#// I had to set the background and the scene

[mistercrowbar]

Reintroductions

Play here or watch on Youtube!

Aldiirn opens up about his Underdark origins and why his courier clan brought him to Baldur's Gate. A visual novel style scene that takes about 10-15 minutes on autoplay!

I'm SO happy to finally have this done after about two months of working on art and learning the basics of Renpy! I've done VN character art for Penny Larceny and the upcoming Shadow Over Cyberspace so I had that process down, but the code side was all new to me. Renpy makes it pretty easy to get characters in and talking to each other but hooboy. It likes coming up with weird issues and modifying the GUI was a pain.

The setup for this scene was inspired by an episode of Dungeon Meshi and I took it as an opportunity to expand on Aldiirn's Death Stranding inspired clan, Iaurrhen, and set up the start of his personal quest. At first I didn't think I would get much into personal quest stuff for him but here I am with 100 comics and now this... I got brain worms bad yo.

I'll post some of the backgrounds alone while I ease back into comics. Please enjoy the scene!

[josephquinnswhore]

the day your heart stops yearning - pedro pascal x female reader

summary: pedro is tired of the two of you dancing around your feelings for each other.

word count: 1.2k

content warnings: bitta jealously, insecurity from reader, mentions of sex, suggestive comments etc. Pedro is the loml I swear these new pictures have altered my brain chemistry.

Wrapping the towel around yourself tightly, you sit down as your swimsuit soaks through the material. Hair dripping wet and skin cooled down from the sea water. Pedro looked incredible, his hair wet and curly. Droplets of water running down his toned chest.

His board shorts tighten and stick to his thighs and crotch. Swallowing thickly, you help him put his sling back on to support his shoulder injury.

“Magnificent, isn’t it?” His voice calls to you softly, drawing you out of your thoughts, every time you were with Pedro, you seemed to be lost in them. Somewhere far away from him.

There’s a moment's hesitation where you process what he’s said, reeling yourself back to the serenity around you. The two of you are on a small boat, surrounded by clear blue water, bright and mirroring the clearness of the sky. Not a cloud in sight.

There’s a formation of an unnaturally curved rock, shaped by erosion, perhaps the gods. The sight would’ve been worthy of such creation. Pedro was wearing nothing but his multi-coloured board shorts, and a deep blue sling.

“That doesn’t even come close to it. I can't describe how it feels to be here.”

With you.

But the words are lost, dying on the tip of your tongue as they had many times before. More often than not the two of you had done this, your own separate outing together aside from everyone, co-stars and friends.

“How’s your shoulder feeling?” The concerned murmur is met with a smile that he reserved for you. All teeth baring and eye wrinkles exposing themselves, the smile that reaches his eyes. His deep brown orbs aren’t much to be seen now, eyes squinted as he laughs.

“You’re worrying about me at a place like this?” He tilts his head, the one curl from his messy brown mop of hair falls onto his forehead, and he runs his hand through it, pushing the hair back off his skin.

He’d always found a way to lighten the mood, sending some kind of solemnness emitting from you today, he knew you better than anyone. The feeling had his insides clenching with anxiety.

It had been happening for years, the two of you having some unspoken moments where you couldn’t deny that there was a connection between you, something so effortless and heart wrenching at the same time. So many unspoken words and almost confessions.

“Hey,” he draws you out of your head again, lost in the fog of heartache and doubt.

He looked so good with Connie, that’s all you’d thought about since you’d flown to Malta with Pedro. They seemed so perfect for each other—the way he looked at her while he filmed their shared scenes. It felt real.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m just thinking about some things.” It was easy to brush off, or to pretend to anyway.

“Since when do you keep things from me? Somethings going on with you, come on, spill your heart to me honey.” Meeting his gaze, the brown orbs suck you into an intoxicating familiarity of the love you so desperately crave.

“Can this wait? I don’t want to ruin all of this.” Gesturing to the view, the lapping sound of the water against the side of the boat, the gentle rocking sensation sends your stomach spiralling into more unease.

“You aren’t ruining anything, talk to me.” Setting his can of beer down, he shuffles closer to you, placing his hand on your exposed thigh. “Talk to me.” He pleads again.

“I miss you.” The simply utter broke the silence between you, cutting through the background noise.

He knew what you meant. There hadn’t been much time for the two of you to see each other. Between filming for Gladiator II and the new Fantastic Four franchise. Yet—he knew it ran deeper than that.

