#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.

[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

[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!

[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)

[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!

[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!

[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.

[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…;)

[flowerisevil]

Please do a Harwin Strong where he meets the reader (Tyrell) at Harrenhall and then again when he comes to Kings Landing. They marry after Rhaenyra and for some reason Rhaenyra gets all crazy with the reader getting into a fight causing the reader to find out she is pregnant. Or something along those lines please

that's a great idea but may I ask, are they gonna get wed after Rhaenyra and the reader fought and found out they're pregnant? or before? (btw I'll edit this after i finished the story)

(EDIT)

Field of Roses | Tyrell!Reader x Harwin Strong.

a/n: hope I did your request right, English is not my first language so expect grammatical and typos errors. also I love Rhaenyra with all my heart but I have to paint her as the bad one here.

Growing Strong.

That was your house motto and what your ancestors wants for the next generation to strive to be, a house where you can have the best bride-to-be.

And you are one of the best examples of it, smart, elegant, graceful, obedient, and of course undeniably gorgeous. Many men tried to have you in their arms but no one succeed no one until he came.

Harwin "Breakbones" Strong strongest knight in the Seven Kingdom had win you heart. You both first met when your father and brothers decided to visit the Harrenhal for some political reasons you didn't want to come at first, you heard the stories about the castle and it really scared you to go there but when you arrived there with your family Harwin made sure to always look after you and never leave your side he found out through your brother about your fear in their castle so he decided you always accompany, as days goes by you can't help but to fall for the tough knight he was such a gentleman when it come to you.

But it wasn't easy even you two are now together, you're scared how your father and brothers will react about it, they trusted him with you and thought that he only treated and saw you as his younger sister. Also Harwin is involved in a rumor in King's Landing about him being the princess Rhaenyra's secret lover and the father of her children.

"You shall not worry my love I understand" is what he answered when he told you that you still can't tell them.

You sob on his chest feeling guilty that you have to hide your relationships, Harwin rubbed your back and use his hand to lift your chin up to him as he connect his lips to you.

You snaked your arms around his neck locking him in your embrace as you played with his curls, he smirked as he slowly walked carrying you with him and dropped you to your bed.

"Let's make this night unforgettable" he whispred to your ears.

////

He caressed your hair as you were laying your head to his bare and hairy chest, you always love his chest hair it makes him look hotter.

"Can I ask something?" you said, you're voice sounds weak and soft probably it's because of the muffled scream you made last night.

"What is it darling?"

"Were you really Princess Rhaenyra's secret lover in King's Landing?"

She felt him stiffened, she looked away from him ashamed of her question, maybe it's too personal you thought.

"No, I am not I knew this day you would ask about that and I'm assuring you I am not the father of his sons, though me and Rhaenyra was once infatuated with each other but I realize how wrong was that so I stopped" he explained and stroke your hair.

You felt you heart relieved, you smile and looked up to him before placing a short kiss to his chin.

"Thank you for explaining to me"

"I have to say too" Harwin states, "I'm going back to King's Landing tommorow" your heart dropped.

He's now leaving of course he will, he's the Commander of City Watch now he has bigger duties and responsibilities. You looked at his hand when it reached for yours and place it on his chest.

"Do not worry, your family and mine have convinced the King for your siblings to visit and stay at the Keep, King Viserys also offered your brothers a job in the council and you..." he trailed and kisses between your brows.

"The King had requested you to be the Queen's lady-in-waiting" you sat up instantly, mouth open and eyes widened, the King had requested for you?

"How? I mean- I haven't been there how-"

"I told them about you when they're looking for a lady in waiting for the Queen I immediately thought about you, with that we can stay close to each other so I told them how smart and honorable my darling is and then my father mentioned your brothers then its settled, we talked about it with your father and he was okay with it" he proudly said, your heart was flattered how he did this for you.

"I love you" you blurted and hugged him, he chuckled as she hugged you back.

He just wants to be with you without separating you from your family sadly only you and your brothers can come since no one will look after in Highgarden, Harwin loves you more than anything, you matter to him, your smile, eyes, body, face, soul, literally everything.

///

The day you and your brothers have to leave was sad, you cried before saying goodbye to your father it's your first time being away from him and you just hope that he would take care of himself.

When you arrived at the castle the royal family welcomed all of you and even invite all of you in dinner, both King Viserys and Queen Alicent complimented you.

"It's such a surprise how you're still not wed, you are very beautiful Lady and based on Ser Harwin you are also intelligent" the King said.

