#a lot more 'hey wouldn't this be interesting' in a speculative way

[studentinpursuitofclouds]

Bachelors reacting to a farmer who is a famous author with plenty of books under their belt?

Sure thing :D Thanks for your ask, dear anon!

_________________________________________

Elliott:

Elliott had recognised Farmer as soon as they first met near Willi's shop. And how could he not - a famous writer in the horror genre, whose lines skilfully present anxiety and intrigue to the reader, had come here to Stardew Valley! On top of that, it was Farmer who was the one who inspired the ginger writer not to give up on his writing path despite the comments of others. Naturally, the two will find quick common ground, exchange ideas and advice about their work (if Farmer continues to write novels in addition to their new job), or just relax over a mug of strong ale. Elliott is delighted to meet them and hopes that the Valley will become a home and a place of inspiration for Farmer, just as it has become a home for Elliott.

Sebastian:

At first, Sebastian couldn't believe his own ears when he heard Farmer's first and last name during their meeting, but then, upon asking Farmer again a little later, they confirm the local emo's speculation. The new farmer who has taken over their grandpa's old house is the author of all five volumes of Cave Saga, his favourite books! Sebby loves science fiction and sci-fi, and Farmer's works in this genre are bestsellers in the Republic and a gem in Sebastian's personal collection of his books and comics. He will be a little awkward at first to approach them due to his shyness and reluctance to show himself like an obsessive fan or something. But Farmer turned out to be a very chill and nice person, with whom Sebastian became friends pretty quickly.

Shane:

After Shane had replied to Farmer upon introduction in a not too polite manner, he wondered if somewhere he had heard their surname/name before. Not the chatter of townsfolk who were intrigued by the new resident of the Valley, much earlier. The realisation came when he started reading Jas her favourite bedtime story (which Shane also secretly loved) in the evening. "The Brave Little Sapling. Author-" !!! No way... Could it be a coincidence? But overheard conversations of others confirm that Farmer is the same author. Sigh... Though it's a children's book, it raised some pretty adult issues, and helped Shane to not give up and to appreciate what we have. He doesn't know how to address Farmer now, after a not very great first meeting, but he thinks it's worth apologising at least.

Alex:

Perhaps Alex would have reacted to the news that Farmer was a famous writer more surprised or enthusiastic. The thing is - and he's ashamed to admit it - he hasn't read very many books in his entire life. Athlete, however, wants to catch up, and has been blowing the dust off some of the books on his shelf since last week. Most of them were as boring as integrals, to be honest, but 'Jack Be Nimble, Jack Be Thick' has become his favourite. Easy to understand, lots of pictures, some puns, and very cool tips for him - no wonder it's the most popular according to reviews. "This is my first volume, I already wrote a second one." Wait... Farmer is the author of this book? Hey, there's so much great advice in there! That's awesome! Now Alex is super excited.

Sam:

Not to say that Sammy is a big fan of books, he's more of a comic book fan, but there are a couple of exceptions. One great fantasy book, based on which people created some great video games and produced a lot of comics - naturally the young guitarist, who loved the franchise, wanted to know the source material, and the book was even more interesting. When he mentioned it to Farmer, the Valley's newest resident, about it, they told him they were the author of the book. Which made Sammy's jaw drop with shock. He couldn't contain his delight and would ask questions about the fictional world, but wouldn't disturb their peace if they didn't want to. Whether they continue write or not, Sam will thank them for a great book and a cool fictional world Farmer created.

Harvey:

Hmm, funny coincidence..... The surname of the new resident of the Valley and Harvey's patient is exactly the same as the surname of the author of one of the most popular love novels, "The Apple Orchard." Yes, the doctor is a fan of this book series, he's not just into medical reference books and encyclopaedias about aeroplanes, you know. True, now he's heard that the author wanted to retire... "Well, not exactly, I wanted to take up farming and make writing a hobby again, not a full-time job." Not a coincidence, then... Harvey is pleasantly surprised that his new friend is his favourite writer, also a decent man and a calm patient during check-ups. The relationship won't change much, the doctor doesn't want to inundate Farmer with a bunch of questions about book universe. Maybe later, if they want to talk about their novels over a cup of coffee.

[marquisguyun]

Happy Fall from your Fall in Langya partner! It is a new year for the event, a new year in fandom. Do you have any headcanons for the next lifes of the characters? (If not, any that you are thinking of now? Do you think Lin Shu can fulfill his promise and be ordinary people with his loved ones?)

Oh hello! What a great question!

Hmm I'm not sure if I have any specific headcanons for their next lives! I think part of that is that I haven't gotten around to watching NIF2 yet, and while I am very happy to ignore later canon if I decide I don't like it, I do like to keep an open mind about it to start with. So I would want to know what happened to all of the characters that we have that information for (altho of course some like Mei Changsu are dead by the end of NIF.)

I do have a vague "I hope they'll be happy" type wish for them, after everything...

(And then of course all of this is separate from what I may or may not be interested in reading if someone wrote a fanfic about their next lives or something, because 1. I'm willing to explore different headcanons and stories even if I wouldn't say that they're *my* headcanon per se and 2. mostly reincarnation stories post-canon interest me where either the characters remember their previous lives or there's a lot of dramatic irony for the reader, neither of which necessarily involve uncomplicated happiness for the characters.)

Also now that I'm thinking about it, my headcanons for next lives would also depend on how far into the future we're talking about with these lives + what characters I may be shipping... Like I thought Lin Shu/Mu Nihuang was great while watching the show, and I am still fond of that ship, but when I dived into the fandom I also got converted to shipping Jingsu (wasn't hard to convert me tbh) and just like,, Logistically if we're talking about Lin Shu and Xiao Jingyan as friends/cousins vs all that and lovers my headcanons/hopes for their future lives would be different, especially in modern day with the cousin thing. Are any of these characters likely to have the exact same relationships in a new life as in an old one? No, of course not, but I have thought about that since I've occasionally read modern AU fics that kept relationships intact to various degrees

I think I kinda got off of the question but hopefully some of that made sense 😂

Happy Fall!

[rune-rambles-art]

Okay I have to yell about Koleda Belobog Zenless Zone Zero because I feel like I love her in a very specific way that I haven’t seen a lot of people talk about. More under the cut because I have,,, so many thoughts.

Koleda is such a good portrayal of someone who struggles with their perception as an adult. A pretty easy conclusion to make with the first thing she usually says on the character select screen being “Hey, don’t look down on me!”, but it definitely goes a lot deeper the more you spend time with her. Specifically, she seems to struggle in her perception of herself as someone much more mature than her younger peers, but still not on the same level as the adults in similar positions of power as her. I kinda. Hate zenless for not explicitly stating how old she is, but given she rose to her position at Belobog “when she came of age” (which honestly, I still can’t give a concrete answer to what hoyo means by this? Some searches I found claimed the working age to be 16 in China, I’ve seen others online claim 18 but that’s not reliable. Hoyo I'm begging you put official ages on your characters it's a cool and based practice), she waited for a significant amount of time before taking up her role as president. She is an adult from what the game implies, and a core part of her character is fighting against the constant infantilization she faces due to how she looks.

Let’s start with her love of desserts (and a honestly this is the reason I started writing this). It’s her most highlighted character trait (it is also the first known attribute in her trust rank profile when you unlock her), and most of her trust events on 6th street revolves around them. Initially, she hesitates in proclaiming her love for them, likely to avoid being perceived as childish.

Her rank 4 trust special event is, admittedly, my favorite, but it’s one of the best breakdowns of this.

In order to maintain her image as a mature adult, she uses her position as company president to get around having to request a special dessert drink by name (in her defense, "Sweet Girl Fluffy Marshmallow Lambkin Milk" is an insane mouthful of a product name). At the end of the event she admits that saying its name “wasn’t as bad as she thought”, but her initial kneejerk reaction was a complete rejection of even entertaining the idea of doing something that could put the image she worked so hard to create and maintain at risk. Despite this, she still refuses desserts that aren't tooth-rottingly sweet, even if they are seen as the more mature or "refined" option. It's only around people that she really trusts does she allow this part of herself to be known, because she knows they wouldn't misconstrue this behavior as childish.

I also think her perception on the differences between kids and adults is interesting ("thank you agent story quest" we all say in unison). She doesn't ever feel like she fits in with other kids, probably due to all the responsibility she had to take on as the eventual heir to her father's company. But she also holds a vocal distain for many of her adult peers. Her declaration of "When I was younger, I thought the whole world was rotten, trying to make people just as rotten when they grow up." is a reflection of how she struggled to find her place in the world as she was forced to suddenly transition into adulthood, while still trying to understand the actions of the adults around her.

Her relationship with her father becoming strained contributed significantly to her world outlook as well, and may have caused such a specific distinction of what she deems "the world of adults". I don't want to dive too specifically into that because spoilers and the game is only a few weeks old so. Pin that for another time maybe? It definitely matters in the sense that the loss of her father is the catalyst for the loss of her childhood, but a lot of the specifics in how that affected her are speculative (and I don't wanna get too headcanon-y in this particular post) and she explicitly chooses not to discuss it too in-depth with the proxy (which, girl. Valid). But she's slowly learning to cope with that loss, at least it seems that way by the end of chapter 3. Honestly I could probably find more to add about the agent story in particular, but I would have to replay it to get a better idea.

To me, Koleda Belobog is very solid representation for women who had to grow up too fast, struggle with the perception of being seen as an adult, and hold guilt about indulging in acts that can be perceived as childish by their peers because they never fully got the chance to just be a kid. It truly did resonate with me, and it feels like such a specific "if you know, you know" kind of experience that I don't feel is talked about as much in media, especially with people who identify as female during their youth.

Also, also! I hope they dive in a bit more on how she got/has so much hollow corruption at a young age. Because they imply that she is so short as a result of this hollow corruption. Like that's so damn interesting conceptually and I know they delved on it more in Rina's agent story but. It was more of a mental affliction than a physical one.

Anyway I've been working on this for like 2 days now but that's all I have in terms of like. A canon-compliant character analysis.

TLDR; Koleda is such a perfect example of "God forbid short women exist" and I love her for that. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.

[r0semultiverse]

Was Celia drunk as fuck or is this something supernatural?? 👀

Who the fuck is Jack?? 👀

Alice is such a delight, I love her!

