#and while it's an interesting take on her origins I do also hate the fact she was turned into a child.

[tmntkiseki]

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles Forever Liveblog

Movie opens with the Purple Dragons doing a robbery of some sort. Hun, what are you up to?

I really, really love the little sequence that introduces the 2003 turtles. The animation is so slick and cool-looking.

Also, it's kind of interesting how the 2003 segments are animated in a (more detailed) version of the Back to the Sewer style, with Splinter, Casey, and April maintaining their BttS designs? But the turtles themselves look more like how they did during Fast Forward (it's because we're back to having white slits for the eyes, thank god.)

Seriously, if Back to the Sewer had looked more like this, it probably wouldn't be the only 2003 art style I do dislike to an extent.

We were only just properly introduced to the 1987 turtles and I'm already understanding why people abhor how they were characterized for this movie (I say this as someone who has literally only seen two episodes of the 1987 series. Specifically, the very first one and the Mona Lisa episode.)

Hun is gonna regret taking that mutagen BIG TIME.

03!Mikey likes the initialed belt buckles.

Underrated animation detail: the 1987 turtles are animated using a simple one-color shading approach while the 2003 turtles are animated with more detailed two color shading.

87!Raphael's reaction to meeting 03!Splinter is adorable.

I'm glad that 03!Mikey is enjoying the company of the 87 turtles, at least.

I know a major sore spot for this movie is the fact that the original 1987 actors couldn't reprise their roles due to circumstances out of anyone's control, but I am loving 87!Shredder's voice.

BEBOP AND ROCKSTEADY

03!Raphael getting mad at 87!Donatello for kill stealing is making me laugh more than it should

I hate to break it to you, Krang, but 03!Shredder and 03!Krang are one and the same.

87!Shredder being disappointed that 03!Shredder is an Utrom is hilarious knowing that the little red blob is actually an intergalactic terrorist who has literally killed billions of people over the last several centuries.

All it took to wake up Ch'rell was 87!Shredder referring to himself as, well, the Shredder. Nice to see being frozen in a block of ice didn't get rid of his ego.

Other things from Back to the Sewer I do like: The Hauler. It's a massive improvement design-wise over the moving van from Seasons 4/5 that served as the second Battle Shell.

Poor, poor, foolish 87!Shredder and Krang. If there's anything I've learned watching the 2003 series, it's that you can't keep Oroku Saki/The Shredder/Ch'rell down forever.

KARAI IS HERE, BABY

Honestly, I do like Karai's outfit from Back to the Sewer. If she had her original haircut and was depicted in a different art style (you know, one that doesn't make her look like stick), I'd actually say I'm quite fond of her overall design. (I have a similar attitude towards BttS!Casey, too.)

Karai is seriously not taking any shit from the 1987 antagonists

03!SPLINTER REFERRING TO BOTH DONATELLOS AS HIS SONS AAAAAAAAAAH

Hun, repeat after me: I do not want the 87 ooze. The 87 ooze is bad. Bad things will happen to me if I try to get more of the 87 ooze.

He didn't listen.

Other aspects of Back to the Sewer I appreciate that show up in Turtles Forever: The 03 Turtles directly addressing Splinter as "Father" rather than "Master."

Hun, I fucking told you that you did not want that mutagen!

Damn, Hun must feel humiliated bowing down to the Shredder and calling him "Master" again. (Not like he has a choice. Are the Purple Dragons even going to listen to him anymore?)

RAHZAR????

Damn, this is the third time that the 2003 Turtles have had their home destroyed ;A; They're so used to it at this point that they don't even react in anguish this time.

Oh boy, even Mikey is finally sick of the antics of the 87 turtles (though in his defense, they did kinda teleport out of their lair when Splinter was in trouble and all four 03 turtles are worried sick for their dad.)

They deliberately had 87!April getting kidnapped by the mutant banana after the turtles left to make her seem more helpless when compared to the 03 version, didn't they?

This scene with 87!Splinter giving 03!Leo and 03!Raph some bowls of rice, oh my GOD ;A;

Hun isn't wrong that as long as they have Splinter, the turtles will come running. These boys would do anything to protect/save their father.

How many people do you think died when 03!Shredder unleashed the Technodrome on New York City?

Turtles Forever is a lot more... destructive than I was expecting. (2003 dimension is straight up getting TRASHED.)

Okay, that bit where Leo pointed out that at least Raph isn't stuck riding on the blimp like Mikey is got me to laugh.

2003 turtles are slowly but surely warming up to the 87 turtles. This is development I like to see.

"If there is one constant in the multiverse, it is the predictability of you turtles! Threaten something you hold dear, and you will ignore your better instincts!" You didn't have to call them out like that, Ch'rell.

SAME AS IT NEVER WAS

God, the fact that The Next Mutation is the only major iteration not featured when Shredder does his entire rant on the multiverse and how the turtles pretty much always win XD

NOT THE TURTLES

Casey was straight up going to cry when he thought the turtles had all disappeared with the Technodrome.

2003 dimension literally being reduced to inks, blue pencils, and then flat out nothing is really cool from an animation standpoint but also highkey terrifying

Welp, this scene confirms that the Purple Dragons are, in fact, still listening to Hun despite the fact that he's been mutated. That's good for him, I guess.

The scene where April and Casey disappear, HELP

"Ain't exactly Mister Roger's Neighborhood, is it?" -- 03!Raphael, accurately describing Turtle Prime. (He loves it.)

Mirage!Leonardo's narration as he and his brothers fight the 03 and 87 turtles JDSKGJDFKJGKF (Doesn't help that it's ripped directly from issue 1)

Mirage!Raph calling the 03 and 87 turtles sellouts on account of the multicolored headbands... wheeze.

Karai really is having second thoughts about helping her father destroy the multiverse, huh?

Fucking Mirage!Shredder getting taken out by the 87 and 03 turtles hurling a bunch of garbage at him SJGKJDFGKFDKGJ

"If there's one constant in the multiverse, it's the Shredder's big fat ego!" Oof, 03!Leo.

Shredderzilla?

KRANGZILLA?

The only thing this final fight is missing is 87 and Mirage!Splinter.

Okay, seriously, what was with that bit where 87!Leo, Raph, and Mikey all broke down in tears and looked to 03!Raph for comfort?

WHEEZE, THE MIRAGE TURTLES ACTUALLY SCARED 03!SHREDDER

Ch'rell seriously does not care that he is literally going to destroy himself if he destroys the Mirage turtles, Jesus Christ.

And the Turtles Multiverse was saved... By Bebop and Rocksteady?

This bit where the 87 and 03 turtles use each other's catchphrases as they say goodbye is really sweet.

"Oh, I sure hope this thing sells." "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing." Sobs.

[millions-dykes]

Technically speaking I don't hate tristamp Elendira in concept. Like I think a plant-human hybrid is a very interesting idea to explore in the world of trigun, especially relating to knives, and she was a lot of fun to watch (win for little girls who are unhinged).

On the other she could've been an entirely new character without the name of The Most Powerful Trigun Woman and it would've been. So much better.

[elbdot]

Hello I am back with more lore questions about your comics if u wanna answer 👀 (I looked back, but couldn't find this mentioned so sorry if I just missed it 😅)

I was curious since the comic starts after all the main plot stuff has happened: we know El is the Champ of the Alola League, but did she also do the island challenge trials like in the game or was she just traveling around with Hau while he did his? If she did do the trials did you make up a reason why the kahunas would let her, despite being well over the age limit for it? If she didn't was there some other motivation for her building her team up enough that she could beat the league when it was finished?

We're basically playing out the original story of SM with some changes!

Originally El just wanted a FUCKING VACATION and came from Hoenn after receiving a letter from her mom, to come to Alola and help her move into their newly bought appartement. But then Kukui busted through the door to welcome them and El's mom insisted on her coming with Kukui to get to know the locals while she'd continue setting up the place in the meantime. El didn't have any of her old Pokemon with her, as she heard of the strict laws of letting "invasive species" into Alola and she didn't want to deal with the paperwork, especially since she assumed she'd only stay in Alola for 2-3 weeks at best. Kukui showed her the way to Iki Town, talked about their customs, wanted to introduce her to the island Kahuna. When they couldn't find him, Kukui suggested he might be up Mahalo Trail, but stays behind in case Hala might come back from Hauoli City instead. El checks it out, she meets Lillie, the saving-Nebby-scene plays out where Tapu Koko rescues Nebby and El, El unexpectedly receives the sparkling stone from Tapu Koko that Hala makes a Z-Ring out of. Due to the incident, Hala encourages El to partake in one of Alolas oldest traditions as a way to get accustomed to Alolas culture but also to welcome her into it and keep an eye on her, with Halas and Kukuis interest being sparked by the appearance of their deity. The fact that she's way over the age of regular trial goers is not a problem, Tapu Koko must have given her that stone for a reason so Hala simply follows the will of the Tapus and is interested to see how El's journey will play out.

El feels honored being so welcomed by the Kahuna himself and is also too polite to decline partaking in the island challenge, even though she wasn't really interested in going on anther journey and building a new team of Pokemon...wasn't this supposed to be a vacation aside from helping out her mom??

But her mother is surprisingly supportive of El going on the island challenge, as she feared strangers like them from Kalos might have a hard time fitting in and making friends with the locals. She's okay with El not being able to help out setting up the house, as in her opinion "You're doing your part by learning everything you can about the region and getting to know our new neighbors."

After getting to know Hau the next day during a Festival in Iki Town, El starts to feel more like Hala specifically put them together so someone would keep an eye on Hau while the old Kahuna is unable to. Babysitting it is then. GREAT. But the innocent sweet little sunshine that is our Malasada Boy QUICKLY grows on El and she takes looking after him VERY SERIOUSLY and becomes the Mom-friend of the group. She downright enjoys looking after the shy Lillie and the joyful Hau while getting to see so many of Alolas amazing sights. She also greatly enjoys Kukuis company I might add...

Until she finds out he's taken. FUCK. GODDAMNIT. OF COURSE HE FUCKING IS AAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGG "No Hau I'm not depressed. No I don't act strangely hostile towards Burnet what are you talking about nooooooo pass me the Malasada Hau. EW. It's BITTER. WHY'D THEY SELL THAT. I HATE IT HERE"

Don't worry, she recovers... El really starts to get into the challenge after a while. She was never a fan of challenging Gyms and greatly enjoys the different Trials she gets to go on instead. Alola quickly becomes her favorite region for the lush beautiful nature, the incredibly kind people and the Pokemon she meets along the way. Her team is unbalanced, but that's what makes her grow more closely together with her Pokemon than any previous team she had before. Beating trainers is a challenge due to the many bug-and flying-types on her team, she has to strategize more than ever before to make it work and be able to defeat the Kahunas. Her Oricorio Sweets would become her Partner Pokemon in the end, when she survived multiple hits from Kukuis Incineroar, holding on to 1 HP multiple times because of how determined the little bird was and how much she loved her trainer, defeating Incineroar in the end.

(This was my OG Team, only Sweets and my Golisopod Titan made it into the comics in the end, her Decidueye and Vikavolt are on Mohn's Pelago, Fletchinder I'd actually still like to include at some point)

El didn't expect to stay in Alola. She didn't expect to build a new team or even join the League or becoming CHAMPION of all things... Let's be real, Kukui didn't really give her much of a choice in joining. After Hau and El finished their island challenge, it was more of a "might as well join the League I just finished building" from the Professor, since before it was built, the final challenge WOULD have taken place on Mount Lanakila anyway. But what surprised El the most, was the fact that, after winning, she was offered the position of Champion by Kukui at all. IF she would have won, she thought, surely they'd not let a stranger like her actually keep the title and defend it. But NOPE. All hail Alolas first champion El I suppose. And with this, it was clear that El had to extend her stay in the region. For an...unforseeable time.

[thedovesaredying]

Monsters in the Dark | Nikto x Reader | Part 3

Third chapter of the Cowboy!Nikto series. Nikto has some emotions and has no idea what they mean or how to deal with them. Original Cowboy concept based on the AU by @ghouljams

A/N: Finally got enough time to work on this chapter after weeks and weeks of hectic stress with work and university. Thank you to all of those still following along with the story, I'll hopefully have the next part out soon. Fun fact: The story of a horse getting hurt running into a fence because they were so excited to see someone is from one of the silly yearlings at uni lol.

Warnings: Minor medical proceedures, Nikto getting a little jealous.

Masterlist: CoD Masterlist

First | Previous | Next

Nikto can’t help wondering if there’s anything that can ruin your seemingly perpetual good mood. Even with your body dripping with sweat and elbow deep inside of a cow, you’re still somehow grinning brightly at the farmer standing beside you. Doing a part of your job that some would consider... unpleasant at best, you’re able to act as if it’s the most exciting thing you’ve ever done.  

One of the other farm hands, a man about your age, if a year or two older, is acting a little too interested in what you’re doing, however, and Nikto’s jaw is aching with how hard he’s grinding his teeth together. They make a soft groaning sound as they suffer under the pressure he’s subjecting them to, but unfortunately, it’s the only thing keeping him from snapping at “Darren” when the man crowds close to you with what he must think is a suave grin.  

“Alright, I can feel the cervix now,” you hum, and he can see the way your arm twists slightly within the animal, “it’s pretty easy to manoeuvre it around.” You frown to yourself, seemingly oblivious to the way that annoying brat leans a little closer, “the reproductive tract isn’t very heavy.” 

“And what’s that mean, darlin’?” Darren asks, and Nikto can’t decide what he hates more, the tone the other man is using to address you, or the way he thinks it’s okay to place a hand on your shoulder. The gelding underneath Nikto snorts, shifting uncertainly as he likely senses the tension brewing.  

“Oh,” you blink at Darren, as if only just noticing him for the first time, “normally you wouldn’t be able to move the cervix around so easily if she was carrying a calf, I’d be able to feel at least a little weight to it.” You reach a little further into the cow, taking a few moments longer before adding, “I can also feel the horns of her uterus, and there’s no fluid I can feel inside them.”  

Darren is nodding, but his gaze is far from focused on the animal or what you’re actually saying to him.  

You pull you hand slowly from the cow, removing the palpation glove and dropping it into the bin beside the cattle crush. “Looks like this girl’s open, I’m afraid,” you say, grabbing the can of cattle paint and spraying a bright green streak across the animal’s tail, “and that’s the last of the girls done.”  

Pulling the release lever, the heifer is let out of the crush and into the holding pen with the rest of the females you’ve checked for pregnancies. While most of them have little blue marks to indicate a successful insemination, a few of the younger ones weren’t lucky enough to take this time around.  

Darren looks as though he’s about to say something further (more than likely something stupid and obnoxious), but before he can do anything more than puff up his chest, Mr. Roberts is snapping at him.  

“Darren! Get your ass into the paddock, boy!” The old man has a scowl on his face that would have recruits shaking in their boots and a voice with a harsh snarl to it from years of smoking. “The hell do I bother paying you for?” he grumbles, watching as the younger man near enough trips over himself in his haste to get back to work.  

Nikto can’t help admiring the man for his no nonsense approach to his work. He’s friendly enough toward those who work for him, and when Nikto was looking for employment, took him on board with no questions asked. The elderly cowboy has made it clear that he could care less about where someone comes from, only that they can do an honest day’s hard work.  

“Well, thank you for giving us a hand with the ladies,” the old man’s tone softens drastically, and he offers you a firm handshake, “I know those big business farms have all that fancy new technology and blood tests to make checking for calves easier, but I much prefer the old method.”  

Although he would never admit it aloud, it’s rather… sweet, the way you beam at Mr. Roberts and nod along to his words. “Of course! A blood test would be useful for determining how long the baby’s been gestating for, but there’s nothing wrong with the palpation method to find out if they’re carrying anything.” 

Roberts seems pleased by your response, offering you an elusive smile, before giving you one final nod, “I’ll see you around town in a few days, and I’ll drop your payment off at the clinic.”  

There are a few final pleasantries exchanged, all of which Nikto ignores. He was supposed to be getting the horse tacked down and set out for the day. Getting distracted by you while doing your job was just an unfortunate happenstance. He urges the gelding onward with a gentle tap to the animal’s side, leaving you to the business of packing up all of your tools in peace.  

He dismounts once reaching the stable, giving the horse a firm pat on the shoulder before leading him into one of the nearest stalls. He can’t know for certain if anyone else will need Murphy before the end of the day, seeing as the horse belongs to Roberts, but the least he can do is ensure he’s comfortable until he’s turned out for the end of the day.  

While “Murphy” isn’t exactly a name that Nikto would have chosen for a horse, given it’s a little too human for his own tastes, apparently, the gelding was named after Murphy’s Law, seeing as the poor animal seems to constantly be getting into trouble. Anything that could possibly go wrong for him can and will. He’s only just recovered from a nasty gash he’d received to the front of his chest after getting a little too excited to see Nikto coming to greet him and crashing directly into a barbed wire fence.  

Nikto starts untacking Murphy, starting with the bridle and moving his way backwards. He gives the gelding a quick brushing down and picks out his hooves to ensure there’s no stones or injuries that’ve gone unnoticed. He leaves Murphy to his dinner while he works on cleaning off the bit of the bridle and applying oil where the leather has begun to dry out. It’s a difficult job with only one properly functioning arm, but he’s not about to ask for any assistance with such a mundane chore.  

When he gets back, however, he’s startled to find you standing there, stroking Murphy’s mane while the horse happily munches on a mouthful of hay. You’re cooing at the animal happily, giggling when Murphy starts trying to nibble at your shirt once running out of food.  

You turn and offer him a smile, face still a little warm from the sun outside and with several strands of your hair poking out in odd directions. He finds that the look suits you, oddly enough.  