"Indeed she is your Grace" Harwin answered, while everyone is having fun and laughing you can feel someone throwing dagger looks at you and saw princess Rhaenyra glaring at you beside her is her husband Laenor with their three kids, you examined the three kids.

They're no Harwin's you can tell the only similarities they have is a brown hair and nothing at all you studied the whole history of the noble families and found out that princess Rhaenyra's husband Ser Laenor Velaryon's great grandmother was a baratheon with brown hair perhaps that's where they get their genes from.

You're stay in the castle was great although you're brothers can't stay there because they're always sent somewhere far away but they never forget about you everytime they come home they make sure that they have gifts for you though it didn't bother you whenever they're away it only gives you and Harwin more space and alone time.

"So has anyone had caught your attention lately?" you looked up when you heard the Queen speak.

"Oh no one had caught my attention your Grace, I am here to serve you not find myself a man" you said while folding her new dried clothes, it wasn't really necessary for you to do that but you also don't want to just stand there.

"Really? Not even Ser Harwin Strong?" Alicent looked at you while a small smirk appeared on her face.

"You both are two obvious come on, those stares from afar, the small talks you both do and don't get me started everytime he make excuse so he can have you all for himself" she added and put her hand to your shoulders.

"We're just friends your grace, our family is so we are too" you tried to protest but Alicent just smiles not believing to your lies.

They both looked at the door when it opened revealing the Queen's sworn protector Criston Cole "Your Grace, princess Rhaenyra had asked for Lady Tyrell" Alicent instantly looked at you and looked back to Criston,

"Tell her Lady Tyrell is busy" Alicent answered, you're thankful that she didn't let you go to Rhaenyra god you have no balls to see her after the impression she made to you when you first arrived here.

"I think it's about you and Harwin god that girl can't really move forward with her life" she whispered and walked out of her chamber. You were alone there so you just decided to clean the Queen's room.

While cleaning her bed you can feel cold sweats forming on your forehead, you started to feel dizzy so you decided to go on the infirmary. You squealed when someone pulled you while you're walking, you saw the princess looking at you and pushed you against the nearest pillar.

"You..."

"My lady-"

"Don't my lady me! you're the reason why Harwin left right? the reason why he abandoned me" she shouted, you looked up to her and can't help but to frown in outrage.

"Abandon? you're a married woman princess" you spat venom, you watched how the cat caught her tongue but Rhaenyra didn't back down.

"You know marriage between royals are political so you don't have any say to my decisions!"

"What decision? for you to make Harwin your personal whore?!"

"I am warning you, stay away from him or I will have your head" she warned you but you weren't scared not even a bit.

"Even if you killed me or not, he wouldn't go back to you anymore princess" you replied, you didn't care if she's a princess or not.

"He wouldn't choose someone like you, a woman that is nothing without her father's name" with that your fist met her face and grabbed the collar of her dress, you finally snapped you can even feel your forehead burning.

"You're fucking childish and pathetic! you forgot you're also nothing without Viserys atleast I, had earn a clear reputation for myself not like you" you said and let her go you thought you could finally walk away not until Rhaenyra reached for you and slapped you. Hard.

It was so full of force that your feet stumbled and your back hit the edge of the window near the both of you making you dropped on the ground.

"Learn your fucking place" she said and looked at you who's now groaning and crying in pain, the princess looked at you through your thighs and saw something dripping down on it.

Blood.

You cried as you felt pain forming in your stomach and back, your scream caught the attention of some guards walking by they were all horrified when they saw your state and grabbed you, someone carried you but that's all you remember as you blackout

You woke up and saw the Queen's and King's worried eyes staring at you beside them was Harwin that's holding your hand.

"Finally you're awake, now tell us what happened? the guard saw you bleeding on the ground while you're with Rhaenyra" The King said, you looked to all of them as they waited for your answer.

"I was feeling dizzy and I accidentally slipped on the floor perhaps the princess saw me" you lied and Alicent definitely didn't bought it before she can even speak the Maester entered the room.

"Sorry for being late your Graces" he started and stand beside you on your left side.

"So? why did she bleed?" Harwin asked.

"I presume it's because of her tiredness and it's all the works here in castle, you just need to take a rest especially for someone like you Lady Tyrell" all of your frowned of what the maester said.

"What do you mean by that?" The Queen asked.

"Lady Tyrell is six weeks pregnant you're grace" he announced.

