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pinkpruneclodwolf · 2 years

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The Many Facets of a Diamond— Cater D. And What It Means to be Disconnected.

Stole this off of twst wiki

"Researchers from Boston College looked at the effects of frequent moving at different stages of childhood and adolescence; their study included 19,162 people, who were examined from kindergarten through eighth grade. The researchers found that a move, especially in younger, elementary years, negatively affects cognitive skills and social skills, and increases emotional and behavior problems, creating setbacks and problems for students each time they’re forced to change schools." Teen Vogue on "Moving a Lot Growing Up Really Does Take a Toll."

I'm sure that there has already been a post detailing how switching from place to place as a child negatively impacted Cater and led him down the road of social media addiction thing is,,, I haven't dug around enough to truly find that post, but I swear I will pay homage.

Moving away from home is stressfullll and no matter how many times you get used to it there are times when you can't help but mourn the life you're leaving behind, the friends and even family. And with Cater's situation (up until NRC) he's been stuck with people who generally ignore his emotional well being in favor of projecting their ideal him......

Well,,,, you can't start over in real life but you can always delete an account in social media.

Of course Cater isn't the only social media obsessed boy on campus not as long as Ignihyde exists on NRC, especially with Idia having to well versed in technology due to his family lineage.

What separates him from Ignihyde and Idia is that Cater,,,,, I relate to Cater, my family and I moved around alot and as such I ended up disconnected from my peers to the point where I was adverse to the idea of making any, let's not even mention my mother telling me that "School is meant for learning, not making friends."

And with the ongoing pandemic,,,, making friends has gotten a whole lot harder.

Idia is coping from hisbrother'sdeath something completely different and he's more of a redditor than someone who passively scrolls through social media and just ignores the world.

This isn't about our trauma but Cater's.

Diamonds Are a Girls Best Friend— Cater's Homelife.

"Even though I'm the star, aren't my sisters having more fun than me?"

The way in which birthday personal stories give out information on a silver platter? Immaculate. Like the put their whole foot, shin, knee, thigh, and ass into those lil birthday stories, the material can lead this entire thesis alone.

I say that cause I'm lazy, but I did watch his personal stories/the personal stories he's involved in to get a feel for him while also reading some other Cay analysis' as well.

Everyone knows the basics about him— his dad works as a banker and due to this he and his family move every two years (as Cater says), and that his sisters and mother were very pushy about what they thought Cater wanted; I can only assume that the Father is emotionally distant because he only mentions what he does for a living not whether or not he also had a push for sweets.

Everyone also knows that he dislikes sucking up to his sisters, but he still states in his birthday personal story that: "if I said I didn't want it, they'd be down; I couldn't stand those [sad] faces."

"Difficulty identifying and fulfilling personal needs because the person is so used to caring for others; feeling inadequate and unworthy." Medical News Today on "Covert Incest."

I'm not trying to say that his mother and sisters have formed an emotional incestuous relationship outright but that I'm projecting my feelings onto Cater lmao.

We already established that Cay had moved around a lot which also negatively impacted him in the long run, however the invasion of privacy, projecting and parading him around like diamonds certainly have marks of covert incest.

Especially when it comes to difficulties setting boundaries and just being passive.

I heavily believe that culture, home environment, parenting, and such and such have an impact on one Unique Magic.

Just look at Riddle: due to his mother's strictness, heavily monitored lifestyle, and heavy expectations for greatness led his Unique Magic to develop at a young age; now I don't know if Unique Magics can evolve the same way quirks in mha do, but if they can't think about the fact that his UM will forever be beheading do to his mother.

Now look at Cater's UM, Split Card; he can split off into various clones and get things done efficiently is a pretty cut and dry analysis.

Then we look at his dislikes: sucking up to his sisters.

And then it all becomes clear— the entire point of cloning oneself is to have multiple 'you's in one place, oft times we wish that we could be in two places at once whenever we're in a pinch.

You catch my drift?

By Cater being able to make multiple hims, he can break off and have all his clones do the work—you see this in his Ceremonial Robes personal story, while his clone was with the first years and essentially being the life of the party he broke off to check his phone even stating that "I don't really care for the Ceremonial Party."

Which leads into my next facet:

Stained Teeth and Cavities— Cater D. And the Dynamic of Sweet and Sour.

"So, because I continued to force myself to eat [sweets] I came to dislike all things sweet." Cater on "What's Your Least Favorite Dish"

"It is striking that helpful and friendly people are considered ‘sweet’ because taste would seem to have little in common with personality or behavior. Yet, recent psychological theories of embodied metaphor led us to hypothesize that seemingly innocuous metaphors can be used to derive novel insights about personality and behavior,” said Dr. Meier. “Importantly, our taste studies controlled for positive mood so the effects we found are not due to the happy or rewarding feeling one may have after eating a sweet food.”

According to Dr. Robinson, “Our results suggest there is a real link between sweet tastes and pro-social behavior. Such findings reveal that metaphors can lead to unique and provocative predictions about people's behaviors and personality traits.” Science Daily on "People Who Have a Sweet Tooth Have a Sweeter Disposition."

Do you ever think about why people are usually surprised to hear someone doesn't like sweet? I'm sure not many have actively searched for a reason as to why but the knee-jerk reaction to someone not liking sweets always ends up saying, "You don't like sweets??"

When I found out that Sasuke (one of my first anime crushes) didn't like sweets, girl I freaked out, because I loved sweets and junk food (whenever food was low) always filled me up.

Mind you this was during the "not like other Naruto Ocs" where they put some of the most traumatic shit in their lil info dumps to match Sasuke as edgy levels measured how much that oc had their chances with duck booty boy.

This also has something to do with metaphors like: you're a sweet heart, sweetie, and things like that, by linking sweetness to someone's personality we perpetuated the idea that those who don't like sweets are more likely to be,,,, asocial and even meaner to some extent by using characters like Sasuke as vehicles for the "I don't care for sweets" brigade reinforces that stereotype.

Yes, it's actually normal not to like sweets and don't let anyone "you don't like sweets??" You into eating any.

However, the reaction to sugar and how people perceive those who like sugar are considered normal and those who don't are considered abnormal; Cater knows this especially, when he's in a dorm where eating sweets is practically in the diet, yeah Trey doodle suits it to another flavor in secret but that doesn't change the fact that he ate it.

I also want to analyze the second paragraph from "People Who Have a Sweet Tooth Have a Sweeter Disposition.", where it states that those who eat sweets exhibit more pro-social behaviors which leads more into Cater's personality.

In his Lab Coat personal story, mandrakes reflect a person's personality and reveals who a person is—when Cater's true personality shows through he tries his damndest to hide it because he sees that side of himself as unsavory

This is the same dude that tried to throw a party for Rosalia so that he could get test answers, the same dude that made a clone of himself in his gym personal story because he was nearly finished with his laps, the same dude that made the first years paint the roses for him was going to such great lengths to cover his hide.

I also believe that some of his actions also reflect how his sisters treated him, such as making others do the work for him (the first years painting the roses) . After all, it does state that Cater dislikes sucking up to his sisters meaning that his sisters use him whenever they want to get something done.

Go With the Flow, Don't Shake the Status Quo— Cater's Place in Heartslabyul.

"The diamond card symbol represents the autumn or fall season. It depicts the “growing” stage of a person’s life when he or she is working on his career. In a nutshell, the meaning of the diamond card is a representation of progress, commitment, ethics, and stability. This symbol represents the component of air." Adda52 Blog on "Card Suits and Symbolism"

I swear to God this is the last facet because I've deleted this whole post twice after getting to this point. This will basically be me concluding this whole analysis in the messiest way possible.

Buckle the hell up.

The reason as to why I started this whole thing is because he is a very misleading character, and twst en doesn't help with that when he basically just spouts internet slang (aave) into the void like its his last day on earth.

Nevertheless I chose him as my very first, serious, character analysis because I find him so fascinating.

And also because I wanna warm up for when I tear Trey a new asshole because that man is evil and I'm tired of yall playing malewife, uwu bilf (baker I'd like to fudge) like he doesn't associate with Rook and Jade on the regular bruh have some critical think skills—

Back to Cater—

The reason why I chose that sub title to conclude this is because I noticed that Cater doesn't play a dynamic part in Heartslabyul in a way that he does in Savanaclaw—yeah, you could say that it's to seamlessly transition into the next chapter and shift gears without being to jarring but....

While the main focus was on Riddle, Trey, and the first years the side focus was on Cater's silent development.

What I meant by Cater being a passive person is because of his card number— 4, satisfaction.

From what we've seen, Cater is satisfied with being on the back burner if it means that he can get what he wants in the end without having to put forth that much effort— Cater managed to convince Leona in the easiest way possible by tugging the right thread:

Leona's respect for women; we know that Cater is well traveled, this boy and his family have been moving around on an international scale, I'd say he's as well traveled as Rook Hunt and his family you can't tell me this man hasn't lived in Afterglow Savannah or somewhere with the same customs, go directly to hell if you think otherwise.

By understanding these fundamental customs he manages to use that excuse as to why he wants Leona to join him to celebrate Rosalia and get the test answers. Leona literally plays chest by himself he could've easily saw through Cater and declined but he didn't on the basis that (a woman, a painting, but a woman nonetheless) Rosalia did want to see him at the party.

Kalim was down to party either way if Jamil didn't pull through.

In his gym personal story when he realized he only had a couple last laps to go he used his UM and dipped off and if it weren't for Trey rat ass witnessing it and Riddle following after Cater would've gotten away with it.

As stated before, Cater didn't care for the Ceremonial Party but instead the pictures. This is a theme that comes back in the Halloween personal story where it dives deep into Cater's social media addiction—

"...If only that was all; Mixed with the new accounts, my comment section and DMs are full of old acquaintances, not just from middle school but classmates all the way from elementary school!"

"... With all those short transfers, we never stayed in one place for too long, so I met a load of people."

"From the best to the worst,,,among them they all had something in common: those places where I stood remain without me."

"...So, instead of being serious about everyone, I just wanna stay happy and casual with everyone!"

"Just have fun and play around like the world is just one big circus!"

"...That's why Magicam's the best. This acquaintance from three years ago just suddenly contacted me!"

"I get more and more casual and light connections y'know? Cay-kun's fave~."

This whole section is rife with insight into Cater's mind I don't understand why I'm making an analysis when I can drop this and begone.

We literally got into the meat of Cater's addiction— shallow connections.

Just look at the dynamic Trey, Riddle, and Cater have: Trey enables Riddle and Cater vibes on the sidelines, neither too involved or too distant, in fact he lags behind the two of them at times and this possibly reflects his relationship with his sisters.

While his sisters take all the spotlight, Cater is left in the background never too far or too distant yet he never actually interacts with them. We see Trey and Cater together a lot and they have their interactions but at the end of the day its shallow and never anything deep.

When the beheaded Heartslabyul student came to the both of them crying the both of them only took up the slack because they were asked to not because they wanted to.

Of course they've both been together (platonically) for 3 years, but that doesn't mean they know each other, if you get what I mean; as soon as they graduate they'll part ways and probably never talk to each other (face to face) again.

He knows this which is why he doesn't put forth the effort to involve himself.

"...But without deeper connections, I think that might actually be a lonely thing."

"...Nothing but lies."

"Lilia-chan, who's all about destined meetings and has always stayed and been able to build upon his relationships..."

"Could never understand my sinking nothing-can-be-done-about-it feelings."

I wanna touchdown on my previous statement about Savanaclaw and how this plays into Cater's development, he's more involved.

With Trey outta commission (which means he has time to plot and scheme like the rat he is), Cater is the one supervising Riddle, and he's surprisingly doing a great job at it.

Yall chalk it up to Riddle mellowing out I say that it ties into what Riddle thinks of him.

"Riddle never truly seems to get mad at [Cater] him."

Trey say your grace cause its over; now of course those bitter feeling still linger, but he's been holding these emotions in for 18 years you can't exactly break something like that so easily, not to mention that he can always regress back into himself after he graduates—character growth is never linear and it never happens over night.

His sisters have mellowed out and even ask him what he wants for his birthday— but does it truly matter to the real Cate?

At the end of the day he's still secretly sad boi hours he just hides behind the internet so that he doesn't raise any questions, because he's afraid of confronting what he really wants.

It mentions that the Diamond card suit symbolizes autumn and adulthood, a time when we stop wandering (childhood) and settle down into our homes (adulthood); its the preservation of what's truly necessary instead of the material (gworl).

Maybe that's what Cater really wants— deep connection and alone time with himself.

But that's just a theory

A Twst theory.

#twst #twisted wonderland #twst theory #cater diamond #long post #this is just me hating trey #and its so all over the place because i deleted this twice on accident #this is beyond brainrot #twst cater #character analysis but without the coherence and only vibes #threw in quotes to look and sound smart

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capri-ramblings · 4 years

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Ruggie Bucchi x male reader Angst? (it's ok if you're uncomfortable, you can put neutral reader in here! ^^) Reader confess their feeling to ruggie but ruggie reject reader feelings and say sharp words towards the reader. Time passes and ruggie starts to develop feelings toward the reader and starts to regret what he did. I hope it's not too much to ask for this!

This was too long I have to make a separate post for Part 2 lmao but I hope you love this as much I loved working on it even when angst isn't my best skill 😩💖

[A Hyena's Nip] Part 1

Ruggie always kinda knew you had a thing for him. It was in the glances you stole at him when you thought he couldn't see, in every good morning smile you gave to him each time you passed him in-between classes. You also always seemed so... flustered whenever he came near you, but if he was being honest, it didn't bother him all that much.

He did find it a bit weird though, cause he was a guy and you were a guy and there's like a lot of other guys out there that you could be crushing on and honestly, you looked like the clingy type too. The same type of clingy Ruggie always wanted to avoid in girls.

So,it didn't came as a surprise when you went and confessed to him after club activities, telling him how much you liked him and stuff, but it still kinda took him off guard. Ruggie wasn't actually expecting you to pour out your feelings, well, he was hoping that you weren't going to because if he had to be honest,this situation you put him in was very awkward.

