#Manically obsessed with him and the horror of his story | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fluffysucker · 6 months

Text

Bad Things

Bucky Barnes x Reader

TW: Violence. Fighting. Brief mention of torture. Steve is alive and well.

The only way out was to awake them. And you did.

A/n: Heavily influenced by oxytocin by Billie Eilish. No like you will find lyrics throughout. Listen to it while reading, please.

Written in Third POV. No use of Y/N. However, the reader is referred to as a female. Likes, comments, reblogs are VERY VERY highly appreciated. Opinions really matter to me.

Main Masterlist

You were sure that if you weren't driving the motorcycle, your legs would be bouncing, your hands would be shaking, and your palms would be sweating. But you were focusing on the road ahead despite feeling like you were driving on autopilot. You may not look like it, but you were a mess. Internally, at least. Anxity from the plan, danger of the situation, horrors from flashbacks, and uncertainty of the results. You were bitting your lips that you were close to feeling the metallic-tasting liquid on your tongue.

The darkness that grew, the further you got close to the agreed upon location, wasn't helping either. For someone who did this for a lifetime, you were spiraling. You wished you could cancel everything and come up with something different, but you couldn't.

Can't take it back once it's been set in motion.

You started to regulate your breath, take control of your mind, and keep your heartbeats in check once you saw the warehouse. It was now. There was no going back.

You stopped the motorcycle abruptly, causing the sand and dust around you to fly away. You took one last breath before taking the helmet out.

You got up and steadied your posture. The suit was never comfortable on your skin. Today, you felt like it was crawling on your skin, trying to devour you. You hid the suffocating feeling and put the act into action.

If you only pray on Sunday,

Could you come my way on Monday?

Confidence and peril were displayed. A strenuous look on your face. You were back in her.

"I thought you weren't coming." His voice annoyed you so much that you wanted to cut his throat open.

"I gave you a word, didn't I?" You came to a stop with enough distance between you and him. Even your voice was different in your ears.

"It's not like you had many choices." His laugh sent shivers through your body that you were able to hide.

"I always believed in your intelligence, moon." You pulled your hands into fists to stop any visible reaction from coming out of you.

The name was only associated with corruption and cruelty. Something the man in front of you strived for.

"With both of your capabilities, we will go back to the top of the world." The evil smile was more telling of his intentions than his disturbing words.

With the mere mention of him, you felt the air get thicker, the wind blowing harder, the stars dimming their lights, and the rocks and pebbles shaking on the floor.

He was here.

"Great. We didn't have to wait long for him." The man almost clapped in excitement.

In the sea of the darkness of the night and the void you were in, he appeared. His black suit made him almost unseen in the darkness of the night. But his heavy footsteps made him known.

The golden in his arm reflecting the light of the stars and the mask covering all his face except the eyes were making him even more fearful.

In person, he was much more terrifying than the stories and myths.

However, the crazy man didn't think so.

"Would you look at that?" He said once that the two of you were standing next to each other. You wanted to hold his hand, seeking any sort of comfort and reassurance, but you knew it would blow out your act.

"The Winter Soldier and Wicked Moon. Together and back at their home."

Dugal, the man speaking, had been the bane of your existence for some time now. Every mission, every warehouse, every file, and every piece of evidence all trailed back to him.

The manic, who had been obsessed with bringing Hydra back to life,.

With the right allies and calculated steps, he was able to achieve most of his plans in secret, but why show yourself now? Why draw attention to you now?

Because it was time to get Hydra's greatest weapons back.

You and your husband.

You and Sergeant James Barnes

Wicked Moon and The Winter Soldier.

You and Bucky shared the same life. Kidnapped by Hydra, injected with the serum, erased and brainwashed, trained to maximum efficiency. You reached levels of skills that were unmatched.

Despite the different start, you and Bucky were the faces of the same coin.

You were taken a bit after Bucky. Hydra had the goal of making both of you into its lethal duo. Unbeatable and unpredictable. You and Bucky became the ghost story for decades. Never once seen or traced.

You were a myth that terrified all.

And for decades, you spent all your days with Bucky, or who you called soldier at a time, because you didn't know his real name. Nor did he know yours, and he called you Moon.

You shared a cell. You trained together. You were sent on missions together. You were tortured together. You were used to each other's screams and pains. You were the same person in many ways.

While Hydra was blinded and happy with your success rate and obedience, they failed to notice the deep connection that was forming between the two of you.

The comfort you found in each other. The conversations without words. The accustomedness. The long eye contact and gaze The gentle touches that only you provided each other with. The worry and panic if one went on solo missions.

You understood each other. You trusted each other. You empathized with each other. You prayed for each other's freedom.

You loved each other.

So, looking at Bucky with questioning and worried eyes above Steve Roger's unconscious body after you disobeyed the direct orders of eliminating Steve and following Bucky to save him from death by drowning, Bucky knew he could never leave you. He took your hand and ran away.

Other people wouldn't stay

Other people don't obey

You and me are both the same

You should really run away

It was a long and bumpy road. Gaining back your memories and learning how to live. But you held each other's hands. And in the face of all the hardships, you stood together.

You fought it all until you finally settled into your shared apartment in Brooklyn. Almost ten years after escaping Hydra.

You thought life was finally good. You knew who you were. You got back your identities. You were healing bit by bit. You finished therapy and were officially pardoned. You were allowed on missions, but more importantly, you were allowed to turn down missions. A luxury you and Bucky never had.

You were so happy for Bucky, who got to have his bestfriend back, Steve, and make a new one, Sam. You were happy that one of you could have someone, especially after finding out that you had nobody, which made you the perfect target for Hydra in the first place.

But being the good people they were, Steve and Sam instantly took you in like family. They could easily tell how much you meant to Bucky. Even from the first day. Whether on the bridge or in Bucharest, The uncontrolled urge to protect you despite being perfectly capable of looking after yourself. The care and admiration in his eyes whenever you were around or your name was mentioned. All and more signs that exposed Bucky's feelings for you.

They were more than happy when Bucky told them that you got married on the very long, overdue vacation that you went on.

You were everything to Bucky's. His love. His life. His rescue. His salvation. You were his reason to keep going.

While he felt bad that you had to go through the tough life you had, he couldn't imagine how his life would have looked if he had never met you.

So when the danger of Hydra taking you away from him arose with Dugal's appearance, Bucky almost lost his mind.

Dugal seemed insistent on taking you and Bucky back. He was destroying places, terrorizing, and hurting innocent people. Dugal heard you were trying to be good people, so he played on your conscience. He was pushing you and Bucky towards this moment. The moment you caved and gave up. The moment you returned to Hydra.

So, with his knife on Cass's neck, you surrendered. You promised to meet him and do whatever he wanted. And you promised to bring Bucky as well. He wanted the both of you.

And you listened.

Here you were. In the suits you thought you would never put on again. Triggering the two people you buried so deeply within. In front of the warehouse of an enemy, you fought for and against your whole lives.

"This is your home. This is your purpose. Not fake heroism. You were made to serve the greater good. To protect and serve Hydra." Dugal's voice made its way to your ears.

"You belong to Hydra. And Hydra only."

'Cause as long as you're still breathing

Don't you even think of leaving

Not gonna wanna look away, look away, look away

You're gonna wanna get involved, involved, involved

And what would people say, people say, people say

If they listen through the wall, the wall, the wall?

You kept the stoic expression on your face, refusing to let him see the effect his words had on you.

The door of the warehouse opened, and walking out of it were Dugal's two trusted men that you saw everywhere with him. Nedward and Alexios. They stopped behind him.

Following them, hundreds of agents came out of the warehouse. They surrounded you and Bucky in seconds. You looked at Dugal, confused.

"I want to make sure you are still the best. I want to know where to pick up from." His smile was wicked and filled with bad intentions.

"Call it a test. A test of Wicked Moon and The Winter Soldier's abilities." His wicked smile wasn't flattering.

You got into a fighting position quickly, not willing to lose this. You felt Bucky take position, too, his back turning to you. You were back-to-back, moving in slow circles, assisting the situation.

And once the first agent threw the punch, it was nonstop.

I can see it clear as day

You don't really need a break

Wanna see what you can take

You should really run away

While the agents largely outnumbered you, they were at a disadvantage. You and Bucky fought like one. You had a never-seen-before fight style. You designed it so that you used each other's strengths to the full and utilized the weaknesses as power points. You used your full bodies in fighting. You were familiar with each other's bodies and movements. You grabbed weapons that were strapped to the other's suit. You twisted around each other to reach as many targets as possible. You trained until you perfected it. No flaws. No mistakes. No room for lacunas.

It didn't take long before the last agent was down on the floor. You felt like it was harder to breathe. There was a ringing noise in your ears. Your hand wanted to start shaking. Tears were rushing to your eyes. You were having a panic attack.

Memories of missions and assignments you did throughout your life It all looked like this. You standing above the fallen, waiting for your destiny to be decided by an evil organization that thought of you as an object of killing.

Dugal's voice gave you a sense of where you were and the situation around you. Quickly, you pushed your emotions inside and regained your focus. A trait you learned from your days at Hydra. Human emotions were never well accepted by Hydra.

You shook your head as you looked at Dugal, who was clapping slowly.

"Excellent. Great job." He moved a bit towards the both of you.

"It seems you haven't changed. Still the best." You succeeded in his test.

"You did cost me all the agents in the base. But we will bring more." Dugal was proud of the two assets.

"So it's only us in here?" You were hoping to get a specific answer.

"Yes. Tomorrow, I will bring agents and recruiters. Also, scientists who know how to treat and handle great weapons like you. This will be Hydra's biggest base." Dugal seemed excited for his plan.

However, once the words left his mouth, chaos erupted everywhere.

Bucky caught the shield in his hand as Sam and Steve landed on the ground and attacked Dugal. You and Bucky moved to Nedward and Alexios. Each taking on one.

Cars and vehicles appeared everywhere, lighting up the deserted place.

This was the plan all along.

No matter how much time passed, Hydra's men would always have something in common. They were arrogant. They had an ego big enough for an entire population. And that made them stupid. That made them vulnerable to mistakes.

You and Bucky knew that more than anyone. So the plan was to trick Dugal with your alliance until he was defenceless. It was risky, but it worked.

You only let go of Alexios once handcuffs were secured around his wrists. Same with Bucky and Nedward. You turned to see Sam and Steve holding Dugal until Torres handcuffed him.

"You think you won?" His words were more direct towards you and Bucky.

"You think you can ever escape this? You think you can be free? You are delusional. Hydra will never die." Dugal continued. Torres handcuffed him, letting Steve through him in one of the more armored cars and strapping him more.

"Cut off one head; two more shall take its place. Hail HYDRA!"

Steve closed the door of the car.

They weren't planning to cut off one head. They were planning to burn down the whole bunch. No mercy. No stopping until they were all gone.

Once his voice was muted and you couldn't see him anymore, you couldn't hold up any longer. You sat on the ground, hugging your knees to your chest, trying to get hold of yourself, trying to reconnect, trying to disassociate from what just happened.

Like you, immediately after the car started to move, Bucky threw the mask off his face, finally breathing. He hated everything about this mask. Trapped like an animal behind it. Deprived of any form of humanity.

He prayed he never had to put on again.

"You okay?" Sam asked his friend, worried about the mental toll this whole act may have had on him.

Despite having his nephews being the ones in danger, Sam was against this plan. He cared about you and Bucky dearly and didn't want to know how stepping back into your assassin personas would hurt your healing. You had come a long way.

While your quick response to save his nephews and willingness to do this for them touched his heart immensely, Sam couldn't help but feel like they should come up with something else.

But both of you insisted, and it worked, but was the cost expensive?

Bucky nodded. They were okay physically, at least.

Bucky turned around to see you still sitting on the sandy ground, face in hand. He knew it wasn't just today, but the whole thing. Hydra still haunted you, messing with your progress. He understood.

Bucky sat on the ground next to you. He wrapped his arms around your waist, pulling into him and letting you lay in his laps, both of your legs on the side of his thigh. You nuzzled into his neck, holding his gear in your hand. You wanted to disappear in him.

"It's over. You're fine. You are okay. You are safe." Bucky's voice whispered in your ears, the end of his long hair touching your face and his hands wrapping up your back and waist.

You felt the tension leaving your body a bit by bit, making yourself only focus on Bucky's voice and letting yourself breathe. You knew you were surrounded by people, but you didn't care.

You only cared about Bucky right now.

You moved away from Bucky so you could look at him.

"We are okay. We are safe." You said to Bucky.

Because you cared about Bucky more than you cared about yourself. You loved Bucky more than anything. Bucky was the reason you were still alive. Bucky was your everything.

You wanted him to know that he was okay, too. You both survived this. You weren't back in that cell. You were going to your home.

Being the good-hearted person he was, Bucky always felt responsible for you. Even when he was the Winter Soldier. That's how the spark between you kindled. His instincts to protect you and care for you took a big part of him. And that made you fall deeper in love with him.

But you loved him just as much, if not more. You wanted to protect him from the hell you went through. Because he didn't deserve it. None of it.

The bigger burden of today wasn't the possibility of falling back into your old selves. It was the possibility of losing your partner to Hydra and watching them lose themselves once again.

You both came in with one goal. Protect each other to death.

And you succeeded. You were fine.

Bucky looked at you with love pouring out of his eyes. Bucky didn't understand how, after so much evil, he was still able to feel such strong emotions of love and adoration. But you melted him and lived in his heart. You were printed on his soul.

He nodded with a smile. You were okay. He leaned in and kissed you. It was a slow and gentle kiss. A reminder that you were both still yourselves. You were free. You were okay.

"Let's go home." You spoke once the kiss broke.

Home. Bucky was going home to the city he grew up in. He was going home to a place he had chosen to live. He was going home, where he would take a shower and lay on a comfortable bed. Bucky was going with his wife. Bucky was going to hold on as you both got rid of the remains of tonight. Bucky was going to hold you as you both drifted to sleep, dreaming of your future together.

Hydra didn't win. You were okay.

183 notes · View notes

wouriqueen · 15 days

Text

Okay so I'll obviously need to mull this S02E05 episode over but first impressions.

General thoughts

Dubai trio my beloved. This ep is a fave right now despite the lack of Claudia.

Louis' memories. I still believe the showrunners know Louis and Armand staying together without Louis having some doubt about his involvement in Claudia's death would be boring, but regardless of what happens later, I'm glad we at least know Louis remembered Armand's involvement in Claudia's death until 1973!

2 amnesics at the table. Love the concept of them trying to recover their memories together.

Acting off the charts in San Fran . Louis seductive, then manic and resentful, then drugged up and scornful, then back to self-containment and the careful navigation of his relationship with Armand. Armand standing there so fucking full of RESENTMENT in that first shot of him at the apartment, the anger the pain the JEALOUSY the contempt then the tenderness as he's about to kill Daniel. Excellent.

Still not a fan of how they executed Armand's pupils vibrating but the concept itself is awesome and the timing here was excellent.

Armand and Louis

Worst argument in this entire show. Some heinous shit has been said before but damn. So violent, especially Louis. Horrible.

The dynamics were dynamiquing. I'll have more thoughts later but Armand accepting Louis' "authority" only when it's working in favor of their relationship stood out to me.

Renewal of vows? That coffin scene. The tender hand on the cheek. Louis making it clear to Armand he has NOT "crawled even an inch forward" towards forgiveness for Claudia... yes choosing him again over Lestat again, it seems right now. This looked like a renewal of their commitment ("Yes, Maître" parallel to the bench scene included - that scene was their real beginning).

Armand

Armand is so HUNGRY. For love and acceptance. It's almost ugly to see. Like I've seen book-readers say it but only now am I feeling it and if only for that... yeah. Fave episode. Fave character. He's got me here I'm obsessed.

ARMAND HORROR MOVIE VILLAIN YESSSSS! THE CHAIR TORTURE. THE CRAMPS TORTURE. THE UNSPOOLING OF THE TAPES WITH HIS MIND. The vibe was awesome too, with Daniel's sobs, Louis' pained grunts and the TV all in background of Armand's interrogation.

Daniel and Louis

Danlou. Did this show give me Danlou without giving me Danlou?

"Just make me your Claudia, your Lestat" This was insane like I know he was on drugs but to think he said that AFTER Louis told him the whole story all the way up to Claudia getting on the train. The IMPLICATIONS for how he envisioned their relationship after turning...

More Danlou. Daniel looked disappointed when finding out he and Louis didn't sleep together and Louis jokingly asked "do you wanna do it now"? Yes that's how I saw and I'm dying on this hill. In the flashbacks he was sooo eager.

Even more Danlou... I LOVED that Louis' words are revealed to be what kept Daniel afloat like maybe Armand's prediction would have been correct without it!

Daniel

Daniel's relationship to his own sexuality. It was interesting to see the nuance to Daniel's attraction to men like on one hand he was clearly eager to fuck Louis, even before he was given any drugs. Like his first thought seeing the coffin was "we're gonna fuck in it"??? He wanted it BAD. But on the other hand the way he asks Louis if he's in San Fran because of the large gay community is huuuh a little condescending? We knew about that contradiction but it was interesting to see it live.

Sex and addiction. Most importantly, I think his addiction really muddled his views on sex as well, as in, having that transactional relationship to sex, not even really as a choice but to deal with his addiction, must not have helped him to get clarity on the matter. The fact that he so quickly propositioned Armand to save his life shows he did that very, very often.

I liked the empowerment in this episode. The Talamasca gave him clues, he has a lead to follow, so he can do more than react in anger now and go back to being a journalist. But not just a journalist. The connection between him and Louis flourished. I'm actually very worried for him now LOL the green eyed monster in the room with them.......

#iwtv spoilers #my posts #iwtv

9 notes · View notes

vilelittlecritter · 1 year

Text

Okay more OmorOff, here's a funny doodle I did and some and some sweet sweet lore

Okay so here's a summary of the story I've thought of so far!!!

So it starts with Omori waking up in an abyss, he doesn't know who or where he is. Not long after he sees a room with a boy in it, that boy being Sunny.

Sunny notices Omori and starts talking to him, they can't touch each other and simply fade through each other like a vision. As they speak it's clearly obvious that Sunny is upset and ill, he wears a long white gown and slippers, his eyes are sunken and his skin a sickly pale. Omori and Sunny become friends and Sunny asks Omori to come save him from wherever he is, Omori basically just being born and seeing Sunny as his best friend gladly accepts and completely agrees to save him.

After this conversation Omori finds himself in Zone 0 (White Space) with a new found purpose, save Sunny and purify the world. He meets Mewo who takes the place of The Judge/Stranger by aiding Omori in combating the spirits which have suddenly invaded this world and overall accompanying him through his journey.

Along the way they meet a charismatic and smooth talking business man who calls himself Hero, a hyperactive cheery boy called Kel, a pissed off over worked girl called Aubrey and an erratic and paranoid gardener who goes by Basil.

Oh yeah and there's the big psychotic murder cat who tortures their people in a manic obsession of making them happy, the giant whale which has basically imploded and now lives as a half dead parasite living off their entire Zone while slowly melting and mutating into a horrible flesh monster in a desperate attempt to survive and the octopus lady who ended up learning so much forbidden knowledge it drove her and all her people completely insane! Like completely insane! Like her and all her people are in unimaginable agony! Yay the horrors!!!

