#I can’t really tag any of the servants since that would be a spoiler

[whalehouse1]

So let’s see something. New servants in Remnant that have yet to be implemented into FGO by class:

Saber: 1

Archer: 1

Lancer: 0

Rider: 2

Caster: 2

Assassin: 1

Berserker: 1

So, what do we get? Two masters (who I do love, but seriously?,) and a class change of one of the other servants. And not just any servant, literally the biggest twist in the game except for the really stupid ending. I don’t know what I expected after the Arcade collab being nothing but yet more Nero-wank, but this one hurts a lot too. Rogue Saber is an amazing servant, Archer would have given us probably one of the coolest NP animations in the game and we’d finally get another good servant from his source after years. Rogue Rider, I get, they can’t do much with what was given in the game for her due to np reasons cause that would require thinking. Rider is a powerhouse, but screw that I guess. Caster, I get but also his kit would be such a good debuffing kit and easily a three star or fp summon, dude can’t fight but his nps are strong. Other caster, they just exist so I get it. Assassin is one of the coolest of not the coolest design in the game and besides his np his gameplay is so much fun and if we’re going to have a master, he had my favorite besides Lancer. And Rogue Berserker? Why was he not implemented? The dude is the first berserker since Herc who felt like a bonafide berserker and that’s saying something.

[omegaobeyme]

I've been obsessed with Lady Gaga's, "Judas" Song...and it gave me an idea for a short Fic. A Devil's Angel Tags: PG13+, scene of violence/death, Angel/Human!MC, DiavoloxMc, Spoilers for lesson 16 Part 1/?

Diavolo was a glorified demon, rivaling strength to only 2 other realm leaders. Of course, if you asked any obedient servant of the throne, he was naturally the obvious winner. So what happens when you have all of the strength a being could dream of and more? You "make friends" apparently. There was no way this all-powerful man could be up to such a light-hearted task. Perhaps it was his butler, Barbatos, with such knowledge and time who guided Diavolo to urge such a conclusion. Had the green-haired demon known a war was to commence? Was Diavolo truly unfit to win such a battle, and therefore needed another way out? These questions filled your head as you stepped into your new dormitory. You were a human, just not too human entirely. Angels essence filled your being thanks to your ancestor, Lilith. You had even met Michael himself years back when her memories flooded yours as the angel essence was supposed to take you to heaven. Long story short, you were in a temporary coma after a car accident. Simeon shook you out of your head with a hand on your shoulder, "remember why you're here." He said, with the same smile he always gave. It was too suspicious for a soon-to-be demon lord to be asking for unity, and god wanted answers. This is where you came in: a seemingly innocent human whose in an extremely unique position to gain an advantage; and more importantly, knowledge. Solomon joined you for your first tea with Barbatos and Diavolo, time allowing. Knocking on the door, you were met with the tired eyes of the butler. "Welcome, over this way." Barbatos guided the pair of humans and you couldn't help but notice how unnervingly perfect this man was. It was as if a board has been placed against his back, perfectly aligning his spine starting at his hips, threaded through his neck. Finally, he motioned towards a satin couch placed within an openly lit common area, decorated with lavish antiques, artwork, and instruments. Solomon broke the silence, "Ah, Auguste Allaire?" "Indeed." The green-haired demon replied, understanding his question without having to look at the painting Solomon was referencing. "I would like to clarify this meeting is to get to know our human exchange students," He began lifting a tray off his serving cart, finished with matching teacups and plates for the both of us, "As humans, it's of upmost importan-" Doors burst open, featuring a particularly muscled demon prince. "Barbatos!" Diavolo smiled so wide his eyes managed to shut. Not only was his personality loud, his laugh was louder. "Sorry, sorry! I'm late, aren't I?" If you were embarrassed, you can imagine Barbatos' reaction in his own mind. He simply sat down and motioned for his Lord to follow suit. It was at this moment you thought it was a horrible prank you somehow got involved in. Months would pass, much like the meetings you had with the royals. During these moments you were allowed questions pre-approved by Simeon. "Why do you want to unite the realms?" and "What happened to the king?" All of which never satisfied any angels curiosity. It seemed for that you'd continue this way forever, until the day you knew of him. The sun gently glazed over your skin, sending shivers at the unexpected warmth of the devildom morning. Of course, it was Lucifer. "I know you better than to sleep in, MC." His gaze shifts to your own, as his back turns to face the now opened curtain of your room. "I'm sorry, I don't usually sleep in unless I'm sick." You weren't lying, it was unusual. "Oh? Perhaps it would be best for you to stay home. I'll have Satan take notes in your stead." Lucifer retorted, sparing you no opportunity to argue back. Then again...this would give you an opportunity to explore the house, especially to find anything Diavolo's "right hand man" might be keeping. Simply nodding, you rolled the covers over your head and set the alarm for another hour, knowing well a mostly human like yourself couldn't escape their well-trained eyes to watch them walk away. At 8 a.m, you awoke to find breakfast in a tightly-sealed container. However, hunger

could barely invade the anxiety creeping upon you. First in priority was making sure everyone was gone, no one in the kitchen, bedrooms, studies, or observatories. Now it was finally time...you took the steps towards Lucifer's room, each slower than the last. Lifting the back of your hand, you knock only to realize the door opening upon contact. The air was noticeably cooler, and his record player opened, as if suddenly stopped. You draw your attention towards his desk, the obvious choice. As you go through paperwork, you realize you can't find any, despite the mountains on his desk every night. Of course. They must've been brought to RAD along with his briefcase he brings every day. But there had to be something. Anything. Go through his bookshelves: nothing. Flip through his records: nothing. The closest lead you've got is a sticky-note in his book with a quote. You take off, looking for any other places he could possibly be storing such sensitive information, then it hit you: the upstairs. Lucifer had made it such a point to not venture upstairs, could he have been more oblivious of such a hint? Honestly, it was still scary to think about going up to an unknown part of the house, but you had no other choice. After checking the time, you begin making the climb only to find a hallway with one door. A loud bang comes from an unknown direction, and you flinch, thinking someone had come home. Then a low chuckle comes from the room in front of you, nearly taunting. Once you gather your emotions, you continue onward to face whatever lay in front of you, only to find a normal-looking human. "who-" "oh, are you the new playtoy?" he responds, "excuse me?" You step backwards, out of reach from his hands, "I don't know what you're talking about." His smile fades, "oh, you must be another human.." He's human, too? "I know what it looks like, but you're not safe here. Ask about Belphegor. Meet me again when it's safe. He's coming back." the blue-white haired male shrinks back into the darker area of the room, and before you can process, your feet run down to your room. Not too long after, a knock fills the empty air. The handle turns, and Satan makes his appearance visible. "Wow. You do look bad. Maybe you should get back to bed." you shake your head, attempting to mask the heartbeat in your chest. "No! No, I'm fine, I swear. What's in your hand?" attempting to avert his attention, you point to the notebook in his hand. "Oh, that. Well I came here to study with you since I heard you missed the day." Satan moved in towards your bed, laying the notebook on your bedstand and flipping to the nearest filled-in page. "Here's the theories we went over, and the elixir's following. I've already taken geography so I brought my old textbook to help, and then there's realm science." You hold your hand up for him to pause as you look over each notes. "Wait, Griffins horn? I thought it was powdered unicorn hoof." He smiles, "Nice catch. We go over it next semester, some things can be substituted for higher-grade materials depending on the molecular structure. If you take a look at..." Satan proceeds to take your mind off the previous situation for the next two hours. That is, until you get lost in thought. "MC? MC, snap out of-" "Who is Belphegor?" you interrupt, leaving him speechless. He clicks his tongue, hand on temple. Everytime he attempts to talk he groans in frustration. Panic settles upon your face unsure of what you had just asked. Had he just set you up? Was he another demon out to steal your soul? What will they do when they find out. "What do you know?" Satan manages to find words, "I-" you begin to lose yours. What does Belphegor mean? It seems like a name but what if- "You know what? I don't want to know. Keep it to yourself." He gets off from the edge of your bed and slams the door behind him. This wouldn't be the last time you heard of him, nor the last you saw. The next morning was eerie. You weren't dead, but..it somehow felt like it. No one came to let you know of breakfast, even after a few minutes of waiting. It

wasn't like you wanted to show your face either, you felt naked. When you did arrive, everyone at the table remained silent besides minimal conversations. Beelzebub no longer tried to steal your food, and Asmodeus wasn't trying to flirt with you. When Lucifer announced it was time to head to RAD, a weight had been lifted from the silence. After opening the door, you noticed another figure beside him. "Good morning, Mc. May I trouble you in taking you out of classes for another day?" Barbatos lightly tilted his head as his eyes looked upon your soul. "O-Of course." You took the hand provided, as he lead you to the castle. When you arrived, Barbatos told you to make yourself comfortable in the first living room. Before long, Diavolo appeared alongside him. "Mc! It's good to see you!" he beamed, arms opened for a hug. "And you as well, Diavolo." Quick to your feet, you met his courtesy. He brightened further when you returned his affection. "Do you by chance enjoy flowers?" Thinking back to the celestial realm, you nod. Taking your hand, he shows you to the garden out back. "Out of everything I was not expecting a garden.." "Really? What did you expect?" His arms crossed and he moved closer towards you, watching your expressions as you gathered your thoughts. "Well, for a demon, maybe stone statues or torture devices." He chuckles, shaking his head. "Is that what humans think now? Are we that cruel?" Diavolo jokes, until Barbatos chimes in, "Times have changed since young masters reign." as he finishes, you notice the plate of gourmet sandwiches prepared for the two of you, placed on a garden table not too far off. Together, you shared the next two hours together chatting alone. Without distractions clouding the brain, things seemed to appear as usual. The brothers began talking to you as normal, including Satan. Simeon hadn't brought up any information or lack thereof since the last meeting with Diavolo and Solomon. In fact, Diavolo seemed to be taking more time out of his schedule to spend with you alone, rather than the two human exchange students. It was nice, for a change; until you remembered what occurred with the Belphegor situation. "So, why did you ask me here in the first place?" Diavolo noticed your body language shifting for a few minutes now, but he knew something was coming at this point. "Today? Well, I enjoy the company of-" "No, Dia. When you first brought me to this garden." It couldn't be helped, you had now formed a friendship with Diavolo. He knew too much about you and how you truly acted when you were yourself, rather than the puppet an angel could use. Emotions conflicted, parts of you yearned to let loose, yet at the same time, what if it was all just an act? What if you had fallen right into his trap, and he knew all along? Just like the dictator Michael had expected. Putting his cup aside, he took a brief pause before answering. "Satan told me that day what had occurred. I thought it best to ensure my exchange student's --" Diavolo stopped as you stood up, allowing your exit. "Tired. So fucking tired." You thought to yourself as you made your way home to the house of Lamentation. Of course, not only did the oh-so-friendly prince take you out of classes once a week, he adjusted your course schedule to reflect such changes. All you could think was how pathetic you are for allowing this to happen under your watch. You never felt fit for this job, but never more so in this moment. Hesitation couldn't be found as you made your way up the stairs into the room. "You're back. Angry. Cat got your tongue?" He was obviously trying to rile you up and it was working. "So who is Belphegor? Are you trying to get me killed?" At this point, he bursts out laughing, "you think this is funny?!" you scream out. "Very." He stops, looking directly into your eyes. "And you're only helping me escape. How about I tell you a secret? I'm not even a human. I know you understand that by now, but I'm Belphegor, the last brother. And you just helped me escape." Before you knew it, hands wrapped around your neck. It was

gentle enough to find release, running downstairs and towards the front door. It was always apparent there was risks, but that's why you had the angels blessing! So why are you so close to death?? Before you could turn the handle, it moves itself. Belphie takes the chance to knock you off your feet, immobilizing you and landing you upon your back. The door opens as Belphegor protrudes claws into your most vital organ, and cold rushes over you, processing the last visuals of Lucifer's shock with Diavolo behind him. "Open your eyes." You wince. He's on top of you, how could you look? There's no way a human could escape the wrath of a demon. "Did you forget about me?" the voice echoes. What? Opening your eyes, you find nothing but white space. Suddenly, a door appears in front of your body. "Don't waste it. And don't forget where you came from." Lilith? There's no way...but then, this couldn't be a dream. It felt too real. On the other side of the doorframe was your last visual before you died, from another perspective. Glimpses flash from her own memories as it floods into your own.. in a flash, your perspective of yourself and the brothers around you changes. You could see the door Lucifer held opening in mere seconds. He froze, in shock of seeing Belphegor out. What's more, the man behind him couldn't see. The red haired demon pushed through, to find the worst fate. Immediately transforming, he flies to your dead body's side. Anger wouldn't be enough to describe what you witnessed in his eyes, nor the grief he was going through. This wasn't normal. Nothing in your body felt that what you were watching was normal. A king's priority should be on subduing Belphegor, and here he was at your deceased version's side. Suddenly, Belphegor's words filled the air. "DON'T FUCKING DARE, FOR THEM? HAHAHA!" You've never heard such a deranged laugh before. Lucifer's eyes opened even further upon processing what Diavolo was accomplishing. Tears couldn't be found in Diavolo's face, he was far beyond it. Whatever was happening, Belphegor didn't dare interrupt. "L-Lord Diavolo, you can't sacrifice yourself for-" Diavolo paid no mind to his right hand mans attempt at stopping him, taking a deep inhale, hands at his horns. "I apologize mother, but I can assure you I won't be wasting your gift." time slows further as Diavolo begins to pull away at his horns. "STOP." Every head turns to look at you, including Diavolo. It wasn't until you died that it hit you. The moments before anyone realized you came back you saw his selfless actions for yourself.

[taiyaki-choco]

Hi! Your writing is really good and I can't wait for more. Could I request s/o who was a childhood friend of Moriarty brothers and is working with them in criminal world. Like she was a maid when Moriarty madsion burned down and she got out. If you don't want to write it feel free to ignore it. Just remember to take care of yourself. Have nice day/night!

Author’s note: I’m really glad and happy to know that you enjoy my writing!! Thank you for your concern and I hope you are in good health as well. This is my first request and I hope it is to your liking. I apologise in advance for any grammar or spelling mistakes and also for posting this later than I thought I would because I’m having public examination. Currently, we have just started a new semester and at the same time having a total lockdown T^T

Spoiler warning: Mention about post explosion of Moriarty household which is in Season 2

You met him and his brother during a rainy night. It is unexpected but nevertheless you managed to find shelter for the time being despite you were drenched from the rain.

After fixing yourself a little, you looked around and saw two boys having the same predicament as you.

You looked and observed them but what you didn’t realised was that you stare a bit too long and one of them started talking by saying “Yes, do you need something?”

You thought you were subtle enough... but no you weren’t. Slowly, you began to talk to them just to pass time while waiting for the rain to subside.

Eventually, you get to know him and his brother named Louis. Through talking overnight, the 3 of you became friends as you do share the same thought and ideal with them.

Knowing how unfair the class system is, knowing that how you are looked down upon by the upper class, knowing that you won’t be getting any equal rights and you just hated this rotten world that is solely based on money or status.

You began tagging along with them and soon became inseparable, the 3 of you would go into the reading room of British Museum without permission to gain knowledge by reading the unlimited books there. After all, knowledge is power.

When the 3 of you were found out by the librarian, you were sent away to the nearby orphanage.

