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felassan · 22 days

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Notes and thoughts on the August 30th dev Discord Q&A. (this post contains DA:TV spoilers from the recent Q&A).

Mother Ghil is a herbalist 😌

"there are opportunities in conversations, in dialogue, in scenes where you will, you know - a companion may ask you for a hug because they’re having a rough time and you are able to give it to them"

🥺😭 I'm worried (but in a good way, pls hurt me storylines) because this reminds me of DA:I when the Inquisitor can hug Varric after something incredibly sad happens as a result of our choices (Hawke's death in the Fade) oughh.

Influence on the fate of nations? 👁️

"Rook does become a fairly important figure" - this reminds me of Solas' line in a past trailer: "They call me the Dread Wolf. What will they call you when this is over?"

UNDERWEAR CHOICES

Taash is babey 🥺 it makes sense why in this screenshot she looks young. if Taash is in her early 20s, say 23, that means she probably can't have been one of the Five Belles of Hunter Fell as that was in 9:42 and she would have been like 13

Here is some further info about companion ages that came out since the time of the Q&A

Harding had to have been at least 18 ten years ago in 9:42 when she joined the Inquisition and became Lead Scout, so must be at least 28. but I think older, as I think she was older than 18 in DA:I by a fair few years. like around early to mid 20s at that point in time.

"they’re all people who have been through a lot [...] they’ve been through a tremendous amount by this point by the time you meet them" 🥺😭

"They’re more linear than some of the other parts of the game, because we feel that’s how we can tell the best stories, give you a very intentionally-paced experience, y'know, with lulls and climaxes, so it really hits you."

This was how Trespasser was and it was the best part of DA:I, the storytelling and narrative beats in that DLC were soo good.

Hossberg Wetlands! - new location confirmed, and also described as being one of the biggest like Arlathan Forest. also new location just dropped, Hossberg existed before in the lore but I don't remember hearing about the Wetlands! Hossberg is the capital of the Anderfels. it'll be awesome to see more of the Anderfels than only Weisshaupt. by the name these wetlands must be nearby Hossberg. I wonder whether they're around the Lattenfluss or more around this body of water to the south of Hossberg? the area around Kassel looks wet with multiple bodies of water, but there the nearest settlement is Kassel. we also learned that there's a Davrin-oriented quest there that he can show up in with Assan and help you clear the way forward

also, I remember reading before that "Thedas’s separate regions are connected by The Crossroads, which will allow players to venture out into", but from how The Crossroads was described in the Q&A, they sound kind've like an explorable area in and of themselves in the game like they were in Trespasser, and that's exciting. :D I'm so excited to explore in there some more and see how it has changed from DA:I/Trespasser:

"but this, isn’t necessarily the Crossroads as you remember it. So you’ll be able to explore this, this part of the Crossroads, and as you’re there, you’re absolutely gonna be discovering new areas, new quests, mysteries and new challenges"

like this sounds very 👁️. The Veil has been having a rough time lately and magic has been flowing into the world. reality is warping in places like Arlathan. we've seen the effects this sort of thing is having on the waking world. but what about the effects this is happening on the Fade and Fadey dimensions? I wonder if this game will still reflect that the Crossroads looks different for elves compared to other lineages?

"I wanna see that big 100% completed on my map. That’s gonna take you quite a bit of time."

I love that. :D

I totally agree that the cloth sim and hair sim in the game is beautiful and looks beautiful. you can see this when characters move their heads or when their capes and things move around as they move. its so cool!

"there is a unique Venatori-themed helmet. I, I don’t want to spoil what that is exactly, but, so, you can get a helmet, it is unique, it’s pretty interesting and ties into some of the events that can happen in the game but I’m just gonna leave it there."

inchresting... this helmet sounds like it has special powers or attributes and has some sort of presence in a possible plot somewhere.

I will still romance Strife Dragonage in my dreams

while Rook's romance is within the companions, iirc was mentioned elsewhere that sometimes companions may find romance both inside and outside of the party

Cat Vibing To Ievan Polkka

KFM: "So Taash breathes fire, Lucanis has wings, Harding is a dwarf who has magic. A lot of our companions have some strange abilities - is this because the Veil is compromised?" JE: "Oh, I’d say it’s, I mean partially yeah. I mean, we’ve talked before about how over the course of the time since Dragon Age: Inquisition, I mean, it started at the end of Trespasser. The Veil’s not in great shape. Corypheus already did a number on it, and Solas has very clearly, as you saw, in the [inaudible] preview, not been making things better in the intervening times. [...] because there’s all this magic that’s coming back to the world through the torn Veil"

This is inchresting and ties to what was said in these two previous quotes:

Lore/art direction: “Magic has started seeping into the world through Solas’ ritual”, “and so you’re seeing the effects of that on the space, and on the visuals as well” [post this is from, original source. original source is a John Epler interview video]

“Epler, who writes Bellara, tells me about her place in Thedas as an elf and the connection elves have to the magic of the world. He says if you’ve paid attention to the franchise, you likely already know that elves are historically an oppressed people in the games. Now, with two of their gods on the loose in Veilguard, magic has poured back into the world in a big way. […] A Quick Detour: Magic During my discussion, Epler spoke about magic’s place in the world and how it differs in Veilguard from previous Dragon Age games. Here’s what he said: "Historically, as you’ve mentioned, we’ve been in the south of Thedas and south Thedas is Ferelden, Orlais. Both are fairly still oppressed, they still have circles. Mages are viewed with suspicion, but Tevinter has always been this land where mages rule, mages are in charge, mages make the rules, mages run the show. So what does that look like? And as we’ve gone through [Dragon Age: Origins, Dragon Age II, Dragon Age: Inquisition], magic has become more and more present. And part of that is because Solas has been slowly preparing this ritual for longer than anyone in the Dragon Age universe is really aware of, but also, just going into the spaces where magic is, by definition and by the lore, much, much more present. And it’s been fun because, again, we do have rules; we want to make sure we’re not violating the lore or violating things we’ve said before. But it’s also, again, that permissiveness of, ‘Okay, what is the most interesting way to do this? What’s the most interesting way to tell the story? [In] Origins, II, on the Eclipse engine, we could talk about this fantastical magic, but the engine didn’t really allow us to show it. For the first time, we’re really able to let the visuals speak for themselves and not have to tell the player, ‘Trust us, it’s spectacular; this magic is really cool.’ We can actually show you and let you drink it in.” [post this is from, archive post of the original article as that went down when GI did]

The effects of this on space, reality, visuals, people and their abilities, ancient elven artifacts turning back on, and Solas' activities being part of what affected things in the time since DA:I. I wanna speculate that these ancient elven artifacts turning back on or becoming active again is part of why reality has been warping and "something [going] wrong" in Arlathan Forest. I wonder if the Morlyn clan journal relic began rewriting itself as a consequence of the magic returning.

Bellara was an interesting example though, she's a mage not a non-mage like Taash, Lucanis, Harding. was I parsing this right - is the implication that she wouldn't be able to interface with the artifacts that have turned back on if the Veil was in better shape and magic hadn't been pouring back in?

^ Bellara interfacing with an artifact

All the talk of magic coming back into the world are like Sandal's prophecy:

One day the magic will come back - all of it. Everyone will be just like they were. The shadows will part and the skies will open wide. When he rises, everyone will see.

and reminds of a few other bits too:

Ardent Blossom Faerie: "Pulling back the curtain. Let the light in. Let it burn. Bring faith. Bring hope. Bring dreams of life. - Morrigan: "Change is coming to the world. Many fear change, and will fight it with every fibre of their being. But sometimes change is what they need most. Sometimes, change is what sets them free." - Flemeth: "We stand upon the precipice of change."

I loved hearing about Bellara's friendships with Lucanis and Neve. it sounds so well thought-out, and I'm looking forwards to learning the relationships between each companion!!

Bellara believing that family is deeply important combined with a previous quote about her backstory,

"Whereas Bellara is somebody who has seen tragedy, and as you get into her character arc and get into her backstory, you realize this is a character who has seen a lot of tragedy"

makes me wonder if this tragedy has involved her family and if her family are okay. 🥺

Lucanis' belief in the deep importance of family makes me worried in case any of his personal arc/story involves the family tensions he has with Illario and Caterina

I love that Bellara collects newspaper clippings and was basically Neve fan before meeting her!

Neve must be a fairly prominent, well-known/successful private detective/investigator to have formed a large profile in print media

Taash and Emmrich [...] When you’re out in the field like exploring, or on missions with them, their banter is so good, because they do not see eye-to-eye on necromancy, like, at all, and, it’s really funny, it’s really delightful, I love seeing how it evolves

as a necromancer Emmrich doesn’t have a problem with necromancer (makes sense). I wonder what Taash dislikes about it? is it its bad reputation (per Josie in DA:I)? Solas freed the weak spirit the Mortalitasi in Tevinter Nights had bound to stir her drink. maybe Taash doesn’t like the binding part, or the undead helpers or servants part? maybe she just doesn't like the dead the way Bull doesn't like demons?

Having to figure out how Harding's new powers layer into her combat kit - Harding's new magical powers are part of her gameplay abilities confirmed!

Harding can also do Heavy Draw

Interesting - the more you help a faction the more gear you get from them. between that and transmog it means everyone can access the Antivan Crows awesome threads if they wanna :D

Both the specs and gear are themed around particular factions like aesthetically but aren't exclusive-to-them when it comes to use/gameplay

It sounds like each faction will have a quartermaster

Veil Jumper lore! they tend towards electricity/lightning damage and archery in their fighting style. and in general they're practically minded and dress as such because where they go and what they do requires care and protection and is dangerous, they wear boots/shoes etc for this reason

Veil Ranger info! it tends towards electricity, use of the Veil and use of that kind of magic. it also uses archery

The answer to the question about the Evoker spec made me reassured about the answer I wrote here ^^;

Great news that any piece of gear we find will unlock the appearance of that gear and how it can be applied to anything we want <3

Training dummy cosmetic - joke gear pieces like the Wedge of Destiny live on :D

I'm so psyched that we can even transmog our casual wear!! that's so cool and allows for so much agency. I find when I play mages in the past I'm always looking for the.. least magiest-looking mage gear to wear, and previously there wasn't crazy amounts of choice in casual wear, so this is amazing dbgfjdbd

very personal GIFTS for the blorbos 🥺 the gift system sounds so lovely and thoughtful. I think maybe some of the empty shelves that can be seen in the new screenshots of the companion rooms in the Lighthouse just miiight be where the companions will display the gifts

"A really big thing for us on this project is making sure that the gameplay reflects the characters, their arc and their personality as much as possible, so."

looking real hard at Lucanis' wings rn, especially given the context of what else we know about him 👁️

"you’re not even going to see everything necessarily in a couple of playthroughs"

Aaaaaa :D

as a warrior fan the love for the warrior class was really heartening. (love you Inky)

The Missing setting up some of the characters we'll see in the game makes me even more sure that alongside Strife&Irelin and Evka&Antoine we'll see Teia&Viago in the game (plus the characters in the release date reveal trailer that totally look like them ofc)

Emphasis that themes and events/things present and explored in Tevinter Nights are present in the game

It sounds like Vows & Vengeance is set in the weeks before the prologue of DA:TV kicks off

There is a buff called Rally Party where Rook triggers a surge in their companion's ability

MAAEEEEEEEEEE 😭😭😭 this was so good I was like yelling OMG. I'm sooo happy about this, this is so great. she's been on my 'DA4 wishlist of stuff' for so long and we waited to meet her since 2012 (12 years ago!!!). I'm soo excited to meet her oh my god. this reveal was honestly the highlight of the whole Q&A. pack it up, we can go home now. Mae.. 😭 I hope we get to see her interact with Varric. and I wonder if she has some involvement with the Shadow Dragons (Varric said something about "some old friends in Tevinter said the Shadow Dragons were pog to work with" in the gameplay reveal..), and how things are going with her and Dorian's faction the Lucerni

It sounds like Lucanis' parents were killed at some point in some Crow-Crow politics. probably when he was quite young, since when Lucanis thinks back on being raised by Caterina she did things like making him spend days without food or water, which makes it sound like he was quite young when he entered her care

No jealousy dialogue is interesting

I hope for a poly romance option in a future game

ABILITY TO SAVE CHARACTER APPEARANCES for use later in CC aaaa. Amazinggg. thankyouuu. a lot of thought has been put into the quality of life features of this game :') pausing cutscenes is another great one.

KFM: "The question is, is Lucanis possessed?" JE: "So, again, spoilers, everyone has been warned, fairly warned. So Lucanis Dellamorte is also known as The Demon of Vyrantium. And, he has spent a lot of time killing Venatori, who are mages, and who do know a lot about demons, so. Yeah, somebody decided that it might be a good idea to make that nickname stick."

