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narklos · 3 months

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Half-Lore #2: The G-Man Theories

This topic was the second-most voted in the poll! If there's any others you'd like me to cover, just let me know. Without further ado, here's all we know about the G-Man's identity! Take a peek below the cut:

Let me start by saying that not even Valve really knows what the G-Man is. His identity, which has been hinted at throughout the series, has changed significantly throughout the 25 years that Half-Life itself has existed. To get a full grasp of what each theory means, I'm going to give you a rundown of his history in the game's development. I'd say a quick rundown, but I'd be lying to your face. Here we go!

Half-Life The name 'G-Man' actually comes from this game as it's what his model was called. This is a shorthand for 'government man', a shady figure who works within the USA's top-secret projects. Earlier models of G-Man actually featured the Department of Defence logo on his briefcase, indicating that the G-Man was tied to them somehow (or at least pretending to be tied to the government).

It was also heavily implied that the G-Man was the administrator of Black Mesa, as another one of his models from the Goldsource era features the Black Mesa logo on the briefcase. The administrator's role in the game was primarily conveyed through letters, signed with the name L.M. Here's one of the letters, which is welcoming Gordon to the facility (and also confirms that Gordon can speak?):

The G-Man was said to have 'gone to great lengths' to get the Xen crystal sample that caused the Resonance Cascade, which was our first clue that he was responsible for the Xenian invasion from the beginning. Hints from the Nihilanth also tell us that quite a few others are aware of the G-Man's meddling- as well as try to warn Gordon that the G-Man's not human, and that he's not an ally.

You can see the shift away from the administrator identity in Opposing Force, when Adrian Shepard's diary talks of a strange man that showed up a few days ago, and was talking with his superiors. This gives us the sense that the G-Man wasn't a force working from inside of Black Mesa, but rather without it. The veracity of this sighting is a bit up in the air though, as most of Opposing Force has been retconned.

It's safe to say that the G-Man's identity wasn't solid, even from the beginning. So where the hell does that leave us?

Half-Life 2 During development of HL2, the G-Man was still going to be the former administrator of Black Mesa; Breen and the G-Man's characters have always been quite tied up due to their dual development. The face model for G-Man, a therapist named Frank Sheldon, was actually slated to be for Breen's character instead. However, after a Valve employee did a quick edit to the facial captures for Breen, it was decided to give Frank Sheldon's face to the G-Man instead.

At this point, the administrator L.M was retconned, being replaced as the administrator of Black Mesa by Dr. Wallace Breen. L.M essentially underwent a weird sort of meiosis and two characters spawned from one.

We know for a fact that Gordon's 'contract' with the G-Man was something passed around by important players in the G-Man's plan, and bidded on. Breen is aware of Gordon, and believed that he has bought Gordon out, therefore preventing him from futhering the rebellion against the Combine. However, the G-Man was double-crossing him, and Breen died in the final battle when Mossman betrayed Breen and set Gordon free. Though, I wonder what Breen bid for the contract?

Although this means that we got an incredibly well-written and tragic villain, it also means that we're back to square one in terms of G-Man's identity. No more L.M, no more government ties, no more Black Mesa. So what does Half-Life 2 give us instead?

As I mentioned earlier, it was always implied that G-Man wasn't human. The alien identity is played more strongly in HL2, where the link between the G-Man and the shu'ulathoi (Combine advisors) is established. The Vortigaunts are able to hide away from the psychic powers of the shu'ulathoi, as their connection to the Vortessence allows them to take actions the shu'u cannot see or prevent. They also refer to the advisors as shu'ulathoi, as it's a language the shu'u can't comprehend.

The Vorts are the only force shown to be capable of preventing the G-Man from reaching Gordon. During Episode 1, the Vorts save Gordon from stasis, and for the duration of the episode (and for the first part of episode 2, when Gordon is still under the protection of the Vorts), we don't see G-Man at all. Any actions that Gordon takes is completely free of any G-related meddling. It's implied, therefore, that the G-Man's true origin is a shu'ulathoi.

Breengrub The G-Man - shu'ulathoi ties are made even stronger in Marc Laidlaw's Breengrub account. There, Breen, whose conscience has been transferred to a shu'ulathoi host body (the one he mentioned in a conversation with another combine advisor at the end of HL2), recounts the world of the shu'ulathoi.

Powerfully psychic, they could hatch into any form they wished when they left the larval phase. They are referred to as dreamers and philosphers, a society where ideas are currency. At some point, they fell ill to a parasite, making them weaker and easier to conquer. The Combine did so, and kept the shu'u in their grub phases in order to better exploit their powers and prevent them from fighting back. It's implied that the Combine planted this parasite in the first place. It caused the shu'ulathoi to destroy their own minds and culture.

Breengrub explains that a few shu'ulathoi remain on the home planet, hidden and slumbering. A few were even able to escape the Combine invasion. It's heavily implied that G-Man was one of these grubs to escape the invasion. He hatched into the form of a human, and made his way to Earth, orchestrating the Resonance Cascade in order to bring about the ultimate downfall of the Combine at the hands of Gordon Freeman. His 'employers' are implied to be the slumbering shu'ulathoi that remain on his home planet.

So, that's it, right? He's a shu'ulathoi!

Well, not really. This is a rough draft of what Episode 3 could've touched upon, and this isn't anywhere close to canon, as Marc no longer works for Valve (so stop pestering him with emails!). It's safe to say that whatever they were planning back in 2007 isn't anywhere close to their intentions with the G-Man nearly over two decades later, when they released Half-Life: Alyx. Speaking of which!

Half-Life: Alyx I'd like you to keep in mind that HLA was considered a 'soft reboot' of the Half-Life franchise. Rectons were made, new characters introduced, and Eli got a sick new jacket. We can't exactly apply the old canon to this fresher chapter, but we can make inferences. As you all know, the G-Man was captured by the Combine, five years before Gordon was released from statis. His power was so great that they had to literally heft up an entire apartment block to contain him. We don't see him in person for the majority of the game, but we do see him in the Vortigaunt murals, which depict their enslavement at the hands of the Nihilanth, and the G-Man's meddling in Gordon's fate.

(Fun fact! He was originally meant to be there against his own will. Here's some of the concept art that explored this idea!)

Vortigaunts are used to contain his power, and their own Vortessence is sapped in substations to ensure that he can't escape. Whether this is still referring to the shu'ulathoi theory or just tapping into Episode 1's revelations is still unknown.

Something interesting to note is that Eli mentions that "...whatever's in the Vault really hates the Combine". We've therefore established that this soft reboot of the franchise is more clearly establishing the G-Man's vendetta against the Combine. His hatred for Vortigaunts can also be connected to his imprisonment- it's implied he was tortured with their energy!

Hahn, labelled in the files as 'Contractor', is adamant that they "...move the [Vault]" when it's clear that Alyx is going to set him free. She's also implied to be higher on the Combine pecking order than Breen. Her role in the franchise is, as of yet, unknown, but Erik Wolpaw has told us that they've got 'plans' for her. She's clearly aware of the G-Man's role in the rescas, as well as what he's capable of. Maybe she was present at Black Mesa? Maybe the two have made a deal in the past? Maybe she's simply been told that he's dangerous? We still don't know.

"This is great and all, Narklos." I hear you say, rather loudly, at your computer screen. "But what in the Nine Hells does this mean for his identity?"

Truth be told, my inquisitive reader, this reboot has completely thrown any and all theories we may have up into the air. The nature of a reboot is that anything we may know isn't something we can take for granted anymore. Alyx is now under the G-Man's employ, Eli's still alive, and for all we know, Russell could be the next villain. It's an exciting time for theorycrafters who want to unravel gaming's biggest mystery, but for lore sticklers, it's a bit of a dead end.

With the history of the G-Man's various identities in mind, let's go through some of the most famous (and infamous) G-Man theories from the past 25 years.

G-Man is Gordon from the future This is an earlier theory. Obviously the link can be made between Gordon Freeman and the G-Man's names. A funny theory made by players in the noughties, with not much value behind it.

G-Man is Alyx's grandfather This was more of a joke theory talked about by some Valve developers. It was brought about, most likely, when the players discussed how familial G-Man seemed to Alyx, having saved her as a baby. He also seems to really care for her wellbeing, and implores Gordon to get Alyx safely to White Forest. G-Man also calls Alyx "my dear". While it isn't entirely impossible, considering all we know, this theory is definitely false. Still though, it's a nice little analysis of how the G-Man is capable of expression emotions other than smug superiority and quiet rage.

G-Man is a Shu'ulathoi This one's still the most prevalent theory we have today. It's the one most subscribe to due to the amount of evidence, both from the games and from other sources, that we have to draw from. G-Man was a shu'ulathoi that escaped his home planet after the Combine invaded. His employers are the slumbering shu'ulathoi that remain, safe from Combine meddling. He's orchestrated the events of the series and beyond to get revenge for the destruction of his homeworld and kin. G-Man hatched into the form of a human to fool others, and his psychic powers can be attributed to the psychic nature of the shu'u. His strange breathing patterns are due to the shu'ulathoi being unable to breathe in Earth's atmosphere, hence why they all wear breathing apperatus (and at one point in development, the Combine were meant to be replacing the atmosphere with toxic fumes that allowed the shu'u to breathe). Though we've got the most evidence for this one, considering the direction the series has taken, I wouldn't fully subscribe to this anymore, as there's still so much that we could find out.

G-Man is Valve Again, another early/joke theory. G-Man is the embodiment of the Valve developers, following the player around and putting them into 'statis' (i.e: ending the game) when they reach the end of the campaign.

G-Man runs the Combine Another weird one. This probably came about from the confusion behind G-Man's motives in the second game, and how he never seems to fully help the rebels.

G-Man is a Nihilanth This is one of the earlier theories that I can remember, at least. Because the Nihilanth is such a powerful alien, many speculated that the G-Man was also a Nihilanth in another form. However, this theory fell apart when it was revealed that the Nihilanth was actually the last of its species.

And really, that's all we know. The G-Man has been, and will most likely remain, one of the most famous figures in gaming. Ironic, considering how little we truly know about him. We don't even know his name- the one we refer to him by now is simply what his model is called!

Who's to say what we'll find out in the future? Will we ever get what we're searching for? Do we really need to know? Isn't the beauty of a character like the G-Man that we know enough to guess, but we don't know enough to understand? I'll leave that up to you.

If you've read to the bottom, thank you! Here's a video of the G-Man and Kleiner beating the shit out of each other.

#half life #hl2 #gman #half life alyx #wallace breen #dr breen #text post #gordon freeman #half lore

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florence-end · 11 months

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Flying Home

Cassian x fem!reader (no use of y/n).

Warnings: attempted wing clipping/kidnapping so some violence/threat, hiding in a small space?

Summary: Cassian rescues you when some males from your camp are caught trying to clip your wings but can he keep you safe when they come back to finish the job?

Everyone freezes at the sight of the Lord of Bloodshed. Relief and fear, excitement and skepticism fill your body as you wait to see who will break the silence.

You were tied to the post in the centre of the Illyrian camp you grew up in, hissing and kicking at the males surrounding you as they attempted to clip your wings until you felt the presence of the approaching General, his seven siphons glowing brightly as they channelled his pure power. You felt the snap of the mating bond take hold in your chest as you met his eyes and you knew he felt it too. The males moments from maiming you must have caught on quickly as they hastily stepped back from you as if you were about to burst into flames.

You’ve heard Cassian and the rest of the High Lord’s inner circle are against wing clipping and have tried to ban it, but their protection has not reached your comparatively small and remote village. Surely if they cared so much, they would be ensuring the law was followed across all of Illyria so maybe the rumours are false. Maybe the males are actually just waiting for the General’s command to continue their brutality. You try to keep your face defiant and not give these monsters the satisfaction of your terror.

Cassian feels the onslaught of your heightened emotions hit him squarely in the chest. He notes your gritted teeth, set jaw, bound hands curled into fists, and he absorbs every drop of your rage as he finally addresses Iwan, the leader of the group who had taken you from your home not even ten minutes before.

“What the hell is happening here?” He snarls.

“We are doing what we must to protect our women. You and your half breed high lord would have them fighting and dying in wars if we allow them to fly so someone has to act in their best interests,” declares Iwan, although the slight tremor in his voice takes some of the conviction from his words.

