#'omg he's gonna die because of me... sad bUT WHAT ABOUT ME THE MAIN CHARACTER OF ROME'

[widevibratobitch]

[crazymuffin1]

this post is for people who wonder what the hell is going on with the venom movies/fandom because they havent watched it

if youre seeing it on your dash and dont want to scroll very long press J. if youre on mobile. cope.

venom the last dance is the third movie in the venom series and people who haven't watched the movies are probably wondering whats going on. whoever you're following has probably posted or reblogged some sort of eddie brock x venom thing. yes of course. mlm ships are popular and theyre the main characters. of course theyre gonna get shipped. just like stucky or other hot main male characters. nothing really special about these guys. right?

wrong! because as opposed to the other ones being non-canon ships where we just look at everything and say "thats gay" or look at it through shipping tinted glasses, symbrock is a bit special.

to start off with! the source material! the comics! im not gonna make this part long, just a bunch of images with short descriptions and you can interpret it however you want (click for full image)

panels ofter referred to as "the ones where they have sex"

no comment

even spider-man knows

aaaaaand the comic writers/artists also know

theres more (like how they have a kid and eddie experienced morning sickness...) but this is about the movie! not the comics!

first movie moments. im skipping smaller moments and i'll try to not write out the whole plot.

eddie and venom go through a whole car chase scene on a motorbike, and the moment eddie calls him cool, they get his by a car. often interpreted as venom losing focus from the praise

-omg why would that lead to venom losing focus?? because venom, on its planet, is a loser. bottom of the barrel. an outcast. and someone called it cool. venom sees that eddie is also a bit of a loser on his planet. theyre two losers together. Eddie asks why he doesnt just kill him and hop to another host, but venom says that hes a good match (other bodies reject the symbiote, and die from organ failure/eaten from the inside) and venom is "starting to like him" venom also gets a bit stuck on the moment that eddie says we instead of i. its both of them. together.

later eddie finds out his organs were failing (venom was starving and was working on fixing it) and when they get seperated the way he acts is kind of framed like a bad breakup. its not "im free from this parasite! yippie!" its "i trusted you and you hurt me. we're done" sort of breakup. venom tries to say he was trying to fix it but eddie ignores it (not the exact words but if you look at it you'll get it)

eddie gets taken away by the bad guys and venom hops on eddies ex and they reunite. and its not just reunite.

its this

thumbnail shows human face but it does not start off with that.

fun fact! theres a sort of deleted scene where eddie asks "who was i kissing just then?" and she says "mostly me" and then we hear venoms voice saying "well actually it was mostly me!" ALSO at the end of the movie, she says it was venoms idea. this was venom and eddie making out. not eddie and his ex. they do not get back together. she has a new boyfriend and they've moved in together so its serious.

venoms original purpose as to why the symbiotes are on earth was as a scouting party for an invasion force. venom changes his mind on being on the invasion part. eddie asks what REALLY made him change his mind "you did eddie."

also after the movie was in theaters they made an additional romcom trailer to promo the dvd/blueray release. the movie. framed as a romcom. im not kidding. on sonys official youtube. for both movies.

speaking of both movies, the second one has them breaking up! full on divorce after fighting and arguing!! very sad. and then venom goes to a rave (october, there are costumes, hes fully transformed) and says "i am out! of the eddie closet!" HES COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET. one person at the rave has a mask on that says "kiss me" and venom says "sorry no, not my type" THEN WHAT IS YOUR TYPE HUH??? MEN?? SWEATY LOSER GUYS??? his hosts keep failing because theyre not as compatible as eddie. and after having fun venom is sad and wishes eddie could've seen him. they of course, get back together* after some apologizes and because they need to fight a serial killer who also has a symbiote (carnage) because previously, they went to interview him, he insulted eddie, venom got mad on eddies behalf and grabbed him, resulting in getting bit, and that spawned a new symbiote from the blood. also the serial killer, (cletus kassidy) went to bust out his girlfriend who upon seeing his tentacles breaking her glass cage, called it hot.

*when they get reunited (anne helps out again) theres no kiss this time, and annes fiancee, after seeing them fight, says "those two need some serious couples counseling"

after a big climactic fight and mutual reassuring that theyre a perfect match for one another, they flee to some random place in mexico where they sort of have a love confession. theres an extended deleted version of it but i think many of us think they cut it down to save it for the third movie. also they get transported to the mcu in the post-credit and then re-appear in the post-credit of spider-man where theyre just sitting at a bar asking the bartender about the blip and thanos. venom decides to go skinny dip but they get transported back to their universe. net zero gain.

THE THIRD MOVIE

hasnt come out yet. but the promotional things. the trailer. my god the tiktoks and twitter clips?? WHY IS THE TIKTOK VIDEO CAPTION VENOM X EDDIE 4EVER??? HUH???? WHAT DO YOU WANT WITH ME!?!?! IF I GET QUEERBAITED IM GONNA EXPLODE WHY IS ONE OF THEM FRAMED LIKE A COUPLES COUNSELING HELP GUIDE.

i cant post this one on tumblr but this tiktok is a slideshow, one image of venom and eddie from each movie, and the background song is "I've loved you three summer Lover - Taylor swift" with the caption "it's a love love relationship"

WE JUST WANT THEM TO KISS AGAIN AND HAVE A MUTUAL, EXPLICIT, LOVE CONFESSION. AND HAVE 4 HOURS TENTACLESEX SCENE. (not necessarily in that order)

and the first trailer that came out for venom3 has the line"eddie, my home [long pause] has found us" like girrrrrllll for a full 3 seconds i thought he was saying that eddie is his home.

[count-alucard-tepes]

What sexy things do the OP Hotties do that turn you on? 👀

Haha I normally wouldn’t do slightly spicy asks but I’ll respond to this one because I can’t resist😆😍

Kizaru ✨: he such a tease, you know he’s so smooth with the ladies and he dresses really well too. A well put together man is always desirable.

Akainu🌋: he’s stoic and cold and I’m a brat 😂 I feel like that would be the perfect match for someone like him. Also he has tattoos and he seems like he would protect me with his life and that’s so sexy.

Ryokugyu 🌱: he’s a bad boy and everyone loves a bad boy. And when ever I get mad at him he would just turn into a tree with my favorite flowers…a girl is sold.

Fujitora 🐅: he’s such a sweetheart, you know he would be the best husband ever.

Sir Crocodile 🐊: it’s his style, he just oozes sexiness in everything he does and says. He knows he can have anyone and that confidence is really sexy.

Doflamingo Donquixote 🦩: the ultimate bad boy who would have you wrapped around his finger literally and figuratively. It’s the sexy body, the laugh, the style! Not to mention, he’s someone you don’t want to cross the line with him. He’s the guy your parents say stay away from with good reason but you still want a taste.

Benn Beckman 🔫: he’s so mysterious and you know he’ll charm your pants off in 30 seconds. He’s also strong and smart…it’s a win-win situation!

Katakuri Charlotte 🍡: Oda thought everyone was gonna be terrified of this hottie! But no, this mochi baby daddy is the perfect example of don’t judge a book by its cover! He’s a family guy who listens to his mom and cares for his younger siblings! And not to mention he’s got a sexy body and can tell why you’re angry before you stomp around ! And he loves donuts so I never have to diet again! I AM SOLD!

Killer🔪: alright post time skip Killer is hot and all but pre time skip Killer had me on my knees! He’s is so cute and mysterious but also super intelligent and fine af! Blonde hair and blue eyes…that’s my punk rock Barbie right there!

Kaido🐉: he’s emotional af when he’s drunk and just loves the hell out of his kid and those around him that are loyal to him! To be Yamato’s mom and smash Kaido at him prime! Omg I’d cling to ankles, y’all !

King 👑 : he’s the hot character of color who is the epitome of tall, dark and sexy! He has the white hair! He’s that bitch! He’s got wings and legs for days! The fucking face tattoo!!! I would cling onto his knees (since that’s probably the highest point where I’d be able reach him) and die for this baby daddy!

Queen👑: oh man, Queen is so fucking cool! I just wanna party with him until I can’t walk anymore! You know he puts the party God to shame! Karaoke night at Onigashima would be everything!

Izou🔫🔫: he’s so beautiful…I would be so shy around him because he’s so freaken pretty and would always look hotter than me! It’s always nice to have someone else do your hair and make up and Izou is my main man to be my wifey!

Dragon D Monkey 🐉🐒: the face tattoo! You know he’s a badass when he got a face tattoo and his best friend is an Okama! I’m ready to see Dragon naked, y’all! I’m about to be Luffy’s stepmom! Croc is about to gut me😂😂😂

Oven Charlotte 🍞: feeling sad…he bakes some cake…feeling happy…let’s have croissants! He’s just gonna fatten me up and I’ll never have to diet again because I’ll always be smaller than him! These Charlotte men are just the best! He’s also got main character energy 😂

Buggy🤡: he has hair goals I want to achieve but will never reach even if I tried! He’s charismatic and funny af! Buggy-sama is everything!😍

Marco the Phoenix 🦅: he’s a doctor! Score! My parents would never be prouder since I’m not…next best thing is my hubby being a doctor! He’s also such a cutie who seems to always be smiling!

Eustass Kidd🤘🎸: our favorite angry firecracker! He’s a cutie who wears make up and looks like he should be a drummer in a rock band! He’s got beautiful red hair and he’s intelligent! He also can fix your appliances! That’s a wifey right there!

Rosinantè Donquixote aka Cora-San💕: he’s gentle and emotionally available! Not to mention he’s a natural dad! He’s funny and clumsy af but a total badass! Let’s not forget he’s the handsome sibling lol

Who’s Who ❤️‍🔥👹: omg he’s tall, has pink hair, has tattoos and has a sexy smirk! Not to forget he turns into a cute kitty man! I’m ready to have his kittens!

Gecko Moria🦇: now prime Gecko Moria was every fucking thing! I mean who challenges Kaido and doesn’t actually lose…kinda! He was really hot too!

Iceburg💜: he’s so cute and funny, I can’t with him! He’s also so intelligent and can build stuff, love it!

Gild Tesoro⚜️🏅: first of all, he’s rich and he’s hot! A girl is sold! He sings and dances…even better!

Rob Lucci🐆: he’s so cute! I can’t deal especially in his kitty form, he’s also mysterious. From hot to cold in a mere couple of seconds! I love it! His hair is so beautiful too! I can’t deal!

[chaifootsteps]

Armchair Psychology Anon here. (Not a real pysch, just see patterns)

It's so funny because I keep seeing Viv like tweets where her stans are saying "who tf keeps saying Charlie isn't the main character she had more screentime than the male ones omg get over yourselves 🙄"

That new poster has... 6 male characters. And 3 of them are women. And it's implied Vaggie is going to die and Niffty is a side character.

It's because Charlie is probably a self insert for Viv when it comes down to her father (Lucifer). She clearly loves writing father-daughter relationships and not mother-daughter ones. You could even argue that Charlie singing: "have you ever wanted something that was so clear in your mind that you could taste it?" That gives me 'Viv is literally writing about wanting to be "friends" with big name celebs, Broadway actors, to be more famous, and to get the Broadway show' she's apparently always dreamed about.

I also believe parts of Stolas are Viv's self insert (particularly him being rich and sad, and how she keeps liking tweets defending him. As if Blitz has any actual power in the situation.)

Also side note, I'm glad someone mentioned Moxxie's little speech in CHERUBS about killing a rich authoritarian capitalist. Cuz apparently Viv felt uncomfortable with that and now Fizz and Blitz are clearly defending the highly elite and rich. (Blitz isn't now, but I'm sure he will in the future like Fizz.)

