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kyuuppi · 1 year

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Genshin men Instagram HCs

Ft. Xiao; Scaramouche; Zhongli; Childe; Alhaitham; Kaveh; Tighnari

(gender neutral reader but wears a dress in Scara & Zhongli's parts)

Xiao // @ a1atus

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

Very rarely posts

Never pictures of himself, you’ll only see his face in tagged photos

If he does post, it’s probably a new album cover of a band he likes, a particularly good plate of almond tofu from his favorite café, or—if he’s in a particularly good mood—a cute stray cat that befriended him on the street

Never edits anything but still takes pretty decent photos because he understands basic composition rules

Never tags anything but will sometimes write simple captions like “new guitar”

His pfp has not changed since he made his account and its literally just the blandest selfie you’ve ever seen—but he’s effortlessly photogenic so even when he’s just staring at the camera with a blank expression he looks hot

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

Xiao will unintentionally do his loyal boyfriend duties and like all of your posts but he never actually leaves a comment unless you specifically ask him to but you have to tell him what to say or else you’ll just get something like “your hair is nice” LOL

Maybe makes one post related to you but it doesn’t have your face—just picture of your hands holding each other or a photo he secretly took of you from behind as you admire some paintings from when he took you on an art gallery date

Still doesn’t write much in captions but if the post includes you, he always adds a little black heart emoji 🖤

Scaramouche // @ balladeer

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

Vehemently claims he’s not chronically online but he definitely is

Def has a dark / emo aesthetic profile and puts more effort into it than he’d ever admit

Uses stories pretty frequently

Usually to show off his game stats and victories or to vent about some annoying inconvenience that's just happened to him

balladeer Jfc the train is late again I may as well just walk home everyday ffs

All his late night gaming photos are so highly saturated in his pitch black bedroom, the only source of light being his screen on max brightness and his violet RGB keyboard. If you raise the screen brightness on your phone you might be able to make out some empty Monster cans and ramen cups on his desk—he absolutely gives Discord / Reddit mod vibes 🤢

Definitely has a story archive just for Valorant 🤮

I wanna fuck him so bad it makes me look stupid—

Posts a few selfies to show a new piercing or the very rare occasion where he’s feeling really confident in his looks

unintentionally thirst traps the emo boy lovers; yes, I am talking about you and I—

Lightly edits photos or uses filters to make them look good but nothing extreme or super aesthetic, mostly just for decent contrast

Usually the first one to see any of his friends posts but never ‘likes’ them

Will leave snarky or sarcastic comments when the mood strikes tho

His pfp is a candid picture someone else took that he thinks he looks decent in—sticking his tongue out and giving double middle fingers to the camera

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

Makes a post or story for every date you guys have, even if it’s just a vague picture of your shoes together

He likes to show off that he has such an attractive s/o but also lowkey just wants to have a memory to look back on for the nights he feels lonely

Doesn’t post just you though, he’s always in frame holding you or touching you in some way—he feels the need to put some sort of claim cause he thinks people are gonna shoot their shot with you—he’s kinda paranoid and insecure, pls have patience w him

Likes and comments on all of your posts. Sometimes it's a snarky quip like if you post about you and your friends doing something funny he might comment “lmao ur so dumb” but if its a selfie or something you’re proud of, he leaves a little compliment and heart emoji.

YN0103 [bedroom mirror selfie of you shyly posing in a dress]

YN0103 Bought a new dress today…it’s not my usual style but I rlly like it 🥺

balladeer cute 💜

If anyone ever confronts him in person about his nice comments on your posts tho he’ll get flustered and claim his account was temporarily hacked LOL

His heart def flutters when you post a picture of him on your own account

He kinda can’t believe you’re proud enough of him to publicly post about him

Changes his pfp to the two of you together and, if you zoom in and squint, you can tell he’s kind of smiling <3

Zhongli // @ rex_lapis

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

I’m sorry but I have to do it…

He has Facebook grandpa vibes

Like he has no idea how to use half of the features; stories are an absolute mystery to him. What is a reel?

But he tries to be supportive of his friends and will leave way-too eloquent comments with a Wikipedia levels of supplemental information

a1atus [ photo of a shiny Fender acoustic guitar laying on what seems to be a bed]

a1atus new guitar

rex_lapis Lovely new instrument, Xiao. You seem to have quite good tastes – that particular model is popular among many professional musicians. It is well renowned for its clear sound and beautiful mahogany exterior. If you wouldn’t mind, I would love to hear you play it someday over tea.

a1atus @ rex_lapis thanks

the way I cackled writing that exchange ygweyufgwyu Xiaos just like ‘thanks for commenting dad’

His pfp is not him—it’s probably a famous painting he likes or a beautiful white flower from a garden he visited

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

If you want him to improve his Insta game, you’re going to have to teach him, I’m sorry

On the up side, Zhongli is a great student and is eager to learn anything you teach him

Will try to post pretty regularly; usually somewhat mediocre photos of beautiful scenery like sunsets and flowers

Like Scaramouche, he enjoys the idea of documentary your time together so he posts something at the end of each of your dates

Your heart lowkey melts when Zhongli, very earnestly, asks after dinner if you’ll allow him to take a selfie with you to post on his Instagram

Regularly asks for feedback on his posts to ensure he’s properly taking your advice and improving :,)

He even starts organizing and naming story archives on his profile—simple titles like “tea,” “nature,” “friends,” and “my dearest”

Likes and comments on every single one of your posts and replies to all of your stories, even if he was there with you

Usually just lathers you in compliments on your beauty or tastes but they’re so thoughtfully written that it’s obvious he’s not “just saying it” and genuinely believes all the kind things about you he writes

YN1231 [photo of you twirling in a summer dress amidst a colorful of bed of flowers in a botanical garden, take by your friend]

YN1231 It’s finally starting to feel like spring! 🌸🌼🌺

rex_lapis While the camelias are lovely, they pale in comparison to your radiance. Your yellow sundress is also quite lovely and compliments your complexion in the morning sunlight. Truly a divine sight.

balladeer @ YN1231 @ rex_lapis ugh can you guys keep it in the DMs

- Changes his pfp to a selfie of himself smiling after you told him he should. The angle is a little odd but he’s so naturally attractive that he still manages to look good.

Ajax // @ tartaglia_on_top

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

Doesn’t post too often but when he does, it kinda gives stereotypical frat boy

Like, lots of parties and shirtless beach photos with his friends

The surprise is the occasional posts of his little siblings and kids he volunteers with in between

He sometimes posts championship and practice photos from his martial arts competitions with captions thanking his team and mentors

Is pretty popular—has a few thousand followers, many are people he met just once or twice at parties or genuine friends and classmates, but the vast majority are online fans who just follow cause he’s hot LOL

Is the type of person you followed once after meeting a long time ago and never talk to again but you can’t bring yourself to unfollow cause he’s nice and his updates are kinda interesting and he’s hot

Isn’t online that much so he doesn’t like/comment on his friends’ every post but usually tries to leave congratulatory messages when someone accomplishes something or graduates

His pfp is a closeup of himself with a boyish grin he cropped from a group photo

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

It is super obvious when you guys start dating cause almost every post from that point is about you in some way LOL

tartaglia_on_top [photo of Ajax, sweaty and exhausted but clearly excited as he holds a trophy in one hand with the other wrapped around your waist while he presses a kiss to your cheek]

tartaglia_on_top Officially a 3 year championship winner! Thanks to my biggest supporter @ YN0720 😘

He’s not even consciously trying to post you all the time, it just happens because you are either always together or any memorable moment he thinks are worth an Insta post involve you in some way

You’re the only person, aside from his family - that he actually likes/comments on all posts for

Is the type of boyfriend to leave those super dramatic, embarrassing comments on your selfies like “DAAAMN BABE 🥵 finna make me act UP” and, in one particularly shameless case, “god youre so hot pls step on me queen 😍”

Please block him

He shamelessly liked all your past posts from before you too met as well—you were kinda mortified to wake up one morning to a notification that just said “what a lil cutie ❤️” on a post of yourself from seventh grade.

Changes his pfp to a couple selfie he took of the two of you kissing on a winter vacation in the mountains

Kaveh // @ kaveh.designs

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

Obsessed with having an aesthetic profile

Like, the color palette of the background and clothing in his pfp selfie are carefully matched with the cover of each of his story archives, down to the hex code

He carefully edits every post and uses filters to make them all fit with his theme no matter how inaccurate to real life they may become

“Huh…I thought your bedroom wall was a bit more orange than this…”

“Oh, that’s cause I use 30% Juno in all my bedroom photos for a warmer finish.”

“???”

Despite his aesthetic profile, he doesn’t come off as particularly vain or narcissistic—only posts selfies when he’s has a particularly good hair day or changed his accessories

Most of his posts are of places he travels to (museums and big cities with interesting architecture) or his own sketches and rendered design projects

Online pretty frequently, always checks insta when he wakes up, before bed, and during lunch breaks

His stories are often project updates, interesting things he encounters throughout the day, or food photos

Only likes posts he actually likes and sometimes comments with photography critiques

tighnar1 [photo of a cluster of three bright blue mushrooms clustered against vibrant green grass and patches of dark, wet soil]

tighnar1 Proof the forest is an amazing place: found this beautiful little cluster of juvenile Rakkhashava mushrooms on my hike today. Great spotting by @ colleeei. Check my story for some cool mushroom facts. 🍄

kaveh.designs great photo composition, Tigh, perfect golden ratio on the caps.

tighnar1 @ kaveh.designs Thanks I guess…

Has a decent number of followers, many of whom are also artists familiar with Kaveh’s reputation from the Kshahrewar. Others just like his OOTD stories and charming smile

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

Kaveh revamps his entire profile once you two become official

His pfp becomes a candid taken by a stranger of the two of you together at an aquarium, holding hands as you point something out to him through the glass

It was taken by a photographer working at the aquarium as part of a promotion—the photographer showed you two the photo and asked for permission to post it on their official website and Kaveh was absolutely obsessed with the photo—it’s still one of his favorite and it doesn’t even show your faces

He still matches his archived story covers to his new pfp but his actual feed had become a lot more relaxed and natural now

He still slightly edits photos so they look as good as possible, but he doesn’t like using filters on photos of you or the two of you together because he thinks it would be a disservice to your natural beauty

Like Ajax, his posts and stories naturally become mostly about you whether scenes from your dates—candid photos he takes of you where he insists you look like art even though you’re just in pajamas with an unmade face—or even photos of things he sees throughout the day that remind him of you

Sometimes he posts stories of funny reels or art pieces he knows you’d like and tags you in them with messages like “@YN0709 omg remember when we were talking abt this?” and “me & @ YN0709💕”

Similar to Childe, leaves the most downbad, dramatic comments on your posts

YN0709 [swimsuit selfie]

YN0709 happy summer! ☀️��

kaveh.designs Oh my god my heart– 💘 I cannot believe I get to come home to this every night 👅💦

YN0709 @ kaveh.designs omg kaveh pls 💀

al_haitham @ kaveh.designs Every time I see one of your comments I regret ever learning how to read.

Alhaitham // @ al_haitham

★ ★ pre-relationship ★ ★

Only made an account so his friends would stop bothering him about not keeping up with things tbh

Checks his feed a few times a day but skips through stories if they’re too long/too many

Absolutely hates concert stories the most cause they’d loud, long, and filled with off-key drunken singing

Never likes or comments on anything unless it’s really interesting to him

Occasionally shares reels in his story that are like interesting history facts or official Akademiya announcements

Has a few posts (and only cause Kaveh would not shut up about it) but they’re mostly just pictures of book covers he’d just finished reading with a detailed review or literary analysis as the caption—but he’s mindful of avoiding spoilers for those who haven’t read it

However, he does have one post that stands out quite a bit

He posted an unintentional gym third trap because he just happened to be working out, as is routine, and thought it might be nice to share some tips on proper rope pushdown form

If you’re not a gym babe and don’t know what this is, I beg of you, please look up a gif or video and imagine Alhaitham doing this, shirtless. You’re welcome.

It has become his most popular post by far

His pfp is probably taken straight from his faculty ID card: plain background, bright lighting, neutral facial expression

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

After you two have become official and are pretty comfortably established in your relationship, he’ll post a photo of the two of you—probably one you took - with a simple caption like “Late night at Puspa Café with my favorite person 💚”

Everyone who knows him freaks out in the comments with variations of “omg hathie got an s/o???” and “wow he finally posted a normal pic of himself, y/n is a good influence” but he doesn’t reply to any of them lmao

If you use Instagram a lot, he’ll naturally become more active too because he enjoys learning more about what you like through your posts and stories

He likes all of your posts but never comments—if one of your posts interests him, he’d prefer to wait until he sees you later to ask you about it in person

He just wants an excuse to talk to you more

As he becomes more active, little bits and pieces of your relationship naturally infiltrate his feed

His latest book review post has your favorite mug in the background because the two of you had breakfast together

His informational story post of an antique Sumerian emerald he found at a street vendor is being modeled by your pretty hands because you were with him when he saw it and later given to you after the vendor insisted on Alhaitham gifting it to his “beautiful spouse”

He changes his profile picture to the two of you from one of your many reading dates, comfortably lounging on a loveseat in a quiet corner of the library—and this time, he’s softly smiling

Tighnari // @ t1ghnar1

Surprisingly active on social media

He thinks social media is a great way to share information about the importance of forest conservation and get people to appreciate the beauty of Avidya forest

Makes one post almost every day and multiple stories

Needless to say, 90% of his posts are of plants or small animals he finds on his hikes or while working

His most popular posts are those of cute squirrels and birds that are being nursed back to health after being found wounded—animals just seem to naturally love him so the pictures are usually taken by his coworkers because his arms are full with cuddly animals that refuse to move

The other 10% of his posts are from the occasional hang outs with friends or coworkers after work—snaps of iced fruit teas from Puspa café or colorful clay plates overflowing with Collei’s homemade pita pockets.

