#with their character's amnesia being WELL ESTABLISHED | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

bippot · 1 year

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Summary: When he used to say that he wished he could fall in love with his wife all over again, Bob may have jinxed himself. Yet, the process of knowing her once more wasn't as smooth as he'd used to think.

Honestly, he doesn't know which is worse - his broken bones or the fact she can't seem to forget who he once was?

Tags: Angst, Amnesia, Established Relationship, Memory Loss, Airplane Crashes, Major Character Injury, Hospitals, True Love, Love at First Sight,Married Couple

Music Recommendation: Over Again by One Direction

Top Gun: Maverick, Robert "Bob" Floyd Masterlist - here

Bob had noticed it back in flight school. Whether they were in class or at a bar or watching a movie - anything other than flying really - Y/N would be playing around with his hands. She'd always do it. Sometimes unconsciously. Sometimes not.

His favourite was always when she would wrap her hand around his and gently trace random shapes into his palm. He never minded. In fact, it was pretty nice. Calming, actually. The sensation of her soft skin moving against his made something stir inside him. Thanks to this revelation, it became a method of calming him down. If he was ever anxious, he'd start trailing patterns across his hand. It wasn't as effective if he did it to himself, but it still worked, which was better than nothing.

So that's how he stood, standing there with his suit on with Nat beside him, making circles against his palm. Those circles were ten, maybe twenty times more heavy handed than Y/N would ever do. He took the time to imagine that it was Y/N's thumb, that she was here on the mission with him.

"You ready, Specs?" Nat teased, hoping that a little bit of back and forth would ease his mind. It didn't. Bob nodded stiffly back at her, and the pair began to walk to their plane.

Looking back, he had been correct in his worries that day. Only that day. All of the other times he'd thought the mission was going to go wrong, he was pleasantly surprised when it went right. That is, until it went wrong. Severely wrong. Engine failure whilst you're miles up in the sky in a metal box kind of wrong.

Bob had been in an accident. Lieutenant Floyd had been in the backseat as Lieutenant Trace's plane decided to call it quits on them. Robert James Floyd had been in the air one minute and the next he was being hauled to safety by Natasha Jade Trace. That's what she was told. Y/N knew it was the truth - why else would they have said it? - but no, she wasn't going to believe it until she saw it.

Then she saw Nat. She'd gotten away far better than Bob had. Alive but unconscious. Not a good sign. All of the wires and drugs they were pumping into her wasn't a good sign either. Phoenix had too many broken bones: who knows how many ribs? well, it's certainly 12 or below; an arm; a collarbone; a few fingers and a few toes. She got off easy.

For the first handful of hours, Y/N wasn't allowed to see her husband. He was busy. Surgery can take a long time, especially if you've broken most of the bones in your body. There needed to be some reconstruction to Bob before he was allowed out of the theatre and Y/N knew that more injuries would present themselves when he woke.

In the meantime, Y/N kept herself occupied by watching over Phoenix. Poor Nat had woken up to a doctor prodding her and scanned the room for answers. She found Y/N's face. A waterfall of tears and apologies poured out of Nat immediately, but Y/N was quick to soothe her.

"Hey, if anything, we should blame the plane. Its fault for giving up on the two of you. I'm going to fly out to the middle of the ocean and give those scraps a good yelling at," Y/N told her, smiling slightly despite everything.

Yeah, she was worried out of her goddamn mind, yet two blubbering messes wouldn't help anything. So, Y/N stayed strong for now. Just for the time being. There would be a moment when every single emotion would be laid bare, but this was not it. She could wait it out. For now.

"Move over a little, Nix."

Nat shuffled over to let Y/N lie down next to her on the hospital bed and was quick to press her face into her friend's shoulder, sobbing and shaking as the reality of what had happened sank in for her. Phoenix was distraught. How could she not be? Y/N put her arm around her friend's shoulders and stroked her hair softly, letting Nat cry into her neck. When the inevitable, "It's all my fault," lie popped up, Y/N was ready to argue otherwise. She held onto Nat tighter as she did so. No matter what state Bob ended up in, she was never going to let that sentiment slide.

The two most important women in Bob's life lay side by side on Nat's hospital bed and held each other tight all night. Nat's head was resting against Y/N's chest when they finally fell asleep, arms wrapped tightly around each other, both holding onto hope that Bob would wake and be perfectly okay. They knew that was delusional. But you've got to hope. Just holding onto someone felt like it could be okay someday.

Due to her injuries and the fact that sobbing can take a lot of energy, Phoenix fell asleep fast, lulled into a slumber by the rhythmic motion of Y/N running gentle fingers through her hair. It was soothing but still very painful at the same time for Y/N.

And once Y/N was sure Nat was firmly asleep, she let herself cry. Cry silently. She felt so useless just sitting there, tears streaming down her cheeks and her eyes grew blurry with grief. It was going to happen but Y/N was just relieved she held it together long enough that Nat didn't have to witness it. Every time her mind tried to focus on the current situation, it would jump from one horrible thought to another. The main one that kept bouncing around her skull was how the hell would she tell Bob's dad if he died?

Like his son, Bob Senior had that face. That look. That damn, stupid, determined, sweet look that seemed to always make Y/N want to keep him happy no matter the cost. His kind, easy-going nature had been imprinted on Bob Junior from a very young age, that could be gleaned easily. Y/N had noticed it mere minutes into her first introduction to Bob's parents.

There was just something about the Floyd men, a lightness, a smile and an attitude that radiated warmth, sunshine. She didn't want night to come and take that shine away.

It was around half four in the morning when Bob came out of surgery and was transferred to the room he'd come to spend the next few weeks in. Y/N hadn't slept. She couldn't. As soon as she saw the doctor approach, she quickly wiped her tears away with the back of her hand and tried to make it look like she hadn't been falling apart for the last couple of hours before she woke Nat up with the news.

Yet, Nat noticed. Reaching out with a weak and wired hand, Nat brushed her pointer across Y/N's cheek to wipe some of the wetness away. The exchange was silent. Just a gentle touch that said everything it needed to in that moment.

At that point, the doctors had no idea what state Bob was going to wake up in. From the outside he looked banged up - as he should - but they'd stitched his wounds and bandaged his injuries. He was alive, breathing, stable, and sleeping peacefully. Now they just had to wait till he woke.

If he woke, the doctors reminded her.

Seeing Phoenix in such a state was manageable - not nice at all but bearable - because she was awake and it was possible to visibly assess her injuries in seconds. Not to minimise the pain Natasha was feeling, but it was simple. It was broken bones and a broken ego. Those can be fixed.

Slowly, Y/N inched her way closer to Bob's unconscious body. Despite how much she needed to be by his side, every step was as if she was walking on glass. With all the pain and worry in her heart, there was only one thought running through Y/N's mind. She didn't want Bob to wake up alone and scared so, with all the courage it needed, she got closer and closer until she was by his side.

"Hi pretty boy, hey handsome...I'm here and please take enough time as you need to wake up," Y/N whispered as gently as she could manage, caressing his cheek softly as tears continued to fall. With a sad chuckle, she added, "Although, it would be nice if you could do it as soon as possible. No pressure."

There was no response, no movement to indicate that she'd even heard Y/N. Still, Y/N stayed right beside him. She watched every single inhale. Examined every exhale. Every twitch. Every single moment that proved her husband was moderately okay was under insane scrutiny.

Maybe he was dreaming right now. She hoped he was having a wonderful dream of home, safe and sound and perfectly domestic.

"I love you. I know you know that and we say it all the time, but I don't know, you always get that goofy look on your face whenever I say it. And we've been together for years and you still react like the first time I said it to you. It's cute, really really cute."

She wished her words actually carried any magic to them. Because, right now, she honestly believed they did not. They meant nothing. They didn't heal him. They couldn't save him from whatever had happened to him. And they certainly weren't helping her calm down.

In truth, they were useless. She was useless.

Her voice cracked. She tilted her head towards the ceiling and tried to stop herself from breaking even further. And as she went to say something else, her throat closed up. She couldn't speak anymore. Her bottom lip quivered and she promptly bit down on it to stop the pained squeak from getting through.

Eventually, she passed out with her hand in his. It was a nice couple of hours of nothingness. A brief moment where she didn't have to look at her mangled husband. Or hear the beep of the heart rate monitor. Or smell the insufferably impersonal hospital scent that clung to every single piece of furniture. Or think about what the fuck would happen tomorrow.

Tomorrow came. Bob didn't wake. He didn't the next day either. The day after that, however, he opened his eyes.

Completely confused and immensely overwhelmed by all of his senses turning on at once, Bob looked frantically around the room, eyes adjusting slowly to the lights. What the...? Where was he? Who was he? Why did his body hurt all over? And why was some random woman asleep on his hand?

Although, he did have to admit that the random woman was pretty. That was a bonus, a silver lining that he wasn't intending to look for but found anyway. He wasn't sure how many women he'd seen before. This one? Had to be the prettiest, he was sure. That was the only thing he was sure about.

He tried to move but was bombarded with pain. His arms, his legs...his chest and head...everything hurt. Everything hurt a lot. Like badly. Like maybe a bit too badly. His vision began to swim and the edges of his eyeline started getting dark. Was that bad? It probably was.

So, he put all his focus on the pretty girl. He slowed his breathing down to match hers, which was helping him not to hyperventilate at that moment and cause himself more pain. He couldn't be in that much trouble if he had a guardian angel next to him. Surely.

It was taking the entirety of his effort to telepathically try to communicate to her, 'Hey! Wake up!' with minimal success. He was trying his best. He just wanted to ask who she was, who he was and what the hell was happening to him.

Finally, the stranger stirred awake. The first sign was when her fingers automatically began drawing circles against the back of his hand. She was rather surprised when the hand turned over so she could do the same to his palm. Her head shot up and her eyes widened upon seeing Bob awake.

"Hi baby," she greeted in a hushed but excited tone, her voice barely above a whisper just in case he was sensitive to noise, which the doctors had warned her that could be the case.

"Hi," he croaked, coughing a little before clearing his throat. He tried to sit up with difficulty but Y/N placed her hand upon his peck to gently push him back down onto the pillows.

"Just lie there for a while, okay? You need to stay still." Her hand came up to cradle his cheek, brushing her thumb against his cheekbone tenderly. For a few moments, there was silence between them. Nothing but the soft sounds of their breathing until Y/N asked, "Do you know where you are?"

Bob blinked once, twice, three times. "No. I assume I'm in a hospital."

"Miramar General." A few more blinks. "Where do you remember being last?"

Bob gave her a look so vulnerable and helpless, his eyes seemed to glaze over slightly as his brow creased in concentration. "Don't panic. Don't think too hard," she urged him, her other hand resting against his other cheek. "You're gonna hurt yourself. Just relax for me, alright?"

When Bob gave the slightest nod, some smidgeon of relief washed over her. At least he was responsive. He was alive, conscious, aware, and breathing. But he wasn't himself, she could tell just by looking at him. It was in his eyes. There was something missing.

Still, despite being terrified, he managed a smile anyway. He didn't want her to get worried because of his condition so he forced his features into something neutral to make her feel better. If anything, it made her feel worse because she could see right through the act.

Then, it hit her.

"Do you remember me?" She asked quietly, her eyes pleading with him with every single fibre of her being to speak and to tell the truth. The thing missing had been that spark of understanding that they shared. People often said the couple shared a brain.

He gulped.

"No."

Y/N felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. She retracted her hands from his cheeks and let them fall limply to her lap, her eyes twinkling with quickly forming tears as she played what he'd just said in her head over and over again. Her husband doesn't remember her. He doesn't remember anything about their lives, both together and apart.

"Oh...I...Okay then," she mumbled under her breath, letting out a short, awkward laugh. "I should get the doctor."

Before she could move away though, he attempted to catch her wrist but pain flashed across his face and the sudden movement sent his entire body into agony. The sound of his cries alerted Y/N and she rushed to turn back towards him immediately.

Soothingly, she stroked his hair again, whispering sweet nothings, reassuring him, saying it was going to be fine. She repeated this process for a while until he gave her a little nod. Her voice sounded hoarse, so she cleared her throat and said with a small smile, "I'll go get the doctor, okay? Please don't try to move."

"Okay. I'm sorry for not remembering you."

"I know you are, Bobby."

Bobby? That must be his name. Yeah. Bobby. That sounded familiar. Almost familiar. He could imagine people calling him that. Like his parents - he assumed he had parents - he'd like to think he'd be Bobby to them. He felt like a Bobby.

Picking up the button, Y/N pressed for the assistance and was soon being asked to leave as they went over all the tests they needed to do. While he'd been easy-going with her, he was far from it with the doctors. He got agitated and frustrated with all the poking and prodding in seconds flat, causing him to start painfully squirming around and making muffled groans in his throat. He'd lost patience fast with all the stupid questions they asked him.

That was unlike him, Y/N thought. Although, it was understandable considering everything that's happened to him. She stood watching him through the window, her heart aching as she forced herself to stay put. She wasn't supposed to go inside, Y/N knew that, but she desperately wanted to calm him down, and wanted to give him a little bit of comfort.

Out of the corner of his eye, Bob noticed Y/N staring at him, watching him carefully while biting on her fingernails. He stopped resisting the medical professionals' attempts and finally allowed them to examine him. It wasn't that he wasn't grateful for the care, he really was. However, he'd never seen all of these people before and he was feeling very claustrophobic and anxious with them around him.

He wanted Y/N. He desperately wanted Y/N in the room and he didn't even know her name.

