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normal-thoughts-official · 1 year

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Why Joe and Nicky deserve to win the sun and moon showdown, and if they don't I'll end up in the INTERPOL Most Wanted list

A not at all dramatic essay

(Plain text version here)

1. Not only do they canonically use moon imagery to refer to each other, but their context adds new symbolism to that metaphor that other duos don't have

If you haven't seen TOG and aren't familiar with the van speech, well, I recommend that you do, but I'll transcribe it for your convenience:

"He's not my 'boyfriend'. This man is more to me than you can dream. He's the moon when I'm lost in darkness and warmth when I shiver in cold. And his kiss still thrills me even after a millennium. His heart overflows with the kindness of which this world is not worthy of. I love this man beyond measure and reason, he's not my 'boyfriend'. He's all and he's more"

Yeah, pretty long way of saying "actually we're husbands", but let's focus on the "he's the moon when I'm lost in darkness" bit. That bit alone is already insanely romantic and enough to make us fans go rabid with this tournament, but there is an extra layer of romanticism to it, because Mr Yusuf al-Kaysani (aka Joe) is Muslim, and in Islam, the moon represents the guidance of Allah through life, the calendar is based on the moon cycles, and the brightness of the moon is compared to both the face of the Prophet Muhammad and the first batch of souls to enter Paradise. Therefore, the moon, in Joe's culture, is intrinsecally linked with the divine, guidance, holiness, and time

So, when Joe compares Nicky to the moon, he's not only saying that he brings light into a dark world; he is saying that he is the very guiding light that leads him to a blessed life, that he is the foundation through which the world and time can be understood, and that his beauty and holiness is comparable to that of the souls of Heaven themselves

Which is all already enough for me to bite through wood, but the specific relationship between the moon and the understanding of time in Joe's culture is also particularly meaningful for Joe and Nicky, because Joe and Nicky are two of the 5 people who are immortal in the entire world. And one of the core themes of the movie is how that sense of timelessness leads them to isolation, and a constant state of loss. There is a deep melancholy that permeates their entire existence due to the fact that time as we know it no longer makes sense to them, and they live outside of it, skirting around eras and history. So, by comparing Nicky to the very body that marked the passage of time for Joe, he is saying that Nicky is what helps him make sense of the impossible, that he is the constant in Joe's eternity, that he brings meaning to their confusing and sometimes alienating existence

But wait! There's more!

Because Joe and Nicky met in al-Quds (also known as Jerusalem) in the year 493 AH (also known as 1099 CE in the Gregorian Calendar) and had to travel together across the desert for a long time, which means that, for the first few years of their life together, they were in fact relying on the moon to guide them in their path. So they both have a deep intrinsic understanding of how the moon is a compass, the most reliable thing in uncertainty. And the moon has been guiding their steps, their relationship, since their paths were first joined. And they weren't separated since

Like. Listen, I'm sure Star Trek is great and its fans are lovely, and I salute the Star Trek fandom for everything it did for fandom history in general, but you cannot tell me that Spirk has this much baggage associated with the sunmoon symbolism. It just doesn't. If this were a hand touching tournament, no one would have as much symbolism linked to it than y'all, but when it comes to being the sun and moon, no one is doing it like Joe and Nicky

2. The most appealing aspect of the SunMoon dynamic is how they need to defeat all odds to be with each other, and Joe and Nicky have that in spades

"Oh I don't think that's the most ap-" IRRELEVANT. I'll talk about the other ones too. Just keep reading, okay? /joking

As you might know, Joe and Nicky met on opposite sides of a battlefield. They killed each other. (Many times). And what happened then?