He didn't like guys as much as he didn't like girls and not because he doesn't have those kind of urges but because he finds the whole 'i like you,you like me,let's date!' relationship kinda pointless, and time consuming.

You were a good kid though. Ever since you came and got stuck in this school, you always made an effort to lend a hand to anyone who needed it, and there was that time when Leona almost turned his hand into nothing more than dust particles and you practically threw yourself in front of him to stop that from happening. He was grateful, of all the people present then, he wasn't expecting you to come and save him.

Staring down at you now, with your head lowered as your hands fiddled with the hem of your gym wear, Ruggie felt bad that he was going to reject you flat out and he wasn't going to be nice about it too, cause chances are you'll tell him it's okay and that being friends is just enough and when has that actually worked out well for both parties? No. You weren't going to be okay and being friends after telling someone that big of a secret isn't a good story.

He was doing you a favour. Yeah, you'll be down about it, but there's literally a bunch of guys out there other than him. You'll move on and get over him quick. All Ruggie had to do was give you that first push. Even if you'd scrap your knee from it.

"I really,really like you, Ruggie and I know this sounds weird seeing that we're both guys but—"

"But what?" Ruggie cut you off before you could finish and all the nerves you were trying to not acknowledge immediately came washing over you as you saw Ruggie's expression shifted into annoyance.

"If you know that this is weird, what were you expecting? Some kind of fairytale to happen?"

He sounded so harsh despite his voice barely budging, and the words he threw at you made your skin cold. Was he mad? Did you actually went and made Ruggie mad? You were hesitant at first to use this opportunity of the two of you being alone to cleanup after club activities to confess to him, but was it a bad move?

"I,well,I...um.." You tried to speak but your words seemed too far away now and instinctively you averted Ruggie's gaze.

This was a mess. An absolute nightmare. And as if it couldn't get any worst, Ruggie started laughing. He started laughing and you could feel your existence cave in on you.

"Man,look at you! You actually did think some kind of lovey-dovey scenario was going to play out, didn't you?"

One of the things you always found attractive about Ruggie was his laugh. It never failed to make you feel better about a bad situation. But as the realization dawned on you that the same laugh was being used to condescend you...You wanted to cover your ears and run away. If only you could though, it was hard to move when your knees felt like buckling down.

"Hey,answer me." Ruggie nudged you in the shoulder and you winced. "Did you think I was going to feel the same?"

No. Of course not. You had a feeling this was going to happen, you kept denying it but it was often there lingering in the back of your mind. You only hoped for a mutual feeling from Ruggie.

"I'm sorry." You muttered out,lips quivering and eyes burning from the tears you fought back. Your throat felt dry and your chest hurt. Scratch that, your heart felt like it fucking stopped and you regretted ever thinking Ruggie would like you.

"What? Now, you're apologizing?" Ruggie sounded frustrated and looking at you trembling from the rejection kinda ticked him off somehow. Were you really a boy if something as simple as a crush got you all teary eyed?

"Look, I don't know what you were expecting from this whole confession thing, but the bottom line here is that I don't like you that way, and I probably never would." He placed a casual hand on your shoulder then, giving you a slight shake before he pulled away and turned on his heels, his hands folded behind his neck.

"So,just drop it okay? See ya around,kid."

The sound of Ruggie's voice along with the light steps he left behind felt too distant for you to actually hear, but the weight of it all, the rejection and hurt that swelled inside you then, seemed too real to be just a simple nightmare.

As you stood there, motionlessly staring at the ground, you felt your heart shattered in your chest, the bits and pieces of its shards prickling into your flesh.

***

"Hey,____!" Deuce was waving his hand in front of your face, his brows furrowed when you looked up at him all dazed and distant.

"You weren't even listening were you?"

"...Sorry,Deuce. I was thinking."

"And here I thought thinking would only hurt Deuce that way but I guess you guys do share a brain cell after all,huh?" Ace was smirking when he said this, obviously pleased with the reaction he got from Deuce who all but scowled at him.

Another class had ended today, and still, you weren't sure you even heard anything that went on throughout each lesson. Ever since your confession, your headspace had been slightly off. It's like you couldn't even go to your own thoughts without replaying Ruggie's words.

You planted your head on your table with a dull thud and both Ace and Deuce looked to you worryingly.

"You look kinda sick,dude. What about you just skip classes for today?"

"Ace, skipping classes will only get him into trouble"

"What are you? His mom?"

Deuce frowned but turned to you instead, staring at you as if he was trying to read your defeated form, and though you knew well enough that neither one of them would know the reason behind your dispirited self, the fear of them actually finding out still bothered you.

So when you lifted your head, you forced on a smile even when the simple gesture felt like tearing off parts of your own skin.

"I'm fine guys,stop worrying or you're really gonna start looking like my mom."

"Yikes" Ace grimaced. "Definitely not letting that happen,no offense. I'm sure your mom's pretty decent"

Deuce was touching his face when he shook his head and crossed his arms. He still looked worried and unconvinced, and it was starting to give you a churning feeling in your stomach.

"Still,I think you should get some early rest today. You look too pale and your eyes are super red. Didn't you get any sleep?"

No. No you didn't. You spent most of your nights staring blankly at your ceiling while your chest throbbed against your ribcages. You couldn't sleep because whenever you did you heard Ruggie's laugh mocking you and then you'd see him glowering down at you like you were the most disgusting thing he's ever seen.

You heaved a shaky sigh, trying so desperately to keep up your smile despite your voice cracking slightly when you spoke.

"It's nothing,really."

Deuce still frowned,but he let the subject go and the three of you spent the remaining day in various classes as usual before school day ended, and you were heading back to your dorms.

"You could stay and hang with us for a bit, bet Riddle wouldn't mind if we told him you were coming over?" Deuce sent you a sympathetic smile, as if somehow despite how dense you thought he was he knew something wasn't right with you, and for a minute, you wondered then why you hadn't fell for Deuce instead. Maybe he wouldn't have been so harsh.

"Thank,Deuce, but Grim stayed behind today cause he claimed one of the ghosts punched him too hard while they were playing and I think having too much alone time for him would be bad"

Deuce laughed and nodded his head.

"See ya around then, Mr. Prefect"

"Yeah. See ya."

The walk back to Ramshackle Dorm felt like an eternity, and as you placed one foot in front of the other, each step heavy and reluctant, you were beginning to wonder if you'll ever get there without passing out. It's been like this for almost a month now. You were eating lesser each passing day too, which didn't really help your already lethargic self. But every food you ate tasted stale, every small thing you did made you too tired and nothing really meant much point to you now. It all seemed so dull, so terribly agonizing. And all because you believed in that stupid dream of yours where Ruggie Bucchi would return your feelings.

You let out a self degrading laugh before rolling your eyes and gritting your teeth.

"What a dumbass" You said, speaking to yourself. "He's right you know, did I really think he was gonna sweep me up in his arms and say he liked me too? What a load of bullshit."

You stopped, shoulders slumping as the air you tried breathing in turned cold and hard to swallow.

How pathetic did you looked to him then? You couldn't help but wonder. Did he feel weirded out? Disgusted? Did he went back and told Leona and made it their joke of the day? The thoughts spiralled you back to square one and suddenly your throat burned.

Staggering to the closest bush, you fell to your knees and began to throw up.

#twisted wonderland #twst #twst wonderland #twisted wonderland scenarios #twisted wonderland fanfic #twst wonderland angst #twst ruggie bucchi #ruggie bucchi #twst ruggie #male reader insert #ruggie x reader

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teatitty · 5 years

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Rogues Lore

First of all I want to thank @schweeeppess for letting me spam her with Rogues lore 2 months ago cuz it made this post so much easier to type out when I can just copy-paste everything and then edit it to be more cohesive lmao

Second this is under a read more because it is A Lot

Leonard Snart AKA Captain Cold

He grew up with a super abusive father and his only refuge was when he would hang out with his grandfather in his grandfather's ice truck. When the grandfather died, he grew tired of his dad's abuse and set out to start a criminal career and moved to central.

(He's the one who started the rogues!)

He found blueprints for a "cold gun" which he ended up making from scratch (it’s also canon that he knows the gun so well he can remake it out of scraps in about 30 seconds to a minute) and had three main rules in his group: No Killing, No Harm To Women Or Children and No Drug Use. His cold gun is capable of interfering with the speedforce cuz it can reach “absolute zero” which is even colder then Mr Freeze's tech.

He's also the only cold-based villain capable of mastering this temp. In New Earth he was described as an "adversary" but in Prime Earth (same backstory as before mind you) he's described as being a straight villain whose only rule in the group is "no killing" (which seems to be a pretty flexible rule these days cuz DC has made him more, well, down with killing). He's also much younger here then he was in NE.

In Flash 2016 #17 we see another upgraded version of his gun that's capable of separating the Flash from the speedforce directly and, in doing so, causing Barry excrutiating pain. Generally, he and Barry had more respect for eachother in NE, to the point that Len even considered him family. In PE, though they have teamed up now and again, Len is far more hostile towards Barry, sometimes even being written in a way that suggests he wouldn’t mind if Barry died.

Sam scudder AKA Mirror Master (the first one!)

He was a simple convict who just really wanted to learn how to get inside a mirror's reflection. He practiced in a hall of mirrors and, once he succeeded, became Mirror Master. He was a frequent foe for Barry and, during Crisis on Infinite Earths, died around the same time Barry did.

He was the one who discovered the "mirror world". At one point he got himself trapped there and hated that the mirror world could just get him whatever he wanted instead of him stealing it so he got Barry to bust him out. He could also use mirror's to mind control ppl (dont ask) and this intrigued Barry.

On PE he's dating Lisa Snart (Len's younger sister) and is the only Mirror Master to exist. In N52 he, Len, Lisa, Mick and Marco all got fused with their weapons for a while and given meta-human abilities which I. hate because it took away what made them all so cool (I'm fine with Marco tho and you'll find out why in a minute) he's also a really big attention seeker lol

Hartley Rathaway AKA Pied Piper

Alright most of Hartley's info is from NE so: he was born deaf to wealthy parents who got him very high-tech hearing implants. He became obssessed with sounds and started experimenting with sonic technology. Bored of his rich life (and sometimes it's implied he had ableist and/or homophobic parents too) he took to a life of crime after learning how to hypnotize people through music (Pied Piper ayyy).

He was the first person to ever successfully break out of Iron Heights and did so because he befriended the rats there and used them to help himself escape, adding more to his whole Pied Piper thing. After Barry died he gave up crime and started working to help the poor and underprivelaged (I'm not saying he quit specifically bc of Barry's death buuuuuut most of the Rogues did so).

He struck up a close friendship with Wally and came out as openly gay! On PE all that we know for certain is that he's a "reformed vigilante" who's the conductor for the Central City orchestra. He used to share an apartment with Barry (yes for real) before he moved in with his bf, David Singh (also Barry's director in the CCPD). Lisa was the one who convinced him to come out to the Rogues, and they were all chill with being gay, their problem came when he started dating David who is, you know, a cop.

He has a pet rat called Moon (cute, right?). Also in pre-N52 canon (cant remember if it was NE specifically or older) Hartley once had a nervous breakdown after Barry arrested him so Barry took him to get help at a mental health hospital :')

(Some artists draw him blonde, some brunette and others go more for reddish-brown it’s kinda confusing)

Marco/Mark Mardon AKA Weather Wizard

On NE he's a two bit criminal called Mark Mardon (he's also white and yes thats important to note) but one day, after escaping from a cop van, he ran to find his brother, Clyde, who was a scientist only to discover his bro had died of a heart attack (however, there's implications that he actually murdered his brother and simply blocked out the memory).

He then found Clyde's notes on how to create a wand to control the weather and made it for himself. The worst he ever did on NE was imprison a town in winter and after Barry's death he went into semi-retirement (told you the Rogues all did this)

On PE however! He and Clyde are Latino and are the heirs to a huge cartel! Clyde takes over the cartel and Marco wants nothing to do with that life. After their father dies, Marco runs away and eventually becomes Weather Wizard.

He comes back when he hears his brother has been murdered and gets accused of the crime. He finds out it was Clyde's wife, Elsa, who orchestrated the whole thing and, in a fit of grief and anger, kills her with lightning. He also tries to kill himself at the same time but it doesn’t work. After her death, he curls up into a ball and starts crying because he feels like he hasnt got any family left but then Lisa shows up and is like "yo the rogues are still here for you bitch"

His emotions affect the weather in this continuity and I’m a weak bitch for that but that’s 100% my bias for Ororo Munroe showing itself lol

James Jesse AKA Trickster (the first one!)

James Jesse was born to the Flying Jesses, famous circus performers. He, however, was afraid of heights, and preferred reading stories of Western criminal Jesse James.

He invented air-walking shoes to get rid of his acrophobia, and this led to his fame as an aerialist at the circus. Buuut he wanted more excitement in life and became a conman instead! He had a lot of wacky gadgets like exploding teddy bears and, after Barry's death, moved from Central to Hollywood and started working in special effects.

Like Hartley, he even attended Barry's funeral. He once beat the devil, Neron, at his own game and eventually started using his skills for good, collecting weapons of incarcerated villains so they couldnt fall into the wrong hands. He eventually died protecting Hartley during Final Crisis. Deadshot was the one who got him.

On Prime Earth his parents were straight up neglectful and, instead of creating his own boots, he stole them from STAR labs instead. This version of him is also WAY more fucked up and murdery then NE to the point us long-term Rogues fans got really upset at how much DC had changed him

On NE his real name is “Giovanni Giuseppe” (swear this is, like, the only italian name DC knows) and on PE the Flying Jesse's were a deliberate rip off of the Flying Graysons

George “Digger” Harkness AKA Captain Boomerang

The illegitimate son of an American toy-maker, W.W. Wiggins, and an Australian woman, Betty Harkness, George Harkness was raised in poverty in the small town of Kurrumburra, Australia. His stepfather, Ian Harkness, hated the boy and made his life miserable. (Like canonically Ian was an abusive alcoholic and even abused Betty who was too ill to defend herself or George. The reason George goes by "Digger" is cuz that's what his mom used to call him before she died; it's aussie slang for "soldier")

In school, Harkness crafted a boomerang. He discovered he had great skill with the aboriginal weapon and often used it for mischief with his best friend, Mick Wentworth. He further honed his skills while spending some time hiding from the law in the Australian bush.

