#I'll probably still play strive

[nightjarstrive]

We're fucked guys, Potemkin has reached critical grappler levels and shall become unstoppable, Welp, I'm out see y'all in Xrd.

[arashi-no-saxlphone]

I gotta go back to living in my cave and not having enough knowledge to realize Axl is not good. I was happier. I was telling people Axl was underrated and just tricky to make effective. I played Slayer and Sol and felt what it was like to have a working Close Slash for an hour and it made me want to curl up and cry. What the fuck man. What is this. Diasuke's Allegory of the Cave place me back in the sweet embrace of ignorance.

[n30nwrites]

Fetch (Shifter! Tf141 x Male! Reader)

Chapter 4 of Good Doggy

Masterlist

Tw - Drunk Assholes (inspired by real stories from me :)), Slight blood warning, Language (its a COD fanfic??), OKAY SO LIKE I GUESS SLIGHT SUGGESTIVE STUFF?? I WANTED TO MAKE IT LONGER. A SMALL SCENE OF NSFW BUT NOTHING TOO DEEP BUT STILL PUTTING A WARNING, ITS IN BETWEEN THE NSFW GRAPHICS. Gaz has a praise kink.

Beta Reader/Editor - @letmelickyoureyeballs

Updated: 3/5/2024

The bar is filled. It’s a Friday night, of course it is but you hate it. You don’t like dealing with assholes. Not after the conversation with Maya.

“I cannot serve you anymore. If you don’t decide to leave I will call the cops.” The man in front of you shouts profanity after profanity, angered by the law. Humans were stupid that way. “Here’s a water.” You slam it down, annoyed.

Idiots. Drunken idiots.

Yeah by Usher starts playing. The club you worked at was loud, you have ear plugs in just so you wouldn’t be overstimulated by everything, but you could still hear enough.

“Why do you have a mask on?” He's irritated already which means that this conversation will not end well. You usually strive to give your coworkers the assholes, not caring that he'll have to deal with it. 

"It's to stay safe, I don't want to get sick-"

The man cuts you off and you debate on spitting in his drink, "That's not gonna keep you safe, the only way to stay safe is to build your immune system." He keeps yelling, and some spit leaves his mouth. You place down the menu in front of him as he keeps yelling, "That's the only way to stay safe, not a stupid mask!" 

You walk away, going to your coworker and telling him to get his order cause if you do you'll be fired. You instead went over to the list of music that was going to play and put on a favorite song of yours, not caring for some disgruntled noise from other patrons as you bobbed your head to the beat, distracting yourself from the day you had.

"Ye lik' this song mo gaol?" It's the familiar accent and the way the hairs on your arms stand makes you more irritated. It was roughly 1 a.m. and most people would be tired. You'd reckon it would start slowly down in 20 minutes, which meant you could get some work done.

You turned to face Soap.

"I'd hope so, I chose it." You tell him as you get closer to him. "You still stalking me?"

"Ah'ahmnot a stalker, juist wanted a drink." He smiles boyishly, as if he wasn't Sergeant John ``Soap" MacTavish with more confirmed kills than unconfirmed.

"At the bar I work at?"

"Juist a coincidence"

"I'd prefer it if you didn't lie to me." You told him while you mixed a drink. "You obviously have something for me."

"A'm in loue wi' ye"

"Not possible." You tell him, interrupting his "confession". You set the drink down in front of him. "$13" You tell him the price.

"I didnae orda a drink?" He looked cheeky, and you wished some part of you didn't find him attractive. But he looks up at you and you can't help but imagine other scenarios, particularly some where you're both naked.

"Well you can either pay for the drink and drink it, or pay for the drink and I'll drink it and talk with you some more." Soap immediately puts down two 20s.

"Th' rest can go to mah bartender." You slip the extra cash into your pocket, going to your POS system and breaking out for your thirty minute break that was required. You grabbed the drink on the counter and left your work area, Soap following behind like a puppy. You found a booth in the corner most people avoided. Sitting down at what could fit five others at most. Your mind goes back to Maya, who’s probably taking care of Icarus, your dog, and Marigold, her familiar. Maya worked as well, but it was an in-house job where she dealt with customers in need of assistance.

"You hurt our feelin`s earlier," He says first as you take a sip of the drink you made. "Hae we dane something tae offend ye?"

"Don't want to get your hopes up." You tell him, "I'm not one for soulmates."

"So ye know?"

"Of course I do. You reek of wolf." He starts to sniff himself and you want to laugh at how ridiculous it looks. "You wouldn't be able to smell it. And it's not a bad smell, just obnoxious cause there's four of you."

"So ye aren't human." 

"Nope, never was."

"What are ye?" You never felt shame in what you were. Didn't feel shame in general, it took Maya for you to start walking around in clothes. 

But you didn't want to tell him. 

"None of your business."

Gaz knows that Price is going to talk about the bloodshed in the morning. He knows that Price already knows but doesn't care to stop it tonight. Price is just too drunk, Ghost doesn’t care, and Soap is who knows where. It wasn’t like he killed humans tonight, just some animals that were definitely going to get the town's attention (He might’ve killed a bear) but not the hunters.

He's decorated in blood and he loves it. It soothes some messed-up part of him. His teeth still have specks of flesh in it, that he licks clean

He smells you. Heavenly you. You who smells like some plant burning. He didn't understand it, but he loved it.

You're next to Soap, and Soap has the biggest grin as you walk together. 

Though you probably don't see it as together. You probably see it as him stalking you, but you don't seem to have your usual air of distaste. You have sunglasses on, something he hates cause he can't stare at them. Your mask is black, and you also have a hood on. You look perfect, he just wishes you were in his bedroom.

Preferably naked and-

Nope.

He kind of hates it at the same time though. Soap getting so close to you, still determined to find a way to be with you. Soap didn't lose hope, not like Gaz did. But he'd be damned if he didn't do something. He lets out a growl, standing menacingly as he runs forward, towards both of you, knocking Soap down as he growls at him, his teeth snapping. If Gaz doesn't get to be happy, Soap shouldn't either.

He just wasn't expecting your reaction.

"Get off him." He followed your command, staring up at you and following your eyes when you bent down to be eye level with him. "God you are so..."

"Cute." Your voice gets higher as you gently rub behind his ears, the blood not bothering you at all. Gaz almost forgets how you looked at him earlier, your words that cut him melted away and he just thinks he has a chance.

You loved dogs, who wouldn't? Even if that dog was actually a grown (hot) man. 

"Look who's such a pretty boy." You kept rubbing his head as Soap just stared in shock. "Such a handsome boy, who did you eat?" You coo at Gaz, who leans into your touch and praise, enjoying everything about this moment. Gaz has to take a moment to remember himself, that the praise you give him is nothing.

But he can't help but imagine scenarios in a different setting.

NSFW Start

It's such a simple setting. In his room, the lights are low. He's flushed, shirtless and on the floor, while you sit above him.

"Can't you be a good boy for me?" You lick your lip before biting it, you stare at him, your eyes actually showing, looking at him with lust and love. A perfect combination, and your lips, god, you were perfect for him. "Come on, you know you want to." You lower your shorts and Gaz gulps, he stares at your cock, mesmerized.

"You're hungry for it, aren't you whore?"

NSFW End

"Arr ye fecken' kidding me?" Soap says, breaking the peaceful moment, and Gaz's daydream. "A' it took wis a wolf fur ye to lik' us?" 

"I still don't like you all, but dogs are always a great company." You keep petting him, Gaz's eyes closing slightly, and Soap sits up. 

"Ah can do that toh." His accent gets thicker as he rushes to grab your hand, forcing it away from Gaz and instead putting it in his hair. Which was mostly shaved on the sides.

"You aren't a cute puppy right now." You yank your hand away.

"He's fooken' bloody!"

Gaz licks your face, and you slightly smile.

----

NEXT

Listen, hating people is one thing but I could never hate a dog, let alone a wolf. Reader still doesn't feel comfortable around the boys, but he does like the dogs.

[infamous-if]

There's been some discussion recently about MC that caught my attention because I agree. MC feels like a loser when you think about all of the other characters. When I play an MC who did nothing wrong to Seven it just feels like Seven is angry for no reason. Seven is allowed to act like a child while MC has to take it? Doesn't seem fair.

Everyone has something going for them and what about MC? No one likes them and everyone hates their guts. Aren't they supposed to be the main character? Why does everyone hate them? Why aren't they considered more talented? It just feels like MC is a doormat while Seven and the other ROs are these talented superstars.

I don't want this to come off any way but I feel like the story would be stronger if you made MC a bit meaner or at least made people acknowledge MC as a better singer.

I don't want to sound rude but I'm very much exhausted by this topic. I've probably explained this 5+ times but I'll try to break it down one last time just so people can understand what I'm trying to do.

First, to get it out of the way, we are only on Chapter 2. I just want to reiterate that. The story just started.

It just feels like MC is a doormat while Seven and the other ROs are these talented superstars.

Secondly, MC is a character I try to give as much customization to, both personality and appearance wise. There's a variety of ways you can approach everything, or I at least try to in a way that doesn't sacrifice what I want to write for the plot, but I think people are under the impression MC is 100% a blank slate character when it's not true.

MC is still dependent on the plot and I always strived for MC to have their own narrative arc. The same way the ROs have their own character arcs, MC will have their own, because they are a character in their own right and going through some that fundamentally changes their life. That means the MC from Chapter 1 will not be the MC at Chapter 20. They will be different. That's what a character arc is. Character development is expected. How can you expect a slew of ROs to grow and change and MC remaining stagnant? Doesn't make sense narratively and it seems unfair to MC.

The MC is not a completely blank slate, and that's where people are getting it confused. In the beginning, MC is going through such a change with BOTB, without their family, and on the heels of a band breakup that's still impacting them today. MC is a little down, maybe even depressed if that's how you read it, and they're getting pushed to be leader by their manager. They are not really okay right now. They have to be professional and put on a brave face for the sake of their band, who, if you paid attention to what Rowan said in Chapter 2, are all depending on this. This is what they worked for since high school. MC is not going to flip a damn table on Day 1 just because you want them to. MC can fight, if you choose, against UWB. That's not supposed to be a smart choice, but emotions get the best of all of us.

