#I felt like the only way to substantially change what comes next

[kiestrokes]

Say My Name | Teaser | NSFW

Pairing: fratboy!Song Mingi x Reader/You/Yn Rating: NSFW. Mature (18+) Minors DNI.Genre: smut, fluff, mild angst. Warnings: consensual peer pressure, high school sweetheart breakups, college, frat boys, parties, everyone is 21 or older so no underage drinking among the main characters. Reminder this is just a wip teaser, and not the final product. Parts are subject to change in the end.

Sexually Explicit Content: eluding to an open relationship/poly!Wooyoung x Yunho x Reader nothing else for the teaser, but there will be an explicit smut scene so, MINORS DO NOT INTERACT.

Summary: You and Yunho have been childhood best friends since your mothers grew up together, living in different towns but spending all the holidays together. The friendship has always been light and easy, never serious. Reconnecting in college and exploring each other in new ways. After a second breakup with your high school sweetheart, Yunho propositions you to break your dry spell with his new fraternity brother transfer and high school friend Song Mingi. How could you say no?

🗝️ Note: Because if I never post this teaser, I will never get this fic out. This is me, holding me, accountable. ANYWAY like so many of my fic ideas this was pushed lovingly forward by @chans-room. As I couldn't shut up about the Booty Werk Yunho/Woo dance. I did write it in part to wreck gift to @minisugakoobies they have a fratboy!Hongjoong fic you all should check out. Sunny and @minttangerines were kind enough to beta it for me when I felt stuck last month, and I have added some additional parts that I hope make the fic feel more well-rounded and substantial.

Disclaimers: This is a work of fiction; I do not own any of the idols depicted below.

Posting Date: 10/18/2023

You hadn’t added anyone new to your friend group since sophomore year when your childhood friend Yeosang had showed up at your University with Wooyoung. Which felt like forever ago but had only been three semesters. The two had taken their first semester abroad in the German exchange program.

Even then, none of your friends had ever had sex with just you. Sure, Wooyoung got drunk at parties and enjoyed making out with any of you that were willing and dancing dirty all over the sticky frat or sorority floors. 

Frat president Hongjoong was definitely not among the willing. He’d frozen up like a board when Wooyoung planted a sloppy kiss on him during his election celebration. 

Speaking of the devil, Kim Hongjoong was sauntering up to your table, with a wicked smile on his lips. Oh no. 

“Yunho told me you were finally single and ready to Mingle.” Hongjoong fixed you with a reading stare and challenging smirk. 

“HJ, not today.” You groan. 

He slides onto the table top, “no not today, but next Friday.” He plucks a fry from your dwindling order. 

You naw on your bottom lip, as Yunho approaches with Seonghwa. It seemed Hongjoong had escaped them in order to harass you first. 

“Are they coming?” Seonghwa asked excitedly, slipping his black hoodie off one shoulder to expose a black tank top below. 

You look up and right into the puppy dog eyes of Yunho, “We have another surprise for you.”

Wooyoung squeezes your elbow and with the deepest sigh you consent. 

“Fine, I’ll be there and Yeosang will too.”

“What?” Yeosang’s head whips to you from where he was slipping into the bench beside Wooyoung. 

“I’ll explain later.” Wooyoung taps his arm as Yeosang continues to bounce a confused stare from you to the frat boys across from you. 

“Lovely!” Hongjoong claps his hands together excitedly, like the mad magician he is. 

© COPYRIGHT 2021 - 2024 by kiestrokes All rights reserved. No portion of this work may be reproduced without written permission from the author. This includes translations.

[jessmaybank]

My best friends brother series; Part 1 - Bubbles & Trouble

Series masterlist

Outer banks masterlist

Pairing(s): Rafe Cameron x fem! Kook reader.

Word count: 1.5k

Summary: After you had been left heartbroken by a fellow kook, you decide to let loose at the Cameron house per Sarahs request. Little did you know, your best friends brother may be the only one there to pick up the pieces.

Warnings: alcohol use, swearing, mentions of sex (smut in the next parts)

AN: In the words of Victoria Justice, my best friends brother is the one for me…

“Y/N please don’t cry! We both know he didn’t deserve you” Sarah protests through the phone, eager to help her best friend.

“I know, I know. But with her? Seriously? You have to be kidding” you cry, tears streaming down your rosy cheeks, painting your skin with your mascara.

After a year together, your now ex boyfriend Jake decided to cheat on you. Ironically, it was with the girl he always told you not to worry about. Turns out, when a man says “don’t be stupid, she means nothing to me. I love you Y/N” what they actually mean is “I’m ganna fuck this girl upstairs at a party whilst you and your friends are all downstairs looking for you”

Dick.

“Why don’t you come round tonight. My Brother is having some friends round for drinks in the hot tub and he said I can join, I’m sure he won’t mind if you come with” Sarah says.

You weigh out the pros and cons in your head, and decide that alcohol, your best friend and her brothers cute friends beats rotting away in your depression pit of a bedroom any day.

“Well, I do need a drink. I’ll be round later, love you Sarah” you say, a small smile creeping up on your face for what felt like the first time in days.

After a rocky patch In their relationship, Rafe and Sarah have actually been getting on relatively well recently. Although you don’t know much about Rafe considering you have been best friends with his sister since you were little, you did know he could be difficult at times. You always made conversation with him at his house or at parties to be polite, but nothing substantial ever came of it. His looks made up for his dry conversation, but you knew Sarah would kill you if you ever went near him.

A few hours passed and you pulled up to Tanny Hill in a blue bikini accompanied by some denim shorts. When you lazily knocked on the door, you were greeted with a topless Rafe. His defined muscles along with his tanned skin definitely made him a sight for sore eyes.

“Y/N hi, Sarah told me you were coming” he says, and you don’t miss the way his eyes flicker up and down your dainty figure somewhat subtly.

What takes prominence over that however, is the smile on his face which is half genuine and half full of pity. Great, Sarah has told him.

“Hey, yeah I hope that’s okay” you say.

He mutters a quick of course and ushers you into the kitchen. You agree almost immediately when he offers you a drink, which he takes notice of.

“She’s just getting changed upstairs. She’ll be down in a sec” Rafe says, when he observes you scanning the room for Sarah.

You smile and mutter a thank you as he puts a drink on the counter in front of you. As he’s about to leave to join his friends in the garden, you grab his arm.

He turns around with a confused but sincere look on his face, his blue orbs dazzling with intrigue.

“Uh look, I’m assuming Sarah told you about my breakup. I don’t want any pity okay, I just wanna get drunk and forget about it. So please, no more sympathy looks. I would actually prefer it if you were your moody self” you say.

Rafe chuckles, and you mirror his actions. His blue eyes burn into your own as he studies you. He’s always thought you were adorable as you always acted shy and innocent around him. Until now, however, he’s never realised how goddamn beautiful you were.

“Sure, I get it” he replies. Without thinking, Rafe brings his muscular arm up to your face, dragging your stray strands of hair from the front of your face behind your ear. The gesture was an attempt to comfort you without using words. Rafe was never very good at using his words, and he would much rather show someone how he felt than tell them.

Your body felt like it was set on fire as he touched you, the small action turning your brain into mush.

The two of you snapped back to reality as the sound of footsteps became louder and louder. Rafe cleared his throat as he pulled away from you, and you instantly grabbed your drink, the desire for alcohol increasing by the second as you looked everywhere but at him.

“Y/N!” Sarah shouts, pulling you in for a hug as she reaches you.

You return a hello as you embrace her petite frame. Your eyes accidentally catch Rafe’s as you hug Sarah. The smugness radiates off him as he sends you a wink, a smirk crawling on his tanned face before he walks out into the garden.

You realise his sympathy towards you was indeed short-lived as he’s back to his normal self. You mentally curse. Maybe pitiful looks we’re the better option after all.

The next hour or two consisted of you, Sarah, Topper, Kelce and Rafe crammed into their luxury hot tub. Everyone was pretty drunk by this point, which you blamed on Kelce for making everyone play drinking games. You even had to kiss Topper during a game of truth or dare which was extremely awkward for everyone involved.

Rafe had been sending you flirtatious looks all night, most of which you have returned with a glare. It’s like he’s trying to get you into trouble. The worst part about it though, was that it took a lot of self restraint not to play along and indulge in his suggestive actions.

“Okay, okay, last one I promise. Rafe truth or dare” Kelce says, before finishing the rest of his drink. You’ve lost count of how much you have drank tonight. It turns out drowning your sorrows is a pretty effective method for solving your problems.

“Dare” he says without hesitation, and you admire his braveness.

“I dare you… to kiss Y/N” he says with a smirk. Oh no.

“Gross!” Sarah yells, her body swaying to the music in the background. It was clear she was the drunkest out of all of us.

Your eyes widen as you realised what Kelce has just said, eyes practically popping out of your skull. Rafe swaps places with Topper to sit next to you, and as you turn you head to face him you notice his eyes turn dark with lust.

Before Rafe could make a move though, Sarah leans over the hot tub to throw up. You’ve never been happier to see someone throw up, and you mentally thank Sarah for never being able to handle her drink.

“I think that’s enough for you tonight” Topper laughs at the blonde chucking her guts up before him.

Sarah’s words are slurred as she tries to reply, and Kelce and topper carry her out of the tub and into the house, putting her into bed.

As the three leave, you can practically feel the tension rising between you and Rafe. You know you should just get out and call for a ride home, but part of you is burning to know what his full red lips would feel like against yours, or how good it would feel to have him inside of you.

You subside your dirty thoughts as you start to get out of the hot tub, but Rafe stops you by pulling you down onto his lap so your back is against his chest.

You don’t know wether to freeze up, or relax under his touch, a flutter of adrenaline pulsing through your veins as you sit on the lap of your best friends older brother.

“What are you doing” you breathe, the rise and fall of your chest an indication of your fast beating heart.

“I think you know what I’m doing” he whispers in a low and raspy tone in your ear. His hand runs up and down your thigh, and you can feel your arousal spilling out of you at his seductive words.

Rafe grabs your jaw and turns your face towards him. Once again his eyes are filled with lust and if you weren’t already sitting down, your knees probably would have buckled.

You don’t know weather it was the alcohol or weather you just wanted to do it, but you welcomed his kiss. The kiss was slow and his lips were soft, which was unexpected, but you loved it. His tongue teased your own as his hand ran down your neck and then into your hair. This kiss held more passion than anything you had experienced with your ex the whole year you were together.

When you felt Rafes fingers run over the place you wanted him the most, you snapped back into reality. He’s your best friends brother, what the hell are you doing.

“Fuck, we can’t do this” you say, pulling away from him.

Needing to get out of this situation, you spring up out of the hot tub, grab your towel and your belongings and rush inside, ignoring Rafes protests for you to stay. You texted Sarah that your leaving, saying that you’ll call her tomorrow and that you hope she’s alright.

Rafe sat there for a while, waiting for his erection to go away before he could find his friends. For some reason, although the had just been rejected, he just couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning with you and him.

In honour of buzzcut Rafe being all over my tik tok feed today, it’s only right I came back with another fic! Im hoping this series has about 5 parts. Enjoy bitches!

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved in our archive

by Suzanne King

The sometimes debilitating illness infects a third of people who come down with a case of COVID. Scientists and doctors are scrambling to understand and treat it.

Salam Kabbani wears a smile, and many of her sentences trail into laughter.

That tends to mask the fact that she got COVID-19 three years ago — and never got better.

The 34-year-old Overland Park pharmacist is one of 17 million Americans battling long COVID, an amorphous constellation of symptoms that scientists are only beginning to understand and most doctors are struggling to treat.

Kabbani faced months unable to work. For days at a time, she could barely get out of bed. Just taking a shower exhausts her. She gets dizzy with no notice. Her brain gets foggy. And if she pushes herself even a tiny bit too far, her body simply wilts and she is forced to climb into bed.

“The number of people that are like, ‘Oh, but you look fine,’” Kabbani said, a laugh bubbling to the surface. “Well, yeah, you know, I’m not hemorrhaging from my eyeballs. But I am very much disabled.”

With only 13.5% of adults opting to get the most recent COVID vaccine, a growing number of health care experts and patient advocates are sounding an alarm. The only sure way to avoid getting long COVID, which is believed to affect a third of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, is to avoid getting COVID.

An up-to-date vaccine, which some people skipped last year, too, is the best way to do that. But public health officials said they face strong headwinds in their efforts to share that message.

