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#which fits so much with how she's actually the one 'protecting her family
ambrosiagourmet · 2 months
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This episode of the anime made me realize something about Namari and her relationship with Tansu and his party. Before now I haven't been able to quite pin down how and why they start treating her more like family and less like a disposable bodyguard. But the anime conveys the shift so well!!
So, at the start of the episode, Tansu pulls Namari in the way of the undine's attack to protect himself. He's perfectly happy to let her die to save himself.
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Kiki and Kaka both shout for him, but no one expresses a lot of care for what happens to Namari. This isn't remarkable to any of them. They do bring her back to the camp, of course, and Tansu resurrects her... at which point she starts yelling at him about how this is, in fact, a common thing.
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Throughout the rest of the episode, there is a clear contrast in how the Tansu family all treats each other versus how they treat Namari. Tansu or Kiki being in danger is concerning. Namari getting hurt or killed is just part of the job. She is a meat shield, a tool they paid for and are using as part of this expedition. They take care of her, but they care about each other.
And though it's not exactly explicitly stated, Chilchuck's speech about reputation makes it clear why - they probably assume, because of her reputation, that this is how Namari views things, too.
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From their perspective, Namari signed up to die a lot and get paid a lot. She is only there for the money, but acts upset when they don't treat her as a proper member of the party (and family). From their perspective, flawed as it is, she is asking for more respect than she will return.
That's not how Namari actually feels, though, and at the episode she tells Tansu as much:
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And this is what changes things between them! Tansu finally sees her as more than a tool. For the first time, the party bonds with Namari as a person.
It's very fitting that this comes right after Namari realizes the value of Senshi's pot, too.
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Just like the adamantine shield can be used for more than just fighting, Namari is more than just a tool and shield herself.
So they all share a meal, and things are different between them now. Tansu and his family will go on to treat Namari with more respect in the future, and they will begin to forge actual bonds. As complex as the layers of distrust, reputation, depersonalization and assumption are... In many ways it's as simple as that. How very like Dungeon Meshi. I'm so glad the anime made this finally click for me.
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tteokdoroki · 6 months
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☆༉ — SATORU GOJO. a flicker of a flame.
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about. when satoru notices the flicker of cursed energy within your unborn child, he starts to feel the weight and nerves of becoming a father.
warnings. minors, blank and ageless blogs do not interact! sfw, fluff, expecting parents, reader is pregnant, hospitals, nerves about being parents, listen idk how gojo’s cursed technique works so here u go >:( canon verse, expecting father!gojo, fem!reader.
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“i can see it…like…flickering inside of you.”
satoru carries an expression of intrigue, like a child who’s just discovered a new sensation.
you flip the page of your magazine, not bothering to spare your husband a glance while you instead choose to admire the many strollers and their offers that decorate the page. “don’t be weird, satoru.” you tap a perfectly manicured nail against the one you like most, leaning over to show the item to him.
“but it’s there… like actually there.” the sorcerer replies, keeping his voice low despite the loud ambience of the maternity ward’s waiting room. people crying, people celebrating, families already full of children gathering around to hear more exciting news. “i like that one. it’ll fit in the hallway too. do you want it in grey or in black?”your husband passes you a pen from the depths of your tote bag in his lap, letting you circle the stroller in the magazine so you know to come back to it.
this time, you do him the honours of looking up at him — a fresh glare settled on your glowing features. “satoru gojo please stop referring to our baby as an ‘it’.” you sigh in exhaustion, watching him slump in his seat because you know he hates it when you’re irritated with him. “i thought you were excited about having a baby girl. and the grey one, it goes with your eyes.”
that seems to perk him up enough, earning you a kiss to your cheek that has you smiling like a fool in the nurses office. “sorry, sorry…” satoru starts to coo warmly, a soft tone that’s usually reserved for you and his students. “it’s just that… every time i look at you, i see two vessels of cursed energy instead of one. there’s a flicker of a flame there, right where she would be. it’s blowing my mind.” he points to your bump, nestled away under the layer of his clothing since they’re the only thing that makes you feel comfortable right now.
you close your magazine slowly, fighting the flutter of your heart and the warmth that spreads through your body. you know that your husband is being cautious, overly observant and extremely over protective — being pregnant and having a baby in your line of work was dangerous. scary, even. but you knew that satoru wanted this with you, and you him. that he cared a little too hard or worried slightly too much because while he was the strongest, you’d become every target and every weakness to him.
you and your daughter.
an unborn child who may possibly have the powers of a god among men.
so, instead you tuck away the irritation that comes with your hormones and let your gaze slink over to the large man squished into the abnormally small seat of the waiting room — just to be by your side. “do you need me to explain how pregnancy works, satoru?” you quip and rest your head on your knuckles, just to make him laugh and ease up a little.
a wiry smile starts to tug at the corner of his soft, pink lips. “i’d rather you show me but i think we got the fun part nailed.” gojo’s face splits into a wide grin, making you roll your eyes. “we made her, yanno. she’s alive in there because you’re keeping her safe.”
“and you too, mister six eyes.” you tap his skull, brushing against pure white locks, as gojo leans over you affectionately — probably in demand for a kiss (which you give).
the receptionist calls your family name from the front desk — no doubt to call you in for your neonatal appointment. another set of scans to help confirm your little girl is nice and healthy before you tell the rest of your friends and family later today.
gojo wanted to hand out copies of your scans to everyone at dinner. show off.
but as you stand, satoru goes quiet, offering you his hand as aid. “do you think…do you want…” pressing his lips into a thin line, your husband mulls over his words whilst guiding you down the hall to the doctors office — nodding to the receptionist to thank her as you pass. “i hope she doesn’t have what i have. i wouldn’t wish this burden on anyone.” he looks you straight in the eye, blue eyes piercing your soul. you feel your baby move and kick, forcing you to wonder if she’ll have the same mind blowing eyes as her father. “i hope she’s like you. beautiful and strong and—“
“ours. she’ll be ours and the best parts of both of us. her daddy’s strength, bravery, good looks and her momma’s wits, pretty ‘get me what i want eyes’ and smarts too.” you laugh, bright and loud as you cut gojo off — turning to look at him with a happy smile. “if she turns out like that, the best parts of both of us she’ll be perfect. i’ll love her because you gave her to me, we can figure out the rest later.”
that seems to reassure satoru, who sags in relief by your side as he wraps an arm around you, his large palm splaying across your baby bump. “you’re right, you’re right,” he grins again, feeling her little feet mercilessly kick at his palm. “as long as she’s healthy, we’ll be fine. i love you.”
“we love you too.” you swoon a little too much.
satoru gojo will be a great father, you think, your baby girl is so lucky — she has the strongest daddy in the world and he loves her a little too much already.
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꒰ end. — all rights reserved © tteokdoroki 2023. do not copy, repost, translate & recommend elsewhere.
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midnight-in-town · 1 year
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About Yor: she isn’t dense, but most likely indoctrinated by Garden
So I wanted to address this for a long while now, because I’ve seen one too many posts talking about Yor like she’s just an aloof assassin who doesn’t care about things outside her direct environment, which is why sometimes she says dense things. 
I’m well aware that she’s a fan favorite so people don’t mean her harm, yet I think the whole story actually hints at way more than her being dense, especially considering her background and who she still works for. 
In other words, since Yor was trained but also half raised by Garden’s leader, the Shopkeeper, it’s likely that, considering how they operate and what they’re about, they instilled in her a conditioned dependency since childhood or teenage years that would make her unable to learn things on her own without asking for their opinion, making it very hard for her to turn against them ever. 
Want a striking example? Her encounter with Melinda Desmond. 
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Not only did she not know who Melinda was (but I mean, that at least could be understandable)...
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...but she also didn’t know what a First Lady is. 
Sure, it’s funny on first glance, but after thinking about it, what does it betray? That Garden probably made sure over years Yor would never get the slightest basic info and understanding on what politics of this country are all about. Because if their strong soldiers start to get opinions of their own, then they could start disagreeing with Garden and turning on them. So, “let’s prohibit people having free thinking, so that they can remain good little pawns” as we “fight for peace in our country”.
In fact, for Yor, until a short time ago (when she met Loid and Anya), all she did was thought and decided for her by Garden and, to this day, she still voluntarily asks them for their agreement when she opens up her close circle little by little: she asked them if it was okay to marry Loid and then she asked them if it was okay to befriend Melinda. 
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To be honest, that’s a scary ass thought process to envision, when Yor’s an independent working lady well into her 20s, but this shows how deep Garden’s indoctrination runs in Yor, since they got hold of her as a child/young teen. 
Another striking example is the way she always describes her job, in an almost childish way. Her nickname “thorn princess” aside, I always found it interesting that Yor’s aware she’s an assassin but she isn’t morally anguished at all about killing people and never mentions or distinguishes any grey area in her missions. In fact...
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... it’s all in black and white and she clearly thinks that the people she kills are all evildoers (which as we saw in the recent arc with the Red Circus isn’t always the case and begs the rhetorical question “why does Garden get to decide who’s evil?”), therefore “she’s not doing anything wrong”, which also pretty much betrays how she was pushed into it. 
Long ago, Garden probably baited Yor with Yuri’s protection and told her that, since they’re “about peace”, Yor’s work would just help them to “fight against evil”. As a child, she wasn’t mentally fit to understand the deeper implications and then she was mentally conditioned to always do and think like Garden tells her to, which promotes this systematic childish description of her assassin’s job. 
Finally, please take notice of the Shopkeeper’s reaction the first time she tries to argue about her work, in the ship arc: 
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Enough said, Garden’s awful. I’m sure there are more examples throughout the story, but I now want to talk about future character development. 
After all, since the story obviously calls for Yor to ditch Garden, to protect what’s actually important to her (Yuri, Loid and Anya), we actually do see her changing little by little so far, thanks to her living with Loid and Anya. Her coworkers quickly mentioned that she’s more lively ever since she got married and the ship arc overall emphasizes that her family is starting to become more important to her than her job, so there is high hope for Yor. :D
Additionally, while she’s still far away from noticing that Garden mentally drove her into a corner, she now openly voices her concerns that “she’s not normal” but that she wants to understand why in order to learn how to change. 
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To be fair, fighting against indoctrination is tough and takes time so I’m very proud of her for slowly realizing that she ought to decide for herself from now on. :D 
TL;DR Yor is not dense. She was indoctrinated as a child by Garden and can only (for now) see the world through the filters they taught her. 
Ironically enough, the only character who knows about her real job and could, thus, notice that Yor isn’t being critical about Garden...... actually can’t because she’s a four year old who is too young to understand that Mama’s job is wrong. Well done, Endo-sensei!
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You could drink your whole life away and still never get that taste out of your mouth.
half commission for @salempie half completely self indulgent dreck pieced together from our insane conversations abt franke and elka. told myself id finally write a big explanation for all of the dum shit between these two for context so Thats Under The Cut.
so I already wrote some stuff about elka and franke's relationship back in whispering rock so feel free to look at that too . it goes over elkas blindness/‘seeing’ with clairvoyance and how her and franke started talking & all that good stuff
SO FOR STARTERS. a lot of thsi wont make sense without a big breakdown of elka herself. because elkas potential as a character is like insane to me. like just the idea of her in the long run of her life reads as something so potentially tragic; a young girl whos plagued with visions of doom and destined to be an outcast even in her own home for things she cant control and clings to the One vision of her wedding that she thinks is 'happy' even despite the fact she doesnt really love the person in it. im choosing to take the li-po doc as canon here because its funny shes the only one with backstory-
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but my fucking god even the smallest look into what her parents are like is soo fucked up to me. and i do think elka especially gets a lot of influence from her mother; its funny how easily you can fit mabel doom into a box just from what elka says about her. knees deep in an avon-esque pyramid scheme and leaning into her daughters depressing ass visions & taking her to therapy at age 11 (which would be good if not for the kind of person you can already assume she is & so i doubt the therapist she has really does her any good. i think they share one). she reads as a very I Am My Daughters Best Friend type of mom to me and i can see elka being a centerpiece of the conversation when she has her Amway Girls over for drinks. wine-mom that lets her kid sip from the glass so she can feel like a big girl type deal.
and you can tell that elka is trying to hard to be too mature for her age even in her campster posts. how she writes letters to nils' mom and exchanges baking recipes with her and that feels like she really only interacts with middle aged women and not really many people her own age outside of camp (like her moms friends). which makes sense shed feel the need to ‘grow up’ early when shes probably had to process so many hard things at a young age bc of her visions.
theres a lot of filling the blanks here of course.
elka obsesses over nils to an overbearing degree even despite the fact he treats her like shit ('you promised no talking' and so on) and she treats him bad right back. she leans onto stereotypical heterosexual ideals like taking care of him and overblowing how Manly and Protective JT is and she admires romance stories like pride and prejudice and it feels like she Projects Soooooooo much of what she wants onto boys she barely feels anything for without knowing what its actually supposed to feel like. and clearly she WANTS that ideal future, a happy marriage, an actual romance- but according to nils even when they were dating she ignored him most of the time, which just seems Very Telling
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like shes filling a role, overcompensating for emotions and lacktherof she cant digest quite yet, and it only makes more sense when you know shes had visions of their future together. how could that be bad for her? shouldnt it be like the books and movies? but she doesnt really connect the fact that her visions are only for Doomed futures, and if she does she certainly doesnt show it. Doomed relationships. it's been a part of her family for generations and she isn't turning out much different, is she? i dont think she even realizes thats all she ever sees yet, just that its Going to happen. that it's Her future, and it always will be
and like, her only reference for a real marriage so far has been her own parents, and she already Knows they have an affair, and theyre doomed to split, (and i actually like to think they were in rough waters anyway and elka was a child meant to mend a crumbling marriage but thats a whole other thing) and so without a framework for what an actual healthy relationship is supposed to be like she cant really grasp that her relationship with nils Isnt that and isnt ever going to be. she can only cling to this one happy idea of the future, and thats why she keeps chasing him, self fulfilling the actuality of her situation and creating and fostering the unhappy life they will inevitably live together.
and that bleeds into everything else in her life, of course, because as the years go on, as the visions grow in number it just makes sense for her to fall into the predictability of her life. she always knows whats going to happen, her visions are Never wrong- so why try to change things? shes had time to process tragedies days, weeks, months, years before they happen, shes had time to settle into every crack of her life. her parents divorce, her various break ups, her future with the psychonauts.