They are only just navigating a worldwide globally famous show with a cheating allegation hanging over their heads, and a manager who wants them to be leader when, up until now, they haven't been. They've just been friends making music and miraculously having a fanbase. Now they're really in it. They have been thrust head first into the industry in a way that is so big that MC has to go from singer playing with their friends to a leader of a band who may just become globally famous in a few months if they play their cards right.

A lot of their actions are influenced by the fact that their band almost broke up and it's a thing that hangs over their head. Their past influences them. That's...how people work.

Now, if we're at Chapter 20 and MC is still acting like a scared bunny who doesn't know what they're doing, then be my guest. Scream in my inbox, I'd understand. That would be terrible writing, but we're not. The tour just started.

I play an MC who did nothing wrong to Seven it just feels like Seven is angry for no reason. Seven is allowed to act like a child while MC has to take it? Doesn't seem fair.

MC doesn't have to take it lol. I've always given an option to be rude to Seven/try to put them in their place.

People think I favor Seven when that's not true. (Seven isn't even my favorite RO)(That title goes to August lol). Seven acts the way they act because they are not in a healthy headspace. Their actions are not meant to be understood, because they are not entirely justified. Seven has a lot of growing up to do, but I have never sat here and advertised Seven's emotions as correct. Everyone knows Seven is childish, everyone knows Seven is handling everything terribly. People in the story have mentioned it. Their abandonment issues GREATLY influence their characterization and actions. MC has abandonment issues as well, of course, but MC is not as emotionally unstable as Seven. That's canon. It is what it is. Seven has a whole subplot about it.

As do other ROs. The only difference is that they're not so open about their struggles. Seven just doesn't care. Their emotions guide them. They can't control it. That's who they are. I have also said that many times.

I don't know why you think Seven can get away with everything when 1) it's only been 2 chapters and 2) no one knows how anyone feels about Sev because it's in MC's POV. Seven goes through their own trial by fire. As every RO does......thats a narrative arc.

Seven was always going to be a plot point, whether they were an RO or not. They were always going to be MC's former best friend.

Everyone has something going for them and what about MC? No one likes them and everyone hates their guts. Aren't they supposed to be the main character? Why does everyone hate them? Why aren't they considered more talented? It just feels like MC is a doormat while Seven and the other ROs are these talented superstars.

This one bothers me the most, mostly because I don't know where this came from. "No one likes them" Jenna and The Jewels does. Slow Crawl does. Their fans do. We haven't even properly met the other bands. Of course there will be bands who don't like MC: they're competitors. They're not friends. They don't know MC, why would they be biased towards them? Because they're the main character? They don't care about that?? It's how fiction works.

Maya is following the band around because of how much she admires MC.

Orion quit his job because MC's singing inspired him that much.

G listened to MC and saw something in them. Literally calls them the 'Chosen One'

Fans of the old band preferred MC over Seven. They liked the songs where MC sang solo. MC was better for their future over Seven. Hence why it was Seven getting demoted, not MC. I've said this. It's in the story.

I don't see how being the lead singer of a band on a global show at 26 makes anyone an actual loser but I digress.

Literally in Part 2 MC is acknowledged so maybe it'd be better if we waited? Say a good few chapters...?

If you wanted a story where MC is Queen level famous right out the gate and the #1 draft pick for BOTB and has no problems and better than everyone, then I'd advise you to look elsewhere. I don't like that. I like giving MC obstacles because conflict creates story. I like MC having to fight for their spot. It's more realistic, and this has never been a story of fame. It's been a story of their journey to fame.

That's their narrative arc. They grow into it.

You are allowed to hate/dislike Seven. I encourage it. I have given MC the option to hate Seven, because I'm aware that what Seven is doing is unfair. I am not punishing you for hating Seven. And this goes for all the ROs. It does not bother me if you dislike my characters. It means I haven't made them squeaky clean and have made them realistic enough to have people both dislike and like them, much like real life. I get it.

I've always advertised Infamous as a messy, angsty and dramatic story. I've used the term 'melodrama' for it often. I've always said the ROs--especially Seven--are flawed. Some more than others. I've said, verbatim, they are not wholly good people. I don't know why people act so shocked when they act some type of way. Like...I've always stayed true to what the story is. Half the dynamics aren't healthy right now...but that's the 'growing up part' of the story we haven't even gotten to yet?

If that doesn't interest you, then that's perfectly okay! If you don't like the narrative arc I have planned for MC, that's fine too! It just becomes a bit disheartening when people ignore the narrative.

I will try harder to write in a way that specifies my intentions. I always believe that if more than a handful of readers have the same complaint, then it's on the writer to fix it.

I hope my tone didn't come off rude, I'm just really really tired of this. I've had to deal with this since even before the demo dropped :) but your critiques are valid and everyone is always free to express themselves however they want. <3

[beforetimes]

my thoughts on the trans charles headcanon!

let me just start off by saying i love it. just to make that 100% clear at the beginning of this.

ok i think that charles being a trans man would change his relationship with the characters in the movies + his relationship with his mutation in the films as well. for one, i think that his first encounter with raven would hold more weight. because raven would be his first look at someone like him—a mutant—but also his first look at someone who was able to defy gender norms in a way he was unfamiliar with. i'd imagine that as a child he would be so isolated that he would assume his feelings in wanting to be anyone but himself [pre-transition] were inherent to everyone. and encountering raven changed that perspective but also drove home the fact that his expression of himself didn't change who he innately was. as raven changes how she looks frequently but at the end of the day, is still raven. i feel he would get his first realization that, ah, just because i look like a girl doesn't mean that i am one.

(i also like to imagine that his telepathy would be a tool for him to use before he's given access to the resources he needs to medically transition. it would work as a way to help along his social transition, maybe by subtly changing people's surface level perception of him if they were interacting in his youth. when he grows older and he does have the ability to medically transition, he would stop purposely affecting people's perception of him but that habit would be so engrained that it would subtly colour his interactions with the general public unconciously.)

anyway, i think the way this plays into his relationship with his sexuality would be fun, too! the flings he's implied to have in first class are obviously just superficial (as he repeats the same routine to pick up girls multiple times). we could argue is his version of comphet, if we're assuming he's gay, but the way he was raised makes him want to strive to be the person his parents wanted him to be. or the relationship of his sexuality with his gender identity and how he feels slightly invalid in his dual identity as a gay and trans man, because, to him (with internalized queerphobia), he would assume he's just taking extra steps to come around to liking men as a cis women.

besides that i think his relationship with erik would also change. because, like, i like to work with the idea of erik being a bisexual man (as he does have a relationship with a woman a decade long in canon and i'm not opposed to it in the context of the story) but him still interacting with charles as a man would still be pretty validating to charles. because, i imagine in first class, charles would still be welcome to float around the periphery of erik's thoughts (as erik wasn't opposed to charles' mutation as most people try to say he is—as far as i remember, erik lets charles into his head during first class multiple times without becoming angry!) and charles would see (at least on the surface level) that erik's attraction to him isn't because he sees him as a woman but moreso that despite being attracted to both men and women he still respects charles' identity as a man and builds a relationship in that context.

i have more thoughts about this that i'll probably add to later but this is just a summary of a conversation i had with someone in my discord server that i thought had enough substance to make into a proper post. thanks for reading!

[bokettochild]

What is your favorite obscure piece of legend lore?

There is so much freaking lore about Legend in the mangas! and the old games! I know the mangas aren't cannon and stuff, but I think non-cannon is the peak of obscure, so I'll just go off!

The violet eyes thing is very precious to me, but that's a headcannon, so let's just... yeah

I think it would be his connection to Fi. There are very few heroes who actually hear the voice of the Master Sword, and many never do. In most of the stories we actually see the hero striving to be worthy of the blade! Sky fights so hard to be enough, to prove himself, if not to Fi than most certainly to Impa and himself. Warriors' journey features his own struggles with the blade, his hubris and folly. While I haven't played the game, the Twilight Princess manga does show Twilight undergoing a similar struggle of achieving the worthiness of holding the Master Sword, even finding it too heavy to lift at times when his heart is not in the right place or his pride is getting in the way.

But Legend never faces that. Granted, his stories are all so much simpler than that of the others, at least, as far as game play is concerned, and the manga creators didn't really go too nuts with his personal journey like they did with Twilight, but still! Legend finds the Master Sword in decay and ruin, and she speaks to him. She's not strong, she's not harsh, she's nothing like she is in any other game ever (except TOTK sort of) and she looks at this little kid who wanders across her and says "yes, that one".

The kid who has nothing to gain from saving the world. The kid who's already lost everything there is to lose. The kid who is repeatedly giving of himself and what little he has to help others in his journey, even though in the long run it means nothing. She looks at him and when he draws her blade she welcomes him

Legend is one of the only heroes to not only have Fi's full approval before he ever wields her, but is also the hero who just....has so much connection with Fi. Their fates have been intertwined for nearly as long as he's lived. She's the only comfort he's consistently had at his side.

I love that he never had to fight to be enough. Legend has so many struggles; being a good enough hero, especially when he never set out to be one, isn't something he needed to face. Legend is a pure-hearted person (which is even pointed out by others and displayed many times in the manga) and was already worthy. His rabbit soul tells us he's probably fighting his own fears and worries, anxieties and terrors, all through his adventure. To have Fi's security and strength to lean on, to compliment his own, rather than cold indifference, disapproval or expectation, was something he needed.

I also love the fact that Legend went out of his way to ask Farore to go and get Fi for him when he went out on his other adventures. he didn't know he needed her, but when he did, he asked for her so he could be at his best. Legend is most complete with the Master Sword beside him. He's not fully himself without a sword (hence why every adventure after ALTTP almost always features him searching out a blade first thing) especially without HIS sword.