They ressurrected and became immortal. That alone is already impossible, but it gets better - even for the rules of immortality in their universe, Joe and Nicky are still an impossibility that has never happened before or since

Because in The Old Guard, immortality is extremely rare. There have only ever been 7 immortals in the entire history of humanity. There are usually several millennia between the appearance of one immortal and the next one. Other than them, the shortest time gap between one immortal appearing and the next was 800 years. But Joe and Nicky became immortal at the same time, on the same day. Their very existence bends the rules of an universe that already bends the rules of the universe they lived in beforehand anyway. Joe and Nicky being together defies the very fabric of time, and if that isn't some sun and moon shit, I don't know what is

But it's not just some destiny shit either. Joe and Nicky were also not supposed to be together by other standards. For starters, they were on opposite sides of a war. Nicky was a fucking priest, and he joined the goddamn actual honest to god crusades. He was hateful and ignorant and awful, and when he chose Joe, he left behind everything he knew before him. All his certainties, his beliefs, his faith, his family, everything he had ever been taught. I'm also gonna go ahead and say that that ties into the whole "the sun is what makes the moon shine" metaphor - because everything that defines Nicky as he is now is the direct result of how meeting Joe changed him

And listen, listen to me. I'm not saying that he stopped being a bigot for Joe, because if he did, I doubt Joe would want him. He did it because it was the right thing to do, and he was wrong and ignorant and indoctrinated by the church. But he still had to make the choice to turn his back to all that, and that plain and simply would not have happened if he hadn't met Joe. It was Nicky's own effort, but meeting Joe was the catalyst

Joe, similarly, had to overcome a lifetime's worth of (well earned) resentment and hatred for what Nicky did. Joe forgiving Nicky at all is already nearly an impossibility (and he would be well within his right to never do that), but he didn't just forgive Nicky, he fell in love with him. And he chose him, well aware of how bloody and terrible his past was, and despite the fact that there is no way he wasn't deeply conflicted about what he felt for Nicky after everything the Christians put him through. I cannot even begin to imagine how hard this process must have been for Joe, and it was one he didn't have to go through at all - which means that he chose to

And that's not even taking into account the very personal resentments between the two of them, because they weren't just on opposing armies, they literally and personally killed each other. Several times over. And yet, impossibly, against all logic, against everything they had ever felt and believed in prior to each other, against possibly their own desires, they fell in love. They fell in love and have been hopelessly devoted to each other every since

And THEN, on top of all that at the beginning of their relationship, they lived as an interracial, interfaith*, gay couple, through what were undoubtedly the worst times in humanity's history to be either of those things. For 900 years, they had to love each other in secret and with varying degrees of risk associated with ever being found out as a couple, or even with being associated with each other at all to begin with

(*It is debatable what their current relationship with their respective original faiths is, since it isn't mentioned in the movie. But even if both of them had turned their back on their religions, they are still culturally Christian and culturally Muslim, and that makes a difference. Personally, though, I don't think either of them turned their backs on their religions, although I do believe Nicky turned his back to the Catholic Church as an institution for obvious reasons)

That's not even counting all the incredibly traumatic shit that they went through ever since (which I won't mention in detail because it's spoilers and also this is long enough already) and that would definitely break a couple with a less unbreakable bond. Through centuries and centuries of pain and regret, they have chosen nothing and no one but each other, first and foremost, no matter what that meant.

Nicky even brings it up in the comics:

[ID: Joe and Nicky touching foreheads with their eyes closed. Nicky is holding Joe's chin and he says, "why is it so difficult, Joe? We've been afforded more time than any lovers I can name. And still, every moment we scrape together feels precious. Something always happens-" End ID]

(From the Tales Through Time one-shot series. I generally think the comics are meh and the movie is where it's at, but I do recommend reading this one. It is set before the movie happens so there are no spoilers)

There has never been a time where being together was easy, and yet, Joe and Nicky chose each other no matter what. They chose each other even when it meant being separated and getting only scraps of time together in secret. If that isn't some sun and moon shit, I don't know what is

