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deadbydangit · 11 months

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Hey how's it going? I would like to request one where the survivors/killers comfort the chubby reader who is feeling insecure about their body. It could be with David, Jeff, Joey and Evan

Yes, I can do that. In the future, three characters max please. Please enjoy. I'm going to change it to just be insecure about their body so I have more to write.

With a Reader who is Insecure about their Body

David, Jeff, Joey (Legion), Trapper

David King

Body insecurity is something he has never understood.

Then again, insecurity is something he's never understood.

David is a very confident individual.

Not to mention he has the body of a god.

So, he's never had issues with his body image.

So when he hears how you've been feeling, he's very confused.

"What do ya mean you don't like the way you look? You're the sexiest thing on the damned planet."

Aside from not being able to make a tasteful compliment.

He really means it.

And seeing you hate yourself for something he finds so amazing hurts him so much.

Anytime he sees you looking in the mirror he'll go out of his way to compliment you.

Even if they aren't the most appropriate.

He's not always the best with words.

"Damn, that ass in those jeans. Can't get enough of it baby."

He'll even cat-call you from afar while others are listening.

It's really embarrassing.

But he won't stop unless you tell him to.

It's just his way of trying to make you feel better.

If you really want to better yourself, he will help you with the things he can do.

He may not know a whole lot about weight loss or building muscle, but he knows people who do.

And he will sit down for hours and pick their brain to come up with a safe and effective exercise plan to help you.

He'll also ask them a lot of dumb questions.

"So, what's a carb again?"

"Wait, so if fruits have sugar, aren't they bad?"

But eventually, he'll get all the information.

And he will go out of his way to help you.

He'll encourage you through the whole thing.

He'll even write down all your goals and help you keep track of them.

Make sure you write down your goals too, because you won't be able to read his handwriting.

He's so proud of you and he tells you every time you're done with a workout.

And he'll remind you everyday how beautiful you are.

Jeff Johanson

Believe it or not, Jeff is very insecure about himself as well.

He knows he's on the heavier side.

And the scar on his face adds to his lack of confidence.

So when you mention you're feeling self-conscious about your body, he won't tell you to forget those thoughts or tell you how silly you're acting.

He refuses to gloss over your feelings of sadness by simply giving you compliments that won't help.

He'll acknowledge them.

"Love, you are human, and that's normal."

He'll tell you all about his own insecurities and how he has battled with them.

He will then point to every part of your body and tell you why and how much he loves it.

He could spend hours doing this.

It's so sweet and poetic.

He might even start crying because he genuinely means every word he's saying.

But also because the thought of you hurting so badly and hating yourself makes him feel like a failure of a partner.

He wasn't there when you needed him.

He knows he's not in the best of shape, so, if you're really serious about this journey to better yourself, he's going on it with you.

If you're going on a diet, so is he.

He may not know a whole lot about weight loss, so he'll ask people who do.

And he will create a perfect diet and exercise regimen for you both.

And you won't ever feel discouraged.

Even when it feels like you aren't making progress, Jeff will be there to remind you how strong and brave you are.

And how proud he is of you.

If anyone dares make fun of you while you're working out, Jeff will confront them.

"You're making fun of s/o, but they're clearly trying to better themselves. And that's more than I can say about you right now. You should be ashamed of yourself."

And he'll leave it at that.

After, those same people will be cheering you on.

Every milestone you reach he's sure to tell you how impressed he is.

And he'll also tell you how much he loves you every time.

Joey (Legion)

Joey doesn't catch on to things very fast.

You could be eating less or looking at yourself in the mirror more and he won't really think much of it.

It's only one you make a verbal comment on how much you dislike your body does he spring into action.

The first time you said something hateful about yourself his eyes nearly bulged out of his head in shock.

Joey's never really had body image problems.

The mask is just part of his identity, not him hiding himself.

At least, that's what he's forced himself to think.

The more you talk poorly about yourself the harder it is for him to sit still.

So, in order to help boost your confidence, he'll take his mask off in public.

Yes, he does feel uncomfortable without it.

He also needs someone to teach him how to shave better.

But he is proving his point.

If he can be confident with his flaws, then so should you.

If you really want to better yourself, he will help.

He doesn't really think about asking somebody how to formulate a workout that works for you.

To him, you run and you lose weight, right?

That's not how it works.

Eventually someone more knowledgeable will step in and help you two out.

He'll work out with you, cheering you on every step of the way.

Seeing you getting better shape has inspired him to do the same.

It has also inspired the entire Legion to do the same.

So now all of you work out together.

Now that you are feeling more confident in yourself with your body, you can help him find somebody to teach him how to shave properly.

Trapper

Evan is very observant.

He most definitely notices when you stop eating so much or when you look in the mirror more.

But he won't ask you unless he notices something serious.

He figures this is your private business.

And, even though you're in a relationship, you're still entitled to your own private thoughts.

It wasn't until you said something about yourself that he intervened.

He was so angry to hear you say such things that he will pick up whatever he's holding and slam it on the floor.

He isn't angry with you.

He's more upset with himself.

He should have said something sooner when he noticed.

He feels like a failure, that he wasn't there for you and your time of need.

But he will not let you talk about yourself like that.

Anytime you begin to speak that way of yourself he will stop you.

He will then proceed to aggressively compliment you.

It would almost be scary if he wasn't trying to make you feel better.

"You have the most amazing eyes, and I'll kill anyone who says otherwise."

Evan himself is not insecure about how he looks.

He sees the spikes through his body as more of an inconvenience than an insecurity.

And his mask as a tool to scare survivors.

Even so, he remembers a time when they did bother him that way.

And he had to deal with it all by himself.

He isn't going to let you deal with this on your own.

If you want to better yourself he will support you.

As long as you do so in a healthy way he doesn't care how it's done.

He just doesn't want to see you hurt yourself trying.

If you try anything like that he will stop you.

It's just because he loves you so much.

#dbd imagines #dbd ask blog #dbd x reader #dbd killer #dbd survivor #dbd david #dbd jeff #dbd joey #dbd legion #dbd trapper

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dropoutfailure · 15 days

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Would absolutely love to hear more about mishka and gus? Like anything really. Maybe you could explain the timeline of how their story happens (i love that kind of thing) or just tell me something you find interesting about them or just ramble whats on your mind?

I'm excited to answer, but are YOU excited for the wall of text you're about to see?? I probably overthought and revised this answer for way too long. these OCs have wayyyy too much lore and backstory which I might draw at some point. eventually.

backstory in short:

Mishka is a 22yo depressed lonely college dropout NEET trans guy. he's in love with his dad, bc he can't connect to new people easily, and his dad's the only one who has just always been there for him, unconditionally.

his 45yo dad Gustav is a woodworking teacher. a single father who's doing his best. caring, and maybe even lenient with his precious son. he does not reciprocate though. at first.

backstory in long:

so basically Mishka was doomed from the start. his mom was not good at being a mother (violent) and gave him childhood trauma. she left eventually, and dad became a single father when Mishka was 7-9. he comes out as a trans boy in his teens, 14-15. his dad is accepting but his school is not. he makes no permanent connections in 12 years of being in school. just internet friends.

Mishka drops out of college at 22 because of many problems piling up there (adhd, loneliness, misunderstandings, transphobia) and overwhelming him for months. he breaks down in the middle of his last year of undergraduate (he probably could've weathered the storm and finished...), gives up, drops out, goes home and holes up in his room, in his dad's apartment...

Mishka developed a crush on his dad while halfway through college, at around 21 yeard old, but thought he'd get over it and not feel that way anymore when he got back home. lol. lmao.

when dad hugs him after he gets off the train, that notion quickly disappears.

at first he tries to hide it. he doesn't want his dad to hate him. Gustav is happy to see him again, and can tell something's bothering his son, but can never get a straightforward answer. he's worried.

confession scene comic drafts:

eventually, after a month of being back home, Mishka says "fuck it, I've already fucked up my life, I'm already a social outcast, I'm already a garbagefire, I have nothing to lose, I'll tell my dad and either he feels the same or he disowns me!!"

(here, I'll add some sketches I've made for the confession scene. amongst other sketches.)

Mishka confesses kinda hopeful (delusional) that maybe his dad might feel the same.

...but dad does NOT feel the same... he takes some time to process what he just heard.

Mishka is red in the face, sweating, panicking, tearing up bc this is humiliating and painfully awkward and he "should not have told him, should have taken it to the grave!! fuuuuuck"

Gustav is confused and concerned. it doesn't register until he asks again and Mishka's like "this is humiliating enough, don't make me say it again...."

(I need to work out the dialogue here I think..... Gus doesn't disown him, he's extremely uncomfortable with the idea, but ALSO doesn't want to reject Mishka!! he's at a loss and doesn't know how to respond so he's like "it's late, I need some time to think, let's talk about this tomorrow")

he loves his son. but not like that.

(extra long post and more sketches under the Keep Reading)

and then there's an awkward moment / fake-out where Mishka may or may not have been aiming for a kiss. dad turns that down real fast though, uncomfortable. Mishka fears this may have just caused a permanent rift between them, that they can never be affectionate again, and begs him to forget the whole thing.

Gustav can tell that Mishka's gonna be agonizing over this (oh, Gus is too. but doesn't want to double the panic here*) and tells his son to not hurt himself. (Mishka tends to pull at his hair and scratch his skin up to release emotion)

*main things on Gustav's mind: since he's a teacher, he would not only get fired, but hunted for sport if he was actually in an illicit relationship with his son, so he really doesn't want to even entertain the idea. especially since he already feels like he's on thin ice at his workplace - he's good at his job, but it's an open secret that he's "gay" (he's not even gay, he's bi!!)

they retreat to their rooms to turn in for the night. Mishka writes to his bestie Kaito who's the only one he talks to about his feelings for his dad (strangers on the internet and people who took his incest vagueposting as a joke don't count haha).

Gus looks to the internet for any advice on this situation he never expected to be in as a father. "wtf do I do when my own flesh and blood, my own son, half my age, is in love with me, romantically? and maybe sexually?? how do I turn him down without hurting his feelings" he somehow phrases it in such a way that he mostly gets porn results, which is the opposite of what he's looking for! XD it's a very popular porn category and that makes him feel even worse.

here's another WIP I'm trying to work on about this scene. the confession, plus a moment when Gus remembers fearing homophobia in his teen years, but confessing to a classmate regardless (he's bi but most people assume he's either gay or straight)... and immediately shuts it down, thinking to himself "wait that's not even remotely the same thing!! s-some things are societally unacceptable with good reason!"

I'm just trying to work out the dialogue more, to better show Gustav's confusion, apprehension, empathy and an attempt at a gentle rejection.

afterward, they try to go on as normal but now that it's out there, Mishka gets bolder with his affection. and gets reprimanded. occasionally. Gustav's body welcomes the touch, but Gus himself is not happy with this for a multitude of reasons!!!! it's ok, he gets over his incest aversion. he may have felt some sort of way about Mishka's scruffy facial hair and deeper voice when he saw him again for the first time in half a year, but chalked it up to aesthetic appreciation? "what the hell, my son's grown so much... he's so cute... uh, objectively."

they got some mutual desperation and loneliness going on, they're perfect for each other.

I like this fragile and uncertain time in their life and relationship the most so I draw it the most. guilty and hesitant indulgence in forbidden fruit... typical will-they-wont-they situation. but it's like they-probably-shouldnt. but they will.

thanks for asking!! 💘 hope this has been an interesting read. glad you like my characters. :) if this caused more questions than answers, feel free to ask more about them!