Oof so one or both of them have trauma involving grandparents then.

I love Samama & Alice so much. 💜 They have a great dynamic!

Oh shit, right, Gwen is probably still getting over Mr. Bonzo too. 👀

"I just… I dunno. When I left the coffee shop, it felt like someone was following me."

Please don't take away Alice, she's one of my faves! I hope this post doesn't age poorly. Watch me have to quote this post very soon.

OH NO, is it that [ERROR] following her??? 😰

"Don’t joke about that, mate. I was dreaming about it all day." Okay, yeah, that's a creature.

Sam & Alice are both about to run into a creature... 👀

"Classifying unspeakable horrors all night for no discernible reason?" @/entities-of-posts & @/which-entity-this-post-serves is that you? :]

Hmm, now why is this episode called "marked?" I assumed Mr. Bonzo was gonna find his mark, but maybe Alice is marked by an entity/creature that was locked in the Magnus Institute?

"giving up the ghost" okay so someone saw an apparition? Honestly not sure what entity this episode is about so far.

It's giving The Corruption ✨🧟‍♀️⚰️ (maybe The Buried)

"It’s just that one of the graves had a body in that was too well-preserved for the age it should have been." 👀👀👀

This thing is about to jump out of the grave & run off, isn't it? 🏃‍♂️

"The back was completely covered in this complicated tattoo of a ship sailing across an open sea towards an open horizon." Peter Lukas?!?!?

Oh 100% The Buried, without a shadow of a doubt.

Lots of tattoo & carvings in walls imagery in this sequel prequel sidequel, isn't there? 👀

Hey wait, that's Ink5oul from episode 2, isn't it? 👀 Ink5oul definitely feels like a conduit or vessel for The Flesh or some other kind of entity.

Okay, there's something weird going on with this place, the salt water & waves near this cemetery are kind of seemingly enticing them to come drown in it's waters. In the very least it's messing with these guys' mental states! Pretty freakkyyyy! 👀🌊

Also the repeated emphasis on dreams is interesting this episode, wonder if that'll play a part in something later on. 👀👀

"If it’s any consolation, he’s with the sea now. The deep will care for his bones." I literally called it!!

I think Gordon Alan Johnson also wants to be with David. 👀🌊🌊

I think Gordon Alan Johnson also wants to be with David. 👀🌊🌊

I don't know, Gordie, I think you did it! Unless Ink5oul is collecting tattoos like an alternate universe version of the Leitner books. Wait yeah, what if the tattoos are like conduits for the entities of this world or even the original one? 🖌

Another way to look at this is asking... Is The Deep a new entity/fear or is it a servant of a fear like The Vast? I stg there was a colossal water monster at some point in The Magnus Archives!

Okay so yeah, there's already a precedent for this. Also feels like The Lonely, The Buried, The Corruption, The Vast, & maybe even The Flesh are all involved in this one though I don't know if Flesh (Ink5oul) is working with or against the other fears at this time.

Gwen, you can tell your coworkers what's wrong, oh my fucking god. Please. Celia, you have me so invested in whatever is going on with you.

Weird unexplained noise at 17:44 too as Celia enters the office. Wonder what that's all about, maybe it'll come up later on.

"He is one of our Externals." Okay; so, there's more of them & they have their own secret hitman title too!

Mr. Bonzo when he was on TV

"And they usually like it." I bet fear creatures do like it when you scream. That makes a lot of sense actually.

Also what's that weird "boowomp" noise as they're talking or is it just the OST? 👀

Is Gwen going to be turned into something not quite human at some point? Just throwing darts at a board with that speculation, but wouldn't that be wild?

Okay; so, these little digitized noises are absolutely important!

I wonder how many times & when people have lied so far throughout this season. 👁️👁️

[adobe-outdesign]

geodude line review pls plus the alolan forms

Geodude is a rock with a face and arms. Which is great if you like rocks with faces and arms. It's not my favorite rock creature (I'm more of a Roggenrola person myself), but it is simple and straightforward, and the concept of a boulder creature that rolls around to move is pretty fun. Not much to talk about visually, other than it being a very low-contrast design. Also, I like the segmented mouth.

Graveler always seemed like just a better Geodude to me. It's the same premise—monotone boulder creature that rolls around with a face and arms—but they do an interesting thing by making the face smaller, adding a ridged, craggy area above said face, and giving it not one, but two sets of extra limbs. It adds a lot of interest and fleshes out the premise while not really changing anything too drastically. Surely the next evolution will be even better, right?

Nope, never mind.

I mean, I don't hate Golem—the reptilian features are interesting and provide a unique twist on the basic rock monster model, and hey, it's at least unique. But it does undeniably come out of the left field, sporting a higher-contrast body, a separate head and limbs, and reducing the number of said limbs down to four.

I've heard a lot of speculation as to why, but most of it is just that, baseless speculation. The most likely reason is that it's a Blastoise situation, wherein two separate rock creatures got merged early in development to avoid repetition. Regardless, that doesn't make it work any better with the rest of the line.

Also, as a design itself, I can't help but not like it as much as Graveler anyway. The head makes it impossible to roll despite the 'dex claiming otherwise, and the overall design is just less coherent. Like I said, the reptilian parts are interesting, but that's about all it has going for it.

Alolan Geodude is actually pretty solid. It drops the rock/ground typing (which I always found confusing anyway; what about the original justified it being ground?) in favor of rock/electric, represented by adding some magnetic shavings to the body.

These shavings really help the design, mostly because they greatly increase the contrast and help break things up without over-complicating anything. Those big 'ol black eyebrows just feel right, and the addition of "hair" is fun.

In addition, this design also makes the body more of a gray color (once again, fits with the dropped ground typing) and reduces the hands down to two mitten-like structures, which does feel good given the shape of the body. Overall, a solid improvement across the board.

Unfortunately, things go downhill a bit when we get to A. Graveler. The eyebrows still look great, and I like the little shavings that accent the head ridge as well. It still retains the similar mitten-like hands, the shape of which now really compliment said head ridge.

However, it randomly adds these yellowish-orange crystals all over its body, which I just do not get. They compete too much with the shavings, and they feel like an afterthought. I guess the idea was to add more color to the design? But they already fixed the low-contrast issue with the shavings. Maybe they wanted yellow to hint at the electric-typing more? Who knows. Either way, the design would look much better without them.

Also, for some reason it goes back to a brownish color instead of retaining the cooler gray of A. Geodude. Why? The gray not only looked better, but further helped with the contrast, and dropping it just reduces the line's coherency.

And A. Golem... yeah no, never mind.

The shavings have progressed from body hair to a straight-up beard, which is fine, I guess, though something about the body hair kind of worked; maybe it's just because it added to the "strength" idea with Graveler's bare arms, whereas the beard just feels random.

However, the beard wouldn't be too bad in and of itself... except they also added a giant rail gun to its back. It's just like, what? Why?? Where did that come from? I know that it's electric-type, but there was no thematic build-up to this (unless you count the inside yellow crystals from Graveler). It competes way too much with the beard, and makes the overall concept harder to disconcern.

Also, even putting that aside, the colors are really muddied here (still retaining the brownish color while using three different shades of gray/brown, none of which are high enough contrast), and it has these really weird baby arms. The simplified toes look good at least, and I do like the extra definition added to the face with the eyebrow ridges, but this really does not work as a whole. Which is a shame, because A. Geodude was a fantastic start.

As a whole, the original line is simple but effective, bogged down only by the sharp turn into Golem. The Alolan line starts off strong and tries to improve the design a bit, but unfortunately gets bogged down with too many details as it goes on.

[merbear25]

number 10 for the follower event with crocodile - san x m!reader? i love your work 🥹🥹

Hey, hey! Thank you for sending in this request and the kind words! I really hope you like what I've written. 💜💜

An offer you couldn't refuse

CW: SFW, m!reader, working for Crocodile

Having to cut his underlings could get rather messy. None of them were able to maintain their duties, which lead to them being led to the chopping block. Such incompetence weighed on him, drilling the pounding of frustration into his core. Wanting to start anew, he could only trust himself and Mr. 1 to find those suitable to help rebuild a name for himself.

Word got around of a rookie with a bounty on a steep incline. Rumors of emerging potential would be kept as such until he had a chance to observe you, witnessing your gossiped skills for himself.

After so many were failing to meet his standards, watching you reignited that flame within him: lethal intentions masked by a sense of poise and professionalism. You were a young man, yet carried yourself with confidence many wouldn't gain until much later in life―one who seemed to be the perfect one to break this dry spell.

Approaching you carefully at the local tavern, he dropped subtle hints that he was looking for some spots to fill. You recognized him immediately. How could anyone not realize they were talking to Crocodile? Despite the thrill of a man with such a dastardly reputation engaging in conversation with a rookie like you, your nerves were kept under wraps.

Upon first meeting you, his hunches on your abilities were proven to be accurate; the self-confidence you held was far from a ploy to get people talking. You, by all accounts, appeared more than capable of aiding him in his duties. After all, such talent shouldn't go to waste.

When he offered you the opportunity to work under him, you took him up on it without a second thought. You weren't necessarily interested in the power that'd come with working under him; he offered chances that you wouldn't have access to otherwise, ways of working your way up to a better life.

Considering what made you want to jump at his offer, it dawned on you that he was a man who you speculated to have had a rough upbringing. He was someone you aspired to be like, someone who not only had the power to do as he pleased but also held the wisdom to wield it properly.

Thinking the best way to have you become accustomed to his methods was to spend more one on one time together, you two discovered that you held a lot of the same views on the world. Despite that nagging voice in his ear trying to convince him that you were not a person he could trust, the foundations of your relationship were set in motion.

Even if you were a tad star struck, you still managed to keep a level head. Your perception tuned into how your soon to be boss was harboring some trust issues―issues you'd have to fight against in a seemingly endless uphill battle.

Having taken the time to gain better insight into the mechanics of his mind, you were tactful on how you'd earn his grace. Instead of pushing him to accept you, you continued showing him you were worthy to stand by his side.

As time passed and your support withstood the countless tests, your unwavering devotion spoke volumes. One day after returning from a mission, he confronted you asking with a smirk, "Are you sure about this?" His suspicions of you had long since been laid to rest, now with only faint undertones of the excitement to come.

