#More like a time capsule for future me to read

[buckbuckbarnesstuff]

One-Shots

Get yourself a snack, enjoy these wonderful one-shots and leave some love for the creative writers :)

♤ - includes sexual themes

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

In the red dark [5.8k] @sergeantxrogers

Tattoo artist!Bucky x Reader

His eyes trapped yours in their vice-like grip as he stared up at you, fingers brushing against the hem of your jeans, and you swallowed heavily. You felt the rush of alcohol in your head fizzle out into smoke and embers as you sobered up quicker than you ever have in your life.

"Are you sure?"

You swallowed again. Nodded.

There was a small twitch in his eyebrows, and he narrowed his gaze. "It'll hurt."

Despite your heartbeat drowning out all sounds around you, despite the cold sweat on the back of your neck, despite the knowledge that you'll probably regret this - whatever this actually was - in the morning, you smiled.

"Then I guess I'll just have to hold your hand."

{personal comment: This does something to me, I can’t even explain it, but I enjoyed it so much and I would love to read more}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The forever third wheels [6.6] @witchywithwhiskey

Bucky x reader

summary: it's the weekend of your town's annual valentine's day carnival and you go with your group of friends, though you can't help but be sad you don't have someone special in your life. your friend, and fellow third wheel, bucky barnes makes it his mission to give you a valentine's day you won't soon forget—and show you how special you are to him.

{personal comment: I live for a good friends to lovers and this is perfect. Bucky is such a sweetheart and I got all the feels during reading}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

In Five Years [4.9k] @elixirfromthestars

Bucky x Enhanced!Reader

Summary: Bucky was having a hard time expressing his feelings about finally being free from the Winter Soldier program. To help him out, you suggested writing a letter to his future self and burying it in a time capsule to visit this moment again in the future. The plan was to open the time capsule five years from now. That was until Thanos showed up.

[personal comment: I love reading about Bucky in Wakanda and this amazing piece made me feel so many things at once. It mainly made me cry but it’s so beautiful, I love it so much}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Redamancy [7.3k] @renxzs

Roommate!Bucky x reader

Summary: Maybe it was a bit naive to think moving in with your best friend and long-time crush, Bucky Barnes, was going to be some smooth road that led to an admittance of mutual feelings for one another and a happily-ever-after ending, wrapped up nicely in a bow. Naive indeed; especially when you have to consider the fact that Bucky is the biggest womanizer you know.

{personal comment: My heart broke and healed again during reading this. It’s perfectly written and means so much to me. I come back to this fic from time to time}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Light, asunder [8.9k] @divine-mistake

Merc!Bucky x Prinzess!Reader

Summary: “Don’t ever do that again.” It would sound like his usual chastising, but Bucky’s voice is soft. If you weren’t crying so hard, struggling to catch your breath, maybe you would hear the note of fear within his words. “Don’t care how mad you get, don’t care how much I piss you off. You don’t go running off into the woods where I can’t find you, Star. Never again.”

You curl your fingers into the fabric of his shirt, right above where his heart lay beating in his chest, and hope he realizes that it’s a promise. A swear.

{personal comment: This is so magical somehow and I love it so much. Bucky growing soft and protective always has me weak}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Here's Looking At You, Kid [7.2k] @cryonme

Boxer!Bucky x reader

Summary: bucky hated his job just as much, if not more, than you did. but if you wanted to live the remainder of your lives together comfortably, you'd both have to stick it out. which included him having to fight your ex husband.

{personal comment: I've been going through so much while reading this fic, it’s truly beautiful. Bucky's love for the reader and the remorse for hurting her by getting hurt himself was so touching}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

The Key Jangle [9.3k] @delaber

Bucky x reader

Summary: Sick and tired of your many recent bad dates, you’re dreading yet another Valentine’s Day alone. When Bucky offers to show you what a night out is supposed to look like according to him, you get to experience what it’s like to date your best friend.

{personal comment: Bucky is so charming and sweet and that date was amazing. I really enjoyed reading it}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Stiches [3.6k] @teamatsumu

Doctor!Bucky x reader

Summary: You’re just a clueless new medical student. You’re not equipped to deal with charming, witty, handsome doctors. Especially not ones with pretty blue eyes that make you weak in the knees.

{personal comment: I'm all in for Bucky as a doctor and this was lovely written}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Warm Comforts [2.1k] @jadedvibes

Beefy roommate!Bucky x reader

Summary: A sudden breakup causes you to feel self-doubt and insecurity about your situation. Fortunately, it’s nothing your sweet roommate and a little Legally Blonde can’t fix.

{personal comment: Bucky is so attentive and sweet, it made me yearn for him so much}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Before sunset, I fell [4.5k] @atlaese ♤

Modern!Bucky x reader

Summary: Apparently, when you stay in the honeymoon suite, the husband and the ring on your left hand come with the package. *terms and conditions apply. refunds are not issued.

{personal comment: The beginning had me hooked already and charming and flirty Bucky is a blessing. I really enjoyed this}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Under the Sheets [3.9k] @vanderlustwords

Bucky x reader

Summary: Bucky spends more time out of his dorm than in it with how much his roommate amorously makes love to his girlfriend. Luckily, his cute across-the-hall neighbor is generous about lending her place to him. Bucky’s unsure if he wants to hug or kiss his roommate for putting him in the situation he is in now. 

{personal comment: I enjoyed reading this, and Bucky being so cute}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Too hot, An Arm Cold [2.9k] @t-lostinworlds

Bucky x reader

Summary: Cuddles from Bucky Barnes was probably one of the greatest things ever. But it was difficult to prove that point true in the middle of a heatwave while the apartment air conditioner was broken. Good thing he has a cold metal arm.

{personal comment: This is so wholesome and sweet, the perfect amount of fluff}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

These cold rooftops [3.6k] @atlaese

Avenger!Bucky x Vigilante!Reader

Summary: You're just doing your job as the local vigilante in new york, why can't bucky barnes leave you alone? Spoiler alert: He is very much in love with you, even though he has never seen your face.

{personal comment: This was nice to read, I enjoyed their interactions}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Me & the devil [11.2k] @artficlly

Outlaw!Bucky x Saloon girl!Reader

Summary: The Diamondback Saloon and Hotel has always attracted bad men, and Bucky Barnes happens to be one of them

{personal comment: It was so thrilling to read this, the built up to the angst is amazing and I've been on edge the whole time reading this. I'm in love with this and the writing style and it deserves so much more recognition}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Keeping Score @all1e23

Bucky x reader Fake-Dating AU

Summary: After hearing you begging Steve to pretend to be your fake boyfriend to keep your family off your back, Bucky quickly jumps at the chance to play your boyfriend even though you’re a hundred percent sure he hates you. What could possibly go wrong?

{personal comment: Bucky is such a charmer, but also so perceptive and soft. This gave me the feels, I really liked it}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Spilled wine [3.3k] @sunmoonandeddie

King!Bucky x reader

Summary: You’re nothing more than a servant who happens to warm the bed of the king.  At least, that’s what you thought you were.

{personal comment: This gave me so many butterflies. Bucky is so perfect, it was truly lovely to read}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Happy Mistake @sunlightdances

College!Bucky x College!Reader

Summary: Being assigned roommates with Bucky. He's a giant and looks like he's a bully, but he's actually so shy and soft.

{personal comment: Bucky being a cute, but oblivious idiot always is endearing. Felt bad for the reader throughout, but I'm glad it turned out so sweet}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Deny me [3.2k] @drewbarymore

Biker!Bucky x reader

Summary: In which you feel like Bucky’s ashamed of you.

{personal comment: I felt so many things reading this. Bucky is such a perfect boyfriend and a sweet dork, we gotta love him}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Heavy bruising [14.2k] @aeaean--bliss

Bucky x reader

Summary: A court-mandated therapy session brings you and Bucky back together after months of not speaking, bringing up memories of the mission that fucked everything up in the first place.

{personal comment: I feel like I just watched a movie. This is truly a masterpiece. The angst, the writing style, the reader's sarcasm and the way Bucky speaks his mind at the end - so beautiful}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

11:59 pm, December 31 [1.7k] @lunarbuck

bestfriend!bucky x Reader College AU

Summary: You've been in love with your best friend Bucky Barnes since fourth grade, but to him, you're just his best friend. It's New Year's Eve, maybe tonight will be different.

{personal comment: This got me so excited at the end, Bucky made me swoon}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Dust to Dust [7.4k] @autumnsghosts

Bucky x reader

Summary: When you come back from the blip in the graveyard having just been at your grandmother’s funeral, the cemetery seems like the safest place to be. Cleaning old gravestones had certainly never been a dream of yours, but now you find yourself there most days, scraping dirt and moss and algae from stones of people long dead and most likely long forgotten. It also doesn't hurt that a certain blue-eyed super soldier visits the cemetery weekly, placing flowers over two plots.

{personal comment: I didn’t really know what to expect the first time starting this, but it really moved me in a way I can’t explain. Bucky is so genuine and it was lovely to read about the way they bonded}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

You're my home [2.5k] @whitexwolfxx310 ♤

Bucky x reader

Summary: Your wedding night!

{personal comment: I love it soft and sweet and this is perfect}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Different now [6k] @drabbles-mc ♤

Bucky x Ex!Wife!Reader

Summary: For Week 5 of @buckybarnesevents Hot Bucky Summer 2024: We're Exes

{personal comment: My heart is burning and my stomach is in knots but this is beautifully written and so deeply touching}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Bribe the super [5.8k] @real-jane

Firefighter!Bucky x Rogers!Reader

Summary: You have a very hot neighbor. He happens to think the same of you.

{personal comment: This was an absolutely endearing read and I enjoyed it so much, had me smiling a lot}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

I won't mind [6.5k] @gxrlcinema

40's!Bucky Barnes x Widow!Reader, Reader x OMC (Past)

Summary: Your old pal Bucky only has a few hours before he goes off to war. Somehow, he winds up spending them with you.

{personal comment: I bawled my eyes out reading this. It’s beautifully written and so touching. I love those conversations}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Citrus, Miniature Sun [6.4k] @babycap

Bucky x reader

Summary: Steve's getting married, and as much as it thrills you that one-third of your 'to the end of the line' trio is getting hitched, it also fills you with dread at the prospect of your ex-fiance also being on the guest list. Luckily for you, the other third of your trio (who you are most certainly, absolutely not in love with) has a plan. A childhood friends-to-lovers, fake dating AU fic.

{personal comment: It’s perfect and utterly beautiful in so many aspects and I felt so deeply. Bless Bucky for being the best man to only exist in fiction, but I won't ever let go of him, or this fic}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Jack Pendleton [6.2k] @roger-that-cap

Author!Bucky x reader

Summary: moving into an apartment to get away from your last relationship was fun all fun and games until you met your extremely attractive across-the-hall neighbor, who makes awesome cookies and even better novels.

{personal comment: This was exciting and also really interesting. I was invested, really sweet fic}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

You are in love [3.9k] @viperbarnes

Bucky x reader

Summary: You can hear it in the silence. You can feel it on the way home. You can see it with the lights out, you are in love.

{personal comment: The way this relationship is portrayed just stunns me. It’s beautiful, real and domestic and I found myself lost in it}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Call it love [10.7k] @sweetascanbee

Bucky x reader

Summary: As much of an expert as you were in pain, Bucky Barnes had introduced you to a novel strain, a kind of pain that encased your entire being down to the last atom, the kind of pain that left you breathless and sated, and yet still, wanting more.

{personal comment: I love to read about Bucky in Wakanda and this really hit me deep. It’s raw and geniune and just so insanely beautiful, I needed to take a break off the internet after that to fix my thoughts and feelings}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

Saints into the sea [7.4k] @babycap

Bucky x reader

Summary: Drunk jealous Bucky cockblocking the reader bc of his big dumb feelings

{personal comment: All the emotions portrayed and felt were so perfectly captured and I felt like watching a movie. The descriptions, the metaphors... It’s just truly amazing}

●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●

[ruporas]

Would love to hear more about that angel wolfwood picture if you have thoughts!!

ANGEL WOLFWOOD… yes, i have Some thoughts but it's nothing crazy… POST TRIMAX SPOILERS BELOW

it's actually a standard revival / wolfwood returns as a plant au, caused accidentally by the large burst of power vash used to protect the orphanage. he showed signs of life but not waking after his 'revival', so when vash got back to the ship, the best option to keep him stable + safe was to put him in a cold sleep capsule. eventually he'd wake up + sees vash again + gets the worst vague explanation ever + bonks vash upside on the head.

although the circumstances is strange, vash is happy that wolfwood was able to recover(?) and is Alive. a human-plant hybrid situation is new and worries vash on how it may affect wolfwood long term, but otherwise, he's glad to have him back.

i'd like to imagine wolfwood would be disturbed by his revival, knowing it's vash's life that kept him alive + having came back as something different + tackling the "what now" of his future and learning how to live normally again. he'd be frustrated and upset for the most part, but once he eats, sunbathe a little, walk on the outskirts of the ship with vash, and think over the things he's no longer obligated to, he'd instantly crumble and cry from relief.

and now they get to live the rest of their lives out together!! that's my au Anyway.

some other tid bits; i'm sure there's more complicated / fun ways to make a human-plant hybrid, but for my simple brain, wolfwood just has feathers + no verbal communication, communicates like how plants do + improved regen like how vash used to. every time the feathers are sprouting too far from his body/used actively, he's dying, so part of living is him figuring out how to control them better.