After a few weeks, both the brothers were adopted while you were hired as a maid in the Moriarty manor. You were an under class and because of that status often you had always been picked on by the servants there.

When the manor burned down, you were lucky enough to escaped and reunite with both the brothers and Albert. He took the name William from the second child of Moriarty.

Years have passed, you are now helping them with their ‘work’. You became William’s assistant and together both of you would plan on how to eliminate those bad nobles.

You are glad to meet them especially William, somehow along the way you develop feelings for him.

You always look forward to meet William and to plan on how to make the death of their targets look like an accident.

Both of you would talk about your day or start any discussion after finish planning. Through this way, both of you are able to cope up with each other.

One day, while you were in deep thought you bumped into someone. You closed your eyes in reflex and anticipated the fall but it never happened.

You opened your eyes and saw William holding your hand to prevent you from falling and pulls you towards him.

“Be careful there.” He said giving you a soft smile. Your heart just skipped a beat and you started to feel the heat creep into your cheeks.

“Are you okay, dear? You look flustered.” He said while observing your face. Deep down he knew about your feelings because it is mutual. He just wanted to tease you and get a little reaction from you.

Looking at your face which is even redder after his statement, he can’t help but to let out a chuckle. You just look so cute and how he wish he could protect your smile and your entire being from this cruel society.

Both of you would then take a walk in the garden and somehow without thinking you expressed your feelings. You were scared that he will reject you and thought of fleeing away but he caught you by your wrist.

He hugs you and return back the feelings that he holds for you. He placed a kiss on your forehead looking at you with a set of gentle and loving eyes thinking of how lucky he is to had met you on that rainy night.

You met the brothers when you were sneaking into the British Museum again.

When you are turning into a corner you bang into the someone. You rubbed the throbbing pain on your head and look at who you bumped into.

When you opened your eyes, you saw a boy around your age on the ground rubbing his head as well.

“I’m sorry as I did not look where am I going.” You said as you held out a hand to helped him up.

As time goes by you begin getting closer to the brothers as 3 of you would sneak in the reading room together to read books and gain knowledge from it.

Unfortunately, you were caught by a librarian and the 3 of you are sent off to the nearby orphanage. Your bond with them begin to strengthened due to the fact most of the orphans are treated badly by those evil nobles.

You always stay by Louis’ side knowing that he has some health problem especially when he is going through one of his episodes which worried both you and his elder brother.

One day, 3 of you are adopted by the Moriarty family and you are appointed as the newest maid. Even so, the maids and butlers in the manor isn’t treating you equally as they mock you just because you are from the underclass.

When the explosion occur, you are glad that you survived and with minimal injuries. Being a worry wart, you frantically find the brothers to make sure they are safe.

When you reunite with them, you cried tears of joy as they are safe and isn’t critically injured from the explosion.

When you saw the fresh burn scar on Louis’ cheek, your heart throb in pain for him but knowing he did it willingly as a proof of loyalty and recompense for Albert and his brother.

Years had pass, you along with the Moriarty brothers have grown and you can’t help but to develop some feelings towards the youngest Moriarty.

He became the ‘butler’ of the family as he is the one who will do the house chores from cleaning to cooking.

You often help him when he is making meals or desserts for everyone. You cherish these moments with him. Every second means a lot to you.

One day, you saw Louis is preparing some desserts for tea break and you decided to approach him and help him.

“Thank you for helping me.” He said with a small blush and a sweet smile. “You could start by mixing the ingredients that I had prepare.” He said with a soft tone and adoration to you.

When you are mixing the ingredients, Louis held your hands from behind and guided you the correct technique on mixing while explaining it to you.

You blushed lightly and well being a little childish you place some flour on his nose when you turn your body

Louis then place some on your cheek as a get back. Slowly, both of you just playing around rather than getting the dessert done.

He then embrace you and confessed his feeling towards you which you gladly and happily return to him. Louis then slowly close the gap and place a kiss on your lips to show his affections towards you.

He vow to protect, cherish and wants the best for you because your happiness meant everything to him.

Well people said that the first impression is always important as how you present and uphold yourself which will either make or break an opportunity.

You meet him on the street, when you were begging for money just to survive as you were abandoned by your parents.

He slowly approach you with a concerned look. “Hello, I am Albert James Moriarty. May I know what is your name?” He said in a soft tone so that he would not frighten you.

You then introduce yourself and he asked you what happened in which you told him about what you have endured. He eventually took you back to the Moriarty family as he couldn’t find the heart to leave you there.

Meeting the Moriarty family is not pleasant but at least you have a shelter, food and water which are essential to survive. The price? You have to become a maid for the Moriarty family despite Albert’s protests.

After a few days, he went to the orphanage as usual to help out the care takers as well as spending time with the orphans by reading books to them or listen to them talking about their day.

Being a maid is not easy but it is even more tougher on how the Moriarty household treated you. Having to endure (original) William’s punishment, the scolding of Lady Moriarty and the discrimination of some other maids and butlers of the household.

From then on you hated the classification system but then you are grateful that Albert would help you whenever he could and surprising both of you have a lot in common.

Slowly as time goes by, the Moriarty family have adopted 2 brothers. You knew how the they are treated just because of their status because you were one of the victims as well.

You are close to Albert and the two brothers as all of you share the same thought and view about this inequality world and all of you vow that one day you will change it no matter what it takes.

During the very night of the explosion, you escaped with them and you were taken in by Lord Rockwell.

Years later, you helped (current) William, Louis and Albert with their plan by eliminating those bad and evil nobles in order to achieve their goals in having an equal life for everyone no matter what status you are.

You know that there is no backing out after what you have done but you do not have regrets about it since because of Albert you are still able to live until now and thanks to the 2 brothers you are still alive.

“(Y/n), would you like to have some tea with me?” Albert said while giving you a smile in which took your breath away. You admit that you have fallen hard for him but you know that he deserves to be with someone of high status even though you know he will not judge people by status.

Eventually, tea breaks are always a thing at least once a week for the both of you to unwind, talk about your day and just have discussion about the current affair.

“That’s what I like about you.” Albert said suddenly which caught you off guard. He himself is also taken aback about the words that spill from his mouth.

“Ahhh... that is supposed to be my inner thoughts.. nevertheless (y/n) I like you, I like you ever since we get to know each other, you might not share the same feelings with me in which I understand. I—” You then cut him off by placing a kiss on him.

Wow, you are bold for once...

He overcome his shock and return the kiss.

When both of you separated, somehow that confidence that you just found slowly fades and a deep red blush paints your face and Albert’s chuckle isn’t helping at all.

“Why the sudden shyness, darling?” He said liking your reaction towards his tease. You just wanted to ✨ evaporate ✨ at this point

He laughed seeing how quiet you are and said “I’m just teasing, I love you so much. Thank you for being in my life.” and placed a kiss on your forehead.

[itsclydebitches]

I adore talking about this with you, it's so cool to be able to agree, everything I've read is just excusing yen lmao.

And with "geralt would rather do and say things Yen wants to avoid pissing her off" LIKE YEAHH I guess I annoyed yen with my answers and she teleported Geralt out of the tower thing, and then threatened to do it again like??? Like he pissed her off so she has fuck all care about him, was over water thank god but like girl??? omg and her refusing to tell the wticher bros what she was planning on doing to Uma, like I get that they would be hesistent but I mean it's cause it's cruel and painful and they have that trauma around that. She just expects everyone to do what she asks when she asks no questions. (Lambert's "I'm not geralt" when he and Yen are kinda arguring, bb red flags)

I just assumed she didn't believe him cause if she did whats her excuse for behaving how she is lmao??? Like you believe he has amnesia and you still blame HIM over the person who maniplated him KAY.

And goodddd that fucking scene when Triss and Yen see Ciri in Kaer Morhen is genuinely the worst, Triss and Yen see their sis/daughter (not gonna get into how weird I find it that Triss considers Ciri her sister and Geralt is Ciris father and she still wants to fuck him, uncomfy) for the first time in forever, she's alive and well and while Triss is hugging Ciri, Yen kisses Geralt and Triss throws a glare at her. I hated that scene so damn much, it's stupid and shouldn't have been there. (aso I get emotions and all but Yen kissing Geralt is so bitchy, idk even full of gratitude and emotion I wouldn't kiss the man who just dumped me lol, especially not in front of a situation like Triss)

I'm still mad about the women, I really wanted to like them fuck meeee

YOU GOT TO THE PART. Oh thank god, anon, I've wanted to talk about this since we started these conversations lol

Okay, let's set the scene, shall we? You arrive to find that, with our playthroughs anyway, your ex has barged into your home. I say "barged in" because although we (Geralt) know that Yen's help is necessary and she'll be tagging along, the other witchers living there are given no prior warning and, according to Vesemir, Yen teleported in without so much as a "Hello." She then immediately starts ordering everyone around like her servants, failing to explain the situation beyond there being a curse that they have to help with. No, this isn't negotiable. She (still being an ex) takes your old room for herself, which just happens to be the biggest in the keep, and proceeds to toss a bed out the window. It's only later that Vesemir recalls that Triss used to use it, so prior to that everyone apparently just accepted that Yen was destroying their stuff for no understandable reason. Classic Yen. You go upstairs to find her cursing a blue streak at her failed experiment and when you try to lighten the mood, she snaps at you. If you're of the opinion that Yen's every order must be obeyed, this is when you're supposed to drop the conversation entirely, because she said to. Except, funnily enough, you'd like to know why she's up here being The Worst Guest Ever and destroying your property. She tries to justify this by saying that destroying a bed is better than how she could be dealing with her anger over Triss. Be grateful and all that. Except, it's not really about Triss, is it? The line is "You shagged my friend. For upwards of a year. I don't know what your witcher's code says on the matter, but ordinary folk would consider it obscene, base, vile." The blame is not on the woman who knowingly manipulated Geralt into having sex with her while he was vulnerable, it's on Geralt himself! He is the "obscene, base, vile" person for... daring to have amnesia? And when you point that out - "Yen... told you already. I lost my memory" - she yells that she's "lost [her] patience" and teleports you into a lake! This is, apparently, how she really wants to deal with her anger. Not by destroying beds, but by attacking you for things outside of your control. And I do consider it an attack. Yen is meant to be insanely powerful, she is leveraging her magic as a weapon here, particularly when Geralt has spent the whole game commenting on how much he hates portals. Yen knows this. Not just because he says so in her presence, but because she frequently reads his mind, something else he's expressed discomfort with. She's not just demonstrating her power (controlling) and sending him away when he makes a point she doesn't want to acknowledge (immature), she chooses the one thing she knows makes Geralt uncomfortable, perhaps even scared. Then when you've swum your way back to shore and returned to, despite all this, begin her list of chores, she makes a dry comment about how next time she just might drop you high enough for the fall to be fatal. With the next time implied to be, you know, the next time you disagree with her. The next time you dare to do anything other than agree with her every belief and jump at her every command.

The fandom interpretation of all this: "Lol Geralt getting yeeted is so funny. And their banter is just 😍"

Me:

You mentioned red flags and yeah like that ENTIRE SCENE is a crimson banner for me. I mean, by all means, love the fictional ships that are super messed up (I often do), but it astounds me how many fans honestly think this is just a cute interaction with absolutely no problems attached. Nothing to question here, folks. I've mentioned before, but last I discussed this in depth the asker wanted to know if I'd been an asshole to Yen and... that's it. That's the perspective. Any disagreement with her, any pushback, anything that's not complete, blind obedience is something she will not permit AND something most fans take as a given. If you're not doing what Yen tells you to, you're automatically the asshole, and if you're the asshole, you automatically deserve any punishment she chooses to dish out.

Comic spoilers coming up if you want to skip, but this is made abundantly clear in "Curse of Crows." Yen and Geralt are at their best in the moment below, enjoying one another's company on a nice day. Yen asks if Geralt wants to swim and he says nah, he'd rather watch her. She appears to like that idea and, indeed, swims naked while Geralt admires from the shore.

Actually cute right? I really liked this moment! They're cuddled up together and exchanging smiles. It's a rare moment of peace where I can believe that they truly care for one another, outside of passionate sex and not wanting the other dead. Finally, something beyond that incredibly low bar.

...except Yen starts flirting with a young man who shows up, invites him to travel with them, all while refusing to explain why she's interested in his company. The sudden third wheel is clearly bothering Geralt, but Yen continues to ignore his questioning. The answer she finally gives later that night?

She did it purely to mess with Geralt! It's his "just desserts" for "refusing to swim with [her]." She is "not one to be refused - I thought you needed reminding" by giving him "a flick on the nose." When I say that Yen treats Geralt like a dog I mean she literally treats him like a dog. He's a servant who must jump at her every command and if he doesn't, he'll punished for disobedience. He might not even know why he's being punished for a long stretch because Yen enjoys making him think she's a normal person capable of accepting that he doesn't feel like swimming right now - insert the Kaer Morhen scene where she wants to go have sex upstairs, but Geralt wants to catch up with the brothers he hasn't seen in an age here - only to reveal that actually she's made their formerly nice outing uncomfortable because he needs to be put in his place. All of which is followed by, "So... willing to join me now?" The message is very clear! Geralt had better get his ass in that tub unless he wants to be punished some more. Whether he wants a bath right now or not is inconsequential.

This is also the run where she scares the women Geralt was with, despite them being separated right now. Why? "I could."

Claims that Geralt is allowed to return to his companions (who he actually waves away) only for him to realize she's cast a spell to burn him with the water. Yen loves pretending she's okay with things only to punish Geralt for them later - sometimes with physical punishments. And what would have happened if the women had actually joined him again? Do witchers weather hot water better than the average courtesan? Who knows, but Yen clearly doesn't care who might get hurt.

Just like her time in Skellige and at Kaer Morhen, she refuses to explain what's going on. She just expects people to obey her, so-called loved ones included. Geralt was to get her cider, and arrive before her bath went cold, not question what they're doing on this dangerous hunt. He's a servant.

And my favorite, petty moment: transforming her awful inn food into a lavish meal without offering to do the same for either Geralt or Ciri.

"But, Clyde, that's just the comics. They're not really canon." Nah, questions of canon aside, this is 100% Yen's characterization. She's prideful. Immature. Beyond controlling. And punishes anyone who dares to tell her "No." Fans are always pointing out that she's meant to be horrible, she could have been a villain in another life, like any of that explains why I'm supposed to root for this relationship or enjoy her existence outside of being a complex character. Yen is interesting, but she's interesting in a "I can't wait to see her get her own just desserts" way. Not "Wooo now I get to watch this story ignore her behavior again to push a True Love narrative."

She punished Geralt frequently during their first meeting, she punishes him whenever they get together, and, I think, she punished him during the reunion with Ciri. Given our playthroughs, do we really think that after breaking up with her and all this fury over Triss - an anger so deep she destroyed the bed and attacked Geralt - she's just overcome with such joy that she forgets they're not together anymore and forgets the anger she's been nurturing for years? Yen doesn't forget. She's staring at Ciri during that moment, right where Triss is currently running towards them, and then after a considering look at Geralt pulls him in for that kiss. That was calculated. She did that to make a claim she no longer had. To punish them both: make Triss uncomfortable by playing at the "perfect" family reunion; make Geralt uncomfortable by kissing him when she knows he doesn't feel the same way. But of course, the popular reading is that she just loves him so much she couldn't help herself. Riiight.

