#I’m allowed to do it. susie said so

[sodapopper]

I love putting unrealistic displays of affection in my fics. They would Not have done this in canon. Too bad. I’m making them do it.

[disneyprincemuke]

ice man * femdriver

(series masterlist) | (📂 a day in the life)

sebastian grins, turning his gaze away from the man jabbing his finger into the table. he rests his eyes on her, lips parted as she attentively tries and takes in all the information unloaded on her.

“wait,” she raises her hand slightly. “am i allowed to curse on tv?”

kimi turns to sebastian with a stare. “they brainwashed her already. not much we can do.”

“no,” sebastian mutters, patting his friend on the shoulder. “she will listen to you. she listens to anyone who’s been in formula 1.”

kimi turns back to her, already nodding with a small excited smile on her face. “he’s right — i am very impressionable at my big age,” she says. “i didn’t know i can curse on tv.”

“it’s frowned upon,” kimi points out with a small smile. he is holding back laughter from her wide eyes and enthusiasm. “but nobody ever said you can’t do it.”

“oh. can i walk away from interviewers?” she tilts her head, chewing on her bottom lip as she thinks. “they can get a tad misogynistic at times.”

“why walk away?” kimi laughs, leaning back in his seat. “ask them to fuck off.”

worry flashes on her face. “that’s a bit mean.”

“they’re looking down on you for being a woman and you think asking them to fuck off is mean?” kimi raises an eyebrow. her eyes dart up to meet his, her eyebrows shooting up as she processes his words. “exactly.”

“i didn’t know i could do that,” she whispers. “but isn’t that a bit much for now? they already are not very fond of my presence in the sport.”

kimi shakes his head, closing his eyes as he disapproves her worries. “who is getting paid to drive cars and travel to countries with all expenses paid?”

“me?”

“correct answer.” kimi sighs. “so why care about what other people have to say?”

“i,” she trails off, “i have this thing.”

“you just go around thinking about other people’s feelings all the time?” kimi raises an eyebrow. “how do you get anything done?”

“it’s hard,” she admits in a cry, throwing her arms in the air and slumping her shoulders. she clears her throat and sits up. “but you’re right. you’re right! i’m getting paid to be here! this is my job! i should be able to react how i see fit if someone is being mean to me!”

kimi claps. “yes! exactly! defend yourself if you need to.”

she hums, pursing her lips to one side. “question: if i crash-“

“try your best not to crash.”

“obviously, seb. my question is: if i crash, can i also walk away to get ice cream? like you did in malaysia?”

he folds his arms over his chest. “apparently you cannot do that anymore. i’m sorry, kid.”

“outrageous,” she scoffs, shaking her head. she presses her lips together and perks up again. “can i meet your ice baby?”

kimi turns to sebastian. “what does she mean?”

“your baby,” sebastian laughs, hearing you talk about how cute kimi’s child is. “she is very good with kids.”

kimi looks at her, smile wavering as he points at her. “you want my advice, kid?”

“of course!”

“don’t have kids.”

she smiles, gesturing to the room around her. “i wouldn’t exchange this for anything else.” she glances at her watch and sighs. “i don’t want to have to leave. but i promised susie and marta lunch before the f1 acad finale.”

“aw,” kimi coos. “i’ll be in the paddocks all weekend with seb, you know. i won’t disappear into thin air if i leave your sight.”

“i know! but i’ve been waiting all year to meet you!” she gushes, hands cupping her cheeks as she grins at him dreamily. “i watched you growing up! i loved you!”

kimi laughs — the kind that sebastian rarely hears, a genuine smile and his eyes crinkling at her. “kid, we’re going to dinner tonight. i promise i’ll even send you back to your hotel room.”

“okay!” she squeaks, pushing her chair back and springing to her feet. “pick a restaurant, okay! maybe if i eat like you, i’d be just like you.”

kimi smiles with a nod. he watches her round the table, bending down to press a kiss on seb’s cheek. he turns his head expectedly at her, raising his chin and leaning in slightly.

she giggles airily, hesitantly moving over to press a kiss on his cheek. she jogs towards the door of sebastian’s office, tripping on her feet along the way.

she turns around one last time. “i’ll see you later, dads!”

she extends her hand to wave at them before closing the door. a moment of silence passes the empty room, but the remnants of her smile and enthusiasm still remain in the room.

“she’s going to be amazing, you know.”

“i know,” sebastian smiles proudly, nodding. “she’s a future world champion, you reckon?”

“absolutely,” kimi nods. “you vouched for the right person, seb. good job.”

taglist: @wcnorris @treehouse-mouse @laura-naruto-fan1998 @mindless-rock @vellicora @leilanixx @ironmaiden1313 @angsthology @cherry-piee @christianpulisic10 @elliegrey2803 @cashtons-wife @sadg3 @a10vely-yutazen @mellowarcadefun @glitterf1 @megatrilss1885 @peqch-pie @gentlyweeps-world @woozarts @inejismywife @meadghcavanagh @2bormaybenot @love4lando

[russilton]

Hiiiii I saw your post where you said that you wrote 400 words of the red bull george au. First of all, yayyyyyyyyy that’s amazing. I am very happy for you :) every word counts and the fact that you wrote 400 of it is truly great. I am so invested in the story and can’t wait for it (not pressuring you in anyway to release it soon. I’ll happily wait for it because i know the wait will be worth it)

I wanted to ask something if you don’t mind. You don’t have to answer of you think it’s big of a spoiler or it’s something you would like to keep a secret. I understand. First question: Would the fans eventually learn about George and Lewis’ relationship and that they are together? Second question: Will Susie and Toto be like George’s non official adopted parents? I live for those dynamics where Susie and Toto practically adopt George.

Another one I waited a year and a half on I’m so sorry whoever sent this—

Honestly I’ve basically plotted the majority of the story onto tumblr already so it’s legitimately hard to find spoilers, but I do intend for the fic to mostly wrap up either directly after January 2022 or mostly thereabouts, because I’m hesitant to dive too far into the 22 season because it would end up drastically different from reality and honestly I think what made the original au so easy to plot is the developments of the 2021 season make it really easy to tie plot points to— with the strong exception that without Perez in the Red Bull, Max has no chance for Masi to cheat and hand him a win in Abu Dhabi. Because in fic I refuse to allow that reality.

Going Public

If George and Lewis were to ever come out as together in that universe, it would be long, long after the end of that story. Honestly it would likely come some point after Lewis’ retirement, I doubt even the most trusted would know about the extent of it with very few exceptions like MAYBE Bono or Shov. Perhaps Toto years down the line.

Part of it is really because the shape of their Relationship in the Red Bull au is so massively different to what we normally approach on fanfic- they spend a good 6 months fighting and antagonising each other, and the next 4 months barely speaking because George is deep in his own hell. Lewis and George basically go from on top of each other every weekend to cold turkey from the summer break through to Abu Dhabi, It’s a rocky start to any relationship, even without adding the hell George is personally going through joining a new team and building what little trust he had from the ground up, and Lewis trying to balance looking after himself and trying to figure out how the hell to look after George or if George even wants that.

It’s a rough first year or two is what I’m saying. The last thing they would want is anyone finding out what’s going on between them, and how that would effect their lives or reputations— they’re already facing weekly prying by the media to see if they’re trying to kill each other yet— but it’s better than when people question if they’re too close, and queries about if George was ever loyal to Red Bull or if he was a plant start flying. People find pictures of young George chasing Lewis for autographs, it’s not hard for accusations to grow, and Horner or Marko would waste no time lying about it if they could bring George down a peg further.

So among that, their relationship is kept as wrapped tight as possible. George moves to Monaco like all f1 drivers do, so it’s easier for them to meet quietly without anyone seeing, but they don’t really go out together for anything more than dinners around the globe as teammates in restaurants that know how to be discreet. They’re not a naturally affectionate pair, it’s not hard to act like they’re just friends in public— RB George is about 5 times as neurotic as canon George and isn’t really chill and goofy, spending your formative years being micromanaged by assholes and then getting a brutal public reality check will do that— so it’s not something they find especially hard to maintain for a few years, it’s only when they’ve been at it a while that Lewis starts to get nagging feelings that it would be nice to be able to sit by George at pool sides when he’s tanning, or go running together, or get George a little drunk in a club so he could see that rare affectionate side. But he also keeps that to himself since George still seems antsy about it, and even years out from his move, George finds it hard to shake the media linking to his past as a bull. It’s hard enough being the man who publically fell out of his team into another one. Being the first Gay f1 drivers would be a lot to add to that, without adding accusations George slept his way into his seat.

But I think, quite a few years down the line when George is creeping up over 30, and Lewis into his mid 40’s, they might get quietly married. They’re not really interested in being in the centre of a big event like that, especially as Lewis expands further on his brands outside of F1 and George chases championships at his side, they have a lot going on. It’s a paperwork thing, but they still don’t tell many people.

It’s only when Lewis has fully retired, and George wins his second Championship that they might quietly let things build. A congratulatory instagram post from Lewis that leans a little into fond, George’s reply’s back that seems just as affectionate. Fans chalk it up to a good teammate relationship until George shows up with Lewis at an event for one of his charities, and more questions swirl about how they ended up so close. They’d probably end up dropping it on everyone in some end of year socials post years after they got married, something about celebrating an anniversary together. They don’t specify which. They’d probably be annoyingly short about the whole thing, tell people as little as possible about how it happened until they’re both retired. It’s such a big story as it is they don’t really need to complicate people’s shouting by adding confusion about timelines and team politics. If George is asked about it while racing, he’d probably say he’s no different than before, it’s just now people know about it. If people tried to pry, he’d shrug and tease them to wait for a future book about it. There probably would be a book some day tbh.

It’s a weird one- I genuinely go back and forth on if they would ever willingly tell anyone, as much as I’ve described this scenario here, I think they’re an equal chance they would just tell absolutely no one until they’re both retired, only to drop it one day with little to no explanation and tell the world that’s all they need to know. They’re both progressively minded and would want to use themselves to further acceptance in their sport, but RB George is so dictated by the trauma he goes through, and that has echo effects. He spent so long isolated and aggressively private despite a veneer of cockiness, I think he would find that hard to move from from the need to keep himself to himself, and Lewis honestly isn’t much different. When you’ve had your entire life paraded across a stage to be criticised, there’s part of you that wants some things to stay yours and yours alone, and after all they’ve both achieved, I can see how they don’t really want their relationship to be put infront of that.