When you responded with whole-hearted dedication, he gave you a satisfied smile. Nodding in approval at your willingness to follow him into the danger you'd surely find yourselves in, he saw you as someone full of potential, someone he could help flourish into something spectacular.

Placing a firm hand on your shoulder, he told you, "There is much more waiting for us."

[piastrixpole]

chapter eight

pairing: oscar piastri x carlos sainz

genre: written, love island au

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Daniel's sudden departure cast a long shadow over the villa, shifting its dynamic in ways that none of the islanders could have fully anticipated. The easy-going atmosphere they'd built over the past days now felt brittle, each of them acutely aware that eliminations were no longer a distant threat but a reality hanging over them.

The firepit conversations, once filled with banter and light-hearted teasing, became heavier. Who could they trust? Who was actually building something real, and who was coasting on connections that wouldn't survive the next re-coupling? It was hard to say.

Maxine, now officially single, bore the brunt of Daniel's departure. While she'd been quick to put on a brave face, the quiet moments when she thought no one was looking betrayed her. She laughed along with the others when Pierre joked about her now being "the most eligible bachelorette," but it was clear she was still processing what had happened.

For Oscar, the week felt like a lesson in how fleeting security in the villa could be. As much as he and Logan had grown closer—sharing stolen kisses on the terrace and whispered late-night conversations—it wasn't lost on him that alliances could shift in a heartbeat. And there was always the wildcard of new arrivals, ready to turn the villa upside down again.

Even Carlos, whose usual confidence seemed unshakable, had moments where he lingered near the edge of conversations, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful. "Losing Dan like that," he said one evening as they all sat by the pool, "makes you think about what you're really doing here. Like, who you actually want to stick with."

The producers, of course, weren't helping matters. There were whispers of an upcoming challenge that would test everyone's connections—or expose their lack of them. Even Fernando's impish smile during his occasional visits seemed more ominous than usual.

By midweek, the villa was buzzing with quiet speculation about who might be vulnerable in the next elimination. Oscar found himself caught between gratitude for Logan's steadying presence and a nagging awareness that nothing was guaranteed. The fallout from Daniel's departure had unsettled everyone, and as much as they tried to keep the mood light, the weight of the looming re-coupling was impossible to ignore.

Oscar caught Logan's hand one evening as they walked to the firepit. "This week's been a lot," he admitted softly.

She squeezed his fingers and smiled, though there was a flicker of unease in her eyes. "Tell me about it. But hey, at least we're in it together."

For now, that was enough. But Oscar couldn't help but wonder how long "together" could truly last in a place where everything—even relationships—seemed to be built on shifting sands.

Things really ramped up another notch though when Friday rolled around again. The morning sunlight bathed the villa's breakfast nook as the islanders gathered around the long table, bowls of cereal and cups of coffee scattered across its surface. Laughter and light chatter filled the space until Maxine's phone buzzed loudly against the wood, silencing the group instantly.

Maxine grabbed it, her face lighting up in mock dread as she read the message. "Oh, no. Islanders," she began, drawing out the word dramatically. "Tonight, two new bombshells will enter the villa. Get ready to welcome Fred and Jack. #NewArrivals #StepUpOrStepOut."

The table erupted into a mixture of groans, laughter, and exclamations.

"Oh, come on!" George threw his hands up, his spoon clattering back into his bowl. "We just started finding a groove!"

"Speak for yourself," Francisca said, arching a brow as she reached for her coffee. "I think it's about time things got interesting again."

"Yeah, of course you do," Charlotte quipped, shaking her head. "You're still riding high from your bombshell debut."

"Well, it's a good thing they're coming in now," Pierre said, smirking as he leaned back in his chair. "You know, before we all get too boring."

"Boring?" Alex repeated, throwing a grape at him. "Speak for yourself. Some of us were actually enjoying the peace."

Logan leaned toward Oscar, her voice low. "Peace? Has he met this villa?"

Oscar chuckled, but his mind was already whirring. Two new people meant two more threats to the balance they'd all just started to establish.

"So, who do we think they're here for?" Carmen asked, her tone edged with curiosity—and maybe just a little apprehension.

"Everyone," Francisca replied with a knowing smile. "That's what bombshells do. They don't come in to make friends."

"You sound like you've been doing the producer interviews again," George joked, earning a ripple of laughter.

The table grew quiet for a moment, the reality of what was coming sinking in.

"They're probably going to go for the strongest couples," Carmen said thoughtfully. "That's what they always do—to see if they can break them up."

"Well, let them try," Logan said firmly, her eyes meeting Oscar's.

Oscar felt a flicker of reassurance at her words, but it didn't stop the small knot of nerves tightening in his stomach.

"What do you think they're like?" Alex asked, breaking the tension.

"Fred sounds English," Charlotte said, drumming her fingers on the table. "Probably tall and ridiculously charming."

"And Jack?" Pierre chimed in.

"Definitely Australian," Francisca said, her smile widening. "I mean, the name alone."

"Great," Carlos muttered. "Two guys with accents. We're doomed."

"Coming from you? You're fine," Francisca teased, flicking a piece of toast at him. "You're Carlos. You'll charm them before they even finish introducing themselves."

"But what about everyone else?" Alex asked, grinning as he gestured around the table.

"Step up or step out, apparently," Pierre said, laughing as he echoed the hashtag.

The table settled into a hum of conversation again, but Oscar stayed quiet, his gaze fixed on his plate. The villa was about to change again, and for the first time since Logan had picked him at the recoupling, he felt an edge of uncertainty creep in.

As the sun climbed higher, the islanders buzzed with speculation about the new arrivals. Conversations ebbed and flowed, each one laced with curiosity and a touch of apprehension. Oscar had been unusually quiet, his thoughts more inward as the hours ticked by. Eventually, he couldn't ignore the nagging feeling any longer.

He found Logan lounging by the pool, her legs dangling in the water as she chatted with Maxine. The sight of her, sun-dappled and smiling, calmed him a little, but it didn't erase his need to address the swirling thoughts in his head.

"Logan," he said, catching her attention with a small smile. "Mind if I steal you for a bit?"

Logan glanced at Maxine, who gave an exaggerated sigh but waved her off with a grin. "Sure," Logan said, standing and grabbing her towel. "What's up?"

Oscar led her toward the quieter corner of the garden, where a pair of sun loungers sat beneath the shade of an umbrella. Once they were seated, he hesitated, searching for the right words.

"You've gone all serious on me," Logan teased lightly, nudging his arm. "What's on your mind?"

Oscar exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just... with these new guys coming in tonight, I wanted to check in with you." He met her eyes, forcing himself to keep his tone casual. "You know, see where your head's at."

Logan tilted her head, studying him. "Where my head's at?"

"Yeah," he said quickly, gesturing vaguely. "I mean, it's Love Island. Getting to know people is kind of the whole point, right? So, are you thinking... are you planning to talk to them? Like, really talk to them?"

Logan's lips twitched, and for a second, he thought she might laugh. But instead, she leaned back in her chair, folding her arms.

"Oscar," she said, her tone gentle but direct, "is this your way of asking if I'm going to drop you for one of the new guys?"

He winced. "That's... not exactly what I said."

"But it's what you meant," she countered, a teasing smile softening her words.

Oscar sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, I just—things are good between us, right? And I don't want to assume anything. If you feel like you need to explore other connections, I get it. I just... I'd rather know now than be blindsided later."

Logan watched him for a moment, her expression unreadable. Then she reached out, her fingers brushing his arm.

"I'm not going anywhere, Oscar," she said firmly. "I picked you for a reason, and I don't regret it."

Relief washed over him, but she wasn't finished.

"That said," she added, "I'm not going to sit here and say I won't even talk to them. That's not how this works, and it's not how I want to play it." She paused, her gaze steady. "But I do know where I stand right now. And it's with you."

Oscar nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Okay. That's... that's fair."

"And you?" Logan asked, her tone shifting to something lighter. "What happens when Fred or Jack tries to sweep you off your feet?"

Oscar chuckled, leaning back. "Guess I'll have to let you know how good their game is."

Logan laughed, her hand lingering on his for a moment longer before she pulled it away. "You're ridiculous, you know that?"

"Maybe," he admitted, his smile widening.

For the first time all day, the knot in his chest loosened. Whatever happened tonight, they'd face it together—or at least, he hoped they would.

Oscar and Logan strolled back toward the pool, their conversation light but tinged with the buzz of anticipation for the night ahead. The sun was high, casting a golden glow over the villa, and as they turned the corner, they spotted Maxine now lounging on a sunbed with an air of nonchalance that could only be described as strategic.

Maxine didn't bother sitting up as they approached, but she did tilt her oversized sunglasses down just enough to fix them with a pointed look. "Well, well," she drawled, her voice dripping with mock offense. "Look who finally decided to stop sneaking off and re-join the rest of us mere mortals. Should I be concerned, or were you two off plotting your own villa takeover?"

Logan smirked, plopping herself down onto the sunbed next to Maxine. "Relax, Max. We weren't scheming. Just... strategizing."

"Uh-huh because that makes such a difference." Maxine pushed her sunglasses back into place, the corners of her mouth quirking up. "Strategizing, scheming—same difference. Let me guess: you're both secretly terrified these new boys will come in and ruin your little love bubble. Or should I say Oscar is?"

Oscar rolled his eyes but couldn't hide the small laugh that slipped out. "Yeah cheers for that Max."

Maxine arched an eyebrow, finally sitting up. "You're welcome, it's actually kind of cute how down bad you are." She smirked, flicking her hair over her shoulder. "But just so we're clear, I've already called first dibs on both Fred and Jack. I mean, single girl rules and all that. I'm not getting dumped just because I'm not in a couple because one of the others aren't happy in theirs."

Logan grinned, leaning back with her arms crossed. "Not wasting any time, are you?"

"Please," Max scoffed. "It's called being proactive. A girl's gotta take charge in this game. Even if I don't like either of them, I have to make it work."

Oscar chuckled, shaking his head as he sat on the edge of a nearby lounger. "Bold of you to assume they'll both want to chat with you first."

"Oh how sweet Oscar but bold of you to assume they won't," Maxine shot back, her grin widening. "If anything they'll target me because they know I'm a one way ticket into the villa as the single girl. Besides, if one of them doesn't, I'll just redirect him your way, Oscar. You could use a little competition to keep things interesting."

