#or do you think you already have the moral high ground and that gives you the right to tell people that? because it really doesnt

[lettuce-on-toast]

never going on pinterest comments section again that place is a hellhole

[thechekhov]

Did you seriously reblog a post defending the sanctity of life of pedophiles?

You did not read that post.

I understand that it might be difficult, because of the knee-jerk reaction we all have when it comes to this topic. I admit I also had the emotional first-response of disgust. But I urge you to go back and try to read it again, when you are cool-headed.

Stating that 'murdering people we find disgusting is not the moral high ground it feels like', is not the same thing as 'defending the sanctity of life' of anyone.

And while it feels good to emotionally say 'we should kill all (people who do bad things that cause harm to others)' this does not actually accomplish what our brains think it does.

From the post:

denying the humanity of people who do horrible things accomplishes exactly three things:

give cover to people who haven't been caught yet by allowing them to use their humanity as "proof" of their innocence

silence any criticism of societal structures and institutions that facilitate those horrible things by putting the focus on individuals who are assumed to be so uniquely monstrous that the ways it was made easy for them are irrelevant

provide a shortcut to dehumanize anyone you feel like killing: simply accuse them of doing a horrible thing

Listen, to me, listen:

I know that we are all human and when we see someone committing evil things, we feel justified and good, and we want to use our teeth and claws to rip them to shreds. I KNOW it feels incredible to reply to pain and harm with equal violence.

But on an ideological level, if you EVER hope to understand how emotional manipulation and dehumanization on a social level works, you NEED to be prepared to unwrap this delicious i-can-murder-that-person-and-feel-rightous burrito.

You need to understand why it is not the swiss knife of justice that it feels like.

You need to know that it can and will be used to kill innocent people who don't deserve it, and you will not even notice.

Because if you can justify murder with a simple 'if you fit into this category you automatically don't deserve to live' then you are supporting an authoritarian regime, who can and WILL happily take the easier job of convincing you that some person that they need dead fits the description (of a person you've already agreed doesn't deserve anything but a swift and unquestionable death).

This is why, when they needed the gays to be feared and hunted, they labeled them 'pedophiles'. This is why they're now doing this to trans people. This is why dehumanization is a tool of oppression, not justice.

There is way to fix injustice in the world and protect children without becoming easier to manipulate and trick.

[buttercup--bee]

Pretty as a vine; sweet as a grape - Sneak Peak

Notes: There are no real warnings, other than this is an unedited intro to the sex pollen two part fic I'm releasing next mid-week. I hope it's okay! Pairing: Cooper Howard/Lucy MaClean Warning(s): Swearing; Implications of Child Abduction; more to come

One might think that he has full sway in what happens while they travel together, as for once, he’s being nice enough to share information. He doesn’t work well with others, let alone keep them alive when it's all said and done. Cooper usually takes his caps from sales or bounty’s. And he already tried the former on MaClean. 

So it’s a wonder he puts up with her deviations at all. Sometimes it’s to help someone, other times it's to explore. 

Most times it’s a waste of daylight. 

He thinks on this now, glaring at the sun steeped beneath an array of violet, orange, and periwinkle. The clouds are capped in gold, shafts of light desperate to pour over the wasteland. They should have made camp an hour ago, and instead they’re tracking some lady’s missing kid. 

The circumstances in which he caves are almost always the same. And this is no different. A local asks Lucy for help, she agrees, he disagrees; it always comes to a head when their knowledge expands upon how the missing item is important, or God forbid, a person is missing. 

Had it been a man or cat or some random family heirloom, Cooper would have sent her packing on her own. But of course, potential life means Lucy has to fit herself into the puzzle and solve it. Whether that absorbs his day too or not doesn’t seem to bother her at all.

Little miss morality has to hold the high ground and smother ethics in his face until he can’t do anything but give in and watch her back—it's a broken system. 

“Here!” Lucy jogs ahead of him, her pip-boy praising her with a jingle upon reaching her destination. 

Vault (#) glowers at them from over the tumultuous desert; darkened steel is lost to vines thicker than his forearm, rich in an assortment of cerulean, egg-white, magenta, and sprawling masses of black roots. It unfurls from the vaults gaping cavern with no obstruction. 

Whatever plantlife this is, it isn’t native to the Mojave. Cooper takes another step, his peripheral caught on the slight thrum the plant seems to emanate. 

There’s no way the kid went in willingly, right? This has to be a set up. The whole scene practically screams ‘death this way’. As far as the Ghoul is concerned, no child of the wastes is dumb enough to wander from home and into the clutches of uncharted territory. Not any with a brain.

His gut churns, his skin taut in warning, and his fingers flex beside his belt before he gathers himself in a single breath. This ain’t right.

Lucy is only a little ways ahead of him, beguiled by the abstract flora at her feet. 

When she looks at him, it's confidence that glimmers in her doe-eyes. “Okey Dokey,” with a slight nod, she readies her flashlight and pistol. Cooper’s brow rises before a word can escape him, and when one eventually does, it isn’t in practice or conscious. 

It just comes out. 

“Don’t.”

Lucy frowns. It’s small, barely lasts a second, “We already agreed–”

“Something’s not right,” he grunts, patience already worn thin, “either we leave together or I leave alone. It’s up t’ you, sweetheart.”

Many emotions fall over Lucy's complexion. Annoyance, concern, her expression is wide and open and full of disappointment. “You said you’d watch my back, you said since it was a little kid–”

“There is no lil’ kid.” Cooper’s tone is short, both with agitation and refusal to be made a fool. 

“You think Alice would lie ab–”

“Who?”

“The woman who hired us,” Lucy’s voice is high, disbelief feathered beneath shock and mild bemusement, “how do you not remember that?” 

He grunts, but it’s all she receives as an answer. After a moment, Lucy adds, “She paid us up front. Why do that if you’re going to lie or kill someone?” She's more amused than displeased as her reasons continue to flow. She meets his gaze for a time, longer than he thought her capable of, until his own furrows and conveniently, the fauna is interesting again.

The vault dweller isn’t wrong, he’ll admit that. But instinct has kept him alive all these years, and he’s more obliged to listen to it than some stranger squalling about offspring she had no evidence of. 

Cooper coughs, clasping to his belt tighter with the tilt of his hips when he recalls, “Half. She paid us half.”

A beat passes. Then another. He lets the insinuation hang between them until it's thick enough to drown in.

“What are you implying?”

He threw a line, she bit, now all he had to do was reel her in. Make her see sense. Whether it’s a raider's way to lure unsuspecting victims, a Vault-tec experiment gone wrong, or a vacant chamber—he didn't care. Cooper wasn't about to go and risk his life for two hundred caps and a boy he's never seen.

Despite himself, it turns out he would much rather Lucy leave with him, than allow her to fumble such an obvious trap. It’s unlike Cooper to care—if he could name it that. Perhaps there is an attachment, a pull, something just under the brittle surface they call acquaintanceship. Nothing he’s looked too far into. If he does, Cooper is unsure of where it will lead.

The fresh finger sewn to his hand itches, tingles, a fluttering reminder of where he got it; Cooper clenches his hand so tight it burns. 

“There is no kid,” he hisses, lurching forward as if to make his point, “no more caps, no helpin’ some lost soul—that’s a death sentence, and you’d be wise to leave wit’ me.”

At first, the silence is deafening. Both edge on what else left there is to say, as Lucy fiddles with the notch of her flashlight. Her eyes dart back from the path they came, the vault, and Cooper himself. 

Thankfully, a decision is made without any more pushback. 

He's almost prideful, the way she takes one, two, three steps towards his direction—

"Mommy!" A riptide of horror settles against Lucy's trigger finger, spinning on her heel so fast, it gives him whiplash. "Mommy, I'm hurt!"

Lucy is gone, sprinting inside the second Cooper reaches for her. 

It delays him, the shock in how fast she had evaded his grip. Long enough for him to think about whether or not he goes after her.  His finger itches again, a gentle warmth crawls up his arm when it flexes, more so when the weight of his firearm rests against it. 

Dogmeat finally reminds the ghoul of her presence, whining in the direction of Lucy's trail.

"Fuckin' hell," he grunts, cracking his neck alongside his saunter, "this is why I work alone."

----

Again, this is unedited and I'm really sorry if there's any terrible mistakes! I promise it'll be much better post-release next week! I also didn't want to give too much away. Thank you!

[pastrydragon]

The BG3 Beef I wanna see shitpost

While I do love the idea of Tav/Astarion/Karlach/whoever getting more unique mean dialogue with Ulder Ravengard, especially when he has the audacity to take up space in your camp like that instead of someone cooler like Barcus or that one bullied hyena, I want very specific flavor text that you'd only get in the epilogue party if you pick a specific ending even more.

I think if you romance Wyll as Gale or Gale as Wyll and then you don't go to Avernus, I think it would be totally galaxy brain to have dialogue in the epilogue that reveals Ulder Ravengard and Morena Dekarios fucking DESPISE one another. Because they absolutely would.

We never get to meet Morena in game but you can tell from what Gale and Tara say about her and Gale's... Galeness that she is at least a part time passenger on the "Fuck you my child is fine" train. Her sweet little boy? Commit evil deeds? Never! There has obviously been a mistake. I mean she indulged that "Gale Of Waterdeep" nonsense and when Gale summoned a full on Tressym after being explicitly denied a kitten as a child, she just let him keep her. No repercussions.

And then her sweet boy brings home another sweet boy who is probably EXACTLY what she pictured Gale's partner should be like.(Because Wyll is the damn blueprint for "Guy you could bring home to mom") Wyll is ridiculously sweet to Gale, he's the perfect gentleman, he's very open to the idea of giving Morena the grandchildren she's been nagging Gale about in the very near future. Pinch her, she must be dreaming!

I cannot imagine her reacting to Wyll's backstory with any amount of empathy towards Ulder, obviously that man is a cruel psychopath to throw poor Wyll out like that after "a tiny misunderstanding" and Wyll is just too good of a son not to see it. Which is partially true, Wyll is definitely still in some kind of denial stage over what his father did but that's not the point of the post.

Then there's Ulder who probably thinks Gale is... Fine. He's not someone he ever would have pictured for Wyll. Gale is a babbling oddball, he has chronic foot-in-mouth disease and has only ever met the pointy end of a sword. But he can't say anything because Gale saved him, his son, and Bulder's gate, and a small army of tieflings, and apparently a bunch of mushroom people and blah blah more reasons he can never have the moral high ground blah. He's undeniably stuck with this fucking wizard, and his nightmare of a mother.

Morena firmly believes that since the Ravengard manor is technically Wyll's now, then it's also Gale's and thus is now hers as well. When I say she would walk through the doors like she owned the place I mean it very literally. Where did Ulder's old helmet display go? "They were rusty and it was ruining the wooden shelves, besides these enchanted swords go better with the new drapes we had to get, I don't know how you didn't notice how moth eaten they were getting." Everyday he wakes up and something about his own damn home has been changed to make it look more like a wizard tower. She doesn't even live here most of the time!

And it doesn't stop there, not at all. No this women has to make sure his son doesn't live there full time either. Every holiday and birthday she has to send Gale a letter about how much she misses him and you should visit so you can take a break from all that(Very important!) work and how she already has the venison just for Wyll.

And every time he's forced to interact with this harpy she looks at him with a sweet smile on her face, honey in her voice and the burning hatred of a thousand suns in her eyes then somehow managed to insult him five times in one sentence without ever explicitly insulting him. This women is a devil from Avernus sent to punish him for his sins and she's even won over the grandkids. Obviously that women is a manipulative psychopath for using her control over Gale to manipulate his son. Which, yeah Gale not being able to say no to his mom has contributed greatly to this and if Wyll knew what healthy boundaries looked like he probably wouldn't have put up with it but he doesn't so here we are.

Let these two be the Tom and Jerry style B plot to BG4 is what I'm saying.

[beartrice-inn-unnir]

10. What is your favorite genre book to recommend to someone who doesn’t usually like that genre?

Usually when people ask me for a rec for a genre they don’t usually like, they are asking for sci-fi, and I start by trying to figure out different access points based on what they already like. I’m not much of a hard sci-fi person, tending more to the space opera and political thrillers, so here’s a few “if you like x, maybe try y”:

If you like romance, give Everina Maxwell’s Winter’s Orbit a try. It’s definitely sci-fi in setting and plot, but it also hits nicely in the formulaic patterns of a arranged-marriage, strangers-to-lovers story that will help you through it even if the sci-fi elements are throwing you off. The author has another similar book that increases the sci-fi elements and is enemies-to-lovers as well, so if you like Winter’s Orbit, Ocean’s Echo is a good next step.

If you like non-fiction, The Martian by Andy Weir is a great pick. I have multiple friends who got into reading again as adults via The Martian. It’s well-written, well-grounded, funny, and very sci-fi. If you’ve already read it, then maybe give To Be Taught if Fortunate by Becky Chambers a try. It can be described with all the same adjectives, plus it’s a short novella, so if you’re hesitant, it’s less intimidating.