And don't forget the horrifying mangled spirits! There are A LOT of them and they need purifying!

And at the end of it all there's a being that everyone is careful to mention by name. Mari. The Guardian angel. Whom everyone seems to answer to. Not much is known about them other than god forbid you get on their bad side...

So yeah a lot of wacky fun adventures to be had :)))

Watch these silly characters travel across a world on the brink of collapse and going completely insane while being invaded by horrifying spectral beings which are hellbent on killing everyone they come across.

Is this world real? Is it all another version of headspace??? What the hell is going on?????

Answer, I don't know! :DD

This story honestly like the original Off is probably going to be kinda open ended, so this world could totally exist on its own. Or it could just all be inside Sunny's head. Both work with the story I'm probably going to tell!

I'm going to try my best to keep it close to Off while still being its own story because I'm not a fan of just blatantly copying Off's story. There will still be a lot of parallels and sometimes just character swaps but I'll try my best to stay original. Like I'm using the skeleton of Off and building a different world around it.

A lot will probably change because honestly the core story is basically the same, and sure it could work fine but it just feels wrong of me to do it. I feel like I'm just copying Off, sure I have a lot of cool ideas but a lots the same.

Anyway if you've read this far WOW I'm impressed! I hope I've at least interested you and if you are interested feel free to share your thoughts! I seriously would love to hear what people think about this and give some criticism!

Anyway I hope to share more in the future if you guys are interested at all!!!

Also if you haven't played Off or Omori PLAY THEM. BOTH ARE SO FREAKING GOOD!

Anyway toodles :D

#omori #omori game #omori fandom #omori omori #omori au #omori aus #off game #off mortis ghost #off #off fandom #off au #OmorOff #again please if you're interested let me know!#omori fanart #fanart #vlc art #doodles

35 notes · View notes

noellevanious · 1 year

Text

inane gargling about the MyHouse.WAD (specifically the response to it on reddit) below the cut. TL;DR MyHouse.Wad is good. Watch the video by Power Pak about it or play it yourself. House of Leaves is a good book. Read it.

honestly, i need to just top using reddit lol but ive got forum/discussion addiction and looove talking

it was really funny going into the thread, seeing all the people that appreciated how reminiscent of and inspired by House of Leaves the mod is, and also seeing the people that clearly have awful reading comprehension talk about House of Leaves like it's a fuckin YA novel

(Clarity - the book, House of Leaves, an entirely fictional work, is broken up into three overlapping "sections - the stuff from Zampano, a now passed old man covering the Navidson Records, which is the original documentation of the titular House and ostensibly the Focus of the book, and the stuff from Johnny Truant, a burnout junkie obsessed with his ex, who found Zampano's stuff and is trying to document/archive it, and who is technically in Protagonist since the book is theoretically from his POV)

I totally get, in a vacuum, the Johnny Truant stuff can be hard to swallow, as it's intentional very sexual, manic, and in some ways deprived. Especially if somebody is asexual or squeamish wrt sexual stuff - though it doesn't get any more graphic than him saying his ex is getting fingered - I could see people wanting to skip those bits or just not liking it, like how I am with most gore in horror movies.

But like this is so funny. "The story was slow and Johnny kept talking about how epic sex is so I gave up, because it's so childish and juvenile and pretending to be adult". imagine saying that about fucking House of Leaves without a shred of irony. Imagine genuinely believing that the author was putting his own words into the book, and not portraying the character of Johnny Truant. I gave up on Lord of the Rings because it's so slow and they talked in a funny way. I gave up on the Haunting of Hill House because the main girl talks weird and i can't make sense of what's going on

TL;DR House of Leaves is good. Read it

#inanegargling

16 notes · View notes

levinletlive · 2 years

Text

So I Just Watched "Free Guy" Yesterday

Which is a movie I am calling a Ryan Reynolds film rather than a Taika Waititi film because Ryan was just so great in it. I have so many feelings about the movie, I have to talk about it somewhere and y'all are the unlucky sons o' bitches that get to hear it.

First, I have to say that this movie wasn't particularly groundbreaking in any way. It was just a good movie. Not a great movie, not a movie that challenges long-held movie stereotypes, not a movie that is fully awake on social justice, etc. Just a movie that kept me entertained for the majority of its runtime. With entertainment as the goal, it nailed that.

Now, I'm partial to stories of artificial intelligences (the movie AI made me straight up sob). I'm obsessed with stories of creation and the human condition, and A.I. always seem to hit the spot when it comes to exploring those themes. I don't quite like the way it was implemented in the game world; by which I mean, I don't like the way Keys (whom I was excited to see, I hope Steve-From-Stranger-Things gets more roles so I can finally remember what his actual name is) programmed Guy to be a lovelorn weirdo with no social skills who is awakened when he finds his dream girl, a trigger that smacks of Manic-Pixie-Dreamgirl tropes despite Millie not exactly fitting that stereotype. This annoyed me especially because that programming leads Guy to stalk and harass Millie in the game in a way that no woman would enjoy in the real world. Millie, for her part, is written to be apparently completely blind to the real-life dangers that cyberstalking poses for women. Guy sets off so many red flags in this movie it's like he collects them, and the irony is in the statement Guy makes at the bank when he "gifts" the hot-hot-violence-girl (I forget what they named her asset) with agency, which is that most men are awful and choosing to be single is not a bad thing.

It's actually interesting how many times the movie makes a great point about the real world, only to stumble over that point later with its actual progression. It feels like the movie struggled with elements of feminism, which makes me think the writing team did not include a single woman. There's a part in the movie where Buddy just starts feeling up Dude, which is played for laughs, but is a very clear example of sexual harassment and consent violation. It's nice that Dude can just punch people who creep on him, but not all guys who are sexually harassed by other guys have that kind of freedom. It's even weirder that the guy is a security guard, because while the ACAB crowd sort of acknowledges that security guards are often wannabe-cops without the authority, they are just as likely as real cops to abuse the little authority they do have. I have heard some horror stories about women and even kids who were abused by security employees who were on the job, so the choice to include that scene is mind-boggling to me. Plus, Dude's objectification isn't excused by the fact that he was created to be a meathead; he was still created, in the same universe as Guy, with the same software. He's just as much of a person, even if he's a bit differently-abled compared to the others.

So let's talk about some stuff I did like in the movie. I LOVED the diversity of avatars and vehicles and even the weapons. I loved that there were color-changing cars, and that there was a diversity of "skins" for the avatars and the whole city was a jumble of mismatching periods and styles. The freedom of choice and expression that represented to me was wonderful. I play FFXIV, and while there are a lot of people wearing the usual old-timey clothes, you can pick out a lot of people in the background at any given time in their underwear, or in heavy hot pink armor, or with accessories and weapons that glow or have fire effects on them, or wearing cartoonish Moogle masks. You can ride dragons, but you can also ride glowing foxes called Carbuncles, or giant, fat baby chicks, or a car that looks like the fucking Batmobile. There are also mechs and little plane-ships and all manner of other things if you've got the cash to pay for them. I love that. I want that for the real world. I want people to be able to dress how they want and customize their homes and vehicles (safely, ofc) and not be judged or harmed for it. THAT is the future millennials want.

Another thing I liked was Keys's concept of a world with live A.I. that are constantly learning and changing, even when the players are absent. I love the idea of visiting a new world that humans created and just hanging out with the people in it.

However, when Millie told Guy he wasn't "real", that sort of misrepresents what reality actually is. What she meant was that he couldn't exist in her world, even though she could exist in his. Even if he had no intelligence, he would still be "real" for what he was. The world he exists in is still real. Code and machines are real, tangible things; they're not just imagination. They're concrete things that you can see and touch. Just because the virtual world wasn't created the same way ours was (probably; hopefully) doesn't mean it isn't "real". It doesn't cease to exist when you acknowledge it ("I think, therefore I am"). If the definition of personhood is sapience (intellect+empathy), then it doesn't matter whether that sapience is artificial or organic. The physical manifestation of the body is, similarly, not important; we have fleshy bodies full of blood, and A.I. have steely and plastic bodies full of electricity. The game is essentially just hosting Guy's mind; his body is a part of the servers on the bottom floor.

Which reminds me of something that, as a programmer, I had to really squint at in the game. There are a lot of things the movie gets right about programming, but there are a LOT of things it gets hilariously wrong, which isn't really a criticism as much as an observation. It's funny how infuriating a movie that incorporates your field can be, as I'm sure all medical workers well know. A lot of the visual representations of Keys and his partner, the husband from "Ghosts" (US version, whom I also hope to see a lot more of so I can remember his actual name) actually working on the game gives me 90s hacker movie vibes. That may have been at least partially intentional, but there are some points I really tilted my head at; like, the fact that you don't need to include a whole other game's worth of assets in order to steal its engine (there was literally no reason for the paradise game area to be in the new game, that is so much more data than is needed and would bog down the servers if it was just loaded in at all times and running the programming for an entire other environment that nobody was even going to use). Or, the fact that they had to load in a bridge to reach the other game world when a programmer could just remove the barrier with a few key presses. Or the fact that you wouldn't even need to see the paradise game area to prove that your boss (Taika Waititi; I am not sure if he is an actual asshole or just enjoys playing one) stole your game engine; there would literally be code you could view and read and be like "huh, this is identical to the code I wrote". Most of the time when developers get caught with stolen software, it's because the game's programming was leaked and the original authors were able to see with their own face-orbs that the code is a literal, line-for-line copy of what they themselves wrote.

There was a lot of cheese in this film too (not in the literal sense), which isn't necessarily bad, but the moments they chose to use it sort of undercut important emotional responses. When Millie kisses Guy to wake up his A.I. programming (again, very squicky plot point), the visual representation of his choice map was unnecessary and distracting because of how silly it looked. It was a little jarring, even for a movie that takes place in a universe where neon signs and iridescent coin bubbles are bouncing around.

I did like the ending for Taika Waititi's character, Antwan (who is basically the film's equivalent of EA), who made a bunch of stupid decisions in the interest of maximizing profits while alienating his entire consumer base, and then lost everything when the truth got out about his shitty business practices. If only that were more representative of the real world, but it does fill me with warm memories about the downfall of the XBOX One and subsequent firing of its lead developer, who called backwards compatibility "backwards thinking. We need more of that.

We see a lot of stories about the creation of these worlds, but I'd like to see some exploration of them too. I want to see what the relationship is like for these immortal game characters and their tragically mortal creators. I want to see the characters in the game learn about us, lose us and cope with the loss, and welcome new people and get accustomed to that rotation.

Anyway, the thing I liked the most about the movie is that it made me think.

Also!! Jacksepticeye was in the movie! That was very exciting to me, since I'm going through his catalog of LPs right now (I just got through Bloodborne and Elden Ring and I'm now watching God of War). If Markiplier had made even a moment's appearance, Free Guy would have been my de facto favorite movie. Honestly, in spite of not being particularly fabulous in a lot of ways, it's still in my top ten. I love, love, LOVE that they included real Youtubers in the movie. This is the first movie I have ever seen blend Youtubers and famous film actors. There were loads of big-name actors I recognized in the movie apart from Ryan and Taika; the Rock was in it, Jim-from-the-office was in it, Channing Tatum was in it, Hugh Jackman was fucking in it and I didn't even notice (I was fuming that his character wasn't more front-facing; I've been waiting forever to see him do a movie with Reynolds), fucking Chris Evans made a cameo. The actual Alex Trebek was in the Jeopardy scene. Tina Fey was there. And then they also had Pokimane, DanTDM, and LazarBeam (none of whom I watch, but I was still excited to see them) in the movie, which to me means that the mainstream is finally beginning to acknowledge that Youtubers are professional entertainers, writers, and actors on par with their traditional media counterparts, which is an important development for internet culture as those of us who make our living online can attest that the greater culture doesn't take our contributions seriously.

This is especially true for Youtubers, who often have a closer relationship with their fanbase. It feels special to see somebody you've been following for years finally be acknowledged in the mainstream. I wanted to run and tell Seán that I'd seen him in the movie, even though I'm sure he'd never see the message given that he has almost 30 million followers and subscribers on his channel. But like in Markiplier's case, I've been watching Mark since just before FNAF blew up and back then he still had kind of a lot of followers, but not so many that you couldn't touch him. He would read people's comments and reply, and he'd answer direct messages. It was cool to be there during that time, even though I never interacted with him personally. Even today, Mark interacts directly with his subscribers while he's streaming and it's like the touch of God to be acknowledged by somebody you have so much love and respect for. It's awesome to think you could be watching and talking to somebody right now who could be famous all over the world one day. It's cool to think it could even be you someday.

I also love that the name of the movie is a pun. Because Guy is a guy from Free World, but the movie is also about freeing Guy.

Anyway, if you haven't watched it then do so now and if you noticed anything I didn't feel free to point it out! I would love to discuss it more.

8 notes · View notes

bluedevilsrpg · 1 year

Photo

CHILD OF FLAMES

LOOKOUT. NB. ( 27 ) Jhonattan Burjack TW: murder, violence

HISTORY

THE ONLY SANITY YOU KNOW IS SUMMONED BY MADNESS AND TETHERED BY CHAOS. For as long as you’ve known, there have always been riots trembling beneath your skin. But before the dominance and ambition that unfurls from your smirk, your hunger tells the tale of a nobody. Your morbid attraction to danger and power was ignited from the hatred of the simplistic nature of being weak. Inferiority engulfed all that you are. Killing became the language of your love, one fleshy shell at a time. Insatiable curiosity in your twisted mind, you found yourself in the depths of peril each time. You infiltrated a secret assassination ring upon a whim. In the background you stood and watched, absorbing all that you could learn. They declared themselves as killers, you cackled and that was when you caught their eyes. You stepped into their light. That was their first mistake.

You welcomed it - your eyes aglow in a blaze. What once was valuable now reflected like trash. In mere seconds you began your performance of exquisite torture. Everything they did, you excelled further. Precision, dexterity, accuracy, the explosion of anguish from their lips was a symphony to your ears. And yet, their pleas for mercy returned you to the reality of the mundane. A scowl flickered upon your face, accompanied by a familiar thought, how inadequate and simply unfulfilling. You knelt to meet the face of the only one left fighting in the slaughterhouse of your creation. This one, you decide, will be allowed to survive. Grow stronger, be vicious, try to destroy me for all that I’ve done. It is this manic benevolence that nurtures your infatuation, your unholy matrimony to demise. You know that one day the soul you spared would be worthy of the greatest death.

CONNECTIONS

CURSED SOLDIER ⌱ A PREDICTION OF A FEAST WELL EARNED

What you saw in them was a silhouette of darker things to come. Perhaps it was the familiar smell of agony driven by an unconquerable desperation to play a valiant hero. You could have given him a worthy end to his tale. But finished stories are forgotten, tiresome ones. You encountered him at his worst, pathetic and trembling - an incompetent disgrace. And yet, a voice rose from within the maze of your mind calling you to see beyond the veil. CURSED SOLDIER had the lightning strike of potential if you spared him; you saw him shedding the nursery fears conjured by the horrors of faceless humanity. He had the durability to rise from burning cities, silence the wailing screams, the ambitions to stand in opposition to kings. Your grip loosened as your verdict was made and your judgment awaits its fulfillment. You permit him to live upon your own gambling whims. You will become a wolf worthy of my slaughter, drink your destiny and one day you will be devoured at my mercy.

LITTLE MISS RED ⌱ YOU AND I ARE TIED BY A SINGULAR THREAD

In an era before you learned how to survive with your methods, you were a shallow shell of a person begging for an opportunity just to see another day. But you were intrigued when you saw her, befriending her for the promise of wealth. Greed had never been a vice that you considered a sin. While she lined your pockets, you were the one that had taught her how to create art from violence. Perhaps a part of you always envied the luck of her birth in such a morbid family. You never truly saw her as anything more than a puppy to hold by the leash with coins dangling from the mouth. So when the time came and you were offered to pledge yourself to another one of her siblings, you did it with ease. She was nowhere near the standards that you desired for your form of destruction; it was her siblings that showed the promise of more. You left her to rot in the blooming bruises of her inept abilities while you turned your head toward a shinier trophy.

FLOWER OF ICE ⌱ I SMELL THE SCENT OF ANNIHILATION FROM YOUR SKIN

She believes herself obsessive and deranged and you do not deny her of her oddities and cruel nature. You watch in fascination of what she is and imagine what she is to become. There could be so much more to the violence she exhibits and yet she falls prey to her own distractions. She’s made herself a nuisance in your path, taking it upon herself to decapitate some of your most beloved playthings. She cut short the lives and potential of the few who you spared - robbing you of a moment to revel in your own cathartic, barbaric savagery. It brings about a fury that she’s overstepped her boundaries and you can’t help but crave vengeance. It is in you that she has met her match - if mania and delusion were human embodiments, that was what you two served. You’ve held back in restraint solely because of your distaste in dealing with those you deem inferior and she fits the description perfectly. You’ve left her a warning by murdering her last obsession.

GOD KILLER ⌱ THE PRODIGAL SON BRINGS UPON THE WORLD’S DESTRUCTION

Their father was the icon of the century and you have admired them ever since you were little. The king of the pirates was untouchable and fearless, and to you, he represented everything you ever desired. Your obsession to become like him has led you down the path of what you are today. There are no regrets except for one; you imagine a world without GOD KILLER, one where his father was the one that survived. You hate him for what he has done and yet in the manic frenzy of your nonsensical logic you have found a new person to mold yourself into. Father and son, your fascination has led you to watch from the shadows of what will come. In your delirium, you obsess over the methods of his murder and how it will happen but even you know your capabilities. While he holds your leash, you bide your time to outmaneuver him. It isn’t your life on the line but his. After all, you’ve always craved to murder the strongest. The time will come when it is you who rewrites legend.

CHILD OF FLAMES IS CLOSED & THEIR SPECIAL STAT IS AGILITY.

#child of flames.#all.#agility.#closed.

