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"I am not packing your kitchen, Buck," Maddie says with a hard set to her jaw and a hand planted on her hip, and Evan sends her a warning look over his shoulder, elbow deep in packing tape and half-folded boxes. Tommy is clearly missing something.
"You found the ring cutter in there with the ladles too, huh?" Snipes Eddie from somewhere in the vicinity of the bathroom, and before Tommy can get a firm grasp on that Eddie's tipping his head back through the open doorway. "C'mon guys, seriously, you didn't pack this shit up before you forced us all to help you pack?" There's an unopened tube of lube in his hand.
"I'm getting things off of walls and that is all, Evan Buckley," comes Maddie's quick rejoinder, and Buck levels them both with a look.
"That could be for normal stuff! Sometimes rings need cutting! Sometimes you need to - lubricate other things!"
It is, of course, the moment Bobby wanders through the unlocked door.
Tommy's still familiar with the cadence of Hen and Howie, ribbing and mocking a form of endearment for them both, so he's not exactly shocked when Bobby just rolls with it and starts listing off the last fifteen calls they've needed it for. None of those things particularly improve the red rising up Evan's cheekbones, but Tommy catches the grin Bobby's hiding while he sets boxes of pizza up at the kitchen table, cleared of the latest seasonal decor Evan had dragged him through three different department stores to find, not that he could be bothered to care when the very existence of them was all it took to shift Maddie's opinion of him from tolerantly friendly to encouragingly approving.
("This loft was a minimalists wet dream before you were in the picture," she'd told him one evening, after she'd manipulated him into admitting he was terrified this didn't mean the same thing to Evan as it did to him. "He started nesting a month after my wedding, Tommy.")
And now they're here. Watching Evan pretend to be miffed by the teasing while he fights a roll of packing tape.
He's going to miss the upstairs shower, wide enough for two grown men to fit more than comfortably; and the balcony on cooler nights when he could tempt Evan out for a slow dance set to the late-evening traffic; the kitchen island at the perfect height to lift Evan onto and tilt his head up for an angled kiss.
He won't miss the open plan that makes it impossible to do much of anything with a snoring Eddie right below them, the tuba player two doors down who only seems to practice the moment Tommy's head meets the pillow at the end of any random days-long shift, the way the elevator always smells like tuna on Thursday afternoons.
There are things he won't have to miss, of course. Evan, on nights when they just can't make their schedules align well enough to justify the drive time. The extra fluffy towel set Evan had refused to reveal the origin of ("You'll buy your own and leave me, I know you're only with me for my towels."). The pictures plastered to the fridge that Tommy's spent the last few weeks plotting out space for on his own before deciding he'd need a new fridge just to fit them all. The plant he'd bought Evan to appease the grump, the first time he'd dragged him to the farmers market at the ass crack of dawn, lovingly named Herbert. The fancy adjustable bedside lamps Evan had bought the last time he'd caught Tommy squinting down his reading glasses at the book in his hands. Evan.
Christ, he wouldn't have to miss Evan anymore. They'd synched up their schedules more or less as well as they could, but Tommy's spent months now trying to ignore how quickly a sleepless night could turn restful with Evan in his bed - how fitful a night without him there had a habit of being.
Most of the loft is already packed. Evan's wardrobe has been dwindling for weeks now, a box at a time carted from the back of the Jeep up Tommy's drive, through the mud room, down the hall and straight to the closet that had never seen such a shock of color or variety of fabric. They'd sprung for a bigger mattress, once they'd gotten over the sticker shock and remembered how much they'd be saving by paying half a mortgage each with no rent to speak of, and other than the kitchen table most of Evan's other furniture was being donated.
All that really remained were the kitchen supplies Evan hadn't been willing to move until he handed over his keys, a few toiletries, a single drawer of clothes just in case he needed them. Pictures on the walls and stacks of books on the bookshelves - half a decade of life lived in this apartment and most of it was already half unboxed and slowly integrating into the fifteen years Tommy had put into his own solitary life.
Evan finishes taping boxes and makes a beeline for his itemized list, and Tommy has to pretend it's giving him as much grief as Evan's sister and best friend to see the clipboard in action. He's not entirely sure how well he sells it, when even Bobby's shooting him aggrieved looks only to grimace at whatever he finds in Tommy's expression.
And just like that, an hour passes and the pizza disappears; the boxes are loaded into the back of his truck; the kitchen table in Eddie's; and Maddie tugs her brother in for a hug, drags Tommy in for good measure too, kisses them both on the cheek as she leaves; Bobby tucks a wooden box filled with handwritten recipes on note cards into Evan's hand and Tommy pretends not to notice either of their teary eyes; Eddie hefts a six pack out of the otherwise empty fridge and promises to meet them at the house in forty-five.
There's still one picture stuck to the fridge - a candid from the first barbeque Athena and Bobby had hosted after their move, Tommy and Evan backlit by a setting sun, tucked up against each other leaned against a porch railing, and Tommy knuckles at it while Evan does a slow introspective spin to take in the wide expanse of windows and brick. He's still staring when Evan finishes and drifts towards him, hands tucking in at Tommy's waist, chin hooking over his shoulder.
"Is this one staying?"
Evan shakes his head, nose digging into the side of Tommy's neck. "Just wanted to keep it out so it could be the first one we put up."
He remembers the night. Karen had gotten him drunk and added him to the wives group chat. May Grant had stolen half his slice of cake right off his plate and dared him to protest. Jee had spent the entire night calling him Uncle Tommy and thrown a massive fit when she realized he wasn't going home with her to read a bedtime story. Christopher and Denny had spent half an hour trying to teach him how to play Fortnite and then been mystified when he trounced them in Mario Kart. He knows exactly why it's significant to him. "Why this one?" he asks, curving into the cradle of Evan's arms.
Evan's so much better with words than Tommy is, and Tommy's just grateful Evan takes his actions for the things he means with them. "That's the night I knew what our something was gonna be," Evan murmurs, and Tommy tips his chin back and angles his head to catch Evan's lips against his own.
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Remembering stuff like Alfred having Bruce and cutting his hair and and dressing him. Which could mean anything but really reinforce the upstairs/downstairs servile relationship. The lack of modesty or shame a rich person has around their staff is something else. And it’s just a like. Almost a Caste system where Alfred is second class and can never BE on Bruce’s level as an equal let alone authority figure. And Alfred is happy with that! Because that’s the story and he is, after all, the butler
[laufire's cool post on Alfred & Bruce]
Yeah, Alfred is not Bruce's father. Bruce is the pater familias of his household like his father before him, and Alfred is his very cherished manservant. Alfred can be a caretaker and a confidant, he can even be parental (-ish), but he's not a parent. (Note to self: rant about the awkward and aggressively enforced line between "parental" and "parent" in Batman mythos.)
IMO one of the most compact arguments on Alfred's role is in Batman: Year One (IIRC the very comic that established Alfred as an old servant of the Wayne family, instead of his original story of being hired by Bruce). Grant Morrison was on some podcast (I think either Kevin Smith's podcast or "Hypertime to Podcast"?) talking about the significance of how Bruce's first act as Batman is to ring a bell to ask for Alfred to help him. We see Morrison emphasize this moment in The Return of Bruce Wayne, where The Bell is a relic on the same level as The Pearls and The Gun.
I can agree it's a defining moment. To some extent I'm willing to accept Morrison's suggestion that Bruce ringing the bell symbolizes the value of asking for help, teamwork, comradery, family, humility, etc—and most fans would be happy to sprint with that interpretation. But I can also juggle a separate interpretation that branches off and veers to the left...
You do not ring a bell to ask for help from your parent or friends or family—you ring a bell to summon a servant.
Bruce becoming Batman in Year One is the story of a prince reclaiming his kingdom. (The Return of Bruce Wayne is a renewal of that story.) Summoning the family manservant is the act of Bruce finally accepting his royal inheritance, after his foolish attempt to slum it with the rabble. A good king is kind and attentive to his subjects, and considers the opinions of his advisors—but they're never his equals or his superiors, no matter how much he cherishes them. They're his subordinates. Nobody is on Bruce's level as an equal, nobody can win a case against his authority, in Gotham. Bruce is the rightful heir of his kingdom. The king and queen are dead, long live the king.
—I know some vocal fans are very critical of Miller, but there's no disputing that Miller's Batman: Year One is the definitive Post-Crisis story of Bruce's invention of Batman, and pretty much every modern comic writer and fan recognizes it. It's likely no comic writer or story has had as much enduring influence on the Batman mythos since Miller wrote Year One and The Dark Knight Returns. Case in point: Alfred.
So yeah. Alfred isn't Bruce's dad. The Gotham TV series probably makes the strongest case for Alfred as Bruce's dad, and even then I personally think there is wiggle room to say eh they're family and they love each other but they're not quite parent & child. Everything else—Batman '66, BTAS, the Nolan movies, Lego Batman, Battinson—ultimately doesn't Alfred cast as Bruce's dad, for the best. Recent comics and the later Arkhamverse games try to force the father-son thing, but it's cheap and unearned.
#Me using big words and making grand sweeping claims for flavor? More likely than you think.#''The lack of modesty or shame a rich person has around their staff is something else.'' <- 🔥🔥 Love that.#alfred pennyworth#bruce wayne#batman meta#essay#Finally throwing my hat in the ring on Alfred Pennyworth meta.#I'm really sorry about my other way more important meta. Those posts have [shudders] citations and embedded images. 😖#Saint Vyvanse‚ pray for me...#Duke's Robin movement has a lot of good bits and one of the big misses was putting Alfred into the role that he had.#Big disservice that will be corrected when my school of thinkers are in charge of Duke's big-screen adaptation. ☝️#BTW the reason why Miller haters adore BTAS is because it's heavily based in the O'Neil-Englehart-Schwarz-ish era.#That's probably what Dini and Timm read growing up. Dini's Tec run ❤️❤️ is very BTAS-flavored but obvi overshadowed by Morrison's run.#Also. As a Jason fan.#(You knew this was coming.)#I say even Jason never made a heartfelt attempt to usurp the king. He is petitioning his king through terrorism.#I'm tired. Does this thing even make sense? Where was I going with this? What is the central claim?
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hey so let's have a quick discussion, recently nicholas chavez has been in a controversy rightfully so due to him taking a photo at a halloween party with two people who dressed up as lyle and erik menendez, even going as far to use fake blood for their costumes. now i know we all have the brains to realize this is not okay at all. the fact that he took a picture with them is absolutely outrageous and to those who are defending his wrong doings when he's grown enough to decipher what's wrong and right are insane. how can you say you're a menendez brothers supporter and still defend an actor's wrong doings, who played one of the brothers and apparently did research before starring in the show that in my opinion was not accurate and very weird about how it depicted each brother yet that same actor took a picture with two people dressing up as sexual abuse victims for halloween? lyle and erik menendez are victims not costumes. they're real life people who went through so much trauma throughout their lives and deserve to be respected.
adding on to this to say you can still like nicholas as an actor and also recognize his wrongs doing. this doesn't make him evil or anything, to the people saying they prayed for his downfall is extremely weird and just...i can't even begin to describe how much it just shocks me that someone is praying for someone's downfall. now, im still gonna hope that he eventually addresses this instead of staying silent because it's right to take accountability of your mistakes and grow from them. again im not saying he's a terrible human being, he's just someone who made a mistake and unfortunately hasn't taken accountability for.
#nicholas alexander chavez#cooper koch#girlblogging#nicholas chavez fanfiction#grotesquerie#nicholas chavez x reader#monsters#monsters: the lyle and erik menendez story#lyle menendez#erik menendez#justice for the menendez brothers
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crazy idea… what ab ais and vere with someone whos kinda obsessed with monsters?? like they study them for a living. idk where you would go with this but i just thought it would be interesting!!
it was indeed very interesting, anon, tysm for sharing!! ["You" pronouns used! to make it easier for me to use the plural "they"]
MONSTER 101:
✦ They both start out assuming that your interest is more suggestive in nature. That your insistence on "studying” Monsters is a smoke screen for your true desire to "consort" with them. So they are both waiting for you to ask something–shall we say?–uncouth. In fact, they have a little bet going…
Realizing that you are just legitimately interested…
They are both intrigued, though it comes in different flavors.
✦ For Vere, it is somewhat begrudging. He appreciates your ability to look past rules and accepted conventions. (There’s Monsters aplenty in Eridia but few humans are trying to understand Monsters, and of those near none are willing to be open about it due to fears of social ostracization. And even then, there’s usually some other motive at play…) Vere's unhappy to find he has a slightly high opinion of you. He really didn't mean to.
✦ He hates that a lot of his seduction techniques and attempts to catch you off guard or otherwise make you react are ineffective because you will just intellectualize them.
✦ Any time Vere mentions you studying monsters he says the word heavy with implication. “Studying. Is that what they're calling it, nowadays?" Including after he’s realized it isn’t like that; he’ll still imply it whenever he gets the chance.
✦ (The bet is still on, by the way. The fact that they’ll have to lead you into asking something questionable to win is just added spice.)
✦ And Vere is impatient to win. Plus, he’s curious to see what makes you tick. What button does he have to press…?
✦ He starts offering increasingly more and more inappropriate things. (In the vein of tail tugging, etc.) All to toy with you further your academic achievements, of course.
✦ Until he finally asks if you'd like to see him hunt.
✦ And that sends a thrill of a shiver down your spine–you can’t sort out if it’s due to fear or excitement.
✦ He sees your reaction and oh, isn’t that just delicious?
✦ Your instincts react before you fully understand why, gooseflesh covering your skin, the prickly feeling of your muscles flexing minutely making your hair follicles rise. You’re confused for a moment, your mind trying to make sense of the sudden surge of adrenaline–you’ve been so focused on Vere’s silky words that you didn’t even realize he’s gotten so close, that he’s starting to circle you, his eyes focused, pupils contracted.
He hums, inspecting you, turning your face this way and that, his neat claws skimming against you making you quiver. This close, you can see his pupils expand slightly, the way his jaw trembles just the slightest amount after he takes in a luxurious whiff of your scent.
Like he’s hungry,
like he’s starving
“Perhaps someone should study you for a change.”
✦ You’re breathless. Your mind scrambles for a moment before picking back up. What was that feeling, just now? You’ve read about this before, but–to experience it first hand–(and live)! You gush at Vere about how the experience was both everything and nothing like your studies have described.
✦ Of course, hearing Vere’s age is amazing to you–he’s such a unique source of information, he’s seen so much, he’s so old! But then, getting that information out of him is difficult on the best of days. And the information you do receive is difficult to sort through. Vere’s not exactly the most reliable narrator; you spend a lot of time trying to figure out what’s true and what’s an embellishment or elaborate joke.