3. They complement each other

And not in the dumb stereotypical "the sunshine one and the grumpy one" way either. For starters, Joe isn't bubbly, and Nicky isn't grumpy. No, they have two characteristics that I think represent the sun and moon way better than that anyway - Joe is an extremely intense person, and Nicky, an extremely cool headed one

Joe doesn't feel anything by halves, and despite the fact that he has lived through several lifetimes, it still seems as if everything he goes through is happening for the first time. Every time Nicky or another one of the family dies, Joe looks just as desperate as he would a millennium ago, despite the fact that he's had centuries to get used to the fact that they die and then come back to life. He's the only one who's that affected by it (obviously none of them enjoy seeing each other die, but the rest seem to have accepted to some degree that it's a part of their lives, or at least gotten used to it). He has experienced so many horrible things, yet he is still as affected and disgusted by it every time, going as far as lashing out sometimes. When he's angry, no one is able to hold him back from yelling at the person he's angry at (not even Nicky). Similarly, not even an actual van full of armed homophobic guards is able to stop him from simply dropping a passionate speech about how important Nicky is to him, complete with getting misty-eyed and kissing him at the end (and I'm not even bringing up the fact that both of them have their hands and their feet tied)

To me, that is the most sun-coded possible trait, because the sun is intense, hard to ignore, and quite literally burning. The intensity with which Joe feels also feels like it could burn, but it's also what makes him so warm and loving

Nicky is also a pretty intense person, but, unlike Joe, he is super cool headed about it. For starters, Nicky is a sniper; he is capable of staying still for hours at a time, observing, figuring out the best time to strike. That demands an amount of control over himself, his feelings, even his instincts, that is admirable. But he's not just like that on a mission; Nicky is very careful with what he says, when he speaks, what he lets other people see of him. His expressions are all subtle, contained, and even when he is in a state of murderous rage, he doesn't lash out. He doesn't lose control. The same way that the moon and the sun share their brightness, Joe and Nicky share their intensity, but Nicky is able to subdue it while Joe burns with it and lets that be his strength

Where Joe is expansive and wears his heart on his sleeve, Nicky is cautious and guarded. Where Joe gets lost in his own feelings and loses sight of what they need to do, Nicky keeps their heads straight and reminds him of what they need to do. Like the moon that guides one through the desert

They're different and complementary, but also intrinsecally tied to each other. They have the same spark where it matters, but present it in different, complementary ways. They are a part of each other, but they're also themselves first and foremost. That's what the sun and moon are all about

Sun and moon imagery has been the staple of the Joenicky fandom since day fucking 1, and for good reasons

VOTE JOE AND NICKY IN THE SUN AND MOON DUO SHOWDOWN

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nevermindirah · 7 months

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they're so young, so tired. help them

#this one's for the parallels enjoyers #check out the alt tags for a lil treat #nile freeman #sebastien le livre #tog #mine #kudos to the person who put these text posts next to each other on my dash today

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alectology-archive · 1 year

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I think it’s simultaneously funny and tragic that the most compelling character to come out of throne of glass was only introduced in the third book. manon blackbeak has eaten men for breakfast and has never regretted it. she has a complicated relationship with her grandmother and treasures that antagonistic bond because it’s the only relationship she’s permitted to have and feeds into the cycle of self-hatred that she desperately clings to - giving it up would mean she’s been deceiving herself for a century and manon hates being wrong. she’s a repressed lesbian and she’s also obsessed with the forbidden, not that there’s any connect between the two at all (and not that elide specifically acts as a thematically delicious love interest). her best friend convinces her to be brave enough to be on the receiving end of kindness after a hundred of years of hurting herself, and manon later rises to her defence with the intention of sacrificing herself, revealing just how much love she had stored away in a secret place in her heart. her storyline features accidentally well-executed commentary about how women’s bodies are abused and discarded and how imperialism specifically facilitates this.

best of all, sarah j maas didn’t intentionally write 90% of this commentary.