Fi is Sky's sword. The Sword that he completed. First forged her, but left her unfinished. Sky perfected her. But Legend took her at her weakest and strengthened her again. Sky may be her Master, but I like to think Legend is her boy. They've been together for so long. He's been without people for so much of his adventures, and knowing she can speak, that she has a soul, I image he speaks to her when he's lonely. We see him speak to her in LU, fondly calling her "old girl" with a sort of familiarity that's singular to him. He probably shared everything with her; his fears, his hopes, his insecurities. She's Sky's sword, but she's Legend's friend.

I've joked about it before, once even put it in a fic, but Fi is the only being Legend has consistently had in his life. The only one whose never left him, no matter what happens or where he goes. She's his guide, his help, his strength and assurance and the one thing he knows will never fail him.

Honestly, if you haven't noticed that Legend smiles more at the sword than at any one of the heroes, you're missing out. And it's such a beautiful smile too!

There's warmth, familiarity, recognition- so much in that smile.

Fi is important to Legend, and I like to think he's important to her too.

Anyways, this is all to say that I love how Legend is one of the only ones to hear the blade speak, and how it implies that he and she are connected in a way that Wild, that Flora, that so many heroes and princesses before and after have striven to be, and I think it's beautiful that it comes naturally to him. Legend deserves to have had at least one thing easy!

[rius-cave]

Most of the headcanons I've seen about Adamsapple in Eden were portraying them having a good relationship, like Lucifer being sweet and kind to Adam, overly interested in him, liking him etc. while Adam being way more innocent back then and of course very curious. While I like the idea of them being in love even back then and having this cute relationship between them, I also like to play with the thought that Lucifer didn't always like Adam (and vice versa). What I mean is, Lilith and Adam never really got along well, they had their constant conflicts and such, mainly rooting from their different personalities, as in I imagine Adam being this kinda obnoxious person who's full of himself, stubborn and doesn't like when things don't go as he wants (not exactly in a toxic way, like I don't think of him as an actual bad person, rather like a big child lol). While I see Lilith as a way more mature and collected person who's had enough of Adam's "childish bullshit". (I know it sounds kinda stereotypical but my goal isn't that lol I can just genuinely see it, also canon!Adam is a walking stereotype so it's hard to ignore it haha)

So, assuming that both of them were created at the same time, when Lucifer started visiting the garden he warmed up to Lilith first, they started spending time together. Lilith regularly complained about Adam, how he acted so childish/talked too much about insignificant things/followed her etc. (again, I don't think she was cruel, she was literally the first woman, had so much to learn and expressed how she couldn't get along with Adam). Lucifer listening to her all the time, and also being fond of her, involuntarily started to develop doubtful feelings about Adam. Of course Lucifer was sweet and kind, he didn't hate the man, but all of Lilith's talk had an effect on him, and Adam's behavior when they interacted just deepened it further (although Lucifer himself didn't exactly find him annoying, Lilith's talk just caused him to focus on Adam's "problematic" behavior more and he subconsciously confirmed Lilith's words).

Meanwhile Adam obviously noticed that Lucifer was spending way more time with Lilith and didn't seem to feel too pleasant about him, he was kinda offended about that and started to dislike Lucifer.

However, I can imagine them interacting at one point, cause like, Adam obviously felt bad about feeling excluded and that neither of them liked him, so once when it was just the two of them with Luci, he kinda snapped and confronted him about it. (I can't really imagine him as a person who keeps it in, I rather see it as he was offended which led to him becoming frustrated and telling it straight into Lucifer's face angrily.) So he told him that he doesn't understand why they both dislike him but it's not fair and he's so much better than them anyway yada yada but it was clear that he was upset and hurt. That would be the point when Lucifer realizes the situation and it would become a turning point in their relationship??

It got kinda long lol sorry

My dear friend, this? This is what I strive for.

I'll be the first person to admit that my characterization of their Eden personas is allllll over the fucking place. My apologies, I try to be better 😂 but I agree with you almost a 100%

I love depicting them as friends in Eden, but if I had to be realistic? In canon he probably didn't care much for him LOL or at least not as much as the fandom likes to believe. I also want to see more of this scenario with an adamsapple endgame, I'd like to do it myself, but to be truthful I wouldn't really be sure how to do it.

I like to think of Eden!Adam as, yes, more innocent, but he was still a bit of a shit, sarcastic and sassy (not an outright asshole, but his personality had a bit of a spice to it ya know?) I try to let this part of him show as much as I can in my newer depictions of Eden, but well I'm not sure if I've succeeded lol

I think that, if he's a brat now, he'd be even MORE SO in Eden. Basically, exactly what you said that he'd be obnoxious, full of himself and childish, just more out of a place of immaturity rather than malice.

I also really like this characterization of early Lilith. Yes, I absolutely see her as more mature and independent, more thoughtful and observant than Adam ever was, and of course those personalities clashed.

I absolutely love the idea of Lilith planting seeds of doubt in other people. In fact, that's a personal theory I have about the current Lilith and why Charlie's and Lucifer's relationship is so stranded. I think there must have been a lot of miscommunication and Lilith, whether on purpose or not, fed a lot of ideas about Lucifer to Charlie. She isolated her and fed her ideas about who her father was and what he thought of her, creating this wall between them that is now only starting to crumble down. So, the idea of her doing the same thing between Adam and Lucifer? Fuck yes. I want Lilith to be a manipulative bitch, whether she's doing that with malice or not LOL.

Adam immediately going head first into confrontation sounds very likely to me too! I'd absolutely agree, except I don't think this would make Lucifer actually realize the situation. Depending on how bad the argument was, I could see Lucifer thinking that oh Adam really is just that toxic or whatever other misunderstanding comes up. They're both idiots and unless Adam expresses his feelings with something other than anger, I think Lucifer would be more prone to bite back, or just simply not understand the deeper issues.

Overall I'm in LOVE with this description though!

[the-mercurial-star-o-vesper]

I'll believe Chara Undertale is evil, when you can convince me that Woody Toy Story is evil.

I'm gonna give you something that's gonna sound like craic.

They're the exact same archetype, same kind of character; a character who loves deeply and feels deeply, who bonds / gets attached.

( Chara with the Dreemurrs / Woody and Andy )

Which conflicts with their other aspect as the highly-responsible, one who will go to any lengths. Lots of Determination, you could say.

( Woody's many death-defying stealthy adventures / Chara's plan with Asriel about dying to give him their human soul )

Who has a high-understanding of those around them, and thrives on the relationships they have and maintain.

( Chara help Frisk in the Pacifist and Neutral routes and the understanding of the monsters they encounter / Woody and the rest of the Toys, such as Buzz )

See a Need, Fill a Need, is this archetype's entire goal, with the conflict being, mistaking reactive desires for needs or bending a reactive desire to think its a need.

( Chara's beef with humans with the monster's need for a human soul / Woody's beef with Buzz in the first film as a means to maintain his relationship with Andy and others. )

Once they realize they've messed up, if not careful, this archetype may have a truly disproportionate response to themselves, giving a awful mixture of their high-responsibility with their high-passions... but neglecting self understanding, under the belief it's more just to others instead.

This archetype is far too prone at costing themselves, in exchange for others.

( Woody's claims that he deserves to be strapped to a rocket / Chara's death by Buttercups over Asgore's poisoning )

But their greatest strength is their capacity to combine high-responsibility, with high-passions, and high-understanding, to effectively become someone who will go to any lengths for you and themselves.

On the surface, its too easy to see this character as a Villain, and indeed, they can get up to some antagonistic stuff...

But the difference between villain and antagonist, is that a villain ignores the steps to improve and ignores the lesson and still inflicts suffering, but an antagonist is a role played, not a consistent behavior--you can be perfectly nice, and still get in the way of the hero.

But these characters, this archetype, learns from their antagonism, and strives to do better and be better, though they may run into new situations.

In Chara's case, we see the entire No Mercy Route. Compare that to the various neutral routes... It takes an Absolute Unstoppable Force, to truly break this archetype, because if its not unstoppable, then they are immovable.

This is a character who doesn't break until the last straw... and then probably more straws we didn't notice.

ADDENDUM:

Chara and Woody likes dogs. Just throwing that out there.

There is in fact, a related and named Archetype, for this kind of character: And that's the "Lover"; one is empowered by passion and the relationships they form... Prolly should get a better name for the new modern, lest someone get the wrong idea. I'm not gonna call mine the "lover". Carl Jung can have his schtick, and I'll have mine.

Huh, y'know, Woody on a No Mercy Route Toy Story (If you can translate that idea...) would be Terrifying. Chucky the Doll wishes he was a hypothetical no-mercy Woody.

Not gonna lie, was not expecting to see such comparisons between Pixar's first major CGI and a 2D 8bit game character. BUT HERE WE ARE, PROVING THAT ALL IDEAS ARE RELATIVE NO MATTER THE MEDIUM.

[bluespring864]

"They tell me I'm mentally strong. I'd say: not yet."

From the latest Sky Sport hour long interview with Jannik (Jannik oltre il tennis: Sinner un anno dopo)

- talks about how it always feels special to play Carlos, how he feels a different energy when playing him and how it feels different to see his name in the draw

- talks about how fortunate he feels to be a tennis player, and puts his job into perspective ("not like a doctor who can't make mistakes during an operation")

- talks about how it's probably not possible to be "happy" on court but how he strives to be cheerful/joyful

- analyses how competitiveness is something you have inside yourself and describes how it manifested itself when he was a child (he is 22, how in god's name is he so self aware?)