You froze at your position, pregnant? Harwin's gaze dropped to you he was nervous when he saw your reaction.

"Pregnant?" Viserys chuckled awkwardly "That can't be Lady Tyrell is always in the Keep" he insisted, god the Lord Tyrell trusted him with his daughter if he found out about this there's high chance that man will have a problem with them.

The Maester just shrugged before excusing himself, tears was flowing down to your cheeks you can't be pregnant..... not if you not even married yet.

"Lady Tyrell we deserve an explanation, now." the King demand Alicent gave him a warning looked to not pressure or stress the girl.

Harwin sat on the bed and held your hand gently caressing it he heard how the Queen whispered to Viserys that they should give them privacy and leave.

"My love please speak to me...." he plead.

"My father will be mad and disappointed to me if he found out I'm pregnant with a bastard" you let out a cry as you hugged your knees.

"You're not gonna bear a bastard! I'm gonna marry you"

"Marry? how? clearly that princess' Rhaenyra of your still haven't get over with your little lovey dovey before!" you spat.

Outside your angry but inside is mixed emotions angry, sad, nervous and worried your father has a high expectations from you, what will happen if he found out his only son is carrying a child after she left their home.

Harwin leaned closer to you and hugged you "I am gonna marry you, I promise I will send ravens to your brothers and father so I can formally announced to them your pregnancy and ask for your hand in marriage after" he told you his plain actually he's been thinking for days how to propose to you he just hopes this is the right time and with that he pulled away and kneel in front of you.

"My love, Lady Tyrell, my beautiful rose will you accept my offer of marrying you? cherishing my time with you? serving you? protecting you? and loving you?" a happy small tear formed in her eyes.

You nod to him and jumped out of the bed to hug him, your nose touching his curls makes you giggle.

"I will marry you, we will make a great and happy family" you told him, Harwin pulled his face away and held both sides of your face.

"I will make my new life with you and this little buddy we have here" he said and dropped his hand to your stomach.

You both just stayed there hugging each other, you felt contented, you're still nervous about your family but you know Harwin wouldn't leave your side, you trust him with everyting, heart, life, soul, everything.

a/n: I'm not satisfied with this but I also felt like it's enough? what y'all think?

[arashi-no-saxlphone]

I see you post about Axl's Strive gameplay a lot. I did learn a little bit of him and found him pretty fun, but definitely felt that he wasn't the strongest character, but I was wondering what you would do to fix him?

Personally I'd give him back his XRD DP or would give him even better long range pressure other than Rensen > Explosion, like XRD's sickle rekka move that I can't remember the name of. And yeah his DP was annoying, sure, all DP's kinda are, but if Bridget can have one Axl should too. And given that his kit revolves around keeping you at long range, giving him something better at long range than just "kaboom now I'm -3" would be nice I think.

Also this is just a pet peeve from when I played him but I'd also make explosion not go farther than the wall because whiffing it was annoying :(

I didn't play him for very long, though (and wasn't very good at him,) so I'd love to hear your opinion on how to buff him.

LOL I am so sorry you have beared witness to my whining lately but the meta ever since wild assault dropped has just been slowly gutting him (and zoners in general) and I've hit critical mass of what I'm willing to take on the chin.

You kinda hit most of what I think on the matter currently, but I'll add in my two cents where I can:

Overall, Axl feels like he's just been succesively powercrept by each DLC character that's zoner like or has big normals. Every time I'm like "Well, Axl shouldn't be able to do X because he has big normals and that'd be crazy if he could mix you up/ convert/do damage" and then you have bridget, who has big normals and can mix you into hell, or Johnny, who can tag you once and wallbreak you or guard crush you forever. Or Chaos who is guard crushing you from full screen (Please do not tell me it's fine because it costs a resource - he reloads that gun in 2 seconds). After a while it's like "The niche isn't even really a niche, and it doesn't even work really well."

To buff him is a great question - I used to think giving him a DP would be too much but then, and you hit the nail on the head here again for me, they gave Bridget one. Furthermore Axl has low health - you bait one DP and he's probably dead. It doesn't even have to be a good DP, just give him his silly old grounded one back.

