#I made a post awhile back about all the showing up moments in her work

[kingofmyborrowedheart]

It’s so lovely to see Taylor’s partner loudly and openly supporting her and her work and her doing the exact same for them. She’s spoken so frequently about how showing up for someone is so important to her and it’s so nice to see her get to do that and have that in the present moment.

[totalswag]

a little too much fun — RAFE CAMERON

authors note hiii lovies!! hope you like this short fic. sorry for being so m.i.a for bit, school has been very busy for me and wanting to get all that out of the way first.

taglist ⤕ if you would like to be notified every time i post you will type in your username then be all set.

summary going out with your girlfriends on a friday night, having too much to drink, and rafe coming to the rescue to take you home safely.

warning(s) reunion with friends, drinking, cursing, jealousy girls.

Tonight, you are going out with three of your girlfriends to the local bar to have a few drinks and chat it up. Since you girls work during the week, it was best to finally meet up together.

The dimly lit bar casts a warm, inviting glow over the hustling crowd. The air was filled with laughter, clinking drinks, and the thundering bass of music. It was a perfect night to be out.

Friday nights are the busiest nights at this bar— tonight happened to be the busiest. People were all around and luckily this was a decent sized bar. Security stood outside in case of an emergency too.

You hadn't let loose in a long time, and the drink had flowed freely, leaving you all with a happy, carefree buzz. They knew you well enough to know when you had reached your limit.

Ava, Bella, Emily, and you sat in a booth with food and drinks around the table throughout the night while you caught up before moving to the floor where more people were.

"It's so glad to be back with my girls" Emily announced, smiling with so much joy, "I can't remember the last time we all hung out" she went on.

"I know right, I missed us being together and getting drunk" Bella responded.

Remainder of the time in the booth, you girls had multiple conversations about multiple things that made time even more special. Whenever you get the chance to meet up, there will be conversations about almost anything.

"Another round?" Ava inquired, raising her glass, her cheeks flushed from the alcohol. 

"Sure!" you said, raising your glass in toast. Bella and Emily joined in, and all four of you broke out laughing.

The four of you headed to the dance floor as the night wore on. Everyone began to sing along with the music blasting from the loud speakers and dance to the beat. Color-changing lights gave the bar a pleasant atmosphere.

Drink in hand, you relaxed your body and threw your head to one side while singing out the song's lyrics. At that moment, you felt great.

The girls knew you haven't gone out in awhile and this much to drink in awhile. You told them your password in case Rafe, your boyfriend, needed to pick you up. They watched you throughout the night— four of you looked out for each other regardless.

"I'm having so much fun right now, I missed you girls so much," your sentences slurred, and you felt off balance. Ava caught you right before you collapsed to the side.

Ava whispered "Call or text Rafe" to the girls, pointing to your purse in your grasp— Emily nodded, reaching in your purse for your phone, then texting Rafe to pick you up. He answered quickly, saying he was on his way.

"I'll have my sister pick us up too," Bella said, grabbing her phone from her handbag and messaging her sister.

Rafe showed up shortly after, his towering presence effortlessly slicing through the crowd. He saw you almost instantly, lost in your own world as you swayed to the music, a tiny smile pulling at his lips. With gratitude for his attendance, your friends gave him a warm welcome.

Not knowing your boyfriend is behind you, you swap his hands away from your waist, turning around about to go off on who you thought wasn’t Rafe. That scowl became a happy smile when you realized it was Rafe the whole time.

“Aw baby, what are you doing here?” You ask excitedly but confused at the same time.

"To take you home because you've had to much to drink" Rafe explains carefully, pulling the strand of your hair behind your ear.

"But I'm not ready to go home" you pout.

Rafe understands that you don't want to go home and would rather hang out with your girlfriends, but he doesn't want anything to happen to you or your friends on such a busy night. Behind your drunken glance, you realize he is looking out for you. It shows that he cares.

"Baby, I understand you do not want to leave right now. The girls are about to be picked up by Bella's sister. Plus, there's always the remainder of the weekend and next weekend," he says loudly enough to be heard above the speaker's loud music.

You turn your head over your shoulder and look at your friends with sadness. You swivel your body around and extend your arms for a group hug. You felt your body relax.

"Thank you for calling Rafe," you say, holding them tightly. "Please text the group chat when you arrive home safely." 

"Of course, we love you," Emily replies.

Reluctantly, you let Rafe guide you towards the exit, your steps unsteady. Just as you reached the door, you noticed a group of girls at a nearby table. They were staring at Rafe, their eyes wide with admiration. In your drunken state, jealousy flared up, and you couldn’t help but flip them off.

One of the girls, a blonde with too much attitude for her own good, called out, "Who does she think she is?"

You stopped dead in your tracks, your drunken bravado kicking in. "I'm his girlfriend, bitch," you slurred, glaring at her. "And he’s taking me home. So, enjoy the view while you can."

The girl’s mouth snapped shut, her face turning red with embarrassment as her friends snickered. Satisfied, you turned back to Rafe, who was trying to hide a smirk.

"Let's go, tiger," you said, leaning heavily on him.

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[yvesstar]

FORGOTTEN PROMISES ; P.SH

starring: park sunghoon x fem reader

sypnosis: When Sunghoon, your loving bf who started being distant and more cold towards you, it leads to a bunch of empty promises and a lot of lip service. Eventually, you reached your breaking point. Will things between you and Sunghoon get better?

author’s note: this is my first post !! please lmk how it is. + i don’t like how the ending is but oh well :”

Y/n has always been surrounded by people who never cared about her since a young age. A lot of her important events were missed by her parents and her friends never really cared about it either. From graduations to competitions to birthdays, no one ever showed up. Yet for some reason, when she started dating Park Sunghoon; a guy who finally made her feel important, she couldn’t help but have some sort of expectation when it came to her special events.

The clock was ticking, as you sat down on your plush sofa, all dolled up. He had promised to take you out for your birthday since he had been quite busy with work a bit distant from your. You sighed out of frustration, phone in your hand as you scrolled mindlessly. Your mind began to ponder.. “What if he’s tired of me?” you thought to yourself.

You contemplated it for awhile, your world going silent before snapping out of it. “No, no, that’s nonsense.. he’d tell me if it were so..” you thought, trying to make yourself feel better.

Now, it had been 2 hours since you had finished getting ready and it was getting late. Your heart was getting heavier and you couldn’t help but feel sad. You didn’t even want a big celebration or anything, just a simple “happy birthday” from him would be good enough; but you haven’t even seen him the whole day.

You sighed as you texted him in hopes that he would at least tell you where he was.

“hoon are you almost home?”

“hello?”

“hoon??”

You had texted him multiple times but to no avail. The time was now 11.50 pm, feeling defeated you got up to remove your makeup and clothes. You stood in front of the bathroom mirror, staring at yourself. You had put so much of time into getting ready, to look pretty to go out with your beloved boyfriend but instead you got stood up.

Staring at yourself, you felt like the biggest fool in the world. “It’s stupid how I actually thought he’d show up.. haha, what the fuck am I even thinking? Why would anyone care about me?” you exclaimed, tearing up as you did. “God, this is so stupid!” you huffed out, practically crying.

“Y/n baby? Is that you?” a voice called out from the living room. You groaned. Of course Sunghoon had to come home the exact moment when you were breaking down. You quickly replied, hoping that he didn’t hear your original discourse with yourself. “Yeah Hoon, I’m in the bathroom” you said, trying to make your voice stable. You quickly finished taking your makeup and clothes off and hurried out.

The moment he locked eyes with your slightly red and puffy eyes, he knew something was wrong. But he couldn’t put his finger on it.. “Is everything okay my love?” he asked softly, as he put down his coat and leaned on the sofa. “Yeah, great” you answered coldly. He furrowed his brows, tilting his head. “What’s up with the tone y/n? I come back after a long day of work and you’re giving me attitude?” he said, his tone slightly stern.

You froze. Not sure if it was out of anger or sadness, but something inside you twitched. “What the fuck? Attitude? Are you joking Sunghoon?” you exclaimed, getting frustrated. He looked taken aback, not sure what exactly triggered you. He was about to say something but you cut him off. “I’ve been waiting for you since 4 hours ago! You promised to take me out and I’ve been waiting for you like an idiot! To be quite frank, I’m so fucking sick of it!” you ranted, you stopped for a breather and continued.

“I don’t expect much when it comes to things like this, but you promised! I just wanted a simple “Happy Birthday” from you.. is it that hard?” she lamented, tears threatening to spill. Sunghoon’s face contorted into one of guilt as it finally hits him. He missed your birthday. He immediately stood up to get closer to you, his hands reaching to hold yours. “Baby, I’m sorry.. I.. I was busy with work and I just didn’t have the time to reply..” he said, his head hanging low. “I.. I should have just taken the day off, I’m sorry”.

You were already in tears, your voice shaky as you said “I know.. but you’ve been so distant.. I.. I thought you didn’t like me anymore or—“ He cut you off, his expression and tone concerned. “Not like you anymore? Don’t ever say that nonsense.” He said as he guided you to the sofa to sit down. He put his hands up to your face, caressing it as his thumbs wiped off your tears. “Y/n, baby, listen.” He said as his eyes locked with yours. “I will, never ever, fall out of love with you. Never okay? I love you so much, that I’m willing to bend the universe for you.. So don’t ever doubt our relationship.. I feel awful my love, will you allow me to make it up to you?” He asked, his gaze soft and loving.

“I.. I know it’s a lot to ask.. but please, I want to make things better. I promise that I’ll change..” he added softly. You felt conflicted, what if it was another empty promise? He noticed the conflict in your eyes and assured you “Please y/n.. Trust me, I really mean it this time.” You blinked slowly and nodded. “Okay.. I.. I forgive you” you said softly. He was ecstatic, pulling you into a tight embrace as he muttered a thousand thank you’s and peppered your face in kisses. “You won’t regret this, I swear” he said in between kisses. You burst into a fit of giggles, finding his behaviour cute.

That whole night, he showered you with kisses and words of affirmations. From then on, he did his best to make you feel loved and wanted, never wanting to hurt you ever again.

© yvesstar— do not copy, steal or repost my work without permission

[ladykailitha]

The Harrington Pattern Part 3

Hello! I'm going to be posting this one straight through on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays until it's done. I've got three more chapters completed after this one. Though there maybe a small hiccup as I might finally be moving cross country. I will keep you posted.

Here we have Steve finishing up the last of the comments and he gets one visitor too many.

Part 1 Part 2

@mira-jadeamethyst @rozzieroos @itsall-taken @redfreckledwolf @emly03

****

Steve was sitting at the table with Mike. He had shown him how to make the tassels and handed him the leather strips to just let him go to town.

He was putting in the metal rings in the armholes of Mike’s tunic for the tassels to be tied to.

After awhile Mike looked up from his work. “What made you get into sewing?”

Steve looked up at him and just stared at him a moment. “I about to say the most rich boy sentence in existence and if you laugh at me, I won’t finish your tunic.”

Mike raised an eyebrow and then scoffed. “Whatever, man. You don’t have to tell me.”

"I got fascinated by it,” Steve explained, “when my mom took me to a tailor to get a suit made for me for my first piano recital when I was eight."

Mike’s jaw dropped. “Seriously?”

“It was so interesting, dude,” Steve insisted. “I was more interested in it then the piano lessons.”

