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incorrectguardians · 2 years ago

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On Otulissa, and her similarities to the villains.

I don’t have to go into why she’s such a loved character, I could gush so much about Otulissa just in general, any day of the week, but there’s something curious about her growth and development throughout the series.

Otulissa is a very fun character, because she very much, more often than not, acts as a foil to the major and sometimes minor villains. Most notably to The Striga and Gemma, yet surprisingly, also to Nyra.

While I wouldn’t go so far as to call Otulissa and Nyra foils, they are connected and quite similar, Otulissa is the one who gave Nyra her scar, after all.

Here, so:

Nyra’s a very vengeful and vindictive owl, she’s named after an ancient tradition of Nyrolian Owls, and takes pride in it, reminding everyone of it when she can.

She believes that violence is the only way to achieve what she wants. Violence and conquering, to achieve full and total control of the owl kingdoms.

She loved Kludd cause he was the only one who could match her, they could create a powerful union together, and bring the Pure Ones to a new era. They were perfect for each other, complimented each other.

That sounds a little familiar, doesn’t it? At its core at least.

While I would not call Otulissa a vengeful owl as in that she believes in an “eye for an eye,” but she is vindictive as in, how to put it…

It’s partly due to the fact that Otulissa and the rest were only just ‘grown’ when the first whispers of the Pure Ones arose, they still had so much left to learn. The scar she gave Nyra was during the first official battle she ever fought, and it was out of revenge. Nyra had just killed her beloved mentor, Strix Struma.

Otulissa has a very strong sense of what is right, and what is wrong. When she feels she has been wronged, she’ll do whatever she can to make it right. This does lead to spats, disagreements, this can lead to violence. She's demonstrated moments of rage and anger when she has been wronged, but it’s not because she believes in an eye for an eye.

Otulissa is a very traditional name for a female spotted owl in the Northern Kingdoms, a mark of very distinguished heritage, and she takes a lot of pride in that fact.

But Otulissa is not from the Northern Kingdoms, she knew that her ancestors came from there to the south at some point (evidenced by the discovery of her beloved Strix Emerilla), but she’d barely have an idea of how many generations separate her from that era. Otulissa was born and grew up in the Southern Kingdoms. She was also orphaned very young, like the rest, it’s likely she only knew the tip of the iceberg regarding her family (added to what Audrey may have told her). Everything she knows about them is from her own research. She wanted to be just like her distinguished predecessors.

Nyra, however, is from the Northern Kingdoms, and she’s similarly named after an ancient tradition that spans back centuries, maybe even before the time of the legends. She carries the name of that first, ancient, Nyra. She also takes a lot of pride in that fact, naming her son after the same tradition. Nyra is just like her predecessors, born on the night of an eclipse, but she uses that power for evil. In comparison to Otulissa, she knows her heritage, grew up at her roots. She also describes herself as a very practical owl, much like Otulissa.

Regardless, Nyra thought she was better than everyone else.

But in Otulissa’s case, if her peers only thought that Otulissa thought that she was better than everyone else, it didn’t matter. Because whether or not she, at some point, actually believed so, very soon her and everyone else were going to get a shock that made them stop believing that. You can thank the Pure Ones.

There’s a dangerous slope there, between what is simply just pride in one’s heritage, and the great evil that Nyra was threatening.

Everyone is going through their own struggles, everyone is just like everyone else. Otulissa just needed to learn how to live with it.

Even so, Otulissa puts quite a bit of emphasis on this heritage of hers, something that I cannot accurately claim is unique to her, but is definitely brought to attention more through her than anyone else.

This gives her a contrast to other characters we meet, who are often instead proof that it is not someone’s origin that matters, it’s their actions that count. While Otulissa still knows this, she struggles with it at times, and is shown to be close minded, calling Soren treasonous when he had refused to train Skench and Sproon in The Burning.

When she met Cleve, she grew interested, they were much alike, he was perfect, such a distinguished gentleman, in her eyes. Like Nyra, It certainly felt like another match made in Glaumora (well, Hagsmire for Kludd and Nyra).

Otulissa was shocked to find out that he was a pacifist. Because he was a prince with such an illustrious history! From a long line of warriors! From the same hollow Strix Emerilla came from! For Glaux’s sake!

If Nyra were here, she would have spat at something and called him a coward, yeepish, etc etc.

Otulissa? Otulissa did not say any of those things out loud.

She’s instead just, extremely confused. Because why wouldn’t she be. For one, she’s from The Great Tree, she’s been growing up and learning how to fight. At the moment she met Cleve in The Burning, she’s coming into her own, preparing for a war strategy that she came up with, that she knows is vital to stopping the Pure Ones and vanquishing the evil. She knows that there would be no simply talking to them, that there would be no ‘negotiating for peace’ with the Pure Ones, that war is the only option.

And for another, Cleve is from an aristocratic family that is drenched in a history of warfare. Otulissa herself is very proud of the weathertrixes in her own family. She doesn’t understand why he would still choose to be a pacifist, isn’t he proud?

On the other hand, a Nyrolian owl is always destined for great things. To Nyra’s credit, conquering the owl kingdoms believing it is their Glaux-given right as Barn Owls, is a ‘great’ thing indeed (Even if horrific). In fact, in her eyes, the only great thing worth striving for. As a Nyrolian Owl, shouldn’t her own son agree? Be striving for it as well?

But… back to Otulissa, if there’s one thing she’s been learning to do so far, it’s how to open her mind. So she and Cleve begin to understand one another, even if their differences are vast.

And then when Coryn, the son of Nyra, came to the Beyond and met Otulissa. It was part of a continuous lesson she’s been learning, that heritage doesn’t have to mean anything to you if you don’t want it to, and it dictates nothing.

It’s what you do with it, whether it’s in spite of, or with respect to, or in defiance of it, that matters from start to finish.

Gemma was the creator of the Guardians of the Guardians of the Ember, so otherwise, she’s not a major villain. There’s a bit of foreshadowing at the beginning of The Golden Tree, where she constantly mentioned Ezylryb and how she shares a kinship with him because they were both Whiskered Screeches. Trying to claim things about him that were completely incorrect, of course everyone in the moment who knew him personally had something to say about it. But again, it sounds familiar.

You could say that Gemma started out the same way as Otulissa, not knowing who she was, relying on how others similar to her, who came before her, were like. Gemma never knew her heritage face to face, neither did Otulissa, she likely read about it, just like Otulissa.

Like Otulissa, Gemma has a strong sense of what is right in her eyes, and what is wrong. But Gemma didn’t care whether or not what she was saying was factually correct or not, she was okay with lying as a means to getting her way. Because, according to Gemma, if she’s just like her ancestors, then clearly her ancestors were just like her and believed the same things she did. Otulissa however, all she did was read, read, read, and read, searching for what was fact and separating it from what was false. Otulissa leaves very little to assumptions, and further still has very little patience for what’s fictional.

However, I’m not sure if anyone tried to help Gemma or not, because it’s clear that she’s younger than Otulissa, or at the very least hasn’t been at the Great Tree for as long. But not young in general, because she’s in parliament.

Yet she remained as she did, and the events of The Golden Tree happened as they did. Gemma did not develop an open mind and instead let herself get consumed by her own fear and ignorance, and Otulissa didn’t.

Mostly because Otulissa was sitting in jail the entire time.

In general, Otulissa always hated anything and everything that could be considered flashy, vulgar, and completely unnecessary. Always has and won’t budge. No owl would need to wear clothes, that’s an Others thing. Her hollow only needs what is beneficial to her work, and of course, a perch and nest to sleep on. She’ll pursue her own comfort, evidenced by her keeping a coal grate in her hollow in The Hatchling. But she wouldn’t keep anything solely for its aesthetic value, and, when she was younger, actively scorned others when she saw that they did.

Of course, as an adult, she now mostly begrudges it, accepting that it’s just not for her, and would not deny an owl the right to have them. Even going as far as agreeing to hide Madame Plonk’s teacup for her during The Golden Tree.

Similarly, Otulissa despised joke books because she found them completely vulgar and they taught nothing. She didn’t mind, but could not find herself interested in fiction. She wanted to know what was real and true. But she loved poems and music, because they often reflected things like the writer’s personal life, the state of the world, and the feelings in one's gizzard, and that was real to her.

Once again, despite her reservations, she would never prevent another owl from reading any sort of book.

She couldn’t stand it when others would mess around and make unprofessional what an important outing with the chaw was going to be, especially when it’s her own teacher perpetuating and encouraging it. It’s very undignified, nothing like her.

So when The Striga was welcomed to the Great Tree and began talking about ‘vanity,’ Otulissa, now grown, found that she could agree, to an extent. But what The Striga was suggesting bordered on dangerous.

At a glance, The Striga assumed that he and Otulissa were very much alike, two birds of a feather, but the feeling was absolutely not mutual.

When he met Otulissa in the library, The Striga claimed that only the practical studies were free of vanity, that anything else was “anti-glaux,” and that he approved of Otulissa’s choice of book at the moment (a book on atmospheric pressure, by Strix Emerilla, of course). But added on that one should never be too prideful, that pride was another vanity.

Otulissa was very proud of her ancestors, but was never one who did something for the approval of someone else. Everyone is different, going through their own struggles, just like everyone else. Due to previous events in her life, Otulissa was also instinctually wary of any owl that attempted to preach an ideal Owl World based on quantities of “purity.” Even if The Striga had tried to call it “true owlness.”

The Striga then attempted to use this encounter to get Otulissa out of the Great Tree, along with the band, but he clearly underestimated her, since she elected to stay behind. The encounter also later gave Otulissa what she needed to make the decision to smuggle books out of the Great Tree, the ones she felt were at risk of disappearing thanks to The Striga.

Then later, when she lost her eye, she went one step further to separate herself just a little bit more from The Striga’s ideals. With Trader Mags’ help, someone who she historically never got along with, she picked out a rather “jaunty” bandana for herself to wear over the injury. Saying that there was nothing wrong with a bit of vanity.

I don’t believe that were Otulissa left to her own devices, she’d grow up to be something evil. Likely only just bitter, snooty, stuck-up, and snobbish and a ryb who was a horrible teacher that everyone hated and would celebrate when she died. Much like Dewlap, who I omitted from this analysis because …. I forgot, my bad, because this is long enough as it is.

But she had friends and rybs who taught her as much as she taught them, and instead she grew up to be a, still a bit snooty, ryb whose a great teacher… despite the mixed opinions of her students.

I just think it’s very interesting that she’s had so many similarities to the villains that seem purposeful.

Because Otulissa was never something to be fixed, there was never anything wrong with her, she didn’t have to get a new personality. Everything she grew into was something she did herself, she just needed someone to see who she truly was, what she could do.

#guardians of ga'hoole #gahoole #ga'hoole #guardians of gahoole #otulissa #nyra #the striga #gemma #analysis #I started crying a little at the end there #mostly because this is an edited version of the one I wrote in a notebook #underneath a nightlight at 3 am #yknow how it is

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lunar-years · 9 months ago

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what tswift (or others) define the ot3/the legs of the ot3? i think renegade is a v. s2 roy keeley song!

YESSSS renegade is THE roykeeley s2 song to me. It is so perfect. I also think it works for the larger ot3 as well.

Anyway this is such a fun question and something I have already thought about at length because, well, I am me 😂 Here's my playlist (with a few bonus songs from other artists):

JamieKeeley

Now That We Don't Talk - This is post-breakup s2 jamiekeeley when they've grown distanced from one another and they only hear about one another through the press/Keeley is watching from the outside as Jamie burns his life up on Lust Conquers All. The "You part the crowd like the Red Sea, don't even get me started / Did you get anxious though, on the way home?" line is sooooo them, because they know one another beyond their public images and can see past the facade.

Gorgeous - they're both gorgeous people <3 enough said, really. But yeah this gives me biggg early relationship vibes when they first meet at a club or agency party or what have you. :)

Lunar Years (Maisie Peters) - I have had in my head the vague outline of a relationship-spanning jamiekeeley fic titled after this song for like 2 years lmao. lord knows if it will ever see the light of day. But this is my VERY favorite jamiekeeley song. It's about breaking up and getting along better for it afterward, but still sort of being in love, and EVERY LINE is about them my god. fav: "I'm a nicer person now I'm not your person, funny how that works, and funny that we're working now"

RoyKeeley

Renegade - (ultimate roykeeley song)

Everything Has Changed - s1 roykeeley. "Dust off your highest hopes" is sooo applicable to them because before getting together they both have kind of resigned themselves to meaningless relationships (Keeley) or no relationships (Roy) because they assume that love like that is unattainable for them. Then they get together and everything changes, and for both of them it's kind of their first truly serious, life-altering relationship. ahhhhhh!!

My Boy Only Breaks His Favorite Toys - breakup RoyKeeley from Keeley's pov :( "the voices in his head called the rain to end our days of wild" "saw forever so he smashed it up" "I'll tell you that he runs because he loves me" "I felt more when we played pretend than with all the kens" wow i'm so sad.

How Did It End? - this is also about RoyKeeley's breakup and dealing with the fallout of a very public relationship with an undefinable/hard to explain ending. The reaction we see at the club of the team finding out has got to be just like...the tip of the iceberg :( Everyone they know wants to know Why this seemingly perfect couple broke up and Roy and Keeley can't even explain because they (well, Keeley in particular) still don't understand it themselves.

RoyJamie

I Can See You - This is the s2/s3 unresolved sexual tension royjamie song. they want to get it on soooo bad. soooo bad!! nobody can ever find out about that tho. obviously. 🤪 "I've been watching you for ages and I spend my time trying not to feel it"

invisible string - idk the soulmatism is so strong with these two tbh. Like, it's literally off the charts. something something the signed poster on Jamie's wall. 69. all along there was some invisible string tying you to me wasn't there!!

OT3:

cowboy like me - they get each other on a really deep level because they match each other's freak :) and they all have anxiety about forever but ultimately decide it's worth the risk for each other. "and the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up"

delicate - to me this song is perfect for the beginning of their relationship when they aren't out or public and they all are trying sooo hard to hold on to this precious thing with one another because they know it means more than anything that's come before and they don't want to f it up again.

Long Story Short - it took them a long ass time to individually get their shit together and then all be on the same page as a unit, but they got there eventually! ❤️

Mastermind - Jamie literally masterminded the three of them oh my god. posters on the wall part 2. "What if i told you none of it was accidental, and the first time that I saw you, I knew I wanted your body." I mean, YEAH.

Shade of Yellow (Griff) - Okay, so this is my current favorite rjk song. it's soooo soft and simple and beautiful. their home is where the others are. they are one another's comfort and peace. i'm crying. "there's a light in your room and it burns like a shade of yellow / And it makes me feel sane in the head and I swear that's rare these days"

Isimo (Bleachers) - something something emerging out of your damaged past to a bright future with people who love you and are willing to help you carry the load. realizing you've survived. "I'd follow you down down down down to the water, way down to any kind of chance"

#royjamiekeeley #roykeeley #jamiekeeley #royjamie #playlists #asks #taylor swift #ship post #ted lasso #tunes

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istumpysk · 2 years ago

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OPERATION ICEBERG: THE TIER LIST

THEORY:

Theon's bastard

TIER:

People's Choice! I'm going to need a little more consensus on this one.

Under Consideration: These theories haven't garnered strong or extensive evidence, but they're worthy of discussion.

vs.

50/50: These theories are complete toss-ups.

vs.

Low Probability: While not impossible, these theories are unlikely based on the current evidence.

[Tier list overview]

EVIDENCE:

Another theory involving Theon having a secret child?

You bet!

What's the theory?

Theon impregnated the daughter of the captain of the Myraham.

Proof?

The Myraham is a trading cog from Oldtown captained by a large man.

At the beginning of A Clash of Kings, Theon Greyjoy hires the Myraham to transport him from Seagard to Lordsport to meet with his father, Balon Greyjoy.

The Myraham was a fat-bellied southron merchanter up from Oldtown, carrying wine and cloth and seed to trade for iron ore. Her captain was a fat-bellied southron merchanter as well, and the stony sea that foamed at the feet of the castle made his plump lips quiver, so he stayed well out, farther than Theon would have liked. An ironborn captain in a longship would have taken them along the cliffs and under the high bridge that spanned the gap between the gatehouse and the Great Keep, but this plump Oldtowner had neither the craft, the crew, nor the courage to attempt such a thing. - Theon I, ACOK

The journey took longer than Theon anticipated, giving him extra time for other activities.

A longship would have made the crossing in half the time as well. The Myraham was a wallowing tub, if truth be told, and he would not care to be aboard her in a storm. - Theon I, ACOK

What other activities, you might wonder? Taking the captain's daughter to bed.

Still, Theon could not be too unhappy. He was here, undrowned, and the voyage had offered certain other amusements. He put an arm around the captain's daughter. "Summon me when we make Lordsport," he told her father. "We'll be below, in my cabin." He led the girl away aft, while her father watched them go in sullen silence. - Theon I, ACOK

The cabin was the captain's, in truth, but it had been turned over to Theon's use when they sailed from Seagard. The captain's daughter had not been turned over to his use, but she had come to his bed willingly enough all the same. A cup of wine, a few whispers, and there she was. - Theon I, ACOK

We don't know much about the captain's daughter, but we do know she was an older maiden.