#text #throne of glass #nooo I don't post complimentary things about sjm don't follow me... god forbid it's for my tagging system...#and what if I reread tog and on purpose exaggerated all the things it did right...#all those blorbos you tag about being bottling up their emotions - that is manon.#I must have reread hof and qos 3 or 4 times and I do believe that does inflict brain damage on you actually.

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mariaashby64 · 2 years

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Current mood this morning:

#i'm being completely normal about this #tog #tower of god #kami no tou #season 2 #meme #text post

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youssefguedira · 9 months

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my friend pointed out nicky's "no" right before they inject him with the thing a while ago (as they're injecting joe) and its like. wow that's a detail i wish i could unhear

#neon has thoughts #it's in the subtitles. so.#anyway this is a weird situation because i want to text them about it but we haven't spoken in ages. but that's not important right now.#back to our regularly scheduled tog posting

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mearchy · 2 years

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booker sends joe a text calling him an old man on his 1000th birthday

joe replies with this photo

#the old guard #tog #the old guard text post #the old guard quote #joe al-kaysani #booker #sebastian le-livre

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yourbleedingh3art · 2 years

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I didnt even read the response yet i just read one teensy part of it from the imessage preview but it tells me most of what i need to know :He missed our friendship/our connection/the way we'd talk and share intellectual things w each other but not in the "missing a lover makes you realize you want to commit to them" way. In the "U were a cool person and i miss ur cool energy" way i think. idk. I dont really want to be his friend I want to be his fucking girlfriend (Im not a girl but the word feels right here.) So it's weird bc i think he's extending an olive branch just to be 'friends' and idk how i feel about tht im not gonna ever really see you as just a friend

#blog post #I had to know what path i was walking down #And it's not the path of love and kisses and marriage #So WHY WALK DOWN THAT PATH?#I date to marry #I have to protect my peace #This mf has a lot of power to threaten my peace because i know how desperately i want to be liked and loved by him #If i can already anticipate that i think #i need to just be an individual #idk he texted me and i was like fuck yes hes back Hes back in my life thank god i missed him so much hes back #But its like Umm #Is he back #Ok maybe before. i strt typing my paragraphs i should read the other texts #but basically he said niothing has significantly changed since the last thing he said to me which was i dont want a relationship with you #so like Why set myself up tog et played #cuz what do i still want.

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andramaquynhs · 2 years

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#wish i was as petty as i advertised #bc id make so many of those text posts compilations that fit a chaotic borderline toxic couple type and go all ‘jn <3′#i saw one that was like 'id sell you to satan for one corn ship'. on religious theme. perfect.#bc thats exactly what everyone does with aq #anyway i should actually make the ones for aq i just. dont know where i saved them #tog discourse #les thoughts #m

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starsreminisce · 6 months

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What deeply saddens and frustrates me regarding Gwyn is the persistent negativity from some who tirelessly attempt to cast her in an evil light. This unwarranted scrutiny arises from a refusal to acknowledge Azriel's true feelings for her.

Gwyn, in truth, has committed no wrongdoing, as she simply embraces her genuine self. She played a vital role in pulling Nesta out of her own darkness and offering acceptance, even before Nesta's healing. Yet, baseless claims of a hidden agenda persist, insinuating that she might have ulterior motives, such as acquiring the trove or harboring sinister intentions, despite a complete lack of evidence.

When comparing Gwyn and Ianthe, it becomes abundantly clear that they are fundamentally different characters, sharing nothing beyond their shared status as priestesses.

Expressing doubts about Azriel and Elain's compatibility is a valid perspective, particularly when considering the descriptions and character interactions within the text. SJM has refined her breadcrumbing techniques since her days with ToG, leaving more evident clues for readers to follow.

Antis are vehemently opposing Gwyn and Lucien, seemingly reaching for anything to discredit them, because these are the same individuals who stand in the way of an Elriel endgame. It's clear that the clues provided by SJM seem to be leading away from an Elriel conclusion. The focus on Azriel and Gwyn post-solstice is a notable example of this, leaving little room for alternative interpretations.