✦ The idea that this is a job for you means that somebody must be paying you for this information. "You do plan on sharing the wealth, don't you? Dangerous things happen to those who don't keep their sources well fed."
✦ Ais admires your willingness to explore information, think things through for yourself and form your own opinions. After dealing with Mhin hating him for “no reason”, it’s a breath of fresh air.
✦ Ais’ personality tends to be a lot more straightforward…
✦ But when the information you’re curious about isn’t something he wants to disclose, he’s not above being unbearably vague.
✦ You ask Ais’ age, since Vere was willing to disclose his (kind of–you know he’s been around since Eridia was "a miserable little smear") but Ais keeps leading you in circles.
✦ “Cumulatively? Might take me a while to count that high. Lot of group inside this mind.”
✦ He’s not above teasing you either. “More questions? If you’re not careful, I’ll start to overthink your interest.”
✦ He does wonder what you're hoping to achieve with this knowledge. What's your goal? Do you even know? "Be careful with that curiosity of yours. Some might find it...impolite."
✦ He realizes that he tells you to be careful... a lot. And he tells himself that he's not responsible for your safety, but...
✦ Will challenge you to earn your answers from him. He's not interested in money, but he can't just be handing things out for free to you all of the time. So: "What's it worth to you?" Is there anything you think you can beat him at? Or maybe you know something he'd trade for. A new language? A secret?
✦ If there's any kind of mutual attraction… He’s actually kind of frustrated when/if none of your questions appear like they are going to turn in that direction. He’s not looking for a commitment, but he hates the feeling of ambiguity between you two. Makes him restless. If you give him any type of indication, though, or if your questions ever do stray away from the academic, he’s asking you if you wanna literally fuck around and find out. He hates a will-they-won’t-they, he finds it tedious and annoying. Unless…it comes with a competitive edge. If it’s a war of attrition, a challenge of 'who will break first'…? That’s a game he’ll consider playing. For the right reward. Hope you’re willing to deal with the consequences, though.
✦ He thinks it’s funny how you have so many questions. Avoiding answering them is even more amusing, though.
✦ Is he nocturnal? ("Who said I sleep?") What are the interpersonal dynamics like between Monsters? Can he confirm the existence of nonverbal communication cues (scent, atmospheric changes, etc.)? (“Yes.”) Will he tell you what they are? (“No.”)
✦ He avoids having you at the Sea Spring, though he never outright tells you that you aren't allowed there. And he's not very forthcoming about the topic. He's openly disinterested, in fact. If you don't take the hint, he'll tell you he's told you everything there is to say. Take the hint, alright?
✦ Your curiosity about Monsters extends to his Soulless too, doesn't it? If it didn’t, it’s about to.
✦ He takes you out in the wastes one day so that you can meet Princess and the others. Just on the outskirts, where no one will bother the two of you. He has to show Princess off. "I wanna show you her tricks."
✦ Petting Princess is...interesting. It's amazing to be able to get this close to a live Soulless without fearing for your life. The texture of her is unlike any other creature. She's sleek, leathery. Your brain fights the proximity at first. It's hard to divorce yourself from the idea of danger but you push past it to pet her. (You hear Ais make a little hum at that - surprise, approval. You can't tear your eyes away from the Soulless in front of you long enough to check his expression. There's the ghost of a smile on his face when you finally manage.)
✦ And the fact that she purrs... He hears you talking to yourself about how that's absolutely fascinating, the implications, do the Soulless communicate (unprecedented information!) or is this something specific to the Sea Spring? Wait, even if it is Sea Spring specific, why does she have the anatomy to make a purring vocalization? It's not like the Sea Spring changed her physically...? Although... maybe it did...?
✦ Ais can admit that your scholarly tangents are endearing. You could have chosen a safer interest/profession, though. One less likely to get you into trouble. But you've survived this far. Maybe he should give you more credit.
✦ Needless to say: being around them both at the same time...they're more than just a handful. (Don't say that to Vere. The handjob joke makes itself.) They are terrifying as a team, constantly bouncing off each other trying to mess with you.
✦ And about that bet...they suppose they could share the win. If that's what it takes.
#warning(s): canon typical innuendo#Wanted to set this free for u to read tho anon!#i’m so intrigued by this premise– i am keeping it in the back of my mind i’d love to write a little more with this so lmk if you have any#further thoughts on this ...and if i independently have any further thoughts i will post them!#touchstarved game#ais touchstarved#vere touchstarved#touchstarved fanfic#toxintouch: {pick} prompt {your poison}#once more i post at the most inopportune time when everyone is asleep zzzz lol#toxintouch writing#me: makes small edits to it so it reads better--but AFTER everyone has reblogged and read it lmao#repetition is my writing crutch.
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Buried Secrets Teaser
Buried Secrets Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist Frankie Morales x OFC
Summary: After the harrowing events in South America, Frankie and the guys have returned home and opened their own private security business. They're eventually approached by an archeologist, named Mya, who is requesting their specialized services for an archeological expedition in the Amazonian jungle of southeastern Peru, hours away from where they stashed Lorea's money just over the border in the mountains of northern Chile.
Frankie is hesitant to accept the job, but with Pope's insistence this could be their cover to go back for the money, he relents. However, Frankie soon learns their new job assignment only further puts them and his new love interest in danger in an unexpected way as they set out to find the lost Incan city of Paititi.
👉 Warnings: smut (MDNI), angst, mentions of mental health struggles and past drug use (it's Frankie), there are bad guys with weapons (gun violence, physical violence, death). Frankie Morales comes with his own warnings.
✨If you would like to be added to the tag list, let me know in the comments or shoot me a DM.
Hello my lovelies,
I bring you just a little update. I’ve started writing bits of scenes as they come to me. Given that…how about a nice little 1.8K word preview? Maybe Frankie’s introduction to Mya? Notice I said, Frankie’s introduction to Maya and not their introduction to each other. 👀🤭
More below the cut. Enjoy!
Frankie's POV
I stood leaning against the door frame to my office, arms crossed over my chest as I listened to Benny run through our options for some schedule changes. Will stood nearby, listening intently and occasionally offering up his opinion. He was about to speak when his attention was drawn to movement outside the front window, “Hey guys, looks like we got a new client. A fancy blacked out SUV just pulled up,”
Benny moved to stand next to his brother to peer out the window, “Oh damn, this chic’s hot.”
That was Pope’s siren call. He immediately stuck his head out of his office after spending the last 30 minutes ignoring our conversation about scheduling issues while he no doubt played games on his phone.
“Did you say you needed me, Ben?” he asked nonchalantly, just as our topic of conversation walked in. Pope nearly tripped over his own feet when he caught sight of her. Not that I could blame him. She commanded the attention of the room as soon as she stepped through the doorway and took off her expensive looking sunglasses.
It didn’t even have anything to do with her looks. She just had this magnetic aura that drew you in and also intimidated the fuck out of you. She was dressed in a black pant suit that hugged her curves in all the right places, yet still leaving everything to the imagination. Her spiked heels no doubt added a few inches to her height as she confidently walked across the lobby with her shoulders back and chin up. Her long mahogany hair swung around her shoulders, perfectly straight with no strands out of place. She was sexy as fuck and definitely not our typical clientele.
We all seemed to be stunned into silence as she came to a stop just in front of where we had congregated near the conference room entrance. Benny was the one to speak up first, standing a little straighter before he opened his mouth. “Hi there ma’am, can we help you with something?” he sputtered out.
“I’d like to speak with Mr. Morales please,” she said without hesitation.
Benny stood there, mouth hanging open as his eyes shifted to me. Will spoke then, “Mr. Morales typically doesn’t meet with new clients. Mr. Miller here and myself handle that.”
She feigned a polite smile, “I get that, but I would prefer to speak with the owner directly as this is a bit urgent and sensitive. I’m sure you can understand.”
Her tone made it clear that was her final answer. Pope obviously didn’t read the room as he stepped forward to intervene, turning on his charm and giving his best flirty smile, “If you wanna step into my office, we can have a chat about your situation. I’m sure I can get you taken care of.”
Her eyes narrowed on him, a playful smirk forming on her lips as she scanned him from head to toe, “I don’t believe you’re Mr. Morales.”
Pope’s mouth dropped open, then snapped shut. That wasn’t the response he was expecting. The woman’s eyes shifted to me as her smile widened, “But you are. Mind if we have a chat in private?”
I was momentarily frozen by the intensity of her gaze, then confused about how she knew I was who she was looking for. My brows arched as I pursed my lips. We just sort of stared at each other for a brief moment. It felt like she was analyzing every move I made as her gaze raked over me. I uncrossed my arms and stepped to the side, motioning for her to step into my office.
I glanced over at the guys, all three of them were watching her retreating form. If I looked hard enough, I could probably see the drool coming out of Pope’s mouth as he salivated over the possibilities. His eyes finally met mine, sparkling with mischief as he smiled and said, “Será mejor que cierres ese trato.” (You better close that deal.)
I rolled my eyes at his insinuation, “Vete a la mierda,” (Fuck off.)
I could hear Benny and Will snickering as I turned to join the puzzling woman waiting in my office. After closing the door behind me, I was met with her amused expression as she stood with one arm across her chest, the other propped on it so she could rest her chin on her fingers.
“Do you always let him hit on clients?” she asked with a smirk.
I shrugged, “I do enjoy watching him stick his foot in his mouth. I can’t help myself.”
She chuckled as our gazes met. My heart rate suddenly picked up as I cleared my throat and moved to lean against my desk, “So, you gotta name? Seems like you already know mine.”
She smiled, not moving from where she stood, “Sorry, that was rude of me to not introduce myself. I’m Mya Carnahan.”
I crossed my arms, “Well, Miss Carnahan, what can Delta 5 Security Solutions help you with?”
She dropped her hands to her sides, smiling up at me through her lashes, “Getting right to it then, I like that.”
I bit the inside of my cheek as I watched her unbutton her suit jacket, then stick her hands in her pockets as she began to pace my office. I could already tell she was going to be a problem. I just wasn’t sure if it was a good or bad one.
“I’ll be leading an archeological dig in the Southeastern Peruvian jungle. I’m gonna need security for my team while we’re there.”
My brows furrowed, “And why would an archeological dig site need our kind of security?”
She paused her pacing to look at me, “The locals won’t exactly be excited about it. Many believe those sites should remain untouched because of old Incan legends. We also have the narcos to worry about. I’m sure you’re aware drugs are heavily trafficked down there?”
I nodded, already feeling reluctant about taking this on. I knew exactly what this would lead to once I told Pope about it. The location was too close to where we stashed Lorea's money. He would want to go back for it.
“The narcos sometimes move product through those remote areas, have stash houses, and even cultivate in the middle of the jungle. If we were to...unknowingly encroach on their territory, they wouldn’t hesitate to put an end to things.”
I pushed off my desk, moving to stand with my hands on my hips, “Not trying to be rude, but you don’t strike me as an archaeologist. What exactly is it that you do, Miss Carnahan?”
Her eyes were fixed on me as she fought a smile, “When I’m not digging up mummies and old relics, I’m an antiquities dealer. Before you ask…I’m a reputable dealer with ethical sourcing.”
I arched my brow. Somehow I doubted that. “Who’s your benefactor? I know these digs are expensive. Do I need to be concerned that they’ve pissed anyone off?”
She tucked her plump bottom lip between her teeth, deciding on how to respond. Thoughts of biting that lip myself flashed through my mind. I had to quickly shove them away.
“That’s confidential information. I’ve been asked to not share it. Best I can give is that he’s a well-off gentleman that does legitimate business on a global scale. So yes, he’s probably pissed a few people off. He doesn’t want his name attached to it. As far as anyone is concerned, the dig is funded by donations, which isn’t completely untrue.”
I scoffed, “I’m sorry, but if you can’t give me all the information, then I’m not interested in taking this on. I require a certain level of trust with our clients and I don’t take risks.”
She ignored my response, pacing again and continuing on as if I hadn’t just told her no.
“I haven’t gotten my team fully assembled yet, but I’m thinking we'll have 30-40 people. We’ll need at least one pilot to fly some of the bigger equipment in. Though, I’d prefer two, just in case we need to make a quick exit. We’re planning to be there for at least three months for the initial expedition. We leave in two weeks.”
I stared at her wide-eyed, “Did you hear what I just said? I’m not interested unless you give me all the information I ask for. And who says we have pilots and enough staff on hand to travel to the Peruvian jungle for three months on short notice?”
She was smiling at me again as she approached, crowding my space as we stood face to face.
“You’re a pilot, right? There’s one…and I know you hire veterans, so I’m betting there’s another one and that a lot of them would be jumping at the opportunity to do something like this. I’d wager your three guys out front would if given the opportunity.”
How the fuck does she know so much? I was beginning to worry this might be some sort of setup to get us back to South America.
“How do you know I’m a pilot?” I asked.
She looked around my office and motioned to the pictures on the wall. I chuckled and nodded. That was a rookie mistake, Fish.
“I don’t do field work anymore…and like I said…you haven’t told me all the information.”
She was still giving me that sweet smile, “I’m fairly confident you’re not gonna turn me down, Mr. Morales. You’re too intrigued.”
She pulled a business card out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was black and glossy with shiny embossed gold lettering that said Hathor’s Gallery of Antiquities framed with a fancy gold border on the back of it. Even her fucking business card felt expensive.
“I need to know something by noon tomorrow, or else I’m moving on to another security firm.”
My head snapped up, “Another firm? There is no one else locally that can provide what you need.”
She gave me a smug smile, “You sure about that?”
She had to be fucking with me. “Yeah, I am.”
She moved to open the door to leave, pausing to look back over her shoulder in my direction, “By noon, or else I’m moving on.”
“We haven’t even discussed payment details,” I added following her to the lobby.
She paused in the middle of the waiting area, “You only need to name your price and I’ll pay it.”
I could feel the eyes of Benny, Will, and Pope on us as we stared each other down for a beat. I didn’t know how to respond to that as I stood with my mouth gaping.
“We’ll talk more tomorrow once you’ve officially made your decision," she said as she turned toward the exit. She shifted her attention to the guys still standing outside the conference room entrance, “Mr. Garcia, try to stay outta trouble…Millers, enjoy your afternoon.”
Without another word, she was gone, climbing into the back of the SUV as the driver held the door open for her.
“What the hell was that?” Benny asked.
I sighed and shook my head, “I...don’t fucking know.”
A/N: Annnd the first words have been yeeted into the world. Thoughts? Feelings? Excited? Fuck off with that?🤣 Frankie and Maya are obviously going to have an interesting dynamic. I can't wait until these two start bumping heads. This should be another fun ride. 💜Mysty In case you missed it: ✨Meet the Characters ✨Teasers & Asks ✨Vibes
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How BigB would work in different alliances?