Toto and Susie

George and Toto is such a complicated dynamic in this au, for so many reasons. For one, Toto doesn’t half paternally raise him through his formative years, when they meet and begin to interact properly, George is Toto’s shiny new driver he’s not sure what to make of, because Lewis essentially coached Toto into choosing him.

Toto is shrewd and business minded when he’s not letting his heart rule his head, and he doesn’t have any kind of bond with George to do that. He treats George similarly to how he likely treated Valtteri at first, he’s looking for someone who falls in line and doesn’t fight or cause problems with the team, to set them up and maybe win a few times till they find some future champions material- Toto doesn’t necessarily think George isn’t, but he doesn’t really know what to make of George. He shows up with two wins under his belt and some sparks of potential that could be gold dust, or they could just be light catching water. He has to be realistic no matter how much Lewis throws his weight behind George.

George doesn’t fare much better when it comes to being approachable. He is, for lack of a better word, traumatised by how Horner treated him like a beloved team member and then a pig for slaughter the second he faltered. Marko was even worse, George is used to being berated for any kind of car damage, or having his seat threatened if he fumbled more than one race in a row. The first time George has a horrible session and qualifies low, he probably has to stave off a panic attack. He’s trying to be strong and capable, trying not to act like a fragile wuss, but a cloying part of him is terrified the rugs going to be pulled from under him again, and then he’s truly fucked bc Red Bull would demote him, but Merc might fire him, and he’d have no one.

George is a good liar, Red Bull made him one, but he’s not that good, Lewis would probably drag him aside for a chat, try to reassure him sessions are shit sometimes and Lewis has had plenty of bad ones, the team doesn’t care as long as he’s trying, but for a guy like George that doesn’t really help much, even as he tries to fake a grin and wave Lewis off. That’s probably when Lewis would have to step in and speak to Toto himself.

I don’t want to set a precedent of Lewis fixing George’s problems, because George very much has independence a lot of the time, but this early after the move, George is handling a lot, and not wanting to really talk about any of it for fear of losing it all again. Toto knows some of why George split from redbull, he has to to even consider hiring him, but he’s not especially aware of how George ended up in that situation, how quick the switch up was, how deeply that fear sits in George’s gut. Lewis can’t share all of that, but he can fill in some of Toto’s gaps with what George has told him, and at least point out that when he’s comfortable, just how fucking fast George is.

With that knowledge I can see Toto developing a kind of softness for George, and at least attempting to learn more. He might ask to meet with George a little more in brackley, ask him about his history, and point out they’re not going to fire him over a shitty result or two, he’s not Christian. Toto’s bluntness would be… comforting to George, it may be harsh at times but he knows Toto doesn’t really seem to care to lie to him about it. He tells George bluntly about what they don’t want him to do, and well, George can work with that.

There’s probably also a time Toto tells George that Mercedes intended to offer him a junior seat, but by the time they’d got a contract drafted, George had signed with Redbull. George probably goes slightly white at that, and when probed, will try to say ah well, can’t change the past, all while sounding like he desperately wants to. Susie probably slaps Toto for that one.

I think with time George and Toto would build their own rapport. George learns to relax and tease Toto with maybe a little less ease than Lewis, and Toto learns George will always laugh when he insults Horner, and that part of George is still a kid who grew up too fast and could still use some praise. Toto has three kids, he can do that. George won’t ever say he needs it, but he might lean a little harder on Toto after a mechanical DNF when Toto tells him it’s not his fault, and he gets more comfortable grabbing Toto for a celebratory hug when they do win. The trust takes a long time to develop, it’s a little less paternal than in real life, but it is there. Toto is an authority figure George doesn’t have to be quite as terrified of.

As for Susie, I think George would like Susie a LOT. Lewis loves her, it’s an easy introduction. She’s a smoother voice than her husband and even if George isn’t Scottish, it feels closer to being home, the same ways Lewis does. Susie has whip fast whit and an energy about her that just makes people relax, and George is no different, he likes when she visits the team and always gets a good laugh out of him. George particularly would enjoy watching her and Lewis poke and tease each other, she’s known Lewis so long her quips dig deep, and that’s particularly hysterical to George

Maternal is difficult for George- she’s forever linked to Toto and it’s hard to forget that, so that keeps George at some distance. But she’s also so very different, and when Toto invites him and sometimes Lewis over to their home in Oxford, she’s always the one to greet him at the door and welcome him in. Susie knows all about hostile team environments and would probably happily insult Redbull with a glee and ruthlessness that would make George choke but actually relax a bit. George wouldn’t be caught dead calling her a maternal figure any day, but if he finds Susie’s presence eventually relaxing, that’s between him and God.

[madbard]

Ralsei’s True Appearance

There are so many fantastic and weird Deltarune headcanons floating around out there, and in this post I want to discuss one of my personal favorites - that Ralsei’s appearance as revealed at the end of Chapter 1 is not actually his real appearance, but rather another disguise to make himself more palatable for the Lightners.

Now, there is some meta textual explanation for having the face reveal at the end of Chapter 1 instead of the beginning. First of all, it lets Ralsei be his own character for a bit without being instantly categorized as “Deltarune Asriel.” It keeps Ralsei from stealing the spotlight during his lore-dumping section (I suspect many players would be just a little distracted by the Asriel doppelgänger). It also gives the game some plausible deniability with everyone’s reactions to the Asriel resemblance.

I’ll explain that last point a little - once Ralsei removes his hat, it is clear that Susie recognizes him. But she doesn’t really confront him about it, doesn’t demand to know why he looks like Toriel (I’m not sure she’s met Asriel). I’ve stumbled across a good deal of people saying that her reaction to him is actually kind of underwhelming, that it doesn’t make sense for her to basically accept it and move on. I would argue that this happens because by this point, she’s actually gotten to know Ralsei. She’s fought with him and beside him, learning a bit about who he is, what makes him tick. They’ve bonded, and seeing his face doesn’t undo that bond: whereas at the beginning of the game she probably wouldn’t have been able to see anything but a weird Toriel lookalike, now she sees Ralsei first, the Toriel resemblance second. It’s also not impossible for one person to closely resemble another even if they aren’t related, allowing Susie to explain this resemblance to herself as just ‘one of those things’ instead of having it thrown in her face right at the beginning, when there is no way she could have accepted it.

So, we have the meta textual explanation for why Ralsei has a different design for most of the game. Of course, canonically the face reveal is portrayed as Ralsei becoming more comfortable with being his true self around the party. And this works - with the time he’s spent with the others, it would make sense that Ralsei would gain the courage to accept himself and believe the others would accept him too.

But when you start thinking some more about Ralsei’s personality and actions, other options start to present themselves as well. A major and somewhat unsettling aspect of Ralsei’s character is his near-religious devotion to Lightners and the prophecy. He believes that Darkners can only achieve true satisfaction by serving Lightners and helping them achieve their goals. Combine that with his clear loneliness from living in near-complete solitude for who knows how long, and it is clear that Ralsei would do or be anything to please the Lightners, and Kris/the Player specifically. (I combine them here not because I think they are the same person - they aren’t - but because there is a good deal of ambiguity around Ralsei’s awareness of and attitude towards the Player.) If he somehow sensed that Kris/the Player had a fondness for a certain appearance, it would make sense for him to want to replicate said appearance.

We also see that Ralsei isn’t exactly a stranger to disguising himself, considering the River Person-looking getup he is wearing when we see him first (I know that’s just a cloak and any resemblance is almost certainly unintentional, but the small visual parallel is fun to point out). Either he saw Kris and Susie coming and whipped out a mysterious outfit to heighten the moment he’s long been waiting for, or he was just walking around the castle like that. Both options suggest that Ralsei is at least capable of, and likely enjoys, dressing up and changing the way he looks.

Finally, Ralsei’s appearance completely changing when he removes his hat doesn’t make too much sense. This argument is not extremely strong due to the art style, but it bears mentioning that Ralsei’s hat is knocked askew at multiple points in the game, partially flying off his head during many reaction shots. In these moments, he very clearly has fuzzy black fur, not shadowed white fur.

In combination, Ralsei’s desperation to please the Lightners, his proclivity for disguises, and the hat’s inability to account for all the changes to his appearance suggest that the hat removal scene at the end of Chapter 1 might not actually be a face reveal, but instead a transition to a new and improved disguise, based on Kris’ longing for their brother to come home and/or the Player’s enjoyment of Undertale. It’s possible that Ralsei doesn’t even realize that he resembles Asriel, or that this might put Kris and Susie on edge. He just fulfilled an unconscious wish - leading to rather interesting results.

All this to say that I really enjoy this theory. I doubt that it’ll end up being canon, but who knows? I expect that Deltarune will continue to surprise us, and until the next chapters come out, all we can really do is make fan content and come up with bizarre theories. Even if this theory is not true in the slightest, I think it could be interesting to explore in fan content, at least.

[desultory-novice]

I recently found out that “weekend Susie” is a mistranslation and it’s actually called “susie on vacation” in jpn. I’m pretty sure she’s supposed to be Susie in the future like Manager Magolor..any ideas on why shes missing her hairclip and the “Secretary” title she always has in jpn? Susie is so hard to figure out..like how she only smiles three times in the entirety of robobot (once when she takes the program controller and twice when singing the noble haltmann but ONLY when saying the words father in jpn) so I’m curious on what your thoughts are on her (and unfortunately has the worst localization ever…i had to look at the robobot translations from @/kaialone on tumblr) sorry for rambling but shes so interesting to me and it’s a bit sad seeing how a lot of the details she has in characterization never get talked about

Anon...Did you somehow know I've been replaying Robobot in Japanese?! And it's basically strengthened my confirmation that some people - though less than before - are a bit too harsh and/or restrictive in their takes on both Susie and her father. 

That said, I do I try to give people room to "safely hate" these fictional characters as, for a lot of people, it may be one of their only ways of processing a gross problem that affects the real world/so much of history that they can't do much about.

But I love the silly/tragic Haltmann family. I'm sympathetic and even semi-defensive towards 'em. Which is why I'm happy to answer any good faith Haltmann asks.