It's just all SO BAD. (Including, as you say, the ickiness of having Triss lusting after Geralt and referring to Ciri as "little sis.") I love a lot of the women in Witcher - Cerys is a fave, Ciri, Saskia, Philippa, Keira, etc. - but the two I'm supposedly meant to fall in love with are just the worst lol.

Basically:

Half the fandom: TEAM TRISS 🤬

The other half: TEAM YEN🤬

Me: TEAM REGIS 😭

[dangermousie]

Heelo mousie! Love your blog! Do you mind recommending some of your favourite Chinese BL novels or shows?

I've seen the untamed and read it. I'm currently reading heaven's official blessing and I saw the donghua. Anything other than these two?

Awww, thank you!

Novels: I am gonna be lazy and literally copy/paste the entire danmei section of my top 10 web novels post (except MXTX’s stuff since you are already reading it.) Let me know if you need help finding any of these.

Lord Seventh - I am only partway through this so far, but it’s already on the list because it’s smart and somehow intense AND laid-back (not sure how this works, but it does) and is honestly just a really really solid and smart period novel, with the OTP a cherry on top of a narrative sundae. Plus, I love the concept of MC deciding he is not going for his supposedly fated love - he’s tried for six lifetimes, always with disaster, and he’s just plain done and tired. When he opens his life in his seventh reincarnation and sees the person he would have given up the world for, he genuinely feels nothing at all. (Spoiler - his OTP is actually a barbarian shaman this time around, thank you Lord!)

Golden Stage - my perfect comfort novel. Probably the least angsty of any danmei novel on this list (which still means plenty angsty :P) It also has a dedicated, smart OTP that is an OTP for the bulk of the book - I think you will notice that in most of the novels in this list, I go for “OTP against the world” trope - I can’t stand love triangles and the same. Anyway, Fu Shen, is a famous general whose fame is making the emperor   antsy. When he gets injured and can’t walk any more, the emperor gladly recalls him and marries him off to his most faithful court lackey, the head of sort of secret police, Yan Xiaohan. The emperor intends it both  as a check on the general and a general spite move since the two men   always clash in court whenever they meet. But not all is at is seems. They used to be  friends a long time ago, had a falling out, and one of the loveliest  parts of the novel is them finding their way to each other, but there is  also finding the middle path between their two very different  philosophies and ways of being, not to mention solving a conspiracy or  dozen, and putting a new dynasty on the throne, among other things. It always makes me think, a little, of “if Mei Changsu x Jingyan were canon.”

Sha Po Lang - if you like a lot of fantasy politics and world-building and steampunk with your novels, this one is for you. This one is VERY plot-heavy with smart, dedicated characters and a deconstruction of many traditional virtues - our protagonist Chang Geng, a long-lost son of the Emperor, is someone who wants to modernize the country but also take down the current emperor his brother for progress’ sake and the person he’s in love with is the general who saved him when he was a kid who is nominally his foster father. Anyway, the romance is mainly a garnish in this one, not even a big side dish, but the relationship between two smart, dedicated, deadly individuals with very different concepts of duty is fascinating long before it turns romantic. And if you like angst, while overall it’s not as angsty as e.g., Meatbun stuff, Chang Geng’s childhood is the stuff of nightmares and probably freaks me out more than anything else in any novel on this list, 2ha included.

To Rule In a Turbulent World (LSWW) - gay Minglan. No seriously. This is how I think of it. it’s a slice of life period novel with fascinating characters and  setting that happens to have a gay OTP, not a romance in a period  setting per se and I always prefer stories where the romance is not the only thing that is going on. It’s meticulously written and smart and deals with  character development and somehow makes daily minutia fascinating. Our   protagonist, You Miao, is the son of a fabulously wealthy merchant,   sent to the capital to make connections and study. As the story starts, he sees his friend’s  servants beating someone to death, feels bad, and buys him because, as  we discover gradually and organically, You Miao may be wealthy and  occasionally immature but he is a genuinely good person. The person he buys is a barbarian from beyond the wall, named   Li Zhifeng. It’s touch and go if the man will survive but eventually he does and You Miao, who by then has to return home, gives him his papers  and lets him go. However, LZF decides to stick with You Miao instead, both  out of sense of debt for YM saving his life and because he genuinely  likes him (and yet, there is no instalove on either of their parts, their bodies have fun a lot quicker than their souls.) Anyway, the two  take up farming, get involved in  the imperial exams and it’s the life of prosperity and peace, until an invasion happens and things go rapidly to hell. This is so nuanced, so smart (smart people in this actually ARE!) and has secondary characters who are just as complex as the mains (for example, I ended up adoring YM’s friend, the one who starts the plot by almost beating LZF to death for no reason) because the novel never forgets that few people are all villain. There is a lovely character arc or two - watching YM grow up and LZF thaw - there is the fact that You Miao is a unicorn in web novels being laid back and calm. This whole thing is a masterpiece.

Stains of Filth (Yuwu) - want the emotional hit of 2ha but want to read something half its length? Well, the author of 2ha is here to eviscerate you in a shorter amount of time. This has the beautiful world-building, plot twists that all make sense and, at the center of it all, an intense and all-consuming and gloriously painful relationship between two generals - one aristocratic loner Mo Xi, and the other gregarious former slave general Gu Mang. Once they were best friends and lovers, but when the novel starts, Gu Mang has long turned traitor and went to serve the enemy kingdom and has now been returned and Mo Xi, who now commands the remnants of his slave army, has to cope with the fact that he has never been able to get over the man who stabbed him through the heart. Literally. This novel has a gorgeously looping structure, with flashbacks interwoven into present storyline. There is so much love and longing and sacrifice in this that I am tearing up a bit just thinking of it. If you don’t love Mo Xi and Gu Mang, separately and together, by the end of it, you have no soul.

The Dumb Husky and His White Cat Shizun (2ha/erha) - if you’ve been following my tumblr for more than a hot second, you know my obsession with this novel. Honestly, even if I were to make a list of my top 10 novels of any kind, not just webnovels, this would be on the list. It has everything I want - a complicated, intricate plot with an insane amount of plot twists, all of which are both unexpected and make total sense, a rich and large cast of characters, a truly epic OTP that makes me bawl, emotional intensity that sometimes maxes even me out and so much character nuance and growth. Also, Moran is my favorite web novel character ever, hands down.

Anyway, the plot (or at least the way it first appears) is that the evil emperor of the cultivation world, Taxian Jun, kills himself at 32 and wakes up in the body of his 16 year old self, birth name Moran. Excited to get a redo, Moran wants to save his supposed true love Shimei, whose death the last go-around pushed him towards evil. He also wants to avoid entanglement with Chu Wanning, his shizun and sworn enemy in past life. And that’s all you are best off knowing, trust me. The only hint I am going to give is oooh boy the mother of all unreliable narrators has arrived!

The novel starts light and funny on boil the frog principle - if someone told me I would be full bawling multiple times with this novel, I’d have thought they were insane, but i swear my eyes hurt by the end of it. I started out being amused and/or disliking the mains and by the end I would die for either of them.

The Wife is First - OK, this one did not make my top 10 web novels but it’s a sweet, fun gay cottagecore fest. Our ML, a royal prince, and his spouse, a smart if delicate aristocrat, keep house, eat noodles, play with their pet tiger, make out and spoil each other rotten, while occasionally fighting battles and outwitting their court enemies. It’s so very mellow. That couple redefines low drama - they are both nice and functional and use their brains. It’s as if a nice jock and a nice nerd got together and then proceeded to be wholesome all over the place.

I mean, the set up could be dramatic - our ML the prince, lost his fight for the throne and is about to be killed. The only person who stayed loyal to him is his arranged husband the aristocrat guy who ML never treated nicely since he resented marrying him (marrying a man in that world is done to remove someone from the ability to inherit the throne.) And yet the husband stood by him not out of love but beliefs in loyalty blah blah. Anyway, he transmigrates back into the past right after their wedding night and is all “I got a second chance OMG! I don’t want the throne what is even the point? I want to live a good long life and treat the only person who stood by me really well!” And he proceeds to do so to the shock of the aristocrat who had a very unpleasant wedding night and generally can tell the man he just married would rather eat nails than be married to him. But soon enough (no seriously, it’s not many chapters at all) he believes the prince is sincere blah blah and then  they get together and they pretty much become cottagecore goals.

In terms of dramas, I only do period dramas (or novels) so I am not the person to be able to recommend any modern BLs. There is a flood of upcoming (hopefully) period BL dramas but it’s relatively thin on the ground now. The two I will recommend is Word of Honor (which is AMAZING) and Winter Begonia (which I just started watching but which owns me already.) I have a tag for both - the one for the former is huge and I cannot recommend either strongly enough. I’ve heard good things about The Sleuth of the Ming Dynasty, but I am not big on mysteries so haven’t watched it for myself.

In terms of the upcoming BLs, the ones I am most looking forward to are Immortality and Winner Is King, but The Society of the Four Leaves also looks promising.

[jilljoycearts]

The Golden Queen, II

Every story has its end.

Fandom: Enderal: Brave New World | Post-Canon

Characters: Sigrid (Enderal prophet), Tharael

Warnings would be spoilers, but mature content

I wrote the second part this spring but never actually posted it. I might have missed some ESL mistakes, you are welcome to point them out!  If you’ve missed the first part, I’m leaving the corresponding tags. Also, this one artwork was kind-of illustration to the one of the scenes of the second part:

She finally dares. Coils of black smoke trail after her hand, breaking the outlines of the already fuzzy silhouette.

She tries again. And again. And again.

She never quite succeeds.

Her own spell ties her hands, so she comes up with a decision. To free the soul from a perfect body, she creates a new one. Even better. Almost flawless. It holds the might she holds herself, if not even more, yet it’s being controlled by nothing but her will. It costs her another few hundred years. It costs her almost nothing.

It’s the third time he finds himself in an artificial shell. But it’s the first time it does not obey him at all. Black smoke still shimmers in reflection when the Queen beckons him to the mirror. Only the eyes now gleam with a violet sheen again. He looks at it and does not recognize it. He looks at the reflection and does not recognize himself. But he still looks, trying to make out at least anything familiar. To look is all that is left for him.

The Queen throws a ball. The most exhilarating, most luxurious and generous that the Golden Palace has ever known. Hundreds of servants rush after hundreds of guests, hundreds of tables burst with food. Hundreds of soldiers in golden armor guard their peace.

This time the Queen will join her people. She rises from the throne and descends into the ballroom. Her eyes fall shut and almost all of the lights go out.

She raises a hand. Black smoke swirls around her and she feels a firm grip of his palm. Something aches under the ribs, painfully and bitterly. She smiles.

Hundreds of people step back in awe as the Shadow takes shape. Hundreds of people bow their heads. The Queen opens her golden eyes and waltz begins to play. Hundreds of people part as the gods spin in their crazy dance.

The Queen returns to the throne, catching her breath. Now the guests dance. She is happy, for a moment. But the Shadow stands beside her, indifferent and vacant. For some reason, it’s starting to burn inside her eyes. She brings her hand to the face – a single drop of water runs down the golden claw. She does not recognize nor recall of what it is. The Shadow puts a hand on her shoulder, obeying her will. She brushes her cheek against it. It feels warm, if only a little. It feels bitter, more than anything. The Queen closes her eyes and the Shadow falls apart with coils of smoke. She clenches her fists, piercing the palms with her claws. Red drips on the gold, drips on the silk, stains anything it touches. No one dares to make a sign they notice it.

They stand in front of the mirror. “Aren’t we beautiful?” she asks, resting her head on his shoulder. She made him tangible again. She made the smoke form clothes she wishes to see him wearing. She made him do what she wants. She made him a puppet. But she can’t make him talk. So the Shadow remains silent. Yet she asks again. And again. And again. Until her smile cracks and he disappears, dissolving in her arms.

The Queen knows she doesn’t have much time left to do what she planned. As moons pass, she doubts more and more. To set him free is to be left alone, after all. Yet as moons pass, it hurts more and more to have him by her side. Any her wish is granted, any fantasy comes true dare she only think of it. What she ever wanted becomes what she hates. What drives her mad. And what she fears, eventually. So the day comes and the Queen disappears from her palace.

They stand above where once was water. A world-old tale brought her here. A tale about war and love. A tale about human happiness. A tale about them, which none of them really remembers. Her hand shakes as she caresses his cheek. It feels bitter, if only a little. It feels burning, more than anything.

She makes him step closer, grinds her teeth and embraces him, hiding in his arms one last time. “Go, my love,” she whispers.

An impulse passes and the Shadow takes a deep breath. His first one, since the New world started.

He raises a hand. Black smoke swirls around him and he feels a familiar weight of a hilt. Something aches under the ribs, painfully and bitterly. He smiles.

He smiles as the dagger drowns between her ribs, as the blood pours down, as her body weakens in his arms. She only hugs him tighter.

He waits a moment and steps back, watching the Queen falling to his feet. He feels nothing again.

The wind brings cold air. A few apple blossom petals dance in it, catching his sight. He takes another deep breath. His last one, for this time.

He exhales and dissolves into coils of white smoke. The wind catches him, caring and gentle. The petals float carelessly, blurring his sight and bringing his mind to sleep. He finally finds peace.

[changlingrogue]

Okay, a head's up, this got rambly and it will definitely have spoilers for Campaign 2 Episode 128, 127 and to be on the safe side 126. I'll tag it as "cr spoilers" and put it under a cut though.

Okay, so, starting from the jump the episode is a little anxiety inducing as it picks up directly where last week's left off with Caleb, Jester and Veth confronted by Trent down in the basement. Trent only appears to want to talk (being the mofo he is, his words are just as dangerous as his magic), but Caleb isn't having any of that and starts things off with casting Wall of Fire (I think?) to separate them from Trent. Trent dispels it and still seems interested in talking until Caleb casts a Firebolt at him. Veth follows up with her attack which does work and then Jester tries another Word of Recall which Trent tries to Counterspell with a horrifying nat 20, but it gets cancelled out by Caleb's nat 20 and the three of them escape to Nicodranas, outside on the Brenatto family's balcony. A couple of takeaways from this encounter:

Was trying to fight Trent the best idea, no. But like I can't say I blame Caleb. Liam made it very clear that Caleb was terrified. He was going off of raw emotions and being confronted by the man that ruined his life in a place that held a lot of emotional trauma for him... can't say most people would be able to keep a cool head.

It does still make me wonder how things would have went if Trent had been able to talk. Would they have been able to leave without things ending up like they ultimately did or was it just a way for Trent to keep control of the situation? Maybe a bit of both? Trent certainly risks losing more now that he has to come up with some sort of explanation for what happened at the sanitarium and given that the whole Cerberus Assembly is under investigation, its not a good look. Veth's decision to steal some of those crystals did alert Trent to what they were doing and is maybe part of the reason he's pursuing them so aggressively, but I feel like its going to be one of those things that really helps them out in the future. I was happy when it was proposed to keep at least one for evidence, because I think if it's used in the right way and given to the right people it might be a nail in the coffin Trent (hopefully) finds himself in.