Cassian lets out a growl so animalistic, you shiver. “Untie her now, you piece of shit. Before I rip your wings clean off your back.”

Iwan and his cronies begin to object, but a blast of red light erupts from the siphon in the centre of Cassian’s chest, knocking them all out cold.

“They’ll answer to the High Lord tomorrow morning. I won’t let them get away with this,” Cassian promises as he steps over them and carefully frees you from the ropes binding your wrists to the pole. The gentleness in his hands is so at odds with his size and power. “Are you hurt?”

You shake your head, unable to summon words right now as the adrenaline leaves your body. Mere minutes ago, you were happily nestled in your bed, and now you have escaped an attempted wing clipping and found your mate. You are overwhelmed.

Cassian ushers you into the cosy house just off the main square of the camp, his hand warm and comforting on your back. You’ve never been inside, but you know the small dwelling is reserved for only the most important visitors. The large male lit the fire, sat you down in front of it and wrapped a blanket around your shoulders. You stare into the flames, trying to force your spinning thoughts to catch up to your body and allow you to find your voice.

As a mug of warm tea is pushed into your hands, you pull your gaze from the fireplace and look up into the warm eyes that are already fixed on your face warily, as if waiting for you to flip back into the fight or flight headspace you were in when he arrived.

The tea soothes your throat, raw from screaming, and you croak out your name. Your mate smiles, the concern swirling in his eyes lessening slightly as he sits down next to you.

“It’s an honour to meet you. I’m Cassian. I’m sorry I didn’t arrive sooner tonight. I received the message that a wing clipping was to take place but no one knew which of the remote camps it would be.”

“You came all the way here to stop a clipping?” You ask, stunned that a member of the Night Court Inner Circle would go to such efforts to protect a lesser fae’s wings, Illyrian or not.

“Of course. No Illyrian should be deprived of their ability to fly,” Cassian responds with conviction. The remaining tension leaves your body when you find nothing but honesty in his face, lit by the fire before you.

Conversation flows from there as Cassian explains the abilities of his brother Azriel, who was the one to alert him about Iwan’s plans. In turn, you tell Cassian about your life, your friends at your camp, and your wish to learn to fight and join the Valkyries one day. As the night draws on, your head feels heavier and heavier until it drops onto your mate’s shoulder and you fall asleep. The last thing you register as you slip into unconsciousness is the press of Cassian’s lips against your hair.

In the morning, you wake up alone in the warm house, comfortably tucked under the blanket that had been wrapped around you last night. Cassian is nowhere to be found but a note on the table beside the sofa you currently occupy explains that the High Lord and other members of his family had arrived to deal with the group of wing clippers that had snatched you. The note also tells you that you will be safe where you are if you wish to stay put until he returns. You trust your new mate and settle back into the plush cushions, preparing to get some more sleep.

Your peace is short lived.

Suddenly the door crashes open and you hear unknown male voices dividing up areas of the house to search for you. You roll onto the floor, hidden from sight, and crawl to the nearest window with your wings tucked in tight. They’re ransacking the cosy house, and you can hear their weapons clanking with each heavy footstep. With your heartbeat pounding in your ears, you grab a small dagger that you mercifully spot tucked into the curtain, and you climb through the window.

Once out in the open of the camp, you flee. You know you can’t fly away as all the males in the camp will spot you immediately and catch you before you can escape. There’s no sign of your mate or his family and you know better than to shout for help. Instead you remain on foot, dashing down the main dirt track in the centre of the camp until you come to the small outbuilding that houses the wood reserves for fires during the winter months. You crawl through the hatch, back up into the furthest corner and grip your dagger in front of you. You would not be caught again.

You are unsure how much time passes as you stay crouched in the darkness. Male shouting and roaring can be heard, and you want to believe that Cassian has noticed your absence and is looking for you by now but you can’t risk it. Your muscles ache from your hunched position. You wish you had found a hiding place with a better escape route as you realise you’d be very easily trapped in this cold, dark structure if someone finds you.

Then a silhouette appears, peering through the hatch you used to climb into the storage building. You grip your dagger so tightly, your knuckles turn white. Your wings, already crumpled from your crouch against the wall, curl even tighter behind you as if you can hide them from the dark figure. Then, the shadowy stranger says your name and begins reaching toward you.

“Stay back! I have a weapon and I’ll cut your hand off if you come any closer!” You warn, silent tears now rolling down your face.

The male says your name again, his voice aiming to soothe. You notice the blue siphons on the back of his hand, so similar to Cassian’s.

“My name is Azriel. We haven’t met yet but I think my brother has mentioned me, my shadows. Can you see them?” He asks. You realise you can see what look like inky wisps of smoke dancing around the male’s hand and up his arm. You lower your dagger slightly and crawl forward to get a better view in the light.

Sure enough, shadows are swarming Azriel as if reporting every change of your heart rate and spike of fear so he can react accordingly. He offers you a small smile.

“I know you’re scared and overwhelmed but I won’t hurt you. I won’t let anyone else hurt you. Rhys and Mor have rounded up the remaining wing clippers so there is no one hunting you. Let me help you out of there and bring you back to Cassian. He’s tearing the camp apart looking for you and frankly I don’t feel like cleaning up more of his mess than I already have to.”

You smile despite yourself. It might be naive but you believe Azriel. You allow him to take your hand, although he doesn’t try to take your weapon from you, and guide you back out into the cold air. No sooner than your feet hit the ground, Cassian lands beside Azriel having flown straight to you as soon as Rhys saw your location in his brother’s mind. His movements are frantic as he strides forwards, his eyes scanning every inch of you for signs of injury. His hands twitch with the need to touch you, to physically feel that you’re alright.

And despite barely knowing him, despite all your past encounters with males that told you to be wary, despite not knowing whether he even wanted you as his mate, you drop the dagger and throw yourself into his arms. He catches you easily, allowing you to bury yourself in his chest and shielding you from the cold with his large solid arms. The bond thrums with your combined relief and you never want to leave the safety of his embrace. No words are spoken until the High Lord and his third-in-command appear behind you.

“Let’s get you lovebirds home without any more dramatics, shall we?” Mor teases. You feel Cassian’s annoyance flare up but it disappears just as quickly when you let out a light laugh.

A home with Cassian sounds like heaven.

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Way more people saw my first fic than I ever expected to so I’m super nervous to post something else now. I hope you like it! I might write something for Az next. All feedback is appreciated 💕

#cassian x reader #cassian acotar #acotar #azriel #acotar fanfiction

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that-ari-blogger · 4 months

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Idealism

One reading of Wicked that I have noticed to be particularly popular is as a love story between Glinda and Elphie, and I actually subscribe to this idea. What Is This Feeling is often interpreted as a love song, repressed emotions and all that, but here is where I disagree.

Wicked is a satire, and so What Is This Feeling is a satire of the love-at-first-sight trope. The relationship takes time, and doesn't actually work out in the end, that's part of the tragedy of the story.

I would argue that this song sets up why the romance falls apart, but also why it is so compelling to discuss.

Let me explain.

Spoilers Ahead

According to the Cabridge Dictionary, "Idealism" can be defined as the following:

"The belief that your ideals can be achieved, often when this does not seem likely to others"

There are other definitions pertaining to philosophy and principals, but this is the definition I will be working under, and here is the interesting question: Of the two named characters present in What Is This Feeling, who is the idealist? I will come back to this.

A massive attraction of the Glinda x Elphaba ship is the idea that opposites attract, and that certainly seems to be on display here. The opening of the song establishes once again who these characters are, and while their relationships with family is interesting, my favourite example of their dynamic is this:

Thats some good character writing right there. Galinda is almost aggressively indirect, dancing around the subject to avoid actually saying anything, while Elphaba is direct, and realistic. It's a neat little comedy beat, and this song is comedic in nature, but it's also fascinating.

"There's been some confusion for you see my roommate is..."

"Unusually and exceedingly peculiar and all together quite impossible to describe."

"Blonde"

This is our first look at the old Galinda, and she's... a schemer. She doesn't do anything herself, instead preferring that others take action or even say things for her. She will take an artsy path to ensure someone else walks down the road the way she wants them to.

Galinda is charismatic and has weaponised that fact.

Elphaba, on the other hand, is awkward and blunt, but intelligent, and there is something to that. There is a stereotype of historical witchcraft as "women who were clever" and while there is some truth to it, history rejects simplicity.

I recommend Crash Course's video on the subject but put simply: The Witch-hunts in history were based almost entirely on fear and anger, with the remainder made up of prejudice and superstition. Encyclopedia Brittanica puts the number of people killed between forty-thousand and sixty thousand, both men and women (I couldn't find any explicit mention of non-binary folk executed for witchcraft, so I guess we got out of this one. Good work team).

What is important to understand is that witches were societal outcasts, anyone who there was prejudice against could be tried as a witch. Women who was mildly intelligent or, heaven forbid, had opinions, were often targets of this prejudice in such a heavily patriarchal society.

So, where does Elphaba slot into this? Well, she's an outcast from society because of her skin colour, and she's clever. She is very intentionally invoking the history and popular culture depiction of the witch (something her original incarnation in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz definitely contributed to) to invoke sympathy in the audience, or at least, to invoke antipathy for those who call her a witch.

The rest of this song doubles down on the differences between the two, and the fact that this causes them to fall apart instead of together is important here.

This the setup for a love song, right? These are symptoms of powerful emotions and at this point in a romantic story, you would expect the meet cute. But the song pulls the rug out from underneath you.

"My pulse is rushing"

"My head is reeling"

"My face is flushing"

"What is this feeling?"

Love at first sight is rare in real life, but it is common in fiction. The prince and princess meet and fall instantly head over heels, etc. But once again, Wicked is a satire, and it goes in a different direction. Part of this musical is the relationship between these two being built up from scratch, and this song establishes that baseline.

"Loathing

Unadulterated loathing"

But why do these two fall apart in the end? I mentioned that this song foreshadows that, and what did I mean by that?

I asked earlier on in this post which one of the two witches is the idealist, and I think the answer is Elphaba. She believes in honesty and kindness and is hopeful to a fault (remember The Wizard And I?), which is in contrast to Galinda's remarkably utilitarian mindset. Galinda says what she needs to say and wants nothing more than the spotlight.

Don't get me wrong, wanting attention isn't a sin, that's not what I mean here. I'm trying to say that Galinda doesn't have far reaching dreams for herself, she wants personal happiness, nothing more. Or so she thinks.

My thesis for this series about the songs in Wicked is that the musical is about the collision of dreams and reality, and its interesting how that works with the characters.

Galinda is incredibly shallow, but she ends up getting inspired by her friend. Elphaba's hope and ideals brush off on Galinda over time, not enough to be noticeable to her, but enough that when Galinda gets everything she wants, she is unsatisfied.

That's why the relationship doesn't work out in the end. Elphaba has ambitions to make the world a better place, and Galinda doesn't realise that she does too until it is far too late.

Final Thoughts

Please don't misinterpret this post. This isn't that Glinda x Elphaba is a bad ship or even that it isn't a valid reading of the story. It is, and I will explain in future posts as to why that is the case. All I am trying to say is that this song is explicitly antiromantic, and that factors into the queer reading of the musical.

I will, however, say this: "Gelphie" is such an awful name for a ship. Like, come on folks, you could have gone with anything, but "Gelphie"?

In all seriousness, this is the third post in a series about Wicked, next week I will be talking about Dancing Through Life, a song that is remarkably complex for a character trying his hardest to be simple. So, stick around if that interests you.

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#rants #literary analysis #literature analysis #character analysis #wicked is a queer story #what's so special about...?#wicked #glinda upland #elphaba thropp #wicked the musical #gelphie #wicked musical #lgbtqia #lgbt pride

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rorywritesjunk · 2 months

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There is no sweeter innocence than our gentle sin

Crocodile brings on a former assistant to manage Buggy and his workload. Buggy realizes he likes it when Taron praises him for the littlest things.

