#Hell Sweepers

[therailz-art]

Might make Nell one of those characters that looks like her eyes are always closed so that when she opens them they pop more. Also yes, I shall keep drawing Nell busts over and over until I draw her consistently lol

[satoshi-mochida]

Some games that are currently stuck on older consoles that I hope get rereleased in some way, Part 5:

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7

Pandora's Tower

The Last Story

Unchained Blades

Deadpool(putting this here as a technicality since it got removed from digital platforms for licensing reasons)

Liberation Maiden

Jeanne d'Arc

Drakengard series

Shadow of Destiny(Shadow of Memories)

Ray Gigant

Michigan: Report from Hell

The older Deception Series games

Disaster Report Series before 4

Breath of Fire Series

Xblaze 1 and 2

Blinx 1 and 2

Pokemon Conquest

Higurashi Daybreak(hopefully a newer version would preferably based on Higurashi Daybreak Portable Mega Edition, maybe add even more characters to it)

Whiplash

Godhand

Under the Skin

Scaler

Dragon Quest IX

Namco x Capcom

Project X Zone 1 and 2

Time and Eternity(I know it's kind of divisive, but I liked it's style. Battles in Ray Gigant have a similar look, though not the same feel.)

Mega Man X Command Mission

Yakuza: Dead Souls

Yakuza: Kenzan

Albert Odyssey

Twilight Syndrome series/Moonlight Syndrome

[hannie-dul-set]

came here to announce new asshole jaemin idea as a result of my law readings.

[yumedoca]

Aaaaand I've finally reached the Rumiko Takahashi (+ UY) cameo!!!

[endosexual]

Playing mine sweeper, wiping visible sweat off my brow and letting out a painful howl every time i hit a mine

[kunoichi-of--destiny]

Almost 2025, can we please get a QQ Sweeper/Queen's Quality anime announced? That'd be epic! Hell, I found a song that'd be suitable for the OP:

[firestorm09890]

there's a part of canto vi I've been thinking about since it came out, and it doesn't actually have anything to do with Heathcliff.

this

She is bitter as fuck and as time goes on she's getting worse at keeping it down. Sinclair's the one who started it, by talking about how sad it is that they'd never get to see color, and Rodya starts to get a little irritated over it (yeah, sure, pity the Backstreets folk and their poor miserable little lives, privileged nest boy), but she's obviously trying not to straight up call Sinclair a privileged nest boy because she doesn't want to. But then Yi Sang and Ishmael join in on talking about how sad this place is with no color and she just can't keep her opinion down.

But that makes the atmosphere tense, and she hates a tense atmosphere, so she changes the subject and her tone, not giving a damn about how obvious it is. also, haha, ice and cold references.

And actually, this doesn't really have much evidence to support it, but I wonder if she holds a higher level of resentment for Sinclair in particular.

Canto II had some discussion about how Rodya wishes she was special (and while I think what Sonya said about her killing the tax collector just to feel special is absolute bullshit, I do also think there is some truth to her wanting to feel special), and introduced us to the concept of The Sign in a way that was vague and more like foreshadowing than actually introducing it. Then Canto III was all about The Sign, and how special Sinclair is, and since then we've had people talking about signs and stars and a new birth of the world and it's all stuff Rodya doesn't get to be part of.

I don't think she wants to hold resentment for Sinclair, and she especially never wants him to know, but going back after all this time and rereading this one interaction with him in Canto II felt pretty jarring.

the more important part of this is the way it feels like she's making a joke at Heathcliff's expense, for being poor, like even though she's also from the Backstreets she feels she's "above" it.

She absolutely does not feel this way.

On my way to find the first passage, I reread some other interesting stuff:

Once again, there's the harsh juxtaposition between casual, fun-loving Rodya, and tired, poor man's advocate Rodya. Almost everyone on the team speaks through the lens of a Nest dweller (I have to wonder if learning that Heathcliff was apparently raised in a mansion made her even more bitter), and the way she's so short with her mention of the Sweepers makes me think she's thinking about how painfully obvious it would have been to any other Backstreets dweller. And then, right after, dropping back into her casual voice, and Sinclair revealing that Rodya used the fucked up Backstreets creature to tease him...

Other obvious moments of Rodya being bitter as hell about rich people include this part of S.E.A.

and this part of her observation logs on Spiral of Contempt (actually, nearly everything in that log that isn't about the physical abnormality has to do with how much she hates how rich people look down upon the poor)

Hong Lu's canto comes after Don's, and then after his is Ryōshū's, who, based on her source material, probably served one of the most awful, contemptuous rich people the sinners have access to, and I really hope at some point here Rodya gets to snap in a big way

...hey so I wrote this entire post at 1 in the morning and then saved it to drafts because I didn't want to post something at 1 in the morning. the Timekilling Time trailer came out about two hours later, featuring both Rodya... and the long-awaited return of the Yurodiviye. so now it's past 3 in the morning for me but I'm posting it now anyway because ohohoho seeing the Yurodiviye again has given me SO much energy

I have a feeling all this is going to be very relevant extremely soon

[littlechivalry]

Threshold

Post-UD, everybody lives. Established Steddie

-

Eddie couldn't do it. He turned, ready to run, but Steve's hand clamped down on his arm like an iron manacle.

"Fuck you, let me go," Eddie hissed.

"Like hell I will," Steve replied, just as harshly. "You have to do this, you're the only one who can."

"I'd rather die."

The sales clerk cleared her throat and Eddie snapped his mouth shut.

"Are you-- can I help you find anything else," she said softly, her hands open in front of her.

"No," Steve replied. "Just this."

'This' was a vacuum cleaner. An upright vacuum cleaner with hose attachment and a retractable cord. A one hundred dollar vacuum cleaner.