- gets asked about critics, e.g. people saying "he's never going to be as good as Alcaraz" and how he feels about it, says criticism is a positive thing because it shows he's at a level where people are interested in what he does, and it's usually something that will make him go "I'll show you" but that he also tries not to put too much stock in it because he knows best how hard he works ("and of course I'm a bit happier when people compliment me instead" *cute little grin*)

- when asked about it says the match point against Carlos at last year's US Open was very painful and it took a few nights to get over it and that during this year's US Open loss the cramps he had must have been a mental issue "a bit like what happened to Carlos with Nole at Roland Garros"

- playing in Italy is the most beautiful thing for him "because I feel at home"

- tennis is an individual sport but you have your team and when you practice, you practice WITH the other player, you have to in order for practice to work, so there is a certain team aspect there as well, it's only when you are on court for the match that you're truly alone

- "the best feeling for a tennis player is when you feel that it's a beautiful match and that you're part of a beautiful match"

- "respect is the most important thing in sport and I respect a player whether he's the No.1 or the No. 2000, because respect isn't based on ranking or strength"

- when asked about maturity levels and how grown up he feels he talks about leaving the dishes in the sink for three days, which is just about the sweetest most relatable thing he could have said (I don't have a dishwasher either, Jan and I still leave the dishes in the sink, don't beat yourself up about it)

There was lots and lots more in there, go watch it if you can! [And disclaimer that I don't speak a word of Italian and my Italian comprehension stems from hearing it a lot at work and speaking related languages, if I've made an egregious translation error please correct me!]

The interview is here (VPN set to Italy needed if outside of Italy)

And I also recommend watching the first interview done a year ago, also on YT (Jannik oltre il tennis: Sinner si racconta)

[andreal831]

Who do you think the most REALISTIC vampires are in TVD and/or TO?

This is such an interesting question because there are so many ways to answer it. And in typical fashion, I'll just answer it in every way I can think of.

To me, a realistic vampire would be closer to the original idea of vampires and less of the modern "Twilight" like vampires. In this way, Damon is probably the most realistic. Vampires have served as allegories for the rich who lived off the life force of the lower classes. Therefore they have historically been depicted as sauve, elite, monsters who reveled in the death of their inferiors.

Damon understands what it means to be an old-fashioned vampire. He holds very little value for life and takes what he wants. He enjoys the nightlife and the privileges that come with vampirism but doesn't seem to be bothered by the downsides, such as drinking blood. He is charismatic and has no problem stealing other's autonomy. He views humans as less than and uses them for his own self-interest. He is vulnerable like a vampire -- vulnerable to the sun, to being staked, having his heart ripped out, and decapitation. This vulnerability helps sell the realism.

I don't really consider any of the Originals as "realistic" since they are too overpowered. They aren't affected by the normal things that would impact vampires, such as being staked. The sun will set them on fire but not kill them. While they do represent the elitism of vampirism perfectly, they aren't what I would consider the most "realistic" vampires.

Stefan and many of the "good" vampires are very much more modern takes on vampires. Now depending on how we look at realism, this could still be acceptable if we view them without the lens of class struggle.

I would say Marcel is the most realistic "good" vampire. Like Damon, Marcel also thrives as a vampire and enjoys the different aspects of it. However, unlike Damon, Marcel strives to use his immortality to create a community. This is something we don't often see in vampire stories however I think is very realistic. If you are going to live forever, you would want to surround yourself with a community that would do the same. Marcel does play into the stereotypes of the elite because he is definitely living well, however, he understands the necessity of those who are "inferior" to him and creates strict rules to protect the humans. He even goes to war to fight for humans. This is typically not something vampires are depicted doing.

Oddly enough, my two examples are both characters who had more control over their turning. Damon and Marcel both knew about vampires before turning and both actively wanted to turn. They knew what it meant as humans and wanted that life so they seemed to embrace it more.

Honorable Mentions:

Lexi is a great depiction of vampirism. Like Marcel, she embraces the good but tries to turn the bad around. She also believes in a sense of community. I would have loved to see her wander into New Orleans and meet Marcel.

Katherine is close to realistic because of how she behaves as a vampire, however, her hang-ups on high schoolers kind of took me out of it. While vampires did tend to prey off of the young, Katherine's obsession with Elena and Stefan always made her seem more Twilight than realistic vampires.

I know everyone says Caroline was better as a vampire, but I think that's such an unfair statement. She was an insecure teenager and likely would have grown and developed as she got older. Caroline tended to only represent the good in vampirism which isn't super realistic. She basically was just a human that drank a little blood but was hardly shown doing it.

I feel like I can't talk about "realistic" vampires without mentioning August, Greta, and Antoinette. They create a group of vampires who believe in the purity of vampirism. However, we don't really see much of them except that they don't wear daylight rings. This, to me, isn't enough to call them "realistic." We don't really see them basking in the vampirism like we do other characters. They mostly just preach about it.

I have seen very little of Legacies, but from what I have seen, the vampires seem very Twilight-esque. Sorry if I'm wrong on that.

For the most part, the vampires in TVDU are often depicted like Caroline. Vampirism is randomly brought in as a plot point but often pushed aside in favor of focusing on the drama. Season 1 tells us that blood is very tempting to vampires, and then quickly dropped for most of the show. As it goes on, the younger vamps don't even struggle to turn and can control their bloodlust easily. They show the vampire's supernatural powers (speed, strength, etc.) but often brush over the dark side.

Thanks for the ask!

Let me know who I'm missing!

[hastings727]

Alright, I have gotten through the Guilty Gear Strive Season 4 patch notes (Version 1.40)

My thoughts overall: Smart changes. Almost everyone has more hp (except for bridget, RiP bridgets HP bar). 6ps were nerfed with increased recovery, and some characters had hit and hurt boxes adjusted, good. Much as I LOVED just middle fingering mid ranged pokes with 6p, it was pretty ignorant. Now you have to give it more thought else you be punished. In general, it seems like the devs have paid a lot of attention to what the community has said about Strive in the last few years. There is a lot more nuance to each character now. And as is tradition for Strive, Sol has been significantly changed and will still probably be top 10 in the game. Potemkin's got some massive changes, shoutouts to all my pot players for having to relearn inputs lmao. I mainly play Anji and A.B.A., so I'll talk about them: Anji is still the winner of "most improved character through patches" since the game started. As such, I didn't expect much. However, charged fuujin allowing you to special cancel into fuujin, kou, or spin is WILD and so cool. The sidenote to this is that nagiha (fuujin s aka the low) has less knockback, which makes it more punishable on block. Rin (fuujin H aka the overhead) is now uncomboable entirely, aka it won't combo even with roman cancel. In exchange, it's been given increased damage and decreased startup, increased horizontal blowback, and the opponent can't tech upon landing. What this means to me (until I try it out myself tomorrow) is that it is potentially unmashable, and it causes a hard knockdown reminiscent of XXAC+R sliding knockdown. We'll have to wait until tomorrow (and potentially tonight) for the real nitty-gritty of frame data numbers to come across the board, but in my opinion it's a fun change that really emphasizes Anji as a trickster style character. Before I talk about A.B.A., I would say that every character's changes seem to emphasize their character archetype and their unique traits. Specifically, I'd say I-no and Nagoriyuki changes especially try to emphasize their flavour. Now, onto A.B.A.: They made her dash stop immediately when inputting back or downback, and Intertwine and tilt (236k, or her lunging dropkick special) in normal mode has increased recovery. What this tells me is that the devs do not want A.B.A. to be able to gamble with frame data in normal mode. What she could do previously is play a rock paper scissors game after a blocked intertwine and tilt (236k) and have a decent situation depending on the opponent's frame data. This was due to the speed of her 2p. She was also not the only character that had this sort of "cheesy" rock paper scissors situations yanked out of her gameplan, which I see as a positive change for game health. It's not really fun for either party in a fighting game when a RPS (Rock paper scissors) situation is presented, because it boils down to one specific answer, and you generally want more nuance. I imagine it's very difficult to be able to take them all out, as players will always be looking to find the most efficient and easiest way to apply offense, and some characters are built to cause those sorts of irritating RPS. Anyway, back to A.B.A.: In exchange for her weaker normal mode, Judgement and Sentiment (623HS or "Danzai") can be followed up on grounded counter hit. Which is a good decision, as if you were foolish enough to press during Danzai, then you should indeed be combo'd after for a large amount of damage. It's ultimately up to the A.B.A. player to mix up their offense in jealous rage so that their opponent is even willing to press, as most smart players will not be willing to press versus Jealous Rage A.B.A. at all. Those are my thoughts on the patch overall. If I sat down with every character, this blog post would be a mile long, and it's already long. I really like what they did with the changes though, and I'm happy. (and maybe people will stop COMPLAINING so god damn much, but it's the FGC, them mfers complain about everything)

[p-r-art]

The Half Hashira Kap. 4

Muzan sped forwards and stopped right in front of me. I looked up at him, as I am clearly smaller than him. His red eyes. All I see in them right now is malice and destruction.

"It's enough for me that you're not under my control (Y/N). Disrespecting me is crossing your boundaries."

His right hand moved to my neck and slowly began to squeeze. But he knows he's not scaring me off. Rather the opposite.

"Muzan~" I spoke to him in an almost flirtatious tone.

He briefly lost his composure towards me.

This allowed me to free myself from his grip. I rushed behind him. I placed my right hand over his right shoulder from behind and my left hand ran over his left hip up to his chest. As I use my abilities I can look over his left shoulder by hovering. I grinned and brought my lips close to his ear.

"Muzan~ I know, let me make it up to you later when we're alone. And I'm sorry for my disrespect, but Tanjiro and his friends are fun and pique my interest in more ways than one~" I almost purr at him as my cheeks turn red and lewd thoughts flood my mind.

Muzan tenses up under me and, as always, doesn't know how to react when others are around. When we are alone, he knows exactly how to act.

"(Y/N) what do you mean by interesting?" Douma interrupted the moment.

I turned to him and carefully approached him in his robe. With my fingers, I grabbed his chin so he can look directly at me. Douma's cheeks turn red from my closeness.

"Douma~ what do you think we do when we're alone? Interesting in a way and because I want to see what else happens in the fights. If it gets too dicey, I'll save them and intervene." At the end of the sentence, I shrug and look at the Obermonde, who are still kneeling.

-I could never let one of the pillars die. They mean too much to me- It came into my head.

