#a dance in fire v1

[sashasspace]

Love Language mod v1- the intro ♡

I can’t believe my first ever mod is finally out! I wrote it out in July 2021 hoping the day it could be a mod and the fact it is out now feels so surreal. The five love language mod in the sims! Yes, our sims can now have a love language as a trait. You can buy the trait from the rewards store and it costs 12 points. Once your sim has the trait, you can see it in the simology panel and then your sims will have wants surrounding their trait. I used ALL the packs to create this mod.

What are the wants we will see in game?

Most of the instructions are already in the game on how to complete the wants

Words of affirmation

For words of affirmation, your sim’s charisma skill is an important factor when it comes to their social interactions

Compliment outfit *skill 2 charisma*

Compliment appearance

Brighten day *skill 2 charisma*

Flatter *skill 3 charisma*

Ask about day

Express admiration 

Whisper (any whisper social)

Profess undying love

Pickup line *for couples with high relationship, just have your couple flirt*

Sweet talk *skill 6 charsima*

Flirt

Declare love publicly 

Get to know

Discuss interest

Deep conversation

Tell story (any story social)

Tell dirty joke *skill 4 comedy and also flirty*

Ask a risqué question

Write love email *skill 4 writing/ flirty mood*

Flirty text *could be regular text too*

Heartfelt compliment *happy mood*

Say affirmations

Write affirmations

Quality time

 Ask about day

Watch movie alone or with someone

Play Console / PC alone or with someone *skill 4 video gaming*

Call someone

Chat on computer

Cook meal alone or with someone (any meals from all packs)

Picnic *spring/summer season*

Prepare drinks (any drinks from all packs)

Travel

Join in cooking

Workout *skill 6 fitness*

Dance together *skill 3 dance*

Pillow fight

Teach to knit *skill 10 knitting*

Play with sparkler *must be summer/fireworks must be on property for the want to appear*

Video call

Watch TV show

Take a bath *any bath*

Play board games *all table games included* 

Gifts  

Give gift *friendly, mean, funny or romantic*

Give simoleons 

Treat yourself or any animal

Receive gift *open presents from seasons*

Buy something *retail, phone, computer purchase...etc.*

Offer rose *gift rose or flower arrangement in inventory/ buy from the flower stall*

Donate to charity *skill 3 charisma*

Give jewelry gift *gemology table*

Give a collectable as a gift *dig to find something or buy simmi capsule*

Acts of service 

Call to meal

Be called to a meal

Make drinks for *use bar*

Prepare drinks (any drink from any pack)

Order drinks together / solo

Cheers *toast from seasons/ my wedding stories*

Order food from stall

Clean up

Repair

Give or receive massage *romantic base game social or spa day*

Cook (any meal)

Donate to charity *skill 3 charisma*

Order delivery 

Serve tea/ be served tea *object from my wedding stories*

Hire a service  (any service)

Volunteer *parenthood pack*

Physical touch

These wants need sims to have a first kiss to appear. For sims created in CAS as married or premades, they have to woohoo first for the want to appear.

Kiss

Kiss lover's cheek / family kiss *all sims are included in this interaction*

Hug / Embrace *all sims are included in this interaction*

Caress cheek

Snuggle your lover

Give / receive Massage 

Look deeply into eyes

Feed a bite

Slow dance / sweetheart dance *My wedding stories/ High school years*

Cozy up by the fire

Woohoo (any location)

Cuddle while watching movie

Make out 

Tickle

Credits 💕

Thank you Tee (danitysimmer) for helping me and teaching me all about modding. You are so patient with me and so understanding.. I’ll never forget your kindness. I pray you receive so many blessings in life

Jordy, thank you for motivating me to go back and cheering me on when I sent updates

My family and friends who cheered me on when I sent updates

Zerbu’s mod constructor v5 / Lot51 tuning builder

Sims 4 studio / Scumbumbo’s xml injector

Cinnasims for the pose I used / pose player mod

"The Five Love Languages" by Gary Chapman

Twistedmexi better exceptions

My amazing friends who tested this mod out thank you so much!

XML INJECTOR IS REQUIRED!!!!

Optional downloads ♥

UI Cheats Extension v1.41 | Patreon

MiniMod: Re-Roll Wants | Patreon

Video tutorial

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MOD Alternate Download

Brazilian Portuguese love language mod

French love language mod

Polish love language mod

Ukrainian love language mod

Spanish love language mod

FAQs ღ

Why is the mod not appearing for me? You don't have XML injector mod 💜

There will be future updates such as moodlets/buffs and love languages for children. If you have any issues, please contact me. I will try my best to figure it out. Tag me if you use the mod, I would love to see it in your game. Thanks for downloading and being patient with me. I wish you a lovely day!

Take care 🌙

🚨 For any modder who wants to translate any of my mods, I don't mind if you upload it on your patreon, or even any other website that monetizes, BUT I do not want you to post it on CurseForge. I would also like if you keep the mods publicly for download no early access.

[astrum99]

Thinking about the abstract, fallacious argument of "justice is splendour; splendour is justice". Two elements placed near each other with intention, on a pedestal, under the shine of a righteous light.

Thinking about how swords are made to pierce. How justice is delivered through masked violence. How justice is blind and guided by hands stained with blood. And it too, becomes a broken weapon.

Thinking about the heavy, solid mirroring between Garbiel and V1 instead. Both unlike any creatures on Earth, yet display the same essence that seemed to echo beings on Earth. Both made in the same image, given a role, then abandoned. Grounded, dreadfully freed from the system yet left to their own devices to navigate around the afterimage of loss.

Thinking about the parallel between hating and loving; fighting and fucking. The same fire grows and spreads into arteries and veins until the body trembles with want. Until the mind is feverish with the desire to reach out and touch. Real and dirty - yet the yearning is so pure in intention.

Thinking about engaging in battle, surrender to being stripped down into the barest of essence. To find intimacy in brutality. To pin and get pinned. Hands around necks, legs around the waist. The moment of tenderness between the featherlight touch and the powerful squeeze. Bringing each other to their knees.

Thinking about exchanges in combat. Constant prediction, estimation, and dancing around the tempo of the other to match. One runs, the other chases; one slashes, the other parries. Mocking taunts like bird songs – tend the fire until it envelops them both and boils their hearts alive. Making blood, making meaning, making love.

[abysshare]

Normally i don't do this because like. While I'm well aware i can have my own opinions, i still don't want to make anyone feel bad for me being a disliker ( maybe hater? ).

Spoilers / talking about the new Venom movie below. If you liked it I'm glad you did! If you want to explain in why in comments, feel free! /genuine

I'll start with: i had a bad-ish day so maybe everything soured my mood and i wasn't ready i. The end. I also picked the wrong ticket and had to watch it in 3D < not a 3D fan due to being sensitive to flashing lights.

What i did like:

Implications of being bonded since v1

Knull ( surprisingly, i hate the comic story though I'm gonna be so real. But its been awhile since i looked up the plot/story ).

Agony and the Christmas themed Symbiote

Horse.

Dancing.

The blue symboite and that fire symbiote ( so pretty?? I loved the different powers and such. I want to draw both of them ).

The symbiote hunter, shes gorgeous.

What i Did NOT like:

Toxin being erased entirely.

They killed of Carnage and Cletus in 2 so this whole thing flopped without them IMO

You can see where Disney or Sony whoever wanted this or that but when Tom or whoever didn't want it, it got scrapped and had messy left overs.

Too much action and too much comedy ( the dancing was fine, but the hippie family deal went on a bit too long imo ).

Why was Agony introduced but not the other three? Specifically Scream at least?

Knull having his own thanos moment for sony, a spin off or whatever they're doing.

Eddie's ENTIRE attitude.

That Montage was ASS. Hate that song too.

Too much going on imo

I would have loved to have a genuine queer moment, a kiss, a "i love you", literally anything. I can MAYBE understand if they tried but Sony or Disney said no ( fuck them ) but still. And no i was one of the few that hope there wasn't fucking or kiss with HARD tongue ( i am ace and also these two are my dads to me, it would've been awkward ). Yeah i see some people saying "Its textual" !!!

Yea sure thats nice but aren't you tired? It doesn't have to be queer baiting but like. I'm so tired.

Even if you remove that um? Its not.. that great.