3 notes · View notes

scentedchildnacho · 20 days

Text

Interview with Davi Kopenawa Yanomami on Climate Change

youtube

How did they find out that if they extend a project out of its sustainable idea that it would war on people and siege people to situations who want to believe in a different life in this one life

Practices like scare crow or the white wedding I've looked into how relevant it could really be as more then a population and it isn't

I don't want a man to put a gold ring on my finger and if you tell me all the time I have no gender valuability outside of marriage then

Sure it's important for white people......bipolar people want to suicide why they believe in reincarnation

You can't have any other fantasy nothing else to do you have to see so and so in the cold forever more that high school pedophile he still lives right over there

They call a sustainable good a horror on others....would you like your dagguerotype done beautiful

Would you like to trade with northern peoples though so we can go there and you can be a wife here though

The Irish Catholic told me I could read about it....so that's true of mentals....it has indigenous story metaphors and as recovered doesn't require medical intervention always

I was white so money doesn't make me crazy....but I don't spend my money on notoriety

To me money is as sustainable as anything else....and if you believe in human sanitation give your money to who encourages a toilet used....the more water goes to people for sanitation that's money sometimes

Helter skelters they take the money and start encouraging weird practices....so give me money back and people will be with water again not Charles Manson

The things naturists have told me in San Diego they use money for tattoos....cigarettes malfunctioning cars

Do l use money for that or if I have money is your side walk free from poop

The sheriff by the sal army thrift store told me I can't put my cart on the grass behind the Japanese restaurant or he would arrest me.....I didn't bother saying anything because kicking me out all the time had already caused me to go deaf and if he continued to batter me after the fact lots of people see this happening to me

Its my guess it's a good sign now people realize that I have a batterer

And thats that's enough soon officer......a police car was behind him so i think he has been asked to resign many times

Its a sal army he has probably murdered many some crack head

Ronnie Estes like man so

I couldnt hear what he was saying.....so I just left and their personal battle needed to keep going on

No I don't blame the sheriff.....I think it's the above mafia cop that wants to use surgery places to dramatically alter his appearance and other sheriff's are hired to slaughter him for being a serial killer

They were told they cannot use the medical facilities or they will keep warring on it....song nuclear was here so I don't know what the sheriff would do to him but like the cell on cows

Does he want to go to the slicer for calling crackheads it

Just cuts up sections of the brain neatly

Well I didn't know why they were obsessed with the surgery center and now I do that man killed crackheads here and it was explained that faith people don't like bad people treated unjustly

He is the sheriff's friends so now it's go tell her your more abnormal then a bad man so she doesn't feel bad for you

There are a lot of motorcyclists.....around so....gangs maybe did do something

Im going to keep the cart maybe get a dog with it left in a cage that can't put their feet in the grass sometimes

I was really frightened though after it and was about to ask others if they get really frightened today but decided that's manic behaviour to talk emotionally

The intake for food and shelter wanted to know about my family so I said my whole family was attacked and asking them for things is unreasonable

My brother in law has like eight siblings and life out here is really really rough and scary and they tell us all no and I would pile in there with them all and they explain once cops 🆔 you they would do frightening things to me there also

My sister to live there had to go to diabetic treatments to live there I think so she has to be cliniced and angeled and if my political beliefs went there I would get really battered if I wouldn't sign my body over to a doctor

There is a school a clinic and a jail and if you won't take detainment battery in clinic or school they will jail batter you

I don't want to bother my family with jail batteries I found out I do like them as people and do wish the best for them

People did personality experimentation on me as a youth and I found out nicotine could dramatically alter my persona so after a lot of self and soul searching I found out I do like those people

I told her homelessness didn't use to be so rough....it use to actually be a good way to live though I don't recommend it the police would really batter me and like ghandi survivors something non violent in me died and I now have something in me truly you can be forgiven but i dont care what it takes for you bullies to just leave me alone

I use to truly have a truly innocent spirit that couldn't harm anything into my youth years and now I was wronged and have learned to turn away from wrong in return

I use to have hope ideals and such but I have become very misinformed so

I got to travel meet interesting people who lived artistically and as they preferred but now it's so loud and brutal and I truly am just like I have to go to shelter or people could die of heart attacks on sight if that road noise won't stop

I can't stand jobs for continuing to rush people back out onto the road it's just so awful here it's so fast paced idiocy all the time it's just fast paced idiocy all the time

Its really fatigued people like the idiot joke on road adrenaline it's sick mean and meaningless

They keep rushing people it's annoying I go to get coffee and the table is always available it's annoying

Then I've had to see them start playing around in the car line at intersections it's just frightening

Its so loud my head feels battered and I start hating it hear

And just a few days ago I had positive feelings for the area...so

#Youtube

0 notes

sirflorencekpresents · 4 months

Text

Context: I’ve been obsessing over a character of mine that I’m trying to write a short story for. Instead I just write short scenarios that have nothing to do with the story itself. Anyways enjoy!

Oh! Also: it involves some body horror but it’s pretty mild, nothing serious.

She watches the man in front of her, eyes wide in manic rage. He is confused, trying to comprehend the girl in front of him; covered in blood, holding the hand of someone he knows all too well. He remains frozen, unsure of what to do. Run? Kill her too? She is in shock, she would never be able to say what she saw, who did what.

Suddenly, the girl faltered, her expression changed from an animalistic frenzy to lulling eyes. She is falling asleep, or passing out, he can’t really tell. Now is the time to run. He needs to run.

He turns for his escape only to be confronted by the mutilated dead girl. She twitched and jutted until her jaw snapped open. Her lidless eyes tear up with muddy blood, staining her cheeks. One eye pops out , blood splatters across his face as the eye sways with her tears. He wants to scream but nothing can come out.

“Don’t you love me?” Her distorted voice echoes in his ears, sobbs blubbering from her sliced throat, more blood poured over her ruined corpse. “You love me, right?” Her stiff limbs shift, pulling him into her rotting embrace. All he can feel feel is her foul breath kissing his cheek.

“I” he felt her grip tighten, her ruined eye grazed against him, He could feel her optic nerve like a worm searching for a place to burrow. “Love” Fear finally finds its perch, his throat tightens, tears threaten him. He feels it. “You.” His emanate Death.

The corpse squeezed until his own eyes pop out of their sockets, nothing but brain matter and blood settled in his open neck. The corpse cried and the girl finally wakes, a smile forming at the sight.

Some people deserve to die in fear. To leave with no hope. Only hells deepest pit, in the bowls of Kronos.

#sirfk #writing #Noa’s Demon #one shot

0 notes

thorntonkrell-blog-blog · 1 year

Text

Like many children reared on Shock Theater in the fifties, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi grabbed an early spot on my list of favorite actors. Karloff for this forlorn interpretation of the Frankenstein monster and Lugosi for his hypnotic, continental interpretation of Dracula.

Over years, many actors have tried to inhabit those roles but none have acheived the heights of Lugosi or Karloff.

So what happens when Nic Cage attempts a twenty first century version of Dracula? Of course I've got to see it but I'm mos def gonna wait until it comes on teevee.

The movie is called Renfield and it showed up on my cable system last night. So who is Renfield and what does he have to do with Karloff or Lugosi or Dracula or Frankenstein.

Renfield is a character in the original novel "Dracula" by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. Renfield is a patient at the lunatic asylum in Dr. John Seward's care. He becomes one of the prominent characters in the story due to his peculiar behavior and his connection to Count Dracula.

Renfield is initially introduced as an eccentric and mentally disturbed individual. He is obsessed with consuming living creatures, particularly insects and small animals. Throughout the novel, Renfield serves as a representation of the theme of madness and the influence of the supernatural. As the story progresses, it is revealed that Renfield is under the influence of Count Dracula. Renfield acts as Dracula's servant, and the Count uses his powers of persuasion to control and manipulate him. Renfield is drawn to Dracula's dark influence and believes that by serving him, he will gain immortality.

Renfield's character provides insight into the nature of Dracula and his ability to exert control over others. He serves as a foil to other characters who try to resist Dracula's influence, such as the protagonist, Jonathan Harker.

Ultimately, Renfield's fate is intertwined with that of Dracula. He plays a role in the climactic events of the novel, where his loyalty to Dracula is tested and his connection to the vampire is revealed to other characters.

Dwight Frye was an actor who portrayed the character Renfield in the 1931 film adaptation of "Dracula," directed by Tod Browning. Frye's performance as Renfield is considered iconic and memorable, contributing to the lasting popularity of the character.

In the film, Renfield is portrayed as a mentally unstable solicitor who visits Count Dracula's castle in Transylvania. He becomes a captive of Dracula and is slowly driven to madness by the vampire's influence. Dwight Frye's portrayal of Renfield is known for its intensity and manic energy, capturing the character's descent into madness and his desperate struggle against Dracula's control.

Frye's performance in "Dracula" earned him recognition as a talented character actor, and he went on to appear in other notable horror films of the era, including "Frankenstein" (1931) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935). His portrayal of Renfield remains one of his most famous roles and has left a lasting impression on audiences over the years.

Frye's physical transformation throughout the film is noteworthy. As Renfield succumbs to Dracula's influence, his appearance changes dramatically. Frye convincingly portrayed Renfield's deteriorating state, both physically and mentally, through subtle changes in his posture, facial expressions, and mannerisms. Frye effectively conveyed the internal conflict within Renfield. Despite his captivity and his descent into madness, Renfield intermittently displayed moments of lucidity and attempts to resist Dracula's control. Frye portrayed this struggle between Renfield's sanity and his allegiance to the vampire, adding depth and complexity to the character.

Dwight Frye's performance as Renfield in the 1931 film adaptation of "Dracula" is considered memorable for several reasons:

Frye brought a high level of intensity and manic energy to his portrayal of Renfield. He displayed a wide range of emotions, from fear and desperation to madness and obsession. His performance was marked by wild gestures, facial expressions, and vocal delivery, effectively conveying Renfield's mental and emotional turmoil. Physical Transformation: Frye's physical transformation throughout the film is noteworthy. As Renfield succumbs to Dracula's influence, his appearance changes dramatically. Frye convincingly portrayed Renfield's deteriorating state, both physically and mentally, through subtle changes in his posture, facial expressions, and mannerisms. Capturing the Inner Struggle: Frye effectively conveyed the internal conflict within Renfield. Despite his captivity and his descent into madness, Renfield intermittently displayed moments of lucidity and attempts to resist Dracula's control. Frye portrayed this struggle between Renfield's sanity and his allegiance to the vampire, adding depth and complexity to the character. Frye's performance is associated with several memorable lines and scenes in the film. His exclamation of "The Master is coming!" and his eerie laughter became iconic moments that have been referenced and parodied in various adaptations and pop culture references over the years.

In the same year as Dracula, Frye also portrayed Fritz , Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant in the film Frankenstein. Fritz assists Dr. Frankenstein in acquiring body parts for his experiments and plays a significant role in the story. However, it's important to note that the character of "Igor" as a hunchbacked assistant did not appear until later Frankenstein adaptations and is not present in the 1931 film.

Bela Lugosi played the character of Igor in the film "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" released in 1943. In this film, Lugosi portrayed the role of a hunchbacked assistant named "Ygor," who assists Dr. Frankenstein. Ygor is a different character than Igor, although they share some similarities in terms of their hunchbacked appearance and their association with Dr. Frankenstein.

This we arrive full circle in the Karloff, Lugosi, Frye, Igor, Renfield, James Whale, Todd Browning, Fritz, Stoker, Shelley, Cage, Hoult configuration that more fully prepares us for Renfield.

The film Renfield deals with camp, co-dependency, counseling and Cage. Let's continue our review preview with Cage in comparison to other Draculas. Much of the success or failure of Renfield depends upon the casting of Nic Cage as the Count. Since Bela Lugosi's iconic portrayal of Dracula, several actors have taken on the role of the infamous vampire.

Christopher Lee is perhaps the most well-known actor to portray Dracula after Lugosi. He played the character in a series of Hammer Horror films, starting with "Horror of Dracula" (1958) and continuing in several sequels. In my opinion, Lee's portrayal of Dracula lacked emotional depth and complexity. His performance relied more on his physical presence and charisma rather than delving into the psychological aspects of the character. Lee's Dracula was often portrayed as a purely evil and malevolent figure, lacking any hint of sympathy or complexity. This portrayal didn't explore the potential layers of the character and instead presented a more one-dimensional villain.

Frank Langella: Langella played Dracula in the 1979 film adaptation of the Broadway play "Dracula," directed by John Badham. Langella's performance felt somewhat one-note, with a relatively limited emotional range. Some viewers felt that his portrayal did not showcase the full spectrum of Dracula's complexity and inner turmoil, resulting in a less nuanced depiction.

Gary Oldman's portrayal of Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) was overly theatrical and occasionally veered into melodrama. His performance became exaggerated, which distracted from the subtleties of the character. While Oldman brought a sense of intensity and passion to the role, his portrayal lacked the seductive, captivating qualities that are often associated with Dracula. Oldman's performance did not fully capture the alluring and charismatic nature of the character.

Actors are fond of playing characters with eccentricities and idiosyncracies. Few characters have as many unconventional behaviors as Dracula. He has the hypnotic gaze, the fanged teeth, the air of elegance, the burden of immortality, the transformation into wolf, bat or mist., superhuman strength and the crippling fear and repulsion towards sunlight, crucifixes and or holy water. Furthermore, Dracula must retain characteristic complexity mixed with allure, passion and personal magnetism.

A twenty first century Dracula must touch all these bases amidst furious green screening and ever increasing demands for irony and camp.

Is Nic Cage up to the challenge?

Stay tuned.

Hypnotic Gaze: Many portrayals of Dracula emphasize his hypnotic gaze. He often locks eyes with his victims or potential prey, using his gaze to mesmerize and control them.

Fanged Teeth: Dracula is typically depicted with elongated canine teeth, often referred to as fangs. These fangs symbolize his predatory nature and his ability to feed on blood.

Regal and Elegant Demeanor: Dracula is often portrayed as a regal and sophisticated figure. He carries himself with an air of elegance, reflecting his centuries-old existence and aristocratic background.

Immortality and Aging: Dracula's immortality is often depicted by his youthful appearance despite being centuries old. This contrasts with the aging and decay of his victims, emphasizing his otherworldly nature.

Transformation: Dracula is often portrayed with the ability to transform into a bat, a wolf, mist, or other creatures. This shapeshifting ability adds to his supernatural powers and unpredictability.

Vampiric Powers: Dracula is frequently shown to possess supernatural powers such as superhuman strength, heightened senses, and the ability to control animals or the weather.

Fear of Sunlight and Holy Symbols: Dracula is traditionally depicted as vulnerable to sunlight, which can burn or weaken him. Holy symbols like crucifixes or holy water are also portrayed as having the power to repel or harm him.

Overacting: Some critics felt that Oldman's portrayal of Dracula was overly theatrical and occasionally veered into melodrama. They believed that his performance at times became exaggerated, which could distract from the subtleties of the character. While Oldman brought a sense of intensity and passion to the role, his portrayal lacked the seductive and captivating qualities that are often associated with Dracula. Oldman's performance did not fully capture the alluring and charismatic nature of the character.

Inconsistent Accent: One criticism that emerged was the inconsistency in Oldman's accent as Dracula. The character's accent fluctuated throughout the film, ranging from a thick Eastern European accent to a more standard British accent. This inconsistency was seen as a distraction that affected the overall cohesiveness of the performance.

Lack of Seductiveness: While Oldman brought a sense of intensity and passion to the role, some critics felt that his portrayal lacked the seductive and captivating qualities that are often associated with Dracula. They believed that his performance did not fully capture the alluring and charismatic nature of the character.

Christopher Lee: Lee is perhaps the most well-known actor to portray Dracula after Lugosi. He played the character in a series of Hammer Horror films, starting with "Horror of Dracula" (1958) and continuing in several sequels.

Frank Langella: Langella played Dracula in the 1979 film adaptation of the Broadway play "Dracula," directed by John Badham.

Gary Oldman: Oldman portrayed Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992). His performance offered a more romantic and tragic interpretation of the character.

Leslie Nielsen: Known for his comedic roles, Nielsen played a humorous version of Dracula in the comedy film "Dracula: Dead and Loving It" (1995), directed by Mel Brooks.

Gerard Butler: Butler played the title role in the film "Dracula 2000" (2000), which offered a modern-day interpretation of the character.

Richard Roxburgh: Roxburgh portrayed Dracula in the film "Van Helsing" (2004), directed by Stephen Sommers.

Luke Evans: Evans played Dracula in the film "Dracula Untold" (2014), which presented an origin story for the character.

Claes Bang: Bang portrayed Dracula in the television series "Dracula" (2020), developed by Mark Gatiss and Steven Moffat.

These are just a few examples of actors who have taken on the role of Dracula since Bela Lugosi. The character has been depicted in various adaptations across different media over the years, with each actor bringing their own unique interpretation to the role.

User John Carradine? ChatGPT Apologies for the oversight. Yes, John Carradine is another notable actor who portrayed Dracula. Carradine played the role of Dracula in the film "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and reprised the character in "House of Dracula" (1945), both of which were Universal Studios horror films. Carradine's portrayal of Dracula had a distinctive and theatrical quality, contributing to the classic image of the character. Thank you for mentioning him.

User Peter Cushing ChatGPT Apologies for missing out on mentioning Peter Cushing. Peter Cushing is a renowned actor who played the vampire hunter Professor Abraham Van Helsing in several films and also portrayed Dracula's adversary in some of the Hammer Horror films. While Cushing did not play the role of Dracula himself, his performances as Van Helsing were significant in the Dracula film series. His portrayal of the determined and resourceful vampire hunter became iconic alongside Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula in the Hammer Horror films. Cushing's notable appearances as Van Helsing include films like "Horror of Dracula" (1958), "Dracula Has Risen from the Grave" (1968), "Taste the Blood of Dracula" (1970), and others. His contribution to the vampire genre is highly regarded, and his on-screen presence alongside Christopher Lee has left a lasting impact on Dracula films. Thank you for bringing up Peter Cushing's role in the Dracula series.

User criticism of Lee as Dracula ChatGPT While Christopher Lee is widely celebrated for his portrayal of Dracula, there have been some criticisms as well. It's important to note that opinions on performances can vary, and what may be considered a flaw by some could be seen as a strength by others. Here are a few criticisms that have been raised regarding Lee's portrayal of Dracula:

Lack of Depth: Some critics argue that Lee's portrayal of Dracula lacked emotional depth and complexity. They believe his performance relied more on his physical presence and charisma rather than delving into the psychological aspects of the character.

Limited Dialogue: In many of the Hammer Horror Dracula films, Lee's Dracula had minimal dialogue. This led to some critics feeling that the character lacked depth and development, as he primarily relied on his menacing presence and physicality to convey his intentions.

Departure from the Novel: Lee's portrayal of Dracula often deviated from Bram Stoker's original depiction. While this can be expected in adaptations, some critics felt that Lee's interpretation strayed too far from the source material, resulting in a less nuanced portrayal of the iconic character.

Stereotypical Evil: Lee's Dracula was often portrayed as a purely evil and malevolent figure, lacking any hint of sympathy or complexity. Some critics argue that this portrayal didn't explore the potential layers of the character and instead presented a more one-dimensional villain.

It's worth noting that despite these criticisms, Christopher Lee's portrayal of Dracula remains beloved by many fans and has become an iconic representation of the character. His imposing physical presence, commanding voice, and undeniable charisma contributed to the lasting impact of his interpretation. Ultimately, opinions on performances are subjective, and Christopher Lee's portrayal continues to have a significant place in the Dracula legacy.

User criiticism of Langella as Dracula ChatGPT Frank Langella's portrayal of Dracula in the 1979 film adaptation of the Broadway play "Dracula" received positive reviews overall. However, there have been a few criticisms raised regarding his performance. Here are some of the criticisms:

Lack of Seductiveness: Some critics felt that Langella's portrayal of Dracula lacked the seductive charm that is often associated with the character. They believed that his performance did not effectively capture the charismatic and alluring nature of Dracula, which is an essential aspect of the character's appeal.

Lack of Menace: While Langella brought a certain level of sophistication and elegance to the role, some critics argued that his portrayal lacked the menacing and sinister qualities often associated with Dracula. They felt that his interpretation leaned more towards the romantic and sympathetic aspects of the character, which diminished the sense of fear and danger.

