#I honestly think he was made for this role

[ellouchi]

Yet again I see people mischaracterizing Jimmy as some jerk who lashes out on people for no reason and berates them for anything minor like where did you get this from did you actually read any dialogues in the game????????

Jimmy really only threw one shade at Daisuke, he didn't think he was spoilt rich kid he just said he was covered by his parents because he had support system unlike all of them grown up adults. Most of times Jimmy just awkwardly slid off silly things Daisuke said, like the ladies comment or when they were mixing the drink. Daisuke actually trusted and listened to Jimmy throughout the game (to his own detriment unfortunately). Jimmy sent him to the vent because he was the captain and he wasn't going to do the dirty job obviously and if the Swansea somehow woke up Jimmy could shift the blame like he had already got away with. Even when eventually things went to shits we don't see him blaming Daisuke because Jimmy recognised that it was his decision to send him there. Jimmy didn't want to fatally injure him, he tried to "fix it later" which didn't help at all and Jimmy felt guilty about it.

Jimmy treated Anya dog shit half the time it's true but not to the extent some people make it to be. He loves control, he has said so to Curly's face, to ours and that's why he made sure to put her down and belittle her. That's why he (potentially repeatedly) sexually assaulted Anya — because rape is form of power play, he didn't even want her sexually. Initially, Jimmy didn't hate Anya, he just didn't like her and the feeling was mutual. He continued to do bare minimum for her, like when checking up on the crew. If I had to guess how Jim viewed her by the end, then he most likely found her inferior, incompetent, always putting work on his shoulders (or responsibilities he didn't want (pregnancy)), together with being paranoid of her having the potential to ruin his life. That's why he got so pissed off when he saw her crying to Swansea, very likely having already told another person of what he has done. (I'm 100% sure he holds the grudge for telling Curly, who then rushed to "fix things", making Curly seem like a responsible captain which Jim hated.)

Jimmy never made any attempts at understanding or sympathising with Swansea. He knew him longer than Daisuke yet the latter understood him better. Jimmy probably thought that Swansea was an old grumpy man who hated everyone and everything. As the game went on Jimmy just considered Swansea to be nothing but a selfish drunkard (due to immediately assuming he was hoarding cryopod to himself). After the vent incident who Jim blames for the absence of medicine? If Swansea wasn't so stubborn (for like, few times) Jimmy wouldn't have need to spend prescious recourses on him. He could have saved Daisuke instead and fix his fuck up but Swansea ruined it twice. Swan doing arguably the right thing by putting out Daisuke out of his misery only solidified his role as a villain and a threat in Jimmy's eyes, that's why probably as a revenge (for not giving him enough time to think) he went for the gun instead of cryopod like Swansea allowed him to.

And finally Curly. Honestly this deserves a separate book on it's own at this point. It's almost 3 a.m. here so I'll only mention some stuff. Jim aggressively lashes out twice on-screen, first time because he literally lost his dream job, listened to Curly "bitching about having said dream job" and couldn't come face to the fact that Curly was "abandoning him while also looking unscratched from the fall of the ladder" while Jimmy will return to his struggle of life (he didn't even know about the pregnancy yet...). Second time was when Anya endangered Jim's new status as a captain and like I mentioned reminded him that she could fuck up his life even more. Feeling like he was losing control, Jimmy beat up poor Curly who was stripped out of said control by non other than Jimmy. Finally, he was violent off screen by destroying Polle, out of frustration, irritation from the thing, and/or hatred and resentment for the company (que "Pony express is dead" line). In one instance he says "He's mocking us" which confirms that it's about Jimmy's ego.

In conclusion STOP MAKING MY SHITTY CHARACTER SHITTY IN THE WRONG WAYS. This isn't even a full blown analysis of Jimmy's character but accumulation of posts I read and conclusions I came with.

Focus on his already preexisting shitty qualities stop making up new ones ffs signing out.

[bambi-kinos]

Thank you so much for replying to my ask! Sorry for the long reply back but I just love discussing these two.

Yes the rock and roll lifestyle and Paul’s infamous cheating before Linda has me very sceptical about him being 100% faithful to Linda too. That Jane Asher story is insane! The idea of Wings being a way to keep an eye on it is very interesting and not implausible at all. However in my opinion, Linda gives me the impression of someone with a strong sense of self, who would decide to walk instead of being disrespected in that way.

I also find it strange that decades and decades on, no one has said anything other than Paul being absolutely devoted to Linda. Not even anonymously, someone who doesn’t like Paul could seriously hurt his reputation spilling that information, not to mention the potential money, fame from it ect. This goes hand in hand with having a sexual relationship with John. I mean, surely they couldn’t have hidden it from everyone. Some people must of known, and not just an inner circle of loyal friends. Take tour managers or hotel staff for example.

So why do you think nothing has come out all these years later?

What comes to mind is the phone call Paul had with a biographer very soon after John’s death (I’m sorry I’ve forgotten his exact name) where he secretly recorded all he said and later published it. (Ouch!) Paul’s completely baffled at Yoko’s statement that no one had hurt John more than Paul had. (Said by John himself)

If they had a sexual, emotionally intense relationship, wouldn’t Paul have known that it was this John was referring too? He comes across as very smart, surely he could have put the dots together? His bewilderment seems completely sincere, not a pr trick. What’s your opinion?

I honestly go back and forth on this because I can see a relationship between those two being way more than just platonic. On and off hook ups in the 70s amongst the angst could also explain John’s sporadic comments about Paul throughout this decade. One day praising him, the other cursing him. Both parties not being brave enough (and a whole host of other factors) to not commit or acknowledge what was going on fully would have been very confusing to say the least.