TO ME, post trimax vash is basically a normal ass human who can maybe sprout a feather or 2 if he wants to die. as a result, he can't necessarily 'show' wolfwood, but he does his best to explain how it used to be for him. wolfwood was always observational, so there are some things he remembers vash doing that aids him in his predicament now. below is case a) of vash trying to resonate with wolfwood, forgetting that uses power.

ummm i think that's about all i have to say. honestly, i'm not usually one for a revival au, but i read dunmeshi recently and was like ohhhh.. ohh……. and it gripped me, a life full of trouble but not at the cost of the world ending nor family… they could be happy… but only in this au ofc

[mothhball]

Prologue

JONATHAN CRANE X FEM!READER

summary Your mentor is unhappy with your career choices. But her worries only serve to make you more curious.

warnings none! this is just a little prologue

notes a little intro to kick things off. I'll shortly post the first chapter as well haha Also, Potomac is just a name I borrowed from the DC universe. I know it's different in the comics, so don't shoot me please <3

! MINORS DNI !

story masterlist • main masterlist • taglist • kofi word count: 1.1k

“Look… I just don’t get why you wouldn’t want to go back to Potomac. From what I’ve read in your sophomore internship review, Dr. Rabin was genuinely impressed with you and said he’d be excited to have you back for the Senior internship. What happened? I – I would’ve understood anything, really. But Arkham? You really applied there?”

Professor Campbell’s office is a time capsule. A familiar, cozy environment that you’ve been inhabiting for a whole hour per week since the start of the last semester. Decorated with undemanding potted plants and cheesy motivational posters on the walls around you. The smell of paper and hibiscus hangs in the dry air, warmed up to an almost uncomfortable temperature by the ever-running radiator mounted to the wall. Usually, your presence in this room is accompanied by a sense of inner peace. One hour per week during which you’re allowed to fantasize about a glowing future as you sit in front of your academic mentor. But today, the tiny woman with the prominent smile lines is looking at you with thinly-veiled indignation. It’s an ugly expression on her, you decide. People like Campbell are better off smiling and laughing, like the human embodiment of a Golden Retriever.

You shift in your seat, resisting the urge to gesture with your hands to avoid seeming defensive. No, you keep your posture open and inviting on purpose. The body language of a genuine person.

“Potomac Psychiatric Hospital is just not what I want,” you start, speaking gently in an effort to make her emphasize with you. “I need a challenge. I don’t want to hang around rich people with mild cases of burnout all the time.”

Professor Campbell’s face scrunches up with mild displeasure, and you feel the need to quickly correct yourself.

“No offense, of course. But my main interest does lie in… the tough cases. And there are tough cases at Potomac. Jeremiah Arkham himself called his asylum the ‘Ivy League of insanity’. And Dr. Crane used to be a professor here. You knew him, right?”

Campbell flinches, and you could swear you were able to see an expression of genuine fear in her eyes for a fraction of a second. And for that fraction of a second, you were speaking to a prey animal instead of your favorite psychology professor.

“Well… Professor Crane – Doctor Crane was a… well-known member of the faculty. By which I mean everyone knew of him and the kind of seminars he held. Nobody really knew anything about the man aside from his special interest in fear-based disorders and most likely crippling caffeine addiction. Back when I knew him, he was… eccentric to say the least. But he knew what he was teaching about. Students fled his lecture hall as soon as he was done speaking, but he really was a brilliant mind. He was a professor for a reason, after all.”

You nod along to her words, unable to stop that little spark of personal curiosity from growing and festering within you. If everything goes well, you’d be able to witness firsthand how peculiar this man is for the entire summer. Much to her dismay, Campbell’s tales only serve to encourage your decision.

“So, if the two of you knew each other, there’s already a networking opportunity here,” you conclude, folding your hands in your lap.

“Yes but –“

“Also, Arkham is right here in Gotham. I don’t have to rent a new apartment anywhere else, I already know the city, and so on and so forth.” You feel a little bad for cutting her off, but it’s almost ridiculous how much she’s trying to dissuade you from your plans. Campbell doesn’t bother to hide her displeasure anymore, letting out a sigh as she taps a manicured nail against the porcelain of her teacup.

“Listen,” she starts, choosing her words carefully, “we’ve had many students apply to Arkham Asylum for an internship over the years. And those whose spirits didn’t get crushed during the interview were worn down by the work itself. Besides, the influx of applications is monumental. There’s no guarantee that you’ll even get invited to the interview. In my humble opinion, you should write Potomac an email and – “

“I already got invited.” Campbell’s eyes widen, and the silence prompts you to continue. It’s a little difficult to not seem smug as you speak, but you manage. “The interview is this Friday.”

“Friday…” Campbell reaches out for her cup of tea, trying to wash away the bitter taste on her tongue with a mouthful of hibiscus and apple. In that moment, you feel a little bad for the professor. She’s always tried to make time for you and dutifully offered help wherever she could. And in return, you’re acting childish, trying to incite a one-sided contest over an internship. You let out a sigh along with her, shifting in your seat; softening up.

“This is… something that’s really important to me,” you offer, trying to apologize without saying it. “Potomac was a huge help for getting into the swing of things. I… learned a lot about the basics. And for anyone else, that hospital is the perfect match. But I don’t want to graduate, secretly doubting whether I’ll ever be ready for the real work. I know Arkham is a baptism by fire. But it’s what I need.”

Campbell hums in response, stirring a third sugar cube into her tea. It’s just a habit to keep her hands busy at this point. You’re pretty sure the crystals don’t even dissolve anymore.

“Besides,” you continue, smiling at her because you know this will give her at least a shred of hope, “even though I got through to the interview, I might not even get an internship spot. So… this entire conversation might be redundant anyway.”

This gets you the response you were hoping for, and the professor nods thoughtfully as the smile you’re used to returns to her face. She sounds relieved when she answers you.

“If that should happen, I’m sure you could still send an application to Dr. Rabin and he’ll have you on his team in no time at all. Oh, why am I even worrying? You’ll figure it out.”

You nod, feeling in real time how your smile relaxes into something more genuine. Suddenly, the warmth in the room doesn’t feel oppressive anymore. As the mood switches to something more cheerful, the two of you talk some more about your final thesis before you decide to end the conversation on a good note. Campbell rises from her seat along with you, and you mirror her smile, relieved to finally be done with this interrogation. Your mentor heads to the door after you, gently patting your shoulder.

“Let me walk with you. At least until the staff lounge. I need a fresh cup of tea.”

@ellebelleshelby @cilliansprincess @mcumorningstar @x0xomady @mandies24

@detroitbecomevenom @pretty-bluebird @ink5ouls @flwrs4aust @vampmary1411

@ashdrinksoatmilk @nnattu @ptolemaniac @kiss-me-cill-me @celebrities-imagines

@hanawrites404 @ilovetoxicfictionalmen @nocturnest @biblicallyaccuratebee @red-riding-wood

@luvlloyd @ribbonystar @smxkyqvxrtz @bloodandglitter207 @seaamonster

@rosiemarieyn @sagepixieswrld

[acquired-stardust]

Game Spotlight #15: Policenauts (1996)

Ash finds herself firmly back in the Kojimaverse as she talks about the 1996 Sega Saturn version of Policenauts for Acquired-Stardust's first spotlight of our second year. Disappointing followup or misunderstood masterpiece? And just what is a "sexy adventure" anyway? Come read along as we answer all these questions and more!

Oh, Hideo Kojima. When last we covered his work in written form on the blog it was almost a year ago in the form of a spotlight on 1994's Sega CD port of Snatcher (which you can read by clicking here). If it wasn't already abundantly clear let me state the obvious: I'm a huge fan of the man and his work. I think he's one of gaming's top creative geniuses alongside the likes of Yasumi Matsuno, Fumito Ueda and Yoko Taro. But you could be forgiven for not sharing that feeling when looking at Policenauts on a surface level or by taking common talking points about it at face value.

Policenauts is something of a black sheep in the Kojima portfolio that is often maligned by people for being 'Snatcher but worse'. It has a similar fish out of water setup taking place in a near-future science fiction world. Its lead character, the womanizing Jonathan Ingram, has a similar relationship with a former lover to Snatcher's Gillian Seed and even looks a bit like him, a point that is alluded to in the game itself as part of a meta cameo (one of several callbacks and references to Snatcher). The sexuality and its use for attempts at comedy can be obnoxious and over the top. Some of the themes of Policenauts are also retreads of themes Snatcher deals with, which can certainly dip into feeling like they were less effective this time around. What's more, the game is far more linear and on-rails than Snatcher, presenting far fewer opportunities to tinker with it and discover much in the way of hidden easter eggs or cleverly placed extras. Some of its later developments feel a little bit like 'a hat on a hat' and not entirely necessary. Its featured romance is very forced and odd (though ultimately executed extremely well). These things are all true.

Be that as it may, make no mistake about it: Policenauts is a fantastic experience that is, like its lead character, a fascinating time capsule from a long gone era. Following a similar blueprint to Snatcher's usage of various sci-fi media (most notably Blade Runner), Policenauts is heavily patterned after the Lethal Weapon franchise, and uses the familiarity one may have with its buddy cop formula to get its foot in the door before subverting your expectations as it deviates into its own original work rather quickly.

Opening after an accident in combination policeman-astronaut (the titular Policenauts) Jonathan Ingram's testing of a high tech mech suit during a spacewalk outside of the space colony Beyond Coast that sends him adrift in space for 25 years while cryogenically frozen, Jonathan picks up where he left off by becoming a private investigator of meager success in Earth's Old LA. Finding himself a stranger in a world he is 25 years removed from and stricken with severe cosmophobia from his ordeal. Jonathan's former wife has moved on and remarried. His four fellow policenauts have settled into comfortable lives on space colony Beyond Coast as something of heroes and celebrities. Forced to overcome his cosmophobia when a very personal case sends him once more to Beyond Coast, Jonathan reunites with his best friend and former fellow policenaut Ed Brown (himself still a cop on the aforementioned space colony) to unravel a conspiracy.

It's often said that Jonathan is a very unlikable character, but I find the opposite to be true. There is a solemness, sadness and resilience to him that comes across very well, being inherently at odds with a time that did not stop and life that moved on without him. Much is also made, as previously noted, of his womanizing, and I'd like to address that talking point by first pointing out that much like Snatcher, the vast majority (in fact all but one or two instances) of the sexuality of the game is entirely optional and serves as a bit of meta humor. Jonathan's inability to control himself is a direct result of his literal inability to control himself as he is at the complete mercy of the player, who can decide to pester multiple female characters to with zero benefit. Just as well, Policenauts lands firmly in the genre of something I like to call 'Sexy Adventure', a term borrowed from a song featured in the iconic Lupin III franchise that contains works you might be familiar with such as Space Dandy, City Hunter, Dirty Pair and indeed Lupin III.

Several tropes of the genre include a strong sense of Japanese sensuality and horniness, action sequences involving guns and cars, romance, large scale conspiracies and characters who are masters of their particular fields to an absurd degree. Jonathan's womanizing, something almost exclusively indulged in as optional behavior by the player, is certainly less than Arsene Lupin III for example, but coming to terms with the horniness of this micro-genre is imperative if you hope to enjoy anything it has to offer. Just as well, Policenauts' original release platform before being ported to the Sega Saturn was the PC98 which (along with the earlier PC88) was known for a frankly overwhelming amount of pornographic hentai games. To a large extent this was very much the norm for games on the platform and the time, and while nothing in Policenauts borders on pornographic, the sexuality of it is to be expected.

Policenauts doubles down on a distinguishing feature of Snatcher in its thorough worldbuilding, and is perhaps the key area that the game shines in most especially when compared to Snatcher. Containing an in-game encyclopedia that is always accessible at the touch of a button, it is dauntingly dense and features countless clickable entries detailing many aspects of life, culture and science in the Policenauts universe, often dipping into heavy doses of hard science with surprisingly detailed explanations behind even mundane parts of everyday life on Beyond Coast, such as biodegradable plastics, a problem which Kojima envisioned solved by 2040. I was a bit taken aback by given the foresight of the plastics issue given our own real-world news cycles being dominated by topics like microplastics in recent years.

The level of real science involved in the encyclopedia is rewarding for those of us who like to devour every bit of information we can get our hands on and can pick out the real from the fictional and it helps make Beyond Coast feel all the more real. The sci-fi Japanifornia that is Beyond Coast is almost a character unto itself to an even further extent than Snatcher's setting of Neo Kobe and remains in my book one of the most fleshed out and believable settings in all of gaming. Furthermore the knowledge Hideo Kojima has in a time before the level of availability and access to information we have in the current internet age is hugely impressive.

Overwhelming density is a recurring aspect of the game which may make or break your enjoyment of it. For a game that is less interactive than Snatcher it is somehow more dense, intimidatingly so if you are willing to indulge in its encyclopedia and really study the universe that Kojima created. The player is also able to examine a shocking number of elements of backgrounds and get multiple optional lines of dialogue about them, although as previously noted Policenauts offers much less in the way of diversion and distraction, and is significantly more linear.

