#I don't ever feel happy or like accomplished when I beat the bosses in this game lol I'm just relieved it's fucking over

[chronomally]

There being a second stage to the Chaos Elfilis fight feels hateful

[sunflowersandsapphires]

Hi, can I request comfort fic with Frank? I just don't really like how my life looks right now... I don't like my job, but don't know what else I can do so I'm stuck here... and I feel really lonely recently and like I don't know what to do with my life... and reading fics are one of the few things that brings me joy...

So I thought about a fic where reader is sad and to cheer her up Frank planned a whole day for them to distract her from not kind thoughts?

And I'm sorry that I kinda dumpt it on you... I have trouble with expressing/describing my emotions and I think that was the first time I expressed those feelings to someone... Of course if you don't feel like writing this you can freely ignore this message, thank you 🫶🏻

Anon, I absolutely feel your pain. I’ve been dealing with my own work drama for months now and some days it feels like I’m going to have to completely start over to be happy. I hope I did your request justice, and if you ever need to rant to someone, my DMs are open :)

pairing: Frank Castle x fem!reader 

summary:  Frank helps you when work is breaking your spirit.

warnings: swearing, hints of smut but nothing graphic

w/c: 3k

Digging your jagged nails into the flesh of your palms, you forced yourself to tune out the overwhelming plethora of stimuli that was currently bombarding you on the subway. Screaming children, the heat of bodies crowding around you, the shrieking of wheels on metal tracks, some old guy coughing up a lung at the back of the car, the bright fluorescent lights beating down on the dozens of people crammed in here like sardines. Fuck, you hated the subway. 

It was especially unbearable on days where you were already overtired from work—which, recently, seemed to be every day. This job was supposed to be your ticket to a good life and a stable future, but instead it was a joyless, energy-sapping, waste of your fucking time. Your coworkers were catty, your boss far too demanding for the bottom of the barrel wages you received, and the work itself was dreary. Each day you sat in that cubicle, you could feel the light inside you flickering, just waiting for one more lackluster employee review to be completely snuffed out. 

Clearly, you weren’t the only one who felt this way about your place of employment, given that over a third of the staff at your level had quit in the last two months. Unfortunately for you, this meant longer hours and crankier conversations with your superiors, who were consistently disappointed in your performance despite you efficiently accomplishing everything that was asked of you. 

Not only did longer hours lead to you getting overstimulated on the subway, but it meant you’d been spending less time at home with your boyfriend. You’d barely seen Frank this month, between his trips out of town and your rigorous schedule, and it was driving you up a wall. All you wanted was to let him wrap himself around you, petting your hair as you cried and holding you tight when you eventually fell asleep. Though, with the way your days were going lately, most of the time you didn’t want to be touched. You just wanted to shove crap food in your mouth and pass out before you had to go back to that hellscape in the morning. 

Frank was the kindest, most thoughtful partner you’d ever had, so he gave you plenty of space on the days you came home in an emotion-filled silence. He could read your moods pretty well at this point, and always respected your wishes, even if it meant he’d be nursing a beer in the living room alone until he went to sleep. You’d hoped that today would grant you enough energy to enjoy some time with him, but the world wasn’t that charitable. 

Shuffling off the subway amongst the masses, you let your body droop slightly as you trudged back to your apartment. Practically crawling up the stairs, you eventually reached the door—shoving it open in frustration as tears pricked at the corners of your eyes. 

Instantly, you were greeted with the sound of soft music and the smell of onions and garlic cooking. Frank was in the kitchen, swaying almost imperceptibly to the song he was listening to, stirring a pot of what looked like tomatoes.  

“Hey, doll,” He greeted you softly, throwing you a smile over his shoulder but remaining planted at the stove, probably in an attempt to give you space.

“Hi.” Your voice was breathy and small, your stony face accented with glassy eyes. 

Frank knew better than to expect that everything would change in a day, but the sight of your crumpling face broke his heart. Stepping towards you with a furrowed brow, he tried for a small smile. “Another bad day?” 

You nodded, the force of the movement drawing two parallel tears down your cheeks. Sniffling, you didn’t respond, confident that your voice would crack if you did. 

“Do you want a hug?” Frank asked, hesitating a few feet from you as he waited for your answer. 

“I’m n-not sure, Frankie.” You admitted, more tears pooling as you did. “Not r-right now, I think.” 

Nodding in understanding, Frank crossed his arms, as if to keep himself from hugging you anyway. “Alright, sweet girl. Not a problem. Why don’t you go lay down while I finish dinner, hm?” 

Sighing, you nodded once, padding to the bedroom and collapsing into the blankets with a poorly stifled sob. Frank winced at the sound, his hands burning with an ache to hold you, to make everything better, but he couldn’t do that until you were ready. 

You’d only given him glimpses of the nightmare you were living. Whether you didn’t talk to him about it because you were worried it would scare him away, or because you didn’t trust him, he wasn’t sure—though the dark parts of his mind were convinced it was the latter. Regardless, Frank did his best to maintain a cozy home for you. It couldn’t be easy to have a mass-murderer-turned-government-hit-man as a partner, waiting around on your own for days while he worked odd jobs for Madani, but you’d never let it impact your love for him. 

You were thoughtful, sweet, and adorably shy—not to mention you balanced him out in ways he’d never expected. The pair of you brought out the best in each other, despite your peculiar relationship. You’d never made him feel distant or guilty for leaving, simply welcoming him back from his trips with open arms and eager eyes. Yet, the past few months your job had been eating at you, sapping the life from your beautiful eyes and leaving a listless husk of his girlfriend behind. 

He didn’t want to pry, far too afraid of snapping your already fragile composure and ruining the bond you shared. But every day you came home holding back tears, and it was going to kill him. He’d rip your office apart with his bare hands if it would end your misery, though he knew you’d never ask him to do that. 

So, instead, he did as much as he could—laying out his softest sweatshirt on your bed, playing quiet music, making a warm meal for the two of you to share—all in an effort to take something off of your plate, to remove an ounce of weight from your shoulders. After a week with no indication that any of this was helpful, he’d started scheming. 

Hopefully, it wouldn’t take too much begging to convince you to take an extra day off…

Stirring the tomato sauce one final time as he removed it from the heat, he tilted the pot over the cooked pasta, letting a ribbon of sauce drape over the noodles before giving it a quick stir. Scraping a dollop of sauce out of the pot with his finger, he popped the digit in his mouth, eyes closing in satisfaction at the array of flavors. 

Brushing his hands across his jeans, he plated two generous helpings of pasta, assuming you had worked through lunch once again, and set them in front of two chairs at your table. Steeling himself for the sight of your tear streaked face, he shuffled over to the bedroom and knocked softly. 

“Darlin’? You ready to eat?” Keeping his voice low, he gingerly opened the door. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light that managed to slip through your curtains, his heart squeezed at the sight of you sleeping, curled in fetal position. Your delicate hands clenched around your covers like they were your lifeline, your damp face squashed against his pillow. Biting his lip in thought, he returned to the main room to cover the pasta. 

Spending very little time tidying up, he wandered back into the bedroom, stripping out of his clothes in exchange for a pair of sweats and a worn Henley. Settling behind you with a book in hand, he slipped under the covers as unobtrusively as possible before his inner monologue made him pause. Would you even want him beside you? Was he crossing a line?

Thankfully, he didn’t have to worry about that for long as your sleeping form unconsciously wrapped around him, a small sigh falling from your lips as you nuzzled into his stomach. Smiling down at you, his free hand came up to stroke over your hair, his own grin widening when the soft touch made your lips twitch up in a sleepy smile. He thumbed through about a chapter of his book before you began to stir, shining lashes fluttering as your eyes opened. As the sleep disappeared from your eyes, Frank felt another wave of apprehension cresting in his chest, but the tide was quickly settled by your sweet gaze. Nestling into his side more deeply, you hummed in appreciation. “Hi, Frankie.” 