Oscar snorted. "Thanks, Maxine. I'll be sure to send him right back to you."

The three of them dissolved into laughter, the playful jabs cutting through the underlying tension of what the evening might bring.

"You two," she said, turning the mood serious once again, "are the only people I trust not to spin this conversation into some villa-wide gossip session. So, congratulations. You're my confidants for the day."

Logan chuckled, leaning forward. "Sounds serious. What's on your mind, Max?"

Maxine hesitated, fiddling with the condensation on her glass. "It's about the new boys. And, well... Dan."

Oscar exchanged a glance with Logan, then turned his attention back to Maxine. "You mean how you're single now and they're definitely going to be all over you?"

She rolled her eyes but didn't deny it. "Obviously, I'm going to flirt my way through the next week. I'd be stupid not to. But..." She trailed off, her usual sharp confidence dimmed. "I don't know. I feel weird about how things went down with Dan."

Logan tilted her head, softening her tone. "Weird how?"

Maxine leaned back in her chair, sighing again. "I liked Dan. He was sweet, and we had good banter. And there was definitely chemistry. But... I don't think it was ever going to be serious. Like, long-term serious, you know?"

Oscar nodded slowly. "So, you feel bad that he got dumped but... not because you lost him."

"Exactly." Maxine gave him a small, grateful smile. "I don't think either of us were in it for the long haul. But I still feel guilty, like maybe I should've tried harder or... I don't know, saved him somehow."

Logan reached out and gave Maxine's knee a reassuring squeeze. "You can't save everyone, Max. This is Love Island. You weren't responsible for what happened. None of us knew what was at stake in that kissing challenge."

Maxine snorted, though her expression softened at the gesture. "I know. But it still sucks. He was my person in here, even if it was just a stopgap thing. And now with these new boys coming in..." She looked up at them, her bravado momentarily gone. "It's just a lot. What if I don't vibe with either of them? What if I'm the next one out?"

Oscar leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "First of all, you're not going anywhere. You're Maxine. Second of all, you don't have to decide your whole future the second these guys walk in. Just see how you feel."

"Yeah," Logan chimed in. "And remember, you're in control here. They're coming in to impress you. Let them work for it."

Maxine's smirk returned, faint but growing. "You two really are good for my ego, you know that?"

"Someone has to be," Oscar teased, earning an eye roll and a laugh from Maxine.

"Okay, okay," she said, shaking off her earlier gloom. "Enough of this heartfelt stuff. I've got boys to terrorise, and you two have a relationship to keep pretending isn't disgustingly perfect."

Logan raised an eyebrow, grinning. "Oh, we're disgusting now?"

"Absolutely vile," Maxine deadpanned. "But also, weirdly inspirational. So, thanks for that, I guess."

Oscar chuckled as Maxine stood, brushing imaginary dust off her shorts. "Don't forget, Max: you're Maxine. You've got this."

She gave him a wink, her confidence fully restored. "Damn right I do." With that, she strutted off, leaving Oscar and Logan to exchange amused, knowing looks.

"She's going to be fine," Logan said, smiling.

Oscar leaned back with a contented sigh. "Yeah, but those new boys? They have no idea what they're walking into."

When the sun dipped below the horizon that night the islanders dispersed inside to prepare for the night and their new arrivals. The likes of Max obviously were first to dash upstairs and start getting ready as to make a memorable impression on the newcomers. The rest of the girls also crowded into the dressing room, slipping into a variety of colourful dresses and two pieces. Whereas the boys hung back downstairs after changing into the usual linen shirts and trousers, their chatter quieter but no less full of gossip.

Carlos had taken the spot closest to the mirror, meticulously fixing his hair, while George sprawled on the couch, already halfway done but taking his sweet time.

Oscar leaned against the bar, running his finger around the rim of his glass of water, trying to keep his nerves in check. The arrival of two new bombshells was bound to shake things up, and though he felt secure with Logan, there was a persistent hum of unease at the back of his mind.

Carlos, seemingly engrossed in his own reflection, broke the silence with a smirk. “So, who’s cracking first when these new guys walk in? Any guesses?”

George, lounging with an arm slung over the back of the couch, laughed. “Crack? Mate, half the villa might implode. Maxine will have them doing laps before they’ve even put their bags down.”

“She’s probably upstairs practicing her introduction now,” Alex chimed in from the other end of the bar, buttoning the last of his shirt. “You know, to really seal the deal.”

The boys chuckled, but Oscar’s thoughts were elsewhere. He was playing it cool, or trying to, but his mind kept running back to Logan. They were solid—or at least he thought they were—but the arrival of new people had a way of unsettling even the strongest couples. He’d seen it happen before, and the possibility gnawed at him.

Alex caught his distracted expression and leaned in with a teasing grin. “Oi, Oscar. What’s with the face? Nervous your girl’s head might turn?”

Oscar snapped out of it, shaking his head. “Not a chance. We’re good.”

Carlos raised an eyebrow from the mirror, his smirk widening. “Confident, aren’t you? Must be nice.”

Oscar shrugged, though his grip on the glass tightened slightly. “It’s not about confidence. I trust her. That’s what matters.”

Alex let out a low whistle. “Look at you, all deep and sentimental. Romantic, even.”

“Alright, settle down,” Oscar shot back, though he couldn’t hide the faint blush creeping up his neck. “What about you, Carlos? Think you’re safe, or should we expect some fireworks tonight?”

Carlos laughed, the sound sharp and self-assured. “Please. I’m unshakable. But I am curious to see how they’ll play it. Strategic or chaotic? Could be fun.”

Pierre, who had been uncharacteristically quiet, finally spoke up as he adjusted his cuffs. “Doesn’t matter. If they’re smart, they’ll steer clear of me.”

“Oh, really?” Alex teased. “What if one of them is your type?”

Pierre gave him a pointed look, but his lips twitched with the ghost of a smirk. “I don’t have a type.”

“Right,” George chimed in, grinning. “Your type’s just ‘not interested,’ yeah?”

The room erupted into laughter, and even Pierre couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped him.

Oscar listened to the banter with half a smile, his thoughts still slightly detached. The anticipation in the air was palpable, and it was hard not to get swept up in it. Whatever happened tonight, he’d have to stay on his toes—and maybe prepare himself for a curveball or two.

George clapped his hands together, pulling everyone’s focus. “Alright, lads. Time to finish up and see who’s about to walk in and stir things up.”

Oscar nodded, standing straighter as the group began to file toward the living area. As much as he tried to play it cool, the faint flutter of nerves in his chest told a different story.

The villa buzzed with energy as the girls descended the staircase one by one, their laughter and chatter filling the air. Dressed to impress, they were a kaleidoscope of confidence—Maxine leading the way in a daring red dress that turned every head, while Logan followed in a sleek emerald green number that made Oscar momentarily forget to breathe.

The boys, already gathered outside, greeted the girls with wolf whistles and cheers, their usual antics amplified by the tension of the night ahead. Oscar couldn’t help but let out a low whistle of his own as Logan passed him, her eyes catching his for a moment before she flashed a teasing smile.

“You clean up alright,” Logan quipped, smoothing her dress as she took a seat next to him on the edge of the firepit.

“Alright?” Oscar feigned offense, running a hand down his shirt. “I’ll have you know this is my best linen.”

The others filtered into their spots, arranging themselves around the firepit as the night deepened. The air was cooler now, though the collective excitement kept the chill at bay. Maxine, true to form, made sure she was front and center, her expression carefully poised between casual and expectant.

Carlos leaned back in his seat, his gaze darting toward the villa entrance. “So, when do you reckon these guys are showing up? Feels like we’ve been waiting ages.”

“Patience, Carlos,” George drawled, clearly enjoying the suspense. “They’re probably building up the drama. It’s what they do best.”

“Speaking of drama,” Alex added with a smirk, glancing toward Maxine. “What’s the game plan, Max? Going for both or just flipping a coin?”

Maxine tossed her hair, her confidence unshaken. “Please, Alex. I don’t need a game plan. They’ll be coming to me.”

The group laughed, but the undercurrent of tension was unmistakable. The night felt like the calm before a storm, the kind that had the potential to shift everything.

Oscar leaned toward Logan, his voice low. “You ready for this? Could get messy.”

Logan turned her head slightly, a playful glint in her eye. “Messy’s half the fun. Don’t worry—I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”

Oscar chuckled, but the warmth in her voice eased some of his earlier nerves. Whatever the night held, he felt better knowing they were on the same page. Still, his attention flicked toward the villa entrance, his stomach doing a small flip as he waited for the new arrivals to make their move.

Suddenly the conversation around the firepit stilled as the sound of footsteps echoed from the villa entrance. All heads turned, the anticipation crackling like static electricity in the warm night air. The producers really knew how to milk a moment—Oscar could practically hear the iconic commentary of 'Tonight on love island...a hot new bombshell enters the villa.'

Through the archway stepped the two bombshells, their smiles wide and confident, their eyes scanning the group like they’d already taken stock of every connection in the villa.

Jack was the first to enter—a tall, broad-shouldered Australian with sun-kissed light brown hair and an effortless swagger that screamed “surfer boy charm.” He had the kind of easy grin that could disarm anyone, paired with piercing blue eyes that lingered just a moment too long on Logan as he made his way toward the group.

Trailing just behind him was Fred, a blond with sharp cheekbones and a quieter presence that still commanded attention. His hair was a tousled, golden wave that seemed perfectly undone, and he had the air of someone who didn’t need to try too hard to make an impression. If Jack exuded playful charisma, Fred was his cool, understated counterpart—a man who could captivate a room with just a glance.

Oscar straightened his posture, forcing himself not to fidget as the two bombshells approached. He’d been through this song and dance before—new arrivals coming in, testing waters, shaking things up. But the way Fred’s gaze seemed to sweep over the group, landing momentarily on Logan, sent a small ripple of unease through him. He wasn’t insecure—well, not exactly—but he wasn’t blind either. Fred had a quiet magnetism that people were bound to gravitate toward.

Beside him, Logan’s posture was calm, almost casual, but Oscar couldn’t tell if it was genuine indifference or her playing it cool. Either way, his mind raced. Do I say something? Act unbothered? What if he makes a beeline for her?

