#(read: not a whole heck of a lot in most situations)

[goldfades]

𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 ─ PB⁵

౨ৎ ─ summary | paigey being your girlfriend - a list of relationship "headcanons"

─ warnings | in a bullet-point formatting, i hope you guys like it! fluff (lmk if yall want nsfw ones bc i can provide), paige being DOWN BAD, social media tingz, maybe alluding to being outed but not really, some angst but you can skip over it, paigey being protective (duh), nothing else?

─ taglist | @xocherishxo @iienstein @yazmunson and here's a link to my taglist if anyone would like to join!!

─ ev's notes | THIS IS SUCH LONG MESS BECAUSE I'M HAVING PAIGE BRAINROT RN, but i hope y'all enjoy nonetheless LOL being in my paige era i've read so many of these and i'm sure you guys have as well, so i'm making this as unique (or descriptive) as i possibly can to make it because it's more fun to read (and write cus im a sucker for details)

PRE-RELATIONSHIP STUFF

when you guys first started dating, i feel like paige would be kind of secretive about it

maybe secretive isn't the right word but very... private but not secret type of vibe (at least irl)

not because she doesn't want to show you off, because believe me, she wants to (she's a bragger what can i say)

but just because she wants to keep you all to herself for a while

she knows that as soon as people find out about it, everyone will be talking about it and making assumptions and she just wants to keep you to herself

at least for a couple months

she doesn't care about the public's opinions but she wants to make sure that y'all are LOCKED IN before she makes it public on social media

but it's clear to paige that y'all are very much locked in after the first couple weeks

she's not new to relationships and she's had her fair share but she can tell that it's different now

so the whole "not sure if i wanna hard/soft launch her cus what if we're not a long term" sentiment turns into "i wanna keep this special thing to myself ONLY for at least a couple months"

and of course the entire team knows paige is down bad for you, they've never ever seen her this WHIPPED

because paige seems like she'd be nonchalant and SHE IS... for people she doesn't give a fuck about

so when she likes someone, she LIKES someone

she is extra what can i say

they tease her about it and in any other situation, she would be annoyed but she loooooooves it because it's like "yeah i'm in the best most awesome relationship with the cutest sweetest and kindest girl in the PLANET"

you and paige would've definitely known of each other since freshman year but like... she's kinda intimidating so you sorta tried to steer clear of her

you were really close with some of the girls on the team, specifically azzi so you saw paige kind of a lot

but sophomore year, azzi kind of pushed you guys to be close and since she knows you guys so well, IT WORKED!

you guys clicked so quick and that doesn't happen a lot with paige, it takes a lot to earn her friendship

but you practically ripped down all her walls within like an hour of talking to her

definitely the first one to catch feelings

at least... to her ;)

very much friends to lovers trope with lots of sexual tension cus who doesn't love that?

i feel like after 3 months of being really close friends, you guys would spend like a shit ton of time together

you guys were ALWAYS together

she even tried to convince you to come to practice with her but you said no cus... what the heck

everyone knows... EVERYONE knows that paige likes you

and it kind of becomes like cemented (for paige at least) after she realized you were her literal COMFORT PERSON

like after every terrible, long practice or after losing games all she wants to do is be AROUND YOU so she could forget about everything

especially when she gets injured, she's such a wreck and the only person who made her feel better was you

it wasn't even what you said or what you did, it was simply just you

and after going through such a bad time with you, she realized that she liked you and she can't keep pretending

and she asked you (yaya!) and you said yes cus you liked her back (yaya!) and everything is just YAYA

so it's safe to say she knows she's found her soulmate within a month of knowing you

but she doesn't wanna seem like she's love-bombing you or whatever so she pretended to be nonchalant

which of course FAILS because she's down bad

so she tells you she loves you within like a month of dating

i KNOW it seems bad but you guys both felt it because of the whole injury and spending every moment together

when you know, you know vibes

she told you she loved you after you were there for her through some of the worst times of her life and you said it back of course and it's all cutesy

paige's love language is TOTALLY quality time and touch

even before you were dating, she just liked having her hands on you whether it was like holding your hand while walking through a crowd, or braiding your hair, or putting her head on top of yours or something as simple as just HUGGING you

but she kept it cordial of course cus y'all weren't dating

yeah that was all thrown out the window as soon you became her girlfriend

hands on you at ALL times, it becomes so subconscious neither of you even know you're doing it anymore

so remember that whole secret relationship thing?

well... everyone kind of figures it out online after like 3 months of dating

it was because of paige, poor girl couldn't keep her hands and lips off of you after a particularly hard game and somehow 🤨🤨someone gets a picture and it was all over twitter and tiktok the next day

literally "paige bueckers girlfriend" trending after an hour of getting posted

but neither of you cared too much about it because A. it was totally worth it cus the kiss was 😫😫😫 and B. she finally doesn't have to turn off her girlfriend mode when she's with you at games

cus she has the prettiest and best gf in the world and she wants everyone to know that

the only reason she was slightly annoyed was because she couldn't hard launch you on instagram :( poor girl had potential captions in her notes :( cus she's our little drama queen:(

but that doesn't stop her cus she ends up doing it! (shameless plug right there hehehe)

now that she can freely touch you and just be herself finally, she literally doesn't GAFFF

of course nothing like over the top because sure she loves PDA to a certain extent and she's an athlete so she needs to keep it civil

RELATIONSHIP STUFF

we've already covered how paige is a physical touch and quality time girly

and paige loves spending literally all her free time with you because you just recharge her

but it isn't in like an overwhelming way

paige understand that sometimes you need quiet time (or vice versa) but the thing is she doesn't even need you to talk just being around you is enough

so idk if it's necessarily QUALITY time but just being around you and spending every free second she has with you tells you that she is in love with you

paige is the most protective person IN THE WORLD, not just with you like in general

it doesn't even have to be someone she knows, if she sees someone giving someone else a hard time SHE WILL STEP IN!

and with her friends, y'all have seen her... she does not back down and will literally murder anyone who comes for the people she cares about

so if that's with people she doesn't know, and her friends, you guys can imagine how crazy she gets over you

if somebody says something even slightly consendecing or mean, slap. someone looks at you the wrong way? slap. somebody breaths wrong around you, slap.

obviously she won't lay a hand on them first but likeeee would she back down, nope

she is actually your guardian angel

like at parties, her hand is always on you and she never ever leaves your side

you need to get a drink, she's coming to

if you need to pee? she'll wait in the bathroom for you

yeah don't expect her to leave your side

because even when she IS by your side, there is always a weirdo in your guys' ear trying to get with one (or both!) of you

but yeah she's not afraid to defend you when it comes to literally anything

and this doesn't only apply to strangers, if there is someone that you know (your friend, her friend, etc) she WILL stand by you and defend you

like she doesn't shy away from confrontation, she will say something but only if you want her to

and GOD HELP THEM if you shed a single tear, cus the next morning you bet she's saying something

like i said, paige is a confrontational person and that means she's the biggest communicator

if she has a problem, she will tell you so that you guys can fix it

but sometimes she can come off a little argumentative and like she's just attacking you

she uses a lot of "you" statements so it seems like she's pushing the blame all on to you

so that can be the root of a lot of your guys' arguments when paige is only trying to solve the issues

but of course paige doesn't back down so she will be arguing with you even if she doesn't even know why, she just hates being wrong

but she doesn't let you leave or go to sleep unless the problem is fixed (or at least on the road to being fixed)

she'll give you space, she'll go another room to take a breather but she will not let you leave until it is fixed

usually after the breather you guys can come to an agreement and then paige usually hugs all the anger outta you

cus who could resist her?

if the argument lasts a couple days (it usually doesn't unless it's something serious) paige will talk it out with her mom or her friends

and you'll usually do the same

and paige will force you to sit down and talk about it until it is FIXED because she hates not being able to talk to you

and when you guys do eventually talk about it, especially if it's a serious topic, it will end with tears with both parties

but you guys always make up and everything will be better

okay okay no more angst ... for now hehehe

i feel like paige's nervous tic would be braiding the ends of her hair so i feel like that would transfer to YOU somehow

she just likes braiding your hair!!!!!! or just running her hands through your hair, it would help her relax

and if you're like me, it will help you relax as well

if you're black/have braids, she would only touch your hair if you let her!

paigey takes pictures OF EVERYTHING so obviously that includes you

her camera roll consists of ONLY you atp, like... 20% pics of literally anything else, and the rest would just be pictures of you or something to do with you

and oh my gosh don't get me started on the damn .5's of you, some of them are HORRENDOUSSSS and paige uses them as reaction pictures sometimes

and you found out from azzi that she does indeed use them in the girls groupchat

but she argues that you just look adorable which you respectfully disagree

oh and don't get me started on her tiktok drafts, she has at least 1,000 (rip her storage)

and when y'all started dating she just makes cute relationship tiktoks but she never posts them

EXPECT the "you're spinning me around, my feet are off the ground one" cus she wants to prove to the world that she has muscles

and the tiktok girlies will cry but WHO CARES!

oh and if you're on the basketball team, they will started to fan-girl over you as well

HELLA TIKTOK EDITS

and paige will favorite, repost and comment on them

like the most down-bad, insane comments you can think of

"GET THE STRAP GET THE STRAP!" is one of many ✨✨

if you aren't on the team, trust the tiktok girlies will find a way and they will make edits of you

and paige will do the same

obviously you do the same for her, your favorites are just paige edits atp (mine too)

ESPECIALLY THE GET IT SEXY ONE OMLL

and everyone will make ship edits and cutesy things like

"omg the way paige looks at her" and like a slideshow of paige being like all 😍😍😍

after paige gets more comfortable with like the media knowing about you two, she posts you every five seconds

usually like stories and stuff and especially if you’re also a basketball player, she reposts ALL your stuff

she is a proud gf !!!

she also has a highlight FOR SURE, she loves

also she def has like 10 diff wallpapers of you and her, some are really cute and some are really… 🫣

also paige strikes me as the type to like be texting you ALL DAY

and girl doesn’t care if you reply, she will send you 8 consecutive messages of different things

“omg look at the group chat 😂 *insert screeshot*” “baby they ran out of fucking caramel at dunkin, how does that happen ?” “i ended up going to a local cafe why did this shit cost me 9$” “baby you’re coming to my game on saturday right?” “HAHA look at this meme 😂” “why haven’t you responded to my tiktok’s in 2 days?”

yes she 100% uses the laughing with tears emoji argue with the WALL

or skull emoji

she also sends you 20 minute snapchat vlogs and they’re so chaotic, especially when she’s at practice or something

kk will steal her phone and say hi then you’ll hear them play fighting for like 80% of the vlog

also she does grwm’s on snapchat too when she’s at away games and her morning voice is SOOOO SEXY CUTE

↳ make sure to check out my navigation or masterlist if you enjoyed! any interaction is greatly appreciated !

↳ thank you for reading all the way through, as always ♡

[physalian]

Writing Tone #2: Avoiding Manufactured Sincerity

There’s a scene in season 5 of My Hero Academia where two beloved teachers have been brought to some high security prison to interrogate a captured villain that turns out to be a brainwashed childhood friend of theirs. The scene is really dramatic, these two teachers are screaming at this guy, heartbroken, and when I saw the episode (shortly before quitting the entire show mid-episode over how bored I was) I was not at all as outraged and horrified as they were.

It was so tonally jarring, and so unfounded within the plot, that it was almost uncomfortable to watch. The villain they’re interrogating isn’t unfamiliar, but the plot-twist-surprise childhood friend is a stranger no one but these two care about.

I didn’t care, couldn’t empathize with why they were upset, knew nothing about their relationship with the guy beyond the ham-handed flashbacks given right that moment. I wasn’t prepared to mourn the loss of this random character, wasn’t primed ahead of time with the idea that this was a possibility to dread the scene before it happened. I was just waiting for it to be over and when it finally was, the impact it had on me was a resounding: Well that was weird. Now back to the plot.

Unfounded sincerity is the uncomfortably ugly step-sibling of plots that are starved of sincerity—look at most of Phase 4, but really, starting with Thor: Ragnarok in the MCU. Many Marvel properties are afraid to embrace the emotional moments and resort to bad jokes to laugh at themselves before the audience can laugh at them. Because how dare a late-stage superhero story about mythical gods be at all sincere in its relationships, its quiet moments, its tragedies. Nope, time for jokes.

Unfounded sincerity is when a story goes far harder with the drama, the love-declarations, the angst, the humor, where it’s trying really hard to convince the audience to care and it just isn’t working.

This happens when arguments start out of nowhere, as well, when characters explode at each other in a heated screaming match that hasn’t been left to fester for nearly long enough, undercooked and hard to swallow.

This happens when characters fall suddenly, madly in love with each other with zero dubious intervention to explain away the sudden passion.

It happens particularly when characters care a whole heck of a lot about someone the audience doesn’t, at the expense of characters the audience is invested in.

It happens when characters have emotional breakdowns and start crying over what ends up reading like spilled milk. When stoic and strong characters break over something they normally would never, for ~drama~.

This is usually both a tone and pacing issue, and a serious case of telling. The author hasn’t done any of the work ramping up a situation or relationship for proper delivery of these emotionally charged moments that are written like critical character beats we’re supposed to care deeply about.

So how does this happen?

1. The author *really* wants this scene, but writes it too early into the story

Unless there’s foul play involved, or this is a romantic comedy that isn’t supposed to be a realistic and healthy depiction of how romance works, characters suddenly declaring love for each other at the cost of their own well-being, their own character arc and journey, and their other motivations can be very frustrating to read.

But the author wants to get to the Good Stuff, so they coast on the “male + female leads = relationship” expectation without writing the why (and so ensures the rise of so many gay ships in the process). Or the male + male leads” or what have you.

2. The author cannot fluidly change tone and characters explode, instead of simmer

An argument that comes out of nowhere can really take your audience out of a scene. Your characters suddenly look ridiculous and your audience can’t follow what’s going on or why they’re so upset. This is different than a character exploding seemingly out of nowhere, but who we know has been building resentment for dozens of pages and loses it over something otherwise inconsequential.

These scenes are painfully, obviously there for manufactured drama and don’t feel natural. These characters don’t feel like people, but playthings, action figures manipulated by the hands of the author.

3. The characters involved are underdeveloped

As in the My Hero scene mentioned above, of the three characters in the scene, the “friend” we’re supposed to care about is a non-entity. The two teachers could have lost their minds over this guy’s sudden death, or the reveal that he turned traitor, or that he murdered younglings and puppies and kittens, to the same emotional impact, because we don’t care about this guy (or, I don’t, at least. I didn’t, and shouldn’t have to read the manga).

You can of course have characters who grieve non-entities, like the fridged wife trope. The difference is the audience knows we’re not supposed to know or care about that lady and the character she never was. This happens pre-plot, not mid-season 5. The frigid wife is the catalyst for the character we then come to know, not a character whose death radically changes our heroes from the people we’ve already established.

4. The tonal jump is just too extreme from the established rules of the story

Abrupt changes in tone can be very tricky to pull off, and almost always fail when it surrounds an abrupt shift in character dynamics (as opposed to something more plot-related). As in, your lighthearted comedy suddenly stops the plot so two characters can scream at each other, when this level of emotional charge hasn’t been established as a possibility.

Or the aforementioned emotional breakdown that just leaves audiences uncomfortable like the awkward friend trying to soothe a weeping companion.

—

Unfortunately, the fixes to these situations are either delete that entire scene, or go back and do a lot of rewriting so there’s enough build-up to justify its existence. Go back and write in that simmering resentment, all the little frustrations, a pre-existing tension within the relationship that is always primed to snap.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and there’s a reason the “slowburn” is so popular. Setting out from the beginning to write a fast-paced, passionate romance tells your readers to expect exaggerated displays of emotion.

My favorite musical is Moulin Rouge. This movie is insane. Everyone is hyperbolically emotional and nothing is half-assed. The dances, the belting singing, the costumes, set-design, editing, the declarations of love– they’re all dialed up to 11. So characters screaming their love or rage from the rooftops is a *lot* but you’re prepared for it from the opening scene, knowing exactly what kind of movie this is.