“Hi, sweet girl. Did you have a good nap?” A teasing mirth danced in his gaze, making you avert your eyes bashfully. 

“Mmm hmm. Sorry.” You murmured, rubbing your face against the fabric of his shirt. 

Clucking his tongue, Frank slid down to face you, tracing a thumb over your cheek. “No reason to be sorry, dollface. I’m glad you slept, you’ve been tired.” 

Sighing deeply, you traced the buttons on his shirt. “Work’s been a lot, recently.” 

“I figured as much, doll. Ya don’t gotta tell me anything, but I’m always here to listen, yah?” The tip of his thumb caressed your ear. 

Blinking back tears, you looked up at him apologetically, “I didn’t mean to keep you in the dark, Frank, it’s just so stupid and I—“

“Hey, hey, it ain’t stupid.” Frank tugged you impossibly closer, brushing tears off your face carefully. “If it bothers ya, it’s not.” 

“You just…” You drew in a ragged breath, the inhale catching on a sob. “You have so much to worry about already, and I don’t want to be a burden!” Bawling now, you felt your chest constricting at the thought of dumping more work onto Frank’s already overflowing to-do list. 

“You’re not a burden.” Frank spoke fiercely, looking deep into your eyes. “You have never been a burden, doll. Never.”

His words were a promise, you drank in his commitment with immense desperation, praying to forces you didn’t believe in that he was being truthful. “I don’t know what I’m doing, Frankie,” Your voice cracked on the admission. “I’m fine at my job, but nobody can see that, and I don’t feel satisfied by the work that I’m doing but it’s all I know! I can’t just quit, I don’t have any other plan, this is everything I’ve worked for and—“ Your ramble broke off into sobs, your breath hitching as Frank shushed you quietly. 

“I know, I know, doll. It sucks right now and I’m so sorry.” Rubbing a hand over your back, Frank encouraged you to breathe, waiting until your lungs could actually take in oxygen before continuing. “Sweetheart, if ya wanna quit, I’ll support ya. If ya wanna stick it out, I’ll support ya. Regardless of what you choose, I’ll be right here at the end of the day.” 

“I can’t quit, Frank, we need the money.” You whimpered. 

“Hey, we can figure it out if we need to. It ain’t a problem.” 

Nodding against his palm, you considered your options. “For now, I’ll stick it out. But, thank you.” 

“No need to thank me, honey. It’s my job to look out for ya, remember?” His sappy remark sparked a tiny smile from you. “You’re my girl, sweetheart. I’m always gonna take care of my girl.” 

Nuzzling into his chest, you stifled a yawn before abruptly looking up at him with wide eyes. “Shit, Frankie, what time is it? Did I miss dinner?” Wriggling out of his embrace, you wiped the lingering tears off your face before sitting up. Frank bit his tongue to keep from chuckling at your genuine concern. 

“Dinner is waiting for us, sweet girl. I’m in no rush.” Cradling your neck, Frank pressed a languid kiss to your lips, taking advantage of your distraction and flipping you on top of him. 

“Frank!” You squealed, beaming down at him with more happiness than he’d seen from you in weeks. 

“What?” He questioned innocently, gently leading your face back to his for another kiss. 

“What’s gotten into you?” You wondered aloud, returning the kiss but looking at him with feigned exasperation. 

“I ain’t allowed to love on you now?” Frank asked, raising an eyebrow at you. 

You rolled your eyes, shuffling off of him and out of the bed. “C’mon, you sap. Let’s eat the dinner you made before it’s ruined.” 

As the night sky populated with stars, Frank doted on you insistently. He’d reheated your dinner, turned on your favorite movie, even brought you a pint of your favorite ice cream for dessert. You’d gratefully accepted his comforts, yet he still seemed to be holding back. As he puttered around in the kitchen, doing the dishes alone (he’d staunchly refused your help), you could see the wheels turning in his brain. 

“Frank, is something wrong?” You asked, picking at a stray thread along the seam of the blanket he’d wrapped around your shoulders, gazing over at him as your heart rate pounded anxiously.

“Huh?” Your timid question snapped him out of his thoughts, his hands nearly flinging the soapy dish across the room as he spun towards you. “Oh, uh, no. Nothing’s wrong, sweetheart.” 

Unconvinced, you nodded, nibbling on a hangnail poking out from your thumb. In an attempt to self-soothe, you shifted your attention back to the tv, but Frank’s energy still seemed out of place. 

Placing the last plate in the dishrack, Frank dried his hands, ambling over to you with a hesitant smile. “I gotta ask ya something, doll.”

Nervousness spiking, you nodded, tilting your head in anticipation of his query.

“If I asked ya to call in sick tomorrow, what would ya say?” Frank’s jaw was tight as he asked, clearly expecting anger in response.

“I’d say absolutely, love. Why do you ask?” “I was hopin’ you’d wanna take an extra day, to escape those assholes and maybe do something fun?” If you didn’t know any better, you’d say Frank Castle looked nervous. His eyes flirted between your gaze and his lap, his trigger finger twitching. 

“Oh, Frank, I’d love that!” You gushed, throwing your arms around him. He grunted in surprise, his own hands coming up to hold you in place so you didn’t topple off the couch. “I’ve been hesitant to take sick days because everyone’s been so on edge lately, will you sit with me when I call in?” 

“Course I will. If anyone gives ya trouble, they’ll have me to answer to.” Frank assured you with a menacing glint in his eye. Kissing his nose, you stroked a knuckle over his stubbled cheek. 

“Thank you, handsome.” 

“Anything for my girl.” 

True to his word, Frank made sure you were seated comfortably in his lap when you called in sick, both so that he could rub reassuring circles along your waist, and so that he could hook his chin over your shoulder to listen for any flack you might be given. Fortunately for your boss, they grumbled an “ok” and hung up quickly. Anything ruder than that, and they might have been on The Punisher’s shit list. 

Sinking backwards into your boyfriend’s sturdy chest, you shuddered. “Glad that’s over with.” Breathing deeply, you took a moment to collect your anxious self before standing to get ready for the day. Or, trying to stand, at least. 

A set of strong hands caught your hips, yanking them backwards to hold you in Frank’s lap. 

“Frank!” A small fit of giggles burst out of you as his fingers pressed into your ticklish skin. 

“What’s the hurry, doll? We’ve got all day.” Planting heated kisses along your neck, you felt Frank smile when you mewled in response. “Attagirl, let me make ya feel good, hmm?” 

Whisking you back to the bedroom, Frank helped you forget all about your shitty job. 

Slightly breathless following your morning exercise, you hummed happily as Frank continued to press his lips to the exposed flesh of your body, taking care to show every piece of you as much love as possible. Boxing you in with his massive arms, he molded his beautifully crooked nose against yours, finishing his trail of kisses with a lengthy kiss to your lips. 

“So, what did you have planned for today?” You asked against his lips, threading a hand in his hair. 

“Nothin’ much. I was thinkin’ maybe nice coffee and a trip to that museum you’ve been talkin’ about?” A blush crept over his cheeks. “Sorry, doll, I, uh, I ain’t too good with this…” He gestured between the two of you. 

“Aw, Frankie,” You scolded gently, kissing him tenderly. “You’re plenty good at ‘this’.” You mirrored his gesture and he rolled his eyes. “I’m serious, honey. You’re the most romantic partner I’ve ever had. And that plan sounds lovely. Let me clean up and we can go for coffee.” 

As you curled into a seated position, Frank caught your wrist. “Hey! Where do you think you’re goin’?” 

“To wash up!” You giggled, striding back over to the bed where he slotted you between his legs. 

“Nah, you’re gonna sit right here while I draw you a bath. And I’m gonna run to the coffee place across the street and get ya one of those sugary drinks ya like so much. Then we can go out, if ya feel up to it.” His demanding tone made you smirk, his military tendencies tended to come out when he was concerned about you. 