“and she's already seen so much of a future with [nils] she feels trapped almost. Like she has to be happy in it or else it just means her life is miserable. And it's a mixture of pride and fear of the unknown that keeps her clinging to the One thing she knows. BUT LIKE!!! She knows what's gonna happen! It's easier to grieve when she's been grieving for years... She wants so badly to be happy, But to do that she has to step into the unfamiliar. And that's more terrifying than staying the same miserable person she's always been.”
and thats where franke comes in— and yeah you Do have to take a lot of liberties for frankes character since it’s basically, like, all the info for her is just that shes a Supreme Baby Dyke but thats enough for me. i think she has protective butch itch in her . on campster shes defensive over other women evidenced in the way she keeps watch over the girls cabins for lili when elton is pursuing her . but shes also eager to please and constantly trying to make kitty laugh and also Very naive. but she tries! and i think it only solidifies more as she gets Older and really gets a hold of her feelings & her powers. this is incredibly franke to me
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and i think as they grow older together— because i think franke and elka Do stay friends, both because elka is just pathetic and needs that positive connection even if she doesnt realize it and because i think franke is a very Loyal person & annoyingly persistent if you let her be . and i am also a kitty/franke truther. because kittys also important in this web we weave
because i think franke and kitty stay together after camp, to a point— theres a falling out facilitated on kittys end and they break up, but reconnect, and franke kind of... saves kitty from herself a little, from her strict military father whos love only extends thru finances , from her own stifling future , she drives all the way to bakersville in her shitty van handmedowned from her dad and they move in together eventually . they get jobs at the motherlobe , because it’s a pipeline to a decent job, because it’s whats easy, because franke doesn’t really have a future, because she’s never really been good at much, because shes never had much sense, because franke doesnt really care as long as she can live and help, sometimes, if she can, and because kitty’s there, and because elka’s there, and shes so used to being elkas eyes now and shes good at it. shes good at being the muscle of the missions when her colleagues lack it, when hypnosis and predictions arent enough. she likes it that way.
and elka appreciates frankes company. she listens, shes sweet, she does little things for her that no ones ever really put the effort for before; she likes her. franke is strong and bold and makes her laugh and shes always there but god elka cant let go of that future, of that box shes put herself in, that her mothers put her in, of being a Good Wife to a Loving Husband, of getting married normally and falling into unfailing familiarity. thats all shes ever wanted and shes not going to jeopardize that . not for franke, who may not be a boy but is handsome like one, whos always held her after every break up with nils and the men that filled empty days inbetween.
and elka is too stubborn to recognize those feelings anyway. too prideful to accept a way out. too set in her cycle no matter how much she hates it, her little self fulfilling tragedy of her own making, wallowing in her own doom. she struggles for control of her own life when she feels like every choice has been made for her anyway, she puts up her walls and carefully constructs what people see. but franke was always harder to trick, because while empathy isnt a particularly useful psychic power it’s certainly an inconvenient one. all franke has to do is get too close and all those carefully crafted walls fall apart, and elkas control is gone, and thats all she really has. and she tries to distance herself, really she does, but franke is also too persistent. and elka wears gloves, keeps contact that would make her walls crumble from happening as best as she can, but she cant really keep herself from the brief moments where she feels like someone actually fucking cares about her.
and that slightest lack of control, the need to wrestle it back is why she proposes to nils the next time theres a falling out— she knows how it happens, she plans every detail. and he accepts, despite everything. gets her a cheap ring and it feels like lead on her finger and its nothing at all like how shed thought it to be when she was a kid, theres no feather light feeling in her chest, only that dreadful reality that she cant turn this back. BUT WHAT CAN U DO LMAO
elka doesnt tell franke about this engagement until later, on their way back from a mission. late at night when neither of them can sleep, and franke invites elka to smoke in her van, because its been so long since theyve been alone like that, because elkas been so strangely absent lately. and because of everything, because frankes always so damn nice, because elka hates the feel of the ring on her finger, because she let herself get high alone with franke fucking athens whos always been so good at pulling her apart— the truth of it all spills out and its messy and emotional and she hates it, she hates the life shes made for herself, but franke makes it easier to bare and now shes here and shes so close and god she wishes she could see her smile again, she wishes she could see franke, thats all she needs right now and she cant but she can touch her and she can hold her and for tonight, she can be known, she can let those walls crumble, she can be something else just for once here with franke . she can kiss her here in this van, touch that happiness for just a moment, and forget the future that waits for her outside of it. franke begs her to forget the wedding, to just let herself be happy— and god, she wants to, but it means turning her back on everything shes known and everything shes saw to be inevitable, and franke has never been in her future, so if it were supposed to work out why hadnt she seen it and she cant, she cant take that risk but she can have this, even if its temporary, she can have it.
and just as soon as she gets a taste of it, its gone. after that night, after the missions over and theyre back at the motherlobe and have to pretend like nothing happened (franke doesnt, of course she tells kitty about it, she tells kitty about everything.) but that brief moment together haunts elka every time she sees franke, sees herself through frankes eyes, sees herself in her wedding dress because god its all franke can think about! of course it is! she knows how much elkas destroying herself she knows how much misery shes wallowing in that kiss in the van felt like an emotional punch to the teeth and she hasnt ever forgotten it and all she can do is sit and watch while elka throws herself into a loveless marriage. she can come to her wedding and see the way the bride and groom kiss with the emotional weight of a wet towel no matter how hard elka tries to hide it under a pretty dress and bouquets of flowers and meticulous planning.
and elka resents nils but she cant really hate him, its not his fault, not really. he feels trapped just like she does and his feelings of misery only cycle back into hers . they fight and gnash and wear away at each other and its a relationship thats crashed and burned a million times before elka even said i do. and its inevitable that she falls into her mothers habits, a sip of wine here and there to loosen up, until it turns to a glass, until it falls into a bottle on nights when whatever work nils does runs late.
but franke’s still there. shes always been there, hasn’t she? always trying to play knight, always trying to save her, dragging her home when shes stumbling over herself because god who else is going to do it but her? who else is left to care? certainly not nils. never nils. because franke knows her. because franke pities her. shes always pitied her. shes always known. and elka hates it, she resents it, but god in the same breath she’s desperate for it, she envies it to her very bones. elka is a mess but after frankes done with her she has someone to go back to that loves her. and god what elka wouldnt do to have that. to take it and keep it for herself because shes never ever got to have that movie romance shes always wanted.
so now comes this.
because elkas particularly miserable and particularly spiteful and she needs to get franke to understand, just for a moment, drink with her and get on her level and she needs her there with her no matter how her pity makes her feel. no matter how much it makes her shake with anger and envy and desperation, but god the way franke looks at her, the way she still tries to salvage what they have, the soft, slurred way she tells her that it’s okay but its not okay, none of this is okay, it never has been and she just wants franke to shut up and see that, and if she cant then she’ll show her, she’ll show her all the raw angry desperation, with too much teeth and hands that claw and grab and she’ll know why everyones always said she’s too much.
and she knows this puts her on nils’ level too. that this makes her a cheater, that shes no better than he is now. no better than her father and his affair. but god, she wants to be selfish. she wants to be in control. just for once. she wants to feel right and she wants to feel happy and she wants to feel loved. thats all shes ever wanted. and franke will let her have that, just for a little while, at the very least.
anyway. sorry. sorry for being crazy . this isnt even getting into the shit after the comic takes place . elkas stupid brainworld thag she has to overcome in order to finally be allowed in the polycule and live happily ever as worlds first lesbian divorceman
sorry for all the shit i make up instead of caring about actual characters with screentime . bye !
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seetangus · 5 months
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How about azula realizing she really likes the reader after they take a life-threatening injury for her?? Love me some angst
Fiery Care - Azula x Reader os
[masterlist]
Azula x gn reader, tw: blood, heavy injury
1.340 words, please tell me if you find any mistakes!
I hope I got the request right, enjoy :)
No-one had prepared you for this. Rocks were being thrown at you by an earthbender, accompanied by the combined magic of a waterbender, the treacherous, disgraced prince, some incompetent boy with a sword and the Avatar himself.
You had trained firebending a lot, because, even considering that you were born into them, one only got accepted in the upper circles of the fire nation if one was a good fighter, but normally you were kept far away from any actual, real fights by your family, as they valued you - or rather your appearance; they wouldn't want their "little prodigy" to enter the service under the fire lord with any "flaws" that originated from missteps in battles.
However, you had insisted on taking part in this battle for a very special reason.
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A few hours earlier:
Azula walked, or rather marched, through the courtyard, straight towards you. That was a very rare sight and an unnerving one too, as you had long been plagued by strong unrequited feelings towards the princess. You quickly arranged your armour to look even more orderly and clean than it already was, acting with a nervousness and anticipation that would have told anyone who saw you that it was not just, like with anyone else, fear, that Azula ignited in you, but also some much warmer feelings.
Well, it might have told anyone, but Azula wasn't anyone, was she?
Her two friends who always escorted her probably knew, but that was no matter to worry about as they seemed pretty reasonable and pitied you, because of your feelings, to a degree at which they didn't feel the need to worsen your emotional state anymore by telling Azula about your feelings.
Now Azula stopped pretty close in front of you - she could probably feel the heat your reddened face emitted, but she did not seem to care.
"Y/N. Our scouts have tracked down the Avatar. We will leave in a few minutes to confront him and his companions. Father says it would be a good first fight for you, but honestly I don't care wether you accompany us as it likely won't make any difference. So you can stay here if you want to."
With much more energy than fitting you immediately responded that there could be nothing more delightful for you than joining her in battle. Ty Lee grinned at you from behind Azula, making you blush even harder.
Azula seemed unimpressed at your enthusiasm, but you didn't care. What mattered was that you would be close to her - or at least closer to her than normally - for a little while.
Also, you should be able to convince your parents to let you go if you mentioned that the fire lord himself thought that it was a good idea.
< • ◇ • >
Well, maybe the reason you took part in the battle wasn't even that special. You wanted to impress Azula, that was about it. A pretty dumb thought, if you thought about it - she was more or less infallible, how was one, especially you, to impress her?
However, there was not much time to think about such matters, as the attacks coming from the people you were facing seemed to become faster by the second.
You dodged a fire bolt the filthy traitor prince sent towards you and melted a stone that flew towards you mid air, freeing you up for just one moment of looking around the battlefield.
The first thing you noticed was dramatic. A whip made from sharpened, magical water made its way to Azula and she, who was in any other moment completely aware of her surroundings, was just preparing to defend against an attack from the Avatar-boy - she could get killed by that whiplash!
From one moment to another, your brain was deactivated and your protection-instincts, and maybe a bit of love, took over: in an enormous leap you rushed over to Azula - for one moment, everything was red and pain, but soon relieving darkness enclosed you.
---
With an enormous wave of wind, the Avatar ripped two small trees out of the earth, throwing them at Azula. She laughed at that pathetic attempt to seize her, igniting the wood with such fire that only a drizzle of ashes arrived at her position. But that ominous rain not only consisted of the remains of the burned trees, but also of blood.
She quickly looked around herself to see from where the scarlet liquid could originate - the first thing she found was the origin of the terrible act: the waterbender-girl was retrieving a thread of water she had been bending for it to become sharp and deadly into the bottle she always carried around.
Continuing her search, she found, or rather stumbled upon you. You laid unconciously besides her feet, your shoulder bleeding furiously. Considering that you hadn't stood there a few moments ago and in which direction the whip had been flying, it did not take long for Azula to realise the whiplash had been meant for her.
Driven back by a continuously growing amount of fire nation soldiers, the Avatar and his partners fled the battlefield, giving Azula an oppertunity to lean down to you and inspect your barely breathing body further. The more she realised what had happened, the more irrational feelings rushed through her head.
Naturally, everyone would sacrifice themselves for her, right? She was Azula. She really should not feel bad for you, it had been your duty to save her. In fights, things like these happened. You had to live (or not, in some cases) with it.
