#Choose your route

[shiyorin]

I just read your summer flash fic and I love it. It's basically every anime summer vacation arc like you said lol. And it got me thinking about primarch x reader in dating sim but it's event summer vacation. And maybe we'll have sex on the ocean lmao.

Thank you. Honestly I didn't think of that.  But stop give me new idea (I like it) and welcome to the....

Primarchs dating sim (but it's a summer vacation event and definitely not dating sim)

You had no idea how you had gotten roped into this ridiculous outing. One moment you had been escorting the Regent to an important meeting, the next you were being ushered onto a ship bound for some "paradise world."

And now, you are still not sure how you'd ended up here, on this so-called "vacation". The Emperor and Malcador had decided the heroes of the Great Crusade deserved a respite. And your duty required you remain at Malcador's side. So here you were, clad in the "swimsuit" as Malcador had called it (You had protested, but Malcador had insisted, commenting that the sun deserved to gaze upon your radiance.) while wearing an enormous sunhat and lounging under an umbrella.

You sighed, adjusting your sunglasses as you stared out at the seemingly endless expanse of beach and turquoise sea. Sparkling white sands stretched as far as the eye could see, dotted with luxuriant palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze. 

And of course, there were  the Primarchs. All of them, lounging about in various states of undress as they enjoyed this paradise world. Even the Emperor himself was present, reclining regally upon an ornate beach chair.

Truly a sight to behold.

You snorted to yourself. A day off, indeed. More like a day of torture for you. You hated the sun beating down, reddening your skin. Hated the sand that got everywhere, clinging irritatingly. Hated the saltwater touching your skin. The whole enterprise seemed utterly absurd.

You had scowled, but duty is duty. Now you lay beneath the shade of your umbrella, watching with surreptitious glances as the others splashed in the surf, swam in the cerulean waves or lounged upon the beach. And keeping a watchful eye on Malcador. The old man was snoring peacefully, oblivious to the antics of the Emperor and his sons.  

A gush of water indicated one of the primarchs had been thrown into the sea. They tussled and laughed like young giants, heedless of the damage their play could cause. The Emperor watched with a smile, still radiating power and majesty even in this casual state.     

You crossed your arms, glaring at the sea. Malcador mumbled something in his sleep, rolling onto his side. You grunted, briefly contemplating pulling the umbrella down on top of him.

You sighed again. The sun beat down relentlessly, heating the already-warm sands while waves crashed in a never-ending din. You longed for the cool silence of the Librarium, of pouring over ancient tomes in dim shadows. This place felt strange, unwelcoming.

After a time, Malcador opened his eyes and noticed your state. "Enjoying yourself, my child?"

You raised an eyebrow at him over your sunglasses. "You know I don't like such frivolities, my Lord."

Malcador chuckled. "All work and no play, eh? Even I agree a break is well-deserved now and then."

You scoffed. "Breaks such as sand in uncomfortable places, bothersome insects, and skin burnt lobster-red by sun?"

Malcador laughed  at that. "You do have a way with words, my sharp-tongued child. But tell me, what do you think of them?" He gestured to where the Primarchs continued their aquatic battle.

Despite herself, Your eyes were drawn to them. Even splashing in the surf, their dignified aura remained. They threw back his head and laughed, droplets of water glistening on wide shoulders and chiseled form.

You heard Malcador's knowing chuckle beside you. "Ah, so even you appreciates true excellence, it seems."

You sighed. "They are... warriors."

Malcador patted your shoulder. "Take care, my child. Even the greatest works do not guard against a kind word, or smile from someone like you."

With that cryptic statement, Malcador stood up and wandered off to join the Emperor.

You gazed out at the beach once more. The Primarchs continued their play, drawing ever closer to where you sat. As one approached, he paused. You and his eyes met. You lifted a hand in the smallest of waves. After a moment, he smiled and waved in return.

You smiled, turning your face up to the hated sun's warmth. You still hate this place but maybe it's not too bad.