As she was waiting, Rooster and Hangman arrived. Jake practically ran towards Y/N and wrapped her in a bear hug, squeezing her so tight she almost couldn't breathe. "I got ya, kid," he mumbled, holding her tightly against his chest before releasing her and taking in her appearance. "When did you last shower?"

Jake's question was answered with a shrug of her shoulders.

"Dude." Rooster punched him in the arm lightly and pushed him out of the way to embrace Y/N. "How are you feeling?"

"Sad." Y/N hugged him and buried her face into his shoulder, sniffing a little. "He just woke up and... and...he doesn't…us, he…" she trailed off, unable to find the strength to actually say it out loud.

"Doesn’t what?" Jake coaxed softly, rubbing soothing circles along the length of Y/N's back.

"He doesn't remember anything."

Tears began falling from Y/N's eyes at that point and she couldn't stop them anymore, no matter how hard she'd tried. She was sobbing, feeling completely overwhelmed with emotion, with pain and guilt all mixed in one gigantic ball. Then Jake wrapped her up in his strong arms one again, holding her up as her legs gave out beneath her and she clung to him for dear life. She cried into his shirt, soaking it with snot and tears and all kinds of gross stuff. He held her as tight as he possibly could without hurting her and whispered soothing words in her ear.

She eventually calmed down enough to pull away, wiping her wet, puffy eyes with her sleeve and sniffing a few times, trying to compose herself. "Sorry. God, I hate crying. It's disgusting," she chuckled halfheartedly, trying to cover her embarrassment. "Brad, do you mind checking on Phoenix, keep her updated? I haven't managed to do it yet today."

Rooster gave her a quick nod of agreement and squeezed her shoulder affectionately before heading toward the direction of Phoenix's room. Hangman stayed by Y/N's side and rubbed gentle circles against her arm while speaking softly to her in an attempt to calm her down.

They'd been friends for years and Jake knew Y/N was tough and brave enough to put up with a lot. She put up with him, after all. Yet, as he held his buddy, he felt tears prick his own eyes. He was unable to help himself. He could see that Y/N was breaking inside. Her facade that she used whenever they flew, which she usually wore with such confidence, had never faltered as much as this before.

Neither of them seemed inclined to say anything else for a while, neither one really knowing what to say that would explain things. They just watched Bob through the window, shoulder to shoulder with each other. Jake wasn't surprised when Y/N let her head fall against his arm and let out an exasperated sigh.

Eventually, the doctors allowed her back in, not without an in depth rundown of what was actually going on. General dissociative amnesia is what the fancy name for it was. His mental functions had broken down due to the excessive stress of the accident and severe trauma he'd suffered. His memories were gone. Completely erased.

His entire life, everything he experienced up until now, was just one big blur.

"Hi again."

Bob waved at Y/N timidly. His voice was still slow and raspy and his body language was even more subdued than usual due to all the drugs they'd given him. Still, he managed to smile slightly, though, if only barely.

"Hi Bobby." She grinned tiredly and walked over very slowly towards him. "Can I come closer?"

He nodded his head slightly and scooted over on his bed a little, giving her plenty of space so she could sit comfortably next to him. She climbed onto the bed hesitantly but he didn't seem annoyed or even phased by it at all. In fact, he welcomed her arrival, smiling a little more as she approached his side. "So, um....How are you feeling?" She asked nervously, looking into his eyes.

"Like I fell from a broken plane into the middle of the ocean and got bad head trauma." His lips curled upwards into another slight smile. "Other than that, I'm kinda tired."

"Do you... do you want me to -" She gestured towards the door. "If you need sleep I can -"

"No! No, don't go." He shook his head at her frantically. "Stay please." He glanced downwards, a blush painting his cheeks red and the tips of his ears turning bright red. "I mean... if you're comfortable with doing so."

Even without his memories, he was still considerate. It made her heart flutter in her chest. A soft silence settled between both of them as they stared at each other for a moment before Bob finally asked something that he'd had on his mind since he'd woken up, "What's your name? I asked the doctor but he was too busy - or wasn't listening, I don't know which - and didn't answer me."

Y/N looked down, fiddling with her fingers awkwardly. "It's Y/N. My name's Y/N," she muttered quietly.

"Y/N," Bob repeated slowly, testing the sound of the word on his tongue. He liked the feel of it. He enjoyed hearing Y/N's name coming from his lips. The sound felt natural, somehow. "Who am I to you, Y/N?"

There was an awkward pause as Y/N contemplated the best way to answer his question, wondering where she should begin, how much to tell him and what exactly she should reveal to him. She didn't want to throw him in the deep end and overwhelm him even further, knowing that he probably already had a pretty heavy load on his plate, but at the same time, Y/N also felt like telling him the truth.

To help him figure it out, she used her left hand to hold his, placing the identical bands on their ring fingers right before his eyes. The action caused him to raise his gaze to look down at their hands, noticing the band of silver glinting under the clinical lightning, then darted to met her eye, his eyebrows raising in surprise.

"No way! I hit the jackpot!" he exclaimed loudly, making Y/N jump a little bit at his sudden exclamation. "I'm married?! To you?!"

A laugh tumbled past her lips, the first one he'd ever heard leave her lips. "You sure are," she smiled widely at him and he returned her expression, laughing in turn. He looked at her with such adoration, his face softening even more, that Y/N couldn't help but beam at him like she always used to whenever he said such a thing.

"Do we have kids?"

Of course that would be high on his list of questions.

"No. Not yet. We were trying."

Honestly, he still couldn't get his head wrapped around the fact that this was his wife! And she was willing to have a family with him! But then again, there were quite a few things that he'd been told about his life that he didn't quite believe. Like, he was in the Navy? He hadn't witnessed much of his personality yet but he knew enough to think, 'Huh, wouldn't have expected that.'

"Trying? How hard?" He couldn't help the smug look on his face as he spoke, a mischievous grin on his lips as well. Y/N rolled her eyes and playfully smacked him in the hand, causing him to chuckle softly.

"Oh my god," she groaned with amusement "You're incorrigible."

Hangman snickered softly from where he stood near the doorway, watching everything unfold, and caught Bob's eye. Y/N followed his gaze and let out a sigh, mumbling, "Hangman, stop being a creep and get in here already."

Jake slowly approached them with a questioning look written across his features, unsure of how he should proceed. Y/N noticed and introduced them, "This is Jake. Despite his face and personality, he's actually a nice guy to be around sometimes."

"Aw Bambi, I didn't know you thought so highly of me!" Hangman teased.

"Bambi?" Bob echoed, staring at Y/N, dumbfounded. "I thought your name was Y/N?"

She huffed out a laugh and brushed comfortingly down his arm. "It's my callsign," she explained and took a breath. "Apparently, I have eyes like an innocent baby deer."

"That's not why and you know it."

"Hangman!" She gave him an incredulous stare but eventually conceded. The truth was that "I, uh, -"

"You fucked her so hard that she couldn't walk properly for three days and it looked like that bit of the movie with the ice lake."

Comically, Bob's eyes widened and his jaw dropped as he turned to look at his partner, who shrugged sheepishly in return. Y/N chuckled and covered her mouth, shaking her head at Hangman who was trying his hardest to suppress his laughter, and turned back to look at Bob, who's expression was now one of complete shock and disbelief.

His cheeks were a bright red colour and he opened and closed his mouth a couple times, struggling for a response to say. He cleared his throat once and managed to get out one simple word, almost choking on it the second it left his mouth, "Whaaaaat?"

The trio kept things light as they joked around and answered all of the questions Bob could currently think of. Although she'd never want to tell him and inflate his ego, Hangman was a god sent. Everytime it seemed as if Y/N was having trouble talking, Hangman managed to put everything together and fill in any gaps with so much charm and humour that Bob didn't notice Y/N's turmoil.

All too soon, the doctor came to check on Bob's vitals. Y/N and Jake stood back and let him do his job, trying to understand all the medical jargon but failing miserably. The entire time, Jake had his arm wrapped around Y/N's shoulders and was squeezing her into his side as they watched the doctor work. And although he'd no real basis to be, Bob couldn't help but feel weird about it. There was no denying how handsome Jake was.

This charismatic Ken doll was touching his wife, admittedly in a comforting and friendly way but nevertheless, there was something there that caused Bob's jaw to clench ever so slightly. Sure, he hadn't been aware she was his wife for all that long, yet his heart knew better than his brain did at this current moment. It was as if, just by simply seeing the way Hangman's arms held onto Y/N, he felt some of the insecurity from his previous consciousness. He felt protective, possessive and totally needy for his woman's attention.

Maybe because she was part of him. A part that he could never forget fully because she had his heart and that was the main driving force of his existence at this moment.

"I brought you a bag full of clothes and shit, do you want to go get it from the car? Use the ensuite?" Jake asked. "You shower and I'll watch over Baby On Board? Sound good?"

"I really stink, don't I?"

"Yeah. You do. Are you gonna shower or not?"

"Yeah, okay. Jesus Jake, won't let a lady wallow in her despair for a bit, will you?"

Jingling his keys as he got them out of his pocket, Jake hovered them before her face, waiting for her to take them and leave with a teasing smile. As soon as her hand came up, he pulled them further from her grasp. "Say 'Oh Hangman, you're my best friend. Thank you for being so kind to me.' Say those words."

Then she did. She did say those exact words and she said them sincerely because they were true. She meant every single one of them. Jake wasn't expecting the sincerity in her voice. His eyes widened in shock and he gave the keys over, trying to hide how touched he was as he choked out, "There we go, kid."

When the doctor finally left, Jake approached Bob's bedside again. "You got a lot of broken bones, dude. Did you break your dick?" Hangman teased and grinned when Bob gave him an exasperated look.

"Broke almost everything but my hands, my neck...and my dick."

"That's rough, man." He patted him sympathetically on the shoulder. "I think I'd be ruined if I broke my dick. That's the worst thing that can happen to a player, y'know?" Jake instinctively added, "Don't tell Roo that I said that."

Obviously, Bob's next question was, "Who's Roo?"

"Sorry! You're so much like you that I forgot about the whole memory thingamabob. Roo is Rooster, also known as the number one moustache wearer, handsome heartthrob, and all-around annoying boyfriend to this guy." Jake pointed to himself. "Real name: Bradley Winifred Bradshaw."

"Winifred?"

"Nah, I'm just messing with you. It's Peter, but you believed me, didn't you?"

The two men shared a laugh as they continued joking around. Although Bob was enjoying himself, he made a mental note of all the things Hangman had said to check the validity with Y/N later. And as if on cue, her laugh soon filled through the door frame, along with the sight of a new man walking by her side.

Hangman was speedy to announce, "Fanboy! Took you long enough!" He then turned his head to the side and winked at Bob, giving him a playful nudge and smirk. Jake leaned closer to Bob to loudly whisper, "Me, you and Mickey had a very erotic threesome back in twenty-nineteen. It was strangely tender."

"That's not true," Mickey called out playfully as he walked over towards his friends. He shot a glance towards Bob and smirked in amusement, teasingly adding, "I've been trying to get in your pants for so long now, but no, you're too busy in your loving relationship with your hot wife to see anyone else. It's tragic really."

Y/N slapped both Mickey and Jake on the back of the head as she passed them by. "Take it easy on him, would ya?" She muttered, shooting them an amused grin as she moved to fix Bob's hair. "How are you feeling, lovely?" Her warm touch and loving tone made Bob relax as his body slumped against the pillow. He smiled up at her.

"Better than when I woke."

Earlier, the doctor had been pleasantly surprised that he was mentally doing okay. Other than the loss of memory, he wasn't experiencing any lack of motor or social issues so far. Admittedly, he couldn't move most of his body because it was broken but the parts that were working were one hundred percent working.

"Do you mind if I take a shower and leave you with Hangman for five minutes longer?" Y/N whispered to her husband, holding onto his hand and playing with it lightly like she always did.

"Yeah, yeah. Go for it." Bob nodded, so Y/N stepped away from his bedside. Some part of him was waiting for something, some extra bit of affection that never came.

"I'll be so quick."

Mickey jumped at the chance to help Hangman mess with Bob as much as possible. Despite the situation, it was how the group showed their love and care to each other. No matter what, everyone tried their hardest to make the other person feel better through laughter. And that was exactly what he needed right now.

Off in the ensuite, Y/N sighed heavily and rested back against the doorframe as she closed her eyes. Everything was fine. Bob was alive, that's the main headline of the day. The surgery went well and his injuries weren't life threatening anymore. But even though everything was looking hopeful, Y/N still couldn't shake the fear that Bob might not recover completely. Her Bob, her husband may never remember the big moments of their life - their wedding, how they first met, their first date, when they bought a house together and all that - those might be gone forever and that's a hard truth to accept.

Robert Floyd, the man she loves, may never truly return to her.

Out there was the shell of him. A nice, kind, funny shell that she felt bad about naming him as such. She knew her thinking wasn't ideal and she couldn't stand herself for it. She hated herself for thinking of herself and her feelings right now. Shit, he literally fell out of the plane and got severe head trauma, and she was worrying about whether he'd ever remember that he won her a huge sloth teddy at the fair on their second date.

How self absorbed could a person be? She pushed off the door and got around to what she'd actually been planning to do - showering. It's a blessing that a shower is wet, you know? You can claim that all the moisture is due to the shower, rather than crying your eyes out while scrubbing a layer of grime off and feeling like a total loser who doesn't know how to function. However, the puffiness of a good crying sesh is rather noticeable. Jake hadn't brought her make up or eye cream or sliced cucumber, so it was rather obvious that she has shed tears recently as Y/N joined the boys.