“Wait,” Mike said, “you play piano?” He screwed up his face confusion. “I didn’t know that.”

He shrugged. “I mean, I quit when I got to high school because it was at the same time as basketball and my dad wanted me focus on sports.”

Mike waved his hand at the tunic in Steve’s hand. “Piano wasn’t good enough for your dad, but sewing was?”

Steve barked out a bitter laugh. “There is no way in hell my parents know about this, dude.”

Mike reared back and frowned. “What do you mean?”

“I sew by hand,” Steve explained, “because there is no way in hell my mom would let me use her sewing machine.”

Mike’s frown deepened. “You did all this in secret? What the hell?”

“What would your dad say if you took up sewing?” Steve muttered darkly.

Mike blushed and ducked his head. “Probably that it was girly.”

“And yet the tailor I went to was a man,” Steve pointed out. “So how does sewing make you girly but most tailors are men make sense?” Mike just shrugged because it didn’t. “Also while we on that bullshit, why is a tailor seen as an honorable profession when a seamstress has the connotation of being associated with sex? Like what the fuck?”

Mike’s ears burned as he deeply regretted bringing it up.

“Just finish those tassels, man,” Steve huffed going back to his own work.

Mike did as he was told and bent back over his tassels.

*

All week long people were coming in and out of Steve’s house so often that Steve was startled by the knock at the door.

He was annoyed. He was literally an inch away from finishing Will’s extension and the interruption was decidedly unwelcome.

To say he was surprised when Officer Callahan was standing there looking as much if not more annoyed than he was would be an understatement.

“Uh...” Steve muttered. “How can I help you, Officer?”

“Hey, Harrington,” Callahan said with a heavy sigh, “it seems your neighbors are complaining that you’ve been having people coming and going all hours of the day and night. They think it’s been pretty suspicious.”

Steve quirked an eyebrow and Callahan huffed out a laugh.

Steve did some heavy thinking to make sure he didn’t have weed out before he said, “Nothing shading going on, I promise, Officer. Just being making costumes for the Ren Fair coming up this weekend and all my friends keep stopping by for last minute fittings.”

Both of Callahan’s eyebrows went up. “What now?”

Steve waved him in. “Come on, I’ll show you.”

Callahan looked around him, but followed Steve into the house with a half shrug.

Steve brought the police officer into the kitchen where he had been working with the aid of the natural light streaming through the big windows. On the table there was Will’s tunic with its inch of ribbon to go. There were bobbins of thread, spools of ribbon, and swaths of fabric literally covering almost every inch of the table.

“I’m just putting on the finishing touches on Will Byers’s costume,” Steve explained. “You remember Will, don’t you?” His smile was just this side of innocent.

Callahan coughed. Because of course he did. Everyone knew who Will Byers was.

“Right,” he said scratching the back of his neck in embarrassment. “I’ll be sure to pass that along. But maybe tell your friends to come during the day?”

Steve smiled brightly. “Oh of course, Officer. This is the last one I’m working on, though. And Will will be stopping by this evening.”

“You sure this is the last one?” Callahan asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

“Oh yes!” Steve said. “The first day of the Fair is on Thursday and we’re going all three days.”

Callahan nodded. “I’ll leave you be then.”

Steve showed him to the front door. Callahan stopped.

“Is this Fair thing any fun?” he asked nervously.

“I’d like to think so,” Steve said with a half shrug. “It’s like the State Fair, so it can get hot and dusty, but there are jousting and sword fights, little plays at night. Things like that.”

Callahan chewed on the bottom of his lip before he nodded curtly. “See ya, later, Harrington.”

“Bye, Officer!”

He slammed the door and went back to finishing the tunic.

Once he was done, he held it up to the light. You couldn’t even tell where the extra inches were. It looked seamless.

He yawned and stretched, feeling please with himself. He looked at his watch. He still had plenty of time before Mrs. Byers brought Will over for the final fitting.

So Steve wandered over to the sofa and laid down. He figured he could a few winks before then and let himself drift off to sleep.

*

Steve was woken by the sound of someone pounding on the door. He looked out the window, but it was still light out. He sat up and looked at his watch again to see that only an hour had passed.

He got up and before he could even reach the hallway whoever it was started knocking again.

“Hold your horses, man!” Steve yelled.

He threw open the door, annoyed for the second time today. But at least this time it was a far more pleasant a surprise.

“Eddie!” he greeted. “Were we hanging out today?” He didn’t think they had anything on with it being so close to the Ren Fair.

“Nope!” Eddie said with a grin. “A special delivery!”

Steve’s eyes lit up. “Holy shit! They’re ready?”

Eddie pulled out a long thin box and handed it over. Inside were two brown elf ears.

“And they’ll match?”

Eddie tilted his hand back and forth. “As close as we could without the recipient being there.”

Steve hugged him. “Thanks, man. This is going to mean a lot to Lucas.”

Eddie cleared his throat and reluctantly stepped back. “I’ve got band practice, but I wanted to drop these off so Lucas can have them before we go to the Ren Fair.”

“I appreciate it,” Steve said, his cheeks dusted pink. “I’ll see you on Thursday.”

“Yep!” Eddie said, skipping backwards and almost falling off the porch.

Steve jerked forward, but Eddie righted himself before he could fall.

“Bye.” Eddie turned around and practically ran back to his van.

Steve shook his head fondly. He went back inside, but he knew it was useless to try to nap some more. He was wide awake and maybe a little excited, too.

So he went to get make himself some dinner before Joyce and Will arrived.

*

For the third and final time that night there was a knock on Steve’s front door. At least this time he was ready for it.

He opened the door to reveal Joyce and Will. “Come on in. I just finished it up this afternoon.”

“It’s so sweet of you to do the final alterations,” Joyce said. “It really was a big help to Claudia and me, so we got together and made you brownies as a thank you.”

She shoved the plate in his hands and with her eyes dared him to refuse.

Steve would admit later that he thought about protesting until the smell of warm chocolate hit his nose.

“Oh wow,” he murmured. “They smell delightful.”

Joyce smiled. “Let’s see it then. El has been going on and on about the gold trim on her dress for days and I can’t wait to see Will’s.”

“Sure thing, Mrs. Byers,” Steve said brightly. “Follow me.” He led the way into the kitchen. “Is Nancy and Jonathan going to come to the Fair?”

Joyce and Will shared a glance behind Steve’s back.

“No,” Will said bitterly. “I even told Jonathan that he didn’t have to dress up, but he doesn’t want to go.”

Steve hummed. “Maybe once he sees how much fun you had on Thursday he’ll want to join us for Friday or Saturday.”

Will’s eyes lit up and Joyce smiled fondly at Steve.

“Perhaps,” was all she said.

They reached the kitchen and Will gasped. His tunic was a simple warm brown color but the gold trim just brightened up the whole thing and gave it a rich feel to it.

“Oh Steve, it’s beautiful,” Joyce whispered, giving Steve’s shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Put it on, Will,” Steve instructed. “It’s going over a shirt and belted so we won’t need to check width, just length.”

Will nodded and pulled it over his head. It fell to the perfect place just over the kneecap so that when Will belted it, it would be above his knee.

“You can’t even tell inches were added,” Joyce said. “Do you like it, Will?”

“Yeah,” he replied with a huge grin. “It’s even better than I imagined. Thanks, Steve!”

He leapt on Steve to give him the biggest hug. Steve staggered back a step but caught the lankly teen and hugged him back just as fiercely.

“I’m glad you like it.”

Joyce playfully swatted her youngest son. “I can’t believe that even with me adding two inches to the hem after we measured still wasn’t enough to counteract your growth spurt!”

Will blushed. “Sorry, mom.”

She just grinned and kissed his cheek.

“Well it looks like we’re all ready to go,” Steve said with a smile. “I can’t wait for Thursday.”

Will smiled back. “Me either!”

****

Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 13

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[scolop98]

Turns out I have too many thoughts to put this in a comment and honestly it was a matter of time before I made a post about these two.

Okay so: AMC's Pantheon. Season one episode one. Cary and Renee are playing out their whole "pretending to be in an abusive relationship" shtick. We the audience find out that this is a ruse after their shouting match at dinner, when they meet up in the garage.

Everything about this exchange—their dialogue and poses, the smirk on Renee’s face, the casualness of it all—read like flirting to me. That, combined with the general reveal that they'd been faking an abusive marriage—not to mention how Renee immediately slides back into The Role after Cary leaves—had me HOOKED. AND it was our first hint that something was seriously and abnormally wrong (= very interesting) with Caspian's life/the Keyes family, so my initial interest in Caspian's subplot was heavily tied to Renee and Cary's dynamic.

Then we get to episodes two and three... and they absolutely hate each other.

(context: first video is after he shoves her to the ground in front of their "son" and his "girlfriend" in ep2. second video, from ep3, they are picking out the hammer that (spoilers) will be used to break her arm later that night)

Every interaction is clipped dialogue and frosty glares and the bare minimum effort spent to make sure you and your coworker aren't going to step on each other's toes. At least on Renee's side—sometimes Cary seems like he's trying to connect with Renee (ex: after they meet "Hannah" for the "first" time), and sometimes he just seems pissed at her (ex: buying out the hammer) (which is understandable, she's the worst. she is such an asshole and I love her for that)

And then we get to end of episode three: The Hammer Scene

Where Renee breaks her own arm because Cary is "too pussy to do it himself" (not an actual quote), and Cary breaks down in tears after leaving Caspian. When Cary shows that despite participating in this ethical nightmare, he's enough of a decent human being to not want to break his coworker's arm and also genuinely cares about the surrogate son he's raised for the last 17 years; and when Renee shows that she is 110% committed to whatever this still-ambiguous, evil-shadowy-tech-corp-backed Truman Show gambit is that she's dedicated the last 17 years of her life to.

Also relevant (to me specifically) is that this scene is sandwiched directly between David and Ellen's breakup scenes, which are some of my favorite moments in season one and the primary reason why David/Ellen is my favorite Pantheon ship. The contrast between David and Ellen's dynamic (we both agree it's healthier to not get back together, but that doesn't mean we can't still banter about old memories) & my reaction to them (WOW is it obvious these two used to be married, instant OTP) compared to Renee and Cary's power hour (i.e. performing the most jaw-dropping, unexpected plot twist in the show up to that point) did something irreversible to my brain chemistry and single-handedly kickstarted my interest in "incredibly divorced animated parents with convoluted relationship histories" ships.

In hindsight, the tone shift in Cary and Renee's interactions in the first three episodes was probably just bad continuity or one of those "characterization was not fully fleshed out when we made the first episode" situations. Aside from the first episode, literally all their scenes in season one make it obvious that Renee and Cary were in a purely professional fake marriage and were NOT friends. Renee can’t stand Cary, and he’s incredibly frustrated with her half the time. While their garage banter did an incredible job as a Reveal Scene, it's also a clear outlier in terms of how Renee and Cary's relationship is written.

I wasn’t really thinking about any of that during my first watch of Pantheon. I was thinking: "flirty coworkers in a morally fucked up job" + "clearly pissed at each other" = "hate-to-love-you ship dynamic," and then I was thinking "HOLY SHIT SHE JUST BROKE HER OWN ARM" and could not stop rotating this family in my mind. I did notice that the garage scene didn't match their later characterization, but instead of thinking about the bad writing I kept rotating the potential of that dynamic in my mind.