It’s only when you call his name that he realises that you’ve been trying to speak to him and he’s just been there staring at your face like a complete idiot. He shifts his grip on the halter he’s holding and clears his throat. “What do you need?” He settles on eventually, deciding that’s the least offensive way of telling you he hasn’t heard a word spoken to him.  

Thankfully, you don’t seem to be too upset by it. “I was just asking how poor Murphy is doing, I know he had a nasty scratch recently,” you’re looking at Nikto, but your words are said in the same, high-pitched coo you tend to use whenever you’re talking to Sputnik, accompanied by a rather overdramatic frown.  

He rolls his eyes at you, but finds he isn’t entirely annoyed by the antics. “Fine. His wound has healed well,” he says while reaching over to try and guide Murphy’s head a little closer. He may not be a trained veterinarian, but Nikto has seen plenty enough injuries in his life to be able to tell when one isn’t healing well. Murphy, of course, decides not to cooperate, instead trying to press the side of his fluffy face up against you.  

Getting the halter over the horse’s head with one hand is rather awkward, especially with the way the animal insists on moving about. You reach out, and he’s about to snap at you for trying to do it for him. He’s had enough of people trying to treat him like an infant recently, as though he’s not a dangerous killer.  It was suffocating enough when it was hospital staff and physiotherapists, but even a civilian thinking he’s too incapable to perform such a simple task? 

But then, you simply grab the buckle in one hand and hold it in position for him to secure himself.  

It would be far faster and more efficient for you to take the halter and do it yourself, yet you stand patiently without comment, and wait as he pulls the strap over the horse’s head and fastens the catch in place. He’s not sure why the thought of you specifically treating him like a weak child had him prepared to lash out quite so aggressively, especially when he’s brushed off similar actions by other people with only a few choice words and a particularly icy glare.  

You return to eagerly cooing at the horse before he can force himself to offer any kind of thanks, and he quickly pushes down the uncomfortable tangle of emotions trying to crawl their way up from his stomach.  

“Are you finished for the day?” You ask after a few moments of silence. He gives you a nod and you’re quick to ask, “how’s your girl been holding up?”  

“Our girl?” he asks slowly, forehead scrunching up. Do you think he has a partner or some kind? Why would you think there’s a girl in his life? Has he done something to make you think he’s married or dating someone?  

“Sputnik,” you clarify, and his face must do something odd because you snort at his reaction. “Why, do you have another girl?” 

Nikto can’t help automatically scoffing at the question, shaking his head at the very thought, “нет, we have no one.” He sees your eyebrows raise slightly, as if surprised by that, but you quickly school your expression back into its normal, carefree smile.  

Your expression quickly turns into something playful, however, as you add, “really? A big, handsome man like you?” He’s not sure how genuine your teasing tone is, “surely you’ve got the ladies lining up.” You have this way of joking around with him and asking questions in a way that doesn’t make him want to immediately tell you to ‘fuck off’. It’s a strange feeling, and he’s not entirely sure he likes it.  

“You are just crazy,” he counters, going to cross his arms over his chest, only to realise he can’t and instead settling for just letting them rest in place. He sees your eyes travel down the length of his damaged arm, stopping at where it abruptly ends. You don't comment on it, however, and he’s annoyed by how glad he is that you don’t. You likely didn’t even notice his injury until now, given he’s been wearing his prosthetic covered by long-sleeved clothes and gloves every other time you’ve met.  

“Wow, so rude,” you grin, trying to playfully shove his shoulder, only to pout when he’s entirely unmoved by the action. He’s been called rude many times in his life, but this is the first time he’s ever found himself pleased to hear it from someone.  

The sound of the stable door opening has you pulling your attention away from him and toward Roberts, who has just entered. You give Murphy a quick pet to the side of the neck, and Nikto a final grin, offering up a brief, “I’ll see you around.” 

Roberts waves as you leave the stables, waiting for the large door to close before he turns to look at Nikto, one of his bushy eyebrows raised. “So, when’re you gonna marry that lovely girl?” The old man asks, leaning against the stall door with an upward twitch of his lips.  

Nikto near enough chokes on thin air, whirling around on the cowboy with a startled, “что?”  

The old man just sighs heavily, shaking his head, “just make sure you do it soon, yeah? We need another vet living out here on a permanent basis,” he ploughs on, “she already knows the area and she’s a lovely young lady.”  

As quickly as he arrived, Roberts wanders off again, heading back to work and leaving Nikto standing in the middle of the horse stall. He takes a long moment, just staring at where the old man had been a few moments ago while his brain slowly processes everything. Surely he wasn’t being serious, right?

-

Translations

“да,” - “Yes” 

"что?” - "What?"

[bittergirlsworld]

I finally gave up and saw TVD to understand some stuff in TO, and I just have to say: what an awfully written show. My goodness, how the hell is the most annoying girl in Mystic Falls the anchor who holds them together? Caroline, the fandom darling has no personality whatsoever. She's a camaleon, she's what they need her to be in the episode. Sometimes, she's the greatest soul alive, sometimes she's only there to slutshame another girl for doing exactly what she does. Sometimes she's pinning after her boyfriend, sometimes she backstabs him. Sometimes she's so repulsed by the 1000 year murder who bribes her with fancy things and sometimes she's okay to use the hell out of him to have what she needs. Elena, who's supposed to be the protagonist, becomes more and more the love interest to Damon. His love for her, that both recognize as toxic, comes from a sire bond and everyone insists to pretend that she loves him just the same without it as if she wasn't heavily projecting Stefan on him to the point he calls her out. The Originals, who were supposed to be invicible, the most insane of them just dies for a teenage hunter. Finn, the most sane one, portrait as a bore because he resented the bother who kept him in a coffin for thousands of years. Katherine, who I swear is one of the only two female characters really interesting in this show, is called a bitch all the time for the unforgivable crime of running from a psycho hybrid who wanted to slaughter her and then slaughtered her fucking family. Elijah and Rebekah does not exist outside of Klaus. Rebekah was just extremely annoying till they gave her a real personality and in the spin-off. Out of nowhere, she was obsessed with being human. Bonnie, poor Bonnie. The racism was blatantly showing. She was only there to be the magic negro trope. They didn't even allowed her to have romantic storyline! Her boyfriend who she resurrected cheats on her with a freaking ghost and she still back with him in season 5? She deserved so much better. Damon turns her mother in a vampire and then she's his best friend? She loses her entire family as well and is never treated with the same courtesy Elena has been treated. Not even the fancy balls she could attend, apparently. (Her wigs were also terrible. Poor Kat, they made her appear so old sometimes with those hairs).

And the romantic pairings? Awful. Damon and Elena were downright disgusting. He raped Caroline. Why everyone pretends he wasn't compelling her while having sex with her? Why all these centuries old man are so obsessed with fuck teenagers? How's that's romantic, date a girl on high school when you had two shares of a lifetime? Even if we take in consideration the lore that vampires stop aging when they're turned, the only couple who would make sense in this logic were Stefan and Elena, since Stefan was a teenager when turned. Klaus and Caroline had no romantic connection. She used him dry, he bite her to die to make a point to her boyfriend. He would be her last love but fucked her and left. She hated him but would happily accept his gifts while treating him like a dog. Damon and Elena loudly assume to each other that they are terrible together but then forget because they're fucking again. I swear to god, that relationship was pure based on their sex drive. She wanted that old dick so bad she blamed dead Katherine for the fact he killed her friend and threatened her brother.

The timeline made no sense. Plotholes all around. Why Bonnie couldn't make magic while being the anchor? Must be because she would be too powerful, and with Elena being so useless, they couldn't allow that. Caroline is another one completely useless for the plot. She could disappear from the show and wouldn't change a single thing.

It's really awful. After finally seeing this I can say with conviction that The Originals was the best they could have.

[the-power-of-stuff]

The Live-Action Sukka Manifesto that I Just Couldn't Keep in My Head

So I've been marinating in my live-action Sukka thoughts for the past three days, and when someone sent me an anon asking if I had any thoughts about the changes, at first I went, "DO I EVER?!" and proceeded to dump my entire brain on the page.

But then I worried maybe the anon wouldn't want to see my entire brain and figured I'd make my own post with my Many, Many Thoughts, and reel it in a bit when I answer the ask. And then link here if they're interested in the dissertation.

I'll put all the excessive details and spoilery stuff under a cut, but I'll start by saying, I didn't hate it! And I was afraid that I would.

There were things that I was bummed or had mixed feelings about, but there was also a lot that I genuinely enjoyed. All the Sukka interactions were cute and still had some decent character development, and I had fun with the episode overall (I've watched it thrice mind you, and definitely have not given the rest of the series that kind of attention). And I didn't necessarily dislike the differences from the original; I think I've just taken more of a "that was an interesting interpretation" approach.

But I better start that cut now, because I'm about to go on and on about this. I'd love to know what others think, though!! Even if the opinions aren't the same as mine! Please feel free to comment, reblog, shoot me an ask. If nothing else, I'm excited that the LA has gotten people talking about ATLA again.

So, I want to start with Suki’s characterization, which overall I found to be delightful, even if it was a bit of a watered-down version of her animated self.

In the original show, Suki is confident, sassy, and doesn’t take shit from anybody. She’s proud to the point of almost being arrogant, and even a little mean. What we get in the LA is someone who’s still confident in terms of her status and her skills, and still proud of her heritage and her role in her community, but with significantly less sass. And while LA Suki still seems like someone who wouldn’t take anyone’s shit, we don’t actually see LA Suki deal with that much shit from anyone (because Sokka isn’t really giving her any). 

There is one moment in the show where her interaction with Sokka is a little contentious, which is when he tries to relate to her as a fellow guardian of his people. I think Suki’s question to Sokka about how is he protecting his village if he’s not there is meant to be a challenge to his swagger. However, the line is delivered with a softness that makes it seem as though Suki is, at least in part, genuinely curious. (This curiosity makes even more sense when we consider the fact that Suki’s eventually going to leave Kyoshi Island so she and her Warriors can take part in the war effort, and that she will have to contend with the question of “how do you do that without abandoning your people?” when coming to that decision. The LA lays a lot more of this groundwork than the animated show did: Suki outwardly expressing her desire to see the world, her mother’s secretive looks every time Suki gazes longingly at Sokka the possibilities…)

Compare these two moments, for example. These are both scenes where Suki expresses disbelief at Sokka's claims about his warrior-hood. But in the LA, Suki speaks rather quietly and mildly, in contrast to the brash sarcasm of her animated counterpart. LA Suki is also tilting her head down and away, looking at Sokka indirectly. OG Suki is leaning in close, getting in his face, smirking derisively with her hands on her hips.  

I think there’s something to be said about the LA in general smoothing away certain personality traits that could be seen as negatives but that are actually strengths that are so narratively well-developed they occasionally show up as flaws (for instance, Katara’s fury, or lack thereof). Animated Suki is prideful and stubborn; she berates Sokka until he gives her sad puppy-dog eyes and has zero hesitation about making an example of him in front of her whole class. It’s a little ruthless, but these traits are also 1) what gets through Sokka’s thick skull (he, too, is prideful and stubborn), and 2) what makes her such a dedicated ambassador of Kyoshi and such a strong leader of the island’s Warriors at such a young age. I feel like the LA writers were afraid of making any of the protagonists seem too abrasive—everyone in the LA has had their edges sanded down, including Zuko, including Aang—and in general this tends to lead to less realistic representations of humanity and conflict, less satisfying character development arcs, and fewer opportunities for reflection and learning. 

That being said! I went into watching the LA with negative expectations about what we would see in terms of character development, and thus was pleasantly surprised. 

The LA removed the need for Suki to be as ruthlessly stubborn as she is in the animated show because LA Sokka’s skull is not so thick (and I'll get into that a bit more later). So what we get instead is a sheltered Suki with a helicopter mom who is so hilariously awkward that she has no idea how to interact with other humans. And, to be honest, I enjoyed this version of her so much that I even thought to myself, “I wish I’d thought of that!”

Suki is a straight-up weirdo in the LA and I love that for her. The way she puts Sokka in a chokehold and then looks at him after she sets him free like, “That was good flirting, yes? Would you like to be my boyfriend now?” And then her disappointment when Sokka walks away as if she’s thinking, “Why didn’t that go well, I thought boys loved getting put in chokeholds?” She is so precious, I just want to put her in my pocket. And this characterization might even be more broadly relatable than a super-confident Suki brimming with sass. Who among us hasn’t made a complete fool of ourselves in front of a crush by coming on way too strong and having no idea how to flirt? I mean…real. 

And because Sokka is also mostly just making a fool of himself trying to impress a pretty and talented peer (instead of covering up his insecurities by wrapping himself in misogyny) this leaves room for the two of them to be attracted to each other right off the bat and for their interactions to be more overtly romantic throughout the entire episode. Which, avid shipper that I am, I have to admit I have been gobbling up for the past three days straight. This episode was an IV drip of romantic tropes hooked straight to every Sukka shipper’s veins. 

Shy glances from across the room? Check.

Walking in on the other person half-naked? Check. (Y’all, Suki looks Sokka up and down for a FULL TWENTY SECONDS yes I timed it from the moment she appears in the background, yes you should count it to see how long that really is. Talk about awkward.) 

Tripping so they end up falling into each other’s arms? Check.

Wide-eyed shock that turns into surprise thirst after being pinned to the ground? Check.

Shooting each other satisfied smirks as they kick ass side-by-side? Check.

Jumping in front of literal fire for each other? Check and check!

Like, I could live off this for the rest of the year. 

But look, there’s a lot that I love about the way Sokka and Suki’s relationship is portrayed in this episode besides those romantically indulgent tension-creating moments, and it has to do with Suki’s admiration and validation of Sokka. 

Suki really looked at this boy with his mouth stuffed half-full of steamed bun and went, “Must have.”

With the removal of overt sexism from this episode (for better or worse), the story focused much more heavily on Sokka’s development as a leader. He still has that sort of posturing display of self-confidence that comes from inexperience and trying too hard to prove oneself (“Ferociously…deadly tiger whales…”), and while at first Suki seems put off by this and his attempts to liken himself to her (“I’m not just a warrior, I’m a Kyoshi warrior”) it doesn’t take her long to decide (*cough*after seeing him shirtless*cough*) that she doesn’t actually mind this behavior (and in fact maybe she kind of likes it because maybe it means he likes her and maybe it means she can show him how much she likes him by slicing the tops off all those melons with her fan). She seems genuinely interested in his boomerang and impressed that he hunts, and then later, she immediately takes interest in training him in the Kyoshi Warrior style. 

After they spar, she casually refers back to the fact that he’s his village’s protector, and this time, she does it without the disbelief and defensiveness. Because he’s finally stopped posturing. He opened himself up and gave himself over to Suki’s expertise, and in that way he proved that he has the will and desire—the heart—of a warrior. And Suki tells him so while touching him gently and gazing at him longingly in the soft golden glow of the late-afternoon sun. And as a die-hard Sokka stan, I love seeing him loved and appreciated like this. Adamantly. Ardently. The Sokka cheerleader in my head is going wild. “YEESSSS!! Our boy deserves this!!” Because we know that, in the animated show, he goes through a lot more struggle and self-doubt before he receives this kind of external validation. And while we also know that this makes for an incredibly satisfying growth arc, I gotta admit that it’s a fun bit of indulgence to watch Suki talk Sokka up directly to his face and then want to kiss him really bad. Y’know. As a treat.

That said, I'm very attached to and appreciative of the way their relationship is framed in the animated series. I love that their respect and affection for each other grows even after the disaster that is their first few interactions. In the LA, they are drawn to each other immediately, and the only barrier seems to be a bit of awkward stepping-in-it-ness. In the original, they have legitimate conflict, and they both have to give a little—Sokka becomes more humble, Suki becomes more tender—before they get to that point of potential romantic interest. And I think it says a lot about Sokka’s character and his desire to learn and grow that he is willing to humble himself in front of someone who, as far as he’s seen, has very little regard for him (slash has a good deal of animosity towards him). Giving himself over to Suki’s expertise costs him more in the animated show. But once he does, he and Suki learn and grow together. He shows Suki who he really is, shows her how dedicated and determined (and fun and a quick learner) he is, to the point that, by the end of the episode, she can allow herself to be vulnerable with him. And she does validate him in the original Kyoshi Warriors episode, just less directly than the LA. Her kiss on his cheek and “...but I’m a girl, too” is about forgiveness and acceptance and acknowledgement and respect, as much as or even more than it is about affection. There’s a little bit of romance, too, but it’s just little baby seeds of it, and it feels very natural to let those seeds germinate over time until we see Suki again later in the series. 

Which brings me to the live-action kiss. 

I’ll be honest, I was a little on the fence about the kiss. I want Sokka and Suki to kiss as much as possible in every conceivable universe. So there’s a part of me that was banging on the table and whistling with obscene joy. But the other part of me thought it was too much too soon. However, my hesitance pre-supposes some things about the second season (not least of which that there will be one), namely that it will handle the reunion with Suki and crossing the Serpent’s Pass anything like how it was done in the original. (Of course, one thing we now know for certain can't happen in a hypothetical LA season 2 is Suki pranking Sokka at the ferry station because he doesn't recognize her without her makeup. Do I love the expression on LA Sokka's face the first time he sees Suki's? Yes. Am I sad that this completely ruins their whole "You don't remember me? Maybe you'll remember this!" game? Also yes. But truthfully, I don't know if LA Suki would've been up to the prank, anyway. Not sassy enough. ;))

The Serpent’s Pass is one of my favorite episodes of all time, and that moment on the bluffs when Sokka and Suki are talking around Sokka’s loss, with the moon shining down on them all the while, and they almost kiss with the moon hanging between them in the background, and then Sokka pulls away without any other explanation besides, “I can’t”? That scene is so absurdly powerful and beautiful and an amazing moment of character development for them both, and I feel like it loses a lot of impact if they’ve already made out once. The fact that they kiss for the first time after that moonlit moment, when Sokka realizes that Suki doesn’t need protecting the way he thought she did, and in fact she was there to protect him, and he can finally just let go of this burden that he’s been carrying with him since Suki first mentioned she was joining them (slash since his dad put him in charge of an entire village at 13), and then and only then can he open his heart to what he feels for Suki, and in fact opens it so wide that he just cannot help but jam his mouth onto hers before she’s even finished talking…? I mean. C’mon. That’s poetry. But, again…loses impact if they’ve already had a first kiss.