As sweet as ever, Bob was quick to ask if she was okay and when her reply didn't convince him in the slightest, he announced, "I'm getting really tired. Do you guys mind if..." His voice trailed off suggestively. Fanboy and Hangman got the hint instantly and muttered about going to check on Phoenix.

"Y/N?" He asked softly, watching as she slowly lowered herself onto the chair by his bedside.

"Sorry, sorry, did you want me to go too? I'll just...leave."

Quickly, she stood up, ready to walk past him and give him the peace and quiet he so needed.

"No, stay. Please."

She froze where she was, her body slowly turning around to face him. He stared intensely at her, eyes burning through her with every second until she could feel herself breaking. She took a few tentative steps back towards the chair beside his bed, her hand coming to rest on the edge of the mattress as she tried to keep herself grounded, her heart pounding and the need to hide somewhere far, far away appearing in an instant.

Bob watched her warily, waiting for her reaction as he saw the sudden change in her demeanour. He looked down at her shaking hand resting atop the mattress and gently inched his fingers closer to hers until his pinkie finger touched hers.

"I'm on so many drugs right now," he blurted out suddenly. And thanks to the abruptness of that statement, she let out a chuckle which quickly turned into full on laughter that he joined in on. After that, their laughs slowly faded away, leaving them staring into each other's eyes as the silence settled between them. Neither of them uttered a word.

They simply held each other's gaze, taking in their individual features, their eyes searching for something within. "Can you tell me about how we met? How we got together?" Bob asked, yet his request seemed to be met with reluctance, as her smile disappeared from her face and her eyes shot to the floor for a brief moment before returning to his own once again. "Please?"

It's not that she didn't want to tell him how they met. The story wasn't outlandish or crude or anything bad. It's just a little weird to have to tell your husband something he was there for. "Yeah, of course." Y/N spoke softly as she squeezed her husband's hand, her thumb tracing soothing circles over the back of it. "The Academy holds summer school for juniors who are thinking of going there once they graduate..."

Next Chapter: Like Beavers

#bob floyd x female reader #bob floyd x reader #robert bob floyd #top gun fanfiction #top gun maverick #bob floyd

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melverie · 3 months

Text

⸺ LESSON 1 ⸺

unregistered

Solomon

Solomon & Barbatos

MC's magic

situation in the Devildom

demons & angels (& humans)

strange feelings & soup

misc

- lesson 2 || all posts so far -

1. As you might have seen, I'm trying to connect some plot points atm and have decided to just go through the lessons again in hopes of untangling this mess. Depending on my motivation I might do this for all 40 lessons All of them will be tagged under #mel's descend into madness because that's honestly what it feels like lol 2. This is a mix of gathering facts from the game as well as me trying to make sense of everything. I'll add the lesson references to all things actually stated in the game. That being said, I'll only add them to moments that happen in lesson 1 since that's less work for me lol 3. I'd love to hear your thoughts!! Add stuff, dispute some of my points, theorize, bring up story points that don't make add up to you--idc what it is but I'd love to hear it all!! Either share it directly on here or send me an ask if you'd rather share them as anon 4. General spoiler warning for all of Obey Me Nightbringer, as well as for the original Obey Me

⸺ UNREGISTERED ⸺

most likely Nightbringer, so I'll just call him that -> 'Nightbringer' fits into the amount of characters in their name, and just like the unregistered number, NB later in the story talks about taking MC to a place where they will be happy [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered; both pics below]

Fun fact: "lightbringer" (aka the meaning of Lucifer's name) also fits :)

NB knows MC's name because they told him recently from NB's perspective, and a long time ago from MC's perspective [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered]

Nightbringer talks about how nothing remains hidden from him and that they see everything (-> Barbatos, Michael, Father?) [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered]

this is how NB describes how he sees time [1-1//chat 'Untitled' with Unregistered; pic below]. It's similar to how Solomon claims Barbatos once described time to him

⸺ SOLOMON ⸺

definitely Solomon and not some imposter because his cooking is still the same inedible mess we know him for 💖 [1-17]

he's casting some spell when MC calls him and claims it's for jumping through spacetime [phone call 'Untitled' with Solomon] -> at the very least it doesn't have anything to do with influencing the memories of the others because they already didn't remember MC before their phone call

Solomon is the one who tells us we are in the past [1-12]. I have no reason to doubt him there -> he also says that MC "just disappeared" [1-12]. No mention of anyone's reaction to this though

Solomon is also the one that tells us that we need to reforge our pacts with the brothers if we want to make it back to the [1-12; pic below]

⸺ SOLOMON & BARBATOS ⸺

had (OG) Barbatos lend him his power to come to the past [1-12]

when choosing the option that implies that MC and Solomon are dating, Diavolo response with this [1-9; pic below]. That doesn't sound like there's any bad blood between them yet, at least not from Diavolo's point of view which, in turn, makes Barbatos' behavior toward Solomon so much stranger

⸺ MC'S MAGIC ⸺

Solomon explains that MC's magic is much weaker because their pacts with the brothers aren't functioning properly since they are in the past [1-12] -> the OG already established that MC's magic is tied to their pacts with the brothers (OG's season 2 plot literally revolved around that), so it makes sense -> since they need magic to return to the present, MC is essentially trapped in the past [1-12]

MC isn't able to use the pacts at all at first [1-2, non-amnesia route], however the pacts aren't completely severed as evidenced by MC being able to use the 'Stay!' command [1-5] -> once overcome by a warm light inside them, MC is able to use the pact commands again [1-5]. Imo it somewhat plays out similarly to MC being revived during the lesson 16 incident in the OG (which was Lilith's doing)

something about Solomon's reaction to being told MC used stay bothers me. Idk what though. Then again, maybe he was just worried about MC's safety, so it could also just be nothing [1-9; pic below]

⸺ SITUATION IN THE DEVILDOM ⸺

the Great Celestial War was about a year ago [1-2] -> Mammon mentiond that it felt more like a century to him [1-14; pic below]. Probably nothing but I'm critical of every little detail at this point lol

the demon king is already out of commission, but he was still around to give the brothers their titles as avatars [1-5]

the brothers' arrival threw the Devildom in disarray [1-7]

⸺ DEMONS & ANGELS (& HUMANS) ⸺

both Asmodeus and Diavolo talk about how angels and demons technically aren't enemies anymore, yet both parties are still clinging to what happened in the past [Asmo in 1-15, Dia in 1-18; both pics below]

Diavolo says that the goal of building the school is to bring the Devildom and the Celestial Realm closer together. He generally talks about just the "two realms", completely leaving the humans out of all this [1-18; pic below]

⸺ STRANGE FEELINGS & SOUP ⸺

Diavolo says that he feels like he and MC already share a strong bond [1-18; pic below]

Lucifer indirectly expresses his concern for MC, and is honest about his feelings and worries with them (only to immediately downplay it and snap at MC, thanks Luci 💖) [lesson 1 hard mode]

⸺ MISC ⸺

the House of Lamentation has just been rebuilt in the Devildom. They also once again tell the story of what happened in that house when it was still in the human world and say that it might be cursed [1-7]. Not really all that relevant tbh

Diavolo first talks about building a school [1-17]. RIP 'The Glory Days' devilgram ;-;

Lucifer says that he doesn't trust demons [1-18; pic below]. Will be slightly relevant again in lesson 12 iirc

#times like these make me miss our nightbringer theory group blog tbh :(#btw i'm also using this to gather points for one of my crack theories :)#mel's descend into madness #obey me #obey me nightbringer #obey me nightbringer spoilers #obey me spoilers

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wangxianficfinder · 10 months

Text

Fic Finder

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1. Hi! I'm looking for a fic which was about LWJ and his feelings about relation WWX&LSZ. It was post-canon fic. LWJ felt hurt because Sizhui was formal while speaking to him meanwhile he treated WWX like parent, calling him Baba (or other word but with the same meaning)or joking with him etc. LWJ haven't told anyone. I remember that they were going to nighthunt but LWJ fainted and that's how WWX noticed that sth is wrong. WWX told Sizhui sth like "your father miss you"

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2. Hi, I was wondering if you know a fanfic where it’s like during war time,wei ying and nie mingjue get together and than add lan zhan to the mix. Thank you @chloecov4506

FOUND? Bruises be damnded red and green by amykissthedark (T, 44k, WWX/NMJ, wangxian, NMJ/WWX/LWJ, canon divergence, everyone lives au, character study, PTSD, trauma, canon-typical behavior, pining, blood & gore, YLLZ WWX, golden core reveal, sunshot campaign, warnign: JGS, polyamory, fix-it, slow burn, WIP) not sure but it could potentially be this one. At least the description reminds me of this one

FOUND? Better Things to Do with a Flute in Wartime by Anonymous (E, 365k, MingXian, WangXianJue, Sunshot Campaign, Fix-It, Magical Healing Cock, Dual Cultivation, mild Dom/Sub, Undernegotiated Kink, Golden Core Reveal, Breathplay, Choking, Painplay, Subdrop, Topdrop, Major Character Injury, Canon Divergence, What-If, Temperature Play, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Fisting, Spanking, PTSD, Trauma, Self-Harm, (in the pursuit of cultivational badassery))

FOUND? An Elegant Solution by giraffeter (E, 205k, niewangxian, canon divergence, arranged marriage, friends to lovers, fix-it, everyone lives au, courtship, polyamory, smut)

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3. Hey! Hope you guys are doing well.

I was looking for this fanfic where the sects send their heirs to vanquish the Yiling Patriarch, but none of them return. Even Lan Sizhui goes missing, and Jin Ling takes matters into his own hands and goes to find the Yiling Patriarch himself because he's grieving.

So he goes there but the situation is entirely different. All the sect heirs are at Burial Mounds safe and dound they just didn't go back because of all the responsibilities their parents have for them.

Also, Lan Wangji and Wei Wuxian are actually together, and Wangji just sent Sizhui because the teen misses his other baba. And so when Jin Ling gets to know and Lan Wangji comes and they establish them as a new sect and all that jazz.

I'm not sure if the fix is actually complete. But please find this for me cuz I really really love the feels in this fic. @poetic-writes

FOUND! Safe in the Arms of a Demon by Starlight1395 (G, 19k, JC & JL & WWX, wangxian, LJY/LSZ, canon divergence, angst w happy ending, hurt/comfort, WWX doens’t die instead quarantines in BM, WWX adopts every child he sees, uncle nephew bonding)

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4. help to find a fic please. So there was this Wangxian fic, where Lan Wangji is rescued after being tortured. I don't think it was very long; probably on the shorter side. One quirk I remember is the narration being in second person, though I don't know if I'm remembering correctly. There was a mention of sea glass near the end of the fic. That's all the details I remember. Please help me find the fic.

I think #4 is one of those mer type fics, where lan zhan is held hostage and either his scales are being harvested for medicine or he's tortured to give tears, I have to research some more , but does the requestor think it could be along those lines ?

FOUND? ocean eyes by bunnylan (weiyingpretty) (T, 10k, WangXian, Modern AU, Human WWX, mermaid LWJ, Childhood Friends, Memory Magic, Getting Back Together, Fluff, Angst with a Happy Ending, First Love, Hurt/Comfort, First Meetings, Mutual Pining, Temporary Amnesia) tho I don't know if this is 2nd person narration ?

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5. Hi!! I'm looking for a fic where lwj is a fanfic writer and wwx was a podficer? is that the word? anyways that's all I remember from it because I only read the summary :')

FOUND! Your Words, My Voice by AverageFandomEnjoyer (T, 5k, wangxian, modern, canon divergence, fluff, kissing, pining, falling in love, writer LWJ, podficcer WWX, meet-cute, minor miscommunication) and has a podfic! :)

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6. Could you please help me find a colored-blood fic? It was canon divergent, where people with golden cores had golden blood (and normal people had normal red blood). After the core transfer WWX’s blood slowly turns back to red and he has to be careful not to get injured or it will show that he lost his core. In that scene after he is revived JC doesn’t whip him, WWX pretends to be MXY and shows his red blood to “prove” it. I am dying to read this again! It was most likely on ao3.

FOUND? who cares when you're gone by camellialice (M, 22k, WangXian, Hades (Video Game) Fusion, Canon-Typical Levels of Self-Sacrifice, Canon-Typical Levels of Spitting Up Blood, Canon-Typical Levels of Pining) this is a bit of a stretch, but 'who cares when you're gone' by camellialice on ao3 might be #6 on the fic finder. it has the gold blood / red blood thing but not the mo xuanyu part of the ask.