Pandemic fatigue and “anti-vax propaganda,” said Dr. George Turabelidze, Missouri’s state epidemiologist, stand in the way. Now Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a known vaccine skeptic, is expected to get a substantial role in Donald Trump’s new administration.

But people shouldn’t be lulled into thinking that COVID will be just like a cold, Turabelidze said.

“Some people — even with mild COVID,” he said, “develop long COVID.”

And long COVID, said Jenna Hopkins, an occupational therapist at University Health, “is ruining people’s lives.”

The U.S. Census Bureau’s most recent household pulse survey found 18.6% of Missouri adults and 16.5% of Kansas adults said they have experienced long-COVID symptoms. Nationally, close to 45 million of the country’s 250 million adults said they have had long COVID at some point.

The illness can take hold of anyone who comes down with COVID, no matter their age, gender or overall health. It can linger for months or years. It can be relatively mild or completely disabling.

And while the severity of an initial COVID infection doesn’t seem to influence whether someone gets long COVID, the number of times a person comes down with COVID could be a factor. In other words, every time you get the virus is another chance to end up with stubborn health problems.

“It gets really ugly very quickly,” said Arijit Chakravarty, a COVID researcher in Massachusetts, “because what it means is that if you wait long enough, everyone is at risk of getting it.”

In bed for a year If Kelly Meiners could scream from the rooftops to warn people to protect themselves against the virus, she would.

The 49-year-old college professor and marathon runner came down with a relatively minor case of COVID in 2021. She stayed home from the office, even though her symptoms felt like nothing more than a bad cold.

That quickly changed in the weeks after her initial infection cleared up.

“Over the next year, I lay in bed,” said Meiners, who chaired the physical therapy department at Rockhurst University. “I had no idea what was going on with me. I felt I was severely drugged and drunk. I couldn’t make sense of anything. I couldn’t think straight.”

In an effort to fend off debilitating migraines and persistent seizures, Meiners spent most of her time in a dark room, wearing noise-canceling headphones and dark glasses. She couldn’t hold a pen or a fork. She could no longer read or walk.

And when she went to a doctor in Kansas City, she was told that it was all in her head, that she should exercise. As an athlete, Meiners wanted nothing more. So her husband bought a recumbent bike. She strapped herself in and pushed herself until the seizures began.

She was told exercise would make her better. Now she understands it only made her worse.

Finally, a year after falling ill, a friend of a friend got Meiners an appointment at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota. The doctor there immediately knew what was wrong.

“I just cried,” she said. “It wasn’t because there were so many things wrong with me. It was because they finally believed me.”

Finding someone to help Unfortunately, long-COVID patients often have a difficult time finding someone who can help them. And someone who will believe they are sick.

Doctors didn’t learn about COVID in medical school — let alone long COVID. And they work in a system where they need to document their care for insurance purposes. Long COVID is so new and varied in the ways it shows up, it barely has an agreed-upon clinical definition.

So it’s no wonder some doctors are sending patients away without care or telling them their symptoms are in their heads.

“I don’t think it’s coming from a place of malice,” Kabbani said. “It’s truly just a lack of awareness and understanding and being burned out.”

Now that Kabbani’s health is improved, she spends the extra energy trying to help educate the world about the disease. She has written a book about her own journey, and she and Hopkins, the University Health occupational therapist, are creating a podcast.

Kabbani, who works as an infectious disease pharmacist at Olathe Health, is speaking at continuing medical education events, trying to bring information about long COVID directly to doctors and nurses.

“What I hope to drive home to these providers,” she said, “is that the symptoms are very strange, and they fluctuate. That’s why it may seem like it’s absolutely in their heads. But it’s absolutely not.”

Research theories about long COVID This summer, long COVID earned a consensus case definition from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. Someone has the chronic condition, according to the new definition, when health problems are present for at least three months after a COVID infection.

Those problems can affect one or more organ systems, according to the definition, as “a continuous, relapsing and remitting or progressive disease state.” And a person can meet the definition by having just one or multiple symptoms, from the list of 200 included in the definition.

“If people just had lung problems,” said Dr. Adnan I. Qureshi, a professor of neurology in the University of Missouri School of Medicine, “it would be much easier to study.”

The National Institutes of Health launched a nationwide research program in 2021 with a $1.15 billion investment. In February, the agency announced it would spend another $515 million over the next four years.

The program includes dozens of studies and drug trials across the country, including studies at the University of Kansas Health System and Children’s Mercy Hospital.

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont has introduced legislation that would invest another $1 billion a year for a decade in research, provider education and public education.

Scientists have several theories about how long COVID strikes, and they are starting to believe that there may be more than one answer.

For example, in some cases, the immune system, which has been activated by the initial viral infection, simply doesn’t turn off once the virus is gone. That means a person’s own immune system can damage the body.

Another theory is that when someone has long COVID it could be because they still have traces of the virus in their body.

Another possibility, scientists said, is that the virus damages the circulatory system, which could explain why symptoms are so varied and in so many organs.

Pacing to survive Doctors are finding that some patients get better over time without treatment. But others need to manage symptoms.

When patients come to see him at University Health’s Center for COVID Recovery, Wesley Strouts, a nurse practitioner who specializes in internal medicine, looks for the symptoms he can treat that will provide some relief. Sometimes he finds different diagnoses to explain what’s happening. Often, he refers patients to Hopkins, the occupational therapist who has built a specialty out of helping patients manage symptoms.

For many patients, Hopkins said, the best approach is to follow “pacing protocols.”

“Sometimes the treatment is the cure,” she said. “When people are able to manage their symptoms … sometimes their symptoms will start to dissipate as long as they are continuing to be very careful to avoid triggering activities.”

For Amanda Finley, 47, who first came down with long COVID after a 2020 bout with the virus, pacing looks like this: Work. Uber home. Straight to bed. Often her weekends must be entirely devoted to sleeping so she can face another work week.

It’s better than the alternative Finley knew in 2021 when she was living in a tent at Weston Bend State Park because she couldn’t work and had no money for rent. The Independence woman couldn’t see her 11-year-old son for months.

But even when Finley had energy for nothing else, she stayed connected with other people dealing with the illness. Early in her diagnosis, she formed a Facebook group for COVID long haulers that today has 16,000 members around the world.

It helps her know she’s not alone. And it could be a tool in science’s effort to solve mysteries surrounding the illness. Finley tries to put researchers in touch with the people in the group.

“The patients are the experts with long COVID,” she said. “We’re the ones going through the jungle with a machete making the path.”

Telling her story Since her long-COVID symptoms began, Meiners has missed graduations, kids heading off to college, holidays, family vacations and almost every other part of her life.

She just passed the third anniversary of her initial COVID infection, and she still spends 90% of her day on the sofa or in bed. Meiners needs an electric wheelchair to navigate her Leawood home, but with the help of more than 20 prescriptions and pacing strategies to avoid flare-ups, she can have moments with her husband and three kids.

And Meiners has found a small amount of peace in making art, something she’d never tried before this. Her paintings, which tell her long-COVID story, are on display at the Lenexa City Center Library. They have been shown in galleries around the city.

It may not be screaming from the rooftops, Meiners said. But, right now, it’s the best she can do.

[fawnsflowerbed]

could i request for a one-shot with post-RE6/vendetta leon falling in love with his next-door neighbor, the reader? as much as i love young RE2 and RE4 leon, there’s something about him all grown up in the later installments that’s so 🫣

let’s face it, he’s been through a LOT. leon probably isn’t sure if his life has stayed the same (fighting bioterrorism day in and day out, his situationship with ada never becoming anything substantial even after so many years), or if it keeps changing too quickly and rapidly for him to handle (the enemies he deals with getting more and more formidable, and maybe the abrupt end of his situationship 💔). so when the reader comes into his life when they move in next door, they’re like a breath of fresh air to him.

they bake him cookies, don’t treat him any differently when they find out who he is and what he does for a living, and everything else they do just… makes him feel normal. he’s scared to admit his feelings (because he’s an emotionally constipated old fart boo 👎 /J), but when he and the reader start dating, for the first time, he feels like he has a home. it’s not his or the reader’s actual adjacent residences, but it’s the reader. they’re his home.

I adored this req so much I just HAD to make it a series!!

Series Masterlist here!!

Home is More Than Four Walls

Leon's life has been nothing short of hell. He thought he deserved nothing more than that after every mistake he'd made. Until someone new moved in.

Warnings/content: Fem reader, 2nd person (you/yours), Vendetta Leon, references to alcoholism, depression, addiction, and potential suicidal undertones so please read with care.

Word count: 2,225

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Leon had gotten far too comfortable with change.

He’d found a melancholy bliss that left him always prepared for shit to go wrong. He’d been stuck like that ever since Tatchi, ever since he felt the immense weight of his actions and their consequences. The weight of a thousand lives lost thanks to his negligence. And it only worsened after he lost his unit a year ago, only to then kill them off once they turned. People he’d bonded with that he then had to murder. He could still feel the blood on his hands no matter how hard he scrubbed. There was a reason Chris had originally found him drinking himself to death. Then there was New York, the whole ordeal having him wonder one thing.

When would this end? It had gotten to the point where it was bordering on insanity. If he kept going like this he’d likely end up getting shipped off to rehab. Sleepless nights filled with lifeless eyes staring dead into him, moments of quiet solemness as he mourned lives and relationships lost. Mourned his younger self, the rookie with no clue of what awaited him in Raccoon City. But not in a respectful way with a mental funeral, laying the young man down in a cleaned coffin and lowering him into a bed of lillies. It was more like tossing a corpse to the side and moving on. The years of constant fighting only for nothing to change had turned him cold. That boy with a sense of hope and pride, that boy who became a police officer to repay the service that had saved him when he was a child - that boy was gone. It had been replaced by the shell of a man with a gun forced into his hand. Before he’d even known it he was born and bred to be the DSO’s soulless weapon. Like a brainless zombie, they lined his gun up with the target and yelled at him to shoot.

So he did. Time after time. Year after year. No time for personal affairs, no time for hobbies or outside activities. No time for what made him human. 

Maybe that was why Ada had left him.

Ada, the woman on the run who’d appeared out of nowhere only to disappear once more. The one he’d been chasing after for too many years to count, who he defended during Tall Oaks and risked his life for. The one who was no longer keeping score on how many times they’d saved each other.

 The one who’d called it quits on him.

He remembered it so clearly. That miniscule glint of pain behind her professional gaze like a spinel hidden among the rocks, that of a mercenary staring down the sight of a crossbow with perfect aim. The way she stuck out her hand to shake as if it had all been some type of business partnership. Nothing more than looking out for someone to gain something. A lead, a life saved, a death quickened. It was all a ploy to her.

Leon wasn’t one to beg, he hadn’t been for quite some time. He was persistent, sure, but not to the point where he felt like he was grovelling.

He was ready to drop to his knees when Ada told him they couldn’t keep going the way they were. That they were only putting each other in danger. After a constant sprint towards her, it all came to a harsh halt. It was like his heart had been stomped on repeatedly, a sharp high heel straight through his ribcage. He would’ve rather she’d shot him. It would’ve hurt less.

But luckily he was good at masking it. So when she broke the news to him, he just gave her a stiff nod and shook her hand. As she made her exit, he had to hold back everything telling him to bolt into the nearest building to sob to himself for the first time in years. To blame himself for the fourth time that day. He wasn’t usually an emotional person, not when it came to crying. Leon Kennedy never cried, and he prided himself on that. But Ada brought out the worst in him. The worst and the best.

The months blended together after that moment. A bland concoction of aimless meetings chased down with long droning lectures on his behaviour. He was erratic, he was impulsive and most importantly he was too distracted to focus on anything other than that grey spot seeped into his brain. No one could blame him though, those who’d heard of their situationship ending seemed to pity him. He didn’t want their pity. Not for that or for his countless failures. 

Routine health check results had forced him to move away from his work at the DSO for a few months. His heartbeat was too quick, his stress levels unhealthy and his jumpy reactions to so much as thunder had him listed as a person of concern. A person who had to be forced to take a break, to leave and get out of town.

So that’s exactly what he did.

But Leon knew nothing of his life without some sort of mission, some kind of drive for a success or cure for some terrorising sickness that plagued his conscience the same way it did the human body. He was built on trauma, on the need to do something with his life for the greater good. But all of that had been stripped away from him, leaving behind a scared 20 year old stuck in a grizzled, battered body.