Later S1 developments such as "Renee sees Cary and shoots him on sight" and "now that I've put you in this hospital bed I will gloat about everything (I think) you've lost, and also we still have to pretend to be married," and "we are in different states and still jump at the first chance to throw each other under the bus, which unintentionally reads as obsession with each other" did nothing to dissuade this train of thought, mind you.

So to synthesize all this: Cary and Renee are very clearly not in any sort of romantic/sexual/emotional relationship. Renee dislikes Cary at best, and all of Cary's post-episode-one moments of concern/sympathy toward Renee can be framed through this flashback sequence:

Cary, exasperated: "And… we're gonna be working together for awhile […] Let's. Try and make it pleasant. Deal?"

Cary (reasonably) wants to get along with the coworker he's going to spend the next 17 years of his life with, even (especially) if she's an asshole.

But that plot-critical-but-OOC moment in episode one wired my brain to think about these two being close enough to banter, and through that filter their dynamic in the rest of the season looked a lot like those sexually-charged, obsessive mortal enemy dynamics that enemies-to-lovers and hero/villain shippers thrive on. Not to mention the fact that these two have lived the last 17 years in the same house and might've been sleeping in the same bed for several years to keep up appearances (I know that everyone's favorite fake-marriage duo don't sleep in the same room but TwiYor don't have to keep their fake marriage a secret from their child). It is very, very easy for me to imagine an AU where Cary and Renee would have hate sex sometimes, and I feel like it would have practically zero butterflies on the outcome of the plot. Or alternatively, imagine if they were genuinely in a relationship while raising Caspian and how insanely toxic it would be—especially since their platonic, professional canon relationship is already incredibly unbalanced in terms of emotional labour.

And the fact that one of their most emotionally charged, status quo-changing, plot-relevant scenes was paired and directly contrasted with the most emotionally charged, character arc-relevant scene of my favorite Pantheon ship (David x Ellen) in what rapidly became my favorite sequence of season? Meant I was constantly reminded of this ship (Cary x Renee) whenever I thought about why I loved this show.

Anyways that's how a tiny bit of inconsistent characterization in pantheon's first episode turned these awful fake parents into my second favorite Pantheon OTP - not in the sense of "I think these characters should be together," but more like a "can you imagine how much worse their lives would've been if they were in an on-and-off situationship at any point in the last 18 years" that I constantly rotated in my mind for weeks after finishing season one. I hope my first attempt at a proper tumblr analysis essay was coherent, I wrote it between midnight and 3 AM. As a bonus, have this edit of them that I made last summer for a "toxic/complicated/disorienting relationships" MEP

The song is Tainted Love, covered by Milky Chance and originally by Soft Cell

Also, to clear up any confusion: just because I think Renee is The Worst and an Awful Human Being does not mean I don't like her as a character. I like her character a lot more than Cary actually. She's not blorbo material but she IS "I love to hate this character" material. She's the centerpiece of the entire fucked up Keyes Family Dynamic! From an audience perspective, she acts as The Face of Logorhythm's clone plot, given how she has more screen time and direct interactions with Caspian than Cary or Julius Pope in S1, and she's so intricately tied to Caspian's "what the fuck is wrong with my life" investigations. She's an asshole, but she's a complex, interesting asshole with plot relevance, screen time, and more personality than Julius Pope, and I loved watching how she and Caspian play off each other and how that changes over time. also she's a fucked-up and evil woman and idk i find that compelling in a fictional character, sue me.

[x-0ophelia0-x]

Ezra just nonstop flirting and being an absolute lovable dork around fem Reader Post reunion..

Poor reader’s desperately trying to get her work done in peace but she is struggling..

One, either because Ezra is even vaguely in the same space as her and she can’t focus because of his stupid pretty face, or his stupid voice that makes her feel all fluttery inside..

Or two, he’s not there at all but she still can’t focus because she can’t stop thinking about him! A mechanic who can’t focus is a mechanic who can’t work… and she needs to get her work done!

So the next time Ezra walks up to lay a flirty line on her she just stops.. gets up, walks over to him, grabs him by his collar and shoves him In chair.. sits on his lap, grabs his face and kisses him.. hard, like within seconds Ezra went from being all suave and flirty with his crush to his crush straight up making out with him on his lap….

Girl has her hands fiddling with his soft curly hair, and thumb rubbing across his cheek when she pulls back for air.. gently running her fingers across his bearded jaw as she slowly gets off his lap…

He his too stunned to speak…. But she’s not~

“I finish work at ten.. I know a few places that stay open late for dinner.. if you’re late THAT won’t be happening again for awhile..”

Reader Calming walks away with a satisfied grin on her face to go back to work…

Ezra: ….. OH KRIFF YEAH!!!!

the last sentence was literally me when I first read your request 😭

can’t focus? can’t work.

pairing: Mechanic!Fem!Reader x Ezra Bridger

warnings: none, kissing at the end

word count: 2K

summary: you are a well known mechanic which meant that you had plenty of work to do. There was one problem tho.. Ezra. He always managed to distract you from your work, even if he wasn’t around you. You can’t focus yourself anymore on anything and this was bad for your job. You had to find a solution to this.. which you did. Leaving him completely flustered behind.

authors note: Flirty Ezra lives rent free in my head.

Pls bare with me, flirting isn’t my speciality, if his attempts to flirt don’t make sense I‘m deeply sorry.

anywayyy

enjoyy <3

Hera asked you if you could help her with something. The Ghost made weird sounds for over a week now, she wanted you to take a look at it. 

„Are you sure? I don’t want you to overwork yourself. I know that you’re quite busy, this can wait for a few days“

She tried to reassure you, knowing that you were a well known mechanic which meant that you had tons of work to do.

Unbeknownst to her though, you had other problems. 

Ezra.

-

Some time passed now since he finally returned. He didn’t want to show it but those years which he spent alone… let’s just say that they left their mark.

You two were close before he disappeared, nobody confessed but you had your moments with him. And now? After all those years you two noticed that you had to catch up on a few things…

And since he was alone for a decade now.. he made sure that he made his affection towards you clear, not thinking twice before he opened his mouth to say something he’d maybe regret when he couldn’t sleep. 

Or not, it’s Ezra after all, he’s sure as hell proud at how he makes you feel.

You kind of enjoyed it, and you still do. But your not so official boyfriend just doesn’t know when he has to stop. 

It all leaded to your current situation. You accepted way to many comissions hoping that they’d keep you concentrated. And they did, for a few days. 

You were stressed, regretting your actions while you worked at the different shuttles or machines. 

Ezra always found his way to you, sneaking in to your workshop, spending his time with you while you fixed some broken parts. 

„Did I tell you that you’re beautiful?“

Yes he did, multiple times now and he always managed to make you blush whenever he said that.

„I guess so“

You tried to brush it off, focusing on your work as best as you could. 

„Do I see a blush?“

He smirked, walking closer to you while you continued your work. 

This boy was so full with love, love that he wanted to share with the only person he wanted. You.

And he made sure that you knew that there was ‚someone‘ who’d be always here for you.

You turned around, originally wanting to change the tools you were working with only to collide against Ezra’s chest. 

You were trying to maintain your focus so much that you didn’t even notice how he left his corner and made his way closer to you. 

And you blushed even more.

„Oh yeah that’s definetly a blush“

There was no point in hiding your face now, you just stepped closer to him, resting your head on his chest while you wrapped your arms around him.

„You’re going to be the end of me, do you know it?“

„Your ‚end‘ will at least be a handsome one“

He said, not even hesitating for a second after your statement. A proud smile made it‘s way up to his face, yes. He indeed was very handsome.

You looked up to him, straight into his eyes. They were directed at you, representing his affection. 

Words can’t explain how they made you feel.

You could stare at them for hours and never get bored of them. 

They were just so… peaceful? Loving, caring, actually a sight that comforted you. 

Blue always had this effect on you. Hera once got really worried because you were standing in the cockpit, not moving a muscle while you observed the hyperspace’s blue. 

His eyes had this magic effect on you and he soon noticed that.

„If you like my eyes that much.. why don’t we go somewhere more private where you’d have all the time you need to observe them.. or more“

He of course had to say something. 

Would it still be Ezra if he didn’t? Nope.

Why did it even surprise you.

After all, deep within his heart, he still was the 18 year old boy who loved to tease his people. 

-

„Don’t worry, I’d be more then happy to work at something I actually care for“

Even if Hera was right about you being busy, she didn’t know anything about your inner conflict. 

Ever since Ezra started to be all lovey dovey around you, flirting with you whenever he got his chance, you felt like you couldn’t get anything done anymore. 

The image of his face, his eyes, his mouth, his handsome hair or whatever. 

He was just perfect and your brain made sure that you wouldn’t forget it.

His voice was a constant element in your mind, haunting you whenever you did something.

„I‘m just worrying about you.. you seem to be stressed“

„I mean… I am but.. believe me, working on the Ghost will definetly help“

„How so?“

„I‘ll be actually working alone“

She was confused, you were already working alone, you didn’t have a coworker, or did she miss something?

„What do yo-„

„Heyy Hera! Ehem..“

Hera was cut by Sabine calling her through her comm link. 

„Sabine! What’s going on?“

There was an apologetic look on her face as she turned around.

„Could you come please? A pilot needs some good advice from you“

„Can’t you handle it..? I‘m in a conversation right now“

„With who?“

Hera gestured for you to come closer so that Sabine could see you.

„Hey there“

You said nervously.

„Oh perfect! Okay y/n tell me and be honest, would you want to repair another X-Wing this week?“

This confused you, Sabine knew about your busy schedule, why would she recommend such a thing?

„.. Sabine… why do you ask?“

This caught Heras attention too.

„Well.. if Hera doesn’t want to come to lecture our newest pilot, your mechanic skills may come in very handy by the end of the week“

You heard a sigh coming from Hera. Seems like Sabine won.

„Okay, I‘m on my way“

„Thank you, see you! And y/n, good luck with the Ghost!“

And with those words she ended the transmission. 

„Seems like she still got her spirit“

Your attempt of a joke actually managed to get a chuckle out of Hera.

„Oh yeah.. however.. thank you for prioritizing the Ghost on your list, I really appreciate this“

„No problem, you’re basically my family, the others can wait a little longer“

You said your goodbyes when Hera left to go and get this new pilot lectured about his X-Wing while you made your way to the Ghost. 

You ran some test and after a few minutes you too noticed the weird sound coming off the engine. 

You ran a mental check list of the things you’d have to get from your workshop in order to get that nasty sound fixed. 

Well.. you tried your best. The thought of a certain someone crossing your mind. 

His laugh and his eyes.. damn they where so beautiful.

He was beautiful.

Damnit! Again! You won’t be able to get any work done at this rate. How did he even manage to take control over your thoughts. 

Jedi or not, he wasn’t even in the same room as you right now. 

With all your willpower left, your tried to stay focused and get your tools to repair your friends ship. 

Everything you had to do right now was to just fix it, it shouldn’t be too difficult, right? 

Your mind always managed to drift off, memories of and with him, his attempts to flirt with you or his handsome face.

Oh my force, why did he have to be this handsome in the first place?

Drifting off while you were at work seemed to be your new speciality.

He had such a big effect on you and it started to annoy you. 

Not he as a person, nor his affection.

You were growing to be upset with yourself. 