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7. Hi can you help me find a fic I read a couple of years ago? It was a modern au where all the sect heirs were sent to another planet/alternate reality (?) for some kind of reality TV show. I think JGS was behind it but for some reason also sent JZX. I remember that NMJ is killed while they are trying to escape and WWX stays behind alone to allow the rest to escape. He has to survive in a wintery wilderness until the others manage to rescue him. Thanks for your help. @i-amnotawriter

FOUND? and from our own/live to ourselves by betweentheheavesofstorm (M, 105k, WangXian, Modern AU, Fantasy, Reality TV, Arctic Survival, Blood Magic, Blood and Gore, Getting Together, Pining, Angst with a Happy Ending, Self-Harm, Bloodletting, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Burn, Animal Death, Hunting, Mild Sexual Content)

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8. helluu! i have this one fic that i really want to re-read, but i cant find it for the life of me. i remember it was pretty long and so well written so i really hope you can help. what i remember is it took place during (after?) the guanyin temple arch, and i think JGY forced WWX to make a time travel array for him. dont remember much but i belive WWX LXC NHS and JC end up sacrificing themselves to get the array working and they send back the junior quartet to the time of Jin Lings one month anniversary party (i just remember random facts from here and there) but i think the try to fix things up with jin zixuan’s death so it doesn’t happen..? i hope any of that makes sense. could you please help me find it? @constant-brainrot-24-7

FOUND? ❤️ Tragedy is Not the End by Hobbsy3 (T, 358k, wangxian, Time Travel, Torture, Hurt/Comfort, Golden Core Reveal, Canon Divergence from Qiongqi Pass, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, Yunmeng sibling bonding, good dad wwx, good dad lwj, JZX Lives, JYL Lives, Junior Quartet Dynamics)

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9. Hi! It's me again hahaha.

I was reading a fic and suddenly I remembered another fic, but I can't find it in my bookmarks. It's a Canon Divergence where WQ transfer the half of the golden core back to WWX with the permission of JC.

I hope you can help me, thanks ☺️. @wangxiansgirl

FOUND! The Fire Lapping Up the Creek by notevenyou ( E, 66k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Hurt/Comfort, Injury Recovery, Blood, Respiratory Illness, Major Illness, Fever, Grief/Mourning, Burial Mounds, Angst with a Happy Ending, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hunger and food scarcity, Surgery, Fix-It of Sorts)

Not FOUND in this place where we don't have a prayer by Cerusee, Mikkeneko (T, 42k, WangXian)

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10. 👋Hello! I'm a big fan of your blog! ❤️ I've seen that you help to find fics and I'd like to ask for help to find one. 🙏

It's a Wangxian and takes place after the war ¿? 🤔 I think. I remember that Lan Zhan has to accumulate power in his golden core and then transfer it to Wei Ying.

And Idk if it's the same fanfic, I think not, but Lan Zhan has to create a second golden core for Wei Ying.

I'm sorry, that's all I can remember. I have a terrible memory. Please help 🙏😔

FOUND? 🧡 Discarded by teawater (E, 141k, WIP, WangXian, Lots of Angst, Hurt/Comfort, YLLZ WWX, Golden Core Reveal, Case Fic, Depression, Family Issues, Self-Esteem Issues, Self Confidence Issues, Self-Worth Issues, Angst with a Happy Ending, POV Multiple, BAMF WWX, dubious morals in the Lan sect, Feels, Pining, Grief, Fix-It, BAMF LWJ) I remember a scene where LWJ gives WWX the second core he slowly grew over the years specifically for him in this one? - Mod C

FOUND? these colours fade for you only by doodlebutt (T, 36k, WangXian, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Fluff and Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Everybody Lives, Golden Core Transfer, Golden Core Transfer Fix-It, …eventually, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, bed sharing, Mutual Pining, like really unreasonable amounts of pining, Slow Burn) i'm not sure about the details, but maybe this fits? iirc lwj starts cultiivating a new core during sunshot and gives it to wwx right after

FOUND? three surgeries and a mercy kill by MarbleGlove (T, 11k, Medical Procedures, Demonic Cultivation, Canon Divergence, Fix-It, Self-Indulgent, WWX Has a New Golden Core, Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies)

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11. Hi,This fic has the whole group thinking wei ying commited suicide but actually he ran away thinking everyone hates him and living in streets. Accidentally meets Lanzhan in a coffee shop who feels connected to him even though LZ thinks he is Mo xuanyu. starts taking care of him and the huisang plots to reveal weiying to all so things happen.LZ is super protective and its super angsty. Also LZ sleepwalks. Know the fic? @mridhu6

FOUND! Where You Fell by Sweet_William (E, 303k, wangxian, 3zun, NHS/JC, JYL/JZX, modern, coffee shop au, angst w happy ending, homeless au, pining, getting together, slow burn, implied/referenced child abuse, suicidal thoughts, self-esteem issues, autistic character, WWX has ADHD, panic attacks, hurt/comfort, implied/referenced sex work, implied/referenced substance abuse) but i dont remember reading about some of the details the asker mentioned, so it might not be the same fic

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12. Hello! Read a fic a couple months ago and have been scouring the internet to find it for the past week. (My apologies for the very bad recalling of what happened in the fic) Anyway, basic plot points that i remember was wwx had been asked to paint lwj bedroom walls and was given a key to his apartment (fairly sure they were already friends before this tho) also lwj had a pet rabbit that wwx would often feed. Sorry! I know there's not much to work with it for finding fic but I'd really appreciate @mopdopplophop

FOUND? show me a quiver, give me tonight by spookykingdomstarlight (E, 115k, wangxian, modern, artist au, communication failure, pining, angst w happy ending, demisexual WWX, mentioned past LWJ/OMCs, eventual smut, gossip, getting together, crack treated seriously, friends to friends w benefits to lovers, WWX pov)

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13. Hi! I'm trying to find a fic I've read a while ago. On that fic, an old person at Yilling confuses Wwx with a woman, and gives him a discount because they think he's a young woman who was abandoned with her son by her husband. Wwx starts dressing as a woman to gain people's sympathy and get discounts. He accidentally describes his husband as being Lwj, and when Lwj goes to Yilling people all but siege him because they think he's the scoundrel who abandoned his wife and son.

FOUND? Mother Knows Best by misbehavingvigilante (M, 12k, wangxian, canon divergence, crossdressing, food issues, gender identity, gender noncomforming, trans WWX, poverty)

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14. A) Hi, I'm trying to find a fic where its female wei ying who becomes pregnant with twins and is perilously I'll so lan zhan volunteers to marry her but something about a caravan attacked by jin and her becoming so I'll happens.. any idea

B) Hi, I'm trying to find a fic where wei ying is disguised as lan zhans bride fo be and weirdly makes friends with lan Quiren by being he model in law? @quxxnrandonmness27

14B)

FOUND? Wei Wuxian, Who’s That? by bumbledees (T, 48k, wangxian, crossdressing, pining, sibling feels)

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15. Hi could you help me find this fic, I think it's been deleted

I know the summary went like this

Wei Wuxian begins weakly, but Lan-laoshi, cruel as he is, continues speaking.“Well? I have provided you with three choices. You move, you act, or you let Wangji tutor you after school.” Lan-laoshi raises an eyebrow. “I, of course, recommend option two, as it would solve everyone’s problems, but alas. Teenagers.”He should choose to move classes. Lan-laoshi is right – it would help him focus, and it would help his grades, and Madam Yu would be less disappointed in him than she usually is. And Lan Wangji would be rid of him, which would undoubtedly make him more comfortable in his own damn class.But Wei Wuxian is weak. And horrible, and selfish, and so he chooses the third option. “Lan Wangji,” he says, turning to him with pleading eyes, “Lan-er-gege, light of my life – would you terribly mind tutoring me after school?”

Any help would be appreciated @imgonnablogtheworldtodeath

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16. Hi so i read this fic but i cant remember its name.this is a fic in which wangxian adopt a abused ayuan .he was abused by xue yang i think.and they adopt him and ayuan still has that trauma but slwlu overcomes it @rosy1324

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17. Hii for the next fic finder pls help me with a story where

wwx gets de aged (post canon) and doesn’t remember that Jiang Yanli is dead but he gets happy to see jin Ling even says something about JY to him (that he should address him better cause he’s his nephew). Then he goes to lotus pier because he wants to be with JC but he starts remembering more things and is sent back to cloud recess. The more the time pases the more he remembers and he gets where he remembers the wens, he’s happy to see Sizhui but discontented with the fact that after all he dies.

After that, His body kind of shuts down (replicating the years that was dead) and lwj has to keep passing energy so he doesn’t die and after a week or something he finally wakes up with full memory of what happened.

Thank you!! 💙💙

FOUND? Rewritten by yamadori (Katsumi27) (G, 6k, wangxian, JC & WWX, age regression/de-aging, hurt/comfort)

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18. Fic Finder for a twitter thread fic? It was Modern AU, LQR POV, and he was Convinced WWX was abusive toward LWJ. LWJ gets very sick and isn't answering LQR's phonecalls, and LQR assumes WWX is isolating LWJ from his family; it's implied LWJ had actually pulled away from LQR because of LQR's behavior. WWX and LWJ owned a farm with the wens and were raising a-Yuan. LQR goes to the farm for the first time and ends up seeing how much WWX cares for LWJ. @lewiscarrolatemybrain

FOUND? Twitter thread by enigmatree

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19. Hi! Can you help me find a fic? it is a time travel fic wherein Wangxian, Ayuan, Xicheng time traveled in the middle of Past wwx and jzx's fight? Yilling Laozu was hurt and he's craddling ayuan. There's also a part where the past characters thought HGJ and YLL were married and had a child which is Ayuan. It is also not Xicheng friendly if I remembered correctly. Thank you! @sandralyne07

FOUND? How did I end up with this Frozen Heart? by Grace_ShadowWolf (TaubeLePigeon) (T, 53k, WIP, WangXian, Time Travel, Fix-It, PTSD, Angst with a Happy Ending, YP!WWX, twin prides of yunmeng are horrified at the relationship between their future selves, YP!WWX has short hair, Canon Divergence, Self-Indulgent, wangxian get together early, Songfic, JC Bashing, LXC Bashing)

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20. Hello! I’m looking for a fic where I think WWX was a dragon or fox who imprinted on LWJ and refused to leave him. I don’t remember much but I think there was a scene where LXC says he can’t do anything about it because dragons/foxes are celestial beings and that LWJ should study some books… or something like that.

FOUND? To lurk, to lie in wait by trippednfell (M, 124k, WangXian, Modern with Magic, Huli Jing, strangers to co-parents to lovers, Strangers to Lovers, Dragons, Kid Fic, teenage juniors, background NieLan, Angst with a Happy Ending, Case Fic, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Not Really Character Death, Fox Spirit WWX, Dragon LWJ, Blood and Injury, Additional Warnings In Author’s Note)

#20 sounds like a fic where Wei ying was a literal tiny noodle dragon 🐉 that literally imprinted on lan zhan and would ride on his shoulders and go to classes with him lol and they had to research how to get him back to human form. Wei ying apparently was messing around with arrays or something and sumoned and then was trapped by a celestial dragon being form. they fix it and then Wei ying becomes human and wakes up in bed with lan zhan lol

FOUND? Strange Magic by Sabinasan (T, 18k, wangxian, Alternate Universe, Cursed WWX, Fluff, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Falling In Love, Cuddling & Snuggling, Possessive WWX, Protective WWX, Sharing a Bed, Sharing Clothes, Non-Sexual Intimacy, Hair Brushing)

~*~

#wangxian #mdzs #wangxian fic finder #wangxian fic search #the untamed #wangxianficfinder #long post

126 notes · View notes

gentil-minou · 9 months

Text

once upon a time, 很久很久以前

Once upon a time, there lived a magical boy who was lost far, far away from home… Wei Wuxian is perfectly ready to celebrate another mediocre birthday alone when a ten-year-old shows up on his doorstep claiming to be his son. This kid is convinced everyone in his town has been dragged away from their xianxia world and cursed to live as ordinary citizens in a mundane small town, and he's certain that Wei Wuxian is the key to saving them, his other dad, and their entire world. He sounds insane, but, well, Wei Wuxian likes him. Besides, what else can he do but follow him back home? (A Wangxian AU based on the show Once Upon a Time, no prior knowledge of said show necessary)

Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Transmigration, of the townwide variety, Amnesia, of the nearly everyone variety, Mystery, of the shenanigans variety, Somebody Lives/Not Everyone Dies, Wèi Yīng | Wèi Wúxiàn Has Self-Esteem Issues, wwx is sad and down bad, Single Parent Lán Zhàn | Lán Wàngjī, except a-yuan runs away to find his other dad, Fluff and Angst, Slow Burn, Mutual Pining, Minor Character Death, Angst with a Happy Ending

Wangxian + A-Yuan + Minor Characters | WIP 4/? | 52K | Rated M

Preview under the cut

Once upon a time, there was a boy who believed he loved the world more than it could ever love him.

He would be proven very wrong.

Everyone loves the birthday boy.

They especially love him several shots in on Halloween night, wearing an outfit that’s little more than a couple scraps of fabric hastily sewn together in some approximation of a “Sexy Whatever”. Privately, Wei Wuxian calls it Dealer’s Choice, letting whoever he’s currently flirting with decide what it is.

It doesn’t matter; that’s never been the point of the night. Sure a birthday is meant to be spent celebrating, but that’s a bit harder to do when he doesn’t have anyone to celebrate with. It would be fine, as long as he could have as many free drinks as he could score and at least a passably decent fuck, he’d consider it a good night.

Really, when it comes down to it, it’s just another day. Halloween, yes, which makes it a moderately better one. But beyond that bit of fun that comes with picking up a pretty stranger at a bar, there really isn’t much else to look forward to. This is how Wei Wuxian expects to celebrate his birthday:

He’d saunter into how ever many establishments it takes until he finds a pretty enough stranger he can stand being around. The pretty stranger would look him up and down, dragging their eyes over his toned long legs and resting far too long at the slope between his narrow waist and wide hips. And for that one moment, he’d be the most important boy in the world.