But who knows what, if anything, they’ll actually do with that storyline. So for now, I’ll just enjoy my live-action Sukka kiss because, honestly, dream come true.    

Or almost a dream come true. Because there's a huge camelephant in the room that I haven't addressed yet, isn't there? The lack of Sokka in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform...

And I don’t think we can talk about the omission of Sokka’s Kyoshi Warrior uniform without talking about the omission of Sokka’s sexism. Because if Sokka isn’t sexist, then why do you have to put him in the dress and makeup of traditionally female warriors to make a point about how women are strong and capable, too? So here’s what I’ll say about that (and I know there’s a lot that people have said already, so I’ll try not to belabor the point.) I don’t think leaving out Sokka’s sexism was necessarily a detriment to his character arc. I do think, however, that leaving out Sokka’s sexism was a detriment to the message the show was trying to convey about sexism. 

Now, in the Northern Water Tribe episodes, the LA still gives us a message about fighting against the kind of systemic, institutionalized sexism that you might not be surprised to encounter within a very old-fashioned society or from a very old-fashioned gray-haired man. But what about the off-the-cuff, everyday kind of sexism that you might experience from an otherwise good person who is close to you? A person who loves you and would do anything for you but who gets carried away teasing you about “girly” things because of intrinsically-held biases that they’re not even that conscious of having? 

I think it’s important and meaningful for male and female audiences alike, and everyone in between, to see these different forms of sexism and misogyny—to see them, to recognize those behaviors in others and in ourselves, to be able to name them, and to have examples of fighting against them. We see the former kind—institutionalized, systemic—in Pakku. And we did see the latter kind—familiar, personal—in Sokka. And now that’s lost.

Not only that, but there’s the form of sexism that says boys aren’t allowed to do feminine things lest they relinquish their maleness. And in the animated show, we got to see Sokka combating this form of sexism, too. Not only does Suki show him that girls can be fierce warriors as well as boys, but he learns that wearing makeup and a dress does not make him any less of a young man.  

So, yes, I think the lack of Sokka in Kyoshi Warrior garb was a missed opportunity. And not just because Sokka looked really good in uniform and we all should have had the chance to see that, including and especially Suki. 

Alright, this is more than long enough, so I'll leave off with a moment from the LA that gave me great pleasure.

I needed this moment, y'all. And I was so afraid it wouldn't happen. I needed Sokka being protective, I needed him using his newfound Kyoshi Warrior skills to fight, and I needed him jumping in front of fire for the girl who'd taught him. If we couldn't have Sokka in the Kyoshi Warrior uniform, at least we had this.

[backmuscles21]

What Is True Love

Tsu'tey x Reader, Miles Quaritch x Reader

Summary: You hated your father for forcing you into the Avatar Program, you resented him so much you didn't see anything but the hatred for him. Blindsided by hating him, you didn't realize he'd find other ways to control you. However, it led you to the best part of your life, regardless of all the bumps it took to live a long happy life.

This will be eventually Tsu'tey x Reader. Bare with the fact that you have to get through Quaritch first. It'll be worth it I promise, or at least I hope.

Quotes with * are that person speaking in Na'vi.

For the most part, this follows the events of the first Avatar movies. Fingers crossed I remember, for the most part, what happens. Also, this was originally posted as a four-parter so she's long.

Warnings - explicit language, implied sexual content, sexual content, eventual smut, hurt/comfort, canon violence, abusive relationship, unhealthy relationship, implied/referenced child abuse, mating, fluff and smut, manipulative relationship, emotional hurt

It was almost the six year anniversary of when your father told you that you were going into cryosleep and heading over to him in Pandora. You didn’t really know why; it wasn’t till you got there that your father showed you your avatar body. He was forcing you into the program, he was forcing Grace to teach you Na’vi and the way of the people. He knew that he had a different type of control over you, one that would ensure he could get what he wanted. You would do as you were told; Parker was your father; you would follow your father’s orders.

The only problem now was he pissed you off, you didn’t want to do this, you didn’t want to harm creatures that weren’t causing any harm. You knew what your father was after, you knew he had a monopoly here and he was a greedy son of a bitch. You knew that, but he hurt you, he was forcing you into things you didn’t want to do. He was going to make you link in all the time just to ensure that you could do whatever he needed.

You did have your mother here, she was a head scientist, she loved you but she was always busy. You would talk with her from time to time, she came up here once you turned twenty and from then until you arrived on Pandora, you didn’t have either of your support systems. You were happy to have her back and be able to see her and talk to her, you missed her. She would try to keep your father in line and give you some slack but your father was a full businessman while up here.

Grace hated you more than you hated your father, she didn’t like that you just weaselled your way in here and she had to teach someone so unwilling. She understood that you didn’t want this and that you were forced into this job, she knew that your father funded her research. Didn’t stop her from being mean to you, or being very unhelpful to you.

You found yourself hanging with the military men rather than the science geeks, they felt more homely to you. You felt like you could be yourself with them, you were able to work out and blow off steam with them. You preferred to be as far away from your father as possible, you didn’t want to hear him or see him you hated him that much.

You found yourself growing a bond with Colonel Miles Quaritch, at first was just someone to talk to, he filled in that fatherly role for you. Regardless of you being in your twenties, you needed your parents with you, you needed that type of support. It didn’t take long for you and Quaritch to become very close and not long after that you started a sexual relationship.

You loved this man so much, he treated you so well, and he made you feel loved and accepted. Everything that your father wouldn’t even think of, you finally felt okay with being here and finally you showed interest in what Grace was forced to teach you. You could tell waking up felt better, running around in your avatar body felt better, and you were generally happier now that you were with Quaritch. Your mother was catching on slightly that you were with this man often and she didn’t like it, she didn’t like him. God, you wished you listened to her.

It wasn’t long after Grace’s school was shot up and she got pushed out of the Na’vi family that these new guys were coming. They were supposed new avatar drivers, you weren’t ready to meet new drivers, not when you barely knew what you were doing. You found comfort in your current boyfriend, not that you ever put a label on it, but you let yourself believe that.

You were lying next to him after a particularly fast and rough night of sex, you were drawing patterns on his chest with your middle finger.

“He is apparently ex-marines.”

“So I’ve heard,” Miles states pulling you closer to him.

“You’ll get a new bromance.”

“Stop saying that me and Wainfleet have a bromance.”

“I’m just saying you guys are close friends. It’s great.”

“Remind me to choke you harder next time.”

You laughed, “I’ll get right on that.”

It wasn’t long after that, that you both fell asleep, you loved this man more than anything and there was nothing you wouldn’t do for him.

Months later, these new drivers showed up, Jake Sully and Norm Spellman. They seemed like decent guys, one seemed to know his stuff and the other seemed generally clueless. He reminded you of yourself, so out of his element, he clearly didn’t belong here. You stood shyly around a corner watching as Grace introduced herself to them, you didn’t hear her calling out your name as you watched Jake. Grace was chewing him out for not being his brother, which you felt was a little harsh.

You then noticed a tall man in front of you, it was Norm, he held his hand out to shake yours. He said I see you in Na’vi and you just smiled at him, you knew what he said and you knew how to respond, thanks to Grace, but you didn’t. Truth be told, Norm slightly intimidated you, he was a smart guy, it was only now you missed the military boys.

“You’re a driver as well?”

You nodded.

“You must be (y/n) Selfridge then.”

You nodded again.

“You are very shy.”

Norm was giving you all these questions and you felt that overwhelming feeling, you thanked the heavens for Miles walking in. He grabbed your arm and pulled you off down the hall, you were so happy to be pulled out of that situation.

“What was that about?” Norm asked Grace.

“She hates being up here.”

“Why? She’s a driver is she not?”

“She is, she’s about as qualified as this numbskull,” Grace pointed to Jake.

“Then why doesn’t she want to be up here?”

“She hates linking in. She didn’t want to be a driver. Parker forced her to be one. I think it’s so he can have better control in the Avatar Program.”

“Who would get forced into a job like this?”

“When your father has a monopoly here, he wants as much control as possible.”

“Wait that’s Parker’s daughter?”

Grace nodded.

“I thought if anything maybe that military guy’s daughter.”

“No, I’m fairly certain Quaritch and her are fucking but I’m not entirely sure about that.”

“Wow, okay.”

“Teenage rebellion I’ll say.”

You didn’t see Jake and Norm again until they linked in for the first time here, you were outside with Grace in your Avatars. Jake came running out, he looked so happy, you had a feeling it had to be because he could run again. You imagine being in a wheelchair for so long has to suck, especially if you weren’t born with it, you’d miss using your legs. You laughed lightly as Norm came running out after him, Grace threw him some of the fruit growing nearby.

The next day you went out on an excursion with Grace and Norm, this was your first time out of the camp this whole time. You were excited to see the rest of Pandora, normally you were so shy and timid, but you liked being able to be free from the RDA’s confines back at base.

You were out scouting, you and Jake stuck close to each other, which wasn’t smart considering you were both newbies, but he had military experience. You felt more comfortable around him, and you knew he could keep you safe, however, you were both dumb when it came to Pandora. Running into native fauna only proved to have negative consequences because shortly after you and Jake were high-tailing it away from anything that moved.

You ended up losing sight of Norm and Grace, you’d be lying if you said that you weren’t trying to not have a panic attack. You felt safe with Grace in the outdoors, she knew her shit and she knew way more of the local language than you ever felt you would.

Now it was dark, you gave up hope on Grace finding the both of you, you didn’t know what to do now other than stick together and wait. Jake lit a makeshift torch and you both tried to fend off any wildlife that tried to attack.

When you were being attacked by small creatures, you tried your best to fight back, but you were weak, you knew that. You weren’t a military rat, you weren’t a science geek, you weren’t anything of value here. You watched the arrow fly past you and into the body of one of the creatures, you watched the woman come out of the trees and speak to the animal before killing it fully.

“Thank you,” Jake said to her.

“You do not thank. This is sad. Very sad.”

You were glad you were a quiet person; she was scaring you, she seemed so aggressive. She was going to leave and Jake reached out to her for help, she seemed so distant, like she wasn’t ready to bring him in but wanted to. She eventually told him to follow her and to bring you along, you were glad she didn’t just leave you here.

You followed her, you didn’t know where but anywhere was better than where you were. What you were discovering along the way was just exactly how gorgeous Pandora was, all the colours and all the flora, it was amazing. You found yourself in a constant state of childlike amazement as you walked along the paths. Just as you three stopped, these white little floating seeds bounced in the air, clinging to Jake’s skin. They were covering him, smothering him in a white glow, the woman looked absolutely in awe. Then they shifted from him to you, you stepped back a few times as they got closer, you didn’t want them to touch you. They made you a little nervous, you didn’t know what they were.

“It is a gift from Eywa,” she said.

Wait, Eywa, you’ve heard that before, that’s their God, and this is a good thing. You lifted your arms as they swarmed you, it made you giggle as they touched your skin and bounced around in your hair. The woman smiled almost as much as you were, she seemed to believe that this was a big sign, it had to be, this meant something, what it meant you were unsure.

You followed her along some more, you eventually made your way to what you had learned previously as Home Tree. You entered and the stares you got made you feel so self-conscious, you knew they hated the sky demons, but could they look a little more polite? You curled your arms into your chest, you hoped that you could just melt away to avoid their stares. You walked up to the chief and the tshaik, you had learned about them from Grace, these were important people. It only then clued into you that the woman escorting you two was Neytiri, their daughter, Grace was very fond of her.

Jake of course was being an idiot and not realizing how different things were here compared to Earth. You felt yourself cringing so many times as you watched him talk to the chief, you were only waiting till he put you on blast. As Jake continued to talk to him, you just happened to look over to the right a little to see a tall lanky man. It hit you like a ton of bricks how much you liked how he looked and once he started to rip on Jake you could tell how strong he is.

You were involved with someone else but his face, his fire didn’t leave your mind, he was plaguing it. You just met him; you haven’t even spoken to him yet you were already planning a perfect paradise wedding. That’s what you did with Miles, you couldn’t help it, you just loved love. As you watched Jake try to defend himself and you, you watched that man more. As you watched him more you then remembered him too, God bless Grace’s soul, she was helping you out so much. That man was Tsu’tey, he was to be the next olo’eyktan and he was promised to Neytiri. While that put the kibosh on your future with him and the wedding would have been perfect, oh well.

You got snapped out of your dreamland by a voice yelling at you.

“You, who are you?”

Here was your chance to show your skills, you did pick up a good amount of Na’vi from Grace. Again, bless her soul for helping you out.

“*I am (Y/N). I have not been out this far before. I want to learn the ways of the people.*”

They look surprised that you could speak Na’vi fairly well, or maybe it was the fact that you asked them to teach you. It was then determined that you and Jake would learn the ways, Neytiri was to teach Jake and Tsu’tey got assigned to teach you. He was scowling when he got told that he had to do that, he didn’t want to be around a verrtep or in English, a demon. He begrudgingly brought you to change your clothes and oh lord Jesus you hated this part, it was less than a bikini.

Tsu’tey had to help you with the top, you shuddered at the few times he touched your skin. You had to remind yourself that nudity to the Na’vi was extremely different than how humans perceived it. Then you went to eat with the community, you followed Neytiri and Jake and Tsu’tey to sit down and eat. Not long after that, you were led up to where you’d be sleeping for the night, which just happened to be across from Tsu’tey.

You woke up out of the link, you saw Grace leaning over Jake’s pod, you could only imagine what Jake experienced. You could see the smug smirk on Jake’s face, Grace also came over and talked to you.

“You with the people too.”

You nodded.

“Good lord. At least one of you has some basic decency.”

You held back a giggle, but you still had a smile plastered on your face.

You got out of your pod and went to eat; Grace was talking shit about you and Jake to the other scientists. It made you laugh how she described your encounters; she couldn’t believe why the Omaticaya people chose the both of you.

“It was Eywa. She chose us,” you piped up out of nowhere.

You often didn’t talk in the mess hall; it was just easier.

“Eywa chose you two idiots?”

“Apparently. Otherwise, I don’t think they’d let us stay.”

You finished your meal and went back to your bunk, on your way there you saw Miles, so you took a quick detour to visit him quickly. You went to his office; you saw him in there and opened the door ensuring to close it behind you. You also locked it and lowered the curtain on the door’s window, turning around you saw his smirk.

“To what do I owe the pleasure.”

“I just finished linking and I saw you. Thought I’d stop by.”

“You thought right.”

You walked up to him and he pushed his chair back allowing you to sit in his lap, your hands wrapped around his neck.

“So, how was linking?”

“Okay, we got ran off into the forest and now me and Jake’s bodies are at home tree. The Omaticaya people have taken us in to teach us their ways.”

“Wow, impressive. You’re like an international super spy.”

You giggled, “you wish.”

He leans in to kiss you, which you happily obliged to.

His hands grabbed your thighs, gripping and squeezing as he lifted you up to place you on the table. His hand searched your body pulling clothes off as quickly as he could, you were just ready to forget the day's problems. The best way to do that is underneath a muscular corporal getting your brains fucked out.

That night you fell asleep in your own bed and when you woke up you dreaded linking in, you just didn’t want to hear it from Tsu’tey about how much he hated you. You knew he was expected to teach you the ways and show you how to hunt and how to connect with nature. You weren’t looking forward to dealing with any of his nasty remarks, you knew he’d just be ripping on you.

However, you had to link in again, you had to wake up and face your fears, and you had to become one of the people. They were willing to help and they were counting on you, the RDA needed you too, and Miles wanted you to.

You woke up in Home Tree, you saw Tsu’tey looking down at you, he looked angry that you were just getting up.

“*Come, it is time for morning meal.*”

You got up and followed him down the stairs to see everyone else, Jake and Neytiri were already getting a leg up on their progress. You ate with everyone before you and Tsu’tey went out to tour the jungle, he brought along his bow just in case. You ran behind him as he jumped around from tree to tree and over rocks and logs, you did your best to keep up. You knew he was purposefully going fast and taking hard routes to get an idea of your stamina and your dexterity, you kept up but barely.

The next day, Tsu’tey took you out to attempt the bow training which went okay but you knew he was displeased. You knew he wanted you to do so much better, seeing him shoot was amazing like Robin Hood himself. You wanted to do better for him, you wanted him to be impressed by you, you wanted to make him proud. Why were you wanting to please him?

The following day, Tsu’tey took you out to try riding dire horses, you were excited to do something that seemed straightforward. This could be very similar to horseback riding on Earth, you didn’t feel as nervous about an activity like this. Maybe you could possibly show off a little bit, you wanted to make Tsu’tey shocked, you want him to be surprised that you were good at something.