Limited Range: A criticism that has been raised is that Langella's performance felt somewhat one-note, with a relatively limited emotional range. Some viewers felt that his portrayal did not showcase the full spectrum of Dracula's complexity and inner turmoil, resulting in a less nuanced depiction.

It's important to note that these criticisms do not diminish the overall positive reception of Langella's performance, as he received praise for his stage and screen portrayal of Dracula. Different interpretations of the character have their own unique qualities, and while Langella's version may have deviated from certain expectations, it still resonated with many audiences.

User Criticism of Oldman as Dracula ChatGPT Gary Oldman's portrayal of Dracula in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) generally received positive reviews and is regarded as one of the standout performances in the film. However, there have been a few criticisms raised regarding his interpretation. Here are some of the criticisms:

Departure from the Source Material: Oldman's portrayal of Dracula incorporated elements of romance and tragedy, delving deeper into the character's emotions and motivations. However, some critics felt that this interpretation strayed too far from Bram Stoker's original depiction, making Dracula more sympathetic and less menacing.

Despite these criticisms, Gary Oldman's portrayal of Dracula in "Bram Stoker's Dracula" is still widely regarded as a compelling and memorable performance. His commitment to the role and the visual transformation he underwent for the character were praised, and many viewers appreciated his unique take on the iconic vampire.

User Tom Waits as Renfield ChatGPT Tom Waits' portrayal of Renfield in Francis Ford Coppola's "Bram Stoker's Dracula" (1992) received mixed reviews, with some praising his eccentric and unconventional performance, while others found it to be too over-the-top. Here are some criticisms that have been raised regarding Waits' portrayal of Renfield:

Excessive Quirkiness: Waits brought his distinctive style and eccentricity to the character of Renfield, which some viewers found to be overly quirky and distracting. His mannerisms and delivery were seen as exaggerated, overshadowing the more subtle aspects of the character.

Lack of Nuance: Some critics felt that Waits' portrayal of Renfield lacked depth and nuance. They believed that his performance leaned more towards a caricature, preventing the character from being fully fleshed out and multidimensional.

Inconsistent Accent: Similar to the criticism of Gary Oldman's accent as Dracula, Waits' accent as Renfield was also deemed inconsistent. His accent fluctuated throughout the film, which some viewers found distracting and took away from the overall believability of the character.

Limited Screen Time: Another criticism that has been raised is that Waits' portrayal of Renfield had limited screen time, which meant that the character didn't have enough opportunity to develop and leave a lasting impact. This left some viewers wanting more depth and exploration of Renfield's character.

Despite these criticisms, Tom Waits' performance as Renfield was praised by some for its unconventional and idiosyncratic nature. His portrayal added a unique flavor to the film and contributed to its overall atmospheric and eccentric tone. While it may not have resonated with everyone, his performance remains a memorable aspect of the movie for many viewers.

User compare idiosyncracy with eccentricity ChatGPT Idiosyncrasy and eccentricity are both terms used to describe unique or unconventional qualities in a person's behavior, style, or thinking. While they share some similarities, there are subtle differences in their meanings:

Idiosyncrasy: Idiosyncrasy refers to a distinctive or peculiar characteristic or behavior that is specific to an individual. It is often seen as a personal quirk or a unique trait that sets someone apart from others. Idiosyncrasies can manifest in various ways, such as specific habits, preferences, or mannerisms. These individualistic traits might be seen as unusual or uncommon but are generally harmless and may even be endearing.

Eccentricity: Eccentricity refers to behaviors or qualities that are unconventional, odd, or out of the ordinary. It is often associated with behavior that deviates from social norms or expectations. Eccentric individuals may have unconventional fashion choices, peculiar habits, or unusual ways of thinking or expressing themselves. Eccentricity can also encompass a sense of quirkiness, unpredictability, or nonconformity.

In summary, idiosyncrasy focuses on the unique characteristics and personal quirks that define an individual, while eccentricity highlights behaviors or qualities that are unconventional or deviate from societal norms. Both terms describe distinctiveness, but eccentricity tends to emphasize a more noticeable departure from the mainstream or traditional norms.

User what idio syncracys and eccentiricities are most common in film portryals of Dracula ChatGPT In film portrayals of Dracula, there are several common idiosyncrasies and eccentricities that are often depicted. These characteristics help create a distinct portrayal of the iconic vampire. Here are some examples:

Hypnotic Gaze: Many portrayals of Dracula emphasize his hypnotic gaze. He often locks eyes with his victims or potential prey, using his gaze to mesmerize and control them.

Fanged Teeth: Dracula is typically depicted with elongated canine teeth, often referred to as fangs. These fangs symbolize his predatory nature and his ability to feed on blood.

Transformation: Dracula is often portrayed with the ability to transform into a bat, a wolf, mist, or other creatures. This shapeshifting ability adds to his supernatural powers and unpredictability.

Vampiric Powers: Dracula is frequently shown to possess supernatural powers such as superhuman strength, heightened senses, and the ability to control animals or the weather.

These idiosyncrasies and eccentricities are commonly portrayed in different film adaptations of Dracula, helping to establish the character's iconic traits and create a distinct image of the vampire on screen.

User what is co dependence ChatGPT Codependence, or codependency, is a behavioral and psychological pattern that often occurs in relationships where one person relies heavily on the other for their self-worth, identity, and emotional well-being. It involves an unhealthy and dysfunctional way of relating to others, characterized by a lack of boundaries, excessive caretaking, and an overemphasis on meeting the needs of others at the expense of one's own needs.

In codependent relationships, individuals often have low self-esteem, struggle with assertiveness, and have an intense fear of rejection or abandonment. They may feel responsible for other people's feelings, actions, or well-being, and often prioritize others' needs and wants over their own. Codependents may also have difficulty setting boundaries, have a strong desire for approval, and may become enmeshed or overly dependent on their partner or loved ones.

Codependency can manifest in various ways, such as enabling unhealthy behaviors, neglecting one's own needs, and having difficulty expressing emotions or identifying personal boundaries. It commonly occurs in relationships where there is addiction, mental health issues, or dysfunctional family dynamics.

Codependency is not a formal diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). However, it is often associated with traits and behaviors linked to conditions such as borderline personality disorder (BPD) or dependent personality disorder (DPD).

Treatment for codependency often involves therapy, such as individual counseling or support groups, to help individuals develop healthier patterns of relating, establish boundaries, improve self-esteem, and cultivate a stronger sense of self.

User do you have a joke about co dependency ChatGPT Sure, here's a light-hearted joke related to codependency:

Why did the codependent couple go to therapy?

Because they couldn't agree on who needed therapy more!

User how bout another one joke that is ChatGPT Certainly! Here's another joke related to codependency:

Why did the codependent couple start a band?

Because they couldn't handle being out of harmony with each other!

User what did the codependent couple xay after making love ChatGPT "I can't live without you, but I also can't function properly with you!"

User criticism of John Carradine as Dracula ChatGPT John Carradine's portrayal of Dracula in the Universal Studios films "House of Frankenstein" (1944) and "House of Dracula" (1945) received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. While some appreciated his unique interpretation, there have been criticisms raised regarding his performance. Here are a few common criticisms:

Lack of Menace: Carradine's portrayal of Dracula was often described as more restrained and lacking the menacing presence typically associated with the character. Some critics felt that his performance lacked the necessary intensity and sinister quality that should be inherent to Dracula.

Theatricality: Carradine's portrayal of Dracula was often considered overly theatrical and reminiscent of his stage acting background. Some viewers found this approach to be less effective in conveying the horror and supernatural allure of the character, as it came across as more melodramatic.

Physicality: Carradine's physical appearance as Dracula was criticized by some for not fitting the traditional image of the vampire. He was taller and leaner than previous actors who portrayed the role, which some felt didn't match the expected physical attributes of Dracula.

Limited Screen Time: In both "House of Frankenstein" and "House of Dracula," Carradine's screen time as Dracula was relatively brief. This limited exposure meant that his performance didn't have enough opportunity to leave a lasting impact, which left some viewers wanting more from his portrayal.

It's important to note that opinions on performances can vary, and while Carradine's portrayal of Dracula may have received criticisms, he still contributed to the legacy of the character and has his own dedicated fan base.

Memorable Lines and Scenes: Frye's performance is associated with several memorable lines and scenes in the film. His exclamation of "The Master is coming!" and his eerie laughter became iconic moments that have been referenced and parodied in various adaptations and pop culture references over the years. Strong Screen Presence: Frye had a commanding screen presence, capturing the audience's attention whenever he appeared on screen. His energy and intensity drew viewers into Renfield's character, making him a compelling and memorable part of the film. Overall, Dwight Frye's performance as Renfield in "Dracula" left a lasting impact due to his intense portrayal, physical transformation, depiction of inner conflict, memorable lines, and strong screen presence. His interpretation of the character contributed to the enduring popularity of Renfield and solidified Frye as a talented character actor in the horror genre.

Okkay what does Renfield/Frye have to do with Frankentsein?

Played by actor Dwight Frye, Fritz is Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant in the film. Fritz assists Dr. Frankenstein in acquiring body parts for his experiments and plays a significant role in the story. However, it's important to note that the character of "Igor" as a hunchbacked assistant did not appear until later Frankenstein adaptations and is not present in the 1931 film.

When Igor as we now know him didn't show up until Frankenstein Meets the Wlofman. In this film Igor is played by Bela Lugosi who completes the Renfield Dracula, Frankenstein, Igor, Karl circle into the twenty first century when at last we arrive at two Nic...Cage and Hoult.

Is there an Igor in the 1931 Frankensteinn ChatGPT Apologies for the confusion in my previous response. You are correct, there is a character named "Fritz" in the 1931 film "Frankenstein," who is often mistakenly referred to as "Igor." Played by actor Dwight Frye, Fritz is Dr. Frankenstein's hunchbacked assistant in the film. Fritz assists Dr. Frankenstein in acquiring body parts for his experiments and plays a significant role in the story. However, it's important to note that the character of "Igor" as a hunchbacked assistant did not appear until later Frankenstein adaptations and is not present in the 1931 film. Thank you for pointing out the error, and I apologize for any confusion caused.

User did Bela Lugosi ever play the part of Igor ChatGPT No, Bela Lugosi did not play the part of Igor in any of the Universal Studios' Frankenstein films. The character of Igor, as commonly depicted as a hunchbacked assistant to Dr. Frankenstein, was introduced in the 1939 film "Son of Frankenstein," portrayed by actor Bela Lugosi. However, it's worth noting that Igor's character was portrayed by different actors in subsequent Frankenstein films, but Bela Lugosi did not play the role of Igor in any of those movies. Bela Lugosi is best known for his portrayal of Count Dracula in the 1931 film "Dracula" and his association with the iconic vampire character.

User How about in Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman ChatGPT Apologies for the previous incorrect information. Bela Lugosi did indeed play the character of Igor in the film "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" released in 1943. In this film, Lugosi portrayed the role of a hunchbacked assistant named "Ygor," who assists Dr. Frankenstein. Ygor is a different character than Igor, although they share some similarities in terms of their hunchbacked appearance and their association with Dr. Frankenstein. Bela Lugosi's performance as Ygor is one of his memorable roles in the Universal Monsters franchise. Thank you for pointing out the error, and I apologize for any confusion caused.

User what's the difference between Ygor and Igor ChatGPT The characters of Ygor and Igor, despite having similar names and certain thematic similarities, are distinct characters in the Universal Monsters franchise.

Ygor, as portrayed by Bela Lugosi in "Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man" (1943) and subsequent films, is a hunchbacked assistant with a deformed neck who becomes associated with the Frankenstein family. He first appears in the film "Son of Frankenstein" (1939) and plays a significant role in subsequent Frankenstein films. Ygor is often depicted as a cunning and malevolent character who manipulates others to further his own agenda. He has a strong connection to the Frankenstein lineage and often seeks to revive or use the Monster for his own purposes.

On the other hand, Igor is a character commonly associated with the Frankenstein mythos, but not in the original novel by Mary Shelley. Igor was introduced as a hunchbacked assistant to Dr. Frankenstein in various adaptations, notably the 1931 film "Frankenstein" portrayed by Dwight Frye. Igor has since become an iconic figure in popular culture, often depicted as a subservient and loyal assistant who helps Dr. Frankenstein in his experiments.

While both Ygor and Igor share the characteristic of being hunchbacked assistants to Dr. Frankenstein, they are distinct characters with separate storylines and portrayals in the Universal Monsters franchise.

User In the 1931 movie Igor is not called Igor ChatGPT You are correct, and I apologize for the confusion in my previous responses. In the 1931 film "Frankenstein," Dwight Frye's character is not called Igor. He is referred to as "Fritz," not Igor, and serves as Dr. Frankenstein's assistant. Fritz is a hunchbacked, malicious character who helps Dr. Frankenstein with his experiments and plays a crucial role in the story. The character of Igor, as commonly known today, was not introduced until later Frankenstein adaptations and is not present in the original 1931 film. Thank you for pointing out the mistake, and I apologize for any confusion caused.

User what otgher roles were played by Dwight Frye ChatGPT Dwight Frye, known for his memorable performances in classic horror films, portrayed various roles throughout his career. In addition to his role as Fritz in the 1931 film "Frankenstein," he also played the role of Renfield, a deranged character, in the same year's film "Dracula." Renfield is a patient of Dracula who becomes enslaved to the vampire.

Dwight Frye had a talent for portraying unhinged and eccentric characters, and he continued to deliver standout performances in other notable films. Some of his other roles include:

Karl in "The Vampire Bat" (1933): He played a role of a simple-minded man accused of being a vampire.

Hermann Glieb in "The Man They Could Not Hang" (1939): He portrayed a character involved in an experimental medical procedure.

Will Brennan in "The Invisible Man Returns" (1940): He appeared as a supporting character in this sequel to the original "The Invisible Man."

Babalú in "Son of Frankenstein" (1939): While not a major role, he played a small part in this film as a gravedigger.

These are just a few examples of Dwight Frye's notable roles in classic horror films. He left an indelible mark on the genre with his unique portrayals of eccentric and troubled characters.

In 2017 Universal debuted their ambitious plans for a series of reboots of their popular 1930s and 1940s horror films. Dubbed the Universal “Dark Universe,” it yielded only two features — 2017’s “The Mummy” with Tom Cruise and 2020’s “The Invisible Man” starring Elisabeth Moss — before being scrapped. And while director Chris McKay’s (“The Tomorrow War”) “Renfield” isn’t directly a Dark Universe project it gives audiences hope that maybe the concept might yield its own reanimation.

“Renfield” is the story of Robert Montagu Renfield (Nicholas Hoult), the codependent familiar of the best known vampire in the world, Count Dracula (Nicolas Cage). Renfield spends his days attending a support group for adults in toxic relationships, in the hopes that he can finally break free of Dracula, once and for all. But when Renfield gets caught in the middle of a war between a prominent New Orleans crime family and beat cop Rebecca Quincy (Awkwafina) it could lead to Dracula finally find a way to achieve world domination.

“Renfield” is at its best when its focused on the eponymous character and bad Drac problem. Cage and Hoult recreate scenes from Bela Lugosi’s 1931 feature with such a striking attention to detail you’d believe they, Hoult especially, had been in the film all along. In the modern world, Hoult never goes for an imitation of original Renfield actor Dwight Frye so eschews the original character’s madness for more sadness and desperation. He’s a victim of abuse with no idea who to turn to, and that’s outside the fact that he’s lived for hundreds of years by providing victims for a literal vampire.

Hoult’s charm and sweetness is tempered by Cage’s showy, maniacal performance as Dracula and it’s frustrating that there aren’t more scenes where the two just play off each other. One moment, where Dracula sees Renfield’s new humble abode, is especially fun as the two go for broke; Hoult cowers in a corner and tries to employ therapeutic techniques Cage’s character berates. In their interactions together the script delves into the parasitic elements of their relationship, as well as deconstructing elements of the original film and Bram Stoker’s novel.

The problem is the Renfield/Dracula relationship is placed alongside Awkwafina’s cop character and her battle to rid New Orleans of the Lobo criminal family, headed up by a deliciously villainous Ella (Shohreh Aghdashloo) and her amateur son, Teddy (Ben Schwartz). It’s easy to see why this plot isn’t enough to sustain its own movie, but why place it in a horror comedy so specific? Really, it seems to only fit because, forsaking the reasoning in Stoker’s book, when Renfield eats bugs (his version of spinach, apparently) he becomes super-strong and has the ability to do everything from chop someone’s arms off with a serving platter to ripping off an entire face with just his bare hands.

In these moments, Hoult and Awkwafina have a decent buddy chemistry, but it’s unremarkable in the grand scheme of things, and every time Cage shows up you just wish the movie eschewed Awkwafina’s wisecracks for more of the horror hijinks. That being said, the fight choreography is remarkable, particularly an extended sequence in an apartment complex. The film uses its R-rating to a healthy advantage, which some shockingly inventive kills, though a lot of the impact is undone by obvious CGI blood that gets more noticeable the more it’s utilized (which is a lot in this movie).

Aghdashaloo and Schwartz are also fun to watch, but would see more suited to a “Kick-Ass” movie than here. In fact, the plotline feels very much like a throwaway moment from that film series more than anything else. It would have been better to integrate Aghdashaloo into the horror mythos in some way, especially since her and Cage’s Dracula have a fairly intense chemistry in the one scene they share together.

But every time things start to drag — the movie is barely 90 minutes so thankfully things move quickly — the comedy gets a shot in the arm from Renfield’s visit to his support group, led by the encouraging Mark (Brandon Scott Jones, “Isn’t It Romantic”). The various characters associated with the group all have their own versions of Dracula, albeit their blood sucking is metaphorical, and their stories delight. Had “Renfield,” as a film, continued what it started with Renfield, the character, being interested in avenging his new-found friends it might have been stronger.

“Renfield” is a great example of how Universal could resurrect its Dark Universe. Take tangential characters or questions audiences have wondered about and find a way to actually explore them. Hoult and Cage do so well in the roles and the script does its best to find a new way into modernizing Stoker’s incomparable novel. These are the children of the night worth following!

In the context of movies and art, "camp" refers to a sensibility or aesthetic that is characterized by exaggerated and often theatrical elements, irony, humor, and a sense of artificiality or artificial construction. It can be seen as an intentional celebration and embrace of the absurd, kitsch, and exaggerated forms of expression.

Camp is often associated with the LGBTQ+ community and has been a significant cultural phenomenon since the mid-20th century. It emerged as a form of cultural critique and a way to subvert mainstream norms and expectations. Camp is known for its flamboyant and exaggerated style, incorporating elements such as theatrical performances, excessive fashion, melodrama, and parody.

Camp can be found in various forms of expression, including movies, visual arts, fashion, music, and performance. It is often characterized by its playfulness, irony, and self-awareness. Camp can involve reinterpreting and appropriating existing cultural elements, often with a subversive or satirical twist.

Some famous examples of camp in movies include the works of filmmaker John Waters, such as "Pink Flamingos" and "Hairspray." Other notable examples include the films of Pedro Almodóvar, such as "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" and "All About My Mother." In visual arts, artists like Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons have incorporated camp elements into their works.