There was a poll someone made a week ago, which inspired this post. The poll was about who you would think would be the funniest team up for BigB. I don't remember what I answered, but these are my thoughts on how well he would've fit in in each team. I especially talk about his dynamics with individual people here.
Also sorry for any mistakes, I've written this as it came into my head so some points might not be clear, so sorry. Also, comment down your opinions about these dynamics I would love to hear them :).
!SPOILERS FOR WILD LIFE AHEAD!
The Bamboozlers
Jimmy- he has an amazing dynamic with Jimmy already, I mean that scene in 3rd life where Scott and I think Martyn? was 3rd wheeling their little inside jokes, their dynamic is underrated for real. They seem to be great friends irl and BigB seems very comfortable around him, and Jimmy also contributed heavily to the whole hole thing happening in Secret Life ("BigB that hole changed you!")
Lizzie- he's teamed with Lizzie before and honestly I loved their dynamic too- that scene with them at the fairy fort with Cleo, *chef's kiss*, and then Lizzie killing him with fireworks, claiming he was the start of her downfall, which in some ways he truly was, amazing. They're so silly together.
Scar- Scar who he hasn't teamed with but I would really like to see more of their dynamic. BigB oftentimes plays well into Scar's scams especially at beginning of the series, in 3rd life he was probs the only one to acquire and use the no kill pass, also Grian and Scar said multiple times that they don't want to kill him. In Last Life I think Scar managed to scam him out of a few diamonds by claiming to be the bogeyman which I don't think BigB truly thought but I think he likes playing into these little bits. Also he always has a 100/100 on Scar's reputation board, so he's doing something right lol. Would love to explore more of their dynamic as well.
Redwood mound
Ren- don't feel like I need to put anything down for this one, I mean he's teamed with Ren almost every single life series (that Ren's been in). Box boys all the way. I feel like BigB is used to the dramatics, and !SPOILERS! in the recent episode they even agreed to be the Kings of the Corners, so honestly they might've allied up again, but we'll see how it goes. However, considering the dramas of Double Life (when they last teamed up*) I mean the Secret Soulmates, and the whole fight at Scott's farm, although it got offset really by the fact they were both red ig. Also, BigB has made a few remarks during the therapy session on how he felt that Ren was looking/hanging out with too much like Martyn, so that's something. Overall, though they would make a great team imo. Hopefully this allyship they have in ep2 lasts.
*some might say that on a technicality they also teamed on SL, since Ren possessed Tango's body for an episode, and BigB was teamed with Tango at the time.
Martyn- Blue Sword Boy, and if I'm not mistaken the first recruit to the dogwarts army. They have some good bits together, especially with Martyn scaring him in SL (which was very funny), or going through BigB's backrooms with Jimmy trying to find him. So far though I don't think they talked a lot in Wild Life, but they were both in Evo together so extra points. Plus I love the lore Martyn sort of gave him/talked about.
The Spanners
Grian- ain't it obvious? Secret Soulmates anyone? Truly love their dynamic, similar to Jimmy they seem like good friends irl. Also he was the og gaslighting victim of BigB. That 'hole' (haha get it, like whole but hole? ok I'll leave) interaction changed the trajectory of human kind, or well the life series ig. I saw many ppl wanted a day 1 alliance for them which unfortunately didn't come to fruition (there's always another time), but they have a good dynamic for a great team, can't wait to see more of their interactions :D
Skizz- he's teamed with Skizz in the last season. I love how Skizz calls/called him BigPoppa (did I spell that right?) (edit: it's spelt BigBopper, thank you crystaleevee4 for the correction!). He felt a bit like a third wheel, but Skizz and Tango did a good job to include him in their shenanigans. Also we see time and time again on how BigB likes to stay by himself (I might talk more about that in another post ;p), so I think this dynamic suited them well. I think they worked very well together, and Skizz actually defending BigB from getting killed by Jimmy when BigB had to betray him was wholesome. Speaking of which, BigB having to betray Skizz cause of the task was brutal, imo f it wasn't his task he wouldn't have done it and he seemed very apprehensive about doing it, which probs stems from betraying Cleo and not being able to live it down (until now of course). So the fact that Skizz didn't turn on him and mark him as a traitor was a nice moment in my eyes.
Mumbo- I'm basing these off the top of my head and I don't think him and Mumbo interacted a lot before. !SPOILER! I'm pretty sure BigB jump scared him with his creaking in ep2 which was fun. I think it would be an interesting dynamic, they both are very silly, however with the paranoia infiltrating Mumbo this season I think he would trust BigB less than Grian, with BigBs more cryptic nature and such, but I do think it would be very fun to witness.
Tuff Guys
Etho- Anybody else still stuck in that moment in 3rd life where Etho and BigB got left alone and were riding in boats talking? No just me? OK, well what can I say, I think it's my most favourite underrated dynamic. They're both quite antisocial but in different ways. Etho likes to stay with his comfort ppl, ppl he knows well. Wheras, BigB tends to start basing alone, and then gest adopted by other ppl. That moment when BigB jump sacred Etho was everything to me, not to metnion Etho's reaction was quite funny. I think their humour goes well together, and what can I say, they would make the best cryptic duo lol.
BDubs- !Spoilers! "Did you just call me Bdubs?"- BigB ep2. Out of everyone, I personally feel like they are in opposite worlds to each other. Aside from Bdubs killing him in 3rd Life and BigB killing Bdubs with Ren in Double Life, I'm not sure I remember any particular moments between them, although it might just be my memory. I'm unsure if they would do great in a team but I don't think BDubs would particularly trust BigBs cryptic nature (I use the word cryptic a lot don't I?) I think BigB might push the line on Bdub's trust issues too much.
Tango- teamed before in SL, and 3rd life. I think they are nice and familiar with each other and would work well as a team. The more I think about it even as a duo they might be more interesting. I think B would calm Tango down and they would get into silly little shenanigans together, and near the end of a series Tango would push BigB to be more explosive and dangerous (BigB would probs go along with the plan, but when it goes AWOL, he'll probs try to abort it.)
The Family
Gem- Gem has only been in SL before, so it's hard to pinpoint what they're dynamic would be. Gem is very nice and would protect BigB well, and BigB would respond with his kind nature back and they would be quite a nice team. At least at the start, when the bloodshed starts I don't think BigB would be able to control Gem's bloodlust.
Joel- I don't think they've interacted a lot in the life series or at least there haven't been many significant moments that I could think of at least. They would get along great, and I can imagine Joel leading BigB into battle, but I don't think BigB can handle Joel's explosiveness for long-term.
Finally the GGGGs
Cleo- !Spoilers! OMG the lore! the way Cleo has finally forgiven him after what like 4 seasons? truly love it. During Last Life when they were still allies they seemed like a good duo. They cared about each other and Cleo tended to trust him more over the other fairy fort members imo. She was kind and loyal like she usually is with her day 1 allies, which I think is what made the betrayal worse. Throughout the 4 seasons BigB really seemed sorry about what he's done, and usually backed away at the mention of it and now that all is forgiven I'm sure he won't make the same mistake again (unless he wants another 4 seasons of anger from Cleo). I think in this new alliance he will try to atone for everything and I think even if it came down to him and Cleo at the end he wouldn't even consider killing them and would sacrifice himself. Cleo also seems to be the first one to realise that BigB is alone, and might need some friends. I mean if they decided to still stay upset, B would probs still be alone as no other team has really reached out an invitation to him (aside from the thing with Ren).
Pearl- NOSY NEIGHBOURS! Do you guys even have a clue on how much I loved nosy neighbours? Obviously not since this is like my 5th post on this website, but they truly are everything to me. The always watching bit which made everyone go nuts on the Watcher implications. The way that Pearl was alone all last season, rejected by her soulmate and finally found and established a healthy friendship with someone. The way Pearl wanted BigB to win, but he died before her, so tragic and I love it. And Pearl was everything BigB needed as well, someone to be his day 1 alliance. I could talk for hours about them but I won't. But I love their dynamic, hopefully we'll see more of it :3 (Also there was literally a mention of nosy neighbours in ep2, and I'm so happy!) (What if I said I made this whole post just to talk about it? lol)
Scott- BigB hasn't teamed with Scott before, but they seem to be on good terms. Especially from what I've seen in the current episode, Scott is good at including BigB into the conversation. And from what I've noticed Scott's also good at hearing people even if they're quiet, in a conversation in a group of people, which I think goes well with how BigB often is. Besides the way they were called brothers by Cleo I think in ep2 cause of the creaking they have incorporated into their skins was great. Some ppl were saying Scott is like BigB's creaking heart, and let me tell you guys I'm on board. Because of this I think they would be a great duo and I would love to explore their dynamic more.
Impulse- Silly silly bois. If they ever got separated from the other Gs they would probs go on a mission and fall into a water hole they wouldn't be able to get out of. That's all I can imagine when I think about them. Them ending up going on a somewhat serious mission and in the midst of it ending up in a silly situation that would def kill the previously serious mood of a spy mission.
Overall, I think from ep1 I knew he would likely team with the 4Gs. I don't say this in a negative light whatsoever, but considering the fact that BigB wasn't willing to move his base this time (like he has done quite a few times before, RIP BigBs abandoned started bases lol) and the proximity he had to the group it was pretty obvious but still fun. Can't wait to see what shenanigans (I've used this word too much too right?) they get into and how the season goes. Dynamics and teams can still change, I mean there might be another them vs us like there was in 3rd life with Dogwarts and everyone else basically. Anyways I can't wait to see what this season brings! :D
Sorry for the long read, but honestly I quite like doing these analyses, so there might be more coming soon. p
Lastly, I would like to state, these assumptions about dynamics are based on my personal opinion. This opinion is derived from the content that the creators put out and will likely not reflect their true dynamics as friends. I might be wrong, or have overlooked some key points. Also my memory of events happening in the life series are quite foggy, I might be wrong on some points. I did this for fun and again this is entirely based on my own assumptions, which are subject to change. :3
#bigb#bigbst4tz2#life series#wild life smp#etho#ethoslab#grian#smallishbeans#pearlescentmoon#zombie cleo#tango#bdubs#mumbo#ldshadowlady#rendog#inthelittlewood#impulsesv#scott smajor#smajor1995#geminitay#goodtimeswithscar#jimmy solidarity#solidaritygaming#skizzleman
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I told you things || Art Donaldson x reader
Warnings: mention of a drunk driver (DON'T do that!!!), also it's kinda sad so be aware of the angst. Word Count: 2.7k
I told you things
This is a foolish event. You look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself that all you need to do is smile, shake hands, stand beside your grandmother, and eat an oyster. Sip champagne. Get drunk on the champagne. Ignore Art Donaldson. Piece of cake. You take a deep breath and enter the hall, seeing the fancy dresses of people who were once your friends and their parents. People who are almost strangers but also so familiar. "You made it, good. Please don't slouch," your grandmother reminds you to straighten up every three minutes when she's beside you. "It’ll help you project presence," she always says. She's a powerful woman; the way she speaks and carries herself is filled with a regal and noble quality that you lack. You’re your father's daughter, and he's been denying the fact he's her son since the day he learned the meaning of the word "deny." You feel out of place, but you're standing tall, and that's all that matters to her right now.
By the tenth handshake, you've lost count. By the third glass of champagne, you've lost meaning. Because Art only looks at you when he thinks you're not looking at him. He stands in the corner with Patrick, who greeted you with his dad, but Art looked at everything in the room except you. You find yourself making small talk with Art's mom, who was always like a second mom, maybe even the first if you consider your relationship with your own mother. And she tells you how well he's doing. How successful he is at Stanford. That he’s never been this happy.
So you say you're happy for him because you really are happy for him. Everyone wants to see the people they love happy. Everyone wants to hear that they're doing well, that they've found their purpose. That they’re not wandering lost in the world. That they live in a universe full of meaning. Art Donaldson is the best you know at meaning. He decided he'd be that figure, that player everyone knows. A name mentioned at family dinners when people talk about what's new in American sports. He’ll be the one who makes dreams come true.
"(Y/N), it’s been a while since we've seen you here," one of your grandfather's friends approaches you and pulls you into a hug for no apparent reason. It’s always the same middle-aged people. Always men. Always letting themselves hold on four seconds longer than appropriate. More than socially acceptable. The only thing it made you think of is that every other time you'd encountered behavior like this, Art was beside you, pulling you away with a pretext no one could resist. You almost started crying in the middle of the hall. In the middle of a charity event. In the middle of life. Just like that, crying. Like when you were younger. When you didn’t need an excuse, when it was okay because someone would already be your advocate and say, "She's tired."
Now you're tired too, but no one finds it necessary to be your advocate. . . . Between forced smiles and small talks, you found yourself sneaking outside to smoke a cigarette, nearly ignoring everyone you once considered friends who now live in a parallel world. A world where choosing between you and Art is simple because you're far away. Because you come once a year, and Art is an inseparable part of their lives. Their smiles are apologetic when they glance at you, quickly returning to their conversations, to the laughter you used to be part of.
"It's not sexy, you know?" Patrick's voice came from behind you, laced with a hint of arrogance. He didn't see, but you definitely rolled your eyes. "I thought everything was sexy in your opinion," you shot back, not looking at him as he came close enough to light his cigarette with yours. "Except for self-pity. That's pathetic," he said, taking a deep drag. "I'm not pitying myself," you replied, too quickly for it to sound convincing. "Why didn't you say hello to anyone?" he asked, not taking his gaze off you. "I said hello to everyone." Another eye roll, this time one he could see. "Bullshit, sugar, you did a round with your grandpa and hugged old folks. You said hi to your friends' parents—that doesn’t count," he didn't let anything slip by. It was infuriating.
"It's just one night, Patrick. I won't have to see anyone here again." You said with determination, as if trying to convince yourself it was true. Both of you knew it wasn’t just one night. "And what will you do all summer? Sit in their house and cry about how awful your life is? Unbeli—" "That's enough, Patrick." Art's voice made your heart skip a beat. You hadn’t seen his face, or his curls, or his crossed arms, but you already felt panic wrapping around you. "Give us a moment," he added, still not coming closer. He didn’t stand beside you or in front of you. He stayed in his position of power. He could see you, but you couldn’t see him. You looked at Patrick as if he was the only one who could save you at that moment. You let the tightness in your throat show, and the plea in your eyes was unmistakable. You weren’t too proud to beg if it would make him stay and not leave you two alone. Patrick looked at you for another moment, showing not an ounce of mercy as he shrugged and started to walk away. Bastard. Absolute bastard. "Dickhead," you muttered, watching his clumsy steps until he disappeared from view.