You spent a lot of time linking in and you were almost starting to enjoy it as you and Tsu’tey got closer. He would help with your basic language skills and he taught you the wonderful world of Pandora and the beauty it holds. You and him were growing closer and closer, and you knew you were falling for him but you kept that to yourself, he was promised to Neytiri and you were in something. You would consider him a good friend at least that’s what you told yourself and others, in your head and heart you knew if he wanted you, you wouldn’t deny him of that.

Today you were out with Tsu’tey and Neytiri, you and Jake were getting ikran. You were quite nervous, you didn’t enjoy dangling off a vine to then be on the edge of a cliff, you just hoped the ikran didn’t throw you off it's back. You watched Jake first, the way Neytiri cheered him on and the way Tsu’tey laughed at him. Jake was struggling and if he was then you were bound to really struggle through it, you just hoped Tsu’tey didn’t laugh at you.

You heard their cheering as Jake made tsaheylu, you were smiling, Jake looked so shocked and happy. Now it was your turn, Neytiri’s words ran through your head, this thing is going to try and kill me. You held the rope to tie the mouth, your heartbeat was in your throat, you looked at all the ikrans and just waited for one to lunge. A purple one came running at you, you moved out of the way before it hit you and you hopped up onto it's back. You didn’t even tie the mouth, you attached the tsaheylu and it calmed down, you looked up at Tsu’tey with a smile.

He smiled back at you, he looked proud and it made your smile bigger, he was proud of you for something brave you did. You found yourself happier and happier every day that passed, delinking after the high from flying around today felt so depressing. However, seeing Miles brought a smile back to your face, being with him always increased your mood. Slowly, you found yourself not loving his company as much as you did, you blamed that on your growing love for Tsu’tey.

You and Miles fucked again that night, it was good sex, but you felt less attached you knew that. It didn’t matter, you’d still do anything he asked. You laid next to Miles like you always did after the rough sex you and him had, and he started asking you questions.

“How was flying today?”

“Amazing?”

“What about Home Tree, do you think they’d leave.”

“I don’t think so. It’s their home and it’s been that way for a long time.”

He looked lost in thought, “what about this Na’vi that’s been teaching you?”

“What about him?”

“He is a warrior, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Is he good at it?”

“He is strong and can provide. But against us, with our firepower. Probably not.”

“You said there was a staircase in the centre, right?”

“Yeah. It goes all the way up.”

“What’s under it?”

“It’s solid. Like a pillar of wood and carved into that pillar are the stairs. The stairs end on the ground to this platform, a stage-like thing.”

Miles nodded.

You didn’t know at the time what this all meant but he was gathering information, correlating your story with Jake’s and just getting a better idea of what they were up against.

Throughout your linking in and learning the ways of the people and logging information for research, Miles was asking you certain things which you answered honestly. He would ask questions about the people and you knew what they wanted; they wanted the Na’vi to leave Home Tree. What you didn’t know was that Miles had talked to Jake and Miles was getting information from Jake. Jake is an ex-marine, he knew how to take orders and Miles liked that, he wanted what he wanted. You were just another pawn in his plan, he had you wrapped around his finger and he knew that.

After he fucked you, he could get whatever he needed, you’d tell him anything. He liked to ask you questions about where things were located and how they would fight back, not like you understood what he was getting out of it. You were in love, anything he said you’d believe it, all he had to do was ask and you’d bend over backwards. He had something he wanted you to ask or find out and you would do it and report back to him, not like you knew what you were doing. You didn’t want to believe that he’d hurt you or screw you over, you wouldn’t let yourself believe that.

The next day, you and Tsu’tey were doing more flying lessons and he was going to show you how to navigate the forest from up above. Also trying to show you how to be an effective warrior while on the back of an ikran, you were excited to spend a full day alone with Tsu’tey. Over the weeks he’s changed just as Neytiri did, with fewer insults and laughing in your face and more smiles and praises. You even swore you once heard him use a Na’vi pet name for you which only made your face heat up and your heart swell.

After a full day of riding, Tsu’tey had you land in the Halleluiah Mountains, you sat with your ikrans and chatted.

“*You have learned well. You are on your way to becoming one of the people*”

“*I cannot wait till I do. I am loving it here.*”

“*I can tell. You seem happier now than when I first met you.*”

“*I have made peace with my situation. You accepting me has helped.*”

“*What situation?*”

“*I am from the sky, as you know.*”

Tsu’tey nodded.

“*I didn’t want a false body. I didn’t want to come here. I was forced here and forced into this body.*”

“*Why do it then?*”

“*My father runs the show for the sky demons. I do not like him or what he is doing or what he wants. He told me to come here and then told me I was to do research in this body. I resented him for that, and I still do.*”

“*I see. Do most people your age hate their fathers?*”

“*No, generally they do not. I did not before I got here. I was glad to be with my mother again and not that I miss home, but he does make me angry. He is hurting people.*”

“*Did you not have anyone back from the sky?*”

“*Not really. Some friends.*”

“*No mate?*”

“*We do not have mates like there is here. I dated or courted some people but nothing stuck.*”

“*What about here? Do you have any mates in mind for the future when you become one of the people?*”

“*I am in something here. I don’t know how to say it. We call it in English,* situationship. *It means I am not with him but we are doing stuff. I have started to take a liking to someone here and I find myself not liking this other human as much.*”

Tsu’tey looked slightly lost, “*do you like this human and he does not like you back?*”

“*I think originally I did, but now I am starting to realize I like someone here more.*”

“*Who do you like here?*”

You looked up from your legs to meet his gaze again, your eyes looked soft and pleading. You didn’t want to say it, you knew he probably wouldn’t like the fact that you liked him, he was promised.

“*I cannot say.*”

“*Why not?*”

“*I think you know why.*”

“*I do not.*”

You sighed, “*you.*”

“*Me.*”

“*Yes, you. I know you’re promised to Neytiri, but I, I just like you more than I have ever liked anyone.*”

Tsu’tey leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on your cheek, you looked at him with confusion on your face.

“*My duty to the people will always be first. I have liked you for a while now. I do wish to court you; your soul is pure and free. But I have a duty to my people first.*”

“*I understand. I figured as much. I want you to do whatever you need to.*”

“*Thank you for considering this.*”

“*I am always here if you need me.*”

The both of you ended the conversation after that, it was awkward afterwards but at least it was out. Going back to Home Tree afterwards felt like a weight off your shoulder, you finally said it and it was out. Even after delinking, you felt lighter, you almost just wanted to spend every second with him.

Shortly after that intimate talk with Tsu’tey, you and Jake became one of the people and you both couldn’t be happier. The party was amazing, with lots of food, dancing, drinking, singing, and celebration. You watched Jake and Neytiri run off, and you and Tsu’tey continued to talk. You could tell Jake and Neytiri were in love and deep down you knew Tsu’tey knew too.

The next morning linking in was crazy, so much was happening, and the entire tribe was up early and talking about something. They were talking so fast you couldn’t keep up to translate it, something bad happened that’s all you knew. You walked around trying to figure out what happened, you went to Tsu’tey to figure out what was going on.

“*Tsu’tey what is happening?*”

“*The sky demons attacked.*”

Your body ran cold, your eyes widened, and he looked hardened and pissed. You were ready to question what they did and what happened so you could find out more about it and question your father later. Just as you were about to question it, Jake and Neytiri ran in, they looked concerned and lost. Tsu’tey pushed you aside and walked over to Jake and Neytiri, he looked more pissed.

“You mated with this woman?”

The only thing running through your mind was what the fuck but then your mind contradicted itself with that meant he could mate with you. You hated yourself for thinking of that but you did and you just wanted things to be okay, you knew that something big happened and you needed to know what was up.

Then Grace dropped.

Uh oh.

Jake started to speak, “listen they sent me here to learn your ways so that one day I could bring you this message and you’d believe it.”

What the fuck.

You stormed over to Jake, “what the fuck, Jake. You were getting other orders?”

“Quaritch he- at first it was just orders and then I grew to love the place then I fell in love with Neytiri and-“

“What did Miles tell you? What the fuck did he ask you to do?”

“You expect me to believe that Quaritch didn’t give you orders. You guys are sleeping together.”

“He doesn’t use me like that.”

“You sure? He never asked you about the Na’vi people?”

“I mean he asked how I was doing with it.”

“Yeah and that never occurred to –“

Jake dropped in front of you, you knew who was next, you, you were going to go next. You turned around to look at Tsu’tey, tears fell down your cheeks.

“*I am sorry. I did not want this.*”

Your eyes rolled back as you fell to the floor, you woke up in the lab, ready to scream your head off. You sat up out of the link pod and stared at Miles as he looked back at you. You stood and stayed quiet as per usual, you just listened to all the noise around you. You were so out of it, you felt betrayed and that you were also the one to stick the knives into the Na’vi’s backs.

Jake was pleading to let them go back to get the Na’vi to leave, you didn’t think it would work but it did and now you had an hour to relink and get them out of there. You knew they wouldn’t, but it was worth a shot, you didn’t want anyone to die. You, Grace, and Jake relinked and tried to talk to the people, we had to get them to leave, that the sky people were coming.

They didn’t care.

They didn’t budge.

They were preparing for war.

They tied you, Grace, and Jake up, they labelled you as traitors, you saw the look on Neytiri’s face and on Tsu’tey’s face. They looked more hurt than anyone else, they had a special interest in you and Jake, and you felt horrible.

Then Home tree was hit.

The cries of pain made you more upset, you didn’t want anyone to get hurt, you just wanted this to be peaceful. Your willful blindness made it worse, you tried to pretend like nothing bad was happening but that only made it worse. You weren’t stupid, you knew what your father wanted you just hoped things would be different, turns out you can’t just wish things away. Things don’t just happen because you really want them to, you had to fight for it, your entire life you’ve been silent and stuck to the shadows.

You didn’t want to be quiet anymore, you didn’t want this anymore, fuck your father for this and fuck Miles for doing this to you. Tsu’tey was what you wanted, he showed you what real love was like, he treated you properly, and he made you happy. You watched as Mo’at walked up to you three with her knife out, you deserved this, you deserved to die for this.

“If you really are one of us, then help us.”

She cut you all free.

You all ran to help, you tried to anyways, but it didn’t matter the damage was done. Not long after the plug was pulled, you three woke up in the lab, you watched as Grace yelled and Jake punched Miles. All the Na’vi that died, women and children, you felt sick to your stomach. You didn’t move or speak; you were scared and honestly, you were probably dissociating hard. Now you, Grace, Jake, and Norm sat in jail and waited, you had no choice, you all wanted to get back to the Na’vi people and be a happy family again. Then Trudy walked in, she had a cart and she talked to the guard.

“Honestly, I don’t think these tree-hugging traitors deserve steak.”

You didn’t know what was happening.

“Steak, let me see that,” the guard replied.

Trudy pulled a gun; you cheered her on internally.

“Yeah, you know what this is.”

She knocked the guard out and ran over to unlock you four from the jail.

That was just the start of your jailbreak, you now ran off to get to a jet and grab a trailer with pods to escape into the mountains. As you were getting the jet ready and packing up stuff and getting people inside, Miles was shooting at you all. You got hit, in the leg, your upper thigh to be more exact and it was only then that you realized Grace was also hit but in the abdomen.

Fuck, that shit was fatal.

“This is gonna ruin my whole day,” Grace said.

“Grace is hit.”

“Grab the trauma kit,” Trudy yelled back.

As you helped Norm with treating Grace, he noticed your leg.

“Your leg, you were hit too.”

“Yeah, I know. It hurts like a bitch but I’m fine.”

“There’s no exit wound, the bullet is still in you.”

“We can deal with it later; we have shit to handle currently.”

Norm let it go for now, you knew once you landed and dealt with Grace you were going to be on the front of his mind.

Landing was like a breath of fresh air; Trudy helped you bring Grace inside and bring supplies inside as well. Norm helped Jake link and you stayed with Grace for the time being, you were in pain but you had to be strong. Norm came back once Jake linked and ensured Grace was stable for the time being, she was currently resting.

“Okay, time for me to look at your leg.”

You groaned, “fine I’ll change into shorts.”

“Be careful.”

You came back to Norm and he cleaned the area and then started on getting the bullet out of your thigh. You weren’t necessarily helping; it was painful and you were screaming out from time to time. Norm had to hold your leg still and Judy held your body down with your arms, it hurt like hell.

In the meantime, Jake was getting a new ikran, he was going to be the legendary Torok Makto. He landed where all the Na’vi prayed, the people were scared once they saw the ikran, and they bowed for Jake. Tsu’tey, Neytiri and Mo’at looked at Jake and Jake asked for their help, their forgiveness and for them to fight against the RDA with him.

Then he brought up the news about Grace.

“My friend, Grace, she’s dying.”

He was told to bring her here and as he was leaving Tsu’tey went up to him.

“How is (y/n)? She is fine, yes?”

“She was hit too, but she will be okay. It’s just the leg.”

Tsu’tey looked relieved and Jake flew off to help Grace.

When Jake got back to the trailer, you were passed out, Norm had gotten the bullet fragments out and stitched you up. He grabbed Grace and took her back to the Na’vi people, he didn’t know what was going to happen but he knew Grace needed help.

Turns out she was too far gone, she was with Eywa now, nothing could be done, her wounds were too severe. It was hard to lose Grace, but she was with Eywa and Jake imagined that Grace was pretty happy to be with her in death. The next thing he had to do was get the clans together to fight and bring your body here.

Jake used his marine skills to get ready for battle, he planned and ran through attack plans, and he was going to get back at the RDA.

When you woke up you wanted to link in as well, Norm helped you up and helped you over to the pod. He set it up and you linked in, you woke up in the ashes of Home Tree and headed to where Norm told you to go. It was a distance but getting on an ikran helped, flying over top and landing among the people. You walked through the crowd to find Jake and then Tsu’tey, turns out finding one was like finding the other.

What really surprised you was Tsu’tey running over to you and hugging you, this man used to hate you and Jake and then started to warm up and then hated you two again and now he’s hugging you. You hugged back, almost a little hesitantly, you were shocked by this affection from him.

“*I heard you were hurt.*”

“*It was just my thigh. I am okay*”

“*I was worried.*”

“You were worried?*”

“Of course, I know I have grown to care for you. Now that I have no duty to the clan to mate with Neytiri I can finally have what I want. That is you.*”

You felt your face heat up, he wanted to court you and then mate with you.

“*We have a battle first then I am all yours.*”

“*I am eagerly awaiting.*”

Tsu’tey walked off to plan more for battle.

As time went on, more and more clans showed up, and your firepower was ramping up. You were getting ready to fight back, to hit them hard, you knew the second you saw Miles you’d want to run back to his arms. You had to remind yourself what he’s done to you and how he lied and used you, you wanted him to die.

Tsu’tey was good for you, he was nice to you, treated you properly, he didn’t have an ulterior motive behind every second with you. You were determined to remain strong, you couldn’t go back to Miles, not anymore, the son of a bitch shot you.

You had geared up for battle, you and Jake put on your tact vests and grabbed guns with extra ammo. You put on your war paint as per directions from Neytiri and went to your ikran, you were prepared to fly out for battle.

It was rough, with lots of bullets flying around and lots of arrows too, nowhere was safe both ground and sky covered with RDA soldiers. You were running around trying your best to avoid getting hurt, you flew on your ikran and fired at some of the soldiers below you. You tried to protect the fauna of Pandora along with your fellow brothers and sisters, there were just too many of them.

The number of jets in the sky and the firepower alone was too much, now they had armed men on the ground in the sky ready to kill with the weapons and knowledge to do so. Luckily, you were all strong warriors, you went into this head first ready to kill to fight and protect your home and your people. You rode alongside Jake, Neytiri, and Tsu’tey for a while before you all split off according to Jake’s plan.

Jake gave you grenades to throw into propellers, blowing those up would take the plane out and more than likely, anyone in it. You went from jet to jet trying to take them out or kill the person piloting it, then you saw coming from behind Home Tree was the massive home base ship. It was huge, it probably had 100 people in it, taking this bad boy out was not going to be easy. This was where the grenades would come in handy, arrows weren’t doing shit to it.

You watched Jake fly above you, heading towards the giant ship, odds were that he was going to do the same thing you would’ve. You followed Jake, ready to help him take out the giant battleship, you had your grenades at the ready. You and him struggled to take the ship down, you kept getting fired at and then next thing you know you’re falling off. Your ikran caught you, and Jake jumped onto his as the ship blew up.

You saw one of the mechs drop out of the ship before it blew up, you didn’t know who it was but you had a good guess. You went down to help Neytiri, you had lost track of Jake but saw her running around on the forest floor. The forest was on fire and she was running from military personnel, you swooped down and brought her up into the safety of the sky. As you flew around looking at the ground trying to stay safe while flying around, then Neytiri told you to go down.

She saw Jake fighting with the man in the mech, she wanted to get down there and help him. You dropped down, letting Neytiri off and she snuck up behind the mech. In the meantime you flew off looking for Tsu’tey, you hadn’t heard from him in a while. Last you knew he was firing off at the sky demons, he was doing what he does best, being a warrior and protecting his people.

You spotted him from above, his ikran was shot down and he was stuck under it, you landed and went to help him. He was also hurt, his arm had two bullet holes, he’d be okay but he had a hard time moving the beast off his leg. You helped him get his leg free by pushing his ikran off him, you helped him up. You held his arm and looked at the two holes from the machine gun that fired at him, he tried to pull away.

“*It is okay. I just want to make sure it is okay. You have exit wounds so that is good.*”

“*I am okay, I am still strong.*”

“*I never doubted that.*”

That brought a small smile to Tsu’tey’s face.