Rating: PG-13 to start. Chapters will be rated depending on content. Warning: Slow burn. AFAB nonbinary character. Buggy is touch starved and a virgin who thrives on praise. He's also a bit of a mess because he's thinking he's going to finally be killed by Crocodile. Set with the Cross Guild but won't be a poly fic (as much as I love that unf). However, mentions of past/somewhat present TaronxCrocodile stuff. Also Buggy is bratty, whining, a little pathetic. He doesn't want to do anything. Word Count: 1.8k A/N: My self indulgent submissive Buggy fic. This came from another fic I wrote for another fandom that I never posted but it was pure self indulgent. I decided to do it with the clown and change it up. Originally thought of making this a dom!Buggy fic but after a poll and how I started writing it, I decided to stick with sub!Buggy.

Title comes from "Take Me To Church" by Hozier.

Chapter 1 + Chapter 2 + Chapter 3 + Chapter 4 + Chapter 5 + Chapter 6 + Chapter 7

Chapter 1

Taron stood in front of the entrance to the large circus tent. This was where they were instructed to go after being informed of their new job from their former employer who sought them out. Sir Crocodile appreciated how Taron kept things in line with his casino, managing schedules, appointments, and other things he was too busy to deal with at the time. After several meetings between Mihawk and Buggy, where he saw the latter was refusing to do his share of paperwork, forgot about meetings or showed up late, and every other little thing that came with this role, Crocodile made the decision for Buggy in getting him an assistant.

With his connections, Crocodile made contact with his former assistant, requesting their presence on the island for a new job, which Taron was delighted to have. They enjoyed their time working with him before and were pleased they had the opportunity again, but when they arrived with their bag in hand, ready to work with Crocodile again, they were confused when they were instructed on where they needed to go.

Once they arrived at the tent, standing in front of it as they wondered if they could just return to their old job, they decided to take the challenge. Crocodile said this individual was difficult, that he mismanaged paperwork, missed important meetings, the likes, and that Taron was brought in to put Buggy on the right track.

They survived working with Crocodile so there was no doubt they could survive this Buggy the Clown.

Crocodile gave Taron instructions on what was needed as well as permission to enter Buggy’s tent to find him. With a flyer in their hand they knew who to look for: a clown with blue hair and a red nose. Shouldn't be too hard. So they entered the tent, noticing this was an actual circus with a lion, performers, everything, but no Buggy in sight.

They went looking, ignoring the stares, whispers, and pointing in their direction as they went to find his room. They were told he was lazy, that he may be still in bed, so as they walked around, they found what they figured to be his room, another area in the massive tent with walls and curtains for a door. Not knowing how to properly knock, they let themselves in.

The bed in the middle was fairly large, though smaller than Crocodile’s. The lump on one side of the bed had to be Buggy, so Taron set their bag down and went over to it, giving him a shake.

“Captain Buggy?”

Nothing, he kept snoring. Taron gave him a few more shakes, increasing the force each time. When that didn't work, they yanked the blanket off only to throw it back on.

“What kind of pirate sleeps naked?” They muttered before giving the mattress a kick and shouting, “Captain Buggy, the Marines are here, wake up!”

That seemed to do it. He jumped up, blankets falling off and exposing himself as he stood up on the bed, eyes wide with fear as he turned his head frantically for the threat. “Where?!”

Taron pushed their glasses back up their face before putting their hands on their hips, looking up at him. Buggy blinked sleepily down at them and frowned.

“Who are you?”

“Your new assistant.”

“My new- I didn't hire you!”

“No, Sir Crocodile did.” They informed him as Buggy dropped to his knees on the bed, looking at them with a frown. “He feels you need help managing your schedule and paperwork so he brought me on to help you.”

“Why did he decide that without me?!” Buggy demanded, looking them over. Taron wasn't dressed flashy enough to work for Buggy. Their dress was too similar to Crocodile’s, from the cravat to the shoes. They looked like someone who Buggy would end up owing money to and having his knees broken for not paying them back. They were shorter than Buggy, wider as well, looking like it would take a lot to knock them over. They wore glasses, their brown eyes looking at him through thick frames. Long hair was pulled back into a low ponytail, keeping it out of their face as they looked at him.

“Because he wants to be sure the person could get the job done.” Taron replied as they crossed their arms. “You're still naked.” They went over to what they assumed to be his wardrobe and opened it, looking for something for him to wear. “I worked with him for ten years so he knows I can handle anything.”

They reached into the wardrobe, pulling out a shirt and pants for him. They didn't care what he wore as long as he was dressed, but when they turned and saw him sitting on his bed, blanket over his lap as he looked at them sulkily, maybe it wasn't the right outfit.

“I'm not wearing that.” Buggy said with a glare. “Those two don't go well together.”

Taron shrugged. “I don't care what you wear, but you have a meeting in ten minutes with Mihawk and Crocodile, so I suggest you put something on for it.” They looked back at the clothing options before looking at Buggy with a grim expression on their face. “They explicitly said for you to not be late to this one.”

“Ten minutes?!”

“It was fifteen but we wasted five minutes.” Taron told him as Buggy snatched the clothes from them and hastily put them on. They found his hair brush and handed it to him. While he wrestled with bedhead they retrieved his bandana and hat. “This should help.”

“I’m dead if I’m late again.” Buggy grumbled as he put his hair up before tying the bandana on to keep it all in place. He glared over at Taron as he grabbed his hat. “Not that I care, but what’s your name, you pest? Coming in here and waking me up late for my meeting, I should fire you for that!”

Taron looked amused by the empty threat. “My name is Taron and you don’t have the authority to fire me, only Crocodile.”

“I’ll take this up with him then!” Buggy snapped as he headed out of his room with Taron following after them. The two of them made it out of the tent before Buggy stopped and turned around. “Stop following me!”

“I’ve been instructed to make sure you make it to the meeting.” Taron told him. Buggy glared at them before he started walking again, grumbling under his breath about annoying assistants and other unkind things. Taron wasn’t bothered in the slightest by his petulant behavior. Their previous employer was a politician who didn’t know what he was even doing in his role so Taron did all of the work while he was just the face of the office. Once they reconnected with Crocodile and were told the job expectations, Taron realized they would be doing the same job again, but Crocodile would deal with the clown if he got out of hand.

“I don’t need an escort!”

“Mm, I don’t care.” Taron said as they followed behind. “We’re almost there.”

Buggy turned his head to glare at them once again while his body kept stomping along. Taron didn’t flinch at his Devil Fruit powers. They had seen plenty while working with Baroque Works.

They made it all the way to the meeting room where Crocodile and Mihawk were already seated. Buggy stomped over to his seat and sat down, still glaring at Taron for how his day was already going. They said nothing as they took a seat beside them, pulling a pen and notepad from their pocket. Crocodile glanced over at Buggy with a smirk.

“He’s early.” He said, cigar clenched between his teeth as he leaned back in his chair. “How did you manage that?”

“I informed Captain Buggy that the meeting was in ten minutes.” Taron told him as they clicked their pen. “It got him moving, which is what we needed.”

Buggy’s jaw dropped at being lied to as Crocodile chuckled and Mihawk looked over some papers. The meeting started without much fuss, just Buggy pouting in his seat while Taron took notes.

“I don't like you, Taron.” Buggy announced after the meeting. “You wake me up from my beauty sleep, lie to me, and then spend the meeting interrupting my thoughts!” He turned to look at Crocodile. “Why did you hire them for me? They're terrible!”

“They’re less likely to kill you than me, clown.” Crocodile told him without looking up from a stack of papers. “You’ll do as they say, understand?”

“What?! They said they were my assistant!” Buggy complained as he pounded his fist on the table. “They’re supposed to listen to me then!”

“I listen to Sir Crocodile.” Taron said as they looked over their notes. “And I only interrupted your ‘thoughts’ because you were nodding off in the meeting.” They looked over at Buggy. “As for liking me, I’m not here for you to like me. I’m here to make sure you do your job, Captain Buggy.”

Buggy stared at them for a moment before looking pleadingly at Crocodile. He really didn’t want an assistant, especially one that previously worked for Crocodile. Who’s to say Taron wouldn’t threaten to kill him with every conversation, or actually follow through with it? He wanted to throw a fit over this, that at least he should get to choose, but Crocodile glanced at Buggy with a look in his eyes that scared the clown into sucking it up and nodding.

Just because he was agreeing now didn’t mean he would behave, however.

Taron was given space in Buggy’s tent for a room. They put their things away before walking off with Crocodile, leaving Buggy and Mihawk behind as he continued pouting about the situation. If the two really thought he needed an assistant, they should have said something. He could have asked Alvida or someone, not have Crocodile 2.0 helping him out. Buggy had his eye on the assistant as they were in their new room, putting things away from their one bag. It was just some clothes, that was it, no personal items of any kind. It was a little odd to Buggy.

“I don’t trust’em.” He mumbled as he watched them leave. For all he knew, Taron was brought in to eventually assassinate him once Crocodile finally had enough of him. It was inevitable now. He wondered if he should have Cabaji start working on his obituary soon.

He waited a few minutes before returning to the tent. Buggy wondered how much longer he had left to live.

#buggy the clown #taron x buggy #buggy the clown x oc #buggy x oc #opla buggy the clown #opla buggy the clown x oc #opla buggy #opla buggy x oc #one piece fanfic #one piece oc #one piece original character #nonbinary character

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spidey-bie · 7 months

Text

Hobie x ARFID Reader

Warnings: emetophobia (if you squint), eating disorder

He's the type of person who'll sit with you as you eat even if you're a slow eater

"Didn't you say you had to go to HQ today?"

"Miguel and those other wankers can wait. I have more important things to do here."

People have stopped complaining about you eating slow ever since you've started hanging out with Hobie.

(He probably lectured them about eating quickly is a part of the grind mindset and how capitalism has once again plagued society so much that we can't even eat meals without thinking about how to best optimize our time. In this essay I wil-)

Please don't hoard your food, your personal food disposal is literally right there

He will not let you force food down either refer back to the above point.

Never explicitly states anything about the excessive amount of Pepto Bismol you own. However he does distract you away from it after each meal if it's a habit you're trying to break.

He also finds creative ways to motivate you to eat

"Did you really just put on a puppet show with a sock figure singing about how you can't fight the power on an empty stomach?"

"Yeah."

"Siiiigh ig I gotta go eat now. Like Shobie the sockman said I can't fight against my oppressors if my stomach is giving me away."

Learns how to prepare your safe foods

He's a fairly decent cook. But if he doesn't know how to cook something he'll experiment before giving you the final product.

Also he doesn't say anything if you ask for foods to be finely chopped or cut because of excessive fear of choking.

If there's something he can do that'll make eating easier for you he'll do it no matter how strange it might seem.

He will distract you as you eat if that helps you. Probably goes on and tells a story from his day or something new about one of his interests.

He doesn't get upset or irritated if your safe foods change up

You looked down at the plate of food set down before you. There was nothing wrong with it. It was actually a food you'd grown comfortable eating for the past couple of weeks yet the sight of it now made your stomach turn.

"I can't do it. I'm sorry."

"What you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong."

"I know." Your vision began to blur. "But I thought this one would've stuck around for a bit longer."

"Don't worry about it I've got some safe foods in the fridge for you as backup."

He will find ways to sneak foods with the vitamins you need into your food if you ask him to.

He tells you he's proud of you for whatever you eat that day or if you try new foods.

"I'm proud of you for eating."

"Bie I'm only eating a child's portion of food."

"Oi. Don't put yourself down. Something is better than nothing."

(A/N: You just gotta love mourning over the foods that you can't eat anymore 🙂. Anyhow this wasn't as heavy as I thought it'd be. Actually got some heartfelt scenes in here. )

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afewproblems · 1 year

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WIP Wednesday

I'm actually posting on WIP Wednesday, the stars have finally aligned in my favour!

Thank you to @outpastthebrakers for your tag today and @steves-strapcollection for your multiple tags before - its finally lined up today!!

Here is Part Two of my follow up to this Post (Steddie Breakup) hopefully with a Steddie makeup/fix-it future!

(Also! Important to note, season four - specifically the stuff with Vecna- Never happened in this AU)

***

Two Years later - 1987, Chicago, IL

Steve picks up another box from the back of the beemer. This one has, 'Steve's Obnoxious Hair Care,' neatly printed on the side in bold black sharpie --Steve snorts at the sight and vows to never let Robin help him pack ever again.

He walks up the three flights and through the propped open front door to the two bedroom apartment.

It's small, just barely enough for two people, but in downtown Chicago, it's a steal at the price.

And it's theirs.