Even if you don’t start your story with the level of drama it will eventually reach, there should still be some sort of progression when it comes to character drama.

Last Airbender didn’t open episode 2 with the emotional intensity of Zuko and Azula’s last Agni Kai… but it did show you that this isn’t just a lighthearted comedy in episode 3, with the reveal of Gyatso’s body and Aang’s violently emotional reaction.

Speaking of episode 3, they didn’t throw in Gyatso out of nowhere. We know from the show so far that a) Aang is the last of his kind, and b) he doesn’t know this. Everything leading up to this reveal is lighthearted, sure, but with that undercurrent of dread, waiting for Aang to see for himself, waiting for that other shoe to drop.

So some things to keep in mind are:

Prime the audience with dropping that first shoe, make them aware of the building tension (romantic, aggressive, grief, or otherwise), even if not all the characters are aware.

Build that tension. If your characters will eventually explode, let them be mildly irritated first, then annoyed, then frustrated, then angry, then raging until they can’t contain it anymore.

Make sure every party involved in this dramatic moment is someone the audience actually cares about, not just someone they’re told to care about.

TL;DR: Don’t pull the trigger prematurely. It’s most obvious with suddenly passionate arguments, characters flinging insults and hurts the audience isn’t prepared for and doesn’t know about, in effort to move the plot along before it’s fully cooked.

So unless there’s some drugs or fairy magic involved, or one of these characters has a gun to their head forcing them to do this right now, people don’t just explode in a rage without some buildup first. People can explode in a rage over a seemingly inconsequential and unrelated thing, but they’re likely already upset and this one little thing is the final straw. Audiences love the anticipation of what that final straw will be, and whether the explosive drama is rage or romance, “slowburn” is immensely popular for a reason.

[ghostofhyuck]

Dark Fantasy Series 6

Vampire! Zhong Chenle x Human! Reader

Summary: You never thought that Zhong Chenle would like you, heck even go through measures of courting you just to show you that his intentions to you are genuine. Or is it? If you only knew about his real identity. 

Word count: 3.5k

TW: Contains blood, and noncon biting. Read at your own risk.

AN: I skimmed the Dracula plot just for this fic, if inaccuracies occurred, I’m sorry. 

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

Everyone would think that you’re just a typical college student who studies literature at her local town college. 

“Oh my god, you have another one!?” your friend shrieks as she sees the bouquet of flowers on your desk. 

Except what makes you stand out from the others is that you’re being courted by Zhong Chenle — one of the most popular guys in your college.

Popularity isn’t just by the looks. Sure Chenle is one of the most good-looking guys in your town, but that’s just a small part of his popularity. He came from a family who runs a centennials-old business. The Zhong family are knit-tighted and are old money. They’re highly influential. Chenle being the second son of the Zhong makes him stand out. Aside from that, he studies business while being the captain of the college’s basketball team.

Girls would die to be noticed by him. But Chenle was dubbed as an “ice prince” due to his cold yet cool image. He rarely engages in conversations with anyone aside from his friends, and has been known to turn down confessions coldly. People’s impression of him as someone who’s untouchable. Even in academic projects, he's as formal as he can be. 

You think of him as someone who’s unreachable. You did find him ideal and handsome but not enough to throw yourself on him. 

That’s why you were surprised when one day he striked a conversation with you. You thought of it as merely a coincidence. You were part-timing at your older sister’s book shop when he entered the place. You never thought that the college’s star athlete would find himself going to a book shop. 

You stared at him unknowingly as he scans around the bookshelves that contain poetry books. You watch as he scans the books, finding himself engaged between the pages, and obliviously, you have your gaze lock on him. Everyone’s right. Chenle does have a strong aura that can make everyone turn their heads on him. 

And there, he started asking you questions. Keeping the conversation going on. You were surprised by the way he talks to you, casually. You always thought that he’s a bit cold who thinks highly of himself. That’s why you’re there, quietly flustered as he gives you a small smile before waving goodbye to you. 

That’s not the only thing that happened to you. The next day, the whole school is buzzing as Chenle drives you to school. They were shocked to see Chenle step out of the car and walk towards the passenger seat in which he opens for you. Due to embarrassment, you ran away without even turning around to look at the crowd. 

You knew that day, you'd end up being the talk of the town. The girl who managed to swoon Chenle. There were a lot of stories and gossip running wild as they tried to decipher how you managed to end up in that situation. Even getting strangers to ask you and ask you what’s your deal with him. 

It didn’t stop there. Everyday, you’d go out to your house and see Chenle waiting for you outside. He’s leaning on his car and has every plan of driving you to school. You told him that it’s fine, but he insists. Even during days where you have classes and he doesn’t have, he’ll still drive you to school. 

Then came the gifts. The foods he brings you, and small gifts that he insists that it’s nothing. You tried to ignore it but you knew where it would lead, and you were suspicious of it. 

“Whatever you’re planning, stop it,” you told him one day. 

Chenle glances at you, dribbling the basketball so casually as he throws it to the ring. It went straight to it and you only watched as he caught it. 

“What do you mean?”

“You can be honest with me, if your friends just made a bet to date me or something, you can now tell me because I don’t have any plans of making myself look like a fool,” you explained, letting out a small sigh. “If you’re doing this because you’re bored, find another girl.”

“You got to stop reading romance novels in your past time,” Chenle mocked instead. “I’m not that type of guy yn, if you want, fine I like you.” 

“Stop fooling around —”

“I’m not, and if you find yourself doubting me, it’s okay,” Chenle said with a serious tone. “Because I’ll prove to you that my intentions are genuine.” 

That’s how you ended up being courted by Zhong Chenle. You know that it’s some old-fashioned thing to do but it was Chenle’s decision to do so. He has every plan of making you his. While you’re just there, accepting all things he does to you. 

You bear no feelings for Chenle at first. You found it suspicious that he chose you out of all the girls in your college. But he explains so casually that he’s just drawn to you. Whatever that means. You think. 

But as day passed by, you slowly opened your heart to him. He’s not the ice prince everyone calls. Chenle also has a side that only he opens to you. He’s good with his words, can be straightforward but you’ll find yourself agreeing with him. He also likes teasing you, and you’d come to realize that you’re lucky that you hear his laughter on a daily basis. 

Soon, you find yourself thinking that maybe being courted by Chenle isn’t that bad at all. 

“Hey!” you looked up to see Chenle in front of you. He’s wearing a plain tshirt and jogger pants. Hair still dripping wet indicating that he’s fresh from the post-practice shower. His gym bag slinged on the left side of his shoulder. 

You only smiled at him as you grabbed your backpack and stood up from the bleachers. 

“Should we go now?” you asked, Chenle only nods. He helped you get down from the bleachers and as you two began walking, he grabbed your backpack and wore it on his left arm. You only smile at his gesture but shift to the book you’re reading. 

“What’s that?” he asked, pointing out the small book you’re reading. 

“Oh, it’s Dracula by Bram Stoker,” you answered, showing him the book cover. “It’s for my Gothic Literature class, I’m doing a novel analysis for it.” 

“About vampires?” he asked. 

“Yeah, why not?” you only smiled. “The plot’s interesting plus the writing style is different.” 

“Didn’t like the novel,” Chenle casually said. “There’s a lot of inaccuracies.” 

You raised an eyebrow, “inaccuracies?”

“About vampires.”

You laughed at his comment. “Okay nerd, are you a big fan of vampires? Next thing you’ll say, twilight isn’t an accurate representation of vampires.”

“You’re right actually,” Chenle pointed out. “Vampires can actually be exposed to the sun, it’s just that they’re just more active during night because they’re more connected to the moon rather than the sun.”

“Okay where did you even learn that?” you raised an eyebrow. “What’s next? they can actually eat garlic and can actually touch silver.” 

“Vampires can tolerate garlic, it’s a food preference just like how you don’t like some types of vegetables while they can touch silver but not those silver stakes that are blessed with holy water. That’ll kill them.” 

“You’re bluffing.”

“I’m not.”

“Then how come you know much about vampires? Wouldn’t be surprised if you’re secretly a vampire.”

But Chenle only laughs at your comment. He swings his arms around you pulling you closer to his stance. “What if I am really a vampire? And then I’m gonna eat you!”

You let out a small shriek as Chenle tickles you on your waist. You squirmed your way out of his touch, and as you catch your breath, you can hear the horrendous laughter from your suitor. 

“You’re such an asshole!” you shouted, playfully kicking his shin in which he was able to dodge it quickly. 

“Sorry, it’s just you’re just too cute!” Chenle squealed, squishing your cheeks before he steals a kiss on your nose. 

“That’s not going to work Zhong Chenle,” you said, sticking out a tongue. 

“Yeah I know, I just want to kiss you,” he smirks. “Come on, let’s just go get some iced coffee for you.” 

-

“Ugh, you reek of her again,” Renjun complained the moment Chenle entered the mansion. 

“Isn’t she sweet?” Chenle proudly said, making his way towards his room while his cousin was just behind his tracks. 

“Not for me,” Renjun pointed out. “She’s too sweet that I’ll get cavities just from a drop of her blood.”

“Well that’s a relief because I have no plans of sharing her to you.” 

The older one only lets out a sigh. “The full moon will be out in a week, if you don’t get the chance to drink from her —”

“Yeah I know, i’ll die from starvation,” Chenle rolls his eyes. “Don’t worry about me, I can handle it.” 

“I just hope you’d do it in a decent way.'' It was the last thing Renjun said before leaving Chenle alone. 

As Renjun’s footsteps started to fade, Chenle could only laugh as he grabbed his phone, revealing a stolen photo of yours. 

“You don’t have to worry about that dear cousin.” 

-

Despite being courted by Chenle for months, you two never really had a proper date. You’re used to him taking you out to eat dinner or lunch just outside your college’s vicinity but the formal ones never really happened. 

So you were surprised when Chenle asks you if you’re free on Sunday night. 

“For what?”

“A date,” he said so casually and yet, it made your heart jump in joy. 

“A date?” 

“Yeah, I mean I’ve been courting you but I never really took you out for a date,” he said. 

“I mean, it’s okay with me but can I ask where?” you asked. 

“I actually wanted to invite you to my place,” Chenle pointed out. “The full moon’s happening tonight and my mother has a garden that’s full of moonflowers. It only blooms during the full moon and I want you to watch it bloom with you.”

“Oh Chenle,” you gasped. Flustered with his words. “That’s sweet of you but I'm scared that I might draw a wrong impression on your family.”

“Oh don’t worry about my family, they already like you,” he brushes it off. “I’ve told them how amazing you are and they couldn’t wait for you to be part of the family.”

You only let out a small chuckle. “Okay, I’ll be happy to watch the moonflower with you.” 

You watched as Chenle’s smile grew bigger to your answer. In a swift second, he gives you a hug and a kiss on the cheeks. “Thanks yn, you’re not going to regret it.”

“Those moonflowers better be worth it.” you teased. 

But you were only welcomed by a small pinch from Chenle. “Of course they will be.” 

When Sunday night arrived, you felt nervous. You tried your best to find the most appropriate dress you can find from your closet. 

With the help of your best friend, the two of you managed to find the most decent yet formal looking dress from your closet. It was a black sleeved dress that hugs your chest area and has an A-line skirt just above the knee. You paired it with short heeled sandals. You let your hair flow, curling the ends and doing light makeup. 

You let out a sigh as you wore the silver cross necklace that your mother gave to you. Adorning it with silver stud earrings to compliment your overall outfit. As the night deepens, you can feel your heart beating fast. The moment you heard the honk from Chenle’s car, you did everything at the last minute and grabbed the small bag that contained your things. 

As you open the gate, Chenle is there, leaning against his car’s hood. He looked exquisite in his black slacks and white sleeved polo, rolled down to ¾’s and two buttons undone. You were in daze, thinking that you indeed scored a good-looking guy as your suitor. 

Chenle glanced at you and did a double take, he was about to approach you when he stopped, you became confused when you noticed the sudden discomfort from his face. 

“Is everything okay?” you asked. 

“Oh I’m fine,” he said. “Your necklace looks nice.” 

You smiled, “really? I got it from my mom.” 

“It’s pretty,” he said looking away. “It’s a shame that I won’t be able to give you my gift.” 

You raised an eyebrow. “A gift?” 

From his back pocket, he grabs something and shows it to you. Your eyes wide at the silver necklace that’s adorned with a topaz trinket. 

“It’s beautiful,” you said, touching the topaz. 

“It’s from my mom,” Chenle answered. “I was hoping if you could —”

“Of course! I’ll be happy,” you only smiled. 

Chenle watched as you took off the cross necklace, he could only sigh internally as you placed it inside your bag. He then carefully places the necklace around your necklace. Clasping the lock before grazing his finger against your nape. 

“It’s beautiful,” you said once again. 

“Should we get going?” he asked, making you nod. 

The Zhong Mansion can be found on the outskirts of the town. It just sinked into you just how far Chenle drives just so he can pick you up. The gesture makes your feelings for him deepen. You watched as you trailed off to a more secluded part, turning left towards a dark road that seems endless to you. 

You would eye Chenle from time to time but it didn’t budge him, he kept on driving until you passed by huge bamboo stalks, swaying slightly against the wind. And from there, you noticed how there’s a few lantern lights from afar. You guessed that that’s Chenle’s place. 

After minutes of driving on the endless road, you found yourself in front of a white steel gate. Chenle honks for a few seconds before the gate opens slowly and from there, your jaw drops. 

A white mansion rests idly on a small hill. Chenle drove further until you two reached the entrance of the house. There, he shuts off the engine while you remain frozen from where you are sitting. You flinched as you felt his hands holding yours. 

“Nervous?” he asked. 

“Yeah,” you said. “Your house is huge.” 

“I know,” Chenle only said. “Let’s go inside? Everyone’s waiting for us.”

Your worries disappeared when you were welcomed by warm hugs and laughter. There were only a few people and just like Chenle said, it was an exclusive party. They keep their life private, away from the prying eyes of the public. Only a few guests are allowed and you’re just lucky that they agreed to invite you over. 

Chenle introduced you one by one to his family, and just like what he said, they seem to like you. You only smile as they give you handshakes or hugs. You found it incredibly fascinating how they’re so pale and seem ageless. You guessed that that’s what happens to rich people. 

“Finally glad to meet you,” you turned around to see a guy around your age. He’s wearing a black sheer blouse that’s tucked in his black slacks. He’s insanely pale and pretty as he gracefully took a sip from the red wine that he’s holding. 

“And you are?” you asked while waiting for Chenle who went out to get you some food. 

“Renjun, Chenle’s cousin,” he introduced. “Care for some?” 

You only stare at the wine he’s holding and you shake your head gently. “Sorry, I don’t drink red wine.”

Renjun laughs, “who says it’s red wine?”

“Then what is it?”

He brings the glass closer to you, “why don’t you find out?”

You stared at him for a second, an innocent smile forming on his lips. You raise an eyebrow before accepting it when Chenle grabs your hands. 

“Chenle —”

“Auntie is looking for you Renjun-ge,” Chenle said with a cold tone. 

But Renjun wasn’t fazed by his cousin’s words. “Alrighty then, see you later yn,” he gives you a wink before leaving you two. 

Chenle lets go of your hand. You ignored the way it hurt you, Chenle placed the plates full of food in front of you and sat next to you. 

“Sorry about that, Renjun tends to be a prankster,” Chenle apologized. His hands make their way to your wrist as he lightly presses it. 

“It’s fine, I get it,” you assured. “What’s in that drink by the way?”

“Alcohol but not wine,” Chenle answered. 

You let it be. Giving him a sign that it’s fine now and you two can start digging in. The whole night, you two enjoyed mingling with his family. Dancing to the music and even talking to his parents. They were lovely people, despite the enormous teasing that you got from them for being the first girl Chenle has brought, you couldn’t help but feel at home with them. 

“It’s almost eleven,” Chenle pointed out. “Should we go see the moonflowers?”

“What about your family?” he asked. 

“I know a perfect spot to watch it, come on,” you weren’t able to say yes when he tugs you away. 