Overall, camp is a distinctive artistic and cultural style that embraces the exaggerated, theatrical, and ironic, often challenging conventional notions of taste and beauty. It is a form of expression that revels in the unconventional and invites the audience to engage with art and popular culture in a playful and subversive way.

who is the character Renfield in the original novel DraculaChatGPT

As the story progresses, it is revealed that Renfield is under the influence of Count Dracula. Renfield acts as Dracula's servant, and the Count uses his powers of persuasion to control and manipulate him. Renfield is drawn to Dracula's dark influence and believes that by serving him, he will gain immortality.

Dwight Frye as renfieldChatGPT

what makes Frye's performance so memorable in DraculaChatGPT

Dwight Frye's performance as Renfield in the 1931 film adaptation of "Dracula" is considered memorable for several reasons:

Intensity and Manic Energy: Frye brought a high level of intensity and manic energy to his portrayal of Renfield. He displayed a wide range of emotions, from fear and desperation to madness and obsession. His performance was marked by wild gestures, facial expressions, and vocal delivery, effectively conveying Renfield's mental and emotional turmoil.

Physical Transformation: Frye's physical transformation throughout the film is noteworthy. As Renfield succumbs to Dracula's influence, his appearance changes dramatically. Frye convincingly portrayed Renfield's deteriorating state, both physically and mentally, through subtle changes in his posture, facial expressions, and mannerisms.

Capturing the Inner Struggle: Frye effectively conveyed the internal conflict within Renfield. Despite his captivity and his descent into madness, Renfield intermittently displayed moments of lucidity and attempts to resist Dracula's control. Frye portrayed this struggle between Renfield's sanity and his allegiance to the vampire, adding depth and complexity to the character.

Strong Screen Presence: Frye had a commanding screen presence, capturing the audience's attention whenever he appeared on screen. His energy and intensity drew viewers into Renfield's character, making him a compelling and memorable part of the film.

Overall, Dwight Frye's performance as Renfield in "Dracula" left a lasting impact due to his intense portrayal, physical transformation, depiction of inner conflict, memorable lines, and strong screen presence. His interpretation of the character contributed to the enduring popularity of Renfield and solidified Frye as a talented character actor in the horror genre.

1 note · View note

phoenixyfriend · 3 years

Text

Fake Sith TCW Trio

I have another fucked up time-travel AU! Who’s surprised? (Nobody.)

So like. Have you guys read that one fic where Luke and his students go back in time and pretend to be Sith Lords and are super hammy about it? (Sith Lord Swell by AMournfulHowlInTheNight)

This AU has contributions by @atagotiak, @the-lunar-system, @purronronner, @gelpenss, @creepingthroughthistidalwave, and @thisarenotarealblog.

I want TCW trio (plus Rex and Cody) to go back to several years pre-TPM and, since the Council DEFINITELY won't believe them about the Sith being back... they'll force the issue.

Anakin is weirdly excited about things and building up their backstory.

Anakin: Okay so I can definitely be a Maul type, with the unhinged ranting and manic laughter, Obi-Wan can be the whole Refined Rich Guy type like Dooku, where you can't even tell he's evil until he starts talking about getting out the eyeball scoops, maybe toss in a bit of mad science stuff? Ahsoka could play up like Ventress OR, oh oh, she can be the Light Side Child we need to PROTECT who's publicly begging us to return to the Light after our big dramatic Falls where we murdered like eighty people to save her, and-- Obi-Wan: Why are you never this enthusiastic about actual undercover missions. Ahsoka: Did you just have all this ready to go, or...? Anakin: WE COULD GET YELLOW CONTACT LENSES FOR ME.

Obi-Wan: How's my evil laugh?

Anakin going “Okay.. so if any of us need to murder someone to sell the bit it should be me, I think I could handle it the best. Why? No reason.”

Obi-Wan: I'm not sure a complete Fall could come from protecting Ahsoka, really-- Anakin: No, no, it could.

Obi-Wan: Surely you’d hold back because you realize neither of us want that for you. Anakin: Uh. Sure. Definitely.

Obi-Wan points out that none of them can channel the dark side to Prove they're Sith and Anakin just goes "Okay, give me like two seconds to stew in my negativity and--right, you can stop staring in horror, please."

Anakin rambles on that they can TOTALLY make the galaxy a better place while playing at being Sith! He's got a whole LIST of slave empires to "take over" and disassemble!

Anakin has a whole excited spiel about how EVIL soldiers and assistants are minions, in this case partly because Cody and Rex are too good at what they do to be mooks. Cody could pull off evil minion very well. Facial scar? Looks good in black? Quietly competent and sarcastic?

He also pushes for Obi-Wan to lounge in a fancy throne with a glass of wine while Anakin stalks the shadows and Ahsoka hangs out on the window ledge. The disaster lineage is dramatic, okay, Anakin’s just leaning into it, he’d appreciate it if everyone stopped looking at him like that.

Qui-Gon, surprisingly, ends up a skeptic about all of this. Everyone is freaking out about the Sith and he’s like “y’know I’m not even sure they’re darksiders.”

Some Jedi, possibly Qui-Gon for his conspiracy board, gets in a real risky situation and one of the Fake Sith saves them, but also panics and kinda drops character for a bit.

Jedi: You saved me! Why’d you do that? Anakin: I uh... just wanted the pleasure of killing you myself?

"You saved me. Why?" "Mmmm. Jedi." [walks away]

Qui-Gon: [trying to figure out what is up with these people semi-competently (from his perspective) pretending to be Sith] Dooku: [trying to protect Qui-Gon from Sith influence]

The gang is the most successful at pretending to be Sith to Dooku. Sure, they’re not gonna punish him for something he hasn’t done, but it’s not hard to act menacing and angry around him.

(They really do have so much fun irritating the heck out of Dooku. He hasn’t Fallen yet, but they want to keep an eye out.)

At some point, future Obi-Wan definitely drops that little tidbit of "What, you didn't think the Banites were the only Sith running around did you? You... didn't even know about the Banites. How... disappointing."

They REGULARLY use Ahsoka as an excuse to be marginally less terrible. They claim that if Ahsoka pouts, they stop. ‘Soka also uses them as an excuse for why she’s a lil feral. (To be fair, that one is accurate. She was already a lil feral before but it’s not like they did anything to stop it.) Ahsoka gets her "breaking into people's offices" jollies by bugging Nute Gunray's office.

The Jedi keep trying to Rescue Ahsoka.

Rex and Cody end up in real beskar, there's a whole Thing with Mandalore and Jango and Satine.

Obi-Wan is CONSISTENTLY worried about Anakin Falling for real, which... hey, at least he knows to be worried about Anakin Falling. Step up from canon, really.

Anakin is WAY too into killing the Hutts but like. It does... technically sell the bit.

Obi-Wan: Sure, I’m not sad that they’re dead, especially because we’re not connected to the Republic, so we don’t need to worry about starting a war and all that. But. Anakin is disturbingly cheerful about this. Rex: Wasn't he a Hutt slave? Obi-Wan: Well yes, but-- Rex: I'd kill Nala Se if I could get away with it.

Cody and Rex are very supportive of Anakin's murderous intentions.

Obi-Wan does understand anger, even killing someone in anger. Like Maul (the first time at least) and D’nar and a few others. All the same, like... y’know. The level of bloodthirst from the others is a little off-putting.

At one point, Anakin accidentally addresses young Obi-Wan by name, despite never having met before, and to cover it up, he... panic-flirts. He panics, and so he flirts, with young Obi-Wan.

(He will later blame this on old Obi-Wan, because he had to pick up the habit of flirting with the enemy from somewhere.)

Anakin vaguely implies that he's a wee bit obsessed with young Obi, and that the padawan should "get used to being the target of a dark-sider's interests," because he’s scrambling for Ominous Shit and, well, future Obi-Wan was pretty frequently a fixation point for darksiders, right?

The second he gets out, he just starts screaming into a bucket while Rex pats him on the back.

For the next however many terrible months, possibly years, he has to keep up the act while having an ongoing meltdown about how That's My Dad As A Twenty-Something.

(It doesn't help that young Obi-Wan reflexively flirted back.)

Old Obi-Wan, meanwhile, is just very "you dug this hole yourself, padawan."

There is an argument at the beginning about Obi-Wan’s outfit. If he’s gonna be a Sith, he can’t just go around in beige, but he’s like “I like this and it’s comfy.” Sure, he’s changed clothes for undercover stuff, but that’s always been temporary, y’know? He likes his beige.

We have a number of options.

My first instinct? Beige linen three piece suit, like a southern lawyer. "Now I may just be a simple Outer Rim force adept--"

And, of course, you can TOTALLY make the beige sinister: he’s impersonating a Jedi! Jedi impersonation would also explain why nobody has a red saber.

“Sure is good that the Jedi don’t seem to realize most of the galaxy doesn’t know red sabers are different and bad.” “Shhhh, stop poking holes in our story where a Jedi might overhear.”

Like.... if you do enough doublethink, it works! How would a Sith hide? In plain sight. Also, it’s a GREAT way (if they were actually assholes) to try to slander the Jedi name.

(Anakin and Ahsoka still think he could stand to put a little more effort in. Add a splash of color, for pity's sake!)

Though tbh part of me is like “What if Old Obi wore, like... a split skirt suit...” Victorian womenswear inspired because he misses his robes, but he has to look Professional, and like he's MOCKING Jedi instead of BEING one, so he wears a vintage-y split skirt thing over his leggings. Ends up looking a lot like what Ventress had for a while, but Beige. I also keep wanting to put him regency menswear.

Anyway. Obi-Wan’s wardrobe aside...

Anakin builds up his Tatoo accent again. It helps him with the (mostly true) "slavery helped me fall" backstory.

Either Cody or Rex offhandedly mentions being made to serve them (the Fake Sith) and now the Jedi are somewhat concerned about brainwashing. Are these Mandos the victims here?

“No like. Literally made for this. In a lab.” This is even more horrifying. So...

On the one hand good! The Jedi should be scared about Sith! On the other hand... it makes the Jedi more determined to stop them, specifically. They keep on getting in the way, just, all the time, and they’re not investigating the actual Sith problem, which is decidedly not great since the Team doesn’t actually know who’s a real Sith right now, except Maul, and who even knows where that guy is.

Obi-Wan, at some point: Do you think we've succeeded at this ruse... a little TOO well? Anakin: I don't follow. Obi-Wan, gesturing at the truly obnoxious amount of wealth they've collected, including "trophies" of their kills: Really? Because I'm a little worried! Anakin, planning out a battle to take on Nar Shadda: ...I'm not.

"How many people do we realistically we need to take over Hutt Space? Apparently... five."

(Mostly because Anakin is ridiculously op.)

ANAKIN AND YOUNG OBI GET KIDNAPPED BY PIRATES TOGETHER. It's tradition.

Anakin: Okay, so, I need to get really angry about something to pass as a Sith... time to think about my WIFE and how I'll NEVER SEE HER AGAIN.

Since Anakin’s life never goes as planned... this does not work. Instead of getting properly angry, he makes himself sad. There are tears. There is wailing. There’s a distraught rant or two. Young Obi ends up awkwardly trying to comfort him.

“Oh no, this… Sith?? Is crying on me. What do I do???”

Later on, when the Council wants intel: "So... one of the Sith cried on me about his wife. I think she's dead? He wasn't very clear about it but it, uh... it sounded like it might have contributed to his Fall. Also the relationship was a little unhealthy? He basically worshiped the ground she walked on and kept ranting about how he would have given her the galaxy on a platinum platter of she'd only asked, but that might be new and inspired by the Dark."

One of the random Jedi is REALLY good at detecting the truth Through The Force, and asks Anakin how he Fell...

Anakin just. Tells the Tuskens story.

They don't get pinged as lying, but oh boy does old Obi have a LOT of questions for Anakin once they're in private.

There are other things happening to help sell the ruse. Some of them are necessary! Some of them are... not.

Obi-Wan: What's the best way to show we're rich and kind of evil, but like... classy about it? Anakin, immediately: I sit on the floor next to the throne, leaning against it, and you call me pet names while stroking my hair, and then when you need something killed I get to do it for you and then I go back to the floor and you thank me for the directed violence, and then you go back to Negotiations with criminals while I’m sitting there covered in blood. Obi-Wan: ...is there something you want to TELL us, or...?

"You're all going to get a glimpse of something normally kept hidden about me." "Anakin, you don't have to do that." "No, I'm gonna."

(Anakin has decided hes going to peel his kink tomato to sell this ruse, and the others are slightly uncomfortable with that.)

Anakin: Okay, I cannot keep flirting with you. Young Obi: Wait, what? But that's the best part of any time we run into you! Anakin: You look WAY too much like my Master did when I met him. Obi: O...kay? If someone looked like my master when HE was young, I'd-- Anakin: My Sith Master half-raised me. He's basically my dad. Obi: ... Anakin: What's that look for? Obi: I mean, you spend a lot of time lounging at his feet, and, like, given how much you hate slavery, I... kind of assumed it was a kink thing? Anakin, brightly: Oh no, I just have a LOT of trauma. And neuroses. Snips says they’re neuroses.

Young Obi is a little upset because he was actually getting REALLY into Flirting With The Enemy and was hoping it would go somewhere. He mopes to Qui-Gon about it. Qui-Gon isn't sure whether to be proud about Obi breaking rules, or worried over Obi-Wan falling for a Fake Sith.

(As Tia put it: "You enjoy making young Obi-Wan have a completely unrequited crush on Anakin, don’t you?")

Fortunately, one of those attractive Young Mando boys very kindly helped him tape up his ribs this one time, and has thus caught his eye...

I feel like having Cody date Young Obi would court an entirely different kind of (internet) drama because clone ages, but whatever.

Also please imagine an element of "so I'm dating the genetic identical of my boss... who's dating the man I'm a genetic identical of..."

(It's probably not actually Jangobi but man would that be funny and also stupid.)

Somehow Young Obi figures out that the "Sith Master" is a future him before he realizes that they're not actually dark. In his defense, Anakin was pretty convincing. Especially with the wife rant. It makes HIM more obsessed with Anakin, in a reversal of the implied earlier dynamic, which is all kinds of weird. Less romantic but like. Still weird.

"Future Me Scares Me" with Extra stupid. "Future Me Annoys Me." "Future Me acts like grandmaster Dooku, but more sass." "Future Me raised a really hot evil guy that refuses to bang Present Me." "Future Me might be a Sith, but I'm getting more and more convinced he's just fucking with us all." "Future Me is really rocking that beard, and I can't BELIEVE we figured out a way around the babyface."

"I’m kinda concerned about the whole evil thing, but I’m also glad that I know I’ll stay hot as I get older."

Quinlan approves of the priorities.

Also a lot of interactions with older Obi are very Anakin: [does/says something deeply unhinged] Obi-Wan: So, do you want to…. Talk about that? Maybe? Anakin: What’s there to talk about?? I’m fine, everything’s fine! Anyways how about those plans for tracking down Maul?

Anakin later, like way after the ruse is lifted, just blankly tells everyone that he did Fall, once, and Older Obi made him get therapy about it after the truth came out between the two of them a few months into the Fake Sith thing.

Where'd they find a therapist? I'm sure there's one SOMEWHERE around. Denon and Herdessa are close enough, and they've done enough "your criminal empire now belongs to me" that they can pay well. They make sure to find one that takes confidentiality real seriously.

It's all very "we need some more time to unpack all that."

Therapy helps get Anakin to figure out Sheev’s whole deal. They don't necessarily figure out he’s a Sith from it, but they figure out he’s sketchy and they need to look into that more. Obi-Wan probably already thought he was sketchy, but the whole active gaslighting campaign was a little surprising. They realize that he kinda benefited a lot from a lot of Sith plots and they still probably don’t think he’s a Sith but Obi-Wan is definitely starting to think he’s working with one.

"Okay, we're already bugging Gunray, should we bug Palpatine just to be safe?"

They get away with a lot of slicing because Anakin is a technical genius from twenty years in the future.

The reasons they're so good at Taking Over Hutt Space: 1. They know parts of the future. 2. They have superpowers and FAR less reason to not use them, now that their actions aren't going to reflect on the Republic. 3. They have Cody and Rex, who are two of the greatest military minds in the galaxy, and know EXACTLY how to wage a war that covers a solid third of the galaxy, starting from a position of relative weakness. 4. Anakin's charisma is scary high, and his knowledge of slave culture means they gain a lot of trust from the people they free, and they just... keep acquiring volunteers for the army they didn't plan to have. Obi-Wan doesn't know what to do. He thinks they might have started a cult?

In his defense, Dooku sort of started a cult, and Komari got kidnapped by a cult, brainwashed into joining it properly, and then took it over as head figure of said cult. It's practically tradition!

Comics Vader is the central figure of like three different cults, it was really just inevitable.

Anakin: Aw, don't worry master, it's not a cult, it's a revolution! Ahsoka: They're worshiping him, though. Anakin: ...it's still a revolution! Just... with some misunderstandings.

Also, if they got wind of people trying to keep people from being able to leave and other culty stuff like that, they’d probably put a stop to it pretty damn quick.

Names! Time for names. As per usual, it's easiest to keep track of Obi-Wan's alternate Older Self by just calling him Ben.

Darth Ben.

Ahsoka: You should be Darth Boring. Obi-Wan: I can still make you run laps, you know.

Anakin: The Force is telling me to call myself Darth Vader. Obi-Wan: ...why? Anakin: I dunno, but it sounds cool, I'll run with it.

Someone: Ben has all the answers; we shouldn’t question him, ever. Ben: One time I lost a planet, and a five-year-old found it for me.

More options: Going with the "evil word with the prefix 'in' chopped off" that we get with Sidious and Vader: Darth Surrectus (as in insurrection) Just random Latin words: Darth Temporus (time) Darth Commenticius (fake)

Anyway, back to Nonsense:

Maul goes after young Obi early, because the Fake Sith are really invested in this one random Padawan (Sidious is saying he might be a cousin of the false Sith Master? They do look similar enough) so someone needs to investigate. Naturally, Anakin shows up with some wild screeching to fight Maul, and when someone questions why he got involved it gets very "Kenobi is MINE!" and like. Okay. So.

Anakin means it in a very Sith "to toy with" and "to torture" way, or the ‘my chosen opponent!’ way, just the same kind of Obsession as Maul had with Obi-Wan in the original timeline. Unfortunately, Anakin’s a weird-ass person who flirts with Young Obi against his own better judgement, so there's some awkward "Like... your boyfriend?" from young Obi. Anakin just screeches in SOME emotion that nobody wants to interpret, and couldn't even if they wanted to, and starts whacking away at Maul again.

(Anakin hasn't explained the "you look exactly like my dad, sorry, it's just too weird" thing yet, and he is HAVING MANY REGRETS.)

There's definitely at least one instance where a person asks Anakin if he's planning on dating That One Jedi Twink, or at least banging out the tension. At that point in time, Anakin doesn't actually know who the fuck they're talking about, because "Obi-Wan + Twink = Does Not Compute" for dear, dense Ani, and instead he just ends up ranting about how he is LOYAL TO THE MEMORY OF HIS LATE WIFE, how DARE anyone so much as INSINUATE that he would TARNISH HER PERFECT MEMORY and UNWAVERING KINDNESS and WHOLESOME BEING, and the person who asked doesn't end up lightsabered but they do end up with a LOT to tell whoever they're reporting to.