Yet, she could not help telling the healers who soon arrived to be extra careful with you if they did not want to experience her wrath.
She also couldn't keep herself from waiting outside the healer's tent, anxiously expecting the moment you would leave it. You would leave it, after all. She demanded you did. There was simply no way you couldn't.
And, what was maybe the worst of all, your face did not want to leave her mind. The face she had seen so many times on the courtyard and that she had always taken for granted - and that had not lost any of its beauty even when tainted through your own dark blood.
Given the size of your wound the process of healing was a long and exhausting one, but each day Azulas hope of seeing you again grew with the increasingly positive reports of the healers she ordered them to bring her.
Quite a few times had Ty Lee told Azula, in a very subtle manner, that it was quite unusual for her to think about someone this much. To care about them, even. That it almost seemed as if she liked you.
Naturally, Azula refused to give such assumptions any credit. Romantic fantasies like this were for children, and she was the very confident princess of the fire nation, not some toddler, wasn't she?
Of course she had to admit that she valued your wellbeing a little bit more than everyone elses, but her liking you? How absurd. Ridiculous, even.
Anyways, the only thing she seemed to do the following days beside worrying about you was to emphasize that she did not in any way worry about you at all. Oh, she couldn't wait for the day you left the hospital so that she could ask you some serious questions about what you did to make her think about you.
When the day of your releasememt from the hospital came, though, any questions were quickly forgot. Alone the sight of your face made her see everything she could have ever asked for.
You too could not believe your luck when Azula was the first person to greet you after leaving the hospital; her inviting you to sit beside her at the royal dinner that evening exceeded all your dreams.
She stepped closer towards you, and your heart fluttered when you saw the same look in her eyes that you had been giving her for a long time.
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fatuismooches · 2 years
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hi hi!
I love ur writing sm tbh, it’s just so heartwarming and FLOOFY
could I pls request headcanons of all the harbingers being the caretakers of kitsune child reader (platonic obviously)
like one day the tsaritsa just tells them they have to look after this fox child she found
just fluffy and soft stuff🥺
if there are too many characters, feel free to add less if you’d like, I honestly don’t mind
(they’re pretty similar to how miko looks and they can also turn into a tiny Fox)
sos if this is a confusing request
thanks in advance! have a wonderful day/noon/night <33
♡ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬 ♡
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synopsis: The Tsaritsa orders her Harbingers to take care of a kitsune child she found. Fluff ensues as they all platonically grow fond of you.
includes: all eleven fatui harbingers w/ gn! child! reader
notes: Platonic stuff and found family is so cute! Thank you for this request and your words, it was so cute. I hope you like this!
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All of them are initially cautious at first. Why would a kitsune be in Snezhnaya? Were you actually a spy and just pretending? But the Tsaritsa seemed to take a liking to you, so they were all required to do their part. (Little did they know they would all end up adopting you.)
Pierro:
At first, he keeps you around because of the Tsaritsa’s orders. But since you are naturally curious, you would follow him around at all times which would melt his heart and make him remember his own youth. Pierro would play chess with you. Kitsune are very intelligent and he would want to bring this out of you slowly. Would sometimes lose on purpose if you’re getting upset though. (He’s shocked if you call him an old man.)
The kind of caretaker who would sit you down on his lap and read you bedtime stories. He has a deep raspy voice that’s useful for when they need to put you to bed. I also think this man is very stressed and your fox form would make him feel a lot more relaxed.
Capitano:
I personally think he’d be really soft with animals and they love him in return. So he’d secretly love your fox form. Capitano takes elite care of your fur, ears, and hair. (Imagine you sleeping on top of his head or shoulders while he gives out orders and the Fatui soldiers are struggling to keep a straight face.)
He is your silent protector. Would trail behind you as you run around the Fatui headquarters. When you’re talking to any soldier, he would stand menacingly behind you as a warning to everyone else to not say anything inappropriate to you. Capitano would give you piggyback rides, lift you up into the air, let you hang off his arm, and do any other fun activities. He really treasures how you’re not scared of him at all, and would protect you at any cost.
Columbina + La Signora:
Columbina and La Signora would team up to do your hair. You would have matching rose buns like Signora by the end of it. The two of them would have the best and cutest clothes for you. The three of you probably have fashion shows and an actual runway. They have hats specially made to fit with your ears.
I just know Columbina knows the best spots for naps and scenery. She would take you to her favorite spots and hum a simple tune for you until both of you fall asleep. La Signora would take on a more motherly role. She wants to know about your day and what you learned while she combs out any knots.
Dottore:
To be honest, the other Harbingers endeavor to keep your time with him limited because of his past actions. Dottore doesn’t care much for kids anyway so this is fine to him. But if you continuously seek him out he’ll begrudgingly deal with your presence. Honestly the worst caretaker out of everyone because he has no idea what to do. What do kids like to do? What do they eat? Why are you crying all of a sudden? It’s making his head spin. Passes you off to his clones who research guides on how to deal with kids. They slowly adapt and teach him later.
Might allow you to attach one of his earrings to your ear, but you take it off rather quickly, complaining it’s too heavy for you. You would also copy his maniacal laugh so whenever Dottore laughs they have a mini you following after. Similar to Sandrone, he might teach you about invention and different kinds of science.
Pulcinella:
The best grandpa who knows every trick in the book. Whenever the Harbingers are at a loss on how to take care of you, they bring you to him and he’s got it under control in a matter of minutes. He wants to know who you are hanging out with and if they’re a bad influence on you. Pulcinella knows when to be strict and when not to. Gives the other Harbingers in-depth caretaking lessons whether they like it or not (especially Dottore.)
He would make sure you have memories of everyone you cherish. Kitsune live so much longer than a human and he doesn’t want you to forget anyone who raised you. Gives you a Kamera and helps you to make scrapbooks of everything you take pictures of.
Scaramouche:
There were always rumors that the Balladeer was soft around the children and elderly but no one quite believed it until they saw him interacting with you. Initially tried to avoid you because he didn’t want others to see an adorable kitsune child following him. Eventually gave in but kept the fake grumpy facade up so others wouldn’t get the wrong idea.
You probably remind him of Inazuma. Introduces you to Inazuman cuisine and wants to take you there someday. He probably knows kitsune folklore as well so he would retell it to you. He secretly finds it cute when you try on his hat but it covers you completely because you’re so tiny. Scaramouche’s temper is reduced while you’re around because he doesn’t want to make you upset. Whenever you ask him to do something he always acts like it’s a chore for a few seconds but immediately gets a Fatui agent on the job.
He’s a puppet who is probably going to live as long as you, so he silently vows to watch over you and protect you always.
Arlecchino:
Arlecchino is around children daily in her orphanage but that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s great with them. After all, she’s raising them to be warriors and soldiers, not babysitting them. But that doesn’t mean she’s bad either. Arlecchino could pick up on your cues easily - she knows when you’re hungry or pretending to be sick, or when you’re actually tired. She’s still not the most in tune with emotions though so she leaves that up to the other Harbingers. Arlecchino would still be helpful with your health though.
She would let you play with the other orphans because it seems to brighten their days (hers as well.) She seems cold and a bit angry at times but your cheerfulness brightens her day.
Pantalone:
He knows what it’s like to be abandoned so he would feel for you. You would be utterly pampered by him. Bubble baths, rubber duckies, any toys you want, the most exquisite of shampoos and conditioners for your ears. He would make sure you receive a proper education and access to any activities you desire. Pantalone would make sure you never left wanting.
He would teach you how to manage money at a young age. You’ll probably never need it but he likes the idea of teaching you something he wished he knew as a child.
Sandrone:
She doesn’t care much at first. Sure, her interest is a bit peaked, but she’ll soon forget about you when she’s busy with her Automatons. That is, until she finds out you somehow snuck into her lab and curiously inspected some of her most dangerous robots. Immediately removes you from the premises.
She doesn’t want to involve you in the more cruel and deadly aspect of her work so instead, she’ll help you to create a small robot for yourself. She does most of the work but shows you some fundamental mechanical skills and secretly hopes you’ll take an interest in engineering.
Sews a kitsune doll for you so you can cuddle it to sleep. Sandrone has different robots created that teach you basic skills like reading, writing, math, etc. Even when she or any of the Harbingers are not around with you, you have her robots to play games with and keep you company.
Childe:
Probably the best caretaker besides Pulcinella. Childe already has multiple little siblings so he knows exactly what to do. However, he has little restraint when it comes to spoiling you which separates him from Pulcinella’s stricter attitude. Childe would cook your favorites with ease but also introduce you to his favorite Snezhnayan dishes. He would comb out your fluffy hair and ears while keeping you occupied with various Snezhnayan stories.
Childe would not want you to fight. He is the protector and defender of childhood dreams so he would encourage you to do what you find fun (and would fund anything you need.) Even though you already know he’s in the Fatui, he wouldn’t tell you anything else about his job because he wants to shield you from harm.
He would introduce you to Teucer and his family quickly. His siblings marvel over your appearance and would play with you often. Ajax understands quite well how it feels to be lonely so he would want you to have strong bonds. Would even allow you to live with his family full time or have sleepovers if you wished.
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mrsnancywheeler · 4 months
Text
the lakes (10) // finnick odair x f. reader
summary: it's supposed to be over, you and Finnick are supposed to spend the rest of your lives helping each other heal. living as peacefully as possible, but the the third quarter quell throws a wrench in your domestic bliss.
previous chapter / next chapter
midnight rain
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warnings: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, manipulation of someone's feelings, hypothermia which I did my best to research, near death experiences, reader has familial issues, mental illness, self-hate, terms of endearment, backstory heavy, no use of y/n, unedited, the love triangle that was never really a love triangle
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“What do you think would have happened if this never happened to us, if it was just you and me, at home?" Conway’s voice pierced through the night air, you could hear every breath as you laid on his shoulder. Desperate for some type of body heat.
A question that you could answer truthfully, “Eventually we would have gotten married and you'd have taken over your family business, your sisters and I would have absolutely made the most out of everyone in the marketplace.” As much as it hurt you to think about, you doubted Finnick would have come back to you if none of this had occurred. He'd leave you alone to “protect you" as he claimed without an obvious reason and your love would have faded into an unfinished fairytale of what could have been in the back of your mind. You hated to think about it, but Conway was the person you would settle to be with if you couldn't have the love you wanted.
“You really think so?" His fingers were tracing something on your sleeve that you weren't focused enough on to try and decipher. “My family, everyone at school always thought so, but you could have anyone you wanted." No you couldn't, the person you'd wanted most in the world had pushed you away, the only person your soul ached for.
“You could've had anyone to Conway."
“No, I couldn't have." He shook his head with a bitter smile.
“Yeah, who was that one girl?" You scrunched your eyes shut trying to recall her name, “Meena!” Your eyes snapped open,"You dated Meena, she was sweet.”
"Only to try and make you jealous.” He muttered, softly. Finnick had always remarked how Meena looked like you, how Conway was unbelievably entranced by you, for reasons you'd never understand. You didn't know what to say back, it hadn't worked, you'd actually been ecstatic for him to have found someone. "I wouldn't have picked Meena.” He wanted you to say you wouldn't have picked Finnick, you could tell, but you couldn't say that.
"Then, it would've been you and me, and I would have driven you mad.” You averted, giving a breathless laugh.
There was a glimmer in his sad eyes and he gave a slight smile,"No you wouldn't have.”
You smiled and nodded, "Oh I would have, I'd want to do this and that, when all you wanted was to stay home. Then you'd want to go crawfishing and I'd grumble to stay in bed.” It would have been good enough, satisfying enough, but it would never be what you and Finnick could've had. You were both creatures of extraversion, you'd go where he went and make do, if he wanted to fish you'd go along to read or let him convince you to join, if you absolutely refused he'd eventually yield to you. If you'd decided to rot away in your head Conway would desperately want to help, but Finnick would, he'd take care of you, but also force you out of it. If Finnick was everything you needed, everything you wanted, everything you yearned for, Conway was perfect for everybody else.
“That would've been okay with me." Okay. Not like puzzle pieces fitting together, just two books sitting by one another. “Kids?" There was the other thing, Conway would be a great father and needed to be in a sense, but it scared you. How could you raise a child if they were constantly close to being thrown into the predicament you were in now? You would have loved to have kids if the government was different, if none of these chains were locking that up, and Finnick was the same. Children would be perfect in another world, another time.
Yet you humored him, “How many?" No kids would be in danger since both of you wouldn't be able to come out of this alive.
“Four?" Conway leaned tilted his head to the sky, “Two boys, two girls."
“Five, three girls, two boys, take it or leave it." If you tried hard enough you could somewhat convince yourself it was just the two of you, back home, living the life everyone expected you to live. To imagine you'd just settled. He was handsome, so handsome any girl would have adored him, he was sweet and hardworking. His family cared so deeply and was basically your own. The universe stretched itself thin for you and Finnick, if it stayed still it would've been you and Conway.
He laughed and looked back at you, “I'll take it, any day, I would have taken it." He had to know, if you got out you would run right back to him, but the fantasy was better than thinking about that, at least it was easier at some points to tell yourself Conway knew. “Would you take care of my family?" He whispered, face settling into some type of seriousness.