If you like mysteries or political thrillers, boy is there a lot of great sci-fi out there for you. The crux of a lot of sci-fi is space or high-tech settings with a plot that asks questions about personhood, and that mixes really well with detectives and spies wandering around trying to solve problems and find truths. Try Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells (it’s partway through a series of great books and novellas, but that one’s the most traditional mystery plot) or A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine (ambassador solving her predecessor’s mysterious death while trying to do his job)(I’d also recommend this one if you read a lot of classics) EDIT: just realized I mistyped - book 1 by Arkady Martine is A Memory Called Empire.

If YA/ Bildungsromanen/ New Adult figuring the world out through trial and error is often your jam, try Provenance by Ann Leckie (for the kid who really wants to do things right) or The Warrior’s Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold (for another kid who wants to do things right, but is also a high-energy chaos gremlin).

If you like fantasy, you probably already have read some sci-fi; it’s all under the speculative fiction umbrella and genres are vague anyway. All the same, I know this is the Locked Tomb Website, but give Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir a shot (it’s got magic and mayhem and an epic locked-room whodunnit mystery). The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord is also good - it has a team of people traveling together and thinking about morals and discovering new abilities, plus some romance.

I’m sure there’s lots of genres I’m forgetting right now, but feel free to send me another ask for any specific one!

[ieatstarsforaliving]

The Masc Behind the Mask (4)

Summary: Hazel gets into a fight at the bank. And of course, you just have to save her.

Pairing: Spider-Woman!Hazel Callahan x Classmate!Reader

Warnings: Mature language, use of (Y/N), violence, mentions of bruises, cuts, and blood, threats of death, fainting, just Spider-Woman stuff

Word Count: 5019

Note: I got really annoyed at writing action because uhm it ls hard so the fight scenes are really lame. I also added a special character in here who you might recognize from Spiderverse teehee - Bia <3

Hazel hid in an obstructed alley, quickly scanning her surroundings before kicking off her shoes, sending them tumbling towards the nearby garbage can. She reached into her backpack to retrieve her suit while wrestling her jeans off, hopping on one foot, causing her to tumble into a heap of discarded cardboard boxes– before she managed to put on her suit in place. She shot her backpack to the dumpster with some webs to keep it in place, then leaped onto the roof. 

Perched on a ledge high above the street, Hazel looked down at the neighborhood and took a deep breath.

"Okay, this is fine. You’re fine! You basically left (Y/N) all alone in your room without a proper explanation and she probably thinks you’re robbing a bank! But this is fine," Hazel mumbled to herself, adjusting the web-shooters on her wrists before jumping down. 

She swung through the neighborhood, listening intensely to the sound of police sirens. As she descended upon the robbery at the bank, she surveyed the area, calculating her approach. The bank’s door seemed to have been blasted open by some form of intense firearm, but other than that, it was hard to see exactly what was going on inside. 3 police cars flashing red and blue circled the scene of the crime, yet the officers seemed to hesitate to interact with the building.

Hazel silently swung closer, landing behind a familiar officer. 

“Officer Morales,” Hazel said, startling the officer. Morales swiftly turned to the voice, a hostile glare etched across her face when she saw the outrageous Spider-Woman standing before her. 

“We’re handling it,” Officer Morales scoffed, tossing her braid. “We don’t need help from unidentified vigilantes in spandex suits.” 

Hazel laughed, giving a slap on the officer’s back. “Come on, Rio. Are we going to do this every time?” 

Rio glared at Spiderwoman, sighing before reluctantly pulling out her notepad. 

“Three suspects inside the building. They’ve got high-tech gear– dangerous stuff I’ve never seen before. The bank’s closed, so no civilians are in there, but we’ve lost a few officers already.” She glanced at Spider-Woman. “It’s risky going in.” 

Hazel gave a nod. “That’s why I’m here. Soon as I send out the officers, take them to a safe distance.” 

“Don’t tell me what to do…” The officer grumbled, but nonetheless, waved her fellow police over to update them on Spider-Woman’s appearance. 

Squaring her shoulders, Hazel strode towards the bank’s entrance. Her priority was clear– evacuate the officers, contain the threat, and get back to you and clear up the misunderstanding of her being an ex-convict/bank robber. 

You know, if you haven't left and called the cops already. 

As Hazel entered the bank, her eyes darted from corner to corner– rubble and cash were scattered all around on the ground, with the chairs and ATM machines smashed to pieces. It seemed like the robbers had already emptied out the ATMs, and had moved onto the teller drawers and vaults. As Hazel moved deeper into the bank, her senses heightened– sounds of shuffling footsteps, obnoxious laughter, and some form of– technology?

With a swift, controlled motion, she jumped onto the wall then to the ceiling, climbing the walls upside down towards the noise. She first saw a group of officers pinned to the ground by something invisible, placed by a robber holding a dark trumpet-shaped device. The second robber was holding a massive firearm, with a series of circular indentations giving off an odd blue glow. Hazel deduced that was what blasted the door off. The last robber seemed to be wearing a backpack that extended 2 long metal arms and talons that was grabbing as much cash as it could from the vault, stuffing it into a bag. Each of them wore a black mask, with only their eyes and mouths carved out.    

“Trumpet Man, Blaster, and… Noodle Arms,” Hazel mumbled to herself, giving each of her targets nicknames so that the author doesn’t have to write ‘robber’ a bunch of times.

Hazel slowly descended down, hanging from a web upside down until she hovered in the middle of the distracted robbers. The trio didn’t notice her until she cleared her throat. 

“Hey, guys! Can I make a withdrawal real quick?” 

In a swift, calculated motion, Hazel webbed Blaster and Noodle Arm’s eyes as soon as they turned around. Their shouts of surprise were muffled as she leapt towards Trumpet Man, where the hostages were pinned down. Trumpet Man tried to hit Spider-Woman with his weapon still pointed at the officers— and Hazel easily dodged the pathetic attempts, giving a good punch to his face. The device fell to the ground, and the officers were free. 

“Get out of here!” Hazel yelled to the officers. They obeyed as Trumpet Man tried to reach for the device on the floor. Hazel used her webs to grab it first, then attempted to rip it apart. 

“God, what is this made of?” Hazel mumbled at the complicated design of the weapon. After a few hits, a crack echoed through the room as the weapon gave away. She was surprised at the energy core— a small orb, the size of a marble, which radiated blue. It was unlike anything she had seen before. Hazel pocked the orb and threw the rest of the machinery pieces towards Trumpet Man as she felt her body snatched by two forceful hands— Noodle Arms had lunged, catching her off guard. 

“Looks like Spider-Girl’s come to play,” Noodle Arms sang, pulling Hazel’s body forward then smashing her to the ground. As her body made contact with the concrete, she grabbed onto a fallen chair and threw it towards Noodle Arms, causing him to fall back and lose grip on Hazel. 

She twisted her body and broke free, somersaulting backward and landing in a crouched position. “Nice try, but I’ve already dealt with a guy with 6 extra arms. 2 arms? That’s child’s play.”

She moved closer towards Blaster, who had been completely disinterested in whatever Hazel and the other robbers had been doing. As Hazel stomped closer, his attention shifted from the money bag to Spider-Woman, his eyes completely apathetic. 

“Alright, let’s finish this up,” Hazel said. 

Blaster cackled. He pointed the weapon towards Hazel, its entire shape pulsing with a blue electric glow. Electricity crackled around its barrel, as an unsteady vibration filled the air. 

“Yeah, I don’t think so, sweetheart.” 

And he pulled the trigger. 

Your breaths came in shallow gasps as you approached the bank. You had run for what felt like a good 20 minutes, which was enough to get you winded. Which was lowkey embarrassing, but you had no time to dwell on your lack of stamina. You latched onto the nearby policeman, heart beating out of your chest. 

“Officer, please, my friend is in there–”

The officer gently pulled you away, attempting to hold you steady. “-There shouldn’t be any civilians in there, kid. Calm down.” 

You shook your head. “No, You don’t understand— my friend, she was in juvie, and I think she’s being blackmailed into helping the robbery or something, and you need to help her–” 

“-Juvie?” The officer cocked his head, then leaned in closer, serious. “Okay, I’m going to have to write this down. So you’re saying one of the robbers is a teen?”

“She’s not a robber— At least I don’t think— I—” You fumbled, not wanting to get Hazel arrested. She didn’t exactly say what she was doing, and you didn’t want to get her into deeper trouble than she already was in. But what could you say to the officers without handing Hazel over to them as if she was a criminal? 

Before you could continue your words, a loud BANG exploded from the bank. 

Without thinking, you ran into the building. You could hear the officer trying to stop you but you ignored them, sprinting towards the door– or rather, the lack of one— and you immediately began screaming. 

“Hazel! Hazel!” You screamed, running into the building. You ignored the mess of broken concrete on the floor, eyes scanning for any signs of your friend. “Hazel!”

You could hear coughing from the deeper part of the bank, and you ran up to the sound, waving off the dust that settled all around you. Your eyes caught sight of the far away wall which had completely smashed down, creating a gaping hole identical to the one of the bank’s door. The air hung heavy, making every breath a struggle. Amidst the confusion, you spotted the friendly neighborhood Spider-Woman sprawled on the ground, her body heaving with coughs as she struggled to regain her breath. Around her was a chaotic scene– remnants of a recent explosion littering the area. 

You suddenly felt an immense amount of panic seeing Spider-Woman, the literal hero of this entire place in such a shaky state. You slowly backed away, your body reacting and telling you to fuck everything and run out of the door– but you stepped on a particular chunk of wall, making a very loud CRUNCH. 

Hazel immediately turned towards the sound, her heart dropping when she saw you. 

“Don’t come any closer!” Hazel screamed, scampering to her feet. “Turn around and run!” 

You tried to do as you were told– you really did. But your body froze up in a state of fright, your eyes focusing on the three robbers that slowly emerged from the wall’s hole. You pointed towards them and Hazel turned, groaning before running up to you. 

“What are you–” -Hazel deepened her voice. “-I mean, what are you doing here, uh, miss?” 

“I-I’m looking for my friend,” You choked out, suddenly realizing what a stupid idea this was. Spider-Woman was here, which meant this situation was a Spider-Woman level threat. You could be in real danger. But so was Hazel. “Her name is Hazel and she- she’s in here. She has blue eyes and– and dark, really messy sort of hair.”

“It’s not that messy,” Hazel mumbled, grimacing at the word ‘friend.’ She then grabbed you and pushed you out of the way as a concrete chunk from the wall was thrown towards the two of you. “Watch out!” 

You tumbled to the floor, and Hazel quickly grabbed you and got low behind the mess, whispering to you. 

“Listen to me. You’re going to do as I say.”

“But my friend–” 

“-She’s fine. She’s not here. She’s waiting for you outside, okay?” Hazel argued. “I’m going to distract the robbers, and as I’m doing that, I need you to run towards the door. Just run, don’t look back, and I’ll handle everything, okay?” 

You hesitated. 

“Answer me!” Hazel yelled. “Okay?” 

“Okay!” You yelled back, letting Spider-Woman give you a pat on the head before swinging towards the robbers.  

You scrambled to your feet, the only thing in your ears the rushing sound of your own heartbeat. Spider-Woman’s familiar voice echoed in your mind; Just run, don’t look back. But as the floor rumbled and walls cracked, you couldn’t stop yourself from turning around, your eyes following Spider-Woman as she confronted robbers. 

Hazel, not knowing you were stubbornly still in the building, intensely fought against the robbers. She moved with austere agility, using her webs to swing between the men, landing kicks and punches through the bits of rubble they threw at her. 

Trumpet man, without his weapon, pretty much rendered useless hits before Hazel managed to web him by the wall. Noodle Arms lashed out, trying to capture her, but Hazel was always a step ahead, dodging and weaving through the attacks. 

While she was distracted, Blaster adjusted the dials on his weapon, his fingers moving over the controls with an angry precision. Recovering the weapon’s blue glow, he aimed it at Spider-Woman. 

Then, from the corner of his eye, he saw you, amidst the wreckage and dust— face pale with fear as you stared at Spider-woman’s movements. 

“Oh, fuck,” you muttered, realizing you have been noticed by a robber. You had to move. You had to move. But your legs felt like twigs, about to break if you tried to take another step. 

An amused grin spread across Blaster’s face, as he redirected his aim towards you. 

Hazel’s spider-senses instantly flared, a tingling sensation shooting through her body. Her head turned towards the warning, just in time to take in the sight of a weapon aimed directly at you, its blue glow intensifying. 

“(Y/N)!”

Without a second thought, she pushed off the ground with all her remaining strength, launching herself through the air.

The weapon fired, a blinding burst of blue energy hurtling towards you. 

Your body recoiled as a reaction, eyes shutting tightly expecting the blow. 

A sudden, violent crash echoed through the bank, followed by a strangled cry. 

You braced yourself, waiting for the inevitable.

But seconds passed, and the expected pain didn’t come. 

You braced yourself, eyes tightly shut, waiting for the inevitable. But seconds passed, and the expected pain didn’t come.

Slowly, your eyes fluttered open, looking through the haze of smoke and debris. Spider-Woman was on the ground, her body shaking from the attack. She had flown into the path of the blast, twisting mid-air to take the full force of the hit meant for you– sending a shockwave through the room and throwing her back against the floor, which had spiraling cracks showing the brutality of the hit.