When Digger was eighteen, he and Wentworth robbed a general store and were able to make their escape with the aid of Digger’s boomerang. However, this incident caused Digger’s stepfather to kick him out of the house.

His mother gave him a plane ticket to Central City and told him to get in touch with Wiggins. Wiggins had been searching for a spokesman for W.W. Wiggins Game Company's latest product, a toy boomerang. Under the alias "George Green", Digger auditioned for and got the job. Wiggins outfitted him with a costume and gave him the name "Captain Boomerang."

Ridiculed by the audience, he took to a life of crime instead.

His story is pretty much the same on PE. The only diff being there was no childhood friend and Digger made boomerangs in an attempt to impress his absentee father. Also he has a habit of making up fake stories about himself lmao

The only one's he really doesnt stab in the back are the Rogues and Harley Quinn but everyone else? fair game. In Flash: Rebirth he and Barry even exchange favours for info and it’s implied this is a regular thing for them

Roscoe Dillon AKA The Top

He technically appears on PE but he's one of Thawne's acolytes so lets just. Skip that and focus on NE instead

Literally his whole thing is that he was obssessed with spinning tops as a kid and taught himself how to spin fast enough to deflect bullets. He became a criminal, tried to blackmail the entire world once, and was Lisa's first boyfriend!

He was also her ice-skating coach and taught her how to spin super well like himself! He has a very confusing characterization tho cuz sometimes he was written to be all about revenge and killing but other times he was just like the other rogues; a blue-collar criminal who stole things because he liked to.

He died eventually which I'm not going to try to explain cuz it's...yeah. There's also this whole thing where he could possess people after his death but this was in the silver age and that shit just happened sometimes so whatever

In short: Roscoe has a really cool concept to him but nobody really knew how to write him so he ended up all over the place

He also has a Spinning Top shaped satellite in space where he stores all his loot (dont ask)

Mick Rory AKA Heatwave

Mick Rory has pyromania! Very severely! He was born on a farm outside of Central and, as a child, was very fascinated with fire. This turned into an obssession and he ended up burning his house down. So fascinated by the flames, however, he never ran to get help, watching his whole house burn down (and killing his parents inside) and he ended up living with his uncle after this.

On a schooltrip, his schoolmate stuck him in a meat locker as a prank where he gained Cryophobia (fear of the cold) so in retaliation Mick locked the boy in his house and set the thing on fire (again, pyromania). He ran away again and ended up becoming a fire-eater for a circus. That didn't last long either because, surprise!, he burned the place down.

Desperate to find a way to help his obssession, he happened to see the Rogues operating in Central and decided to take up villainy. At first he and Len got into a few altercations with eachother due to Mick's fear of the cold but eventually they settled their differences and Len officially brought him into the Rogues.

Mick kinda relies on them to keep his pyromania in check basically. There was a time where he was, briefly, reformed and gained a close friendship with Barry (even being roommates with him. By then he'd already known Barry's real identity for a few years) and used his pyro knowledge to become a fire-fighter consultant. At one point he even worked for the FBI

His backstory is practically the same on PE the only difference being that he never expressed regret for burning down his house, and actually says he wishes he’d burned down the whole neighbourhood instead

Lisa Snart AKA Golden Glider

When I say her NE version is leagues above PE I mean it.

Like Len, she suffered abuse under their father and escaped it by becoming a figure skater under the name Lisa Star for the Futura Ice Show! Her fame came from her very fast spins, a trick she was taught by Roscoe. When Roscoe died while fighting Barry (brain complications though there’s more to it, but again I’m not going to get into that) Lisa turned to villainy, blaming Barry for her lover's death.

Her attempts on Barry and Iris' lives were always foiled. She used a pair of ice skates that created their own ice flow, and had many gadgets that caused hypnotism. She also stole Len's gun once but retooled it into a twirling Baton.

When Barry died she renounced her feud with him and attempted to go straight again with her brother. They created a company that recovered lost or stolen items. Eventually she returned back to a life of crime, went through three boyfriends, all using the name Chillblaine (she named them that iirc), until the fourth Blaine killed her. Len got revenge on that one

On PE, however, Lisa had a brain tumor (it got cured later) and was a tag-a-long villain for her brother and her boyfriend, Sam Scudder. This version of her never became a skater and is instead murderous just for...the sake of it. She also has this thing about wanting to be the leader of the Rogues instead of Len, and when she's in charge of them for a while the Rogues’ morals change and killing is suddenly fine so. Whatever. NE Lisa is the best (also her whole outfit? Stunning)

Roy G. Bivolo AKA Rainbow Raider (not technically a Rogue anymore but he was a member for a while)

He appeard on PE as Chroma but gets murdered by Grodd so we only have NE canon to use (they did my mans dirty)

He was a wonderful painter from an early age but was born colourblind. His father, an optometrist, was determined to create a device that would let him see in full colour. Toy didnt get the device until after his father's death but unfortunately the device didnt let him see colour.

Instead, the goggles could project beams of light that could become solid objects, make him invisible, blind his opponents, or affect the emotions of his targets. Angry that he couldnt pursue an artistic career. he decided to become a thief and primarily stole famous artwork. He was eventually killed by Amunet Black

Evan McCulloch AKA Mirror Master (second one)

Evan was born to rich parents Louis and Carol Erikson who gave him up for adoption because they were too young to be responsible parents. He ended up at the McCulloch orphanage.

At age 8 he was molested by one of the older boys there and, in self-defence, ended up drowning the him. At 16 he left the orphanage, taking on the name of the woman who raised him and moves to Glasgow (he’s scottish btw)

He found that it was super difficult to hold down a job but, needing to make ends meet and constantly breaking the law anyway, he turned to a life of crime and became a hitman and then a professional assassin.

One day he got hired to kill his birth father but was unaware of who his target was until after he took the shot. Grief-stricken, he attended the funeral and tried to work up the nerve to approach his birth mother. By the time he had, she'd committed suicide and he turned himself in for his crimes.

Either the Scottish or US government gave him Sam's old Mirror Master gear and hired him to be a mercenary.

His first job was scaring Animal Man into stopping his activism, but he failed because of Animal Man’s wife. Refusing to actually kill the wife and children (thanks to his own morals) he gets fired and helps Animal Man seek revenge.

He continues to work as a criminal and supervillain-for-hire, even working out of costume as a mercernary in Britain.

Eventually he found his way to Central City and joined the Rogues, taking over as Sam Scudders official successor. There was a time where he had a Cocaine Addiction which caused friction between him and Capt Cold because of Len’s rule against drug use.

Throughout all of this, Evan made sure to donate a portion of all the money he ever got to the McCulloch Orphanage

Axel Walker AKA Trickster (second one)

On PE, Axel was recruited by the Rogues early on in his career. He messed up during a heist and they kicked him out (they'd never do that but w/e)

He worked for Mob Rule as a henchman for a bit then went freelance when MB was arrested. He saved Cold's life cuz he felt he still owed Cold a debt. When Grodd took over Central, Axel tried to join his side but Grodd tore his arm off from the bicep (ouch) and left him to die on the street. Axel got himself a cool sleek robot arm and returned to crime anyway. He got accused of murder, Barry cleared his name, but he still got sent to Iron Heights for other charges.

The Rogues, hearing about this, went to bust him out and were like "okay fine u can hang with us" and he stayed with them from then on

In NE canon, while Jesse was working with the FBI, Axel stole all his gear and ended up working for Penguin in Gotham. Penguin gets attacked by Tarantula, Axel fails to stop her and a few days later he gets caught by Robin (Tim) for causing trouble in Gotham.

He moves on to work with Amunet Black, but after her defeat is offered to join the “new Rogues” by Capt Cold and accepts the offer. Some stuff happens, he fights the OG Trickster who leaves him in a dumpster and tells him never to pick up the gear again, then Axel answers an ad from some college students asking for a trained hero to teach them some things, he has dinner with them and then kills them all. Neat.

When Jesse died, Axel redonned the Trickster gear and started operating his own crew out of an old Rogues hideout. When the Rogues returned to Central, Axel found out they were gonna retire and go underground. He rejoined them to help them get revenge on Inertia for manipulating them into killing Bart Allen, and he stayed with the group henceforth.

Evan explained to him that joining the Rogues wasn’t a matter of him wanting to be one, but why he needed to be one

In short: Axel is a punk kid who wants to fit in with the big boys and the Rogues are the only ones who really gave him a chance, acting like his older siblings. It’s worth noting that canon never mentions any relatives for him so, as far as we know, crime is all he’s ever known

And that’s all of them!

#random facts #the rogues #this took. so long to do #good luck reading it all lmao!#god i'm tired #i love them a whole lot can you tell?#tw: abuse mention #tw: drug addiction mention #tw: assault mention

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mimiplaysgames · 6 years

Text

Strength to Protect the Things That Matter (Ch. 25)

Pairing: Terra/Aqua Rating: T Word Count: 5,631

Summary: Terra has prayed for years for relief from having no one to talk to in the dark, except with the monster of a man who stole his life. One day, when two boys chase a lead, he gets his chance - less than a week - to set things right before he loses everything again.

AO3 FFnet

A/N: I had a flashback scene of Terra interacting with Ventus that was supposed to appear in Ch. 15, “Confession,” toward the end. It seemed like a footnote after the flashback with Aqua in that chapter, so I removed it. I then moved it to Ch. 17, “Vacation.” Terra was supposed to think about this scene right before he helps Sora stand up, finding out where Ventus has been all along. But it lengthened it too much (in a chapter that was so damn long anyway), that I moved it to the beginning of this chapter. And it stuck out like a sore thumb. So this scene will not appear in this specific fic at all and will have to find a place somewhere else, lmao! I can’t believe I am at this part now. It’s almost done! Also, I will be posting WIP updates on Mondays and Thursdays (with the occasional extra Saturday). I put up a dated schedule that you can access here.

Fall

“You have to admit,” Terra said as Aqua dipped two fingers into a small tin of black paint, “you’re having fun.”

Swirling them into the paint, Aqua attempted to muster some strength to keep herself from grinning. But she failed.

“When the Master said we needed to restore the natural balance by retrieving a living boy from the Land of the Dead,” she said, “I don’t think he ever expected us to be doing this.”

She finished painting his eyes, and moved on to his nose.

The last time they made such a colorful mess together, they finger-painted goblins dancing on flowers, on a corner wall tucked away in the castle by the piano. Eraqus spared them the lecture and actually kept their mural all these years.

The last time they touched this much, they were young, long before Terra had developed blood-pumping feelings at the feel of her skin, or from being so close to her. They used to play-fight and wrestle, before he avoided such activity with her nowadays.

Two months until their Mark of Mastery exam, they were now in the Land of the Dead, where she was tracing his nose cartilage. They were on a mission, but Terra admitted he was grateful it gave him the allowance to enjoy so much contact with her.

It turned out that the Land of the Dead had gorgeous streets full of light and vibrant color. It featured buildings for homes, festivals, art shows, museums, and anything designed for entertaining all types of personalities. It was like a tourist attraction, and it had everything a person looking for fun and adventure would expect. Except rain. It didn’t rain here. The dark belly under a bridge where they were hiding for now harbored no puddles.

The people here, of course, were all skeletons. It didn’t take much effort to find the boy, Miguel, the person of interest in a world he didn’t belong. Which brought another problem – Terra and Aqua, too, had warm skin and pulses.

Aqua was against Miguel’s wish to reconnect with one of his famous singing ancestors, believing it too much of a risk for his own life. (She was very sympathetic to his need to pursue music, for she, too, adored it.) When Miguel’s family members, who were his ticket back home, didn’t approve of his obsession, she believed that they could be reasoned with.

Terra agreed with Miguel, believing that the boy had a right to follow his passion no matter what anyone said. He was aware that Miguel had a very limited time in this realm, which could be fatal, but they had enough time, and this created a similar dynamic to all the times Terra and Ventus tag-teamed against her. Essentially pushed into a corner, Aqua went ahead and agreed to do it their way.

The plan was to blend in. A dead friend of Miguel’s, Héctor, went off to find them some clothes large enough to hide their breathing bodies.

Aqua was painting a calavera on Terra’s face to make him look like a skeleton. She traced one finger to make lines across his lips. The paint felt goopy and thick, but her touch was brisk, graceful, yet determined. It was so like her to move this way, and he had to keep reminding himself to stay calm and not let his mind wander on the touch. There were definitely some things he’d like her to do with his lips, and tracing them was not a typical thing best friends did together, right?

Neither was touching the neck this much, but she had to give the illusion that he didn’t have flesh anymore. She was careful enough not to push onto his laryngeal prominence, at the very least. But no care could be given to ease how he was feeling anyway.

Terra, if anything, felt immensely grateful when Miguel, who already had his calavera finished and was wearing a red hoodie to hide the rest, arrived to check up on her progress. An empty, cool feeling lingered on his collarbone as she finished her work.

Miguel burst into a fit of laughter. “I think you would even scare away la parca… the Grim Reaper.”

“What?” He picked up a cracked and foggy mirror laying on the ground next to him.

Aqua had traced and covered his brows with black paint when she hollowed out his eyes. What looked back at him was a very angry skeleton, where the black color gave the impression that his eyes were even darker.

“What gives? You made me look so scary,” Terra told her.

She covered her mouth with her wrist as she giggled, careful not to mess her bare face up. “I’m sorry, I was trying to trace your face to make it look natural,” she said.

When Terra attempted to swipe the tin can away, she evaded – which was usual. Ten years growing up and sparring together, she became a master at dodging him.

“I’ll fix it, I’ll fix it,” she said, swatting his hand away.

“You can add loops and dots.” Miguel traced his finger in the air as an example. “Or maybe something cute to trick the children,” he said with an impish grin.