You missed the picnics, the shared gazes of knowing and mutual love. The late night dancing and his hands running through your hair, the two of you unable to let go of one another.

The sex you miss, too. But not nearly enough as you crave for his skin on your own, for his hand in yours and his heart in your hands.

“Oh, sweetheart—“ he sounds so sweet, so sincere, but you cut him off anyway.

“Pedro.. don’t. We don’t need to do this today.”

He stares at you, wondering what’s happening in that head of yours.

“You know how I feel about you, right?” He murmurs, tracing unnamed shapes over your skin.

“I suppose so.” All he gets is an uncertain shrug from you.

He frowns, the stress lines on his face appear on his forehead. “My heart is yours, sweetheart.” He utters your name softly, fingers leaving your thigh to caress your cheek.

“What’s it matter how we feel? We can’t be together. You practically are married to the entire internet and it’s not practical for us to date.” Finally, he was getting to the root of it all.

“Fuck being practical,” he murmurs. “Tell me how you feel, just say it to me, I’ll do right by you.”

It feels like your throat is swelling up, preventing you from uttering the words you’ve longed to tell him for years. Somehow, you blurt them out in an anxious whisper.

“I love you.”

Before you could process the admittance of your love, he had pressed his own lips softly against yours. It certainly wasn’t the first time you’d kissed, but this time felt more authentic.

Your fingers caress his face, his facial hair tickles your fingers as you hold him against you, his nose is pressed into your cheek and it’s a little awkward. But your heart is pounding erratically in this moment, eyes closed and focusing on the feeling of his lips, his hand clutches the back of your neck.

After a few moments, he pulls away from you, pupils blown wide take up most of the mass around the deep brown iris. “I love you,” the whisper in return was made against your lips, his nose against your own.

“Tell me you’re mine, that we’re going to do this properly.” He pleads, he’s too close for you to look at anything but his eyes. The pleading gaze of hope in them.

“I want that, want you.”

The words aren’t lost on him, the entire afternoon is spent in seclusion, the two of you holding each other, kissing and wrapped around each other as if you were two halves of a whole.

Your fingers are white, lathered in sunscreen as you apply the substance on Pedro’s back. “We really should’ve done this hours ago.” You scold lightly, to which he laughs, shaking his head.

As you trace his back while you’re applying the sunscreen, making sure to cover all the freckles on his skin, and his arms as you trail down. Fingers running up the muscled limb as you return to the base of his neck to give a light massage.

He’s not subtle when it comes to how you made him feel, a loud breathy groan escapes his lips.

“Feel good?” The purr turns his cheeks red—he turns to you.

“Such a tease. If we weren’t in public you’d be in trouble.”

“Maybe we should head back to the hotel now then?”

He perks at your suggestion. The corner of his lip tugs upward in a slight smirk. Pleased with the idea of having you all to himself.

“My girls just got all the right ideas, don’t she?”

My girl—his girl. After years of pining and yearning over more from him, he’s given you the chance you’d dreamed of.

[avelera]

Analysis: Why Jayce broke up with Mel in Arcane 2.08

Since the finale episodes of Arcane dropped this morning, I've been going back and re-watching some of my favorite scenes, and I was struck by Jayce breaking up with Mel.

First of all, yeah, he clearly does break up with her, though I missed how formally he does so on my first watch-through. He does it in the Council chamber, just before Viktor attacks. But since they get interrupted, he finishes breaking up with her (after checking in with her) on the balcony later.

But what really struck me about the breakup wasn't in those scenes, but actually back in 2.07, when Jayce is alone in cavern in the darkest timeline. I definitely didn't catch on the first viewing that this is where he chose to break up with her.

In the background, you can hear Jayce in the depths of his despair and solitude starts going over in his mind all the steps that led him to where he is.

Here are some of the quotes he hears:

"I never asked for this!" - Himself to Viktor, trying to justify his actions up to that point just before Viktor leaves him.

"This research is everything, my whole life," a quote from one of his first conversations with Viktor but, more importantly, it establishes Jayce's entire raison d'etre up to that point. Hextech research was his life.

"He was my mentor, Mel, and I betrayed him," obviously is Jayce discussing the coup d'etat against Heimerdinger he orchestrated to save Viktor, but it was with Mel's assistance and urging.

"You must destroy it. It corrupts. Consumes." A quote from Heimerdinger, warning against Hextech. Which must feel especially prescient now that Jayce is stuff in the evil bombed-out future where Hextech destroyed the world.