I'm glad you brought up Xrd Axl stuff too because he's considered pretty low tier in that game, but he WORKS! He actually does decent damage and his zoning is really solid! This is where the core of my problems with Axl lie in this game: they couldn't decide if they wanted him to zone or run weird diet strike throw, so they let him do half of both, which in this game means you're actually doing neither well enough to answer the crazy hyper offense that the majority of the cast is doing. I wish they'd decide one way or the other what they wanna do. I'm not gonna pretend I know everything or how to fix it but there are a couple things that I'd like that might help at least in one way or another:

1.) Hey. Why is my close slash still -1 after 3 years? Testament's is +1 HAPPY CHAOS' is +1 what is the reasoning or justification? It is +1 in pretty much every other appearance. Make it +1. I shouldn't even have to ask for that. Axl's pressure isn't amazing and you have to really give up the ghost if you don't have bar, which is fine, but there's no reason for it to be this dire if we're letting basically the rest of the cast run basic pressure regardless of kit (Faust's is also still -1 for reasons I also do not understand).

2.) Make 6H do actually anything. I'm begging you. Like the above, this normal was consistently +1 in other appearances! Make it plus. Make it guard crush. Anything. Why is this the only slow command overhead that does nothing. May and Chipp's are +2. Why? The most actual use you will see from this button is in corner wallbounce combos off of 5P and even then it's not usually optimal routing (That being said it does at least give you a HKD on air hit, that's something)

3.) Fix Rensen 8 on block. Why is it not consistent or clear what the advantage/disadvantage is. Stop making me guess on my own pull in what I should do next. All my RPS feels weighted in the opponent's favor which is an insane weakness to have in this game. The frame advantage varies based on where they were, how high, whether they FD'd or not, where they landed, if mercury was in retrograde - STOP!! STOP IT!!! I don't even care if you make it consistently minus, but please, just make it clear (Don't make it air unblockable it gives a HKD I recognize that'd be insufferable)

4.) Make 2H stagger if you hit it at max range. This is a suggestion I heard from an Axl I met at CB and I agree with it. It's minus on hit. Why. You are too far to cancel into snail, so you have to react with wind, but they can just jump and land and smack you through the wind because it ignores extended hurtboxes (Yes you read that correctly).

5.) Make Rainwater an actual reset. Why is my fastest button to hit after my pressure reset losing to 6Ps and backdash? That's not even a pressure reset anymore that's just hitting 214S and going "Gee whiz I sure hope my opponent respects 3 plus frames before I'm minus again" you put this in to give Axl an answer to dashblocking and yet to make it effective I have to condition my opponent by giving up my own turn and losing advantage - WHICH IS WHAT DASHBLOCKING WAS DOING TO AXL ALREADY! You can't true blockstring from this - it loses to DP! I wouldn't take issue with that but you essentially take a risk every time you do this even outside of DPs and I just wish the situatuon was a SMIDGE better - just a smidge!

6.) Make delay cherry guard crush on block. This one is a little out there, but if you wanted to go all in on zoning I'd say you could reasonably get away with this and just make it not too plus (it's not fun for me either if I start just getting winter mantises for free I'm not a lunatic) But the delay explosion on block currently doesn't really reset the situation at all - people can still slowly inch out for free. If you're gonna make a glass canon zoner, their zoning should be VERY good - I have no DP and die in 2 interactions, I should have an easier time keeping people out. I realize this seems crazy but I figured I'd throw out a crazier ask seeing the shit some of these characters are getting away with, and I think actually forcing more consistent fullscreen RPS would make Axl a lot better.

I'm not a fighting game genius or anything but that's some of the stuff I'd consider. I'd ask for a whole rework if that was possible and just go all in on zoning but I realize that that's totally unrealistic so here's what I've got. The way Strive is geared toward hyper offense, it just sucks to be a zoner in this game, so if this is how it's gonna be he either needs some form of better actual offense or better zoning - there are too many neutral skips in this game for him to thrive as he is now (White Wild Assault is crime against humanity) so he needs something. More attention SOMEWHERE. He's in a super weird place right now and I hope it gets better.

Thank you for the ask! Also big fan of your Slayer posts I learned a lot reading your first huge one when he dropped.

[dwobbitfromtheshire]

Max's Letter to Steve and Nancy

Dear Steve,

If you tell anyone what I said in this letter, I'll haunt you, and I'll haunt a good lawyer into suing you. . . You've always been like the brother I wish I had, the kind of brother that I wish Billy had been. Me and you, we're kind of the same. . .two cats who pretend like they don't like the affection they're given. It's because we're not used to it. But you deserve to be loved, Steve.

