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#this is probably just me connecting dots where there are none BUT
fl3shm4id3n · 6 months
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ₐ Gₗₐₛₛ ₛₗᵢₚₚₑᵣ
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𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲: 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐠𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬.
ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢ: ᴀꜱᴛᴀʀɪᴏɴ x ꜰᴇᴍ! ᴛᴀᴠ! ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ
Tw: None ♡
A/N: I really liked that Cinderella idea from that lovely Anon, I began to think of something. I hope you like this. Now I want to write more princess inspired fics.
Masterlist
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You and your companions had stopped at a city, in which there was a ball. You along with your party were invited, you didn't think it would be a good idea at first, but you thought about it and you were convinced to go. You could either go dressed in your regular clothes or go dressed up. You thought about trying to buy a dress or at least rent one out. But you didn't find anything you liked, you were almost desperate to find a dress. While everyone found something to wear, you still haven't, it was very close to the ball and you had nothing to wear.
It was already getting late, everyone had gone to the ball already. Meanwhile you were debating whether you should get whatever dress or just go not go, you were really excited for it too. To have some fun and relax, not having to worry about everything that was happening. Then you saw Gale approached you, he was wearing something very different and very fancy. "Why aren't you at the ball?" He asked, seen that you were still wearing your regular clothes. "I have nothing to wear..." you admitted, he saw the sad look on your face, he knew that you were really wanted to go.
Gale stopped to think, then he had it. "I know something that could help." He said, making you raise your eyebrow at him. "You do?" you asked him, he nodded. "Yeah, I've been practicing this spell to change into a disguise and that sort of thing, do you trust me?" he asked you. At this point, you were willing to try whatever. "Yeah, go for it." You replied to him. Gale then grew excited, finally being able to use this spell he has been working on. He cracked his fingers a bit, then he began to do his trick.
Next thing you knew, your regular clothes, then changed into a beautiful dress. Looking down, the grown had layers of silver and blue fabrics sown together, it was beautiful. Looking closer, you lifted the gown up to look at your feet. Seen a pair of glass slippers. You then walked over to the fountain and got up on the molded concrete. Looking at yourself in the reflection of the water. Seen how your hair was now style nicely, like a work of art. You also noticed the small hint of makeup on your eyelids, cheeks, and lips. "I love it, thank you Gale!" you said, getting down back on the floor. "Your welcome, but the spell might wear off, maybe in a couple hours? I think midnight is when the spell wears off." He explained, you only nodded while looking down at the glass slippers on your shoes. "I understand." You responded.
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You and Gale arrived at the ball, it was a very lovely view, seen the many people in the ball room. You parted your ways from Gale, beginning to look around the place, it was nicely decorated and not to mention how the people were dressed. As you walked around, you didn't notice someone going right up to you. Right as you were about to go outside, you felt a hand grab yours. You stopped and looked to see who it was. It was Astarion. He looked even more handsome that he already was, he was wearing a black and red formal attire, it really suited him.
"Hello there beautiful, I don't think we haven't met." He said with a small smirk on his lips. Then he brought up your hand up to his lips and gave it a small kiss. Did he not recognize you? Probably because he's never seen you all dolled up like this. "I'm Astarion" he asked, while admiring your beauty. "I'm sorry, but do I know you my dear?" He asked, studying you some more. You looked familiar to him, but he didn't know where to connect the dots, before you could answer, music had began to start playing. "Oh, no time to talk, please, allow me to have this dance with you my lady." He said, very charmingly. Then he took you to the dance floor.
You both danced along with the other couples who were also dancing on the first floor. You were nervous that you'd step on his shoes, but he didn't seem to mind at all. He was actually teaching you how to properly square dance, you did not step on his toes at all. He had commented on how you were a natural. As you both danced, Shadowheart, Karlach, Lae'zel, and Wyll were wondering who Astarion was dancing with. They were trying to figure it out all together, while Gale just watched, amused, knowing full well who it was.
A couple minutes after dancing, Astarion decided to take you out on a walk the late night. The whole time you both talked and walked around the garden, enjoying each other's company. He was very nice and charming the whole time. As if, you saw a whole new Astarion. You were very caught up in the conversation that you didn't even notice how fast the time went, it was almost as if it went slow.
After a while, while you and Astarion was sitting on one of the benches talking, you looked up and saw how high the moon was, it was close to being midnight, that made you panic. "Oh! I have to get going!" You said, getting up quickly, followed by a now confused Astarion. "Leave? How so?" he asked, watching you picking up the layered skirt and attempted to walk away but was stopped by him. "Come on darling, stay a bit more. Pretty please?" He asked, as much as you didn't want to say no, you couldn't. "I can't, I'm sorry, goodbye!" You said, turning around and now you began to run.
As you ran, Astarion followed right behind you. "At least tell me your name!" He asked, but you ignored him, you continued to run, it was hard due to the glass slipper. You manage to slip through a crowd that prevented him from passing by. That was good. So gone outside, as you walked down the stair, you stumped but manage to catch yourself, but your slipper had slipped off your left foot. You saw it on the step, you attempted to grab it but you saw Astarion's shadow approaching, so you just left it and continued to run away, as fast as you could.
Now you were hiding behind an alley, now dressed in your regular clothes. You didn't see or hear Astarion near by, you must have lost him. As you took a breather, you looked down at your feet. Seen that your left foot was bare, but not your right. Reaching down you took off the glass slipper and brought it up to you, it was beautiful, you thought about keeping it as a reminder of the night and how you spend it with Astarion.
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The next day, everyone was back, they had asked about your whereabouts. So you just told them that you didn't find anything and decided not to go. But when you looked at Astarion, he seemed, sad? Not only that, but he also had the glass slipper that you lost. He wouldn't stop looking at the shoe, as if it was the most precious thing in his hands. It broke your heart a bit seen this, but you didn't want to tell him that it was you who he was dancing and hanging out with last night, you didn't want to break his illusions.
You were still staying in the city for the next couple days, at the moment you were in your spot of the camp, sharpening your blade while everyone did their thing. Then Astarion approached you. "Hello darling, I need for you to help me with something." He said to you, getting your attention. "What is it? Do you need more blood?" you asked, while looking at him. "That would be nice, but no dear. I need your help with finding someone." He said, this made your ears perk up. "Who?" you asked him. "Last night at the ball, I was with this lovely lady, but she had to leave in a rush and I didn't get her name. She only left her slipper behind and I intend to find her by having ladies in the city try it on, will you help me with that? Pretty please?" he asked you, with a pleading smirk. You raised your brows at him, you didn't know what to say to him, then you sighed. "Alright, I'll help you, but I just don't get too carried away with this." You said to him, seen the happy smile on his lips. "Oh thank you darling! You're the absolute best!" He said, excitedly.
For the next two days, you and Astarion were in the city, searching for his 'mystery' woman from last night. We've asked lots of women to try on the slipper, but non of them fit the shoe. This made Astarion a little desperate, it made you feel bad, because you didn't how to explained to him that his mystery girl was you! You felt so bad. After a long day, you were back at camp, it was already getting late. "Did she disappear or something? Was she a fairy of some kind!? What!?" He said, dramatically kicking the dirt floor like child. He was genuinely upset. You couldn't take it anymore, you had to tell him.
"Astarion, I have something to tell you." You told him, then he looked at you, with a sad kicked puppy look. "I... I..." you couldn't say a full sentence. You felt nervous that you almost felt nauseous. "Take your time dear." He said, sweetly towards you. You took another deep breath and wiped the sweat off your forehead. "I may... or may not have been..." You paused, then you looked at the slipper, you felt your heart race like crazy. You felt as if you were about to pass out. Then Astarion stopped you. "I know, how about you put on the slipper?" he asked, then you felt like your stomach dropped. "What?" you asked. "Try the slipper on dear." He said, giving you the slipper and put in your hands. "But... but." You kept repeating. "Come on dear, don't be shy, try it on. Here let me help you." He said, helping you sit on a wooden crate and got on his knees in front of you.
He took off your foot on your left foot, then he softly grabbed your foot and gently slipped on the glass slipper, adjusting it correctly. You felt like you were about to die. It fits perfectly. "Well you look at that." He said with a smirk, and out of nowhere, your clothes changed back into the silver and blue dress, along with your hair and make up also appeared. Not only that, but the other slipper appeared at your feet. "Took you long enough to confess!" Astarion said with a tease.
"Wait! You knew!?" You asked shocked. "Of course I did! I just wanted you to confess, but since you didn't, I thought about taking a bit of a drastic measures to see what you would so, also you were also very nervous the whole the time, it was quite adorable." He said with a grin, then got up and pulled you back up on your feet. Admiring you like that night. "You're just so beautiful! I could just look at you all day, you look like a princess." He said teasingly. All you could feel if your face heating up by his compliments. "Alright can I take these shoes off? I'd like to go back into my regular clothes now." You added. "Come on! Not yet dear! Just let me admire you a bit more, please love?" he asked, with a puppy eye look. All you did was sigh with a small laugh. "Fine, but only for a bit, I don't want the other to see me like this." You explained. "Oh let them! Let them see your beauty!" he said with a smile, while looking at you some more.
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03l210 · 1 year
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Bllk Boys Hcs with a S/O that has (a lot of) beauty marks:
Not a request | Gn reader, no pronouns used but still wanted to specify
CHARACTERS: Bachira, Kaiser, and Shidou
GENRE: Fluff | WARNINGS: None (besides that these may suck, I was overthinking while writing so I'm sorry if it appears ooc)
Shoutout to @khuzena for helping me confirm my thoughts on who to do for this + gave me the idea for Kaiser
⊱ ──────── {.⋅🦋⋅.} ─────── ⊰
Bachira:
This is mostly him kissing you I'm so sorry but I needed this to be shared.
Oh sweet boy
He absolutely ADORES you and your beauty marks
He just thinks they add on to your already beautiful face, don't even try to fight him on that (he'll win)
When he's giving you kisses on your face, he gives them to you all over in no specific order but makes it his mission to make sure he kisses all your beauty marks
Like if he realizes he 'accidentally' missed one he will start his crazy kisses all over again before you can even protest (and you will, I just know some of them are disgustingly wet sometimes)
Will literally jump at you upon seeing you to start kissing you too
Did I mention he is 5'9?
...if you're short or not very strong physically have fun cause ...yeah
If you have any on your arms/hands too, don't think they are safe from his chaotic kisses. He will just use it as an excuse to kiss you even more and for longer so either be prepared for that or wear long sleeves to at least save yourself from that
If you have any on your neck and are ticklish, good luck my friend.
He will laugh while giving the ones on your neck kisses sometimes (does that tickle people? I will never know, I'm not ticklish so bear with me here)
CONSTANTLY complimenting you and your beauty marks but in the weirdest most Bachira ways (no I will not elaborate any further on this, anyways-)
If you're asleep (or even awake sometimes) he finds himself tracing his finger from one beauty mark to another almost like a connect the dots game with his usual smile on his face
Kaiser:
*taps my little imaginary microphone* ahem, HE SHOULD'VE HAD BEAUTY MA- *is forcibly removed from the stage*
this man.
Your beauty marks are probably what attracted him to you in the first place tbh
To catch his attention, you need to stand out to him first. If not while playing soccer then something from your appearance (could be hair, a tattoo, or in this case, your beauty marks) or even certain actions
LOVES staring at the ones on your face randomly or when he wants a reaction out of you
If he doesn't get as strong of a reaction out of you from his staring like he hoped, don't be surprised to feel a pair of lips on your face where one of your beauty marks are if you turned away from him and him saying/whispering one of his terms of endearment for you (in german!) before pulling away and looking at you again with his smug face (Do not be fooled by this, I really do dislike Kaiser)
Which reminds me, his more popular names for you are Schätzchen/Schatzi (both mean "Little Treasure", but I think Schätzchen can also mean something else, so I just put both), Spatzi (Little Sparrow), and sometimes Liebe (Love). No, it doesn't matter if you are taller than him, he will still include the "little" part of the name
I couldn't find any theater-related names that I liked for this, forgive me🙇🙇‍♀️
He really does love your beauty marks as much as he loves you, there is literally no doubting it and he won't even let you say anything bad about them, let alone anyone else (seriously, dude gets scarily serious when you do, I would be scared for the person that said something bad about your beauty marks)
He loves kissing them even more though, he does it teasingly sometimes, but you can tell when they are loving without the teasing in them just from how he is kissing them
Constantly praising your beauty and emphasizes how your beauty marks are included in that praise no matter what
This also turned more into kissing, I'm sorry but so far, Bachira and Kaiser just love to kiss them more than they probably should
Shidou:
This menace,,, I miss him in the manga, but at least he will be animated soon....eventually... (8bit please don't mess him up, I'm begging you plea-)
Let me get this out of the way, like the rest, loves to kiss them too, but obnoxiously.
Not wet kisses like Bachira or lovingly teasing like Kaiser, just obnoxious to the point of "If you do not stop, I will punch you" obnoxious, especially in front of others
only time he's not being obnoxious with them is when he's tired, that's the only exception you're getting for now
But no matter how annoying he is about them or in general there is no denying that he loves them and you
Like Kaiser, they probably are partially what would've attracted him to you, but I definitely see it more action wise that did it (how if you don't play soccer? idk, you probably told him or someone else off or got in a fight and your beauty marks were just a bonus)
LIVES to show you and your beauty marks off to people like Kaiser but worse
Like 10x worse
maybe even 100x worse
Bro will ask you stuff about them that make you want to question why you are even with him sometimes
"You got anymore hidden undernea-"
"Shut your mouth before I jump out of this window" (you guys are on the 5th floor of the building)
You know how I said Bachira likes tracing them with his finger? Shidou does too, but with a marker
If it's permanent or not, you'll find out when you try to wash it off /j
HONORABLE MENTION FOR THIS POST: Karasu (except if I write for him I am afraid I will spontaneously combust into flames)
⊱ ──────── {.⋅🦋⋅.} ─────── ⊰
I finished these hcs just before the match between Real Madrid vs. Al Hilal ended (I just forgot to post them T - T), congratulations to Real Madrid for winning their 5th Club World Cup!!
Isagi was supposed to be in this too but I decided to cut him out just cause of the pure length of this post but I hope you enjoyed this post!!
Likes, Comments, and re-shares are greatly appreciated, just no full reposts on other platforms outside of Tumblr.
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ghelgheli · 4 months
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17! but also using the opportunity of the ask game to get to know more about the effortless worldbuilding in sff :)
from the end-of-year book ask
17: Did any books surprise you with how good they were?
I think Three Body Problem is the only one meeting this condition this year so I'll have no trouble staying on topic :> but I'm gonna specifically talk about "hard" SF as I conceive of it—I haven't read any analysis so this may just be a jumble of improvised thoughts.
SF, being "speculative" fiction, of course has to take on the problem of speculating and of presenting things that don't (and perhaps cannot) happen. On average this is accomplished thru a healthy combination of scientific grounding and good-natured handwaving: I drop a few sentences about "quantum entanglement" and you go along with my ansible, or you tell me about "positronic circuits" and I agree that you can make a brain with them. This is the compact that makes SF work because you fundamentally cannot expect speculation without, well, ceding ground on reality.