[CHOOSE YOUR ROUTE]

[arlaina28]

The Girlfriend Experience chapter 1

Fandom- BTS

Relationship- none yet

Rated-universal

The girlfriend experience

I look through the file I was handed, reading as much information as I can.

“So, you want to hire me to…” I trail off.

“Give a full girlfriend experience. No sex unless you both want to. The band have been in military service for 18 months. We’ve put them back in a dorm to reacquaint but we do not want outside influences getting in the way.” The producer I’m talking to states.

“So you want me to move in with the band and be this one’s pretend girlfriend so he gets companionship but without someone trying to get in the way of the band and their comeback?” I ask to clarify things.

“Exactly.” The producer smiles at me.

“So, I’ll be being paid to live with him, go on dates with him?” I ask softly.

“Yes. You are not expected to have sexual relations so we are not paying you for that.”

“Does he know that’s what I’m going to be there for?”

“Yes he is fully aware and is looking forward to it. He does not want complications either.” The producer states.

“Okay, I’ll take the job.” I smile, eyes roaming the picture of my new ‘boyfriend’.

“Great. Here is the address. You are expected there at 9am.”

“Thank you.” I say, taking the address and walking out to sign the paperwork.

I swallow nervously as I walk up the driveway to the front door. It’s exactly 9am and I can see 6 silhouettes at the windows, looking down at me. They must be the other band members. I chuckle as I see them pointing and shoving each other. I step up to the door and reach out to the doorbell with a shaking hand. I don’t know why I’m so nervous, it’s not like I’m meeting a real boyfriend. I ring the bell and after a long second the door opens. I smile and look into the eyes of ‘my man’ and my stomach plummets as I see he looks so much better than his pictures.

“Hello.” He says with a shy smile….

[knockknockitsnickels]

I think this is one of my favorite lines from the Wraith route because of (imo) how much the meaning changes depending on if you got there via Spectre or Nightmare. For Spectre, it honestly strikes me as a genuine question. Why are you doing this to her? If you're on the Spectre route, you presumably already know the Narrator can't really be trusted, since you had to reject his reward to get here. What are you hoping to gain from continuing to hurt her? For Nightmare, it honestly just makes me sad. As the Shifting Mound describes her, "She desires only companionship, but the only thing she knows is how to hurt." This line feels like a plea from someone who genuinely doesn't understand why you keep rejecting her. She wants to be with you, but she just can't understand how to do that in a way which doesn't hurt you.

[molinaesque]

"You went against your word and defied our contract! In doing so, you brought the chaos of your world into mine! I will not abide it!" - Raphael (Baldur's Gate, 2023)

[vashtijoy]

"why not join me instead?" akechi's "invitation" in conf 7

People come and go on whether this question of Akechi's is genuine or not. Opinions run the gamut from "I hate him for trying to take you away from your friends" to "Akechi wants Joker to be his accomplice".

Myself, I don't think Akechi means this as a serious question, for a number of reasons. I think this question is rhetorical.

Quick summary:

Conf 7 illustrates the similarity between Joker and Akechi, and that they're both committed to the showdown between them;

Rather than being an invitation, Akechi's question again illustrates that parallel—that neither of them will give up the things that matter to them to join the other, as Joker has asked him to do;

"I'll think about it" does not count towards the third awakening—and I can prove it. Rather, Akechi can't conceive that Joker would ever abandon his friends, and uses it as an outrageous example of something Joker would never do;

Joker's loyalty not only to his principles but to his friends is something Akechi values so much that he won't let Joker sacrifice it;

Akechi is not so much offering Joker a way out in conf 7 (there is no way out) as he's confirming for his own sake that Joker is still in the game. Is this still a battle between rivals, or is it an execution?

Let's take a look.

what is akechi really asking?

[long post is long]

Look at this line. Look at the question he's posing:

Akechi いっそ君がこっちに来るってのは?⋯今の仲間を捨ててさ。 isso kimi ga kocchi ni kuru tte no wa?... ima no nakama o sutete sa Why not join me instead...? All you'd have to do is abandon the teammates you have now.