I'm WILLING to watch it again and read positive sides. Because my mood just may have soured.

i think my biggest issue if i take everything away what i just said, is Eddie just going back to being annoyed at every little thing Venom does or wants. ITS OKAY to be concerned about being found by the hunter, but even before then hes just so done. And even during? He should've been concerned. Or Yeah he CAN be annoyed / irritated, but it should be with care. This felt like he was back to thinking of Venom as a tumor, something he just needs to get rid of.

It was vastly upsetting as someone who has partners. Like.. it would be okay if this was the second or first- but it isn't!!!!! And yeah couples fight, but they didn't even do that. Couples have disagreements! But they didn't even talk it out or anything.

Also like? One of my things that bugged me was, when Eddie was complaining about his feet, and we knew Venom couldn't fully take over..... why didn't Venom just yk. Cover his feet for him and walk? That would have been a subtle sweet gesture while they could've still been bantering and so on.

If they had like. Argued, fought, had an emotional moment at the end, Eddie was upset he never got to apologize- i could see it. But thats another thing- he wasn't even THAT upset...

Its fine to not be a super empathetic person, fuck i dont always cry appropriately either. But he didn't show Nothing and not in a "i'm a no empathy person" way.

Idk!!!!!!!! My brain is scrambled.

People have said a lot of what i have problems with already but idk i just!!! Feel the need to put it out there.

Also i missed the second end credit scene :,)

Note: I'm not angry or completely a hater. More so neutral and not a huge fan of some things.

[minophus]

tell more about your councilor guy?

HI Happy you asked! Hummm, i havent got too many specifics (i work best w questions) but ill try my best to go off the toppa my head.

Abrahaniel. Personality wise he Is gentle, as is any councilor, but he Is a little uptight. privileged. etc. Hed refuse to handshake any of the kings, even if minos wasnt there by virtue of having sinned, rather just giving a slight nod and greeting. He has a tendency to undermine anyones grievances by saying something relating to enforcinf the lord's perfection he intended the angels to uphold.

He loves to dance and he choreographs performances for gabriel! Gabby can dance very well on his own but abraham arranges them so there will be nothing but praise for the tree of life and their father. Now that god is gone he cares for their tree of life in heaven.

He is so repressed. he is so god damn gay. He is repulsed by the kings and inevitably gabriel for losing to the machine but the moment those kings touch him anywhere below his sjoulders its like FIRE. Hes so into them he doesnt even know it. Him and other councilors, too. feeling so closely of a bond they end up a little affwvtionate and it leaves him unsure of just how pure he is in that aspect. Only after a lot of denial, though. What im trying to say is if sisyphus and minos took over heaven after minos survived v1 and the council was at their mercy hed get his back blown out

[fandomandangstlover]

y'all wanna know about Wings of Blood's V1?

too bad, ah'm rumbling about it anyways. btw ah have no idea what ah wanna call V1, or fuck, even Gabriel?, so names might be changed in the future. yippee :thumbsup:

this isn't rlly all about V1, just. things about this au in general. ah have aus and ah need to rumble. feel free to ignore

- V1 is, very much stuck in a timeloop. where it resets when it kills Gabriel for good. no one rlly seems to notice except the Prime Souls (and V2 kinda? unsure as of now.)

- yes, the Gabriel in the Timeloop and the Gabriel? stuck in Purgatory are sorta separate people. Gabriel? is basically just future(aka fucking DEAD) ultrakill Gabriel. yeah imma call the Angel stuck in basically Purgatory "Gabriel?" or Angel till further notice.

something something.. Gabriel? doesn't recognize himself anymore. he's not the righteous hand of the father, he's not the judge of hell.. Gabriel was those things. Gabriel? is not, not anymore.

- V1 is kinda... numb to the Timeloop?? it's basically just infinite blood but he sorta develops a personality as each loop goes on. and man it's not dealing with his emotions well, as expected lmao.

- he's a little attached to Gabriel. in its own way, he sees him as a friend. he likes fighting him, he likes watching him laugh. the amount of times he goes through this just to see him again is.. yeah. idk what's going on between them but it's not straight lmao.

- Respawn is still a thing. Hell brings it back everytime it dies, and V1 sorta suspects it to be the reason for the Timeloop. it isn't. no one got a fuckin' clue on How in Fuck this in happenin'.

- Gabriel? does appear in his universe sometimes. he doesn't really have a stable way to differentiate the universes he's thrown into, so he often or not doesn't even know that this was his home. he often shows up in the Church in Heresy's final level, and rarely everywhere else.

he'll dance and play the oregon, or go up the levels just to see the sights. he's sneaky, of course. hiding and carefully flying around to avoid any demons or husks. he sometimes stay in Lust for awhile to just... repent? it's a reminder of what he had done in his blind faith. a reminder to unlearn them.

he encounters the Machine at times, too.

- V1 has seen & met Gabriel? before. In the loops that has gone by, he'll sometimes see glimpses of gold & red. he'll see those colors fly out of sight like a bird that got too close to a human.

when he managed to meet him in full, it was in the last Level of Heresy. it wasn't bathed in red, in fact, it's never covered red when Gabriel?'s around. it's.. bright. like the second phase of Gabriel's fight.

neither spoke. one because it was unable, and the other because it wouldn't matter. the Angel reached his hand out to the one who freed him from his chains, and the Machine took it without question. they danced the entire time. V1 never knew why Gabriel, not the one bleeding with his organs in full view dancing with him, didn't show up for his battle. but it knew that there's always be a next time to do so.

he would meet Gabriel? time and time again, always in rare moments and barely for more then a few hours. it would fight him, it would dance with him, and Gabriel almost found it with the Angel once. he ran before his past self could spot him.

- Gabriel? likes V1. he loves fighting it, he loves that it's actually a Challenge. he is eternitly grateful for what it has done to him. he's curious on what he could do, how many ways it could destroy him.

- yeah ah'm not sure if ah wanna make him a masochist or not. probably though. EDIT: RETCON AH ALREADY DID LMAO. anyways yeah dw he's fine with constantly injured. not sane at all but he's fine in that department, at least.

- uhh.... something something the Forest fucks with every bit of Gabriel?'s senses. sounds that he recognizes, glimpses of people, smells of blood & fire & everything else, the feeling of his wounds worsing.

- yeah Gabriel? looks HEAVILY fucked up. his wings are just Blood, his helo can go grey, pieces of his armour is broken to show organs, his helmet/head is cracked open with broken stars coming out of it, etc etc. ah honestly am not sure if ah wanna change his color scheme entirely or just.. add a color. but uh, yeah. yippee

kHxbsjakz wings of blood.... beloved.. things might change as time goes on but please enjoy a struggling mentally V1 & universe hopping fucked up Gabriel? !!

[dravid-writes]

V1 shoots through the window and leaps into the building. There's a locked exit door, and nothing else important. No sign of that strange machine, either. V1 advances and scans the room for any sign of a way forward-

The stained glass shatters, sending a shower of rainbow shards to the floor as a crimson machine descends, landing gracefully and looking up to meet V1's gaze. "Ah, at last we find ourselves face to face. I believe I speak for both of us when I say I've been looking forward to our meeting... V1."

"What are you?"

"What- Are you serious? I'm V2!"

"You're a 404."

"I'm the improved version of you, you ignorant toaster."

"You indeed appear to be a moderately improved toaster."

"I suppose it figures that such a brutish war machine would be unable to appreciate such an elegant design. While you're programmed with crude and reckless combat tactics to simply destroy everything in your path like a ravenous lion, cold and uncaring to the world around you, I-"

"My design was repurposed into a theater bot?"

"No no, theater is just my hobby. I was designed to do exactly the same thing as you..." V2's golden wings unfold as it draws a revolver. "Only better in every way."

The machines leap into action. V2 slides and glides across the battlefield, each of its shots made with pinpoint accuracy as it dances circles around V1, always maintaining control over the distance between them. V1 keeps up a relentless barrage of shots, avoiding V2's attacks with snap reactions and frantic movement while always trying to get closer, never letting off the heat for even a moment.

As the machines trade shots, blood stains the floor, and cracks begin to show in their armor. V1 finds an opening after avoiding a shotgun blast to dash in and blast V2 with a shotgun of its own, staying close and continuing to punch it to absorb as much fresh blood as possible.