Late teens, perhaps? Early twenties? Not sure.

The girl was a shade plump for his taste, with skin as splotchy as oatmeal, but her breasts filled his hands nicely and she had been a maiden the first time he took her. That was surprising at her age, but Theon found it diverting. - Theon I, ACOK

The captain's daughter becomes enamored with Theon and wishes to accompany him ashore as his salt wife, but Theon isn't interested.

"I'd work in your castle, milord. I can clean fish and bake bread and churn butter. Father says my peppercrab stew is the best he's ever tasted. You could find me a place in your kitchens and I could make you peppercrab stew." "Once I might have carried you home as a prize, and kept you to wife whether you willed it or no. The ironmen of old did such things. A man had his rock wife, his true bride, ironborn like himself, but he had his salt wives too, women captured on raids." The girl's eyes grew wide, and not because he had bared her breasts. "I would be your salt wife, milord." "I fear those days are gone." - Theon I, ACOK

The girl begs Theon to take her with him, fearing her father will punish her once he departs.

~Foreshadowing alert~

Theon remains indifferent and suggests that her father should be grateful, as she's probably pregnant, and not everyone has the privilege of raising Reek's a king's bastard.

"My father," she told him. "Once you're gone, he'll punish me, milord. He'll call me names and hit me." Theon swept his cloak off its peg and over his shoulders. "Fathers are like that," he admitted as he pinned the folds with a silver clasp. "Tell him he should be pleased. As many times as I've fucked you, you're likely with child. It's not every man who has the honor of raising a king's bastard." She looked at him stupidly, so he left her there. - Theon I, ACOK

In the following Theon chapter, we learn that Balon is not allowing the Myraham or any other ships to depart the Iron Islands.

Theon quickened his stride as they neared the Myraham, rocking high and empty by the quay. Her captain had tried to sail a fortnight past, but Lord Balon would not permit it. None of the merchantmen that called at Lordsport had been allowed to depart again; his father wanted no word of the hosting to reach the mainland before he was ready to strike. "Milord," a plaintive voice called down from the forecastle of the merchanter. The captain's daughter leaned over the rail, gazing after him. Her father had forbidden her to come ashore, but whenever Theon came to Lordsport he spied her wandering forlornly about the deck. "Milord, a moment," she called after him. "As it please milord . . ." - Theon II, ACOK

Midway through the next book, A Storm of Swords, we learn that the Myraham was detained by Balon for more than six months. Amid the chaos of Balon's death and Euron's return, the captain fled.

Robb waited for Ser Raynald to close the tent flap. "The gods have heard our prayers, my lords. Lord Jason has brought us the captain of the Myraham, a merchanter out of Oldtown. Captain, tell them what you told me." "Aye, Your Grace." He licked his thick lips nervously. "My last port of call afore Seagard, that was Lordsport on Pyke. The ironmen kept me there more'n half a year, they did. King Balon's command. Only, well, the long and the short of it is, he's dead." - Catelyn V, ASOS

And that's the last we hear of the Myraham.

Are you sure?

No.

In A Feast for Crows, after Samwell arrives in Oldtown, he notices a young mother with a baby just a bit older than Mance's boarding a ship.

At the Weeping Dock, he watched two acolytes help an old man into a boat for the short voyage to the Bloody Isle. A young mother climbed in after him, a babe not much older than Gilly's squalling in her arms. - Samwell V, AFFC

To clarify:

The ship is anchored in Oldtown.

The Myraham is a trading cog from Oldtown.

The girl boarding the ship is described as a young mother.

The Myraham's captain's daughter was an older maiden.

Samwell observes that the baby is slightly older than Mance's child, who was born towards the end of A Storm of Swords.

In Catelyn V, ASOS, we learn that the Myraham was detained at the Iron Islands for just over six months.

The timing aligns perfectly.

And that's it.

COUNTER-EVIDENCE:

There's no counter-evidence to consider; it's just a matter of whether you find a single sentence in a Samwell chapter enough to be credible.

I suppose you could argue that it's completely inconsequential.

STUMPY'S THOUGHTS:

I find it a bit odd the author gives us a timeline for the Myraham and the age of the baby in Oldtown.

Clearly, Asha will rule the Iron Islands, Theon will die, and none of this matters. Nonetheless, I lean towards it being a clever little easter egg that George included for shits and giggles.

VOTE:

I welcome discussions. Feel free to reblog, respond, or challenge my perspective—I won't be offended by any of it.

Please note, if "no" is the eventual winner, or if it's competitive, a second poll will be conducted to determine the proper location.

NEXT THEORY:

UnVictarion

[Main menu]

#operation iceberg #asoiaf theory tier list #theory 15 #theon's bastard

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getbudslegalize · 9 months ago

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Patagonia Travel Guide - Discover the Ultimate Adventure Destination

Patagonia Travel Guide: Ultimate Adventures in the Wild

Patagonia, a region spanning the southern tip of South America, is where the elements come together in their rawest form. Straddling Argentina and Chile, Patagonia is a land of contrasts: from the windswept plains of the Patagonian steppe to the towering granite peaks of the Andes, from the lush temperate rainforests to the arid deserts. This region is a haven for adventurers and nature lovers alike, offering some of the planet's most dramatic landscapes and diverse ecosystems. Discover the ultimate adventure destination with this Patagonia Travel Guide.

Top Trekking Routes in Patagonia

Patagonia is renowned for its world-class trekking routes that cater to all levels of hikers, from beginners to seasoned mountaineers. Below, we delve deeper into some of the most iconic and challenging trails that this magnificent region has to offer. The W Trek in Torres del Paine National Park

The W Trek is the most famous trekking route in Torres del Paine National Park, Chile. The trail traces a W-shaped path through the park, passing through the most iconic landscapes, including the towering granite spires of the Torres del Paine, the glacial waters of Lake Nordenskjöld, and the ethereal Grey Glacier. Each day on the trail brings a new adventure, with opportunities to see diverse wildlife such as guanacos, Andean foxes, and the elusive puma.- Highlights: Mirador Base Las Torres, French Valley, Grey Glacier - Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 4-5 DaysBest Time to Trek: The optimal time to embark on the W Trek is during the Southern Hemisphere's summer months, from November to March. During this period, the weather is more stable, and the days are longer, allowing for more time to explore the stunning landscapes. Mirador Base Las Torres

The hike to Mirador Base Las Torres is one of the most challenging yet rewarding segments of the W Trek. Starting from the Refugio Chileno, the trail ascends steeply through ancient lenga forests before reaching a boulder field that leads to the viewpoint. The sight of the three granite towers rising vertically above the glacial lake is the quintessential image of Patagonia and a moment that will stay with you forever.- Difficulty: Challenging - Duration: 7-8 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: Start early to catch the sunrise at the viewpoint, as the towers glow with a mesmerizing pink hue during the early morning hours. French Valley

The French Valley is the heart of the W Trek and offers some of the most spectacular scenery in Torres del Paine. The trail winds through dense forests and alongside the turquoise waters of Lake Nordenskjöld before reaching the hanging glaciers of the French Valley. As you ascend, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views of the surrounding mountains, including the jagged Cuernos del Paine and the distant icefields.- Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 5-6 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: Be prepared for strong winds, especially as you ascend towards the viewpoint. The weather in the valley can change rapidly, so pack layers and rain gear. Grey Glacier

The final leg of the W Trek leads to the stunning Grey Glacier, a massive ice formation that stretches as far as the eye can see. The trail follows the shores of Lake Grey, where icebergs that have calved from the glacier float serenely in the water. The view above the glacier is nothing short of awe-inspiring, with the vast expanse of ice extending into the horizon.- Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 3-4 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: Consider taking a boat tour on Lake Grey for a closer view of the glacier. This option allows you to see the glacier’s towering ice walls up close and offers a unique perspective of the surrounding landscape. O Circuit in Torres del Paine National Park

For those looking for a more immersive experience in Torres del Paine, the O Circuit is the ultimate challenge. This full loop around the park covers the W Trek and adds a section that takes you into the more remote and less crowded areas of the park.The O Circuit offers a deeper connection with Patagonia's wilderness, passing through pristine forests, and remote valleys, and crossing the formidable John Gardner Pass, which provides breathtaking views of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field.- Highlights: John Gardner Pass, Dickson Valley, Los Perros Glacier - Difficulty: Challenging - Duration: 8-10 DaysBest Time to Trek: Like the W Trek, the best time to tackle the O Circuit is during the summer months (November to March). Due to the circuit’s remote sections, it’s essential to be prepared for more extreme weather conditions, including strong winds, snow, and rain. John Gardner Pass

The ascent to John Gardner Pass is the most challenging part of the O Circuit. The climb is steep and often exposed to strong winds, but the reward at the top is well worth the effort. From the pass, you’ll be greeted with a jaw-dropping view of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, the world’s second-largest contiguous extrapolar ice field. The descent from the pass takes you through a surreal landscape of ice and rock, with the massive Grey Glacier flowing below.- Difficulty: Very Challenging - Duration: 10-12 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: Start the hike early in the morning to avoid the worst of the afternoon winds. The weather can be extremely unpredictable, so ensure you’re well-prepared with adequate clothing and supplies. Dickson Valley

Dickson Valley is one of the most remote and peaceful areas of Torres del Paine National Park. The trail leading to the valley passes through beautiful lenga forests and along the shores of Lake Dickson, with the snow-capped peaks of the Andes providing a stunning backdrop. This section of the O Circuit is less frequented by tourists, allowing you to immerse yourself in the tranquility of Patagonia’s wilderness fully.- Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 6-7 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: The Dickson Campsite is a great place to rest and take in the natural beauty of the valley. Be sure to bring a camera to capture the stunning reflections of the mountains in the calm waters of Lake Dickson. Mount Fitz Roy Trek

The Mount Fitz Roy Trek, located in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina, is one of the most iconic hikes in Patagonia. The trail leads to the base of Mount Fitz Roy, a jagged granite peak that rises dramatically from the Patagonian landscape.The trek offers a range of stunning vistas, from the dense forests and rivers of the lower valleys to the barren, rocky terrain near the summit. The highlight of the trek is reaching Laguna de los Tres, a glacial lake that provides the most spectacular view of Mount Fitz Roy.- Highlights: Laguna de los Tres, Cerro Torre, Rio Blanco - Difficulty: Moderate to Challenging - Duration: 1-4 DaysBest Time to Trek: The best time to hike Mount Fitz Roy is during the summer months (December to February). The weather is more stable, and the trails are generally snow-free. However, be prepared for unpredictable weather, including strong winds and sudden temperature drops. Laguna de los Tres

The final ascent to Laguna de los Tres is the most challenging part of the Mount Fitz Roy Trek. The trail climbs steeply through a rocky, exposed section before reaching the glacial lake.The view from the shores of Laguna de los Tres is nothing short of spectacular, with the towering spires of Mount Fitz Roy reflecting in the crystal-clear waters. This viewpoint is one of the most photographed spots in Patagonia and a must-see for any trekker.- Difficulty: Challenging - Duration: 8-10 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: Start the hike early to avoid the crowds and to catch the morning light on Mount Fitz Roy. The trail can be rocky and uneven, so sturdy hiking boots are essential. Cerro Torre

While Mount Fitz Roy is the main attraction, the trek to Cerro Torre offers equally stunning scenery. The trail follows the Rio Fitz Roy, passing through dense forests and alongside glacial rivers.The highlight of this trek is the view of Cerro Torre, a sharp, needle-like peak that is one of the most difficult climbs in the world. The peak is often shrouded in clouds, adding to its mysterious allure.- Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 6-8 Hours (Round Trip)Tips: The weather around Cerro Torre can be highly unpredictable, with the peak often hidden by clouds. Be patient and take time to enjoy the surrounding scenery, as the clouds may clear to reveal the peak.Correlated article:

Ultimate Seasonal Travel Guide: Top Destinations for Every Month of the Year

Glacier Trekking and Ice Climbing in Patagonia

Patagonia’s vast glaciers are a playground for adventurers seeking a more extreme experience. From guided glacier treks to ice climbing, these activities offer a unique way to explore the region’s icy landscapes. Perito Moreno Glacier Trek

The Perito Moreno Glacier, one of the few advancing glaciers in the world, is located in Los Glaciares National Park, Argentina. The glacier’s accessibility makes it one of the most popular destinations for glacier trekking in Patagonia.Guided treks on the glacier’s surface allow you to explore its intricate ice formations, deep crevasses, and stunning blue ice. The sight of ice calving from the glacier’s front into Lake Argentino is a spectacle not to be missed.Best Time to Visit: The best time to trek Perito Moreno Glacier is from October to April when the weather is more favorable. Guided tours are available during this period, providing the necessary equipment and safety briefings. Perito Moreno Minitrekking Experience

The mini-trekking experience on Perito Moreno Glacier is perfect for those who want to explore the glacier without committing to a full-day trek. The tour begins with a boat ride across Lake Argentino, offering stunning views of the glacier’s towering front.Once on the glacier, you’ll don crampons and begin your trek across the ice, exploring the glacier’s surface with expert guides who explain the glacier’s history and formation.- Difficulty: Moderate - Duration: 2-3 Hours (On the Glacier)Tips: Bring sunglasses and sunscreen, as the reflection of the sun on the ice can be intense. Wear waterproof clothing and sturdy shoes, as the conditions on the glacier can be wet and slippery. Perito Moreno Big Ice Trekking Experience Read the full article

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cre8tivit · 1 year ago

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So, About The Depressing State of the Industry

I suppose I’m going to jump right in with the heavy stuff for this first news/article review post and talk about the mass layoffs and acquisitions flooding the industry at the moment. It feels like every time I turn around some large-scale company has thrown a multi-million dollar sum to buy out a studio just to shut it down a month later.

EA games laid off 5% of its entire workforce in February 2024. This is after axing 800 jobs in March of 2023 directly after claiming to be in a strong financial position. Other AAA companies have done the same. On the other end of things, smaller studios and fully indie teams are axing positions at a comparable rate— Phoenix Labs, Wildcard, Velan, Keoken, and more.

The numbers are growing and growing by the day, and with each new report I begin to wonder:

What are these layoffs actually about?

The larger companies like EA are crowing to the winds about restructuring and record-making sales even as they axe hundreds of positions. What are they restructuring for? The answer— unsurprisingly— is probably money. That’s the blunt reality of what businesses do in a capital-driven system: they demand profit, specifically increased profit.

They want to make more money and spend less money. So what do they do? They cut corners— axe off anything and anyone that is not forecasted to make them that extra billion within the fiscal year.

With a deficit of labor protections and unions, the games industry is especially vulnerable to this executive-level game of minesweeper. With little to no consequence to their actions, there’s no downside to eliminating positions for these large businesses.

Then there’s the hot-button-word: AI.

AI is a complex, multifaceted topic that spans half a million different legal and moral arguments. I am not here to pass judgment on AI as a whole. It can be useful. It can be incredibly useful. It is, however, a level of legality Wild West that measures up with the early internet. Copyright violations are only the tip of the iceberg.

I do think that a fair number of large businesses, not just in games, have looked at AI and done the exact same thing they did with NFTs.

They jumped on the bandwagon for quick cash while the law can’t do much to stop them. It’s not about the use, it’s not about the science, it’s about how much money it can save them by eliminating paychecks.

Do Your Own Research, This Is Subjective.

I’m not an economist, I don’t pretend to know the intricacies of how the financial sector functions. These are my own observations and opinions. And in short: it looks remarkably like corporate penny-pinching. That dominoes down to scare investors, scare smaller-scale developers, and cut the pool of money going in— causing more layoffs.

I’ve no doubt there are other factors— again, not an economist— but that’s the biggest billboard in this situation.