#dadson ocs #sorry it's like barely about the backstory #just the details of the confession scene. I want to finish the sketches and make it a comic #ocs #dadson #shipcest #mishka and gus #dead dove #dadcest #mishka aka august #gustav #writing #long post #sketch #wip #info #ask

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genericpuff · 1 year

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Hello you often use the word “retcon” and I’m not sure what it means. I looked it up and I’m still super confused. Could you please explain?

A "retcon" is an attempt to change a plot point that has already been established, typically as an overcorrection to a past plot point that a writer may be wanting to change. Retcons are usually seen as cheap ways to erase, deny, or "fix" the canon you've already established, instead of working with the canon you've set up for yourself. They can happen a lot in works that weren't planned well enough ahead of time, such as LO. It's essentially the writing version of gaslighting LMAO

Think of it this way. You're watching a movie where a character's family member has died, killed by a random gunman committing a robbery. The main character grieves the loss of this family member, but eventually learns to move forward with their life and live with the values and morals passed down to him by them, carrying on the legacy that that family member left behind. Two movies later, it's suddenly revealed that that family member wasn't killed intentionally by a robber, but accidentally by another gunman who was teamed up with the original robber (but never shown in the first movie). That new gunman is one of the 'bad guys' in this third movie.

What I've just described to you is the retconning of Uncle Ben's death in the original Raimi Spiderman trilogy LMAO originally Uncle Ben died in a random but tragic shooting that was framed as an intentional murder for getting in the way of a carjacker, but later on in Spiderman 3, they suddenly change what 'really' happened into Flint Marco (Sandman) shooting Ben accidentally after asking him for his car. It doesn't really add anything to the plot at all - even Peter lampshades this (calls it out) slightly when he asks why the police department is just now finding this out and telling them when it's been years - and it's clearly being used just as an easy plot device in Flint Marco's backstory and Peter's symbiote plotline. Rather than write a new backstory for a new villain, they changed what information they had already established to 'fit' an easy backstory for a new villain. Ironically, had producers not interfered with Raimi's original vision for the film, it would have worked a LOT better to just stick with what they had already been building up to for the past two films, making Harry the new Goblin and the central focus (but instead he plays third fiddle to the Sandman and the symbiote, both of whom were random villains with zero foundation in an otherwise well-structured trilogy.)

Anyways, rambling about Spiderman aside, that's essentially what a retcon is! It's typically in the form of introducing new information that erases or 're-explains' old information that didn't necessarily need to be corrected or otherwise should have just been stuck with for the sake of continuity. In LO's case, there's clearly so little planning on the story's trajectory that it basically retcons information every other week.

In this case, as I'm assuming you're referring to my recent essay post about the SA retcon, it feels like they're trying to subtly retcon the story away from the SA plot, by giving us a sob story from Apollo's POV and by claiming that Persephone found Apollo 'handsome' (she didn't) and that she felt 'special' around him (she did not). They're revisiting a past scene with descriptions that are completely false and inconsistent with the original scene, hence, a retcon.

Hope that answers your question! :)

#ama #ask me anything #anon ama #anon ask me anything #lore olympus critical #lo critical #antiloreolympus #anti lore olympus

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reflections-in-a-critical-eye · 1 year

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Hey M! Argh now that some time has passed since that crazy ass flirty jikook live I've come down from the high and I'm at a loss again. I don't understand them... On his latest live Jungkook seemed to not know that Jimin would perform at Yoongi's concert the next day, so much so that he asked if he could perform again. Also it was his day off today and he didn't go to the concert to see Like Crazy live for the first time. I really think those two aren't dating at all and something strange is going on between them. Maybe there's still some feelings/attraction between them, but it seems they don't want to take those anywhere. I would say Jimin is the most reserved and that perhaps even doesn't want to be shipped with Jungkook anymore. I don't know. I'm very confused by them.

I may be talking a bit differently about jikook now, but that doesn't mean I'm going to spiral into shipping mode completely, leaving my logic aside. I just can't, my brain doesn't allow it. So let me offer you an explanation that to me, sounds a bit closer to reality.

Do you really think Jungkook didn't know Jimin was going to perform the next day? Do you think this is some decision taken on a whim? Like Suga just had a thought, asked Jimin and kept it all a secret?

These things are decided in advance. There are meetings over meetings where every single detail is discussed. There is a producer who oversees how a concert is done from start to finish. You can find interviews about this exact thing about BTS concerts. Or just look up information on google. I'm sure there must be music documentaries that show the process.

Jimin, Jungkook, Yoongi, a possible fourth person who might be a guest today and an entire staff group and other people involved must have met and had been part of meetings where details over the concerts were discussed. Then these people rehearsed their number at the company. You see where I'm going with this?

Of course Jungkook knew Jimin was going to perform the next day, just as they all know who is the guest for the last day. During the livestream, Jungkook was being his emo self and way too harsh about his performance and was trying to negotiate with Suga. But I thought it was obvious that he knew and Suga knew that this is just post performance talk, not an actual request. They know each other a lot more than we think we know them. Each night was set for one other BTS member to be on stage. It's as simple as that.

You and all the JM solos and some which found their way into my inbox could try and see the situation from this perspective which does not involve any malicious intent on anyone's part. Seeing Jungkook as some number one enemy who has an agenda of sabotaging Jimin is too absurd to even consider debating.

As to everything else you said, I don't see how you made all those connections? And why it's a big deal. How are we supposed to know what JK did for the entirety of his off work day? Why should I be concerned with something I don't know about? Which seems to be the biggest issue with so-called jikook shippers. No matter how much they get to witness coming directly from Jimin and Jungkook, it's not enough. It never is. There's some weird doubt settling in immediately. If actual interactions don't satisfy you, than what is the point of all this? What is the expectation? For both of them to be seen together all the time in official content? And to be seen out together daily, especially through cctv footage if possible? Add in some rumor for the package to be complete. Attached at the hip for public consumption. Is that what people get from confirmed couples all the time? Not really, because even them try to keep their private time private. And now this is the expectation from two people who are not even confirmed as a couple in a situation in which fans are merely been speculating for years and which might turn out to be nothing. Let's not even talk about the entire context of queer people in SK, cause that's a huge element that has been ignored so many times.

Going down the rabbit hole and having some specific type of expectations are the ways in which some shippers are setting themselves up. You can go with the flow and enjoy what is out there to enjoy. That can be enough if you want it.

Also, you have to understand something really basic that might offer you a different perspective. If today or in the future, it is revealed both of them have other partners, Jimin and Jungkook will still act with each other the same way they have been for years. Because they have a specific dynamic that is only applied to them. And it will also be an indication that they have had partners throughout all these years. And somehow we all still enjoyed whatever they had in their relationship with each other, regardless of its nature.

#m thoughts #jikook

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adamsvanrhijn · 10 months

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what i want to happen with maud beaton and oscar van rhijn (part 3/?)

(part 2)

This brings us to:

oscar van rhijn magical thinking: robber baron edition

We're still in 2.04 at the Cunard reception.

Maud: "So what did Aurora tell you about me?" Oscar: "Just that your family is complicated, like every family I know." Maud: "He is using me to do business and keep his own name out of it." Oscar: "Can't you just tell him no?" Maud: "Could you tell your father no when he was alive?" Oscar: "I wish I could help."

Maud, without asking more details about what Oscar has heard, immediately shares an explanation which seems to confirm his suspicions. She's straightforward but not specific; she has not said who her father is. But Oscar is assuming it's Gould, and even if we're not quite there by this point, we're soon going to cross the line over to lying by omission if her father is anyone else.

It's sudden vulnerability, more information than we might expect; she's even a little teary eyed. It makes her sympathetic, but it's also defensive. She's being used; she doesn't have a choice; she doesn't support what's happening.

Remember how Gould isn't a very likeable guy? If Maud is telling the truth, it's because it benefits her to get this information out into the open before continuing to get to know Oscar.

We also learn that Maud knows Oscar's father isn't alive - easily information she could have acquired from talking about the Van Rhijns with a third party - and, more importantly, that she is willing to bring this information up with him. While that implies a degree of comfort with him, it's still early enough that she could cut her losses and cease continuing to associate with Oscar if he reacts poorly to what he learns about Maud.

And while she doesn't say anything about her own financial means, she does make the situation more complicated than just, Gould takes an interest in her. Gould may take an interest in her, but it's not just for the sake of her being his illegitimate daughter. There are strings attached that Oscar didn't know about.

Oscar doesn't consider this new information in the context of previous information, though. He adds this to his list of things he knows about Maud without wondering if that means he needs to change anything else on that list.

Later, he and Maud go for a walk, Maud wears the worst outfit ever to appear on this show to date. Oscar tells Maud about wanting to be a duke / king when he was a child. He's opening up to her! Maud tells him he makes her laugh and that she needed that after a day of Finance. How she hates being a part of it; she even thought of just doing what Oscar said [saying no]!

Oscar asks, what if he could help. Maud, looking confused, asks him how. He is a banker, he might be able to do something! Maud does not reply but for a teary-eyed smile.

If you're like me, by this point you had some big questions.

"Why does Jay Gould need to use anyone else to do business on his behalf?"

To me, the only realistic answer to this question is exactly what Maud tells us is the case: Gould wants to keep his name out of certain business transactions, so he has Maud carry them out instead. Maud does so because he's her father, and perhaps because his financial support of her is contingent upon her continuing to do this.

"Why would he want to keep his name out of business transactions when he's Jay Gould?"

Because he's Jay Gould.

People do not like Jay Gould. People do not want to, for example, sell their railroads to Jay Gould. (I'm going to continue to use this example for obvious reasons.)

Jay Gould is prominent enough that information that he is participating in a business transaction will impact the financial markets. If Jay Gould is buying a railroad, that's going to affect how financiers view their stock in that railroad and any holdings of Jay Gould's railroads or resources or whatever. It might affect the value of the railroad and make its acquisition less advantageous. It might give shareholders of the railroad enough warning to make enough changes that a hostile takeover can be avoided. It is going to cause financial disruption.

"Why would people want to do business with Maud, a young woman who claims not to know what she's doing?"

That would be where a character like Mr. Crowther comes in: he's acting as a middle man for Gould, Maud, and the other investors. This could be to present Maud as knowing more than she does; it could be that Maud's name isn't on the actual investment and it's Crowther who is taking Maud's money (which is actually Gould's) and guiding her through how to do this properly.

By now, as in after 2.06, I think we're safe to say that Oscar thinks this all makes sense and is true. He might have thought through the above or he might not have thought it through at all.

Even if that is all true, he is still making a stupid decision by getting involved.

How does he think he can assist Maud? What exactly does he think he will be able to accomplish by doing so? Why doesn't he stop to consider that maybe it's at odds with his goals, to come between Maud and her source of financial security?

This is Jay Gould we are talking about! Remember that line from Patrick Morris about George Russell in 1.02 — so you mean to tangle with the men who own half this city (or whatever)?

Already Oscar is completely in over his head here. He either hasn't thought about that because he is so focused on endearing himself to Maud (careless at best, but really just plain stupid), or, he has thought about it, and he has decided that he actually isn't in over his head and he is for sure capable of involving himself in robber baron financial transactions to which he has no prior context and getting a desirable outcome for Maud, who has mainly expressed not wanting to be a part of this at all (stupid, hubristic, and reckless).

To say nothing, again, of the fact that while this might get him closer to Maud specifically, and endear him to her, it is more likely than not to be at odds with his desire for Maud to bring money into his marriage to her.

