#only to find out years later that it’s full of horrific deaths and the most batshit insane plot lines i’ve ever heard in my life.

[starmagnets]

i am once again asking y’all what the fuck happens in warrior cats i am more afraid every time i hear new information about it.

[el-255]

One thing I like in full speed ahead is that we’re given a very insightful view of the dynamic between Odysseus, Eurylochus, and Polites right off the bat. Eurylochus is the more no nonsense right hand man who is willing to do whatever it takes for all 600 men to make it home to Ithica whereas Polites is more the moral compass who keeps Odysseus and the crew’s values in check.

What’s interesting to me is that we’re sort of fed the comparison of the angel and devil on Odysseus’s shoulder but the question is, who’s who?

Most people would instinctively say that of course it’s Eurylochus who is the devil and Polites the angel. Eurylochus is immediately willing to raid the island despite being unaware of whether the people on the island are innocent or not whereas Polites wants to try and resolve things peacefully and barter with the people for food.

But the thing is, I think both have the capacity to be the angel and devil in this scenario.

Yes, Eurylochus is often willing to take the violent route but he is also a man who has been at war for 10 years and knows the price that must be paid. No, the things he does aren’t morally right but when we think of how far he would go to protect the men he has known and have likely become family to him over 10 years, would any of the men think him wrong for doing his best to look out for them even if it meant harming others?

Yes, Polities is doing his best to try and reserve the last dredges of their humanity after spending 10 years fighting and killing in the war but oftentimes it is his naivety that gets them into trouble. No, he doesn’t mean for this to happen, everything he does comes from a well meaning place with his attempts to find peaceful solutions to make it home but would the crew who lose their life to the cyclops and later to Poseidon appreciate his efforts?

In this situation dealing with the aftermath of a horrific war, they’re both right and justified in what they’re doing which is what makes their characters so endearing and interesting. Neither of them are to blame for their differing ideologies and both do their best to protect the crew and Odysseus.

Because, of course, at the end of the day, it is all down to Odysseus to make the final decisions as the captain but he values both of their opinions greatly, Eurylochus as his second in command, and Polities as his closest friend, which means he ends up listening to them more often than not.

Odysseus is a perfect mix of the both of them at the beginning of the musical, both rational and merciful as he has both of their counsels at his disposal, but it is this exact thing that leads to his downfall: he needs both of them to maintain his status as a good captain which is why it all goes to shit when he leans too heavily on either side. It’s his guilt over the death of the infant that leads to him utilising Polities’ ideology and getting into the whole debacle with the cyclops. And after Polities demise, he is left with only Eurylochus to guide him which leads to his descent to monster and losing the trust of his men.

Without this balance between two greatly contrasting perspectives and ideologies, Odysseus is unable to use either without causing great damage to his crew and himself. Whether Polites is the angel and Eurylochus the devil and vice versa, this is what eventually leads to the mutiny of the crew and demonstrates why it is only Odysseus who makes it home.

[spectrum-color]

PROPAGANDA

Fitz-was abandoned by his mother at 5 (I know she wasn’t given a choice but from his POV,) was forced to sleep in the barn with the animals, wasn’t given an actual name so adopted shorthand for bastard to call himself, was dressed in drab ill fitting clothes and neglected deliberately so he wouldn’t attract attention, never met his father, was told by his grandfather at 9 that his choices were to be a spy and assassin or to die, was forced into killing by the time he was a preteen, was rejected and abused by his foster father when he realized he was Witted, lost 2 Wit partners before he even hit puberty and accidentally became overly enmeshed with his 3rd, was discriminated against for having the Wit in the first place, was terrorized and eventually tortured to death by his jealous uncle, had suicidal ideation magically imprinted on his brain by an abusive teacher who also damaged his ability to do magic, didn’t meet his first daughter until she was a teenager, had his body used to conceive his cousin without his full consent and could never tell him the truth, accidentally fucked up his psyche by removing too many of his emotions by magic and became a dick until they were returned 16 years later, returned to his childhood home posing as a servant and resurfacing all of his trauma over not feeling like a real member of his family, lost his deeply enmeshed Wit partner and refused to ever find another one, fell in love with his male best friend in an intensely homophobic society, lost said best friend in a terrible way while fulfilling his dying wish and saving the world, brought the best friend back only for him to break off their bond and leave, didn’t see him for 30 years, had a slow developing second daughter he struggled to bond with, became a single dad to a child he didn’t know how to properly care for, accidentally nearly killed his homoerotic best friend who was frail and had been tortured into insanity, his daughter was abducted by the evil magic eugenics cult that did it while he was trying to save the friend, went on a suicidal revenge quest against the magic eugenics cult, his daughter experienced horrific traumas during this time and was hardened into the Destroyer, nearly drowned on cult island, was infected by body destroying parasites that ate him from the inside out, died while being gawked at by everyone as he tried to transfer his consciousness into a stone wolf with his gay bestie

The Fool-raised by loving parents for his first 20 years before they inadvertently dropped him off with an abusive cult, was isolated and faced physical, emotional, and sexual abuse, had a substitute parent figure abandon him when she I longer found him useful, was forcibly held down and tattooed with a full back piece, sold himself into slavery in order to escape, had faced such extensive sexual abuse that he expected to be raped his first night in his new location, shunned by most people who see him as a “freak,” beaten by the kings favorite son and his friends, loses his father figure and his only friend/Catalyst for his life’s work in one night, reunites with his friend/Catalyst who he has fallen in love with but has no choice but to leave him for 15 years shortly after, upon reuniting with him his friend finds out about his love for him and angrily rejects it and is openly disgusted by his sexuality and gender presentation, he finds out through prophecy that he’s going to die horribly but he can’t avoid it if he’s going to fulfill his mission, he reconciles with the man he loves only days before his murder, he is flayed alive while having his memories stolen, he’s brought back from the dead against his will by his best friend, said friend then wants him to play third wheel while he gets back with his ex girlfriend, a former White Prophet who he respects tells him that he needs to leave his friend forever or risk undoing his work, the former White Prophet takes him back to cult island where he is tortured into insanity over the course of 20 years, he escapes and travels the world blind and crippled and and nearly dead to return to his friend, he finds out that he has a daughter he never knew, the daughter is kidnapped by the same people who harmed him as a child and an adult, he is forced to return there to possibly face unspeakable horrors to have a chance at saving her, spends the whole mission becoming increasingly depressed and withdrawn, foresees that the man he loves will not survive the rescue, loses the love of his life and is immediately rejected by his daughter, returns with nothing left to live for, ultimately chooses to essentially commit suicide to be with his love

Bee-believed to be “simple” due to her slow development for most of her childhood, rejected by her peers, cared for almost exclusively by her mother until her death when Bee was only 9, once it was determined she can in fact learn ended up with an abusive tutor, from her perspective was left behind by her father in favor of his old friend who he had a suspiciously close relationship with, was abducted by a representative from an evil cult who sacked her home, was surrounded by rapists while trying to pass as a boy, was regularly beaten into submission over the course of several months, believed that her father had rejected her and no one would come for her, went on a killing spree that included setting a woman on fire, realized she was a prophesied figure known as the Destroyer, saw her father appear to die, found out that she has a second father who is from the same race of people who took her and wants to make her the White Prophet, found out her father who raised her is still alive only to see him be eaten alive by parasites, saw her second father choose to die to be with him after she told him that her father loved him more than her, seemingly vindicating everything she said

[doubledyke]

gonna stick these two together since they're both for eddy

1. my first impression of him: as a kid i'm sure i thought he was a real jerk. but like i did for edd i'll go based off of my impression when i was first in the fandom years back. i remember feeling some type of way about eddy, especially in the later seasons. i was way more annoyed and troubled by the unnecessarily asshole-ish stuff he did. now i just find it all hilarious and feel sorry for him. these days i'm an eddy apologist through and through. there's not a negative trait in him that i can't come up with an excuse for and/or find the humor in. oh i also remember liking him mostly bc he was cute with edd and i love edd. but over time....

2. when i truly started to like him: my opinion of him became more nuanced until it turned into what it is now which is that of a full blown stan. when i became jaded by the dedicated edd fandom it probably allowed room for eddy to infect my already vulnerable brain.

4. how many people i ship him with: really only edd. any time i think of him with someone else it's basically as a joke/for the novelty. i genuinely can't think of someone else i'd seriously ship him with.

6. my least favorite ship with him: i can't say there are any that i think about enough to dislike. i'm pretty unwavering in my opinion that he's like a 5.5 on the kinsey scale, so putting him in straight ships doesn't do much for me, other than maybe provide an opportunity to explore another aspect of his character.

7. a quote from him that i remember: "my brother was a whiz at chewin' ice cubes." no idea what that's supposed to mean but it's absurdly funny.

8.my favorite outfit of his: my favorite is the yellow hoodie but of course i have to include others

9. my least favorite outfit of his: these greasy suit jackets and ties are hilariously awful. this must be how his dad dresses.

10. describe the character in one sentence: it's so obvious but "a little childhood trauma builds character."

11. the first thing i think about when i think of eddy: slurs. and this image

12. sexuality hc: gaaaaaaaaaaaay

18. what do i think he was like as a (younger) kid: i think little eddy was very curious and even more sponge-like than most kids. gullible, as anyone is at that age. very sensitive and sincere until he was programmed into seeing those things as flaws and weaknesses by the toxically masculine figures in his life.

25. when did he act the most out of character: i always think about the xmas special. it makes me wonder what would've happened if he hadn't immediately been tempted by santa's giant sack.

26. when do i think he was being most himself: i guess at the conclusion of bps?? if i recall, it was you @gettingfrilly who said he feels the most out of character AND most himself at the end of bps and i agree. eddy's not the apologizing type so it's more meaningful when he says he's sorry and comes off as uncanny. the fact that he knew the other shoe was gonna drop at some point is so sad lol. letting down the facade obviously reveals his true self and simultaneously seems ooc cuz his character is largely a front.

28. the most unnecessary thing he ever did: lbr most of the shit he did in the show was unnecessary. it's hard to pick the worst of all, but i'll go with the swamp prank. i know it's in his blood, but damn dog. edd was already on the brink of collapse by that point, so pretending to die a horrific death for the second time in one already awful day wasn't his brightest idea. but eddy is nihilistic as hell, especially during the final stretch of the series and into the movie so it comes as no real surprise.

[mayflysdie]

Void~ Part 1 of the undeserving series.

{Warnings: inaccurate military depictions, violence, language, depressing themes, mentions of death}

A/N: I have not proofread anything so ignore the mistakes please.

please enjoy :)

remember around the age of, let’s say ten. we had these ambitious dreams, ranging from being a doctor that would one day cure cancer. maybe you dreamed of flying around the world, seeing everything it has to offer. yet somewhere down the road, You become acutely aware that life is not as simple as you thought. In an instant, the harsh and uncompromising truth of reality becomes abundantly clear, leaving your hopes and aspirations in ruin. 

i never thought i would drop out of college, stepping away from everything i loved. becoming so withdrawn from the world. 

*************************************

sitting at a cafe, my attention fixated on the horrific news of a terror attack that had befallen my hometown. Disbelief was all I felt as I watched the office in which my parents had worked explode into flames. My grip on my phone was so tense as I futilely waited for an answer; hoping that they were safe and had chosen to remain at home that fateful day, but all remained silent - no reply ever came.

—

The passing of a year was full of heartache and misery. I walked through the doorway of my parents' house for the final time, unable to avert my gaze from the images of us as a family that covered the walls. The sight of their faces, still vibrant and alive, tore at me to depths I did not know existed. 

Will they feel let down by me for abandoning college and enlisting in the military the moment a chance arose? To make matters worse, I sold all my possessions, including their beloved home. 

I had no intention of remaining here; that much was certain. It may have been obvious to everyone else, too, because I'm not the sort of person who ever could - never have been. 

No matter how many physicians I consulted or what therapies I tried in order to tackle my issues with emotional suppression, nothing seemed to help. I have always had a reclusive personality. seeking violence and high speeds whenever i could, something that made me feel alive, made me smile. 

The fact that I had my own unique personality never deterred them from giving me their love. They accommodated for this in the way they treated me and still expressed their affection in an unconditional manner. In return, I felt a deep love for them with every part of my being.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

three years later, I find myself thrown back into the past as i apply pressure to my squad mates wound, gunfire and smoke are the only thing around us. he gasps and writhes under my hands, which are on his abdomen. blood refuses to stop flowing, no matter what i do. The medic, in an attempt to assist us, was tragically shot down, leaving me with the impossible task of preserving a man's life – one rapidly slipping away no matter how hard I strive to stop the bleeding, begging in silence. His skin gradually whitens, his breaths become shorter and shorter, soon followed by him completely ceasing any movement. 

I ponder the fate of my parents. Did they experience pain and suffering or was it quick? I try to reassure myself that their deaths were instantaneous, so they didn't feel any distress. This thought allows me to find the strength to keep going.

i snag the dog-tags off the fallen soldiers neck, stuffing them into my pocket. i cast one last glance at him before walking away. silently sending a respectful prayer. 

“Void, get on top of that building and provide support! we have men dying down here” my captain barks in my ear, then the comm line goes silent again, as everyone is focusing on surviving. this mission quickly turned to shit, our men were dropping like flies, i unfortunately watched most of those deaths; having no way to stop them. 

with a huff, gun raised and my mind alert, i climb the stairs to the rooftop. the .50cal on my back bouncing slightly with each step. 

I swiftly readied myself, engaging any target that was visible in my sights. Captain Barnes yelled, his transmission garbled with interference though everyone still comprehended his words; "Incoming reinforcements - do not fire!"

I peered through my scope, noticing a speeding truck appearing in view. It was erratically zig-zagging around, exhibiting a suspicious behavior. clearly someone can't drive. In its nearby vicinity, I identified a foe skulking behind a rock. The incoming truck came to an abrupt halt right in front of the opposition, thus obscuring my vision of the target. Subsequently, two men dashed out from the automobile - the driver donning a skull mask and the passenger wearing a bucket hat. "Skull man, duck down!" I bellowed hoping that they had adjusted their headsets to our communications settings.

I allow a knowing smirk to cross my lips when I observe him just slowly shifting his position to the right."That's fine," I murmur quietly to myself," but don't come complaining when you feel my bullet zipping by you." Adjusting my aim, I focus on catching sight of the small portion of his head that had sprung out from behind the rock. Giving firm pressure to the trigger, I succeed in landing the shot exactly where it needed to be.

I detected the two men were currently clearing the buildings situated westward. A gruff British voice called through the comms, "Damn near missed my effin' head!" I presumed this must have been the individual wearing the skull mask. I uttered sarcastically, "I advised you to duck, not take a step aside. And I'm quite sure of my shooting ability - thank you."

I remained atop the roof, eliminating any who attempted to slip by, fulfilling my duties as originally agreed upon. "Good grief! What have you provoked?!" A guttural, unfamiliar British voice pierced through the radio and momentarily caught me off guard. That must be the fella wearing the bucket hat, I musingly remarked to myself.

Barnes' voice is tense as he informs us that somebody had let slip the information about our impending arrival, leading to a treacherous assault on our group. On top of the building I take in the situation—the intermittent gunfire now gradually quieter as the enemy's numbers start to recede.

I stand on the edge, Inspecting the scene, I notice both sides have stepped out of the building with no more shots being fired. After carefully observing the situation, I got the all-clear from Barnes to leave the location. As I was turning away, however, I came face to face with an adversary, locking me up by taking hold of my shoulders and almost tipping me over the edge of the building. I reckon my captain had seen me, along with some others, as I heard yelling all of a sudden. "You're the devil who slaughtered almost half of my troops" the individual who was restraining me snarled, giving my body a slight shove to make it move further. i glare, and i glare hard. “it was a shame they didn't burn alive, as i would have enjoyed watching” My biting words dripped with venom, a satisfied smirk playing upon my lips as his face reddened with rage.

I observe my captain, accompanied by the individual wearing the bucket hat and the one with the skull mask on his face hastily emerge on the rooftop, their weapons raised. The person who had me in his grasp perceives them without rotating, his words uttered low with an aggressive rumble., “shoot me and she falls” in warning, he grabs the front of my vest and tangles my body over the edge. 

I clenched my jaws together, my palms gripping the forearms that were encircling me. I angled my head down; we were situated four floors high, which meant that if by chance I were to take a plunge, there was a likelihood for survival - presuming I could find something - or someone - soft enough to cushion my fall.