It's very easy to focus on the first half of this question and miss the second. But that second half is the important part, the sting in the tail. The Japanese is a great example of wa building suspense: "Instead, what if you come over to my side, (AND THEN WHAT, AKECHI???????)"

The sentence is left hanging, with the weight of it unspoken (since wa emphasises what comes after it); Akechi is obviously not done speaking. And indeed, when he continues, it's a doozy:

"though, of course, you'd have to dump the friends you have now." (Yes, I think "friends" is often a much better translation of nakama than "teammates", fight me; it's even often translated as "friend" in P5 itself, or indeed, awkwardly, as "teammates and friends".)

Akechi is using the same verb, suteru, that you use for tossing something in the trash; the parallel meaning, "ending a relationship", exists in Japanese too.

Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba, Haru, everything you've all gone through together and everything you've been—Akechi is suggesting you toss them aside like garbage. For him.

Now, I think part of Akechi would very much like Joker to do that. But he also knows better than to expect it. Because he knows Joker so much better than that.

Akechi has seen firsthand how loyal Joker is to his friends—remember on 1/2 how he says he investigated them all? He's seen some of the things Joker will do for them. He expects that blind faith to lead Joker to his death, much as Yaldabaoth does. But he also respects it.

This boy who's never had a friend, who's convinced himself the whole idea is stupid, is still drawn to the loyalty he sees in Joker. Even as he's preparing his own ultimate betrayal, Akechi recognises Joker's commitment to others. He understands treachery is bad, even though he himself is a traitor—just as he understands that murder is bad, and that doesn't stop him, either.

This question of whether or not Joker will betray his friends (and Akechi specifically) comes back on 2/2, of course—and in force.

so why does he ask

Akechi is not proposing that the two of them run off together. He's not asking to see what Joker will say. He doesn't impulsively make the invitation, and then run away when Joker says yes. He is, in fact, not even asking. He poses the idea of Joker abandoning all his friends as a counterexample. It's supposed to be something Joker would never consider, something he will find morally repugnant.

Which is why, if Joker says yes, Akechi is shocked, and essentially tells Joker not to make such stupid spur-of-the-moment decisions. Akechi is making a rhetorical point about what Joker is asking of him.

Remember Joker's statement that leads into Akechi's question:

Yeah. Joker either suggests that Akechi should give up everything he's doing and everything he believes in (even as Akechi confabulates about what those things really are), or he suggests, with the top option, that he's already done it.

And in return, Akechi says that Joker should join him... and throw away his friends and everything he's working for and everything he believes in, of course.

It's the second response to his question, where Joker turns him down flat, that makes it most obvious that this was what Akechi meant:

Joker それは無理だ sore wa muri da I'm not doing that. No way in hell. Akechi だろうね。 darou ne I thought as much. Akechi 分かるだろ、誰だって今の立場を簡単に捨てられやしないんだよ wakaru daro, dare datte ima no tachiba o kantan ni suterare yashinai n da yo I'm sure you understand. We all have our parts to play, and we can't simply leave those behind.

See what he's saying? ima no tachiba o kantan ni suterare yashinai—"we absolutely must not lightly set aside the positions we hold now".

Incidentally, yes, that's that same verb suteru that he used before, for casting aside or throwing away. Akechi is drawing a parallel between Joker's friends and his own goals—between the things each of them holds most dear, which neither of them will sacrifice, even to save the other. (Assuming you think Akechi would even be down to save Joker—but I do think conf 7 suggests that at this point, he might not be opposed to the possibility. It's just that it doesn't exist.)

the phone call

This parallel returns in the phone call afterwards, if you again tell him that you're rivals:

It's a little hard to tell from the localisation what Akechi is getting at, so let's take a close look:

Akechi 僕らにはお互い譲れないものがあって、そのためにも負けられない。 bokura ni wa otagai yuzurenai mono ga atte, sono tame ni mo makerarenai [lit. for both of us, these are things we cannot compromise on, and because of those things we cannot suffer losing.] Neither of us can afford to lose, because we fight in service of our principles. It's the same for both of us. Neither of us can afford to lose, because of these principles we won't concede. Akechi ⋯だからこそ、もしも君が自分を曲げたりしたら絶対に赦さないよ。 ... dakara koso, moshi mo kimi ga jibun o megetari shitara zettai ni yurusanai yo [lit. that's exactly why, if you were to warp yourself [that way], I would absolutely never let such a sin (t/n: note the kanji) pass.] And that is precisely why... I cannot allow you to change. ... And that's precisely why, if you betrayed yourself that way... I couldn't allow it. Akechi だって、僕が負けたくないのは『君』なんだから。 datte, boku ga maketakunai no wa "kimi" nan da kara [lit. it's you as you are now who I do not want to lose to.] As you are now, as you think now... I cannot allow you to win over me. The person you are now, with those principles, and that determination—that's the one I won't ever allow to beat me.

Here's my attempt at a translation again, so you can see it all together:

Akechi: It's the same for both of us. Neither of us can afford to lose, because of these things we won't concede. Akechi: ...And that's precisely why, if you betrayed yourself that way... I couldn't allow it. Akechi: The person you are now, with those principles, and that determination—that's the one I won't ever allow to beat me.

It turns out that this phone conversation, that was originally quite mystical-sounding and hard to follow (what were you trying to say, Akechi?) is quite straightforward. It ties into to his original question. "Will I join you, Joker? Well, what if you join me instead? Just throw away all your little friends for my sake? Of course you won't—because we're the same. Both of us have things we can't give up, no matter what—and if you tried to do that, I wouldn't let you, because I value you as you are...."

This parallel between the two of them is what conf 7 is about, from the text message that opens it to the phone call that concludes it:

It's the same thing again: neither of you can afford to lose, because you're fighting for your principles. The billiard table is the stage for this wider discussion.

The billiard scene, of course, is interesting for another reason—Akechi is giving Joker a chance to back out; he's testing his commitment, and perhaps hinting that he never intended to be quite where he is, either. He states at the outset that he's being indirect, that what he's saying is a metaphor—and then closes that metaphor with a very direct question: "Do you still intend to play this game?"

Akechi それでも君は、このゲームを降りる気はないの? sore demo kimi wa, kono geemu o oriru ki wa nai no? Even then... do you still intend to play this game? But despite all of that, you still won't fold, will you?

The Japanese is even more specific: Akechi asks Joker if he intends to fold—not whether he still wants to play, but whether he means to give up entirely! "This can't be what you expected, so how about it? Will you just give up? Does this mean as much to you as it does to me? Is this a game we both choose to play, or are you just a victim?"

How much of this is Akechi blowing smoke up his own ass?—casting the fact that he's about to murder the boy in front of him in a glowing, romantic light? Pretty much all of it, I'd say. He's dreamed of having a rival, someone to compete with who challenges him, but what he's got is quite a bit more than that.

Again, the rival imagery is what allows Akechi not only to accept this close relationship, but to frame it as a life-or-death contest that only one of them can win. It confirms to him that what Lavenza describes as "a truly unfair game" is actually fair. It's about making Joker's murder seem as much Joker's fault as his own.

but what happens if you say yes?

Despite all of this, you can choose to have Joker consider Akechi's "offer"—to discard Ryuji, Morgana, Ann, Yusuke, Makoto, Futaba and Haru like trash, and assist Akechi instead. It's tempting, I know.

I don't personally get the impression that Akechi likes this response, for a number of reasons. None of the three responses to his offer score confidant points, but there's something else in play: only one of these responses unlocks his third awakening.

See the F code highlighted in yellow? Only one of these three responses has it. "You're my rival" counts towards the third awakening. Rejecting him, with "I'm not doing that", does not—but more to the point, offering to be with him, with "I'll think about it", also does not!