He makes sure to reply to or at least like every comment, particularly those from people asking questions about the plants he posts or how to become a forest ranger. Even simple “wow that's so cool” comments often get at least a “thanks, glad you liked it” from Tighnari

He tends to use some cute forest or food emoji when they fit with his posts. For example, 🍄,🥙,🦊,🐦, etc.

Also tends to use “:)” when replying to his followers because he knows it can be difficult to read tone in text-based communications

Tigh is basically a social media manager at this point oops

Because he is online so much, he naturally keeps up with almost everything his friends post and will like or comment on things he finds interesting

His pfp is a selfie of himself with a small yellow bird perched on his shoulder from one of his patrols

★ ★ in a relationship ★ ★

All Tighnaris written by me WILL follow the “fennec foxes mate for life” trope regardless of AU, it is an indisputable law of the universe

If you’re in a relationship with Tighnari, you should be prepared for stability and commitment in general

While he doesn’t go out of his way to make an official announcement post or anything like that, you become a regular feature on his page

Will tag you in anything you’re related to, unless you specifically ask him not to

t1ghnar1 [photo of a small, cream-colored fox brushing itself against Tighnari’s leg and looking up at the camera with large eyes]

t1ghnar1 On a walk with @ YN1229 this morning we spotted this cute little kit without her mom. 🦊 While adorable, foxes - even kits - are wild animals and should never be approached unless by professionals. We have informed the local animal control where she will be taken care of until we can locate her family. Photo by @ YN1229

He never outright announces you as his lover but he seems to spend so much time with you and refer to you so casually that his followers who don’t know him just assume you’re his spouse LOL

He doesn’t bother to correct them either :,)

bennie_boy Wow, that mountain is so high up - wasn’t ur spouse scared to go up there?

t1ghnar1 @ bennie_boy Y/n has been on so many trips like this with me that they’re pretty used to it. :)

Likes your posts as he see them on his feed and occasionally leaves a short comment like, “beautiful <3”

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin imagine #genshin scenario #genshin hcs #tighnari x reader #scaramouch x reader #wanderer x reader #kunikuzushi x reader #xiao x reader #childe x reader #ajax x reader #tartaglia x reader #kaveh x reader #alhaitham x reader #zhongli x reader #sm au #genshin sm au

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runningfrom2am · 8 months

Text

cold nights // part twelve

summary: may the odds be ever in your favour.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.9k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, r is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n: i can't believe we made it to the end of s1! i am so, so excited to move on to the next era of this story! this is a reminder if you love this series and you haven't already please reblog this or the masterlist! it makes such a big big difference for me and my fellow writers know it all too well lol.

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist

Coriolanus wakes up, head on the open pages of Romeo and Juliet as people start to flood in, everyone anxious about what would happen to you.

He rubs the sleep out of his eyes, quickly casting his view to the screen ahead, camera view still locked on you. There was no one else for it to be tracking, after all. Except now, you were on Lamina's beam, lying down with your eyes closed. He wasn't sure if you were awake, or when you had even made your way down into the clearing, but you don't move. He can see the steady rise and fall of your chest as you lay with his scarf bunched up behind your head. Tigris was right, you had survived, but you wouldn't have without him. You looked peaceful- not at all like the girl he had seen crumbling apart on the same screen just a few hours prior.

"I feel as though I should inform you, they'll be going in very soon." Highbottom says, grabbing the boy's attention. "But I'd put my money on those boys being dead in there. Congratulations, Coriolanus. This means almost nothing for you."

He walks away before Coryo is even done processing what he had said. He wouldn't get the prize, most likely, but he would still have you.

You don't stir until you hear the peacekeepers entering the arena, sitting up and seeing them with guns pointed in your direction. "Don't move." One of them spits at you and you nod, eyes wide as you raise your hands. You watch as a designated team in different uniforms make their way up to enter the vents, and others spray something over the piles of snakes, stilling those that were still showing any signs of life.

"Is it over?" You ask, confused.

"Not until we can confirm you are the only remaining tribute." One of them answers and you nod, chewing on your lip as you watch the men disappear into the vents.

"Okay... Thank you."

You know what they would find in there, the bodies of the two boys trapped behind your salt line. You could tell them where the boys would be found, but then you'd be outing yourself. You had only confessed to Coryo. Only he could know. Last night, you didn't care. You have to assume he was the only one who witnessed your breakdown, your confession, because if anyone else had, you'd likely be dead by now. You have to hope your secret is safe with him if you want to go home.

The morning drags on forever as you sit there with guns pointed at you from the ground, and Coryo is pacing in the hall. There were many people around, excited to see if you would be crowned as the victor. People were rooting for you, and he was proud of that, but support didn't mean that you were promised a win.

Vipsania and Domitia were the only other two remaining mentors, whispering to each other across the room after they came back. It was eerily silent.

Then, one of the men emerges from the vent, turning all heads including yours as he just nods toward the peacekeepers watching you.

"Alright. Come on down." The same peacekeeper addresses you and you nod, a tear falling down your cheek.

"She did it." Coryo whispers to himself, realization forcing a grin onto his face.

Lucky laughs, clapping his hands together. "She's won! Y/N Y/L/N from District Twelve!" He calls out, making his way over to Coriolanus. "Coriolanus Snow is the Victor of the Tenth Annual Hunger Games!"

Coryo laughs in shock, smiling as the man pats his shoulder. He catches in the corner of his eye as his two classmates storm out, and he's quickly crowded with congratulations and praise.

"I won?" You ask quietly, feet landing on the ground again.

"Yes, they were found." He nods, and quickly your arms are being grabbed as you're led out of the arena.

"Do you know, did Coriolanus get his prize?" You ask them, but your question is ignored as you walk down the hall toward the exit, looking back over your shoulder as the gate is closed behind you.

Just outside the gates, you don't get much of a taste of freedom before you're being pushed into the back of the same truck. Empty. Bigger. Lonely.

"Empty your pockets." The peacekeeper tells you, standing at the entrance.

You do so hesitantly, holding up the compact on a shaky palm. "I'm sorry to ask, but can I have some water? Please?" You ask, once again ignored as the compact is pulled from your hand. "Please, sir, that was a gift... If you must take it can you return it to my mentor? Coriolanus Snow?"

He opens the cold metal, pulling out the piece of paper and unfolds it, quickly scanning it's contents. "That is for him, too. Though, if I had the chance now I would change it." You explain. You knew you both would be in deep trouble if you were caught for what you convinced yourself was no more than salt, and clarity came to you enough to lie about what the compact had contained all this time.

The peacekeeper hums, closing it up again and shoving both items into his own pocket, pointing the gun at you again. "Clothes off."

"Ex-excuse me?" You reply, taken aback by the request.

"Clothes off. Now." He repeats and you nod, swallowing the lump in your dry throat as you begin to slide off your dress, letting it fall at your feet. He moves the gun again, gesturing for you to continue. With trembling hands you remove your underthings, your shoes, and the scarf, placing them on the floor in front of you. He quickly gathers them, taking a step back and nodding to someone outside.

He moves out of the way and you stand there confused, watching as he shakes out your clothes and searches them, when suddenly you're being sprayed down with a hose. You yelp from the fast contact of the cold water pelting against your skin, but it wakes you up. After the initial shock, it actually feels good to be somewhat clean again.

You pant as the water is shut off, catching your breath and rubbing your arms to try and warm yourself again. Your clothes are tossed back into the truck at you before the door is slammed, and you use the scarf to try and dry yourself off a little bit before tying it around yourself the same way Coryo had. By the time you pull the second strap of your dress back on, the truck is moving and you're lurching forward.

You're driving for a while before the door is opened again, and you're relieved to get some fresh air. It was cold in there, and you were shivering in your small dress that was now also damp from your skin.

Once the doors open you're staring down the barrels of more guns as the peacekeepers usher you out and into the train station, right where you were let off all those days ago. Days... or weeks? You don't even know anymore.

"Lay off, why don't you? She's been through enough." A man in a black suit comes into your view, and they drop their weapons and let you go.

He steps in front of you and you wrap your arms around yourself to try and warm up. "Thank you, Sir." You smile, nodding at him politely.

"Nothing to thank me for..." He sighs. "I'm Dean Highbottom from the academy, it's a pleasure to meet you. Congratulations on your victory." Surprisingly to you, he doesn't seem inconvenienced. Someone other than Coryo and Sejanus seemed to be willing to talk to you, to treat you like a human again. When he congratulates you, he sounds sad.

"Thank you, Sir." You nod again. "Do I... Will I be going home now?"

"Yes. In just a few minutes." He nods, gesturing for you to follow him toward the train. "I am extremely familiar with your mentor, Coriolanus Snow." He tells you as you join his side.

"Oh, wonderful!" You force a smile. "I have some things for him, just a note and something he leant to me. I gave them to that man over there. Would you mind making sure they make it back to him?" You point out the peacekeeper as you follow him toward the train.

"I'll see to it that he gets it back, yes." Dean Highbottom nods with a slight roll of his eyes, stopping next to the stairs that would lead you onto the passenger train. "But... if I may offer you some advice?"

"Please." You nod, urging him on.

"Be grateful you survived him."

You want to ask what he means, but the anger you saw behind your friend's eyes that night in the arena would haunt you and you knew that. Surely, that's what the Dean is talking about.

"Yes." You agree, unsure what else to say when he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a stack of cash.

"Take this, your prize, I suppose." He hands it over to you. It must be hundreds of dollars. Maybe over a thousand. With this, you could do so much for your family. "Oh, and Miss Y/L/N... You wouldn't happen to know anything about the rat poison that was in that compact, would you?"

You tense up, tilting your head at him with a confused smile. "Poison? No... All I had put inside was salt." You reply. "Sejanus Plinth gave it to me, with food from his Ma. Salt is good for protection, you know, so I kept it for later. Keeps you safe from evil and harm." You ramble on, panic and shock in your tone. Sejanus had given you salt to put on some vegetables and sandwiches he brought you, but now that you're trying to piece the story together, you don't remember even opening the compact until you were in that vent. Coryo had told you not to open it, so you wouldn't have. Your own memory is confusing you.

"I've heard that." He nods, eyeing you skeptically.

The train horn makes you jump before you can even thank him.

"Go on, now." He urges you onto the train, deciding to let slide however you had came across the rat poison. Clearly, you didn't know what you had done. Or you were convincing yourself you didn't remember. "Enjoy your freedom."

You nod and step up onto the stairs. You were hoping you would get to see Coryo again, it disappointed you that you never would. Maybe it was a good thing you wrote your goodbye note, even if you had survived. "I give you, upon my knees, a thousand thanks." You smile to the man still standing on the ground below you who just nods in acknowledgment before you close the door behind yourself, Coryo's scarf still wrapped around your waist.

"Y/N?" Coryo calls out, walking into the high biology lab. He was told you had something for him, no doubt the scarf and the compact.

"She's gone." Dean Highbottom cuts in, just before Coryo spots him in the poorly lit room.

"I was told-"

"I know what you were told. Here." The Dean tells him, pointing to the metal compact on the table.

Coryo looks at it only briefly before returning his gaze to the man who offered it to him. "Where is she?"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Coriolanus. Your work is done." He explains vaguely. "Were you aware that she cheated?"

"Cheated?" Coryo asks. "How?" He feigns ignorance.

"The boys in the vents didn't die from snake venom, or violently, or, naturally- for that matter." The Dean tsk's. "It was rat poison. Which, before you argue with me, cannot be found inside the arena or even within reach of the monkey cage at the zoo. I checked. So be honest, you have no idea how she got her hands on such a substance?"

"No, I don't." Coryo lies. "But she did what she could to survive- don't take it out on her because she somehow cheated your games. Next year give them uniforms, or up security or something."

"Just thought I'd ask. She told me she got it from Plinth." He waves him off, and Coryo ticks his head in slight confusion.

"Sejanus? No, he-"

"She really... declined, in there." Highbottom cuts him off, making it evident that he at least believed that Sejanus wouldn't do such a thing. "Told me it was only salt. Genuinely, it seemed like she didn't know. Or, she forced herself to forget. A sweet girl like that, it doesn't surprise me that that's how she would rationalize her actions."

"Is she alive? Because if you killed her for that I-"

"You'll what, Mister Snow? I thought you said you just wanted the prize."

"She deserved better." He states simply, swallowing the anxiety building in his throat.

"She does. I agree." Highbottom nods. "Which is why you won't see her again."

Coryo furrows his brow. "I... I don't understand how that could be relevant."

"Oh, I know you do, Mister Snow." His superior replies, a condescending edge to his words.

Coryo snatches the compact off of the table and quickly pockets it, storming out of the room. At least he hadn't been caught for helping you cheat, though he was sure Highbottom knew better. Now, he didn't have the Plinth Prize, and he didn't have you.

When he finally got home, he couldn't help but slam the door behind himself.

"Coryo?" Tigris calls out, excited as she puts down the project she was working on and rushes to the entranceway to meet him. "I didn't expect you home so soon! Did you get to see Y/N?" Her smile fades when she sees his expression. "What's wrong?"

"They wouldn't let me see her. She's already gone." He explains, pulling off his blazer.

"Oh..." Tigris frowns, taking the blazer from him to hang it up. "I know you really wanted to say goodbye. I'm so sorry."

"She'll never forgive me." He shakes his head slightly. "If she's even still alive! I doubt they would tell me!" He laughs, bringing his hands up to rub his eyes with his palms.

"They wouldn't kill her, Coryo. People loved her too much." She is quickly reassuring, reaching out to rub his shoulders. "You did nothing wrong... You did all you could for her. She'll forgive you."