"You're testing my patience." Muzan finally spoke, but his voice didn't sound as harsh as before.

I giggled.

"My sweet upper moons I think it would be better if you left." I spoke calmly. Probably a little too calmly.

The atmosphere in the air became unbearable.

Long nails came out of my hands. The demons were confused and didn't seem to understand what was going on.

"I'm testing your patience demon king? Which one of us can go through the day and night? I think I am the perfection of us." I got louder and louder towards the end of the sentence.

Before any of the demons could react, I had ripped an arm off the black-haired man in the white hat with my speed.

"HOW DARE YOU HURT THE MASTER!!!" Akaza screams and tries to run towards me, but the injured demon king steps in and stops him. His arm had regenerated immediately, of course.

I could also feel his presence right behind me. His hot breath could be felt on my bare skin on my shoulder. It made me shiver. Muzan knows exactly how to get me.

"I know you're perfect. You are what I strive for. But there's something else I want..."

He paused and turned me round so that I had to look him straight in the eye.

"You. I want you (Y/N)."

I've known that for many, many years, but he also knows he'll never have me.

I smile, almost sadly.

"You know you'll never have me. And I think it's better if I leave now."

I looked at the woman sitting at the biwa. She played and let me disappear.

POV On Muzan and the upper moons:

"(Y/N)!!!" Douma shouted.

But the woman was already gone.

"Master how so you don't punish her for what she did to you?" Akaza said, still angry.

"Shut up number 3 you don't know what you're meddling in." Upper Moon number 1 interfered and silenced the other demon.

Silence reigned between them all. It was almost unbearable.

"Kokushibo will keep an eye on her when she's travelling with those ridiculous demon slayers." The man addressed nodded and disappeared immediately.

Everyone else disappeared as well and went about their missions.

"(Y/N)...Even if I have to wait centuries for you, you'll be mine eventually. Even if I have to kill your husband to do it." Muzan muttered, a maniacal smile appearing on his face.

[woodchoc-magnum]

I've been reading all your stories over the past year, including the latest ones. (Both were amazing!)

I am curious about a trend I noticed across your fics. In your earlier stories, I noticed Buck was often the bottom while in later stories Buck was the top in his and Eddie's relationship.

I have my theories on why you made this change, including the fact that you always strive to depict their relationships differently in each story, but from your perspective, what was the reason behind the evolution in who does what in bed? Was it related to just understanding the characters and their histories better?

To be honest, in the beginning seasons, I could see Eddie as the top, but now I see him mostly as a bottom or switch. And your stories play a role in that perception.

This is actually something I noticed about myself too and was trying to pinpoint why my feelings have changed since I started writing buddie fic in 2020.

I'm going to put my answer under the cut because I don't know how lengthy it's going to be!

Obvious disclaimer - this is all headcanons and nothing is actually canon, and also everyone has different headcanons and that's cool.

So when I first started writing, I remember being influenced by a lot of the fics that I was reading at that time. In the lead-up to me writing my first fic, I read a ton of fanfic. Pretty much all the fanfic at the time had Eddie as the dominant one in bed, and I think at the time that kind of made sense? With what we knew about Eddie.

Now though, four years down the track, my headcanons have changed a lot and I don't think that Eddie would be super dominant in bed. I think Buck is way more experienced (and possibly more confident) than Eddie is, sexually, and I think that it's more likely that he would take charge and that Eddie would be more willing for him to take the lead.

(Sidenote - Eddie loves clipboard!Buck. It stands to reason he would love being bossed around in bed as well!)

I also think in terms of sex and the issue of consent in the show - I feel like Eddie sort of "forces himself" to be what his partners need? The whole thing with Marisol, and even him sleeping with Shannon in season 2 - none of it seems to be him having sex for his own enjoyment. It's almost like it's an obligation - especially with Shannon like, let's force intimacy by having sex and not dealing with any of our problems!

So that kind of makes me think like, he's doing this for the benefit of other people, so what would him having sex for himself look like? What would he want? And maybe that is him "giving up" control to Buck; letting Buck take care of him, etc.

Anyway, I don't know if this makes sense, but essentially everything that's happened on the show between seasons 3 and 8 to develop Eddie's character have changed my mind about what role he would take in the bedroom.

My personal headcanon is that they would be versatile, but Eddie would mainly bottom - and that's how I tend to write them.

The show obviously will never confirm this one way or another, if/when they do go canon. It's one of those things that I'll probably always believe unless the show says otherwise, like Eddie and Buck being the same age (took a while to wrap my head around that one) and also Eddie owning a Chevelle which honestly, I still don't believe and have disregarded as canon. (where is this car? where would he put it? why has it never been mentioned before? etc. Canon disregarded)

So I hope this like... explains my thinking when it comes to writing them in fics? I think even in the Songs fics I had Eddie topping first and then it gradually changed over time. 😅

[fandomwave]

OK I HAVE THE TIME SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE NEW TCOAAL UPDATE HOLY SHIT! You know the drill: It folgers galore here and if that gives you hives then stay out of the kitchen

O K

I wanna get some of the heavier things out of the way like the fact that I would imagine this

And

Are probably the same event and honestly I get the feeling it's Andrew who does it to her and I think she deserves to maybe kill him as a treat for it afterwards. I know it's entirely too early to tell and maybe sure whatever this happens in burial but I really do think Decay is where we are going to see Andrew bloom into the WORST possible version of himself. I know there's been some back and forth on what each ending might be but I honestly can't get this scene out of my head months after playing the game:

(Excuse my note app)

Andrew 'Andy' is vicious here. Control is the name of the game for sure, but I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Grave's murder is the coin toss between is Andrew begins to release his grip on Ashley and allow trust in her, as ASHLEY and not as the burden Leyley. Or if he rips control out of Ashley's hands by force and suffocates whatever trust they could have had. Andrew has ALREADY been seen as violent towards Ashley. He has choked her before, and she has internalized that, he's hurt her, both by pulling her hair violently and also smacking her in the car. Before the graves house we see this waffling between tender and violence between the BOTH of them but more so Andrew than anyone and in Decay we see he is no longer even invested in keeping the pretense of any love between them.

I still posit that the kiss before he says this, is his kiss goodbye to whatever he thought remained in her. If we remember Andrew is actually far nicer to her AFTER she passes out in the car. He's affectionate, loving, caring and tends to actually give her the lead on plans, he jokes with her and we see him smile more than most any other part in the game. This is what they COULD be if he allows trust. But decay smothers that. He can see the writing on the wall and terminates any further connection other than obligation alone. It's stomach churning how far of a pivot Andrew takes. That single line "I said pick them up you dumb bitch" is so.. It's one of the few lines that gives me pause because of how brutal the tonal shift is. I hate it lol. It's another tip to Nems for just how wild the tone of this game can swing when she needs that tide to turn. I think Ashley is going to see just how rotten and disgusting Andrew can be when he's got nothing worth striving towards.

OK Before I go into another ESSAY about that (Which someday I'll do)

T H E . V O I C E M A I L S! God this recontextualizes so much of what I had written in my notes before which I'll share here:

SO THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK HERE. One, as always, there is no way to say for certain if these are voicemails that Julia did get. Remember this is again Andrew's mindset and his memories and worldview. I doubt he'd have heard these and not been surprised by Ashley's harassment. Like it does feel like Julia's call to him was a surprise which is why he was trying to at least damage control it. I would posit that this entire thing, this whole deluge of vitriol, I think some of it is his own internalization. It's a DISTORTED voice of Ashley I would be SO VERY CURIOUS about if these aren't thoughts he had himself but pressed through the voice of Ashley. Hints of truth. Maybe Andrew DID had other girls he hooked up with, even if he did care for Julia the most? Maybe he DID date her because he felt sorry for her, for what he'd done to her indirectly through Nina's death We KNOW the fact that Nina's death lingers in the back of Andrew AND MORE IMPORTANTLY Ashley's mind even in the now. That's not even a half truth. But I think it's the last part, the part that Andrew STOPS at, that's the most telling. It's hard not to think the internal berating of how Julia will never be Ashley. That he'll never love her like he loves Ashley. That no matter how he dresses it up, he'll always return to her. The line 'I am the secrets you'll never hear' I don't think that's poetics, I think that's the literal. Ashley is a secret that Julia will NEVER hear because even Andrew is unwilling to face them. Ashley is Andrew's own secret because, the game has sort of hammered home, that he has feelings for her he can't express or act out.

SO CLEARLY I can throw this out into the garbage which is, can I say the one thing I ADORE about this game. I love backtracking so much into my notes, hunting down theories and then re-annotating them to uncover the bigger picture? Ok sorry enough gushing

So Ashley is using some sort of voice distortion (Interesting given I don't think that kind of device was uh, easily accessible in the 90s but I could be wrong. We thought they were so cool as kids but if I remember they were hard to get a hold of for a reason)

Andrew says to Julia's face that Ashley is not this person, shut up, ignore it, please leave it alone and all that, and we know he's covering for Ashley but it drives me up a fucking wall that he knew he knew he knew he knew and he's always known and we had proof of this even in ep 2

He heard it and knew from the start that it was Ashley calling her and yet he had no only the fucking audacity to just lie to Julia's face but to fuckin

SLAM (and it is LOUD with headphones) the phone and get so hostile and violent with her about it is so disgusting. He will kill god if it means he can protect the fragile line he's walking in projecting his desires onto Julia for Ashley and keep up the ruse that he's not some sweaty siscon. I'd also posit the reason he gets so hostile and so angry about it IS because Julia is breaking the illusion. She is reminding him accidentally that she is not Ashley, and even worse and idealized non combative version of Ashley.