But I still can’t get my head around the points I made earlier that counter this argument. Would love to hear your take on things!

EXTREMELY based ask anon, your mind is very sharp and I love it!

okayyyy there's a lot here so let's take it bit by bit

However in my opinion, Linda gives me the impression of someone with a strong sense of self, who would decide to walk instead of being disrespected in that way.

If we're anywhere close to the ballpark then Linda nearly called off the wedding when Paul told her about him and John. But then after that, she would chaperone Paul when he went to see John and hang out with him like when they went to LA. It's hard to say what Linda would or wouldn't stand for IMO because she saw the real Paul, all of him, and stuck that out for over twenty years.

I don't think that Linda would be okay with Paul cheating on her necessarily but I wouldn't write off her pretending not to see when he was sneaking out under her nose. It's not the same thing as having an open relationship but she and Paul had agreed to try for Mary sometime in 1968 before she knew about him and John and witnessed the messy break up. She doesn't strike me as the vindictive type so I wonder if knowing she was pregnant and wanting her kid to know who her father was played any role in her decision. And Linda purportedly didn't like the idea of getting married again according to a quote floating around here -- Paul had to convince her it was a good idea, not the other way around. There's reason to believe that Linda may have been happy just being a common law couple or whatever the UK's equivalent is and that Paul insisted on getting married.

I'm not saying definitively one way or another, Linda is much more opaque than Paul. But I'm hesitant to say that she wouldn't tolerate cheating or she wouldn't look the other way on it, because why else did she let Paul visit John so much otherwise? She knew what was going on.

Just something to think about I guess.

I also find it strange that decades and decades on, no one has said anything other than Paul being absolutely devoted to Linda. Not even anonymously, someone who doesn’t like Paul could seriously hurt his reputation spilling that information, not to mention the potential money, fame from it ect. This goes hand in hand with having a sexual relationship with John. I mean, surely they couldn’t have hidden it from everyone. Some people must of known, and not just an inner circle of loyal friends. Take tour managers or hotel staff for example.

So why do you think nothing has come out all these years later?

The biggest reason is that The Beatles worked very hard as a unit to cover up their infidelities. Paul was two paternity accusations lodged against him, one was the German girl and the other was Liverpool girl. Blood tests proved that both of these paternity claims were false (and Anita later admitted that she had a second boyfriend concurrent to Paul at the time, she just didn't think he was actually the dad until her son spilled the beans that Paul's paternity test proved false.) Despite these two paternity suits being lodged against Paul, he still paid the girls hush money through Brian. There's another story of a paternity claim being lodged against John that Brian paid to go away. The hookers they engaged with in the hotels were also paid for their time and to not launch any paternity suits against The Beatles. And so on.

The most encompassing answer is simply that Paul and the other Beatles paid off their babymamas AND that they have lots of legal representation on their side to make offers that can't be refused. I have long thought that the sudden muzzling of Heather Mills was the result of a super injunction, a feature of British law where a person with enough money and influence can forcibly shut someone up. A super injunction is, to put it mildly, a massive pain in the ass to obtain yet Paul is well positioned to have used one to make her shut her mouth and stop libeling him in the press. If Paul is ruthless enough to use something like that against his ex wife and mother to his child then he is absolutely willing to turn it on lays from the 1960s and 1970s. Most of the time I would bet he does not have to; we all have a price and for a sufficient amount of money, I wouldn't bother Paul with a paternity suit either.

Then there's just love and personal loyalty. The Beatles inspire incredible loyalty in their fans and their hook ups. Peggy Lipton went completely insane for Paul after meeting him only a handful of times including showing up at his hotel in a swimsuit hoping to be taken on Paul's Dirty Weekend with Linda. Now imagine that loyalty in a 19 year old girl who hooked up with Paul during 1966. Why would she say shit to anyone about having sex with Paul or getting pregnant by him? She would absolutely feel inspired to protect him. I think this would be just as true in 1976, the loyalty that the boys inspired in their fans is remarkable.

And think about it: if you had slept with one of the Beatles, would you out him to anyone? Or would you keep it a secret? Think carefully about it. By outing him, you are also outing yourself. Especially if Paul was married at the time. Do you want to admit you're complicit in Paul McCartney's adultery? That sounds like a very unpleasant prospect to me and besides, you want to keep a little piece of him to yourself.

Tour managers and hotel staff likely suspected something but it was truly a whirlwind for them too and I think a lot of them just second guess what they know. Homosexual activity was completely unthinkable and virtually unknown in the 60s and 70s. The only people who would truly know is the housekeeping staff. They would see the telltale signs of who slept where and what they were doing; those room manifests don't tell us shit because we can be sure that the boys swapped beds and rooms all the time depending on what they wanted. For John and Paul especially, I imagine there was a lot of wandering in the night and seeking each other out.

Take that story of Ringo disappearing during the 1964 tour to go on a joyride with a police man with Paul waking up and alerting Mal and Neil that he was gone. Why was Paul awake in the night? Why didn't he just go ask John and George where Ringo was first thing? Surely if your third band member goes missing your first instinct would be to ask the other two if they've seen him but instead Paul, for some reason, seems to have known immediately that Ringo was not with John and George in their hotel room and promptly tattled to the roadies. This is despite the room set up which was supposed to be Paul/Ringo and George/John. Hm!

Only housekeeping would know the truth of the situation and those men and women are dead or lost in the crowd. However even then we don't have reason to think they had proof: John and Paul being intimate would only leave behind the remains of...sex. And the truth is that The Beatles liked having sex with girls while they were in the same room together, including switching. What reason was there to think that it was just two guys boning instead of two guys and two girls?