👁️👁️👁️ Aaaaa. Inchrestinggg. From this and The Wigmaker Job I would guess that this "somebody" who decided that and did that to him is Zara Renata. she ended that short story like [evil anime villain laugh] "huehuehue":

"From flying vermin to malicious spirit. That's quite the promotion." [...] "A true maleficar knows demons cannot be killed, only controlled. If this Crow fancies himself a demon, then I look forward to using him to his full potential. He'll be duly punished"

Who else could the "someone" be? Zara, when I catch you.. 😠

I'm sure it will be different this time around as it always is! - both Wynne's situation (the specifics of it, how it came around, the effect it had on her) and how it was explored in the story was different to Anders' which was again different to Justice's in DA:O's to Cole's etc. (speaking veeery broadly in terms of the 'spirit companion' archtype, I know for example that Cole isn't possessed, simply a spirit. yk what I mean). I'm super curious about the take on this theme this time around ^^

(Lucanis possession-y-type-situation evidence [plus his demon-y looking tarot art, plus the wings and purple magic abilities of course])

I love the agency companions are given by them showing up in the field to help you, waiting for you somewhere on a quest they want to go on, or you encountering them out randomly somewhere doing there own thing (like the tidbit from a magazine about encountering Neve). it makes them feel like real people

I wonder if Taash's keen interest in the main story mission & the challenges of its arc in the far reaches of Arlathan Forest (it's strong enough that she shows up there impatiently if you don't take her) has something to do with the eluvian that's in her room?

"Far reaches of Arlathan Forest" is music to my ears btw as someone who has wanted to explore in there for the longest time

"You’ve just been around them, you’re aware of their techniques, and you wanna take that on yourself." - sensical explanation of what 'specs are aligned with/tied to factions' means ^^

KFM: "This next question is, where is the equator in Thedas, or the planet Thedas is on, relative to places we’ve explored?" JE: "That is a great question. So, I will say that, you know, it’s funny until I saw this question, it’s not something I’d ever thought a lot about, but as I started thinking about it a little bit more deeply, based on how the climate changes across Thedas, you know, obviously, to the south are the Avvar and things get a little bit more wintry, and then up north is a lot more tropical, I’d say that Thedas is a southern continent on this world, so."

I feel like the answer that was given here matches what a lot of fans have speculated or headcanoned on this topic. ^^

"There are these times where a companion, either their faction or their story arc is so closely tied or intersects with the events of a main story mission that they do become required, but it’s not the standard"

This makes sense. It sounds like Liara on Thessia in ME3.

When someone asked "Can a companion leave due to your world decisions, and if so, will their partners leave with them?" and John Epler mentioned that he would only answer half of this question as the other half is a spoiler, it made me wonder if companions will leave at certain times due to our world decisions

No mechanic behind companion-companion romances is so nice, it's more organic and real that way. I'm really looking forward to seeing the friendships and relationships between the companions develop

DAVRIN INFOOO 😭🙏 He sounds amazing. I wonder which companions in particular bring out his kindness

"He’s not just a Warden who sees fighting monsters as, you know, just part of the job. He believes in turning this into a skill-set that he alone, you know like, he has more than anyone else. Learning how to defeat monsters, learning their weaknesses, and that does show up a lot in his character arc, so."

this ties back to a related quote from a lil while ago.

I know it can be inferred from her vallaslin, but this Q&A is the first place I remember (atm) Bellara specifically being stated to be Dalish

We already saw each companion's Lighthouse casual wear here

Emmrich?? what are his casual threads like? :D

I wonder if Lucanis being one of the team cooks is part of why he appears to sleep in the kitchen storage/pantry

"It’s funny, I’d say that Dragon Age: The Veilguard is probably the most we’ve talked about food in a context of Dragon Age, ever" - it makes sense that it was only recently that the DA cookbook came out hh :D

Some of the companions being so bad at cooking that they'd burn water and die took me out. who do you think are the ones that aren't even 'passable' cooks but terrible ones hh? :D

So do the Crows in general quite enjoy the finer things in life and in food?

I wonder if part of Lucanis' interest in food and cooking stems from when he was young and Caterina made him go for days without food and water? :(

"So one of the things I really love is, you know, Bellara and Lucanis actually end up being, essentially, the team cooks. Bellara, you know, spending a lot of time out in nature, learning a lot about, you know, different types of cooking, is really big on experimentation, she likes to, you know, try different things. Lucanis comes from the Crows, Lucanis is very big on the finer things, so between the two of them, there’s a point in the story where they basically decide, if we don’t do this, the entire team is going to starve, so let’s just call ourselves the cook, cooks, and make sure that nobody dies of food poisoning, so."

I love this so much 🥺💜 ooh my heart. (its so wholesome and so funny at the same time). also Bellara's creativity and love of learning and exploring expresses itself in her cooking too!

It's great that fine, fancy dwarven-style beards are returning :D I wonder if there are also hairs with beads woven in? Strand hair in the beards 👌 beard physics working with different armors 👌 (amazing work!!). Dwarf Rooks shown before launch 👌 as many options in CC being universal as possible 👌 I love what I'm hearing!! I would guess from this that it means hair isn't gender-locked and mostly isn't lineage-locked (I can understand qunari hair may have to be) and things like that.

It wasn't in doubt ofc but this Q&A is the first time I remember hearing a clear mention that Solas was written by Trick Weekes in DA:TV

I'm really curious about the Rook faction background-dialogue with that same companion. it sounds like some have only heard of them and some may have known them a bit more directly. Like for example, is Antivan Crow Rook also from House Dellamorte, or another Antivan Crow house? Has Grey Warden Rook ever been to Weisshaupt (some Wardens don't seem to have)? Did Veil Jumper Rook ever go on adventures with Bellara? Did Emmrich and Mourn Watcher Rook ever be direct colleagues in the Necropolis? etc.

"maybe even heard of you leaving the faction to go help Varric to track down Solas" - this snippet makes it sound like part of Rook's backstory may involve having left their background faction when getting picked up/tapped by Varric for the work. inchresting

This screenshot shows an example of the Veilguard team hanging out together

"Rook and Solas have a connection, they have a bond'' - my guess is this is to do with Rook interfering with Solas' ritual, and the Lyrium dagger passing from Solas to Rook

I'm curious about the differences in Solas' connection/relationship with Rook to the one he had with the Inquisitor

"there are followers who, you know, are going to have a more complicated connection and complicated relationship with just, Solas as an entity, you know, Bellara, for example, is an elf, she’s Dalish, and this a person from her pantheon, so. There’s going to be a lot more of a, I guess, like I said, complex relationship between the two of them. Davrin is another example, someone else who is Dalish, so, you know, their views on the gods in general are going to be a little bit different"

I was happy to hear this. ^^ it would be odd if this sort of thing wasn't explored or at least acknowledged in the game. you can hear a bit of this in Bellara's release date trailer line, "Our gods are back. Our gods." it was also hinted at a bit in this Game Informer article I feel.

It sounds like Bellara and Davrin have slightly differing views on the elven gods.

It's so cool that we have 2 Dalish elf companions in the team this time! I missed a Dalish perspective in the roster in DA:I.

Turning off some of the UI components is great for taking screenshots and stuff

I think that Bellara's unique exploration ability is Tinker

Party swap-points confirmed?

Rook's ability to channel the companions' exploration abilities through the Lyrium dagger is super interesting 👀 I wonder how that works and how that comes about? Is it to do with lyrium? the Veil? the runes that can be put on the dagger? the mysterious entity in the Lighthouse that assists with crafting? do the companions each have some kind of connection to Rook sort've how Rook does to Solas? back in the day, when Solas led his own band of followers during his rebellion, when Solas' Lighthouse was filled with his own group of companions (Solas sees himself in Rook etc), did he channel his own companions' abilities the same way using the dagger? Was Felassan once essentially a party member of Solas'?

Great news on the helmet situation :). I wonder if the vitaar variants of helmets thing also applies to Taash?

Here's an example of qunari vitaar, two

Themed color-variant cosmetics 👀

Flowing faction-themed capes 👀

ASSAN SIBLINGS... after the Mae reveal, this was the highlight of this Q&A for real :D and it makes sense, griffons seem to lay clutches, so unless Assan was created or something wild or all the rest of his clutch died somehow, there would be others around in the world. I wonder what role the others will play in the game, and what the plotbeat around griffons is more generally

Confirmation that if companions showed up previously in TN they were at that point intended to be companions. It gives you an idea of how long some of these characters were worked on and developed for

Rook's surname being referenced in dialogue quite a bit 👀 interesting, I wonder when. Neve and Varric have called Rook "Rook" in videos from the game

Confirmation that the shape of Morrigan's crown is meaningful and tied to Flemythal stuff/themes

"In the case of Morrigan, she’s coming to terms with a lot of truths about both herself but also her mother, you know, you see her with Flemeth’s crown, or a variation of it, and that’s speaking to her personal journey of, what I would call, kind’ve acceptance of who she is and how she connects to Flemeth, because ultimately we want this to feel like a real world"

It sounds like all of these hints are coming to fruition now:

"A soul is not forced upon the unwilling, Morrigan. You were never in danger from me." - "Mother is the inheritor, she who awaits the next age." - "Designer’s Notes: This is Flemeth from the previous two games. In this game, Flemeth’s story comes to a head – she knew that Solas would summon her, and that he would need to steal her power to further his plans. She knew that because they are both elven gods…yet Solas has slept for a thousand years and his power dwindled, while she was killed long ago and a spark escaped from her into the body she now holds. She has nurtured that spark, and knew that Solas would need it. He was once her oldest friend, but she knows in his drive to save the elven people he will kill anyone – even her. She intends to let him have the power, so long as she can pass the essence of her god-hood onto Morrigan, a gift Flemeth had always planned for her daughter yet one Morrigan misunderstood as hostile possession."

Even mundane Kieran's dialogue line about who his mother is ("She's the Witch of the Wilds") touches on this. The old Witch of the Wilds, Flemeth, is no more. Morrigan has taken on the mantle, in a manner of speaking. These things seem especially impactful in worldstates where Morrigan drank from the Well. I am curious about how Well-drinking Morrigan vs non-drinking Morrigan will play out.

In a way, Morrigan has already stepped into her mother's role in the world of Dragon Age. Flemythal used to show up dramatically and mysteriously in every game to interact with the main character of that story. Morrigan has also been doing that, also now for 3 games. I'm reminded of Varric's tombstone in the Fade, Became His Parents. especially if she continues to do this while she gets older, the similarity is apparent.

It's cool that you don't have to be Spellblade spec to use orb and dagger

"while City Elf versus Dalish Elf is a lot more of a useful distinction in, you know, Ferelden, Orlais, we’re in northern Thedas, things are different up here. And a great example is Rivain. Dalish settlements, you know, they have Dalish settlements within cities, integrated into the cities, because, again, they don’t have that same bias, that same distinction."

New lore, or maybe a return to older lore? in DAII Isabela tells Merrill the Dalish haven't reached Llomerryn. but prior to that around 2009, David Gaider mentioned that the Dalish elves in Rivain have a semi-permanent settlement in Llomerryn. this sounds like that, and it sounds like it's not only Llomerryn. of course, Bela could just have been mistaken or this could be a recent development that began in the last decade or so in the world. I think it makes sense for what we know about Rivain.

"It’s a lot more about, how you play into the faction, you know, and, in some cases it matters more that you’re an elf, in other cases it doesn’t actually matter to the people of that faction, they’re just looking for someone who could do the work. A great example, and I’ll just, very, very light spoilers, Mourn Watch is a great example where, they just care that you are capable of, you know, executing the duties that you’re given, so."

I'm curious about which do and which don't for this, and not only for the elf lineage. an elven Veil Jumper may have more to say on or different investment in the artifacts they find and places they explore. an Antivan Crow who was employed because humans often find them attractive, or an Antivan Crow who was an enslaved elf or enslaved human and then bought by the Crows may have different thoughts on/experiences being a Crow than say a human who was born into it. (this is previous lore stuff, the Crows favoring recruiting elves, Zevran was bought etc). etc.

Lastly a quick recap on the things that came up in the Q&A that the devs said they would be talking about more soon:

They will be going deeper into settings, accessibility settings/features and similar things closer to launch

(On accessibility features, Corinne Busche mentioned that she thinks they are doing a feature, some kind of blogpost on that subject)

They will be talking more about exploration next month

They will be talking more about the Lighthouse next month

They will be showing some dwarf Rooks before launch

[transcript link]

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aliensfuckmeup · 3 days

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Another page from the Loop Being Emo In The Woods WIP! The aftermath of the little episode from the previous page I posted. This one’s finished, and I need to think long and hard abt whether this level of detail is like, sustainable for something 15 pages long 😅

This comic originated from wanting to see more straight up sifloop romance, with pining and sad eyes and angsty internal monologues and tropey romcom bits and a healthy mix of drama/comedy. I plotted out a couple funny little one page comics, then got into thinking about character motivations and emotional beats, and now we’re like, maybe 15 comics/scenes/chaoters plotted and storyboarded in this universe? But because I hate keeping things simple, every one of those fucking comics is between 6-15 pages long and dialogue heavy, and I’m getting mired in the characterization of it all (not even counting getting mired in the visual storytelling and the plot progression of it all! And not even getting started on the “still very new to digital art, how does one use procreate” of it all!) Soooo haha I’m in danger :3

If anyone wants to talk in dms or on discord abt this comic and the greater sifloop shipping trash story it’s part of, hit me up! Especially if you know your way around plotting out a story a lil bit. I don’t know how to start conversations online 🙈 but I like to think I bring a lot to the table talking meta, trading wips and other art that I can’t post here, making lil comics from discord bits, and exchanging help with plotting/storyboarding/dialogue/character interpretations.