"I was trying to create magic." Jayce to the Council to defend his Hextech research and save himself from banishment, but, he only mentioned magic at Mel's goading, which I would guess he's beginning to recognize now for what it was in retrospect.

"It's your time now, Jayce." Mel, part of her goading of Jayce into advancing Hextech research and his political career.

"Perhaps it's time for the era of magic." Mel's words on the night she saw Hextech for the first time, after helping Jayce and Viktor break into Heimerdinger's lab.

"You must destroy it." Heimerdinger about the Hexcore, again, probably feeling pretty prescient right now with Jayce literally in the pit of despair in a the evil Hextech future.

Finally, while looking out over the fire while clearly going nearly insane from the isolation, Jayce begins to hallucinate seeing Mel. But then, her image in the fire gives way to Viktor's.

The decision has been made there. It's not just Jayce reflecting on his two closest loved ones (as I thought the first time), rather, it is the moment Jayce makes his decision: he is picking Viktor over Mel. He has decided that the reason he is here in this terrible place is because of Mel, not Viktor. He is choosing his partner, going back to what they had before she became involved in their life. His new course is set.

Now, I want to preface the next part by saying I love Mel, she's a fascinating character, and though I ship Jayvik I also ship/shipped MelJayVik, so this isn't coming from a place of bias. I'm just analyzing the material when I say these flashbacks were Jayce rearranging the narrative in his head and realizing Mel's been manipulating and goading him in his pursuit of Hextech.

Given where he is when this is happening: starving, freezing, in pain, alone for weeks if not months in a stone box, slowly going insane, surrounded by the burnt corpses of people destroyed by Hextech, I'd say... yeah. His need for someone to blame is pretty understandable. He even starts whispering, "No!" in a panic at the memories in response to what she says in his mind.

So when we get to the Council chamber in the main timeline in 2.08, I'd argue that Jayce is spoiling for a fight. He's had months of agony to decide things are over with Mel and that he's angry at her. He wants to blame her for what happened to Viktor, for what happened to him, and he's in pain and he wants to lash out. The relationship is definitely over.

But then Mel is in pain too. And Viktor shows up, with his own autonomy, showing that they all had their shitty parts to play in this drama.

The attack by Viktor adds another element, Jayce was probably also mourning that he had to shoot Viktor at that point, another thing that was painful and made him want to lash out and blame others for this horrible place he's in emotionally and the horrific place he's been in physically until recently.

It's only after Viktor's attack though that Jayce realizes that this situation is complex, it's not all Mel's fault. It would be easier to just pin all the blame on Mel and make Jayce and Viktor her victims, but Viktor shows to him that he has his own agency and Jayce needs to be clear-eyed going forward about who he is saving, because it's not "Mel's victim". Viktor is his own person.

Jayce also remembers some of the care he once had for Mel when he catches her before she falls (in a tender moment I mistook for a full reconciliation between them the first time but no, it's just him remembering he cares for her wellbeing). Jayce can't trust her anymore, after realizing just how adept she was at manipulating him without his realizing, but he does still care for her as a person. And he's cooled off enough to address the pain she is clearly carrying.

(I admit, I do love this moment of him calling himself an ass, because I adore Jayce but it's a lovely beat of self awareness and really shows his growth as a person that he can say this to someone that just hours before he was squaring up to fight against and blame for all his misfortunes.)

But anyway, the moments you really see that it's over between Mel and Jayce:

When he doesn't explain to her what happened to him. That's not for her to know anymore. He's decided that they're not together or intimate anymore. And he's probably still hurting from realizing how she's used what he told her in the past to encourage/manipulate him to her own ends and therefore wary of sharing. This is also a reason for the breakup: he can't share the immense pain he's been in because he can't trust her anymore, and he knows it. It's over.

In the scene on the balcony when he turns away from her instead of towards her before offering his advice. Jayce is very touchy-feely, he always offers physical comfort to his loved ones. But there, he deliberately turns away instead of taking her in his arms and comforting her. Again: it's over between them. But he still respects her. So he reminds her of how indomitable she is, along with offering the slight backhanded compliment born of his distrust for her: she's never the passenger, she is always the one in control. He knows, because he's realized she used to control him.