But at least a subset of SF readers are of the kind to really want to grok how it is that this or that scientific feature of the world works or may come about. Every contraption and novel technology is like a puzzle to be riddled out. This is the place where speculation becomes sincere mechanical prediction, and it's why I love hard SF.
This subset of readers can be matched to a subgenre of writers who commit fully to filling in as many blanks in their technological, biological, etc. speculation as possible. The rows of astronomical data can't be left vague—tell me what frequency of light we're dealing with here—xenobiology isn't taken for granted—what is the neurology of your aliens??—and so on. The dots are connected, the rest of the owl is drawn for real, the image is made crisp. Like fireworks for the reader's brain.
When this kind of worldbuilding is executed well imo it looks effortless. Looks, not is, because behind every explanation of near-c travel is hours of research into at least special relativity and time dilation, along with calculations by-hand. Behind every account of an exoplanet's atmosphere is probably a few papers perused on the subject and several articles on scientific american. Peter Watts, in the note at the end of Blindsight, includes a fucking bibliography of a hundred or so references as well as thank-yous to many an academic he split handles of liquor with. And this is only the visible fragment of what has to be a library of knowledge accumulated both passively and actively to make a speculated world feel as concretely plausible as possible.
None of this is necessary for good SF. The aforementioned compact means any author can opt out of this commitment at any time. But it's what it takes to make tightly-written hard SF, where your conceptual hands are kept diligently at your side, waving an idea through maybe once every five chapters when you have no other choice.
So anyway, Three Body Problem is a tour de force in doing this and doing it cleanly. It uses a storytelling device a lot of hard SF employs to make it work: rather than stuffing dense exposition into narration (at which point, just read the source papers) it deploys a cast of characters who more than anything else, really know their shit. We get exposition trickle-fed through experts who are trying, along with us, to make sense of their novel environments and unfamiliar technologies using their knowledge of the present limits of human understanding. This is what Watts does in Blindsight too, by the way: a claustrophobic ship crewed by technical specialists makes first contact, so everyone has something encyclopedic to say about everything and it's only natural.
What astounded me about Cixin Liu's writing is that he made it work just when I least thought he would be able to. I was sure I was being shown things completely inexplicable and necessarily supernatural until he went and explained them in plain terms; better yet, he explained them in ways that made so much sense in retrospect that I was kicking myself for not seeing the answer. This has exactly the flavour of a good puzzle.
The trade-off hard SF makes is that you are often limited in the metaphorical/thematic work you can do through your speculation. I think the contrast between "calendrical science" in Yoon Ha Lee's Machineries of Empire series and Asimov's "psychohistory" illustrates this well.
Yoon Ha Lee has mathematical training, and calendrical science is a speculative field consisting of theorems, conjectures, proofs, etc. in the language of mathematics that stand in for cultural hegemony and power projection. This makes for a great operationalization of soft power: space is filled and distorted by the quantifiable effects of whatever regime is dominant there (the "calendar" here being synecdoche for culture writ large). But obviously he can't fill in the blanks of how a calendar causes spacetime distortions that specifically make one side's weapons more effective, or provide certain formations with shielding effects. This is, I guess, semi-hard (lol) SF—you can see how it's supposed to work, but it's clear that it just won't. What you get in return is pretty politically interesting storytelling.
Psychohistory is the converse: a deterministic-enough lovechild of economics and sociology explained in the Foundation series as using all the familiar methods of linear algebra and differential equations together with unfamiliar innovations of just how to quantify human behaviour in order to make reliable predictions. There are entire chapters dedicated to explaining the conceptual nuance that went into developing psychohistory ("the hand on thigh principle" from prelude to foundation is just about how the theory resolves divergence by reducing insignificant terms to zero) and an entire book to exploring one of its limitations. It's fascinating to read. But you also get little narrative depth out of it, because hard SF, even when done well, is not guaranteed to make a story thematically interesting or politically compelling. This is the Three Body Problem problem too: its political commitments are threadbare and unserious because that's just not what it's about. I couldn't recommend it on those terms, but that's not what I like so much about it. I will say the conceptualization goes a little off the rails in the final chapters, but I think most SF authors were in some kind of string theory inspired fugue state at the time.
What I would love to see (and I'm sure exists) is hard SF that also has interesting politics. Unfortunately that's an intersection of two already-narrow intersections.
ty for ask✨🐐
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sepublic · 11 months
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Philip’s Witches before Wizards
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            Anyone remember these ruins from Witches before Wizards? I think this town was where Caleb and Evelyn originally lived (or frequented, being closer to their home than Bonesborough).
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            After all, we know these ruins are beyond Bonesborough, in a wooded area; As is Caleb and Evelyn’s archway, not too far from the Clawthorne household. During the Coven Day parade, an illusion of Belos is flanked by a cat statue, which we’ve seen only one other time…
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         …As a fake resident of this very town. Which leads me to believe that Adegast didn’t entirely make up the details he was filling in; There might’ve actually been a little cat demon that Philip saw there and remembered. How fitting; Shortly after discovering the Demon Realm, Philip and Luz encounter this town, before entering a secluded area where they make a crucial choice that influences how the rest of their journey goes; Philip decides to double down on his fantasy by sacrificing his own brother to his hero complex, whereas Luz chooses not to succumb to the fantasy.
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         I think Evelyn frequented this community, just as Eda visits Bonesborough frequently in the present day; And when Philip killed Caleb, she might’ve warned the people there of this murderer running around, which contributed to Philip having to skip towns. And the closest place to skedaddle was none other than Bonesborough…!
         Presumably, the Boiling Isles doesn’t have social media at this point, nor a unified government; This would make it easier for Philip to avoid consequences by simply evading the local authorities and settling in a new place, as he explains to Luz. Kind of like the older days, when information didn’t travel as easily, so you didn’t have to worry as much about news of your notoriety following you.
         At which point, Philip must’ve immediately enlisted Blue Fang for his failed expedition to the Titan’s skull, hence why the people of Bonesborough aren’t familiar with him; He’s only just arrived, and hasn’t made himself too acquainted with the local populace just yet. Red Fang and Green Fang hold a grudge over their brother’s death, but don’t seem to be aware Philip was possibly more than just callously careless.
         And we see what a clever, charismatic liar Philip is; So he would’ve brushed over any rumors of misdeeds (painting the gruff Fang brothers as bullies, with himself as a meek victim) and appealed to the rest of Bonesborough, enough for them to accept his diary as a donation to their library. Afterwards, Philip may have left; Either because his victims got together and connected the dots, and/or he had missions elsewhere. Possibly the latter, since Luz doesn’t find any articles indicating Philip was ousted as a pariah, but for all we know Belos erased some history. He might’ve figured out that Luz and Lilith were time travelers during the Deadwardian Era, and set his journal up for them to find as a result.
        But, back to the ruined town; There’s a good chance Philip remembered this place and went back to destroy it as Belos, probably as part of a staged false flag attack. A reminder of the worst day of his life, the realization that the Boiling Isles was NOT the adventure he expected or wanted... The specific place where Caleb was corrupted, where Evelyn regularly visited and lived… And by destroying this place, Philip sets up Adegast to exploit what’s left over, all for Luz to go through the same challenge there as Philip did, and emerge victorious. As for the Clawthornes, they ended up visiting what was the second-closest town, Bonesborough.
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boilbluedenim · 1 month
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Over the liminal mindscape
I love and hate how this show's ending is completely left up to interpretation, mainly because of Wirt and Greg's potential deaths and how that makes me feel about the show as a whole. It attaches a sort of bittersweet feeling to it which I'm not too sure about. more on that soon though.
Anyway, when paying even just an inkling of attention to this show, you can almost immediately connect the dots and come to the conclusion that none of the adventures (for the most part) actually happened. This conclusion is heavily drawn from the frames we see at the very beginning, of Wirt, Greg, and Jason Funderburker (the frog) drowning. (ep 1)
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and from the frames where Wirt wakes up in the water after having said goodbye to Beatrice, saving his brother and the frog by carrying them both out of the water. (ep 10)
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Taking into account that Wirt, Greg, and Funderburker all fell into the water moments before almost getting hit by a train, which we discover in episode 9; Into The Unknown, I think it's pretty safe to assume that this is, in fact, the case and that OTGW takes place in either a mental space or a physical limbo, occurring while they are all in the process of drowning.
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Another thing I'd like to mention is that OTGW is heavily based off of Dante's Inferno, which, in the simplest of summaries, is a poem about a journey that begins in a forest, leads through hell, and eventually into heaven, hence the theorized death I mentioned earlier. It's actually pretty easy to spot where these references and homages lie, for example, the formula of the story is somewhat similar, and the characters take on similar roles. (for example, Virgil: Beatrice/Woodsman(?)or even Greg in some cases, Beatrice: Sara, Dante: Wirt.) (please read Inferno or a summary of it to fully understand this if you haven't already because it's actually really interesting).
Rewatching OTGW with this in mind led me to realize a lot of things that I originally passed off as unique writing choices with no actual meaning behind them. Then again that could be the case but what's the fun in assuming that?
Upon entering the unknown, we're launched into a universe with a seemingly ever-changing time period. Characters talk funny and fancy, dress and act as if they're from the 1600s-1700s, and none of our protagonists seem particularly fazed by this (except for Beatrice, occasionally) with Greg using a phrase such as "brother o'mine" and Wirt's dramatic poetic rambles. Everything feels very inspired while also being all over the place, almost as if it's been composed from memories, lying in the pits of somebody's mind...
Wirt is a Huge Nerd.
If I am to believe that this show takes place in one of our protagonists' minds, which I do in fact believe, then I would say that that protagonist has to be Wirt. Wirt has a tendency to go on poetic spiels, even dropping two of them in the very first episode. Accompanied by his teenage boy dread (being a nerd at 14 is tough) and his overextending knowledge about curious things, which he showcases in his exclaim at Beatrice's ability to talk and his comment about one of the rooms in Endicott's mansion (below), It becomes a glaring possibility that OTGW is primarily from Wirt's point of view, with the Unknown existing solely in his head.
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I've actually seen this point argued before, with some people mentioning the black turtles on the poster in Wirt's room or just his entire room in general. However, if true, that doesn't really answer the question of whether the unknown exists as a physical space or a mental one, having no supernatural effects on the real world.
2. The Implications of the Bell
Okay, so, listen.
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I hate to be the kind of person who goes "Well it's probably just a fun and silly bit that doesn't actually mean anything." but I'm gonna be that person anyway, or at least I'm not going to assume character death because I don't want to and free will is a thing blablablabla. I will however be serious for a second and try to provide a tangible reason for why I think this scene doesn't have any real-world implications.
For one, this scene immediately jumpcuts to a voiceover, followed by scenes that serve as conclusions for the stories of the characters we've met along the way, all of them being positive. I think this serves the purpose of letting us know the story did in fact have a good ending, with Wirt learning how to treat his brother with respect. I also think that ties into the theory above.
Not only does the unknown serve as a mental limbo but it also serves as a lesson for Wirt in particular. This journey is riddled with self-critique, characterized as Beatrice, all the while Wirt is drowning and realizing he's not only failed himself but his brother as well.
3. The Beast
Surprisingly I haven't mentioned the beast yet even though he's very important to the story. The beast represents a couple of things, one being death and two being the overarching, real-world problem. Those may sound like the same thing, and honestly, they are depending on what you think the problem is. To me, it's Wirt's relationship with, and treatment of Greg in the real world that bleeds into the universe of the unknown.
The exchange that Wirt has with the beast at the end of episode 10 fully encapsulates his character growth. The characters his mind has created have actually taught him something, that being; wallowing in sorrow and accepting your fate is just going to lead you further down this winding path, or in this case, to the bottom of this lake. You will never get home.
Unlike I've seen others suggest, this is not a story of a boy failing and dying while so wrapped up in his own fantasy, eventually residing in a false heaven. Instead, everything is put back where it needs to be.
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From the forest, through the unknown, and finally, back home.
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totallynotmystuff · 1 year
Text
The Touch of Snow
GHOST Masterlist      Masterlist Guide     AO3
Pairing:   Rain/Water Ghoul  X  Reader (genderneutral) Wordcount:   1.2k Summary:  Ghouls have to wear a mask, when they leave the ghoul wing. But how are you supposed to enjoy the snow, like that?  
Warnings: None. Pure fluff A/N:  !English is not my first language!
Inspo: https://www.instagram.com/p/ClUA_vbD03c/
*******
 Deep in slumber, your hand reaches out to the other side of the bed- Searching for your favorite ghoul; But all you feel under your hand is an empty sheet. And it's cold.
 “Rain?” do you mumble, before even opening your eyes and looking over, to where he usually sleeps. But as you look to his side of the bed, you still find it to be empty.
 You straighten up and scan the room. But no water ghoul is to spot. You listen carefully- If he might be in the bathroom; But just as you do, you notice that one pair of his shoes are gone. Just like his long black coat. And his mask.
 “Did you go outside?”
 You get up and walk to the window. Shivering under the colder air, wrapping around you.
 And as you get to the window, you notice that the curtain is only half-closed. You don't have the time to wonder why, because you already see it outside.
 Snow. Covering the grounds of the ministry; And still falling from the sky.
 Now you know why your favorite ghoul is gone and where you're probably gonna find him.
 “You must have smelled it, hm?” you smile, as you connect the dots.  
 Rain loves the snow. He loves it actually a very tiny bit more than rain. It doesn't snow often- So the rarity of it's appearing, makes it more special. And it's much softer than drops of water. You don't hear it falling from the sky. Snowflakes don't rush, to come to the earth. They take their time.
 Although you could have just gone to bed, you decide to look for him. It is the first snow of the year. And you would like to be with Rain, for that.
 You put on some clothes, get in your shoes and your coat. There are a few spots, where you guess Rain could be, to watch the snow; But there is one spot, you guess to be The One, where you will find him.
 Right behind the ghoul wing. There is an old lantern, lightened with gas, which looks particular pretty when it's dark. And especially pretty, when it's snowing. So you go there first and- Of course. You were right. And as you see Rain in the distance, you are getting drawn into the magic of this spot as well.
 You don't immediately walk over to him. It's just too beautiful to look at; Rain- Standing right under the sparse shimmer of the warm, dark golden light, the lantern radiates. His silver mask doesn't even look silver. It looks more like gold or copper. Not that he would notice. All of his attention is on the snow; Both of his claws held open- Watching the snowflakes falling on his gray skin.
 You could have looked at him like that forever. But no matter how enchanted the ghoul was, of the snow- He could still smell you. And eventually, he does. His posture straightens, and his look is directed right at you; Arms falling down and his head lowers, as if he had failed at something.
 “Why does my favorite ghoul look so sad?” you ask, as you had walked up to him.
 “I woke you, didn't I?”
 “No.” you assure and wrap your arms around him. “I was just missing my water ghoul.”
 “I'm sorry.” he says, as he wraps his arms around you as well. “The smell of the snow woke me up.”
 “I figured, as I saw it” you let go and look at him. “And that I would find you somewhere outside.”
 “It's beautiful, isn't it?” you don't see it, but you can hear the big smile under his mask; He looks up to the sky- “It came so much later than last year. I already feared there would be no snow at all.”