Art's chuckle was faint but just loud enough to make you regret the cigarette you stepped outside to smoke. What was so urgent that you had to edge closer to death? Why couldn’t you hold back before giving in to this stupid addiction? "Want one?" Anyone else wouldn’t have noticed the slight tremor in your voice as you offered Art a cigarette. Anyone else would’ve interpreted it as confidence. He saw it for what it was, a defense. It was all you had to place between the two of you—a stretched-out hand and a pack of Winston Lights. Patrick was right. It really was all pathetic. "I don’t smoke anymore," he sighed, leaning against the makeshift railing next to you, not looking at you but straight ahead, the same way you weren't looking at him.
"That's a nice dress," he broke the silence. "Thanks, my grandma chose it," you mumbled, trying to find meaning in this conversation. A conversation with a stranger who knows all your secrets. A stranger who knows what makes you laugh and what makes you cry. A stranger who holds half of your heart in his hands. "I'm not surprised, she has good taste. She always picked the best movies and took us to the best restau-" he began, slipping into nostalgia. "I’ll suggest she divorce my grandpa because she might have a suitor," you interrupted, glancing at him just for a second to see his face fall slightly and to hear his bitter chuckle. You turned your gaze the other way, ashamed of what you'd done. That you'd knocked the wind out of him in an instant.
"How are you?" he asked. "We haven't spoken in a while." You could sense the tension in his voice. It should've made you feel better, realizing that you weren’t the only one who was anxious, that he felt bad too. But it only made you shift uncomfortably. He was supposed to be okay. He’d moved on. He wasn't there anymore. You were the only one stuck a year back. The only one who couldn’t move forward with her life. Everyone else was at a different stage. Everyone knew what they wanted, and Art was no different. More than that, Art could be the leader of those who know what they want. "Everything’s fine, you know, routine," you found yourself mumbling. "What's the routine?" he asked, this time looking at you, his voice desperate for information. For details. "You don’t want to know," you gave him a forced smile. "But I’m fine, really," you quickly added. "They covered it all up as if nothing happened, so you don't have to worry."
And again, he let out a bitter laugh, and if it made sense, he would’ve stomped his right foot and shaken you. Because you have to talk to him. Because he's to blame. You know he's to blame. He knows he's to blame. Patrick knows he's to blame. But you’re not willing to talk to him anymore. And how is it fair? That he continues as if nothing happened. As if he once dreamed of you and you’re just a character he invented to pull him out of any quicksand he stumbled into.
"I'm really sorry, Shug," he said, not knowing how much longer he could hold back the tears. Not knowing how long he could keep his composure. He hadn’t expected to see you here today, but here you are, looking so beautiful and good and distant. Keeping your distance, keeping it safe. As if you were born to protect him from the world. As if you'd always be there but would disappear the second he didn't need you anymore. And how is that fair? He asks himself over and over- how is that fucking fair?!
"Art, I chose to do this." Your voice didn’t waver as you looked at him this time. Because you truly believed it. You chose. No one forced you. You decided. "I told you to leave. I told you not to be there. I chose." You repeated it. Your gaze was piercing. His blue eyes glowed as if he were listening to a prayer. As if God were speaking to him. Last summer, you both went to a party, and Art drove drunk. He didn’t hurt anyone, but he sped and crashed into a bridge. You told him to leave before the police arrived. No one got hurt. There was no reason his entire future should be ruined. He was supposed to start at Stanford. You both were supposed to start at Stanford. He went on to college, and you started community service. And that’s fine; you convinced yourself it was completely fine because you chose it.
"Shug, what’s your routine?" he asked again, desperate for a piece of information. You hadn’t answered calls, and your grandparents had wiped you off the map. They’d cut you off from everything you knew to get their beloved granddaughter (who they’d once seen as an angel until that moment) back on track. Whatever, so you had to collect a little plastic and paper in Kentucky. So there were more racists there than you'd expected in any place. So someone once called you a "filthy Jew" for asking him not to throw his can on the ground. So what? Your grandparents had been through far worse. And they’re fine. You helped a friend, and he’s fine. You’re fine, too. Everyone knows you’re fine.
"I'm working, and this year I'll start college, so it’s like I took a gap year- no big deal." You shrugged. "Are you starting Stanford this year?" Art straightened up for a moment, the spark in his eyes rekindling. He couldn’t believe everything could just be left behind. That everything was working out like this. That he only had to wait a year, and it would all be behind you. "Oh, I gave up on Stanford. I don’t really vibe with California," you said, as if it wasn’t a big deal, as if your grandfather hadn’t tried to convince the university administration to take you back despite the criminal record. "Fuck, (Y/N)," he started pacing back and forth, unable to believe the nonchalant tone coming out of your mouth.
"Art, it’s not a big deal." You put the second cigarette in your mouth, unable to stand this conversation any longer. "How is it not a big deal? Your life was ruined," he wanted to shake you, wanted you to get mad at him. To hate him, even if just for a moment. "I lov-" "Don’t say that," you cut him off, taking a step back. "Why not, Shug? You know it’s true. You know that I-" he tried again, more determined this time. "You don’t love me. you feel guilty, but there’s no reason, Artie. Really, there isn’t," you tried to convince him. "I told you to leave. You didn’t ask. I wanted it to be exactly like this. I wanted you to go to Stanford. You dreamed of Stanford," you nodded toward him as you spoke, trying to project confidence instead of the fragility you felt inside. "We dreamed of Stanford," he stopped pacing and stood in front of you, pressing his forehead against yours.
"Tell me about Stanford," you said softly, feeling your tears well up, almost betraying you and the resolve you tried to uphold. "So many people. Most of the time, I don’t know where I fit. But Tashi’s there, Patrick’s girlfriend." He paused, taking a breath, and you could see he was fighting his own tears. "Tell me more," you asked. "The courses are hard. I’m not good at most of the subjects, not like you. I’ve never played tennis at this level." He continued, "You’d love the library. I’m lost there. No one is kind enough to help me find a book." You both chuckled, too afraid to move. "What else?" you asked, almost desperate for more details. "I ranked first at Stanford by the end of the season. Maybe next season they’ll want me to start a campaign, go pro. Nike reached out." He said, watching you, seeing your smile grow.
"That’s amazing, Art. It’s everything we wanted." And it really was everything you wanted for him. He was exceptional. You always knew he was exceptional. He’d walk into a room, and the room would skip a beat. Almost fall silent. Sometimes you wondered if it was the room or just you. "It’s not all I wanted," he returned. And you both knew what he meant. "You’re going to leave a mark on America, Donaldson. You’re going to be the biggest thing to come out of here. You’re going to change American tennis. Ten years from now, little kids will have your poster on their walls." You smiled at him, as he brushed a rough but gentle hand against your cheek, wiping away the tear that managed to escape.
"And you? Where will you be in ten years?" he asked, and in response, you pulled him into a hug. Because maybe you lost a lot over the past year, but it was worth it. You didn’t know what your dreams were, the ones you had felt so trivial and small. Like eating pineapple for dinner, learning all the lyrics to Linkin Park songs by heart, managing to read three books a week, loving Art Donaldson. While your small dreams sometimes flickered to life, Art Donaldson's dreams would change the world, and that was such a clearly humbling thought that no one would ever understand.
The sad truth is that everything you once told him about your dreams and hopes doesn’t matter anymore. Everything you shared about who you wanted to be flipped over to help him become who he wanted to be. And that’s okay. Really okay. Soon Art Donaldson would be everyone’s and no one’s at the same time, and in ten years, he would be where he was meant to be, and you would be someone he once knew, someone who told him secrets he wouldn’t remember. . . . As you walked back into the hall, leaving him behind and wondering how smudged your mascara was, you remembered to stand tall. maybe it will help a little.
Hey there, so here we are with the saddest thing I could possibly write. It's lacking any smut, so sorry for that. I guess it's the only mood I could deliver to the table LOL I'd like to hear your thoughts as always ❤️
#challengers fic#art donaldson#patrick zweig#art donaldson x reader#patrick zweig x reader#challengers#angst#I told you things
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Cream Tea Pt.1
Male Werewolf x Female Reader
It was time for a change and time to get away from mom and dad. Your life had been carefully constructed to a tee down to where you would work and what sort of man you were to marry. This was all you had known until you visited a small town during an exhausting weekend. It was quiet and peaceful and everything you wanted and felt deprived of. Back home you did everything in your power to make this secret move happen and it is happening. It's now or never though and with the help of your only friend, you make your move.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loading a moving van in the middle of the night is an absolute nightmare but you can't stand to be here any longer. Your folks had been irritating you with one thing after another. First it was the gala, then showing up at your office and demanding that your boss give you a better position, and now they're wanting you to meet with the eligible sons of their friends to find Mr. Future Husband. That had been the last straw in your opinion and there had been many many more prior.
Leighann, your only friend and savior had been helping you put together 'Operation Runaway' for the last year. It has been a labor of love and freedom and now it's in full force. You had everything planned out and ready and there have been no hiccups at all. Everything was boxed, your notice at work had been given in secrecy, and your parents have been none the wiser.
"That's the last of it," one of the movers grunts, shoving the last box into the van.
"Alright, thank you," you tell him as you fish out tips for the guys. They had worked fast and efficiently and more than deserved it. Their faces lit up and one of them tipped his cap to you.
You look around the parking lot at your apartment and cross your arms, your nerves on fire but in the best possible way. You're about to be hundreds of miles away from here and out from under your parent's thumb.
"I can't believe this is actually happening," you sigh.
"Feels kind of surreal huh? Just last week you were rubbing elbows with an elite crowd and now you're about to move to butt fuck nowhere that no one has ever heard of," Leighann wraps an arm around your shoulder and swings you around.
You laugh and roll your eyes, "It's a nice small town and it's the exact change I need."
Leighann pokes at you a few more times as you let the relief settle into your bones. You're finally getting out from under your family's thumb, you're finally getting away.
You've been the baby of the bunch, having four older brothers who tower over you physically and financially. Your parents saw you as an investment, something to make pretty and to show off to their equally well to do friends with sons.
For years you put on a mask, a well created facade of happiness as you went through pageants, galas, auctions and whatever horribly boring events you were dragged to.
Last year was the worst though, when you started having enough of them parading you around. The three of you had flown over to this beautiful resort where they had showed you off to every bachelor, for a couple years younger than you to nearly sixty!
You had to quietly retire saying all the mingling had made you light headed, something your mother understood quite well after enough glasses of wine.
Instead of heading up to your room, you went down and had your rental car brought to you. No matter where you were, you always made it a point of having your own vehicle, something your parents so painfully allowed you to have was your own freedom.
You drove around and around for a little over an hour until you ended up in a sleepy little town surrounded by trees and had cottage like homes and buildings. There was a group of elderly ladies walking together and they smiled and waved as you passed by.
For some reason that made you cry. You had to pull over at a nearby shop because you could barely see past your tears. You started rubbing your eyes and you knew at that point your makeup was absolutely ruined.
Someone tapped on your car, a little old lady with red cat framed glasses and red and white striped apron. Her grey curly hair was puffy and had a cartoonishly large red ribbon on the side. You rolled down the window and she shook her head at you and handed you a wad of napkins.
You couldn't help but to laugh as you took them and cleaned up your face.
"Now now, why don't you get out of that car and come and tell Mama Joy why you're crying the paint off your face?" she nods her head to the building she came out of, a small little tea shop.
You double check your face real quick before you unbuckle and exit the car. Mama Joy has you follow her into what is possibly the cutest tea shop you've ever been in. The front is filled with potted flowers and bells and wind chimes hang from the ceiling where fairy lights dangle. The tea room has mismatched chairs and tables giving it a whimsical personality.
"You like spiced tea dear?" she asked.
"Yes I do but-"
"Thomas! Throw on a pot of that spiced stuff you made earlier, we have a guest," she hollers towards the kitchen.
"Roger that," Thomas hollers back to her.
Mama Joy has you sit down in a comfy green chair and takes your hands, "Now then, why don't you tell me what's got you so upset today?"
You sigh and feel your chest tighten, "It's...it's a lot."
She smiles and gives your hands a reassuring squeeze, "Then you best get to talking then."
And you do, you tell her about that evening and all the other parties and galas you've been shown off at. About your parents and your brothers, about all the men your parents tried to set you up with. You told her everything.
You don't know when you finally calmed down but when you did, Mama Joy places a warm cup of tea in front of you. It smelled like oranges and chair and you couldn't wait to try it. You added in a little cream and sugar and took a sip. It warms you up instantly and you try not to cry again.
"I can't say that I've been in your position but it sounds to me that you're at the end of your rope with your folks. You're your own person, not a little doll or show dog. Why you haven't tired of this sooner is beyond me," she shook her head and sighed.
"I've been tired of it, but I've had to put on this fake smile for so long... I forgot how miserable I am," you frowned and ducked your head.
A cinnamon roll slid right in front of you as you're looking down causing you to look back up at the man who placed it there.
He was tall with long honey brown wavy hair that looked like it went down to the middle of his back, he had a well kept beard and the most gorgeous amber eyes you've ever seen.
"You look like you need a little pick me up," He smiled with so much warmth in his eyes.
"Oh and none for me?" Mama Joy huffed at him.
He laughed and tsked at her, "You know you can't have any Mama."
"I am nearly eighty, I can do without a foot," she scoffed before cackling.
He gave her a knowing look before rolling his eyes, "If she bothers you too much you can always leave."
You couldn't help but to smile at that, "No no, she's been... nice."
Mama slapped the table, "Why the pause? Did you really have to think about that?"
After that you, Mama, and Thomas spent what seemed like forever just talking, having tea and trying to keep the sweets away from the owner of the cutest little shop you've ever been to.
The night dragged on with Mama having you and Thomas accompany her to a little restaurant her cousin owned. It was a little bit of salsa club mixed with just the appetizers of a Mexican restaurant. You and Thomas had a mocktail while you both watched Mama Joy dance with a Mr. Emmitt.
"They have been into each other for so long I'm surprised they haven't started dating," Thomas commented.
"How long is so long?" you asked.
He shrugged, "Three years give or take."
"Wow, and this is as far as they get?" you watched Mr. Emmitt spin her around as she laughed.
"Yup. Though I think that they're both happy with this arrangement. I think they're still in love with their late spouse but too scared to try to love again," He sighed.
"Tragic and beautiful," you muttered.
"That it is, that it is. What about you? I came in on the ass end of whatever was making you cry, was it some jack ass?" He asked.
You laughed, "More like the lack of a jack ass. No, my parents want to marry me off and age doesn't matter anymore. I think the oldest guy was in his sixties."
Thomas cringed, "That's horrible!"
"I can't take it anymore, I just want to get away from them," you said, finally voicing the one thing you've been wishing for your whole life.
"Then why don't you?" he asked.