#pro elucien #pro gwynriel #pro gwyneth berdara #pro lucien vanserra #elucien #gwynriel #some of y’all haven’t watched the Barbie movie #and it shows #antie/riel #antielriel

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normal-thoughts-official · 1 year

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Why Joe and Nicky deserve to win the sun and moon showdown, and if they don't I'll end up in the INTERPOL Most Wanted list

A not at all dramatic essay

(This is the plain text version. To see the version with bold, italics, hyperlinks, and big text, click here)

1. Not only do they canonically use moon imagery to refer to each other, but their context adds new symbolism to that metaphor that other duos don't have

If you haven't seen TOG and aren't familiar with the van speech, well, I recommend that you do, but I'll transcribe it for your convenience:

But wait! There's more!

2. The most appealing aspect of the SunMoon dynamic is how they need to defeat all odds to be with each other, and Joe and Nicky have that in spades

"Oh I don't think that's the most ap-" IRRELEVANT. I'll talk about the other ones too. Just keep reading, okay? /joking

As you might know, Joe and Nicky met on opposite sides of a battlefield. They killed each other. (Many times). And what happened then?

Nicky even brings it up in the comics:

3. They complement each other

Sun and moon imagery has been the staple of the Joenicky fandom since day fucking 1, and for good reasons

VOTE JOE AND NICKY IN THE SUN AND MOON DUO SHOWDOWN

#tog #the old guard #yusuf al kaysani #nicolò di genova #nicolo di genova #joe tog #nicky tog #joe al kaysani #nicky di genova #joenicky #kaysanova #long post #has plain text #no tldr #no plain language #meta #sun and moon showdown

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throneofglassmicrofics · 5 days

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*used a different image editing site that I did not like so sorry if the image is weird*

Welcome to the May Prompts for TOG Micro fics!

You can write for everyday or just one.

Combine prompts or not, interpret as you want.

Write the story in less than 1k words.

Write for whichever ship you want, or general characters/relationships.

Be sure to @ us and we'll reblog your work here for all to see!

Be sure to add triggers if/as needed :)

Any other questions? Send an ask or dm!

FAQ // Intro Post

Text list of the prompts below the cut

Queen

Firelight

Sleight-of-Hand

Whimsy

Echo

Tapestry

Rebirth

Sculpture

Fate

Maroon

Picture

Pathway

Thief

Rapture

Justice

Home

Charged

Sapphire

Vision

Mystery

Grove

Heal

Tide

Crossfire

River

Tarnish

Daybreak

Sentry

Entourage

Fortify

Petrichor

#throne of glass #tog #togmicrofics #throne of glass microfics #aelin galathynius #rowan whitethorn #elide lochan #lorcan salvaterre #fanfiction #aedion ashryver #lysandra ennar #sjmass

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alectology-archive · 1 year

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will you guys continue to follow me if I start posting throne of glass

#I unfortunately have a lot of latent love for it in my heart. rip.#if I DO post tog it'll probably only be in march? idk. I'll post a warning if I do lol.#it'll obviously be in the context of a reread. I'll probably straight up skip the first two books.#text

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nikethestatue · 3 months

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I’m sorry if this is too negative, but how do you stay so positive? I read the bonus and don’t feel that good about it. I understand it makes clear that Azriel’s shadows react to music, not Gwyn herself but… why would SJM give a connection between Azriel and Gwyn, who is a singer? When I say connection I mean music and shadowsinger/lightsinger. She seems to be continuing that music connection. I guess I just feel defeated that Azriel has gotten nonstop hype from not only fans but SJM herself, and there hasn’t really been anything for Elain besides small tiny crumbs that we Elriels theorize. I feel Elain had the set up to be a main character after ACOSF, but it feels to me that with the crossover, SJM has shifted that all to Azriel-and potentially Gwyn, if the music and lightsinging is any indication-and hasn’t given Elain anything else yet. 3 bonuses in a row now have given something to Gwynriel (ACOSF, HOSAB Bryce and Hunt ending about shining secret joy in chest, and now HOFAS). I’m sorry to rant, I just feel upset over how this has been handled by SJM. I still feel confident in Elain and Elriel based on the ACOTAR text, but perhaps now that we are so close, doubt and intrusive thoughts have started to creep in lol 🥲