He’d get a few free cheap drinks and eventually, they’d find their way to some back alley with its familiar stench of overripe garbage and piss. He’d let himself be pressed up against the brick wall, rough against his back; the perfect distraction from everything else. Then the pretty stranger would stick their tongue far enough down his throat so that he could pretend this day is just like any other.

In between sloppy kisses and sub-par groping attempts, they’d get his name wrong while he’d have already forgotten theirs. They’d mutter a “Happy Halloween, Birthday Boy” like so many one-night stands before them, and he’d giggle and laugh like it’s the very first time. It’s never difficult to plaster a patented smile and play pretend. Then he’d drop to his knees and let the world fall away.

Finally, after however many drinks and strangers it would take to make him forget, he’d stumble back to his basement studio with just enough awareness to take off his shoes before passing out on his secondhand stained mattress. His dreams would be fast and incomprehensible, a mosaic of imaginary maybes and a dream of a life he’d never had.

This is how he’s celebrated the last several years, and it’s how he expects to celebrate this year as well.

Because it’s not just Halloween and it’s not just his birthday. It’s the anniversary of his parents leaving their son behind in a dingy alley, wedged between a dumpster and a pile of soggy cardboard. Not even the barest hint of an afterthought, like maybe we shouldn’t leave this small defenseless child asleep and at the mercy of sewer rats?

But if the liquor is strong enough and the haze is just right he wouldn’t remember that until the next morning. That’s what the night is really for. Not a celebration or anything like that, but a desperate attempt at some peace away from this life of his.

Tonight will be his twenty-fifth birthday, and it might as well not be at all.

And then it will end, and November 1st will come around, and the world will keep turning like it always does.

But somehow, not one of those things goes according to plan. In fact, the universe has a completely different plan for him this year, it seems.

Read more on Ao3

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descendant-of-truth · 11 months

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Actually obsessed with how they're using that initial scene with Big as a means of creating a narrative pattern

The first thing we see in this show to establish Sonic's character is him rushing past Big, leaving him spinning around and off-balance, only for Sonic to turn back and help stabilize him with apologies at the ready for both him and Froggy; directly contrasted with Shadow doing the same thing without acknowledging either of them.

By itself, that's just a good way to contrast Sonic and Shadow, and then they bring the scene back again as Sonic runs past him in New Yoke, which triggers more of his memories of the event to come back to him:

Which again, makes sense because Sonic has amnesia at first and putting him in situations to help him remember stuff is only reasonable.

But today we got a look at the upcoming episodes, and wouldn't you know it! they're referencing it again!!

Big is shown in a ghostly form, waving, replaying the last moment he and Sonic interacted before the world shattered... potentially on loop? Not unlike how Sonic might replay the last moments he had with his friends in his head, I imagine.

First it was just a cute intro, then it was a neat contrast, then it was a reminder. And now it's being frozen in time, immortalized without any of the warmth of the original moment. Sonic doesn't stop for him this time, either; there wouldn't a point since he's not really "there."

The scene is changing the more Sonic is being reminded of it, which I think is a pretty good portrayal of how emotion can affect memory. There was only one moment that truly caused a disaster - Sonic shattering the Paradox Prism - but now everything that happened that day is being tainted by it.

When he runs past the Big in New Yoke, he's bothered by the memory despite him being cheerful in it, because he's starting to remember the whole event, and it's clearly one that causes him distress.

And now we've got that hologram-esque Big in a cool-toned, desaturated Green Hill, and Sonic's gloves and shoes are styled after a wireframe... all very good ways to show that this world isn't complete, and how much it doesn't feel like home to Sonic even though it functionally looks the same.

I don't really have anywhere else to go with this but I just can't stop thinking about the way they keep coming back to Big and how well they're showing the extent of how this all has affected Sonic

#sonic the hedgehog #sonic prime #sonic prime spoilers #big the cat #shadow the hedgehog #analysis #meta #Thinkin about Sonic and Big and Shadow and Sonic/Shadow running past Big and what Big is supposed to represent and the Themes of it all....

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gokartkid · 1 year

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f1 fic rec list

self indulgent! my personal masterlist of hits, also theres 25 of them... 25 days of fic christmas, an advent calendar perhaps!

turn back and return by @rudesses

“No! We are climbing together,” Charles says, because Charles is very generous. He likes to phrase it that way—together. They haven’t climbed together in years.

charles/alex mountaineering au, SUCH good characterisation, the universe is so full and it has this like. longing-not-going-for-it that makes me crazy. THEE chalex fic to me. it holds tension so well and really makes you feel nervous in the high adrenaline moments, and you can tell the care that charles and alex have for each other, and their well established relationship immediately as the fic starts, which i think is so well communicated in so little time!

phantoms and pencil marks by cazio

Pierre woke to a boy sitting next to his bed. Amnesia AU

pierre/charles, amnesia au where pierres been in a accident and has severe amnesia, its written so well from his perspective you can feel his confusion the whole time and its amazing piarles but also a standout character study of pierre it has so many painful moments, i love how pierre he... is meeting charles again and again, but warped and you can see how painful it is for everyone. so so so good. it takes everything i love about amnesia fics and elevates it

Second Star to the Right by @gufettogrigio

It is stupid of Nico to even give Lewis the chance to notice. The hot water kettle is just a bit too heavy at breakfast one morning and Nico loses his grip. Lewis is next to him at the buffet table of the hotel and catches it out of reflex; Nico knows better than to think it’s kindness. He stares at where Nico’s fingers are still refusing to cooperate. "What happened to your hand?" "Nerves" - Nico answers with a shrug, glad for the double meaning in the English phrasing. It's up to Lewis how he wants to interpret it; Nico didn't lie.

nico rosberg/lewis hamilton but also jenson button/nico rosberg but separately, there are alternate endings.

SOO so so iconic, i have reread this multiple times. mind the tags, but it's an incredible nico character study, everyone in this is amazing but especially toto, this line: [Toto laughs, kindly. “You are my World Champion and I’ve only got two of those. I am invested in your continued survival. Always.”] it is everything to me. nicos mentality about himself, his feelings about racing, about the championship, about lewis. wow!

provenance by ecorone

At the end of the world, art curator Lewis Hamilton finds his way back to the artist called no5.

lewis/sebastian, genuinely like. an incredible work of art fic. it's an apocalypse - non driver - surreal fic. its setting is if the end of the world dinosaur times were happening now, and what to do with all your regrets, and follows lewis as the main character. it has so much depth to it, the writing style itself is incredible. the characterisations, the philosophies, the EVERYTHING. i left an insane comment on it just so i could spill my thoughts out better and i can't do it a second time hahaha but i would so so so highly recommend reading, to be honest even if sewis is not your thing just because. imo it is so much more than just a fic about drivers. also read their other stuff bc i do not like lewis/max as a pairing but i will vouch for ecorones interpretation as being. THEE lewis/max thesis.

echo of the future by @tetrapod7

Lewis, once on the path of the Jedi and now in the midst of the Galactic Empire, learns of the chance to save ancient Jedi texts. Max, a stormtrooper, becomes smuggler Daniel Ricciardo's copilot. They too pursue the Jedi texts -- with the hope of selling them to the Empire. Their stories collide at the Jedi Temple on Genbara. As the danger of an Imperial Star Fleet looms large, Max, Daniel, Lewis, Seb, and Jamie have to figure out what matters most to them, what they owe to each other, and devise a plan for an unavoidable space battle with the Empire -- a battle for their future and hopes.

lewis/sebastian max&daniel i will like. forever and always be a star wars guy x i read this in one sitting it made me feel insane everything about it is perfect, all of the storylines running at once then colliding. lewis in this especially is EXCEPTIONAL, r0s-c0 made me laugh so hard when i read it. droids 4eva! the particular sw verse this is is built up perfectly there are SO many details here and so much world building it makes me want to eat it. the entire atmosphere is quintissentially star wars, a mission running on hope and a few credits. amazing <3

in that iron ground by @lilyrizzy

"Maxy,” Daniel says and it sounds like he’s choking. Max frowns, deeper. He crouches in front of Daniel, resting his hands on his bare thighs. Daniel is still only wearing the boxers and undershirt he went to sleep in. Nothing’s changed. “Daniel, what is wrong?” Max repeats. Daniel swallows. I don’t want things to change, he thinks again. “My dad’s dead," he says. Or Daniel takes Max home to Perth for a funeral.

max/daniel incredible scholarship on daniel and max, who they are to each other especially in daniels lowest moment, i love how it... it is the lowest point of daniel that we are seeing which brings out so much depth to his character, and who he is especially behind his like, media/character mask. the characterisation of daniels family, how he struggles to process the grief, the complexities around grief and the consistent running undertone of why-mine-and-not-yours surrounding max and daniels fathers. his internalised homophobia/fear of coming out. amazing

sixteen cadences for children in bloom by distressedgremlin

Pierre flips his cap around and marks it on his calendar: 2021, the year of living selfishly

pierre/charles SUCH A GOOD PIERRE. such a good pierre. he deserves to be selfish and to live selfishly. i think seeing him become so confident is so great in this fic and especially the narrative foils between him, daniil and yuki i love, how he evolves in those relationships, becoming a team leader, becoming someone who HE likes. also obsessed with distressedgremlin's sewis fics. so so so obsessed. the le mans fic is everything to me

constellation falling into place by wraysford

For some reason, the last part is what sticks in Nico’s head, you were quick, in that awed, painfully genuine tone of Lewis’, but, he hastily reminds himself, how fast or slow he was back then doesn’t matter anymore or, wherein Nico goes to university and Lewis races

nico/lewis HEARTBREAKING au to me. nico quits racing and lewis doesn't and they meet again. im obsessed with it as a nico character study and a look inside his strange little brain in this universe... its perfect. the underlying jealous and what-could-have-been in every scene, the way lewis is so. GENUINE about wanting to reconnect with him, it kills me.

tomorrow on every shore by @missyourflight

This season on Below Deck Sailing Yacht... Six weeks. Nine charters. Lots of hot tub stuff. * “Is it not your colour?” Max says. The production team gave the whole crew new uniforms for this season, swapped their usual navy polos for something that apparently pops more on camera. It’s sort of peachy, not Max’s favourite, but it looks good on Daniel. “Please,” Daniel scoffs. “Everything’s my colour.” He bumps his hip into Max. “You weren’t tempted to go with the skort option?” Max bumps back, pretending to consider. “I thought about it, but it’s just not practical on deck, you know?” “Guests are arriving,” Christian says, his smile tight, eyes fixed ahead. “Could we attempt to act like professionals, please?” And then the guests are on the dock, and everyone puts on smiles to greet them, and it’s almost like a normal charter except for all the fucking cameras everywhere.

max/daniel, below deck au, i read this right after binging below deck med so obvs it was perfect. i love everyones characterisation especially christians. + yuki as the chef is perfect. i love the interview sections paired with whats happening in the fic bc its like... i love an unreliable perspective! fantastic au and they are so 3D fleshed out

striving for goodness while the cruel men win by @misonikomi

Lewis had been at a disadvantage. Cruelty had never been bred into her; she had to learn it one piece at a time. When she first started karting, she had tried to blend in with the other kids, an impossible feat. There had been so much violence even then, in the way the kids looked at her, spoke to her, and touched her. She had to learn that violence as well, in order to win

lewis/sebastian, gender swap au, i think one of the first and only i read because i get a bit nervous about them, but incredible, incredible thesis material. the characterisations of lewis and charles and amazing, how they change and are the same as women. perfect narrative foils for each other. sebastian and lewis' relationship in this is fantastic, how lewis' past with nico has affected her into her relationship with seb but also with f1 in general. suzie is standout in this to me, the woman-woman relationships in general are perfect

december makes me quiet by @warriorbarnes

“Hallo?” he greets, and gets to his feet. “There is a snow storm,” are the words he’s met with. He’s taken aback at first, the accented english not what he’d expected, and has to recalibrate his brain from german to english. His brows knit together when he realizes who it is on the other end of the line. “Charles?” he asks. or, right before Christmas, Seb gets an unexpected guest.

sebastian/charles, one of my favourite sebchal fics!!! i think it handles that line between awkwardness and getting to know each other so well. any sebchal fic that has charles being normal around sebastian is immediately inaccurate, we know his complexes! i love to read it... so comforting, being snowed in is THE premise!

lucky thirteen by @azzy421

Being the daughter of the most successful racing driver in the world (retired) comes with a lot of privilege and a few very notable downsides. 1. Dad is famous, and it makes people act weird around him and ask Ayla weird things, like what he eats for breakfast or what deodorant he uses. 2. Sometimes he gets talked into going to Germany for the summer to talk about engines and aerodynamics with Uncle Toto’s team for months on end. And this is only really annoying because - 3. He never, ever wants to talk about racing with Ayla. Ayla, head over heels in love with the world of Formula 1, is determined that she’s going to prove she has what it takes to start karting, even if it means going behind her dad’s back to do it. When she discovers that not only is there a girls-only karting group next to their temporary home in Germany but that it’s being run by four-time World Champion Sebastian Vettel (Ayla’s second-favourite driver of all time) (also retired), she is determined to seize the opportunity with both hands. And, well. Her dad is lonely. Sebastian seems even lonelier. Solving that problem would be a nice bonus.