I know Nancy hurt you, Steve. Dustin kind of spilled the beans on that one. He means well, just like Nancy never meant to hurt you. I know what it's like, though, to blame yourself for someone's death. In a way, it's a form of self-preservation. She ran away to protect herself and you as well. So, she ran away to something that she knew wasn't permanent. The scariest thing in this world is something that lasts forever. Maybe like me, she got scared of that too. When I thought about my future, all I could see was Lucas at the end of the tunnel, and that scared the shit out of me. After Billy, I felt like a black hole, and I was afraid of sucking him in. We're different, I know, but there's something about us that's the same too. You and Lucas are different, but you have the same loving heart. . .patient and kind. Maybe I'm just being hopeful on my end. Maybe I'm misreading it. Or maybe without even knowing it, you've been waiting for Nancy to see you like Lucas has been waiting for me. The question is, who do you see at the end of the tunnel? Who do you see in your vision of the future? Life is short, especially in our line of work. Don't wait too long to figure it out.

Love,

Max.

Dear Nancy,

I know we haven't spent much time together, but if I survive this, maybe we can rectify that. Mike's lucky to have such a badass older sister. I wish I was that lucky. I don't know if I have any right to say this, but since I'm probably going to die, maybe it doesn't really matter. I honestly don't know what really happened, only what I heard from Lucas and from what Mike read in your diary. You didn't hear that from me. I did slap him for that one, so you're welcome, I guess. I don't know if anyone's ever told you, but. . .what happened to Barb wasn't your fault.

We're all responsible for the choices we make. Dr. Brenner chose to play God, and his actions caused the death of everyone involved. Barb's death, Billy's death, that's on him. Doing what you did, it was your choice, and it wasn't wrong to make a choice that makes you happy. It didn't cause Barb's death. I still feel guilty about Billy dying because when he was hurting me to the point where I would cry at night and wishing so badly that he would be a brother like Steve turned out to be, I also wished for it to stop. For anything to happen, and I suppose that's why I feel guilty because a part of me did want him to die. I felt like I made it happen in some way, and I felt like I was just vile as he was. And then I realized it wasn't my choice for him to be that way and that the only time I ever wanted to hurt him was to stop him from hurting others. . .from killing Steve. He would have. Billy chose not to be the big brother I needed, and I wish that it hadn't taken his death for him to realize it. I wish he could make it up to me now. I think a part of me will always feel guilty, but I'm also scared that it's what's going to stop me from living my life. I didn't kill Billy. You didn't kill Barb. Dr. Brenner is responsible. You're nothing like Billy or Brenner. You strive so hard to help people, actually help them. You care. It's just that trauma can shut you down, closes you off, and all you want to do is to run away.

The best thing about Steve is that a part of him knows that you didn't mean any of what you said to him. Whether he realizes it or not, I think a part of him is still waiting for you to heal and to see that he's always been there. When he looks at you, he looks at you the way that Lucas looks at me, and I know how scary it is. When I look at my future, I see Lucas, whose unwavering loyalty shines bright in this stupid darkness. Steve is loyal to you, too. Whether he realizes it, his love for you is what guided him down the path to making his own choices, and it led him to caring about us. It woke up the part of himself that he turned off when he realized his parents were never going to give a shit. It wasn't gone, just locked away. You were the key. . .okay, holy shit, this is some sappy shit. Maybe you should just ignore the ramblings of dying girl. Think about your future and who you picture at the end. What do you see? Life is short, especially in this town. Whenever I look at you and Steve, I see a story that's not finished yet, and maybe I'm projecting my own relationship with Lucas onto you two. Just give it some thought, and you can totally burn this letter. You and Steve are the most badass older siblings who I can see myself being closest to. I just want everyone to be happy. Anyway. . . I don't want to be a ghost anymore.

Love,

Max

[irkimatsu]

I think it's been long enough that I can answer that question with more than just a yes. "Do I love present-day Husk more than Overlord Husk?"

The answer is yes, absolutely yes, and I feel like the reason is important.

Power fantasy plays a big part in my fantasies about Overlord Husk, about being his loyal little pet who he adores and spoils. It's such a common fantasy, isn't it? To be the one loved by such a ruthless beast who doesn't need you around, but wants you. To live in luxury, provided for and protected, loved for who you are and not what you can physically give, because what can you give to the man who already has everything? Everything but a true human connection he's been searching for for so long, that you just happen to fulfill after all this time like no one else ever could?