You two walked towards the backyard of their property. A wide grassfield that's a field with nothing but tall trees and wildflowers. You only hold on to Chenle as he finds the route towards the garden of moonflowers.

“Wow,” you mumbled as you two reached the garden. Chenle finds the marbled bench that’s beside a pillar where the moonflower vines crawled. You looked at the white buds, they’re twitching as the full moon slowly rises, gray clouds acting like a curtain opening slowly the bright gleam of the moon. 

You sat there in awe, watching the moonflower bloom slowly and beautifully. Your eyes widen in amazement because it’s the first time you have witnessed a flower bloom, let alone in the middle of the night. 

“This is amazing,” you only mumbled. “I’m so glad that you brought me here. Thank you Chenle.” 

“I’m happy too,” he smiles. 

Silently, you gaze on his eyes. That’s when you noticed how his eyes weren’t in the shade of black, more of a unique reddish brown. The two of you stared at each other for a second before Chenle leaned on you slowly. 

You couldn’t help but to close your eyes as Chenle’s lips crashed onto yours. It was soft, tasted like cherries, so sweet and addicting that you couldn’t help but to kiss him back. You can feel your heart beating fast, the feeling was something new yet blissful. 

Chenle’s arms trailed around your waist, you couldn’t help but to distinctively wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him closer as you two kissed each other under the bright moonlight. 

He breaks the kiss, leaving trails on your jaw, going down and down, earning a moan from you as you feel his lips on your neck, somewhere you’re sensitive the most. 

But your eyes widened as you felt something sharp — a deep sting stabbing on your neck. You let out a mute scream as you tried to grasp for air. The stabbed deepens more and as you try to push Chenle away, his grip on your arms tightens. 

“Chenle…w-what?” you stuttered, finally having the courage to speak. You let out a scream as you felt the stab being removed from your neck. As you come face to face with Chenle, you watch as he licks his lips in pleasure, blood dripping from his fangs — something that you were surprised that he had. 

“Fuck you’re so sweet,” he said. “I’ll never get tired of drinking your blood.” 

“What?” it was the only thing you could say. Your mind is turning hazy, feeling the blood dripping out of your neck. You feel pale and weak, watching Chenle cup your cheeks. His eyes turned red fully. 

“You’re driving me crazy yn, your blood is driving me crazy. You don’t know how much I endure taking you in whenever I’m with you,”

The truth was out. You can feel your tears flowing out from your eyes. No wonder he was drawn to you. It was your blood that he’s addicted to. Chenle’s eyes darken and yet, his thumbs swiped the tears away.

“Oh don’t worry dear, I still love you,” he said. “You’re going to be mine anyways.” 

“What do you mean?” you asked, heart beating fast. 

“It’s easy, you’re going to be mine,” Chenle said, resting his forehead on yours. Eyes gazing at you with every dark intention he had in his mind. From there, he smirks. “We’ll share the same blood and drink from it. You’ll be just like us.”

“No!” you shouted, pushing him away but he was just too strong. You struggled your way out of his grip but Chenle was just too strong for your weak body. He pushes you against the marbled bench, trapping you in between his arms. His left hands grabbing both your wrist to stop you from struggling.

“Don’t worry, it’ll just hurt a little,” he assured, gazing his hands on your cheeks. You watch as he leans close to you once again. 

And you could only let out a guttural scream as his fangs deepened on your neck once again.

[shima-draws]

Well since the Mochi Mayhem DLC out. How did that go when it came to the Kieran Orgepon AU. Heck what about Indigo Disk since things are bound to go differently there?

HONESTLY probably not that different from canon except Kieran teams up with Juliana to absolutely whoop Pecharunt's ass LMAO

Originally I thought that the Lousy Three had been manipulated into working under Pecharunt (I mean they still kinda were? Technically?) but then I read up on their lore and realized that Pecharunt basically took their desires and made them a reality, so it was more of an even trade than anything. The trio got to power up and achieved what was previously impossible for them, and Pecharunt got their loyalty and could command them as it wished. Part of me wanted an arc where after defeating them they are released from Pecharunt's control and could then apologize and reconcile with Ogerpon, but I really think they did a lot of what they did out of free will. So they're still assholes lol

Anyway as for Mochi Mayhem, Kieran would most likely recognize Pecharunt right from the start and would be squaring the HELL up. Pecharunt manages to get a shot at Carmine and flees (like a COWARD!!) so Kieran calls up Juliana and asks her for help. Which starts the impromptu visit to Kitakami with Arven, Penny and Nemona tagging along ;)

Juliana's never seen her friend so angry before so she realizes this is probably smth important. Cue the trauma arc and Kieran revealing Pecharunt had been behind everything regarding his masks and the Lousy Three terrorizing him all those years ago. (He didn't recognize Pecharunt in its dormant form, but once it awakens he sees it and goes !!! >:0)

At first Juliana's a bit hesitant but once she hears what Pecharunt did she's just as angry as Kieran, if not angrier. The Paldea trio are like WHAT is going on rn why are you two so fired up. And then what commences is the most epic beatdown in history. (And is also pretty cathartic for Kieran, too, finally able to vent out all his anger at the mastermind of the whole situation.)

Juliana probably catches it to keep it under control, but as for what they decide to do with it after...who knows. I feel like Pecharunt has always been intentionally malicious, so training it to not be that way would be difficult, not to mention how uncomfortable Kieran would be with the whole situation. Idk it could go either way!

As for the Indigo Disk--hmm. I'll have to think on that one a bit more. It'd definitely be different since Kieran was never a trainer to begin with, so he's not the BB Academy champion. And for conflict, I'll probably ramp up Briar's obsession with Terapagos to make it a bit more spicy, bc I felt that her arc was too underwhelming. Make her the real villain, and make her even more unhinged when she finds out about Kieran >:)

[parachutingkitten]

Jay = High Intelligence, Low Wisdom

Kai = Low Intelligence, High Wisdom

Essay about this concept below the cut

Now these are all just my interpretations of the characters, I don't necessarily have hard evidence on hand to back all this up, but here we go:

I've been trying to put my finger on the Kai smart/dumb duality, and I think I can finally somewhat make out my thoughts. Kai is not smart. Book smarts don't come easily to him, he's not great at math, he's not great at overly complex stratagizing- but he's got a LOT of great knowledge in him.

Take the dragon healing in DR. He might not intuitively know how different medicines work or why, but he's got injured enough that he knows that type of information is important to know, and so he's forced it into his head. He couldn't tell you why the blue goop helpped the dragon, but he knew that it would, and that it would be important to remember that it would.

He's pretty good at navigating complex social situations, because he's good at reading people. Having had a history with extreme emotions, he knows how to take them into account, and knows how important it is to do so, even if it's not necessarily logical. I hate to say this, but he's very emotionally intelligent, which sounds kinda like an insult but is actually insanely valuable, because humans are inherently emotional creatures.

He's got a solid basis of common sense, and is constantly looking at the bigger picture. That's why he can come up with the best outline for a plan, because he can not think through the details. Now, if he tries to implement a plan of his without consulting others, he's probably going to miss some very important details, and screw himself over. But, he's most likely to have the best basic premise for an effective plan. This is why his intuition is usually correct. He's not logically thinking through the most likely scenario given all available factors, he's looking at every problem from the birds eye view, and is easily able to fill in the blanks, because he sees the whole picture. You can not tell me this kid knew Lloyd was the Green Ninja because he used logical deduction to eliminate all other possibilities, he had a gut feeling based on realizing the value of human life.

Now, sometimes you need details. And Kai is not good at those. He sucks at those. Big time. But he's self aware enough to know when those times are (most of the time, sometimes he wastes all his lives in a video game before talking to anyone else).

The thing all of these points have in common is that he's lived a very full life while making very many mistakes, and he's learned from all of them. He learns from his dumb mistakes, and is wise enough to know which lessons are worth holding on to.

Jay on the other hand... does not learn from his mistakes. He's got a real thick skull.

Inside that skull is a really smart guy who intuitively latches on to engineering and science concepts. He's got a whole heck of a lot of information that his brain is holding onto simply because it can. This man is all about the details. He gets hyperfixated on details to the point where it's a problem. He's the most likely to solve the intricate problem facing the team, forget that they need to stay hidden, and yell "I did it!". Good at details, bad at big picture. This is also why he usually gives up hope so easily compared to the rest of the team. He can not think long term, he can not see the bigger picture like Kai can, so road blocks in the current plan seem insurmountable.

Sure, he might have rigged an old sailing ship with rocket boosters, but he couldn't unscramble "darnagom" his logical problem solving skills are not what's carrying him.

My standby for the Jay dumb/smart duality is that he should have a significant amount of William Osman energy to him. He's very smart, and can work out how to solve intricate problems and make insane builds, but if making said things is a dangerous or dumb idea has never once crossed his mind, and if it has, he has actively chosen to ignore it. Jay's intelligence is much more creativity based than I think a lot of people like to think. Engineering is about slapping crazy ideas together which barely hold together at first- and that's Jay's brand of smarts.

If you compare this to Zane, that's the vital component that his intelligence is missing- the creativity. He is VERY good at assessing options, but not so great at coming up with new solutions himself. He's running on pure logic and tested successes. He's also missing that social intelligence that Kai has. I'd venture to say that Zane is, by far the most gullible member of the team. If there is not a solid logical reason to doubt something, he is absolutely going to take it at face value. Point being, all the ninja have different smarts, and stupidities, let's not try to conflate them too much.

[caraetdeul]

Sent 12 Hours Ago

Wonwoo x gn!reader

Keeping in touch with your partner also means understanding them in the midst of silence.

A/N: I tried my best to keep this as gender neutral as possible so if you notice anything that was described otherwise, please let me know. My general taglist for Seventeen is also open so if you want to be tagged for future purposes, just send an ask. As always, enjoy reading caratdeuls!

~Main Masterlist~

If there was one word to describe your whole relationship, it would be lowkey.

PDA isn't much of a thing for the both of you. The most coupley action that others would see from you is holding hands. There are times where the both of you would hug in public but even then, it can be a rare occurrence.

This doesn't totally mean that you're keeping your relationship a secret. You aren't afraid to show off your partner when the opportunity arises. In fact, you are considered a package deal everytime you go out. Being invited to family and friendly gatherings would always result in having a plus one unless circumstances deem otherwise.

But even then, your relationship leans more towards being private. It isn't even a compromising situation for anyone. It simply just became like that due to the combination of your personalities. And now thinking about it, it became clear for the both of you why your friends kept on telling you how perfect you are for each other.

You know Wonwoo and Wonwoo knows you.

One of the things you learned throughout your relationship with Wonwoo is how to gauge his energy depending on the circumstances. Being exposed to a lot of people for the duration of the day would most likely result in a low energy vibe once he enters your home. He wouldn't be as chatty as he normally would and would only crave to have you by his side to comfort him. This then calls for a movie night in bed while cuddling with each other.

As for Wonwoo, he learned about your tendency to distance yourself from others whenever you're in a mood.

It wouldn't be noticeable much at first. But as time goes by, Wonwoo notices small changes in your daily routines.

Hugs would be shorter. Kisses would be fewer. Conversations would end sooner rather than later.

But even then, it isn't something that Wonwoo would think too much about. At times, he would also do these things unconsciously only to come back to his normal self once he recovers from whatever he was feeling at the time. And throughout those times, you were a silent supporter and a shoulder to lean on. So when he notices that you're doing the same things, he doesn't do anything but be there for you.

It was when it would take you almost a day to reply to his messages that would turn Wonwoo into alert mode.

The first time you did this during your relationship, Wonwoo was in shambles trying to figure out what he did wrong all by himself. It was unusual for you to even take an hour before you reply to him. So when an hour turned into 2 hours to the point that half a day went by and you still didn't reply, Wonwoo didn't know what to do except panic internally.

This was only resolved when he finally came home from work and you were on the sofa, waiting to explain how you tend to ignore your messages due to how draining it was for you to even think about starting a conversation with someone.

He understood where you were coming from. Today's era of technological advancement in the social life of people can be beneficial at most. Connecting each person with one another without even leaving the comfort of their homes is one heck of a development in today's society. But even then, it can be draining for some.

Now that you are nearing your fourth anniversary, Wonwoo already knows what to do in times like these.

The moment he came home, he beelined to your bedroom where he knew you were shielding yourself from the outside world through the barrier given by your pillows and blanket.

Hearing the creaking of your bedroom door, you glanced up to your beloved intruder with a very warm and comforting smile plastered on his face. Just by seeing him, you felt your body totally relax and it was only then that you noticed how tense you were.

Wonwoo laid beside you, letting you scooch closer to him with his arms wide open. Once the both of you were settled, limbs all tangled up with each other with your face comfortably nestled by the crook of his neck, you waited for him to address the elephant in the room.

After a few minutes of your breaths being the only sounds in the room, you decided that you can't keep quiet any longer.

"Wonwoo?" You whispered, afraid to burst this little bubble of comfort you both made.

"Hmm?" He hummed as you felt the vibrations of his neck through your skin.

"Don't you have anything to say?" You bite your lip, anxious of what this conversation will lead to.

"What do you mean, love?" Wonwoo answered.

"I mean, aren't you confused about anything?" You asked.

"Confused? Of what?" He replied. You don't know if he's joking or not but as you wait for him to understand what you're trying to say, you only sigh in frustration.

Wonwoo chuckled once he heard your resigned exhale of air. His arms around you gripped you tighter, tethering you to him as if you were about to float away.

"I'm joking, love," he said, kissing your head, "but to answer your question, no I don't have anything to say at all."

Perplexed, you parted from him for a bit to look at him directly only to be faced with his softened look as he gazed upon you. Trying to ignore how flustered you are from his gaze, you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion.

"But why?" You whined. You purse your lips, thinking of the possible reasons why he didn't even question your frustrating (your words not his) mood. He then pecked your lips immediately upon noticing that particular habit of yours.

Chuckling once again at your flustered and blushing face, he answered, "Because I don't have to."

When you still didn't stop staring at him as if awaiting for him to finally unveil the truth behind his lies, he smiled at you reassuringly. He then reached up to your eyebrows with his thumb, caressing the area around it to remove the way you're scrunching it from confusion.

"I don't have to because I know you and I understand you. You don't have to explain things to me every time you feel this way. All I need is to know that you're okay and I don't need to worry about anything else," he reassured.

If other people were watching the two of you right now, all of them would probably say that the look on your faces is what love looks like. Wonwoo gazing at you as if nothing can ever taint you while you watch him as if he was the main reason why the stars were shining that night.

Taglist: @moonwonuu @belladaises

You both fell asleep like that, holding each other as if the only thing that prevents you from merging with one another is the limits of science. Wonwoo's messages may be left unseen for hours on end but deep down he already knew, your replies were sent to him through your hearts beating as one.

[hiwelcometothemonstersancturary]

If they live in area with hurricane and tornadoes how do they react

I'll be honest: I have no idea how USA geography works. I'm a brazilian girlie, we don't have hurricanes or tornadoes, but my amazing partner unfortunately went through a hurricane or two and all I have to say is that Angel AND the toys have a very similar "what the FUCK is the weather up to now" reaction.

Angel first calmly explains to the group what a hurricane is - Miss Delight probably helps, cheerfuly doing a beautiful explanation for all of them -, then asks everyone to keep calm when the storm arrives. Reassures them everything will be alright but internally they're thinking "why the heck did I move from Brazil to here".

I like to think all the toys help Angel organize things pre-hurricane! Some toys go with them to the grocery store, others stay to grab blankets and prepare the electronics for the storm, Catnap and Prototype make sure to patrol the area and check with Miss Delight and Bubba for any possible damages to the house, etc. Angel is just a ball of stress because they're a parent but they can handle that.

Dogday, Picky, Bobby, Bunzo, Boxy and Kissy probably have the worst time. Dogday has excellent hearing and the whole situation makes him go "the world outside is ENDING even though it's NOT ENDING", while the others are just scared. Bunzo probably heard Miss Delight speaking about what hurricanes can do to houses and is just "what if..... What if the house FALLS APART.... And we all DIE????", poor baby. Kickin meanwhile is pretending to be all cool but he refuses to leave Dogday and Hoppy's side no matter what.