The issue is confused because a number of us have taken option 1 (or indeed option 2, like me) and still got the third awakening on 2/2. It seems like you need some of the flagged responses, not all of them. But it remains the case that "I'll think about it" does not make Akechi more likely to have his third awakening.

What happens if you take this option?

Joker 考えておく kangaete oku I'll think about it. Akechi へえ、考えてはくれるんだ? hee, kangaete wa kureru n da? Oh? So you'll think about it, at least? What? You mean you'll consider it? Akechi ⋯でも、そういうその場限りの情はやめた方がいい。 ...demo, sou iu sono ba kagiri no jou wa yameta hou ga ii ...But I'd advise you don't say these things without their due consideration. ... Still, it would be better if you didn't trust such fleeting sentiments. Akechi 出来もしない約束はするものじゃないよ。 deki mo shinai yakusoku wa suru mono ja nai yo You shouldn't make promises that you can't keep, anyway. Don't be the sort who promises the earth and walks away.

A few grammar points:

んだ n da on a question demands an explanation; Akechi's question could almost be rendered "Why on earth would you need/want to think about it?"

そういうその場限りの情 sou iu sono ba kagiri no jou—"sentiments that only matter here and now". Essentially, "sentiments that won't last"—or that are makeshift or ad hoc; Joker is making a stupid spur-of-the-moment decision.

yes, 出来もしない約束 deki mo shinai yakusoku translates idiomatically as "promising the earth". The point is not that Joker should not promise; the point is that he shouldn't be the sort of person who promises so much—and then doesn't follow through.

Again, this confidant is all about Akechi's expectations for Joker. It's about the weird belief he has in him, like the belief he has in Shido—that Joker has principles and friends and will stand by them, that those things are important and matter, even if they're diametrically opposed to Akechi's principles and the things he wants.

The fact that they foil each other in this way is a large part of what makes Joker such a worthy opponent for Akechi. So if Joker turns around and says, sure, Akechi, I'll dump all my friends so we can make out?

Akechi does not like that. He thinks better of him!—he loses respect if Joker offers this. Even if that little line about "promising the earth" suggests that, actually, yeah, he would quite like for the two of them to run away together—if only they lived in a world where it was possible.

what about "you're my rival"?

I've discussed this line before, but let's go into it for completeness.

Joker 明智は好敵手だ akechi wa koutekishu da You're my rival. Nah, you're my worthy opponent.

Do you see that Joker names Akechi there? He doesn't just say, "we're worthy opponents", or even "you're my worthy opponent", koutekishu da yo.

No, he picks Akechi out by name, and then tells him exactly what they are to each other. Because wa builds suspense. Akechi wa... (what?! what is he?!) koutekishu da. "I can't run away with you, because I need you to be this to me instead".

And this is the line with the F-code. This is the line that, if you choose it, will build towards Akechi's third awakening—which is centred on his trust in Joker, on the fact that Joker is worthy of that trust.

And how does Akechi respond?

He's astonished. He did not expect this at all, look:

On the left, the top screenshot where he's waiting for your answer; in the centre, the moment of shock, where he's pulled away and dropped his hand and his eyes are wide; on the right, a comparative overlay just to demonstrate that he pulled back.

smiles that aren't smiles

I have a half-assed theory that you can tell when Akechi is really smiling—because the model will smile with him. If you watch, for instance, Ryuji, the model's expressions match the sprite's almost exactly. But if you watch Akechi? Nah, not so much.

Here's an example. Akechi appears to smile quite often through conf 7—but if you glance away from the sprite and textbox to the model, the model is pokerfaced. Five smile sprites on the optimal route through conf 7, and not one of them—not even "you truly are fascinating"—matches the model:

But when you pick "You're my rival"? Suddenly the model's face springs to life:

It's obvious from everything else that this moment is of deep significance to Akechi. But this little detail with the smiles suggests we can confirm it.

and what does he say?