I've mentioned in other meta that this season deals in a lot of comeuppance for events in S1, and this is arguably Mel's. She'll be ok, she's got magical sun powers and she's the head of a powerful house now. But she doesn't get to keep Jayce in her life as her lover anymore after what she did, because she did manipulate him, even if she had good intentions mixed with the self-interested ones.

The trust is simply gone now. But he cares for her and wishes her well, so, I'd argue they parted on as good of terms as could be done.

[letters-to-rosie]

okay time to collect some thoughts

spoilers for season 2

as soon as they said there were other regions going to be explored, I knew Noxus was going to be the big thing, and that the battle between the cities and the class conflict angles of the story were going to be set aside. if you know me, you know I would hate this, but because I anticipated it, it wasn't too bad. I had already killed the version of the show I wanted in my head and was ready to take things as they came. and it wasn't all bad. Ambessa makes for a great villain, and all the twists and turns with her and Mel were pretty enjoyable

that being said, the second season in general did away with most of the things I liked about the first: subtlety, nuance, environmental storytelling (and all that sweet sweet class conflict)---I mean the cities just faded into the background as we watched everything play out. even a lot of the great character work we got in the first season was just left as it was. most the characters didn't really get to move much from where they were in the first season. even the ones I enjoyed (like Ambessa) were essentially the same as they were before. there were a lot of things that were cool. a lot of things that were interesting. most of them don't work when put together

Jayce? liked him this season, actually. had fun when he was suffering lol and fighting Viktor. Jayce disappearing out of the blue when the basement of the hexgates wasn't set up at all? boooooo

Jinx? gets to realize she isn't just a jinx. gets to help people. is this realized in a satisfying way? nope. we get one scene of people touching her and then Isha dies and she's back where she was at the start of the season, almost. plus her relationship with Sevika just drops off, and I was having fun with that

Cait? love her evil era. I also like that the plot didn't let her entirely off the hook. love less how she engaged in fucking chemical warfare like what even and that was never addressed

Ekko? has my whole heart. did before, but whatever. saved everyone's asses by being the best boy. love how he's motivated by helping the people who need him. love MUCH less that we never get to see him doing that work. like what did he think of Jinx becoming inspiring to people? how would that combine with his experience in the alternate timeline?

I could go on. I might be better prepared to deal with this than some because I didn't think it would be good in the first place lol I had like no hope. it was such a grand show in the first place and they made it so much grander. there's a lot to like, but the first season REALLY carries it. it feels like two separate shows. I don't begrudge anyone really liking the second season, but I will maintain that the fanbase deserved (and still deserves) better

[jcollinswrites]

Hi Hi!

First, I want to say that I love love love your game so much! All the romance options are absolutely lovely in their own way - I love A already, and they've only said like 2 things, lol! It's soooo fun to explore different reactions and situations based on the MC! I MUST romance everyone with all of the different MCs, for science . . . (and again, they're all really interesting).

I did want to give you a heads up that I got an error while playing the Set Priest MC. It said 'Chapter2 line 6881: Non-existent veritable 'hairtexture'

I had played with a Mut Priest MC previously and didn't have this error, so I'm not sure if it's just for Set Priests?

Thanks again for the amazing game!!! ❤️❤️

Omg haha you are one dedicated reader ❤️❤️❤️ I try to write the exact amount of content for every background, I play no favorites when it comes to MCs and ROs, so you'll be able to enjoy all of them in equal measures ✨ I will even write more flavor text later and add them to already existing scenes during editing, but I'll have to read the different origins from start to do that because I tend to forget a lot of the details lol.

The error message I think is related to this problem and it's because of something in the website's base code that's causing it. The people running the site need to write up a new project from scratch to fix it, so it will be a bit slow, but it's crucial, and it's happening. Until then, the only thing we can do is save and hit restart which is tedious I know, but the people in charge are working on it full time :')

[kathlare]

balancing act

Lando Norris x Amelie Dayman

Summary: A glimpse into the whirlwind of Amelie and Lando's intertwined lives, balancing their thriving careers and personal moments amidst the chaos of London. Through playful banter, demanding schedules, and quiet shared moments, their bond is a testament to finding stability and joy in the fast-paced world they navigate.

Wordcount: 2.1 k

Warnings: just fluff

July 2nd, 2024 - London, United Kingdom

The early morning sun filtered through the thin curtains of Amelie’s cozy London apartment, casting golden streaks across the wooden floor. The faint hum of traffic from the streets below mingled with the occasional meow from Benny, who stretched lazily on the windowsill. His brother, Björn, darted around the living room in pursuit of a stray piece of crumpled paper, his antics filling the space with chaotic energy.

