years

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(some) Riordanverse characters (bc I never read TKC) and which Hogwarts House I think they would be in

Warning: this is a long one

Nico: the dude is definitely Gryffindor without a doubt. Like Sorting isn't about some traits and some characteristics, it's about core personality. He may have gone through some of the roughest stuff when he was 10-12, and he was resentful and bitter, but he was brave and bold af throughout everything he did. From learning about his powers, to using them relentlessly despite knowing how exhausted he is afterwards, to his willingness to do whatever is necessary to do what has to be done, because it has to be done. You can't change my mind that he's Gryffindor lol.

Grover: Do I even need to explain why he's Gryffindor? He's a satyr, and even if we're shown strong satyrs, they're not really supposed to be brave fighters. Yet he is one of the strongest, bravest nature spirits we've ever encountered in the Riordanverse, and one of the bravest in general. Like he's so passionate about doing what is good, he's a hero, and the only thing he doesn't match with common Gryffindors is that he's humble and as far from arrogant as could be possible, but it doesn't take his courage away.

Hazel: She's Gryffindor, and core personality-wise, she and Nico are very much alike. They don't ever think about themselves, like Hazel really always does what has to be done, no matter the cost, I mean she literally died preventing Gaea to rise the first time, and she freed Thanatos while believing he would take her back to the Underworld. She's brave af, and she has one of the most strong willpower we've seen in the Riordanverse. She's a passionate hero, and she's the closest thing to a real knight in shining armor.

Lester: I'm gonna place him in Gryffindor because I don't think he fits in in the other houses lmao. That said, as Apollo he's very shitty, but as Lester, he's one of the most courageous people. He's grown so much, he's so willing to actually do stuff now, and sacrifice everything to do what's right, including his life, even if he doesn't know he's gonna survive. Hell, he really went most of TTT with an incredibly painful wound that nearly turned him undead, and he cared more for the future of Camp Jupiter than his own life. Additionally, he's a bit arrogant and cocky, but he truly means well, I love Lester so much.

Clarisse: Look look, all I have to say is that no one could have pulled off less than half the stuff Clarisse has done, she's so Gryffindor it hurts. She's reckless and impulsive, but she's driven by her passion to do good, even if she's the daughter of war, and was bullied by her own father. She's daring, she's bold and she is the hero. She's also arrogant and thinks she can solve everything by herself, something characteristic more of the canon Gryffindors in the books, rather than what the fans have shaped. In fact, she's very much like Gryffindors in the books, who are actually very rude to other houses and think they're the best. Still, at heart, she's in this house.

Alex: I'm in a huge dilemma about where to put them, but I reckon they'd fit pretty fine in Gryffindor. Not only are they daring and courageous, they're proud of who they are, but not in a too full of themselves kind of way, rather in a 'I am who I am, and if you can't accept me, fuck off' kind of way. They can get carried away rather easily though, and very arrogant, thinking they don't need anyone else, when they do in fact need some company. They are one of the kindest and at the same time most ambitious characters we've met, but they are brave beyond understanding in a very personal way, thus, Gryffindor.

Percy: I think it's fair to say he'd be Hufflepuff, because loyalty is literally his fucking fatal flaw, and he is the kindest sweetheart to all those who deserve it, he goes out of his way to help those who need help, whether that be mortals, halfbloods, gods, magical creatures or even his own enemies. He's too good for this world, and even if he's grown a bit bitter, he always looks to fight justly for what is right, and never loses faith in others. That, and the fact that he turned down immortality so that the olympians were more inclusive of minor gods, and their children were treated better. He's just a lovely soul, he's like 80% Hufflepuff so that's enough for me. All that and he's stubborn as hell.

Jason: Hufflepuff. Just, undoubtedly Hufflepuff. Like he seems to be this cold and self centered hero with a superiority complex (bc of all the son of Jupiter stuff) but he's the softest guy there is. Not only is he hardworking, open minded and kind, he appreciates justice but he doesn't seek for revenge or anything, he makes sure people are treated fairly and wants everyone to be accepted. Proof of that is how he continued Percy's job of including more gods, and made sure Nico felt comfortable with who he was. He truly has a heart of gold. (He deserved better btw)

Meg: God I can't decide between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor, but I think I'll go with the former. She's so strong, my baby, she's faced so much wrong, but she's still so kind and understanding of others, especially those who deserve kindness. She puts up such a hard facade, but she's so patient and warm and inclusive. She's brave and strong (as strong as the big three kids, if not stronger), but she's also so loyal to her beliefs despite how she was forced someone else's beliefs for years, so I'll keep her in Hufflepuff. Also, she's stubborn af, and she can be lazy, so that settles it.

Will: I KNOW some people will say Will could be in other houses that are not Hufflepuff, BUT I won't have it any other way. Will is literally the warmest person ever. He is kind and sympathetic and enthusiastic and patient and inclusive. Like Helga Hufflepuff would take one look at him and lose her shit screaming "mine". He's the guy who saw the son of Hades so many people were scared of and immediately grabbed his hand and transfered him some warmth and didn't let him go ahead and get himself killed. He's also the one who everyone loves and likes, so much that Clarisse gets along with him and he can calm her down. He's the ideal Hufflepuff, you can't change my mind.

Magnus: I mean, what else can you expect from the son of the god of summer? He's literally a guy who heals others with warmth. He's also the guy who spent years on the street with the most difficult situations, and accepts every single person the way they are. He's inclusive af, and tolerant of everything. He's the guy who's closest include a deaf elf, a Muslim valkyrie, and a black dwarf, and he's dating a genderfluid person. Yes he's brave, and he's kinda smart, and he's ambitious, BUT none of those qualities overpower his Hufflepuff nature.

Piper: Kinda debated whether Gryffindor or Ravenclaw fits more, but in the end I went with Ravenclaw. Even though she isn't a fighter, she's very very brave, yet her bravery isn't compared to her wits. Like others in the PJOverse, she wins her fights by outsmarting her opponents, but unlike others that's one of her strongest traits. She's witty and creative and a little on the negative side, she really struggled to work in a group rather than by herself. On another note, she's able to keep calm in crazy situations and come up with the craziest most unthinkable solutions (I'm talking borderline ridiculous) that always somehow work. She's not booksmart, but she knows so much about everything, and she's lifesmart you know?

Reyna: Why are some of these so hard? Deeply debating whether she'd be Ravenclaw or Slytherin. In the end I'd go more for Ravenclaw though. Reyna's smart as hell, she's strong and sharp, and she always sees the best way out of a situation. She's witty and observant, being able to keep her cool in battle and lead others in the best direction. She's always looking to grow, and she prefers to do things on her own, but she's a great leader. She has some Slytherin qualities, and she's not learning as learning oriented as others, but she's definitely Ravenclaw.

Sam: Let's face it, Sam has the only active neurons in all of MCGA, she's definitely Ravenclaw. I'm gonna be honest though, I've only read MCGA once, so I can't remember much of their personalities, but Sam is witty and clever, pretty much the only one who can come up with competent plans, while the others rely mostly on luck and whatever plan they can cook up in 5 seconds. She's loyal and true to who she is, and she's extremely courageous and proud of who she is, but her sharpness is what she stands out for me, which is why I put her in Ravenclaw.

Annabeth: I know the obvious option is Ravenclaw, but I genuinely think she's also Slytherin. Yes she is booksmart and wise like Ravenclaw, but her personality matches Slytherins' ambitious, cunning and resourceful nature. She's smart as fuck, but she's calculative, she always finds a way to end up winning, and while she does so by outsmarting her opponents, she wouldn't need to outsmart them if she weren't so competitive. I feel like there's this 40/60 odds on Slytherin rather than Ravenclaw, but it's that small difference that counts. Plus her leadership skills are so powerful that people don't ask, they just know she's the boss.

(Also just picture the sweet and loyal Hufflepuff boy with the strong and cunning Slytherin girl, like it should be as opposite as it is with Poseidon and Athena, but they're so cute)

Leo: Idk what you can expect that's not Slytherin. This boy is the embodiment of ambition and determination. Reminder that not all Slytherins are bad btw (I'm slytherin myself), but like he's life smart and cunning, and he can analyze situations faster than anyone else. He's charismatic and talented, and there's no one to stop him from triumphing. I don't have much to say, I just know he'd be in Slytherin.

Rachel: She's kinda a difficult one, and I struggle between Gryffindor and Slytherin, and tbh I'm still not sure. But I think I'd place her in Slytherin, because even if she's brave af (especially since she was a mortal fighting in a war out of her power), her main trait is her determination. When she's set on something, she gets it done. You can't tell her she can't do something, because she will find a way to do it. She's kind, and she's only a mortal, but she still has incredible power unlike any other. I don't think I can really name it, but I think she'd be put on Slytherin with much difficulty from the Sorting Hat.

Luke: Where else could Luke possibly go? On the meaner side Slytherins have created themselves, Luke would be part of those misled by who preceded them, by those who want to take advantage of their mistreatment (bc let's face it, Slytherins are mistreated by both students and Hogwarts staff), and turn them cold and bitter. Luke is ambitious and manipulative, being manipulated himself, and it comes easily because of his natural charisma and talent. He's very freaking determined and cunning too. He'd fit right into Slytherin, but he'd be viewed as one of the rotten lot.

Thalia: I don't have much to say about this, but Thalia is the girl whose fatal flaw is their desire for power (or smth along those lines), just like most Slytherins. She's ambitious, she's smart, she's truly talented, she stands out between the rest, and she knows it, and she actually kinda likes it.

(Also I put Annabeth, Thalia and Luke in the same house because they're all kinda similar, even if their beliefs and postures are different.

Frank: Ngl I'm having more difficulty with Frank than anyone else. I'm kinda torn between Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw. I literally can't choose. He'd fit perfectly in any of them lmao, I just can't decide where he'd go. You decide this one yourself.

Please keep in mind, this is my personal opinion and my take on the characters, and not all of you will agree, and that's fine! You can let me know what you think (kindly please, don't come at me), and if you want to, send me an ask on a character you want me to do the same as these (as long as it's not TKC, I'M SORRY I haven't read those) go ahead, don't be shy!

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avewritesmr · 3 years

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Mary!!! 👉👈 can I request a prompt number 7 for Day6 Jae? 😚

Prompt: “Let’s go to the park.”

Word Count: 1208 words

Pairing: Park Jaehyung x Male!Reader

Group: Day6

Genre: Fluff

A/N: If anyone can recognise the movie that I mention in the story I will be super impressed and will love you forever. Hope you like this Rei, sorry I took so long to post.💖

Jae wasn’t much of an outdoors person if he was honest. He appreciated going out every once in a while and loved having his windows open to let in fresh air but going for walks or picnics and the such wasn’t really something he would want to do during his free time.

He was a weak man though, it really only took y/n giving him one pouty look for him to agree to whatever the younger wanted from him that day.

“Let’s go to the park.” a head-shake, he wasn’t going to abandon this game now, not when he had already made so much progress.

“Hyung pleaseeee” y/n was shaking his leg, Jae looked up from his phone.

There was the pouty face, great now Jae was sighing and agreeing, he had to have more self control. y/n grins at him and pulls him so he is standing up, maybe Jae does it because he loves seeing y/n’s smile.

He should find other ways to invoke that smile on the youngers face that don’t involve him agreeing to the youngers every wish and command.

So here they are walking through a quiet street, y/n is chattering about something skipping along and Jae is content listening and smiling. They stop in front of a small store.

“Hyung wait here for a second, I need to grab something I’ll be fast.” Jae nods, he looks around, he’s never been to the park near their apartment, so he’s never seen this area of the neighborhood but it is pretty. Very quaint he thinks.

y/n seems pretty familiar with the area. Before Jae can really begin wondering if this trip has an ulterior motive y/n is by his side lacing their hands together and pulling him along.

y/n goes back to talking about the thing he was talking about earlier, Jae thinks it might be a book, or some old 90′s movie, a fake war to cover up the presidents sex scandal something about Albania. Jae thinks it is interesting, if he remembers he’ll ask the younger later, but right now he can’t focus on trivial stuff, the younger walking like that, smiling like that, the old-ish buildings around them. Jae feels like they are in a movie themselves. He gets that feeling often when he is with y/n.

They make it to the park sooner than Jae expects. They don’t stroll around like Jae had thought they would because y/n is pulling him in a very specific direction with a very determined look in his eyes. Jae knew there was a reason other then fresh air and exercise why he had been brought here.

They come to a stop in front of a row of high bushes and trees all close together.

Jae is confused, “What?” y/n just smiles at him and pulls him through a small opening between two bushes and a tree.

Jae thinks that the happy, R&B soundtrack of their movie has taken a dark turn and he is about to find out his boyfriend is a psychopath or something. Though he finds it hard to imagine his sweater paw loving boyfriend as a psychopath, but it is always the normal looking ones who turn out strange isn’t it?

When they make it past the bushes they are in a small open space surrounded, by trees. Jae really likes this place, but if he gets murdered here he is going to like it a lot less.

y/n let’s go of his hand and sits down near a bush opposite the ones they just passed through. He pulls something out of the bag he bought at the convenience store.

Cat food.

Now Jae is really confused. He goes to sit by y/n and observe what will happen next.

Jae sees now, a small head peeking out from under the bush, then a second and a third join. The small animals all carefully crawl out from under the bush but don’t come closer. Then a bigger head pops out, this animal doesn’t hesitate in padding over to y/n.

The cat sits down in front of y/n and puts her paw on his knee and Jae seriously thinks he is about to die because holy shit, his boyfriend is the best human being alive and no one can convince him otherwise.

Seeing their mother get closer to the two boys the kittens all carefully approach, pushing each other and tripping over their short legs. Jae laughs, this is the best trip to any park he’s ever had hands down.

y/n takes his hand and pours some cat food into his palm, “Be careful when you feed it to them, they get scared really easily.”