#game development industry #game layoffs #news analysis #opinion piece #bit of a vent #gamedev #game development #indie dev #brief mention of AI #AI mention

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httpiastri · 1 year ago

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hi again (kind of)!!! i think this is the longest it’s ever taken me to draft out a reply but trust me this one is so worth it because you’ve now touched upon two of the topics i never ever ever shut up about so now there are two very very long asks in your inbox (including this one, but you just can’t post that because my username’s shown 😭🙏)

note: i realise i really did spiral with this one and this is almost no pepe at all but still important-ish?? i think 😭😭

spirituality and synchronicities… i think you’ve probably seen my vv long ask by now? and that’s literally just synchronicities with one person. i could draft out all the weird invisible string moments ive had with people and it would honestly span pages (especially in my new course, where literally everyone is connected, some in the weirdest and most unnatural ways ever) and like this might be a little weird but you posted about your friend angelica/angie and like omg its so weird mentioning someone i have no connection to whatsoever but i used to know a girl named jacquelyne (spelt differently from your name, but still) and her middle name was angelica so like ?? even that is something vv notable i think and like… the thing about thoughts coming true? i completely get what you mean. i think ive always had more spiritual experiences as a child but during my school transition break i worked part time at this retail place where i would experiment with manifestation for fun and it would always happen?? like id manifest compliments for very specific things, or very specific free food items, or even customers pushing to give me money for specific reasons (i couldnt accept it but i did it just because i could) and that’s just like… the tip of the iceberg…

anyway i realised that we all manifest in completely different ways and i realised mine is most prominent with words or speech or thoughts so ive become so unbelievably mindful of the things i say and do so i completely understand and relate to your cases of unintentional manifestation!! like thats the way mine used to always play out before i started becoming super intentional with what i did (and maybe this is very extreme but manifesting is instant and like once you really build your faith in it you’ll realise things can happen instantly or overnight… i won’t say anything too specific but you could literally wake up with changes to basically anything and everything you desire so 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️)

but i also did intentionally manifest that pepe only vid from the barcelona race weekend last year simply because… he won and i wanted a pepe exclusive video (can you blame me? i’m a girl with desires)

BUT IM SO LIKE INSANELY (?? happy?? excited?? shocked/surprised but happy by it both??) with regards to your lotus stories? LIKE THATS SO CRAZY because what are the odds omg😭😭 i chose the lotus because im super spiritual and i have like certain things in my life linked to the lotus and like if you know about the lotus, the most prominent thing about it is that it grows from the very bottom of muddy waters, but always makes it out to the top, still beautiful and pure and seemingly untouched by the dirtiness around it but most importantly, it is so so strong and like i think everything else is self explanatory but to have that in your name is so cute like omg ❤️❤️ id never stop bringing it up if i were you (on a completely unrelated note… lotus biscoff biscuits also exist and they are so good so that is another reason to be proud of your name)

but like music especially?? LIKE WITH ☄️ anons playlist and all, i think it’s actually like (okay ik i keep using the word insane but i really don’t have any other options) insane magical how everything and everyone is so perfectly connected with each other?? you had your baby i song and i was connected to the halsey song they used in their edit 😵‍💫😵‍💫 and it’s still so unbelievable to me how everything just falls into place so neatly and the fact that id never know this if you never shared?? but even if you never shared it’s still something existing and it wouldn’t have changed the fact that everything is interconnected, only that i would’ve never known about any of it at all

- 🪷

hi sweets !!!! thank u sm for the asks, i loved reading all of them 😚 i will be answering your other asks privately hehe

omg jacquelyne and angelica ?!?! that's so 😦 and like it's not surprising that someone somewhere has those two names but the fact that u knew her!!! alsoooo the more i think about it, im like... remembering and realizing more stuff..... i had this thing where after school when i was like ages 11-13, i would always go straight home and put on nickelodeon because starting from 16:35, they always showed one ep of victorious, big time rush, and icarly (idk what order but u get me). and i had this thing where i could sense what episode of the shows that would play..... either i had a dream about it, or i just felt "hm i would love if this specific episode came on today", or i would be blasting "worldwide" by big time rush in my headphones all day because my crush was transferring to another school and then which ep came on?? the ep with worldwide 😶 (yes 11-year-old jack learned about heartbreak early) idk if any of that made any sense to you LMAO but the point is i used to know what episodes would be on and i got it right several times every week... and no one in my life has believed this when ive told them but its true 😭 and it used to just be a thing i joked about but im realizing that like......... it's kinda odd (in a cool way)

but wowww thats so cool !!!! i'll have to learn from you i think because i wanna get more into it 🥺 and you manifesting pepe vid !! y e s !!!!!!!!! as you should 😚 (also just gonna put it here that if manifesting is what ive been doing so far with the like lando win and f3 wins then i have been unintentionally manifesting that paul will win the feature this weekend since FEBRUARY because ive written that in my story 🤭 so if that actually happens.............................)

i agree!!! it's such a weird coincidence that's not rlly a coincidence.... i didn't fully realize it all before i answered your last ask when i was like "!!!! wait a damn minute!!!!!" 😭 the lotus is such a pretty flower but also the meaning of it 💗💗💗 in like middle school i actually changed my name so that everyone in school called me by lotus instead of jack (but then i switched back lol) but now it feels kinda icky when ppl call me it ?? idk :(( but omfg lotus biscoff biscuits are SO GOOD it's unfair 🫠🫠 wish i was named after them tbh

insane is a good word bcs thats how it feels 🥰 but yes omg music especially, it's so..... in that playlist they also have ONE kpop song and guess which group ??? the one i used to obsess over for like seven years, of course 🫠🫠 it's actually so so cool that it can all be connected like this 🥺 and im so thankful that you've shared all of this because it really made my thoughts get going and otherwise i would've probs never come to these conclusions aaaaa

#im so...... idk what to say #it's all crazy #so cool #asks!#anon!#lotus anon!#🪷!

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scien02 · 2 years ago

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Investigating the Adaptability of the HOBO UX120-006M Scientech 4-Channel Logger

In the domain of data logging, accuracy and unwavering quality are foremost. The HOBO UX120-006M Scientech 4-Channel Logger is a flexible and useful asset that stands apart among its partners. Intended to fulfill the needs of different businesses and applications, this reduced gadget offers outstanding data precision, usability, and a large number of data logging prospects. Whether you want to screen temperature, mugginess, voltage, or different boundaries, the UX120-006M conveys exact and noteworthy data.

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she-who-fights-and-writes · 4 years ago

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Hello, sorry if you've gotten this question before but do you have any tips for writing a scene in which a character gets drunk? Since I can't drink, I feel that my scenes sound like a teenager wrote them. Are there any behaviors/dialogue quirks to avoid so it doesn't sound inauthentic?

How to Write A Drunk Character (For People Who Can't/Prefer Not To Drink)

Drinking is a social activity that a lot of people love to partake in, and although drinking is often associated with rambunctious behavior now a days, "sharing a drink" with your friends is one of the oldest forms of companionship in history.

Having your characters get drunk together can not only be a spot of humor in an otherwise serious story, but also can be a way to build relationships and bond; after all, when they're drunk there is an element of trust they need to have in the people around them, in order to make sure they'll look out for them/won't do anything bad while they're in an incapacitated state.

However, if you haven't experienced it yourself--for whatever reason--it may be difficult to write how a character acts when they've had a bit too much to drink.

Here are some general tips on how to write a drunk character.

1. How much does it take?

One thing that is a dead giveaway that an author has never drank or gotten drunk is when a character starts to feel the effects of alcohol after one sip. For most people, that doesn't happen.

How fast a character gets drunk depends on a few factors:

Size (height, weight)

If they're used to drinking a lot

The type of drink being consumed

How fast they drink in a short period

If they've eaten recently

A character who is 6'5" and 250lbs who drinks like a horse every night is going to get drunk a lot slower than a 4'11" character who's 100lbs soaking wet and has never touched an alcoholic beverage before.

If someone gets drunk easily, they're called a "lightweight," however, someone can shed their lightweight status with practice (i.e. drinking regularly). The faster they drink, the drunker they'll get, and if they're on an empty stomach, it'll hit them a lot harder.

You also have to be aware of the kind of drink they’re consuming, and the alcohol percentage of each one; the higher the percentage, the faster it’ll get them drunk. Here are some percentages of Alcohol By Volume according to Sunrise House Treatment Center.

Vodka | ABV: 40-95%

Tequila | ABV: 50-51%

Gin | ABV: 36-50%

Rum | ABV: 36-50%

Whiskey | ABV: 36-50%

Fortified Wine | ABV: 16-24%

Unfortified Wine | ABV: 14-16%

Liqueurs | ABV: 15%

Malt Beverage | ABV: 15%

Beer | ABV: 4-8%

As you can see, liquors (which are grain-based alcohols), are some of the heaviest hitters here. They're usually taken as shots (vodka, whiskey, and tequila especially), which is also a reason why they're the main perpetrators of drunkenness; not only are they strong, but they're also taken quickly.

If your character isn't a fan of shots, they can cut their drink with something else to create a mixer, such as lemonade, seltzer, or even water.

Note: The only TRUE way for your character to sober up is with time. Cold showers and other remedies may help the side effects, but the levels in their blood will not wane until it fully goes through their system.

2. How Does It Feel?

There are a few stages to drunkenness that fluctuate throughout the night as your character is drinking.

Stage 1: Sober

Your character has had nothing or only a little to drink. They are still sharp, alert, and acting normally.

Stage 2: Tipsy

Tipsy characters are still alert and can hold conversation, basically sober people but a bit "looser." They may have had a glass of wine/a shot or two and are now starting to feel the effects of the alcohol in their system.

Tipsy is the tip of the iceberg, and here are some characteristics of being tipsy that many people exhibit while they're drinking:

More talkative, conversation comes easier

Cognitive thought processes are slowed

Shorter attention span/easier to space out

Decision-making skills are less refined (more likely to take risks, "voice of reason" is quieter)

Short-term memory is poorer

Walking may come with a some difficulty, as there's a slight head rush and bodily orientation is a little thrown off (kind of like the full-body version of "you're now blinking manually"), but there isn't usually a high risk of falling or stumbling.

Overall, a tipsy person could hold their all in a public setting, albeit with some struggle.

Stage 3: Drunk

Once your characters have teetered off the ledge of "tipsy" and into "drunk," there come some changes to their demeanor. For some, their entire personality changes when they're drunk (which will be discussed later).

On top of this, many people exhibit bodily changes such as:

Drowsiness

Loss of coordination/balance issues

Blurry/tunneled/unfocused vision

Struggle to make proper judgements

Attention deficit, struggling to focus

Struggle to remember things, and not just short-term

Mood swings; many drunk folks are easily excited or saddened, and can be set off at the smallest things.

Needing to pee (A first pee of the night is called "breaking the seal," as once your character breaks the seal, they will have to consistently pee after that)

Stumbling, unable to walk in a straight line.

Drunk characters can still act independently but should be accompanied by friends to make sure they don't do anything stupid. Drunkenness is sometimes described as puppeteering your body from the outside. Things slip and slide through your thoughts, unable to grab a hold and process one, and this can be exacerbated by flashing lights and loud music.

You still think, sure, but it's not cohesive or comprehensive. Your characters' thoughts will be more stimuli-driven than reason/contemplation-driven. This is why a drunk character cannot be trusted to make concrete decisions.

Stage 4: Blackout

If a character is blackout drunk, that means they've really surpassed their limit. Most of the time, blackout drunk people cannot function on their own, and must need assistance from their sober friends or their less-drunk companions.

The reason blackout drunk is called that is primarily because a character will not remember what happened the next day. In the moment they are thinking and talking (albeit in a limited scope), but when they finally sober up they will have no recollection of what they did or said.

Some symptoms of being blackout drunk include:

Confusion. A character may not know where they are or who they're with.

Exhaustion, at a high risk of passing out.

Needing assistance to stand or walk, or walking with severe staggering.

Horrible short and long-term memory

Slurred speech (although you may want to avoid writing out people slurring their words and instead use "s/he slurred" or some other indicator to make sure it's legible)

Vomiting

A blackout drunk character may put themselves in risky situations without knowing it, which is why they should be under supervision to make sure that nothing bad happens.

Stage 5: Hangover

Some people are blessed with no hangovers, but unfortunately the older your characters are, the more likely they are to get them. A hangover can really ruin your character's day-after, especially if they blacked out, although some pain relievers from over the counter should be able to help them out slightly.

Possible symptoms of a hangover from Mayoclinic.org:

Fatigue and weakness

Excessive thirst and dry mouth

Headaches and muscle aches

Nausea, vomiting or stomach pain

Poor or decreased sleep

Increased sensitivity to light and sound

Dizziness or a sense of the room spinning

Shakiness

Decreased ability to concentrate

Mood disturbances, such as depression, anxiety and irritability

Rapid heartbeat

Good luck to your character, because depending on how much they drank, it's gonna be a rough one.

3. How Do They Act?

Many people drink during parties in part to change their personality, especially if they tend to be shy while they're sober. While drunk, your character may have more fun than they would if they hadn't had anything, or may consider "lame" things exciting and interesting.

According to the University of Missouri's study of 374 undergraduates, there are four types of drunk personalities:

1. The Mary Poppins

These people are friendly when sober and remain friendly when they get drunk, perhaps getting even more affectionate and lovey. They won't really stir up any trouble and are usually quite amicable, albeit they have lowered inhibitions and decision-making skills.

2. The Hemingway

These people don't change too much when they're drunk. Their levels of intellect and self-discipline shift less than they do for others. Although they may feel the same effects, they may not outwardly show it as much as others do.

3. The Nutty Professor

These people are introverted when sober and extroverted when drunk. Shy, quiet people transform into the kings and queens of the dance floor or the most sociable partygoers you've ever met. They lose all inhibitions and tend to be loud and outgoing in a way that they most definitely weren't when they were sober.

4. The Mr. Hyde

These drunks are more commonly known as "angry drunks." While they're drunk, these people show significant decreases in agreeableness, intellect, and carefulness when they're under the influence. They're typically less responsible, less intellectual, and more hostile when drunk than when they're sober, and are the most likely to stir up trouble.

Hope this helped, and happy writing!

#writing #writing tips #writing advice #writing help #creative writing #writeblr #booklr #writers #writer #books #novels #writing a book #writing a novel

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acapelladitty · 3 years ago

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Lusus Naturae

Pairing: Jonathan Crane/Corinthian (9.1k)

Link to fic on AO3

Warnings: Alcohol, Mild Gore, Kidnapping, Mild Blood, Violence, Rough Sex, Sadism, Discussions of Abuse.

Summary: A chance encounter in the Iceberg Lounge between Jonathan Crane, the self-proclaimed Master of Fear, and a walking nightmare calling himself the Corinthian sparks a discussion between the pair which could bring Gotham to her knees.

Had he known that Oswald Cobblepot’s madness had led to him indulging more experimental entertainment nights within the Iceberg Lounge, Crane would have simply remained at home to drink himself into a restless sleep.

The trapeze was impressive, he would allow that much, but the thrum of the drumbeats which accompanied every slight trick as whoops of appreciation rose from the other patrons who packed themselves into the available space had long overstayed their welcome.

At least his booth, shrouded by the shadows at the edge of the large venue, was secluded enough to ensure that no fool would accidentally stumble their way into his space. Cobblepot’s strict ‘no violence’ policy was one which he was, unfortunately, in no position to flaunt if he wished to remain on good terms with the well-connected criminal.

However, having his time interrupted was unlikely at best due to the sheer aura of unapproachability which he cultivated and wielded like a blade. A first defence against a world he had no interest in fraternizing with.

It was with this arrogant thought in mind, that a broad body slid its way into his booth, stretching itself out like it belonged there as a single hand came to tap at the edge of the table. A brazenness which had Crane scowling as he straightened his spine to his fullest height in indignation.

“It’s bold to join a man drinking alone without an invitation. Or foolish, some might say.”

“Who says that you have to drink alone?” Replied the strange man, his eyes obscured by dark glasses which seemed very out of place in the already dimly lit room.

The trapeze having finished their act, their acrobatics had quickly been replaced by a contortionist who held the crowd in her palm with little effort.

Crane watched with a pointed silence while the man shot his hand out as a server attempted to slip by their booth; his fingers openly pressing against her wrist as he flashed her a charming smile which appeared well-versed on his lips.

“Two gin martinis’, please. Top shelf.” His voice took on an enhanced drawl, one which had not been present a moment before, and Crane noted the subtle change with interest.

“Anything else, sir?”

As pleasant as punch, just as all Cobblepot’s girls were, this brunette basked in the charm which was so clearly being slipped around her like a snare.

“Make them dirty.”

A coquettish giggle as she disappeared, off to pass the instructions to the nearest bartender, and Crane once again turned his focus to the fool who would so rudely intrude on his space.

He wore a tan blazer and slacks paired with a simple cream t-shirt. While not ostentatious, Crane was well-versed enough in how people chose to present themselves to tell that this man possessed money, taste, and the confidence to wear a fashion which was not necessarily designed to allow him to blend in. An opinion heightened by the expensive watch also adorned his exposed wrist.

Handsome too.

His skin was even and unblemished, spanning a face filled with strong features which were attractive and inviting; easily bolstered by the fine figure which filled out the expensive clothing as though they were tailored specifically for him.

No obvious affiliate markings.

Nothing out of place.

Aside from the sunglasses.

Crane squinted against the gloom.

No.

Not sunglasses.

The material of the glass was far too dark for them to simply be designed to repel the sun. Besides, why choose to wear them indoors on a wickedly chilled evening? Their true purpose was something else entirely, he was certain of it as the man did not appear to be blind.

“I can feel you staring through me, Dr. Crane.”

The words were low, carrying across the background noise of the lounge without difficulty, and Crane cocked a single brow at the easy and deliberate use of his name.

“You know me?”

“Your reputation precedes you, even for one like me.”

Curious.

“One like you?”

Sinking the last of his own drink down his throat, Crane did not miss the way which the hairs on the back of his neck bristled every time he looked at the blonde intruder. It had been an age since the very presence of another person had invoked anything other than indifference within him and the uncertainty of it had piqued a dangerous curiosity within him.

“I am the Corinthian.”

A pause.

“Is that a first or second name?”

A genuine laugh escapes the blonde at the terse comment.

“Corinthian is fine. Would you prefer Dr. Crane or Scarecrow? Or perhaps, Jonathan?”

