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Pomme poor sweet naive Pomme is like “why are you two fighting so much these last few days”
Baby girl
Bbh and Foolish been this way since the day they met XD you’ve just been around more to witness it lately
They are murder soul mates
Soul linked nemisis
Two immortals trapped in an eternal cod slap fest
The grim reaper chasing a totem that laughs in the face of death
This is the way
#qsmp#live blorging#foolhalo#landduo#they are honestly one of my favorite tropes XD#two people who started as enemies but have been chasing each other for so long#that the conflict is like a game to them now#and their the closest person in each others lives#they love each other and they hate each other in a way that only two immortals could
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One thing I adore about Bad Batch is how well it balances presenting two (or more) perspectives while allowing us to understand why each side has that perspective.
Take, for example, one of the most tragic scenes in season 1, where my heart just breaks for Crosshair...
Come on, Bad Batch, Crosshair has just saved Omega. Even if it might have appeared at first that he was pointing his rifle in Hunter's face, it's now clear that wasn't his intention! Can y'all stop pointing your weapons at him??!? 💔💔💔
And yet... I can still understand and sympathize with where the rest of the squad is coming from.
Months prior, Crosshair had started acting a little bit... off, rambling on about being good soldiers and criticizing Hunter's every move (including the decision to not shoot civilians). Then, the squad was imprisoned; then, Crosshair was singled out; then, as the squad was going to get him, he found them and shot Wrecker and threatened the rest of them. And they had to flee.
Oh, there was talk about inhibitor chips influencing clone behavior, maybe even controlling it; but the squad had precious little information to go on.
And then Rex gives them more information and dire warnings, and they see firsthand the dangers of the chips when Wrecker (of all people) goes all murder rampage, and it's abundantly clear that this must be why Crosshair is acting the way he is.
And immediately thereafter, Crosshair finds them... and when Hunter attempts to talk him down (because now they really understand what's going on), Crosshair "aims for the kid" and then keeps them trapped in an ion engine with the intent of incinerating them.
... Well, Wrecker had just tried to kill them all too, so it's understandable why Crosshair is acting this way. Not exactly ideal - especially since he doesn't want to listen to them and he has Imperial backing - but understandable.
And eventually Crosshair succeeds in actually capturing them. And he goes on and on about being better than everyone else and the value of serving an Empire whose definition of "order" involves terror and subjugation. But hey, apparently he's not trying to kill them this time... Until Hunter says no to joining the Empire and Crosshair makes it clear he considers this to be traitor talk... But then Crosshair helps them defeat the droids, so Hunter tries again to talk to him about the inhibitor chip.
"Wrong," Crosshair says. "I had my chip removed. A long time ago."
Just look at the confusion on Hunter's face as he grapples with the implications:
And then we are granted Tech's and Wrecker's reactions, with Tech's being more apparent since we can see his eyes - the shocked surprise followed by the eyebrow furrowing that reads to me as Tech trying to fit this revelation into his understanding of Crosshair's behavior:
(Remembering, of course, that Tech was the first to bring up the possibility of the chip influencing Crosshair's actions.)
"Since when?" Hunter continues in shock.
"Does it matter?" Crosshair shrugs.
"YES," Hunter insists.
"This is who I am," Crosshair responds.
And then Crosshair pulls his rifle (which we know isn't set to stun) on Hunter.
For months, Crosshair's brothers had been giving him the benefit of the doubt even as he repeatedly and deliberately endangered them; but now, he leaves them to wonder - Was Crosshair acting of his own volition when he shot Wrecker and tried to lure the others out that fateful night on Kamino? Was it his own choice to try to roast them to ash on Bracca? Was the chip involved or not when he chased them down as they were trying to leave Bracca?
He apparently doesn't have the chip now, and yet he's gone from holding them hostage to fighting alongside them against the droids to threatening Hunter again, all in the space of about 5 minutes.
And he insists that "This is who I am."
Crosshair is behaving dangerously, violently, and unpredictably, and he's said that he considers them to be his enemies since they won't join the Empire. And he keeps arguing with them every step of the way as they set out to escape an orbital bombardment.
Is it any wonder, then, that his brothers don't trust him holding a weapon, even when he's saved Omega's life?
#my heart breaks for ALL of them#paraphrasing from sabine wren: the empire wanted to destroy worlds and it destroyed theirs - and i'm not just talking about kamino#the bad batch#clone force 99#tbb hunter#tbb crosshair#tbb tech#tbb wrecker#tbb echo#tbb omega#tbb analysis
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Kinktober 2023 List
Welcome to my first ever kinktober, a month long of smutty drabbles and one shots. Hope you all enjoy and if you want added to a charecter/fandom tag list so you dont miss anything let me know <3
NSFW under cut
Masterlist Here
Day one: discrete fun with Robb Stark ��� deciding to take his teasing to a new level Robb decides to take the sex toys out of the bedroom
Day two: marking with Jace Velaryon – jealous is an understatement for what Jace is feeling so he decides to fix his problems by showing everyone who you belong to
Day three: phone sex with Jamie Tartt – even though he loved to play the long nights away from you were almost impossible to bare so he often found himself hitting call at late hours of the night
Day four: body worship with Podrick Payne – Podrick feels honoured just to be able to touch your body and wants you to hear his praises
Day five: role reversal with James Potter – James is used to being in charge, but things change when one night you decide to give him a taste of his own teasing medicine
Day six: over stimulation with Jon Snow – Jon is eager to please but even more eager to make you a mumbling mess who doesn’t know their own name by the end
Day seven: stepcest/cam girl au with Daemon Targaryen – after Daemons new stepdaughter moves in daemon finds out her naughty little secret
Day eight: dubcon kidnap au with Ramsay Bolton – Ramsay can’t stand the idea of such a pretty creature going unappreciated any longer
Day nine: edging/orgasm denial with Rhanerya Targaryen – since you’re used to get everything you want Rhaenyra decides to show you good things come to those who wait
Day ten: throne/semi public sex with Danerys Targaryen – being the queen is a stressful job and it is your job to help your queen relax even if that means risking getting caught
Day eleven: knife play with Ivar the Boneless – people whisper and wonder how someone so sweet could marry someone so angry, but they don’t see what Ivar does when you’re underneath him
Day twelve: exhibitionism with Tormund – while wildlings talk freely about sex Tormund enjoys watching your blush at even the mention of it making it even more fun to tease you when you come to tend to his wounds
Day thirteen: primal play with Remus Lupin – usually when Remus runs around the forest its not by choice but tonight, he is chasing his favourite prey
Day fourteen: sex toys and teasing with Sansa Stark – after finding a sleek pink vibrator in her top drawer you decide to see what it can really do
Day fifteen: voyeurism with Aegon Targaryen – while you are visiting his family Aegon discovers a secret passage and what he accidentally sees through the cracks makes him want you instantly
Day sixteen: caught in the act with Roy Kent – when Roy came home all he wanted to do was curl up in bed with you but when he heard a buzzing from under the sheets his plans took a very different turn
Day seventeen: mommy kink with Cersei Lannister – while she may be rough and callous to most others Cersei finds herself dotting on her sweet girl in her chambers each night
Day eighteen: corruption kink with Alicent Hightower – a new septa arrive at court but none of the thoughts on Alicent’s minds are holy
Day nineteen: choking with Bjorn Ironside – you may have been captured by the enemies, but the punishment Bjorn gives you is starting to feel like a reward
Day twenty: bondage/wax play with Margaery Tyrell: people may whisper about her brother’s bedroom habits but none of them see the things she gets up to with her ladies’ maid
Day twenty-one: face fucking with Cregan Stark: to gain his loyalty Cregan demands that you earn it, and he enjoys watching the tears streak down your face as you do
Day twenty-two: daddy kink with Sirius Black – the word just slipped out one time but now it’s all Sirius wants to hear from your lips
Day twenty-three: brat taming with Sandor Clegane – after growing sick of a princess’s bratty attitude Sandor decides to teach her how to behave
Day twenty-four: thigh riding/dry humping with Ragnar Lothbrok – after taking a Christian girl prisoner he decides to show you the pleasure a heathen can feel
Day twenty-five: breeding kink with Ned Stark – there is a reason why Ned has so many children and it’s not as noble as many assume
Day twenty-six: collaring with Aemond Targaryen – not wanting to share Aemond decides to invest in something to show that you’ll always be his and only his
Day twenty-seven: double penetration with Jamie Tartt and Roy Kent: they both like you and when they came to settle it once and for all neither of them expected this out come
Day twenty-eight: mutual masturbation with Oberyn Martell – you always heard that the dornish were more sex positive than most, but you hadn’t expected Oberyn Martell of all people to show you just how good it could feel
Day twenty-nine: face riding with Heleana Targaryen – while Heleana appeared shy outside of your chambers when you, her maid, came to tend to her at night she was anything but shy
Day thirty: teacher student au with Jamie Lannister – he knew it was wrong to ask you to stay after class but after one too many short, short skirts he could no longer keep his thoughts at bay
Day thirty-one: orgy/group sex with Aegon, Aemond, Jace, Daemon, and Rhaenyra since after all sharing is caring
#game of thrones smut#robb stark smut#jon snow smut#ramsay bolton smut#sansa stark smut#danerys targaryen smut#ned stark smut#sandor clegan smut#tormund smut#jamie lannister smut#cersei lannister smut#house of the dragon smut#aemond targaryen smut#aegon targaryen smut#daemon targaryen smut#rhaneyra targaryen smut#alicent hightower smut#jace velaryon smut#ted lasso smut#roy kent smut#jamie tartt smut#bjorn smut#ragnar lothbrok smut#ivar the boneless smut#vikings smut#mauraders smut#james potter smut#sirius black smut#remus lupin smut
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If Chase Yuong and the First Ninja start a fight, who will win in your opinion? Either way, it's going to be epic.
anon ANON thank you. I've been dying to think more about those two in the same context, ever since i realized the similarities of these two idiots i like (greenish hair? martial artist? magical? kinda lived long???) But i've shoved those crossover-ish ideas away since i am busy with other stuff lol. but this gives me an excuse >;)
Ok, if we do NOT take canons in consideration (because lets be truthful, cartoons rarely can give a full scope of a character to our satisfactions lol) so I have 2-3 vague scenarios in which they clash (IMO either of them can win??? (because i like them both, even if i am more of First fan, so I cant decide who of them winning would be more entertaining lol)):
If First Ninja in his prime (sometime after imprisoning Sorcerer but before the Ultimate Lesson) clashed with 700 yo Chase Young (since this fucker is canonically 1500 yo) who would probably try to defeat First in order to make him part of his Jungle Cats harem:
Chase is ridiculously, stupidly overpowered but one could argue that at 700 he hasn't yet reached the height of all his powers, so First would certainly have a fighting chance. First is supposedly uniquely trained since (probably) his birth by his Ninja Clan and continuous battles with the Sorcerer (and most likely other creatures, like Sorceress and Tengu and etc.) throughout his teenage-young adult life to take on enemies like Chase - overpowered magical beings/soulless monsters - with the help of Ninja Mask and all its powers.
Admittingly, in this case the win will most likely go to Chase, if only because of his experience and overwhelming array of powers at his disposal. Though considering we do not know the full scope of Ninja Mask's powers, First has like maybe 15-25% chance to win (and at least 30-45% in my mind if i consider my own hc about the mask lol), but not 0%.
If First Ninja's 800 yo. spirit somehow was released from/embodied by Ninjanomicon to clash with 1500 yo Chase Young in the Modern Present:
Here a lot of my hc come in play. I fully believe that if First - with all the developed abilities, experiences, memories, power (and possibly spirits) acquired during his stay/merge within the Ninjanomicon and from over like 200 people who ever used the mask over 800 years - fought 1500 yo Chase - who spent at least a century or 2 or 3?? hidden away in his Fortress, growing just a bit complacent, since he clearly became too strong and thus bored of the world when it couldn't offer him decent opponents anymore, at least not until current Monks - the fight could go either way.
Chase is still stupidly OP, but its clear that he was deprived of good opponents for a loooooong time, since he resorted to fight against/taunt teenagers and Omi, who is basically a kid still. And they frequently managed to outmanoeuvre him in their confrontations, if not in an actual hand-to-hand fight then at least in common sense lol.
Meanwhile First trained and learned with his each of his successors years in and out, and while we dont know exactly what sort of things happened, we can say for sure that the fighting was continuous. Ninja barely had any rest, for the Sorcerer probably attracted chaos inclined allies and minions and thus a never ending stream of enemies for Ninja to battle.
If basic bitches clash aka OG Good Chase and First Ninja before he was First Ninja:
This is just for fun and because I fully believe that pre-Ninja Mask First will trounce Good Chase. xD
We do not know Chase's past, and there are various headcanons on how he came to be a Xiaolin Monk, but let's just say that judging by his apperance and XS voice, he is probably a very young adult-ish before he drunk his Soup, so he most likely was a Monk since at least his pre-teen/teen years. He appears to be insecure in his Monk-ness and in his abilities to become the greatest warrior despite his competence, since he was swayed/manipulated/convinced? to sell his soul to a demon for more power and freedom from Monk values.
If we judge First's appearance and voice, he would be perhaps a slight bit older than Chase when he became The Ninja, and not to mention since he was born into the Ninja Clan, he was likely trained since he was very young. His personality appears to be very studious and there is certainly a great deal of strength in his character since he not only managed to continue on with his duty even after loosing his brothers but also not succumbing to the overwhelming Power of the Mask that can corrupt those of weak belief and hold the title of the Ninja longer than anyone else.
(Not to mention I am of very biased opinion that Ninjas are cooler than Monks. lol. Also we can assume they all have magic of some sort. Like think Naruto like Ninjas and Xiaolin Elemental Dragons/Monks.)
ALSO in case 1, obviously if they fought with the agreement that if Chase wins he would ABSOLUTELY add First into his Jungle Cat harem. First will most likely add/request a stipulation that Ninja Mask was not taken with First and I can see Chase honoring that agreement, so the Ninja legacy will continue on and Chase still gets an incredible warrior to his ranks, and perhaps more warriors if the future ex-Ninjas would decide to try and fight him later on. ;)
(first's animal form would be either a leopard or iriomote cat (both native to Japan) or a crow because tengu connection/associations ;D )
And if First wins, he certainly would figure out how to contain Chase, (perhaps even in the Ninjanomicon itself hohoho) since he somehow managed to contain a sorcerer that controls chaos with some binding, magic from a mythical beast and in a deep hole that perhaps connected to some dark realm, like??