What I'm driving at is that tour managers and hotel staff and housekeeping servicewomen had a lot of circumstantial evidence but unless they caught John and Paul in the act, then they had no reason to understand what they were seeing. Anyone who did catch them would have been paid off with the brown paper bag money Brian picked up from the bootleg merch vendors that sold fanmerch outside their concerts. And if that failed then yes legal action would have been launched through Capitol's legal arm because Capitol had plenty of superstars before The Beatles that had to be managed. They knew the drill, they weren't angels. Managing sex addicts and homosexual activity was business as usual for a suit even in 1964. They wouldn't want to scuttle that secret either because if Paul throws a fit and buys out his song catalogue then it's good night Felicia.

So in between those three things -- personal loyalty, bribes, and the threat of legal action especially since Paul has rich boy privileges -- no one is saying shit. Not any of the groupies, none of the women Paul was probably hanging out with while married, no one who ever caught him with John. It's just not worth it.

What comes to mind is the phone call Paul had with a biographer very soon after John’s death (I’m sorry I’ve forgotten his exact name) where he secretly recorded all he said and later published it. (Ouch!) Paul’s completely baffled at Yoko’s statement that no one had hurt John more than Paul had. (Said by John himself)

If they had a sexual, emotionally intense relationship, wouldn’t Paul have known that it was this John was referring too? He comes across as very smart, surely he could have put the dots together? His bewilderment seems completely sincere, not a pr trick. What’s your opinion?

Hunter Davies. The phone call with Hunter Davies is very interesting because he was someone Paul knew...but otoh he's still a reporter. Paul knows that. Hearing more about the Lennon McCartney feud soon after John's death was a hot story so could Paul reasonably assume that Hunter would write up the story.

I posit that Paul, in an act of true cynicism and spite towards Yoko, deliberately leaked some of his issues with John in order to spit in Yoko's eye. Especially with that pointed line about how he knows things about John that Yoko never knew...and that he won't publish them until after she is dead. You want to talk about ouch?!

I think that Paul is being genuine when he's confused about how he could have hurt John which makes me think @menlove is right and that India may have been a nothingburger or didn't feature Paul getting cold feet about John.

There are a couple of candidates for "John said no one hurt him like Paul did." We'll probably never know what they are but these are my personal options:

John asked for a relationship with Paul in India; Paul did something John interpreted as a rejection especially in light of Paul self destructing and John going on a multi-day bender when he got home.

Paul suddenly bringing Linda into the limo during the New York City trip to promote Apple. John seems genuinely baffled and confused about this with the "and next thing I know she's married to him" line. It was completely out of left field and John was caught by surprise.

Paul getting the drop on John with regards to announcing the Beatles break up. John expressed bitterness about this (because it was a ploy to force Paul to stay with him, Paul wasn't actually supposed to follow through with it) because it humiliated him publicly.

John was still hung up on the Family Way score and was destroyed by that and by Paul going "fuck it we'll do it live" and recording so much stuff solo for the White Album.

You may have spotted a problem with this already: there are multiple instances where Paul could have profoundly hurt John that would linger in John's memory. How can you possibly choose just one?

What if it was all of these and that eventually the hurt and abandonment mounted and John couldn't take it anymore?

Ultimately though I think Paul is/was confused and angry because the narrative was all about how Paul hurt John, and nothing about how John hurt Paul, another thing Paul brought up with Hunter during the interview. If John was pissy about Paul announcing the break up first, then why was no attention paid to John announcing "I want a divorce"? Why is it so important to sweep John being a dickhead under the rug? I think that's what had Paul so confused and pissed off, to the point that he couldn't really pinpoint one single thing that could have hurt John. 'Are you serious, I hurt him when he's the one who abandoned me multiple times through out our relationship and never apologized for any of it?' That would piss me off monumentally if I were Paul, I'd deny all knowledge of hurting John too since he refused to own up to hurting Paul in the first place.

I honestly go back and forth on this because I can see a relationship between those two being way more than just platonic. On and off hook ups in the 70s amongst the angst could also explain John’s sporadic comments about Paul throughout this decade. One day praising him, the other cursing him. Both parties not being brave enough (and a whole host of other factors) to not commit or acknowledge what was going on fully would have been very confusing to say the least.

That's pretty much it. Keeping in mind that Yoko kept John hooked on drugs to keep him from making up with Paul as well.

I think the confusion and frustration Paul expressed/expresses is a byproduct of the fog of war. He's too close to the subject matter, he can't figure it out because he can't see the big picture.

[yayll]

heyyy! I just read ur rockstar!Dazai fic and it honestly reminded me of this idea I had!!! (loved the fic btw!) Are you able to write an actor!dazai x fem!actor reader and they r fake dating while secretly being rivals ?? (I’d like 2 be known as 🦎-anon!)

hiiii 🦎 anon hehe

i'm sorry this was quite the wait, i LOVED your idea and i wanted to write it properly and i kind of took some liberties so i hope you enjoy it regardless? thank you for trusting me w your fic idea actor!dazai now haunts me actually dazai in any like, imagine just fucks my shit up that man is a menace in any story i put him in and i'm so glad others agree. i love u baby mwah u get so many ivy kisses

~ a little something about you and actor!Dazai keeping up appearances ~

"You're choking meee!"

"I'm just fixing your tie, Osamu-"

"It's babe, actually."

"It's whatever I want if you want me to keep holding your hand in public, jerk."

He pouts at this. What a cute little meanie you were! Always scolding him and spewing empty threats as if you were hot shit. You were hot shit, and that was only the beginning of his problems... The biggest one right now being backstage with you while attending the hottest awards show of the year.