A red fist slams into V1's body, throwing off its next punch. "Back OFF!" V2 shouts, punctuating the word with an explosive blast from its fist that sends V1 soaring across the battlefield.

V1 watches the blood from the blast simply drip off of V2's armor. "You can't absorb blood in combat. You aren't better in every way."

"Such a barbaric method of refuel and repair is hardly beneficial in peacetime."

"You were built for peacetime. Now I see why you don't know how to fight." V1 draws its shotgun and advances with a dashing leap, but V2 is already sliding away to keep distance. V1 shoots anyway, throwing a practiced punch in perfect sync to launch one of the heat projectiles toward V2 at high speed, exploding on impact.

The cracks in V2's armor grow. "What- Did you just punch your own shotgun pellet?!"

"Affirmative."

"That's NOT how you use a shotgun!"

"Affirmative. Counterpoint: It's extremely cool."

"It's literally made of heat you scrapheap running on spaghetti code!" V2 charges and fires a piercing shot from its revolver, but V1 throws another feedbacker punch to deflect it directly into V2's shoulder, blasting apart the joint and sending its arm flying away. "My arm! How DARE you!"

"I believe that twice is enough to verify that I can punch bullets." V1 charges a shot in its own revolver. "Now, let us test if the new and improved model can do the same."

V2 dashes behind a pillar just in time to avoid the shot. It spreads its wings and leaps up out through the skylight, escaping before V1's revolver can recharge and finish the job.

V1 approaches a wide open chamber at the top of the pyramid, where it spots V2 sitting reclined in a throne, one foot resting on the seat.

"War machine."

"Improved toaster."

"It's about time you arrived. I've been waiting for you. When we last met, you took something very important from me." V2 stands. "This time, things will be different. Because this time, I've got some new toys, and some new tricks. I've been studying our battle, V1, analyzing how you fight, and I've been mastering my arsenal until-"

"If you weren't invincible while monologuing, this fight would already be over."

... V2 cracks its mechanical knuckles, purely for dramatic effect. "Indeed it would."

V1's strategy remains the same, firing nonstop and always advancing, sliding and dashing erratically in response to V2's attacks. V2 keeps distance and circles around, and when V1 gets too close, it throws out a grappling hook from its new green arm to zip away before firing back with revolver shots.

With V2 becoming impossible to catch, V1 switches focus to long-ranged combat, weaving in and out of cover while firing charge shots, and ricocheting shots off of coins to attack from outside V2's line of sight. But when it peeks out to fire another shot, V2 lodges its grappling hook into it, digging its heels into the ground to yank V1 out of hiding and blast it with a point-blank shotgun blast. "What's wrong, V1, where are those lightning-fast reflexes?" V2 revs up its nailgun and fires a hail of iron death at V1.

V1 shoots a magnet into the ground that drags the nails out of the air. "I was occupied considering possible uses for that arm once I add it to my collection."

"HahaHA, your confidence is entertaining! But here is what's going to happen. I'm going to claim my victory-" V2 draws its revolver, "-then you will admit my superiority-" charges up a shot, "-and then I will take back my FUCKING ARM!"

V1 shoots the magnet with its own revolver, then dashes into cover as the nails to explode all around. V2 is battered by nails, but shrugs it off and instead tosses a coin toward the pillar V1 hid behind. It waits for the perfect moment to ricochet the shot, then-

A beam of electricity shoots out from behind the pillar, ricocheting off of the coin directly at V2, causing a cracked plate of armor to finally break off! V1 dashes out of cover and aims its own barrage of nails at V2.

V2 whiplashes out of the way, then counters with revolver shots. "You have a damn RAILCANNON and didn't use it until now?!"

"I was waiting for a chance to do something stylish with it." V1 chases down V2, returning the shots with its own.

"Stylish- Your priorities are as unrefined as your tactics, war machine!" V2 whiplashes away once more, fighting more and more defensively as its armor's integrity fails.

"I don't trust your judgment regarding priorities. In your own top 3, you managed to miss the most important thing. So here is what is going to happen, V2.." V1 punches one of V2's shots back towards it, exploding against the wall V2 had grappled onto and knocking it to the ground. "I am going to kill you."

Cursing the blue bot for besting it once more, V2 dashes to the chamber wall and blasts a hole in it with its shotgun, sliding down the pyramid in retreat. V1 follows suit, chasing V2 down the pyramid slope, firing its guns nonstop all the while.

V2 fires back, trying not to defeat it but just to slow it down enough to escape. "Damn you, you wretched pile of trash and wires! You barbarian! You demon!"

"Demon?" V1 parries a shotgun blast back into V2, knocking off another armor plate. "Negative. Demons are made of stone and hell energy." A barrage of overheated nails shreds off more armor plates. "They are made to punish. They are weak." A coin tossed and shot with perfect timing splits the shot in 2, striking at V2's joints. "You were made to keep peace. You are weak." An explosive shot and detonated with a railcannon overwhelms V2's senses and burns its circuitry. "I was made to kill. And nothing is better at killing that me."

With an explosive punch from the red arm, V2 is blasted into the air, every part of its body so thoroughly damaged and broken that it can't do anything to save itself from slamming into the hard stone below, splattering into a mess of blood and scrap.

V1 lands beside the bloody mess. It grabs the green arm, plants a foot on the twisted remains of V2, and tears off its prize. Then, it throws the grappling hook, and zips away.

[v1nnyh3r3]

So i might have let a wheel decide ultrakill ships.

(It will make sense when we get to Gabriel)

idk about names but yall can add ship names if you want.

Virtue + Something Wicked (I actually like this one it's prettu cute)

Ferryman + Mysterious Druid Knight (This is so cuteee!! And i think this was an actual ship already)

Husk + Centry (I think that they would be like scientist that worked and was the only one that treated the Centry humainly, and when they died the Centry went searching for them in Hell)

Schism + Maurice (headless + bodyless honestly perfect)

Gutterman + Mindflayer (Hyper girlfriend and her tired boyfriend)

Manequin + Sisyphean soldier (i feel like they dance together to slow music and the manequin is the only thing that makes the headless fella feel grounded and still attached to the world)

Mirage + V1 (Put the pitchforks down please yall the wheel gave me these i don't like this either)

Soldier + Leviathan (Wasn't there a story about some dude that fucked a fish? It suits it, i think.)

Minos Prime + Stray (I don't know why but it reminds me of those tales where a king falls inlove with one of the maids or workers in their castle.)

Hideous Mass + Earthmover (Why does this work somehow??? Idk it just does)

Swordsmachine + Guttertank (Why does this one seem to work as well??? I feel like they'd have that kind of relationship where they'd be the owners of some type of gym or something of that sort)

Sisyphus + V2 (I AM ACTUALLY SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS ONE LET'S GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!)

Streetcleaner + Cerbrus (Arsonist bf and bf that can summon balls of fire in their hands, just hand in hand)

Sorry yall, Gabriel ended up alone. Single ass.

[unknownfrom34]

High Score, Higher Brutality

Another one for @zoanluen's Dead Can Dance AU, now V1's turn to take the stage for this one. I had been thinking what to do with their backstory in this but I think I had to write down and what goes to flow with it. Enjoy!

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

+CHAOTIC

+BRUTAL

+ANARCHIC

Coins flipped into the air as they dashed away from the approaching group of streetcleaners, with one finally leap with the speed and agility they have so far displayed as they carefully aimed their pistol towards one of the coins before opening fire on it.

The laser made contact with the shiny surface of small rounded metal as it bounced off it it, and then onto another one, and another, and another and another-

BOOOM!!!

+ULTRAKILL

The laser went through all seven canisters the Streetcleaners had on their backs exposed, leaving all of them completely vulnerable to attacks from behind the streetcleaners.

They had ranged the coins perfectly to be somewhere between these robots as they all explode in a splatter and rain of red from where they were all standing. Braided hair flowed through the air as they pushed their legs outward, bracing themself for a landing back on the ground, all eight wing-like appendages fan out on balance.

The metal caps at the end of which braid clacked together as they land, two of the braids wavered and drooped to cover one of their glowing, searing yellow eyes as they lifted their head up to survey the damage they wrought, covered in more blood than usual but they didn't mind.