The impact of the blast had knocked the wind out of Hazel, her every breath a struggle against the pain radiating from her chest and back. She blinked away the dust that clouded her vision, trying to push herself back up on her feet. But each movement sent sharp jolts of pain through her body, making her fall back down with her every effort. 

Noodle Arms, encouraged by the hero’s weakened state, closed in on her. His mechanical limbs headed straight for Spider-Woman’s body, as she forced herself back up. Swaying, she attempted to fight off the strikes, protectively staying in front of you.

 “You’re done, Spider-Girl,” Noodle Arms sneered, his metallic hands heading for her face. In a quick defense, Hazel pulled her face back, letting the claws snag just a bit of the fabric of her mask. With a yank, the fabric tore free. 

Fuck. 

A split-second of disbelief froze Hazel in place. The rush of adrenaline that had sustained her through the battle ebbed away, leaving her momentarily defenseless— letting a blow directly in her stomach. 

Hazel fell back, landing right by your feet as you flinched back. She immediately tried to cover her face with her hands— but you had already seen her, your eyes widening at the sight of the familiar face.

Hazel’s heart stopped.

Not like this. 

Not like this.

I didn’t want her to find out like this. 

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Not like this. 

You stared at the familiar face with a stunned expression, your mouth agape.  

“...Hazel?” 

Your body went rigid, realizing that the hero you thought could withstand anything, save anyone— was your Hazel Callahan. 

And she was bleeding out in front of you.

Your shock gave just enough time for Noodle Arms to grab you. Before Hazel could scream your name, she felt a cruel blow to her head. She toppled to the floor, body completely limp. 

“Hazel!” 

Noodle Arms laughed, grabbing Hazel’s body and tossing her over his shoulder. You struggled against the strong grip on you, eyes tearing up in utter panic.

The man then nodded towards you with a hungry expression. “What about her?” 

The man with the glowing weapon walked closer to you, examining your fearful face and then back at the unconscious Spider-Woman, as if to deduct the relationship between the two of you.

Then he grinned. 

“Bring her with us.”

“She’s slept enough.”  A voice rang. “Wake her up.” 

Blaster raised his leg, delivering a merciless kick to Hazel’s head. You gasped as she crumpled to the ground, pain searing through her head as her consciousness started to return. 

“You hear me?” The man sneered. He grabbed her by her head and pulled her up to his face. “Get up.” 

“Hhng,” Hazel groaned. Her vision started to return– and within her blurry sight she could see you, sobbing on the concrete ground. You weren’t even tied up, just far too scared to move even an inch from your submissive position. Hazel instinctively tried to reach you, but realized that she was chained– her arms tied up behind her with some metal cuffs. Hazel pathetically struggled against the restraints. “Don’t— not her…”

“Keep your eyes on me,” said Blaster, gripping Hazel’s head tighter. “If you want to keep her alive, look at me.” 

Hazel gave you a weak look of reassurance before glaring at the man in front of her. Trumpet Man and Noodle Arms sneered behind him. 

“Yeah, alright, you got me,” Hazel taunted, head spinning from the brutality of the hold. “How does it feel to win against a teenage girl?” 

The man grinned in amusement, scoffing at Hazel’s unwavering humor– before throwing an intense punch to Hazel’s stomach. Before she could properly process the blow, the fingers tangled in her hair forcefully jerked her head with a savage force. Her head snapped backward, setting her up for another brutal hit aimed at her jaw. The impact sent her body to the ground, slamming her onto the cold floor.

“Hazel!” You shrieked, quickly shuffling to her side. Her chest barely moved up and down as you panicked, pulling her to her knees and caressing her face. “Hazel, Hazel…” 

“You okay…?” Hazel whispered. You tearfully nodded. 

Good. Hazel sighed, leaning into your hand against her cheek.

“Teenagers these days…” Blaster grumbled, frowning at the two girls on the floor. “Why did you have to show up to our little robbery, huh? Now everything is complicated.” 

“It’s not that complicated, really,” Hazel wheezed. “You’re bad guys. You do bad things. I’m a good guy. I make sure bad things don’t happen.” 

She earned a cackle from the men, as Blaster crouched down in front of Hazel. 

“A good guy, huh? You think what you’re doing is good? And what we do is bad?”

“Oh, here we go with the villain origin story,” Hazel mumbled. “It doesn’t matter what your motivation is– you were hurting people. You were hurting officers.” 

“And what do they think about you?” Blaster scoffed, his eyes narrowing as he paced around the floor. “Spider-Woman, a vigilante who ignores the righteous law and pursues evil… even the cops hate you. You think you're so righteous, but you're just as much a problem as we are."

You watched Hazel clench her jaw. He had hit a nerve— Spider-Woman did not entirely have a positive image in the eyes of the law. 

Angry, you spoke up. “That doesn't justify what you're doing here. You chose this path. You chose to hurt people.”

Blaster nodded, as if to reminisce about his decision. "Choices, huh? We all make choices. Some of us choose survival. Some of us choose power. And some of us," he glanced pointedly at Hazel, "choose to play hero, even when no one asked them to."

He knelt down beside Hazel, his voice low and dangerously calm. "You think you're better than us? That you're untouchable because you wear a mask and swing from buildings? You're just as much a criminal in their eyes."

Hazel glared right back at him, but her mind was trying to figure out exactly where she was. It was definitely not the bank— based on the interior, it seemed to be an abandoned apartment somewhere, probably a hideout of sorts. There were two doors in the room.

Blaster stood back up, the blue glow from the weapon in his hands casting light on his hardened features. He saw you eye the color suspiciously and grinned.  

"You want to know about this stuff?" He fiddled with the machine, pressing a couple buttons and taking out a blue orb. "It's not just some fancy power source. This blue glow is the key to everything we've been planning.

"Years ago, I was a nobody. Scrapping for something, anything, in the mines for money. Until one day, I hit a vein. Not just any ore—a new material for a source of power. Unstable, unpredictable, but damn powerful if you know how to capture it and handle it."

“And you chose to build weapons with it?” 

Blaster straightened up, his gaze piercing through the orb in his fingers. “Smart girl. With weapons like these, the higher ups would want in. They can finally change the game. No more petty crimes. No more wars. I want recognition, respect—the kind that comes when governments realize what I can offer. This bank heist? It's not just about money. It's about making a statement. Showing them what we're capable of— what we can sell."

The man placed the orb back in his weapon, firing the machine on. You watched Hazel gulp as the machine whirred back to power. 

“Okay, well, that’s great for you, but my arm is falling asleep,” Hazel rasped, in a sort of pleading way. “Can we go?” 

“Oh, sure.” Blaster grinned again, with the same sadistic hunger as before. “But, before you go, I think there should be a lesson of what happens when a little girl acts like a hero and messes with the big bad guys.” 

Hazel’s breath hitched as the men behind him stepped forward. 

Blaster gave a nod towards you.

 “Kill her.” 

“No,” Hazel spluttered. “No!” 

“No, please, no,” You tried, stumbling away from the man who walked towards you with malice in his eyes. 

Hazel thrashed against her chains, causing her to fall to the floor again. “Stop! I’ve learned my lesson! I’VE LEARNED MY LESSON!” 

“Bet you have, doll.” Blaster chuckled. “But I gotta make sure we don’t see your ass swinging through my neighborhood ever again.” 

Hazel's heart raced as desperation hit her body, fighting against the chains that bound her. The cold metal cut into her wrists, sending sharp pains up her arms with each futile tug. Her eyes met with yours— she had never seen you so scared. 

“Please…” Hazel begged. 

Blaster's expression softened, but it was gone as it had arrived. Unmoved by her pleas, he nodded once again, ordering the arms to creepily stretch towards you. The metallic talons grabbed your throat. You tried to fight the pressure, clawing at the machine. But you had no chance, feeling your airway close as Hazel’s voice began to fade.

Before he could snap your neck, a sudden commotion erupted from the entrance of the room. Shouts and footsteps echoed through the apartment, startling everyone in the room. Noodle Arms spun around, his arms losing grip, momentarily distracted by the unexpected intrusion.

“It’s the cops!” Trumpet Man yelled. “How did they know we were here?!”

“It’s your fault! I told you we gotta get farther from the crime scene than this.” 

“Shut up,” Blaster grumbled, looking outside the window hastily. “Alright, this is our chance to leave another mark. Let’s blast through them. ”

As the men started to gather the bags of money from the floor while bickering, you quickly crawled back to Hazel. 

“Hazel— Hazel, we gotta go.”

“Yeah, just— help me up, please?” 

You helped her up, eyeing the door behind you. That was the door you came through— the door to the stairs. You supported Hazel’s body, your arm bracing her shoulders. She winced in pain as you practically dragged her to the stairs, giving a quick look back at the robbers. 

Blaster stared right at you, then at your reddened neck, as if to give a final warning.

You hastily turned back, hurrying Hazel to the stairs. 

Every step felt like eternity, Hazel’s weight heavy against you. Hearing her breath so uneven and haggard made your body run cold— you couldn't help but worry— what if she died here? The cuffs on her wrists weren’t helping either, clinking with each motion. 

You could feel Hazel leaning more and more heavily on you, her feet faltering as she struggled to keep pace. You had to admit your own fatigue— the stairs were too steep, too long. Your legs trembled as you heard footsteps above you— was it the police? The robbers?

“Come on, Hazel,” you whispered urgently, coaxing her down another step. Hazel attempted to put her foot down but she stumbled, gripping you tighter. 

“I’m sorry,” she gasped out, holding you so, so close. You could feel her entire body temperature dropping. The tears she did so well to hold now were dripping down her cheeks. “I can’t. I can’t do it, I can’t.” 

Her broken voice shattered your heart. You placed her gently down the stairs, helping her sit down. 

“Hey, hey— it’s okay. We’ll take a break. Just for a moment, okay? You’re doing so good.” You wiped her tears from her face, moving the strands of her hair out from her vision.

“I’m sorry-” Hazel continued. “This is all my fault I’m so sorry-”

“-No, it’s not your fault,” Hazel coughed. “It’s not your fault. You saved me.”

You stared at Hazel’s appearance— her usually shy and vibrant features were now marred by blood and streaks of dirt. Her dark hair was tousled and matted against her blue and purple face— she was a mess. So were you. You two had to get out of here.

“Hazel, we gotta get down,” You said. “We have to get back home.”

“No– not home. Not to my mom,” Hazel tensed. “Not my mom. She doesn’t know. No– no one can know.” 

“So where do we go?” 

Instead of answering, hazel’s eyelids drooped. She leaned her head against your shoulder as a weak groan escaped her lips.

"No, no, no, Hazel, stay with me," you sniffed, struggling to keep her upright. You adjusted your hold, keeping her steady as panic settled in your stomach again. 

You found yourself sobbing, clutching onto Hazel’s body as it slowly lost warmth. You couldn’t possibly bring Hazel down all on your own— and even then, you were sure where you were and how to get back home. 

“Hazel, I don't know what to do,” You begged, looking around the dark, empty stairwell. “I don’t know what to do…” 

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from behind. You turned around as a bright flashlight shined into your face. You flinched at the light cutting through the darkness, hugging Hazel tighter. 

“Police! Don’t move!”

It was an officer with dark brown hair braided in a ponytail. She lowered her gun as she saw you crying, her eyes landing on Hazel’s spider-suit. Her stern expression morphed into shock, walking closer to you. 

You held onto Hazel, protecting her from the stranger. 

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” The officer insisted, her eyes traveling to the cuffs on Hazel’s wrists. She stared in silence for a moment before turning to you.

“What’s your name?” 

“...(Y/N).” 

The officer sighed and looked around the stairwell. Her walkie talkie buzzed, asking for a response. Your anxiety spiked— if people found out Hazel was Spider-Woman, wouldn’t that put her in danger? 

Sensing your terror, the officer put a hand over your mouth before answering the walkie talkie.

"Stairwell is clear. No sign of the suspects. Proceeding to the next floor. Over."

You stared at her with glistening eyes as she let Hazel fall into her arms, carrying her bridal style. 

“Can you walk?” She asked, to which you quietly nodded. 

The officer began descending through the darkness. You followed her, tears still streaming down your face as the officer silently guided you down the stairs.

You never thought you would ever be in the backseat of a police car, but here you were, in the middle of the night, with an unconscious Hazel leaned against your lap. The officer had managed to break the cuffs, letting you see the cuts and bruises on Hazel’s wrist. It matched your neck.

You looked outside a window. Rain had begun to fall, each sound of raindrops hitting the roof of the car. It was almost calming, if you weren’t thinking about the fact that Hazel Callahan was Spider-Woman and that both of you almost died today. 

“How old is she?” 

The officer’s voice interrupted your thoughts, making you jump. You turned your head to the front of the car. You realized she was talking about Hazel.

“...Eighteen.” 

The answer seemed to hurt the officer, as she muttered a curse word under her breath.

“...I have a kid her age,” she said. “I’d do anything to keep him safe.”

You immediately understood what she meant.  

‘I’m not risking my son’s life by bringing you to my home.’ 

Instead, you gave her your address. You couldn’t bring her to a hospital, at least, not with what she was wearing. You just had to somehow sneak the two of you to your room.

The officer continued. “You begged me not to take you to a hospital tonight, but I want you two to get checked tomorrow, alright? My husband works as a nurse. Tell him I sent you and he won’t ask questions.”