A devilish grin crept across my face as I locked eyes with the man opposite me. My voice rumbled menacingly, “If I go down, you’re coming with me!” Without warning, I kicked out both of my legs and felt the impact of his knees. In a split second we both began plummeting towards the ground and amidst the shouts of my captain, a mad cackle erupted from my throat. I rotated in mid-air, so that I was positioned above him, and prepared myself for the inevitable crash.

I made contact with the ground below me with no remorse, producing a frightening sound as the person beneath me was touched by devastation. My vision swam, certain that I had gained a concussion due to the impact. I lay there, winded, my gaze fixated on the heavenly blue sky above.

I'm sure if my mother had been watching us from the heavens, she'd be rolling around in her grave, while my dad would have no doubt been chuckling at my rashness.

I hear the hurried footsteps drawing near, and I force myself to slowly sit up. Barnes confronts me with a scowl, arms firmly crossed; "Void! You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days! We thought we'd lost you!" The man in the bucket hat then knelt by me and steadied my shoulders as I rose to my feet, and I couldn't help but grin. “thus i am here Sir. i calculated the fall, knew i’d be fine”i grumble. Examining the person to my side, "Apologies for being blunt," I inquire, "But would you mind telling me your name? I've never been great with remembering faces." He slowly responds in his coarse accent, "Captain Price, Team 141," his intense gaze seeming to drill into me. There's a momentary pause as it dawns on me what he said and I ask skeptically, "141? You're the captain?" I'm surprised, an amused smirk playing on my lips as I remark, "Never thought I'd ever encounter someone from that crazy crew”

he raised an eyebrow at me, seemingly amused, “crazy?”he asks, stepping back slightly once I've gained my balance. i look at him with a smile, “heard every heli you get in crashes in some fiery explosion, along with the men of your crew being extremely well trained, deadly and often reckless” i elaborate. my captain shakes his head and walks to the truck, the three of us follow close behind. “you’re one to talk, with your actions ever since you joined, i’d half a mind to transfer your reckless ass to them. give’em another handful” Barnes grumbles, sending me a side eye. 

Captain Price and Ghost, accompanied us back to base at Barnes' behest. We congregated in the conference room and I applied a frozen bag of peas to my head in hopes of helping reduce the swelling. As they conversed in hushed tones, I wished I could possess mind-reading capabilities as I'm naturally very nosy.

Ghost sits with his arms crossed and eyes closed, seemingly disinterested in the conversation or anything else for that matter.

With a huff of exasperation, I abruptly stand up from my seat, announcing to the room that "I'm going to make some tea." Not wanting to remain there any longer, I lower the packet of peas and stomp into the kitchen. Snatching the kettle filling it with water, I place it on top of the stove before grabbing a mug and dropping in a bag of Earl Grey. I leaned against the island in the room, my eyes already closed as I felt a migraine start to take hold of me. Suddenly, a low British voice spoke from the doorway, "What you did was incredibly reckless," and I opened my eyes to see Ghost standing there with his arms crossed.

I furrowed my brow in surprise, not having anticipated that he, of all people, would bring up my behaviour. " I know" I muttered, my hazel eyes fixed firmly on his. He didn't say anything else, though I had the distinct impression that he wanted to.

I make my way to the kettle and carefully pour hot water into my steaming mug; extending a cup to my companion, yet he declines. I set down the kettle and head over to the island with my drink in hand. Cozying up to the mug's warm embrace, I inquire cautiously about the whispering pair in the next room. “they’re talking about me, aren't they?” i mumble, feeling a weird sense of anxiety rumble in my chest. he makes a ‘hm’ noise. i snort, giving him side eye, “i like that, top notch communication". i get no response back but that doesn't bother me, from everything i heard about him, he’s a very reserved man. 

he never moves from his spot, seemingly comfortable while blocking the doorway with his massive frame. i finished my tea long ago, but not willing to break away from my spot. 

Though my attention turns to him in the kitchen, I soon become aware of footsteps coming closer. Barnes enters first, accompanied by Price; they both look directly at me and I struggle to smile uneasily. “Uh, what did I do now?” I inquire hesitantly, but neither respond. Instead, Barnes takes a seat next to me and continues to fix his gaze on me. okay, these two are up to something.

He didn't hesitate in delivering the news: "You're being transferred", he said. I was perplexed and inquired, "Where?". My voice hushed, but my confusion came through loud and clear. this is sudden, and why? when I joined this team, they agreed to never transfer me. my eyes swap around the room, from Barnes, to Price, then Ghost. “to my team” my gaze snaps to Price, who’s displaying a small smile. his arms crossed, head tilted. 

My confusion increases exponentially, leaving my head cocked at an angle. Questioning Price and Barnes, I queried, "Who requested it and why?" Without pause, Barnes rose to his feet and declared, "Price requested it due to their need of a reconnaissance sniper having technical expertise. Prepare yourself in ten minutes." With that, he evaporated from the room.

well great.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

good news about owning next to nothing, i packed everything in less than ten minutes and I'm now standing by the truck, duffle bag slung over my shoulders. my favorite rifle hanging loosely on my back. I closely observe Prince and Ghost approaching the truck, with Ghost getting in the driver seat. A wave of apprehension washes over me, recalling his reckless driving earlier. Prince notices my uneasiness and comforts me with a laugh. "He's not all that bad," he says, however I'm still unconvinced. In spite of this, I climb into the backseat of the vehicle.

once we’re in motion, i hold my file out to Price, who raises an eyebrow at me, “i already read your file” he says, confused. i shake my head, “technically yes, but no you didn’t. i stole the original file and replaced it. this file has everything in it” i mumble, nervous. He takes the file and examines its thickness, his eyes creasing in confusion. “Why? What are you hiding?” he inquires, and I notice Ghost staring at me through the mirror. Turning my head away, I fervently state, “Me. I am shielding myself. I determine who sees it, not them.”

He turns to me fully and asks, with a tone laced with something enigmatic, "SAS, missile warfare expert, air-force, bombs specialist, why are you hiding this?".

I tense up as we hit a bump, not having much faith in Ghost's driving capabilities. jokingly, I say, "Is this a bad time for me to mention that it's need-to-know only?" trying to lighten the atmosphere. Then, with a nod, he continues reading. “ i will tell you, just not right now” i mumble. turning back to look at the window.

God, what have I been thrown into?

[aruanimess]

As a armin arlert lover, thoughts on floch?

Hi, Anon!

It took me like a full five minutes to understand why the question was phrased like this. Like Floch has done so much since that ceremony scene, I forgot he had said all these horrible things to Armin.

This got long so I'm putting it under the cut.

Frankly, I think he's a good character, not in moral terms, but in the sense that he fulfills the role of the antagonist quite nicely. I obviously don't like him as a person, but I understand his function within the story, and I think his arc was fairly well-executed (unlike other antagonists like Yelena imho).

Isayama is in this continual conversation with the ideals of authoritarian states and what can make them appealing to vulnerable individuals that I find very interesting. And this is perfectly captured in the character of Floch. Not only because of his past trauma and survivor's guilt, which absolutely make him the perfect candidate for radicalization, but also because he wasn't the most moral of guys to begin with.

Floch joins the Survey Corps at what is arguably their all time high point. For the first time in a hundred years, they've got a series of relative wins: Eren's Titan, capturing Annie, figuring out who the infiltrators were, finding out the truth about their world, deposing the king etc. Morale is at its peak. So inevitably we meet a series of characters who join in because they believe in the propaganda and, sure, may have a renewed conviction for the actual cause, but still don't get what the job entails. I mean, look at this (not so) sweet summer child:

And the thing is: this is not a bad thing in and of itself. After all, we see Marlow do the same. But unlike Marlow, who was a guy that cared about his fellow man and was generally very anti-corruption from the start and competent to boot, Floch has an inferiority complex the size of Paradis. This is literally how he gets reintroduced to the story (I don't remember if he was seen earlier, but even if he was this is his first substantial appearance):

(please ignore Jean's majestic jawline and focus on the speech bubbles)

He's practically screaming "Jean, Jean, validate my existence, please!!"

So we know he is a guy with low self-esteem, who is also not particularly concerned with ethics outside of some juvenile idea of "winning," on top of that you add a horrific traumatic event and... well, Erwin.

Erwin is a character who uses unsavory means to inspire others to fight for him. Yes, he ultimately has an honorable purpose in mind, but he is also exploiting the very same weaknesses in people's characters to serve his ends. He is a demagogue and the story is not shy in telling you about it. (I'm too lazy to cite my sources, but, like, the first time we really see him, he creates tension to manipulate the result of a trial, so...).

(nvm I found some while looking for something else)

Floch is actually the character who expresses doubt when he is faced with Erwin's final order:

And how Erwin convinces him?

"That's absolutely right. It doesn't make a single difference. No matter what dreams or hopes you may have, no matter what blissful life you've lived until now, what happens when your body gets crushed by a rock is the same. Everyone dies sooner or later. Does that mean all life is meaningless? Was the fact that you were ever born meaningless from the start? Would you say the same of your dead comrades? Were those soldiers' lives meaningless?

No, they weren't! And our fight gives meaning to those soldiers' lives! Those brave fallen men and women! Those poor fallen men and women! The only ones who can remember them are us the living! So we will die here and trust the meaning of our lives to the next generation!"

Like, the man went all out! The "everyone is a hero" and the cult of death is literally one of the points Uberto Eco brings up in his essay Ur-Fascism. I'm not saying Erwin is necessarily a fascist, but he needed to convince these soldiers to die ASAP so he used the fastest route possible: fascist rhetoric.

And then he went and committed to the bit!! He actually sacrificed himself and everyone around him and the plan worked!!!

So now a weak-minded, traumatized Floch has been presented with the ULTIMATE piece of propaganda, what is he meant to do?? Not believe it? And accept that he went through all this for nothing? Please!

I can absolutely see how a guy like Floch would end up the way he did, and that's why I think he is an interesting character and a compelling antagonist.

[outofangband]

Emeldir the Brave 

(This is part of something for @officialtolkiensecretsanta for @voyaging-too I loved making this for you and I’m so excited I can follow you now that the reveal is out! Your blog is so so cool!)

further thoughts under the cut

warnings: nothing too serious but obviously discussion of Dagor Bragollach and its implications for the Bëorians as well as a mention of arranged marriage (arranged on both sides and not abusive or forced but still wanted to warn just in case)

also warning for my probably bad attempts at translating names to use. 

Emeldir was born in 399 of the First Age. She was swift and agile, spending her childhood exploring the steep slopes and pine forests of Dorthonion. She learned to use a bow and arrow to aid her father in hunting as a young teenager and later became adept in the use of a crossbow which she carried for the rest of her life. She also used a curved sword for closer range fighting. As most men of fighting age died or were captured during Dagor Bragollach, she was almost alone among those with fighting ability as she lead a group of children to Brethil, facing further losses along the way. 

She spent several months in Brethil where she accompanied their soldiers on scouting trips North towards Ered Wethrin to prepare to bring her group to Dor-lómin. 

Emeldir traveled to Hithlum with the other Bëorian refugees but did not remain there. Three months after her arrival, she set out with two others, going South towards Brethil and Dimbar again with the intention of searching for other survivors. She never found any of Barahir’s group but continued to fight against the forces of the enemy until her death in 468. 

Random HCs:

-Her father was also called Beren. Her mother was not named or mentioned but I named her Estafael. 

She has two unnamed siblings. I headcanon them as a brother and sister. Her brother was called Sadar though he died two years before the Bragollach while on patrol. Her sister was named Thônonen

(note: these are Sindarin translations of names that were likely originally in Taliska) 

-She usually has shoulder length hair pulled back in a scarf. It’s slightly lighter brown than Barahir’s and starts greying early. 

-Her marriage to Barahir was arranged on both sides though they knew each other for a long time before that. They work very well together as a team and are friends though I sometimes imagine both took other lovers (with the other’s full permission and understanding) after Beren was born and weaned. I think these kinds of arrangements were not uncommon among the Bëorians and perhaps the Edain in general. Marriages were often political and familial alliances and the ceremonies around them meant that taking other partners with the permission of one’s spouse wasn’t strictly law but it was common practice though often quiet. Anyways that’s mostly off topic but I have a lot of thoughts about this stuff :)

-She has a very good sense of humor though laughs rarely after the Bragollach. She’s very good at deadpan and sarcasm but can find humor in more purely joyous things too.

-Her image is that of someone stern and stoic because that’s how she’s remembered by some of the only survivors of the Bragollach among her people, especially the children. I think young Morwen took after her a lot and mimicked her, intentionally and not, along the horrific journey. Prior to this though Emeldir was a lively, generally cheerful although brisk person. 

-Emeldir and Barahir would carry baby Beren in a pack on their backs and take him for long walks. 

-She has very good eyes and is very observant, helpful for shooting enemies. 

-Her and Barahir used to make strong alcohol together. She learned the recipe from her mother 

(anyways I love Emeldir a lot! I take all women in the House of Bëor and adopt them, including and especially those without names or full stories. I’m so glad my giftee listed her as a character! This was really fun to make! I wish I had the drawing skills to actually draw Emeldir with a crossbow!)

[amberjazmyn]

the new normal 🫶🥹 (part two of take me back [to the night we met])

pairing : lando norris x fem!reader

summary : lando's new normal after the loss of his old girlfriend as he now goes through the rest of his life with his new girlfriend, helena, the sister of juliannah, lando's former girlfriend.

warnings : sad lando, falling in love again, mentions of loss and grief

a/n :  because i wrote a part two for my misha version, of course i had to do the same thing for my lando version! i still am thinking about creating a whole tmb (ttnwm) universe but i don't know if i want to do it for misha collins or lando norris. i am considering highly for lando but because i originally did it for misha idk if i want to do it for him. and whether it's here on wattpad or tumblr or both, i am still unsure but i will let y'all know when it happens. 

previously

helena stared at the photo of me and juliannah for a little while longer as she smiled. i could tell she felt as though she could visualise the memory of the moment of this photo being taken in the same way i could. even though she wasn't there when the photo was taken and, i could tell it was making helena emotional.

"...i'm really glad that you and juliannah were together for as long as you were, lando..." helena trailed off as she placed the polaroid back into the photo album that was now resting openly on my bookshelf as i smiled

"...i'm glad too, helena. i really did love your sister and i know she really loved me too but, don't let that stop you from allowing yourself to believe that i can't love you just because i loved your sister. because, quite frankly, the way i loved juliannah will always be different to the way i love you but that doesn't make me love you any less. if anything, it makes me love you more but in a different, more beautiful way that's only unique to you. if you're worried that i'll be stuck with the memory of juliannah then, let this be the consolation to that thought..." i trailed off as i grabbed helena's hand and pushed it gently towards my face and kissed her

she was at first shocked, of course, but quickly broke out of the shock as she then moved into the kiss and became more comfortable. we then ended up falling backwards onto my bed with helena falling on top of me which made us giggle as we just made out with each other, our clothes still on and nothing else sexual. we were still finding our footing in this relationship since it was so new but, it was already so comfortable that i don't think it'd take us that long to get to the nitty gritty of an established relationship.

i had all and then most of you, some and now none of you. take me back to the night we met. i don't know what i'm supposed to do, haunted by the ghost of you. take me back to the night we met.

present | lando's pov

it was now almost a year later since that day that helena and i kissed one another and we're now exclusively together as a couple and i have returned full-time back to formula 1 and mclaren. it's the new normal for the both of us since the death of juliannah and honestly, it's not been as awful as either of us expected it or thought it would have been. of course, helena and i still experience horrific and agonizing grief over juliannah but it isn't that bad that it destroys our relationship and causes constant arguments. right now, it's off-season for racing and it was now coming up to our first christmas without juliannah and honestly, this had been my biggest fear the entire year. everyone that's been through grief has always said that all the "firsts" without your lost loved one is always the worst. and, it was clear that helena recognised that and has tried her hardest to make this year's christmas special even though it'll still be difficult because of the loss of juliannah. and it's been so sweet seeing all the things that helena has done for me during this difficult time ever since halloween finished and holiday season started to roll around. especially because my grief returned again, enveloping me as though i was their old friend from back in the day.

so, for these last two months, since the first of november, helena has done everything possible to ease the agony and pain. and, i can't lie, she's done a wonderful job and i don't think i could ever love helena more than i've ever loved anyone. and that includes juliannah. even though i absolutely adored juliannah, i think it's started to become obvious that whilst i did and do still love her, it was most likely that helena has always been my romantic soulmate, not juliannah. and i think it's also something that juliannah knew and that helena knew as well but it's just devastating that it took juliannah's untimely and tragic death for us all to figure it out.

the longer i thought about juliannah, the more emotional and upset i became and i hated it. everytime i did get upset about juliannah, the more guilty i felt because i knew it made helena feel insecure that i don't love her as much as i do juliannah. and it's wrong because honestly, i'm finding love for helena and myself that i've never known before that i never experienced nor had with juliannah.