“*Fly with me. We need to help Neytiri and Jake.*”

He nodded and followed you to your ikran, he jumped on behind you and you flew back to where yours and Jake’s bodies lay. You got back to the trailer to see Jake and Neytiri struggling to stop the mech, you swooped down and landed. You and Tsu’tey ran over to assist, when you got in front of the mech you saw a face you thought you wouldn’t see again, Miles.

You had a feeling it was him who escaped the ship before it went down, you knew it had to be Miles in the mech from the moment you saw it on the forest floor.

“Well, well, well, if it isn’t both of the traitors.”

“Miles, you can’t win this.”

“You don’t get to decide that.”

“There are four of us and one of you. Doesn’t matter how strong you are.”

“I will die before I let you monkeys win.”

“We are one of the people and we will protect our own.”

“You think they care about you? You think they won’t cast you aside?”

“We’re not like you. We don’t have ulterior motives.”

“Honey, you think I ever liked you?”

That took you aback.

“You think it wasn’t a part of a bigger plan. That your father didn’t want you under close surveillance. Sleeping with you was just a plus. It made you more susceptible to whatever I wanted you to do. You were quite valuable in the process of taking these people out. So was Jake and his video logs.”

Jake hissed.

You stood there like an idiot, you couldn’t process what was happening, and you meant nothing. Not that you liked him anymore but that was your decision, you thought it would hurt him and you’ve come to realize he never cared. It was all an illusion, all a ploy to get you to comply, a ruse made by your father to get you to behave and follow orders. You felt your anger rise, like a cup overflowing, it was becoming too much. You felt the tears slip down your cheeks, you were going to get reckless here and you knew it, you couldn’t help it, you were so angry.

“Go fuck yourself, Miles. You will pay for this.”

“I never cared about you or what you had to say. The sex was good and that was the only thing that made the orders worth it. Dealing with a brat like you was painful, only good thing was you took orders well.”

You let out a war cry-like scream and went to charge at him, but Tsu’tey held you back.

Miles charged at you four in the mech, you all moved out of the way, he was determined to take you all out. He turned around once you all moved and went back at you with his knife, you barely missed him slicing into you. Neytiri pounced on the back of the mech, she was determined to take this man out. Jake tried to take a stab at Miles, Jake tried to pierce at the glass keeping the oxygen in to keep Miles alive.

Miles then got the idea, that he could take you and Jake out very easily, all he had to do was delink the both of you. It would be pretty easy, then both your bodies were dead weight, it would be easy to win. Turns out that getting to your pods was harder than he thought, however, breaking the glass did the job enough. Shortly after your bodies dropped, both of you were in the trailer struggling to breathe.

Miles took the opportunity to take Jake out first, he stepped on Jake’s chest and went to crush him, Neytiri then used the opportunity to fire at Miles. She used her bow that she earlier lost and shot right into the glass, exposing Miles to the atmosphere of Pandora. He held his breath for a moment, not that it would help him, even holding his breath he only had two minutes maximum.

Neytiri and Tsu’tey ran into the pod to check on both of you, you were both passed out trying to get to the emergency masks. Jake was passed out on the floor and you were passed out on your back, on the floor with the mask in your hand. Tsu’tey put the mask on you, and Neytiri did the same for Jake, it allowed both of you to breathe. Tsu’tey held your small body against his once you took a deep breath, he lifted you up and held your tiny torso against his massive one.

You took a moment to relish in the oxygen filling your lungs, your arms then wrapped around his torso or at least you tried. Your arms fell short around his muscular latissimus dorsi, your face squished against his lower pecs. You were happy to just be in his embrace, you felt his hand slowly caress your back, Tsu’tey stroked at your back to calm you down.

“*After today, I have realized I cannot be without you and I would like to mate with you*”

You looked up at him, your eyes stared at his, “*I would love that*”

He pulled you close again, you couldn’t wait for what was in store for your future with the Na’vi, with Tsu’tey and with Jake and his life here now.

You and Jake were now fully transferred into your Na’vi bodies, you enjoyed not having to link in anymore. You felt so much more connected to the world and to the people and even more so with Tsu’tey. You were happy that now you could live the rest of your life Tsu’tey in such a beautiful place. The next thing on the agenda was to fully mate with Tsu’tey, it has just been so busy. You and him have kissed, but you were not yet mated before Eywa, there was just so much damage control.

First, it was ensuring that there was new housing and getting that all stable and now that most of the sky people were gone, it was cleaning up after them too. Then Tsu’tey still went out with the other hunters and you and Neytiri were bettering your healing techniques, more or less it was Neytiri teaching you. There was just never a moment, there was always something, it was all about the people. You and Neytiri were talking in the temporary healer’s tent.

“*I just wish we had some time. I miss being with Jake.*”

“*I do not blame you, Neytiri. I already feel frustrated. Tsu’tey and I have talked many times about wanting to mate now, but there is never any moment free.*”

“*Then do it tonight. If you start late tomorrow it is not the end of the world.*”

“*We have a duty to the people.*"

“*No, me and Jake do. We are the leaders.*”

“*But Tsu’tey is the best warrior and the people like him. He needs to be there for them. I am new here, I need to make a good impression.*”

“*No one would blame either one of you for being a little late if you both decided to take some time for each other. They would be happy for both of you.*”

“*I just need him and more than passing conversations and small kisses in dark corners.*”

“*Then go take him. I know I would give anything for a night with Jake. Luckily, you sky people seem to be very, as Jake says,* horny.”

You let out a laugh at Neytiri’s comment, that totally sounded like Jake.

As you went to comment on what she said you heard the sounds of the hunting party returning, you smiled at Neytiri and ran out of the tent to get Tsu’tey. He got off his dire horse, and placed his bow down to rest his hands on your shoulders. He was happy to see you he always was, you pulled him down to kiss his cheek and, in that time, you whispered into his ear.

“*Tonight. No matter what. Tonight, we will mate. I do not wish to wait anymore. I need you.*”

He pulled back slightly and smiled widely at you, his nodding and how we placed a long kiss on your forehead told you, his answer. You smiled back at him, now you really couldn’t wait, you were so ready for eclipse to come.

You and Tsu’tey met up just before eclipse and made your way to the Tree of Souls, this was where it was going to happen. He was better than you ever expected, it was like in that moment he was everything you wanted and needed. He also seemed to be in the same state, he held onto your shoulders to have you look at him. His hands moved up to cup your face, right behind your ears and his thumbs on your cheeks. He leaned in to kiss you, it was the first real kiss the two of you shared and it lit up your body more than anything else.

“*I see you.*”

“*I see you,*” you responded.

He brought you to kneel on the ground by the tree and he brought his braid forward and you followed suit. You were ready to become one with him, this was what you wanted, this is what he wanted. The tendrils reached out for each other and slowly they connected and wrapped around each other. It was like a punch to the face; an overwhelming feeling of love filled your body. You could feel him, you could really see him, you could feel the immense love her felt for you. You could feel his every emotion and you could feel his thoughts, nothing felt this holy.

You knew it had to be the same for him, both of you took a moment to feel each other before your lips locked again. This time it was more needy and passionate; your lips were smothering each other. You didn’t know if Na’vis used tongue or not but you were going to try. His grip on your body tightened and he brought you closer to him before he laid you onto your back. His hands went to unclasp your necklace that doubled as your top.

The neat thing about tsaheylu was that he could feel everything you felt and that meant he knew what he was doing was okay and that you liked it. He continued, his hands splayed over your rib cage and slid up to over your breasts. His hands felt heavenly, you couldn’t help yourself, your back arched up to meet his hands. Your eyes closed as you relished in the pleasure, he started to pinch at your nipples which only made you more responsive. The smirk on his face made you smile as well; you knew that he knew how turned on you both were.

You felt his hands trail back down your sides again, your body tingled with warmth from his hands and what he was doing to you. His hand stopped at your hips, he untied your loincloth and pulled it from your body. He then did the same thing to his and right away you wanted to sit up and get your lips on him but he wouldn’t let you. Instead, he moved his body down, his hand rested on your thighs and pushed them apart as his face nuzzled in between them. He kissed your thighs a little bit before pushing his tongue out of his mouth and onto your clit.

Your body instantly responded to the contact, pleasure coursing through your body. This man was going to worship your body, it was what Na’vi men were supposed to do and you weren’t complaining. Already he was better than any Earth man you had ever been with, you could feel his smirk on you, you knew the connection allowed him to read your thoughts. You were raising his ego and didn’t even know it; he was eating your pussy like a starved man. You gripped onto his hair to help ground yourself through the pleasure he was giving you.

Your nails reached into his scalp as he made you cum, you could hear him slurping and then he lifted his body up. He wiped his chin and went to kiss you again; you wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him into you. He gripped at your hips again and prepared to slide his thick cock into you, his mouth stayed on yours to keep you somewhat quiet as he slowly pushed in. There was this pleasure loop happening, you could feel your own pleasure and his through the connection and it just made you more and more turned on. You couldn’t help it, your body was cumming so quickly, you were sensitive from him eating you out and now he was fucking you so perfectly. He had decent stamina and you were just along for the ride, he kept making you cum and that alone had you hooked. But then he was cumming and it was perfect, hearing his slight hisses and his grunts. Feeling him grip you tighter and his push in deeper and how he got faster and sloppier. Then he stuttered his thrusts and he was filling you up, he kept himself up on top of you to keep himself inside.

“*I want to make sure this sticks. I want us to have a baby.*”

“*I would love to start a family with you.*”

He lifted you up to sit in his lap with his dick still inside of you.

That was how you and Tsu’tey mated, you wouldn’t have it any other way.

After about 14 years you and Tsu’tey had two boys and one girl, Reymuek, the oldest boy, Makxa the middle boy and lastly your girl, Elohim. Your oldest was 14 almost 15, Makxa was 13 and your daughter was 10. They got along well with Jake’s kids; you were glad that you and Jake could have a happy life here with the people you loved and get to be one of the people. Your kids loved to go out and play with each other and both Jake and your oldest boys were going to pass their rite of passage and become men. You knew that Jake and Tsu’tey would go out with your boys together and ride on their ikrans together.

What you weren’t aware of was how soon your happy life would come to an end. You didn’t know how soon the RDA would attack and cause so much more damage.

Your kids went out with Jake’s and then ended up at the old linking shack, a place you and Jake told your kids never to go to. Yet, they went anyway and not that this was foreseeable but they got caught by Quaritch now in a Na’vi body. You were out flying with Tsu’tey and your boy along with Jake, Neytiri and Neteyam. Jake got an incoming message from Lo’ak saying that he was with his sisters, Spider and your kids. You also heard the message and you all looked at each other before heading over to the place you swore you never wanted to see again.

You pulled up to see the Na’vi military men, he was picking on Lo’ak the most and your daughter. Probably because they were the only two that took after you and Jake, they had five fingers and more human-like features than their siblings. You froze seeing that Miles was back, you didn’t want anything to do with him, you thought he was gone forever. Knowing your father, he always had a backup plan, this was his doing.

You four split up to surround the military people, you were all determined to save your kids. You and Neytiri got your bows out and readied your aim, you waited on Jake’s signal. Jake waved his hand and you and Neytiri hit two of the recombinant soldiers, Jake and Tsu’tey ran out and slit the throats of two other soldiers. You and Neytiri came out of your hiding spots and fired more arrows, you could see the expression on Miles’ face, he was shocked.

You knew he expected Jake to show up, he asked his son to have Jake show up. But to see you and Tsu’tey, you knew it had to shock him, he hadn’t heard from you since before he died. He more than likely wasn’t expecting the four of you, that probably also threw him off. Miles was barking orders to get Jake and when you heard your name, it made you freeze, you looked back at Miles. He was staring at you; you were staring back.

“You really gonna run away again.”

You took a moment to respond, “you already told me you didn’t love me. Besides I found what love is and what we had was never anywhere close.”

“I’ll find you and when I do.”

“You can’t do anything worse than you already have Miles.”

Tsu’tey wrapped his arm around your waist and pulled you to run off with them.

You, Tsu’tey, Jake, and Neytiri kicked ass, going in to save your kids and as they ran off, they lost Spider. You all made it home safe, but the problem now was how unsafe you all were. Jake and Neytiri were talking and they made plans to leave and seek urutu with the Metkayina clan. You felt that it’d be smart to do the same thing, you didn’t want to split your kids up, but you knew you and Tsu’tey were always the backup leaders should something happen. You didn’t know what to do or what was smart, odds were Miles would never make it here and would go just after Jake. But what if he did want you or did want to come after you?

In the end, Jake and his family left and you and Tsu’tey stayed here to rule over the Omaticaya people. You were the next in line to be responsible and you knew Jake was always his end goal. Jake also wanted someone to rule that he trusted and Tsu'tey was groomed to be the olo'eyktan anyway, you were both prepared to fight to protect the people at all times.

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 4/30/2024

most annoying book i've read so far this year under the jump

listening

a lovely polyrhythmic instrumental piece with previously-featured tuesdaysong artist, terrifying master of the cello, abel selaocoe. this is very textured and kind of scrubs at the inside of my skull in a pleasing way. like the kind of back scrubber you can buy with a bamboo handle and the long soft bristles. popped up on my recent releases playlist from spotify.

-

reading

really fucking pissed about this book and i am not able to be reasonable about it. i was really thrown, much like the fantasy prince's mother from her carriage as she was being chased by regency gossip reporters, that this was a prince harry/meghan markle RPF AU. i am a bit uncomfy about the fact that our female lead, the fantasy AU meghan markle, is some flavor of fantasy Gaelic instead of fantasy mixed-race. now, i have no particular moral or physical beef with RPF but i don't typically seek it out. but/also/and, much like works about marilyn monroe, i think works with the specter of princess diana are in poor taste. can we leave these women alone maybe

i got about halfway through the book before this revelation and didn't really feel like it succeeded at much of anything it was trying to do. oddly informal and choppy, like it was originally intended as a contemporary romance with some urban magic and changed to regency in a late draft. this is combined with some fairly weak prose: more simple sentence structure than i would expect in a book for young adults, far too many proper nouns, and a lack of interest in showing not telling.

i straight up don't understand why the leads are attracted to each other if she keeps making very public mistakes and he's a rude cunt. i have read other books (most recently the t kingfisher books) where someone grows to love a very gruff or taciturn man, but it takes time and mutual trust and an effort on both sides, none of which happen here. the core conflict is duty to family in all its various forms vs the heart wants what the heart wants. the conflict is not much of a conflict, though, because characters come to realizations within three sentences of confronting them and then vocalize them with therapyspeak. someone literally pats someone else's hand and goes, "It's hard, I know." the author mercifully did not describe the sad little pursed sympathy mouth but i'm sure it was there.

i'm also deeply annoyed with how this author chose to go about characterization. while the character concepts are people i would love to meet in a ttrpg, it feels very concerned about Good Representation and it makes everyone feel very wooden. i think when you put together characters from a list of various oppressions and disabilities it starts feeling like a grownup version of a children’s ensemble show meant to sell little blind box figurines. here is the Chronically Ill one, and her color is pink! here is the Addicted one, and his color is green! here is the Goth and Depressed one, and her color is black with some bones! here is the Gay one who was once badly hurt by the Addicted one, and we don’t care enough about him to give him a color! here is the superficially fantasy-Jewish one, and we don’t care enough about her to give her a color or an action figure either!

while normally i would love to read a book with two! TWO! canonically bisexual leads of different genders! this book is written for the "folx" spectrum of gays instead of the "fags" part of the spectrum and it strays very close to a modern morality tale for me.

this popped up on a list of books with bi leads i think, but if it was here or on libby i cannot remember.

anyway! fucking hated this one.

pleasantly surprised these came in back to back off my holds lists, bc they are about the perfumer Grace and Grace's former landlord, the spy Marguerite. my favorite of these Saint of Steel series is still the one with the werebear nun. i have nothing to complain about these books and not much to say about them either. they were such a delightful and competent change of pace after the annoyance of the previously discussed book.

oh i loved these. oh i LOOOOOOVED these. how the fuck does novik do it. she is so good at capturing the very specific feel of a grandpa military historical novel. except with dragons. i love these in the same way i know i will love the patrick o'brien books if i ever get around to reading them. i was a navy brat and unfortunately this is fucking catnip to me. truly i have inherited all my father's tastes

-

watching

largely fallow week. i don't have anything particularly great to say about The Bad Batch, but when have i ever. have not caught up with dunmeishi bc my siblings have once again inadvertently locked me out of the netflix account i pay for. considering a vpn for many reasons but watching netflix and watching porn (the state of texas does not want me or anyone else to watch porn within her borders) are the two big reasons for. idk. cashing out the paltry cash-back credit card rewards and coughing them up for a vpn. vpn opinions welcomed, i know most of them are straight garbage

-

playing

i straight up ran out of money in genshin, which is pretty hard to do since they're pretty generous with it? i have spent several million in-game currency on leveling up neuvilette (i am so so so happy to not have to collect any fucking starfish mats for him anymore [mats are different materials you have to collect or buy in-game in order to level up a character. very grindy most of the time]). anyway i am now scrabbling around for the last couple chests and puzzles i marked on my map in fontaine. i haven't bothered with grinding for his specific boosting artifacts or leveling up his talents all the way yet but this is really not shabby. i have the bad habit of completely levelling up all my 5-stars and then ignoring them until i need them for a specific fight or a specific level of the monthly..battle royale puzzle? i don't really know how to describe the abyss. anyway when i do eventually need his pretty intense water AOE attacks i will frantically grind for his talent mats. right now we're grinding for other things thanks

this latest update contains both the best and worst new areas so far. the underwater lost city of Remuria is a fuckin banger. gorgeous. incredible puzzles. very fun music-based quest line with new abilities and giant whale. however, im kind of disappointed by the new coastline area in the map: there is pretty much nothing there. almost no interactable plants to harvest, very few enemies, almost no chests. i get that they are focusing their time and attention on the new underwater area everyone will be focusing on (killer, btw, super dense and great use of vertical space). very lore-heavy expansion, sort of what if atlantis was a bit roman-inspired and also. hold on. wait a second.

sorry this has just occurred to me at 10:21 PM on Monday night as im drafting this but oh my god are the fucking fontanians the Sea Peoples of the bronze age collapse. this is hysterically funny lore if true. im going to have to go back and reread a lot of the environmental storytelling notes but oh my GOD that's extremely funny if true. genshin has some of the most batshit lore of any game ive ever played and im so sad that so few game journos are focusing on it.

where was i. leveling up characters in legally-not-france who may or may not be descendants of the sea peoples. i often find myself leveling up characters in genshin not based on how useful they are to the party but by how fun the bosses i need to fight for their mats are? for example: neuvilette is a water-based AOE character with not a lot of on-field time. however this big electric seahorse, whose antlers i need to level him up, is really fun to fight and i can knock it out in about thirty seconds.