But I also believe Stolas is supposed to be her dad (her admitting her father flirted with women in front of Viv and her sisters/ which by the way is NOT healthy or normal. I'm sorry Viv, but as someone who has a father who would either cry or brag to me about how many women he's fucked (both when I was a minor and an adult), it's a really a fucked up thing of your father to do. And having Stolas flirt with Blitz in front of his underage daughter so explicitly, and reading a book on "Imps in the Sheets" at the dinner table in front of her, is pretty gross too, not gonna lie.)

Moxxie's mom? Dead.

Blitz's mom? Dead.

Octavia's mom? Huge abusive bitch.

Charlie's mom? Implied to be a cold bitch.

Amanda Palmer has a great read on creativity, where when you take personal things of yours and put it in a blender. The more ingredients you use, the harder it is to see what the real stuff is and what's the fictional things.

I'd say Viv is about at a 3-4, where it's very obvious what is real in her writing and what's fake.

Goddamn, what did Viv's mother do to her to make her hate her?

Like, okay I understand that writing is difficult when you feel like you're lying. I find it very difficult to write any healthy parental relationships because both my parents suck and I don't speak to them anymore.

But, you really need to put variety in your writing. Stop making things really obvious to the point where I think you need a therapist. (And she obviously does.)

And if by some chance you are seeing a therapist, Viv, see a different one. One that isn't just going to tell you everything you want to hear.

[sarrinight]

UH are we allowed to ask you questions? Cause I have questions on. The Sillies. (Kinjo and Yuki) Like what are your thoughts on their ship? I see you draw Kinjo with DRA Yuki and the real Yuki and I want to know what you actually think about them.. feel free to go off about it but if not you can just delete this hdshhsd

oh yes of course!!! and i do wanna talk about it, gosh i really haven't elaborated my piece about them yet since this is an art blog n i felt a little annoying when i blow up a tag, THANK YOU!! !!!

I also don't see many people talk about post-sdra2 either. this take, im gonna be minty fresh

kinjomae analysis

DRA Yuki

Canon-speaking, Kinjomae was deliberately called back to in both games. Tsurugi fills the role of the queer survivor in dra the way that Yoruko blatantly does in sdra2 (and the protagonist dies) except, it's less obvious as a main couple because of the way linuj writes, and it also doesn't fit the way some people see stereotyped mlm characters.

Kinjo's entire life is a trauma that is so oriented on staying alone, being alone in his suffering and his profession. He particularly killed the men closest to him, (Teruya, Kouhei, threatening Utsuro, and even his father) and seeing those people die around him leaves him numb. I feel like the Yuki of the first game is another unhealthy contributor to the sad cycle of his life, but ALSO remains to be his biggest savior. Kinjo and Akane are the only characters of DRA to have both 5 free-times, their bond has always been THAT highlight level of important.

DRA Yuki tears into this unhealthy string of Tsurugi's life by literally preventing the one time he felt alone the most. In Yuki's perspective, Tsurugi is such a strong figure but still trusting himself to lean on him, it solidifies both of them and forces them to develop their situations even when Utsuro rips through the Yuki facade. They were partners in crime unknowing that one of them was a criminal, omg, they were the dear rabbit, the along came a spider, the jane and john doe,,,

Tsurugi mentions he can't trust anybody but Yuki, Tsurugi gives Yuki a pass at trying to murder him despite his rigid moral. (not without a punch or two, but impressive.) and when Yuki is on the outsides he is the connected peacekeeper to Kinjo VS. Everyone Else. They are there to hold eachother's hands so they can still reconnect onto the border of the group. Like, the way Yuki shouts main character philosophy in chapter 4 at him while he's fighting everyone else brutally at the dinner table, and once again in chapter 6.

(Teruya, then fulfils this goal of reparation with Rei after they leave the killing game, but not on the mental stability side.) Tsurugi is seemingly independant and incredibly uncontrollable due to his detachment, and yet Yuki is able to have a significant part of influence over his life; as well as the deceased Kisaragi pre-killing game.

Yuki IS and will always be the exception to him and no matter how hard he tries to escape it, it follows him till the remainder of his character arc. In the same way, Tsurugi was the kickstarter to Utsuro's new mindset too. It's the "You can't pull the trigger cause you love me", cause that's what Utsuro-Yuki is to Tsurugi. Utsuro may be the most vile villain in the world to somebody who even considered assisted self defense to be a crime on first thought, and then he STILL proceeded to not take that final shot. He didn't hesitate blowing Mikado up, who arguably wasn't the first source of despair.

anyways i think dra yuki-utsuro/tsurugi are integral, important, and good to know your hizstory

he wants me i want him, we went out, then we (YukiUtsuro) DIED!! /ref

Yuki

Tsurugi would move on to be the worst man to cope in the existence of the franchise, and probably hardly ever move on after the death of DRA Yuki. If Yuki was truly dead he'd have two funerals for his two guypals, and spit on Utsuro's grave pretending not to like him. Plus that bad ending where Tsurugi just wakes up in the middle of the night in cold sweat shows what would sort of happen, he thinks about them too much. However,

Yuki was still a concept of a person who existed in the world. He's not gone, he's just someone in a different form, and still is inside the memory of Kinjo's mind that remains deteriorating. He's like, the same dude but he's in the clutches of EVIL!! and he hates evil. (Kinjo seems to catch onto Mikado's plans early on and then it only amplifies in his duty to stop Utsuro and find Yuki.)

Tsurugi's defeatist attitude to fail saving Teruya and Yuki was very much a falsetto because of the Omake 2 and I truly believe Rei was right that this was their agreed purpose.

The real Yuki has none of these shared moments that Tsurugi can look back on together, but if it was just the memories he wouldn't have acted so patronizing to Utsuro. He's affectionately looking back on the person that Utsuro was, which was just Yuki Maeda. Did Homura Akemi decide to go back in time for 10 years just so Madoka could share moments with her?? Absolutely not, and the same goes for Tsurugi Kinjo, who ran an entire organization which later adopted the name of the goal. As Mikado joked, it's "the love of your life" but it's in the most unconventional messy, dictatorial, and murderous way.

Kinjomae absolutely drives the narrative forward on Yuki's side of the story even if it's significantly relegated mostly to the end. Imagine your entire existence leaning on a few people you can't even remember, but they remember you? One dude sacrifices a guy, one girl sacrifices her body. With Tsurugi's final decrees of (semi) unconditional care for you, you finish the trial with this one-sided trauma bond and a promise to keep the survivors safe. Sora takes on all the karmic debt of Divine Luck, and peace returns in an ending that isn't really elaborated on.

ur now a fugitive awesome trans guyboss with superpowers, and you're just absolutely bawling out of your mind at this point. some blue haired dude in a wheelchair is going to die if you don't help him out with your sora-luck.

nobody talks about this enough but this is THE PERFECT set-up for a postgame friendship to develop, not only are they both survivors, this is the genuine Yuki who isn't hiding apart of an Utsuro disguise. He's alive but now in the body of someone Kinjo despised,,, he hates Akane, he refuses to acknowledge her. he loves yuki. But Yuki remembers her fondly and has to take care of the body, but he probably hates himself. not to mention the INTENSE guilt you would get from feeling anything in it or the dysphoria of even wearing/not wearing the clothes she is??? sdra2 so evil?? soruko died so kinjomae could slowburn.

There's nothing Yuki can do now but go on his quest to potentially get along with this man who is homo-erotically trauma bonded to him and got a whole-ass person killed in the process of ending Utsuro and finding the true Maeda., He also has to go atone to Yoruko and the rest of the gang. as you can see i like kinjomae i think they are a foundational element in the story of dra.

unrelated thinking

their suits are completely black and white i find that silly they match

my partner and i did a voiceover of their final freetime one time cause we were feeling quirky.

[wifeblade]

veilguard thoughts / first impressions

First of all: My rook

Was really pretty.

I'm going to briefly summarize my opinion of the game and then just talk about my playthrough.

It's clear that solas is the writer's pet; basically the writing became 80% better and more enjoyable anytime he was even remotely involved. Luckily for us, he's very involved in the main plot and ending. Unluckily for us, he's not involved with the companions.

I deeply missed character depth/development and world depth/development in this game. I feel like we kinda got the crust of a piece of toast but not the filling.

Really genuinely impressed how despite bioware apparently changing direction drastically mid-development and laying all their writers off, this game manages to not be bad. Not great but not actually bad. I think that's a win for everyone and I'm not surprised the devs are proud/satisfied w the game as it is

I played a grey warden dwarf rook, and that was a lucky decision, because grey warden is one of apparently like three? backgrounds that really become relevant to the plot. There were also a metric tonne of GW specific dialogue options which I looveeee. I played Rias (that her) very stereotypical GW character which was really well supported by the game. Rias Thorne you will always be famous to me

Anyway so I totally fell for the varric thing and for Solas' big twist I was not expecting it at all TOOOO THHEEEE POINTTTT I wasn't paying attention in the big twist cutscene because I was like haha funny trick Elgar'nan I dont trust your silly images magic man (sob). I actually had to reload the save and watch it again to pay attention for real (and also just to comprehend it because it was a REALLY good twist). But yeah F to me for not realizing that varric wasn't real omg. I thought the weird you-are-my-dad thing that was happening with him was odd but it really makes sense with the twist.

Anyway For the treviso vs. minthaous choice I chose to defend treviso. I felt like this choice was forced at first but I really liked how it played out afterwards and I honestly wish we were forced to choose between more factions & there were more BIG CHOICESSS heheheeeee What I did not anticipate was that the choice would actually just completely obliterate the shadow dragons. I was back there multiple times trying to see if they had any sort of shop or characters left and nope they are just completely gone. This did mean I couldn't interact with their faction (sad) but it makes sense as you can't be around if you are dead. I was expecting a bit more, like I was hoping for a followup quest to follow up on what exactly happened to the dragons and where they were, but it was cool. It was such a surprise to see mae and dorian still at the end lol. I like that Neve took it really personally but wish it could have been developed more.

For my next playthru im gonna torch treviso instead and Ill be super sad about it because lucanis is kind of my little kitten man. Part of the reason I defended treviso in the first place is that lucanis has enough to deal with

I decided to romance Bellara because she's pretty and also I felt like her voice actress was doing a good job despite there not being a lot of character animation. The romance was. not very good. I genuinely thought they were doing a QPR thing because all they were doing was standing around talking about being in a relationship lol. It seems like from a cursory glance it's the same for most of the other romances, so that's a bit sad.

Managed to get Davrin super killed in the last mission (oops) but it seems like someone has to die in this choice, which I love, but we're definitely trying to kill someone else next time. (Again I really lucked out by creating a rook that makes the two people who can die very significant. These two were her besties). I almost wish the final decisions had been less obvious so I could have accidentally killed even more people *grinchface* but it is what it is. And it's nice that Neve/Bellara get to live.

Shoutouts to my favorite bitches:

Bellara - totally under-served by her questline (cyrian should have started out not dead!!!! My strongest opinion!!!!) she still managed to be incredibly lifegiving in terms of banter and reactions.

Emmerich ESPECIALLY as a skeleton. I started taking so many pictures of him as a lich. I really really dig it. He was pretty dope before also. I like that he's a full adult with a job

Davrin - besides being automatically my rook's bestie due to GW shenanigans, heroic / paladin type characters are my catnip. Somehow we managed to have a pet guy who's not completely overshadowed by his pet!! His questline was extremely dumb because the villain is a cameo from a tie-in book in a true #dragonagewriting move LOL

Lucanis - the kitten thing really got to me. I feel like it's also easy to see the potential for how his family relationships COULD have been developed and it's pretty likable. I loved that you can't kill illario (though i was looking forward to seeing what happens if you save him, which I will likely not be allowed to without saving treviso. rip)

Thats it!! Also I forgave solas at the end because I was deliberatly running a solavellan state because I knew the writers had to do something about that and I wanted to see it. Next time I'm going decieve/trick ending which is. a little sad because now I LIKE THE GUY UGH

[ciderjacks]

please tell me about cal, love that little bastard

oHHHHHHOHOHOOHHO YES. OK. I WILL. IVE BEEN WAITING 10 YEARSTO BE ASKED THIS VERY QUESTION.

so ok so. Uh heavy Heavy TW for like themes of suicide and mental illness and stuff ahead. I’m sorry I would avoid it but it is genuinely impossible to talk about this story without them, bc that’s literally the central theme of it. But. Okok.