 There is nothing more beautiful, than seeing Rain, being so- So happy. It gets to you as well. You can feel it. His happiness about the snow. You see it, although you don't even see his face. Although all you see, are snowflakes, falling, and running down the silver mask; If the hot breath -escaping the balaclava, doesn't melt them right before- …
 And the more you look at him, the more sad your heart grows. You know how much Rain loves the snow. But- The mask.
 “How about you take it off.”
 “The mask??” his look rushes to you again. His eyes big, behind the golden shimmering metal.
 “Hmhm.”
 “I don't know.” he slightly shakes his head. Anxious. “Ghouls are forbidden to take their mask off, outside.”
 “Everyone is asleep” you assure, placing a hand on his chest “And we are right behind the ghoul wing. No one is here who could see.”
Rain huffs, unsure. Fumbling with the hem of your coat. He wants to take off the mask, but- ... It’s not that easy for him. So he starts look around. Scanning.  Subconsciously grabbing your hand, with both of his; Sniffling the air, if there might be anyone near by.
 “Do you smell something?”
 “Only the snow.” he stops scanning the area and looks at you again. “And you.” 
 “Do I smell good?” you grin, already knowing his answer.
 “My favorite.”
 “Good answer.” you nod, and 'boop' the tip of the silver nose, that isn't his. Followed by a defeated sigh of Rain. He gives in.
 “Okay.” he nods.  “Yeah?”  “Yeah.” he nods again- Reaching to the back of his head.  “Open it- I'm gonna lift it up for you.”
 Rain opens the closure at the back of his head and you lift the cold, metallic mask from his head.  He pulls off the balaclava, right after it. Taking a deep breath.
 “Your hair is all flattened-” you chuckle and reach out to loosen it up; But just before you can do so, he shakes his head a few times. A lot of strands falling into his face, which are already catching snowflakes. You comb them to the sides and tuck them behind his pointy ears; Revealing that very face you love so much. “There is my water ghoul.”
 He smiles shy, with a wrinkled nose- “I love it when you call me Yours.”
 “I know.” you grin soft, soft, softly at your ghoul, “My Rain.” and bring him to smile even softer.
 His eyes are full of love, as he lifts your chin with his fingers; Guiding you to him, for a kiss.
 “My Love.” does he whisper right at your lips, before he kisses you softly.
 A kiss doesn't have words. But it can speak. And right now, it says: 'I love you' and 'Thank you'.
 It was a risk, not wearing the mask. But it was all worth it. Just seeing him, was worth it all. Rain did not regret it. He looked so happy- You could read it from his face. From his smile- With his fangs, glimering in the golden light. His head, leaned back- Breathing in, fully. Inhaling the special scent of the snow. Enjoying the freedom of the mask. Feeling the snow, touching his face. You could see, how his heart filled more and more with bliss. And you felt yours filling as well.
***********
A/N:  I saw this video on instagram and it really got me, so I had to write it down. At first I thought maybe writing for Dewdrop; But then I remembered: “O fuck no! He would not be that chill or even stoked over some snow, falling from the sky! He would be under a lot of blankets to find. And he would hiss at you, if you would try to get him out of there.” 
So I wrote it for Rain and- Haaaaa... *.*  What a lovely water ghoul he is. What a sweet prince.
I hope you enjoyed it ^^
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ladywindmasterr · 1 year
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Jiang Cheng did his best to not press his fingertips together, something he did when he was nervous but had to avoid in order to appear more serious, especially at that moment, when he was discussing something important.
“That's why I came to see you, Daozhang. I don't know why this is happening to me, but I hope that you know what is happening to my core…” The he sect leader said, looking at Xiao XingChen's blind and covered eyes. As if he was going to realize...
"It has come to my knowledge that you are-... that you were the shidi of Wei WuXian, my martial nephew. Please, you don't have to act so polite with me" Xiao XingChen smiled, in an attempt to lighten the mood.
Jiang Cheng closed his eyes momentarily when the cultivator mentioned his brother-… Wei WuXian. An indescribable feeling flooded his chest, and he couldn't exactly determine if it was negative or positive.
It had been two years since his death, but Jiang Cheng could see his blood-smeared body disappear over the edge of the cliff every time he closed his eyes. With clarity. Especially his expression.
No.
“As you wish, Daozhang. So, do you have any ideas?"
XingChen only moved his face so that his eyes were facing the ground.
“I don't know, Sect Leader. Those symptoms could mean many things… There really are many possibilities,” the cultivator wandered aloud.
Jiang Cheng's brow furrowed .
"Many possibilities"
...So there was for sure at least one with a bad ending.
"But since you've come to see me specifically, I think you have an idea of what could be happening. Am I wrong?" Xiao XingChen carried on.
He, in fact, wasn't wrong.
Jiang Cheng had been searching, relentlessly searching every library he could set foot on. Although he had found several possibilities, there was one that, although it did not seem very likely, was the most accurate due to his symptoms.
“Daozhang, I think it has something to do with the legacy of Baoshan Sanren's students. I came looking for you because you are one of the few that are still out there, and also are quite famous in the cultivation world for it.
Xiao XingChen nodded gravely.
"I supposed. Everything you've told me... The energy full episodes, the burning feeling inside you, the crashes that follow... Sounds very similar ike what I had to endure"
"I have a question, Daozhang" Jiang Cheng couldn't contain his doubt "It's just that I've never been a student of Baoshan Sanren nor am I a descendant of any.
Xiao XingChen seemed curious about it, which was good for Jiang Cheng. If he was curious, he would help him sort it all out.
"Well, Sect Leader, it is not necessary to study with the Master or descend from someone who has done it... There are cases, very rare, in which she manipulated a Core that later had that reaction. Had your ever...?"
The question was hanging in the air. Had he ever been injured so badly that he had been taken to none other than Baoshan Sanren?
“During the Sunshot Campaign…” Jiang Cheng began. It was going to be complicated. He sighed
"You may have heard about the annihilation of my clan in the hands of the Wen. They kidnapped me, and in an attempt to extract information, they ripped my Core out."
"Oh"
Even with the top of his face covered, surprise was visible on Xiao XingChen's face.
"Wei WuXian took me to see Baoshan Sanren. We pretended that I was him and asked her to restore my core. It went well, so that's probably it."
Jiang Cheng relaxed as he connected all the dots. He finally knew where it all came from, apart from the fact that if Xiao XingChen, who had also suffered from it, was in front of him, it meant that he would not die or anything worse
However, the aforementioned did not seem to be very sure about anything. Instead, he seemed even more curious.
"Are you completely sure that the one who helped you was my Master? I don't mean to call you a liar, but..."
The tranquility that had been in Jiang Cheng's mind was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
"But?" He allowed himself to get a little impatient.
Xiao XingChen moved his head to the side.
"Well, I think Baoshan Sanren is not capable of doing that."
Jiang Cheng's impatience turned into disbelief.
"What?"
"That's right, Sect Leader. I'm sorry, but my master is not capable of such a feat. What's more, she is incapable of even doing slightly easier things. For example, when I asked her to heal my dear Song Lan's eyes, she couldn't. She could only exchange my... Oh."
Xiao XingChen suddenly went completely still. He pursed his lips, as if trying not to say something. That only angered Jiang Cheng, who just wanted to hear about his strange condition.
"What's happening?"
Xiao XingChen did not reply.
"Daozhang?"
Nothing.
Jiang Cheng could feel his frown growing more pronounced
“Xiao XingChen!” he yelled, forgetting all etiquette. The rising anxiety in his chest was about to burst.
"Jiang Wanyin, are you in a headspace where I could give you information that could possibly hurt you?"
'What kind of question is that?'
The change from formal title to courtesy name had not gone unnoticed by Jiang Cheng, who could only imagine the severity of the situation or the circumstances that had provoked such a change.
"Right now, the only thing I want is to know what is happening to me. If I have to get a bit scared to achieve it, then so be it."
Xiao XingChen sighed. He didn't seem to know how to put whatever thoughts he was having into words.
"Just to make sure, before saying anything to you, could you let me touch your wrist for a moment?"
Jiang Cheng was even more confused.
"Of course?" The sect leader stretched out his arm, wrist up, in the direction of the cultivator.
Xiao XingChen just grabbed it without another word and spent a few seconds with his fingers sliding over his wrist.
He withdrew them, an indescribable expression on his face.
"Sect Leader, are you completely sure that it was Baoshan Sanren that you saw?“
"What's the point of asking that question again!?”
Jiang Cheng had already totally lost his patience, and his fists were clenched tightly. Xiao XingChen seemed not to want to mince words.
"I'm not asking just because I want to. From what I can feel... Jiang Cheng, the golden core inside you is that of your brother's"
Jiang Cheng was about to respond with the "I don't have a brother" he was used to when he realized.
Wei Wuxian.
...
No. There was no way.
Jiang Cheng herad himself muttering a weak "What?" to the man in front of him, who only repeated what he had previously stated.
"You have Wei WuXian's golden core"
Jiang Cheng looked at him, with a shadow in his eyes and his whole body shaking.
"It's a lie. It's a lie. It's a lie. No one can rip out a golden core and stuff it inside another person. There were no doctors with Wei Wuxian, it couldn't have happened, without any…"
A female face framed by soft dark hair and a Wen robe appeared in his mind.
Wen Qing.
No. No. No. It isn't true. Everything is a lie. You are making it up.
Wei WuXian wouldn't have done that, never. He was so proud of his cultivation. There was no way, he wouldn't have been able to use suibian!
Another image appeared in his mind. Wei WuXian, in his last months of life.
With not even a sword scabbard dangling at his hip.
Jiang Cheng heard himself scream, and felt his trembling hands cover his wet eyes.
He felt someone touching his shoulder and speaking to him, but he paid no attention.
He only thought of everything that Wei WuXian had sacrificed for him.
Everything that his brother had sacrificed for him.
And now it was gone. He didn't have his brother, his sister, not even the peacock or his parents. Only a baby nephew that would grow without parents.
He was alone.
SO. UM. YEAH.
Credit for this amazing idea goes to @mikkeneko
I'm so glad I was able to write this!! Even thought it's a bit ooc mainly because I've never written any mzds fics or anything lol.
Also, keep in mind english isn't my first language and excuse any weird grammar/spelling
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harlequin-hangout · 1 year
Text
The Winter Storm: Part 3 (Finale)
Series Master List | Bucky Barnes Master List
Part 1 | Part 2
Pairing: Mob!Bucky Barnes x f!Reader
Warnings: so many guns, violence, ⚠️Intimidation⚠️, screaming, injury, kidnapping, smut, this is the one where we go to murder town kids, let me know if I missed anything
Contains: Angst, fluff, Anger, temper, abuse depending on your trauma, mildly extreme injuries, sexual tension thicker than America's Ass
Word Count: 4.6k
Dividers are made by me! Want some for yourself? Send me an ask!
I do not nor will I ever give permission for my writing to be copied, pasted, reposted to other sites, or edited in any way shape or form. Seriously, just don’t.
Summary: You find yourself in the middle of the Wolf's Den with no way out. With chaos raging around you, it's time to Do or Die. The Winter Storm will always claim a victim.
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Bucky sighed, feeling a new weight. After at least an hour of panic, Steve was okay and sleeping off the day in Buckly’s room. None of his wounds had been very deep, thank god. Y/N had been right, he could see that now that he’s calmed down. Steve’s injuries weren’t life threatening, there were just a lot of them. Coupled with the effort it took to get to the safe house, he had passed out from exhaustion, not blood loss. The biggest risk had been infection. 
 . . . He yelled at her. He had thrown her. She was trying to help him, and he treated her like shit. He may have known Steve longer, but she was Steve’s friend too. Steve had been handling their undercover plants within Pierce Enterprises. Both were brilliant at their jobs, but having a handler watching their back in case something went sideways was non-negotiable. Bucky glanced sideways at the guest room door, trying to let her come out at her own pace. Calling it a ‘guest room’ felt wrong now. That was her door. She was the most incredible person he’d met in a long time. She was quick, both mentally on her feet. She had prioritized Steve’s needs and been able to come up with a plan that would have worked while he was still panicking. And he had thrown her. Fuck . . . he wouldn’t blame her for wanting to leave. She really couldn’t leave, not safely, but he could arrange for a different guard. Sitting on the couch, Bucky groaned, resting his elbows on his knees and running both hands through his hair. He didn’t want her to leave. He had thrown her. Why did he like this woman so much? She was smart, quick on her feet, took to the training well, sure, but he’d met countless women like that and they didn’t get to him like this. Bucky leaned back as he tried to think. His mind began to wander back to when he’d first met her.
“Thank you, Mr. Barnes. Y/N, I’m assisting Mr. Pierce tonight. Mr. Pierce, I finished up the donation financial reports like you asked, and scheduled meetings with Zola and Rumlow, as requested,” She said. “Is there anything else that you need me to complete before I enjoy the party?” she glanced briefly over at him and bit her lower lip.
 . . . That’s it. She wasn’t afraid of him. From the beginning, she wasn’t afraid. Sure, there were moments when he’d scared her, but threatening to shoot someone will do that. Yet, even when he’d threatened to shoot her . . .
“What the hell is going on here?? Three days ago I’m a fucking secretary, and now I’m somehow a pawn for a drug lord and whoever you are? And don’t even fucking try to deny it, Barnes, you both offered me the same deal: compliance or death.” Bucky glared and leaned forward. He’d killed people for less than this. She looked scared, terrified even, yet she didn’t back down.  “You keep talking about these different pieces. The White Watch, Mr. Pierce, and an infuriating need to know the timeline, so what’s your game? You’re probably going to kill me anyway, so at least be decent and connect the dots before you take me out.”
That’s what had attracted him to Y/N in the first place. When pushed, even though she was out of her depth, she still stood her ground. She looked him in the eye and called him on his bullshit even with the threat of death hanging over her head. Bucky checked his phone. She’d been in her room for almost three hours . . . He was trying to be patient, but he was starting to worry and he NEEDED to apologize. Whether or not she accepted it was up to her and he would deal with the consequences of his actions, but he needed to at least try to fix it. He couldn’t bear the thought of leaving her hurting like that . . . he had seen the pain in her eyes. Okay, just check. Make sure she’s physically okay, then don’t pressure her. Bucky got up and strode over to the door. He knocked, to no answer.
“Hey, it’s me. I just want to make sure you’re okay . . . I was so, so wrong to do what I did, and I won’t push the conversation until you’re ready. Will you let me know when you’re ready?” Silence. “. . . Hello?” Bucky’s intuition told him something was off. Usually when people didn’t respond, there was still sound. Movement, a groan, a sigh, something. The room just felt . . . Still. Bucky tried the door and found it unlocked. He slowly pushed the door open, reaching for the gun that was usually in the underarm holster. He peered around the door, finding the bed empty except for the phone that Steve had been clutching. Odd . . . he peeked around the corner of the door frame. Maybe she was in the comfy chair he’d moved in to give her a place to watch the snow. Bucky froze. The room was empty and the window was open. 
“FUCK!!” He screamed, the panic rushing back. He had told her to get out of his sight and out of the building. He hadn’t been thinking straight. He hadn’t meant literally. She was missing, and it was all his fault. 