;)
#que?#rc9gn first ninja#first ninja#chase young#xiaolin showdown#rc9gn#crossover#ninja showdown#long post#i am so sorry for the length but i got so passionate about this i think im creating an au in my head now lol#also i think i accidentally mentally added gay tension between those two im going INSANE#im sick and i keep giggling about it so now my throat is sore and i probably have a fever but alkfa;skd
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The Queen of Attolia (plus some WoT comparisons)
Haha, it's been a few months but I got my chance to read the next book in the Queen's Thief series and it was so good! I am going to have two sections in this review -- my overall thoughts and then some specific thoughts that are mostly for @markantonys due to the series being her recommendation and I have a lot of thoughts about the comparisons between the Queen of Attolia x Eugenides and Mat Cauthon x Fortuona, because you can really do a point by point comparison, though I don't think it was intentional -- I think that Megan Whalen Turner and Robert Jordan were both going for the same idea but Turner was, imo, wildly more successful than Jordan at it.
But first, thoughts that don't particularly relate to The Wheel of Time:
We open with a tense cat and mouse chase between The Thief and the Queen's guardmen and that is really the heart of this book when it comes down to it -- a cat and mouse game between two extremely complicated people, and how they have to navigate in the world that they share.
Turner is really good at writing these fun action scenes where you're very much in the PoV of the character.
The (apparent) foundation that is laid here (that later gets overturned because Gen got to me again and he was once again acting on personal information that he kept from me for the majority of the book, lol, love him for it) - is very much beginning as enemies who have respect for each other's skills. At this point in the book, I knew that they would end up married due to spoilers and I know that it's considered a good romance, so I was really looking forward to seeing the journey, especially since I did get spoiled about the huge upcoming traumatic event.
But we start from this strong narrative place where they are aware of each other and have respect for each other but they belong to two separate counties that have some political tensions and they are both important parts of those countries and can't set that aside.
Because of how bold Gen is, Attolia has been backed into a corner by his actions and we actually see this affirmed by Gen's cousin (the Queen of Eddis) and her thoughts on the matter -- she is aware that Gen going into Attolia's country to spy on her is a dangerous thing for him to do.
And then the cutting off of his hand. This is brutal, and it feels brutal, and then we also get these hints of Attolia's reaction afterwards (that we get into more later) but especially her reaction when he begs her not to hurt him anymore and you can really see her feel the impact of what she did. She doesn't allow herself to show her remorse but even this early on, we're getting hints of it as readers.
Then when Gen goes home, we actually see that the Queen of Eddis also maintains a mask in public, just like Attolia does, so we see another hint here that Gen understands that kind of masking. Eddis looks just as cold and impenetrable to Attolia's guards who return Gen to her, as Attolia looks to everyone else.
I really appreciated how long the recovery time was after the loss of Gen's hand and how much time we spent with him to feel him get used to the changes (and how economically Turner is able to pass that time). We get these tiny looks at Attolia as well, and her difficultly sleeping at night, which we expand on later.
Then we get the return of the Magus from Sounis! It was really nice to see him again, dropping in to visit Gen, but he's also here to give us that continuation of the division between personal and political -- as a person who genuinely likes Gen, the Magus was upset about what Attolia did to him, but as the advisor to the king of Sounis, he knew that they would be able to use Eddis's reaction to Attolia's act on the political stage.
But what a way to learn that the two countries are at war!
It takes some time for Gen to really believe that Eddis went to war over him, and we see him processing that over the course of the book as well, and they talk about it more. I do think that Gen does not always realize how deeply other people care about him.
Turner really is so good at giving us these pieces of information that reframe the earlier story -- now we know that during all those snippets of Attolia that we had earlier, she was also dealing with realizing that her actions with Gen led to the war that she's currently embroiled in.
The progression of the war was really well done (again, Turner is very economical with her narrative here), with what details she chooses to focus in on, and we see that Gen, even though he has gained more of an ability to have that cold and impassive mask like Attolia has, still does things like make sure that no one is on the ships that he's destroying, because he doesn't like getting people killed.
Turner also does a really good job showing how destabilizing the war is to all three countries involved, and how the war is hurting everything.
We take a little mythology story break here in the narrative, which was a fun story about love and choice, both of which are very relevant. This story definitely does end up applying pretty heavily to Gen and Attolia in the themes, and I like the style that Turner tells these stories.
I love how perceptive Gen is once he's been apprised of the situation and we get to see the thought process that leads to him blaming the emperor's ambassador more for the loss of his hand than he does Attolia herself, because he sees that ambassador understood that seeing Gen maimed and returned to Eddis would be more like to spark a war than just killing him would, and a war is exactly what he needs in order to try to justify getting his troops onto Attolia's land. All the politics here are pretty complex but I feel like the book does a good job explaining the reasoning.
And this is also the point where it's really confirmed that Attolia knows that the ambassador is underestimating her, and that she also understands a lot of the things that he thinks that he's pulling over on her. But because of the fragile position that she's in, she needs to entertain the ambassador's advice and his attempts to sidle in on her country.
Quote about Gen: "It was like him that if he had to have a thing, to have the fanciest thing of its kind."
I really like all this about the cost of war; the price of war; and why this outside party has been trying to urge war on the three countries.
We also get Eddis admitting to Gen that she thinks that she could have possibly controlled herself and not started a war if he had only been killed, rather than treated in a way that she finds so insulting, and that it made her so angry that she made a choice that had now brought a lot of damage to their own country that she wishes could be avoided. And Gen can see, basically, that the ambassador of Medes is the one who put both Eddis and Attolia in this trap, and he was used as the tool to start this war.
We really move into Attolia's PoV and we get the story of the broken amphora (she thought about it when she saw Gen after she'd had his hand cut off) -- it was, essentially, the moment that marked when her life changed and she couldn't be a young girl anymore.
This really is a heartbreaking story -- how after her brothers died and she was the heir, her father essentially sold her off to be married, and her fiance was actively plotting against her father and how to suck her country dry for his own benefit after they were married. And how she kept herself quiet and small and just listened, but then poisoned him at their wedding feast, also having her captain of the guard kill the next man who tried to force her to marry him. We also see here that she only trusts loyalty that she can buy in gold (because every other kind of loyalty failed her).
Then we finally get the big reunion! This scene is so tense, with both Attolia and Gen wearing these cold masks (we later realize that Gen has pretty much directly modeled his mask on Attolia's) and we get this private negotiation that is only for the two of them. And this moment when it is literally just them, together on a boat, with no one else to interrupt them... just exquisitely done.
It's been implied before, but this is where we get our confirmation that Attolia has been just as haunted by Gen this entire book as he's been haunted by her. They've been separated for most of the book but constantly haunted by each other. I gotta share the quote:
"He was too young to have bones that ached. No matter what he thought of himself, he was hardly more than a boy. A boy without one hand. She reached up to push the wet hair out of her face, wondering when she had sunk so low that she had begun torturing boys. It was a question she had asked herself night after night, lying awake in her bed or sitting in a chair by the window watching the stars slowly move across the sky."
We've been seeing her do those things the entire book, but this is the first moment when we're told what she was thinking about in those moments.
We also get our Big Revelation here that Gen has had feelings for Attolia since before the events of The Thief! How does he hide these things from us so well! Gen! We learn here (and we get even more detail later) that he's been feeling drawn to her for literal years. That part of the reason that he made those trips that she thought were mockery was because he wanted to be close to her and get a look at her and see if she really was the monster that their spies reported that she was, or if she was just a woman who was being forced to make difficult, maybe impossible choices.
And then we get our story reversal where Attolia gets 'rescued' by the ambassador and his people, and we get to see how she behaves in these circumstances where she doesn't believe that she can trust Gen (sure, he said he loves her, but she cut his hand off! And he's a known liar! how can she trust him?) vs this dude that she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that she absolutely cannot trust.
The moment when she tells her handmaidens not to put on her golden bee earrings, I knew exactly what she'd done, especially when we got Gen's reaction. The writing doesn't have to tell us in the moment what's occurring (that she put on the earrings that he left for her one time and that she said she would only wear if she'd decided to marry him) for us to know, and I love that. This coded sign that only he will understand.
It's the most unique and fascinating marriage proposal I've ever read. Well done. Haha, and I did guess that the gray-haired man that he fought so well with was his father. <3
Love the moment when we see him process that marrying the Queen of Attolia is going to mean... that he'll be the King of Attolia. He just wanted to marry her because he liked her! <3 <3
And everything after that was just so delightful. Working together for the double-cross and then the process of Eddis and Attolia working out the treaty and Eddis trying to convince Gen that they can have the treaty without the marriage, and his rejection of that, and then essentially testing Attolia with that offer as well.
I also really like one of the moments when Attolia realizes that she can trust Gen, which is when Eddis tells her that of course Gen also lies to her. Constantly. And I feel like that reframed a lot of her interactions with Gen for Attolia. Realizing that Gen wasn't being maliciously deceitful towards her; he's just Like That With Everyone. Plus, I can't forget the moment when, after the battle is won, Attolia and Eddis return to where Gen is being held and Attolia believes for a moment that he's been poisoned as a parting shot by the Medes ambassador and we can literally watch as her heart completely shatters and she is completely undone and devastated in her head and even shaken where people can see her. It's beautifully written.
And we get the moment with the gods (who are very real in this series but very carefully choose how they interfere) and it's just as well done as it was in the first book. The windows in the palace shattering as the goddess responds to Gen's sacrifice! And basically laying out to him that his suffering was required to reach this ending and would he trade it back if he could -- if it meant that Attolia would have been forced to make that deal with the Medes ambassador. And Gen would rather have Attolia in his life and wanting to marry him than have his hand back.
Just that whole final section that leads up to the ending of the book, with Attolia really being able to believe Gen when he says that he loves her... it's so good. How the narrative (and Eddis and Gen) are able to tease out Attolia's feelings for Gen, and how we end on that final quiet moment between the two of them. Really powerful ending.
It's a really good book and it's a really good romance. Gen and Attolia are both fantastic characters and even with all the twists and turns and revelations, their relationship felt incredibly captivating and believable. I really believe that Gen wants to break through Attolia's walls and, just as important, I feel like there's a person on the other side of those walls who is worth being loyal to and loving. You understand why Gen wants to be Attolia's husband, even after she ordered his hand cut off, which is very impressive storytelling.
Hopefully I'll get the chance to read the The King of Attolia soonish, and not in, like, four months.
*
And now onto the Wheel of Time/Mat & Tuon comparison section of the review for @markantonys 💖
It really does feel like a point-by-point improvement on Mat & Tuon, though I suspected unintentionally (it looks like this book came out 3 years before CoT).
Starting with the characters: wow, Attolia really is so much the person that I would have wanted Tuon to be. And she feels like the person that Jordan wanted readers to believe that Tuon was. Every place where I was going through my WoT reread and going "footage not found!" about something the narrative tried to claim about Tuon is something where the footage is very much found for Attolia. While Tuon's potentially heartbreaking backstory really is just backstory and ends up have zero impact on her active storyline, Attolia's tragic backstory is the entire spine of what her character is going through and what Gen can help her with.
We get to see and really experience Attolia's context, which is not something that we got with Tuon. Jordan makes an attempt, I guess, with Karade's sob story about Tuon and the doll, but he made the bizarre choice to frame this story in Karade's PoV (Tuon's slave), not from Tuon's PoV. For whatever reason, Jordan always insisted on making Tuon the most insufferably smug person in the world in her own PoVs.
With Attolia, we get those breaks in her mask that I kept desperately wanting us to get with Tuon but we never did. Again, this is mostly only for the reader, not even for Gen -- the reader gets to see behind Attolia's mask. And so Attolia is captivating and fascinating and I understand why she felt like she had to do these horrible things.
With Attolia, we actually get her being removed from her power base and feeling helpless, which Jordan never had the guts to do with Tuon (when Mat kidnaps Tuon, he lets her take her slave along with her, and then some of his allies decide to support Tuon over him despite having zero narrative or character-based reason to do so), which means that when Attolia regains her power, it has a much bigger impact on the narrative, while it felt like Tuon never really lost hers. Attolia and Gen both manage to be scrappy underdogs, in their own way, and that's something that Tuon never was.
Both Attolia and Tuon commit horrific acts, but while we see Attolia's remorse and how it torments her, Tuon always seems to shrug off the horrible shit that she does. It doesn't ever affect her emotionally and she never seems to think past it after it's done. She is a character without remorse or reflection (I think she vaguely thinks that it's a shame one time when she's pondering how she will break Mat's spirit but that's about it). And Attolia has those two qualities in spades. Attolia feels like a real woman to me in a way that Tuon never did. We see the brave face that she puts on, we see her regret and remorse, we see her loneliness, we see her jealousy over the Queen of Eddis, who is able to trust the members of her court in a way that Attolia has never felt she could trust her own. Tuon just feels really shallow in comparison to Attolia.
Even in the first cat and mouse scene with Attolia and Gen in this book, you can see the push and pull and the narrative equality of the characters. Gen has been in and out of four different strongholds of hers, and she feels that he's pretty much taunting her with his abilities. There's a mutual respect for the other person which was one of the big things that was missing for me with Mat and Tuon. In her final PoV in KoD, we learn that she has not had an ounce of respect for him during this entire journey -- it's not until she sees how the Band respects him that she considers whether or not there may be more to him than just being a pretty and dumb sextoy. And the big problem with that is that was the period when the 'romance' was being developed. During the time when she didn't have any respect for him as a person. And that makes it very difficult to find their relationship compelling, even apart from the fact that I found Mat himself profoundly unlikable in CoT & KoD.
Now, Mat being a terrible person (in CoT & KoD) and Tuon being a terrible person (always and forever) are not things that would stop me from shipping them in general. I am capable of finding Awful4Awful pairings compelling (like Louis and Lestat from Interview with the Vampire). They don't have to be good people, but there has to be something in the relationship that grabs onto me at any level, and that's where Mat and Tuon failed.