"...babe, you know i love you, right?" i muttered, my arms draping over helena's as she makes us dinner as she giggles

"yeah, i know you love me. what's started this up my darling? this doesn't just come out of nowhere..." helena turns around, the mashed potato ignored for now as i tried to seem as relaxed as possible

"...ahh, no reason, i just wanted to let you know since i feel like i just haven't told you enough lately..." i trailed off as helena sighed, her hands grabbing mine and holding them tightly, knowing i was such a shitty liar

"...one, lando, my love, you've told me plenty of times recently how much you love me and two, what's actually going on and i want the truth because in case you've forgotten mr norris, you may be an excellent formula 1 driver but you are the shittiest liar i've ever known in my entire life *giggles*. so, what's bothering you?" helena sighed as she giggles as i can't help but smile as i heavily sigh

"just...i feel guilty for all the times i've gotten upset over your sister because i feel as though it makes you insecure and that i loved juliannah more than i love you..."i trailed off as helena gave me a look i didn't know how to describe but it wasn't a look i was seeing for the first time either

"...darling boy, please don't feel guilty for missing juliannah. i miss her all the time, every single day. i mean, it's a good thing since she's my sister *giggles* but, it's crazy that you think it makes me feel insecure when i see and hear you get upset over missing juliannah. because it doesn't at all. i'm actually glad that you still miss juliannah and that you haven't forgotten about her but that it's not the foundation of our relationship otherwise that's not healthy. i'm glad that you have it in you to love me in ways similar to that of my sister and it's an honour to be loved by you, mr lando norris. i always looked up to you and juliannah's relationship, always wishing to be loved like that and now, i am being loved but not in the same way i saw you loving my sister and honestly, i don't hate it like i thought i would have *giggles*. i love how different you love me, it's so unique and it's nothing like the way you loved my sister. i've noticed that you've found love for not just me but for yourself that you've never known before that you never experienced nor had with juliannah and that is incredible, lando. the fact that you can lose the woman who you thought was your soulmate and who you'd love forever only to fall in love again. not just fall in love but fall in love with your dead lover's sister yet love her in a completely new and unseen ways before..." helena reminded me as i nodded my head as she squeezed my hands as i squeezed them back as i smiled a little

"...i know it's just..."

"...no, lando. you are not going to try and make yourself out to be the villian that doesn't need to be villainous in the first place. you just fell in love again and that's completely fine and you shouldn't have to crucify yourself for that every single day. juliannah's death was already a burden that was placed on your shoulders and it's a burden that should have never of happened in the first place. so don't you dare make yourself out to be the villian in this story because if you are anything in anyone's story but especially mine, you're the hero." helena was persistent to the point where i couldn't question her anymore and i just nodded my head

"i love you," i mumbled as i rested my head on helena's shoulder as she smiles

"i love you too, baby!" helena whispered as she held me tightly, kissing my temple before returning back to the mashed potatoes for dinner

thankfully after that conversation, lando's insceurities kind of washed away and didn't bother the couple for the rest of the night. and it felt as though lando could finally breathe properly for the first time in forever. he truly loved helena more than he could ever explain and now knowing that helena knew that and didn't doubt it, he knew he made the right decision buying that ring.

christmas day

waking up, lando couldn't hide the smile on his face. it was the twenty fifth of december. christmas day and he couldn't wait to give the love of his life the best christmas present ever in the entire world. watching as his girlfriend was smiling in her sleep made lando go all soft and squishy. he loved watching her sleep. whilst it sounded creepy, lando and helena both loved it. whoever would wake up first in the morning would watch as the other one stayed asleep and it would make them fall in love with the other even more. however, today, it was lando that had woken up early, as previously mentioned, so he watched as helena smiled and softly snored as she stayed sleeping, on her side facing the middle point of the bed, lando laying on his side and facing her.

helena only stayed asleep for a couple of minutes before she started to stir herself awake in the way that lando always said he found most adorable. helena always grimaced when lando said that but she couldn't help the smile that formed on her face at the same time. fluttering open, her eyes slowly adjusted to the light as she smiled seeing the one face she always loved seeing every day.

"...hi baby," lando smiled softly as his hand rested on his girlfriend's cheek

"hi back," helena giggled, her voice filled with sleep as she levelled herself by balancing her elbow on her pillow so she was level with lando

"it's christmas day baby, our very first christmas together as a couple!" lando spoke softly, removing his hand from helena's cheek to play with her messy bed hair as helena smiled

"i know. but...it's also the first christmas without her..." helena sighed, only remembering now that it was her first ever christmas without her sister by her side

lando bit his lip and nodded his head. of course, this wasn't how they wanted to start their first christmas as a couple, especially this early but, he couldn't forget that juliannah was helena's sister. and that he wasn't the only one grieving his former girlfriend.

"...i know baby but, that doesn't mean today has to be sad..." lando trailed off, hoping he didn't say anything offensive as helena smiled

"...it won't be, babe. i was just merely saying that for you. i know you still struggle with juliannah's death more than i do and i was her sister. i just wanna make sure you are okay my love. christmas and the holidays in general are so difficult for those who are grieving and i just wanna make sure you're taken care of and not struggling," helena spoke softly as she brushed her fingers through lando's hair as he smiled, his eyes clouded with tears of thanks

"thank you, darling. i appreciate you so much, you know that right?" lando whispered as his emotions got the better of him as helena smiled

"i do know that. you never go a minute without telling me. c'mon, it's christmas, we can't be sad! we have things to do and our families to see!" helena smiled, removing the quilts as she hopped out of bed, lando smiling and shaking his head as he followed

they got dressed in their outfits they had meticulously planned days in advance. lando in a white button down and green chinos that just made him look oh so attractive as he left the first two unbuttoned whilst helena was wearing a lovely floor-length green velvet dress with white heels so they were matching.

since they were visiting helena's family first for brunch and then lando's family for dinner, they decided to chuck all the presents in their car so they didn't have to worry about whether or not they'd remembered all the presents or not. each family member, on both sides, got four gifts each which meant a lot of money was spent by lando and helena for their families but they didn't mind. they'd happily go bankrupt if it meant their families had everything they ever wanted in the world. they both knew both families were still struggling with the loss of juliannah and they couldn't blame them. lando's family because their son and brother was dating her and helena's family because not only was one of their daughter's dating lando but now the second daughter was. not that they hated the fact that helena and lando were dating. they were the happiest in the world to know that helena and lando fell in love with each other. they were happy knowing that juliannah had given specific, written permission that if anything were to happen to her before lando ever had the chance to propose to her, that he had permission to fall in love with helena. but, her rules were, as she laid on her death bed, that lando and helena were allowed to fall in love with each other but only if the foundation wasn't from their trauma bond of the loss of juliannah. and if it was then, it wasn't okay for them to be with each other.

however, everyone, including those who were watching the relationship flourish during formula 1 races, started to realise the profound bond that they had with one another and it made them completely forget about the fact that lando used to date juliannah. it seemed as though helena was lando's true soulmate, not juliannah. so, because of that, no one batted an eyelid at the two of them being in a relationship together because it was clear there was no trauma bond in their relationship but a soul connection that was never there before.

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

after brunch with helena's family, the couple said their goodbyes, thanking them for the wonderful time and left for lando's' family house. thankfully both families lived in bristol still so there was no cross country trips this christmas. driving to his childhood home had never caused lando this much stress. the velvet box now felt heavy in his pocket and it seemed as though helena realised that something was stressing her boyfriend out.

"...babe, are you okay?" helena questioned, turning the volume nob on the radio down ever so slightly

"yeah...yeah, i'm fine babe! just forgot how stressful the drive back to my childhood home can be sometimes," lando giggled, of course it was well known how shitty of a liar he was but this time, helena didn't question it

"as long as you're okay babe, that's all i care about. i love you," helena smiled as she ruffled his hair as lando chuckled as he turned the music back up as helena shook her head as she giggled

"i love you too babe," lando smiled as he continued driving, the bryan adams song blaring loudly

the couple finally arrived at the norris household and it seemed as though it was only getting closer and closer to the time that lando was going to propose. sure, it seemed way too early to propose especially since it's only been a year, nearly two, since juliannah's death, he knew he loved helena and wanted to marry her. he didn't want to wait any longer for helena just in case he lost her in the same way he lost juliannah. he didn't want that to ever happen again so, his thought was if he proposes to her and then marries her quickly, he'd feel better if anything bad to either of them was to happen. because, people had to realise that this was lando's new normal and it was helena's new normal since the loss of their ex-girlfriend and sister. and it was time to accept the fact that lando couldn't act miserable for the rest of his life and never fall in love again.

walking into the house of her boyfriend's, helena spoke up, "...merry christmas cisca and adam!" she smiled, pulling her boyfriend's parents in for an embrace

"merry christmas helena! thank you again for making the drive from your folks' place!" cisca smiled as she finally let go of the girl so lando's siblings could tackle the girl into one of their group hugs

cisca then hugs her son as does adam as helena continues their conversation, "oh, of course cisca. we couldn't have missed christmas dinner with you guys! besides, i don't think i could stand being with my family for the whole day. especially when a distant cousin is still flabbergasted by the fact lando is able to and allowed to fall in love again but most importantly with his former girlfriend's sister!" helena sighed, pulling out of the norris siblings hug as cisca's face hardened and her eyes widened

"that distant cousin is still invited to these things?!" cisca was flabbergasted as helena chuckled as did lando as he hugged his siblings

"unfortunately he is. besides, he was that one cousin that always had a weird obsession with juliannah so, yeah, i don't know why mum and dad still allow that man in our house every holiday..." helena trails off as she shudders as does cisca and adam

"...that's disgusting! are you sure your parents aren't also kind of, enabling him, by allowing him to keep on coming to these events?" adam speaks up this time, his arms crossed over with a christmas hat on his head as helena sighs

"oh, they are for sure enabling him and it's disgusting but, what more can we do i guess?" helena sighs as she shakes her head

"i'm guessing they blame the grief of juliannah as the excuse for this particular cousin?" adam groans as he still has his arms crossed over

"most of the family has that as their excuse as a reason for majority of their behaviour and honestly, it's pissing me off. cause, both me and lando also lost juliannah but we're not breaking rules or being inappropriate!" helena sighed as did adam and cisca as lando just stayed silent, not knowing if he should speak up just yet

it was unbelievable what people in helena's family got away with but especially now that they had the "excuse" of the death of juliannah and their grief to lean on, they were for sure milking it for more than it was worth. however, the family decided just to start the christmas celebrations with the presents and festivities cause there was no longer any point in dwelling on the things that helena's family do.

however, it was during the giving out of the presents that, things took a turn but, not so much for the worst...

.·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·..·:*¨༺ ༻¨*:·.

...helena sighed happily, all of the christmas presents had been handed out and she flopped back to the couch, where she thought lando was waiting for her. however, he wasn't and she just flopped straight onto the couch below her, not onto the cushyness of her boyfriend. confused, she grunted and pushed herself off the couch, only to find her boyfriend on his hands and knees grabbing something from underneath the christmas tree.

"...lando, babe, what are you doing? all the presents have been given out!" helena chuckled as she rubbed the sore spot on her back where she fell onto the couch

the families watched on, knowing exactly what was going on, their faces looking like creepy clowns, their mouths open so wide from happiness and excitement. helena however, was completely confused, thinking that everyone had been given their presents and that it was hopefully time to go back to their own house to see if they could spend the last few hours of christmas day alone.

however, it seemed as though misha had one last trick up his sleeve and, he produced it. getting off the floor, he walked over to helena. it seemed as though helena realised what was happening as she didn't even wait for lando to open the velvet box let alone go down to his knee and formally ask her...

"...yes!" helena responded hastily which caused giggles which then ultimately caused helena to freak out, thinking that lando wasn't actually proposing to her like she thought he was

lando giggled as he lowered himself down to his knee, opening the velvet box and decided that even though helena had already said yes, he was still going to say his prepared speech anyway. helena was no longer worried about lando actually not proposing to her. not that she expected it to happen on christmas eve but, alas, it was happening and she didn't stop it because she didn't want to stop it.

"helena, i thought i'd never be able to find love again, let alone so soon but, i think i was always destined to find love again and i did. i found it again with you and i'm so head over heels in love with you that i've never been so sure about anything in my life more than i have been sure about this. helena, will you marry me?" lando announced as helena smiled wide, nodding her head as she went down to her knees, kissing lando as they then helped each other back up

lando then placed the gorgeous vintage engagement ring on helena's left ring finger as the in-laws rushed over to embrace the newly engaged couple. after all the hugs and kisses, lando and helena finally got a moment to themselves where they just got to decompress and be with one another.

"...i love you so much, lando!" helena whispered, resting her forehead on her fiancé's as lando smiled

"i love you more, helena!" lando smiled, resting his head on helena's as they smiled at one another, pulling away

lando had never felt happier on any day for the entire year until this day. christmas day, the day he proposed to the love of his life, his soulmate. but, helena still asked him how he was.

"you okay, babe?" helena whispers as misha nods his head

"more than okay, i'm perfect actually," he whispers with a huge smile on his face as helena reciprocates

"same," she smiles as the engaged couple kisses

fin

ok this was fun and all peace

[bells-of-black-sunday]

Tarhos: ✦ Has your own interpretation changed from when you first began playing the character? & ♧ Any part of their canon portrayal you dislike?

Mun Interpretations | Accepting

✦ Has your own interpretation changed from when you first began playing the character?

Answered here!

Tl;dr: I used to write him a lot more loud and brash than I do now.

♧ Any part of their canon portrayal you dislike?

I mean this conspiracy with my full chest: I really think he was meant to be a "For Honor" collab and then the leaks dropped super early which forced Ubisoft to drop the license which messed up a lot, but since he was already meant to be an original killer it just forced them to do a lot of re-writes and now there's too many cooks in the kitchen with what they want to do with him on top of an utterly disastrous ptb and release. The guy who leaked him at like the beginning of the year when he had a November release was never wrong until that moment and he was even supposed to have a different map which Borgo does feel very empty still and he had leaked the entire artist chapter with production screenshots like a few months before her ptb too, so he had inside knowledge.

All this to say: I enjoy his lore and what they put into it, but I think he's a character you have to read between the lines to even begin to form something coherent.

His entire lore is hellbent on hammering it in over and over again that he loves death, destruction, and the violence he commits and sees the entity as paradise, but he also hates the church that enables what he does and laws and chivalry and everything else that enables him to commit as many atrocities as he wants to, but come on guys he's such a violent inhuman monster. That's why he talks so fondly about his mother that in his speech he kind of implies wishes she would've killed him to keep him out of the life he has now and rants to Vittorio about how he hates that these codes justify human atrocity.

You have cosmetics talking about how he's oh so violent, but then instead of tying to anything he did specifically, it was just the mercenary camp that owned him. The only times we ever really get to see anything he commits himself is when the entity is already inside his head forcing his anger and hatred to use him to summon it using the giant deus ex machina stone. He's constantly pulled between what the writers want from him, it's like they want him to be this ultra violent Michael Myers-esq force that commits horrific acts because he loves it, but also they want him to be this sympathetic figure that hates the violence he commits.

I also know the devs have said before many times that the killers that look the most fucked up are the ones who don't do what the entity wants them to, but why if Tarhos sees the Entity and the fog as paradise does he have wounds that won't heal? Why does he looked so incredibly fucked up, because I can guarantee you he would not be able to have those wounds and be alive. I know the common conception is that he did die and go into the fog, but that's also not true either because of one line:

"Amidst the carnage and chaos, the pack found Tarhos, and back-to-back, they became a whirlwind of death. Some believed their courage gave them luck. Others believed something otherworldly protected them."

It then later goes onto describe him stumbling through the fog, he is alive and walking when he first finds it. You'd think if he actually enjoyed the fog and saw it as his own paradise he'd be more willing to follow a God that he believes in. I swear to god his own lore continually contradicts itself and it's not even in a fun campy way, there's just too many writers that all want something different from him or they just can't write someone who copes with his own life by using violence as his only means of control well at all.