"Not that." He mutters. "It's what I told you. You didn't see the way she looked at me, Tigris. Like... Like I was a monster."

"She was already scared. She was way out of her element. I think now, that she's safe, she'll find the space to see it reasonably." She tries to soothe his worries as best she can. "You're a good friend to her, and she's a kind person. She'll understand."

"But I'll never know for sure that she does."

"You might one day... Don't beat yourself up about it, and don't give up on her."

After a long, two-day journey curled up on a bench on the train, you recognize the building the train is stopping at. Suddenly, all your energy is returned to you as it slows to a stop, and you're already waiting at the door. You hear the latch unlock and you couldn't get off fast enough.

No one you knew were there, not that you expected any kind of greeting party. You inhale the fresh air, once again surrounded by the trees and your own people. You walk out of the train station and down the street, in the general direction of your home. You tried waving at a few folks you knew on the way, but people just stared, for the most part, jaws slack with surprise. They had already grieved your death. Sometimes you were met with a sad smile, but no one wanted to speak to you. You understood. You were used to that after your time in the Capitol.

"Y/N Y/L/N, is that you?" An excited voice called after you resigned yourself to a quiet walk home, twenty minutes from the bustle of the train station. You turn your head to look up at the back entrance to the Hob, a wide smile taking over your face when you see the speaker.

Your friend is already barrelling toward you, throwing her arms around you as your eyes fill with happy tears. It was refreshing. "I never thought I'd see you again..." You sniff, resting your chin on her shoulder as you hug her back.

Rhythmically, your best friend sways you back and forth. "Oh, I know, I know, sweetheart..." She hums, rubbing your back reassuringly. You can hear her voice crack too. "But you're home now. You're okay..."

She lets you break down as she practically holds you up as you cry in each other's arms. From happiness or trauma, you're not sure. "I did some awful things, I regret it all..."

"Don't regret a thing." She shushes you. "You did what you had to."

"No, no... You don't know... You didn't see..."

"I watched, Hun. When I could." She pulls away, placing her hands on your cheeks to wipe your tears. "You did nothing wrong. All that matters is that you're home now."

You sniff again with a slight nod. "I fear too early, for my mind misgives; Some consequence, yet hanging in the stars, shall bitterly begin."

"No... Y/N/N. You're safe here. You are forgiven." She assures you, rubbing your arms. "Now, let's get you home. A good rest will do you well, your parents have been waitin' on you." She waits for you to nod before stepping to your side, guiding you in the right direction with an arm around your waist.

"Thank you, Lucy Gray." You mumble, allowing yourself to lean into her hold.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl , @dreamyysouls , @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie , @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @scorpiolystoned , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore

okay suddenly tumblr isn't letting me tag more people than this so i just made some cuts unfortunately :') i just left the max amount of people i could whose users i recognized and see in my notifs all the time :) if you're not on here and you should be i'm so sorry!

also this taglist is closed now!! if you’d like to get a notification when i update, turn on my post notifications!! i promise i won’t spam y'all :,)

#tbosas #the ballad of songbirds and snakes #tbosas fanfiction #tbosas x reader #tbosas fic #hunger games #thg series #thg #thg fanfiction #the hunger games #coriolanus snow #coriolanus snow x reader #coriolanus x reader #coriolanus x you #coriolanus fanfiction #coryo snow #coryo x reader #snow x reader #snow lands on top

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rueclfer · 2 months

Note

I sprinted to my macbook when I saw that you are closing your SMAU requests, so I'm sorry If I'm being greedy, but your SMAUs are so much fun and heartwarming, I request these: 1) fake dating, pre-relationship, they have real feelings for you and cannot keep this shut up anymore and confess to you 2) you dating an asshole and them messaging you trying to convince you to go out with them after the asshole hurts you again 3) they write a confession to you to vent but mistakingly hit send to you I'M SORRY IF IT'S TOO MUCH PLEASE UNDERSTAND AAAAAH THANK YOU IN ADVANCE Kiri is my favorite, so could you please include him, when you feel like filling the requests out? THANK YOU

last one baybee!! (doing #1 btw everyone if u havent seen the other prompts u can find it under the kirishimaxreader tag on my account) special thank u to this anon bc these were so fun!!

fake dating // eijiro kirishima

#mha #bnha #boku no hero academia #my hero academia #bnha x reader #mha x reader #mha smau #kirishima smau #kirishima x reader #kirishimaxreader #kirishima ejirou #eijiro kirishima #ejiro kirishima #mha kirishima

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viiiiiiiiiin · 7 months

Note

Okay so can I request zero overhearing that his crushes favorite color is green (bonus it if they describe a shade that’s close to his hair )

50 Shades of Green: Zoro x Reader

Includes: Roronoa Zoro , GN Reader

A / N: I assumed you meant Zoro lol. This is such a cute idea for a scenario ! I Hope you enjoy <3. I hope this is up to your standards !! Feel free to tell me in my AMA if you want me to redo this <33

It was a bright day , a day of relaxation. Everyone on the Sunny took this opportunity to take a break and enjoy themselves. Rather it be playing tag on the deck , listening to Brook play some beautiful tunes , or even just reading / tending to the garden. Everyone was being themselves and having fun. It was quite the break from the massive battles they've had recently.

You sat next to Nami , who was tending to her tangerines. Behind you , Robin sat reading her book. You and Nami had been chatting happily for what felt like hours. Robin , though she was reading , listened and observed everything to two of you were saying. She was ever observant , even if she was on break.

"Hey , I'll be back. I'm gonna go see if Sanji would mind making me something to drink." You said , excusing yourself from the 2 women. They nodded and waved to you as your form retreated from their vision.

As you jumped down to the kitchen , you noticed the two who normally fight . . . Well , fighting. The blonde haired cook seemed to be enraged about something while the moss headed swordsman just sarcastically commented back and basically brushed off the cook's complaints.

That swordsman. The very one that lacks a sense of direction in a literal and figurative sense. You felt your heart flutter as your eyes trailed to him. You shook your head and brushed pass them to get into the kitchen.

Though you didn't know it , Zoro's eyes followed you as the door shut behind your body. You walked over to the fridge and stared at all of your selections. As you sighed and closed the fridge , the door to the kitchen reopened. You glanced over to see who was coming in and noticed the cook. Sanji had apparently stopped arguing with Zoro and came to attend to your needs.

"What would you like , Reader ?" He asked with a smile on his face. Even if it was near dinner time , it was clear he didn't mind tending to his crewmates' needs. You smiled back at him and leaned against the counter.

"Are you able to make a drink for me ? I'm not sure exactly what I want yet. Or maybe a snack , if that's not too much to ask for." You trailed off as your mind trailed back to its thoughts.

"Of course. How about a vol - au - vent ?" He asked as he he began to take out the pastry from a sealed container. "I made some earlier for Nami and Robin , but they told me they weren't hungry." He shrugged and placed it on the counter for you.

"Thank you , Sanji." You bowed your head lightly and took one of the treats from the tray. You resealed the container and walked out of the kitchen.

Somewhere in the time that you had been inside , your ship had landed on an island. You looked at the gorgeous tree filled island in awe. It was lush with fresh vegetation and had many beautiful flowers. You've seen many different islands in the New World , but this had to be one of the nicer ones.

"Alright. I want Chopper , Usopp , and . . sadly . . . Luffy . . To go into town. Robin , I'd like you to go with them. We need you 4 to pick up some herbs for me and Chopper. Sanji , I want you and Brook to go stock up on food supplies. And Franky , you go get materials to repair the ship and for whatever else." Nami directed , pointing those people in the directions they were supposed to go. As she spoke , the groups filed out so they could get their job done as quickly as possible. It was hard to tell if it was because they wanted to go back to the sea or if they didn't wanna see Nami angry. Most likely the latter , you thought.

"What about me and Zoro ?" You questioned as you took a final bite of the tasty hollow treat Sanji had made. "I want you 2 to watch the ship. I'm going onto the island to chart it." She responded , picking up some paper and pens. Before either of you could say anything , she walked off of the ship.

You stood there , staring at the place the ginger once was. You blinked and turned your attention to Zoro , who seemed to be in the same boat as you. You wouldn't admit it , but you were happy to be alone with him.

You stood there , collecting your thoughts. While you stood like a statue , the Swordsman went off to work out. You shook your head violently and whipped your head around to find him. There he was , in all his muscular glory , at the end of the ship with a comically large weight in his hands. He had his coat discarded and he was thrusting the weight forwards and back onto his shoulder in a slicing like motion.

You couldn't help but stare. Everything about how he just so calmly lifted what you assumed to be over 400ibs surprised you. Instead of staring , you decided to go into the crows nest to keep a lookout for any enemies or your crewmates.

---

A few hours had passed by without either of you speaking to one another. The ship was in a comfortable silence , engulfing the both of you as you did separate things. You were bored sitting by yourself , if you were being honest. You were often fidgety and lost in thought instead of looking out. Of course , observation haki helped out with sensing living things but you didn't use it often.

Just as you were about to take a nap , you noticed a bag bobbing around the Sunny. You narrowed your eyes to see who it was and didn't see anyone. That was until you saw Luffy and Robin. You assumed it was either Chopper or Usopp. You smiled softly and walked down from your previous place.

You watched as the lump ran up to you. "Reader ! I got you something ! I thought it was your favorite color." The little reindeer doctor said excitedly as he ran up to you. He handed you a bag that was pink. Not your favorite color , but you liked his thought.

"I appreciate your gesture , Chopper. My favorite color isn't pink , though." You responded , putting the bag on your right side. You could definitely put your weapons and stuff in it. "Oh ! What's your favorite color then ?" He tilted his head with an adorable look on his face.

"Green , actually. I'd say a minty - moss green ? It's just really nice , in my opinion." You explained with a smile on your [shape] face. You heard a noise of surprise behind you and you turned. You didn't expect to have your [color] colored eyes meet with one brown one. Your face lit up.

"Greenisaprettycolorididntmeanitlikethat !" You sputtered out , hiding your face from his confusing stare. You couldn't tell if he was mad at you , if you were being honest.

"Green is a nice color , isn't it ?" Zoro mocked , laughing heartily. You were EXTREMELY embarrassed. Though , you didn't notice the red on his cheeks as well.

Chopper and Usopp laughed at your misery. They were even on the floor , about dying at that point. "I just didn't expect you to be into that color of green." He shrugged and smiled smugly at you. He turned and walked away from the 3 of you , cheeks reddening further.

Though you didn't know it , your words stuck in his head. It repeated like a broken record. He didn't understand why , but he liked the thought of it. Maybe his feelings for you grew , but he didn't know that. Maybe he should talk to Robin or Chopper about it. For now , he would sit and think about you. Even at night.

#one piece #op #reader insert #x reader #gender neutral reader #gender neutral y/n #one piece x you #fluff #one piece strawhats #straw hat pirates #roronoa zoro x reader #one piece zoro #zoro x reader #roronoa zoro #zoro #headcanon #scenarios #vixenwrites #pirate hunter zoro

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cutely-inserts-my-opinion · 22 days

Text

Everything I've seen is pretty laughable, im gonna be honest

Welcome to the biased (its a lie im supporting everyone there's no bias) tsams/tsbs confession blog! Don't worry, I post everyone's asks (that don't break the rules), but I'll aggressively agree to opinions I agree with, and possibly rant about this along with you if you wish.

You can call me just the mod, or Moon. Either works.

We of course do have some rules here, PLEASE READ ALL OF THEM and please follow them:

No aphobia, albeism, homophobia, racism, etc. God why do I even have to say this anymore? I know some of these can be a thin line, so I'll be the final judge if it crosses the line. (Please dont call characters sociopaths/psychopaths just because you don't like them)

Please don't argue in the reblogs or comments please. You may politely debate, but please do not fight

DONT HARASS ANYONE! God that should go without saying

No talking about drama. No talking about the Solarnexus drama, or the harassment. This is supposed to be a more positive blog, and while you can talk about fictional characters negatively, you can't tall about real people.

No mentioning or vagueing about people for negative reasons. Yes, that includes the other biased confession blog.

However, you can mention/vague about people for positive reasons! You're allowed to rant about blogs, stories, aus, etc. You like! (Please tell me if you want me to tag the person or not when you mention them!)

This blog is meant to be more positive, but you are allowed to rant about negative things, I get needed to vent frustration out. Just please do it in moderation. Again, this is meant to be a more positively leaning confession blog

You can talk about aus, fics, ships, blogs, art, characters, etc.!! Please, tell me your favorite ships and your headcanons for them! Recommend fics (though you need to say the rating so I can know if it's explicit or not!)!! Tell me about your favorite blogs! I love the positivity

Sigh. Yes, you can be horny on here. Yes, you can cuss. Please dont take it too far though, I dont need to get banned good lord.

You can post Tsams, laes, eaps, and masm confessions on here! And other tsbs confessions ig- I dont know much about the other shows though

I'm allowed to not post any post I'm uncomfortable with or feel breaks the rules.

Enjoy confessing!!!

#Cw cursing #Confession blog #Tsams #The sun and Moon show #Im Biased Confessions #<-- block if you don't want to see these #Not a confession

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part-time-zombie · 3 months

Text

Does It Matter?

pairings: logince (platonic, can be read as romantic)

summary: it had become normal to logan and roman to argue. this time though, roman took it too far and logan took it to heart. now he's not leaving his room and roman looks for a way to make things right.

tags/warnings: hurt/comfort, so much angst, logan is really not doing alright yall, dont worry roman wants to help, self isolation, depression, brief suicide ideation, basically a vent fic, patton and virgil are there for a little bit, angst with a hopeful ending

word count: 6519

Logan didn’t really feel like talking anymore. Well, he wanted to, he really did. He would give anything to engage with any of the other sides like he used to, but he knew why it wasn’t going to work out for him. He tried many times to include himself with them in the same lighthearted way that he used to when everything was so much simpler, but nothing worked.