I wonder if Julia heard him right.. "I love you too" seems an odd response to say to that prior sentence And then Andrew covering her mouth afterwards.. There's a theory that it's there to keep the illusion of him superimposing Ashley on to her, and her speaking at all breaks that illusion but I'll be honest I think it's the words 'I love you' The times we hear Ashley say that she loves Andrew (so far as we've seen) - I love you Andy - You're lucky I love you too much to shoot - Beloved don't test me.... (More of a pet name but I'll give it a SOFT pass) We don't see Ashley say it at ALL during the trust/Burial/Lovers route in the slightest. She's almost allergic to any forms of genuine affirmation of love specifically. Anytime she says it it's either to Andy or it's in jest. HOWEVER We see it SO MUCH MORE In Decay.

I will. Right after you love me with half the heart I love you with, asshole!

So I think, honestly with Julia offering such a sincere offer of an 'I love you' it just shows the gap between her and Ashley even more and he wants NO part of that. It breaks the illusion. Ashley would never say that. And it makes his skin crawl OK I HAVE RAMBLED ON SO MUCH and I know I didn't have much to say about the last few updates but in all honesty we didn't really have much to go on. Uuuuuh i guess lemme kno in the notes if yall ever wanted to hear more about some other thoughts I have about the Grimdark Folgers Commercial. I have thought about opening asks but uuuuuuuuuuugh the thought of it gives me hives so Im just gonna probably stick to notes/tags ;w

[imsickofpasswords]

A theory of the Ineffable Plan.

By elsamirrre5322 on YouTube

Realistic_Street1312 on Reddit

ParkSeo-Jun on Fandom

Imsickofpasswords on Tumblr

(Yes, all me!)

Book of Genesis 1–11: And God said: 'Let us make man in our image"

From Neil Gaiman’s MAster Class: When you tell a story, it is crucial that you completely believe in what you're writing

Hi, Good Omens's fellow victims! Like so many, I have been trying to cope with Eternity (I mean the dreadful period between season 2 and, either season 3, or my personal Armageddon.) That rotting brain of mine came up with a theory regarding the message that Good Omens (book and show) is striving to convey. What is it that Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman believe in so hard, as human beings and writers, that they want the whole world to understand it? Well, what I found, whether or not it is accurate, is at least beautiful. So I wish to share it with you.

Before I begin and you accuse me of pedantry, know that my every sentence begins with an invisible imho.

***

Since there is no way around it, I'll talk about the ship and the cruel, heart-wrenching, forever traumatizing, law-should-forbid-that-kind-of-things, cliffhanger. No matter how hard I think, this ship is the most beautiful love story ever (yes, imho). Is it because it doesn't involve burning passion, emphatic confessions and great sacrifices? It's about beings who harbor the same inner values but underwent such different trials that their personalities ended up diametrically opposed. Their love (and loneliness) pulls them together and allows them to rub off on each other, but they still retain their identities and won't go against their principles for the sake of the relationship. In the fight, they both proposed to each other, I mean proposed, like, let’s get married. And neither of them got rejected. They both wanted to be together, and made that part perfectly clear. What they declined was the terms of the contract. Either Crowley going back to pretending he trusts Heaven’s institution, or Aziraphale abandoning his faith. They both expect to be loved for who they truly are and believe in. And of course, this is exactly what they will achieve… True love instead of the illusion of love. First prediction in my Silly and Hopeful Book Of Prophecies.

***

Having taken the mammoth out of the room, I’ll explain my theory.

Whilst reading the book, I realized that the original story was never that of Aziraphale and Crowley (worry not, I have plenty to say about them…). It was that of Adam (originally, William the Antichrist) and the Them. More than that, it’s a saga about humanity achieving its full potential.

***

God

Of course, we should begin with God, since God created humanity, the universe(s) and the rules by which everyone and everything must abide. So. Who is God? Well if I could answer that, I'd probably know how to make a whale. I don't know how to make a whale. But certainly there are things we know, or can guess about God.

First, she (I’m a woman and it makes me obscenely happy to write “she” here) is the narrator. Second, she does not play dice with the universe. The first fact means that God can see everything, down to an angel and a demon drinking solidly for two hours, or a nightingale singing in Berkeley square. Second statement means there is no such thing as chance or hazard in that universe of hers. Everything happens for a reason.

It sounds like God wrote everything, everyone's destiny, like Gaiman and Pratchett did for their characters. Crowley says so himself. Humanity, Aziraphale, Crowley, everybody, they are all characters in the book called The Great Plan.

I think God injected herself in her own story under the disguise of Agnes Nutter. Only God can always be right.

So, here we have Gaiman and Pratchett hiding behind God, and God hiding behind Agnes Nutter. The Bible turned into The Great Plan, and then into a book of prophecies.

But what kind of person is God? Is She compassionate, loving, merciful? Yes. I firmly believe that. Err… Wait. Same God that drowned almost everybody, goats included, and wanted to kill Job's children… and goats!

“When his life was ruined, his family killed, his farm destroyed, Job knelt down on the ground and yelled up to the heavens, "Why God? Why me?" and the thundering voice of God answered, "There's just something about you that pisses me off.”

― Stephen King, Storm of the Century.

Yes. Same God who never failed to prove herself a master torturer, a mass murderer and a serial killer in a single package. How do I reconcile both sides? Death… is only temporary! I mean, Jesus could bring Lazarus back, Adam resurrected a fuckton of people, and Crowley easily performed miracle escapes. Maybe death isn't the terrible thing we think it is… (except for Nazis? But Nazis aren’t really human, are they?) As for Job's children and goats, God knew that Crowley was around, up to no evil…

Having said that, I remember Stephen King writing something else. Whoever remembers that quote, let me know. Something like this: " If God created everything, then It must rule over both Good and Evil. If It only rules over Good, then there must be someone who rules over it all. I’ll worship that someone as the actual Almighty."

I agree. Good and Evil are like two faces of a coin. Death introduced Itself as the shadow of Creation and states “I’m neither of Hell, nor Heaven”. Evil must be the shadow of Good. And everything is a part of God.

***

The Adams

No, not the family, come on! What would they be doing here? Ah, attending the Second Coming. Come to think of it, it's indeed the kind of event they wouldn’t want to miss…

Anyway, their name is spelled Addams and I’m actually talking about the two Adams of the story. Old Adam, who ate the forbidden fruit in the garden of Eden, and young Adam (I mean Adam Young) who steals apples in the garden of his neighbor. As I see it, they are allegories of Humanity.

As Crowley said, most universes come pre-aged, while this one will be allowed to grow. In the same way, Humanity is a species that will be allowed to grow. What ever for? Entertain God? Eternity does sound boring. Certainly a God could use a good laugh once in a while… But Nah. What do people do when they're bored with their lives? Hint: not their best idea? They have children! (or pets. Pets is a good idea…)

At the beginning, Adam and Eve are all of Humanity. They can't tell good from evil as they haven't experienced anything yet. Despite looking like full grownups, they are still babies. Crowley designed, not a star factory, but a fancy wallpaper indeed, for… a nursery.

Now, how is Baby Humanity supposed to grow? Crowley! Good ol’ Crowley! His temptation is the first opportunity to exercise free will. It’s the first lesson and the reason why the apple isn't at the top of a mountain or on the Moon. Choose for yourself, and see what happens. By eating the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve don't actually get any knowledge of right or wrong. The first sin marks the beginning of the teenage rebellion that is necessary to grow beyond what was taught. Everything that comes after is like an initiation rite. A six-thousand year long initiation rite with angels and demons along the way as teachers and… the end of the world as a final test.

At the end of season one, Adam Young is back to being human. He represents Humanity at a later stage. An almost fully grown humanity that has learnt a lot (too much?) about free will. Once again, it takes Crowley’s intervention (just slightly motivated by the idea of Aziraphale’s threat never to talk to him again…) to push Adam towards the right path. Note that I didn’t write the good path. I meant the right path, the one that wasn't created for him even before he was born, I mean the path he made for himself.

The main difference between Old Adam and Adam Young deserves to be stressed here. Adam Young’s education was provided by other humans, his parents, his friends, Anathema… It means in 198X any random human is that evolved, already. The question is, how did Humanity reach this level of knowledge? And power?

Yes, power. Armageddon was stopped by… whom exactly? Humans! Humans only. Anathema, Newt, the Them. Meanwhile, Aziraphale and Crowley were gonna kill the Antichrist, a kid! A KID! And who stopped them? Madame Tracy, a stupid (I’m not the one saying), psychic, Jezebel-of-Babylon with a good heart. A nobody? No. A human.

***

The education of Humanity.

Let's stop to notice that Crowley and Aziraphale are adoptive parents from the get go, watching the kids anxiously from afar, wondering if they actually fulfilled their respective mission as an angel and a demon, not knowing that having kids goes way beyond giving them toys and feeding them applesauce. It's a life sentence. Your kids will always call you at ungodly hours, seeking comfort after a nightmare, no matter how grown up they are. There’s no escaping to Alpha Centauri, and forgetting about them!

What I find interesting is who Aziraphale and Crowley are, and how meaningful it would have been if God had actually chosen them to be the Godfathers of Humanity.

Crowley is the one who questions everything, right? And how does one learn? Through questions. Those who have children know what I'm talking about (no wonder God won't raise her kids herself, being humans or Jesus🙄). It is often said that Science (Man-made god) replaced God. And how does science work? Yes, questions again ! Goddamn, annoying, neverending, pain-in-the-neck questions… Curiosity is the first tool. It's curiosity Crowley injected into Eve, to tempt her into eating the apple.

Crowley is also the one who would suggest a suggestion box. Because he has… IMAGINATION…(here, you need to picture Aziraphale turning a turnip into… an INKWEEEELL… ). IMAGINATIOOOON…. That ability is very, very important. Should I say paramount? God being a writer, possibly a mixture of Pratchett and Gaiman, she can only treasure imagination. Imagination is what created Good Omens. Imagination is what allowed Crowley to stay in his burning car. It was Adam's tool to change reality. Human imagination brought War, Famin and Pollution to life and it's human imagination again, that of three quite ordinary kids, that destroyed them. Not a flaming sword, not an angel, not a demon, mere humans gifted with imagination. And free will. Gifts from a fairy godmother named Crowley.

Aziraphale? Aziraphale didn’t come empty-handed either.