You smiled, took a sip of your mocktail and shrugged, "It's not that easy... I have very little in my name and I had to fight tooth and nail just to have my own apartment to have my own space."
Thomas shook his head and sighed, "What if you just up and left? Said nothing and got the hell out of dodge?"
You opened your mouth to argue with him then shut it.
"That," you started. "That's not a bad idea."
"Seriously?" He raised a brow at you.
"No no, you're onto something. I just started a job too and if I save up enough... This might actually work!" you set your drink down and fished out your phone.
"Woah hey, don't you think you should think something like this over a bit more? Make some plans first?" Thomas took your hand with the phone in it.
"Oh gods, you're right. I just... I feel like this will actually work and I just... I feel so stupid for not even considering just leaving," you smiled at him.
Thomas' eyes widened and he withdrew his hand, "Don't call yourself stupid, if anything call your folks' choices stupid. It's costing them a daughter."
Your lip blubbered and you felt like crying again just because you're not used to people being genuinely nice and sweet to you aside from your childhood best friend Leighann.
"Hey now, come on no more crying," Thomas extended his hand and nodded towards the floor. "How about it? Care to dance?"
For a brief moment you consider turning him down but something inside of you seems thrilled about dancing with him. He's rugged and absolutely sweet and saying no just doesn't feel right. So you took his hand and let him lead you to the floor.
He danced with you like you were two awkward teens slow dancing at prom. Your feet got stepped on so often that you laughed each time he shuffled onto them. He nearly ran you into the elderly couples who giggled at his horrible dancing. And he was so off beat.
But this was the most fun you've ever had dancing with anyone, ever.
After a while the dancing died down and Mama Joy pulled you both aside after Mr. Emmitt kissed her hand and waved goodbye.
"I said it once and I'll say it again, you have two left feet boy," Mama Joy poked at Thomas and he grinned.
"Well I was hoping that tonight I might have found my right foot, looks like it's still lost," he shrugged.
The two of them bantered until Thomas got a phone call he couldn't ignore from a relative leaving you and Mama Joy alone.
"You seem to have brightened up a lot, feeling better?" She asked.
"Much," you nodded. "I think I have a plan now."
You tell her the idea Thomas had given you earlier and Mama's face lit up with intrigue. She threw in a few other ideas and her phone number as well saying that she knows some people with homes for sale or rentals for when you start looking.
By the time Thomas got back you had a sense of relief fully settled into your bones. You had the base for a great runaway plan, support, and a place in mind. Things were looking up.
Mama Joy suggested that you head back since it's getting late but not without giving you the strongest granny hug you've ever received.
Thomas walked you back to your car at the tea shop and when you held the door open for you, you felt this odd sense of sorrow like you're really really going to miss him. You think of giving him your number but you fear he might take it the wrong way.
As you settled into the car and strapped your seat belt on you see Thomas from the corner of your eye kneel till he's at eye level.
"Whatever happens, just remember that change isn't easy, especially if it's for something you need. Sometimes it seems easy in the beginning until things destroy your expectations," He gave you a sad smile and took your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"I'll try and keep that in mind," you said, squeezing his hand back.
Moments passed with the both of you holding hands not sure when either was going to break away, but eventually, Thomas did. He stood up awkwardly and bumped his head on the car but laughed it off.
He waved you away after telling you goodnight and walked back into the tea shop.
You drove back to the hotel and passed out after you peeled your heels off and bounced into bed.
The next day, you wasted no time getting things started. You called Leighann up and told her everything that happened last night and she was all ears. Things only got better once you were back at your apartment in New York. Leighann had a full on financial plan, movers, and so on planned out in a little according file for you.
A few months later, you called up Mama Joy and she was excited to hear that not only were you planning to move but you wanted to move to her sleepy little town.
Her friend Linda owned a few homes for sale and one of them was in your price range. After some back and forth conversations online, you eventually sign the papers. You'll have a house, you're own house, in a few months!
You spend time packing when you can and selling decor you don't really care for online for cheap. Most of the decorations you own were terrible holiday gifts from different relatives saying that your apartment lacked any personality.
Surprisingly, you made a good bit of money from selling the horrid things that adorned shelves and walls. Enough money to top the movers and for gas to get to the new house!
To keep your parents off your back, you'd kept up your attendance at their stupid events until a few days ago. You feigned being too sick to attend, saying that someone at work brought in a cold their kid had brought to them from school. Your mother sounded horrified and suggested that you rested for at least a month with little to no contact with the family. You feigned sorrow with a touch of understanding.
And now here you are, packed up and ready to move. Leighann was going with you to help with the long drive and to help get the boxes and furniture into your new place.
"Do you need to go back up and double check the place?" Leighann asks.
You shake your head, "Check listed everything. I think we're good to go!"
"Then let's do this," She grins and the both of you pile into the moving van.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
It took three days to go from New York to the sleepy little town of Daire Glen. Autumn leaves scattered about as you drive down the main road. Leighann points out to a group of little old ladies in hiking gear and bright colored scarves. You instantly recognize one of them as Mama Joy and quickly roll your window down to wave.
"Look who's finally arrived!" Mama shouts as she waves at you.
You feel a smile spread then and all the other ladies greet you as you slowly pass the group.
"Was that Mama Joy?" Leighann asks, having talked to her on the phone quite a bit.
"Absolutely," you reply.
Leighann then recalls all her conversations with her, from the hottest gossip from the tea shop to the little updates about Thomas she'd give you.
That, that was another thing.
As far as Mama Joy said, she hadn't told Thomas you'd be moving here. Something about a pleasant surprise for the both of you though you have no idea what she meant by that.
You did know that you'd be working with him though. Mama Joy had decided to hire you even though you had no background with the restaurant service or anything of the likes. But she did know that you'd need a job, even if it was part time when you got here.
"Turn right at the next light," Leighann gasps, having nearly forgotten she was on direction duty.
You follow the directions she gives you until you're in the nicest little neighborhood you've ever seen. All the houses were one story and had lush wildflower gardens and flowering trees. Some houses had large stones bordering their garden beds while some had moss covered grey bricks.
Slowly and in near disbelief, you pull up into your new driveway and almost start crying.
"I'm home," you smile, your lips still quivering.
"Yeah no, none of the photos did this place justice. It's gorgeous," Leighann gapes as she opens her door.
As you step out the first thing you notice is the smell of rain and spiced tea. The smell is so familiar that you're instantly taken back to the first night you were here.
"Want to unpack first or walk around the place and let it soak in that you've escaped your parents?" Leighann asks.
"You and your tough questions, but we should probably start unloading," You shrug and head back into the van to repark it to make it easier to unload.
You pull up the latch and the second you see your boxes and furniture, you realize you should have probably called some people over to help unload.
"Want me to see if there are any strong men around here to help us unload?" Leighann puffs out her chest a flexes jokingly.
You laugh and shake your head, "This is a retirement town Leigh, I doubt there will be a lot of any strong men around here."
Leighann groans but quickly perks up, "Oh really? Then what about him?"
Raising a brow, you look in the direction Leighann pointed to with her thumb and your jaw nearly drops.
"Thomas?" you say in disbelief.
As if he heard you, Thomas looks your way and drops whatever was in his hands and dashes over towards you.
Leighann tries to pull you away but you wave her off.
"What in the world are you doing here!" Thomas asks as he sweeps you up off the ground and into a big bear hug.
"I'm moving in," you squeak.
"Moving in? Here? At this house?" He asks, his brows high up on his face.
You grin, "Yes, I am moving in at this house, in this neighbor, in this town. Mama Joy helped helped me."
He squints and kneels to he's at eye level, "This isn't good, do you know what this means?"
You shake your head feeling nervous for the first time in a while.
"We're neighbor's now which means Mama Joy knows where you live which means she might try and kidnap you and convince you to give her sweets," he makes a fake pouty face then laughs.
"I'm messing with you of course, but she might come to bother you from time to time. She gets lonely when Mr. Emmitt gets too busy with his stained glass gig. Anyway are you waiting for help?" He asks, noticing the mountain of stuff and two noodle armed trust fund babies.
"Ah, about that...," you blush in embarrassment. "I kind of forgot to call ahead of time and-"
"We need help, like really really bad," Leighann butts in.
Thomas cocks his head to the side and pats his pants until he pulls out a phone, "I got a couple buddies who owe me a favor or two I can call over."
"That would be amazing," you clap your hands together.
"On one condition though," Thomas raises a finger and winks at you. "We all have dinner at my place afterwards."
You grin and nod, "Sounds like a deal."
Within fifteen minutes a group of guys show up and start pulling the boxes and furniture into your new house with you directing them where to put everything.
Thomas of course helps but with much more enthusiasm. He lifts the heaviest pieces of furniture, brings in the most boxes and even helps unpack some things. The other guys poke at him like they know something you don't but right now, you're just thankful for the help.
"Me thinks you've unintentionally made the very handsome neighbor fall for you~" Leighann elbows your side.
You glare at her, "I highly doubt that, he's just really nice."
"No no, I think your friend might be right," one of the guys, Tyler, agrees.
"Oh for sure, I've never seen him act all...," Rick starts and waves his hand about, "Swoony was it? Mama Joy said he pouted for days after you went back to wherever you went and regretted not getting your number."
Tyler laughed, "I don't think I've ever seen him that mopey either."
You roll your eyes, "I doubt that... And that," you pause and take a box from Ricks hand, "That is personal and I will be taking that."
Stomping off you feel a bit insulted for Thomas that his friends would joke about him like that, especially to you. For the short time you've known Thomas, and it was very short, you got the impression that he's just genuinely nice to everyone.
Sighing, you take your very very personal box of toys to your bedroom. Thomas is in there setting up your mattress on your bedframe and without a shirt on.
You nearly drop the box when he turns around and smiles at you, "Got everything in here."
"Oh um, great, thanks," you smile and try to casually toss your top secret toy box into your dresser.
"How's everything going out there?" he asks, running a hand through his thick hair.
"Pretty uh good, nearly got the kitchen set up. Leighann and I thought we'd be unpacking all week. At this point she'll be here just to visit," you shrug, still doing your best not to stare at his bare and hairy chest.
"That'll be nice for the both of you then. It gives you more time to settle in and find a job if you haven't already," he replies, grabbing his shirt off the bedframe and tossing it on his shoulder.
"Oh uh well about that, Mama Joy already sort of hired me," you give him a nervous grin.
Thomas' face goes blank for a second before he lets out a barking laugh, "Oh of course she did!"
"I'm really wondering why she didn't say anything to you," you groan and slap your face. "I feel like a nuisance just popping up like this now."
"Woah hey hey, none of this is your fault," He walks up to you and puts a hand on your shoulder. "And you're not a nuisance. Mama Joy just got bored and thought this might be funny or something like that. You're fine and it's great that you're here."
You want to believe him but you feel like he's just being nice about it again.
"Isn't it annoying though? I'm certain you had plans for the day and I show up out of nowhere like I did and you had to call in a favor an-"
Thomas puts a finger over your lips quickly silencing you, "Nothing about this is annoying, I promise you."
His amber eyes look stern on his uncharacteristically serious face. His finger on your lips moves slowly until it's under your chin, tilting your head back just a little, "Now say it back, that you're not a nuisance."
For a few moments you forgot what words are until you blubber back and repeat what he just said, "I-I'm not a nuisance."
Thomas smiles and before he can say anything there's a knocking sound behind you.
"We're not interrupting anything are we?" Leighann coos as she leans on the door frame with Rick and Tyler behind her with raised brows and kissy faces.
You instantly feels embarrassed and cover your face with your hands. You know how that looked, Thomas without his shirt on and right up in your face! You hear Thomas coming to your defense swearing up and down that nothing happened and that you were worried you were being annoying.
The guys pick on him relentlessly then while Leighann tries to coax you out from behind your hands, "Come on I was just teasing you."
"I know but now I really feel like a nuisance though," you mumble.
"Come on, why don't we leave these three weirdos to act like teenage boys and you and I will crack open a bottle of red," Leighann tugs on you and drags you to the kitchen.
You still hear Thomas talking to Rick and Tyler though their conversation no longer sounds lighthearted.
Leighann pulls out a few bottles onto the counter and has you take your pick though you just mindlessly point to whatever. Leighann rolls her eyes and grabs a different bottle, something that you usually like.
"Alright come on, spill," she says as she opens the bottle with a pop.
"I just... Maybe coming here was a mistake," you pout.
She rolls her eyes again and sets the bottle down, "No, the only mistake that was made was your parents not letting you have a fucking life."
You cringe at their mentioning.
"You have no preferences, no real likes or dislikes, and it took you till yesterday to admit that you actually don't care for salmon! They fucked up, they failed you, and now you have the greatest opportunity to be you! The real you that you've even hidden from me, your best fucking friend!" She tosses her hands out before grabbing a couple of mugs out of a cabinet a filling them to the brim with wine.
She's absolutely right and it hurts. Living a carefully crafted life you weren't allowed the luxury of preferences or opinions. Everything you had was what everyone else thought you should have. You were never really you. You cried for a solid hour when you admitted you hate salmon. What else do you not care for, what things do you actually care for?
You take the wine filled mug and chug some of it down before Leighann quickly grabs it from your hands, "Slow down girly, we're just taking the edge off."
"I know... I know," you sigh.
"Ugh enough of that ju-"
Leighann stops and looks over your shoulder with a curious expression. You turn around and see Thomas holding Rick and Tyler by their shoulders.
"Hey uh sorry about earlier, we uh went a little too far with the teasing," Rick apologizes.
"Yeah, we didn't mean to embarrass you or anything," Tyler adds.
"Oh uh... it's uh fine now, I'm just not used to getting teased like that is all. I know you were only joking," you try and smooth things over seeing how nervous both guys look.
Tyler and Rick breathe a sigh of relief but Thomas still looks somewhat upset. That's a bit unsettling to you.
"Well with apologies out of the way and the house basically unpacked. What's next on the agenda?" Leighann breaks the silence with grace.
Thomas snaps out of his mood and gives you a nervous smile, "If you're still up for it we can still have dinner at my place?"
Smiling back you nod.
He too breathes a sigh of relief then.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thomas' house is almost as nice as he is. His house is well decorated and he has an impressive library and a large photo of his family at the entry. You were surprised to find out that he's a triplet and how different he and his brothers look.
His kitchen is cute with a wonderful forest green color that has copper pots and pans hanging above the island.
He has Rick and Tyler help with the grill while you and Leighann lounge poolside with fresh made lemonade.
"Not going to lie, I'm now thinking about moving here," she laughs as she steals a glance at Tyler.
She's been messing with him since they've met and you can see something there. They bantered like they've done it their entire lives earlier and Rick and Thomas just stood watching impressed at her while you were impressed at Tyler for keeping up with her.