“G’day,” Jack greeted, his voice carrying that unmistakable Aussie lilt that instantly drew smiles from most of the group. “Good to meet you all. I’m Jack.”

Fred followed with a polite nod and a smooth smile, his voice low and measured. “I’m Fred. Looking forward to getting to know you all.”

The group welcomed them with polite smiles and cheers, but the undercurrent of tension was palpable. Oscar plastered on a grin, willing himself to look relaxed. Internally, though, he couldn’t help but catalogue every glance, every smile, every flicker of interest that might tip the scales.

As introductions began, Fred’s gaze shifted to Logan once again, his smile softening just slightly. Oscar’s stomach twisted. Right. Game on.

Things shifted and the group mingled in a loose circle, the energy buzzed with that mix of excitement and apprehension that only new arrivals could bring. The introductions went smoothly, though Oscar found himself hyper-focused on every interaction Fred had, especially when it came to Logan. He wasn’t proud of the way his chest tightened every time Fred’s gaze lingered on her just a fraction too long.

When Jack made his way around the group, he approached Oscar with an easy grin. “Ah, another Aussie!” Jack clapped Oscar on the shoulder, his tone warm and instantly familiar. “What are the odds? Gotta say, mate, it’s nice to see a familiar face—even if it’s not literally familiar.”

Oscar chuckled, shaking Jack’s hand. “Yeah, good to have some backup in here. The Brits can be a bit much sometimes.”

Jack laughed, the sound hearty and infectious. “Don’t worry, mate, I’ll keep an eye out for you. Us Aussies gotta stick together.”

Oscar smiled, but his attention was split. He couldn’t stop glancing at Fred, who was a few islanders away now, shaking hands and hugging everyone with that quiet charm of his. There was nothing overtly cocky about him—Fred’s confidence was subtle, effortless. He didn’t need to peacock; he just was.

When Fred finally reached him, Oscar forced himself to relax. “Oscar, right?” Fred said, extending a hand. His grip was firm but not overpowering, his smile as warm as it was disarming.

“That’s me,” Oscar replied, returning the handshake.

“Good to meet you,” Fred said, his voice low and even.

 Oscar wanted to hate him—truly, he did. Fred was too smooth, too composed, and clearly interested in Logan. But damn it, the guy just seemed...nice. He wasn’t laying it on too thick, wasn’t overly flirtatious, and hadn’t yet done anything that warranted Oscar’s simmering irritation. It was frustrating.

As Fred moved on to introduce himself to someone else, Oscar let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. He caught Logan’s eye briefly, and she gave him a small, reassuring smile. It helped a little, but Oscar’s nerves were still buzzing.

As the group continued to mingle, Carlos drifted closer to Oscar, his presence impossible to ignore. He leaned casually against the bar beside him, his shirt unbuttoned just enough to exude that signature effortless charm. With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Carlos tilted his head toward the cluster of islanders where Logan was chatting with Fred and Jack.

“Estás muy callado, Oscarito,” Carlos teased, his voice low and playful. “Are you always this quiet, or is it because those new chicos seem very into your girl?”

Oscar stiffened, immediately defensive. “I’m not quiet,” he muttered, though his tone was sharper than intended.

Carlos grinned, undeterred. “Claro, claro,” he said, placing a warm hand on Oscar’s shoulder, his fingers lingering a beat too long. “But your face says otherwise, mi vida. Jealousy looks good on you, you know.”

Oscar turned to glare at him, but the effect was diminished by the faint flush creeping up his neck. “I’m not jealous,” he said firmly, crossing his arms in an attempt to appear nonchalant.

Carlos chuckled, leaning in just enough that Oscar caught a hint of his cologne. “Por favor, don’t lie to me, cariño,” he purred, his voice dripping with mock sincerity. “I can practically feel the tension rolling off you. Like you’re ready to pounce the second Fred gets too close to Logan.”

Oscar rolled his eyes, trying to shrug off the weight of Carlos’s hand. “Fred seems nice. I’m not worried.”

“Oh, muy maduro,” Carlos said, his grin widening. “So noble of you to let her explore her options. But…” He leaned in even closer, dropping his voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “If you ever feel like you need to blow off some steam, you know where to find me.”

Oscar’s jaw clenched, and he turned away, determined not to let Carlos get under his skin. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Gracias, cariño,” Carlos replied smoothly, giving Oscar’s shoulder a playful squeeze before sauntering off to rejoin the group.

Oscar exhaled sharply, shaking his head. Carlos had a way of making everything ten times more complicated, and right now, the last thing Oscar needed was more complications.

The group gathered around the firepit, the flickering flames casting a warm glow on everyone’s faces, the seating arrangement naturally falling into place with Jack and Fred taking centre stage. They wasted no time in diving into questioning the new arrivals.

George, perched casually on the edge of his seat, kicked things off. “Alright, lads, let’s start with the basics. How old are you both?”

Jack leaned back slightly, his easy smile lighting up his face. “I’m 21. Born and raised on the Gold Coast. Surf instructor by trade.”

Fred followed with a relaxed nod, his accent adding a melodic lilt to his words. “I’m 22, from Copenhagen. I’m a mechanic. Love working with my hands, you know?”

This earned a few murmurs of approval, and Carlos wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, making the group laugh. “A man who can fix things, eh? Good to have around in more ways than one.”

Maxine leaned forward, resting her chin in her palm. “And what made you decide to come into the villa? Was it just the free holiday, or is there someone who’s caught your eye?”

Jack chuckled, running a hand through his sun-kissed curls. “Honestly, a bit of both. I’m here to see if I can find something real. And yeah, there are a few people I’m keen to get to know.”

Lily grinned mischievously. “Alright, don’t leave us hanging. Spill. Who are these people?”

Jack’s gaze swept the group with a playful glint. “Alright, fine. Top three? Charlotte, Carmen, and Maxine.”

Maxine raised her eyebrows, feigning surprise. “Oh, me? I had no idea!” She gave an exaggerated hair flip, earning a round of laughter.

Next, Logan chimed in with a grin, her eyes narrowing playfully at Fred. “Your turn, Mr. Mechanic. Same question.”

Fred tilted his head thoughtfully before replying, his tone sincere. “It’s early, but I’ve got my eye on Logan, Maxine, and Charlotte.”

Oscar froze for a split second at the mention of Logan’s name, forcing a neutral smile onto his face as he sipped his water. The flames of the firepit weren’t the only thing making his cheeks feel hot.

Carlos, sitting next to him, leaned in slightly and whispered in his ear. “See, he’s coming for your girl, cariño. You better be ready.” The comment was accompanied by a squeeze to Oscar’s knee and an infuriatingly amused grin.

Meanwhile, Charlotte simply nodded, calm and collected. “Solid picks,” she said with a small smile, but the slight flush on her cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.

Fred seemed oblivious to any tension he’d stirred, his demeanour relaxed and earnest as the islanders continued peppering the newcomers with questions. For Oscar though, everything felt like it was going to get a lot more complicated.

[batsplat]

Wait what's this about Casey, Marc and getting kicked out of honda

ah just a fun bit of old gossip. to clarify in case the phrasing in this post was confusing, we're talking about casey's role as a test rider with honda after his retirement, so 2013-15 (not casey's initial retirement from his honda ride, which was ofc entirely his own choice)

so! first of all! from the moment casey retired, everybody was going 'when will casey be back'. this wasn't based on anything casey was actually saying - it's just how people are about retirement announcements ig, the disbelief at how early casey retired, wanting to see him race again, refusing to believe he might actually properly be done. when the riders were asked about it in pressers, they usually gave very neutral 'sure that would be nice' responses. when casey was asked about it, he was generally pretty firm in going 'I'm not interested' and also 'stop asking'. but in 2015, dani made the decision to pause his season to get an operation for his recurring severe arm pump issues. he ended up missing three races, and inevitably people went, 'hey you know who would be fun to have back for a few races, you know who also happens to be familiar with the honda bike'

and this time casey WOULD have been up for it. except, according to him, SOMEONE didn't want him to race:

now fwiw, we have zero proof that this 'someone' was marc, although ofc that was something people speculated about at the time - the idea being that marc wouldn't have wanted to be undermined by casey outperforming him, especially in the context of a tricky start to the 2015 season. (funnily enough, the phrasing does echo the "somebody inside Yamaha didn't want me there" thing; a topic for another post but I'm pretty unconvinced valentino was involved in blocking casey's yamaha deal.) and... given this is the same interview where casey talks about his belief that marc forced him out of honda (which we'll get to)... I mean, he must have at least known it's a conclusion people would draw

marc was asked in pressers about casey racing as dani's replacement, and he basically stuck to 'it's not up to me'. some more casey quotes:

I like to think 'I would've won that' was one of casey's main takeaways from sepang 2015

anyway at the end of 2015, casey left honda to join ducati as a test rider. here is an excerpt from a piece about it at the time, saying marc had complained about casey's performance level as a test rider:

you'll note the HRC sources disagree with casey on how good casey's pace was; unfortunately we'll never really know either way. (in any case it's not particularly great form for sources to 'let slip' that your test rider's pace is poor, even if it was true, but there we are.) and ofc there's the assertion that marc felt 'threatened' by casey and/or didn't think casey's feedback was valuable. here's a screenshot of the piece from speedweek being referenced:

again, a lot of this is obviously hearsay. we don't really know how hard marc pushed to get rid of casey (if at all), and certainly not for what reasons - whether it was casey being too slow or the quality of his feedback or marc's ego or whatever else. we do know casey thinks marc wanted him out because marc felt threatened by him, as he's very helpfully said as much:

casey does make it clear he doesn't have any proof that marc (and his entourage) felt threatened by him, but, well. either way he did believe it. this story dropped in january 2016 btw, so at a time where press coverage of marc was not exactly at its friendliest anyway. marc hasn't really ever responded to these assertions afaik - but when casey ended up leaving ducati again at the end of 2018, he was pretty lukewarm about the idea of casey returning to honda:

here too there's nothing from marc's side to suggest any real antipathy, but of course we also don't know whether he's being honest about his reasons for preferring the distinctly unthreatening bradl. and finally, casey has more recently (aka start of this year, 2024) said that he left honda because they only listened to marc:

which is also obviously relevant now in the context of honda's long-term decline and marc's decision to leave (criticised in some quarters by those who feel marc is at least partly to blame for said decline)

anyway ofc this is all very he said she said, so who knows what really happened - but the fun bit is that nobody can quite agree! all a bit messy isn't it. it's very low stakes beef, kinda nice... but it does also fit in with casey's whole outlook towards the sport, where he often feels like he's being unfairly treated. and (this cannot be stressed enough) a lot of the time he was right, he was being unfairly treated, so it's absolutely possible some underhanded stuff was going on here too. believe what you will! who knows!