We can see in Attolia's thoughts that she envies the relationship that Gen has with the Queen of Eddis -- she envies that loyalty and wishes she could have something like that of her own. That sort of envy was also missing from CoT & KoD (I am going to mention, briefly, that some of these elements were present in the Mat & Tuon relationship in AMoL but at that point, it was just too late for me to give a shit about their relationship, because CoT & KoD thoroughly killed any interest that I had in them). Whether because of his own personal kinks or because of the plans that Jordan had for the Outriggers, Jordan made Tuon too much of an island; too much of an wall. The way he wrote her made me feel like nothing Mat could do would ever really matter to her in any way; that she was content to use him up and then throw him out and that's just not my thing. It may have been Jordan's kink but it is not mine.
So I definitely understand @markantonys's point about this feeling like a well-written version of Mat and Tuon! It really does feel like this is the sort of relationship that Jordan wanted to write with Mat and Tuon but didn't have the skill at romance writing to pull off. Something like Mat and Tuon is Hard Mode Romance and Jordan wasn't even always good at Easy Mode Romance.
Two of the key elements that really makes Attolia and Gen work for me is just getting to sit and exist in Attolia's emotional reactions to the wrong that she has done to Gen; and Gen acknowledging and processing the harm that she'd done. And both of those things were desperately needed with Mat and Tuon, both as characters and as a romance.
A major major part of why Mat and Tuon failed for me is because I didn't feel like Mat was actually reacting to her realistically for the vast majority of their page time together; she threatens to invade a city and he laughs it off, she assaults his companions that he freed from slavery and he thinks it's hot?!?, she talks about how she likes to torture women and he ignores it.
If Tuon had cut off Mat's hand, the way that Attolia cut off Gen's, it feels like Jordan would have just had Mat shrug it off and then buy her a puppy as a reward or something as his response. Here, we get Gen begging Attolia "please don't hurt me again" after she cuts off his hand and then we have months of separation and recovery and processing before the narrative takes him anywhere near her again. And Attolia is forced to reckon with what she did, first by being haunted by the memories of him crying from the pain and loss, and then she has to face it directly by seeing his stump, seeing the pain that he's still in (because of her). She has to admit (not just to herself but to him) the damage that she did before they can move forward together. This is something that Tuon never shows herself capable of on any level. Tuon is never allowed to grow as a person the way that Attolia is, or to be vulnerable with the audience or with Mat.
I definitely still really felt the Mat-Gen comparison in this book too. Lots of places, but there's a great moment in the meadow with him, Eddis, and the Magus, where Eddis explains that Gen has deliberately made people believe that he can't fight but he also still gets miffed sometimes if people fall for his carefully constructed facade.
And the moment when Gen tells Eddis that he plans to steal the Queen of Attolia. It really feels, again, like this is the sort of vibe that Jordan wanted us to believe existed between Mat and Tuon: "She may be a fiend from hell to make me feel this way but even if I've got to hate myself for the rest of my life, this is what I want. I dream about her at night." This intense draw and this pull that he feels towards her. Jordan appears to want us to believe that Mat feels this kind of draw towards Tuon at the end of KoD but has not created any kind of foundation in Mat's characterization as to why.
We also got the long separation between Attolia and Gen where they are haunting each other with their absence. Attolia and Gen just get the time that is needed to develop this relationship in a way that's believable. Time in the story, not page time. This book is shorter than CoT & KoD, and probably shorter than if you made a "Mat and Tuon" novella out of their scenes in those books. It's the actual 'in world' time that matters, that gives Attolia and Gen time to think about each other and miss each other in a genuine way.
For another comparison -- Gen 'steals' Attolia to marry her like Mat kidnaps Tuon, but the context is so incredibly different on every level. Mat gets, essentially, tricked into kidnapping Tuon by the 'finn (it never would have happened if he hadn't heard that prophecy) while Gen acts with intention the whole way through. Technically, in both cases, Gen and Mat are 'saving' Attolia and Tuon by kidnapping them, but we feel the weight of it with Gen and Attolia in a way that we don't with Mat and Tuon. And a lot of that is because the bulk of Gen and Attolia's build-up happens before the kidnapping, during the times when they're separated and haunted by each other. So once the kidnapping happens, it's quick-paced and moves the plot forward rather than, you know, just fucking around with a circus for a month.
We also know that Attolia has complicated feelings about Gen already. I talked about this with @markantonys but that really is something that needed to happen with Tuon so much sooner than it does in the books (there are two big Mat & Tuon scenes in AMoL that desperately needed to happen back in CoT, imo -- Tuon trusting that Mat isn't trying to kill her; and Tuon going wild trying to protect Mat in the command tent).
Attolia and Gen also genuinely have things that they can each offer the other person, while with Mat and Tuon, none of the things that Tuon offers are things that Mat actually wants (slaves bowing to him; being dressed up like one of the Blood; being formal at all times - these are things that some of Mat's fans want for him, but not things he wants for himself) and she just feels like this ravenous black hole that constantly takes and takes and takes and gives back nothing of value. When Gen is startled at the realization that marrying the Queen of Attolia makes him the King and he'll have to actually be a king, it's this incredibly sweet moment, because it illustrates so clearly that he wants Attolia for herself and not her country. When Mat reacts against the idea that marrying Tuon makes him royalty, it just kinda makes him look dumb, because we've been given nothing of value in Tuon herself as a person, and no reason for Mat to care about her.
With Tuon, Mat talks about how she's better than other nobles, but nothing she actually does on the page is better than any other Seanchan noble. It's all 'footage not found'. By contrast, every single positive thing that Gen says about Attolia is backed up by the text and we even get shown additional positive qualities that no one needs to talk about because it's right there in the text.
With Tuon, it feels like Mat is attempting to gaslight me (and himself?) into believing that an interesting character exists there despite all the evidence against it, while Attolia simply is a compelling character based on what happens on the page.
That fact that there are so many raw similarities between the two pairings, but my reaction to them are so different really does illustrate the importance of execution, imo. Attolia and Gen's romance manages to travel so much further than Mat and Tuon's, while also being considerably more economical with how many pages it took to get us there.
The point-by-point comparison (aka WoT's failure of execution):
Tuon's interior life is poorly illustrated in comparison to Attolia's; because she starts off as an even worse person than Attolia but so much less character work is done on her than on Attolia, who is haunted this entire book by how she has "sunk so low as to torture boys" (on that note, Turner's choice to make Gen the younger and more openly vulnerable one really works here).
Seeing that Attolia's handmaidens are genuinely affectionate and protective of her at the end of this book is so incredibly touching, because she had no expectation of their loyalty (she believes in the loyalty of gold, and gold alone, for the most part). Tuon, otoh, has slaves that she expects to be subservient and loyal unto death, so her slaves' affection for her (that was trained into them) is something that completely fails to move me. This difference in the expectations of the character also makes a huge difference in how their PoVs come off -- Attolia's walls are due to her internal vulnerability and we get to see that vulnerability in her PoVs; while Tuon comes across as full of herself and incredibly arrogant, taking everyone around her for granted.
We're told that Tuon is smart and perceptive but rarely get any evidence; while Turner shows us Attolia's intelligence and how she sees a lot more than people like the Medes ambassador believe that she does. We get to see Attolia's intelligence in how she tricks the Medes ambassador into believing that she's so much less perceptive and intelligent than she truly is. This is another place where Jordan's unwillingness to ever place Tuon into a genuinely vulnerable position really hurt the character. Turner wasn't afraid to make Attolia the underdog and knew that it wouldn't undermine her as a character, it would strengthen her, because we would get to see who she was in adversity. The set-up of Crossroads of Twilight should have led to us seeing Tuon in adversity but Jordan was allergic to allowing her to be truly vulnerable, and gave her people to hide behind (Selucia & Setalle Anan) the entire time.
Mat as an agent of chaos is wildly downplayed in comparison to Gen as an agent of chaos. The Seanchan end up getting spared the chaos that the end of the Age brought to pretty much every other society, even though Mat seems clearly positioned to bring their society crashing down even as late as Winter's Heart. Gen's actions, otoh, are constantly throwing other people's plans off.
Mat does not behave realistically to the horrible things that Tuon says and does -- with Gen, even though we find out towards the last third of the book that he was already in love with Attolia before the book begins, we still get his raw reactions to her doing things that hurt him. He has nightmares after she orders his hand cut off, his pained begging of her not to hurt him again, and how he develops his own mask of impassiveness that is modeled on her own. Gen also never throws away his moral code in order to try to force himself to be at peace with the relationship -- he grows and changes as a character as a result of his trauma, but he stays himself at the core.
Something else that Jordan could have used more in the books that would have helped develop an understanding of why Mat believes that something exists beyond Tuon's 'cold Empress mask' would have been to make the comparison between Rand's mask and Tuon's mask more clear in the narrative. Because there's too much separation in time between Rand and Mat's interactions with Mat and Tuon's interactions. In this book, seeing that Eddis also needs to put up a queenly mask of not caring about Gen at first (in front of the Attolian guards when they return him to her after his hand has been cut off) helps illustrate why Attolia needs the mask that she uses -- Eddis doesn't trust the Attolians, but Attolia feels like she can trust absolutely no one, and so she always needs the mask and feels like she can never take it off. That's compelling! It could have been compelling in Tuon too, if it had been written better.
On that note: Turner personalizes the damage that Attolia's cold mask and her ruthless defense of herself/her country is doing by having her hurt Gen directly, and that being something that she struggles with over the course of the book. With WoT, Jordan basically did everything he could to hide away the damage that Tuon/the Seanchan were doing from Mat in order to try to justify why he could ~fall in love~ with her (was it intentional? to set their relationship up for a fall later in the Outriggers? we'll never know) without ever actually changing Tuon/the Seanchan for the better, which also meant giving Tuon no reason to have any internal struggles over the choices that she's made.
Gen and Attolia get another thing that Mat and Tuon desperately needed but that Jordan refused to give them: privacy. They negotiate getting married (after Gen has kidnapped Attolia in a much more narratively satisfying kidnapping than Mat and Tuon's!) in privacy, just between the two of them; when we get the conversation about their feelings at the end, again it happens in private. That makes a huge difference. Jordan being unwilling to ever actually yank Tuon away from her full power base and her slaves was a huge hindrance to ever allowing her to be vulnerable. And I do chalk this up to unwillingness and not failures due to plot set-up because there is no good reason to have Selucia tag along on the kidnapping and then it's even more bizarre in CoT & KoD, when the character of Setalle Anan goes from being fond of Mat to all of a sudden acting like he's the worst person in the world and she must protect poor helpless baby girl Tuon from him.
Both Attolia and Tuon get tricked by their respective love interests about who they are as a person because of the facade that they put up, but Attolia still has respect for Gen and his skills, even as she doubts his character, and it is Gen's own actions that show her who he really is and make her believe in him; while with Tuon and Mat, she spends over a month with him and still refuses to look past his surface until she literally has her face rubbed into it by seeing the Band's reactions to him. This difference is a key one in making Attolia's failure to see Gen as a failure due to the protective walls that she has up; while Tuon's failure comes across as her just not being very perceptive or intelligent. And the fact that we don't get the moment when Tuon begins to have even the faintest shred of respect for Mat until the end of Knife of Dreams just meant that I felt even more like all the pages time that Jordan spent on the two of them in CoT & KoD was a complete waste of my time.
We got to have genuine reactions from all of Gen's loved ones about the relationship! This is a huge place where, I guess, Sanderson is the one who failed for a change instead of Jordan because wtf was Perrin's "lol you married now bro? haha" reaction to Mat being married to a slaver? Though Jordan also does this to a certain extent with Thom, who we are supposed to believe is in love with Moiraine, and yet who never calls Mat out on courting a woman who would enslave and torture Moiraine if she had the chance. By contrast, Eddis is genuinely hesitant and worried because of everything they've heard about how cold Attolia is, and because she's the reason that Gen's hand was cut off.
We get to see Attolia and Gen develop a shared language and see behind each other's walls. The moment when she wears the earrings that he left for her, and he knows that it means she's chosen to marry him of her own free will is such a huge and impactful moment, and the only people who are aware of what it means are Attolia and Gen! This is really a failure that happens based on earlier failures of execution: because Mat and Tuon are never allowed to be alone together, it's impossible for them to develop this kind of shared coding and shared language.
12. We also have the 'footage not found' issue, where one of the characters (mostly Mat) tries to tell me something about Tuon but the narrative completely fails to back it up: this is the case with Tuon being intelligent and perceptive (in the narrative shown to us, she never picks up on anything until her nose is forcibly rubbed in it); and this is case with Mat thinking near the end of Knife of Dreams that Tuon belongs in the same 'better than other nobles' bucket as Talmanes when she has never shown herself to be willing to make better choices than other Seanchan nobles: he is still, at this point, worrying that she might enslave him and turn him into her cupbearer; she has not only threatened but actually assaulted his companions; whenever she's placed in a position of power over other people, she takes advantage of it and them. We're told that she's not a child but she also throws a tantrum (and pottery) at Mat at the start of Crossroads of Twilight. This could have worked if Jordan had leaned into the fact that Mat is deliberately lying to himself in order to make his marriage bearable, but that's where things like randomly having Setalle Anan go over to Tuon's side messes with that narrative.
13. When Jordan has Mat think about how Tuon dying would be a deep loss to him, it's just baffling because she has not done a single thing the entire 'courtship' that has shown why in the world Mat would feel that way. All of the attempts at reaching out during the courtship are Mat's, while Tuon just smugly accepts it as her due. Because Attolia doesn't just accept Gen's love as her due, because she actually doesn't believe him and challenges him on it, we get to hear his justification of it and why he feels that way, and then we also get to see her reciprocation. The relationship is a two-way street in The Queen of Attolia.
14. Which ties into the fact that Jordan chose to make Tuon not just a slaver but an enthusiastic slaver who enjoys the slave-breaking process and that is an incredibly dark place to start a character but it could have worked if it had been the beginning of Tuon's character arc and we'd actually watched her change and grow from that position. And she had the narrative set up for it! In her very first chapter, the reader learns that Tuon has the ability to learn to channel! She was created with the narrative juice to have a compelling arc about accepting the truth about herself and her people. And then Jordan gave that arc to Bethamin instead, lol.
15. In both of these stories 'fate' does kinda serve up Gen/Mat to Attolia/Tuon on a silver platter, but the execution of the storylines makes the reveal that fate was acting to push the two of them together so much more effective in The Queen of Attolia. Choice is a much larger consideration in Attolia and Gen's relationship than it is in Mat and Tuon's. There are elements of the higher powers of the world at work in both relationships, but Attolia and Gen have to put in the work themselves and have to face hard emotional truths in order to get us to the satisfying ending. I get the impression that Tuon wouldn't know an emotional truth if it spit in her eye. We actively see both Gen and Attolia consider and reject the idea of solving their main problem (about the war) without needing to get married; we see them choose their marriage and each other.