In any case, I lean toward the latter. Oscar has wanted to get in with this group of people since day one.

Meanwhile - 2.05 is the first episode where we see Maud separate from Oscar, and the first time we get information about Maud that we can assume Oscar doesn't know: she visits Aurora and asks about Oscar's motives, if he's "just a fortune hunter", and claims that he wouldn't be the first if so, but she doesn't want to "burn [her] wings again". She doesn't respond when Aurora comments that Maud, like Gladys, will be very rich. Aurora doesn't confirm or deny Maud's suspicions, saying that she likes Oscar and that Maud should spend more time with him to come to her own conclusion — there's no rush. Maud expresses agreement on that point. (Maud also effectively confirms she's been to the Fane house before when she says she knows her way out.)

This in particular is a scene that is puzzling to me if she is a con artist and this is a scam. Oscar has already agreed to step into the fray of her financial dealings, indeed it was his suggestion that he do so. All of her angles to get Oscar to engage with her have worked thus far. He's a caught fish at this point. So what additional information does Maud need about Oscar that she can get from Aurora? A fortune hunter may or may not have money to invest in a scheme, and may or may not be interested in risky financial opportunities. If it's about her approach to wooing him... Even if a man isn't a fortune hunter, he's unlikely to be turned off by Maud having a fortune. And if she's not trying to get new information, and it's just to mislead or cover her tracks and make herself more sympathetic to Aurora... I guess like, why is she bothering? Aurora already likes Maud and doesn't suspect her of anything. Aurora has no power in this situation and is unlikely to tell Oscar about the conversation for obvious reasons. The objective isn't clear. It's a weird use of screentime — unless the intention is to mislead the audience at the expense of having a coherent narrative.

If she's NOT scamming, there's a lot more dimension to the scene! The stakes are higher for both Maud AND Aurora. We get our first glimpse of Maud's perspective on this situation – that she's savvy to fortune hunting because she's been hurt by it before. That she likes Oscar and wants his interest in her to be legitimate when the audience knows it isn't. That she acknowledges that she doesn't have to get married immediately and can wait to get to know Oscar, or even wait for a better option than Oscar to come along. That's all valuable information for the audience that advances and adds context to the story. It tells us that Maud has actual standards Oscar will need to meet!

Later in 2.05, we see Oscar accompany Maud to visit Mr. Crowther for the first time.

(part 4 forthcoming)

#the gilded age spoilers #oscar van rhijn tag #maud beaton tag

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ohifonlyx33 · 2 years

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excuse me???

“Mal,” I said. “Do you think … do you think it’s the amplifiers?” He frowned, checking the sight on a rifle. “What do you mean?” “Is that what’s between us? My power and yours? Is that why we became friends, why…” I trailed off. He picked up another gun, sighted down the barrel. “Maybe that brought us together, but it didn’t make us who we are. It didn’t make you the girl who could get me to laugh when I had nothing. It sure as hell didn’t make me the idiot who took that for granted. Whatever there is between us, we forged it. It belongs to us.” Then he set down the rifle and wiped his hands on a rag. “Come with me,” he said, taking my hand and pulling me behind him.

I looked down, brushing petals off of the desk. “Did you ever notice me at Keramzin?” He was silent for a long moment, and when I glanced at him, he was looking up at the glass ceiling. He’d gone red as a beet. “Mal?” He cleared his throat, and crossed his arms. “As a matter of fact, I did. I had some very … distracting thoughts about you.” “You did?” I sputtered. “And I felt guilty for every one of them. You were supposed to be my best friend, not…” He shrugged and turned even redder. “Idiot.” “That fact is well established and adds nothing to the plot.” “Well,” I said, taking another swipe at the petals, “it wouldn’t matter if you noticed me, because I would have noticed you.” “A lowly otkazat’sya?” “That’s right,” I said quietly. I didn’t feel like teasing him anymore. “And what would you have seen?” “A soldier—cocky, scarred, extraordinary. And that would have been our beginning.” He rose and closed the distance between us. “And this still would have been our end.” He was right. Even in dreams, we had no future. If we somehow both survived tomorrow, I would have to seek an alliance and a crown. Mal would have to find a way to keep his heritage a secret. Gently, he took my face in his hands. “I would have been different too, without you. Weaker, reckless.” He smiled slightly. “Afraid of the dark.” He brushed the tears from my cheeks. I wasn’t sure when they’d started. “But no matter who or what I was, I would have been yours.”

Malyen Oretsev knows why he loves Alina, and it's not just because he was the amplifier looking for his sun summoner. He may feel lost without his tracking ability, but he knows Alina is home. And you don't just lose a lifetime of growing up together.

And like... ok i see what they are doing with this whole go-our-separate ways thing, and I respect Mal's crisis of identity... I do. But at this point, it feels kinda forced that Mal would leave AFTER everything they've been through... the whole separation/find my purpose thing was what they were supposed to go through BEFORE he died for her.

By this point Alina was supposed to lose her power and be coming OUT of her tempted-by-darkness era, not heading into it. What are we doing here? Why are we doing it backwards?

I don't think I like those changes. My head is just spinning trying to figure it out. I'm so confused. WHY.

Anyway. Reminder. Malina ends like this:

The boy and the girl had both known loss, and their grief did not leave them. Sometimes he would find her standing by a window, fingers playing in the beams of sunlight that streamed through the glass, or sitting on the front steps of the orphanage, staring at the stump of the oak next to the drive. Then he would go to her, draw her close, and lead her to the shores of Trivka’s pond, where the insects buzzed and the grass grew high and sweet, where old wounds might be forgotten. She saw sadness in the boy too. Though the woods still welcomed him, he was separate from them now, the bond born into his bones burned away in the same moment that he’d given up his life for her. But then the hour would pass, and the teachers would catch them giggling in a dim hallway or kissing by the stairs. Besides, most days were too full for mourning. There were classes to teach, meals to prepare, letters to write. When evening fell, the boy would bring the girl a glass of tea, a slice of lemon cake, an apple blossom floating in a blue cup. He would kiss her neck and whisper new names in her ear: beauty, beloved, cherished, my heart. They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things—if love can ever be called that.

#malina #like... if you hate malina why would you even like SAB? They are the main couple #malyen oretsev

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acourtofthought · 2 years

Note

For context, one of the bad takes was that Lucien couldn’t hear Elain’s heart beating in ACOWAR because she was actually hearing “someone else’s heart”

😐

No analysis of why lucien may not hear/block out his mates heart bc of what happened to Jesminda. This nonsense.

🤦

I haven't heard that one and but I think now that I have, that face palm emoji is very much in order.

It's insane that they are trying to take a very intense moment between two Mates meeting for the first time and add Az into the equation (as I'm guessing that's who they're referring to).

Why not make this moment about Az (who was very much in love with Mor at that point) and completely disregard the actual real and tragic loss and resulting guilt and confusion that Lucien is going through over Jesminda while struggling with the physical pull of the bond to another female?

That is some heavy stuff and I've said it before (and I'll keep saying it) but people too casually dismiss what Lucien felt for Jesminda just because he's got a Mate.

I think he and Elain are endgame and they're going to be magical but you don't drop the memory of and sorrow over your past love (who you thought was your Mate) just like that. Lucien is drawn to Elain, he physically wants to be near her, and he instinctively knew what she needed but that doesn't mean he's truly ready to open his heart to someone new. He needs to deal with all that before he's ready for anything more.

But some really act like Jesminda was just some girl from his past.

And instead of it being extremely understandable that he's not ready to run headfirst into someone else's arms, they find it necessary to make these scene about Azriel. 🤦 <- felt a second face palm emoji was necessary here

#pro elucien #anti e/riel #lucien vanserra #jesminda

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drawing-way-outside-the-lines · 1 year

Text

➖ Mature content, 18+ ➖ check the trigger tags each time ➖

Chapter 47 - Told you it was going to be some Bohemian name.

Episode 4.

Raven: STOP! He grabbed Adrian's arm firmly Both of you!

Adrian: He looked at Raven with fierce eyes, then his look slowly softened up

Raven: A deep breath to cool him down Can we just all go inside, sit down, calm the fuck down, and try to figure this shit out, please?

Adrian: He nodded agreeing

Sam: Yes he nodded soft

Raven: Thank you he spoke in now a much softer voice, then pointed at Adrian's out house You go wash your face first, you're dripping nose bleed on your shirt! It's gross! It makes my demon more confused and cranky than it already is!

Adrian: He frowned soft but didn't protest as he slowly turned and walked into his out house

Raven: He smiled soft at Sam Now that we have a moment alone he quickly zapped the two of them into Adrian's warm living room Do we need to talk about this in private or?

Sam: He shook his head lightly No, there's really no reason for me to deny having feelings for you after I already admitted far worse things tonight

Raven: He shrugged lightly and chuckled I'll take that as a compliment at the very least

Sam: …. he sighed soft

Raven: May I… no you're already far over your limits

Sam: Ask…

Raven: May I try something quick?

Sam: I suppose?

Raven: He slowly leaned in, kissing Sam gently. It was soft, tender, caring. But most of all, it was respectful and sweet. Then he pulled out of the kiss and slowly let go of Sam You feel anything?

Sam: …. he shook his head lightly no, sorry… beside getting majorly turned on again he frowned soft

Raven: He grinned wide Don't ever apologize for that.

Sam: He shook his head lightly, but couldn't help but chuckle …. did you….did you feel anything?

Raven: No. He smiled softly

Sam: Okay, so we must assume it's hormones.

Raven: ….

Sam: Sorry! I'm just assuming you're attracted to me! How full of myself can I be?! He quickly stepped out of Raven's arms and sat down on a chair by the dining table I'm so sorry! That was incredibly disrespectful of me and I can't apologi-

Raven: Sam his voice almost singing his name I am very much attracted to you. Not just now, generally.

Sam: He let some relieved air out I was scared I had somehow managed to make things even worse again!

Raven: NO he smiled softly and for the record, I want you too… but I also understand that YOUR attraction comes from the hormones, and I wouldn't want to do anything you might regret in the future

Sam: Like getting trance fucked by my dad and liking it?

Raven: He cleared his throat you're not helping.

Sam: He sighed soft and lowered his voice can I ask you something before Adrian returns?

Raven: Yes…

Sam: … does uh…. does….the…. fact that I uh….that I uhm…. also uh….

Raven: fucked Andy mean that you have always wanted to? No he shook his head lightly it doesn't even mean that it's something you want outside this trance-scape. And I hate that you went through that and now it might put some distance between you and your dad, cause I know it would be a great loss for both of you. You have a really great relationship, Sam, and I wish I would have known about the trance before it happened, cause there were no need for it. It didn't bring clarity as hoped, it only brought further confusion and questions. If I had known how badly you needed release, I would have taken care of it myself. He sighed soft

Sam: You…. you still could….

Raven: I really want to, trust me… it takes everything I have in me to hold myself back right now. I just fear at the moment what your body needs and what your mind needs are two very different things, and I don't want to add to the pile of things that became too much for you, I'd rather be a sanctuary.

Sam: Then please he whispered as tears gathered in his eyes allow me to hang onto you for a little while. Everything else disappear or changes shape if I hold on too tightly…. I'm fucking terrified!

Raven: Well knowing Sam was never afraid of anything, his words stung him deep, and he quickly walked to Sam, bending down, pressing his lips against Sam's again

Adrian: He grunted irritated as he walked through the door and headed straight for the kitchen, allowing the door to slam behind him don't mind me! He opened the fridge, grabbed a beer, then seemed to change his mind and put it back down. He sighed deep, then turned around looking at them both with questioning eyes So you two are going to be a thing now or?