Some of the core themes and strengths of Policenauts are similar to Snatcher, and while not all of them are as well executed this time around, a number of them exceed Snatcher. The importance of family, as well as different utilizations of it, is highlighted through the game. For Jonathan it is a trauma. A source of obligation and a constant reminder of not belonging in the world. Fellow former policenauts Ed Brown and Joseph Sadaoki Tokugawa are also used to explore these themes, with Ed's family keeping him grounded after personal and professional tragedy leaves him similarly traumatized and Tokugawa's lineage is a guiding beacon, instilling in him an ambition that sees his rise to the head of the Tokugawa Corporation, which has become large enough in the 25 years Jonathan spent in cryo sleep that it's said to quite literally own outer space. Ed's scenes with his family are perhaps the emotional core of the game and are shockingly well done for a game that features slapping a woman's breasts in an attempt to swat a mosquito.

Further themes explored are the way that the past becomes the future, and how easily it is manipulated by bad actors with agendas when few people who lived through it are around to contradict those agendas and narratives. Policenauts also plays into real history in its utilization of time as a story theme with its character names, often referencing real Sengoku-era Japanese family clans.

It is a fascinating predictor for some of the subjects explored through some of Kojima's later works. The toll that time takes on individuals is is also a constant fixture of the story. Pioneering heroes become broken down and traumatized. Corruption will slowly trickle in if you allow it to in ways that a past self would've stood against. One's life can always change in the future for both better and worse in ways that the present self could never have foreseen.

Jonathan contrasts Snatcher's Gillian Seed masterfully in this particular regard as a man who is a literal manifestation of the past, confronting his former comrades and the state of the world head-on as a reminder of the bright ideals that guided mankind to space to begin with. Also of particular note, without delving too much into spoiler territory, is the remarkable way that Jonathan trusts the corrupting factor of time to help Ed's son Marc given all the damage Jon has seen it do to those around him as well as the world itself.

Although there is a genuine tension to the game as well as a real feeling of both being and interacting with important in-universe figures, the conclusion of the game is a bit lackluster and sudden. Policenauts' plot is largely intentionally predictable, only containing a few twists you might not expect. The game's romance, previously noted as being a bit inexplicable, is ultimately resolved very satisfyingly and in a way that reinforces some prominent themes of the game.

Just as well the game takes criticism of Snatcher (and adventure games as well as visual novels as a whole) a little unevenly. It is far more linear than Snatcher, but features significantly more combat sections that see the player shoot an ungodly number of bullets and drop a frankly impossibly comedic amount of enemies by the end of the game. They are unnecessary and detract from the experience a bit, but understandable over-correctons to criticism of the traditional Japanese adventure game genre as well as Snatcher in particular.

As an aside, Policenauts features one of the most clever inclusions of a sound test mode that allows you to listen to various tracks from the game including its haunting opening theme "End of the Dark" as well as the fantastic "One Night in Neo Kobe" that was featured in the opening of Snatcher.

Policenauts is an uneven experience that in some ways reflects common trappings of its time while also looking forward to humanity's future. It asks some very pertinent questions about humanity's ability to conquer big issues if we are so unable to conquer the worst aspects of ourselves. Its usage of time and the trauma it can inflict on even the best of us can be rather sobering to see, and Jonathan's hope for Ed's son in the face of that is rather inspiring.

In some ways it reacts too strongly to criticism of adventure games as whole as well as Snatcher in particular by creating a lighter, more predictable and linear experience with more lightgun gameplay segments that detract from the overall package. Its sexuality and hamfisted comedy that comes part and parcel with the sexy adventure micro-genre can be a pain point, and it can be off putting in its density if you allow it to be. In some ways it is inferior to Snatcher, which makes an incredible case for the necessity of actually playing a good adventure game rather than just watching it that Policenauts sadly does not live up to.

But despite it all Policenauts is every bit as clever as Snatcher and in some ways it is just as strong, if not even stronger, a predictor of Hideo Kojima's future runaway success with Metal Gear Solid. Its highs may often not reach the peaks that Snatcher does, but even its valleys remain far higher than most games you could spend your time on and it remains a constant influence on some of the most popular indie game standouts like VA-11 Hall-A, 2064: Read Only Memories and Mullet Mad Jack.

If you have an interest in the works of Hideo Kojima, traditional Japanese style adventure games or the sexy adventure micro-genre, a vacation to Beyond Coast might be just the thing for you.

A gem hidden among the stones, Policenauts is undoubtedly stardust.

-- Ash

[ddagent]

"i never thought i'd wait so long for you"

Margo/Sergei | Time Travel AU | FR15 | 1,351 words     Margo Madison finally meets Sergei Nikulov - only he's met her before. Or: four Margos walk into a diner in Iowa and wait for one Sergei. A time travel AU. Crazy thoughts during morning break and watching copious amounts of Orphan Black have brought me here. Title is from Past Lives by Børns. Happy reading!

They were in a diner in Iowa, some mom-and-pop place with 50s era booths and large milkshakes that were more like cement. For the customers, it was kitsch, but for Margo Madison, with a hastily scrawled 69 on the back of her right hand, this was closer to home than the actual year she found herself in. 2003. What the actual fuck.

Margo had yet to work out the science. She knew it had something to do with solar flares: before the arrival of her future selves, Gene Krantz had warned that it might affect the follow-up mission to Aldrin and Armstrong. What little she'd been able to glean from her counterparts had revealed similar issues: disrupting planned trips to the Moon, to Mars, and the capture of an asteroid. They had yet been able to track the solar flares; unable to determine why they kept shifting timelines. So far Margo had been back in '69, then gifted a brief look at the Apollo-Soyuz capsule, before offering a couple of insightful suggestions for the Mars habitation modules.

The less said about '03, the better.

Continue Reading at AO3

[todoroki-waifu]

Mitsuya x Reader

Warning: Female reader and cursing.

Scenario: Based on the manga chapter 198.

Genre: Fluff

Word Count: 901

------

Just as promised from 12 years ago, everyone met at the Musashi shrine on June 19th to open the time capsules. You couldn't remember exactly what you wrote, but you were excited to see what your past self had to say. After greeting everyone and grabbing your boxes, the old Toman gang began to read their letters out loud.

It felt nostalgic listening to each other's dreams, bringing you back to your younger days. Who would've thought that up to now, all of you remained good friends. There was one person that you did wish you weren't just friends with though.

"Then how about you, Taka-chan!?"

Even hearing his name sent your heart into an irregular beat. You honestly felt like you were back in high school almost every time you were around Mitsuya. If you could write back to your younger self, it would be to encourage yourself to confess to your long time crush. Or at least tell someone trustworthy so they could find out for you.

Because years later, you're still wondering what would have happened if you just told Mitsuya your feelings.

"So, who's next?" asks Mitsuya, his voice refocusing you on the present.

"I'll go." You volunteered, eager to read your letter.

"Dear __(y/n). Hope things are good over there in the future! Any cool new stuff that came out? How about school? Did you make it and end up with the career you wanted? I hope so! Because I'm busting my ass over here. I hope you're still friends with everyone and that we're all still having fun. Also, did you ever end up with-" You stopped yourself before proceeding any further. "Oop, gonna skip that part."

Your audience groans out protests, some encouraging you to read your letter in its entirety. You argue back and stay firm with your decision. "No way! It's super private and kinda embarrassing!" You continue on, making sure to avoid any questions that involve you dating Mitsuya. Gosh, what the hell was your 15 year old self thinking?!

"Boo! You definitely left some parts out." Hakkai points his thumb down.

"Just leave it Hakkai. Let's respect her privacy." Mitsuya saves you from any more teasing. You thank the seamster then give the floor to someone else.

"Holy shit! I didn't know you liked Mitsuya!" You turn your head instantly to the voice behind you.

"Well you and everyone else knows now, you big mouth!" You could feel your face become warmer at the sound of some snickering and others suddenly questioning you. You avoided looking in Mitsuya's direction, afraid to see his reaction.

"My bad! I just happened to take a peek and didn't think about it!" Takemichi hides behind his hands while Draken calms the crowd so they could finish opening the remaining time capsules.

Once everyone had their turn, no one mentioned your crush on Mitsuya and started heading to the designated restaurant for dinner. You stayed behind a bit more, looking up at the tree where you buried your letters.

"Crazy how it doesn't feel that long." You jump at Mitsuya's approaching voice.

"Ye-yeah, guess it's because we still see each other pretty frequently." It was so hard to look at him, but you felt like you owed him an apology. "I'm sorry for what Takemichi said. I'm sure it was embarrassing for you and-"

"Embarrassing? Why do you say that?"

"Because of what I wrote? Don't you feel...weirded out?"

"Of course not. If anything, I wanna kick my younger self in the ass for not asking you out then."

"No way! You liked me back?" Your pulse quickens at the thought of you and your high school crush dating. You then feel your heart sink with sadness, reminding yourself that you're in the present and whatever silly feelings he had for you was probably gone. "But, I guess it's too late, huh?"

"Is it?" Mitsuya turns to face you, lilac meeting __(e/c). "I still like you and if your feelings for me haven’t changed, who’s to say that we can’t start now? Might be bold of me to assume that you still like me, but I've made a promise to not live with regrets."

"I would...really like that." Your face heats up, voice soft with your eyes avoiding his gaze. Mitsuya chuckles at your shy form, but he, too, is also feeling his stomach doing cartwheels.

"There is also another thing that I wish I had done before."

"What's that?" You asked then felt your face being cradled by his hands. You see him draw his face close to yours, sending your heart racing. It pumps faster the closer he gets, your breath stuck in your lungs.

"Oh fuck!" Mitsuya freezes when he's only centimeters away from your lips then gently releases your face. You both see Takemichi trying to quiet Hakkai as the tall male's jaw continues to drop.

"So-sorr-sorry! We just wanted to make sure you guys were coming, but we'll meet you at the restaurant!" Takemichi immediately turns Mitsuya's right hand man towards their respective vehicles.

"Guess we'll just have to wait until our first date." You laugh lightly, the heat slowly leaving your cheeks.

"Who says we can't get a preview?" Mitsuya leans towards you again, gingerly touching his lips with yours.

He probably shouldn't have done that because, now, he can't quell his desire for more.

[iilmunchkiin]

Life Update

Hey so I know y'all like my art and all but college is creeping up on me so I might start posting less

I appreciate all the comments dearly, I really do, thank you so much for being so interested in my artworks and supporting me, but for now I really gotta take a break..

I might start going in a half-hiatus?? kind of state, where I'll be online but, not as active as I usually do...

This might change in the future, hopefully it does because I genuinely enjoy making silly art. This post is also going to be like some kind of time capsule to remind myself of SHIT I NEED TO DO.

I'm just filled with so much uncertainty at the moment...

If you read this all the way, thank you. (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.)

(More yapping + potential art/concepts I plan to make underneath the cut)

(I repeat, some of these aren't final, just concepts)

Redesigning the entire undertale red and yellow cast into my style ( + the human souls )

Make a fuckign reference sheet for my persona

3 UTY AUs I plan to make

1st AU (Gameshow!AU) : Clover is aware of resets and they work along side Flowey with each other their own seperate goals (Clover - for the 5 missing children, Flowey - you already know), both of them treat the monsters and life itself as a video game and see everyone as nothing else but an NPC that exists in the game of life, however, deep down Clover genuinely cares and gets attached to everyone and their stories, but for the other's sake they have to pretend, pretend they don't care, pretend they're dismissive of everyone, and pretend to be the villain they claim they are. If they don't, Flowey will catch up and notice something's wrong so Clover just plays along as Flowey pulls on their strings and keep up the facade.

2nd AU (Insanity!AU) : Everyone's Insane, it's basically like the rot comic except Clover is actually alive this time and they witness everyone just spiraling into madness. They're just so sucked up and so mentally fucked it, it feeds my delulu brain. (Example: Starlo losing his identity and not knowing who he is anymore because of how much he pretended to be someone he wasn't) (it's giving horrortale without the cannibalism lol)

3rd AU (Sci-Fi!AU) : basically everyone is like working in a company like uhm.. Mission Impossible type style or smth... like... they gotta save clover from Flowey's antics or smth idk man I'm cringe asf. The fiesty 4 is ganna be there along with Decibat and Penilla, Ceroba is going to be like the main focus since she's the one doing the planning and all. (Everyone is going to be in uniform and everything omg theyre so cool)

Some actual domestic and cute fluffy art because god damn I make so much sad shit HAHAHA (Examples: Beach Barbeque party, laundry day, grocery/clothes shopping in the surface)

More animations/animatics

Other things that aren't related to uty

As for the rot comic series I kinda(?) made in the r/UndertaleYellow sub, posts will get slower. I already mentioned it on reddit but I'll just copypaste what I said here.

If you want my reddit acc uhhhhh here lol (Also speaking of reddit holy SHIT I GOT AN AWARD???? I also loved reading the really long texts omg I love it when people hyper analyze shit)

And speaking of analyze.. did you guys notice Starlo's thingy on his hat was supposed to be a heartbeat? :3c

[the-amazing-digital-time-capsule]

I’m lil confused about what the “adults” are even mad about, like do they mean the kids looking like goo thing? Is that not how these things all look with out the ‘masks’. And like what are they? They creepy as fick (I’m kinda new here so I’m very sorry if this is actually a really stupid question)

Don’t worry, this is not a stupid question. I was actually hoping someone would ask about the adults because it gives me a reason to reveal more about the Capsule itself. 