#official thanks to every early 00s manga for the ‘person had a mental breakdown and now they’re in a giant circle of destroyed trees’ visual #I need someone to gently take my pen like ‘Kiri babe don’t u think that’s enough detail for this one page? remember you gotta do 14 more’#I touched too much grass and forgot how to make friends online :(#last time I posted sth like this I got my first fandom friend so I’m doing it again 😇#I cannot stress how much I need a literal invitation to start a direct conversation with someone #so this is a literal invitation to hit me up here or on discord (same username)#isat #in stars and time #isat loop #my art #art #isat fanart

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therainscene · 2 years

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It’s funny that Bylers are so often accused of being delusional, because I was at my most delusional when I was anti-Byler.

I spent most of S4 refusing to acknowledge that Will had romantic feelings for Mike, despite knowing damn well what all that love triangle imagery and sad gay pining was implying. I convinced myself it was just bros before hoes drama; that perhaps Will wanted to come out to his best friend but felt nervous after six months of radio silence following “it’s not my fault you don’t like girls!”

The van scene forced me to accept that he really was in love, and it pissed me off because what was even the point of making him fall for a straight boy?

Mike’s bizarre “no homo” behaviour was clearly a symptom of growing up in a conservative 80s household, and witnessing Will’s sacrificial act of love in the van was the shitty lesson he needed to get over his homophobia.

I saw a typical straight male protagonist in an 80s coming-of-age film getting to coast his way to self-actualization on the back of queer suffering; a cruel and homophobic trope I thought we’d moved past by the year 2022.

But then the NINA reunion scene rolled around--

--and I immediately picked up on the heavy parallels between Mike and Will in how they greeted El. The realization hit me like a tonne of bricks: Mike feels the same way about her as Will does.

I thought, “wait, does this mean I was wrong about...? Oh my god. No way.

No fucking way.

Will was in love with El this whole time?? What the fuck, he’s been gay since S1 and she’s his sister this is BULLSHIT I will personally strangle the Duffers--”

Heteronormativity is a hell of a drug, kids.

Let this be a lesson to those of you who think media illiteracy is to blame for Byler denial -- how well someone understands the mechanics of storytelling is irrelevant if they insist on treating Mike’s supposed heterosexuality as an axiom instead of an evidence-based conclusion. The issue lies with bias, not literacy.

I was stubbornly anti-Byler because I knew I’d immediately fall in love with this ship if I allowed myself to have hope it could be canon, and the general state of queer rep in mainstream media meant I was all but guaranteed to get hurt if I was so stupid as to have hope. But in my desperation to cling to the “safe” heteronormative outcome, I only ended up hurting myself with my own silly assumptions.

We’ve seen both canonically gay characters in the show make exactly this mistake, needlessly hurting themselves with their silly but self-defensive assumptions about their love interests.

Stranger Things absolutely nails its depiction of the subtler ways internalized homophobia can manifest -- Will may feel like a mistake and be prone to beating himself up, but he isn’t some pitiful self-loathing queer who wishes he was straight, either. He’s just so crushed by heteronormativity that he accepts it as an inescapable fact of life and lets it guide his beliefs and actions.

Don’t get me wrong: Will, like Robin, is very sensible for being cautious in such a horrifically bigoted environment -- trying to openly defy that level of homophobia by yourself, especially when you’re young, is a bad idea.

But unlike Robin, he clearly struggles to accept that he has the right to chase his same-sex love interest. He's no longer simply exercising caution, but conforming to homophobic standards -- much in the same way I thought I was sensibly refusing to be queerbaited, when really I was just agreeing with the heteronormative status quo.

I realize now that this is the real reason Will was written into a homophobic 80s trope: not to teach Mike an outdated lesson in acceptance, but to maneuver Will into position for the lesson he’s going to learn in S5 about resisting conformity.

Will needs to learn that castrating himself to make straight people comfortable is a bad idea too. Not only is that a miserable way to live his life, but what sort of world is he leaving for the next generation of queer kids if he never questions these homophobic standards?

It’s just the cycle of abuse scaled up to the societal level.

This is what gives me confidence in Byler endgame. Queerness isn’t just an incidental element of Will’s personal arc, but suffuses the show to its very core -- it’s in its themes, its allegory, its characters.

So Will getting the boy isn’t just nice fan-service for Byler shippers, but a necessary ending if the show’s most important lesson is to land:

That it’s rewarding to make the difficult choice of standing up to bigotry in the face of forced conformity. Of choosing love.

Could it be the case that I was right the first time, and Stranger Things is going to turn out to be yet another heteronormative mainstream show that doesn’t commit to its own themes? Sure, maybe. But that wouldn’t invalidate the valuable lessons this show has already -- and apparently accidentally lol -- taught me.

Anyone who calls us deluded for hoping a mainstream show is going to have a gay pairing as its main couple just doesn’t realize -- or doesn’t care -- that they’re contributing to the very problem they’re describing.

#stranger things #byler #will byers #mike wheeler #robin buckley #my analysis

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yugsly · 6 months

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I really like the be kind my neighbor comic as it is and I'm all interested in a movie adaptation of it but personally I would be a little scared if things completely changed... By that, I mean regardless of storytelling... I just love how a lot of plot things are let up to interpretation and I would be a little worried if some things drastically changed, like by example: any of the characters plot... <:)

It is likely to never happen. Non-known-IPs just do not get funded, let alone a 2-D animated movie featuring trans people. It's sad but that's just the world we live in. Nearly impossible even though I have "ins" at a lot of studios that like me. I was just day-dreaming. But the thing about adaptations is: it doesn't change the fact that the source material still exists and can be enjoyed as is. It'll always exist. A comic and it's movie version can exist as different-but-related entities. To me it is weird to adapt something into a movie verbatim. There's no real reason to tell the exact same story in the exact same way twice. It's cool to explore alternate ways things might work out, it's nice to see other sides of characters you might not have gotten to see yet. For example, it might be nice to explore Glenn as a character a bit more. Learn to know him a bit better. What if his fate was different? We already know how one course of events might go. Giving different plot-beats more breathing room could be nice. I have a lot of ideas I think people would dig. You know how I tell stories. I'd never give all the answers, I still love leaving things up to interpretation. That's never going to change about my work. That bit of audience participation is extremely important to me. Personally, Be Kind My Neighbor exists best as a comic, I don't find it necessary for it to become a movie. But it would be fun. It would be amazing to have a 2-D animated movie like this. I'm just day-dreaming.

#be kind my neighbor

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32bitterra · 6 months

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(March 1 - March 29, 2024)

Back once again for the renegade master, D4 damage with the ill behavior (camper fans come get ya food. more under the cut.)

AW YEAAAH

This is not a comic, just me getting easily distracted in art form. One of my friends thought Chloe's helmet was a TV screen.

Artist's block then began to beat my ass, but we will brute force our way through.

I wonder if Maloof likes Tom & Jerry.

This one's for the bird nerds and/or lovers of corny jokes out there.

Signs of spring.

ELKA DOOM FANS WHERE YA AT? MAKE SOME NOISE (I was feeling inspired.)

With Elka's help, the artist's block was vanquished.

This one is based on a dream I had months ago. They are listening to this because it kept me sane during the inordinate amount of time I spent on it.

Dart's head shape is like a modified version of Quentin's head shape (or maybe the other way around.) Visualizing it this way has made it easier to draw him.

A very important task as Bobby's henchman, you see.

(Note: since people have been unsure of what Bobby means when I show it - he wants Benny to bite into the apple first since he can't bite it with his bad teeth.)

Katherine.

I hope you took some time for Vernon on Storytelling Day (March 20)

There's been this commercial that plays "What A Feeling" and every time it comes on, it makes me think of Crystal without fail.

Is Chops wearing lipstick? The color is similar to Kitty's lipstick ... Did he steal it from her?

A Kitty-less Franke, how sad. I've expended all my energy to draw Kitty, so she has to be by herself.

J.T. has a very nice face. He has a very trustworthy smile. I trust him.

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objectivefruit · 6 months

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neverafter is soooo under appreciated by the fandom… it’s so sad because it really feels like it has the cast’s strongest characters in terms of storytelling and also some of the most tragic yet funniest moments and story beats in dimension 20 history

#d20 neverafter #neverafter #dimension 20 #d20 #dnd #dimension 20 neverafter #brennan lee mulligan #dropout

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targaryenluvs · 10 months

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TWO FOR ONE!

pairings: hobie brown x fem!reader, miguel o hara x fem!reader (miguel pining)

warnings: none really, miguel’s a sad party pooper, flirting

summary: you were totally falling for hobie, and hobie was for you. but there was a third in this relationship, miguel. not that you noticed anyways, hobie did though.

word count: 2.5k

a/n: look at me go posting something not hunger games for once, i think i posted this before nd it got deleted but i saw the idea and half written re-do in my notes so y not!

Could this debrief be longer?

Hobie's heart skipped a beat as you leaned your head on his shoulder. He couldn't help but smile, secretly reveling in your closeness. "Yeah, Miguel, we're just enjoying your captivating storytelling skills," he said, his voice light and playful.   Miguel raised an eyebrow, not fully convinced by your response. However, he decided to let it go for now and continued with the debriefing.    You wanted to keep joking around so you leaned into talk to Hobie and you couldn’t help but notice how close he was. And god did he look pretty up close.    Hobie's heart raced as you leaned in to talk to him. He couldn't help but be acutely aware of your close proximity, your features illuminated in the soft light. His mind went blank for a moment, captivated by your beauty.   But he quickly regained his composure, flashing a charming smile. "You know, doll, you have a way of making even the most serious situations feel lighter," he whispered back, his voice filled with warmth.   Miguel's gaze flickered towards the two of you for a moment, a faint hint of suspicion flashing across his eyes, but he continued with the briefing, unaware of the budding connection between Hobie and You.   “Says you Hobs.” You laughed whilst poking his chest, “You always know how to make me smile no matter what’s going on. And- I love it.” You smiled.   Miguel couldn’t help but look over once in a while. He seemed, Jealous? 

Hobie's heart skipped a beat at your words, a rush of warmth flooding his chest. "Well, doll, making you smile is definitely something I strive for. I'm glad I can bring some joy to your life," he said softly, his voice filled with a mix of affection and disbelief.

Ever since you both joined the spider-society he’d always found you to be a close friend of his, always the two of you laughing your asses off together no matter what.

Every time the two of you crashed over in each others universe you’d always been stuck with eachother. And overtime you’d managed to slowly fall in love with him, how could you not?   Miguel, observing the interaction between Hobie and you couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy. The intensity of his gaze hardened slightly, his brows furrowing before he broke his stare and continued with the briefing, his expression unreadable.   “Although your thick british accent isn’t the most helpful yknow?” You joked around as Hobie gasped, with his hand to his chest in fake shock, “How dare you? This accent is stunning, almost as stunning as the girl infront of me.” He spoke as you couldn’t help but blush.   You felt so red in the face so you buried your face in your hands. Jessica was addressing you all now and Miguel, instead of sitting at the front of the table, was right infront of Hobie and you.

Hobie couldn’t help but smirk.  He had the idea to rile him up.  And it seemed like even more of a great idea by the passing moment. So why not put it in motion?   Hobie grabbed your hands and joked, “C’mon lemme see that gorgeous face of yours.” Hobie smirked towards Miguel, and Miguel couldn’t contain himself. 

“No stop- I’m so red!” You whisper-yelled.

Hobie's heart raced with both excitement and nervousness as he held your hands in his own, feeling the warmth against his own skin. He couldn't resist the opportunity to tease Miguel a little, especially when he saw the faint hint of jealousy in his eyes.  With a mischievous smirk, Hobie gently tugged your hands away from your face. "Oh, come on, Y/n. Let us bask in the glory of that redness. It only makes you more adorable," he whispered playfully, meeting Miguel's gaze for a split second.   Miguel shifted in his seat, an unmistakable flicker of annoyance crossing his features. He cleared his throat and looked away, attempting to redirect his focus back to Jessica's address, but the tension in the air was palpable.   “Fine! Fine! It’s gone anyway.” You smiled as you looked up at him. “You’re pretty cute yknow?” I teased as Hobie raised a brow, “Y’think? I bet I’m nothing compared to you love.” He teased back.   It seemed like Miguel had had enough as he coughed for your attention, “You two wanna pay attention to what’s going on or are you going to keep disturbing everyone?” Miguel scowled towards Hobie.   And as you were about to respond Hobie spoke up, “I don’t think we’re disrupting anyone Boss-man. Anyone feelin’ disrupted?” Hobie asked as everyone shrugged. Hobie looked back at Miguel and grinned, “See? Didn’t think so. Keep going Jess.” Hobie egged her on to continue with her debrief.   Hobie couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction as he defended both himself and you against Miguel's scowl. He couldn't resist a bit of playful banter with his boss, even if it was a subtle way of asserting his presence.