"If and when that happens are you going to move next to Tyler?" you ask.
She chuckles and sighs, "Oh no, I'd move across the street."
You roll your eyes and look over at Thomas. He was placing some steaks on the grill while talking to Rick. He turns his head enough and catches you looking at him so you just awkwardly smile at him.
Trying to play off that weird moment you turn to Leighann to say something but you're unable to get a word out before Tyler approaches her and the two walk away and start to conversate.
"He is really into your friend there," Thomas says as he approaches you.
"He's in big trouble then, Leighann's a tough cookie," you shrug.
There's a long stretch of silence then that's eventually broken by Thomas clearing his throat, "I'm uh sorry about earlier, that was really inappropriate of me."
"Oh it's f-"
"No, it's not. I also hear what Leighann said earlier as well. About not having any preferences. You told me last time you were here about how little control you had over your life but I didn't think it was that bad. What kind of pack would allow that?" Thomas looked at you with confusion then.
But now you're confused, did he just say pack? Maybe that's some slang for family around here.
"Rich families do this sort of thing all the time. I got too used to it and maybe I feel too guilty if I upset or annoy someone because of how often it was beaten into me," you shrug.
"Beaten?" Thomas asks, looking like he was about to explode.
"Not too bad either, just the usual ruler or pointing stick. And nowhere that would be visible. It stopped when I was fourteen though so it's been a long while," you reassure him as if this was perfectly normal.
Thomas looks like he's really about to explode now, "Your pack allowed that? What the hell is wrong with them? You were just a child!"
"I was expected to act a certain way and if I didn't, there were consequences," you reply though a bit more unsure of yourself than before.
He shakes his head and gets down to your level, "Are there any other children in your pack dealing with that?"
You shake your head, "No, there's none. I'm the youngest in my family so th-"
"Not your family, your pack," he repeats.
Furrowing your brows you cock your head to the side uncertain what he's asking now. Could it be a community thing then? You knew a lot of girls your age also went through what you did, often comparing stories at camps or pageants when you were younger. But that also doesn't feel like the right answer.
Seeing you take so long to answer, Thomas takes your hand ever so gently and gives it a squeeze, "You can tell me ok, I promise I won't mention you to your pack leader but the council doesn't tolerate the mistreatment of children. They can help."
Now you know that neither of you are on the same page. In fact you're one hundred and one percent confused.
"I'm sorry, I haven't any idea what you're talking about," you tell him.
He looks away from you for a moment and sighs, "I know it's not easy for you to open up but our kind has to stick together. You said you're from New York and I know the packs up there aren't the best but I didn't know they'd be that bad. How about this, I just list them off and if I say the one you're from just nod your head ok?"
Before he starts listing packs off you hold up your hands with panic running through you.
You remember your parents talking about the other folk at a gala they were at. Vampires, moth men, liches, and werewolves, how they actually existed and lived amongst us. Your dad swore up and down he was close with a werewolf pack.
Pack...
"Thomas, I think there's been a big misunderstanding here and please forgive me for my next question if it seems a bit odd, but you're a werewolf right?" you cringe your face hoping you're wrong.
"Of course I am... Wait a moment, oh goodness are you not one? Are you a different were or perhaps a vampire? No that can't be it's day time, then a li-"
"No no, none of the above. Thomas, I'm human."
#exophilia#exophilia writing#werewolf#werewolf boyfriend#monster boyfriend#exophilia fiction#exophilia fic#monster x human#monster x girl#monster lover#monster x you#monster x reader#monster bf#werewolf x reader#werewolf x human#werewolf x you#werewolf romance#werewolf oc#strangers to friends to lovers#new in town
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I have very complicated feelings for the Vengeance Saga (after the first listen)
Disclaimer: I will only criticize Epic the Vengeance Saga as a work on its own, not for its inaccuracy or deviation from mythology and The Odyssey. There are more knowledgable people who can point out and analyze the changes in Epic the Musical, but that is not what I'll be tackling here.
To put it bluntly, I'm not being angsty about it as I should. The whole saga just... didn't feel right with me.
Now, first off all, I'm a big fan of Epic and had been following it since the Cyclops saga (first version). I've been in love with many songs and hyperfixed it for months on end. But when the Vengeance saga came along, I didn't feel that same bubbling love rise in me.
Even as a fan, this isn't my first time having peeves with Epic. I didn't jam with the re-release sagas for a while, I'm underwhelmed with the Circe VS Odysseus fight and other issues, very unpopular opinion but "Monster" wasn't too impactful to me, and also the God Games (especially Zeus' attack).
The Vengeance Saga though? Well, they say we gotta do the Bun-Meat-Bun (or whatever the hell its name really is) technique when giving criticism, so I'll start with the good parts.
I love that Odysseus looked so done with Calypso in "Not Sorry For Loving You". They're basically this meme:
Like sorry you're a sad but you're still an abuser 😒
Then Odysseus starts singing the reprise for "Full Speed Ahead" but there's no one to back him up. That one hits me hard. To whoever on Tumblr said that after the Thunder Saga we will never hear the crew's back-up again and Odysseus' singing will be answered with silence, Apollo really blessed you with the red ball.
Hermes and the Winions' part was really cool too! I really like them being mischievous helper! The warning about the wind bag and the changing scene of Odysseus fighting off sea monsters while Hermes just vibing with the beats is 👌👌👌
But after that the hype started to sizzle out for me. You might want to skip this part if you're not comfortable with harsh criticism because I WON'T hold back.
It's really backward but I like the Odysseus VS Charybdis draft more than the final production. Charybdis' roars and music are somehow less intimidating, which is a shame because I thought this would be one of the biggest struggles Odysseus will face. Even with awesome illustrative animatics, the scene wasn't as thrilling as I've expected.
The other songs got massive improvement from its draft version (on top of my mind I can think of "Thunder Bringer", "There Are Other Ways", "Little Wolf"), but I don't get why "Charybdis" didn't get up-graded as much like them. It's like a cake that was throughly baked but half decorated and it just didn't taste as good as I've hoped.
Then we have the Odysseus VS Poseidon part in "Get In The Water" and "Six Hundred Strikes". The first thought I had for GITW is this song sounds like all the draft snippets were mashed together without a smooth transition/connection between them. Jorge and Steven's performance is great, but there's not enough tension for me to dread for Odysseus. When Poseidon first met Odysseus in "Ruthlessness", the whole opening was terrifyingly good! And we didn't even have any illustration animatic back then! (that's not to say the GITW animatics were bad, they just can't salvage much when the song itself was already weak)
I wasn't impressed with Poseidon's Shatter The Ocean move either. It's supposed to be the Strongest AttackTM but it's less scary than when he and the Laestrygonians destroyed Odysseus' eleven ships with probably 1% of their power. It didn't even help when Poseidon looked like he's having a seizure with lights pouring out of his eyes and mouth during the transformation.
Odysseus being literally on the brink of death with the souls of his loved ones pulling him into the abyss is a gem in the rough, but because we've seen Odysseus almost drowning before in the end of the Thunder Saga, it's not as shocking as it should be. Furthermore, Poseidon could have instant-killed Odysseus right then and there but didn't really annoyed me. But I guess he just wanted Odysseus to slowly suffer while dying.
Right when I thought the progress will get better, it... gets down. I can go with Odysseus using wind to escape the water, but him wearing it like a jetpack is so comical it ruined the drastic of the situation. And I'm officially let down when Odysseus FUCKING ATTACKED Poseidon in "Six Hundred Strike".
What? Just... why with that choice?
Look, I'm not gonna fault Epic for making creative liberties from the source material (as said in the disclaimer), but I will criticize if that change contradict itself in the transformative work. And this is one of them.
Poseidon and the gods have been proven time and time again in the musical just how powerful they are. Their ominous and grandiose entrances, them striking fear and inferiority in our hearts just by singing. Even Circe, a low-level goddess, poses a constant threat to the crew and Odysseus had to get help from Hermes just to get a chance to corner her (and Hermes even joked that he can still die!)
Poseidon easily destroyed almost all of Odysseus' fleet. Odysseus was very avoidant of him, opting to go to the literal Underworld to find instruction on how to dodge him and sailing through Scylla's lair + willing to sacrifice six men for safe passage. And when Poseidon said he can drown all of Ithaca, it's not just bluffing, he would and could have done that. Yeah, the King of the Sea is THAT BIG of a treat.
So no, Odysseus isn't cool to attack Poseidon, he's being stupid. I'm not even cheering for him the whole him he fight, just groaning at how ridiculous the whole thing is. If Epic is more believable and sticks to WHAT IT HAD ESTABLISHED BEFORE, having a sudden burst of anger and choosing ruthlessness won't save Odysseus from one swipe of Poseidon's trident. Odysseus stood no chance against a one of the most powerful deity, even if he's the protagonist and love his family.
Not only that, Poseidon didn't even defend himself and was wounded by a mere human! And he just sat there and took all the blows and insults from Odysseus??? And he actually begged Odysseus to stop and agree to quell the storm to let him get home??? I'm not buy that bullshit. I'm more upset that a literal Olympian god was nerfed down than Odysseus having a Gary Stu moment. Give me a break, that try-hard moment to be cool and edgy just show how badly written the scene is.
What's the fucking point of hyping up how dangerous the gods are if a human can take one down? Tell me this isn't some Wattpad-y Greek myth retelling fanfic where the teenage Y/N sass her way to defeat an entire pantheon. Epic really traded its opportunity to be better for some cheap and out-of-the-blue dramas in this saga, dare I say it's even worse than Zeus' OOC attack on Athena. I'm very disappointed with that decision.
On an end note, the saga did have one saving point with the "After everything you've done, how will you sleep at night?" - "Next to my wife" lines. Odysseus knew he could be the most horrendous man ever and Penelope would still choose his side, that just show how powerful their love and faith in each other are.
But not enough to excuse all the terrible cinematic choices.
#epic the musical#epic the vengeance saga#jorge rivera herrans#song analysis#song review#my reviews#my ramblings#Spotify#Youtube#The Pen explodes with ink#after being let down with Zeus and Poseidon's OOC thing#i now have lower hopes for the Ithaca Saga#i guess at least there aren't any more “evil gods” to be ruined#let's just see how it goes#but seriously what's happening to Epic??? it was so good until Love in Paradise#and i feel like the musical is now on a downward slope#am i expecting too much?!
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scrolling through the fangs of Fortune tumblr tag and saw your post about the sound being so much better but i don't think ive ever noticed what youre talking about with the live recording and the dubbing. do you have examples of the diferences?
Listen Dear Anon, I could go on and on and on about this topic. But I think it only really interests like me and three other people. So I will just give you a quick little clip of what truly gorgeous on set recording sounds like from one of my favorite shows of all time, Lost You Forever (yeah, they biffed the ending but whatever, I will remember it like this). Just. Just listen to the ambient noise around them. The "room tone" It's so rich. Do you hear how her voice breaks when she screams "Weishenme?!!/Whhyyy?!!" You know when you have the volume up too loud and it's kind of piercing and splits because it's almost too much?? A decibel meter would be off the charts here. When she screams in her pain about Tushan Jing's death, you get that. The sharpness/plosive (??) of the T, B, and P sounds when he says "Ta bu pei!/He doesn't deserve it!" You can hear her actual vocal register change a little bit when she's trying to talk through her tears. The congestion and labored breathing and sniffling, and the way she trips a little over her words in her anger and heartbreak. That's what real ass humans do when they're crying! It's why we FEEL what she's feeling. And him. Every single sound he makes matches his mouth perfectly. I love the emotion and the pure fucking devastation you get in this scene. It's why I didn't bother turning the subtitles on. Because you don't need to know what they're saying. You can FEEL what they're saying. The pain and heartbreak and anger. In my opinion, I don't care how good a voice actor is, it's impossible to replicate in post. You hear when they move, when she steps down, the echo of their heated conversation bouncing off the walls in the room. This is what I meant when I was talking about how incredible on set recording sounds vs. dubbing later in a studio. And it's fucking magic.
#I am an incredibly aural person and I can't help but notice things like this#i was going to add extra scenes of some of their other dramas#where they're either dubbed#or they dub themselves#but i decided not to because i'm not trying to shit on other shows#just trying to illustrate what makes these kinds of production so amazing to me#lost you forever#fangs of fortune#zhang wanyi#yang zi#cdrama
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Gaslighting Rose
Jaune: I mean, really? That one? In D-Tier? Really?
Ruby: Oh, yeah, like you would put any of my models in D-Tier.
Jaune: It's- It's a scale! Some of your models have to go into D-Tier, and some have to go into S-Tier.
Ruby: Then tell me! Tell me which ones you would put in D-Tier.
Jaune: See, chat, this is why I didn't want to do this. Because if I do this here, then I have to justify why I'm putting which model where.
Ruby: You have to do that anyways!
Jaune: Yeah, but if I was alone, I would justify it based on my own opinion, not like now where I have to justify it based on what would best satisfy you. Right?
Ruby: ...No. That's not true. I'll accept whatever answer you give.
Jaune: HA! Hey, guys, can you also feel the gun pressing into the back of your head as she said that?
Ruby: Just tell me you don't like this one...
Jaune: ...WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS?! THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SAYING!
Ruby: Yes, it is~!
Jaune: NO! I like the way you look regardless of what outfit you wear! This- This is good! I- (Sighs) Guys, this is like her setting up a mousetrap and she's saying, like, "Go ahead! Step in it! See what happens!"
Ruby: ...Go ahead. See what happens.
Jaune: (Groans) I'll- I'll do this on my own time.
Ruby: Okay...
Jaune: Is that good with you?
Ruby: (Sighs) I guess so...
Jaune: Why are you sad?! Wh- What the fuck?! I- I didn't even say anything and now Ruby is sadge! Why are you sadge?!
Ruby: 'Cause...
Jaune: 'Cause why?
Ruby: 'Cause you don't wanna...
Jaune: Because I don't wanna what?!
Ruby: Because... You don't wanna!
Jaune: I don't want to what?!
Ruby: RATE ME!
Jaune: ...I will rate your outfits, though. I'll do it later. On a different tier list-
Ruby: RATE ME RIGHT NOW~!
Jaune: ...No.
Ruby: ...Okay...
Jaune: Whatever I put where, I'll just get in trouble.
Ruby: ...Is this a ten out of ten?
Jaune: ...They're all ten out of ten. Obviously.
Ruby: ...Okay, I just wanted you to admit that~! (Chuckles)
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Do you think Kikyo should’ve been nicer to Kagome and thanked her for all those times she saved her? Some of the fandom even thinks she owed her Spiritual training as well, what do you think?
To me, the thing about Kagome and Kikyo's rivalry is that it felt very one sided. Obviously, they both had extremely valid reasons to hate each other's guts at first — reasons that go beyond Inuyasha —, but Kikyo was the only one actually acting on it.