To jump off from the crystal point, I'm really digging how in this campaign player choices have at times had some really interesting a longstanding consequences/rewards. Like it really makes the world feel alive, and that its not revolving around M9. Like for one of the more "positive" examples, Beau telling Dairon about how she was kidnapped and forced into the Cobalt Soul lead to the eventual arrest and upcoming trail of Zeenoth and the apology Beau deserved for years. But on the flip side, as we learn eventually, when the rest of the party joins back up with them in Nicodranas, Jester mentioning The Ruby of the Sea gives Trent a lead of where to find them. (I'd also like to mention that Team Outtie or Audi, lol, did a pretty good job. Fjord really came through with Arcane Gate, Marine Layer and even Major Image. It didn't stop Trent but it did keep the Guards busy. Caduceus got them out quick with Word of Recall and while Beau's umm, assassination attempt was brutal, she did keep the Guard on top of the tower from doing anything and she alerted Team Outtie to the arrival of Trent and more Guards.)

But back to Nicodranas and M9 trying to get their families there ferried away to safety. I really did nearly cry from the conversations Jester and Veth had. I adore Jester and mother's relationship, like Marion is one of my favorite of Matt's NPCs for more than reason and I love how just... loving and understanding she is. And I really like Yeza for that similar reason. Those two conversations really stuck out to me because of like... idk, I guess they sort of hit home a bit? With Jester and her mom it's the shift of being the one whose protected to the one who is the protector that I (and other adults) experience at one point when it comes to your parents as they get older. It's not as wild as keeping them safe from a powerful mage and his magic assassins, but it's a total flip in a relationship that you've had since you were younger.

And with Veth it's about being a parent and a partner and having to make choices and sometimes sacrifices to keep them safe. I'm really glad Veth and Yeza got a chance to talk and be open with one another, for at least a bit. I was surprised by Yeza's perspective of things and how he felt he was also guilty of putting their family in harm's way because I always assumed like, at least when it came to working with the Assembly he didn't have much a choice ( Idk if I just missed that part or it was mentioned in Talks or not), but him saying that he also took risks because he wanted to make something of himself and provide for Veth gives a new perspective of him and on his and Veth's relationship. Like now it seems more like he actually understands (on some level) Veth's conflicting feelings of wanting be an adventurer but wanting to be with her family too and that's why he's been so supportive of her vs him just kind of blindly supporting her. I really hope they continue to be open with one another and they keep talking about things, which I guess they might get a chance to again in the future if Veth actually does end up coming home to them for good after M9 takes care of the TombTakers. I'm sad about the idea of Veth leaving and not adventuring with the rest of M9, and I will legit cry if they say to goodbye but I can understand and respect her reasoning. She really did try to "have both" and for the things that they've been involved in, it, unfortunatly, doesn't work. Since reuniting with her family that's been one of her main conflicts and I'm happy that she finally seemed to come to a decision of what comprimises she can and can't make for the type of life she wants. I know a lot of the fandom won't be happy if Veth leaves and Sam creates another character but I like that Sam (and honestly everyone else as well) really plays his characters to who they are as people. After those heartwrenching moments, the tension in the game picks up again as they find out that they're being watched by two inviduals who turn out to be Astrid and Eadwulf. Astrid basically tells them to get everyone they care about and get the fuck out of Nicodranas since they've been dispatched to get them, and from some invisable tailing by Veth, we learn that there's another Volstrucker in town, along with fucking Trent himself and that they're only a few blocks away from the Lavish Chateu. So M9 gets themselves and the families together and steaths to Yussa's tower, hoping he could help them get somewhere else quick, only to find that he can't be reached at the moment. Luckily, his servant Wentsworth knows of something that might help and after some searching a Detect Languages spell, they find a scroll that has the spell Plane Shift and a tuning fork that they're unsure which plane its atturned to.

My thoughts on this are:

That I'm not sure if they're lucky or unlucky at this point. Because on one hand they're literally on the run from one of the most powerful mages in the Empire, but on the otherhand they've managed to escape him twice, despite the odds being against them. I really want to know what plane they're on, there's a lot of speculation that its the Plane of Fire which sounds terrible, but I'm not that versed in like D&D lore so maybe it's not as bad as it sounds in my head. I agree with Matt that thinking to use the Happy Fun Ball as a way to transport some of their people was pretty clever, I just hope they made the right choices for who went inside and who stayed outside. This is Yasha's first time in the ball! I wish it was under better circsumstances so that everyone could be there and they could actually explore but I wonder what her reaction will be. When she's not making out with Beau, lol. I'm not as worried for the group in the ball as I am for the group outside of it, I think Beau, Yasha and Fjord will be able to get to an exit without too much trouble as long as they don't stumble across any surprises that aren't on the map. And I'm very intrigued with how Astrid is shaping up as a character. I like so far what Matt is doing with her and I like that she's shaping up to not just be the "bad bitch/ruthless" villain archetype that a lot of female characters end up being. That character can be fun and enjoyable in certain things and when there's more beneath the surface, but it's nice to see that Astrid actually does care about Caleb. I was suspicious of her intentions before, but I feel that Matt has made it clear that while her and Eadwulf are still adversaries to the M9, they do care about Caleb and want to help him out. I feel for the whole Blumenthal Trio one way or another. To close things, because this had gotten way too long, lol. I can't wait for the next episode. Hopefully everything will work out for them and they can get the families to safety, though I don't know if sending them to the Gentleman is a good idea. But we'll see eventually!

[creepercraftguy]

Ultimate Talent Development Plan: Utsuro/Mikado Sannoji/Akane Taira (Heavy Spoilers for the Another series)

This was a request, but I unfortunately lost the original request. I’m going to tag it as such though.

Ah!

So...you’ve arrived...

Wh-What...? You are...

I’m waiting...Akane...

What is-!? What are you-!? Ah AH!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHH

*faints*

...

I-Is she going to be alright? 

Just give her a second...

...

No, but seriously, is she good? She hasn’t moved an inch since she fainted.

3...

Huh?

2...1...and...

UTSUROOOOOOO!!!

Woah! That was sudden! She became a totally different person just like that!

I told you...

It’s so good to see you again my master! What do you request of your loyal servant?

Oh well, it seems she’s returned to the world of the living. Welcome back Ms Taira.

...

Why do I suddenly feel like I’m not wanted?

Why is HE here?

Oh! I get it! It’s because I’m NOT wanted!

He’s here because I need him to be Akane. At least accept that he’s on our side.

Lord Utsuro. I’m willing to go through hell and high water for you, as you know...

But working together with someone like him is completely out of the question.

Why not!?

Because I don’t trust you!

Silence...!

Y-Yes sir...

I’m here to receive each of your current reports...how have you both been in my absence...

Better now that you’re back my lord...

I agree. And the VOID’s would be very happy to see you too.

Speaking of the VOID’s how have they been?

Well behaved...well, for the most part...

I still can’t shake the feeling that Nikei is constantly planning a revolt against me.

Do you really believe that?

I’ve tried to shake down Iroha for answers, but she tells me she knows nothing...

So either I’m just being paranoid, or he on purposefully hasn’t told her, because there’s no way Iroha can keep a secret.

Well, I wouldn’t be too surprised...Nikei was the original leader of the VOID’s after all, before you took over.

Honestly, I’d prefer him to lead them than you.

To the point as ever...but remember, Nikei severely lacks the power and authority that I do.

If I were you, I’d keep an eye on him Mikado.

I don’t think Nikei would start a coup in our ranks, but he’s egotistical and hates it when people are better than something than him.

Yep, that’s our Nikei...

If any problems arise, then you tell me as soon as you can.

Of course. However, I doubt there would be any problems that I can’t handle myself...

I simply want to be kept in the know...

Indeed, indeed. I shall let you know immediately...

Now, onto more pressing matters, though I’d rather not discuss them at all...

Are there any updates on...her...?

You mean Enoshima? Correct?

Honestly, she seems like the type of person who would immediately go to the most extreme method of torture right off the bat...I’ll keep my distance thank you very much!

So you haven’t been observing her...?

Only frequently. I’ve left most of the work to Ms Taira. By her decision, not just mine.

That crazy bitch is the reason you were split Master...I can’t allow her to be out of sight for even one second when I’m in this state.

So what have you uncovered?

A-About that...For some reason, it seems Enoshima STILL isn’t satisfied with Matsuda’s research...

So she’s decided to run another experiment on...a different subject...

Who?

H-Herself...

Herself?

That’s surprising...though I wouldn’t put it past an Ultimate Despair like her...

She’s also changed completely in appearance. Her usual blonde messy hair’s turned a weird, straight red color, and she’s wearing a different uniform. One that’s less...revealing...

I don't think you really have the right to criticize her outfit considering your own getup Ms Taira...

Say something like that again, and I will embroider your cape into a skipping rope and strangle you with it...!

I-I’m sorry...!

Is she using a new alias too?

Ryoko. Ryoko Otanashi sir...

Ryoko? I see...

If that’s the case, then I know what must be done...

What is it?

Akane. Mikado. Remain on standby for now. Allow me to work on this.

Allow you time? Are you planning on dealing with this yourself?

Given my circumstances that would be difficult. I simply need time to form a plan...

A plan? For what?

A plan to erase Junko Enoshima forever...

If this Otanashi is like Yuki, and doesn’t know that her other counterpart exists, then maybe we can keep it that way.

Oooooohh...I see...

Not a terrible idea sir. I will keep the VOID’s at the ready...Enoshima’s really dug her own grave this time!

It won’t be easy bypassing her analytical abilities...however...

I feel that I might get lucky...

[afni-fics]

Elder Scrolls DC - A Reluctant Dragonborn - Chapter 26: Dragon Rising (part 5)

Chapter 26: Dragon Rising (part 5) by C_R_Scott Chapters: 26/? Fandom: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Red Robin (Comics), DCU (Comics) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Characters: Tim Drake, Lucien Flavius Additional Tags: Crossover, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Skyrim/DCU crossover, Reluctant Dovahkiin | Dragonborn, Not Beta Read, Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, Modded Skyrim, Skyrim Spoilers, Tim Drake is Dragonborn | Dovahkiin, Batfamily-centric (DCU), Tim Drake-centric

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Next Chapter

Summary:

The conclusion of the "Dragon Rising" portion of the main Skyrim storyline.

-------------------------

When Tim and Lucien made their way into Dragonsreach's throne room, they could hear, even from the front doors, that Jarl Balgruuf was already in a loud, animated discussion between his steward Proventus and a different guard. This one was male and had very striking facepaint. Tim frowned. Irileth was nowhere in sight. 

Swell.

"Good. You're finally here." Proventus said. "The Jarl's been waiting for you."

The new armed guard on the Jarl's left hand agreed. "We were just talking about you. My brother needs a word with you."

A quick glance back confirmed Lucien had decided to hang back by a couple of yards, but his own hooded face was lined with a subtle scowl since he didn't see Irileth either. Then Tim paused at the foot of the stairs leading to the throne and bowed respectfully to the Jarl. 

Jarl Balgruuf looked at Tim appraisingly. It made Tim uneasy. "Irileth informed me of the dragon's death at the Watchtower, but she mentioned something... strange that happened there." The Nordic ruler narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "I'd like to hear your perspective on the events."

Tim slipped on his best Wayne mask, the one he normally reserved for dealing with Lex Luthor company executives whenever any decided to visit Gotham and Wayne Enterprises. He was nothing but professional as he spoke. "I wish I could give you my perspective, my Jarl," he said politely. "Unfortunately due to my illness and injuries, I wasn't in the right state of mind to remember much of that night. I do know that there are accounts from others who were there when the dragon died that I appeared to absorb 'something' from it." He shook his head. "What that 'something' was, I couldn't even fathom how to describe it with any accuracy from second-hand accounts. The most I can offer is that I've heard the word 'Dragonborn' used in conjunction with the events. I am sorry I can't offer more clarity than that."

Balgruuf stroked his beard thoughtfully. "If Irileth's men, honest Nords to a man, who were there that night and witnessed the miracle, are calling you 'Dragonborn', then it makes sense that the Greybeards have sent out a summons for you now. You must be Dragonborn."

Tim felt a lump rise to his throat, but he swallowed it down and clung to his "mask" like a second skin. "Who are these Greybeards, and why would they want to summon me?"

"They are masters of the Way of the Voice," Balgruuf started as one of his servants brought him a drink. He took one silver goblet and waved the rest away. "They live in seclusion high on the slopes of the Throat of the Word." He took a long draught before continuing. "The Dragonborn is said to be uniquely gifted in the Voice - the ability to focus your vital essence into a Thu'um, or a Shout. If you really are Dragonborn, they can teach you how to use your gift."

The servant girl offered Tim a drink, but he waved her away politely as he kept his focus on Balgruuf even as the left-hand guard began to address him.

"Didn't you hear the thundering sound as you came to Dragonsreach?! That was the voice of the Greybeards," the man in the dark armor said with absolute self-certainty. "Summoning you to High Hrothgar! This hasn't happened in... centuries, at least. Not since Tiber Septim himself was summoned when he was still Talos of Atmora!"

If the guard was going to say anything else, he was cut off by Proventus "Hrongar, calm yourself. What does any of this Nord nonsense have to do with our friend here?"

As Proventus triggered a heated argument with who Tim now knew as Hrongar, the Jarl's brother, he took the moment to take a breath and absorb what had just been said. He swallowed the desire to include his own frustrated voice to the squabbling between Proventus and Hrongar, but held his tongue. Instead, he let Balgruuf finally break the argument up before speaking up again.

"What do these Greybeards want with me?" Tim asked.

Balgruuf shook his head. "That's the Greybeards' business not ours," he said with almost an apologetic tone. "Whatever happened when that dragon was killed, it revealed something in you, and the Greybeards heard it." The Jarl met and held Tim's gaze solemnly. "If they think you're Dragonborn, who are we to argue?" Then he broke off the gaze and sighed. "You'd better get up to High Hrothgar as soon as possible. There's no refusing the summons of the Greybeards. It's a tremendous honor."

As the Jarl mused wistfully, something about envying Tim about his upcoming 'pilgrimage' and waxing nostalgic about the peacefulness of the Graybeard's high altitude monastery, inwardly Tim was trying and failing to wrap his head around this entire situation. How had things escalated so damned fast and in such a completely insane direction?! He wasn't whatever they thought this "Dragonborn" was! He couldn't be! He was just a human vigilante from Gotham. He wasn't a metahuman. He wasn't descended from magic or an alien from Mars or Krypton. He was just a rich kid from Jersey for Christ's sake!

There was a subtle shift in the Jarl's voice and Tim's attention jerked back to the man on the throne. "You've done a great service for me and my city, Dragonborn."

"Oh crap!" Tim thought silently with a faint edge of alarm, though his face betrayed nothing of his inner thoughts. "He's referring to me as 'Dragonborn" like it's replaced my name. This can't be good."

"By my right as Jarl, I name you Thane of Whiterun. It's the greatest honor that's within my power to grant."

"Wait-- What?!" Tim's mask slipped as he blinked in surprise and stared at the Jarl with blatant bewilderment.  He was momentarily distracted by the fact that Proventus had walked up to him bearing a large parcel that was wrapped with what looked like a cloak bearing the crest of Whiterun, an image of a horse's head in profile. "Oh, no, no, nonono..." Unconsciously Tim took a step away from Proventus.

Despite the young man's obvious confusion, Balgruuf pressed onward, not caring in the least about Tim's visible discomfort. "I also assign you Lydia as a personal Housecarl, and this weapon from my armory to serve as your badge of office."

"Now one moment--" Tim tried to interrupt, even as the Jarl's brother Hrongar was attempting to offer him what looked like a very ornate greatsword that was nearly as long as Tim was tall. He tried to wave the sword and the parcel away, but thankfully Lucien came up and accepted both on Tim's behalf, looking about as startled as his friend was feeling. Lucien shrugged his shoulders apologetically at Tim. He had no clue what was going on either in that moment. 