As dismissive Hobie seems to be, he was far from

it when it came to you. And you weren’t exactly the most observant, you never noticed the stares and comments from people, whilst he did.   You suppressed a giggle, hiding a smile by digging your face into Hobies shoulder as you watched the interaction between Hobie and Miguel. You were starting to notice the undercurrent of tension between the two men, but for now, you chose to remain silent and let Hobie take the lead.   Miguel huffed under his breath, clearly frustrated, but he reluctantly turned his attention back to Jessica and resumed the debrief, unable to deny Hobie's claim that they weren't being disruptive.   Hobie grinned triumphantly, stealing a quick glance at you to make sure your were okay before shifting his focus back to the debriefing, listening intently to Jessica's instructions. The subtle competition for you attention continued, a silent battle fought in stolen glances and playful banter (mostly on Hobies side).    After the debrief you were so tired of work you decided to invite everyone out for drinks.   No spider-suits just normal clothes.   Hobie decided to host it on his Earth and even play with his band, Gwen, Pav Miles were excited to say the least. Peter had begged May to come along and she agreed after a few hours of convincing.

When you all arrived you were amazed when it came to the talking. You’d only ever heard Hobies British accent of course but it was so weird to hear it everywhere.   And through the night couldn’t help but look at Hobie with love. He looked absolutely fantastic outside of work, even more so on stage.   When he was on stage he wouldn’t stop looking at you and smiling, the only person in the bar who wasn’t smiling was-   “Y/n. How are you?” Miguel asked me as I turned around, “I’m- great honestly. It’s nice to see everyone outside of work. And Hobie is-“   “Absolutely incredible?” Hobie smiled as he wrapped an arm around your waist. “Oh my god yes! You were fantastic!” You shouted over the music as you hugged him tightly and he reciprocated.   Hobie couldn’t help but smirk as he looked at Miguel easily over your shoulder. “Glad you enjoyed Y/n,” He spoke loudly before lowering to my ear, “This set was especially for you.”   You withdrew from the hug and smiled widely, “No way! Really? Thank you oh my god you shouldn’t have! Miles looks like he needs saving over there but we’ll talk soon okay?” You smiled as you got on my tip toes to kiss him on the cheek before turning and waving to Miguel. The two began to talk as you left.  

Hobie's heart practically leaped with joy as you praised his performance on stage. The way your eyes sparkled with admiration made his heart skip a beat. He couldn't contain the smile that graced his lips as he leaned into you, savoring the warmth of their hug.   Miguel's expression remained impassive, but the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth betrayed his inner frustration. He watched as you and Hobie shared their moment, his eyes momentarily flickering with a mixture of envy and longing.   As you pulled away and mentioned needing to check on Miles, Hobie's smirk grew wider. He leaned in towards your ear, his voice just loud enough to be heard over the music. "All for you, doll. I'm glad you enjoyed it," he whispered, his tone filled with affection.   You beamed with happiness, grateful for Hobie's gesture. The tension between the two men lingered, even in your absence, as you made your way to Miles, their thoughts filled with the special connection they shared with Hobie.  

 “How’d you like my set mate?” Hobie smirked at Miguel.   

Miguel raised an eyebrow, the tension between him and Hobie still palpable. He couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy as he watched you leave with a smile on their face after their interaction with Hobie.   "It was fine," Miguel replied curtly, not wanting to admit how much he had actually enjoyed Hobie's performance. "You seem to have quite the effect on Y/n," he added, unable to hide a hint of bitterness.   Hobie chuckled knowingly, a twinkle of mischief in his eyes. "Well, Miguel, maybe if you showed a little more, pizzazz, you could have the same effect," he teased, leaning against the bar as he subtly scanned the crowd for your whereabouts.   Miguel scowled, crossing his arms over his chest. "I don't need anyone's approval," he grumbled, his tone defensive.   Hobie's smirk only grew wider as he continued to playfully provoke Miguel. "Oh, I know, Boss-man. But it wouldn't hurt to let loose once in a while," he said, his gaze returning to the stage where the band continued to play.   “Maybe she’d would like you more if you were more chill she’d open up to you like she does with me.” Hobie teased as he downed his drink.   “I don’t need you to give me tips. And why would I want her to chill with me? She’s a colleague nothing more.”   “Don’t you want it to be more? Every time you look at her you always want to say som more my man.” Hobie laughed.  

Miguel's jaw tensed as Hobie continued to tease him, hitting a nerve with his observations. He tried to maintain his cool facade, but deep down, he couldn't completely deny his attraction towards you.   "She is a colleague, yes, but that doesn't mean I'm oblivious to her charms," Miguel retorted, his tone defensive. "But I don't need to prove anything to you or anyone else. My relationship with her is strictly professional."   Hobie's laughter filled the air, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Oh, come on, Miguel. We both know there's more there. The way your eyes follow her whenever she leaves the room, the way you listen so intently to her words. Admit it, Boss-man, you're smitten," he taunted, raising his glass in a playful toast.   Miguel gritted his teeth, his frustration mounting. "You have no idea what you're talking about, Hobie. Let's just enjoy the night, shall we?" he replied, his voice strained.   Hobie's smirk softened slightly as he realized Miguel's true struggle. He took a deep breath, changing the subject. "Yeah, you're right. Let's just enjoy the night. We'll see what happens," he said, subtly shifting the conversation away from their unspoken competition for your affection.   Miles and Gwen were holding their own as you walked back.   “Hey I’m pretty tired, tonight was amazing but I think I should call it a night.” You smiled up at him.   “Oh no love there’s no way I’m letting you go at such a late time. You can crash with me yeah?” Hobie suggested.   “You sure? I don’t wanna be a n-“ Hobie cut me off with a hug, “Nah, you’re good. You wanna head out now?” He asked as you nodded, “You cold?”   You nodded again, “A little, I left my jumper at HQ.” Hobie quickly smiled, “I’ll go grab mine and say goodbye yeah? I’ll see you.” He said as he kissed the side of your head, leaving you with a pissed off Miguel.   "I'll wait for you here, just say your goodbyes," you shouted out, feeling a mix of excitement and anxiety. You really did like Hobie, you just hoped this night went smoothly.   Miguel kept his irritation in check, but his eyes narrowed as he observed the intimate gesture between Hobie and you. He tried to push aside his feelings of jealousy, reminding himself that he had no claim over you.   “You okay there?” You asked Miguel as you waited for Hobie, you reached out and rested your hand on his upper arm, “You seem- tense.”   Miguel eyes raised instantly at the insinuation, but quickly lowered as he realised you didn’t mean it that way. “I’m, I’m okay. Just a bit stressed from-“   Your eyes were wide, completely engaged in the conversation and Miguel suddenly felt- watched. “It’ll be okay Miguel. You’ve got a brilliant team, as well as brain, at HQ and we’re always here to help you. You shouldn’t try to do everything yourself, least us help you from time to time. You should have a life, no offence, outside of work.” You answered with a smile.  

Miguel's guarded expression softened as you reached out and placed a reassuring hand on his arm. He couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort from your touch, your genuine concern shining through.

As he looked at your hand he noticed the intricate patterns all over and couldn’t help the smile, “It looks beautiful, what is it?”

“It’s Henna or in Punjabi more so Mehndi. It’s derived from a certain plant and basically is used for special occasions or just in general. It’s temporary but depending on what brand you use it lasts longer.”

Miguel felt happy, for once, seeing you smile so much and talk with passion about your culture made him warm inside.    For a brief moment, Miguel entertained the thought of confiding in you, opening up about the weight he carried as the leader of the Spider Society. The desire for someone to understand his struggles tugged at his heart, but the fear of vulnerability held him back.

As Miguel spoke, he couldn't help but notice the way you looked at him, your eyes filled with kindness and understanding. For a moment, the weight on his shoulders felt a little lighter.

Perhaps there was room for more than just work in his life.   He met your eyes, the sincerity shining through, and a faint smile tugged at his lips. "You're right, Y/n. I appreciate your support more than you know," he replied, momentarily forgetting the tension between him and Hobie.    “Yeah Hobie. You gonna be okay Mig?” You asked.

Miguel hesitated for a moment, torn between his desire to be honest with you and the fear of revealing too much. He finally settled on a composed expression, his voice tinged with a hint of fatigue. He’d been working so hard lately and with you on his mind always, it was hard to focus. “But back to you, Miguel, are you sure-”

"I'll be fine, Y/n. Just tired, like I said. You two go ahead and have a good night," Miguel replied, his tone gentle yet distant. He tried to mask any hint of disappointment as he averted his gaze.

You exchanged a concerned glance with Hobie before giving Miguel a reassuring smile. "Alright, if you say so. Take care of yourself, Miguel. We'll catch up soon," You said, voice filled with genuine care.

Miguel nodded in response, the weight of his emotions growing heavier. As he watched Y/n and Hobie walk away, he couldn't help but long for a different outcome, one where he could let down his guard and pursue a deeper connection with you.

But for now, he had to accept his role as your boss and put your guy’s professional relationship first.

Maybe one day, you’d choose him.

#hobie brown x reader #hobie brown #atsv #miguel o’hara x reader

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banquetwriter · 6 months

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୨୧ Cinnamon ୨୧

pairing: Johnnie Guilbert ♡︎ Reader

warnings: ୭̥⋆*｡ Johnnie and reader don't get together, sorta a unhappy ending (tho its unclear whether Johnnie is into reader)

summary: ʚ after texting Johnnie for days straight a party doesn't go how you imagine ɞ

Words: 1502

An: this didn't go how i wanted it to… you get a star if you can guess which song this was very loosely based off of.

SUPPORT ME

There are so many unique feelings humans feel that have names. Such as opia, the feeling of looking someone in the eye and feeling an intense feeling of vulnerability. As if someone is looking through you.

Or exulansis, the tendency to stop talking about something in the middle of talking. Often when the listeners do not seem interested or relate at all feeling the storyteller is jealous.

Of course, there aren't an endless amount of words. Like for example there is no word to describe the feeling of breaking up/getting broken up with over text late at night when you're young and having to act completely normal at breakfast with your family the next morning. As they had no idea you were even seeing someone in the first place.

There are no single words to describe that feeling. A very unique one. It's a similar feeling to what you feel now. Dumb, maybe a little excited, and egear. You met Johnnie Guilbert almost two weeks ago at a party. Being a mutual friend of Tara’s it was bound to happen at some point.

You immediately felt a pull towards him. He was funny, had good style, and above all else was nice to you. Not a common thing among most men nowadays. Knowing the nature of Tara’s friends you googled him as soon as you got home.

Immediately found his Instagram and followed him. You weren't sure it was going anywhere but one day he followed back and another party the two of you had been to led to texting for almost 4 days straight. Often replying in between tasks never taking more than a few hours to shoot another text back.

You had felt electric. You had kept most of the conversation platonic and respectful but as the sun went down and the days went on the conversations got so much more real. Talking about both of your struggles, your hardships, and your successes. It felt so natural and nice.

Tonight happened to be another one of Tara’s parties. You had not subtly put on one of the most amazing outfits yet. Your hair, makeup, accessories, and clothes fit you so well, perfectly showing off your style. You however were not radiating the confidence your outfit dripped.

You were so nervous to see Johnnie tonight you felt like you could have a heart attack from how fast your heart was racing. It had been almost an hour and a half since the party really started and almost everyone was there already. Except Johnnie.

It was stupid really. You hadn't even done anything super romantic or anything to suggest that toward him when texting. And you two certainly weren't exclusive. And you didn't dress for men so really the fact you felt so sad and embarrassed was bothering you.

So there you sat. One shot in. Shoving down a slice of cinnamon-flavored cake. You numbly shove the fork into the slice of pure sugar and place your fork in your mouth. It was then that you looked up and saw that Johnnie arrived. He was being greeted by Tara and a few others.

You felt a second wave of confidence folding the paper plate and tossing your items in the trash, passing the microwave’s reflective surface to ensure you still looked good. Nerves ran through you, your heart racing so fast you almost couldn't see.

You sat against the kitchen island waiting for Johnnie to walk by you and see you. You casually sipped on a drink slightly moving to the beat of the music coming from the music in the living room. The small crowd of people with Johnnie made its way towards you. This was your moment!

You tried to not look at him as much as possible. That inevitably failed when you finally looked at him, he was in a black button-down. The first few buttons were undone with several metal necklaces. He gave you a tight-lipped smile, nodding his head at you in acknowledgment. You looked at him and you could swear your eyes lit up with a flame.

He was so cute. But that feeling I was talking about earlier? When you break up with someone but can't say anything to anyone about it? That's what you felt as Johnnie brushed past you and went outside. He didn't acknowledge you.

You didn't move, just stared at the floor with your red solo cup in hand. Instead of your eyes burning with fire they burned with tears. You felt so goddamn stupid crying over a boy you aren't even with. You quickly pull your phone out to have something to stare at, not just look at the floor.