He’d packed up his stuff and moved out of town to a small area just outside of the city, where no one asked questions and rarely even spoke to one another. He was away from it all, yet still felt so close. He was incredibly on edge as if at any time the bored looking man across the street by the name of Mr. Danvers would burst into a pale skinned, veiny creature that he’d have to kill off. Or maybe Miss Lampkin had secretly followed him from the DSO to assassinate him, forcing him to eliminate her in self defence. Another person shipped off in a body bag courtesy of Leon Scott Kennedy.

But the question still stood clear as day in his mind amongst the hustle and bustle of dread. Was he willing to fight it back anymore?

He didn’t feel good about himself if it weren’t all that obvious. If he wasn’t drowning every issue in a bottle of bourbon, he was sinking into his own self loathing. Avoiding any issue he could, dodging any problem that couldn’t be easily solved. He closed his heart off with walls stacked tall made from reinforced steel. 

That’s why he fit in so perfectly where he was. Another husk in a greyed community, just like everyone else.

Until you came along.

“Thanks guys!”

The sound of someone so cheerful, so welcoming in his community drenched in monotone shades that it genuinely stunned him. It stopped him in his tracks on his way to the front door, just as he went to check the mail. Leon cursed his own curiosity as he felt his eyes drifting instinctively to the window facing the commotion. The outcome of this was completely unknown, for all he knew he was about to face just another grump masking their snarl with a soft smile. A form of customer service, if anything. Scolding his timing, he knew he’d otherwise forget to collect his mail for the next few days in case another blur hit him. So he slipped on a pair of older shoes, buried his pride for looking like an absolute mess and made his way out into the sun.

As soon as the chirpy voice broke through the silence of the street, Leon was turning to see where it came from. It seemed impossible for someone so cheerful to live in such close proximity.

“Oh let me help you with that. I’ll take it.”

Surely it was his imagination. He must have been slipping into some type of manic state of auditory hallucinations, because no one had ever sounded that happy to be there.

Yet there you stood, a bright welcoming smile that put the sun to shame as you helped the movers bring your stuff into the house with a grateful nod. With softened eyes and a sparkling personality he could see from a mile away. Freshly cleaned sneakers - as if trying to make a good impression with your new neighbours -sensible yet comfortable jeans, a shirt a size too big for you as you took whatever you could to try and make their lives easier despite that being their job.

Leon let out a quick exhale of amusement, closing up his mailbox to walk back down the cement of his walkway. He genuinely found it funny for someone like you to move in.

You were a drastic difference to the rest of the neighbourhood, most of which were grumps or quiet assholes who refused to interact within the community. Those who chose to drink with themselves as comfort in complete silence. Which would explain why Leon was there after everything he’d been through.

You were far too bright to be in a place like this. A yellow daisy growing through a crack in the concrete.

He was just waiting for the reality of the situation to settle into you. For you to realise you’d just signed your life away for a world of misery. Unfortunately he knew it was likely. This part of the city was going to break your spirit at some point, he could feel it in his bones.

In some sad way he could already see that younger version of himself like you. Someone grown and watered with pride and meaning, a fate sealed for something better than a normal life. 

He was waiting for your own Raccoon City incident to happen, and he could practically feel it impending. He could already hear the thundering footsteps of a Tyrant.

But he chose not to dwell on it, instead closing the door behind him to slip his shoes off and go back to his usual routine. Check over files, throw a meal into the microwave, send through overdue reports, and try to avoid the calls he could hear coming from that specific part of his fridge. Calls from chilled alcohol. Calls from the crate he had sitting at the bottom of the pantry.

Leon had been trying his best to kick the harmful habit of drinking whenever things got too tough to handle. When the buzzing in his head grew to an excruciating screech. When he could hear the echoing cries of the people he left behind. Heard the crack of bones under his hands. He wasn’t a good person, some miniscule part of him knew that, and one day he’d have to wake up and realise that voice is right. 

Or at least that’s what he thought. 

Before he knew it, it was nighttime. Deep into nighttime, to the point where he should’ve had dinner hours ago but still had yet to touch the microwaved lunch he’d tossed in. Despite his wealth, Leon found it humbling to live in a small suburbia like this one, it kept him sane. No long empty hallways. No ghosts sitting in the dining room. 

He never wanted to flaunt that part of his life, there was no need to. It would only earn him unwanted attention and that was the last thing he needed at a time like this one. He was already sabotaging himself, he didn’t need to drag others down with him as well.

That blur was hitting him again, and no amount of garbage bags and boxes being moved out onto the curb could snap him out of it. Shit, how did he end up out here? Sky full of faded stars, light from the old streetlamp’s light casting the street in a softened orange tone. How long had he been on autopilot, a walking corpse of programmed answers and tasks? Was he nothing more than a machine?

Was this what his life was destined to be? Pacing back and forth across his overgrown front lawn and the deck he hadn’t bothered to varnish until he was accepted back into the DSO, the place that helped to rob him of a regular adulthood? What if they didn’t take him back? What if he was here forever, trapped in a suburban purgatory?

He needed to come back, to take control of his feet with each pad across the walkway back to his house as if he were taking control of his life once more. He couldn’t feel his fingers despite moving them. Everything seemed fuzzy. It was like he was stuck in a state of paralysis, all of his nerves firing off as if he’d been scorched with hot coals every time a muscle moved. He became far too aware of his breathing, every hoarse huff from months of ashed abuse with a heart pumping far too loud. He could hear it beating through his ears, feel it in the back of his eyes. He was drowning.

Until he heard a frustrated huff followed by something hitting the ground.

[ughhhdavid]

A kinda long analysis of some scenes in The Sound Of Music in relation to the Ted Lasso finale, TedTrent, and Ted's bisexuality ahead.

Since they decided to name the finale as a reference to The Sound Of Music, and perform a song from it as well, I've decided to look into it. After all, Ted has always been pretty similar to Maria. They're both enthusiastic, positive, they come into this family's life, and, while uptight and closed off at first, it eventually warms up to them. They both help their new family become better.

And then they leave.

Why?

They both say it's because they miss their old lives. But Maria actually leaves because she has developed feelings for the Captain. Meanwhile I think Ted missing his family at home is genuine. (However, he had a chance to have both his Richmond family and his Kansas family at the same time. And there's some debate of the reason he didn't want that)

In The Sound Of Music, we get glimpses into Maria's life after going back.

Sound familiar?

All these shots of people he loves who you think would want him there. Even his own best friend's wedding. And where is Ted? Why is he missing these moments? Why is he so isolated?

Uhm... Hello???? If there's one way to describe Ted's face in this scene, it's this.

Now this is where Ted's story ends. But Maria's continues, having a very intense conversation with Mother Abbess about feelings you've never felt before, having something deep inside you that you can't face, being confused, and not wanting to betray God. This seems very queer coded to me.

On the other hand, she thinks that she is only in servitude of God, and accepting the Captain's love would be distracting her from her mission as a nun. To which Mother says, that just because she loves The Captain, that doesn't mean she loves God less.

Now that got me thinking about Ted, and the way he left everything behind, and the way he rejected everyone's love for him, and the way he seemed to think that was the right thing to do in order to fully love and be there for Henry.

But Ted was a great father, even in London, and he didn't need to sacrifice all other things he loved for him. (Of course, parents would sacrifice everything for their kids, I'm just saying Ted didn't have to).

Loving Richmond didn't mean he loved Henry less.

Mother Reverend also says this:

Which reminds me of what Trent said earlier in the episode:

"I don't think we change, per say, as much as we learn to accept who we've always been"

Next she sings the song "Climb Every Mountain",which finally convinces Maria to go back. Here are some of the lyrics:

Which, first of all. Rainbow??? Ok.

Like the rainbow in Ted's hallucination? Like the bi flag in that same hallucination that helped him get unstuck and get as close to achieving his dream as he could, with Total Football.

Secondly, this reminds me of Ted on the plane, doubting himself. Thinking about how they could've won the whole fucking thing. And later, the lyrics from "Father and Son" that play while Ted looks at the snowglobe.

"For you will still be here tomorrow

But your dreams may not"

How are we supposed to interpret this if not that Ted is abandoning his dream,Richmond?

And that someone needs to make him realize his dreams are important, too?

Next, Maria comes back and greets the Captain in an interaction that reminded me a lot of Ted and Trent.

And then the captain says this:

Which is a criticism I heard a lot about the finale. The entirety of AFC Richmond said goodbye to Ted in big ways, and small ways, but he never said a proper goodbye to any of them. A proper, heartfelt goodbye in which he said something substantial, anything that anyone deserved to hear from him, after spending the past 3 years loving him, being by his side and believing in him.

With Maria returned, The Captain breaks up his engagement to The Baroness.

He says he has been dishonest. He has hidden his feelings and he can't hide them anymore. Reminded me of Trent, saying he had to come out to his wife 2 times before her believing. Trent, hiding his real feelings from a woman he couldn't love the way she wanted him to.

To which the Baroness gets defensive and acts like she's the one who wants to break up. That she doesn't think he's the right man for her.

Why?

I laughed out loud when she said this, ngl.

Next, The Captain talks to Maria in the garden about her plans to leave again soon.

Again, reminiscent of Keeley and Rebecca asking Ted to change his mind, and stay. And the book Ted is holding on the plane "How to Change Your Mind: The New Science Of Psychadelics".

The part where he says "it will be all wrong again after you leave". Let's talk about that. Because as Ted leaves, Roy and Jamie throw away years of development and go back to their old dynamic. Nate is a kit man again. So much regression. Beard, going home to an abusive girlfriend. And Ted, who was learning to break free from society's idea of what a family should look like, Ted, who wanted to be free and fluid, going back into those boxes.

For these characters, it's like the show was folded in half,to get the beginning and the end to touch. For them, it's like starting from zero. It's like everything they've been through has been for nothing. (Roy even specifically calls this out).

Back The Sound of Music, Maria and The Captain finally confess their feelings to each other.

Are you kidding me? A whistle? You mean like coaches have?

Anyway, this is all the parallels and things I've found interesting while watching this part in The Sound Of Music. I could go on for longer, but this movie is 3 hours long of scenes that remind me of Ted.

"Yeah, it might be all that you get

Yeah, I guess this might well be it."

[cloudsofbespin]

Hello! I really enjoy your DM-posts! Could I ask you how you feel about DM in the show going forward? Because, honestly I’m a bit worried. Would love to hear your thoughts on it!

So what unsettles me a bit about it is the fact that they already turned Daniel into a vampire, especially in combination with the decision to never(!) show the turning. I’m a huge fan of this interpretation of Daniel and Armand thus far, but them turning Daniel already has made me a bit worried about where they are going with it - and if it’s a focus at all. Cause most of the stuff from the DM chapter is kinda un-adoptable now. There won’t be a human-vampire relationship, no Daniel teaching Armand about the human world and no fights about immortality. Even their intense power imbalance, which is an essential part of the chase, is kinda gone now, even though obviously Armand is still a lot stronger. I’m actually fine with most of this, bit sad about the loss of a human-vampire romance ngl. The only thing is I wonder how they are actually going to do the romance? Cause I gotta be real, I would hate a cliche hate-love relationship where’s it’s all about sexual tension. It’s just very shallow. I also don’t want Daniel to be reduced to being an “emotional-service-vampire” to Armand by chasing after him and being fascinated by him. Obviously it’s very romantic for Armand to have someone be obsessed with him for a change, and I’m not totally against such a scenario - but I just really don’t want the complexity of Daniel’s character be reduced to serve such a plot. Daniel definitely hates Armand at the end of the series, understandably so given the literal torture and the psychological trauma he went through. I felt annoyed that this was so quickly put aside in s2e5 and especially s2e6 and it just makes me worry it will be even less of a thing next season. Or it will be used in a shallow way to have Daniel express hatred of Armand to serve a shallow hate-attraction dynamic. There should be some actual romance, no? I can get behind an enemies-to-lovers thing, but it needs to be well-developed and have depth. I’m just not sure we will get that? Hopefully I’m being too pessimistic. I just feel a bit like Daniel’s character was at times reduced as to make him almost one-dimensional to serve the greater plot last series (in the aforementioned instance in particular). Daniel is a secondary character, so not being a main focus is understandable but reductive character writing is always painful to see. However, it all comes down to how he’s written next series. So hopefully I’ll be proven wrong here.