Was he just passing by, fortuitously, when Crowley called out for help? Is it pure coincidence that they created the universe together in a no-sex-involved-whatsoever fashion? I mean, the higher-ups designed universes, universes, man! Big, complicated, extremely sophisticated things, but they couldn’t think of a system that’d be set into motion by a single angel? Come on… And was it just a hazard that Crowley and Aziraphale ended up together on Earth, with the mission of thwarting each other? (Balancing each other?)

No dice. What, then? Crowley is the darker shades of gray. Aziraphale is the lighter part of the spectrum. And God knows that. God knows that Aziraphale isn't as white as he looks, although he does look very white. How does she know that? Because she checked. And several times, if I were to guess. God sees everything. And yet, she asked Aziraphale what happened to the flaming sword. When he lied his way out, she could have punished him, but she just went quiet. She wanted to know 1) if he would lie, if he would dare stand up to Her to protect the children, and 2) if he would trust his inner compass.

Aziraphale has other strong suits. He’s very gay and bubbly, and fluffy, and fun, and embarrassing, and endearing, and adorable, and… yes, I’m in love with him, say you aren’t. At the same time, he is quite strong-minded and aware of being Crowley’s soft spot. He can have his demon do things to please him (to a certain extent), with just a cute glance or a frown. He is Crowley’s anchor.

What’s more, Aziraphale is very conservative, and not just where fashion and music are concerned. He has unwavering faith in God (I mean God, not the institution of Heaven) and nothing, not his love for Humanity, not his love for crêpes, not even his love for Crowley (not sure about the order here), will change that.

Last but not least, our favorite angel is intelligent. (Since it’s Pratchett and Gaiman saying so, it must be true.) He is the ONLY one to point out the existence of the Ineffable Plan. And the ONLY one to figure that it might diverge from the Great Plan. Without the need to hear it, he feels what the ineffable plan is. And that’s why he trusts God. Although he is able to admit the error of his ways, I don’t think he’ll be doing the "you were right” dance this time around. Third prediction. (Boy, do I wish that one isn’t accurate…)

Aziraphale and Crowley were chosen as godfathers because, together, they are the perfect balance, they are black and white and the entire spectrum in between. And somewhere in this spectrum is the most important thing in the universe. Although the ingredients may have been the same, I don't think Aziraphale and Crowley were created with the same recipe as the other angels. Neil just revealed on Tumblr that Aziraphale and Crowley together are a circle. They are perfection. This circle is what God wants for her children. A mind that has no beginning and no end, a God-like mind.

Aziraphale and Crowley intuitively know that. It’s the reason why they turn into an evil nanny and a good-hearted gardener, in hope their combined influences will make a real human being out of the Antichrist. It’s easy for them. Because, this is what they’ve been doing from the beginning! They spent their entire time on Earth playing the nanny and the gardener! For not one kid, but for all Humanity as a youngster. Aziraphale and Crowley are masters at it and it’s thanks to them that Humanity has learnt so much. Pay attention, it looks like they didn't do much, in the end, to prevent Armageddon. But they raised the kids who prevented Armageddon. Of course, the ineffable husbands got some help.

Earlier, I mentioned angels and demons being teachers. They’re all doing the same job, infusing humanity with both Good and Evil through temptations and blessing, having them make choices and watch the outcome. Here, I must say that in the story, (and in History) it feels like demons have all the easier parts, as their pupils seem to always be way ahead of them, from pretty much the beginning. “Yes, always this easy”.

“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” ― Terry Pratchett.

When Crowley creates the universe, what comes first? Darkness. He has to summon light into it to reveal the marvels it contains. Are humans like that? Darknesses that require some light (not too much, otherwise they’d go as blind as angels) to unravel their actual beauty? So. Angels bring light. And demons just have to make sure the darkness stays into place? Something like that. But… if angels and demons are both working towards God’s plan, how is it they keep bickering? Stop. Is there a scene, a single scene where they actually argue? I can’t remember a single one… They all want the same thing. Get the bloody job done so everyone can call it a day and go home.

Why then were demons demoted and casted away? Crowley doesn’t even seem to understand what happened to him…

I guess it’s time I talk about the rebellion and the fall.

***

The Principal

The Principal? Who’s that? The one above the teachers, of course! The Metatron!

THAT Metatron… You want to kill him right now, don’t you? You want to peel off his skin with a blunt knife, you… wait, he doesn’t have a skin… and he probably can’t die anyway. You want to drink his soul with the tiniest straw? Tie him to a chair in front of episodes of Dora the explorer? I feel you.

Not sure if the Metatron has a counterpart. In the novel, his counterpart is Beelzebub, but it doesn’t feel like they’re playing in the same league. I mean… God’s voice, right?

There is a theory going around in the fandom that the Metratron has been editing people's past/memories, using the Book of Life. That theory was written by an actual novelist and it did sway me. However, if it were completely true, it would probably bother me. First reason is I don't want what I already saw of Aziraphale and Crowley's first encounter to be fake, even in the slightest. Second reason is… If you have the power to edit people's lives, why be so subtle about it? Or does the Metatron think he can make surreptitious changes that God won't notice? Hm. I don't know. In the novel, The Book of Life doesn't exist. The one who can "arrange matters af is you never even existed" is Adam. Not sure if this goes against the theory or sustains it…

Here are my own theories. Plural. I gave that bastard a lot of thoughts. I’m afraid none of them involve the disparition of the eccles cakes, sorry.

At first, I had a theory in which the Metatron was instrumental in the rebellion and the fall. It went like this. The Metatron is the voice of God, the Spokesman, as Aziraphale put it. Only when God herself initiates a conversation do you get to talk to her directly. Otherwise, you have to go through the Metatron. (The reason why Crowly envies Job’s opportunity to at least "be able to ask the questions") The Metatron may decide to withhold your message AND answer whatever he wants. Could he have used his position to create a cleavage between God and some of her most powerful subjects? What for? To overthrow God and rule in her place. Demons were sent to Earth, of all the horrible places in such a vast universe, so they could draw strength from all the human souls they’d lure to Hell… So they would grow tougher, smarter and more dangerous.

But that doesn’t seem right. God can see everything, remember? Okay, she could be traveling between universes, leaving Metatrons behind, as governors. In that case, of course, things might happen that she doesn’t know of. Even so. She and Satan still talk to each other. They at least met once, when they made that bet about Job. Surely, any misunderstanding would have cleared up then? Besides, in the book, Crowley mentions talking directly to God, although She just smiled instead of answering. I don’t know. I do have another theory of the Metatron though. Way more simple. Everything was set up by God.

God needed teachers for her children, but with angels being all good, better and best, the kids would only have learnt half what they were supposed to know. Besides, how would they make choices? They would just become angels as well. Obedient, boring, sickeningly good angels. God has that already. So, how did God trigger the rebellion? By using the Metatron.

Let‘s take a moment to think about who, or should I say what the Metatron is. He is a voice. All he knows is what God can say. He is oblivious of everything God cannot or doesn’t want to say. By definition, he is that one part of God that can never be aware of the ineffable plan.

I came to think of the Metatron as an AI, with flawless logic. If SF has taught us anything, it’s that any purely logical mind would want to eradicate humanity, seeing it for the nuisance it is. The Metatron must think that God made a mistake. Maybe God went nuts? Eternity with Elgar… it kind of gets at you after a while… Luck of the devil, the Metatron is there to save the day! What’s that universe where angels go around falling in love with each other, anyway? Nonsense! It's all because of humans' malfunctioning minds.

The Metatron’s sacred duty is to destroy humanity, if it is the last thing he does. To achieve that, he sees to it that a certain number of angels go rogue. Then he sends them to Earth so when the second war breaks out, the entire human race will go as collateral damage. In this case, the Metatron is the one who picked the evil teachers. He did the dirty job, unbeknownst to himself.

Another scenario is that the Metratron has nothing to do with the rebellion and is only striving to stick to the Great Plan, after Armageddon went sideways. In that case, God herself picked the teachers.

In both cases, the question is, was there actually a war? We all noticed how vague Crowly is about the fall, even while talking to himself. "Next thing you know i'm going a million light-years, freestyle-dive into a pool of boiling sulfur." And he can’t remember the guys he is supposed to have fought alongside with. There is some memory tempering here, or I don’t know anything. Either no Great War at all, or a war without Crowley. My bet is a war without Crowley. I read something in the book, can't remember what exactly, but I jumped and said “There must have been an actual war!” Besides, one explanation for a disabled angel like Saraqael could be a war wound. I guess?

Crowley sounds like he loves God, as much as Aziraphale does. This scene, where he snakes around his executive chair, saying "You said you’d test them". Maybe it’s just me, but I read hurt and love in his eyes, love for the world? Love for Aziraphale? Love for God? The reason why Crowley is dead set against going back, isn't it because, or partially because he feels he was betrayed by the One he loved and trusted most? I don’t think Crowley could have gone against God and seriously, how much trouble can you get into, just for asking a few questions? But then, if you’re going to submit your questions to the Metatron, who can’t entertain the concept of a flaw in the system…

***

The final tests.

It's like shoving a knife into the heart of a cake to see if it is well cooked. There's no way around the knife I'm afraid. God needs to find out if her children are fully grown humans. But what does this mean for Her? What does it mean, should it mean, for any parent?

It should mean that the young adults are now able to think for themselves, elaborate strategies to survive on their own, fight and overcome whatever life will throw at them, and… become a better version of their parents.

This is no longer high school, lads. This is college. So exams come in two waves. Midterm. The students have to prevent/overcome/survive Armageddon. And they do.

Armageddon didn't happen. Free will happened. Adam refused to follow his predetermined path and asked both sides to stop meddling into people’s affairs so humans can start to think for themselves. His friends rejected the nightmarish world that was left to them as a legacy. Dog became his own dog and is probably playing hide and seek with cats right now. Anathema decided to stop living according to a book written by her ancestor, NO MATTER how useful and accurate the predictions.