Amelie sat cross-legged on the floor, her laptop balanced precariously on her thighs as she typed furiously. A half-empty mug of coffee rested beside her, forgotten in her focused haze. Benny sauntered over and plopped himself onto her lap, purring loudly as he demanded attention.

—Benny, cabrón, not now,— she muttered with a laugh, gently scratching behind his ears.

The door to the bedroom creaked open, and Lando emerged, still rubbing sleep from his eyes. His curly hair was a mess, and he wore a McLaren hoodie that was clearly one size too big for him—her hoodie.

—Morning,— he mumbled, his voice thick with sleep. He shuffled toward the kitchen, glancing at the chaos Björn was causing. “Jesus, your cat is feral.”

—That’s not news, babe,— Amelie replied without looking up. —He’s been like this since the day I got him. Maybe he gets it from me.—

Lando snorted as he poured himself a cup of coffee, adding an ungodly amount of sugar. —Doubt it. Benny’s more your spirit animal.—

The early morning banter set the tone for their day. Lando leaned against the counter, sipping his coffee, his gaze softening as he watched Amelie wrestle with Benny’s insistence on being the center of her universe. The apartment was a mix of their lives—her eclectic taste evident in the mismatched throw pillows and vintage posters, and his influence peeking through in the occasional F1 memorabilia scattered around.

—You’ve got that radio thing at ten, right?— Lando asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

—Yeah, and the magazine shoot after. You?—

He groaned, running a hand through his curls. —Interview at Silverstone. Something about “British pride” or whatever. Then another one in the city later. Can’t wait to be asked for the fiftieth time what it feels like to drive a car.—

Amelie chuckled, closing her laptop. —Poor thing, living the dream sounds exhausting.— She placed Benny gently on the couch and stood, stretching. —Well, at least we’ve got lunch to look forward to.—

—You mean we’re actually sticking to the plan today? Miracles do happen.—

She rolled her eyes, swatting at him playfully as she headed to the bathroom. —Go shower. You smell like yesterday.—

By nine, the apartment was a flurry of activity. Amelie’s glam team had taken over the living room, their chatter mingling with the buzz of curling irons and the faint strains of her album playing in the background. She sat in front of a mirror, her makeup artist deftly applying a bold eyeliner as her hairstylist curled strands of her dark hair into soft waves.

Björn leaped onto the counter, knocking over a bottle of setting spray.

—Björn, hijo de tu madre!— Amelie exclaimed, reaching out to grab him before he could cause more chaos.

Lando, freshly showered and dressed in his signature black jeans and a Mclaren tee, watched the scene unfold from the doorway, amused. —Your cats are more dramatic than you are.—

—Takes one to know one, Norris.—

—Touché.—

He wandered over, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of her head. —You look nice.—

—They’re not done yet.—

—Still.—

Her stylist smirked. —He’s a keeper, Mila.—

Amelie met Lando’s gaze in the mirror, her lips quirking into a soft smile. —Yeah, he’s alright.—

By noon, their schedules had dragged them in opposite directions. Lando was seated in a glossy studio in Silverstone, fielding a barrage of questions about his hopes for the weekend, the car’s performance, and his thoughts on the iconic British Grand Prix.

—It’s home turf, so yeah, there’s always pressure. But honestly, I’m just trying to enjoy it and give the fans a good show.—

The interviewer leaned forward, grinning. —And is it true you’ve been spotted around London with a certain Oscar-winning actress?—

Lando’s cheeks flushed, a boyish grin creeping onto his face. —Uh, yeah. Amelie and I are dating. But you already knew that.—

—Lucky guy.—

—Tell me about it,— Lando replied, a spark of pride in his voice.

Meanwhile, Amelie was stationed in a chic Soho café for a photoshoot, balancing a steaming cappuccino in one hand and answering questions in between poses.

—Your album Short n Sweet drops next month. What inspired the title?—

She tilted her head thoughtfully. —It’s kind of an inside joke. I’m not exactly known for being concise, but this album is. It’s a snapshot of where I am right now, you know?—

The photographer motioned for her to shift, and she adjusted her position, her heels clicking against the tiled floor.

—And where’s that?—

She smiled, thinking of Lando. —Happy.—

At 1:30, the two of them met up at a quaint bistro tucked away in a quiet London alley. Lando had beaten her there and was scrolling through his phone when she arrived, her presence announced by the clink of the bell above the door.