Basically, the Time Capsule was sent back in time from [classified] year in the future.  The “Guests” are people from that [classified] year who go into the capsule to experience past culture and “fun”.  Guests enter the capsule through an advanced headset that allows for an incredibly realistic and intuitive experience. However, if their headset gets damaged, even a little, it will break and immediately pull the wearer out of the capsule.  This can cause permanent and even fatal brain damage.  The porcelain masks act as a sort of preventative measure to encourage the guests to be careful when in the capsule.

The masks keep them looking beautiful; they stabilize the Guests avatar and make them look more human mostly so they can look down on the capsule’s contributors (the people who are trapped in the capsule i.e. Pomni, Kinger, Caine etc.) and feel good about themselves.  Thus, the masks are mandatory, at least in their heads, for them to wear and take care of.  This unwritten rule indirectly keeps the headset on the persons real body safe.  Although, because parents do bring their kids into the capsule there are rules that force the kids to remove their masks.  This is to prevent them from breaking, and damaging the headset, while the kids are playing.  However, like stated before the masks keep the avatar of the guests stable, so when the kids take theirs off, they destabilize and become the “goo thing”.

Within the comic I recently posted the parents were mad because they didn’t care enough to read the rules and didn’t know that children need to remove their masks when playing.  So, when they saw their kid turn into a goo creature (after taking off the mask) they got furious as they didn’t want other people to see their kid look like a “monster”.  If that seems silly, it’s because it is.  These Guests are incredibly rich and posh people, reputation and looks are almost as important as breathing to them.

The parents desire to be the "perfect beautiful family" is stronger than their desire to keep their kid safe. All these people are horrible in every possible way.

I hope this answers your question, it’s a confusing topic and I tried my best to answer it correctly.  If I didn’t and you still don’t understand, send another ask. I don’t mind redoing answers for confusing topics like this.

[redpenship]

cosmic wip

an: this fic is taking me FOREVER to write and i like this convo quite a bit so I am posting it on tumblr!!

---

This was a huge claim. Starline blinked in surprise. “You . . . stabilized an energy circuit? Without a surge protector?”

Ivo gave him another paper from the folder. Starline stared at it blankly. On the paper was a schematic for a capsule; in the main section was a drawing of a small bird, and attached to the bottom was a battery. The title read: animal-powered battery. 

“This must be some kind of joke,” Starline mumbled incredulously. In what world could animals power a facility like this on their own? He couldn’t even begin to imagine how they would stabilize his energy electrical circuit. That was a feat physicists had been trying to achieve for decades. And here, Ivo was claiming to have done it own his own. Without training. 

“It’s not a joke! I’ve been using those batteries as my main source of power for many years, now.” Appearing excited, Ivo leaned forward and tapped the schematic with a finger. “They work because I adapted our laws to the conditions of this world. You are a biologist first, so I will explain this simply: Chaos Emeralds respond to the needs of living creatures. Without their interference, the animals inside the capsule would die during the energy extraction process. The emeralds protect the animals by supplying the electrical circuit with enough energy to function without killing them.” 

Starline blinked. Ivo was right—he was a biologist, not a physicist. He hadn’t looked at energy physics in a very long time. But despite his inexperience, he understood just how big this stable energy capsule could be. Ivo had made a breakthrough in Earth’s sciences. Unstable energy had suppressed the planet’s sciences for millions of years. If Ivo’s invention really worked . . .

“Given your silence, I can only assume that you’ve come to understand the grander implications of this capsule,” Ivo said. He took the schematic and put it back into the folder. “Don’t get too excited. I have no intentions of sharing this with anyone else for the time being.” 

He was keeping it for himself? “Why?” Starline demanded. “You could help science everywhere!” 

Ivo shook his head. “This will not help science. It is a temporary fix to a much larger problem. To help science, I will need to present a complete solution to the energy crisis.” 

“This is a good first step!” Starline argued. “Other physicists could use this to find the solution!”

As Starline spoke, Ivo’s face fell. He said his next words sternly. “If human science was capable of solving the crisis, we would have done it by now. I accomplished what I did by abandoning our methods completely. No other scientists would have been willing to do such a thing.”

They were right back to Ivo’s initial argument: humans, and by extension their science, are idiots. “What makes you think so?”

“Anyone who is allowed to practice science in a lab has completed the circuit of higher education. To survive such a circuit, students must depersonalize themselves and accept rigorous training. They are traumatized into accepting academic dogma even if it seems unnatural to them. Upon graduation from such a system, how many of them will be willing to abandon everything they’ve learned to perform ‘unscientific’ experiments?”

Starline immediately disagreed. “They’re rigorously trained to meet scientific standards.” 

“On a non-standard planet! Everything they’re learning is useless until we can solve the energy crisis.” 

The logic didn’t add up. “Then the crisis is unsolvable. Unless you mean to say that you’re the only one who can do it?”

Ivo crossed his ams with a huff. “I’ve hit a road block in my research. Now that I have the capsules, I am finding it more and more difficult to pretend that I don’t have expectations for my experiments. Staying away from university could only bring me so far. No matter what I do, I will always make assumptions about the future and my experiments. It is an unconscious way of thinking that I cannot overcome; my brain simply cannot accept the uncertainty created by Chaos Energy.” 

Unconscious ways of thinking. It all clicked at once. Starline looked to the cognitive tests on the table in front of him and realized exactly what conclusion Ivo had drawn from them.

“You think only someone with a traditional Mobian worldview can solve the energy crisis,” he said. Ivo nodded his agreement and Starline kept going. “It has to be someone comfortable with uncertainty . . . someone with an intuitive understanding of Chaos Energy.” 

“Precisely! The energy crisis will only be solved by someone whose first reaction to learning the law of conservation of energy is to refute its existence.”

[swimmingismywholelife]

For the First Time

Summary: At the top of the London Eye, Christian realizes for the first time that he's fallen in love.

Warnings: Fluff

Word Count: 1.2K

A/N: Kind of a prequel to What Kind of Future but can be read as a stand alone. Inspired by "You Can" David Archuleta. Yeah uh this is fluff but highkey this pained me to write. I miss you.

"'Cause if anyone can make me fall in love you can."

"Please please please please please can we go on the Ferris wheel?" you begged your boyfriend.

"Y/N, that line is so long! We can always go at a different time," Christian complained.

"Chris, when is the next time both of us are gonna have a day off like this?" you replied giving him the puppy dog eyes and pouting slightly. "I know you don't wanna wait, but just this once. Please? For me?"

Christian sighed. You were right. This was the first time in weeks that the two of you had the same day off, and he took full advantage of it. You'd had small dates in the apartment the two of you shared, but he was excited to finally take you out to do something. And despite how much he hated going into London proper, he knew how much you loved it.

That's how you got to this point. You two were out exploring and doing tourist things when you'd seen the London Eye in the distance. You adored Ferris wheels, but you'd never been to the famous one despite how long you'd been in England. It was something you'd always wanted to experience, and you especially wanted to share that moment with your very stubborn boyfriend.

"Fine, but you totally owe me," he said reluctantly.

You squealed in excitement immediately hugging him around the neck. He wrapped his arms around your waist in response chuckling at how cute you were. Christian really didn't want to wait in line, but the moment he saw the smile on your face he knew he couldn't resist.

"Thank you thank you thank you! I promise it'll be super fun!" you exclaimed, pecking his cheek before practically dragging him towards the never ending line.

Fortunately for Christian, the line went by a lot faster than he expected. He was recognized by a few people who asked for pictures, but for the most part people had left you alone, something Christian greatly appreciated. As much as he loved his fans and appreciated their support, today wasn't about them. This was about spending time with the person he loved most even if she'd roped him into standing on a ridiculously long line for a Ferris wheel.

"I'm so excited!" you exclaimed when the two of you finally got into a capsule. "It's such a beautiful day too! I bet the view of London is so pretty from up here!"

"But nothing will ever be as pretty as you baby," Christian winked.

"I'm not sure if I wanna cringe or blush but I'll let it slide because you agreed to this," you replied.

Christian's heart warmed at the sight of you. He'd never seen such a smile on your face before despite how many months you'd been together. Your happy mood was contagious, making the day seem that much brighter. Your excitement increased as the capsule rose higher into the sky, squealing lightly to yourself and kicking your feet below you. You were like a little kid in a candy store, and Christian swore he'd never seen something more adorable.

This was an experience you'd dreamed about since coming to England. Something about being able to overlook the city and realize just how big the world around you is had always been incredibly humbling and inspiring to you. To others it was super mundane. After all, you were in England. There were so many other things you could be doing.

"Thank you for coming with me Christian," you said softly after a while, the wind gently blowing your hair around your face. "I know you really didn't wanna do this, but I really appreciate you saying yes more than you know."

He leaned over and moved the hair out of your face.

"Of course. I'd do anything for you Y/N," he said seriously with a gentle smile on his face. You beamed at him, anticipating the eventual stop at the top that you knew was approaching soon.

Christian had never been in love before. He'd had a few flings here and there, but he was always more focused on his football career than he was about being in a serious relationship. He considered himself to be pretty inexperienced in the whole love department.

"Dee," he asked his sister one day when they were facetiming.

"What's up brother of mine?" she answered.

He hesitated a bit before asking, "How do you know when you're in love with someone?"

Christian had to quickly cover his ears to protect his hearing from his sister's screaming.

"You're in love with Y/N???" she asked excitedly.

"That's the thing Dee. I have no idea. How am I supposed to know? What am I supposed to do?" he sighed.

Devyn smiled at her brother, glad to see he found someone who made him so happy.

"I wish I could tell you Chris, but there's no way to logic it out. You can read all the books and watch all the movies but there's not really a method or anything like that. If you're in love with her, then you'll know when the time is right."

The moment the capsule stopped moving, so did his heart. You let out a gasp, taking in the beautiful scenery below you. You immediately grabbed for your phone wanting to capture the London skyline. Meanwhile, Christian grabbed for his own phone. But rather than taking pictures of London, he found an even more beautiful sight to photograph: you. You noticed and hid slightly behind your hair.

"Christian I look ugly!" you whined.

"You could never look ugly even if you tried babe," he waved off your concerns trying to focus his camera on you. "But I wanna be able to have proof that you checked this off your bucket list."

"Oh wait! I have an idea!" you exclaimed. "You take a picture of me taking a picture of you!"

He laughed. "Babe, why would we do that when the phones would block our faces anyway?"

"We could have matching pictures!" you responded shyly. "I don't know, it just seems like it would be a cute picture or something. Like taking coupley pictures at the top of a Ferris wheel."

Christian felt his heart skip a beat. You were just so unbelievably cute and he would do anything if it meant keeping that smile on your face.

He rolled his eyes jokingly. "Okay, we can take your pictures."

You grinned, prepping your phone.

"Okay ready? Say cheese even though we won't see each other's faces!"

He couldn't help but smile anyway. He always did whenever you were around.

"Let's see what these pictures look like!" you said excitedly. "These are cute Christian! I'm gonna post these on everything!"

Golden hour had just struck, the wind gently blowing your hair. Your eyes sparkled as you scrolled through the pictures you'd just taken and Christian couldn't help but stare how incredibly beautiful you looked. You were truly glowing and Christian wondered if you were an angel God had sent him.

Time seemed to have stopped. He could faintly hear the sounds of the city below him. He could just make out the feeling of the sun on his skin. But the only thing that really had his attention was you. And in that very moment, Christian knew. Just as his sister had told him, it just happened. And he just knew.

Taglist: @neverinadream ​ @pulisicsgirl ​ @masonsrem ​ @masonspulisic ​ @bracedes ​ @lizzypotter14 ​ @notsoattractivearenti ​ @thoseboysinblue ​ @mortirolo ​ @lovelynikol16 ​ @chelseagirl98

[that-ari-blogger]

Win, Lose, Take, Fail (Remember)

Discussion of stories and historical research are very similar practices. A ton of history is source based, and is, in a very real way, media analysis. A historian will look at a text written centuries ago and deduce not only linguistics, but also the themes prevalent in the day-to-day life.

I will eternally be impressed by some of the ideas that people find written between the lines of even the most well known about pieces, and its humbling to know that the stories that we tell in the modern day might be time capsules in their own right.

If you’d indulge me for a moment, I would like to briefly address those future historians who may be reading this: Coral reefs are magical, you guys really missed out on that, sorry.

Anyway, this is a post about She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, so what am I going on about?

Well, there are a few sources in both media analysis and historical reconstruction that are more valuable than an almost objective source. I say almost, because every narrator is biased, and that impacts even what they decide to include. No source is perfect.

So what about a think piece that lays out its biases for your convenience? How about a look directly into the mind of your characters to see what they perceive about the world and what they wish it could be? How interesting would that be?

This intro is getting a bit long.

Let me explain.

SPOILERS AHEAD (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, Stray Gods: The Role Playing Musical)

My analysis of this episode can be summed up in one sentence. Catra’s worldview and desires are fundamentally opposed to her reality, and so when she forces the real world to fit it, things fall apart.

This is nice and all, but it fails to take into account the nuance of her perspective, and the fallacies inherent in this desire. But its also important to understand that this is where Catra’s redemption arc fails, or… where this redemption arc fails.