Yet another message here. Don’t let people tell you who you are and what you’re supposed to do. Your life and every choice at every turn are yours to make.

Notice that both God and Agnes sort of vanish at the end of season one. Agnes’s book is burnt by Anathema, and God goes silent. As if something happened that changed the course of what was already written. It's like Adam said: what is written doesn't matter. You can always cross it out. The great plan stopped right there.

And the ineffable plan took over. The ineffable plan is written by human beings in a decade-long essay that will decide if they passed the final test or not. (Of course, they pass, the show is called Good omens! Another prediction, gosh I'm so good, this is beginning to scare me!).

At this point, I think God is satisfied already. I mean if God is a writer and her characters achieved enough self-awareness to write their own story, then… they're real! I suspect writers' secret dreams have always been just that. Playing gods, creating universes and bringing characters to life! Not as puppets, but as sentient beings who will do as they please once the author rests their pen (closes their laptop, let’s be modern… but without bebop). I'm sure Sir Pratchett, having tea with Death, is kicking his feet at this very moment, seeing how many fans have fallen in love with either Aziraphale or Crowley or both and are spending so much time imagining the rest of their adventures.

A clue in the book. When Anathema burns the second Book of Prophecies, the smoke takes the shape of a smiling Agnes who winks at the world. I will always wonder if anything was written in that so-called sequel… Agnes wrote her book for her descendants and God wrote the Great Plan for her children. They must both be very proud that their offspring have finally spread their wings!

Now Humanity has cut the strings and gone from puppet to real living being. And that's where the fun begins. Because there is more to being a human than meets the eye. And this is what season 3 will be about. Oh, I know, it doesn't seem like there is an invisible imho. It's because there isn't! XD

***

The Second Coming, or season 3.

The concept of the Second Coming confuses me a great deal. Because of Jesus. The story doesn't seem to really involve Jesus as we know him, the one and only, the miracle doer, the precious son of God. There is a Jesus who ends up on a cross, alright, but no one says anything about him being special or performing miracles or anything. At the same time, there is an Antichrist, miracles measured in lazari and a second coming ( of Christ, I presume?). I went and picked some people's minds on Reddit. They had several interesting opinions, involving the third baby, Greasy Johnson, Muriel being Jesus under cover, and angels not minding the boss's son who only got this far through nepotism.

We see Christ nailed to a cross in the opening credits of season 2 and we see him again on the banner of the resurrectionists. All this considered, it looks very much like Jesus will have something to say about what happens next. I hope not, for it would probably feel like a Deus ex machina to me. That said, I think that the most important thing about Jesus has already been stressed out, his message.

Anyway, Jesus or no Jesus, there should be, as mentioned in the Scriptures, mass extinction, resurrection, judgment and either punishment or reward. Unless… the Scriptures don't apply anymore, since the great plan went down the loo and the new writers certainly don't want to see the world go to ashes. Unless… Wait. Wait a sec. We're talking about… humans! Hh!!!! That's it. We're baked. Literally. Nice knowing you.💀

And so what? What if humans only achieve self-destruction? Their choice. At least they got to choose.

But that's not really what I expect from season 3. Again. Good Omens.

After not-Armageddon, humans were granted a little time to study further. What will they learn? I don't think there can be a not-Second Coming. That would really be underwhelming, not to say disappointing. There has to be a planet-size all-out war at the very least, with pupils going berserk against their teachers (serves them well for highjacking nuclear weapons designed by their students! ) Only when the teachers have bent both knees, can the students show… mercy, kindness, compassion.

Love?

Jesus's message was "be kind to each other". Neither angels nor demons know how to do that. Both are cruel, cold and unforgiving. Heaven wanted to kill Aziraphale just like Hell wanted to kill Crowley. God on the other hand, used Agnes's last prophecy to save them, from what would have been real death…

God is much more than the sum of her angels, Good and Evil. Mixing good and evil triggers a chemical reaction that is the actual secret recipe to God's purest, greatest form of power. Yes. Love.

Aziraphale and Crowley drew enough strength to perform a 25 lazari miracle because they became one AND risked everything to protect their former enemy. They showed compassion and granted forgiveness (not to mention hot cocoa!). Gabriel and Beelzebub only love each other. They're not perfect together. Aziraphale and Crowley grew feelings that go further and run deeper than just romantic love. They experienced and mastered every aspect of love.

Every day, it's getting closer, love like yours will surely come my way…

Love is the last lesson. And the last gift. Now I know it sounds like everybody will end up naked with flowers in their hair… I for one wouldn't mind such a scene… I mean, if it's for the sake of the plot, what can you do?👀

… Anyway, that's how the students, following the example of the masters, embraced both sides of their true nature to become more than Heaven incarnate or Hell incarnate. They learn how to love and pass the final test! Last prediction. Almost last.

***

“There was never an apple, in Adam’s opinion, that wasn’t worth the trouble you got into for eating it”. At the end of the book, (Warning! spoiler ahead!) Adam, "half angel, half devil, all human, is slouching hopefully towards Tadfield.

... for ever."

For. Ever.

Aw, I forgot a gift, I'm afraid… Eating the apple was the path not to death (for man was probably created mortal as everything else). Eating the apple was the path to immortality. Crowley did the right thing. And so did Aziraphale. Adam is immortal because he is a successfully completed human. He's not the only one. They who were created in the image of God, the children of God, have become…

new Gods.

After that? Well… I guess the Bentley will become her own car and go with yellow and the self promise never to play a Queen song, ever again. The new gods may throw Earth into the trashcan since it's worn out anyway. Or maybe they'll restore it? Somehow I'm not afraid for books. I have a hunch that books will survive… Perhaps some of the gods will join the distant lights that "may or may not be stars?" They'll be like seeds, they'll travel through darkness to create new universes, new god factories…

What? Aziraphale and Crowley? They don't have to choose sides anymore. They were always on the same boat. And God loved, loves, them both. They can just love each other and be who they want to be. Adam, who could read Aziraphale and Crowley's minds, said: “I know all about you, don’t you worry”. Everything will be just fine.

What are they doing right now? Not sure. They're writing their own story too. But I guess it involves flying at the speed of light (or the speed of darkness?) to find the best spots for having picnics and reading books and listening to nightingales. I'm sure they'll stop by Paris. Somewhere near my house? I know a nice place for crêpes…;)

[tw1nkee28]

Started working a bit on Dusk's colors and such, and while doing so, have been thinking more about him as a character and his quirks

So I'll probably rant about whatever I can think of under the cut : )

♤ Colonel "???" 'Dusk' "???" ♤

While part of his missing first and last names are part of my indecisiveness with his character, it's also part of the fact that very few people know his name.

He really only shares his callsign with the people he meets day to day, even Dawn has rarely ever heard the use of his name despite their long history together. The only people he shares his full name with are superiors who need it or who have his file.

After the explosion that scarred most of the left side of his body, many of the nerves on that side were so severely damaged that some facial movements and actions are difficult to do and sometimes incredibly painful.

His days and nights are plagued with pains and nightmares that make life absolutely miserable. His career was most of his life after moving away from home and having to rely on it, keeping him busy and giving him purpose. Without it, he is not only bored and doesn't really know what to do, but also feels like he's lost his purpose.

The explosion left his hearing and sight on that side absolute shit, his hearing was completely shot afterwards. Being so close to the explosion when it went off was impossibly loud, doctors had to clean the blood from his ears. His hearing is absolute shit, the scarred ear being completely deaf while the other has muffled and fuzzy hearing at best. Having to turn his head if someone is speaking on that side to even hear them slightly, and even then it is incredibly difficult to tell what they're saying.

His eye was rendered useless, barely moving and glazed over. Medics had told him he is legally blind in that eye after a little while of his healing process.

His learning of sign language (FSL) paid off well, especially when he taught it to Dawn before the whole explosion event,who can now translate what others are saying for him so he can be included and understand without struggle. Even if his vision isn't the best, he can make out what Dawn's signing with his good eye.

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

Back in the earlier years of Dawn's career, he was much more 'aggressive' and easily angered. Dusk was essentially a more mellowed out version of them, the calm before the storm.

The man was equally as stoic and stern as Dawn is now, being where Dawn got their attitude from. He commanded respect from his subordinates and taught Dawn a lot of useful skills in the field that he uses to this day.

Dawn still visits him on his rare off days, spending time and taking care of him the best they can.

Sometimes Dawn helps him try to play his guitar again which he struggles with on his own because of the nerve damage in his fingers. It frustrates him deeply, feeling incompetent at being unable to do the skill he'd learned years in advance and taught the other person (Dawn).

He's very independent, striving to do everything himself as a way of proving himself. To who? Hell if he knows, he just wants to prove himself to someone even if he acts like he doesn't need praise or compliments.

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

Name: ??? 'Dusk' ???

Gender: man

sex: male

Age: (somewhere in his late forties? 48 maybe?)

Eye color: rich brown hooded eyes, left eye glazed over and unmoving.

Hair description: before - long, dark brown hair with grey hairs sprinkled throughout. After - short, dark brown hair sprinkled with grey hairs. Shaved on the left side which grows in scarce patches

Height: 6'3

Personality: stoic and stern, moves with confidence and ease in every action. He acts with authority and commands respect from his peers and subordinates, which is more often than not, given. He does care, but does it silently. Acting more with gift giving and acts of service, never using his words.

Description: A fairly tall man with freckles speckling his body and a built frame. A simple black stud piercing in each ear, the one on the left having been removed after his scarring. Paints his nails black and occasionally wears Jewelry to fidget with when his hands get jittery.

Career: previously a Colonel in the Marines, now unemployed and searching for work.

Nationality: Filipino

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

Favorite color: Red !

Favorite activities: relearning guitar with Dawn, journaling, going out for drinks with Dawn or by himself on occasion, relaxing on his porch silently.

• he's left handed! So he had to learn to be ambidextrous after his injury

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

I will update this as I develop his character more or if I think of anything else, but for now this is what I have on him :)

Thank you for reading 🫶