Ahem! Also, before I get into it, I wanted to say that technically "Weekend Susie" vs "Susie on Vacation" is not a mistranslation per se.

What it IS is a localization.

休日 can mean "vacation," yes. When you break down the kanji, literally it is made up of the words "rest day." So it can also be just about any day when you're not working/not at school/not busy.

For most of western civilization (not me because I'm a contractor XD ) the weekends are people's "rest days." To read 休日 as "weekend" might not even be that much of a stretch/localization!

Probably explains the lack of "secretary" title. She's literally not on the clock! As for the hairclip, who can say...? Similar reasons? I know in Susie's case, it's sentimental, though hairpins in Japan often have this association with studiousness/"time to get serious" so removing it is an easy indicator "She's allowing herself time to be silly!"

I do like to imagine that this is a post-canon Susie though. That girl deserves something nice after her trauma...

Anyway, reminder that post-FL, the localizers have been working more closely with the Japanese team to create a more accurate translation for us. I know the wounds from PR's rough translation (and SA's fast-and-loose in weird places one) still hurt, oof, but the Kirby series is getting better about its translations!!

Actually... you know... there's not THAT many cutscenes...

Maybe I will make my own "If they'd hired Dess to translate Planet Robobot" translation of the game? I've already threatened several times to do a full translation of "The Noble Haltmann" with all references/metaphors intact...

But yes! Speaking of how Susie uses her emotions, I was so moved by something in her first meeting with Kirby, I actually wrote about it! And I'm going to share it here, because you might find it interesting~

-

So, I had my eyes peeled for any interesting bits of characterization left behind on the cutting room floor. Immediately, I was amused by how politely Susie talks to Kirby in the beginning. She doesn't really "talk down to him" or insult his intelligence in the slightest. (One could argue that it's a false business politeness, of course. Although she only breaks that in like, the second to last cutscene) Any dismissal of him feels very "company-mandated." (And the company is run by a murderous computer but leaving that aside...)

She gently praises how beautiful the water and the air on this planet is and that's when something... starts to change in her...

Susie gets impossibly sad. And her attitude changes COMPLETELY.

I stopped for a second reading this. "Hold on. What? Why does she lose her cool HERE? Is this some indication that the place she and her dad used to live on was a really poor planet without clean air and drinking water?" And heck, maybe that is the case!

But something else struck me about her line:

"...You don't even know the value of what you have..."

It's not the snooty we-know-better-than-you "misappropriation of resources" that is triggering her. It is having something precious right next to you and you don't even recognize it.

It's about her dad. Right from the beginning.

She can't NOT talk about it. It affects all her actions. Maybe another reason while I feel like it's better to judge Susie on a whole than any one individual action she takes, because (like Magolor, oops oops oops) she is masking her intentions alllll the time.

Also, omg, I know some people are still sensitive about the Mechaknight thing but that is PEAK grim humor in Japanese! It is treated way too cold and business-like in English, imo.

In Japanese, she starts to describe him exactly like she's telling her bestie that she just met the man of her dreams and then the WHAM line: "So, I gave him a full-body modification!"

Yes, it's unhinged. But it's also wonderful. (She's so Eggman-core.)

[giantchasm]

Y’know… I was thinking about the “previously nice people who fucked around, found out, went various degrees of insane, and started being not so nice to their once beloved underlings, who still refused to give up on them” quartet last night (as per usual) and I came to an interesting realization.

I’ve…. Always portrayed Sectonia and Leon specifically as parallels, then Haltmann and Hyness specifically as parallels because of the type of relationship they once had with their underlings, but giving it some further thought…

Once you toss out the father & daughter(s) element, and the ruler & loyal servant element for a moment……..

It’s. Actually kind of Sectonia and Hyness, and Haltmann and Leon who have more similarities in some ways?

Sectonia and Hyness:

-Were seemingly actively cruel, if not outright abusive to their beguiled underlings

-Went mad because of something presumably related to Dark Matter in a game themed around magic

-Didn’t really have a single puppetmaster pulling the strings. They were more corrupted by conceptual forces seemingly than individual people

In contrast, Haltmann and Leon:

-Uh….. weren’t actually that mean to their underlings? At least not in comparison. The worst thing we saw Haltmann do was tell Susie to stand down, then we didn’t see Leon interact with Carol or the others at all. Their damage to their underlings was more a form of emotional neglect than outright mistreatment

-Went mad because of something seemingly related to Dream magic in a game themed around tech

-Had specific individuals pulling the strings behind their descent into cruelty— Star Dream in Haltmann’s case, Forgo in Leon’s

Although thinking about it even further this morning, I did realize one way Sectonia and Leon, and Haltmann and Hyness are similar to one another specifically other than the type of relationship they once had with their mistreated underlings:

Their relationship with their madness.

Recently, my cool mutual @/fecto-forgo made a post about how it seems, to a certain extent, Hyness was aware he was descending into madness, but instead of accepting a peaceful life with his daughters, he continued to seek revenge anyways. And I agree with that assessment! There’s a Star Allies pause screen featuring dialogue from him where he apologizes for forgetting Zan’s name, then starts to reflect on how it seems his “heart is going crazy,” before shaking the thought. This, to me, implies a certain awareness of him losing his grip on reality.

Similarly, it’s implied Haltmann knew he was losing himself. In a pause screen of his, he describes “not even knowing why he reactivated that terrible machine,” before remembering it was all a desperate attempt to see Susanna again.

Meanwhile, I get the impression… Sectonia and Leon had little to no idea they were losing it? Leon seems to think his plan is his own and that Fecto Forgo is just an asset he’s willingly serving for his own benefit. And while in the Soul of Sectonia fight pause screen Sectonia begs for death, there’s no implication she understood what was happening to her as it was happening. Instead, she was consumed by egomania.

I… do think it’s interesting the way their motives contrast each other, too. It’s most obvious with Haltmann and Hyness, who take a different approach when it comes to the importance of their children. Hyness quite literally allows himself to lose it even knowing it may hurt his daughters, whereas Haltmann loses it in an attempt just to see his daughter again.

It’s… less obvious with Sectonia and Leon, but I do think there’s something interesting to be said about the way Leon’s goal seems to be for all of the Beast Pack to thrive in the new world whereas Sectonia, obviously, is only concerned with herself, rather than her people. There’s an element of selflessness vs selfishness there, too.

I’m not quite sure what to actually DO with any of this analysis, but it’s at least an interesting thought to chew on when it comes to setting the four of them, as well as the people they’ve hurt, up as parallels.

It potentially gives their underlings the ability to empathize with each other in different ways, and I think that’s Neat. Susie and the Mage Sisters can bond over their fathers going mad, while Taranza and The Mage Sisters can bond over getting thrown under the bus, and so on and so on! Lots of interesting angles to explore there.

[imtooscaredforthis]

Tethered

Part III- Chapter 29: Weird

Mentions of: Anxiety, Discussion of substance use, smoking, and Frank being delulu

A/N: Just got to college and my classes started!! I also am doing a fall sport so I’m busy ash atm…

Tags: @prettycutebunny @dead-bxxxtch-walking @mama-miya @vandeaad @moonshineinasippycup

Lately, things have been different. Jake was acting strange ever since that trial. You tried to talk to him, not just about the trial, but about things in general, and he’d hardly respond. If he did, it would only be one or two word answers.

You tried to not get too bothered by it, even though it still hurt quite a bit. Instead you spent more of your time hanging with Susie and Joey.

After a while, Joey managed to warm up to you. He was fun to be around. He was competitive and funny, and watching him and Susie banter was quite interesting. You were also pretty sure Susie had a bit of a crush on him.

One afternoon, the three of you were just playing games like you usually did, when Frank came. After what happened with Jake…you couldn’t help but wonder what he did. He made you uncomfortable. Not to mention, whenever he and/or Julie were around, you weren’t allowed to be there.

“Uh, well, I’ll see you guys later.” You murmured nervously, practically shooting up to your feet, preparing to bolt.

“Wait.” Frank stopped you. “You can stay.”

“I don’t know. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.” You replied. Your eyes darted to Susie and Joey, trying to get a read on their expressions. They seemed just as tense as you were.

“It’s fine. Stay.” Was all he said, so you settled back on the couch. It was awkward and quiet for a bit, before Susie spoke. “Oh my god, I’m really sorry about this, but I have to go to a trial.”

“Me too, actually.” Joey added. You looked at them in shock. No. No way this was happening. You could not do this alone.

“Are you sure you can’t just ignore it or something?” You couldn’t help but ask. They both shook their heads.

Susie gave you an apology hug before she left, and you swear if you don’t die, you’ll kill her yourself when she gets back.

Relax. Maybe he just had a bad day that time. He did spare you after all, and he’s being nice by letting you stay. He won’t hurt you…hopefully.

So, the others left, leaving you and Frank alone together.

—

Frank couldn’t believe you were sitting with him. He tried to act casual about it, but he could tell you were freaked out, especially after your last encounter. But he needed you to stay. Maybe if he just talked to you or something, Maybe he can find a way to let this all go.

He could have some closure, like you used to tell him. He didn’t know what he was doing, just that he had to make these feelings go away, and maybe this could be it.

There was just one problem. Your memory. Susie had mentioned you lost it a while back, but maybe you would recognize him. There was something about the way you looked at him when he first saw you again, some sort of feeling of familiarity in your eyes. He hoped you would recognize him, but he was also terrified.

This was a horrible idea, but he didn’t know what else to do.

It had been so much easier to hate you when he didn’t see you. When he had an idea of you in his head of you as that perfect uptight rich bitch in college, all priveleged and apathetic, just like the rest of them. But how could he hate you when he knew that was all a lie? How could he hate you when he had you so close? God, you were beautiful. You always have been, but you’ve grown and matured into..something else. He couldn’t put words into it, really. You just left him in complete awe.

You cleared your throat, snapping him out of his trance. He realized where he was and what he was doing. “So, uh, why do you want me here?”

“Just felt like it.” Frank shrugged, acting aloof. You fidgeted with your fingers, a nervous tic you’ve had since you were young, a tell that would let him know you were uncomfortable. Back then, he would’ve grabbed your hands and told you it was going to be okay. He kind of wanted to do that now, but he knew he couldn’t.

Instead, he slipped his mask off, revealing his face. Maybe if you got a good look, you would remember. You glanced at him a couple of times, before looking away…Nothing? Seriously?