In my eyes, Catra has two main redemption arcs, one that stops in this episode, and one that starts up at the start of the next season. If you want to be granular, she has about a hundred different attempts, but that’s needlessly specific and way to close to exactly what I do on this blog for comfort.

But I think its easier for the purposes of analysis to divide Catra’s journey in two and discuss why the first fails and what the second would have to do to succeed.

Starting with something that threw me for a while. Catra isn’t conscious of this different world, at least not until the end of the episode. Which is a brutal trauma response. Catra doesn’t want to succeed in the life that gets better, she doesn’t care for healing, she wants to forget. Catra will burn the world down to keep a blindfold on and leave her memories behind. Blissful ignorance.

Let’s talk about Stray Gods: The Role Playing Musical.

Stray Gods is a Greek mythology, murder mystery, musical, video game, and conveniently, I have a series about it on this blog. (Link)

A slight quirk of Stray Gods is that the online argument I have seen about it has mostly focused on picking the second best song in the set list, because the most powerful is so obvious its almost funny.

Read my analysis of The Ritual for more information, but briefly, Aphrodite is a trauma survivor who repeatedly subjects herself to a form of amnesia in order to forget the horror she has experienced. Ring any bells?

Instead of trying to get better, Aphrodite slaps a band aid on the wound and tries to ignore it. This might help her eventually, but it directly harms those closest to her.

“Mother, I’ve stood by your side, now I no longer see, the purpose of love, when it tears at the centre of me. My arrows are rusty, forget the bow, and I won’t be begging you not to go, but when you’re away, you leave us a broken home, and you leave me alone. Lost in a moment, lost in a song.”

That was Eros singing. Cupid, the one with the arrows of love. This is someone who’s life has been wrecked by his mother’s trauma. Not in the same way as Catra lashing out at Adora, but with similar effects.

Both characters have tried to apply a quick and easy solution to a more difficult to solve problem, and the side effects of that are what perpetuate this cycle of trauma.

Hey, look at that, it’s the theme of cycles again. It’s almost as if I have a point here.

I could go on for hours about this one song, and I have, three times on this blog for a start, but I know I’ve annoyed people in my life with this obsession. But, I want this post to be vaguely on time, so I have to move on.

Before I do, though, the trauma in the idols (gods but fancier) of this story has a little quirk in its realisation that matches with Catra, linguistics of trust.

None of the idols in this musical use the word “friend” at all. Well, that’s not true, Pan says it once in a mocking way, but nobody uses in earnest. This exhibits itself more noticeably in The Ritual, where Aphrodite specifically says the following:

“He struck a deal with our enemy’s enemy.”

These characters can only conceptualise the world in terms of give and take, and of relationships in terms of allies or enemies.

Catra, meanwhile, can’t conceptualise the world in anything other than win, lose, take, and fail. Her ability to trust has been eroded so much that she will destroy the world to obtain something that has been attributed value for her.

That’s why she willingly forgets things, and its why her revelation is heartbreaking. Catra thinks the only way she can trust again is if she loses the memory of betrayal, but that’s not exactly how it works.

The moment in which Shadow Weaver is nice to Catra is a demonstration of why I don’t think genre exists. This is a comedic moment, right? It’s got the build-up, you think it’s going one way, then it undercuts itself with the unexpected. So why is it so devoid of humour?

Because the reaction of everyone in this, including the audience, is one of fear, and serves to validate the fact that Shadow Weaver is abusive. Even if someone is being kind in the moment, if you automatically flinch in their presence, there is a history there that you can’t escape from.

Catra doesn’t know why she is scared of Shadow Weaver here, she can only remember the good times, but the PTSD from her mother figure’s actions runs deeper than surface memory. It’s a wound that still hurts, even if you look away from it or cover it up.

This is actually why things keep breaking in this reality. The whole thing is based off people ignoring specific details. It’s centred on complacency, but it doesn’t understand its characters.

Which is where the hamartia and all of those complicated terms come in. Essentially, Catra wants to keep Adora with her, but part of Adora is the strengths and flaws that lead to her leaving Catra.

Adora is fundamentally kind, but she’s also an incredibly quick thinker. This doesn’t always lead her to the most reasonable solutions, but it means she can almost immediately recognise that things are wrong. In this case, the fact that people keep saying everything is perfect, and nobody says that this much unless they are hiding something. So, Adora looks inwards, and notices holes in her memory, glimpsing beyond and getting those flashes.

The world reacts in a similar way, things exist contrary to their nature, and collapse in on themselves. This world is a paradox, the story has turned cannibalistic and is eating itself alive. It can’t be supported by the fallacies that hold it together.

Those fallacies in question, are Catra’s desires, and now I get to talk about how the first arc ended up here. Because we can all agree, if a character’s developmental trajectory ends up with them willingly destroying the world out of spite, things haven’t gone so well.

Catra has been trying to achieve her own autonomy from the trauma and abuse that coloured her upbringing and guided her actions in the Horde. But she hasn’t been confronting how this has actually affected her biases. The band aid solution comes back, but here it takes the form of those four words. Win, lose, take, fail.

“I won’t let you win. I’d rather see the whole world end than let that happen.”

Things can only be one of these four things, everything is exclusionary. Catra either loses or wins, she either takes or is taken from. She can’t fail or bad things will happen.

But let me let you in on a secret. I don’t know why I’m talking directly to a fictional character here, but oh well. Life is about the moment, rather than the value you put on it. You don’t have to take, you can share, or be given. You don’t have to fear failure, because there are people in your life who care about you no matter what.

Also, this is entirely my opinion speaking, but I think I’m right here. You’re in a war story, there are no winners or losers in war. There are just survivors, profiteers, and poets.

Back to the line above, in searching through the transcript, I found that the word “won’t” is used thrice in this episode. It’s a word of commitment and resolution. It’s not vague, or noncommittal, it’s a promise, and it's used in the above line, but also earlier on, once by Scorpia, and once by Adora.

“If you get us out of this, I promise I won’t hate you. I will just dislike you a reasonable amount.” “I won’t leave you behind again.”

Characters resolving to be better. Scorpia deciding to improve upon a relationship, and Adora making it abundantly clear that she has no intention of repeating her mistake.

But Catra is falling back, she won’t lose, she can’t fail, att least in her mind. And its that promise that destroys the world that she wants. Catra wants happiness, but its her own need for the four words above that break it. Catra is self-destructive, not necessarily in a direct way, but in a sense that she is sabotaging her own happiness.

So, what would a redemption arc for Catra have to look like?

Well, she would have to learn to shift up her values a lot. She would have to be in a place where she can accept friendship in a controlled environment. Maybe just a friend who is willing to offer a hand of kindness.

She might also need a way to let out her emotions in a healthy way. Maybe a declaration of love, but that would be a little too on the nose for this story’s patterns. So I’m picturing a creature with some kind of emotional connection to her. Maybe it changes colour or something.

Also, Shadow Weaver needs to exit the story permanently. I don’t think she needs to die, I don’t believe in retributive justice, but she needs to be banished in some capacity. Shadow Weaver needs to go.

Now, I know how much of what I have said will come true, and if you have seen this show to the end, you probably do as well. But if you haven’t, leave your thoughts in the replies. How do you see a redemption arc for Catra working?

Ok, before I go, I need to discuss Madam Razz, because there is so much going on in her scenes.

Starting with, why is she here?

I don’t actually know the answer to that, and its one of my problems with the episode. She’s there because Adora needed a mentour and because the episode needed some levity, but why is she there in story?

“It’s been such a long time since we last saw each other, hasn’t it? That or it hasn’t happened yet. I always get those two things mixed up.”

You wanna say that again? Time is funky in this world, I guess So maybe she’s being generic?

“Because this has all happened before! I remember it like it was yesterday. For Madame Razz, it was yesterday.”

Nope, Razz is just displaced from time. That’s fun, but there is more to this line.

Madam Razz is a phenomenally well written character, purely because of the masterclass of tone. At no point is Razz either serious or humorous, she is both always. Razz is approachable morality, a la Philosophy Tube, but I’m sorry @theabigailthorn, you ain’t got nothing on Razz.

In one interaction, Razz explains the thesis of the entire show. That abuse and trauma are cycles, and that the only way to stop them is by confronting the trauma itself. Start at the beginning.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has some of the best single lines ever written for television, and Madam Razz gets them all.

There is one moment in the finale of the series that is a perfect example of what I mean. I’m avoiding spoilers for too far ahead, but if you know, you know.

Final Thoughts

This episode is such a well-made examination of Catra’s psychology and her lack of sanity. Catra doesn’t see the world the way it is, and what she wants is incompatible with how she wants it. She needs to work out what she needs and then go from there.

I actually think that this episode does something interesting by making Catra unredeemable. She fails, she had her chance, and she didn’t take it. Her attempt to connect with Adora involves physical abuse. Catra is irredeemable.

But this isn’t the last of the redemption arc, is it? Catra will try again and again, chance after chance, and gradually improve. The failures only serve to make the success hit harder. Catra’s life is a Dark Souls boss, essentially.

I often feel like the people who declare Catra's redemption as unsalvageable haven't got past this season, and don't take into account that she gets better, and I don't fault them for that. No show is for everyone, and what you do or don't find interesting in media says a lot less about you than how you express your like or dislike.

Anyway, next week, I will be examining The Portal and my thoughts on this season as a whole. So, stick around if that interests you.

Previous - Next

[gallifreyinstituteforlearning]

What are some Gallifreyan wedding traditions (eg. standard vows, laws surrounding what counts as consummation, etc)

What are some Gallifreyan wedding traditions?

This is something we know sod all about, and there's literally not even enough information to draw any kind of vaguely probable conclusion. I recommend a quick read of the below post, then come back:

Some wild theories™ continue below:

🏛️ Alliances and Contracts

Marriages on Gallifrey often serve as strategic alliances between powerful Houses. These strengthen political positions, secure resources, and ensure the continuation of influential bloodlines.

Marriages might be arranged by the elders of the Houses, making personal choice a secondary role.

Intricate contracts might be drawn up before the wedding, detailing the terms of the alliance, each party's responsibilities, and any dowries or exchanges involved.

These contracts might be recorded in the Matrix, preserving them for future reference.

💍 The Ceremony

The bride and groom traditionally wear white, the Gallifreyan colour for the personification of Death. It might be a nod to the eternal nature of their commitment.

Long hair is braided, possibly interwoven with strands representing their House colours or symbols. This might signify the intertwining of their lives.

Instead of verbal vows, the couple might exchange telepathic vows, creating a mental link that lets them share thoughts and emotions during the ceremony.

These vows could be recorded in their biodata, like tattooing yourself with the name of your beloved.

📜 Consummation and Legalities

Consummation probably isn't a physical union. It could be a merging of biodata or a psionic union.

The act could be ritualistic, involving ancient rites of the Eternals.

For the marriage to be legally recognised, it might be registered with the Capitol and logged in the Matrix.

Witnesses from both Houses might be required to sign off on the union.

🎉 Post-Ceremony Traditions

The couple might create a time capsule filled with mementoes from their Houses and personal artefacts, which is then sent to a future date as a testament to their union's longevity.

As a gift to each other, the couple might weave a part of their biodata into a shared artefact, like a pendant or a ring.

The wedding feast might be an outrageously lavish affair, held in the grand halls of the Capitol or the House estates.

Celebrations might last for days, with each House showcasing its history and achievements like an Olympic host opening ceremony.

🏫 So ...

While much of Gallifreyan wedding traditions are a complete unknown, we've had a shot at some ideas that may or may not exist, and I'll leave it to you good people to decide or make your own.

Related:

How does marriage and dating work on Gallifrey?: The cultural norms of Gallifreyan relationships.

How does divorce work on Gallifrey?: How divorces might actually work, legally and socially.

How might Gallifreyans view divorce?: How divorces might be viewed on Gallifrey.

Hope that helped! 😃

More content ... →📫Got a question? | 📚Complete list of Q+A and factoids →😆Jokes |🩻Biology |🗨️Language |🕰️Throwbacks |🤓Facts →🫀Gallifreyan Anatomy and Physiology Guide (pending) →⚕️Gallifreyan Emergency Medicine Guides →📝Source list (WIP) →📜Masterpost If you're finding your happy place in this part of the internet, feel free to buy a coffee to help keep our exhausted human conscious. She works full-time in medicine and is so very tired 😴

[hananoami]

「 𝓪𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 」

New achievements unlocked!

These achievements were added to the achievement's list when Quality Time was implemented into the game. They are under the category called [Spare Time].

In addition to diamond rewards and points for unlocking these achievements they also include new chat bubbles for each love interest. If you're a collector like I am it's motivation to remember to check in to Quality Time daily with Xavier, Zayne, and Rafayel-- not to say that I wasn't already doing that to begin with c;

Check-in Progress

I do a 30 minute work out every day thanks to feature, spending 10 minutes with each of them daily as I remind myself I do it for them and their juicy rewards. They've also been keeping me company throughout the day during my spare time while I work or read/study. Honestly, I really love this feature. You get easy diamonds/rewards for simply spending time with them absolutely stress free.

Weekly Plan

THESE REWARDS ARE SO GOOD, especially if you're free to play!