And she kept doing it even after Kagome has proved, time and time again, that she can be trusted and that she is in no way deserving of Kikyo's hatred.
I think that was a great dynamic because Kagome and Kikyo parallel each other so well: while Kagome was strugling with her own feelings in order to understand Kikyo's and accept her as a part of Inuyasha's life...
...Kikyo was fighting to do the exact opposite and hold on to her grudge. You can tell it by the way she can recognize what Kagome's true intentions were but still belittle her for it and refuse to say anything nice to her face.
It's a extremely compelling "yin and yang" sort of thing that worked very well at the start. What happened was that, at a certain point, Kagome has done so much for Kikyo that any ressentment towards her just felt a little ridiculous.
And I'm not even saying Kikyo should've been nicer and thanked Kagome. I think it's perfectly okay for a female character to dislike another. They don't have to be friends just because they're women, especially when there's so much bad blood between them.
In fact, I don't think there's room for a canon friendship there without it feeling awkward and forced — even though Kagome was obviously trying. I also think Kikyo being nice and thanking Kagome would be out of character and honestly a little underwhelming.
After everything that happened, a simple "thank you" doesn't even begin to cover. And as much as Kagome deserved to hear it, she didn't do anything because she wanted to be the better person or for Kikyo to be in debt with her. She did it because she's a good person and therefore will always do the right thing.
In my opinion, it wasn't exactly to Kagome that Kikyo owed anything, but to the narrative, as a way to earn her so called redemption by being held accountable for her actions, which she never really was.
Rather than Kikyo being nicer to Kagome, I think it would've been much better for both characters if Kagome was allowed to tell Kikyo off every now and then without it being an illusion.
And rather than Kikyo thanking Kagome, it would've been way more natural and meaningful for her to die saving Kagome's or Inuyasha's life instead of Kohaku's. It would've shown more regret and gratitude than any words ever could. Everything would come full circle — since she tried to kill them both while they were only trying to save her — and her closure would feel actually earned.
As for the spiritual training thing, I see where people are coming from and in another universe I think it would've been totally cool for them to have a dynamic like Aang and Roku had in Avatar, but again: it doesn't really work in canon.
More importantly: it goes against a theme that was introduced very earlier in the show, which is Kagome being her own person, doing her own thing, aside from Kikyo.
We literally see her trying to channel Kikyo's powers and failing...
...Then just being herself and succeeding:
If anyone was obligated to train her, that's Kaede, but particularly I like the idea of Kagome being self taught and making the moves up as she goes even better. I think it adds a lot to her character, I just wished Takahashi had explored it properly.
Plus, let's be honest: Kagome was doing a fine job on her own. Kikyo was the one making her life a thousand times harder by coming up with those nonsensical plans. In the end of the day it wasn't Kagome who needed Kikyo to defeat Naraku, but rather Kikyo who needed Kagome.
That being said, if Kikyo were to be nicer and thank someone, I think that person should've been Inuyasha and I will die on this hill. He was risking everything he had because she guilt tripped him into thinking he owed it to her.
"You came for me, that is enough" was not a thank you nor an apology. I can understand her reluctance when it comes to Kagome, but I can't justify her treatment of Inuyasha. Not when she was supposed to love him.
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If you won't vote for the Democrats regardless of anything they do or don't do, why would you expect them to ever care about losing your vote? It's like boycotting Gucci because of their business practices. Babe, you weren't gonna buy Gucci anyway. They're only gonna care about keeping their actual customers happy.
The same is true of Democrats. If you've never given nor intend to give them your vote, as much as it sucks, they don't care about your opinion. BUT, if they hear Voting, vested Democrats saying, "this is what we expect, want, and will vote over" that just matters more to them.
Yes, this sucks! Politicians should care about ALL our needs! But they care about staying in office because that's how they see themselves best getting things done. They can't make change at that level if they don't get elected. So they're gonna play to the votes they can get. If the far left says, "fuck you guys", they aren't going to be ashamed, they'll just find different voters to court. And if those voters are centrists rightly disgusted by the rise of the alt-right, those are the voters they will make promises to and seek to appease.
Voting is the door price for getting a seat at the table. Once you're seated, then you get to make demands of the kitchen. Standing outside the restaurant and screaming for creme brulee won't get you shit.
And yes, voting isn't the only step. You still need to be as active in real life as much as you can be. But don't expect politicians to care about your non-existent vote.
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Y'know, it's unfortunate more people don't compare Louis and Violet in good faith.
Like, when I do see people compare them, it's usually through the lens of one is good, and the other bad. One is more canon than the other, and here's why. One is objectively better for Clementine, and the other is less impactful, worse written, didn't have chemistry with her, insert several insults here, etc.
I don't think it's inherently bad to express why you might not like one of them, or why you prefer one over the other. That's fine, that's a matter of opinion. It only gets to me when it becomes hostile, or passive aggressive... but even then, I've learned to just roll my eyes and move on. Some people make it very clear that they're not worth having a discussion with.
However, I wish I could read more nuanced comparisons of the two that didn't default to the "and that's why this one is better." At least some are kind enough to tack on a "for my Clementine" at the end.
You know how it goes: Louis is cute and he makes Clementine laugh, whereas Violet's boring, her love is shallow, she's still not over Minerva and she's using Clementine as a rebound. Violentine's a bad ship because Violet's actually a traitor, and they're practically the same person and that's bad.
Violet's loyal and reliable, whereas Louis is annoying, he never takes anything serious, he's a traitor for his vote, and he's nothing but a distraction. Clouis is a bad ship because how could any Clementine possibly like him after he voted her and AJ out? That's bad!
That's always the conclusion, right? One good, one bad.
This is incredibly limiting and it drives me nuts.
They're foils. They contrast one another, highlight each other's strengths and flaws, in such an interesting way that it makes Clementine's choice between them all the more meaningful.
One is not good and the other bad, they're different, and I think that's worth exploring.
Let's start with a common argument: Violet is the more impactful option due to her connection to Minerva.
Now, to be fair, I can understand why someone on Team Violet would believe this. Yes, it's true that the confrontation with Minerva is more impactful for a violentine shipper who has more investment in Violet as a character. Louis doesn't have as strong of a connection to her.
However, what they're failing to recognize is that Minerva isn't the only ghost to haunt this narrative. Violet may have Minerva, yes, but Louis has Marlon... and that doesn't just go away once Marlon's dead.
Violet's route has Minerva as her ex-girlfriend, and her bond with Tenn that all comes to a head on the bridge. Louis' route has Marlon's death and how that specifically impacts his relationship with AJ and Clementine, and the slow burn of forgiveness on all sides.
Marlon and Minerva are also reflective of Clementine's worst outcomes.
Clementine and Marlon were tied together through Brody's blood splattered on their hands and faces. They both killed a part of Brody, but only one of them lies about who killed her first.
After Marlon dies, Clementine gradually replaces him throughout the game; Rosie is her dog now, she uses his bow [which Louis gave her], she becomes the leader. Clementine gets them to fight back, and when three of her people are captured, she doesn't cut her losses. She does what Marlon couldn't; "we're getting them back."
When she chooses Louis, he does for her what he never did for Marlon: he steps up.
Clementine proves she won't become Marlon just as she proves she won't become Minerva.
After getting James to agree to help them, Clementine and AJ talk about what to do if she ever gets bit. AJ says he'd want her to bite him, too. He repeats this sentiment after she's actually bitten, telling her he wants to stay and they could turn together, peacefully.
When Minerva confronts them on the bridge, she's dying... and she wants Tenn to die with her. She doesn't care who she has to kill in the process. She's more monster than human at this point, and most times, she succeeds.
They're both bitten. Clementine could've become a monster like Minerva in the end. She could've killed AJ, and they could've become walkers together. But she didn't. Minerva wanted Tenn to die for her, and Clementine wanted AJ to live for her.
Also, I should mention she has Minerva's axe. She carries the key weapons associated with Marlon and Minerva throughout different points in the game, further solidifying these connections. She uses Marlon's bow to save her friends, and she uses Minerva's axe to save AJ, who in turn uses it to save her.
What's also so interesting about this is how Marlon's alive in episode one, and Minerva is thought to be dead. Louis has his best friend, and Violet's lost hers. But, at the end of the episode, Marlon's dead and Minerva's revealed to be alive.
Marlon becomes the ghost, and Minerva becomes the monster. Clementine becomes to Louis and Violet what Marlon and Minerva never could... how does that not drive anyone else insane?
So, no. One is not objectively better, or more impactful, because of a connection to Marlon or Minerva. They're different. It just depends on which storyline you personally find more compelling.
Actually, let's talk about that a little more.
In my opinion, the most intriguing point of comparison between Louis and Violet stems from their perceptions of survival, and how that impacts Clementine.
An argument I see made against violentine is that Violet's boring because she and Clementine are too similar. This usually comes from clouis shippers who prefer the "opposites attract" dynamic Clementine and Louis have.
On the flip side, there's the counter argument that Louis is reckless, that he doesn't take survival as seriously as he should and Clementine wouldn't want him because of that.
These are interesting to me because I get where they're coming from... but they ultimately miss the point.
The other day, I replayed TFS. Except this time, I did something a little bit differently. I played my usual clouis route, but then I had the violentine route pulled up on my laptop so that I could watch these scenes, comparing them side by side… and something occurred to me.
Louis is about challenging Clementine's perception of survival, and Violet is about validating it.
Louis challenges Clementine from the very moment we meet him—he’s playing music. His initial philosophy on survival butts heads with Clementine’s. The fact that hunting with him and Aasim challenges your perception of “your choices have consequences.” These games have conditioned the player to think along the lines of, “Yeah, Louis is more fun… but if I don’t hunt with Aasim, we won’t have any food.”
Except that’s just it. I hate to say it, Aasim, but in the grand scheme of things… hunting with you doesn’t matter. It's actually less rewarding. You know why? Because in the next section, we get food from the train station. It would’ve been more beneficial to spend time with Louis over hunting, hence how he challenges you.
This then primes you for the choice between choosing to follow Louis or follow Violet. I know people complain about how this is presented with Violet doing something productive [checking the walls] and Louis playing piano… but that’s the point. If you’re going through with Louis’ full route, you need to meet him at his level, and in turn, he will meet you at yours. You need to accept the challenge, the idea that Clementine isn’t entirely right about the way she’s gone about survival.
Oh, and do I even need to mention the vote? The debate over Louis’ vote is exhausting. Often times, people tell on themselves in how they talk about it. It’s not actually about the fact that he voted against them. If it was, these people would have a bigger bone with pick with Mitch, Willy, Ruby, and Omar… and yet Louis is the one who takes all the blame as if he’s the only one personally kicking them out.
Louis is reacting to the death of his best friend, and the complicated feelings that come with it being caused by AJ. He wants accountability, even if he knows something's wrong. You can either agree with him that it was murder, and set AJ on the path of atonement… or, you can double down and tell him to fuck off, AJ was justified.
But here’s the thing… the vote adds to the appeal of Louis’ route. To someone who hates him, or at the very least is critical of his vote, that sounds mad or delusional.
Except it’s really not.
Ever heard of a thing called tension? Because there’s a lot of it in ep2 between clouis + AJ and it’s fantastic.
Yes, Louis voting them out is problematic because we need a problem to solve. We need something to feed the tension between him and Clementine. He stepped in front of a gun held by his best friend in order to protect her, forever changing their relationship… only for that to seemingly be taken away from us the moment AJ shoots Marlon.
Yes, Louis’ route is about being challenged, but it’s also about challenging him. That he’s able to forgive them, that he’s able to question his own survival philosophy and understand theirs, that he’s able to apologize and actually change for the better… that right there is what makes clouis so damn good.
He becomes hardened whereas Clementine softens. By the end of the game, they’re on a similar level now without neglecting their differences, and they can move forward together.
That’s what makes Louis’ route appealing… and it’s also what makes it unappealing to people who prefer Violet.
By contrast, Violet’s already on Clementine’s level when it comes to this perception of survival. She validates that Clementine’s on the right path.
They have other similarities in the way that they’re both female, queer, they both have a kid they look after, they’re not always great with other people, etc.
People who prefer Louis might consider this boring, but I think to Team Violet, it’s comforting. It’s comforting to have a partner who takes this as seriously as you do, who wants to get shit done. They’re playing Clementine with a similar attitude, and don’t believe it needs to be challenged. It’s comforting to feel validated on something you already firmly believe in.
We also see this if we compare the hunting and fishing scenes. You have to make an effort to choose Louis by choosing to neglect hunting, but the game makes you fish with Violet no matter what.
Violet’s prioritizing fishing because they need food. That’s what they’ve set out to do, so let’s do it. The game is letting you know that’s the case, and if you value that, continue pursuing her.
While fishing, they discuss why things are weird with her and Brody. Violet doesn’t take well to Clementine’s blunt, “Because you make it weird. Brody tries and you just make fun of her."
That’s understandable because I think she already kind of knows why and is looking to have her feelings validated. She prefers it when Clementine suggests that it’s because Brody never said sorry for what happened to the twins.
There’s also comfort and validation in the way Violet sides with Clementine and AJ after Marlon’s death. She votes for them to stay, vocalizing how much she disapproves of the results. There’s this feeling that I recognize from a lot of the sapphic romance I read; “it’s you and me against the world, I’ll always have your back, even if you’re in the wrong, I’ll fight for you.”
In our case, it’s violentine + AJ against the rest of Ericson, save Tenn and Aasim. Violet validates that AJ was justified because Marlon was a liar and murderer, claiming that AJ and Clementine did nothing wrong. Violet fights to keep them.
The tension between violentine in ep2 is different because instead of one pushing the other away, they’re being forced apart by the vote and there’s nothing they can do about it. That tension is somewhat released when Clementine comes back and they’re reunited, working out a plan to best defend the school.
It’s also why Violet’s presented as doing something productive when you follow her instead of Louis, and why she asks if you want to hang out after checking the defenses.
All that being said, allow me to reiterate that one is not good and the other bad, they're different. These concepts of challenge and change/validation and comfort exist on a neutral road as diverging paths. It’s up to the player to pick what path they prefer, but that doesn’t mean the other path isn’t worth acknowledging or analyzing.
I should also mention that they’re not exclusive; there is overlap with validation being present in Louis’ route and challenges in Violet’s. They’re just more present in episodes 3 and 4 after we’ve made our decision.
There are several more examples of how this all fits together, buuuuut–
Ya’ll wanna compare some allegories?
Those familiar with my content might already know where I’m going with this as I’ve made a post about Louis and the piano in the past.
You see, I believe that there are allegories for Louis and Violet’s hearts present in their routes: Louis’ piano, and Violet’s pin.