It doesn't take long for him to pull himself together:

Akechi 同意だね、僕らにはなれ合いより対等な関係こそふさわしい。 doui da ne, bokura ni wa nareai yori taitouna kankei koso fusawashii I agree. I think a relationship of equals suits us better than being co-conspirators, anyway...

This is another one that I find unclear in the localisation, so let's have at it.

nareai suggests an illicit or unduly-close union. It suggests "being in bed together" in the business sense—cosying up, colluding, conspiring. It suggests they're working together when they shouldn't be. Jisho uses the screamingly-outdated term "common-law marriage" (what we call "living together") as an example. Essentially, it suggests they're too close—or even co-dependent, in a way that corrupts them both.

In short? Akechi's "co-conspirators", nareai, means "accomplices"—what we might call "murder boyfriends".

taitouna kankei—literally, "an equal relationship"—is a set phrase, and we know what it means. It suggests a relationship where nobody is being cheated; where everyone gets out what they put in. Where the two of them compete on equal terms.

That's a very Akechi way to look at relationships. But it's also a relationship where nobody is in charge; nobody is dominant, and everyone has self-respect. Nobody is chasing after anyone or sacrificing unduly, as either would be if they joined the other. Everyone can be who they are and say what they want. Everyone can say no.

It's the sort of relationship Akechi very notably does not have with Shido. Is it the sort of relationship he has with Joker, when the two of them are hiding so much from each other and lying so much, and there's so much, like, murder going on? Nah. But as an aspiration, as a suggestion of the sort of relationship Akechi would like them to have, alongside everything else he's told us about how he sees the two of them—as similar, as equals and opposites, as bound by their principles, as destined to fight—it's almost touching.

and what does joker think?

Akechi ⋯たとえこの先、何があろうともだ。 ...tatoe kono saki, nani ga arou tomo da ...No matter what else may change. ...No matter what might come next. Akechi それだけの事を言ったんだから、逃げないでよ? sore dake no koto o itta n da kara, nigenaide yo? In any case, what you just said carries great weight. Remember what you decided, and don't run from it. All right? [lit. don't run away just because of what [I/you] said, all right?]

I'm not sure about this. It feels like it should be referring back to Akechi's last line—"don't get cold feet and run away just because I alluded ominously to whatever's coming next, okay?". I guess it could be referring to Joker's commitment, with "You're my rival"? IDK, I'm out on this one, so I'm inclined to give the localisation the benefit of the doubt.

But it doesn't matter. Because the significance of what Joker does next doesn't change:

He nods. Akechi spends the whole confidant hinting that something ominous is coming, and that the two of them are heading to an inevitable confrontation, and Joker nods.

I don't think this is really consistent with interpretations where Joker is a meek little sheep in the interrogation room. Joker might not have chosen this, he might not have wanted it, he might have by far preferred to avoid it. He'd happily back out if Akechi would just drop the whole thing and agree to act sane. But he's committed to it. He agrees to fight.

Remember, conf 7 takes place after Joker hears the murder phone call. He knows what Akechi is. He knows what he's planning. He knows the stakes—and he agrees to play, to face Akechi down.

To quote @nardaviel, that's no sheep. That's a full-on "Phantom Thieves win again, motherfucker" smirk. Joker played Akechi's game, with everything he had—and he played to win.

[killjoy-prince]

A kiss from Death

[slay-the-heroine]

"I want to clear the air before we agree to anything."

The Narrator:

Are — Are you serious?

Voice of the Cold:

Ooh. Unpredictable. I like it.

The Narrator:

No, not just unpredictable, but self-destructive!

Voice of the Prince:

You are not going to try and sway our decisions. This is the decision made. If this is what we deem fit for the situation, then it is what we'll do.

Voice of the Cold:

We're just testing the waters. Besides, it can't go too poorly. Have you seen her?

The Narrator:

Your "testing" will get everyone killed, you know that? But of course you do.