The other minis, small toys + PJ Pug-a-Pillar i think are a mixed bag of scared but not terrified like the previous toys. I hc most of the toys are between 13-19, so they are more chill and can come up with really fun ideas for games when the power goes out. Crafty and Mommy Long Legs come up with a lot of fun games to keep everyone entertained!

Catnap, Hoppy and Poppy are wary. They helped Angel set everything up, but Catnap still fears something will go wrong with their food. Hoppy is just wary in general, and Poppy fears something unexpected happening, but tries keeping her cheerful tone.

Huggy doesn't seem to mind anything but Angel has to tell him to NOT scare poor Bunzo.

Miss Delight and Bubba need to stay in the same room as everyone because there's a 50/50 chance they'll decide to go outside to "see it for themselves how the thing works". They're SO excited when it happens the first time!

Prototype, however, has to be allocated from his hut to the main house. Angel makes sure he's on his own confined room and covered head to toe in blankets because they're afraid he'll attract lighting. Catnap takes turns with Angel to check in on him, and when night arrives some of the younger toys rush towards Prototype because he's big and scary and will surely protect them from the storm (he can't but okay). Catnap sleeps next to the Smiling Critters in order to "protect" them (read: Dogday can't sleep so he keeps him company).

I like to think everyone sleeps in a big cuddle pile in the living room, after eating some snacks and Angel reads them a book. Miss Delight and Dogday help with making sure the youngest are asleep before checking in on Angel, who's half-asleep while Long Legs is using them as a teddy bear.

Overall I think Angel handles things pretty well when it happens! It feels better than dealing with THAT all alone. My Angel has a fear of floods, so you can imagine how stressful a hurricane or a tornado can be for them.

[struggling-jpg]

Some Things About Ma Feima (Yanqing) I Learned

And it matters to HSR Yanqing only because some people have had what they heard about Ma Feima affect their views of him even though it really SHOULDN'T imo.

The underlying point I'm trying to get at is that when we hear about parts of a story or characters we aren't familiar with, it'd be fairer to at least try to look into it more before making final judgments, especially if we only hear see memes and short summaries from a person over the internet.

If you're also interested in this topic then this will be very long, so thank you for bearing with me.

And if not, especially because you don't care or don't want to read about 7S/HI3 Yanqing then that's also fair, Ma Feima and Yanqing are different characters, and I hope you have a good day!

(NOTE: CW for the mention/discussion of a notable age gap between characters in the story. There are details surrounding that but I'd rather place this here for convenience. Look out for yourselves and stay safe!)

It's wild how many different versions of what happened in the Seven Swords visual novel, which is understandable due to its lack of official translation + not being complete (as far as I know? I am open to corrections overall). But the amount of details that go missing or are incorrect is notably large and I find this situation interesting. As mentioned, anyone who knows better (content, translation-wise, etc.), please correct me on anything if needed.

I will use some screenshots from the videos that translated the available chapters (1-2 and part of the beginning/prologue of 3, I believe). The translations are not entirely accurate so heck, I might be wrong on stuff too.

From personal experience, there were two things I heard about Ma Feima from HI3 players:

He killed his master, Fu Hua.

He cheated on his wife.

Legit, the first time I encountered these points, it was as simple as that. And I took it at face value because it understandably takes effort to look into this stuff and a lot of players from HI3 were saying it. But over time, curiosity got to me and I wanted to see the context surrounding it, and here's what I found.

However, here are some things to know about Seven Swords and Fu Hua's disciples:

The Seven in order are: Lin Zhaoyu, Su Mei, Jiang Wanxi, Jiang Wanru, Cheng Lingshuang, Ma Feima, and Qin Suyi

The present of the VN is set in 1496 while the assassination of Fu Hua was twenty years prior in 1476.

Ma Feima, despite being the 6th disciple, is the youngest.

Ma Feima's original name was Yanqing but changed it to Feima when he got older.

Qin Suyi, the 7th disciple, is Sushang's mother in both HI3 and HSR.

Lin Zhaoyu, the 1st disciple, and Ma Feima are married.

Onto the points:

He killed his master, Fu Hua.

Yes, he was involved but some attribute the plan to him. BUT he wasn't. The person who formed this plan was Su Mei, the 2nd disciple.

Supposedly, all seven disciples participated though most, if not all of them, were reluctant to do so.

They were all bothered by Fu Hua's, effective but cruel way of dealing with Honkai-infected people (She would wipe out whole villages if even ONE person was infected).

The last straw for the disciples was when Jiang Wanru, the 4th disciple, got infected.

It was in that battle that Ma Feima got the scar on his face.

Also to note, Cheng Lingshuang, the 5th disciple, was the one to get the last hit on Fu Hua.

This is a straightforward point, a lot of people know this stuff, and is probably the point that's more elaborated on. But I still wanted to mention it because, oftentimes, a lot of the credit for the plan, and sometimes the last hit is given to Ma Feima. It erases the actions of other pretty interesting characters and is simply incorrect.

Onto the second point, because this is where things get really interesting and a lot is going on.

2. Ma Feima cheated on his wife.

This has given the idea that he had an affair, cheating on his wife, Lin Zhaoyu

No, he didn't.

It is true that he was in love with Su Mei but she never loved him back and was very clear about it so in a literal-traditional sense, he didn't have an affair.

Emotionally, yeah.

It seems that he had been attached to her since he was a child.

Lin Zhaoyu seems to have always been aware of that and still pursued to marry him.

BIG NOTE: This is where I'm going to cover the age gap stuff.

One thing that I have rarely seen anyone mention is the large gap between Lin Zhaoyu and Ma Feima in age.

It's said that Lin Zhaoyu is 15 years older than Su Mei.

Supposedly, Qin Suyi was around eight years old when Fu Hua found her.

Remember, Ma Feima is the youngest of the disciples.

I wouldn't have harped as hard about the age gap if they met/didn't know each other in Ma Feima's childhood, but the disciples technically grew up together so I found it to be questionable.

For reference:

In order, that's Lin Zhaoyu, Su Mei, and Ma Feima when they were younger.

At minimum and based on all the searching and math, at minimum, Su Mei would be thirteen there, and by the 15-year age gap, Zhaoyu would have been 28 years old.

Now, based on the writing, Zhaoyu and Feima most likely got married in the twenty years between the assassination of Fu Hua and the present of Seven Swords.

The youngest Feima would've been at the assassination was seventeen years old at that point.

For the present of the story, Zhaoyu, and Su Mei are 56 years old and 41 years old respectively. Feima is likely in his thirties.

Like I said, I'm making a big point to this because, like, what the heck. That's MAJORLY concerning even if you tried to reason your way around it. Besides any potential "normal in the era" type stuff and that they got married when they were both adults, it's still a huge yikes, isn't it? Also, I've seen barely anyone mention that, and the ones I did see it from, it was when I was looking into the visual novel.

It's mostly because Yanqing is the one in HSR, he's the character that gets the most eyes. And when people only know him as a "master-killing wife cheater" without any of the context surrounding it, it's a huge shame, albeit fair if people don't want to actively look into it themselves. But because a notable chunk of players have let those perceptions have weight over an unrelated by anything but appearance, old name, and the parallel of (potentially) killing a master.

The circumstances surrounding the two are very different.

HSR Yanqing has Jing Yuan to raise and guide him safely through his early life. He's still very young and while stubborn, has a good head on his shoulders, and has a lot of potential to grow into someone strong and stable.

7S/HI3 Ma Feima on the other hand, is shown to have grown very differently from his younger self.

He is far from enjoying life, and don't get me wrong, he isn't completely innocent.

But he's completely aware and is miserable.

There's a lot more I could cover in terms of Ma Feima, his circumstances, and the things about the characters around them, but my brain is so fried lol. All-in-all, his story alongside the seven, is very...complicated.

My main thing is that, hey, maybe we should be a bit more vigilant when we learn things about characters. Beyond fiction, misinformation spreads very easily because we, understandably, take things at face value. In terms of media literacy, we see it time and time again when characters get reduced to a singular trait or a ship or get heavily misunderstood by the audience because a simplified summary will never do the context justice.

[frozenhi-chews]

Hoooookay. Since I have SO MANY ASKS in my inbox, I'm gonna answer all of em. Yeah. Because so many overlap I'm just gonna. Do that. Yeehaw. All under the cut cuz THIS IS GONNA BE VERY LONG

Take this, here we go!!

Ask game here

🍧 - If you had to put a label on your relationship with f/o, childhood sweetheart? married? tell me!

Enemies to lovers, and married. These two are freaking dorks who were obvious even before they dated

🔥- who gets jealous easier?

I would say Starlo. But that's only in the insecure "why can't I be like that, of course she likes them" way. He does get over it pretty quickly though.

💋 - if you two were a romance trope what would it be?

Enemies to oblivious gays to lovers to insufferable married couple

🎂 - how do you two celebrate each other's birthday?

Fitting how I'm answering this six days before my birthday! I actually had planned out a scenario where Pancake gets the whole town to throw a surprise party for Starlo. Stars obviously tries to do the same thing, just in a different way. And it works. Hehe.

Also Starlo gives Pancake a LOT of gifts

🧊 - who sings in the shower?

STARLO. Pancake does too, but she's not as LOUD as Starlo. Pancake knows he's taking a shower, not because the water is on, but because she can hear "LIIIIFE IS A HAAAIIIWAAAAYYYY, IM GONNA DRIVE IT ALLLLL NIIIIGHT LOOOONG!!" from halfway across the house

🔮 - who is more protective?

PANCAKE. Starlo is also pretty protective, but HOO MAN that title goes to Pancake. She's half Terrorvant (an alien species I made up), and they're insanely and aggressively protective of their loved ones. It's like a guard dog situation. It's literally etched into her blood to be protective. If someone even tries to hurt or kill Starlo, or any of her other friends, she will make sure that death is a mercy to the perpetrator. You Do Not Make Pancake Mad. Ever.

🩰 - who is the better dancer?

Pancake is better at dancing on her own, Starlo is better at couple dancing. And he loves to dance with her. Heck it's a chance to teach her, and he loves seeing her flustered face

🎈 - what is your most precious memory with them?

Probably playing UTY for the first time and seeing him for the first time in game. Hooo he's awesome.

🐇 - what kind of pet do you think you could raise together with them?

Cat. Horse maybe. But definitely a cat. Pancake finds a black and white spotted cat, Starlo is REFUSING to look after said cat. And later he's seen napping with Moo on his chest!

💍 - what is their view on marriage?

They both wanted to get married. Pancake has had several failed relationships, but still wants a partner. And Starlo wants a family of his own, despite his heartbreak. It's also that his mom REALLY wants him to get married, and thats a bit of pressure on him. Still, he wants that

🎀 -do you have any matching clothes with them? If so, what does it look like?

YES!! The same matching PJ set. Starlo saw Pancake changing PJs cuz she got too hot with him under the covers, and he's a clinger too. So he bought them matching star PJs

🧸 - favourite gifts from each other?

For Pancake, it's the locket Starlo gave her before they started dating. For Starlo, it's any plush she wins him at an arcade or carnival game

🌱 - how do you make up with each other after an argument?

Mostly by talking, or letting each other process it for a bit. They'll eventually talk it out. Sometimes it just takes longer

🩹 - if you or your f/o got hurts, how would the other react?

Refer back to Pancake being PISSED if you hurt Starlo. She will Not Be Happy, and will probably make herself look like the worse person just to get you to back off from hurting Starlo. If Starlo walked up to her injured, instead of her catching someone hurting him, she'll patch him up calmly and then ask for names. He can't tell her cuz their names will be in the newspaper the next day. Somehow

Starlo would also be pissed. Not as much as Pancake, but he will defend her and bite back. Yeah don't make him mad either. He's not too much of a genuine fighter, but he does have training from Pancake

❄️ - how would you spend Christmas with them?

Cozy, warm, with LOTS of gifts, most from Starlo. Probably with his family too. Eventually it'll be cozy and warm back at home, watching the snow fall with gifts around them and a warm fire in the fireplace. Just cozy

🎃 - what is your Halloween costume? Do they match with your f/o?

Irl? It's a TV head cosplay. I feel like he would also wear a TV head to match. And to try something different, other than Westerns

🌠 - if you or your f/o could make one wish come true, what would it be?

For Pancake, it'd be so Starlo can see the actual stars on the surface. And to be with him forever. For Starlo, it's to see his child Clover again

📷 - do you have any photos of your f/o? do you use it as your wallpaper?

I actually have a Starlo wallpaper. Someone got some fanarts and edited them into a wallpaper. And it's been like that for months. And I have over 1400 images of him saved onto my phone-

🫕 - camping together seems fun, who cooks and who set up the tent?

Starlo cooks, Pancake sets up the tent

🍝 - do you two share your foods with each other? have you try feeding them yourself?

Yes, Pancake's made pancakes for Starlo. And yes they occasionally feed each other

🔪 - if they were a yandere, would you still love them?

I don't like yanderes. And being a yandere is completely out of character for him. (I've seen some yan!starlo stuff. It's so freakishly out of character like WHYYYY)

💄- what nicknames or pet names do you two use for each other?

A-HA!! TRAP CARD ACTIVATED!! Though people already know these, teehee.

Starlo's nicknames for Pancake: Honeybee, Wildflower, Moon Pie, Darlin, Sugar Cube, Hon, Stardust

Pancake's nicknames for Starlo: Stars, Starshine, Rattlesnake, Lemon Cookie, sugar bun

💎 - if you and your f/o were in a fake relationship/marriage, who do you think would lose at falling in love first?

Starlo probably. He just that connection alright?

🍿 - your perception of them and their perception of you?

Pancake's perception: he's kind, loving, sweet, has the biggest and kindest heart of gold. He gets excited extremely easy. He has a lot of weight on his shoulders, and I wanna help him take that load off. I want to see him genuinely smile more.

Starlo's perception of Pancake: She's a shortstack with strength that could easily bend and snap him in half, and that makes her all the more terrifying and hot for it. She's a kind soul as well, gentle and tries to be friends with everyone. Is a little headstrong. Gets things done ahead of time when they need to be. Over enthusiastic sometimes, but that's the way he likes her. She's genuinely sweet. And should see herself in a higher light than she does. He sees her in a very high light, probably higher than she ever will. And that makes him sad. But, she's happiest when she's around him, and he loves that

🌹- if the roles were reversed, your f/o selfship themselves with you, would you two still be obsessed with each other as usual or stronger?

Yes. I've felt it. He definitely would be. THE YEARNING MAN. THE YEARNING-

🍒 - what would your contact names be for each other?

Pancake's would be something silly like "beef" (for boyfriend) or "starboy" or "stars <3"

Starlo's would be something like "Light of my life" or a star/cowboy themed thing

🏷 - what is you and your f/o's ship name? how did you decide on that name?

They actually have two!! Rotten Star and Starcake!!

Rotten Star came from their personas' names. Starlo's being North Star and Pancake's being Rotten Jack. It's essentially their rivalry ship name, back when they were enemies. Hue

Starcake is just their names mashed together. Starlo and Pancake. And yet it's so cute and perfect and aesthetically pleasing!! I love it!!

⏳️ - if you or your f/o travel back in time, is there anything that you want to change in your relationship? maybe some regrets for your actions towards the other in the past?

Maybe stopping the rivalry? Dunno.

And thats it! If any of yall read all of this, here's a cookie 🍪 and I love ya /p

You're amazing!!