“That sounds perfect, love.” You kissed his cheek, sitting on the bed as he headed to the bathroom. 

The rest of the day passed quickly, leaving you longing for more cozy time with Frank. Though he considered himself lacking in the romance department, he’d provided you nothing but pure love on your day off, indulging your every whim just to see you smile. 

And as you fell asleep at the end of the day, you clung tightly to him, trusting him to get you through whatever life threw your way.

[moodymisty]

Hello! Hope you are well! May I request some headcannons of how would the horsemen would show support for any achievements of a female y/n? Thank you! (Had to do some presentation on a business case, I worked on to the big bosses and I'm just happy to have got it over with but love your writing and four takes wholesome)

Author's Note: Hey, congrats! Presentations are a nightmare I am not a good person for rehearsed speaking so glad it went well. Here's some cute HCs, I kept the achievements vague so anyone can have their little supportive Horsemen. I hope this is close enough to what you had in mind :3

Relationships: Death/Gn!Reader, War/Gn!Reader, Strife/Gn!Reader, Fury/Gn!Reader (I just so happened to write them in a way that they turned out with no pronouns)

Warnings: None

✦ Death ✦

Death is definitely the most quiet and least outgoing of them all

But you know him, and that even the smallest thing is huge coming from him. Death isn't exactly used to or is good at giving praise. That wasn't something the Nephilim, in particular the first born were good at.

But Death knows you're happy, and it's an emotion that's somewhat infectious. No matter how much he might try to stop it.

He's so awkward, and at one point you think it's because he's uncomfortable but it's more so that he wants to make sure he does it right. The last thing he wants to do is spoil your joy, he gets to see that sort of thing so rarely.

You get a pat on the end after everything, because he secretly thinks it's funny when you get mad about him ruffling your hair.

✦ War ✦

War doesn't do things half baked. So even if he may not fully understand or have the same love for whatever you're proud of, he's just as proud.

Even if he doesn't quite look it. He's always got that stoic face, but he's happy, deep down.

Anyone who doesn't agree gets their ass beat. Like War will throw hands if someone tries to talk down your accomplishment. Even his siblings; If one of them makes a joke War will threaten to make a Strife-shaped hole in the wall.

It's funny (and cute) to feel him stiffen up when you suddenly hug him in your excitement, as he's still often surprised by that sort of thing.

He'll put his good hand on your back and tell you he's proud and even if the words taste odd on his tongue, they don't taste bad either.

✦ Fury ✦

Besides Strife, Fury is by far the most overt of the four of them.

Massive 'of course you did well I know you would, you were silly for doubting yourself' energy. She has complete faith in your competency even if you don't.

You aren't just anyone afterall; You're her favorite human, and nothing as silly as whatever you were worried about completing is going to stop you. Especially with her at your side.

Will roll her eyes if you ever had any doubt you would do poorly.

She'll quit it if you glare up at her, and even though she doesn't know why in the realms you'd ever doubt yourself, she assumes it's a human thing.

Will absolutely give you a hug when prompted. She claims it's too touchy-feely but she won't let go for a suspiciously long amount of time when you do eventually try to get away.

✦ Strife ✦

Ultimate cheerleader. Seriously.

Strife yearns to give you all the support that he wishes he got through all of his dark times, so sometimes you end up drowning in his positive affirmations. Even if he has zero clue what your accomplishment was, he's hyped.

He just has a lot of love in him for you that he has trouble showing you, and this is a way he can.

Also you've always been there for him, even when he's being a self-proclaimed 'irritable piece of a shit', so he's eager to return the favor. It's the least he can do.

If you let him bribe you while you were working on whatever you've now completed, expect that reward. Strife has a tendency to barter with increasingly grandiose and also often lewd promises, so I hope you have the day cleared.

All and all, Strife tries. And even if he's abit scatterbrained, you still love him.

[kawaiioni]

Hello! ^^ I’m not sure if you remember me reblogging one of your LOP pieces and you had been so kind to read my tags and ask for my thoughts after completing the game! And didn’t know how you would be comfy in me sending you my thoughts, so I figured I would do it through an ask! <:)

I finished the game a couple days ago and I’m still reeling from the experience😭 I never thought I could find the courage to play, much less beat a soulslike game, and to know that I actually accomplished that, and with a game that feels as special as LOP makes me so emotional and feels so bittersweet!🥺

Rambles aside I absolutely adore the art direction, themes, and play style of the game! As someone who loves music and the impact it can play in the tone and experience of anything, seeing the emphasis on music just made me so happy! And the characters? Literally so so invested and I want nothing but the best for all of them (with some exceptions ofc!)! The developers did a wonderful job with fleshing out the npc’s, along with the environments!

And final note because I don’t want to clog up your inbox/ send in a behemoth of a message ^^; I have very few complaints or things that I wish could be changed/fleshed out, and one of those is regarding the presence of the puppets and the puppet frenzy! I’m not mad at the addition of the carcasses or the other story beats they chose to use, I just really liked the puppet enemies and where the story could have potentially gone! I just enjoy the non standard horror-ish vibes the puppets had to offer! <:)

Thank you so so much for being so kind as to read those tags I had written out so long ago😭 I’m not sure if you remember that reblog (and I hope it isn’t a bother to send this in! ^^:), but I knew as soon as I gathered my bearings after completing the game I really wanted to send some thoughts in! If you don’t mind me asking, what were your favorite aspects, characters, songs, enemies, …etc, from the game?🥺 Or any thoughts about the game itself?

Thank you so much for your time, please know there’s no rush or pressure to read or respond whatsoever! I hope you have an amazing day/night! <:)

OML!!! Hi!! 😊💙

Yes I remember you, I was so eager to hear your thoughts cause I know you said you were in the midst of finishing the game, I love hearing everyone's thoughts when they finish one of my fav games and LOP has become my new fav game!!

You saying that you are reeling from emotions is just how I felt when I finished playing LOP, it's such a well written game and above all else- has fantastic art, story, music, and characters, plus much much more!

I can go into so much detail about what my favorite things are!

My favorite section of the game is Rosa Isabella street, just the way it introduces that section from just seeing more of how Krat was- literally made me fall in love with the section! (I also like the exhibition, just because we got to see what Venigni/Geppetto made!)

My favorite character has to be a blend of them- I really liked Polendina, Lady Antonia, and also the broken puppet we find! They made me feel the most in the story! (Of course P, Venigni, Eugenie, and Romeo!)

The records are the absolute best, my favorite 2 records have to be Shadow Flower, and Proposal, Flower, Wolf (Golden)!

The enemies are really unique, I tend to like the more creepy ones like the ones in the Opera house or even the Maid puppets cause UGHHH they give me the shivers!

My favorite boss fight has got to be the nameless puppet or even the Bishop!

Overall my favorite aspects of the game are how different you can play each time! You can play heavy, light- a blend, you can have so many different weapons with different handles HELL, go crazy and take the Spector/throwables in there and go ham! It's overall my favorite thing, as well as how it uses the environment to tell a story!

Don't ever feel like you are flooding my ask box or even shy about sending me stuff cause I am so down to talk about my fav things in the world!! I am even willing to talk about my criticism of the game but this answer is so long! 😭😭

I'm even gonna follow up with some questions myself!

Who's your favorite character?

Who's your favorite boss?

What record was your favorite?

What boss gave you a hard time?

[starlightshore]

barring the no mercy route being an influence in this case, how would you describe chara's personality? I cannot describe them well at all despite them being my favorite character. they're too complex lol. all of the meta i can find at this time as them described at both extremes of innocent & evil but i don't think that's accurate

TW: discussions of canon dark topics such as abuse , death and suicide

i love talking about chara, i've talked about them at length before lmao. thank u for giving me a chance to talk about my beloved child.

you can actually read a character exploration i'm doing in a mini-arc for Askfallenroyalty. actually, if you want one condensed post, this comic sums up chara's motives

My interpretation:

chara is an abused kid and suicidal kid*(1) who ran to mount ebott to die.*(2) upon learning that monsters are made of love and humans aren't*(3), chara began to hate humanity. the deltarune prophecy*(4) makes them to be The Angel despite being a human. Feeling undeserving of this title and obligated to fulfill it, Chara wanted to be a good kid more than anything.