Jae nods and carefully lowers his palm so that the kittens can reach the food easily. They all stop, the bravest one, tiny and orange, approaches and begins eating the food looking up every few seconds as if to check that Jae isn’t going to do anything, the other too follow soon after and now they’re all eating out of his palm.

His cheeks hurt, he looks at y/n and the boy is grinning back at him the mother cat settled into his lap both of them observing Jae and the kittens.

Jae decides then and there that he is going to keep the man sitting in front of him in his life forever.

They sit there for what feels like hours, when the kittens have eaten enough they begin running around, tackling each other, climbing onto y/n’s legs or biting at Jae’s fingers.

Jae looks over at y/n who seems to be having a conversation with the mother cat who is paying close attention to him and occasionally pawing at his face.

Jae can’t help himself, he tangles his fingers into the hair at the nape of y/n’s neck and when the younger looks up he pulls him into a kiss. They only pull apart when the mother cat paws at Jae’s face a little aggressively.

y/n laughs happily at that, Jae isn’t that impressed and glares at the cat, he’s pretty sure she’s glaring back at him.

After an hour they kiss the cats goodbye and get up to go home. Only 5 minutes into their walk home do they notice the small cat family following them.

They stop and look at the cats that are looking back that them, Jae turns to look at y/n. Bad idea. y/n is giving him the pouty look. Jae sighs.

“We’re getting them checked out at the vets tomorrow.” y/n grins and quickly goes to pick up the mother cat.

Jae goes to pick up the three small kittens, he lets them sit in the pocket of his denim jacket, their small heads peeking out and places his hand under them as they walk the rest of the way home.

Jae decides it is fine, he’ll share his boyfriend with the possessive mother cat if only to keep that smile on the others face.

“Hyung you’re the best.”

“You always say that when I let you do something you want.”

y/n laughs, Jae watches him, the way his face seems to light up.

Yeah he decides, he’ll keep giving into the pout, he loves to see his boyfriend like this.

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popculturebuffet · 4 years

Text

Jake Reviews Stuff: Star Vs: Friendenemies

Happy pride all. I’m getting ahead of this one for a number of reasons: 1) It’s pride month and this episode is one of the most shiptastic things i’ve seen with two male characters since Robochris from bravest warriors. I mean it dosen’t quite reach “Creating a skull robot of your best friend because he won’t touch you a lot to make him jealous enough to do that” levels of romantic tension but it tries.

2) My good friend @jess-the-vampire is a tomco shipper, and with things being rough for her I figure she could use this sooner rather than later. 3) Shows are actually coming back with Amphibia emerging from it’s year long odinsleep the same week Close Enough finally escapes from it’s dumpster after 10,000 years to conquer earth before it gets put back in there then escapes again and marries lord zedd.. I lost the metaphor the point is I want to keep Tom train, and other star arcs I have planned, moving at a steady clip.

So with all of that yeah, i’m ready to go. No real exposition to dump again, come on let’s go after the cut!

We open with Marco at his laptop nervous about something and Star coming into his room tangled in christmas lights... so normal day at Casa Diaz. Anyways Marco can’t help star out of her latest self made prison because he’s preording tickets to a Mackie Hand Film Festival. Mackie Hand is Marco’s faviorite martial artist and movie star, who died performing a stunt on himself.. accidentally.. did he give himself a death punch? Is this the same universe as regular show.. please say yes. Anyway as is natural for Marco in the first two seasons as god apparently hates him, the tickets sell out instantly and he dosen’t get them, banging his head against his laptop as Star TRIES to comfort him , saying he might still be able to get them. Marco also says “Good things don’t happen to me”

I mean just look at Season 3. Anyways tom comes in licking a rainbow snowcone for no explained reason other than they wanted to make it obvious this was the Tomco episode. Tom asks to hang out and after Star, understandably at this point given you know, the horrible date where he tried to murder her best friend and the gaslighting a few weeks back, tells him a million times no, Tom explains he’s not here for her.. he’s here for Marco. Marco, given tom’s threatned to kill him twice now and tried to at least once, isn’t biting. Tom naturally has tickets to the festival as a trump card, and assumes that time he kidnapped marco and played him in ping pong for his freedom counts as a friend hang out, and geuinely apologizes for his behavior promising not to get angry. Really while as you probalby know we DO get the reveal later he was partly doing this whole thing to finish his anger managment... I do get the sense this apology, and a lot of this is GENUINE. We’ll get more into the why in a bit, but he does seem to genuinely want to bury the hatchet. Marco pulls star aside and, given the last two times he saw Tom, the boy had some horrible scheme up his ripped sleeves, he understandably, and as it turns out correctly, thinks Tom is once again up to some sort of scheme, star is fully on board. I have. mixed feelings about this. On the one hand STar did forgive tom for the previous episodes mess and Ponyhead for much worse and it does set up the tiny plot curnel of corn that would grow into an entire corn field of her still having some friendly feelings toward tom. But it just feels weird, even with how cahotic star can be to have her flip flop from “Stop calling me” To “You should totlaly go on a date with the guy who harassed me and tried to kill you twice now. “. Especially since next time she has an episode with Tom, She’s fully resentful of him and a bit snarky and spends and episode, in part thanks to aformentioned magical severed ponyhead, suspicious of him playing games with her head again. We’ll get there soon obviously, i’m just saying it feels mildly off.

So Marco decides, much like bart simpson that getting where he’s going’s worth it even if he has to ride with the devil himself and reluctantly agrees. We see the inside of Tom’s carriage for the first time, and see my good personal friend dead horse again on the outside, and it’s really nice.. lit by torches because mood lighting, but similar to his room it’s plushly decorated and even has two serious speakers and according to Tom 6 flatscreens. Damn I wish I had one of those.. that and I wouldn’t have to drive since I can’t due to my anxiety. Plus who wouldn’t want a firey horse skelton sidekick? Anyways Tom offers Marco cold cereal and Marco is frank with tom, pointing out he’s suddenly being nice to Marco after never being nice to him before and understandably isn’t sure he’s even a mackie hand fan but a bit of banter and trivia shows Marco that no, Tom really seems to be telling the truth. Tom then confides in marco that he gets why Marco didn’t belivie him: Most people dont’ get past their preconcived perceptions of him. And here the series does flesh tom out a bit: Tom admits to not having many friends.. which frames the previous two episodes in a diffrent light. Sure his actions to Star are still very much not okay... but you at least see WHY he was so obessive about her: She was probably the first real friend he had that wasn’t a casual aquantince, his own family member, or a pet. Most Mewman kids his age probably weren’t too keen to hang out with what to them was a monster, rich or not, little raicst shits. And in the underworld most people probably just did whatever he asked because they were afraid of his temper or his parents fury, even if his parents are the nicest people in the underworld. So when he lost her, Tom didn’t know how to properly react and while his first attempt to win star back was genuine, it was marred by his refusal to adress his anger or control issues that likely lead to Star dumping him in the first place. While Star’s forgivness HERE is a bit werid, her willingness to give him another shot wasn’t: Tom was SEEMINGLY genuinely trying. He was in therapy, he’d been anger free for several days and most glowingly, when a stranger karate chopped his hand off in a misguided attempt to protect star.. he got upset but instnatlly went into his coping mechanisms. The problem was as I covered in that review.. Tom didn’t WANT to change. That’s the thing about changing: you need to both know there is a problem and WANT to fix it. And even then, as we’ll see sometimes i’ts hard. I know, i’ve had my own personal issues i’ve had to change up as years went on. It’s a slippery slope you have to constnatly climb up. And BMB era tom.. just didn’t WANT to change he just wanted to do what he thought star wanted that would get her to take him back, and couldn’t understnad why she wouldn’t just listen to him and obey, two things not in star’s vocabulary for anyone much less her ex.

So , much like I did, rather than blame himself for screwing things up, he just saw it as Marco being in the way and tried to fix that. And so he sunk to rock bottom.. but it didn’t fix their relationship and it took Marco having an honest conversation, as someone who was also very close to her and knew her well, to get him to see that Star wasn’t going to take him back unless she wanted it.. what he was doing was selfish and self destructive.. and Tom probably realized in that moment he had to stop. He let her go, and thus as I put al ot of emphasis on last time, made his first step to being better. And to me that’s why this makes sense as his next step: While it’s partly to fufill a checklist... you get the sense he really DOES like marco on some level. They hung out, which I do feel tom did genuinely feel was like friends hanging out instead of you know the second highest stakes game of ping pong i’ve ever seen.

The first if your curious. So while part of this is Tom just wanting to get through anger managment for likely his parent’s sake, part of it is also him genuinely wanting to be somebody’s buddy, anybody but a bumbling butler. It’s just being Tom, he dosen’t know HOW to make friends or get them to see past who he is surface wise; a spoiled angry boy and see the inside, a nice kid who just has no idea how to talk to people beyond a surface level or understand them and we’ll see that more both in this episode and as we go. Speaking of going back in the episode proper, two bros drive up and insult Tom’s carriage also wondering if he’s going to his grandpa’s funeral. Fuck you both.. both on general principal and becaause his grandpapapapapapaaaaaaaaaaaa is alive and magnificent.

Satan bless you Relicor. Anyways, Tom is naturally pissed at this and Marco challenges them to a race.. but eases tom off actually following them as, since this isn’t a fast and the furious movie, the police immidelty arest them and we get the blessed image above. Let’s see that again.

NOGODWHY

Not right but it’ll have to do I fear what may happen if I try again. ONE BALLON DICK GIRAFFE LATER, our boys are on a high, as Tom finds there are things more fun than obletarating people. #tomhaskilledmultiplepeopleandisstillthebestboy. Marco is reminded of a song from his faviorite band Love Sentence, and Tom, suprisingy given his My Chemical Romance with a splash of metal astetic, is not only a huge fan but has a giant Helga Patiaki esque shrine to them complete with a cd player with shuffle. Fancy.

We then get a wonderful, shiptastic montage of the two just hanging out, hanging out with a white tiger. Having themselves a party. And given the song itself, sung by 98 Degrees and horrible realtiy show Newleywed’s alumnus Nick Lachey, even says “we used to be enimies but now we have chemistry” yeah I think this is intentional and they are a good ship. Are they my prefered ships for the characters? No tha’ts kelly and flame princess... the last one was recent and I love a good crossover ship sue me. But I do headcanon both as still Bi and still find the ship great, it’s just not my main one.

However the good times can’t last as it is film time... but Tom refuses to let marco leave befor eblowing his top off... dude that’s not how you build a suppportive relationship, you know this by now. Turns out the white tiger I haven’t mentioned to now is actually Brian, vocied my boy Stephen Root who apparently just.. lives at DIsney’s animation studios now as he has a tendency to show up in every other animated disney show. You may know him from Gravity Falls as Bud Gleeful, THe Mayor from Amphibia, or , in non disney voice work, Bill Dautrive. Turns out as I haven’t even tried to hide, Tom was in the final stage of his anger managment class and to get out of it had had to spend 3 hours with the person he hated most. As I said I do think part of it was GENUINE on tom’s part, that he was trying to be what he thought friends were... it’s just he didn’t get that Marco, if grumblinignly, probably STILL would’ve agreed if he were honest. However.. it’s still a step up. While i’ts still a scheme, and his LAST on the show.. it’s more benign after the last two; Instead of being harmful his scheme this time is just “Bribe my worst enemy into hanging out with me and get out of anger managment” it’s still not quite right, but compared to the things he’s done with star, it’s an improvment and a sign he is changing despite himself. He could’ve just kidnapped marco again and forced him to spend the three hours.. granted this might’ve just been Brian saying, obviously no tha tdosen’t count, but still, instead he tried being nice and giving an apology. Even if it was for personal gain on some level, Marco’s words clearly got to him and he’s now trying genuinely unselfish tactics. It’s also notable since he spent the three hours with marco, and at least half an hour of awkarndess before it got all fun, WITHOUT getting angry or falling back on old stratgies and only beefing it at the end because, as i’ve established, he dosen’t get people. So naturally tom gets mad.. while it is a sign he’s getting better he dosen’t do his trademark horrifying demonic EXPLOSION of rage... he’s still being petulant and sore over his failure is mad at marco for pritoritzing the tickets nad destroys them. Marco naturally calls him out, angry over him manipulating him to get some badge , as he puts it, calls him a jerk and a liar, accurate and the worst part to marco? “I WAS DUMB ENOUGH TO FALL FOR IT”

Credit where it’s due while I may not LIKE adam mcarthur as a person...as a voice actor he is excellent and his delivery here is perfect as you do get the pain in Marco’s voice as he genuinely ahd grown to care for tom. Wethere it was friendship or wanting to make out... probably wanting to make out, you get the pain in his voice. Tom admits the love sentence hting wasn’t a lie.. but too little too late.. whcih is marco’s second faviorite love sentence song and leads to another moment of shippy goodness. Seriously I see why this ship exploded in popularity after this. Also I will say both Adam and Rider have damn pretty voices. So Tom does what any romantic lead faced with a third act breakup would do.. say a demonic chant and bring Mackie Hand back from the dead. This is also the first time we see just how fucking powerful tom is. Before we’ve seen him summon his carriage and immolate some stuff and easily reattach a hand.. but this is the first time that we see he’s every pit as powerful as star, who probably could raise the dead she just dosen’t want to. Granted I don’t know why this sort of undead stuff hasn’t been used on say, Moons assitnated mother, but presumibly anti-monster stigma combined with the fact that we don’t know HOW she died or how much was left, and are probably better off that way solve that. It goes a long way to explain why Tom’s family are allies instead of the conquered like most monsters: They have equal , if far diffrent and spookier, magic power and are the only kingdom with this trump card besides the butterfly kingdom.