A mechanic who can’t focus is a mechanic who can’t work. 

It is as simple as that.  

And if you can’t work, you sure as hell won’t be able to keep your deadlines.

You had to find a solution to this.

Something to stop you from getting distracted whenever you where alone.

But what?

-

You were once again working on a other shuttle. This time you only has to repair something that broke within the wings.

Yes. Wings.

Heras advice didn’t seem to help enough, that new pilot still managed to destroy it. 

For the first time in what felt like forever you managed to stay focused.

Not thinking of him and his flirting or everything.

Until now.

You heard someone’s footsteps closing in on you. 

And then, his sigh before he started to speak. 

„We’d be married by now if you decided to just spend half of the time with me that your spending with those shuttles“

He faked a hurt tone, looking down in ‚defeat‘.

„I already miss your voice.. so sweet..“

He continued, sensing through the force that even if you didn’t answer, he still managed to make you feel flustered.

„Please don’t make me bring the ‚I see the stars in your eyes‘ card, it’s too simple, your eyes don’t just resemble the stars but also the whole un-„

Ezra stopped when you just stopped whatever you where doing.

You placed the tools somewhere on a desk, getting up from your sitting position to walk over to him.

You didn’t say a thing. 

Not a damn thing. 

„y/n?“

Still no answer. 

Instead you reached out for his arm, grab him by his collar to push him onto the nearest chair. 

He was speechless and when you didn’t leave him any time to realize what was happening, you were already sitting on his lap.

Now it was Ezra who was flustered af. 

You then placed your hands on his face, holding him while you took every ounce of courage you had to finally kiss him.

Hard.

Very. Hard. 

Bro was flabbergasted to say the least. 

But he didn’t hesitate to return the kiss.

He still tried to understand what was happening right now. His flirty attitude from before seemed to be replaced. 

Right now, just for you, he was the most passionate man, putting everything he had into that kiss. 

Your hands started to work on their own. The one fiddling with his soft locks while the other did it’s work around his cheek. 

Poor boy still tried to understand how he went from trying to flirt with you to straight making out with you on his lap.

However, oxygen was something you both needed in order to survive, and you two started to run out of breath, you pulled back.

Locking your gaze with him.

You were panting, both of you. Trying to catch your breath.

This was… intense.

You ran your fingers across his bearded jaw as you stood up from his lap, not breaking the eye contact. 

Now it was him who was speechless, a blushing mess even. 

You at the other hand enjoyed this.

„I usually end my work at ten… there are some places I know that stay open late for dinner… don’t be late, otherwise this… won’t happen again anytime soon.“

You then walked off, back to where you were working. A satisfied grin on your face. Words couldn’t describe what you were feeling right now.

It was overwhelming, you just kissed him, kissed him so hard that he was still speechless.

The Ezra Bridger. Speechless. Because of you.

Ezra was still sitting on the chair. Slowly realizing that you asked him out on a date. And that you also just made out with him on his fucking lap. 

His stunned expression turned into a excited one.

He was still too stunned to speak, but his mind was everything but quiet right now.

„Holy force…“

SHE ASKED ME OUT!

OH KRIFF YEAH!!!

[shiestys0rcerer]

Hiraeth- S.G

﹒⋆ homesickness for a home to which you cannot return ﹒⋆

✧ Suguru Geto x Oc, eventual Satoru Gojo x Reader

✧ warnings : harassment?, cringe maybe, a work in progress

✧ Hireath Series: Chapter One

✧ Authors Note: Posted this on Wattpad but wanted to try it on tumblr, lmk what yall think :3 My first time writing so this might be a little ass but trust I have a vision 🙌, also this is kinda like a flashback? It’s just how they started dating tbh. NOT REVISED!!

✧ Summary: She wasn't exactly sure what made her realize she was in love with him. It could've been the fact that her heart raced when his eyes lingered on her a second longer than usual, or maybe it was the mere fact she constantly daydreamed about doing things with him that crossed the line of friendship.

︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿

2005

The three teens walked through the park together. The beautiful scenery around them began to show as the sun started to set, creating a beautiful gold overcast that filled the sky. The occasional gentle breeze of wind offered a cool contrast to the warm weather.

"I must admit I enjoy moments like these. It's nice not having any work to do." Suguru spoke.

"Exactly! No cursed spirits, no teachers, no higher ups, just putting an end to the day by being at the park with my best friends.” Gojo sighed as he walked with his hands behind his head.

"Please don't jinx us, the moment you say anything positive we'll end up having to deal with some stupid cursed spirit." Sayori groaned as she walked behind the two.

"C'mon lighten up. It's not often we get a chance to be off duty all at the same time." Gojo said as he turned to look at her.

"Oh believe me I'm beyond ecstatic about this, I just don't want our peace ruined by getting a random assigned mission before we even get there." Sayori explained.

The three continued talking as they strolled down the walking trail for another ten minutes before they arrived at an open area. There were people scattered all over the place. Families were sat on blankets, having picnics. Children ran around in groups playing. Even the occasional couple on their romantic evening walked by. Overall it was a nice change of scenery for the young sorcerers.

They instantly made their way to the first empty spot they saw. They spread out their blanket on the floor and began setting up their picnic. Once all the food was laid out they grabbed a plate and began loading it up with food.

"Damn leave some food for the rest of us." Sayori said as she looked at Gojo's plate.

"What? I'm hungry." He argued.

"You're always hungry." Suguru deadpanned as he grabbed a napkin.

"I am not!" He bickered as he placed his hand over his chest in an offended manner.

"No, no he's right, you were literally eating the dessert we packed in my bag on the way here." Sayori laughed.

The trio continued talking and eating for awhile before Satoru's phone rang. He checked the caller ID and instantly picked up. Silence fell over the other two as they watched his face drop with the quick conversation.

"Yaga called. Said he needed me to come in because the higher ups want to talk to me." Satoru groaned as he ran his hand through his hair.

"Do you want us to go back with you?" Suguru asked as he watched Satoru get up.

"Nah, it's fine. You guys enjoy the rest of your day, I'll see you two later." He said waving his hand as he walked off.

Silence once again fell over the two. It wasn't often Sayori got the chance to hang out with Suguru alone. Though she was excited she'd finally be able to talk to him without Gojo interfering every two seconds. If anything this worked out perfectly. They had the rest of the day free, maybe she could find the time and courage to tell him how she felt.

"Well at least it wasn't us." She broke the silence as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"Yeah thankfully.” Suguru replied, before he stood up and began stretching. He closed his eyes as he pulled his arms behind his head, his shirt lifting up a little, revealing his torso.

Sayori very quickly took notice of his skin and shamelessly kept watching as he stretched. Though her trance was broken when the wind picked up and almost blew away the empty plastic wrappers laying on the blanket. As soon as she went to grab them he stopped stretching.

"Stupid trash ruining the moment." She mumbled quietly as she crumbled the wrapper. After being broken from her trance she decided to clean up and collect all the trash in the bag they brought the food in.

As Sayori began to walk over to the trash bin she noticed a man standing by a tree. She accidentally locked eyes with him, but she just looked away and carried on. When she looked back up she noticed he started walking towards the trash bin as well. Though she still shrugged it off and continued on. However he reached the bins and just stood there.

"Oh god please don't let him start talking to me. Just let me do this one thing in peace." She prayed as she reached the bin.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing out here alone?" The man whistled. He didn't look homeless but he reeked of alcohol.

"Why the hell do I even bother." Sayori groaned mentally as the emptied the bag in the trash.

"Come home with me baby, I can give you some company and show you a good time." The man continued, a smirk growing on his face.

"Ew.." the only thought that ran through her mind.

"Ah! No thank you!." She declined as she waved him off and turned around.

"It's not like you have a boyfriend anyways so just come home with me." He snapped.

"Oh so he's just an asshole, got it!" She remarked mentally rolling her eyes.

At the moment she could've just knocked him out. Even without her cursed technique she could easily overpower him in a second. Though something in his statement struck a cord and left a bitter taste in her mouth.

"What makes you think I wouldn't have a boyfriend?”Sayori asked.

"Because you're alone, and even if you did have a boyfriend, what kind of idiot lets his woman walk off alone. A real man like me wouldn't treat you that way." He slurred.

"A real man wouldn't harass a girl at the park either but okay." She thought to herself.

"He doesn't control my every move. I left to throw away the trash from our date. That I was very much enjoying until you came along." She lied as she looked him up and down.

"Hm, not buying the excuse, sorry sweetheart." The man said with a smug look on his face. Sayori was one step away from punching him, but she was set on proving him wrong

"Hey, Suguru! Can you please come here!" She called.

"Man, I hope this doesn't make things weird between us, hopefully he'll understand.."

Suguru was better than this man in every way possibly. Suguru was tall, caring, sweet, and attractive. The drunk on the other hand lacked in every category a woman could have for her standard in men.

Once he heard her calling he immediately walked over. Taking notice of the man, and Sayori's happy face he couldn't help but feel confused. He walked up  to the side of her, and she immediately snaked her hand around his waist, taking him by surprise.

"Well you wanted to see my boyfriend so.. here he is." Sayori smiled.

Suguru, now understanding his role in the situation, smirks as he relaxes his shoulders. He rested his hand on the small of Sayori's back, causing her to freeze for a second.

"I'm sorry, baby is this drunk bothering you?" Suguru cooed as he played along.

Sayori’s mind quite literally exploded in that moment. The nickname itself made her face heat up. Though for the sake of her act..and selfishly her self, she continued to play along.

The mans eyes just widened in shock. Which honestly was enough of a reaction for Sayori but she wanted to see how far she could push it.

"Yup, and get this, said you were an idiot for letting me out of your sight." Sayori added.

"Maybe I am for letting my you walk around while's there jobless drunks patrolling the area. C'mon my love we're leaving. Suguru said locking eyes with the man, who still was wide eyed. Though Sayori was almost matching his expression. She was in complete shock of his response to this situation.

"Keep it together, you look just as shocked as the drunk." Sayori thought as she regained her composure.

Suguru turned to walk away, still intertwined with Sayori, though as much as she wanted to stay that way, she let go and ran back to the drunk.

"Too late sweetheart you missed your chance.” The man smirked. 

Though it didn't last long because as soon as Sayori was a foot away from him her fist make quick contact with his face. Knocking him out cold. She immediately ran back to Suguru and grabbed his hand and ran with him to a different spot.

They made their way to a tree a good distance from the drunk man, and stood under it. It was closer to the pond and had an overall nicer view than where they were before. However it was far from others, and in a more secluded area. 

"I can't believe you just punched him like that." Suguru said almost astonished.

"Hopefully he'll wake up and realize that harassing girls in the park is a dick move. Or maybe the police will pick him up and take him in for being passed out drunk in public. Either way it's a win-win. He learns a a valuable lesson and I get the satisfaction of seeing the shock on his face when you came in." She said with a sense of justice in her voice.

Sayori looked at Suguru before turning to the view. The sun had begun to set, casting a beautiful mix of purple in the sky. The moon had been just starting to rise and peaked out through the purple sky. Below it was the pond, which still had a few people in the little swan boats pedaling around.

"The view is beautiful isn't it?" Sayori asked as she sat down and looked out at the pond.

"It is." Suguru simply replied smiling as he looked at her.

She could still feel his gaze on her. This felt like a dream. Almost everything she has wished for has come true today in one form or another. Without giving it another thought she opened her mouth.