lewis/sebastian, i also usually never go for kid fics but this one intrigued me and it is SOOO good. seeing lewis through the lens of his kid, her passion for karting and especially his very, very real fear for her entering that world... so so so realistic and good. it has the exact right amount of self indulgence but also reality, i love seeing the 'future of f1' with mick, lando and george, and how lewis to ayla is still first and foremost her dad. sebastian in this is incredible but also this cannot be prophetic because if he did become an f1 hermit it would make me so sad xx

how to get it, how to live it by grandsprix

Alex wants to say no, because - well, because his ex was a closet case, and Charles is the kind of beautiful Alex is going to feel insecure about, and he has half a tub of strawberry cheesecake Haagen Daaz and a rental of Dune waiting for him at home after his shift, and is that worth giving up to give some French twink a blowjob in the staff bathroom? or, Alex works in a gay bar in Soho, and Charles is lost.

alex/charles, obviously love every grandprix chalex fic, but this is my favourite! i am so charmed and in love with charles' characterisation here, his clumsy confidence and how he is immediately offended by alex not wanting to have sex-sex with him haha also alex's like... slow sense of impending doom at becoming closer to him. perfect

come on, starboy by @yekoc

Daniel’s just slinging his bag over his shoulder to head out to the parking lot when there’s a noise behind him, the hollow metallic echo of a locker door slamming. Turning, he sees that kid. Max. The running back who always fumbles. He’s standing in front of the locker he just slammed, muscles tense. His too-big mouth is drawn into a flat line. He has his phone in his hand: he looks at it, puts it in his pocket, and grinds his fist against the bank of lockers in front of him. “Hey,” Daniel says, because he feels creepy now, just looking. The kid looks up at him, startled. “Oh,” he says. “Hi.”

max/daniel, obviously like anyone reading this list will have read this or if you haven't you should?? max and daniel are perfect in this actually perfect. it has that... stuck in a small town that you are outgrowing but will you ever be able to stretch. standout to me: the spectre of max's dad. we hardly see him properly but you can tell the impact he is having on max, and by extent on daniel. this is also possibly my favourite lewis, second only to new wave (new emotion). the way he steals the show for me in every scene he is in, his college aspirations, fears for the future, wanting to gone beyond the simplistic perceptions of him... amazing. number 2 yekoc favourite is glory from a high rise but i am only reccing one per author strictly to not make this list insane

the heartbeat is a hunger by @thelittlebirdthatkeptsomanywarm

2019 FORMULA ONE SPORTING REGULATIONS Art. 34: BONDING Teams are required to register all bonds between drivers with the FIA at the beginning of each season. New bonds must be formally recognized through a bonding ceremony under supervision of at least one FIA representative [...]. Art. 34.1 [added on 1.01.1993] Bonds between drivers competing for different teams are prohibited. I'm so unused to being - well, understood perhaps. - Vladimir Nabokov's first letter to his future wife, Véra

lewis/sebastian, lewis/nico, SUCH a good bonding au... a really interesting look into how dystopian something like this could get, and i think a realistic look into how sports is constantly pushing us to the limit so if there were more ways to do so.... they absolutely would take advantage? lewis and nico's relationship is so interesting here, and seb as the trope inversion is SOOO. it is so well executed.

new wave (new emotion) by nothoughtsjustvibes

In which Max realizes he’s in love with Daniel and flies to Colorado to make it Lewis’s problem. Lewis just wants him to leave – preferably on a plane to Australia.

max/daniel lewis&max, my favourite lewis. ever!!!!!! max in this is STELLAR as well, their relationship is so so funny and so well balanced, i mostly love how... lewis deals with AD21 mentally in this? and how he's like urgh max is here? i will be nice. to hey. max is pretty cool :) in a very organic sense and also lewis being a mentor figure when i have 2022 lh superimposed over 2008-2016 menace lh in my mind is very funny. lewis micromanaging max's problems to fix them is my favourite thing, also every small interaction with charles in here is brilliant.

crude generalisations and vulgar simplifications by @janinaduszejko

Alex remembers attending his first Cabinet meeting - he’d been awed by the imposant room, the history this place held, where wars had been declared, disasters averted and ensured, with its stately inner ring of ministers, surrounded by the bustling outer ring filled with their advisors and assistants. The gratitude he had felt in that moment, being a part of the centre of it all, the place where power housed. Almost six hours later, he’d stumbled out of the stuffy room with George at his side, eyes wide with commiseration as he’d led Alex through the narrow halls. “These ministers.” Alex had said, a hollow look in his eyes. “Are they all-?” “Afraid so.” George’s voice had been kind, but knowing, like he’d expected this and had grimly prepared himself. “Halfwits.” Alex had moaned, as George had patted him on the back in sympathy. “Fools and idiots, every last one of them.”

george/alex, so so osos oso os good. i LOVE a political au i love intrigue i love stupidity i love jargon <3 and this baby has it all!!! i love any kind of misunderstanding/torment in a fic and in this one... alex u are so good at torment <3 george also coming up with the weirdest solution to their workplace romance is SO him. christian horner in this made me laugh a lot. this was i think the start of my galex downfall

steal the air out of my lungs (make me feel it) by @baking-soda

Max has never been so tired in his life. He can’t believe he’s going into call like this, that he couldn’t get to sleep last night. What an idiot. “Hey,” Daniel says, sauntering into a work room balancing a green smoothie and two large coffees from the caf. He puts one in front of Max. “You ready to save lives, Maxy?”

max/daniel obviously like. titular maxiel material, but i read it again and often! i am not a med student by any means but ive done placements in hospitals + medsci papers and reading this was like. it is exactly the feeling! when ur in it and you are a cog in a very big machine made for helping people and it is the most exhausting thing you have ever done but the most fulfilling... max in this fic is so so so amazing. the dissonance between how he sees himself and everyone else around him sees him. scenes that stick with me: when hes going to text his dad about the intubation but then he deletes everything because he thinks it wasn't impressive even though he had just been riding high. and every scene where he comforts the rookies but he like.. doesn't even realise himself he's doing it. to him he is being normal. love <3

Invent us as we were (real tears, hard love) by diamondcrystalink

“Seb, aren't you freaked out?” Every human who doesn’t work with mimic engineering hates seeing mimics down to their components, it's said to ruin the illusion. Sebastian didn't even hesitate to help him. “Why would I be? It's just you,” Sebastian replied without much thought, his concentration on shaping the lattice to the gash. - Charles is an android who should have had his memory wiped at the start of the season per regulation, Ferrari decided otherwise. Sebastian doesn't know.

sebastian/charles, android-au-i-love-you! illegal ferrari goings on i love you!!! i am forever and always a sci fi lover and this hits all the spots for me, the idea of charles as the golden boy of ferrari because he was literally made crafted and perfected by them, the ethics/philosophies of being an android (charles hating remembering that he is), the way it starts and ends with a dream as well, bookended perfectly. so so good

the alps by @grandprix-ao3

Yuki catches his first glance of Pierre somewhere without him in pre-season testing. He’s blue and pink, he’s glowing, a flat-brimmed cap with Alpine’s A emblazoned on it sitting backwards on his head. Pierre and his sunglasses, the microphones in his face, the questions, the novelty, the half-arrogant grins. “He looks different in pink,” Liam remarks, halfway to a joke. Yuki hates it. It reminds him of all the distance between them, all the words he’s too scared—too late to say. There’s a gap between them, now. It's mountainous. It’s brutal.

yuki/pierre, this is one of my favourite all time yukierre fics so i couldn't not include it. every single thing about it is perfect, yuki struggling with his feelings, the way he and pierre are drawn to each other again and again. the struggle with what people seem to see so easily and making that real. ALL TIME!

cleaner better breed by @toastandvegemite

The lights inside the glass box turned on and Daniel saw the android for the first time. Something hooked in his chest. “Did they have to make it look so real?” he murmured to Michael, turning his head slightly. (RedBull builds a robot driver. They call it Max.)

max/daniel this had me on the edge of my seat the whole time, the idea already of technology displacing high risk/reward activities like sport is so fascinating combined with the fact that sports is such a political tool in terms of soft power, almost unmatched, so how to wield that soft power effectively with a robot? make him a bit human and likeable. all of daniels internal monologues feel so true to form throughout this fic, and the ending. AGH! catch! love this au

Everything I do, I'm gonna think of you by @misonikomi

Charles's eyes scan up and down his body, expression somewhat unimpressed. Seb takes inventory of himself. Nondescript jeans, gray Puma sneakers, plain gray t-shirt. Not much to look at, he admits. Or: Charles is Bella Hadid, if Bella Hadid used to kart and was also a bit disillusioned with modeling, and Seb is still Seb.

sebastian/charles, SUCH A GOOD AU!!! i love fashion and i love f1... this is like a perfect in between. a really really good charles character study again i love taking the drivers out of their... natural habitats! and this as well, it doesn't shy away from how charles in this universe has lead to quitting karting, homophobia, gender etc. and sebastian is so unabashedly seb and them learning how to be together and charles gradually showing more of himself... the modelling world in this as well is so rich. its so good!!!

home (is wherever I'm with you) by actparci

On the drive back to the hotel Max had turned to him, blue eyes fierce and piercing. “Promise me you won’t stop being angry. You’re angry because you know what you can do. Use it, control it, let it fuel you. Other people won’t understand but that doesn’t matter, you know what you’re capable of.” You and me, he’d seemed to say, we’re the same. Charles wonders now how he ever thought Max wouldn’t understand. Or: Charles leaves Ferrari, tries to win a championship, and learns some things about belonging. All the while, Max is there

max/charles, i do not read much lestappen at all but this was amazing. charles moving to red bull and its done so well, because. i am a forza-ferrari-forza-charles guy forever but i am also addicted to alternate universes! all of the moments where there are differences between the teams, having the cheesy but so emotionally cathartic races and interactions and wins... its too good!

For the thrill of it all by @boxboxlewis

Charles unfolds from his headstand with cervine grace and stands up. “Geooooorge,” he says slowly. “George, George… George.” His eyebrows fly up, and he narrows his eyes at Alex. “Your friend who needs a place to stay for a few days, he is George? The George from your classes? That one? Posh George?”

george/alex, this is a series so technically cheating... essential george characterisations here! they are both so british (deeply derogatory) all of the dialogue is so perfect!!! i love their dynamic as flatmates, charles i love you but if i were flatting with him id kill him xx [If this were real, if they were dating, he wouldn’t fuck George, not tonight; he would draw it out, the anticipation, he would allow them the luxury of a long slow discovery. As it is he pulls back] my favourite line because alex is in every universe deluded. that boy loves you!

transmotion by heroics

Vettel's eyes fly to Lewis's, and he looks as shocked as Lewis feels. Then he grins. "You again." "Me again," Lewis says. He's lived in Frankfurt nearly four years now, and the German feels clumsy on his tongue in a way it hasn't since those first few months.

sebastian/lewis, literally what can i say. football, fashion designer au. the sebastian in this fic is so well fleshed out, and i love how its the.. uncertainty of being between stages in life, and how they struggle as adults with their relationship. lewis having moments of unintentional cruelty that they have to pull apart, and sebastian the same, the perils of homophobia in sport. charles and pierre in this i love, when pierre and lewis talk about his fashion show. pierre is a lh fanboy in every universe!

okay. that's it! they are literally in no order and also so muddled i am so sorry. if you are on this list i am such a big fan of you and just want to show my appreciation xx

#fic rec #f1 #chalex #sewis #maxiel #galex #yukierre #sebchal #brocedes #piarles #f1 rpf #cl16 #sv5 #aa23 #mv33 #dr3 #gr63 #yt22 #pg10 #lh44

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pluckyredhead · 2 years

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The Arrowfamily Is Comically Terrible at Secret Identities

I’ve mentioned a few times that I headcanon that the Arrowfam doesn’t actually have functional secret identities but think they do, but that’s...basically canon. So I figured I’d share the evidence!

There’s a lot of evidence.

Ollie has never been stupendous at maintaining a secret identity, but the whole thing fell apart completely in 1989, when the CIA asked Oliver Queen to assist them with a case. Ollie agreed, but wanted to know how they knew he was Green Arrow:

Please note that he’s talking to a CIA agent here. This man deals in information, and Ollie’s identity was so obvious he didn’t even realize it was a secret. Incredible.

Absolutely one of the funniest things Ollie has ever said. Bless his heart.

And when Ollie finally suits up for the mission...

...he decides not to put on the mask. He continues to not bother with it until his death, so for another five years.

(Dinah also seems to drop her secret identity around this time, though it’s not commented on. She pretty much continues not to have one to this day.)

But what about his boys?

Well, Roy is a government agent in the late 80s and 90s, and "Agent Harper’s” former life as a sidekick is no secret:

You could argue that Roy’s file is classified and so no one outside of Checkmate/the CBI knows it, but that’s pretty clearly not true. First of all, every babysitter Lian has ever had has known both of Roy’s identities. Second, by 1998, he’s wearing this costume:

No mask. Just occasional sunglasses. Please note Vic dunking on him for them. (This whole exchange is golden. “You’re not supposed to say his name” lololol.)

And then there’s Connor, who wears a mask, but doesn’t seem to realize that it’s for anything other than decoration and tradition. Here he is introducing himself by name while in costume:

(This is one of my all-time favorite Connor panels, by the way. “Are you Robin Hood?” “I’m his son.” Just shoot me in the heart, why don’t you?)

And in case you’re thinking, well, that’s a child, who’s she going to tell...here’s Connor being totally unconcerned about being addressed by his real name while in costume while on television:

It’s hard to convey with just a few panels here and there, but I want to make this very clear: from at least 1994 to 2001, Roy and Connor simply did not have secret identities. They walked around in costume without masks, sometimes with a jacket on top if it was chilly but clearly not to hide the costume. They introduced themselves by name while in costume and by codename while out of it. Heroes with secret identities (Dick, Kyle, etc.) had to remind them to be discreet when they were hanging out together. Literally every supporting character in both of their books knew who they really were, including villains. They weren’t super public figures, but they weren’t hiding things, either.