The tears gather in your eyes and at this point, you can't hide the fact you are crying. You quickly make a break for the bathroom. You slam the door shut. Tears spilling out of your eyes as you sob. Your fake eyelashes collect the brunt force of the water.

You let yourself cry for a moment. You eventually could hear the house music again. Your breathing slowed down. You used a piece of toilet paper to clean up the tears and retouched your makeup. You let yourself feel how sucky this was.

But if he didn’t want to be with you he didn’t want to. Oh well, what could you do about it? You step out of the bathroom. You move to one of the rooms further back in the house, finding a group of people smoking. You decided you weren't gonna let him ruin your night entirely.

“Yo! Y/n…” someone called out. You turn and see one of your old friends. They offer you a blunt and you happily oblige, holding the smoking plant to your mouth and inhaling.

Letting the cloudy smoke fill your lungs. You let out a breath. Your head buzzed with the hit you took. You decided to take just a few more. You were definitely buzzed, maybe even high.

You weren't gone by any means but you weren't all there. You made your way to the backyard through the kitchen. Seeing Tara, Jake, Johnnie, and Colby all sitting around a little campfire. There were other people too around but you either didn't know them or didn't care. “Hey guys.” you slightly slurred out.

“Yoo.” Jake laughed out looking at you. You could smell the weed on you, your eyes squinting with red. “Shut up.” you giggled out sitting down next to Colby and Johnnie. “Hey, where's Sam?” you asked, grabbing Tara’s drink from her camping chair cup holder.

Tara shot you an annoyed look as you took a swig of the soda. Jake giggled into his eyes and had never seen you high before. “Oh Sam has a meeting tomorrow he needs to be at so he didn't wanna drink a bunch tonight,” Colby said smiling at you with a small nod.

You only nodded your head in response. Staring down at the campfire. It wasn't really cold outside, more just chilly, but the warmth of the fire felt really nice. Your friends went back to their conversations as you looked at the fire crackling. You felt a jolt on your left side.

You looked to your side seeing Johnnie peering at you. “You ok?” he asked you, obviously referring to that you were staring off into space. “Yeah I'm good,” you mumbled out with a smile.

The orange glow of the fire made him look so good. Giving a slight shadow to his eyes. There were so many things you wanted to say to him. Tell him how pretty he was or maybe how funny he was. None of them were appropriate so you stayed quiet. You were getting very dizzy.

“Dude seriously,” Johnnie said, his hand holding your shoulder. Maybe you were showing how much you had a little too much as you realized you had been leaning almost over the fire. “Let's get you some water,” he said standing up.

You followed him with a small smile on your lips. You wanted to live in this moment. Share a giggle and relish the fact the boy you liked was taking care of you. Let it feed into the delusion that he liked you back. But that wasn't fair. So you didn't.

You just silently watched him pour the glass of water into a new solo cup. He turned around and in your current state, you couldn't figure out what his expression was like. Was he happy? Mad? Concerned?

You decide not to figure it out. You take the water cup from his hand and thank him. Intentionally looks away, still feeling his eyes on you. It's like he wanted to say something. If he wanted to be didn't just slowly walk away.

You felt horrible about not taking that moment to flirt with him. But you knew it wouldn't end well if you had. So in a way you had lost but in another way you had won.

#johnnie guilbert #johnnie guilbert x reader #johnnie guilbert x you #johnnie guilbert angst

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songbirdseung · 5 months

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from the sidelines / nishimura riki

synopsis: after a failed attempt to chase your dreams to debut as a kpop artist, you left to pursue another career. but what's going to happen when your friend invites you to an award show and you meet your old fling?

pairing: riki x reader

warnings: failed careers, ex flings, lmk if i missed anything

wc: 740

The dreams she once cradled in her heart had shattered like glass, leaving behind slivers of hope that she struggled to hold onto. Her journey to become a K-pop artist had been tumultuous, marked by setbacks and heartbreaks that seemed insurmountable.

The practice room was suffocating, the air thick with tension as Yn struggled to keep up with the demanding choreography. Her limbs felt like lead, refusing to obey the commands of her racing mind.

"You're off-beat again, Yn," the instructor's voice cut through the haze of frustration, his disappointment like a dagger to her heart.

"I'm sorry," Yn muttered, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.

The other trainees exchanged knowing glances, their silent judgment weighing heavily on her shoulders.

As the years passed, Yn found refuge in a new career, one that embraced her passion for storytelling. But the echoes of her abandoned dreams lingered in the corners of her mind, a constant reminder of the roads she dared not tread again.

It was a casual invitation from an old friend that thrust her back into the world she had once yearned to conquer. An award show, she was told, a celebration of talent and perseverance. Reluctantly, she agreed, unaware of the storm that awaited her.

"Come on, Yn, it'll be fun! Just like old times," Sarah pleaded, her eyes wide with excitement.

Yn hesitated, her heart heavy with memories she had long tried to bury. "I don't know, Sarah. I've moved on from all of that."

Sarah's expression softened, understanding flickering in her eyes. "I know, but this could be your chance to see how far you've come. Please, just give it a chance."

With a sigh, Yn relented, the tug of nostalgia pulling her towards a past she had fought so hard to leave behind.

The grandeur of the venue mirrored the grandiosity of the dreams that once consumed her. Surrounded by flashing cameras and swirling whispers, Yn felt like a ghost wandering through memories long buried.

And then, amidst the sea of faces, she saw him. Riki. The boy whose laughter had once danced in harmony with hers, whose touch had ignited a fire within her that she thought would never dim.

Except now, he was no longer the boy she remembered. He stood tall and confident, bathed in the spotlight of his success. As a member of ENHYPEN, he had ascended to heights that Yn could only dream of.

Their eyes met across the crowded room backstage, and for a fleeting moment, time stood still. In his gaze, Yn saw traces of the past, of a love that had once burned bright but had long since turned to ash.

When he approached her, his smile was like a bittersweet melody, stirring memories she had buried deep within her heart.

"Yn," he said, his voice soft yet tinged with a hint of sadness. "It's been a long time."

Yn nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from him. "Yes, it has."

They exchanged pleasantries, the weight of unspoken words hanging heavy between them.

"I never thought I'd see you here," Riki said, his eyes searching hers for answers she couldn't give.

"I never thought I'd come," Yn admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

As the night wore on, Yn found herself drawn to him, unable to resist the pull of their shared history.

"We were so young back then," Riki said, his voice tinged with nostalgia. "Do you ever think about what could have been?"

Yn hesitated, memories flooding her mind like a torrential downpour. "Sometimes," she admitted, her voice barely audible over the din of the crowd.

In the quiet moments between conversations, Yn saw glimpses of the boy she had loved, the one who had once believed in her when she could not believe in herself.

"I'm proud of you, Yn," Riki said, his words like a balm to her wounded soul.

And as the final notes of the night faded into the darkness, Yn made her peace with the ghosts of her past. For in the heartache and the longing, she had found closure, a silent acknowledgment of the roads they choose and the ones they dare not tread again.

And as she watched him disappear into the night, Yn knew that their story was not meant to be a fairy tale. Instead, it was a chapter in the tapestry of their lives, a fleeting moment captured in the echoes of a dream.

#enhypen #enhypen imagines #enhypen au #engene #enha #enhypen x reader #ni ki #nishimura riki #riki nishimura #riki #enhypen riki

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its-your-mind · 7 months

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so yes, orv did permanently and fundamentally shift my personal perspective of the world, specifically my role in it as a storyteller and an observer and a friend and a mentor and a child and an adult and a victim and someone in power and and and. it also made me feel the broadest spectrum of human emotion. I could probably spend years thinking about it and never fully understand everything it made me feel and all the personal and philosophical thoughts it made me think.

unfortunately if I think about it too hard for too long I find myself teetering on the cliff’s edge of a depressive episode and have to shut my media-analysis brain down so I don’t fall back into that particular black hole. after I finished it my brain fully shut down and did not come fully back online for 3-4 months I shit you not I finished it in October of last year and my emotional state has only just recovered.

it was one of the most devastating endings to a book I’ve ever read. It was perfect and beautiful. It was whatever the opposite of catharsis is. I’ve never been more filled with hope and awe. I’ve never been so desperately sad and hopeless. no I am not able to comprehend how that works either. see what I said above re: the cliff’s edge.

see the thing is it would have been FINE if shing-song had fucking WARNED ME that they were gonna make me FEEL EVERYTHING EVER about the human experience from EVERY ANGLE and then RIP OFF A SHEET AND REVEAL THAT THE STORY WAS A FUCKING MIRROR THIS WHOLE TIME. AND PROCEEDED TO BEAM ALL MY ATTENTION AND LOVE AND EMOTION I POURED INTO THIS STORY OVER A PERIOD OF LITERAL WEEKS OF SUSTAINED FOCUS STRAIGHT BACK AT ME IN THE SPAN OF 0.2 SECONDS LIKE A FUCKING ARCHIMEDES LASER.

ahem. anyways. that would be the uh. cliff’s edge. we will be walking away from it now.

anyway it’s the book with the two trench coat Korean dudes who beat Inventers-Of-Yaoi Spirk in the Yaoi Tournament Bracket it has badass ladies AND cringefail ones AND transgender allegories AND giant monsters and gods and demons and kids and magic and space and dimensions and time shenanigans it’s fucking insane and incredible and if you’re the kinda person who exists on fandom tumblr in the year of our lord 2024 this book is meant to come for you specifically and you will thank it afterwards go ye forth

#PSA: you need to read Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint it is the Most Story I have ever consumed #It is just very #It will change you as a person #it is being webtooned atm and when you catch up to the webtoon there are lots of places to get the full novel #orv #omniscient reader's viewpoint #omniscent reader #omniscient reader novel #orv novel #just got to 73rd demon king in my reread and I literally cannot force myself to keep going #I think the webtoon is almost there too??? I think the outer god shadow is about to pop up #anyway I need this book injected into my veins tyvm

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myddle · 17 days

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Okay Uzi, lets start Murdering, some Drones

The finale of Murder Drones has come and gone, this show has successfully buried it's way into my cerebral cortex, and I will now think about it until I die

Anyway, lets speculate on what the fuck just happened in Episode 8 (And Episode 7 a bit too I guess)

Warning: Biggest Post Yet, Spoilers, Opinions

I Was Wrong About The Admin Thing, And I'm Okay With That

Last time I did a post like this, I speculated that Uzi's Administrator status would be the key to victory against the Absolute Solver. In truth, it was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lore point, which makes sense in hindsight, because the whole Admin thing was a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lore point to begin with. This kind of environmental storytelling is good to put in a text, of course, but casual viewers need to be able to follow the plot without it. Truthfully, this is actually an area where the show usually stumbles a little; if there's one criticism I have for Murder Drones, it's that it show-don't-tells a little too hard sometimes. Luckily, this show is good enough for me to want to excuse it's flaws by any means neccessary! FOR EXAMPLE,

Khan Doorman: Mischaracterised, Or Traumatised?

So, Khan was kind of acting a little too badass at the end there, huh? This drone was a delusional door maniac at the start of the series, but now he's this stoic badass with a goofy side? Huhwhat? Explain THAT, Smart Genius!

How about I do? Call it a theory, but I think that THIS, is the real Khan, and the dingus we saw at the start of the series was a broken shadow of him.

Khan was a respected man, seeming leader of the Worker Defense Force, front of the line in finding Nori and Yeva just after the Core Collapse, and say what you will, he can build a good door.

And then tragedy strikes. The Dissassembly Drones strike, and while the WDF fends them off, they are not without casualty. Nori is devoured by nanite acid, and Khan beats her head in to end her suffering. The worst has happened.

While Nori's heart sneaks away to go make the plot happen, Khan spirals. His efforts to fight the DD scourge have failed, so he turns to doors. He doubles, triples down, becomes obsessed with the only thing that hasn't failed him. His daughter still wants to take the fight to the enemy, but Khan rejects the thought so hard, he rejects Uzi with it, hence his "doors>uzi" bullshit in the first episode (for the record, I'm not justifying it, I'm just explaining it, he was still a piece of shit for this).

By the time "Pilot" rolls around, Khan has been in a door-obsessed fugue state for... maybe years, I don't think we ever find out how long ago Nori's "death" was. But by now, he's barely functional; Uzi's second excuse to go outside literally only worked because it was door themed. His fear and delusion almost kill his only remaining family.

But as the events of the show go on, Khan is shook out of routine, and his stupor begins to fall away. In "Heartbeat", he defends his daughter's eccentricities. In "The Promening", he clumsily attempts to be part of Uzi's life again, and watches her build an alliance with N and V. In "Cabin Fever", he opens up to Uzi, revealing the darkness that haunts him and admitting to his mistakes. By "Mass Destruction" his mind has mostly cleared, and while he's still a door-loving goofball, he trusts his daughter, knows what he needs to do, and is ready to kick some Solver ass.

Wow, turns out I had a lot to say about Khan friggin' Doorman, do excuse me. Alright, onto the actual finale, now.