But then the buttercup pie incident happened. They've accidentally*(5) poisoned asgore and came up with a plan to ensure the prophecy could be fulfilled and take a hit against humanity. Two birds with one stone -who cares if it's also a personal win too? then obviously the plan goes up in flames and they and asriel are murdered. then asgore wants to kill of all humanity.

your influence*(6) gets Chara onto a path of redemption or a path of destruction, mirroring the deltarune prophecy's two main interpretations.*(7)

in summery: chara is a scared kid trying to fit into a world that demands violence by the past actions of the previous generations. The war massacred monsters and locked them up with a kill-solution -ensuring that further violence would be needed to be free, thus continuing the cycle of violence.

chara is just a kid. they knit, they make macaroni art, they loved their family and had a best friend forever.* (8) but they're also vengeful, they cared so deeply for monsterkind they were ready to die and had no idea they'd be awake as a soul, they were prepared for death. they're complicated, you can't have one side without the other. while i’ve never wanted to murder anyone, i can still relate deeply to chara and see myself in them a lot. the tragedy of them -the fact they never really got a “happy ending” like everyone else just haunts me and it’s why I spend so much time making AFR. I just... love this character so much, i want this kid to be happy. (not that it could ever be easy to get there, happy endings aren’t free.)

And frankly, seeing this hurt kid get demonized just rubs me the wrong way, and it feels completely against the morals Undertale tries to tell with it’s story. I see it as a cautionary tale against violence and dehumanizing others for the sake of hate and violence. how kids can be influenced by the violence -or kindness around them. you don’t need to forgive the ones who hurt you, but killing them is not always the solution -though sometimes necessary as framed in the Undyne the Undying fight.

People get both Undertale’s themes and chara wrong the most, and for the game that’s meant the world to me it bothers me more than it should lol. It’s a Good Story, and I don’t mean to frame my interpretation of the character or themes as 100% canon and I know Mr.Fox’s brain to confirm it kinda deal, but with all the time I’ve spent analyzing and thinking it over I do think it’s not off in the general direction of it lol. And besides the author’s intent isn’t really the end-all-to-be-all. It’s what you get out of the story and the themes that matter and stick with you. No one can take that away from you.

Sources and evidence:

"* If you're cuter, monsters won't hit you as hard." -faded ribbion flavor text * "The ends of the tools have been filed down to make them safer." -gardening tools in New Home (and iirc Toriel's home as well, too lazy to double check rn) * Where are the knives. -no mercy chara (this and paired with the previous imply there are no sharp objects in reach of chara's home because chara can't be trusted with sharp objects out of self harm. This doesn't necessarily mean abuse but paired with them hating humanity so deeply, being suicidal and a child it paints a picture of abuse.

"* I know why (chara) climbed the mountain.* It wasn't for a very happy reason." -asriel post pacifist epilogue dialogue

"* Love, hope, compassion... * This is what people say monster SOULs are made of. * But the absolute nature of "SOUL" is unknown. * After all, humans have proven their SOULs don't need these things to exist." -Library book on monster souls)

* Legend has it, an 'angel' who has seen the surface will descend from above and bring us freedom. - gerson

"* It takes at least a human soul... * And a monster soul. * ...* If you want to go home... * You'll have to take his soul. * You'll have to kill ASGORE." -Alphys. Because boss monster souls are the exception and can persist after death for a short period of time, Chara could of killed any of the family members to escape the underground. this implies escaping wasn't the goal -it was to die (considering they already attempted suicide to fall underground the first time, this is explicitly suicide.) the plaque doesn't mention or speak like monster/human fusion's consumed soul would be aware. chara had no way of knowing they'd be awake. also the whole thing with the pie is a prank. cups of butter. -> buttercups. putting flowers in a pie is a joke to do, we see Chara is similar to Toriel (they mimic her speech in the no mercy monologue, they say “greetings” as she does like how Asriel says “howdy” like Flowey does. Chara makes puns and jokes in the flavor text all the time.

https://imgur.com/a/zP18P -dog food bag at different LV. "When the protagonist first encounters Mad Dummy, they are given the option to beat it up. Choosing to beat it up prompts one of three responses depending on the protagonist's LOVE." (source: undertale wiki)

If the protagonist’s LV is 1, the response becomes "(You tap the dummy with your fist.) (You feel bad.)"

If the protagonist's LV is between 2 and 4, the response becomes "(You hit the dummy lightly.) (You don't feel like you learned anything.)"

If the protagonist’s LV is between 5 and 7, the response becomes "(You sock the dummy.) (Who cares?)"

If the protagonist’s LV is 8 or higher, the response becomes "(You punch the dummy at full force.) (Feels good.)"" This implies Chara (who is the narrator) will feel different about the dog food -which references the classic phrase of "glass half empty/full" showing your out look in life. Then hitting the dummy show's Frisk's out look on violence depending on LV. Note that by the end of it, it's no longer "you feel..." but "feels good" This is Chara.

      7. “* Lately, the people have been  taking a bleaker outlook...* Callin' that winged circle the  'Angel of Death.' “ -gerson “* Only the fearless may proceed. * Brave ones, foolish ones. * Both walk not the middle road. “ -the first plaque in the first puzzle room with Toriel. The idea is to walk on both the left and right sides -you can’t go half way in the middle. this mirrors the “true” endings are only accomplished if you stick to no mercy or pacifist only.

     8. literally their home in New Home is a treasure trove of pre-game chara characterization.

[bestfrownsforever]

Heartache Arcade

Sorry for not having a proper cover again...hopefully these will do.

Also 1. my friend CLG is my co-editor now! Per's a master at finding grammar mistakes even I miss (ex. if you want the re-edited Dawn of a New Era then it's on Amino) so per'll be helping me from now on!

And 2. I'm hoping to keep a consistent schedule so expect a new Best Frowns Forever story every Tueaday! Starting with this story...

After having some brief fun as a Frown Lord, Puppycorn already hit a massive roadblock.

"Anyone else think this job doesn't make a whole lot of sense?" he asked while meeting with his co-workers around his bedroom table, "I mean yeah, it's fun to hurt people and stuff, but if we're so good at our jobs, then won't everyone be too scared to go outside anymore? Or maybe they'll leave the kingdom!? And if they do, should we want them to because it'd be bad if they did!? What should we DO!?!?"

Unikitty wrapped an arm around him from across the table. "Calm down, little bro," she assured him, "They're not going anywhere when the rest of the world sucks too."

"The solution's easy," Grandmaster Frown added, "Try luring them in with something fun and cutesy and make them almost want to suffer!"

"Oh come on," Hawkodile objected, "Something big pops up in the kingdom out of nowhere with us openly running it? They'll know it's a trap."

"Unless they're so desperate for a break that they'll take anything that looks happy and shiny," Dr. Fox suggested, "And Master Pain was the king of cringe before Frown's birthday."

"Hey!"

"I'm saying that as a compliment! You probably still like all that kiddie junk the citizens miss anyway, so why are you complaining about no ideas?"

Unikitty flew over to her brother. "I think she's trying to say that instead of using the things you like to try being cool, you can use them to actually prove your coolness as a Frown Lord!"

"Okay," Puppycorn considered, "But I already did accident-prone skateboards and roller skates...and that spiky ballpit."

"You mean I did them and you STOLE MY CREDIT!?" Dr. Fox reminded him before Brock pushed her away.

"Okay, someone needs a timeout...and if it helps, I've had the idea for a haunted arcade for a while now. But you're not wrong about the whole obvious trap thing, so from one gamer to another; how would you make it work?"