Raven: He stood up tall I'll humor you cause I'm too tired to fight… say that we are, would that be an issue?

Adrian: Yes.

Raven: How come?

Adrian: …. I don't know okay, but it bothers me!

Raven: He tilted his head, observing Adrian your angry body language tells me you're lying

Sam: Please stop, he grabbed Raven's hand, yanking it lightly no more fighting, please.

Raven: I'm not fighting, are you fighting, Adrian?

Adrian: He growled low and opened the freezer instead, grabbing a Vodka, chucking down a couple mouthfuls, hissing from the burny sensation Drinking, not fighting!

Sam: Could we all calm down please and just have a nice calm adult conversation about it, please?

Adrian: Sure! He grabbed 3 glasses, poured Vodka in all of them and walked to the others, placing the glasses and the bottle on the table

Sam: he shook his head lightly I've had enough for one night.

Raven: wont affect me much, so I can drink for Sam.

Adrian: Suits me just fine. So let's talk! He grabbed a glass, taking a large sip, then sat down on his bench by the dining table Who starts?

Raven: How about you? You're already talking… how about you tell us what's really bothering you.

Adrian: Fine. It bothers me that the two men I love now seem to be finding each other after I constantly on/off have to be reminded of Ava, as if I could ever live up to that?! Now I also have to live up to a demon! Not only do I get to listen to my unborn kids being better off had Ava just been a part of it, like she should have been if everything had worked out like it does in our day dreams, you know, the fairy tale and all, but I also get to see literally the perfect man step up, to become the perfect father that I can never be, cause I don't really want kids, and am only mildly invested cause I am terrified of losing one of the people I love the most if I don't play happy family, and the only thing that is a mild comfort, is that usually the supernatural kids seem to grow up pretty fast, so in a year or two max, things should be back to normal, if I just play along and keep everyone happy till then.

Sam: …….

Raven: I'm flattered you'd consider me a better father, but let me remind you, I tend to eat infants.

Sam: He glared at Raven I think you should drink more and talk less.

Raven: Point taken he smiled amused and grabbed the two glass, bottoming them in seconds, placing both empty glass back on the table

Adrian: ……

Sam: Adrian, there's no one in this whole world I would rather want kids with than you, specially after seeing how well you handled everything with Sparrow and my da- shit!!! he frowned softly weren't you supposed to- he looked at Raven we completely dumped Sparrow on Evan!

Raven: trust me, the two of them has already forgotten all about the rest of us he chuckled softly it's fine, Sam, Evan has our number if it's too much for him, but I bet you there wont be any calls for a looooong time. My fridge will run out of food before we hear from them.

Sam: He sighed deep I can't help but feel I'm constantly letting everyone down. Adrian for getting pregnant. Meena for not knowing how bad things were. Sparrow for not even knowing about her, and now that I do, I can't even properly be there for her. Evan for even forgetting I placed Sparrow with him

Adrian: No stop. He sighed soft I can't allow you to finish this, whatever it is, cause none of it is true. First of, you are not the only one responsible for the pregnancy. We should probably all start wearing condoms from now on, cause we seem to take for granted that we are men, and along that forgetting that at least one of us can actually get naturally pregnant and a lot of us can under supernatural circumstances. So the way I see it is, we were both irresponsible, shit happened and now you're pregnant and that's that. It's a surprise, and not the most happy one, but, I don't feel at all as if you have let me down, on the contrary I feel I am letting both you and our kids down by simply not being into it as much as I probably should be.

Sam: You're not letting us down he forced a soft smile you are already way more involved than I thought you would be, and just the fact that you got jealous at Ava and Raven tells me a lot. I don't ever expect you to have a certain part in their lives, as long as you can be their crazy uncle who at least keep them dry when it rains… that's all I need.

Adrian: He forced a tiny smile I can feed them spaghetti and tomato sauce as well.

Sam: He chuckled happily Thank you.

Adrian: Sam he reached over the table and grabbed Sam's hand, squeezing it firmly I would quite honestly ask you to marry me if it wasn't for the fact that I have several partners who would then stand in line, waiting to be next, and I'm not the marrying type. But I love you, and I want you to at the very least feel secure that I'll be here. How much I can't promise, but I wont ever leave you. That's the one thing I know for a 100% fact. So I don't want this thing to separate us, and I'm willing to work with you to get to a point where we're both as comfortable with this as possible.

Sam: He nodded soft and sniffled his nose squeezing Adrian's hand tight as happy tears gathered in his eyes for the record my answer would have been yes, a thousand times.

Raven: From his safe space in the kitchen that he had zapped himself to, when the conversation had gotten too intimate, roaming around Adrian's freezer For the record, I'm getting drunk!

Adrian: He waved a hand in Raven's direction you know where to find the remedies

Raven: Starting to think I'll pay Niyol a second visit

Adrian: What?!

Raven: Mind your own business he chuckled lightly to himself or I might just fuck your boyfriend anyway.

Adrian: You know I got wolf hearing.

Sam: Blushing bright red

Raven: Not even turning around so does he.

Adrian: He looked at Sam, noticing the red cheeks You know I'd be okay with it, if you want to… as long as he doesn't start playing happy family with you… I mean… he can but

Sam: He doesn't want to… the sex part, I mean he shrugged lightly and tucked a bit nervous on his sleeve

Adrian: Of course he does, he is just being polite… doing the right thing.

Raven: it's more than that, and he has made up his mind, so can he just be allowed to get shitfaced in peace please? I'm heading upstairs, leaving you two horny kids to do your thing down here! and then he was gone

Adrian: If we are that annoying, why don't you just head home?

Raven: Sam made it clear he prefers me around… so… I'm around.

Sam: He couldn't help but smile a little Thank you.

Adrian: He sighed softly can we talk a bit more, please?

Sam: He nodded softly

Adrian: I want you to know Meena wasn't your responsibility.

Sam: I know Adrian he forced a soft smile I just wish she would have told me, both about how bad things were for her and the pregnancy, maybe things could have been different, had she gotten the help and support she needed.

Adrian: We can guess about this from now on and until the end, but fact is, unfortunately some people just simply can't be saved no matter how much love, affection, help and support you pour in them. I'm a firm believer you can only save people if they want to be saved, and they themselves are willing to make the effort.

Sam: He nodded agreeing

Adrian: And I might not know much about kids, or anything at all, but I do know it's okay to take a break as a parent once in a while. As a matter of fact I think it should be required by law, and I seem to remember you and I are not disagreeing on this matter. Sam, how many times have I heard you demand your dad take a break with Penny? Well… this is me demanding you take at least a couple days off, before you return home, to Sparrow and everything else. You can hide out here for a while, people wont dare to come here to start asking questions.

Sam: He chuckled soft and nodded I would very much like that, Adrian, thank you he sighed soft I puke here and there…and The newest thing is I cry a lot and get insanely horny.

Adrian: As long as you don't puke on me or my cats, we'll be fine… I might even be able to find a recipe for a tea that will calm the whole you know down

Sam: Morning sickness or my hormones

Adrian: The first one, the hormones I'm sure we can find other ways to calm down… He smiled softly

Sam: Yeah? He smiled hopeful I was starting to worry you wouldn't find me attractive anymore

Adrian: Of course I do, Sam, nothing will ever change that.

Sam: He smiled brighter and slowly got up, walking to Adrian and quickly sat down on his lap, leaning in, moaning soft as he wrapped his arms around him, hugging him tight I love you so much.

Adrian: I love you too, more than you can possibly know he took a deep breath of Sam and wrapped his arms around him, burying his nose in Sam's hair I'm not going anywhere. I will tell you every day if I have to.

Sam: He smiled warm and full of love, though nobody could see it

Adrian: But we are not having sex again on full moons!

Sam: He snorted soft Got it.

Adrian: But since you're already pregnant…. and uh…. the hormones….

Sam: He bit his bottom lip gently …. yes?

Adrian: Mhh he slowly started nibbling on Sam's neck How about… we take this…. to the…. couch?

❌Short sex scene START - readers must be 18+❌ ❌ (To skip sex scene, scroll till next marking) ❌

Sam: A soft moan escaping him, happy to feel Adrian's lips and teeth against his skin how about he moved around a bit so he could get to place a knee on each side of Adrian's hips, thankful he had chosen the bench to sit on, and not a chair. He lifted himself lightly and fumbled around with Adrian's jeans, finally able to open them and drag Adrian's boner out, sighing satisfied by the sight of it, quickly forcing his own pants down, just enough for his ass to be free I want you more than ever before! he spoke in a heated voice and licked Adrian's lips demandingly, grabbing his dick, pushing it against his own hole and slowly lowered himself onto it with a deep satisfied moan God I love your dick!

Adrian: He moaned soft and gently bit Sam's chin, then grabbed his back head firmly, pulling Sam into a deep passionate French kiss, borderlining the aggressive, wanting to claim Sam as his teritory and only his!

Sam: He started bouncing up and down in a steady firm tempo, not too fast, but still with a good speed to it. He was more horny than ever before, and the feeling of Adrian finally being inside him, was so intense and pure, if he wasn't already pregnant he would have wanted it to happen right there and then! You're perfect!

Adrian: He moaned soft and let his hands travel to Sam's ass, squeezing it firmly, loving the feeling of Sam bouncing up and down his dick, feeling incredible aroused by the extra horny and talkative Sam You're so wet today

Sam: He moaned by Adrian's words and arched his back, picking up some speed fast, riding him more demandingly Oh yeah! he moaned loud as Adrian's dick hit a particular sweet spot I fucking love your dick!

Adrian: He moaned deep and grabbed Sam's shirt, roughly pulling it off, starting to lick and kiss his chest

Sam: He moaned deep as he looked at Adrian devouring his chest Yeahhh…. eat me! I'm yours!

Adrian: Sam's words definitely drove him insane and in a quick move he roughly stood up, pushing Sam up on the dining table and started fucking him hard and demanding

Sam: He moaned loud and surprised, wrapping his legs around Adrian's waist Yeah! Fuck me! His arms reached over his head and grabbed onto the edge of the table, creating some counter weight so Adrian could fuck him harder Fuck me!

Adrian: He grunted soft with pleasure of seeing Sam take it like that and demand more, so he put more weight behind his thrusting and started fucking Sam harder and greedier Yeahhh, take it! reaching out, slipping two fingers inside him as well

Sam: He moaned loud and lustful, locking his hand around his own dick, stroking it firm and greedy, looking with intense eyes at Adrian's fingers inside him, and Adrian's dick thrusting in and out of him, nodding soft and slow Yes! Take me!

Adrian: He moaned deep and hoarse, getting caught up in the sight of Sam taking it so willingly, and the intense feeling of Pleasure roaming through his body, making him moan louder Oh yeahhh!!

Sam: He answered Adrian's moan with a satisfied breath of steamy air, stroking himself faster, feeling an orgasm roll over him Fuck meeee!!! he groaned demandingly and pressed himself tighter against Adrian

Adrian: He upped his speed and added a bit more weight, pounding in and out of Sam as hard as he could in this position, sweat starting to form on his upper body, slowly soaking his shirt from within, a couple drops running down his back

Sam: Ohhh yeahhhhh his eyes rolled back in his head, his legs starting to tremble, his moans growing more rapid, shorter, more high pitched, the orgasm rolling through his body again, loving the intense feeling of Adrian pumping in and out of him, and then his eyes sprung open, gasping loudly I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna cum!