Just before he can respond, the curtains are drawn and it's a stagehand whisking you two away to present the next award infront of thousands of fans. You're walking side by side, your heels clicking with each step when Dazai leans in to whisper something.

"You should stand on my left, my right side is more attractive."

"We're both facing forward, does it matter?"

He raises a brow and huffs dramatically in typical Dazai fashion. You two had been 'dating' for a year now, everyone was invested in this blooming romance ever since you both started in that drama together, now it's nothing but red hearts for you two.

It wasn't planned, it just kind of happened... It also wasn't completely awful, but it was the goddamn ego on Dazai that really made you want to strangle him sometimes. He knew he was pretty and desired, and what a threat you were with such an iconic streak in all of your latest projects. No wonder you two had to be paired together, on your own you were both dynamite. An unstable formula that needed to be stabilized by combining it together. Thought could that make it worse?

You present the award holding hands the entire time, an act highly encouraged by the need to convince, and yet when it's you two doing it it never feels as forced as you'd like it to be. There is a comfortability in the role of this relationship, you've come to realize yet supress. You'll hold hands for so long you begin to get clammy, and it's certainly not because he dotes on you almost every time he speaks! Which he hates doing... It's just a script, after all. Duh.

You're both making your way out of the venue towards the car that awaits to drive you to the after party when you're ambushed by interviewers and hundreds of flashes that yell out speed questions.

"Does the beautiful couple have time to stop and answer a few things for us tonight!"

Dazai loves that shit. Of course he has the time, he doesn't care if you don't. He has to sell it, obviously, since you don't put in the effort according to him. He flashes the interviewer that sardonic little smirk you hate and speaks innocently.

"Why, us? Sure! Right, honey?"

He turns to you and the crowd loves it. You hold back how badly you want to roll your eyes and simply smile, holding yourself high with grace and a ton of media training.

"We'd love to."

The interviewer is overjoyed as she looks between you and Dazai, taking in that affection that radiates from your false words. She grins as she goes along to ask her question.

"So, I think a lot of the fans are wondering..."

You and Dazai perk up, not even realizing that you're clutching the bottom of your dress so tighty that your knuckles are white. The interviewer looks directly at you.

"The two of you have been the most stunning couple the industry has seen in a while. Any plans for the future?"

You freeze. Ugh, not this again. You shake your head, smirking to yourself at the absurdity of the concept alone.

"Thank you, but honestly we're just taking things day by day. There's no rush between us, we have all we need right here and now."

The journalist smiles again and nods, seemingly impressed by your laid back attitude. Dazai snorts and suddenly interjects, clearly having a cheeky response to give to the crowd of journalists.

"We'll have tons of kids in the future, actually~"

Your panic is so instant that you literally laugh out loud, yet recovering quickly by turning your shock into a playful glance at your lover. You manage a more sweet giggle and smack him on the chest a little harder than people would guess.

"Ooh, he's joking, of course"

The journalist rejoices, finding your banter and your overall interaction as a couple cute. The ideal power couple! Dazai grins and turns to you again, leaning in to tease you, his narrowed Hazelnut eyes piercing into you like a promise.

"Not joking. One day we're going to have a massive pack of little kids running around. And it's going to be your fault for being sooo cute~"

And with that, he leans in all the way into a million dollar kiss on your confused and parted lips. You're taken so offguard you almost fall back and of course grab onto him a little tighter... and run your fingers through his disheveled hair you forgot to nag him to cut... As the cameras go off like crazy, you wonder if it's worth ruining your public image for a while just so you can slap him harder than you ever have before.

Everyone's cooing and you're fuming, so you settle for a quick thank you and goodbye as you drag Dazai off the red carpet and into the car. He's giggling the entire time, of course. As soon as the door shuts out the screaming fans watching you drive off, you turn to Dazai and whisper ardently.

"What was that all about?! We didn't discuss this prior to-"

"... You liked it."

"Huh?"

"You liked it when I kissed you."

You scoff, though it sounds like you're choking.

"I did not. I just did what I had-"

"... And you want to have my babies. That's adorable, how devoted of you!"

You smack him on the arm but he's smiling like a cat who's had too much catnip, too far gone into his delusions to care about the repercussions. Love is love, after all...

"I think we should break up, like officially. You're nuts. The press won't let that go, Osamu."

He perks up, snapping out of his stasis and crinkles his nose in disapproval. He shakes his head, his hand on his chin as if in deep thought. Dazai mutters, barely above a whisper.

"... We won't actually break up, though."

"And why not?"

"Because in about 60 seconds we're going to kiss again and you'll be clinging onto me the entire night."

You snort into a laugh, tilting your head in disbelief. The car slowly comes to a halt as you arrive at the after party where a familiar roar of the crowd awaits to greet you once more. You begin your futile argument yet again.

"I don't see why I would do that."

At such a silly reply, Dazai softens his voice, looking at you like he first did when you both met on set a year ago. A lifetime ago. You're so cute when you're playing dumb. He shrugs, carefree.

"Neither do I, which is why I want to know too. I want to know what you're thinking about, if it's me."

You hate the way he sounds so sincere, like a real boyfriend would if he were trying to convince you you're just as into him as he is into you. Mind games is what it is, or at least you hope so. You really hope so.

You sigh, suddenly over the conversation as you open the car door to begin climbing out. Dazai follows suit and the roar of the crowd makes your chest feel tight as overstimulation takes over. You want to be anywhere but here and you wonder if you're having some sort of panic attack, but it just doesn't feel describable.