Sso Cal is one of my fav characters ever, he was originally created as like, a tragic backstory for Kimu-

(Kimu is this guy)

-so like, literally created to die. And he’s always been sort of a sad character. I made him when I was like 11 and edgy so he was an emo childhood friend of Kimu’s who takes his life, sending Kimu on a downward spiral. Like that was the original story basically.

Then as time passed I started developing the story, added more character and Cal got to have a personality, but he still dies. More time passes and I start to really like Cal, and bc his death is like, the most important part of the story, he sort of becomes the “main character”. Then in like 2023 I decided I actually didn’t want him to die, partially because I felt bad and partially bc at the time I really didn’t like the idea of having a character like him ending that way. like. Thematically I just didn’t like it.

So now he’s alive, the meta narrative has decided that he should live. I change it up so he has a suicide attempt, but survives it and gets his shit together after bc he’s now realized he likes being alive even though it sucks sometimes.

There’s a lot of like, actually in narrative drama happening in this version of the story. He’s got a crappy home life, he’s got gender dysphoria, he’s in a weird love triangle with like three of his friends. Usual stuff. Up to this point it’s sort of been a sad version of a slice of life, like. Sort of similar to bojack horseman I’d say, if I was to compare it to anything. I like stories like that but tbh they’re sort of uninteresting to describe.

ANYWAY HERES WHERE THE TIME LOOP IS INTRODUCED.

so at some point I was thinking about how Cal was a doomed character for so long, then got like. a second chance to live. Bc I felt bad about killing him. And then because I love Groundhog Day more than any normal person should, I went “omg what if there was a time loop type thing. Or like a time reset. Or something. Like a single time loop.” And then I was like omg bc now there’s more to the story than just a straight linear narrative.

So now there’s two stories for the price of one. Cal’s first chance, and Cal’s second chance.

So first chance is way more similar to the earlier one I described, before he gets his fate changed. His life in his first chance sucks. He’s being treated badly at home, he’s being treated badly at school, he’s an asshole so all his friends sort of hate him, he’s ruined several peoples lives just sort of by existing in them. Terrible. A lot of the bad stuff that he goes through is also entirely his fault like he really really sucks here. He drives all his friends away besides Kimu, who is extremely patient and also Cal is his best friend.

Kimu is the one to confront Cal #1 (I’m just gonna call this Cal, Cal #1 now. So it’s easier to understand what I’m talking about bc time stuff is weird and confusing.) and Cal #1, worlds worst guy, just completely loses it on him. He pushes him into a shelf, which causes Kimu to actually get hurt, and Kimu is obviously shocked and angry, so he storms out and tells Cal they’re done. Cal #1, realizing he’s fucked up, is like “well I’ve hurt literally everyone in my life irreparably. Guess I’ll die.”

Ofc old pal Kimu, feeling off about the argument like an hour later, comes back to apologize. Unfortunately this is change #1, so it’s too late. Last thing Cal #1 processes is Kimu freaking tf out. He ends up dying at 19, like days before he turned 20.

So on that cheery ending, Cal wakes up. This time it’s Cal #2 though. He wakes up and realizes that he is a baby, he’s back at his old house, and he is a baby. The thing is though, he has all his memories from his first life. This makes him, first of all, and incredibly intelligent baby. (He still has baby brain though, not the brain of a 19 year old. That would be a whole different world of problems.) But second of all, he is REALLY REALLY weirded out and uncomfortable.

He freaks out for the first couple years of his new life, which is the exact same as his old life except now he has cheat codes. Then around the age of like, 5, he has the realization that he has cheat codes, and if he can map everything that went wrong in his first life, he might actually be able to change his outcomes. so he does that, he does that for awhile. At this point most of the external things are the same. He’s best friends with Alex, he becomes friends with Kimu via Alex, it’s all the same.

Kimu, Alex, and Cal in that order ^^^ (It’s also worth noting that while he overtime is able to address a lot of his shittiness as being shitty, and him being to blame for most of it. he can’t seem to see Kimu as a victim of his crappy behaviour. He even still sort of resents him for how things went, bc first life Kimu was sort of a dick too.)

so anyway things are normal the first like maybe 6 years after that too. He changes some of the big things that went wrong in his early life, he avoids some people he knows are bad news now, which also stops his mom from going criminal (long story. She’s a shit mom most of the time but she’s still protective, and will still do anything for her kid.) he thinks this might save her from dying, he actually does everything he can to prevent her death. It doesn’t. None of it works. She dies differently, this time of a sickness rather than suicide. She also dies later on in the story this time. We’ll come back to this.

anyways, it’s around this point Yami and Amelia get introduced. Amelia is Cal #1’s greatest sin, she’s the person he really fucked over, and it’s to the point where Cal #2 doesn’t even think he should talk to her. Yami is Amelia’s cousin and Kimu’s childhood best friend, though they had a falling out.

(Yami and Amelia. Yami is the husky, Amelia is the spaniel.)

In the first life, Yami also dies. Completely unrelated to Cal, like they barely even knew each other. Yami died because of a prank gone wrong, done by some bullies.

However this really started off Cal #1’s downward turn, because this incident totally fucked up both Kimu and Amelia, and Kimu being all fucked up is partially what drove Alex away. (The other part was Cal’s fault LOL). Kimu got really withdrawn and aggressive, wanting revenge for what happened. Amelia got weird and withdrawn, and starts focusing on getting into this prestigious arts college way harder than before, and Cal, who doesn’t fully understand grief or why people feel it, figures maybe it’s because her parents are awful and controlling (and like. Ok they are. But. They don’t gaf about her grades or studies. He just totally misread the situation.)

He’s also mad that she’s not hanging out with him, or doing the weird chaotic stuff that they used to do all the time. He tells her she just needs to unwind, and let go of the expectations put upon her. Amelia is reluctant at first, but then as she unwinds, she starts to get way more crazy than she ever was before bc of all the shit she’s been bottling up. They do some extremely dangerous shit, on what is basically a bender, and then he ends up crashing the car bc he wasn’t watching the road. They get arrested, she’s now disabled, her parents disown her, she loses her scholarship, and it’s all mostly his fault. He’s too emotionally stunted to even properly apologize.

(Illustration of about how he responded to all this)

She tells him she’ll kill him if she sees him again, and that’s the end of their relationship in the first life.

Back to the second life. Cal peer pressures Yami into letting him come to hang out with him and his bullies (the ones who ended up accidentally slashing him). Yami relents, but is really uncomfortable because he doesn’t know this guy. Flash forward a few hours, the bullies do the prank, but this time because Cal is there, Yami doesn’t die. This incident leads to two things happening. 1) Yami connecting enough dots to vaguely remember his first life. Not as clearly as Cal, but now he’s suspicious. 2) Cal and Yami becoming friends.

Yami ends up later introducing Cal and Amelia, and they end up becoming friends, though for a long time Cal tries to keep her at arms length. This is hard bc they get along really well.

eventually he gives in and they become besties again, but without all the trauma and horrors. This is great, and this is around when Cal starts to think he’s actually done well. He’s 19, he’s sort of awkwardly repaired his relationship with his mom, all his friends are happy and alive, everyone’s closer than ever. Like things are going REALLY well.

Anyway remember earlier when I mention his mom dies in both lives? Yeah so. When he’s 19, she dies of a sickness that he thought was improving. It’s really sudden, and it really trips him out. Not only is he just actually devastated, but now he starts wondering if some things are just bound to happen. He worked so hard to change her fate, and she still died relatively young and unexpectedly.

Then he finds out it technically wasn’t the sickness that killed her. She did it to herself because she realized it was getting worse, and she would probably die from it, and decided she’d rather die in a way she self was dignified. She didn’t tell him any of that.

Now he’s really like. “Oh god maybe things are just meant to happen.” this undoes a lot of the work he did on himself throughout this life, and he reverts back into a similar weird jerk that he was before. Less destructive obviously, but he withdraws, he starts ghosting everyone, he doesn’t leave his apartment. Eventually Kimu rolls up to confront him, and remember when I said Cal never grappled with how his actions affected Kimu, and how he still sort of resents him? Yeah.

So this happens.

It’s at this point he Finally, after nearly 20 years, realizes the one person who stuck by him at all times in both his lives, and the person he arguably hurt most, even more than Amelia.

And then he realizes that no matter how much he tried to change, it ended up like this.

And he thinks back to his mom, and how some things just seem doomed. Kimu storms out in tears, just like how he did during Cal’s first chance, and Cal decides that he and his mom must share the same fate.

This is one day before the anniversary of his death. Fortunately this time Kimu didn’t actually leave. He waited outside Cal’s door for a few minutes, thinking about what just happened, and then decides something is off and comes back in to talk things out.

He catches Cal this time, right before he attempts, and stops him from doing anything. Ofc Kimu starts yelling at him, asking him what the hell he’s doing, but all Cal can think about is that for whatever reason: Kimu came back early. And more importantly, that before Kimu came back, he hesitated.

this is about when he has a realization that nothing is actually doomed, and that this whole he’s wanted nothing more than to live. He realizes he wanted to live so much it created a tear in time and space.

So then he gets therapy and starts actually properly living his life to the fullest.

[ssreeder]

Suki: I can't believe you didn't tell me about you and Zuko this whole time 😔

Zuko: I can't believe you lied to me about the otter-penguins 😠😔

Anyway, I loved the newest chapter. Katara and Aang are so sweet and love Sokka so much and they are so worried, I'm gonna die.

Iroh, Jee and Rasu reuniting with Zuko kind of reminds me of the time when Hakoda reunited with Sokka. Just two fathers (and Jee and Bato) finding out about the horrible, terrible things their sons went through. Fun! Sokka must be feeling just as left out as Zuko felt in the Water Tribe camp.

One of my favorite things about this story is that Zuko, one of the main characters, never has a POV! What is going on in that kid's head! I love the mystery.

Bato likes Chang! And they're going to Ba Sing Se?? Yess. Zuko's uncles will meet each other?? Ara will find out about Shen's death? Sokka will find out about Jet ratting them out to the Earth Kingdom? What are Quon, How and Long Feng up to???? This story is so good I love it so much!!!

Also started rereading LIAB because it's been awhile and I might have forgotten some stuff so... Ara is making me sad 🥺.

Thank you for being a wonderful writer and just giving this stuff to us for free...

I mean… Suki has the right to be upset

but Zuko should be FURIOUS! how dare Sokka lie about the great otter-penguin wars?! Come on dude get it together!

Haha I’m sorry but you’re probably going to die even more next chapter because yeah… they love him but it’s like hugging a cactus haha.

at least Zuko got to see Sokka in the SWT camp iroh is like “sorry Zuko can’t come out to play and no you can’t come in to see him go home…”

OMG BATO IS LIKE CHANG IS FUNNY - & hakodas like damn it he kind of is……

Hahaha iroh and Chang in the same room together is terrifying can we throw jee in there too just to make him uncomfortable?! I love to see that poor man suffer.