Puppycorn thought long and hard about the possibility until it hit him like his past self running into a brick wall.

"WAIT, I've been thinking into this job too hard! Grandmaster Frown did all this to be himself again, right? So maybe instead of haunted, the games can just be really hard to beat!?"

Everyone seemed interested except for the pouting Dr. Fox.

"But if they manage to win those games, wouldn't that be the best feeling ever?"

Puppycorn hummed until he lit up again like the lightbulb popping out of his head.

"They'll only get a few tickets and we'll make the prizes super expensive!!"

"Good enough."

Grandmaster Frown rose. "Then let's get to work, people! These games will need some Frown Lord-flare, and they sure aren't gonna make themselves!"

Puppycorn and Brock were the first to follow him to Dr. Fox's lab, dedicate many long days to porting the most difficult games they could find, and even more to making their own until after countless attempts at giving up, Puppycorn finally saw all his hard work pay off and open for business.

No one saw exactly when the new building appeared in the middle of town. It was just another rainy afternoon with nothing going on until people looked at their windows to see a massive, pale gray block of an exterior with a burgandy arching roof and neon colors everywhere from behind the windows. A tall sign next to it read "Heartache Arcade" with "& Casino" under it in smaller letters, both in some of the same bright neon colors.

Most closeby citizens came to the conclusion that their tyrants set it up, but some of them approached the arcade anyway, as if to say "How are they gonna break us this time?"

When they stepped in, they were greeted by giant rooms with arcade machines, gambling tables, and brighter lights everywhere, with a large prize counter and shelves for toys and other kinds of trinkets in one corner. They couldn't believe how everything seemed so...innocent.

They split up, each walking over to a different game or observing more of the retrospective dream around them, while Frown and Puppycorn spied on them from behind an "Employees Only" door.

"C'mon..." Puppycorn whispered, "Just play the games already!"

"Give 'em a bit more time," Grandmaster Frown replied, "They'll rip themselves in half before you know it."

Puppycorn turned to the nearest citizen, Theodore, stepping up to a slot machine, which hated having them there, but the others convinced him that gambling would make things all the more entertaining to watch.

"Supreme Slots, huh?" Theodore wondered before shrugging, "Well, guess it's worth a shot."

Puppycorn wasn't too surprised when Theodore bet the little money he had and won on his first try, only to get too cocky and lose it all too fast. Grandmaster Frown had a good laugh while Puppycorn looked the other way to spot Bim-Bom wrapping a hand around the joystick for the game he was most proud of; Furious Fetch.

Bim-Bom seemed happy at first, but just when Puppycorn worried even more, she got a a little confused as to what she was playing. Did she get to the lava pits yet?, he thought, Or the bugs? She's gotta know how hard running and jumping is by now though, right?

Then he heard the Game Over music.

"What!? There's no more lives!?"

Finally, a good reaction. Puppycorn was already holding back laughs and wagging his tail watching Bim-Bom pull out another token to play again. And then another. And another until she almost reached the end of the first level.

"WAIT, jumping on them doesn't kill them either!? What gives!?"

"That's the point!" Puppycorn snickered. She clearly wanted to give up but pulled out another out coin anyway. Maybe even keep going until she didn't have any left. But as if his silent prayers were answered, Bim-Bom slipped the token into the slot and lost almost as soon as the level started that time. Screaming, she stormed off to try something else as Puppycorn lost it.

"Cut it out!" Grandmaster Frown ordered, covering a hand over Puppycorn's mouth, "The evil laughing can wait, just don't blow this for us."

Puppycorn nodded, prompting his boss let go. They continued to look around, realizing more and more citizens were getting frustrated over what they were playing. And switching to other games or slots didn't help, it only strengthened the chorus of the most mixed reactions they'd ever heard in their lives.

"These games SUCK!"

"This was all the money I haaaaaaad!!"

"I can do this, I just need ONE more coin...anyone got some?"

"At least this isn't the other stuff we've had to put up with, calm down guys!"

"Are you nuts!? This is WAY WORSE!"

Puppycorn was too proud of himself to keep the door open. He shut it to chant and dance without a care until Grandmaster Frown laid a hand where his shoulder would be.

"Huh?"

"Not bad, Pain. Consider this your first

independent accomplishment."

"Really!? Aweso-"

They jumped at the sound of a sudden crash from the back room.

"Yeah," Frown ordered, "now take care of this place before the ragequitters can."

Puppycorn proudly nodded and saluted. "I'll do my best, boss sir!"

[ffxiv-ariavitali]

i hope you don't mind an AU being used repetitively for other characters. i'd like see an CEO/Barista AU with Emet-Selch/Gender Neutral WOL where both are childhood friends and initial assumed one-sided pining for WOL's end only for a happy ending to them as it's actually mutual for both side?

oh, don’t be sorry! it’s a good trope, after all, and a re-imagining of AUs for different characters is always fun! i hope you like it! ^_^

(not really but kinda sorta Shadowbringer spoilers below the cut just in case)

AO3 ver.

❅ ❅ ❅

Genius. Suave. Pioneer of architectural design. Also the CEO of one of the largest and fastest growing coffee shop chains across the realm. 

All these things make up the man known as Emet-Selch and he took pride in his work. Some would say that talent of his level is almost prodigious and he would concur, agreeing rather easily if not for the sake of not having to expend further energy arguing with simpletons that didn’t know true skill if it hit them in the face.

It is in this reason then that makes you hesitate so much.

You have known the man since you two were just beginning to toddle. The bond between the two of you was nigh unbreakable in the eyes of others, but the truth couldn’t be any more simple. Rather, the only reason Emet has allowed your presence and company thus far was because you had made it such a habit of inserting yourself into his affairs for so long that he has long given up attempting to dissuade you from continuing to do so. In a way, it was a blessing because you have had the fortune of calling the man your best friend.

Though, his achievements are not without consequence. You hear the elders whispering behind your back in comparison. ‘How successful Emet-Selch has become while they on the other hand...’ and ‘They should be happy that Emet-Selch is providing them with a job in these troubled times!’ are among some of the less painful commentary spoken when they thought you blissfully ignorant. 

Of course, you would have your doubts; your friend was on another level and it was only through his kindness that allowed you to remain employed. Truly, as much as you admired him, adored him and grew ever fond of him, he would never return your sentiments.

You admit your feelings to your mutual friend, Hyth (Hythlodeus, but he prefers not the formality), over a cup of coffee during your break and he gazes upon you with an amused expression. 

“Whatever makes you think that he would not return your feelings, my friend?” he asks.

You feel your cheeks flaring up, the skin burning as if a burning flame was brought dangerously close.

“Because he’s too good for someone like me!” you exclaim in kind, the admission nurturing the despondence growing within your chest. “He’s way too talented, way too brilliant, way too...too...too much a feast for the eyes compared to how I am!”

“And what makes you say that?” another voice interjects.

You and Hyth turn your heads to source for the voice and your heart almost drops when amber eyes met your own. Emet was standing in front of you, arms crossed, and you were so engrossed in your passions that you hadn’t noticed your boss approach you.

When you attempt to give him an excuse, he scowls and takes you by the arm to drag you from your seat to the back room. In the midst of your panic, Emet is calling out to Hyth to watch the store in the meanwhile and you peer over your shoulder in time to see your mutual friend waving the two of you away with a teasing, impish smile.

In moments, you were alone in the break room in the back and you were wringing your hands in front of the man. He heaved a sigh and stared hard at you once more.

“Well?” he spoke then.

You incline your head. “’Well’ what?”

Emet kisses his teeth and brushes locks of his hair along his head. You noticed that he appeared to be troubled by his inner thoughts himself, his tell being the way that he often fiddles with his fingers in makeshift snap motions without releasing the actual sound. You didn’t know what reason would give cause for him to be so nervous despite his on-edge expression until he speaks again.

“The only reason why I have done any of this was because of you.”

The confession has your eyes widening, the shock stunning you to silence as he continued.