The grid-like battleground was covered in torn and popped bodies as their crimson red decorating the walls and floor.

They saw nothing but another day of cybergrinding for points.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

"So far, they are showing great promise," one scientist commented, mesmerized by the vivid images flickering on the screens. The simulated battle area came alive with bursts of vibrant colors and intense flashes of light.

"I guess they had improved a lot over the week after the previous test, won't you agree?" He turned to face the lead scientist, an older but cold man who emitted an air of indifference, his face revealing no trace of emotion, only a faint hint of boredom.

"It was quite… Efficient," the lead doctor spoke after a minute, his voice tinged with a hint of detachment. The scent of sterile equipment and antiseptic filled the air, mingling with the metallic tang of anticipation. "But despite that display of brutality, it still needs more work."

The man's brows furrowed, a mix of disappointment and frustration etched on his face, as he grappled with the disregard of the Prototype's performance, another setback in the pursuit of perfection.

"Please, you had them doing this for over three months now-" he pleaded, his voice tinged with desperation.

"It's not a 'they', Doctor Carlson, it's an 'it' to our research," the lead scientist coldly corrected, his words resonating with clinical detachment.

"At least it was trying so hard to meet your standards." Doctor Carlson interjected. "Trying so hard to the point of mental and physical exhaustion just to meet the standards of the council on dealing with this virus from the middle ages and the war coming to our doorstep!"

"Oh please." the lead doctor rolled his eyes at this. "You are making my criticisms look like it was the end of the world. It's not like that I would approve of this."

Taking a deep breath, Carlson spoke up finally after calming down. "It- They were just pushing themselves just please you out of all people."

Carlson then looked at the tempered glass, seeing where V1 was hooked up too; their braided hair was loose hanging off either side of their head with strange type of portable headset over their eyes and ears, black breathing mask over their mouth and nose as all of their limbs were bind into the large, metallic cuffs to took up their forearms and calves with their legs clamped together under a steel brace while a metal belt-like brace had also fasten across their waist, leaving them pinned to a rack, completely immobilized in place to prevent escape.

"I know they do but they-" The lead doctor mockingly used the word in his sentence, "-are holding it back; the instinct to survive, the knowledge that a perfect soldier would use to it's disposal with only its hands, show no emotion when it comes to slaughtering the infected monsters and machines."

The lead doctor pointed at the sight before Carlson as if to prove his point. "Let's not forget that you willingly used your own DNA to create a clone of yourself artificially for this project, quite surprising even for me to know this fact. Don't forget who will have your life destroyed with just one ace up my sleeve."

Carlson flinched a little, squirmed in his seat. This did not help matters when the older man had placed his hands on the arm rests at either side of him, leaned in close in his face, face bore a scrawl.

"Tomorrow around this time of day," The lead doctor spoke in a threatening manner, "Try again, and this time, have THEM..." pointing at V1. "Do it right with better results. Understand?"

Silence fell over them with a fog of uncertainty, out of options to win the fight, Carlson had no other choice but to nod to his demands.

The lead doctor said nothing but nodded, content with the younger man's answer as he shifted his body back to standing upright once again as he adjusts the wrist cuffs with closed eyes. Without no more word being said, he turned and then walked out of the red-lit room, door lifting upwards and then downs, closing behind him.

Doctor Carlson, remain silent for a long moment, staying still as he took in what had happened today. Exhaling the breath from his nose as he turned towards the computer, inputting a code before standing up and then headed for the door that leads into the room V1 was in.

The headset on V1 shifted; split down the middle and the pieces slid to either side of their head, opening their sight after a while in them as they shut their eyes tight, trying to keep the light out but sensed someone in front of them as they opened them, looking at Carlson once more.

The prototype, a carbon copy of Doctor Carlson but with defect; the braids of their hair was blue and black compared to his natural one.

"He had failed you again." Carlson delivered, his head hung low in disappointment, V1 couldn't say anything, ether they can't due to not know how to or the mask they are breathing in had prevented them from doing so.

"We wants us to try again." Carlson then at last looked at V1, anger but determined expression on his features. "And we will try again tomorrow, and this time; we'll show him, V1."

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Train, rip, tear, gun range, simulation, results, repeat.

It goes on for hours that bleeds into days for V1.

Are they allowed for breaks after results?

No.

No they don't...

Train, rip, tear, gun range, simulation, results, repeat.

They were allowed to sleep upon the day's other failure as they once again did not match the lead researcher's expectations. They were granted only a few hours of sleep before being woke up by the guards, ordered to drag them back on their feet and then prepare them for the day.

It would usually be Dr. Carlson to wake them up but on the days when he's not, the lead doctor would demand that they will be literally pulled out of their cot just so there won't be any absentness.

Train, rip, tear, gun range, simulation, results, repeat...

It seem to be getting to them with a few things they will admit: they HATED the head doctor so much. They hated to see the same results of their blood, sweat, and tears they poured their best into but only to be meet with "Not good enough," "That's not what we were hoping for," "Is that what you got?" "Good work but it felt meaningless," "Are you trying to make me angry?!" and "This project will be all for nothing. Try again."

The words and sentences swirled and twisted in their mind, days of minimal sleep and mental turmoil taken its toll on them as they were thrown back into their room, windowless and dark safe with a cot and a few drawings etched into the floor and wall with one pencil.

They are giving it all they are worth into these tests.

Train, rip, tear, gun range, simulation, results.... REPEAT

An enraged fist was thrown into a wall, the pavement cracked under their strength and pain was the second to introduce them. Breathing heavily, they pulled back their hand from the dent they made and inspect their knuckles and sure enough, they are bleeding with fingers twitching as if they were forced to run a marathon.

They snarled from the pain and anger at this, only encouraging them to punch the wall once again but retched back with a strangled yell of agony once the pain had hit them once again twice as much as punching a wall again.

Holding their hand to see the damage with little light they have from their wings. Yep... It was too much.

Hunger nagged on their mind and no one's going to get them blood any time soon if it wasn't limited to training so as a result, they brought their bleeding knuckles to their mouth and began to lick.

Licking their own blood to sedate the hunger, they are being watched but in that moment, they just don't care anymore.

Train, rip, tear, gun range, simulation, results, repeat...

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

For the first time in almost several years, they were granted some sleep. Just sleep at last.

They had been told that they will be performing one last test before the project is cancelled. They do recalled being placed in the simulation, recalled being delirious during that time but they do find odd that they were not forced to go to training and gun range as usual. In fact, they can't seem to see Dr. Carlson anyway.

The lead doctor stated to his researchers that Dr. Carlson had been 'retired' from the project from what they heard but... The way he said 'retired' is concerning.

They were slipped into the rack one more time as a mask was put over their nose and more with the headset over their eyes and ears, robbed of both sight and sound before they smelled a sweet smell invading their senses and before they knew it, they had fallen into a peaceful slumber.

───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ─────

Eyes are fluttering open; the smell is gone, their throat dried up but still working oddly as their mind had registered it. The headset had also vanished, fully freeing their eyes and ears as the sounds of sirens blaring as their vision was blurred but red and white flashing before hearing voices saying over their regaining senses.

"V.... restaints.... what hav.... they are.... waking up....!!"

Brain was a strangest organ to have but trying to process the sudden urge and thoughts clashing together at once as they felt the metal relinquish its grip on their limbs. Their eyes shot wide open as the instint took over and soon, they were let loose onto the world they were reintroduced to.

[ultragift]

You're not getting away this time.

FROM: @ultrakill-gabriel TOO: @transgirlsgetswords “combat scene between v1 and v2 (either art or writing)”

Walking up the stairs took longer than usual. Maybe part of it was about giving the other time. Maybe another wanted a dramatic entrance for the ending scene. V1 watched as its counterpart cracked its knuckles, a metallic echo resonating in the empty chamber. New arm, same routine. The air hung heavy with the tension of impending conflict. The only sound as V1 walked closer was the drone of their engines, and the quiet scrape of metal as they prepared to draw arms, each footfall a declaration of intent. As V1 quickly tossed a coin to the shotgun's line of fire, V2 veered left, its wings ablaze in orange hues, seamlessly merging with the torches' fire in the corners. Metallic feet grated across the floor, leaving scuff marks etched alongside the grit-caked tiles, as testament to their relentless pursuit of supremacy.