Frustrated, he popped a cigarette between his lips, lighting it. He noticed you staring, and offered you one. You shook your head. There was a slight twitch of your brow. You never liked smokers, or alcoholics, or anyone who abused substances. You were such a goody two shoes, always rambling about how it was unhealthy, and you made him promise not to do it unless it was appropriate. Judging by the way you looked now, he had a feeling the real you was somewhere in there.

He blew smoke into the air above him, sighing. “So, am I just here to watch you smoke or….?”

“Relax, I’m not gonna hurt you.” He told you. Your lips quirked slightly. “I didn’t think you were.”

“Really? Cause you seem pretty nervous to me.” He teased. If he didn’t know any better, he would say you were flustered.

You scoffed in response. “The only reason why I’m nervous is because I don’t know what you want me to stay for. You didn’t seem very happy the last time I was here, and Susie says you’re pretty exclusive with your group.”

“The only reason why I was like that was because you caught me off guard. I didn’t expect you to be here. But now I know, and I want you to stay.” He told you.

“But why? Why are you being so nice to me? I don’t get it.”

“Can’t I just be nice?” He asked, and you grinned, shrugging. “I guess so, yeah.”

“You guess so?” He repeated in mock offense. God he missed talking to you. He missed joking around with you. He wished you could remember him. “What? Do I look mean to you?”

He was staring you in your eyes now, turning to face you, his face mere inches from yours. A shy smile crossed your lips. “Maybe a little. But, you did tear my friend out of the locker and scared the shit out of both of us.”

“Yeah, but he had it coming.” Frank let slip, making you frown. “What? What did he do?”

He tried to take what’s not his.

“I had my reasons.” You went quiet at that, reaching down and fidgeting with the locket around your neck. The locket he had given you all those years ago. The one he found you still wearing when he first saw you in that trial.

“I do want to ask one thing, though. What do you know about-” Before you could finish your sentence, Julie came in through the door, spotting you sitting on the couch beside him. “Frank? What are you doing?”

“You need to go, now.”

[andydrysdalerogers]

Sliding Into Home ~ Don't You Know How to Spell Assume?

Pairing: MLB!Frank Adler x Abigail Hernandez (OFC)

Synopsis:

After a trade from Boston to Los Angeles, first baseman Frank Adler would seem to have it all. Money, women, an amazing niece, yes Frank should have it all. Except for one thing. One thing that left after a mistake five years ago. Los Angeles should be the chance to start over. Except she is supposed to be in Boston. Not his new medical director.

* A Frank Adler AU x Major League Baseball Story**

Warning: ANGST (i can't stress this enough), second chances, cheating, eventual smut, slow burn, drug use, abandonment issues, betrayal, domestic violence (i may have missed some), flashbacks

Dividers by @firefly-graphics

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Previous: Take Your Niece to Work Day

Sliding Into Home Master List Main Masterlist

“This thing is trying to kill me,” Frank grunts, struggling with his bow tie. “Why do they insist on making this shit black tie?” 

“Because of the fancy people Frank,” Mary piped in as she lay on his bed, watching.  

“Thanks, Nugget, for your insight.”  

“What’s insight?” 

“Never mind,” Frank muttered.  

“It means your opinion,” Scott said as he walked into the room.  He reached up to tie the tie for Frank. “You have to explain it to her,” he told Frank.  He adjusted and stepped back. “There, perfect.”  

“Thanks.” Frank looked in the mirror and turned back to his gang.  “How do I look?” 

“Like a penguin,” Scott replied and begin to waddle around, mimicking a penguin, making Mary giggle.  

“You’re hilarious,” Frank deadpanned.  “Why am I so nervous?” 

“Because you have a date,” Scott said with sympathy.  “Its been five years.”  

“Its not a date.”  

“Its something. Its spending time with a woman.” Scott pats his shoulder. “And its not Abby.”  

Frank arrives at the charity event in the limo, alone.  He makes his way through the red carpet, taking photos and speaking with some reporters. The questions are simple, and Frank is somewhat relaxed. As soon as he finished up, he headed into the event. Looking around he spotted Johnny with his date and his sister.  Susan was in a sleek navy blue gown that was modest and elegant, allowing her golden blonde hair to shine. The other woman was in a black gown that left little to the imagination. Frank smiled and headed over.  “Hey Torch, hey Susie.  Sorry,” he glanced at the woman on Johnny’s arm.  “Frank Adler,” he offered his hand.  

A breathy giggle emerges.  “Bethany,” she said.  

“Nice to meet you.  Susie,” he offered his arm to Susan, who took it.  As they walked away, he groaned. “Jesus, is that all Storm wants in a woman?”  

Susan stifled a laugh.  “Apparently.  She’s a makeup artist.  I use that term loosely.  She works at a makeup store selling make up. And hopefully tit tape since that is all that is holding that dress up.” 

Frank snorted a laugh. “Why am I not surprised.” Frank shook his head. “Thanks for doing this, Susie.”  

“Its not a problem, Frank. You help me out and I’m returning the favor.”  

A two weeks prior... at the coffee shop.    “I could always give you guys a tour at JPL.  I mean if you want,” Susan offered with a smile.   “And that’s my cue for a refill,” Johnny stated, jumping up and heading to the counter.   Frank sighed.  “Look, Susan, I think you are very nice, but I am not looking for anything serious.”   Susan laughed.  “I know, I’m not either.  But I know you need to keep... umm.. Eager women...”  “Jersey Chasers,” he clarified.   “Fine, jersey chasers off of you.  I can help if you let me. Just as friends. Promise.”  She offered her hand.   Frank took it and shook it. “Friends. But why?”  “Haven't had the guts to tell Johnny that I met someone.” She blushed slightly.  “Why? Wouldn’t that be great?”  “Twin brothers are protective. And he’s not the typical guy that Johnny wants to see me with.” She rolled her eyes allowing Frank to chuckle.   “I get the protective thing. I have a sister, obviously, but she is free to live her own life.  Now, if he hurt her, that’s a different story. But fuck what Johnny wants. Does this guy...”  “Reed,” she offered.   “Is Reed a good guy who likes you for you?” She nodded. “Then be happy. And I meant what I said.  Fuck what Johnny thinks.”  They shared a laugh as Johnny returned.   “So how’s it going?”  “Susan agreed to be my, uh, companion I guess is the right word for the benefit.”  “Great!” Johnny smiled and wrapped an arm around his sister. “I guess this is the start of a beautiful friendship.”  

As Frank and Susan walked the floor, another couple arrived at the benefit.  Abby and Mike walked hand in hand, greeting the owners of the Dodgers and looked for their table.  Her heart sank as the assignments had them sitting with Frank. As she read, her heart plummeted further. He was seated next to a Bethany Carmichael and Susan Storm.  Knowing Johnny, he didn’t bring his sister as his date.  

“That is an interesting assignment,” Mike commented.  He looked at Abby and could see the anguish. “You didn’t asked to be seated with him right?” He grasped her fingers a little tighter.  

Two weeks Before, Abby and Mike’s house...  “Abby, beautiful, I’m so sorry.” Mike was on his knees groveling as she walked out of the bathroom in the morning. “Baby...”   “Don’t touch me.” Abby moved into their bedroom.  She was refusing to look in the mirror, afraid of what she would see. Mike followed.  “Baby...”  “No, I can’t do this...”  “Please don’t leave Abby. I am so sorry. It was an accident.” He shed tears and got back on his knees in front of her. “I’m so ashamed of myself. He clutched her around the middle. “Please, I’ll do anything.”   Abby sighed. Her heart was conflicted. She knew he had crossed a line, but it wasn’t one he had before. She didn’t want to give up on him. “One more chance Michael. But I swear...”  “No, baby, thank you, I promise. It will never happen again.”    Abby stayed home that day, letting her face heal. And Mike was loving, so attentive. They never spoke about it again. Frank was never brought up. She kept her promise to avoid the Adlers. It was breaking her heart.  

“No,” she shook her head. “I was planning to avoid him as much as possible.” That was a lie. She wanted to see Frank. To see how well he was. Ever since his hug and kiss from the hospital she could not stop thinking of him.  After watching Mary, she saw what she had been missing.  Frank and Mary were not just an uncle and his niece. They had grown to father and daughter.  

Mike guided her to their table. “Hello Johnny, Frank,” Mike said with a saccharine tone.  

Frank stiffened at his voice. Susan caught the flinch and patted his leg. Abby caught the movement and frowned. But it was Johnny who broke the silence at the table. “Hi, you’re Mr. Weiss, right?” Mike nodded. “John Storm.  This is my date, Bethany and my sister, Susan. Mr. Weiss is with the team’s legal department. And this is Dr. Hernandez, our head team doctor.”  

Susan stood and shook hands with the couple. “Susan Storm. It's nice to meet you both.”  

“Abigail Hernandez,” Abby said quietly. She assessed Susan and couldn’t find a fault. She was beautiful, elegant, poised. Exactly what she would have wanted for Frank before, when he wasn’t hers. But now, now he wasn’t hers again and it hurt.  

Mike was seated next to Bethany and was talking with her, and Abby was seated next to another player and his date.  She didn’t say much at the table, keeping her focus on the centerpiece.  A laugh broke her out of her concentration. Susan and Frank were laughing at something, and Abby’s heart clenched.  “I’m going to the restroom,” she told Mike.  

“I’ll join you,” Susan said, standing from the table.  She gave Frank’s shoulder a squeeze and walked toward Abby.  

Dammit, she thought.  She just needed a moment away from perfect Susan with her Frank and... the thought startled her. Frank was no longer hers. She made sure of that when she walked away. And yet, the thought of this woman, this flawless, perfect woman, was able to touch him, to be with him, made her angry.  

Dr. Hernandez, are you alight? Susan looked at her face with concern.  

Abby snapped out of it. She hadn’t schooled her face like she thought. “Sorry, just a lot on my mind. I’m fine Dr. Storm.” She had heard that she had completed her doctorate at MIT in astrophysics.  

“Call me Sue. You seem young for a doctor?” 

“I graduated three years early from high school. Frankie, I mean Frank and Mike and I went to the same undergraduate.” Abby looked in the mirror and didn’t recognize who she saw. It was her but the sparkle was gone.  