[shoothesky]

━━  ⊰  [  DAVID CORENSWET ,  28,  MALE,  HE/HIM]  the  ton  is  buzzing  !  have  you  heard  ?  CHARLES  ,  DUKE OF KENT  has  arrived  in  mayfair  !  i  have  been  told  that  he / she / they  are  POLITE &  KIND-HEARTED  but  are  also  STUBBORN  &  SELF-LOATHING  but  we  shall  know  more  about  them  as  the  season  progresses.  they  aim  to  SUPPORT HIS FAMILY & WED QUICKLY  before  the  season  ends.  we  cannot  be  too  sure  but  it  is  said  that  their  loyalties  lie  WITH  THE  CROWN  & HIS FAMILY.  how  true  ?  we  are  yet  to  find  out.  [  kris  ,  27 ,  she/her,  mst,  n/a]

full name: charles gregory hanover

known as: charlie

title: duke of kent

age : 28

gender/pronouns: male; he/him

sexual orientation: pansexual

i. upbringing

it is quite well known that charlie is the youngest of the hanover brothers. a boy who grew with a silver spoon in his mouth, got everything he ever wanted, but was never meant to rule. in fact he was always a last choice, for most everything. although he was always suspected to support his brother once he was to become king. to be by his side. his mother taught him that although the throne was in their blood...family was far more important. and that is what he lived by. charlie was kind to everyone he met, taking every lesson, and made sure his family name was in tact. and it was. although he had no upper hand when it came to his family. as he grew it bothered him greatly, that he would live such a life and not have purpose. so much so...he decided to join in the british military, much like the men who served the country his family so ruled.

ii. the war trigger warning: death mention & injury

charlie was well known during his time serving the military. at first it was merely for his family's status, but later as time grew, he was known for how he performed in the military. for once and only once in his life, he was a true leader. he had the hand that lead the charge. he was the one people followed, and for a while, it was a great feeling, and he thrived in it. he served for some years, and eventually made his ranking as a captain. he wrote to his family, telling his adventures oversees, and around the world. and shared his ambitions of one day becoming a general in the military when he was older. all his life seemed of purpose for once, and he was quite happy. then the unthinkable happened, when one day he and his team were ambushed, in a horrific act from the other side. the attack killed over half his men, and left the rest wounded. and charlie was able to get away, but leaving his leg completely shattered, his mind full of rage, and his heart empty.

iii. coming home trigger warning: ptsd, trauma

when charlie returned to his family, to his rightful place as the duke of kent, it was a ceremonious celebration. people cheering, and the highest honor of being knighted by his mother, the queen. however, he felt completely opposite. he cared not for his honors, or those who thanked him for his service. how could you thank someone who failed a group of truly honorable men? now charlie walks with a cane, as if he was twice his age. he suffers from nightmares of the time in his war, that he keeps secrets. he gets emotional at times he should be strong. and has a in reality hurts deeply on the inside. the only that would keep him sane is painting, and reading, all things he loved once. but he keeps his inner troubles a secret. instead he wants to marry, and quickly. support his family, especially after his sister-in-law passed, and will do anything to do so....even if it means making a deal.

[peppermintfreak]

Pairing my characters with cold case episodes that I associate with them

Tasha

It takes a village. A young girl that was failed by adults and led to a vengeful killing spree in her adolescence. When she had nothing to run from anymore she took her own life in the same location where it all began.

Sleepover. The friendship of tasha and her friend whom she got lost with began to fade and their first nights in the strange new world led to show how much they really were on thin ice with one another. Her friend openly disliked her view on the the situation the two endured back in their world, and when the friend disappeared after she got fatally hurt, tasha interpreted it to mean she would rather die alone as something else than stay in her presence.

Fiammetta

A dollar, a dream. A young woman, who as a result of a horrific event lost her home and along with her brother stranded from their family. Having to rely on no one but herself to make ends meet for both, she succumbs to dealing with hard decisions that later taint her image in her brother's eyes.

Baby blues. The aftermath of her daughter's birth encourages fia's already troubled mind to eventually leave her and her brother behind. This takesplace during a snowstorm which is a bonus given what happens in baby blues.

Vanja

Mindhunters. Displeased with mankind and everyone alike, every other year, a woman returns on a spree of breaking the will of anything she meets in the most creative ways. Her games continue even in death.

Revenge. Still full of anger for what was done to her, vanja returns one last time where they all used to live to smear people who wronged her off the face of the earth. She pulled the trigger at only one of them as the other was missing.

Michael

The woods. An exiled ruler has gone rogue and decided to put a stop the human woman causing terror, only to be met with a familiar face. Taunting him with their shared indignities, the woman broke his front and his temper easily got the best of him. They had a short stand-off before the woman met a violent end.

Hayes

Commited. A little boy that was speculated by doctors to be of ill mind was subjected to lobotomy in an attempt to be fixed. Horrified with what has been done to him, his brother took him to their garden one snowy night and reminded him about the times he used to spend there. He was ultimately left there and with half a mind beguiled by his stories, the boy wandered around until he drowned in their lake.

Giulie

Fireflies. A girl's memories preserved a friendship in which her trust was betrayed, but for it was holding onto them that helped her lessen the pain of what she was doing. Unlike her, her friend wasn't of the same luck and he didn't remember anything until the two were too far apart.

Felicia

Daniela. During a simpler time, a girl finds herself in a young man who grew to love her for who she truly was. Soon the young man's father found out about the girl and forced him to reject her. Felica is the only character that was inspired by cold case and her series counterpart dies in the episode, which is the only part i changed.

[sillyrabbit81]

Hi dear

I'm a big fan of your writing, especially the way you write Sy. Love it. If you are still taking prompts, I have one.

How would Henry and his characters react to having an Erectile dysfunction?

I think that topic is not being discussed enough.

🖤🖤🖤

Thanks for the ask Anon. I was having trouble with this ask so I discussed it with @henryobsessed and we worked on it together. To be fair, she did most of it! If you haven’t read any of her work I suggest you visit her blog and take a look at her Masterlist . She is a great friend and has a wonderful perspective and a unique style. I love her!

@henryobsessed here I have to interject and have my say too, I loved this request, it was so much fun finding creative ways to discuss a delicate subject. And for the record I may have done more characters but @sillyrabbit81 wrote more words per character HAHAHA. You are a wonderful Friend and Cavill sister you inspire and push me to be myself and I cannot be more grateful. That being said have fun reading guys 😊

Summary: Situations in which Henry and his characters suffer erectile dysfunctions

Word Count: approx 3k

Warnings: smut, masturbation (m), oral sex (m and f receiving), anal play, p in v sex, bad medical advice, incorrect use of prescription medication, bodily fluids, period sex, drunk sex, Dom/sub relationship, descriptions of violence and death,

Masterlist

Erectile Dysfunction Headcanon

Henry Cavill

Henry had been filming for months and now he was headed home for a week’s break. You sat there waiting in the tinted people mover, as Henry was ushered to the car. Lights blinded you as the door opened, he climbed in, and smiling a weary grin, he pulled you into a big bear hug. He missed you so much.

That night, he fell into your arms in a passionate embrace. You had both craved each other, missing one another’s touch. As the night progressed, you noticed things were different. For the first forty minutes you were ecstatic, he had bought you to orgasm three times. Your body was super sensitive, but every time he seemed to be close himself, the phone would ring, indicating someone needed him. You had switched it off after an hour, having enough, and wanting his undivided attention.

Henry had managed to stay hard, but after an hour and a half, it was beginning to be painful for you, and he seemed no closer. Eventually, he flopped beside you, drained from the physical exertion.

“I don’t know what’s wrong. It’s like I’m right there, but I can’t let go.”

You brought him into your arms, and caressing his back said, “Don’t worry love. It will be ok. Just give yourself a day, and maybe we can shut your phone off. I think the stress it is causing you might be a big part of the problem.”

He huffed at the thought. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe.” He sighed and soon you heard soft snores spilling from his lips.

Walter Marshall

It had been a long day, scratch that a long month. Walter had been working day and night to catch a serial killer. That night as he came home, he couldn’t forget the latest victim. What they had found had turned his stomach. In all the years he had been on the force, nothing could have prepared him for what they found that night.

Arriving home he collapsed on the bed, he was so physically exhausted, and for once sleep immediately consumed him. He woke nearly twelve hours later to the smell of bacon, eggs, and coffee. He groaned; he had forgotten it was his two-year anniversary with you. Walking into the bathroom he washed his face, staring at the blood shot eyes reflected back at him.

“Come on man, get it together. You promised her,” Walter tried to fire himself up. It was no use, he was spent. Sighing, he walked into the kitchen wrapped his arms around you and breathed in the soft floral scent in your hair. For the first time in days, he felt a spark within himself, and although the horrific images still played on his mind, he felt a slight peace. He kissed your head, relieved, something could still reach him, something was still good. “Happy anniversary, love,” he growled.

After a wonderful breakfast, Walter sat on the couch with you and the two of you cuddled while watching a movie. His eyes kept sliding shut, his exhaustion made worse by his full belly. His fatigue became even more apparent when after reaching your hand beneath the blanket, you could not bring his flaccid muscle to attention.

Normally this situation would turn heated quickly, you had a way with your tongue that often had him begging for more. But Walter couldn’t get rid of the images in his mind, the battered and dismembered bodies, and the fact they were no closer to catching the killer weighed most heavily on his thoughts.

After half an hour of you trying to arouse him, Walter said in a resigned voice, “Sorry love, I don’t think I can.” With eyes that spoke of immense pain he looked at you and asked, “Could we please just cuddle? I think I need that more than anything right now.” In that moment he knew you were the one for him. He had expected huffing or crying because you thought you weren’t good enough or you asking him to please you. Instead, you had adjusted your position, so he was tucked into your body, holding him close while your hand stroked his curls.

A calm filled his soul as you whispered, “I am here for whatever you need my love. Rest now.”

Captain Syverson

You were just about to turn the light off and go to sleep when you heard the front door open with a crash and heard a rough curse. You grin, Sy was home and wasn’t sober. You knew what that meant, rough, wild, primal fucking. You quickly turn the light off and hide under the covers, well acquainted with the game, you knew how to play your part.

“Where are ya, woman?” Sy’s voice boomed at your bedroom door. “Don’t think you can hide from me. I’m hungry!”

You peek out from under the blanket, Sy had turned the light on again and was quickly undressing. You lick your lips, watching your big furry ox as he dropped his jeans, and his cock was revealed already on its way to being hard. Turning suddenly, he saw you, and you yelped covering your face again. “I see you woman, don’t play shy!” You giggle nervously, excited, your core already dampening with arousal.

Sy pulls the covers back and smirks as he sees you’re already naked waiting for him, “You’re a cheeky little thing ain’tcha?” You bite your lip, opening your legs slightly, inviting him in. Grabbing your ankles, he pulls you down the bed and gets on his knees. A low growl emanates from his throat before he dives between your legs feasting on you with an eagerness that brings you swiftly to your peak.

Licking at his lips and sucking on his glistening whiskers, he stands up pumping his cock getting it ready. Your brows pull together, puzzled, he’s always hard when he eats you out. You don’t have time to dwell on it because he’s soon ready. Sy flips you onto your knees before he enters and begins his assault on your core.

Something is wrong though, you can feel him falling out of you. Did he cum already? Sy mumbles curses, pulling out and you turn around and see him fisting himself again as he slips his fingers inside you. In a few moments he is hard again, removing his fingers and replacing it with his cock. You sigh, relieved, as he builds his rhythm, and you hear him start to groan. But soon, it happens again, and try as he might he just can’t stay hard.

“Fuck,” Sy growls. You turn around and see the look on his face, a mix of frustration and embarrassment that melts your heart. “I think I drank too much Sugar,” he says, running his hand over his short hair. “Fuck. This hasn’t happened… Fuck!”

“Hey!” you say sharply to get his attention.

“What?” Sy replies just as sharply, but he doesn’t look at you.

“It’s fine, Baby,” you assure him. You see him jut his jaw and you reach up and cup his cheeks, making him look at you. “It’s ok. You’re just a little too drunk,” you smile and give him a soft kiss. “It happens.”

“Not to me it don’t.”

“It’s not forever,” you say. “Come on, let’s go to sleep. I’m sure it’ll be back normal in the morning.” You kiss him again and pull his head down to whisper in his ear, “maybe you could wake me up like you did last week.” You pull back and smirk raising your eyebrows.

Sy grins, still a little sheepish, but there was a hint of mischief in his eyes again, “You’re a good thing, Sugar.” He kisses your forehead and says, “I love you.”

Geralt of Rivia

Geralt had never in his life had this happen before. The bar maid who had eagerly agreed to keep his bed warm on this cold winter’s night, gaped in confusion.

How could it be? She thought, All the myths about Witcher’s said they were virile and could last most of the night. She had been consumed with the thought ever since The White Wolf had arrived in the area and was quick to accept his offer to take her to his bed. She was bitterly disappointed and pouted at Geralt. Her sweet, plump lips alone should have been enough to make his cock stand, but tonight it lay unmoving, and useless.

That blasted sorcerer, it must have been him who had cast a curse on Geralt. It could be the only explanation for his inadequate showing. Looking at the poor wench beside him, Geralt pitied her. She had been most eager to satisfy his needs tonight, giving a valiant effort to arouse him. No matter, he had other ways to enjoy bringing her to the height of pleasure. Granted he didn’t normally concern himself with their needs as his own normally coincided with theirs. But tonight, his fingers, and tongue would be adequate until he broke the curse and returned to give her what she truly deserved.

Mike

The party had been epic, the drinks flowed, pot was smoked in abundance and Mike had managed to capture the attentions of a wonderful long legged blonde beauty. She helped him back to her apartment and his heart rate raised as she slowly stripped him, leaving him in all his naked glory. Laying on the bed he watched as she did a strip tease for him, her perky breasts bouncing as she jiggled her ample peach in his face.

But something was wrong, the situation was right, she was right but… he held his hand out to the two or was it three beauties before him. One took his hand as he guided her to sit in his lap. He caressed her as they kissed, his tongue violating her mouth with as much enthusiasm as his inebriated self could manage. Even with her grinding against him nothing happened.

“Shit” he swore.

The girl frowned and her lips seemed to move in twisted patterns which stilled again before she snickered. An evil cackle reverberated in her throat and her face twisted into that of a demented creature. “Can’t get it up, boy?” she taunted as she continued to laugh. She collected his clothes and managed to push him out of her bedroom and into the night. Standing in the cold with only his briefs covering his body, he stumbled as he began his walk of shame home.

August Walker

August Walker was hands down, far and away, the greatest lover you have ever had. He was the only man who had ever been able to keep up with you, your average session lasting for four hours. He was able to cum and get hard again faster than any guy you had ever been with too.

But being with August meant following The Rules. There were many Rules, rules which governed how you would dress when you saw him, how you were groomed, how you were to address him and when you could contact him. There were punishments too, but you had been a good girl, never broken any of his rules, so you never gave the punishments a thought.

One of the many Rules was absolutely no snooping. He said it was for your protection as much for his privacy. You didn’t know exactly how August made his money, but you assumed it had to be from some sort of illegal activity. So, you obeyed this rule as you did the others until one evening after a marathon session, you realised you got your period. You were shocked August hadn’t said anything, clearly he had continued to fuck you while you were bleeding. You started opening his bathroom cupboards searching for a tampon or pad or something, hoping you wouldn’t have to stuff your panties with toilet paper until you got home.

You opened the cupboard behind the mirror and were surprised to see a pill bottle with little blue tablets. You recognised them and after checking the label and confirming it you were speechless. August used Viagra? But, it didn’t seem possible that he would need it, his stamina was out of this world… unless…

“What do you think you are doing Petal?” August said from the doorway, a box of tampons and a towel was in his hands.

Quickly recovering your senses, you grabbed the box and towel out of his hands and kissed his cheek saying, “Looking for those. Thank you, August.”

Quicker than you thought possible you were bent over the counter, cheek pushed into the stone benchtop. “You found my pills,” August said coldly. Leaning his body over yours, his weight pushed down on you, holding you in place as he kicked your legs apart. You muffled a cry as you felt him hard again against your ass. “I don’t need them, for most women, Petal. But for particularly slutty, insatiable, cock hungry brats such as yourself, it’s a necessary assistance.”