[shoechoe]

Hey, this may seem like a random ask, but what do you think of the fan theory of Diavolo being possessed by a demon instead of having actual DID. In a world where vampires exist, zombies exist, the Pillar Men exist and aliens are implied to exist, having demons exist makes perfect sense to me.

To be honest with you, anon, I don't like that theory. I think it flattens a lot of Diavolo's intrigue as well as the depth between him and Doppio. I think the fact that it's a fairly popular fan theory only speaks to the unfortunately ableist and demonizing way their DID was written and handled in canon.

Personally, I don't believe it's an intentional implication- not in the manga, at least. It's definitely suggested something supernatural is going on with their mysterious birth circumstances, but I don't believe that's supposed to mean that Diavolo and Doppio are actually something completely different from a person with DID. Polnareff's description of how DID works in Jojo (one soul splits and develops into two souls due to childhood trauma) matches Diavolo and Doppio's situation seemingly perfectly; they are pretty consistently shown as one human soul that was split into two due to childhood trauma.

Sans the weird birth, Diavolo doesn't show any traits of a definitively non-human soul (unlike Jojo's vampires, zombies, and implied aliens), and in fact, he's often referred to as the "true form" and the body's "true nature"; if he were a demon possessing Doppio, how would he be the body's "true nature"? I also feel like it's suggested that Diavolo not only was always there, but holds childhood trauma with the way he was raised by a priest who named him "Devil" and Doppio seemingly lacking most of his past memories. It doesn't match up with the "Diavolo is actually an evil demon hijacking some guy's body" concept to me.

I do not like it when people frame Diavolo as a "born evil" character. I think it's much more interesting to consider him as "evil as hell and hard to pick out his intentionally-obscured feelings, but feelings are there". I much prefer thinking about Diavolo and Doppio through the lens of severe festering trauma combined with the goal of cutting out your humanity for power and empire. I think Diavolo is far more interesting as a human corrupted by greed, hurting himself in the process, than a demon doing evil for demon reasons.

With that being said, I wouldn't be surprised if the anime adaptation was trying to suggest Diavolo was something inhuman. They change the baby's eyes to Doppio's and have them flash red for no explainable reason, and their backstory is altered to be far more Doppio-centric, including deleting the mention of their legal name actually being "Diavolo". I suspect that the anime was a big boost to the demon possession fan theory (and I've expressed before that I dislike many of the anime changes).

Diavolo as a character is definitely left very open for speculation, but those are my general thoughts on that idea in particular.

[virgobingo]

hey! love all your jjk metas :)

just wanted to throw thoughts at you if you are interested!

so the very sparse info Gege provides for Gojo and Geto has, imo, some fridge horror to it. They must remain head-canon but I'm curious if you think my thoughts are a stretch or not.

child abuse cw

I wondered if Suguru snapping after finding Nanako and Mimiko was meant as a subtle hint at Geto, a child from a non-sorceror family, having childhood abuse background. His rampage at the village seems cohesive character-wise, but I always thought killing his parents felt a bit jarring and OOC at that point in his "insanity spiral." The first crime comes from outrage & hatred, while the latter is over the top cold logic- his explanation "it would be hypocritical to spare them" seems underwhelming to me.

2. Gojo having a bounty on his head throughout his whole childhood. He might have infinity but on a practical level, loved ones are vulnerable to blackmail or hostage situations. Logically they are a weakness and the more you have, the weaker you are.

I think Gojo has so many things going on that contribute to his isolation and inability to connect- (obnoxious personality, immense power, trauma from Toji attack) that this crazy aspect of his life is brushed off. I feel like in any other character, the bounty would be seen as a major contributor to their psychology.

We see throughout the story that anytime Gojo loves or shows humanity towards another (Amanai, Suguru, Megumi (even Yuuji)) he is narratively punished for it.

Cheers!!

hello!

thank you for sharing your thoughts! i'll try my best to explain my own. my thoughts on gojo are especially jumbled since he's such a complicated character.

(1) gege has shown himself to be the type to of artist to ground his fiction in reality. i think the narrative overwhelmingly points to jujutsu sorcerers generally being perceived as "freaks" by non-sorcerers. miminana are extreme examples of this, whereas the old man geto beat up in the hidden inventory arc is a milder one.

"how would parents react if their child told them they could see/hear things they couldn't?" -> that's the question i imagine gege asked himself when he wrote this detail into jjk.

i think geto's abilities were a cause of concern for his parents, with the potential for it to have actually translated into fear. he does seem to have a special place in his heart for chosen families. i think that suggests a difficult home life. we can only speculate how bad it was though. enough for him to go through with him killing his parents nonchalantly, as far as we know. abuse wouldn't be a wildly off-base assumption.

(2) i think gojo's character is definitely marked by his station in society. the good and the bad that come with it. people really don't tend to talk about the bounty on his head, bc it's such an "oh, by the way" fact that gege fits into the story. gege probably mulled over it though (he's a serious overthinker). so i don't think it's something ppl should dismiss when thinking about gojo's psychology. some of his self-imposed isolation can be traced back to instances like it.

as an older kid and a tween, especially. i would guess gojo was probably asking himself stuff like who can he trust in this world? who can he open up to? when the world is out to kill him. the bounty on his head also probably accustomed him to solve problems with power/violence.

i think this mindset was disrupted by geto in high school, though. gojo grows to be quite generous with his trust after him. he has a lot of faith in others as an adult. so i think geto, on top of everything, inadvertently helped gojo heal and process some of his pain from childhood.

i say this bc the disconnect gojo seems to refer to in ch 236, seems different. more a result of the higher state of mind he acquires. he basically tells geto in the afterlife that it isn't rooted in loneliness, after all. which i also take to mean, not necessarily in childhood trauma by that point. but a sense that no one can possibly understand what it means to be strong— and still be powerless.

that's why i believe gojo wasn't being punished for his humanity so much as being taught a lesson on how power can only take him so far— time and time again.

this whole lesson sets up the world to be able to move on without him. life doesn't ultimately hinge on one person and i think gojo knows this to be true, which is why he's always so.. relaxed when he's taken out of the equation. while everyone else scrambles to put him back in. (funnily enough, even fans do this). 

ppl look at him and think he's above them. when inevitably, he'll die, just as all beings do. which i think is what the following sequence was about, too. and what gojo mostly meant when he said "he alone is the honored one [to come to knows this]"(in contrast to when gege used it for sukuna(x) who goes on to distinguish himself from gojo in the way he only pleases/satisfies himself). the saying has several connotations (x).

hope that makes sense!

[zenkindoflove]

thoughts on Elain having earth powers similar to a green seer (like bran green seer or something to that effect)? a lot of people speculate that Elain has some earth-like magic.

Hey anon, I see you are trying to goad me into talking about ASOIAF parallels again. And for that I say, THANK YOU!

I REALLY REALLY HOPE that SJM has plans to really go nuts with Elain's seer powers. And I think there are a lot of clues that she is going to link some of Elain's magical abilities to manipulating the natural world. It isn't just that she "loves to garden". I think it's really interesting that two sisters went into the Cauldron, one came out with the powers of Death and the other.... well, wouldn't it be fitting if she came out with the powers of Life?

So, I have been exploring this quite a bit in some of my fanfics - mainly Summer Heat which will be expanded upon in much greater detail in the sequel Golden Visions which I plan to start working on in June. I've also explored it a bit with @crazy-ache in our fic Dear Lucien, Dear Elain. But essentially what I sort of head canon is that Elain is able to sense the natural world and possibly heal it (maybe leading to her healing Spring?). In ACOWAR, when everyone thinks that Elain is crazy, she has some interesting lines about hearing the worms wiggle in the earth that stood out to me. It could be that they're related to her visions, but it has made me wonder in what ways Elain's senses are more in tuned with plants and animals around them. After reading HOFAS, I became more convinced that SJM might have intentions to explore some earth powers with Elain - since we find out that Tristan and Sathia Flynn have earth powers, and they are descended from the same High Fae from Prythian. It made me wonder if it was a type of magic that existed in ACOTAR world long before but has been lost and the Mother has given it back to Elain.

Onto greenseers... I'm glad you mentioned that parallel because my brain is ASOIAF rotted so I bring a lot back to that series. But when I envision Elain's seer powers, I don't only see her "seeing the future". With Bran, having the sight and being a greenseer, he was able to see not only the future but also the past and the present (the present mostly warging into animals). The weirwoods gave him access to bend time and see what has and hasn't happened yet. I play around a lot in my fanfics how Elain has different "kinds" of visions, depending on where she is in time. We know from legends that the greenseers of the Children of the Forest wielded powerful magic, manipulating not only the natural world (plants and animals) but having the sight as well. I think it would be really awesome if in her own unique way, SJM blends potential earth powers Elain might have with her sight. I have some plans of how I think it could work that I will explore in fanfic. So I'm excited to see what SJM does with it!

Thank you for the ask!

[teeth-cable]

On a subject that I think people have brought up but I wanted to go more in depth.

Hellborn being homophobic makes no sense. Like sinners it does but not for the native species.

Homophobia originates from the a mistranslated bible verse that in its original form condemned pedophilia so like wouldn't the Hellborns know that?

If we are going with the homophobia from the bible so of course Hellborns would be homophobic (even though that makes no sense)... Don't the Hellborns worship Satan? Wouldn't their holybook be different?

Also Succubi exist so that adds a layer of confusion.

We also have a shark demon dressed as a catholic priest... Like if you edited the outfit to look unholy kinda like some of the Murdoc Niccols art in the recent Gorillaz arc then its not a total worldbuilding issue.... But dude is straight up a catholic priest and we know the shark demons are hellborn due to concept art showing hybrids so we cant say its a holdover from life.

Also the typical western wedding we see stems from Queen Victoria and again these are Hellborns they don't know who the fuck she is. It would make more sense to borrow from more ancient wedding traditions.