"Hey Suguru… I'm in love with you." She admitted, her gaze still focused on the pond as her heart beat picked up.

He laughed quietly, before he spoke. “I‘ve waited so long to hear those words.”

[disfrutalakia]

Okay, I had been meaning to write this for awhile and what best time to do it than at 3am in Brazil right?

Anyway, time for me to be ill about Forever which will be under a read more cause you guys know how much I like to ramble.

Okay first of all, I'm specifically talking about Forever post happy pills arc.

When he woke up from his coma he was meet with a bit of chaos, a lot of people were at the order during this time but still Forever managed to thank the people he wanted to and even made promises of "bringing your color back" to Bad they hugged and then he managed to talk with Pac and let him know that for him, Pac is a hero.

After this there is the chaos of the event but Forever is quiet comparing with how he usually his, he takes time to resolve everything and Bagi is found, they go on a walk and he is hit with a frying pan, she tells him she doesn't care about his missing son and he just accepts her words, too deep into his own head to really retaliate. And then, at the end of the day he goes back to the "moon house" and takes his first step towards healing, he breaks stone Richas. Which takes a lot out of him.

The next day when he wakes up he is overjoyed, he sees that his beloved sister is back and maybe, just maybe he could have someone to hear him out, but when he arrives he notices she has been crying and when she says it was because of her knee hurting, he didn't believe her for a second, but didn't want to be push, and then she asked about the drugs she heard about him using and if he was okay and what can he do but say that he will be someday? He can't worry Baghera when she looks so much worse than he does. So his wellbeing is not important.

And then the flower thing, Forever is not someone to show he cares so directly, he knows who he cares about it but he rarely shows it but now? He is making an effort to at least try to cheer up his sad friends with flowers, he wants to investigate Bad to figure out what's going on with him, he wants to bring his colors back, he wants everyone he cares about to be happy again even if he is still screaming from pain inside.

Then that meeting with cucurucho happens, on the old times he used to joke and laugh even during those meetings but not now, now he is tense, his lands probably shake a bit and his voice is carefully crafted to not show much emotions, Cucurucho trusts those pills on his hands again and for a moment, a very brief one he thought about them, thought about how he would let himself become lost in then if Richas was truly dead. Then, he sees old pictures of him and Richas together and he decides against using the pills ever again, he hides then away, under a fireplace so if he ever gets tempted to touch them again, his hands will burn with the fire. But he is keeping them safe to make antidotes with incase shit ever happens again, he refuses to let Pac's work go to waste.

He refuses to not be himself again, to lose his agency like that.

Right now, his only focus is helping his friends who are very not well, he can take care of himself the others are always a priority and they will remain the priority for the rest of his life. His pain being buried deeper and deeper, not cause nobody would be willing to hear it but because he isn't willing to talk about it.

So he tries, he tries to joke and laugh with his friends, to forget the horrible reality but they all can notice how his smile is not really there, how his laugh is a lot more quieter now.

The old Forever is gone, what remains is the most self sacrificial part of himself that would rather putting everyone else's problems before his own.

Because for him, he is nothing without his family.

[orionshounds]

I'm making this post WAYYYY later than I thought I would but I am still NOT OVER part one of the ii finale, and I just wanted to gush about why I think it worked so well (long post + spoilers ahead, everything here is just my own personal opinion!)

And to start talking about the episode, I'm not going to talk about the episode at all, but rather THE BUILDUP

as has been said many times by Justin and Brian, Mephone4 creating the contestants has been something they've planned for awhile (since 2015 if my memory is correct), so they have had plenty of times to sprinkle in little details building to this reveal. But what I find fascinating is how well they hid the clues to the reveal because they all were hidden in plain sight

Fan glitching and saying he doesn't know who he is outside the show

Cabby struggling to remember her parents

Anytime a character is asked (in FFF or an exit interview) about their past they reply with "for as long as I can remember"

Characters describing how the show can feel like it's taking over their lives

Looking back over everything I almost feel stupid for not catching onto it before, but the clues were made by design to go over viewer's heads. Because in almost every case, there was a second, "more reasonable" conclusion the audience could take away from these moments.

For Fan his whole arc had been about his unhealthy attachment with the game, it made sense that he would struggle with his identity outside of it (we just didn't know how LITTERAL that struggle was). And him glitching was in response to being beamed up by the Prime Shimmer, at the time it was safe to assume it was probably something to do with the alien tech and not Fan himself. For Cabby's scene, god I love this scene, everyone (including the characters themselves!) assumed that it was just Cabby's memory that was at fault because that's what her arc was centered around. Every clue was so well hidden because they used our own assumptions against us

And now I want to talk about season 3 a little more because in my opinion, the twist would NOT have hit as hard without it

I know there were a lot of real world reasons why the crew made a season 3, but it serves as the perfect primer for the season 2 twist. First and foremost the Cabby scene again; since the objects' world is so different from our own and there is no universal "lore" on how such a world operates, Cabby's scene with Bot is soooo important for one specific reason; it plants the idea in the viewer's heads that, in this world, objects are supposed to have parents. Cob's specifically has a line taunting Knife and Suitcase about this (What did your parents say when they heard the good news?) that would not have hit as hard without this scene subtly directing the audience to expect them to have parents

Then there is Walkie's whole monologue at the end of iii's finale;

I'm gonna be real, when this finale came out I really did not understand this monologue at all. I didn't understand WALKIE at all. She suggests she wasn't made by Meeple, which didn't feel like a lie, but I just couldn't figure out what her deal was.....then the season was just over!

I was confused and a little irritated when they didn't elaborate on who exactly she was and where the hell she came from, and I think the crew wanted the audience to feel that way. They wanted us to keep the questions of "who" and "why" in our heads so that season 2's reveal would make it all click into place

iii's confusion doesn't stop there either, since after it ended probably the biggest question everyone had was how does it fit in the timeline? Because the crew always said it was canon, and the characters kept making references to how season two was "still going on", so when episode 15 aired I was really curious on how it would all fit.....

....what?

That was my reaction at least. There was no way season three happened in only half a day....right? And then I thought, "oh, ok, silly object show rules. They didn't want season 3 to intrude on season 2 so they're going to brush this off, just don't think to hard about it". Obviously, this wasn't the case, but we wouldn't know that until the finale. And again, I think the crew wanted this confusion. By leaving the audience with questions, you're helping to build tension towards that finale payoff (and to be clear, at the time of writing this we still don't know 100% HOW this timeline works, but no doubt Mephone's powers had something to do with it)

With all of these questions, and Brain running polls on twitter on how many characters we thought might die (thanks brian), finally it was time for part one of the season 2 finale...

and then the twist dropped like a bombshell; mephone made the contestants

the very foundation of my understanding of the show changed after that. Everything I had been prepared for was thrown entirely out the window, which I don't think was an accident. With how the crew teased about this episode, it felt like they were preparing us for everything except the twist, ensuring it could fully blindside the most amount of people possible

I want to talk about how brilliantly they presented the twist as well because honestly, building up to it is half the battle. With how important this moment is and how much of our understanding of the show it changes, it needed a ton tension and weight behind it, which the crew pulled off flawlessly. I still get goose-bumps watching that final scene

Kicking it off, Mephone finally answers the call from Cobs. As someone who is particularly invested in Mephone this was huge, it's the biggest thing we know he's been dreading and shows some significant growth from him as well (I don't think pre-iii finale Mephone would ever face his fears like this). Then Knife and Suitcase confront Cobs, Suitcase setting the mood by saying "It feels too easy, doesn't it?" and it does. We, as an audience, know that this is only part one. There is no way Cobs is about the be defeated....not to mention that he has some sort of grand plan we don't know about, so the audience is now on the edge of their seats wondering what is about to go wrong

As the pair confront him they have this exchange;

"Bored? You expect us to believe that??"

"I don't know, it is the truth though"

Since Cob's is known to be an unreliable narrator, to me this feels like Brian subtly signaling to the audience that whatever Cobs is going to say next IS going to be the truth, whether we like it or not

Cobs then nonchalantly confirms he's the one deleting the contestants, putting the audience on edge. I mean, who calmly admits to murder like that?? Then, he begins probing about the bizarre nature of the show. Alllll of the little things that might have bugged us, or things we brushed off because "its an object show" Cobs highlights. He builds the audience's tension by pointing out the same questions a lot of them have been asking themselves since the beginning. And then, he starts building the tension with the contestants;

(I really love this beat, how he takes a moment to think of just the right question to ask without giving it all away. It shows how much he's enjoying fucking with the contestants, really living up to being the final big-bad of the show)

The way he begins to lead us to the answer is so sick and twisted. Asking Knife and Suitcase seemingly innocent questions, going on about creative vision, answering Mephone's call and realizing with delight how even HE doesn't seem know the answer. Winding the audience up and up and up before;

"How'd you get an interview with him anyway?"

"What'd your parents say when you told them the news?"

"You'd think you'd remember something like that, oh wait, no you wouldn't."

"He made you."

...

To this day, Inanimate Insanity is the only show to leave me literally speechless after an episode. I think everything about part one was handled phenomenally, hats off to the entire crew

Finally, I wanted to talk about where this twist leaves the show. Let's be real, putting a "nothing was real" type twist into your story is risky. If not done properly it can leave the audience feeling like the story was pointless or is no longer engaging to revisit. I can confidently say ii's twist has avoided this pitfall

Not only has this twist been properly built up too, incredibly I think it makes the characters more interesting in hindsight. Many of them follow an arc about becoming more than who they are assumed to be at the start. With this twist, those arcs are suddenly much more meaningful because instead of overcoming a personal flaw, they are overcoming what they were literally created to be. It changes the status quo in a way that will alter your perception of earlier episodes, but in a way that makes you re-engaged with the show and excited to revisit it

All in all, I love this episode and I love the twist, and I'm really excited to see how it continues to shape the characters and world in part 2 :)

[mincyberr]

welcm to cy's hot takes, where my takes might fire back at me 😭

sorry in advance! 😭 -

this hot take is about 4 things

more ships, (BC why not), Chuck, Brenda and Group B (every Group B member)

(requested by: @zer0brainc3lls)

This is because I didn't post a hot take in awhile so I need to feed my children 🤭🎂 and also my bday is in 12 days and I been busy soo sorry for that. Anyways let's get to it!!

1: Ships:

Avanson (Ava Janson), I see this in the books, movies no, because Janson shot Ava like poor girl. Books wise (from Death Cure chp 1-20) I think it might happen?

Benmas (Ben Thomas), not gonna happen, he attacked the guy, not made out. Get a brain check smh...

Borge (Brenda Jorge), not gonna happen for a few reasons, the books and movies show them as family, not lovers, AGES! And the fact they see eachother as Dad and Daughter. So sorry, not gonna happen.

Miresa (Minho Teresa) BRO THEY HATE EACH OTHER! Have you seen the books?! Minho says: "I don't trust that girl" the moment he learns about her. Like he fights her in Death Cure (movie) DO I NEED MORE?!

Nalby (Newt Alby), I kinda say both, I hate it and like it. They like eachother but not crushing... More of leader friends. Yk yk?

2: Chuck (Chuckie boy!!)

He's a cute adorable and happy boy, I wish we had more of him in the books and movies... Like he was a good character but he was so unused. I know he was shown in Fever Code, HES AMAZING THERE! But I wish he had more time in there. He is nice and caring but he needs better screen time then being shot/stabbed by Gally.