You’re amazing & I love you for leaving me this ask and I’m sorry I’m horrible and take forever to answer. You’re amazing & yes Ara is sad and it gets worse ha poor girl. Wait until she finds out Shen is dead *cue emotional music*

[mando-abs]

Alright after almost having an irrational breakdown over whether or not I’ll see Spiderverse spoilers, I went to go see it

And since @psychedelic-ink wants to talk about it with someone, here are my notes :)

Spoilers below the cut, proceed with caution

My sibling said they knew of a cameo and I thought it was gonna just be J.K. Simmons as J Jonah Jameson (in two universes)

I was surprised that Gwen took up the intro. But I’m not mad about it, just unexpected. Which is exactly what she said “let’s do this differently”

THE RENAISSANCE VULTURE AHHHH so cool. Loved how the style clashed with the rest of the universe

Miles’ mom’s Spanglish is no joke. She would change mid sentence (mid- word???) my (limited) Spanish class knowledge can’t keep up 😭😭😭😭New respect for the Spanglish kids having to decode their parents all the time

Also was Miles’ roommate playing the Spiderman PS2 game? Like the controller was new but I swear it looked like the PS2 game. I understand the new Spiderman PS4 and PA5 game is popular rn so I’d get if it was that instead. I’m just not as familiar with that

I thought from the trailer that the spot was going to be a minor villain and they weren’t gonna show the main villain. But I like how they made him a genuine threat. He’s still a nerd tho

WHEN GWEN’S FATHER TRIED TO ARREST HER OMG. A cop’s a cop

Pavitr is so 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰 I love him

His hair is that luscious bc of shampoo and genetics lol. I get that a lot with my complexion. Never had any publicly visible acne, and yes I love flaunting that fact at least once a year so. This is the one

I thought “wouldn’t it be messed up if they reversed this a killed the captain anyways?” And I’m so glad they didn’t. Please let Pavitr continue to be the golden child. He deserves it

AND HOBIE!!!! He hates the AM and the PM (prime minister) lol. The comedic relief we didn’t know we needed. Also he is super hot. Is he a teenager tho? Hold on. Still don’t know. I’m not about to swoon over a teen but he looks over 18 and I have a soft spot for punk guys 😌😌😌😌

Hobie and Mayday is the best pair and they only had a few seconds together. Sad

ALSO, only critique, I was severely lacking in Mayday content. I would like to see the baby. Give me more Mayday

Does this make Miles Mayday’s godfather? Cause I hope so.

DONALD GLOVER AHHHHHHHHHHH

Donald as the big cameo was the best. I audibly gasped. Our hero. Thank you for sparking Miles Morales

Of course I loved the other Sony Peters.

Also I didn’t realize that was PS4 Peter saying “are you talking to me?” during the video game characters in prison. I thought it was Miles

ALSO WAS THE SPECTACULAR SPIDERMAN TALKING TO (I believe) MILES BECAUSE IT LOOKED LIKE IT

Oh! How could I forget the Lego Peter Parker ❤️❤️❤️ I cackled that Miguel said Lego Peter did some of the best work. Like hell yeah he did. Legos don’t mess around 😂

ALSO DID YOU KNOW THE LEGO SEQUENCES WERE ANIMATED BY A 14 YEAR OLD???? Crazy

Moose-teriyo

I know Miguel is trying to to save a whole universe and doing it for the greater good but holy cow man. He’s a child. It’s his dad you’re talking about. He’s not gonna be rational, and don’t ever expect him to. I wouldn’t. Like I don’t care, I just want my dad to be alright.

Also what is his beef with Peter B. Parker? I feel like there’s more there

Miguel’s backstory hurt tho. No wonder he’s traumatized. I’d become the antagonist too (not villain - just the person that gets in the way of the protagonist)

Also who’s the daddy of Jessica’s baby? We only got glimpses of her backstory. Like did she remove herself from the baby daddy? Did he die? Is Miguel the dad? I doubt it but I’m just nosey. I need her specific trauma gimmie gimmie. Jessica having a soft spot for Gwen. Women protecting women. Gotta love it

Is this the first movie to incorporate footnotes? I feel like it is. It’s certainly the first one I’ve seen. Also “I haven’t got a Scooby Doo” is a phenomenal phrase. And I’m so disappointed that the Brits use it and not us. Like, come on. We’re Scooby Doo capital of the world. Every American loves Scooby Doo.

Okay, Miles being an anomaly was a great twist. But wouldn’t his world collapse then? Wouldn’t Earth 42 collapse? Wouldn’t Miles glitch more? If Mike’s was never meant to be Spiderman than why is the multiverse not already erasing itself?

I think Miles and his universe is the key to restoring other universes, especially the ones where the holes were contained.

PROWLER MILES AHHHHHHH

I kinda knew he’d get stuck in a dimension tho with the “don’t get lost” line from mom. But I didn’t expect a world without Spiderman! So cool.

[wench-and-jezebel]

Dark Angel Reaction: Shorties in Love

Jezebel (@typicalopposite) reacts [with occasional asides by Wench (@scripted-downfall)]

Yaayyy! She’s back! 💕  [SHE BACK!  So is OC and Herbal and Sketch :)]  And she’s getting flirted with

“I’m not into pampering”  Unless Logan isn’t spoiling me enough.  Or is trying to be independent when I don’t want him to.  Or doesn’t have his world revolving around me

[Max, shut up; you've always gotten your insight into men from OC, wdym]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

Oooohh ahhhhhh  [Truly a beautiful representation of the opening song]  ☠️☠️☠️ it fucking kills meeeeeee

Uh oh, nooooo

Jam pony and Max in the back like 👀👀👀  [tbf I'd be watching them pretty 👀 too]  I WAS

OC you dog ☠️ I saw you check her out when she bent over

Diamond talks in 3rd person too

Max is like DAMMIT LOGAN

Bruh why

WHY IS SHE GOSSIPINGGG

Is this poetry ever mentioned again?  Or was that just an unnecessary act of rudeness we are supposed to overlook  [Not for the most part, I don't think.  There's an unrelated mention of poetry in s2.  But that's, again, not about Logan and more about Max's jealousy]  Writers explainnnn

Mennnnn

Blech

Awwww

NOOOOO THE GIGGLE

[Max being weirdly understanding]  Right!?

This is sickeningly adorable  [I KNOW!  I love her!  Both hers!]

Ma’am.  No one is watching you.  You ain’t gotta look so… Like you’re looking

☠️☠️☠️☠️ “Pee outside.”  I mean… You did just kinda bust up into his house.  But I’m still ded

I love it so much

[Max, wtf was that stance??? The most awkward way to stand ever]  What the hell

This woman and her strange way of standing and sitting and holding guns  ["I'm gonna go home and chill out" *but first I'ma sit here randomly on the table*]  And not look at you.  Angstily.  Like… LIKE.  SHE WENT THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION TO SIT ON THE COUNTER

[Okay, apparently the poetry did come back.  Didn't get much better though]

BRUHHHH She gon die  [You're gonna jinx her]  She is jinxing herself

This is too adorable I cantttttt

DIAMOND NOOOOOOO

🤣🤣🤣  Sketch  [This is the best Max ever acts with him, wtf?]

[MAX WHAT IS THAT ARM DOING]

*sigh* That went well

[Why is she like.  Actually smiling these days.  That's so out of character?]  🤣🤣🤣

They had to make her likable this ep so when she inevitably gets Diamond killed it won’t justify OCs rage

– – – 

Jezebel: OMG I LOVE OC SO MUCCHHHH

Wench: I KNOW

Jezebel: Diamond is being sus af and I hateeeeee it 🥺🥺🥺 but shes also talking about the future and doesn’t ma’am know that’s a sure fire way to get ded?!  I know they went through this massive technology apocalypse but she has seen tv at some point in her life. That’s like rule number one: don’t plan out your future… or you won’t have one

Wench: I thought rule one was don't do the deed in a horror film.

Jezebel: SHE BROKE THAT ONE TOO

Wench: OH SHIT SHE DID

Jezebel: GAHDAMMIT WOMAN

Wench: alskdfj

Jezebel: I also love sketch and herbal! Even tho the latter had like 1/8 of a line… And Max isn’t god awful just like semi awful mainly with her bitchy snatching of the poem book.  Oh, and Logan’s “so they were making out?” MEN 🤣🤣🤣 whyyyy

Wench: I knew you’d comment with that :)

Jezebel: And really that’s all I got for midpoint… Yet another not much has happened minus the BIG main thing to happen episode

Wench: On with the show!  Literally!

– – –

[Fancy flip]

Ughhhhh DIAMONDDDD DONT DOOO IT [tbf, btw, *Max* is kinda acting sus af]

SHE DONE DONE IT DIAMOND WHYYYY

well shittttt  [She lives nonetheless]

[I think he's in CSI]  He looks familiar  [I’ll look him up later]  

YOU COULD HAVE DONE THAT THE WHOLE TIMEEEEE?!?  This is why people don’t trust you woman

[Also, James Cameron and the "dyne”s again aslkfdj  The Terminator was Cyberdyne; Alien was Hyperdyne; now we've got Synthedyne]

Why’s his apple logo upside down? ☠️  WHY’S IT UPSIDE DOWN?  [Probably because they didn't want to deal with an actual computer?  Or maybe they used to be upside down.]  ☠️🤣🤣🤣

🥺🥺🥺🥺 Well god dammmmit  [I was so sad when I found out about this first time 'round]

Bruhhhh

Yes the hell it is selfish ma’am ☠️  “Imma die. So imma go win back the one that got away and make her happy for the last little bit of time I have… then die on her… and make her life miserable. Cause that’s fair”  Wot.  WOTTTTT???  WOOOOTTTTTTT?!?!?

[OC.  MY DEAR.  STOP QUITTING YOUR JOB.]

OC ��💔💔💔

Boo!!!! You don’t deserve thissss

I don’t write original characters but I’m about to make her one

[Max, I think you could show some compassion]

Sketchhhh

Bruhhhhh I can’t evennnn

Does she know she’s contagious  [No, I don't think so]  Ok good  [Again, my memory is spotty on 1 episodes (except 17), but I don't think so]  I didn’t want to not feel bad for her dying, for OCs sake ☠️  [Yup]

[The dude's neck brace ☠️]  I know ☠️☠️☠️ Ma’am has some ridiculous feet strength  [Neck brace dude got taken out AGAIN]

🥺🥺🥺🥺

[I'm sorry but I love Max's hair.  Should not be the focus of the scene, I know.  But it's just.  So fetching.  With that Hazmat suit]  Seeee?  SEEEE???

NOOOOO.  IM DONE.  DEAD.  [Next episode’s worse]  I CAN'T 😭😭😭😭😭

Yusssss get ‘em!  [Serves the dude right for being an asshole to the guy who tried to get him to put on the suit]

[Oh shit I forgot that line and damn but it's a good one 😭]  IT ISSSS!!!!  [That scene was very Doctor Who hospital ep, if you remember that one.  With Cassandra and the plague carriers?]  YESSSS

IS SHE THINKING ABOUT LOGAN OR FUCKING ZACH??? BLECH  [asdfkljasdlfkjaldskfj I hate you for mentioning him]

Ye you do get over your first love ☠️

[RESPECT HIS BOUNDARIES MY WOMAN!  Also, she just said Man of Letters]  ☠️☠️☠️☠️

[I could never.  I might die]  Ma’am you did.  [Shut up.  You still haven't read my poetry, actually.  And also, I haven't showed poetry about someone to that person]

BITCH READ IT OUT LOUD!  WE’RE TRYING TO KNOW

[Bitch]  wot.  Wot.  WOT?!  [You just read his intimate poetry.  And just.  Leave?]  WHAT!?!?

Ma’am.  Shut up with the circlessssss.  And explain THE nonsensical HOOPLAH I JUST WITNESSED.  I-  I JUST- WHAT?!

– – –

Jezebel: I… nope I ain’t got nothing else on that! But backpedaling to OC! She didn’t deserve that ooooh my goddddd.  Shit Diamond didn’t deserve that!  Sector guy TOTALLY deserved that!  And… I really don’t know what else to say this episode was very clean cut ☠️☠️

Wench: True!

Jezebel: The real question is tho… Are we prepared for this next episode?