Forced intimacy; either the blonde was a natural flirt, or he had no sense of self-preservation to speak of.

“Dr. Crane will suffice. Again, you have me at a disadvantage since you seem to know who I am while your name is new to me.”

“I’ve been enjoying the sights of Gotham for the last few weeks,” Corinthian offered by way of explanation, “and I had the pleasure of meeting a former victim of yours. Quite the unfortunate guy. It made me,” he pauses, “eager for a meeting of my own.”

Narcissistic. Shameless. Dangerous.

“You’re a serial killer?” Reading between the lines and pulling from his observations of the other man, Crane felt confident in his assessment. “I had heard rumours of serial killings in Gotham with wicked mutilations, but I assumed Zsasz was the culprit.”

Corinthian grinned. “Oh no, they’re all mine. I’ve been busy.”

Confidence oozed from his grin and with it came an arrogance which reminded Crane of so many others whom he had the misfortune of having to associate with.

“Gotham does possess a certain charm for serial killers. It’s a fertile ground. Ask around.”

“Not necessary. The nightmares of this city are-” Cutting himself off, Corinthian sucked his tongue for a moment as his lips made a lurid popping noise. “-interesting. Nightmares filled with clowns, crocodile hybrids, a beautiful red-headed woman made of leaves, and lots of brightly dressed vigilantes. It’s quite fascinating. I think even he would be impressed with the versatility.”

The reverential slip of tongue did not go unnoticed.

“He?” Crane asked.

“The man who made me what I am today.”

“And what are you? You’re not human.” Crane accused, confident in his assessment as the information which the alluring blonde had provided pieced itself together within his mind. “I know that much.”

“I’m a nightmare.”

A seemingly honest answer, presently somewhat smugly.

“A nightmare?”

Another piece of the puzzle; but one which created more questions than it answered.

Remaining silent, Crane allowed his guest to continue.

“Crafted from the void and sent to reflect the darkness of humanity back at them in their subconscious. I’m the nightmare which stalks their dreams and deliver them the horrors they deserve.”

Crane tapped the edge of his glass with a clean fingernail as he processed the explanation.

Interesting.

He was a man of reason and a man of science; however, he was also a criminal who often shared a city with an eco-terrorist who dipped himself in mystical pits to gain immortality and he himself had at one point owned a magical ring which granted him access to power beyond belief.

To meet a nightmare seemed somewhat par for the course when it came to this fresh hell of a city.

“And those horrors extend to killing people and removing their eyes while they’re awake?”

“You’re a smart man, Dr. Crane. Quick. I like it.” A flirtatious tilt of the head. “But you’re right, I am not exactly playing to rules at the moment.”

“And your maker? Is he okay with that?”

“What I do isn’t his concer-”

“Does Dream of the Endless happily allow his nightmares their own free will?”

Surprise, pure and honest in its sincerity, stole across Corinthian’s face as his lips parted and fair brows rose sharply atop the dark glasses.

“You know of the Dream Lord? I’m impressed. Not many understand or care to know about the real powers which rule this place.”

“We’ve met.”

Clapping his hands together in delight, Corinthian quickly snatched up the last of his martini and inclined it across the table.

“Now, that is a story that deserves telling.”

Crane frowned as he recalled the incident, blurred as it was by the many years which had passed since. He was never one to dwell on the past, particularly when the event was so inconsequential to his overall plans, but the potential outcome was curious.

“He appeared to a man in Arkham Asylum while I was enjoying their hospitality. Patient John Dee, if I recall. Paranoid delusions. Prone to violence. Boring.”

Crane paused, an unfamiliar sensation of discomfort trickling down his neck at just how avidly he held Corinthian’s gaze. The nightmare looked positively starved as his body leaned forward as though clamouring to be closer to the spoken tale, even physically.

From his elevated position, a slight hint of collarbone peeked free of the low scoop of Corinthian’s cream t-shirt and Crane dragged his eyes from it to focus on the dark glasses.

It had been a while since he had sought the company of another and the lack of physicality now pressed on him like an unwelcome friend, teasing and irritating all at once. He did not doubt that the nightmare before him indulged more than one appetite with the people he encountered, his flirtations showing themselves clear as day, but entertaining such thoughts would only serve to lead him down a dangerous path.

“But your maker was something else entirely. Uncanny appearance aside, the power which rolled from his form was almost palatable. He was no man.”

And it was true. The white skin and shock of inky hair were stunning in their starkness. That, paired with the sheer gauntness of the ancient figure, a gauntness which put his own thin frame to shame, had presented a thoroughly inhumane appearance. One which he had never quite forgotten.

“He knew of me, called me by name and told me he were nothing more than a hallucination.” Forcing an unpleasant smile, Crane narrowed his eyes. “A foolish claim on his part. Hallucinations are as familiar to me as an old friend. I know reality and he, strange as he appeared, was real. From that, it was a case of consulting some old writings and calling in a favour from an old friend to arrange a meeting with a known warlock who explained it further.”

The less said about John Constantine, the better.

“So,” Corinthian summarised, “you know of the Endless?”

“Yes.”

“And you fear them?”

“About as much as I fear anything else.” Crane countered. “Their interference in this world is as irrelevant to me as I am to them. Gods do not care for their creations and so I care little for them in turn.”

At the words, Corinthian’s lips twitched up into a curiously painful grimace, but he was quick to recover from it and fall back into an easy and familiar smirk which sat well on his handsome features.

“Irreverent. I like it.” Corinthian sipped from his glass. “Although I don’t think the Dream Lord would like it very much.”

Having played his hand, Crane steered the conversation to a more informative topic.

“So why do you mutilate your victims? You don’t strike me as a man who needs to inflate a fragile ego by disgracing the remains of an easy prey.”

“Those qualifications of yours aren’t wasted, doctor.” Corinthian replied quickly, a hard edge in his tone suggesting that he was more than aware of the other man’s penchant for analysis. “But it’s true, I’m somewhat fond of taking the eyeballs from my victims. Per my design, of course.”

Corinthians’ deft fingers were quick to pinch at the arms of his dark glasses and pluck them free of his face, exposing the horrors below as an open grin split his lips once more.

Surprise.

Disgust.

Intrigue.

Mistrust.

All emotions which swirled within Crane’s chest as he gazed at the extra sets of ocular eyes. Perfectly white and straight, they were as appealing as any teeth could be, and yet a sense of revulsion trickled down Crane’s spine as his eyes flicked between them.

Revulsion, not fear.

He had been a victim to teeth far sharper and more dangerous than those, and the memory of them as they had latched around his torso to drag him deep beneath the sewers of Arkham Asylum still haunted him like an unwelcome spectre.

These teeth were merely…uncanny.

“I see.”

A somewhat lame statement but one which would suffice.

“They don’t.” Corinthian laughed breezily. “Not after I take their eyes. It’s always the first step. Some die, some are unlucky enough to live through it. But they all give me what I need to satiate the hunger.”

“Do you limit your tastes to the eyes alone?”

“The eyes hold everything. When I take the eyes, I take it all. Thoughts. Memories. Pains. Pleasures. Hopes. Fears.” Corinthian paused long enough to take another sip from his martini glass, swirling the liquid around his mouth before swallowing as he finished the drink. “As I said, it satiates the hunger, for a while at least.”

"Cannibalism." Crane speared the olive at the bottom of his glass with the end of the toothpick which garnished the cocktail. "A fear stemming from one of the oldest taboos amongst men. If man consumes man, then our brothers pose as much of a threat as the wild boar or poisonous asp. We spend our lives being devoured by the needs of those around us, but we’ve only had the sense to develop a fear of the physical."

Reclining subtly in his chair to suggest a casualness, Crane’s fingers slipped into the pocket of his ragged jacket and pulled free a carton of cigarettes. Pawing at his other pocket for a lighter, his movements were interrupted by the appearance of a metal lighter as it clicked to life before his eyes.

Confusion reigned for a pause as he had not seen the other man move, let alone grab his own lighter, but he accepted the help for what it was as Corinthian smiled brightly.

“The expression they make when they see the blade coming for their eyes.” Corinthian purred, holding the flame steady. “I’m sure you can imagine the sheer horror.”

Dipping his mouth forward to light the cigarette in the flame, Crane inclined his head in thanks as Corinthian repocketed the traditional lighter. A natural flirt, then. Crane was certain of it now.

His mind whirled with the concept, the pure terror of knowing the darkness which would follow that final shine of metal as it approached their vulnerable eyes. Agony paired with a blindness which would dictate their final moments.

The fear.

Pain.

Heat burned low in his gut at the thought. A dangerous heat which made his throat a little dry as he once again steered the conversation away.

"Forgive my curiosity, but what is your original form?"

Now, it was Corinthian's turn for confusion.

"Original form?"

"I cannot imagine you have held this form for centuries," Crane pried as he exhaled a small plume of smoke, "so I am curious which shape your initial creation consisted of?"

Corinthian adjusted the tan lapels of his suit jacket before gesturing widely to his broad chest with open palms.

"I have always taken this form; the fashion of the times might change but the body remains the same."

"Must you keep to the appearance given to you?" Crane continued to prompt, consuming the responses like a man starved of knowledge.

"Any nightmare can alter their appearance at will to best suit their needs. But there are limits and it is easier within the Dreaming."

"So why remain this way?"

An almost puzzled look tilted the lips of Corinthian, but his words were sincere as he replied.

"This is how I was made."

And there it was.

Pride.

The most dangerous sin of all.

Hiding the serpentine smile which coiled in his throat, Crane took another drag as he filed that information away.

The ability to change appearance at will and yet the creature before him refused to stray from that gifted by his maker.

The hatred there was real, Crane could almost taste the contempt rolling from the other man as he spoke of his master, but underpinning those emotions was a very real love; an adoration and reverence which poisoned the rage within.

A poison which could be manipulated by the right combination of factors.

A different waitress, this one with red hair which waved down her back in a careful cascade, passed by and Crane caught her attention with a pointed cough as he stubbed his finished cigarette in the small plastic ashtray before him.

“Two large whiskies, on the rocks.”

“Yes, si-”

Quickly rethinking his order, Crane interrupted her before she could finish her confirmation. Across from his position, dark glasses had reappeared on Corinthian’s face in a flash, hiding his true visage from the young woman.

“In fact, bring the bottle for my guest and I. Whatever is unopened.” He demanded.

Uncertainty lit up in her expression.

“Uhh, sorry, sir. I don’t think we can do that. Mr. Cobblepot charges by the meas-”

“Bring the bottle and if Mr. Cobblepot asks, tell him the Scarecrow will pay his tab on a later date.”

“Sc-Scarecrow?”

“Yes, child.”

Uncertainty gave way to open fear as the tray in her hands began to tremble and her heels clacked against the flooring as she took an open step back. Her anxiety was clear, and Crane drank it in like a fine wine; registering her change of expression and body language with a pleasure which did not reach his features.

“Of course, sir. Right away.”

The waitress disappeared as quickly as her heels could carry her and Crane refocused his attention on Corinthian once again, his eyes having been exposed as the waitress scuttled off.

“Such fear from so little.” Corinthian breathed, a slight pinkness flushing the highest point of his cheeks. “She reeks of it. Would you like to know what nightmares haunt her nights?”

Crane bit back his surprise as his fingers came to grip the edge of the table in interest. Such knowledge was incredible, offering an intimate understanding which was naturally reserved to the individual alone. This was a gift he could never turn down.

“Yes.”

“She dreams of her boss; of the violence she has seen him capable of as he punishes people who have let him down. In her nightmares, she puts herself in their place. She also recalls memories of a father who was a different kind of monster, his shape a constant threat and reminder of her suffering.”

Shaking his head, Corinthian cut his explanation short, and his head dipped to hide his ocular eyes as the redhead appeared once more. The clink of the glasses as she placed them carefully on the table belied her shaking hands and she opened the fresh bottle of whisky while maintaining a pointed stare at the bottle itself.

Scurrying away like the frightened mouse she was, Crane watched her leave with heated eyes. If she were to be subject to his toxin, would she see what the Corinthian claimed haunted her nightmares? Would he hear Cobblepot’s name and that of her father as she pleaded for mercy? Perhaps an unknown phobia would rear its ugly head and she would still hold some little surprise for him to discover and enjoy.

“Would you take her?” Corinthian’s voice broke his considerations and he turned to face the nightmare whose expression was openly curious. “After knowing her nightmares, would you still take and gas her with your toxin?”

“Yes.” Crane answered honestly. “I have no reason to believe that you would lie, but now I want to know if my toxin can confirm those fears.”

“Then take her.”

Smirking unpleasantly at the prompt, Crane shook his head.

“I cannot.”

“Does the Scarecrow possess a heart as well as a brain?”

“No. But Cobblepot is a miserable prick to deal with when someone kills one of his girls. And I unfortunately need him for a few projects and necessary connections I have coming up.”

Snapping open the bottle of whisky, the two glasses were quickly filled with a generous pouring which would see them watered for at least a while.

“What about your nightmares, Dr. Crane? Should we take some time to discuss them.”

Corinthian brought the tumbler to his lips and paused, allowing his words to sink in the immediate tension which followed them.

An instant wariness coiled itself around Crane’s thoughts, making his limbs tense as a cold mistrust stabbed at his heart like a blade. This was a dangerous territory, one which he had no desire to trek over with the brazen nightmare.

“My nightmares are little more than ghosts these days. They have no power over me.” Crane fought to keep his voice even, to not give an inch to this creature which was pushing to see how he would react.

“So many birds.” Corinthian crooned, his voice ugly and intimate as he kept a tight hold of his glass. “I can almost feel them flapping around my own skin. The pain. The blood. A terrible experience for a growing boy.”

Sinking a solid gulp of the cool whisky, Corinthian smiled around the rim of the glass.

“But, hey, I understand. Birds are a pain in the ass. There are quite a few ravens I know who would benefit from keeping to their own business.”

A sharp gasp broke free of the space between them as Corinthian glanced down at his hand, observing the small cocktail stick which was now embedded an inch into the flesh there. Anger flashed on his expression for only a moment before it quickly gave way to a vague amusement as a low chuckle flittered across the table.

Crane, having dropped his hands back to the table, braced himself for retaliation. He should not have done that, and yet his history was something of a sore point. The ghosts of his childhood only tormented him in the darkest parts of the night when exhaustion forced him to unconsciousness and any reminder of that weakness stoked a fresh rage within his heart.

Face unapologetic, he clicked his tongue against his teeth as he issued his warning.

“Keeping to their own business is a skill that many would benefit from.”

“Point taken.” Corinthian grinned, dropping the bloodstained cocktail stick to the table. “Literally, in this case, but I’ve got to ask that you don’t do that again.”

Grinning in kind, Crane made no such guarantee.

“I can give you the waitress.”

The change in conversation was so sudden that it took Crane a moment to recall their earlier discussion. He did want the waitress; he could admit that. She presented a hypothesis to him which begged to be tested by his beloved toxin.

However, nothing in life were free and he doubted the nightmare had such noble intentions as to further his research without his own stipulations.

“And what do you want in exchange?” Crane asked, sliding his hand around his own glass as he took a large gulp. The burn of the alcohol was as welcome as ever and he savoured it with some pleasure.

The ocular teeth offered no emotional waypoint but a shadow of pure hunger crossed the expression of the nightmare as he leaned even closer into Crane’s space.

“I want to watch. I want to witness what I’ve only tasted in memory. Their nightmares of you are so potent, even diluted by time, and I want to experience it. First hand.”

Such open heat on the traditionally handsome features held a wicked temptation which ignited a feeling of excitement at the base of Crane’s spine. It was a dangerous game, to allow someone to witness him at work, but his curiosity over the nightmare and his abilities was proving enough to temporarily override his more rational considerations.

“If you can get the waitress to my workshop without Cobblepot linking her disappearance to me then I agree to your observations.”

Crane heard himself say the words with some surprise, but they were impossible to take back once offered.

“Excellent.”

Slipping his dark glasses back over his ocular eyes, a wolfish grin upturned the corners of Corinthian’s lips as he continued.

“If you give me the address, and let’s say,” Corinthian paused to raise his head to the ceiling as he appeared deep in thought, “two hours, I will bring you the waitress. Then we can play.”

Quickly divulging the address which housed his current laboratory, Crane used the edge of his fingers to flick what remained of the bottle of whisky over to Corinthian as he stood from the table and made a swift exit towards the backdoor of the Iceberg Lounge. A goodbye was unnecessary, if a little rude.

He was not expecting a victim and there was much to prepare for within the allotted time.

Play.

The final word of the Corinthian mulled through his mind as he snatched open the metal door which led to the back alley of the Lounge.

His work was nothing more than a game to the nightmare and, to a lesser man, that would be a terrifying thought. However, for Jonathan Crane, the exhilaration of such a consideration made his feet feel light as he stepped out into the frigid air of the Gotham night.

Only two hours and his wicked curiosity would be satiated.

x-x-x-x-x

The scent of damp was as present as ever as Crane capped the syringe which he had only just finished filling with his latest batch of toxin. Its potency promised to be one of his most intense yet as previous trials had hinted to an elevated and extended duration of terror.