Young Obi-Wan definitely hears Anakin mutter the phrase “something to discuss with my therapist later” a few times, and he’s a little bewildered because darksiders definitely don’t seem like the type of people to go to therapy. They’re the type of people to need therapy, sure, but not the type to go to therapy.

I think it would be very fun for Young Obi to continue sighing over Anakin (who's pretending to be fine with it and even flirting back because he's in too deep to stop and hasn't worked up the courage to explain the elephant in the room) while Anakin is covered in grease and infodumping while having a slightly manic hyperfocus on engine repairs while the two of them Somehow got stranded together in the middle of bumfuck nowhere (it's Plagueis's doing, he finds the interactions between THESE two in particular to be the most informative regarding the fake Sith).

Anakin, at some point while stranded with young Obi-Wan, and having actually started unpacking some stuff in therapy, though he’s def still got a ways to go: I’m pretty sure Ben cares about me. He acts like he cares, like he’ll do stuff like put extra blankets in my quarters in the spaceship because I get cold real easily or track down those droid parts I need for a project and he always has my back in a fight but y’know it’d be nice to hear him say he loves me once in a while. Especially because we kinda had a rough start and idk I don’t think he wanted me around at first.

And uh. Obi-Wan definitely relates to that a bit too much, y’know?

I want to say that Young Obi ends up mentioning All That to one of the clones or Ahsoka later, because they seem probably invested in Anakin's well-being, even if Ben is, well, a Sith, so Obi-Wan's a little worried the man's affection really is fake, but at least Ahsoka...

(Ironic, given what Anakin's actual eventual Sith would-be-Master was like.)

Young Obi mentions Anakin’s most recent rant to Ahsoka, and she just goes "Wait, is that why Skyguy likes to sit by the throne and get called pet names?" "Uh... I don't... know... but it sounds like all of you have a LOT to unpack there, Miss Apprentice."

Later on: "Master Kenobi, you need to tell Skyguy you love him 'cause apparently he's been having a lot of emotions about you not telling him you care and he's been talking to mini-you about it whenever they get stuck together and--"

Young Obi-Wan is just constantly the "Now we don't have time to unpack all of that" John Mulaney gif. Anakin in particular is a mess, and young Obi-Wan slowly goes from "I want to date that" to "I want to study that" about him.

Obi-Wan gets stuck somewhere with Ben, tries to small talk, gets on the topic of Vader, and spills the drama. He gets an awkward “Thank you for bringing that to my attention.”

It’s followed by a fairly frustrated “I try, but Anakin refuses to communicate his needs to me, and it feels like I’m always falling short.”

At least one member of the group is in therapy, probably all of them, but they’re still using young Obi as a sounding board for all this stuff. On the bright side, this is probably good for impressing the importance of good communication on Obi-Wan.

Good for Obi-Wan! And... whatever Padawan he eventually has.

As for baby Anakin, who is approximately age four, I want to go with "Anakin decides to be his own uncle, and Shmi just rolls with it because fuck it, she’s not a slave anymore, and a Fake Sith is a solid defense against anyone trying to re-enslave them."

[This is a backstory I've had them use before (see here and here).]

Seeing Big Ani and Little Ani in the same space might be what finally pings the "oh shit, that's future me" thing for Obi-Wan... you know, if he’s ever allowed close enough to see Little Ani in the first place.

Little Ani stays with the fake-Sith and is sorta jointly trained by all of them, and young Obi-Wan teaches little 'Soka at the Temple. Ani and 'Soka still end up friends somehow, but it is fairly different.

Every time little Ani addresses Old Obi as "Dad," it's just like ten kinds of awkward. The one time someone tried to explain that Ben wasn't his new dad, Shmi glared them down. She is of the opinion that, all the gods be damned, Ani deserves to refer to the most mature man in his life, who raised another him in another timeline already, as a father.

Ani doesn't NEED a father, Shmi herself is more than enough, but he does deserve to have this if he wants it.

An alternative conclusion to the time travel is uh. So the Mandalorians are genetically identical (give or take a hair gene) and really resemble Jango Fett, though whether anyone notices that is up in the air. Then the three ‘Sith’ (two fake Sith and their morality chain tag-along) have three younger, identical copies show up….

It could be really weird cloning shenanigans. Now, it makes no sense that they’d make clones, and stagger their production like that, and leave them as babies on various planets for Jedi to find. IDK what reasons Obi-Wan would come up with for that, but it’s a fun little detour before he gets to time travel.

There's a really painful moment (for the audience, who know about canon Vader) where someone tries to convince Ahsoka to leave the Sith and she's just like "no way, they'd never hurt me!” Then she clarifies that “someone has to keep them from doing stupid Sith shit whenever they get bored, you know?"

A bunch of Jedi probably think she’s delusional, but the few that have seen her get into trouble that is legitimately too much for her, which isn't often, have then seen Anakin show up like the devil himself to save her, and it's like. Oh. This is why she isn't scared of them hurting her.

We’ve discussed how Anakin does get concerningly in character with the fake Sith thing. However, Anakin and Ahsoka are, just once in a while, surprised by how Ben gets sometimes when playing the bad guy.

After all, he stabbed a dude with a fork and threatened to eat him during his time as Hardeen…

He has the same dramatic streak as all the rest of the lineage. He can be vindictive and creepy and scary as fuck.

HOWEVER:

Obi-Wan: I know I'm supposed to be playing at evil right now, but how do we feel about me making that evil a little... fruity? Ahsoka: Fruity, master? Anakin, who knows where this is going: [buries face in hands] Obi-Wan: You know, the... [limp wrist] Ahsoka: ... Obi-Wan: I mean, I'm already bisexual and well-groomed, I can play it up.

What’s the point of being evil if you can’t be flamboyant?

Anyway, I had to put in a lot of thought for what to do with Rex and Cody, because there's a solid place for them in terms of strategy, but it doesn't do much to give them independent narrative arcs, and 'young Obi-Wan has a crush' isn't much of an arc, you know?

So, basic info first: Cody, Rex, and Anakin all hold the rank of General in this AU because, like... who else is gonna. Ahsoka remains a commander because everyone declares her Baby, and also to keep up the "I'm a morality chain" ruse.

Cody maintains a very stern and unyielding public persona, but the second they're behind closed doors, he's roughhousing with his little brother.

Rex has some fun pretending to be a sadist whenever he and Anakin have to team up, because hamming it up as an evil bastard in front of Jedi is actually really fun... but usually, he's a competent fucking professional.

Because here's the thing: someone has to be.

They both kind of hate the army they've gotten, because these people don't even have proper trigger discipline, let alone any actual discipline.

This army? Tragic. They hate it. Give them the clones.

They have to be drill sergeants for months before they have anything worth sending onto the field.

I think that might be how/when they end up reaching out to Jango. Like, the first inroad is absolutely "we're your clones from the future and you were a Shit Dad so you owe us," but then they actually talk him around into letting the Fake Sith hire him. He brings along all the Mandalorians he can get to answer his calls, and on suggestion from Those Mando Twins, joins the army Ben doesn't even want.

Darth Boring doesn't want an army! Unfortunately, Cody thinks that's stupid as hell, and is overruling Ben so they can actually work on this 'cleaning up the galaxy of slavery' thing with actual resources.

Cody and Rex are super competent, and it shows in their horrified disdain for the state of their troops.

Rex: Fucking natborns. Anyone who isn't in the know: What's a natborn? Rex: [leaves without answering] People: WHAT'S A NATBORN???

(I'm assuming that the word smush is harder to parse in Basic.)

I think young Obi-Wan's new crush on Cody should also be unrequited. Cody's just like... bemused. Very "Okay, then, that sure is an Affection you've decided on."

Cody and Anakin both: Sorry, it’d just be too weird. Obi-Wan: Why would it be too weird? Cody and Anakin: Reasons.

Rex has to deal with the "whyyyyy" from both his brother and his (former?) General.

Young Obi-Wan just likes cute boys that fight good! Is that so wrong???

Ahsoka: So since we're not officially Jedi anymore-- Obi-Wan: We're still Je-- Ahsoka: Can we date? Can I date now? I want to date someone before we go back to the Code. It's a classic life experience for most teenage girls, and I want to Have That Experience before we're back at the Temple. Obi-Wan: You're not... you can date, Ahsoka, that's not actually banned by the Code. I mean, you'd have to keep it casual, but-- Ahsoka: I CAN DATE!!!

(Great priorities, Ahsoka.)

An idea I'm toying with is that one of the clones ends up Legally Engaged to Satine for political reasons, and young Obi-Wan is just like ???? because not only can he not date the hot boys, but one of said hot boys has become Mr. Steal Yo Girl.

Young Obi-Wan is suffering, and Quinlan is the worst friend ever because Quinlan is laughing at him.

There is obviously the question of

"How would Satine ever end up agreeing to that, given what their public personas are like and all that? She puts duty ahead of personal feelings but all indications are that it’s a terrible decision both ways." (as stated by Tia)

Which, yes, I forgot to actually say that I was imagining Jango had declared "those twins" his heirs after telling people they were his younger* cousins. Because reasons.

* Jango is about 27 when they land in the past, and I’m going to say the accelerated aging ended after hitting physically twenty because no, I don’t want to deal with that. As far as anyone knows, Cody and Rex are about five years younger than Jango. They’re less than year apart, which isn’t very visible, and most people assume they’re identical twins (except Rex’s hair), and that Cody just looks slightly older because of the scar.

Darth Boring had convinced Satine that the way to keeping Mandalore peaceful was to work with Jango (because Darth Boring, which is not his actual title but it is what Ahsoka insists on calling him in private, has a vested interest in keeping Mandalore and all interested parties calm), and he... maybe accidentally set up a political marriage between her and one of the clones.

It wasn't on purpose! Satine never married in his timeline, okay, he didn't expect her to ever get married here, either! He didn't even suggest it! This just happened!

(I want to say that Cody would be more competent at having a political marriage? But IDK.)

Do I do the Satine thing? It has potential, but also it's a bit of a cop-out. Do I have Cody be a diplomatic representative for their pseudo-Sith empire? He could be, but I think he'd hate it. Do I have Rex date one the Chaos Entities (Anakin or Ahsoka), or is that too repetitive with my other works? THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH GOING ON.

Part of me wants Quinlan to get a crush on Cody, and the crush gets bigger specifically in response to the fact that Cody refuses to take him seriously and/or just doesn't give him the time of day.

Based on their one interaction in TCW, they probably let get along ok. Cody maybe likes him back, buuuuuuut internally he's just a little "you were tolerable at almost-forty; early twenties you is obnoxious."

Just imagine the absolutely puppyish attempts at gaining approval and Impressing The Hot Mando General. Quinlan keeps having vague daydreams of seducing someone to the side of the Light. He really leans into the bodice ripper fantasies of saving someone evil with the power of love! (And also the power of really good sex.)

Bant looks at Quin and Obi and wants to throw them both into the nearest pond because they're idiots, but on this topic they are the same flavor of idiot. She considers calling up Reeft and Garen to help her knock some sense into them.

Quinlan: Can I volunteer to go undercover to the Sith? The Council: No. Quinlan: ...what if I-- The Council: No.

Tholme tries to get Qui-Gon to commiserate over their Padawans getting obsessed with Hot Sith Boys, but Qui-Gon just finds the whole thing funny. He knows from the chats he has with Ben that Anakin feels so completely, utterly, incredibly awkward about all of this.

(Ben continues to hold to "Anakin brought this on himself.")

(Ben also “kidnaps” Qui-Gon a lot.)

Also, hey, at least Quinlan isn’t actually into hot Sith boys! He’s into hot Sith minions which is... probably a step up. At least Cody’s not a Sith himself!

It's a step in some direction but Tholme has no idea which one.

(Quinlan sees Cody in dress uniform once and just keeps the mental image for Ages. It’s in his dreams. Sometimes said dreams overflow to Tholme via Force Mind Magic and Quinlan wakes up to someone smacking his face with a pillow.)

Arguably, Quin's also a lot more romantic about his crush than Obi-Wan is, in this case. Quinlan: I want to save him... Obi-Wan: Hey, hey, cute boy. Look at me. Let’s bang.

Cody: There are currently two future Jedi generals having some form of absurd romantic fixation in my direction. I don't know how to feel about this. Rex: Bed them. Cody: ...I'm not saying that's not eventually an option, but one of them is the younger Kenobi, and I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. Rex: Pat him on the head like a tooka and then bed his friend, it'll be funny.

I think the Quinlan thing and also general exasperation of leading an absolutely useless army can function pretty solidly as the basis for Cody, but I have another idea for Rex now.

Komari is currently brainwashed in a cult, yes? So.

I keep bouncing around back and forth on what to do with Rex, but part of me suddenly really likes the idea of, after Team Fake Sith finds and dissolves the cult (as one does), and takes Komari into custody (because she's dangerous and deeply unwell), Rex kind of ends up her touchstone to being a decent person. He’s not a morality chain, and it’s not really a redeemed-through-love thing, just This Is A Solid Dude who doesn't pity her or thinks she's irredeemable (however you choose to define such a thing), but actually relates to the kind of conditions living like that can involve, and just kind of...

I don’t know. I think Rex's arc in this AU could be very heavily grounded in something to the effect of "You're not the worst darksider I've met. You're not the only person who was in a cult. You're not even the only former Jedi I know that's committed awful, horrible crimes. My question is just this: What are you going to do moving forward?"

Later Anakin: Wait, who do we know that was in a cult? Rex: What did you think Kamino was?

(Rex isn't as chill as he'd like her to think, but he's trying, and she's fairly reliant on the Force to understand emotions, and is currently in nullifying cuffs, so he can bluff.)

Komari needs someone solid and dependable to rely on for at least conversation, and I think Rex needs to feel needed.

I’m not sure if it’d be romance or friendship, but I think there's a solid basis to work with, potentially.

Per Tia:

One thing about Rex and shipping is like. If you want to do Rexwalker again that's fine, but if you're worried about repetitiveness but still want to like. Ship him in a non-political-convenience way. Rexsoka here actually would be different than your other stuff.

I'm trying to figure out if I can make it work because Ahsoka thematically fits very much into a little sister shaped hole here? She feels younger than in other works, despite not actually being younger than she is in, say, Commander Buir. In those other fics, she has some time alone to function and prove herself independently of Anakin and Obi-Wan.

I usually pluck Ahsoka out at sixteen if I'm pulling her from TCW, so she's got most of her competence but hasn't gotten quite all the trauma yet. Commander Buir, in particular, also has baby-shaped Anakin for contrast.

That said, I can see a decent source of narrative conflict in her wanting to experiment with romance and all that, and Anakin trying to tell her she's too young.

A year into this whole time-travel mess, she wants to give the dating thing a shot, and it spirals into "You were only two years older than me when you got married!"

I think I could build a plot out of Ahsoka wanting to do these things, and Anakin as an audience insert not quite processing that she's old enough to make these decisions. If she's choosing to date Rex, whose age works out as being close to hers when one takes into account Kamino fuckery, and whom she trusts absolutely, it’s arguably extra weird for Anakin to be upset with it.

"Senator Amidala was five years older than you, and you married her when you were nineteen and had only really known her for a week! I can go on a date with a guy we both know is one of the most trustworthy people alive if I want, Skyguy!"

I can definitely see Ahsoka getting annoyed with Anakin being overbearing and controlling at some point before that unrelated to romance, too. It’s not exactly a new fault of his.

My god, just imagine someone snidely asking Anakin "where's your little shadow?" and Anakin, being Himself and also a Fake Sith, has an emotional breakdown about how Ahsoka yelled at him for micromanaging her and not trusting her to make her own decisions in life and so she got herself a multi-month solo mission from Ben that Anakin isn't allowed to know any details about, and--

It's another one of those "oh, you have PROBLEMS problems with your mental health" incidents for the Jedi to add to the file, because Anakin having emotionally charged rants about his issues at seemingly terrible times is how they get a lot of information.

Some of the rants are planned.

Many of them, actually.

They want the Jedi to know these things.

Just, well. Anakin.

He really is a little Like That.

On that note, I'm low-key imagining that Anakin gets put on mood stabilizers by the therapist in this context, and he's doing good! He's handling his issues! He's--been captured with Obi-Wan the Younger again and his medication was confiscated.

Anakin is... not great. He's a little out of practice managing his unmedicated self, and when adding withdrawal symptoms onto that... poor Anakin.

(Poor Obi-Wan.)

I think it would be best if Anakin makes a bunch of ominous blustery comments at their captors about how they won't like what's coming to them if they take his belongings (AKA the fanny pack that has his backup pills), and then Obi-Wan just gets to watch Anakin get more and more erratic, because like. Yes, Anakin is using the Force to compensate, but unfortunately he's mostly cut off, and the stress of the situation is pushing him away from depression and into the beginnings of a manic episode.

Anakin is aware of his issues to the point where he's mostly managing, and he keeps asking Obi-Wan "would it make sense for me to [slightly deranged, very impulsive action]," and Obi-Wan realizes he's being the morality sounding board for the Hot Sith because ??? reasons?????

Eventually, Anakin does flop back in bed and dramatically throws his arm over his eyes, and says he needs his meds back, he's absolutely going to lose it, and Obi-Wan tentatively asks what kind of medication. There are levels to worry about. Mild allergy medication is one thing, but heart medication that needs to be taken every four hours is another, you know? He wants to know how much panic is appropriate.

Anakin lets him know that it's Psychiatric In Nature. Obi-Wan suddenly realizes that he really, really, really doesn't want to know what a properly erratic, unmedicated Anakin is like.

(An unmedicated Anakin really isn't nearly as bad as Obi-Wan fears. Anakin's been dealing with this for a while, and knows what his issues are and some of how to deal with them. He'd need to be running on no sleep and higher levels of stress, or to have been drugged with something meant to increase his aggression, to really lose his shit and do something worthy of Vader. RotS levels of stress and sleep deprivation is required to pull RotS levels of manic paranoid delusion.)

Tia asked:

How long does it take the Jedi in general to catch on to how like. They have opportunities. But these Sith never seem to harm any Jedi. And it’s not just like, the past timeline parts of the disaster lineage. They probably get opportunities to hurt other Jedi. Ones that are less skilled at saber work. And more importantly ones that they don’t seem weirdly interested in."

I'm not sure, really. The Jedi don't spend as much time in the Outer Rim as they could, and that's where the Team operates, so actually running into them by accident is unlikely for anyone other than Shadows.

Fortunately, it's really easy to toy with Shadows with the excuse of "I want to see how long it takes before you Fall with us."

I do want like... okay. Here’s the mental image:

Qui-Gon calls them out on being Fake Sith pretty quickly, so Ben just sort of eyes him, dramatically, and orders out "Leave us" to all non-team people. The threat of torture is implied but not stated. He gestures with wine to keep in character. He definitely makes sure Young Obi-Wan is ushered out, so it's just five time travelers, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Ahsoka's immortal force birb.