Wench: I am… I've seen it six times :)

Jezebel: You would, angst queen

[jams-sims]

Do you mind if I ask your top 10 favorite characters (can be male or female) from all of the media that you loved (can be anime/manga, books, movies or tv series)? And why do you love them? Sorry if you've answered this question before.....Thanks...

Omg- this is gonna be a rough one cause I have current favs and old favs.

In no particular order-

1: Buddha (ror/snv/ records of Ragnarok)

Reason: He is the first God to openly say fuck the other hods and fight for the human. His style, his attentuide i could marry this man i love him so much.

2: Alucard (hellsing)

Childhood crushes goes hard and I never stopped loving this character. It's also partially because of his voice actor both the original and the abridge version. Shout out to Taka and Crispin Freeman.

3: Gojo (jjk)

Here man hate this man but I am in love with him. It's his everything! It's the way he is going to lose everyone he loves. I foam at the mouth over this guy.

4: Denji (chainsaw man)

I firmly believe I could bully fugimoto into marrying me and that why I like Denji. Nah but fr it mostly because I love like sad pathetic character and have a bit of a savior complex. Denji just a wet noodle of a boy and I wanna hug him!

5: Hisoka (hunter x hunter)

This one is pretty contentious because everyone has something they want to say about this character. As if they haven't misinterpreted both him and illumi. I just like a character who doesn't give a fuck but is full of spite. Like this bitch so so full of hypocrisy, we love to see it.

6: Naraku (inuyasha)

This one super old crush, I wish there was a reason. But their not I just remember really likening him as a kid so it's just followed me into adulthood.

7: Gaara (Naruto)

Again another childhood crush that followed into adulthood. This one stems from the fact when me and my friends would make OC. They would always pick the main guys and I wouldn't have anyone cool to pair up with besides the lame side characters. So I became more aware of what side character did because I wanted them to be just as important that the main character my friend picked. It's the favor of childhood trauma.

8: Rin (texhnolyze)

The only female on the list and she does a horrible death and spirals the main lead to die as well. Rin is just the stand it for the whole cast in this anime. Don't watch it unless you are in the right mental state. Cause I wasn't :D

9: Medcine seller (Mononoke)

Just- watch the anime and and the movie this guy comes from. It's hard to put into words what I like about him.

10: Naota (FLCL)

This one was hard to pick because I have a lot of old character I like. And someone were fighting for this last spot. But I decided to pick Naota simply because I invested so much time into his story. Into the world. It's how I met one of my best friend. This character holds a dear place in my heart.

Honorable mentions: Kyo from samurai deeper kyo, Kuzuma (S-Cry-Ed), Shinji (EVA), Ibrau (kuuchuu Buranko I also bought the book) imma just put the name of the anime cause i love it (Abenobashi Mahou Shoutengai) that whole cast. This made me go down a wild ass rabbit whole in search for this ome fuckin anime i can not for the life of me find.

[elletromil]

So my thoughts about FFXVI! Obviously ALL THE SPOILERS

(under a readmore cause its gonna be long and all over the place)

I seriously really enjoyed the game!

I would not call it perfect, but then again, i wouldn't call any game perfect anyway. It's easily in my top 5 favourite games though!

The combat was really fun and easy even for someone like me who isn't really skilled at it and the variety of items let me have a great experience. I even ended up abandonning some of the 'helpful' items after a while as i grew more confident.

Now story/character wise, let me preface what imma be talking by saying I knew very little going into the game.

I found out in january 2023 that ffxvi was releasing this year and went "omg i truly do live under a rock when it comes to video games releases :O" and quickly grow excited. I saw a total of one trailer and then decided i wouldn't spoil myself about anything and would find out for myself what the game was about.

So the stuff i knew going in was very limited. A) The main character was a dude with a younger brother. B) There was something about people being able to turn into big powerful magical beasts and the dude's brother was one of them. C) There was a good doggo in the game that you could even pet. Yes i did get the trophy for petting Torgal within the first minute the game finally allowed me to pet the dog.

For a long while I didn't know if i would actually get to play the game upon release since I didn't have a PS5, but then after much debate with myself (and annoying my good friends Red with the dilemma), I caved and bought myself a PS5. After all, back in the days, I bought the PS4 just so i could play FFXV (another one of my top 5 favourite games) so it seemed only fair.

It took me this long to finish the game for two reasons: life happening and also i didn't want to finish the game because then what would i do with my life? (Write this post apparently, after crying for a while over the ending)

Anyway, got the game started playing and immediately started refering to Clive as if he was myself whenever i texted/voice messaged my friend Britt about my progress. Usually a good sign.

I agreed quickly that Torgal was indeed the best doggo, decided I would die for Joshua and kinda went 'meh' at the budding romance between Jill and Clive (more on that one later, but spoilers alert: i changed my mind).

Then the plot happened.

I was very sad for my (Clive's) dad and all the other Shields of Rosaria who died. Refused to believe Joshua was dead. Decided i wouldn't know peace until i killed Clive's mother. Fun fact. Whenever I talked to my friend Britt, I would talk about the game as if what was happening to Clive as if it was me ('my dad is dead', 'i refuse to believe my brother is dead', 'i've branded now and basically a slave', etc) but i absolutely refused to refer to Annabella as 'my mom'. I would always say 'Clive's mother' because i did not claim that woman as having any relation to me. That's how much I hated her. Great character tho

But yeah. I think going into the game without knowing shit about the story was seriously the best decision I made.

I don't know if there is anything in the promo material that lets you know that Joshua is alive, but for the whole begining of the game, the game is very intent in making you believe he's very much dead. And I was very intent on not believing it for the only reason that I had not seen a body. The vindication I felt when I found out he was indeed alive? It was sweet beyond words

Also i mentionned i was gonna be all over the place with this and shit if I was right :D

Ok trying to give everything more of an order

On the characters

Clive: I love him ok? I love that as a young boy he could have chosen to hate his baby brother for getting everything he should have, but instead he loved him deeply and decided to become his Shield. And then when he's older, even if he's suspicious and guarded, it doesn't take long before he decides to help everyone. And even if he's very much the kind of character who takes everything upon his own shoulders, he still let other people helped. Sure sometime he needed to be reminded to do so, but hey he's only human. The game is very much about connection and the bonds linking all of the characters and they did a good job showing just that with the main character.

Cid: I fell in love instantly. I mean, what else was I supposed to do? That man appears when you (clive) think you've breathe your last breath and kills all your enemies with lightning before bringing you to safety. Took me 0.1 second to ship him with Clive. Also Cid's voice actor? Damn sir, love your voice. Also the first time he started coughing I went 'oh no. You're going to die aren't you?' So for the whole time with him, I *knew* he was doomed by the narrative. I held out hope that he would just be seriously injured and be confined at the hideaway for as long as I could. Basically when Clive first step into the new hideaway and you can't find Cid anywhere. Because yes, Clive going around being called Cid wasn't enough to convince me Cid hadn't miraculously survived. Anyway, loved Cid, loved his ideals, loved that he let himself be changed too by Clive and Jill. Loved how much even after his death, he was such a huge presence in the story. Not just because Clive has taken up his name (also forgot to mentionned how much i cried when we first realise that Clive is not only keeping Cir's legacy, but his very *name* alive. A lot. I cried a lot), but just because people keep remembering him. And every character would be open about the impact he had/still had on their lives.

Jill: My wife. I love her. I will die for her. So i mentionned how I was 'meh' at first with the budding romance when they are young. After falling instantly in love with Cid, I was prepared to you know, accept that Jill and Clive were the het romance and just more or less ignore it. And then the moment you can visit her in the infirmary and Clive speaks with her I went 'oh. The team behind final fantasy does it again and makes me care for their het couple SO MUCH WHAT THE FUCK. NOW KISS'. I spent the whole game telling them to kiss during cut scenes. Heck, whenever i would pet Torgal and Jill was in my party, i would take a second to go 'smooch' her even if there is no option for it. LET US SMOOCH OUR COMPANIONS SQUARE ENIX. Anyway. I love her. And I loved her and Clive relationship. I loved that she refused to let Clive do all the fighting, that she was doing her part too. That Clive trusted her and relied on her.

Torgal: Best doggo. Finding out that he was a special hound that basically took on the magic of all the dominants in his life he was loyal to fucking destroyed me emotionnally in the best way possible

Joshua: After it's revealed that he is truly alive, I don't know why exactly he still had to keep away from Clive, but i forgive him. Their reunion was really sweet. He was partly raised by a cult. Could have ended up way more fucked up all things considered. I really appreciate that, just like Jill, he took no shit from Clive. He's doing his part too, it's *their* world to save, not just Clive and he's gonna remind him as many time as he needs to.

Dion: I love him. Which is kind of a theme here, in case you haven't noticed yet xD Not many character I didn't love. Anyway, i loved him and I only wish we had much more of his backstory. That we could have played as him too maybe? I loved his dedication to his people, that he would stand up to the father he loved because he thought that was the right thing to do for the people they ruled over. I hurt for him so much for being made to cause so much pain and destruction. Even if I fully believed that even without all the guilt, he would still have done what was right at the very end at Origin, fuck if I wished he hadn't had to carry that. Or well, I wished we could have seen him afterward reunited with Terence and maybe not free of the guilt, but keeping afloat and channeling it into working to make everyone's life better. Also I was so happy when I found out he was queer and in a canon relationship with Terence omg??? Yes, there has been more and more video games with queer representation, but I was so happy to see it in final fantasy. And that it wasn't made into a big deal, that it seemed just as legitimate as a het romance in their world? Just like the soldier and the veil courtier in northreach, i just loved seeing those addition

Barnabas: HE WAS ANNOYING AS ALL FUCK! I just wanted to kill him and be done with it. At one point he more or less says 'I'm not a puppet. I just do what my lord Ultima tells me to do' SO YOU'RE A PUPPET THEN. THAT'S WHAT WE MEAN WHEN WE SAY SOMEONE IS A PUPPET MY DUDE.

Ultima: THEY WERE EVEN MORE ANNOYING THAN BARNABAS!! Basically Ultima was the cause of every problem. So they're a 'god'. They say 'we gave the miracle of magic' and in practially the same breath 'magic is the reason behind the blight'. Then that asshole discard their physical form, travel to somewhere untouched by the blight and goes 'you know what's missing here? Magic. Let's harvest the eather so i can do a giga spell that will allow me to get rid of the blight. The blight that's caused by magic. Also I need a physical body so imma plant the seed of humanity so after a few centuries i'll have a vessel that will allow me to cast the spell'. Which like ok. Personally i wouldn't conclude that the solution to the blight caused by the use of magic is MORE MAGIC, but you do you Ultima. At that point they only had themselves to fuck over with the decision. But then, they create humanity. Which ok fine. If you were really a god you wouldn't need humans for a vessel but whatever, we are not talking about your presumed godhood here. No the point that infuriates me is what comes next. 'While my plan was in action, i decided to wait the centuries i needed to wait by sleeping. And then *legasp*, humanity dared to develop a will while i was sleeping, the greatest sin of all'. And i'm like... BUT THATS A YOU PROBLEM YA CUNT? You created humanity without thinking to prevent them from growing a will of their own and then decided to sleep on the job? And now you are throwing a tantrum because they possibly have another solution to fix the problems *you* caused that doesn't involve them all dying? My good dude, if you truly were a god, you would have been able to destroy everyone's will easily and there would be no game. But! Even if they're second in the list of character i hate (1st place goes to Annabelle), i truly appreciate that the game pointed out how much of a hypocrite they were being via Clive and Joshua's dialogue after that info was revealed to them. I've read enough stuff where the 'god' is clearly an hypocrite and its just 'uwu, but they're a gos tho' to appreciate their 'ultima is a big hypocrite and humanity could have helped them too but they decided to abandon us so let's go kill a god' stance on the whole thing.

There are more characters of course but basically, i loved them all or loved hating them.

On the story

So i covered some of it with my talk about the characters but I enjoyed it? I loved that there was many layers to it.