But as wonderful as all that sounds in the short term, Overlord Husk absolutely has to change. His lifestyle isn't sustainable in the slightest, not for him and not for me. A few bad hands and it's all over, and he knows it. His best option would have been to walk away and live right far sooner than he did.

He didn't, and now he's trapped. And even in my deepest power fantasies, I don't think there was ever anything I could do to make him walk away from his crumbling empire before it caved in on him. No matter what I do, eventually my loving master is going to be a washed-up shell in debt to the Radio Demon, left to remember all the mistakes he made to lose everything... and the mistakes he made to gain it in the first place. Husk was a horrible person as an Overlord. You don't build an empire like his without stepping on those beneath you. Maybe he started regretting it when he looked in my eyes and realized all the things he'd done to others before me, and how horrified he was at the idea of those things happening to me. Maybe he would have started regretting it eventually even if I never showed up. Maybe he doesn't even regret it by the time he joins the hotel. But it'll tear him apart eventually. He has too much of a heart for all that to truly sit well with him forever; if it's not destroying him yet, the numbness from the alcohol is probably helping him with that.

And after all he's done and all he's lost, I still love him even then. That's the most important part for me. He won't be an Overlord forever, he won't be able to spoil me forever, and I still love him even then, because it wasn't ever about the gifts or power. It was about him. It was about my admiration for his talents and charm. About the hints of compassion he'd let peek through his armor, especially where I was concerned, and how badly I wanted to see more and more of his heart, not just for my sake, but for his. I knew he wasn't happy as an Overlord. Rich and powerful, but not happy. That's what I always wanted for him, more than anything, and I enjoyed being the closest to happiness he could get in that lifestyle he now regrets.

I love Husk, and I'll continue loving him even after he falls; not despite his fall, but unrelated to his fall, because that fall doesn't take away any of the things that attracted me to him. Even when fallen, he can still talk to me, sing to me, hold be, just be with me. And that's all I want from him, in the end. The power fantasy was never at the center of it.

I love Husk. In some thoughts I meet him as an Overlord, and in some I meet him after he joins the hotel, but in either case, I love him just the same. I love who he is, and I love who he can become. (Hell, if I learn more about what his life was like in between those periods, I'm sure I could love meeting him even then. He's still him.)

It's a story about regretting your past mistakes and striving to improve despite it all. What kind of partner would I be to want to keep him in the mindset he regrets so deeply?

[twiixr4kidz]

ok here we go.... Mind if u can make a Scott and evil exes x hurt reader head cannons.... so just sum hurt comert!! also u shall now know meh as 💀🎀!!

ooh okay!! i <3 writing hurt/comfort fics they're one of my favorites KSJDHJHSF

scott pilgrim

he's kinda bad at comforting people

look, we already know he's super awkward

if you're crying or something, he's not gonna know what to do

but he'll definitely know that something's wrong

he'll try to get you to stop crying as best as he can

he offers to play video games or watch a movie or something with you to get your mind off of whatever it is

and he'll always offer to let you talk about it when you're comfy

he just doesn't like seeing you upset but also has no idea how to help when you are, but he tries his best

matthew patel

bro immediately panics

"ARE YOU OKAY? DID SOMEONE HURT YOU? I'LL FIGHT THEM FOR YOU. ARE YOU GONNA BE OKAY? WHAT EVEN HAPPENED?"

literally bombards you with questions but quickly realizes it's not helping

in a sushed town, he'll say things like "hey, i'm here, okay? i'm right here. you're gonna be okay. is there anything i can do?"

he'll listen patiently if you need to talk, and he'll ask you if you want his comfort or if you want advice

he's really understanding about whatever it is that you need, and he'll give you a big hug when you're done talking

just so you know he's always there for you

lucas lee

similarly to scott, he isn't really sure how comfort you but he isn't as confused about it, yknow?

rubs your back and tries to lighten the mood

he'll tell you stories about funny things that happened on set or shitty jokes he came up with on the fly just to see you crack a smile

eventually, it'll help you forget why you were so upset, even if it's just for a little bit

the two of you end up cracking a couple drinks (whatever you desire) and just shooting the shit with each other for hours

and it helps every single time

todd ingram

he's had his fair share of bad days with nobody to comfort him, so as soon as he sees you in that situation, he immediately wraps his arms around you

he says things to you that he's always wished to hear himself

he wants you to be okay. he doesn't want you to suffer alone.