"...so, what's the reason for the farce, Obi-Wan?" "How in all the hells did you figure it out so quickly?"

(Qui-Gon cheated a bit. He could feel the broken training bond that was never properly severed due to Traumatic Death Of A Master on Ben's end)

Ben didn't realize he'd feel it! Young Obi-Wan can't feel his older self or a training bond with Anakin or Ahsoka, so why could Qui-Gon?

IDK if there would be anything on the level of crying and hugging it out, but I think it would be very funny if, every time young Obi and Anakin are getting captured by pirates or something, Ben and Qui-Gon are just having a nice afternoon tea and checking their watches to see if their respective walking bundles of neuroses are done with their adventure yet.

The Council is So Done, because Qui-Gon continues to insist that they're Not That Bad, but every time anyone other than Qui-Gon brings up the friendship, Ben laughs and makes a comment about how absolutely gullible Master Jinn is.

Obi-Wan is skeptical of his own experiences with Anakin, at least, if only because he's skeptical about Anakin's everything.

"I don't know if Vader is telling me the truth. I don't know if he's telling himself the truth. I don't think he's a great source of information even when he thinks he's being honest."

Anakin could tell Obi-Wan the full and complete truth, and Obi-Wan would worriedly put a hand to his forehead and start doing tests for hallucinations and paranoid delusions. In his defense, this is a very reasonable assumption to make with an individual like Anakin. It's just also not accurate, this time. I don’t know if Anakin hallucinates in canon without a weird inciting incident like Force Nonsense or getting drugged by the enemy, but paranoid delusion is pretty much all of RotS.

"I’m your time-traveling padawan who’s pretending to be a Sith to catch some other Sith who’re going to start a galactic civil war and those Mandalorians you like are from a clone army based on a template of Jango Fett made to serve the Jedi (because that’s totally something he’d sign up for), and one of the Sith is your grandmaster but he doesn’t seem to have fallen yet, it’s probably fine," is hard to believe.

Honestly, even if he seemed stable before saying that, which he doesn’t, it’s all real far fetched. There's a lot going on and Obi-Wan wouldn't even begin to believe it without evidence.

I've had it in my head that he and Bant and Quinlan have been gossiping about the mess for months if not years about these idiots, and at one point it became common knowledge that Ben was a Kenobi, and Bant convinced them (since the two were among the most likely in the entire Order to encounter the Fake Sith) to get a DNA sample, probably hair or blood since that's easiest so they can figure out HOW these two are related, if they are, and then there's a whole big thing.

Bant: No, no, this must be contaminated, it's coming up as Obi-Wan! Are you sure you didn't accidentally grab some of your own hairs? I know it's a little long for most of your hair, but the braid-- Quinlan: Wait, they keep claiming stuff about cloning, right? Maybe someone's a clone? Check for artificial telomeres! Bant: ...okay, so, there aren't any artificial telomeres, but the ones from apparently-Ben are... a lot shorter... um... I don't know what to do with this. It's like I have two samples from the same person, twenty years apart. Quinlan: Obi-Wan, what's that face? Why are you-- Obi-Wan: Vader told me he was a time-traveler. I thought it was the fever talking, but...

That’s how he finds out that Ben is future-him before finding out about how he’s not evil!

"Master Jinn... I think... I think the Sith controlling the Outer Rim is me from the future." "Oh, you finally figured it out?" "I AM HAVING A CRISIS HERE."

Obi-Wan, after a few hours of dazed realization, runs screaming to Quinlan and Bant like 'GUYS GUYS THIS EXPLAINS WHY VADER KEPT SAYING IT WAS WEIRD AND THAT I LOOK LIKE HIS MASTER AND THAT IT WOULD BE LIKE DATING HIS DAD.'

You know, the important stuff.

I think Qui-Gon tells him that Ben isn't evil because, like, That Sure Is A Crisis Obi-Wan's Having. He could hold off for shits and giggles, sure, but Obi-Wan’s on the edge of something Really Concerning, mentally. Best help calm him down on at least one or two things.

Obi-Wan’s maybe still a little skeptical until he confronts them over it. Because their Sith act was real good and also like. Maybe Qui-Gon just wants to believe the best of his Padawan, y’know?

Quinlan runs into Ben before Obi-Wan does, after this whole mess, and gets to observe as money changes hands and people act like sore winners about bets made for When Does Obi-Wan Figure It Out.

Anakin was saying 'soon' because he really didn't think the fever-fueled rant would be discounted as easily as it was.

Cody was of the opinion that it would take at least a few more years since they're actually pretty damn good at this whole schtick.

Quinlan: Wow, he's... going to be really disappointed that you have such a low opinion of his intelligence. Cody, gesturing at Ben: Experience. Darth Ben: ಠ_ಠ

Cody just rattles off some of the Extremely Stupid Shit that Ben's done in their time working together.

Rex cheerily offers up "You didn't even realize General Skywalker was married, sir! And they weren't subtle!" "I knew they were together, I just didn--" "Everyone knew they were together, sir. Everyone."

(Rex had the lowest opinion of their deductive capabilities. He claims it would have taken until Baby Ahsoka showed up at the Jedi Temple.)

-Once Obi-Wan accepts that they're decent people after all- Obi-Wan: Wow, Anakin, you're real good at acting unhinged! Anakin: Haha. Yeah. Thanks?

2K notes · View notes

cloudninetonine · 3 years

Text

Hey...how ya'll doing...

So, making those memes actually, helped a lot and guess who was able to write more for the Tethered au? Ya boi, that's who. With each story I write, it gets longer so I'm sorry about that!

@yandere-linked-universe I know you said I didn't need to rush but your encouragement literally just slapped me outta my writer's block so once again this one's for you!

Tw: yandere content, bad language, talk about death, talk about unhealthy obsession, possessive language, threatening language, intimidation, possible manic episode(?) descriptions of a weapon, descriptions of hurting a minor (?), talk about suffocation, imagery of drowning (?), talk about corpses and rotting (I swear every story I write gets more and more warnings, sorry guys-)

Darkness surrounded him, thick and suffocating to the point where Time was positive he was drowning in it.

A sea of shadow, merciless and cold that was going to kill the hero without even a second thought.

Time grabbed his neck, the scream that struggled to tear from his throat practically choking him while he tried to fight the shadows that tried to silence him, to end him, but he was resilient, after fighting all those horrors of the past, Ganon, The Mask- he wouldn’t die here.

“Link!”

He wouldn’t!

“Link! Grab my hand!”

His own hand reached out and he was ripped away from his impending doom, hacking and dazed while his saviour patted his back, murmuring words of encouragement and love.

Glancing down, the hero felt his heart lift with admiration.

“(Name)?” Time whispered, watching you press your face into his broad chest with a sigh of relief, whispering his name like it was a prayer on your lips.

It should have been him speaking like that, uttering your name in the perfect mantra; you were his goddess, his angel, his light! The one who had saved him from his own self-inflicting demise! Time would continue to pray like the devoted (mad)man he was. For you were his goddess and he was your follower.

“You’re okay, you’re alright” Nuzzling deeper into his chest, you continued “You’re safe”

He was. Here, within your arms, Time felt more protected than he ever had. Despite the fact it should be the other way, you in his arms as he protected you from the world, this cruel, dirty world that tried to take you away, tear you away but it would never happen.

“I saved you, but….you didn’t save me”

…wait-

Time tried to tighten his grip on you but you pushed him away, red, bloody tears falling down your face and staining your beautiful skin that had greyed in colour by death, eyes glazed over with betrayal, hurt and sadness that made his stomach form sickening knots. “Why didn’t you save me, Link?”

No….

“I- I didn’t know” He stumbled, hand reaching out “I promise you, (Name), my goddess, I would have never let you die-”

“But you did” Your face began to rot “You did, Time”

It was sickening, flesh rotted and fell, one of your eyeballs popped and oozed from your socket, lips torn showed managed teeth, bone peaked through- he couldn’t bear the sight of your broken face and looked away.

He shouldn’t have done that.

“Look at me, Time!”

A gnarled hand roughly grabbed his chin, bringing him back but he shut his eyes, whimpers falling from his throat. “Please, I’m sorry, don’t make me-”

“I said look at me! Look at what you and your precious brothers did! What sort of followers would allow this to happen!? Such insolence to the one you love most!” Ripping your hand away, you pushed him to the floor, a once flesh being now only bones and torn clothes “Who would allow such a thing? Who would allow such a failure? I thought you were better than that, Hero of Time”

He was small. He was young. He didn’t bear the marks of a war god, nor his scar. Young Time stared up, Kokiri clothes and all and watched as your form changed into that of something more hideous, more frightening, more gut-wrenching than he could ever imagine.

Hylia stared back down at him and sneered.

“It starts again, dear hero”

Time awoke in his hut.

And for the first time in a long one, the young hero wept his night away till morning light.

-----

“What ails you, Link?”

The Deku Tree, old and wise, was a father to all the Kokiri, children of the forest and he cared for each and everyone as deep as his roots went within the earth. So magnificent, so strong, so kind but at that moment Time only saw him as a nuisance, the boy-once-man wanting only to wallow in self-pity alone from the other children.

Staying in his hut would only bring others concern, well, him hiding would also bring the others concern, however, it was better to hide than for one of the Kokiri's to come find him in his blues, away in his home.

But then again, maybe hiding under one of the revealed roots of the Deku Tree wasn't the greatest place either.

He should have gone deeper into the forest.

"Nothing, Deku Tree" He spoke, burying himself deeper into his knees to hide his face "I just want to be alone"

"Alone?" The old pile of wood creaked with curiosity, "Dear Link, I have never heard you say such a word"

Time hummed with annoyance.

"Your friends worry, why not join them? They are sure to pull you from this stupor you have found yourself in"

"No, I don't think they will"

"You never know until you try, Link"

How could someone so wise not take a damn hint?

“Fine” Without another word, the young hero stood, brushing down his little, green tunic before practically storming off from the giant, old tree without another glance to its face “Goodbye, Deku Tree”

There was silence for a few moments, a silence that Time had questioned the old pile of splinters couldn’t have given him earlier before a loud hum resonated through the area, a strong breeze ruffling through his hair once the Deku Tree called out to him “Goodbye, Link. Have fun with your friends”

‘Friends’ He almost scoffed at the idea.

Time had no friends in this place. Not really, maybe Saria could have been considered a friend but then again she felt more like a caretaker than an actual buddy; he had realised once he had matured the Kokiri girl acted more mother than friend in his life and in reality, she probably was more of a mother. Saria had raised him alongside the Great Deku Tree, she of course played a huge part of the physical part of parenting because well, the damn tree obviously couldn’t.

The others were sure to have played a part in his upbringing as well. They had to have been.

Even- “Hey, Link!” -Mido.

You liked to say weird things (Weird things that he missed so much hearing, he missed you saying, he missed you. Why did that witch have to kill you? Why, why, why, whywhywhywhywhywhYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY-) some odd little phrases that the others liked to pick up and mimic. Time was no stranger to this, after all hearing them speak your language always put a smile to your face that they all cherished and he had picked a particular saying to adapt to his own dialect.

“Speak of the devil-” The blonde growled, watching Mido and his lackeys inch closer with every step “And he will appear”

Time had no idea what the devil was.

But he was positive that damn Kokiri brat was close enough to him.

“What do you want, Mido?” The fierceness in Time’s tone wasn’t something Mido was expecting. The young hero could tell by the boy’s face, wide eyes, mouth agape- sure, Time wasn’t one to back down on Mido’s bullying, in fact, he always stood up for himself, always stood his ground against the Kokiri’s behaviour and Mido wasn’t new to that.

But it wasn’t his tone that stopped him. No, it was the look in the boy’s eyes. Cold, unforgiving and old, an unfamiliar and scary lust for blood also swirled around in the light of his eyes, strong and constant, terrifying to the boy and almost enough for him to back down.

Almost.

“W-Who said you could go to see the Great Deku Tree without me, the leader of the Kokiri’s, Mido’s, permission?!” He stumbled, swallowing the ball of saliva in his throat when Time’s eyes narrowed and the scowl that was burned into his face sank deeper than it should have. “No-fairy freaks should stay away from the Deku Tree if they know what’s good for them!”

Time stayed silent.

Mido’s hands shook.

His lackeys took a wary step back.

“Then show me” Time growled, hands balling into enraged fists “Show me what’s good for them, Mido.”

The Kokiri boy wondered if that was a good idea.

Mido wondered if it was safer to run out of the woods than to face whatever this thing was because it was definitely not Link. Not the Link he knew anyway.

“I- uh- I-...”

“Link! Mido!” Saria’s voice came into range, the green-haired Kokiri’s form appearing beside the smaller boy to glare down Mido who was still stumbling over his words, trying to find his voice through the fear glancing between the two of them “What are you two doing? Mido, are you antagonising Link again!?”

Time was done with this.

“Link? Link!” Saria called after the boy, the group of Kokiri’s that had formed watching the scene in interest as Time wandered away from them all, his sights set on the entrance to the Lost Woods “Hey, wait! The Deku Tree says to stay away from the forest! Link!”

Footsteps followed after him, a hand landing on his shoulder but he tore away glaring at the offender, Saria, before bellowing out “Leave me alone!”

The girl looked hurt, of course, she did but why should Time care? Back to the beginning once again. Forced to live the same nightmare once again.

Why should Time care about doing this shit again the same way he had done time and time again?

(He wanted to be with his brothers, he wanted to be with you. You wouldn’t leave his mind. You, you, you, you. A constant rush of everything about you spiralling in his head. He needed you, he yearned for you. He thought about you from the morning till the night. In his dreams and sometimes his nightmares, unspeakable things happening to you that he can’t stop- that he couldn’t stop. Time wanted nothing more than to have you in his arms, safe and hear you tell him that he was a great man, an amazing man, he was your hero.

You, in all your divine kindness, wouldn’t allow him to relive his worst nightmares again like Hylia was doing)

Time ran into the forest, not sparing them another glance.

He didn’t want to see them again anyway.

Not anymore.

-----

Time dreamed of your lives together.

When he was just confused about his obsession, a lone man against 8 different incarnations of himself, you were his wife. His treasured wife, so kind, so soft, the most beautiful woman in all the lands of Hyrule. People wanted you, others wanted to be you and some envied dear Time for being the lucky man to wed such a marvellous girl.

You were his alone, his to love, his to cherish. Together, you two created your own family away from the dangerous world and together, with your small family, children, animals- together you would both continue to love one another until your final breaths.

When he and his brothers finally unified, the dream still stood but it did differ. A farm, you lived on a farm with your children, your animals and all those other boys. A big happy family, the other Links acting as uncles to your little ones, helping around the ranch, you sitting back with the kids watching them because someone as divine as you shouldn’t lift a finger.

As Time sat in the Lost Woods, he lamented that his dreams would never become reality.

No.

Not with you dead.

And certainly not with Hylia watching his every move.

He’d kill her.

A smirk fought its way onto his face at the thought, a crazed laugh following after.

He would.

H̷͎͒̉̔E̵͖͈̩̓͆͠ ̶̰̟̗͊͛W̴͕͌̽͌͜O̶̗̿̌U̶͙̻͐̎Ļ̸̲̊̇̆D̵͈͙̫̔ ̸͚͖̠̾̃͝K̸͚̼̿͠͝Ī̸̠Ļ̵̥͆͆̎Ļ̴̻̝̏ ̴̢̗̍Ť̶̨̥H̶͓̍͊̾Ą̶̞̏́̒T̸̫̱̉͂͘ ̴̺́̉D̷̫̭͖́̔̒A̷̢͇͛M̸͎̭̈́N̸̩͋͛̕E̴̗̎D̶͙͗̓͝ ̷̮̞̰̆̓͝W̸̨̨̿I̵̠͗Ṭ̶́̓̽C̷̳̭̭̽H̵̀̄̕ͅ.̷͉̱̿̋̕ ̶̗͒̉͝ͅH̷͉̪͚̑Ê̸͚̣ ̵͇̕W̷͈̃O̶̧̟̬͗͂Ú̷̪͝Ľ̸̩D̵̜̮̎̏ ̵͈̖̲̍̈́͠M̸̛̬̯̿ͅȂ̴̛̺̗̕͜K̴̤̒ͅE̶̳̜̒̾̀ ̸̢͚̙̀̕̚H̵̱͛Ė̵̪R̷̺̎ ̵̟̿̕S̴̻̟͔̃U̴͙̠͋̎̓F̶̦͇̜̍̔F̵̲͖̱̓Ḙ̵͙͔̄͒R̴̝͊̾.̶̜͚̗̓̔ ̴͔͈̪̔̒J̷͎̦̗́̾͒U̸͈͒̈S̴͖̔̅̆T̸͇̬̠͊ ̴̤̈̀L̸͕̖̀̓͌͜I̴̱̭̱͊K̷͙͓͂E̵̯̙̪͊͗̀ ̵̝͇̈́H̵̛̞̃Ě̸̛̥̥ ̷̖̜̠̽H̷̖͊͌̈́A̴͚͒̚D̵̛̖͔͔ ̴̡̫̂D̷̪̻́́͒Ỏ̶̬̀N̷͓̩͙͝E̷̠͑͌ ̶̧̂̈́͠T̷̲̒̆Ī̵͔̔̾Ḿ̵͉̓̍Ë̷͍́͠ ̷̱̖͂͑Ą̵̯̖̃̈́͗N̷͉̅D̷̢̩̆̾͛ ̶̣̓̔̆T̶̨̰̯̈́́͂I̴͔̺̽M̸̺̙̙̒̑E̵͍̺̾́ ̸͍̪̳̅̂͘B̴̻̠́E̸̞̲̦͌͛̈F̸̪͚̊Ò̷̼͙R̶̖͇̳̔E̵͕͇͒ͅ.̸̡̓̓̊ ̸̡̪̌S̵͎̤̳̈́̋͆H̶͎͌Ẹ̸̫̞̓̂͛ ̵̞̐̍̕W̷̱͋̓O̸͉̹̱͐͒̕U̵̟͂̏L̷̬͙̍Ḑ̵̜̎̂ ̵̗͐̇͜Ś̸͔̎̐ͅǗ̶͍̟̞F̴͔͆͘̕F̷̛͚̝̈Ē̵͙͕̎R̷͇͋.̸̢͈͆͜

H̴͖̬̔̌͋Ỳ̵̗̭́̔L̵̖̤̕͠I̸͙͓̚A̷͕̓͗.

̵̮̦͉͆́̒W̸̢̱̥͌̃͐Ȏ̵̠͉͕U̸͇̣͛́͠L̵͔̋͜D̴̯̒̀.

̷̱̜͇̋́̈S̵̝̋͝Ű̸̡͈̇F̶͙͠F̵̧̟͔̆̕̚E̸̳̬͊͆R̸͖̜̍.

Time would make sure of it.

“Hehehe~”

His smile dropped, replaced with an irksome expression.

Skull Kid.

He didn’t have the patience to deal with that brat.

Not a damn shred.

“Hey, will you slow down!” Time paused at the laughter that followed, turning to catch a glimpse of the bright green of Kokiri dressing whizz past the area where he sat, boxed in by trees and hidden with the extra measure by a bush “SK! No fair!”