Eddie felt sick. He pulled his hand away and Steve let it go awkwardly. Eddie cleared his throat and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, just this." He pulled out his wallet and passed over the money. Signing the warranty card in a messy scrawl.

They walked out of the store and loaded the vacuum into the back of Steve's truck.

Steve and Eddie had gotten to the car in silence but once the doors were closed it started.

"Babe," Steve said, his voice soft but firm. "What was that about? We agreed we need a new vacuum. Wayne's old one gave up the ghost and the carpet sweeper does nothing. I thought this was cool."

Eddie groaned and rubbed the heels of his hands against his eyes. "It's not-- it's just..."

He couldn't find the words and Steve didn't press him. The interior of the truck's cab was quiet, windows muffling the noise of other shoppers moving through the parking lot, the occasional sound of their radios drifting on the air.

Eddie took a few breaths, heard Steve do the same beside him - in - out - in - out

"Can I check in," Steve says after a few breaths.

"Almost," Eddie replies and they go back to breathing.

This time Eddie breaks the silence. "It's real, right?"

"Real," Steve echoes. "The vacuum? Yeah?"

"It's -- the vacuum we have now? Wayne got it from the Johnsons before they moved to go live with their kids in Des Moines. It was a really good vacuum. Lasted, like. Seven years. The one before that Wayne found in the trash. It needed some fixing up and the hose had to be taped together but it ran for two years."

Steve hums, just a considering noise to show he's listening but leaving Eddie some spacw to talk. Eddie cannot explain how much he appreciates that.

"The stove was a store display they were gonna toss out because the wiring was bad. The couch was abandoned on a curb up in Loch Nora. Most of my clothes come from the Goodwill; Wayne's too, even his work boots. My guitar, my sweetheart, is a hand-me-down to I don't know how many degrees."

Eddie sighs and tips his head back against the headrest. The ceiling of the cab is upholstered in dark blue fabric. Eddie drags his fingers over it.

"Munsons don't get new things, Steve. Not nice ones, anyway." He blew out a rough breath. "I know this is stupid. It's just a vacuum cleaner, but--"

"Don't say that," Steve interrupted. "If I don't get to say stupid neither do you."

Eddie reached over the gear shift and clasped the hand Steve offered.

"Okay," Steve said. "Do you... should we return the vacuum?"

"No," Eddie said. "No, that's not the answer. We-- I have the money. I can afford a new vacuum, a nice one."

"A really nice one."

"And it's okay to buy new things."

"It really is," Steve said.

Eddie nodded. "We're grown ups now, Stevie. Got good jobs, a nice apartment, a fancy new vacuum cleaner. What's next, a picket fence? 2.5 kids and a dog?"

Steve smiled and pulled Eddie's hand up to his face, pressed a kiss against his knuckles before letting go and reaching for the ignition. "I'm allergic to dogs but let's get home and we can start working on kids."

Eddie reached out for Steve, pulling him across the armrest into a fierce kiss.

Steve fell back into his seat, a bright flush in his cheeks. "Wow," Steve said, starting the car. "What are you gonna do when we buy a house?"

The radio came to life but Eddie could barely hear it over his own laughter.

[therailz-art]

hi Nell what does your shirt say *squints*

[realpokemon]

Woke up this morning and there was this weird fucking pokemon so I locked it in my bathroom and I've been looking it up and apparently it's extinct??? Like there's only fossils left??? What the hell do I do??

STUPID pokéscientists keep giving random ass 10 year olds ancient revived fossils and forgetting to tell them not to release it after they don't end up using it in their sweeper team. call your local pokémon ranger but also what the fuck

[cobaltperun]

omg wait , if possible could you do a tara x amber to tara x reader , soccer!au with like r and amber being on the soccer team together and competing against each other to make tara fall for one of them but tara chooses amber first but amber like ,, betrays her or cheats on her and that’s when tara realizes she always loved r and they end up together

Sweep 'er off Her Feet

Tara Carpenter x female reader (Request)

Masterlist

Word count: 2.3k

Soccer has been your passion since you were a child, you spent hours chasing ball back then, hoping that maybe, just maybe, you could one day play at least for a school team. It wasn’t that you weren’t good, you definitely put in effort to get good, but the issue was Woodsboro, there just weren’t enough girls interested in soccer in your primary and middle school.

So, when you started high school and realized there was an actual soccer team you jumped at the opportunity. Easily filling in any position that was empty at the moment. There was one position you exceled at more than the others though. Sweeper. You could play offensive as well, but there was something inherently appealing in the idea of defending your goal, being the last line of defense before the goalkeeper and the opposing team. Waiting and reacting, making sure your team didn’t have to catch up to the other team, and could instead focus on taking the lead.

And you were damn good at it. And Woodsboro high school team quickly became one of the top high school teams in the local competitions. You had a mean combo. You’d do your part as the sweeper, pass the ball forward to your team’s striker, Amber Freeman, and she was one hell of a striker.

The two of you just pulled that combo off, winning another game just in the nick of time and you were celebrating, cheering with the students from your school that came to see you all.

“That was amazing!” Tara exclaimed from the stands as you and Amber stopped near her.

“The mastery of yours truly,” Amber bragged, being the one who scored the goal.

Tara laughed. “Don’t take all the credit, Y/N’s pass was great as well,” she remarked, winking at you as you grabbed a towel and began wiping the sweat off your face.

Amber rolled her eyes and jokingly smacked you on the shoulder. “Yeah, yeah, hear that? You’ve got a fan,” she teased causing you to glare at her.

It wasn’t a secret that you had a crush on Tara, but the thing was, Amber was also interested in her. “Easy there, Freeman, you’re turning green,” you shoved her back.