She dipped her finger into the tin again and quickly went over some lines on his cheekbones and forehead. The mirror showed that she drew some loops around his imagined eye sockets, and a heart right above the bridge of his nose. His chest skipped a beat, careful not to read too much into why she picked a heart for him. But it didn’t make him look any sweeter.

“Now I look like the Evil Lord of Love,” Terra said.

She snorted and Miguel held his stomach, out of breath from his laughter.

“It’s the best I can do,” she said. It was most likely far from the truth. She was probably way too entertained to fix it for real. “My turn now.” She pushed her hair off her face and handed the tin over to Terra.

Ten years growing up and sparring together didn’t prepare Terra for this, but he became a master at hiding his emotions anyway. Each time he traced a brow or a cheekbone in black, or rubbed white onto her cheeks, he consciously breathed out of his nose. It made him look more relaxed and focused that way.

Which proved to be difficult when he finished painting her eyelids. She opened them, and the darkness gave just enough contrast to make her bright, beautiful eyes pop. They might as well be jewels. He wasn’t even aware he was staring until she asked him if something didn’t look right.

Calm and collected, his voice was smooth enough that there wasn’t an ounce of shake to it. “I was checking to see if everything was even,” he said simply.

He was aware of his posture, careful not to lean into her. Even though he really wanted to, especially when tracing her lips. Soft and supple, he had often wanted to feel them. Once wasn’t enough either. Each time he dipped his finger back into the paint was another chance at learning what her lips were like.

He made sure to give her the same amount of care when tracing her neck too. Looking at her head lean back that way, tracing her chin, and coloring down to her crevice – it was better, as painful as it was, to finish the job than to let it drag.

It hurt enough to make Terra almost consider asking Eraqus to assign them on missions separately. Almost. There was too much enjoyment thrown into the mix as well.

The wave of relief that came when he finally closed the tin can was like being salvaged from hunger. Aqua looked into the mirror and approved of his work. Terra even gave her some doodles of small, simple flowers on her temples. Now she looked like everyone else in this world.

A skeleton soon approached them, wearing a straw hat and clothes that were so worn down they had rips and holes. Illuminated from the decorative lights of the streets, Héctor carried a couple of pieces of garments with hoods that he collected for them.

He handed Terra a bomber jacket, to hide the machismo, and stared at Aqua’s artistry on his face. “You trying to romance a demon?” he asked.

“Don’t ask,” Terra said, quickly putting on the jacket, wanting very much to keep any attention away from himself.

“And for the lady,” Héctor said, “a large cloak to hide all the... well, todo eso. Everything.” He made gestures as if to suggest curvature.

The cloak was such a dark brown that it almost seemed black. It was meant for a very tall person: it hung loosely off her shoulders, and dragged onto the floor with the sleeves draping off her fingers.

“I look ridiculous,” she said.

It was Terra’s instinct to cover her mouth for politeness’ sake, but then he’d have to trace her lips again with paint. Truthfully, she looked adorable - though he’d never say it out loud, or she would slap him with excess sleeve.

“It’s more important we blend in,” Terra said.

“Tiene razón. He has reason,” Héctor said. He glanced back and forth between Terra and Aqua, judging them. “Bueno…” he said in a way to suggest that he had no choice but to work with what he got, “You do both look like Fulano y Fulana de Tal.”

Terra’s head shook ever so slightly as his eyes narrowed. “What?”

Miguel dug his hands into his pockets. “He called you some dudes that came from nowhere.”

“Well, if it works…” Aqua mumbled to herself, following the others as they emerged from under the bridge. Her sleeves flopped back and forth as she walked.

The Land of the Dead kept a record of time. The buildings were so tall they were like skyscrapers, with each ascension more modern than the foundation it leaned on. It was as if they kept building on top of old structures, with the bottom floors a remnant of some ancient past. The music and the fireworks, all prepared to celebrate Día de los Muertos, told Terra that death was just a passage to something more exciting beyond what life could give.

It was comforting to know that whenever it was time for Master Eraqus to go, it wouldn’t be a place of suffering (or even boredom). But the separation still had to leave a scar to those left behind, right?

The people here were enjoying themselves, yes. Probably waiting for their own loved ones to join them and make the experience even better.

Héctor led them to the slums. Huts, boats, and wood houses gathered at the harbor down below the city, where the forgotten spirits dwelled. A neighborhood for those who didn’t have their photos propped up on their families’ ofrenda, a shrine where the living honor and remember their deceased relatives. These spirits therefore found family with each other.

The goal was to get Miguel a guitar. The nearby festival was set up in honor of Miguel’s relative, and he needed a musical instrument to enter the competition - and actually get a chance to meet.

The guitar was kept by Chicharrón, a friend of Héctor’s who lived in a wooden house at the end of the dock. He had to have been a hoarder, considering the stacks of random junk inside. Everything looked discarded, as if he was too exhausted to keep it all organized. As if he was the kind of person to desperately find something to hold onto through objects. Only the moonlight illuminated the entirely of the hut, as if he shunned away the joy and bright lights that paraded outside. It reflected on him as well – the bone on his skull and knuckles look sanded down, as if he wasn’t well-preserved.

Chicharrón, lying in a hammock buried under a pile of even more random trinkets, scowled when he took one look at Terra’s face. “Héctor, who gave you the right to bring el diablo here?”

“Even I don’t have the skill to convince the devil to do anything. He came on his own, acere,” Héctor said, as if addressing a friend.

They both argued over the guitar, and agreed that Miguel could use it under one specific condition: that Héctor would sing a song. His friend wanted to savor some enjoyment left, because the guitar was the last thing that was able to give him just that.

And so Héctor sang. A folk song about a woman everyone knew named Juanita. It sounded like a beautiful love song at first. Miguel sat on his knees, in awe of the talent. Aqua had her hand to her chest, her eyes watering over the sweetness of the composition. Juanita was someone whose teeth stuck out, and a chin that caved inward. She wore her hair like shrubbery, and walked funny.

But the songwriter believed himself so ugly that she wouldn’t have considered him a proper suitor.

Terra had expected the song to end sarcastically, but the revelation of such adoration left a hard lump in his throat. What would it have taken for Aqua to give him a chance like that?

The song ended. Chicharrón, satisfied and making peace with whatever was in his mind, disintegrated into dust, the wind carrying away his remnants. He left behind a mess of all he thought was important, now discarded and unaccounted for, alone on that hammock.

It was the Second Death, a process for all whose living family members have forgotten they existed. He didn’t have anyone left in the Land of the Living who cared for him.

It wasn’t gory or terrifying. If anything, it was a pretty sight, but it was the most gruesome thing Terra ever witnessed.

The only source illuminating the clown and the streets around them is the moonlight. Kefka takes one step forward, and Terra prepares a lunge forward, aiming for the knees.

But there is a swish, and a sphere of a gravitational contortion to push the beast back. The young version of Xehanort jumps from the roof he has been patiently waiting on, throwing all of his magical strength onto Kefka with that glowing, teal Keyblade of his.

Terra takes this opportunity to sprint towards the end of the block, where the hospital meets an alleyway, and places the duffel bag of elixirs into a nook. Away from the battlefield. Safe. Hopefully.

Garnet follows close by, and he expects that it will be this way – he will fight, and she will mend his injuries from behind. They just need to survive ten minutes. Leave too soon and Kefka will follow them back to the others.

Xehanort lands near them, resting his Keyblade on his shoulder as Kefka stands back up. “Of all the people you lug around after our warning,” he says, “you follow the one target that pits you in such danger. It’s reckless.”

Terra is about to bark that he will not tolerate any word from Xehanort’s mouth, but there is the clown to mind. Xehanort doesn’t give Terra any chance to say anything, quickly turning his attention on the Heartless.

Xehanort’s powers of teleportation aid him in evading each and every attack, at no cost to his energy. His magic is explosive, and he takes any opportunity to hit at Kefka’s ankles and knees in order to bring it down. Kefka’s body is, of course, sturdy like diamonds.

Terra doesn’t want to ally with him. If anything, Xehanort is just as much as a threat. If he doesn’t stay focused, he might lose his body again. And he can’t afford it. Not tonight. Not ever. Not until Aqua is free can he relax and let go. Not until Garnet is safe.

He swings Ends of the Earth to let out a shockwave of light that sears the cobblestones of the streets. He follows it with a swipe of the old man’s nameless Keyblade, letting out a blow of darkness that doubles the force, ravaging all in its path. It’s certainly an aid to all of Xehanort’s acrobatics. The bastard proves himself a worthy front man to be thrown at risk, so that Terra doesn’t have to put himself or Garnet in the direct line of danger.

But he’s too good to dispose himself.

And yet Terra is not giving out his full effort. Use the darkness, damn it, but not too much. He can’t lose control. The old man will use it to wrest his body back.

Already, there is a headache forming.

He must be stumbling too much, because Garnet seems to keep getting the impression that he is injured. He feels her healing magic envelope around him, and it takes away the hair-pulling headache. So he continues this pattern. Throw light and darkness, dodge, get tired and stumble from the pain, have her heal him. Continue.

Kefka changes its pattern to dance, creating random explosions throughout the area in an attempt to hit Xehanort. Debris crumbles, shaking the ground and tripping Garnet. It’s like an instinct, and Terra forgets he has two enemies near him, shielding her until the explosions stop.

“The bombs won’t ignite!” she says as she looks up at him. “I must have wired them incorrectly.”

She has a remote in her hand. The electric bombs planted in the office building across the street are still. Unless they can get Kefka to ram into them, they will stay silent.

She yelps. The reason why, he sees approaching them. Heartless waggle in patterns as if they can’t tell what they are aiming for. Maybe the potion still has some effect, and the Heartless cannot target them specifically. But it’s still a huge problem.

It takes too much thinking and concentration during such a heated moment to tap into Xemnas’ powers, but he tries anyway. The smaller debris floats up and above the ground, and with a wave of both Keyblades, he sends them flying to smack the various types of monstrosities that are invading the battle space.

“Terra, I need your aid!”

The voice is from behind. Xehanort blocks attacks from Kefka’s six poisonous swords.

Pfft. Let him die. Let him suffer the way Rydia is.

... But then if he’s not there, Kefka would go after them.

Terra focuses his mind on larger masses of plaster, glass, and brick that used to be part of the hospital. They are harder to move, and sweat drops trickle down his forehead. He points his Keyblades at them, as though they are wands to help him take control. They float higher, and with huge swings toward the direction of the clown, he manages to hurl them. Kefka falls back.

But not far enough to hit the office building, where the bombs lay waiting. Terra has managed to hit it in the face. The clown will soon come for him later.

Xehanort flashes him a look of disbelief, disgust emanating from his round eyes. “What do you think you’re doing?”

“Terra, they’re surrounding us!” he hears Garnet yelling from behind. Heartless continue to come in droves.

Fight. Or protect. Dammit, why can’t I have both?

It’s like a stupor that stops him from doing anything as he thinks about his next move. A Heartless lunges at her.

As though his body is responding, a straight wall of bright, electric energy erects in front of the princess. The monster gets shocked by this aggressive barrier, and it all disappears.

It doesn’t hurt. It’s like the fireball he made appear out of nothing. This has to be Xemnas’ powers.

“Stay close to me!” Terra says.

She stands back-to-back with him, and he waves his arms one by one, a Keyblade in each hand, in swift movements that gesture from the ground toward the sky. He visualizes this new kind of barrier forming as fast as a lightning bolt, and it follows. Against any direction where a Heartless is wandering too close.

To be so effective at protecting, while attacking at the same time... It’s like cheating, and it’s great. If only it is more intuitive so that he can do it faster. If only he doesn’t have to think about it, so he wouldn’t get so tired.

Kefka charges toward him. It prepares a force of energy and sends a fistful of it. Terra prays that the barrier will stick around this time. Kefka’s hand meets his wall, electricity sparking to and fro that Terra feels the pain of it in his forearms, as he wills it keep standing.

Something, some kind of energy flickers throughout his skin and reverberates his entire body. Silence.

Everything around him is frozen in time. There is Kefka’s screwed mask for a face, its glowing yellow eyes staring down on him, its smile glued. His barrier is still there, the electricity coming out of it, but it’s stuck in some never-ending moment. The Heartless stuck in postures, as if they are living photographs. Garnet behind him, also immobilized, holding her shortstaff close to her chest, meeting eye-to-eye with some tall shadow that stares back at her.

He has never seen time magic this effective and this far-reaching.

Xehanort pants, adjusting his black cloak. “Why do you insist on holding yourself back when you have all this power at your disposal?” he asks as he approaches.

This can’t be the time when Terra loses, all alone in a timeless space with the one man who will take away everything. He can’t touch Garnet without potentially harming her, the velocity of his movement too fast in relation to the paralyzed state she’s in.

“Unfreeze her,” he commands.

“I was under the impression you wanted to have control over your own body,” Xehanort says, wiping dirt off a sleeve.

“Unfreeze her, now.”

“So the puppet is finally given the chance at controlling the strings that once possessed him, but he hasn’t the courage to take advantage of it?”

“I’d rather cut them.” He stares hard at Xehanort. Perhaps this is foolish, considering that he doesn’t know how long the spell will last. If Kefka unfreezes now, it’s all over anyway. But if he takes his eyes off Xehanort…

Xehanort smirks. “That still assumes you are in control. You won’t be able to have it if my older self is still the puppeteer. You want to rely on powers of nothingness, which you have little understanding of, when darkness will give you all the endless possibilities for power you seek.”

This hits too close to home, darkness tied to all of his limbs. Loss of control and he’s a doll for someone else’s benefit again.

Furthermore, he wishes Xehanort would stop talking to him like he’s stupid. To use darkness too much is the one thing that will make him fall. He grips both Keyblades. Perhaps he has an advantage since he has one more weapon. “It’s just hatred and rage, and I don’t need it.”

Xehanort widens his eyes. “Is that what you think it is? How infantile.” His eyes glass over, and he cocks his head gently, like he’s talking to a child. “It is merely a first step to tap into powers of darkness through negative emotions, with fear being the wildcard because it is the only emotion that is useless as a weapon. But you – and whoever taught you that – are mistaken.