So as we close Marco tries to use Mackie to get in, the usher dosen’t buy it and a fight insues, but Marco and Tom patch things up, Tom becoming a fan of Mackie now he’s seen what the guy can do and Marco forgiving tom since, evne if his actions were still a bit greasy, he immidetly did his best to try and fix what he broke. The two are friends again despite them both saying they hate each other... but they clearly mean it playfully. The End. Final Thoughts: After the Slog that was last episode this one is a fan faviorite for a reason... well okay 2 reasons. One...

youtube

And two.. it’s excellent. I feel bad it took me years to see this one, but it’s one of season 2′s finest. It’s funny, has great character stuff for both boys, introduces a new ship that’s fantastic and a great new dynamic between Tom and Marco that would carry for the rest of the show. It also beliviebly advances Tom’s character arc: He’s TRYING a bit but he’s still got a bit of the scheming and selfishness that defined his earlier outings, but it’s telling that after this episode, and hurting marco, he stops. This episode REALLY gets him to change that and for the better. Sadly Tom would only make one more apperance this season in Naysaya, an episode I will cover when I cover Jackie and Marco at some point, but has him show up for a cameo when it turns out the episodes antagonist, a curse that takes the form of a sentient head that spills the target’s worst secrets and insecurities when they try to ask someone they like out, is Tom’s fault from back when he was a baddie, and Tom genuinely apologizes and tells him how to vanquish it, if ribs marco a bit since he cast that curse presumibly sometime between BMB and MCC and is delighed and suprised that Marco seriously hadn’t asked anyone out in that time. But it’s a nice bit that shows their not only still friends but Tom is genuinely sorry for some of his earlier behavior. We’ll see more of that as we go and more of tom trying to be better.. he’s made up with Marco, next time we come back to tomtrospective, we’ll see how it goes with Star.

Coming up besides the obvious, as Pride Winds down I’ll have my first steven unvierse coverage, one of the first openly gay couples in western animation, and some asexula pride as we take our first look at Bojack Horseman..’s loveable rommate todd. Until we meet again, stay safe, black lives matter and later days.

#star vs the forces of evil #tomco #marco diaz #tom lucitor #tomtrospective #freindenmies #brian #star butterfly #98 degrees #newlyweeds #love sentence #mackie hand #martial arts #pride month #lbgtq+

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nightwideeyes · 3 years

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2020 review

do we really wanna do this? I’m not sure but god knows I need it.

shout out to 2016 me for starting this. I’ll compare it afterwards and see how many steps I’ve taken back

okay okay all jokes aside

all the bad shit that happened, all my thoughts, all my feelings

this is 2020 in retrospect, so buckle up and join me on the ride

see, I was pretty hopeful for this year because I spent half of 2019 in a toxic relationship which I deeply and passionately regret with all my heart because it took a toll on my mental health. The rest of 2019 I spent recovering from self hate and anxiety

so I went into 2020 with a fresh start fever thinking this is the year that will change things

but the anxiety didn’t really leave. throughout january i was rather okay, euphoric about the new year. at the end of february my anxiety got worse and i was overthinking a lot, started being tense a lot etc etc

then march the absolute avalanche introduced herself. miss rona. i don’t want to whine about how shit the pandemic is, how terrible it hit us all because it certainly hit people a lot harder than me but still, it’s not nice, its annoying and frustrating and can mess with someones head enough

so during march and april my anxiety was on peak levels. i was constantly mad, upset or nervous and had to spent my time in homeschool, having no distraction whatsoever

i spent a lot of time outside in the forest and discovered new magical places where I could find some peace and thats where I’ve been hiding away during may, becoming part of nature, finding back to my old self somehow

on my birthday the 11th I was feeling well, I was content and happy and thought shit would be alright again

but the day after I came home from school and received the message that my fathers cancer was back after 10 years. although I’ve pretended like it wasn’t all hopeless and things would be alright again I think it hit me the hardest this year. it’s been the starting point of me confronting myself once again with the thought of him dying, of leaving us behind, of me having all the responsibility of what he would leave us. of going through the struggle again, of going to hospitals again, of seeing him vanish again. it was devastating.

in may I attended an assessment center for a job I wanted to do with all my heart and felt so confident and strong that I could do it

but in june I received a letter of rejection and had to write myself in for another year of school because i didn’t really have an alternative

meanwhile my dads treatment got rescheduled again and again until june and he had his operation on the day I wrote my second final

so unknowingly and unnoticeably i was put under so much pressure of one unfortunate event following the next and it felt like I was just supposed to function when I didn’t want to function anymore

but these times ended and I wrote my fucking finals, passed them, celebrated a bit and my father recovered too, like we all had hoped anyway but didn’t know for sure

so summer had been the best time. although there were still restrictions on public life me and my friends had so much fun together and did amazing things and I think we just grew closer from the creativity of coming with ways to spent time with each other without having to go out much

i was doing a lot of yoga, a lot of mental self care during summer, watching atla, spending time trying to get in touch with my body and soul and I discovered some good music that helped me find myself and develop myself

at this point I would like to thank

5 seconds of summer; for making me realize that deep in my heart I will forever be teenage me stuck in my emo phase and that’s how I feel most comfortable

Upsahl; for reminding me that I’m a bad bitch who doesn’t need anyone or anything to be happy with herself

Yungblud, for reminding me its okay not to be okay and that broken people stand up for themselves and are strong together

and Blackpink, mostly for giving me more reasons to simp for cute girls

in august i was working for two weeks at a factory to earn some money and although I’ve been there before this time it’s just been hard. I felt really stupid and not taken seriously by the staff and I think that’s when I was getting anxious again, feeling very stupid and very unable to do anything right

from the anxiety starting in august it went into september with me. I started a new school year, gave this weird boy a ride to school two times before I scared him off for some reason (maybe because I was giving him badass lesbian vibes as I was playing Use Me by PVRIS in my car constantly) and was quarantined on the second day of school bc of our english teacher

in september my dad was submitted into the hospital a second time and we thought he had gotten worse again but this time it was a result of too much mental pressure. i was stressing into that again, thinking of ways I could help him with his responsibilities and worries.

the rest of september I spent in this weird state of perpetual tension and kind of continued it into october

on the fourth of october I went to Lehesten all by myself and I felt so proud and accomplished and I realized that I don’t need anyone to feel better but myself. so I went on some more field trips in october, enjoying some me time and some peace of mind, getting back into the bands I was listening to as a teen, recalling the times I felt free with myself

in november I was living off post human survival horror and felt so careless yet free of all of my worries, feeling numb but content

so until december there have been pecks of anxiety here and there but I’ve spent the fall months rather well, mentally

now december started well but the anxiety has increased again and now it’s been on moderate levels

but nonetheless I’m getting through day by day and I hope I will reach the state of carelessness again in order to collect my thoughts

so although 2020 has been a year of disappointment, hurt, fear and way too many thoughts and worries I would like to move onto the point of this list which might help me move on further

2020 positivity

a collection of things I've learned, I am grateful for and what I've experienced and done all year which I am proud of

- I've been more open and confident about my sexuality than ever before

- I've been spending so much time outside getting inspired

- I've been creative

- I've been writing the most honest and uplifting poetry ever since I started

- I've self printed and binded a poetry collection of my past and the sorrows that came with it to help overcome it

- I've started drawing again, started yoga and meditation and enhanced my spirituality, I've picked up the guitar again

- I've graduated 12th grade with an average of 1.6

- I've started 13th grade with crippling fear of failing and got used to it after a month and appreciated the challenge

- I've dealt with a big disappointment and learned that when one door closes a new one opens somewhere else

- I've learned what it means to support each other as a family but also when it's time to step back and distance yourself to protect yourself when you can't help anymore

- I've been getting in touch with the most free and careless version of myself

- I've rediscovered my love for old music I used to listen to

- I've learned that I don't need anyone to do what makes me happy

- I've learned to appreciate my friends more than ever for being my light and support

so although this year was full of disappointment and hurt and fear and worries it helped me grow

throughout this year I have been the bravest, strongest, most honest and authentic version of myself

I do not have any hopes for 2021. I just want to continue growing the roots I have dug for myself now. I want to continue blooming into the person I've strived to become all these years

I want to grow and continue blooming. I want to continue becoming the version of myself that makes me feel content about myself. But I also want to know I am valuable and whole at any time.

I want to overcome this anxiety and I want to be free of fear again.

so this is me manifesting it.

I will grow and I will continue blooming. I will continue becoming the version of myself that makes me feel content about myself. I am valuable and whole at any time. And I will overcome this anxiety and I will be free of fear again. I will not be afraid anymore. I will be clear again.

Ich werde keine Angst mehr haben, ich werde wieder klar sein.

#personal #2020 review #2020 positivity #growth #i guess

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chickensarentcheap · 4 years

Text

Sanctuary -Chapter 11

WARNINGS: some smut, bad language, that’s about it

Tagging: @alievans007, @valkyrie-of-the-light, @innerpaperexpertcloud, @c-a-v-a-l-r-y

@valkyrie-of-the-light there’s cute Tyler/Esme relationship stuff in here just for you ;)

The kids come running as soon as they hear the SUV pull into the driveway, and he barely has one foot on the ground before they are throwing themselves at him for attention. All three soaked from head to toe, clad in bathing suits and life jackets. Each wanting their hug and a kiss in between talking over each other as they excitedly babbled about Ovi taking them down to the creek out back. It’s normally an area that’s entirely off limits without one of their parents with them, and Ovi looks momentarily panicked at the realization that the kids just completely threw him under the bus.

“Esme said it was okay,” he quickly explains. “As long as they had life jackets on and I was watchful.”

“We’re being really careful, daddy,” Millie chimes in, immediately jumping to the teenager’s defense. “Ovi wouldn’t let anything bad happen to us.”

There are very few people that he actually trusts with his kids. His wife, naturally, Nik and Yaz (the latter is the quintessential uncle that doesn’t waste any time getting down on the floor or out in the muck to play whereas Nik doesn’t like the mess and noise that come with youngsters), and Ovi. He’d trusted him enough that day in the ice cream shop when’d first encountered the stranger from Chicago. He could have easily slipped into Ovi’s side of the booth so he was also facing the door; a rule that he’d developed on the job, as it was easier to assess a situation and thwart off a threat if you were staring it in the face. But he’d let the kid handle. And never once worrying that he couldn’t.

“You guys go on back,” Tyler tousles the twins’ hair, scoops Mille up and gives her a noisy kiss on the cheek before setting her back down again. “I’ll be out in a little bit. I need to talk for your mom for a bit, okay?”

All three nod, then Millie snatches Ovi by the hand and nearly yanks him clear out of his sandals as she pulls him towards the backyard, her brothers happily racing after her.

He gathers paper bags of groceries out of the back seat; using his hip to shut the door. And for the first time in the three years that they’ve lived there, he pauses to set the alarm on the SUV. It has always seemed so secure back where they are; nearly a thousand meters from the road, towering trees surrounding them like an impenetrable wall, no view of the actual house to any vehicles passing by. The remote feeling had been its biggest selling point; no curious eyes checking out the property or looking through windows. A perfect place for a family with a secret like theirs. A secret that came with a lot of burned bridges, revenge seeking enemies, and unknown dangers lurking in the darkness. He’d never once felt unsettled living there; it was their own slice of heaven and a well-deserved break from the craziness that often surrounded them. It was as if those trees and that distance from other humanity made them invincible.

The talk with his mother in law has made him uneasy. The truth was out there now, and while at first his confession had felt as if a heavy burden had been lifted off his shoulders, now it ate away at him. He questions whether or not if had been the right decision; it was something he kept to himself in order to protect people, not deceive them. And the less people who knew about who he actually is, the better.

It wasn’t his safety that he was worried about. He’d long ago discovered that he was more than capable of taking care of himself. It was the safety of those who were most vulnerable. Innocent. Who hadn’t asked to be brought into this world; to have the father that they do. And maybe the mother in law was right. Maybe it is selfish on his part: to bring children into the world while living the life that he does. To leave them alone and vulnerable while he goes off to fight to someone else’s fight. Willingly putting them at risk.

It had never been his attention; putting targets on their backs. He’s always felt as if he’d found that perfect balance between the job and having a family. When he was home that other Tyler didn’t exist; he sat quietly in the background, ready and willing to make an appearance when the time was right. At home he could concentrate on actually being happy, a normal life with a wife and kids and a regular job. No one ever had a reason to question who he was; just seen as a normal guy with a family.

But now the truth is out there. And it doesn’t matter if it’s just one person who knows it or a hundred. The words have been spoken and the confession had come spilling forth and whether he likes it nor, there will be consequences to pay.

There always are.

****

Mac greets him as he steps through the front door, weaving between his legs, tail happily wagging. And after he toes of his boots, he sets the groceries down and crouches in front of the dog; offering belly rubs and scratches under the chin and behind the ears, then giving him a handful of treats from the groceries he’s brought home. Knees cracking noisily as he stands, and he pauses momentarily to lock the latch on the screen door. Something he’s never done aside from at night when everyone heads to bed. And he hates himself for it; for feeling that hint of paranoia that suddenly nibbles away at him.

What the fuck have you done? He thinks, a scowl on his face. What in the actual fuck have you done? As good as it had felt to tell his mother in law the truth, he knows that it was probably the second biggest screw up of his entire life.

His wife is in the kitchen, busying herself at the island as various pots and pans of food bubble and sizzle on the stove. Clad in a t-shirt that’s tied in a knot at her waist a pair of yoga shorts that fit like second skin; every curve of her ass and hips on display, showing off that colourful tattoo that starts at the top of her right foot and wraps its way all the way around her calf and stops just below the knee. Busily and intently chopping vegetables and dropping them into a large plastic bowl, oblivious to anything and everything going around her thanks to the air pods blasting music into her ears. Not even reacting when he drops the bags on the adjacent counter and then stands behind her, placing his hands on her hips and pressing a kiss to the nape of her neck.

She nearly jumps clear out of her skin, and he’s chuckling as she plucks the pods out of her ears and turns around to punch him in the gut. “You scared the ever-loving shit out of me! Jesus Christ, Tyler!”

“You looked totally into whatever you’re doing there and I didn’t want to disturb you. Looking all cute being domestic and shit. I told you I’d turn you into an honest woman.”