So let me ask you this. Suppose you are just a normal reader, who is reading SJM's books, read ACOTR and now CC. Say you have no idea about any shipwar. You are just an interested, casual reader.

On January 30, you get the book, which you ordered from Target. You read the book, you love it, you read Lidia and Ruhn's bonus, you love it too. You sit back and await the next SJM book.

Now, tell me, what's been 'set up' for that reader? And in what sense and capacity was Gwynriel set up?

For example, on a personal level, i've never read the Bonus with Bryce and Hunt for the last book. And I am not even a casual reader. I've never read ANY of the TOG bonuses. I've read the Feysand bonus once. I accidentally came upon Wings and Ember and only because i am an OBSESSED fan, not a casual.

So all in all, what do we think was set up? In any way, shape or form? NOTHING. Certainly not for Gwynriel. Not one thing. Now, for me, as an Elriel, not a whole lot has been set up either. BUT, i just know what Gwynriels have been claiming for the past 3 years about the Azriel Bonus (chest light, mate bonds, him falling in love with Gwyn, blah, blah). As an obsessed fan, all this Walmart bonus told me was he claims to be single and unmated and he is a metalhead at heart. That is it. It didn't set up anything for anyone.

Also, in terms of light and singing--one of my fellow Elriel is planning to write a post where they are gonna go over that imagery throughout SJMs books, which has absolutely nothing to do with any romance, any Gwyn, or anything else that people claim.

I am calm, because nothing's changed on paper. But I also am happy because everything, literally everything, that Gwynriels claimed didn't come to pass--like we suspected it wouldn't. There is no deeper or more meaningful connection between Azriel and Gwyn. We learn nothing about her--not like Nesta says 'oh, btw, Gwyn's been raving about all the private lessons you've been giving her, Az!'

If you step back and think about it rationally, the bonus gave nothing. You can read between the lines, but that space hints at Elriel, not Gwynriel.

So calm down, nonnie. It's all good.

Remember 'I thought it was obvious!'

#elriel #pro elriel

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sindirimba · 2 months

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🧩🍓🥑

🧩 what will make you click away from a fanfiction immediately? as far as grammar and whatnot i'm pretty forgiving usually. but one thing that will always make me give up are giant unbroken paragraphs purely because i just can't physically read them. a lot of tumblr posts are no gos for the same reason. use a damn paragraph break!!!

otherwise, egregiously out of character actions are a big one. common answer but it's true. i like the characters, that's why i'm reading about them, obviously. also, 'character centric' stories that aren't actually about the character but are actually about the fandom preferred characters instead and the other one is just there as audience stand in. aka the nile problem in TOG fandom.

🍓 how did you get into writing fanfiction? i answered this properly here but i'll be cheeky and ramble more. i lost my interest in fandom for like almost a decade. i would occasionally watch something and then glance at ao3 but nothing really captured my interest. and then i started seeing gifsets for TOG floating around on tumblr and was like, oh nile looks cool. canon m/m couple, that's nice. well it's now valentine's day 2021 and i've got nothing else to do on this night, i'm going to watch that movie tumblr keeps showing me evidence of. and after watching it i was like 1) wow i loved that 2) i want to know mooooore and 3) are people shipping nile and booker because 👀 and here i am. fun story i guess.