“Wow, impressive. Johnny got his diploma but bolted as soon as he was drafted. I headed east for school. Came back when they had an opening at JPL.”  

“That’s...” Abby searched for words, “nice.” She offered a hard smile, not wanting to cause a scene. But her blood boiled. “So, you and Frank.”  

“Yeah, he’s been so nice. He’ll make someone very happy.” Sue touched up her lipstick.” But you and Mike are cute together. Engaged long?” 

Abby tried to maintain her tone. “A couple of months. We’re gonna start looking for a venue soon.”  

“Oh.” Sue was stunned. She had assumed that Abby and Mike had just been playing but no, this was real.  

Abby walked out and back to the table, Susan trailing.  She could see the tension rising from the table. She went to Mike. “Everything ok?” 

“I was just asking how long Frank and Susan had been hooking up.” Mike grinned. “I mean, someone here sent a photo of them together to a tabloid and then more photos from a coffee shop, it looks like, are floating around as well.  Frankie boy got overheated at my question.  I wondered why.” He showed Abby his phone with the article and the photos.  Photos of Frank hugging Susan and then kissing her cheek.  

Abby looked at Frank, who was a little pink in the cheeks. She understood; Steve had mentioned it.  There had been no one since Abby and now there was Susan. Her heart broke. He found someone better. “I’m just gonna get a drink.  Excuse me.” Abby headed to the bar but once she was out of sight, she made it to the lobby.  She found a seclude area and sat, numb.  

She let him go. She threw him away and yet, it hurt. It hurt so much that he had waited for five years for her to come back and when they met again, well, she is engaged. To his former best friend. A single tear dropped and landed on her hand.  

“Cricket?” 

Abby turned to see Frank standing at the doorway. “Go away.”  

“No, Cricket, you’re crying.”  

“Its nothing, just leave me alone.” She turned to move away but Frank stopped her.  He pulled her into his arms to hold her in place.  

“Abigail, what’s wrong?”  

Abby looked up at Frank. He never called her Abigail. “Are you with Susan?” 

“What?” 

“Is what Mike saying, true? Are you dating Susan?” 

Frank looked at her curiously. “Why do you care, Abby? You left me, remember? You’re with Mike.” 

Abby lowered her head. “I know.”  

“So, tell me, why do you care?” 

She kept her head down and just shook it a little. “I just want to make sure she’s good enough,” she lied. 

Frank quirked a smile. “Liar. Little lying Cricket. You could never lie to me sweetheart.” He chuckled and grasped her chin to tilt her head up. “Tell me.”  

“Because I need to know,” she whispered.  

Frank studied her face, seeing the deep sadness and fear of his possible answer. He sighed. “No, Cricket, I’m not dating Susan. She’s my date tonight to keep the jersey chasers away.”  

Abby was stunned. “But she’s perfect.”  

Frank gave a half smile. “Maybe for her boyfriend, Reed, but not for me. I know what perfect is and I’ll never find it again.”  

Abby stared into his eyes, the blue she was still so in love with. “I miss you, Frankie.”  

“I miss you too Cricket.” He watched the tear fall from her eye. “Don’t cry, my love,” he whispered. He wiped it away but cupped her cheek. He watched as she melted into his warmth and closed her eyes. “Open them, Cricket.” They opened and watched as he kept studying her before drifting to her lips and back. She nodded and he smiled before leaning forward and pressing his lips to her. She closed them again and gave into the kiss.  

It was exactly like she remembered. His lips were soft but demanding, gentle and yet she could feel all of the love poured into it. He slowed to break the kiss but kept his forehead on hers. “Frankie,” she whispered.  

“Abby. God, I’ve missed you.” He kissed her again, a little more urgently. Abby moaned and Frank took his chance, slipping his tongue in her mouth, tasting her again for the first time in five years. God, he missed this, he missed her. It went on for a moment before Frank remembered where he was, who he was with. He pulled back, stepping away from her.  “Fuck, Cricket, I’m sorry.”  

“Don’t be,” she shook her head. “It’s my fault.”  

“Its never your fault, gorgeous.” He ran his finger through her hair and grasped her at the nape of her neck. “Fuck, you are still so beautiful,” he leaned down and kissed her again.  

Abby lost herself. “Don’t leave me Frankie. I – I need you. I want you.”  

“I’m yours Cricket. I always have been.” He sighed. “But Mike.”  

“Let’s just keep it between us, for now, ok?” She bit her lip. “Maybe see each other when he’s out of town or at work. Just between us.”  

“Abby, you’re engaged. Sweetheart, you are with...” 

“The wrong man,” she finished. Frank looked at her, shocked. “I want to leave him Frankie. I made a mistake and I want to come... home.”  

Home. Fuck that’s all he ever wanted. He cupped her face. “I want you to come home too. But I think we should talk and work things out.  You need to break things off. But, yes, we can see each other in private, ok? I love you, Cricket.”  

“Oh Frankie, I love you too.”  She reached up to kiss him again. This time it was with a smile on both their faces. And an audience watching. 

Next

Taglist:

@patzammit @slutforchrisjamalevans @firephotogrl74 @texmexdarling @jennmurawski13-writes @before-we-get-started @tinkerbelle67 @bunnyforhim

[lestappenforever]

After sleeping a bit, because if not, I was going to develop a headache because of Max’s DNF. Here’s my take on today’s race (hopefully I don’t cry again)

So Ferrari were good, but good to what extent? There speed was there, but again, we didn’t see any of the 2 have any type of battles, it was merely defensive. Charles defends for Carlos against Lando. But we didn’t really see much. Yes, Albert Park is a track that generally Ferrari like, but we didn’t really see the expected battles today. The whole “Red Bull was a couple of seconds slower than Ferrari” shit that was said today is just comparing to one side of Ref Bull, which is Checo, who didn’t have the speed and had floor damage sustained when battling Alonso. Also, the team order shit again. Ferrari protecting Carlos by using Charles. Granted Carlos was on the front row, but a battle would have been better.

Red Bull have made a mistake today, and maybe the DNF was just expected especially after the damage Max had in FP1. But nonetheless the car is a rocket ship, even as stated by the Mercedes boys. But while yes, that car is a rocket ship designed by the GOAT, the car isn’t what takes the driver to victory, actually the driver pushes the car to the ABSOLUTE LIMIT and takes it home. Because if it were Max who started P6 and didn’t have any damage, he could have taken it home. And on the Max note, today just goes to show that Max grew so much and matured as a driver. Because he knows shit like this happens. Granted, he’s mad, even furious, but he didn’t show it.

THAT MCLAREN HAS SPEED. Finally getting to see that Mercedes power unit in a proper car. Lando and Oscar drove really well today. But again. The whole team order shit, especially in Oscar’s home race, must suck.

The Astons are working their way up pocito pocito. Slowly but surely improving, with double points and good drives from both Lance and Fernando. They are not at opening races 2023 level, but are working their way up.

Can I just say, Haas are impressive??!! The car has speed, Nico and Kevin are comfortable in that car, and are able to take it places that they weren’t able to last year. Its like this team needed Guenther to leave to perform, and having a technical TP was definitely what they need.

YUKIIIII IS IMPRESSIVE AND SO FAR THE STRONGEST CONTENDER FOR THAT REDBULL SEAT IF CHECO WERE TO LEAVE. Today’s drive was just, chef’s kiss, defense and attack was perfect, and he’s showing that car’s potential to the fullest. Daniel also improved a bit, but is still nowhere near were he needs to be, so far, 3/3 out qualified and out performed by Yuki, who is cooking

Mercedes post 2021 regs is showing that 1. Cost cap is damaging them, 2. They were just so strong because of the old regs and 3. That insider in FIA that gave them information prior to being given to the teams was essential for their success (no I’m NOT TALKING ABOUT SUSIE, it was something much older). But maybe this team just had its glory and is essentially and originally going to be an upper midfield team.

Williams today proved that the decision to allow Alex to take Logan’s car was, unfortunately as expected, not the right one. Alex yes, drove well, but he failed to do the one thing Williams needed and essentially gave him the car for, which is scoring points. At this rate, Logan could have gotten the points, and outperformed Alex. Now let’s just pray and hope he didn’t loose his confidence and is able to perform well and actually score points next race.

While I’m still bitter, the race was actually not really that fun, with team orders being the main driver today, which would have NEVER happened if Max didn’t DNF, I’m looking at you all who are saying Max makes the sport boring, because looking today, no he doesn’t. And I actually hope for revenge of the Lion next race, and a new streak to start as the broken one in Suzuka, with Logan scoring and a proper gold race

Once again, I completely agree with your assessments and I don't really have anything to add. All I will say is:

Yuki > Daniel

Nico and K-Mag starting to cook.

And last, but certainly not least:

Williams owe Logan a fucking apology.

[nikoldragonne12]

Despicable Minions (DM AU) - Supervillain OC Cœur Venimeux

As I promised, here's a post about my Supervillain OC from Despicable Minions, my DM AU.

Important note no. 1.:

Cœur Venimeux isn't his actual name, only his villainous nickname.

Important note no. 2.:

My greatest issue with the latest antagonist from Despicable Me 4, Maxime le Mal, is that although he was intended to be threatening and dangerous, I got this feeling from him only in the beginning. Other times in the movie, he was doing evil, but I didn't feel he's as dangerous and real as he was in the beginning.

This is partially why I decided to make my antagonist an actual threat. Also, the fact he's dangerous and scary is a small nod to a lot of fans, who might once have been children but aren't ones anymore, meaning they might be happy to finally see someone they can be afraid of.

I’m trying my best to make Cœur Venimeux that type of antagonist who’s unpredictable, mysterious and gives you that bad feeling of a constant paranoia: you do not know where he is and you’re nervously looking over your shoulder.

More info about Venimeux is below:

About Cœur Venimeux:

He's a crazy supervillain, a scientist obsessed with acids and venoms and the last boss of the female minions who was treating them badly. 

To be more specific, he was forcing them to overwork and then refusing to pay them properly, he was insulting and yelling at them, eventually, he even didn't allow them to leave his lab without his personal permission, etc… 

And, by the way, he's the one who invented an acid that took away Susie's arm and hair.