Also I understand why they made Crim biphobic because it is a real thing that people do experience from parents and Vivziepop is bisexual herself so I understand it being important to the crew but, again it makes no sense unless Crim is a sinner or...

Crim wants biological grandchildren. I mean you have to genderswap Chaz and maybe Millie but then again Millie can stay the same and just have Crim mention how Moxxie used to chase after guys and doesn't like Millie because she's a country bumpkin.

Like the only way I can see homophobia being a thing in Hell if its because people there value blood more than anything. This would actually I think fit well with the Stolitz plot that they are going with. Stolas and Stella were married off to produce a child and we know that you don't have to be blood related to Stolas to use the grimoire as seen with Loona. Rather there was no point in birthing Octavia if the power isn't genetic so the system itself is intentionally flawed. Maybe like you aren't shamed if you have a same sex lover in general if you have a kid already but if you dont then you get shunned. Some people might judge Stolas for sleeping with an imp due to the status alone. If it was a male noble it would be less scandalous. But imagine like the fact Stolas chose an imp over Stella actually makes their entire family look bad.

Like people are gonna speculate on how badly Stella screwed up if her husband chose a peasant over her and that might lead to people wondering why Octavia doesn't have siblings. Depending if Hell is misogynistic or not Stella might be portrayed as at fault for this. Hey at least she has a layer of complexity now instead of being a bimbo.

Succubi and Incubi might be the only exceptions because like their existence is founded on sex.

This all would mean being ace in hell would be interesting to explore.

Now returning to theology

What are Hellborns core tenets?

What the hell happens to Hellborns when they die? Like I think we need this answered soon rather than later because we know sinners get erased by holy weapons but nothing about Hellborns who could die like a normal person. Like they don't have souls... Do they just get erased from existence too? Like everyone has been super confused about this since episode 2 for crying out loud and we have not even a fraction of a hint.

Why did they add the Great Old Ones. Like I know Viv said she was pulling from multiple mythologies... I assume that she meant she would pull from Underworld myths across the world to help out a unique spin on hell because that's a logical assumption and interesting ideas. After all the Hellenism Underworld has a lot of interesting stuff and Tartarus is pretty similiar to the Christian Hell.

But she grabs the great old ones? Look they aren't even a mythology and a lot of stuff H.P. Lovecraft wrote about them usually meant if they were around they were gonna either put the universe into an era of chaos or everyone dies. Like the only Great Old One that could fit in Helluva is Dagon because dude was an actual worshipped god and was mentioned in the bible where his worshippers were demonized.

But like going back to how using the Great Old Ones in Hellaverse is a shitty choice. Like how are you going to fit anyone besides Dagon in a show based off primarily Abrahamic beliefs.

Like there's already a christian apocalypse and The Great Old Ones seem more akin to aliens instead of them probably being demons in Hellaverse. But then you also have to consider the fact the Old Ones power is literally incomprehensible.

Like why does God on the show allow them to stick around when in Judaism He nerfed Levithan because He accidentally made it too powerful.

Like you would have to nerf them significantly which actually takes away from them.

But oh wait Vivziepop added Azathoth the one Great Old One that is so difficult to nerf because it's literally a blackhole/primordial chaos. The only reason it's not destroying stuff is because it's asleep. Like using that one either means your story is probably going to deal with end game shit or set dressing to explain the origin of the others.

Like if Azzy is there does that mean god came from it or did He create it?

Also the Great Old Ones represent concepts of madness and terror yet none of those themes are present in Helluva. Like maybe it could've worked if as they get more clients the imps get exposed to a lot of fucked shit that starts draining them idek.

Like if Vivziepop really really really wanted to pull from another mythos not linked to Abrahamic religion, roman mythology! Like literally Roman Beliefs and Abrahamic Religions have a deeply tied history so it makes since especially since Emperor Constantine made christianity legal which began the erasure of pagan religions and the roman gods even cameod in The Divine Comedy.

Im so confused about the writing decisions

The reason why the worldbuilding makes no sense and we never learn about the imp's culture is because the writers only wanted to make a show about relationship drama. Which is fine if it took place on regular Earth but no, Viv decided she wanted to make a show that takes place in Hell because Hazbin is popular but didn't want to put the effort into writing the worldbuilding so as a cheap cop out they wrote Hell like Earth but now that's biting them in the ass because fans are starting to noticed the human elements like homophobia, jail, rehab, and the mafia makes no sense in Hell.

Imps being homophobic never made sense. Beside the mistranslation of the Bible, Hell is supposed to be the opposite of Heaven. So if Heaven in Viv's version is homophobic then Hell would be the very opposite. Most likely homophobic imps would be outcasted because of their views. Also in Viv's hell being an imp is worse than being gay. The writers are just giving homophobic imps the same writing treatment as the human disguises, they're only an inconvenience or needed for the plot when the writers wants them to be. Crim was already an asshole without being biphobic, he's a misogynist who abused and killed his wife and most likely abused Moxxie when he was young. Those traits are already enough to make him dislikable.

When Viv says she's going to pull from multiple mythologies, what she actually mean is she's not going to do any research, only steal the most interesting parts out of their context, and steal ideas from other writers even if they have no relation to Hell. It's very obvious none of the HB writers did actual research just by how the show characters and Hellborn species barely resemble their demonology counterparts.

One thing to remember about Helluva Boss is this show is not professional despite what the writers and fandom wants you to believe, it is not. Both seasons were unplanned, the writers hate listening to feedback, the show reconned almost everything in Season 2, the writing is inconsistent, and the worldbuilding is just lazy.

Not much else to say about the worldbuilding TBH. Yea it's pretty terrible but from the start the show never plan or will explain more about Hell. It's just best to view this show as someone's poorly written shipping fanfic.

[thousand-winters]

Darius for the ask thing.

Hey there!!! 💖

How I feel about this character

I LOVE HIM SO DAMN MUCH. HE'S THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND THE LIGHT OF MY DAYS. HE SINGLE HANDEDLY HEALED MY DEPRESSION AND-

Okay, that's not it but I truly get such fuzzy feelings whenever I see art of him, I adore him.

He's SUCH a good character with SO much potential and I think it's a huge shame that most of that was left implied and couldn't be explored in the show itself. On the other hand, the fact they actually implied it and we're left with a lot of implications about who he is and his past makes him particularly interesting and fun to delve into because while part of it has to be speculation, there IS basis for it! Which is my favorite way to speculate, when I have basis for it, and as such, Darius is a gold mine.

His design is 10/10, he was catching eyes as soon as he appeared and I love that for him. His voice? Excellent, I love how he's lowkey bitchy half the time, he's everything in this world. And gods, he truly is such a "wants to pretend he doesn't give a damn but unfortunately for him, he gives so many damns" kind of character, they made him in a lab for people with good taste to obsess over /lh

I feel like I could talk hours about him.

All the people I ship romantically with this character

I don't really ship him with anybody, honestly. I tend to find some posts with him and Alador sort of funny but I think the situation there with their strained and broken friendship is far more complicated than people give it credit for, plus a lot of people just treat Darius in that ship as the arm candy Alador gains by realizing his mistakes which is... oof.

I don't actively ship it but I think Dariraine and Dariraeda is quite sweet. I find too that people who ship those tend to care more about Darius as a character and not as just a trophy so I like those far more. Darimila is similarly cute, though since that one is a lot of the time motivated by the idea of making Luz and Hunter siblings, I'm more meh about it.

One thing about me is I'm not immune to cute fanart but I don't necessarily ship the stuff in question akshfjkdsg

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Oh, this one is hard because I like his dynamic with SO many characters. The familiar relationship with Hunter is great and at this point it's probably too obvious what my stance is on that. Now... HE'S SO FUN WITH RAINE. And there's SO much in his dynamic with Eberwolf as well.

But then we can start tapping into other potential dynamics and... Eda? They're both cut from the same cloth, they're so interesting together. Lilith! Now that one is more complicated since they evidently weren't close at all through all of those coven years but I like to think about them. Favorite bias.

I think to give a non too vague answer, I would go with the Rebel Trio because they're so good. Post HM fics were peak with the three of them + Hunter, SO much fun.

My unpopular opinion about this character

Technically not unpopular around the circles that actually care about him as a character instead of talking shit about him because it's easy, but since the hate for him hasn't stopped even now...

I think one of his main character traits is that he's caring. You can see how driven by emotions he is; I'll never tire of pointing out how he loses it when he thinks Eberwolf and Hunter are in danger, and those are two separate scenes despite how little screentime he gets. He cares SO much and it can momentarily put his logic out of commission. He's not cold or abusive or mean for no reason. He picks up Luz nonchalantly and makes a little snippy comment but he doesn't throw her around or anything, he sets her down gently. He rescues the Emerald Entrails when he doesn't even know them and could perfectly turn a blind eye to that. He's a rebel, for gods' sake. He wouldn't be if he didn't care about others, and it's not only his loved ones.

This is a terribly kind man. That he's not super open and claiming out loud how much he cares doesn't mean he isn't, it just means people have failed at media literacy.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon.

Oh, my gods. So. Much.

I wish he had more screentime, for one. I wish we'd had his relationship with Hunter develop onscreen rather than through little hints, because while that work, so many people like to pretend that didn't happen. I WISH we'd had more Rebel Trio screentime because that would have been so fun. I wish we had seen more about his grief about his mentor, because Any Sport in a Storm alone shows you just how much he hasn't gotten over that and it's been more than 10 years since his death??? My man is Not Looking at his grief. He's not acknowledging it. Darius, please...

In general, more screentime would have been so good for people to stop misunderstanding him so badly, or at the very least it would make easier to say to prove them wrong without them being "well, the characters didn't look at the screen and spelled it out for me, so it didn't happen 🙄"

From this ask game

[utilitycaster]

as someone who gave up on c3 I stayed in the fandom mostly for lvom and now waiting for animated nein. I remember you having a lot of doubts about c3. did they get resolved? or did you find other things to appreciate? I would be interested to see your perspective since I tended to agree with a lot of your opinions when I was more active on tumblr.

Hi anon!

Good question. I feel the best answer is that some things have gotten much better, and some things have not been resolved but I am somewhat resigned. I'm putting the rest of my response below a cut because it may get long (might not! I don't plan out responses like this usually) and because some of this gets fairly speculative.