Amber scoffed and turned her attention to Tara. “I am really grateful you take notice of our sweeper. It’s such a boring position I was worried no one would realize she was on the field,” she offered Tara a confident smirk.

“Boring?” well sure, it wasn’t exactly the most exciting position, but it wasn’t boring!

Tara lightly scratched her cheek and looked away, chuckling a bit uncomfortably.

“Wait, really?” you had to ask her.

“A bit,” she held up her fingers and smiled apologetically, but the look in her eyes told you she was only teasing you. Actually teasing, without any harm meant by it, unlike Amber whose teasing always held at least a hint of malice within it.

You turned to the side dramatically. “The betrayal!” you overreacted with raised fists and grinned when Tara laughed.

~X~

This dynamic continued, Tara would always be there on your matches, she would always cheer the loudest, and the three of you would always chat after the game ended. And you slowly got closer, your friend groups merging and eventually it wasn’t just chats after the matches. It was study sleepovers, hanging out, going to the movies together.

Tara was important to you, so important you feared telling her about your crush on her would ruin your friendship in some way, so you remained silent.

You should have spoken up.

~X~

Tara, after finishing her last classes headed toward the soccer field where you had your practice before another big game. She watched you, practicing your long passes, each time sending the ball with incredible precision. It was no wonder Amber had an easy time, you would pass the ball to her on the perfect spot to make the path to the goal as easy as possible.

And then there was Amber, the polar opposite of you, just passing time on the field. That was the thing with Amber, she was pure talent, monstrously talented, she barely practiced. And there was a time she thought you were the same, but as she got to know the two of you she learnt you spent hours practicing, simply out of your love for soccer, and so you were arguably a much better soccer player than Amber, your position just wasn’t as prominent. Tara admired you for that, for the constant effort and dedication.

“Hey, Tara,” Amber saw her and came up to her, that charming, a bit seductive smile on her face.

“Amber, hi,” Tara replied, brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiling at the black-haired girl. She had a bit of a crush on Amber, and she was glad whenever she got to have a proper conversation.

“You know, there’s a party at one of my teammates’ place tomorrow night, I was wondering if you’d like to come as my date?” Amber asked her directly, without a hint of doubt in her voice or posture. In Amber’s eyes the answer was obvious.

And Tara had to agree, the answer really was obvious. “Of course, I’d love to go with you,” she replied, blushing as Amber pulled her into a hug and kissed her on the lips, thought she quickly kissed the team striker back.

~X~

A month later you still occasionally sulked that Amber ended up asking Tara out. But, you refused to show it in front of Tara, the two of you still hung out, you still spent enough time together due to hanging out in the same group. And much like with anything else in her life, Amber remained assertive, feeling the need to show that Tara was her girlfriend.

Who did Amber think you were? Someone who would wreck a relationship?

Hell no!

And Tara looked fairly happy with Amber, so you definitely weren’t going to interfere in any way.

You could still sulk though. So, here you were, at a party after winning local tournament. It was loud, there was some alcohol, though you really never found appeal in it. So even though plenty of people around you drunk you went for a coca cola instead.

“You know, if you wanted to get the girl, your position really doesn’t make you instantly noticeable. No one notices defenders until they either fuck it up, or really create a miracle,” Liv, one of your teammates, pointed out.

You rolled your eyes at that and took a sip of your drink. “Yeah, well, being a sweeper has grown on me, I don’t feel like switching just yet.”

But before Amber could reply both of you saw Tara rushing outside.

“Was Tara crying?” Liv asked as you jumped to your feet.

“She was,” you ran after Tara, worried about what could have happened to cause such a reaction from usually composed girl.

~X~ About ten minutes earlier ~X~

She thought her relationship with Amber was going strong, she thought Amber liked her, wanted to have a steady relationship with her. She didn’t think Amber would leave her alone during a party she wasn’t really feeling like coming to anyway. Yes, your team won the competition, but Tara had a test tomorrow and she didn’t feel like spending the night in a loud, smoke and alcohol filled place.

She was looking for Amber all over the huge house, hoping to find her and let her know she was leaving. She did not think she would see Amber in a bed, naked, riding a guy that looked several years older than her.

“Amber?” she managed to say the girl’s name, stopping her movements for a few moments. But instead of stopping, or looking ashamed Amber just continued on, aware that Tara was there and Tara felt sick.

She ran out of the room and slammed the doors closed behind her. She leaned against the wall, her eyes wide and her breathing so rapid she had to use her inhaler to calm down. Yet the tears still fell down her cheeks. A part of her hoped Amber would come out, explain herself, but deep down Tara knew two things. First that no matter what Amber said it wouldn’t change the fact that she chose to cheat on Tara, and the second that, as much as it hurt to admit it, Tara understood Amber wouldn’t be coming out, and so she ran down the stairs, still crying and only wishing to leave the damn party.

She ran outside, the air suddenly feeling rather cold. “Tara!” she heard your voice and stopped. You must have seen her crying, or at least rushing to leave, and you got worried. You got worried and Amber cheated on her, how ridiculous was this situation? She wiped her tears, but they kept falling as you caught up with her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Hey, what happened? Should I get Amber?” you asked, because of course you would. Why wouldn’t you assume that Amber and Tara were still fine, and that Amber would be able to fix this.

Tara shook her head and without thinking about it she just blurted out what she saw. “I saw her cheating on me,” she sobbed, watching as you went from concerned to shocked, to angry and then you turned around, seething and heading toward the house and somehow Tara realized you were likely going to go in and confront Amber about her affair.

Or was Tara the affair? How long did that last? Tara would probably never know.