Adrian: He groaned deep and changed rhythm and speed, slamming himself in and out of Sam with such passion it almost felt like anger

Sam: Yesssssss fuckmelikeyouhateme!!!!! it flew out of him as he watched Adrian pound cum out of him

Adrian: He frowned soft, surprised by Sam's words, both liking it and disliking it at the same time, getting caught off guard and trapped in a moment of confusion, automatically starting to slow down his movements

Sam: Nonono don't stop! Harder!!!

Raven: He groaned from upstairs, trying his best to block the noises from downstairs out, but to no use. He could set up a spell, but that would be unfair to Sam as he had promised to be there for him. A spell to block out sound, would block out Sam asking for help as well. So he had to endure it! He emptied the bottle of alcohol in a long greedy sip and laid down on his back, hard. Too hard. His dick throbbing and begging him to indulge in the fun below him*

Sam: Please don't stop he sounded almost panicky by now Adrian please!

Adrian: He groaned soft and came to a halt I need a moment, sorry. He quickly dragged himself out of Sam and walked to the kitchen, turning on the tab and drank greedily straight out of it, trying his best to stall while he gathered himself

Sam: He sat up on Adrian's table, hesitating a bit before jumping down, then decided to take matter into his own hands. He took the rest of his clothes off and walked quick and determined to Adrian in the kitchen, quickly ripping the rest of his clothes off and got on his knees, hungrily swallowing Adrian's dick

Adrian: He moaned surrendering and leaned against the counter, watching Sam from behind drowsy eyes, stroking his hair God you're beautiful!

Sam: He moaned soft by Adrian's words and started sucking him eagerly

Adrian: Oh yeah he leaned his head backwards and closed his eyes, getting incredibly turned on once more, slowly swaying his hips back and forwards, his dick sliding in and out of Sam's warm wet mouth

Sam: He moaned deep as Adrian's dick gently poked into his throat and dug his fingers into Adrian's butt cheeks, demandingly pulling him towards himself, so he this time reached even further into Sam's throat, making him lightly cough, which only seemed to heighten his own arousal, making his dick twitch and slowly start to leak cum down on Adrian's kitchen floor

Adrian: He moaned deep and surrendering, his hips starting to move more determined, slow fucking Sam's throat

Sam: He looked up at Adrian with hungry eyes, loving the look and feel of Adrian's large dick slide in and out of his mouth and throat, feeling as if he was melting into a pool of hormones, wanting to just lay down and be used in every way. Never had he thought he could ever be this horny, willing and needy, but he didn't care, he just craved to be stuffed as much as possible!

Adrian: Becoming a bit too eager he made a more firm thrust

Sam: He gagged and coughed, yanking his head backwards as he gasped loudly for air, his eyes instantly filling with tears

Adrian: I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! He looked at Sam with worried eyes and stroke his cheek

Sam: He slowly stood up and walked around the counter so his ass was pointed towards the living room, as he slowly bent over the counter and looked at Adrian with intense eyes Fuck me!

Adrian: He bit his bottom lip and stroke his dick a couple times, then walked fast around the table and rammed his dick inside Sam as if he was nothing but a hole in the wall

Sam: He yelped loud and welcoming, arching his back, grabbing onto the counter as if he was about to fall and pressed himself hard against Adrian, sounding almost possessed as he spoke behind gritted teeth use me!!!! Fuck me like you mean it!!!

Adrian: He grabbed Sam's hips, pulling him hard against himself and started slamming in and out of him so fiercely a couple of spoons fell off the counter, clattering down on the floor

Sam: Long loud moans of pure pleasure escaped him, unable to close his mouth, squirming like a worm on a hook, drooling down himself the more his body was giving into the intense pleasure, tightening his muscles around Adrian's dick, wanting to suck him further in!

❌Short sex scene END - readers must be 18+❌ ❌ (Congrats, you successfully skipped sex) ❌

Adrian: He moaned deep and surprised by Sam's reactions, looking more and more like his blue haired dad, not that Adrian would complain about that, and sex with regular Sam was far from boring, but this, this was almost too much for him to handle, it just wasn't Sam…. yet it was. He started to feel overwhelmed and in over his head, yet it was also a major turn on, so it was hard to just turn away, and Sam clearly needed it, so Adrian wanted to give his best, he was simply starting to doubt if his best would be good enough?! He frowned as suddenly his freezer opened and someone invisible grabbed a bottle of alcohol, starting to drink it You know, you could come over here and help, rather than getting shit faced!

Raven: He shook the bottle in a way as if it was shaking it's head

Adrian: He groaned soft and shook his head

Sam: didn't seemed to have noticed the invisible Raven, he mostly seemed as if he was currently far gone, his eyes starring into thin air, but long begging moans which almost sounded like moans of despair was floating from him one by one, signalling at least his body was still there

Adrian: Raven! He slowed down a little, panting for air I really need some help! I'm gonna have to take a break soon!

Raven: The bottle sorta wobbled through the air and stopped close to Sam's head, then he slowly became visible, as if there were a small lag in his powers, clearly drunk now that he was visible, he looked at Adrian with a drowsy smirk Can't

Adrian: Won't more like it he grunted

Raven: He shrugged lightly Sam wouldn't want me to, Sam is gay for you, no one else… Sam's not into one night thingies he shook the bottle lightly and sipped it

Adrian: He frowned deeper Look at him!

Raven: Oh I have! he gestured at the very visible large boner in his pants It's not fun, Adrian… hence the very large amount of alcohol…. and others

Adrian: He shook his head and stopped his movements You're a dick! Why do you want to torture both of you!?… and me?! Raven he gave up and sighed deep, feeling himself starting to get soft. He was thirsty and cranky and by now, everything seemed to become too real. He was going to be a dad…….. he was going to be a dad….. he was GOING TO BE A DAD! Fuck! he hissed soft and dragged himself out of Sam, gently caressing his lower back I'm sorry he mumbled soft I just need a break. He observed Sam for a moment, he seemed pretty far gone, and it wasn't easy to figure if he had heard Adrian or not. He looked at Raven with a deep frown If you're not going to help us, you can at least get him to bed, or the very least the couch, if you're too drunk to take him upstairs! *He grunted irritated and walked to the fridge, grabbed a beer, then picking up his clothes, getting it on quickly, then he sighed and shook his head. Do as you please, but stop drinking and keep an eye on him! I will be back, I just need some air and to clear my mind. *He sighed deep and opened the beer bottle, then left the room, slamming the door after him. He took a deep breath of air and looked up at the stars.* I could really need an advice from you right now, Sam.

Ronan: Well, I'm not Sam, and I don't know if anyone wants to hear from me tonight but…

Adrian: He sighed soft I'm not really in the mood for this, Ronan he looked to the side where Ronan was sitting on a stack of Pallets but do tell me, why doesn't your brother just…. stick it in there?!

Ronan: He chuckled softly I'm sure he will any moment, he's just struggling a bit with what's right to do. Usually Sam would never, but these are not usual circumstances, and he needs it. Raven more than gets that, and it would be right to help the current Sam, but would it let down regular Sam, that's the question.

Adrian: I don't think it would. It's not like he suddenly became someone else. He just has different needs at the moment.

Ronan: He nodded softly I agree with you.

Adrian: It's relatable, I went through something similar, becoming a Sigma. I'm still the same, yet different. The hormones, new needs and urges, and how to cope with them.

Ronan: As much as I appreciate you're finally having a conversation with me that involves more than grunts and groans he smiled softly It's quite cold out here, even for me, and you're barely wearing any clothes. So, is there an extra room we can-

Adrian: He sighed deep I came here cause I needed air.

Ronan: Fair enough. So a walk or?

Adrian: He shook his head lightly we can sit in the car, I guess he pointed his beer at the Dodge in front of them There's heat… and I guess I can pretend I'm getting some air.

Ronan: He smiled softly I think you need a talk more than air… you were the one asking for an advice after all.

Adrian: He didn't answer, just walked to the car and got in on the back seat, reaching between the front seats and ignited the car, then turned on the heat

Ronan: He jumped off the pallets and walked to the car, quickly getting in on the seat next to Adrian So what was the advice you needed?

Adrian: He sighed deep and lit a cig

Back inside the house

Raven: He moaned soft as Sam finally looked up at him, stroking his hair Don't look at me like that… please

Sam: I want you he sighed soft

Raven: I want you too, Sam… very much so

Sam: Then why don't we?

Raven: Trying to figure what the right thing to do is….

❌Short sex scene START - readers must be 18+❌ ❌ (To skip sex scene, scroll till next marking) ❌

Sam: He bit his bottom lip and slowly reached out, unzipping Raven's pants, sighing soft with pleasure as Raven's very large boner bounced out of his pants

Raven: A soft moan escaping him Sammmhh… I'm not sure I can hold back if you-

Sam: Then don't hold back he whispered and pushed himself a bit more over the counter please, don't hold back he moaned soft and grabbed Raven's dick, stroking it firmly Fill me up! I just need to be used… he leaned in, without hesitation swallowing the tip of Raven's dick, sucking it greedy

Raven: He moaned deep and surrendering and stroke Sam's cheek

Sam: He let the dick slip out again Don't be nice, please… use me! Treat me like you don't care his eyes tearing up by now please, I beg you….

Raven: He nodded soft and grabbed Sam firm by the chin, lifting him up to stand, then walked closer to him, standing nearly nose tip to nose tip I'll give you what you need, but I beg that you forgive me when all of this is over.

Sam: You only need forgiveness if you let me down.

Raven: A wide grin spread on his lips Before I do let go, I want you to know I love you.

Sam: I know, I trust you… do with me as you please, I beg you.

Raven: He leaned in, sensually licking Sam's lower lip with a soft moan get on your knees!

Sam: He sighed with pleasure from Raven's command and got on his knees

Raven: He slipped two fingers into Sam's mouth, and gently pulled his jaw open, then slowly pushed about half of his dick into Sam's mouth with a deep lustful moan Yeahhhhhh… nnnghh!

Sam: He gasped softly from how big it was, but moaned deep, hungry for more

❌Short sex scene END - readers must be 18+❌ ❌ (Congrats, you successfully skipped sex) ❌

Ronan: Adrian he smiled softly to give the best 'Sam advice', I'd say allow yourself not to be perfect. Sam doesn't expect you to be perfect in any form of way. It's okay to be scared and overwhelmed, but as far as I have heard, you have managed Penny pretty well a couple times already, though you might disagree.

Adrian: But I was never alone with her… for more than a couple minutes max.

Ronan: And I am sure Sam would never expect you to be alone with them, unless you wanted to. Now about Sam and his new needs. I think it's completely okay that you struggle keeping up with it, it's a whole new light to see your partner in, and that can be very overwhelming and confusing, even if you're not directly against it. Is this going to be temporary or is Sam going to turn out to be more like Andy than we all thought? Only time can tell. But I think you're doing great so far, in giving him space to unfold when he needs to.

Adrian: Yeah well, if only your little brother would lend a hand-

Ronan: Oh I think he already is he chuckled softly and pointed at the windows in the facade of the house

Adrian: He looked back at the house, seeing Raven and Sam on full display in his living room, Raven throat fucking Sam at a steady tempo, Sam on his knees, coughing and gagging, stroking himself firmly. A low growl from within Adrian

Ronan: Yes, well… before you get too angry, just remember Raven knows exactly what he's doing and what buttons he's pushing. There's a reason why they are on display like that…. Sam needs it rough right now… he needs people to not pamper him and simply take him for what he is at the moment, someone who very much just feels like a bottomless hole.