Tim held both hands up as if surrendering to Balgruuf, if only to just make him stop talking for the moment. "I... appreciate all of this. You have shown me a great deal of generosity, Jarl Balgruuf, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart... but..." Then Tim caught sight, out of the corner of his eyes, a heavily armed woman with a sword and shield coming into view. He focused on that for the moment. "I don't even have a house in the area to have a 'housecarl' in," he argued. "You don't need to give me one of your soldiers."

"That's easy enough to fix."

Tim felt the blood drain from his face. "Oh sweet fucking Jesus," he thought to himself with dismay.

"Proventus," Balgruuf said. "Didn't you mention that there is a house that is currently vacant in the Plains District the other day?"

Tim tried to open his mouth to protest again in a vain attempt to derail the Jarl's obvious train of thought. However, thankfully, another strong voice spoke up loud and clear.

"That won't be necessary, my Jarl!" 

Tim almost sagged in relief as the main doors to Dragonsreach flew open and Irileth marched herself into the great hall with calm unwavering authority. 

"My apologies for being late," she said as she bowed respectfully to the Jarl. "But there was a disturbance being caused at the city gates by a couple of Redguard men I needed to attend to." Then she glanced at Tim and Lucien, taking a moment to look over the things that had been handed to Lucien with a subtle frown, before turning her full attention back to the Jarl. "And there won't be a need for your new Thane to purchase a home within the city walls. Timothy and I spoke the other day at the Temple about his favorite areas in the Hold..."

Tim glanced at her out of the corner of his eyes, repressing his new confusion as best he could. They never spoke about any "favorite areas" the other day when she visited him at the Temple. She just asked him to come to this meeting with the Jarl and left when he agreed. Then, as she continued her "suggestion", he realized what she was doing.

"...He mentioned having a fondness for Riverwood. The people there were kind to him after surviving Helgen, and he spoke with me at length about how much he was looking forward to taking in some of the hunting in that area once he leaves the city. I believe Gerdur's husband mentioned that they have an old house that's been vacant for years in the village during his most recent delivery of lumber." She gave Tim a knowing look. "It would take a number of weeks to bring it up to livable conditions, but considering our Thane is going to make a pilgrimage to High Hrothgar upon leaving the city, his new housecarl will have plenty time to make that happen.

Balgruuf regarded Irileth thoughtfully, then he smiled at Tim. "Yes, I can see why Riverwood would be such an appealing place for a young man such as yourself. In my youth, when my father was still Jarl, I remember relishing the freedom to roam those forests during hunts with my old friends Kodlak, Olfrid, and Eorlund. It's not a luxury I can afford myself these days, but I cherish the memories." He turned to Irileth. "Please send a missive to Gerdur. Let her know that our new Thane has chosen her village as his home whenever he is in the Hold, and send Lydia to see about starting preparations to make the vacant house ready for use by the time he returns. 

Irileth nodded respectfully. "Yes my Jarl."

Tim marveled at how smoothly the dark elf routed the Jarl. She couldn't stop him from offering Tim a piece of property in Whiterun, but at least she was able to put a solid day's travel distance between that potential "home" and Dragonsreach, as well as make it expected that it would be weeks, at least, before he would be able to spend any significant time there.

Balgruuf then regarded Timothy. "We are honored to have you as Thane of our city, Dragonborn. May the Divines watch over your journey to High Hrothgar." Then he turned to his steward. "Back to business Proventus. We still have a city to defend."

***

Once dismissed from the court, Tim and Lucien were led out of Dragonsreach by Irileth, under the excuse that she was going to help prepare him for his journey to High Hrothgar, since neither he nor Lucien had ever been to that part of Skyrim. 

As soon as the heavy wooden doors to Dragonsreach were slammed shut behind them, and the trio had put decent amount of distance between themselves and any nearby guards, Tim turned to look at Lucien and Irileth. "Ok... Can someone please explain to me what the hell just happened in there?!"

  ====================

Note:

So, in my Skyrim head canon, Jarl Balgruuf is the kind of man who cares about his people, wants to be a fair ruler, but has absolutely no impulse control to speak of. Proventus tries to keep his Jarl on task, but has no ability to restrain his boss's worst impulses if Balgruuf has his mind set on something. Irileth is really the only one who can keep the Jarl on the straight and narrow... so long as she's in the same room as him.

Poor Tim, though... He's so confused.

At least he's healthy now, right? And he's got a new greatsword he has absolutely no clue on how to use:

#elder scrolls dc#fanfiction#tim drake#skyrim fanfiction#red robin#batfam#crossover#lucien flavius#wip#afewnovelideas

[mantra4ia]

Desires: Lucifer season 5 on Netflix

Created: August 21, 2020. Last Modified: August 22, 2020.

Preface: Alright my Lucis, here’s the sitch: it’s been a minute. Life got a bit chaotic I wasn’t able to start season five quite on time when it premiered on August 21st because I haven’t finished the great 2020 Lucifer rewatch. I’m nearly done however and should be able to jump into it either later today or tomorrow, which is why beforehand I want to — as I’ve traditionally done for a few seasons — create a desires list and keep a tally throughout the season to see how many are met. I am going to try to pace myself, not binge, and watch a single episode a day so don’t spoil me. Likewise I will tag my spoilers. Here we go... #21DaysofLucifer

Season 3 and 4 Roundout - Desires Fulfilled / Questions Answered

✔We’ve seen other demons “like Maze” and a bit of what havoc they can reek. Well sort of. To be quite frank, although it was cool to see them possess the recently deceased, it wasn’t as impending doom as I was expecting. They didn’t seem nearly as disciplined or intimidating as Mazikeen, even Dromos, more bored and desperate.

✔ We’ve seen a little more or the heavenly host in Remiel. Remi was cool, if a bit intense. Her character, and her affinity to Amenadiel was a nice foil to see how far his character has come in evolution. But again like Uriel was for Lucifer, she kind of became a driving force character device to push Amenadiel’s growth. So I wonder if we’ll get to see more of her or not.

✔ (s3) The backstory of Lucifer’s arrival in LA, finding LUX, and making a deal with Amenadiel.

✔ (s3) Cain finally went to hell, YES! Not that I didn’t like Marcus Pierce/Tom Welling, there were some great interactions there, but I just think he was a wishy-washy antagonist based on how he was written and I can’t wait to trade up for Michael.

✔ Maze finally had some happiness and attachment to this silly mortal coil and it slipped away! Why Eve why? I love Maze’s bonding with humans, Linda, Trixie, Chloe. But I love that after a Millennia of serving, and then watching Amenadiel and Linda be happy in a family unit, that she might actually make her own and my hopes were dashed. 

Things we got that we didn’t even know we wanted. SO GOOD:

Season 4 ep 8: Amenadiel bonding with Caleb and confronting community violence, police brutality, and systemic racism. It was a rough episode to be sure, but absolutely needed,

Chloe talking Lucifer down and out of a self-hatred spiral and his transformation into full-fledged devil and back again.

Lucifer playing Creep on repeat while missing the detective (even after insisting in a therapy session that “he’s not a teenager playing Adele on repeat) and Mr. Said Out B**** trying to rob Lucifer and gun point and ultimately get rich. What a fun twist.

The Dan and Maze Los X’s fight. They are wicked good at laying down the  hurt on the criminal element and I was wondering when they’d pair up again after dispatching Warden Perry.

The devil in a bar fight! I mean, it’s only fair since the ladies had their brawl. I love how this fight sequence was filmed in bursts of slo-mo from various angles, involved everything from fists, to tasers, knives, bottles, and the infamous pool cue, and they picked the perfect song for pacing (Jake Bugg, Lightning Bolt, could listen to it all day on repeat.)

Time for all good demons to go home / Enough, you will bow down to your king. Go home! (aka appropriate use of Devilish intimidation face)

Amenadiel vs Remi 

A Rocky montage with Lucifer and Amenadiel / Amenadiel’s face the first time Lucifer drives the Corvette

Lucifer at the roller derby

Chloe the YA fangirl

Maze teaching Trixie about knives, with each handle decorated in a different toy.

Amenadiel and Chloe catching up: your father is so proud of you. Like and angel BOSS!

SEASON HIGHLIGHTS:

★ (s3) Amenadiel taking Charlotte home

★ Dan being comforted in his grief by Amenadiel

★ Amenadiel’s wrath and the brotherly duo tag team to lay the hurt on the drug dealer that got Charlie killed. It’s been a while since we’ve seen warrior angel ready to dispatch anyone in his way. And it was glorious!

★ (s3) Lucifer’s almost driving lesson with Trixie “Morningstar”

★ (s3) Maze torturing Lucifer by making him think he’s the Angel of San Bernadino

★ (s3) Amenadiel and Lina helping to dispose of Lucifer’s wings

★  Lucifer kicking Julian, Tiernan’s son, through a glass pane window

★ The goodbye kiss between Lucifer and Chloe

 DIDN’T LIKE:

☒ (s3) Cain playing guitar and singing. What is he, a crime lord, a top cop, or an act that the improv club wouldn’t take? 

☒ Eve. I liked Eve, but we mostly got to see one side of her around Lucifer, and a kind of floundering an confused side when she was with Maze. The side that I would have liked to see more of was the maternal side that came out when she briefly talked about Abel or was interrogated by Trixie. That made her more layered.

☒ Father Kinley. That dude is just meh.

☒ Dan’s broken heart and rebounding with Ella. Don’t get me wrong, its a good arc, but I don’t see it lasting

☒ (s3) Abel and Reese. Those were two side stories I could have done without, although they had great moments of humor. I quite enjoyed Reese’s character, and although I didn’t like Abel Lucifer’s stick-figure comic illustration of Cain fighting with him over a rock was quite enjoyable.

WHAT I TRULY DESIRE: SINFUL SEASON 5, my BURNING QUESTIONS, and SPECULATIONS

Obviously, don’t spoil anything for me, but if any of my desires end up coming true in any of the first eight episodes maybe drop me a hint in the comments...

A big time jump. We need to see the lasting impact of Lucifer’s absence. I know that time in hell works differently per that episode where Lucifer saved Chloe and almost got stuck in a loop, but we still need enough time to elapse that the impact is felt on the mortal side. Or, we need to see the passage of time through a series of events without Lucifer, like a montage of character development. At least a year or so, if for no other reason then Trixie is growing up and I actually want to see her take driving lessons with Lucifer.

Last season Maze gave baby Charlie a gift, something she’d wished she’d had growing up, and previously had alluded to the language of demons, her many siblings, and teased her mother, the mother of all demons. Will we finally get to meet Maze’s mom Lilith (or however they address her)? And, in spite of Mazikeen’s found family, she still has restlessness and abandonment issues. Will her mom finally finally bring her peace, or will clashing with her resolidify Maze’s purpose on earth?

A Decker/Mazikeen team-up or girls night out 2.0 would always be appreciated. At this point its probably 4.0 if you count the bar fight and the bachelorette party.

Will we see tougher, scarier demons, or are they just warmup to the really scary depths of hell?

Speaking of hell, more hell. Tons of hell. I want to know the minutia of all the mechanics. If Lucifer’s gotta be down there in self-imposed exile, he may as well show us around. Pour us a drink.

Will Lucifer see Cain in Hell? Not that I’m dying to see more of “sad Cain” but it would be interesting to see a more dark or desperate or cunning side to him at least now that he’s actually neck deep in torment. Or, alternatively, I’m hedging my bets that he could be a good candidate to light the fire under Lucifer’s *** to get of hell back to the earthly realm. Even in hell, I’m betting Cain would have a soft spot for Chloe, and if news reached Lucifer that Michael were trying to abscond with his life and with Chloe, it would give Cain and Lucifer one last bit of “A-Hole brothers” common ground to bond over. Like “Brothers, am I right? Go kick, get Chloe back, I’ll still have enough guilt to torture me with in a few thousand years when you get back,”   

Will Lucifer fall into peril in hell of once again potentially getting distracted and stuck in a hell loop? Will his servants be satisfied with his return? Will Amenadiel bust him out.

Mr. Said Out Bitch needs a role reprise. He’s been in every season opener 2-4, we’ve gotten to know his undergarments very well.  Its high time we get to know his name and story. He’s put in the work!  

Amenadiel should be running LUX in Lucifer's absence. We got a tease of that in previous seasons (remember when he asked what would Lucifer do?) its time for that to come to fruition. Plus, any excuse to put DB Woodside in a suit, just because he wears them so well. It would also be interesting if, after that tragedy he’s experienced, Amenadiel will start taking after Luci. Maybe not the punishing, not yet, but wanting to seek out evil and corruption. It has been teased since s1 “fall as I did.” Perhaps he’ll start developing a taste for his bother’s line of work whereas he found it repugnant in the early days

Dan and Maze or Dan and Ella pair up. Both Dan and Maze are due for some happiness.

An Azrael reboot, when need more of her. She’s the angel of Death for pity’s sake. I don’t know if the original actress is still available or if they would have to recast, or if the character concept by Netflix would even be the same, but I need Azrael to be capable of sweet and unassuming and on a coin flip downright menacing.

More of Lucifer as a godparent, bless! And maybe a cool montage of “cousin” Trixie and Lucifer co-babysitting Charlie please.

Whilst on the subject of Lucifer and parenting, and without putting Trixie too much into harm’s way, I need to see what “I would do anything to protect that little urchin” looks like. Trixstar ride or die.

Father Frank, come back! I need a cameo or recurrent role pleeeeease.

Trixie in every episode. This is non-negotiable, much like chocolate cake. Beatrice is an all-star. In fact, I’ve decided that when Dad/God finally does show up, Trixie needs to be the one to get to know him / introduce him first. She’s been captain on the celestial cheer squad for four seasons, she’s earned this.

Who's going to see through Michael's facade first? I mean, I know that trailer shows Maze torturing it out of him, but as far as intuition goes, I've got a 50/50 split between Trixie and Linda, with an honorable mention to Dan.

If Michael is Lucifer's twin, does he have the same angelic compulsion skill set? Or something different? And will it work on Chloe or is she universally immune?

A “be like Mike” pop-culture reference. ******Spoilers: ******* all the trailers have revealed Michael already, so they owe us this for letting the steam out.

As far as pop-culture, how many movie and TV references will we get from Lucifer and ensemble this year? I expect A-game, from sci-fi to 80s action, on par with the previous likes of Parent Trap, Star Wars, Home Alone, Kim Possible, and Rocky.

Will Amenadiel’s necklace make a reappearance, even after he put it around Caleb’s neck in the morgue? Heavenly artifacts have a way of causing trouble in this show.

Will what finally learn what, if any, significance there is to Lucifer’s ring? Again, as all my fictional writings will attest, I really kind of want it to be a stolen little trinket from him Dad.

Plot twist: will we get to see Hell and the silver city all in one season, or is that too devilishly good to ask? It would be intriguing if Lucifer fell from Heaven for rebelling and now some threat like, for example, the mother of demons would pose a threat to the gates such that Lucifer was called upon to defend them. Not expecting anything Endgame level with a host of Angels popping up like sorcerers...but it is food for the imagination.

Plot twist: will Michael, duplicitous twin that he is, be revealed as the reason that Lucifer does not lie and can’t stand liars? Will be get a Michael back story? Is he perhaps the true rebellious son? see: my original fan conjecture here.