[noperopesaredope]

SvtFoE Rhombulus Rewrite (Pt. 6)

Hey, it’s been a while since you saw my face-

All jokes aside, sorry for being gone for so long. In my defense, I was in college, then I had seasonal depression which made it hard to do much of anything creative-wise. This is admittedly one of my favorite fan projects, so I always feel bad about not updating it. But I have managed to get back into it again (finally) and wanted to release one of the easier parts to do. (@bawfulio @sagesilentfire​ tagging you since you guys have been following this AU since the beginning and have been waiting the longest for an update)

Anyways, Monsters and Mewmans, Crystals and Chimeras, welcome back to my Rhombulus Rewrite! Check out this post if you have no clue what the heck I’m talking about or you want to read the previous parts. As I said in Part 4, this part will be one of the two possible ends I have to this AU. Ya’ll can choose which one you prefer. This one is called the “Closest to Canon Ending” and is also sad. It will not focus on the problems with the ending as a whole and shall instead be more about fixing Rhombulus’ part. I’ll admit, though I prefer the second ending as a finale, I’m pretty proud of this one as well, as it has some stuff I’m pretty proud of writing wise. I did make myself sad though, so there’s that.

Closest to Canon Ending (AKA Ending 1):

- This ending is kinda if I switched Rhombulus and Hekapoo’s parts, but Rhombulus had a more proper and fitting redemption. Also, it might make some character choices make more sense.

- So, the first big changes happen in “Ready, Aim, Fire”. We overhear Rhombulus arguing with Hekapoo and Omni about how to handle the Mina situation, saying that even though they may not like it, they need to protect Eclipsa and her family since it’s the right thing to do and they can’t let Mina take over. 

- This is when Hekapoo reveals that they have been backing Mina the whole time, which horrifies Rhombulus. He says that he is disappointed in them, and will go out to support Eclipsa and co, even if he has to fight Hekapoo and Omni. He then runs outside.

- We don’t see what happened to Rhombulus until “The Right Way,” where he jumps into the battle as things are looking dire. We get some pretty cool action stuff from him, which should be fun. 

- He even helps out various monsters, using his crystals to protect them. It brings his arc full circle, showing him go from someone who fights monsters to someone who protects them like he would protect any other innocent civilian. It’s a good moment for him. 

- But unfortunately, Rhombulus gets seriously hurt by the Solarian Blade multiple times, and since he and the rest of the MHC are basically monsters, the blades actually work on them. I think it’ll be the most shocking (and plot convenient) if Rhombulus loses his tails, as they are his main weapons and method of self defense. 

- He’ll manage to play it off like he is fine, but will need help soon. Maybe he’ll convince them that he probably won’t die. He might not even realize the blades work so well on him, especially since his magic is making him more asymptomatic. He’s good at hiding how bad he is doing, mainly because he is still able to walk and run and other stuff. But he can’t fight and needs to sit down a lot, so he won’t be able to do much during the Moon reveal.

- Instead of that horrible first kiss scene between Star and Marco, I have decided to give them a platonic love scene in a way, since I want the ending to not seem too random but still keep things platonic.

- Star is clearly upset and overwhelmed by everything, even though she might not be able to express it properly. She eventually tensely says that she’s going to do [insert helpful yet distracting task], and Marco offers to help her. She agrees, and while they’re working, Marco says that he knows something is bothering her, and she can talk about it if she wants.

- Star confesses that she’s been feeling extremely alone and scared lately. Multiple of her friends are severely hurt and could easily die, and she can’t do anything about it. She fought so hard and is trying to stay strong, and even despite all that, she feels like she’s failed at keeping people safe.

- Marco says that she is the reason less people have been hurt, and that everyone chose to fight and stand up against Mina, knowing the risk they would be in. It’s not her fault this happened. He then assures her that no matter what, they will always be best friends, and he’ll be there for her no matter what. 

- Pretend we’ve also had a lot more great friendship moments between them this season, so that the show clearly shows their dynamic as important to the plot.

- Anyways, back to everything else. This rewrite is called the Rhombulus Rewrite after all.

- “Pizza Party” will be renamed “Where the Blame Lies,” and instead of the MHC having a pizza party, we will see Hekapoo and Omni arguing over whether or not they made the right choice, and if they should go after Rhombulus. It’s a very short, tense scene, where Hekapoo believes that Rhombulus is wrong, but they should still go look for him to talk, and Omni believes that Rhombulus is “too far gone.” 

- They decide to split up, with Hekapoo choosing to go after Rhombulus, and Omni choosing to do his own thing.

- Meanwhile, Rhombulus ends up fleeing with Star and co, pretending that he is fine, until he ends up collapsing while they are running. Mina declares Rhombulus a traitor, and attacks him, causing yet another major blow to his body, where many of the other scars have already spread far. 

- As Eclipsa and Marco help him up and try to support him, Mina declares her plan to wipe out all monsters and monster-supporters. The group tries to escape, but are soon surrounded. Mina goes in for the kill, but a portal opens up under Star, Marco, Eclipsa, Moon, and Rhombulus, whisking them away. They find themselves in the middle of a forest, saved by Hekapoo.

- This is where “Tavern at the End of the Multiverse” starts. Hekapoo is horrified at Rhombulus’ condition, and after picking him up, she says that she knows a place where all of them can hide. And so she takes them to the Tavern at the End of the Multiverse. This space is also a bit of a safe zone for all different types of people, and has some private rooms if needed. 

- Hekapoo takes Rhombulus into one of them to see if she can help him somehow. Star argues with Moon, but they are interrupted by Hekapoo, who says that she needs them to come over to where Rhombulus is. He’s in terrible condition, with the wounds having fully spread all over him. 

- It’s a really sad scene, especially when he begins telling Hekapoo that he can see Lekmet, and they are going to be reunited soon. Hekapoo is extremely distraught and basically in denial, while Rhombulus is basically accepting what is happening. 

- He tells Hekapoo not to worry too much about it, and that their time is close to ending anyways, he just wishes he could have seen everyone win. He tells Star to do better than those who came before her, and that she will be able to fix the world. Then, my boy dies.

- While I still don’t like the whole “destroy all magic” plotline, I thought that something like this would be cool in helping explain the rationale for a few characters. In Star’s case, this is a bit of a breaking point for her. This is where she begins to have her “I hate magic” moment, because she just lost a close friend due to the damage magic can cause when in the wrong hands. 

- And Hekapoo being chill with Star destroying magic makes a lot more sense. She too just lost someone important to her, basically her favorite sibling, and is in a more apathetic state. Hekapoo is mad and sees that the MHC has fallen down a bad path that has slowly destroyed them. Her attitude is less chill and carefree and more angry and resentful.

For Ending 1, I don’t really have any other changes, because all I really wanted to do for this ending is the scene where Rhombulus dies, so that’s the end of that. I think Ending 2 will be a much better ending as a whole, but I thought of Ending 1 first, and kind of liked aspects of it. It’s very bittersweet, and I wanted to make a version that stays faithful to the OG. 

However, the OG is also terrible, so I decided to make another version anyways, especially since I wanted a version where Rhombulus can live. Stay tuned for Ending 2, which will hopefully be coming soon! Or at least, a special post before that giving extra context for Ending 2 (spoilers, I reworked Mina a bit).

Thanks for all your support, and I hope you like what I have in store, since I’ve been working on Ending 2 for a while now. Hopefully this will keep you company in the meantime.

[gakriele-lvs-blog]

Vee is ond of those characters,) in parallel with Luz and Hunter) who I can't stop thinking about, and since I has been reading a lot of pots and comments talking about Vee and Luz being portrayed as mean and selfish person... I got me inspired to write this:

97% of the time Vee is quite literally just the sweetest child you could meet, serene, calm, kind and while shy most of the time she proves to be brave if she believes to have a shoot in the situation.

But for that other 3%, considering her origins and filling the gaps by visualizing what she must have endured just to survive up to this day; I'm quite certain if pushed hard enough she could snap, and with that I mean sudden outbursts that tend to bring to light all of those buried emotions from her time in captivity.

We are talking about 15 years (her whole life) worth of represed anger, fear, sorrow and hopeless

So it shouldn't be surprising she can be harsh at times, especially if emotions are running hot and just wants to be done with the conversations, it happens to everyone and we all tend to regret them shortly after.

Vee judging Luz's actions was something that happened in the heat of the moment as a result of Luz comparing her situation to Vee's. This lead to Vee feeling a mixture of anger and frustration and her first reaction was to prove her wrong, especially since from Vee's perspective Luz took her "perfect life" from granted and for some nonsensical reason decided to run away to live her "irrealistic dream" of being a witch. Meanwhile Vee spent her entire life either as a slave or as a fugitive with nobody or nothing to rely on until she ran away to literally another planet and took someone's else lives

Vee took Luz's place because Camila give her a taste of what being loved and cherish was like (just like how Eda loved Luz's mannerisms and personality) and from her perspective Luz left with the intention to return, so by the time Luz found out what Vee has been doing the latter's reaction was to leave, she recognized pretending to be Luz was wrong and was willing to leave without a fight

And at the end she said: “I resent you for running away. But I'm also thankful that you did. I dunno. It's... confusing.” this is where she came to realize how much of a moral dilemma their situation was, Vee did what she did out of necessity but doesn't know at all why Luz did it

This puts into perspective the complexity of the circumstance that lead to that moment. Luz never intended to abandon Camila in the first place, her intentions were to prove she didn't need to change and her dreams were not only possible but valid; while Vee's was to find a place where she could live as a normal person, a place to belong.

Definitely one of the most important bits we missed as a result of the shortening was a proper chat between Luz and Vee (and Camila) many of their issues were never addressed in the finale, Heck! They actually never spoke or said each other's name at any point!

And on top of that... They are children, you can't shame children from making a mistake and trying to fix them

[naoknowswhat]

I made a Clover sketch tonight, look at him I love him (and i also really like how it turned out wth)

and IT IS IMPOSSIBLE FOR ME TO EXPLAIN HOW MUCH I FUCKING LOVE THIS ITTY BITTY TINY MAN. i would NOT hesitate to die for him in a situation where such methods are needed.

Now before you continue I warn you the following is basically me rambling about how much I fucking love undertale yellow heheheh (Also a lot of spoilers ahead).

I have spent the whole day playing this stupid (fantastic, amazing, marvelous) game, I kid you not that I went from the end of the ruins to the fucking steamworks, which said out loud doesn't sound like a lot of time but uhhh for me it was if you consider that I've investigated EVERY FUCKING INCH OF THE MAP.

I'm not complaining, oh ho ho (merry Xmas) I'm not complaining because its been the most fun I've had playing a game in a WHILE, its made my life better and now im gonna spend the rest of the year (and probably more) obsessed over all the characters and their stories (mostly Clover and Martlet ngl).

But I gotta admit that even if I find the Ut yellow's characters a lot different than the ones from the original game, I can't help but love them the same. Look, I'm no expert on character design but I smile every time I see Martlet comment something or simply being on screen, I start laughing whenever I see a hint of Mo on any frame, heck you mention any of the characters and I immediately start smiling like an idiot, and the whole scene with North Star? The Feisty Five?? CEROBA?? I died, the moment I stepped on the town I fucking died.

I remember being really, REALLY into undertale when I was like 10-11 years old, and suddenly opening yt one day and watching my favourite YouTuber play the demo of this fan game, and i remember thinking "oh wow that game looks really cool!" Simply because of the concept of watching how it was like for any of the other souls to go through the underground, instead of Frisk. AND NOW, YEARS LATER I GET TO PLAY IT BY MYSELF, you don't know how special this game is for me.

For me it isn't only a fan game, or the story of another fallen human, for me it's getting an opportunity to enjoy the main thing that inspired me back the from zero, getting to learn about new characters, about new stories, and new perspectives. For me it's also getting an opportunity to meet them all, to be their "friend" and to live an adventure all by myself because back then i could only sit and watch everyone else do all the things i wanted to do, because back then i could only look at them all having fun, laughing with the good things and crying with the bad memories while separated through a screen.

Today I got to meet them all and to laugh with the unexpected dialogue, while learning that even in a fictional story not everything is painted in bright pink, I saw them get into trouble and also helped them overcome it, and it was amazing.

I also got to die and die and die again and again because I realised at the beginning of the game that I'm really bad at it (i cant blame the controller, I know it :( ), but it also made me promise myself that i would keep going no matter what, because i really wanted to see what's next. Heck you could say I kept going because of my determination ;).

I haven't finished the game yet, but I already know I'm gonna replay it over and over, I wanna catch every detail, investigate and discover every mystery, and i wanna make so many theories already, I CAN'T WAIT TO LOVE THIS GAME.

So for now have a not-so-quick sketch of Clover, the bearer of the yellow soul, the one who has quickly made way into my heart, and it seems the little shit is now living there rent free.

If you've read all the way to the end wth is wrong with you, and also thanks a lot for the attention, I was really excited to talk about this game to someone but didn't know how to do it, so I figured tumblr was the place pla to write for an hour, so the short-drawing post is now my review of the game hehehehe.

Anyway thanks for reading to the very end, I hope you have an amazing rest of the year, and most importantly a great begining of the new one <3.

[mdhwrites]

So, do you think they do a good job connecting redeemed Zuko with the competence and skills he had when he was an antagonist?

So what's kind of funny here, as someone pointed out to me recently, is that Zuko dominates my mind as impressive but... He actually isn't the most competent villain in the world. Many of his schemes fail, he has plenty of losses that would fit right in with Team Rocket, etc. like that. So first we have to ask if he was competent or had skills while as a villain. After all, both General Xiao and Azula beat him in scope, danger, etc.

Yes. Because no one was willing to go as far as him.

Zuko's greatest character flaw is also flipped around to be his greatest strength as a person: Stubbornness and Dedication. A lot of his failures come from being so focused on one goal as to end up tunnel visioned and failing to fully utilize all that was around him, which Aang was far better at. However, that conviction also came from the fact that once he chose a goal, nothing could stop him except killing him.

For it to be fully a strength though, this fervor needed to be tempered. Luckily, a lot of Zuko's growth in Book 2, and what would allow him to give wisdom like Uncle Iroh could by Book 3, is about genuinely being able to read a situation and swap square pegs to round ones when he needed to. One of the best examples is the contrast between Zuko Alone, where in order to win a fight he resorts to firebending to win a fight handedly despite it being an objectively wrong move for his goals, versus when he's found by Jet in Ba Sing Se. By then, he's learned to read the room and so adapts, having to fight WAY harder than he would have had to if he had broken out his bending but winning much more because of it too. A character with less conviction to his ideals and goals would have resorted to the easy victory if they ever thought they were losing.

He never accepts defeat. He struggles to even compromise on how complete his victory can be. It is all or nothing for Zuko at all times and that sort of tenacity allows him to achieve things no one else in the series does. Even back in Book 1, his need to be the one to capture the Avatar leads to him infiltrating and taking down his own people, even working with Aang just so no one else can claim his prize. Then by Book 3, we see stuff like him not allowing Katara to compromise who she is for something as petty as revenge, or the fact that rather than try to compromise with Aang on Ozai or have a soft talk to him, he attacks Aang with enough ferocity to make it clear to everyone just how bad of a position they're in when he tells them what the whole problem is. Heck, one could easily say that it's his dedication that makes him understand that beating Azula by letting her kill Katara, still wouldn't be a victory because his goal at that point isn't to just beat Azula. It is to fight for better, more peaceful future and letting someone die for his victory would be counter to that. So jumping in the way of the lightning bolt was easy for him because no other option even crossed his mind at that point.

As a note: Yes, Azula has similar drive but her breakdown in Book 3 actually is extra satisfying in contrast to Zuko's fall because Zuko could have lost all of his allies and had his one victory turn to ash and gone "Alright. Time to get up and figure out how to fix this." Because that is just who he is. It's part of what makes their final fight against each other so good as we have someone who appeared to be an unstoppable force going against someone who is an actual unstoppable force.

I... Will pull back on this for a second though. If not for Mother's Basement's top Avatar fights, I wouldn't have had the comparison of Zuko's Book 2 fights ready and while I feel confident enough about my knowledge of Avatar to talk about the broad strokes of Zuko's character arc, this sort of analysis, how one's strengths and weaknesses as a villain can transfer over to them as a hero, is something that requires a lot more specificity. I need to remember him better as a villain in order to better judge how those traits transferred over. I'm still confident enough to say that it did happen, especially since Zuko is still recognizably himself as a hero versus as a villain, but it's one I wanted to include a disclaimer for anyways.

What do you all think though? Do I make a good case? Am I maybe overlooking some other strengths he carried forward? Let me know and I'll see you next tale.