“Y/N, wait!” she cried out, going after you and grabbing your forearm. You stopped, but you still looked toward the front doors, still ready to get into a fight. “It’s not worth it,” she told you softly.

“But thanks, it means a lot,” she managed a small smile.

“It’s worth it to me,” you argued, but you finally turned around and for a moment raised your hands toward Tara, as if to hug her, but you dropped them. Unsure if that was what Tara wanted when that was exactly what she needed, just to be held and comforted for a moment. So, seeing the initial intention, Tara just stepped forward and hugged you, letting the tears flow freely as you hugged her. “You’ll find someone better,” you assured her while rubbing circles on her back.

“That was my first relationship,” Tara confessed, and she liked Amber. She didn’t think her first relationship would be the one she stays in for the rest of her life, but she didn’t think it would end like this.

“Next one will be better,” your words did little to make her pain lesser, but she did find some comfort in them, in the thoughts of future. And what your words failed to do your presence and touch accomplished.

~X~

About a month and a half later you found yourself in front of Tara’s house, gathering courage to finally confess your feelings, or at the very least ask her out. A lot has happened since that night, mainly you and Amber still having a falling out, and it was damn lucky that you were done with high school, because soccer would be awful if you had to keep playing together.

Tara moved on, it took a bit of a time and a hell of a lot of support from you and the rest of your friends, but she moved on. You just hoped she didn’t decide soccer players in general were no longer a plausible option for her.

Just as you thought that Tara opened her front doors and hugged you. “Hey there, sweeper,” she teased you as the two of you pulled away.

“Hey there, cheerleader,” you teased back as she let you inside her house and led her to her room. You had a movie night planned and you were just a bit early, as usual. Tara wasn’t a cheerleader, hell, you didn’t have cheerleaders, but Liv once joked that since Tara cheered the loudest, she was the leader in cheering, hence, a cheerleader. “What are we watching tonight?” you asked.

“No idea. Mindy is choosing, so probably a horror,” Tara told you. You were sitting at her table and watching curiously as she circled around you and hugged you from behind. “Maybe I should hold your hand, since you can’t handle horror,” she suggested only half joking.

“Sure. Though I’d like it if you held my hand more often than that,” you blurted out, much more confidently than you thought you would.

Tara’s eyes widened as she looked at you. “Y/N?” you swore there was a hint of hopefulness in her eyes.

“Would you go out with me?” you asked softly, a bit worried about her response and making things awkward, but fine with whatever she decides.

“Yeah, I’d love that,” she hugged you tighter and leaned in, kissing you gently. “I thought you’d never ask, and I would have to ask you out instead tonight,” she teased as you grinned like a fool.

“And why didn’t you ask me out?” you nudged her, twisting in your seat so you could hug her back.

Tara adorably tapped her chin with her finger and looked toward the ceiling. “I guess I was too scared it might ruin our friendship,” she admitted, and you laughed.

“Same! I didn’t think you would like me back!” you confessed, feeling much lighter now.

Her eyes shone brightly, she looked happy, happier than she’s been in a long time. “I guess you swept me off my feet, my sweeper,” she laughed, kissing you once more. And you couldn’t remember the last time you were this happy.

[almostswagkid]

Okay, a little analysis on sinners' strength yuppie

Yi Sang and Sinclair are obvious. Sinc is very young and never got a chance to actually train (tho he mentioned that he started working out) and Yi Sang had never held something heavier than a book in his life

Ishmael and Heath are pretty obvious too. Again, they've never trained, but got stronger due to their lifestyles. There's a big difference between working a hard job and actually working out (telling this as a person that spends some of her working hours in the warehouse)

Rodya for me was obvious too. Most likely she never trained or even thought about it. Like hell, she thinks she's already perfect and doesn't need to change. That's the entire point of her character and without that the plot wouldn't happen to begin with

I honestly thought Hong Lu would be higher, considering what he had told about how he was trained, but guess I was wrong. But again, pretty obvious. Especially if we look at how massive his weapon is and how easily he wields it

Faust was a surprise for me ngl. But, I did some research on how people fight with a zweihander and yeah, she's strong

Meuesault is just a gigachad

Ryoshu is a very talented swordsman. Like hell, she fights with her odachi sheathed and still can easily slice through several people. That's some pure strength and talent

Outis and Don are also very obvious. Two war criminals. One is just very dedicated to her craft, plus things I've already said before. The other is a bloodfiend with big ass lance almost twice her size

Now, a little speculation about Gregor. In the sweepers intervallo, during the assassination, the only ones who survived were the top four in terms of strength (Don, Outis, Ryoshu and Meur). So, we can make an assumption that Greg is somewhere in the top five

I mean it's very obvious that he's also strong. He's built like a fucking tank (I've spent some time analysing his body on ingame art ((for science)). Also I noticed that his waist is twice shorter than his shoulders). And, considering his fighting style, his back, shoulders and legs should be like a fucking brick wall. Basically, his arm acts like a very weird harpoon. Plus the stuff Hohenheim said about him

So yeah, I have no doubt that he's strong

[just-your-average-supervillain]

Nocturnal Sweeping: Some Thoughts

I think this is the first time an Intervallo has concluded not on the bus, but instead on the field, immediately going into the start of the next Canto. Indeed, following in the tradition of SEA, it seems that the upcoming Jia Family Hierarch Selection will be the main focus of Canto 8 - specifically, the conflict between Hong Lu's disinterest in the role of Jia family head and the fact that the Limbus Company higher-ups (and likely the Elders of the Jia Family) think of him as the best choice for family head. I highly doubt this situation will end similarly to Canto 6, with Heathcliff becoming the master of an empty manor, but I can't really tell who will become clan head - Hong Lu, Xichun, the really buff Jia guy at the end, maybe even Huan or other characters we haven't met yet.