Additional links to previous recaps, roundouts and wishlists: 

Season 1: Best Moments // Season 2: Predictions, Desires, Roundout, Best Moments // Season 3: Speculations, Quick-shot summary 

[yet-another-saberface]

Story Headcanons: Fuyuki (Part 2 ~ Sections 4-8)

Spoiler warning for the listed chapters of the game!

We continue attempting to figure out what’s going on in Fuyuki, and things only get worse. HCs are under the cut because this is a rather long text post! Let’s go!

Section 4: Investigate the Port Ruin

Eva is initially in a really good mood after learning that they’re basically stuck in the middle of a Grail War gone wrong. After all, that means there should be some people around, and more likely than people, servants. After just a few seconds she realizes that whoever is alive is probably a hostile servant, and that excitement promptly becomes terror.

The child makes sure to thank Mash after pretty much every fight, because really, why wouldn’t you thank the person doing most of the heavy lifting in terms of killing things. She figures she’d be dead if it weren’t for Mash so she’s gonna show that gratitude as much as possible.

Eva is now screaming only internally whenever she has to listen to lectures on magic she understands. Not even a quip. I mean, maybe there are advantages to pretending to be totally clueless? Who knows at this point.

She’s really tested when Olga says she’s fired as soon as they get back. She didn’t do anything to deserve getting fired! If anything, what she’s done so far should prove that that’s one of the worst possible options. Most of the staff is dead, they need as many people as they can get! Why the hell would you fire someone that’s proven they’re at least a bit capable?! She actually starts to yell back at one, but manages to stop herself before she does any real damage. She just cuts herself off with “the smoke must be getting to my head” or something like that.

Section 5: Investigate the Church Ruin

Eva gets tricked into resting for 10 seconds by justifying the break as checking up on Mash but then nope, no breaks here, more skeletons!

The skeletons aren’t an issue at this point but when a shadow servant shows up it’s all downhill from there. Olga’s no help, as expected, which is a bad thing in a fight like that. Mash gets pretty beat up, and Eva herself is positive that she must have sprained her ankle, but doesn’t mention it. Yay pretending you’re not wounded! (Not.)

When a second signal shows up just afterwards, the group knows they need to get the hell out of dodge. Eva runs away just a bit slower than the other two, trying to ignore the slight limp she’s got now as much as possible. She gets yelled at by Olga because she’s slow, but she takes it and just does her best to run faster while avoiding all of the flaming debris that’s littering… Well, everywhere. 

Section 6: Shadow Servant

And… There’s already another servant attack! She’s actually getting into the rhythm of fighting by now, and luckily, the running seems to have covered up the pain from her sprained ankle with pure adrenaline. She’s not even worried about proving her worth or anything right now. She just wants to stay alive. 

By the time a second one shows up she starts to worry a bit more than before, and her orders start to falter. But she ain’t going down yet. She can tell by now that these definitely aren’t ordinary servants, in part because of their physical appearance, but mostly because of their lack of any real thoughts. They act more like animals and servants, with their desire to just kill them, and so Eva actually manages to put aside any gripes she would have had about killing them, figuring that if they were normal servants at any point, they’re dead already.

The pain in her ankle starts to come back around when Mash gets injured, and with it, she notices just how hard she’s breathing, and the panic starts to resurface. When Caster shows up, she’s actually fully prepared for it to be another enemy, but this time, she’s lucky enough for it to be someone who isn’t a skeleton or a crazed, grail-infected maniac.

For just a moment, she’s ready to give into all of her panic, thinking she’s safe, before realizing that the fight isn’t actually over yet. Now that she’s let even a little panic back into the forefront of her mind, the fact that she doesn’t really know what she’s doing is on full display. Her reaction time to everything is delayed, meaning that Mash has to forgo attacking in favor of shielding her several times. Let’s be honest: If Caster hadn’t showed up, Eva probably would have died just now. 

By the time the fight is fully over, Eva’s all but collapsed on the ground. She’s mumbling answers to anything directed at her, doing all that she can to prevent crying, and trying to get weight off of her ankle as much as possible. She refuses to make eye contact with anyone, and any confidence that she had that she might be a capable Master is basically gone at this point. By the time Roman’s done explaining the situation to Caster, she’s managed to definitely prevent herself from crying, but her injury seems to be hurting more and more each minute, and she’s trying to keep her breath under control.

Some relief is given when she learns that defeating Saber is a possible way to resolve things, until she remembers that she couldn’t defeat any of the servants that Saber had already killed. Cue more panic, and her breath getting shakier than before. She’s dreading the next time someone tries to talk to her.

Of course, more skeletons show up before anyone does, which might have been worse. She managed to call out orders, but instead of her shouts sounding confident like they were initially, now they just sound desperate, and like she’s trying not to let her voice break in the middle of each word. She doesn’t notice that Olga’s glaring at her for showing weakness like this during the fight, but she sure does afterwards, and it does not help.

More than welcomes Caster calling out the fact that Olga doesn’t actually have the aptitude to be a Master, but at the same time isn’t sure how she feels about being responsible for another servant. She was scared enough about how Mash would fair under her command… And well, Mash has already gotten injured quite a few times. And she’s only a demi-servant. Does she even have enough mana to handle this arrangement?

Well she doesn’t exactly have a choice, so she’s gonna just go with it for now and keep concealing her emotions! Now all they’ve got to do is… Kill 3 servants and somehow deal with a corrupted grail. Yup. Just gotta get through that. And then, maybe, just maybe, she won’t get fired and can pull herself together for a few seconds.

Section 8: Mash’s Training

Surprisingly, Eva is genuinely glad that Mash hasn’t yet figured out how to use her Noble Phantasm. Right now, she’s unsure if she could even support a servant using one.

But as soon as everyone starts talking about it, she’s not going to just stay quiet, since it is an important matter. While everyone else seems to agree that it’s odd Mash can’t use it, Eva actually thinks that it’s perfectly reasonable. After all, Mash has no idea who she fused with, so she can’t very well figure out the True Name of the phantasm, or even have a clue what it’s meant to do. She also points out that everyone seems to think it’s her shield, when in reality, Noble Phantasms are only a servant’s main weapon maybe half of the time.

The others are actually surprised that she’d know enough to bring up those points, particularly Olga Marie. The director actually seems a bit annoyed that Eva managed to point that out, but she didn’t. Regardless, the team decides that it won’t hurt to try to figure it out for now, since they do have Caster with them. If they don’t figure it out, they’ll just worry about it some other time, maybe check Chaldea’s summoning records to narrow down the possibilities as to what servant Mash fused with.

What she doesn’t mention to the group is her other theory for why Mash can’t use her Noble Phantasm, and the one she thinks is more likely to be correct, that being that as a Master, she isn’t giving Mash enough mana to allow the use of a Noble Phantasm. She’s really hoping that doesn’t turn out to be the case, because she doesn’t need any more reasons to think she’s bad at this job.

Why did you draw the runes on Olga, Caster? Why not on the shield or something? We don’t want more of Olga whining in this house! (Better be damn glad Eva’s empathetic or else she probably would have tried to leave Olga to the skeletons at least once by now.)

…And then Caster decides to just go and say he’s gonna kill her. Fantabulous! Now everyone is panicking! Eva’s only bit of solace comes from the thought that maybe she actually can apply theory this one time and use a command seal if things get out of hand. At least. She hopes so. If not then… She’s dead. And that would be a serious issue.

Thankfully, Mash does manage to get her Phantasm working! Eva feels a little lightheaded afterwards, but she’s actually laughing and smiling again. It worked! She isn’t failing! She considered passing off that sprain that’s still bugging her as a consequence of this fight, but decides against it. After all, it hasn’t hindered her too badly so far…

Tags!

@contractgreen​ @panyum​ @withanina​ @campanulabell​ @delfinaschiffer​ @princessaslan​ @armageddon25​ @patproductions​

[pleasefeedthebirds]

A Relatively Deep Dive Into My “Crème de la Crème” MCs - #1. Mavis Linnet

(From the astonishingly crisp interactive fiction by @hpowellsmith! ...It’s not weird to tag, right?)

Mavis “Miss Linnet” Mallee-Linnet

she/her/hers

Light brown complexion and loosely curled brown hair

Favors conventionally masculine fashion 

Accommodating

Manipulative

Traditional

Exceptional Poise

Noteworthy Wit and Intrigue

Commonplace Spirit

Unremarkable Flair

LOADS more info and spoiler content under the cut!

I envision Mavis as having grown up in a wealthy household, where she was still raised reasonably well about the importance of non-profligate spending. Her parents both taught at Olmstead’s Valley School, where she was in attendance for the bulk of her college-age years. Sailing was manageablely smooth. Mavis got along well in her studies, had time for both dressage and lacrosse, and—for her genuine interest in the subject matter—made it on the good side of many educators there (albeit not as often her fellow students, being for all the world their definition of a teacher’s pet!).

Her life took an abrupt shift in its trajectory when Mr. Mallee, her father, had a shameful affair come to light. Their rural community was small enough that such a thing made waves. Her other father, Mr. Linnet, sent Mavis off to Gallatin with the still-favorable Linnet name, and spent a pretty penny to do so. Primarily, he did this to save her from suffering by association, and was very vocal about these intentions. He’s definitely also relying on her to save their social standing, and despite the point being markedly unspoken, Mavis quietly understands.

So, Mavis feels an immense pressure to make the most of her time at Gallatin. She tries to conform unfalteringly to the school’s every long-winded social expectation, which exhausts her utterly. However, by her proficiency in book research, and her sincere knack for studying people, she has grown excellent at “playing the game” in high society. 

More than ever, Mavis is dedicated to her studies at Gallatin, even when the prescribed syllabus is less than stimulating. She keeps her head down so to never risk rocking the boat. This mode of being doesn’t make her happy per say, but the Gallatin atmosphere has her shoehorned into believing there’s no feasible alternative. She’s cognizant of surface level flaws in the system, but plays along because she thinks she has to. After all, it’s her way out of rural smallmindedness and into an academic world. That said, things certainly can change, particularly when one can’t help but notice atrocities being committed against literal children!

5’10”, with broad shoulders but slender hips. Her body makes an upside-down triangle shape.

Prone to acne, her skincare routines are extensive, and she’s usually up at the crack of dawn every day to get her proverbial ducks in a row.

Her hair is thinner than it looks, and she takes especial care when rationing it about her scalp. She feels vulnerable with it all the way down, so favors hair styles with low centers, such as looped pigtails, a nape bun, or double braids. Also labors to hide her considerable widow’s peak.

A heavy tea drinker. For all of her wits, she doesn’t realize that her mug o’ choice (earl grey) is highly caffeinated. She slugs the stuff down each day without ever realizing, because it “makes her feel better” about mornings.

Though it’s hardly polite, she LOVES gossip, and writes down every secret she hears as her guiltiest pleasure.

Miss Dalca and Mr. Griffith both make her uncomfortable—the former for her extreme progressiveness, and the latter for his gruff demeanor. Mr. Blanchard is her favorite teacher, and I bet she’s accidentally cried in his presence before. She’s scared of Lady Renaldt, and makes herself known to the headmaster only out of necessity.

Virtue: 91%

Popularity: 75%

Coursework Grade: A

Exam Mark: A+

Extracurricular(s): Birchmeier Society and the Gallatin Swans (goalkeeper)

*[Though not doable ingame, I like to think that she overloaded her schedule and dropped the Swans halfway through the semester. Mavis is never the type to drop anything, so having to take that step back was a double-edged blow to her confidence, in addition to being a sheer relief on her stress levels. Since the Birchmeier Society was where her heart truly lay, she managed to build herself back up there with Freddie’s support.]

Entanglements: Romantically engaged to Freddie.

Besties and then some with Freddie. They’re both hardworking scholars with each their own zest for learning, and by preparing for classes, exams, and Birchmeier Society biz in the same shared spaces, Mavis spent disproportionately more time with her than with anyone else. Freddie encouraged Mavis to be a bit less hard on herself, and was brave enough to stand up to her whenever Mavis’s fatigue was turning her curmudgeonly. Mavis helped get Freddie out of her own head on multiple occasions, taught her to break the most overwhelming situations down to deal with day-by-day, and bolstered her confidence anytime it faltered in the face of the Gallatin sphere. The engagement was Mavis’s idea, which she accidentally blurted out in a rare impulsive burst of feeling. After processing the implications, she was ashamed to have second thoughts upon remembering Freddie’s financial situation. It seemed for a while that the engagement was off, following a hard conversation that soured their relationship for awhile. I don’t think Freddie would easily bounce back after having her family standing scrutinized. However, the mine plot—when Mavis had to ultimately turn her back on everything she’d built at Gallatin—spurred character development enough that Freddie deemed her worthy of a second chance.

Friends with Gonzalez, who couldn’t help but respect that Mavis was competent in lacrosse, academically accomplished, and generally pretty nice to people. I don’t think she realizes that Mavis keeps a stiff mask. Mavis found Gonzalez refreshing, albeit off-puttingly honest, and couldn’t find a way to fault her spirited nature. I can’t imagine them engaging much off of the field (i.e. post Mavis quitting the team), but the two were mutually supportive in their interactions, even if Mavis was probably repressing some criticisms of Gonzalez’s fast and loose attitude all the while.

Friends with Max after he tutored her in flair, per Lady Renaldt’s instruction, via a sick dance sesh. I like to imagine him groaning about the task, assuming that Mavis would be a hopeless case, and then being pleasantly surprised at the fact that she can absolutely hit it (even just in the name of compliance with authority). He tried to make a move on her and was politely rejected. I think he supports the idea of her at a distance after recognizing that she’s not trying to breathe down anyone’s neck, and really is a kind, tired gal being squeezed dry by the system.

Friends with Hartmann, who was initially confused about which “side” Mavis was on in her prefectural feud with Max (Mavis shushed him at the opening commencement, which she liked, yet supported Max when he dipped out the common room window). They came to understand each other in the later game, bonding over how ill-affected they both are by the pressures of their respective positions. They don’t “hang out” much, but a couple of key deep conversations put each in the other’s good books.

Pleasant acquaintances with Karson. Mavis rarely went out of her way to talk to them, but whenever they crossed paths, she was good to Karson, and sympathized (albeit at a respectable distance) with their situation as a servant. When trouble in the mines was first coming to light, Mavis got sniffing, and sussed out enough clues that Karson eventually passed Blaise’s note on to her directly, trusting her moral compass enough to do so.

Unpleasant acquaintances with Delacroix. His unconventional take on life, passion for the intangible, and apathy towards collegiate procedure all make her uneasy. In his own right, Delacroix probably takes her for a stuffy, self-centered dud, which after all the times she’s reflexively shut his occult talk down, is pretty fair.

Acquaintances with Blaise. Mavis made nice in the early game because she had to, and was secretly relieved when she “resigned.” This was short lived, and turned into a misplaced sense of guilt after what actually happened to Blaise came to light. Mavis didn’t end up in the mines herself, but she did everything she could to help her, Miss Dalca, and eventually Gonzalez escape. When all was said and done, Blaise still made Mavis uncomfortable, and she let her be to get on with her life.

Approached Rosario at the punch table in an attempt to court the princess in the room… absolutely blew it. Ended up tripping over her own tongue when she realized that the heir is not so predictably wooed by traditional measures as originally anticipated. I like to think of that moment as a point of deeper connection for Mavis and Freddie, where both were totally overwhelmed by the noble sphere at Archambault and turned to each other for comfort. Otherwise, Rosario was a Rosari-no for Mavis.