7/10, cute but stop shipping/simping. 😑🙏

3: Brenda

She's amazing, I love how everyone has subject names and she's girlboss. Like amazing. She saved Thomas and Minho in the Scotch, she trusted Thomas and Gladers and helped Jorge to trust them and now look where they are! She also hates Teresa (same girl) and WCKD even though she works for them.

10/10 girlboss for the win.

4: Group B.

Aris: He is so ANNOYING LIKE HOW THE SKIBIDI DO PEOPLE LIKE THE GUY?! He kissed Teresa, betrayed Group B and A, helped WCKD and is a ass in general.

Rachel: I wish I have a say in her. I don't. Because she barely have any lines but being killed by Beth. (Gallys opposite and said in Scotch Trials book) And the fact she was so annoying in Fever Code just killed me.

Sonya, Harriet: Both amazing, nice, helped Thomas and knew they were on there side, not WCKDs. Sonya is Newts sister, I'm not gonna be biased about it. Harriet is like Minho to me so that's cool. I like how they are Alby and Newt opposites. It's amazing 🤩😍. 10/10

Miyoko, Beth: They don't have a say but I do like what I found of them. Miyoko is Minho's opposite and Beth is Gallys opposite if you forget. They are cool people so that's all for that. But I want more MIYOKO!!

Anyways that's a long hot take for y'all. Eat up kids. Anyways love ya!

♡ cy/cyber (stan minho)

[sketching-shark]

This may or may not have asked more than once but I wanted to ask— what is your favorite alternate universe or stories of jttw in Tumblr? I've seen the glorious works of Kaijufluffs and kiri with her monkey business (may be some lmk here and there), but so far that's the only things in my list. There was also that one jttw artist and their au but like, it was from the 2015 movie (I think) and somehow integrated w the west pantheon too (their name might've been sun or something)

If you do and can, can you list down ur fav AUS and what you think of them? I've been following ur blog for a while and wanted to ask (but I've just been too shy)

Thanks for the question anon! And yes! There are definitely some fun JTTW aus out there; people on this site are incredibly creative.

So to begin, are you talking about the aus made by @sunny-days-and-warm-mournings? Because I know that they've come up with a number of AUs, and that from what I've seen they're all bangers with all sorts of interesting takes and flavors, from making everyone's favorite monkey more a god of food to a terrifying death deity! As you can imagine this has led to many a stellar design from the whimsical to the horrific for all of these monkey kings, each of which is fully worth checking out. tbh I feel like you should just scroll through their gallery to find them all & will promise that you won't be disappointed.

If you're looking for something a little more lego show flavored, then you should check out @digitaldoeslmk's "by the book au!" Its Monkey King is extremely fun sized, and it's really neat for the way it explores heartfelt sides to MK and friend's stories in a Monkie Kid scenario where JTTW happened according to Wu Cheng'en's story and where reality isn't constantly in danger so we see fun stuff like lion dancing and putting on plays and the warm interactions that come with it (& also where everyone isn't routinely yelling about how awful & incompetent SWK is fsgreafw).

I also have to give a shout-out to @violetvirus for their JTTW cyberpunk au! It's got a very fun and bouncy cartoon vibe to it, and I love how SWK, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Wujing look as robots <3. There's hints of some interesting ways the JTTW scenario works with a cyberpunk setting, as well as some moments of silliness like this banger:

Last but certainly not least, and while its been awhile since he posted, I would definitely recommend checking out @antidotefortheawkward and @antidotefortheawkward-art's blogs for his JTTW AUs! Seriously, his blogs are cornucopias of wonderful JTTW aus, from an actors AU to a triad AU to a Lotus Lantern AU to a post-JTTW JTTW au! Each of these really shows a lot of attention and care for the characters and the details of the world they inhabit from clothing to religion to history, which as you can imagine opens up multiple opportunities for some really lovely, heartfelt, and overall great interactions. A few personal favorites include this comic of an conversation between Sun Wukong and Liu Chenxiang of Lotus Lantern fame:

A comic about Sun Wukong's reactions after first learning that Xiyouji included details about his time as Puti Zushi's tudi:

And to end on something a little darker, a comic for his JTTW-ish/Macbeth au.

So those are the JTTW aus I can think of at the top of my head, but I sincerely hope you find them as fun and interesting as I do anon! And needless to say if anyone has a JTTW au that they think worth sharing, please do so.

[bmaxwell]

Game of the Year 2023: The Top 10

2023 was a great year for the videogames industry. A lot of great videogames were released in 2023. It was a fucking lousy year for the industry if you had a career there. It has been deeply disappointing to see record sales and critical acclaim alongside frequent layoff announcements. It feels like the pursuit of endless profit, whatever the cost. It's not sustainable and, as someone who has loved this hobby for my entire life, seeing the people who create games treated as disposable is disgusting. So, as much as this post and this blog are about YAY GAMES, there's also an undercurrent of filth that we have to keep in mind.

Apart from that, 2023 had its usual ups and downs for me. I played non-mobile games on my phone more than ever, thanks to two things: I got a Razr Kishi adapter to clamp onto my phone, turning it into a tiny Switch. Oh, and I got a pretty decent new phone. And Honkai Star Rail hooked me. That's three things.

Speaking of HSR, the ability to access cloud saves from my phone and my desktop PC was a godsend. This is true for Game Pass as well. Frequently I'd pull out my phone in the breakroom at work and pickup whichever game I'd been playing on Xbox, and it worked surprisingly well. I played a lot of Dead Cells this way, and finished Fuga 2 and Dordogne there.

If you'd told me at the start of the year that my best experiences of the year would include Baldur's Gate, a Harry Potter title, and an ALAN WAKE game, I'd have been pretty skeptical. But here we are. Also, if you're a theater kid I feel like this year had a couple of really special moments for you.

2023 also marked a return - at least somewhat - to the hobby of boardgaming. I was neck deep in the hobby from 2008 - 2015. I recently picked up Wingspan and it became a Sunday afternoon staple for myself, my wife, and our youngest child. I've missed the tactile non-digital experience of boardgames. It's nice to be back.

10. Honkai Star Rail

Well. You win universe. A gross free to play mobile game chock full of microtransactions and gacha mechanics is one of my favorite games of the year. The Genshin Impact people made a turn based RPG, see. And it's stylish as hell, and music is great, and when you get a new character from the loot boxes you get this little dopamine hit, and...

The game's events have been really surprising and well done. There's one involving staffing and stocking a museum, one involves shipping logistics, one's themed around ghost hunting. I wish I could have the $70 version of this game that isn't compromised by trying to squeeze players for money. The problem with that, of course, is that this game would not exist without all the bullshit.

But it feels good to play, it looks incredible, and I can swap between playing on my PC and my phone pretty effortlessly. So, despite the predatory MTX bullshit, I have really enjoyed my time with Honkai Star Rail this year.

I think my second biggest issue with live service games is that I don't get a sense of closure. I can't Finish Honkai Star Rail. And I'm not going to play it forever. So I get really into it for awhile (most of the year in this case) and just kind of...stop.

9. Goodbye Volcano High

This one is reminiscent of Night in the Woods; it's a coming-of-age story about anthropomorphic dinosaurs graduating high school, with all the fears and doubts that come with that. Some folks seem to have their entire future mapped out, some are just gonna work an hourly wage job and play D&D, and your character is serious about making a career in music. More serious than her bandmates are. Also, there's a meteor coming and it looks like it might hit Earth.

This game resonated with me on a few levels. The writing is great, the characters are well written and, unlike Stray Gods, the music landed for me. It does a great job of showing us different attitudes and values clashing into one another while making each of them relatable. The hope, resentment, and willful blindness of "My friends aren't invested in this thing we're doing together as much as I am" really blindsided me. It dredged up some feelings I haven't examined in years, both for better and worse. I didn't have much in the way of expectations for this game, but Goodbye Volcano High wormed its way into my heart. Goodbye Volcano High is the game mostly likely to be the game where I look back in the future and regret putting it outside of my top 10 for the year.

Hah! Suck it, me! Top 10 babyyyyy!

8. Pikmin 4

I've never really engaged with Pikmin, but this one was a blast. It does the Honey I Shrunk the Kids thing of "tiny dudes in a normal environment so it looks all big" thing that I love. Solve lots of puzzles by throwing little plant being at them. I love that the inspiration for the series was Miyamoto watching ants carrying leaves in his yard. It still has that feeling all these years later.

It feels odd to call Pikmin a relaxing experience, as you can and will lose Pikmin. Sometimes due to the natural attrition that comes with war, sometimes when the wrong little doofuses wander into water or fire, etc. There's also a timer, which is usually a dealbreaker for me. And the story revolves around rescuing fellow space travelers who have been transforming into mute plant people on this hostile planet. In fact the whole thing sounds like a pitch for a horror game. Despite all that, there's an easy charm to Pikmin. Your little astronaut dorks keep their spirits high, and there's playful music as you explore this huge, colorful world. I found it to be a great way to unwind at the end of the day for a couple of months this year.

7. Persona 5 Tactica

Persona 5 achieved mainstream success that the games before it never reached. Atlus has been milking it for all it's worth too - Persona 5 Dancing in the Moonlight, Persona 5 Royal, Persona 5 Strikers, and an upcoming Persona 5 mobile game. Some folks are feeling understandably burned out - I didn't get into dancing or strikers, and didn't play Royal (after putting 120 hours into Persona 5) so I was geeked when they announced a Persona 5 tactics game. On paper it's a strong pitch for me.

And in execution it's every bit as good as I'd hoped. My only complaint is the chibi art style. It isn't bad, just not to my taste. Beyond that? It's got the Persona charm, the banging music, and good solid tactical gameplay with just enough of a twist to not feel dull.

The "one more" mechanic from the series is key here, allowing the members of your 3-person team extra movement and actions. This is especially important because of the game's version of the all-out attack, which forms a triangle between your 3 party members and deals heavy damage to enemies caught inside. This makes combat an experience that rewards putting thought into. The game even has some side battles that are basically puzzles, giving you one turn to finish.

The game's new characters - Toshiro and Erina - are a welcome addition to the Phantom Thieves crew as well. I came around on Toshiro in a big way and was immediately in love with Erina. The game is about fighting against oppression and finding your courage to resist. Your friends are there for you when times are tough. It's hammy and melodramatic in the way that Persona is, and I love it. I love the game's revolutionary aesthetic, even if it's largely window dressing.

The DLC has been great so far too, starring Akechi and Kasumi in gameplay I can only describe if "What if Persona and Splatoon had a tactics baby?"

6. Diablo IV

The Diablo series has been the most consistently great video game series for me. I love the first 3 games and spent a TON of time with each. Diablo IV has the worst longevity of the series, but the best campaign. Now, I have to add a bunch of qualifiers here. The "best campaign" is a pretty low bar to clear. Diablo has always been - and continues to be - find new gear/numbers go up. The cutscenes are, as usual, top notch. While the story wasn't necessarily riveting, it was nice to have an antagonist with a personality and some ideas beyond RAWR I AM VERY EVIL RAWR. In fact, I was half-expecting the game to ask if I wanted to side with Lilith near the end, and I just might have done so. And the cinematic of the human army marching into hell while Lilith and Imperius have a philosophical discussion was incredible.