I already have a thorough, in-depth analysis of Louis and the piano that you can read, so all I’ll say about it is that on the night of the raid, he asked Clementine to carve a piece of herself into his heart so that no matter what, their initials will be immortalized together in its wood…
And that makes me fucking feral.
But I'm also so normal about it.
As for Violet, her heart is the star gazing pin she gives to Clementine. She gives it to her so she’ll always remember that night… but she doesn’t give it to her until after Clementine’s saved her, and that fascinates me in the context of it being allegory.
Louis asks Clementine to carve herself into his heart right before the raid, cementing that from that moment on, he is utterly devoted to her. I believe this is part of the reason why Louis is still happy to see her if he’s the one who’s captured. Yes, yes, he’s also incredibly traumatized from having his tongue cut out and he’d be happy to see anyone, yada yada… but listen, if you romance Louis and he’s captured, his heart remains with her—that piano with their intitals is on full display. When he sees her, he’s still so devoted to her that he refuses to accept that it’s at all her fault. Even when she says it is, he shakes his head... and he so easily accepts her when they’re together in the end. From the moment Clementine puts knife to wood, he’s hers.
Now, look… you might think I’m going somewhere not great with this but hear me out.
I think after Clementine’s gone star gazing with her, Violet is fully ready to give her heart to her. Y’know, give her the pin. But, think about what Violet said about how people have left, but Clementine came back. Plus, with the impending raid to think about, maybe Violet should keep the pin until the right moment.
I believe a key difference between her and Louis is that Violet needs one last thing to solidify that Clementine’s the one.
Louis gives her his heart prior to the raid because of everything that’s already gone down between them following Marlon’s death. Violet needs to know that Clementine’s willing to fight for her the way she fought before. When Clementine saves her from the raiders, it’s solidified. Even after she sees Minerva again, it changes nothing.
It’s also worth noting that the pin is something Clementine wears. Like the piano carving, it’s a piece on display for everyone to see, to let them know whose heart Clementine has.
Violet literally handed Clementine her heart as a means of saying, “I’m yours. I’m devoted to you.”
This is why romanced/captured Violet is devastating, and is why she behaves the way she does in the cells. She was so ready to give her heart away and then nope, sorry, Vi! You get knocked unconscious by raiders instead!
If anything, you kind of deserve to be told to fuck off if you romanced her and then let her get captured. Just sayin’.
Look, I have a lot of complicated feelings about the captured violentine route, mostly with Violet being as forgiving as she is after her eyes are burned—yes, yes, I know, her eyes are burned and Minerva messed with her head so of course now she’s not hostile, yada, yada.
But I think it’s rather telling that you don’t get the pin in this route. Sure, Violet’s willing to forgive and possibly pursue this romance in the future… but she’s not ready to hand over her heart, not truly. Not after everything that’s happened.
And if you want to get extra angsty about it, imagine that Violet made the pin right after they parted ways, but before the raiders came. Meaning that if she’s captured, it’s possibly still sitting somewhere, abandoned.
Mmhmmm, very normal about this. I feel normal. My normalness about this continues... normally. I'm not losing my shit thinking about that. Nope. Why would I? I wouldn't! So normal.
Okay just let me talk about their reactions to Tenn's death and then I'll shut up.
This makes me want to gnaw my own foot off, I can barely handle it.
AJ shoots Tenn on the bridge because Clementine trusted him to make the hard calls. This saves Louis or Violet's life.
When Louis jumps across, he's completely silent as he watches Tenn die... and then he's pissed; "What the fuck?! How could you just shoot him like that?!"
AJ explains himself, that he did it for him, and Louis is so upset that he forces AJ to look at what he's done, to watch the walkers eat Tenn; "Tenn's dead. He's dead! Do you realize that?! Look! [...] He's... he's gone, because of you. Just fucking gone."
If Clementine says AJ saved his life, Louis says, "So what, we just cut him loose? Gun him down like he was nothing?"
If Clementine says nothing, Louis says, "Tenn was just a little boy!"
The reason Louis responds this way is because in this moment, he just relived Marlon's death all over again, but worse. So, SO much worse!
When Violet jumps across, she breaks down, begging, "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! No, no! No, no, no..." as she watches Tenn die... and then says to AJ, "No! What the fuck?! How could you do that?!"
AJ explains himself, that he did it for her, and Violet is faaaar from okay; "For me? I can't... Tenn is gone! That soft little boy who liked to draw, he's gone, because of you!"
If Clementine says AJ saved her life, Violet says, "You think that's okay?! Just gunning down one of our own?!"
And there it is.
Louis is hardened in this situation because he already went through this... Violet hasn't, not with AJ. She softened up throughout her route due to her relationships to him and Clementine... but this is the moment where she realizes that maybe AJ wasn't as justified as she believed, and this is the consequence.
This leads us to the ending where AJ asks if they're still mad about him killing Tenn, and I just... I'm biting my foot right now because the script has flipped.
Louis is forgiving and understanding. He's soft, he's sympathetic, he shakes AJ's hand to let him know that all is forgiven and they're okay; "I... AJ, I guess it's like... You saw something I didn't. About the situation, I mean. Minnie and the walkers and Tenn, it's just all this chaos in my head when I think back on it. [...] Clem says you saved my life? Well, then, that's exactly what you did. And how can I stay mad at anyone for doing that?"
Or, alternatively, "He was your friend, AJ. I know you are hurting just as much as I am."
As for Violet? She's understanding, too... but she's not quite ready to forgive yet; "The thing you said on the bridge...that he was messing up all the time. It wasn't something new, you know. Tenn got himself or other people into trouble all the time, long before you guys got here. He was always so lost. He lived in a world that just...isn't there, you know? And that's why I tried to look after him. But when I was pulling him away from the walkers, and Minnie, I could also see...he just wasn't there anymore."
"So you're mad, but sad."
"Can I be that for a while?"
And it's completely understandable that she's hurting and struggling with how she feels about AJ moving forward! She wants to be okay, she wants to forgive him, she just needs time.
Now, because I'm forever bitter, but I'm gonna mention this as well: whenever I see someone point at Violet's scene and say, "See!? This is how LOUIS should've acted in ep2!" like... they're telling on themselves again. Not just that they don't understand Louis as a character or his route, but that they don't fully grasp Violet's part in this either. Or time frames, for that matter.
Let me put it to you in simple terms... they react the same.
After Marlon and Tenn die, they're upset. They're pissed. They blame AJ and yell at him. After they've had time to process what happened [Louis after the two week time skip, Violet after time passes between the bridge and the ending] they share the same, "I'm still upset about Marlon/Tenn. Can I be that for a while and still be your friend?" sentiment.
The difference is that Louis is treated poorly for it because of the vote, and because we feel it first hand for longer... Violet got to grieve off screen and come back after she's sorted herself out.
It's a disservice to both of their characters because it's rooted in that same mentality that I criticized at the beginning: "This is why one is better than the other."
Do I need to say it again? I'm gonna say it again.
One is not good and the other bad. They're different.
There are so many fun discussions that could come from putting Louis and Violet side by side, and examining them. I haven't even covered the different ways they're introduced, or compared their ep3 dates to see what it says about them and the overall narratives! What about the cell scenes!? How they react when Dorian's about the cut off their fingers! The way they approach James upon meeting him!
That last one in particular is especially funny! They're all under stress about blending in with a herd of walkers to infiltrate a boat to save their friends, and yet Louis easily saunters up to the guy wearing walker skins with a smile, and makes him laugh by saying, "Functional and fashionable. I'll take two."
Violet approaches James like he's an injured wild animal that's going to bite her, and bless her heart, she tries with, "I, uh… hey. Hey there, James. Sorry about Willy." Then James gives her this judgmental side-eye, like buddy? She's not the weirdo here.
There is so much potential to dissect here, and I want to see people do it... but I want them to do it fairly, in good faith.
I want to get away from the idea of comparing them to "prove" which is better because there is no objective better. There isn't! That's a waste of time!
I'm so done with The Debate™; it's unhelpful, it's annoying, and it's boring as shit. I've heard it all before, and you probably have, too.
I want to put Louis and Violet under a microscope and study them with the thought process of, "one does this and the other does that... what does it mean!? what does it say about the narrative!? Oh my god, they have the same opinion on this thing, WRITE THAT DOWN!"
So yeah, that's my ramble for the night.
I'm gonna go replay TFS for further research.
#twdg#twdg clementine#twdg louis#twdg violet#twdg aj#twdg tenn#twdg marlon#twdg minerva#twdg clouis#twdg violentine#clouis#violentine#i'll be real honest with you--i had a larger essay planned on this topic#that expanded on these ideas i've put forth here; especially the challenge vs validation thing and the allegories#but there were some parts where i could feel my personal bias slipping in too much...#like i had more to say about clouis than violentine at points because i'm more familiar with it#but then it didn't feel fair y'know? that's why i wish more people would talk about them like this#so that i could get different perspectives without having to deal with terrible 'one good one bad' arguments like they're so UNHELPFUL#i don't wanna hear about how much of a bitch you think vi is because she's angry in her cell scene#and i don't wanna hear about how 'well ACTUALLY it doesn't make sense that ANY clementine would romance louis because of the vote' STOP#to be fair tumblr isn't as bad with this. i'm mostly referring to fandom spaces outside of tumblr like reddit insta youtube etc#though tumblr certainly has had its moments#i dunno i'm just gonna throw this out there and then continue to work on the essay i want to and am able to fully write#and if people want to engage with it then fantastic can't wait to see what y'all have to say
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Stupid and incomprehensible (/srs) ii rant incoming. This post was fact checked by REAL American patriots ✅✅✅
The people that are shitting on ii and saying it's ruined are so fucking funny to me. No, ii16/ii17 wasn't contradictory or out of character. You literally just created your own story in your head and then got mad when it didn't come to fruition. Like dawg that was all you. You created your own problems to be mad at. Just admit your interpretations were wrong. It's not that hard.
NO BUT YOU GUYS ARE SO FUCKING MISERABLE. IT'S A KID'S SHOW. GROW UP. YEAH IT'S NOT FUCKING SHAKESPEARE BUT YOU'RE ACTING LIKE THE FINALE IS THE WORST THING THAT'S EVER GRACED THE EARTH. You guys can't enjoy ANYTHING AND IT SHOWS. "Oh my godd my sugar plum is SO out of character!! The twist came from NOWHERE" are you on the writing team? Have you been planning this for a DECADE? No?? Shut up. Your writing opinions are about as valuable as five Nickel plushies. Just please shut the fuck up. It's not even that they're objectively wrong, it's that they're so fucking annoying. Like the confidently wrong "if you think differently you have no media literacy" type of annoying. I'm in like five other different fandoms and none of them make me feel drained after interacting with them like the ii fandom. Yes I'm separating them from the osc entirely cause they're a different breed. Hell, the ONE community reacted better to their ending than how ii fans are rn. Which is saying a lot because iykyk.
HOWEVER. I am NOT saying I want the ii community to become an echo chamber where everyone believes that Inanimate Insanity is a gift sent down from the Gods because it isn't. There's definitely things wrong with it. And even if it was a gift sent from the God's we are NOT gonna have a massive circle jerk because our favorite show is so cool.
Again, however, the criticism that ii receives isn't even criticism. It's just people bitching and moaning and it's so draining reading their massive walls of text because they're so fucking CONDESCENDING. Oh yeah you're definitely superior because your take on why the past two episodes are the worst lemme just bend over and suck your dick because that's what you want right?? To blow smoke up your ass and say that you're so amazing and smart and that everyone who disagrees with you lacks media literacy?? I FUCKING HATE THE PHRASE MEDIA LITERACY AND I'VE ONLY STARTED HATING IT BECAUSE YOU GUYS GOT YOUR GREASY FINGERS ONTO IT.
Anyways that's it. I've definitely talked about this before but idc people need to stop being miserable and start frolicking in the flowers. Yes, recognize that your favorite show has flaws, but get your head out of your ass and stop having a superiority complex. And stop making shit up in your head. Write an au fanfic or something instead idk just stop whining about how the show is somehow wrong. You people were literally complaining about ii17 the same day it came out. Why do you have so much hate in your heart.
Btw it's late for me. These are just all of my unfiltered thoughts so I'm like really annoying rn and I definitely would have worded this better but idc lol. Definitely going anon for this one.
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here's you silly chronic pain (or related things) post about one icarus morningstar because i have one braincell -
their legs hurt a lot; like it's pretty much a constant thing, usally one hurts a lot more than the other - I think probably their right one. I think this one is most because of how they fell so much during the resets - while they might been reset I think it definitely still left a pretty bad mark on their body. this is also made so much worse whenever they walk for extended periods (like . being in the Worldport. and pacing. you know.)
they are. so bad at stairs. his ass is so so bad at stairs. he tries his best but also. (relating this back to my fic - there's a reason Centross says he can walk them down to Isla's door! and there's also a reason for the railing comment! they rely on either him, or a railing to keep them from falling as they try to go down the stairs. walking normally is fine bar the pain, but stairs are in fact their worst enemy /silly)
shaky hands . they get tremors. as a treat. their hands are also like- so bad at picking up on certain touches cause of all their scars. (They can also get really tender and stiff - thankfully they have a boyfriend's hand to hold that makes that all (somewhat) better <3) also they hurt sometimes because. guys that so many scars and also a lot of scars on joints like there is no way it *doesn't* hurt sometimes. also also enderian fucking with their mind and that by proxy messing with their hands and stuff (I feel like they also get really bad brain fog sometimes because of corruption but . that's fizzled out after centross died and now it's mostly just a lot of disassociating)
I also think their back scar(s) hurts a lot/often - especially during like the end of summer fall kinda months. when they get their wings back after quixis it honestly gets better on terms of it (mostly because they're less focused on the pain)
also also chronic fatigue and just constantly being exhausted. like definitely after centross' death but *especially* after coming home from being Quixis. they kinda just struggle through it, getting up and doing things but they're pretty tired practically the whole day unless they're really excited about it. (They have been known to sleep for days at a time both before and after and event if it is particularly big, gotta get that rest in.)
I think the lightning doesn't cause constant pain but it does give them some bad flare-ups and spasms periodically
the wack . oh the portal . okay so ; eye definitely hurts sometimes - which in my opinion is probably more psychological than it is an actual pain ; portal wise - I do think fenris did leave a scar under the portal, but like. ic wasn't aware of it until coming back from being quixis, and while I don't think that one gives them issues, I do think the portal left an effect on their breathing. Kinda like the sculk but to a lesser degree, and also *mostly* psychological - Icarus is very careful about how they breathe after the portal goes away because they don't want it to hurt again. they can take mostly full breaths but it's not like. complete.
anyway . im so normal about them
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