They never listened to him.

Everything Logan said went unheard, completely disregarded in favor of what the others had to say every time. He felt he should be used to it by now, it shouldn’t bother him anymore. It had been going on for years with nothing changing or improving at all, and Logan wished he could have just gone numb to the experience. He wished it didn’t upset him, but it did.

He just wanted to be heard, to be seen. If not by Thomas, then by someone. By anyone.

As much as he wanted that, he knew he’d never have it. Every interaction he had with the other sides only worked to further prove that fact, as lately he could hardly get a single word in before someone else interrupted and ignored him.

It was exhausting and frustrating, and Logan couldn’t take much more of it. He didn’t see the point in continuing to involve himself with them if he was just going to be let down every time.

And yet he still continued all the same. After all, what would he be without his work?

If only the others could see that. If only Roman would.

Logan had… complicated opinions about Roman. He valued his work highly, and respected his contributions just as greatly as he did any other side, but there was something else there that made things different, more confusing. Maybe it was the flamboyant yet charming demeanor Roman held about himself, or the way he always managed to bring a lightness and ease to any conversation. It might have been how self-absorbed and selfish he could be, the way his arrogance and dogmatic pursuit for the spotlight blinded him to the wants and needs of everyone else. There were a lot of things that made Roman so difficult to understand, but Logan did like to think that he was getting along with him at least somewhat better, every now and then.

He just wished Roman would accept his usefulness and recognize that were it not for Logan directing and guiding his whimsical ideals, nothing in Thomas’ life would work out. If they could just see eye to eye on something, maybe they wouldn’t argue so often.

They did manage to work together on occasion, despite their many differences and disagreements. Thomas had actually said that the two of them were a good team once, some time ago. Logan was tempted to agree about that.

Maybe not right now, though. This time, things had gotten out of hand.

He and Roman had been pulled into another discussion about planning and video ideas. It was a topic they had debated many times now, with Roman rambling on about all kinds of fantastical and whimsical concepts that Logan always tried to organize and schedule in a way that would be most effective and efficient. They rarely reached a consensus on this topic, and it didn’t look like they would find any agreement today either, not with how they were arguing.

The tension only increased, leaving no room for Logan to say a single word. Yet again Roman refused to listen to him, only this time he wouldn’t even let him talk at all. Accusations and insults were constantly being thrown and Logan was struggling to get Roman to pay attention to what he was saying. He could feel his chest grow tight as an unpleasant pressure threatened to spill out at any second. Why wouldn’t he just listen?

Logan tried again to talk and make his point. “If you would please just- “

"No one cares, Logan!” Roman shouted. “Stop making this about you, it doesn’t matter!”

The words washed over him like ice. “No one cares”. Not about his work, not about his role, and certainly not about him. He had suspected as such for a while now, but to hear Roman say it, to have audible proof confirming what he had always dreaded, it made his stomach turn.

Roman kept talking, throwing a few more insulting nicknames and rants his way, but Logan wasn’t registering any of them. He didn’t care, none of them did. He didn’t matter to them.

Logan felt his chest tighten, his vision growing hazy. He could practically feel his blood rushing red-hot through his veins. He was burning and drowning all at once, desperate for Roman to understand the impact of what he had just said.

He wanted to scream until his voice went hoarse from the abuse. He wanted to grab Roman by his sash and shout everything that he had held back for so long, to finally force his frustrations down his throat until he choked on the realization of what he was feeling.

He wouldn’t, though. No matter how much Logan wished it, nothing would make him understand. Roman would never sympathize or say that he was sorry. After all, he didn’t care.

Watering a plastic plant would yield better results.

That realization forced a hollow laugh out of him. Going by the look on Roman's face, he was just as surprised about this as Logan was. The situation was definitely not funny.

And yet, it was.

“…You good, Logan?”

If he could think past the haze in his head, Logan might have answered Roman. It was hard to focus on how he was feeling, or even if he was feeling, but even then, why would Roman care?

“It doesn’t matter.”

Logan quickly sank out, not bothering to continue their conversation. He didn’t care anyway.

Logan shut down completely after that incident, and he had stopped talking to everyone. In fact, he stopped showing up in general. It had been several days if not a week, and he still hadn’t done so much as leave his room. It didn’t matter how much Thomas or any of the sides tried to summon him, he refused to appear for anything. It’s not like Thomas needed him around every moment of the day. Then again, Logan hardly felt like he was needed at all lately.

Besides, unlike when Virgil ducked out, Logan's functions would continue to impact and influence Thomas regardless of whether or not he involved himself. He didn’t have to show up at all now. He wasn’t needed, and he certainly wasn’t wanted. Not by Thomas, not by anyone.

A distant part of him hoped they would come looking for him, that they would all follow him to his room and ask him to come back just like they did when Virgil had ducked out. It was selfish, cruelly so, but he still wished that he meant enough for them to miss him.

They didn’t.

After weeks of hiding away in his room without a word, Logan was starting to get used to the isolation. It was almost comforting, in a strange way. He no longer had to endure the constant arguing and insults, the endless slew of problems and crises that never wanted to be solved. He could focus on his scheduling and his projects without interruption.

As nice as it was, Logan couldn’t help but somewhat miss the noise. He didn’t want to admit it, but he secretly enjoyed the movie nights and the banter, even some of the puns and songs. He missed the sound of laughter, even if it was directed at him most of the time.

But it didn’t matter. If they didn’t want him around then he would just live with the memory of the time he had with them, back when they were all still a family.

Virgil was getting worried. He usually worried about everything, but this was different. He hadn’t seen Logan in weeks, neither had any of the other sides or even Thomas. Normally he’d get it, sometimes people just needed some alone time. Hell, Virgil understood that very well, but the problem was that Logan had never expressed a need to be left alone before. As long as Virgil had known him, Logan had always been on top of things. He was always so self-assured and confident about everything, and even if something got to him, he always bounced back quickly. For him to duck out for so long without warning or explanation was definitely note-worthy in Virgil's book.

That was why, despite Patton asking him to respect Logan's privacy and Roman's insistence on leaving him alone, Virgil still bit back his nervousness and knocked on the logical sides door.

He didn’t hear anything, and part of him kind of saw that coming. That part of Virgil was currently freaking out while the rest of him was trying to figure out what to do.

"Logan? You there?”

No response.

Virgil ignored the shake in his hands and the tightness on his chest as he tried to continue.

“Look, I get that you probably want to be alone right now, and believe me, I’ve been there, but you’ve been gone for a while now and I’m kind of starting to get worried.”

He laughed to himself, despite the fear that was starting to choke him from the inside out. “I know, what else is new. I’m sure I’m probably overthinking this, but I just want to make sure you’re doing okay. I haven’t seen you in a while now, and I just wanted to check in on you.”

It could have just been Virgil's imagination, but he swore he heard a muffled something from behind the door. He couldn’t make out exactly what it was, but he took it as a sign enough that he was welcome to keep talking.

“Look, I know I’m not really good with this kind of thing, but I do want you to know that I miss having you around. I really like hanging out with you, and I get that you probably don’t want to talk to me or anyone, but I just hope you can come back downstairs and join us for a movie night soon.”

Virgil waited another moment, praying that he’d hear something or that Logan would open the door and talk to him again, even if it was just to tell him that he was overthinking and to stop worrying about nothing. As long as it meant Logan was talking to him.

He didn’t hear anything, especially not Logan's voice.

Virgil sighed to himself, letting his worry turn into despair. “Alright, I guess I’ll leave you alone now. It’s just- I miss you, y’know? You can always talk to me if you need to, okay? I promise, I’ll listen. I will. I just don’t want you feeling like you’re alone.”

After allowing himself one final second of pause on the off chance that Logan might still say something, he finally turned to leave, the silence behind him deafening.

Patton didn’t like to admit it when things were getting bad. If something was wrong, then it meant that he or someone else was struggling and Thomas might be hurting as a result.

He knew that it never happened on purpose. No one went out of their way to hurt Thomas, especially not by letting themselves suffer in the process. Still, knowing that someone was hurting and that they couldn’t or wouldn’t talk about it always bothered him. He had been working hard to stop hiding his own sad feelings, and he wanted everyone else to know that they ought to do the same. Patton had gotten used to the others coming to him when they needed to; he made it clear to everyone that his room and arms were always open if someone needed comfort or support.

By now he had had his share of Roman mourning lost opportunities or ranting about imperfect ideas, and of Virgil working himself up over a small misunderstanding until he needed to calm down with a supportive dad hug, even if he said he thought they were embarrassing.

In all his years, however, Logan had never gone to him.

It made a bit of sense; Logan was always so cool and collected. There was nothing Patton felt he couldn’t figure out, but that didn’t mean he was incapable of seeking out comfort every now and then. Even if the others didn’t see it, Patton could tell when something was weighing on him. It was subtle, but he saw it in the way his shoulders sagged how his voice lacked any enthusiasm.

Whatever had been bothering Logan, it had been going on for quite a while now, and Patton tried over and over again to cheer him up. He’d tell his funniest jokes, put on Logan's favorite shows, and give out reminders that he would always be there for everyone, and that he would listen if anyone needed to talk about something.

Logan never took the hint. He would insist he was fine, or tell Patton not to assume things, but it always ended with him refusing to admit he wasn’t doing well.

Now he had been cooped up in his room for weeks, and Patton didn’t want to admit it, but it was officially a problem to be handled.

At first he was willing to give Logan his space and let him take some time to be alone for a little while. He knew that the last thing he would have wanted was Patton's cheery, cheesy self smothering him with a whole bunch of mushy feelings Logan never liked dealing with.

After Virgil tried and failed to get through to him, though, Patton figured it had gotten bad enough for him to step in. So, with a plate of cookies in hand and a hopefully convincing smile on his face, Patton knocked gingerly on Logan's door.

And was only met with silence.

Patton paused, shifting slightly where he stood, before knocking again, this time louder.

“Hey, Logan! How’re you holding up?” he called, trying to keep his voice cheery.

No response.

“Um, okay, well I know you’re probably not feeling too good right now, but I was hoping I could cheer you up a little bit! I brought some cookies, and if you wanted we could just, I don’t know, hang out for a little bit. It could be just us two, if you like.”

Patton almost heard a slight shuffling from behind the door, and he pressured on.

“Listen, it’s okay if you’re feeling kinda bad right now. I’ve been there myself. It’s just, I hope you know that you can always come to me if you need to. You can talk to any of us about whatever’s bothering you, okay? We’re all here for you, and we’re all worrying about you, kiddo.”

This time he heard a much clearer noise in response. A cough, or some sort of dry chuckle, like someone who didn’t want to be caught laughing at an unfunny joke.

“Logan? You okay?”

Nothing, not even the same sound as before.

Patton tried not to let his voice betray the creeping grief and fear he was feeling. “Okay, well I guess I’ll just leave you alone for now, then. I’ll uh, I’ll leave the cookies out here by the door, just in case you might want them later. They might help you feel better.”

Patton set the tray down, ensuring no one would be able to trip on it accidentally before making his way back downstairs, wishing he knew how to help.

Logan felt awful. Actually, he hardly felt at all anymore, but what little he did still feel was far from enjoyable. He had stopped keeping track of how long he had been in his room, and the days were blending together as he rotted in his self-imposed prison.

He initially thought it would be good to take a break from the others, to spend some time alone and let them deal with their problems without him. After so much time in isolation, though, he started to become aware of this ache in his chest, sinking over his heart. Every day it got worse, and he worried that it would one day consume him entirely until there was nothing left but the pain.

Maybe that wouldn’t be a bad thing. After all, Thomas was functioning just fine without him, and the others didn’t seem to mind his absence all that much. Maybe it was for the best that he faded away in his room, letting himself be forgotten. He was sure that there would be less problems to manage without him constantly bringing up his pointless wants and needs.

So what if he wanted to help Thomas? So what if that was the only purpose he’s ever known? If no one else needed him there, if he didn’t matter as a side, then maybe he just shouldn’t try to help out anymore. No one appreciated his efforts, anyway.

Virgil was the first to check in on him. He sounded concerned, and for a moment Logan was almost touched. Almost. He didn’t know what was wrong, or what to do, and Logan felt himself burning at that fact. How could Virgil have no idea what happened? He had endured years of Roman's bullying before his attention shifted to Logan. If anyone would know how this felt, it ought to be him. He wanted to say just that, but that would mean admitting that he was more affected by it than he should be. It would show them all just how weak he really was.

Virgil left him alone after that, and Logan didn’t know if he was grateful or resentful for it.

Patton came shortly after. He was sympathetic, if not fully understanding, and tried to make an effort to comfort him. Logan was tempted to talk to him, or to open the door and finally let him see, but then Patton lied to him. He said they all cared about him, and that they would all listen to him. Logan couldn’t help but laugh. If either of those statements were ever true, he wouldn’t be hiding in his room right now. Sure, maybe Virgil would listen, or Patton might care, but to say that all of them thought he mattered? He couldn’t think of a more ridiculous claim.

After Patton gave up too, he stopped expecting anyone else to visit. Who else would care to?

If he were human, he’d probably be dead by now. It had been several weeks, probably over a month, and he hadn’t left his room or even spoken at all. He hadn’t bothered to eat or drink anything either, spending most of his days either sleeping or going over his older projects. He’d have certainly starved to death by this point, but it’s not like food really meant anything to him. He wasn’t real, sustenance was pretty much optional for him.

He couldn’t even die.

Well, he could, technically. He exists because Thomas decides he will. Logan's life is tied to him inextricably. If Thomas died, so would he. Or, if Thomas decided he didn’t want or need him as a side anymore, he would simply stop existing entirely.