Tucked away within the inner pocket of his shirt lay a similar syringe, this one providing some insurance against his proposed visitor should their meeting take a turn for the violent.

How his toxin would affect the nightmare was a thought which had plucked at his mind since he peeled free of the Iceberg Lounge parking lot. True, he was not human in any real sense, but he seemed to enjoy a human physiology and that included the emotional pitfalls which accompanied it. The potential for toxin to affect him was present.

But it was risky.

Too risky.

A lack of knowledge over the rules which governed such a creature would stay his hand from making any offending attack, but life had long since taught him to be prepared for the worst. His lips twisted into a grimace at the thought. He did not generally engage with supernatural creatures because of their innate unpredictability but the temptation in this instance had been too great.

As though waiting for such a mental cue, the door which led to the frigid outdoors burst open in one smooth movement as the metal swung open to collide noisily with the wall to its side.

Perfect timing.

Looking exactly at he had two hours previously; Corinthian strode through the room like he owned the place with not a hair out of place as one of his arms extended upwards to wrap around the legs of the unconscious redhead who was slung over his shoulder in a fireman’s carry.

Unsurprisingly, her weight did not seem to affect the nightmare in the slightest.

“Hi.”

Bright teeth flashed at Crane and the casualness of the greeting stirred something close to amusement within his chest, even as his lips refused to budge from their neutral position.

“Put her over here.”

Indicating to the padded chair which sat in the spacious alcove of the room, the tiling which surrounded the area gave off an acrid scent of bleach. It reeked of a forced cleanliness which was necessary to cover the stench of fear and death which so often permeated the enclosed space.

Corinthian moved quickly. His hands dropping the unfortunate waitress into the chair with a surprising gentleness as Crane’s deft fingers wrapped around the various restraints which would keep her locked in place until their experiment was completed. Or she were dead.

Whichever came first.

Two wrist restraints, two ankle restraints, and a thick padded band which would sit across her abdomen and prevent her back from arching off the chair more than a few inches. It was a proven success and a set-up which he had become more than familiar with over his years of work.

Her uniform consisted of leather leggings, which looked almost painted on, paired with a pale-blue dress shirt that seemed to be missing its top few buttons. A uniform which reflected Cobblepot’s inane desire to be viewed as a somewhat reputable businessman. But only when it suited him of course.

Sealing the final restraint, Crane stood back to ensure that nothing was out of place only to find himself subject to Corinthian’s open gaze; his ocular eyes on full display as his glasses had dropped to hang from the neck of his t-shirt.

“I haven’t been this excited since my nights in the trenches of Gallipoli.”

Something about the simplicity of the statement, tied into the sheer incredulity of what it actually meant, created an absurd bubble of something deep in Crane’s chest, pressing against the cruel agitation which his experiments never failed to ignite.

He too was excited.

“She will need to be conscious for the toxin to be administered.” Crane hummed. “Once awake, I will inject her with my latest batch. The results should be almost instant given the dosage and the circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

“Her natural anxiety at this predicament will cause the toxin to take root faster as her heartbeat and breathing will be erratic. A fact which will elevate her natural fear to its most extreme limits.”

His words flowed smoothly, the process as familiar as shrugging on an old jacket.

“And then I take her eyes.”

A slight anxiety knocked at Crane’s consciousness as Corinthian produced his weapon from inside his jacket; the long blade having been concealed in a hidden holster which kept it from prying eyes. It was lovely. Long and sleek, almost like a needle, and he could imagine the dexterity that such a thing would require as it sliced through connective tissue as though it were little more than butter.

However, just as quickly as it appeared, the blade was hidden away once more.

“Then let’s begin.”

Crane’s fingers dug deep into his pockets to wrap around the smelling salts which would rouse the waitress and he plucked them free with a steadying breath. There was no going back once she was awake and the uncertainty of the whole scenario added a somewhat enjoyable tension to the events, one which caused a heated pleasure to curl at the very base of his spine.

Breaking the salts beneath her nose, it only took a few moments before her eyes fluttered and a sluggish movement tugged at her restrained limbs.

“Wha-hello?” Bleary, her blue eyes were hazy with new consciousness as she came back to herself. However, ignorance soon gave way to panic as her wrists tugged at the restraints and her features grew more distressed. “What the fuck?”

Realisation dawned within her expression as she recognised the pair who stood before her and with that recognition came a terrible clarity of her predicament, forcing her features to take on an immediate brokenness.

“No.”

“I’m afraid so, child.” Crane crooned, his voice relaxed and unforgiving. “Now you serve a cause far greater than anything you could have hoped for as you help me perfect my research.”

Unable to speak due to her accelerated breathing, Crane took the opportunity to move. His body slipped forward with a serpentine movement as he took position by her thrashing head, using one hand to grip roughly at her hair to still the movement. It did nothing to quell her panic and a pained cry escaped her lips as he tugged her hair viciously. In his free hand, the syringe felt as familiar as an old friend as he forced the needle into her exposed neck with a wicked finesse.

As the plunger delivered the full dose, Crane found his attention drift away to Corinthian as he observed the nightmares’ reaction to his merciless actions.

Overt curiosity played on his features, but it was shrouded by a slight curling of his lips which Crane immediately recognised.

Hunger.

On cue, a shrill cry pierced the quiet of the room as the redhead’s eyes widened to dinnerplates and her gaze darted between the various shadows which clung to the corners of the ceiling.

“What? But I don’t- I don’t-”

“What are you beginning to see, child?” Crane prodded; his voice sharp enough to cut through her growing delusions.

“Papa. He’s here.” A choked plea. “Please. Don’t. I didn’t do anything. Papa. PAPA!”

Breaking off into a sob, her words dissolved into desperate heaves as her head returned to thrashing against the padded chair; her wrists pulling at their restraints to the point where Crane soon expected to see blood appearing beneath the reddening skin.

Terror shone through her expressive eyes, glassy as they were with the unshed tears.

“You’re dead, papa. You died- I was so happy. You can’t be here.”

Her father.

Corinthian appeared to be correct in his earlier claims and Crane once more snatched his attention from his latest victim to glance at the nightmare.

To his surprise, Corinthian had moved. As silent as the grave, his body had approached the empty space to the blind spot by Crane’s left but his eyes were focused purely on the writhing body held by the chair, glued by her theatrical reaction.

“Papa! Please, don’t h-hurt me.”

More surprising that his sudden movement, was the visible impact which Crane observed on the alluring nightmare.

The lump of his adams apple bobbed with every deep breath he took, his mouth almost seeming to inhale the tension which hung in the air like a fog. Each set of his eyes were curled into cruel smiles, expressions which had never held a kindness towards any living soul.

“The fear.” Corinthian’s voice almost escaped as a groan and the heat within it sparked a lick of arousal low in Crane’s stomach. “I can practically taste it. It’s incredible.”

His pink tongue appeared in a flash, licking along full lips before disappearing just as quickly.

“My toxin is invaluable in allowing me to explore fear.”

Pride coloured his words as Crane straightened to his full height, the choice placing him a few inches above Corinthian. His beloved toxin, as much a balm as it were a weapon, was a cruel offering for a world which would see him broken before it would give him any mercy.

A fresh screech broke free of the waitress, the purity of the terror within it ricocheting off the walls with a slight echo effect as it washed over both men.

To his side, Corinthian all but moaned.

Caught off-guard by the unexpected sound, Crane refocused his earlier assessment of the other man with a keener eye. The hunger was as clear as day, but there was more to be discovered.

Breath heavy.

Lips slightly parted.

Eyelids fluttering.

Visibly agitated.

Aroused.

Crane allowed his eyes to dip for only a moment, a brief glance, and a twitch of interest made itself known in his cock as he noted the tell-tale bulge which pressed at the tan slacks of the nightmare.

A true monster then.

Perhaps they did share some traits.

“It’s so dark. Please! Keep me out the dark. I can’t- I can’t see! He will find me in here. Help me, please!”

The howl of desperation within the waitress’s voice caused Crane to pause as he turned his gaze back to her. As he suspected, the faintest hint of fresh blood could be seen running free of the restraints which were locked around her wrists and he cocked his head at her interesting words.

“Do you fear the dark, little mouse?” He called to her loudly, ensuring that his could be heard over her frantic mewling. “Do you see the monsters which move within the shadows? The creatures which serve the Scarecrow and will rip your flesh from your bones if they catch you?”

“Yes.” She sobbed, fat tears rolling free of her stricken eyes. “Please don’t leave me. Lights, lights. I need to stay away from the dark.”

Slipping forward, he dropped to one knee before her to place his face before her own.

“You should fear the dark, child.” His hand rose to brush against her cheek in a bastardised comforting gesture. “In fact, my friend here is going to make sure that you only know darkness.”

He paused long enough to allow her darting eyes to flick to Corinthian before turning on him once again; her open fear so potent that a full-bodied shudder made him press his knee more squarely on the tiled floor.

“He requires eyes for sustenance, you see, and yours have taken his fancy.”

Now hyperventilating uncontrollably, her upper body shook with the effort of her breathing and garbled pleas of mercy flowed from her lips as Crane pulled away from her position. His fun had been had and now it was time for him to take a step back and simple observe how a true nightmare operated.

Taking the hint, Corinthian pulled his blade free in one smooth motion and the sudden slight of the razor-sharp blade drew a fresh scream of terror from the waitress; the cadence of it more shrill as the fear of pain to come overshadowed her other anxieties.

Crane tilted his head as he stepped to the side, offering himself the best view of the nightmare as he went to work.

A gentle hand cupped at the chin of the waitress, but she wrenched herself free with a stuttering sob as she slammed her eyes shut in frightened defiance. In her terror, words were beyond her capabilities and her restraints left her utter vulnerable to the glinting blade.

Little more than a fresh lamb, fit and primed for slaughter.

His hand locked around her jaw like a vice as Corinthian pinned her head in place and brought the blade close to her face.

“Feel free to watch, Dr. Crane. But I have to warn you, the work of a nightmare can get a little messy.”

His voice was agitated; excitement and arousal coating the words like a profane poison.

Crane, even from his vantage point, knew the exact moment in which the blade pierced the skin of the waitress as the scream which emitted from her lips was borderline inhumane. Fear, pain, and denial all wrapped themselves within the wretched noise and he basked in it like it were the sun as the heat danced along his skin.

In the momentary pauses between the screaming, a soft squelching noise could be heard as Corinthian worked his blade around the skull of the woman like a master. Carving that which he needed free with a practiced finesse which spoke of his experience. His small pink tongue once again made an appearance between his lips, a result of his unshakeable focus.

Eyeing the tongue with interest, Crane wondered what the nightmare would taste of. Metallic, probably. Something lacking the warmth of humanity. Delcious. He even allowed his thoughts to wander to what such a tongue would feel like wrapped around his-

No.

He needed to focus.

The scent of copper was familiar, and Crane twitched his nose at it as he watched the Corinthian work with a heated gaze. His blade moved like an extension of his arm as it cut through the flesh of the redhead without resistance, her screams of pain doing little to dissuade his actions.

In what felt like an instant, the screaming stuttered to a stop and the silence was almost deafening after the cacophony of terror which had preceded it; a silence only broken by the subtle noise of tearing flesh as Corinthian pulled his prizes free of the now-dead woman.

Dangling from between his fingers like small baubles, the vivid blue of the irises gazed without sight as Corinthian wiped his blade off on the hem of her shirt before slipping it back within its holster. His body language was expressive, satisfaction playing openly on his features as he brought the eyes to his face.

Mild disgust tugged at Crane’s chest as he watched the eyes be consumed by the ocular mouths; the perfect teeth opening to crunch down with a disgustingly satisfying pop as though they were savouring a particularly exotic delicacy. However, with disgust came an arousal which were steeped in a wicked shame that only served to make the sensation more intense as his cock pressed against his own slacks, trapped as it were.

Corinthian finished his treat with a subtle groan, the sound slipping free of his regular mouth as his other mouths closed themselves off once more. In a flash, he had moved and his sudden position before Crane made a spark of alarm alight in Crane’s throat as a sense of danger enveloped him.

A rough hand pushed at his chest, sending him backwards until his lower back slammed into his wooden workbench and a grunt of pain escaped his lips. Fury tugged at him, at being mishandled in such a way, but the rage was quickly extinguished by a pair of soft lips upon his own as he found himself captured in a brutal kiss.

Shock forced him to stand ramrod still as an experienced tongue explored his mouth like a man starved, the warm body pressed against his own alerting him to the hardness which grazed his hip like an invitation.

Crane understood the reasoning. He understood the satisfaction, the hunger which a successful experiment and kill could bring. How that euphoria presented itself as pure adrenaline in a flood of chemicals which made the body crave release.

As the Master of Fear, he knew it and he did not hesitate to believe that the nightmare before him shared a similar understanding.

It was risky.

It was dangerous.

He had never feared danger.

Fuck it.

His right hand moved quickly as it latched to the back of Corinthian’s head while his left dug itself roughly into the warmth of his clothed back.

Aggression drove their actions; Corinthian’s grip of Crane’s thin hips painful as Crane tugged at the blonde hair within his grasp with enough force to pull the nightmare free of his neck where his lips were sucking the skin hard enough to cause livid marks to appear.

“Have you ever fucked a nightmare, Dr. Crane?”

The accented drawl was back, this time deeper and more pronounced as it flowed directly into Crane’s ear and he briefly considered slipping back into his own original accent, but the thought passed in a moment as a rough hand palmed at the bulge of his trapped cock.

“No.” He grunted as his hips pressed forwards, seeking more friction. “I can’t say I have.”

“Then let’s see how the Scarecrow likes to play.”

Breaking apart, movement between the two remained somewhat frantic as they both settled on addressing their own clothing.

Crane’s fingers trembled as they pulled the zipper free of his slacks, his thumbs hooking within the waistband of his briefs as he slipped them over his ass towards the floor. The fell gracelessly into a messy pile as he stepped free of them. His shirt, with the sleeves rolled over his elbows, stayed in place as he watched Corinthian slip free of his own slacks.

Dark boxers clung to the groin of the nightmare like a second skin and the sight of them made his gut clench as he stared hungrily at the clear outline of the cock which pressed against the thin fabric.

Having undressed as much as necessary, Crane stole the initiative as he gripped Corinthian’s broad shoulders within his palms, pushing the other man to the floor with a none-too-soft urgency.

Corinthian allowed it and his body fell to the floor with a huffed grunt as he rapidly propped himself up on his elbows. Small specks of dirt clutched at the edges of the tan suit jacket where it pressed on the ground and Crane smirked at the mess as he dropped to his knees between the outstretched legs.

Instant discomfort grew in his thin limbs, a mixture of the cold and the unforgiving harshness of the flooring, but he ignored it in favour of satiating the hunger which clawed at his senses like a wild beast. In an instant, his hand was cool against his cock as he brushed over the hard length with a teasing grip, his expression downright predatory.

His back flat against the dirty flooring, Corinthian unleashed a growl as Crane’s fingers pushed up the hem of his cream t-shirt, exposing his lower stomach and the thin trail of sandy hair which trailed down to disappear below his boxers.

“You won’t get far with these still on.”

Hearing the challenge in the words, Crane offered a wolfish grin as he pulled at the waistband of the boxers, ensuring that his nails dug into the golden skin enough to almost draw blood as he freed Corinthian of the underwear.

His rough pulling garnered him a low purr of approval which went straight to his cock.

“Are you going to fuck me now, Dr. Crane?”

Low and inviting, the blonde was as much a walking temptation as he were a nightmare.

“Scarecrow.” Crane corrected, the word little more than a growl as he gripped Corinthian’s knees to spread them wide as his gaze lingered on the hard length before him, the base of it ringed with soft sandy curls.

It was almost angelic, how soft and inviting it looked, which was a joke in of itself given the creature it were attached to.

Corinthian’s tongue flicked out once again to lick at his lips and Crane found his gaze drifting to the pair of ocular teeth which reflected no emotion back at him as they remained open.

“Scarecrow.” Corinthian tasted the title like a fine scotch. “Kinky. I like it.” Was all he offered as his legs shifted up and wrapped around Crane’s thin hips, encouraging him to get on with his movements.

Crane wasted no time, sensing that the nightmare had no desire for any kind of comforting preparation as he spat onto his hand. His spit was warm against his fingers and he pressed them against the tight ring of muscle, coating the area loosely before repeating the action as he then lubed up the end of his cock.

Pressing himself against Corinthian’s ass, he took a steadying breath before he pushed himself forward, allowing his cock to sink an inch into the willing ass as his fought the urge to sink in deeper; giving the other man a moment to adjust to the thickness of his cock.

So warm, and so tight that it was almost painful, if the delighted gasp which escaped Corinthian at the sudden intrusion was anything to go by then Crane understood that the nightmare enjoyed a little pain to flavour his pleasure.

An enjoyment he was more than happy to fulfil.

Snapping his hips forward, Crane hilted within him fully in one sharp and brutal movement, only to immediately be rewarded with a full-bodied jerk and a hiss of pained appreciation. He was quick to form a rhythm, rolling his hips with every rough thrust and enjoying the heat of Corinthian’s groin as he bottomed out against him.