“Okay, Buck,” he thought to himself, “You fucked this up royally last time. This time you need to focus. Clues.” Bucky picked up the phone on the bed, turning it over in his hand. It was the Witch’s phone . . . Wanda’s burner. He had insisted that she take a burner when she went undercover at Pierce Enterprises . . . but where did the charm come from? He knew her passcode – standard practice for situations exactly like this. He sat heavily in the chair by the window, and began to thumb through the photos. Cat . . . Cat . . . Meal . . . Not the lingerie he would have chosen . . . He paused. The background of that lingerie photo . . . it was a mirror shot, and there was a second person. He zoomed in, and felt his stomach drop when he recognized Y/N’s face. She knew Wanda. That’s why she had been so insistent about the phone, she realized there was more to this. Angry at his own incompetence, Bucky quickly readied himself. If she had left, then the only place she would have safely known how to get to would be the Base. She’d been there enough times, and there was running water and heat. The rain had stopped, he just hoped he could still find any muddy footprints. Slipping the burner into his pocket, Bucky grabbed two of his SIG-Sauer P220STs, his CZ Vz. 61 E Skorpion that strapped to the back of his tactical vest, and extra ammunition for both models. If Steve had been followed, he wanted to be prepared. He may have to try to protect Y/N if there were enough of them. Bucky added a couple of knives and a stun baton for good measure.
He made record time to the base. 37 minutes. He hadn’t run into anyone on the way and there was no damage suggesting any struggle. That was promising. The burner phone vibrated. Probably nothing, but it may give him more information. 
MESSAGE FROM: BROCK RUMLOW. ATTACHMENT: 1 IMAGE
Bucky immediately opened the text. Staring him in the face is an image of himself, obviously taken moments before. His eyes shoot up to the guard tower where the camera should have been located, but no one is visible. Before he can move in closer, the phone vibrates again.
MESSAGE FROM: UNKNOWN. ATTACHMENT: 1 IMAGE
He immediately began to sprint back to the cabin. On the screen was Y/N. She was barely conscious, her face bloodied. Though definitely alive, Pierce held her head up with the fist that he’d knotted into her hair. She was on the floor of what looked like a helicopter.
Bucky kicked in the bedroom door.
“STEVE.” Steve jolted awake, groaning at the pain. Bucky handed him a couple of pills. And the phone, with the photo still pulled up. “Take these and gear up. Y/N’s gone. Pierce got her. We’re meeting Widow at the Enterprise building.” Steve swallowed the pills dry. He knew better than to argue when his childhood friend was determined. “Whose car are we taking?”
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Your head was pounding, and your vision was blurry. After you’d been marched into the helicopter at gunpoint, you’d run into Rumlow, almost literally. 
“Maybe now the little bitch will learn to keep her nose out of places it doesn’t belong, eh, Pierce?” Rumlow laughed cruelly.
“At least I don’t have to sneak up on my own hand to masturbate.” That comment earned you a smack to the side of the head.
You smile at the memory. Though your shoulders ached from your hands being tied and Rumlow had done a number on you, but the comment was worth it. 
“What are you smiling at?” Rumlow barks from across the room. You don’t answer, letting your head roll forward. You didn’t know where you were, but you knew it wasn’t good. Best you could tell, it was some kind of basement. Cinder block walls, exposed metal bracings, and there were chains hanging, some of them with hooks on the end. The floor was the only part of the place that looked clean, and that wasn’t comforting considering there was a drain in the ground. You’d seen enough mob documentaries to have an idea of the purpose of the room you sat in. “Boss is gonna be here soon. That’ll wipe that smirk off your face.” Rumlow continued, his Alpha Male brand superiority complex radiated off of him.
“Hey, Mr. Rumlow?” you choke out, coughing a little bit. The blood in your throat wasn’t comfortable. “May I please ask you something?”
“Fuck it, you’re dyin’ soon anyway.”
“Why do you act so tough?”
“S’cuse me?” 
“I’ve been trying to figure it out. See, most people don’t bother with projecting something so extreme unless they’re hiding something.”
“And what do you think I’m hiding, Doll Face?”
“Honestly?” you can’t stop the smirk from playing on your lips once again. “Probably a fear of another man treating you the way you treat women.”  Now you had his attention. Not in a good way, but something was better than nothing. “Or a fear of another man giving it to you up the ass.” You worked on the rope binding your hands. If you could just remember what Bucky had taught you . . . One hand breaks free. You discreetly shove the rope under your butt and try to keep your upper body as still as possible while you  work on the other. “You shouldn’t worry, you’re the biggest asshole I’ve had the displeasure of meeting. Long as you lube up first, you should be fine.” Rumlow lunges forward, going for your throat. Perfect. You throw your weight back, kicking your feet out as hard as possible. Your right heel collided with Rumlow’s nose, and the chair fell backwards. Alpha males. So predictable. While the writhing asshole on the ground in front of you recovers from the shock, you swung the chair against the wall. This one was a metal folding chair, but as you had anticipated, it hadn’t been taken care of. The rust on the bolts gave way, leaving you completely unhindered. Shit, Rumlow is back on his feet. Luckily, he’s angry. He’s going to be sloppy if he’s angry. You dart forward, putting yourself on a collision course for his torso. In his blind rage, he lunges again. As soon as he’s past the point of no return, you duck down to your right and roll. He falls forward into the wall and you disappear out the door, leaving him screaming in rage.
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The Widow strode into Pierce’s office. Winter Soldier and Vortex, as he had re-named himself, were on their way and she needed to keep the package safe until they arrived. Rumlow, or Crossbones as he was insisting on being called, was in the room with her right now. Not Widow’s first choice, but not the end of the world either. He wouldn’t dare cross The Wolf, and The Wolf wanted to do most of the damage. Widow just needed to keep that Wolf busy long enough for her backup to arrive.
“Sir? The basement workout you had planned is going to have to wait. We have intruders.”
“Intruders? Are they here for the Girl?”
“I don’t think so, Sir. They seem more interested in getting to the design levels. Possibly from that new start up.”
“Thank you Natalie. I’ll let you handle it.” Widow nods and closes the door on her way out. It didn’t buy her much time, but it was enough. Pierce wouldn’t risk heading down to the basement if he thought outsiders were in the building. Crossbones may have shot Wanda, but she would be damned if another girl would die on her watch. As Widow made her way down to the lower levels, she flipped to Vortex’s messages.
What about that girl from accounting? Sharon? She seems nice.
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Bucky wove through traffic on his bike, Steve not far behind. Ten Minutes. They would be there in ten minutes and could clear the building in less than fifteen. He could see the building in the distance, he just needed to get off the freeway.
“I’m on my way, Doll, just a little longer . . . Hold on baby, please . . . hold on.”
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You climb through the industrial sized HVAC duct. They were barely two feet by three feet so you had to army crawl, but it was much preferable to your only alternative. If you had gathered anything about Pierce, it’s that Bucky was his end goal. Based on the conversation in the cabin back in December, he thought Steve was dead, leaving Bucky as his only target. Pierce would use you to draw Bucky out, and you had no doubt he would come. You felt a pang in your heart.
“I don’t give a shit what it is, I have to save the only person who’s ever given a FUCK about me!”
You knew he didn’t mean it, but it stung. You cared. You cared so much. You’d spent five months around no one except him and occasionally Steve. You knew that it wasn’t a conventional meeting, but you would do it again in a heartbeat. He didn’t kidnap you, no. He’d offered you the only safety you’d known since that fateful day you walked into Pierce’s office. You bury your face in Bucky’s hoodie. It still smells like him. A tear rolls down your face as newfound determination to escape fills you.
Shit, dead end. There was a switch off behind you, you just needed to wiggle backwards enough to take it. You could hear crashing somewhere off in the distance. That was probably Rumlow kicking down doors. As quietly as you can, you manage to backtrack and take the turn. Straight. Right at the fan. Two turn offs down. Left. You do your best to keep track of where you are and how to get out, but staying away from Rumlow is your top priority. When you hear voices, you freeze.
“ – and if anyone finds her, you bring her here. To me. Unharmed. The Wolf wants that pleasure for himself. Understood?” A female voice commands the room. No, it couldn’t be . . . you peek through a vent to assess how screwed you might be.
“Yes, Ma’am!” The response comes from three men in full tactical gear. You crane your neck to see who’s standing in front of them. . . Natalie Rushman? She was in on all of this too? You took a deep breath and swallowed your panic. She was a friendly figure before, but things were different now. Just keep moving. As the door opened for the thugs to leave, you readied yourself to make your escape but you froze in place. Pierce was standing in the doorway. Your heart was racing a million miles a minute, this was WAY too close for comfort. He started talking about something, but the blood rushing in your ears made it impossible to hear. You slowly pushed back. Just ease yourself – A creak filled the room. You froze. Pierce and Natalie looked around the room.
“Come out, come out wherever you are . . .” Pierce's sing-songy tone was sickening. You wanted nothing more than to–Wait. You couldn’t see him anymore, where’d he go?? You craned your neck, searching frantically for Pierce. It was imperative that you know where he was at all points in – Another creak. Louder, more strained . . . Please hold, please . . . The vent crashed to the floor. You felt the end of the vent lift up, causing you to tumble to the floor. Pierce was staring down at you, a renewed fire in his eyes.
“Well, well, well. Would you look what the cat dragged in?
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You glare at Pierce, the smug look on his face making you hate him even more. His knuckles connected with your jaw. The metallic taste of fresh blood hit your tongue as your lip split. 
“Have you given up yet, bitch?”
“Sorry,” you growled, “It’s gonna take more than a tap from the stone age to break me.” You got a backhand for that one. This time, he managed to knock you out of your chair. You cursed yourself for getting caught. “I thought you said you were going to teach me a lesson,” you spat at him, trying to push yourself off the floor. “Seems like the old Wolf is all out of  new tricks.” You began to laugh. It was cold with no humor behind it. In reality, you were terrified. Terrified of the Wolf. Terrified of Ms. Rushman. All you had to do was hold out long enough for Bucky to get to you, if he was even coming . . . You wanted to think he was, but there were so many variables. Even if he did show up, there was an increasing chance that he wouldn’t make it before you met your end at Pierce’s hands. All you could do was pray you didn’t die tied on this now bloodstained basement floor. Pierce grabbed your hair and yanked upwards. You screamed in pain and could have sworn you saw Ms. Rushman flinch.
“You listen to me, you little whore.” Pierce’s voice was harsh and low. You could feel his hot breath on your ear and the sensation turned your stomach. “Be as much of a smart ass as you want. No one’s coming for you. No one’s here to save you. Do you want to know why? Because you’re a pawn. An asset. You’re expendable. If you think the Winter Soldier will save you, then you’ve convinced yourself of a lie. I killed Avalanche. You should have heard his screams as he bled out on the warehouse floor. I’ll enjoy killing the Soldier while you watch. Every stab, every shot. Every punch.” Tears started flowing from your eyes. Your sobs came in waves. You tried to stifle them, but to no avail. C’mon Y/N, just think of something. Anything. Get one good hit in, and maybe, just MAYBE you can make it out of here alive. You stared daggers at Pierce through your tears, and spit on his face.
“You little CUNT,” he roared, throwing you across the room by your hair. You scream again, but this time, you’ve had it.
“FUCK YOU, YOU COWARD. You sent Rumlow to do your dirty work. Fucking RUMLOW, who had his ass handed to him by someone with only five months of training and couldn’t even handle a fucking finance report.” Pierce immediately strode towards you, but was stopped mid step by a banging noise. Suddenly, Rumlow flew through the door hitting the ground in the middle of the room. You looked up, and you finally saw him. That wasn’t Bucky. No, you were looking at The Winter Soldier.
“Hey, Doll, Sorry I’m late.” Bucky’s tone was even, calculated. His eyes didn’t leave Pierce, even as Rumlow began to stand. “Widow. Vortex is taking on a couple thugs in the hallway. Crossbones is all yours.”
“With pleasure,” Ms. Rushman replied. “This is going to be cathartic.” Pierce’s face was one of shock.
“Natalie? Natalie! I order you to stop right now. I am the Godfather of this operation and I–” In one fluid motion, Natalie Rushman slammed a knife through Pierce’s hand, pinning it to the wall.
“Consider that my resignation,” she stated coldly. Rumlow was back on his feet, and she wasted no time attempting to change that. Your attention turned back to Bucky as you heard gunfire. He was shooting down the hallway – evidently a couple thugs had got away from Steve. Your mind was racing. How to get out? There had to be– wait, Natalie had tied you up. Maybe . . . you start pulling at the ropes, and just as you’d hoped, they fall. You hear the knife clatter to the floor as Pierce rips the weapon free of his hand. He reaches for his gun. 
“Behind you!” You scream, and Bucky turns. He vaults down the stairs pulling his own firearm out of the thigh holster. Behind him, you see one of the thugs making his way into the room.
“No time like the present,” you think to yourself. With Pierce distracted, you’re able to grab the knife that Natalie had left him as a parting gift. You throw yourself at the thug, gripping the handle of the blade so hard that your knuckles are white. You hear Bucky’s voice in your head.
“If you only have a knife, get in close. Guns are great at a distance, but if you get within a foot of their body, it becomes a lot harder to react fast enough with a firearm before a knife can make contact.” You lunge, latching onto his neck. Swinging your bodyweight around, you land on the thug’s back and jam the knife into his side. He drops like a boulder. You stand over him breathing heavily. Not having time to process what’s just happened, you move on. Rumlow has Natalie pinned to a wall by her neck. You creep up behind him, but he spots you. Turning his body, his eyes bore into you. Your skin is on fire, and you almost get sick when you realize that he’s getting off on the suffering in the room.
“This stuck-up bitch turned me down so many times. Now I’ll teach her what happens to bitches who reject me. Then, Sweet Cheeks, it’s your turn.” You try to will your body to move, but you’re frozen. You’ve never encountered someone so evil, so genuinely and maliciously sadistic as him. You can hear Natalie’s choked breaths as he squeezes– a gunshot rings out in the small room and Rumlow crumples to the floor. As Natalie gasps for air, you whip your head around and see Steve, eyes full of rage. Rumlow groans and stirs. Steve almost flies across the floor and places the tip of his pistol to the back of Rumlow’s head.
“Not today. This is for Wanda, you sick fuck.” You cover your eyes, and hear the smack of a head hitting the ground. Steve immediately moves to help you. “Come on, Y/N. Let’s get you out of here.” You lean against him, grateful for the help. You’ve almost made it to the stairs when you see him. Bucky is losing his struggle. You don’t even think. You grip the knife in Steve’s leg holster and make a mad dash for Pierce. You knew you were losing a lot of blood, but you didn’t care. Your Winter Soldier needed you. Throwing all of your weight behind it, you drive Steve’s six inch blade into the middle of Pierce’s back and you can hear the air being driven from his lungs. You twist it violently, trying to do as much damage as humanly possible.
“Get the fuck off him, you prehistoric parasite,” you hiss. Pierce’s body slides to the floor. For the first time since you entered the room, everything’s quiet. Your breathing is heavy, and your vision starts to waver, but Bucky is safe. That’s all that matters. You barely register his yell as you collapse on top of him.
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Everything is warm and cozy. You could curl up and sleep for hours. You didn’t think you’d ever be warm and dry again, much less cozy. Your body feels unusually heavy as you try to move. Where were you? Why was it so dark? And what was that faint sound . . .? You focus on the only sensory input you have. A voice?