As for the replay value, maybe they'll find their way much like Diablo III did. My main issue with Diablo IV is the way new content is handcuffed to new seasons, how seasonal characters are siloed off from the rest of your characters, and how the game feels like it was built around microtransactions and milking money out of the player.

The game feels good to play. Abilities feel powerful and interesting, the loot grind is fun, and exploring the variety between the classes is a joy. Diablo IV is one of the best games released this year, it's just a shame that, like a lot of modern games, Diablo IV feels compromised, it feels like a Product in a gross way. Still, every previous game in the series has had a long tail for me, so I'm not counting Diablo IV out yet.

5. Darkest Dungeon II

Darkest Dungeon is my favorite game. I have a tattoo of it on my arm. It's impossible to expect a sequel to improve on that or even meet it. Subsequent journeys into a fiction can never be special in the same way that first one is, and Darkest Dungeon II is no exception.

The game is immediately recognizable - you'll see some familiar faces lined up in a tug-of-war formation against a group of enemies. A row of skills at the bottom of the screen, a torch at the top. Artwork with thick, dark lines and plenty of shading. The moment-to-moment gameplay IS a lot like the first game, but the trappings around it are not.

Gone is the persistent campaign of the first game, replaced by a more familiar roguelike structure. You embark on runs that either end in victory or failure, unlocking new things between runs. This makes the game more approachable and forgiving, but it means the lows are less low and the highs are not quite as high. In the original title losing your veteran Crusader you've sunk hours and hours into feels like a real gut punch, but by the same token finally - FINALLY - conquering the darkest dungeon feels incredible. Those extremes are lost in the sequel, and that probably makes for an objectively better game.

It's not just the same run every time; there are 5 chapters to conquer, each themed with a personal failing: Denial, Resentment, Obsession, Ambition, and Cowardice. The game's personality is still here in full force thanks to Wayne June's narration, Stuart Chatwood's music, that incredible artwork and gallows humor that I love so much. Each of the characters is treated as an individual with their own dark backstory this time around, each crafted in loving detail and unfolding by way of cutscenes and/or interactive gameplay moments. The stress mechanism is still here but takes a bit of a backseat, while relationships between characters are brought to the forefront.

Darkest Dungeon II is just what I wanted from a sequel to my favorite game. I'm glad they didn't just make the same again but prettier, but still kept the game's bones intact.

4. Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name

Yakuza has become one of my favorite game series over the past few years. I'm down for whatever they throw at us. Bringing Kiryu back yet again? Sure. New protagonist? I'm down. A period piece starring the cast as historical figures? Fucking bring it on.

I love the series. The melodrama that hits me in my feels, the never-ending parade of lovable weirdoes and freaks in Kamurocho, the deep well of fleshed-out side games like bowling, pocket circuit racing, and karaoke - it's all here. I'm not tired of it. I thought I would be, but I'm not.

Kiryu is a lovable, stoic doofus with a strict moral code and penchant for helping out anyone who needs a hand. This time they gave him a Clark Kent disguise after faking his death, and also a bunch of James Bond Spider-Man gadgets. Let's go.

I will never get tired of my big hearted himbo beating people with bicycles and helping out folks in need. And I got misty-eyed at the ending. I was not prepared for my stoic boy to full on ugly cry. Still waters run deep.

3. Hogwarts Legacy

In the years since JK Rowling outed herself as a human shaped pile of garbage, I've distanced myself from the Harry Potter universe. And when Hogwarts Legacy released, the game was a lightning rod for controversy. I decided to see for myself, and was treated to a wonderful, smartly written game that managed to capture the magic of the world without constantly referencing the movies and books that everyone knows. It's the same trick that Jedi Fallen Order pulled a few years ago, and it works every bit as well here.

The school feels massive and detailed, and it was a joy to explore or just get lost in. The game world outside the school was unexpectedly huge as well, and the broomstick flight felt so good and natural that I rarely bothered to travel by floo. Optional side activities like growing your own plants for your potion brewing, decorating your Room of Requirement, and breeding creatures were all pleasant distractions that served to flesh out the world of Hogwarts.

The game's cast is fairly diverse, and most students felt like real people rather than caricatures of their Hogwarts houses. Most students do have their house traits, but they're not constantly front and center. The side stories and main story kept me engaged throughout my time with Hogwarts Legacy, and I was a little sad to see it end. It's a shame the IP has JK Rowling's stench on it, and that a lot of people will miss this game because of that.

2. Alan Wake II

Alan Wake and Control are both posterchildren for games with incredible world building and lousy game play. I've started both multiple times only to end up walking away in frustration. Alan Wake 2 largely fixes my complaint with those previous games by letting me explore and become immersed in the world without throwing frequent contextless fights in my way.

Alan Wake 2's combat isn't necessarily more engaging, but there's far less of it. What you're left with is the good stuff, a Twin Peaks-like horror mystery in a small town where everything and everyone feels a little bit off. Sometimes a lot off. It's a game where the characters play everything straight, but there are plenty of winks and nods in the margins. The game is full of wonderful freaks and weirdoes, many of whom had me frequently grinning like a fool. Alex Casey. Warlin Door. The Koskela brothers. Rose. Odin and Tor. Alan and Saga. Ahti. Thomas Zane. All hamming it up in a story that gets entirely up its own ass in the best way.

The Herald of Darkness scene is one of the best things I've ever seen. Ditto for the late game scene on the lakeshore. Hell, the game had me sitting and watching a short Finnish art house film at one point. It's a game full of glee and confidence from a studio with the belief in itself and its fans that allow it to swing for the fences. Not every part of it works for me, but the parts that do are so effective that the whole experience is lifted up on high. I wish Remedy's gameplay worked for me, which is never has. But this is a terrific work of art, and the good stuff far outweighs the bad.

Baldur's Gate III

My love of Baldur's Gate and the CRPG genre was something I'd left long in the past. Despite playing excellent modern entries like Divinity Original Sin, and Pillars of Eternity I hadn't been captivated by one of these in some 20 years.

It's hard to put into words what a triumph Baldur's Gate 3 is. I can't name a single thing it really does to revolutionize the genre but Larian executed on every single element of the game. Starting with the story, they make the stakes incredibly personal on top of the usual "Oh shit the world is in danger!" thing we always see. A mindflayer puts a parasite in your brain at the beginning of the game. World saving aside, getting that out of you feels pretty important.

Or not! You can decide to lean into it, and the writers did a great job of mixing viewpoints into the story. Mindflayers are horrible monsters but wait. Are they really though? Your party members will have their own opinions on the matter, as well as their own traumas and baggage and backstories. The writing and voicework for these party members are the best part of one of the best games ever made.

The game's ensemble cast might be the best of any game. By the game's end my party was my Tav, Karlach, Jaheira, and Astarion/Gale depending on the situation. There are party members I missed, and one I may or may not have killed (I regret nothing). Baldur's Gate III's story branches in so many ways, it all feels like it's a hair away from collapsing in on itself but it never does. My friends and I were exchanging stories about what we'd seen and done in the game as we played, and the variance is impressive. Baldur's Gate III is like a dude spinning plates while juggling chainsaws, and people keep tossing stuff into the mix and you think "Well no WAY can he keep all this going!" but goddammit, it all keeps going.

The way the game rolls with whatever choices you make (or dumb shit you want to try) whether in or out of combat, is truly incredible. It feels closer to having a DM than anything I've ever played. If you want to do something weird or dumb, the game does an incredible job of yes and-ing you. And it's not without consequences, the game reacts to the wide array of shit you can do within the D&D ruleset. The game sets up storylines both big and small early on, and manages to pay them off in interesting ways before it wraps up.

The combat was a sticking point for me in Divinity Original Sin 2. It's not that it was bad, but it was overwhelming. Combat could be long and difficult, and losing after an hour only to reload a save was incredibly deflating. Baldur's Gate 3 threaded this needle almost perfectly for me. Most combats were challenging but not crushing, and did not overstay their welcome.

I kept waiting for the game to drag and lose its momentum, but it never happened. I was glued to it for the entire 100+ hours it took me to roll credits. I fully plan on replaying it one day.

[ratheread]

My opinion on each kotlc book.

These are my personal opinions on each book so yeah if you dont agree cool I really don't care. I'm working on rereading the series so i show a better opinion on the books i havent read for awhile. Tw: Spoilers.

•Book one- Kotlc

Its good it's the most page time Dex has, but couldn't the black swan leave a note or something being like hey we're not the bad guys. Also why did forkle leave Sophie and Dex alone with no way to get back to the Lost Cities. I feel bad for sophie too because in this book fitz comes in and is like "Yeahhh.... so your an elf and can't live with humans. Oh also you know all the stuff the humans taught you... yeah it's wrong."

•Book 2- Exile

Again another good one except dex doesn't have nearly enough page time. Silveny is the best animal in the series I also think this is the first book that Iggy gets a makeover. Also Keefe getting more page time I love, the sokeefe moments. And of course the neverseen makes an appearance. And Sophie almost being killed by limbium. And brant being a psycho. And Sophie seeing her wanderling.

•Book 3- Everblaze

The saddest so far with the best councilor being killed. But he was trying to protect Sophie and Alden and fitz. Oh yeah and Alden's mind being broken and fitz being a bitch and lashing out at everyone. Rip Kenric

•Book 4- Neverseen

This book contains a bunch of sofitz. This when I was battling shipping sokeefe and sofitz which lasted until book 8. Loved calla and rip her

•Book 5- Lodestar

Took me the longest because of Keefe joining the neverseen. Poor Sophie. And Keefe being dumb was mainly in this.

•Book 6- nightfall

YAY SOPHIES PARENTS ARE ALIVE. This is the most page time Amy's gotten. It's not bad but yeah.

Book 7- flashback

Sofitz gets together kinda annoying but I had hight expectations for this ship but it kinda sunk quickly. They about kiss then sliveny goes into labor (Ty silveny for breaking that kiss before it could happen) The vackers get exposed. And Sophie and fitz get stuck in the healing center for a month and sokeefe moments are the best. BUT SOPHIE BEING UNMATCHABLE

Book 8- legacy

This is my favorite book so far (Tho 8.5 is close) SOFITZ BREAKS UP. Poor Sophie having to deal with Fitz temper. Glad they did. Sofitz was doomed from the start. And poor Keefe omg I shed the most tears over this book. And poor Keefe and his toxic mom being the mf she is. But the sokeefe is cute. Even though Sophie is unmatchable FITZ WASNT THERE he offered to help her find her parents. Also I'm not that surprised that orlie isn't Sophie's mom. I've suspected for awhile.

Book 8.5- Unlocked

I like the background we get for the characters. Keefes stuff is the best. It's also the most page time Dex has gotten in while. I like how in novella we get Sophie and keefes perspective. It made if more enjoyable. Keefes file is just hilarious. The art was gorgeous and I loved how some ot the pages looked like actual writing.

Book 9- Stellarlune

Alright this book was good arguable better then 8.5 and 8. I loved the kiss in chapter 42 and jealous fitz was great. I didn't like everyone's attitude at all. (I wrote an entire post on that) but ro got a bunch of page time and so did dex so that was great. Kenric gets the most page time he's had ever. (Not him being mentioned) and same with Oralie. I don't understand why Sophie hates her so much she does have some valid points but not many. I had such expectations for the kiss and it met them perfectly. Overall fitz handled things pretty well so yeah. Keefe and Sophie flirting yes please. OMFG THE CLIFFHANGER. I can't wait to see what happens 10.