“I always knew your devious plan was to keep me barefoot and pregnant,” she says, as she turns back to the task at hand. “Not that the last part is happening right now. But if you have your way…”

“If I had my way, we’d have an even dozen.”

“There is something seriously wrong with you. Whatever happened to ‘once we have the twins, that’s enough. I won’t want any more’?. Because I distinctly remember you saying those exact words. You were perfectly happy with three.”

“That’s until they were born. Once that happened, I changed my mind.”

It is an amazing thing, watching the love of your life growing bigger with your child. And then being able to witness that baby…or babies…being brought into this world. Enduring months of extreme sickness and nearly twenty hours of labour had cemented her status as the strongest, bravest woman…person…he’s ever known.

“What’s going on here?” he asks and helps himself to a piece of cucumber. “You going all Martha Stewart on me?”

“Please,” she snorts. “Martha Stewart I am not. I don’t even know why I’m even feeling so pressed about this. It’s just some random girl that Ovi is bringing over. It’s no one terribly important. Why the hell am I going to so much trouble to impress her? It’s not like I actually care if she likes me or if she thinks the house is clean enough or if she wonders if the kids really are the spawn of Satan. Speaking of which…” she points the knife in the direction of the backyard and continues her rambling. “…if you could actually give your children all a bath when they come in because your sons are starting to smell just as bad as the chickens and the goats and they’re only four and should not smell like you on your worst day. And can you please trim Tyler’s nails because holy shit I don’t know what he does to get all the crap under there but…”

Hands on her hips, he turns her around to face him. Eyes momentarily searching hers before cradling her face in his palms and kissing her. Long and soft. Slow and sweet. Closed mouth upon closed mouth. And he feels all the tension and nerves just escape her body; her muscles relaxing and her hands coming up to rest on his forearms.

“Mmmm…” she’s smiling when it’s over, eyes closed. “...that was nice. What was that for? To get me to shut up?”

“You know me, I would have just told you to shut the fuck up.”

And he has. Many times. The incessant rambling is cute. But when they get into an argument and she just won’t stop riding his ass about stupid shit, well that’s when he gets a little testy. Both have fiery tempers; he takes longer to get to the point of exploding, whereas she just loses it right off the hop.

And neither of them like to back down from a challenge. Or admit when they’re wrong.

“I just wanted to kiss you,” he says, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Do I need a reason to kiss my wife?”

Her eyes are sparkling as she smiles up at him, her hands still on his forearms as she leans back against the counter.

Fuck, she’s beautiful when she smiles. Well, all the time really. But when she smiles there’s just something so different about her. The way her entire face brightens and the bridge of her nose crinkles. And it isn’t just a normal smile. One that she uses with everyone she comes across. No. This is a smile that’s reserved only for him. It’s soft and pure and full of so much love and adoration that it’s almost enough to take his breath away.

“You’re not usually the kind of guy that does things for no reason,” she teases, as her fingertips slowly drift along his arms, all the way up to his elbows and then back down again. Traveling over the top of his hands and along his fingers. “Kiss me again.”

He happily obliges. One hand sliding to the nape of the neck as he pulls her into him. The second kiss quickly transforming into something more; intense and hungry, her tongue aggressively pushing its way into his mouth and her hands moving to the front of his t-shirt, tightly gripping the thin fabric. And this time it’s his turn to pull away first, a smirk on his face.

“You shouldn’t kiss me like that,” he playfully scolds.

“I can’t help it if you’re a six-foot three walking ball of hormones. Besides, I thought you liked when I kissed you like that.”

“I do. But I like it a little too much.”

“How much?” her eyes sparkle mischievously as she brushes a hand over his fabric covered crotch, an eyebrow shooting up as she discovers the truth behind his words. “Well…well…well…” she drawls. “…Tyler Rake…I’m both flattered and extremely impressed.”

“You’re a bad fucking influence,” he smirks, and backs away when she reaches for his belt. “Have you been drinking? Are you drunk?”

“Not yet. But I am ovulating. So…”

“You actually caved and used one of those tests didn’t you.”

“I did. And it says it’s the perfect time. So…” her hand slides up the front of his shirt, two fingers dipping below the waist of his jeans. “...let’s make a baby. Or have fun trying at least.”

“Right now? Like right this second?”

“The kids are outside with Ovi. They won’t come in. We’ll hear them before we do. Get your shit together, Tyler. You should be flattered you have a wife that wants to jump your bones as much as she does.”

“Yeah, I think there’s evidence right there showing how flattered I actually am.”

“If you keep dragging your heels like this, I’m going to get seriously offended. I’m going to think that you’re just not that into me anymore. That maybe you’ve found someone else.”

“Stop that shit. You know that’s not true. There is no one else. There never will be anyone else.”

“Then stop giving me a complex. You don’t want to insult my delicate feelings do you?”

“You delicate?” he snorts. “Excuse me, have we met?”

“You want a baby and my body is saying that now is the prime time,” she slides his belt out of the buckle, fingers on the button of his jeans. “So unless you want totally waste a perfect moment...”

He groans when her hand slips down the front of his pants and his boxers, cupping his thick, hard length and running her thumb over the head. A smirk on her face when she brings her hand to her mouth, eyes never leaving his as she licks the precum off of her thumb.

That’s all it takes. His mouth crashes down on hers, a hand on the back of her head he uses his body weight to propel her across the room and down the hall, his free hand tightly gripping her ass he pushes her into the small spare bathroom.

***

“This might be the only place we haven’t christened yet,” she says, as his lips and tongue feast on the side of her neck and his hands aggressively shove her shorts down over her ass and hips.

“Well I guess that’s about the change. No underwear? Seriously?”

“You can see the lines through these shorts,” she reasons, and then giggles when his arm curls around her waist and he effortlessly lifts her up and drops her on the counter. “That and I was totally planning on seducing you the second you walked in the door. It worked, right?”

“A little too well,” he yanks the shorts down her legs and over her ankles, tossing them to the floor. Leaning over to place soft, wet kisses on her smooth thighs. Dropping to his knees and pushing her legs apart,

“Like I said…” her fingers deftly working at the button and zipper of his jeans. “…six-foot three walking ball of hormones. I really do hope this is your version of a midlife crisis because...” her words are cut off by a long, soft moan as his tongue pushes its way through her moist folds and finds her clit. Suckling and licking at it until her wetness pools underneath and coats his lips and his beard. “…shit…” she breathes, her hands in his hair. “…Tyler…you’re so good at this…so fucking good.”

He pulls back, breathing a cool, steady stream of air right onto her clit, and she cries out and tightens her hold on his hair. Hips sliding forwards, encouraging him to continue. Then mewling with disappointment when he stops all together and stands.

“Tease,” she pouts, and he kicks off his jeans and boxers and once more curls an arm around her waist. Yanking her towards him, a hand on his cock as he guides himself towards her opening. And she gasps at that initial penetration. Even after five years together, that sensation is incredible. The way he feels inside of her; how her muscles have to stretch to accommodate him.

It’s a quick and crude coupling. Her ass in his palms, her forehead against his shoulder, their breathing ragged and their chests heaving as he slams into her. His hand eventually sneaking in between them to rub at her clit as he fucks her. A frantic pace to his fingers, applying just the right of amount of pressure that has her orgasm hitting hard and fast. Her teeth digging straight through the fabric of his shirt and breaking the skin underneath.

“Fuck…” he grounds out, both at the sharp sudden pain of the bite and the way those inner muscles of hers contract around his cock. Thrusts growing erratic and sloppy until his head falls forward and her name escapes his lips and she feels the warmth that baths her insides.

For several minutes neither of them speak. His forehead against her shoulder, enjoying the sensation of her hands combing through his hair. The way she slowly lets those longer strands slip between her fingers. Then he pulls back and kisses her, a grin on his face as he regards her sweaty, glowing face.

“If that doesn’t put a baby in you, nothing will.”

***

“She seems nice,” Esme comments three hours later, as they work together to get the food out to the back deck.

Both are showered and freshened up, her in a cotton sundress with thin straps that crisscross at the back; red with white and yellow flowers, stopping just below the knee. He in a pair of khaki pants (the one she swears hug his ass ‘just right) and a thin button down light blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows.

Chloe isn’t what she expected; a tall, leggy and willowy red head with stunning green eyes, short cropped hair and a killer body that she keeps hidden under modest clothing.

“Did you know she looked like that?” she nods towards the backyard, where their guest is entertaining the kids on the wooden playset. Her laughter -and theirs- floating on the breeze.

“Like what?”

“Like that. I think I have a girl crush. She’s hot! Her body is wickedly good.”

“Do I have to worry about you switching other to the other side?” he teases and leans in to press a kiss to her cheek.

“Who says I haven’t already.”

Tyler’s eyes widen.

“The first year of the Marines was a wild time,” she says in self defense. “I’m starting to understand why Ovi is so caught up. Look how good she is with the kids.”

“She owns her own day care. It’s what she does. You expected her to be terrible with them?”

“I expected her to wonder what kind of feral hellions we raise around here,” she jokes. “They’re savages. Like their father,” she directs a playful elbow to his ribs. “Come on, you can admit it. She’s hot.”

“I’m not admitting to anything. Because right now it might be okay. But tonight, after you’ve got wine in you, there’ll be hell to pay because you’ll freak out about me finding another woman attractive. So I’m not saying shit. I’ve learned to pick my battles.”

“Please,” she rolls her eyes. “I’m not naïve. I know you find other women attractive. The same way I find other men attractive.”

“I don’t want to hear this. I don’t know who you find attractive. Can’t you just let me live in my own happy little world full of denial?” Of course he knows other men…and probably some women…find his wife attractive. But it doesn’t mean he actually likes to think about it. He’d never considered himself the jealous and possessive type. Until her.

“As long as you’re coming to my bed…our bed…that’s all that matters. It’s human nature,” she continues, as she gathers up bowls of food and follows him to the open patio door. “So do you?” she presses, as she follows him outside. Arranging the food on the large patio table. “Think she’s hot?”

“We are not having this conversation. This won’t end well for me. This is not the hill I want to die on.”

“I’m taking that as a yes,” she says, and he grins and leans in to kiss her.

He refills her wine glass, then takes his beer over to the BBQ in the corner.

“You’re kind of sexy,” his wife observes as she joins him, leaning against the deck railing. “It’s hot when you do normal guy shit.”

“Normal guy shit? As opposed to what other kind of shit?”

“Oh you know. Punching people in the throat. Breaking their necks. Impaling them with garden rakes. That side is enormously sexy in a very strange and disturbing way. I should not find that as much of a turn on as I do.”

“You’ve got fucking issues,” he teases, and swigs his beer.

“You think?” her eyes sparkle playfully. “Look who I married. If that doesn’t say issues, I don’t know what does. But I mean normal guy stuff that normal guys do. Fix shit around the house, take out the garbage, kill the spiders, change dirty diapers, play with your kids. That kind of stuff. Play with your meat.”

“What the fuck…” he chuckles, shaking his head.

“I meant the meat you’re cooking. Jesus Christ, Tyler. Get your mind out of the gutter for five seconds, would you?” she sips her wine, eyes narrowing against the sun as she watches Chloe chase the kids around in her bare feet. “She’s like a mix of a Suicide Girl and Mary Poppins. It’s strange and unsettling but amazing all at the same time.”

“You need to get out of the house more. I’m starting to worry about you. Like legit worry. There is something not quite right upstairs.”

“You’re five years into the marriage and you’re just realizing that now? Have you been napping all this time?” she teases. “Ovi seems crazy about her. Look at the way he watches her and hangs on every move. It makes me both nauseous and proud at the same time. Like I’m watching my son become a man right before my very eyes.”

Her son. It’s the first time she’s ever called him that. At least out loud.

“You know who else looks at the woman he loves like that?”

“Please don’t say it,” Tyler begs. “Just don’t.”

“You’re very sensitive when it comes to the feels, aren’t you. You don’t like to talk about these things.”

“I like to feel them. Not talk about them.”

“You’re such an alpha male,” she says, and takes another sip of wine. “You can deny it all you want, Tyler. I know you look at me that way. People tell me all the time.”

“Esme, please. Stop.”

“Everyone notices it. Even Nik. And she hates the feels more than you do. She’s always going on and on about how it’s written all over your face and it’s in your eyes and…”

“Enough,” he silences her with a kiss. “You know I don’t like talking about this kind of stuff.”

It isn’t because he doesn’t feel them. Or that he isn’t aware that it’s all true. But when the reality of those feelings are put out there, a second reality accompanies them: the thought of what would happen and how he would cope if she suddenly ceased to exist. If one day he woke up and she wasn’t there anymore. And it terrifies him. To think of a world without her in it.

Not that he’d ever admit to that, either.

“You know what burns my ass though,” she says. “The way she calls me Mrs Rake.”

“Why? That is your literally your name. You legally changed your last name to mine.”

“It makes me feel so old. I’m not even forty yet. Now that’s old.”

He smirks. “I swear to God, keep it up with the old man jokes and cheap shots and I will you choke you out right here.”

“Like the fun, sexy choking out or the bad choking out?” she counters, giggling against his lips when he kisses her and digs his teeth into her bottom lip. “I wonder how long this will last,” she observes Chloe once again; her and Ovi -with Declan on his hip- hand in hand as they follow the kids over to the chickens and goats. “Maybe they’ll get married.”

“You’ve had what? Two glasses of wine and you’re already talking about this kind of shit?”

“Oh I’m sorry. Old men don’t like to hear about those things. They don’t like to talk about the feels. They think it emasculates them and their wives will start carrying around their balls in their purses.”

He shakes his head, then reaches out and places his hand around her throat. Not in malice. Playful. Just a soft press of his fingers into her flesh. It’s how it all started back in that hotel room in Dhaka, his hand around her throat as they argued, and she just keep pushing him and pushing him until he snapped. Losing all sense of control and every ounce of will power and just taking her right there and then.