Logic would still continue to function of course, that aspect was as constant and continuing as the passage of time. Logan merely existed as a face to the function. Thomas wanted to give himself a literal “Voice of Reason”, and as such created Logan as a representation of his own logic.

But what if Thomas didn't want that anymore? What if he decided, much like the others have by now, that Logan wasn't really important? All he'd have to do is decide Logan wasn't a side anymore and then poof! He'd no longer exist.

That thought should worry him. It should terrify him to think that his current absence could prompt Thomas to unmake him entirely, but instead he felt a calming wave of acceptance.

It didn’t matter if he was here or not, or if he really existed.

No one cared, no one would miss him.

Roman had never seen Logan as upset as he was that day. Sure, he had seen him stressed and frustrated before, but the pain he saw on his face was unlike anything he had ever thought the other side was even capable of experiencing. Logan had thrown a few rude comments and even lost his temper on occasion, but nothing like this. Logan had never reacted like that before, not to anything. He had been so hurt that he was now refusing to talk to anyone, not even leaving his room. Roman didn’t understand, they had always butted heads in the past and exchanged plenty of insults, so what had prompted such a strong response this time? What went wrong between them?

Everything had carried on like normal before it happened, despite Roman feeling rather worse for wear. He was desperate for a chance to prove himself as still worthy of his princely role and the urge to come up with a perfect idea was becoming overbearing. It seemed like every suggestion he brought up was being shut down by Logan all day, and the pressure was mounting.

That was when the argument exploded. It all became too much and he finally snapped at Logan, far too frustrated to focus on reasoning with him. He knew starting a fight when they’re both already at their wits end would only make things worse, but at that point all Roman wanted was for Logan to just cut him some slack. He relied on Logan's approval more than anyone’s; if his goals and dreams had any chance of coming to fruition then he needed logic to see some merit in what he had to offer. His opinion made the difference between a good idea and wishful thinking.

That fact meant everything to him, and in that moment it was the last thing on his mind. He just wanted to make something worthwhile again, and he needed Logan to hear him out. Hearing every one of his ideas get repeatedly shut down had struck a nerve, and he acted in anger when he should have tried to reason with him. Roman only meant to make him listen and those hurtful words had slipped out before he could think about it.

He was definitely thinking about it now.

Roman could hardly sleep. He hadn’t seen Logan at all after their fight, with him not even having left his room for months now. Roman wanted to knock on his door and talk things out, but the stubborn silence the others were met with earlier was evidence enough that Logan wasn’t interested in hearing him out at all.

The events of that day played out over and over in his head, hurting worse each time. He didn’t mean for it to go that far, but now Logan was hurt and he didn’t know how to make it better.

How could he apologize to Logan when he couldn’t even talk to him? Both Virgil and Patton had tried to check in on him, but to no avail. Logan had stopped talking to all of them.

He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t a little bit pleased at first. Without Logan shutting down every idea he came up with, it was a lot easier for Roman's suggestions to be considered. Of course, Logan had been there for a reason. Now that he wasn’t here to keep everyone else on track, plans were becoming near impossible and arguments came up more frequently.

Honestly, life without Logan was a nightmare. One that Roman was eager to wake up from.

Now he stood outside of Logan's door, building up the courage to knock.

He had been up all night trying to come up with the perfect way to apologize. Flowers, speeches, groveling, gifts, even a whole performance that somehow managed to include all of the above. As extravagant and theatrical as his plans were, none of them felt authentic enough. They were all performative and grand, but he doubted they would come off as genuine.

He needed to speak from the heart, first and foremost. Whatever he says, it has to be real.

He only hoped Logan would be willing to listen to whatever he ended up saying.

Roman took a deep breath and knocked lightly on the door, waiting patiently for a response that he already knew he wouldn’t receive.

Sure enough, all that answered was silence.

Roman knocked again, this time louder. “Logan? It’s me. Can we talk? Please?”

Still nothing.

“Look, I know I upset you, and I swear I didn’t mean to, but I just wanted to talk about what happened. I wanted to make sure you’re okay, and to let you know that I’m sorry. Can you please just open the door so I can see you? I want to apologize, and I want to do it the right way. I want to make this right between us. I just need to see how you’re doing. I’m worried about you, we all are.”

Silence followed again and Roman was almost ready to admit defeat, until he heard the sudden and swift click of the door unlocking.

He grasped the door handle, turning it gently as the door opened for him. Not willing to let this opportunity get away from him, he quickly entered the room.

Only to stop dead in his tracks once he crossed the threshold.

Logan's room was completely desolated. The walls had completely lost their rich blue color and were now faded to a dull grey, the only thing breaking up the blank expanse being a myriad of cracks and chips in the paint. Dust covered every surface, and scraps of paper lay scattered like apathetic autumn leaves. Logan's bed was disheveled and unkempt, and clothes were haphazardly strewn about the room in a horrendously uncharacteristic manner. What little light the room still had in it was dim, and the air was impossibly cold.

God, this was worse than he thought.

Roman squinted his eyes through the dark and finally found Logan, sitting on the floor with his back against the wall on the far side of the room. Even with the darkness and distance, Roman could still tell that he was worse for wear. His tie was discarded completely, his shirt unbuttoned and untucked. The dark circles under his eyes rivalled Virgil's makeup, and the eyes themselves looked tired and vacant. His pale and faded form almost made him look like a ghost, and he didn’t seem to acknowledge Roman at all as he continued to stare blankly forward.

“Logan?”

All he got in response was a nod, Logan's eyes never meeting Roman's.

“Can I come over there?”

A shrug this time, but it was enough for Roman to take it as a yes. He slowly moved to him, the sound of papers crunching beneath his shoes now thunderous in the otherwise silent room. He stopped and kneeled an arms length away from him, keeping his eyes level with Logan's.

He still didn’t look at him, focusing instead on the clock.

“Can you look at me, or even just say something?”

Logan only clenched his jaw in response, not reacting otherwise.

Roman summoned a jar of Crofters, holding it out in front of him. Logan looked down at it, a small spark of something flashing in his eyes for a moment, only for it to fade as quickly as it came. He looked away with a sigh, not even bothering to grab the jar.

“Aren’t you hungry? How long has it been since you’ve eaten?”

Another shrug.

“Have you slept at all?”

Logan didn’t react to the question, still looking off to the side. If Roman were to guess, he’s either been sleeping far too much or not at all. Hopefully not the latter.

Roman sighed, moving to sit down beside him. He tried not to focus on how Logan subtly flinched as a result, or on how it tugged at something in his chest.

“Logan, I’m sorry. I truly am. What happened earlier, what I said to you then, I didn’t mean it. I never meant to hurt you like that, I swear.” Roman paused for a moment, hoping Logan would respond or at least look at him, but he didn’t. His eyes were downcast, looking absently at his hands, but he didn’t react to what Roman had said.

“Please, I know I’ve hurt you. I didn’t mean to, but I did. I want to make it better, but I don’t know how. I don’t know what I can do to show you how much I care about you.”

Logan let out a scoff at that, his jaw clenching again as his hands balled into fists. He definitely heard what Roman was saying, but he sure as hell didn’t believe a word of it. Still, any reaction is better than none at all, as far as Roman was concerned. At least he was listening.

“Logan, I’ve treated you terribly for far too long, I see that now. I should have known how badly you were hurting. I should have done or said something or just stopped tormenting you like that, but I didn’t, and I’m so sorry for that. I shouldn’t have hurt you the way that I did, and I shouldn’t have let you believe that I didn’t care about you.”

Logan started to release some of the tension he was holding. Not much, but it was a start. Roman ducked his head as he tried to focus on what he was going to say. He had to get this right.

“I never thought I’d say this, but I miss having you around. Really, I do. We all miss you so much and it kills me to see you like this. I just wish you’d come back downstairs and be with us again, it’s not the same without you there with us. I want you back, please. We all do.”

“Falsehood.”

Roman's head shot back up to look at Logan. His arms were now wrapped almost protectively around himself, and his knees were tucked up to his chest. He looked so small like this, but his eyes had sharpened with an anger that was only exaggerated in the roughness of his voice.

“You don’t miss me,” he started, tone hoarse and raspy from disuse. “You don’t want me. You don’t even need me. No one does.” Logan turned his head, finally looking at Roman. “Leave.”

Roman could only stare back in shock. What had he done? Logan wasn’t just hurt; he was completely and utterly broken. How could Roman have messed up so severely without even realizing it? How could he have let this happen? He needed to fix this, here and now.

“I can’t, Logan. I won’t just leave you like this. God, how could I have failed you so badly? I never wanted this for you, I swear. This is the last thing I wanted.”

Logan rolled his eyes, looking back away. The anger was still there, but it had started to dim.

“We do need you, Logan. Life without you is a complete disaster, and I’m so sorry that this is what it took for us to realize it. Without you here, we can hardly get anything done. Sure, at first I thought it would be nice. Thomas was listening to my suggestions a lot more and I really needed that. But none of them are working. Without any plans or direction, all of my ideas are going up in smoke. We aren’t mapping things out right, we keep overlooking things and missing stuff we need to focus on. I can hardly remember the last time Thomas remembered to cook an actual meal for himself. And the others are an absolute mess right now. We fight all the time, and we can’t agree on anything. Patton is a wreck without you here, and Virgil has convinced himself that you’re dead.”

Or working on it, Roman thought to himself.

“Please, you are so important to Thomas, to all of us. Especially to me.”

Logan looked back up at him now, a look of uncertainty on his face.

“I need you to help me make my dreams a reality. I need you to keep me on track when I start to overdo things. I need you because without you, I can’t do anything.”

Logan started to relax the tight ball he had wrapped himself into, but not by much.

“And as much as I need you, I also just plain miss you. I miss our jokes, I miss talking over movies with you, I miss seeing you laugh and smile. I haven’t heard you laugh in years now, and you really do have such a wonderful smile. Even just watching you dig into Crofters with all the zeal of a multi-headed hydra at a buffet is something I wish I could see again.” Roman continued.

Logan's eyes drifted back over to the discarded jar of jam, that same spark from earlier flitting over his face for a moment. Roman swore he heard his stomach growl.

“Please just come back to us, Logan. I know I messed this up, but I swear to you that I will do whatever I can to make sure it never happens again.”

Logan sighed, tilting his head back against the wall as he let his eyes slip shut. “I don’t know how to feel again,” he whispered. “I stopped trying for so long, I can’t remember what it’s like.”

Something tugged at Roman's heart again, but he powered through as best as he could.

“You can talk it out with me. Whatever you’re thinking or feeling, I’ll listen. I promise.”

Logan swallowed slightly, letting out a shaky breath. There was a moment of silence, and Roman worried he had shut back down again. Instead, Logan took another deep breath.

“It’s exhausting,” he mumbled, voice still strained. “I try so hard to be heard, to be seen, and no one notices or cares. It’s hard to see the point in continuing anymore, when all it ever gets me is more neglect and ridicule.” He looked over at Roman, eyes shining with tears. “What’s the point in existing when none of it matters? When I don’t even matter?”

“You do,” Roman blurted out. “You mean so much to me, to all of us. Without you, we’re lost. Thomas needs you so much, and we all want you back with us. You matter. You always have, and you always will. I’m so sorry we let you think you didn’t.”

The tears Logan struggled to hold back finally fell from his eyes, and Roman felt his heart breaking all over again. Logan screwed his eyes shut, running a hand over his face to try and stop crying, but it did little to stop the torrent that finally spilled from the breaking dam in his mind.

“I don’t mean to- I mean, this just isn’t… please don’t say anything,” he choked out past the tears, not looking at him. “This isn’t like me.”

Roman obediently stayed quiet, letting Logan ride the wave of his emotional breakdown. Turns out he was mistaken before; this is the most hurt he had ever seen him. How many years of pain had he buried for it to have built up like this? How much of it was Roman's fault?

Eventually Logan stopped crying, the shaking breaths slowing down to small gasps as the tears finally ran out. He looked embarrassed now, almost ashamed of how he had acted.

“Can you not tell the others about this?” he pleaded, eyes downcast. “I can’t stand the idea of them knowing that any of this happened, or that I had reacted like that.”

Roman could only nod, unsure of what he could say that would help Logan feel better.

There was a brief period of silence before Logan spoke again, his voice barely a whisper.

“Will things ever get better? Will I stop being like this one day?”

Roman forced back the tears that threatened to spill free at any moment, shifting his stance until he was kneeling beside him. “There’s nothing you need to be or stop being as long as you’re still you, and things will always get better. We’ll work this out together,” he said, offering his hand.

Logan eyed it for a moment, before slowly taking hold of it. Roman smiled, standing back up and gently guiding Logan to his feet. Logan swayed slightly, holding onto Roman to gain his balance.

“What do you say we get out of this room for a little while?” Roman offered. “We don’t have to go downstairs or talk to anyone else if you don’t want to, but I think a change of scenery is in order. That and there’s something in the Imagination I think you’d like to see.”

Logan looked skeptical but gave him a nod, and Roman quickly sank them both out of the room. With the two of them now standing in an open field in the Imagination, Roman willed the sky to change, swiftly casting the land into the soft darkness of the night sky.

All at once the sky burst to life. Stars and planets lit up the expanse in dazzling color and light, with nebulas and galaxies impossibly visible and beautifully vivid. It was a moving piece of art, and some of Roman's proudest work in his own opinion.

Logan gasped beside him, eyes widened in surprise and delight at the view above him. Roman saw a ghost of a smile starting to form, and he felt himself beam at the small victory.

“It’s incredible,” Logan exhaled, eyes not leaving the night sky. “Thank you.” His voice still bore a hint of roughness from his time spent alone, but Roman could make out a spark of emotion working its way out. Despite it all, he still fell in love with the stars.

