TOM BLYTH As CORIOLANUS SNOW In THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

TOM BLYTH as CORIOLANUS SNOW in THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES

Cameron Crovetti as Ryan in THE BOYS (2019– )

The Boys 4.08 — Assassination Run

THE BOYS 4.03 We’ll Keep the Red Flag Flying

This is an oc x canon safe zone.

     𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐡𝐚𝐝  𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧  𝐤𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐬𝐨  𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟  𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧,     she  felt  pulled  in  so  many  different  directions  and  she  was  just  trying  to  figure  out  who  exactly  she  wanted  to  be  and  what  she  needed  to  stand  for.     this  whole  day  had  been  eye  opening  in  a  way  that  she  hadn't  expected,  she  hadn't  expected  this  inner  turmoil  of  who  she  used  to  be  and  who  she  is  now.     annie  had  also  been  holding  onto  things  she  hadn't  even  dared  to  tell  anyone,  she  hadn't  said  a  word  about  what  had  happened  with  the  deep,  she  had  taken  so  much  shit  from  so  many  people  and  she  needed  to  stand  up  for     𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟,     for  what  felt  like  the  first  time  in  her  life.     listening  to  homelander's  speech,  even  if  she  hadn't  agreed  on  everything  he  had  said,  it  was  definitely  inspiring  to  see  the  way  he  stood  up  for  what  he  believed  in.     though  there  was  something  else  nagging  at  her  to  stay  quiet  because  she  had  so  much  to     𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞     if  she  did  speak  up.     she  had  already  been  told  how  easily  replaceable  she  would  be  in  the  seven,  homelander  definitely  wasn't  and  he  probably  had  a  safety  which  she  hadn't  been  rewarded.     she  just  had  to  figure  out  if  speaking  up  would  be  truly  worth  it.

     𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭  𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤  𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐚𝐲  𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐝  𝐚𝐭  𝐡𝐞𝐫,     it  made  her  own  smile  widen  as  she  looked  up  at  him,  nothing  else  mattered  and  she  was  just  remembering  why  she  looked  up  to  him  so  much  as  a  young  girl.     she  was  hanging  on  every  word  he  said,  taking  it  all  in  and  she  knew  that  she  had  to  stick  by  what  she  believed  in.     she  wanted  to  be  a  hero  that  people  looked  up  to,  that  little  girls  would  want  to  be  like,  she  wouldn't  be  that  if  she  stayed  quiet  or  didn't  speak  her  mind.     fuck  it.     what  was  the  point  of  being  in  the  seven  if  she  couldn't  be  honest?     why  did  she  have  to  continue  to  take  shit  from  everyone  else?     yet  when  he  wraps  an  arm  around  her,  pulling  her  into  him  and  she  was  just  looking  out  over  the  stage,  a  pit  of     𝐚𝐧𝐱𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲     building  in  her  chest  as  she  knew  she  had  two  choices     -     stay  quiet  and  be  the  starlight  that  vought  were  trying  to  push  to  be,  or,  speak  up  and  be  the  starlight  that  she  wanted  to  be.     looking  up  at  him  again,  her  heart  was  racing  in  her  chest  and  the  way  he  spoke,  it  made  her  feel  like  he  knew     𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞     than  he  was  letting  on.

     𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞  𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝  𝐬𝐚𝐲  𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐢𝐧  𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲,     her  mom  came  over  and  put  herself  right  there  like  she  was  back  at  one  of  those  pagaents  like  she  had  done  when  she  was  younger.     annie  was  doing  her  best  to  not  let  her  anxiety  get  the  better  of  her,  but  her  mom  was  making  it  worse  with  her  fussing  and  gloating  that  made  her  skin  crawl.     she  was  a  little  surprised  by  homelander's  patience  in  dealing  with  her  mother,  who  she  felt  like  she  should  be  apologising  for,  but  she  didn't  exactly  know  how  to  get  her  to  stop.     maybe  she  was  just  caught  up  in  thinking  about  what  she  was  supposed  to  be  doing,  instead  of  focusing  on  whatever  her  mom  was  talking  about.     the  more  she  sat  here,  just     𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠     about  what  she  should  do,  the  more  she  felt  like  she  couldn't  do  this.     she  couldn't  go  out  there  at  all,  she  couldn't  pretend  but  she  also  couldn't  tell  the  truth,     "     can  i  just  speak  to  my  mom  alone  for  a  moment?     "     annie  spoke  before  she  even  realised  it,  not  able  to  look  at  anyone  but  her  mom  for  a  moment.     she  just  needed  her  mom  to  be  there  for  her  and  not  be  the  pagaent  mom  that  she  had  come  to  resent  as  she  had  grew  up.