he doesn't pressure you to tell him what's going on, he just asks you what you need to feel better

whether it's a nice cuddle sesh or getting some fresh air or being left alone, he'll do whatever he can to make you feel okay again

but if it doesn't help and you still don't feel great, he understands completely and won't shame you for it

this man literally takes care of you

roxie richter

literally freaks out

she wants to know who hurt you and whose ass she needs to absolutely annihilate

when she realizes that's not the case, she immediately insists on you getting up and not being a "lazy bump on a log" because according to her, that'll make you feel even worse

so she drags you out of bed and takes you to a park or something so the two of you can go on a walk and just hang out

even if you don't wanna move, she's gonna get you to

it also probably ends with a spontaneous date night where the two of you go out for food or something like that

kyle katayanagi

he does what he can to make you laugh

which includes, but is not limited to, telling the worst jokes you've ever heard, saying pickup lines that are somehow even worse, telling you about this one time when he was super drunk where he filled his bathtub with a mixture of skittles and milk because he wanted to water to be fun, and of course, tickling you

he's a monster

but it gets you to crack the teensiest little smile and that's what he's striving for

ken katayanagi

he wipes the tears from your eyes and gives you the whole "hey, hey, no, don't cry, no crying, nope"

he gets you water to make sure you aren't dehydrated

offers to sit with you for however long you need

plays with your fingers while you talk to him to help comfort you

insists on reading to you or showing you something he's been working on to help you relax and get your mind off of whatever's been going on

gideon graves

definitely the kind of guy to give you things to make you feel better

offers whatever you could possibly need

and he'll insist on getting you a bunch of things to make you feel at least a little excited for the future

therapy via online shopping?

"here, take it, it's fine. no, i told you it's okay. babe, i'm literally rich, you can have whatever you want."

and he'll get you whatever you want too

so long as it puts a smile on his partner's face

[pudding-parade]

Heh. I fell down a hole.

Namely, this one:

I downloaded this game a while back when it was on sale and finally decided to check it out a couple days ago when I had an hour to kill, which isn't enough time to fire up Sims and do anything in it. And....man, this thing is addictive. I've seen it called a steady drip of dopamine, and it really, truly is.

I'mma babble a non-spoilery mini-review, so I'll cut for your pleasure... There's also some gameplay pics back there, if y'all wanna see.

The game has a simple premise. You play as a person dropped on a barren, dead planet for Reasons™, and your mission is simply to turn the place into a complete environment livable for humans. Basically, you gather stuff, craft, survive, and build a base in a very Subnautica-y sort of way. As you increase certain (eventually) four different metrics, you unlock tech of all kinds, from backpacks with a bigger inventory to biodomes to rockets that you can launch into space that do various things. There are four different (but integrated) "tech trees," corresponding to the four metrics you work to increase -- atmospheric oxygen, temperature, atmospheric pressure, and later in the game biomass -- and each tree has different items to unlock. The thing is, the "oxygen tree" might unlock things that increase heat, and the "heat tree" unlocks items that increase atmospheric pressure, so it's all integrated such that you are encouraged to work on all the metrics at once. It's all very intricate and well-balanced, so the game is paced and flows really well and you always have a goal (or four) to strive for. And when you accomplish a goal? Dopamine hit!

But what's very cool about the game, IMO, is that as you go about your work, the planet slowly transforms visually, reflecting the work that you're doing, which gives you that steady drip of dopamine as you play. It is all very addictive. Entire days might pass while you're sucked in. LOL Because it's also very chill and relaxing because there's no combat/violence (and never will be, which I love). You just do your thing, accumulating dopamine. The only bit of stress you might feel is if you get lost while exploring and you're starting to run out of oxygen. And there's meteor showers which bring resources (sometimes rare ones) and that, for now, don't do any damage unless you're out in the open and get hit by one, but the roadmap from the devs says that structural damage from meteors will happen eventually.

That "eventually" is because the game is still in alpha, probably three updates away from V.1, and yet there's already tons of gameplay, all the way up to introducing insects and fish into the environment, plus automation. Because it's still alpha, the graphics are a little rough, but I don't care about that at all. Even if they don't change/improve, I'll be perfectly content. There are also large parts of the (open) world that aren't developed yet. But that's exciting because there's lots of space for the devs to add lots of new, cool stuff to do and explore! And speaking of the devs: It's an indie game. Developed by -- count 'em! -- TWO PEOPLE. Two. One married couple. It's a marvelous achievement.