So, some disjointed thoughts.

Of course, other than the obvious focus of Hong Lu, this Intervallo gives some more focus to Outis and Ryoshu. Outis is coming more into her supposed role as aide-de-camp, giving sound advice and collaborating with Dante and Faust in demystifying the intrigue set out for them. She seems quite shocked by being compared to Qingtao, and might lean back on the bootlicking in favor of giving specific contributions. Outis and Ryoshu collaborating to ensure Dante's safety without their notice is also pretty neat; naturally, they want to secure a valuable asset. Ryoshu's also has some moments of her own, like eavesdropping on Hong Lu and Dante with Sinclair, her confusion at his further elaboration on her acronyming (could he be reading her mind? He does have telepathy in the original book...), her frustration at being weaker during the fight, or the weirdness she had with Don Quixote after the Sweepers leave.

Don also has some points of interest here; Xichun's interest in recruiting her, or her smelling something unusual in regards to the Sweepers' blood. It's also neat to point out little things about how she changed from regaining her memories, like regaining tact.

The ambush and fight to protect Dante from the Heishou assassins is pretty neat in regards to who makes it to the fight; Don, Ryoshu, Outis, Meursault, and Gregor, the four strongest Sinners plus the one noted to have bizarre potential. Plus, the Sinners noted to have died in the ambush were Sinclair, Yi Sang, and Heathcliff, the three weakest, excluding the ever-vigilant Ishmael.

Faust's oddities continue to pile up. Indeed, right after the Sweepers finish their third wave, all the Sinners are wiped... except for her, who speaks as normal. She's also more upfront about when she's consulting Gesellschaft, with her naming the group when only speaking to Dante and censoring it as "Faust's knowledge" when also speaking to Outis. She's also clearly not in on all of the Company's plans, given that she OK'd the alliance to prop up Xichun instead of Hong Lu immediately before LCA declared that Hong Lu would be the chosen candidate.

It's kind of amusing to see the difference in how well Dante can read Faust vs how well they can read Outis. They pick up on a minute eyebrow tick on Faust and extrapolate her thought process, and then see Outis's very clear counterespionage signal and completely fail to understand what she means.

So, how about that Hong Lu conversation? Indeed, just as with his comment on the pointlessness of wrath, it seems that he has fully given up on having opinions or charting his own path. His cut-off comment about being placid in the face of the suffering of himself or those he cares about also definitely makes me think something horrible happened to Lin Daiyu to break his spirit. Kind of ironic that Heathcliff was the one to interrupt.

It's a bit bizarre but also maybe expected that the Sinners (other than Outis) don't react to Hong Lu being called by another name. Then again, maybe they're inoculated by Don Quixote vs Sancho or they're just not butting their noses into his business.

Also, hell yes - the Lord of Lusciousness, the Banisher of Bristliness, and the Man of the Middle, Ricardo, has returned. It seems that, as expected from the Middle, he's becoming a reoccurring issue. I suspect that we'll probably have one, maybe two more clashes in the future, but I think that chances are that his arc will be finished by the end of Canto 9. That said, he's still annoying as hell to fight.

Absolutely awesome to get to see an actual Night in the Backstreets in-game; the waves of Sweepers rushing by us really emphasizes how if they wanted to, they could dedicate themselves and wipe us out, but the sheer territory they need to cover and diminishing returns from just a few people makes it pointless to do so. Also, a mention of how the Sweepers are at the back and call of the Head!

It's neat to see how H Corp is modeled after the Walled City of Kowloon. It really re-emphasizes the cramped urban nature of the City, and doubles down on the idea of a capitalist hellscape.

It's neat to see Dante get a little bit meaner and more vicious - getting frustrated at the Sinners for eavesdropping on a private conversation with Hong Lu, commanding the Sinners to (even as a quote to motivate them) wipe out their enemies, and deciding to use a numbers advantage to jump an enemy to beat the secrets out of them... that, plus their focus on figuring out the situation with Outis and Faust, makes me think that they're definitely becoming more like their pre-amnesia self from the start of the game.

And, of course, the details clearly meant to foreshadow Canto 8 - the Bolus's life-returning properties, or Hong Lu's little detail of fighting ten duels a day. I'm kinda interested to see how the imagery of the Bolus is used in Canto 8's storu - Canto 5 got a lot of narrative mileage out of Whale and Mermaids, Canto 4 had the idea of healing through returning to the past, Canto 6 had the idea of being haunted... the blue color of the Bolus against Hong Lu's blue eye definitely gives me the vibes of this being imagery.

I can't really think of anything else to include in specific, beyond maybe Hong Lu's specialty in dueling and being a reactive fighter (Cinq ID anyone?), and how he wasn't promised a wish by the company. I really liked this Intervallo - aside from some of the harder fights - and am really hyped for The Surrendered Witnessing to be released.

[beritybaker]

⚽️ Two Aces ⚽️

Rating: T | Word Count: 1,852 | CW: Language, Light Angst | Tags: Pre-Steddie, Friends to Lovers, Modern Era, College Athletes, Love Confessions | ao3 For @steddiesportsau week three. Prompt: Full Contact Sports.

“Don’t pass it back to me.” Eddie looks at him like he’s lost his marbles, but Steve has never been more sure of anything in his life, so he leans in to murmur, “Seriously. Take the shot.”

“You sure, Ace?”

“Positive. No matter what I say out there, don’t listen to me. You charge the goal.” He backs up a step to speak at full volume and gives him a significant look. “Got it?”

Eddie hesitates, but then it seems to dawn on him what Steve is suggesting. He nods.