“I didn’t mean to pry,” you murmured, hoping he would take pity on you. Tears welled in your eyes as his finger pressed against your ass, forcing your tight muscles apart and you cried as he entered you. “I’m sorry, August.”

“My dear sweet, Pet,” August grunted as he violated you with a second finger. “If you aren’t sorry now, you will be.”

Napoleon Solo

Napoleon had been watching the siren from a distance all night. Her lithe body commanded all around to her attention. After she finished singing her call to the night goddess, he made his move. Two drinks in hand he set his sights and went in for the kill.

The two danced, drank and now were in her apartment, laid out on her bed he was happily pleasing her, mouth buried between her delicious thighs. His tongue flicked expertly over her button bringing her to climax, exciting his body, he climbed forward and for the first time that night claimed her lips. They kissed passionately until something changed, his mind grew foggy, and his cock deflated.

“Aww, is the great Casanova having trouble?” she laughed her sweet siren song changing to a bitter retort. His confused eyes tried to fix on hers as she began to distort, her last words filling his gut with fear. “Don’t worry love. I’ll take good care of you Napoleon Solo.”

Clark Kent

Clark was in college and his new friend Tommy was egging him on to take Crystal out for a date. He couldn’t understand why the cheerleader wanted to take him out. He wasn’t anything special as far as she knew, but she had been flirting with him all week.

Dinner was nice and Clark was surprised when Crystal suggested they return to her share house for dessert. Nervous as he was around her, he was pleased when after ice cream he had allowed her to talk him into a make out session in her room. They had only been in the room a few moments when he had felt strange. They had been kissing, it was enjoyable, but his stomach had begun to feel off and he felt unusually tired and weak.

The more they kissed the more frustrated he was to realise he wasn’t getting a rise out of his little friend. He noticed a pendant hanging on the wall near her bed, the green stone glowed eerily at him giving him a bad vibe. After a few more moments he politely excused himself, saying he must have eaten something off. Clarke murmured apologies and gave promises that he would call her and he left. Strangely, by the time he left her house he felt better, as if he had never felt ill at all. He was only a little upset that he had ruined his chances with Crystal, something about that pendant made him hope he would never see it again.

Charles Brandon

Charles sat in the apothecary rooms, wondering what he had gotten himself in for. The King had recommended him when Charles confided in his friend of his problem.

“So young man, why are you here?” the old man asked, his face kind but stern.

“Well, I’ve been having trouble, when I pee it burns and well, I can get an erection, but it deflates quickly and sometimes I cannot get one at all. I’m also having abdominal pain.”

The old man chuckled. After examining the affected area, he turned to his wall of potions. Pulling together some salves, and powdered herbs he turned to address the Charles. “Here, rub this on the affected area twice a day, and drink this tea three times a day.” The apothecary paused and said with a grin, “And finally, give the ladies from court a rest for a bit, you will regain your vigour again.”

Shame and chagrin filled Charles as he pulled his coverings back over his privates. Taking the medicines, he snuck out of the room trusting that no one saw him, and hoping against all hope, that this would work.

Sherlock Holmes

Sherlock sits back in satisfaction, marvelling at his new invention. Based on some literature he read from the America’s he perfected the design and made it fit himself perfectly.

Having commissioned the glass tube and rubber attachments, the contraption worked by winding a small handle, creating the necessary suction to create a vacuum, pooling enough blood into his cock to make it erect. By placing a rubber ring at the base of his shaft, he found he was able to maintain an erection for approximately thirty minutes. He could even bring himself to orgasm by his own hand.

It really was a delightful invention. Now, he just had to find that little vixen of a maid and see if it worked with her too. Perhaps he should try and use her mouth first.

Tag List 1

@henryobsessed @omgkatinka @legendarywizarddetective @posiemax @nostalgicb-txh @moonlacebeam @anitababi @agniavateira @blakerogue @shadesofarrogance @mansaaay @stxlemate @wheretheriversrunintothesea @amberangel112 @madbaddic7ed @eldarwen333 @wolvesandhoundshowltogether @summersong69 @littlefreya @littlebirdofrivia @luclittlepond @myloveforhenrycavill @mary-ann84 @tellingyouastory @beck07990 @zealoushound @sofiebstar @sweetlybigdragonn @bloodyinspiredfuck @marantha @diegos-butt @greensleeves888 @endofalldays01 @justaboringadult @ysmmsy @offroadinjandals @littlewrenofrivia @pussyverson @foxyjwls007 @kebabgirl67

[wiypt-writes]

Soft Landing

One Shot

Summary: Vacation get-aways don’t always let you escape the past, but maybe you can help bring Andy back to the present. Just be careful not to pick up too many bumps and bruises along the way… Pairing: Andy Barber x Reader

Warnings: Smut (NSFW, 18+) Angst, language!

A/N: So this is another entry for @imanuglywombat​ ‘s  “Is That Even A Sex Position” weekly challenge. This position is called “Louise”. See here for more information. This is my first time writing for Andy, and it appears I can’t even do a single smutty one shot for Lawyer daddy without inserting a fuck tonne of angst so…sorry!!!

Disclaimer: This is a pure work of fiction and classified as 18+. Please respect this and do not read if you are underage. I do not own any characters in this story bar the reader and other mentioned OCs. By reading beyond this point you understand and accept the terms of this disclaimer.

Tagged my permanent tag list.

Masterlist

*****

 You stirred in your bed, turning over and reaching out for your husband only to be met empty space, your fingers grasping at the cool sheets. Blinking, you propped yourself up on your forearms, squinting as your eyes grew accustomed to the low light in the hotel bedroom before you sat up, stretched a little and swung your legs out of bed.

You made your way out of the bedroom, poking your head into the next room down and, satisfied everything in there was as it should be, you made your way through to the living area of the suite and glanced around, spotting that the curtains covering the door leading to the balcony were blowing a little in the soft breeze.

You padded over to the door, pulled back the curtains a little more and you could just make out Andy’s frame, his broad, bare shoulders silhouetted against the early morning sun. Shoulders which carried a much heavier burden than when you had met almost six years previously.

You had been fresh out of law school back then, and he was not-so-fresh out of a break up with his wife. Neither of you had been looking for anything, but as is always the case, you always find the best things when you’re not searching.

Simply put, Andy Barber had swept you off your feet.

At almost 10 years his junior, the comments at first had been unkind but not unexpected. You’d been labelled “the rebound”, his “early midlife crisis”, a “convenient way to keep his dick warm whilst he got over Laurie.” But talk is cheap, as you had both proven when three years to the date you’d met he got down on one knee and you became relabelled his fiancée.

A year post that you relabelled again as his wife. And some twenty one months ago you’d relabelled once more as the mother of his child. A daughter he claimed looked just like you.

Ironically, you’d actually fallen pregnant on the last vacation you had taken. A family getaway to Mexico following Jacob’s acquittal when you’d all wrongly assumed the horrific dream was over, and you could finally wake up and get on with your lives.

You couldn’t have been more wrong.

In some sick twist of fate, you’d discovered you were pregnant the day of the accident that had claimed Jacob’s life, and later that of Laurie’s. The elation you and Andy had felt at the fact you were going to be parents together had been wrenched away from you in a single phone call from the police, and once more that shroud of dark despair had descended on your life turning the dream into a nightmare once more.

And for Andy the nightmares still continued, some two years post Jacob’s death and you knew without even seeing his face that was what had woken him and why he was now sat on the balcony of your stunning ocean view hotel suite in Cascais, Portugal instead of being in bed besides you.

“Hey.” You spoke softly as you slid the door open and he turned to look at you, his eyes carrying the familiar warmth that they always held for you, as you stepped into the balcony, taking care to leave the door open a crack just in case your daughter woke.

“Hey, Sweetheart.” He gave you a smile as you approached the sun-lounger he was perched on, facing out over the Atlantic, the first glimmer of the mid-June sun peeking over the horizon. “I didn’t wake you or Lia did I?”

Lia, or Halia to use her full name. Chosen by you and Andy for its meaning. A Hawaiian name for remembrance of a loved one. In this case the brother she would never meet.

“No, I checked in on her. She’s flat out.” You assured him, as he moved his legs, dropping them either side of the lounger allowing you to sit in between them, cross legged as you faced him. You studied him for a moment, cocking your head to one side as he gave you a gentle smile. “Get out of there, Bubs.” You gently reached up, tapping the side of his temple and he took a deep breath, his hand curling round yours, lacing your fingers together.

“Sorry, just got caught in a memory.” He offered as explanation. And to be fair, you didn’t need him to clarify any further. You knew, you always knew.

“You wanna talk about it?”

“Not really.” He swallowed, so you didn’t press further. You respected his wishes, just like he did to yours.

“Do you want a hug?” You offered instead, and he gave a soft smile, opening his arms. You shifted onto your knees, scooting forwards a little, wrapping your arms around him as he pressed his face into your neck, taking a deep breath as your hand ran through his soft hair and down his neck in gentle, sweeping arcs. You sat in silence for a moment, the lapping of the waves against the shore the only noise you could hear as you held him close, feeling him nuzzle further into you.

“Thank you.” He mumbled against your skin and you pulled back a little, sitting back on your heels as you looked at him

“What for?”

“Everything.” He shrugged, his hand reaching up and tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, his eyes soft as he studied your face for a moment, his gaze flicking to your lips before it went further down and he arched an eyebrow. “And for wearing that.”

You chuckled a little as you glanced down at the pale blue silk slip, one of the thin straps had slipped down your shoulder slightly, your nipples pebbled against the thin fabric. “Well, someone bought it for me.” You looked back at him, smiling as you tugged your bottom lip in between your teeth.

“Yeah?” Andy’s eyes moved back to yours. “Anyone I know?”

“No, just someone very special to me.” You leaned forwards to press your lips to his.

“He’s a lucky man.” Andy whispered against your mouth

“I’m the lucky one.” You mumbled back. “And, whilst we’re on the subject, I would also like to thank you for what you’re wearing.” You grinned, your hands flat on his chest, smoothing down a little before they trailed back upwards, curling over his strong shoulders.

“I’m not.”

“Exactly.” You smirked, kissing him softly again.

Eventually the teasing pecks flowed into something much stronger, Andy’s arms curling round you, pulling you closer, domineering swipes of his tongue against yours set every single nerve in your body on edge. Your hand moved back down his chest, tracing his soft abs before you palmed his growing bulge through the sleep pants he was wearing, causing him to grunt a little.

Without a word, one of his hands trailed up the outside of your thigh, the other making its way along the inside of your opposite knee and you shifted a little, parting your legs, as his fingers delicately danced upwards to where you wanted him the most. When they softly parted your intimate lips he gave a little groan as he realised you were wearing no panties, and you swallowed as his fingers swirled in your slick, the pad of his thumb grazing your nub ever so gently.

“Always so ready for me.” He hummed.

“Yeah, it’s a curse.” You whispered back, as his spare hand slid the other strap of your slip down, his lips pressing a tender kiss to your shoulder as he pulled the front of the garment down, freeing your breasts. As he kissed his way along the swell of your cleavage, his tongue softly teased each taught nipple and your whimper caught in your throat, emerging as nothing but a soft squeak of delight. You felt his mouth curl up into a smile against your skin and you gently wrapped your hand around his wrist, halting his teasing fingers.

“Andy, I want you.” You whispered, your head falling back as you rocked your hips forwards against his hand as you held it in place. “Please.”

Andy didn’t reply, but with a grace unbefitting a man of his stature, he moved, kneeling up as he pulled his sleep pants down, his gorgeous cock springing free and slapping gently against the thin strip of hair that led down from his belly button. He drew his knees apart slightly as his hands grabbed your hips and he hauled you towards him, his lips pressing back to yours.

You positioned yourself over him, your knees hugging his torso as you lowered yourself down, both of you giving a groan as you took him in. Your feet remained by his knees, one hand sliding round his neck, fingers tangling in the hair at the nape of his neck, the other gripping at his forearm.

Andy rolled his hips upwards as you pressed your forehead to his, noses bumping together as he moved you gently, his rhythm slow and needy from the off. Large hands slid along your thighs, gently palming your ass before they slid up the back of your silk slip, coming to rest tenderly on your spine, holding you close. As he rocked upwards, you let your head fall back slowly and let out a soft sigh of delight as his lips caressed your throat, barely there kisses moved down your neck, that beard you loved so much scratching your skin as he went. Your grip on his arm and neck tightened a little, your nails softly grazing the nape of his neck as he once more lavished affection on your chest, and this time it was his turn to let out a soft groan into your skin. He loved when you touched him there, you’d often made a joke about how if he was a cat it would make him purr.

His mouth moved upwards again, tongue dipping into the hollow of your throat, tracing a path up to your jaw before his lips caught yours again, the kiss deep and needy, like he was at that moment. Your tongues danced lazily together, matching the slow, steady roll and rocking motion your hips were making. With a low grunt, Andy broke away, pulling back a little, his nose nudging your chin as he placed a soft kiss once more to your neck, his rhythm never changing as his hands pulled you even closer, pressing your chest into his.

“Baby, look at me.” His voice was a whisper, and it was a request not a demand, but a request you were more than happy to meet. Your eyes locked onto those deep, ocean blues which were blown with love and lust and you simply held his gaze as he continued to rock up into you, stroking that spot inside that drove you wild.

You could feel the burning, deep in the pit of your stomach, and your hips started to move a little more as you ground down against him, desperate for the friction against your clit and you let out a little cry as you found it, Andy bucking up a little deeper and faster, reading your body language perfectly, just like he always could.

Moving your hands, you cupped his face, the pads of your fingers tangling in his beard as he closed his eyes, those ridiculously long eyelashes fluttering against his flushed cheeks and you pushed down again, rotating your hips, watching with satisfaction as he tipped his head back, a groan flowing freely from his lips, the softly whispered “don’t stop” barely audible, his voice was that deep.

Seeing him so suppliant was something you would never get tired of, because you loved this beautiful, wonderful man with everything you had. You’d both been through so much, yet still made it through the other side as strong as ever, the ultimate sign of your love sleeping in the room inside as you gave yourselves to one another whilst the dawn continued to break over the ocean, tendrils of light purples, oranges and yellow snaring around the pair of you, enveloping you in their warmth, heating the very depth of your souls.

“I love you.” You pulled his face back to yours, kissing him once more, your lips resting against his as you told him again. “I love you.”

“I love you too, so fahkin’ much.” His Boston twang grew more pronounced as did the movements of his hips, his rolls turning into thrusts as you met him movement for movement, pushing down, rocking yourself against him. The burn you had been feeling was now boiling hot as it bubbled to the surface, and you knew that any moment now you were going to erupt into flames.

“Fuck, Andy, I need…”

“Take it, Honey, it’s all yours…” He surged upwards, his hands flat against your back, pulling you to him as you kissed him deeply, before you’re head tipped back as the world around you tilted on its axis, your stomach tightening as you clenched down around him, your release crashing over you like the waves on the shore below. Your entire body went rigid, his name on your lips became nothing but a choked, strangled moan as he continued to rut up into you, his face pressing into your neck as he chased his own bliss.

"Fuck, Sweetheart..." Andy growled as with one final thrust upwards, his body stiffened and he spilled himself inside you, his cock twitching as the aftershocks of your orgasm kept your walls clamping down on him. His head tipped back, eyes fluttering shut and his jaw clenched before he relaxed a little, chest sagging as his arms clutched you to him, as if he never wanted to let you go.

Which, if he didn't, that was perfectly fine by you.

You leaned forward gently, sliding your nose along his, your lips brushing together as he gave a soft smile. With a satisfied sigh he leaned back, taking you with him as he made to settle you down against the back of the lounger you were laying on. Only he didn't stop, he kept going, his eyes flying open with surprise as the back of the lounger collapsed and you were suddenly pitched forward as the other end tipped up sending Andy crashing backwards onto the balcony with a loud bang as the metal frame of the lounger hit the sandstone tiled surface, you still clutched securely to his chest.

There was a pause as the pair of you looked at each other in surprise before Andy's head fell back and he gave a huge bellow of laughter and you hastily clamped your hand over his mouth in an attempt to stifle the noise, trying to supress your own giggles. One of Andy's hand's moved from your back as you sat up a little, legs still straddling his waist, his softening cock still stuffed deep inside you. He curled his fingers around the wrist of the hand you had pressed over his mouth and he pulled it away, pressing a kiss to your palm,  his beard twitching as he continued to chuckle softly, his eyes crinkled at the corner.