With Mat and Tuon, this is a lot more muddled. Fate/the Pattern/the 'finn want them to marry each other but we never get any kind of payoff as to why, and this is primarily because of Jordan's other storylines imo. He should not have had Rand already willing to make peace with the Seanchan in his separate storyline. Convincing Rand to be willing should have been Mat's job (because that also would mean that Mat would need to make the arguments to convince the readers). Jordan showing at the end of KoD that Rand is willing to make a deal with the Seanchan, even at the cost of giving in on the matter of slavery, basically completely voided any narrative reason for Mat and Tuon to get married, but without the satisfaction of seeing the two of them grow to a place where they would actively make that choice rather than being motivated by what they believe is necessary (due to prophecy).
There really were the bones of a potentially compelling story with Mat and Tuon, and I really do hope that the show (when we get there) is able to take those bones and turn it into a genuinely compelling story.
#the queen's thief#butterfly reads tqt#butterfly book club#wot book spoilers#a memory of light#wot#wheel of time#seanchan cw#wot meta#my wot meta#irene of attolia#eugenides#mat cauthon
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Love To Hate
Request: “Can you do a James Hook x reader enemies to where reader is also a vk and part of Uliana’s crew but for some reason they hate each other and fight a lot to the point the others get annoyed at them and often tease them about how they act like an old married couple and should just get together already, then something happens that make them realize they realize they do have feelings for each other and they finally do get together? Sorry if it’s a lot”
Pairing: James Hook x Reader
In the long hallways of Merlin Academy, two people were notorious for their constant bickering: James Hook, the hotshot pirate, and Y/N L/N, the sharp-tongued VK. Daughter of Hans.
They had been rivals since they met, their competitive spirits igniting every interaction. Whether it was a simple argument over who could make a potion quicker or a debate about the best VK, their fiery exchanges were the stuff of local legend.
“Nice job making Uliana angrier, Hook!” You shouted, hands on your hips, as they saw their friend run off in a fury chasing after Bridget and Ella.
"You alright Uli? You're looking a little pink." You mocked how James had chuckled at Uliana as she transformed into a flamingo moments ago.
“At least I said something, you just stood there with your mouth wide open. Even Tick-Tock's mouth is smaller than yours.” He shot back, grinning despite the annoyance.
"Hmm I'm so flattered you were looking at my mouth." You smirked as you all continued to run behind Uliana.
Your friends, fed up with the relentless bickering, teased you. “You two act like an old married couple,” Hades would chuckle.
“Just get together already!” Maleficent added.
“Yeah, right!” You would retort, rolling your eyes. “I’d rather date Prince Charming.”
But beneath the surface, a tension simmered, one neither of you could quite acknowledge.
-
One rainy afternoon, you were flipping through your Defense Against the Dark Arts notes. A few textbooks are laid across from you. Loose sheets of paper are scattered on the desk.
You were reading about how to deflect specific hexes when a certain pirate sat down next to you.
"Studying for DADA? Never thought you would turn on your own people Villain Princess." Hook smirked.
Oh how you hated that nickname so much. And he knew it, clearly trying to get a rise out of you.
"I don't know what you're talking about." You dismissed.
Hook reached over and snatched the book holding it away from you with his good hand.
"James give it back!"
Thankfully no one was on the second floor of the library so you could be as loud as you wanted.
"I will once you tell me why you're studying so hard for this class when your father is the Prince Hans of the Southern Isles." Although Hook didn't really see an issue with it he just loved annoying you.
"Why? So you can laugh and tease me? No, thank you."
He noticed the way your eyebrows furrowed. The sharp exhale as you fought to get the book back.
It started as a joke but now it seemed like you were onto something serious.
"Is it really that bad darling?" He asked.
"You don't understand." You stood up trying to walk away but he quickly stood up and placed his hand on your shoulder.
The book long forgotten.
"Then tell me. For once don't argue with me." His eyes had a different expression. One you had never seen until now.
He was pleading for you to tell him.
You wanted to give him a sassy remark. To ask why he couldn't mind his own business. But today you were defeated you didn't want to argue anymore.
"It's my dad." You sighed. "Ever since I came to Merlin Academy his mission for me has been to come back home with a prince on my arm."
Hook stared at you intently trying to ignore the feeling in his stomach at the thought of some stuck-up prince holding you.
"Every time I come back for the holidays or when the school year ends he asks the same question."
"Have you found a prince yet? Our royal bloodline depends on it."
"He doesn't ask how I've been or how I'm doing in class. Me marrying a prince is all he cares about. But I don't want that." You whispered the last part shaking your head.
But Hook heard you, "Then what do you want darling?" He stepped closer to you.
You looked away trying to avoid his gaze. That was something you couldn't tell him. Not yet at least.
"Y/n tell me." There it was the same look in his eyes as before.
"I don't know. All I know is I do not want to marry a prince and live unhappy for the rest of my life. But I cannot tell my father. I'm afraid of what he'll do. Which is why I take DADA in the first place." You stated lifting up the book.
"If he tries to lock me up or do anything to try and force me to marry a prince I'll be more than prepared. He doesn't care enough to ask about my class schedule so he won't find out. I'll be ready if he retaliates."
"I don't know what to say." The young pirate's eyes shifted as his brain tried to find the right words. "Your father is not who I thought he was love. My problems with Tick-Tock are nothing compared to yours."
A sudden storm rolled in, dry lightning cracking across the sky. Heavy rain began to pour. It hit the stained glass windows of the library furiously.
It was time to leave. You had to get back to your dorm.
"I knew I shouldn't have told you anything." You quickly grabbed your things heading to the flight of stairs that led to the first floor.
You blew it, you idiot. Hook thought to himself as he ran after you.
Thankfully the dorms were right around the corner from the library.
As you opened the door to the common area you realized James was still following you. Once he made it inside you turned to look at him.
“This is your fault,” You said, shaking off droplets from your hair. “You always pick the most inconvenient days to bother me”
Even with your damp hair and slightly soaked clothes you looked ethereal. The small droplets on your eyelashes make them stand out even more.
He chuckled, his voice teasing. “Maybe you should learn to pick better weather for your study sessions.”
"I wouldn't have gotten soaked if you hadn't been such a jerk. I knew I shouldn't have told you anything." You shook your head tears threatening to spill.
Again you tried to walk away but James wrapped his hand around your wrist.
"I didn't mean to upset you, lass." He admitted. Your eyes softened as you looked at him.
"Look I know we haven't been the best of friends. But if this is really bothering you my best advice is to confront it. If you keep trying to deflect or trick your father it will make things worse darling. Take it from a pirate you have to face your challenges head-on."
The boy could almost see the gears in your mind turning as you let his advice soak in.
"Perhaps you could tell your father how you feel when he visits you? If you believe he'll retaliate he won't be able to do anything since he'll be on the grounds of Merlin Academy. And if he does you have us to back you up. VKs stick together."
You couldn't believe what you were hearing. For the first time, you actually had a decent conversation with James Hook. One that didn't end with petty remarks.
"I never thought about it that way. Maybe you have a point....Thanks for the advice pirate,” You said softly, nudging his side. “I didn’t think you’d care enough to stick around.”
“Yeah, well,” He replied, rubbing the back of his neck “Maybe I’m not such a jerk after all.”
The air between you both shifted, a moment of vulnerability emerging. The teasing comments from your friends echoed in your minds, but now it felt different. You were no longer rivals; you were allies, working toward a common goal.
“Hmm we'll see about that." You said causing James to chuckle.
"You know,” A playful smirk appeared on his face, “if we stopped fighting, we might actually make a good team.”
You raised an eyebrow. “Are you suggesting we team up? Like, in life?”
“Maybe,” He teased, “but only if you promise to stop telling others that I love crocodiles.”
“And you stop calling me Villain Princess.” You shot back, but your tone was light, and playful.
-
Days turned into weeks, and your dynamic with James began to change. You still argued, but the fights were laced with a newfound flirtation. Your friends noticed the shift immediately and doubled down on the teasing.
“You two are practically dating.” Morgie smirked one morning in the dining hall.
“Shut up!” You shot back, though your cheeks flushed.
Maleficent just held back a chuckle. Thankfully it was just you three because the others were still in bed.
“I think you guys look cute together.” She smiled.
-
One evening, while the group was walking to Uliana’s lair, you caught James staring at you.
“What?” You asked, smiling.
“Nothing,” He replied, quickly looking away. But your heart raced, and you realized that your feelings for him had blossomed into something deeper.
That night, James lay awake, replaying the moments with you together. He could no longer deny it: he had feelings for you. But what would that mean for your rivalry? What would it mean for your friends?
-
The next morning, James decided he couldn’t keep it to himself any longer. He marched over to your dorm, his heart pounding in his chest.
“Y/n!” He called, through the door as he knocked.
You opened it and looked up, surprise etched on your face. “What’s going on?”
“I need to tell you something,” He said, his voice steady despite his nerves.
You moved over so he could step inside your dorm room. The door closed softly.
“Is it about how you finally admit I have better Swordsmanship?” You teased, a grin spreading across your face.
“Actually, it’s about how I think I might… like you,” He blurted out, his cheeks turning pink. “Like, really like you darling.”
The teasing faded from your expression, replaced by a look of genuine surprise. “You’re serious?”
“Yes.” He said, his heart racing. “I know we’ve fought a lot, but I can’t ignore it anymore.”
You stepped closer, a grin forming on your lips. “Well, I guess that makes two of us. Because I’ve been feeling the same way.”
James’ breath hitched. “But your father love. I don’t want him to hurt you if he finds out we’re together.”
His soft hand caressed the side of your face. He held you like a delicate flower.
“You don’t have to worry about that. I told him. I couldn’t wait until next month so I made a phone call.”
James’ eyes widened in surprise.
“He was upset. But he’ll come around I know it. Plus my mom can talk some sense into him. The point is we don’t have to worry James.” Your eyes sparkling with happiness.
James pulled you into a tight but comfortable hug and kissed your forehead.
“Love you have no idea how happy I am to hear that. I always knew how brave you were.”
“Thanks to you James. I couldn’t have done it without you,” You replied, your heart soaring as you shared a tentative smile.
-
As the weeks passed, the teasing from Hades and Morgie continued, but it was now accompanied by genuine support. And the girls were very happy for you both.
You and James found yourselves laughing. Spending a lot of time together.
One evening, as you both walked through the halls, James reached for your hand. Your heart raced as he entwined his fingers with yours, a smile spreading across your face.
“Looks like we really are an old married couple now,” You said, glancing at him with affection.
“Yeah,” He replied, wrapping his arms around you. “And I wouldn’t have it any other way gorgeous.”
In the heart of Merlin Academy, amidst the laughter and teasing, a new chapter began for you and James—one filled with love, friendship, and the promise of a future together.
#james hook#james hook imagine#james hook x reader#descendants#disney descendants#hook x reader#descendants imagine#descendants 4#rise of red#descendants x reader
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Moron.
Aonung x Reader
(cus I kind of liked the enemies thing I had going with aonung in the Lo'ak piece)
Aonung is the biggest moron you know. You can say that with total confidence, and do. Often.
Sometimes to his face, sometimes to others, sometimes to the back of his head as he turns away, thinking he's won an argument. You revel in the way his ears flick back to catch what you shout at him, and the way his broad frame swings around to come after you again, which is usually your sign to take off running.
It's your normal. Yours and his.
He can always rely on you to bring him crashing back down to earth when he's done something noteworthy.
And you can always rely on him to attempt to beat the shit out of you at any given moment, with the slightest provocation.
It's not like you can't hold your own. Sure, you're not equal to him in build or height, but you're a pretty good fighter, if you do say so yourself.
And it's not like anyone stops you two from scrapping, anyway. His dad practically encourages it, says it's healthy. His mum just rolls her eyes with fond exasperation and looks in the other direction.
Yeah. It's been this way for as long as you can remember. Right from day one, his mum says. You were born within a week of each other, and used to have the most vile screaming competitions as babies. It's nice to see some things never change, you guess.
Until they do start changing.
You and Aonung can't stay angry little kids permanently at each others' throats forever. Well, you can't stay kids forever, anyway.
He's getting taller, broader, thick in the arm and in the head. He doesn't spend as much time with Tsireya anymore, something she laments about to you in private.
Ah, yes, that's another sore spot for Aonung. Tsireya adores you. Maybe it's just the allure of the older kid, though not by much. You're only a year or so apart, but you've always felt the age gap even if it wasn't much. She's always been Aonung's cute kid sister, left to wail at you to stop fighting from afar for always.
You've only grown closer to Tsireya as of late, bonding over boys and girls, and going for walks on the shore to see what the tide washes in.
And of course, talking about Aonung. Well, it's mostly you talking- well, complaining, while she sits with a weird look on her face. You guess it's because he is her brother after all, and he's nice to her.
He starts hanging out with some new guys, all equally as moronic as him. They feed off each others' stupidity like a bunch of little vampires.
Which, of course, has nothing to do with you. After all, you're finding new friends too. Guys, girls, people you've never spoken to before on account of being constantly at odds with Aonung, which, believe it or not, doesn't leave a hell of a lot of time for socialising.
But you're both growing up now, growing apart, growing more mature... Well, in most ways. You still come to blows, though less frequently by the day. You find yourself missing the familiarity of it, even if you hate him.
You find yourself chasing the high that came with fighting with him, the high of having blood coursing down your face and not knowing who's, the sting of a cut, the ache of limbs, and the throbbing of bruises left behind.
Yeah, as many friends as you're making, you're making a few enemies too. You're just naturally volatile, you explain, you can't help the fact that your first instinct was to shove the guy when he accidentally bumped into you. You still think it was on purpose, anyhow.
However, you'd expect your friends to be the ones pulling you off the unfortunate kids who have fallen victim to your temper and ache for the high that no longer comes so easily or so often.
But they're not.
That's the weird part, the part that annoys you.
It's always Aonung dragging you off. You don't even know how he's always there when you're getting into a fight. He's got new friends, a new group, new hobbies, new responsibilities as future chief and warrior, basically a whole new life that has nothing to do with you.
But, regardless, it is always him hauling you off, no matter when or where. You've come to expect it like you once expected his fist flying at your face. A heavy hand on the back of your neck, an arm around your waist, fingers locking around your tail. Plucking you off whoever you're fighting like you weigh nothing. Which doesn't help your temper.