======+++++======

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I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead. If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

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[use-your-telescope]

When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 14: Underneath Your Regret

Summary: A visit to Michigan reminds Theo of some things she’d rather forget, but it also leads to some important revelations. When she returns to New York, she puts the final pieces of the puzzle together. 

Author's Notes: Hellooooooo friends! I am so, SO excited about this chapter and can’t wait to share it with you!!! You’ll be getting some answers to the mysteries of the last chapter, but you might end up with a whole new set of questions as we get to learn a little bit more about Theo’s backstory. The final scene/conversation is one that I have a particular soft spot for as well. In the interest of avoiding spoilers, I’ll share some more thoughts/a heartfelt ramble after the chapter is done. 

As a reminder, this chapter's song is a continuation from the last chapter. <3

Word Count: 6,008

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

Song: Talk About It - Paradise Fears

I don’t really wanna talk about it I don’t really wanna talk about it I don’t really wanna talk about it, Right now, right now

Theo’s search for answers to the cause of New York’s gloom, ironically, led her to Michigan. 

Since Theo had to make a trip to Michigan to seek assistance with her conundrum, Theo decided to make the most of it by staying for a few days. She had some time off to burn, and with the gloominess around the tower it seemed like the perfect time to get the hell out before she made anything worse. Upon learning that Theo would not simply be around for an afternoon, Mémère grinned and immediately presented Theo with a list of miscellaneous house projects that the matriarch wanted help with, but Max hadn’t gotten to yet. 

While Theo was a bit surprised by how quickly Mémère had a list ready for Theo, she wasn’t entirely surprised. The upkeep and maintenance of a farm required a lot of effort, and in Mémère’s old age it would have been impossible to do it on her own; even with Max it was borderline too much, since he had a family and a career and his own house to keep him busy. 

Theo was not about to complain, even if the chores were messy and tedious - after all, Mémère was the very person whose help Theo needed if she had any hope of figuring out what the heck was upsetting everyone. The very least Theo could do was make sure Mémère could continue living comfortably and independently on her farm.

However, Theo failed to account for one thing: Mémère could help, but whether or not she would agree to help was another question entirely.

“Mémère, come on - I know you know what’s going on. You’re the Ascendieu of knowledge for crying out loud!” Theo trailed after her grandmother from the dining room to the kitchen, outright pleading with the matriarch after explaining the situation over dinner. “Your entire purpose is to know things!”

“Knowledge is not simply awareness,” Mémère chided, repeating a phrase Theo heard countless times over the years. Mémère stopped in the kitchen to place a glass in the kitchen sink, but did not look at Theo as she busied herself cleaning up after dinner. “It requires discretion. If you are meant to know something, you will learn of it in due time. The Numens ensure this, as they always have.”

Theo huffed, dramatically slumping her shoulders as she pouted at Mémère. “Can you give me a hint, at least?!” 

“Are you planning to return for the Remembrance Prayers?” With one question and a stern glare, Mémère pivoted the conversation towards a subject Theo loathed. 

The Remembrance Prayers… As if Theo needed prayers to remember the night everything turned to shit. 

Telling Mémère that no, Theo would not be attending the annual ceremony that commemorated the death of half their extended family and (several thousand others) seemed like a great way to get her ass handed to her on a silver platter; failing to show up would likely have caused Theo’s premature death.

It wasn’t that Theo had a problem with paying tribute to those who had passed; if that was all, Theo would have no qualms about ensuring she attended. No - the problem was that most of the people who would be at the Remembrance Prayers blamed Theo for the event that caused those thousands of deaths, and for the destruction that followed. 

Those very people were the same reason Theo left Michigan as soon as she could, why she avoided going into town when she visited, and why she avoided interacting with the council. Even if they were cordial to her face, Theo knew damn well that they spent most of their free time imagining the ways they could kill Theo if it would be allowed. 

In a weird, twisted way, Theo was almost glad how closely they clung to the Edicts of Éthéré, since the importance they placed on Theo’s magic was probably her saving grace.

Ironic, given Theo despised the Edicts and the pressure they placed upon her.

With everything going on, Theo hadn’t realized just how quickly the date approached. It wasn’t that she was clueless - Mother’s day was just around the corner, which meant that Ravenna’s birthday was close by. It was shortly after Ravenna’s birthday that they stood atop the Whispering Summit and watched, helplessly, as Meridia imploded upon itself.

Only in hindsight did Theo realize that it wasn’t just Meridia that imploded, but everything as Theo knew it.

“Yes,” Theo sighed, matching Mémère’s more serious demeanor. “I will be there.” 

“Good. I will inform the council so they can prepare accordingly.” Mémère paused, stretching up to rest a weathered hand on Theo’s shoulder. “I know the prayers hold many difficult memories for you, but it is important that the people see you there. Someday, I will not be here, and you will be the Souveraine Dynaste - they will look to you for guidance. Your presence builds trust.”

A thousand venomous responses came to mind, but Theo held her tongue. 

When Theo was younger, she spat all kinds of vicious retorts at Mémère whenever the prayers and anniversaries came up. But as Theo grew older, she came to understand two things: first, even as the Souveraine Dynaste of the Council and an Ascendieu, Mémère could not change the situation they found themselves in. She could not undo the past, nor could she alter the events of the future. Second, and more importantly, when Theo directed her vitriol and rage at Memere, it only caused harm to the one person who never gave up on Theo, even when Theo gave up on herself. 

Theo caused enough suffering - she didn’t need anyone else to suffer, particularly not Mémère. So if Mémère insisted that Theo attended the Remembrance Prayers and spoke of Theo’s eventual rise to Souveraine Dynaste, Theo would not fight it; not because Memere was the Souveraine Dynaste, but because Theo loved her grandmother and her grandmother felt it was important.

“I know.” Theo murmured, covering Mémère’s hand with her own. She flashed a tight, close-lipped smile at her grandmother, who returned a smile of her own and an understanding nod.

Yes, Theo knew, but it didn’t make it any easier.

I don't really wanna talk about it (Right now, right now) I can see you underneath your regret (Right now, right now) So let's just get a little high and forget (Right now, right now) I don't really wanna live without it (Right now, right now)

Long after Mémère had gone to bed, Theo found herself out on the dock, gazing out on Lake Superior.

The dock had always been Theo’s place to go when she needed to clear her mind. Even on the coldest nights, when the temperature dropped well below freezing and her breath fogged in front of her face with each exhale, Theo made the trek from the farmhouse down to the water’s edge when she needed a place to sit and think. 

New York may have transitioned to spring, but northern Michigan had yet to get the memo that winter was over. A recent storm left a thick blanket of sparkling snow, most of it undisturbed by man or beast. Under the light of a full moon, the ice that covered the outer edges of Lake Superior reflected an almost ethereal glow. If Theo could see the center, where the water temperature remained too warm to freeze, she imagined it would glisten beneath the light. A gentle whisper of wind blew through the trees, the only sign that the world had not fallen completely still. Above, an endless expanse of navy sky shimmered with stars, unmarred by light pollution like the skies in New York.

A ratty, threadbare quilt covered the worn planks of wood beneath Theo, contrasting the thick woolen blanket she wrapped around her shoulders to block the chill. In one mitten-covered hand, Theo clutched a bottle of Asgardian Ale that she stole when Thor wasn’t looking; the slight buzz that came from the alcohol offered a false warmth that Theo enjoyed on a particularly cold night. 

The view before Theo existed in contradiction of itself: even as it changed, it remained the same. From the very first night Theo sat at the end of the dock to the present, very little appeared to be different. Sure, the seasons changed, which altered the environment around her. Ice formed in the winter and melted in the summer, only to repeat the cycle. The trees that lined the lake grew old and died, but new trees grew and filled their place, towering overhead as if they had been there the entire time. Everything had its place. 

Theo still spent her time at the end of the dock when she struggled to make sense of things. Back then, it was unceremoniously being dropped into a new world and trying to make sense of how to survive. Recently, the possibility of returning home occupied her time at the water’s edge. But for the moment, the matter of concern was much lower-stakes, even if it was much more salient in her daily life.

The crunch of snow beneath feet caught Theo’s ear; each crunch decisive in sound and pace as it grew louder. Too heavy to be a small creature and too loud to be a deer. However, the gait did not match Mémère’s, which meant…

“Heard you’re avoiding the Avengers.”

Of course, Max had to be the one to destroy Theo’s moment of peace.

“Should have known Mémère would tell you why I was sticking around for a few days.” Theo dryly replied, briefly glancing back at Max before returning her attention to the lake before her. “Did she give you the full story, or just the conclusion?”

“She gave me the full story.” 

Creaking planks shifted beneath Max’s weight as he made his way to the dock, taking a seat beside Theo on the blanket. Like Theo, he dressed for the occasion: A thick woolen peacoat, an ushanka hat tugged over closely cropped brown hair with ear flaps hanging at each side. Woolen socks revealed themselves in the gap between fleece-lined jeans and snow boots as Max crouched down to take a seat. He stretched his long legs out in front of them, leaning back on his gloved hands as he looked up at the sky. “You’ve got a habit for getting out of dodge when you don’t like something, you realize that?”

“If everyone around you was losing their minds and you couldn’t figure out why, you’d get the hell out too.” Theo took a swig of her ale, then offered the bottle to Max. “Want some? It’s Asgardian.” 

Max shrugged, but accepted the drink. He sniffed the bottle’s opening before he took a drink; his face shifted to something inquisitive as he swished for a moment, then swallowed. “Not bad - does it do anything special?”

“It actually can get us drunk,” Theo replied, “so that’s convenient.” 

“I forgot that you don’t have easy access to strong enough alcohol.” Max chuckled to himself. “You know that if you ever went into town, it’d be easy to get some.”

“That runs the risk of running into people I don’t want to see, so no thanks; I’ll take sobriety. Or I’ll just steal Thor’s booze - he never notices anyway.” Theo shook her head, retrieved the bottle from Max, and took a second drink.

“So, everyone is losing their minds and you can’t figure out why, so the solution is to leave –” Max directed the conversation back to the Avengers with such precision that Theo suspected he had an ulterior motive for his appearance. “– That sounds familiar.”

Theo rolled her eyes at the jab. “Are you just here to be an ass, or do you have a point?”

“I can’t be here because I miss seeing my cousin, the woman who was raised with me and is like my older sister? Ouch.” Max dramatically pressed one hand over his heart as he made a crying face. “Look, I’m not trying to make you feel bad about coming out here for a few days. From what Mémère told me, I’d probably be desperate for a break as well. And let’s be real, Mémère loves whenever you are around. Plus, selfishly, you get to take care of the chores I’d been procrastinating on for a while. Thanks in advance, by the way.”

“So what’s your point?” 

“Maybe there’s something in common.” Max casually suggested with a shrug and looked back over the icy landscape.

“Obviously there’s something in common,” Theo scoffed, “or the whole damn tower wouldn’t be affected.”

“No, I mean maybe it’s not one single thing that they’re upset about, but they all have various events with some unrelated element in common.” Max clarified. “Maybe there’s something fairly small that reminds them of their respective problems.”

Theo mulled over Max’s suggestion. Wanda said something about the time of year, and Steve mentioned Bucky struggles with the time of year…

Avengers-related anniversaries that took place around that time of year: The Chitauri invasion. Ultron. The attack on Vienna during the ratification of the Accords. The battle against Thanos. 

Holy shit. Theo felt her stomach drop as she put two and two together.

“I’m guessing you just had a thought?” Max raised his eyebrows as he looked at Theo expectantly.

“I’m such a dumbass.” Theo scrubbed half her face with one hand. “God, I can’t believe I didn’t realize—“

“I could have told you that you’re a dumbass.” Max teased, earning a smack on the shoulder from Theo. “Seriously, what is it?”

“Every major Avengers battle has taken place around this time of year. Loki was tortured and mind-controlled into one of them. Wanda lost her brother during another one. A huge wedge was driven between the group when the accords were ratified, which was also when the UN was attacked in Vienna. Tony learned the truth about how his parents died in the aftermath of the ratification of the accords. And of course, Thanos–” 

“– Sounds like you have something else in common with the Avengers: a reason to hate this time of year.” Max concluded. 

“Yeah, not the kind of thing you usually want to have in common,” Theo dryly replied. “But it still doesn’t explain a few of the weird things…” 

“What weird things?”

“Around the time this all started, a bird started hanging out on my balcony.” Theo took another drink of ale. “Not a raven, or a crow - it looks like some cross between them, but it’s too small. It wasn’t even a little scared of me, and I’m pretty sure the damn thing tried to help me with a sudoku one day.”

“Now that just sounds like you’re losing your mind.” Max stole the bottle back from Theo and took a drink. “Although we all could have seen that coming.”

“You sound like the council.” Theo drawled, shifting to cross her legs so she could rest her elbows on her knees, and her chin on her hands. 

���Maybe I’m preparing you to see them in a few weeks.” Max replied without missing a beat. 

“Nah, they don’t have the guts to say it to my face.” Theo half-laughed, though it left a bitter taste in her mouth. “Doesn’t mean I’m looking forward to it.”

“As they say, heavy is the head that wears the crown.” 

Despite what Max said, they both knew the truth: Theo was never meant to wear the crown.

But it's been a while since I saw inside your head With all the perfect little paintings and the blues and reds Cause I fooled you once, I guess you fooled yourself And now you're scared of what'll happen if you lose yourself But I think the bruise is healed, I think the bruise is healed I could kiss your every scar until the wound is sealed And when the sun comes up we'll be looking at each other saying…

It was a universal truth that vacation time passed faster than anyone was ready for, and Theo’s experience was no exception. It seemed like she had just arrived in Michigan, but five days passed in the blink of an eye; next thing she knew, she was back in New York, cursing her alarm clock before dragging herself out to the kitchen for coffee. The first shift in the hospital after vacation was always the hardest, so she poured an extra-large cup. 

Despite the bad vibes that had plagued the tower, Theo took a risk and settled in on the couch to drink her coffee. She wasn’t stupid enough to think everything magically got better while she was away, but with the torrential downpour that turned the skies gray, the balcony seemed like a bad idea, and the early hour gave her the confidence that she wouldn’t risk encountering another person while she sat there.

For a while, Theo curled into her usual corner of the couch, absentmindedly sipping her coffee as she stared into nothing and tried to wake up. The stillness of the tower before the day truly started echoed the stillness of Lake Superior at night, even if Theo’s mind was not as active as when she sat at the end of the dock.

A quiet, yet irate meow disrupted the silence, startling a still half-asleep Theo. 

“What the fuck!?” Theo’s head snapped towards the sound as she scrambled backward in her seat.

Across from her, a small black cat perched on the edge of a chair. It narrowed its green eyes in a glare, baring its teeth as its tail swished back and forth in sharp, almost jagged movements.

Theo may not have been awake before, but she sure as shit was now. How perfect was this - she hadn’t even been back in New York for a day when the chance to find out what was going on with the animals practically landed in her lap.

The cat meowed a second time, louder and somehow more aggressively despite its petite stature. Just before Theo could react, it leapt down from the chair and took off for the hall.

Theo sprung to her feet and gave chase, hellbent on determining the source of the mystery black animals that had practically become her shadow.

But the cat was too fast. It rounded the corner, and by the time Theo made it to the corner she heard a slam and spotted the slight movement of Loki’s door. However, when she pressed her ear to the wood, she heard no movement whatsoever. The presence of Loki’s magic was nowhere to be found, which made Theo wonder if her mind was playing tricks on her.

“Lady Theo, is something the matter?”

Theo practically leapt out of her skin; she spun around, cheeks burning to find Thor standing before her, a heavy-set brow and frown marring his usually cheerful expression. 

“Uh – hi Thor,” Theo waved awkwardly. She glanced around to check if anyone else caught her acting like a fucking weirdo; thankfully, it seemed like she was in the clear. “Weird question: did Loki get a cat recently?”

Thor’s frown deepened. “I’ve heard nothing of the sort. Why do you ask?”