Adrian: Angry snarl, fur starting to rise on his arms, a blue flicker in his eyes

Ronan: He placed a warm hand on Adrian's arm, giving him a light squeeze He's simply reminding you that you are more than capable of whatever comes your way. You're the Sigma.

#unicorntales #Adrian Blackwood #Sam #Samuel Cullman Thompson #Ronan McKinney #Raven McKinney #Brandubh McKinney

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fullofsunsetwhispers · 2 years

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Hi! I love your blog, thank you so much for keeping the fandom alive, i just joined this year!

I want to ask you if you think Omi has reading disability, dyslexia? I want to hear what other people the the fandom think. Cause it feels like he has, and to me all four of the monks have ADHD, they just fit the charts.

Hello there! Oh my gosh, thank you for such nice words! Well, I’m here to infodump and throw ideas here and there sometimes with additional drawings, so knowing some folks pay attention to it makes me really glad and it encourages me to post more.

As for your question, usually, I’m not into coming up with disabilities’ headcanons mostly because of my fear that I can get something wrong. However, since you come to me with such a request I’ll try my best to present my outlook on the matter. I may be oblivious to some things so anybody who reads this post – please correct me if something may sound disrespectful/ improper/ or simply wrong from the scientific point of view.

If that’s cleared up, let’s move on to Omi’s dyslexia. Ok, I see your point – cheeseball surely shows some tendencies that may be attributable to such a condition. The most notable one is present in every episode, that is Omi’s failed slang. When someone corrects his mistakes his reactions vary from acknowledging it was something ‘off’ with the word choice/order or simply he refuses to accept the correction, brushing the issue off by telling the others ‘that makes no sense’.

The most troublesome thing in assessing whether it’s a case of dyslexia is the fact we don’t know how advanced Omi is in his native language.

But my assumption is - he has already accomplished fluency in Chinese. He can read and understand what is written and he can talk about it without making mistakes. The additional issue is that monks most probably communicate with each other in English so Omi has to translate the contents of the scroll to his friends.

To my understanding, a dyslectic person has problems in:

dividing words into syllables

spelling

phonetics (they can't differentiate similar sounds, hence the word they want to pronounce may turn out to be a word with a different meaning)

there may occur an evident overactivity, speech defects, writing words in reverse, no ability to apply interpunction rules in writing

there may occur some neurologic problems such as memory loss, and dysfunctional space orientation( for example confusing the left side with the right). Sometimes the easiest puzzle game can't be completed.

and the matter of our discussion: inability to understand idioms. We may also include the inability to understand jokes, math, and reading a-loud.

So, it seems as if only overactivity and inability to understand idioms track in Omi's case. I can also add confusing lefts and rights and directions whatsoever but as far as I can remember Omi can tell lefts and rights in battle. Only when he uses directional words in a conversation, he utters something like 'upside up' 'I won't let you up' etc. As a consequence, we can assume Omi can't grasp the metaphoric and idiomatic meanings, but I would not take that for granted either. Because we have Master Fung's sayings, Chase's riddles and not to mention that official language presented in old scrolls and... aren't they metaphorical to some extent too???? And on top of that Omi proved he can say a lot of puns to their enemies to mock them.

Y'know, I'm no expert but the fact there is so little evidence in the show isn't helping either. It's a cartoon - rather old cartoon and who would have thought about proper representation back then?

This analysis can't go further until I tackle the issue of dyslexia and bilingualism. In one source, it is said if the child is dyslectic it is almost certain it would show these symptoms also in learning L2. However, the other source states bilingualism enhances many abilities such as problem-solving as well as the capacity to analyze different aspects of language (a skill that is needed for reading and writing). And tbh if Omi has dyslexia this clearly applies to him. Because I get the impression he's also fluent in English and he figured out the rules quite successfully (apart from idioms and some phrases, of course).

I've made a list of Omi's mix-ups.

I smell bad = stink

in your head = in your face

it’ll be cold, dude → Kimiko says ‘cool’

rutted timing = rotten timing

remove the led = get the lead out

push your arm = i’m pulling your leg

piece of pie = piece of cake

skating = surfing the Net

obtain game = you’ve got game

peace on = peace out – saying goodbye

check me in my friend – check me out

dilly our dallies – dilly dally

it’s time we get to the top of this – (the bottom of this)

but you’re going up – he means you’re going down (you must be defeated)

event turning - turn of events

do we look as if we were born next week? - last week

I’m in heat – No Omi you’re on fire!!!

I’m very much top-tip – correct – tip-top

I won’t let you up = I won’t let you down

Jermaine: You must be tripping! Omi: I’m not taking a trip!

I order you to spill your internal organs – spill your guts

The luck is spitting on us = the luck is shining on us

blond leading the blonde = blind leading the blind

we punish their watches = clean their clocks

you’re gonna chew on that sentence =you’re gonna eat those words

Oh that thing is very icy – very cool

spoon over the wu = fork over the wu

The majority of mistakes are the result of Omi confusing English phonemes OR he uses synonyms to compensate for a lack of the appropriate word. However, what is interesting, is his word choice in several instances relies more on imagery and association. For example, in 'The luck is spitting on us' Omi associated shining with the way light can cover all of our bodies, just like the spit. 'the thing is very icy or heat-fire? - the same elements that remind Omi of the feeling of coldness or warmth but used in a more metaphorical sense. My boy may have made a mistake but he was close anyway. Spoon instead of the fork? They are both kitchen appliances. Tripping and trip? Almost the same words but with the -ing ending so in this instance Omi couldn't recognize the category of the word (verb vs noun). What I'm trying to say, Omi has developed a certain pattern that only he can understand to make his communication slightly better and I'm proud of these attempts.

So, I totally agree with flycotte these speech patterns are connected with dyslexia. Omi mixes the phonemes (rutted vs rotten or blond vs blind), and confuses the order of elements in phrases. The top for him is the bottom, so he also confuses directions, and sometimes he adds to the words wrong prepositions.

But you know? he makes those mistakes IN ENGLISH. Omi is quite young, so what if these errors arise because he can't accustom to L2 yet? I've read somewhere that for Chinese speakers English is difficult to learn. You have to switch from the pictorial alphabet to the English one. Reading problems in L2 acquisition arise due to inability to match sounds to letters accurately. If you're Chinese and want to learn English you have to develop an entirely new sound-letter mapping. Omi is rather a fast learner but what I admire about him is his dedication to learning and I hc he would practice writing in English for hours. I really like the last sentence from that article because it sums up Omi's approach to being understood by others

'You don’t need to have perfect grammar in order to communicate. In the beginning, making yourself understood is what counts.'

In Omi's case, he mastered the grammar but slang and minimal pairs are yet to be learned. Taking into account English isn't his first language, he's doing good.

On another note, I do believe Omi's failed slang is to some extent attributable to that there are no Chinese equivalents of these phrases/sayings. Or Omi has never learned the Chinese slang expressions because of the fact before meeting with Raimundo, Clay and Kimiko he has never left the temple? Considering how Master Fung speaks in a formal manner along with Master Monk Guan, you kind of see where Omi picked it up from soooo maybe Omi overuses English Slang expressions to appear more knowledgeable (and impress) his friends!

The last thing I wanted to analyze is his handwriting. He wrote one and only letter in the show so let's focus on that.

As you can see, Omi isn't confident enough with lowercase letters. He prefers to write in uppercase, in some places he's not sure how to divide words, and sometimes letters are too close to each other. More drastic errors are the lack of the pronoun (I think 'I must leave would be more correct) and that weird line that is supposed to replace 'R' in some words (orderR and futuRe). Omi also forgot about the letter 'i' in 'friends'. Overall, Omi tries to remain punctuation but my little dude could've made a couple of shorter sentences instead of one long one.

This piece of writing could belong to a dyslexic child but I wonder if I saw the same message in Chinese (and most importantly knew Chinese) and compared it with the letter written in English, would there be the same amount of mistakes?

So, yeah I would rather opt for the possibility ‘Omi isn’t dyslexic. He’s in a process of learning English and his errors are failed attempts to recreate a more ‘lively, casual’ type of speech.’ However, there are, in fact, many hints he might be dyslectic as well. In fact, it's a matter of his motivation and the guidance of his fellow monk friends whether he manages to eliminate these speech/writing habits. The results of his efforts will all be revealed in Omi's adulthood but since there won't be any XS continuation with the main cast as adults we can only speculate.

To wrap things up, Omi is one determined fella who tries his best. Dyslectic or not, he takes learning very seriously so I do believe he will keep on improving his English in the same way he's fixated on improving himself as a warrior regardless of his disability. In fact, that would hype him up even more to be better at expressing himself.

#ask #omi #omi's dyslexia #flycotte #sorry it took me so long for some reason i kept on rewriting this answer like 10 times in word document #maybe my answer is a little biased because i happen to teach english #as a hobby #and believe me: 10-year-olds and even some of 15-year-olds do not understand concepts of phrasal verbs and idioms #all i have left is to do some drilling excercises with them #and therapy of dyslexic people also include a lot of drilling and exercises on minimal pairs as far as i am concerned

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meandmyechoes · 4 months

Text

Star Wars misc. updates posts now I'm prepared to relapse

Dolls, toys, merch

SWC25

Tales/Visions/upcoming works

Dolls, toys, merch

Absolutely nobody cares about ShopDisney, cough, Disney Store's special edition Star Wars dolls now I think, and not only did they continue the non-existent-shelf-warming line, they dare to bring out a L.E. Royal Padme??

I remember reporting on the Hera doll and feeling delighted for our first Twi'lek doll but weary for the loss in articulation. I remember that was before the Ahsoka series's preimere? and I was confused why had they not done the titular character.

I still haven't gotten her despite the sales. It's tempting, I admit. But there was just no urgency and I have no room. I just rewatched an unboxing video (there's next to ZERO people talking about Star Wars dolls at all 😭) woah. I couldn't stand the lack of blushing on the lekku. It's just two chunks of lime green iyaaaaa

Since then (no surprise) a Sabine is released and apparently a Fennec too? I'm not sure if Fennec is the latest or I just missed it in-between, and don't care either. Hmm, there's an awful lot of overlap with HT releases huh? [Correction: Fennec was released online on 20 March and Sabine for May 4, both this year] I totally thought Sabine was like close to the series's timing. I knew the actor is light-skinned but it's disgusting to see a LA Sabine doll whitewashed.

The Disney dolls, as pricey as they are, do share a likeness to the actor. I suppose when you treat them as affordable alternatives for HT, it's alright. Of course I'm not discouraging new releases! It's only Disney's dead stock problem, not mine. Maybe they'll finally bring out a Barriss! (But Jyn or Rey maybe next, seeing probably not a Padme anytime soon to clash with the L.E.)

Now the meat. a Star Wars L.E. LMAO.

Who the fuck thought Royal Padme is a good LE choice??? lmao??? and for TPM 25th too?? Didn't we have the exact commercial failure 25 years ago? She doesn't even light up!

This is gonna flop. This is gonna flop so bad. and it's evident in they are opening pre-orders for a release FOUR months later (or maybe that's the new practice now idk). It's kinda weird to me how it's on pre-order but also has a set edition size. Perhaps four mouths is really enough to make to order for a big company like Disney.

See, original princess LE are already on markdowns, you think a very non-restylable Padme is going to have a good reception? like, it's an L.E., you're obviously target the adult market. In-boxers aside, why would anyone get a doll that's so inflexible?