(Connor’s existence also really reinforces that Ollie never had a good secret identity, because he always knew Ollie was his father, which according to the timeline of that era means that Moonday saw Green Arrow on TV one day and said “Huh, that’s the guy who got me pregnant.”)

And then Ollie comes back. Now, when he returns from the dead he has amnesia for basically everything after his road trip with Hal in the 70s, which means he doesn’t remember getting rid of his mask, and he certainly doesn’t know that Roy and Connor were running around identity-less for years while he was dead. None of that makes this scene any less funny:

Mia has encountered both Green Arrow and Oliver Queen exactly once each and she instantly knows they’re the same person. Like the scene with the CIA agent, this scene is important because it establishes not that Ollie’s identity is known, but that it is easy to know. HE IS OBVIOUSLY GREEN ARROW. IF HE DOES NOT CHANGE HIS BEHAVIOR, HE WILL ALWAYS BE OBVIOUSLY GREEN ARROW.

(Spoiler: he does not change his behavior.)

A couple storylines later, Ollie becomes inexplicably obsessed with his secret identity. You know, the one he doesn’t have.

This is Ollie standing at his own grave. [Insert Grant Gustin meme here.] He is there to meet Clark and ask him who attended his funeral. Clark provides him with paparazzi photos, and Ollie absolutely freaks the fuck out because he doesn’t recognize one of the attendees, and why would someone he doesn’t know be at his funeral? Maybe they know his secret???

Oliver. THERE IS AN ARROW ON YOUR TOMBSTONE AND IT SAYS “ALWAYS MADE THE RIGHT ENEMIES.” YOU DIED IN A HELICOPTER EXPLOSION. WHAT FUCKING SECRET?

Like. Archer’s Quest is an idiotic storyline and riddled with character assassination, but the fact that Ollie is upset that a stranger was at his funeral when the paparazzi, who are presumably also strangers, were also there is extra dumb. But my Archer’s Quest rant is a separate post.

Anyway, Ollie and Roy decide to go on a road trip to find various things that may or may not compromise Ollie’s secret identity. Before they set out, Ollie gives Roy a present:

This makes me laugh so hard. It’s so fucking stupid. Truly what do you think that is going to do, Ollie? Is it a magic mask? If Roy puts it on, will it give the entire world amnesia? That cat is FULLY out of the bag, my friends!

It’s also funny because eight months later, Roy switched to this costume:

This one doesn’t even have sunglasses! Screw you, Ollie!

Oh, and just in case you think that Mia is better about all of this because she’s seen how obvious Ollie is...nope.

That is Mia making a trick arrow IN SHOP CLASS while loudly talking to Roy about the Fortress of Solitude on the phone. And then Bart shows up IN COSTUME to take her to a Teen Titans mission and it’s pretty clear that she is not at all concerned about the impact this will have on her secret identity. So yeah, she’s just as bad as the rest of them.

(Yes, Roy did steal a Phantom Zone arrow from the Fortress of Solitude as a teenager and then gift it to Mia a decade later. I love him.)

But then Identity Crisis happened, and all of a sudden everyone had to be super duper worried about their secret identity, even people who had not had one since 1989. And thus we get a hilariously dumb storyline where the Arrowfamily’s house gets blown up and Ollie spirals into hysterics about it:

If the next words out of Hideous Wally’s mouth weren’t going to be “...have a secret identity,” I will be so disappointed in him. EVERYONE KNOWS WHO YOU ARE, OLIVER.

Connor is not exempt from the hysterics, which is in a lot of ways even funnier because he never had a secret identity:

Well, gee, Connor, maybe you shouldn’t have told every single person you met your real name for seven years! Maybe that would have helped!

(This is all triply funny because these histrionics are being written by Judd Winick, who was simultaneously writing Roy the Maskless Wonder over in Outsiders.)

I’m assuming this was all intended to be a soft retcon and we just...weren’t supposed to remember or notice that the Arrowfam didn’t have secret identities once they started caring about them again. But again: it was firmly established not once but twice that Ollie’s secret identity can be detected by literally just looking at him, Roy’s ID is a matter of public record, and the amount of government agents, supervillains, and utter randos scattered around the world who know at least one Arrowfam ID is literally uncountable. And Oliver is still publicly dating Black Canary, Green Arrow’s girlfriend. And yet they still think they have secret identities.

In conclusion: they’re stupid and I love them, your honor. And this is why I choose to believe that everyone in Star City 100% knows who every single member of the Arrowfamily is and they are just allowing them to keep their illusions out of affection for their dumb, melodramatic, ridiculous superheroes.

#green arrow #oliver queen #connor hawke #arsenal #roy harper #speedy #mia dearden #meta

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ryuryuryuyurboat · 8 months

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RIRI. i SPECIFICALLY said no lyney angst. ever. for as long as your tumblr shall live. the little pookie wookie cutie sunshine munchkin muffin bear is in love with us returns our love do you understand😡 for legal reasons and so that i dont get judged hard by the people behind me on the train this is purely a joke. but you know WHAT ISNT A JOKE RIRI IT'S MY HEART SHATTERING. absolutely unbelievable. i demand compensation. fluff where lyney accepts confession. and an apology letter. 500 words. (hugs u)

i hate that i know EXACTLY who you are. what's with the hug did you burn the kitchen down again– anyway, here's my apology. love u!

last kiss

synopsis: if you go, can i go with you? if you leave me, can i leave me too?

genre: angst. no comfort.

characters: wanderer x gn! reader

warnings: established relationship, reader referred to in 2nd pov, written from wanderer's pov, mentions of wanderer’s birth name, reader gets amnesia, wanderer a little ooc maybe

a/n: i spent so long writing and re-writing this i will actually cry if people don't like this (no pressure though) mwah :3 likes, reblogs and comments highly appreciated!! it helps a lot :>

masterlist

he remembers.

kunikuzushi remembers your first meeting, clear as day. the wonder in your irises as you reach out for his hand, the way you cupped his porcelain face in your hands, running your hands through his indigo locks. he remembers when he accidentally let his feelings slip, freezing up in fear of your reaction– he remembers your light laugh, leaning in to press a chaste kiss to his forehead.

the balladeer remembers your disappointed look when he comes home to tell you he’s made his decision. you turn and go straight into the kitchen without another word, and the weight of silence has never been so heavy. and yet, as you set the table for dinner, you ask when the ship for snezhnaya will leave. he remembers all too well how you stopped right before boarding the ship, turned back to glare at him, and say your decision to follow him still didn’t mean you agreed with his. and when he fell from the shouki no kami after failing to replace lesser lord kusanali as sumeru’s god, he remembers you rushing forward to try and catch him in your arms to soften the impact.

the wanderer remembers those 2am walks to puspa café, pinkie linked with yours, because you craved some hot food and didn’t want it home-cooked. he remembers those cold nights with you– the rain’s symphony muffled in the background as you move in closer to embrace him tighter under the shared covers, him reluctantly humming you back to sleep.

he remembers that time you got abducted by fatui agents– any mere mortal would have gone insane from their cruel treatment, and yet, you became the one driving your abductors nuts. he found you with your back facing him as you wield your sword, your chest heaving as you take deep breaths. he remembers how he couldn’t help but let a tear slip as he runs forward to hold you tight, murmuring apologies into the crook of your neck, all the while wondering where you got that much strength from. and he remembers the way you turned around to embrace him, a rare fire in your eyes as you told him those words he wishes he could have imprinted on his skin: “i’m your heart after all, aren’t i? i can’t just go dying on you when you’re not ready to go!”

the wanderer still remembers that promise you once made at 1:58am in the morning, that sweet moment you both shared, the moon being the only witness to your soft declaration of love.

the wanderer remembers that fateful day he found you unconscious in a withering zone, your body bruised and battered— presumably from fighting enemies. he’s grumbling all the way home with you in his arms about how clumsy and bothersome you are, even as he gently cleans your face from the dirt. he refuses to leave your bedside for a single second in fear that you might awake all alone. but he was the one left all alone.

he hates it.

he hates that he remembers.

and you don’t.

he hates seeing that blank stare you give him as you tell him you have no idea what he’s harping on about. he hates that even after months and months of trying, even with lesser lord kusanali’s advice, you still remember nothing. he especially hates that apologetic smile you gave him as you tell him you don’t love him back. because you did. once. and you made a promise never to leave his side as long as your heart beat. once.

but you don’t remember, do you?

your explanation that you don’t want to continue leading him on because you just don’t feel the same completely shatters him. he has no right to force you to stay, either. not after everything you did for him. but he’s always been selfish, hasn’t he? so he asks you. he asks you for one last kiss so he can keep you in his fond memories. your eyes soften as you mutter an “oh, kuni.” (he insisted you stick to the name that always hung on your lips.) he tries not to show any emotion as you pull him into a tight hug, pressing your lips to his forehead. he tries to smile as he waves you goodbye, because he wants your last memory of him to be a good one. and he tries damn hard not to cry as he slides down the now-closed door of the house you once shared, head in his hands, knowing you’ve forgotten everything as easily as you breathed.

you’re his fourth betrayal. he hates that he has to remember that for the rest of his sorry, miserable life.

taglist: @i23kazu, @kazumist @oveloof (send ask to be added to taglist!)

if you liked this, do consider dropping me a follow for more :>

#genshin x reader #genshin impact x reader #genshin #genshin impact #genshin angst #scaramouche #scara angst #scaramouche angst #wanderer angst #kunikuzushi #wanderer #wanderer x reader #scaramouche x reader #balladeer x reader #kunikuzushi x reader #༄the vessel’s voyages #scrolls of yore✒️ᝰ

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bandedbulbussnarfblat · 2 months

Text

Y'all I had a thought. And it's a little crazy, but I'm going to throw it out there.

So this guy (played by Justin Kirk)

some people (me included) are already theorizing that this is Marius.

This post got a bit long, so I'm slapping it under a cut. Crazy theories below:

In the books Marius does a lot of things that are not cool concerning Armand. Like he is not a great sire to Armand. (I'm not even counting the romantic relationship here. Like, just in general he failed as a sire.)

(One thing he does that is super fucked up, is to make Armand's human 'children' (that's what he calls them, even though one of them is a grown ass woman) into vampires. They were Sybelle and Benji, they were human and Armand wanted them to stay that way. Also Benji was only 13 at the time, which is fucked up, as Marius explicitly tells Lestat not to make kids vampires. Then does it himself to Benji. And like, Marius didn't force it on them. He offered and they accepted. But the thing is, he never should have offered without Armand's permission. And I know some people are like, it's fine bc they consented. But seeing Benji was literally fucking 13 yrs old that consent doesn't mean much. Marius permanently trapped that boy as a young teenager forever. (seeing as how much it sucks for 14 yr old forever Claudia on the show, it probably does suck for him) And Armand wasn't happy about it. But Marius did it for Armand. Like, I believe he was honestly trying to make Armand happy.)

I know that was a long bit to read, but I'm just trying to establish that doing something he thinks would help Armand, without Armand's input, is in character for Marius.

What I'm think here is that there is a possibility he was the one to erase Daniel's memories. Obviously, he would think he was doing it for Armand's own good. Maybe Armand couldn't let go, and Daniel couldn't resist coming back to him. So to give them a clean break, he erases Daniel's memories.

It would fit with his character from the books abilities. He was very strong in the mind gift. And he helped Armand retrieve his lost memories after he got total amnesia and forgot his entire life before he was 15. (Well, 15 was when Marius found him. The passage of time isn't exactly clear on how long it took from Armand being captured and transported and made to do the sort of things children shouldn't have to do.)

And then he doesn't tell Armand. Because if Armand knew, he'd just try to find a way to bring Daniel's memories back. So from Armand's POV, Daniel just left and never came back. At some point, it would become obvious he had his memories tampered with. Bc of course Louis and Armand kept tabs on him. Which could explain Armand's hostility towards Daniel, especially in that one scene where he's all like 'i wouldn't let you near my neck'.

It's just a crack theory. And probably not at all what is going to happen. Bc it would make more sense for it to be Armand who did it, and also it would give us that drama and angst.

But it could be fun to write about in fic, especially if you want to also dive into the complicated relationship Marius and Armand have.

#iwtv crack theories #possible amc iwtv marius #i don't really like book Marius for a number of reasons #but i am intrigued to see what they do with him and the show

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frozen-spaghetti · 9 months

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Why Sans & Papyrus' are from Deltarune, and how it's so controversial

In the Deltarune fandom, I've been noticing some recent debate on whether Sans & Papyrus are truly from Undertale's world or Deltarune's world. So, I've decided to make a Tumblr theory post to cover several aspects of this! Enjoy!

Part I of this post covers the evidence, II covers counter-evidence, and III covers the controversy of it.

Part I - Are they from DELTARUNE's world? Here's some of the evidence:

• In the Genocide battle against Sans, he begins speaking about "going back." To where? Well.... • This is also a parallel to some of his dialogue on the Pacifist run. He comments to Frisk that he understands their feeling of longing to return home.

• However, this could just mean the surface, right?

• With that one line, Sans has made it clear that neither the Undergroud nor the Surface is his true home.

He also is the only returning Undertale character with absolutely zero outfit or theme song changes between games.