You turn wildly, disoriented by the camera flashes and instant fuss of the press, only to be faced by your one and only savior: the omnipotent Osamu Dazai. You don't know what it is about him in that moment, you just glide into his arms and complete the prophecy as you hook your arm with his, taking deep breaths as you finally ground yourself. It feels like the right kind of wrong, and you don't care to question it.

You feel a squeeze and a soft velvety voice whisper to you once again, you don't even have to look at him to know he's as smug as ever. But amongst the teasing, there's affection there too...

"So, am I?"

"Are you what, Osamu?"

"On your mind."

"At this point you're practically a permanent resident."

You hear him hum, a smile still present on his lips, the world simply frozen for him to continue his private conversation with you in public.

"Hmm, remind me to have you repeat that to me later."

This causes you to squeeze his arm back and murmur in genuine curiosity, finally daring to face him. He's already looking right at you, so devilish and angelic at the same time that you can't even look away from his awfully handsome face.

"Why?"

"Because your time's up. 60 seconds, remember? Now come and kiss me already, the camera's are waiting~"

The photos of you two that night were the envy of couples everywhere. If only they knew how the ride back to the hotel went, it would be a scandal! Or simply the next step in your future?

[weekly-und3rvers3]

Week 1 - Rushed, Unfinished Cross’s Birthday Thingy

Creator: Me :)

Word count: 1,401 Notes: Something intended for Cross’s birthday but I never finished. Keep in mind, most updates will probably be fanon like this one:

It was never quiet.

Until Cross would walk into the room.

Usually it was only Killer who had the guts to talk.

“Heeeeey there Crissy Crossy!!!” It was still weird to have someone call him by a silly name like that. He had barely just gotten used to people calling him ‘Cross’ over ‘sans’ never mind whatever weird code names Killer uses.

He gave a silent nod, looking around the room, assessing the situation.

“It’s your birthday, ain’t it?”

“My what?”

“Birthday!”

“Um….. sure.” He took a spot on the same couch Dust and Killer was sitting, but well away from them. He didn’t want to cross any boundaries. Metaphorically and physically.

“C’mon Crisscross, don’t act like you don’t know!” Killer exclaimed, quite loudly. It felt off with how quiet the room was. “Don’t tell me you’ve never celebrated a birthday before? How stuck up was your AU that you didn’t even celebrate birthdays?”

“No. We did.”

“Killer, lay off ‘em.” He heard the gruff voice of Horror speak. It was weird to hear a voice like that. It sounded strained and itchy and like it hurt. They didn’t even have throats, how did that happen?

“I just wanna know what he wants ta do for his birthday!”

“No, you’re going to try and twist it into something you want to do.”  Dust cut through. “You know the new guy is uncomfortable so you’ll manipulate him and pressure him into doing something you want to do.”

“Me? I would never!”

Cross just sat, quiet and unsure of how to respond. Killer was quite loud and passionate, Dust seemed to be the voice of reason. The serious one. Be wary of him and act carefully around him. Horror was a sort of middle ground? The one to call them down if they got too rowdy and heated in an argument or conversation.

It would take a while to analyze them all and figure out their respectives roles to see where he could fit in with the mix. 

“So, Applesauce, what d’ya wanna do for yer birthday?”

Cross looked to Killer, they laid in Dust's lap, feet resting on his own lap.

“Thirty what years?” Killer asked. “Damn, you’re old.”

“You’re one to talk, dude.” Cross shoved their feet off his lap. “You’re way older than me, cryptid.”

“Thank you, I identify as Mothman thank you very much.” Killer fought back, moving their feet now on Cross’s chest.

He couldn’t help but laugh, shoving the other now fully onto Dust.

“Ey, don’t give the dumbass to me.” Dust spoke, pushing Killer off his lap.

“OW- HEY!” Killer exclaimed, making contact with the floor and looking back up at them. “RUDE! After all I’ve done for you!”

Cross and Dust laughed as Killer continued to complain. It was strange to think that just a couple years ago he was so intimidated by the other.

Suddenly, the lights went out.

He went quiet, quickly reaching out for Dust’s hand and holding it tightly. An unconscious decision he made to make sure the other was okay.

He assessed the situation. He knew it was probably fine. Maybe a power outage? It was an old castle nearing the middle of October. 

But he didn’t have to worry as he heard a voice behind him.

“Happy birthday to you.”

He could immediately recognize the voice as Horror’s. 

The way it was gruff and deep and honestly really nice to listen to, but Cross would never admit that out loud.

And don’t even get him started on him singing. Beautiful.

It only got better as Dust and Killer joined in, Horror now walking in front of him to show a cake, lit up with multiple candles on the top and side of the cake.

“Happy birthday to you!

Happy birthday to Croooooooossss”

“Applesauce.” He chuckled as he heard Killer mutter under their breath. They saw the sliver of a genuine smile on the other's face as they saw their silly little joke made him laugh.

“Happy birthday to you!!!!” 

Cross laughed as they hit a final note. And it was just….. indescribable.

Blowing out the candle, everything went dark as he heard the others cheer for him.

He laughed along, until he felt something grab his ankle.

“OH MY FUCK-“

The lights flicked back on, as he instinctively kicked whatever had grabbed him off. His foot, happening to make contact with Killer’s skull.

“Dumbass!” He cried at the other, sliding off the couch and onto the floor with Killer, grabbing his shoulder and holding his face gently, inspecting the impact.

“Hey there handsome~”

Cross made a face at Killer’s comment, a mix between disturbed, amused, and judgmental.

“You boneheaded.” The two chuckled as Cross clinked their foreheads together. 

“You okay, Kills?”

“Never.” Killer responded, holding Cross back.