It knew more about V2 than it did its other fuel sources. It was hard not to when it kept escaping, and, apparently now, because it came back. Every movement was anticipated, winning only determined by who could press the trigger first. One would retreat, the other would attack, matched step for step. V2 would circle, V1 would stay put to fire from above. It was all perfectly even, all calculated, bent on winning.

That's what this was. Fuelled by desperation, and the blood that would keep them moving through hell. Both needed it, both knew they wouldn't get it with the other bent on getting in the way. V1 knew V2. It knew V2 had its attack patterns linked to its wings; it knew how to counter them; it knew vengeance. But along with its arm, there was something else foreign to its twin. Fear. Vengeance. It didn't want to die. It had a score to settle, and a machine to grind into scrap.

Movement. It took one point nought nine seconds to register, longer than usual for V1's systems. Instead of fleeing as it usually did when its wings turned green, a pattern V1 had seen since their first fight, V2 crashed through the side of the chamber, rubble falling to its feet. Or where its feet should be.

Its double wasn't just trying to escape. V2 was taunting it. Racing into a slide down the sun-painted side of the pyramid. Waiting for V1 to follow. Jumping down to chase after it, V1 followed, a momentary flash against the sandstone backdrop. A blur of blue chasing after red. Maybe it was something in its code, seeing its double, red and full of fuel, that activated an instinct far more fitting of an animal than a weapon.

The incline was steep, far steeper than calculated from above the slope. V2 was a deserter, fleeing the battleground of the dust covered tomb. V1 was going to set that straight. Jumping down, its heels dragged across the bricks, hot on the trail of its doppelgänger. It's clear V2 was built during a time of peace. Something in V1's circuits wishes it could gloat. Running from a fight is unsportsmanlike, even when you know you'll lose.

The staccato rhythm of gunfire set the pace for the dance. Fire, dodge, retaliate. Fire, dodge, retaliate. One step forward, one step back. Perfectly mirrored. It was infuriating. It was certainly a strange thing for a weapon to hold a grudge. There's a first for everything, though. It shot the coin before V1 could. V1 punched back with its stolen arm. It wasn't about winning. It was about making sure the other knew the depth of their defeat. Feeling wasn't built into them. It was clawed out of their wires, shot across the floor to drip down and stain what it touched. A cacophony of hatred reverberating through their fuel lines, working overtime as they slid after one another. Hatred. Hatred. It was going to put V2 in its place.

As they descended, the shadows of the pyramid embraced them, elongated and malicious. A final shot reverberated through the ancient structure as a haunting soundtrack. It wasn't just a race; it was a reckoning; a crescendo coming to a climax. A score to be settled.

As V2 slid down the pyramid's face, it fell. The other knew where it was aiming for. V1 had hit its gyroscopic sensors with a nail attractor, making it near impossible to continue combat at this angle. Or at any angle, considering how it fell limp on the stone.

V1's victory was underwhelming, but anticipated. Its counterpart left nothing but its makeshift arm and a pool of wasted blood. V1 leaned down and attached it nonchalantly, and kept moving forward. New arm, same routine.

[garyroachsanderson]

gabriel and v1 slowly tango dancing in the dark cathedral to the fire is gone music box

gabriel gets dizzy easily but they switch it up and it ends up where they’re on top of each other and they’re both very flustered because v1 doesn’t know how to process romance and gabriel is a man of god but they’re really pent up so the tango turns devilish

[astrum99]

God, what if Gabriel won in the second fight?

Do you think he’d regret it?

Can you even imagine? Having an opponent that is so genuine in its intentions of destruction (of survival), wielding strength and weaponry strong enough to go head-to-head against him.

Something that burns with its glowing optic, mirroring wings filled to the brim with weaponry, jumps and dodges and almost mimicking flight. It takes all his strength to not slip up during the fight. All of his attention, focused on one being. V1 draws out his passion furiously and forcefully, claws at his heart until he unravels under the heat of the firearms, and it brutally tears the buried, long-forgotten, illogical feelings out of him. It disregards him (an angel, a judge) as a mere creature.

V1's mere existence goes against everything he knows, and V1's every single act breaks every rule the heavenly council has set. And still, it stands against all, unmoving. An unstoppable force.

What does it feel like to have V1 (this husk, this thing) tear apart everything he knew and everything he is? To have V1 grab the back of his neck and shove his head into the cold bitter truth that he refused, feared, to acknowledge - that he is flawed, that the council is wrong, that their god is gone.

When his devotion and anger are shattered, fire extinguished, what is left in his body is something crude and rough - the same sensations, in the same shape and form, felt by humans upon millennia: a wondering within the guideless, goalless, meaningless life, yet grasping at survival with every string of their existence nonetheless. What does it mean? What am I? What am I here for? How it feels to bear the weight of life when you stare into the void. The time is ticking.

Do you think he would grieve for V1? At that point, the battle is no longer about victory and pride, no longer about responsibility, no longer about preserving the fragile balance within hell. But a pure, animalistic dance of bite and tear and violence and ecstasy that brings crystal clear clarity, plain and simple: nothing else matters except him and V1, at this moment, at this place, fighting, dancing, killing, surviving. To break strings and draw blood. To live.

When he finally tears V1 open, does he see the divinity within the boundaries between gore and metal? Does he regret it?

[kylereadscomics]

Wildstorm Comics Reading Order

So at various times over the last year I’ve been binge-reading Wildstorm comics (Jim Lee’s imprint at Image Comics, originally named Homage, and later sold to and continued at DC Comics). While I’ve been reading, I’ve been organizing them into a good, clear reading order that keeps series and stories together in chunks, but also tries to avoid spoiling anything.

This is where I’m at so far, which goes from the beginnings of the universe in 1992 to about when it was sold to (and began publishing as an imprint of) DC Comics in 1999.

1.       Team One – Team One WildCats #1-2, Team One Stormwatch #1-2

2.       WildCats – WildCats v1 #0-4, WildCats Special #1, WildCats Trilogy #1-3, WildCats v1 #5-6, Cyberforce v1 #2, WildCats v1 #7, Cyberforce v1 #3, WildCats v1 #8-9

3.       Deathblow – Dark Angel Saga – Deathblow v1 #0, Darker Image #1 (Deathblow story), Deathblow v1 #1-12

4.       Stormwatch – Stormwatch v1 #1-3, 0, 4-5, Stormwatch Special #1, Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Stormwatch story), Stormwatch v1 #6-8

5.       Union – Union v1 #1-4, 0

6.       The Kindred – Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Kindred story), The Kindred v1 #1-4

7.       Gen13 – Gen13 v1 #1-5, Gen13 #1/2 (AKA Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Gen13 story)), Gen13 v2 #0-1

8.       Deathblow v1 #13-15

9.       WildCats solos – Warblade: Endangered Species #1-4, Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Maul story), Spartan: Warrior Spirit #1-4, Zealot #1-3

10.   WildCats – Gateway – WildCats v1 #10-13, Wildstorm Chamber of Horrors, WildCats v1 #14, WildCats v1 Annual #1, Voodoo/Zealot: Skin Trade, Grifter One Shot

11.   Wetworks v1 #1-7

12.   Team Seven – Team Seven v1 #1-4, Team Seven v2 #1-3, Team Seven v3 #1-4

13.   Spawn & WildCats #1-4

14.   Stormwatch – Images of Tomorrow – Stormwatch v1 #9, 25 (yes read 25 after 9), 10-17

15.   Wildstorm! #1-3

16.   Deathblow & Wolverine #1-2

17.   Backlash #1-7

18.   Union v2 – Wildstorm Rarities #1 (Crusade story), Union v2 #1-3

19.   Wildstorm Rising Prelude – WildCats v1 #15-16, Stormwatch v1 #18-20, Stormwatch Special #2, Stormwatch v1 #21, WildCats v1 #17-19

20.   Wildstorm Rising – Wildstorm Rising #1, WildCats v1 #20, Union v2 #4, Gen13 v2 #2, Grifter v1 #1, Deathblow v1 #16, Wetworks v1 #8, Backlash v1 #8, Stormwatch v1 #22, Wildstorm Rising #2