Rolin’s comments making it sounds as Armand turning Daniel it’s “the” DM thing, no matter the context - and that we’ve already “had two seasons of DM”, really made me sad and annoyed. Cause he can’t be serious! We haven’t gotten anything(!) yet. Even most of the looks between Armand and Daniel can simply be interpreted as Armand looking at Daniel with disdain as he tries to stop him from revealing the truth, and Daniel’s looks can easily be interpreted as a motivated journalist being intrigued by a mystery. I understand why people read their interactions as attraction, I’m not saying that’s wrong - my point is just that we haven’t even gotten anything real and substantial or any actual crumbs yet. Which is fine, if we get something real at some point but Rolin’s comments just worries me in this regard. Please tell me I’m overly worried? Also the mere fact that Armand turns Daniel is not DM, and since it was offscreen we actually didn’t even get that. Also what does this mean in how invested the writers are in this dynamic? I think that is what worries me the most. I understand skipping it in s2, but it’s been stated that we’ll never see it.

I just have lost a lot of faith in the writers here, even though I loved a lot of other stuff in the series. Could I ask you how you think DM is going to develop in series3 and/or 4? And separately, what is some stuff you would like to see? Sorry for the somewhat downer ask, I just really like your blog and reading your thoughts - so I wqs curious about your take on the situation. Thank you!

hi!!! first thank you for your lovely words and an absolutely wonderful ask. it actually made me ponder things and confront my own hopes/wishes/expectations

as of now i have somehow learned to differentiate between book!dm and show!dm and as a result of that i am basically ready for anything. it feels like this great weight has been lifted off my shoulders ever since i stopped agonizing over whether past!dm happened or not. because honestly? i am convinced that they can and will hit some of the major emotional book beats even without their past romantic relationship

as for rolin's "seasons and seasons of devil's minion" comment my interpretation has always been that all of that -- all of their interactions -- are a part of the bigger picture and will lead to something. do you remember rolin's sdcc 2022 answer to a fan who asked about armand and daniel's relationship? he said: if that relationship is important to you, don't worry. and tbh i have always loved that choice of words. yes it is important. and i'm sure they are all aware. it's not the main romantic relationship of the series and we have to remember that the show is above all louis's story. but yeah. the dm relationship is important to armand, it is important to daniel, and it is important to us as fans.

i think you're incredibly valid to be upset about the lack of human/immortal dynamic if we don't get past!dm but as i've mentioned the story can hit some of the other equally important beats. mainly acceptance. because armand and daniel above all simply fit together. they are freak4freak. they are equally matched. they see each other for who they are. and if the show plays their cards right their romance can be pretty epic. i think that's actually what is most important to me. i really need for them to find in each other someone & something they can't find in anyone else. love and acceptance

[skaruresonic]

what were your favorite things about starline before he was ruined

Oh, God, Starline. ;A; How I miss the poor bastard.

Beyond his design, my favorite things about him included his foppishness, his showmanship, his meticulousness, his (relative) calm demeanor, his "comedic intern" angle, and his devotion to licking egg-shaped boot.

Oh, and the most prominent aspect of his character, the linchpin on which all else rests: the simpery.

I will give credit where credit is due, his simpery of Eggman coupled with his more cautious and lowkey nature (at least, compared to Eggman) offered a genuinely new and refreshing dynamic at the time. It didn't seem to come with strings attached as it usually does.

I also used to like his penchant for unintentional comedy. It seemed to be the same flavor of comedy with which they tinge some of Eggman's character.

Granted, Starline was probably always meant to be something of a buttmonkey, but later issues had him ping-pong between being Better Than Eggman(tm) and a buffoon. The constant switch made it difficult to fully invest in him in either case, because one minute we were meant to consider him a srs bsns mastermind and laugh at his failures the next. And not in the balanced way Eggman's humor generates; there were times I genuinely couldn't tell whether we were supposed to root for him or not.

And then, of course, he got crushed under rocks. Big oofed.

Starline used to be funny. Watching him rant and rave? Cry tears of joy? Make an uwu face as Rough and Tumble embarrass him in front of his idol? Funny, because it subverted his otherwise suave Bond villain image, and because you knew that eventually Eggman would crush his windpipe like a squeaky toy. Selling your soul to the devil can only end in tragedy. It filled you with a morbid sort of joy and a dark anticipation as you waited to see how bright this dumpster fire would blaze.

This was one pathetic meow-meow of a man, strange yet oddly compelling. Shame his delusions of grandeur stole away the entertaining aspects of his personality for a more boring, straight-laced character. Even bigger shame that we were supposed to pretend he never meant anything to begin with.

That's not to say Starline could never have had character development, nor that he should have remained a static character. Just as Sonic exerts a positive influence on others, show us how Eggman exerts a twisted influence. Make Starline's devotion to Eggman even unhealthier and fucked-up than it already was. Not in a "I can fix you" kind of way, but in an "I will light myself on fire to keep you warm" kind of way. To the point of self-destruction. That seemed to be the logical direction for such a character, anyway.

But nah, they had to drag us along Starline's unimpressive journey to strike out on his own. Which, like... He stole 90% of Eggman's shit anyway, so how effective was he really? And even if the whole point was that Eggman made him and he's nothing without his idol, then why did the book give him two mini-series? Has he been mentioned even once in the book since his death? Somehow, I very much doubt it.

I don't want to get into it with his creation of Surge and Kit because I'd rather pretend they don't exist, thanks. Yes, I'm aware Starline was originally conceived as their creator, but I think Flynn should have caught on that his character had changed. Realized that trying to cram him back into the original mold would only break him.

And you know what. Even after having suffered 30 issues where Starline was fucking insufferable with his whole "I'll surpass Eggman" schtick, I still felt sad for his passing.

To make matters worse, I felt foolish for my emotional investment, because dammit, I guess I was hoping his story would have culminated in something more substantial than "his favorite flowers are forget-me-nots (snicker)."

Now that I've learned that IDW can drop even their most popular characters in a heartbeat, I'm never making the mistake of even accidentally becoming invested in them again. They're not going to bother developing them or even give them a proper sendoff, so why should I continue reading?

Fs in the chat for my boy. They did him so dirty.

[raccoon-eyed-rebel]

Part 2

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Part 1 🟣 Part 3 

A reverse harem vampire AU ft. Mikey, Marshall, August and Sherlock

Series summary: Somehow, you've managed to live with your boyfriend and his roommates for months before finding out they're vampires, but the real shock first comes when they find out you have a special quality. A quality the guys would love to make use of...

Warnings: Mentions of blood, biting, feeding, sex, some kinky shit, angst. Think that's it. It's pretty fluffy. It's Mikey, so there's boobs involved.

Word count: 1.4k

A/N: We're moving into kinky stuff territory. Still medium scared to post this.

@geralts-yenn I couldn't resist...

@deandoesthingstome @summersong69

“Are you still mad at me, Sweetcheeks?” You felt the mattress dip in the place where Mike sat down next to you. You wondered how you were supposed to answer that question. Were you mad? A little. At him? Not really. It was mostly at yourself, at this point. Of course you could blame your parents for this, but you always felt that their information was off… Why did you never look into it yourself? “No, just a little overwhelmed.” Overwhelmed and tired. And not completely comfortable with how this afternoon had gone down, if you were perfectly honest about it. You’d learned a lot, that’s for sure, but it wasn’t as if all your questions had been answered. Maybe some cuddles from Mike were exactly what you needed right now…

“Can I join you? I missed your arms around me today.” Instead of answering him, you lifted the blanket by means of an invitation. Mikey immediately crawled in beside you, sighing deeply as he laid his head against you and pulled you against his chest. “Hmm, my baby.” He nestled his face into the back of your head. “I love this.”

You decided then and there that he hadn't changed. The fact that you knew what he was made absolutely no difference: He was still the sweet, loveable idiot... who was absolutely inappropriately obsessed with your boobs.

“Mikey!” You squealed when both of his arms slipped around you and immediately grabbed your chest in a way that told you he wasn’t about to let go of you.

“Mine! My boobies.” There was no escaping the iron grip he had on them, and you could only pretend to hate what he was doing for so long before giving in to his touch. When his lips brushed past your neck, you shivered. You felt utterly humiliated when you realized there was a substantial part of you that wanted him to bite you, just to find out…

“You wanna know what it feels like, don't you?” How did he always know? You didn’t let the thought occupy you and turned your attention to denying his claim. Of course he didn’t buy it; you were a terrible liar and generally curious by nature.

“Baby, it's super normal to be curious about it,” Mike said softly. It sounded like he meant it, but you didn’t trust him to be sincere. For all you knew, he was just trying to get a bite out of you… Still, your curiosity won out once again.

“Does it hurt?” Let’s see, does it hurt when someone sinks their teeth into you hard enough to draw blood? What could the answer to that question possibly be?

“The general consensus is 'yes, it does',” Mike said – and you weren’t surprised, “but I wouldn't be me if I didn't know some kinky fuckers.” He laughed. In fact, you both did. You already knew that he did: Mikey was one of those kinky fuckers, and he'd been doing a really good job at having you join that club, too. “And they say it's no worse than a good spanking. God knows you enjoy those...” You felt your cheeks heat up. He wasn’t lying; you’d tried it out a few times and you definitely liked them, even though you doubted that what you’d been doing qualified as a ‘good spanking’ on the seriousness scale.

“Are you trying to convince me to try it out?”

“I'm telling you to allow yourself to be curious.” That was Mike for you, always down for trying new things, always telling you to push any feelings of shame you had aside and just go with it, enjoy things…

“And you're up for it?” The question was redundant; his eyes told you more than enough, but you still felt like asking. Mike was a ‘try most things once’ kind of guy, and he’d definitely agree to something he wasn’t one hundred percent up for, just to try it out. You’d mentioned before that that made you insanely uncomfortable, and that you were only willing to try new things if he was entirely on board with it.

“Oof, hell yeah!” His eagerness made you whip your head around to look at him. It was a rather uncomfortable position to be in, so you just decided to turn around in his arms. That was a fight he didn’t let you win, and you ended up on your back with Mike’s cheek on your chest.

“That was some unprecedented enthusiasm, Mike, explain.” You couldn’t help but laugh when he snuggled tightly against you. All your life, your parents had been telling you vampires were vicious monsters, but Mikey was just about the most adorable thing you had ever run into.

“Oh, oops. Sorry!” Mike laughed, too. “It can be really... eh… hot.” Now that didn’t sound like the word you’d use to describe biting someone, but you obviously weren’t the expert here. Then again, the conversation with the boys hadn’t exactly made it sound like it was a fantastic experience, either.

“Yeah, so…” Mike sounded uneasy. You weren't used to that; he was usually very sure of his idiot self. He hummed softly as you gently pulled your fingers through his dark curls, your touch seemingly putting him at ease. When he spoke again, you had to put in some serious effort to catch some of what he was saying, as part of it almost got lost in your cleavage. “Alright, cards on the table, I guess. It’s a thing, in like… a sexual way… and it happens to be something I'm into. It's intimate and it can feel pretty awesome.”

“Awesome for you or awesome for me?” It was a good thing you blurted that question out before thinking it through, because otherwise you probably wouldn’t have dared to ask him. Mike thought about his answer for a minute.

“Well, it’s obviously awesome for me, I mean… God, how do I explain this?” He returned to his pondering, taking a little longer this time before he continued: “I wouldn’t suggest that to, like, a one-night stand. But with someone I trust… It’s just awesome. There’s lots of closeness involved, lots of care. The pain aspect makes it kinda kinky, and you know me… Let’s bring back the comparison with spanking, okay? You like that, even though it kinda hurts, and I like that you like it… But like I said, it’s a really intimate thing, and just generally another sensation to add to everything else. This isn’t a very coherent story, I’m sorry.”

“That’s okay,” you said before kissing him on the top of his head.

“Oh, and there’s the fact that every time I bite you in like a playful, sexy kinda way, I’m holding back, and sometimes it can be really nice to not have to,” he added. “There are a few risks to it though.” You shot him a quizzical look, and it wasn’t long before he continued.

“Alright, first one would be the pain. And you not liking it. Which means – hypothetically, if we were to ever… y’know – you would just tell me to knock it off, I would, and you would obviously never have to try again. I mean... If you don't want to. And the second one would be that technically you could die.”

“Mike! That sounds like the one you start with, you moron!” You laughed, because – again – this was so incredibly typical for him.

“Well, no. I said: technically.” You secretly hated how entirely à la Mike it was to really dispute the seriousness of a possibly deadly situation on the basis of technicalities. That being said; you were fairly – but only fairly – sure he wouldn’t have so much as suggested it if the risk of dying was significant. Or genuinely present, even.