—Hey,— he greeted, standing to pull her into a quick hug.

—Hey yourself. Survive the morning?—

—Barely. You?—

—Björn didn’t burn down the apartment, so I’m calling it a win.—

They settled into their seats, the hum of conversation around them providing a comforting backdrop. Amelie reached for the menu, her fingers brushing against Lando’s in the process.

—What?— she asked, catching his amused look.

—Nothing. Just happy you’re here.—

Her heart skipped a beat, but she played it cool, flipping open the menu. —You’re such a sap.—

They spent the next hour laughing over shared appetizers, swapping stories about their hectic mornings, and stealing bites off each other’s plates. Despite the whirlwind of their lives, these moments felt sacred—a reminder of why they worked so well together.

As the waiter cleared their plates and brought the check, Lando leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed lazily over his chest. His eyes glinted with a teasing mischief that Amelie had come to recognize all too well.

—So, did they ask you about me today?— he asked, a grin playing on his lips.

She rolled her eyes dramatically, reaching for her purse. —Of course they did. Apparently, being in a relationship is my entire personality now. Forget the album, forget the acting, it’s all about Lando’s girlfriend.—

—Sounds like great PR to me,— Lando quipped, leaning forward to grab the bill before she could.

—You’re not paying, cabrón,— Amelie shot back, tugging at his hand.

—Too late,— he teased, holding the receipt just out of her reach. —I already made up my mind.—

—Lando!— she groaned, but the playful frustration in her voice only made him grin wider.

—Relax, you can pay next time.—

—There won’t be a next time if you keep this up.—

He laughed, leaning in to kiss her cheek. —You love me too much to mean that.—

She rolled her eyes again but couldn’t hide the soft smile tugging at her lips. He’s infuriating, she thought, but he’s also kind of right.

The afternoon saw them go their separate ways once more. Amelie returned to her apartment for her final interview of the day—a candid sit-down with a popular podcast host. Her team had transformed the living room into a cozy set, fairy lights twinkling against a backdrop of bookshelves and her own album cover prominently displayed.

—Welcome to the show, Amelie!— the host began, their voice warm and inviting.

—Thanks for having me,— she replied, tucking a stray curl behind her ear.

The conversation flowed easily, touching on her creative process, her inspirations, and how she balanced her career with her personal life.

—You’ve been incredibly busy lately, movies, music, and now you’re performing at the Summertime Ball. How do you stay grounded?—

Amelie paused, her thoughts drifting to the curly-haired boy who’d teased her over lunch. —Honestly? It’s the people I surround myself with. My family, my friends, and, um, my boyfriend. They remind me of what really matters.—

—Lando Norris, right?—

She nodded, her cheeks tinged pink. —Yeah. He’s been great. Super supportive. Even when I’m all over the place, he’s just…there.—

Meanwhile, Lando was back at Silverstone, fielding another round of questions under the hot lights of a press conference.

—So, Lando, you’ve got the British Grand Prix this weekend and your girlfriend’s album dropping next month. Will you be celebrating both?—

He smirked, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief. —Of course. I’m her biggest fan, so if she wins a Grammy someday, I’ll be taking all the credit.—

The room erupted in laughter, but Lando’s grin softened as he added, —Honestly, though, I’m proud of her. She works so hard, and she’s amazing at what she does. I’m just lucky to be along for the ride.—

By the time evening rolled around, Amelie was packing for her trip to Paris. Her suitcase lay open on the bed, a mix of chic outfits and comfortable staples spilling out. Benny lounged on top of her folded clothes, his soft fur a stark contrast to Björn’s wild leaps across the room.

By the time evening rolled around, Amelie was packing for her trip to Paris. Her suitcase lay open on the bed, a mix of chic outfits and comfortable staples spilling out. Benny lounged on top of her folded clothes, his soft fur a stark contrast to Björn’s wild leaps across the room.

Lando appeared in the doorway, holding two steaming mugs of tea. —Need a hand?—

—If you can convince Benny to move, sure,— she said, gesturing at the cat.

He set the mugs on the nightstand and walked over, scooping up Benny with surprising ease. —Come on, mate. You’re in the way.—

Benny purred contentedly as Lando scratched behind his ears, and Amelie couldn’t help but smile.