“Of course I would." Even if you'd never be able to look at them again after what you were doing which they surely knew about, you would pour as much money into their pockets as you could.
He looked away from you, his eyes glossy with unshed tears as he stared into the dark. Like he was ashamed to say what he was going to, “It's just, it's always been all of us. They begged me to come home and I don't know, I don't know what I'm supposed to do. And you-" Conway choked on whatever he was going to say, “I'm sorry, I don't want to be an ass, I'm just trying to be honest." He wiped his face of the tears that weren't even falling, but you could see it all on his face. It made you absolutely ill with yourself, he was right, his family was so tight-knit it would be a major hit to all of them if he was gone. Yet here you were playing with him like some sort of toy to get you to the top. He was spilling all of his heart to you, saying what was hard to say and you pulled strings. You buried your face in your freezing hands.
“It's okay." Your voice was muffled, eventually pulling away as you looked at him. “You're right, you don't have to say it. But even if they aren't like yours it doesn't mean they don't need me, I'm the one in the markets, Conway. Mom’s too sick to do it, Dad has to go out and work, and Avonlea has to take care of Mom. No one else is going to do it and they wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.”
It was unsaid that even if that happened it didn't mean you'd break the seemingly impenetrable walls of their bond, a trio you weren't meant for. Maybe it wasn't worth it, if you got out you'd help them, but wouldn't be part of their team, you wouldn't be able to look at Conway’s family without being eaten by guilt on the spot, your best friend would be dead and it would be your fault, all you'd really have is Finnick. But maybe that was enough for how desperately your soul longed for him.
“I'm sorry."
“It's not your fault." You didn't blame the Games either, as far as you were concerned you were the only one to blame. You didn't know when you'd begun to cry, but the way the biting cold hit your wet face made you shiver.
Then his arms were pulling you closer, “No, that was wrong of me, I didn't want to make you cry. Your family is just as important as mine." That only made you cry more. If you weren't so unpleasable you could have been content with him, happy even, that wouldn't have stopped this from happening, but maybe you would have felt less guilty or let yourself die with him, the way you would die for Finnick.
“You're too good to me, Conway. Much too good, you deserve a Meena." You were trying to wipe away your tears, but they were coming much too quick.
" I don't want a Meena.” Then his lips were on yours and for a second it was comforting, which only fueled your nausea. It didn't matter that you were young and confused because you knew he wasn't the one, that this had been what you wanted from him just so you could be with someone else. That beautiful, kind Conway was a means to an end and this was all supposed to end one way.
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
It was hot, sweat was clinging to your skin, and your head still stung. You almost couldn't bear to be too close to Finnick and his unnatural heat that was usually so comforting, but he was hovering around you so much that it was nearly impossible to get a few steps away as you all ran through the jungle. Cannons began booming off one by one as everyone finally decided to sit down. There was more guilt this time, most of these people you knew pretty well and had spent time with in some capacity over the years. Even if you hadn't killed any of them, you were still alive when they were gone, how was that fair? Nothing was, nothing had been for so long, never in your lifetime.
“I guess we're not holding hands anymore." Finnick laughed and it caught you so off guard that you couldn't help it when your scoff turned into a laugh as well. Hitting your forehead on his shoulder. The irony of it all, how you'd held hands in solidarity against the Capitol only to tear each other's throats out down here.
“You think that's funny?" Katniss asked, you understood why she was so appalled by his comment, you truly did, but his comments had always evened out your thoughts before they became all consuming. His humor brought light to the dark.
"Just a little bit.” You demonstrated with your fingers, even though it was definitely more than that.
“Everytime that cannon goes off it's music to my ears. I don't care about any of them.” He pointed at the sky, shrugging his shoulders.
“Good to hear." Katniss pulled some weapon out of her quiver to point his way. You couldn't help yourself when you tossed one of your knives up to catch it, as badly as you needed Katniss out of the arena you wouldn't let her attack Finnick. Even if he could defend himself, which he demonstrated perfectly well as he held his trident right back at her. At the end of the day you two were still the team, you could only get her out if she'd cooperate and it would be very unlikely if she went for Finnick that she'd trust anybody after that.
“Wanna face the Career pack alone? What would Haymitch say?" Finnick’s brow quirked, you briefly made eye contact with Peeta. He looked so uncomfortable, looking for an opportunity to decrease the tension.
“Haymitch isn't here." Katniss replied, not backing down. Peeta began to stand.
"Let's keep moving.” His voice broke the tension when Katniss stood as well, maintaining her own eye contact with Finnick, she looked so untrusting, so angry. Finnick grabbed your free hand as you stood. Then he was behind you, slightly grabbing the back of your head.
“We should have cleaned it, you could get an infection." Finnick frowned.
“I'll be fine, Finnick." You smiled, it wasn't like the plan was supposed to take longer than a couple days. You doubted you would die of an infection in that time. Planting a light kiss on his cheek before you tugged his hand to keep walking.
“Let's not tempt the fates." He muttered, silently insisting to be the one who pulled you along instead. Peeta was cutting down the vines as you all walked forwards, making way to see ahead. You glanced at Finnick, how could he still be so breathtaking when he was dripping with sweat? Maybe you were too lovesick for disgust at this point, but it amazed how despite all the grime the bronze of his skin still shone and you would have bet people would still line up for a minute of his time.
“Take a picture, it'll last longer." He flashed those pearly whites at you and you rolled your eyes despite feeling your cheeks get somehow hotter.
“You're a real comedian, Odair, I'll give you that. I mean I'm basically dying of laughter." You deadpanned, rather unsuccessfully, when you stumbled over some branch. Finnick's hand helped you maintain balance, but he was laughing at you just as quick.
“Angel, you don't need to fall for me, I'm already your husband. There's really no need to be so desperate." You playfully hit him.
“And you're just so helpful, I could have died.” You shrugged, over exaggerating as much as you probably could.
"That would have been a rather pathetic way to go, don't you think?” He teased, "And after all that talk about how you could take care of yourself.” Finnick tutted and you shoved his shoulder again.
Katniss' scream instantly tore you out of the moment," Peeta, no!” The machete hit some sort of forcefield ahead and he flew back, roughly hitting the jungle floor. She was immediately scrambling for him, grabbing his face. “Peeta?" Her voice shook and it hit you that maybe it wasn't an act like you and Finnick had theorized, maybe the bare bones of it all showed there was a pure, raw love there even if it didn't always seem that convincing to people who weren't Capitol citizens desperate to eat up any act. “He's not breathing. He's not breathing, he's not breathing! Peeta!” Katniss cried out and Finnick immediately ran to him, pushing Katniss away.
She'd pulled out her bow when you ran up, “Katniss he's just trying to help." You put your hands up as you slowly approached her, she looked panicked, confused and Finnick's lips were on Peeta’s. It looked like her brain was running so fast it hadn't even registered that it was CPR. Finally it looked like it had clicked and she put the bow down, running back over Peeta. You followed, cautiously placing your hand on her shoulders. “It's okay, he's gonna be okay.” You couldn't know that, but it was all you could think to say.
“Peeta, Peeta." She was begging, voice trembling and you saw yourself in her. You'd be the same way if anything happened to Finnick, her desperation proved to you that beyond all else she truly was in love with the boy from the arena.
“Come on Peeta." Finnick said gruffly, doing rough compressions on his seemingly limp body.
“Peeta, please wake up." Katniss was cradling his head and you squeezed her shoulder trying to be as reassuring as you could.
“He will, Katniss, he will." You nodded mostly to yourself. Her body was shaking from her tears.
"Please wake up.” Her body rocked back and forth as Finnick muttered continuous "come on’s,” continuing his attempt to revive Peeta. Suddenly he was gasping for air and Finnick sighed in relief. “Peeta! Oh my god!”
“Be careful, there's a forcefield up there.” Peeta said softly and Katniss laughed through the tears before kissing him. By now you doubted anyone could think their love was all a performance, it made you want to cry as well. Finnick's hand slid back into yours, squeezing it. Telling you that you were in fact on the same page, it amazed you how with looks and touches it was as if nearly every thought the two of you shared could be communicated.
“Oh my god, you were dead. You were dead, your heart stopped.” She stroked his hair, like she was terrified she'd never get too again.
“It's okay, it's working now." Katniss hugged him before they worked to get him standing up again. She was so soft, so caring, which you knew from the act with Rue the year before, but it was so moving to see in real life. All the things that really made her such a good symbol of the rebellion, not the hate for the Capitol, the love for other people.
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By day 3 it was pouring down freezing rain, buckets of it. Only a few more cannons had gone off and you couldn't reason how this would make the games more interesting, watching people die of pneumonia or something of the like. You'd figured out the boots were made to be pretty resistant to water and prevent as much sliding in the mud as possible, but it was basically up to your ankles in muck. Trudging along was a chore within itself, you couldn't even start a fire to keep warm, even if you'd strung up the tarp to keep it from the rain the wood around was all soaked. Every once in a while the four of you would string a tarp in the bare trees, one on the ground, huddle together for some sort of heat, lay the small plastic covers on you and pass the match between your hands as quickly as you could. Before they could burn out and you were terrified you'd run out, that all sense of heat would be gone.
You'd been so cold and exhausted that it took everything in you not to groan as the four of you picked berries. Grateful that Conway had paid enough attention at that station to know which one's were poisonous. Your hands were so numb it was nearly impossible to grab them, nevermind the fact that you were being soaked in the frozen droplets since it was Marlowe and Birch's turn with the plastic covers.
“Your lips are blue." You were startled when Conway was suddenly in front of you, staring at you with concern. You tried to move your hand to touch your lips but it refused to do what you wanted. Then you mumbled something so incoherent you couldn't even tell what you'd been trying to say. His hand pressed to your face, which you only knew from being able to see it. “She's like ice." He looked at the other two anxiously.
“Me too." Birch muttered and Marlowe shot him a glare before approaching you. Fingers touching your neck, searching for a pulse.
“We should set up the tarps, get her out of the rain.” Marlowe advised, looking at the two boys. "I think she's hypothermic.” Everything was a rush to you, it was so confusing. Why were you out in the woods? Conway was here, but who were these other people? It was hard to walk when Conway had led you into the makeshift shelter. “Her jacket is soaked through, hopefully her shirt isn't as much, we should take it off."
“That'll make her more cold." You were pretty sure that was Conway's voice.
“Water makes it worse anyways." The female voice rang out in your ears. Before some other ringing sound came through, this time you were sure you weren't delusional when everyone else's heads looked around. Conway instantly stood up to search for whatever it was.
When he came back it wasn't him you were seeing, there was Finnick. Gorgeous, sunshine Finnick. Your lips tried to move to say something to him but it was too difficult. By the time you felt them move an inch he was gone and it was Conway once again.
“This is huge." He remarked, bringing in some sort of package. Were you ok the boat? None of your surroundings made sense.
“Must have incredible sponsors." Another male voice rang out, who was that?
“It's a blanket!" Your jacket was being torn from your stiff muscles as something surrounded you. Was wrapped around you and your head was laid down. “You're gonna be okay."
"There's a broth too.” The female voice said again, you were seeing Finnick again standing over you, wait no it was your father. Hovering over you as if you were your mother. You just wanted to rest, this was all so overwhelming. Whoever it was was urging you to open your mouth to put a spoonful of something inside. Which was extremely difficult but eventually you managed to, the swallowing was even harder, but it did fill your insides with a pleasant warmth. Everything was such a rush you didn't know when you'd slipped into sleep.
You knew eventually you'd woken up, feeling somewhat warmer, more conscious. You knew people's names at the very least. Conway had his arms wrapped around the blanket, providing even more heat. Marlowe was laying by your side, trying to exude more heat even though she cold herself and Birch was by her side.
“You're lucky to have a mentor who could get you something like that and the sponsors to support it, most people die of hypothermia in under an hour, at least back home." Marlowe said when you'd looked at her. She wasn't bitter or angry about it, at least not at you.
“Yeah." Your voice was so hoarse you almost didn't recognize it. “Thank you for not leaving me for dead. I wouldn't have blamed you, the probability of me dying and dragging the group down waiting for me was pretty high.”
Marlowe just shook her head, "No us four until the end, we'll talk about it more then.” She looked back at the top of the tarp, listening to the rain drops. " When you're done being on the brink of death you'll share the blanket though, right? It's freezing out here.”
You let yourself smile a little,"Yeah of course.”
𓈒⠀𓂃⠀⠀˖⠀𓇬⠀˖⠀⠀𓂃⠀𓈒
I literally cried writing this guys, I thought it wouldn't get it out but happy new year!!! I'm so grateful for all you reading and interacting with this story, I'm ecstatic that so many of you love my brain rot ideas. if you enjoyed feedback, likes, comments, reblogs are all super appreciated and my ask box is always open even if I'm super slow about it. love you and thank you so much again 💋
taglist: @coriolanussnowswife @avoxrising @artsyaquarium @jennaaaaaaaaaaaa @secretsicanthideanymore @darlingsoulbeautifulthoughts @thatonegayloser616 @kybermp3 @meri-soni-meri-tamanna @ravensinthedaylight @innercreationflower @uhnanix @aesthetic0cherryblossom @yourdailymemedelivery @ang3lflor @maxinehufflepuffprincess @prettybiching @miserablebl00d @wowzabowza69 @nomorespahgetti @problematicpastry @abaker74
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raisedbythetv89 · 6 months
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OK.