Steve grins and nods back, taps Eddie’s shoulder, then jogs to the corner of the field to take his kick. Eddie runs in the opposite direction, getting in position with Byers and Sinclair. It’s been a hell of a game, but with the score stuck at 1-1 since halftime, and the stoppage time dwindling, Steve is ready to try something new to clinch this win before it goes to overtime.

The idea was Dustin’s, and it was ridiculous enough that he’d mentioned it to them as an offhand joke at first. But the truth of the matter is that as their top scorer and their captain, everyone in the league expects the rest of the team to give Steve the ball whenever he asks for it, and every defensive player can’t help but pay him way more attention than they should. He suppresses a smirk when he notices the OSU defenders crowding his side of the field, leaving their poor goalkeeper to protect the far post on his own.

It may be Steve’s nickname, but they always forget the Hoosiers have more than one ace up their sleeve.

Steve spins the ball as he places it on the corner, then drags his foot as he steps backward, lining up the kick. C’mon, Eds. You got this. Get that winning shot.

As soon as his foot sends the ball to Eddie—crossing in front of the goal over everyone’s heads—Steve sprints after it, into the fray. He wrestles with one of the defenders and gets himself free. Then he shouts, “Munson. Munson, here!”

At Steve’s prior direction, Eddie ignores him, and Steve couldn’t be more grateful for the guy’s insubordinate soul. He fakes a pass, which distracts the sweeper who’s on him long enough that he can make a break. He touches the ball once more to take aim, then flawlessly launches it past the goalie’s outstretched fingers and into the net.

The crowd and the team both erupt so loudly that they almost drown out the shrill triple-blast of the ref’s whistle, but it’s clear enough. And it’s music to Steve’s ears.

That’s the game. They’ve won the playoffs.

The IU team in goal collide with their offense in a celebratory mob at midfield, and those on the sideline storm the field to join them. Everyone is jumping and shouting and laughing and hugging, and normally any one of those things might have Steve excusing himself to avoid getting overstimulated, but that’s not happening now; he’s too proud of his team to feel like the sweeping reaction is too much. If anything, it’s not enough, considering they just came through and beat out the two-seed to take the title.

In the crowd, he bumps into Eddie. Before they can get jostled away from each other, he grabs onto Eddie’s shoulders and yells, “You did it! I knew you could do it, and you fucking did it!”

“We did it,” Eddie corrects, beaming. “All I did was follow your lead, Ace.”

He’s not exactly sure how it happens. One second, he and Eddie are grinning at each other with pride; the next, Steve’s hands have moved from Eddie’s shoulders to his face, and he’s got his lips pressed to that very same smile.

For a brief, glorious moment, Eddie melts into him.

Then, realizing what he’s just done, Steve pulls back. Eddie seems to come to his senses in the same instant, and he meets Steve’s gaze with wide eyes.

“Did you…just…?”

“Uh…I…”

He did. Right there in front of everybody—the rest of the team, the coaching staff, the ESPNU cameras and commentators—Steve Harrington kissed Eddie Munson right on the mouth. It wasn’t just a little peck, either; it was a full-on, lips-locked, so-intense-he-felt-it-in-his-knees kiss that was bound to turn some heads.

He tries to answer again, but before he can say anything else, he’s swept away by one of the assistant coaches to give a post-game interview.

⚽️⚽️⚽️

Alone in the locker room and still in his sweaty, grass-stained jersey, Steve sits on a bench and stares at the floor. It’s been a full hour of madness, and though he’s still buzzing with the adrenaline of the win, he’s also utterly distraught.

What the fuck came over him? Did he forget where he was? That’s the only explanation for what happened. Sure, he’s been pining after Eddie for a while now, but he’d thought he had more self-control. Apparently, with one big victory, his self-control flew right out the window.

With his elbows on his knees, Steve buries his face in his hands and sighs. Shit.

This is exactly what he didn’t want. It’s why he didn’t act on his feelings sooner. He didn’t want to mess with the team’s dynamic, and he certainly didn’t want to be a captain who can’t even keep his own emotions in check. There’s no going back now, though. He’s just thankful they made it through the playoffs before he slipped up.

“Shouldn’t you be out partying with the rest of the team?”

Steve’s head shoots up, not just because he’d thought he was the last one here, but because of the specific voice he hears. Trying on an insincere smile, he counters, “Shouldn’t you?”

Eddie scoffs. He’s leaning against a row of lockers in his street clothes. The soft curls that had been pulled back during the game now cascade over his shoulders in a way that always makes Steve want to comb his fingers through them. “Me? I mean, I guess. But you definitely should. A team needs their captain, even if they’re just getting hammered.”

Steve’s smile grows a bit more genuine at Eddie’s playful tone, though his eyes are still misty. “I think Sinclair can manage ’em without me. It’s time he learned, anyway, if he really wants to take over next season.”

“We should still go, though. Our last hurrah, right?”

“We’ve still got the banquet before graduation. Bound to be a rager this year.” He meets Eddie’s eye. “That’s thanks to you.”

Eddie smiles back. “Thanks for the assist. It was a brilliant play.”

“It wouldn’t’ve worked without that perfect aim of yours.”

“Still, you saw that. You knew I could do it. And even though I’m sure you could’ve scored that buzzer-beater too, you let me have the glory. That’s what makes you a great captain.”

Steve purses his lips. He doesn’t answer right away, but goes back to staring at the floor. Eventually, he murmurs, “Thanks.”

They’re both silent for a while. It seems to Steve a lot longer than it probably is, but he doesn’t trust himself to break it without saying something stupid, so he keeps his mouth shut.

“Ace,” Eddie says.

His tone tells Steve that he’s not going to go on until they make eye contact again. So, as hard as it is, he forces himself to look up.