Now he leans down to kiss her. Long. Soft. Gentle. Then pecks her forehead and removes his hand and returns to the various meats sizzling on the BBQ.

“They’d have cute kids,” she finishes her drink in one gulp.

“Let them have sex first, okay? That has to happen in order for them to have kids.”

“You should know. You’re kind of an expert on knocking someone up,” she chides. “See baby, you do have multiple skill sets. You’re a lover and a fighter. And people wonder I locked that shit down so quick. Well, that and the sex is incredible, and you have a huge…”

His cell phone…the private line…brings an abrupt end to the conversation, and he pulls it from the pocket of his khakis and checks the call display.

“Nik?” she asks, when she notices the frown that plays on his lips.

He lets it go to voice mail, phone in hand as he waits for the inevitable. A text message that comes in less than a minute later. “She says she’ll be here tomorrow at noon. And that Yaz is bringing tons of chocolate for the kids and apologizes in advance if they spend tomorrow night bouncing off the walls.”

“What does she want? I thought you told her you wanted two weeks off? I thought she agreed to it?”

“She did. She isn’t calling me about a job. She’s calling about the job. She says there’s something she wants to talk to me about. A business opportunity.”

“That can only translate to ‘I’ve got a job with a huge pay out if you want it’.”

“I already told her that I don’t give a shit how much someone is offering; I’m not taking anything for at least two weeks. I want to spend time with my wife and my kids. And if she doesn’t like that, she can fuck off. She knew when I got back in the game that you and my children come first.”

“So what could it be about then? It’s not like Nik to keep secrets this long. Maybe she’s met someone and needs some time off and wants you to run things. Or maybe…and just hear me out…she’s pregnant.”

“This is Nik we’re talking about.”

“So? She’s probably very fertile. She’s at prime baby making age.”

“What is wrong with you? I meant that she hates kids.”

“Well I wasn’t necessarily too fond on of them until someone…I won’t name names and throw anyone under the bus here… didn’t remember that such a thing as condoms existed. And now, here we are. All domestic and shit.”

“Don’t blame it on me. I told you your blow job game is strong enough to rob me of brain cells. For fuck sakes Nik…” he mutters, as the text messages keep pouring in. This time he leaves the BBQ in favour of leaning against the railing beside his wife, letting her read them for herself.

The guy you asked about isn’t who he says he is. He’s not from Chicago. He’s from Belfast, Northern Ireland. His name is Michael O’Mann. And he’s ex IRA.

“Irish Republican Army?” Esme frowns. “Have you ever dealt with them before?”

“Never. I’d remember that. You don’t forget a group like them.”

I tracked him down. Spoke to him. He isn’t here to hurt you. Or your family. He’s here to meet you. He wants to talk to you.

“Okay, this is starting to sound worse than I anticipated,” Esme frets.

They have his wife and his kids. He needs your help.

#tyler rake #tyler rake fan fiction #tyler rake fan fic #chris hemsworth #chris hemsworth character #extraction #sanctuary

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ilovemyships · 5 years

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unruly hearts week - day one (favorite character)

alyssa greene

prepare for a (spoilery) ramble! cause that’s what i do best!

okay, so, for me alyssa is my favorite character because i see myself at 15 - scared and in the closet - in her. the difference is alyssa has a girlfriend and also really great hair while i had neither. but i think she’s one of the most relatable characters in the whole show.

her character arc is one of the most important in the show - she starts out terrified; sneaking glances at emma from a distance and jumping out of her skin when her mother nearly catches them holding hands in the hallway. she has her back turned to emma at the start of “dance with you”, and then when emma begins the chorus, she takes a deep breath and her whole body starts to relax.

(as an aside, last month i had the absolute privilege of somehow seeing the prom from the front row of the orchestra and izzy’s physical choices actually killed me so this is as much of an izzy mccalla appreciation as it is an alyssa greene one.)

alyssa lives in fear, and in longing, and in a feeling of entrapment - but the one thing that grounds her is emma. more on that come day five. but my point is that in act one, alyssa is at her bravest when she has emma beside her. she plans to come out with emma at prom, even though she’s scared, because when it’s the two of them together she feels so much stronger.

when she gets tricked into the whole fake prom scenario by her mother and her so-called best friends, that rips the ground from under her. she pieces together what must be happening to emma, and then gets told that kaylee and shelby know about her relationship with emma, and that’s why she wasn’t let in on the secret.

the horror she feels in that moment overwhelms her. i think a lot of us have had a moment like that - where you suddenly find out that someone knows about you, without your permission. all the bravery she’d had is gone; and so she goes to the thing that grounds her. she calls emma.

but emma is hurting and alone, too, and she doesn’t believe that alyssa had nothing to do with the utter humiliation she’s being put through right now. she asks alyssa to come and meet her, and alyssa wants to. she wants to be with emma, so that they can comfort each other, but the thought of one more person knowing her biggest secret right now is too much to bear. when faced with the prospect of telling her mother she’s gay, the words just rush out.

“i can’t! it’s bad enough that kaylee and shelby know!”

she doesn’t mean it like that, obviously, but she’s panicking. the music is too loud, the crowd is too stifling, her mother’s stare is too intense. and to top it all off, she’s probably just ruined her relationship with emma.

come act two, and we see a very different side to alyssa. she is finally able to let out some of her frustration at her mother, and the way her life is, through the song “alyssa greene”. the song starts with a very military-style feel which slows and breaks away on the line, “and you wish there was a world where you were simply free to live.”

i would like to point out at this moment that miss izzy mccalla is the master of simultaneously crying and singing and it is very very upsetting to watch. thank you izzy for making me cry, and then for sympathetically laughing at me when i told you that you made me cry simply by crying yourself.

as soon as the music transforms, and alyssa starts singing about how she wishes she could be, we see the very core of her character. she feels like she always caves in, and she is sick of it.

“you’re not yourself, you’re not what she wants, you’re someone in between.”

she comes to a realization here, i think, that she can’t continue on as she has been. because she can be one of two people: she can be the person she wants herself to be, or she can be the person her mother wants her to be. right now, she’s neither - and so something has to change.

but when emma asks her if she’ll go public with her, all alyssa can say is that she wants to. because she does, more than anything, but in her mind she still can’t. and emma breaks up with her, as much as it’s clearly killing her to do so, because everything is too painful right now.

and alyssa cries.

and i cry.

when we as the audience next see alyssa, she’s watching emma’s “unruly heart” video - and has been non-stop, if mrs greene’s comments are any indication. this video inspires her so much, and she can see all the support emma is getting because of it. and maybe she’s starting to believe that she can do this, too.

so, she takes a breath. and she tries to come out to her mother.

it’s interesting to note that in the broadway version, this scene actually isn’t the first time alyssa tries to come out to her mom. during “tonight belongs to you” she tries to tell her mother what’s going to happen, but she gets shut down. because mrs greene definitely knows that her daughter is gay, but she really really really does not want to confront that fact.

here, alyssa tries to come out again.

“mom, we have to talk about what’s really going on here. we can’t keep avoiding this just because it’s uncomfortable. i love you, and the stupid thing is that--”

once again, she is promptly shut down. her mother yells at her to stop, and grabs her by the arms, and possibly for the first time alyssa recoils. mrs greene pushes her too far, and alyssa finally, well and truly, stands up for herself. and although she’s been watching emma’s video non-stop, she does this all on her own, without emma holding her hand.

she tells her mother that she doesn’t want to be a part of her shit anymore, and storms off, and as an audience member i’ve never been prouder. (until her next scene, anyway).

speaking of, when alyssa comes into the gym not long after to find her mother once again spreading hatred and ignorance, she can’t take it anymore. she’s scared, yes, but she’s starting to realize just how brave she can be. so she tells her mother to listen, and she delivers this beautiful little speech about how much better it is to be yourself even though it can be hard.

“i don’t want to hurt you. i don’t want to hurt anyone, i just... wanna be me.”

and this is what alyssa’s character comes down to. she never wants to be somebody that causes pain but, at the same time, now she won’t let anyone stand in the way of her becoming who she is. i feel like maybe, for a while, alyssa very much repressed the idea of being gay. she didn’t want to be herself. but over time, and probably with some help from emma, she found that truly being herself was the thing she actually wanted most in the world.

and with her public declaration of love for emma, she does it.

emma says “holy shit” and so do i, because wow you guys, this was the part that i started sobbing and never looked back.

alyssa is honest with her mother, her life is already hard no matter what she tries to protect her from, and with the promise of a talk later - alyssa watches her mother go. she’s still slightly in shock, but it gives way to the giddiest kind of relief once emma points out that she just came out in front of everyone.

and then we all know what happens next. she and emma get their dance, and they get their kiss in front of everyone - also, their kiss is literally the climactic moment of the entire show which is something i think i’d only dreamed of ever seeing in a musical - and yes i’m still sobbing at this point, why do you ask?

my point in a nutshell is that alyssa grows so much over the course of the show, through a combination of book, score, direction and acting - and it’s incredible to watch. emma may arguably be the main character of the prom, but alyssa is just as much of the heart of the show as her girlfriend, and izzy mccalla definitely doesn’t let you forget it.

so thank you, alyssa greene, for being a character that so many people can see themselves in and finally feel represented. because feeling seen in the media and art you consume is so important. again, i’ll probably have more to say on that specific point later in the week, but i feel like this post is already way too long. can you believe i sat down at my laptop ready to write out some bullet point headcanons?

#unrulyheartsweek #the prom #the prom musical

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tealsnapdragonfics · 5 years

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Hallows Eve Engadement pts 1-3

Summary: Having dated 3 years and living together, Klaus decides it’s time to take their relationship further, but Klaus doesn’t know exactly how to go about it, so he swallows his Goldstein pride and confides in Tiva Nasia, Ania’s best friend. But what will happen when Joel pull Ania away every time Klaus tries to bring up the topic? Will he ever get to ask the question, or will his jealousy of Joel get the better of him forever?

Tiva’s POV

The light had just barely began to peek into the dorm room when I opened my eyes.

I took a deep breath, preparing to brave the awakening of the living dead. The last thing I wanted to do was wake Ania up after a rough night, but the headmaster would kill me if Ania was late one more time. Unlike myself, Ania was famous for sleeping in late, and Klaus always gave me a glare every time Ania was late to class. Creeping over to the bed, I nudged her arm before backing off quickly. Instantly, her other hand snatched a blade and swung over her body like instinct.

“Don’t you know by now not to wake me up, Tiva? This is the third time this week I’ve nearly killed you,” Ania said while not opening her eyes.

“Come on, Ania, you can’t afford to be late today, of all days.”

“How come I have to go to the stupid meeting and not you?”

“You’re the prefect, not me.” Ania groaned out of frustration before getting up, tossing her sword into the wall and sitting up reluctantly. As her eyes opened, they weren’t their usual orange color but red as the flames that left Cerberus’s mouth when he got too excited. This was normal whenever she didn’t get enough sleep. As she got dressed, her eyes faded back to her orange shade, although it still retained the red undertones.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. When I opened the door, Prefect Klaus was standing there. The longer I stared at him, the more uncomfortable he grew. After a minute in silence, I called out to Ania, “Your boyfriend is here!” The response I received wasn’t exactly what I expected. All I got was a groan of defiance, as if to say ‘I don’t wanna go! I’m exhausted!’ Rolling my eyes, I couldn’t help but sigh. It was the same routine every time she had to go be a functioning human and not her exhausted demon self.

After five minutes, I gave up and left the door for a moment to drag Ania out of the dorm. Much to her displeasure, of course. Ania continued to pout in the doorway. Without warning, Klaus lifted her up like a doll and walked off with her in his arms. Sigh… Just another start of a normal day.

Ania”s POV

As Klaus carted me to the school in his arms as though I was a doll, I couldn’t help but place my face on his chest and close my eyes, hoping to sneak in more sleep.

To be honest, I didn’t mind helping the students with their magic and all that, but when it came to not getting any sleep due to a student summoning an untamable creature unless you were born in hell, it was a good way to put me on edge for the next week. The spell had succeeded, but the student failed to step away from the creature and just kept pestering it till it attacked. By that point, the idiot was as good as dead, and it was none other than the school’s favorite spell singer, Joel Crawford, my childhood ex-friend.

While it was unfortunate that the angry hellhound didn’t manage to kill him, I also had to stay up even later to cover up the incident. There are times in a wizard’s life that they wished they were dead, but what I wished was for Joel to not have ever lived so that I stop nearly killing Tiva every other morning. As we got closer to Klaus’s office, he slowed down, and I sensed exactly what he was up to.

Klaus’s POV

As we neared my office to begin the tasks for today, I couldn’t hold back the urge to tease Ania.

I had gotten the brilliant idea to make her think I would drop her. As I began to loosen my grip, the words that left her mouth stunned me, “Klaus, you do, you die.” I was dumbfounded for a moment. How did she know? Reality smacked me in the face. She was half demon. Of course she could sense my movements. That was one of the many reasons why I fell in love with her. Instead of fake-dropping her, I lifted her upwards into the air slightly. Before I could catch her, she somersaulted onto her feet before walking up to me and punching me on the arm.

“Ow, yeash, I was just playing around,” I joked. The brief shimmer of red in her eyes told me that she didn’t get a wink of sleep after the hellhound incident. I engulfed her in a hug out of apology. When I let go of Ania, Randy and the headmaster walked into the office, closing the door behind them. Knowing full well it wasn’t professional, Ania sat down on my lap as I asked, “What the hell is Randy doing here? I thought this was an official meeting.”

“It is. We’re discussing the setup of the annual Gendonlune Ball taking place here instead of the usual location,” Headmaster Randolph answered. With a rather loud groan, Ania buried her face into my neck, totally ignoring the headmaster. I continued to interrogate the headmaster, “Why is the ball happening here, rather than in town like normal?”

Randy blushed a bright red as Headmaster Randolph answered, “Randy forgot to make arrangements with the town, then decided to argue with their manager in public. Unfortunately, Randy is permanently banned from the town, and there is simply no way to fix things in time for the ball..”