He felt amazing.

Every slight clench of his ass offered a tight warmth which Crane buried himself in without any care for either of their comfort. They were not lovers and tender care was a concept neither man cared to familiarise themselves with. This was sensation-seeking, satiating a need which their wickedness demanded of them.

Crane’s sharp nails dragged down Corinthian’s exposed hips, the skin there quickly becoming heated and reddened under his assault while he pinned the willing nightmare in place as they used each other in the basest way. The grunts which filled the air were almost animalistic as they rutted together, each accepting the aggression from the other like a fine wine; something to be savoured as it drove them to even more frantic movements while they chased their own pleasure.

Pulling free until he was almost free of the other man, Crane lunged forward to impale him fully and the force of his hips drew a low whine from Corinthian as the clear mix of pain and pleasure gripped the nightmare to spur him on.

Taking the cock which bobbed so temptingly below him into his hand, Crane ran his fingers over the length and spread the pre-cum which had leaked from the head down the twitching shaft.

“Fuck!” Groaned Corinthian as his sleeve moved to wipe away a small bit of spit which had accumulated at the corner of his mouth. “You’re better at this than I thought.”

Too aroused to be offended by any presumption otherwise, Crane continued with his punishing pace as his fingers stroked along the velvety cock within their grip. All too soon, the length seemed to contract and twitch within his grasp, and he roughened his grasp to force Corinthian over the edge.

The pulse of the cock within Crane’s hand was almost a throb as Corinthian came all over himself; his release arcing gracefully to fall amongst the patch of sandy hair which trailed down to his groin. Rough grunts and moans were all that escaped his mouth as his hips bucked in place, forcing himself back against Crane as he took the pleasure which he craved so thoroughly.

In response, Crane continued to run his hand over the nightmare’s cock. Stimulating his sensitive cockhead with a cruelty which saw Corinthian writhe below him as his jacket continued to pick up grime from the filthy flooring which housed the pair.

The soft tap of Corinthian’s feet against the floor as he rode out his pleasure played Crane out to his own peak and he gave one final deep thrust within the nightmare before pulling free. Running his free hand along his own hard shaft, a high groan broke free of his lips as his balls tightened and he came within his own fist.

His release spattered across Corinthian’s groin, their combined mess making a thoroughly debased sight as Crane grunted out his orgasm. His limbs grew more uncomfortably tense with every passing moment as he basked in the pleasure which had been denied to him for so long until the sensation ebbed away.

Soft breaths were the only noise in the room, the scent of sex and blood hanging in the air like a depraved perfume, as both men fought to regain full control of themselves.

Standing on legs which felt just strong enough to carry him, Crane wiped what little mess had accumulated on his fingers on the pantleg of his slacks as he bent over to pick up his discarded clothes.

“It’s not often that a human lives up to their reputation.” The drawl was still there as the thoroughly smug voice of the Corinthian rang out. His tone was casual in a way which did not reflect the fact that his hands were carefully wiping off the mixed release which coated his lower stomach with a small handkerchief. “You’re something, Dr. Crane.”

“Tonight was,” Crane paused as he fixed his zipper, “enlightening. Your claims were reflected by my toxin which was not something I had come to expect.”

“And what did you ‘come to expect’?”

The double entendre was not lost on him, and Crane graced the effort with a slight twist of his lips as he watched Corinthian pull on his own undergarments and tan slacks before standing from the floor; his jacket most likely ruined from the flecks of grime which now stained it in small patches.

“I’ve learned to keep an open mind in this city.”

Faced with each other once more now that their combined bloodlust had been well satiated, both Crane and Corinthian showed no weakness or awkwardness as they observed the other.

“You clearly enjoy your purpose, nightmare.” Crane allowed the slightest hint of praise to coat his words as he offered the proverbial handshake. “Should you return to Gotham on further business then I am certain that our paths may cross again.”

“Oh, I’m sure I can find the time. My maker is somewhat occupied at the moment, and I hate to waste a good opportunity.”

“I can remove the body of the waitress. The harbour can have her to ensure that Cobblepot doesn’t track her disappearance here.”

Having already started to move towards the door which served as an exit for the room, Corinthian paused long enough to turn back to look at Crane.

“She was seen leaving her shift with a well-dressed blonde man. I’m sure they won’t track that back to you.” He inclined his head politely as his hands returned his dark glasses to their regular position perched atop his nose. “Until next time, Dr. Crane.”

Choosing to ignore the teasing insult, Crane instead crossed his arms over his chest and watched as the nightmare disappeared through the same door in which he had entered, his footsteps becoming fainter with every passing second.

Now alone in his workshop, Crane exhaled deeply, and the sound carried across the small room. His head swam with thoughts of all that had occurred that night. Another nightmare walked amongst the people of Gotham, this one supernatural in origin, and he would make a decent attempt to follow the path of destruction which Corinthian would no doubt leave in his wake.

The fact that he had fucked said nightmare on the floor was the further thing from his mind, having already relegated the event to a direct result of bloodlust which meant little more than fulfilling a need.

As these thoughts and many other filtered through his mind, Crane stood as firm as a statue as he sorted through them; his internal debate witnessed only by the unseeing waitress as her empty sockets continued to drip to blood on to the tiled floor in a steady rhythm.

#Jonathan crane #scarecrow #the corinthian #the sandman #sandman corinthian #the sandman netflix #dc comics #gotham rogues #batman villains #boyd holbrook

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tomboyneedshercoffee · 5 years ago

Text

Lovedust Pt.8 || Peter Parker x Stark Reader

Summary: Y/N and Josh talk things over about where they stand as Y/N tries to build the courage to confess to Peter. One night on top of the roof, Y/N and Peter reveal any secrets they’ve been keeping from each other.

Word Count: 5k

Author’s Note: This is technically the last part of Lovedust but there will be an epilogue. I was going to go a whole different direction and make it too angsty because sometimes, life works out that way but you guys deserve a happy ending ;) This series was only meant to be about three parts long but because of ow supportive and kind you all have been, I just have no words except thank you all so much. I will give a better thank you for the epilogue but until then, enjoy the chapter.

Warning: adult language

part one || part two || part three || part four || part five || part six || part seven || part eight || epilogue

You stared up at your bedroom ceiling quietly, picking at the stitching of your blanket to the point where you had about four inches of loose thread massaged between your thumb and middle finger.

Three minutes.

Peter was presumed dead for three minutes as you were giving him CPR that was literally a race against the clock. One hundred eighty seconds was the span between life or death and you couldn’t help but think of what if you had stopped after a minute? What about one hundred and seventy-nine seconds?

Three minutes. Your mind was so fucked that the only thing you could compare the time to was that Peter was dead longer than the time it took to pop a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

You thought back to the time where you had gone to California with Tony where you were alone in the hotel room while he had a conference. You remembered how scared you felt when the ground started to shake underneath you as the earth rolled underneath.

That earthquake must’ve only lasted fifteen seconds tops and yet, you felt like it was an eternity of shielding yourself underneath one of the desks that would’ve surely broken if the roof caved in overhead.

It’s odd how times works, whenever you’re in a dangerous situation, your body literally slows downtime so you can have the best chance at survival. So while those three minutes didn’t seem like a long time, the lingering fear of losing Peter after everything sent your body through emotional distress like no other.

It felt like a cruel joke; you had only come to realize you were in love with him when he was dying in front of you. What was even crueler was that even though everything seemed less complicated now that you really understood how you felt about him, it was only the tip of the iceberg.

It had been a few days since you had seen Peter since the night of the party and you felt like you were slowly losing your sanity. Your dad tried convincing you that Peter needed to be monitored for a while but maybe he just wanted you two to stay away from each other since you practically almost killed him by kissing Josh.

You loved Peter and he “loved” you yet once he was cured, he wouldn’t share the same feelings for you. What would happen once he was cured? How different would things be between you, especially since you would be having feelings for someone who doesn’t love you back?

Loving someone who surely wasn’t in love with you felt like a whole new level of self-destruction.

Your phone rang from underneath your pillow and temporarily interrupted your thoughts. You reached under the pillow to pull out your phone to find that Josh was calling you.

You inhaled sharply as you practically leaped out from under your covers, unsure of what to do.

The last you heard from Josh was the night of the party but just like Peter, you hadn’t seen or spoke to him since. That wasn’t the full truth, Josh had been texting you to make sure you were okay but you didn’t have the strength to even reply to his worried texts.

Poor Josh. He felt like an innocent bystander who got hit in the crossfire of what was going on between you and Peter.

In past relationships, you were like Josh. Your past boyfriends seem to always treat you as a rebound, a backup in case things went south and as gross as it made you feel, it was like you could sort of understand why your exes felt that way.

You didn’t want to lead Josh on, he was too nice of a guy to deserve that type of treatment. Your thumb hovered over the screen and you answered his call at the last second. He deserved that at the least.

“ Hey sorry, I was um, preoccupied. Is everything okay?” You asked as you started to pace your room.

“ I was going to ask the same for you. You haven’t been answering my texts and I was getting worried.”

You bit the inside of your cheek as a wave of guilt washed over you,” Y-Yeah I’m sorry. I’ve just been going through some stuff. I didn’t mean to worry you.”

“ You don’t have to apologize, I get it. I’ve been meaning to talk to you about something in person, are you doing anything at the moment?

You rolled your shoulders back as you let out a deep sigh. In all honesty, you didn’t feel like leaving your room but if you were going to pick Peter over Josh, you also would have to owe him an explanation.

“ Okay, where do you want to meet?”

“ We can meet outside your complex, I don’t want to inconvenience you.”

“ Oh that’s probably easier anyway, when are you gonna come over?” You asked as you fell backwards onto your bed.

“ Um...I’m already outside.”

Your eyes widened as you scrambled over to your window to squint out towards the entrance. Sure enough, if you squinted really hard, you could make out Josh’s car outside the front gate.

“ Oh fuck! Sorry um, I’m coming out now!” You didn’t bother to let Josh respond as you hung up the phone and practically rushed out of your bedroom.

You practically sprinted across the front lawn all the way to the entrance and once you opened the gate, you leaned your body against the side of Josh’s car to help catch your breath.

“ You didn’t have to run all the way here, I could’ve waited,” Josh said with a smile as he watched you struggling.

“ I know,” You huffed as you felt yourself calm down,” but it would have been awkward if you just stood there for five minutes and watched me walk the whole way.”

“ Okay, that’s fair,” Josh chuckled as he leaned against the side of his car beside you,” I wanted to talk to you about the night of the party. I just want to make sure you’re okay and I’m sorry if I overstepped by kissing you. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.”

You felt your heartstrings tug at his words as you looked down at your flip flops. You didn’t know how to explain to him that he wasn’t the one who overstepped but that the kiss was never supposed to happen.

“ You don’t have to apologize Josh and you didn’t make me uncomfortable at all. It’s just...I know how you feel about me and don’t get me wrong, I’m so flattered that you actually like me because to be honest, you’re way out of my league but um,” You awkwardly rubbed your sweaty hands against your pajama bottoms and let out a shaky breath,” I thought things were fine and that they would go back to normal but um, things kinda just happened and you were there and I thought hey he’s cute, like super cute, and Kim was being so pushy-”

“ I know you have feelings for Peter, it’s okay Y/N,” Josh interrupted as he took a moment before wincing,” I didn’t mean to interrupt you but I had a feeling that’s where you were heading with it. Plus you ramble when you’re nervous and I don’t want you to say something embarrassing. ”

Bless his soul, Josh really would be the death of you.

“ Is it that obvious I like him?”

“ Painfully obvious yeah. I kinda figured you two had something going on but after you gave him CPR and you two gave each other that look, that’s when it all clicked for me,” Josh said as you felt the tips of your ears get hot.

“ Josh, I am so sorry. I really mean it when I say that you’re the sweetest guy I have ever met and I really do wish you the best,” You answered honestly and you felt even guiltier when Josh only shrugged, a small smile tugging at his lips.

You couldn’t believe that even now as you were telling Josh you didn’t share feelings for him that he was still being incredibly sweet towards you.

“ Same goes for you, I hope he treats you the way you deserve to be treated. I have to be honest and say that I can’t get rid of my feelings for you overnight but hopefully we can be friends somewhere along the line,” Josh offered as you felt your heart snap in two.

As you looked back at Josh, that’s when you could really make out the distinct difference between the two boys. You weren’t sure if what Josh was saying was truthful, he was harder to read than Peter and even though his mouth was saying one thing, you could see that there was some pain behind his brown eyes that told a different story.

Yet nonetheless, you admired that Josh, despite having the full right to completely guilt you and make you feel like shit because of what happened, still chose to put any malicious intent aside for your own good.

“ Is it okay if I hug you?” You asked as Josh returned a sweet smile, embracing you in his strong arms.

Despite the heaviness in Josh’s chest, he felt his heart flutter at the feeling of your body pressed against his. The hug was short but even in those few seconds, Josh felt himself trying to take a mental picture of this moment, something he would replay over and over as he did his best to get over you.

After Josh had left, you made your way back into your cave and hid out in your room for the rest of the night. You had school first thing in the morning and yet, you found yourself tossing and turning yet again.

To cure your restless mind, you left your room and headed into the kitchen to make tea. You were never the type to drink tea but you didn’t have the patience to just lay in bed, at least this way you were occupying your mind with something else.

As the water boiled, you kept your eyes on Peter’s bedroom door, your knee bouncing up and down as if you were anticipating him opening it. You wondered how he was feeling, considering he almost died and all.

You just wished you could have the confidence to just go up and talk to him, to admit that it was him all along and that you chose him.

You poured the tea into a mug and cradled it in your hands carefully as a pair of feet made their way into the kitchen. You turned around, anticipating Peter’s face but instead, you looked up to see your dad.

“ You didn’t hear it from me but Peter is up on the roof waiting for you. Just in case if you were wondering,” Tony said as he nonchalantly dragged his finger across the countertop and peeked his head towards your tea,” aren’t you glad I made you learn CPR? I know it was part of your lifeguard course but I’m glad it came in handy.”

“ Too soon,” You sighed as you watched your dad haphazardly look through the cupboards,” and I wasn’t wondering about Peter. I’m just minding my own business and then I’m heading to bed.”

“ Minding your own business? That’s not the Y/N I know.”

“ Well, what would the Y/N you know do?” You asked as you looked down at the inside of your mug,” am I supposed to just run over to the roof and profess my love for him?”

Tony furrowed his eyebrows and shook his head,” I never said anything about love kiddo but the Y/N I know loves to talk so yeah, I expect some emotional reunion of the sort. You’ve always been known to be a bit theatrical.”

“ And who do you think I get that from?”

“ The one and only Potts,” Tony chuckled as a small smile crept onto your lips,” I don’t know what to say because I don’t think I can bring myself to give my daughter relationship advice about a guy who lives only a few doors down. If anything, it’s against my best interest but I will make this the one exception where I will intervene simply because if I don’t, no one else will. I think you should talk to Peter. He’s been through a lot and he has some things he needs to talk to you about.”

” Well he’s the one avoiding me so maybe he should come over and say it to my face,” You didn’t know why you turned so aggressive but you took a small sip of your tea to try and ease your nerves,” I know he’s been through a lot but we both have. That night of the party was just...too much for me. ”

“ You really are my daughter, always making it about you. You gotta give the kid a break.”

“ I- Dad it is all about me. That night fucking-not sorry- sucked and I don’t know what else to say. I jumped into a pool with my clothes on and I thought Peter was dead-”

“ But he’s not dead. He’s alive and breathing and waiting for you on the roof like I told you,” Tony interrupted as you exhaled slowly,” you love him, it’s a fathers worst nightmare but even I can see clear as day that you have feelings for him, are you going to tell me I’m wrong?”

You liked to think you knew yourself better than anyone else and for the most part, it was true. Tony was probably the closest to knowing who you really were as a person and yet, everything he was saying still wasn’t enough to make you less paranoid.

“ I wouldn’t say you’re wrong but I’m too scared to say out loud that you’re right,” You said as Tony rolled his eyes,” what? What did I say?”

“ You love to talk and yet, you never say enough. I don’t have the patience to stand here and listen to you beat around the bush,” Tony kneeled down towards one of the cupboards and grabbed a bottle of whiskey from the shelf,” you have a problem. Let me know how things go with Peter. Or don’t. I’ll find out anyway.”

You stood there, mouth wide open as you watched Tony playfully bump into your shoulder, what a bastard,” Yeah sure! You’re the one drinking at three am but I’m the problem?”

Tony only gave you a hasty wave before turning the corner to where the elevators were, leaving you alone in the kitchen. He was right, everything he was saying made perfect sense and yet, it annoyed you on how right he was.

You had absolutely no idea how to start a conversation with Peter now that you were sure of your feelings and yet, all you wanted to do was find him and reveal everything to him. You looked between your bedroom door and the elevators. You could either go back to bed or you could talk to Peter and nervously choke on your words like a schoolgirl.

Fuck no.

You walked over to your room with your mug in one hand but before you could open the door, your legs started to move in the direction of the elevators, seemingly with a mind of their own.

Fuck it.