“I can’t lasso the moon for you, but I’ll show you the universe very night, if you want.”

Logan glanced away from the stars for a moment to look at Roman, the spark slowly starting to fan itself into a faint flame. “I think I’d like that.”

Logan gave him a small but genuine smile, still holding his hand like it was the only thing keeping him standing. Maybe it was, but Roman didn’t mind at all. He was going to guide his friend back to life one way or another, and if Logan was going to hold onto him the whole time, then he wasn’t going to complain one bit. Feeling Logan's hand in his own helped to remind him that in spite of everything, his friend was still beside him.

That simple fact mattered more to Roman than anything else.

@britt-ish123 @lio-the-chaotic-nonbeanie-weenie @rougeside4 @nico-the-overlord @oatmeal-stans-the-trash-rat @keitaisghost @can-i-take-a-stab @new-zee-land

#sanders sides #thomas sanders #logan sanders #roman sanders #virgil sanders #patton sanders #sanders sides fic #sanders sides fanfiction #sanders sides fanfic #my fic

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matan4il · 4 months

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Hey, I just felt the need to vent and see if you or your followers had any advice for me because I feel so stuck.

I don't have any relatives or friends in Israel so sometimes I feel I have no room to talk on the conflict. I'm in the US, I'm 'safe', my family is safe, but I still feel so hurt and the grief from everything happening to 'my people'

I was talking to a friend and I know we have conflicting opinions on everything happening. I just feel so heart broken by him as we were discussing things and he cuts the conversation when I said "Hamas is a terrorist organization". I don't know how I can trust him anymore when he can't even see that. I love him so much. He's essentially my best friend. It hurts so much and I don't know what to do. At this point I just keep quiet but there is resentment building and I hate it.

Any advice would help. Sorry for rambling. I'm just emotional.

Hi Nonnie! I totally understand, you're being legit in how you feel, and I'm sending you many hugs!

I believe I've answered a similar ask at some point since the war, I'm just not sure how to find it, because Tumblr's search option sucks. Maybe through the ask tag, IDK. If anyone's better at handling this site, and can find it and link it in the comments, I'm sure the anon (and definitely me) would appreciate that!

I think that ask was more generalized though, so here I'll refer more specifically to yours.

First of all, if you're Jewish, you have family in Israel. All Jews are one big family, one tribe, and I consider every Jew a part of my extended family. That said, there's actually a good chance that, given enough genealogical research, you'll find that one, two or three generations ago, the family tree split, and there's a branch where people returned to Israel, so you have distant relatives you weren't even aware of here. If you're interested in looking into this, a good place to start is to contact the Anu Museum, which delves into the history of the Jewish people, and also keeps extensive genealogical records for Jews.

Hamas is a terrorist organization, that's not an opinion or debate, it's a fact. People tend to claim that resistance can be seen as terrorists or freedom fighters, depending on one's opinion, and it's true that at times the term "terrorists" has been abused, but there's actually a very simple way to figure out the matter. If an organization intentionally targets civilians with violence, including lethal violence, for the sake of achieving some sort of a political change (and that includes political change in service of an extremist religious cause), then we're talking about terrorists. The differentiation between a regime as a legit target for a struggle, and innocent civilians who should never be targeted with violence, that's the difference between freedom fighters (whether we agree with them or not) and terrorists.

The exact date of Hamas being established as a terrorist organization is not known, most believe it was Dec 1987 (it announced it was joining the First Intifada on Dec 15, when it started on Dec 9. Hamas escalated it considerably, as it did the Second Intifada), while the son of a Hamas founder (Mosab Hassan Yousef. He was repeatedly jailed by Israel for terrorist activity in the service of his dad's organization, but as a teen in prison saw how Hamas was torturing Palestinians. He decided to flip and help Israel in order to save his own people from Hamas) says it was actually slightly earlier, in 1986. Either way, by the end of 1989 (just two years after its first public statement), Hamas was already so brutal and violent, that it was outlawed here. Soon, especially as it started carrying out extensive suicide bombings (the very first one was on Apr 16, 1993), it was also recognized as a terrorist organization and outlawed by multiple governments (including the UK, the US, Jordan, the EU, Japan, Norway, Iceland, Canada, Australia and Paraguay).

Not only is Hamas clearly a terrorist organization since its very first act of terrorism, after Oct 7 it is also one of the most successful ones ever (second only to Al-Qaeda after 9/11, though if you look at the number of fatalities per population size, then Hamas have surpassed Al-Qaeda as well). To not recognize Hamas as a terrorist organization is to not recognize terrorism, and that it is fundamentally wrong, because nothing ever justifies killing civilians to affect a political change, and THAT is an incredibly disturbing position to take.

On top of that, Hamas is Islamist, it wants a world ruled by an Islamist regime, and sees the eradication of Israel as a first step on the way there. It will only condemn other Islamist terrorist organizations for digressing from this plan of eradicating the Jewish state first, before taking on the rest of the world. Hamas is also genocidal towards Jews. Its founding charter declares this explicitly, that Judgment Day will not come until all Jews are exterminated. Its leaders have continuously and repeatedly expressed themselves in similar ways, calling upon "true believers" to kill Jews everywhere around the world, and in fact since Oct 7, several Hamas terrorist cells have been exposed as operating against Jews outside of Israel.

Someone who can't even admit Hamas are terrorists will likely not recognize the genocidal, antisemitic and extremist Islamist nature of Hamas, either. If you're Jewish, what that means is that your "friend" is willing to turn a blind eye to the declared statements of those who wish to kill you simply because you're Jewish. And if you ask me, that's not a friend at all. But even if you're not Jewish, I think the willingness to allow Hamas' genocidal antisemitism by denying the nature of this organization is morally despicable. I would kind of get it if your friend lived in a non-free country, where he can't get the true info on Hamas. But if you live in a free society, and your friend can get online, and go to one of the sites that share info on Hamas, especially the footage from Oct 7, but he's still denying what this terrorist organization is really like? I think you're very right to be upset by that.

At the end of the day, how you deal with it is up to you. It sounds like this person is really important to you, and I get it. At the same time, it sounds like you're having a hard time living with his views of Hamas, which is beyond justified. If your friend is willing to overlook this, what else is he willing to allow? I guess the question is whether you feel like you can have a talk with him, where you put this all on the table, not just Hamas being a terrorist organization, but also the genocidal, Islamist and antisemitic nature of it, and explain to your friend that it is personally distressing to you, that he can act as if Hamas is a legit organization? Do you feel like you can talk to him, and if he understood what it means to you, he might be more willing to listen? If you don't talk to him about this, do you feel like you can live with his views?

I'll be honest, I personally would not want such a person as a "friend." I would never feel like I could trust him. That doesn't negate all of his other good traits and what he can and does give you as a friend, though. I get that. I understand that it is a loss, if this ends your friendship. And that's why I say that it's up to you. It's up to what you feel is in the best interest of your well being. Do you still trust him to have your back despite his views? Do you think you'd be worse off to lose everything else about your friendship? Or do you think he values your friendship enough to listen? Do you feel like the distress of knowing what he supports is too much, and is bad for your well being? At the end of the day, only you can answer these questions.

Just know that no matter what you decide, you're not alone. There are others who feel like you do, and who would accept you, all of you, anti-Hamas views included, and will be true allies and friends. You def have a friend here. I'm wishing you well with whatever you decide to do, and if you feel like sending follow up asks, please don't hesitate to! Much love, Nonnie. xoxox

(for more of my posts regarding Israel, click here)

If this is a person who you define as your best friend, but they're cool

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raayllum · 4 months

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I’m sorry how is arc 2 not about aaravos? Everything about the show leads back to aaravos. The whole lore of the show is centered around aaravos. And it is absolutely titled the mystery of aaravos because it does plan on dealing with the mystery of aaravos in every possible way, and that has infact been confirmed by the showrunners on multiple instances. Aaravos is just as, if not more of a main character than rayllum in the ways that count because everything going on revolves around him.

And since he’s an EXTREMELY important character, how is it not justified for fans of him to want more screen time of him?

I’m sorry but not everything about the show revolves around rayllum and you shouldn’t call people out just for wanting to see more of their favorite character.

God forbid something about aaravos is actually about aaravos and not rayllum for once 💀💀

Actually I can and do call people out for wanting to see more of their favourite character when it causes them to be entitled / unfair to the broader story they want to tell. If you haven't been doing those things, then that post wasn't about you, but given the way you put your best foot forward here, I might go out on a limb and guess this might be behaviour you display sometimes, and it may be worth reconsidering.

As a bit of background:

My favourite character in a TV show was once a side character who was in 1/4 seasons, and one episode in the final season, and then he never showed up again. which was Okay, because he was a Side Character and it would've been pretty silly for the show to bend over backwards to include him more. Granted, there were opportunities (him and another character were travelling together, then she showed up at a Plot Relevant location without him and it was never addressed) but the show wasn't bad or wrong for not including more. I wasn't owed more screen time just because he was my favourite character, and while any character can Technically be Levelled Up for more screen time and plot relevance, sometimes characters are just there to serve more minor specific purposes, and that's Okay. It's all about adjusting your own expectations and not being an asshole.

Furthermore, given that I posted my personal opinion on my personal blog and only used my personal tags for it, you had two options for finding this post:

It got sent to you, presumably meaning you had someone else to be salty with in a private manner that would've been far more appropriate

You follow(ed) me, in which case you are more than encouraged to unfollow or block me if I have a post/opinion you find annoying or uncouth. Please do so rather than doing whatever This Is in my inbox in the future, it'll likely save you not only time but also embarrassment

The fact you thought going into the inbox of a Virtual Stranger and getting upset about me not thinking your favourite character is the Most Important Character in TDP Ever — because he isn't — in one (1) post is truly baffling to me in terms of 1) curating your internet experience and 2) interacting appropriately with strangers directly online. I've seen a lot of shit opinions in my day, and I vent in private to my fandom friends about it 99.9% of the time, thank you very much, or post about it in my personal tags on my own blog rather than making it someone else's problem.

In the nature of analysis / debate, though, let me clear what I meant considering 4+ people got their trousers in a twist about the idea that Aaravos isn't a main character.

That said, a few quick disclaimers: Aaravos is a very interesting character to me, and I like him a lot. I've written a fair bit about him in regards to how he's a thematic opposite to Harrow, his view of children, what I think happened to his chest piece, speculation on his banishment, his parallels to Finnegrin, his mythic connections to aspects of the Fae + Egyptian and Greek mythology, his foil relationship to Rayla, his characterization and motifs/symbols. So it's not as though I don't enjoy him or don't think he's important to the story. He is, he's just not a main character nor the most important. Moving on:

Secondly: it seems maybe my meaning of macguffin is getting misconstrued. A story Macguffin is a plot device that drives the story forward. Sometimes it's a character (R2D2 in star wars has to be transported from one dangerous location to safety because he has blue print plans), sometimes it's an object (the one ring, fetch quests, etc). Either way, the story is centralized around 1) characters competing for ownership or safe guarding of said person/thing and 2) through that competition or competing needs, the characterization of the main cast is revealed.

In Arc 1, Zym is the plot Macguffin. He overall has very little personality even once hatched beyond being sweet, occasionally helpful, and scared. He is the titular character, and his existence matters, but mostly because he serves as a motivational point for the characters. Claudia, Soren, and Viren want to stop Zym from getting back to Xadia; Rayla, Callum, and Ezran, want to help him get back.

Zym himself does not drive episodes forward. He rarely makes decisions that impact the main group. His existence or fears cause them to make decisions (they go looking for help because they dropped his egg; Rayla and Callum have to go after Nyx because she stole him) but he is not likewise making decisions for the group. S4 definitely levelled Zym up into him making 1) more independent decisions and 2) having more of his own interior feelings, particularly about his father, but Callum is the one who decides to send him up into the trees; Ezran is the one calling the meeting for Zym to come to Katolis. A couple of exceptions (he has a mini arc about his mom for 2 eps, he has an arc in s2 with Ezran) do not suddenly make Zym a "I'm making decisions that heavily push the plot forward every episode" kind of character.

You'll also note, if you actually read said post you're referencing, that I specified "'the mystery of aaravos' (esp these past two seasons)" and that I never mentioned lore, either, even if I have likewise written about lore extensively (one of my more recent metas on it was about 4.8k words on lore alone, for example).

Aaravos' plot impact was a lot heavier in S2 and particularly S3 than it is in S4 or S5, as he influenced Viren's decisions more heavily and eventually came into more direct conflict with the core protagonists. This is likewise reflected in Aaravos in S2 and S3 being in multiple episodes (half the season in s2, and almost every episode at least a little in s3).

Meanwhile in Arc 2, Aaravos could effectively, unknown to his pawns drop dead after giving Claudia her final instructions pre-S4, and nothing would be affected plot wise, because Arc 2 thus far has mostly been characters fearing his impending release (the main cast) or dealing with the fallout of his actions from S3 (the Sunfire elf plot line). The only thing we'd lose on that level from a "Claudia believes Aaravos is alive and is trying to free him, but he's not actually" is Callum and Rayla's possession plot line, ironically enough given your apparent dislike of them, until the very very end of 5x09 in which he tries to goad Viren into killing SS.

I'm excited for and expecting that to change in S6 and S7, but that doesn't change what S4 and S5 currently are, either. Same thing for Amaya and Janai more so being main characters, Janai in particular, in S4 and S5, but they were not main characters in the first three seasons. That doesn't mean they're not good, meaningful, and important characters for the story, but I'd be a very poor meta writer / have very poor media literacy if I tried to claim that Janai is a main character in arc 1 over say, Callum.