At all.
Today is one of those times. You couldn't help it, you honestly couldn't. They shoved you first this time. A rarity, you'll admit, but it's all you need to get on your little high horse and plead that you were unfairly provoked.
You're rolling back and forth with them on the ground, their hand fisted in your hair, your legs locked around their waist, both of you hissing in each others' faces like cut hoses. You're dusty and sweaty and bruised and bleeding in at least half a dozen places, and this is the best you've felt in months.
You roll your tongue over your fangs, the taste of blood raw and blunt in your mouth, taking a brief respite as you manage to pin them down for more than half a second, your knee pressing cruelly into their arm. They squeal like a stuck ilu, grabbing at you with their free hand, nails dragging down your side. The stinging sensation is welcome.
What isn't welcome is the sudden intrusion into your rather bloody bliss. Hands hooking under your arms, lifting you clear like a misbehaving pet, and setting you down on your feet with a bump that sends ground shock rippling up your calves.
You stare defiantly into Aonung's cold face, planting your hands on your hips, blood trickling down your forehead and beading on your lashes, but you don't blink it away. You take in a dusty, ragged breath, preparing to start shouting at him for always meddling in your shit, because, after all, he chose to push you out of his life and what you do as a result of that is none of his fucking business.
But you don't get a chance. He plants a hand on your shoulder and shoves you backward. Hard. "Walk," he says in a tight voice.
You do so unthinkingly, turning and marching off, only cursing yourself for your blind obedience a few steps later. But you didn't really feel like arguing with him after all. What was the point? He wouldn't fight you. He never fights you anymore. You miss that. You wonder if he'd even react if you punched him in his fat mouth right now beyond gazing at you with those cold eyes.
You hunch your shoulders and let your mouth thin into a line as you walk, heading away from the small crowd that had gathered to witness your outburst. You're shaking a little now.
"Here's fine," Aonung says from behind you, but you don't listen this time, planning to walk until you reach the water and can swim off, deep down into the cool dimness.
He grabs you by your tail, and you should've expected it, really, but you still whirl around, snarling, lips curled over your fangs, ears tilting back, hands outstretched to claw his Eywa-damned eyes out.
He catches you by the wrists and pulls you in, using your momentum to do so.
You stumble, smack your forehead on him and reel back, cursing him out, trying to touch your head, feel for any new injury, but he doesnt let you go.
"Stand still for once in your fucking life, you idiot. Listen to me," Aonung hisses, pulling you in once again while you're distracted. It's like a stupid game of tug o'war.
"I am listening," you fire back, still trying to free yourself, contemplating kicking him in the thigh or the stomach to pry yourself free. "See my ears? See how they're attached to my head? See-"
"Why can't you just grow up?!" he snapped, shaking you a little. "You're such a child!"
"And you're such a moron," you snap back, but you subside a little at the blunt admonishment. "Why can't you just stay out of my life?!"
"I'd be able to if you stopped fighting other people!" he hissed.
"I can fight who I want!"
"So why don't you want to fight me anymore?!"
Sudden, abrupt, overwhelming silence.
Aonung's ears flatten against his head and he releases you, stepping back. You'd say he looks like he's been slapped but you're an expert on what he looks like when he's been hit and that is not a face he makes. You don't know what face that is. Embarrassment? Confusion?
You're confused. And say so.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You don't want to fight me! You're too good for a little scrapping here and there all of a sudden, big guy?" you scoff, knowing you're severely understating the level of your fights but not caring enough to correct yourself.
"Well, I thought I did, but that was before-"
Aonung stops again.
You want to jump him. Hit him until he starts acting like himself again. "Before what, dickhead?! What happened that made you too good for me all of a sudden?! Because you're the future chief, a warrior in training, you can't even argue with me anymore? I mean, fuck, forget arguing, you won't even look at me! I don't know what I did and whatever it was, I-"
Oh boy. You've never been the type to cry when you get angry, but you're so frustrated and overwhelmed right now the tears are practically crying themselves. They well up, quivering on your lash line for a half-second, forcing you to look at him with blurry vision, then roll down your cheeks despite your best efforts to wipe them away.
"I-" you try to continue, hiccuping now. "I wish I hadn't, because I just want things to be normal again, I want things to go back to the way they were-" Words escape you and you settle for crying with frustration and rage, looking at him as he still says nothing.
"They can't, okay?" he snaps. "They can't fucking go back! Get that through your head! We can't fight like we used to! It's not the same, I can't fight you and hate you and argue like I used to when-"
"Don't you dare fucking clam up on me again, you bitch," you hiccup, pointing at him, scrubbing away your tears with your other hand. "I have a right to fucking know why I can't fight you, and I can't fight other people, and-"
"I can't keep hurting you when all I can fucking think about is kissing you!" he hisses, hands forming fists at his sides, tail lashing behind him. "And I can't keep letting you get hurt either!"
You still, your feeble attempt to hide your tears forgotten, staring at him like he's grown two heads. Something in your chest twists savagely as you absorb his words silently.
"Don't look at me like that, like I'm some kind of monster for loving you. Yell at me, try to hit me, cuss me out, anything. Just don't look at me like that," he says, voice hitching and beginning to tremble as he speaks.
"What am I supposed to do with that love?" you ask quietly. "Don't say return it. I don't know if I can. Or if I want to. I mean, maybe I do want to but that's mostly just stemming from the fact that you haven't spoken to me in months or even come near me except from stopping me from fighting people, and I don't think it's fair of you at all to-"
"No, I know it's not," he said a little brokenly, and you hated that, maybe even more than you hated him. "I know it's not fair, just... please. Tell me you feel nothing for me, that us being practically attached at the hip since we were kids means nothing to you, that you don't even hate me, you just don't care about me."
You hated seeing him like this. You'd never seen this side of him and you never wanted to see it again. You could tell him that maybe it wasn't hatred and if it was hatred in the beginning it had evolved to a sort of messed up attachment, and if you dug long enough you'd probably find some kind of affection for him in your angry little heart. That might make him stop looking at you that way.
You just wanted him to stop looking like that, so sad and fucking pathetic. It made that same something that had twisted in your chest before twist again, but in a more painful way.
"I don't know if I do like you back," you say slowly. His shoulders slump and he raises his hands to his face, presumably to hide his expression.
You're not finished.
You step forward and take his hands, curling your fingers around them, pressing into his palms, more gentle than you've ever dared be with him. You lower them, looking into his face steadily. "But I think I could learn to. And I want to learn."
He lets out a ragged breath, expression now totally raw and hopeful, which was honestly the opposite of what you were hoping to achieve, which was sober him up out of this sad-sack thing he was in. But you think you can live with it.
"Okay," he breathes, gripping onto your hands. "A chance is all I need, I promise."
You nod and continue looking at him. Probably the longest you've really looked at him without swinging or didn't have your hands around his throat.
The silence drags on, and you're considering what to do or say next when he speaks again, shifting one of his hands from yours to touch your face. Your hand that he just released flies to his wrist, but you stop, relenting, allowing it when you realise he's just, very gently and carefully, unsticking wisps of your hair from the dried blood on your face and tucking it behind your ear. "I want to kiss you," he said bluntly. "Can I?"
You don't know if you'll like it but you figure it can't hurt to try, so you just nod, letting him cradle your jaw in his hand, still holding your other hand tightly, and let him kiss you like you're fragile, something far more delicate than you are.
It's not as bad as you thought. In fact, you like it. Probably more than you should.
Then you don't think much anymore, too distracted by his warm mouth on yours and how he tastes of sea salt.
(challenge to myself to write a reader who isn't a little freak next time)
#aonung#aonung x reader#aonung avatar#atwow#avatar#avatar fanfiction#avatar x reader#avatar 2#tsireya
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Rewatched the Avatar TLA series with my partner recently, and fell in love with the world and characters all over again. I especially love the journey Zuko goes through the show as a character.
Zuko, son of Fire Lord Ozai. He seems pretty by-the-books at first as this angry villain, but something that makes him immediately unique for this kind of setting is his young age. He's barely older than Aang, our child protagonist.
"You're just a child." "Well, you're just a teenager!"
Although early on you start getting the idea that there's more nuance to him than this villain trying to incapacitate our protag, he shows some depth in his character here and there, usually through his uncle Iroh, a wise warrior that's there to aid and comfort his nephew, joining his banished trip on his own accord. While he's on the villain's side, it's worth noting he never hurts or intimidates innocent people, only ever fighting those already attacking or threatening him.
Even so, Zuko made it blatantly clear what his intents were. "I must capture the avatar to regain my honor." And he barely changed his mind about this throughout the entire first season, even when the two helped each-other out of hopeless circumstances, hinting that they're not meant to be sworn enemies.
"If we knew each-other back then, do you think we could've been friends too?"
Knowing the show and how it transpires across all 3 seasons, it's interesting seeing the intent the writers and showrunners had for these characters, and their hidden depth, all the way back in this first season. One of the finest examples would be Iroh sharing Zuko's history with fellow soldiers. A history which helps said soldiers --and in turn, the audience-- empathize with him.
Behind Zuko's scarred face is a story about a boy already feeling lost and unsure of himself, stumbling into a tragedy where his father --in sheer arrogance-- abused his son to a high degree in front of all his subordinates, in a heinous act he would call punishment.
Ever since then, he was banished to travel across the world to search for the avatar, a task his father felt was worthless, but was the same as leaving him out to die. This isn't the origin of a villain, but a downtrodden individual who couldn't find his place in life.
What Zuko called "honor" over and over again wasn't that, but his father's love. He already lost his mother, and instead yearned for his father's approval and affection. This culminated to his ultimate betrayal, siding with his sister and turning his back on his uncle, which lead to his imprisonment. During a crossroad and moment of insecurity, he threw his uncle Iroh to the wolves because he thought he would regain his honor and earn his right to be a part of his family once again.
Zuko would be welcomed back into his family, he retrieved what he thought was his honor --and what he thought was genuine love from his father.
"You have redeemed yourself, my son."
But even then, he still felt lost, alone, and without a sense of direction. Nothing changed, his soul still felt incomplete.
"For so long, I thought that if my dad accepted me, I'd be happy. My dad talks to me, he even thinks I'm a hero! Everything should be perfect, right? I should be happy now, but I'm not! I'm angrier than ever, and I don't know why!"
It took him a long time (about 2 and a half seasons) to realize he didn't need this sense of "honor" and what he was chasing was just a farce. His father only showed Zuko "love" when he seemed useful, an asset that was helping his fascist conquering of multiple nations by killing the Avatar.
All of this drew to an enthralling, terrifying, heart-wrenching moment between him and his father during the day of the eclipse. He used the minutes they could not fire bend as an opportunity to let out the truth and his own epiphany. He admitted that he never killed Aang --didn't even try, for that matter-- and that he's going to help him defeat his father's regime. Ozai immediately despised Zuko for this, proving his 'love' was conditional and hollow. And at that moment, as soon as the eclipse ceased, he attempted to kill his own son right then and there in a moment that never fails to draw tears out of me as soon as it happens.
Zuko survived his father's lethal attack, only by sheer will, and a lighting-redirection technique his uncle happened to teach him a while back, emphasizing how important Iroh is to him. Iroh is the father figure that truly loved Zuko unconditionally. Ozai, his biological father, could only grant him death. His uncle Iroh, at that moment, inadvertently granted him life.
And Zuko's story (mostly) ends in the middle of the 4-part finale. With the help of his friends, he tracked down Iroh who escaped from prison. The moment he sees his uncle, he breaks down as he's horribly ashamed of his actions, expecting Iroh to shun him as he feels he does not deserve his uncle's love after what he did to him.
"I was never angry with you . . . I was sad, because I was afraid you lost your way."
But Iroh doesn't hesitate to embrace him. Like I said, his love is unconditional. He knew Zuko wasn't evil, he was only being manipulated by the likes of his father and sister. He knew Zuko would find the right path, restore his own honor, and come back to him. It's such a beautiful moment and the soul-piercing conclusion to Zuko's story, a story they were building up since the literal first episode.
Of course, there's also Azula, his sister. She was considered a prodigy with her amazing fire bending abilities, mastering the skill of bending lightning, something only her father and uncle were able to do before her.
She was a spitting image of her father; fierce, manipulative, wrathful, the only thing she shared with her brother Zuko was their sense of determination. But we don't learn what really drives Azula until the finale. It's similar to Zuko. He felt incomplete without his father's love. While this was implied before the finale, Azula felt she was missing her mother's love.
While I think the argument could be made that this was just her own projection, it's important that this shows how --despite her more respected place in their family and nation-- she was just as broken and spiritually lost as Zuko. While Ozai showered his daughter with praise for all of her life, Azula felt her mother didn't love her, which ate away at her, deep inside. Much like Zuko, who felt he was fighting to earn his father's love.
Azula, to me, represents Zuko's future if he let his father manipulate him, just like Azula did to him. Would he have become this tyrannical fire lord if he just listened to his father, abandoned his inhibitions, and ensured his nation's regime? Maybe. But like Azula's interrupted crowning, it would have been shallow, lonely, and without any real sense of self-worth. Nothing to show for it but a broken mind.
Instead, Zuko became the fire lord on his own terms, and with the entire world in support of him, as he helped this quest for peace and balance across the nations. He earned his place in life through his own will, his own actions, and his amazing uncle who only wanted the best for him. He restored his honor himself, with lifelong friends by his side.
That's it, that's all I wanted to write about. This show rules.
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Hey i was wondering if maybe u can do a fic where reader is part of taskforce 141 and most of the time is super focused on the mission and her orders but seems out it it bc its her daughter bday or sum ,and they find out she used to have a family (husband,children the while shabang) but they were murdered or died in a terrorist attack. I just want something really angsty 😭💀
spring daffodils
Also on AO3!
Pairing: TF141 & fem!Reader, mentioned Reader x unnamed!Husband
Summary: It’s been years since the tragic death of your husband and daughter at the hands of an enemy target you were tracking at the time. On the day of what would have been your daughter’s birthday, something in a mission causes you to break down in front of the rest of the task force. Or: 3k words of the reader crying and Task Force 141 comforting her
Word Count: 3k
Content Warnings: fem!Reader, angst, hurt/comfort, crying, brief argument with Ghost at the beginning but nothing too bad, Reader was married and had a child, mentions of death (including death of a child), brief mention of blood, Reader has the codename “Tigress”, this is all strictly platonic, Tigress has that widow trauma so no time for romance, no beta we die like Tigress' family, it's for the angst plot guys I swear
A/N: Thank you for the request, I’m sorry this is kinda late but I hope you enjoy it! The ending is a bit meh but I already felt bad with how late this is. I tried to make this as angsty as possible but with some comfort and a bit of fluff at the end.