"You okay?" He asked, his lips curling up into a smile and you nodded, running your hands through his hair as his fell to your hips.

“Yeah, I had a soft landing.” You teased, causing him to snort out another laugh. "All these years and you can still make the Earth move for me, Barber."

"Well, I aim to please." he quipped as you leaned down to press your lips to his.

"Is everything alright?" You head a voice say which stopped you mid kiss. Your eyes flew open, as did Andy's and the pair of you looked at one another, as Andy started to laugh again.

"Yeah, fine, just a little...mishap with the sun lounger." You called over to where the voice had come from, the next room down to yours.

"But thank you for asking." Andy added, polite as always.

"No problem!" The male voice shot back, before you heard the sliding of a door and the click of a lock as it shut.

"Reminds me of that time at my parents when we broke my old bed." You giggled and Andy snorted, his hands smoothing over your thighs.

"In my defence, that thing was almost as old as me.”

"Well that's a load of shit." You grinned, looking down at him, your hands sliding through his rumpled, fluffy hair. "I only got it when I was eighteen, and given that you're ten years older than me that would mean-"

"Yeah, okay, shut up." He mumbled as his hand reached round the back of your neck, pulling you back down to him.

[lovesanmotion]

mafia!ateez reacts: comforting s/o with ptsd

💌 This is: Requested

[!] To those who are curious, PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that is caused by a traumatic or terrifying event - either witnessing or experiencing it. A few examples of it are: childbirth experiences (losing a baby), serious accidents, war and conflict, torture, being kidnapped or held hostage and seeing other people get killed before you.

Taglist: @yunhobabygurl

Hongjoong:

You felt like a failure, not only to yourself, but to your in laws as well. Three years after your marriage, they were already expecting a heir. At first, Hongjoong would lie and say that he is too busy to go back home and sleeps in his warehouse, but the longer he lies, the more he lacks reasons. You, on the other hand, tried your best to do everything just to be blessed with a child. You went to various temples and recited prayers, lit up incense sticks and performed rituals. You consulted love doctors to know which positions is best to have a baby, ate organs of various animals and countless made love with Hongjoong during the full moon. But all those efforts became vain when you would still get your monthly period.

You would cry to yourself while looking at the baby gifts your friends and his closest friends gave you. You couldn't bare any insult thrown at you by his mother or his father. The sight of them alone already gives you anxiety. Amidst of your crying, a pair of arms would wrap around you from behind and engulf you into a hug.

"We'll get through this together" Hongjoong says, resting his chin on your shoulder while caressing your stomach.

Seonghwa:

Even though Seonghwa had given the enemy group the five hundred grand, they still had a little time to have fun with you. While Seonghwa and his men were on their way to claim you, the men and their boss made you watch them kill the lives of innocent adults and children. If you look away, they would stab you. And if you closed your eyes, they would stab you but ten times more.

Days after the incident, you found it hard to look at anything that is red and sharp objects immediately triggered you. Upon the sight of a cutlery knife once sent you to tears and a sobbing mess while Seonghwa catches you in his arms. Seonghwa had ordered all the maids to hide anything sharp and pointy and discard anything red that they have and replace it with any color. Whenever you cried, Seonghwa would take you in his arms and bury your face on his chest. Neverminding how your tears would soak his button down shirt.

Yunho:

When Yunho refused to give in to the enemy group, they held hostage someone very dear to him. You. They had locked you up in a room inside their warehouse, the room didn't have anything except a hanging light and a chair you're currently bounded in. While the enemy group was waiting for Yunho, a female members of their entertained your room. Fearing the worst, she started throwing punches at your stomach as if you were a punching bag. When she learned that Yunho and his men arrived, she gave one last punch and that is to your jaw and falling down on the ground.

The aftermath of the horrific event paid a price to you. Whenever someone tried to get close or lay a hand on you, you would immediately scream and run away from them, raising your arms around yourself in a defensive position. This was especially hard for Yunho since he wanted to comfort you by having you in his arms, but couldn't due to your new fear of being touched. With this, he signed you up for therapy and bought the prescribed medication your therapist had given. And as you undergo therapy, Yunho would be delighted to make you your breakfast, send you gifts and place them inside your room and leave you love letters on top of your bed table. Hoping that one day, you would be able to overcome it.

Yeosang:

When the enemy group learned about you, Yeosang did not hesitate to get you into hiding. Immediately ordering four of his men to get the helicopter and locate you to a secret island, but on the way, the skies became grey and foggy, Yeosang on the other end of the intercom monitored your safety, following you in a ship in the waters. However, the line started to disrupt until he heard your screams and multiple gunshots. He took off the headset and stared up in the skies where he could make out the figure of the helicopter about to crash down.

The helicopter carried five people, including you. And it so happens that it was only you who survived the accident. You weren't facing anything serious, just a few scratches here and there, but whenever you heard loud sounds such as banging and ringing, you would immediately jump in your spot and your hands would automatically hold onto him. Yeosang would comfort you by holding your hand and caressing it gently with his. While doing so, he would do breathing exercises with you, it was simple but effective.

San:

When San managed to hide you underneath his desk, you couldn't help but overhear their conversation. Though nothing what they were talking about made sense to you, what stood and stuck inside your head were the words "If possible, I would have killed you with my bare hands right now and watch as the color in your skin fade into purple and blue." left you hanging and pondering over it.

And ever since that day, you couldn't look at San in the eyes anymore. You once tried to, but your mind played tricks and you saw how his lips turned into purple. It came to a point where you find it hard to sleep at night because the image of him being dead would be the first thing to greet you as your eyes closed. San would everything in his power to get rid of your disorder, but most importantly, he would also pay attention to what you feel about his lifestyle because, without denying it, it was him who brought you into this.

Mingi:

The sound of gunshots and bombs rang all over your ears, you swear you could lose your sense of hearing already. Bodies lying down on the ground, unmoving and still. You wondered how could he face this kind of scenario everyday. You tried to get away when a bomb exploded near you, causing you to fall on the ground, losing consciousness.

A few days after the terrifying event, Mingi observed how you became startled and frightened at the sounds of loud ringing, how you would zone out of yourself and sometimes, feel detached. Mingi swears that you're physically with him, but mentally somewhere else. He knew that after witnessing something so terrifying would cause you this, and that is why Mingi had you signed up for cognitive therapy. Hoping that your mind would bury the past events and be able to help you overcome it.

Wooyoung:

It had not only happened once, but it happened twice already. You've lost two of your unborn babies while giving a heir that would soon inherit Wooyoung's business. The loss of your children brought you great stress to yourself emotionally and physically that your health started to decline and your hair slowly started to grow white in your middle twenties.

When Wooyoung learned all of this, he gave the maids an indefinite vacation. One wherein he told them to rest and eat good food while he took his time taking care of you. Before leaving, the maids wished the young madam (aka you) a goodluck and speedy recovery. And in the succeeding days, Wooyoung would get up early and prepare everything for you. After that, he would go on long walks with you in the garden and pick flowers and make flower crowns. He wanted to divert your mind and away from all the negative you were thinking of. And he also took a mental note to dye your white hairs.

Jongho:

Before Jongho came to your rescue, you were placed inside a large fish tank with chains around your ankles and arms. Not understanding what you were doing inside at first until you felt the cold water at your feet. Finally realizing what was going to happen to you, you kept banging your hands on the screen of the tank, yelling that someone would hopefully hear you. Fear would slowly start to get you as soon as the water rises to your knees, it was useless to climb out with both of your hands tied. Slowly, the waters dangerously increased until they reached your waist. You were already floating in the water and the coldness starting raising the hairs in your arms. You tried screaming for help, particularly screaming Jongho's name. But your pleas were answered by nothing. And as the waters reached to your neck, you tilted your head up to give you more oxygen. Until slowly, the waters fully engulfed you. You held your breath before you could be succumbed, but it wasn't enough as a few minutes later, your body started to jerk and your head moving front and back and slowly, your eyelids closing down on you and your eyes rolling back.

Jongho was quick to saving you. After closing your eyes, he was able to break the human sized tank and caught you in his arms. Laying you down on the nearest surface he could find and then performing CPR on you. But even though he saved you from near death, he noticed how you would avoid taking baths and not coming out of the house when it was raining. He knew that the past event caused you to like this. At first, he tried to convince you to watch the rain with him, but you disagreed. Whenever you would take a shower, Jongho would have to be inside with you. In every step, Jongho would be there for you to overcome your fear and be able to face the waters once more.

[fridayfirefly]

Seeing Ghosts

Read Seeing Ghosts on AO3

Masterlist

For Maribat March Day 12 - Second Chance

For as long as she could remember, Marinette could see ghosts. It wasn't always the ghosts of strangers, though. Her ghost encounters started small. When Marinette was four years old, her parents told her that the family cat, Tikki, had left to live in the countryside. Marinette didn't understand, because Tikki still lived with them. Tikki still meowed for pets, still purred when Marinette pet her, still played with her favorite toy, the laser pointer that Marinette got for her last birthday. It wasn't until two weeks later, that Tom and Sabine sat Marinette down and explained to her that Tikki had died, that she needed to stop pretending that she was still there. Marinette was confused until she saw the way Tikki's paws batted right through her toys, the way she never ate the scraps that Marinette dropped on the floor. Marinette knew two things for sure: Tikki was dead and Marinette could still see her ghost.

For years and years, Tikki was the only ghost that Marinette saw. Then Marinette turned fourteen and Marinette could suddenly see.

They haunted the corners of her eyes, lurking in her periphery. They were just shadows, phantoms until Marinette focused her eyes, and then she could see them clear as day. Ghosts were real and Marinette could see them. Ghosts were real and they were everywhere, an inescapable reality for Marinette.

Quickly, the ghosts learned that Marinette could see them. They followed her around, lingering at the edge of her sight. She could hear them too, little whispers about the baker's daughter, the only person who could see them. However, none of the ghosts were bold enough to approach her. That was the status quo, until one day when Marinette came home from school one day to a ghost lurking in her room.

Marinette gasped as she saw the ghost sitting in the chair at her desk, staring at her with knowing blue eyes. He was her age, which made his brutal injuries all the more horrific to look at. His skull was caved in. His chest was mangled. His skin was shredded and burned. He had been beaten to death, tortured in his final moments.

"I've been told that you can see ghosts," the boy remarked, ignoring Marinette's shock entirely. He spoke in English instead of French, luckily Marinette's class had been learning both languages, so she was able to understand.

Marinette nodded, her throat suddenly unable to get a word out.

"You can hear ghosts, too. Can you bring them back to life?"

Marinette shook her head, clearing her throat as she began to speak in English, "I've never tried, but I don't think so."

"Could you try? For me?" pleaded the boy, the desperation in his expression breaking Marinette's heart.

"I don't even know you," said Marinette, trying to find a way to gently let the boy down. Seeing ghosts was one thing; bringing them back to life was another thing entirely.

"I'm Jason Todd." Jason stuck out his hand and Marinette tentatively shook it.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

It wasn't until Marinette pulled her hand back that she realized that his hand - and now her's - was covered in blood. With a shriek of surprise, Marinette stumbled backward away from Jason. "What did you do?"

"What did I do? What did you do?"

"This has never happened before. Somehow my touch turned you corporeal enough for the blood on your hand to transfer to mine."

Jason glanced down at his hands. "Your fingers left prints in the blood. I've spent hours trying to wash the blood away for months, and you managed to do it by accident."

Marinette stared at her hands, the realization sinking in. Jason Todd was dead and his blood was on her hands. In the blink of an eye, Marinette was running to the bathroom to throw up. She thought she would be able to handle looking at the injuries of the dead, but Jason's wounds suddenly felt personal. Someone beat him to death, beat him until his bones broke and his skull caved him. Marinette heaved into the toilet, unable to cope with the violence of Jason's death.

When Marinette finally lifted her head, she saw Jason lingering at the door, looking guilty. "I'm sorry. I know that this is pretty graphic to look at." Jason gestured towards himself.

Marinette shook her head. "You don't have to apologize." After rinsing her mouth out until the taste of vomit was gone, Marinette turned to Jason. "Come here."

Jason approached her at the sink. With the water still running, Marinette took his hands and held them underneath the water. They both watched as the water turned red, then pink, then ran clear as all of the blood washed off Jason's hands. "Thank you," Jason whispered.

Marinette took a deep breath. "I can't make any promises, but I will do my best to bring you back."

--

Bringing the ghost of a human boy back to life seemed like an impossible task, so Marinette started small: with Tikki the ghost cat. It took two weeks of experimentation before Marinette realized that with enough meditation she could funnel some of her energy into Tikki's ghost. With Jason to help her take notes, Marinette began to figure out the ins-and-outs of resurrection.

The most difficult part was figuring out exactly how much energy Marinette could expend before it took a toll on her physical health. The very first time she gave Tikki energy, Marinette woke up the next morning with bruises littering her body. Tom and Sabine took Marinette to the doctor's where she was diagnosed with anemia and prescribed iron supplements. Jason was so concerned about Marinette's well-being that he refused to let her give any more energy away before she had returned to her full health.

A few weeks after the initial mishap Marinette got back on track. Every morning she would push just a little bit of energy into Tikki. Little by little, Tikki turned from specter to physical being. Then, one morning, as Marinette pushed energy into Tikki, she felt her energy hit a wall. At the same time, Marinette felt Tikki's fur under her hand for the first time in ten years.

"You brought her back!" Jason exclaimed.

Marinette let out a whoop of joy, scaring Tikki, who jumped out of Marinette's lap with a startled meow. Marinette grabbed Tikki back up, able to properly hug her beloved pet for the first time in ten years. "I've got to go show Tikki to my parents. I'm going to tell them that I found her outside."

"You'll need to give her a new name," said Jason. "Might I suggest Alfred."

Tom and Sabine were surprised, which was to be expected. After all, it wasn't every day that their daughter found a doppelgänger of their dead cat in the alley behind the bakery. However, they were quick to rationalize the event, shrugging it off as a strange coincidence. Alfred became a beloved new member of the family.

After her success with Alfred neé Tikki, Marinette turned her attention to Jason. Their very first attempt took place in Marinette's bedroom. Marinette and Jason sat down cross-legged on the floor. Marinette placed her hands on top of Jason's and concentrated. She felt the life force within herself and pressed it forward, through her hands and into his.

"I can feel it," whispered Jason, "I've never felt anything like it before. It's so warm."

The awe in Jason's voice made Marinette feel warm inside as well. "I'm going to start with just a little bit of energy. I don't know how transferring energy to a human will differ from transferring energy to a cat, and I don't want to burn myself out on the very first transfer."

"Do this at whatever pace you need. I don't want you to hurt yourself."

Marinette smiled with his reassurance. She took a deep breath, and let the energy flow out of her. When she finally finished, cutting off the flow, she looked back up at Jason and gasped. Jason's broken finger, which had bothered him for weeks, had straightened out. The cut on his collarbone had closed shut. The bruise on his cheekbone had faded. His wounds were already starting to heal.

--

Quickly, Marinette and Jason fell into a routine. Every day after school they would sit down in the back corner of the bakery and Marinette (under the guise of doing her homework) would push more of her life energy into him. It was a slow process. Though Marinette often wished to give Jason just a little more energy every day, to speed up the process, she was constantly aware of the fact that Jason would fuss over her and stop the transfer of energy entirely if he saw any sign of pain or exhaustion on her.

In the months that Marinette had known Jason, he had grown protective over her. Marinette spent most of her time with Jason. He slept in her room on the little couch in the corner, followed her to school, and wore the clothes that she designed for her. Jason changing his clothes was an incredibly embarrassing affair, as the only way for him to be corporeal enough to touch the clothes was for Marinette to be touching him while he did it, leading to averted eyes and blushing on the part of both Marinette and Jason (but it was worth it for Marinette, to saw Jason's relieved smile when he realized that he never had to see the blood-stained clothes that he died in again).

In total, it took eight months from the day that Marinette met Jason to the day that Marinette brought Jason back to life. It started as an uneventful morning. Marinette woke up to her alarm, grumbling as she got ready about how it was inhumane to make teenagers wake up so early. She made herself a coffee while chatting to Jason. They walked to school together, Marinette dodging through the crowded sidewalk while Jason moved straight through people with ease. Marinette got to her desk at school and took a seat next to Alya. Luckily the seat behind Marinette was empty, so Jason sat there when he followed Marinette to school.