“The one that pushed me to be better than I was has always been you. The one that had stood by my side with every struggle has always been you. With every project and every design, I had it in mind to whether or not you would be proud of the feat were I to accomplish it. So hearing you berate yourself like that is so...so...frustrating.”

When you could not yet speak coherent words, Emet heaved a heavy and helpless sigh as he leaned in towards you to rest his weary head on your shoulder.

“Look what you’ve made of me,” he chided, a biting tone that was more bark than anything. “A mess. A mess and yet I feel no different than from the first.”

After a moment, he pulls away and his face was inches from yours. So close that you can feel his breath and even felt the ghost of a heart beating against your skin. He was leaning in closer. Closer. Closer.

“Are you lovebirds done yet?!” Hyth’s voice rang against the walls when he peeked into the room.

The both of you jumped in place, cheeks flushed and Emet quickly began chasing Hyth out in embarrassment. You remained still, hands pressed against your cheeks, and you smile. Despite being rudely interrupted, as was his wont, you did get something out of it.

You thank the heavens for this blessing.

[mr-entj]

Hello, Mr. ENTJ. Have you ever been depressed? How did you manage to come out of the rut and find the will to live on? I realize that this is a personal question, and you don't really have to answer but it'd help in understanding different paradigms and help someone who else who is struggling. Thank You

Combined with the following asks:

I’m confident, but insecure at the same time. I have a history of abuse and I know that this insecurity does not belong to my personality. It is a issue of my childhood that from time to time I repeat again. Depression has deprived me of continuing my development and now I feel that I am a younger person trapped in an adult’s body. I was wondering if you’d know how to help me? - (intj female)

Hey! How are you? Btw it’s always a pleasure to see you active again as you have such a cool blog :) Send your doggo my love :) Just wanted to ask - how do you cope with depression and anxiety? I have a lot of bad mental health spells that I can’t seem to deal with, but I’m wondering if it’s a type issue as I’m an ISFP… Like what do you do when you’re in a rut and feel bad about everything? Thanks 🙏

I feel so stuck, I’m almost 30 and I don’t have anything going on in my life. I got back to school but I have no direction, I feel lost, and I feel like I’ll never make it, like I’ll never become the successful woman that I wanted someday to be. I cannot focus, I cannot think, I feel in a rut. 

Lately, everything in my life is going wrong. It's all snowballing, and it's making me exhausted everyday and mentally and physically fatigued. What so you do to get back up on your feet when you barely have the strength to open your eyes?

Of course I’ve been depressed. Depression isn’t an MBTI issue, it’s a mental health one, and it’s something most people go through at some point in their lives so none of you are alone in this. On failure and rejection, I’ve written about my experiences here. On depression specifically, I didn’t suffer from a chemical imbalance so my triggers were very specific and identifiable (but personal and unique to me). I solved it by addressing the root cause of the issues head on.

First, usual Tumblr disclaimer of: I’m not a mental health professional, obviously go seek professional help if you have the means to, etc. etc. You all already know the deal. Moving on.

What worked for me:

1. Do damage control. For example, if the root cause of my depression was low grades in math then I’d finish the semester and pause taking math classes until I figured out how to do well in them. Even if I didn’t have a solution at that very moment, I could at least stop the bleeding and avoid a bigger GPA drop. This helped me feel slightly better because even if things were bad, they weren’t as bad as they could be. Bad is better than worse.

2. Suffer. I mean exactly what I just said– I suffered– I let the hurt in. The reason I did this is because I’m a stubborn person with the tendency to “power through” obstacles even if I was unwell. I forced myself to have an internal come-to-Jesus moment so that I could acknowledge:

I was unwell and I wasn’t in peak form which was affecting all areas of my life

My current condition hurt, it sucked, and it’s something I didn’t want to stay in  

The more I acknowledged it hurt, the more I was motivated to find a solution. We all can’t be Mother Teresa, sometimes getting fed up with bad shit and getting pissed off is the spark that triggers transformative changes. I ran with that. Wood, coal, electricity, or gas– the fuel of choice doesn’t matter– as long as it propels the vehicle.

3. Reconnect with my support system. Isolation is killer because it leaves you alone in a room with negative thoughts and a compromised mind completely unchecked which is the equivalent of locking yourself in a room with a pack of crocodiles and expecting not to get torn to pieces. I’m a naturally independent person so for me to reach out to friends and family with a, “I’m not feeling well. Can we spend time together?” was a huge signal that I needed help. I spread my time with many different people so that I didn’t feel like I was annoying one specific person with all my crap. This helped do a few things:

It distracted me from negative thoughts and provided temporary relief which gave me a chance to recharge my batteries and regain strength

It gave me a sounding board for my thoughts and feelings which helped uncover previous blind spots and encouraged brainstorming of solutions

It reminded me what “normal” looked like, it showed me what a normal functioning person looked, talked, and acted which gave me a baseline goal to shoot for

4. Gain perspective. I gained insight, inspiration, and motivation from reading about and talking to people who had overcome immense challenges. Their lives and their struggles could be completely different from mine but just to hear that someone somewhere went through a horrible thing and made it through gave me something more important than data– it gave me hope. I read about the Louis Zamperinis and Malala Yousafzais of the world which helped me find my fight.

5. Build confidence and happiness through small victories. The problem with depression is that it drops you in this huge mental ditch and places the exit at the top of a mountain far from reach. It kills confidence, it demoralizes, and it creates despair that you’ll never get out of it. Don’t aim for the top of the mountain in a weakened state; start small, start slow, but start.

For me, that meant doing small and “basic” things that were a struggle when I was depressed, I was able to derive a sense of accomplishment from doing something that I hadn’t done the day before. It was anything from sticking to a basic grooming routine to eating 3 meals per day to beating a dungeon in a video game to writing a new chapter in one of my stories. The point was that if I could do a small thing, I could do a bigger thing, and then a bigger thing, and eventually tackle the biggest thing. Remember that if you can’t run, you can walk. If you can’t walk, then you can crawl. But keep moving forward.

6. Attack the root cause. This is the final boss fight in the game of depression. It’s where you stare down the thing that’s been haunting you all this time, hit it where it hurts, and knock it out. For example, if being overweight is a source of depression, then attack the root cause and make some dietary changes. Eat one less cut of meat per day, trim portions by a quarter, drink one less bottle of soda, etc. Set small goals to win small victories. Losing one pound will become losing two pounds and two pounds will become three pounds and so on and so forth.

Remember that it’s not instant, it can and it usually does take time to fix. If it were easy, it’d be fixed a long time ago. It’s a process, it’s a long-term commitment, but it’s doable. Learn some patience and derive joy from the small wins. The goal is to build momentum to put distance between you and your depression until you eventually achieve escape velocity and emerge victorious.

[the-villain-vanessa-cortez]

Black Hat x Reader: Scars

So sorry this took ten years and I feel it’s not even that good haha. I hope I didn’t misinterpreted it, and if I did, let me write you another one :) @negans-baby

——————————————————————————————————————————

WARNING: this fic contains mentions of suicide and scars. If you are not comfortable please do not continue.

You had started working for the Black Hat Organization as an intern after graduating from the academy. You had degrees in both engineering and chemistry and were eager to work under one of the best evil scientists the universe had to offer. However there was one person that worried you the most. The boss, Black Hat, was a villain known for conquering different universes and being the most accomplished villain in the history of villainy. He wasn’t known for being kind or compassionate and that was present in the way that he treated his staff. There were two others that lived in the mansion: a science experiment turned cognisant who they called 5.0.5 and a feral looking woman named Demencia. You had been there for almost a full year and became pretty close with your co-workers. Business had been going pretty steady too as more and more villains enjoyed the work that you and the doctor, Flug Slys, were churning out day after day. Little did anyone know that you had a rather troubled past with your family and friends. No one understood how you felt when growing up and going to the academy. Everyone seemed to be so successful with their own evil pursuits. However you were dealing with a world of pain all on your own. Back in those days, you thought you deserved pain and suffering so you brought it upon yourself late at night when you thought everyone was asleep. You would’ve just ended everything there and then but you didn’t want to bother anyone with the clean up, so you didn’t.