“ . . .baby. You’re strong, you’re so, so strong, come on, Doll, please . . . Please come back to me . . .” Bucky . . .? His voice seemed so far away. It finally hit you. You were almost dead.
“Babygirl, I’m so, so sorry. You wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me, it’s all my fault . . . You deserve so much better than I’ve given you.”
“Buck . . .” You hear Steve’s voice. “Natasha’s pulled the car around to the back door. C’mon. There’s nothing else you can do here. Pick up her bod – pick her up and let’s head back to the safehouse.” You feel yourself laugh. A sound that turns into a weak cough, then a coughing fit. As the darkness begins to clear, you find yourself cradled against Bucky’s chest. He’s clinging to you as if his life depended on yours. Tears fall onto your skin as hope returns to Bucky’s eyes.
“Doll? Are you there?” You try to answer, but only make the coughing worse. “That’s it . . . That’s it baby. You took quite a bit. Nice and slow.” His tensed muscles relax as you come back to the world of the living. You giggle weakly.
“Giving up on me so easy, Rogers?” Your voice is weak, but Steve smiles. 
“You heard that, huh?” his eyes soften. He was worried about you too. “Good to have you back, Honey.” You turn your attention back to Bucky, who’s taken to running his fingers through your hair.
“Bucky, I–”
“Don’t, please.” He hangs his head. “My actions are what landed you here, and psychotic ex-coworkers aside, how I treated you was unacceptable. I can arrange for a different guard for you if you’d like to stay in the safehouse. I can–” you cut him off by pressing your lips to his. Bucky falters for just a moment, then melts into your touch. 
“We can talk about that later, Buck. You came for me . . . I didn’t know if–”
“I’m always going to come for you, Doll. Don’t ever doubt that. I love you, and I was too stubborn to admit it sooner. From now on, no more kidnappings, no more fights to the death in a basement.”
“Damn,” you mused. “Just when I was starting to get the hang of this mob thing, too.” Bucky laughed. The sound rang in your ears and your heart soared. You loved that sound so much. “I love you, too, Barnes. . .” you whisper as he stands up, lifting you along with him. Bucky touches his forehead to yours, placing a tender kiss on your lips.
“C’mon, Doll, let’s go home.”
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Series Tag List: @vbecker10 @caritobbg @the-chocoholic-writer @waywardcrow @aestheticanimegirl15 @prettylittlepluviophile @thomase1 @magnificentgalaxysandwich @vickie5446 @waywardcrow
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worldsofdreamers · 3 months
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We'll Make This Feeling Last: Representation and Community Building at FITFWT
With a little while until tours start up again, I’ve been thinking a lot about how live music can build community and the ways artists create those moments in collaboration with their audiences. Having worked in entertainment, I’m always curious to see how different styles of live shows work to bring audiences into the performance. One moment of this community building that has particularly captured my attention in 2023 is the Megamix at Louis Tomlinson’s Faith in the Future World Tour. As a fan of his for many years, I admire how dedicated he seems to be in creating a space at his shows for people to feel accepted. Whether intentional or not, my history in storytelling through performance and literature and my love of musical theatre and opera have had me mulling over the possibility of what story is told in this show. The longer I thought about it, and the more I watched clips, lives, as well as what I observed at the show I attended, I couldn’t help but draw conclusions and connect dots. In this piece, I will attempt to synthesize my thoughts regarding what the story could be while also acknowledging that none of us know what the story is for him or any person who helped design the moment. We only know what this moment has come to mean for each of us individually. Some of these stories have been generously shared with me for this project. This also probably goes without saying, but I feel it necessary to do it anyway, this is my opinion and my interpretation of things as a Queer Person, Larrie, and a lifelong lover of the arts. If you have a different opinion than what I outline here, that is perfectly fine. I just ask that you approach this with an open mind.  I’m also in no way speaking for anyone associated with any project he’s been involved in in the past or present or Louis as an artist or person. Hate comments on this post, in my inbox, or in the inboxes of those who shared their stories will get you blocked. It simply is what it is. If analysis or theorizing makes you uncomfortable, this is not the place for you to air that grievance.
Without any further ado, let’s begin.
The anticipation leading up to the first show had fans daydreaming about what songs might be included in the setlist. The preshow buzz, spurred on by the “leaked” setlist had many fans, myself included, questioning where certain fan favorites were. Especially because in interviews Louis had mentioned them as favorites of himself and his “best mate.” And what the mysterious “megamix” could be. Little did any of us know that our questions would be answered shortly or that this mystery would quickly become part of the show many of us look forward to show after show. 
Since Louis first began mentioning that this album was designed for live shows I’ve had a thought tumbling through my mind, what if the show is also designed for a specific purpose and to tell a specific story? And if the show is designed to tell a story, what part of the story is Megamix telling us? 
I think the story is two-fold, and while I can’t speak to what it means for him or anyone associated with him, I’ve certainly got my own ideas about what it could be. That story is interesting, and I will dabble into my interpretation of what it could mean for him, but it’s not the whole story any more. We’ve all become part of the story, and our stories have all blended to build a story of a community finding belonging and safety in the glow of the rainbow lights. 
That first night was nothing short of magical, and the connection that spans continents was stronger than ever. It felt like a cosmic shift to me when the rainbow lights came up that first night. They had begun during the post-album release gigs in December 2022, and certain people had doubted the motivation for including them at the shows at that time. The lights coming back for the world tour over songs all about connection, doubt, time, and finding community was an answer to him seeing us and us seeing him. Yet another moment in the saga of “I need you, You need me” that is the fabric of our connections to each other. 
The Megamix and the staging of it are a loud and deliberate response to the call and response that has been happening between the two of us for years and has only gotten stronger as this tour has gone on. A response that has only gotten brighter as the tour has gone on. And by the time the tour reached Europe, the stage lights had come off of the stage to envelop the audience. A move that I interpret as yet another deliberate act of connection and a reminder that he's aware of who his audience is. From other artists, it could be seen as pandering, but it doesn't here, at least not to me because he's always made it clear that he's aware of the base. From pointing at the rainbow banners at shows to his expression of gratitude for what Only The Brave has become for so many, not to mention the tender way he interacts with fans. This moment on tour is an encouraging reminder that our bravery in being exactly who we are doesn’t go unnoticed. It’s a love letter. It’s a moment of solidarity. 
And while I’m not going to be covering the remainder of the show, putting this moment before songs like Copy of a Copy of a Copy and Angels Fly serves as a reminder that when the rain comes, we can rely on each other to look after each other, that we are indeed stronger together. We can hold on to the magic of the show by putting on a record or reaching out to the community. That the friends we make at shows or online are real connections that we can make the safety of the show last long after the final note.  
It has been a while since a show has happened when I’m posting this, so let me set the scene.
The previous song has ended. The screens are black and white, and the musical introduction swells as Louis takes a second to take in the room. To see the community he built, of the “best the one direction fans,” of the people who found him after as he was finding a way to be a solo artist, of the people who came along to be with people they love. The interlude continues, and what sounds like someone taking a deep breath before spilling their soul can be heard in the mix, something that I’ve only noticed in watching footage of the shows during the break. And at that moment, All This Time comes barreling in with blue and green lights as if to say, “Remember.” 
“Remember, there are things that I cannot say.”
“Remember, I’m just like you.”
“Remember that the story painted about me in the tabloids and other places isn’t the whole story. You and I are here together, so let’s not waste the chance to tell the story in the way I can. I’ve been speaking my truth as much as I can, praying that you can see it through the obstacles.” 
Or, as he sings in All This Time, “It’s worth it all this time.”
We all get crippled by self-doubt, and there are things we can’t speak about. Devastating things have broken us down, so let’s take a moment to be together in this place and let it go, even just for one night. Let’s hold each other up and let this feeling carry us through. Then there's another observation moment before continuing into She is Beauty and the cascade of rainbow lights. 
The music and staging work in tandem to share the lesson to take away from this pairing that we're all in this together. Do you see what I see? Can you all see that I'm just like you? 
Several speeches before Copy piqued my curiosity that the squats and sitting on the steps in front of Steve could be a choreographed moment. A moment to ground himself in the connection. His speech in Berlin before Copy confirmed it for me when he said, “I deliberately take that moment in All This Time. I know it feels a bit choreographed, getting down there every night, but I’m not much of a dancer. I just like to take it all in, because where you’re touring, shows pass you by. It’s important that you take in those moments.”  And if this moment to connect is choreographed, it’s all the more impactful that it takes place in the moment of community building. A glance between obstacles where some truths are intentionally illuminated. It brings attention to the message of those two songs together, why they were put together, and arguably why this moment was listed as Megamix on the first setlist. Emphasizing connection during these songs where the stage is bathed in blue and green lights and then rainbows brings startling clarity to a set of songs that from the beginning have been up to interpretation for some. The stories I’ve collected from other fans show how much this moment of connection means to them too. 
Every story has an undercurrent of gratitude for this community, for the music, and for Louis. Every story takes a moment to bring up how much that moment has touched them, made them feel safe, or encouraged them to make the feeling of this moment continue.
One response, from Jules @theirloveisgross, put into words just how much this moment meant to her (and indeed many others) and how it inspired fan projects.
“I got emotional just reading this question. Seeing it on that first show, through a live stream, was a bit of a shock. And it's something that I still can't wrap my head around that he's done for almost 80 shows this year. It felt like the epitome of ‘do you see what I see.’ His answer, in a way, if you will. It feels like being part of something bigger (motif, eh?)...After the Uncasville show, on a live stream, it was even clearer to me which songs needed the rainbow treatment this time around. I always wanted rainbow lights and flags for All This Time since we got the album, but seeing the show they put on with SIBWAWC... Had to happen…Some of us worked really hard to bring rainbows back to Louis shows, like in LTWT. And we did it! My eternal gratitude for to londonfoginacup and lululawrence for the success of rainbow megamix. Also, the crazy idea of making a project for my home show also sparked in me, after the first three shows. So I went and organized (basically by myself and volunteers I coordinated) a rainbow lights project for Vancouver. It was a lot of work and some obstacles were in the way, but it filled me with so much joy. Seeing it come to life was one of the most surreal experiences of my life. The venue wasn't sold out and it wasn't perfect... But you could tell it was a rainbow in the stands, with hundreds of flags in the pit. It was the first rainbow light project during the whole megamix. I will never ever forget it, and the gratefulness of some of the people that reached out. Once I got home after that show, I crumbled and sobbed for an hour or so. Because... Besides Louis' shows being one of my favorite places to be at, they're also safe, and I wanted people to remember that, to not forget it. Because the first few shows in the NA leg were a bit scary with the lack of rainbows, but we did it! And Europe continued it! And it's been so beautiful! And I'm crying about it again.”
Another response, from CC @savebylou, brought up how no matter how you attended  the shows it feels special, “there is something so special about Louis shows, whether is in person or online, his music and words makes you feel part of the show, and seeing the online reaction and commenting about it was a wonderful experience.” 
Ella @ialwaysknewyouwerepunk responded to the question regarding how Megamix feels to watch saying, “It makes me feel seen, it makes me feel like I belong. like Louis knows we're all in this club together. we /see/ each other.”
Logan @naomismcpherson responds similarly in his answer “I felt like I belonged to this community. I felt like this was a way for Louis to let us know we were welcomed and seen. I felt empowered and proud to belong to this organization this community “
That's what it's all about, connection, building up something that lasts past through the last note. The story starts and ends the same way. Every night it's “you and me, until the end.”
That's the magic of it, the community found wherever we are from Athens to Atlanta, Milwaukee to Montevideo. When considering what the story told throughout the show could be, I kept coming back to Megamix and what it means to all of us. Everything is grounded in this moment and time, that’s why it felt so jarring when there was a show without it. 
The story is that we all need each other, we are better together, and when we act in ways that serve as a lifeline for others, the future looks a little brighter. Simply put, investing in each other is one of the best ways to have faith in the future. We owe it to each other and ourselves to invest in our relationships with each other. We can hold on to the freedom of the shows, if we hold on to each other. We can make this feeling last.
Many thanks to everyone who shared their stories, those who've made this tour so far a blast, and of course Louis and the band.
Happy New Year!
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xtom-darling-x17 · 1 year
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could you make one where maybe the reader kisses peter but she has lip plumper on and his reaction
Cherry plumper
Pairing - Peter Parker x Reader
Summary - You put a lip plumper on your lips and then kiss your boyfriend, Peter. To see his reaction.
Warnings - none
A/N - Thanks for requesting, hope you enjoy! Much appreciation to the love and support
You are going through your make up collection, seeing that it is quite messy.
You came across lip plumbers to make your lips pouty. You smirk picking one up to swatch on your lips.
“Hey, baby,” You hug peter, behind his back as he is sitting down studying, “Hi, my love,” Peter smiles, “Come closer,”
Peter takes you on his lap so that your closer to him, “Peter Parker!” You gasp, shocked that he put you on his lap, “Miss you,”
“Awe, Miss you too, Petey,” You hug him, stroking his hair, “Kissie?” You pout, pointing your fingers at each other.
“Of course, Darling,” Peter smiles, cupping your jaw and kissing you very passionately. The boy is very, clueless that you have lip plumper on your lips as it is clear.
As you pull apart, Peter gives a confused look, “Why is my lips tingling?” He panics, you try to hold in your laughter, “I don’t know, babe,” you deny to him.
“My lips are getting bigger?” Peter rambled, touching his lip, words coming out as questions. He finally connected the dots as you wasn’t saying anything other than your grin.
“My lips are tingling! After you kissed me,” Peter narrows his eyes, you shook your head laughing, “What did you do?”
“Peter, this is too funny,” You giggle, “Please, tell me, my lips are normally thin,” Peter whines, “Now they are so big and it’s weird, why do this to me?”
“Chill out, it’s not going to harm you, it’s probably will feel weird,” You stroke his hand to calm him, “It’s only lip plumper, it makes your lips get a bit bigger,”
“A bit?” Peter grumbles, touching his lips again, “Have you got eyes? Baby,” he playfully pouts.
“That’s weird..” You took a proper look at his lips, “I have got it on my lips and it isn’t,” You stopped, remembering, “OH, OH!” You burst out laughing harder.
“This isn’t funny!” Peter try’s to speak, “My radioactive genes, clearly made it more intense,” he sighs, “It does with.. Everything,”
“Awe, I’m sorry baby,” You pout, “If I remembered, I wouldn’t of used it on you,” you pull Peter into a hug as your still sitting on his lap.
“It’s ok,” Peter smiles, “I just have to get you back, when you least except it,” he whispers.
“Mm, however, it does taste good,” Peter licked and bite his lip in one go, “That is because it’s cherry flavoured, Petey,” you smile.
You took the lip plumper off, putting all your make up away. Seeing as Peter is finished studying now, you are both cuddled up on your bed.
“That was pretty funny,” Peter laughed, during the scene of a movie, “Yh, I could think of something else.. pretty funny,” You giggle, looking away from Peter as your referring to the lip plumper from earlier.
“That, wasn’t funny,” Peter tried not to laugh but in the end, failing miserably, “It was a little funny,” You pinched your fingers, squinting your eyes, giving him an evil, little grin.
“I’m just glad, it has wore off,” Peter sighs, snuggling back into your side, “It took 2 hours,” he rolled his eyes.