The Narrator:

Keeping your distance, you lob the blade towards the Heroine's skeleton, below her floating feet.

The Narrator:

She eyes it lazily, then raises her hand and flicks her wrist.

The Narrator:

As she does so, the blade begins to defy gravity, floating up into the air. It sways back and forth like a feather falling in reverse. It stops at her hand, and the bottom of the handle rests on the tip of her longest finger.

"I don't care about your stupid knife, killer."

The Narrator:

At the propulsion of her hand, the knife shoots straight up into the ceiling with a "thunk," embedding itself to the hilt into the mossy, rotten wood. It is entirely out of reach.

Voice of the Prince:

For us, it is. She can float.

Voice of the Cold:

What a move.

"I told you what I want. If you want me to think of you as anything but an impatient, murdering freak, then you'd shut your trap and let me out of this place."

>>>

[salty-an-disco]

[Enter the basement]

Seems like you decided to ignore the only weapon offered to you for the purpose of slaying a princess, the main reason you were sent here.

Voice of the Hero: We weighed our options, and decided the best course of action was to not assume the worst and go in already guarded. No need to sound so judgy.

I’m not. I was simply restating your decision so that it’s clear to everyone what exactly you decided. And how that decision decisively seems to go against the very nature of the single task put on you.

You know. As a narrator should.

Voice of the Hero: Sure.

The door to the basement creaks open, revealing a staircase faintly illuminated by a flickering light that seems to be coming from the room below. You can’t make out much of the room downstairs from here but faint shadows. There’s an eeriness in the air that doesn’t seem quite like the standard basement eeriness. The smell of ink seems stronger here.

Voice of the Hero: Is… this where the princess lives?

It would seem– ah. Here’s our answer.

Her voice carries up the stairs.

“Is someone there?”

Voice of the Hero: She sounds… calm. Somewhat robotic, though; like reading something out of a script. Definitely not how I expected a world-ending threat to sound like.

Yes, you’d think she’d at least try to make her lines sound more emotive. Guess her time in this basement might’ve drained the life out of her, the poor thing. Cooping yourself up in a basement for days on end will do that to you.

Voice of the Hero: She didn’t choose to be here, though.

My point still stands.

[pieravane]

fun fact, i actually hated shin when i first started yttd, not his character/writing i just thought he was a little shit

anyway i fell in love with him literally overnight as soon as the scene where sara can high five him occured. that literally altered my brain chemistry because in my head i just immediately went.... shin is Literally saras olrer brother wow...... and i became obsessed with him since. and then literally in the next trial i had to kill him

[lbhslefttiddie]

instead of drawing any of the things that actually happened in ch 17, i present: the hypothetical scenario in which sqq and nyy had in fact left cqms!! some notes about roughly how it wouldve gone below:

Eventually nyy will figure out sqq is also an omega—eventually he will run out of the fake scent from the WRP and will need a new one, and he would not be able to obtain the exact same scent from a different manufacturer

This does mean sqq will continue to use suppressants, which is like. Not good for his health. BUT the rate of decay is greatly slowed after removing himself from the most stressful parts of his previous life

He does still have heart demons, he does still qi deviate periodically (and also bc they ran away, there are certain grievances and loose threads it is now impossible for him to resolve). But his death is now at least a decade away when before it was like. He could literally die the very next qi deviation he has

Nyy, however, will present and grow up as normally as possible in this regard—sqq has no intention of letting her suffer the same health problems hes given himself, and she'll be safe, because sqq will be there to protect her

I imagine them both as decidedly average cooks, with sqq being slighty better, but in this au nyy will improve somewhat, taking on cooking as one of the things she can do to help when it will be a very long time before sqq allows her to fight for real

He does still teach her (though he's once again become Gege instead of Shizun, rid of the formality and structure of the sect), and he brings her along on the less dangerous explorations

Because this is no longer qing jing, sqq only really teaches her the things she needs or wants to learn, and so they discover her musical aptitude much earlier on

SQQ took Xiu Ya with him, of course, but because that sword is tied to his reputation as a peak lord, and is pretty widely recognizable (and thus, traceable) he doesnt use it unless its an emergency, keeping it stored in (one of) his qiankun pouches. Instead, he carries a regular (inferior) sword for general purposes

[tweedfrog]

As a matter of fact let's talk about it. Why the fuck did Eloise punish Cressida Cowper more severely for pretending to be Lady Whistledown than she punished Penelope for ACTUALLY being Lady Whistledown. AND CONTINUING TO PUBLISH???? Like?????