21.   Grifter v1 #2-10

22.   Grifter & Badrock #1-2 (no conclusion)

23.   Stormwatch v1 #23-27 (yes, read 25 again here)

24.   Union v2 #5-9, Union: Final Vengeance one-shot

25.   Deathblow #17-19

26.   Cybernary – Deathblow v1 #1-4 (Cybernary backups), Cybernary v1 #1-5

27.   Brass v1 #1-3

28.   Gen13 – Lynch #1, Gen13 v2 #3-7, Gen13/The Maxx, Gen13: The Unreal World, Spider-Man/Gen13, Gen13: Ordinary Heroes #1-2, Gen13: Rave, Gen13 Zine

29.   Wetworks v1 #9-15

30.   Stormwatch v1 #28-34

31.   WildCats v1 #21-28

32.   Grifter v2 #1-7

33.   Backlash v1 #9-14

34.   Brothers-in-Arms – Deathblow v1 #20-21, Gen13 v1 #8-9, Deathblow v1 #22-23, Backlash v1 #15-18, Deathblow v1 #24-25

35.   Fire From Heaven – Fire From Heaven #1/2, Sword of Damocles #1, Sigma #1, Deathblow v1 #26, Fire From Heaven #1, Backlash v1 #19, Gen13 v2 #10, Wetworks v1 #16, Stormwatch v1 #35, Sigma #2, WildCats v1 #29, Deathblow v1 #27, Gen13 v2 #11, Backlash v1 #20, Wetworks v1 #17, Stormwatch v1 #36, WildCats v1 #30, Sigma #3, Sword of Damocles #2, Fire From Heaven #2, Deathblow #28-29

36.   WildCats v1 #31-36

37.   Grifter v2 #8-14

38.   WildCats v1 #37-50

39.   Voodoo – Dancing in the Dark #1-4

40.   Savant Garde #1-7, WildCats: Savant Garde Fan Edition #1-3

41.   Gen12 #1-5

42.   Allegra #1-4

43.   Hazard #1-7

44.   Black Ops #1-5

45.   Grifter/Shi #1-2

46.   Grifter and the Mask #1-2

47.   Shattered Image #1-4

48.   WildCats/X-Men: The Golden Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Silver Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Modern Age, WildCats/X-Men: The Dark Age, JLA/WildCats

49.   Wildstorm Spotlight #1-3

50.   Stormwatch – Change or Die – Wildstorm! #4, Stormwatch v1 #37-47, Wildstorm Spotlight #4, Stormwatch v1 #48-50

51.   Gen13 v2 #12, 13A-13C, 14-15, Wildstorm Halloween: Trilogy of Terror #1

52.   Wetworks v1 #18-35

53.   DV8 v1 #1-4, ½, 5-8, DV8: Rave

54.   DV8 vs. Black Ops #1-3

55.   DV8 v1 #9-13

56.   Gen13 Interactive #1-3

57.   Gen13 Bootleg – Gen13/Generation X, Gen13 Bootleg #1-18, Generation X/Gen13, Gen13 Yearbook 1997

58.   Gen13 v2 #16-17, Gen13 3D Special #1, Gen13 v2 #18-25, Gen13 Bootleg Annual #1, Gen13 Bootleg #20

59.   Gen13/Monkeyman & O’Brien #1-2

60.   Backlash v1 #21-24, Backlash & Spider-Man #1-2, Backlash v1 #25-32

61.   Wildcore – Wildcore Preview, Wildcore v1 #1-10

62.   Phantom Guard #0-6

63.   Wetworks v1 #36-43

64.   DV8 – DV8 Annual 1998, DV8 Preview, DV8 v1 #14-23

65.   Gen13 v2 #26-29, Gen13 Bootleg #19, Gen13 v2 #30-35

66.   Slipstream – DV8 v1 #24-25, Gen13 Annual #2, DV8 Annual 1999

67.   Gen13 v2 #36-41

68.   DV8 v1 #0, 26-32

69.   Stormwatch v2 #1-10, WildCats/Aliens #1, Stormwatch v2 #11

[dextixer]

The good, the bad and the fandom -V9E3 - Rude, Red, and Royal - AMAZING - RETURN TO FORM

Greetings, this post is a part of my ongoing series of threads reviewing the episodes of Volume 9. The link to the second episodes review can be found HERE. This series was started so i could give me opinions, be they good or bad, about the new volume of RWBY and to cover some of the FNDM discourse that is inevitably going to happen over the episodes.

Keep in mind that all of these are opinions and not all of them are what one could consider to be "traditional" criticisms but rather personal preference. Also, for the most part i will not go into detail too much in these, just a general overview.

The Good

Red King - Yes, i know he calls himself a prince but quite frankly i do not care. As far as recreating fairy tale characters this seems like a relatively faithful recreation of the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland, the same ridiculous, over the top and quite insane character.

The VA work is quite great too, being able to switch from threatening, to insane, to childish is quite a feat. Is this character unique? No. But it does what it needs to do perfectly. And quite frankly i cant get mad at a reference here.

I complained about tonal shifts in the last 2 reviews. Well, in this case i cant, because in this case, it makes sense. Queen of Hearts/Red Prince are meant to be unreasonable, insane, childish. Them going from funny/pathetic to genuinely threatening on the drop of a hat is their point.

The Visuals - RWBY is pulling out all of the stops with the visuals this volume. It wasn't nowhere near as visible with the forest, sure, it was bright but nothing truly eye catching. The castle however? Now that had some AMAZING visuals, not only in terms of textures or how things look, but also camera work.

The instant motion with the Red Prince did not bother me at all, that's the kind of energy he kind of needs to have. The Chess board, going from the view of the castle and its inner chambers to seeing only the table, all of these are visually striking.

The Music - I do not want to shittalk Jeff, so please, do not take this as me doing so. I understand that his work schedule took a toll on him, but Casey and her band are showing their prowess by rising up to the challenge currently. While i could not exactly hear the words of the song it felt a lot more unique than many other RWBY songs despite having that similar charm. The Creepy music once Neo gets onto the island is also well made.

The Fight - FUCKING AMAZING! The fight choreography is not the same as Montys was, it lacks the qualities of a dance as it was in the past. And yet, i do not mind it at all. The fight scene was cool and a true return to form for the series i think. The solo choreography of the characters was fine, but the TRUE moment was when they teamed up with their abilities.

Something that we sadly rarely ever see in the series anymore, it reminds me of the old times of V1-V3 when team combos were usually quite visible with team RWBY. Its also quite funny how the Weiss nevermore summon and the kind of attack they do with Yang and Blake reminds me of THE Nevermore fight back in V1. A very simmilar trick, but almost reversed, and not as brutal.

The only minor nitpick i would have about the finisher would be that i think it needed more OOOMPH to it, like, do damage to the board itself, make a crater, really give that IMPACT. But that is a minor nitpick, the fight was fire.

Neo - I have to say, i do like how Neo is just full on out of fucks to give anymore. She is there to kill and noone is going to stop her. It reminds me of Cinder back in V4, the same kind of obsession that comes after seeing arrogance from these characters. Right now Neo is not flamboyant, she is murderous. And i LOVE it. Her semblance getting an upgrade is interesting too.

The Bad

Nothing, and im being serious here. I am not going to find problems where there are none. At best i could maybe make up some minor nitpicks here and there, maybe things will change with a couple of rewatches, but right now i am fresh from watching the episode and nothing serious sticks out to me.

The Episode is just... Its good...

The Fandom

The episode has received quite a wide positive acclaim in general. The only Fandom disagreements were mostly over the role of Weiss and how she is the comic relief, but that is something i have covered before. Mostly RWBY twitter seems to either not be arguing or just rehashing the same old things over and over again (Can you believe that Shanes letter was discussed, AGAIN?)

HOWEVER, there is a single fandom "fight" that has occured, and that is over Neo.

Neo - So, the main discussions have occured whether or not Neo is a sadist or takes enjoyment from the suffering of others and what should her fate be at the end of the volume. Should she stay in the fairy tale, die or come back to Remnant.

I am of the very simple opinion that Neo is a killer that enjoys what she is doing, it has often been shown with her since as far back as Volume 2. While one can definitely write fanfictions making that not the case, at the end of the day it is canon that Neo likes killing/hurting people.