“Fear is only useful in reminding you of threats. It is the one thing that will make you weak. Not darkness. You want your life back? Then take control of it. You may use your anger and your hatred of Kefka to strengthen your power. But to imply that is all there is – do you think it was love that motivated Eraqus to wield light in his attempt to murder Ventus?”

“Don’t talk about them!” Terra barks.

“Light and darkness are all part of the same existence. In the end, they are simple tools. Do not aim to convince yourself that darkness is nothing but horrid impulses. You can love and protect with darkness. You can be driven mad by the blinding power of light.”

Riku comes to mind. Use darkness and turn it into light, he has said. To build the strength to protect what matters. Is this what he means? Is it enough to have good intentions? Or does the old man have too much experience with such things that it’s futile to try to take the strings for himself?

Garnet is the first to unfreeze. “Terra, what in the world-”

“Move!” He holds her bicep and escorts her down the street.

He hears the blast Kefka has prepared for them, crushing a mob of minor Heartless instead.

Garnet screams his name. A Darkside, looming tall over them, contemplates its next move. It digs its hand into the ground and a portal opens up, a swarm of Shadows crawling out of it.

They run away. Worse still is the inky blackness that surrounds them and covers the entire street. He can’t see anything, except for yellow eyes squirming around everywhere. And suddenly he’s alone, the princess no longer by his side.

He hears Kefka’s footsteps, stomping the ground underneath it. It moves slowly, like it doesn’t know what to attack next. So it dances, explosions taking random pot shots in any direction.

One blows up behind him, and Garnet’s protection spell vibrates from the blast as he feels the cold street brace against his face. Hands grip his arm and help him stand up.

“Can you walk?” he hears Xehanort ask.

Terra rips his shoulder away. “Garnet!” he calls out.

Xehanort shushes him in a snake-like snarl. “We have the advantage. And I’m interested in keeping you alive.”

“Not without her.”

Xehanort holds a cold stare, his golden eyes a faint gleam in the shadow. Definitely not the kind of person to roll his eyes.

Garnet’s pillar of light bursts through with such a power that everything trembles. It also dissipates the darkness, giving them the ability to see what has been happening. A mass of Heartless that have surrounded her are thrown back by her power. Of course, she is left exhausted and shaking from such use of magic.

And Kefka notices. It laughs, sending horrific pain throughout Terra’s head, so awful it feels like his eyeballs will burst. Xehanort yells along with Terra, clutching his hand to his chest. Garnet grips her head tightly, slumped on the ground.

Kefka moves to srtike. She is wide-eyed.

This can’t happen. Not another failure.

Terra sprints forward. He needs to get there first. To have more power. To cheat.

A portal of swirling shadows opens up on the ground in front of him. He drops inside.

Here, there is no earth. No solid obstacle to keep him from her. Here he can fly. And up he ascends from another opening, putting him right in between a princess and a clown.

No need for a second Keyblade. Out from his left hand, all the dark impulses materialize into a deep red claw extending from his elbow, hitting Kefka upward at the chin.

This sends it back - but still, not enough. So he throws another claw, oozing flickering shadows through his arm and body, sending the clown flying. It lands on its back, rolling. But it misses the office building.

This was the exact move, long ago, used against his Master. With good intentions, he once swore. Powerful, instinctual, impulsive. Dark. It’s a natural glove that fits, unlike nothingness.

“I’m actually impressed,” he hears Xehanort say.

A compliment from the monster. Not again.

Terra slouches over and coughs out bile.

“Are you alright?” Garnet asks, hovering her hand at the base of his neck. Warmth radiates like waves throughout his body, as though she is healing his nervous system. The headache and the nausea lift up and away.

Kefka stands up, and screeches. It’s time to move again. Behind some bushes. Xehanort follows and covers his mouth and nose with his cloak.

The poisonous gas releases from its joints and neck, and they all wait until it dissipates into the air.

“I grow tired of this,” Xehanort says.

“Let’s trip it.” Terra summons the nameless Keyblade again into his left hand. “Or are you incapable of that?”

Xehanort glares, disappearing into his own portal, only to reappear behind the clown as it stumbles its way back toward them. He hits one ankle with a burst - which seems like it took way too much out of him.

Kefka trips onto one knee.

“Not enough!” Terra yells. He eyes Garnet, who is hesitant at first. He nods, as if to give her his blessing.

She sends healing magic to Xehanort. He takes a deep breath before striking the other ankle with his might. The clown falls to its face.

The prime opportunity. Terra allows darkness to swirl around him, and he growls as he grips both Keyblades in the hardest blow he’s ever given, directly onto the clown’s face, like vehicles crashing.

It screams, like metal grinding.

Two gashes now stain its once indestructible face, showing the black skin underneath.

It attempts to grab Terra in a fury, and Garnet steps in front to summon another pillar of light so that it fails, falling to her knees when she’s finished.

Kefka grabs its own face, as if in pain. As if it was human again.

But Garnet screams.

Two more Darksides approach them, bringing forth more Heartless.

“No…” Terra groans. He doesn’t have to tell her to run away, for she’s already doing so, although she is tumbling. She heads toward the alleyway by the hospital, where he placed the elixir minutes before.

Kefka comes to and makes its way to Terra, who pants harder just to keep himself standing straight. Xehanort growls loudly and twirls his Keyblade, a sphere of time energy rupturing throughout.

It’s quiet and frozen again. Except for Xehanort, who adjusts himself with such a frustration that it’s like watching a spiteful mother clean up a child.

“That impudent, minuscule, subordinate, worthless neophyte of a clown,” he says, throwing around fancy insults at the Heartless that is clearly striking a nerve with him tonight.

The first thing Terra looks for is the princess. In the alleyway, on the ground, looking up at a swarm of Heartless about to pounce. Her shortstaff is to her chest, her eyes exhausted and teary.

He attacks the Heartless, although the Stop magic doesn’t doesn’t give way to their destruction. Not yet, anyway. They barely move from his force. But he hits enough to be sure they’d be gone when time moves forward again.

He checks the clock tower. Less than two minutes left until Kefka is gone for the night.

Terra takes a deep breath, his muscles sore and shaking from weariness. They are almost there.

Footsteps behind him. Xehanort eyes the clock tower as well, looking just as grateful.

“At last,” he says. He forms a grip into the air. Terra is thrown up against the wall telepathically, his wrists cemented to the brick behind him, both Keyblades gone in a crackle.

“I’ve been advised to practice patience, but no longer,” Xehanort says through his teeth, standing in front of Terra with his Keyblade in hand. “You’re too much trouble.”

Terra tries to wrestle with the invisible force, but he can’t. He can’t move anything. He cries out, because this can’t be the end. Xehanort holds his Keyblade in the air, aiming for the chest.

Garnet jumps from behind him and rams her shortstaff right into the back of Xehanort’s knee. He staggers and backhands her, where she collapses. She crawls back against the wall opposite, holding her hand up in fear in a futile attempt to protect herself.

“You insignificant brat,” Xehanort says as he raises his Keyblade against her.

But her hit releases Terra, and he tackles. One arm around the bastard’s chest, another twisting the armed wrist until the Keyblade is let go. Xehanort is a touch shorter than Terra, but he’s much thinner. He has no strength when magic is not involved.

Terra throws him, slamming him onto the ground which makes him bounce and roll away.

With Garnet following, Terra grabs the duffel bag of elixirs on the way and slings them over his shoulder. Kefka begins moving again. They runs across the street until they get situated close enough to the office building.

“Stand your ground,” he tells Garnet.

“What are you going to do?” She holds her place directly by his side.

Kefka follows them with its gaze, and walks forward. The gashes make it uglier, its neck ruffle and shoulder pads burnt.

“Just trust me,” Terra says. He summons both Keyblades and waits.

“Terra?” she says, her voice shaking with nervousness. Xehanort comes to and is running out toward them.

“Stand your ground.”

The clown comes close enough.

Terra thrusts the teeth of both Keyblades into the ground. The earth pops and spews, breaking the mended stones in a trail until it reaches the office building - specifically the corner wall where she planted the bomb on the first floor.

It explodes as Kefka steps right past it. The building starts to crumble, triggering the second bomb to go off by the clown’s face. It screams like before, deafening the quake as the earth opens up the cobblestones underneath him and the princess.

They fall as the ground gives up. Garnet lets out a high-pitched scream, but she’s barely audible in comparison to the ruckus.

Xehanort slides to the edge of the open pit. He wears the face of someone who desperately missed his target, watching them splash into a rush of water below.

This chapter references Pixar’s Coco (2017).

A/N: I have defined the Spanish words and phrases used with context clues, but I wanted to make a note that some of it is Cuban slang (I can’t help it). There were definitely times where I had to be careful of what I was writing. For example, for “calavera” I nearly used “calabaza.” In Spanish, that means “pumpkin,” but Cubans use the names of food to describe lots of things. We use “calabaza” to mean sugar skull, and that’s why many people look at us like we’re crazy. For example, in the movie, Frida Kahlo prepares a papaya that she makes her clone dancers crawl out of. For us, a papaya is the word we use for the woman’s nether-regions. You can imagine what kind of context we understood those scenes to mean, LMAO.

#terraqua #kingdom hearts fanfiction #terqua #kh fanfic #terra #aqua #young xehanort #garnet til alexandros #kefka palazzo #hector #miguel #coco #i know this is coming out far later than planned #i am still trying to catch up to this hell week my god #my fic

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kedavranox · 6 years

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AO3 Filter Meme!

Tagged by @gracerene09 and @magpiefngrl. Thank you!

Since I’m procrastinating writing rn, I thought I’d do a meme.

Rules: Go to your works page, expand all the filters, and answer the following questions! @gracerene09 I stole your formatting because I’m lazy af.

1. What are your first and second most common work ratings?

Explicit (21)

Mature (14)

I also like smut. I very rarely write teen fics. Maybe a teen/gen drabble or two. But I’m mostly here for the smut.

2. What’s your most common archive warning? Least common? Do you consider yourself an adventurous writer?

Most common: No Archive Warnings Apply (31)

Least Common: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings (6)

I think I used to use the ‘No Archive Warnings Apply’ before the ‘Chose not to use warnings’ tag ever existed. I have...issues with tagging and they way fandom tries to force creators to use them, but I’m saving that for another post.

3. How many fics have you written in each relationship category? Is this more accidental, or do you have preferences?

M/M (39)

F/M (2)

Multi (2)

Gen (1)

I have never written femmeslash?! Lol. That’s interesting af.

4. What are your top 4 fandoms by numbers? Are you still active in any of them, and do you tend to migrate a lot?

Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling (43)

I don’t plan on ever writing for any other fandoms under this pseud. I have a Voltron fic coming up, but that’s be under my Voltron pseud, neurada. I have to have it separate, just like my blogs. My brain has strange needs, okay?

5. What are your top 4 character tags? Does this match how you feel about the characters, or are you puzzled?

Harry Potter (13)

Draco Malfoy (12)

Ron Weasley (8)

Hermione Granger (5)

Yes it does. Harry is me my Soulmate. Draco is his soulmate. And Ron is my Harry’s best mate so. Yeah. Pretty spot on.

Although this also shows how terrible I am at tagging. I’ve written 43 fics but Harry is only tagged 13 times? LMAO

Bonus, the top 4 3 relationships I have tagged:

Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter (29)

Ron Weasley/Blaise Zabini (2)

Harry Potter/Blaise Zabini (2)

Harry Potter/Original Male Character(s) (2)

I mean. Everything you need to know about me is in those tags tbh.

What are your top 2 most used additional tags, and your bottom 2? What would happen if you combined all 4 of these into a fic?

Top Two:

Angst (10)

Anal Sex (8)

Yep. Pretty much. Standard nox. LMAO. I am so predictable.

Bottom Two :

Drabble (3)

Established Relationship (3)

Makes sense. Drabbles exhaust me, and I used to think established relationship fics were lazy. (That pov has definitely changed LOL!)

How many WIPs do you have currently running on AO3? Any you don’t plan on finishing?

One. I’m sorry. So very sorry. That’s all I’ll say. This interview is closed.

(lol)

8. Tag people!

If you want to do this and no one has tagged you pls do it and tag me! I’d love to read it. ❤❤

#Harry Potter #meme #tag #ao3 #writing #i should be writing

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stewystew · 3 years

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Ok I wrote this all in the tags of another post but I took my adderall for the first time in a week today and yeah sure, it’s worn off by now, but I’m still vibing so here we go!!! (woo this got longer than I thought it was going to be, so I’m putting the read more in)

I’m going to describe a movie to you.

This is a great movie. In one sentence, it’s a super fun found family heist movie with heavy The Devil Wears Prada vibes. which is like. the ideal set of tropes. Are you on board yet?

On top of that, there’s party-crashing, general thievery, fun costume design, an intense rivalry, a fucking choice montage, and it all ends with five friends and their five dogs living happily ever after in the big house that they stole, The End.

This is Cruella (2021). And the rumors are true, it fucking sucked. But because I actually watched it, I can tell you why it sucked, and it’s NOT that her mom got murdered by Dalmatians (at least that’s not the main reason). I can also tell you how it could be fixed.

Cruella is not actually a bad movie. But also, it very much is. (hope this helps <3) Ok. It’s bad because, of course, Capitalism. Literally the movie I described to you? Sounds super fun and great? If Disney didn’t have an obsession with making a quick buck on the back of its classic franchises, that could’ve been what Cruella was. But instead, they slapped an iconic villain on that super fun heist movie, and ruined the whole thing.

You can’t make Cruella De Vil a hero. You can’t. Other villain rewrites work because they swap the hero and the villain, or at least the villain’s atrocities are swapped out for something more understandable. But. A bunch of puppies can’t be evil. And when Cruella’s entire character is about Being Rich and Killing Puppies, you can’t change her motives or her backstory, because then all you have left is her aesthetic. Which isn’t unimportant, but you can’t build a compelling story out of an aesthetic.

But, that’s what Disney chose to do, I guess.