Was weirded out by Auguste. Mavis fears any authority figures who don’t like her right away, and they’re too close to the ever-frigid Lady Renaldt for her comfort. She did totally trash them (benevolently) at dressage on sports day, though.

Gave Florin the widest possible berth. Mavis wanted nothing to do with that kind of scandal, but definitely found her shallowly cute. 

Some Choice Plot Pieces (cue spoilers):

Gathered evidence against Miss Dalca in compliance with Lady Renaldt.

Had an adequate working relationship with Miss Benton.

Gathered information for Annick against Lady Renaldt.

Endgame (cue SUPER spoilers):

Worked in secret against Lady Renaldt.

Sent Gonzalez to the mines, but most everyone got out (I believe Miss Dalca died?!).

Settled things quietly with Kathrili Burgin.

Went on to study at Gessner.

Joined Freddie for the summer.

[rontra]

ANONYMOUS ASKED:

i really like mwot and was wondering, do you wanna talk/loredump/etc about mwot during this blessed month of pride? (if not that's totally cool!!! i really like the au and am curious about it!)

REPLY:

YES!!!!

umineko spoilers below and LONG POST KSDJDKSKD i really went infodumping......you got me right in an infodumping mood....

also im being very casual in this post so if something is like weird or vague its probably because i got tired of thinking about it and skipped ahead. SKJDSJD

mwot is an umi au and its very gay and very trans because i, a gay trans, decided it was TIME to INDULGE

LIKE A MOUNTAIN WIND FALLING ON OAK TREES also known as MWOT, MW/OT, Mountain Wind + Oak Trees, MW+OT, or literally any combination of its parts, is an eva/natsuhi au, set in a vague modern big city setting

https://rontra.tumblr.com/tagged/mountain-wind-oak-trees

it’s a comedy, mostly? it has elements of backstory transphobia and  stuff like that but that’s not really the story i want to tell with it, so  i don’t go too deeply into it in the main fic. it’s mostly comedy and Self Care: The  Story (once these nerds get around to acknowledging that self care is  good, anyway!!!!)  

Eva is 20, nb lesbian (though she doesnt know half of it to begin with). generally a bitchard at the beginning but also deeply craving that Validation. Invested in making the fic harder to write due to pronoun shenanigans (shoutout to the lengthy section of intimate emotional scenes that uses no pronouns at all for eva but is narrated by them in 3rd person)

Natsuhi is like 21 i guess because im a sucker for her having like an annoying 1-3 years on eva bc eva would get mad about it. Also she’s trans, gray-ace, hopeless romantic, generally full of “quickly raising your eyebrows and looking away while sipping your drink and thinking Yikes” energy. weaponizes indifference but is no stranger to harder means. she’s a smart cookie

Sayo is also 20, gender clown car living her best life. Presents differently depending on mood and whim

krauss is like 22 or whatever. for housekeeping’s sake, rosa and rudolf are too young to matter (8 and 10, or something like that). dont even worry about it

honestly the weirdest part of the au is eva and sayo being the same age

also this au is the origin point of me & my friends using akikaze as nat’s maiden name. the more you know!

-

USHIROMIYA GOLD dishes up that yellow metal like you wouldn’t believe. led by kinzo whos so fuckin good at sniffing out that sweet sweet gold people are half convinced the man has psychic powers. Any piece of land he’s got his eyes on, he WILL get his hands on, no matter who owns it right now.

the land kinzo wants At The Moment is owned by the AKIKAZE FAMILY who have been notably on the decline recently. they’re in the economic shithole so this land is basically all they’ve got right now, so when kinzo wants it and it suddenly Has Value, they’re like “oh, shit,

anyway the deal basically shakes out that like, he gets the land and all the gold that may or may not be in it. he offers his eldest son in exchange for this land, to marry their daughter: in the bonds of marriage graciously ensuring a part of the winnings will spill over on them, while keeping them under his control without money coming into the picture.

Everything’s working out great and coming up kinzo. the deal is closed and everyone’s happy (i guess). until ONE DAY, just a few narrow weeks before the akikaze girl is set to move in with the ushiromiyas,

KINZOS

OLDEST

SON

DISAPPEARS

!!!!!

Krauss dislikes being told what to do, and his father’s ideals never lined up with his own. He thinks this entire thing is sort of fucked up and can’t live under his dad’s thumb anymore. That's why, immediately following Kinzo’s agreement with the Akikaze family, Krauss disappears. He’s just kinda left for greener pastures, to unfold his own life and pursue his own interests independent of the Ushiromiya name. He leaves behind a letter explaining it & basically he forfeits both name and inheritance, and Kinzo’s incredible deal is suddenly in jeopardy.....

obviously this is kinzo though, and all of his solutions are like, 20 times more complicated than they have to be? he’s DETERMINED to have this land so he’s like “i need an eldest son. shit rudolf is only like 9. fuck. well okay i have an eldest daughter with a deeply complicated need for validation and success entirely driven by her overall neglect at my hands“ and the rest. as they say. is history (???)

Ushiromiya Eva always saw Krauss as unworthy of the inheritance, and to her, his disappearance confirms this. She grew up always being made to feel inferior to her older brother, usually being ignored in favor of him, and it's bred a complex need for validation in her. Her values and strengths are more like Kinzo’s than her brother’s, and Kinzo recognizes this in the wake of Krauss’ disappearance.

basically he concocts this really wild scheme where eva has to pretend to be his oldest son and marry this girl or whatever so he can seal this stupid gold deal and she’s like “well lol if i get to be family heir” and hes like “yes that’s what im saying” and shes like “awesome let’s do it”

all of the servants are in on it too of course. specifically kinzo enlists SAYO who works there as normal staff and isn’t otherwise tangled into this family’s mess in any way whatsoever. she’s just here to serve tea and looks. anyway he’s like “you work on this with eva--i mean evan, my son, you must have misheard--and eva you have to listen to whatever yasuda says” and eva is like “that last part will not be frustrating for me at all”.

Yasuda as reigning Household Gender Presentation Expert is like “i think i just got orders from the master to bully eva?” and eva is like “i wish i could fire you but my dad just banned me from doing that” and then gradually...over the course of the project......they become....friends.........

(the au is tagged eva & sayo for a reason. they become FRIENDS!!)

mostly its just various combinations of shkanon dunking on eva and its all VERY good.

during all these shenanigans we make some startling realizations like “gender euphoria is a hell of a drug” and stuff, which is extremely harrowing for everyone (note: not for everyone. just for eva, who makes 10,000 realizations every day, and should not have been counted.)

(ok sidenote did anyone else put on their first binder & go like “hmmm. i live here now” because. mood. im projecting entirely into this fic)

Gender Clown Car yasuda (currently as lion) is like “you know there’s like more than 2 genders” and eva’s like “you fucking wehat”.

i also make a REALLY INVOLVED JOKE ABOUT CASTIGLIONI GOLD, THE RIVAL COMPANY, and how BEATRICE’S KID LOOKS A LOT LIKE LION, and EVERYONE thinks this is all VERY funny

(i would like to see it. also kinzo owes beatrice castiglioni $20 and she’s never let him forget it.)

now wrapped up in this stupid impostor scheme AND full of big wild nonbinary energy AND!! WITH AN INFURIATING NEW FRIEND!! IN THE STAFF!!! this one funky ushiromiya is all ready to get in on an arranged marriage or whatever. provided NO ONE EVER FINDS OUT that they’re faking it and replacing the Actual Heir, which would no doubt ruin the scheme AND bring kinzo’s wrath on everybody involved, of course.

-

AKIKAZE NATSUHI IS READY TO PUNCH HER FIANCE IN THE THROAT IF HE EVEN LOOKS AT HER but she understands what’s happening here. she knows she didn’t have a say in this from the very beginning. that the deal was sealed for her as soon as the name “ushiromiya” was said. she knows her family married her off quick in a bid to get rid of her. if she’s humiliated by this ordeal, she is far too proud to show it. she packs her bags and walks into the mansion with her head held high........and immediately has this exchange with her fiance

and this one

so that’s kind of the energy we’re going for with these two.

(natsuhi’s line in the second cap was going to be removed for being Way Too Intense, but everyone i talked to said it was too hot to cut, so i decided to indulge us all. blame the lesbians)

they IMMEDIATELY don’t get along but they kinda agree to like, mind their business, since neither of them are interested in playing house here. if they can get the wedding to go off without a hitch they can basically go back to never talking to each other again.

natsuhi’s entire angle here is essentially: her family was not that good, and this family likely won’t be better, BUT here she has a chance to build something new for herself. she’ll be out of her parents’ house. She needs this deal to stay for her own sake, but she has to get out ahead of her husband and set up a dynamic that favors her. when she meets evan she essentially gauges the kind of person she’s dealing with and picks her approach accordingly: this is not a soft man, and she has to be hard in turn to avoid being steamrolled.

and its VERY hot

anyway some stuff happens and it eventually they both sorta get each other’s secrets. eva is not the firstborn son and natsuhi is not the card kinzo thought he was pulling from her family’s hand and theyre both toast if word hits the public. directly after the wedding they establish a tense alliance of keeping each others’ secrets....

and then they.....fall...in l

there’s some fun tensions and realizations. eva is like “so im quickly catching on that no praise i ever received from dad was on my own merit and he’s kind of a dirtbag all around and his validation is kind of not worth it” and nat is like “word our parents are chains” & they run kinzo over with the down w cis bus. it’s fine. they get postcards from krauss sometimes. he has a motorbike now.

DID I MENTION THE PRACTICE KISSING

BC THEY HAVE TO PRACTICE! FOR THE!! PUBLIC WEDDING!!!!

and thats mwot i guess. it’s my au where natsuhi’s accent color is red and some other stuff happens too. happy pride month

[exhaustedwerewolf]

Detroit: Become Human fans, please consider checking out C4/AMC Humans!

I’ve been meaning to make this post since D:BH’s release, but I just found out that Humans was canceled after three seasons, and in my grief, I’m going to finally deliver. I’m not sure what the overlap between these two fandoms is like because I’ve never seen anyone talking about it and couldn’t find any posts tagged with both, which surprises me a lot.

For those unfamiliar with either, both shows are set in a world where humanoid robots are commonplace as servants and members of the workforce, and what happens when some of these individuals begin to achieve sentience. Asides from the subject matter- so similar I literally don’t have to explain them separately- so many characters have parallel roles in the story, the commonalities, from the overarching themes, to the robot detective, to the blue blood, are practically endless. I really want to draw people’s attention to Humans, though, because in my opinion it’s a severely underrated show, and I think those who enjoyed D:BH would get more of what they loved from it, and those who had more mixed feelings about it would find Humans delivers where D:BH lacks.

Let me explain what I mean.

Warning, though, that this ramble won’t be spoiler free, so if you‘re interested in the show but don’t want to read any spoilers- I’d really urge you to give it a shot!

Also warning, I’m a little dismissive of D:BH here, but that’s not to say I dislike it or don’t think people should like it, etc. I’m just trying to explain why I think in some areas, Humans does better- ofc, Humans is a tv show and not a game that needs engaging gameplay and multiple endings, so it has opportunities D:BH doesn’t.

The Synths (Androids)

I’m not a huge fan of the way androids are presented in D:BH, and the reason I’d argue for that is Cage makes no real effort to “other,” them- in fact, he goes beyond the logical to make them as human as possible. Androids’ body language and movement, range of facial expressions, idiosyncratic habits like Connor’s coin flipping, tendency even, to lie down to rest... they endear them to the player, but they’re ultimately all superfluous. Why were these things programmed in? Why don’t they operate as economically as possible? Further, why do androids become deviant, and burst out of their programming? We’re told it’s due to “stress,” but why can they feel such stress in the first place, and why does it trigger sudden sentience? We never get a clear answer. It’s pretty unclear, admittedly, how sentient androids are before they become deviant in the first place- and I see where the game was coming from with that, however...

Synths in Humans are far more unsettling- the actors portray their movements with a jarringly uniform perfection. Their speech and facial expressions are far less emotional, because emotions were never intended for them. They can’t feel physical pain, (although incurring damage remains a stressful and frightening experience) because again, that was never intended for them, and so they have no mechanism by which to do so. This gives humans arguing that they’re only machines a lot more clout. Everyone has memories of blank slates who never laugh or smile, and who can be turned off with a tap under the chin, only to crumple like mannequins. There’s times when they’re presented to the audience as unapologetically eerie and even disgusting, and it’s easy to see, therefore, how they’re being perceived by the public as machines or monsters, which arguably, was somewhat less credible in D:BH, where even non-deviant androids were personable and warm, had the capacity to create art from their imaginations, etc. Letting synths be genuinely different to humans while still portraying them as sentient and deserving of rights, rather than just... “human, but mechanical,” gives the issue a lot more nuance and fuels the inclusion of elements like anti-synth propaganda, and counter-protest, which I’ll talk more about later.

(As a note, the “why” behind their sentience is also explained in a manner that was, imho, more coherent and satisfying.)

As I mentioned before, a lot of the characters have seeming direct parallels, so I’m going to take this opportunity to talk about a couple of characters in depth.

Niska

The blue-haired Traci’s appearance is one of the most controversial elements of the game, from what I’ve seen. The writers undeniably dipped their toes into multiple subjects fraught with heavy implications in her scene, but ultimately that was as far as it went- Traci and her lover only existed to further the narratives of Hank and Connor (and to provide a frankly fan-servicey fight scene while scantily clad in the rain, but hey, that’s neither here nor there.) To anyone who found this character interesting but ultimately underutilized, might I introduce you to the light of my life; Niska. Like Traci, Niska spends a stint as a prostitute, and ultimately kills one of her patrons and skips the joint. Like Traci, Niska is a wlw- although her relationship with her girlfriend comes a little later on in the show. Unlike Traci, Niska is one of the main protagonists of the show, and undeniably one of the most important- she holds everyone’s fate in her hands more than once, she’s fascinating from an emotional point of view- her traumas are confronted in depth and not dismissed- and her actions are very often a driving force in the plot line. Her relationship with her girlfriend is developed on screen, and in many ways, arguably the most important in the entire show.

Max

I‘ve seen criticism of the revolution storyline in D:BH in that violent protest always nets you a bad ending, and in that the peaceful route is arguably too idealistic.I’d posit Max’s storyline (and the effects of his dynamics with Mia, Niska, etc.) as a more nuanced exploration of the issue. There’s characters pushing for both paths and they’re all portrayed as understandable, and their reasons for pushing either a peaceful or violent agenda are present and reasonable. As similar as he might seem to Markus at first glance, I’d argue Max, soft-spoken, brotherly, and empathetic, is a very different kind of leader, so I’m hesitant to compare them too much. But it’s interesting to see a character like this in such a high-pressure leadership role, and I’d argue that this is a less rose-tinted look at compassion in the face of oppression and violence.

Sam

I’m not going to mince words on D:BH’s  Alice twist- to me, it felt inorganic and disappointing. I felt like the game withheld foreshadowing and intentionally misdirected the player to keep the reveal a surprise, and that really bothered me. However you feel about the Alice reveal, it’s undeniable that it is so late on in the game means that the whole idea of robo-kids being adopted into human families doesn’t really get explored in much depth. Humans gets more into the grit of this, discussing how a kid like this would be able to relate to kids and adults alike, what this strange form of “eternal youth,” would mean, etc. If that was an idea that interested you, you’ll get far more of it in Humans. 