ALRIGHT.
It’s official…I’ve gone insane but it’s all their fault for being such insanely talented actors who gave so much nuance to their performances
I hadn’t given this moment in “Crush” the attention it deserves but the reason it’s so important is this is the first time Buffy lays eyes on Spike after Dawn tells her Spike is completely in love with her and Spike is literally at her house charming her family and planning to ask her out on their first date NOT date aka the biggest and boldest move he has made in an attempt to move them from enemies to lovers
She’s been going on and onnnn about how sick and wrong it is and how freaked out she is about the idea of “the slayer” and “the slayer of slayers” in love since she found out BUT THEN SHE ACTUALLY LAYS EYES ON HIM AND SEES HIM FITTING PERFECTLY INTO HER FAMILY AND LIFE AND MAKING HER MOM SMILE AND HER SISTER FEEL NORMAL AND SAFE and she has this like soft shocked bewilderment and she’s looking to him like “care to explain why you’re sitting on my kitchen counter rn?” (them having secret conversations with just their eyes in front of her family makes me insane 😩) and not one single look of disgust that she’s been claiming to feel all day because she’s surprised and therefore her guards aren’t up
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And he’s got his terrified deer in headlights look he gets every time he first sees her unexpectedly 😭
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and it’s SO CUTE because he is so terrified and he knows this is lunacy and the idea of them is insane and makes no sense but still in his heart of hearts he is a brave, vulnerable romantic. Shooting his shot just like he did with Cecily because “fella’s gotta try” compared to Angel who stalked her for over a YEAR before introducing himself and was the most wishy-washy, bread crumbing mother fucker when it came to actually being with her and Riley who had to be told he liked her and then had to get a bunch of help from Willow before he even made a move. Riley and Angel are genuinely both cowards who want to play the hero but never truly had the courage to do so which is why they always infantilized and shamed/guilted Buffy into being smaller to make them feel bigger which is the CORE of why Spike is literally the only one of all of Buffy’s romantic interests worthy of her because of his bravery, despite knowing with the utmost certainty he will fail and get hurt over and over again, that doesn’t stop him from trying anyway. He’s the only one brave enough and tbh crazy enough to love Buffy Summers in the ways she both needs and deserves.
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And I SWEAR the softness in her gaze and overall demeanor of dazed bewilderment and considering what she’s seeing in front of her just gives off this vibe to me that a part of her really likes the scene she’s walked into, the part of her Dawn represents that’s considering, again (but now with new light because I think she’s already considered it after “Something Blue”) what her life would be like if she dated Spike. It’s this TINY MOMENT of her girlhood that still exists under her slayer armor shining through - she’s seeing her (forbidden) crush after finding out she’s his (forbidden) crush too and he’s in her kitchen!! Making an effort with her family and he’s so CUTE and laughing and she basically classic Buffy swoons over a cute boy for just a second before her armor is back on and it’s actually too much for me
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AND SPIKE uggghh 😭 he shifts sitting up taller like his inner William standing up when his lady walks in combined with his punk persona that meets every challenge head on but always with a bit of attitude and swagger. Already ready for the battle that is William the Bloody trying to love The Slayer.
This tiny moment of unspoken communication and body language perfectly encompasses what they both bring out in and give to each other and I’m obsessed. Spike brings out the abandoned young girl who is soft and vulnerable and just needs love and support and Buffy gives our brave, big-hearted, protective warrior looking for his place of belonging and people finally worthy of his love that he can care for and protect.
Am I insane for writing all of this about a 2 second clip? Yes, yes I am but this moment is IMPORTANT and it happens so quickly yet it contains so much and completely backs up what I already knew about this episode which was that the only reason Buffy was making such a big deal about Spike being in love with her is because she’s VERY attracted to him but that was so much easier to ignore before she knew the feelings were reciprocated. If she didn’t care about Spike she wouldn’t care about his feelings because they would be of no consequence to her but now…. her crush on her mortal enemy that’s killed two slayers wasn’t a big deal because it was literally never gonna happen…… suddenly could happen and she was SO unprepared for how to handle all of that and so overcompensating the entire episode and beyond 😹😹😹 because also it’s been well established how perceptive Spike is about how people are doing and what they’re feeling so when he says he knows there is something between them he’s not being delusional he is right on the money which freaks her out even more because how could he know about something she didn’t know about herself AGAIN 😹
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Ong I've had this on the backburner waiting for your reqs to open. Jeff and Liu finding out that their younger sibling, who has been looking for them and ran into trouble along the way, is the newest resident creep?
Both of them are SHOOK. I think both brothers probably would have assumed/hoped that you were able to live a normal human life after everything that happened. To say that the two of them aren't shocked would be an understatement, but you just seem so happy to have found them that they're both immediately pulling you into a big hug the second they see you. It's like a rush of calm flows over them both knowing that you're safe, and it really does make them so happy. Although, when they hear about any trouble or issues you were having on your search for them, they're also going to coddle the fuck out of you and make sure you're okay and that nothing extremely bad happened to you. Also, if they need to kick someone's ass for hurting you, they absolutely will.
The three of you have a lot of catching up to do, especially considering Liu is now a half-zombie, which he doesn't know how to explain to you at all, and the fact that they work for one of the most powerful beings in the Underworld. Speaking of, the moment they find out you're actually working for Slender now, they FREAK. They do NOT want their younger sibling doing what they do for work, they do not want you in that kind of danger. I mean Liu probably doesn't even want Jeff working for Slender and in that kind of danger but Jeff could absolutely destroy Liu in a fight if he wanted to, so he keeps his opinions to himself. But not you! They immediately go to Slender, trying to talk him out of letting you work there in fear of your safety, but Slender reassures them that you'll just be doing work around the house as cleaning staff and handling shopping for everyone, so technically you won't be in much danger. When you walk up behind them, explaining to them that you were about to tell them that before they stormed off, they both sort of deflate and pout about it because they were just worried about you.
Having all three of you under one roof becomes interesting though. Jane I think would be happy to have you around (considering her grudge only applies to Jeff, and she probably doted on you a lot when you were younger), and you fit right in with creeps like Toby and BEN. It makes Jeff and Liu happy to know that you're fitting in safe and sound in the mansion, although they also make it known that if anyone picks a fight with you or is rude to you in any way Jeff and Liu WILL kick their asses for it, and everyone has seen Jeff when he's angry by that point, so needless to say you're treated quite well. They do worry a lot about your experiences trying to find them, and all of the trauma you also had to endure growing up in their household, so they tend to fret over you a lot to make sure that you're okay and you're not hiding anything from them. I think they're both very protective older brothers, so I think you'd be safe and sound with them. Although, you will have to put up with a GIANT lecture from Liu about how dangerous it was and what an awful idea it was for you to come looking for them alone (a lecture that he probably gives you multiple times), and Jeff is going to be teasing and pestering you a whole bunch to make up for all of the time that he lost, so be prepared to handle both of those things. All in all, though, they're extremely happy to have their family back together and safe.
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jakegasm · 1 year
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sour | lo’ak sully
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request ˚୨୧ @loaksbitch ˚୨୧ : angsty au where lo’ak is insecure and jealous after he sees his best friend, who he calls his person aka reader/oc laughing and giggling with the new clan boys (a’noung+ rotxo+ more boysss)
Genre: angst
Word count: 1.9k
Pairings: lo’ak sully x omaticya!reader
Warnings: swear words
notes: after 3746499 years i have finally fulfilled your request, ya girl been busy with school and work so forgive me 😭 i hope this does your angsty heart justice mwah!
p.s. again its not proofread but when is my stuff ever? lol
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It had been a few months since the sully’s departure from their homeland. A few family members found their adaptation to the waters easy while others found it difficult. And by others, it was lo’ak. It wasn’t the fact that he couldn’t learn how to become one with the water, he never really felt like he fit in. As much as it pained him to leave his home he had also hoped that maybe he could find his place here in Awa’atlu, but with his luck, he was sadly mistaken. 
He couldn’t complain too much though. I mean, he had you. You made everything better when you were around. Minus his older brother being the one to scold him and lecture him before their father did, you were always there to save him. He was ecstatic when he learned about you joining them on their departure, your parents granting your wish to be with them. He always made sure you stuck to his side making sure you didn’t stray away too far from him. With a new place and a new home came new people and new problems. You were like his other half, like if something were to happen to you he felt he would actually die, which explains where the protectiveness over you came into play. 
Today was like no other. You had promised tuk you’d take her to see the reef and collect some shells for the plethora of jewelry you two always made, and of course he was tagging along. The three of you walked alongside the shore tuk skipping in front of you while you and lo’ak followed shortly behind giggling at the little one's excitement. It always amused lo’ak at how his younger sibling could be so giddy all the time and as silly as it sounds he sometimes envied her for it. 
“There it is!” tuk squeaked pointing at the large rock that sat just before the sea line, gentle waves crashing against it. Before either of you could say anything she was already off, her little feet ran as fast they could amongst the sand urging the two of you to hurry up as she quickly took her place on the rock. The two of you could only laugh at her excitement, something neither of you would ever get tired of. Carefully lo’ak helped guide you up onto the rock before climbing up the rock himself, thankful for the flat surface the top of the rock had. 
He smiled to himself in endearment while he watched the two of you, you held tuk securely in your arms while she leaned over your lap letting her small hands play with the creatures below her in the water, giggling as some of them suckled lightly on her passing fingers. Your smile reflected hers as one of your own hands joined her own in the water. It was at times like this where lo’ak actually studied you, you were beautiful to him nonetheless of course right after his mother but you…you were so ethereal to him. The way your freshly braided hair cascaded down your back and over your shoulders where jewels and beads were painted within them, how your skin shines so brightly even in the darkest moments you were glowing, and your smile. Your smile was something he was selfish over. Your smile was something he’d keep in his pocket forever, not daring to let someone else see it. Your smile had a hold on him that not even he could understand but what he did understand is that he never wanted to stop watching you smile. Your voice snapped him back into reality, his admiration never letting down. His eyes stared curiously into yours before wandering to tuk who also held the same expression you did. 
“Did you say something?” He finally asked. 
“I asked if you were ready to go. Tuk still wants to find things for our bracelets.” He blinked rapidly trying to bring himself back down into reality nodding his head as a response while he stood up alongside you and tuk. The three of you made it back down safely tuk linked her hand with yours lacing your fingers together as she swung them. 
 “Did you see the way he was looking at you? He has goo-goo eyes!” Tuk giggled earning a giggle from you as well. Her brother ony rolled his eyes at her ignoring her usual teasing. 
“He was staring at you so hard he started to drool!” 
“Alright that’s enough tuk.” Lo’ak warned her by shooting her a threatening gaze to not say any more than what she was saying, fearful that she might tell his secret, but unfortunately for him his gaze was not enough to stop her. 
“Lo’ak likes you!” The three of you stopped you and lo’ak held the same expression of shock but tuk’s beaming smile never left her face. 
“You little shit!” Lo’ak yelled before taking off after tuk who had already started running her laughter ringing through the air. Your hand clasped on your mouth while you tried to seal the laugh that leaked from your lips, watching as he finally caught her spinning her around before hoisting her up on his shoulder. Shaking your head you jogged to catch up with them, your smile never leaving your face. Your hands softly linked themselves around his arm sending his body into a full blaze. 
“Come. Let’s go before it gets dark.” 
And with that he lets you guide them to your next destination, never not once taking his eyes off of you. 
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The next day was different though, somehow he let you out of his sight for too long. 
He cursed at himself for letting tuk distract him so long with her breathing lessons, there was tsireya for that, he thought. He wandered the beach rather in a rush, his only goal was to find you and bring you back to safety. With him. Only him. Yes, it was selfish but he could honestly care less. He stopped dead in his tracks when he heard giggling but it wasn’t any giggling, it was your giggling. He felt what felt like flames immediately spread from his stomach to his chest, he stomped forward to the scene, his nose flaring in irritation. You were walking along the beach when a’noung and roxto approached you, sparking up a small conversation. You were laughing at something stupid roxto had mentioned before you were being pulled into a hard chest. 
“Back off fish lips.” Lo’ak was fuming. And you could hear it in his voice. Mentally you rolled your eyes since you knew you were going to have to find a way to calm him down after this. A’noung only half smiled and threw his hands up in a surrender stance, roxto following his actions except the male snickered both of them slowly backing away. 
“Relax. We were just keeping her company.” Both males gave you one last glance, roxto turning to leave before a’noung. 
“I’ll see you around.” He winked at you smiling before turning to join his friend, you were shocked at the gesture making your body heat up a little. Lo’ak huffed at this before dragging you along the beach ignoring your pleas and questions behind him. You couldn’t understand what had got him so worked up, you truly didn’t understand him either at times though you and his mother were the only ones who knew him from deep within, yet at times like this he rendered you confused, and speechless. 
“Lo’ak, enough!” You abruptly stopped attempting to snatch your arm away from his death grip with little to no avail. 
“What is wrong with you!” He held a dumbfounded look towards you before it quickly turned back into anger. 