“I'm sorry, could you stop discussing technicalities when talking about a situation that might kill me?” Maybe by now you were just playing with him a little…

“Sweetcheeks, ease up, would you? And let me finish,” Mike said. “Alright. Yes, technically you could die. If I decide to drain you.”

“Wait, couldn't you technically decide to do that any time?”

“There we go: technically.”

[gi-nathlam-hi]

After watching the new episodes of rings of power, I was honestly a bit… disappointed. Don’t get me wrong I liked it! (and have high hopes for the rest of the season) But I also liked the last season and it felt like they had improved on some things and other things (cough writing cough pacing) not at all. HOWEVER, a huge improvement for me was Gil Galad and I am now completely sold on him. I’m not even sure what the change is, maybe simply just more screen time, but he feels like a new character, and I’m super excited to see him through the next seasons!! Nothing substantial to say here just wanted to rant about rings of power lol

Also Adar is the sexiest character on the show…

Take my opinions with a grain of salt because I have only seen ep 1-2 so far, but I do agree. I raised my expectations a bit for season 2 (and I'm still holding out tentative hope and my expectations remain high for the eregion plot, because it seems like the strongest one out of all of them. Partially just for Charlie and Charlie's performances and chemistry!), but I lowered them right back down. I love the show! It's enjoyable to watch. But really I enjoy it the way I enjoy some soft-serve ice cream or a light novel, you know? I'm pretty gentle with it. The trouble with it is that when it's good, it's really good, but when it's bad it's really bad and there's no in-between.

That being said there have been some noticeable improvements! I'm really happy to see that the worldbuilding has filled out, and that the costuming and hair/makeup departments seem to have gotten more time and budget. The costumes are fire this season! It also seems they consulted some language experts in between seasons (ignoring the Mirdania name kerfuffle...), because the elves are now speaking Sindarin, which is a massive fix which just should not have even been a problem in the first place. And yeah, Gil-Galad is much more dynamic and complex. I think part of that is that Ben seems a little less stiff in his performance. For some reason more of his natural charisma is coming through that I felt was missing in S1. It helps, I think, that we have more scenes with him -- and especially more scenes of him interacting with Galadriel. Ben and Morfydd have such great screen chemistry, and it felt like their scenes together had some of the best script writing overall (aside from the Charlie and Charlie scenes -- but honestly Charlie and Charlie could carry even an incredibly disastrous script on their backs and make it enjoyable, I think).

Adar was a character I was very fond with in S1, but I'm insane about him in S2. He's so fucking good. I love what they're doing with him.

[tinkasthoughts]

Part 6 of my fanfiction: IzuToga: Shades of Red And Green

Check it out on wattpad <3

Location: U.A. Dormitory Grounds

It had been a month since Izuku Midoriya last heard from Himiko Toga. A month since their first—and his first—kiss. The memory of it lingered in his mind, a constant distraction, and a source of deep concern. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget the warmth of her lips, the way her voice trembled when she told him she cared about him, or the promise she made to come back to him.

But that promise was beginning to feel like a distant dream.

The League of Villains had sent a chilling public message just a day after she left. They offered a substantial cash reward for Toga—dead or alive. The reason for the bounty was unclear to everyone else, but the message was crystal to Izuku. Clear enough to send Izuku into a spiral of worry and frustration. For a month, he had been searching, quietly gathering information while trying to focus on his training and stabilize his quirk. But every lead turned into a dead end, and each passing day only deepened his anxiety.

He tried to throw himself into his hero work, giving everything he had to his training, but his friends noticed the change. He wasn’t his usual self. The worry was gnawing at him, and it was getting harder to hide.

Location: U.A. Dormitory – Training Grounds

Izuku was training alone, sweat dripping down his brow as he pushed himself harder than ever. The rhythmic sound of his fists pounding against the training dummies echoed in the quiet night air. His mind was racing, filled with thoughts of Toga—where she could be, whether she was safe, and if she still felt the same way about him.

“Deku?”

Ochako’s voice broke through his thoughts, and he turned to see her standing with Todoroki and Iida, all of them looking at him with concern. He quickly wiped the sweat from his forehead and forced a smile. “Oh, hey, guys. What are you doing out here?”

Ochako frowned, stepping closer. “We should be asking you that. You’ve been out here for hours. Are you okay?”

Izuku hesitated, glancing away. He didn’t want to worry them, but the truth was becoming harder to hide. “Yeah, I’m fine… just needed to blow off some steam.”

Todoroki’s eyes narrowed slightly, as if he could see right through Izuku’s facade. “You’ve been working yourself to the bone lately. It’s not like you to be so distant.”

Iida nodded, adjusting his glasses. “Midoriya, if there’s something bothering you, you should talk to us. We’re your friends.”

Izuku felt a lump form in his throat. He wanted to tell them everything, but how could he explain the complicated feelings he had for Toga? How could he confess that the villain they had all fought against was now someone he cared about deeply?

Before he could say anything, Ochako asked the question he had been dreading. “Have you… heard anything from Toga?”

The air around them grew tense, and Izuku’s face flushed with embarrassment. He couldn’t help but think back to their kiss, the way it had felt so right and so wrong at the same time. “N-No, I haven’t,” he stammered, trying to brush off the question. “I don’t know where she is…”

The conversation grew awkward, and Izuku quickly made an excuse to leave, not wanting to dwell on the topic any longer. His friends exchanged worried glances as they watched him walk away, their concern for him only deepening.

Location: U.A. High – Teacher’s Lounge

The next day, Izuku couldn’t push his worries aside any longer. He found himself in the teacher’s lounge, sitting across from All Might, who was listening intently as Izuku poured out his heart.

“All Might… I can’t stop thinking about her,” Izuku admitted, his voice trembling. “I need to find her. She promised she would come back to me, but it’s been so long… I’m scared something’s happened to her.”

All Might’s expression softened with understanding. “Young Midoriya, it’s natural to be concerned for someone you care about. But you must remember, Toga has made choices that led her down a dark path. Bringing her back won’t be easy.”

Izuku nodded, his eyes filled with determination. “I know… but what if she could be forgiven? What if she could change? Could she… could she become a student at U.A.?”

All Might paused, considering the question. “It’s not impossible, but it would be a difficult road. She would have to atone for her crimes and prove that she truly wants to change. The path to redemption is long and uncertain, but it’s not out of reach.”

Izuku’s heart lifted slightly with hope, but the uncertainty still gnawed at him. “I have to find her, All Might. I have to save her.”

All Might placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, his voice gentle but firm. “I understand, young Midoriya. I’ll do what I can to help. I have some old contacts at the investigation center—retired villains who might have information. I’ll ask around.”

Location: U.A. Dormitory Grounds

A few days later, All Might returned with troubling news. The retired villains had heard rumors that Toga had been captured by a group of low-level thugs who were after the reward money. They didn’t know if she was alive or dead, but the news sent Izuku into a panic.

“All Might, I have to go to her!” Izuku pleaded, his eyes wide with desperation. “She could be hurt—or worse! Please, let me go save her!”

All Might hesitated, knowing the risks involved. “Young Midoriya, this is dangerous. We don’t know what we’re walking into. I can’t let you go alone.”

“I won’t be alone!” Izuku argued. “Send a pro hero with me, but please… I can’t just sit here and do nothing. I have to protect her!”

Seeing the resolve in Izuku’s eyes, All Might reluctantly agreed. He arranged for a pro hero to accompany Izuku and gave him the location—an abandoned casino where the villains were rumored to be hiding out.

Izuku wasted no time, rushing to the location with a heart full of fear and determination. The thought of Toga being hurt or worse drove him forward, faster than he’d ever run before.

When he arrived at the casino, it was eerily quiet. The dilapidated building loomed before him, its windows shattered, and the paint peeling off the walls. Izuku’s heart raced as he carefully made his way inside.

Location: Abandoned Casino – Main Floor

Inside, the air was thick with tension. Izuku’s eyes scanned the darkened room, and his heart sank when he saw her. Toga was tied to a chair, her body bruised and bleeding, her usual lively demeanor replaced by exhaustion and pain. Three large men, each with weak but intimidating quirks, stood around her, their eyes glinting with malice.

“Toga!” Izuku shouted, his voice filled with concern as he tried to rush toward her. But the villains stepped in his path, blocking his way.

“If you want her, you’ll have to fight us for her,” one of them sneered, cracking his knuckles. “She’s our ticket to a big payday.”

Izuku’s anger flared, his fists clenching as One for All surged through him. “She’s not a prize! She’s a person—a person I care about deeply! And if I have to fight you to save her, I will!”

Toga, weak and beaten, looked up at Izuku with tear-filled eyes. “Izuzu… don’t risk your life for me… If something happens to you, I won’t want to live anymore…”

Izuku’s heart ached at her words, and he fought back the tears threatening to spill over. “Toga, don’t worry. Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’m going to save you and protect you, just like you did for me. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

The villains laughed, clearly underestimating Izuku. But they had no idea what they were up against. With a roar of determination, Izuku charged at them, unleashing the power of One for All.

Location: Abandoned Casino – Main Floor

The fight was intense but brief. The first villain, who could manipulate small objects telekinetically, tried to hurl debris at Izuku, but he easily dodged and countered with a powerful punch, sending the villain crashing into a wall.

The second villain, who could create small explosions with his hands, charged at Izuku, but Izuku anticipated his move, using his speed to outmaneuver him. With a swift kick, Izuku disarmed the villain, knocking him out cold.

The third and largest villain, who had enhanced strength, was the toughest. He grabbed Izuku, lifting him off the ground, but Izuku didn’t hesitate. Channeling all his power, he delivered a devastating Detroit Smash, breaking free and sending the villain flying across the room.

When the dust settled, the villains were defeated, lying unconscious around the room. Izuku rushed to Toga’s side, his heart pounding with worry.

“Toga!” he cried, quickly untying her and catching her as she slumped forward into his arms. She looked up at him, her eyes bright with tears and relief.

“Izuzu… I missed you so much,” she whispered, her voice filled with a mix of relief and exhaustion. Despite her usual cheerful tone, it was clear that the past month had taken a heavy toll on her. She leaned heavily against him, her body weakened from the ordeal.

Izuku’s heart ached as he held her close, his arms wrapping around her protectively. “You promised you would come back to me,” he murmured, his voice trembling with emotion. “I couldn’t let you break that promise.”

Toga’s eyes softened as she looked up at him, her usual mischievous glint replaced by something deeper, something more sincere. “I did want to… but I couldn’t find my way back… until now.”

Izuku’s grip tightened around her as he fought back the tears threatening to spill over. He had been so worried, so scared that he might lose her before he had the chance to truly help her. “You don’t have to worry anymore, Toga. I’m here now, and I’m going to protect you. No one’s going to hurt you ever again.”

Toga smiled weakly, the pain in her expression clear as she tried to stay conscious. “Izuzu… you really are the best hero… I’ve ever met…”

As she spoke, her body finally gave in to the exhaustion and injuries she had sustained. Her eyes fluttered shut, and she collapsed into Izuku’s arms, unconscious.

“No… Toga, stay with me!” Izuku’s voice was filled with panic as he gently shook her, trying to keep her awake. But she didn’t respond, her breathing shallow and uneven. “Toga… please… don’t leave me…”

At that moment, the pro hero that All Might had sent arrived, rushing into the room. The hero quickly assessed the situation, his gaze hardening as he took in Toga’s injuries and the defeated villains around them.

“We need to get her medical attention immediately,” the pro hero said, his tone serious as he approached them. “She’s lost a lot of blood.”

Izuku nodded, his heart racing as he carefully lifted Toga into his arms, cradling her against his chest. “We need to get her to Recovery Girl… she’ll know what to do…”

The pro hero placed a hand on Izuku’s shoulder, his expression stern but understanding. “We will, but we need to move quickly. She’s in critical condition.”

Izuku didn’t waste any time. With the pro hero leading the way, he carried Toga out of the abandoned casino, his mind racing with fear and determination. He couldn’t lose her—not now, not after everything they had been through. He would do whatever it took to save her, to keep her safe.

As they made their way to safety, the only sound that filled the night air was the frantic beating of Izuku’s heart and the faint, fragile breaths of the girl in his arms.