And Now, A Summarisation Of My Thoughts On "Nuzi"

yes

TradJedy: A Bootlicker To The End

I've seen some people are unsatisfied with J's villanous and, lets be honest, kinda pathetic role in the finale, but as sad as it is, I think it was true to her character. J is, above all, two things: Tessa's closest, favourite drone, and a corporate underling for some reason. Cyn wearing Tessa's skin was no doubt the most demoralising for J; Tessa is dead, the killer is pantomiming the life she never had, and you can't stop her. Plus, J likely knows better than anyone just how powerful the Solver is, how futile resisting it's conquest could be. But, to have a place alongside it? An offer of safety? Why wouldn't she take that offer? Hell, even V was tempted by it; when Cyn confronts her, she almost instinctively says "I can still...", as if her survival instinct is telling her to serve. J simply gave in.

Anyway, onto some details:

"If I promised you anything, it tricked me too."

I've seen people get confused by this line, but I think J is speaking on behalf of Eldritch J, formerly the J clone that led N & V's DD squad. That J seemed to fully buy the JCJenson cover story, at least to me, and J Prime appears to have deduced that. I don't think she has all of Eldritch J's memory, though; that "PRIOR HAZARD" poppup strikes me as the impersonal knowledge of an error report, rather than personal experience of getting blown to pieces.

"I never needed either of you."

Yeah, buuuuuullshit. J definitely doesn't really mean this. She's in bridge-burning mode, trying to convince herself more than anything that she's moved on. That offer of safety has gained a heavy price of two old friends, and J is pushing herself to pay it.

Local Autistic Teen Fights God And Wins

This uno-reverse-card moment felt a little out of nowhere at first, but on a rewatch, I think I get it. While the past few minutes fighting Cyn were utterly nightmarish, and some of the most gruesome stuff I've ever seen get done to humanoids, it did teach Uzi one thing; resisting the CallbackPing is suprisingly easy. Before this episode, it seemed like the USB Patch was the only hope for escaping the Solver's clutches, but apparently strong willpower and personality is enough to stop it temporarily, and that gets a lot easier to pull off once you know that you can do that. A single "Bite me" or the hand-hold of love is enough to stop Cyn's advance, and once Uzi fully realises that, it stops scaring her. In addition, Uzi's use of the [NULL] shows that she is a very quick learner, and can easily adapt to Cyn's tricks, allowing her to pull this "no-u" and turn the tables on Cyn. This quick thinking is also what wins the battle against Cyn in the end, catching on to how she uses the teleport.

Teleport... that seems familiar... hey, WAIT A SEC-

Doll Is Alive And I'm Not Coping; A Thesis

Everybody has pointed to this frame after Uzi eats Cyn's heart; the box that says "UZI DRN" briefly says "RSN DOLL" instead. But funnily enough, that isn't even the first thing that made me suspect that Doll might still be alive deep within Uzi's code.

If you look closely at Uzi's new gradient eyes, you'll notice that thEY'RE SO PRETTTYYY AAAHHH <3 <3 <3

*ahem*

If you look closely at Uzi's new gradient eyes, you'll notice that a subtle but distinct tint of red sits in between the yellow and purple ends. Admittedly, you can also see pink and orange, so it's not airtight evidence, but it was enough to get me speculating. Obviously, that RSN DOLL frame basically confirms it on it's own, but I found some other stuff too, and I thought it was interesting enough to share.

Uzi consumed Cyn's heart (some of it anyway), and Cyn lived on inside Uzi, possessing her tail in the post-credits. Back in "Mass Destruction", Cyn consumed Doll's heart, and while the scenarios aren't one-to-one, it can be reasonably inferred that Doll might live on in Cyn, who now lives on in Uzi, resulting in a situation oddly reminiscent... of Russian Dolls. BWAM BWAM BWAAAAAAM

It's thematically resonant, which means it's basically canon, right?

[There used to be another thing here about Solver Powers, but it turned out it was a lot less airtight than I thought, so I'm moving it to another post. Thanks to @1-800-hellyeah for the catch]

In conclusion, Doll lives on in the depths of Uzi's code, and that matters. The ramifications of this are unclear, and there's another thing with Doll in the credits, but we'll get to that in a moment with...

The Credits Scene Lightning Round

The credits are full of scenes of the surviving cast enjoying life after the Battle For Copper 9, and while I haven't heard anything about their canonicity... I mean, they look canon. Liam has stated that this is the end of the series, and I'm inclined to believe him, but a lot of this stuff feels like plot hooks he could pick up in a second season someday, if he wanted. Or maybe he just left them to feed the fanfic crowd long term. Either way, lets see what we've got to chew on!

J Prime, Alone

Man, despite how much of a prick she was, I feel kinda bad for J. She gave up everything for the Solver, only for the Solver to get defeated anyway, at least for now. She's repairing one of the ships she destroyed, presumably to leave the planet, but where is she gonna go? What is she gonna do? Fake Tessa's JCJenson credentials imply that the company might still be operating out in space somewhere, but trying to pal up with them feels like a long shot, especially since J Prime probably has some blood on her hands from Cyn's orders. ...What's left for her?

Goopy Ghost Doll

Okay, so if Doll is in Uzi's code, how is she also here? I honestly have no real clue, but my best guess is that since Uzi is arguably the most powerful entity in the setting now, Doll could utilise a fraction of Uzi's power to project herself out into the world, unnoticed? Maybe? That's the best I've got. Anyway, she's probably gonna try to kill V again, knowing her.

And don't say it's just a hallucination or something; everything* in the show has either been real, or an illusion with a clear source. They've been very good about not pulling the hallucination card, and I'm inclined to trust they wouldn't do it now.

*I just remembered the weird skeleton thing behind V in "Home", I'm not sure what that counts as

Yeva's Corpse, Or Lack Thereof

People have seen this shot of Doll's house, and said that the absence of one of the covered bodies implies Yeva is also alive. While Nori proves that your body doesn't even need to be missing for you to maybe be alive... I don't know. I'm hesitant. If she's alive, why get her body back now of all times? It feels like there are other much simpler explanations, like maybe her body is just on the floor now, 'cause everything started floating at the start of the episode, and actually, didn't N pull the cover off of those two, anyway? Maybe he put it back, I don't know. Make of this what you will, I got nothin'.

Eldritch J, Alone

Oh, SHE'S alive. Now THIS is interesting. Her heart did survive the explosion in "Heartbeat", and I guess nobody's been down to the Cryosleep wing since. Understandable, I wouldn't exactly be eager myself. But it's possible Eldritch J was able to recollect all the matter that Cyn "gathered" with her back then, and has grown back to full size.

Now that Cyn isn't around to run the Solver, Eldritch J is probably fully sentient and aware now. That must have sucked to wake up to; last she remembers, she got shot in the face by a purple gremlin, and now she's this fucking thing. Oh man, my brain is already writing the fanfic where J Prime finds her whilst infiltrating the Outpost for ship parts. (That concept is free to grab it anyone wants to)

Alright, lets finish this off...

Cyn

I've long wondered about Cyn's true nature, whether Cyn is a remorseless mastermind or a tragic puppet of the Solver's true will... The finale didn't give us a straight answer on this - The two seemed narratively entwined in Cyn's heart, but in the post credits scene she seems... friendly. Friendliest she's been, potentially. Plus, The illusory camera heads appear in Uzi's reflection seperately, implying a seperation between Cyn and Solver.

After everything, I think I've personally settled on somewhere in the middle. Cyn was a willing accomplice to the Solver... for as much as that can mean for Cyn. In "Home", Cyn is contacted by the Solver on the brink of death, and is offered salvation, to not be discarded like she was before. Her life before this was likely very short; her owners probably threw her out pretty quickly due to her "quirks". Tessa tried to give her the love she gave to her other drones, but it was already too late; Cyn would spend her formative years under the influence of the Solver, so it's no wonder she ended up so morally twisted. She talked about her "back-ups" to excuse the deaths and suffering of her fellow drones... was it an excuse? Or does she genuinely think that made it okay? How much does she understand... anything?

She's acted without remorse, but she's only had the full perspective of a detached eldritch being that only cares for consumption. But even then, her personality shines through. She seems to have genuine affection for N, even if she expresses it in horrid ways. Her alignment with the Solvers goals seems to come from a personal desire for revenge on humanity, considering how she plays out the gala. And despite the circumstances, she's visibly enjoying herself in "Absolute End", having an absolute blast fighting the trio. It's like a game to her.

Her crimes are great, but she's hardly the only one in this show with a kill count. I believe that if someone gave her that USB Patch, then sat her down and explained how reality works, she would have a full change of heart and crisis of remorse.

In a way, she was a lot like J; a willing, but coerced minion to the Solver of The Absolute Fabric. The Void. The Exponential End.

I like to call it The Voiceless One.

#murder drones #uzi murder drones #n murder drones #doll murder drones #v murder drones #cyn murder drones #solver murder drones #khan murder drones #nori murder drones #yeva murder drones #murder drones spoilers #murder drones theory #local autistic teen fights god and wins #yes the title is a deltarune meme reference #murder drones mass destruction #murder drones absolute end

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crepesuzette2023 · 3 months

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Hello! I just wanted to say something and ask for advice.

I absolutely love fanfictions because I love seeing people's different writings and techniques and storylines... And I enjoy the smut too to be honest.

But when it comes to real people, I just feel guilty. I don't know what to do. I'm hyperfixiated on the Beatles rn and I'm a mclennon truther but I still feel guilty reading them.

Do you suggest anything? Oh I don't know... I suffer from anxiety and I'm very unsure.

Hi there—

first of all, thank you for trusting me with this question.

I'm sad to hear you're feeling guilty about reading fan fiction. Sad, because I love it too— {Paul voice:} a lot.

I never had the guilt you're describing, so I don't know how helpful I can be, but here are some thoughts.

First of all, you mention feeling guilty "when it comes to real people." I think it's great you're giving this some thought, and that you're seeing their humanity, and acknowledge how important it is to respect another person's privacy. But!

As I see it, you're not doing anything bad to a real person by writing fic about them, or reading it. You're not. Fiction is invention. It's not a rumor presented as truth. It's not an insult posted on the person's socials or the walls of their house. It's not something pushed in their faces. It's fiction posted to an archive that can easily be avoided, the way I avoid certain shelves in the book store without complaining about the fact that they're there, or demand the bookstore be closed.

But also: The Beatles in the fics aren't the real Beatles. They're avatars. The one way writing & reading fan fiction differs from fiction about original characters is that it comes with an existing background, characters, & world building. That is all. It's still fiction. My Paul isn't your Paul. He's not the real Paul. I don't know the real Paul. I don't want to know him. He's 100% safe from me. *Lovingly describes John running his tongue over his sweaty leg fur*

I know that sounds weird, but think about it. Many novels have been written about historical figures (or obscure real persons only known to the author!) with no one batting an eye. The Crown is often named as an example. I read a biographical novel about Thomas Mann recently. (The Magician, *snore* —Thomas Mann deserved better!) I have my second Sylvia Plath novel on my night stand.

What's happening here is that real people are becoming history—a copy of a copy—larger than life figures—and art (writing) becomes a creative way to respond to what they did. That's all.

It's nothing to do with doing anything bad to a real person. It's just fun (the day our friendship's begun).

So, after running my mouth, what do I suggest?

Keep telling yourself:

It's art.

It's okay to imagine anything.

It's no one's business what you enjoy in the privacy of your own mind.

A lot of storytelling is fan fiction, even if it isn't labelled as such!

If you still feel guilty and anxious, you can always stop reading—or, if you feel like it, investigate where these feelings are coming from, perhaps with the help of someone who can support you in getting rid of these feelings.

I've gone on long enough—go read some smut, safe in the knowledge that this is a thing of all times, and a sign that the beat goes on. People who argue otherwise need to get their legs combed.

#asks #fanfiction #beatles fanfiction

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v-era-18 · 7 months

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HoneyBee

Chapter Eight : Needing a Hero

“A family friend told me something once; No sacrifice, No Victory.” - (Y/n) (L/n) StoryTeller / Hero

Breathing is a good thing to remember during times like this. When the panic starts to settle in along with your current reality and expectations. Your nerves pump you with adrenaline, triggering your fight or flight responses.

And sometimes your first instinct is to react with emotion instead.

(Y/n) let out a guttural scream before jumping up catching Sam and Mikeala’s attention. The two teens were by her side in two seconds flat Lennox not too far behind. A whine of whirr caught their attention to the side. A large figure of black and yellow moved slowly from the rubble, weirs and sparks emitted from stubs where his legs were supposed to be. Looking around there was no sight of his other ped. The reality of war was sinking in fast.

“Bumblebee!” The girl pushed Sam away and scampered over to the scout. She horrifically watches him drag himself along the ground in pain. His two legs were gone, although she woke up besides one missing limb it didn’t make her feel any less positive about the situation. “Oh my god! What can I do? Tell me what to do! I can help you-I’ll help you-“

Sam started to help clearing a path allowing the scout to move though, “We got you Bee, you just gotta get up. Bumblebee? Get up!”

“Ratchet!” (Y/n) screamed for help.