I feel like L.E. has always been about elevating the base doll and reinterpreting the classic look. I understand a character's first L.E shouldn't stray to far from their iconic look but a direct copy? There's nothing special about the red fabric and the little bit of embroidery is really a given, right? C'mon. I'm not making myself to check Dressing a Galaxy to see what could be done lest I make myself sad. She doesn't even have metal jewellery or any special shoes we know of.... Or maybe the other older L.E. looks good because they are 2D -> 3D and this is the opposite... so it just feels like a detail deductions downgrade...

I also wanted to point out we've gotten the royal look in doll form. EP1 got the most dolls, actually. But I get it, it's TPM 25th... well you can brave the waters again with ROTS 15th... Sure you'd make dolls no company had (if HT doesn't beat you to it) IMHO, the right way to go should've been a Barbs Style box set where you get the peaseant/basic Padme and 1-2 outfits.

(excuse local privledge again, but why wouldn't I add a couple hundred to just get the HT lmao, at least I'd've felt the money was worth it. REF: L.E. USD$130 SSHT USD$275 HKHT~USD$200)

[edit: apparently Play Toy made a Queen Amidala last year??? lmao??? did Disbey do any market research at all???]

On the subject of Hot Toys.

I did went to the Dark Side pop-up. I was so tempted to get the Cosbis. I've always been tempted by the Cosbis because I love how they colour Ahsoka's eyes FULL BLACK like a true alien (even if that wasn't intended) but I always hold back getting a cheap 2nd hand because I kinda vowed to not get any LA!soka merch. Ugh the cosbis are so cute.

My defence is down this time with her Clone Wars look. Anakin and Rex were there too but lower priority. Above all I want THRAWN more than anything!! Since the Ahsoka merch bloom, my underdog pride shifted to Thrawn and the tiny babyish Thrawn-zi is so cute. I'm merely holding myself back with the chant "no thrawn without eli, no thrawn-ko without eli-chi" (wait this got me curious in the jp translation of new thrawn lol)

Also the Cos Rider. They got her outfit wrong. They put a S3 dress Ahsoka in the Phase I Starfighter. and it's tiny. (<- I NEED THE DISASSTER LINEAGE)

I also get to see the LA young ahsoka up close. I don't know how accurate they made the costume to screen, I don't want it as long as it simplified the animated design. The figure also looks chubby. She was seated on the BARC next to Hayden-head TCW-dress Anakin and he looks SO constipated lmao

BTW there was that limited-to-300 Mando Armour Obi-wan that I was drooling all over. Unfortunately I wasn't a member or in the scalper gang so I don't have the privledge to splurge on that. I didn't pre-order TCW!Obi since it took 2 years from preview to pre-order opening and another 1.5-2 years to product, and seeing how little did I play with co. and how their prices dropped post-release, I didn't bother at that time. In the futre when I have my own display case, TCW Obi is on the list albeit possibly lower down.

TBS.

I am not keeping up with TBS releases at all but also if anything really interests me I would've found out. Confession: I am a sinner for not obtaining the TBS Padawan Ahsoka yet. Contacting seller now.

I heard they are re-releasing TCW Captain Rex (alongside Fox, iirc?)

Merch.

Ahsoka Bag Clip. This blind bag set release last August. I've wanted them all since announcement, and they were just too pricey. I should count myself lucky a full boxset is still available EIGHT months post-release. I'll need to ask around to see anyone will share the cost with me. Othewise I'll just take the PNG.

SWC2025

I actually went site visit last summer for Celebration. I happened to be in Japan this May 4, so I didn't follow the ticket sale situation.

Truthfully, it wasn't that I haven't made up my mind about the trip, it's more I'm afrad it's going to be a sunk investment. - and I don't want to decide so soon.

A trip to Japan is easy decision, hitori or not. There's always something fun happening and to be explored. I'm convserational in the language and I knew the area in and out. I'm aware of the preparations and logistics around the convention even though it's gonna be my first.

Usually for those attending an overseas event, they secure the tickets first and plan the trip next. I am at a stage where I do neither now. The tickets these year are all doorstep pickups so it'd be easy to resell via e-payment and an email confirmation/QR code. There's always someone who can't go last-minute. Plenty will be happening outside either way - at least I'm counting on Ashley to host an Ahsoka group. Another reason I'm not so keen on getting an entry ticket is I knew all the panels will be add-on fees and you'd only get to see them far away. Honestly at this point I'm not deadset on meeting any of the actors, even Ashley. There'd at least be a present box I could be satisfied just delievering fanmail I don't have to pay hundreds to get a picture taken (lies, I'd love to - can't forget that DEAL getting the TCW squad for just 1k)

I was also holding out until they announce more guests. Would love to meet Hayden and Ewan. Maybe the Andor cast since with the delay, 2025 is gonna be their year.

There's also burnout from running so many sentai events this year (financially too) but we don't talk about that.

No. Money is a big problem. I'll be saving up for that sure, but Easter time, flight is gonna be expensive anyway. Hotel is another problem because the convention centre is on reclamation land and only surrounded by brand hotels that will surely charge a leg and become full-booked by first-timers. I actually have a net cafe in sight, but you see, even when I find a buddy to share room, I'll probably have to pay a lot for those two nights anyway XP I just. I just don't wanna walk 20 mins to and fro - I need to learn bicycle.

Tales/Visions/Upcoming works

Haven't seen Tales, or rest of Visions v2. Not very interested in Acolyte - probably won't actively see a star war until Andor. That said, I have the Barriss portion DL'd and look forward to seeing it in the coming week.

also tracking down the japanese first edition tin-box special for TCW and blu-ray to complete my concept art collection!

reminds me to write about Star Wars Day in Japan

#myechoes #star wars #about to need a toys tag

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draculesmihawk · 9 months

Text

eyes like sinking ships on waters (i almost jump in)

Pairing: Dracule Mihawk x OFC

Summary: He's a stranger. She's an unusual assignment. He may be everything she's looking for, but she's a presence that grows more intriguing -- and infuriating -- by the moment.

CHAPTER THREE: i know who i am when i'm alone (i'm something else when i see you)

[AO3]

As luck would have it, pirates were extremely amiable.

At least that was the impression she got from the red-headed man and his crew.

They would end up at sea for two days before they arrived at one of their island bases. Knowing they would be going to only one of their strongholds hinted to Aurelia that these pirates may be far more influential than she originally thought. She had decided those days at sea would be spent obtaining whatever knowledge may be useful to her at a later date. While these pirates were kind to her for the moment, Aurelia didn’t know how wide the net had been cast when it came to her capture. She could not truly allow them to know her unless she knew without any doubt that she’d be safe in their company. She was better off moving in silence than she would be rocking the proverbial boat.

The gentleman who had introduced himself as Shanks seemed to be the leader. Upon discovering her, Shanks had made it a point to get her set up in the Captain’s quarters, simply stating that the cabin was the nicest they could provide on the ship. Shanks would also go on to introduce her to his crew and give her the grand tour of the ship. He carried a charm about him that made conversations flow with great ease amongst his crew, while still possessing a commanding enough presence that made it very clear why he was the man the others answered to. He took care to stand at her side whenever she ventured out of her cabin those two days at sea, engaged in casual conversation about life at sea.

“I think you’ll find the island more to your taste.”

“That is a very kind way of telling me that I’ll never make it as a pirate.”

Aurelia watched from the side of the ship as Shanks’s crew hauled their provisions and treasures off the vessel. Shanks leaned forward, forearms resting against the railing as he watched her. This woman had kept her cards very close to the vest. An understandable move, considering how they had found her. Shanks tried to keep their chats relatively light, unsure how to approach what needed to be said.

“Your sea legs just haven’t come in yet,” Shanks laughed lightly, “You’ll catch on next time we set sail.”

“Next time?”

Shanks watched as her eyes shot over to look at him, a mix of confusion and -- dare he think -- hope in those deep orbs.

“We’ve no intention of keeping you on our little island forever,” he explained, “We have supplies for a month, maybe more if we take from the island. You’re welcome to stay with us during that time. On a couple conditions, of course. However, if you’re keen on moving onto the next, we’ll make sure you get where you need to go.”

She was at a loss for words. Everything she needed in that moment was placed right at her fingertips. Add to that the fact that she was free to leave? She wanted to be suspicious, wanted to expect some sort of trick. Aurelia wanted to narrow her eyes and demand the truth, out-maneuvering from this web of deceit the man was casting. However, she was fairly certain Shanks was being completely honest.

“You don’t even know me,” she said, after a moment, “Why would you offer shelter and safe passage for a complete stranger?”

Shanks’s smile softened.

“It’s what we do.”

Aurelia found herself smiling at the sentiment.

“I thought pirates were supposed to be heartless and cruel,” she confessed.

“Some are,” he simply shrugged, “We are not.”

She would stay with them. For how long, she hadn’t a clue. Judging by how she was at sea the past two days, Aurelia knew she wasn’t much when it came to ship life. She knew eventually she would have to leave. There was no ifs about that. However, there was certainly a comfort in knowing this group had offered some moment of peace. A far cry from her most recent runaway adventure.

“Well, if I’m to stay, you said there were two conditions that must be met,” Aurelia said. She turned her body to the side, facing Shanks completely. “What are they?”

“The first is that you carry your share,” Shanks replied, “Whatever that may be, whatever you can bring to the crew. We all share in the work, we all reap the rewards.”

At the first condition, Shanks could see Aurelia’s mind turning over the words.

“Do you cook?” he suggested. He got a head shake in reply. “Clean?”

When Aurelia cringed slightly, Shanks nodded slowly, his own mind at work. He didn’t know many people who couldn’t cook up something on the fly or wash a shirt. Two basics that gave the woman beside him pause. That meant she was a woman of leisure. Or was one.

“Unfortunately, embroidering had often taken up most of my afternoons,” she confessed, “That or my lessons. Reading and the like. The arts. I… I painted and drew. Not many skills that would prove useful in the real world, I’m afraid.”

“Benn would probably appreciate a sewn pillow, if you could manage,” Shanks offered, “And I am sure if we hand you a paint and brush you’d be able to touch up this ship.”

Aurelia set a hand on her hip, staring down Shanks.

“You’re being too kind again,” she insisted, “You’ve no use for either of those things.”

“We’ll find you work,” Shanks continued on, “Now, the second condition…”

“I didn’t even pass your first condition--”

“The second condition is honesty,” Shanks waved off her concerns, “We’re a close crew. We fight for one another, protect one another. That requires trust, which requires honesty on all sides.”

When he saw Aurelia begin to tense, Shanks knew she had begun to pull walls into place in her mind. Reaching out with his hand, he lightly touched her elbow. A soft touch of encouragement.

“We already know you fled the last town,” he told her, honestly, “We just need to know what we’re taking on. I need to know. For the safety of my crew.”

There he went again. Being kind. Aurelia was certain she’d be tired of that on any other person, but there was something so damn endearing about this red haired man. She looked towards the shore, watched as Shanks’s crew moved along the sands. Turning from the railing, Aurelia started to walk across the massive deck. Further from the others, from any other ear by Shanks’s. He followed and reached out to stop her as she neared the other side of the ship, certain she’d walk right off the ship if given the chance to run further away. They stood with only each other as company, accepting the silence as Aurelia tried to find the words.

“I fled,” she confirmed, “From a group of hired hands who sought my capture so they could return me home.”

“You’ve run from home?”

Aurelia nodded.

“I boarded the Sea Train over a month ago,” she continued, “I had Berry, a few smaller items, and not much else. I didn’t want to risk being encumbered. I had easily maneuvered around most attempted captures, but…”

Shanks watched as Aurelia trailed off. She seemed to linger on a memory, lost in the thought. Her gaze hardened slightly, lips pressing tightly as she replayed events unknown to him in her mind.