The progression between 'political intrigue but with magic' to 'let's go kill a god and hopefully save the world' was, in my opinion, really well made. They bled nicely into one another and raised the stakes of the game progressively instead of throwing you directly into 'WE SHALL SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD' territory. Like nothing wrong with it, but it felt way more achievable with the progression.

I also loved how they brought the sidequests into it. To unluck sidequests you need to progress the main story and each sidequests help with the worldbuilding and character backstories. It makes you care a bit more about the people of that world, makes you want to fight so they can continue to live. It makes you hope for a happy ending, make you *believe* it's possible. If you do all the sidequests, it's pretty much about the same thing. People connecting, people coming together and working together for peace. For a world where everyone can live as they choose to do so.

And they did a very good job of making the people who had died still have a presence in the story. Cid and Elwin come to mind of course, but most allies had a story of having lost someone who made them into who they were and gave them a reason to fight for what they fought for.

Final Fantasy XVI is a lot about coming together. But it's also a lot about remembering who came before us. Of honoring their sacrifice, honoring their history. It's about coming together in the hope of not repeating the same mistakes. I loved that a lot.

Also i appreciate that you can complete all the sidequests before completing the main story. Because listen. I'm a sidequester. I will complete all of them as soon as they are available to me. And sure if it's after i completed the main game (looking at you FFXV) i will do it. But I won't be happy about it, especially if the sidequests do not change the ending. If it doesn't change the ending, let me do the sidequests before i finish the game and get emotionally destroyed

Also!! The dialogues with NPCs or overheard when your walk about!! I was so delighted that they would change depending of when in the story you were at?? I made sure I would go everywhere I could in between main story quests so that i would could hear everything.

As for the ending...

The thing with final fantasy games is i love the games. The endings are usually narratively satisfying. Do i agree with them tho? Fuck no. My heart is made of fluff ok? I want a happy ending everytime.

So that means imma completely ignore the bullshit ending that made me cry for about 30 minutes and will probably make me cry for the next few days whenever i remember it. Also i will cry whenever i replay the game. It won't be right now though, because I am still emotionnally unstable and restarting from the begining will kill me.

the only negative point about the game

Listen. Annabella? Good vilain character. I loved hating her.

BUT I WISH I COULD HAVE KILLED HER MYSELF OKAY?

I hope Clive would get to kill her. Or Dion. Or Joshua. Heck, before I realised how much of a creep Olivier was, I was even ready for that kid to kill her. I just wanted her to die at the end of one of her sons or Dion.

And ok sure, she had a pretty terrible death, but I wish i could have had my vengence on her for all the terrible stuff she caused.

[nyxi-pixie]

double byler are so funny (this is actually not funny at all they make me sad) bc both pairs have relationships in which theyre very dependent on each other for emotional comfort so when theyre apart their relationships suffer pretty badly

both jancy and byler have been shown to have a bond based at least partially on shared trauma. w jancy murray even goes as far as to say its like the main reason they shld get together which. hmm. but yk more to my point. and byler constantly have heart to hearts because theyre each others emotional rock and this probably goes back further than UD shit bc wills been TraumaMan for his whole life (and feels mike is the only one who he can be emotionally vulnerable with without being babied or treated like hes weak-s2 kinda suggests mikes been there for him in Will Byers Trauma Times TM before). thanks lonnie😒😒

its v obvious w mike and jonathan actually bc neither of them seem to talk to anyone else about their issues. like will leaves and mike immediately devolves into isolating himself and straight up depression because clearly theres some family issues which prevent him from opening up abt his feelings (he hugs karen like 3 times in the whole show but he Never talks to her abt shit. despite her attempts to get him to open up that one time w her queer coded as fuck lil speech. anyway repressed lil emo mike only ever opens up with will. so no will=no talking abt emotions=unhealthy michael.)

and jonathan turns to weed (and argyle omg theyre bfs so true) because he wont turn to his family for support bc hes unhealthily selfless and doesnt want to burden them with his issues (likely due to the parentification. oh boy someone help him) but he and nancy understand each other bc theyve been through the same shit (which also means they dont feel like they burden each other bc like. u cant burden someone if theyre already sharing the weight yk?) but seperation=losing that support so their relationship, which relies so heavily on that mutual understanding, suffers.

nancy and will are doing a little better individually. because guess what: they have HOBBIES.(jon also does but he seems to have abandoned it. rip his i wanna take a pic era. and mike has d&d but in the between time between oh no wills gone and oh yay eddie my beloved, hes doing shit. and even w d&d his grades are still affected by his mental place and his rooms super messy so like. doing better but still not great.)

we see that wills super into art (which is known to be therapeutic so double woo points) again after doing it less in s3. and he seems to be specifically using it to deal w his sad gay feelings (channelling shit like the introspective king he is 🤩). also hes got people other than mike to offer emotional support. even with jonathan not available, he can still talk to joyce (st character with positive relationship w a parent❗holy shit how rare❗❗). also its will. if hes in his feels hes just gonna vibe with it. 'oh misery my best friend lets hang out for a bit 😍😍' (prolly bc jonathan put his whole jonussy into making sure will was okay w having emotions. as a part of his mission to spite lonnie. SLAY KING) compared to the wheelers who are like 'um what the fuck is an emotion ive never felt one i swear. wdym u saw me crying yesterday🤨?? no u literally didnt that was my evil twin😒.'

anyway that brings me to nancy. who. yk shes doing Okay. the second anyone brings up jon shes about to commit crimes against them so yk not totally good but coping. bc she kinda just full body throws herself at that school newspaper stuff so she has a distraction and its working okay. until her new friend-w-glasses-destined-to-die- horrifically, dies horrifically.

but then she has emotional support through surrounding herself w people who Get It. (woooo robins around and nancy feels comfortable for once!!!!) i mean shes also almost reverting to steve bc nancys trauma response is just 'i can only ever be emotionally vulnerable with romantic partners bc i havent had a friend since s1 and my family dont know shit abt the monster dimension (plus ted is actually just a cardboard cutout with a robotic voice box that blurts out 1 of 10 phrases on a timer). apart from mike. but idk hes busy crying over his bf and we can never open up to each other in a genuine way bc repression is the Wheeler Way To Slay' but yk shes at least partially coping.

but their relationships basically get totally fucked bc oh no if we cant have heart to hearts in physical proximity we are going to Die. also communication without magical telepathy through eye contact??? whos she??? (esp w byler. u cant have effective coded conversations over the phone. and theyve got all their other reasons for not talking: will doesnt wanna reach out first and have mike brush him off bc oh dear the 3x03 fight really fucked with him didnt it. and mikes desperately trying to call but for fuck sake how is their phone always busy. and he wont use letters bc idk hes too gay for that he keeps signing them w 'love mike. ps im in love w u in case u didnt get that😍😍😍')

and jancy. oof. jons like 'i have to appease literally everyone in my life apart from myself and i cant do that bc yay nancy means boo family and yay family means boo nancy so now i think i will have a crisis bc if im honest with her she will Hate me. yes i am so rational' and nancys like 'wtf is going on does he hate me or smthn. i am also totally rational' and they wont talk abt it bc theyre scared of pissing each other off. (and have no example of healthy relationships to follow)

basically. double byler are codependent in a way that isnt Necessarily unhealthy - in fact when around each other, they seem to do better Because of that reliance on each other. it allows them to be emotionally vulnerable in a way that they cant be w anyone else (even will who has like the most supportive family ever <3 still feels most comfortable being open w mike as evidenced by his talk w jon in s2).

BUT. seperation fucks over their relationships and their individual mental health. and thats where the unhealthy aspect comes in. bc over reliance on one person is gonna Fuck Shit Up. (it wouldnt be so bad if they still communicated regularly thru letters and phone calls but yk self hatred is a bitch and theyre all very insecure.)

[your-highnessmarvel]

From Bleak to Bright - Part Ten

All other parts on on my masterlist, link provided below.

AN: omg this chapter is so sad!!!

Warnings: angst, language

MASTERLIST - SERIES MASTERLIST

PART TEN

You cried so much that you forgot what it felt like to not have your breath caught in your throat, or tears in your eyes, wetness on your cheeks. Even if you’d barely spent a week with Loki, when he left you there, without even trying to get to you, the bond inside of you screamed. It’s even worse than when you couldn’t see him, when Natasha and Bruce were trying to get you to stay away. Now that’d you’d had a taste, you just wanted more, and the bond that had been a knot in your belly now felt like burning fire.

Thor took you in his arms and brought you back to a jet, but both the wound on your head and the one in your heart kept you from having any conscience of it. You were crying so hard it hurt, your stomach clenching, breaths hiccupping out of your lungs, eyes swollen.  

The last thing you remembered before they put you under, pressing a mask to your face, was the wretched sobs coming from your throat.

Your dreams were nothing but black. It was like floating in space, with no stars, with no air, and the suffocation of the dream left you even more anguished than Loki’s departure.

Why hadn’t he tried? Why hadn’t he at least tried to take you with him, instead of looking at you with those eyes, his mouth parted?

You’d remember that look until the day you died.

Death was more peaceful than this.

When you woke up, Bruce was all over you, acting like the mommy you both never had. He was in your recovering room 24/7, bringing you everything you ever wanted. And when they moved you out of the recovery room and back at the Avenger’s compound, Bruce was still on your heels like a leech. 

Nat kept her eyes on you every time you passed by the door, as if you’d pounce right back out there if she dared to leave you alone.

Steve kept giving you speeches about good and evil, how Loki’s bond with you did not mean what he did was right. 

Tony dropped by once in a while, asking you questions on Loki, but all you knew was what you’d seen while at the loft, and revisiting those memories made you want to scratch your eyes out.

When you stopped talking, just shut down, they brought in a therapist. But even she couldn’t make you talk. All that anger was the only thing that made you remember him. And the bond desperately wanted you to remember him. Every single moment spent away from Loki, the bond called to him. It gave you stupid ideas to reach out somehow, to runaway, to seek out a way to get back to him. 

But you couldn’t leave. Ever. The Avenger’s compound was on lock down, and you could not be left alone in it, ever. It was your own personalized prison. 

You wished so desperately, but so quietly, that Loki would come for you. That he’d bring an army and get you back. 

But the news you overhead - because they didn’t allow you to know anything about Loki’s whereabouts - suggested Loki couldn’t give more of a fuck about you. He’d terrorized more people across the Earth, all intent on “taking over the world” or whatever. 

“He’s got Selvig,” you heard Thor telling Nat. You were lying on the couch and they didn’t know you were there as they prepared lunch. “He’s going to open a portal and bring the Chitauri army here.”

“If he does that,” Nat said with a hiss, “then it’s going to get far worse than it already is.”

You knew what she meant by that. The Avengers already had to take care of you - Loki’s soulmate - and adding an alien war to the pile was not going to facilitate their game.

And if Loki wasn’t coming for you, you wouldn’t make any effort to get back to him. 

*** Eighteen days later, Three hours before the attack on New York ***

You didn’t like the movie. Nat had chosen it as the boys had taken over the gym to have “a boys workout” as they called it. 

Nat had been careful in avoiding any romance movies, and had picked an action packed, hot boy movie with no story line and a lot of explosions. The main character was good-looking enough to distract you from the actual plot, and the fact that you did not have a phone - actually, not allowed - made you even more concentrated on the character. 

It wasn’t long before the boys came back out, smelling like sweat and rubber. Lately, they’d all been hitting the gym often since Loki’s army was waiting to invade. Tony insisted on a seven-day a week training until they’d either caught Loki or killed him.

You swallowed the lump in your throat at the image of a dead Loki in your head. Thor’s presence didn’t really help either. He kept mentioning his brother as if you weren’t even there. 

“You okay?” Bruce asked, tapping your knee as he took a seat beside you.

You wrinkled your nose. “Ew, Bruce, you smell so gross,” you whined, pinching your nose. 