“Thank you, Officer…” you searched for her name. 

“Morales. Don’t thank me.” She stared at you from her rearview mirror, a stern look in her eyes. “And kid?” 

You stared back. 

“I don’t ever want to see you again.” 

Her words were sharp, but once again, you understood the soft meaning behind them. 

“Yes, ma’am…”

Officer Morales gave a slight nod, her eyes briefly softening in the mirror before focusing back on the road.

You looked down at Hazel, watching the passing street lights illuminating her battered face. So fragile, yet so strong. You reached down to hold Hazel’s hand, hoping the heat from your skin will warm her. You leaned your head back, closing your eyes for a moment, listening to the rhythmic sound of the rain and the hum of the engine. 

The city continued to blur outside the window. And you too, felt yourself blur. 

Previous Chapter: The Set-Up for Chapter 4

Next Chapter: That One Patch-Up Scene in Films

@hardbeingcasual @koryianders @lottiematthewsceo @sourgummywormsss @1-danid @awenthealchemist @butterflymagic415 @samoozi @kyleeservopoulos @treehuggerfrvr @yokurts @hikaru97 @randomhoex @damnkehlani14 @byhuenii @ship-enthusiast @lamolaine @lovepityparties @cinematicdifls @sndixz

[idontreallyknow26]

"Alicent is a horrible mother and a rape apologist, Rhaenyra would never!" Oh but she would 😕😕

Firstly, in terms of how Alicent treated Dyana, she did more than anyone else in the show would've. She gave her moon tea, ensuring Dyana wouldn't become pregnant with her rapists baby & have to give birth. She paid her well, ensuring she could get the fuck away from her rapist. She comforted her. She then went to DISIPLINE AEGON, verbally degrading him and slapping him. She did the best she could in that situation. You all claim she should've sent Aegon away or had him killed - do you hear yourselves? Genuinley? You all would hate her MORE IF SHE DID THAT. You already hate her for not being Valyrain but killing one? Holy shit. And secondly, she couldn't do that - her father would never have let her, or the council.

Now, onto Rhaenyra. As far as we've seen, taking everything about how she parents and what she thinks of her boys - she wouldn't have even gone to see Dyana. Just had her killed. She would've found some form of excuse (she called them bastards) and used that to justify it. We've LITERALLY SEEN HER DO THIS WITH AEMOND. She would rather have her half brothers tortured for speaking truth than punish her boys for one, ganging up on another boy, and two, permanently mutilating him. She does not believe her boys can do any wrong. She doesn't. She is a VALYRAIN PRINCESS, she automatically thinks she's above everyone- I wonder how much of an ego boost nearly passing off three bastards for that many years gave her?

And we know she doesn't care for highborns either. She let Daemon murder Vaemond. That was breaking the law, the kings word that you all care about so much, and Daemon should have been executed for that. Do you really think she'd care about a random servant girl? You people get dumber by the fucking minute.

Do not sit there and try and act like Rhaenyra has any moral or even intellectual high ground on Alicent.

I'd also like to add that blaming a woman (Alicent) for a full grown man's actions (Aegon being a rapist) is WEIRD and misogynistic.

[idiaa-shroxd]

Do you think you could write how Vil, Idia, and Azul would react to finding out gn reader is afraid of spiders? Thank you for consideration and no rush!

THE ARACH-NO-PHOBIC PREFECT ꒱ ❝ azul, vil, idia. ❞

SUMMARY: being terrified of spiders you find yourself in the midst of one while in the presence of a certain someone. you find yourself teary and petrified, but just how do they react to seeing you like this?

warnings; gn!reader x azul, vil, idia. by interacting with this post you agree you’ve read through my navigation and i hold no responsibility for the content you view.

OCTAVINELLE. azul ashengrotto.

AZUL ASHENGROTTO.

Although he was the one at fault, Azul never imagined the reaction you’d have as tears fell down your cheeks, hiccuping with puffy eyes, sniffling while trying to calm down. For the first time in a long while, he felt as though he might of been the bad guy, a very rare occurrence considering his high lack of morals when it comes to unethical business practices. He was unsure how to console you as he nervously looked at you.

“I’m sorry..” he mumbled after a few seconds, awkwardly attempting to calm you down while patting your back after he captured the spider and relocated it to a glass jar, taking it out. He was originally supposed to be scaring you into a favor after helping you, but he would never of imagined the sheer severity of it as your knees buckled and he was frantic, a pure mess. “Please, I’m so sorry.” He was scared you’d now hated him.

Azul had taken a lot of time into finding out anything he could use against you, and after hours of trying, he had heard one of your friends mention how freaked out you were the other day seeing a spider crawl around Ramshackle. Naturally he saw this as an opportunity, he was going to rope you into a business contract after you beg him for help taking the spider away, one that he released but would not mention to you, and in return he would ask you to repay the favor when you’re too frantic to think straight whether that would be a good or bad decision. As he called you into his office, he had never imagined just the chaos he would cause with a simple spider.

“Azul, I already told you I have no interest about…” before you could finish your eyes darted to the spider roaming near the edge of his desk, letting out a huge scream as you fell backwards, butt hitting the ground hard as you felt hot tears stinging the corner of your eyes, your breath hastening as you were hyperventilating. Your fingers trembled against the cool floor as your lips quivered, vision blurring and beginning to get scared the spider may crawl near you, or even worse out of sight. At the sight of you, Azul had begun feeling a pang around his heart as he had never believed this would be your reaction, just a few screams not pure hyperventilation and tears. If anything your friends undersold your reaction during their conversation he eavesdropped!

He felt a bit conflicted, mumbling an apology as you had no idea why, before he took the spider away from you while trying to calm you down. He kept muttering a few sorries along with comforting words the best he could, but he had never been one to give comfort to anyone. “You’ll be okay.” He tried his best, not sure whether to touch you or to let you have personal space. He quickly gave you tissues and guided you onto the sofa within his office, getting you a glass of water. For better or for worse, he had you in his office at least. But now you were a sniffling mess and there was no way he would allow himself to take advantage of you at the moment, even if he really really had wanted to get you to sign his business proposal.

After awhile you were finally speaking again and calmed down a lot. “Sorry, I’m just.. really scared of spiders.” You mumble while wiping your puffy eyes, sniffling. He could see that, but decided not to say that aloud. “Would you like more water..?” He asks as you laugh at his attempt to cheer you up. The two of you managed to continue talking for a bit more, helping you calm down a whole lot as he apologized again but would not elaborate after you asked why he kept doing that. He’s never going to let you near a spider again, and ended up treating you to a one time thing and let you pick one item off the menu free of charge to comfort you while trying to pretend to be smug despite his care for you being written all over his face.

Overall, he’s learnt his lesson that he should probably not put someone he cares about through a traumatic experience again for the sake of his deals. However, he’s still going to find other ways to rope you in. He’s bad at comforting but he’s understanding and helpful, doing his best to keep you calm and if he ever sees the same reaction again he will be willing to take care of the spider for you. He will also never reveal to you that it was a set up because he is terrified you will hate him and he only adores you. “I’m not too sure I’ll be eating at Monstro Lounge for awhile..” you say as you felt your skin crawl, his face turned to you within a heartbeat as he tried to save himself and claim his restaurant was exceptionally clean, only for you to not trust it whatsoever. He reaped what he sewed.

POMEFIORE. vil schoenheit.

VIL SCHOENHEIT.

Raising his brow, Vil folded his arms for a second while watching you nearly slam your head into the wall while turning on your heel and attempting to run away from a small little insect. He uncrossed his arms as you let out a shriek before deciding to handle it himself, really, sometimes you’re more dramatic than all of his drama club students he thought.

“Vil, you’re my hero.” You cried out, bruise on your head as you watch him roll up a piece of paper and set the tiny spider outside the window. A part of him felt happy to be complimented, but now he had bigger issues to care about, such as that bruise on your head and your tears ruining the look he just did for you. “Really… sometimes I wonder why I like you.”

After finishing your hair Vil had finally let you go and stand and admire yourself in the mirror. He had given your hair a full spa treatment and it was shiny and smooth, not as much as his but it was looking beautiful. As he opened his makeup pouch to fix his lipstick a small spider came out, nothing alarming to him as Ramshackle was old and cold, and a spider likely crawled inside after seeing a dark place to hide. This was not an unusual occurrence or to make a huge fuss about, it was just a tiny little spider barely the size of his fingertip nail. As the little spider crawled out, you however had different feelings than Vil as you knocked over the chair and tried to run, slamming your head against the wall after failing to take into course just where your body were moving.

A part of Vil was amused, another part of him were conflicted, but the mature part of him rolled up some paper on your desk and let the spider crawl into the hole, opening your window and gently letting the spider go. As he turned around you had tears and your clothes were a mess after your tumble, and he noticed your forehead may be bruised. He sighed to himself ready to take care of you as you began shining him with compliments about how amazing he was. He knew he was perfect, but he would rather you call him beautiful than heroic for sparing the baby spider. “Alright now, get back up. You ruined your appearance and I need to make sure your skin does not bruise.” He said, fixing the chair while getting the things ready again.

His lips curled into a smile as you sat back down, apologizing to him for ruining his hard work today, at least you knew that he doesn’t have that much time for everyone else. He was amused by your fear, honestly. You were ten times the size of the spider, yet you resembled a wet kitten on the side of the road with how you looked at him when he took the spider away, before erupting into a thankful smile. He doesn’t bring it up, but keeps thinking about it while talking to you and distracting you from what just happened. You don’t even realize it, but within an hour you completely forgot the experience as Vil works on you and talks to you, never once poking fun at you for your fear unless some of your first year friends, such as Ace.

“There, that should help with your forehead.” He hummed to himself after he applied some lotion to your bruise, putting his stuff away. He had fixed your clothes to your hair, meticulous as ever and even treated you as you looked in the mirror, good as new. You seemed pretty happy and no longer shaken up as he began thinking to himself. He wasn’t too sure how you felt on cobwebs or spiders as a design but decided for your sake when he begun shopping for your Halloween clothes or for your costume he would avoid those types of things, along with clips that resembled spider legs or any accessories that may resemble spiders just for your sake. Though, he’s not going to tell you this, figure it out on your own that he’s being nice to you.

Overall, he’s a very reliable person if you are afraid of spiders. He will not make fun of you, depending on how much he likes you, and you should be lucky he really likes you, he will not purposefully trigger your fear, and he also doesn’t bring it up to make you uncomfortable. “Now that you’ve become more presentable I’ll allow you to stay by my side, just make sure to take care of that bruise so it will go away.” He said, watching you laugh and smile at him. “Thank you for worrying about me, and thank you again for saving me, Vil.” You knew he only cared, saying those words out of love rather than believing your bruise were unsightly. Really, sometimes he should just be a bit more honest!

IGNIHYDE. idia shroud.

IDIA SHROUD.

Both you and Idia sat on the desk crying, holding one another as Ortho looked at you two with a smile after picking up the spider and taking it outside. Both of you turn towards each other and then back towards the ground, where the spider once used to be. “You.. really need to clean your room.” You break the silence as you sniffled, the blue haired boy sniffling as well as he hesitantly got off the desk.

“Maybe I do..” he mumbled, shivering at what else could lurk beneath his room he had neglected the past week for a tournament. You both look at each other as though that would reassure you both there were no more spiders. “Scan complete, there are four more spiders within the room.” Ortho said as you both shrieked, running away together out of his room, perhaps he should just burn the place and stay in Ramshackle temporarily.

Idia had invited you over to his room after a week of radio silence, gaming in one of the biggest tournaments that season. He wanted your company, really, but each time he thought of inviting you he knew he would be too distracted to focus. Your smile, eyes, lips, he couldn’t focus and win with you being around in person, or even texting him as then he would spend the next five hours thinking about how he could of responded differently and how much he can’t stop wanting to see you. When it was over, he barely won but invited you over nervously, asking if you wanted to watch some anime that just finished airing together, knowing you were a fan of the author from a different series. He really should of cleaned his room first, but you were never one to judge him or mind his messes as you knew he lived like a true gamer, messy.

As you entered you smiled greeting him, joining him on his bed as he began to talk about the anime and put it on, only to scream at an octave higher than possible and point to the bed where a spider crawled, only for you to follow and shriek even louder, jumping onto him. He ended up backing onto his desk as the two of you crawled up, crying against one another as though you just found out you were stranded on an island with no one to save you. The two of you were whispering about your wills, how much time you should of had left, how this was never meant to happen. It continued for two minutes before Ortho returned to the room and took a few seconds to analyze just what was happening. As he located the spider and screened you both to realize how you were both fearing for your life, he took the spider which was now crawling on the ground and brought it outside.

Upon returning, the two of you were still huddled together shaking, as he did his best to calm you two down and check your heartbeats. After a few minutes, you managed to make a joke about how Idia should probably clean his room, hesitantly getting off his desk. Idia chuckled and agreed, maybe he should. It had been one messy week with a few cup noodle packages all over the room, but at least the spider was gone now. As you two got off the desk and looked at each other as though to process what next, Ortho spoke up after he gave the room a thorough scanning. “Scan complete, there are four more spiders within the room.” He says as the two of you begin shaking despite his happy tone. You both only needed a second to look at one another before sprinting out the room, Idia debating on telling Ortho to blow it up, he could always buy a new pc and get a new room anyways.