Marinette had asked Jason before if it bothered him that he was unable to participate with the rest of the class since they could neither see nor hear him. Jason claimed that he didn't mind. Despite that, if Jason ever whispered comments or questions about the lesson into Marinette's ear, she always made sure to ask the teacher, even if she already knew the answer.

Sitting in on lessons had the additional benefit of teaching Jason French. Marinette did her best to teach him the basics, but immersion was the best teacher - after eight months of hearing and speaking only French, Jason was fluent in the language. Marinette often praised him for his quick learning, which was how she learned that Jason was prone to blushing when he was complimented. Jason always grumbled when Marinette pointed it out, but Marinette found it adorable.

Once school was over on that fateful day, Marinette and Jason walked home together. Marinette set her backpack down at her usual table, sat down, and got to work. It had become an easy routine: put in her headphones and play some calming music, find a quiet place within her brain, and focus on the feeling of energy welling up inside of her. Then take Jason's hands, concentrate on that energy, and push it through her arms and into him. Controlling the direction of the energy was easy - it was controlling the rate that was the difficult part. It moved slowly at first, then all at once it flowed faster than Marinette can control, and it was a race to slow it down before it could all drain out of her.

That day, however, just as the energy started to speed up, the flow of energy abruptly cut off before Marinette even had the chance to react.

"Why did it stop?" asked Jason, looking confused.

The day had been so long coming that Marinette could hardly believe what had happened. "I have nothing left to give you. You're alive again, Jason."

Jason stared at her, wide-eyed. "Are you sure?"

"I'll go test it." Marinette jumped out of her seat and raced towards the front of the bakery, heading for Tom, who was behind the counter. "Papa, can I get a plate of macaroons for me and my friend?"

Tom glanced over at Jason. "Who is he? I don't think I've ever seen him here before."

"He's a foreign exchange student," Marinette lied easily. "His name is Jason."

"Here's a plate for you and Jason." Tom handed her a plate, piled high with macaroons and other sweets.

"I might take Jason and show him around Paris, once we finish our homework. Is that alright?"

"Sure, sweetheart. Just make sure you're home before dinner."

"Of course," chirped Marinette. She made her way back to her table with a bounce in her step. "My papa could see you. You're real."

In that moment, Jason looked lost. He glanced down at his hands, flesh and blood once more. "What do I do now?"

"You're alive again. You can do whatever you want."

Jason took a deep breath. "I've been gone from this world for so long. I want to go home."

Marinette tried not to let the fact that her heart was breaking show on her face. "I have enough birthday money saved up to buy you a plane ticket. You might have trouble getting on a plane without any identification, but I'm sure we can come up with a solution."

For a moment, Jason looked upset. Then, Marinette saw on his face as a realization dawned on him. "I didn't mean alone. Marinette, I want you to come with me."

--

There was no sugar-coating it: Marinette's parents were going to kill her. The plane was half-way across the Atlantic Ocean and Marinette's phone was turned off. There was no way to check, but she was certain that her parents were already sending her frantic texts. By the time the plane landed in Gotham, Tom and Sabine would surely have already called the police.

Marinette could only hope that her and Jason's fake IDs would hold up against the Gotham Airport security officers. While seventeen-year-old Jason could easily pass for nineteen, the age listed on the fake ID for Jasper Townsend, Marinette was worried that she looked young enough to cause suspicion. The age on Marie Davis's ID needed to be eighteen in order to get Marinette onto the plane, so whether she liked it or not she had to look eighteen. Resigned to her lies, Marinette put on a heavy face of makeup and wore three-inch heels on the international flight. It was a little funny, in an ironic way, that her heels had one inch for each year she needed to make up for.

Marinette was still confused about how Jason managed to get them fake IDs in the first place. Jason just shrugged and said that he knew a guy who owed him a favor. It was a side of Jason that Marinette hadn't ever seen before, a side of him that she was deeply curious about.

They had gotten on the plane just as the sun was setting. Marinette had sent her parents one last text message, telling them that she might be a little late. It was the understatement of the century. Marinette had never lied to her parents like that before. All of her past lies had been little things - lying about the number of macaroons she ate, or how late she stayed up the night before - but never a lie about her personal safety. The guilt was killing Marinette. It made her feel sick to her stomach.

Jason placed his hand (flesh and blood) on Marinette's shoulder. "I'm sorry that I'm making you do this."

"I'm not sorry. I would never make you do it alone."

Marinette could practically feel the nervous energy radiating off of Jason as their plane landed in Gotham. "I'm assuming you know where we're going next. Should we rent a car?" she asked once they cleared security (miraculously, no one looked too closely at Marinette's feeble attempt at a disguise. Marinette was glad to switch out her heels for flats and wash off the makeup in the airport bathroom).

Jason shook his head. "We don't need to rent one. He always keeps a car at the airport just in case someone's flying in."

Marinette wasn't sure who he was supposed to be, but Jason had been reticent to share any information about his past, and Marinette wasn't going to pressure him. Jason had been beaten to death, after all. There was a lot of trauma in his past and Marinette wasn't going to force him to share it with her until he was ready.

Jason led her through to the VIP parking lot to a luxury black sedan. He reached underneath the car, feeling at the underside until he pulled out a key. "Bruce keeps a key taped to the underside."

"That seems... irresponsible." Marinette was delicate with her words. Jason had been tense since the plane landed, like a loaded gun. She didn't want to bring up anything that might set him off.

"He also has a tracker planted in the car," Jason remarked offhandedly.

Marinette rolled her eyes at that remark, unable to keep walking on eggshells around the topic of Jason's family. "Irresponsible and paranoid. That's an interesting combination."

Jason laughed. "Just wait until you meet Bruce in person. I promise you, none of what I could tell you about him would ever live up to the real deal."

They got into the car, Jason in the driver's seat and Marinette in the passenger's. Jason's driving was a little rusty at first (which was understandable, given that he hadn't driven in nearly a year), but by the time he got on the highway, it was like he never left the driver's seat.

"Do you think that your family will believe you when you tell them that I brought you back to life?" asked Marinette, her voice quiet. The closer she and Jason got to Jason's house, the more questions Marinette had. It had taken her weeks to rationalize the fact that she could see ghosts, and she was the one seeing them. She couldn't imagine how Jason's family would react.

"Bruce was the one who found my body. There wasn't any faking that. I think he'll believe you."

"We've never talked about what happened to you. I- Is it safe for you to go home?"

Jason nodded, eyes on the road as he pulled off the highway onto a winding road. "Bruce did everything he could to save me, but he was too late. I was there for the funeral. I watched him mourn. I think... I think the reason I never passed on was because he never got over my death, never stopped feeling guilty. I wanted to pass on. I wanted to tell Bruce that I didn't blame him. I went and found you so that you could pass on the message for me. But then, when you could touch me, when you took the time to wash the blood off of my hands, I realized that I might be able to tell Bruce myself. I realized that I could have a second chance. I realized how badly I wanted a second chance, because a second chance at life meant that I had a chance with you."

Marinette blushed, looking over at Jason. "You know that doesn't matter to me. I wouldn't care if you were dead or alive."

With a snort of amusement, Jason said, "You might want to rephrase that."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "You know what I mean. I liked you before you were corporeal. Human or ghost, you're my friend, Jason, and that's never going to change."

"I know that, but I like being alive better. I like being able to hold your hand for real."

Before Marinette could say anything in reply, the car turned. Marinette was too shocked to speak when she saw the size of the house at the end of the driveway. "Welcome to Wayne Manor, Marinette."

Marinette got out of the car first, smoothing down the fabric of her skirt and running her fingers through her hair. She hoped that she looked presentable, even if no one would be looking at her once they saw the resurrected Jason. "Are you coming?"

Jason nodded, taking a deep, steadying breath. "Yeah. I'm ready." Jason got out of the car and slipped his hand (flesh and blood) into Marinette's, and even though questions and doubts were swirling through Marinette's head in a whirlwind of anxiety, she knew that as long as she could hold Jason's hand, everything would be okay.

@maribatmarch-2k21

[chidoroki]

Isabella - 73584

I had a serious debate with myself over whether or not I wanted to sit down and spend my weekend writing another one of these praise posts. I was content with just doing one for each of the Fullscore Trio kids and ending it there.. but apparently I love this woman too much to just ignore her on her birthday. So here were are on September 9th with a list of all her best and my personal favorite moments as to why I believe she’s such a great character, antagonist and mother (yeah you heard me right). Considering she only shows up in the beginning and very end of the story, this post ended up longer than I originally anticipated, which just goes to show how many thoughts I really have about this woman. (for real, this rivals Ray’s post in terms of points but there’s far more words)

Since she also has some backstory and certain events differ between manga and anime (thanks to the second season), I’ll try to go in chronological order between both timelines instead of chapter by chapter, which might be a bit confusing as we’ll jump around the story a lot but just to bear with me as I try to makes sense of it all.

(spoilers for the entirety of The Promised Neverland & ch181.7, so if you haven’t read/completed the manga yet, consider this your first warning, because I’m literally going from start to finish with this one last time. I promise.)

- I’m not sure how well she compares to Emma when it comes to athleticism, but Isabella seemed to have no trouble climbing up and down trees when she was younger.

- Not only that, but she managed to scale the wall by herself using a method that requires a fairly impressive jump. It’s also implied that this is how she climbs the wall again so many years later when chasing the soon-to-be escapees, which helps prove that even at an older age, she hasn’t lost her touch.

- Was chosen to undergo training to become a Mom, which required high test scores and the current mother’s recommendation. She accepted the offer in order to keep living and survive as human the demons couldn’t eat.

- Based on Sienna’s comment, is it fair to say Isabella is on par with the full score trio? I mean, the woman is basically flawless.

- She was practically untouchable during her time at headquarters while training too apparently. Mom positions are scarce so the environment where these ladies fight (physically/mentally/emotionally) to even snag that job is highly competitive, and yet Isabella never let anyone deter her from her goal of becoming a Mom, which probably led to the “Iron Lady” nickname she received now that I think about it.

- She was the youngest ever to be granted the Mom position at..what, 19? 20? Somewhere around there, but impressive nonetheless considering they’re forced to have a child, build up a strong, emotionless exterior and endure so much fear. (but my goodness, the woman doesn’t age at all. she looks just as good when the story actually starts as she did her when she was a bit younger)

- It became common knowledge among the Sisters that she was also very successful in the way she raised her children.

- Her success greatly benefited the farm, as she offered up countless high quality goods, which sounds terrible, I know, but believe me when I say she gave her best effort for her children. Even though she held the Mom position, the amount of power she actually had in this system was pretty minimal, especially with how much she valued her own life. She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes or risky changes, so she settled with doing the most with what she was capable of. She provided her children with a normal lifestyle, not only to keep up the orphanage facade, but knowing that their lives would all be cut shorter than they anticipate. She gave them love in hopes that no one would ever have to feel the dread she felt after Leslie’s death and/or finding out the truth. She tried to delay that horrific fate by encouraging them to learn all they can (like teaching the trio about strategy and chess) so they could achieve higher tests scores and (unknowingly to them) add a couple more months or years onto their lives. Yes it was her job to raise these children to such high standards but she excelled at it for their sake too.

- And I know y’all will just throw Ray in my face like, “oh but he was her actual child and she treated him horribly/different.” Okay but deep down I don’t think she actually wanted to? When they both realized they were truly mother and son, Isabella couldn’t just dote on him and start treating him as such. I’m sure Ray wasn’t too fond of Isabella at this point in his life either, knowing that she sent several of his siblings away to get killed. They probably would’ve gotten along just fine in a perfect world, but since they were both aware of the hell they’re trapped living in, they emotionally distanced themselves and formed a business-like relationship as a result of Ray’s deal, which benefited them both in different ways. For Ray, it was more practical, with the obvious notion of living as long as possible along with obtaining various rewards and knowledge of the outside world. For Isabella, it helped emotionally by simply just ignoring their true relation. I believe if she clung to that realization, it would break the orphanage illusion and eventually wear down her “Iron Lady” exterior that she relies so heavily on.

- Like can you imagine how much you would have to harden your heart in order to quite literally walk children to their death every couple months for years on end and just move on like it’s completely normal? Now imagine how earth shattering it must be to think about doing the same to your actual child. All those years spent perfecting a fake smile and emotionless exterior like she was trained to have and her son shatters it in an instant. She becomes completely terrified about how he’s actually alive and in front of her right now and there’s nothing she can do to truly save him.. and yet she still recovers so damn quickly I can’t even comprehend it! But there’s still some sadness in those eyes. You can’t tell me otherwise. That one moment of weakness speaks volumes to me.

- So now with her general backstory FINALLY out of the way, we can finally start with ch01/ep01 and how her laugh is sweet and innocent. I say that because (all hidden emotions and motives aside) that’s exactly how she’s supposed to sound in this moment, not only to us but to the children as well.

- She of course checks Emma’s tracker a moment later but other than that I still think it’s a pretty genuine moment between the two.

- As previously stated, her ability to raise high quality children is unmatched, which is clear as day thanks to the fullscore trio.

- Despite their crazy level of intelligence, the trio has yet to win a simple game of chess against Isabella, even when teamed up.

- She treasures everything about the kids.

- She really cares about them, even when it’s time to send them off with a smile, which we know is thanks to her strong facade.

- But mother dearest isn’t really fine. She doesn’t like walking kids to their death, especially so young. But she can’t let them (or even herself) know that. She can’t show weakness, so she hums Leslie’s song, which is a tool she’s used for years in order to give herself strength.

- Don’t worry, I disliked her this moment happened too, just as the story intended. And here’s where her fantastic antagonist role begins for all the world to see.

- A true champ at jump scares.

- Acts completely calm the night after a couple of kids found out the secret of the farm.

- She uses the tracker in plain sight, sending whomever went to the gate last night a threatening but silent message.

- Correct Norman, that’s the “Iron Lady” for ya. Also the name of ch03 for us. Well, “The Iron Woman” but same difference.

- She switches from calculating and manipulative breeder to sweet and pleasant mother so quickly and effortlessly it’s incredible. Isabella even checked Emma’s pulse in this scene to see if she was acting normal.

- At this point she still had no idea who went to the gate (Ray didn’t tip her off yet, at least I don’t think so) but her guess couldn’t have been more precise. The level of fear she drives into both Emma and Norman was great too, but then again her presence is enough in any scene to give us chills.

- Notices her watchdog isn’t at his usual post and starts to get suspicious.

- Not only of him, Emma and Norman, but Don and Gilda as well, thus giving the five extra chores to finish in an attempt to slow down any escape planning, such as cleaning vacant rooms, organizing the pantry and inspecting spare linen.

- While the trio believes Isabella was being too soft and patient in finding her targets, she effectively catches them off guard by bringing in Krone for assistance. The trio soon realize they were actually preparing the sister’s new room and those mundane chores were just an excuse to buy time.

- Look at her, all smug. Checkmate indeed. (and totally not important, but her eyes are such pretty shades of purple)

- The sass and her no nonsense attitude.

- Immediately puts Krone in her place the moment she even thinks about shipping out the targets. Of course holding off on shipping the targets would benefit the farm, as it would produce higher quality merchandise as time passes, but plant 3 is run by Isabella and she’ll be damned if an assistant thinks they could waltz right in and decide her children’s fate.

- She check’s Emma tracker again despite her claim of knowing exactly who the targets might be. You can never be too careful.

- Her precious children managed to win a game of tag against Krone, which is still impressive considering the kind of training the sister has gone through, so kudos to her teachings.

- Knows right away that Krone was trying to take advantage, which allows Krone to realize that the opening she had to learn more about the children was all planned by Isabella herself. Her intimidating nature is enough to scare adults too.

- Reveals that Krone was mostly summoned in order to keep Ray in check after his failure.

- Despite the trust issue, Isabella still keeps up her end of the deal by requesting the items Ray asked for, thanks to the odd perks she had under Grandma Sarah which allowed her to order goods that weren’t on the supply list.

- This hug between her and Phil is just too cute not to mention.

- I imagine she makes this comment because she knows exactly how long a rope must be based off her own almost-escape.

- It’s just something about how this scene is framed alongside this dialogue that makes me think “oh, like mother, like son.”

- I blame her very thoughtful planning for my first big freak out when I watched season 1 blind, like ma’am that’s my favorite boy, please don’t.

- She conspires with Grandma Sarah in order to get rid of Krone for good, which renders the evidence sister just found out about the children’s escape completely useless. Sarah believes there might be some truth to it, but ultimately ignores it and puts her faith in Isabella’s ability of controlling the children & the situation.