[wolfsbanemanor]

So, how did they become vampires anyway? (Part 4)

Part One

Part Two

Part Three "Help us?!" shouted Caleb. He started to feel dizzy again, and Vlad and Lilith guided him to the couch. "You must be Caleb," said Vlad. "Your sister told me all about you. She said something bad happened to you, and you haven't been well since." Caleb looked at Vlad and Lilith skeptically. "You know," Vlad went on. "I haven't properly welcomed you to The Community." "What community?" asked Caleb. "The community of vampires," replied Vlad. Caleb scoffed. "Vampires don't exist," he said. "They're just something Watcherian pastors bring up to keep people in line." "Show me your neck," said Vlad. Caleb recoiled away from Vlad's touch, but Vlad persisted. Oddly, he didn't perceive it as cold, like that woman had been. "Hmm...yes, it looks like you've been bitten by a vampire, though your wounds are healing nicely." He held up a mirror, but Caleb couldn't see himself. "I know this is a big adjustment for you," said Vlad. "But I can teach you to adapt to your new life. Your sister will be there, too." Vlad went on to tell the two of them about how powerful they would be once he'd trained them. Lilith actually seemed rather excited. Caleb wasn't so sure...but what choice did he have now? Then, Vlad's watch beeped. "It's getting close to sunrise. I have to go. I will be back tomorrow night."

As the next few days wore on, Lilith underwent her own transformation. Hers wasn't as difficult as Caleb's, in the sense that she hadn't been reeling from the trauma of a violent attack in a public restroom. But she felt sick. Caleb was still troubled by memories of that night, though he did the best he could to help his sister. Lily was still at the house, and was starting to become suspicious. What had Lilith done this time?

In time, Lilith's transformation was complete. She was a vampire now, too. And true to his word, Vlad stopped by in those days to check up on the two of them. "You know, Caleb," he said. "You'd stop having those dizzy spells if you ate something." There was some food in the fridge, but none of it seemed to help. "You know what vampires eat, don't you?" Caleb looked at him. "I think it's time for your first lesson. Your sister, too. Come with me." They followed Vlad outside, into the night. It was chilly out; the leaves had turned, and had all but fallen from the trees, and a thin coating of frost formed on the grass. But they didn't feel cold. They followed Vlad to a diner that stayed open late at night. Many people filed in and out. The woman behind the counter knew Caleb and Lilith, but she did find it odd that they were so pale, and who was that with them? She poured them each a cup of coffee. "I know this place," Caleb said. "And I know the owners. They're nice people. They make some amazing omelettes." "Indeed," said Vlad, watching a beautiful blonde woman walk by. "But we aren't here for omelettes. Lesson one: scope your surroundings." Vlad never took his eyes off the woman. Caleb knew her. She lived down the street. When he was a Worshipper of the Watcher, they attended worship together. She had sent a sympathy card when his parents passed away, along with a beautiful floral arrangement. "Stay here, just watch," said Vlad. He followed her and introduced himself. She seemed interested. He led her someplace off to the side. Someplace where people wouldn't see them, and he motioned for Caleb and Lilith to follow. He changed into his dark form, and plunged his fangs into the woman's neck, drinking deeply from her. When he was done, he let her go, leaving her unceremoniously passed out. "This," he said, "Is what you have to do from now on, if you want to survive." Caleb was horrified. "I-isn't there another way?" he asked. "No," replied Vlad. "Not anything substantial enough, anyway." Caleb looked at Lilith. She wasn't exactly enthusiastic about biting friends, neighbors, people she knew. But if this was the only way, she could make it work. And she wanted to get stronger. She wanted to be powerful like Vlad. She wanted to find the woman who'd done the unthinkable to her brother and make her pay. She wanted to be in control. She wanted to protect her brother from being hurt again. "Now, it's your turn." Lilith found herself a man. She knew him from the funeral parlor. Nice man; he wasn't the funeral director, but he was like an assistant or something, she guessed. He'd helped her, Lily, and Caleb into the limo. She walked up to him.

"Well, Caleb?" asked Vlad "What about you? See anyone you like?" But Caleb was outside. He pulled his wool-trimmed jacket (an identical copy to the one he'd been wearing when he was attacked) tighter around him. He thought about all the people he saw in there. Willow Creek was a small town, and he knew most of these people in some way or another. He didn't really want to bite...well, anyone, really. But especially not people he knew. He sat down on the stoop. He thought about Miss Hell (though he did not know her name, or know who she was. He had never met her before that night, and hadn't seen her since.) He thought about what she had done to him (something his father had, when it was time for the Woohoo Talk, warned him never to do). He thought about what she'd done to him after that, too. How she bit him a second time (the first time had been while she was forcing herself on him), in order to change him so she'd be able to see him again. (What she meant by that, he wasn't quite sure. Did Vlad know her? Would he do the same to him?) Did Vlad want him to be willing to go that far? Was Vlad willing to go that far? Just the thought made Caleb sick, and he ducked into the nearest alley and retched.

Vlad peeked outside and witnessed this. He shook his head. Some new vampires took to their new status like ducks to water. Like Lilith. She had done quite well. Others...well, others took longer to get used to it. But he was confident that he could train Caleb in the art of being a vampire. He had other stubborn pupils in the past; it just took a bit of time with them. He went outside. Caleb wiped his mouth and staggered out of the alleyway. Vlad met him outside. "Okay," he said. "I can see that you're not quite ready right now. I understand." Caleb looked at him. How could he possibly understand? "But you'll have to do it sooner or later." He got the two of them home. "Where were you?" asked Lily. "I was training with Vlad," replied Lilith. It was technically true. Caleb said nothing. But Lily could tell he was upset. His jaw was clenched, and his eyebrow furrowed. Something was up, and she was determined to find out what that something was. She was due to leave the next morning, but she was considering staying a few extra days. She wanted to make sure her cousins were alright. They looked different, and Lilith was acting strangely. The next night, Vlad returned to the house. He had sensed that there was someone else in the house, and he was thirsty. He went up to the guest room and found Lily. Caleb and Lilith followed Vlad, but they didn't know where he'd gone. Until they heard Lily scream. They raced down the hall, and Lily had jumped out the window. Vlad changed into his bat form and chased after her. He could tell her blood was going to be delicious. "Lily, wait!" called Lilith. But Lily did not respond. She left her suitcase behind, and ran off into the night, clad only in her pajamas. Vlad returned to the house, unfazed. He figured she'd be back eventually. Lilith decided she'd better tell Lily about him. Maybe she could even convince Lily to let Vlad turn her, too. Caleb scowled at Vlad. "Get. Out." he said. Lilith's eyes went wide. It was very rare that Caleb got angry. "Alright," said Vlad. "But I'll be back." Lily ran and ran and ran. She was exhausted. What had happened to her cousins?! Were they in danger? She hid in an underground tunnel. It was dark, but as far as she could tell, that creepy guy who'd transformed into a bat before her very eyes was gone. Was he the Vlad that Lilith had told her about? Just then, she heard an ominous growl behind her. She turned around and saw two glowing, angry, red, beastly eyes.

[glassmarcus]

The Rogue Lite Mexican Stand Off

*All games played in January 2023, Written in November 2023

I've had a backlog of Rogue Lites I planned on checking out for years now. This list keeps growing and I've accepted that I'll never reach the bottom. So I decided to knock out the three I felt were at the top of the genre at the very least. First I played Hades, a title I wasn't super psyched to try because I'm not a huge fan of isometric angles in games. But word of mouth overcame that doubt and I gave it a shot anyway. And yea, the game is aces. I was not led astray. Second on the docket was Rogue Legacy 2. I knew I was going to love this game because of how much I loved the first. To zero shock, I loved Rogue Legacy 2. Last was Dead Cells. A game I was interested in because I heard it be compared to Dark Souls at one point. What got me to finally buy it was the Castlevania DLC which I had to purchase because I'm a huge shill. By the way this game is also pretty good.

I see why this gallery of Rogue Likes are praised so highly and I enjoyed my time with them immensely... But which one is the best? I tried to place them all on the same level in my mind, but that's not how I operate. There needs to be a clear pecking order. A hierarchy must be established and that's exactly what I will do here. I'm going to pit these three Rouge Lites against each other and see who comes out on top. And no, I will not stop using the terms Rogue Lite and Rogue Like interchangeably. I know they are technically different things, but they sound far too similar for me to care. All games that expect you to complete their procedurally generated adventure in a single run are Rogue Likes/ Rogue Lites. That's the definition I'm using here.

In one corner of this Rogue Like Mexican stand off is Hades. Hades is a mechanically efficient masterwork of roguish progression. Not a single aspect is wasted and unpolished. You look at the weapons you get and might think "oh, there's only six of them" only to realize that they only made six because you only need six. Every weapon is completely fleshed out and has its own advantages over others. Swords deal high damage and take out a lot of enemies at once, but require putting yourself in risky situations. The Bow is weaker but safer as you can attack from anywhere in the screen. The Spear is somewhat of a jack of all trades, not as much range as a bow, not as much power as a sword, but enough of both to be worth using. Shields take a different approach in being a middle man by having its normal attack be melee and it's special long range. Fist and Guns act as the gambling man's version of the sword and bow. With Fist, you can get a lot of damage in when you're close, but it's harder to gauge when you should retreat. With Guns you can get way more hits than with the Bow, but you also have to manage your ammo and if you lose count you'll be shit out of luck.

I gotta say, there is no clear best weapon to use. I like the fist the best because obviously I'm gonna gravitate towards the punchy one the most, but I can't say it's strictly better than the others. And I came to this conclusion by naturally trying out every weapon. Hades attributes a point bonus for a random weapon in each run. These points can be used to permanently upgrade yourself between runs. So you have to decide if you want consistency with the weapons you are used to, or invest in the future by trying something new and getting potentially more points. Its a great way to incentivize variety and exploration of the mechanics of the game. The weapon options don't even end there as you get the ability to permanently upgrade your weapons after you've probably found a favorite. And these upgrades can substantially change the way you play as they aren't merely damage increases, but diverse effects that you can take advantage of to great result.

This game could just have these weapons and be perfectly great, but what takes it to the next level are the mid run upgrades you'd expect from any rogue like. Boons, the power gifted from the gods, are what really counts in getting you strong enough to claw your way out of hell. When you understand the advantages of your weapon, the permanent abilities you've acquired, and the effects boons can have, you can figure out which boons cynergize with you the best. As I stated prior, I was a Fist Aficionado. A weapon that hits fast and requires you to get in and out of enemy range. So when I picked boons that worked well with that, I got outstanding results. Abilities that decreased enemy attacks were my go to, because I knew I was going to get hit so I thought I might as well make it hurt less. And figuring out that build myself was when I really started to mesh with Hades. At first I wasn't getting any of the mechanics, flailing around with my standard attack until I dodged. But as I progressed it only kept feeling better to me. They introduce new combat options and improve the old ones. I think the game went from decent to incredible once I got a second Cast.

Cast are such a beautiful mechanic. Somehow both great for single target damage and Area of Effect depending on what boon you choose. But no matter which you choose, it changes the flow of combat due to the fact you have to pick that shit up. Keeping your rhythm despite cast not recharging automatically is the heart of why combat feels so good to me. Calls and Specials are great, but the real heroes are Cast, Attacks, and Dashes. In my experience, that’s actually the order I prioritize these moves. Your cast always have some effect that influences how you attack so that comes first. Then you attack to take advantage of what the cast does. While attacking you are dodging to stay alive. And then the cast wears off and they are left on the ground. And now you must use your attack and dash to navigate through enemies and pick up your cast so you can start the whole thing over again. Once you get into that flow state and start incorporating specials and calls into the equation, the combat of Hades becomes something truly special.

On a gameplay level this is brilliant. And you know what? The story ain't too bad either. Most Rogue Lite stories aren't something to write home about as far as I've experienced. After all, they are kind of the junk food of video games. Short and sweet experiences that don't have time to make an interesting story. Hades is built a bit different. Every run you do progresses the story and everything you do is canon. Games have been explaining away respawning for decades now, but I think this is on a different level. Characters acknowledge the things you did in prior runs. Story lines are moved through both success and failure so there's a palpable sense of progressing delivered in multiple ways. There's dating sim elements. And every character is hot. The story of Hades doesn't just work well, it works in a uniquely video game way. The setting of Hades is roguish in both thematics and mechanics. It's all about taking failure on the chin and accepting any help you can. It drove me to play it even more than I normally would have and made each run unique. It drove me to play it even after I beat it. This game’s story doesn't conclude until you beat it 10 times and I’m not upset about it one bit. You can customized each run's difficulty in a variety of ways after you beat it to add new rewards and content.