Questions had started pouring in for the company to answer. You had been tasked with sorting them out and weeding out the important questions and the not so important ones. There were probably a million about Black Hat and if anyone had seen him naked. This made your face grow red hot. After throwing out those questions, you continued sorting through the most important ones. Most of them included questions about the company and the various projects that were to be expected. Flug too was sorting out questions on his computer and he propped up his head with a hand. He received a message on his phone and he sighed and got up. He looked irritated and turned to look at you.

“Boss needs me for something. I should be back soon then. Keep sorting out the questions and I’ll join you later.” With that he left the lab and you were alone with your thoughts. It was only ten minutes later that Flug returned. He seemed exhausted from working and he sluggishly made his way back into the lab.

“Boss needs you for something” he then sat down in his desk.

“What for?” You were puzzled wondering what Black Hat could possibly need with you.

Flug shrugged his shoulders, “didn’t say. Just that he wanted to see you.” He rested an elbow on his desk and then placed his head on his hand. Flug went back to scrolling and you felt completely confused.

“He could’ve just messaged me” You said with a little annoyance.

“Yeah well you know how he is” Flug didn’t look up from his work. Deciding not to leave your boss waiting, you made your way up the stairs from the lab and into Black Hat’s office.

The walk there was agonizing as you wondered what could’ve been so important that needed you to abandon your project and assist him. You sighed in defeat as you knocked on his door and felt your breath hitch in your throat as you heard Black Hat answer.

“Come in” His voice was low and seductive and beckoned for you to come closer. You did what you were told and you slowly opened the creaking door. There was a large chair that sat behind a desk that had stacks of paperwork on it. One would wonder why a being such as Black Hat would spend all his time with trivial work. It was almost as if he was searching for something; that he was bored with destruction and conquering.

“You wanted to see me sir?” You asked sheepishly with a tint of fear in your voice. Black Hat could tell and he motioned for you to sit down. You walked into his office and chose one of the chairs to sit in on the other side of the desk. It sunk with your pressure and felt cold to sit on. Black Hat paid no attention to your question.

“How are you liking it here?” He asked wanting to know a little more about you. It felt forced in some way, like a boss quizzing their worker. That’s all it seemed to you anyways.

“Yeah, it's fine.” You answered and then there was silence. The air seemed stale and you felt an immense amount of pressure weigh your mind. Black Hat folded his hands on his desk and hummed to himself.

“Mmhm…” He began. “I have a couple things I would like to discuss with you.” Your face flushed wondering what kind of trouble you could have been in.

“Hold out your arm.” He commanded and you did what you were told. It didn’t register in your mind that he wanted you to roll up the sleeve of your lab coat.

“Roll up the sleeve.” He was short with his words and it was a bit alarming. You shook a bit in your seat and after a long pause you finally did what you were told. Your arm was covered in scars, most pretty old with only a couple more recent.

“It is customary” he began, “That I know about any ailments that my employees may have. I’ve seen all of Flug’s and Demencia won't stop showing me whatever she can of herself anyways…” he trailed off in disgust. “But I would need to know how you got them so that I can punish whoever gave them to you. It is what I do so that they know that when you work for me, you are in some ways under my protection. It makes an example and sets a precedent.” In some ways Black Hat seemed to care, but he was good at making everything seem like a double meaning.

“So then. Who gave them to you?” You frowned and looked down. You didn’t want to say, but it needed to be done for you couldn’t lie to your boss and you knew this.

“I did” you paused and fiddled with the sleeves of your lab coat. Black Hat was stunned but didn’t show it. He had a bit of an incline and had heard about humans doing such actions to themselves when they weren’t happy.

“Now, (y/n), what would ever give you a reason to do such a thing?” Black Hat was calm and asked smoothly. You bit your bottom lip.

“Well quite honestly, I don’t have one. It just seemed right at the time.” You avoided eye contact with him because you were sure that he would say or do something to you and that prospect was frightening. Black Hat’s frown deepened. He had come to feel a close connection to you, even if you hadn’t seen it yet. He sat up from his desk and moving closer, he lifted his jacked and sat on the edge of his desk. This was alluring in more ways than one and your face lit up.

“You don't do that anymore do you?” He asked furrowing his brow.

“No” You responded truthfully and looked up at him with large eyes. For a second you could’ve sworn you saw a smile flicker on Black Hat’s lips. But as soon as it was there, it was gone.

“Good.” Black Hat wasn’t sure what to say next. It was his turn to be flustered.

“And if you..” he started again, “need anyone to talk to, consider me a reliable option.” He confused himself with his kindness and he watched as you fidgeted in your seat.

“I will” you smiled up at him. He nodded and pat you on the shoulder as your face deepened in its state of red.

“I’m glad. Now, get back to work, I’m sure you have a lot you need to finish” He stated and tried to go back to his normal self. You stood up and nodded with your heart beating louder in your chest. It felt like you had a weight taken off of your shoulders and was pleased to have someone on your side, even if for a little bit.

The rest of the night you worked with a smile and you felt at ease as you thought about the brief talk you had with your boss. For a moment, Black Hat showed a part of himself that he had never showed anyone before. This notion excited you and burned a fire under your heart that you decided you wouldn’t extinguish. It was the start of something new; something you never had before. Never again would you decide to hurt yourself. Instead you would. Consult in your boss and new ally.

[jacks-future-hearrts]

Morning, 1 March 2022

Hi! I'm feeling happier than I've ever been in a long time!

Party because I just received my yearly bonus + my salary so I've been buying stuff a lot. So it's mainly my source of happiness. I also have a long weekend off because there was a national holiday yesterday! Best feelings ever!

Of course there's a down side to it, I'm on my period throughout the whole week so I can fully enjoy my time but the things that I got kinda compensate for it. I bought my monthly necessities of course, then I got a whole bunch of manga!

dgot Jujutsu Kaisen and Gokushufudo. Jujutsu Kaisen here, only exists up until the 5th volume. I think they haven't translated it yet to Indonesian. The english volumes are pretty updated compared to it but it's so much more expensive I rather move the money to other novels that I want. I'm so happy that I also got Gokushufudo but when I read the first volume, it's exactly what it is in the Netflix adaptation. It's still a cool thing to collect though!

If you're wondering why my bookcase is so empty, it's because I just built another one and this is my new bookcase! I have two bookcases now. I bought it on IKEA and only yesterday I managed to put it together with my mom. It was so fun and it gave me some kind of accomplishments.

Now, I'm at work hour but I think I'm gonna sneak some time to put books on it! I'm so excited for it. Also, I bought a new book and it's going to arrive around 10 - 19 March. It's a book called Resurrectionist. It looks like those anatomy books that you have when you were children but it's "supposed to" be made by this mad scientist who mixed human body parts with something to create a replica of an anatomy of mythical creatures. I'm so curious because from what I've seen on google and Tiktok, it looks super amazing.

One thing that scared me nowadays is just that I think my eyesight has gone bad again. I'm scared to tell my mom about it and to be honest It's not bugging me that much either when I'm looking around my house. It's just when I need to see super far when I'm in the car and have to look for names on the side road, it's kinda blurry and not as clear. I think it's because my bad habit of staying up late and playing my phone with the lights off. I really have to stop that but it's just that I can't sleep at all if I don't do that.

Night, 1 March 2022

What seemingly to be a good day turned sour in the afternoon when my manager suddenly asked me to conduct a training next week. Ever since that, my heart keeps beating so fast. I'm panicking over things that's supposed to be 6 days away from me. I'm so scared.