The two of you ran all the way to Ignihyde lounge, where some students looked at the two of you confused but returned to their switches, Ortho trailing after as you both pant, silently agreeing to never speak to anyone about this ever again and that his room was a goner, as even if the spiders were removed you two could never step back in, what if there were eggs or more spiders? Neither of you would take that risk. “Ortho.. please take my computer and valuables out then proceed to destroy my room.” The Ignihyde students looked up from their games, utterly confused as Ortho tried talking sense into his big brother and you, which may or may not have worked.

Overall, he’s in the same boat. He will not make fun of you but he also won’t comfort you because he’s screaming as well, maybe the same amount as you. He’s so adrenaline filled that he can’t think straight and may clutch onto you as you clutch him, both fearing the worst and acting like you’re going to die. He does end up staying at Ramshackle for a few days in the guest room as Ortho cleans up his room after destroying all of the furniture and does a thorough cleaning. Both of you refused to step into his cleaned room for a month, silently coming to an understanding as comrades afraid of spiders that this was for the best.

meant to get this out sooner but my cat is on a diet.. decided to put him on a diet after he gained weight and he’s been throwing a tantrum refusing to eat for two days and as a responsible person ive been worried about him, sorry for the delay!! i’m working on another draft req and will upload it early as an apology for those waiting!! reqs are still open, and I am going to do a cat cafe req next!!

©idiaa-shroxd. do not plagiarize, repost, translate, or use my works to train ai.

[ofbreathandflame-archive]

Hmm correct me if I’m wrong but I feel the knee jerk “you just want to excuse Tamlin” reaction to any analysis of his characterization and comparison with Rhysand is that this is what the Feysand stans themselves do whenever they analyze and compare Rhysand and Tamlin. They feel Rhysand can be excused because “he has complex motivations” and apparently that gives him a pass, so whenever we point out the same is likewise true for Tamlin they often take it as us excusing his behavior they way they often excuse Rhysand's, regardless of how many times we argue that the point is not to exonerate Tamlin but to argue that they’re both equally bad. Basically whenever we use the same logic they do they think we’re also excusing abuse like they are. It’s the only explanation I can come up with for why people can be so absurdly cruel critics of the books

Yes!!!

I absolutely agree. I've always felt that the 'morally-grey' moniker only served to justify Rhysand's actions. Since there aren't really any tangible differences between Tamlin and Rhys (abusive-wise), stans have to lean toward simplifying Tamlin's motivations so that the similarities aren't that glaring.

So - instead of arguing that Tamlin has complicated feelings that culminate in him locking Feyre up, the consensus becomes that "Tamlin never loved her" -- which we know is untrue. They also (for all they claim of us) purposely remove the context of scenes to a draw a picture of Tamlin that doesn't quite fit.

Rhysand also harms Feyre 'for her own good' -- yet the consensus never becomes "Rhysand never loved Feyre," instead those moments that he violates Feyre in becomes a staple of his love, so much so that the story recreates the scenes to add sexual tension to the story.

Admitting that Tamlin has complex motivation ruins the delusion of a moral high-ground; all of a sudden, there is no actual separation between Rhys and Tamlin. They don't know how to fathom that, in anti-rhys spaces, we've already established that his motivations were complex, and we still don't believe his actions were justified. Like - we're not saying that Tamlin is better, but he's intentional made to be this foil to Rhysand, yet they seeminglt resort to the same behaviors when Feyre's life is 'in danger'.

[murfpersonalblog]

IWTV S2 Ep3 Musings - Daniel & the Talamasca (SPOILERS)

I can see what the reviewers meant when they complained about the Talamasca & Daniel.

We start off with Daniel nervous AF, tryna keep tabs on all the mindscrewy shenanigans (at the sushi restaurant on his lunchbreak or whatever).

Today's... etcetc Cell phones, google -- Daniel, your handwriting effing sucks. San Francisco. Polynesian Mary's Playboy magazines as a doorstop? doorstep? |CLAUDIA| Mary's cab. Coke...etcetc. Alice. They'll come for me and Kate next--you bet your arse they will! XD THIS TIME I WON'T SAVE YOUR LIFE

He draws an arrow from Save Your Life up to Playboy--I assume cuz those are two incidents with Armand that took place in SanFran?

I really like the Omakase bit--

About how many risks Daniel's subjecting himself to under the whims of these vampires--but also about Daniel's hubris/arrogance breaking the rules of engagement by thinking he has any say over what they do and what he gets out of it, by stepping onto their turf. If you can't take the heat, GTFO their kitchen.

I'm only just now noticing the foreshadowed titles of Dan's books. 🤦 Burning & Blood--AMC swears they're hilarious.

OK, Raglan's been stalking Daniel's career just like Louis did. So my early suspicion about Daniel breaking the NDA was right.

Which is SO EFFING STUPID OF HIM. They're gonna find out! Loumand's literally drawing out this giant tragedy about what happens when vampires--Armand, specifically--are LIED to, and you're gonna pull this mess on them!? You're not even being SUBTLE!

AGREEMENT.pdf--Daniel, you in danger girl.

Raglan, stop tryna gas Dan up b4 they put him off commission permanently. He's no body-snatching psychic CROOK like you.

Get this nosey bish offa my dang screen.

Oof, right in the Devil's Minion feels. U_U

O__O WOAH!? OK, so aside from Dan (played by EB, a white Jew, along with JK) throwing shade at Caucasian European Israelis (which we been knew), he's implying that Armand & Louis might be persons of interest in the UAE by the Israeli gov't & assassins, esp. cuz of their ties to powerful people. But it's funny cuz that's the exact same thing Lou asked about him.

So Dan's telling the sushi patrons there's Israeli spies/assassins crawling around Dubai--STOP, b4 you get that place John Wick'd! XD

Not MI6. 😭 I said JOHN WICK, not JAMES BOND. XD

Raglan's gone full rogue then--if he was still working for the Talamasca he'd have darn near unlimited funds--they got that dirty TEMPLAR money. 💰💰💰

Yeah, and they don't actually call the Talamasca by name in the ep itself--only in the Insider interviews the producers give.

Daniel, why TF are you talking SO EFFING LOUD, when Raglan's whispering, tryna act like he's on the phone NOT talking to you in case y'all ARE being bugged. 🤦 SUBTLETY, my guy. What kinda investigative journalist are you?

I'm starting to suspect they're not gonna do the rockstar!Lestat, and instead this stupid Great Conversion's gonna be what wakes up Akasha/Amel, when their blood/consciousness gets stretched way too thin with all these new vamps being made.

To attempt an interview...? I believe that. We already know Marius & Lestat stalked Talamasca members for decades upon decades. Ain't no way NO vampire ever tried getting close to humans & talk about their lives to someone out of loneliness or something. Esp. the ones not attached to the European covens & all their stupid Great Laws.

Rest in Preternaturalism, Raymond Gallant.

BLENDERS! XD But this is THE most Anne Ricean answer imaginable, cuz everyone lost their ish when she had her vamps flying around with GPS-trackable cellphones in their pockets as they KILLED people. Rookie mistake. 😂

Armand was on a cellphone in S01E07, and he is LITERALLY married to his iPad, so PLEASE, sir. 🙄

There's Santiago's COMPLICIT speech coming back. Ain't no moral high-ground here!

And I figured Armand/AMC was gonna pin it on AMC!Lestat, and his jaded version the Savage Garden.

Armand says technology distracts humans from vampire crimes, but what's distracting vampires from psychic/Talamasca crimes, huh?

ISTG these are the laziest vamps I've ever seen; they care so much about their privacy & security, but aren't reading Dan's mind at all? I hope one of them just casually name-drops Raglan or catches Daniel in the act or something.

Raglan said Daniel's laptop was "comically vulnerable," and uploads a bunch of data files on it from the Bibliotheca Talamasca bestiary/archives--WHY? To help show Daniel he's helpful & trustworthy?

RJ: Omakase? Louis: The conversation was easy and flirtatious.... Armand: And combative. Louis: And combative, yes. Daniel: Arguing as foreplay. RJ: Peruse at your leisure.

I hate this effing show. 🙇🙇🙇

[leconcombrerit]

A warm hug to Non, or when are we going to stop demanding perfection from victims

It's been forever since I thought about making this post but I've finally decided to write the goddamn thing.

Three disclaimers : one, I haven't yet managed to get past the first third of episode 9, so this whole thing is based on episodes 1-8 at best. Two, I'll block on sight again if I see victim blaming on this post. Finally, I'm by no means an expert on the subject. It's complex, I might get things wrong and I'll have to oversimplify at times for clarity and brevity's sake, please don't kill me for it. It's probably gonna be long enough as it is. I've tried my best to organize my thoughts in a way that would make sense, but. Well. I hope it does.

Trigger warning for mention of suicide, bullying, grooming, sexual assault, rape

Non started as the poor little baby everyone wanted to protect -both the audience and Jin ; for all the shit he got after filming Non and Keng, there are a lot of parallels to draw between him and the audience. Then the dreaded episode 7 happened and all hell broke loose. I won't include screenshots of the disgusting things I read from some viewers about Non, but Jin's reaction is pretty telling already.

The easy explanation would be that he's mad Non isn't returning his feelings, but I think it has more to do with Non not fitting his 'good victim' role anymore. There's sadness on his face, but the dominants are anger and betrayal. Non tries to regain agency and gets crucified for it.

So what's a good victim ?

Non, basically

If you want an examplary blueprint of what society defines as a good victim and survivor, someone worth justice, defending and loving, just take a look at Non. I broke it down in four marks that need to be checked :

-Innocence : none of the person's action prompted the abuse -Moral high ground : the person has values and displays kindness -Helplessness : the person cannot do anything about the situation they're stuck in -Accepting to be saved : self-explanatory. The person has to accept the help that's offered to them, traditionally by a love interest

Non is abused for being poor, something he's not responsible for. He's hardworking, honest, passionate about the things he loves and commits to his engagements. He's kind when talking with Jin. He's resilient in the face of the gang's bullying. None of what he could do or say would make it stop, neither can he help owing Por for a camera he hasn't broken nor get out of Tee's pyramid scheme. His mental illness only increases this impression of vulnerability. Jin doesn't have all these elements, but he's got more than enough to paint a very similar picture of Non as the audience.

As for accepting help, Jin repeatedly offers some -and Non finally lets him in during their conversation on the rooftop. What Jin offers may be little but it's still help ; Non smiles and even gives Jin a shove -what I think is the only time he initiates contact with Jin at all.

"Thank you so much, Jin, for helping me all along." "It's alright, I'm glad to. I just want to see you smile again, Non."

The audience gets even more of Non being happy and grateful to be saved : he calls his "♥" contact for help multiple times, smiles at the reminder to take his meds and, later on, clings to Phee for dear life after trying to kill himself. He doesn't fight him, he doesn't reach for the scattered pills. Hell, even accepting Tee's offer to make money could count as Non agreeing to be saved by everyone around him.

Non checks all the marks. Everyone in the audience is rooting for him, the other boys can all go get impaled on a branch, and Jin looks at him like he hung and lit all the stars in the sky.

Speaking of the other boys...

Tee and Por victims as well but don't get the same amount of sympathy, if any. Tee isn't responsible for being stuck in a criminal environment and can't get out of it ; no one has offered help, so he gets a pass. But he's been shown to be selfish, opportunist, often cowardly and sometimes gratuitously cruel.

As for Por, it's even worse : every actions he takes seems to confirm his dad's opinion of him. The only mark he ticks is accepting to be saved by his mother, which looks very bad taken on its own. I made a post about Por not too long ago if you want more.

The only way for them to redeem themselves and go from 'horrible people who should die' to 'maybe they don't suck they're my poor little meow meows' is penitence. Take Por ; he's the archetype of the rich son who gets abused by his dad and suffers from having so much money. Just like Kang in Dangerous Romance, or Tanthai in Laws of Attraction. Tee ? I don't have names from the top of my head, but he's that hardened jaded guy stuck in a mafiosi network who has to learn to love and be loved again (enters White). Yet the audience learnt to root for these characters.

Basically, nothing is set in stone. Your status as a good or bad victim can shift depending on your actions and the way they're framed. The usual narrative is to get those characters to grow into the acceptable victim pattern. DFF however is going for reverse development (Non, Jin) or stagnation (Por, Tee, Fluke). It makes for gritty yet very realistic storylines ; and while I'm the first to yell that the masked figures should get their ass stat, I also recognize that there's much more complexity to them than this. Except Top. I have yet to come up with a good explanation for what they're doing with Top, but I will at some point.

How did Non fall from grace if he's such a good example ?

Three points : Phee, the paradox of the demand for Non to seek agency but not too much, and his inacceptable betrayal.

Phee as a magnifying factor

I love this kid to bits but Phee's appearance in the flashbacks concurs with Non's flawless image being torn to shreds for a reason. He's a good, strong and caring person who loves and tries to protect Non -something the audience has wanted to do for weeks ; so we all gathered behind Phee and made him our emissary, carrying out the impossible task outsiders to the series' world couldn't : saving Non.