—You’ve got a way with him. Björn, on the other hand…—

—Björn’s just misunderstood,— Lando joked, dodging as the mischievous cat pounced toward him.

They spent the next hour together, folding clothes, sharing stories about their day, and stealing kisses in between. The cozy atmosphere of the apartment felt like a refuge from the whirlwind of their schedules.

As Amelie zipped up her suitcase, she turned to Lando, her expression soft. —You know I’m going to miss you, right?—

He pulled her into a hug, his chin resting on the top of her head. —I’ll miss you too. But it’s only a week. Then I get to see you light up Wembley.—

She smiled against his chest, letting his warmth settle over her. —You’re coming, right?—

—Wouldn’t miss it for the world.—

They stayed like that for a while, the sounds of the city fading into the background. For all their chaos, these moments of stillness reminded them why they worked. They were each other’s calm in the storm—a love as steady as it was electric.

[purpleheartskies]

Thought of another messed up marketing example.

Here is a still (last one in the set) by "netflixfamily" of Johnny hugging Miguel at the end of the Mexico trip. Robby is in the background. The caption reads "hold that kid as tight as you can and let them know you've got them".

Again, they act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. In canon, the Mexico trip is so messed up. Johnny had tricked Robby into a father-son trip. Then, after Johnny had to admit to Robby that Johnny lied, Johnny used Robby wanting to make stories together and Robby's guilt about the school fight against him. Johnny gaslit him about looking for him when he was on the run. This is all emotional and psychological abuse. Johnny even told Carmen on the phone while Robby could hear that it wasn't safe for her. Basically, Robby is the disposable one, while Johnny's goal was to keep the Diazs safe. To top this off, Johnny eventually left him at a bus stop and said "sorry". That hug in s5e2 was meant to mirror the original moment in s1e5, which was absolutely a trauma trigger for Robby so he went to Daniel to get that job to get Johnny's attention.

So... Where is netflix's "hold that kid as tight as you can and let them know you've got them" comment for Robby? Clearly, it's non-existent.

At the time, allaboutrobby (who recently quit ig) had called them out for leaving out Johnny's real son Robby, so they made this reel of the s4e10 Johnny Robby scene a few days later, with the caption "me realizing that we don’t talk enough about this father/son relationship as i’m rewatching Cobra Kai."

The marketing team clearly thinks that Robby is inconsequential, and I wonder if they even understand or see all the details (that are so consistent) in the story.

Either way, this is another example of a scene/situation being praised or glamorized, while Robby's side of the story is ignored and he is treated as inconsequential.

I don't know what to think about all this and if the SA or anything else in Robby's story will be addressed.

Take Billy's interview. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Johnny and Miguel. In canon, Robby is framed as wrong and at fault for how Johnny treats him and for having trauma, even though Johnny is the parent and his behavior is immensely traumatic for Robby. Johnny has done nothing to make things right with/for Robby, while Robby is the one who was abused by Johnny while he prioritized his new family and Robby had to put all of his trauma aside to be a part of Johnny's new family, that narratively Robby's still not treated as completely part of.

Take the SA ig reel. They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Tory and Zara. In canon, Robby is framed as the cheating boyfriend who got drunk and "made a mistake" because he "got played", although he was drunk and can't remember what happened while Zara intentionally targeted him, can remember, and doesn't care that he can't. Robby should be focused on as the one who can't catch a break, but he's not.

Take the apartment fight marketing posts calling it a "therapy session". They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. In canon, they only show Miguel's flashbacks and have Robby take all fault too. The marketing was for Miguel's side of the story. (Tanner wasn't there for interviews for s5, but still no one brought up Robby's side.) They act like Robby's side of the story doesn't matter. He is inconsequential. It's about Miguel only, although the school fight was traumatic for Robby too. Robby does admit this in canon, but it was still in service of the apology to Miguel. Not to mention, the apartment fight itself was plain abuse on Robby by Johnny to force him to be friends with Miguel. This was abuse, not therapy.

Even the school fight was framed as if Miguel didn't do anything wrong, his "I'm sorry" instantly made him innocent, and Robby's the one at fault for it all because of the kick and accidental injury. Miguel had done so much to Robby in that fight, but Robby's side is in consequential. It's all about Miguel. Robby was and is still scapegoated, that is still shown and hinted at (like in the college essay) but it remains unaddressed. I don't have any of the post s2 or post s3 marketing on hand, but no doubt the marketing would not have shown Robby's side of the story.