“Mm,” You listened to him, playing with his locks as you went back to the movie.
“I’m scared to kiss you, now,” Peter joked, a few minutes after silence other than the movie, “Oh really?” You giggle, “I guess no more kissies for you,”
“What no,” Peter shouted, grabbing your face to kiss you on your lips, “I was joking,” he said in between kisses, “Can’t get enough of your lips, Princess,”
“You’re too,” You giggle, “Love you, Petey,”
“Mm, Love you too, so much Baby,” Peter pulls you closer to deepen the kiss.
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silyabeeodess · 5 months
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Thoughts on TWST Book 7: Knots in an Already Twisted History
Now that I've caught up to the available translations for Book 7's current chapters, I can't help having some thoughts on the lore that's been revealed to us. Much of this focuses on the world's history, specifically between humans and fairies, as there are some dots that aren't connecting when we look at the bigger picture. As this is a lengthy analysis, I've broken it down into sections. Please note there will be major spoilers ahead.
Where the history we know meets TWST's:
To begin, it's revealed to us in Book 7 that Night Raven College has been established since at least Lilia's days as a Royal Guardsman. While there weren't always seven distinct dorms, with Pomfiore's being the first/oldest, I get the feeling that at least Diasomnia's dorm must've existed by this time. My reasoning for this is because, even though Lilia's application came centuries ago, Maleficent still isn't mentioned except as a legendary figure in history.
I know there's probably some people who want to think of this Maleficent as the one from the 2014 film--especially with inclusion of Henry in TWST's story. However, I get a strong feeling that just isn't the case. All flashbacks have pointed us to the animated films alone and it's important to emphasize that the 2014 version of Maleficent is extremely different from every other incarnation of the character across the Disney franchise, including in Yuu's flashblacks. In 2014, she was painted as a tragic heroine that tried to undo her own curse on Aurora and helped save both the human and fairy kingdoms. I'd say that film was a complete middle finger to the original, but who's asking...? Moreover, that wouldn't explain how that ending where the two kingdoms merged peacefully changed to their being broken up again with no mention of how or why whatsoever.
More than likely, TWST's Henry is a reference, but not the same character. If he was, the timeframe also wouldn't fit since Maleficent is missing from Lilia's backstory. Even if we consider the possibility of her being Malleus' grandmother, it doesn't explain why Malenoa (except as maybe a Maleficent stand-in herself), Lord Longan, or Revaan exist or why Aurora is also missing. Yes, Silver is a heavy Aurora parallel, but Aurora should still exist just like every other Disney character explained in TWST's history: The Great Seven, the mermaid princess that was Ariel, the puppet that came to life as Pinocchio, etc., etc., etc. It wouldn't make any sense at all for only Aurora and/or Maleficent to be replaced across this entire game. Keep in mind, the characters in TWST mimic the original Disney ones, but those originals have also played their own, separate roles in the world. To call Silver Aurora's replacement would mean we would have to call all of the others replacements too when that is clearly false.
Therefore, the only possibility left is that Maleficent is much older than anyone we've seen and is no longer around because she was killed by Phillip well before even Lilia existed. This would also make sense with TWST's history being so distorted: Not even the long-lived fairies that were there during the events we see were old enough to witness Maleficent's downfall; ergo, none of them can say what truly happened outside of the stories that have been passed down to them. Which brings me to my bigger point: If Maleficent wasn't around to see the same conflict that we do, if her and Aurora's story already happened, what else has occurred that we didn't see?
A Fairy's Blessing:
This section is more of an in-between, but another point that adds to the events of Sleeping Beauty occurring much further in the past is Silver's and the Knight of Dawn's lineage. They're both described as these ethereal beauties recognizable for their blonde hair and unique eyes, a fact so important that Lilia was glad when Silver's hair color changed because other fairies would be suspicious of his features. As he points out though... they aren't natural colors. Just as Silver's hair turned to a color of moonlight from a Night Fairy's blessing, so should it have been that shining blonde from a Day Fairy's blessing. The Knight of Dawn was blessed the very same, having been given the ring that was passed on to Silver. And who else do we know that was extremely beautiful that was blessed by fairies at birth? Aurora.
Moving on...
Night Fairies vs. Day Fairies:
Despite the story pointing to a conflict between humans and fairies as a clash between species, although the Day Fairies have a direct connection to the Silver Owls, this alliance is never properly addressed. One would think that the Day Fairies would take issue with nature itself being destroyed just like the elemental fairies do, or that the Night Fairies would call them traitors or hypocrites, but neither happen. Moreover, again, what we see follows the flow of the original Sleeping Beauty, with the three fairies who give the Knight of Dawn his ring and guard Silver mimicking Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather blessing Aurora.
This conflict of interest was shown in both the animated and 2014 films: In the former, a matter of good vs. evil and, in the latter... Honestly, it wasn't well thought out beyond "spreading peace," since their entire characters were resigned mostly to comedic relief trying to wean off the original's. Thank goodness the names were changed so I don't even have to think of them as the same people. Maybe they were actually bodysnatchers that kidnapped the real Flora, Fauna, and Merriweather.
Let's review what fairies really are and how their hierarchy works in TWST's world. To repeat what was covered in the Fairy Gala event, the fairies aren't all one, solidary people like Book 7 presents them as. There are those like Malleus who can pass as human and there are those who take on a smaller, more traditional appearance like what we typically think of; there are those who transform into beasts and those who exist as manifestations of natural elements; they speak different languages and even their leaders won't recognize each other, just as human civilizations often don't. All of this, Malleus himself explains, which is why he couldn't help when the fairies came in and stole the mage stone. Clearly, the Day and Night fairies fall in-line with this example: They are literally named as polar opposites of each other.
There's another factor to consider as well, and that's that, just because the Day Fairies sided with the Knight of Dawn, that doesn't mean they were on the same side as Henry or the Silver Owls or are even necessarily against the Night Fairies as a whole. Why? Well, we see the Knight of Dawn disagree with Henry's actions and save Lilia with a pre-hatched Malleus. He didn't go directly against Henry because he felt indebted to and was scared for the king's life due to an illness. The Knight of Dawn was a good person forced to serve a bad one; facing Malenoa, an enemy just as prejudiced (it doesn't matter if you feel she's justified or not, she was still fine treating innocent humans like dirt like our NRC group); and doing the best he could to do what was right despite the terrible, complicated circumstances he was stuck with.
While this gets into strong theory territory, the reason I brought up Aurora before is because I think this might actually explain the Day Fairies' strange allegiance. They aren't allied with humans or fairies, but to one, special lineage: Aurora's and Phillip's. If you think about it, the Knight takes on the traits of both. He's as beautiful as Aurora, her blessings passed down to him, while as strong as Phillip in combat, his battle with Malenoa a much more tragic parallel to Phillip's battle with Maleficent. He carries himself with "virtue and truth," and even has a magic sword.
Why was he originally an abandoned orphan despite this royal lineage? Well, probably for the same reasons he died and Silver was left alone: Whether or not it was well after their deaths, someone took over Aurora's kingdom at some point in the timeline thanks to territorial disputes or other factors; Maybe even someone of Maleficent's lineage/species, since Malenoa's castle looked exactly like the Sleeping Beauty castle we know from the film. It's confirmed in-game as well that the Night Fairies had another, more fortified one that better matched Maleficent's. The Day Fairies' allegiance never changed, or at least the allegiance of three of those fairies: They've always supported Aurora's bloodline. As is true to real life, it's not as simple as one side started this conflict and is wholly evil--the Night Fairies aren't all like Maleficent; humans aren't all like Henry; and, even shown in individual relationships in the story, we have Malenoa and Lilia who weren't like Lord Longan in their original views of the world and its people--but rather that power dynamics have been constantly shifting over time with both good and evil individuals caught up in them. Moreover, because of that waxing and waning, Aurora's story is almost repeating itself in Silver's--only with other humans acting as an added threat to his life.
Is there another story playing out different from what we believe?
All that being said, there is another, small possibility that might be worth thinking about: That TWST's history as the characters know it might be real after all rather than distorted over the years as we thought. I take this into consideration because of our experiences with Mickey. Just like us, Mickey comes from another world, another reality in the Disney line-up. Therefore, there's a chance that, just like how we're able to communicate with him across dreams, maybe what we're seeing aren't flashbacks into TWST's past, but rather reflections of what has occurred in Mickey's timeline instead, as a world potentially existing similarly to Kingdom Hearts or how interactions in the parks are presented, to help us deal with the current issues we are having in TWST's world. This also would help us explain why territories are so different from the ones we know from the films. For example, barring a name change, there is no Greece that Hercules takes place in, but the Kingdom of Heroes and the Island of Woe. TWST may be taking the concept of separate canons into the realm of an existing multiverse within its lore. In this case, history isn't being twisted by those retelling it, but by alternate timelines taking shape. Because of this, anything that isn't adding up, like with the Draconias living in the Sleeping Beauty castle and the land being taken over by the Silver Owls, could be dismissed: We would have to take Yuu's visions simply as warnings and shake off everything we've known.
EDIT: Adding this late, but it occurred to me that the Tsum events could also possibly be evidence for this, as they also come from another world and act as AU versions of the characters. With those events seeming to be more of a simple, funny crossover with the brand, it's hard to consider it canon. Still, Yana Toboso is known for creating comedic side-stories in her works that hint/contain important information we wouldn't fully understand until later.
Again though, I list this as a small possibility rather than a theory. There's not much else to give way to it beyond that fact that other worlds exist like Yuu's and Mickey's. We would likely need to explore more of those worlds and how they're connected before considering this idea further. Another clear factor going against this is that there's also not enough in TWST's history altered except that certain events are being painted in a different light. Take Aladdin's story for instance: In one tale society passed down, he's a portrayed as trickster that Jafaar caught red-handed. In another, he's just a man that shared bread with starving children, leading to a saying that "if you eat a big baguette, you'll never go hungry again." They're both technically true events playing out just like we have always known them to since childhood: It's clearly how they've been told and in what way they're connected that's changed, with no one knowing that it's the same person in both stories.
Anyway, thank you all again for sticking with me through another long post.
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mariana-oconnor · 8 months
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Black Peter pt 1
Haven't heard of this one either. Let's hope that's down to the fact it's a later story and not because it isn't popular anymore because of *looks at title* reasons.
I have never known my friend to be in better form, both mental and physical, than in the year '95.
Watson does keep waxing poetic about the year 1895. Must have been an epic year.
Holmes, however, like all great artists, lived for his art's sake, and, save in the case of the Duke of Holdernesse, I have seldom known him claim any large reward for his inestimable services.
Do we know the Duke of Holdernesse? I don't remember his name. How rude was he to Holmes that Holmes took his money? I feel like that must be arsehole tax.
So unworldly was he—or so capricious—that he frequently refused his help to the powerful and wealthy where the problem made no appeal to his sympathies...
More evidence for the Sherlock Holmes hates the rich theory. It's not that he's unworldly or capricious, Watson, it's that usually they're the bad guys (please see King of Bohemia). Not to put modern biases on a historical fictional character or anything.
down to his arrest of Wilson, the notorious canary-trainer
What did he train the canaries to do?
Was it, like, an entire hoard of pickpocketing birds?
Did they murder people for him? What?
Google tells me it might have been a euphemism for brothel-keeper. Or a singing teacher. So... honestly that story could go any number of ways. I think I'll stick to actual canaries, though. Probably in Canary Wharf.
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During the first week of July my friend had been absent so often and so long from our lodgings that I knew he had something on hand. The fact that several rough-looking men called during that time and inquired for Captain Basil...
Watson pining at home while Holmes is out with rough-looking men and having them call him Captain...
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...made me understand that Holmes was working somewhere under one of the numerous disguises and names with which he concealed his own formidable identity.
Honestly, I feel like this is character development. Before Watson would have just been 'Holmes is away' and 'Who is Captain Basil?', two entirely separate lines of thought. Now he has connected the dots. Proud of you, buddy!
...he strode into the room, his hat upon his head and a huge barbed-headed spear tucked like an umbrella under his arm.
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“If you could have looked into Allardyce's back shop you would have seen a dead pig swung from a hook in the ceiling, and a gentleman in his shirt-sleeves furiously stabbing at it with this weapon. I was that energetic person, and I have satisfied myself that by no exertion of my strength can I transfix the pig with a single blow."
Everyone needs a hobby.
I recognised him at once as Stanley Hopkins, a young police inspector for whose future Holmes had high hopes...
Oh hai, Hopkins!
"However, my friend Dr. Watson knows nothing of this matter, and I should be none the worse for hearing the sequence of events once more."
For the sake of Watson and us, the invisible audience, please to be info-dumping exposition policeman!
"In 1883 he commanded the steam sealer Sea Unicorn, of Dundee."
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"He has been known to drive his wife and his daughter out of doors in the middle of the night, and flog them through the park until the whole village outside the gates was aroused by their screams."
Can't say I'm entirely sorry Captain Carey is dead. In fact, maybe just chalk this up as self-inflicted and leave it at that. Whoever did it probably had a good reason.
However, the nickname doesn't seem to really be racist, so that's better than it could have been. Swarthy, as far as I'm aware, refers to tanned/weather beaten skin usually, which makes sense for a longtime sailor.
"He had built himself a wooden outhouse—he always called it ‘the cabin’—a few hundred yards from his house, and it was here that he slept every night. It was a little, single-roomed hut, sixteen feet by ten."
The original man cave?
The description of him is not crying out the sort of man who would keep tobacco on hand just in case his friends wanted some. It's not crying out the sort of man who has friends, for a start.
“Exactly, Mr. Holmes. I appreciated that point, and I conjectured that it was dropped by the murderer in his hurried flight. It lay near the door.”
Hopkins really is the smartest of the police officers we've met. And I still haven't noticed Watson comparing him to an animal.
So we have a terrible man killed by a harpoon in his man cave and no one noticed for ages because no one wanted to talk to him. I'm kind of hoping that all the women were in on it and they just... harpooned him together.
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myimaginarywonderland · 8 months
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RedBull and their driver history (An essay by me)
RedBull has been in the sport since 2005 and I should mention that especially in the late 2000s/early 2010s they had a huge pole of talent in their academy. There was bound to be someone left heartbroken. However I think it’s worth talking about the damage the junior academy has cost to many drivers mental and also physical health. The team definitely isn’t good in the sense that they treated their juniors, the ones discussed below especially.
Christian Klien was one of the first drivers for the RedBull team. Just after his first two races he was replaced by Vitantonio Luizzi for 4 races before being put back into his seat again. RedBull didn’t want to lose Luizzi for them apparently while also not knowing which of the two they wanted to race for them. Then in 2006 he had his contract terminated before the end of the season. He refused an offer for an Indy drive because he felt he didn’t finish his F1 career. That was basically it for his RedBull stint.
Vitantonio Luizzi officially got a full season in 2006 with Torro Rosso but well, that was uneventful before he ultimately got dropped after 2007. Part of this was probably Seb performing with just 3 races. Luizzi has also critised RB for seemingly being unclear of the criteria with which they choose drivers, saying they dropped the drivers which brought results. This is understandable as he was the better teammate against Speed.