“Me? What’s wrong with me?! You’re the one flirting it up with fish lips!” 
“He said something funny, am I not allowed to laugh at his jokes? And we were not flirting lo’ak.”
“No, you’re not!” 
His response threw you off. Yes, of course, he was very over-protective at times but this? This was a whole new level for him. You had always known lo’ak to be the jealous type, extra protective over things and people that he deeply and truly cherished. Yet this anger he was radiating toward you made you feel somewhat small. 
“No? Lo’ak I am not your property. I can laugh and talk to whoever I want.” You were standing your ground despite the scowling look he presented to you. It felt like he was burning holes through your body, looking straight through you. If looks could kill, you would’ve been dead by now. 
“I don’t care about you talking to other people. I care when those people are fish lips one and two.” He seethed putting extra emphasis on the word “people”. 
“Lo’ak…listen.” Your voice was soft now, you knew better than anyone that you were for sure not winning this argument with him. Gently you guided him to the sandy ground signaling for him to sit close to you, yet he refused. You scrunched your forehead in confusion but decided to let it go knowing his stubbornness had taken over. 
“I understand you do not like a’noung and roxto but I am allowed to speak with them on my own terms.” 
“Are you serious? Like…are you being dead ass right now?” The new language he spoke sent you into confusion, must’ve been a human phrase he had learned from his father. 
“Lo’ak I—I don’t understand. A’noung and Roxto are my fri-“
“Friends?” Lo’ak head shot up towards you, his anger even more evident on his face. In a quick motion lo’ak was on his feet his hands balled up at his sides. 
“You’re friends with those assholes? Especially after—god they treated us like shit when we first got here and now you’re friends with them?” Lo’ak’s mind was racing. He couldn’t even begin to fit the pieces of the puzzle. 
“How—how could you betray me like that?” His voice was low, his anger now completely covered in hurt. How could you forgive them so easily? They made your lives a living hell for the past couple of months, hell they even left lo’ak for dead at one point. And here you are becoming friends with them? 
“What? Lo’ak—“
“They left me alone beyond the reef! I could’ve died out there! And while I was out there you were—“
“But you did not lo’ak! You are here! I am talking to you! A’noung and roxto have sincerely apologized to you, even to your family! We all have forgiven them and you need to do the same and move on!”  You were frustrated. No. Irritated. It was at times like this where you felt like you were scolding tuk for misbehaving. 
“Fine.” He finally responded after having a heated stare down with you. You caught a glimpse of his eyes glistening and the slight bit of his lightly trembling lip, trembling so lightly that if you blinked you would’ve missed it. Turning on his heel he briskly started to walk away. 
Great. Now you’re the bad guy. 
“Lo’ak wait! Where are you going?”  You called out for him but was ignored as he got further and further away from you. Rolling your eyes you quickly caught up to him grabbing a hold of his arm only for him to snatch it away aggressively from your hold. You couldn’t lie. The gesture hurt you a bit. Lo’ak never yanked away from you like that, even when he was in the pissiest of moods. 
“I’m doing what you told me to do. Moving on.”  He didn’t even spare you a glance before walking away from you completely. You stood there in complete silence watching as his figure grew farther and farther away until you could no longer see him.
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again forgive me for taking so long with this, my life has been crazy. and to those who sent request I see you babes and I didn't forget about you I'm just taking It slow rn. <3
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sockmeat · 1 year
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What are y’all’s thoughts on Crimson from HB?? Like obviously he’a a piece of shit, but there is literally so much potential for dark content my mind is BUZZING
I HAVE SOME IDEAS... ok i only have 2 (just a warning, they’re a little dark)
SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT
THE FIRST ONE: The reader is Moxxie’s little sister. When Moxxie goes to jail and chooses to stay away from his hometown and family, he forgets one thing--his little sister.     Ever since Moxxie left, Crimson has been telling reader how much Moxxie hates her, how much he hates the family, how much he wanted to get away from her.
    So, reasonably, the reader grows to resent Moxxie. Occasionally, she’ll think about what life outside of the mansion is like. She’ll remember how Moxxie treated her, how he made sure she was never around for Crimson’s fits, and wonder if he doesn’t actually hate her.
    Crimson has gotten good at spotting when this happens: she’s less willing to listen to his commands, she’s always spacing out, and always looking at Moxxie’s empty room. He’s always quick to snip that hesitance in the bud and warp her perspective of her dear older brother. She’s always been a daddy’s girl (and hasn’t really had a taste of a healthy relationship), so she believes him.
    When the IMP is called over to the mansion, Crimson doesn’t tell the reader that Moxxie is there. He is fiercely protective of her and knows Moxxie would try to save her.
    Crimson’s reason for inviting Moxxie doesn’t change. He wants Moxxie to marry Chazwick. However, this time, Crimson does have a back-up plan: if Crimson is unable to marry Chazwick, for whatever reason, the reader will marry him instead.
    I haven’t quite decided how Moxxie and the reader will reunite, but I don’t want it to be too soon. Maybe she’s attracted to the commotion Millie causes and enters the wedding and barely sees Moxxie before he’s swooped off.
THE SECOND IDEA: The reader is Moxxie’s mother and Crimson’s wife. She basically replaces the actual character. Unfortunately for her, she has a bit of a savior complex so she aims to try and help Crimson’s state of mind.
    They met before Moxxie was conceived. Her family is a part of a smaller chain of the mafia and basically relies on the (wtf is their last name??) family to keep their connections and stay out of debt.
    The reader’s and Crimsons’ marriage was arranged. It was decided since before they were born that the oldest of their families, which happened to be them, would wed and have an heir.
    Unfortunately for the reader, both families have a pretty sexist point of view. They believe the women should serve their husbands and make sure the children are spoken for. Among the long list of no-no’s, she isn’t allowed to raise a fist to Crimson. She hasn’t been taught basic self defense to ensure she doesn’t break this rule.
    At first, Crimson is very clear about his hatred for her. Though, since he’s so adamant about not disrespecting the family, he only expresses it when they’re behind closed doors.
    The reader still tries despite how he treats her. She’s determined to live a normal life, and if that means risking it to get closer to Crimson, so be it. It’s all or nothing.
    The reader’s story is a bit like the ugly duckling. Until her mid-teen years, she has no idea how to dress, pose, or look flattering at all. Crimson continues to be rude and unforgiving until she gets her glow-up.
    That’s when he starts to notice her more. How she doesn’t raise her voice at him no matter what he does to pester her, how she somehow finds a reason to forgive him despite everything, how her boobs have grown since they were kids--
    Yeah, he pretty much jumps her bones whenever he gets the opportunity. Moxxie is born and the reader stops trying to please Crimson 24/7 to take care and nurture Moxxie.
That’s about as far as I got on that...
I do wanna write these, but I’m not sure how big the Crimson Simps(TM) sections will go considering he’s a douche bag
Let me know!
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antianakin · 10 months
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So I recently rewatched Clone Wars, and season 7 was complex for me (mostly because it felt like too much Ahsoka away from the actual Clone Wars). The "Jedi don't care about the common people idea" coming from the sisters wasn't a bad worldbuilding thing since we know canonically Palpatine was trying to build dislike of the Jedi.
But the Mandalore arc where Ahsoka throws a fit because Obi-Wan and Anakin don't have time to go on a side quest for a planet that's not even part of the Republic when the literal Capital and Head Of State are being attacked? "This is why people don't trust the Jedi you only care about the core worlds." Girl took that to heart in the worst way possible.
Yeah, I think my feelings on the season 7 underlying theme is that it went too far in the direction of "the Jedi have lost their way, but Ahsoka realizes that instead of just abandoning the Jedi ways, she should re-discover the TRUE meaning of being a Jedi, unlike those OTHER Jedi who are being too political."
We all know that Filoni likes to try to promote Ahsoka as "better than the other Jedi," it's a reoccurring theme at this point and one that shows up for the first time in season 7 (chronologically at least, it would've shown up first in Rebels actually but it was slightly more subtle then. Slightly). So when Trace and Rafa bring out their sob story and then seem to blame the Jedi for what happened to their family more than, you know, the CRIMINAL WHO BROKE OUT OF PRISON IN THE FIRST PLACE, and the moral of the story at the end of both this arc and continuing into the Siege of Mandalore seems to be that the Jedi have "lost their way" because they no longer really care about the little people in the face of the war.
I think you're right that there's a germ of a good storyline here about how Palpatine's manipulations are working on the regular citizens, but the issue with this is that in order for that to be the story, the story needs to reinforce that what Trace and Rafa feel about the Jedi is WRONG, that the information they think they have is WRONG. But what we really get by the end of the arc is that they're RIGHT, the Jedi HAVE lost their way, and it's ONLY Ahsoka who realizes that and understands the true meaning of being a Jedi.
This continues into the Siege of Mandalore arc when she accuses Obi-Wan (and the Council and the rest of the Order through him) of being too political when they refuse to supply her with an army on a whim. She claims she's "not being fair" which should be an indictment against her entire argument, but it doesn't really feel like it is. It feels like we're supposed to be cheering her on, like "yeah, that's right, Ahsoka, you don't HAVE to be fair because the Jedi aren't being fair!" The Jedi no longer care about the little people and THAT'S why they won't help Bo-Katan take back Mandalore, they ONLY care about the elite in the Core and THAT'S why they prioritize Coruscant.
The issue with this entire theme is how contradictory it is across all of season 7. They claim that the Jedi only care about the elite of Coruscant when they choose to prioritize it except that the entire last arc was about the little people of Coruscant being abandoned by the Jedi in favor of going out to help other planets affected by the war. And the claim is also made in this episode that the Jedi SPECIFICALLY only care about the Chancellor's life, but then Ahsoka advocates for prioritizing Palpatine later because he's Anakin's friend or something like that. So what are we supposed to understand? That protecting Coruscant is only about helping the little people who live there when it's Ahsoka doing it? That defending and protecting Palpatine is only righteous and not about politics when it's Ahsoka doing it?
And THIS is where we get back to Filoni lifting Ahsoka up as better than all of the other Jedi. Ahsoka gets to get away with shit that no other Jedi is ever allowed to get away with. Ahsoka can be contradictory and hypocritical because she has to be right all the time no matter what the situation is because she's Ahsoka and better than everyone else. Specifically, obviously, better than all those other dumb Jedi in the Prequels Jedi Order.
I've seen people try to give benefit of the doubt to this season and claim that Ahsoka being contradictory and hypocritical is the point, that Ahsoka is still young and struggling with her feelings about the Wrong Jedi arc and figuring out who to trust, how to trust herself, and so she's being unfair on purpose and making mistakes, etc etc. And I understand that theory, but I just can't share it because at no point in either arc does it feel like I'm supposed to understand that Ahsoka is WRONG. I'd love for that to have been the story, because honestly I think there's a lot of merit to finally giving Ahsoka flaws again via the Wrong Jedi arc, showing how it's really impacted her and how much she still struggles with it and how it makes her unfair and unkind and lacking in compassion and understanding sometimes when it comes to the Jedi. That it's not necessarily the JEDI who've lost their way, but AHSOKA. If we stayed with the path that the Wrong Jedi left us on of Ahsoka saying that the person she no longer trusts is actually HERSELF, not the Jedi, that could've been great! But season 7 turns around and says "actually no, she just straight-up no longer trusts the Jedi completely but totally trusts herself just fine."
I don't HATE season 7, there's plenty I like about it, and I honestly do like Trace and Rafa and their arc (which seems to be a minority position), but it's also got a lot of things I dislike about it and it'll NEVER be within my most favorite seasons of TCW, honestly.
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clxja16 · 1 year
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Since Day One
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Gifs not mine
Arthur Leclerc X Reader
Genre: childhood friends to lovers
Warnings: angst, threatening, slight cheating,
Word Count: 2K+
Author’s Note: I forgot what started this idea, but I wanted it to be with a current F1 driver, but it just fit so well with the Leclerc brothers that I couldn’t change it. Also idek how to label this, biggest its really just this small moment but, the context is everything for this fic. Also there’s gonna be a part two.
Part two
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“Why won’t you go to the races anymore?” Lorenzo had asked as you joined him and his family for dinner one evening.
“I don’t think it’s best if I attend the races, it doesn’t lead to anything good,” you say, as you helped set the table.
You grew up in Monaco just a few houses down from the Leclercs. You were the same age as Arthur and the two of you were in the same 1st grade class. Since that fateful day where he put glue into your water bottle because he wanted you to notice him. Which led to you going to the ER because you didn’t realize there was glue in your water bottle, and drank the entirety of it, the two of you have been the best of friends. You have been an honorary member of the Leclerc family since then, evening addressing Arthur’s mom as auntie.
When Charles committed to racing, you supported him fully, attending nearly every race possible. And when Arthur committed to racing you did the same for him too. Going to all their races when you could, and the two of them loved it. They loved seeing you at races, they loved having your support, they loved you being around, because you were family to them, as much as they were family to you too.
“Is it because of that one night in Amsterdam?” Lorenzo asked as the two of you finished with the table.
“It’s not solely because of that, but it is a reason,” you said, not really wanting to get into it.
“Charlotte has forgiven you for that, she was never even mad in the first place,” Lorenzo said, as he tried to put together the pieces.