Since Phee voices the questions and concerns of the audience, we are Phee to an extent. Betraying Phee means betraying the hope and love and care the audience has for Non. Phee is the series' moral compass by that point. I'm sure you see where I'm going with this. If not, consider it's a surprise tool that will help us later. When Phee gets hurt by Non or decides he'd be better off lost and dead.

For the record, in this poll Phee gets even fewer votes than White

Seek agency, but not too much

Discontent starts to rise with the helplessness point first as viewers start to question why Non doesn't ditch the group. Why he's putting himself through such trouble. Non changes from being subjected to others' action to being the subject in a grammatical sense. Yet Non has hiw own reasons to stay (how much does the movie mean to him ? How many hours and sleepless nights on the script ? How long would it take for him to find another chance to get enough funding ? How big of a dream is it for him ?). It's the first occurence of the audience claiming to know best what's good for Non.

Complaints quiet down when Non does try to leave for good only to be stopped by Jin. We saw him try, we saw him fail, he really couldn't leave so he's off the hook.

Jin also makes sure Non remains a perfect victim by bringing him back into the group. I'm not accusing Jin of trying to make Non suffer on purpose ; he's a good guy at heart, come fight me to death on this hill. But the only way for him to exist in Non's life is to remain a savior of sorts. If Non leaves, there's nothing to save him from. Which brings us to my next point.

Non must try to solve things by himself, sure. But not too much. Because when you thrash to regain control of your life, you might break a few things in the process. Especially if you have to wrest it away from well-intentioned but firm hands.

He rejected Jin's offers to help numerous times. He looked anything but thrilled when Phee put himself in danger to clear his name. He refused to change schools at first, only to begrudgingly agree when Phee insisted. This insistence is the heart of the matter : Phee is sure he knows best, so he bulldozes through Non's objections and hesitation : he doesn't consult him before asking his dad for help, he speaks in his place when Non doesn't answer his proposal, he puts the bracelet on his wrist. He asks him if he's taken his meds, just in case.

Phee has the audience's benediction in doing so. Part of it stems from our knowledge of future events : we know it's going to end bad for Non. We know he has to get the fuck out. We know whatever decision he makes will be a bad one. Kids and teenagers as a whole are often deemed unable, or not mature enough to make informed decisions anyway. Just look at Non's mother telling him to prioritize his studies so he can go abroad like his brother. Multiply it tenfold for people with mental illnesses ; they get babied on a daily basis. So Non cannot, I can't emphasize it enough, cannot do anything.

All of the above end with Phee getting his way. Non can't win against him, so he chooses to lie instead.

Aside from willing to be in charge of his own life, Non's refusal to let Phee help is also rooted in love and fear. While Phee would offer him an easy way out as he did for the bank accounts, it would most likely only be easy for Non and put Phee in danger. Both their survivals are held in that curt 'no'.

He's already straight up refused help, and now he loses the moral highground by lying (to his perfect holy savior Phee of all people). From here on out, any action he takes will be his -which is what Non wanted ; it's his life, and he won't be a bystander in it. But it also means that he jumped off the pedestal he'd been put on to land on thin ice.

And guess what, Non is a multi-dimentional character in a difficult situation who weighs more than a poor little damsel in distress. Of course said ice cracks. And the Non hate train gets started.

The betrayal

Lying and refusing help to go get it from the worst place he could have had was bad enough. But sleeping with his teacher while he had a boyfriend (Phee, for heaven's sake) ? Unforgivable. Cheating is the BL equivalent of every cardinal sin, the worst of the worst, and no matter the circumstances you'll get roasted for it.

And yet there are circumstances. One, especially, and it's called motherfucking grooming. I won't elaborate on this point cause I've done it over and over already, but Non was groomed by an adult. Does he see things that way ? Probably not. In his mind he's in control of the situation. He can lie to Phee about it because there's no reason for it to backfire. He does what he has to if he wants to save himself, using he one weapon he has : his body. It's cheating, but cheating in a game rigged for you to lose.

Society has two opinions about sex. It's either holy or gross. Take Jin, for instance.

See the look on his face. He's heartbroken, he's sad, he'll live through it. Witnessing Non having sex with his teacher when he has a boyfriend ? Now that's another story. That's a betrayal.

A betrayal of what, exactly ?

Of this goddamn image Jin had painted of Non. The same the audience was given to see prior to these events : Non was perfect and loveable and worth defending, an innocent, pure, helpless baby in need of saving. So when the illusion shatters in what society and especially BL culture hold as the worst action possible, people feel fooled. Stupid, if you will. And they turn their hatred to Non. Non lied to us ! He pretended to be good, dear god, to think I loved such filth ! My heart is so dirty now, ew.

But Non didn't lie. He lied to Phee, but that's it. Everything else was expectations and assumptions. Fail to meet them and suddenly everything is your fault. It's Non's fault for refusing to be dragged along in his own life anymore, Non's fault for lying in order to get some control, Non's fault for lying again not to lose Phee when caught by surprise, Non's fault for listening to Jin, Non's fault for resorting to use his only weapon to get out of a situation he was cornered in, Non's fault for being tricked into thinking any of the decisions he made regarding Keng were his own, Non's fault for everything.

He wanted to claim his life back and made a mistake, yes. He doubled-down on it when he realized it was too much for him to handle. He clung to it and did his best to keep it together. He dared not to be the perfect victim he was supposed to be ; to try when everyone knew he was bound to fail. And you know what, sometimes there's stuff that's someone's fault, consequences they didn't foresee, things they said, slips and falls, and they're still victims, just as much as they were before.

I believe that dealing with his debt himself is as important to Non as finishing the movie is. He's ready to be used and abused (by Keng in the former, the group for the latter) and to break his own heart, values, pride and sanity. He's the most resilient and dedicated character in the show to me.

But the world doesn't necessarily see it that way. So when Non realizes the mess he's made of everything, he fights Keng (who represents his desperate and violent search for complete independence) to reach for the bracelet he got from Phee. He wants help. He needs it. But he's not a victim anymore and any help is denied.

Both Phee and Jin later manage to reconcile their broken image of Non with the man he actually is. Too late to save him, but they still did. I have a hunch that things would have been different if Phee had beat up Keng and taken a crying Non in his arms, holding him tight while whispering none of it was his fault. But our moral compass fucked up, like the hurt kid he is.

What some people did by blaming and hating on Non is closer to the hateful comments he got on the video than Phee or Jin's reactions. They're far worse.

That's the big takeout. What if we stopped stigmatizing or idealizing sex ? What if we stopped demanding perfection and so-called purity for someone's trauma and status as a human being not to be negated ?

Anyway, here's a hug to Non and every victim who live in the paralyzing fear of a single slip. You can make mistakes just like the rest of us. You don't owe anyone perfection.

I'll end this rant on a bright, happy smile. I don't see a good ending for Non, but god knows he'd deserve it.

[batsplat]

speaking of smallville now that was certainly a show. how many seasons did you manage and when is it best to stop? I am currently at s2 and already I would kill every other character for lex, wyd it’s only gonna get worse 😭

lmaooo okay so I got to. six. which actually kinda kills me because I swear I poured my heart and my soul into that stupid show, it drove me insane it left me a lesser person and I BARELY GOT HALFWAY

my basic analysis of the default journey with that show that I'm going to pretend is universal is like. it hooks you with something compelling in s1 and you still have enough naive faith to give it benefit of doubt that the writers actually know what they're doing, because you just wanted to have a bit of fun but, hey, these characters are actually more interesting than you expected!! then in s2 you're starting to get doubts but you're already kinda too deep. then s3 breaks your sanity and makes you scream and at this point you just see how far this shit goes. then s4 is.... mid..... but is also in a way the last remotely palpable season? and then at some point in s5 you're just like. wow I don't even enjoy the hate watching any more. and s6 is. yeah. eventually there was one storyline that is so insanely uncomfortable that it's just. enough. enough!

[mild spoilers to follow]

if s2 drives you insane on lex grounds then!! boy!! s3!! the thing about s3 from lex's pov is that. okay it's extremely angsty and does increasingly radicalise you... I have to say I started this show in a very innocent jokey 'oh ho ho I heard they have some good superman/lex luthor queerbait in that noughties show!!' and was ready to be a lex fan like. as a bit. and y'know my readiness to adopt morally dubious characters is pretty high anyway. but the first few seasons made me go?? okay but he genuinely isn't even the villain?? like I'm not even saying this for the bit, he LITERALLY is not the bad guy in this story?? guys??? and then by the end of season 3 I had been completely radicalised to the 'Actually Lex Luthor Should Turn Evil And Kill All Of You People And I Will Cheer Him On' stance. but what really, really, really kills me is that after all that, they still manage to bungle his transition to evil. like, they ignore all the very obvious reasons for why lex would turn evil after all that, and just come up with completely new ones? that have fuck all to do with this character you've been writing up to that point?

and the worst bit. the WORST bit. is that after all that, he literally does not even have fun being evil. like, you know that season one episode where he's being mind controlled and does his gay little swagger. this scene, yeah:

first of all, again, they ended up erasing lex's canonical motivation for turning evil, which is being so queer-coded he might as well be wearing a sign with slurs around his neck while he's stuck in a small town in fucking kansas. like "you think I don't see the way your parents look at me? the way half the town looks at me?" okay, great, love how this entire arc is eventually concluded by having the show say the entire town including clark's small-minded parents were 100% right to be suspicious of him, that there was something fundamentally defect with him basically from birth and he was always going to turn out to be evil. I feel like you definitely thought through the implications of what you wrote here!

but never mind all that, my actual point is that lex is having fun here!! this is one of several episodes where they're 'foreshadowing' lex turning evil by 'having a paranormal reason to make lex evil for a few minutes' (some subtle writing, this), and he's generally having a lot of fun with it!! he's leaning into the camp of it all!! he's freed from all his nasty and completely unnecessary inhibitions like 'not killing everyone in smallville' which. good. and he's just having a great time. and then he becomes a villain and he's literally just miserable all the time!! it sucks!! like omg if you're going to butcher his writing and ruin the character then at LEAST let him have some fucking fun?? at least let him experience joy at his own depravity or whatever? like he doesn't even get to do any fun villain monologues at clark, he's literally just sad clark isn't his friend any more while clark is giving him the homophobic dog slur. and then also about twice a season something paranormal happens to clark and he physically assaults lex to the point where he like, almost kills him, and then after that everyone pretends it didn't happen and clark never apologises and continues to burst into his room demanding answers. like omg?? lex, they hate you anyway, can you please just attempt to shoot clark?? also, obviously the turn to villainy should have been in large part motivated by lex finding out clark's secret and going?? the fuck is wrong with you for not just SAYING this?? (plus finding out everything clark did to lex in season three to keep his secret like it's genuinely so fucked up #lmao) but. I hate to break bad news to you about where we're at with the whole 'does lex know clark's secret yet' situation at the point where I gave up. genuinely what is the point of all this building and perfectly interesting character work if you're NEVER gonna deliver

but quite possibly an even worse sin of the later seasons that genuinely broke my brain was the treatment of lex's father. like, not to give the game away too much here, but the show's philosophical stance on rotten apples ends up being.... well. it's interesting which characters this show feels is worthy of redemption!! also interesting when they retcon several seasons of writing for the show that already very much set up why a character would actually perfectly legitimately go insane and instead settle for 'well his father sure did know there was always something wrong with him'!! watching some season 3 and season 5 episodes back to back would leave your face scarred from the amount of whiplash in the writing. the whole thing's kinda incompetent and dumb but is also like?? actively a little bit evil when you really think about the implications of what they're writing here

anyway. it's a brave stance on superman to go 'okay but what is being a superhero really about if not a whole whole lot of gaslighting'. and I do love the clark stalking room!! but the problem is, they could've played the clark/lex dynamic in a kinda tragic 'wow clark really has been so blinded by his parents that he's gonna end up destroying his relationship to lex because he just can't be honest with him and lex really needed one person in his corner who actually trusted him but clark wasn't the right person to provide that' way. they could've played it in a sort of fun 'yeah this is kinda fucked up and weird and toxic how they simply cannot stop doing dubious shit to each other' way where you just kinda roll with how terrible the whole thing is. but they don't go for either of those!! they're so stuck with treating clark's parents as the moral centre of the universe, with their "marriage is SACRED, clark" schtick and all that (yeah, there's an episode where clark gets lectured about the importance of the bond of marriage, this is a thing that happens) that they're blatantly unaware of what story they're telling but ALSO just refuse to lean into the batshit insane elements and just have!! fun!! and it's one of those things where you really do feel like an idiot for even thinking about this stupid fucking show so!! much!! but I swear, I swear they had a dynamic that hit like crazy in season one... also some of the fic out there for them is CRAZY like it kinda does make it all worth it but still!! still!! this shit infuriates me!!