By completing the tasks in the Weekly Plan you can obtain:

1x Company Pack which includes the following items: 1x radiant magnet + 1x energy capsule boost: powerful (100 stamina) + 1x speedup cube

2x Speedup Cubes

Prior to this update the only method of obtaining a Radiant Magnet was through RNG chance in the Galaxy Explorer, completing 50 and 100 weekly tasks, spending 100 chocolate in the shop (weekly limit 2/2), or from spending event currency in the event shops. These are a guaranteed 4-star memory or shard in the Radiant Galaxy Explorer, with a chance to obtain a 5-star memory or shard. It would normally take you 8 hours to explore, but with all these speed cubes you've been getting you can pull instantly without having to wait the full time.

The Energy Capsule Boost: Powerful is 100 free stamina. Keep in mind these stamina capsules do have an expiration date in your inventory. Other methods to obtain this resource can come from either obtaining 30/33/35 medals in the Senior Hunter Contest, using event currency in the event shops, or by spending real money to purchase resources packs in the shop. This is really big for F2P players because you can now obtain more resources in less time.

Thanks to all these new achievements I now have 131 points. The rewards for reaching the objective 130 points is 100 diamonds, 1 empyrean ticket and 20000 gold. The next objective is 140. The rewards for that are the same.

There are more chat bubbles rewards that I didn't include here yet. I'll probably make another post to record me obtaining them in the future. Now I just gotta remember to check into Quality Time every day so I don't fall behind! ♡(੭´͈ ᐜ `͈)੭

[asherlockstudy]

The plot hole of Wonderhole (E1)

Introduction

The Plot Hole

The Flight

The Simulation

The Desert Island

Introduction

I finally found the opportunity to start my ANALysis of Wonderhole (Rhett & Link Wonderhole compatible joke). If you have read previous posts I have made about their scripted content or even candid conversations they have had, my main object is to examine whether this new content belongs to the same category of the recurring - and treated as a symbolism of their reality by me - Rhink storyline like almost all their previous scripted videos (including stuff from 2015) and creations (i.e TLCOBC); what I have been calling "One Story" for convenience. One Story Masterlist can be accessed here. By the way, I will also not take into account what new thing Rhett IRL may or may not have said in order to mud the water because he has been doing it a lot lately and I am not sure it is 100% reliable.

I will say that I had to watch the First Class Flight more than once to determine whether this episode is actually part of the One Story or not. After a few rewatches I realised that what was confusing me is that Wonderhole so far has a critical difference from the previous videos. The previous videos usually take place in an undefined time or in the present and they are full of symbolisms of their past and present. Wonderhole deals mostly with the future. Therefore, there are two ways we can view this:

Wonderhole so far is not part of the One Story because it only minimally draws parallels from their lived past.

Wonderhole so far IS part of the One Story because even though it doesn't draw from the past a lot, it actually reflects their certainty or expectation for how their future will unfold depending on certain circumstances, so technically it is still part of their true One Story because it is the future that's coming towards them or the one that seems very likely to come their way.

I suppose it's easier for readers to understand this through the obviously futuristic Time Capsule episode, however here I will argue about how this is also the case with the First Class Flight. This episode is linearly distinguished in two great time segments: the present in which Rhett and Link fake a first class flight vlog and the future of them being deserted in an island three years from now.

The Plot Hole

This is the time I should explain the title of this post. There is a massive plot hole in the episode and it is an intentional one. The way we can tell it is intentional is because our attention is drawed multiple times throughout the video towards it. Here are some examples:

"Without ever having to leave Burbank" - Rhett

"Since this is a simulation-" - Link

"...to fake fly us to fake Singapore wearing a fake mustache" - Rhett

"Well, it tastes like it might be juice but it's a simulation!" - Rhett

Link: "We're moving"... Rhett: "Oh it almost feels like it hehe"

"I gotta say, this is the smoothest takeoff I've ever experienced" - Link

"Since Mythic Air flight 138 operated at a real world altitude level of zero feet above ground we're not anticipating any flight safety issues" - Flight Attendant

Get it? They were in Burbank in a simulation of a flight. They never left. They go out of their way so many times to make it absolutely clear they are not moving and they are faking the whole thing. So, how on earth did the disaster and its consequences prove to be real???

At this point we should also acknowledge that there is not any technical evidence, there is no footage - how could there be one after all - that the plane somehow crashed and Rhett and Link survived the fall and were washed ashore to some desert island. This is the general implication but like we saw it is a very faulty one because it makes no sense. Which means that if we want to be precise about what could have happened in those three years between the vlog shooting and them being castaways, there are two possibilities:

It is a fantastical story in which the lie somehow morphed into a truth, it transcended into reality and caused all these consequences or

the technical issue / fall in the flight was just part of the prepared experience by the Mythical Crew, like everything else. We stop witnessing before the fall but it doesn't mean it didn't stop at some point, Rhett and Link continued the vlog, returned home and they ended up as survivors in a desert island after making the real vlog in a later time.

Now, I don't have an opinion or preference on which is the better theory between the two but I think that as symbolisms they signify pretty much the same thing. In order to understand this, we need to examine what each segment of the video stands for.

The Flight

This is very easy. The whole segment of the First Class Flight symbolises Mythical and, most notably, GMM. Everything that happens in this vlog is a conflation of all the most typical GMM formats and running jokes together.

Counting, we have: 1) the Mythical Crew crafting and the attention down to the smallest detail, 2) not consuming alcohol due to youtube rules, 3) their whole experience is curated by the Mythical (Plane) Crew, 4) precautions taken for dangerous Link, 5) Link interrupting the pilot (Stevie), 6) Mythical kitchen outdoing itself, 7) Rhett and Link tasting stuff, 8) Link typically going for what Rhett wants / has, 9) Link being super picky with the food, 10) Link not ceding to compliment Rhett to save his life, 11) Link oversharing and then Rhett making him feel worse for it, 12) Link's sexual but meaningless jokes (coconut in the pants / mile high club), 13) Link being extra particular about getting the perfect angles and shots, 14) Rhett and Link made to do something intimate together with stupid excuses just for the shippers (changing together, touching butts, sleeping together), 15) Link being grossed out, 16) indirect reference to Link's much discussed herpes, 17) Mythical grooming products, 18) doing something physically strenuous but ridiculous, 20) feeding each other, 21) smelling stuff blindfolded, 22) Rhett winning and / or doing something impressive, 23) Rhett winning the prize (here, picking what TV show to watch), 24) synchronizing in everything.

They squeezed in this "vlog" everything they typically do in Mythical episodes. The plane and the flight stand for Mythical, this space Rhett and Link have carved around them and it is what has made them rich and, to a degree, what keeps them secure. Also, the fact that it stands for Mythical is not subtle at all actually:

And in case you did not realise, THIS IS MYTHICAL.

The presence of their company has not been so emphatically stressed in other videos and it makes sense both at face value and subtextually because this is of course who is behind the making of this supposed vlog according to the plot, however we will see now why this matters a lot as a metaphor as well.

The Simulation

This is actually part of the Flight segment but I really want to talk about it on its own because it is the most essential part of the video. I believe this is why they made that video and this is also why it is the first episode of Wonderhole.

Like they clarify, this is not a vlog. It is a test video in place of the actual vlog they wanted to do but weren't sure the fans would approve of. So, they decided to test the waters by spending budget to frivolous Mythical simulations in order to minimize the risk and check the fans reactions, before proceeding with the actual vlog. I have explained many times that this is exactly what I believe it is happening with all their scripted content, especially the recent ones (TLCOBC onwards) and this is what is happening with Wonderhole too. This is the first episode because it is the warning, if you will, regarding what Wonderhole truly is. In short, this first episode is the shrunk simulation of Wonderhole itself, if not their situation for quite some time. Don't forget that last year Link had said there was a very specific question they wanted to get an answer to in regards to people's response to their scripted videos and by the end of the year they both concluded that aside from the positive reviews they had not received the exact response they wished for. (This is why Wonderhole is also going to be bolder than last year's videos, you are seeing this already. Because there is more despair to get the specific response.)

This explains why it didn't matter whether Rhett and Link survived the plane crash either through a fantastical transcendance to reality or in a later time but we do not see it; because it means disaster ensued either because they danced too close to the fire with their simulations / scripted content and people realised it had to be real or because they ignored alarming cues from the audience, went through with the "real" content and that's when the disaster took place. Both are possibilities and whichever one is the one that happens, in their minds the result is the same: they end up stranded and forgotten in a desert island by themselves.

Before proceeding with the final segment, there are more significant layers to the simulation. There are three times when Rhett and Link hear a concerning noise from the plane: when they touch butts in the bathroom, when there is an implication for Link's herpes and when they are together in bed. So those sobering noises happen in moments of relatively more intimacy. Rhett and Link then watch a trash reality show with a frankly weird premise, hot singles go to underdeveloped countries to perform surgeries as complete amateurs?! Wow. Perhaps there is meaning to it but I couldn't find it. The interesting thing here is that even this reality show has the element of practicing something dangerous through simulation. The show host tells the players they have the chance to perform a surgery in a practice before being exposed to the real thing. This is exactly when chaos unfolds, the show is paused and the pilot screams in panic. And at that moment we have what I think is the most important, the most telling screenshot so far:

Rhett and Link then embrace, waiting for the end, while they confess to each other things we all know. As they are looking for something super special to confess, Link says Rhett's balls are hanging out at that moment too. I don't think there is a sifnigicance to this unless the implication was that Rhett had removed his pants while we were unsuspectingly looking at the reality show! But, honestly, I don't think we got the equivalent of the announcement this was an allegory for. They didn't push for anything more there other than the notion that it was time for a most pivotal confession.

Lastly, let's also examine Link's quote early in the episode: "We like closing one eye, because it immerses us in something that's not really happening". This can be interpreted in various ways. Does it mean that we close our eyes in order to see something that is not true or does it mean that if we opened our eyes, then we would see what is really happening? These may seem similar but there is all the difference in the world between them.

It is very interesting however that the theme recurs later with the reality show: the participants perform eye surgeries like cutting cataracts, so there is this repeated theme of wanting to improve what one's eyes see. Alas, they are amateurs which means the surgeries are likely to lead to disaster before they lead to the much desired "eye opening".

The Desert Island

Believe it or not, this is in my opinion the least important segment or, maybe, the one least packed with information. That segment expresses their conviction of how they will survive a potential disaster. They appear removed like recluses but they stick together. Of course, their big longing will be to keep making videos, even if they don't have the means anymore or even if nobody cares to watch. This is about their professional life. Then:

"When left alone Rhett and Link exhibit all sorts of strange behaviours"

Aside of hopelessly trying to work and create, we are presented with what their life is likely going to be privately post-plane crash / disaster. Almost everything we see involves a level of physical intimacy; Rhett massages Link, "their" version of poker (which involves nipple stimulation), trying to make wine (like the notorious wine they made in puberty), skygazing together, checking each other for dermatological issues, sharing their thoughts and the classic joke of changing SOS to SEND TACOS, an indication that they are having enough of a good time to not really try to be rescued and return to their previous lives, with their old job and families. Oh, and having sex with the sex bush. This is the boldest imagery in this episode because we see them... uh...rub themselves on the sex bush (at the very least), not only in each other's presence but also while clasping hands. I don't think I have to tell you this but this is canonically engaging in the same sexual activity because it's like they are masturbating while holding hands. Now, if Rhett considers this a wild leap of logic indicative of "us the Rhink shippers", I don't know what to say.

There is also a very interesting lyric in their song. Watch how it is phrased:

"Sharing peanut butter because we are peanut butter lovers, lovers as in, we're both loving peanut butter. Not that we are making love with one another... We got a bush for that."

What exactly does this mean? We are making love with a bush instead of one another or we are using the bush to make love with one another and not the peanut butter? It sounds more like the former one but the imagery suggests the latter. I don't know. It could also mean that they are really tiptoeing around each other while still keeping their sexual life straight. We are not making love with the peanut butter (gay sex), we have a bush for that (straight sex). But then we see that in the bush they are really pushing the limits between them. It could be all of these things.

Bush aside, what does the peanut butter symbolise on its own? Link denies he is aroused by it but he readily admits he wants to "eat it out" and Rhett follows immediately, the more Link opens up. Again, we see once more Link to be the first one to voice his desire and of course Rhett jumps at it at a moment's notice. This is the case also in Digging the Medium-sized Hole, in the Puzzle, in the Brown Diamond. But then we have this strife caused between them as they cannot decide who should take the "first scoop". Like, who will break the seal of the peanut butter? To be honest, I think this is the drama that anal might have caused between two ex-Christian very traditional dudes. Like, who takes one for the team. Both of them claim the position of sticking their spoon to the peanut butter. Link has the argument that he should be the one to do it because he is the guy into peanut butter while "what Rhett really is is a bean guy" (bean is a slang for clitoris, so he's more into female genitalia, more hetero than Link). Rhett on the other hand doubts Link's versatility in sex (has happened IRL as well) so he doesn't want to cede the position of control to him.

Link: I got a lot of novel grill ideas. Rhett: Like what? Link: Like, the grill that uses the heat generated from rubbing your hands together. Rhett: ...And then you place them on the food?! Link:...... Yep. Rhett: So, the Link Neal Grill is just hands?!

Link is shamed for being too vanilla.