-

making

my sister's birthday is tomorrow! my birthday package to her was kind of heavy on stupid little trinkets and art books and not very much like. homemade? so i cranked out a little sampler. it's framed i promise i simply forgot to take a picture of it framed. about 3"x3", slightly adapted from a piece in Julie Jackson's Subversive Cross Stitch. i do think the F and C turned out way better (or at least the backstitching stands out way more) but hey. sometimes you need to hastily stitch a gift with the limited colors you have on hand

[yanderes-galore]

Anon couldn't be here for the request period so I reserved two requests for them.

Anon said: "I know you said writing self-aware stuff isn’t your favorite thing, but I loved the Self-Aware!Glamrock Freddy thing you've written and now have a mighty need for more self-aware Security Breach, specifically with the other Glamrocks considering they're not only chasing you around the entire game, but they also get smashed up in pretty brutal ways by the player (which I imagine would be painful to go through multiple playthroughs). That said, I feel like Roxanne Wolf would be also be a good ‘character made self-aware’ candidate, as it’s stated in-game that she’s able to see things the others can’t, which would translate well to a character that can perceive the virtual environment they’re in. May we have self-aware hcs for her? Possibly including her being shattered multiple times and how she'd feel/react?"

A/N: I suppose I can, yes! I'll just be rambling about my thoughts on this. Plus, I will also mention Security Breach main game and Ruin in this a bit.

Yandere! Self-Aware AU! Roxanne Wolf Concept

(Mentions Security Breach and Ruin)

Pairing: Platonic/Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Feelings of betrayal, Angst, AI becoming sentient, Fear of abandonment, Violence, Trauma mention, Twisted sense of attachment, Disturbing themes.

When it comes to the other Glamrocks in FNAF Security Breach, I'd say they're in worse condition than Freddy.

While Freddy appears to have a relatively nice time interacting with the player through Gregory, Roxy does not.

Think about it, Roxy's experience with the player character main game is getting a kart smashed into her face and her eyes removed-

Which is why I feel most of her feelings would develop in Ruin more than the main game.

I think it's an interesting idea to mention Roxy's eyes.

It is mentioned in game that her eyes can see things others can't.

In this case it's not just seeing walls, it's seeing you.

For some reason she's more attuned to your presence than any of the others.

She can sense you/see you using Gregory as some sort of host.

It takes her awhile but she soon realizes your actions are "pre-coded" for the most part.

Certain events in the game have to happen... Roxy learns this as you play the game over and over again.

At first she doesn't understand why you'd hurt her.

Why do you keep putting her through all this pain?

It does hurt her when you have to beat her down and take her eyes.

It does hurt her when you abandon her after that.

She doesn't get it, she wishes it would stop.

However, part of her realizes it's not in your control when she hears you comment on it.

You appear to feel bad for her fate.

Even when she has to suffer through it countless times.

She still hates the fact she's forced to deal with the pain.

Yet she can't bring herself to hate you fully.

She knows you're causing her pain... but you must not mean it, right?

Roxy really does hope she is you favorite....

At first she hates you but can't bring herself to express such feelings.

In a way she's curious about you, even when she's busted and shattered.

You probably don't mean it.

Oh but she hates the pain.

I feel where her obsession really starts is in Ruin.

She's even worse than how she originally was, constantly crying about how she looks and the trauma of it all most likely.

This is when she notices you take a new vessel, Cassie.

As Cassie... you're so much nicer.

The game allows you to be so much softer and Roxy finds himself chasing that comfort.

She's still hurt from the previous events... but in Ruin she feels compelled to help you.

Here... it feels like you've come to make things right.

Roxy fears being alone more than anything.

So with your host being Cassie she'll probably find herself growing attached again.

Her senses would become dulled after her eyes are gone but she still knows you're there.

She remembers what you look like and yearns to see you again.

Roxy develops an unhealthy attachment towards you, due to the fact she feels any attention is good attention I guess.

She tries not to blame you for her destruction but she can't ignore it.

Roxy loves/hates you.

She hates you as Gregory, stealing her sight and smashing her to bits.

Yet she loves you as Cassie, fixing your mistakes by trying to help her.

Roxy knows she can't truly live without you.

That's true in more ways than one, too.

Roxy may be willing to tolerate her destruction if it means she doesn't lose you.

She fears you leaving her, even though you've caused her pain she feels you can fix her too.

In reality she really does feel like some sort of toy to you.

She isn't really sure how to feel.

Would things be better if she wasn't so sentient?

Or would she feel... more alone?

Safe to say Roxy's feelings towards you are rather conflicted due to what Gregory and Cassie do to her.

Between her being shattered and her obsessive nature towards you... she isn't sure what she wants.

Such decisions only make the wolf suffer more, unfortunately.

Even by the end of it all... Roxy can't bring herself to hate you.

In the end... she needs you.

She just hopes you need her too... even if it means she's your toy to break.

[cheynovak]

Coral and Clover

 

Boaz Priestly x F/Reader (Y/N)  

Warnings: Friends to lovers, Mentioning of sexual assault, alcohol, She/Her/ YN, ...  

Side note: English isn’t my first language.  Be kind please 

Words: 3367 

I love Danneel but Tish is a bitch in this story... I'm sorry

Didn’t proofread, sorry for any mistakes. 

*Does not follow the original storyline!* 

---------------- 

Intro:  

Y/N is an old schoolmate of Tish, but the two girls never seemed to get along very well. Tish being the all-American sweetheart cheerleader, and Y/N being the alternative girl who drove an old muscle car and listens to loud music. Tish was popular because of her looks, Y/N had friends because her dad has money. Both girls couldn’t be more different. Yet they had one thing in common.  

Steve 

Steve was the lead singer of a little local rock cover band. Popular with the ladies because well... He was the lead singer. Y/N was his guitarist and backing vocal when needed, his best friend and yeah you guessed it he was her crush. Steve seemed to only be interested in one high school girl, Tish.  

One night after a local gig Y/N and Steve spend a night together, he guaranteed he and Tish broke up. But the next morning she woke up to pictures of her in her underwear on his myspace account. When she confronts him with it, he took advantage of her. Making the rest of her senior year a living hell.  

-- 

“Welcome to Beach City Grill. What can I get... You” Tish recognised her in an instant. “Y/N” - “Tish, hi. Eh, what can you recommend?” Tish didn’t answer which made the staff behind the counter look at the person who dropped the temperature in this sunny place to below zero.  

“The roast turkey's really good here.” Piper said breaking silence. “Great, I’ll have that... please.” - “To go?” Tish asked. “Eh no, eat in.” - “Since when are you back in town?” - “Just for a few nights. We have a gig in town.” Y/n answers while paying.  

“You can take a seat, we’ll bring it to you.” The only guy in the shop said. Y/N immediately notice his eccentric style. She loved it when people didn’t play by the books. Priestly dropped the plate in front of Tish “I’m not bringing that to her.” He looked confused “Why not?” - “We don’t get along.”  

Priestly looked at Piper and Jen lifting his shoulder and walking behind the counter to deliver the sandwich, “Here you go. One roast turkey.” - “Thanks! By the way I love what you did with your hair.” Y/N could see how he wasn’t sure she meant it or if it was a joke. “It was a compliment.” She smiles softly “Thanks! I like yours too.”  

He turned to his friends, surprised yet happy, lifting his brows, big eyes. “She digs my hair.” he repeated to Tish while leaning on the counter looking at her. “Why do you hate her? She seems nice.”  

She rolled her eyes. “We used to go to the same school. I had a boyfriend who was in college.” -” Of course you do.” Priestly added. “He was a lead singer of a little band, quite popular at the time. She was the guitarist. The only girl in the band.”  

“Let me guess, they slept together, and you found out?” Jen asked. “Not only that, but she also let him take pictures of her naked ass. Posted it on myspace and then files a complain that he raped her.” Priestly frowned his brows “Why would she post those pictures?” - “Attention? I don’t know. But Steve had to go to court because of that.” 

“Oh, and side note.” she added “Her daddy owns one the largest law firm in the era. Little convenient don’t you think?” Priestly kept looking at the girl, what Tish just said didn’t seem to match with the vibe Priestly just had.  

His eyes roamed over her. She did really look like a rock chick. Flaming orange/red hair in a high messy bun with a few loose strings of hair in front of her face, it gave him alternative Pam Anderson vibes.  

A black leather jacket with an old band shirt, he knew for a fact she listened to them. The shirt was knotted in the back, so it came a little shorter but didn’t show any skin. Just high enough to show the belt in her washed up grey skinny jeans. And black doc martins.  

“You’re drooling.” Piper laughed. He waved her away and wanted to stare back at her. But he noticed immediately she was looking at him with a genuine smile. Great she heard that, he thought. After a short while Y/N got up and brought the plate back to the counter. “Thanks, it was really good.”  

“My pleasure...” He looked at her. “Y/N.” you answered “Priestly” - “Priestly.” she echoed “It was nice to meet you.” -” Come back anytime.” He said while you headed for the door. “You know what, I might actually do that.” Y/N bit her lip while passing Trucker on the way out.  

“What did I miss?” he asked. “Priestly just had a flirt with a not so bad looking woman.” Jen said. “Of his own age?” Trucker joked. ”You can all laugh, but she liked my hair. She’ll be back, you’ll see.”  

And he was right the next day Y/N decided to go to the same shop for lunch. “Roasted Turkey?” Priestly asked the second he saw her orange manes, which were lose, hanging down over her shoulders today. “Eat in?” - “Only if you join me.” He looked at Trucker who didn’t seem to mind.  

The two of them hit it off right away. They talked about music, hobbies, life and love but most off all just had a no-nonsense conversation. “Ok ok, you’re clearly into a lot of rock music and genres, old and new. So, I have a question I need to ask to know if we are going to be friends.” - “Who says I want to be your friend.” She joked taking another bite.  

“Funny.” He added noticing they had the same sense of humour. “Elvis dead or alive.” She looked at him. “We’re talking Presley, right? The king.” He nodded. She pretended to think about that for a second. “That man is living his best life somewhere. Away from the drama and shit, just vibing the music.”  

“Where have you been all my life.” He dramatically placed his head on his hand. Which made Y/N laugh and throw her head back. “I have to rehears in few minutes but why don’t you all come to the show Saturday?” She said while paying to Jen but still talking to Priestly. “VIP?” - “I wish I could offer you that. But no, it’s in a bar down the street, we start after you guy close. It’s free entree.”  

-- 

Saturday night 

Only Piper felt like going to the bar with Priestly after her shift. “Are you even old enough to be in a bar?” He joked holding the door for her. The two of them took the last empty standing table in the corned next to a pillar.  

“Ladies and gents, this is one of my favourite covers we bring. Mainly because I would have sworn, they wrote it for our lovely guitarist Y/N. Here is Runaway by Bon Jovi.” Priestly noticed how Y/N shook her head, not really entertained by that announcement.  

After the show she walked up to the table. With a pint her hand. “Great you made it.” Hugging them both. “What did you think?” - “Amazing!” Piper was very excited but left pretty soon after, leaving her and Priestly some time alone.  

The bar started to get empty, Eric the drummer placed a hand on her back. “He is making a scene outside.” Y/N sighs “I’m sorry Eric, but he is not my problem anymore. I told him not to drink so damn much.” - “I get it, just maybe don’t stay at the apartment tonight. He is really upset about you.”  

Meaning her ex-boyfriend and singer of the group Tom was waisted, aggressive and blamed Y/N for the recent break up. “I’ll rent a hotelroom don’t worry. Thanks for the heads up.” She yelled when he walked outside.  

“Boy trouble?” Priestly asked. “Word of advice, don’t every date your lead singer. Fell for it twice doesn’t work.” She looked at her drink. “You know you don’t have to stay in a hotel, stay the night at my place.”  

Her eyes shot up, trying to define the meaning behind his words. He noticed it in an instant. “N-not like that. On the couch, or or I’ll sleep there you can have my bed.” He got nervous, which she though was really cute. “It is cheaper.” she thought out loud.  

“Oh no I’ll charge like a 5 star hotel.” Lifting the heavy mood. “Fine why not. Just know if you try anything I might go all Hannibal Lecter on you.” - “Ok Clarise”. On their way to his place, she told him the entire story behind her break-up with Tom.  

“What about you? Any special girl in your life?” He got shy, slightly blushing “Tish.” - “Aha, Tish... of course.” - “What do you mean?” - “Tish is... popular, always have always be.” - “You don’t get along, do you?” The conversation continues in Priestly's kitchen. “I don’t hate her, I hate Steve for playing both of us and well, other... stuff.”  

He noticed her closing up. Moving her finger over the cup she was holding. “You didn’t deserve that.” Y/N’s eyes shot up. “She kind of told me.” -” Of course she did. Tish had her story and then there is the truth.”  

“I had no idea Steve made those picture. And he posted them online. He had thousands of followers, a lot of kids from our high school. Guys started to think I was easy, or I did it for attention because my dad is a lawyer but never cared much about me. Or it was an easy win for money.” 

“I never made a dime Priestly, he was just ordered to take those pictures offline.” -” That’s it?” She nodded, I was stupid enough to wash myself after... the event. So, no trace of... you know.” He automatically wrapped his arms around you. “I’m sorry.”  

Y/N sigh “My dad said I asked for it, the way I was dressed, too provocative.” Priestly hummed in disbelieve. “And now I fell for the aggressive a-hole, and will be forced to find a new band, again. All girls this time, no more guys.”  

You both laughed soft about that comment.  

Priestly kept his word and slept on the couch that and few nights after. 

-- 

Y/N decided to leave the band and stay in town for a while, found a job in the nearest music shop. She even co-housed with Priestly, he was exactly the kind of nice guy she needed to bring peace in her mind. Even though they moved to a bigger apartment, living together became cheaper for both. 

Weeks turned into months. Everyone at the sandwich shop expected Priestly and Y/N to date by now, but neither really seemed to be into the other like that. Y/N made it very clear not to want to date anymore and Priestly well, he was still head over heels with Tish.  

“I don’t get it, you are a nice guy. Why can’t she see what’s right in front of her?” Y/N said one night during movie and snacks. “She is to obsessed with guys who break her heart.” - “Clearly. I always thought she would have found mister right and married by now.”  

“Tish can have anyone she wants.” She said in between eating her popcorn. “Exactly! Why would she choose me?” Priestly sat up. “I would choose you.” Y/N stopped stuffing her mouth realising what she just said.  

“I-I mean...” - “You know me. That is different.” He interrupted her. “So does she!” - “Tish doesn’t even know my first name. You do.” - “I always knew I was special to you... Boaz.” She batted her eyelashes before getting hit with a pillow. “You punk!” She threw a hand full of popcorn in his face. “Thanks for the compliment sweetheart.”  

Sweetheart... that word made her warm, fuzzy, hard to breath.  

The last few weeks Y/N started to feel different about their friendship. It all went so fast, meeting and immediately hitting off. Only she knew she could never stand a change, not against Tish. He was head over heels, and she thought what she felt was friendship until one night she dreamed that he had kissed her.  

Realising when she woke up how heartbroken she was that it was just a dream. Priestly was the type of guy she would never fall for, to nice, to kind a little bit of a dork but funny and protective as well. But the situation where she needed to find a new home and job forced her to accept his help.  

Leading her to falling once again for the guy who was not interested in her. He liked her, but she was sure he saw her just as a friend maybe as an annoying little sister. But he didn’t feel the same butterflies in his stomach when they brushed against each other in the kitchen or when they hugged.  

So, Y/N played the part she thought he needed, a supportive friend. Y/N was pulled out of her thoughts when Priestly stood up. "l’m going to bed, I’ve decided I’m going to ask Tish out on a date tomorrow.” Her heart dropped.” Hands on approach huh? Great! Good luck!” It took all the strength she had to say those words and sound like she means it.  

--  

The next day Y/N decided to visit her friend at work walking right in when Tish kissed his lips. A breath hitched in her throat, at first, she thought Tish kissed yet another guy, feeling bad for Priestly until she noticed that was him!  

He saw her at the door and looked exited. “She said yes.” Her eyes looked him up and down, not as thrilled as he expected her to be. “What’s wrong?” - “W-What happened?” - “I asked her out she said yes.” -” God no, to you? Where is your hair, piercings, clothing?!”  

Priestly didn’t understand her frustration. Y/N turned to Tish. ”So, when he was just him, he wasn’t good enough for you but now you want to date him?” - “What’s your problem Y/N?” She bit back. “You don’t change yourself for someone else. You shouldn’t change. Y-you're perfect the way you are, were.”  