“Alright chucklefucks, save it for after cake or get a fucking room.” They both looked to Dust who looked disapprovingly at them.

“Wanna get back up ona couch?” Horror asked, setting the cake on the table in the middle, before getting out plates.

“Yeah, get up here fucker.” Cross grunted, pulling himself and Killer up on the couch they were sitting on before, placing the other on his lap.

“Hey! You stole them from me!” Dust complained as Horror started cutting the cake.

“There’s still plenty of space, Sweetheart.” Killer invited the other, patting their lap and Cross’s chest. “I don’t mind sharing~”

“Gross actually. Nevermind. You can keep them.”

“Asshole!”

“Bitch.”

“Dickhead!”

“Loser.”

“Poopyface!”

“Woah guys, chill out! This is a safe space. That is no way friends talk to each other.” Cross spoke with an exaggerated teacher voice, breaking the two up.

“Hoe I sleep with that motherfucker. That bitch is more than just a friend.”

“Yeah I am. And I love you.”

“I love you too!”

“You’re great and I love you.”

“You’re amazing and I’m so happy to have you in my life!”

“You brighten my day and make my existence a thousand percent better.”

Cross just laughed, pulling Killer closer and hiding his face in their shoulder. 

“Oh my stars, I love you all.”

“We love you too, Cookie.” Killer spoke, putting an arm around him.

“Cake?” Cross looked up to see Horror handing him a plate with a slice of cake on it. 

“Thank you, Hun.” Cross smiled, taking a bite.

They all sat down, eating cake. Joking and laughing.

It was weird to think about, to Cross at least, how he’s come. How much he’s changed. How much he’s gotten to know the others. How much he had to face and overcome to get here. All the people he met, and all the people he had to say goodbye to. 

His first birthday here was a lot less eventful and a bit more awkward. 

Cake, generic presents because he was still new, no murder spree (to Killer’s dismay). But, that was about it. He didn’t even want to mention it was his birthday, he was surprised when Killer knew and blatantly asked him about it.

And now here he was. About five years with the Bad Guys. And he’s shoving them around, openly and comfortably telling them he loved them, making jokes and laughing.

He was glad it turned out okay in the end. He got to know everyone, and lived long enough to see today.

He was going to say something, no doubt something sappy, before he was interrupted by a voice behind them.

“….. Did you all really start without me?”

“Sorry Night.”

“Yup!”

“You were busy, didn’t wanna disrupt.”

“I blame Killer.”

Nightmare just sighed, taking a seat in his normal comfy chair. “Well, I’m here now. You’re lucky I care about you all and this is your birthday, Cross.”

Cross smiled softly, watching Nightmares dish a slice of cake. His first year, Nightmare didn’t even show up, too busy with his work. So he sent Killer on the job. That’s how Killer knew his birthday.

————————

“….what?”

“It’s your birthday, right?” 

Cross wasn’t sure, he hadn’t been keeping track for he days.

He turned to Killer who looked at him expectantly. And then to Horror who held the lit cake before him. And Dust, walking back over from turning off the lights.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Make a wish!”

This was weird.

He barely knew these people. 

Sure, he’s known them a little over a year, but he didn’t think they were close enough they’d do… all this…

[theroyalsims]

IBRAHIM “PEEVED”

The Earl of Harvelle, a.k.a Ibrahim, a.k.a. Countess Eleanore’s husband, a.k.a. the former Crown Prince of Al-Simhara is said to be displeased at his non-role in the Royal family. 

Multiple sources claim that Ibrahim is quite displeased with how he and his wife are being treated within the royal family. His biggest source of annoyance these days, is reportedly seeing "certain people" being placed well ahead and above him, when clearly, as a former Crown Prince, his track record shows that he’s more than capable to represent the Crown In a more official capacity. 

Royal watchers were quick to conclude that the “certain people” referred to is none other than Prince Gus. It can be recalled that prior to marrying Anya, Gus was made a Knight of the Realm. He was later officially made a Prince of Brindleton by HM. And a few months ago, it was announced that he has been given his first set of royal patronages by The Queen. 

Perhaps adding insult to injury, earlier last month, Prince Gus was invited by Prince Alistair, along with Prince Nicky, on a major project.

The insider also reveals that Ibrahim is reportedly "insulted" by the low title gifted to them by the Queen:

"He was a future King, but now, all he has is a small cottage in the country and a useless, lowly title. He thinks being called the Earl of Harvelle is both an insult and a joke, and he'd really rather be address by his name. He's convinced that someone of his former status deserves, at the very least, a dukedom, especially considering that the son of a train conductor and a gift shop clerk was made both a knight and a prince of the realm."

The rumoured jealousy emanating from the Earl has become a hot topic online. One commenter wrote:

“Who says guys can’t be petty! Ibby, you gotta try harder, babe. You think you being sneaky, not naming names when we all know you talkin ‘bout Prince Gus-Gus! The timing is OFFFFFF! We just know Ibby’s GREEEN with ENVYYYYY! LOVE TO SEE IT!

Another royal watcher remarked:

"Ibrahim being a petty little diva just goes to show that he and Eleanore DO belong together! I pity little Ella who has to grow up with two narcissists."

Palace insiders, however, are said to be left confused by Ibrahim’s frustrations. A well-placed palace source reveals:

“We honestly don’t know where this is coming from because the entire situation - their marriage, their place in the family - were thoroughly explained to them by The Queen herself before they tied the knot. It was agreed that they will remain to be private citizens, and and their children will not be in the line of succession. They were also clearly informed that any titles given to them by HM shall be taken on in an honorary capacity, and that they will not, in any way, be representing the Crown. At that time, they were very understanding and were very grateful for HM and the royals’ acceptance of their union. Now, things have changed, and Ibrahim is no longer happy.”