It really is a near perfectly crafted game in its genre. The only thing it drops the ball in is music which is a bit underwhelming. Don't remember a damn thing from it. And I've heard praise for the OST too, but it appears to not be my bag. It worked for what the game was going for and it matched the environments well, but it didn't stick with me the way I'd prefer an OST to stick with me. That's really is the only issue about the game I can conjure...but if it was clearly the best one of the three, I wouldn't be writing this.

In the second corner we have Rogue Legacy 2. Rogue Legacy is the inverse of Hades. Its narrative foil in a way. They are both games about overcoming impossible odds with the help from your family and end up being equally powerful despite going separate routes with this premise. Hades is based around Nepotism. You get to know your uncles and cousins throughout the game and your bonds with them push you forward. As such Hades is a more character driven narrative due to how large and important the supporting cast is. The cast in Rogue Legacy 2 is potentially bigger, but they're mostly all the same character. The Premise of Rogue Legacy 2 is that each run follows the latest heir of a family sworn to conquer an evil castle. When you die, you play as your offspring in the next push through the castle. It's a different character technically, with a different class and unique attributes. But one thing is maintained between the end of your last journey and the beginning of your new one: Your Bank Account.

If Hades is about Nepotism, Rogue Legacy is about Inheritance. Your character is given every advantage their predecessors were given and then some, assuring the next generation grows up stronger. Rather than death being equated to a minor setback, it's given real narrative consequence in a way. Every failed run is an echo of your past self. And it's cool that their efforts aren't going to waste. You are carrying the weight of your entire bloodline on your shoulders and it makes it all the more gratifying when you get to your points of respite. It's not as interesting as the standard well written game story, but it's just as powerful as one. When I beat the game and saw 100+ ancestors given their due credit, I felt that shit.

None of this is authentic by the way. Every bit of this was executed in Rogue Legacy 1 prior. The thing is, the sequel is better than that game in every conceivable way that it overwrites its very existence. I'm not exaggerating one bit when I say that there is zero reason to play the first game anymore. I get that it would be embarrassing for a game about improving over generations to not be way better than it's predecessor, but Junior didn't have to go this hard. I'd go as far to say that the first area of Rogue Legacy 2 completely encapsulates the experience of the first game. Everything beyond that point feels fresh and new. So for the remainder of this essay, Rogue Legacy only refers to the second game. It's such a large improvement to an already good game.

Rogue Legacy works because it's unabashedly brutal. Your hit boxes are so small and the enemy hit boxes are so big. Damage values are obscene. Enemies are around every corner and are relentless. Conquering this game is supposed to be difficult so it is designed around failure. It's not fair, but doesn't pretend to be. Your goal is rarely about accomplishing shit on your own and is more about fostering a new generation. Sewing seeds for the future. This game has six areas you need to conquer before gaining access to the final boss. Areas that you can access in a non linear way. It's essentially six separate Rogue Likes glued together. After you beat one area, you can still revisit that area in future runs, only the boss is permanently dead now. Once you've built an heir capable enough, you have the freedom to make short runs where you B-line to the boss or long runs where you scrape each prior area before the showdown. The draw of Rogue Legacy lies in how unlikely it is that you beat it in under a few dozen runs, but because every single run you failed in built towards your eventual victory, it is all the more satisfying.

Rogue Legacy is a game with an insane number of mechanics. Classes, armor, seals, equipment load, bank interest, skill trees, artifacts, upgrades and the list keeps going. Rogue Legacy takes Search Action gameplay and implements systems with the breadth and complexity of a 60 hours long RPG. And it functions perfectly because this is going to be a very looooong game, so the player has time to understand how the systems interact. Unlocking a class you can vibe with and figuring out which abilities and equipment optimize well with it is one of the many joys of Rogue Legacy 2.

Classes define your initial weapons, skills, and spells and additional stats. Class skills and stats basically determine how you're going to play. Weapons are important too, but the skills and stats can't be swapped out the same way weapons and spells can. And much like any craft, they can be improved. You can level up classes by playing them and defeating enemies. This incentivizes focusing on a single class that you've grown fond of so that their base stats will improve. But the random character generation limits your choice in the matter. It forces you to choose different classes. You're always making the best with the hands you are dealt, similar actual genetics. Classes aren't the only thing randomly generated in character creation. Each heir has a genetic trait that has a benefit and drawback. You can be born as a dwarf with shorter weapon range, but makes more money per chest. You can start off with a character who falls slowly, making some sections easier and some a nightmare. Every aspect of build creation of this game has a push and pull.

The armor you buy in this game increases your defense but the set bonus combination for said armors can give you extra stat or ability modifications. Seals are exclusively ability modifications guaranteed to make the game more fun to play with reliable effects. Artifacts fulfill the same purpose a lot of the time, but they are objects you find within the castle runs themselves. Having the right class, armor set, artifacts, and seals can make for a devastating build that will get you far in your adventure. But it's never that simple. Everything in this game has a cost. Armor cost money and ore to make and their weight fills up your maximum armor equip limit. Seals cost money and blood stones and have their own equip limit as well. Artifacts cost resolve and maybe re-rolls to get the best ones, and your resolve lowers if you have too much armor. The lower your resolve gets, the lower your Hit Point Maximum gets, making the character’s stats themselves a form of currency. Nothing in this game is simply handed to you and you have to do everything yourself with the small loan of 1 million gold your dead father gave you.

These systems and how they interact push this to being a phenomenal game, but they wouldn't mean anything without fun gameplay and that is something Rogue Legacy has in spades. Movement is the best part of this game I feel. It really leaned into the Metroidvania aspect. You get powers throughout the game that make world traversal delightful, and become even more fun when you have seals to build off of. Not many games let you do a quintuple jump into a triple air dash, but Rogue Legacy is one of those games. No mechanic you are given is that complicated as they are simply extensions of what you can already do. Attack, Magic, Skill, Dash, and Jump are basically the whole of the gameplay. Just fine tuning those things makes it satisfying to master. But there is one aspect added in this sequel that felt so natural I forgot to list it.

The Spin Kick. The spin kick is essentially a Duck Tales pogo. But you don't get that much height from it. But what it loses in height, it makes up for in surface area. You can spin kick basically any thing in this game so long as long as it's physical or electrical matter. Enemies, projectiles, weird candelabras, are all spin kick approved. Think Cup Head parry, but exclusively down ward, which doesn't seem that great, but it's a platformer essentially. You are jumping a lot. It's really not that different from attacks coming from the side when you are in mid air so much of the time any way. This platformer parry is utilized throughout the whole game to making interesting level obstacles and boss patterns. It is the unsung hero of this game and 3 playthroughs later, I'm still finding joy in executing it.

It's very hard for things in Rogue Legacy to overstay their welcome. Even the procedural level design remains fresh. Lots of variety in the rooms. It's not only a series of corridors where you have to kill enemies in a generated mini level. Some rooms are puzzles. Some are platforming challenges. Some are gauntlets and mini bosses. Some are purely story related. Also the 6 level motifs are distinct both visually and how they are designed. Level 2 almost entirely horizontal while the last area feels like a true dungeon crawler due to how dark and dangerous it is. I wasn't kidding before. Rogue Legacy 2 is 6 Rogue Legacy sequels stuffed into 1 game. And the post game adds another layer to that variety. One of the best parts about a long dev cycle is that entire trends go by in the middle of it. And because of that the creators can be given new ideas. Rogue Legacy blatantly takes the same post game ideas displayed in Dark Souls and Hades and injects it into itself. Rogue Legacy waited until the last moment to turn in its homework and then unabashedly copied off its classmates for an easy A. And god bless it for doing so. With the scaling and customizable difficulty, expansion of rewards and enemies, and completely unique bonus challenges, I'm gonna be playing this one for a long time.

So clearly I enjoy these two games a lot. But what about Dead Cells? What does it bring to the table? What can it do to stand up to these titans. Well. Honestly not much. If Hades is Angel Eyes, and Rogue Legacy is Blondie, then Dead Cells is Tuco stuck in the stand off with an unloaded gun.

Dead Cells is a good game. It looks better than Rogue Legacy. I might enjoy the gameplay more than Hades. But that's where the advantages end. And I'll be honest I haven't spent enough time with this game to truly have scholars opinion on it, thus I can’t write paragraph about its design. But that's kind of the problem. I beat this game in 4 runs. I'm no god at gaming. I'm slightly above average on a good day. The fact that I stumbled upon the ending of this game so early is disappointing. Rogue Legacy, I died a hundred deaths before reaching credits. Hades took me around 14 to beat the first time. Dead Cells gave it away and it was so deflating. I didn't work towards anything. I just sort of won. I never even died to a single boss. Once I upgraded how many estus I could hold, the only thing that mattered was the pick ups I got during the run. I'm sure if I go back there is way more to the game, but after seeing the credits I kind lost all motivation to play it. It's not fair to the game that I did that, but that's how I feel and I got other things to do with my time. It’s too bad I had the idea of comparing these three games before playing all of them.

So it all comes down to Rogue Legacy 2 and Hades. Hades has untouchable presentation and succeeds in everything it attempts with grace in a way that Rogue Legacy 2 doesn't. I can't really break down why, there's an air about it that makes it feel more thought out and seamless. But...I value what Rogue Legacy 2 is more as a game and more over, as a Rogue Like. Sure I like 2D games more than isometric games, but even beyond that, Rogue Legacy has a layer of exploration that pushes it over for me. I find it far more replayable. Hades likely has more condensed quality, but the quantity of Rogue Legacy makes up for it, and quantity is a bit more important for the genre honestly. The depth in content for Hades lies more in the story after you've beaten it, while Rogue Legacy is more in the gameplay. There are more things to do and experience, so it has more value to me. It was likely obvious what my preference was due to how I wrote more about it and made that spot on Dollars Trilogy Reference, but I couldn't really hide it. It's just that damn good.

[positivelybeastly]

I have done some looking into... how do I phrase this? What causes people to develop the powers they get? Hopefully, my explanation helps make sense. I couldn't find a lot, as surprisingly, this has only been researched by one person, but supposedly both personality and subconscious influence the powers and physical appearance of not just mutants, but inhumans and gamma mutates.

Thoughts?

~Stray

"Interesting theory.

As it happens, I've done some, what I would term, preliminary research into something like this phenomena, given that my mutation has been . . . well. Variable, shall we say? And I've oft wondered if there was something about me that demanded that I be - specifically this.

In my instance, I've only been able to hypothesise as to one direct causal link. When I was mortally wounded by Vargas in Valencia, Sage jumpstarted my mutation, and the form I was given was substantially more ferocious, more violent, more suited to combat. I can only therefore surmise that my body reacts to the threats that have ki - done lasting harm, to me."

"And that wasn't all. I also found that my skull had toughened considerably after my secondary mutation, providing increased protection for my brain.

As I'm sure you know, evolution is not a straight line - it's full of stops, starts, dead ends and random extinctions, until eventually you reach something close to perfection. But it's quite fascinating to see it manifest over such an accelerated period as a single lifetime.

My X-gene appeared to be quite simple, oversized feet and hands, superhuman strength, speed, agility, balance, but over time, it appears that it's actually expressing itself in a form of selective atavism, picking and choosing traits that it believes will best serve me.

Environmental factors are, of course, no new influence on evolution, but my skull becoming tougher . . . perhaps it's bad science to ascribe motive to primal forces, but it really does feel as if my X-gene is being guided somehow. Subconsciously, by my personality, by my neurochemistry, all three? It's an interesting theory."

"Expanding outwards, you can certainly see patterns within other mutants - Cyclops, for instance, is someone defined by control, over himself and external factors. Now, I'll grant that a good deal of that was caused by childhood trauma, and it's hard to say how much of his personality came about as a result of his powers as opposed to in spite of them, but it's still an interesting quirk of fate that he be given a mutant gift that forms a feedback loop into his personality. Not enough to be what I would call conclusive scientific evidence, but - interesting."

"The most compelling evidence for your theory would be the Hulk, of course, as you intimated with your mention of gamma mutates. Doctor Banner's trauma externalising in such a manner, and changing so often in response to the way that trauma morphs and peaks and valleys and transforms.

I've often wondered if Bruce had an inactive X-gene before his irradiation - much like Terrigenesis, his radioactive bombardment has so fundamentally changed his cellular structure that all the usual genetic markers are absent, so I can't tell one way or the other, but it is fascinating to consider, isn't it?"

"That being said, I would be wary of throwing my weight behind what is essentially, still, a collection of observations, personal judgements, happenstance and unique circumstances.