“It was time to grow up.” He said soft. “Growing up means knowing it is ok to be different, not turning into a clone of Fred, Ted, Ed, whatever their names were.” She referred to all the exes Tish had. “I thought you were better than that Priestly.”  

Y/N shook her head. “I thought you were different, and I don’t mean just clothing.” Tears started to gather in her eyes. “I thought you were different than the men I know. You just don’t care as long as you get the hot chick right? Who cares what’s on the inside!”  

“Good to know.” Y/N didn’t give him time for response and walked out of the shop. Priestly turned to Trucker, Piper and Jen. “What did I do?” - “You are really blind aren’t you.” Piper said. “She is love with you.” Jen added.  

“Y/N? No!” He couldn’t believe that he looked back at the door she just walked out and back to Tish. Who tried to look neutral. “Is she?” he asked more to himself.  

After his shift Priestly rushed home, hoping to find her there but she wasn’t. She stayed away for days. Leaving Priestly torn apart. He liked being with Tish, it was like a dream come through, but he missed his friend.  

Tish and Priestly went out for dinner one night. “Will you stop worrying for one night?” Tish asked pissed. “Day in day out it’s Y/N, Y/N, Y/N. She clearly doesn’t support us. Let her go.” - “Tish come on, she is my friend.” - “You barely know her.” - “I know more than you think, we told each other everything.”  

“Well, I’m glad she moved out. I don’t want you to live with her. Before you know it, she blames you of something, all out of jealousy.” Priestly shot her an angry look. “What?!” He hoped he didn’t hear her correct. “You heard me.”  

“Do you have any idea what she went through? How can you as a woman even say something like that?” He got up, “This isn’t working. I can’t have you saying, no even thinking stuff like that about her.” - “Really? So, you chose her?” - “I don’t, I-I don’t know, I do know that she never, ever said shit about you.”  

“And, yes, I miss her. Every second even when I’m around you. I didn’t miss you when I was with her.” Saying those words out loud made Priestly realise what a fool had been. He pushed his feelings away convinced Tish was his dream girl while he had spent the last months with his dream girl without knowing.  

“I’m sorry.” he said while walking out on her.  

--  

Priestly found Y/N the next day at the store she worked. Tuning a guitar. She noticed him walking in. “I’m working.” she blocked him before he could even talk. “Please, give me a chance to explain... Come home tonight. Please.” Y/N rolled her eyes. “Fine.”  

Y/N walked in the apartment noticing candles lit, smelled her favourite oven dish. When she walked into the kitchen, she saw a familiar shirt “I sell crack for the CIA.” Y/N quoted looking at him while he placed the dish on the table.  

“Where is the new Boaz?” Y/N asked not yet convinced, leaning in the door opening. “He is gone.” He walked closer to her “I realised you were right. I look way sexier with green hair.” Y/N let out a laugh combined with a deep breath. ‘Idiot.” she pushed him a step back. 

“No, I'm serious, I broke up with Tish.” - “You did? Why?” - “Turnes out my best friend was right. I don’t need to change to find someone who loves me.” he took a deep breath, “and I realised I was blind to see that she was standing right in front of me. Maybe I didn’t see it because it was just so easy between us.” He moved a lock of hair out of her face.  

“Can you forgive me?” He asked soft almost in a whisper. Y/N swallowed, feeling nervous and started to talk really fast. “Just don’t change anymore, or no... you can.. I-I mean, you can change if YOU want that, just don’t change for any...”  

Priestly shut her up by pressing his lips onto hers holding her with both hands behind, feeling her hair in between his fingers.  

“Ok.” he said letting go of her. “ok.” she echoed. “Priestly?” -”Hm?” - “I do think you are sexier with green hair. ”Y/N said while pulling him in by the back of his neck, biting her lip. The second kiss deepened quick. “If I had know this felt so good, I would have kissed your months ago.” He admitted out of breath.  

“Look.” Y/N pointed at window that showed their reflection very clearly against the darkness outside. “Coral and Clover, orange and green... Match made in heaven.” He kissed the temple of her head while watching. “Fuck I was really blind wasn’t I.” He chuckled. 

He saw her looking up at him. ”You’ll find a way to make it up to me.” She said her lips almost touching his, teasing, her brows raised quickly while she walked past him towards the bedroom. Taking off her shirt.   

It took him a second to process before he rushed to take off the apron, leaving it somewhere in the kitchen before he followed her.  

Hearing her teasingly yell.  

“Are you coming Priestly?” 

[worriedvision]

Historically unfortunate in love - Alhaitham

Gender neutral reader, reader is a book. Angst. I know, it's an odd idea, but the idea is that there's this book known for having romance as it's genre, but the book is also known for causing dreams where the reader shows up. Alhaitham takes an interest in this, curious as to what you were. Chaos ensues. There is not a happy ending here, I'm afraid.

--

"Haven't you heard? That book is haunted!"

"My friend tried to read it, but they freaked out when a scary person showed up on their dreams."

"Hasn't that book been around for decades? More than that."

These rumours, and more, spread about you all the time. Your author had been plagued by an unhealthy attachment to you, to the point they found a way to speak to you in their dreams. As odd as it was, it quenched her loneliness.

But since she died, you were still there. Whenever someone picked you up, you'd appear in their dreams until someone else touched your cover. It was nice at first, meeting people, but you hated the fact they'd keep talking about the romance in your pages. People thought you, somehow, could make their hopes of requited love true. After a few decades, you could not bare it any longer.

So, you made yourself as terrifying as possible. People realised you had no patience left for their love problems, the envy over being used and not talked to like your original owner did being a likely culprit, and the rumour changed to you being so terrifying that you weren't worth reading.

Alhaitham heard from these rumours about you, and he felt like he had nothing better to do. He decides to look into you, taking in the contents of your pages, while also interviewing you.

The first night, he could tell you were trying to be scary. That you couldn't really do anything, positive or negative, towards him. You bulk yourself up, but you can't scare him off. He merely sits there, observing you, and you realise that he's different. He isn't there for a romantic reason, he's not there for some entertainment reason.

He asks you about your origins, your author, what you know about your contents. Over time, he grew more interested in you as a person. You grew to trust him and, you realise, you feel romantic feelings for him. Some pages he mentions to you, it feels like they're happening. Those tight feelings, those warm sensations, the stupid smile your face had.

You were scared of it. You knew he couldn't touch you physically, your form was not physical, and he was an attractive man. You knew that, one day, you would lose him to someone who could give him what you couldn't.

So, you hide from him. You expect him to move on, to see that you aren't showing yourself and his experiment would be over.

Nope, he seems to understand this follows the story you are in. You grow distant after showing symptoms of falling in love, and he would persist.

So, he tells you about himself. His grandmother, his job, anything he could he would do.

--

"I didn't take you to be a reader of romance." Kaveh chuckles, spying the book.

Alhaitham tuts, taking the book away before Kaveh can take you away. He walks away, Kaveh realising that whatever you were, Alhaitham grew to like you.

Unfortunately, this does not last.

--

"Please leave." You cry out, Alhaitham not able to find you. "This isn't a good idea, you know this."

"There is no evidence to-"

"No, you are a human being. I know you'll leave."

Those were the last words you said to him. He tried his hardest to call out to you, to tell you how close he felt to you, but nothing worked. Upon reading the rest of the book, his heart sinks as he reads the final chapter.

Your author ended the story with the relationship burning out, the love interest dying in a house fire and the twist being that you were a living possession of the man who loved you. The man comes to terms with the fact you are not real, and he falls in love with someone who ticked all of his boxes.

This must have been the hypothesis of you gifting your reader their desired outcome. People didn't seem to finish reading your story, and the next time he visits you, you know he's finished reading you.

--

"Burn me. End my suffering." You stare coldly, Alhaitham opening his mouth in horror.

He didn't want to lose you, he didn't give a damn if you were real or if you were simply a dream.

"If you cannot burn me, you have to find someone who can."

No, this isn't right! He didn't want to burn you, he hated the idea of you just, being gone. He didn't understand why you were created, but he understands why he likes dreaming so often.

He enjoys his time with you. He looks forward to sleeping, and not solely because he can escape the people that drain him socially. You don't hear any of it, it was as if your creator made this script for you when someone finally finished your story and stuck with you.

He wakes up crying that morning, Kaveh noting his change in demeanor. Alhaitham hands him the book, unable to carry out your only wish, and he tells Kaveh to sleep at that moment.

--

"Are you _? Alhaitham seems to like you very much." Kaveh explains, you decide to show your form and nod in reply. "...Do you really desire an end? Alhaitham cherishes you, which is something I didn't think possible for him."

"I envy him. I can't hold him, and he can find a person to hold." You explain. "It's too much for me. My creator made me in a moment of selfishness, and people keep using me until they get what they desire."

"Alhaitham is a different man." Kaveh explains. "He isn't one for socialising unless entirely necessary."

Unfortunately, that only makes you feel even more sure you wish to be burned. You realise from Kaveh's statement that Alhaitham wouldn't be able to stand you if you somehow became human. You hate this constant cycle with people where you wish to form a physical connection but cannot.

"...I'll fulfill your wish, in return for one thing." Kaveh starts. "I am allowed to give the ashes from your book to Alhaitham."

You suppose there wasn't going to be anyone else willing to risk breaking the law for your own wishes, you observed from being classed as a relic of sorts. You nod, Kaveh looking particularly sad when he realises, completely, that you were truly fed up with being used and thrown away.

"For what it's worth.... Alhaitham truly loves you."

--

When Kaveh burns the book, he calls Cyno to join him to explain the situation. It sounded rather bizarre, however Cyno was understanding enough to know that Kaveh wouldn't make this up, and he did note Alhaitham looks a lot happier than usual. He prepares the bonfire, along with a jar to place your charred pages into once it was completed.

To say Alhaitham was devastated, realising you were gone, was an understatement. He hated sleeping now, knowing for a fact you weren't there, and the charred remains in the jar were the proof you were gone. Your creator was cruel for creating you, Alhaitham couldn't help but recognise. Who makes a book sentient to the point they wish they were human? He didn't know the answer for that question to satisfy his desire for your rest, you must have been miserable up until you felt the flames against your paper, finally feeling the release from this prison you were born in.

Does he move on like the book stated? No. He carries your jar around wherever he can, creating a pouch big enough for you, and whenever someone tried to tease him for it or touch it, he would glare at them. Those stupid enough to try and steal the jar were met with a swift punch to the stomach, catching you before you could hit the ground.

Try as he might, he knew he would have a hold on his heart once filled with you.

[hero-villian-blog]

So, we've all made jokes about Spider-verse's canon events, the whole "I can't let you do that it's a canon event" joke. However, these jokes alongside what people think a canon is, is not actually what a canon event is. Miguel tells us precisely what canon events are in the movie, while showing some examples. "They are the canon, chapters that are a part of every Spider's story every time." In other words it's not just any event that happens in a Spider's story or history of a world, it has to be very specific events that are shared by all Spiders. The examples Miguel gives includes the spider bite, the upside down kiss, Venom, the death of a close loved one, and the death of a captain. Now here's where I start speculating based on things that don't add up. What canon event did Miguel break to destroy the universe he went into? Miguel makes it seem like just being in another universe breaks a canon event, but that doesn't actually add up with what he said. As he said, a canon event is something that happens in every Spider's story and that it can't be disrupted. Simply being in another universe wouldn't do that unless he was actively breaking canon himself in that world. Continuing on, we don't actually see what happens when someone breaks canon, at least that's what it seems like to me. You may be saying, but Miles breaks a canon event or there's Mumbattan. But here's the thing, what happened in Mumbattan does not look similar to what happened in Miguel's footage it's different. What we see in Mumbattan is the work of the Spot, and is not caused by Miles saving the Captain. Even Miles points it out to Miguel that it was caused by the Spot. Now if we take a look at Miguel's footage, there is something interesting that we see. The universe glitches as it is destroyed, the same kind of glitching we see in the first movie that was caused by specifically Kingpin's collider. Now we know Miguel is using similar but more advanced technology to what Kingpin was using. So what if Miguel didn't break a canon event but rather did something with his technology that destroyed the universe. From there Miguel either misinterpreted what happened, or is lying about what actually happened. Also, canon events have been broken already in this movie without a world being destroyed. If we take Miguel's claim that what happened in Mumbattan was Miles breaking a canon event and not the Spot as a fact. Then shouldn't the breaking of what could be argued the most major and important canon event there is, result in the immediate destruction of that world. Or at least Mumbattan but sped up? What am I talking about? The spider bite of course, even Miguel has it labeled as a canon event. So tell me why does Earth-42 still exist? It has no Spiderman, the spider bite canon event never happened, yet it is still intact with Prowler Miles running around. We also can't make the suggestion that Miguel saved Earth-42, because he didn't get the ability to travel across the Spider-verse until after the events of the first movie. Speaking of Miguel, he was never bitten by a spider. Instead he injects himself as we see him do in the movie. Isn't that breaking away from the canon? Also, at the end of the movie Gwen realizes that Miguel is wrong when her father quits, that these canon events aren't set in stone. Btw, can we stop the Gwen hate? She is meant to be a flawed character who while in a bad place made some bad decisions, and is now correcting herself. Seriously you guys are spiteful. Sorry, time to get back on track. There is also the meta text of the movie, the idea that the story has to go one way. That the canon must be abided by, the Spider Society's authority, or you could say the Comics Code Authority. With Miguel representing it, as he tells Miles that he is the original anomaly and that he's not supposed to be Spiderman. The rest of this post info is in a reply because I keep getting an error.

[nerdlingmerchling]

So, I've watched Out of Darkness (2022) starring Mr Kit Young himself. 🎬 🎞

Full disclaimer, I hate horror movies, but I watched it anyway cause Kit (yes, it's a good reason). My verdict is that it's more of a thriller than a horror movie, and to my delight, it didn't rely heavily on jump scares.

It's rare to see movies set in the paleolithic era, and I think that's where the true originality of this movie lies. The costumes and props look overall pretty authentic, up to the stitching of the clothes, which I was happy about. It shows that there had been some anthropological research done beforehand.

The made-up Tola language was such an interesting, fascinating aspect to the movie, and all of the actors sounded exactly as if they had spoken it all their lives. They adopted such unique intonation that I even had a hard time recognizing Kit's voice at first. Acting was incredible, from everyone, and from start to finish.

Also, very glad to see an ethnically diverse group of prehistoric humans. Some recent studies tend to show that paleolithic groups were more complex in terms of origins than we might think.  So, props to the casting direction for that.

I also loved how this movie was much more than a slasher and had a true reflexion on what it is, and what it means to be human.  The movie was efficient in presenting the characters and their individual motivations. Each of the six main characters represented different angles of human nature : ego, ruthlessness, innocence, kindness, religious zeal, and determination/weakness. I thought it was such a great way to explore that theme.

It's also a beautifully-shot movie, which shows its Scottish Highlands setting in all its gloomy glory : making it both breathtaking and menacing. No green screen in sight, and you can feel the harshness of the elements piercing through the screen.

Overall, I had a good time, but I'm a sensitive creature, and I was still affected by the movie hours after I was done watching it. Much of it has to do with the character played by Kit.

Character analysis and SPOILERS under the cut :

Kit plays Geirr, a young hunter and the most sympathetic character overall. To no one's surprise, Kit plays him with a lot of nuance.

Geirr is a hunter and a warrior by necessity. He's a gentle, sensitive, artistic soul and the stark opposite to his older brother Adem, the leader of the group, who's proud, selfish, and prone to violent outbursts.

Geirr has a special bond with Beyah, a teenage girl the group picked up "en route". The others still treat her as a stray and an outsider. Geirr, though, accepts her and sees her as being part of their little tribe. He vows to protect and take care of her.

Very few people smile in that movie, but when someone does, it's usually Geirr, and he's smiling at Beyah.

You might think at first that their attachment is a brother-sister or friends type of bond, but something happens that make the viewer understand Geirr's feelings for her extend further than that. While the group is resting after a day of walking the treacherous terrain, Geirr realizes his friend's pants are stained in blood, and he looks alarmed. She's having her first periods ; she's a woman now, and that means leader Adem can get to have a claim on her as he pleases.

Well aware of that fact, Geirr is devastated, and you understand at once that he was hoping to make Beyah his own companion.

You also understand that he's not going to fight for her. He's going to suffer in silence, accept the situation and accept his brother's authority. Because that's the thing with Geirr ; he's not a fighter. And throughout the movie, Beyah is going to prove that she has a lot more fight in her than he does.

Geirr is someone who has principles, and he's going to follow those principles even when it leads him to suffering or even be at risk of dying. He refuses to kill someone, even out of mercy, or to resort to cannibalism, even when it's the sole way to survive.

By the end of the movie, he has given up, and it becomes clear he's not destined to make it. It makes his death even more devastating, because you're still hoping against hope that he's going to live.

I'm still mourning that sweet prehistoric cinnamon bun, and I blame Kit's acting (and his face) for my emotional turmoil.

[coraniaid]

🔥 - Cordelia

Cordelia is a character I generally like without actually thinking about her very much, if that makes sense? Maybe I would care about her more actively if I were more invested in Angel; or maybe knowing what that show will ultimately do to her is what stops me from getting invested in it. Not really sure either way to be honest.

As far as hot takes go ... well, I don't think I really buy into most of the Cordelia fanon I sometimes see on Tumblr. Can't really put why better than I did last year. Like I said in my recent Faith hot take: I don't like the fanon instinct to try to make characters nicer and more sympathetic than they're presented as in canon, especially when they have some kind of canonical redemption arc. You're getting rid of one of the more interesting things about them! Why?