🥑 you accidentally killed somebody, which mutual(s) do you text for help? my first thought was @gaal-dornick because she could maybe help me go on the lam in brazil. maybe @nevermindirah because i think they're the closest person i live near (and still not very close, mind, but) and could help with body burial perhaps. or @rob-anybody or @bossymarmalade who could also help me escape to canada, as another option. i have too many connections. i'm so going to jail, fuck.

thank you 🖤

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panic-in-the-multiverse · 2 years

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Birthday Special

Pairings: Matt Murdock x gn!teen!reader

Imagine: it’s your birthday and Matt is the only one who knows how you really want to celebrate your birthday

Warnings: none as far as I know

A/N so like I said on my previous post it’s my birthday today, I’m turning 17 and with that I though why not write a fanfic with how I like to spend my anxious introverted selfs birthday, so here’s a fanfic anyway with me y/n and Matt celebrating my y/n’s birthday, bc I want people to know that it’s okay to not want to have a big celebration on their birthday, (which my friends doesn’t seem tog get most of the time)

Obviously some of this is fictional as it is in a world with Matt Murdock, damn I wish he wasn’t fictional

Oh and sorry but I didn’t proofread this one so sorry if there’s mistake somewhere, my first language isn’t English

Waking up was like any other day. Well it was your birthday but you didn’t really think much of it. Just getting one year older is all. Nothing special.

You weren’t like all those other people on Instagram and other social media. You didn’t post about your birthday and about being out with all your friends. No, you usually stayed home and chilled. Eating your birthday cake as breakfast. Afterwards you just watch some of your favorite shows and movies. Drawing and painting some. Maybe reading some. Not doing much really. You were just living your best life doing things you enjoy.

But this time you weren’t sure if something would change. You had just started to live with Matt Murdock. He took you in at the beginning of this year when he found out about your late night vigilante activities. You had moved to Hell’s Kitchen to go to an art school that was located there.

You know for sure it would be weird without your parents and family there, but Matt had become a new family member to you. Even though you would miss your family you were sure your day would be great anyway.

So opening your eyes you reached over to the nightstand with your hand and tried to locate where your phone was. It was still dark in the room as none of the lights were on yet. A moment later you had your phone gripped tightly in your hand as you turned it on. The light makes your eyes squint at the screen. It was already the middle of the day, you had slept in as usual on your birthday. As always you had loads of birthday wishes, some of them you didn’t even know who they were. But most of them were family members.

Smiling you texted them a “thank you” and a “love you too” with a heart emoji

After a while you were still laying in bed scrolling through some TikToks, and whatever else you found yourself scrolling through. You were thankful Matt hadn't called Foggy and Karen and made a big deal of your birthday by walking into your room with a cake and singing or something like that. It was quite nice that he had let you be on your own so far.

Though eventually you dragged yourself up off the bed. Going to the drawer, picking out some of your favorite clothes. You put on your sweater shorts and put your phone in your pocket. Then you put on a flannel shirt without bothering to button up the shirt and rolling up the arms (if you are a girl like me you have a sports bra on or something like that).

You went out of your room. Rubbing your eyes to get adjusted to the light outside of your room. After a while of just standing in the middle of the room adjusting your tired eyes to the light, you walked to the fridge. Opening it you found a cake, your favorite cake might you add, which was exactly what you took out. Cutting a slice and putting it on a plate, you took a spoon (or fork if that’s what you eat cake with) and sat down on the sofa. Matt had gotten a TV when you moved in, so that you could watch all of those series and movies that you liked, you were very grateful over that. Putting on one of your favorite series you relaxed into the couch and started eating your cake.

After a while you realized you hadn’t seen or even heard Matt anywhere in the apartment so you guessed he was at the office doing some preparation for one of his and Foggy’s cases.