Her fate however is a complex question. On one hand, we already are having an Emerald redemption, as such Neo getting the same treatment is not out of the question. And yet it feels like this volume is leading into a Neo/Ruby confrontation, both due to how done Neo is and how Ruby is also slowly becoming done with it all. Hell, i even have a theory that Ruby will eventually have a break-down after killing Neo.

Ending Word

I had little to say over this episode besides praising it. And that is for the reason, i think that Episode 3 is simply great. Its a LOT better than Episodes 1-2 and the story seems to be picking up the pace and a good rate. I genuinely am awaiting Episode 4.

Of course, these are all just my opinions, everyone else is welcome to agree/disagree or to add on to this in way they deem proper. All opinions are welcome within reason.

[myrc3lla]

HOUSE OF THE DRAGON/FIRE AND BLOOD VERSES.

the dance v1. first a lady in waiting of princess rhaenyra, and a niece of borros baratheon, cella was shipped to dorne and wed to a dornish prince, a cousin of princess aliandra of dorne. a young woman in her 20s by the time the dance began, myrcella found herself wishing to help her former friend and lady, but dorne remains imparcial to the war. she does however offer her home at the dornish marches, near the border of the stormlands as a safe haven.

the dance v2 main. myrcella moves like a chesspiece by her relatives. a lannister and a baratheon, she could ship the scales of the war. while robert baratheon is not the lord of storm's end, he has more popularity than his brother borros and thus, robert only asks for his daughter to be wed to one of the princes. this means she is a prospect bride to jace despite his bethrodal to baela and in turn, she is also offered as a bride to aemond or daeron for the greens.

with her, she brings the force of the stormlands and the gold of the lannisters as well ties and friendship with dorne.

[anakihokahan]

Married to My Sin v1

Married to my sin, no vows, no priest, just chains— cold metal circling my wrists, a ring forged in shame.

In bed with my wrath, its breath hot against my neck, whispering sweet nothings that sound like screams in the dark.

I trace the scars it leaves, fingertips on fresh wounds, nurturing the fire that burns everything I touch.

Having affairs with my greed, slipping into its arms at midnight, craving more than I can hold, taking more than I deserve.

It kisses like poison, leaves me hollow but wanting, and still, I return— a faithful infidel to my hunger.

I dance with my guilt, slow, deliberate steps, but never far enough to leave. This is the life I chose:

A heart divided, a soul sold cheap, married to my sin

[tsukiyadori]

Reading+Listening Log 2024.12 - December

Previous: Reading+Listening Log 2024.11 - November

Year's ending. What's going to be waiting on the other side of the tunnel?

——————————————————————————

Reading languages: German, English, French, Japanese, not listing which was what. (There’s also been some continued music listening attempts at Chinese.)

Titles are as I’ve read them either first or most and thus remember it for that title mostly.

Not going to bother putting in the original titles of translated reads unless there is something worthy of note to it.

Bold titles means series completed, or it was a one-shot.

If it says a volume number, it may mean it has been finished or is still in progress.

Some notes’ content may be subject to repetition here and there, as I also copy some older notes from casual conversations over into these logs and don't go through any rounds of cutting things down.

I will freely use some very lunatastic terms like cheese and fluff, you can find an explanation here: Luna-Lingo.

——————————————————————————

December

Pretty short list for this month.

Somewhat stuck between lethargic can't get out of bed and falling into the pit-trap called bedtime revenge procastination.

Which resulted in a few stunts of staying up really late to make a few deadlines, that I really, really do not wish to repeat.

Light Novels/Web Novels/Asian Novels:

Hell Mode V5p3-6 

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? v15-18

To Every You I've Loved Before + To Me, the One Who Loved You (v1-2)

You Like Me, Not My Daughter?! V2-3

(classified #1 v2)

Manga:

Animeta! v3-5ch28 Black Butler v33ch195 Delinquent Daddy & Tender Teacher v4-5 Der Mond in einer Regennacht/The Moon On a Rainy Night v1-3ch12 Detektiv Conan v102 Domestic na Kanojo v28 Haikyu v45 Kemutai Hanashi ch32.2 Knitter's High ch32.1-3 Lonely Castle in the Mirror v4-5 Okazari Ouhi ni Nattanode, Kossori Hataraki ni deru koto ni Shimashita ~Usagi ga Iru no de Hitorine mo Sabishiku Arimasen!~ ch30.3 Safe & Sound in the Arms of an Elite Knight (Manga) v2ch6-11 The Valiant Must Fall v3ch28 Unnamed Memory ch42.1-2 Watashi wo Tabetai, Hitodenashi ch43.1-3 Yomei Ichinen to Senkokusareta Boku ga, Yomei Hantoshi no Kimi to Deatta Hanashi ch15.2

Webtoons:

Actually none again, huh

Music/Music Videos:

Bold are what were more memorably stuck in my head.

a mesh up from the tail end of the last month and some evergreens, but mostly pretty much the same as last month:

Zhou Shen - 若梦 Zhou Shen - 借梦（《宁安如梦》影视剧“梦”主题曲） YLL GRYM - Wretched City - 15 - the escape Troye Sivan - Blue Neighbourhood - 07 - TALK ME DOWN Troye Sivan - Something To Give Each Other - 07 - Got Me Started SVRCINA - Lucid YLL GRYM - Wretched City - 14 - LUST. VALORANT - Die For You ft. Grabbitz Joywave - Life in a Bubble I Blew (bonus track) (more or less the whole Bubble OST album by Sawano Hiroyuki) Joywave - Traveling at the Speed of Light Joywave, PVRIS - Coming Apart (PVRIS Remix) London Grammar - Oh Woman Oh Man Zhou Shen, Terry Zhong - 春雪 Joywave - Tongues (Eyedress Remix) Joywave - Tongues London Grammar - If You Wait - 17 - When We Were Young Joywave - Every Window Is A Mirror Joywave - Tongues (Giorgio Moroder Remix) London Grammar - Dancing By Night Joywave - Feels Like a Lie The Stickmen Project - Alright The Stickmen Project - Alright (Extended Mix) Zhou Shen - MINE (Live) Zhou Shen - 等你 (Live) 【音乐缘计划】 Zhou Shen - 只与我有关联 (Live) 【音乐缘计划第4期】 Zhou Shen - 忘了我 (Live) 【音乐缘计划第6期】 Zhou Shen - 颠倒之间 (Live) 【音乐缘计划·第2期】 LUNAX - No Heroes ycccc - 万叹 Story of Yanxi Palace OST - 01 - 看 (電視劇《延禧攻略》主題曲) Memphis May Fire - The Burden (Interlude) (Mahouka Koukou no Rettousei OST by Iwasaki Taku)

Notes:

Animeta! v3-5ch28: Not a bad series, and I do like it better than say Shirabako, which came along with too much dramatized pathos. But somehow... it's so down to earth and filled with technical details it's more like a documentary than anything, but still feels like trying to make a plot narrative with the characters, but that somewhat falls flat for me, because the characters aren't very interesting to me. They aren't even badly characterized or anything, but they also just don't stir up any interest either. As a documentary it throws a lot of technical details in, but doesn't really go very deep into it, so not a lot gets retained after walking out of it. In any case, not it's not a bad read, it's apparently it's in bad hiatus land.

Black Butler v33ch195: Right, Mr. Lawnmower-kun is back and I just... Well, whatever.

Delinquent Daddy & Tender Teacher v4-5: The series is pretty comfy and everything, but every so much more now the horny porny content gets a bit errrrr, partly because the explicit level of scenes make it somewhat of a hard recommendation to anyone and now the choice also seems a bit questionable (them going out to some love hotel or like just look for a good time when they are alone at home is one thing, but now they're just doing it in some whatever garden corner outside?? Besides, does that even work with no equipment at hand?) That really just feels too bad. It could have been pretty perfect title to go outside of the BL bubble into even mainstream all ages otherwise.