     𝐛𝐮𝐭  𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐰𝐚𝐬  𝐥𝐞𝐭  𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧  𝐛𝐲  𝐡𝐞𝐫  𝐦𝐨𝐦  𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐞  𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧.     it  didn't  even  disappoint  her  that  her  mom  was  thinking  of  herself,  how  this  would  make  her  look  rather  than  how  much  annie  just  didn't  want  to  do  it.     though  maybe  speaking  with  her  mom  and  getting  the     𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫     that  no  one  else  had  her  back,  she  needed  to  stand  up  and  fight  for  herself.     her  mom  was  more  concerned  about  how  this  would  make  her  look  rather  than  seeing  that  she  needed  her  in  this  moment.     fuck  it.     annie  was  going  to  do  something  completely  unexpected  and  with  homelander's  promise  that  she  wasn't  alone,  she  knew  that  she  had  to  go  out  there  and  do  what  is  best  for  her.     she  was  done  taking  shit  from  anyone.     the  way  his  hand  just  lingered  down  her  back,  it  sent  a  shiver  up  her  spine  and  she  couldn't  focus  on  that  right  now,  she  needed  to  go  out  on  that  stage  and  do  exactly  what  she  know  she     𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝     do  for  herself.

     𝐚𝐭  𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭  𝐬𝐡𝐞  𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭  𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐝  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭  𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐭𝐨  𝐡𝐞𝐫,     but  the  words  felt  forced  and  fake,  she  couldn't  even  pretend  to  act  like  what  was  expected  of  her.     another  glance  at  her  mom  told  her  that  speaking  up  would  be  the  right  thing.     she  didn't  even  dare  look  at  homelander,  she  wasn't  sure  if  he  meant  what  he  said  about  being  there  with  her  no  matter  what.     the  music  was  stopped  and  she  just  spoke  her  mind,  calling  out  the  constant  bullshit  she  had  noticed  and  expressing  herself  in  a  truly  honest  way.     it  felt  right  to  finally  expose  the  way  she  had  been  treated  since  joining  the  seven,  being  told  what  to  wear  or  what  to  say,  and  she  didn't  even  hold  back  from  talking  about  the     𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭     with  the  deep.     she  didn't  have  to  mention  his  name,  she  knew  who  she  was  talking  about,  she  wouldn't  be  surprised  if  he  had  done  this  before  and  those  who  had  let  it  happen  again  and  again,  she  was  not  about  to  let  it  slide.     annie  was  honest  with  everything  she  said,  honest  in  a  way  that  felt  vulnerable  and  exposed,  but  it  also  felt  like  something  she  had  to  do,     "     i'm  done  pretending  and  i'm  done  taking  anymore  shit,     "

     𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠  𝐨𝐟𝐟  𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐬  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞  𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞  𝐨𝐟  𝐭𝐡𝐞  𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞  𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦  𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞  𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞,     removing  her  microphone  as  she  did  and  handing  it  to  the  first  person  she  came  across,  not  making  eye  contact  with  anyone,  ignoring  the  way  she  could  ashley  yelling  for  her  and  the  moment  she  was  out  of  the  bright  lights,  her  adrenaline  coming  down  and  she  could  feel  the  panic  setting  in  about  what  she  had  just  done.     her  big  dream  of  being  in  the  seven,  of  being  the  hero  she  knew  she  could  be,  she  could  have  just  ruined  and  all  because  she  didn't  want  to  play  by  the  rules.     annie  was  just  a  mess  of  emotions,  unable  to  stop  the  tears  slipping  down  her  cheeks,  trying  to  not  let  her  panic  take  over  into  a  fullblown  attack.     what  had  she  done?     maybe  it  was  just  the     𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡  𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬,     the  disappointment  that  she  felt  from  hughie  making  her  feel  like  he  just  wanted  free  things  from  her,  the  realisation  that  she  was  going  to  have  to  keep  all  these  lies  to  people  she  didn't  want  to  lie,  the  secret  of  what  the  deep  had  done  and  the  whirlwind  of  this  whole  time  since  she  had  been in  the  seven.     hands  come  up  to  rub  her  face,  shaking  a  little  as  she  resisted  the  urge  to  just  scream,     "     fuck.     what  did  i  just  do?     "