Except the real reason Matt wasn’t at home was because Foggy and Karen had the idea of throwing a surprise party for you with just them. But he needed to convince the two of them that it was not what you wanted at all. And that you just wanted to stay home doing the things you liked to do the most. So instead Karen and Foggy went home to Matt’s and yours apartment and went to say hi and Happy Birthday to you, and give you a present from each of them. You thanked them and gave them a hug before they left.

Matt was in the store by the time buying you a new set of paints as the ones you ahd were nearly empty. Especially the blue, white and red ones. It seemed like you used those colors the most. Well he didn’t know for sure, as he couldn’t see, but he knew that you complained a lot about the blue, red and white paint tubes always being empty. So he asked one of the store workers for help.

That’s how Matt came home with a bag filled with art supplies, and a new stuffed teddy bear, as your latest obsession was to name stuffed animals after your favorite fictional characters. You had made quite the collection of teddy bears and other stuffed animals by now. He even bought a balloon for you.

But when he got home you were sleeping once more. This time on the couch. Your blanket over you. In his way of seeing it seemed like you were quite comfy in your little pillow and blanket fortress on the couch. Instead of waking you he ordered food from your fave restaurant and sat on the empty space beside you, as he relaxed to the thought of you sleeping in peace without danger nearby.

Eventually you woke up to the door ringing. Smelling your favorite food you went to the door. Grabbing Matt’s wallet on the way. You opened the door and paid before you went to the kitchen and put everything down on the counter. Smiling, you saw Matt sitting on the couch, balloon in hand and surprisingly a wrapped present on the table in front of him. He smiled an adorable smile your way as he let go of the balloon, which read your name and your age on. He had probably went to Foggy for that one, probably how the present got wrapped in too.

You couldn’t help but smile wider at that. You brought the food over and went back again to the fridge and brought the cake towards the table too. You sat beside Matt once more and he wrapped one of his arms around you.

“How was your day?” it was Matt’s voice that rang out while the two of you ate the food in front of you. “It was good, watched some episodes of supernatural, watched some Star Wars movies while sketching some characters, it was really good, I’m glad none of you guys made my birthday into a big deal like throwing a party or something” you paused eating some of your food before continuing. “Which I wonder about really, I mean I’m sure Foggy and Karen would have thrown a birthday party or something, but they didn’t” Matt smiled at that. A chuckle escaped his lips as he answered “well they were going to, but I told them not to, I knew you wouldn’t of liked it”

Eating the rest of your food you went over to the kitchen and took out two plates and two spoons. Slicing up two pieces of cake when you come back to the table and the couch. You sat down giving one of the plates and spoons to Matt while taking the other one. Cuddling closer to him while you did that. You sat in silence for a while until you finally asked the questions that had been on your mind.

“How’d you know I wouldn’t like a party?” both of you were done with the cakes now. You were as close cuddled up to Matt as you could be, relaxing to the peaceful silence and his breathing. Matt adjusted himself and changed your position so that you were now cuddled up on top of him. His heartbeat relaxing you. He smiled while he said his next words “living with you have made me realize that you don’t like to be in public, you don’t like parties and celebrating things, you just like to do what makes you happy, and your family might of called and told me'' a laugh escaped you with his last statement. Of course your family did that. They always tried to make sure that you were okay even when they weren’t in the same city as you.

“And as your unofficial older brother I think I should know these things” a laugh escaped the both of you as you cuddled with each other. “Nah I would say that you are my official brother by now” he hugged you tighter this time, kissing you on the forehead.

The rest of the day was spent between the two of you. Two siblings, might not be by blood but sometimes it felt that way. You continued to sketch a few things, and you were really glad for the new paint that Matt got you, and you thanked him loads of times, as the paint you use are kinda expensive.

When night came closer, you started to drift off into Matt’s arms as he carried you to his bed, where the two of you continued to cuddle while you slowly fell asleep. But before you could fall asleep you heard Matt say a “happy birthday” and a “love you mini devil”.

You couldn’t have asked for a better way to spend your birthday. Not when you had your older brother Matt with you.

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