anyway, here are some bonkers plot bits I remember happening in this show for you to enjoy if you continue in this endeavour:

the lex luthor slut shaming episode

clark kent slut shaming lex luthor, which is conceptually funny anyway but becomes funnier if you just read it as clark being unable to figure out he is actually just subliminally attracted to his friend. like, okay, clark being disappointed at lex for sleeping with thirteen different women, I see you

like. multiple lesbian lana moments. she's constantly getting herself in lesbian situations. and I get this is some kinda weird fanservice-y shit from the showrunners but, sue me, I thought lesbian vampire lana was cute

which is a thing that happens

they get spike from btvs to tell clark vampires aren't real, which is the one funny thing they wrote in about a season

the native american stuff is always deeply uncomfortable but it becomes even weirder when they invent some native american prophecy *deep sigh* to explain how lex was always evil

clark steals a car from lex several episodes after committing like, one of the most obscene acts of betrayal it is possible to commit against a friend (lex is unaware of this and possibly never finds out? I think the writers maybe forgot about this.) and lex is just like. it's fine <3 I know friends sometimes have to do crazy shit for other friends!! you're my friend, right?? and clark goes... yeah. sure

I vaguely remember lex buying stuff the american football high school team at some point and showing up to the lockers to give a speech and it's just?? this is right after the friendship break up and it's basically lex talking right at clark and he's talking about the importance of fresh starts and it is so fucking funny

the one episode where lana is in paris. they had built up to this for ages as like a whole thing where lana finally frees herself from that miserable town and all the people in it (don't ask how the 'lana knowing clark's secret' situation develops. it doesn't) and then she's there for. one episode

martha kent tells clark how they can't harbour illegal immigrants at one stage?? she eventually changes her mind I think but what even was that all about

the papa kent goes into politics arc. shoot me

lex becomes like. possessed by zod. which somehow manages to make everyone involved more dull

silver kryptonite makes clark paranoid, which ends up being pretty funny because he genuinely talks the exact same way

lex thinks clark can throw him across the room because he's been hypnotised

lex starts capturing various clark super powered friends and delivers these gay villain monologues to them (like genuinely, in one of them he's got shirtless aquaman strapped to a gurney and he's like, leaning over him, teasing him with a glass of water) and they're some of the best bits of the show

clark discovers the clark stalking room, which I will say was very funny

chloe basically saying lex always sends clark these massive gifts as a way of keeping his affections which?? clearly true but I thought we were keeping that the subtext

clark gatecrashes lex's wedding high on red kryptonite

one of lex's old bullies gets killed by like, a statue falling from the top of the building they're standing next to and stabbing the guy and then some of the blood splashes on lex and he's just like ?? bleh. fantastic scene

and THEN there's several scenes with his father where lex is like 'well that sure was a nice shirt :(' and lex's father is berating him for his lack of humanity. or something

there's an episode where lex is split into good lex and evil lex and it's genuinely the only worthwhile thing the show did that season. like the writing is still kinda incoherent but, crucially. it sure is fun

the spirit of lex's mum tells him she thinks he sucks

worst show in existence. I'll never forget it

[creaturefeaster]

Now I’m curious of some of the other characters upbringing, if you could give a short summary (or long, I love reading your rambles!!) of each of the Fated 15’s upbringing, what would they be like?

I'll go down the list ^^.

Tim's upbringing was just fine. A bit of an overprotective mother, but a loving and caring one. She really drilled home the morals of hard work & hospitality into him growing up. He and his mom are very close, especially because they're all they have at home.

Hannah couldn't complain about her childhood either. It was a very chill upbringing. She takes heavily after her dad-- he's a cool and relaxed kind of dude, handy. Their whole family (Mother, Father, Hannah, Step-brother) are big on helping out others and spend a lot of their free time in community service, and that's had a big effect on how she interacts with others, especially post-Fault.

Brook, as I'm sure most of you know already, grew up with a very very traditional, anti-tech family. Not a lot of exposure to the outside world, her and her siblings were schooled on their property and were taught a lot of untrue things about the world beyond their small town. But, her childhood was not bad. Her family is very loving-- conditionally so, but she's never had an issue falling under those conditions-- and perhaps a little overbearing at times. Her and her older siblings have all learned to hide certain aspects of their lives, thoughts, and desires from their parents as a result of their aggressively traditional ways of thinking. Brook's thing was sneaking out at night, a habit her parents believe she's grown out of (she hasn't).

Gary's upbringing was both lavish yet harsh. He's a prince after all, taught many skills and hyper-specific manners, had high expectations, all of which he failed to excell enough at for his dad to ever be proud of him. His dad and step dad always seemed like they were watching and judging everything he did. He was prone to lashing out, running away for short periods, or intentionally causing issues just so he could be grounded and be alone for a while. It's left him with a lot of bad habits and poor emotional regulation. Never taught or praised for doing the right thing, only punished for doing the wrong thing.

Lauren's homelife was nearly picturesque. Loving parents, bratty older sister but never anything more than a bit annoying at time, an incredibly large and decked out home in a gated community with friendly neighbors and seriously, nothing to complain about. She simply had interests that never aligned with her family's, and even though they supported her she convinced herself that they either didn't understand, or that they were overbearing and controlling. They weren't. She just functions on a different wavelength and made it their problem, lmao.

Elliot's upbringing was a little rough, his dad was rarely there and a bit of a deadbeat, and his mother was a hard worker trying to make enough to support their family. Elliot had to raise his younger brother which matured him quickly, but he missed out on a lot of his later childhood as a result. He often found himself in a lot of risky situations with nobody around to provide some foresight, so he's lost and learned a lot throughout his life

Tanner's upbringing was kind of boring. His family was never super close, it just wasn't really in their nature. Often they would be off doing their own things rather than participate in family gatherings. Even meals were typically enjoyed alone or distracted by things like television. There wasn't always much to do at home, and he grew to be very tolerant of inactivity. He spent a lot of his time in his room listening to music, or getting up to weird or questionable things late at night with April.

April has always been a contrarian, and even in instances where she wasn't, her parents grew to expect it from her and acted accordingly anyways. There's always been a lot of arguing in her family, and as a result she has a hard time not defaulting to arguing or just straight up opposing a statement, even in the event that she does agree with it. Her brothers were often cruel towards her and never got in trouble for it, and she never really felt like she belonged at home growing up.

Leon's life was pretty free. He grew up in the very small nowhere town of Lystrike with parents who had him later in life than most, so he was raised by not just them, but as they got older and couldn't always keep up, the greater community as well. You'd hear no complaints from him about his childhood, he felt safe in his town and stuck hard to the good morals it taught him.

Rachel's upbringing was pleasant, her family was close-knit and sociable. Despite magic being quite the uncommon thing to learn as a talpian (and even questionable depending on where you live in the underworld), her family was always supportive of her. They raised her well and she felt more than confident in moving out when she was old enough, and always kept in close contact with them after she left.

Bonnie's upbringing was hard. Her mother was frequently ill, and her father worked long days at sea. She took care of her mother from a young age, and when she wasnt, hung around the docks either with or waiting for her father. She had to be the one to acquire the family's goods and necessities more often than not, and her home town was not a particularly safe one, especially for a young girl to be walking around in all alone. She never complained though, not once. She was lucky to have a home whereas many others in her town did not.

Michael's childhood was loving. He's always been a bit babied by his mothers, though they've laid off it a little in more recent years, and so he tended to be a little more ignorant and immature growing up. He went through an oppositional phase in his teens that made his home life a little more tense, but that's kind of on him-- his mothers have always been supportive and given him everything they could for him to live a comfortable life.

Samantha's, as stated a few asks ago, was lonely. Life lessons were missed or taught begrudgingly through house workers, or rarely learned the hard way. She has grown cautious of the unknown and gets a bit uncomfortable stepping out of her comfort zone, because nobody at home has ever taken the time to teach her some confidence. Yuan helps her through this, by virtue of being a huge fucking dragon.

Debbie's upbringing wasn't awful, but not very fun either. Raised soley by her dad who was a militant control freak, she could hardly be herself at home. She learned to become proficient at sneaking out at night, and gets away with all of her rambunctiousness when her father is away with work. A lot of her life has involved being yelled at or around, or walking on eggshells to avoid upsetting her dad-- especially in her earlier years. If there is one thing she got from her dad, it'd be her volume control.

Vilmr was raised as best as he could by Maja, a lady who has never had any children of her own. She's given him a roof, enough food, plenty of wisdom, and some harsh love here and there. He's always been a hard child to keep tame, but respect and discipline have been constant lessons throughout his upbringing and he's always worked hard to make her proud, even if he finds himself being problematic from time to time.

[bhaalble]

While I'm on my script doctor shit: I want to talk about Karlach.

Karlach's not dealing with the same level of narrative neglect/hasty rewrite fingerprints that Wyll is. As a standalone entity, her arc works. I Am Not Immune To Weeping at the Post-Gortash Fight Scene etc etc. But it does feel oddly discordant with the other companion quests. Karlach doesn't really experience any moral evolution or make meaningful decisions. When we meet her she's a kindhearted friendly hero, and she will be that regardless of whether she dies in Faerun or goes back to Avernus. She's incredibly likeable while she does that, and I also don't want to come across like I think her writing is shallow. But in a game where all the companion quests follow a pretty intentional pattern regarding the cycle of abuse, it sticks out like a sore thumb to me that the resolution of the Gortash plot doesn't really impact her character arc one way or the other.

As always I feel compelled to point out that this isn't me going "actually she's secretly a bad person and the game won't admit it". This is more me attempting to mine some more in-depth conflict, using the existing arc as a template. With that in mind, these are the changes I would make:

-Make the use of Soul Coins MUCH MORE of a character point. With how much attention is drawn to acquiring these things for the first time and a special dialogue choice for whether or not you'll have her use them, it feels very much like a dropped thread that it doesn't really go anywhere storywise. Leveraged correctly I think this could've been the chance to show a crack in Karlach's persona. She's your big loveable attack dog who's been having the worst decade, yeah. But she's also a survivor, who's not only been deployed into an endless conflict but who also hasn't had a single person she can trust other than herself. I think you could make more of a thing about how the conditions she lived in in Avernus forced her to make her peace with occasionally stepping on other people, even some innocents, so she could live to fight another day. There's shades of this in some of her conversations with the tiefling refugees already, she mentions to Dammon that she felt like she couldn't really do anything for Elturel. Push into that guilt, and with it, that denial. Have ten years spent with devils maybe just maybe given her a slightly more removed view of the value of a life that isn't her own?

-Whether the player feeds her Soul Coins or not I think it should be specified by Dammon that her routine use of them during her time in Avernus has sped up her engine breakdown by putting it into almost permanent overdrive. Its a damnation of Zariel (who probably knew what the coins were doing, but didn't care) and a startling moment for Karlach, that there are consequences for being cavalier with the souls of others. High Approval Karlach either asks to stop taking them (if the player has been giving them) or thanks the player for encouraging her to hold off. Low Approval Karlach will ask to keep taking them on the grounds of "in for a penny in for a pound", arguing that they can't afford to lose the advantages the player has seen it gives them (if they have been giving them) or becoming frustrated that the player is judging her and what she's had to do to survive (if they haven't).

-Make the reveal that the Steel Watch run off infernal iron MUCH MORE emotional for Karlach, as she realizes she was an experimental run for Gortash to do this. Double down on this when the player discovers that they have corpses inside them (also, put this reveal before the Steel Watch foundry quest can be completed). Its both horrifying on a gut level to find out the stupid evil reason for all her suffering...but also she can't help but feel culpable for LIVING. If she hadn't been strong enough to survive it the experiment might've ended there. Its not true but it is one of the worst thoughts you can have when you've just found out you're going to die anyways.

-I would make the relationship between Karlach and Gortash much more mutual and much more (initially) positive relationship. Have him be genuinely glad to see her, genuinely impressed that she survived the hells. Its what he always liked about her, her grit, her ability to face down impossible odds and come out the victor. Compliments that would've made her happy back in the day and now feel like a punch to the gut. Its all build-up, though, to the Choice which will define Karlach's route.

-By virtue of his experiments Gortash has gotten very good at working with Infernal Iron. And he believes he can fix Karlach's heart, in exchange for her basically taking up a more elevated version of her old job. He could use a bodyguard powered by hellfire and with a strong understanding of devils. Its also, just good optics for his man of the people image to have his right hand be some outer city kid elevated to greatness. He makes a lot of promises in that moment: she won't die. She'll get a chance to have a LIFE back, but now a life with all the power and security she could ask for. More than that, they could change things in this city. Give its residents better lives, improve things for all the little Karlachs out there. And after that...who knows? The Hells might be ripe for some conquest back. Gods know they've both got old scores to settle

-She takes time to think about it, and talk with the player. In addition to all the other hang-ups she might have this is where the Steel Watch comes up again, with her feeling like she's poisoned by that knowledge. A player trying to persuade her into taking the deal can point out, in the end its not so different from soul coins. Why draw the line now. If this Persuasion check is passed she can note that at least they could afford to be choosier with their victims, putting the worst baddies to use for the protection of everyone. That wouldn't be so bad....would it?

-You meet Gortash for a final time. If persuaded by the player to not take the deal (or if left to choose for herself with High Approval) Karlach will kill him where he stands. His soul rises in the form of Bane's Chosen and you have a proper boss fight. If persuaded to take it (or left to her own devices on Low Approval) Karlach will take the deal. This will mean losing Karlach from the party (with the exception of the House of Hope mission where she will appear Jaheira style) as she will be busy protecting Gortash. The player gains custom armor from Gortash and an assembly of Steel Watchers they can summon in the Final Battle.