“Hurry up! Hurry up! I wanna play~”

“We’ve been playing for the past few hours!”

“But I wanna play some more!”

He…recognised that voice.

It sounded younger, squeaker and more childish, but he knew that voice. It would never leave his mind, it played on loop in his head, soothed his nightmares, haunted his dreams.

Time stood from his spot.

"This way! This way!"

His head flew in the direction of Skull Kid's voice and waited for another second.

A long, long second.

"I'm coming!"

Time's heart skipped a beat.

He had no time to waste, without another second to think the hero leapt into action, throwing his head left and right before hightailing it into the direction in which the voices were beginning to fade.

It couldn’t be possible. There was no way what he was thinking was true, but it was the only answer. Well, not the only, another stalked in the corner of his mind, taunting and cruel, snarling about how he was losing his mind, much worse than it had been when he and the others had first started to fall in love with (obsess over) you.

So, each step he took, banging against the forest floor as he sprinted towards the sound of laughter and joy. His body urged him to move faster, to run harder but as said before, he wasn’t his aged self anymore, his little legs could only go at such a pace and it was infuriating him.

Almost there, almost there-

Time broke daylight, stumbling through a dense looking bush before finally skidding to a stop just a few feet away from the scene in front of him, hidden in the shadow of leaves.

Skull Kid stood upon a tree stump, flute to his mouth and hopping from step to step in a sort of dance along with the sweet and joyful music he played. But that wasn’t the sight Time had focused on, no, it was the little Kokiri dressed child below, spinning playfully and swaying around, in a mind of their own.

There was no denying it. The same beautiful locks, same skin tone, same eyes, same kind smile and everything.

A younger you danced along with Skull Kid, singing your own little tune along with the flute in the spotlight of the day.

…Time’s sight was beginning to go red.

No, no. It couldn’t be, this child, who danced so freely and happily without a care in the world, couldn’t have possibly been the same, sweet, mischievous angel he had come to know and love with every inch of his being. A woman who hailed from a completely different world, who stayed with him in spirit as he went through that cursed journey, was not the little girl before him, he refused to believe it, he couldn’t.

“Is this my punishment, Hylia?” He whispered, cold and deadly eyes focused on the fake you “Not only did you make me witness her lifeless body, but now this? How cruel can you be-”

The wind blew softly.

“-to mock her?”

From his spot, Time reached to his back. Earlier, he had grabbed the sword stationed near the edge of the forest for protection. The Lost Forest wasn’t somewhere to stroll about unprotected, monsters could be lurking in any corner, within the shadows on the trees and as an experienced adventurer, Link knew better than to go unprepared.

“Well-” The sound of metal caught his ears, but the others still played, blissfully unaware “-let me show you what I think of your fun little joke”

As he stalked closer, Time couldn’t help but feel a sickness form in his gut. His body screamed for him to stop, spat at him that he was a blinded fool, what was he doing!? But he pushed through, after all, you were a fake, a phoney- killing this fake little you was just like killing that Yiga Clan bastard who had disguised themself as you to trick them during his journey with his brothers.

The Hero of Time wouldn’t be tricked.

Skull Kid noticed his appearance, a smile blooming on his face before it melted into one of horror.

The Hero of Time wouldn’t be fooled.

Skull Kid went to call out to you, but you had already turned, the small smile on your face growing greater as you called the hero’s name.

“Link!”

Stop, you fool!

It’s not her, it’s not.

You raced over.

Now is your chance!

DON’T DO IT!

DO IT!

STOP!

DON’T KILL HER-

“Dance with me!”

A wave of emotions rushed through his body as your little hand grabbed at his free one, tugging him into the sunlight peeking through the trees and prompting him to take a position, successfully making him drop his sword. Your bright, warm eyes peered up into his own dazed and conflicted ones then glanced over at Skull Kid expectantly.

The boy also looked conflicted, glancing over your excited face then at Time’s.

“What are you waiting for SK? Start jamming!”

Another second passed, a tense second, then Skull Kid moved his flute back to his mouth and beautiful music once again filled the silence.

“Come on!”

What the two of you were doing wouldn’t have been considered…dancing. You swung him in circles, jumping about, threw him out just to tug him back in, tried to spin him- doing anything that showed your rampant energy.

And Time couldn’t help to think back to you- the real you.

“What are you doing here?”

You sat, tucked into yourself while staring ahead at the festivities before you.

Castle Town had their fair share of festivals, Time knew, he had been dragged to enough of them by Malon who wished to experience the live, jovial atmosphere with a friend and once upon a time ago, the hero had a fondness deep in his heart for them. They reminded him of Kokiri village, of the Deku Festival that he loved so much.

That wasn’t to say Time had fallen out of love with Festivals, of course, he hadn’t! But being the Hero of Time, being a hero of Hyrule, there wasn’t much time for such things.

“Oh, hey Time!, What's up?” You laughed, but it didn’t quite reach your eyes and a multitude of thoughts raced through the hero’s head. Why did you look so sad? Had someone upset you? Did he need to talk with them? Did he need to get the others? Roll a few heads- Time shook his head, pushing the thoughts out of his mind and focused on you instead, showing you a small smile.

“I noticed you sitting by yourself” Noticed? Pfft, he’d been staring at you the whole night, as had the others, but he was the first to approach you “What’s wrong? Are you not enjoying the festival?”

If that was the case, they’d leave in a heartbeat. Forget about Malon, or Zelda, or any others who thought about stopping them, your wish was their command.

“No! No! That’s not it! It’s just-...” Your eyes trailed off towards the fountain, the man’s gaze following straight after to the people who danced merrily to the music that echoed through the Castle Town streets, laughing or squealing in elation “..This is a music festival and I…I dunno how to dance…It’s embarrassing”

Really? Something so simple had caused your mood to sour? If someone dared say anything about your movements he would lob off their head without a second thought. You, feeling embarrassed? With them there, you wouldn’t have to feel anything but happiness, that’s what they had dedicated their lives for.

Time brushed off his tunic, standing tall beside you before offering his hand “You needn’t be embarrassed, I can teach you”

His heart soared when your expression brightened “Really?”

“Of course”

His hand encompassed yours, delicate, soft, so sweet and he brought you closer to the crowd, his free hand landing politely on your waist while yours took his shoulder, squeezing it.

“Don’t be nervous, just focus on me” Blue eyes caught yours, your bodies beginning to move with the music, swaying side to side. “I’m the only one here, no one else is around, just us”

Time wasn’t afraid to say he was enamoured by you, your mere existence, you were everything to him and more. Watching that smile, that beautiful, breathtaking smile grow on your face as you fell into the dance, your surroundings fading away.

“Thanks, Time”

He beamed “You’re welcome”

“Link?”

This couldn’t possibly be you.

But that little worried expression looked way too similar.

That shine of kindness in your eyes reflected painfully.

The feeling of warmth that your presence brought was way too familiar.

Link began to move again, holding you close, hands in his and danced. Just like at the festival, that day in Castle Town, where the world faded to black and all he could see was you, because that was all he needed to see.

You brightened immediately but the worry stayed, not overwhelming but still very much there “Are you okay, Link?”

He didn’t know.

“Yeah, I’m okay”

But as long as you were here, real or not, as long as you were by his side, he was gonna be alright.

“Great! Let’s play some more! All of us! We’ll have so much fun together!”

“Yeah” Time’s eyes slid back over to Skull Kid, bright and menacing while the boy shook, the light that was his eyes shining through his mask jumping between you and the hero who wound his arms around you “So much fun, together”

Skull Kid made an excuse to leave with only a single stutter to his words.

A smart move.

-----

“I knew you’d show up”

Your bed was across from his. He had no idea how he had missed it when waking up within his hut that morning, but his best guess was that the shock which gripped him was strong, blinding him completely until he had finally dazed out later that afternoon under the Deku Tree’s root.

You were sleeping soundly, face soft with a smile, practically wiped out after all the ‘fun activities you had done that day’ you had told him with glee, his own grin twitching from the rage he felt knowing he had gone thinking he’d never see you again the entire day only to find you were out playing adventurer with Skull Kid.

If the brat knew any better he wouldn’t be showing his face for a while.

You were dead asleep, deep in it, so you didn’t see the ethereal lady in white standing behind you, face impassive while she stared down at your sleeping form.

Time made sure to keep his sword close to his bed.

Not like it would do anything, but it brought him comfort knowing it was there.

“You were always such a smart child” Hylia’s voice was airy, soft, sweet-sounding like what a goddess should sound like. But the man knew better, oh he knew better and his eyes stayed sharp, focused on her form like a hawk watching its prey. “I was glad to see you snapped out of your bloodlust before it was too late- It would have been a painful death for her to die by your own hands”

Time inhaled shakily, his past actions echoing through his head before he pushed them back down- he knew what she was trying to do “Just like it was painful for her to die by your hands?”

The goddess hummed while her hand reached out for you, Time quickly stumbled to grab his sword beside him.

If she hurt you, so help him, he would-

Her hand landed in your hair, brushing back some locks gently from your eyes “Her death by my hand didn’t cause her any pain, I made sure she was comfortable when she took her last breath”

Time shook with rage “She didn’t deserve to die in the first place”

“I agree” Her hand caressed your cheek, a small smile blooming when you nuzzled into it when she made eye contact with him, daring him “Her kindness was destined to make her do great things, but my hero, you didn’t listen, you ignored my warnings and it was the only thing I could do to make you all behave”

For a few moments, they both just stared. Hylia’s presence was daunting to mortals, but Time had traversed the world for a long time, for too long, he had seen what this place had to offer, experienced things no child, teen, adult- anybody should experience and in the face of danger, from an all-powerful demon to a disgraced goddess, the hero would not show fear.

“Then why did you do this?” He asked finally, glancing over your form before meeting her eyes again “Why bring her back if she was such a distraction?”

Hylia retracted her hand to his relief, but that didn’t make him drop his guard. “To test your faith dear hero”

She made her way around your bed, footsteps not making a single sound against the wooden floor until she stood tall in front of him “Behave, Link, Hero of Time. Go on your journeys, defeat Ganon and the Mask, fulfil your duty as the hero of Hyrule and I will grant you a long, fruitful life with your love. But beware, one misstep, a show of defiance-”

She leaned down, eyes burning “And I will take her away again, even if I have to do so with her screams being the last thing you hear”

Time didn’t hold back his expression of horror at her blatant threat.

“Goodbye, my hero”

The home fell into darkness, her figure disappearing from view with her glaring light.

Time fell to his knees, clasping at his chest, the sword rattling beside him as it fell.

A familiar sound of beating wings caught his attention next, the light of a long lost friend flying through his window.

“Hey, Link! (Name)!”

And so, the nightmare begins.

#yandere linked universe x reader #yandere linked universe #linked universe #linked universe x reader #lu #loz #lu time #Tethered au

230 notes · View notes

foreverindreamlandd · 3 years

Note

Bucky wanted to read her fanfictions and she always declined. So he begged and begged and begged... until she finally gives up and let him read one. 'Cause who could really say no to Bucky making puppy eyes?!

Let me know what you think about it

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x Plus Size!Reader

WC: 1.5k (I am apparently incapable of writing a drabble)

A/N: Thank you again for another awesome request! I was basically cackling the whole time I wrote it. Want to read about how Bucky and this reader got together? Check out their origin story in my To Be Wanted series! Only warning in this one is the usual swearin’ like a sailor.

----

“See, this is why I always order Thai food. I can never do it justice.” You frown over your wok, mixing the noodles around with a wooden spoon hoping it will somehow make your creation taste better.

“I’m sure it tastes great, doll.” Bucky walks up next to you and grabs a noodle, tilting his head back as he drops it into his mouth.

His eye twitches almost imperceptibly and you groan.

“It’s good,” he coughs out, trying with all of his strength to regain his composure. “I think you just went a little too hard on the chili paste. I can feel my sinuses clearing up though, which is good, right?”

You roll your eyes. “Can you check the recipe on Pinterest again? I swear I put in the right amount.”

Bucky walks over and picks up your iPad. Right as he’s scrolling to find out if you should have used 2 tablespoons or 2 teaspoons of chili paste, a notification banner pops up and he accidently taps it, opening up your Tumblr app.

Omg! This fic is amazing! The way Bucky is there to support the reader. My heart completely melted! Your Bucky stories are amazing, Y/n! <3

Above the comment is a photo of him. It’s a shot from the news where he’s helping a civilian stand up after one of the attacks made by The Red Hand.

“Uh….love? What’s this?” He holds the iPad up to you and you shift your gaze over to him.

You drop the wooden spoon into the wok as all of the blood drains from your face. You’re frozen in place for a millisecond before you pounce on Bucky to grab the device from him. He’s never seen you move so quickly and it catches him off guard.

“Bucky give me the iPad right now,” you fling your arms toward it and he pulls it away, both amused and a bit concerned by your reaction.

“Wait, what is this? Is it something I should be worried about?”

You see a flicker of panic flash in his eyes and you stop flailing. You close your eyes and let out a deep sigh.

“No, I mean, I should be concerned because if you read that I’m probably going to combust and you’re going to dump me and run for the hills.” He furrows his brows in confusion and you slowly lift up your hand. “Can I please have that back before I have a mild panic attack?”

He stares at you, trying to gauge your emotions. All he can see is panic and sadness and it breaks his heart so he instantly gives in and hands you the iPad.

“Don’t worry about it, love. I trust you.” He leans forward to give you a chaste kiss.

You let out a pained groan against his lips and Bucky is once again confused.

“Ughhhh I hate hiding things from you.” You lock your iPad so the screen goes dark. “Okay, fine, I guess this conversation is happening. Remember when we first started dating and I, uh, mentioned I used to read and write stories about….us being a couple?”

Bucky nods, trying not to reveal any emotion to you that might make you spiral into a panic, and you continue.

“Well, that was one of those stories I wrote. I stopped looking on Tumblr basically as soon as I met you because it got all weird and meta and I got super uncomfy by the idea of reading fanfics - that’s what they’re called - about my new friend/now boyfriend Bucky Barnes. And then we started dating and I was all happy and shit and I totally forgot that those fics were still out there. Obviously I haven’t written any since then because that would be weird for...many, many reasons. Someone must have found an old one and commented on it. I’ll delete it. I’ll delete all of them. I swear. I’m so sorry, Bucky. I should have been more on top of this.”

Bucky stares at you, lips pursed and you grimace, afraid of the next words that are about to come out of his mouth.

This is so weird, Y/n. How could you do this?

No wonder you didn’t date anyone before me.

Obsessed much? (Okay, he probably wouldn’t say it like that but STILL).

No, what Bucky said next was much, much worse than what you could have imagined.

“Can I read one?”

Your mouth drops. Closes. Drops again. You blink rapidly.

“I’m sorry, I just hallucinated. What?”

Bucky points to your iPad, a sly grin forming on his face. “I want to read one of your stories.”

You take a step back from him, horror stricken as you pull the iPad closer to you as if you were protecting your collector’s edition of ‘Throne of Glass.’

“Absolutely not.”

Bucky steps forward and you step back. He chuckles. “Come onnn, doll. I want to know what your fantasies were about me before we got together.” He laughs harder as the look of horror on your face grows more manic.

“Bucky, I know you’re a super soldier and could probably punch me into the sun with your metal arm, but I promise I will fight to the death before I let you read one of these fics.”

You and Bucky continue this dance of him stepping forward and you stepping back until you feel your legs make contact with your couch and you fall back into a sitting position on its arm. Bucky uses this opportunity to tower over you, his arms resting on the couch so that you’re pinned between them.

Then, he pulls out the big guns.

His gaze softens, blue eyes shining into yours. His bottom lip puffs out and he gives you the most adorable, sexiest pout you’ve seen in your whole life.

“Please, love?” He says it with a slightly higher pitch, almost like a whine and it still sounds like honey to your ears. He even nudges your nose with his like a freaking sociopath.

Damn.

You close your eyes, let out a breath, then open them back up to him. “I hate you.”

His pout turns into a boyish grin and he gives you a quick kiss. “You love me.”

You groan. “Hopefully you still love me after this, Buck. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

You stand and open up your iPad, scrolling through your masterlist and finding what used to be one of your favorite fluff pieces. You begrudgingly hand it to Bucky and he sits on the couch.

Unable to sit still during this agonizing experience, you proceed to pace around your apartment like a crazy person and resort to cleaning the inside of your microwave which you haven’t done in a few months so it’s a good thing that Bucky is reading your fic so that you could get that out of the way. You probably won’t have a boyfriend in a few minutes but at least your microwave will be spotless.

You only steal a few glances at Bucky as he reads, mortified each time as you see his eyebrows move in every possible direction. Up, down, knit together, were they criss-crossed at one point?

Finally, after what feels like the longest ten minutes of your life, Bucky lets out a soft grunt, placing the iPad down on his lap. He looks up to you and you give him a weak smile.

“Alright, let me have it, Buck. Give me your worst. Be honest. Also, I love you.”

Bucky glances down at the iPad and then back at you.

“Well, I have a few questions.”

Your right eye twitches. “Hm?”

“Now that you’ve met me, do you still think my eyes are an all-consuming storm of blue?” You groan. He grins. “Or do you think my jawline was cut from marble created by the gods?”

This time, you breathe out a laugh and you walk over to sit on his lap. You take hold of his chin.

“Bucky, I don’t think I could ever come up with the right words to describe you. The real thing is quite literally a million times better than anything I’ve ever written.”

His eyebrows raise. “That is...probably the best compliment I’ve ever gotten in my whole damn life.” He leans forward and kisses you, and you sigh into the feeling of his mouth on yours, relief flooding through you.

You pull away, eyes skeptical. “So, you’re not thinking about how you can escape and never see my crazy ass again?”

“On the contrary, love, I’m thinking about how I can convince you to buy this gorgeous green dress you apparently wore as my wedding date. The one that showed off your cleavage in a way that made Bucky’s brain melt.”

The two of you burst out laughing and you lightly shove his chest. “Sure thing, Bucko. How about I work on the dress situation and you work on ordering us Thai food so that we don’t lose our taste buds from whatever the hell I just made.”

-----

Thank you for reading! Feel free to check out my other stuff here. :)

Taglist: @ceo-of-daichi @biiskuitx @forgetthisbull @eclipses-and-moondust @abcdefxkyou @jackiehollanderr @billionsofbeans @abitgryffindorky @lovelylostminds @mija-just-breathe @semlohkratz @bratty-longbottom-replies @carrotfantasimp @cremedelabrulee @ant1r3al1ty @th-e-mg@laura-moehrchen @emma-the-duck17 @sunnyjane4 @rosaline-black @parodsal000 @vicmc624 @abrunettefangirlnerd @officiallykuute @edityourwishingwell @mymindslabyrinth

***This was the original tag list for the To Be Wanted series. If you would like to be removed from the taglist for any other stories related to this series, feel free to DM me! And let me know if you would like to be *added* to the taglist for any other future stories featuring these two knuckleheads. :)

#bucky x reader #bucky x you #bucky x y/n #to be wanted #james bucky barnes #marvel #mcu #plus size!reader #plus size #fanfic #fanfiction #sebastian stan #inbox

340 notes · View notes