Here’s what happened:

1) Our main character, Estella, is born with the black and white hair (relying on the aesthetic!) (imo this is bad bc either it’s a cartoony Anime Protagonist Hair thing ooh magic. or it’s poliosis, and that’s ehh bc it’s very much framed as like. Symbolic of her ✨inner evil✨. Which is weird for it being a real thing that real people have.)

2) ANYWAY. She’s kind of a mean kid, but mostly very opinionated. We learn this when she calls a shirt ugly (aha, see? She’s into fashion!), and her mother jokes that she should be called “Cruella” instead of “Estella”. So. Now we have the name thrown in. Again, the aesthetic.

3) Blah blah, she adopts a stray dog, she punches bullies, blah blah, she gets kicked out of school, and she and her mother move to the city (she’s like 12 at this point)

4) but *gasp!* before they get there, her mother has to ask a “friend” for help because they’re poor. (So. there goes the Rich part of Cruella’s character. She no longer has anything in common with Cruella De Vil’s villainy!)

5) The “friend”, though, is very rich, and is throwing a party at her mansion (which is on a cliff). The mom goes in, and Cruella follows her. Cruella ends up getting chased by Dalmatians, but they don’t attack Cruella, instead they end up pushing her mom off the cliff. Cruella thinks it’s her fault because the dogs were chasing her.

6) Cruella goes to the city on her own, and meets two other orphaned kids, Jasper and Horace (we’ll call them J&H) (they also have a dog!), and they all live together and get very very good at stealing shit. Then, it’s like ten years later, and she wears a wig to fit in.

7) She catches the attention of a famous fashion designer (The Baroness) because of how good she is at fashion. The Baroness (who owns Dalmatians!) hires her, and now Cruella’s designing clothes for her. Also, the Baroness’s assistant(?) is Mark Strong, so the “Stanley Tucci in The Devil Wears Prada” vibes are very much there.

8) Cruella finds out that the Baroness is actually her mom’s ex-employer and the “friend” she was talking to before she died, because the baroness has her mother’s necklace, which she says her mother stole from her. The Baroness doesn’t know who Cruella is, though.

9) Cruella tries to steal the necklace back (this is the party she crashes!), and finds out that the Baroness trained the Dalmatians to kill her mother. To get revenge, she creates an alter ego where she goes full Cruella De Vil, the iconic black and white hair and everything, and upstages the Baroness by being better at fashion. (Yay double life! Yay rivalries! Yay fun montage!)

10) oof this is getting long. I’ll try to hurry it up.

11) at one point Cruella wears a fur coat and everyone thinks she’s skinned the Baroness’s Dalmatians for it, but she didn’t. Because she would never hurt a dog! *clutches pearls*

12) J&H are mad because her fashion alter ego is mean to them. She says “lol deal with it” but then later she says “oops sorry i love my friends actually” so. she’s not even that mean.

13) The Baroness tries to kill her, she fails. Mark Strong tells Cruella that she’s actually the Baroness’s daughter, and the Baroness had tried to kill her as a baby. Oh, and Cruella has a scene where she’s all “I’m unapologetically evil!” which might have been better if she were actually. You know. Evil.

14) oh, also the gay character is a guy who owns a little clothing store and he and Cruella are friends. He’s not explicitly gay tho, he’s just good at fashion and wears makeup.

15) So Cruella and her friends (J&H, Mark Strong, Gay Character) all go and crash another party for the One Final Score. It’s at the Baroness’s mansion, on the cliff, and they trick the Baroness into pushing Cruella off the cliff in front of a bunch of people and the Baroness goes to jail.

16) Cruella survives because of a parachute in her dress (lmao), and because she’s the Baroness’s daughter she gets all her money and her mansion and her dogs. And then she and J&H and Mark Strong and Gay Character all live in the big house together with their five dogs and are friends forever the end. :)

17) oh, also, Anita Darling, from 101 Dalmatians, is Cruella’s childhood friend and Cruella gives her two Dalmatian puppies at the end as a gift. Which... Would that make the Dalmatian parents in the movie siblings? :(

So now you see. Or maybe you don’t, and that was all completely incomprehensible. Either way, on to the next part!

So, obviously, it would be a much much better movie if it weren’t about Cruella De Vil, Puppy Murderer, and Disney had produced a goddamn original movie for once :)

Now, literally just trimming all the Disney Franchise gunk off the script would work. All that bad cheesy stuff would be gone, we wouldn’t be teased with the slightly-but-not-actually villainous stuff she does, and I wouldn’t have to spend the entire 2 hours desperately trying and failing to separate the movie and it’s dog-loving protagonist from the puppy murderer.

BUT. I will say that the one thing that Cruella was able to properly utilize was Cruella De Vil’s iconicness. Again, the aesthetic isn’t completely unimportant!

So I think it’d be good to maintain that. sue me. My idea is this:

Our Main Character is just some girl. Similar situation to the movie, but she’s named Ann or Sue or something. She reads The One Hundred and One Dalmatians as a child, and because she’s a Weird Little Girl, becomes obsessed with Cruella De Vil and her entire deal. And the movie proceeds in exactly the same way from then on.

Why does this work? Thank you for asking, I’ll tell you!

Disney gets to keep their dumb Classic Franchise money or whatever because we’re keeping the character

All the fun outfits get to stay the same :)

All that stuff I said about why Cruella De Vil can’t be redeemed? Doesn’t matter now that our character isn’t Cruella. We’re still capitalizing on Cruella De Vil’s icon status as an irredeemable puppy killer, but like. Without actually redeeming the puppy killer in question. Yay!

Weird Little Girls are awesome

We get a cute scene where Main Character is trying and failing to dye her hair like Cruella’s (Cruella’s hair is black and white in the book as well!) Her mom comes into the bathroom, sees half empty dye and bleach bottles in the sink, her hair bright orange. Already, I would die for this kid. (ngl this one’s the main reason I’m so attached to this version)

Ooh, this is the fun part. So, the mom gets pushed off a cliff by Dalmatians. I’m keeping this in. Main Character, of course, thinking WWCDVD? (what would Cruella De Vil do?), is like, actively antagonizing these dogs. The dogs chase her, push the mom off the cliff. It’s still not actually her fault, but the fact that she goaded the dogs into chasing her? HAHAHA WE LOVE SOME GUILT!

Oh, you may be thinking, but if she likes to act like Cruella, would Main Character still adopt that stray dog? I give you a quote from Main Character herself, which I’m totally not just now writing on the spot: “Cruella only wants to wear Dalmatians, I can still like other dogs”. Doesn’t that sound exactly like something our Weird Little Girl would say?

Ah, but what about later, when she adopts those Dalmatians? Main Character likes Cruella’s aesthetic and vibes, but she’s also an adult person with her own sense of self and an awareness that killing dogs is bad.

Anyway. Next slide!

I wouldn’t have to think about the Dalmatians at the end being siblings because 101 DALMATIANS DOESNT HAPPEN IN THIS UNIVERSE IT’S JUST A BOOK!!!

I checked, and One Hundred And One Dalmatians came out in 1956 (the movie is set in the 60s and 70s), so the timeline works! Also, hair bleach was safe to use by the 50s, so my scene in number 5 works too!

TL;DR: Cruella (2021) is a found family heist movie, and could be fixed by making the protagonist a normal person who’s favorite character is Cruella De Vil from the book The One Hundred and One Dalmatians

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk it’s 2 am and I’m fucking exhausted

#I do not care if this doesn’t get a single note I had fun writing it #mine #cruella 2021 #cruella #if this is in any way understandable ur welcome I tried very hard. but I also need to go to bed. so. I’ll see y’all in the morning.#10 bucks says I wake up tomorrow and don’t understand a word of it

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niuxita21 · 4 years

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And since I’ve started blogging regularly about TV shows again after about a couple of years of finding my happy place in women’s football, I just need to be intense about the season 2 premiere of El Embarcadero for two seconds and then I’ll be fine.

I was legit terrified of watching this episode lmao because the s1 finale left me SHOOKETH and there were just so many ways to go from there but I was only going to be OK with a couple of them so for me there was a lot riding on how they chose to develop things after Alex’s shocking confession in the last few seconds of the finale and the new development of her possibly having realized her feelings for Verónica. My worst case scenario was a time jump of like a year or so to account for the passage of time in real life (maybe?) So IMAGINE my surprise and delight when the episode starts and it picks up right where they left off (even a few seconds earlier), like, I knew it was going to be a good episode when just a few seconds in and I already approved of the decisions being made.

The fact that we got a redo of the bed makeout scene but this time better shot and with NO ÓSCAR anywhere to be seen like ???? Did someone read my innermost thoughts and find out that I was a bit disappointed in the eclectic camera work that didn’t let me see shit and in Óscar being interspersed with Alex and Verónica kissing for the very first time in the finale? WHO SAID god is not real????

The confrontation post-confession went about exactly as I’d hoped/imagined it would with Verónica getting mad and kicking Alex out almost immediately without letting her explain. I did enjoy the glimpses we got of their fight before Alex left, with both of them getting super intense and in each other’s faces, made all the more delicious by the height difference. That said, I had to LOL at Alex’s “You came into my house and stole the love of my life, you can’t kick me out of your house!” bc LMAO gurl, I love you to pieces but whaaaa?? Lots to unpack here but bottom line, it’s OK, you did just makeout with a hot lady for the first time in your life, it’s understandable that you wouldn’t be thinking straight (ha!)

Verónica deciding that the best way to deal with her anger at being betrayed by “Martina” is to BURN ALL HER SHIT LMAO. That is a totally sane and healthy reaction to a friend breakup, shall we say, and not at all an indication of some deeper feelings there. Nope, not at all.

I loved that Alex said in therapy that she thought what happened to her with Verónica with respect to her inability to pull away from her was the same thing that happened to Óscar, because that’s what I’ve always thought. Like I can totally see why Óscar and Alex would be drawn to each other, they’re both hot, adorable, type-A nerds, so it also makes sense that they would be drawn to the same type of person who comes into their lives and puts everything completely upside down just by virtue of being like no one they’ve ever met before. Also, Alex saying she’s having trouble dealing with Verónica’s absence, nawwwww. This show is just committed to giving me everything I want and it’s only episode 1!!!

The scene between Verónica and Conrado was interesting on a couple of levels. 1) He finally showed his true colours as the typical man who appears to be a cool and understanding dude until something comes between him and a woman he has decided he wants and then the aggressive, possessive alpha-male jumps out. Bit disappointing ngl because I thought he was one of the good ones. And 2) Verónica’s “What do you want with [Alex]?” (roughly), just a few shades from being jealous, and “I’ll step away if I want to” made me think that she was legit gonna pursue something with Alex just to piss off Conrado, but thankfully that was not the case. I did like that it was a subtle continuation of the way she’d been tuning into the thing between Alex and Conrado in the last two episodes of season 1. I always thought it was the beginnings of jealousy because she was starting to develop feelings for Alex so we’ll see if I was right and she ever brings it up when they get together for real.

THE BATHTUB SCENE. Possibly my favourite moment between these two in the entire series so far, dethroning the hug at the beach in the season 1 finale. I mean, UGH, where do I even start. The way Alex looks down at Verónica naked in the bathtub with such tenderness and asks her if she’s OK. Her “I’m not leaving, I can’t be away from you” in response to Verónica kicking her out. The way you can see the wheels turning inside her head and weighing the options of doing what Verónica is ordering her to do or staying and continuing to fight to get her back, until the latter finally wins out and she straight up TAKES HER SHOES OFF and gets into the bathtub with her. Like, she doesn’t say a single word, but that’s her grand gesture right there and it does all the work for her because a few seconds later, Verónica breaks down and pulls her into the tightest softest hug and at this point I DON’T KNOW HOW I AM STILL ALIVE. Also, this shot:

Like what kind of epic love story shit is this??? And then:

How TIGHTLY Verónica is wrapped around Alex I can’t deal with any of it.

And then Verónica pulls Alex down with her and all of a sudden they’re CUDDLING IN THE BATHTUB WITH ALEX FULLY CLOTHED AND LAYING COMPLETELY ON TOP OF A VERY NAKED VERÓNICA BECAUSE OF HOW TINY SHE IS LIKE HOW IS THIS A REAL THING THAT I’M WITNESSING WITH MY OWN TWO EYES I CAN’T EVEN. And then Verónica apologizes to Alex for ruining her marriage and Alex quips that she never even found out and they both laugh and like, it’s amazing that they’re already at a place where they can joke about that like it’s nbd I’m just :))))

That said... it did feel like Verónica came around way too quickly. IDK it seems to me that Alex would have had a bit more explaining to do before Verónica felt like she was OK with forgiving her like, no offense to that tiny, possibly lesbian disaster, I mean, I love her, but what she did to Verónica was messed UP even if she WAS her husband’s mistress, and at the very least I feel like Alex needed to apologize for deceiving her like that. Maybe the key to all this is that mysterious message Alex said she left for Verónica but that we didn’t listen. Maybe she apologized and explained herself at length knowing Verónica probably wouldn’t let her do it in person? That makes sense to me. Hopefully we get to hear it in later episodes, given how timey-wimey the storytelling is on this show.

ALSO, Verónica calling her “Alejandra” for the first time. Ugh, I love this song. As a sidenote, I always headcanoned that, once Verónica found out who Alex really was, she would always call her by her full name and not by her nickname. It just seems to jive with what we know of her character so far. Let’s see if I’m right.

The whole sequence of Alex, Verónica, and Sol having a happy family afternoon riding the horse, playing tag on the beach, and having a tortilla de patata contest all set to that happy-go-lucky “Suspicious Mind” song is what serotonin is made of. My goodness. It’s impossible not to smile while watching it. And my biggest takeaway is Alex’s big ass SMILE:

She’s SO HAPPY. This little family that she conned her way into makes her so genuinely HAPPY and it melts my heart.

Alex telling Verónica she thinks Óscar was murdered and then “If you think someone killed him, I’m gonna help you find whoever did it.” Like DO YOU KNOW how much I wanted these two to team up and try to figure out what really happened to Óscar together??? I just figured, if it ever happened, it would be like halfway through the season at the very least, because that’s how long I imagined it would take Verónica to forgive Alex for deceiving her, so to have it happen already? IS IT MY BIRTHDAY OR SOMETHING??? And just, like, the amount of TRUST she already has in Alex, like not 24 hours have passed since she found out who she really is but she’s already willing to follow whatever theories she has and assuming she’s right. It makes me so happy.