The question I feel that most naturally comes next is this. What comes first? To wit, the genetic markers that are required to develop powers, whether they be an X-gene, the cellular chemistry required to initiate Terrigenesis, or the genes that have been speculatively linked to cause Dissociative Identity Disorder . . . are they our fate?"

"Does our personality and subconscious form in response to our genetic blueprint? Had Cyclops not had the X-gene he did, would he have felt such a need for control? Or does our genetic blueprint merely unlock that potential, and as our personality and subconscious forms into a more solid shape, does it respond accordingly, like it did for the Hulk?

Was I always going to be a Beast? Or has the life I've lived, the way I've lived it, the world I've lived in, pushed Hank McCoy to beastliness?

What is it about Hank McCoy says furry and blue?"

He tries his best to smile, but it doesn't match his eyes.

"Was I always a monster, or did I merely become one?"

". . . Interesting theory."

[blossom-adventures]

I’ve had a few requests from my @badthingshappenbingo card, so I’ve finally done one that I had an idea for as soon as I saw it “Stranger in a Familiar Land” because I instantly had this quote in my head…

“I fight for we few who did come home, only to find our country filled with strangers wearing familiar faces”

So I’m doing a story about Ulfric Stormcloaks return to Windhelm, which links to Chapter 8 of my Skyrim long fic - Far Horizons & Ancient Stones

Home at Last

4E183 7th Suns Height, Windhelm

Ulfric left the horse he had ridden from Rorikstead at the stables before following Galmar across the long stone bridge of Windhelm.

“Freya will no doubt be waiting for us, she’ll have Mera with her too,” Galmar explained as he approached the great oak doors of the city. “I think you’ll like Mera” Galmar continued to talk but Ulfric heard very little of what was said, he was looking at his city, his home. He wondered how much had changed and how much had stayed the same, if the people would recognise him in his current condition, would they see a Jarl? Or would they see a young man who shouldn’t be put on the throne?

Would I ever become the Jarl my father expected me to become?

“Ulfric…” a choked female voice drew him from his thoughts as he looked down at her, a woman, who was only a girl the last time he saw her, she had tears in her eyes then too, when Ulfric was chosen to go to High Hrothgar.

“Freya?” She nodded and gave him a tearful smile before she stepped forward and hugged him, he could feel her crying, he gingerly put his arms around her and hugged her in return.

“Welcome home, Ulfric” she said as she stepped away

“It’s… such a relief to finally be home”

“Come inside” Freya gestured towards the door, but Ulfric was instead looking over to the Temple of Talos and more questions began to form in his head; is it still a Temple to Talos? Did they have to remove it?

He made a mental note to visit as soon as he had a chance to, he needed to see it with his own eyes.

The interior of the palace was just how he remembered it, he could remember his father sitting on the throne watching him and Freya playing at the base of the dais, but now the throne stood empty, it didn’t feel quite right to sit on his fathers throne yet, there was a lot he needed to do before he felt he deserved to sit there.

His gaze shifted to Freya who had just put her hand on his left arm.

“Let me show you to your room” she said softly, he nodded and allowed her to lead him towards the private wing of the palace. “I’ve had a tailor make you some clothing, Ulfric, but I must admit, I think they’ll be a little loose, I can send for them to refit them, ready for tonight”

“What’s happening tonight?”

“A feast, I… I said about it in the throne room” Freya explained, “I can get the tailor here within the hour, one of the maids can run a bath for you and another can tidy up your hair”

“I can manage!” Ulfric snapped, his voice was far harsher than he intended it being, causing Freya to step back for a moment. Ulfric avoided looking at her for the rest of the way, he didn’t want to see the look of concern or sadness she no doubt had on her face, he didn’t want her pity, he just wanted to sleep, to see the Temple of Talos, to visit his fathers tomb, but now he was expected to attend a feast? He hadn’t eaten anything substantial for years. She’s expecting too much of me, Ulfric cursed as he was left alone in his room.

That evening, Ulfric was tired, he didn’t get any sleep before the feast; he washed, cut his hair better and managed to make his new clothes look less like he was just wearing his fathers. By that point he had no time to rest, and now he was standing next to his cousin and enduring hours of the civilians of Windhelm wanting to talk to him. He felt the eyes of everyone on him, and he hated it, as if they were expecting him to do, or say something that showed them that he was Ulfric Stormcloak, son of Hoag, the Bear of Eastmarch.

But he wasn’t that, not yet, right now he was still Ulfric, the Bear of Markarth, and he was so, so tired. He leant down to Freya and whispered in her ear.

“I’m going to my room, I need to sleep” Freya looked up at him, nodded and let go of his arm, allowing him to retire for the night

The next morning he managed to slip out of the palace without anyone seeing him, he needed to visit the family tomb and the Temple of Talos, and he needed to do that without Freya or Galmar ushering him around, worried that he could break like fine pottery at any moment

Ulfric looked up at the Temple of Talos, he was nervous, hoping that the statue and shrine were still there, but in the back of his mind he was expecting to see an empty building and a ruined statue.

He pushed the door open and was greeted by a sight that immediately put his soul at ease

“Thank the Gods, the shrine is untouched,” he sighed in relief as he approached the statue, he placed his hand on the cold stone, instantly feeling a peace he hadn’t felt in years wash over him, he was home.

Once he opened his eyes he looked down at a young woman in mages robes

“You were at the palace yesterday weren’t you?”

“Yes, my lord” she stood up and straightened her robes, he could tell she was studying him while she stood in front of him, so he did the same to her; she looked so young and innocent, not a single blemish or scar on her face, black hair, which was quite uncommon for a Nord, as were her eyes, brown… or were they red? Ulfric couldn’t tell, it suited her though. “I’m Wuunferths apprentice for another month, Lord” she explained “then I return to the College of Winterhold to decide whether I continue my magical studies there… or move on” Ulfric nodded before returning his gaze to the statue.

“Do you worship Talos?” He asked as he looked back down to the young mage, she nodded

“He is one of the 9 I worship, yes, but I haven’t felt safe anywhere else to admit it, here…” she gestured, as if to mean the whole of Windhelm and not just the Temple they were currently standing in, “I can wear my amulet without fear of violence… or worse” Ulfric sighed, ever since that damned treaty was signed, people like him, and like the young mage in front of him were being hunted down, something had to be done!

“It shouldn’t have to be like this… people living in fear because of their faith”

“Nothing can be done to change that” the mage said quietly

“Nothing?” Ulfric placed his hand on the shrine once again, he asked for strength to fight the Thalmor, to fight the Empire and their Concordat, to fight for Skyrim’s freedom. The plans he’d begun plotting while he was imprisoned were going to happen, and soon. As he went to leave the temple he leaned a little closer to the mage and added in a hushed tone, “are you sure about that?”

[gogogogolev]

It's the 7th anniversary of our blog.

Click to read more

Seven years may not be a long time, but with his absences it has felt very long. Stephen has not told us what his career plans are so we do not know when he plans to retire. If he wishes to move on after the 2026 Olympics we have three more years left, but if he is planning to leave after the 2030 Olympics we are at the halfway point, with seven years left to go. He might even want to go until 2034. Let’s see what he decides.

Year 7 started at a low point and turned into an emotional roller coaster. After a forced withdrawal from 2022 Nationals Stephen placed a respectable 5th at Junior Worlds, then began his season with what was one of his best ever short programs at Glacier Falls Summer Classic. After a rocky autumn with his GP debut he is still looking for that kind of short program skate though his free skates are showing us his technical prowess. He barely competed last season, and did not compete at all the season prior, so it is remarkable what he has been able to do.

We have to acknowledge Stephen’s mental strength in what he has been doing. Coming back from rough performances, skating as if they never happened, takes a lot of determination and courage. His parents have done a great job to raise such a tenacious young man. May they remain in good health to be able to watch his career progress. May he also remain in good health.

I was privileged to watch him compete twice this season. It was nice to be able to wave a Canadian flag for him, and to witness his skating at Nationals. It just made me realize how much I missed his skating since he left. There is no one else like him in Canada. I hope he was also able to feel the love from the Canadian audiences. It was not just my friends and I, but whole arenas full of people on their feet, cheering for his every jumping pass and encouraging him to keep going when things got tough.

I have to thank you all for your patience with me. I have become much busier but I am continuing to do what I can, just at a slower pace now. My belief in Stephen and desire to support him are still as strong as when I first became a fan. In the time he was away I thought he might have changed a lot. He did grow substantially, but after watching him live I can say the essence of him looks to be unchanged. He is still a hardworking and talented skater with grit.

I also owe Stephen an apology for my views on his short program. I focused on the music, but really should have been looking solely at the lyrics and what meaning they hold to him. They encapsulate a sadness and coming to terms with the realities of growing up.

We knew we were Impervious no matter how we'd bleed We never fought for breath Priest and prophetess We were nothing we would defy Invincible skin It's how we all begin

He was a child prodigy who ended up facing injuries and going through a lot of pain as he grew. We only learned a bit about it so we cannot fathom how he felt. We just mourned his absence while worrying for him. Now he is facing challenges in getting back to the level of success he had achieved. Considering all that, this music choice makes perfect sense. Admittedly I might still be misunderstanding this program. I read a post on the song by The Music Enthusiast and I think we are in agreement. Either way, I apologize. I hope Stephen feels that he has come out of his dark days.

Year eight will bring big things. He is going to be skating at his first senior ISU championship next week. Stephen may be achieving a long time goal of his in going to the World Championships. We will also have 2024 Nationals, which will be used for selection to the 2024 World Championships in Montreal. It will be an exciting and busy time.

Let’s wish Stephen the best of luck for Four Continents, and all that the future holds for him in year eight.

Photo: Aflo Sports

[akiradolce]

Subathon Over!

After 55 hours, my subathon comes to a close! There's a lot I learned from this experience. The first is that I'm able to do it, so that was a huge confidence boost! Even though, I found mild success with my subathon, there's a few things that I was upset with as well...

The first thing was that I was sick, so that was a huge upsetting part for me. I wasn't able to be 100% at full entertainer mode since I still had to focus on being healthy. That means a lot of the more physically demanding things were not possible. So no karaoke, no Ring Fit. I even had forcing push-ups/sit-ups/squats as an incentive. I ended up doing them, but it was the most I could do.

Another thing was that even with an active chat, I ended up feeling very lonely. I wasn't able to interact with my friends outside of the stream. The only few times I was able to was during BRBs and just before going to bed. Even on waking up, I immediately had to check on the stream to make sure it was still up or that no hate raids and trolls decided to cause trouble.

There's not much time for other people when tending to an "always on" stream. I was only able to speak to another person once through the entire 55 hours, which was after a friend raided my stream and I openly invited them to join since they weren't planning on going to bed afterwards. I didn't even speak to family at all during the whole thing.

Food was also a huge issue. From my experience with the stream, time was precious. Time away from the stream meant losing retention and potential contributions. I always felt like I was in a rush to get things done. Because I was sick, I also constantly needed water to refresh my system, even more than usual to help recover from whatever sickness I caught. I wanted to eat bit more substantial meals like pasta and chicken, but those are things that you can't just set on a stove and come back to. I didn't have roommates or family that were able to help or cook for me, so that was a huge struggle.

My advice if I were to ever do this again, and to anyone reading that's looking to do a subathon, is to make food ahead of time. Make a huge pot of chili in a slow cooker, get a rice cooker, buy family sized lasagna that take like 1hr30 to cook in an oven. Depending on the success of your subathon, DoorDash could be your friend. In my case, I wasn't able to justify DoorDash or any other delivery service. The only outside food I got was Taco Bell, which was an incentive, and not by choice.

Another huge issue was finding ways to keep the stream active with clear info. I definitely feel like I should have prepared a bit more beforehand, but I was unable to make the proper preparations due to being basically bedridden up until the day before the start day. I would have gotten a YouTube playlist set up for when I slept and set up labels that could let people know what the next incentive was. I think the worst thing was not having moderators able to help. Because everything had to be done by myself. Changing titles, tracking incentives and rewards, removing troublesome users. I also unfortunately had an issue with the marathon timer, where I had to manually add time. A lot of the workload made it hard to focus on providing an engaging stream.

Even though I struggled a lot, I ended up creating a lot of fun and memorable moments. I would definitely try this again in the future, but with my experience on how I handled this, I would know a bit better on how to handle everything. My only regret was not being able to reach my follower goal during the event and having to dip into my own savings just to continue streaming while I'm in Japan.