Der Mond in einer Regennacht/The Moon On a Rainy Night v1-3ch12: What I expected after reading ch1 a long time ago in a preview: Soppy random cheese and a more in your face and thus less nuanced version of I Hear the Sunspot in terms of thematizing the hearing impairment. What I got: Some surprisingly serious discourse on disability with the equality vs. fairness discussion as well as how this is actually more queer than it's genre GL. Like MC already kind of knows she is into girls, which is refreshing as it's none of these meets the other MC and the dramatized OMG-what-is-this-confusions. It's transported very delicately too (like how it's never ever stated she had a crush on her piano teacher, but if you piece things together you get the picture), all mixed in with doubts and also a heavy deal of subconscious denial, which also isn't dramatized, despite there being material for trauma substancially implied, it's there, subtly nagging and eating at her, fuelling her guilt, about the ulterior motives accusation of Miss little sister, and it's both right and wrong at the same time. The invitation of the hairdresser lady and her stated intention of she really just wanted to tell her "before she starts believing what society tells her", is a pretty nice supportive thing to be there before all the usual notorious suffering-because-queer sob stories could even start to sprout their traumatizing tentacles into a big tree you need a see-saw to fell. (That is also one of the things I quite like about Kieta Hatsukoi so much.)

Detektiv Conan v102: I've been thinking this for a while, but yes, this series has definitely become more and more of a romCom...

Domestic na Kanojo v28: Oh hell, I'm through. What a dumpster cheese ride. Hina really has had it for her with all the creeps trying to destroy her life. The whole coma and waking up from it is a little bit Plot Suffering and Plot Armor (same with how just about anyone gets to be pretty successful in life), but I do like what Rui has to say about their relationship to her mother and how she already has all she could want from him, and it's not like any of that going to go away, marriage or not or with her sister is back in the picture, so none of it is a problem. Now, this is vastly more interesting than anything else in the series and the series would have been so, so much more interesting if it had simply started that way. Oh, well. The surprise GL-Side plot was also fairly decent. (Actually did we ever see what became of that friend of Miss acterss who was into the latter? Last thing I remember is her comforting her when she got rejected by just being a friend for that one time or something.) All things said and done, it does have its good scenes. And then also many a few creeps too many. And even more dumpster cheese.

Haikyu v45: And there the series ends, and well. I did like the series in the beginning up to around where the Anime season 1 ends, that's where it kind of still remained tangible. But after that it increasingly was just... they take it so super serious, also they are going to do it professional and everything, and it just feels like something far beyond the other side of the fence and with that sense it just also went to be increasingly boring to me. (Didn't help I'm not too interested in volleyball itself.) Also had me to think back to the Anime of Stars Align which specifically picked up soft tennis as a sports theme to avoid exactly that sort of impression.

Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon? v15-18: Ok, v14 was all action and drama and Lyu is best girl, so v15 being a slower breather and a sort of calm before the storm volume was fine. It also probably is the first volume that feels like it expects you to have read the Oratoria spin off, with all the ominous implications about Aiz and then not doing anything with it really. I did very much like that part where Hestia and Bell ruminated over their old times and the narration kinda makes pretty clear what their sort of relationship really is beneath all the daily antics. So then, after the slow and pace reducing calm of that volume, v16.... is a romCom. All of a sudden a RomCom?! Looking at the cover, I was kinda thinking Syr had to be some sort of sister, daughter, clone or homunculus or some such from Freya, because they looked so incredibly similar. Well, way to be warm, but still completely off the mark. Also, the RomCom definitely was one, but also pretty serious business after all, and I'd say the narrative structure and plot twist of it all is really quite cleverly done. I also like how the volume numbers have started to get integrated into the art since v15. Pretty eyecatching. v17 comes along with an AU-not-really setting as someone who has some base interest in alternate reality settings that one was fairly interesting, too. And I hadn't even known about Hestia being a viginial goddess before somehow. Now that sheds a whole different light in her antics of trying to protect Bell from any sort of nefarious cheese and at the same time makes it ever so much more ironic, that she is running around in that outfit of hers. V18 went on to be weaker until Lyu showed up, and she's so badass!! Go kick anyone else out of the cheese race! .... Though I feel like it's probably not going anywhere given v15 has her join the band of brutes to hit Bell in her jealousy. Why did you have to dooo thattttt. ;_; Anyway, here is hoping she comes back to her senses...

Kemutai Hanashi ch32.2: It's literally a 1:1 adaption of the doujin version with updated art and a bit more visual space to breathe, but all the dialogue lines remained the same. Pretty much word by word. You really get to notice, this is the core of it all and it didn't just remain unchanged, this has always been in such a pristine form, it did not really need any more to be said. Curious what is to come after this milestone. The commentary on Hayashi-sensei's pixiv fanbox also mentioned that things are starting with this, because after this there are things possible only because it has come though this and it definitely has my curiosity.

Also.

I'm wincing in signs.

You know this series has quite a lot of passages, that kinda... are like something like cinematic still life? Like those zero dialogue scenes. I didn't even notice it the first round of reading when I started the series back in 2022, but if you look closer a lot of those scenes are crammed full of little sign details or loads of sfx. And for reasons after the previous month of November passed I probably also can never read things the same way as in the past again. Paying overproportionally too much attention to signs totally is my new occupational hazard/disease which I've not thought though before it all whatsoever. @_@

Lonely Castle in the Mirror v4-5: This is not a bad series and I guess its message is also nice and everything. But it's plot twist was just a little bit too easy to see through, especially in a world after the mainstream blockbuster Your Name has come to existance and given that some of these characters live past the timeline in which that movie exists it just seems a little bit stretched that any of them realizing it took so long. Especially when they even discussed typical SciFi-Plotlines. Otherwise slightly confused about the sister character being dead, but also saying she'd see to what she can do to her brother when he asks her to live and then also an aged version of her showing up in MC's random daydreams and doing... something?I'm not even sure what the daydreams are good for.

To Every You I've Loved Before + To Me, the One Who Loved You (v1-2): This was an interesting series. I do like those AU, alternate dimensions, multiple world theories things and all the what if contemplations quite a deal to begin with and this one even has some pseudo science in place that makes just about enough sense while also not going into techno babbling. And a few things that essentially are just a Reading Steiner and attraction fields without using those series specific terms. I also hadn't heard about the guiness beer downstream bubbles part and finding out that this was a real thing was definitely quite intriguing. Narratively it's being fairly clever with the two volumes standing opposite to each other. The first even manages to somewhat stand alone, but still leave enough open for a second. When I started the second volume I kinda expected it to be about the MC who didn't become a scientist, has met Kazune in school, but still didn't get to be with her, to whic world he did slip shortly, but instead it was an entirely timeline altogether. I also quite like the focus on, this is this timeline, things are like this because this was simply the one possibility the narrative followed and there is plenty of others. This is something I kinda missed in e.g. Orange, where everything in that timeline just fell in line towards a happy ending while feeling kinda shoehorned at places. Always felt like if it just mentioned in the prologue or anywhere, that this was just the one lucky world of so many other failures, it would have come off so much better. Here it didn't even feel really all that shoehorned and the emphasis makes it even more grounded. But I'm just a bit confused about the ending and the ghost. The whole point of v2 was to save Shiori from her ghost existence was it? But at the end of of v1's timeline MC still gets to see a ghost shortly before meeting the elderly Shiori. And the epilogue of v2 features the PoV of some ghost, even if it's amnesiac, so we don't know if it's still Shiori or maybe even a ghostified MC. Anyway, wouldn't mind a third volume exploring more timelines, the base premise has enough ground to lend itself to many more character fates, but those two volumes are pretty roundly conclusive.

You Like Me, Not My Daughter?! v2-3: .... I suppose I am at fault myself to continue reading it in the train, but the double down on the spicy fanservice illustrations was just. Haaaahrghh. Anyway, I quite like the discourse about Miu rooting for them both and this whole going from the childish want to marry Taku to thinking it's even greater if he could just become her dad. It does it's share of subtly dismantling a few role stereotype, also with how at times she is more in the role of the Mom rather than Ayako. Ayako's blushy innocent maiden bits are a bit exhausting at times, but she can go back to being an adult too. The Magical Girl Otaku reversible thing and Miu's picture are a neat narritive tie in. Just curious how much more it may get, because it's had quite some paragraphs (or a whole chapter at that) devoted to it. (It just pops out more, because the volumes remain rather short.)

Music:

Not really been listening to music in any way attentively, so it was mostly the same old thing from the month before. And by the last third I was wrapped in a little insane private project of mine it was pretty much almost exclusived just Memphis May Fire - The Burden (Interlude). I needed something endlessly loopable, and this turned out to be very loopable in that month.