I'm also reminded by that one story from the sales division, she posted something that she's been around the IT industry for so long, she's been scolded by her previous boss. So loud that it can be heard from the third floor. And one thing that caught my attention was she said "Bukan mental manja asal kerja" which translates to I'm not a spoiled kid who has to work for the sake of working. I feel slightly offended by that but I also get what she means.

She's an ambitious person and have a pretty strong will. I'm pretty sure she has dreams as well. But I can't say the same for myself. I'm pretty young, not much of an experience in any kind of things. I work for the sake of working, because it's just what I have to do after school. I hate it but then what more can I do? There isn't much anything to do for human after school. It's just an endless distraction until you grow old and eventually passed away.

I don't have a reason to work like most people but I'm sure that I'm not going to be an obstacle to those who do have dreams. It's unfair to them. Now I'm panicking again for that training I'm going to do next week. I want to cry as much as I can but it just doesn't slow my heart rate or distract my mind from spiraling there.

I did read a book since 6 pm (it's currently 22.18 pm). It's A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I'm on that part where Jude just got adopted by Harold and Julia and everything seems to go well. There are som parts where Jude went through a hiccup but he always has his friends around. I love that his friends are so supportive of him and what he's going through.

I know this is a sad book and I feel doomed already for caring and loving the characters way too much because I've seen some spoilers on how it ends. But I still can't help myself for wanting the best for them.

Anyway, this part made me laugh so much. JB could be annoying but he's also fun!

I think I'm going to try to sleep now. Or worst case if I can, then I'm gonna listen to Magnus Archive. I wish I have something to ease my anxiety, it's so tiring. Wanting to cry, but I can't. All I feel now is just fear and I don't know how to dismiss it. It's so tiring.

[coeursetcolores]

What I Would Add To/Change About: Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening

...Ah,darn it! I forgot to do 4 last month! Oh well, next year I guess.

Hi! It's the 17th of February and if you've kept up with this series and paid attention to my little mini-rant up there, then you can guess what prequel came out today; if you can't, then you are not invited to this increasingly crazy party!

Aw, come on in anyway, we're going over Devil May Cry 3: Dante's Awakening!

After the lackluster reception Devil May Cry 2 got, many thought that we'd never see our favorite red-coated devil hunter make wisecracks ever again, a fate common in this cruel world of gaming that we enjoy. It was a sad but accepted truth.

But! 'Twas not meant to be! Devil May Cry 3 came and not only saved the franchise, but is still regarded as the best in the series!

The game that truly revolutionized the franchise and brought into the modern day! Where Dante's personality was fully decided on! Where the ever popular Lady and Vergil were released (completely)! And the fandom formed and celebrated with early 2000s DeviantArt fanart!

And how do I feel about this game?

Well...

Let's find out!

And remember! This is all just my own personal opinion and if you disagree with me, that’s perfectly okay! If you’d like to talk about a point I made, please let me know, but please try to respect my opinion as I respect yours.

Come on!

Spoilers Ahead!

Alright, let's start off with what I loved!

The combat is amazing. The team really learned from their mistakes with 2 and got the games back on track!

AND THEY STOPPED TAKING THINGS SERIOUSLY! YAYYYY!

Pretty boy brat Dante! Aww, he was so much more obnoxious...and slightly more terrifying!

LADY!!!!!! I just, I just love her. And seeing her develop throughout the game was a treat.

The outfits were great! Colorful and fully expressive of the characters wearing them!

Temen-ni-Gru is as beautiful as it is terrifying. Intimidating to anyone who sees it...except anyone in the game.

I also liked starting off in Dante's shop and going through Capulet City; it really helps with world-building and giving in insight into Dante's daily life...before Vergil and Arkham wrecked the town.

Sentient weapons! Take that, Soul Eater!

The Dante here actually kind of...freaked me out. Sure, he's always liked getting into fights, but man he could get aggressive here. Just watching him deal with Jester was a shock from the Dante I'm used to (started with 4, played 1 before this one). And seeing him interact with Enzo in the manga almost made him seem like a new person; and it really helps with the setting of the game being a prequel. This is a Dante who has yet to cool down with age and develop his morals fully. This is where he awakens as a hero.

The bosses. Yeah, I lost MANY times. So many times. But when I'd finally win, it felt great, a true sense of accomplishment.

The Vergil fights. They really were Nelo Angelo Part 2 (Or 0.5?): a fair fight with someone around your size, no tricks, just two people giving their all. I did throw Holy Water at him, though (What? Just 'cause he's fighting fair doesn't mean I have to!).

The rain fight cutscene, I just, wow.

Man, I loved killing Arkham. Well, getting him ready to be killed (Sorry Lady). Sympathetic villains are nice, but sometimes, you just need an evil villain that you don't feel sorry for beating.

Vergil really does his job as a foil to Dante well: instead of learning to reconcile both halves of himself, he chooses to focus on one and neglect the other, and this imbalance leads to his defeat. While Dante learns empathy, Vergil remains indifferent to the suffering he causes. While Dante builds relationships, Vergil chooses to isolate himself. When Dante tries to be the bigger person and save him, Vergil chooses to cling to his pride like a fool. Dante comes of age while Vergil chooses to remain in his flawed mindset. And the tragedy is, that could have been Dante.

The end. The heroes won, but they aren't happy. Lady had every right to kill Arkham and it was completely necessary, but she still remembers when she loved him and all she can do is cry. Vergil's fate in 1 is sealed, and it's entirely his own fault he got to there, when he could have changed like Dante. For all the lives he saved that night, Dante couldn't save Vergil grom the darkness inside him, and he feels the pain that entails, shedding one tear. But, it's not all bad. Dante and Lady find a friend in each other, and they work to keep others from going through what they did. Truly a bittersweet end in it's finest form.

And now, time for some additions!

ADD:

I really wish Dante's development happened more gradually. Like, it just seems like he suddenly changes instantly towards the end. Everyone else has their thoughts explored while we just see Dante having fun goofing around and being awesome. Which I don't mind, but we need to see the character growth! If these games are going to be more story-oriented, then they need to be longer Capcom! We need cutscenes that show Dante actually learning to empathize. He needs to stop goofing around for like five seconds and start gradually paying attention to what's happening to the world around him.

Let Dante start to see the pain and death caused by the tower and realize that his pain is being repeated. But he can stop it.

If you want to convey that Dante actually cares about Vergil, show it. At some point, have him try to talk Vergil out of what he's doing. And if they have to fight to do it, then they fight, but Dante tries to get Vergil to stand down. The sudden resolve to stop Vergil at the end doesn't make sense if he wasn't serious before about what was going on. Let him try to convince that this is not what their Father would have wanted, that their Mother sacrificed herself to keep them safe, that if he does this, he's no better than the demons that hurt them. And then, have him be denied and come to the heartbreaking conclusion: Vergil's not going to stop. He's going to start the end of the world...unless Dante takes him down. And that's where he learns to feel Lady's pain, and start to understand his father and why he did what he did.

Also, please explain where the guns in this centuries-old tower came from! Like, say a military group came in and dies, I don't know! It's a plot hole!

Give Dante and Lady more team-ups so that their friendship grows a bit less rushed and show Lady that Dante is a person just like her.

Give them a team boss like Dante and Vergil!

And now! Time for some all out changes!

CHANGE:

Instead of messing around in Devil Trigger, shouldn't Dante be angry or upset? At this point in his life, he is actively rejecting his demon side, so he shouldn't be so okay with it.

Have a few missions after he gets it before it can be activated by the player? It would really help illustrate Dante's internal struggle.

No Geryon or Cerberus boss fight! I don't want to hurt a sweet horse or dog!

Boss rushes should be optional! Okay?! NOT MANDATORY! Find something else to power the tablet!

Get rid of the Chessmen! They're so annoying!

And, that's about it! A true classic and a great example of a prequel, DMC3 still holds up!

4 will always be my favorite, but 3 really set the bar for the franchise and guaranteed it's future.

A fun and tragic ride from beginning to end!

I'm absolutely crazy about it!