For another example: everything in Avatar: The Last Airbender revolves around Team Avatar wanting to stop Ozai, but Ozai is not a main character in the show. He's there to be a minor character, an endgame big bad, and to affect his children / embody the conflict the characters are up against. The fact that TDP has so many antagonists that are also Main Characters throughout the whole show (Viren, Claudia) is actually pretty rare in media, particularly for children.

The Legend of Zelda games usually revolve around Link wanting to save or free Zelda, and while certain games flesh her out and make her more developed into a main character, the central character of the narrative is Link, because he's the character we follow the most.

Additionally, the Importance of a character in a narrative has no bearing on whether they're your favourite, or even necessarily whether they're a 'good' / 'well written' character. Rayla, for example, is my personal #1 favourite character in TDP. She is a main character; she is not The main character. That's not an insult to Rayla; she's there to be a foil, one hell of a narrative lancer, and our main elven character. But I can't (nor do I want to) magically change her role in the story to claim that it's something it isn't.

The central main character of TDP is Callum. It always has been, it always will be.

He is the character who shows up in every single episode, he's our central mage character in a show all about magic, he has the most developed relationships out of everyone, he is the POV character we follow the most. That doesn't mean he's your favourite, that doesn't mean he has to be your preference, you don't even have to like him. But he is The Main Character. The majority of the story revolves around him and the people in his life. No amount of liking another character more is going to change that, whether you're clamouring for Rayla, Aaravos, Sol Regem or anyone else.

While there are shows where I think the side lining of characters feels off (Gus and Willow in The Owl House come to mind) that's mostly because 1) that sort of side lining usually happens to characters of colour, as it did there and 2) there's no real reason for the story to sideline them considering everyone lives in close proximity and there's a s1 emphasis that the main character has never had friends before and that she desperately wants some. Therefore, she should be thrilled to have best friends for the first time, but we barely see them. See the disconnect?

Aaravos is a minor character and big bad who is well utilized in the overall minimal screentime he has, especially thus far in S4 and S5. That doesn't mean he's not important to the story, and that doesn't mean he can't or shouldn't be your favourite, but your assertion doesn't miraculously make him our main core protagonist of the entire show, because 1) he's not our central pov character and 2) that's about the only requirement a main protagonist has to have, and 3) that's just not how stories work.

I also have no clue why you brought up Rayllum as a ship, given that I didn't mention them in my OG post at all, but given that you seem to think "this character isn't a main character" is a moral or value statement, I'll assume you said it to ruffle my feathers — that doesn't really work, given that I agree with you that not everything in the show is about Callum or Rayla individually or as a relationship, because it Isn't. Even if I hated them as characters or as a dynamic, however, that wouldn't change the fact that they're two of the core 3 characters (alongside Ezran) and that their relationship has the most screentime out of anyone in the show.

And if the show decided to tone down their screen time to give other characters more time, I'd be okay with that — because I don't need my Personal Favourite to be the most important character in the source material / screen time ever in order to feel secure in liking them, thanks.

#fandom nonsense #aaravos-brainrot #thanks for asking #or not

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thewriterowl · 6 months

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I saw your tags on your Luke Skywalker post and you’re 100% right that he made the right choice in TBOBF!! I was totally astounded by how many people were angry at him in this show and believe it ‘ruined his character’. And for what? Letting Grogu choose his own fate? He was probably the only person in the entire Mando series to give him the ability to have a say in his own life. Ugh, I swear these people just don’t even like Luke’s character. Sorry for dumping this vent on you, I just saw your post and I’m glad someone else agrees with me <3

Thank you!! More stuff to fanatically rant about cause I have THOUGHTS. This and what he did to Kylo are stuff I’m biting at the bit to defend.

Now, ok, I can agree the execution of it was not the best. They cut corners because they used too much money in his face rather than giving us a new actor so we could have more screen time. Had they given Luke more screen time for that final scene to be longer it would’ve been better. Disney is still not treating Luke right by any means and I just wanna grab him and wrap him up in a blanket and publish my own book on him.

That being said…

Luke was in the right. No, he wasn’t saying Grogu shouldn’t love his father. Again (and again and again) attachment is NOT relationships of any kind. It’s NOT love. How people still feel like that’s what Luke and the Jedi meant boggles my mind. Attachment is possessiveness and the lie of love. It’s a poison. Grogu had some of that and it was shown in season 1 when he tried to choke Cara out. He’s a toddler with power that can corrupt if not carefully guided.

Luke asked Grogu to unlock his memories and Grogu consented. Luke asked Grogu to choose the Jedi life now (and with his age may not ever see his father again; cause Din himself wasn’t coming back thanks to AHSOKA not Luke—funny how only he’s blamed when he clearly gave Din coordinates) or go back to his father now able to defend himself and Grogu thought about the choice and accepted what it could mean thanks to Luke’s guidance.

Honestly, with Luke’s affinity for love and his past with his father, I could’ve seen him urge Grogu to go back to Din (and maybe he did we just didn’t get to see it, friggen Disney) if not for the fact Grogu needs to learn to make hard decisions. He knows he has Luke and knows he has Din no matter what but he needs to learn to face the anxiety and consequences in the galaxy he’s living in.

You are 100% in how much freedom and respect Luke gives Grogu (is it maybe too much for what is about a toddler+? Maybe! Positives can turn to negatives in teaching and parenting and no one is perfect—-including Din) and is the one who really gives him back his inner strength and confidence.

Luke had Grogu for what? Two or three years? (SW really needs to work on providing us clear time jumps)The two were close. They clearly cared for each other. Luke let Grogu go after the choice was made. Grogu learned from that. He saw Luke be selfless and let him decide his path, even if it may keep them apart but there is the hope they will find each other again (IT SHOULD! God I want coparenting Dinluke). Luke is not turning his back to Grogu. Grogu can reach out and/or return at any time and Luke will answer.

So yes, Luke was right.

#star wars #luke skywalker #the mandalorian #book of boba fett #dinluke #I will stand on this hill #Luke is a good hearted character #he has flaws #but he was right #and it’s hard to include him sending Grogu off on his own and not go meta #cause that was clearly done cause they ran out of money #this and him towards Kylo I will defend #Luke Skywalker defense squad

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fandomwave · 8 months

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"No Guys I Swear You Have To Go Out Of Your Way To Find It!" And why I don't love this take

This is about the Ha Ha funny Coffin Game which includes but isn't limited to topics of: Cannibalism, Murder, and the core topic of this little rant, Incest.

feel totally free to skip this if that's a hard pass from you! No shame in knowing what you're about including things you'd rather not engage with.

"I know what I'm about"

Good! So this entire little rant? Vent? Observation? Comes from the recent uptick I've seen of posts in the Tcoaal tag where people come in to defend the game with more or less this argument:

"No no guys the incest is really easy to avoid. You have to go out of your way to find it. The game even WARNS you that this is a bad route. Its nowhere in any part of the game beyond this. Honestly it's just not there actually"

And I get the want to defend the game as being more than 'The funny Incest Game'. I agree that The Coffin Of Andy and Leyley is WAY MORE than just the funny incest game. To reduce the game down to that would be a disservice to the writing that went into this game. Andrew and Ashley deserve way more and Numlie themselves deserves better credit than that.

h o w e v e r

However, I think it's also doing more harm than good to try and sweep their dynamic under the rug as something that is 'easily avoidable' and 'totally optional' I hate to break the news but Andrew's romantic inclinations towards Ashley are pretty obvious in Chapter 1. They certainly aren't as obvious as they are in Chapter 2, I'll give everyone that. But they are there, and to act like they aren't... Not to mention the defense EVERYONE gives so readily is that 'The Game Warns You This Is A Bad Thing To Do' is a lot more complicated than it might appear on first blush. First and foremost the 'narrator' is the one to say: "Somehow it seems like a highly questionable idea to take this route"

which imho is a far cry from "This is the bad end" "This has incest" "you are probably a bad person for taking this ending" that some seem to argue is the 'warning' you get. Secondly we should remember it isn't 'you' the narrator is talking to here. Effectively it's still Ashley first and foremost. When Ashley responds 'I know what I'm about' that is also the game showing us that Ashley knows what this means and still wants it.

Enthusiastic consent if you will

So what's the point to this little post eh?

Well I think it's doing a little more harm than good to both the story but also anyone interested in checking the game out who might actually be genuinely triggered by such topics. Tcoaal has the siblings romantic inclinations laced into the story from point A to B. It's impossible to avoid actually. You can go the entire game ignoring any acts of kindness towards Andrew as Ashley or Ashley as Andrew, and you'll always get the scenes of Andrew playing with Ashley's hair. You will always get the text informing the player that Andrew fakes panic attacks to share a bed with Ashley. You will always get the CG of Andrew's hand in Ashley's belt loops. You will always hear the voicemail 'You think you're better than me because you can fuck him and I can't' from Ashley concerning Andrew. You will always get the hints from Mrs Graves that she knows they are too close but did nothing to curb that behavior.

It is wholly unavoidable no matter what route you take. Burial, Decay, Questionable or not.

I think to argue that it's just a silly little ending you can get does a disservice to people who might genuinely be upset by that, and I think more than anything a game that is at the very least talking about incest rather brazenly deserves the warnings it earns!

I love this game to bits, anyone who's been within ear shot of me has had to deal with me talking their fucking ear off about the Sibling Abuse Simulator. I've gone on in excruciating detail how I think Tcoaal's writing has been done dirty by saying that Andrew and Ashley's romance is just a 'ha ha shock ending', comparing it to the siblings ending in something like Corpse Party (a game where the incest ending is 100% totally avoidable, and the story has exactly nothing to do with incest as a topic, and is only brought up if you trigger that ending. One where I agree with the argument that it's just there for shock value)

Anyways I see where people are coming from, I can understand the want to defend the game as more than the sum of it's parts and I agree that it does suck that this seems to be the thing everyone is hyper-focusing on in terms of it's breach of containment. I get it man, I really do. It deserves so much better than being reduced down the way it has by the greater internet.

But to say it's avoidable.. I dunno it's like taking the dragons out of Game of Thrones. The story as a whole about so much more than the dragons.. However you'd have a fundamentally different story if they weren't there, wouldn't you?

#the coffin of andy and leyley #Tcoaal #Sorry to all my followers: I see horror game with fucked up topics. I play horror game with fucked up topics.

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the-paris-of-people · 7 months

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Blue Brownies and Finding Nemo, Part 4: BOTL

Summary:

“So how did you do it then? How did you forgive your mom?”

“I didn’t,” Annabeth shakes her head. “I don’t think I ever will. I just have to hope that I’m better for my future family.”

Percy cocks his head, his eyes light with wonder. “You think about that stuff?”

A chapter post-BOTL where Percy and Annabeth finally get to go on that movie date, featuring Rachel Elizabeth Dare angst, complex feelings towards Frederick Chase, fantasies of future Percabeth, and as it turns out, no movie at all?

Tagging: @yojeannie@angelthearsonist@m-cliffords-not-real-wife@that-chick-103@queerynotfound@thefabulousfab-3@montygreen@moonlightredfern @flamingbisexual08

Read on AO3

The person in the mirror at the back of the Delphi Strawberry Service van is a stranger to Annabeth.

Inside, she feels like she’s fought a million battles. The constant cycle of pouring over Daedulus’ laptop and crying herself to sleep has stretched her thin. Her hair has withered away from the stress of almost losing Percy, then actually losing Luke. The person she sees now looks like the face that launched a thousand ships. Silena had ambushed her outside the Athena cabin, covered the bags under her eyes with a magical shade-match foundation, and woven her hair with golden thread, just like she had it on Circe’s island.

“Trust me, I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” Silena reassured after charming Annabeth to vent to her about her date with Percy. She tapped her brush against her compact mirror and swirled it across her cheeks as she continued to comfort her, “There’s no need to worry about this Rachel girl.”

She wasn’t sure about that. She saw the way Percy’s eyes flitted towards Rachel in the Labyrinth, the way they spoke to each other with ease, nothing like the way she and Percy interacted. Yes, she and Percy had gone to the 4th of July fireworks this summer, but she’d also tried to tell him how she felt about him before he left for camp and… nothing. Annabeth had felt so stupid. For reasons including and not about Rachel at all, she was holding onto this movie date like it would be their last.

“Annabeth,” Percy flusters when he sees her hop out of the van on the corner of 72nd street. He’s wearing his nicest green jacket, blushing so red he nearly looks like one of Apollo’s cattles. “You-you look nice,” He finally manages after struggling through his words like he was reading Lord of the Flies in English.

“Thank you,” Annabeth tucks a strand of her braids behind her ear. She notices the shift in Percy’s expression. He knows something is wrong. Normally she would flick a smile his way and tease, but she’s so worn out by the nightmares about Luke and Kronos that she can’t even summon her pride to be vain about her looks. “So, are we going to see this steel man movie or not?”

Percy opens his mouth to correct her, then shakes his head and opens the door for her.

“Do you want any popcorn or something?” Percy gestures to the snack bar. “Tyson and I used to get a giant tub and share it with my mom. They make it pretty buttery here.”

“No need,” Annabeth smirks and opens the purse Silena gave her. “I have everything we need.”

“I’m confused,” Percy studies the empty lining of Annabeth’s purse. “Is this some kind of Mary Poppins situation?”

“Covered the snacks with the invisibility cap,” Annabeth zips up the bag and slugs it over her shoulder as she heads towards the escalator to the theater. “It’s not just useful for sneaking up on monsters. Plus I snuck some extra M and Ms in the cargo pants pockets.”

“And somehow Mrs. O’Leary didn’t follow you from camp?” Percy asks as they both climb onto the escalator, impressed.

“I fed her some blue gummies before I left.”

“Hellhounds can eat blue gummies? And those giant boar things hate egg salad? Seriously, why doesn’t Chiron just host courses on random picnic foods for monsters before each quest. Then I could get out of archery practice.”