“After the game, on the field…”

Fuck. Of course Eddie wants to talk about it. Steve desperately wants to look away from him again, to fix his gaze on the wall in front of him, but something about Eddie’s expression gives him pause.

Slowly, Eddie says, “You really kissed me like you meant it.” He swallows. “Did you…mean it?”

Steve closes his eyes and furrows his brow. He can’t look at Eddie as he admits it. He just can’t. “Yeah. I did.”

“Really?”

There’s so much unbridled hope in Eddie’s voice that Steve’s eyes blink open in an instant, and he breathlessly repeats, “Yeah.”

“You…meant to kiss me like that in front of everyone?”

“No. Not that part.” Steve sighs. “Look, Eddie, I just…I know we’re friends, and teammates. I’m your captain, for god’s sake. I never knew what to say.”

“About what?” Eddie asks. His voice trembles, and it’s so quiet that the words are barely audible.

“About…how I feel when I’m with you.”

He smiles cautiously. “You wanna start with the truth?”

His eyes are open and bright, and Steve couldn’t deny them anything. Eddie could ask him for tickets to Saturn, and he’d be on the phone with NASA trying to make it happen.

So he tells him. He tells Eddie about how he looks forward to every away game, because it means sitting next to him on the bus and listening to him rant about whatever hobby he’s taken up that week. He tells Eddie about the time he lost his breath just from watching him take a penalty kick. He tells Eddie about how terrified he was when that asshole from Stanford slide tackled him and he didn’t hop right back up, and about how he’s cried to Robin on the phone multiple times because he didn’t know what to do about any of it.

When Steve is done talking, Eddie stares. He doesn’t look angry, or upset in any way. He looks…flabbergasted.

“That’s what that kiss meant?” he says.

Steve nods, unable to speak. He’s spent all his words. About two years’ worth of pent-up emotions have just spilled out of him, and all he can do is wait for Eddie’s reaction.

That reaction, it turns out, is for Eddie to march over, tilt Steve’s head back with a hand under his chin, and kiss him like his life depends on it.

This kiss is firm, but sweet. It’s sure, but inquisitive. Once again, Eddie’s lips are on his, and this time Steve doesn’t pull away. There’s nothing wild or carnal about it, but by the time it’s over, he can hardly breathe.

Eddie doesn’t go very far when he breaks it. As Steve opens his eyes, Eddie’s face fills his vision, and he murmurs, “I mean it, too.”

Steve gazes up at him, acutely aware of the fingers till lifting his head. His heart is hammering in his chest, like he’s at a dead sprint instead of seated on a locker room bench.

Eddie kisses him again. It’s soft and quick, but no less passionate than before. “We really should get going, Ace,” he whispers. “We both scored today—the team’ll expect us to make an appearance. But after that…”

When he trails off, Steve bites his lip. It’s still tingling from the electricity of Eddie’s last caress. “After that?” he murmurs.

“I bet I can convince Wheeler to bunk with Henderson tonight. You wanna come to my room, and we can celebrate alone?”

“Sure.” Steve lets out a breathless chuckle as every bit of anxiety drains out of him. “I mean…that goal deserves some kind of reward.”

[dailydoodlesofp]

I heard some of you were wondering about Romeo's outfit from this comic. So after a few revisions, I finally finalized it and here you go, my take on his stalker outfit. Extras below:

just so you know, I've always thought Romeo would rock a capelet cuz hell yeah, capelets r so cool.

and then I remembered the existence of Lampwick from Disney Pinocchio and used his design to do a fusion dance with P's Monster Sweeper's Hunting Apparel and the King of Puppets

and da da ta da~

do you think Romeo is like a human oven? Like he's always warm in some way? Like it's winter and it's cold and my brothers are out here wearin only T-shirts and jeans and when you feel their hands, it's warm like what kinda biology shit is goin on-

[babysukiii]

fallingforyou (1)

lottie x fem!reader enemies to lovers au <3

// lottie matthew’s does not like you. you’re annoying, preppy, and way too nice. lottie doesn’t fail to show you time after time just how much she hates you. you finally get the message and steer clear of her, until senior year, when you both get paired up for a science project. //

i’ll never make it right (if you don’t want me ‘round)

you don’t really know why lottie matthews hates you, but she does. she has since freshman year, and up until senior year, nothing changes. lottie isn’t known for being a mean person… in fact, she’s actually very nice. but for some reason, she just hates you. you don’t really know what you did, or why she treats you like you’re absolute garbage… but she does. you aren’t really the type to beg or try to make someone like you, especially someone popular and rich like charlotte isobel matthews.

you’ve never really been popular at all. your best friend is natalie mary scatorccio, and you’re mostly friends with the ‘nerds’ and ‘dorks’. you’re even friends with a few theater kids. everyone at school knows who you are, but you aren’t really interested in your social status. in fact, sometimes in lottie’s opinion it was almost like you didn’t care at all. you walked around so carefree and unapologetically yourself… lottie for some reason hated that. she hated that while she had to take her meds, and act like someone she’s not; you get to be whoever the hell you want.

today though, everyone around lottie matthews was feeling her wrath. it wasn’t unusual for lottie to be catty, or snappy when someone deserved it, but today it seemed as if the yellowjackets sweeper was angry at everyone and everything. you were steering clear of her since this morning and natalie noticed the way you had been avoiding her as well. it wasn’t unlike you to try and avoid lottie; she was unnecessarily mean and always had a sardonic response to whatever you had to say, but you never avoided natalie.

“jesus christ, what the fuck is wrong with you today, matthews?” mari asks in frustration after falling right on her ass. lottie had just knocked her out of the way in order to get the ball during practice. mari was currently glaring up at lottie from the grass she had landed on. “get your head in the game, and maybe this wouldn’t be a problem.” lottie responds in a way that everyone recognizes. she’s clearly in a mood and it causes the girls to exchange looks of uncertainty. coach scott blows his whistle as soon as mari stands up.