“It’s not because of Charlotte that I’m staying away, and she wasn’t mad at me because of that. She actually understood the situation,” you said as you began to nitpick at the table, looking for a distraction.
“Lorenzo, leaving her alone,” Mrs. Leclerc, or as you called her, Auntie Pa, said, “if y/n doesn’t want to go the races anymore, then she doesn’t have to.”
“Ma, I’m not saying she has to go to the races, it’s just the boys miss having the extra support,” Lorenzo defended himself.
“Drop it already Lo, auntie said to leave me alone,” you teased, knowing that auntie would always protect you from the boys. Lorenzo shook his head knowing that he couldn’t argue once his mom got involved.
-
Before Charles and Arthur committed to racing, when they were still doing karting for fun, you were right there with them. You would drive out in the rain, in a little go-kart for hours on end. You stopped long before Charles and Arthur decided to commit, but being in those go-karts next to them really solidified the relationship between you guys. However when you did stop, that’s when you started to be your own person.
“Don’t you remember when y/n was like 12, and she would look at Charles with hearts in her eyes?” Lorenzo asked his mom, bringing up years of memories of pinning.
“Shut up Lo,” you gritted through your teeth, while the rest of the dinner table was a fit of giggles. It wasn’t your best kept secret by far, that you once had the largest crush on Charles.
“I mean I’m irresistible, how could she not have a crush on me,” Charles sighed, with a satisfied smirk, as he leaned back in his chair. Causing his brothers to laugh harder.
“Ewwww,” you exclaimed, with a disgust look, throwing a dinner roll across the table to Charles. Charles caught the dinner roll with a laugh. “That crush is long gone, I know I can do so much better than Charles.”
“Wow,” Charles said in feign offense, to which you and the rest of the table laughed.
When you and Arthur were 12, Charles was 15, and at that time you were head over heels in love with Charles. Charles never reciprocated your feelings, claiming that you were just a little sister to him and nothing more. Charles presently, looking back, regrets his choice of words at that time. As he looks at you now across the table from him, he wishes he had given you a chance, when you asked him out during your 18 birthday.
Nevertheless Charles took his actual girlfriend's hand in his, as he looked at Charlotte, whom he was very much in love with. And he conceited that you and him were just not meant to be in this life. Charles is happy and in love, you are happy, waiting to fall in love. He might regret not giving you a chance, but it is a decision he refuses to dwell on, as his and your life turned out alright.
-
As the night wined down, you and Charlotte sat in the living room sipping your drinks while the boys helped to clear the table.
“You know,” Charlotte started off, “Charles really misses you out at the races.”
“Why would he miss me when he has you?” You asked, taking a large sip from yur glass, “he should stop being greedy.”
“You have known and supported him for a lot longer than me.” Charlotte conceited, “and Arthur misses you out there too.”
You sighed, you want to be at the races, you want to support them, you want it to be like old times, but it’s just not the same anymore. “I don’t know if that’s a good idea.”
“You have to ignore all the comments,” Charlotte sighed. She and Auntie Pa, were the only two that knew the real reason you stayed away. They were the only two that understood the gravity of the words said to you.
“I don’t know if I can handle it Charlotte,” you sighed, you felt guilty that you allowed it to get to you, “I know I have your support and I am thankful because honestly when I saw the tweets, I thought you were gonna hate me.”
“You were clearly highly intoxicated that night, and I know you personally, they don’t know you,” Charlotte offered.
“Even then, if I was you, I don’t think I would like, let alone tolerate me right now,” you said, taking another sip from your drink, “I’m amazed you believed me so easily, and I am truly grateful you did.”
“If I didn’t know you so well I wouldn’t have believed you, but because of how well I know you, I believed you right away.” Charlotte said.
“What are you girls discussing?” Charles asked, as he and Arthur walked into the room. You slightly shook your head for Charlotte to understand to not say anything about what you were really discussing.
“Just girl stuff,” Charlotte answered, “Where’s Lorenzo and Ma?”
“Lorenzo went to put mom to bed,” Charles answered.
“Where's the girlfriend, Arthur?” You asked, noticing that Arthur’s girlfriend had been missing from the past few family events.
Arthur just sighed, “we got into it a few days ago.” You, Charlotte and Charles just rolled your eyes. Arthur and his girlfriend have been in an ongoing, off and on relationship for the past year. It’s gotten to the point where not even Arthur himself really cares how the two of them turn out.
-
“Seriously y/n, why won’t you come to the races anymore?” Arthur asked, the hurt evident in his eyes.
“I just don’t think it’s good idea for me to be there,” you said for the millionth time, “plus you know I’ll always support you even from my couch.”
“I know you’re always supporting me, but it would be great if you were at the races in person,” Arthur said, as he drove you home, since you moved further away from his family home and since you had a drink earlier in the night.
“Maybe when you race in Monaco, I’ll come to a race,” you teased light-heartedly.
“That’s not true, Charles was racing in Monaco, and you still didn’t show up, even when he got you a paddock pass,” Arthur said more seriously. Arthur’s tone had you rethinking your decision to stop going. You were just beginning to realize how your absences from the races affected the boys.
“Arthur it’s not that serious, you have a great deal of support, even without me there,” you said, not looking at Arthur.
“I know I have a lot of support, but I want you there too. So does Charles, it’s why he gets you a paddock pass every race weekend, even if you say you’re not gonna be there.”
“That’s not true Arthur, Charles…”
“Yes he has y/n,” Arthur said with a raised tone, getting frustrated at your dismissive attitude to the situation. “Charles gets you a paddock pass every race weekend, he has this entire season. He was just telling me and Lorenzo this the other day.”
“That’s why Lorenzo was pushing the issue tonight,” you say, more to yourself than to Arthur.
“Lorenzo was trying to get you to a race?” Arthur questioned, having no idea what you were talking about.
“Earlier tonight, Lorenzo was asking me why I haven’t gone to any of the races, he was really pushing it.”
At this moment, Arthur finally pulled up in front of your building, “me and Charles really miss you at the races, we get a lot of support from mom, and Lorenzo, and Charlotte, but we, both, want you to be there. You are the only one that raced with us in go-karts in the afternoon, and ate dinner at the same table in the same evening.”
“I’ll think about it Arthur, I have a lot going on too,” you said as you stepped out of the car, you turned back to shut the door, “thank you for the ride.”
Arthur waited there in the car, watching you go, making sure you made it in safely before driving off. Arthur knows that after the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix, you guys went out in Amsterdam. It was a big group that included Charles, Arthur, Lorenzo and a whole lot more. Arthur knows that night you got very intoxicated, and you kissed Charles, by accident. Charlotte was back in Monaco, she wasn’t there that night.
Arthur also knows that fans took a picture of you and Charles, it was all over twitter before you could even comprehend what you had done. You immediately apologized to Charles when you realized what you did. Charles was very understanding, finding the situation decently funny. And as soon as you could you immediately apologized to Charlotte as well, who took your apology kindly. Charlotte as well found the situation funny. They both knew you, and they both knew you meant no harm, you just weren’t in the right state of mind.
However Arthur also knows that the fans were quick to judge. He had seen the nasty comments they left you, he read a million and one articles written about you. Arthur had seen the rumors going around. Arthur knew how cruel, mean, and just downright awful the majority of the comments about you were.
But what Arthur, or Charles, or Lorenzo didn’t see, was the direct messages they left you when they figured out it was you in the picture. The amount of information they found about you. The fact that you Charlotte had to step in at your job, because you were on the verge of getting fired. The fact that the reason you moved further away from the Leclerc’s family home, was because people found your address and were sending you hate mail directly.
You knew what you did wrong, you repented, you apologized, you made amends for your actions. You weren’t denying that you were in the wrong, you just didn’t think that you deserved to be ‘burned on a stake like the witch you are,’ or that you ‘needed to be drowned in holy water.’ Which are the direct messages that people left you.
And you never told the boys any of this, because how would they feel about it? These are their fans at the end of the day. These are the people that come out to the races and cheer their name. These are the people that sport their colors, that buy their merch, that swear they can win it all. These are the people that ask for pictures with them, that ask for their autographs, that leave comments of encouragement and praise on their social media. You had no right to vilify their fans, when they support them more than you do.
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cherry-blossomtea · 5 months
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I love Horn as a character so much because of how completely totally clinically insane she is but she’s so good at hiding it that you’d never know unless you thought to look. And I think a lot of people overlook that in favor of “angry lady who explodes things” which is absolutely an accurate characterization but like.
Rita could have absolutely been a nepo baby, she’s like a countess or some shit, the Skamandroses are old Victorian money but in the fashion of her family name said “Nah fuck that” and joined the army until she earned her place into an elite squadron as a commander no less. Beloved and trusted by her platoon whom she gave everything she possibly had and it was her life. I think for her, being a soldier was what she could do. She was drawn to the structure of it, even if she didn’t necessarily think so highly of the institution. She wanted to fight and so she went to war teeth bared.
She adheres strictly to discipline and rules and order and she finds comfort in the routine and orderly. If something doesn’t fit into the boxes she knows she will make it fit or discard it. Her values are nigh unshakeable, but it is…interesting to see what she actually values. Protecting those who cannot defend themselves, fighting for the people she knows and loves, desperately trying to rein in the chaos she stumbles through as Victoria eats itself alive. I think growing up as the daughter of a count gave her that insight—Victoria, the empire, isn’t something worth defending. She would have been privy to the political upheaval and grown up alongside the coup that overthrew the Steam Knights and the monarchy. So of course she doesn’t fight for king or country. But fighting to maintain order, to halt corruption, to save the lives of individuals? That she can do. “For the greater good” is anathema to the paradigm that guides her life.
Of course, she has lost control of herself. Bagpipe mentions her interrogating a serial bomber and being so violent she left marks the imprisonment device (likely similar to the ones we see in Mansfield). Her files mention her family’s originium arts grant them combat prowess, at the the expense of their own selves, and it’s something she’s tapped into again and again.
And then the fucking County Hillock incident happened.
In the span of 24 hours she loses her friends one by one and is betrayed by her superiors. So now you’re looking at this kamikazee of a woman who is fueled by rage and vengeance alone because they took everything else that kept her going—her squadron, her friends, her faith in the Victorian army, her faith in her ideals. The only thing left to her was screaming in fury as she literally destroyed her own body in an attempt to get revenge. If she had her way, she would have gone down in that fight and been another name on that memorial. She sent Bagpipe away so that at least there was something left because god knew it wasn’t about to be her. At what point was it even about honor or some bullshit everyone else around her seemed to have abandoned? It wasn’t about deservedness or justice or righteousness. It was just ‘the army and Dublinn killed her squadmates Mandragora killed Cello’ and someone was going to pay.
She truly didn’t expect to survive and to her it was probably crueler that she did.
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chasedbyatlantic · 2 months
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comfort crowd, joel miller
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masterlist summary: IN WHICH — joel miller shows you and ellie how to properly play golf, he's in it to win it - without a doubt.
warnings: post outbreak!joel, pre-jackson era!joel, female reader, no use of y/n, implied relationship, ellie being the comedic relief, these three being a happy and loving family, mentions of weapons, swearing. lmk if i missed anything!
wordcount: 2.7k
a/n ha..haha... (im in denial). guys i thought this was really funny and this was my brilliant idea. plz i hope u love it LOL. remember to like, comment, reblog and follow for more! xoxo.
You hated lawn chairs for as long as you could remember. The pain of your skin getting lodged between cracked pieces of plastic, your skin slipping and sliding off from the seat when there was just a slight temperature change, you could name five thousand different things. Yet, right now, those were the least of your worries. A nice lawn chair propped up at the top of a house, overlooking the entire street. You were far from complaining, Joel as well.
The two of you not only walked for the entire day without taking any breaks, but had to keep up with Ellie, your 'special mission'. The little girl, immune to everything, was the fastest and most talkative kid you had ever came across, apocalypse or not. You were hesitant at first, as anyone would be, but grew to trust the girl with your life. She did protect you a handful of times, your reflexes not as keen as they used to be.
The three of you were in South Dakota right now, your car breaking down in Iowa and having to walk the rest of the way to Utah. You knew the whole thing was sketchy after Boston, but Joel was set in his ways. You never questioned that man, you feared that he knew too well to put the three of you in a bad situation.
The three of you were in the outskirts of some suburban town, already done clearing the street. By the amount of runners, and the walls built around, you could tell people used to live here. Not many people, five or six people at most. This place had reminded you a lot of Bill's place, though, you weren't sure if that was a good thing.
You were ripped out of your thoughts when you heard Ellie's voice ringing through your ears. "Do you wanna hear a construction joke?" Your hand fell onto your forehead, blocking out the sun that highlighted your face too much for your liking. A small 'Leave her alone, Ellie.' was heard from behind you, Joel wanting you to go back and rest. "Awh, fuck you Joel- you ruined it!" Ellie had complained, which only made you laugh, "But, I'm still working on it, the joke."
You had actually laughed, despite not wanting to. Her jokes were so bad, if there was an award given to the worst jokes ever said, Ellie would win it by a landslide. "That fits him, ya'know." You nodded your head over to Joel, who had made his way in front of the two of you, and knelt down to search through his bag. Ellie rose her brow, giving you a questionable look. "He was a very good fixer-upper."