However, karma took a part of his debt: Susie pushed into his leg when trying to escape, Venimeux lost balance and although most of the liquid was spilled on HER, he didn't get away with this uninjured… 

Some other facts:

Venimeux’s whole outfit is reptile-themed: his hood has a pattern that looks like snake scales (he even looks a little like a cobra with this), a tail on his scientist coat is long like snake’s body and even the mask makes his eyes look more snake-like… however, how his real eyes look remains unknown. 

Important: His appearance I'm presenting you is a sketch of the outfit he wore back in the past when he was younger (when he was still the boss of the female minions). I’ll reveal how he looks in Despicable Minions on a different day. 

Nobody really knows Venimeux's true identity (including female minions), but what's known is that he's a man because he said so to his sla- I mean, “workers whom he didn't want to pay” several times. 

His villainous nickname literally means “venomous heart”. And although his nickname is a French one, the female minions confirmed he has no accent, even though his mask changes a pich of the voice.

Venimeux despises those who are descendants of supervillains but refuse to continue the “family tradition” or those like Gru who were supervillains but had a change of heart and retired. And he's always ready to get rid of these…

Venimeux is most likely from a long family line of supervillains, judging by who he's targeting.

Cœur Venimeux is the one who took away the lives of Lucy's parents, mainly because Bianca (Lucy's mother) refused to become a supervillain like her parents (the Overkills) were - if Lucy and her brother were at home, he would do the same to them.

Surprisingly, since 2010, there is no information about him attacking… but does that mean he's not alive or…? Nobody really knows…

[stunfiskz]

For the ship bingo, suselle, rouxls x queen, and queen x toriel?

i’ve already answered queenkaard here, and my thoughts are still the same! basically, i’m very attached to the idea of queen being aro, and that affects my preferences for the ship/how it’s portrayed a LOT, and i’m very picky with it as a result 😭

 suselle:

god. what can i fucking say about suselle that hasn’t been said a million times before and by people much better at analyzing them than i am… it’s not a particularly unique take that i love it. they just bounce off each other so well. they can work so well with anything, from silly cheesy lighthearted romcom type stuff to much deeper character drama and exploration… the way that noelle thinks of susie as the good type of scary, the kind that excites her and allows her to face her fears in a fun and safe way, is so sweet. the way that susie can’t even comprehend that noelle really does love her and wants to be around her because she wants to know more about her because she’s not used to being loved… GOD. GODDDD. suselle good. suselle really fucking good. i would love to draw them more but i’m just worried i can’t get them across well enough, yknow >_>

quoriel:

like i said before…. you will have to pry aroallo queen out of my cold dead hands LMAO i do think quoriel is very funny and i can see them bouncing off of each other really well- i think queen’s wackiness would allow toriels more goofy side to shine well- buttttt im just very picky with queen ships, lmao. i also support it because i find any deltarune ship with toriel or asgore hilarious. kris cannot catch a break from people trying to “befriend” their parents.

[tysonfurybattlepass]

Do Lancer! (and Jigen if you want to?)

lancer!!

first impression- oh a Creature of some sort indeed we love to see it

how i feel now- screaming and crying and throwing up and falling down the stairs and wailing because i cant give him a fruit rollup irl life is so fucking cruel and he is just such a good kid i think he deserves lots of snacks and positive words from the people he cares about

favorite moment- i mean he’s objectively the funniest character in the game. all his moments are top tier but i think the one that got me most was the susie fight. it’s not my favorite per se because it was like the second most distressing and upsetting thing to come out of that chapter BUT. it said so much about lancer as a person that he’s so mature and so brave and still refused to hurt anybody because he really fucking believed that if he took enough of the blows from both sides that nobody else would get hurt. shit fucked me up man, he’s too young to have that kind of weight on him.

idea for a story- oh so many. i think, though, that in my “city of the dead” fan chapter, lancer and ralsei would be the main characters because i would love to see them get the spotlight. lancer plays a pivotal role in that narrative because his empathy and genuine nature are what finally allows leo to both be vulnerable and to face the hurt she’s causing on her crusade to liberate her darkner army through the roaring.

unpopular opinion- i am about to be burned at the stake but uhhhhh lets just say 10 to life for spade is on the table in my opinion. i would know, i do combat sports competitively so i’m fully aware of u.s. legislature regarding what constitutes assault and/or battery outside the context of a sanctioned event.

favorite relationship- i mean obv his friendship with susie is so important both narratively and for them as people but i also really like that he and kris seem to be tight too! lets not forget that kris laid down their life for him when it came down to the wire. and now, lancer feels content and safe to hang out with them in their pocket for adventures! i think thats wonderful. weird fluffy ipad cousin

favorite headcanon- buppy lancer my beloved. sorry he is buppouy. even if it turns out the blue hood is actually just his head he’s still pippiy but just with a weird head. also left-handed <3

[abbatoirablaze]

Racing Stripes, Chapter 17

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings:  none

“You’re acting differently, you know…”

Sugar frowned as she looked up from her phone and towards the team principal for Mercedes.  Toto was giving the young woman a stern, but appreciative look and Sugar found herself cocking her head to the side, “excuse me?”

“You are really growing into quite the exceptional young woman,” the principal pointed out as the men rushed around the garage around them, “I see you’ve been spending more time on your phone as of lately…have you thought about the offer?”

She nodded, “I did…and I’m sure that you know I’ve already talked to your wife about it.”

“She mentioned it to me…” he acknowledged gently, “you know, I will not say this around anyone else, but when you’re gone next season you will most definitely be missed.  I know that the rest of the garage will feel that way when you announce your departure as a motor sports girl.”

She put her phone down on the counter beside herself, a few stray tears lining her eyes, “you’re not allowed to go all soft on me before the end of the season, Toto.”

He smiled and reached out to her, his hand gently brushing her arm, “you’ve become like a daughter to me and Susie, Elena…”

“I know,” she sighed, giving the older man a soft look, “you’re the stern dad I never had…”

“And you’re the daughter I never wanted in the business,” he chuckled, “but the second Susie saw you, she pulled you under our wings.”

 “I know…”

“You’ll come visit us in Monaco in the off-season, right?”

“If I have any time between the modeling gigs…you know it.”

“Susie already had the room made up,” he chuckled, “you know she’s expecting you to use it.”

“I know, I know…”

“I’m happy for you,” he sighed, giving her another soft look, “I know that you were becoming less and less happy…but Susie told me not to interfere until you wanted to talk about it.”

“I didn’t want to put you in an awkward spot between the team and your driver, and our personal relationship.  I know that the drivers come first…I j-“

“You will come before my job, Elena,” he replied gently, cutting her off, “you are like my daughter.  I am not joking about that.  When you agreed to let Susie tell me what had been going on we took a look at Valtteri’s contract.  Even though you’re leaving after the season that is not something we want to promote.  We told him that after his contract expires next season he will not have a seat in Mercedes.”

She gasped, “Toto…you didn’t!”

“We did,” he said softly.  Sugar’s eyes shifted around the garage.  Everyone was ultimately busy getting ready for the race in just a few hours time, and no one was paying attention to the conversation that was occurring, but somehow she felt like she was to blame.  Toto seemed to notice the change in her attitude and he shook his head, “this is not your fault, Elena.  I applaud you for being brave enough to stand up and say something to Susie…and I explained it to our higher ups.  While they aren’t coming out with an official statement, I made sure that they are not sweeping it under the rug.  And I told them that I would personally find the next driver for Mercedes.  We are going to do better in the future with our drivers and the standards that we set.”

“Thank you, Toto…”

“Just out of curiosity,” the Austrian laughed, “If I could sign that little Brit you are so sweet on, would you come back?”

A blush found it’s way to her cheeks and her eyes widened, “Toto!”

The Austrian principal chuckled even more and he wrapped his arm around the motor sport’s girls shoulders, “I’m only kidding, Elena…”

“I know…but still…”

“From what I recall, Lando does happen to have a place in Monaco that he sometimes shares with a few friends of his…so if you do not come and stay with us, you better keep in touch with Susie and I…I have no problem getting his address and tracking you down to make sure that you’re okay…”

“I’ll be okay, Toto…I promise.”

“Good,” he smirked, “because if he doesn’t take care of you and treat you right, I’ll hunt him down myself.  You deserve good things, Elena…”

“Thank you, Toto.”

Lando smiled nervously as he made his way back towards the hotel after the choosing ceremony. 

While he and Sugar had unofficially been together, it seemed like the rest of the paddock was finally starting to catch onto it, and he found himself becoming bashful and nervous around everyone.  So much so that he was even afraid to hold his unofficial girlfriend’s hand.

“You okay, Lan?”

Lando looked over to Sugar who was giving him the sweetest smile.  He nodded and she giggled, gently bumping into him.  With every time she managed to push against him, she made sure that her fingers played with his, until they were loosely holding hands, their fingers barely gripping one another’s. 

“Just thinking,” he admitted softly, stepping a bit closer towards her as he lifted her hand, only to fully grip onto it with his, “thinking about us…”

“Yeah?”

“Mhmm,” he nodded softly, “you know…I noticed that a lot of the people in the paddock were looking at us during the choosing ceremony…”

“You sure that wasn’t just in your head?” she giggled.

He shook his head, “I think Toto Wolff was glaring at me.”

“That’s just his face,” she tried, hoping that he would let it go, “he always looks like he’s mad or glaring at someone.”

“Did you tell him?”

She felt a smile unable to hide itself from her face.  Lando knew how close she’d been with Toto’s wife Susie over the years, and he knew that undoubtedly she’d had to have told them about what was going on with her after he’d started hearing rumors that Mercedes wasn’t going to extend Valtteri’s contract after it expired at the end of the next racing season.

“Maybe…”

“Hmm…” he murmured, nodding along, “you know I happened to see something interesting…or hear something…revolving around the Mercedes team and your relationship with the principal and his wife…”

“What’s that?”

“A certain driver’s contract isn’t getting extended…”

Her eyes met his for a moment. 

“I-I didn’t ask them…”

“Hey…” he said quickly, pulling them both to a stop as he refused to continue his walk to the car  that they’d had waiting for them, “I’m glad you finally stood up for yourself.”

Her eyes met his once more. The doubt that she seemed to hold within herself faded away.  Her brow rose as she looked at him curiously, “y-you are?”

He smiled a little bit more before pulling her close until their bodies were touching, “of course I am…I would have said something sooner and brought what he was doing to a grinding halt if you would have let me.”