- She then cuts Ray off and ends their six-year long deal, opting to control the situation herself from now on. Also, how she wanted to keep him around until the very end is kinda bittersweet. Does she mean as merchandise? Or because she wanted him to live as long as possible? Ah such a tricky little comment.

- She also tosses him across the room like a rag doll.

- Thank god for this panel existing and actually being adapted into the anime so I could hear it because I had absolutely no memory of her laughing in this moment.

- “She says it so nonchalantly,” Norman said once upon a time, and it’s still so frightening.

- As insane as her ideals seem given the circumstances, nothing she says here is really a lie.

- She has the strength to quite literally break a leg and that cracking noise still haunts me to this day.

- It wasn’t even a spur of the moment thing either. Isabella came fully prepared with bandages to fix up any injury she was willing to inflict and that thought alone is terrifying.

- Not only that, but she broke it so cleanly that Emma’s leg does indeed heal perfectly in the exact time frame she estimates. This entire moment is so unfairly impressive, like ma’am how dare you do this to Emma of all people.. like why couldn’t you at least use that kind of force to snap Peter’s neck instead or something?

- To make matters worse, she then reveals Norman’s shipment date. And it’s the following day, which sends the kids into a very understandable panic.

- Needless to say, November 2nd, 2045 was a very successful day in the life of Isabella. Woman was putting everyone in checkmate in ep08 and my anger on full blast.

- This sly smile she sends Ray’s way after announcing Norman’s shipment to the younger kids is so cruel.. it’s perfect.

- I can only imagine she asked about Ray’s whereabouts because she knew the boys were close friends and she hoped they would at least say goodbye to one another, but that’s just me.

- Puts an end to Norman’s parting words in such a simple and chilling matter.

- The way she just openly threatens Emma with others just out of earshot.

- Norman out here asking the real questions. If anything, I say she’s more “content” rather than happy. I don’t think she’s ever really thought about her own happiness, at least not often enough, hence the slight pause. This entire time she’s been focusing on how to make her children’s lives perfect, but for herself she just wants to survive in this hellish world they’re all living in.

- I’m honestly still not sure who’s final decision it is to send people to Lambda, either Isabella, Peter or someone else (honestly never bothered to check), but whether or not Isabella had any say in the matter, I’m sure she’s at least a little glad that Norman gets to live a bit longer? Perhaps that’s a stretch, but I’m putting the idea here anyway.

- I say this because I believe that’s part of the reason why she offered Emma a Mom recommendation, not only because our girl’s high test scores, but in hopes that she could live a longer life.

- Although she really stresses in an intimidation fashion how pointless Emma’s efforts are now that Norman’s “dead,” the cliff remains a major hazard and her leg is still bandaged up, Isabella still tries so hard to convince her to give up, like Ray has, in order for Emma to end her own suffering. It was the first instance during my blind watch-through were I started to get the hint that Isabella might actually care about her kids, and of course I know now it’s because she didn’t want Emma to experience the same pain she did after Leslie’s death.

- With Emma and Ray both broken, things went by rather smoothly for Isabella those last two months, though she continued to keep a close eye on them.

- Her humming is so soothing. And why it took me this long to bring up “Isabella’s Lullaby” is beyond me, but oh my god, that song and any other soundtrack that uses its melody is absolute perfection.

- Had enough sense to not let her guard down the final night, even though her efforts were ultimately unsuccessful, but the idea counts.

- Though her caretaker side is focused on more during the fire, some motherly instincts do kick in as she instructs Gilda to get the babies from her room and lead everyone outside to safety. She was also concerned for Emma’s well being, hoping all the smoke didn’t get to her when the girl vanished. (i know you can argue “she’s only worried because they’re merchandise” which is fair but c’mon, i swear she’s not completely heartless)

- Took a hot minute (ahha) but Isabella eventually realized that the kids were actually escaping solely based on what they were wearing on their feet. I’m sure Emma’s discarded left ear was a big tip off too but to come to that conclusion by noticing the shoes they had on during all that chaos is surprising.

- She looks completely insane here but I always thought this shot of her was nicely animated with all the fire (or embers? sparks? whatever they are) flying around. The laugh she does before this is also a nice bonus. Oh, and she somehow managed to secure a radio from the room Don had locked.

- Figured the fifteen kids would head towards the bridge and called in headquarters to block it off.

- But when the children didn’t appear at the bridge, she just happened to know exactly where else they might try to cross the cliff.

- In the anime’s case, Isabella climbed the wall and ran there quick enough to engage in a stare down with Emma before she finally slid down.

- The moment I knew I was doomed.

- After the 15 kids successfully escaped, Isabella admits defeat, for she couldn’t really see how much her children have grown to outsmart her.

- This iconic quote, which conveys so much truth and sincerity. There were multiple occasions where she had to distance and restrain herself due to the system that controlled her, but the love she was able to show the children was genuine. If she wasn’t held back by the strict rules enforced by Mom position, I don’t doubt she would’ve treated Ray better or became far more emotional whenever a child had to leave for good or seriously injured, instead of donning a fake smile and being closed off.

- She realizes with this unspeakable loss in merchandise, the reputation she worked so hard to build up is meaningless now and that the farm no longer has any use for such an incompetent caretaker. She figures she’s as good as dead anyway now, so she wastes no time in actually helping the escapees by reclaiming the ropes to hide their exact method and route of escape, if only to grant the kids some extra time before the pursuers really locate them.

- She doesn’t act bitter as a result of her loss, instead choosing to wish the escapees luck with the future they grasped for themselves and care for the children that were left behind.

- She’s just so pretty y’all. Thank you anime.

- She was named “Best Antagonist” (and rightfully so!) back during the 2020 Crunchyroll Anime Awards, winning over Askeladd (Vinland Saga), Overhaul, (My Hero Academia), Garoua (One Punch Man,) & others.

(Post-season 1 spoilers ahead, even though the anime is completely finished at this point, but will be touching upon her special chapter more as well.)

- Completely owns up to her mistakes that caused the farm a massive loss in profitable goods and is ready to received whatever punishment necessary, which she expects to be death.

- Only.. she’s not being killed, she’s actually being promoted to Grandma. Though Isabella was directly responsible for the children’s escape, the blame ultimately falls on Sarah who couldn’t correctly control Isabella, thus leading the old lady to be shipped out in place of the goods Isabella lost.

- Peter also notes that the farm found more worth in Isabella than Sarah, so her past merits also played a part in sparing her life, as having a woman like Isabella in charge would surely produce the level of quality the farm needs.

- Isabella eventually accepts the promotion, though she can’t help but feel hesitant and shocked about the whole deal. This woman was ready to embrace death and finally be free from this cruel world, but now she has to witness not only more kids being shipped off, but moms and sisters in training as well (yay old chapter reviews coming in clutch).

- She could have very well just refused Peter’s offer, but we all know how much Isabella originally wanted to survive, so she doesn’t just accept because this man dangled a sense of freedom in her face, she also agreed so she could have the opportunity to help her children in any way her newfound power would allow her.

- Of course, her transition to Grandma happens a bit differently in the second season, but I will give some bittersweet thanks to the anime once more for the obvious but curse them for also having this entire scene dark as hell. Let me see her beauty darn it! I can only fix the lighting so much until it looks overexposed and bad again.

Anyways, Sarah is still alive at this point and taunts Isabella with the escapee’s lives just to see how she would react, which gave her a small sense of hope. Then some demons pay a visit later on and also ask if she would want to see the children one last time, but Isabella tells them that not only would she be too ashamed to face them but that they would manage to survive Grandma’s capture plan, which involved several men blowing up their shelter. It’s now clear to the demons that these children are special, and while Isabella agrees, it’s not for the same reason the demons think so. The demons believe the kids are special because of how they were raised to such a high quality. Isabella calls them special simply because they’re her children, just as any mother would.

- In the anime, it’s the demons who offer Isabella the Grandma deal if Sarah’s current plan were to fail (which it does) and she takes it and the freedom from Grace Field House without question. Do I still believe she had similar intentions to help out the children like she did in manga at this point? Of course.

- Not even a full month into her new job did she start preparing to help Emma & the others by considering who from the current Sisters she wanted to recruit to personally assist her destroy the farm entirely.

- A month later and Isabella had already decreased the number of shipments that took place at Grace Field, which obviously helps raise the quality of the children by default, but it also means less death and gives those kids a chance to live longer.

- She completely anticipated that Matilda, Jessica, Sienna & Scarlet were conspiring against her and caught them quite easily, as they were among the top scorers.

- Each had a fair chance at becoming Moms but with those positions limited, it was obvious to figure out they were trying to force Isabella’s seat open by creating some suspicious activity to place on her almost perfect record. Unfortunately for the girls, our new Grandma is too smart for her own good and I love it.

- The four women are apprehensive to join her insane plan to go against the farm, but Isabella assures them there’s no freedom if they follow the system’s rules and betray her. The harsh reality they’re all living in will continue unless they stop competing with one another and combine forces to defeat the true enemy.

- To persuade them further, Isabella mentions the children they all gave birth to are still alive, bringing out an array of emotions from the women that they each thought they had buried deep down.

- THIS! Just all of this is wonderful and shows just how much Isabella learned from her children who once defeated her.

- To fully gain the women’s trust, she gives them Ray’s farewell note that he originally left in order to bait Krone, as proof she won’t double-cross them at any point.

- I love the fact that she kept the note close to her because it acts just like all the other various toys and items she saved in her secret room back at plant 3. The original owners were all precious to her so she kept a piece of them behind to remember them in a place only she knew about. As I said before when mentioning her “I wish I could have just loved them normally” quote, all the love she had for her children had to be suppressed when she was under the system’s control, but that doesn’t mean she never cared. Because she did, and if I haven’t made at least that clear by now then I’m failing.

- Can her intentions and love for her children be any more clear? (possibly, i’m not done with this darn post yet. how you guys holding up? i’m going a little insane at this point.)

- Anyways! Second season didn’t make the rest of the story easy so apologies for any timeline mishaps as I switch between both anime and manga events from here on out.. like how in manga Isabella is informed of the escapee’s return to Grace Field via Peter, while the in the anime it’s her who helps lures them back with a fake transmission via the radio they stole.

- Just before Emma & the others do return to Grace Field on November 13, Isabella finally reaches out to the farm’s many other Sisters to recruit them. She waited until the right moment to inform them of her crazy takeover plan so Peter wouldn’t become suspicious from all of headquarters acting/thinking differently (you know, like how Emma kept the jailbreak plan under wraps until the night of). These ladies also feel a bit wary and even think of Isabella’s offer as a joke, but with some real, heartfelt encouragement, she manages to win over every single woman to her side.

- The moment when it was first revealed to us that she was not only still alive but was also promoted to Grandma is still so powerful.

- She snaps Nat’s finger back into place after Peter broke it. (and considering emma’s group infiltrates the farm right after this, i’m pretty sure that ch170 with rallying the sisters took place before this..i think?)

- Gave me a minor heart attack.

- *CLAPS FRANTICALLY!!!* The moment she truly won me over.


- While her betrayal against Peter in the manga is fantastic and quite possibly one of my favorite moments, the anime did give us a little something too. It shows Peter spewing utter nonsense to Emma about how she’s destined to fail, only for best girl to bite back with such a fantastic quote, and then Isabella drops the act and switches sides. While I agree Emma’s comeback is “wonderful,��� it’s the English dub that completely wins me over in this scene by having Isabella comment “Now that’s my girl” instead, like bro.. hearing that makes me so happy.

- For real dude, you have several highly skilled women pointing guns at you, I think her betrayal is crystal clear.

- This is like the perfect example of how she had to conceal her feelings while bound by the system. She just misses these kids so much y’all but she can’t let her true emotions show yet.

- Having her call Peter a boy is beyond hilarious to me. Also, how she disagrees with him on so many levels is excellent, like how he believes in experimenting on kids and having the right to call yourself their parent just because you created them, while Isabella believes in raising and loving children normally and that you earn that parent title by actually being part of their lives. To be fair they both inflicted pain on kids (Nat’s finger/Emma’s leg) but Peter’s action was a mistake in itself. Isabella got frustrated back when Krone even threatened to ship out the kids who discovered the secret, so you can bet she’s probably pissed off at this boy for harming one of her kids on purpose.

- The best mother-daughter moment ever! It’s such a shame it never got truly animated since the second season decided not to give the children guns, but we get to see a small smile from Isabella after Emma decided to still call her “mom.”

- The anime never gave Peter the chance to run away, like he (somehow) managed to do in manga, so we had the chance to see someone actually shoot at him. Well, in his general direction at least. Isabella lands a perfect shot not even a full second after he pulls out that disc. Accuracy on point.

- Said this once or twice in the past in manga so I’m glad the anime brought it back.

- Remains cautious and keeps her gun raised at Peter when Emma approaches him and rightfully so considering he still had his knife hidden at this point.

- Refuses Emma’s offer to join the kids in the human world at first because she knows that her (& the sister’s) actions shouldn’t be forgiven so easily, but with some rather blunt sympathy from Ray and encouragement from her other children, she finally gives in.

- This entire post summed up in one image.

- She apologizes even though distancing herself from her kids and preparing them for death were just required of her role as a caretaker. She wouldn’t have done any of that in a normal world. (do i sound like a broken record yet? probably)

- The emotion you hear in her voice during this entire dub scene hits my heart in all the right places.

- She still thinks of Leslie after all this time and I think that’s real cute.

- Her protective nature is on full display when she protects Emma from this bastard of a demon. A truly surprising and heartbreaking moment, considering this is the woman who’s survival used to be her top and only priority in the past, but now doesn’t hesitate to give her life in order to save her kid (and by extension that small girl emma saved. also, major heart attack for me).

- Despite being critically injured, this woman still possess enough strength to hold back a demon twice her size. She doesn’t even pay any mind to its nonsense. Like the demon, people often think this is when redemption arc starts but I believe it started way back in ch37 when Isabella retrieved and hid the ropes the kids used to escape. Ever since she admitted defeat on the wall that night, she threw caution to the wind and began cheating the system in hopes to one day assist the kids achieve a brighter future. Despite all the work she’s done behind the scenes, Isabella believes there’s still so much more she can do to atone, so even though she’s already received the children’s forgiveness, she continues to assist them by jumping in and saving them directly from demons for once in her life.

- Ma’am it’s sweet you’re so concerned with their safety, but we should be asking you that question ya know? (but then again emma was the same way after she woke up from her coma).

- Knows that just apologizing and saving Emma isn’t enough to suddenly forgive all her actions and wants to do so much more for the children as a result. Even though I already acknowledged all her subtle and hidden moments, I wish we got to see her care for them more openly.

- I simply can not read through ch177 and not get emotional. No matter how hard I try, I always feel tears start to form in my eyes. Oh my god, how cruel that death can be this beautiful. It’s so unfair.

- *uses old chapter review because I’m too upset right now* “She apologizes for everything. For not treating him right and loving him as a mother normally would her own son. For making him despise his life so much and enduring so much pain that he thought the only escape was suicide.”

- “She leaves him with one last wish to protect everyone, and that completely breaks me because you know exactly how much they both care for their family. Not only would they literally die for their family, but they would live for them too if someone asked. Truly like mother, like son.” (aaaaaahhhhh)

- Her, umm.. ghost (along with Conny’s & Yuugo’s) help Ray reunite with Emma in 2049.

- All my tears aside, the anime did something right by actually keeping her ALIVE!

- Have you ever seen something so GODDAMN BEAUTIFUL in all your life?? This image is so powerful it literally tossed aside any salty feelings I had that night with how the second season ended. Seeing her like this grants me so much happiness y’all, it’s truly unbelievable. I still can’t get over it and hopefully I never will.

Okay, now I’m done, thank god. Sorry this is like ridiculously long, especially since she’s absent for sooo many chapters. Also find it so hilarious how drastic my opinion of her changed from the beginning to now, from “bitch” to “oh my god I love her so much.” I know people will always have opposing opinions whether she’s actually a good mother or not and that’s totally fine. Wasn’t trying to convince y’all of that either because yes, some of her actions are real unforgivable, but she was suffering under the farm system too and just followed through with what she was trained to do in order to survive, but while other Sisters fought to climb ranks and help themselves survive, Isabella ultimately wanted the best for her children. The more power she gained, the more risks she took and once the system crashed so did her facade.

An absolute queen.