"Hey Birdie," Steve calls out from the kitchen, he sets the box down on the counter, turning his head to the left slightly to listen for her shuffling. The dull ringing in his right ear makes it more difficult, present ever since he left his parents house for good.

It had gotten even worse since their Russian encounter, but if he's weighing the pros and the cons of that night, he's glad he got Robin out of the deal.

Steve steps into the living room just off the kitchen, "Robin?"

Bright sunlight streams through the curtainless windows bathing Robin in a warm yellow glow.

She stands in the center, facing Steve, with a pensive expression, her eyes scanning the space around her.

"Hush Dingus," she mutters, holding up her pointer finger to her lips, "I'm visualizing".

"Ah, of course," he concedes with a fond smile as Robin walks towards him slowly counting her steps. She lines her feet up as she moves, touching the toe of her right foot to the heel of her left. She wobbles slightly as she makes it to where Steve is standing, he reaches out to steady her with a laugh.

"I told you the living room was more than ten feet!"

"Robin, do you think that a 'foot' is literally your foot?"

Robin sucks her teeth and rolls her eyes, before plucking the measuring tape from where it was clipped to her back pocket, "you have no concept of joy, you refuse to let me live".

"Yeah, yeah, so hard done by," he snorts as she sticks her tongue out at him and leans down to pick up one of the empty boxes.

She sighs and looks around the space again with a contented expression before looking at Steve, "well, Dingus, I think we did good".

Steve nods and tries to smile back but the expression doesn't quite meet his eyes, Robin tilts her head, turning the box over in her hands at the corners.

"What's wrong?" She says softly, anxiously, her blue eyes dart over his face, "is it a migraine? Do you need your meds?"

Steve shakes his head, wincing before he can stop himself, he knows Robin's brain would come up with the worst case scenario first. And, to be fair to her, she had seen the worst case scenarios and after effects of the Russian interrogation, she'd held his hand after spilling his guts from the nausea and halos in his vision, she'd insisted he buy blackout blinds for his room because, 'you never know when you'll need them Dingus, you won't always get one of these at night'.

Steve shakes his head, "no, it's not a migraine, relax Robs," he huffs as she levels him with a disbelieving stare.

"I just," Steve chews his lip for a moment as he drops his gaze to the floor. Robin steps closer, tilting her head to the side as he struggles to find the words.

"I love that you came with me, that we get to be here, but," Steve sighs and runs a hand through his hair. It's longer than it had been two years ago, the gold and copper from his time in the warm summer sun slowly fading back to brown.

"Eddie always talked about leaving Hawkins someday, and I always thought it would be with me".

"This was our plan," he says softly, lifting his eyes to meet Robin's own, her brows pinched in a small frown.

"And I managed to screw that up like everything else," he trails off softly.

***

"I just don't understand why you have to go to this thing, you aren't even interested in his stupid job?" Eddie growls as he tosses the pencil up at his bedroom ceiling, it stays for just a moment before falling back into his waiting hands. Pock marks litter the tile from previous throws and Steve is sure Wayne's told him to knock it off more times than he can count.

"It's complicated," Steve says lowly, he pictures his dad's thunderous face, the same square jaw and straight nose that Steve has, they could be identical but for their ages and the cold grey eyes his father has.

Steve took after his mother in that area, inheriting her large hazel eyes and long lashes.

"No it's not," Eddie says stubbornly, he throws the pencil with more force this time and it hangs in the ceiling between them, "you could tell him to stuff his job up his ass".

"Eddie--"

"No, no, you know we had a show tonight, and you're choosing to go to your dad's fundraiser instead?"

Steve sighs and bites the inside of his cheek, tamping down the urge to argue with his boyfriend.

But, they've never really had this talk before, Steve's never told anyone about his father and his homelife.

Right now he wishes he had.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," he huffs as Eddie rolls his eyes and scoffs, "and not all of us have someone like Wayne to encourage us to do whatever we want".

"That's such bullshit and you know it," Eddie hisses ignoring the slight flinch from Steve, "you always do this".

What?

"You never want to come to our shows, you never want to sit in on Hellfire--"

"That's not true," Steve growls, crossing his arms over his stomach, he hunches in on himself slightly but Eddie shakes his head.

"Yes it is! When was the last time you came to a show?"

Steve wracks his brain, trying to remember the name of the bar they had played at, it wasn’t the Hideaway, it had been a bit of a drive to get there. It was a dive bar that had sounded like it was straight out of Robin Hood, The Red Lion?

"See!" Eddie takes his silence as victory and throws his hands up in the air, "what did I tell you?"

"Jesus, it was a bar show just like all of them Eddie, it's not like you guys were playing on MTV or something," Steve snaps, the last threads of his patience wearing thinner and thinner.

"Oh fuck off, MTV is part of the problem, do you not listen when I talk?"

"I always listen to you!" Steve cries out, his voice climbs in volume and his hands shake as adrenaline spikes, "sometimes you just talk and talk and talk and you say nothing important but I always listen to you!"

"Woooow, fuck you," Eddie scoffs as he turns on his heel and opens his bedroom door, Steve follows him, fuming but wary.

"Since everything I say is bullshit, apparently, and you don't want to come to our shows or spend time with me then maybe you should just go!"

Steve halts in his tracks.

Eddie stands by the open front door to the trailer, his cheeks are red and his mouth is a flat line carved in the middle of his face.

Steve feels his heart rate tick up as he stands there frozen.

They've had disagreements before, small petty arguments but this feels big. Much bigger than any fight they've ever had.

"Eddie-"

"Nope, unless you tell me you're coming tonight, we're done".

Oh.

And just like that, it hurts just as much as when Nancy had told him she didn't love him the previous year. It's too much, he needs to leave.

"Yeah, you know what Eddie, I don't need this," Steve says so softly that Eddie leans forward to hear before reeling back as though struck, "I don't," he shakes his head and walks past Eddle towards the open door.

Eddie's hands twitch as though he wants to reach out to Steve, to pull him back into the trailer, but they remain at his sides.

"You're right," Eddie yells after him as Steve walks down the gravel drive to his car, "you don't need us, we don't need you, go crawling back to daddy just like always".

Steve stops walking and looks back at Eddie. The metal-head's wide brown eyes are shiny with angry tears.

Steve feels his own angry tears pooling along his lash line.

He gets in the car and drives away, ignoring the tightness in his chest as he heads home.

***

"Okay, first of all," Robin says sharply as she drops the box at their feet and pokes him in the chest with a rigid pointer finger, "you're damn right you're happy I came with you, I am a catch!"

Steve rolls his eyes as Robin clears her throat imperiously until he raises his hands in surrender.

"Second, he found out about your dads shit, saw you beaten to hell and back, and didn't even want to have a conversation? Fuck that noise".

"Birdy, you weren't there, and you don't even know Eddie--"

"I know you though," she continues, staring him down, "and I know if the roles were reversed, you would have at least heard him out".

Steve holds back a wince, attempting to keep his expression as neutral as possible. He knows she isn’t right, he knows he made a mistake that night walking away, they should have talked, they should have had it out.

Steve should have told Eddie the truth.

Then again, Eddie dropped him like it was nothing so maybe he was better off in the long run.

Strangely enough this thought doesn’t make him feel better.

"Robin," Steve sighs wearily, crossing to the wall of the living room before leaning his back against it to slide down to the floor.

"Tell me I'm wrong," she says softly, walking towards his spot on the floor, she settles beside him and nudges his shoulder with her own.

"Tell me I'm wrong and I'll drop it," she says again, firmly this time.

Steve breathes out a sigh and brings his knees to his chest, looking towards the window.

The view isn't much, just the street and other buildings, but the Chicago skyline seems to stretch for miles ahead of them.

"You’re not wrong," he says eventually, ignoring the crow of triumph Robin makes, "but you're not right either".

She scoffs and leans her head against his shoulder, the soft waves of her hair tickle the skin on his bare arm but the weight and warmth of her is comforting.

"Besides, it was years ago," Steve mutters, "I'm sure he's forgotten all about me by now".

tagging: @strangersteddierthings @flowercrowngods @steddierthings @steddie-there @henderdads and anyone else that would like to participate! (Please tag me with your wonderful creations! Also I apologize if you've already been tagged - feel free to ignore this!)

#steddie #wip wednesday #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #afewproblems writes #steddie breakup #steddie slowburn makeup #lets go get these boys back together people #I can't not write platonic stobin now #how can I write steve without his robin #thats right I cant

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justyourtypicaltuesday · 2 months

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So What's Up With Logan? - a speculating post for the season 2 finale

While I, like everyone else, am anticipating the season finale, I thought I might as well summarise my thoughts in a post.

In LNTAO, Logan outright explains he's irritated with being repeatedly ignored.

"There will be times in which I must be heeded and given our... current circumstances... I clearly haven't been."

This really stands out to me. It's no secret that due to being consistently talked over, shut up and disregarded, Logan's struggling to deal with his emotions- and keep up the facade he puts up pretending he doesn't have any. This is only evidenced further when he throws paper at Roman. But this quote almost feels like foreshadowing, suggesting that there will come a time Logan's the only side with the right answer, and because of the sides and c!Thomas' practice, they won't listen to him and will exacerbate the problem doing so.

Another interesting quote from LNTAO is hidden in plain sight- the overlapping verses from Logan and Thomas in Incomplete.

"This just serves as a testament to the fact that you have a temperament, which is fine, you just haven't accepted it, if you'd let them finish they'd get to the-"

"This just serves as a testament to the fact that to me you're negligent, which is fine, it just works to your detriment, you not letting me finish is proving my-"

Both verses here provide context into Logan's character. This confirms that c!Thomas is fully aware that Logan has emotions, specifically a temper, and that, in his eyes, the song was an attempt to get Logan to accept that part of himself. This could be setting up a very powerful scene in the finale, Janus and/or Thomas confronting Logan at a point when Logan pretending he doesn't have emotions is actually damaging Thomas as a whole.

Additionally, Logan feels neglected by Thomas. That's a word which is not used lightly. He points out that being ignored is actively causing detriment to Thomas, which he conveniently doesn't hear as he's talking (singing?) over him at this point in time.

They're both right. Logan is ignored to the point of detriment, but he also thinks highly of himself ("I'm the most important side here!") and often disregards the others' contributions until he's actively proven wrong. This is a repeated character flaw of Logan's. It's also seen Growing Up, Moving On, and even in Asides like Can Plushies Improve Our Health?. While Logan's been the cause of minor conflicts in the series, having him cause a problem on a scale similar to Patton in POF would be intriguing to see from a narrative standpoint. It's clear that in the latest episodes, Logan is struggling and maybe at some point soon, constantly being antagonised by c!Thomas and the other sides is going to have an effect.

This brings me to WTIT. This is the last plot-dependent episode we've had, so it naturally is where a lot of my theories are coming from. While we can see a lot of Logan's progress as a character- specifically in prioritising Thomas' mental health- we also see his lowest point so far. Thomas' mental health has been steadily declining since SvS, introducing Remus, the discussions during POF and this episode all make it obvious. And this is reflected in Logan. Despite taking precautions and relaxing the schedule so Thomas feels comfortable, Logan loses his cool when he yells at Remus. What the orange eyes mean is TBD, but Logan's emotions in that moment say one thing and one thing only: he can't keep it down much longer. Each time we see Logan lately, he's been more and more distressed. In LTNAO, he throws paper at Roman, in SvS he's left out. In DWIT he's exasperated the whole time trying to calm down the others. In POF he's clearly done with exerting any amount of effort getting them to listen to him. And here is the result of all that pent up anger.

"I just want to help Thomas become the best version of himself he can be, and in order to do that, he needs to listen to me. Unlike yours, my methods aren't the flashiest, and it's not very often I get the chance to get through to him. Please understand my insistence on the matter."

The words right before his outburst mean a lot too. Logan's been already established as a perfectionist, but here he outwardly admits his goal is to improve Thomas as much as possible. We've already seen c!Thomas second-guessing himself because of difference in opinion between sides, so here's an opportunity to explore Janus v Logan conflict. Logan questioning Janus' advice to Thomas to take it easy could mean that the rest isn't as effective as it could be and cause a problem they'll need to discuss. Logan's been largely absent from Janus-related episodes, so an argument in which Janus explains Thomas has worth as he is while Logan is focused on perfectionism and improvement is not unbelievable at this point in the story.