On the other hand, I do like the headcanon (not originally mine - I think I got this from @all-seeing-ifer) that Cordelia is ace, or at least that she's accidently ace-coded. I mean, I certainly don't think it is at all deliberate on the part of the writers, but when you go to look there sure are a lot of scenes in which Cordelia either expresses disinterest in (sometimes even disgust at) the very idea of sex (in Faith, Hope & Trick for example: "not the horny thing -- yuck!") or admits to being confused by the thought that other people might want to have sex (in Innocence, for example, she asks Xander with seeming genuine puzzlement: "does looking at guns really make girls want to have sex? That's scary.").

Oh, and although the show is really not clear on this at all, I think the high school Scooby dynamic is slightly more interesting if Willow and Cordelia were (briefly) friends when they were both much younger. To borrow a term I saw recently, this is more canon compatible than canon compliant -- I don't think anything in canon rules it out, but it's a bit of a stretch to say this something that actually comes from canon.

Certainly Xander and Cordelia knew each other from a very young age (they've known each other for at least twelve years in Season 2, as per The Dark Age). And as Willow and Xander were friends as early as kindergarten (which is confirmed in Grave if not before), I think it's safe to assume Cordelia knew Willow at that age too. In Innocence Willow reminds Xander of the "We Hate Cordelia" club ("of which you are treasurer!"), but we don't know exactly when this was formed (I'm guessing a while ago though, given the childishness of the name). What if said club was something Willow formed only after she and Cordelia stopped being friends? After Cordelia met Harmony, say (who we also know, from Graduation Day, is somebody Willow has known for at least a decade: "she picked on me for ten years") and chose being popular over her previous friendship?

Again, I suspect this isn't intentional but it's a take I rather like, and one that I think makes a bit of internal sense. Willow and Cordelia do actually seem to get on better than you might think in the early seasons -- when there's nobody else around for Cordelia to try to impress by putting Willow down, anyway (among other examples, see their intereactions throughout Prophecy Girl). And while Willow obviously doesn't like, say, Harmony -- in fact she hates her "with a fiery vengeance" according to Graduation Day again -- there was apparently no "we hate Harmony" club. What makes Cordelia different (beyond being a main character when Harmony isn't, which is probably what the writers actually had in mind).

Well, what if Cordelia isn't just one of the many people who bullied Willow in high school: what if she was her friend until she ditched her to be more popular? Wouldn't that sting just a little bit more?

We know that Cordelia is actually pretty smart, even though she tries to play it down ("I have some experience of covering these things up," she tells Xander after he sees her SAT scores in Lovers Walk; and don't forget she'd previously said she was "looking forward" to taking the SATs because she "does well in standardized testing" and was accepted into multiple good schools she just couldn't afford to attend). In fact, Cordelia basically has to be academically successful in high school in order to fulfull her primary role as Buffy's shadow self.

But if Cordelia consciously realised at some point that she should hide how smart she is from her peers in order to be popular, is it that much of a stretch to think she also decided to cut off her existing friendship with Willow, who Principal Snyder describes in Doppelgangland as represenative of "the pinnacle of academic achievement at Sunnydale High"?

Also, in the spirit of this post about parallels between Willow and Cordelia (which I really like), it's interesting to compare Willow's nightmare in Restless -- being back in high school and somehow being Found Out -- with Cordelia's fear in Season 1's Nightmares of being dragged into the chess club (which, at least in the language of television) is easy to read as a metaphor for being exposed as somebody who is secretly brainy and perhaps enjoys stereotypically academic or nerdy things. Just like Willow does, in fact.

Remember what Cordelia tells Buffy all the way back in Welcome To The Hellmouth when they run into Willow: "if you want to fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers". That is: Cordelia tells Buffy, the girl who she serves as a mirror of all season, that if she wants to fit in she'll have to choose not to be friends with Willow (and instead performatively belittle and bully her whenever she has an audience). Is it that much of a leap to suppose that a much younger Cordelia once learned that lesson herself?

[darkmasterofcupcakes]

CWF human AU :

So, Adam is Vaggie's godfather, well, that's messy. I wouldn't be surprised if 6 years old Vaggie told Lute that she and Adam should just be together, because not only they're best friends, but they obviously love each other (Vaggie saw how they looked at each other) and Sera has to take Vaggie for the day because Lute being told that messed with her mind.

Seth probably assumed that it was why his father often visited Lute, though he definitely understood that Adam and lute were a thing when he was like 10 or 11.

Considering Cain was jealous of Abel in the Bible, I think than here, Abel managed to accept the divorce pretty easily and his lack of venom toward Lute and Vaggie+being a nice caring guy got Adam and Sera, Sera who's probably some sort of honorary aunt for the Eden sons, and this pissed off Cain who thought his brother was being a traitor and a suck-up.

Vaggie with a soft g probably is how both Adam and Cain call her, at least depending of the situation. I think than Adam always call her Vaggie with a soft g, and if she get upset over it he just bribe her with sweets or money.

Meanwhile, Abel call her Maria, Seth call her Vaggie with a hard G, and I think Cain usually call her Guerrera unless he's pissed, and there he say Vaggie with a soft g.

For Abel, calling her that is because he know Vagatha is not her real name and he's appalled by that immature joke, furthermore, considering his link to plants, I imagine that he helped her learn about plants and she actually liked it too, even if it's not her interest, unlike Cain who prefer being with his animals and find Abel's interests stupid and Seth who isn't interested even if not hostile.

Seth just always knew the name as Vaggie with a hard G, especially since his mother as well as Sera and Lute told him the soft g was just a thing Adam did as a Godfather.

I think the only one of Adam's sons Lute really get along with is Seth, pre reveal at least, because Cain hate her, I think Lute is too agressive for Abel to appreciate her and she most likely doesn't get his interests, though there's no real hostility, simply non-compatibility, while Seth would have seen Lute since he's a baby, and she's simply his dad's cool friend.

How did Vaggie's relationship with her half-brothers and father changed after she learned they were her family?

I think the reveal of Adam being Vaggie's father is one of the events that started to kick off Emily's doubts on her link to Sera.

Sera knew Vaggie was Adam's daughter, and Emily would have been in her mother's belly when Vaggie was born.

If Sera could keep secret something like that, despite being Vaggie's godmother, what else could she keep?

I think Emily started wondering before, but learning Vaggie's godfather was also Vaggie's father and the fact that none of the adults ever told it, despite the fact than Vaggie knew her brothers since her youth definitely made her consider the possibility that there were other lies in families.

Sera and Vaggie probably had a quite heated argument too, with Emily siding with Vaggie.

What anger Vaggie the most probably is that the secret wasn't that necessary from her pov, she knew Adam well, and Lute and him not being together made it clear she wouldn't have had anything like a normal family, but she love her family, Emily is like a cousin, Sera+Adam and Lute's armies buddies are like her aunts, Adam is weird but she like him well enough.

So why the secret?

I think than after the fiasco of the reveal, Vaggie decided to do ballet at Carmilla's school, as she need to do a physically intensive activity that wasn't like what her mother did, and beside, Vaggie always liked dancing.

On a more cheerful note, Vaggie probably learned dancing, flamenco most likely (the Guerrera being of Spanish origin) from her mom, as dancing was something Agatha and Lucia loved to do together.

Hum, and now than I realize it, Lute got her name through her mother, since Guerrera was Agatha's name before Hector,which make sense tbf if there's a question of prestige.

I love the mental image of Adam struggling to learn the music of guitar to go along Lute's dancing when they were in the army, Adam's music likely was one of the few ways to distract themselves after all.

When did Charlie and Vaggie started going out? And I know Lute's reaction was bad (with mother-daughter actually fighting each other) but what was Adam's reaction when Lute brought it up to him?

I propose Vaggie meeting Carmilla at 14 to give reasonable time for her to learn it, furthermore, at this point in life, Vaggie's trust in her adult figures is shattered, be it her mother, her godparents Sera and Adam or Lute and Adam's old army buddies, who would definitely have known the truth.

Okay, this is a long one, so it's gonna take a bit to fully answer....

Young Vaggie definitely once suggested her mother get married to Adam. because, yeah. she absolutely could tell the two of them had a thing for each other. She didn't understand why her mom had such a negative reaction to the suggestion until she was quite a bit older.

Seth and Vaggie were both really excited at the idea of their dad and mom, respectively, getting married when they were really little. Because they were best friends and if their parents got married, that would make them siblings. They even use that at least once to try and convince Adam and Lute to get married, and basically all the adults present can feel the tension in the air because they all know the secret of Vaggie's parentage, but these kids have no clue...

You are right that part of what makes Cain resentful of Abel in this AU is the fact that, despite being two years younger, Abel had a much easier time accepting his parents' decision to get a divorce. While Cain felt upset and betrayed by what happened, and kept trying to blame someone, despite Adam and Eve explaining to their sons that it was nobody's fault - they just weren't happy being married to each other anymore. Abel was also a bit upset, but was much more easily comforted by the promise both his parents made that even if they weren't married anymore, and they weren't in love, they did still care about each other and they both were going to love Abel and his brothers as much as they ever had.

Basically hit the nail on the head for what each of the Eden men calls Vaggie - Seth really is the only one who calls her by her actual first name, and pronounces it the way it's actually supposed to be said. Though Cain is the only one who calls her Vaggie with the soft G out of malice; with Adam, it's mostly just him being sort of playful, and, he'd argue, the way he's supposed to say it, since he is the one who picked her first name, and knows how you're supposed to pronounce it.

Lute isn't super close to any of Adam's sons, but Seth is definitely the one she gets along the best with, for basically the reasons you said. Plus, he's the closest in age to her daughter and the two kids are really close, so she kind of just ends up seeing Seth more often than either Cain or Abel, since while usually Vaggie would go over to Eve's place after school to hang out with Seth until Lute got out of work, it wasn't like the inverse never happened, and Seth stayed over at Lute's to play with Vaggie.

I think Vaggie's relationship with Adam changed more than her relationships with any of her half-brothers once she learned the truth of their relationship. Obviously things were different all around, but I don't actually think the way Cain, Abel, or Seth really treated Vaggie would be super impacted by them learning they were siblings, at least once the initial shock of the reveal has passed. But with Adam, the fact that he was her father - and he knew the whole time - did make Vaggie think of him differently for a while. She admits that she almost wishes he was less involved in her life than he was, because then she wouldn't have to deal with the fact that technically her father was around for her whole life up to that point...she just had no clue who he was because both he and her mother actively chose to lie to her.

Honestly, Vaggie's "fall" in this AU is likely at least somewhat the result of the fall-out from the reveal of Adam being her father, because out of anger and just being hurt at the secrecy, there is a bit of a rift between Lute and Vaggie, and Vaggie actually starts kind of acting out and pushing her mother away. She starts occasionally skipping school and refusing to go home, no matter how much Lute tries to make her. And it leads to a minor, but still physical altercation where after it's done, Lute is convinced to let Vaggie have some space to deal with her feelings - but with the caveat that if Vaggie won't come home, she has to at least make sure she's staying with people Lute at least trusts to keep her safe - which are the Morningstars (Lute isn't a huge fan of Lucifier or especially Lilith, but she knows they wouldn't let anything happen to Vaggie) or the Celestes.

And it is during this time where Vaggie meets the Carmine twins, Odette and Clara, and they introduce her to their mother, who is starting up a new ballet studio in town after having recently moved in. And Vaggie takes them up on the offer of trying it out, if only to have something to keep her busy now that she's taking an indefinite break from fencing lessons to avoid her mother as much as she can. She did also continue to do the flamenco dancing that she'd learned from Lute growing up, and actually enjoyed doing both, to her slight surprise.

Charlie and Vaggie were probably around like, 15 when they started seriously dating? They may have kissed a bit and gone on a couple dates when they were a little younger, but it wasn't until then that they actually decided to make it official that they were actually in a relationship.

Finding out that Adam was Vaggie's father absolutely helped to really push Emily into wondering if her "sister" had been keeping any other secrets, especially from her. Because part of her had always wondered why Sera was always so unwilling to tell Emily much about their parents, or why she apparently had no pictures of them, despite how close they'd apparently been. For most of her life, she just took any of Sera's explanations as fact because, why would she lie to her about that? But now that she's seen that Sera would lie about something like who Vaggie's father is, she has to wonder what else she may have been capable of lying about....

[lovecolibri]

SaL anon here bestie, ready with the gin to endure whatever nonsense Eddie's plot is devolving into this week. God I hope the focus on Henren or Bathena so I can walk away with some sense of satisfaction. I'm not even going to attempt to say something good might come out if it, since history isn't on our side this season wrt Eddie. Tim needs to lay off his Hitchcock obsession, he did Psycho on LS last season, is doing Vertigo now, and both plots were utter nonsense. At least I got a good laugh today looking at the stills from the Oliver and Lou interview. Somebody should have told Oliver to blink 3 times if he's there against his will, though the fact that he looks like he's actively leaning towards the nearest exit probably says it just as well.

Yeah, the sooner bucktommy ends the happier I'll be. The relationship itself is fine, on par with every other BS relationship Buck was in really, but the fandom around it is exhausting and the active attempts to erase any semblance of Eddie in Buck's life is just so, so dumb (and pointless, like Buck wouldn't be the same without Eddie in his life just as Eddie isn't the same without Buck). Anyway cheers friend, we're on the precipice of something that looks both exciting and annoying, let's hope the scales tip in our favor 🍷🍸🥃.

Well, as I'm sure you guessed by my late answer, I saw this and waved at you from post limit jail, due to the d20 finale last night. I wish Tumblr would have a pop up like, "hey, you have 5 posts left before you hit post limit today!" or something so I could prepare!

So, good news, the Bobby and Henren stuff was *chefs kiss* angsty and dramatic and pulled at my heartstrings! The Bobby montage as he's giving his Captain Dad advice and having Buck cook, and calling Hen "Mother Hen" (while looking at Buck and Eddie 👀👀👀), giving the prayer book to Eddie, giving tips to Ravi, calling out orders on scene, it was all so much! And GOD, them taking that poor little girl away, and Denny stepping between that man and his sister, I was in TEARS! The Bobby and Athena talk got me too, and then him seeing his dead dad?! Bobby is going THROUGH IT and I ate it up!

As for Eddie I- legitimately do not know what to say. The whole thing was a mess, Kim giving herself bangs?? to roleplay with a stranger?? was just SO WEIRD and off-putting. Sorry I guess I'm just a hater but I think Eddie getting stuck with actresses like GW and EG means that him having scenes with anyone else feels good? but I'm not falling all over myself about any magical chemistry 🤷🏻‍♀️I hate this storyline and I'm tired of the narrative that this was some great love Eddie is missing out on when season 2-3 gave us actual canon evidence that it isn't true, and it feels more like Tim wanted Devin back and thought he could get away with it now that the audience had some space and KR spent all last season pretending Shannon was some saint (when he killed Shannon off so quickly originally because he said the audience wasn't going to forgive her and he didn't want to waste screentime on that when grief tied in with anger and abandonment was a more interesting storyline for Eddie and Chris). I'm also VERY curious about where the "Eddie realizing he's been looking at the relationship with rose colored glasses and living in delusion about it" is because GIRL that wasn't it. Eddie crying about her being the great love of his life and how they could have had it all is NOT him taking off the rose colored glasses, no matter how pretty Ryan looks when he's crying.

ANYWAY. I was already not on board with this but the writers dragging Chris into it too just gives me the ick. And it might resolve fine, but GOD!! THE JOURNEY MATTERS!! It matters how the characters get places! And this is just...not just a mess but a completely unnecessary one. They could address Eddie's grief and delusions about his relationship with Shannon (and her relationship with Chris because don't think I didn't clock him bringing up her (shit ass guilt trip) letter but not that she abandoned her son and cut off all contact for years) without resorting to trashy soapy doppelganger nonsense and cheating drama. And it's WILD because Bobby's arc this season and his relationship with Athena, and Henren's storyline have been SO GOOD, and even though there were some pacing and tone issues, even the Madney stuff has been good (and Kenny always slays the dramatic arcs!). Buck has taken a mostly supportive backseat this season which, while I ADORE him, was needed after the mess KR made of his character and her apparent lack of interest in the majority of the other main characters and his personal storyline (the bi realization, being Eddie's partner for all the big emotional talks) is also fine, it just got hijacked by some absolutely bizarre shipping strangeness over a couple minutes of screentime. But GOD Eddie's shit has been such a weird mess! It wasn't enough to be stuck with the transphobe all season, we also had to add in this nonsense?! Thanks, I hate it. At least we might finally be allowed to let Shannon go?? I am literally begging at this point.

As for th b/t of it all, I have literally blocked it from my mind and out of my existence (the ONE perk of my tumblr app still not working and having to do most of my stuff in my phone browser means I haven't really seen my dash lately and I've been smart about staying out of the tag for once) because it's just not worth the headache the bad takes give me. I'm just...so tired. I was willing to watch it play out (felt very much like Ali as the first step post-Abby, something background setting up for more later *cries in s4 Buddie canon*) but go at this point I just need it to be over for EVERYONE'S sanity. Especially Oliver's because like, girl. Why do you look like you're trapped in that loft with MW again?! Why so haunted? Girl, are you okay?? Oliver?? And how he continues to just post Buddie/Ryan stuff?? Loud.

I'm just...tired. So tired. And I need a drink. Imma go find some absolutely filthy/funny/fun Buddie fic and drown myself in that because I have the unfortunate feeling it's gonna be a LONG fucking hiatus.

Cheers friend. I know I always say if we can survive RNM (with it's own doppelganger storyline) then we can survive anything but GOD it would be nice to not have it be so hard.