It was spring when you first met him. You were back home after a long, tiring time of non-stop tours and missions. You decided to take a small break of a couple of months before specialising further in your military career. A new café had opened near your home and you often found yourself there, spending the afternoon in the cosy shop. It was where you first met him. You had just picked up your cup of coffee when something bumped into you from behind, causing your coffee to spill all over the front of your shirt. You turned around, ready to have a word with whoever knocked into you when you were met with a ramble of apologies and promises to buy you a new coffee. Soon you found yourself sitting with the man in a private corner of the café, a hot cup of coffee in front of you and a promise of a new shirt to replace the coffee-stained one. One date quickly turned into two, the both of you enraptured with each other. And after a few years, a golden ring adorned your finger. After a year or so of the two of you being married, your daughter was born. A little human being who brought joy and innocence to your life, who did not know of the true horrors her mum faced to keep people like her safe.
=====
And it was spring when they died. The trees were starting to bud and the flowers were starting to bloom again. The sky was finally clear after months of grey clouds and cold winds. Mother Earth was once again encouraging and welcoming new life when their light was snuffed out. A bitter irony.
The family of crows which lived in your back garden sat in the branches of the tree overlooking your driveway. Watching as you made your way across the driveway and to the front door, observing like a bad omen. Only for you to discover the bodies of your husband and daughter. Shot dead in the very living room of your own home. It was like a silly game of Cluedo, whodunnit and with what? Except this wasn’t a silly game of Cluedo. You knew exactly who had ordered this to be done.
Their deaths were because of your line of work. A tragic event born from a multitude of failures. The target you were chasing at the time with your old squad had sent out the hit on your family. In a last-ditch attempt to attack your squad in some way. And if he couldn’t get to your squad directly, then he would hurt them indirectly. And that he did. Somehow it got out that you had a family, it shouldn’t have. Someone back at base fucked up because that information should have been strictly secret to prevent these types of situations in the first palace. It should have been redacted behind a big block of black ink on your file. But in the end, your target was the one with the last laugh whilst you were forced to deal with the sight of your husband and daughter murdered in your own home.
Since that day you have thrown yourself into your work. Sinking in an endless ocean of mission after mission, wanting to give up and stop swimming and yet just as the last breath of air leaves your lungs you find yourself breaking the surface yet again. A never-ending cycle of peace until the storm of grief strikes anew.
Without anyone left back home, it was easy to dedicate everything to the military and a few years later you found yourself recruited by no other than Captain John Price himself. This new task force, the 141, was the closest thing to family you had experienced in a long time. And yet, you still couldn’t find it in yourself to tell the boys about them. About your husband and your little girl. A part of you reasoned that there was no need for them to know, what was the point when their fate has already been engraved in stone and nothing can change the outcome of what happened. Or maybe you were just too much of a coward to confront what happened that day.
What you couldn’t ignore was the current date. Its significance is seared into your mind, a constant reminder of what could have been. Of what you have lost. And of course, the task force was assigned a mission on this day of all days. At first, the mission you and the rest of the task force were on was going well. You always prided yourself in being professional and focused when it came to missions. You knew the seriousness of the situation and followed orders given to you.
And then it all went to shit. You were already feeling off the moment you woke up. Not even looking at the small desk calendar to remind yourself of the date. As if you haven’t been counting down the days. Like clockwork, waiting for the guilt and grief to wash over you until the tsunami passed and you waited until another 365 days passed to repeat the process.
You and your team had cleared the abandoned village the enemy had set up base in. You were ordered to search and clear one of the buildings in case there were any enemies in hiding. As you methodically made your way through the house you came across what clearly used to be a child’s room. Toys were strewn about, but what caused you to pause was the sight of a teddy bear dropped at the foot of the bed. Intel had informed you that the village was forced to flee as the enemy forces occupied the area, some resisting and resulting in civilian deaths. Your eyes zeroed in on the blood splatter on one of the teddy’s ears, the fake fur matted with the dried liquid.
“Mum, can I get that teddy pretty pleaasee?”
“Alright sweetie, but only this one okay?”
“Yay thank you! I will name you… hmmm… Sir Stripes!”
You honestly did not remember much after that. The rest of the village was deemed clear and soon you were on the flight back to base. You fought to keep yourself together just for a few more hours until you were back on base and could grieve alone within the confines of your own four walls. Your team watched with concern as you sat, back straight and staring ahead at the hull of the plane.
A hand on your shoulder jolted you out of your memories. You recognised the face of the pilot and it took you embarrassingly long to realise the rest of the team had already disembarked the plane. You mumbled what you hoped was an intelligible apology and made your way over to the locker room. Thankfully the room was empty, you loved your teammates that was without question. But right now, you didn’t think you could make it much longer until you broke down. With practised ease, you stripped yourself of your gear and it seemed you were lucky enough that no one came to find out why you were taking so long. You should have known by now that luck typically doesn’t go your way. Just as you put away the last of your gear a voice from the doorway interrupted you.
“Care to explain what’s up with you today?” With a deep breath, you turned and faced Ghost. Your lieutenant was standing in the doorway of the armoury, already out of his field gear, although he looked just as intimidating in his normal attire.
“I don’t know what you mean, the mission was a success.” You said, attempting to feign ignorance. Of course, Ghost saw through that.
“You were out of it” Ghost replied, his eyes piercing into yours, his sharp gaze never leaving you.
You stayed silent, hoping that he would drop it and let you go so that you could inevitably cry in peace. The two of you stood in silence, staring at each other until Ghost crossed his arms over his chest, looking even more imposing in the doorway.
“Don’t bullshit me Tigress. You were clearly out of it, hell even Soap noticed and you know it takes him long to figure this kind of shit out.”
“The mission was a success, so I don’t see why this is an issue.” You huffed, starting to get irritated at the man’s persistent probing. Any other day you would be happy to know that the infamous Ghost cared. But right now? Right now you just wanted to be left alone. You just wanted to stew in your grief, let the dark thoughts remind you of what happened. You had to keep the walls up. They can’t know how fucked up your life was. How you failed to protect them. You don’t deserve their comfort.
Ghost shifted at the slight tone in your voice. If it wasn’t clear before that something was bothering you, now it definitely was. “It becomes an issue when one of my soldiers is not thinking clearly in enemy territory.”
“Look, Lieutenant, it's getting late, we’re all tired. This won’t happen again.” You sighed, exasperated by both the exhaustion from the mission and the emotional toll it took on you.
You pushed past the man and made your way to the task force’s shared kitchen area. Hoping to get a fresh glass of water and some snacks before your inevitable break down. Of course Ghost, the stubborn man that he is, followed you. He wasn’t done with this situation and in his own way wanted to make sure you were okay so that you wouldn’t be distracted in future missions. You ignored the rest of your team sitting in the room and beelined straight for the kitchen cupboard, taking out an empty glass.
“This isn’t a joke Tigress. One mistake and it can cost you your life out there”
“I know that!” You exclaimed in response to Ghost’s voice, not turning around to face the man who had followed you to the common area.
“Do you? Do you know that? Because today, out there it seemed like one of my soldiers was ready to put her life in danger because she wasn’t aware!”
Ghost waits for an answer but when he gets none he continued, “I can’t have you out there acting as if there is nothing for you to go back to back home”
“Well, there is nothing back home!” You yelled out, setting the glass not so gently on the counter. Immediately you closed your eyes in regret of your outburst.
Ghost faltered for a second, the rest of the team watching you with your back turned to them
You faced the wall, feeling the sting grow stronger in your eyes. You tilted your face up towards the ceiling, hoping it would stave off the tears. The muscles in your jaw tensed as you clenched them in an attempt to keep your composure.
“Tigress?”
You took a deep breath and turned to face your team. They watched as you faced them, your lip quivering as you fought to contain the sobs building in your throat, eyes brimmed with tears threatening to spill down your cheeks at any second. You rapidly blinked your eyes at the moisture building up in them.
“I’m gonna go to sleep,” you said with a shaky voice.
“Hey, don’t pull away from us, please. Tell us what’s wrong” Gaz was the first one to break the silence, he got up and moved to stand in front of you. “Are you alright?” he asked, stretching his arms out towards you in a silent offering.
At the sound of his gentle voice the walls you so desperately built to shield your own heart broke. And with them your last composure. You sniffled a few times, inhaling the air up through your nose as your face twisted with both the emotional pain and the effort of not breaking down. You shook your head softly at him, words failing you at this moment due to the lump in your throat and the tight coil wrapped in your chest. You practically dove into Gaz’s outstretched arms, allowing yourself for the first time in years to have this comfort. His arms came down to wrap around you and in the safety of his embrace, the first sob escaped from where you tried to bury it down. The tears quickly followed and found their way down your cheeks.
The two of you stood there for what felt like hours, Gaz gently rocking you from side to side. Years of built-up grief and anguish finally escaped from where you had buried those feelings deep within your heart, bubbling up into a series of broken sounds escaping your lips. After a few minutes, your sobs calmed down to a few quiet hiccups and sniffles. Another arm joined to draw comforting circles on your back, you tilted your head from where it was resting against Gaz’s chest to see Soap standing next to you. A warm smile on the Scotman’s face.
“I- um…” you trailed off, your words interrupted by yet another sniffle.
“Take your time lass,” answered Soap
You sent him a watery smile and pulled your sleeves over your hands to wipe at your eyes as well as your running nose. You coughed to clear the croakiness in your voice and took a deep breath in an effort to calm down.
“I had a husband years ago. We were married and even had a little girl together. This was before I joined the task force and everything,” you paused to accept a tissue from Price, you blew out your nose before continuing. “And well, they were both killed because of my involvement in a case. The target we were tracking sent out the hit.”
“Kid, I had no idea.” Price said, taking your used tissue from your hand and replacing it with a clean one. He may deny that he is the dad of the team, but all of you knew he cared for every single one of you.
“I didn’t want any of you to know. I tried putting that shit behind me. Didn’t want to talk about it, so I left it out of my file.” You explained and with a weak laugh you continue, “she would have been eight today. Her dad would always buy her those supermarket cakes, and if I wasn’t home she would insist I get one as well so that I could eat some cake too.”
All of your teammates’ hearts ached seeing how much pain you carried, how long you probably suffered and grieved for their losses without having anyone to comfort you. Never before had they seen you with this much pain in your voice, you were always the one who got the job done on missions. Who seemed like they had their life together and returned on leave to a happy home life.
You looked up after dabbing at your eyes with the tissue to see Price standing in front of you. You didn’t think you had any tears left in you but at the sight of your Captain, the unofficial dad of the team, with his arms out wide offering you a hug and a soft look in his eyes you felt the tears well up once again.
You accepted Price’s hug and you felt the distinct lump in the back of your throat build up again and as much as you tried to will it away, it persisted and soon more sobs were forced from you. The smell of cigars and smoke enveloped you in the warmth of his embrace. Price only pulled you closer to his chest at the sound of your sobs, allowing you to fully bury your face into his shirt, no doubt wetting the fabric with your tears.
Soon Gaz joined you two, tears of his own in his eyes. Price reached up with one of his arms and pulled the younger man in. Soap followed shortly after and finally, you felt gentle yet firm arms enveloping all of you. You looked up to see Ghost, a rare soft look in his eyes and a silent apology for having pushed you for answers earlier.
You felt safe here in the big, warm group hug of your teammates and slowly your sobs dwindled until they completely died down.
“I have some pictures I can show you guys,” you disentangled yourself from the group hug to move to one of the couches and took out your phone, scrolling past pictures of the task force members as well as pictures of your old team. You finally found your favourite picture, it shows your husband and daughter together, a tiger plushie clutched in your daughter’s hands. Your team gathered around as you showed them the picture.
“Wait, is that why?” Soap began to ask and you nodded.
“They were her favourite animal. And when she found out about codenames, she practically insisted on that being my codename”
“So like a secret spy!”
“Yes sweetie, it’s a secret spy name”
“Can you choose your own?”
“We can, or it’s a nickname given to us by our friends”
“Ooo how about Tiger? No! Tigress!”
“That’s an amazing idea, honey”
You took a moment to stare at the picture, smiling at how happy they both looked in it. Your hand which held the crumpled tissue reached up to lightly dab at the tears welling up in your eyes again. You accepted another tissue from Ghost this time, where he got them from you had no idea but you were grateful for it anyways.
The rest of the evening was spent with all of you sharing various stories from over the years. Tucked in between your teammates, tired from the emotional day, you felt a sense of home. Something which you hadn’t felt in a long, long time.
#female reader#cod mw2 x reader#reader insert#simon ghost riley x reader#john soap mctavish x reader#john price x reader#kyle gaz garrick x reader#cod x reader#taskforce 141 x reader#141 x reader#angst#fluff#taskforce 141#cod ghost#cod soap#let me know if there are any mistakes#thank you and i hope you enjoy
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@lara-legomonkiekid
What if Y/N was like Jax from tadc!
(Lmk Wukong) Wukong thought that he was the king of pranks That was untill he met you. Your a rather Unusual looking rabbit demon. You're smiling constantly and you at wearing pink overalls. Not to mention it seems you are have very full curves. Look relatively harmless until Showed everyone that you're not. He was the main target of your pranks. Whether it be the candy apple that was actually an onion trick or the cookies filled with toothpaste, He was not pleased with what you do. And the final straw was that you once put a family of spiders in mk's bed. Then he went to confront you and before he could scold you. For your actions, you were like it's about time You came to see me. I was wondering win the king was gonna give little me some attention. Ok now Wukong is perplexed You mean to tell him that the reason you are doing? All this is because you want his attention. You couldn't just went up and talked to him. You finally responded with well. Where's the fun in that. This is the beginning of a rather interesting relationship.
(NR Wukong) Okay would you believe me if I said this all started with a bowling ball. You were over hear dropping balling balls on random demons and unfortunately that ended up being him. You quickly saw that that was the monkey king himself and boy did you run Like your life depended on it. The next day this dude somehow found you, He demanded to know why you hit him with a bowling ball effort. She was trying gonna play dumb to it. But it looks like he means business so you just told them that He wasn't your target. The exchange gets heated and he finally says that I hope You know that this means war. Oh he came to challenge you to a prank war Game on hot old man monkey.