Rolling my eyes with an exasperated sigh, I questioned. “Why do we have to go out of our way for the kids of this school? All they ever do is get drunk, no offence.”

“This year, alcohol is banned because it is Halloween-themed, and there will be a haunted house maze that everyone must try to escape without magic at midnight. You can see why the prefects must organize this. With the enlistment of some talented students, we can still make this a success.” Ania rose her head up while keeping her eyes closed and asked, “Am I allowed to terrify the students in my demon form?” The only response the headmaster gave was a sneaky smile.

Turning to look in my direction the only response I got from her was a fanged grin and golden eyes The expression alone told me she was going to make even the bravest and most powerful students shit themselves.

Headmaster Randolph asked, “So, we’ll have Joel help as part of his punishment, and Elias and Luca will also be helping with the setup. Is there any other students that should be pulled out of class to help too?” After thinking for a few moments, one individual popped in my mind. There was a girl that most people forgot existed in the first place, who is powerful and loves a good haunted house.

“What about Tiva Nasia? She enjoys this kind of stuff, and she can build some stuff along with enchanting.” Only fast footsteps echoed in from the hall as everyone else in the office just stared at me like I was insane. Ania finally said, “Tiva’s even worse at magic than I was. Are you damaged in the head?” Her face said, “Why the hell are you bringing up Tiva’s uncanny skill at magic?!?!”

I let out a deep sigh, ready to drop the idea when suddenly, Randy had to open his trap and comment, “Tiva is pretty good at crafting stuff without magic.” The headmaster was officially convinced that Tiva helping out was a good idea. “Tiva helps too. Meeting concluded for today.”

Finally relieved this meeting was over, I put Ania on my fold-out bed to let her sleep and went to locate She-Who-Can’t-Be-Found. For the most part, I was going to tell her that she gets to help with the haunted house, but there was another deeply personal reason to find. Going to Tiva Nasia for advice meant I finally had to swallow all the pride I have in me.

*Time skip brought to you by Klaus (almost) killing Luca for turning the main entrance into one big carbuncle slip ‘n’ slide*

It took me nearly seven hours to find Tiva, and it turned out that she was tailing me the whole time. Backing up a little.

When the clock told me that it had been nearly seven hours, I grew frustrated and cursed under by breath, “Where could she possibly be this whole time?!?! I’ve looked everywhere!” I turned around, and there she was, the mysterious Tiva Nasia, leaning against the wall. How Ania even managed to become best friends with her was beyond my knowledge. I fought against my pride as she said, “I was wondering how long it’d take you to realize that I was right behind you the whole time.”

“Seriously? How did I not see you behind me?”

Tiva placed her finger up against her mouth and replied, “A girl never reveals her secrets. So, what’s up?” Wait, how did she- you know what? I’m not even gonna finish that thought. This girl hangs with Ania. I really need to remember that questioning her is just like questioning my girlfriend, complicated.

Running my hand down my face, I peered at Tiva from the side. “Well,” I started, “you are officially on the committee to help prep the ball’s haunted house.”

“I heard.”

“Not even asking how you found out.” I began to shift my weight from one foot to the other uncomfortably while trying to find the words. Giving in, I swallowed my pride and asked, “I need your help on how to propose to Ania. I’m at a total loss and you’re the only person close enough to her that might have some ideas.”

“The owl finally wised up, did he? Sure, I got an idea or two...” Silently growling, I stared at her, waiting for her to share away, swearing to God she was purposely torturing me. “Oh, you’re waiting for me to share away. You could try proposing on Hallow’s Eve, say, in the woods or a haunted house or even at a secret graveyard that no one supposedly knows about.”

I smacked myself on the forehead. OF COURSE! Her favorite place to terrorize other people. While I’ll never figure out how Tiva even know about the secret graveyard, she clearly knows Ania. Tiva continued, “And in case you’re still trying to find the perfect ring, there may or may not be a secret magic ring shop in town that is supposedly behind the chapel. Good luck.”

I nodded my head as Tiva walked off never to be found again. Leaving the school grounds behind, I rode on the train for a brief 20 minutes before entering the town. Out to find this shop, I quickly found the chapel. Walking around the building, I noticed a faint shimmer deep within the fog.

The shop was rather easy to locate, but having to fight off some angry fire wolves wasn’t quite so fun. Wandering through the shop for what seemed like days, the shop appeared to be never-ending. Then, I came upon a simple, yet elegant, wedding ring. The band was golden, with silver diamonds surrounding ten amethyst stones shaped like feathers. It looked as if the stones itselves were wrapping itself around your finger.

Pulling the ring from its case, I walked up to the register in the old shop to inquire about the price of the ring. As the man took the ring in his hands, glancing from it to me, he asked, “Why would a young wizard like yourself be after such a fine ring? A royal demon ring, no less.”

I couldn’t stop the smile that formed on my lips as I answered, “It’s for my girlfriend. Her birthday is on Hallow’s Eve, so I thought, why not propose during the ball in her favorite graveyard? As for the demon aspect of that ring, if you must know, she’s half demon and is the granddaughter of the devil himself. I’m fairly positive you can figure out the other half. Amethyst is also one of her favorite stones.”

With a smile, the older man placed the ring in a garnet encrusted box before finally saying, “That will be 1,700 lune.” Sighing with relief, I payed the fee and left the shop with a smile on my face.

I knew I had made the right choice picking that ring. Now there was only two thing in the way of us being together for good: her grandfather’s approval, and her answer to the question I’ve waited to ask ever since we ran into each other years ago. One can only hope the answer I receive is yes.

Unfortunately, the fate of our engagement rests in the hands of the devil himself.

Part 2

I found myself fiddling with the engagement ring as the train silently ran back to the academy.

After scolding myself for taking it out of the box, I placed the enchanting ring inside the stone-encrusted box just as the train pulled into the station. Walking back to the academy was nerve wracking and uncomfortable. Venturing through the academy entrance as the pebbles crunched under my feet, my thoughts drifted to Ania and how she’d react to the question. Just as I was about to enter, I hear Joel’s obnoxious voice sweet-talking.

Peeking in the main entrance, I see Joel making a pathetic attempt to win Ania back, asking for forgiveness for only the devil knows what. Saying I wasn’t jealous was a complete lie, but I couldn’t afford to “accidentally” kill Joel for hitting on my girlfriend and risk losing Ania forever. Thus, I came to the conclusion I needed to once again swallow my pride and accept that Ania can deal with Joel herself.

Meanwhile, I had a bigger problem… Now I have to find my way into hell and convince Hades, the devil, to let me marry his granddaughter, the last reminder he has of his firstborn son. Maybe I should have gone to him first, then the ring… No time for regrets now. I continued to watch Joel’s makeup attempts, plotting how to kill him later when he messes up again, when suddenly, the last thing I expected to happen did.

Out of nowhere, She-Who-Disappears-All-The-Time showed up, walked right past Joel while Dinozzo-slapping him on the back of the head, and disappeared in the distance in front of about a few dozen students watching and laughing their head off (In case you don’t know what a Dinozzo-slap is, there may or may not be a show called NCIS). “See? Even Tiva hates you,” Ania snapped at Joel, now on the ground, as she walked away.

With a smile, I headed towards the abandoned temple deep into the forbidden forest, the ring secured in my drawer. There, the portal to the underworld remained open for only the use of myself and Ania. I entered the abandoned temple and descended down to some tunnels similar to a maze, walked straight to the end of the tunnel, and entered an empty room with an unsuspecting crack in the wall. Running a finger along the crack, I suddenly found myself in the same room with just skeletons.

As I left the newly-transformed temple, Hades’ castle stood with pride in the distance. The smell of black tea and cocoa beans wafted through my senses. A familiar howl invaded my ears as the silhouette of none other than Cerberus leapt closer along with a figure on his back. Soon, Cerberus came to a halt, nearly crushing me to death, and Hades got off of the three-headed hellhound to greet me by asking, “How’s Ania?”

Getting out of the way of the hound, I looked at him and replied, “She’s fine, as demonic as ever.” With a heavy sigh, I fell silent, unsure how to bring up the topic. Then, Hades threw me off by saying, “Time to pop the question, isn’t it?”

“How did you even-”

“You never come here by yourself. What else could it be?”

Rolling my eyes, I continued, “I know that not every person is as welcome in hell as yourself or Ania, but I didn’t want to intrude on you, seeing as you have to govern the underworld...”

“Dude. It’s cool.” I was left speechless. I can’t believe that of all beings agreeing to the engagement of Ania and myself, I already had HADES’ approval. Cerberus started trying to stick one of its heads under arm in attempt for some playtime. I turned around to stare at the hellhound, looking depressed and innocent. “Next time, I’ll bring Ania for playtime. Deal?” I told Cerberus.

After a brief and messy lick in response, I bid Hades and his guard dog goodbye and made my way back to the room with the portal. As the old temple consumed my vision, thoughts of doubt and worry plugged my mind. What if she says no? Or worse, leaves me for Joel? After touching the crack on the wall of the demon temple, I found myself in pitch darkness.

Is it dark outside already? After nearly smacking right into the door that was now closed, I cautiously made my way back upstairs and out the main door. A walk through the faintly lighted forest later, I was once again standing at the main entrance of the academy. Before I could open the door and sneak in, Ania tackled me from above saying, “Where have you been all day?!?!”

Her normally golden orange eyes were glowing with a blood-like red that sometimes shows when she is sleepy, mischievous, or otherwise pissed off. After getting up off of me, she continued to scold me, “What possible reason could you have for disappearing for a whole day while Joel have been whining and begging like an infant to take him back?!?!” I was trying so hard to hold back my laughter at her semi-childish complaints only to realize that she wasn’t in a playful mood.

She was genuinely worried and angry that I disappeared. What do I tell her? I can’t tell her that I have been getting her engagement ring and got Hades’ ‘blessing.’ Getting an idea, I told her, “Headmaster Randolph asked me to go visit the Ministry because my older brother needed help on a recent case. I’m sorry I didn’t give you any heads up.” Unable to say anything, Ania simply curled up on my lap and buried her head on my chest. Guess I really did scare her. Can’t say I blame her…

The door creaked slowly, and Tiva peeked her head out, whispering, “Guys, get in here now! The headmaster is doing his final check of the school grounds.” With a silent nod, I stood up with Ania secured in my arms and entered the academy.

*Time skip brought to you by Ania stealing all the blankets on Klaus’s bed*

As Ania slept curled up on my bed, I sat by the window, deep in thought. I knew that I wouldn’t be able to pull this off alone and that if it wasn’t for Tiva and Elias talking some sense into me, I would still be single and alone and not with one of the most amazing girls in this world, above and below. How to plan the proposal….

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a piece of paper slip from under the dorm door. After eyeing Ania and making sure that she wasn’t gonna wake up, I quietly used magic to bring the paper to me so that the creaks of the floor wouldn’t trip her slumber. The note read, “Bring whomever you see fit to help you. Meet at the entrance of the forbidden tower in the morning. Amelia and Morgan will take Ania out to town for archery while we plan the proposal. They know absolutely nothing about this. Destroy the note when you finish reading. - Tiva.” A sneaky smile grew on my face. I was glad that I decided to confide in Tiva about my plans.

That morning, Amelia and Morgan did indeed show up, excited for a girl’s day out. Pulling Ania to me by her waist, I nipped her neck and earlobe gently before kissing her passionately. “Stay out of trouble, Karma, and stay safe,” I whispered into her ear. With a gasp, her eyes widened when I called her by her given name only for her to wrap her arms around my neck and give me a silent nod of agreement. Letting her go, I watched as Amelia and Morgan fangirl over Ania having a boyfriend and unknowingly drug her towards the town with smiles on their lips.

Tiva’s POV

I waited for what felt like an eternity at the train tracks for Amelia and Morgan to show up with Ania. Sure enough, looking utterly flummoxed and slightly irritated, they marched up to the tracks with Ania in toe. “Sorry it took so long, Tiva. Ania is rather stubborn, and it took longer than expected to get her out of bed and ready to go,” Amelia said as she tightened her grip on Ania’s wrist.

The black aura radiating off of Ania was rather interesting to watch dance around her as she glared daggers into the back of Amelia’s head. “It’s fine. The train hasn’t quite gotten here yet. There will be plenty of time for fun.” I looked around and spotted a realistic fake-Professor Schuyler glaring at me. Morgan followed my eye-line and noticed him too. “Tiva, what haven’t you told us?” she asked.

“Darn it! He caught me outside my dorm room last night and now expects me to come to detention. I was hoping he would forget about me,” I smoothly lied to the girls. Ania told me to ditch when I could and join them in town later just as the train pulled into the station. After waving the girls off, I turned around and started walking towards the illusion that I had created for the lie. Once I was sure that the train was gone, I swiped the spell away and made my way through the so-called forbidden forest.

Soon enough, I reached the Tower of Sorrow, where the chimera lay guarding, and found that Klaus hadn’t shown up yet, or so I assumed. Three silhouettes merged from the forest in my direction. It appeared that Klaus brought Elias and Luca with him. The trio stepped out of the forest, revealing themselves. Well, this may be easier than I thought… I bid them welcome and started sharing ideas for the engagement.

Part 3

Tiva’s POV

“If anyone messes up in any way, I will personally take you to Hades myself, understand?” I warned Zach.

“Yeah yeah. Whatever.” The brown-haired teen walked away, disappearing into the shadow of a wall as Ania and Klaus came around the corner. I gave the thumbs up to show that everything was in place. I hope my temporary... ‘assistants’ don’t go too far out of control tonight. There was no doubt that someone would enjoy terrorizing the students, namely Zach. However, I’m positive Ania would give him a run for his money before the night is over. Zach and Ania will be competing for the most screams tonight….