-If she doesn't take the deal her endings play out pretty similarly to how they do in canon, either dying or returning to Avernus. This time, however, its with a new lease on life (or death). She's gotten to choose to be better than the things that dropped her here. She's still scared, still angry. But she's also proven something to herself. That Zariel and Gortash and them were wrong about her, and that she is much more than the mindless weapon they wanted to turn her into.

-If she takes the deal it unlocks a new ending for Gortash. Rather than come to the Elder Brain himself he will instead give you his Netherstone as a show of good faith, trusting you to take the chance to subdue the Elder Brain for your mutual rule.

-If the Player subdues the Elder Brain you and Gortash move it back underground, pretending to have defeated it and using the fear created by the mind flayer outbreak to rule the populace. Karlach in the Epilogue talks to you about how the two of you are making massive moves in the city. She seems to be trying very hard to convince herself at least most of the changes are positive....from a certain point of view.

-If the Player destroys the Elder Brain, Gortash skips town and takes Karlach with him rather than face his disgrace. In the Epilogue Karlach says he's starting to rebuild in another city state, "not tellin you where, though. Don't really think I want to have to fight you if you decide to come smash this one too....even though I'd definitely win." She seems extremely worn down in this ending and trying to cover it up. Gortash lost a LOT of favor with Bane having his plans blow up in his face like that and its made him. Snippy. Still, "its a living. And it probably wouldn't even be that if it weren't for him." The player can hint that it may be time for her to start moving on to a better environment, and she says only if she can find someone to do a more permanent fix for Ol' Rusty. Gortash still has to do check-ups almost monthly to keep her stable.

-She still keeps in touch with Dammon, though....who knows. He might have some new thoughts after seeing all the blueprints Gortash has drawn up....

[thebennettdiaries]

the oak king (iv)

(directly follows this drabble)

They don't get far.

Bonnie's decision to leave the coziness of her rented room had been born of adrenaline (and fear). She has had time to think as they walk down the quiet streets of the city. Klaus is a step behind her and she can practically feel him breathing down her back.

Yet, she doesn't worry that he will attack.

A strange part of her wonders if Klaus feels indebted to her now. After all, she is the reason he is alive (no matter whether she actually wanted that or not). Her magic pulled him from the darkness --- he better not try to sink his fangs in her neck.

Finally, Bonnie comes to an abrupt stop. The air is chilly, seeping into her bones and reminding her that she has been robbed of the hot bath she craved all day. Klaus practically barrels into her. "I need to think."

"Isn't that what you've been doing this entire time?" Klaus drawls, stepping back to avoid further contact. "Or are you normally this mute?"

She gives him a withering glare. Then she looks across the street. A tiny coffee shop still open despite it being Christmas Eve. She makes a beeline for it and within a few minutes, they are seated with a mug of caffeine in front of her. Klaus has declined anything, which Bonnie can't figure out if that is a good thing or not. After all, he might decide he is in the mood for the vein in the barista's arm. She doesn't know how long he has been alive --- and just how much blood he has consumed since he came back.

She digs into her bag, pulling a tattered book from its depths. She hesitates for a moment, her eyes moving to Klaus. Then with a sigh, she sets it on the table. She begins to flip through the pages, skimming the information she finds there. Opposite her, Klaus does the same, although he has a harder time deciphering the words --- for one thing they are upside down. And another...

"Your penmanship is atrocious," Klaus comments, wrinkling his nose.

"I forgot how much you just comment on things that are no concern of yours," Bonnie mutters, looking up from her work. Already a list is forming in her head. "This is going to help me...us."

Klaus raises an eyebrow.

Bonnie's lips press together and she figures that she has to tell him. After all, he is going to be helping her in the long run. "I am a freelancer," she begins. When she sees his curiosity continue to rise, she continues. "I help people who need magic. Spells. I travel to them, do what I can for them and they pay me."

Klaus waits a beat and then clucks his tongue. "Not the direction I saw you going in, love. I would have thought such a thing would have been against those tightly wound morals of yours."

It is a direct blow because it is true. The Bonnie he knew would never. She takes a breath, and then sits up a little taller, trying to maintain the high ground. "A lot has changed since you died," she tells him quietly. "I have changed. I am not going to defend my actions to you of all people."

"I never asked you to," Klaus retorts. "You have a gift --- one of the strongest ones I have ever laid eyes on. It is only fair that you share it."

(with the likes of people like him; he doesn't say it but she knows he is thinking it)

Bonnie looks down to her notes, going over the spells she has performed as of late. There is nothing in them that would pull someone like Klaus back from the Other Side. Frustration begins to trickle in. "The kind of magic I have used as of late wouldn't result in..." She throws a gesture at him and he sits back in his chair. "I've healed mostly. Found things that were lost. Bringing someone back from the dead, especially someone like you..." Is it just her or does Klaus look proud of that distinction? "...is a very specialized magic. I haven't..."

"Here is where I can help," Klaus interrupts. She can't even be mad at him for doing so because she hates that she is confused. "What if one of those lovely spells you preformed was done so as a cover for my resurrection? What if you were..."

"Manipulated?" Bonnie finishes, the word heavy in her mouth. She feels a sickness building in her stomach.

"Well, if you wish to label it that, yes," Klaus tells her.

Bonnie's eyes trace over her scribbled handwriting with a newfound suspicion. "Then it could be anyone of these that did it," she concludes, not happy with the thought.

"So why are we wasting our time here?" Klaus asks, clapping his hands together. He stands. "We have suspects to question."

Bonnie waits a beat and then nods her head. She feels shellshocked (for at least the third time this evening) as she shoves the book back into her bag. Someone hijacked her spell? She feels foolish. She should have protected herself from this.

And now it is too late and he is the consequence.

"We have to get out of the city," she tells him. It is Christmas Eve. The chances of them getting a reliable mode of transportation this late seems impossible. "Think you can compel us a car?" She hates the idea but it is trumped by the uneasiness that comes with knowing she may have been taken advantage of.

Klaus gives her a look. Then he grins.

"Sure --- but I'll need a bite to eat first."

[dreamwritersworld]

Once innocent. Final part.(Sully family x reader)

Hi! Just a reminder that this is a mini series to show the deeper sides of Y/n’s life BEFORE “The chore” :) 💕

Tuk having those nightmares. It terrified me and he was the cause of it. We slept with each other for the rest of the days. I didn’t have nightmares until today. This is the one time where sleep didn’t feel peaceful and instead, felt real like I was drowning again, forced to feel my emotions.

*Y/n dream*

I walk into the house ready to take Tuk after finding pretty beads for her to make the necklace she wanted to. None of my family’s stuff are where they were supposed to be, like they didn’t even live in the home anymore…He took them and left me. “Sunshine!….Tuk?” I started frantically looking around for her. “Tuk? Can you please answer me? Tuk *i whistle*” she’s- she’s not whistling back..where is she? And then I found her, in a new home with my family’s items gathered around the house. She was with dad while she cried in his arms, something covering her ears from listening to me “Y/n? Where’s y/n? Take me To y/n.” Then he got up and closed the home, ensuring I wouldn’t enter. “Sir, don’t do this alright? It’s not benefiting her. You can’t do this. I need you to let me see her.” He answered back “I’m not going to help you ruin her Y/n. You can’t come over here anymore” My heart starts racing and I feel everything go black “Don’t- Dad? Don’t lock me out. Dad? Let me see her. I’m begging you just let me hold her…. You’re the most self centered, idiotic person I’ve ever fucking met. You know you didn’t technically raise her? And now all of a sudden you want to be father of the fucking century with a moral high ground? You’re a fucking shitty dad you know that …Let me see her! …are you doing this because you ‘care’ about her? If you gave a shit about her, you wouldn’t have neglected her in the first place. But you did, you fucking did. So open up, and let me see her. Let me see her! Let me take care of her!…..” he’s not giving up. He’s never going to let me see her, my sunshine. I start sobbing uncontrollably “…you did this to me. You did this to me dad. You fucking ruined my life. The least you can do is let me see her and fix it. I’m serious I’m so fucking serious. If you don’t let me see her I swear to Eywa she and I will hate you till the day I die. Once it’s all said and done, open the door and tell me if it was worth it. You owe me that. Open the fucking door dad. This isn’t about Tuk this is about you and me and our relationship. And if you want to throw it away then FINE. Cause I don’t want to be your fucking daughter” He doesn’t care “you’re a fucking coward. You’re a fucking coward and I would’ve never done this to you…..I would’ve never done this to you” he listens while he takes Tuk to sit on her hammock where she now sits, crying her eyes out. Begging for Y/n to come, why didn’t they take her? Without y/n Tuk’s heart was torn.

I can hear her screams, begging for me. While I scream pleading to take care of her. When I saw Tuk again from afar, my sunshine it was like her eyes weren’t the same anymore. N-no, I worked so hard to protect her from this. Seeing her eyes again…the lights were on…but nobody’s home. once innocent.*

I woke up drenched, and gasping for air. Then Tuk woke up. “Y/n? Are you ok?” I turn and pass a smile saying “I’m fine sunshine just tired.” She passes one of her sweet beautiful smiles “what are we doing today sister? Can we please train?” I think for a moment, even though I already planned a day full of lessons after I go spotting. “Today I actually have to go look over the war and observe from a far with Neteyam and Loak but that’s in a couple of hours. We can train!” I watched as Tuk nodded and I saw how her curious mind was wanting to ask questions. “Yes my sunshine? What’s going on in that mind of yours?” She laughs and says “y/n I finally had a good dream a-and I don’t know it felt so real, like Eywa was telling me she’ll hold US. You won’t have to be sorry for leaving and growing up. I mean y/n you’ve done it all on your own. You can start a family, who will always show you love. W-we’ll be ok soon.” She starts tearing up and I laugh with tears in my eyes too. “We’ll be ok.” The rest of the day hit me like there was no tomorrow…we had no idea what was about to come next.

(read part one of ‘the chore’ if you haven’t my loves! And then continue with the rest if you haven’t!)

*current time AFTER ‘the chore’*

For the first time ever I didn’t need to dream and sleep in order to find peace. I learned to breathe and conquer other ways through life. Awa'atlu, is my home. I am one with the Metkayina people. I was taken in by Tonowari and Ronal. I will help guide the tribe alongside Aonung, my mate and my beautiful sister Tsireya. In life you have to fight to achieve all that you have worked for, I have fought my entire life, I will no longer fight. To be able to keep the people strong, is a gift. Tuk kept me strong. She is my gift from Eywa.

My smile glistened as I watched my siblings walk by joking around with Aonung, enjoying the beautiful sunset behind them. Aonung walks to me calmly, holding the fruit that’s had quite a hold on me. “For your cravings my love.” We share a laugh and tuk comes to sit next to me. “You’ve grown sister. Yes we are your family, but now you started your own family. I can only hold on so tight to our time before I will be enjoying the new bundle of joy.” She’s funny. she doesn’t believe she was the first person I built into my thoughts of ‘my own family’. Ha! “Oh sunshine, you have always and will always be my first baby. You are my first gift from Eywa. Everyone here is my second. However this new child is our. Gift.” We hug as we watch everyone enjoy their time together. “You promised you’d protect me. You have achieved all that and more. I will fulfill my promise and protect our new gift.” We pass tearful smiles. “My sunshine, my light to the darkness. You will forever reside in my heart. Your innocence gives strength to the life I am growing. My eyes have seen it all and were once innocent. My promise to myself was to give you a chance and maintain the innocence in yours, I’m so glad I did and I’m happy you were by my side through it all sunshine.”

It came time to rest and so we did. My nightmares had stopped and now I’m more calmed when I fall asleep to dream.

*Y/n’s dream*

“Rey’akana!” He turns with a wide smile. “Y/n! Oh sunshine, I-Wow. Just look at you….just look at you.” (Only the beginning of Y/n pregnancy, so she doesn’t look pregnant just her normal older self, this is the first time Rey’akana has seen her all grown up.) I laugh at his amused face. “I’m so happy to see you again, Rey’akana.” He laughs to this and says “I’m allowed to visit you anytime now. You are in control of your mind in your dreams y/n. I see you have received Eywa’s gifts. The gift of a true chance at life, peace and happiness. You’re glowing again sunshine.” I thank him and we talk for what felt like hours until he asks how Tuk was. “Tuk is amazing Rey’akana. I’ve taught her to be strong, and brave and capable. You’d be so proud.” He gives me a confused face with a smile “you mean more than I already am?” I look down with a smile and hug him. “You are now holding a new child Y/n, you will do great things. I can see it already sunshine.” I laugh with tears coming out. He continues to joke and say “Oh no! More emotional now? Is it the pregnancy or did you touch that neon flower?” We laugh and continued talking until it’s time to part our ways. “Oel ngati kameie Rey’akana” he smiles and says “Oel ngati kameie, Sunshine” *

I wake up to my stomach being held by Aonung’s hand . Holding our new life.

💗!

I really hope you guys loved this series and I’m so happy to give you guys a happy ending. 🥲 I did use some scenes from my favorite shows. I like using acting to fit the characters situation idk it makes it feel real to me because I can HEARRRR the pain in their voice. 😭 I would like to hear any thoughts that you guys have! 😊💕 also like what were your guys favorite parts of the series. Mine was part one, it was so beautiful to write for me! 🥲

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