Joel cut you off, "A contractor." You had nodded your head at that, "The best one'n Austin that is." You had added to his comment, and he could only let out a laugh. Ellie had asked him what a contractor was, and he explained it as you shut your eyes and just- enjoyed the sun for a moment. It was hot as fuck outside, you didn't deny that, but not having to drag your feet across the hot pavement for the next while was so damn nic-
Splash. You yelped as your eyes shot open, scanning the surrounding area. You weren't sure if it were your survivor instincts, or this just really fucking pissing you off, but you were ready to pounce on whoever did this to you. In fact, you had taken out your knife that was tucked away in your waistband, the sunlight reflecting heavily off of the blade.
You turned your head, to see not only Ellie, but Joel laughing. Ellie was one thing, but Joel too? This had to be some inside joke or something, you thought to yourself. "I'm going to fucking kill you guys." You did everything in your power to suppress your smile as you stood up, put your knife back in your waistband, and launched forward. You grabbed onto Joel as he did nothing in his power to stop you, just standing there with his arms crossed and a smile to his face, but Ellie? Oh no, she ran back, and to the other side of the roof.
"Alright," You admitted defeat, "One's good enough for me, run away while you can, Ellie." This brought an even bigger smile to her face, she was having fun with this. Sometimes, you forgot Ellie was just a kid. Ellie didn't have a childhood, not whatsoever- the poor girl lives in the fucking apocalypse, for Christ sake. If she wants to have fun like this, let her. You had planned to talk to Joel soon about not dropping her off with the doctors in Salt Lake City, but who knew if he would even consider that.
The three of you played around for a while longer, careful not to get too close to the edge of the roof and have the possibility of falling off. You three were acting like a family, maybe not the sanest one, but a family. After these months out by yourselves, you may as well be family. You would take a bullet for Joel or Ellie, within a heartbeat.
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"Alright, Joel." You had replied, "Whatever you say." He could only chuckle as he folded his arms now, leaning against the space beside the window. You had abandoned the lawn chair, and were now laying down right in front of him. It was uncomfortable for you, but he was definitely not complaining about you being there. You two weren't officially a couple, but you acted like it. Kisses being exchanged here and there, the occasional hand holding, sleeping in the same bed every night. You had claimed it was because it made you sleep easier, which wasn't totally wrong, but you knew Joel loved it.
"I'm tellin' ya'," He held his hands up un defense, "A degree in doodlin' was stupid, ya' could've saved a shit load'o money." You two were conversing about your lives before the apocalypse, school and what not. Ever since Ellie brought up the whole contractor thing, it had been on your mind. You met Joel when he and his brother Tommy (you think it was) had started to fix up your house, but the project never got finished due to- well, everything.
"'Kay, Mister 'I fix houses'. Not like I would’ve gotten a job, anyway." You could only laugh at this, "Plus," You added, "I only minored in arts. My major was environmental biology." Joel went back to crossing his arms, his brow cocked back. "My girl's a biologist, eh? Best get you to Utah too, ya' can help'n restoring the planet." He let it slide off his tongue so easily, his girl. It felt too innocent coming from him, knowing what he would use that little pet name for all too well. Though, you liked when he did that, he wasn't much of a PDA man so it was nice when the two of you were alone like this.
Speaking too soon about being alone, Ellie had popped back out of the window and basically gave Joel a heart attack. You brought your hand over your mouth to cover your laughs as Joel shot you a look, and Ellie yelling a quick 'sorry!'. Though, she was excited about something. "You will absolutely not believe what I fucking found while snooping around!" Joel turned his glare from you over to Ellie, "Ellie," He began, "You know what I told ya' 'bout lookin' in these homes." He set a rule with her at the start of this mission, that she would never explore more than they needed to. For example, in this house, he didn't want her to look around and find photographs of the previous homeowners and grow- attached, in some sort. You weren't really sure, you found the rule stupid.
"Doesn't matter, I was bored as fuck." She then tossed this case over, it landed in between of you and Joel. By looking at it, you would've assumed it was a guitar case, though, it was too skinny to be a guitar. Following suit, another smaller and more round case may it's way over, hitting the first and landing beside it. "Guess." Your eyes moved from the cases to Joel, having no clue what this could be. He shared the lost look, both of you turning your attention back to Ellie.
"Ugh, you guys are such grandparents." That had to be an insult, you thought to yourself. Joel, yeah sure, but you? No way. Before you had time to bicker with the girl, she reached forward and started to unzip the cases. You were pelted with small balls in a matter of seconds, not processing what they were yet. It was only after actually picking one up from the tens of them that were on your lap, that you realized what they were.
Golf balls. Ellie had found a golf set. Thank god for these rich South Dakota folk, for a nice and big roof, and now this. You hadn’t golfed in twenty years, so this was going to be so much fun. You looked up to see how Joel was reacting to this, he looked to be somewhat interested as well. "Alright, before we do anythin'," Joel started as he got up, "Clean these up and we'll do everythin' in an orderly fashion." Even if he was acting like an old man right now, he was your old man.
Ellie did so while Joel helped you up, a reassuring hand placed on the small of your back and the other intertwined between your fingers. You were surprised, this was the most affection he had showed you around Ellie. Though, you weren't complaining. After what felt like forever (once again, no complaints), he let go and Ellie turned in unison. "I have to admit this, nobody laugh. I have no fucking clue how to golf."
Before the man beside you had time to reply, you did for him. "Joel'll show you, he's the best golfer outta the three of us." You brought your arm up and rested it on his shoulder for a moment, before giving him a few reassuring pats on his chest. "Go get 'em, tiger." He was annoyingly staring at you, knowing this would only amuse you.
"Get two clubs, kid." He ordered Ellie, (gently) shoving you off of him. He shook his head at you, eyes lingering for a moment too long, before moving over to the edge of the roof. He would find a way to get you back, you could feel it. As Ellie searched through the bag to find the tallest club, you went over to find a few tees. Once the tees were in hand, and the case of golf balls in the other, you made your way over to where Joel was.
As you set up the tees and golf balls in an appropriate place, just on the edge of the roof, Joel started to explain this whole thing to Ellie. She looked mesmerized, the few times you turned your head to see this. Joel acting like a teacher and all to her was sweet, when he usually treated her like an adult. Not that Joel was Ellie's father by any stretch of the way, but it was nice she got to experience a father-daughter moment right now. It warmed your heart too much.
After Ellie was taught the correct form, Joel moved her in front of the tee and ball, helping her get the correct stance before swinging. It missed, by a foot. This sent you through the roof (figuratively, not literally), you couldn't help yourself. Ellie was a bright red from embarrassment as she cursed you out, and Joel couldn't help himself either.
Ellie swung twice more with added force each time, before successfully hitting the golf ball. it went flying, not far, but high. "Good job, kid." Joel congratulated her, despite just laughing about her misfortunes prior. You rose your hand up beside her head, she replied with a high five and you two giggled. Since Joel's job was done, he now picked up his club and went to the tee set up to the right of Ellie. You followed suit with the left.
It took you a moment to get back into the swing of things, the last time you had moved your body like this was- well, dealing with runners. After a swing or two, it came back to you like you had been playing golf for the last twenty years. Joel too, from the looks of it. He let out a complaint or two about how this would strain his joints, but you guys were planning on spending a day or two here anyway.
Eventually, the three of you had came up with a game. Whoever could punt their balls the farthest wins. It was simple, really, but there were little roadblocks in the way- cars, mailboxes, you name it. Ellie's golf balls were blue, yours were red, and Joel's were yellow. You had counted down from three, indicating when all of you could start.
Three. You placed your feet in the appropriate position, cracking your neck just a little. Ellie twisted the club in her hand, as if it were a pencil or something. Joel stayed calm, his club resting on the floor.
Two. You rose your club into the swinging position, focusing on the middle of the red golf ball right in front of you. Ellie took notice of what you were doing and copied the motion, she was eager to hit it on the first go this time. Joel slightly raised his now, still sluggishly moving.
One. You started to move your club to hit the ball, Ellie too. After both of yours were hit in sync, you could hear Joel's being hit after. Your eyes made their way over to him, to examine his strategy, he was still remaining calm. This annoyed you, to say the least.
The three of you went through thirty golf balls each, eventually punting at your own pace. You were the first to finish, feeling pretty proud of yourself of where the balls had landed. Ellie was next, she was proud too. After not golfing for her entire life, this looked pretty promising. Joel was last, no surprise to that. He took his sweet time and finished around five minutes after you and Ellie were done, only earning snickers from Ellie.
"Alright," You told the girl, "Go down'n check who made it the farthest." She obliged, a small 'yes ma'am' before taking off for the window. Your eyes followed her with a smile to your face, "Havin' fun, aren't ya'?" Joel asked. You turned back around to face him, "Not as much as you are, clearly."
He knew he was acting cocky, and was for the past little while. Though, since you definitely didn't seem to mind, he kept up the act. "Ya'know what would make this even better?" He asked you, shifting his weight from his right leg to his left. You tilted your head, indicating that you were waiting for a response. "A golf cart." Before you had time to slap him for his ridiculous request, Ellie was yelling something from down the street.
You averted your attention from Joel, and now at the girl. She was mouthing something, that only you were able to understand after she repeated herself four times. Joel. Joel had won, for fuck sakes. "Well, shit." Was all you could say. He, on the other hand, was ecstatic, the most ecstatic you had ever seen him. For a moment, while he acted like that, you enjoyed it. Joel was having fun, that's what had mattered- he had to let loose every once in a while too.
After a moment, he collected himself once again. The same grin plastered on his face, though, as he folded his arms across his chest and watched as Ellie ran back over to the house. Before she came up, he nudged your shoulder. "Today was fun, eh?" He asked you, which had earned your head nodding almost too quick as a response. "Y'ur a pretty good golfer too, I guess." He admitted. You could only laugh, nudging his arm back. "Not as good as you, Mister Winner. Ya' should've skipped contractor school and went pro golf."
comfort crowd, conan gray
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rowanyx · 3 months
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So in the Adventuring Party, Brennan asked Beardsley whether there is a world in which Kristen gives up being a Cleric.
Mechanics-wise, I understand why the response was a no. That kind of big change would have a lot of restructuring to do, from the character sheet to minis to even plot changes, which would be difficult mid-season like this. (See Riz's sub-class change from Inquisitor to Arcane Trickster happening now, rather than when we actually met Pok)
Story-wise, though, I respectfully disagree. In fact, I posit there is many a world in which Kristen could change her class.
The big one, I think, would be Paladin. Especially either Redemption or Oathbreaker. After all, you could easily argue that this whole situation (i.e. Cassandra seeing Kristen not putting her priesthood first, dying, and the new mysterious voice that taunted the party with the rotting corpse of the god Kristen already failed) cumulates into exactly the type of description for an Oathbreaker (going back on their word and then joining up with some evil entity instead). And, well, after two gods dying, one you've very much stated to want to be good for but can't get yourself to do so, sounds very much like the type of person that would seek Redemption. If not for themselves, at least for others.
And this could also work to show sort of backslide into the Applebee's family drama. After all, we know Bucky just started as a Paladin himself. He's probably not high enough leveled to have a sub-class of his own, but doesn't Redemption fit? The kid who was forced into Kristen's old role, who is already going around trying to save his classmates from Hell? If Kristen did switch to Paladin, they would most likely share classes (something like Gorgug's Artificier track, school-wise). A perfect opportunity to flesh out the relationship there, either to save Bucky from Mac and Donna or have him 'save' Kristen.
Of course, these are just two of the easier paths to see.
Porter did want another Bad Kid in his classes, didn't he?
Maybe Kristen finds she desires a guide and becomes a Totem Warrior Barbarian.
Maybe Kristen decides that just because her parents suck, doesn't mean the whole bloodline did. This causes her to delve into old records and come out of it as a Path of the Ancestral Guardian Barbarian.
Another idea, given the Buff Kristen movement, is a Fighter. Especially the training and power describing a Champion or the fighting spirit of a Samurai, to lose so many gods and keep going.
Or maybe she finds the issue is the evangelizing. That she cannot dedicate herself to bringing others into her path, but still desiring a higher being to help her. There are many to make a Warlock Contract with. She's even living with one, technically, by way of Fig's Archdevil job.
You could even argue for an Eloquence Bard, with all the speeches and now the Presidency campaign.
Or hey, Cassandra was a moon goddess, wasn't she? Maybe even a Lunar Sorcerer.
Unlikely but theoretically possible, she's just desperate to fix something and takes up Artificing. After all, how different can a Battle Smith really be? It's still healing and protecting, right?
Or, let's revisit an old topic. At the top of the game, Kristen was called the Chosen One. We saw that title following her even after leaving Helio. Sol treated her kindly for it, she invented YES! and even reinvented it into YES?. An argument can even be made that that's part of why Cassandra was fixed so easily after clinging to her. But what is that? Where is that power from? Perhaps some new magic awakens in Kristen. That of a Divine Soul Sorcerer.
Just, Kristen, taking a hard look at religion and Clericdom and deciding maybe it wasn't right for her.
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