What Bumblebee needed was immediate medical attention, and it was unfortunate she didn’t know how else to help in this situation. You think in all those books she’s read there were instructions for this. To help when they were injured and there's no help from their fellow colleagues.

The girl went back in front of the cybertronian, her hands shaking and eyes burning. She didn't know what to do. No one around them knew what to do!

“You gotta get up,” Sam encouraged, “You’re okay. You’re okay. Come on!”

As if things couldn't get worse the retracting sounds of a tank in the distance was hollow in her head. For the first time she got to witness a tank firing off in the middle of the street in real life. She had to give men in the service their props, because compared to them she didn't have any balls big enough for this kind of thing.

She already had huge respect for the men and women in camo. But for now there won’t be a day where she’ll shy away for saying thank you for your service.

“Decepticons can have tanks?” (Y/n) whispered solemnly, “These mother fuckers are cheating!”

Sam could only stare in horror at the sight before him.

Jazz and Ratchet could be seen in the distance making their way towards them. It should’ve been a slight reassurance that help was on the way but the decepticon tank looked like it was ready to end them in one millisecond.

“Come on! We need to move!”

Mikaela stared at Bumblebee for a long second. This whole time the only thing she could contribute was support for (Y/n) and Sam. No where was it required for her to be the hero-the aid in this mission. But watching the bot drag himself on the ground with the Afro haired girl before him painicing did something to kick her into overdrive.

The girl looked around before breaking out into a sprint down the street. A truck came into view giving the girl a bright idea for the scout for aid. Although she didn't know much about aliens or their species, she did know alot about vehicles.

Bumblebee moved himself further next to (Y/n), he could see the sheer despair on her face and it made him sad knowing he wasn't able to provide comfort to her at this very moment. The crease in her brows didn't suit her, along with the long blood trail that outlined the side of her face.

The stress of war didn’t suit her at all.

To top it off, he couldn’t stop his spark from beating so loudly. As a scout he never had doubt in his abilities. He was able to get in and out of situations faster than many of his comrades and competitors. It was the reason why Optimus trusted him and the reason why he was so respected amongst others. In times like this age is just a number-a consideration. Your skills and mindset is what separates you from others. In the end you have to be at your best in order to survive.

Bumblebee didn’t have to look behind him to see the damage done. He could feel it. And boy did it fucking hurt.

But he couldn’t think about himself right now. He needed to think about the lives before him. The lives of families, friends, and strangers with dreams that are just a fragment of the imagination.

This was a prosperous planet like Cybertron once was. And he be damned if this one falls as well.

He crawled closer to (Y/n), her form shook with each passing second as she watched him. She never moved away though. The girl before him stood her ground occasionally looking for any signs of Ratchet to come to his aid.

Unfortunately for his sweetspark they didn’t have time.

“I’m not … I’m not leaving you.” (Y/n) stated inching forward, “Ratchet is on his way just give him a second-“

She was cut off with the black and yellow boy presenting the Cube before her. Her breathing hitched in her throat already knowing what it meant. (Y/n) grabbed it from him, the weight of it heavy. So many lives rested in the very object she held. And it made her stomach queasy.

He let out a pained slow whirr at her expression. Hoping the look in his optics would give some form of reassurance that everything was going to be alright.

Sam watched the two, his breathing uneven but concentrated on the task at hand. He knew that help was going to be a long time away with so much going on. Apart from the civilians and the Air Force they were on their own. Seeing his friend hold the cube sent his mind in a tizzy.

How were they supposed to cube to safety with a big tank in the way? And how could (Y/n) get by successfully with a Decepticon blowing her into oblivion?

Jazz ,Ironhide and Ratchet finally arrived for backup. The Afro haired girl backed up behind Bumblebee as she watched the three autobots practically disassemble the decepticon in the middle of the street. Sawed off arms, blasted in torso, and the head eventually being flown off.

A smile slowly graced her features before being completely wiped clean. She heard the plan before she saw him. The low runner of death making her hairs stand on end and spine throb. She could feel it in person. The one thing humans fear the very most ever in life. Death.

“Megatron!”

Sam zeroed in on (Y/n) as her face became slack. Her eyes never removed from the sight of the personification of death before her. Nothing else mattered to her anymore, she wanted to run-scream and hide.

For once she doesn't want to be the hero. No, she wanted to be rescued.

“(Y/n)!” Sam grabbed a hold on the girl's shoulders trying to tune out the yelling and screaming of civilians around them. “I need you to stay with me okay? You got to breathe! Don’t let them win!”

Optimus appeared before them down the street, his stance firm, “It’s Megatron! Retreat! Move! Fall Back!” The Prime tried to hold off the decepticon Leader only to be knocked down quickly with a blast. There were simply too many casualties on the streets to go full on without someone possibly dying or gearing hurt.

The soldiers filed back towards them just as a ‘Mikes Towers’ truck stopped in the middle. Mikeala hopped out of the vehicle, her face stern, “Sam, (Y/n)! Help me with this!”

The three teens worked quickly with Bumblebee. Making sure the wires were wrapped around him tightly in order to haul him onto the truck. (Y/n) at first wanted to question if it would be painful for him to be tied up so roughly. Unfortunately they were all out of options and comfort was the last thing they needed to worry about at the moment.

“What’s going on?” Lennox asked.

A fellow soldier looked through the binoculars, frustration written all over his face, “Sir! That tank thing’s getting back up.”

“Oh, these things just don’t die.” A helicopter’s propellers caught his attention, causing him to turn around seeing a large decepticon pierced on a large building. Dread and exhaustion filled Lennox’s body at the sight.

“Oh we are so dead.”

“Epps, get those Black Hawks here!” Lennox ordered. He looked to his right, spotting a tall skyscraper just east of where they were. “That building….”

He worked quickly getting over to (Y/n). Out of all the people here he didn’t want to ask this of this girl. It was simply because she was a female either-it was because she had so much going for her and he would hate it if she had died. She had a grandmother to go home to, just like how he had a wife and daughter. Fighting for your life doesn’t make these decisions any easier.

“Sam! (Y/n)! Where's the cube?”

(Y/n) lifted the cube off of the back of the truck for the soldier to see.

“Okay,” Lennox grabbed (Y/n)’s arm guiding her away from the cybertronian she was aiding, “Allright, I can't leave my guys back there, so here, take this flare-”

The girl shook her head, “What-?”

“Okay, there's a tall, white building with statues on top. Go to the roof. Set the flare.”

“No,” She uttered softly, “Get Sam to do it I cant-”

“Signal the chopper and set the flare-”

“No! Get someone else to do it! I can't-!”

Lennox grabbed the girl’s shirt roughly causing Sam to step forward to remove his hands by force only Mikela stopped him.

“You know more about these beings than any of my men or any of us here on this planet! The moment you opened your mouth earlier I knew we had a future leader in that room. Wasted potential that system lets go to waste to fucking often.” The girl still continued to shake her head with tears in her eyes, fear running up and down her spine like a virus.

Lennox continued, “You're more than a soldier right now. You're our last hope. All Right? I need you to take this Cube. Get it into military hands while we hold them off,or a lot of people are going to die.” He looked over to Bumblebee who was staring at her the whole time feeling a sense of dread wash over himself before looking back at (Y/n). “including them.”

(Y/n) held the cube tightly, her lips wobbling as she looked back over towards the building. Leonox gave her a second to think before turning his head back over to the other two teens. “You two need to go-”

“We're not leaving,” Mikeala said stiffly.

The soldier grew frustrated. These teens don't know when to listen. “You need to go now!”

“No, we're not leaving okay,” Sam agreed, “Not until we get Bumblebee out of here!”

“Army Black Hawk requesting immediate evac for civilian girl with precious cargo. She is headed to the rooftop marked by the flare,” Epps spoke into the walkie talkie quickly before ducking for cover once more.

(Y/n) started to be approached by the other autobots as she continued to stare at the building ahead. She was trying to slow her breathing, her heart was screaming in her ears and her lungs couldn't get enough air. She's never seen so much destruction before her eyes, and she was just given a task to run right through it to deliver their life or death.

“(Y/n),” Ironhide stepped forward, “We will protect you.”

‘Protect me?’

The promise seemed to be heavy on her heart. Here she was worrying about how qualified she was to do this and there were soldiers and autobots alike willing to sacrifice their lives in order for her to safely get the cube to high ground.

But what happens after that? The sky can only hold the cube for so long before another decepticon finds it in their reach. Itr will be blown out of the sky and then the cube will be in their hands and terraform the planet.

But the fact of the matter is-did they have any more options?

“Lennox! Epps!” (Y/n) called after them, “Where are those planes?”

Sam furrowed his eyebrows for a moment, watching the girl before him that he'd known for practically his whole life before it actually began. The good the bad she was always by his side, and for the current moment he couldn't be next to her, the time she truly needed her the most. He stepped towards her, catching her eyes as they downcasted towards the cube she ranted about so many times. He should've listened all those years ago; but who could blame him, he thought they were just stories. Fiction a dream that she wished to hear about. And they were now the story book, not knowing the ending.

Two best friends, not knowing if they were going to live or die. One a hero, one a survivor. Or did it really have to be that way?

“Listen I know this isn't really the time to tell you this but—”

“Don't confess to me right now—”

“I promise you, I wouldn't think about doing that at this very moment because I'm four years too late okay?” The boy huffed before pulling her into a strong embrace, “Come home to me alive okay? You're my best friend practically attached at the hip. And if you die-” She felt him shake slightly with an exhale before he breathed in again, “A large part of me will die as well.”

They both released each other, Sam sent the girl an encouraging smile before petting her head softly. Something he hasn't done since the tenth grade. Childhood euphoria washed over them seeming to come full circle. He took in her expression one more time before slowly releasing her, not knowing if it was going to be for the last time.

“Now go fucking kill them.”

(Y/n) let off a cruel smile, “Already ahead of you Lord Witwicky.”

~ ✯ ~

(Y/n) (L/n) from today on has promised that if she survives this, she would document every fragment of her life from her on out. Because this shit could only be made up in the crevices of someone's twisted mindframe.

Ironhide and Ratchet provided protection while the girl made her way down the street to the building. Rubble and black deprise was blown in different directions and made it hard to remain consistent within her sprints on the battlefield.

The girl couldn't believe she was doing this. Her legs burned from the lack of exercise she had throughout her lifetime not to mention the asthma that was catching up to her. It was so hard to breathe each time she pumped her legs to move faster towards the building in front of her.

With a shout she quickly avoided a decepticons ped that landed near her, Ironhid had grabbed the Con blasting him towards another building causing civilians to break out into more screams of panic. It really was a shame they weren't able to evacuate the city in time for these large robots to run amok throughout the streets. She was more worried with the fact that there was a chance there were humans stepping on more than the gunfire.

She heard the sound of a plane and the shifting of metal behind her causing her legs to move faster than before. The hard thumps of ped steps in pursuit of her was what her ears focused on as she made through the waves of chaos around her. Never has she shoved so many people in her life. The cubed seemed to emit a thrumming sound around her arm and rib cage.

(Y/n) pumped her legs faster trying her best to ignore the commotion and panic surrounding her. She screamed as she was cornered In between a store with a deception closing in on her, she ducked her head letting out a yell as the blades missed her by a hair, most of the damage being done to the car and store Windows.

“Ironhide where—?!” The girl cut off seeing an all too familiar airplane diving right towards her letting out sounds that would awaken her in nightmares . Skidding to a stop the girl immediately turned around, the sifting of metal filling along with the crash and destruction of vehicles around her.

Ironhide and Ratchet were there immediately, the girl taking cover behind another vehicle and rubble trying to seem smaller than she was. Never had she’d seen Starscream so up close before other than the nightmares that plagued her, and to say the description of his chilling red optics weren’t ones to laugh at.

This was Megatron second in command. And he-he was flying away after taking a few hits. Although it was a bad time the girl did want to admit it was a bit disappointing from the cruel stories about the Decepticon second in command.

Ironhide looked over at the girl anxiously, noticing her panicked expression, “Hurry (Y/n)! Get to the building! There isn’t much time!”

Shaking and breathing labored the girl did as told. Her thighs burned along with her lungs, cheeks aflame from the heat. Not to mention the desperate sweat clutching every crevice of her being.

She wanted to go home. She didn’t want to be a hero anymore.

(Y/n) stumbled over another woman trying to run away, apologizing quickly before keeping her pace towards the building. She kept her eyes focused, there were only a few more streets down and then she’d he was home-.

“Give me that cube, girl!” Megatron growled fiercely from behind. The girl could practically hear the terrorist order in her very brain, so much that it almost compelled her to do as told.

Her heart thrummed louder in her chest as tears started to roll. The girl was so preoccupied with running away she didn’t notice the car speeding towards her. The girl hit the ground with a painful groan, watching the cube emit a blue glow all around along impacting the electronics around them.

‘Oh no.”

“You stupid bitch! Did you just hit my car?!”

(Y/n) sent the girl a heated glare simply throwing up the middle finger, before running back down the street in time to hear the civilians cries in the car. There was probably no doubt that the car had fully turned into a cybertronian by now.