‘Hey, you’re almost getting better,” Annabeth punches him lightly in the shoulder. “Last time you almost hit the target.”

“Haha, very funny,” Percy rolls his eyes, even though he knows it’s true. He’s as bad at archery as Annabeth is at gardening with the Demeter cabin. “Now come on. I want to show you something.”

Electricity sparks through Annabeth’s veins as Percy takes her wrist and leads her down a regal hallway. The hum from her heart is so loud it nearly drowns out her observations as she hurries past the red velvet carpet and black, marble Grecian pillars. She would have to make a note of that later when they were walking back from the theater. With Percy’s fierce urgency, Annabeth expects Percy to be leading towards some kind of secret tomb with rubies and emeralds, but instead, he takes her to a plaque outside the last theatre in the hall.

“These are what I was telling you about. Each of these theaters is designed after a movie palace from the twenties, a lot of them are still all around New York, decorated in a different architectural style. This one is from-”

“Art Deco!” Annabeth exclaims gleefully. She marvels at the style of the theater in the photo. “See? You can tell by the horizontal design elements on the marquee and doorways, alluding to Streamline Moderne style.”

“Horizontal elements? Because being vertical was too old school for the modern style?”

“Actually, you’re not too far off, Seaweed Brain,” Annabeth rolls her eyes, but a hint of a smile plays at the corner of her lips. “Horizontal lines gave an impression of sleekness and modernity in the 1930s, which I assume is when the original theater was built. See?” Annabeth turns back and skims through the plaque first, absorbing the most important ideas and key words. Then she rereads through it again, more slowly, imagining the construction of the arch and statues…

“How do you do that?” Percy asks, breaking her concentration for a moment. She quickly refocuses back on the photo of the theater, picking out structural details of the facade that were expanded upon in her reading.

“Do what?”

“I can barely spell my own name and you can speed read that entire passage in like, five seconds.”

“I can barely spell my own name too. I don’t know… being dyslexic, I just got my hands on whatever I could read when I was younger. My dad’s old house had a giant library when I was little, so I tried to read everything in there, and then when I got to camp, I had a lot of free time on my hands in the winter,” Annabeth turns back to Percy, and that’s when she notices how his eyes lay across hers, soft and full of wonder. She remembers how he pulled her in in the Athena cabin, when she had him all to herself at the beginning of the summer, before everything turned sour, how she tasted the sweet, salty taste of his lips even after it had been days since they had entered the Labyrinth. Suddenly, heightened nerves arrest Annabeth. Her heart rate quickens as she speeds through her explanation, doubting Percy notices the uncharacteristic tremble in her voice. “Chiron gave me a book on the Parthenon when I was 9, and then I just couldn’t stop reading, even though it’s still hard for me.”

“That’s really cool,” Percy’s voice is steeped in awe. It’s the same tone he used when Rachel had gotten them that car in New Mexico, and Annabeth can’t help but to feel proud of herself. “You know, I don’t know if I could ever become good at something that’s that challenging to me.”

Annabeth frowns. Sometimes Percy was so self-deprecating, it frustrated her. He was totally unaware of his own strengths. “Please, remember when you first started sword-fighting?”

“Hey, I thought you said I wasn’t bad.”

“You weren’t,” Annabeth remembers with a glint in her eye. “But you’re even better now.”

“But I didn’t even train that much, I just accidentally kind of… got better as I fought.”

“Percy,” Annabeth sighs, bowing her head in exasperation. “You’re a talented guy, but you can’t take a compliment to save your life.”

“Is that supposed to be a compliment? Because I honestly can’t tell.” Percy replies back dryly.

Annabeth scoffs, but they’ve known each other for so long she and Percy both know it’s free of malice. They both know this is one of the moments in the script they tease each other, but underneath all eye rolls and barbs is a deep understanding and respect of the other. They hold each other’s gaze and both wordlessly break out into smiles, realizing they’ve fallen back into their usual routine after a summer that threw a wrench in everyone’s schedule. Annabeth’s skin buzzes with excitement. She has a glimmer of hope that maybe this is a date, whether Seaweed Brain realized it or not. Yes, this was how they typically interacted, but there was something different in the way they spoke to each other as well, something she saw in Beckendorf and Silena interactions, new sweetness balancing out the usual sour tang.

“You know, it’s a compliment, Seaweed Brain. So just take it and acknowledge you’re a talented guy. Now come on, I want to read the other plaques before the previews start,” She leads the way towards the next plaque even though she’s never been to the theater and has no idea where she’s going, Percy groaning as he trails behind.

“All the plaques?” Percy questions, his blonde curls rattling as he shakes his head. “I swear, you and Rachel are just like each other. She wanted to read all the plaques when she came here too.”

Annabeth freezes in her tracks like snowboots caught in old snow. She turns to Percy slowly, her face crumpled.

“You’ve been here with Rachel before?”

Percy flinches a little at her tone: demanding, hurt, seething with rage. Still, he remains oblivious as he answers her question,

“Yeah, a couple times. She invited me to see a Matrix movie marathon a few weeks ago.”

He came here with Rachel multiple times since he came back from camp. Since he had come back from camp, he’d been hanging out with her, even though he’d asked Annabeth on a date months ago, even though he comforted her and let her hold his hand in the dark and shared his blanket with her as they watched the fireworks.

“Annabeth?” Percy’s voice is drenched in worry at Annabeth’s non-reaction. “Annabeth? Are you okay?”

“Excuse me,” Annabeth says quietly as she rushes towards the sign for the bathroom. She claims the unisex stall and hunches over the sink. For the first time that day, she finally sees the withered little girl she feels inside.

The tears come not as an eruption, but as a quiet trickle of disappointment in herself and everything her life had turned out to be. She wanted catharsis and a good cry, and yet, still she’s disappointed herself on that front.

She had no right to be angry and rude. Rachel was as talented as a child of Athena, as brave as a certain son of Poseidon, and as pretty as a daughter of Aphrodite. She glowed in the darkness of the Labyrinth and even as a statue in the middle of Times Square. She was smart and knowledgeable about art and Annabeth could’ve spoken with her about Jacque-Louis David for hours and hours. She could see why Percy liked her.

So why did it hurt so much that another person she loved left her for someone else, once again?

As Annabeth wipes her tears with the pack of tissues she’s stored under her invisibility cap, a sheepish knock taps at the door.

“Annabeth? Can I come in?”

“Yeah, that’s fine,” Annabeth calls with a slight bite to her voice. She brushes her tears off her face again, thankful for the magical smudge-free makeup of the Aphrodite cabin, for once.

The door creaks as an apprehensive Percy walks over and stands next to her over the sink. She averts her eyes down, knowing she’ll start to cry more if she meets his eyes.

“Hey, I’m sorry. Did I do something wrong?”

The softness of his apology splits Annabeth once again, and she feels guilty all over again for feeling so uncontrollably possessive and jealous over someone who was never hers.

“No,” She shakes her head, still fixated at the white marble of the sink. “No, you did nothing wrong.”

“Oh, okay, then uhhhh, do you want to check out the other plaques? I think we still have some time before the previews to read a couple more.”

“Can we just go to the park?” Annabeth sniffles, finally turning back to Percy. “Riverside?”

Percy winces as he watches her dab away at the last of her tears. He knows Percy expected her to ask to go to MET or the Morgan Library. She’s never told him, but being by the water is special for her, too. “Yeah, sure, of course.”

****

The kiss of summer sunshine brightens the scent of the grass so much, it almost smells like Camp Half Blood strawberry fields. The walkway winds around gated playgrounds, filled with children swinging their arms across the monkey bars as their parents lean against each other on a chipped park bench and watch them from afar. The Hudson glitters like the mischievous twinkle in Percy’s eyes, deep blue with flecks of silver and gold, and the thought of it makes her blush, realizing she’s thinking this while she’s standing right next to Percy. She’s thankful all over again for Silena’s makeup, causing her to wonder if she should start wearing blush more around him.

She and Percy match each other’s long, slow strides, the air between them thick with tension of all the things left unsaid, then thinned out again with the comfort and ease that’s existed between them for years. Annabeth looks back out onto the water and thinks about the stories her dad regaled her with before her stepmother came into the picture. Every so often, he would tell Annabeth how she came to be the most precious gift in his life, how he met the most beautiful, intelligent woman while studying at a magical place called Harvard, how they used to study together at Reading Room on the top floor, with paneled rooftop windows that ushered light that fell onto their faces. They talked in the library for hours, and when they needed a break, walked along Cambridge Harbor with ice cream cones that spilled onto their hands in a sticky mess. Whenever Annabeth was by a body of water, she thought of them happily together all those years ago, then of an alternate reality where they stayed together and the three of them were walking together, too.

If you loved each other so much, why isn’t she here with us? Annabeth had asked once, and her father’s face crumbled like a wrecking ball taken to a safehouse. Even though she grew older, and logically, she knew her mother couldn’t be with them, she couldn’t help but feel angry and sad that she never tried. Even though Annabeth and her step-family got along now, she couldn’t help feeling like she did before she ran away. If she couldn’t have her mom, why couldn’t she have her dad all to herself, instead of having to share his scattered brain with three other people?

“Hey,” Percy nudges her arm as Annnabeth descends further and further into her imaginary fantasy. “Thinking about your dad?”

Annabeth realizes she’s subconsciously touching her dad’s ring and drops her hand. She wonders how much she should tell Percy, how ridiculous it seems, but she stares back at him and knows he would understand her.

“You know why I wanted to come here?” She twists the ring in between her thumb and index finger and stares back out at Hoboken, across the river. “The summer my parents met, they used to take walks together by the Charles River. The way my dad talks about it…” Annabeth’s eyes get misty again, but she wills herself to push them away. “I can tell he really loved her. And sometimes when I walk along a body of water, I imagine that they’re still together and we’re a family. I know, it’s stupid.”

“No, it’s not stupid.” Percy reassures, with that sweet, genuine tone he uses to comfort her. He pauses for a moment then admits, “Actually, I uh, saw your vision at Siren Bay. I just didn’t bring it up because well,” Percy scratches the back of his head. “I think about my parents getting back together too.”

“Really?” Annabeth had discussed with her siblings how much they hated having one parent around, but she’d never felt secure enough to broach the topic of wanting her family back together.

“Yeah. I was actually just thinking about them now, even though we’re not in Montauk,” Percy flicks his eyes down for a moment, then towards the kids on the playground. “Did I tell you though that Paul wants to propose to my mom? He told me at my birthday party a few days ago, before my dad showed up.”

Annabeth is taken back. She knew about Poseidon showing up, but not Paul Blofis proposing. “How do you feel about that?”

“I’m happy,” Percy sounds upbeat, but she senses his voice falter, just the tiniest bit. That was Percy, always trying to accommodate everyone without thinking of himself. “I mean my mom was miserable for so long with Gabe. She deserves to be happy..”

“Dude,” Annabeth scolds, softly enough to coax him into admission.

“And….” Percy hesitates, because he can’t say a bad thing about anyone he cares about, even if it’s devouring him alive. “It does make me a little sad too, and I’m angry at my Dad for not getting it together and being with us too.”

“I know the feeling,” Annabeth murmurs. A gust of wind blows and whips her braids across her hair.

“So how did you do it then? How did you forgive your mom?”

“I didn’t,” Annabeth shakes her head. “I don’t think I ever will. I just have to hope that I’m better for my future family.”

Percy cocks his head, his eyes light with wonder. “You think about that stuff?”

“Sometimes,” Annabeth flushes hot. She’s never admitted that to anyone, because it’s embarrassing and illogical and stupid. She knows the rules of their world, but she can’t help but dream. “I know demigods don’t live past 16, but sometimes I picture myself as a famous architect, maybe a professor giving lectures across the world, and sometimes… I imagine myself with a family, too.”

Percy purses his lips together and thinks to himself for a moment. “You know, I’ve never thought about it too much before, but a family would be nice.”

And there he is, holding his gaze with hers again. Annabeth swallows and begins to fidget furiously with her fingers. A building can only be supported with a solid foundation, she realizes, and she never imagined herself with a family until she met Percy. Her heart leaps as she watches the golden light trickle through the tree branches and onto his cheeks. The way he stood was so easy, so relaxed, he slouched without thinking and his fingers always curled casually at the ends, like he didn’t think about what to do with his hands. Annabeth was deliberate in every movement, she overthought everything, and he just.. was. Even when it hurt to be around him, it was easy to be around him.

“Listen,” Percy breaks the silence with a hoarse whisper. “I’m sorry about Rachel.”

Annabeth stiffens at the mention of her name.

“Whatever.”

“Okay,” Percy says slowly. “Well it seems like you really don’t like it when I hang out with her, and I don’t know why.”

He really did have a thick skull.

“No seriously, I don’t care.” Annabeth crosses her arms. “You can hang out with whoever you want.”

“Well, okay then,” Percy dismisses, annoyed, before turning sincere again. “I just… I know things have been weird between us this past summer, and I just don’t want to be so distant from you.”

It really was hard to stay mad at him when he was so sweet, even when he was being an obtuse idiot.

“Well, unfortunately you’re stuck with me,” Annabeth brushes him off with a sarcastic comment to avoid the skip in her heart. “If we go down, we’re going down together, remember?”

“Okay,” A slow smile curls across Percy’s mouth, and the sunshine lit behind him makes it look like a halo with his smile and golden curls.“Good to know you’re still in on that.”

“Always,” Annabeth says with an eye roll, but she casts one last look at him in the light before turning to pretend to look at the river again instead of his handsome eyes. She curls her hands into fists to suppress the urge to reach out and hold his hand.

“On that note, let’s go get some ice cream,” He leads the way before Annabeth can object. “I’m buying.”

#percabeth fic #percabeth #percy jackson #pjo #annabeth chase #frederick chase #athena #mine

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