You stepped into the elevator and made your way up the floors until you hit the roof access. You hardly spent any of your time on the roof since you had no reason to ever be up there in the first place but once you opened the door, you were immediately taken aback.

The greenroof took up almost half of the roof itself, the addition being nothing more than a general garden area to look aesthetically pleasing from the sky. Since most of the energy needed to run the facility was either solar or space related, the greenroof was more of a private garden that didn’t account for energy efficiency.

A mixture of moss and summer grass covered the roof in a thick blanket that never grew beyond the border of the garden and at first glance, the brightly freckled flowers planted along the pathway seemed random but as you walked down the graveled path, you could tell that there was some element of planning that went along with it.

Along the pathway stood different hues of green bonsai trees that stood tall and proud in their wooden boxes. You were so focused on the bonsais that you didn’t notice Peter sitting on one of the benches about a couple of yards away.

Your breath hitched in your throat but your feet continued to crunch along the graveled pathway as you made your way over to him. From Peter’s spot underneath the patio, he could hear you walking towards him but kept his eyes looking straight forward, unable to tear them away from the cityscape in the far distance.

You hesitantly took a seat beside Peter on the wooden bench and tucked your legs back so you could rest the mug on your thigh. The lights that Peter had strung up a few weeks back had lost it’s brightness, leaving behind a faded orange glow in its place but it was just the right amount of light needed to where you could read his expression carefully.

“ How are you feeling?” You asked quietly as you attempted to get a feel for what mindset Peter was in.

“ Good, I feel good,” Peter said back, almost quieter than the volume you started out with,” how are you feeling?”

While both of your minds were racing at the thought of the other person, the thoughts suddenly felt almost too personal, the atmosphere being instantly filled with the conversations you two weren’t having.

Out of the two of you, Peter felt like he had more to share and yet, more to hide. You were still completely clueless on the following; A) Peter was cured B) You cured him because of the kiss and C) He loved you back

It seemed like a dream come true, Peter was still in love with you without the lovedust and you felt the same way towards him and yet, he was still terrified. As everything began to feel more and more real, suddenly the idea of being with you made his chest tighten up.

He never knew if he could ever admit it outloud but he was scared that you liked him back because what if after all this time, after all the trials and tribulation the two of you had gone through, what if you two still didn’t work out?

There was so much history between the two of you and he was worried that all of the heartbreak and pining wouldn’t be worth it in the end. He loved you so much to where he knew that he needed you no matter what. It only hurt him more to think that from your last argument, you couldn’t even bring yourself to admit to him that you loved him.

Now that you were here in front of him, Peter would make sure you wouldn’t leave without hearing you say it back.

As Peter tried to carefully put his thoughts in order like he had practiced, you thought back to what your dad had told you and decided that you needed to start somewhere and you had to do that by being honest.

“ I’ve been struggling these last couple of days with what happened at the party. I can’t tell how you guilty I feel for putting you through so much pain and I wish I could take it all back. I feel so guilty because it was my fault you died- did you know that? I know the paramedics talked to you but you were dead for three minutes Peter and honestly, that was one of the worst moments of my life. I mean it’s up there with what happened to my parents,” You paused as you remembered to take a breath,” I don’t know what I would’ve done if something had happened to you.”

Peter felt his mouth dry up and for a moment, it was hard to swallow,” You didn’t kill me, you saved me. I still feel like I might be in shock from it all but I don’t blame you for anything that happened. I’m sorry I even put you through that cause I’m sure it was...a lot. But don’t ever say that you killed me, none of it was your fault.”

“ It was my fault. If it wasn’t for me and Josh-,” You stopped yourself before saying more. You didn’t want to talk about Josh, all you cared about was Peter but now, the thought was evident in Peter’s mind and he couldn’t seem to shake it out of him.

The image of you kissing Josh replayed in Peter’s head over and over again as his heart ached. Josh made things more complicated than they already were.

Peter’s biggest fear was losing you but to lose you to another guy? And yet, it still made Peter feel like he was between a rock and a hard place because Peter had only meant Josh on one occasion and it was enough to give Peter an idea that Josh didn’t have cruel intentions towards you.

Just because you loved Peter didn’t mean that you didn’t have feelings for Josh and that’s what made Peter crazy. You must’ve liked Josh enough to return the kiss right?

“ He’s a good guy, I see why you like him,” Peter finally said as he shifted awkwardly in his seat, not knowing what else to say,” he would make you happy.”

The comment shakes you in an uncomfortable way, was that supposed to make you feel better? Your annoyance was jealousy in disguise, you didn’t want to talk about Josh, you were here to tell Peter how you actually felt about him but because of how Peter was delivering it, it seemed like he was giving you an out.

“ It’s not- I don’t like Josh like that.”

“ You kissed him, I saw the whole thing. Do you just go around kissing people you supposedly don’t like?” Peter couldn’t help himself and let the words slip out so easily.

It was a low blow and the two of you both knew it.

It took every fiber of your being not to lash out at the accusation because you knew Peter had a right to be upset but you didn’t like what he was insinuating and you didn’t want the conversation to take a bad turn,” You don’t have to worry about Josh anymore. If you want me to be honest, yes, I thought there was something there but things changed. I came to talk to you because my dad said you needed to tell me something important but if you’re going to just sit here and belittle me, I’m not gonna take it. I get it, the lovedust is messing with your emotions but I’m extremely sensitive tonight, more than usual so just come back to me when you’re calm.”

You got up from your seat with a quickness but before you could step off the patio, Peter grabbed your wrist and pulled you back towards the corner of the bench.

Peter felt like such an idiot, whenever he got anxious on the fine details, he had a tendency to let the big picture escape him but it was something he knew he needed to work on while he was around you. He wasn’t going to let the conversation die just before it had started, he knew his big mouth tended to escalate conversations with you but he couldn’t let you go, not this time.

“ I’m sorry, I didn’t mean that. I’m just frustrated because this feels so one-sided. I never know what you’re thinking because you never tell me anything. You always avoid answering the question but I need more,” Peter practically begged as you felt yourself get a bit aggravated,” I am being calm but I’m desperate at this point. I need to know how you feel about me, don’t try to change the subject, I need to know. Tell me how I make you feel.”

Your tongue felt heavy in your mouth as you pulled your hand away from Peter so you could regain your thoughts without him distracting you. You were suddenly chickening out, you had never felt so nervous in your entire life and you wanted to tell him how much you loved him. You wanted to tell him what he wanted to hear but it wasn’t easy taking a step forward when you don't know where your foot will fall.

“ This is hard for me Peter, I’m trying my best and I’m sorry if it isn’t good enough but ever since the lovedust, the dynamic is different and you’ve changed. It’s so much to get used to because of...how I feel towards you,” You said as Peter let out a frustrated breath.

He hated this feeling of going back and forth, he didn’t want to hear any of it. All he wanted was to just shake your shoulders because in his mind, you had no reason to be hesitant on opening up to him,” The lovedust didn’t change just me, it changed you too! I was vulnerable and I opened up to you, I showed you how I felt about you every second of the day but you have given me nothing!”

Nothing.

That word made your blood boil because nothing? Just because it was hard for you to let your emotions out didn’t mean Peter was getting nothing back in return. Since he was infected with the lovedust, you had been doing your best to open yourself more to him and you thought you had been doing a good job.

After all those years of Peter belittling you and tearing you down, of course, you would be a bit hesitant to let down your guard and yet, you did it anyway. It took so much to get to where you were comfortable with Peter to be vulnerable, especially when you broke down from your nightmare of your parents.

To break down and crumble in front of Peter wasn’t an accident, you could only be that vulnerable if you knew that he could help piece you back together.

“ Nothing? I gave you nothing?” You spat as you felt your eyes tear up,” I saved your life! I gave you the breath in my lungs to stop you from dying! I don’t owe you anything, I don’t need to prove shit to you!”

Peter stood up from the bench and while his heart ached from seeing you so upset, he knew that he couldn’t hold back,” Don’t pull that with me Y/N, you know you haven’t been honest with me. We both know that we can’t live without the other so don’t act like you did me a favor by saving me. Why won’t you admit it, even after everything we’ve been through, you’re still scared to just admit that you might love me!”

And just like that, you felt yourself let go.

“Of course I’m scared! I’m fucking terrified Peter! Is that what you want me to say? Do you want me to admit that me almost losing you would’ve broken me? Because you’re right! Yes, I love you!” You cried out as you took in a shaky breath,” I love you so much it hurts me and I didn’t understand how badly I loved you until I almost lost you! All I could think about when I was trying to save you was never hearing your laugh and never feeling your touch and I swear Peter, if you died, I would’ve never forgiven myself. I’m sorry it took me so long to say it but I love you. But none of it matters, you know why? Because you’re sick in the head, the lovedust is fucking with you and now it’s fucking with me!”

There it was, finally. After all of that time denying it and trying to hide your feelings to save your own sanity, you finally confessed. You had so many chances to confess that yes, it really was him all along.

When he came into your room and comforted you through your nightmare to the two of you shouting at each other in the rain, you had always loved him.

Even though Peter knew how you felt about him, this was the first time he heard it with his own ears and it was like hearing the symphony for the first time. Like your own soundtrack that swelled during the climax of the movie that was you and Peter, Peter could listen to you say it over and over again.

He didn’t care that most of your confession involved a string of swear words because, without them, it wouldn’t have been your true self. He knew once he admitted to you that he was cured, there would be no going back.

“ The lovedust is gone Y/N. When you kissed me- or saved me by giving mouth to mouth- the lovedust flushed out of my system completely. Banner did extra tests and he confirmed that I’m okay and back to normal all because of you.”

Your heart dropped to the floor as your eyes raked up Peter, testing to see if he was lying but he didn’t falter. This is what you were afraid of, confessing everything to him only to find out that he didn’t love you anymore but who would’ve thought it would be you to make him go back to normal.

And yet, a huge part of you was relieved because finally, the lovedust was gone. You didn’t need to worry about it ever screwing with you and Peter again but as you studied his expression, your chest felt heavy.

You had seemingly set up your own demise,” Oh, that’s good...I’m happy for you.”

You felt yourself take a step back but Peter reached his hand out to softly hold yours. You pulled your hand away but Peter swatted your stubbornness away and held your hand tighter. He rubbed his thumb over your knuckles and when he looked back up at you, he felt his heart swell.

“ And yet, even though the pain is gone, I feel more love for you now than I have ever felt in my entire life. I understand what they mean when they say love hurts but if anything, it heals even more because you made me feel whole again. When you saved me and the first thing I saw was you looking back at me, it was like I was given a second chance to love you the right way, the way you were meant to be loved.”

“You were right, the lovedust made me fall in love with you but ever since you cured me, it was only a matter of admitting to myself that deep down, I’ve always cared about you. It opened my eyes and showed me that I will never have to look further in finding the one for me because you are everything and more,” Peter said as you moved your eyes from the floor to his figure,” I love you. I mean it. No exceptions, no strings attached, no lovedust required.”

Right then and there, you were at a loss for everything you could possibly hold; no words, no breath, no thoughts. Any resentment you held had shattered into microscopic pieces that would dissolve once crushed between something as delicate as your fingertips because he said everything you wanted to hear.

“ You love me?” You said quietly to where Peter made you repeat yourself,” Are you serious? Do you really mean it?”

Peter nodded and softly let out an ‘ of course I do’ as he brushed his fingers lightly over your cheek. He cupped your face gently with one hand as his thumb wiped away a stray tear,” Can I finally kiss you?”

Peter’s cheeks grew red as you nodded and leaned into his touch, innocently brushing your lips against his. Peter dipped his head down to close the space between the two of you and kissed you so softly, you had to pull him closer to you to actually kiss him back.

Even though Peter was the one who asked, he felt completely unprepared kissing you back. He had imagined over and over how warm your lips would be against his but now that he was actually kissing you, he didn’t think he had enough self-control to ever stop kissing you.

You never knew a kiss could be innocent and yet so intimate but as his lips moved in perfect sync, any other logistics of the feeling went away because all you could think about was Peter. You practically melted into his touch but before you could savor the kiss, Peter pulled away breathless.

“ S-Sorry, I forgot to breathe,” Peter gushed as you smiled back up at him,” what does this mean for us now?”

You traced your finger along Peter’s wrist as you thought quietly,” I don’t know but we can figure it out together.”

Peter hummed happily before dipping his head down to kiss you and when he pulled away, he fell himself falling in love with you all over again.

taglist: @eridanuswave @juliet-winterson @akacalumtrash @ilovepeterparker13@parkerboop @juliebean247 @multi-fan-lover @ffffan-----girlll @lukesbabylon@danicarosaline @parkeret @marvel4geeks @hollander69 @spideyyeet @spn-assemble-seven @vibraniumdaisies @spaghetittiesbcimgay @vi-bi-bye@lemonsnips @aduky @faithfullcompanion @stopthemotherfuckingmusic@satellitespidey @foreverpark @marvelobsessedteenager @deadpoetsbackup@zalladane @starcourt-s @parkersinfinitywar @stargazingcarol @littlesugarb@itsteph13 @jennasmmith @liljennyx3 @harryspet @todaynotseen @oh-whatabeautiful-parker @tiny-friggin-human @popluckbih niiight-dreamerrrr sovereignparker marie-is-in-the-darkbuckyboy-soldier maia030 parkershoco wolverinesbeer cherrysruin sunkissdes kiainspace songofcosplay spideylovin write-from-the-heart thatcrazywhovian09 eternallyvenusthollandxmsrawog idiosadeoro imawkwardandherewearefoundwolvesthequeen-oni silverwolf-sama inspiring-beamultiversegalaxygirl lastupidebitchette idekwho1amsilverwolf-sama wishing-wanting annoyinglyloudcomputer faithful-music akacalumtrash agusdoti panickedbrain serendipitous-amorshannonthewriter-blog darth-andy farfromtom xroselightsmurdermornings dorbiksbitch baby-unidorn yes-multi-fandom-girl multiversegalaxygirl a-disappointing-teen-author rivas0309 vlogsquad-wannabe spicy-embryoo takemetoneverland420teenage-tragedy roxybefab hopebaker timeless-crowmarvel4geeks desteweirdo panicattheeverywherekid miragee3cjphoenix135 liawhite03zeusmysterboinkybarnesleftarmaunicornmademedoitActionsMinimizeClosetomshufflepuff drishtisikarwar peterparkoure frantasmicjillanaholland imdoingathingmom shawni-h lukesbabylon dsl1999 queenmochi heyarely16 jokersqueenofchaos agusdoti karmaboundlife lalabruhh blackloveangel13 flufflymota07 un-viaje-en-las-estrellas lozzybowe teenwolfrebel panickedbrainspaghetittiesbcimgay itscaminow shirukitsune petersquipsbuckybsxroselights saucyparkerr zeusmystermsmimimertonfudgemesteveharrington 1999yaniraboinkybarnesleftarm parayeet-amiright peterparkoure zoey-one-oh-fun drishtisikarwar theunicorndinosaur spideylovin flufflymota07 marzbarz1360 sspidermanss honeyheartzz overcaffeinatedbuttired @toreadortowrite kyarahollander2013 my-soul-is-the-moon marvel-snowbaz cuddlefishpeter 1-800-jackgrazer spicy-embryoo shannonthewriter-blog @tomshufflepuff @xoxohollands starriglcss fandom-phaser starryseavey the-specific-oceans @sspidermanss

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bluebellravenbooks · 4 years ago

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A Great Distraction Masterpost

January has been gloomy as heck, so I thought it may be a good idea to put together a list of things that I read/watched/played since the beginning of the pandemic that managed to keep my mind off things. (I'm a doctoral student with anxiety and a 5-second attention span, so if this worked for me chances are it's Good Stuff.) Hope this helps!

Steven Universe

Set millennia after a kinda-failed alien invasion, this is a story of a half-human protagonist with a big heart who has to deal with the consequences of this long-ago war and learn what it means to be human.

The trope of a peacekeeper hero, excellently executed. Goes from cute to cute and rather dark, but still hopeful. Nice songs, lovely animation, interesting characters; you can tell that the storytelling goes from the hearts of the people who made this. This is a generally uplifting story; however it does have some discussion of war, mental illness and parental death, so tw for that. Also depending on where you live, this may be a bit difficult to track down across the streaming services... That said, this is undoubtedly one of the best shows I have ever watched.

Hollow Knight

You are a tiny badass with a sword and a mysterious past, travelling across a derelict kingdom and trying to make sense of what happened to it. And the more you learn, the more you suspect that you are here for a reason...

A 2D platformer game, doesn't require anything fancy from your laptop - not even a mouse. Previous gaming experience not necessary either. Beautiful visuals (I mean it!), a huge world to explore; exasperatingly difficult, which makes for a great distraction. I do have to warn that the plot of this game revolves around an infection, although it's not very reminiscent of Covid. As a plus, you get to kick its ass in the end!

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Four great nations are at war - have been for some time, actually, and things aren't looking great. The discovery of the Avatar - the peacekeeper with abilities from all the nations - offers a glimmer of hope; however it doesn't help that the Avatar is eleven years old and has spent the last century frozen in an iceberg.