On the topic of Janus, I believe he's going to play a huge role in Logan's character development. The main thing holding Logan back is that he's lying to himself. He repeatedly insinuates and sometimes outwardly states that he doesn't have feelings, and both c!Thomas and Janus know this is a lie.

"I don't feel anything."

"Oh, of course you don't."

My theory is that Janus, as practically a living lie detector, is going to confront the sides about the lies they tell themselves, and being more truthful about themselves will help Thomas long-term. While this can be explored for each side, I'll save that for a post for another day and point out how specifically Logan's lie about not having feelings is already questioned multiple times in the series, setting it up to be confronted soon.

In conclusion, my speculations for the season finale are:

Logan's going to have another outburst- in full view of c!Thomas and the other sides this time, and it will have to be addressed.

Janus/Thomas and Logan are going to confront each other, Logan over being repeatedly ignored and sidelined, and the others over Logan consistently lying about not feeling emotions.

Logan is going to be the outright antagonist in at least one episode of the finale, along the lines of Patton in POF.

On the contrary, in one episode Logan will have the right answer, but be ignored because... well, duh.

Janus v Logan conflict is going to be a large plot point- addressing perfectionism and to what extent you should accept yourself as you are and to what extent you need to work on growth.

If you got this far, thanks for reading. It's my first post as a blog and I hope you enjoyed reading my guesses to what we'll see surrounding Logan in the finale. I'm planning on continuing with in-depth analysis of other sides and other theories I have, but so far this is what I've gathered in regards to Logan's direction at this point in the series.

#sanders sides #ts sanders sides #ts logan #logan sanders #janus sanders #ts janus #sanders sides theory

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onedaughterofman · 1 year

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Writing Sessions #3 (Cardinal Copia x g/n reader)

Summary: Copia's crush talks to him for the first time. For some reason, there's also a baby rat in his hands.

Tags: Fluff, Copia being dumb af, misunderstandings, some sexual innuendos (maybe). Copia is dumbfounded by his crush. Around 700 words.

A/N: Something short based on @tasty-ribz really cute fanart I loved it, so I had to write this ♥

Something squirms in his palm. Tiny fingers curl around one of his own, thin whiskers tickling at his skin. A baby rat, probably a few days old at most, rests secured between his hands.

“Poor thing! I found it all alone, Cardinal. Do you think it’s going to be fine?”

Your mouth is moving. Lucifer, how much Copia wishes he could understanda single thing you are saying. It must be important, because you seem high-spirited and there’s a heavy furrow on your brows. Oh, how cute you look when you gaze at him through your lashes, hands clutched together and shoulders shaking with each word.

Copia swallows, but nothing loosens the knot in his throat. The blood rushes to his face, causing a deafening rumble in his ears. Fuck, he’s all flushed and sweating, fingers lightly trembling upon being in your presence.

You are not only a Sibling of Sin requesting his assistance, but also the most beautiful Sibling he has ever seen. You are the one his heart yearns for, the love of his life. You and he are destined together, to be perpetually lovers as the times goes by.

Well, you don’t know it yet. One day, he’ll tell you. Just…

Not now.

“I was so worried, Cardinal. Papa’s cat had almost caught it before I did it, and the poor thing was shaking so hard. Hell, I think I’m shaking too…”

A hand is unhurriedly rested on his own. Copia swallows, sensing the thick saliva get stuck in his throat. He wants to cough, but somehow manages to stop. You are right, you are slightly trembling. A few of his fingers hold the tip of your own before letting go suddenly, as if the touch had burned.

And it did. You burn on his skin, almost as much as you set his heart on fire. Copia knows your name, he has written a dozen of love letters and poems dedicated to it.

Of course, he never actually sent them. He’s not even sure if you were the one who told him your name, or if he merely heard it around the hallways. Well, maybe he secretly checked the Ministry’s records trying to find it.

“Is that okay, Cardinal? We can take turns.”

“Turns?” He whispers, mismatched eyes completely focusing on yours. Big mistake. Copia feels as if the world had stopped, had come to a violent halt to allow him to bask in the beautiful sight. He notes your long lashes, bright eyes and the way your mouth moves when you smile at him.

“Yes, we’ll have to do this all day and night long. We’ll get so tired, won’t we? It’s not an easy task, we’ll end up sore and struggling to regain our breath.”

“Oh, Sibling,” he breathes out, mouth agape. The baby rat nests on his palm, snuggling closer. It’s so endearing, so tiny. Copia would be swooning right now, if only there wasn't a better view right in front of him.

“Would you like that? You can take the lead, since you seem to know what you are doing. I’ll do anything you tell me to, Cardinal! I’ll try my best!”

Fuck. Copia’s clothes are tight, extremely suffocating in all the wrong places. He gasps, mouth open, as he struggles to find the right words. Are you asking for him? Do you need him? If he could take you right here, right now, he would. The desire he feels towards you is too strong, it renders him a useless man, a fool.

Copia wants to hold you close, to fall to his knees and worship every inch of you to Hell and back.

“Sibling,” he murmurs, instead. He’s anxious, wheezing for air. “Of course. Anything you want.”

The smile on your face makes it worth it. Without notice, your hands are on his arms, softly squeezing as you gaze at him with dazzling eyes. “Thank you so much! I knew I could count on you, Copia!”

If the world had stopped before, now it’s in flames and about to break in a thousand pieces. Copia struggles to think, brain empty and mind running at full speed. He nods once, instinctively clutching the baby rat closer to his body. He can barely overhear the last words you say to him, before disappearing into the long hallways.

“Sorry, I’ve got to go. I’ll meet you later in your chambers, is that okay? I'm so excited. We'll be amazing together!”

Absentmindedly, he nods. Chambers? You are going to his private room? Oh, Satan. He has to clean everything, change the bedsheets, find some candles and wine, maybe? He has to set up a nice playlist, something to get the right mood.

Copia rushes through the corridors, long cassock swaying behind him. He’s so focused in his date he almost forgets about the baby, until it lets out a loud squeak.

Wait. Why did you give him a rat?

Copia isn’t completely sure. It’s okay, he doesn’t mind it. He’s always open to rescuing these little creatures from the cold and hunger of the Ministry. Besides, he can ask you tonight, when you finally meet him for your date.

Ps: someone save this man.

#cardinal copia x reader #ghost band fanfic #ghost bc #cardinal copia #my writing #he's a dork #he's so dumb

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beanghostprincess · 9 months

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My take on OPLA's "Zoro vs. Mihawk" fight because I love to criticize the things I like

I'm gonna start by saying that I love the live-action. I'm obsessed. The casting is great and the set is stunning. However, despite enjoying OPLA I do have a lot of complaining to do about it because I absolutely love analyzing media and characters. That being said, I don't want this post to make it look like I am disregarding the directors and writers here. They did a good job with what they had but I personally think I would've done it a lot differently.

So... Let's start!

The thing that bothers me the most about episode 5 (episode that I honestly consider to be the worst in a lot of ways and for a lot of reasons) is that they intend to make it look like Zoro has this intense and personal connection with Luffy. A devotion that makes him so damn worried and self-conscious about losing the fight that he starts crying (or at least they tried to make Mackenyu cry? I'm not sure there. But he cries in the manga so, yeah. 'Frustration' perhaps is a better word). And Zoro does feel that devotion towards Luffy from the very beginning. The guy literally changed his life! But that is obvious and visible in the manga/anime because we can see Luffy making promises and being demanding and direct and literally a damn sunshine to Zoro. They have this conversation about him getting back his swords, about being the king of the pirates... There's this connection between them. One that says:

"You'll be my first mate" and "I'd literally give my life for you"

Damn, if there was a trope for love at first sight only for captains and their first mates? They would be the damn blueprint.

But OPLA wasn't able to make them show that connection because most of the scenes are rushed and/or skipped. And I understand. I truly do. It's just a live-action and the manga is long as hell. But the thing is... Don't expect me to believe Zoro's devotion is real if you haven't even shown me how it started. The root of the problem isn't the fight or his speech in episode 5, but the lack of emotional connection in episode 1 that they could've easily fixed by reordering the scenes.

So, regarding everything pre-ep 5: If they had shown us their relationship better, episode 5 wouldn't have felt so... Rushed? Out of character? And I don't mean out of character in a 'Zoro wouldn't say/do this' way (because of course he would, and did canonically) but in a 'OPLA!Zoro wouldn't say/do this because he hasn't experienced the exact same things that manga!Zoro has' way.

Yes, it's a live-action, but as a stand-alone? Zoro's behavior doesn't make any sense. That also happens with Nami, but this post isn't about our weather queen. Not today, at least.

Before I get into the fight I must also say that, even if I appreciated Zoro/Nami's dynamic and scenes, I find them completely unnecessary and useless. Firstly, because those scenes would've been better if they had used them to build their relationship with Luffy and not only between them. Secondly, because the writers do absolutely nothing with them. The relationship is only used as a plot device to foreshadow Arlong Park. And it bothers me because they could've done that without taking scenes from Luffy/Zoro and Luffy/Nami. This also happened because they decided to put so many scenes with the Marine, by the way, but I guess everyone is aware of that already.

The thing about the straw hat pirates is that they're a family. There are different connections/relationships/dynamics between them. But the main focus and reason why they joined is always Luffy and only Luffy. OPLA wanted to make them all a family in the first episodes and share all the important scenes together when actually that doesn't work like that. Everyone in the crew builds different dynamics with Luffy with personal and private scenes, and I think they took that magic away from them in OPLA wanting them all to share the same experiences for no reason. They don't build private connections (besides Nami/Zoro, but that doesn't even work in the end). This is why I like OPLA!Sanji so so much! His scenes with Luffy are immaculate.

Basically: The writers decided that since it's a live-action and most of the viewers will be already OP fans, it doesn't matter if they make Zoro's devotion exist without actually showing it because we already know he's devoted to his captain. So they take that info, make it happen, and they give no explanation to new watchers as to why the hell this dude who is supposed to not trust people easily, suddenly trusts Luffy so much. Even if it's a live-action, you should never take things for granted as a writer.

Now that I've established how it doesn't make sense for Zoro to act the way he does due to the lack of scenes with Luffy pre-episode 5, I'm gonna talk about my overall opinion about the fight itself and Zoro's pretty iconic speech to Luffy.

I'm no expert with fighting scenes but I've watched enough movies and animes (and you don't even need to, to be honest) to know that it is incredibly rushed. There's no tension. And the choreography is so... Dull. The only fight scenes I enjoyed were the ones in episode 1. This, in my opinion, is mostly the director's fault. The shots are either boring or too exaggerated and the whole fight is just not enjoyable to watch. The setting also makes it really empty. Everyone is just... There... Together... Netflix, don't be so scared of putting space between characters, I'm begging you. A bit of theatre directing is what this scene needs.

Also, Sanji isn't there and it bothers me a lot. Like a whole lot. Like a lot lot. And the fact that Nami is there when she shouldn't be (and also holds Usopp's hand? Like girl, chill, you've only interacted twice? They should've added Usopp to that drinking game scene if they wanted them to grow closer like that before the fight. But of course, Usopp is just the comedy relief for Netflix) also bothers me a lot lot lot.

In general, OPLA's shots aren't my cup of tea, and the overuse of comic-like moments dividing the screen made me cringe more than once (the first time was funny. Referencing the manga. But then it gets tiring. Mostly because the shots are just too close to their faces). Also, what's up with the corners being blurry all the time and the shots being extremely close to their faces? I don't know if it's just me but it's uncomfortable to watch.

Leaving that aside, Mackenyu did a great job with the fighting scenes. Love him to death. Kissing him from a distance. Great work.

Now, the thing that bothers me the most...

Zoro's speech.

Not only do they skip the important part where Zoro calls Luffy "The king of the pirates" but they also make it extremely dull and boring. It's not Mackenyu's fault. He's a good actor. However, I do think that this scene didn't need a close approach between the characters.

What this scene needs is passion. Frustration. Tears. Screaming. Relief when Zoro realizes Luffy isn't disappointed. Determination when he decides to keep fighting and training to become the world's greatest swordsman. And I think Mackenyu's performance would've been way better if they had given him the right indications and space between him and Iñaki.