• Okay, but what about Papyrus? He's a totally different guy in Deltarune! He never goes outside, and in Undertale, he claims to have never seen a human.

• Well, I do have a few counters to this.

• As many fans will know, Papyrus confirmed in the Summer 2023 newsletter that he used to live in a place with green grass, such as the place that he and Sans on in Hometown.

• Now, that confirms Sans and Papyrus are both from the same world, and likely the Deltarune world as previously established. They also may have gotten the means to travel from the third skeleton, Gaster, who is all but confirmed to be a major player in Deltarune.

• As for why Papyrus acts so differently depending on the worlds; well... I don't subscribe to amnesia theory. It leans too hard into giving Sans the better treatment, so instead, I'd say Papyrus is purposefully in denial. How so? Let's read some dialogue from the King Papyrus ending.

All of this makes it seem like Papyrus is used to denial and making himself forget things. This seems to cast a new light onto that "don't forget." note as well. However, with all that out of the way, let me move on to addressing some counter arguments.

Part II - Merchandise, Dust, and Kris

• Okay, if Papyrus is from Deltarune, why does he dust? Berdly doesn't dust when he dies, and Sans isn't shown to dust either.

This is explained via the "fallen down" mechanism, when monsters are near-dead but are not fully dusted. This happens to Undertale monsters, and presumably Berdly as well. Berdly enters a deathly coma which is a major symptom of fallen down, and when Sans dies we don't see him dust on-screen. He possibly entered the state, and the reason we don't see him in the overworld is because he either already dusted, or he teleported away and remained in a coma. Due to the fact we earned an LV I'd go with the former.

Merchandise. Toby promised there wouldn't be merch of Deltarune lightners, but there's a Papyrus and Sans plush!

• Well, I'd say these are just based on where they appear first, they're branded as Undertale anyway. It'd be like if Smash Bros. Ultimate labelled Sans as a Deltarune character. For now, and likely for forever unless some crazy specific stuff happens, these two will be more associated with Undertale.

Part II.I - The Kris Argument

Papyrus has never met a human! Thus, we either can't see him in Deltarune or he's from Undertale.

Well, this is a fair point, but assuming Papyrus Denial Theory is true, him blocking away all of his memories of the Deltarune world could explain this! But even ignoring that....The skeletons are known to be quite the secretive sillies, even ignoring Gaster.

So in general, with all the counterpoints out of the way, why is this controversial in general?

Part III: Controversy

Many people argue that Sans & Papyrus being from Deltarune would be a case of poor writing.

Several have expressed concerns about how Undertale characters already have a game, and how multiverse stories in recent memory have often messed up, and how Toby could fall into said traps. Last thing we want is Bad Time Megalovania 2 Strike Back right?

I've also seen it be called "Toby leaning into fandom tropes" as well but to be fair, Toby created said tropes with lines by Sans and Alphys implying AU's exist canonically, and he himself pushes Sans as a mascot all the time, though he isn't the main character.

But yeah, with the several decent counterpoints explained away, it somewhat confuses me how large the group of people is that still deny Sans is from Deltarune is, albeit I understand their concerns.

So, since this seems to be really divisive these days (though generally most agree with me..)

I'd like to ask;

Do you think Sans & Papyrus are from Deltarune?

#deltarune #undertale #sans #papyrus #gaster #kris dreemurr #theory

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intermet179 · 9 months

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Theory: Splatoon's story modes are inherently inspired by Metal Gear

WALL OF TEXT WARNING:

Point 1: Agent 3 is the equivalent of Solid Snake. -Protagonist of first game, important to the next ones -Hired by some people -Fight and destroy Weapons of Destruction (Octoweapons/Metal Gears) -Fight Final Mecha that big baddie is controlling (Metal Gear REX, Octobot King; Liquid Snake, Octavio) -Said Big Baddie is of the same bloodline (Liquid Snake, also a clone of Big Boss like Solid Snake)/Animal Group (Octavio, a cephalopod) Octavio is hence the equivalent of Liquid Snake, the Octobot King being Metal Gear REX.

Point 2: Captain Cuttlefish is the equivalent of Big Boss/Nαked Snake. -First Captain/First Snake -Presumed deαd by end of ROTM/Metal Gear saga, but: -Cuttlefish is found dehydrated/"dead" but then is revived by Captain 3's tears -Snake goes to Big Boss' grave at the end of MGS4, but then sees the alive Big Boss beside him -Cuttlefish "hires" and trains Agent 3, Big Boss trains Solid Snake in CQC combat -Cuttlefish is same species as 3, Solid Snake is clone of Big Boss

Point 3: Agent 8 is the equivalent of Raiden/Jack the Ripper -Main Game Plot involves Agent 3/Solid Snake -Born a child soldier (Jack)/Octarian Soldier (8), and finding freedom at some point in time. -Captured by someone at some point in time (Commander Tartar/Solidus Snake) who they kill at the end of their game -Had an old name (Jack, 8's pre-amnesia name is unknown), given new one by mentor character (Raiden is named so by Snake, Cuttlefish assigns Agent 8 with that title) -Fight Big Thing With Laser near/by the end of their game (NILS Statue, has Ink Laser, Metal Gear RAY [MGS2], has Hydraulic Cutter) -Will most likely not hesitate to KΙLL Tartar is hence the equivalent of Solidus Snake aka George Sears, the NILS Statue being MGS2's Metal Gear RAY.

Point 4: Return of the Mammalians is the equivalent of Metal Gear Solid 4. -Final game story-wise with their respective character groups -Characters from all around the series -ROTM would have featured Agents 4 and 8, and does feature Callie, Marie, Cuttlefish, and Octavio as major parts of the story… -…just as MGS4 involves many characters from the other Metal Gear Solid games, such as Revolver Ocelot & Liquid Snake (As Liquid Ocelot), Raiden, and Big Boss -With new characters as well (Deep Cut, MGS4's side characters) -Pilot old enemy thing to defeat big enemy -Solid Snake (with Otacon) pilots the Metal Gear REX to defeat Liquid Ocelot's Metal Gear RAY -New Agent 3 (with Octavio) pilots the Octobot King L3.Gs to defeat Mr. Grizz, the final big bad

Therefore, we can assume (as it's not out yet) that Side Order will be the equivalent of Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance -Involves major character(s) from past game, those being Off the Hook, and MGRR being Raiden's post-MGS4 spinoff story -Protagonist is presumably Agent 8, who we've established is the equivalent of Raiden. -Protagonist Octoling (8) is wearing a new outfit, as in MGR after the prologue Raiden has a new cyborg body -Will more than likely touch on some darker themes as Octo Expansion did (while all of Metal Gear is pretty dark) -What's presumed to be a new Octoshot in trailer art, like how Raiden has a new High Frequency Blade with his new cyborg body -Even though Raiden's always wielded an HF Blade, it's just a new version, like how Agent 8 has always had an Octo Shot, this is presumably a new version -Might also have to do with the Octoling themselves as there are flashback-like images in the trailer, and MGR also has Raiden question his own philosophies

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dlartistanon · 2 years

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With the release of Chapter 11 on CN, I need to mull over the new information revealed about Shining (AND Nightingale) and thus make any connections to the wild speculation I had after Shining’s module. I know several of my speculations have been debunked with this. My thoughts and observations are all over the place, I apologize. Spoilers ahead.

(From left to right: Salus, Confessarius, Shining)

To start off, the woman on the left is a relative of both Shining and Confessarius, most likely a cousin, or someone distant. She calls them family, and belongs to the same “clan”, but I don’t think she’s a particularly close relative, if only because she looks way different and Shining’s module put emphasis on a bloodline’s purity, to the point where even her parents looked similar to each other. (Creepy implications? Yes). As we have learned, Confessors are not just an occupation, but an ancient subrace of Sarkaz.

I was wrong about the inherent Arts of Confessors being necromancy, it seems like their true ability is being able to draw out memories from the previously-established Sarkaz Collective Consciousness, and transfer them into a body, to “recreate” an individual.

Anyway, the BIGGEST bombshell that was dropped in regards to these characters is that Nightingale was indeed confirmed to be an experiment.

Salus: By the way, Shining, the subject that you took away... Well, what was her name again? Lisa... or was it Liz? Is she okay?

Shining: ... Liz is fine.

Salus: Is her Oripathy getting worse? She has a very special body, you know, even that... that... medical organization you found, even with Lord Kal'tsit around, they may not really be able to help her. It's great that she's back in Londinium now though, your lab is still here, you can bring her back anytime...

Shining: ...

An experiment for what? It’s not entirely clear, but the prevailing theories are either:

1) to bring people back to life. Specifically: to transfer someone’s memories into another body. Even more specific: transferring Theresa’s memories. Nightingale is a “prototype” of the resurrected Theresa.

Or 2) to transfer the power of the Lord of Fiends into a body. Because Theresa chose Amiya as her heir.

If Liz was meant to have Theresa’s memories, even as a test run, that explains why she was able to recognize Doctor despite never having met them before, as well as her saying that Amiya gives her deja vu!

I had previously assumed that Liz’s unexplained familiarity with them was due to the Sarkaz Collective Memory. A sort of... in-universe Cloud, that gets added to whenever a Sarkaz dies and other living Sarkaz are able to unknowingly access it to varying degrees, thereby possessing memories that aren’t necessarily their own (see Surtr). But I think... collective memory wouldn’t have worked... if Liz was already dead.

It’s currently not clear whether Liz was still alive or already a corpse before experimentation. She is very sickly, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise if she did end up dying in the process. Remember that Oripathy is not the sole cause for her current frail state.

As for what I think between the two possibilities? I think the Confessors forcibly injected Originium into Liz in order to try and transplant Theresa’s memories into her. According to the info we learned from Ptilopsis, Originium is capable of storing information.

It’s possible that Liz’s amnesia is because she is basically a reanimated corpse, or her mind got messed up somewhere during the transfer. Her Oripathy is getting worse, her body is deteriorating, falling apart (literally?).

Confessarius: Is the food not to your taste, my dear sister?

Salus: Don't be so silent, you finally came home, do you really want to be so indifferent? Salus: If this is because of what happened to Liz... I apologize. But you should know that Liz is not an ordinary infected person. Salus: Besides, from whom did her suffering and consciousness come from?And from whom did her pain and memory come from? When she recalls these things, will you still be able to get along with her? Salus: She's not our family after all, you want to—

Shining: She is my family.

Salus: ... oh... Salus: But... but if you don't come back to us, she will become an empty shell sooner or later. Don't forget why she was made the way she is. Salus: If you truly value her that much, then I sincerely hope that her end will not be too tragic. Come back, okay? Salus: You will not fail to understand.

Shining: ...

However, the Confessors say that the result wound up being flawed, imperfect. Liz’s original mind is still somewhere, possibly locked away, as written in her profile? She has some vestiges of Theresa’s memories, but isn’t wholly Theresa, like what her captors wanted her to be. Liz was an experiment on how to get a dead person’s memory (and remove emotion associated with it)

While Salus was trying to convince Shining to return to them, Confessarius adds that Liz’s body is “an archaic cage. If necessary, we can weave a new one”. Shining, of course, is having NONE of it. She will not put Liz through that again.

What’s also interesting is that both Confessarius and Salus remark on how long Confessors have been around; according to them, it’s thousands of years. And in those years, Confessors have been misunderstood in more ways than one. This could be a reference as to how resurrection is seen as heretical or sacrilegious in Sarkaz culture, because death is the final peace which must not ever be disturbed.

Moreover, going back on bloodlines, Salus’s own experiments have her trying and failing to separate emotions from memory during a transfer. Whatever progress she makes, it doesn’t last long until the memory itself vanishes. Presumably this is because her lineage isn’t as pure, whereas Shining and Confessarius are able to capture whole “moments” of memory from the collective Sarkaz consciousness.

Salus goes on to describe how “none of [Theresa and Theresis]’s ancestors have even been noticed by Confessors, and we have never collected their bloodline memories. Even if The Lord of Fiends had chosen the sister, it would not prove her brother.”

This makes me wonder if the Confessors had also acted as Kazdel’s recordkeepers, or some sort of archivists.

The leader of the Confessors wordlessly sipped his wine.

Shining could feel that Salus had activated a spell. She can draw her sword and leave, it can be done, but then what? Will this really find her a way to save Liz? Confessarius: Shining. I allow you to act alone. I allow you not to come back to me for a while. But... don't interfere with the Regent's plans. Don't interfere with the Sarkaz's journey to our long-awaited future.

Confessarius: Shining. My sister. No one, no matter how much they spurn their bloodline and long to be free of those shackles, can ever truly deny it. There is no point in denying the Divine Right of this gift of blood.

Shining: I thought you already knew. You can't make everything happen the way you want it to... Patriarch.

Lastly SHINING JOINS THE BATTLEFIELD IN AN OFFENSIVE ROLE MEANING SHINING ALT WHEN

Confessor Guard: You still came to this battlefield. Once again you have disobeyed the will of the leader. Shining: If my actions are still subject to his control, wouldn't my departure be meaningless? Confessor Guard: You hate the leader so much? Shining: ... ...no. It was never him that I hated. I hate myself.

The mask on the guard's face cracked, and the Confessor’s scabbard reflected his expression before he fell. Shining stared at him, her eyes both calm and sad. Once again, the last flash of the fire of a creature--stained her sword forever.

#dltext #arknights #shining #nightingale #AAAAAAAAAAAAAA #SHININGALE MY BELOVEDS #FAMILY IS WHO YOU CHOOSE #dl talks ak

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