HOMELANDER WAS THE CONDUCTOR, AND THE CROWD WAS HIS TO CONTROL as he pleased. They cheered when his voice rose and chanted his name over and over again ! It was music to his ears the way he had each and every one of these poor pathetic souls WRAPPED around his scarlet gloved finger. Honestly, Homelander was soaking it all in, hovering above them, arms raised from side to side, their hands all reaching for him as he floated across the crowd majestically, like a God. Kissing his boot and praising GOD that they were allowed to touch him, for he is everything holy in the eyes of humanity. His head tilts back, his eyes tracing the blue clouds scattered across the sky. A cruel grin dances over his lips, the edges of his mouth curving into a malevolent smile. A deep, haunting chuckle rumbles from within him as the sun's rays cast an illuminating glow upon his figure. In this instant, a sense of unyielding ruthlessness consumes him, yet paradoxically, his outward appearance and smile exude a pure and captivating charm. It is in this moment that he is keenly reminded of the immense power he wields over everything - this world, its inhabitants, and the omnipotent force of VOUGHT.

As the older supe glides back down towards the stage after giving the crowd a pretty memorable moment for all to jack off to or cry happily about in the middle of the night at the mere thought of witnessing such GRACE and POWER, he waves to the fans, offering them a ' YOU'RE THE REAL HEROES ! ' -The crowd goes wild, some shedding tears of joy and others offering heartfelt blessings in response to the powerful and moving performance. WHAT IDIOTS. Homelander swirled around, his cape billowing out behind him as he strode purposefully across the stage toward the waiting Starlight. Every step he took was punctuated by the sensation of her intense gaze fixed upon him, her dark irises seeming to penetrate his very being. As he closed the distance with unyielding confidence, he couldn't shake the lingering thrill of his recent performance, high off the energy that was given to him, bet the speech Madelyn had prepared for him would have been SHIT. The response would not have been thrilling. It made Homelander feel excited that Starlight would speak about how it inspired her.

WARMLY GRINNING DOWN AT THE SMALLER BLONDE. " Inspiring, you say ? Well, Starlight that's the idea behind my speech really ! I- why should we be terrified of the concept of SPEAKING our mind ? I- I mean come on... Vought claims they want what is best for us... but at the same time, they don't seem to care what you and I have to say ? What's with that ? I've been with Vought for years now, and all my so-called ideas.... they never see the LIGHT. They always tell me.... soon Homelander. Soon. " He places his hands on his hips, shaking his head in defeat. " ... soon never comes. So I say fuck it. " And he's being very open with Starlight, an arm moving to guide itself around her shoulders as he turns her towards the stage, watching as they prepare it for Starlight, for she is next to come out and give her speech about God and all that holy shit. " We should have a voice. After all, this is America. Land of the free... shouldn't you and I have a say ? Shouldn't we speak our truths ? I want you to go out there, and whatever happens.... I'll be here. You have a lot on your mind, I can tell. " As he speaks, he draws the pretty blonde closer to his side; he doesn't care that her mother was coming over to them along with Ashley, who saw one glimpse of Homelander and decided to turn the other way instead... good-- she's learning.

Her mother smiles, coming to fix her daughter's hair; at the same time, she tries to make small talk with Homelander, who is nothing but friendly, at least in this illusion. But he sees through her mom's cracks and knows she's fake, just like the rest, wanting CONTROL and everyone to give her credit. Every accomplishment isn't just Starlight's--- but hers as well. It's always 'me ' and ' we ' with her. He fights the urge to roll his eyes as her mom, who just wouldn't SHUT THE FUCK UP, his hand on Starlight's shoulder tightens but loosens just as quickly once her name is called to come on the stage. " You got this; remember what I told you. " Homelander assures her as he goes to smooth down her cape rather kindly and a pat on her mid-back. " You aren't alone. "