I always say that physical space is great for scenes like this one because it challenges the actor to express their emotions without physical contact. A close and sweet approach is also good, but I think they should've just used that for the scene in episode 6 where Zoro wakes up. Them being physically close then is good, because there's a bond and they want and crave touching each other. However, after losing a fight and almost disappointing his captain? What Zoro needed was to openly cry to the sky and yell at Luffy that he would become the world's greatest swordsman. For himself. For Kuina. And for Luffy, his captain.

It's a very emotional scene and I get that it's complicated to do the same thing the manga does... But it really isn't that hard to give Mackenyu space so he has to yell and be openly frustrated. It seems like he wanted to cry. Like he was trying to cry. But the tears didn't come out because having Iñaki and the others so damn close didn't give him the space he needed to yell his emotions.

On the other hand, even if I don't like this scene and I prefer Luffy and Zoro to not be so close to each other, this would've kind of worked if they had had some connection and scenes pre-episode 5. But they don't. So, yeah, whatever.

Also (and this is just me being me) I wouldn't have used an aerial shot of them for the final scene. Zoro is satisfied now. He faints but he's happy. He proceeds to wake up happy in the next episode. So why not end it with his smiling face as he faints? That's also a recurring topic in the One Piece world! Make it reference Roger and foreshadow Loguetown and Marineford. These directors aren't being creative, let me tell you.

Overall, you can tell that I didn't like how they portrayed this episode, especially this fight/speech. However, before I end this post I want to say that I am aware of how hard it is to make a live-action and it's completely understandable to make scenes shorter and rushed. It's obvious that everyone working on this live-action loves One Piece, and even if I don't like a lot of the things they're doing, that doesn't mean I can't feel the effort and love they put (mostly the actors. The cast is outstanding and extremely sweet!) making this show.

I have more complaints about episode 5 (mostly about Nami's character) but this was just to talk about Zoro and the fight! Let me know in my inbox if you want more of my opinions on OPLA or just want to tell me something! <3

Editing TikTok account where I'm posting my One Piece edits: seraspring

#i spent like an hour making this lmao #i could've written more but my adhd won't let me remember everything that's on my mind and put it into words #i be complaining about opla and the next day i'm like 'me and the bestie!'#i swear i love the live action don't let my criticism fool you #zoro and luffy are married btw it happens in episode 6 #i didn't want my zolu heart to take over the post so i had to hold back #roronoa zoro #monkey d. luffy #zolu #dracule mihawk #opla #one piece #one piece live action

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shadedsecrets · 10 months

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I realized today... that I can't wait to see where Amos Ellery ends up and I have more predictions about how that'd go.

Do I think he's going to be showing up frequently? Likely only as frequently as we check in on the rest of the Parents Squad, not often until thicker plot entanglement. Is he going to have important things to do and plot-impacting choices to make? Ooooh, most assuredly. And I am most eager to see which garden path he grouches down.

From my perspective... there are two options, and both of them are so very very fun.

This man has already been asked to and made some hard choices. He would not be a confidant of That Bird Goddess if he hadn't committed. The man knows his son has been dead for two months and that his body will never be found. And he isn't enthused about it, even grumbles a complaint, but that is as far as it gets. He reaffirms his loyalty. This is a man... that clings to the belief that seeing whatever this is through will be worth it in the end.

He has put his eggs in this basket and come hell of high water, he will defend those choices.

.....for now.

We don't currently know why Amos was upset about Irving not getting a body double that could at least be brought home. And I can think of a few reasons other than caring for his son that could fit that bill, but again, we don't know. With how hostile he got when our favorite Grandmother of Chaos implied he didn't, I do think he loves Irving, and expresses his affections... differently.

So we have a grumpy man currently working for the assumed Big Bad who seems like he may be loyal out of principle, fear, and honestly not believing there to be another option. He professes that he will do whatever it takes to see this through, even something like being implicit in the murders of his family and friends...

So what do we think is going to happen when news inevitably breaks of some Really Funky Seaghosts that look like those missing nobles? Yeah, the Phantomarine Crew are going to do their best to stay out of sight, but if a Pavel needs defending? Screw that, protect the baby! Let's face it, the boy with a stigmatized condition and a Godly Bounty on his head is going to be at risk of harm around people and in the wilds in equal measure. But what will the Parents do with this knowledge...

Personally... I hope Amos will be given chances at choosing something else, and he will double down the first couple times. He is a man of conviction. He does not read as someone who gets shaken easily, expression barely changing, voice rarely raised... Changing tracks just like that for likely only vague information would undercut all of that unless he was shown to take the time to VERY thoroughly research it on his own. I doubt he would be given the time to, however. No no... it's going to be the last time he has a choice that would be interesting.

It would be a choice that he cannot take back; most of the cards will be on the table and he will not be able to feign ignorance of the consequences. And he would have two options... Continue on this current course, or finally reach his limit and do ANYTHING else. Either he goes down as a man who finally tried to stand up to a Deity, or as someone who could not accept he had done the wrong thing.

What can I say? I am a sucker for these sorts of stories. An antagonist that just can't accept they did something wrong for a shitty reason is so cathartic to watch go down, just as good as someone finally taking a stand and responsibility for their actions and striving to dig back out of a very deep hole is.

Am I reading too far into a side character? Maybe! But he seems to be set up as the actual right hand of the Big Bad and is a protagonist's FATHER. He has some stuff to do here... And I see some veeeeeery fun flags.

#phantomarine #theory #character analysis #Amos Ellery #...well I guess I do this now.#fuck it tho it's fun and the story is fun!#will i do more?#only Cheth knows

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stardropcritter · 1 month

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First Friend

Iris woke up feeling surprisingly well-rested. Refreshed, even. The clock on the bedside table indicated 9am, so she could admit it might take some time before she got used to what her dad used to call “farmer hours”, but at least this was an improvement over her frequent insomnia. She struggled to find the right temperature in a shower old enough to belong in a museum but, after some embarrassing yelps at the freezing temperatures, she managed to shower and get ready for her first day as a new farmer.

Gus and Emily had been kind enough to send her home with some pastries after she met them last night, so thankfully that was breakfast sorted. Unfortunately, the unexpected lack of a kitchen in her small house meant she was without any way to make some coffee, and that was a dangerous situation. She considered the risks, and ultimately decided coffee would have to be the mission of the day after she did at least some farm chores.

She took a moment to check on the baby chicks Marnie had gifted her as a welcome gift, and was relieved to see them snuggled together at the back of the coop. They perked up when they heard her enter, and her heart warmed at the sight of the two tiny creatures tripping over themselves to go and greet her. She picked up the small brown hen, who she’d named Viola, and pet her softly. Viola cooed happily in response. “We’re going to do our best here, all three of us” Iris said to both tiny chicks, “and it will be good. Right, guys?”

As if they understood her, both chicks nuzzled against her arms for a moment, before deciding that their leftover food was more important. Fair enough, solid priorities. She left them to their own devices and spent the next two hours clearing out some of the debris on the main field in front of her house. It was far more exhausting than she’d expected, and her current set of tools wasn’t even good enough to get rid of some of the larger rocks and logs on the property. By the time 1pm rolled around, the sun was far too strong overhead, and Iris could barely lift her arms anymore. She felt slightly sunburnt, exhausted, sweaty, and was under threat of a category five caffeine headache. It was time to go beg Gus for some coffee.

Emily hadn’t started her shift yet, but Gus gave her a warm welcome as he made a fresh pot of coffee for her, then slid a small omellete her way for lunch. She thanked him, and assured him he’d be seeing a lot more of her here at the saloon until she could sort out her kitchen situation. Gus disappeared to the back for a few minutes before returning with an old kettle, a few coffee filters, and some freshly ground coffee in a jar. Truly, the man was a hero.

“You’re certainly your father’s daughter” he laughed, a full belly laugh that echoed through the empty saloon. “Avery never could go a single day without his coffee either.”

“Still can’t,” Iris smiled into her cup as she took a sip of the coffee, relaxing as the warmth coursed through her. “Gus, you’re my hero. Honestly. I might actually make it through the day now. Imagine that.”

Gus chuckled and shook his head before he excused himself to go prepare food for the evening. Iris finished her meal and coffee, then packed the gifts into her bag before she set out to explore the town for the day.

As soon as she stepped out of the saloon, she noticed a pen with an adorable german shepherd looking back at her. She blamed the lack of coffee and last night’s exhaustion for having missed the good boy completely until now.

“Hi boy,” she cooed as she approached slowly, “are you friendly?”

He responded with an excited bark and rapidly waving tail, prompting Iris to walk around the other side of the fence to introduce herself to the pup. She let him sniff her hands and, once he approved, proceeded to scratch behind his ears. His tongue lolled out happily.

“Well Dusty,” she said as she spotted the nametag on his collar, “you’re officially the first new friend I’ve made today, and I think that’s great news. Don’t you?”

He licked her chin in response, and Iris dissolved into laughter as she continued to pet him. His attention shifted suddenly, and he bounced with excitement as he spotted someone coming up behind Iris. Iris turned to see a fairly tall guy with tawny brown hair and a varsity jacket walking into the pen. Judging by Dusty’s excitement, she guessed this must be his owner.

“Hi, I’m Iris” she said as she stood to meet him. He was a good head taller than her, she noticed as his hazel eyes met hers. “I hope it’s okay that I was making friends with Dusty here.”

The young man gave Dusty a quick pet behind the ears to calm him down, and smiled at Iris. “Oh, hey, you’re the new girl, huh?” His eyes wandered not so discreetly over her before returning to meet hers after lingering a moment longer on her leather choker. “I think we’ll get along great,” he smiled, “I’m Alex, by the way.”

If this had happened before she’d had any coffee, Iris would likely have bristled under his gaze. Thankfully, a well-caffeinated Iris was a happy Iris, and she didn’t mind just rolling with the interaction for now. “It’s nice to meet you, Alex” she smiled. “Dusty seems happy to see you, are you his owner?” she added as she knelt back down in front of the pup to scratch his chin.

“Yeah, Dusty’s a great friend. We’ve been through a lot together” Alex responded, his posture and smile softening noticeably as he glanced back down at the dog. He seemed somewhat more at ease, after noting how comfortable Dusty was in Iris’ presence. “So, you just moved into that old farm at the edge of town, right?” he asked her.

Iris met his eyes immediately, a small voice in the back of her mind suddenly alarmed that he knew where she lived, even though they had just met. She felt her hands go cold, and took a moment to steady her breathing as she regarded Alex again. His posture was relaxed and open as he turned his attention back to Dusty, his focus away from her. No particular alarm bells rang in her mind as she regarded him. This was a small town, so it should come as no surprise that it had an efficient rumour mill, she thought. Besides, there weren’t many abandoned farms around Pelican town, as far as she knew, so it made sense if he’d heard of hers. This isn’t Zuzu anymore, she reminded herself.

“Yeah, I did” she replied finally. “I just got here yesterday, actually, so today’s the first day I’m taking to really explore the town. Other than Gus and Emily, you and Dusty here are the first ones I’ve met- well, Robin and Mayor Lewis helped me move in yesterday, I guess.”

Alex seemed surprisingly happy to learn this, for whatever reason. “Great! Well,” he stood back up and pointed to a light blue house behind Dusty’s pen, “I live just over here with my grandparents, Evelyn and George. Over there is Pierre’s -that’s the general store- and next to it is the clinic. Dr. Harvey lives right above it” He pointed at each building as he described it, and Iris let her gaze follow along.

“Just across the river over there,” Alex continued “is Joja Mart. If you want better prices than Pierre’s, go there. They’re open more often, too.”

He didn’t seem to notice the way Iris froze as her gaze stuck on the cold neon sign of the store. She missed whatever it was he said next as her head filled with the sound of a rushing cold wind. He might have been talking about the blacksmith? Thankfully, the next thing he mentioned snagged her attention, bringing her back to herself and quieting the howling wind in her mind.

“-and down that side is the Library and Museum” he finished.

Iris met his eyes again and smiled. She’d been worried he would be like old classmates and coworkers from the city when she’d first spotted the varsity jacket and confident swagger, but once he’d introduced himself and relaxed with Dusty’s presence, she was pleasantly surprised by his warm personality.

“Thanks, Alex,” she thanked him as she stood and patted the dirt off her jeans, “that’s actually super helpful.”