“Funny story,” Theo laughed nervously, “A few minutes ago I was in the living room drinking coffee and minding my own business when I heard a meow; I looked up to find a little black cat glaring at me. Not just looking at me, but glaring at me. It meowed at me and took off running, and because I wanted to figure out where it came from I followed it.” Fully aware that she sounded insane, Theo continued on. “Just as I came around the corner, I think I saw your brother’s door close and the cat was gone, which makes it seem like he let the cat in.”

“Dare I ask why you chose to listen in on my brother's chambers, instead of inquiring with my brother on the matter?” Thor arched a skeptical brow at Theo, while his tone gave the impression that he wasn’t sure if he wanted the answer to the question.”

“Uh, I didn’t want to ask him, because, well, he was being kind of an asshole last time I saw him, and I’m not sure he wants anything to do with me at the moment.” Theo admitted, cheeks burning as she dropped her gaze to her feet. “The crack of dawn doesn’t seem like the time to check and see.”

Thor opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but closed it again. His attention flickered between Theo and the door, while his demeanor grew stormier with each passing second.

“I have my suspicions of what you might have encountered; rest assured, I highly doubt my brother has acquired a pet.” Thor sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Please accept my most sincere apologies for his recent behavior. I will speak with him.”

“You don’t need to talk to him about—“

“I assure you, my lady, it will be best if I address the matter.” Thor replied with an unfamiliar sharpness that left an uneasy feeling in Theo’s gut.

“Okay – Well, uh, I should probably go get ready for work.” Theo took a step backwards, awkwardly smiling at Thor as he regarded her with his still-stormy expression. “Uh, have a good one?”

Thor replied with nothing more than a grunt, which on its own was enough to spook Theo into scurrying off towards her suite.

Theo played conversation over and over again as she changed into her scrubs and pulled her hair back, pinning it up so it didn’t get in the way as she worked. Thor’s reaction, combined with his cryptic response, made Theo believe that it was not the first time for whatever was going on.

But what, exactly, was going on? 

Half-way down to the Emergency Department, the pieces clicked into place.

I don't really wanna talk about it I don't really wanna talk about it I don't really wanna talk about it Right now, right now

After a chaotic fourteen hours in the Emergency Department, Theo decided that the perfect place to decompress was on the roof; more specifically, the farthest corner of the roof, where the seating had been arranged to offer some privacy and seclusion.

The course of events from the day, though quite a bit to process, hadn’t been enough to warrant a trip through the portal to sit on the dock. Even if they were, experience told Theo that too many trips to the dock in a short period of time often raised concerns, so for the time being she opted for a different location. After the wintry weather of Michigan, New York felt downright tropical, so it only seemed appropriate to take advantage of the temperature difference. 

The storm from the beginning of the day had long passed, leaving behind traces of petrichor that lingered in the usually stale city air. Despite the storm, the cushions on the sectionals remained bone-dry; a pleasant surprise, since she fully expected that she would need to use some magic to dry them off. 

Upon reaching her destination Theo sprawled out across a sectional, her head in the corner where two rows of seating came together while her feet dangled off one end. 

She wasn’t sure how long she laid there, staring up at the sky and trying to spot the stars through the light pollution of the city. If she had to guess, she had been there for twenty minutes or so when the faintest sound of footsteps caught her attention.

Theo laid perfectly still, hoping that whoever had come up to the roof wouldn’t notice her, or if they noticed her they would leave her alone. Maybe it made her a bad person, but she wasn’t sure she could handle any more nervous breakdowns or emotional meltdowns from her team members, at least not at that moment.

The footsteps grew louder, until Loki appeared in Theo’s peripheral vision. He paused for a moment, taking stock of Theo as she sprawled out on the sectional. Though he didn’t say anything, he sat down on another part of the sectional before stretching out to mimic Theo’s position, leaning his head in so it was near Theo’s and his legs dangled off the edge of the sectional.

As much as Theo enjoyed the silence, she felt awkward not acknowledging Loki’s presence; if he wasn’t going to say anything, she would have to take it upon herself to break the silence.

“Thanks for the help with the sudoku the other day,” Theo casually mentioned, continuing to keep her eyes on the sky.

“… You knew.” Unlike the last time they spoke, Loki’s voice lacked any trace of iciness; instead, there was a hesitance that sounded almost foreign.

“I didn’t,” Theo quietly admitted, finally tearing her attention away from the sky to look at Loki. “I asked Thor if you got a cat. When he said you didn’t get a cat, but he had an idea of what was going on and that he would speak with you, I eventually figured it out. I don’t suppose you also turned into a squirrel and took a wander around Central Park?” 

“I reserve squirrel transformations for Thor and Thor alone.” Loki slowly replied, giving Theo a perplexed glance. “I take it your question stems from experience?”

“Yeah, but I was probably just paranoid.” Theo brushed it off with a shrug. “Things have been weird lately.” 

Loki hummed, nodding to himself for a moment. “Where did you go, after Barnes and Stark’s quarrel?”

“Home,” Theo replied. “I had a few days off, and since I’m scheduled to be on-call at the hospital on Mother’s Day, figured I could go see my Mémère and get the obligatory celebrations over with before the actual day arrives.”

“It sounds as though you aren’t a fan of the holiday.”

“I hate Mother’s day. And Father’s Day. They’re both terrible - stupid Hallmark holiday bullshit. Anyone who doesn’t have a perfect relationship with their parents feels guilty because they don’t spend the whole day worshiping the ground their parents walked on, and if you lost a parent? Weeks of painful reminders and people giving you pity glances because they make all these assumptions about what you must be going through.”

“I was unaware you held such strong feelings about the occasion,” Loki remarked.

“Honestly, I hate this time of year in general,” Theo confessed. “My sister’s birthday is also in the same period of time - this year it’s on Mother’s Day, which feels like rubbing salt in the wound. The anniversary of when I last saw my family is a few weeks from now, too.”

“What happened to them?” Loki studied Theo with a heavy brow, lips turned down into a rather somber expression.

“They died - at least, that’s the assumption,” Theo sighed. “We were separated, and no one ever saw or heard from them again.” 

“No one?”

“Well, SHIELD was tracking all of us, and I’m the only one here.” Theo gestured to herself as she laid on the sectional.

Loki gently nodded in understanding. “How were you separated?”

“The city we were in was attacked - practically razed to the ground.” Theo’s voice felt thick as she spoke, a lump building in her throat that threatened to silence her before she fully answered the question. “We all tried to escape, but with the chaos we lost track of each other. I got out, but I never found them.”

Loki turned and met Theo’s curious gaze with cloudy green eyes. “You never had a chance to say goodbye…” 

Theo frowned and barely shook her head, unwilling to say it aloud. Even after so many years, it still hurt.

“My mother — Frigga,” Loki corrected himself, “her name day is near the date when this nation celebrates Mother’s Day. Her passing was unexpected; like you, I never had the opportunity to say goodbye.”

“You’ve never talked about Frigga,” Theo quietly remarked. “What was she like?”

“I’d… rather not.” Loki cautioned, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed a lump in his throat.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to…” Theo gently assured him, returning her gaze upward. “… I understand.”

Another beat of silence passed.

“Frigga…” Loki started, then stopped. He sighed like he struggled to find what exactly to say. “She was patient. Gentle. Graceful. She saw the best in every individual and sought to cultivate what made each individual unique.” 

Theo nodded, silently encouraging Loki to continue.

“She taught me magic, and in doing so opened up doors for me that I’d never have otherwise imagined. She was the one person who knew what I was, and yet she loved me just the same.” Loki sighed; when he continued, his voice dropped to just above a whisper: “She’s the one thing about Asgard that I truly miss.”

For some time, they sat there in silence, far above where the sounds of the city could offer any sort of background noise. 

“She sounds lovely,” Theo breathed, as if speaking at a normal volume would ruin the moment.

“She was.”

For a time, they simply stayed laid there, letting the message linger in the air.

“My parents — honestly, I had a mixed relationship with them,” Theo admitted, keeping her voice low. “They held me to an impossibly high standard; my sister was the perfect child, and I couldn’t ever keep up. I know they meant well, but when I was a kid it hurt.”

Loki gave an empathetic hum, looking back up at the stars through the light pollution. 

“Sometimes I wonder if I look back on my memories of them with rose-tinted glasses, or if I didn’t give them the credit they deserved when they were around. I wonder if they would be proud of me if they saw me now. As much as I hate to admit it, I’m not sure they would be.”

“They would be fools to not be proud; however, I can understand your hesitancy,” Loki replied. “The Allfather raised me in Thor’s shadow; to this day, I doubt he would call me Thor’s equal.”

“He was an idiot if he didn’t see you as equals.” Theo surprised herself with the sharpness of her tone.

Loki let out a bitter, quick laugh - no more than a puff of air. “I must admit, I’ve never met anyone with the gall to call the Allfather an idiot.”

“Well, there’s a first time for everything,” Theo lightly joked, offering Loki a small smile.

Another silence fell between the pair, though the faintest whistle from the breeze created a wash of sound. 

“I owe you an apology for when we previously spoke.” Loki spoke up. “I admit, it was not my finest moment.”

“It’s fine - I’ve been an asshole to you more than once, so it’s not like I’m perfect,” Theo dryly pointed out. She paused for a moment, then added: “I’m sorry I didn’t ask what was wrong.”

Loki tilted his head to look over at her, something unreadable in his expression as he studied her. “How could you have known?”

“One, you’ve never spoken to me like that before, so I know that’s not how you normally are.” Theo held up one finger in the air as she listed off the reasons she should have asked. “Two, most people don’t freak out like you did without something else going on. Three, friends check in on each other, and I hadn’t heard from you in a while. I was overdue. Four, everyone has been in a funk lately. It wouldn’t have been a stretch to assume you were also dealing with something.”

“Have you also been in a, erm… funk, lately?” Loki asked, faltering a bit as he repeated Theo’s choice of description back to her.

“I guess,” Theo shrugged dismissively, an air of melancholy lingering in her words. 

“Would you like to discuss what troubles you?” Loki offered, though he did so hesitantly.

“Nope.” Theo told him flatly, popping the ‘p’ sound.

It felt like a sharp departure from how she’d spoken previously, but Loki didn’t know about the upcoming remembrance prayers, the string of painful anniversaries that followed, or Theo’s role in those traumatic events, and she had no intention of telling him. Theo had more than enough evidence that it wouldn’t go well, and selfishly, it was nice to let people get to know Theo as a normal person, without the reputation and baggage of her past coloring their perceptions. 

“I suppose it would be disingenuous of me to tell you that sometimes talking about your troubles helps one feel better when I abhor discussing my emotions and problems.” Loki mused, a flicker of a smile crossing his lips. 

Theo snickered. “At least you realize it would be hypocritical.” She paused for a moment, before softening her tone. “I understand why you’re hesitant to talk about them though.”

Yet another silence fell over the pair. While there were no shortage of times that they coexisted in silence, that night felt different - both of them had revealed parts of themselves they typically kept hidden away, despite not knowing what would happen if they dared to be so honest.

“Were you serious, the other day?” Nervousness tinted Loki’s voice, only amplified by the way his forehead creased and his lips twisted with concern as he asked the question.

“Serious about what?” Theo narrowed her eyes at Loki, trying to remember what he was referring to.

“That if I had a moment of weakness like Barnes, you would be there.” Loki resumed stargazing, pointedly avoiding eye contact like he was afraid of how Theo would react.

… Which was probably just as well, because Theo looked at him like he grew a second head and laughed. Hard.

“You are the world’s biggest dumbass if you think I wouldn’t be there,” Theo finally managed, once she regained her composure. “Shit, I’d take a bullet for you.”

A flush crept over Loki’s cheeks as he laughed nervously, flashing an embarrassed smile. “Please don’t take a bullet for me.”

“Don’t get shot at and I won’t have to,” Theo teased with a wink. 

Though Loki rolled his eyes, his smile grew wider.

“Seriously though – it’s okay to have times where things get tough and you can’t handle it on your own. We all have our weaknesses, and weakness isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes, you just need someone there.” Theo reassured him, hoping he’d take her words to heart. “Shit, you’ve done it for me – back when I first moved in and I was so wary about meeting other people that I hid all the time? Perfect example; you were there for me, and now I have friends here. After that mission when I felt like crap? God, I was an absolute bitch to you and you still put up with me. You deserve a trophy for all of the bullshit I’ve made you deal with just because I’ve been in a bad mood.”

Loki cracked up at the end of Theo’s statement; his laughter brought a warmth to her chest that she hadn’t felt in far too long.  

“Though you flatter me, I must decline the offer of a trophy.” Loki’s eyes sparkled in the night as he flashed a coy grin. “I imagine I’ll have my share of insufferable moments in the future; all I ask is that you continue to tolerate my shortcomings and idiosyncrasies.”

That was a promise Theo would happily make.

I don't know you like I used to But when I can't see, you see me through I don't know you like I used to But when I can't see, you see me through

I don't really wanna talk about it I don't really wanna talk about it I don't really wanna talk about it Right now, right now

-----

Post-Chapter Author’s Note: Something I do in this fic is incorporate little easter eggs and references to fics that I love; some of these are more subtle (ex. chapter two has a clever little reference to part 1 of @infinitystoner’s amazing fic Box of Rain (read on tumblr), but others have had a larger influence and actually influenced plot elements; these last two chapters are an example of when something I read stuck with me to the point of exploring it as a plot element. 

I think the first time I read i couldn’t change (though i wanted to); and its sequel, until i feel whole (again); two and a half years ago(?) and I was immediately captivated by the idea of a shapeshifting Loki and how the ability to change forms could create a sort of armor with which to interact with the world. I shared the first draft of the chapters tied to this song with my IRL friend/fellow marvel lover, Sky, in September 2021; back then it was with a different song and tied to a specific date, but with her feedback and encouragement it expanded out to what it is today.

I started this story in August 2021 - it originally came to mind as a one-shot, focusing on a scene of sitting vigil at a hospital bedside in the aftermath of something catastrophic and trying to reconcile the past with how to move forward. Obviously it has expanded immensely since then (that feels like the understatement of the year), but as it has expanded this has become (for me, at least) more than *just* a slow burn relationship story. 

A lot of this story, for me, is about navigating the various forms of grief. I’m not talking about grief only in terms of death, but grieving for past lives, expectations that never came to be, loss of innocence, changed relationships - there are so many ways that we experience grief. But more importantly, (for me) this is a story about how we rebuild and find hope, even when it seems like there’s no path forward or like we’ve lost everything. 

The idea for this story, and its subsequent writing, began in the midst of a difficult time. I won’t get too much into it here, but I have since realized that it has given me an outlet with which to explore the many ways that I was grieving. It also has given me a way to seek out hope in the moments where I struggled to find it. Since I first started writing this story, things have since improved in ways that I never could have imagined, but I still experience that grief from time to time. I still wonder about “what if…?” from time to time. I’m still learning to make peace with that, but working on this story helps.  All of this to say, if you're reading along, thank you for giving my lil' passion project a moment of your time. It means more than you know <3

[eisenartworks]

I've already told some of these before to @gofancyninjaworld in asks I've sent them, but I'll make a post abt some stuff I noticed

Slight differences in Tatsumaki's past

We all already know on just how different and far more unreasonable and I daresay straight up abusive Tatsumaki is in the webcomic, but tbh back then, I wasn't sure what caused it.

For a Doylist explanation, ONE needs Tatsumaki to not be so fatally flawed, bc to be fair, if we put wc Tatsumaki in manga Tatsumaki's situation, SHE WOULD FUCKING DIE. Wc Tatsumaki got lucky, but if she herself were to face Psykorochi and the eventual enemies, that sort of mentality would not give Tatsumaki the help she eventually needed. And not surprisingly, most of the problems the heroes faced in the wc MA arc can be traced back to ding ding ding! Tatsumaki!

For a Watsonian explanation... It took me a reread.