Let's start with the unresolved:

While I'm hopeful that the visit to Whitestone quenched the need for extensive Vox Machina appearances, I still maintain this campaign would have been stronger had the connections been more distant. I actually like Orym as a character, but I think the Keyleth connection does neither him nor Keyleth any favors (not because Matt's depiction is bad, simply because Orym feels overshadowed to me and because it means the party can always consider asking a L20 Druid to help them, even if the end result is a no). I also still don't like how few characters are of Marquet or have significant reason to be there, even as I enjoy the characters.

The plot is still heavily centered around Imogen's powers and her connection to Ruidus. I'll talk more about this below, but I think this could have been handled well, and I place the blame squarely on Matt here, but it's not and as a result Imogen gets little room to breathe or develop. I like her as a character, but she's perpetually overwhelmed; her best moments have been, for me, in the episodes before the main character status was more solidified, or in episodes centering other characters (some of the Bassuras episodes; Chetney's time with the Gorgynei).

Related to the above, this is a heavily railroaded campaign. That is not bad. EXU Calamity was pretty railroaded, as are many Dimension 20 shows. I think the problem is that this didn't have the needs of railroading met. The best way to think about it is that Matt is basically running a looser-than-usual but still extant custom module. There are specific beats to be hit. When you run a module, as a DM, one generally tells people you're doing it and to build characters surrounding it. I still don't feel that was done. I think that had Matt said "hey, this is going to be a Ruidus-centric, lore-heavy campaign; build characters who have reason to be interested or who'd go along" then yes, he'd have spoiled the surprise, but not by much, and I think the characters would be much more suited to the plot (higher int, more tied to institutions in Marquet, etc) and the pacing issues wouldn't exist because it feels like Matt has been trying to obscure the railroading; things have gotten much better following recent episodes because we got the full lore dump and now have an actual task. Some slightly different expectation-setting would have been transformative with not a whole lot of effort.

The good

The characters and their relationships have gotten much better. Getting rid of Delilah has resolved most of my issues with Laudna though I'm unimpressed with her build; Chetney, Ashton, and Fearne were always great; my issues with Imogen stem only from her being Designated Main Character which wasn't an issue with Laura's concept; I discussed Orym above; and FCG in particular has been totally changed. Giving FCG a deity and having them start to question their purpose following a meeting with Dancer fixed most of my issues. They are still pushy, but in a way that feels much more friendly than the initial intrusive way; Sam is finally settling into playing a cleric more capably; and I love every part of the Changebringer arc. I also am a sucker for the Chef feat. As a recent poll on this website indicated, I can put up with a meandering plot if the characters are compelling (*cough* this is why early Mighty Nein, or Vox Machina pre-Briarwoods, are still largely good) so now that the group has meshed it's much more enjoyable. It still took longer than I wish it had, I still would like further deepening of relationships, and I completely respect that people lost patience, but we got to a much better place.

The pacing isn't perfect - we're getting shunted from place to place in a way that feels like late campaign, and giving this group so much power and connections has meant we don't get to see a ton of the continent - but it's much better. The Yios casino episode was a highlight, as were Chetney's episodes, and I'm hoping the upcoming skyship episodes will have some opportunities for conversations. I am not terribly optimistic that we'll get tons of downtime before the apogee solstice, but I am hoping that the plot is this: Bells Hells and their allies thwart the plans of the solstice, everyone has to regroup, and there is time to cover characters other than Imogen in depth for a length of time before we return back. I still suspect this will be a campaign closer to VM's in length than the Nein's, but that's still like 100 episodes so I'm hoping it's like, solstice in the 50s, 30-40 episodes of other stuff, moon plot returneth.

The NPCs and worldbuilding are consistently great; I just wish we could spend more time with them. As I say above, I hope that we put the moon plot on hold after the solstice and can deal with everyone else's stuff. I in particular am fascinated by Ashton and Chetney's stuff; I also think Laudna's hiding a lot that would make her more interesting, and I would love to know the full history of FCG even if he's not terribly curious.

The speculative

I have said this is speculative a few times and I'm saying it once more. I don't know if this is true, but like. This is essentially what I would say to Matt if somehow we crossed paths and he said "hey, as a fan, I was wondering why the response to Campaign 3 seems comparably muted from your perspective."

My guess is that this is the last long-form campaign Critical Role will do. It's understandable; if this runs 100-ish episodes that puts us at the 9-10 year mark of almost-weekly episodes, not counting the covid hiatus, and that is a LOT for a busy group of people working on concurrent animated series and sustaining outside acting careers. This isn't a podcast; it's filmed on a full set and takes a lot of time. I suspect - and hope! - that there will be plenty more content, in the form of EXU seasons, one-shots, and even shorter campaigns with the main cast (a la D20). And if I'm proven wrong and a full-length Campaign 4 is announced in the future, I will be ecstatic to eat my words. I cannot stress how happy I would be if I'm wrong here. But that is my guess.

So what I think has happened is this:

Matt has lore he really wants to reveal and has been seeding through the past two campaigns

Matt does not want to tell the cast not to play a character they've been thinking of, because this is the last time they'll get to do it for 100+ episodes.

And I think those two things together explain everything we're seeing. The Ruidus plot has to happen...but he didn't tell the cast.

Anyway hope this helps! I really appreciate you saying you like what I've had to say in the past, and see you for the Nein series and any future one-shots!

[iwtvdramacd18]

Hi! Can you talk about how you approach the lesmand dynamic in your writing vs the other iwtv dynamics you’ve written? I’m so interested to hear! ✨

Hey!

So I will say the bulk of my Lesmand stuff is heavily TVL novel based in terms of context of their relationship and then some speculation on show dynamics and scattered aspects from my loosely connected fic verse which are almost certainly not going to be canon in show (for example: Armand occupying a sort of predator of predators status wrt hunting fledglings and killing and eating Marius).

To me a lot of the Lesmand dynamic is couched in fear and obsession as opposed to like, the love Lestat and Armand have for Louis. They're two incredibly powerful beings that do have a powerful draw to each other but I wouldn't call it love per se... they don't really know each other on a personal level either. Armand especially has a version of Lestat that he has built up, I think of all the vampires he probably feels the brunt of the Wolfkiller Effect after Magnus (Lestat as a being that's sort of inexplicably capable of doing the impossible), though by the time he meets Louis in Paris a lot of that has turned to anger. But there's always an obsessive bend. Lestat was a singular life-changing force in his life that had become a sort of constant of a certain type of performing "evil"... in some ways Marius-adjacent but one he originally thought he could control and posses while learn from at the same time.

And then I think Lestat has a lot less obsession but a lot more fear and resentment and straight up unease on his end. But he is also Lestat and does navigate a notable part of life through his dick. Their encounters are usually relatively brief and very violent exchanges -- I think people who hc Armand and Louis as being attracted to each other through the other's proximity to Lestat are completely out of their minds its absolutely Armand and Lestat seeking proximity to Louis and finding common ground with loving him and also fear and experience losing him that is the always underlying layer of any encounter they have post Louis. When the dust settles between them it's where both their minds drift to.

[dremiruu]

all (suspectedly and for now) clankie episodes in the 2nd part of season one

before we start - these are all speculations (for now) based ONLY on episode lists, specifically the "official" one on the wiki, a little bit on the one leaked before on 4chan, and my own assumptions. We might actually get more of clankie scenes in other episodes that just dont concentrate on them like in "Monster Movie", where they just sat in the background for a minute talking OR get less of them and i'm just reaching too far lol

"Cleo in the kitchen"

We're actually starting off with an episode that's not so far in the future - episode 16, or in this case 27. Going off the description on wiki, that's what it'll be about:

i know, i know, Frankie isn't even mentioned, but hey - Cleo, their crush (?), is making a meal for one of their best ghoulfriends, they probably will be there. And imagine a scene like this one:

BUT the opposite? Frankie ending up with something on their face and after Cleo does that they go into a full on gay panic? That'd be such a fun reference!

Honestly not hoping for much from this episode, but the opportunity is there!

next up: "Pet Problems"

Or episode 17/29, which means that we're getting lots of possible content in these two weeks!

This one is FOR SURE a clankie episode, atleast in a way, as the infamous love triangle between Frankie, Cleo and Deuce finally starts forming.

And I'm here for it.

When it comes to this ep, we'll discuss two options.

Number one, leaked 4chan description:

And number two, the wiki description:

1 is giving us much more hope for clankie to be actually endgame, telling us clearly that they will maybe be a little jealous of the relationship developing between Cleo and Deuce because of Hissete, where 2 just says she needs help from both of them, which, eh, wouldn't be as interesting, but still would set up the love triangle that the plot is going for.

I'm lowkey hoping we'll get to see Frankie trying to help as much as they can but just not being able to do so as much as Deuce and feeling guily or jealous of him and then either Cleo reassuring them near the end of the episode or just them being confused about the situation, which would be less satisfying in the moment but would lead to more drama later on, PRECISELY in:

"Monster Match"

So episode 27/44 - THE MOST CRUCIAL CLANKIE EP OF THE SEASON.

(between these two episodes theres a hugeee 10-episode-long gap, but, as i said in the very beginning, we might get glimpses of them in episodes that don't include them in descriptions, so don't lose hope lol)

SO, this will be the time where the tension reaches its highest level and we'll finally get some romantic action going on.

Again, two options:

Number one:

And number two:

Again, when it comes to 1, we're getting more of a clear confirmation of Frankies actual feelings and what we love most - love triangle drama. There are many ways this episode could go with that trope, for example having Frankie convinced that Deuce wants to ask Cleo out while he actually tries to ask them to the dance and giving up when Cleo agrees, or both of them actually chasing after her... Lots of posibilities, really.

And the actual episode described in 2 goes a little different, creating an actual love triangle type of scenario - Deuce liking Frankie, Frankie liking Cleo and Cleo... well, that's what we have to figure out, but hopefully liking Frankie back. I'd actually love to see Deuce being supportive and him and Frankie becoming besties as he helps them ask Cleo out. What's interesting about this description though is the word invite. Why would it not be just *ask*??? It's a little scary, cause what if they just invite Cleo as a friend? That'd suckkkk

That'd be it for now. Let me know if I missed anything :) I might add new details to this guide later on, as we get to see the new scenes