This really isn’t where the parallels stop- like I mentioned, we have a robot detective with a really close relationship with their human partner (hannor shippers, I’m looking right at you) we’ve got themes of domestic violence and abuse, we’ve got separated families, we’ve got art and morality- I can’t be here all day, but I’ll say it like this; if it’s explored in D:BH, it’s probably explored in Humans, too.

The Humans

D:BH is very much grounded in the perspective of androids- all the player characters are androids, as are the majority of the supporting cast- Hank is arguably the only human character that gets any real screen time, and one of the only real insights we get into how humans are coping with this new android-filled world. I think this is a shame, because the setting is a really interesting one, and a lot goes unexplored, or at least, unexplored in depth. It frankly feels kind of disingenuous to me to only see little of Markus’ impact beyond a number on the screen labeled “public opinion,” and this is something that I feel Humans deals with a lot better. One of Humans’ biggest strengths is, ironically, the humans in it- the viewer is grounded in this sweeping, overarching plotline primarily through the perspective of the Hawkins family, but ultimately other human characters play a lot of important roles as well. We’ve got synth/human romances, we’ve got humans passing as synths (yes, that IS Princess Shuri down there) we’ve got synths passing as humans, we’ve got humans campaigning for synth rights, we’ve got humans campaigning for synth extinction. Getting the human side of the story is really valuable and adds so much to the narrative as a whole, it makes the protagonists’ struggle more real and raises the stakes.

Frankly this post is a mess but if you made it this far, thanks for reading, and please watch Humans if you like this type of sci-fi. I promise it’s worth it.

[sundaynightnovels]

The Girls Girls Girls Tag

so @cawolters​ had created her own tag game for international women’s day, which is all sorts of amazing and i’m so glad to have been tagged!!! <3 <3 (edit: also have been tagged by @aslanwrites, so thanks!!) Guide: answer these seven Qs in the voice of your female character(s), and then tag somebody!  of course, the three female characters in my wip is Zhen, Yu(f) -- but for this, since it’s pretty obvious it’s the female Yu, i’ll just call her Yu -- and Jia, so i’ll be doing this for them! (btw i found this really difficult to answer because... spoilers??? abound????? but also they might change so i dont really know what to write at some parts?? but okay you know what fine, let’s have some spoilers here) (also note that all of their answers pertain to their pasts / backstories) 1. Who was your mother and what did she teach you?

Zhen: i don’t have a mother. For real, though. Yu: My mother’s harsh, and she’s made me stronger. Jia: my mother’s a strong, tough woman. she’s got to be, to raise a kid on her own.

2. Do you have any sisters (related or not)?

Zhen: yeah, i have a few. they’re all major pains in the asses though Yu: No. Jia: I’ve got a younger sister. We’re pretty independent of one another

3. How has your gender shaped your path in life?

Zhen: I don’t know. the woman who raised me was pretty great, and i never really cared about the other sex too much anyway. like, people tried to bully me sometimes i guess but i never really cared too much about it, they never really affected me. i’ve faced worse anyway. gender doesn’t matter when it comes to that. Yu: i’ve been raised by a very strong, fierce mother, and it has followed me throughout my life. i am not affected by discrimination, or by prejudice. there’s no point in caring about such lesser things in life when there are other more important things to look towards. Jia: yeah. i mean, women aren’t regarded as highly as men are. i’m only in my early-20s and people already nag at me to get married and settle down and like, then what do you want me to do for the rest of my life? take care of kids and clean up after the house? i have loftier aspirations than that. it’s so annoying. they keep yammering on and on , but when it comes to the men, it’s all about getting somewhere with their career. i know it’s stressful either way, but still. maybe i don’t want to get hitched so young, yknow? ah, whatever. you can do something about it only if you actually do something about it.

4. What does the woman you admire look like? Who is she?

Zhen: she is the kindest, most patient woman i’ve ever known. she has a bunch of rowdy kids and -- okay, i can’t say she has never lost her patience, she has a pretty bad temper despite how i’ve described her -- but she’s never lost hope in us, yknow? she’s strong and fierce and full of fight. i couldn’t have asked for a better person in my life.

Yu: she’s strong and capable. no one can ever doubt her capabilities, and around her, i just want to get better myself. i need to match up to her standards, to reach her expectations. i just... can’t.

Jia: well the woman i admire is myself. i mean, why admire someone else when you can just look up to yourself right? who can you be better inspired by than your own creativity and your own mind and your own capabilities? i strive to make myself better and to achieve my goals , and i am constantly inspired by my own improvement and growth. say what you want, but that’s just the truth.

5. Why do you think women are considered the gentler sex?

Zhen: honestly??? i have no clue. haven’t seen that much gentle women in my life. they’re all pretty fierce and kick-ass. i guess it could be through history, yknow, in imperial china the empress just manages the harem and takes care of household duties and makes sure the house is all pretty and in place and presentable while the emperor does all the bigger political and military stuff. you won’t ever see the emperor touching a needle pin, will you, and all the women are the handmaidens and servants and weavers while the men are guards and military officials. i mean, it’s not like men don’t go near all these supposedly dainty stuff, it’s just that it’s made to be the official job of women. personally i’d love to just handle things at home because it’d be too troublesome managing a country’s affairs, but i don’t think that’s because i’m gentle. it’s because i’m lazy as hell and i’m owning it.

Yu: What Zhen said. surprisingly she hasn’t really spouted that much crap in this interview. she’s actually being decent, for once.

Jia: sometimes women are still regarded the gentler sex because we’re still perpetuating it ourselves! you hear women on the streets saying things like, ‘i want to find a rich husband who can take care of me for the rest of my life’ or that ‘i’ll settle down and stop working when i get married’ or having aspirations like ‘having a baby and making a family is my only dream in life’. not that it’s wrong, but it just perpetuates that idea of a woman not taking any action for herself! women are strong, alright? look at zhen’s example of the imperial palace. the concubines and the empress’ entire purpose of being in the harem is to gain the emperor’s affections in order to give him a baby, and that might seem like it’s all, but do you know how difficult life in the palace can be? do you know how strong these women are, emotionally, mentally, physically, to take the toil and stress of constantly being pitted against one another-- even if they’re just fighting for the emperor’s affections? and those shoes!! Have you seen the shoes they have to walk in? and they have to kneel and bow and walk delicately and gracefully in those??? and that hair! do you know how heavy their hair can get --

Zhen: you know, i kinda think you’d make a great concubine or empress in those days Jia: i probably wouldn’t even get past the first stage, i’m too rowdy

Zhen: yea, but if you were born in those times you’d learn to be a little more disciplined and dignified and you’d have kicked so many of those asses there

Yu: ... i thought we were trying to fight for women, not encourage fighting among women

Zhen: i’m just saying, yknow, none of those scheming people would have a chance against jia because she’s the fiercest, most scheming person there is! i don’t know if she’d be able to handle the responsibility of empress though... all that dignity and grace and needing to upkeep appearances... 

Jia: yea. i would not want to lead that empress life. that kind of being poised and proper and dignified to upkeep appearances sorta thing is probably more for Yu

Zhen: but Yu won’t be able to take all the scheming. she’d just lock herself in the room to do her work in silence and she won’t even catch a glimpse of the emperor

Yu: ... you know i’m right here, right?

(shoe reference that jia is talking about)

6. What is a piece of your personality that you are proud of?

Zhen: ehhhh.... i don’t know. i can take pretty good care of people, i think. sometimes, when i feel like it. unless it’s too exhausting, then maybe not.

Yu: i think i’m pretty resilient, but i can do better.

Jia: i’m a go-getter. i’m determined, and i’m strong, and i’m hella capable. if i strive for something, you know eventually i’m going to get it.

7. When did you accept your own body and its strengths/weaknesses?

Zhen: well. you just gotta accept that your own body is what helps you breathe and eat and sleep and basically carry you around, yknow? i’ve never really had much problems with my own body, tbh. it serves me well

Yu: sometimes i still think i’m too weak, that my body can withstand more. but sometimes you need more rest in order to go on.

Jia: if i can’t count on myself and my own physical body to do things, then who else can i count on? once you’ve figured that out, it’s pretty easy to accept your own body for what it is.

(some of the questions are not exactly answered because, well... you know)

i guess this is meant to be a tag game so i am tagging @focusdumbass @kidsarentallwrite @kaigods @bookenders @insearchof-solace (only do this once you’ve finished your homework!!) 

[clarascuro]

Clara Reads City of Bones Part 2: Lord Help Me, I’m Back On My Bullshit *Spoilers*

I haven’t written about this in a week. I was using the fact that my copy had a shirtless dude on it as an excuse not to read it or be seen with it, but my lovely lovely friend lent me her copy, so now I can take it with me everywhere! Thanks, Ailinn!

The Characters

Now last time, I don’t think I really expressed this with enough force, but I hate the characters in this book with every once of strength in my body. They suck, they suck so much, and I’m stuck with them for the next 500 PAGES. So let’s take a look at our motley crew and dive into why I want to beat them senseless and leave them for dead:

Clary Fray: Clary Fray is not a name. I need to get that out of the way. If you walk up to me and introduce yourself as Clary Fray, I will laugh in your face, because that is so very obviously a fake name that you make up on the spot. Clary Fray is the kind of name you’d get if you fed a baby name book into a predictive keyboard and told it to come up with one of it’s own. It sounds like a makeup line for women with very low self-esteem. I wish the actual character was as entertaining as her name is, but to be entertaining, you have to actually have a personality. Clary draws, which is only slightly higher than reading on the list of Passive Activities to Trick Your Readers Into Thinking This Blank-Slate is an Actual Character With Agency. Did I mention she has no agency? She doesn’t find anything for herself, she has to be led there by love interests mysterious strangers, and when she encounters things out of the ordinary, things like demons, faeries, angels I’m assuming, she just accepts it, because if she doesn’t accept it, then she won’t fall in love with the bad boy, and the Cassandra Clare can’t write definetely--not-Harry Potter porn. Clary is dull, infuriating, and lucky for me, the point of view character for the whole book. Blech.

Simon: Simon is Clary’s best friend who’s in love with her. He doesn’t get any character traits (and given the other personalities we see, I’m using that term lightly) outside of that, because he doesn’t have any bearing on the plot besides that. He’s also one of the few poc in the book

Alec: He’s here, I guess. He’s one of the magic guys. That’s about it so far. I think he plays piano.

Isabelle: I genuinely have no idea what this character is supposed to be. I assumed that she was going to be Clary’s rival in love, and that they would hate each other. They way she’s written suggests that she’s supposed to fill that role. She’s catty and hot, which in YA-Land mean she’s an enemy, but Clary gets along with her too well for her to be even a minor antagonist. Maybe it’s because, again, Clary is not a character. She’s a waifu body pillow. You can’t conflict with anyone of you don’t have any thoughts or feelings or desires, but still, I can’t think why she’s written this way if she’s not going to fight with the lead. I get this uncomfortable, gross feeling reading her. She doesn’t ever do anything super mean to the lead, but the book spends so much time painting her to be this sexy, dangerous seductress who’s out to destroy you, even though she hasn’t really done anything. There’s a scene where Clary dreams that Isabelle is naked and being all sexy and evil, but outside of just Being Hot, Isabelle hasn’t done anything to earn that reputation in Clary’s mind. I don’t know why Cassandra Clare’s doing this. Is it because of misogyny? I think it might be misogyny.

Jace: Oh, Jace. Sweet Jace. I would pay to have you run over by an eighteen-wheeler. Jace is a bad boy, but actually he’s just a dick. He’s an angel (I think) and he’s a bastard garbage man who deserves to be beaten with a rough switch. He is smug, he is rude, he makes fun of Clary all the time, and he’s totally gonna kiss her in the next few chapters, because life is unfair. Jace is not human, and he looks down on humans, for being human. How dare they. If I had the choice to either spend half an hour with Jace Bonecity, or chew off my own leg, guess who’s getting a prosthetic leg, babey!!! He’s not even the entertaining kind of bastard. Cardan from The Cruel Prince is complete bastard, and he’s entertaining as fuck, mostly because that book is better written, but also because Cardan is a disaster gremlin who doesn’t care about the consequences and is also madly in love with his mortal enemy, which is vastly entertaining to watch as it plays out. Jace is just mean. He sucks and I hate him.

Other Characters: Basically just Clary’s mom, who’s keeping a secret from her and also dies or something (I cared not one ounce) and her Uncle Luke. The only reason he’s noteworthy is because he says he doesn’t want Clary to call him “uncle” because it “...reminds him of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.” ajklajkhakjfh????? what the fuck does that even...like people aren’t rolling up to family reunions like “oh shit sorry Uncle Robert, i’m just gonna call you bob now, cause this very common familial address reminds me of an mid-nineteenth century anti-slavery novel that most people these days haven’t even read” like??? what the fuck? Have I mentioned Luke is white? I’m guessing that since Clary’s mom is very obviously like magic or something Luke is her magical servant or bodyguard or whatever, and it’s a reference to the Uncle Tom stereotype that the book helped popularize, but it was like...a throwaway line. Like a joke or something. Not like...foreshadowing a major plot development. Did this book have any editors?

The Plot

I may have mentioned this before, but the plot straight up sucks. In the space of three or four chapters, Clary:

discovers magic is real

watches someone die

runs away from her mom

runs back home when her mom is attacked

gets attacked by a monster

gets taken to a magical school or whatever

This might not seem like a lot, but it all happens so fast that I was getting whiplash reading it. Things just happen, and Clary never sits down to process them or anything, so the reader never gets time to process them before the next batshit thing happens. These are all dramatic plot points, but the characters are so dull and the writing is so bad that you don’t care that they’re happening. Clary finds out that magic is real and she’s just like “:/ gotta go get coffee now” I’m genuinely angry that the writing is this poor. I should care that magic is real, I should care that her mom dies, but I just don’t. I don’t care if Clary lives or dies, because I don’t care about Clary. SO MUCH has happened in the span of like, fifty pages, but it feels like nothing’s happened, because the writing never changes and Clary’s reactions never change. How can I get invested in the story if the main character’s not even invested?

The Dialogue

You know those out-of-context B99 quotes that people like to make into memes about their favorite characters? That’s basically 90% of the dialogue in this book. Every other line is this punchy, hip, little quip to make you go “wow. these characters sure are fun and hip, just like me, the Average American Teen” but actually they are very bad. I don’t feel like I’m reading an exchange between two characters, I feel like I’m reading an Instagram writing prompt. Cassandra Clare also likes to punctuate her trendy dialogue with a lot of descriptive tags. People in this book are always rolling their eyes and biting their lips. It doesn’t add anything to the scenes, it just pulls you out of the story and reminds you that you’re reading a book by a middle-aged Jewish woman. Please note: I in no way discriminate against Cassandra Clare for being a middle-aged Jewish woman. I myself will be a middle-aged Jewish woman some day, if the Shadowhunters fandom doesn’t kill me first. My only point is that she’s out of touch and her writing sucks.

Rating So Far

4/10-It fulfills it’s basic role of being a book, but there’s not much entertainment value outside of that. At this point I’m keeping myself entertained by imagining Jace has a booger hanging out his nose during every scene and everyone else is just too polite to point it out.