(MK Reborn Wukong) You are the bain of this monkey's existence. This rabbit demon has been messing with him and his group for weeks. Fun fact you once Wrote the word nerd On master tang forehead. You put spicy peppers in pigsy's soup and feed a lemon to fruity. Yeah you are freaking menace and your relationship was a lot like tom and jerry. This man was always yelling and trying to fight you. But you would always quickly escape with your infinite stamina. This goes on for far too long to the point where master Tang decided, To just bring you along the journey to enlightenment and You told him that the only reason you're accepting is because of the hot Angry monkey who always tried to chase you. The look on his face was priceless
(HIB Wukong) You make this man so tired you are just to full of energy for him. And he tends to brush off your pranks. As little inconveniences which annoys you alot. You guys me On his travels to Hun Dun. You of course was flirting with him a little bit before offering your hand To introduce yourself with he did want to shake it he got shocked. You explained to him that you picked up static before making contact with him. He already knows that this is going to be a long day
(Netflix Wukong) Oh how you have made the world's most hilarious enemy. This guy would engage with a prank war with you with no problem. Weeks of onslaught pranks on each other, while sometimes getting people caught in the crossfire was quite thrilling. You guys decided to take a break and actually Talk to each other and found that. You guys have a lot more in common than you think. Not to mention he's quite cute to you. I guess you can always see what this adventure would take you two.
Feel Free to Reblog😇👍
#monkey king netflix#monkey king reborn#monkey king x reader#lmk monkey king#nezha reborn#x female y/n#monkey king hero is back#the amazing digital circus#tadc jax
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Since so many of y'all asked [nobody did. I just think I'm funny], here's songs for your playlist when writing toxic relationships:
[Also, the songs are from multiple genres.
TW for toxic relationships, abuse, etc.]
"My Way of Life" by Frank Sinatra
For when a character is so obsessed by another character that they can not live or function without that person.
"I Love You Like An Alcoholic" by The Taxpayers
Two singers chatting about how in love they are, how they want "one last kiss," how they need each other like one needs an injury, and how the love each other in the broken, toxic way of alcoholics. It's mutual acknowledgement of how fucked up they are but still wanting to be together
"Hell and You" by Amigo the Devil
A character would go anywhere with the other person, even hell. All that person needs to do is ask. Basically, it gives vibes of two people dancing and staring into each others' eyes as the world burns around them. That's part of the excitement, though.
"Tongues and Teeth" by The Crane Wives
The character is cruel and wicked, but it's all they have. It's all they can offer. If the other person wants to be in a relationship with someone who will hurt them, then okay. They can. The character warns them not to, but they're not going to stop them either. It's not going to end well, but the character let's the other person dictate what their relationship will be. Not once does the character apologize for being the way they are, just warns the other against it.
"No Children" by The Mountain Goats
The singer continues to hope for bad scenarios, such as getting injured, lying, leaving, relationships falling apart, never getting sober, etc. They compare their relationship to drowning, but they're doing it together. It's practically hate
"Chase The Feeling" by The Devil Makes Three
The other person continues their addiction despite it destroying their life. The character seems to have given up on the person and is using humor to cope with the fact that the other person won't get better
"Allies or Enemies" by The Crane Wives
Pretty much the title. Are they on the same side? They have good memories with each other, but they keep fighting as well. This constant uncertainty will kill them.
"Absence" by Rio Romeo
The character wants to know what their lover would do if they disappeared. Would their lover search for them? Disappear with them? Or let them leave without going after them?
"Saint Bernard" by Lincoln
Put on this list for the lyrics "I said make me love myself so that I might love you. Don't make me a liar. Because I swear to God, when I said it, I thought it was true."
"YKWIM?" by Yot Club
The character loves someone who doesn't love or seem to care about them. The character cares too much and they're alone
"loving me is really hard" by NEYSA
The character is cruel and confusing to their loved one. They like watching them cry but still want to be with them
"Nothing's New" by Rio Romeo
The character has been through relationships over and over again and knows the pattern of when they start to fall apart. Their heart is worn, but they love their partner. They want to hold on for however long is left.
"The Bidding" by Tally Hall
The character learned to sell their love/attention to the rich. They make people feel special and loved for a price. As long as they are paid, they will never let the other person down
"I Can't Decide" by Scissor Sisters
Manic laughter and "I can't decide whether you should live or die." Just very toxic deliberating on whether to kill their loved one
"This is Love" by Air Traffic Control
The POV of the abuser in a domestic abuse relationship. They are blaming the other person or anything but themselves, they are preventing the other from seeing anyone else, continually reinforcing that "this is love," and threatening them. It showcases a cycle of abuse and common tactics used
"The Masochism Tango" by Tom Lehrer
Basically, the character yearns to be physically hurt by their loved one.
"Misery Meat" by Sodikken
The character gives every piece of their flesh to their loved one. Through their pain, their loved one can gain so much
"Stalker's Tango" by Autoheart
The character demands the other person to love them
"How I'd Kill" by Cowboy Malfoy
The character is so obsessed by the other person that they would even kill just to see the other person. They talk about how they've never felt anything like that before
"CONTROL BABY" by Jhariah
This is more about toxic relationships with parents. "You're not the son I raised!"
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after four seasons, this alliances/friendship web is getting really complicated.
the mean gills:
internally are two friends from previous smps with similar gamestyles who are both very loyal to their teammates
have a strong alliance with the clockers because cleo is in charge of them and cleo and scott were soulmates by choice in the third season.
have no official alliance with the bad boys and have periods of hostility, but this is complicated by the fact that scott and jimmy were "married" in the first season and scott's been chasing jimmy ever since (hence why scott gives jimmy a life), and also by the fact that joel loves hunting scott no matter the series for some reason.
have no alliance with the ties but scott is on good terms with several of them due to being generally pleasant, while martyn is on bad terms with several of them due to being generally sneaky and also killing a few of them
had an alliance with the nosy neighbours that was blown up seemingly randomly when pearl stole their enchanting table, but pearl and scott had been partners in season 2 and then scott had refused to partner with her in season 3 when they were soulmates (martin had also abandoned her rather than teaming up).
the bad boys
internally, they are three very good friends who've known each other for a long time and have a very established dynamic. you would think this makes them a stronger team but unfortunately this makes them very themselves around each other - jimmy becomes very pathetic, joel becomes very reckless, and grian sets about creating as much discord and drama as humanly possible, including trying to start several unsuccessful coups within the group itself for seemingly little reason
have an alliance with (and are "cousins" to) the clockers, with the only previous link between the groups being grian and scar, who were partners in season 1 and soulmate partners in season 3. they work well together in a team and both like to create chaos, but grian seems to resent being "tied to" scar across the seasons (he was protecting scar because he killed him in season 1 and unwillingly soul-bound in season 3, when he 'cheated' on scar). so even though they have a lot of interaction and seem to get on most of the time, grian would rather go out of his way to avoid teaming with scar or working with him too much
have been technically enemies this season with the nosy neighbours because jimmy decided to go apeshit over a frog, but joel and grian didn't actually care about this feud. grian also was previously bigb's "secret soulmate" in season 3/double life, but given the intense partnerships, this didn't actually amount to them spending any time together and grian has largely ignored him this season until randomly forming an alliance with him after the rest of the bad boys died
ties
internally they are old friends who've worked together in varying capacities for a number of years and have been in alliances and teams with each other before. because they've mostly worked with each other rather than with a lot of other people on the server, they don't have strong alliances outside of the group but are very cohesive internally and work together well (barring etho, who is a conundrum)
are enemies with the clockers except for etho, who is the clocker's dad in their roleplay set-up although he is now currently at war with scar and cleo. this seems totally nonsensical at first, but etho and bdubs have what is best described as a "thing" where they seem to always need to be allied with each other even when it doesn't really make sense. like for example in season 3 when they had different soulmates, and in this season where etho has spent multiple episodes roleplaying families with a team where all the members other than bdubz are actively trying to kill him on sight
some of the team have teamed up with some of bad boys before in large groups, and joel/etho and tango/jimmy were soulmates in double life but with minimal effect on this season's dynamics
some of the team have previously allied/teamed with bigb
clockers
are team members all from the hermitcraft server where they've known each other for a while. cleo and bdubs have been teammates before.
are controlled by cleo who is in charge, so largely her previous relationships are their previous relationships - they have animosity with the nosey neighbours because bigb betrayed her in season 2 and animosity with pearl because of the tension in the divorce arc from double life when cleo teamed up with her soulmate.
cleo and etho have always had a strange relationship. cleo and etho are both... intimidating, though for different reasons. over the entirety of the life smp, cleo has always held that etho was overrated skill-wise (perhaps correctly) as a danger on the life SMP, and seemingly in response etho treated cleo as though she scared him, which might have been to make it seem to others like cleo didn't rate him because she was good rather than because he was bad. this largely worked for three seasons: however, this house of cards seems to finally have come tumbling down in limited life, where etho being washed up has become a server-wide joke.
and that's what you missed on glee...
#limited life#limited life smp#third life smp#life smp#grian#zombiecleo#jimmy solidarity#ethoslab#bdouble0#goodtimeswithscar#pearlescentmoon#bigbstatz
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Self-rec Thingy
Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. spread the self-love ❤
Thank you for the tag @raina-at
It feels like betrayal to my beloved children 😉 to pick five but here we go.
The Perfect Place
Sherlock needs a flatmate and already has the perfect person in mind. Now he only needs to convince his object of desire to move in and also find out if he desires Sherlock as well.
I am so in love with my second newest fic! Written daily for some of calais_reno's mayprompts 2024, it evolved into a hilarious funny cringefest with pining idiots and snarky comments made by the narrator. I grinned/laughed all the time while writing and people in the comments said they did, too. 10k words.
The Curious Case of the Casablanca Killer
Deemed a three at best, the case of an invisible burglar in a historic cinema who stole nothing only caught Sherlock’s attention because he was bored. Also, he wanted to do John a favour. In the end, this proved to be a real stroke of luck. Otherwise, Sherlock would have missed an intriguing mystery that quickly ramped up in complexity.
I am very proud of this one! My first real 100% case fic. It took a lot of plotting and about a year to complete. It started as a gift for my friend and beta reader @peageetibbs , a short idea for a murder in a cinema since my friend runs a real cinema with a group of people in real life.
I have imagined that a lot more people would be eager to read this (ngl I am disappointed about its hit count development). Sherlock solves a complicated case, lots of hints and clues, all is logical and an epic chase sequence at the end. Established friendship, no smut. 56k words. Go read!
Learn My Scars
After being thrown down and strangled, Sherlock leaves John in the restaurant, angry and deeply hurt. When John follows Sherlock to 221b, he learns that Sherlock's scars have not been acquired by “gallivanting around” for two years.
Very proud of this one, too. It has been written under a huge amount of stress. Written for whumptober 2022, it was posted daily for 31 days with sometimes really long chapters of over 2k words. Looking back, it feels like I've written all my spare time and doing little else for six weeks. It was insane and it was great.
It has the most kudos and second most hits of my fics, 38k words.
Sherlock comes home after the hiatus. My S3 fix-it fic starts at the restaurant scene and goes very differently afterwards. Johnlock endgame, lots of hurt/comfort and tales of what happened to Sherlock while being away, including a long part set in the Serbian cell.
The 13th Book
Summoning a demon was actually quite simple if you could avoid getting killed in the process. Therefore, only the powerful, the desperate or the stupid would attempt it. John Watson was likely the first, definitely the second but hopefully not one of the third kind.
A magical realism AU. Sorcerer John summons a demon, Sherlock. It happens very differently than it's been expected. Not a lot of actual magic but enemies to friends and an epic bromance ensues. Funny moments, no smut. 26k words.
My AU world interweaves with BBC Sherlock universe and incorporates "Inspector Columbo" and "On the run elements" and this is the reason why I've picked the fic for this list. I made real still-life arrangements for each chapter and photographed them. The pics are posted in the fic. I am a bit sad that there are not so many hits on this one.
Wretched and Divine
Dr. John Watson is on call at the A&E when he attempts to treat a very special patient. Instead he finds himself a very special treat.
My first ever posted fic. The punklock AU different first meeting is still very well-written (so I believe) for a first! It's funny, in character, on point and John is so in for a surprise! 5k words.
I love the punklock theme so much that this one spawned a sequel and I wrote another 3-part series with punk!Sherlock.
+++++++
Tagging @keirgreeneyes and everone who wants to share (I forgot who's already been tagged).
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Hi, you write very cool, I love reading your posts. Can you please make mercenaries with a teenage girl reader? She's originally from Russia. Y/n is a big fan of horror movies and other creepy stuff. Her favorite hobby is walking around abandoned buildings and diggerism, she likes to take things she finds in buildings with her as souvenirs. One shot as all mercenaries go with her to the abandoned hospital, if it's not hard. They have fun, have wheelchair races, scare each other, draw graffiti, until they hear some strange noises, the mercenaries think it's y/n since she moved away from them, but she stands next to them. Y/n as the bravest decides to go into the room where the strange sounds are coming from, dementia and courage, there she sees a group of some people, they notice her and start chasing her, y/n shouts to the mercenaries to run away and they all escape from the hospital ttogether. I apologize for the errors in the text, English is not my native language
A/N: WOO WEE, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE WRITTEN ANYTHING TF2. Sorry this took so long! I've been trying to find myself again and improve my writing! So, I hope you enjoy as I try to finish all these requests... (I hope I got everything in this request)
Horror Flicks and Thrillers (Mercs x Teen! Reader)
Hailing from a small, unknown town in Russia, you moved to Teufort only a few years ago. You were younger than you were right now, around fourteen years of age. Maybe even younger. You were seventeen now, living with a group of men known as Team Fortress. They were mercenaries, every single one, with different and unique jobs. You had grown to love them like family. They accepted you into their family. When you arrived, you weren’t fluent in English. Scout and Heavy helped you learn. Heavy did most of the work, providing flashcards and having Scout translate it back to English. Weeks had gone by and you spoke full sentences without hesitation. They attempted to raise you, seeing as you were now one of them. It wasn’t easy, especially since they were paid killers constantly fighting the enemy team. You tried not to make it hard for them but your obsession with creepy things and horror movies got in the way.