“I didn’t want to create a scene, Lando…”

“I know,” he replied softly, taking a moment to brush some of the hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear, “we both know that isn’t your style.”

“Yeah…”

“You know that I really would have done something if you said it was alright for me to…right?” he asked. 

She nodded, “Yeah…I know…”

He reached up and held her face between his hands, “Elena…I would move mountains for you if you asked me.”

“I know, Lando…” she smiled, unable to hold back the range of emotions she was experiencing, “it’s one of the reasons I love you.”

The words slipped out before she could stop them. 

But she didn’t have time to regret them as Lando’s face seemed to light up.  Sugar felt a sense of peace and calming wrap around her, “I love you too, Elena…”

She whimpered, hearing the words come from his lips.  And not wanting to stop herself, she allowed herself to feel the moment and everything in it. 

How she felt like there were a million butterflies freed in her stomach.

About how safe she felt in her boyfriend’s arms. 

About how she wanted a future with him.

The rest of the paddock and anyone still left in the stadium be damned as she pulled Lando’s face towards hers and their lips met in a sweet embrace.

Chapter 18

Tag List:  @lohnes16, @prokey16

[chronocidalrage]

MY LIFE IS MY FAVORITE SCARY MOVIE

Just like Sid said in Scream 3. Scary, painful shit, but I don't want to stop fighting.

BEHAVIOR We all assume that everything we do and say makes sense, because it makes sense to us.

FEAR That feeling I have when I imagine taking chances or being challenged at night is fear.

Am I a coward? It’s my least favorite quality of mine and possibly my biggest shame.

I love movies about fear and bravery.

I remember Atom taking me sledding at the golf course at night once. I was so afraid but trusted him. I remember we doubled up layers, wearing jeans over sweatpants. I remember looking and seeing his baggy pants getting weighed down by the snow as we tried to walk through it.

I remember him showing me how to climb a tree at camp.

What I need every day is to be brave. Atom made me feel like I didn’t have to be. I felt safe with Atom. Like he would protect me. And I’m terrified without him. And I keep wanting Susie to protect me but she doesn’t want to (and she shouldn't have to). She wants to have my back and that’s different.

At night when I’m high with Susie and Ruby, I feel safe.

Intimacy and connection with others requires bravery and I’m afraid.

Maybe that’s what my life is missing. Bravery. Be more confident with Susie. Braver about maybe dealing with some of my weird shit.

SUSIE I should be more flattered by how often she wants to talk to me.

SELF EFFICACY That’s where I still have to work. This concept of my limits compared to people who impress me.

I have to let them go. I always see it as “what thing that I’m not ready for am I gonna have to do next?” When I should see it as “I either want to do this now or I’m certainly trying to do this now.” If I don’t succeed, maybe I will try it again the next day or not at all.

I learned. I didn’t know how to take care of Ruby, but I learned. I didn’t know how to sing better, but I learned. I didn’t know how to make a podcast, but I learned.

I spend all my time agonizing over the past and over preparing for the future.

I need to focus on the now. How do I plan for the future then?

PRESENT Sometimes I really feel great when I’m present. I think food helps me focus on the now in a way that I enjoy. Movies allow me to not care about the past or present. There is no now. The present barely exists.

PUPPET Remember that I am not a puppet. People may tell me or ask me to do something, but I am choosing to agree. They aren’t making my arm move, I am. You can say no. You can resist. I don’t have to do something just because I’m capable and someone asked.

MIND, BODY, & SPIRIT My mind and body suffer because my spirit is always in turmoil.

WANT AND CAPABLE I want to eat junk food and watch TV because it’s something I both want to do and am capable of. Focus on what you want and why you’re not capable if that’s the case.

ATOM Thought of Atom on the beach. He said hi and asked me how I was doing. Told me to tough it up, walk it off lol.

We both saw ourselves as puppets. So we made sure to treat each other like real people. Dad wanted to use us to make his decisions feel worthwhile (oddly they would feel that way in the end), mom and Scott had no real use for us. Which is still kinda the problem.

We found other puppet friends and promised to operate them kindly. But when we needed a real friend, all we found were puppets.

I think we both wanted a puppet master who was a beautiful girl. You more than me. I kinda wanted to be a real boy. We gave up and decided to be real boys together and that’s when Susie happened. That’s why you loved Liz. A puppet master.

SLEEPING WITH THE SIMPSONS ON I fucking love The Simpsons. Jesus Christ. What a brain-forming piece of media. Life changing.

ESTEEM I am responsible for my own personal happiness. I am responsible for my successes and in some cases, my failures. I am also responsible for learning why I failed and how to succeed on the next try if possible.

FOCUS The problem is that other people cause me to forget I’m not a puppet. The introduction of other people generally causes me to go submissive, so working from home when Susie is here is incredibly difficult because I keep forgetting to be responsible for myself.

MODERN MEDIA I think normies have trouble connecting with fantastic and hyper real things. So the fantastic needs to be treated with cynicism to take the edge off. All mysteries need to be explained (hence the love for origin movies), and the visuals have to look real or like a video game (the most visually bizarre thing a normie understands).

It’s like modern audiences are having an imagination crisis.

MAKING SHIT Weirdly I’ve also been into watching movies less lately. I wonder if being more creatively productive with Tony is helping? I do technically prefer creating art rather than consuming it.

ALONE TIME What you do when you’re alone says a lot about who you think you are.

TONIGHT I can hear the SNL “Goodnights” theme when I think of this apartment and this neighborhood (our Neponset apartment). In the future I’ll look back at this time and at least envy how simple things were in so many ways. Just us. Safe and otherwise unbothered.

I also have to remember Susie is sad about leaving partially for the same reasons as me.

I have to remember how huge it is that Susie wants to live with me at all. She probably couldn’t even stand living with any of her best friends, she just doesn’t really like sharing space with people.

It almost helps to think of those you’ve lost as amazing places you’ve been. You’re just glad you got to go there.

We’re just the same essence tracking through different bodies and moments and surroundings through time. I’m the same thing that was in this body when I was watching dad sing in school shows. With Atom sitting next to me.

It’s like gravity pulling us down through time. Time itself doesn’t do that, the force of death does that. Every moment is real and important.

I love the night because it used to scare me and now it doesn’t. It makes me feel excited and brave.

I still feel like I just talked to you. I hope you’re always the first thing I think about when I hear “friend,” “brother,” or “loss.”

I’m always looking for confirmation that I’m doing the right thing.

When I imagine things I have to do, imagine completing them rather than failing at them. It’s the sting of the immediately imagined failure that fucks me up.

We only experience time because our consciousness is attached to our current state and our state keeps changing due to time. Otherwise we would just be.

I think sometimes I really wanna stay stuck in the period right after we moved to Kendrick. When I thought Susie and I were all up from there, life was up from there, and Atom was kinda in the early stages of his struggle and may still just snap out of it. It was the last time I felt actually hopeful. And I’ve been losing faith ever since that was ruined. And I think every day I wake up realizing how much less hope I feel. And that fucks me up. So I focus on Ruby as my biggest reminder that good things have happened since then. But then I fall back to my “oh fuck I have a whole place to myself but not in the depressing way, I can do whatever I want without judgement!” Which became a fun benefit of my modern life, and I think unfortunately I see that and Ruby as the best developments since I lost hope.

The truth is that I think Susie could be with anyone if she wanted to. But she’s with me. Wild.

I think I need to realize that if I want to do more, I have to devote less time to leisure. Which sucks because I love leisure.

I think I just learned to look at it like: trying to do things will go poorly, insulate yourself and try to make it fun.

SHIT It’s the immediate image of me failing at something that stops me. I think of something that doesn’t have a 90-100% chance of success and I immediately imagine me failing at it, which then makes me feel sad and pathetic and I feel awful and don’t want to do that thing. Maybe I just have to imagine myself succeeding instead and deal with it if I hit resistance.

RANDOM SPACE THOUGHTS The people around you will change if YOU change. As you go to different places in life, you’ll be surrounded by different people. It’s normal.

While in space, I “talked” to Atom. It was us on the phone the last time. I told him how much I loved him, I gushed. I told him he has no idea how much I love him and he said “you know I do. I know exactly how much you love me.” I asked him if he’ll forgive me if I move on. He said he won’t forgive me if I DON’T. He said I have to.

Thought of him laughing at the fire at camp. Him looking at me and seeing what I saw.

Thought of me when I was younger. I never could’ve imagined how my life has gone. I just wanted to be cool and famous. I didn’t think of much else.

Tonight, seeing you at the funeral home seems fake. Cleaning out your apartment feels imagined. I feel like I had just talked to you earlier today. Thanks for that.

You also told me you can’t wait to see what I make. “Show it to me.”

You didn’t know what you were doing either, you just gave it your best shot.

I think I struggle with how guilty I feel about wanting more for myself, like mom and Scott, while also believing in and being in awe of self sacrifice. I so loved the way dad and Atom put themselves second. It was so beautiful in its dark way. But Scott and mom were more likely to have what they wanted. To love themselves in some capacity.

I’m the pet project of dad and Atom. Their science experiment. Their creation. They wanted someone who saw the value of love and self sacrifice, while also believing in themselves and having the lives they want. They wanted me to have the strengths of both sides. It’s just so hard to be both.

FOR ME Think of how everything benefits you. How it’s for you. A coffee is for you. Working out is for you. For your stress. For your health. For you to move your body. If it’s for your body, it’s for you. Don’t think of things like “you’ll get less fat,” because that never works. You never imagine you can feel good about your body, so that won’t matter.

The junk food is to have something that’s “for you.” But so many things are for you. A healthier breakfast is still for you. It tastes good, it saves you time, it saves you money. More things than food and movies can be for me.

I like them because they feel like they’re completely for me. When things are partially for others, it ruins the fun for me I think.

WALK When I make stuff I can kinda feel Atom. Like he sees it.

I guess part of the problem is that I assign Atom all the responsibility for the good things that have happened to me. Never myself. Even the stuff that I assign to Susie, I never would’ve found or managed to keep Susie without Atom’s guidance before meeting her (in my mind).

I technically taught myself how to play guitar. Taught myself how to write songs. How to sing high. How to play drums (mostly). How to record. How to make a podcast.