Could the rise of Prince Gus in ranks have been the reason for Ibrahim’s sudden displeasure? We kinda see how it may be a little upsetting for a former Crown Prince who now has to bow to a commoner-turned-future consort, but ultimately, it was his decision to leave his life in Al-Simhara behind to build a life with Eleanore here in Brindleton. Is he regretting that, too?

[sufferu]

Hello, was reading your take on the Sloth IF and while I do see the themes of repression, I feel like you're selling Slothbaru short here.

When Rem asks him "Do you regret it" she's talking about having a kid (With all that happening, she had this confession. …Did he want this child to be born?).

And Subaru responds honestly, about how he tried to be a perfect husband to make up for running away (But, I can’t..show you that I am. I……I brought you with me. I’m the one who brought you with me. I wanted to give you everything I had to make you happy. I told myself that I had to do it……).

...and faces his insecurities and self-worth issues head on by accepting that he'll always be afraid, that his fear might never go away (Subaru, as someone who couldn’t look at his parents in the face, always had a fear of becoming a parent. He still does. It wasn’t gone. It probably would never go away... But, at the same time, Subaru knew something. He knew the love of the best role model parents in the whole world.) He thinks of his parents for the first time since he came to this place, admits that he wasn't a good kid, and remains determined to love his kid anyway.

It's essentially everything he was meant to say on the rooftop in From Zero, just filtered through the lens of being a parent. Sure, it took him over a year to get there, but he did face his issues in the end. Thematically, the story wouldn't have ended with that exchange between Subaru and Rem, as well as how he handled Zarestia/Reese, if the story was about him avoiding his problems and succumbing to Sloth.

I really don’t agree with that, to be honest — for starters because Rem’s question about if he regrets it or not is explicitly stated, by Subaru, to be the first time in a year that either of them have actually acknowledged the decision made in the Capital that day to run away. Even if you want to make the argument that Rem wasn’t asking about that (I’d disagree but if you wanted to make that argument) — it’s still very explicitly how Subaru interpreted the question that she was asking him. At the very least, the question of the child is the culmination of “Do you regret…any of the decisions that led to this moment?” In which case, of course, he’s only focusing on one aspect of the question — that being the birth of their child. Even as Rem explicitly grows her hair out in order to emulate her, Emilia still never gets brought up even once. He is ONLY focusing on being a parent and husband — and he’s making a commitment to that role, but in doing so he is avoiding everything else.

And, of course, he is committing to become a copy of Natsuki Kenichi, the man who’s shadow he never really managed to step out of.

This decision later reflects in his relationship with his son being the same as the one that he had with his old man, right down to him passing down that exact same hairstyle to Rigel. —Hell, Rigel’s whole character is just the culmination of all of the things that Subaru and Rem never really managed to properly digest. He’s a one-horned oni, he’s the son of one of the most respected men in his town, he’s even a closet crossdresser. Subaru never really figured out what Natsumi Schwartz was to him and never stopped emulating his father, Rem never stopped feeling guilty about being Ram’s twin and making it so both of them only had a single horn, and now Rigel gets to deal with all of it at once.

(Plus there’s the QnA detail that Subaru gets sent right back to Arc 3 when he dies, which is a pretty major hint that he really, REALLY never managed to come to terms with what happened that day.)

And also — just, on a meta level: it’s a Sin Route. It’s a little different than the others because it does not look all that bad on the surface — everything that makes it a Sin Route hinges on what Subaru specifically Does Not Say, and that honestly makes it look almost downright utopian at times — but it’s still an IF Route labeled after one of the Seven Deadly Sins. It’s marked as a Bad Ending for a reason, and it’s marked as Sloth for a reason, too.

[sittinginsunflowers]

I know we’ve been begging for a Murph DM season for years now and I would still kill to see it but idk man I think we’ve been dropping the ball. Something about Zac Oyama behind that screen looked right

[essektheylyss]

I think Orym is a fascinating character in a way that is often underappreciated, because he is fundamentally a soldier, he was trained as a soldier, and that's... not a bad thing? It has no moral indication, and certainly doesn't imply that Orym is going dark. In fact, in the current circumstances, Orym acting as a soldier is very important and may actually get them through this in one piece.

I do feel that this aspect of his character is frequently approached in the fandom as an afterthought or even swept under the rug, or flat out viewed as a flaw to be overcome (especially given the overall landscape of military conflict in the real world), but being a trained soldier is not inherently indicative of specific morality or ideology. I think it's a judgment that also gets levied against paladins, because, much like any organized forces in fantasy are equated with modern militaries, fantasy worship is equated with Christianity (sometimes in the guise of 'organized religion' with all of its problematic connotations). It's incredibly black and white, and it doesn't fundamentally make sense in much of Exandria, but in this case especially.

You cannot fundamentally map the Tempest Blades onto any real life military, because the task of the Tempest, and Ashari culture as a whole, is protection against both extraplanar threats and also the malicious or misguided intentions of those on the Material Plane trying to fuck with the elemental planes. This is distinctly different even in universe from, for instance, Caleb, who was trained as an assassin in the name of nationalism, or Yasha, who was trained to be a leader in the name of tribalism.

And these two threats that the Ashari are tasked with resisting are both frequent, credible, and existential! Failing at this task is liable to have major sweeping repercussions for the rest of Exandria! It is highly probable that a soldier with Orym's training is expected to need to make incredibly difficult decisions in defense of the common good at more than one point in their life—decisions that would make every person who laughs at the premise of the trolley problem shit their pants.