Klaus kissed Ania gently before silently leaving the two of us in the halls of the haunted mansion. “Ready to go get our costumes on?” Ania asked. I gave her a look that said, Do you even have to ask? With a evil laugh, she teleported us to the dorm where our costumes laid out on the beds. As we started to change, Ania suddenly threw me off a little bit by asking, “Will Klaus ever propose, or will he eventually leave me for another girl? It’s not that I don’t trust him, but waiting so long makes you wonder.” She doesn’t suspect anything tonight. Good.

Taking a deep sigh, I said, “If he knows what’s good for him, he won’t make the mistake of leaving you for a mere mortal. And if it turns out that he isn’t who you thought he was, I’ll make sure that I beat your grandfather to the punch. Assuming that there is anything left of his soul.” Ania laughed.

Ania’s costume was a badass dark-angelic assassin, which would soon take on a demonic persona. I was trying to not imagine Klaus’s reaction when he saw her in her outfit. She summoned two wolf-like hellhounds to join me in my assassin costume before we made our way to the main dance area. Once we got there, there was many students wearing costumes either dancing or complaining about the no-alcohol rule this year. If only they knew what awaited them…

Suddenly, a dark-haired Klaus walked up to us with a semi-unhappy and semi-mischievous look on his face. He decided to darken his hair and wear a demon costume with wings, some unusual weapon held by one of his hand, an eye patch over the right eye, and a faint red eye contact to make his eyes appear a mix of demonic red and purple. It took Ania a good five seconds to realize he was her boyfriend.

*Time skip brought to you by Joel trying to get Tiva’s trust despite having failed a lifetime ago*

Ania’s POV

“Are you sure Klaus isn't possessed, Tiva?” Joel nagged Tiva, finally realizing that Klaus had been with us for an half-hour.

“Would you rather he was possessed by Death herself and trying to hunt you down while I stand here saying, 'I told you so?'” Tiva stared at Joel with an evil look in her eye and a mischievous slight grin. Joel took a gulp, turned around, and bolted for the door. Before he made it, the door magically slammed, locking all students of the academy in the dance room. Looks like everything is in working order. Here come a night of fun…

Tiva, Klaus, and I looked at each other, acknowledging the fact that the haunted house was about to begin. We made our way to the door, where Randy, Elias, and Luca waited excitedly while Joel looked perfectly miserable. Suddenly, an automated deep voice, similar to Klaus’s, echoed out throughout the room with an evil laugh. After a few seconds of screaming died down, the room was in dead silence as Tiva and I fought against our urge to laugh.

The automated voice spoke, “Welcome to the 107th annual Gendonlune Ball. Unfortunately for you poor... innocent students, this Hallow’s Eve is the night of your death. There is no escape from your inevitable fate tonight. At the stroke of midnight, you’ll suddenly find yourself in a haunted mansion with ghosts, booby traps, and worst of all, a demoness. You could stay in the room with your group and pathetically attempt to stay alive, or you could try to escape with your team. The odds that you will make it out alive is slim, but possible. (evil laugh) And did I mention that your magic is completely useless as of right now? May Death favor your end.” It laughed again, fading away into silence.

Students left and right glanced at each other, trying to figure out if the voice was genuine or a practical joke skillfully crafted.

Random Student’s POV

My friends and I were whispering to each other fearfully, debating whether Luca had successfully pulled off the ultimate prank on the whole school when all of the sudden, only darkness can be seen. A grandfather clock could be heard in the distance, signaling midnight. Light slowly fades in, and my group of friends plus some other students were still around me, but we were now in a smaller room that appears to be a locked Victorian bedroom. A high-pitched screech echoed from the door just before the door suddenly opened wide.

We glanced at each other, terrified of what could potentially happen. A figure clothed in black gripped a long slender item I couldn't make out. Twisted around the item were silver thorns weaved into a crown laying atop the head of a legless skeletal figure. The hooded figure turned around and walked away, and a minute later, a black-haired, purple-eyed girl in an assassin outfit stuck her head in the door. “The demoness is coming soon. Let’s go!”

We followed the mysterious girl down the corridor where the hooded being previously disappeared into. One guy had the guts to actually ask the girl if following the grim reaper was a good idea. She answered, “One, that was no grim reaper. Two, who ever said anything about following him?” Instead of turning right and following the figure, she led us down the left corridor into a humongous library. A crack of thunder and a flash of light startled us, but does not seem to bother the assassin girl. Darkness swallowed the room, and numerous howls echoed from every direction.

Where the assassin girl stood, a candle was lit, revealing the face of the famous Elias Goldstein, reading a book as usual. He wore a badass male witch librarian costume, and sheathed on the table in front of him was a sword, known for its playfully dangerous personality. It was none other than Excalibur. As Elias looked up from his book towards the temperamental sword, there was a warning chime of the grandfather clock. Suddenly, the ground shook, almost like an earthquake or an explosion from a distance.

Standing on the edge of the balcony was a long haired male with a glowing burned and aged six of spades card in his long artisan fingers. His green eyes glazed over my group and stared straight at Elias, preparing to throw his now burning card. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted Joel over by the table, about to touch the infamous Excalibur. Elias noticed too late, but he was unable to do anything about it, now in a magical duel with the mysterious guy. The Excalibur floated up, unsheathing itself as Joel slowly backed up.

I yelled at my group to run just as the enchanted blade turned its point towards us. We were scrambling into the corridor and tried to go back to the room we originated at. Blocking our path was a brown-haired male with head trauma and an evil grin. He started bolting for us as we kept running down the corridor where a feminine figure stood at the very end. By the time one of us noticed that we were trapped, the ground collapsed from under our feet. We were in complete darkness with a slight odor of garlic and iron. Right above us was faint bickering between a male named Zach and a female who sounds familiar, but it was suddenly drowned out by a loud screech in the distance.

Klaus Goldstein, wearing a vampire hunter costume, walked up to us with a torch in one hand and a lethal crossbow in the other. He lit a torch that was on the wall behind us, then said, “Grab the torch. You’ll need it to defend yourself.”

“From what?” one of the girls asked at her own risk.

“Don’t you mean who? Randy has been transformed into a vampire by the demoness herself, and he’s now roaming around the dungeons. The headmaster has asked me to hunt him down to protect any students that may actually have a chance of surviving.” A metallic clang echoed from the direction Klaus approached from. “Get ready to run in case I fall.”

Adorkable Randy walked out of the darkness, batting his eyes in reaction to the torch. At first, he appeared to be perfectly normal, besides the lack of costume. Then, he grinned madly, revealing his bloody fangs. With a quick motion, Klaus shoved us past the blood sucker and fired his silver crossbow at Randy, saying, “In the name of God, impure souls of the living dead shall be banished into eternal damnation!”

Before we could do anything, Randy leapt up, narrowly missed by the arrows, and pounced upon Klaus, nailing him down. We hurried away into the darkness with a single torch, not knowing where to go. Turning the corner, we nearly ran into Excalibur, still persistently hunting for us. “Go go go!”

We bolted up some random stairs and through a series of corridors, not paying attention to our surroundings except for the fact that there was a magical emo sword chasing us. Pretty soon, we found ourselves cornered at a dead end, about to meet our Creator. Out of nowhere, the assassin female from earlier dropped down from the ceiling, facing the infamous emotional-teen weapon with hands on her hips. It was almost like Excalibur was terrified of her. It turned itself right around and went flying off to its owner, whoever that may be.

She turned to face our group and said, “You guys want to get out of here? We have to confront the demoness, the ruler of this tormented mansion. It’s the only way we’ll ever get out.”

“What?!?! Isn’t she just going to kill us anyways?!?!” Joel stupidly protested.

“You’re right. She will kill us, whether it’s in these corridors and rooms or as we walk right out the main door that is cursed. If we can keep her busy long enough, then there is a chance that we’ll be able to walk out alive. Who’s coming with?” Everyone stood in silence, unsure of whether to listen to her or try to make it out by themselves. The black-haired female started walking away, and we followed behind.

Eventually, we stopped walking right outside the throne room, with the doors casted wide open. Standing in the center of the room was a girl with blonde hair with red tips wearing thick assassin armor. What the heck? That’s no demoness. That’s a student.

Ania’s POV

Tiva led a group of confused and terrified students, including Joel, into the throne room. The fright of their life was about to begin.

“Karma, I demand you to reveal yourself!” Tiva yelled. With a sinister voice, I answered with a little magic to make it sound as though I was elsewhere, “Which mere mortal dare to command Karma, demoness and granddaughter of Hades himself, to appear before mere humans?” Tiva stepped forward while the terrified students tried to run out the door. With a wave of the hand, the doors slammed in their faces. They watched in horror as I morphed into my demon form before their eye.

My white, red-tipped wings extended from my shoulder blades and out to its full span as my skin shimmered into a pale silver-white tone. My assassin armor shifted into my demon armor, as elegant and invincible as ever, and my long-missed scythe, thorns wrapped around a metal skull, rose into my hands from the ground. My hair faded into pure white while retaining its vibrant, blood-like red tips, and my fangs grew just slightly longer and sharper while remaining human-like. My demonic aura yearned to take control and consume all creatures in the throne room while my humanity fought against it.

In the back of my mind, I couldn’t help but think, I always forget how hard it is to hold down my power when in the human world. It’s never been this strong before, but again, it is Hallow’s Eve, the second most dreaded night for superstitious people of the year, not to mention the fact that I literally have not been in my demon form since before I started coming to this academy.

Before I knew it, I found my demonic side saying, “Well, looks like you get your wish. Not for long, though.” My demon form let out a demonic, evil laugh as Tiva only raised an eyebrow. Well, Tiva definitely knows something is up. Out of the corner of my eye, I catch Joel trying to sneak past me. Unfortunately, so did my dark side. With no control over myself whatsoever, I glided over to Joel in a blink of an eye, nailing him to the wall by the throat. My eyes darkened as I stared into his soul, withering in fear.

Next thing I knew, I was raising my scythe, preparing to finish him off. WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING?!?! I CAN'T TAKE HIS SOUL! Another part of me started to whisper enchantingly, Come on, Ania, you know he deserves to die. Especially after what he have done to you, or even better, your bestie. Nearly giving in, I prepared myself to swing the scythe, when all of the sudden… “KARMA NOX!” I morphed back into my normal form unarmed, collapsing onto the ground as I heard Tiva tell the mortified students to make a run for it now while the demoness was powerless.

Almost immediately, footsteps faded away into the silent distance. Glancing up, I watched Tiva jog towards me with a concerned look in her eyes. “Are you okay, Ania?”

“No. I nearly- no, I lost complete control over myself when my demon form appeared. I was on the verge of just letting myself do the deed. I let Klaus down. I told him that I’d never lose control of my dark side, and tonight, I failed.”

Tiva looked me straight in the eye and flat out said, “You may have lost control of your demon side, but you most certainly did not fail Klaus. You entrusted me with the safe word to ensure that tonight would not end tragically. By doing so, you have gained the ultimate control over yourself.” I was completely confused on what she meant. The truth is, the fact that I felt like I failed Klaus was the least of my worries…

I still had to face my greatest fear involving my demonic side: my grandfather.

#wizardessheart #elias goldstein #klaus goldstein #shall we date #randy march #luca orlem #professor schulyer #headmaster randolph

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hamaon · 6 years

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IN DEPTH FANDOM QUESTIONS: Final Fantasy VII

WHO WANTS TO READ 3000+ WORDS WORTH OF THIS STUFF

Top 5 favourite characters: Cloud’s story is very impressive for a 90s JRPG protagonist, and the glimpses of personality you get over the course of the game and towards the end especially are divine;I gave my heart to AVALANCHE early on, a moment of silence for all those who died so young;the image I have of Elmyra is a lot groovier than what there actually is in the game, but I’m hanging on to it;Tifa won me over just by her battle animations, and from these modest origins it grew and grew;

Nanaki is so serious, and also a baby.

Other characters you like: The bravest pilot-in-training who could. I believe in you, little guy.

Least favourite characters: “The hidden optional characters”, is what I was going to say, but I like Yuffie much better than Vincent. I actively dislike her character design (what is even going on there), but she’s vengeful and proud. All the characters in this game are more enjoyable if you highlight their unsavory qualities.

Vincent, though, is a miss. An unfortunate combination of things that I don’t care about. His main contribution to the story is giving more insight on Hojo and Sephiroth (and the Turks, I guess), but what I’d like to know more about are things to do with Gast, the Ancients, and Aerith’s involvement, and he has nothing to do with that. Also, Shinra by itself just isn’t interesting to me, it’s their involvement with the main characters (especially in the first areas of the game) that is fun, and again Vincent misses out.

There’s also the fact that- if there’s one mythological being that I couldn’t care less about, it’s vampires, and he shares a lot of the aesthetics, and- I don’t like using him in battle. The only time I used him during my first playthrough was when the party first crosses the mountains past Nibelheim, and taking him to the boss battle at end of the dungeon was a bad idea. It liked fire, and Vincent’s monster form whatever-beast liked producing said fire, and one thing led to another.

I love his theme, I guess, but I don’t even think of it as his theme. It’s the theme of the basement of the Shinra mansion and its fantastic, creepymonsters.

Also, Aerith, but more on that later.

Otps: I’m into Cloud/Tifa, but less for the chemistry and more for narrative reasons. I just think it makes a good story? Watching them dance around their memories of their shared past is the true heart of the game, for me.

I like that it’s romantic on Tifa’s part, but when you go back to the beginning of the game, once you know what sorts of questions the characters have been holding back on… how much of it is romantic on Tifa’s part, again?

I like that it isn’t romantic on Cloud’s part… until you get to the Lifestream, and the cause of this mess and the most honest truth at the core of it all was just a little boy crushing on the popular girl next door.

I like the idea of them deciding to stick together, the two survivors, now that they can admit out loud that they never really even knew each other.

I like how, with all of his regrets and failures, Cloud never did fail her.

(And I kind of like that the underdog in the triangle got the guy, in the end.)

I used to be passionately into Aerith/Tifa, early on – her interactions with Tifa are the best I liked Aerith – but I’ve let go of it, since. It’s okay to enjoy relationships without making them romantic, past me.