“Can we watch the Mike Myers film again?” you sweetly asked Heavy as he chopped onions on the cutting board. The giant did not shed a tear as he chopped the onions in one swoop. They seemed to have no effect on him. “I love a good Halloween movie. Or two.” Heavy grunted.
“That will be the eighth time this week, leetle Y/n,” he replied. You frowned. “Are you not tired from watching the same films over and over?” A grin grew on your face. You weren’t tired of the same horror flicks. You loved them so much. You knew you would die watching the films. It’d be the last thing before you went into the afterlife. It didn’t matter if it was even the classic horror or thriller films.
“Y/n, didn’t you hear me?”
“Hmm?” You looked back at Heavy, who simply sighed. He wasn’t trying to sound disappointed. But it was a bit frustrating when you didn’t listen. You got lost in thought a lot.
“Mind helping me?” he asked again, this time with your full attention. You nodded, mumbling “Uh huh” and went around Heavy. You grabbed a bowl and Heavy slipped the diced onions into it. He placed the knife and cutting board into the kitchen sink. Today was fish and salad onion day. The onion was mixed with other vegetables and served as a side. When Heavy was the one to cook the dish, it was like heaven on the mouth. It was something known to keep you shushed about your horror flick obsession.
But you had a plan for later that night. You were going to make it terribly unforgettable.
*>/<*
You helped Scout carry the dishes to the sink. It was Pyro’s turn to wash them. Spy and Heavy were very hesitant to let Pyro do it, since last time he shattered every plate and burned them like a bonfire. Ms. Pauling was not too pleased with that incident.
“Alright, those are all the dishes,” Scout declared, placing a stack on the larger side of the sink. You followed him into the living room, where he crashed on the couch next to Engineer. He sighed. “So what are we doing tonight?” he asked. A grin grew on your face. The team discussed what they were going to do. Spy recommended that you all played poker, Pyro suggested making it “Movie Night” tonight.
You slowly snuck off as the discussion quickly turned into a heated argument. Pyro was the one to notice you sneak off and quietly followed. It was dark and cold outside. The lights from inside barely illuminated the front yard. You sighed. It was a beautiful night to go breaking into haunted hospitals. Pyro never mumbled a word. He simply followed you to Spy’s extremely expensive sports car. He watched as you shattered the window and snuck in the car. You pulled out the steering system, exposing the wires. You began to hot-wire the car as Pyro leaned his arms against the shattered window. You almost had the engine running when you heard a voice call out, sending chills down your spine.
“What do you think you’re doing?!” You flinched back.
“Privet (Hello) Spy,” you sheepishly replied, lifting your head up so he could see you. Spy’s face was red with anger. “I’m just simply… pochinit' tvoyu mashinu (fixing your car),” you lied. Spy raised his eyebrow. You sank back into the driver’s seat. “Okay fine, maybe I was hot-wiring it to take it out.”
“And why, may I ask?” Spy said. Pyro looked to you, then to Spy, and back to you again. There was a hunch Pyro knew what you were planning.
“Um, for a late night drive,” you answered. If Spy’s eyebrow could lift any higher, it would. He wasn’t buying it. You slouched back in the seat. “Fine, I was going to steal it to check out an abandoned hospital.”
“An abandoned hospital?” a cheery voice called out. It was Medic, who was being followed by the rest of the team as they headed out. “I would love to go with jou!” A big grin grew on Medic’s face. Spy’s expression was one of shock.
“No, no, non,” he replied, shaking his head. Scout grinned.
“Heck yeah, let’s check out a creepy hospital! I need something to do anyway,” he said.
“No,” Spy sternly said. “And that no is final!”
*>/<*
The dirt path leading into the woods was illuminated by the van’s headlights. For some strange reason, everyone agreed that visiting the hospital was the thing to do tonight. You happily hummed, tapping your hands on your lap as Medic slowly started to hit the brakes of the team minivan. Spy sat up front, grumbling to himself and chewing on his cigarette. He was annoyed that no one listened. You were thinking to yourself, who died and made you boss? Heavy had to carry him against his will. Spy wasn’t going anywhere.
Scout impatiently tapped his foot on the dirty carpet of the van. He never had any patience. He had a record of running red lights and getting in trouble with the police.
“When are we getting there?” he whined. “My everything is numb. I need to run.” Medic brought the van to a stop, placing the brakes and turning the vehicle off. Scout was the first one out, creating a dirt storm as he ran around, stretching out his legs. You followed him.
“Wait up!” you called out, chasing after Scout who was long gone already. Someone grabbed you by the scruff of your collar, lifting you up in the air. It was Heavy, and he had a stern look on his face. “Aww, Uncle Misha!” you whined. “Let me run with Scout, please!” You wiggled around, struggling to break free from Heavy’s grip. He shook his great big head.
“No.” He set you back down on the ground and snatched Scout by the ear. He wriggled around in pain, arguing with Heavy to put him back down. You chuckled. Spy stepped next to you, exhaling smoke from his cigarette.
“Could we please get a move on?” he asked, clearly complaining. He just didn’t want to show it.
*>/<*
Engineer fiddled with the powerbox, attempting to fix the lights. Sniper wheeled Scout around in a rusty wheelchair. The runner laughed, throwing his arms into the air. Sniper had a smirk plastered on his lips. Spy disappeared to who knows where and Medic was losing it over the pristine tools left behind in the abandoned hospital. You found a small dirt pile and began to dig. You were searching for small souvenirs to take home.
“What are you doing, cadet?” Soldier asked in his gruff voice.
“Stuff.”
“What kind of stuff?” He kneeled down and used his bare hands to dig with you. You completely ignored the spraying coming from Scout’s paint can as he painted graffiti onto the wall. Your fingers were stained with dust and dirty, finding a small gold coin. Soldier found a pencil snapped into two pieces. You found a few abandoned soda cans.
Digging got boring very quickly. Soldier found a few maggots and you had dared him to try and eat them. He was struggling to. They wiggled around in his hands, squirming to get free. You wound up dragging Soldier over with you to help Scout paint the walls. Pyro joined in, happily mumbling and spray painting horrible depictions of people dying in fires. He probably thought he was drawing beautiful unicorns and silly little babies.
Medic found a barricaded door with scratch and burn marks. There was moaning coming from behind the door, something that caught everyone’s attention. Scout leaned in, pressing his ear up against the door to hear what was behind the door better. He lifted up one foot and was about to kick it down when instead, Heavy pushed Scout to the side and kicked the door open.
“That’s how you do it,” he said, dusting off his hands. Scout scoffed and stuck out his tongue very briefly. You giggled. Heavy didn’t notice and Scout lived to see another day.
“What is this place?” you asked, following Heavy inside the room. It was dark. Engineer snatched Spy’s match box against his protests and lit one.
“Oh my gosh,” he muttered. You screamed, scrambling over to Heavy.
People moaned like zombies, walking around blindly and moaning like mummies. They were pale, almost a ghastly shade of green. The “zombies” wore nasty, dirtied hospital gowns. They were patients left here to die. The doctors must’ve thought they were a lost cause. Medic, on the other hand, had thoughts about getting new experiments.
As soon as the doors opened and you let out the scream, the patients looked to you and the mercenaries, their heads whipping around quickly. Engie dropped the match out of fear.
You screamed again. Or was it Scout who screamed?
The scream, once again, caught the attention of the “zombies” and they came rushing out, running at fast speeds despite their conditions.
“RUN!” Scout shouted. Everyone listened, although they were calmer than Scout. Heavy picked you up with ease, throwing you over his shoulder. He grabbed Engineer and stopped Pyro from taking one of the patients with him. Demoman picked up Medic and Spy, who held onto Scout. Sniper was just running for his life, grabbing onto his hat.
“Ahh, zhis is fun!” Medic exclaimed, grinning maniacally. He giggled with glee.
“For you it is!” Scout snapped back. The adrenaline was pumping. You looked behind you as the patients were baring their teeth, foaming out the mouth. You squeaked.
“Run faster Uncle Misha!” you shouted. The hospital was a maze. You and the mercenaries weaved in and out of rooms, struggling to find the exit. The patients were closing in on you.
“How are they so fast?!” Scout exclaimed, dodging a swipe. He started to slow down. That wasn’t a good sign. “How do we get out of here?!”
A gun cocking in place caught your attention.
“We fight,” Spy announced, placing his finger over the trigger.
“You brought a weapon?!” you asked. “Why didn’t you use that earlier?! And…” Medic pulled out his saw, Demoman had a shattered beer bottle, and Engineer had his gunslinger. Almost everyone had a weapon.
“To the death, gentlemen.”
*>/<*
It took a while, but you pointed out to follow the exit signs. They were the only things working in the hospital, dimly glowing. It was stupid, but it worked. Soon, everyone was back in the van, covered in blood. Medic was healing Scout, who had slammed into a wall. You sighed, approaching Spy.
“Sorry we dragged you out here,” you replied. He scoffed, lighting a cigarette.
“Surprisingly…it was fun,” he said. You grinned. Was he being honest with you? Spy enjoyed tonight?
“Really?” you asked. He smiled, ruffling up your hair.
“No, we almost died.”
#tf2#team fortress 2 x reader#team fortress 2#tf2 x reader#long post#tf2 spy#tf2 medic#tf2 heavy#tf2 scout#tf2 soldier#tf2 pyro#tf2 engineer#tf2 demoman#tf2 sniper#x reader#one shot#tf2 one shots
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ROUND 1: PART 1
Propaganda under cut
Qibli
● Qibli is queer, due to the fact that he has a crush on a female dragon, Moonwatcher, and eventually becomes her Boyfriend, while also thinking that a male dragon, Winter, is “handsome” and looks “gorgeous”, even joking about marrying Winter one day within his own book. The author, Tui., also stated that the love triangle between Qibli, Moonwatcher, and Winter could go either way, implying that Qibli is Queer and/or could possibly be Bi, Pan, Poly, or Omni.
Dan Heng/Dan Feng
● (Former)High Elder of a race of Dragon people. Closely associated with another man, sharing a pair of telepathic bracers with him, commiting a grave sin with his help, dreaming of him, being described as once being closest to him, destined for reunion with him, and both having inverted colour palettes. The original Chinese text has a 'typo' that hasn't been fixed implying they were engaged, and mentions Dan Feng fantasising about this other man sweating mid battle. Theres also something about them doing stuff in a boat I think. Dan Heng only has faint memories of their past, but seems to care for these memories, even going so far as to pull the classic 'what did you do to him' after finding he was hurt. Another character claims he stares longingly at the spear made for him by this man. Even if their relationship went to complete hell the game is pretty clear about them being important to each other.
Also the CPR scene at the start of the game., wherein Dan Heng attempts to give the player chatacter CPR incorrectly. I guess he heard kiss of life and didn't question it? He also has a Fan Club and many men find him beautiful.
●About how he's a dragon:
Imbibitor Lunae is the title used by the Vidyadhara High Elder, successor of the Azure Dragon (Vidyadhara are long-life humanoid species with draconic features)
About why he's gay/gay-coded:
In his past life as Dan Feng he would often drink together with Yingxing (now known as Blade) under the moon and they even shared a pair of matching bracers made from flowing coral gold and the leather of unknown beasts. The bracers are told to share a telepathic connection and be able to feel each other's warmth. The two have also been depicted (in official artworks) wearing these bracers many times along with a matching pair of red earrings on opposite ears and matching teal jade clasps that have been said in game texts to be given between lovers to find in their next lives.
Currently, the two are enemies. Blade used to chase Dan Heng across spaceships and annihilate each one he boards on, and each time they fought Dan Heng would stab Blade with the Cloud Piercer to kill him knowing he cannot die.
Even though Dan Heng wants nothing to do with his past self (Dan Feng), he still carries items that are associated with Blade (Yingxing) on him, such as the bracer, Cloud Piercer (the weapon Blade made for him), and his jade pendant.
#gaydragontournament#ask#polls#tournament poll#dragons#dragon#qibli wof#qibli wings of fire#wings of fire#dan heng#dan feng#imbibitor lunae#hsr dan heng#hsr dan feng#honkai star rail#hsr imbibitor lunae
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What do we think of an werewolf AU?
(I read a post about this a few days ago I think and here's my opinion).
A small percentage of the population can turn into an animal on full-moon nights, in the form of a bird, canine, feline, fish, invertebrate or insect…
Bucky is a werewolf, because he's completely canine-coded Very sociable and extrovert, he gets along with most people, but at the same time is slow to really trust them. He comes from a large canine family (one sister, but many aunts, uncles and cousins). Not all of them are werewolves, but they form a large community. They may argue, they may fight, but at the end of the day, they're a pack.
Buck as a were-lynx. He's more reserved and introverted. It takes him a while to trust people, but once they've earned his trust, it's long-lasting. It's just him and his father (a human whose parents were werecats). Were-lynx are solitary, so there's no family on his mother's side, and his father has cut off all ties with his family (because he has a grudge against being the only male human in the family?). Gale's father is envious of him (Gale is a were-cat unlike him) and resentful (his wife died at birth or left him with a were-cat). He started drinking, and things got worse for Buck.
When Bucky and Buck first met, it was a bureaucratic error. They shouldn't have been in the same unit in the first place. The army tends to wait until after basic training (where they learn to better control themselves in the presence of other species) before mixing canines and felines were, especially in the case of aircrew. Fighting like cats and dogs is not just an expression, and wolves and lynxes tend to be natural enemies. It's a very bad thing to have when you're stuck with two of them in a little flying box high in the sky. To the surprise of anyone who knows what they are, they soon got along just fine. Actually, it's more like Bucky clicked with Gale and Gale didn't say anything at first (but potato tomato).
Were-peoples tend to be stronger, have better reflexes and greater stamina than humans. That's why, when training, they challenge each other while developing their relationship. Because of their youth, they have a great degree of control over their animal form, and can shift outside of full-moon nights. Bucky because of his pack and Gale because the wild life was safer than a drunken father.
After the other 100th boys discovered their other sides, it wasn't uncommon to see them sleeping in their animal forms or chasing each other. Curt nearly had a heart attack the first time he saw Gale studying outside with a huge black and brown wolf on his lap.
And they use the werewolf excuse to get all cuddly with each other. (Demarco, who is also a werewolf, knows it's not just that, but he doesn't say anything).
Plus Crosby as a werebird.Ssince he's in human form when he flies, he gets airsick.
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