“Uh, but I seemed to have met my match,” she finally confessed, “The man I had managed to avoid capture from. He was different, you see. Far too skilled to be lumped in with the others. I had only escaped him by luck. That luck brought me to your ship.”

“And the people who hired the bounty hunters?”

“My parents, I assume,” Aurelia easily said. There was a small shake of her head as she spoke. “To imagine they would be less than pleased upon finding me gone would be quite the understatement.”

“Maybe they’re worried for your safety,” Shanks replied.

Aurelia shook her head, a dry laugh leaving her lips as she did.

“They’re worried about how it would look,” she told him, “What it would mean to lose their daughter, as if I were still a child and not fully grown with my own thoughts.”

Something didn’t line up enough in Shanks’s mind. Aurelia was no infant or wandering youth. He couldn’t have had more than a couple years on her. An adult leaving home was nothing to cause a stir over. It seemed unnatural for parents to unleash such extremes on their own flesh.

“And what of your parents?”

A simple question. Not a simple answer.

Shanks saw the moment of hesitation, caught the faint flicker of panic. Because of this, he offered an easier inquiry.

“Where are you from?”

“Ore Island.”

“What village?”

“Cirtinetown.”

Aurelia watched as Shanks’s eyes flickered to meet hers. Citrinetown was no small village.

“What’s your name?”

“I already told you my name.”

“Your first, yes, but not your full.”

Silence came, then a soft plea.

“Please don't ask for it," Aurelia’s eyes implored him. "If you ask for it, then I'd have no choice but to share it… and I cannot afford to do such a thing."

It was then that she saw his mind reaching out, grasping at the strings she had cut, pulling the threads back to bind them to one another once more. She could see the moment his thoughts came to their conclusions, just as he could see the moment Aurelia knew he had made the correct ones. In her short time with him, Aurelia had not seen such a serious look on Shanks’s face. He nodded in understanding, though he didn’t say a word.

“If this changes things--”

“It doesn’t.”

His answer was immediate. Final. It was not the easy going man she had come to know that spoke in that instance, but rather the capable leader that looked as though he feared no man, no sea, or anything that may come in between.

“This island location is only known by a select few,” he told her, “For as long as you choose to stay with us, you will be under our protection.”

And that was that.

Shanks’s word was his bond. They spoke no further on the topic before once they joined the others. He immediately jumped to help the crew set up the base. As the day went on, Aurelia had the sneaking suspicion Shanks had tasked his inner circle with ensuring she had something to do. Benn insisted on showing her how to set up a hammock, stayed by her side and chatted with her as they put a few of them up. When it was done, it was Yasopp asking her for assistance collecting wood for fire. From there it was Roux walking her through his cooking methods, which always seemed to include some sort of rib meat.

“I’ve never listened to someone speak so highly of meat for so long,” Aurelia quietly said, as Shanks came to collect her from the group later in the afternoon.

“We’ll be all the happier for it come dinner,” Shanks smiled, “I’ve got something for you until then.”

They had set up temporary lodgings beneath the shade of the island trees to keep cool from the afternoon sun. Hammocks were scattered around and a fire pit had been created at the center of the clearing. A small tent had been assembled amongst the hammocks, strung up between the base of two trees. He must have set up the space after Yasopp had dragged her off to help with firewood.

“A lady should be given her privacy,” Shanks chuckled, “It’s certainly no fancy island inn or extravagant castle. It’s barely on the same level of a room above a tavern, but it’ll do in a pinch.”

The glow of her elation could light their lanterns for days. The awe in her voice was as clear as the blue sea.

“It’s perfect.”

Tracking down the Red Hair Pirates had been less than perfect.

Dracule Mihawk had been a day behind them at least. It didn’t help the situation that they kept multiple bases scattered across the East Blue and beyond. He had been to two of them before he locked onto the correct island. By the time Mihawk had caught sight of their ship and the island in the distance, he had spent the better part of the past two weeks simmering in his thoughts. Those thoughts revolved around a woman. A very short, very vexing woman who should have been an easy acquisition, but instead turned into a bigger problem than he originally imagined she would be. Mihawk had their few interactions replaying on a loop in his mind during his voyage out to track her down. The warmth in her voice. The confident, almost casual way she challenged him even after he revealed his intentions to her. The way she nearly slipped past him on the run. The way she actually slipped past him. His hand touched the left front pocket of his coat and felt the outline of the small notebook he had kept there. Her notebook and the drawings that were etched in the pages.

The image of his own eyes had sparked his interest.

The image of that damn straw hat turned that spark into a roaring fire.

He moored the Hitsugibune just shy from the ship’s line of sight. Approaching the base on foot and unseen for the most part would be the plan, as he fully expected the woman to give him another chase. This time certainly with a more satisfying ending. He knew he would walk into their territory, and knew exactly what kind of men he was dealing with. Clearly he would be outnumbered, but only one man would actually prove to be a worthy opponent. If things came to that point, of course.

Mihawk knew it wouldn’t.

Not when that one man was currently tipping backwards in his seat, taking a swig of booze from the bottle in his hand.

“This can’t possibly be the only thing you do now,” Mihawk’s impassive voice said, as he neared the group.

The usual suspects would tense. Shank’s right-hand man’s rifle was raised at first sight. The sniper’s hand came to rest at the pistols on his hips. The cook’s fist tightened around the giant rib in his hand. The three men were a constant on the crew. The first to jump to their captain’s aid or request. Mihawk paid them no mind as he approached their leader.

“We’re just having a little fun, Hawk-Eye,” Shanks groaned, though there was a laugh in his voice as he spoke, “Don’t tell me you crossed the East Blue just to rain on our fun.”

“I’ve business,” Mihawk kept it short.

“Well, have at it then,” Shanks breezily replied, motioning around the area with the bottle in his hand, “The sooner you finish, the sooner we drink.”

Mihawk felt the urge to roll his eyes. Shanks was far too welcoming. Far too agreeable for a man of his stature. He assumed a good portion of the reason Shanks was that way to him was simply because the red-haired man knew it annoyed him to no end. The two men had battled far too many times to be this pleasant to one another. Yet here they were.

Before Mihawk could make a move to go about his business, that very business found her way into the picture.

“Shanks,” a very familiar, very warm voice called out, “Show me how to tie that knot again or I’ll be forced to look foolish for a third time this week.”

Mihawk’s yellow eyes narrowed slightly when Aurelia came into view. Gone was the dress he last saw her in, replaced with a sleeved shirt and trousers twice her size. Her hands fisted the loose fabric of the trousers at her hips, some length of rope slung over her shoulder as she walked. It was not the state of dress she was in that earned the look in his eyes, but rather the fact that those clothes were all too familiar to him.

She was wearing Shanks’s clothes.

“We’ll get you sorted out,” Shanks laughed, none the wiser as he pushed himself up onto his feet, “Can’t have you look foolish in front of the company, can we?”

Whatever laugh that was in Aurelia’s voice died almost instantly at the sight of company.

“Shit,” she hissed.

Shanks slowed his steps at the sight of her face. The way the color drained from it. Aurelia’s eyes were locked on something past his shoulder. The sight had her frozen in place. Mihawk. She swallowed visibly before her eyes moved to meet Shanks’s. He knew instantly. How he didn’t think of it sooner he didn’t know. The person Aurelia had ran from. The skilled, different man she had narrowly escaped from…

“Shit,” Shanks breathed.

The air grew thick and tense. Silence but for the sound of ocean waves crashing.

Then, as expected, the Red Hair Pirates pulled rank.

Shanks stepped directly into Mihawk’s path when the other man began to move towards Aurelia. Behind him, Roux and Yasopp seemed to form a two-man wall behind their leader. Mihawk caught Benn’s movement, stepping over to Aurelia quickly. The remaining crew stood, scattered in their place. All on high alert as the tides seemed to change in that moment. Yellow eyes watched as Benn hurriedly knotted the rope for her, fashioned it into a makeshift belt at her hips. It was the feeling of Shanks’s hand on his shoulder that drew his attention to the man in front of him.

“She is my business,” Mihawk said, a pointed nod in Aurelia’s direction.

“She is my guest,” the other pirate replied.

“She is right here,” Aurelia added, bravely from behind her four guards.

Mihawk exhaled sharply through his nose, feet inching around Shanks slightly as his focus turned to her once again.

“Not for long, little dove,” he pointedly said.

“Hawk-Eye,” Shanks warned, tone low as he moved once more to step directly in front of his yellow-eyed friend, “Whatever you’ve planned, it is not happening. Not here and certainly not with me around.”

Mihawk’s gaze flickered to the man before him. He could reach for Yoru, go forward with his plan to get his hands back onto the woman Shanks was seemingly protecting now. Shanks had his whole crew there. They wouldn’t be a problem. Shanks would be. Aurelia no doubt would be as well, as she proved quick enough on her feet in the past. To take up his sword at that moment was not the correct play. Both men knew it. When his eyes moved to meet Aurelia’s, he knew she had come to the same conclusion as well. The slow smile that came across her face was proof of that.

For the first time, she had protection.

She was brave before. With this new development, her confidence had doubled.

“You make friends fast,” he spoke over the others, directly to her.

“Lucky me,” she replied, the corners of her lips faintly curving that smile into a smirk as she spoke, “Unlucky you.”

“Aurelia,” Shanks sighed, though it was clear he fought back the urge to smile as well, “Don’t push that beautiful luck of yours with this one. You’re speaking to a Warlord of the Sea.”

She let her eyes move over Mihawk, fully taking in the sight of him. She had no idea what that title meant for her. Only that it seemed important enough to mention. Her brain warned her to heed Shanks’s warning. Her heart told her to poke the bear with the largest stick she could find.

“I thought Warlords were supposed to be taller.”

Shanks’s shoulder shook, attempting poorly to conceal his laugh. A chuckle or two slipped from one of the men behind him. Mihawk sighed. It was like negotiating with children.

“I could look forward and completely miss the top of your head,” Mihawk pointed out, voice cool as he spoke, “How much taller do you need?”

Yasopp was the first to crack, a deep cackle escaping his lips. Roux’s hearty giggles quickly followed. While Benn had the decency to chuckle quietly, Shanks burst into a loud, guttural laugh. The other crew members that were scattered around them all seemed to join in.

“See?” Shanks laughed, “Now we’re getting off to a much better start.”

Shanks slung his arm around Mihawk’s shoulders, gave the man a shake. Perhaps if he shook him enough times it would loosen the stick up his ass.

“Come now, Hawk-Eyes,” Shanks grinned, returning to the picture of ease once more, “Let’s drink and give all this a rest for the evening. We’ll smooth out the ruffles in the morning.”

The rest of the crew seemed to ease back considerably, taking their cues from their captain. Everyone except Mihawk and Aurelia. The pair continued to stare at each other from across the sands. His face somber. Hers still carrying that smile. She was expecting him to decline and leave. He was outnumbered, outgunned, and in someone else’s territory.

“One drink,” Mihawk told Shanks, though his eyes remained on his target.

He had the pleasure of seeing the smile waver slightly on her face.

Aurelia of Ore Island would learn not to challenge a Warlord of the Sea.

Mihawk would make certain of it.

#dracule mihawk #dracule mihawk fanfic #dracule mihawk fanfiction #dracule mihawk x oc #dracule mihawk x ofc #fic: eyes like sinking ships #fic: dracule mihawk #fic: mine

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