Not sure whether this is is an “otp “or a “notp” thing, or something else entirely, but I‘ve become very attached to the idea of Cid/no one as of late. Maybe the plot circumstances forcing him and Shera to stay separated helps them realize that it’s healthier this way. I want Cid to be grouchy and middle-aged and difficult to deal with on his airship, with his loyal crew and no romantic interest ever again.

And honestly, I’d be all for an AU where Cloud derails the plot by running off with some random AVALANCHE member in the early Midgar portion of the game. Jessie is the best candidate. Let Cloud and Jessie elope.

Notps: Cloud/Sephiroth. Aerith/Cloud as a reciprocal thing, because I enjoy their interactions better if Aerith isn’t serious about him (Cloud -> Aerith is fine, though).

Favourite friendships: Barret and Tifa. It was framed more as “Barret supports Tifa”, but I imagine that Tifa used to babysit Marlene quite a bit when AVALANCHE was smaller, so it evens out somewhat. They have a lot of shared history between just the two of them.

Aerith and Tifa. And listen, this isn’t pretty, but I want to think that they didn’t like each other that much, at first, even if it didn’t show – because why would they be rude towardseach other? Why wouldn’t they want to rescue innocent people? Maybe Aerith is a bit dismissive towards Tifa, unconsciously. Overrules her on things, without thought. I want Tifa putting up appearances that she enjoys Aerith’s company more than she really does, when really at times she makes her uneasy in ugly, jealous ways. All of that beingsomething they are already correcting themselves on come Kalm, quietly. On the way towards the chocobo farm you can see them walking together more often than not, and it continues that way until Aerith skedaddles.

Cloud and Yuffie. I just think that the detail of the shared motion sickness is nice and genuine. And in general, Cloud is yanked around by the story so much, it’s nice that he has someone he can be a mentor figure to. Good for the both of them.

Favourite family: Cloud’s, painfully unexplored as it was. It would benefit the game if there was just a touch more about Cloud’s mother. Just one more little scene, late in the game, to underline that she was loved, and that she’s gone, and that he doesn’t want to talk about it.

Favourite episodes: The entire Lifestream sequence where player-Tifa finally gets some answers to questions that have been left hanging since the first five minutes of the game.

Actually no, the entire game starting from where Cloud starts unraveling at the Noozupooru and the title of player character bounces back between a couple of party members as you’re putting the story together, culminating in the Lifestream sequence. But especially the Lifestream sequence.

Favourite season/book/movie: Original game? I think I liked the short animation thingy, Last Order, when I saw it ~ten years ago, but I can’t be assed to rewatch it now.

Favourite quotes: Any, as long as it comes with rustic typos in it. Absolutely beautiful.

Best musical moment: “Overworld“, as I had originally written down, like Tina’s theme, is a beautiful epic that encompasses all the highs and the lows of the narrative, but having listened to it for way too long while watching my friend play the game I’m in the “can’t stand” part of my cyclical relationship with the song. So let’s talk about Cid’s theme instead!

My first exposure to Cid’s theme was in the form of a background midi on a friend’s angelfire page, and I had no idea where the song was from. The file that I eventually managed to download on my computer was named something to the effect of ff7-cid, which told me nothing. No one in my family played video games.

As I said, I downloaded song. I used some .mid-to-sheet-music converter software on our computer to make it playable and printed it out. It wasn’t made for piano (and I definitely wasn’t good enough at notation to make an arrangement of my own), so I’d just follow along the notes as I put the midi on. I never did learn to play it. I never got a group together to try to play it – there’s nothing impressive about this story.

Fast forward several years, and I played the game. At that point it had been a long time since I had listened to the original midi, but I still remembered that I had built something way more epic around the song than what actually went down in the game. Not that Cid’s quest for the skies isn’t impressive, but it had sounded like something that would play during a last stand type of scene at the end of a story. My bad.

It’s still an impressive piece.

Moment that made you fangirl/boy the hardest: You lose control of the main character! That’s pretty metal?

When it really disappointed you: My introduction to the game was Advent Children, which I don’t think I had many strong feelings about? But I saw people online mourning the death of Aerith’s character (made even worse by Crisis Core) and how she was supposed to have been amazing in the game. So I played the game expecting something truly spectacular and… well, FF7 doesn’t have bad writing, I don’t think, but the characters definitely need you to meet them halfway before you can truly appreciate their potential. And Aerith mostly just hit on Cloud, so I was unwilling to even try. Disappointing, in the truest sense of the word.

I have a history of hating most Final Fantasy romance, and most of the characters doing most of the romance-inclined things. Edge hits on Rydia? Shit character. Locke hits on Celes? Shit character. Rinoa hits on Squall? Shit character (okay originally I liked her for that and only started hating her later in the game, adding her to the list here isn’t fair). Zidane hits on Garnet? Shit character. Yuna hitting on Tidus initially made me label her as a shit character as well, and I can actually pinpoint the very line of dialogue that made me stop thinking of her that way, but my main point is that in the beginning of FF10, I hated Yuna.

Anyway, I like to think that every time Aerith is hitting on Cloud, she’s joking! Because that’s what the root of my disinterest in engaging with her can be traced back to! Most of my headcanons are about Aerith, honestly. I make kind of half-hearted efforts to like her, occasionally, but I need to do it on my own terms – in order to enjoy her character, I need to be able to own her character. Otherwise I’m in a situation where I don’t care for the character much, and every time people point out some feature about them that makes them “perfect”, the bitterness increases. The “I was pretty neutral on this character, but everyone talking about how they’re the best thing ever made me loathe them” feeling. Yeah.

Saddest moment: I’m currentlythinking about the Nibelheim flashback where Cloud just plain refuses to talk about his mother and that’s a sad moment, isn’t it?

Most well done character death: Rufus went out gloriously. The whole scene with the multiple delayed laser beams whose projections you had to keep track of was magnificent, plus a corrupt corporation sacrificing everything for the greater good was pretty nice. Redemption in death.

Glad he wasn’t retconned into having survived or anything, that’d just ruin everything.

Favourite guest star: Cid had his moment in the spotlight, before slinking back into the shadows until XII?

Favourite cast member: Character, okay. Tifa, probably. A bunch of neutral to positive character traits, distinct nostalgia in the character theme, some half-assed writing, best animations in battle, a role that was fantastically spot-on in unravelling the main character’s labyrinthine headspace.

It’s less who Tifa is as a character, and more the good vibes surrounding her role in the story and some of the aesthetic decisions that went into creating the character. I mean, she’s a female monk. Just give her a version of the AC outfit that isn’t all black and stillhas the suspenders.

Character you wish was still alive: Nanaki’s mom.

One thing you hope really happens: Nanaki’s mom becomes an actual character in the remake. She completely drops out of everyone’s consciousness once it turns out that the Dad was the Important One. You have this rare heroic mother who is remembered for her feats in battle, only for her to disappear from the story completely. I’d like for Nanaki to remember them together. Wasn’t she supposed to have been something of a role model for him, before?

Most shocking twist: When the nameless Shinra grunt took off his helmet.

I keep thinking back to that gifset of that scene with the caption “that’s what Final Fantasy VII is all about, Charlie Brown“, and. Yeah.

When did you start watching/reading?: After Advent Children came out.

Best animal/creature: I have so many feelings about that one house in the Sector 7 slums. Primarily ”how“ and “why“. And “rocket launchers”.

Everything inside the sunken Gelnika is super cool, too. As is the Ruby Weapon, or however you capitalize that. Ruby WEAPON.

Favourite location: First visit to Nibelheim, if I’m being honest. Basement of Gold Saucer, if I’m not.

Trope you wish they would stop using: Will they?? Or… won’t they?? Let’s drag this love triangle shit on f o r e v e r.

Like please, FF10 was the best because they settled the will they won’t they thing pretty early on, just let this matter be resolved so we can have some development in some direction, please. Let him get on with his relationship with Tifa so we can have some real progress, let him break it off for real, just do something. As long as it isn’t ”he’s hung on Aerith forever“, because that goes directly against the development at the end of the game. Give him a new love interest, if you don’t want to piss anyone specific off, just stop beating this horse, it’s been dead for twenty years.

One thing this show/book/film does better than others: That’s what Final Fantasy VII is all about, Charlie Brown.

Funniest moments: When I was playing the game with a friend, and she triggered the bug where you don’t get portable save point in your inventory, and we only noticed halfway through the final dungeon. We still beat the game without any save slots. It’s not a very difficult game.

Couple you would like to see: please just fuckign Cloud/Jessie.

Actor/Actress you want to join the cast: Anyway, I’d like it if there were more female characters in the party, with more varied roles. Any of the main party members besides Barret, Reeve and Vincent could have been female, I think (I like Barret as a father, and Reeve is such a late reveal that it wouldn’t serve the intended purpose. And Vincent is optional). Cid, Nanaki, someone new? Cloud? Maybe Jessie could survive?

Actually, unpopular (?) opinion time, somewhat related, hang with me here, but I don’t think Tifa being ancillary to Cloud’s story is a bad thing at all. He’s the main character, his story is the most important story of the game, and her story supplements his story beautifully. The problem is that after the first disc, she’s the only active female character of any real importance. That’s where her propping up Cloud starts becoming a problem.

More female characters.

Favourite outfit: I love Aerith’s design, it’s spectacular. At first glance all you can see is pink, but it’s super practical, and plain, too. Some of it is probably because that’s how the game is designed in general, no one is very decorated, but still, Tifa wears earrings.

A simple dress, practical shoes. A plain bow, crude metal bracelets, and some random string around her neck. It’s like she just picked one up one day and went, why the hell not? That’s actually something I do when I’m cleaning and find pieces of string or broken rubber bands. Just tie them wherever, arm, neck, around my head.

It’s my headcanon that her dress was originally white, but it was washed with something red (that seems to be her color, no?) and was accidentally dyed in the process.

The short jacket is my favorite. I like the idea that she’d go for that big-shouldered look in other outfits, too. It looks so weird. I love it.

Favourite item: All materia. The ‘all’ materia.

Do you own anything related to this show/book/film?: Nothing official aside from the game itself. A couple of art prints. There’s one with Nanaki with his cubs looking over the ruins of Midgar that I need to get framed at some point, if I have the money.

What house/team/group/friendship group/family/race etc would you be in?: AVALANCHE all the way. The concept of bitter eco-terrorists is something that resonates closely with so much of my youth.

Most boring plotline: A lot of Barret’s stuff could have had better focus, unfortunately. Tying things back to Marlene & Elmyra & the working class more would have been appreciated.

Most laughably bad moment: I can’t decide between the kidnapping of Elena and Yuffie in Wutai, and the cannon-top slapdown between a corporate executive and a lifetime martial artist. It’s a horrible tie.

Best flashback/flashfoward if any: So much is centered around the Nibelheim flashbacks, let’s pick something else.

Cid’s Rocket Town flashback is pretty good, it makes you feel the frustration, and it manages to humanize him at the same time. Also, it isn’t a montage info-dump flashback, which FF7 falls victim to, occasionally.

Most layered character: Much of the plot is about putting different aspects of Cloud back together, sometimes more than figuratively, so, Cloud.

Most one dimensional character: Palmer. You know, because he gets run over by a… truck…

Scariest moment: The Shinra tower, after you escape from the jail. There have been just enough uncomfortable elements shown to you beforehand. There was something unnatural in that tank earlier, but it’s gone now. The soundtrack turned Silent Hill all of a sudden. Maybe you could receive comfort from the masses, now that you are facing a shared enemy of a new, strange caliber. The tower was bustling with life just moments ago.

But where is everyone.

Grossest moment: Cid yelling at Shera. Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Best looking male: Once you get past all the associations you have with white/silver-haired men in Japanese media, and the fact that it’s Sephiroth, Sephiroth is quite pleasing to the eye. The boob window is nice. Looks strong without being overbearing.

But at the end of the day, it’s still…. Sephiroth.

Best looking female: Everyone is a pile of polygons, but in my mind’s eye I always imagine Ifalna as a breathtaking beauty.

Who you’re crushing on (if any): no.

Favourite cast moment: I don’t keep up with creator commentary. I like to live dangerously.

Favourite transportation: All chocobos are beautiful in their own way. Incidentally, nothing that came after the original game counts as canon to me, and Cloud became a chocobo rancher near Corel. He goes snowboarding with Yuffie, sometimes, when she’s visiting and he’s trying to catch rare breeds in the mountains.

Most beautiful scene (scenery/shot wise): Midgar, as a whole. The dirty neon lights hiding eco-terrorists and secret flowerbeds. The ruins in the epilogue, when you end the game unsure whether most of the player characters even survived Holy. It just feels like a lot of love went into creating Midgar.

Unanswered question/continuity issue/plot error that bugs you: I was discussing Cid’s small pre-final dungeon Loveless monologue with The Friend Who Played Through My Copy Of Final Fantasy VII, and we came to the conclusion that we couldn’t come to a conclusion. It’s just… vague. Is it talking about dying? Who/what is supposed to work as a parallel to this play?Is it just a bad translation?

While we’re at this sort of thing, let’s talk about sequel stuff! and how Zack is what finally ties all the loose ends back together. About Cloud. About Aerith. He’s an explanation and a motivator, and from a story perspective, unimportant as a character with motivations of his own. Ultimately it doesn’t matter why he did what he did, only that he did them. He should never have been in the spotlight. In Final Fantasy VII, Zack would never have been in the spotlight.

Moreover, he’s gone. Aerith, the one who’d most benefit from having some answers, is gone. And it was fine that way.

Best promo: Uh. The FF4 flash ads with ostriches in them.

At what point did you fall in love with this show/book: Nibelheim.

#essentialprocrastination #I'm listening to cid's theme and crying #autocorrect wants to autocorrect 'sephiroth' into 'stepbrother'#my drafts are clean now #ff7 #those kids from nibelheim

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