‘Looks like you won't be having a car anymore,’ She thought snarky.

Finally the girl reached the building running through with a goofy smile on her face, “We can do this. We can do this! They’re not gonna get me! They’re not gonna get me-!”

A crash was heard behind her, cutting off her sentence of freedom , “I can smell you, girl!”

“Ew,” (Y/n) rounded the corner, her eyes placed on the stairs before starting to climb them, “ I do not want to know how that works.”

Upon reaching another level the girl continues up, screaming again as Megatron emerges from the floorboards behind her. The war terrorist was persistent and she would give him that.

She entered another room, a tired steadied sigh leaving her lips realizing that the staircase was still many more floors up.

‘Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he just killed me,’

~ ✯ ~

Mikeala let out a panicked breath pulling the tow truck into the alleyway. Sam was biting his nails anxiously looking back at Bumblebee who couldn’t stop moving his helm back and forth to see more of the fight. They were exhausted.

The girl placed her head on the steering wheel rethinking the past couple hours; her following after a girl she had a crush on for years, the giant robots showing themselves, sector seven arresting them, finding out that the world has been visited by aliens, and now the world was in the same girls hands that was reading in front of the class not even two days ago.

It wasn’t fair. Mikeala knew it wasn’t fair-none if it was. She’ll never get over the girl's face, her plump lips downturned and her eyes furrowed in anguish. She was facing a war terrorist alone-and the fucking three of her friends were fucking sitting here cowering in an alleyway. Frustrated, Banes got out of the car slamming their door back in the process. Sam followed suit, a worried expression on his face.

“Y-you okay-what-“

“We need a new plan, right now.” Banes hissed, “w-we can’t just sit here and do nothing! She’s out there alone-alone Sam! Did you not see her face? I’ve never seen her make that face-!”

The girl stopped a stray tear escaping before roughly wiping it away. She looked over locking eyes with optics that seemed to dim lightly. Something within her stomach started to churn at that expression; she had made it so many times before. But who was he making it for?

“Bumblebee?”The black and yellow boy whirred lightly, showing her that she indeed had his attention. “You want to save your Storyteller right? The same girl you laid in the grass with?”

The scouts expression turned serious, servos turning to guns immediately shocking Sam.

“Wait-are you two thinking what I think you're thinking?”

“Gonna try and stop us?”

“No…” Sam smiled wildly, a look that the girl wasn’t expecting at all, “I’m just making sure that we’re all equally as crazy here.”

The two teens got back in the car, Mikeala revving the engine before looking back at the scout.

“I drive! you shoot!”

~ ✯ ~

With a huff and breathless groan the girl finally made it to the top of the roof, push the cube of the ledge she quickly leapt off the ladder and onto the roof. Grabbing the cube once more she broke off into the sprint seeing the helicopters in view.

“Hey! Hey! I’m here!” She rounded another turn scraping the flare against the way to get their attention, “I’m over here! Please! I’m right here!”

The girl. Was finally surrounded by hope, the helicopter slowly arriving in front of her as she quickly made way towards the sight. A soldier came forward, reaching out quickly for the cube. Just as (Y/n) made way to hand it over in the corner of her eye she saw a sight that made her heart quake.

“Watch out!”

“Missile!”

It was too late the missile was deployed and hit to the side of the helicopter sending it spiraling down below.

“No!” (Y/n) cried, “No! No! No!”

She crawled along the ground , letting out a pained whimper not daring to look at the deep gash on her leg. She willed herself to be pulled up before breaking off into a run once more. A servo emerging from one of the vents caused the girl to scream, backing away, seeing another emerge just as quickly as the first.

Panicking the girl looked around for a hiding spot, nothing to distract the con while she could. Looking around she spotted a pillar on the very ledge of the building.

‘I have lost my damn mind’

She made quick to hoist her up the best she could before speaking her body as best as she could behind the pillar. She willed her whole being not to look down at the city streets below, hoping praying that by some grace of god an autobot would see her up and be ready to catch if she falls.

“Tell me, is it fear or courage that compels you, storyteller?” Megatron growled, “the stories about you were legend back on cybertron. To hear of a rumor speaking personally to an autobot light years away before your time and here you are, trembling like a mere morsel to be eaten alive.”

(Y/n) looked around for any type of escape only to find the honking of horns and rumbled streets down below answering back at her. “Oh my god. Please I don’t wanna die!”

“Give me the All Spark and you may live to be my pet.”

The last edge to the war terrorist tone sent the girl leaning backwards only to regret it a second later when the rubble was starting under her feet. A gulp was taken along with a tear falling down her cheek. She read a lot about heroes in her time of living-the good and the bad.

The knights riding in on horses, the morally corrupt, all the way to the ones selfishly acting for the greater good. And she was about to be the one that dies in the end. It was funny really, the story she told the class a few days ago, the tragedy. A knight and his lover. But in her case there was no lover, if she had one they would be laying at her feet before she would join them in perlies abyss.

This is what she asked for right? To face her fears? To help the autobot cause, to join the fight for her planet?

“We all have roles to play within our own worlds whether it’s fighting a war or simply telling stories.”

She might have been born to fight a war, but she was to tell stories. And another way to tell a story to leave one through actions and shere bravery.

(Y/n) looked back at the deception, a brave face being displayed in contrast to the snot and tears on her face, “I’m never giving you this All Spark! Tell Ultron I said hello!”

“Oh so unwise.” Megatron snarled.

The girl screamed as the mace came down upon her, seeing her off the roof and towards the streets below. Only the impact never happened, she was caught firmly a few seconds later in a gentle grasp incased by metal.

Looking up the girl let out a nervous laugh at the sight of Optimus. “About time Prime! I thought I was dead!”

“I got you, storyteller.” Optimus placed the girl on his shoulder plates before making way down the building, “Hold on to the cube!”

Before the two were almost down to the ground Megatron hurled himself on top of them, throwing Optimus off balance and onto the rubble below. (Y/n) shook on Optimus’ chest holding the cube tightly.

“(Y/N),” Optimus uttered softly gaining the girl's attention, she shot up showing that he had her attention. “You risked your life to protect the Cube. “

She chuckled softly, “A family friend told me something once; No sacrifice, No Victory.”

“If I cannot defeat Megatron, you must push the cube into my chest. I will sacrifice myself to destroy it. Get behind me.”

“Wait-,” the girl started getting down her mind working overtime, “that isn’t right! There’s another logical way to solve this instead of killing you!”

“As of right now we don’t have time to think of one,” Optimus sat up from the missed concrete and broken cars, “I will say it has been an honor meeting you Storyteller.”

Turning to the war terrorist Optimus stood proudly ready to engage, “It’s you and me Megatron”

“No, it’s just me Prime.” Megatron snarled, sword at the ready.

“At the end of this day, one shall stand, one shall fall.”

“You still fight for the weak! That is why you lose!” Megatron growled before throwing Optimus to the other side of the building.

(Y/n) took cover in the chaos watching the two leaders fight. One good, one evil- the earth hanging in the balance along with a human shuffling about with a weapon or a source of life to be given. Megatron threw the Prime once again, causing (Y/n) to shout as it was too close for comfort.

“No no no no-“ Optimus wasn’t doing so well in the fight, making (Y/n)s nerves on edge, they had to have help come in from somewhere. Just as the girl was losing hope reinforcements arrived with soldiers flooding in, shooting and firing at Megatron the best they could. Now with having the upperhand Optimus was able to gain advantage giving hit after hit trying to overwhelm the Decipticon Leader.

“Damn you! Wretched thing! It’s Mine! All Spark!” Megagtron turn towards her, her stance ridged against the car watching the fight closely. She gripped the cube in frustration trying to think of a quick solution.

“(Y/n)! Put the Cube in my chest! Now!” Optimus ordered.

Wait ...if Optimus can die from the cube in his chest surely-.

(Y/n) stood up her decision final before looking over at the terrorist who’s plagued her whole life the moment she was told the stories about him. The good all the way to his genius crimes. She knew from this point forward, she couldn’t allow him the luxury of hiring or causing fear no longer. Autobot of deception alike.

“You want this fucking cube! Take it!”

“No, (Y/n)!”

The girl held up the cube to the Deceptions chest watching it light aflame with vigor along with the cube disengaging before her very eyes. Megatron shook and groaned the once blue spark tuning red, eating itself from the inside out, causing him to convulse on the ground painfully. The leader turned his head, reaching out towards her one more time before his red eyes dimmed. Lifeless.

Optimus walked over, seeming to be in a mix of disbelief and despair as he looked at the dead cybertronian before him, “You left me no choice, brother.”

(Y/n) watched the other Autobots crowded around, all seeming to be accounted for, except one black and yellow mech that was always on the back of her mind. Was he safe? Has his condition worsened? What about Sam and Mikaela?

Optimus drew the girl from her thoughts as he kneeled before her, “(Y/n), I owe you my life. We are in your debt.”

The girl shook her head, “No thank you, for believing in me.”

A car rolling to a stop catches the girl's attention, along with the car doors swinging open crazily. It was only a moment before the girl was tackled to the ground by Sam, the boy was shaking his breaking laborer as he held the girl's face in his hands. A second passed the two childhood best friends looking at one another before (Y/n) broke out into a laugh tears falling down her face before enveloping the make in an embrace.

“Did I do good Lord Witwicky?”

“You did better than good, you were fricken’ amazing. A better hero than I could ever be.”

“Alright move over!” Mikeala pushes Sam away slightly before planting a soft kiss on the girl's cheek before enveloping her in a hug. “Don’t ever do some dumb shit like that for a while okay?”

“A while?” (Y/n) giggled, “You act like I’m gonna do it more often?”

Banes smirked, “Knowing your predicament I wouldn’t be surprised if this is going to be your whole life.”

A whirr and a shift on the truck drags the girls attention to a flash of black and yellow. Her eyes watered over letting tears fall as eyes meet optics. She shakily walked over to Bumblebee, scared that if she breathed too hard the illusion of seeing her new friend would disappear as fast as he appeared behind her at that food truck.

Jazz leaned down slightly nudging bumblebee’s shoulder, “You gonna say something good?”

Ironhide gave a disapproving look, “don’t encourage that at this very moment. The girl almost died.”

The second in command nearly shrugged, before both mechs chuckled seeing how Bumblebee's door wings moved slightly in embarrassment. The scout wouldn't lie if the girl had been on helm the whole battle. Wondering if she was okay, if she remembered how to breathe, if Optimus got her in time-there were too many factors to consider. But here the girl was before him, still alive. One thing about humans they were clearly fragile from what he knows, but Primus-never had he thought this was a pleasing sight to see. The girl's hair was a mess, tears streamed down her cheeks-she a mess. And that's what made her perfect.

“Y-you’re okay,” (Y/n) sniffled. She placed her cut up hand on the mechs arm a soft nervous laugh leaving her lips, “I was so worried,”

Bumblebee simply let out a whirr of a sigh, basking in the attention the girl was giving him. He leaned down slightly to get a better view of her, only to be caught off guard with her wrapping her arms around his helm, cheek to faceplate. The mech's body grew warm-very aware of the stares from his fellow comrades that would most definitely tease him about it later.

She let go, a wide true smile on her face, “Thank you for everything Bee. Once Ratchet gets you fixed up, let's read some more at home yeah?”

The mech's door wings shot up excitedly. Was she-was she asking to see him more often? She wanted to spend time with him-outside of the assignment given to him!

Optimus stepped forward drawing attention of the other participants present, “We have lost comrades, but have gained new ones. Thank you, all of you. You honor us with your bravery.”

“Permission to speak, sir?” Bumblebee switched between channels settling on the temporary voice ratchet gave him a few years ago in a scrap heap. It wasn't his true voice-but it was something.

“Permission granted, old friend.”

“You speak now?” Sam said ludicrously. Mikeala broke out into a laugh along with (Y/n) in response, The teen boy looked back and forth between them, “Are you seriously laughing-he's been using the radio!”

(Y/n) shoved Sam lightly, “I love him using the radio. It adds character.”

The scout perked up at that, his decision final. “I wish to stay with the girl and the boy.”

Upon hearing the scouts request Optimus looked down at Sam and (Y/n). He wasn't against the mech being with the two teens in fact he would like to encourage it. Bumblebee had to grow up at an early age, not being allowed the luxuries of having fun with others his age. Maybe this would be a great start for a new beginning for him. “If that is their choice.”

The two friends looked at one another, wide smiles upon their faces.

“Yes.”

“Of course.”

Bumblebee whirred happily with his charges' decisions. Mentally already preparing himself for the endless summer of fun they were going to have. First he was going to need his legs of course…

(Y/n) let out a yawn shocking Sam and Mikeala, “okay, this is all great but my battery is running low and i need three days worth of sleep for sure.”

Sam ran a hand down his face, “You couldn't just bask in the moment huh?”

“No. We all have our limits Samuel. We just saved the fucking world, I think we deserve some sleep.”

#bumblebee x black reader #bumblebee x reader #transformers bayverse #transformers bumblebee #sam witwicky #mikeala banes #transfromers #optimus prime #honeybee #Spotify

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