How to take Atom’s lessons and use them to find my own style and taste. How to make comics. How to write. How to be funny. How to be the “cool sexy guy” on the rare occasion that I can pull it off.

How to make movies. How to transition from retail to my position at the end of Abine.

How to talk about and analyze movies. Learned from Willems and so forth, but I can actually do it now.

The things I’m able to do or figure out are a sign of my ability. But I tend to ignore them and focus on what I CAN’T do.

OTHER PEOPLE I think I believe I CAN’T put myself first. I have to put others first and me second. I can only be selfish when I’m alone or when I have successfully come through for others first. I need to drop that habit and learn to be selfish COMFORTABLY.

ART AGAIN Can’t stop thinking about Kevin Eastman. The artist most influential on me was Atom Harris. But from there it was Kevin Eastman, then Jim Lee and Erik Larsen, then Bruce Timm.

DATE NIGHT Susie and I got Thai massages and then randomly went to Cathay Pacific. It was amazing. What a good time.

RANDOM I think eating junk food and watching TV is my way of saying no. Saying no to what I should do, what I’m being expected to do. It’s a form of rebellion on my part. I’m not being healthy, fuck you I’m eating junk. I’m not being productive, fuck you I’m watching movies.  

[elijahfalvey]

Elijah was grateful that Nilay knew him so well, purely because it allowed for moments like this: where she could show up to his office with his favorite coffee in hand — a white mocha latte, in particular, though he truthfully wasn’t picky and would drink just about anything she offered — to spend quality time with him, mindlessly chatting about the events of their days so far. It was the perfect blend of spontaneity and comfortability that he enjoyed about their relationship, and he made a mental note in the back of his mind to leave room for these sorts of afternoons more often. God knows they both deserved it, what with the increasing stress of their lives they were more than due to slow down a little here and there.

“Well, thank you, baby. I appreciate you.” He shared a warm smile with her as he lowered to sit down in his office chair, immediately extending his foot out to hook behind the leg of her own seat and drag it just a tad bit closer to him. It hadn’t been more than two seconds and already he thought she was too far away. Hiding his satisfied smirk once he’d done so behind his cup, he took another sip and listened to what Nilay had to say.

It came as no surprise to him that both of the girls were tuckering out their grandparents in their own unique ways — Hattie with her seemingly endless quest for knowledge and Rhia with her general toddlerness, as he liked to call it. He hated missing out on memories such as the ones she described but at the very least he was glad that they got to experience them with Richard and Jasmine. He was sure that they appreciated getting to spend as much time with them as possible while they were still little. “Mmm, my busy bee,” he said affectionately, the drink finding its way to the desk as he slid his palm along her thigh instead. “I’m sure Richard will find plenty for Hattie to do eventually, but I mean — I guess if he were to ever find his intellectual match, it’d be her. Just as it was probably you. You guys are twins, y’know.” And he couldn’t help the amused huff of air when it came to the youngest of the two, “As for Rhia . . . well, Jasmine should’ve seen that coming, I think. All Rhi wants to do at home is chase the cats and dress poor Oliver up, so. Cerby had it coming.”

Shifting a bit in his seat, he continued, “Better now. I just — y’know, sent Susie home ‘cause she had something else to do, and I didn’t really check what was in the inbox and all that beforehand, so I’ve just been swamped all day. Learned my lesson quickly, I'm afraid.”

With summer just on the horizon and the museum getting ready for the programs, events, and free days, along with being a mother now herself, she knew that parents were scrambling to find ways to keep their children occupied for the next three months. Summer day camps, sports, children's theatre productions, music lessons by the greatest musician in the world who just so happens to own a studio in town; That was a small handful of options. After dealing with some calls herself and registrations for children who'll participate in the museum's programs, she was ready to take a break. Especially when she knew that soon her and Eli would need to look at everything the town offered so that their girls would be kept busy, which would also help her parents have time to focus on themselves and then their businesses as well.

For now? She would have a moment with her boyfriend, give them both a well-deserved break, and just be with him before getting back to business. Nilay's smile grew once the surprised pet name left his lips. "Hi, baby," she said. Looking him over, she knew that she came at the perfect timing. "What can I say? I got to keep you on your toes; Spontaneity helps keep relationships alive," she mused playfully. Of course, Nilay loved all the familiar ways of their relationship. She loves knowing exactly the orders Eli gets whenever they're out. She loves knowing the facial expressions that convey what he's feeling or thinking without having to be vocal about them. She loves how based on the way he's holding her or kissing her, she knows what he's wanting. After nearly four years of being in each other's lives and spending almost three of those years together as a couple, she could read him front to cover like her favourite book. But, it was fun to add a little changes now and then. Especially when it made the other happy. "Mmm, easy: I know you. That's how." The curator practically melted over the quick peck, yet trying to be patient before getting more. She closed his office door behind her and followed him, bringing a chair over to the other side of the desk to sit with him. Nilay grabbed her coffee and hummed softly as she took a sip, the cinnamon flavour bringing a smile to her lips.

"Busy, fortunately. We have a lot of kids signed up for our summer programs, especially for the ones for my wings. The girls are good! Well, mostly; Hattie's trying to convince aba to give her more work over the summer, which he's trying—but also sort of failing—at not doing. Rhia's been trying her hardest to play with Lord Cerberus and he's getting tuckered out. Ima sent me a video of her chasing after him in the yard. And I think she somehow managed to get ima to get the poor dog in a pink tutu." One of her hands let go of her cup to trace her fingertips against his arm. Sometimes, there were days where she wanted to cut her workload in half so that she could spend more time at home with her family. She tried not to feel guilty over missing out on those memories. "How about you? Has your day been going well? I didn't see Susie around."

📜@elijahfalvey

[antibioware]

Deltarune and Escapism

Alright now that my hands have finaly stopped trembling and my eyes aren’t burning anymore, time to write my two cents about the new chapter and the reveal that the mysterious “Knight” who has been opening the worlds is Kris themselves, while being free of their soul.

I’m not surprised that people automatically assumed that Kris is doing it because they’re “evil” or what the fuck ever, because even back in 2018, without any whatsoever no mercy route available or true hints beyond a 3 seconds cutscene, people were already giving Kris the Chara treatment.

My personal thoughts about why Kris keeps doing it is actually very simple: they’re using the Dark World as a mean to escape reality.

Kris doesn’t appear to be living a particular easy time in their life. Their brother just went to college, and both from their internet searches and from general talks around town, it’s very evident that Kris misses him fiercely.

On top of that, their parents divorce seems to have happened very recently and they’re stuck in the middle of it (with Asgore using them as a bridge to give Toriel flowers, for example) and their social life doesn’t seem to be  the best: Toriel is pleasantly surprised in Chapter 1 to discover Kris is spending time with a friend, and by many they’re considered a weirdo.

So what happens when a teen who doesn’t have the best life creates a parallel “pretend” world were they’re a hero and have friends who love them?

If Dark Fountains are caused by a Lightner stabbing the Earth with a knife, it’s not hard to imagine Kris, who apparently has a personal knife, doing it on either  accident or curiosity. Back at the beginning Chapter 1, when the door “changes” in front of Susie and Kris, their instinctive reaction outside of player control is to take a step back, which could easily mean that they were scared, but it could also mean that they could have caused whatever was going on inside and were scared of seeing what it was.

The fact that the Dark Worlds have been so far used as escapist fantasies is also proved by the fact that all the Lightners who have been under are also teens who are having a rough time in their everyday life:

Susie is someone who’s considered a violent bully, has no friends and she’s hinted so far as not having a great home life, between the way she reacts to getting her own room in Ralsei’s castle, as well as her reation to Toriel being nice to her and also her accepting to sleep over while only pretending to call back home to alert she was sleeping at a friend’s house.

Noelle allows people (Berdly) to push her around because she’s afraid of standing up for herself and make her own choices (this is also highlighted by the Snowgrave route), and back home she has only a too busy, too harsh mother, due to having an (apparently dead) absent sister and her father stuck in the hospital with an unknown illness.

Berdly made his own life harsher by pretending to be something he’s not and now he’s slowly being crushed under the weight of adult expectations for him, and due to that he ends up taking merit for stuff Noelle does and speaking over her, despite the fact that he seems to genuinely care for her.

All of which seem to thrive in the fun settings of the Dark World, despite being in a situation of danger and the ups and downs of the plot (this without considering the Snowgrave route). It’s exactly why in the end Ralsei has to intervene with the Legend in order to convince them to return to the world above, while they were dead set on creating new Dark Fountains.

Now, Kris may be possessed most of the time during their time in the Dark Worlds, but they still seem to appreciate the good they get from it. It’s Kris themselves, without player control, who moves to save Susie in Chapter 1 and tells Toriel they have made a new friend. It’s Kris who changes the verbal inflection of some of the dialogue options the player uses in order to let others know they’re either joking or insincere.

It’s also Kris who makes the decision, outside of player control, to create another Dark Fountain.

Escapism is one hell of a drug, after all. You can’t blame the kids for wanting to be somewhere they can be themselves without being judged, or even be with people that irl tend to avoid them, or where a loving character who vaguely resembles your missing older brother is. So they make more worlds, for better or worse, because it could easily be that a fantasy world were you’re manipulated in your actions seems better than your actual life.

I say for better or worse, because a thing that the Snowgrave route pointed out to me is that there’s some levels of player control that Kris can experience. While you can say there are actions in the regular game when Kris does things out of their free will, in the Snowgrave route there aren’t. There’s no bit in the game were Ralsei gets to speak alone with Kris while the player is occupied looking at Susie, you stop getting dialogue options and instead Kris turns silent. Noelle also says that the voice who was ordering her around wasn’t Kris’, but rather something else entirely, which means that Kris, when obliged to Do All That Nightmare Stuff, wasn’t in any way in control of themselves. It could be said that while Kris was manipulating Noelle into hurting others, the player was manipulating Kris into believing that hurting others is all fine too, because the Dark World isn’t real, after all. It’s natural to want to hurt others. It’s just a game.

In which case, of course, Kris still wanting to open up a new Dark World the moment they’re out of player control takes a MUCH darker meaning.

tl;dr Kris is creating the Dark Fountains for themselves to escape their current life, and it’s not because “they’re evil”, but to keep having adventures with friends OR because the level of player control they’re experiencing makes them believe being violent to others in the world under is justified and fun.