Truly, a classic. I love the trope of the peacekeeper hero - both Avatar and Steven Universe explore it beautifully. Just like with Steven, I have to mention a tw for war, but this being a cartoon it's not explicitly traumatic. A great place to start if you're not into cartoons yet.

The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells

Murderbot is a half-organic, half-robotic being, serving as a security unit on interplanetary missions. It's much more sentient and independent than its company believes - but all it wants is for the annoying humans to leave it in peace long enough to watch one more episode of its current show. However when things go south on a mission, Murderbot has to deal with much more reality - and human interaction - than it would like.

Very fun and quick read; the narrator's voice is just excellent. Much less bloodthirsty than the title suggests, but still a tw for injury and death. (Not too much though - I hate gore and I was perfectly fine reading this.)

Folk of the Air by Holly Black

Elfhame is no place for humans - well, normal humans, anyway. Jude Duarte was brought up here with her sisters, and she is hell-bent on proving her worth in the fairy court she has come to call home. Few are happy with that, or believe that she can make it - but even Jude herself wouldn't have guessed where the political turbulence would get her.

Very well-written; politics of the fairy court stand to logic and offer plenty of exciting plot twists. True to the title, some characters can be rather cruel, so tw for violence and parental death; however most of the plot revolves around politics and not explicit physical trauma.

Cartoon Saloon films: Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, WolfWalkers

Some of the best modern animation plus Irish mythology. Each of these films explores a different myth/historical period, but they are similar in the magical atmosphere; I recommend each and every one of them. The plots being different, I won't list all the tw's here; there's nothing particularly gruesome going on, so just have a look at the plot description before watching to check for sensitive topics.

Gravity Falls

Dipper and Mabel are sent to a cabin deep in Oregon forest to spend the summer with their great-uncle. Sounds like a boring holiday - however it turns out that the town has more weird secrets than residents, and even their great-uncle seems to be hiding something...

Very cartooney, so the style might be a little off-putting at first - however I loved the plot, especially when the overstory started to pick up. This is a great exploration of family and what summer should feel like when you're an adventurous kid. Will probably get you into cryptography.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power

Adora grew up with the bad guys. That is, of course, she thinks they are the good ones - until one day she escapes from the camp and sees much more than she bargained for. Oh yes, and apparently some magical sword wants her to be a hero. Now on the side of the rebellion, she has to protect her new friends, deal with the old ones, and try to figure out what the heck is going on.

This show is fun, very diverse and full of positivity without trying too hard. For me it was a joy to watch something with a lot of strong female characters without having the dark gender issues discussed, not even once. (I mean, it's still important to have shows that explicitly discuss this - but a show where characters are just happy in their identities, no questions asked, is something I didn't know I needed.)

Carmen Sandiego

The young woman who calls herself Carmen Sandiego has a rather unconventional occupation. She was brought up in a school for thieves - but when she glimpsed the outside world, she realised that things weren't as simple as her teachers said. Now she uses her expertise to track her former schoolmates - and steal back their loot.

This is probably the most young-age-oriented item on my list, so there's not a lot of drama going on, and some plotlines are rather simple. That said, this series is good fun, I still found the story and the characters compelling, and the animation was really good as well. Honestly, seeing what modern 2D animation can do is a treat.

These things - and many other - helped me stay sane during this year; I found out that stories can be fun shameless escapism and really deep and satisfying at the same time. Feel free to add to this list - and I will keep it updated as well when more good stuff comes my way.

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alrightzuko · 5 years ago

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Literally can't stop thinking about "You have indeed felt a great loss. But love is a form of energy, and it swirls all around us. The Air Nomads' love for you has not left this world. It is still inside of your heart, and is reborn in the form of new love" and how much the concept of this quote pretty much applies to the main characters within atla, especially in regards to their development and central arcs throughout the series and how it plays a big role in their journey, either on a large scale or a more subtle one.

Aang's is the most obvious and is the original context of this quote. His love for the Air Nomads and their love for him is reborn in his love for Katara and vice versa. These two develop an instinctual bond as soon as they meet and get along very well, providing each other with support in overcoming the trauma, a listening ear when things are rough or standing up for the other when they encounter obstacles, especially ones related to their bending. They supply each other with the home and understanding that has been lost as a result of the war. Aang's love for Sokka can be interpreted in the same way, who forms one of the first bases for Aang's second family after the loss of his entire culture. It's not just that though, there's also the gradual trust in each other's leadership skills, reaching its zenith in their preparations for the invasion of the Fire Nation capital.

Katara's reborn love is likewise Aang's as well, and I think the best way to demonstrate this example is paralleling Aang's actions in the second episode of book one when Zuko and his crew attacked the South Pole and Kya's in the flashbacks of the Southern Raiders. Both are people who meant a lot for Katara and who at that point helped in shaping her view of the world, since Kya raised her and Aang even in the short span they interacted reminded her of the joy of enjoying her adolescence and having fun. Both did not hesitate to offer themselves up for the Fire Nation when it became clear that Katara and the village was in danger and both made a conscious effort to reassure Katara during those sequence of events. Of course, Aang and Kya didn't have the same outcome but that's not the point.

Zuko's is Ursa's and Iroh's. It's not a reborn love in the literal sense but for all intents and purposes, the result is largely similar. While we know from flashbacks that Zuko was very close to his uncle even prior to Iroh losing his son and events leading up to Zuko's banishment, the fact of the matter is that Ursa is shown to be his primary caregiver, the person who works to do whatever they can to shield him from Ozai's abuse and someone who inspires a lot of his conceptions about his self image, particularly his persistence in the face of adversity and failure. Once Ursa is no longer in a position to continue doing so, that role is then taken up by Iroh who continuously makes every effort he can to support Zuko through the worst period of his life, providing the love and care he needs in order to heal, standing against the harm Azula and Ozai attempt to inflict against him (often literally) as well as teaching him the tools he needs in order to continue building his separate identity outside of the toxic ideals of his family. Whether that is in relation to Zuko's bending and the way he's been branded as the less talented and therefore a disappointment or in relation to the imperialist mindset of their country and the royal family by passing on the ideals that Iroh himself learned through his journey of self-reflection.

Sokka actually has two forms of reborn loves, which I realised upon some extensive thinking. The first is by far the more obvious, which is Yue and Suki. Yes, Sokka met Suki first but the order of events lend my argument some weight. It's not just that both are his primary love interests (which they are) but they are ones who influenced Sokka's relationship to his role as a protector and to another extent they were people who he could enjoy himself around on more equal terms since he more often than not is the 'plan guy' within the gaang. Yue's death and his inability to do anything that prevents it enhances his overprotective tendencies and it's no coincidence that he faces this particular issue with Suki on the serpent's pass by his own admission. He's later able to overcome it and start a relationship with Suki without the shadow of that incident hanging down on them (pardon the pun). The other one, which is more subtler and might puzzle some, is Hakoda and Piandao. Hakoda as Sokka's father is his role model, the ideal of the warrior that he strives to live up to and who reassures him of his worth and his pride in him. This guidance is also, to a degree, the part that Piandao plays as his mentor; he helps Sokka gain the confidence needed in himself and imparts lessons that tie in to skills as a warrior. In each of the episodes "Sokka's Master" and "The Guru", Sokka experiences low faith in his abilities and is reassured by Piandao and Hakoda respectively (although Piandao's was much more... confrontational). In the end, the purpose is served. Hakoda cannot be present with the amount that Sokka needs but the love he has for him is found in a new shape in Piandao's mentorship.

Toph experiences her first unconditional love during her childhood with the badger-moles, they are the creatures who accept her and her blindness and they're the ones with whom she gains faith in her earthbending. That love is carried over when she meets Team Avatar, Aang challenges the double identity she built in her life that is in conflict of the image her parents have of her, "the obedient little helpless blind girl", and she decides later to leave her home behind and take a leap of faith so to speak. This decision leads her to be able to build healthy relationships where she's comfortable and secure. Katara teaches her that expressions of femininity and her tough persona don't have to be at odds with each other, and that she can enjoy being pampered and still at the end of the day resume acting herself. And we have many instances where Sokka leads Toph around in places where she needs someone to help her to and Toph is comfortable doing so. It's a development from the Toph we first meet, who rejects aid because she needs to establish her own personhood. She grows to be okay with relying on others in a way that doesn't lessen her own independence.

Suki admittedly gave me a bit of a brain scratcher until I drew upon her biggest relationships, the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka. Suki is the leader of the group, she's someone who believes in herself and knows her capabilities very well and it's not hard to understand that it's because of her position as Kyoshi Warrior. But more importantly, her fellow comrades offer her a support net. She can rely on them to have her back, just as they did during the attack on Kyoshi Island and in the Earth Kingdom. And after the run in with Azula, Mai and Ty Lee and getting separated in imprisonment, she lost that. Her confinement was isolated from any familiar faces and probably very traumatic. Until Sokka finds her in the Boiling Rock, and she regains the lost sense of partnership. From there until the finale, Sokka and Suki are shown to interact romantically, socially and on the battlefield. They joke and have ridiculous fun together while enjoying the Boy in the Iceberg play and they fight together seamlessly on the gondola, during training on Ember Island and in the Airship battle. This is a testament to the incredible trust they built and the camaraderie they share.

Note that when I say reborn, I don't necessarily mean in strict terms of life and death, which can be applied to more than one character anyway, or in the literal sense of reincarnation. I mean it more as a metaphor, it's a love that has been lost or can not present right now, either temporarily or in a more permanent sense. And I think that is one of the most profound messages the show can impart to such a wide audience. That love is a form of energy around us and even though the person who provided us with that specific kind of love isn't or can't be around anymore to give it to us, their love is so strong that it changes and comes back in a new love. It's not gone, not forever, it's just... different.

#aang #katara #zuko #sokka #toph beifong #suki #iroh #atla meta #atla #avatar the last airbender #team avatar #mymeta #meta #ngl i feel like i stopped making sense half way through

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laraehrlich-blog · 6 years ago

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Original content owned & copyrighted by Green Global Travel.

It wasn’t all that long ago that the idea of taking an Antarctic vacation was little more than a pipe dream for most travelers.

Daring explorers such as Roald Amundsen and Ernest Shackleton captured worldwide attention with their Antarctic expeditions in the early 20th century. But regular travel didn’t become possible until the late 1960s, and only 14,762 people took a trip to in 1999-2000.

Antarctic adventures have become much more accessible in recent years, and tourist numbers have grown rapidly as a result. These days more than 40,000 people visit annually. Most of them are attracted by the diverse array of Antarctic animals, the incredible natural landscapes, and the extremophile species that can withstand hostile weather conditions. Then there are the various famous species of Antarctic Penguins, Seals, Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage, or watch The Endurance or Shackleton.

With climate change at our doorstep and Antarctic ice melting at a rapid pace, the continent is now at a pivotal point in history. So here we’ll take a look at some of the many stunning animals of we think are worth saving for future generations to enjoy…

READ MORE: Fascinating Facts About the Blue Whale

Cruise Ship with Crabeater Seal on an Iceberg, by Bret Love & Mary Gabbett

BENEFITS OF TAKING AN A CRUISE

As previously mentioned, travel to has become more and more popular��in recent years, thanks largely to the increasing availability of Antarctic cruises.

Some environmentalists have expressed concern about the effects Antarctic Treaty has numerous provisions that were designed to protect the planet’s most pristine ecosystem from the ravages of overtourism.

Massive cruise ships are not allowed to visit . But small ship cruises allow travelers to explore both the mainland and sub-Antarctic islands, whether via motorized zodiacs, kayaks, or on foot.

Human history in is just over 100 years old. But travelers will hear stories and visit historic sites (including scientific research stations) that help to illuminate our existence and persistence there.

is still a place where we, as humans, remain guests– observers who are not well-suited for long-term survival in such an extreme environment. An Antarctic holiday provides a picture of what the world looks like with minimal human footprint, while also showing where we might be heading due to our heavy carbon footprints elsewhere on the planet.

Taking an Antarctic cruise provides access to all of these insights and more. Modern cruise ships can endure the rough seas of the READ MORE: The World’s Best Small Ship Cruises (World Travel Bucket List)

ANIMALS

Antarctic Birds

Antarctic Penguins

Antarctic Seals

Antarctic Whales and Dolphins

Other Wildlife In

Photo by NOAA Photo Library, licensed under CC BY 2.0

BIRDS

The birds of are an exceptionally hardy sort. Antarctic birds tend to be large, seagoing, and require water-resistant plumage and layers of fatty insulation. They’re also incredibly plentiful: Over 100 million birds flock there in the spring months to nest and breed.

Many birds of the Antarctic can be spotted among the region’s myriad islands and mainland coasts. They often congregate in colossal colonies, taking advantage of those areas that aren’t snow-laden. Here are some of the coolest Antarctic birds you’re likely t0 spot during your cruise to :

Antarctic Skuas

With a wingspan that can measure over five feet, the Antarctic Skua (a.k.a. Brown Skua or Southern Great Skua) ranks among the biggest seabirds on the planet. They’re very intelligent and notoriously adept at stealing and snacking on Penguin eggs and chicks. Some scientists are putting the Antarctic Skua into three separate species, designating the Falkland Skua and Sub-Antarctic Skua as their own thing.

Blue-Eyed Shags

Mistaken as Giant Petrels

Yet another impressively large bird, the Giant Petrel can weigh in the ballpark of 17 pounds and have wings that span nearly seven feet! They range the southern seas and all the countries therein, including , Snowy Sheathbills

The only land bird native to continental , the Snowy Sheathbill is a ground-dweller that feeds on just about anything it can find, including Penguin vomit. This bird’s list of Wandering Albatross

Of the 10 species of Albatross in , the Wandering Albatross (a.k.a. Snow Albatross or Goonie) is the largest. Its wings can span more than 11 feet, and the long-distance flyer can weigh upwards of 24 pounds. Though these birds spend most of their lives flying (around 75,000 miles a year), they do settle down long enough to breed on the sub-Antarctic islands.

READ MORE: Beautiful Birds of the Galapagos Islands

King Penguins on South Georgia Island, photo by Donna Hull courtesy My Itchy Travel Feet

PENGUINS

Seeing Penguins in are often the highlight of a cruise to the frozen continent. There are six Penguin species spread across the mainland and surrounding islands, including Adélie, Chinstrap, Emperor, Gentoo, King, and Macaroni Penguins.

Even if your trip to only takes you to the mainland, you’re still virtually guaranteed to find yourself encountering numerous types of Penguins.

This is because the preferred Penguin habitat for nesting is right along the shore, where there’s typically little to no ice accumulation in summer (December through February in the southern hemisphere).

Adélie Penguins

Both the tiniest and most widely distributed species of Penguins in , Adélie Penguins stand around two feet tall and weigh around eight pounds. There are nearly 4 million breeding pairs, grouped into just over 250 colonies. Interesting Adélie Penguin facts include that they were named after the wife of Jules Dumont d’Urville, the explorer who discovered them. Other distinctive characteristics include a white ring around their eyes and black feathers concealing much of their red bills.

Chinstrap Penguins

As their name suggests, Chinstrap Penguins have a narrow black stripe beneath their chins. Due to an ear-piercing call, they are also sometimes referred to as Stonecracker Penguins. Chinstraps are the most prominent species on mainland , with an estimated population of 8 million. They also like to breed in Emperor Penguins

Emperor Penguins are famous for being the largest penguin in , standing around four feet and weighing around 50 pounds. They were brought to global prominence as the subject of the March of the Penguins. They tend to breed on the pack ice and shelf ice, though a few colonies have recently been seen inland on the Peninsula.

Gentoo Penguins

Gentoo Penguins are identified by the bonnet of white running across the back of their heads, and a bright orange beak on the front. They also have the longest tail of all the world’s Penguins. Other fascinating Gentoo Penguin facts includes them being the fastest (swimming up to 22 mph), and they actively shun colony members that stray from their partners. An estimated 600,000 Gentoo Penguins breed and nest on ’s iceless shorelines.

King Penguins

The second largest Penguin species, King Penguins can grow up to three feet tall and 40 pounds. They look similar to Emperor Penguins, but with a longer, straighter bill and more orange colorings as opposed to the Emperor’s mix of white, pink, and yellow. There are over 2 million breeding pairs of King Penguins on the sub-Antarctic islands, particularly the Crozets, South Georgia, and the Prince Edwards Islands.

Macaroni Penguins

Macaroni Penguins are also quite partial to the sub-Antarctic islands, especially Heard Island and South Georgia. They have serious orange bills for snouts and comical bright orange feathers that sweep across their foreheads like really long eyebrows, spiking out at the sides. Macaroni Penguins are on the smaller side, only growing to 27 inches tall and tipping the scales at about 10 pounds. They have a large, though currently declining population of nearly 9 million breeding pairs.

Southern Rockhopper Penguins

The stars of the 2007 animated film, Surf’s Up, Southern Rockhopper Penguins are tiny. They don’t even reach two feet tall, and barely weigh five pounds. Like the Macaronis, they have prominent orange beaks and distinctive eyebrow feathers. But the Southern Rockhopper’s eyebrows are yellow and twirl up at the outer edges. As their name suggests, they’re more likely seen jumping on rocks rather than waddling.