Webcomic Blast is... questionable, to say it generously. He's certainly no ideal hero manga Blast is, and that I do think would surely explain its bleaker world. But it certainly also explains why Tatsumaki is so cruel. Her meeting with Blast was brief, and harsh. He saved her life, but there's not an ounce of kindness there.

but the manga -

... They all lead up to the same advise, but god, look at the difference. Not only does Blast makes sure to let Tatsumaki out, Blast guessing Tatsumaki's reasons allowed her to open up to him, reminding her that she was wanted and needed by someone, he also made sure to give her kindly advise on top of the iconic one: Protect your family.

And to Tatsumaki, I do think that makes all the difference.

The two Saitama's costumes are extremely likely to not be the same

Yeah, I admit this also took a reread, so when I came upon this panel, you must understand I was pretty boggled. That would certainly explain why it looks... Like that. It's a genuinely a cheap costume. Heck, I have a feeling Saitama actually just buys another identical looking but different colored costume whenever he damages his. Maybe that's why whenever ONE colors wc Saitama, the suit color differs. This chapter I'm pretty sure was posted AFTER the The Road to Hero OVA, so I do think the change is intentional.

Manga Saitama on the other hand, has insistently kept going wearing the same costume and continuously repairs it whenever it got damaged or dirtied. There's just not doubt Saitama greatly values his costume, and takes pride in it bc it means he's a hero. Even tried entering it in a hero costume contest once and got its leather waxed. In fact he values it so much that he does subtly bend reality around it in that despite tanking attacks that would disintegrate its normal cloth (or literally any matter tbh), it still somehow gets away with dirt at best and a few rips at worst. It's also why when he lost utter faith in his own heroism, is when the suit gets genuinely destroyed except for the glove holding the core. Why though?

Probably because to some extent, the OVAs are canon. ONE did write some of them, or at least approved of them. This panel certainly helps reinforce that, considering it didn't happen in the manga, but in the anime:

That explains why manga Saitama's suit is a bit more quality and actually has good colors - it was made by someone who cared and believed in Saitama.

Webcomic Saitama's mysterious past

I really enjoyed reading the sidechapters in the manga, esp in the earlier chapters. They're pretty charming, some of it was actually a little sad. We get to know a whole lot more abt the characters and their different sides, Saitama especially, a bit of worldbuilding and a moral lesson here and there. Even some additional buildup/insight to some friendships/relationships. It's pretty interesting to see Saitama's past and see how it parallels some characters, Garou being the? Closest? Most poignant? ONE did intend that they're the antis of each other.

What I didn't realize until rereading the webcomic a few times is that we don't know anything about Saitama. At all.

the webcomic to me seems to operate strictly on the rule: if you never read it in the webcomic, it never happened in the webcomic. Opm has no shortage of mysterious characters. Drive Knight is def the one I first would think of. Webcomic Saitama isn't one I'd expect despite being. Well, literally obvious. We don't know anything about him. He hasn't said a word about his past. it's unimportant to the overall story I guess, but still. It's weird. We actually know a bit more abt wc Drive Knight's past than we do wc Saitama's. wc Saitama and manga Saitama may not even have the same backstory except for encountering Crablante and becoming a hero. If it isn't the same... That would certainly explain why they seem to have a different characteristic despite the fundamentals being the same. manga Saitama overall seems to be kinder, and more empathetic. Heck he's even pretty soft to kids, and the manga makes sure to show that over and over. Wc Saitama has never shown if he's nice or even likes kids.

Webcomic Sweet mask never met Blast. Manga Sweet Mask did.

Webcomic SM has this to say abt Blast:

... But manga SM has this:

how this changes SM, we are yet to know. I had to point this out bc I haven't seen anyone point this out, so I had to make sure.

Thnx for reading I have no idea where I am going w this

[viridiave]

a very long post about opinions on the OT2 character themes

> disclaimer: these are the ramblings of someone who has not formally studied music or music theory and is just going off of the vibes that they got from listening to the character themes over and over. so uh please take these opinions like the opinions that they were meant to be

> also MASSIVE SPOILERS AHEAD, PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

OCHETTE

Ochette, the Hunter

- I love this theme. The first time I heard the samples on the Octopath website I fell in love instantly and was convinced that Ochette was going to be my starter just because of how EPIC it sounded. When the full version came out, my feelings on it being epic did not change one bit because it captures the spirit of going on a grand mission SO WELL, and the theme itself feels like it represents Toto'haha as a whole more than just Ochette, reminding us every time of the gravity of their situation. Of course I have maybe too many problems with her actual story but damn if it doesn't do a great job at being cinematic. You can just tell the dev team had so much fun making scenes with the scale of the Legendary Beasts in mind

- also I'm not the only one who hears a slight choir in the background right.

In Pursuit of Legends

- easily one of the best pre-battle themes in the game - the high wind instruments just send chills down my spine no matter what situation Ochette is put in, and when we hear it for the last time in Ochette 3 - oh BOY does it feel incredible. Speaking of Ochette 3

The Journey for Legends Ends

- Out of all the Journey Ends remixes Ochette's version of it is undoubtedly one of my favorites - easily cracks the top 3. In my first run of OT2, I saved Ochette 3 for last, and having it be against the fight against the Darkling?? The high wind instrument sounded like WAILING and I can't get over how fitting that is given everything that the Darkling had gone through until this moment. The whole island is at stake but our attention is all on the Darkling's suffering and honestly? That whole sequence made me forget about the problems I had with Ochette's story and got me to cry a bit because holy shit

CASTTI

Castti, the Apothecary

- I don't have too many strong feelings about Castti's theme, but I dearly appreciate how subdued and somber it sounds. It fits Castti's journey of finding her memories so well and I just generally have no complaints.

- HER LEITMOTIF HOWEVER - the theme used in every flashback sequence incorporates it so well that I cry every goddamn time that it's used. THIS IS THE THEME THAT HER CHAPTER 3 ENDED WITH. IT'S SO SAD AND LOST THAT IT JUST AKSJAKS WHAT DID NISHIKI INJECT INTO THIS THEME???

In Pursuit of Memories

- I love For Succor from the first game. Easily one of the most cinematic-sounding pre-battle themes. In Pursuit of Memories takes everything that made For Succor amazing and TURNS IT UP TO 11 AND WOW THOSE TRUMPETS ARE SENDING CHILLS UP MY SPINE. Castti's leitmotif messes up my brain a lot it's great

The Journey for Memories Ends

- As much as I wanted Castti's rendition of this song to crack the top 3 my god the renditions that DID just made me feel way more BUT HECK IF THIS DIDN'T MAKE ME FEEL A LOT OF THINGS

- Having her theme be up against Trousseau feels incredibly triumphant. Like she's being backed up by Eir's Apothecaries as she fights like Jesus they went SO HARD

THRONE

Throne, the Thief

- I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for this but. I especially don't have strong feelings about Throne's theme. I like it enough, I'm a sucker for strings and I think it suits her well, but I feel like it blends too much into the rest of the soundtrack. It could be the instrument choice, it could be the chords? I promise I like the strings. I also love how it played in her ending. I feel nothing but happiness for Throne when I see her endcard I love it so much

In Pursuit of Freedom

- To be completely honest I have to strain my ears to actually hear Throne's motif in the pre-battle theme but I don't have a lot to say about it - definitely blends in too much with the violins.

The Journey for Freedom Ends

- OKAY THE LOW ELECTRIC GUITAR RIFFS IN THE BEGINNING OF THE RENDITION? GOD-TIER - FOR SOME REASON I ALWAYS PAY ATTENTION TO THOSE AND THEY'RE REALLY GOOD BUILDUP

- As for the rest of it it's fine I guess? Like I like hearing it and battling with it but I think the first time around I was way too confused with the bombshells that Claude dropped on us for me to properly appreciate the music

OSVALD

Osvald, the Scholar

- At first I thought this was a pretty generic somber theme that REALLY loves its cellos, but in my second playthrough I grew to appreciate it a lot more. Without changing a single note, Osvald's theme goes from somber to triumphant over the course of his story and it's kind of insane to me?? Like it fits way too well with the bittersweet ending that he has but has so much room for hope and somehow his character theme captures that so well??? Gods bless you Osvald

In Pursuit of Revenge

- Gotta say - I don't have a lot of feelings on this either. Other than to say that it's badass and imposing as all hell

The Journey for Revenge Ends

- OKAY I HONESTLY DID NOT THINK THAT THIS THEME COULD EVER FIT A FUCKING. DRAGON BALL KAMEHAMEHADOUKEN DUEL BETWEEN HIM AND HARVEY BUT THE ELECTRIC GUITAR MELODY PROVED ME SO WRONG. THIS THEME GOT ME REALLY HYPED UP

- Honestly the fact that I was maybe rooting for Osvald too hard to just kick Harvey's ass because he hurt Elena probably helped BUT STILL AWESOME THEME

PARTITIO

Partitio, the Merchant

- God. The moment I heard the electric guitars I was already sold but then the SAX kicked in and it's like 'YO ALRIGHT WE'RE BALLING'

- this post really started out with me describing actual feelings. Don't worry we're still going to talk about feelings but I don't have much to say about Partitio's theme other than it's awesomea and that people should play it in bars

In Pursuit of Happiness

- man this game is really giving me a great appreciation of the power of electric guitars. I see the appeal now. I especially see it in Partitio's leitmotif cuz man it really makes me want to end poverty. Unfortunately I don't have Partitio's business acumen OR his exuberance so I like. The most I can actually do is look into charity and volunteer work but this theme reminds me that that's good effort too

The Journey for Happiness Ends

- Gotta say? I don't have a lot of strong feelings about this rendition. Like I love Partitio and his story's ending to BITS but I think the fact that we're fighting a whole-ass steam-powered war train had the more staying power for me in this fight. Not that his theme was bad by any means because MAN that electric guitar solo goes bonkers

AGNEA

Agnea, the Dancer

- HANDS-DOWN MY FAVORITE OF ALL THE 8PATH2 CHARACTER THEMES - IT JUST SOUNDS AMAZING NO MATTER WHAT CONTEXT YOU PUT IT IN. I also love that it just ends up existing in-universe as full on diagetic noise for Agnea's encore at the end of her story? HELL I ALREADY SAID I'M A SUCKER FOR STRINGS BUT AGNEA'S THEME JUST SOUNDS SO HOMEY AND WHIMSICAL AND IT ACTUALLY MAKES ME REALLY WANT TO DANCE. AND I SUCK AT DANCING!

- Gil's piano version also just flat-out brings me to tears. God bless you Agnea motif. Why is it so good at being emotional. The evolution of this song throughout Agnea's journey just hits me on so many levels. Music and dance as a form of human expression and communication is fully on display with Agnea's story and her theme reflects that perfectly

In Pursuit of Hope

- how do I gush over Agnea's leitmotif even more without just repeating myself. it's just so good. it's so hype even if the situations themselves are relatively low-stakes. like she's just having a really intense talk with the manager of the theater and the battle theme goes HARDER THAN IT SHOULD

Song of Hope

- HONESTLY WHAT CAN I EVEN SAY ABOUT SONG OF HOPE THAT HASN'T ALREADY BEEN SAID. SONG OF HOPE BEING THE FINAL FORM OF AGNEA'S THEME LIKE IT'S A SUPER SAIYAN HAVING THEIR POWER LEVELS GO OVER 9000. THE FACT THAT IN-UNIVERSE IT'S ACTUALLY HER SINGING IT. THE FACT THAT THIS IS THE SONG THAT BEATS DOLCINAEA LUCIEL. THE FACT THAT THEY'RE BOTH SINGING IT ACTUALLY IT'S SO GOOD

- man I wish sometimes that whenever Agnea uses her EX Song of Hope we got like. a little jingle of her theme and her singing the lyrics. I love Song of Hope so much it's my second-favorite Journey Ends theme. Yes I know it technically doesn't qualify but come onnnn

TEMENOS

Temenos, the Cleric

- okay now I'm REALLY going to get flack for this. I actually don't like Temenos's theme. There's specific reasons for this and most of them have to do with his story. It was already one of the character themes that I felt relatively neutral on when I first heard it, and my first impression was that 'mmmm okay. what's throne's theme sound like-'. The demo came out and gave us Chapter 1, and suddenly it makes sense why it sounds so funky - it represents his character from Chapter 1 so well! It tells us a lot about Temenos - that he's lackadaisical, full of doubt, and that there's more to him than meets the eye. It's true to his character as a detective who likes to mess with his assistant sometimes

- But then Stormhail happened, and it's like. The whimsical tones of his theme really didn't suit the tone of the rest of his story OR his character going forward. Crick's death has dramatically changed the feel of his story, and from that moment on it's pretty clear that Temenos is out for revenge more than he is out for truth - but his theme doesn't reflect that. In fact it feels like it's acting in defiance of the tone shift, feeling almost dismissive of the emotional plot points of his story. On a meta level I think it's interesting how it reflects Temenos's state of mind, sticking to his pursuit in order to avenge everybody he lost and keeping his emotions bottled up. Emotionally however it feels incredibly dissonant - especially when it plays over his endcard.

In Pursuit of Truth

- Honestly for how much flack I gave his character theme I have to give it to his leitmotif for being incorporated in incredibly interesting ways for his battle themes. I did NOT think that the Celestas?? Glockenspiels??? Whatever those brass instruments were - they were INTENSE

The Journey for Truth Ends

- Same words that I have for In Pursuit of Truth like oh my god I didn't think they could make his funky-sounding leitmotif sound so badass but they DID and it felt immensely satisfying to kick Kaldena's ass as the music played. Savor that satisfaction because my god the rest of his story arc does not have a lot of that

HIKARI

Hikari, the Warrior

- I'm partial to Eastern instruments and chord progression! Hikari's theme sounds incredibly regal and it tells us a lot about his character - he's noble, kind, and a great leader. It's a theme that's fit for a king and honestly what more can you ask for?

- also when the bridge plays with the peaceful tones of high wind instruments my heart is just. It is at ease. All is right in the world. tHEN IT'S BACK TO THE INTENSE PARTS WAHOO

In Pursuit of Kingship

- OKAY BEFORE THE GAME CAME OUT I WAS ONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO LISTENED TO THE LEAKED SOUNDTRACK OVER AND OVER BECAUSE OH MY GOD HIKARI'S LEITMOTIF GOES SO HARD - I literally SCREAMED when I first heard the leaked version and honestly through the choppy audio and the chunky part of the video - you all know the one - this theme was the one that convinced me that Octopath Traveler 2 was going to be something special. I screamed out loud to several people I knew that this? Seamless transition into Critical Clash II?? It sounded like Latin Honors.

The Journey for Kingship Ends

- So, picture me on my first run, intending to finish the second game this time in reverse OCTOPATH order, meaning I started with Hikari's final chapters. Sure I switched Temenos and Throne around for the order but that was fine, I'm in Ku, and we're about to finally kick Mugen's ass because I fucking hate Mugen. The chapter begins with Kazan literally summoning a sandstorm to open the gates of Ku. I am already so hyped. Then Clan Mei arrives. I am even more hyped. THEN WE FINALLY GET TO KICK RITSU'S ASS, AND HEY OCTOPATH 2, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THIS IS A BOSS RUSH??? I get to Mugen. I beat his first phase. I fight Hikari's intrusive thoughts and win. Mugen does some eldritch shit. AND THEN THIS FUCKING THEME KICKS IN AND I WAS JUST THROWN BACKWARDS INTO MY SEAT

- IN MY OPINION THIS IS THE BEST RENDITION OF THE JOURNEY ENDS REMIXES - THE MUSICAL PROGRESSION FROM THE FIGHT AGAINST RITSU, THEN A TASTE OF FOR THE DAWN WITH MUGEN'S FIRST PHASE, THEN CONQUERING THE SHADOW, AND THEN THIS - IT WAS SO GOOD?? AND IT SOUNDS SO TRIUMPHANT LIKE - HIKARI IS ON THE CUSP OF VICTORY AND PEACE IS AT HIS FINGERTIPS. KU WILL FINALLY SEE THE DAWN OF A NEW DAY. THAT IS WHAT THIS SOUNDS LIKE AND IT'S THE MOST AMAZING THING AND I LOVE IT

so yeah i'd love to hear you guys' thoughts on the character themes. feel free to disagree with my opinions! I welcome it!