He smiled, the perpetual look of caution on his face he wore only around you dropping and softening his features. 

“Come on,” he drawled, “it’s not that bad!”

But before you could answer, Tony’s cell rang. Everyone went deadly silent. You could feel the blood draining from your face as Tony brought the device up to his ear, his face severe.

Your fingers curled into fists. Your blood ran cold, colder than you’d ever felt as you watched Tony’s face tighten. 

The first thought to enter your mind was Loki’s wellbeing. 

Please tell me he’s fine.

Tony hummed and hung up. “Suit up,” he said, his tone deadly, “Loki’s opened up the portal. They’re dropping armed Chitauri in the streets.”

The entire living room activated, as if everyone around you had just been waiting for Tony to give the heads up. Nat launched off the couch, running upstairs to get her suit, followed my Steve and Clint - which yes, they’d manage to save between all this time.

Tony turned into the kitchen, mumbling to JARVIS.

Only Thor and your brother remained in the living room, hard like statues, their eyes emotionless.

“Who’s gonna babysit, huh?” you mumbled, but your words felt like ash on your tongue. 

“I wager I should stay,” the God of Thunder said, pointing to you. “After all, my brother will attempt to get her out of here before he obliterates the planet.”

The soulmate bond would not let him leave you here to die.

Bruce shook his head, sweaty strands of hair sticking to his forehead. “She’s my sister,” he said. “And you’re more needed than me on the battlefield.”

You frowned, anger and heat crawling up your chest like sour vines. “Bruce, if he gets here and you’re the one standing between him and me, he will go through you,” you argued, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I can take him,” Bruce shot back. “And Thor will man the streets with the rest of the team. No one is going to take this planet and no one is going to take my sister! And until Loki is either dead or locked up until the end of your days, I will never allow you out of my sight!”

Thor knew better than to stay. He vanished from the living room even before Bruce had uttered the last words, either because of the look on your face or the privacy you and your brother needed.

Bruce had stood, towering over you, his face stricken with a mix of anger and annoyance, and you looked up at him from under your brows, heaving, feeling betrayal course through your veins. 

“Bruce,” you muttered, trying to keep a lid on your anger. “I’m a grown woman. I don’t need my fucking brother looking after me forever.”

Bruce’s lip twitched. “That’s what you made us all think,” he seethed. “That’s what we thought. That we could trust you. And then you literally betrayed us and went to him with arms wide open.”

“He’s my soulmate, Bruce!”

“I don’t care!” At this point, your brother didn’t care that he was screaming and that Tony could hear him in the kitchen. “You’re a threat to yourself.”

“He wouldn’t hurt me,” you gritted from clenched teeth.

Bruce’s eyebrows shot up. “I told you the bond is different for men,” he said. “He doesn’t care about love or passion or whatever he made you think! It’s about possession, owning what is meant to be his! And with Loki, there is no possible way the bond could be -”

“You don’t know that!” Now it was your turn to stand, facing your brother like you’d done so many times as kids, but this time, it was for something a little more severe. “You say all that shit about the bond for men but you don’t even know yours! You stopped yourself from knowing her because of the shit you did to yourself!”

You regretted the words before they left your mouth, but anger had made you open up your lips and spill anything hateful that would deter your brother. And it did. It so fucking did. His face fell from that angered scrunch to something more tragic, tormented. 

Bruce had always counted on you to understand that the Hulk was not - absolutely not - Bruce. 

And there you’d been, accusing him of creating this monster he hated so much.

Bruce took a step back, his eyes falling to the ground. “If you leave this house, I will not hesitate to use force.” And then he plopped himself on the couch.

You looked up, seething, spotting Tony leaning against the door to the kitchen. He shrugged, jerking his head to the stairs, silently signaling that maybe you should retreat to your room.

Feeling like a child who hadn’t gotten what she wanted, you ran up to your room, crossing Steve in the hallway and not even bothering with wishing him luck. For all you cared at that moment, they could all burn.

You felt like your insides would fall out as you tumbled into your room, slamming and locking the door. You sat on the edge of the bed, holding a pillow to your belly, hoping the pressure would prevent your insides from spilling out.

What had you done? Why had you gone and said those things? The image of Bruce’s face falling, that look of utter bewilderment and betrayal passing across his features, haunted you. You rocked on the edge of your bed, feeling the tears brimming behind your eyes, an odd sort of pressure building in your head. 

You knew he was there before he even spoke. The air shifted, like a soft wind inside a glass jar, and the sound of fabric against fabric echoed in your otherwise dark room. 

“He’ll kill you,” you said, biting on the edge of the pillow to keep from sobbing.

“I am not really here,” he answered.

Relief and disappointment. They would not be able to hurt him if they caught him in here. He wouldn’t be able to actually touch you. 

“What do you want?” you uttered, still clutching the pillow, facing away from him.

“I can come and get you out of here,” he said, his voice calm, leveled.

You frowned. “You left me,” you whispered. “You fucking left me, Loki. You didn’t even try. And even if I wanted to go with you, my brother would rip you to pieces before you even set foot in here.”

You could sense Loki’s anger, rippling from him even in his illusion form. “You do not want to come with me?” His voice was rough, as if fighting to stay even. He was sad. 

You clenched your jaw so tight it hurt. “No.” Then you straightened. “No. Leave me alone. You’ve caused enough damage in under a month of being my soulmate. I don’t want to see you again. Now get the hell out of my room before my brother has me put in an actual cell.”

You never got an answer.

When you turned to see if he was still there, the air was empty, dark, silent, as if he’d never even been there to begin with.

DON’T WORRY! I KNOW WHERE THIS STORY IS GOING. I HAVE A PLAN ;)

tags:  @subtlemalice @yallgotkik @buckyandlokirunmylife @kaz11283 @legolas-bromance @shylittlemountain @tofeartheunknown @feelmyfckngsoul @kind-of-crazy-butthatsokay @caffiend-queen @tomhollandsslilslut @lady-loki-ren @nathan-no @rosaline-black @abundanceofcarolines @my-own-oracle @it-was-all-a-beautiful-dream @marvelouslovely @drbaureid @bored-as-hell-666 @youhavemyfantasticbeasts @theinfinitenerd @toe-vind-ek-jou @ink-and-starlight @blank-bakabane @sunshineonloki @holaamishamigos @palegoopbearlight @heyarely16 @pleaseexecuteme @athalahild @help-i-need-a-social-life @tapismyforte @coloursforyourportrait @celestialstarshadow @fukyouthink @lust-for-pan @thic-thor 

[skunked-up-kicks]

Omg... same... I don't remember my first reaction to that kevin-andrew staring line, but like for example, it took me a while to get why Nicky warned Neil not to look too much at Kevin. And when people interpret things sexually/romantically in the fandom I'm definitely surprised, like the cigarette pack in Andrew's back pocket turned into staring at his ass etc. I did find stuff like Andrew brushing Neil's back more telling, but I didn't read every moment from a sexual attraction lense u know

I don't know if my last ask made sense but basically same sometimes im like "oh you guys think this line is about attraction. ok. i didn't know that" i feel like i learnt to see the romance/attraction in most of it bc i remember i felt like neil for the longest time -- i didn't see the signs of 'attraction' a lot of the time, though i did see more blatant flirting

lil disclaimer thingy: i understand everyone reads book differently and is coming from different perspectives, and i'm not intending to shame anyone or anything, just wanna talk about my experience reading aftg.

so, if i'm being honest... i do genuinely find it so baffling that people read certain scenes (mainly book 1 scenes) as sexual. like you mentioned the infamous 'neil sussed the twins out by which one had a cigarette packet in their back pocket' scene that people have turned into 'neil was ogling andrew's ass'. which.. neil is a respectful king and would never, okay? i hate when ppl make him into a fucking creep :// but also it's a good example of an early moment in the series that showed how observant and clever neil could be so it also makes me sad that the moment got stripped of that in favour of it being sexual :(

anyway, besides sexual clearly not being how it's intended to be read, it's also weird to me because like... my mind was not at all in the place to be reading scenes as sexual when i first read that scene.

we've just been introduced to neil not that long ago, and he's been presented to us as a traumatized teenager who's been squatting in his highschool's gym locker room, seems to have a nicotine addiction, is really anxious, has seen his mum die, and i'm also pretty sure there's lines about how lonely neil is and about how much he's grieving his mum. not that long before the cigarette-in-back-pocket scene doesn't neil have a moment at the window where he thinks "one of us has to make it mum"??

what i'm very poorly trying to explain is that, at least when i first read the books, i was really attached to neil early on and more importantly i was really protective of him. cause he's a child really... and a very hurt and distressed one at that, who's in a new and clearly unsafe environment. andrew's group is not presented in a good light early on, so i was rightfully suspicious and untrusting of them. how people can be given a character like neil in a situation like that and be playing matchmaker almost immediately is... yeah.

like... my mind wasn't in the place to be going "oooo neil thinks one of them has a nice ass!!🥴🥴"... LIKE? the scenes before certainly aren't set up in a way that's leading you down that train of thought...

it's the same as the scene where neil puts andrew's hand under his shirt, people talked about seeing that as sexual too. but andrew's been raped literally like 2 or 3 pages ago??? when i read those kinds of posts i can't help but think "how is this what's on your guys minds right now??..."

plus, when people say they saw these moments as sexual attraction they are often also implying they were thinking "maybe they'll get together". which is why i mentioned that i didn't trust andrew's group, cause i assumed everyone else felt the same, so i also assumed that like me they wouldn't be thinking of neil possibly getting with any of them... cause if you don't think they're trustworthy... why would you? i just wanted to protect neil from them ngl :') the only other character i liked at the time besides neil was wymack cause he actually showed that he cared about neil's wellbeing.

even that scene where andrew runs his fingers also neil's back, i honestly thought andrew was trying to intimidate neil... cause i didn't fucking like or trust andrew! he had non-con drugged not that long ago and i was still pissed at him and his group at the time. plus, andrew had used touching neil as a way to try and intimidate him before that so. even if i had picked up on the fact that andrew was attracted to neil from that during my first read, i wouldn't have thought they'd be getting together, or even wanted them too lol.

also because, aside from what i've said, there was also the fact neil told us he didn't swing... some scenes happened before that but most that people talk about happened after. if i'm reading a book and i'm having moments where i'm thinking maybe someone is attracted to the main character it's because i assume something might actually happen!

but i believed neil was aro/ace and so i wasn't looking for moments of neil being attracted to people, or moments of others being attracted to him. i never really bothered trying to read between the lines, it never even crossed my mind for so long... cause i had already set my mind on "neil won't end up with anyone". i only remembering it occurring to me at the "doesn't mean i wouldn't blow you" scene.

and honestly, when that happened i remember thinking something like "andrew's gonna end up getting rejected". idk? i never doubted neil was aspec, i started off thinking he was aro/ace like i said but i never went "oh he's gay", i just went "oh so he's not aro/ace but he's somewhere on the spectrum of being asexual".

and also tbh... i liked that neil never thought of things sexually. it was nice :'( and seeing his own thoughts and actions getting interpreted in that way, especially after we should have been under the assumption he wasn't interested in things like that... it rubs me the wrong way.

(i know aro/ace ppl can have relationships and/or have sex, but the way neil presented his sexuality and acted when hit on. to me, it made it seem like he was completely uninterested in either)

i can understand going back through the book after reading for the first time and being like "oh andrew's actions or words here might have been partially motivated by his attraction to neil at the time!", but through the first read? and for neil?? it's weird to me...

this is quite long so sorry bout that lol, i think i'll leave it here. it's nice to see someone else feel a similar way anyway ;^;

again, i don't think it's wrong if people read it differently. it just confuses me cause it's so different from my experience reading it and what i would expect it to be like for others

[purplerose244]

My thoughts on Seabound!!! 🌊🌊🌊 (2/4)

SPOILERS ALERT!!!