Alex not being able to sleep next to a topless Verónica because she’s so attracted to her? Brilliant, fantastic, amazing, showstopping, spectacular, *chef’s kiss*, etc.

That whole morning scene when Alex wakes up and starts freaking out because Sol is gonna be late for school, like, she’s already acting like such a MOM to her, I can’t handle it. But my favourite part was how she asks Verónica “Did you burn ALL my clothes?” with not an ounce of reproach in her voice, she just wants to know if there’s anything in that house that she can wear to her meeting to save time, and Verónica’s like “I can lend you something” and Alex, “Something appropriate for a meeting with architects?” and Verónica fake ponders, “Hmm... let me think... nope,” clearly pulling her leg. I just ADORE how, now that the jig is up and Alex is being herself with Verónica, this new dynamic is starting to take shape wherein Alex can be all type-A with Verónica and Verónica just teases her about it without Alex even getting mad, the same way she did with Óscar.

Verónica dropping in on Alex at her work to tell her about the tickets to Óscar’s car. OK 1) The way Alex SMILES when she sees Verónica was probably my second favourite moment of the episode. There this show goes again subverting my expectations. When I saw Verónica walking in, I thought we were in for their first disagreement because Alex would be embarrassed about having Verónica there, since she’s always been very zealous about keeping her life at the albufera and her life as Alex separate. But NOPE, not this show!

skdfhkjdhk tattoo that smile on my forehead like???? I mean I thought I had a pretty clear read on Alex’s character so far, but she’s just throwing me for a loop here, lol. I guess being in love really does that to people IDK. (Sidenote: how GORGEOUS is she??? She’s got that classically Spanish dark hair and intense dark eyes that just drive me crazy.)

The both of them just sitting around in Alex’s office doing some amateur detective work re: Óscar’s speeding tickets and the mysterious town where he seemed to be coming and going, casually being like, “I’ve never seen him do that” “Neither have I” like they’re talking about a mutual friend and not about, idk, the man they were both in love with (and who is now dead) is freaking WILD, man, but also EXACTLY what I’d been wanting to see at some point and I still can’t believe the show is giving it to me so soon. Lastly, Verónica saying, “We should go to [that town]. Together.” makes me laugh because the “together” was COMPLETELY UNNECESSARY lmao but hey, Vero, if it makes you feel good to constantly restate the fact that you and Alex are in this TOGETHER then who am I to criticize. These two, I swear.

The way Katia comes in and, instead of scrambling to find a logical explanation, Alex is just casually like, “Verónica, I’d like you to meet my best friend, Katia,” which, ngl, just raises a whole slew of questions lmao. Like, does this mean Katia already knows Alex came clean to Verónica? Or are we supposed to assume that that random introduction was all Katia needed to realize things had shifted between them? Hopefully we’ll find out later in a proper conversation. My favourite part, though, was Verónica’s “Katia, huh?”, like the last piece of the puzzle that was Alex’s lie finally clicked into place. I loved that Katia apologized for yelling at her when impersonating Alex and Verónica, in her classic Vero way, just brushed it off like it was nbd. I mean, we know how much Katia’s words affected her when she thought they came from Óscar’s wife, but now that she knows who his real wife is and that she would never actually feel that way about Verónica, it’s like the power those words had over her evaporated the same way that “Martina”’s persona did. IDK, I just loved that exchange.

LASTLY, when Alex and Verónica are at the mysterious town Óscar was going to and they find the house where he supposedly lived, and Alex says they need to call Conrado and Verónica tells her about him finding out about them and that he’s mad at her and Alex tells her he found out because she talked about it in therapy. First of all, I like how this sets up a future scene between Alex and Conrado where you KNOW he’s gonna try to slut-shame Verónica like, “I don’t know what she told you but she always does that to get people into bed with her” or something and it will backfire spectacularly on him with Alex no doubt defending her and perhaps even getting mad at him for treating Verónica like that. CANNOT WAIT. And secondly, the way Verónica LOOKS at Alex while saying “You went to therapy... to talk about how we kissed a couple of times?” I’m--

She’s just SO AMUSED bless her little heart. Again, I thought she’d get mad at Alex for divulging her intimacy like that, but I should probably know Verónica better by now. The fact that she doesn’t give a rat’s ass about what people think of her is what makes her such a compelling character.

Alex being like, “I went to therapy to talk about how I kissed my husband’s mistress, yeah”, basically like “What of it?”, and then ADMITTING SHE LIKED IT!!!!!!! What I loved, though, was the matter-of-fact way she says it. It wasn’t a grand, sweeping love declaration, nor was she expecting Verónica to reciprocate or respond to it in any way. She was just explaining why she went to therapy to talk about it. IDK I just found it so refreshing that she’s basically admitting to feeling more than friendship towards Verónica and it’s not weird or anything anymore because they’re way past that. Also, I liked getting confirmation that nothing happened beyond kissing. I strongly suspected it just from the way it was shot, but I’m glad I don’t have to wonder anymore. This also means I still have their first time having sex to look forward to. We just keep winning!!!

“Maybe you’re a lesbian.” “I hope so! At least I’d have ONE thing clear!” I’M SCREAMINGGGGGG. But also, I like how this implies that kissing Alex wasn’t something new to Verónica or something she lost any sleep over. Like she only talks about redefining oneself post-makeout in the second person, like Alex is the only one who needs to change the way she sees herself after realizing she enjoyed kissing another woman. Ever since she told “Martina” early in season 1 that she’d slept with a lot of “people,” I figured she was bisexual, so I’m taking this as confirmation just because I can.

ANYWAY, like I said, I needed to be intense about this episode. There was just SO MUCH to unpack and I don’t feel like I even put all my thoughts on here, but this is still quite enough, lol. TL;DR I was afraid the show would build on the reveals of the season 1 finale in a direction I wouldn’t like and that would ruin my enjoyment of this season (having Alex and Verónica take until at least episode 4 to become friends again and perhaps even later to start working together to solve Óscar’s murder, let alone start inching towards a romantic relationship or, worst case scenario, a time jump in which I’d miss the immediate confrontation between them and Alex trying to win Verónica back) but, instead, they gave me everything I wanted already in episode 1, including something I didn’t know I wanted, which is putting them in a place where they’re really close but still very much in the friend zone such that I didn’t miss the moment their relationship shifted into romantic territory and, best of all, I’ll still probably get to see a few moments of sexual tension (like that amazing scene with Alex being unable to sleep) until that finally happens.

UGH, THIS SHOW. Very, very few times have I been so satisfied with a single episode of television and the decisions made to resolve a cliffhanger. Usually, even when the writers give me what I want or my ship gets together, there’s still something I would have done differently or that the show missed and I didn’t get to see, but not here. I can’t think of a single thing that I would add or change because I was hoping I’d see it but it wasn’t shown. Like on the one hand, this is good because it means that I’m less stressed about the upcoming episodes and I’m content to just watch everything play out because I already got to see everything I wanted between these two in terms of a resolution to last season’s cliffhanger and there’s nothing I’m worried we won’t be shown. But, on the other hand, that just probably means it will all be downhill from here, LMAO.

#thoughts no one cares about #lord I haven't written a thesis on an episode of a show I watch in YEARS this is probably a good thing #I'm slowly getting back my will to live

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starryseo · 7 years

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high schooler!jaemin

my pRECIOUUUUUUUUUUUUSSSSSSSSS

im sososo excited to write this because i loVE NANA sosososo much,, i miss him terribly but i hope that if and when he returns he is super happy and healthy so he can carry on making m e m o r i e s. sm need to update us more on him :((

sOO0o0oO0O0o0oooo0OOOO0o

ok so ma boi na jaemin

is literally loved by everyone in that school

and they all know him as the Smiley Kid™

like they may not even be in a class with him

mAY NOT even be in his year

but they have seen him around school

and i GUARANTEE he was smiling so everyone just knows who he is

they also know him bc he once started this petition

initially, the school didnt have a badminton club

and nana was just like ???/ badminton is love what the heck????

so he b e g g e d the sports teacher to start a club

and the teacher loves nana bc he’s always so active and supportive and just amaZING in their class,,,,, so they give him a chance

but they cant just start a club outta nowhere yknow?

so they’re like, if you get enough people to support you then i’ll talk to the head teacher and see what we can do ok?

so thIS BOI RAN OUT and started just asking literally e v e r y o n e in the school to sign this paper so the club would happen

and like who can say no to his smile??? it literally makes my heart weAK

the dreamies were the first to sign obviously

even donghyuck

but he only done it after nana said he’d post the old baby photos of hyuck everywhere aha love this boy

those baby photos??? he got them from hyuck’s mum lmao

yeah hes the kinda kid to talk with the other dreamies’ parents - mainly the mums because hes just such ??? a darling? ???

obviously he got enough signatures and he did not stop smiling for like a week bc badminton club!!!!! is finally a thing!!!!

he and mark are always the first to turn up and honestly some ppl just go to watch the two of them have a match

when hes not sparring w/ mark hes super kind and helps out others that are playing but struggling

which just makes everyone love him even more

he and jeno always get lockers full of confessions

and hes such a cutie he has the notes all saved in a shoe box under his bed

i say “a shoe box” but like he has so many notes there are like 20 boxes lmao rip

and whenever he gets chocolates or smth he always shares them with the dreamies

he also tries to help the others out whenever he can

like,, running lines with jeno for his auditions,,,,, helping out jisung and chenle with their homework etc.

he also encouraged mark the first time he wrote a poem to get it published in the school paper,, mark was heckin’ nervous so nana suggested sending it in anonymously, and mark just continued with it

also!!!!! this boy!!! i know i said renjun has like the bEST food in his lunch boxes, but jaemin is a close second

he always packs fruit with him and like its so ?? cute???

he spends the previous night chopping up the fruit - apples, bananas, mangoes, pomegranates, grapes, oranges, you name it - and then puts it in the fridge so it’s all fresh for lunch tomorrow.

uses a separate container for it and theres just s o m u c h fruit

he brings in 7 forks as well because he kNOWS !!!!1 the others are gonna take some from him

alsooo he is The Hoverboard Master™

lowkey gets frustrated when jisung challenges him

but is highkey supeeerrrr !! happy!!! when he beats jisung

insert the dreamies just disappointingly head shaking as jisung fake cries

“youre seriously not gonna let the kid win??” - mark

“even im not that cruel” - hyuck

but nana #dontgiveafuck bc he just won hAH TAKE THAT @JISUNG [had to make sure i didnt tag a blog there lmao rip]

mm so yall prolly met bc of a mutual dislike for sociology

ok so this part may be rubbish bc i know nothing abt sociology lmao so idk bare with me

yall were in the same class and the teacher set a partner project for the last term which she would test you on

1) ew partner projects #amirite 2) ew sociology #amiriteagain

cliche move: yall got paired up together

the project was basically one where you guys could freely talk about any topic relating to modern day society

you guys had to prepare a powerpoint expressing contrasting views to the topic and then also include your own

didnt seem hard enough, but since you were being graded on this you had to put in 110% effort overachievers ayyyy

so yall got to work, tryna think of what topic you could write about

and after much debate and thinking you both eventually agreed on writing about how social media portray young men

first yall were gonna do women but felt that others may do that,,,, and also that the expectations men had werent spoken of as much so this would be interesting

in lesson you made a quick plan about how you were gonna go about this

decided that it’d be best if you both worked on the powerpoint together, but done research separately so you could just merge the two when making the powerpoint. like, nana would find bad views and you would find good ones.

so you went your separate ways after that lesson and met up the next day

yall chilled out in the library after school and started your individual researching

and after like the first hour the cuTIE asks if youre hungry and youre like yeah a lil’ bit, so you guys pack up your stuff and head down the street to the cafe and eat a bit there

he pays even tho you had previously agreed to split it :(((

and youre just like “hey we should just base our project on you-”

jaemin: “a nice young man that pays the bills?”

you: “a lying young man who said we’d split but stole the bill before i could do anything. im writing bad things about you now”

jaemin: “YOURE BEING BIASED, THATS UNFAIR–”

you: “idc :))))”

yall were just kidding obvs

after eating you guys head back to the cafe for like another hour of researching

and you decided that tomorrow you’d make a start on the powerpoint

so yall say bye, meet up tomorrow after school bc theres no sociology lesson, and do the same thing as yesterday

including the cafe dateeeee ;)))))

you make a start on the powerpoint and like hes such a perfectionist

like “no, no, no y/n move the title a bit to the right. no no ! your other right,,,, aaa no youve moved it too much !!!!”