[weepylucifer]

Truly do not understand where people get these takes from. From what i've seen, the communist quest is the kindest to Harry by far

[stop-breaking-my-heart-telltale]

if dorian didn't show up, do you think louis would have shot minnie?

I do. I know some people think either he wouldn't have or he would've missed so that's why the writers had him shoot Dorian instead, but mmmmmm no, I don't personally think so. I like to think that if he had taken the shot, his shaky hands would've caused him to shoot her fatally.

Mostly because I'm already so normal about the fact that of the Ericson crew, Marlon and Louis are the only ones with a body count. Well, that we know of, but shown to us in the game, at least. Plus, we know it's Louis' first kill.

Like yeah, Clementine and AJ become part of the crew and they have bigger body counts, and if we're counting indirect kills caused by actions, then Tenn has a count... and I guess everyone has blood on their hands for blowing up the boat... but I'm talking about killed directly with a weapon like....... I lied, I'm not normal about that at all, Louis and Marlon are the ones who have killed someone in Louis' route. I'm also not normal about the fact that Louis kills Dorian and then even as he's clearly in shock, he tries to go with Clementine to get AJ, and then later on when they talk about it, he says it feels like bile but not quite and he's glad he has it in him to do it.... listen, listen, listen... I'm obsessed with that.

Anyway, so if Louis shot Minerva, I think he would've accidentally killed her and can you imagine? He's already enough of a mess after killing the woman who pinned him down and tried to cut his finger off [or succeeded] but he knew Minerva, they were friends before the twins were taken. Even Violet couldn't kill her even though that would've been the smarter thing to do, and we know thanks to meta knowledge that killing her would've saved lives, but Violet couldn't, and I don't think Louis would intentionally either.

Speaking of Violet, if Louis killed Minerva, I hate to think about what that would've done to Vi. I think she might've actually left at that point, like what was planned before it got changed to her being burned. I don't think she would've attacked Louis over it, though, like yeah she attacked Clementine in the cell but Louis? I don't know, but I don't think so just because it's Louis and he'd be a mess about it anyway.

Though if he did kill her, it would be a neat parallel to draw... y'know, because Louis forgave AJ for killing Marlon even though he was pissed and heartbroken, and Violet was annoyed with him the entire time... but could she ever forgive Louis for killing Minerva? Y'know? We already have a similar parallel with AJ shooting Tenn, but still.

If Clementine killed Minerva in that moment, though, then I could see Violet attacking her since in her eyes, Clem proved her right.

So yeah, I get why they added the Dorian kill to his route. It adds another compelling element to Louis as a character, but we also need Minerva alive for episode 4; Louis can't kill her, he can't miss, and he's not going to stay with her because we need Violet to stay on the boat and him to be on shore for all routes.

[darcyfirth]

first week of going back to uni to do my masters and already i'm thinking of starting an onlyf**s

[dee-in-the-box]

thinking about the line "You can never undo what I've done to her, you know." again.

[bipolar-boygirl]

Previous post made me think about the fact that Jareth is a fucking owl and I just

THAT'S why the castle and the goblin city are crawling with chickens and there's straw everywhere, and there's those puppet birds nesting in the throne room. But that also opens more questions. Does he just like birds? Like did he choose to transform into an owl because he just thinks they're neat? Is the owl transformation something he has no control over and therefore feels kindred to birds in general?? Are they birds subjects??? So many possibilities oh my god