For now, nothing to complain about! We got Nya, we got MAYA AND RAY, we got GILES PANTON BACK A LEGO SHOW!!! 😍😍😍

Of course now I'm definitely curious about what the story is really about, like I'm guessing Wojira will wake up at some point so... Great Devourer all over again maybe? 😅 Idk, for now I just wanna enjoy Nya having her moment 🥳

Alright, here we go!

GENERAL THOUGHTS

New alert for reader, during the Nexo Knights period I was and still am the hugest Clay fan. Now that his voice is in this season I might scream more than necessary... keep that in mind 😅

I love the humor in this, all random but still kinda clever 😂😂 Maybe I'm biased because I love Jay but still 🤷‍♀️

I really like the design of the marine world, very cool!! 🌊🌊🌊

I guess I'm not really seeing any big plot twist moment for now? Ninjago seasons have history of basing seasons on a "we need to prevent this event from happening but it will happen anyway", so I can see Wojira waking up no matter what 🤷‍♀️

I wonder if that will be shocking? Usually when this situation happen, someone makes a major sacrifice (Zane with the Overlord, sensei Garmaron with Chen, again sensei G with the Preeminent...). Maybe Maya? I DON'T WANT THAT 😭 But I am curious, everything is going nicely and I'm not sure what it will bring! 🤩 I'M EXCITED SO LET'S GO!!!

THE WRATH OF KALMAAR

So this is the name of Clay's new incarnation, neat! 👍

Okay really, for having a season lately the main character just can't help but be trapped by the villain: kinda Zane in the ICE Chapter, Jay in Prime Empire, Cole in Master of the Mountain... we can call it a tradition at this point 🤷‍♀️

Giant serpent, yadda yadda, I wonder if we're gonna address the Great Devourer at some point? Not mandatory, but the reference would be very cool 🤩

Clay's new incarnation is a prince I- *hyperventilates in awe*

Nya playing dumb lol, I don't know if that's personal experience as she used to get kidnapped a lot in the past or she just have too many idiots in her life 😂

ALSO ANOTHER BEST GIRL'S SMIRK

NYA YOU'RE TOO MUCH ILY ❤💙❤💙

Jay I love that you're so worried about Nya but maybe try NOT TO DIE? YOU'RE WITH LLOYD AND ZANE YET YOU'RE THE ONE GOING FOR THE SACRIFICE WTH?? 😱 But he's worried about his cool GF I kinda get it, also he didn't do it so good...

WHAT. THE. HECK.

WHO ARE YOU OH MY FIRST SPINJITZU MASTER YOU'RE ADORABLE I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU YOU ABSOLUTE CUTIE 🤩🤩🤩

So Giles is doomed to voice LEGO characters with daddy issues 😂 That being not having a dad at all or having one that is... a good guy? Idk he seems chill with the surface at first glance, I wonder what's the story of this family

Maya reminds of my mom, she also mentions her work a lot and I study the same thing. But she doesn't want to brag, it gets annoying but she just wants to give me advice. It's nice to see actually 👍 Also Ray reference NEAT ❤❤❤

Wow, if any child-parent couple of this show was doomed at going semi Emperor's New Groove style, I would've bet on Ed and Jay honestly 😅

Oh HECK yes I knew that with my water girls things were BOUND to get cool 😎 ... yeah I know where the door is *goes away*

JAY NO WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT TRYING TO DIE STOP DOING WHAT YOU'RE DOING!!! 😱😱😱

My GOSH that scared the crap out of me 😅 Jay honey we have too many deaths in this team, you're not helping... BUT YOU POWERED AN ENTIRE SHIP BECAUSE YOU LOVE NYA AND YOU DIDN'T DIE AND I LOVE YOU SO MUCH BLUEBELL 💙💙💙

They were all so worried, I love this ninja family so freaking much 💜💜💜 Also better not tell this one to his GF 😂

And Bluebell?

Welcome to the "change eye color because of elemental power" team! WE GOT ANOTHER ONE I LOVE WHEN IT HAPPENS!!! 😍😍😍

Awww, Zane letting Jay be the captain, that was so cute of him 💕

Another great episode! Doing great so far but I still wonder if we got into the main story. Feels like there should be more, well we got time! Next one! 😊

LONG LIVE THE KING

Sooooo... that's one very telling title 😅 If we're going full Lion King on this one, I think I know where this is going 😵

Maya: Don't they know that metal taste terrible?!? (Again feels like Kai could say something like this 😂)

FINALLY NYA USING FREAKING WATER POWERS UNDER THE SEA!!! Thank you Maya for saying out loud what we were all thinking 👌👌

NINJA TO THE RESCUE!!!

Pff, okay, the fact that Kalmaar is all evil and cruel and then he gets startled like that, it's kind or adorable! 💕 Honestly Giles got such a deep voice, with Clay it was firm warm and reassuring, here we got plain devious and I ADORE it 😍😍😍

Maya come on don't doubt your daughter 😅 But I like her, and if she knew Nya they way we all do she wouldn't doubt that she could make it every time 😎

Yeah I was right, the king seems chill... oww I fear what's coming then 😳

Okay, so Kalmaar thinks that the world should go back to be lead by them like in the past, while the king just wants peace with the surface. And as we know, no drama no season so...

Yep, saw the death coming 😅

WHOA DID NOT SEE THAT LITTLE BLAME ACT COMING KALMAAR IS SO EVIL!!!... with a glorious voice but still (Rose focus on something that is not that godlike voice, you can do it 💪💪)

THE OLD ONE TWO I LOVE THIS SO MUCH COMBO ATTACK!!! 🌊❄🌊❄

Awww Benthomaar is actually really cute, he's so worried about his father 😢 And he's adopted apparently? I wanna know the story!!! 🤩🤩

Yep, there's the reason why Zane got a mask even though he doesn't need one, it completes his attire 😂😂😂 My gosh how I love this nindroid ❄

Did... did Jay just say phooey? Dude Ducktales ended a while ago but I'm still not over it 😭

I said it once before I'll say it again, Ninjago is really REALLY good at making death scenes. Like, omg, I genuinely felt sorry for them 😢😢 I also really liked that the king didn't ask to be avenged, he still wanted peace and he asked his son to protect the ninja and he cried actual tears...

MY HEART WTH 😭😭😭 So we're adding this to the real tears moments of the show, with Jay crying over pie, Zane with the flashback of his dad, Jay crying over Nya and Lloyd thinking the ninja are gone... my world this show is angsty 🙂

Third startle for prince Kalmaar, I love the gag 😂 Oh wait, king Kalmaar 🤷‍♀️

Okay, we got a coup, the ninja running away because they got framed, Benthomaar is most likely going to join them or at least help them, I guess Wojira will come out at some point while... Kai, Ray and Cole are still playing videogames? 😅

THIS IS GETTING COOL I WONDER WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT AAAAHHH HECK YES THERE IS THE HYPE!!! 😍😍😍

Although I hope we get more stuff with Nya and Maya, that's what I like 🤩

ESCAPE FROM MERLOPIA

I'm good at English and I can follow most of it, but the fantasy names are tricky so I didn't get before that this was the name of the place 😅 It's nice, at least it's not another Atlantis 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

LLOYD I SWEAR TO YOUR GRANDPA IF YOU TRY TO DIE AGAIN 😱

NYA YOU ARE NOT A GOOD SUBSTITUTE NONE OF YOU ARE OMG 😱😱

Ah, there he is, my new son Benthomaar 💙 He is so lovable already, I know nearly nothing about him and I like his character already a lot! He could relate with all of the ninja really, but maybe with Jay the most? They were both adopted after all 🤔🤔

*scribble note for a fanfic for later if this doesn't come up in the season*

Alright moving on 😗

I am so happy Nya gets a season, Kelly got a great emotional range that doesn't come out often in my opinion, but with a full introspection of water goddess we are all blessed by her voice acting 😍

Gotta say, admitting that Bentho didn't have to help them to answer the usual 'Can we trust him' question is pretty reasonable, like, better than other stupid answers 😅

Also don't mind me

Just screenshotting by ship 💙❤💙❤

Somehow lately we are letting Jay do the talking and I both hate and LOVE the fact 😂😂 Plain Bluebell nonsense, heck yes that's my jam👌👌

MAYA IS SO COOL OMG 🤩🤩

I literally can't not laugh at the startle gag with Kalmaar 😂

LLOYD WHAT DID I JUST SAY ABOUT SELF SACRIFICING!! PLEASE IT'S NOT EVEN YOUR SEASON!! 😱😱😱😱

Aww Jay is still the Captain, nice! Wonder if it's giving him Skybound flashbacks... I hope not considering all he went through that time, poor Sparky 😅😅

ARE THOSE LITTLE WU ROCKETS?? 🤯

Can we skip a season and hang out with Pixal one time? I really wanna know how she organizes her free time to create these things 😍😍😍

THANK YOU LLOYD FOR NOT DYING ONCE AGAIN, MUCH APPRECIATED!!! 💚💚💚 My green bean needs a vacation... they all do 😅

THEY ARE

SO BEAUTIFUL 💙🌊💙🌊

Alright, back to the island hoping Kalmaar will not track us and follow us so he can get to the place and discover the amulet 🙂

Are we not calling the others? I miss my flame babe and Rocky ❤🖤❤🖤 Also RAY WATCHA DOIN I WANNA KNOW EVERYTHING 🤩🤩

THE TALE OF BENTHOMAAR

Wait what? Shark boy backstory? SHARK BOY BACKSTORY?!? 👀👀👀

Wow, I see that Kalmaar didn't change a thing growing up, still the same gonna-be-a-villain 😂 Of course his voice got a lot deeper and cool and okay you know I love his voice moving on

I find it kinda funny that Kalmaar is so focused on royal blood and superiority, while Clay was basically a farm boy who worked his way up. Giles knows how to get the character no matter what 😍

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

BABY BENTHOMAAR AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍💙💙💙💙💙💙💙

The king seems like such a good pers- fish- creature 😅 Now I'm double sad that he died, my world, why do I always care so fast, it's not healthy in this show where everyone could die 😰😰

I'M SORRY IS THAT KAI'S HAIR??? 😂😂😂 I LITERALLY CAN'T LOOK AWAY WTH I DON'T KNOW HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS

Literally every frame of Benthomaar makes me love him even more 😢

Interesting that we got an academic villain, he kinda reminds me of Clouse in a way, maybe even Harumi since she studied her way to her plan as well? I like that we got a bit of personality too!

Using your little bro for your own purpose... it's very evil but kinda also brotherly like 😂

Benthomaar really gives me that very PRECIOUS vibe, kinda the perfect son but also a naive and unaware BABY 💙

LEGO HUG 🤩🤩 Not exactly reciprocated but still 😅

Ooohhh, so this is how he found the temple! I like this, it shows that Bentho is most likely physically stronger than Kalmaar, while evil brother is focused on brain and studies. They are planned differently, I like it! 😚😚

Ouch, peer pressure... sibling pressure? Eh you get what I mean 😂

POOR BENTHO 😭😭😭 YOU GOT THE NINJA NOW DON'T WORRY WE'RE NEVER GONNA LEAVE YOU ALONE YOU PRECIOUS SHARK BABY!! 🦈🦈🦈

Bentho: will I really fit in with you guys? Do you really understand how I feel?

Lloyd: Jay was adopted, Nya's parents were gone most of her life, Zane lost his father while mine turned evil

Bentho(tearing up): yeah that can work

Okaaaaayyyyy, I like that we got a bit of backstory for Bentho too! We didn't get much for Vanya in Master of the Mountain, which is the only thing I was sad about (very little detail, AMAZING season 🖤🖤🖤), nice to see it here!!

But I really want more Nya and Maya interactions, I hope we'll soon get to them again!! 😍😍😍

Alright, getting somewhere here! I'm very curious about what's next 🤩🤩