And also? It's not an expensive game. 20USD. There's also a free demo you can try before buying. And it doesn't require a supercomputer to run. I'm pretty sure it'll run on a potato. Apparently, there are already mods for it but, frankly, I'm not feeling a need for any right now because I'm enjoying the game just as it is. Which says a lot about how the game is put together, IMO.

In short: I love this game. If you decide to try it out, I recommend that you go into it cold. Don't watch any YouTube gameplays or whatever. Half the fun, IMO, is not knowing what you're doing and having to explore and figure things out. The game sort of coaches you when you start, giving you a "to do" list. But it doesn't tell you how to do the things on the list. It's not a tutorial. And once you reach the first big goal -- turning the sky blue -- you're entirely on your own.

Anyway, I played this thing almost all day yesterday *cough* instead of catching up here *cough* just accumulating dopamine, so have some non-spoilery pics.

This is what you're looking at when you start. Orange sky, barren rocks, dust everywhere. You can't see very far into the distance because of the dust, which makes it harder to navigate, which makes it easier to lose your way when you venture farther out to explore, which you definitely need to do.

This time (this is my third save and my first "real" one; the other two were used to just figure out WTF I was doing), I spawned near one of the crashed ships. Which is good because before I saw that I had no idea where the hell I was. LOL There are a number of wrecked ships and underground bunkers (from previous failed terraforming efforts) to explore and gather resources from.

Meteor shower! These happen fairly regularly. Seems to be pretty random, though. Sometimes they'll happen one after another in short succession, but sometimes it'll be a while before you have one.

Is that a tinge of blue I'm seeing? I think it is...

Definitely getting bluer! And eventually:

Blue sky, clouds, and...RAIN! And with the rain, as the planet gets warmer...

Surface water! The water slowly rises on the planet as it warms and the surface ice melts...which can be problematic, depending on where you've built your settlement/base.

And now I've got nuclear power. What could possibly go wrong? LOL

Anyway, yeah, I love this game. Highly recommended. It deserves its "Overwhelmingly Positive" review status on Steam, even though it's still in alpha. It doesn't seem like it's going to be abandoned any time soon, and apparently it's already sold half a million copies. The roadmap for the game looks amazing, too, so I'll be looking forward to watching it develop.

[dawnbreakersgaze]

Your sketching/art style is really pretty and clean. Do you ever do fully rendered pieces? I'd love to know what your painting style looks like? Or do you have any plans to paint any of the lads stuff you've done yet? Sorry if you've answered this before!

So this is a bit of a ~fun~ one to answer and might get a little long bit I'll do my best to keep it as short and simple as possible my dear sweet Anon ♡

First off, thank you! I used to do a lot of rendering and full-on painting in terms of digital art, but figure sketching is always where I've been happiest and most comfortable. The human body is my absolute favorite subject, and while painting it is lovely, I find the simple sketching of it to be very soothing. It's uncomplicated, and the shapes and lines don't get lost as easily imo. It's just nice to be able to see the curve and form of the body in its most uninhibited view.

That said, you won't see me do a lot of painting anymore. In March of last year, I got really sick and started to lose the mobility in my hands. I found out I had PsA (short hand for Psoriatic Arthritis, think of it like a cousin to Rheumatoid Arthritis), and so the amount of time I can spend drawing and painting is drastically reduced. This means that while I used to be able to spend all day working on rendering a piece no problem, I just can't do that anymore. To give you an example, I've been working on this piece since January in small bursts, and I'm still not halfway done-

This is a project of love though (the dnd group I play in, the witch on the broom is my character) so it's still something I deeply enjoy working on so I'm happy to do it in little bursts.

Here are a couple other passion projects I'm chipping away at that are all personal projects and a bit of fanart that are all mid WIP. Hopefully this gives you an idea of my limited painting skills 😅🤣 even before my illness I was a mediocre painter at best, as it wasn't ever something that really drew me in to strive for improvement.

I've taken quite a shine to doing manga panel redraws since my illness, enjoying the black and white/greytone styles, so I've been playing with those as well recently. Particularly with the Demon Slayer manga. They're much easier but still pack a punch visually, and I love the comparison between the original and my interpretation.

I hope that answers your question (and I'm sorry it was probably waaay more than you asked for lmao). I'm sorry you won't be seeing many painted LnDS pieces from me anytime soon, or likely ever. As my hands continue to decline so will my skills and abilities. But I'm grateful you guys have been enjoying the sketches I've been able to do. I really appreciate all the love you've given me ♡♡