After a lot of talking it out, their eyes are opened to what they wanted all along. Link admits Rhett might like peanut butter just as much and Rhett admits that Link might be as competent in this as he is (find the peanut butter). They decide to each take a scoop from one side of the top and then enjoy it together. I mean, none of this is a great analogy but the most plausible scenario is that in order to overcome their conservative inhibitions and their sense of pride, they had to both agree to engage in this in absolutely equal terms. In short, to switch. Which I totally believe could be the case in reality as well.

The way the sex bush contrasts with the peanut butter makes it all rather confusing because we can also tell this does not proceed in a chronologically linear way at all, let alone that we have a blend of past and future here. But don't worry too much because the result is the same. By putting the peanut butter on leaves from the sex bush and then consuming it, they have canonically exchanged sex fluids. I could have said this from the beginning of this segment and save me of all this struggle.

[zaephix]

PROLOGUE / / homesick

⋆｡°✩ . SUMMARY — you debate with mona on whether or not to go to your high school reunion, meet with two old friends and a cute kid at the supermarket, meet with old friends yet again, and encounter an all-too-familiar face. ⋆｡°✩ . WARNINGS — second person , awkward dialogue , high school , alchohol/drinks , mentions of overworking , f!reader , everyone including reader is 23-27 . ⋆｡°✩ . WORD COUNT — 2998 words (its too long for a prologue i got carried awayyyyy) .

prev / / ao3 / / next

“So, are you still gonna go?”

“...Maybe.”

“You see all of your best friends together again after six years and you wanna back out now?” 

“You know why I’m still-”

“Yeah, yeah.” The voice on the other end of the phone sighed, “...Just letting you know, Collei’s coming too. Amber’s super excited - don’t you wanna see them all again?”

You sighed, debating whether or not to attend your high school reunion. Right? It felt like a simple yes or no question. Wrong. Yes, you were eager to see your friends again. Yes, you want to see if they were still how you remembered them. But, you weren't sure if you wanted to reunite with... certain faces. You flattened the invitation letter with another heavy sigh, reading it for the nth time.

MONDSTADT CENTRAL HIGH REUNION “We cordially invite you to our long-awaited reunion, hosted by our former student council members Jean Gunnhildr, Lisa Minci, Eula Lawrence, Diluc Ragnvindr, and Albedo Kreideprinz. Join us for drinks, music, and food! Events featured: TCG tournaments, karaoke, time capsule re-opening, photoshoots, (free) food, (not free) drinks, and more! On Saturday, September 22nd, 5 p.m. Located at Dawn Winery. ”

You weren’t too far from the old manor, it was only about a 25-minute drive from where you now lived. You had missed the atmosphere there back when you were still in high school. After school hang outs with all your friends, laughing and talking without a care in the world. But that was precisely what you were afraid of. Could you all still laugh and talk the same way you did before? How much did they change, or did they change at all?

With your thumb lightly tapping against the paper, you set it down and picked up your phone again.

“Mona, of course, I’m excited to see everybody again. Hell, if anything, I’m the one who’s most eager to see them all. But you’ve gotta understand,” you continued, “I have literally not talked to any of them for half a decade.”

Silence was met on the other end of the call before laughter burst in your eardrums, small snorts and giggles ringing in your ears. “Really now (y/n)? I had no idea.” She stopped laughing, letting out another exasperated sigh, “Why do you think I called you then? This is a perfect opportunity to talk to everyone again, and if you haven’t noticed, you can’t always talk to me about whatever it is you want to rant about that day.”

Mona was right, you had gotten too used to using her as your personal therapist. She’s been there for you ever since you could remember, well, technically ever since your freshman year of high school. You groaned, embarrassment flooding your senses. It was true, you’ve barely had any contact with your high school friends after getting accepted into college., and ever since that had happened. You winced internally, suddenly feeling a wave of pity for your poor friend. It wasn’t entirely your fault you were so caught up with college, you had to figure out your future right? 

It’s not exactly an excuse for as to cutting almost everybody off though… a little voice whispered in your head, you’ve figured it was your guilty conscious, judging you for absolutely every little thing you’ve done and have been doing thus far.

To put it simply - it was driving you nuts.

“Okay Mona, you have a point. But, that doesn’t mean it’s decided i’m going to go.” You heard a huff, “Hey, don’t get mad at me now. I just… need time to think it over.”

“Alright, alright.”

“Thank you, for being so ever understanding.” You could’ve sworn you heard a ‘whatever’, but shrugged it off. “Anyways, I’ve gotta go to the store to restock my fridge, after somebody ransacked for all it was worth.”

“It was one time! Wouldn’t you be so kind as to help a poor astrologer, not to mention best friend, with trifling matters such as a bit of nourishment?”

“Save your excuses, Megistus. Talk to you later, okay?” The mentioned bid farewell and ended the call. Now, was the matter of going out. You had been living alone comfortably for the past year, with the occasional water leaks here and there. Your place wasn’t too shabby, it was close to your ideal living quarters. Ever since college and living with a roommate for four years, keeping up with your kitchen stock has been somewhat of a challenge. It wasn’t like you were broke, you had a financially stable career and lifestyle, you just… happened to get carried away after a while.

Getting up and changing into somewhat acceptable attire to go to the nearest grocery market, you took your keys and left your apartment. Upon exiting, a breeze of autumn air flooded your senses, the sky above painted with a fresh blue. Glancing to your left, you see a stack of very large boxes outside of your neighbor’s door. I’m guessing they’re redecorating? You thought, pushing past the stack. 

Your neighbors had moved in about 6 months ago, a pair of twins and their younger sister. You’d talked to the older sister before, even inviting her into your apartment. She was nice, you two have shared similar experiences throughout college. Although the brother was more reserved, occasionally gave you a good morning here and there. As for their younger sister, she was a ball of energy.

Strangely enough, however, was the fact that you would barely see them. The sister had stated that they “have an affinity for traveling” or something along those lines. They were incredibly busy, meeting new people here and there. Something I should pick up, you dully noted.

Getting into your car, you made your way to the nearest grocery store. Okay, so we need eggs, milk, yogurt, fruits, ramen, and whatever else catches my attention. You listed in your mind, although you knew you would forget half of what was on that list. It was a good thing, to get back to getting your life back together. God knows what you went through in college. You inhaled sharply at the flashback, wanting to forget everything that happened throughout high school and college. Shaking off the memories, you had finally reached the market.

You looked up at the sign saying “Mondstadt General Goods”, noting your one objective. Get in, get the groceries, and get out. Shouldn’t be too hard, right?

_________________________________________________

“Come on Klee, Alice trusted me to keep you in line this weekend, Sevens I have so much to prepare for.” An exasperated voice half-heartedly shouts, pushing a shopping cart.

“Coming Miss Jean!” another bubbly and child-like voice exclaims back, running towards the voice. 

Jean has had a demanding week. Being the head of the leading police department in Mondstadt and dealing with a much too energetic child all weekend can lead you to exhaustion, apparently. And preparing for a high school reunion in a week can only add to that list.

“Jean, relax a little. We’re on an errand, not one of your military camp training sessions.” Remarked a brunette woman, walking alongside Jean. This was Lisa, Jean’s best friend as one would say. She was almost the complete opposite of Jean, leisurely going on about life. She worked at the library next to Jean's department, occasionally bringing coffee in between her shifts. 

“For the last time Lisa, it’s not the military. There’s a clear distinction between-”

“Yes ma’am, so I’ve heard,” teased Lisa, picking up a few items for their cart before squeezing her shoulders. “All I’m saying is to loosen up a little. You’re not Chief Gunnhildr right now, you’re just Jean. And don’t worry, everyone’s contributing to the reunion, you’re not alone.”

Jean smiled weakly at Lisa, before pushing through the aisles again. She tended to get caught up in work, she knew that much. She was embarrassed to say she needed Lisa to keep her grounded. However, that was one of the things she loved about her friend of many years - the way she knew exactly what she needed at any given point in time.

“Hey, about the reunion, did you send out the invitation letters?”

“Of course I did, who do you take me for? I still think text messages or emails would’ve probably been received much better though.”

“Of course you do. Any updates from Diluc or Albedo?”

“Diluc said the manor was free for the weekend, even said we could stay the night there. Albedo checked on the time capsules, said they were still there. And, don’t worry, I doubt he would open any of them.” Recounted Lisa, pulling random items from the snack section.

“Wouldn’t doubt him for the world. Klee, what do you want? You can have any snack as a treat.” Called Jean, craning her neck to look for the short child. “Where’d she go?” 

Stepping out of the aisle, Jean’s eyes darted around everywhere. Where did the kid go? She wouldn’t hear the end of this from Alice if she found out her kid escaped her usually watchful gaze. Sevens, she didn’t even want to imagine how many times it would be brought up in one of their coffee sessions.

“Jean, I’m pretty sure we have everything we need. All we need to do is find- oh wait. There she is.” Said Lisa from behind Jean, pointing in front of them.

There she is, thought Jean as she made her way to Klee, already imagining the ear-full she was gonna give the blonde girl. She was running up and down the aisles, before pausing, as if something had caught her attention. “Klee- what did I tell you about going on alone without us? You could get seriously hurt-”

The little girl paid no mind to Jean, giggling and running to her next target. Letting out yet another exasperated sigh, Jean followed. “Young lady, I’m not finished talking to you, stop-” Jean paused, looking at the person who had caught Klee’s attention. (H/l) (H/c) hair, (e/c) eyes, and (s/c) skin- wait, was that..?

“Miss (y/n)!”

__________________________________________

“Miss (y/n)!”

You turned around, only to be pounced on by something- or rather, someone.

“Klee?”

A short girl with blonde hair remained wrapped around your torso, squeezing you with all her might. “Miss (y/n)! Klee hasn’t seen you in soooo long! You missed so many of my adventures!”

You couldn’t help but stare at the small girl in front of you, your hands awkwardly placed in the air. “Uh- yeah, sorry about that Klee. I’ve been super busy, I’m so sorry for missing so many of our play dates, I missed you.”

It was true, you missed the much-too-energetic girl. You would always have small little playdates and adventures back when you were in high school. Although you were a bit too exhausted to run around some days, you would indulge in her antics more than half the time.

“It’s okay, (y/n)! Klee forgives you! You have to promise to play with Klee next time, okay?” 

“Of course Klee. Who’s with you right now? Albedo? Alice?” You had to make a quick getaway, you don’t know if you could afford to embarrass yourself in front of any of them after no contact efforts in 4 years.

“No. Only miss Jean and miss Lisa.”

And as if right on time, the two mentioned women appeared behind Klee, surprise adorning both their faces. The two hadn’t changed much after high school, although the bags around Jean’s eyes seemed to have gotten worse. And Lisa was still Lisa after all, the same wistful smile still on her face. 

“(Y/n)!” Lisa approached you, putting a hand on your shoulder. “My, my, it’s been so long. How’ve you been? We’ve barely heard from you since graduation you know.”

“Oh, wow, uhm, yeah. I guess it has been a while-”

“Too long in fact, what happened? Are you still with-”

“That's enough Lisa, give her some time to breathe.” Then came your savior, Jean, to your rescue. You watched as Jean chastised Lisa for her straightforward behavior, awkwardly standing there with a child wrapped around you.

“But Lisa has a point, (y/n). It’s been so long, how have you been holding up?” Questioned Jean, both their gazes on you now.

“I’ve been doing well, just you know, keeping busy with life.” 

You nearly face-palmed yourself after that excuse of a lie.

“Oh yeah, that reminds me, have you gotten the invitation letter to the reunion? It’s next Saturday. We’re hoping that most if not everybody shows up.” Jean had a glint in her eyes when talking about the reunion. You guessed she’d been eager for it as well.

“Yeah. I was talking to Mona about it over the phone.” You mentioned matter-of-factly. “But… I’m not sure if I’ll be uh… free… that day.” You knew very well that you would most likely be at home, doing nothing and watching TV. Maybe you’d make an effort to deep clean your apartment if it was a good day. Maybe.

Lisa frowned as her grip on you softened, “Surely you can’t be that busy? I’ve missed seeing your face around, darling.” She sighs and lets go of your shoulder with a pat. “I understand though. Let us know if you change your mind though, okay? Maybe we can meet up on a day when we’re all free.”

Jean nodded, sympathy in her eyes. “Agreed. Call us if you ever need any help as well, (y/n).”

You cursed yourself as you saw the two women shrink slightly in disappointment. You couldn’t afford to let them down. Not when you’ve just met again after so many years. As your stomach twisted and turned with uncertainty, you gave them a not-so-final answer.

“I’ll… I’ll see if I can clear my schedule. You guys were right, it has been a while.” You gave them a half smile, Klee looking back and forth between you and the two other women with an elated grin.

Lisa waves you goodbye, “Hope to see you there then, cutie.” Jean pulled Klee away from you with an embarrassed smile and wave. 

You supposed it was official then. You were going to the dreaded reunion you hoped to avoid.

_____________________________________________

Standing outside the familiar manor, you dusted off your clothes in an attempt to look presentable. Saturday had come fast and without warning, your heart becoming heavy with every reminder. You weren’t sure why you were this nervous. The last time you had gone out to a gathering or party like this was back in college, and even then you felt somewhat at ease. Maybe it was because of how many old faces would be present. Maybe it was because you would be reminded of everything that happened while you were in high school.