And crucially, Orym wants his friends to get out of this. He has in fact already promised his entire life to ensure that they do, because he also fundamentally needs them to be able to do what they came for, without hesitation, because the singular mandate that he has devoted himself to is protecting the Material Realm from extraplanar threats, and regardless of the fact that the rest of them do not have the same training, that is also the task that the Hells have chosen.

If Nana Morri can get the Hells out in one piece, regardless of what choices they make, then their personal risk doesn't matter. I imagine that Orym isn't going to tell them that, because given the scope of the threat, there's not necessarily a guarantee that Morri can make that happen, so the rest of the Hells have to make the choice themselves to take the risk and trust that the others have their backs. And in the end, if Orym has to live with that no matter which way fate plays out, he will. He's already had plenty of practice.

They're at war, and that's how soldiers operate. Because when they're behind enemy lines, it's the only way missions get completed and they have a chance of making it back alive.

[buckyscap]

you know when you experienced something so traumatizing or grieved too hard your brain sort of temporarily locked that memory to protect you from the pain? i think that's what's been happening to me after deadpool 2 bc tell me why every time i rewatch that movie, i always forget how painful these scenes are?

they always leave me sobbing and totally wrecked but with each rewatch i'd just... forget they would eventually happen and i'd eventually get hurt??

[iris-drawing-stuff]

I made more Mikoto Danganronpa sprites + 1 Fuuta. Some people suggested Ultimate Graphic Designer for Mikoto, which seems more appropriate for him (he literally has a graphic on his shirt). Since Ultimates are at the top of their field, Mikoto must have been so proud of himself (he probably has that independent company he dreamed of). It's so sad that he's in the killing game prison now.

I saw candyckirby's post suggesting what Ultimates everyone would have, and I think they're all interesting choices. I think Fuuta would specifically be the Ultimate Gaming Influencer, and the rest of the Dark Triad would be the other influencers he makes content with. He still does his cyberbullying on the side.

I feel like if Mikoto were to become blackened, his situation would probably be that someone plotted to kill him and John killed them to protect him. I just have this image in my head of John being so distressed when he gets exposed because Mikoto is going to die. He's not concerned about himself, only Mikoto, and he desperately pleads with everyone that it shouldn't count because Mikoto himself didn't do the murder. Jackalope isn't convinced, so he gets executed anyway.

[buttercuparry]

I think what people don't understand is that Joe just can't take money from someone.

When for so long you have had only yourself to depend on, and built yourself a career and everything by working yourself to bone, it becomes a habit. It becomes a part of your life. Now of course there are friends who will help you! They will be there for you, no questions asked but you are always going to depend on yourself first. Always going to work and exhaust yourself first.

Which is why it hurt so much when Ming destroyed his career. Because it was something Joe built for himself. It was an oppourtunity Joe got after being decades under Tong's shadow. It was the fruit of his labour. There truly was nothing Ming could have done after he sabotaged Joe to make it right. Because it doesn't work like that, not for Joe at least...

Also if I am to talk about it with a dose of reality ( yeah, yeah i know this show has many plotholes but bear with me), then I would say that the world is a cruel place for those who are not born into wealth and I think some characters, are written in a way from which we can infer that.

The world will think of someone in a certain way, just because they are not that well established or on the highroad to success (remember that once Sol thought Joe wanted to take advantage of him. Like yeah he had his reasons and he didn't really know Joe well, but still...).

I don't know how to say this without sounding awkward but no matter what, Joe cannot just take handouts. Because someone, somewhere might say something. Might think something. Joe said to Ming once that he might not be as good as Tong, but he had his dignity. Ultimately it comes to that...Joe won't take a monetary favour in the way of a handout.

This is why he will say no to Wut, he will say no to Sol, but he will say yes to Ming. Because that 5 million baht is what he will be earning himself. It is a job. Being with Ming, is as much a job as it is being a stuntman for Tong or a model in a music video.

[thedrotter]

as a little treat i am sharing with you little Aya doodles I've done over the last few days to unwind ww just little expressions based on lines in-game because those are always fun to draw. nothing too special just biscuit

it's Aya because upon doing bizarrely throughout playthroughs of the game for still unspecified project purposes I've gained a soft spot for her she's my daughter now my mental tier list on my favorite characters is so confusing right now

[cerealbishh]

all the ariel and max interactions throughout the film

[spider-man-2o99]

The prevailing belief of many ASTV viewers seems to be that Miguel O'Hara is an actual, literal vampire. Do you think this funny.

Nope! <3 it shows such a lack of willingness to do even Basic Research that would take maybe two seconds to look up that it makes me want to Kill. like. cmon. he has Fangs because he's half-spider...,,.,

They're hollow, and whenever he Bites People, it is specifically with the intent to POISON them with the VENOM from his FANGS-- he also Says That every time he does it, like he's an anime character, lol, and it means a lot to me. we don't know the exact makeup or potency of his venom, but we Do know that it's fast-acting, paralytic, and (apparently, thankfully) non-toxic, at least.

[suddenrundown]

currently repeating "you are under no obligation to be good at the things you do for fun" to myself over and over

[waldensblog]

So my husband is doing his own playthrough now, and his MC is like, the polar opposite of mine. As a result, some of our headcanons about MC's relationships and why they do certain things are a bit different, but there's 2 parts of the larger fanon we both agree on as just true in our respective playthroughs:

Sebastian has a crush on MC. My husband could not overlook that herbology look either. Specifically, we believe in Bi Sebastian in this household.

2. Ominis hates Duncan Hobhouse. Because that part of fanon is just too fun to dispute.