He flashed her a bright smile and she chuckled. “Well,” she announced, “I should get going if I want to get to know the rest of the town, maybe get some groceries, too. It was nice to meet you and Dusty, though. I’ll see you around!”

Alex smiled as she turned to leave, making her way to the store, then called out after her, “Nice to meet you too, farm girl! See ya around!”

Iris laughed at the nickname as she pushed open the doors to the general store. Maybe things would be okay out here, after all. She would still make sure to stay clear of the building on the other side of town though, just in case. She pushed the memory of that cold, lifeless neon away and rebuilt her smile as she walked into Pierre’s general store.

#stardew valley #sdv #sdv farmer #sdv alex #sdv writing #farmer Iris #my writing #I wanted to do a doodle for this but art brain was on vacation #she should’ve gotten coffee immediately #caffeine headaches suck #Dusty is a good boy and I need more stardew fanart and fics to include him

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ravenya003 · 5 months

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Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Welcome to the Hellmouth, S01E01

My 2024 Buffy the Vampire Slayer rewatch starts NOW!

Before I jump in, here’s some quick housekeeping:

I’ll endeavour to do this on a weekly basis; watching an episode on Saturday night and writing up a post on Sunday.

I’m not going to worry about spoilers. This show was as good as it was because of how interconnected the themes and storylines were, so if something in season one reminds me of something in season seven, I’m going to mention it.

This is the first time I’ve watched this show (probably) since high school, and it’s almost certainly the first time I’ve watched it from start to finish. It’s actually rather dizzying in this age of eight episode shows that get cancelled after two seasons to consider there are one hundred and forty-four episodes of Buffy that span seven years.

Obviously I am not unaware of Joss Whedon’s mistreatment of others on the set of Buffy, and where it seems relevant I’ll bring it up. But I also don’t think it’s fair to the rest of the cast and crew to throw the entire show under the bus because of one person, especially when it had such a huge (positive) impact on so many lives.

For the record, my favourite ships are Willow/Oz, Giles/Jenny and Spike/Drusilla. My purpose in pointing this out is to make clear that I don’t watch this show to see what true love looks like, but to watch a close-knit band of social misfits fight the forces of evil together. To me, the heart of this show is the friendship between Buffy, Xander, Willow and Giles. The show is always at its strongest when it’s focusing on the four of them, and most of the love stories just don’t interest me that much.

Once season three is over, I’ll start alternating between Buffy and Angel episodes.

Okay, let’s get to it.

First of all, I was not prepared for how dated everything looks and sounds. Naturally my most recent memories of Buffy are watching the later seasons, when there’s cellphones and internet access and fashion choices that wouldn’t seem out of place today – but season one looks like a different era entirely.

There are some references that have dated amusingly (Cordelia and Buffy bond over their shared appreciation for James Spader), some that I didn’t get at all (who’s John Tesh? What’s Debarge?) and a few synthesized musical cues that are straight out of the nineties.

I had forgotten that the Cold Open involves Julie Benz as Darla, and that show-defining twist when it turns out that she’s the vampire and not her predatory date. Ah, Red Shirt #1 played by Carmine Giovinazzo – you have the distinction of being this show’s first victim. I salute you.

Also, it’s amusing to think that we had no idea just how important Darla would end up being to the franchise’s lore. She’s just a standard vampire minion at this early stage, though I do like the fact that she was presumably cast to look a bit like Buffy.

And of course, it all starts at good old Sunnydale High.

Our first glimpse of Buffy Summers begins with her in the middle of a nightmare, which... girl, get used to this plot device. This one is a bit more muddled than her later dreams, made up of a bunch of clips that’ll be used in later episodes that culminate in the Master, the season’s Big Bad.

I had to smile at the sight of those yellow school buses pulling up at the front of Sunnydale High. Buffy may not arrive at school in one of these things, but seven years later, she’s sure as hell going to leave in one.

Joyce – and later on, Angel – are both perfect examples of Characterization Marches On regarding the fact the writers’ room hasn’t quite settled on their personalities yet. In Joyce’s case, she comes across as a lot more flaky than in later appearances.

Oh, and here’s Xander, riding in on a skateboard that we’ll never see him use again across the entire run of the series. I get that he’s a very contentious character in the annals of the show, and though I’m certainly not going to let him off the hook for his occasional (frequent?) shitty behaviour, I also think I’m fonder of him than the average fan.

Honestly, I think Joss Whedon doomed him a little when he stated that Xander was the character most based on him in high school. Suddenly all his entitled, chauvinist behaviour was re-evaluated through the lens of knowing that Whedon was a pretty awful person – but I hope we can all agree that even at his worst, Xander is a MUCH better human being than Whedon.

We’ll see how we go.

Interesting that Willow’s history with Xander is established well before she meets Buffy. Not surprising, since they’ve known each other since early childhood, but interesting. Buffy is the protagonist, but Xander/Willow’s relationship with each other takes precedence when it comes to introducing the gang’s dynamics.

And hey, it’s Eric Balfour as Jesse! Oh man, they really dropped the ball on this character, didn’t they. It’s the one aspect of this two-part premiere that really doesn’t work... but I’ll get to that in good time.

Principle Flutie! Something else I’d totally forgotten; I honestly thought this show started with Snyder.

Also, that initial on his desk plaque is B. Does that mean his name is actually Bob (which is what he tells Buffy to call him)? Not Robert? Weird.

Buffy and Xander’s meetcute involves him helping her pick up some of the spilled contents of her bag, and accidentally saying: “can I have you?” instead of “can I help you?” Oof. Yeah, that’s not an auspicious start.

Buffy meets Cordelia before she meets Willow, and Cordelia comes across as surprisingly nice when she shares her textbook with Buffy and invites her into Sunnydale's popular clique. Then of course, the second relatively big twist of the episode occurs: Cordelia reverts into absolute bitchiness when they come across Willow at the drinking fountain.

Willow scarpers and Buffy looks deeply uncomfortable. There’s a nice subtext across this episode that suggests Buffy was once just like Cordelia, only for her calling to make her more sympathetic to social “losers” like Xander and Willow.

Cordelia also describes the Bronze as being in “the bad part of town”. Huh? I’m going to chalk that one down to more Early Instalment Weirdness, since I don’t think it ever comes up again. (Later Sunnydale is described as a “one Starbucks town”, which is also funny since it’s later revealed to contain a zoo, a shopping mall, several lakes and parks, a military base, and a university).

Buffy enters the library for the first time, and the first thing she sees is a newspaper with an article titled “local boys still missing” outlined in red. The plurality of “boys” means that this isn’t referring to Darla’s kill, which probably only happened the night before anyway. Instead, it’s an indication that there are ongoing problems of a supernatural nature in Sunnydale.

And here’s Giles! The most interesting thing about this interaction is that Giles has clearly been waiting for Buffy. As in, he knows that the Slayer is scheduled to appear in Sunnydale, and that she’s going to be enrolled in its local high school. As Willow says later on, he’s also a newcomer, having only recently taken the position of school librarian.

The show never goes into any more detail than this, but I have so many questions. Clearly Buffy was under surveillance from the Watchers Council, who knew she was coming and made sure Giles had a cover story and a position to fill at Sunnydale High so that he could more easily sidle himself into her life, but a part of me wonders they pulled similar strings for Joyce to get her that job at the art gallery in order to bring Buffy to Sunnydale in the first place.

Evidence for this is that Giles already knows it’s a hotbed for supernatural activity in his discussions with her, though I suppose his dialogue suggests it’s more fate (or the Powers That Be?) rather than the Watchers Council that had a hand in Buffy’s arrival at the Hellmouth (“there’s a reason you’re here and a reason why it’s now”). Still, it’s an interesting theory to ponder, and I always felt it was a shame that the show never delved too deeply into Buffy’s life after she became a Slayer but before she moved to Sunnydale.

(Though I suppose that had to do with the spectre of the 1992 Buffy movie, who’s relationship with this show is a bit tenuous. But now I’m getting off-track).

Buffy flees from Giles and strikes up a conversation with Willow instead. Willow’s eagerness and earnestness is very cute, and though she probably has the most profound development of any other character on this show, I’ll always miss this early dorky version of her.

In describing the library, Buffy says it gives her “the wiggins”. HAH! Remember that word? Remember how it didn’t exist anywhere except this show? Remember how it was essentially Whedon’s attempt to make fetch happen? Aw, man. What a delightful throwback.

On hearing that a body has been found stuffed in a locker, Buffy naturally cannot help but investigate – though I suppose we can chalk it down just as much to her wanting confirmation on whether or not vampires are in town than to any personal sense of responsibility.

Our first glimpse of her super strength comes when she busts through the locked door into the changing room, and she gives a weary “oh great” on seeing the bitemarks in the victim’s neck.

But then of course, she follows this up by sharing her discovery with Giles, who is quick to point out that she’s doing something about it. I have a soft spot for heroes who simply cannot walk away from danger and/or a situation that needs their intervention, regardless of how loudly they grumble about it.

Turns out Xander has heard their entire conversation about vampires and Watchers and Slayers from behind the stacks... which is an elegant not-coincidence since it was established earlier in the episode (in his conversation with Willow) that he was going to the library for a trigonometry book.

Giles is still jabbering about how Sunnydale is a centre of mystical energy that attracts all kinds of supernatural beings, and Buffy’s skepticism naturally gives way to a panning shot of an underground cave where a formidable-looking vampire is intoning “the Sleeper will wake” over a pool of blood.

As villains go, the Master is obviously not particularly inspired, especially since he spends most of this season as a quintessential Orcus on His Throne, but it was also way too early in the game to have a complex or personal Big Bad. You can’t come out the gate with a Glory or an Angelus, and I think he serves his purpose just fine as a Nosferatu-esque spectre that a sixteen-year-old girl would understandably be intimidated by.

Ditto Luke as the show’s Starter Villain: a physical threat to Buffy without being all that interesting.

On Buffy’s way to the Bronze we get our first Angel sighting, and much like Joyce, his characterization is a bit off. He’s way too smarmy and negging, but also... kind of upbeat? It’s amusing to reflect that the writers room knew very little about him at this point, including the fact that he was a vampire (making his “I don’t bite” comment deeply ironic) so it’s lucky that they never filmed any of his scenes in daylight before the truth comes out six episodes later.

In any case, his role in this episode is to namedrop things like “the Mouth of Hell” and “the Harvest” (which Giles will start researching as soon as Buffy passes them on to him) and give Buffy the silver crucifix which... becomes important at some stage? I remember the claddagh ring in season three, but have no recollection of this necklace.

Also intriguing is this dialogue between them: Angel – “I’m a friend.” Buffy – “Maybe I don’t want a friend.” Angel – “I didn’t say I was yours.”

I mean, I know it’s just meaningless banter, but Buffy assumes the “friend” he’s talking about is Giles, who soon confirms that he’s never met him before. So was Angel actually referring to The Powers That Be? Whistler, maybe? Again, I know that this was just filler dialogue with no established context, but I’d be interested to see if it fits in with season two’s flashbacks where he’s introduced to Buffy from a distance.

There’s a very sweet interaction between Buffy and Willow at the Bronze, in which the former gives the latter some advice (“seize the day, because tomorrow you might be dead”) and assures her she’s coming back – despite Willow’s expectation that she won’t – when she spots Giles on an overhead balcony.

The staging of the scene between her and Giles is a bit sus – did he really have to stand behind her and lean over her like that? – but at his insistence she spots a vampire in the crowd, though not because of her preternatural senses, but because of his dated fashion sense. And uh-oh, he’s chatting up Willow, who is unfortunately taking Buffy’s “seize the day” advice.

A throwaway line from Cordelia down on the dance floor is telling: apparently her mother never gets out of bed. Our resident Alpha Bitch clearly doesn’t have a great home life.

Poor Jesse gets the brush-off from Cordelia and runs straight into Darla instead. The reveal is wonderfully corny, in which she swivels around in her hanging basket chair with a smile that wouldn’t melt butter.

We’re heading into the third act cliff-hanger now: Willow is being ushered through a graveyard by her vampiric date, Jesse is clearly also in danger, the Master has risen and sent out his minions to bring him fresh blood, and Xander’s skepticism over Buffy’s Slayer status quickly turns to concern when he learns that Willow is in trouble.