“alright, that’s enough practice for today. everyone get changed and go home.” he dismisses the girls who all sigh in a bit of relief. as everyone begins to get off the field, tai makes her way up to natalie; jackie not too far behind. “hey, what’s wrong with lot?” tai asks in a whisper, as they all rush into the locker room. “she’s just being an ass because ms. weinstein paired her up with y/n for a chemistry project.” natalie says, and mari groans. “what does that have to do with us??” the raven haired girl complains.

“why can’t she just ask ms. weinstein for a new partner?” jackie asks and natalie smirks, “y/n already tried. i think that’s why lottie’s pissed.” natalie states, and jackie throws her head back and lets out a laugh. “oh wow, that’s a new one. y/n wanting to switch partners? she’s gonna get lottie an easy ‘A’ and lottie’s being a di—“ jackie cuts herself off as soon as lottie begins to walk up to them; a scowl etched onto her face. “you assholes do realize that my locker is right on the other side of yours right? i can hear everything.” the taller girl points out.

you used to always try to talk to her. you’d smile at her, and compliment her outfits. yet she’d always scowl at you or have a clear expression of annoyance, and say something harsh. she noticed you stopped smiling at her in the middle of junior year. this year, you’ve barely even spared her a glance. lottie didn’t even think you realized you were both in ms. weinstein’s class together, but apparently you did. “you’re not the only person who’s unhappy about who you got paired up with. it’s just a few weeks. try not to be such a cunt about it.” natalie says seriously, and lottie rolls her eyes in response.

“i can’t help it if she’s insufferable.” the taller girl mumbles under her breath, causing mari to shake her head and make a face. “she’s insufferable?” mari asks sarcastically as she finishes getting dressed. “i think y/n is nice. she let me copy off all her notes in trig last month.” shauna shrugs as she brushes her in the mirror inside of her locker. “yeah, she remembered my dog had surgery during the summer and she brought me a bag of treats for him when the year started.” akilah pipes up, causing lottie to scoff.

“okay, so she remembered a few things you said, and she let you cheat off her work. who cares? she’s still annoying.” lottie states before swinging her duffle bag over her shoulder and walking out. natalie shakes her head, slamming her locker shut. “i swear if she so much as makes y/n shed a single tear, i’m kicking her ass.” natalie says in a tone so serious, nobody dares question it. though, most of the girls knew how sensitive you were; everyone did. it was only a matter of time before lottie actually did hurt your feelings.

the next day at school, you and lottie have yet to discuss anything about the project. you two haven’t even decided on a topic, and you’ve never been unprepared for a school assignment before. but right now, your pride was too important to you. you didn’t want to be the bigger person and cordially talk to lottie. you’ve tried that; you’ve done nothing but try and be polite or nice. yet all of your efforts have been rewarded with rude comments or bratty behavior. so you were done trying.

“okay i want you all to get into your pairs and talk about the project you should’ve gotten started on yesterday.” ms. weinstein announces, causing you to nearly sink into your chair. you can feel a pair of dark eyes on you, and you look over in lottie’s direction to see her already staring at you. as if she’s waiting for you to make the first move. you internally sigh, realizing that you’re probably going to have to be the bigger person again.

finally, you get up and hesitantly make your way over to the empty seat beside lottie. “hi.” you greet her a bit quietly, and she nods, “hey.” she retorts in a low, uncaring manner. you take a breath, “maybe we could do a study of saponification reactions. it’s just an option, i honestly don’t care what topic we do.” you admit and she nods, thankfully not saying anything rude yet. “we can do that. i don’t care either.” her voice is curt and the answers are short. you nod slowly as you open your notebook to the next blank page, and label it.

lottie notices you use a blue color pen to label it, and then a black one to take actual notes with. you have a whole bunch of colored pens in different colors for your notes, and how prim and proper your writing was seemed to irk her too. then her eyes seem to dance up to your face; the way your brows creased together in slight concentration. your hair was a bit frizzy during this time of day because school was almost over, and lottie could smell your overwhelmingly girly perfume. it smells like vanilla.

“did you want to work on this at your place or mine?” you wonder out loud, the pen never leaving the paper. “yours.” lottie answers way too quickly, but thankfully you don’t say anything about it. you nod, “okay. here’s my address and the number to my landline in my room.” you say as you turn to a new page, and write your phone number and home address down. you tear the page out when your done, and hand it to lottie who says nothing as she takes it.

lottie pauses for a moment, thinking about how much she hates her house. she wonders if maybe you hate yours too. “we could work in the library if you don’t want to work at your place.” the noirette actually sounds considerate as she says this, and you look surprised for just a second, before offering this shy smile that she hadn’t seen directed at her for nearly a year and half now. “it’s okay! i don’t mind working at my place. my little sister practices the violin after school sometimes… but she’ll be quiet if i ask.” you assure her and lottie only nods in response.

“anything else you wanna warn me about?” she inquires a bit sarcastically, and you nod. “my older sister is kind of a bitch.” you say bluntly, taking lottie by surprise. she’s never once heard you curse. at all. you can’t help but laugh lightly at her reaction, “she’s not that bad though…” you trail off before the bell rings, and you immediately start putting your things into your backpack. “wait, when did you wanna start?” lottie questions, and you shrug. “whenever your free after school just come over.” you assure her and she furrows her brows as she stands up.

“but your debate club—” she starts and you cut her off, “i quit last month. i’ll see you later!” you rush out of the room before lottie can say another word. she huffs; this was going to be a horrid few weeks.