[montanababe7]

Saw this post on the homepage and I’m bawling 😭 reading 📖 it: My single friend was telling me awhile back, about how she went on a date. She was waiting for him to text her, and she was all nervous and excited. For a moment, I found myself feeling jealous.

I missed that feeling.

That nervousness.

That “is he going to text me back?”

All of those first date jitters.

I came back home to my kids not listening, my kitchen a mess from dinner, and my husband asking “I thought you were going to be back awhile ago?”

I let out a sigh as I walked to our room and sat on the bed, with laundry folded around me.

I sat there thinking “I miss those first dates, I miss that feeling of nervousness” as I got up and walked back out to the living room.

After my husband and I cleaned up the living room and put our kids to bed, I looked around at the kitchen that had grown with dishes during the day.

I grabbed some soap, and started scrubbing. I started to think of my friend, on her first date, and how excited she seemed.

I was jealous.

As the hot water hit the pan I was washing, I felt two arms wrap around my stomach, and pull me in.

My husband kissed my neck and said “after the place is clean, I’ll go get some snacks, and we’ll watch a movie.”

I cracked a smile and said “okay”.

After I finished the dishes, my husband returned home with my favourite snacks.

I sat down on our couch, looked at what he had picked out for me, and said “wow, you know me so well.”

I told him before we started a movie, that I wanted to shower, as I had been busy most of the day, and I didn’t smell the greatest.

I told him to pick a movie, and that I would be back in fifteen minutes.

After my shower, I walked out and saw that he had chosen Friends.

I looked at him and said “you don’t even watch Friends, why is this on? I thought you wanted a movie?” He looked at me and said “this show makes you laugh, and I can tell you need to laugh tonight.”

I sat down beside him, as I ate my favourite snacks that he picked out, he wrapped his arm around me, as we watched the same show I’ve made him watch a million times.

As we sat there, with our kids snoring down the hall, and toys laying all over the hardwood floor, I realized I liked this feeling way more.

We have known each other for so long that we stopped feeling those butterflies somedays.

We have to work harder to have those first date feelings.

But I realized, that’s okay.

Because those feelings have been replaced with much stronger feelings.

Those first date jitters are now replaced with the security of knowing that you’re with your best friend, forever.

The butterflies of going out for first date dinners, are replaced with take out and messy kitchens, but also your best friend knowing you so well, that he can pick out all of your favourite snacks.

Those hours of intimacy, where it’s just you two, are replaced with your kids knocking on the door, yelling to be let in.

Those feelings, well, they don’t come up as often as the years go on.

But sometimes all it takes is your husband knowing your favourite food, and picking out your favourite show for you to realize, that the love is there.

The butterflies are still there.

I realized to feel those butterflies, it gets replaced by the first date jitters with simple, everyday, mundane things.

They come from holding his hand while he drives.

They come from making breakfast together for our kids.

They come from planning a kid free date night, at our favourite restaurant that we’ve been to a million times.

They come from rolling over, every single morning, and knowing your best friend will always be right beside you. No matter what.

They’re still there.

They just show up, well, differently.

I realized we may not feel those first date butterflies as much anymore, but I feel a type of love I have never known.

And I like this feeling way more.

[maw-and-pawp]

Alright, I guess it's time to talk about some OCs related to the vore world from that first post I made, which I'm tentatively calling Behind Veiled Faces right now.

Alma Florimell

This little lady is my other prey oc that didn't appear in the world concept. Alma meaning "nourishing, soul, or young woman", and Florimell meaning "flower and honey".

She's type of fairy which I'm loosely basing off cluricauns and moss maidens, although not 1 to 1. She is, however, definitely a changeling in the sense her parents left her in the mortal side of the Veil to rabbit-like prey. Although now as an adult she's noticeably shorter than her peers by two feet, and completely missing the antlers her jackalope adoptive parents sport. Instead of a short, cute cotton tail, she's grown a long whip like tail. Think that stereotypical demon/imp tail, except the spaded end can open up to show off a flower similar to a marigold/dandelion. To blend in to this side of the Veil, she has to tuck it away unfortunately. And bring her ID everywhere so people can be quickly corrected about her age. She's 22, dammit, not a preteen!

Another major difference between her kind and the prey species here is that she can reform after digestion via the plants she's bonded to. Don't ask me how that works, no one told her either, and she definitely didn't find the time to ask when she first went to meet her birth parents. She was too busy trying not to kill them for what happened to the "real" Alma.

Alma is a lesser known indie folk artist. Think Rabbitology, Cosmo Sheldrake, The Amazing Devil, Crane Wives and Paris Paloma. She posts her stuff to TakTik, MeTube, and Spotiply, never revealing her face or identity. She sometimes streams as a GTuber with a dragonsona lmao. Her artist name is Beetlebug.

Anyways. Any and all actual vore scenarios will be between her and Robin, after much convincing on her part. And perhaps a couple drinks to loosen inhibitions...by a couple she means more than is probably wise for normal people.

Robin

They're the pred from the world concept, and oughh have they been sitting in my head for awhile. Firstly let's get it out of the way that mortal preds are,,,Tall, and generally more humanoid than faery preds. Built more for ambush than chasing or tracking. Not usually anything more than (shorter) claws and sharper teeth - so the wings are sooo a giveaway to any one looking for the signs, and they have to glamour that away. And faery preds are perfectly sized for faery prey, and not much else. In fact, mortal preds can look at a faery pred as prey if they're not sufficiently intimidating just from the get-go. So that's part of Robin's deal when interacting with people - they can't be seen as weak for even a moment, but they also hate being feared as it reminds them of their childhood.

Speaking of that, Robin can't go back to the Fey Wilds. They escaped here for a reason even if it is annoying to deal with cocky mortals who think they're a quick snack (seriously, how come Alma is too small but they aren't??). They had a father who sold their true name off to another faery to repay his debts. The collector made them into a monster, a "loyal" hound incapable of direct disobedience to any order given. Killing whatever and whoever they were pointed at, and beat for lapses in efficiency. And it was so until they were a teenager, where they managed to poison their master, fake their death, and flee to the mortal world where any calls of their true name couldn't pierce the Veil and summon them back. They took on the name of Robin, and gave up the lifestyle of a predator, until Alma squirms her way past their walls lmao.

Prey isn't *necessary* for them to live - sure they need nutrients, but they can get that from the normal food found in the mortal realm. All they really need prey for is to keep their connection to the flow of the world's magic. Without eating faery prey, Robin will slowly lose their ability to become one with the wind they were born from, and lose their ability to hear any of their names on the breeze (or cries for help).

They work a normal job during the day, and at night listen for cries for help while they still can. Helping others now won't make up for what they were forced to do as a child, but like their father before them, they have a debt to pay. It's just theirs is a blood debt.

Cedar Bryn

Bryn meaning "hill" or "mound". Jackalope prey in the world concept from the mortal realm. Also traumatized, but from nearly getting digested by a pred guy before Robin swooped in with their sharp talons. He is a sweetheart, though, and has been all his life. You heard most of what he's been through already, but I'd like to expand that he's an aspiring author and artist for a comic book. His monthly publications had to be put on hold as his world turned upside down after the Event. Thankfully the people at his support group won't recognize Cedar Bryn - he uses C.B. as a pen name to keep his personal life private.

(Ironically the pred who nommed him was a huge fan, and if he'd succeeded then he'd have been scratching his head on why the author suddenly Stopped)

Robin has definitely moved in post-tummy listening. They've got an unnamed kinda thing going, neither party really knows if it's platonic or not anymore. And things will be complicated further by Alma lmao. Cedar has no idea what's up with Robin, so when he comes home one day and finds his pred roommate with a full squirmy gut, he's gonna rightfully freak 😂

Cedar's developed a "sudden" interest in knives and self defense classes. I wonder why 🤔

[sleeplessinpnw]

My body hurts. I hate being schizophrenic. I remember when my life was clear and I was healthy. I was social, I would go out with friends all the time, I had a better reputation, I was NoRmAL....

I've been having a hard time with my body. My head is a disaster. I'm on so many meds and have been now for close to a year. They've changed my life around. But they wont be able to undo the weird stuff I was getting into when I was completely off the deep end. I've made it through so many challenges this year. I've battled being lonely and depressed every single day since last August. I completely went coo coo for coco puffs and was so public about it on my social media where I had over 700 followers. I was saying some pretty weird stuff. I freaked some people out and got annoying to others.... that's for sure. I made a fool of myself and am afraid to go to places I use to go frequently. I fell into such a deep depressed state while hearing voices and destroyed so much of my personal possessions. I miss all of my rave clothes!! I fell into this belief that going to raves ruined my life but it was just my mental health. But that's the community that saw a lot of my posts and unhealthy behavior and ever since my birthday last year I literally sabotaged all of my going out clothing and rave wigs/bodysuits/jewlery/etc because I thought it would make me feel better. Fuck it. When I did it, I was WASTED and on cough Nyquil. I was a wreck. My birthday is i a week and I'm in a better place but I miss my fucking things. And I have no money to replace any of it. Nore am I even going to edm shows and festivals at the moment. I destroyed a really fun and pretty part of me. I use to be so skinny and sparkley and fun. What happened to me!? Will I ever make a come back?? Who knows.... WHY AM I EVEN GOING OFF ABOUT THIS!? Ugh.

It's late and I need to be up in the morning but I'm wide awake and writing my feelings is all I want to do.

I have no hobbies. I feel like I'm never going to have a fucking relationship with a cute boy. I feel like a loser, that's for sure. I don't do anything when I'm home alone. I hardly ever feel like listening to music or watching tv. Is it my depression?? Fuck it. UGH!! And all I do these days is just wait for my mom to get home so I can kick it with her. But now she has a boyfriend and she spends all her time with him. I like him though. I'm not mad at him or anything, I just miss having more alone time with my mom. All she does is talk about him and her co workers anyways. It's draining but I tolerate it because she's in a happier place compared to last year. When I was a hot mess.

Will I ever find a job that pays well that isn't food industry? I'm going to start applying for new jobs after St. Croix. My mom and I are super broke so.... Idk what that trip is going to be like and I already am preparing myself for my mom talking about how broke we are when the trip is over. Oh, AND my car needs a new battery UGHHHH Car stuff always happens at the worst time possible. Anyway, back to the job situation. I just feel like I wasn't mentally stable enough to have any job for awhile. Then being unemployed for so long instigated more of my depression to amplify. And now.... I have a shitty resume and I don't want to be a server but I have No IdEa what's ever out there for me..... that will even pay more than minimum wage. I have friends who have steady jobs. I literally like.... never see Tara anymore and Kayla has been going through stuff and hasn't been hanging out as much. But I don't even have money to do anything anyways. I keep thinking about Nichelle and Sarah which is sad LOL. Like.... I feel like a failure compared to all of these people and I want to be successful in something. But WHAT!?! I still am technically employed with Sol.... Buut lets be real, I hated it anyway and need a more steady job that isn't just folding clothes for 8 hours a day. Maybe I should apply for UPS.... I've head they are good to work for. UGH. I'm gonna try and go to bed now. Mr. Man wont get out of my lap and I have to be at Randy's tomorrow at 10 which means I gotta wake up around 8:30. So..... until next time!