They all converge in a graveyard crypt, and – bless her – Buffy is bantering right off the bat. It’s actually a pretty good tactic, as the vampires are caught off-guard by her confidence. Though... shouldn’t Darla clock the fact that she’s a Slayer? We learn later that she’s familiar with the concept, though this is obviously another case of not having figured out the character’s background at this early stage.

A point in Xander’s favour: Buffy tells him to “go” and instead he enters the crypt to help Jesse and Willow. You have to admit, that’s classic Xander.

And we end with Xander/Willow/Jesse being threatened by more vampires outside, as Luke lowers himself onto Buffy after he’s thrown her into an open tomb. To be continued...

Miscellaneous Observations:

Do we ever get an explanation for the force field that’s keeping the Master trapped underground? It’s obviously magic, so who put it in place?

How did Angel know about the Harvest? Who sent him? I know the answers are still to come, but the question is deliberately left dangling in this episode.

Giles mentions incubus and succubus in his litany of monsters that are attracted to Sunnydale, but I think they’re the only two creatures that never actually appear in the show.

I love the little glimpses of non-main characters going about their business in Sunnydale, namely Aphrodesia and Aura gossiping about Buffy before the dead guy falls out of the latter’s locker. I wonder if those girls made it to Graduation Day...

Watching this episode, the most eye-opening character is Cordelia, who has quite the epic journey ahead of her. It’s almost funny to see her in a role that requires her to be little more than Buffy’s antagonist and foil – essentially what Buffy would have been without her calling. I’m taking a moment to think about where all these characters end up, and it’s pretty dizzying.

Giles gives the famous Slayer mantra: “Into every generation a Slayer is born: one girl in all the world, a Chosen One. She alone will wield the strength and skill to fight the vampires, demons, and forces of darkness; to stop the spread of their evil and the swell of their number. She is the Slayer.” This is repeated in the show’s very final episode, and not only forms the crux of Buffy’s entire identity crisis, but also serves as the inspiration for her solution to it. Damn, I love this show.

But who the heck is the guy who speaks these lines in the opening introduction?? It’s later taken over by Anthony Stewart Head, but in season one at least we get a completely unfamiliar narrator.

As excited as I am to embark on this rewatch, I know that after the third season the show loses its centre a bit as the main trio form relationships that are ostensibly more important than the one they have with each other. I love these early seasons because their friendship is clearly the focus of the show – the thing not only protecting them against the forces of evil, but getting them through the hell that is high school.

The show loses its lustre when it loses sight of their bond, but I have three whole seasons to enjoy before that happens. Let’s do this.

Best Line: Cordelia (after Buffy has accidentally slammed her against a wall, thinking she’s a vampire): “Excuse me, I have to call EVERYONE I have EVER met, RIGHT NOW.”

Best Scene: The climatic fight in the crypt, not for the fight itself, but for the shock on Xander and Willow’s faces as the world (and their lives) irrevocably change.

Best Subversion: Obviously when the vulnerable and demure little blonde in the Cold Open reveals herself to be the real danger in the room.

Death Toll: Darla's date in the cold open. Thomas, the vampire that Buffy dusts in the crypt. Also, the newspaper in the library mentioned "local boys still missing" but since we never see them on-screen, the toll stands at TWO.

Grand Total: One civilian, one villain.

#buffy the vampire slayer #rav's watching log #welcome to the hellmouth #rav's buffy rewatch #buffy season one

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windvexer · 1 year

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Honoring Lobrax with the Half-Moon Meal

Lobrax, the scintillating rainbow serpent who created the Sun, Moon, and Stars, is said to have the moon itself for his eye! When the moon is half full he can see everything in our world, so that's why we celebrate his holy breakfast on half-moon days.

Here is a quick FAQ of how to celebrate Lobrax! It is a practice open to anyone.

What is the meal really about?

Lobrax is a representation of unconditional love, but especially unconditionally loving being alive and having physical forms. His mythology is panthiestic - in other words, the scales of Lobrax are the universe itself.

So when we celebrate Lobraxfast, it's all about feeling the love and joy of being alive, and reveling in our physicality! Just by loving life itself we honor Lobrax.

Why breakfast and not some other meal?

The holy breakfast honors not only Lobrax but Aedelia, who helped hatch Lobrax and gave him his very first meal.

You don't have to celebrate Lobraxfast at any specific time of day, but ideally the celebration will be the first time you eat that day. Of course there are no real hard and fast rules and people do what fits with their schedules :)

What kind of things should you eat?

Eggs are really traditional, as well as cheese and bacon. I always try to include eggs in my celebration as a ritual aspect (more below!)

But you can really eat anything you want! The most important part of Lobraxfast is to eat something that you personally really enjoy and that makes you happy. So that can be anything, from a full buffet of fresh cooked breakfast foods, to some leftover cold pizza.

What should you do to prepare?

A very important aspect of Lobrax is as a home and kitchen god. So a lot of people will try to tidy their kitchen, or do something nice like put out a clean tablecloth.

But just remember that the goal is to have a great time eating foods you love and enjoying being alive, and let that guide you! People tend to put on upbeat music, dress in bright and happy colors, put on TV shows they love, or anything that brightens the mood.

Flowers are an important part of Lobrax mythology, especially very colorful and multicolored flowers, so including flowers in your celebration is very traditional.

And although it's a more modern practice, people also sometimes leave offerings for household spirits, especially kitchen spirits, and thank them for being a part of life.

Honoring Half-Moon Sight

One aspect that should always be observed (that in my opinion you need to make it a Lobraxfast instead of a regular meal) is honoring Lobrax's Half-Moon sight.

In Lobrax's mythology, when the moon is dark his eye is closed and he's at a period of rest and reflection. When the moon is full his eye is wide open and he's so full of excitement and energy that he can't even see what's right in front of him.

It's actually when his eye is half-open that he is able to see with total clarity.

As a parable, we can apply this to active gratitude. During this time we should strive to see our lives with clarity and practice loving everything we see.

More traditionally, you should try to avoid imagining what things could become, or pulling things apart with introspection. The goal is to try and see what is around you in the moment and celebrate it.

Usually during Lobraxfast I will take many small moments while cooking and just say to myself, "I love this."

In group settings people sometimes go in a circle and say things they're grateful for.

You could write a hymn, pray from the heart, light a candle, or do anything that expresses the love of being alive.

Enjoy your Lobraxfast!

#lobrax #unreality #sufficiently advanced witchcraft

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yellowcry · 3 months

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The constellation shifts

Wishing happy birthday to your own Mirabel is important, of course. But Luisa wouldn't let her bestie slide

Swap au + Fracture au by @miracles-and-butterflies

Initially I planned to write something canon for Mirabel's birthday. Then it turned out that it Isabela's birthday too. I couldn't miss this chance

The day passed really fast. But again, with all the celebrations on Mirabel's birthday, there was no doubt that it was supposed to be messy.

But now the balloons were deflated, the food was eaten. At first sight, Luisa had done her duty for today. Indeed, she had. But only for hers Mirabel. Not for the others. And screw Luisa if she missed her best friend's birthday.

Most people would probably think that it was strange. In Luisa's opinion, being multidimensional besties was the most normal thing in this world.

She grabbed a packed set of books. Something about France in the fourteen or fifteen centuries. Mirabel loved history. And the other Mirabel loved it even more. Hopefully, the history of France wasn't any different there. Or it would be awkward.

Luisa screwed up her eyes, holding the book in a store film close to her, her other hand was placed on her girdle, fingers drummed a nervous melody. The light flashed through her eyelids, shimmering with bright colors. Going up and down. Luisa would never actually get used to this, she hated being deprived of her senses. For a moment, her hand grabbed onto her hilt. Even after knowing that, maybe, people wouldn't die without her she still preferred to have something to protect everyone within her reach. She liked the ability to clench onto something in unsettling moments

The water waved all over, washing through her skin. Splashing deeper and deeper. Just for a brief second before the world stopped. Luisa stood steady on her feet in the middle of what was Mirabe's room.

The local Isabela and herself regarded her with surprised gazes. Luisa's grip on a sheat got stronger for a second, before she eventually let go, brushing non-existing water off.

Isabela sighed. "It's you.." Her groan was barely audible, exhausted from dealing with this for some time. There was no question of why Luisa came to visit. Everyone knew the answer even before Luisa got in here.

"Hello," Mirabel said, not lifting her head from whatever she embroidered at the moment.

Luisa smiled, waving a little, even tho Mirabel's gaze wasn't focused on her. "Can you two leave?" Her head snapped to the older sisters, lowering over them. The message was clear. Luisa wasn't the type to play games. Being Abuelo's favorite made her responsible and somehow strict.

The other Luisa muttered under her breath, so quiet that only Isabela could hear her. "I still have no idea of what is going on with these two." The door creaked opening. Isabela and Luisa from this universe knew better than to fight with her. Mirabel's gaze shifted to a closing door for a moment. Luisa shook her head, wincing at the click of the lock.

A silence hung in the room. Mirabel kept working in a quiet ambulance, focused on how she moved the needle.

"Hey, Mira?" Luisa asked, nervous from the tension in the air.

Mirabel turned her face to Luisa. "I am grateful for your visit." She informed in her usual monotone voice which freaked out most of the people for some reason. Luisa couldn't quite grasp what was wrong with it. "Is there any particular reason?"

"I just wanted to say happy birthday," She nodded, Mirabel didn't seem like she exactly celebrated it.

The younger girl sighed. "I still do not understand why everyone makes it such a big deal."

Luisa pursed her lips, nervous. It was clear that her friend wasn't a fan of this kind of things and she got it a long time ago. Still, it was strange to see how dismissive Mirabel was about her day. Mirabel's hand kept moving, creating another embroidery on her blouse. From time to time she threw a look at the pattern on the table, checking the set design.

Luisa paced behind closer, looking over her shoulder. Mirabel got the point and turned around facing her again, with the same cold and emotionless expression she always had. The older girl knew that Mirabel didn't like to beat around the bush and waste time. So she'd just extended her hand, holding out the history book.

"Happy birthday," Luisa smiled, nervous a bit. She wasn't used to congratulating people outside of her family. Technically, she could count Mirabel as such, it was her sister. Just from another world. Thinking about it, this fact should have freaked them out way more than it did. "This is for you." She stated, not really bothered by their multi-dimensional problem.

Mirabel blinked, there was a possibility that she was surprised, but nothing in her could indicate it. "Thank you. You should not have done it, keep it to yourself."

Needless to say, Luisa expected this reaction with refusal. "This is for you." She shook her head slightly. "Please, accept it."

Mirabel with how stubborn she was, kept pushing. "I really appreciate this gesture, but I am sure you can read it and have fun.

"I'm not that much of a Medievality fan." Luisa waved her hand. "I'm more into Ancient times. Plus, this is a gift for you."

Mirabel, still hesitant, grabbed the book from Luisa's arms, examining the cover. She tried to hold it, but visibly struggled with the weight, so Luisa grabbed it again to help. ,"I do not know how to thank you properly." She admitted, gently rubbing her fingers against the binding.

"It's a gift. You're welcome." Luisa smiled, patting Mirabel's shoulder.

"I will get to it once I'm done with my project." The younger girl promised, putting the packed book on the table next to her.

Luisa giggled to herself, knowing that her plan was successful. Making any version of her sister to take a gift was hard. But Mirabel loved history way too much to refuse. "How's your day?"The change of topic wasn't something unusual for them.

Mirabel sighed, looking up. "Everyone is so eager about this all, I do not understand why would they act like it is something special." Luisa got that Mirabel spoke about her birthday right now. "I planned to just stay here and work."

Luisa shrugged. "I mean, it's kinda your special day, so I can tell why everyone is happy for you."

"In my opinion, embroidering is the best entertainment." She admitted, indifferent as she always was. "But I am happy with your gift." Luisa knew that happy was a bit too strong a word coming from Mirabel. Still, her eyes got wet. She quickly wiped them, holding back her excited tears. Mirabel felt something good about her! Okay, no, this is what Luisa would take as a payment.

Soon enough, Luisa pushed her feelings back. Mirabel felt more comfortable when Luisa kept a colder attitude. Even tho most people didn't enjoy it. But most people didn't feel comfortable around this version of Mirabel. Luisa couldn't understand why. She was such a sweetheart.

#encanto #ao3 author #fanfic #mirabel madrigal #luisa madrigal #pedro and alma swap #encanto fracture au

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