There's more to address in Robby's story, but you see...

In a way, how they handled the SA isn't isolated because they literally handle Robby's whole story this way. I mean, child abandonment and replacement are even more recognizable as traumas for the child, but people still are taking the parent's side and are happy he replaced his son, and the show has marketing material promoting it.

[daily-hanamura]

[ithacanradio]

"do you miss kissing?" is a bonkers line to say to your newly acquired ghost friend as you're dying of hypothermia ily charles rowland

[thechaoticfanartist]

They're sparring and Grim is getting a little cocky (she loses immediately after this)

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added or removed) : @padme--amygdala @soclonely @mrfandomwars @jgvfhl @starlonkedd @andorlorian @togrutanduin @jedi-valjean @one-real-imonkey @traygaming @keoxus @veiled-in-stars @sentineljedi @spicysucculentz @it-was-rose @thejediprincessqueenofnaboo @veradragonjedi @arrthurpendragon @shrinkthisviolet @thebrainofocto @forloveofcodywan @mandalorian-general

[apalestar]

@galefcrce plotted starter.

An eventful evening not for the soiree or clandestine deals Astarion had in store. No, tonight his palace played host to a friend of old. Admittedly, he and Gale had not ended off on the best of terms. A lover scorned and all. Already a small entourage of Baldur's Gate richest and finest had gathered. The palace had never been more livelier.

And many of Cazador's old clients and connections were all too eager to latch onto another influential person. The infamous moniker attached to his name: Hero of the Gate. Who could resist not coming to his social events? And how foolish Duke Ravengard had been to give him a noble's title! It made him respectable even if the eyes of those who knew him when he was but his slave.

This was the crux of why he even considered extending his lover of old an invitation. Gale wanted something from him; a deal. Something of import for him in exchange for magical tomes the late bastard Szarr kept in his collections. All were property of Lord Ancunín now, of course.

The musicians played a classical tune meant for partnered dancing. The wine and hors d'oeuvres flowed from the kitchens. A perfect evening for playing nobility's game.

Astarion's chamberlain, a slight thing of a woman, approached him. One of the few mortal servants in the household. Every vampire needed at least one for appearances. "My Lord, your guest of honor has arrived." She spoke quietly only once he signaled for her to do so.

"Splendid. The highlight of my evening barring any assassinations. Those always make for an entertaining affair." Astarion dismissed her. He weaved himself in and out of the crowd dodging conversations with a polite, well-practiced smile. His roguish tendencies hadn't diminished since the fall of the cult.

"Gale of Waterdeep." He greeted with the same fervor any good patriar would of an old friend; even one as estranged as him. "So pleased I am to—" A pause. "—see you. I'd fear you'd be half dead before you came to chat."

[per1w1nkl3]

the return of the archons is another 'machine panic beacuse its the 60s' episode and I mean it's okay but the costumes??? their little outfits?? spock and his cloak jim and white button up + black bow tie thing (how do you even call it???) slayed. also. james was wearing makeup this episode. I dont think I need to say more.

[kaidanalenkosprmanager]

THE BEST OF PRIORITY: SUR'KESH

Featuring: Cmdr. Sophie Shepard, Lt. James Vega, EDI, and Urdnot Wrex With: Lt. Steve Cortez, Dr. Mordin Solus, Major Kirrahe, and Urdnot Bakara And a Special Guest Appearance by: Adm. Steven Hackett Alliance R&D has officially begun construction on the Prothean device. The team has dubbed it: "Project Crucible". We're throwing everybody who knows how to throw a hammer at it. This is gonna be the most ambitious undertaking in human history. I'm not saying it won't be a challenge- but we can do this, Shepard. You can do this. Never doubt that. Mass Effect 3: Legendary Edition (2021)

+BONUS (the smirk™️)

[sunflowercider]

-keeps adding themes and blatant symbolism in scenes where none were needed nor originally written for- why is it taking so long to finish these scenes?

[ereborne]

Song of the Day: May 1

"Wicked Old Witch" by John Fogerty

[icewindandboringhorror]

this is not the exact one I watched but I saw one of these "dish scape" things at someone's house who actually has TV (like they pay for dish/cable instead of just watching stuff online) and I think they're meant to be relaxing atmospheric stuff that you mostly ignore, but I sat there for 35 minutes watching absolutely engrossed.. further proof that I genuinely think my brain is incapable of experiencing boredom lol..