Scott Speed was Vitantonio’s teammate who in the later half would be replaced by none other than Sebastian Vettel. Now, I will say that Scott Speed himself has admitted he behaved horribly during that time and seems genuinely self-reflective. This horrible time escalated terribly in 2007 when it was even claimed to escalate physically between him and Tost which has been disproven by Scott. He still raced with RB after F1 where he later went to fill a lawsuit against them, a completely different story altogether. There was a lot going on behind the scenes and both he and RedBull seemed unhappy with each other. During his time in F1 he seemed to clash with both Berger and Tost, the former calling him “one of the stupidest drivers” he ever saw and accusing him of having no talent.
Sebastian Buemi is kind of a great driver where you ask what if. He drove in a time where Seb was in his glorious prime meaning there was almost all ressources focused on him. Buemi at that time had pretty average F1 results but was basically dropped because he wasn’t performing as expected. What needs to be noted is that continuously since his start scored points. It was first in 2011 that he was behind a teammate. Funnily enough that was also his last season eventhough it was the first one he did “bad” in. He was then strung along for a few seasons as reserve before he would join FE. Looking at his impressive career now it truly makes you think that he was just another victim of the RedBull family that just never got a chance. He was there when Seb was achieving miracles which meant there was never a potential for a RB seat and his Torro Rosso years were the most he would ever achieve.
Jaime Alguersuari is actually the first true victim for me but in comparison to others he actually had a chance. He openly talked about how he still has dreams/nightmares about his Torro Rosso time, how he was traumatized. He went to therapy and talks about how much Marko still haunts him to this day. He was also apparently notified that RedBull couldn’t help him anymore but didn’t really ever get a follow up to that and just had to connect the dots. While he seemingly retracted these statements I think people like to dismiss this way too much. I do not think he would ever bash a team like this if those things weren’t genuine struggles.
Antonio Felix da Costa is one of the most prominent from this RedBull curse. In 2012 (he was a reserve driver at the time for them I believe) he was notified by Marko after his Macau win that they would be great together. Franz Tost called Antonio also multiple times, told him that he was going to be his driver for 2013. Then he got a dreaded call, saying the seat was no longer his but Daniil Kvyats. During this entire time he gets along great with Seb. So good even that when Seb went to Ferrari he wanted Antonio to support him in the simulator. Helmut did not let this happen. That marked the end of that relationship.
Beitske Visser is maybe not a big example but you know, she was let go after a bad season in ADAC Masters. Not a great season but you know she still was better than her teammates at the end and it just makes you wonder why they let her go after basically one season in a bad car.
Jean Eric Vergne
Oh JEV. This is a long one, so buckle up.
There is a lot of resentment. Just in 2018 he went against them when they went back to get Brendon and stated that this door was firmly closed and he was focused on FE.
It all started when JEV became a Torro Rosso driver in 2012 when he went up against none other than Daniel Ricciardo who he outscored with more DNFs eventhough Daniel had better qualys. In 2013 they both were teammates again but this time Daniel outscored JEV who had more DNFs though. Even though JEV beat Daniel in his rookie season and points wise really wasn’t far off , it was Daniel that got called up to RedBull and he was replaced by none other than Daniil. The russian had less than half of JEVs point but still JEV was the one who was ultimately kicked from the team. Why? Because they needed a space for the underage Verstappen (I say this seeing as he legally should have never been allowed in F1 that early but everyone ignored it.) JEV himself questioned what would happen should Seb leave which Marko didn’t believe to be true. When it turned out true well, instead of renouncing the decision to fire him, JEV, who was having a better season, got kicked and the seat was promised to Kvyat. Franz Tost then wanted to keep JEV as an experienced mentor for May but RedBull were set on their rockie line up with Max/Carlos. Later Marko also went on to say how they just had better talents than Vergne and how he had his years. This stings because not only did JEV risk his mental health but also his physical one just to get a chance at a team that never considered him. What is interesting for me is also that there was never any seeming acknowledgement from RB to his hospitalization. You only find articles where it’s mentionedbut even those are more rare than you would expect considering he probably was there for at least a month during the off-season break.
I think what makes this is worse that looking at JEV’s juniors career already shows his great talent. Just before F1 he drove only 4 races in GP3 where he nearly scored as much as people who were there the whole season. JEV also himself has suspected that with his questioning of Seb’s possible departure he ultimately offended Marko’s ego who then in turn of course would not promote him.
So, bad yeah but what makes JEV so prominent?
Well, the reason why he was able to beat or challenge Daniel was because he starved himself. He was losing time which was due to his weight and he starved himself until he needed to get hospitalized in 2014. He attempted a diet until his body refused to work with him in this case. This was also a weeks-long hospitalization. He talks about how hard it was to fight Daniil because he had to gain weight again, causing him to be overweight and lose time. He also mentioned how he felt like a robot just doing and acting as he was told. He openly talks about this being the lowest point of his career. He dealt with a lot of frustration after this and you can openly see that during his first FE races he couldn’t care less even though he already showed his great talent then.
This hurts me especially because JEV is one of my favorite drivers. And an incredible person for frankly transforming into the champion he is now after what happened to him.
Alex Lynn is not really a victim as much as he proves the golden boy theory in a way. He was up against Max and Carlos for a seat and he knew he didn’t have a chance so he left. Really as simple as that. He was just another driver who got lost to the bigger talents and well nepo babies. I don’t think you can class him as a victim the way you can the others but I still wanted to show him as prove of the sadly “protege” concept that especially nowadays makes it nearly impossible for drivers to get a shot at F1.
Daniil Kvyat
This is going to be another long one.
In 2015 after a year where he was outperformed in Torro Rosso he and Ricciardo both went to the RB team. And while Ricciardo had more podiums , Kvyat ultimately just got a few more points than him.
And while Daniel would perform more consistently in 2016 at first it would be Daniil who got them their first podium but was ultimately dropped after just the next race to go to the sister team TR. In the end, this decision just shows that if they could they should have just put Verstappen in that RB from the start because this was clearly their end goal. The decision looked especially bad when you consider that Daniil seemed to get the hang of the car and had just given them a podium before a bad race. Of course this would be overshadowed by Max's win and the incredible season he went on to have. Meanwhile Daniil was stuck with DNFs and bad results. I should mention that his notorious driving was already present and criticized before his swap. It definitely was one of the main reasons why even though he really didn’t perform badly if you look at points, he obviously wasn’t the first choice. Although I think his driving really only became the bad driving (“Torpedo”) that we know today after the swap and well, you can’t really blame him for sort of being a bit mad after literally getting kicked just after securing the first podium. He himself says they were struggling as a team at that time and feels like RB didn’t appreciate his contributions enough.
I also once again want to point at the fucking asshole that is Helmut Marko and the 0 idea of what his actual role is other than talking shit about pretty much all drivers and looking completly unprofessional. Why you might ask? Because Marko in 2018 for example underline how he thought that Daniil would have overcome his “mental problem” which a. ) does not concern anyone if he truly did struggle, b.) is literally just helping create problems and c.) completely ignoring the huge factor that is the entire seat change that undoubtedly would have caused potential problems. I am trying to keep these short but I truly think Daniil had a doomed seat from the start and was set up to fail.
Pierre Gasly
I should state this by making a personal bias obvious. I don’t like Gasly myself and don’t rate him very highly on the current grid. I am certain that will influence my opinion just like my adoration for JEV did so there’s that. There is also the fact that Pierre eventhough the midseason change clearly affected him seems truly grateful for the opportunity that was given to him from RedBull. With the obvious high placing in his rookie season (a topic for another day) and Ricciardo leaving and Max being the seat No.1 , Pierre was the obvious choice to replace him. And then the second RedBull seat curse apparently hit. His results were fine really if he would have driven for maybe a midfield team or a sort of top/midfield team but for RedBull who were in a fight with the Mercedes via Max and wanted someone to keep the Ferrari duo of Charles/Seb behind, it obviously wasn’t enough. Really anything besides the top 6 was a failure for them. And midseason especially with Alex Albon performing better than him on occasion in a worse car, the decision was really easy.
It was not fair especially because I truly think that his rookie season isn’t truly looked at in a realistic way but rather just the points he got which made him overhyped. I also think he wasn’t a first choice but with Ricciardo leaving and no other midfield driver available the most logical was Pierre.
I do not think we will ever know the full picture of this until Pierre retires and I would say the same for Alex so I am just going to say that the midseason drop was cruel and undeserved but much nicer than other drivers have been treated by ReBull.
Alex Albon
Alex stepped in to fill the role Pierre couldn’t perfectly. He basically was in the top 6 his entire time for 2019 except 1 race. I also think Alex RedBull stint is underrated especially with Racing Point and McLaren oftentimes able to challenge for the top 4. Hell even the Renault was sometimes close enough.
Still the fact that wasn’t in the top 5 at the end of the season was definitely what cost him his seat. In comparison to Pierre for example he did actually get a full season and I truly think yhat while Alex was under immense public pressure and is absolutely right to leave RedBull and never look back, there isn’t enough to talk about his case. In fact it was clearly stated that he was dropped because the results weren’t consistent enough in comparison to other drivers who oftentimes got called much worse. I also think RedBull valued him more than people give them credit for.
I am of the belief that there was behind the scenes stuff that made Alex especially sure in his decision to leave but we won’t know that because he will not talk about that until he leaves the sport. There again were stupid comments by Marko but then again, when are there not?
Yuki Tsunoda
This is going to surprise people but I think Yuki after Kvyat has by far got the worst treatment in recent years. While he wasn’t hyped when coming into the sport and has made mistakes, Yuki has continuously shown flashes of speed and great driving. The racist treatment he got from Marko is horrendous and deserves a far bigger call out. The implication is that he is mentally deranged, his attitude is a problem, he isn’t a typical japanese driver etc. These racist implications and also degrading comments are just further proof of the treatment that is the junior programm drivers. This is only the things that were said in public mind you and I can’t imagine how much worse it was behind closed doors. I truly hope Yuki is able to leave the team besides the treatment he will receive especially after this week will just be so much worse than what Pierre was experiencing or possibly even Alex especially should he beat Ricciardo.
But while I have shown you all the horrible treatment of certain drivers, I feel it is also my duty to show you guys how incredible those mistreated drivers actually are. How successful yhey are and how they have shown great potential and proven that they aren’t some failed driver but that they were mistreated and are now flourishing in environments that support them and series that give them opportunities.
Christian Klien sadly disappeared from the racing world after 2010 (basically) but he managed to place third in the 2008 Le-Mans race.
Scott Speed actually managed a second place finish in the Miami E-Prix (before he was found guilty of doing drugs but that’s another story.)
Sebastian Buemi is Formula E champion (in the 2016 season/second season) after being runner up in the first season. He is also the winner of 2014, 2018 and 2022 WEC season (one he won with Fernando) and came second in the 2017 and 2019 season. In 2013 he finished second at Le-Mans 3 times (2013, 2021 and 2023) before he won it 4 times (2018-2020 and 2022).
Antonio Felix da Costa is Formula E champion and also won a race in DTM + got podiums there.
Beitske Visser was runner up for two W-Series and has also participated in Le Mans.
Jean-Eric Vergne/JEV is the only driver to have won the FE championship two times and has just this season achieved third place on the 6-hour-race in Monza. I need to state here that JEV is arguably one of the greatest FE drivers.
Alex Lynn managed multiple podiums in FE and finished third at the 24-h-Le-Mans race this year. He also won at Sebring two times (2017/2022)
Some other successful drivers that didn’t make it but were RedBull junior/academy drivers (and in one case also drove for RedBull) also include people like Sergio Sette Camera, Neel Jani, Sebastian Bourdaia and others.
So what was the point of my post? While RedBull are definitely horrendous to former drivers and many come out traumatized in one way or another, that does not take away from their talent or their accomplishments and they deserve to be known as more than former RedBull/Alpha Tauri drivers. They often built themselves an entire career after they have been shattered and their ultimate dream (F1) taken from them and that is incredibly admirable.
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mywifeleftme · 3 months
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260: Buddy Holly // Greatest Hits
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Greatest Hits Buddy Holly 1967, Coral
As with following any artist who died young, being a Buddy Holly fan is like doing one of those connect-the-dots drawings where they give you part of the image and you fill in the rest as a wireframe. There isn’t a shortage of material exactly—he’d released 50 or so songs by the time he died in February of 1959, and recorded enough that “new” Buddy Holly records ensured he was a regular presence on store shelves well into the late ‘60s. But his literal absence gives all these assorted cash-in repackagings a fanfictional quality, exercises in instant nostalgia. As a fan, you can choose between seemingly half-a-dozen sensationally overdubbed versions of a song like “What to Do,” each based on a hushed demo he’d recorded on an acoustic guitar in his apartment; you can even decide that that set of demos, which are admittedly exquisite, represent the “true” Buddy, even though the singles he signed off on in his lifetime often had plenty of bells and whistles.
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The fact is, we can never know where Holly might’ve gone as an artist, no matter how assiduously we sift through the pile of variously-incompleted sketches he left behind. Grim, unromantic precedent suggests we lost out on perhaps three to four years of his prime. Among the early prodigies of rock ‘n’ roll, none had a run of greatness much longer than six or seven: not trailblazers Berry or Little Richard, not the King, not even a singular songwriting genius like Orbison. Most of them rarely even managed a memorable single once they’d moved past their primes, let alone albums (with all due respect to the Everlys’ Roots and Bo Diddley’s The Black Gladiator). Perhaps something in the effort of instantiating a brand-new genre burns an artist out more than the work of refining one with an established foundation. Regardless, the shapes of these primordial figures in rock and roll are detectable again and again throughout the music’s history; for a rock fan, discovering the recordings of a Buddy Holly is one of those Rosetta stones that helps translate and connect so many of the currents you’ve followed in your own listening journey. He’s dissolved into the body and blood of rock like some bespectacled divine sacrifice.
But before he was dissolute, he was his body of songs. I don’t own either The “Chirping” Crickets or Buddy Holly, though both are great records and contain a good number of his classic songs. I also don’t own any of the more comprehensive retrospectives (of which 1979’s six-LP The Complete Buddy Holly is probably still definitive) either. I’ve just got this basic as mish Greatest Hits from 1967 and… that’s absolutely fine! It’s well-sequenced, has no bad songs, hits a lot of the absolute peaks, and even includes my preferred overdub of “What to Do.” It necessarily lacks many of his essentials, but in terms of single LPs you can find for like $1 in the year of our lord 2024, the list of records with more bang for your buck is short indeed. If Holly’s yet to hit for you, the hoopla can admittedly be a little perplexing, but take it from me: if you’re wired for rock music, you’ll get it one day.
260/365
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The Ultimatum
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TW: blackmail. Sex. Dub!Con! Semi-public sex. Language. Degrading Language. 
SUMMARY: The means to protect your brother leads you to a rather compromising and unexpected situation. 
WORD COUNT: 2600
REQUESTED
Can you do an imagine of the scene with topper and rafe { replace topper with Kelce} when they attacked pope and yn is pope sister and Kelce gives her an ultimatum to either sleep with him or rafe kills him. 
*CHANGED A FEW THINGS, HOPE IT'S STILL OKAY*
The Ultimatum
"What the hell happened?!" You asked Pope as he emerged back from the golf course, JJ quick to his feet for the same reason behind your raised timbre. Even if he attempted to hide it beneath the dark rim of his cap, the wound was visible enough for both you and JJ to connect the unfortunately probable dots. 