Shaking your head, you knocked on the door. The air was chilly with the aroma of freshly cooked food making its way to your nostrils. You heard overlapping voices, laughs, music, and finally, some footsteps headed in your direction from behind the door. You took in a sharp breath and fixed your posture as the door swung open to a friendly face.

“(y/n!)”

Standing before you was a brunette girl in her 20s, cheery personality and all. Amber. You had missed her. 

“Well don’t just stand there, come in!” She took you by your hand and led you into the manor. The moment you stepped into the manor, you were reminded of just how rich the late Ragvindr was. The floors, walls, and stairs were all embellished with dark mahogany wood, a regal chandelier hung over the ceiling. Mostly everything was candlelit, providing a warm atmosphere. Nothing has changed at all.

Then registered in your mind everyone inside the room. Many people ended up coming, including all the old student council members (obviously), Collei, Mona, Venti, Sucrose, and Rosaria. Venti was currently seated at a table with a very irked Diluc and amused Rosaria. Mona and Albedo were in a conversation with each other (with Mona looking all too pleased with herself) while Lisa and Jean were laughing with Eula. Sucrose and Collei were engaged in a hush conversation before Collei spotted Amber. “Amber, (y/n), over here!”

Upon hearing your name, Mona also came over. “So, you did end up coming,” nudged Mona with an all-knowing smirk. You had no reply but a light-hearted glare.

Collei perked up, “Wow (y/n), we haven’t seen each other in years! What are you up to these days?” 

“Yeah… just been busy I guess. And you? Still working hard to become a wildlife biologist, was it?” Collei was one of your oldest friends, although a few years your junior, she was in her second year of college. 

“Yep! Amber, Sucrose, and Tighnari have been helping me lots! Although Tighnari’s more busy with dealing with his research in Sumeru, I think he mentioned something about having to deal with Cyno’s jokes nonstop…”

You ended up talking for the next hour with everybody. You found out that Sucrose and Albedo both entered the forensics field, Venti pursued his musical career, and Amber worked with Jean in the Favonius Police Department. When you asked what Rosaria did, she had no reply but a sly smile and passed you a drink. It seemed like everyone had moved on with their life respectively. You couldn’t help but feel a little jealous. 

Through the haze of the night, you slowly felt more at ease and outspoken. Maybe it was the drinks, or the nostalgia running its course through you, but it felt good. Up until you looked up and saw a familiar shade of blue hair. 

“Kaeya! We were wondering when you would show up, it’s been more than 2 hours since we started.” Chastised Amber, a disappointed Jean, and Diluc shaking their heads behind her.

You can’t seem to forgive and forget after all.

[celesticnova]

Started a LiS fic called Hollow Glow. I have so many LiS fic ideas I want to write, so please let me know if this is one I should continue. If you'd rather read the first chapter here, it's below the cut.

Max Caulfield knew she was a bad person.

It was a fact about herself she hated, but as she didn't bother to make changes, she had no room to complain. Good people didn't pressure their parents into buying hundreds of dollars worth of instant film, or threaten a girl for throwing a roll of toilet paper at their head. Yet Max had done both and more since the start of her tenure at Blackwell. Somehow, the once mousy little girl had become the queen bee of her high school, having other popular girls like Victoria Chase eating out of the palm of her hand.

If she had to pick a day where it all started, it would be the last time she saw her friend Chloe Price. It had been such a special day—They had one last pirate adventure together, only for William and Joyce to walk through the door of the Price household right as they'd uncovered their old time capsule. The four of them had reminisced over Joyce's world-famous salmon surprise, and Max had left with a swollen heart and a promise that they'd be Max and Chloe forever.

Some friend Max had been, utterly failing to keep that promise. Two years later, Chloe had been severely injured in a car accident, and Max still hadn't seen her since that day. A couple of postcards and empty texts were all she had to give for her “BFF.”

It was a lesson she'd learned from her own cowardice—Friendship is fleeting. If she wanted her future friendships to last, she needed to be someone important. And she was. Max was the most important girl at Blackwell, and soon she'd cement that status with her win in the Everyday Heroes contest. She'd get to go to San Francisco with her hero, Mark Jefferson, and show off her photography in an elite art gallery. Her life was about to change for the better.

All that meant now wasn't the time to risk her connections or her status. So when Victoria Chase took a video of Kate Marsh getting black out drunk and kissing half the male population of Blackwell at a Vortex Club party, Max hadn't protested. When Victoria had posted the video online the next morning, Max hadn't protested. When poor Kate became the most ostracized individual at Blackwell to the point her once daily ritual of playing beautiful violin music in her dorm came to a halt… Max hadn't protested.

That was the real reason Max was a bad person. As the queen bee, she could have ordered Victoria to take down that video and save Kate so much grief. But she remained silent, all because she wanted to appear cool and aloof to her friends. Her silence was as damning as it was pathetic.

At the very least, she'd kept her own participation in the harassment to a minimum, and that had kept It from getting too far out of control. But with another Vortex Club party tonight, she knew anything could happen. Especially with Nathan acting so weird.

As though summoned by her thoughts, Max's phone buzzed with a text from Nathan.

Nathan: Yo Max. Youll be at the end of the world party rite?

Of course she would. That was where Mr. Jefferson would announce her victory. She'd told Nathan this many times, but he still kept asking. Max sighed and put her phone back in her pocket without answering.

It was louder than she’d intended, causing the girl next to her on the lawn in front of Blackwell to look up from her own phone with a frown. “You okay, Max?”

Max put on her most convincing smile. “Just thinking about tonight. It’s going to be crazy.”

“Oh, totes.” Victoria grinned. “You're gonna win the Everyday Heroes contest for sure.”

Victoria was one of the best photographers Max knew, so that was enough to make her smile genuine. “If I do somehow lose, it'd better be to you. I won't accept it otherwise.”

Victoria giggled. “Don't worry, girl! You won't lose, not even to me.”

“I know.” It wasn't just bluster backing her words. Mr. Jefferson had been visibly impressed when seeing her picture. She'd been up by the lighthouse during the golden hour when a squirrel ran by. Seeing the opportunity, Max had coaxed it over with a nut. Her other hand had held her camera balanced against her leg, taking the shot of the little critter reaching out for the treat in Max's palm with the sunset behind it. Honestly, it might have been the best photo Max ever took.

One more night, Max thought. After the contest results are announced, I'll ask Victoria to take the video down. Surely she'll be in such a good mood that she won't mind.

The thought made her gut twist. Once again, she was pushing it off. Just like she kept pushing off her visit to Chloe. After all this time, did Chloe even want to see her?

Max's thoughts were interrupted by a scream. Whirling around, she saw Dana Ward staring up at the roof of the Prescott Dormitories, eyes wide and a hand over her mouth. Confused, Max followed her gaze, only for her heart to stop at what she saw.

Kate was standing there, precariously close to the ledge with a look on her face that seemed grim even from Max's position. There was no question of what she was about to do. What Max had helped push her toward.

Max's body was moving before her mind could catch up. Nothing else mattered in that moment, she could not let Kate fall. This was her fucking fault, all because she was too cruel and too cowardly to do the right thing.

Before she knew it, Max had slammed the doors of the dormitory open, flinging herself toward the stairs and taking them two at a time. Not enough. It wasn't enough, dammit! Kate was going to jump any second!

A burning sensation in Max's lungs told her she had stopped breathing. She forced herself to take deep gulps even as her head swam. Passing out before she even reached Kate would be the worst possible outcome.

Before she knew it, Max had made it to the roof. Kate was still there, standing on the edge with her back to Max. The sound of the door opening was enough for her to turn around, eyes widening when she saw who had come up to stop her. Standing there, silhouetted by the setting sun, she looked like a real life angel.

She also looked furious. “What are you doing here, Max!?” she yelled. “Did you want to get a closer look before I jump?”

The air Max had fought to gain seemed to escape her in a rush. “N-No! Kate, please don't do this.”

“Like you care,” she spat. “You didn't care when everyone in the school laughed over my video. You just laughed alongside them!”

“No!” Max felt her heart constrict and clenched her fist in front of it. “I'm sorry, I should've spoken up, but I never laughed at you!”

She dared to take a step forward, only for Kate to step back to nearly dangle off the ledge. Max's heart stopped beating for a few moments.

“Don't move!” Kate shouted. “If you do, I'll jump!”

Max lifted her hands with her palms out. “O-Okay. I'm staying right here. Listen, Kate—”

“No!” If looks could kill, Max would be a smear on the floor. “You were there! You could've helped me! You could've stopped this at any time. But you didn't. I wasn't worth your time.”

Each accusation stung with brutal honesty, and tears began to stream down Max's face. “I know. You're right, Kate. I'm a terrible person, and I understand if you never forgive me. But you're better than I am, and you'll get through this!”

“How!?” For all the pain behind the question, Max could tell it was genuine. “My mom already thinks I've fallen to Satan. Maybe she's right.”

“You were drunk! We all do stupid shit when we’ve had too much to drink.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Kate clenched her fists, but Max could still see them shaking. “I had a single sip of red wine! That's it!” She sobbed. “But I don't remember anything after that. Just a bright room, a soft voice… and a pinch in my neck.”

Max's blood ran cold. She knew what that meant, but she didn't want to believe it. Her lips formed the question regardless. “Were you… drugged?”

Kate hugged herself, tears streaming down her face. “I don't know… but it doesn't matter anymore. I can't wipe my video off the internet, but I can give them something new to gossip about.” She waved an arm toward the crowd below. The commotion had gathered what looked like over half the student body, all staring up at them with bated breath. Fuck, Kate was right, this was a show to them.

There wasn't any time. While Kate glanced at the students below, Max stepped forward, praying the other girl wouldn't notice. “I'll have Victoria take down the video! Everyone will forget!”

Max froze as Kate turned back to her. “They'll never forget. I bet half of them have copies saved for their own amusement. Well, let's see if they'll enjoy it now.”

At that moment, Max knew she couldn't convince Kate. No matter what she said, it would sound empty from her mouth. That was the consequence of her actions. There was only one way to save Kate now.

“Does anyone down there look like they want you to jump?” Her ploy worked, getting Kate to turn her back on Max. In that instant, Max threw herself forward, hand reaching for the girl who deserved so much better.

Kate noticed. She turned around with wide eyes, only to take an immediate step back over the void. A strangled shout escaped Max when she began to plummet, echoed by the kids below.

Still, Max moved. Her upper body hanging over the edge, stomach and legs pressed against the cold stone of the roof as her only support, she grasped Kate’s arm with one hand and her closest hand with the other, her grip surely tight enough to hurt. The halt in momentum made Kate's shoulder pop, but Max would consider it a win if she got out of this with just a dislocated shoulder.

For a moment, Kate swung there, seemingly in shock that she hadn't hit the ground. Then, she looked up, eyes wide as saucers meeting Max's own.

“What are you doing!? Let go of me!”

“No!” Max planted her feet against the ground and dug her heels in as best she could. Already, she could feel herself sliding forward. “I'm sorry, Kate. I wish I knew what to say, but I can't let you die!”

“Why!?” The demand was more sob than word.

Max could feel her grip slipping. She gasped and tightened it, digging nails into Kate's skin. “Kate… I wish I was more like you. You're kind to everyone you meet, even the bullies. Your violin playing is beautiful, and you have real respect for your religion instead of just using it as a moral clutch. You're beautiful, and smart, and… so much better than me. I know you'll do amazing things someday, you just have to live!”

“Max…” Kate's voice was soft. “I'm so sorry. You have to let go or you'll fall too. I'm… glad you told me that. I can go peacefully now. Thank you.”

No, no! Max refused to let this happen. Shaking her head, she pulled with renewed fury, finally managing to lift her arms and bring Kate closer.

“Max!”

“I've got you!” Max was finally able to get a grip on Kate's shirt, heaving her up and over the roof to safety. “I've—”

She shouldn't have let her guard down. With all her focus on pulling Kate up, she hadn't paid any attention to her own precarious position. The same force that pulled Kate up worked against Max, pulling her forward until her legs flipped over the rampart. Before Max even realized what was happening, she was in the air, plummeting toward the hard ground below.

A chorus of screams rose from the students below, but none were louder than Kate's. At the last moment, Max looked up to see the sheer horror on Kate's face. A small, nonsensical part of Max wondered if Kate saw an equal amount of terror on hers.

Dead. She was dead. Time seemed to slow as she fell, her mind so overcome with despair that she almost couldn’t think. Everything she had worked for her whole life—all of it had amounted to nothing. Max found herself wishing she had made so many different decisions. To stay a shy hipster nerd, to never lose touch with Chloe, to be there for Kate when she needed a friend. Wrong choice after wrong choice had led Max here, to die young and be forgotten. It wasn’t fucking fair!

Later, she would learn how miraculous her survival was. Her legs would take the brunt of the impact, shattering to the point she could never walk again. But she would live, against all odds. She would be granted the second chance she didn’t deserve.

Max didn’t know that now. Her death seemed all but certain. Tears trailing down her cheeks, heart feeling like it had already stopped, Max squeezed her eyes shut and waited for oblivion. Wanting her last thoughts to be pleasant ones, she pictured a young girl with strawberry blonde hair. Her best friend, her captain. If they ever met again, Max swore she would be a better friend.

Darkness claimed her.