“um,,,,, im not really feeling this navy blue, use that green instead,,, actuallyyyyy, what about that purple over there????”

after he starts shouting out hex codes to use you give up and just let him take the mouse

he ends up keeping the initial navy blue lmao

so after that hectic day and jaemin’s complaining youve managed to do just. your. first. slide.

but it has a super c00l background and animations so yeah very productive !!!

this basically continues for the next 3 weeks, with you guys presenting in the 4th week.

when it comes to the presentation day yall were vvvv nervous going up bc you get graded on how you present it as well, not just the info :’))))

but the whole thing runs super smoothly bc na jaemin flashed thAT SMILE @ YOU AND ALL YOUR WORRIES DISAPPEARED BEFORE YOU GUYS EVEN INTRODUCED THE TOPIC

the whole thing went really well, you guys took turn answering questions your peers and the teacher threw at you and when yall were done he sMILED AGAIN !!!!! and like yall felt super confident bc that went hecking well

when you got your results back it was an A*/ A+ and nana sent a message to you like “OMGGGGGGG WE DID IT!!! YESSSS!!!! MY AMAZING HARD WORK PAID OFF”

“***ouR AMAZING HARD WORK,,, BUT LIKE IM PRETTY SURE IT WAS MY AMAZING HEX CODES THAT SEALED THE DEAL”

yall decided to celebrate at the cafe that you frequented

the old lady that owned the place knew you guys really well bc of the project

she’d be constantly refuelling you guys so she knew about the project too LMAO

and so when you guys told her that you guys aced the project she was super happy too and she was like “your food is on the house ily !!!!”

so like whoop whoop !! free food !

and you guys kept up that tradition during the summer holidays, meeting up at the cafe

and like the employees there knew you both so well

they started a bet like “how long until they walk in here holding hands one day and start dating???”

jaemin accidentally calls you sweetie or smth and you both just hear the old lady scream “yeSSSS!!! I WON!!!!! PAY UP WORKERSsss!!!! FREE FOOD FOR YOU, JAEMIN + Y/N!!!”

yall were confused as heck buT FREE FOOD !!!

i aint even surprised this was my longest one i love na jaemin

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lady-thor-foster · 7 years

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Run To You // Sam Wilson x Reader P4

Pairing: Sam Wilson x POC Reader, Bucky Barnes x POC Reader Word Count: 2.6k+ Warning: fluff, language, angst, FEELINGS

Summary: Time Skip: A year and a half! Moving in with the Avengers was the best decision you’d ever made. Things between you and Sam are absolutely wonky. Thor doesn’t approve of anything less than complete honesty. It looks like there’s someone else who might want a chance to earn your heart.

A/N: I have no self-control. None. Not even a little bit. If no one stops me I might end up writing 200k words and 20 chapters lmao. This whole thing is already 10k+ in my docs There’s definitely going to be more parts to this.

Inspiration: “Over You” ~ Daughtry

“I’m slowly getting closure, I guess it’s really over, I’m finally getting better Now I’m picking up these pieces, From spending all of these years Putting my heart back together, ‘Cause the day I thought I’d never get through, I got over you…”

PREVIOUS CHAPTER // NEXT CHAPTER

Putting your life back together after the hell you went through was easier said than done. Luckily you had the love and support of your newfound Avengers family. It’s only been a little over a year but it’s been the absolute time of your life.

Tony, Bruce and the rest of the gang were pleasantly surprised to find out you weren’t just a freelance manuscript editor but an avid science and technology geek as well. You might not have been a certified genius but you certainly gave Tony a run for his money. Bruce was just happy to have someone to talk nuclear physics with that wasn’t Tony Stark.

The friendship between you, Natasha and Wanda blossomed beautifully into an unbreakable sisterhood. The other women gave you so much more than just comfort and support; they helped you rebuild your foundation of emotional strength. Nat helped you channel your anger into learning self-defense. You had a particular affinity for knives. Wanda helped you rediscover what it meant to love someone and to be loved unconditionally. Without them, you weren’t sure where you’d be right now.

It wasn’t just the women who helped you, the men were also vital to your recovery. Steve and Sam helped you relearn how to stand up for yourself. Clint and Bruce taught you how to protect yourself emotionally; Thor taught you how to laugh carefree again. Tony and Bucky also helped you realize you were so much more than what other people decided for you. Pietro taught you how to love life; Vision helped you relearn how to trust. Truth be told, without the Avengers you’d be in a bar somewhere following in your father’s footsteps: drinking yourself to death. You shuddered at the thought.

There were still bad days. There were still days where you couldn’t even leave your bed because his voice played endlessly like a broken record reminding you how worthless he thought you were. There were still times were a sudden movement or a surprise touch to the shoulders would send you scurrying for a small, compact space where you could feel safe. There were still moments where you still couldn’t meet your own gaze in the mirror. You weren’t together yet, but you were getting there.

Instead of taking the job offer Stark Industries presented you with, you petitioned Tony to become an investor in your newly founded publishing business. You’d learned your lesson from Andrew thoroughly; self-reliance was one of the most important skills you could have. Tony was more than happy to help you fulfill your dreams and having the support of your closest friends, especially Sam and Bucky, gave you the courage to face your demons head on. So you did.

It took a couple of months for you to get things up and running smoothly but once you settled in, Second Chance Publishing quickly made its mark in the publishing world. No one was more surprised than you when some of your favorite authors approached you about publishing deals after your successes with novice writers on the New York Times best-selling lists. One of your writers even had a movie series deal in the works! It was so much more than you ever could have dreamed. Finally realizing that you were fully capable of standing on your own two feet, you made the choice to take Tony up on his offer of your own rooms in the Tower. Regrettably, Sam wasn’t quite ready to let you go just yet.

Things between you and Sam had been particularly strained lately. When you first moved into the Compound, Tony offered to prepare a couple of rooms for you to live and work. Of course, you hadn’t been in any mindset to think of sleeping on your own so you moved in (temporarily) with Sam. He didn’t seem to oppose at all. It was comforting falling asleep every night with someone you knew only had your best intentions at heart. The feeling of safety and serenity that came with being wrapped in Sam’s embrace consistently stole your breath away. Somewhere along the way, the line that separated friendships and relationships became blurred. When Sam introduced you to Psychologist Rebbecca Kaplan, you finally realized you’d accidentally fallen in love with your best friend. This discovery set off a chain reaction of awkward conversations and blatant avoidance between you and your oldest friend.

“Tell me [Y/N], how are you dealing with everything this week? Last week we talked you finally living in your own space and moving out of Sam’s. Have you talked to him about it?” Dr. Kaplan questioned, eyeing you carefully. You sighed heavily; this woman was too good at her job. This was going to be one of those sessions.

“Things between us are weird now. Ever since Tony gave me the keys to my own rooms in The Compound a couple months ago, it’s like Sam goes out of his way to avoid me. Honestly Doc, I don’t know where I went wrong. I miss my best friend.”

“Last week, your homework was to attempt to talk it out with him, tell me how that went.”

“Oh believe me Doc, I tried. That man has been hanging out with Clint way too long because he’s sneakier than a weasel when it comes to talking about his feelings. I would have said something earlier but between his missions and my publishing business, I hardly see him anymore. If it weren’t for Bucky and Steve, I wouldn’t even know if he were still alive.”

“Go on,” she pressed.

“It’s like every time I walk into the room, he has to find some reason to walk out of it. I’ll send him an invitation to hang out with the gang but he always has an excuse as to why he can’t do it. Just yesterday, I made him his favourite dinner and he didn’t even come down to eat it. I love him; he’s always been my best friend. I just want to know what I did to make him hate me.” You could feel the unshed tears stinging your eyes. After everything you’d been through, you couldn’t imagine living a life without your best friend. Little did you know: Sam felt the same way.

“I don’t understand why you seek to avoid Lady [Y/N],” Thor chastised, “She is kind, clever and beautiful. Why must you let her believe you do not care for her?”

“I know this, ThunderBoy! It—it’s not that simple,” Sam muttered with his face in his hands. Thor grunted disapprovingly at Sam as Bucky walked into the kitchen.

“If you are not careful, Sir Wilson,” he said with an appraising eye on the former Winter Soldier who was currently looting the fridge for post workout snacks, “Someone else will find a way to ensnare her heart.”

Bucky nearly choked on the unclaimed yogurt he managed to snag from the overly organized refrigerator. Thor’s pointed statement hit a little too close to home for him. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say the boisterous Asgardian knew about his feelings for you. Careful to keep his face impassive, Bucky made his way to the table to join the two men.

“Whose heart are we talking about here?” he asked. Thor looked at him with a grin he’d only ever seen on Loki or Natasha’s face. It was in that moment Bucky realized Thor and Loki really weren’t too different after all. That was a terrifying thought.

“Sir Wilson here is conflicted about his feelings for Lady [Y/N],” Thor stated with that same suspicious grin on his face. Bucky felt his heart sink to his feet. Of course, Sam had feelings for you; you’d spent that last 10 months sleeping in the same bed with him. He wasn’t sure what surprised him more: the face that the two of you weren’t in a relationship or the fact that you’d somehow decided to move out. Either way, he held on to the faint glimmer of hope that he had a chance. Taking a measured breath, Bucky felt his mask slip into place.

“What are you confused about, man? [Y/N]’s a fantastic dame. Anyone would be lucky to even have a chance to be with her,” he said.

“A chance to be with whom?” came a particularly nosy red headed assassin’s voice. Bucky groaned inwardly; if Thor knew, Natasha knew and then he was completely screwed. Fuck.

“[Y/N],” Sam answered tiredly.

“I don’t know why you haven’t snapped her up yet Sam. It’s clear she loves you,” Natasha said coolly. Bucky could feel her piercing eyes boring holes into his face. Oh yeah, she knew. He was absolutely screwed.

“It’s not that simple okay!” Sam shouted. Everyone flinched at his raised voice. Sam rarely ever yelled.

“Talk to us Sam,” Natasha gently implored.

“I might be completely in love with her but that doesn’t give me the right to force my feelings onto her especially after that douchewad. A relationship is the last thing on her mind. So I have to deal with these feelings and put them away because she’s not mine. She never was.”

Sam sighed heavily and stood up from the table. He never intended on telling anyone, least of all Barnes, Thor and Natasha, how he felt about you. When you decided to move out of his room he felt his heart rip from his chest. Logically, he knew it was the best decision for you; you needed to figure out how to be on your own again. He just couldn’t seem to get his heart to understand that loving you as more than a friend wasn’t an option, least of all for him.

The first night sleeping without you was hell for Sam. He missed your warmth, the softness of your dark skin, the smell of your dark, curly hair; he missed you. It took him 3 weeks and a hell of a lot of caffeine before he could sleep for more than a couple of hours at a time. He wasn’t sure when he’d become so reliant on your presence next to him in bed but a part of him wished vehemently that he hadn’t. He knew he had no right imposing his feelings on you so he did the best thing he knew how to do: he protected you. Unfortunately, that meant he died a little inside every time he forced himself to walk away from you.

In hindsight, Bucky should have expected Natasha to confront him. Especially after Sam’s minor meltdown. The fact that he was completely surprised when she cornered him in the elevator meant he was completely off his game.

“Barnes,” she warned.

“Romanoff,” he retorted.

“Don’t even think about it.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about, Talia.” It took everything inside of Bucky not to put his fist through the wall. He knew having feelings for you was wrong; you were Sam’s best friend. Sam finally trusted him. But damn if he couldn’t get the intoxicating smell of your skin and the sexy way you sassed him back out of his head. Between your unlikely friendship and his penchant for self-sabotage, his heart decided to leap headfirst into falling in love with you.

“Don’t bullshit me, Barnes. I know you have feelings for [Y/N]. Don’t even think about going after her.” The elevator doors opened and the two of them stepped onto the main floor. They couldn’t have known you were rounding the corner then.

“Shouldn’t that be for her to decide?”

“Barnes if you fuck this up for [Y/N] and Sam there won’t be a force in the world that could keep me from ending your life.”

You were completely floored. Bucky Barnes had feelings for you? Holy shit! Wait, what did Natasha mean about him fucking things up for you and Sam? As far as you could see, Sam didn’t want anything to do with you. Confusion fogged your already tired and stressed brain. You were so wrapped up in this new admission that you didn’t even notice when you made it to your own room, stripped and flung yourself into bed. Sleep didn’t exactly come easy.

4:06 am. Your alarm clock mocked you mercilessly; sleep eluded you harshly. Staring at the walls was too much to handle, you needed to escape. Groaning, you pulled on a pair of comfy sweaters and a tee shirt you stole from one of the guys. You made your way to the kitchen to hunt down some calming tea only to find Bucky already there. Oh shit.

“Hey Doll. What’re you doin’ up?” he asked sleepily. His Brooklyn accent was so much more pronounced when he was tired and goddamn it was hot as hell.

You shrugged, “Sleep is a fickle mistress.” He snorted at you.

“I’m well aware.”

“What are you doing up?”

“Got some things on my mind,” he said simply. Nodding at him, you rooted around in the cabinets before you found your hidden stash of vanilla tea. Prepping the tea pot, you turned on the stove and perched yourself on the counter next to him. Bucky snorted again when he noticed you swinging your legs in anticipation.

“Something funny, Buck?”

He leveled his piercing gaze on you, “You.”

Laughing, you lightly swatted him on the arm. Bucky felt goosebumps prickle his skin where you touched him. Mentally cursing himself, he fought the urge to kiss you right there. When you turned to watch the teapot he had free reign to take in your beautifully sleepy appearance. Your curly hair was sticking up all over the place, your eyes shined brightly. You nibbled on your plump bottom lip while you sat lost in thought and he could have punched himself in the face for finding it hot as hell. He wanted nothing more than to stare at you for the rest of the night.

The weight of Bucky’s stare was almost too much to bear. You replayed his earlier conversation with Nat in your head. Did he really have feelings for you or were you just a convenient choice? What did those feelings mean? Did he want you as a girlfriend or just a lover? Could he see a future for the two of you? Would he—

“I can hear your brain working from here, [Y/N]. What’s on your mind, doll?”

“Oh, it’s nothing Buck. Don’t worry about it,” you said while staring holes into the floor. Bucky’s flesh hand cupped your chin and he gently lifted your eyes to his. There was something different about the way he looked at you tonight. You couldn’t put your finger on it but it stole your breath away.

“Come on, darlin’. It’s me. I see right through you.”

“Bucky…” you whispered softly. Somehow Bucky found himself standing between your parted legs with his face inches from yours. He saw your gaze flicker to his lips and he almost lost it.

“[Y/N]?”

“Kiss me,” you ordered him. Bucky didn’t need to be told twice. You were suddenly crushed into his chest with his impossibly soft lips moving against yours. He groaned at the taste of you. Locking your ankles around his waist, you wrapped your arms around his neck and lost your fingers in his hair. His teeth nibbled softly at your bottom lip and you moaned into his mouth. It was the prettiest sound he’d ever heard. The temperature difference between his hands inching up your shirt set your body alight with desire. It’d been so long since anyone touched you like this, since anyone wanted you like this. You and Bucky were so lost in each other that you didn’t even notice Sam stumble into the kitchen in shock.

Sam couldn’t find it in his heart to be angry with either of you right now. He did this to himself. With his head hung low and his heart in millions of pieces, he walked away soberly. You were never his.

END P4

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