"Where are you going?" Pope asked as you were already hiked over the boat and moving towards the direction of the golf course. 
"I'm tired of these assholes thinking we won't fight back just because we don't have a rich daddy to bail us out-"
"Oh, you can call me daddy anytime you want, sweetheart." Rafe's voice sounded like nails to a chalkboard as he revealed himself with Kelce at his side. The same club used to wound your brother was taken down from across Rafe's broad wingspan and handed to Kelce. But there existed a fire behind the eyes of the Kook prince's friend that you'd never noticed until now. A fire directed towards you. 
"What was that, Rafe? She wants us to know she'll fight back?"  
"Careful pipsqueak, might break a nail or some shit..." Rafe teased as you took a step forward. 
"Let's just go..." Pope encouraged. Even if he had wished to use every ounce of anger in the force of knuckles directed to either Kook, his worry for you took precedence. 
"I think we should let her talk..." Kelce began. "I'm all for feminism and female empowerment." He spoke with a lift of his hand to his chest as your eyes caught the way his arms flexed with such motions. 
"What's your problem? Not make par?" You asked Rafe as you found it more difficult to look at Kelce as his eyes were too intimidating and primal.
"All because of your dumbass of a brother...wouldn't even share one beer with us ..doesn't matter, we got 'em anyways..." Rafe pulled one to his lips. 
"Shit's not even the good kind. What can you expect from a pogue?" He asked as Kelce took one of his own. 
"Doesn't seem like a fair trade then, does it?" Kelce added. "All that work...got blood on his wedge...all for shitty beer?" Suddenly Kelce took you by the wrist. 
"I think I need some compensation." He nodded once to Rafe, who took his club back into his hand. 
"How close are you with him?" Your eyes narrowed at the question as JJ mouthed "Deny, deny, deny.". 
"Close enough to offer something to save him?"
"All this over beer, man, isn't that a little beneath even you?" JJ rivaled, feeling as equally as protective over you as Pope was.
"Probably used to little things beneath you." He motioned to Rafe's seam as you fought the urge to smile as Kelce tightened his arm around you. 
"I hear nobody's fucked you yet, that right?" Due to the animated friend you and Pope shared, Kelce's words went by without notice. But where they were ignorant to such words, the same ones made you burn from the inside out. 
"None of your business." You shot back as he scoffed. 
"I'll just find out for myself." But as he dragged you away effortlessly, you fought like hell. Nails reaching for any flesh possible and raised feet kicking in every direction, but nothing had even made contact. 
"Stop being such a little bitch! I'm asking for a fraction of time to what it means to keep him alright."
"I don't know, Kelce...I heard Pogues make good chum-" Rafe attempted to joke as nobody but the instigator of said missed humor found it entertaining. When this failed to make his point, Rafe took the club behind Pope and tightened it. 
"We all know Rafe has some issues to work out..."
"One less Pogue doesn't matter to me-" 
"Let go of him, you son of a-" JJ tried before Rafe hit JJ with the club. 
"Two less? Even better..." JJ was disoriented enough to keep Rafe in power against your brother and friend. Looking at both of them, you breathed a deep exhale. 
"Fine." Your word was weak. A simple echo of the confidence you wished to possess. 
"I knew you'd see things my way." 
You were called after by Pope, who was destroyed the second you were out of sight. Whatever became of the scene between the remaining Pogues and Rafe was undetermined as you were taken to the parking lot. 
Some overpriced car with an undeserving owner had been your source of support as he thrust you against its cold exterior. 
"Is it true?" You clenched your jaw, refusing to look at him and offer him even a moment's satisfaction. 
"This will be over faster if you work with me here-" 
"Is what true?"
"Are you a virgin?" The question suddenly made you feel so vulnerable. 
"No." You answered honestly, wondering if you had lied that maybe he would have been soft and even pitiful against you. Maybe he would have even let you go. But a larger part of you was well aware he saw you as a challenge and no collection of words, guilt, or consideration would take him away from you now. 
"Good. I don't want to be gentle." 
"I don't think you ever could." You were interrupted by a kiss made of two full lips that swallowed you completely. The raucous force was enough of a motivation to try once more to break free as you took his lips between your teeth and bit hard. You were shoved against the car as he dabbed his split lip. 
"That's fine. We don't even have to kiss." He took hold of your hair and turned you away from him, hands quick to grip your hips. Your eyes darted to the car in front of you as you couldn't help but look for another means of an escape. But he was too strong. 
"Don't need this." He groaned over you from behind with fingers that rose from your curves and to your breasts, tearing off the cover set over your bikini top. But where you expected him to be forceful and leave you completely naked and exposed, he only turned you back to him. 
"I am giving you one chance to enjoy this. You do anything stupid and you'll be treated like the whore this side of the island thinks you are. Act that way and I'll make you act like one." You swallowed hard before watching him lean in to kiss you again. 
"I've seen the way you watch me. A bit curious to know the same thing I am?"
"Which is?"
"If the reason Kooks and Pogues can't get along is because they just always wanna fuck each other?" You thought back to the interactions between Kiara and Rafe, John B and Sarah, and even you and Kelce, realizing this may well have been the truth. Because of that, you couldn't object. Instead, you remained in place. 
"So be good and I'll let you enjoy this. Be a bratty little bitch and I'll make sure your brother and your little friend know exactly what you're willing to take for them..." He kissed you again before you could respond. Only this time, wide hands taking hold of your breasts that made you breathless. But it wasn't by a force of his hands that had caused this. Instead, it was due to the way his fingers pinched your nipples over the nylon top. 
"You might not be a virgin, but you're no vixen. I bet I could make you come just by doing this." You wanted to hate him. To hate this. But those twists shot directly to your sex. You pressed your thighs together involuntarily, almost as if to berate yourself for enjoying this for even a moment. 
"I knew you wanted this...but I didn't know you'd be down for doing it in public..." 
"Please..." You whimpered, asking a multitude of questions behind that single plea. To release you. To keep going. To go somewhere private, and back again to letting you go. His touch and presence were a unified contradiction that sent your eyes pulling back in the consumption of it all. 
"I fucking knew it!" He spat in victory as guilt forced all hear to your cheeks. Synonymous if you were to be overcome with a fever, your body seemed to fight against itself to accept or be expired by such heat. But his fingers reaching into the unbuttoned core of your shorts has pulled your eyes into a roll as he pinned you harder against the car. 
"Tell me you want this. I'm not going to let you moan, let alone come, unless I hear you beg for it..." His brow arched for just a moment before he glared at your hesitance. 
"I bet nobody on The Cut can make you come...But you know I could...just by doing this...you already want to and I haven't even been inside of you yet..." You arched against the car, eyes nearly pulling closed as he redirected you to him. 
"I want to make sure you aren't imagining anyone else....I want to make sure you know whose fingers are making you feel this way..." He explained, your shorts disposed of at your ankles as only your swim bottoms remained. Your embarrassment worsened to the mismatched set across your body that he didn't care to notice. 
"I won't let anyone else see you naked. But I don't care if they see you come..." You were suddenly lifted around him. His efforts were truly effortless as you were feebike in his arms. If not against his strength, than for his ambition. As his touch made your need to escape much less desirable in contrast to remaining put. Even if you knew deep within your gut that you would regret it when it was over, nobody has ever shown you this attention or touched you in this way. It made you forgive him just long enough to bask in the feeling of his fingers and cock as it teased you from over your suit. 
"I knew you'd be soaked, but shit...I don't think the suit can hold how wet you are .." He kissed you, pulling back once feeling you submit to him. "is it because you know someone could see or because you're hoping they do?"
"It's because it's you..." You whispered as your confession caught him off guard. All anger had subsided and been redirected into passion. Without another word, your bottoms were tore loose and disposed of out of sight, as he was sinking you down onto him. 
The former lovers that had penetrated you had done so quickly or without the endowed anatomy he had been blessed with. Because of this, you clawed into his shoulders as if he had been your first. The pain of him stretching you to such a degree was evident as you hissed to his starting movements. 
"Fuck!" 
"Too much?" You nodded as he slowed, palms pressing into the car at your back before you felt him ease. He seemed to react to your body, your earlier confession softening him enough to speak to you with care. 
"You feel better than I ever thought..." He breathed against your lips. 
"I need more..." He brought you down harder onto him. But as you belted out to the pain, he mended this with the grip made at your breasts. Exposing your breasts fully to him, he wrapped the nipple between his teeth as his lips sucked the surrounding skin as you writhed. 
You should hate him. You should push him away and curse him well into the middle of next week. You should even clench him tight enough he could never feel pleasure again. And yet, the sensations offered to you were reason enough to ignore the urge to do anything but bask. In the heat of his touch. In the chill of his threat . In the ecstasy at the tip of his cock, leaving behind the pull to your high with each thrust increasing in speed. 
"Kelce!"
"You're too fucking tight... It's gonna make me come. Stop tensing-" But his words only made you worsen that internal grip. To know it could end, the pleasure granted to you on the cusp of his own release, you ignored his annoyed timbre. 
"If I'm coming..." He set you onto your feet, bending you over the hood of the car, and kicking your ankles apart. A hand to the back of your neck, and you were taken almost to his chest, "So are you." The instant his cock bottomed out once again, his fingers found the perfect angle at your clit. Fondling while thrusting, he built you back to that edge. 
"Desperate for it, aren't you?" You could only bite your bottom lip. 
"Tell me." He gripped your breast even tighter. Pain and pleasure coexisting throughout your nerves as you were continuously pounded into the side of the car. 
"You're gonna go back to your pogues all fucked...and you're gonna do it dripping with cum..." Your lips parted as your nails came to scratch at the hood of the car. 
"You want it to be yours too, you better start  telling me what I wanna hear." He explained as you groaned beneath him. 
"Yes!" 
"You are desperate? To come or for me?"
"B-both..."
"Then give me a reason to forgive you for being such a little slut. Come on my cock and I'll come in this tight little pussy...come on...be a good fucking girl..." You moaned shamelessly to his words. His thrusts, his body, his presence-everything worked against your reservations as you shook beneath him. 
"I'm coming!"
"Yes. You are." He smiled into your shoulder as he released his fingers, replacing yours over your own clit. Where you would have been mortified to do this before, you acquiesced as your high was too close. He felt too deep. And you needed both in equality. 
"I'm gonna come. Don't stop until you feel it." 
You nodded, quickening your fingers. 
"But don't come."
"Kelce-"
"Don't. Come." He continued to rush you into the car, the suspension tested by such thrusts,  until he was spent within you. 
"Turn around." He forced you to face him. 
"You've got a smart little mouth but I love how it sounds when you come...it's the only reason I didn't fuck it. But now...you're gonna scream for me until they hear you all the way on The Cut." Before you could inject his fingers were inside you again. 
"You stop making those little whines and I stop." Your hand wrapped around his wrist as your eyes rolled closed. It took only a few moments before you were whining for that release he invited. Your chest heaved in desperation as he took turns kissing your breasts and teasing your nipples, an occasional brush solely to your clit making you manic against him. 
"Come. Right now. You're so fucking desperate it's so sad..."
"Ahh...Kelce! Fuuuuck!" Your body relinquished itself onto him. His fingers continuing to bend and spread inside of you through this high as he grinned. 
"Well worth it."
"Worth what?" You asked breathlessly. 
"The shit Rafe is gonna give me for fucking a pogue." He teased s kiss to which he wouldn't commit, before leaving you with the guilt you had ignored until now. The same that rushed over you tenfold. 
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Thespian is dainsleif a good father figure or am i just insane.
How come we ALWAYS see people say NASTY ARCHON USERPER ZHONGLI is a father and papa and granpops🥺🥺 but NO ONE ever considers DAINSLEIF, THE TWILIGHT SWORD, HUMANITY ADVOCATE, CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARDS a father figure. He has (had) a STABLE INCOME, has (had) A GOOD POLITICAL PLACE, has (had) SO MANY KNIGHTS WORKING UNDER HIM. SO MANY AUNTS AND UNCLES (halfdan rip he's in a better place than other khaenri'ahns now), has (had) EMOTIONAL STABILITY (i think. it looked like he had from that one halfdan cutscene), AND WOULD GIVE YOU THE MOST JUICY LORE WORTHY DADDY ISSUES POST CATACALYSM.
STUPID ZHONGLI HAS NONE OF THAT EXCEPT MAYBE THE AUNTS AND UNCLES POINT like yeah cloud retainer or whatever🙄😒 but is she as good as YNGHILDR/HALTAF/EDGETHO/HYGLACG/SERKIR/BULIWYF/RONETH/HERGER/RETHEL???? (various black serpant knights we kill for one gloomy statuette we use to level up ayato'a weapon) NO!!!
This is quite the ask do you need sleep? Don't hate me for the response please-
Right, so I think this ask requires a bit of standardizing as to what a "good father figure" looks like. I'm gonna put it in dot points.
Stable income
Emotional stability
Kindness
Has worked with kids before (optional)
Knows how money works
Has a place where you can certainly go to find him (work or home)
Wants or is comfortable working with kids
Family members they can rely on as backup
I think part of Zhongli's "father figure" reputation is because he actually has kids in a sense (the Yakshas) and hangs around kids a lot (Hu Tao and her friends). It's also affected by his personality, since he has that old man stereotype of not really knowing how new things work. He's six thousand years old and acts like it- he is literally old enough to be someone's granddad. Zhongli is also connected with Xianyun, Madame Ping and a couple other people he has for backup, like you said. He's also quite kind towards the Traveler, as well as other people he sees in everyday life. So he checks off most of my little list:
Stable income ✅
Emotional Stability ✅
Kindness ✅
Previous Experience with kids: ✅
Money knowledge: ...❌
Place to find him: ✅ (Wangsheng)
Comfortable with kids: ✅
Backup family members: ✅
Dainslief, on the other hand, disappears quite a lot, is constantly tracking down the Abyss Order and going into dangerous places, is generally very apathetic and from his treatment of Paimon probably doesn't like kids all that much. Since I used current Zhongli instead of Prime Zhongli for my analysis, I'm using current Dain for this too. And current Dain also has the issues of trauma from the Cataclysm, being sought out by the Abyss Order, not having a stable income because of Celestia, and also the constant pain from Celestia's curse iirc. So he's generally got a lot of problems. He's kind, but in an apathetic way, where he tends to leave his problems to himself and tells you to solve your own- it's only when there's a common interest that he helps. So going back to the checklist Dain doesn't do much.
Stable Income: ❌
Emotional Stability: unsure but I'm going ✅
Kindness: ❌ not to a father figure degree
Worked with kids: Unknown
Money Knowledge: unknown, Khaenri'ah might have had their own currency
Place to find him: ❌
Comfortable with kids: ❌
Backup family members: ❌
Not much there. Now, if we knew any more about Prime Dainslief, he'd likely check off a lot more- like you said, Prime Dainslief has a stable income, a home you could find him at, backup family members/friends to help, and depending on who he was pre-Cataclysm might even have been willing to work with kids. Having said that, if we compare Prime Dainslief to Prime Zhongli, then Dain would absolutely win (since Prime Zhongli was in the Archon War) but since it's Current Dain and Current Zhongli it's different.
So yeah, though they're both considered daddy they're not equally viable for dad status.
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