#a question mark for the “time loop” because I can see the time here but am not sure about the loop TT

[writemeverything]

Doksoo week DAY 3: time loop(?)

[legendofmorons]

Written in the stars (forever on loop) Chapter two - Catch my breath (what else can I do?)

Pairing: eventual Poly! Chain x reader, platonic Wind & reader

Series Rating: T

Summary: Day two with the chain has its challenges. Thankfully, Epona and Wind are there to make things better. Four and Sky have a heart to heart while a late night talk with Warriors leaves you with some questions and thoughts.

Warnings: grief, cursing

Other: If I missed anything, please let me know

Previous masterlist. Next

Breakfast is your saving grace in the morning, especially because you need something to do that isn't focusing on everything that happened yesterday.

You sit by Sky again, though Wind sits on your other side.

Sky looks exhuasted, blinking blearily and having to stifle a yawn every so often. He's got puffy eyes... has he been crying? Maybe it was just a bad day...

No one else speaks to you or sits near you, though. There's a tense atmosphere you could cut with a very dull butter knife.

"So, what do you do back home?" Wind asks before stuffing a bite of his food in his mouth.

You smile politely, "I work, I listen to music, I talk to my friends and family. Nothing exciting. What about you?"

"I like to sail a lot." Wind says.

This isn't a surprise. He gives off pirate gremlin energy anyhow. It's good to know it is from a hobby and not just your own interpretation of what is apparently more than a video game.

You smile a little more real this time. "That's good, it's important to have hobbies. Do you live near the sea?"

"You know about the sea!" Wind declares excitedly.

You laugh a little, "Of course I do."

You can feel the way all the others look at you with strange gazes and furrowing brows or outright glares.

You focus your gaze on Wind, blocking out the others.

Wind looks absolutely delighted, though, his grin wide and bright. "No one else but Wild knows. You do, though!"

"I do." You agree easily.

The young teen is adoreable in the excitement that causes his ears to twitch a little.

Sky smiles too, "He's a fan of the sea."

"Maybe we can visit it." You offer.

Wind cheers, beaming at you. "I hope so!"

Time clears his throat to get everyone's attention. The air goes thick again around you.

You turn your gaze to the oldest, wondering yet again why he has the fierce diety marking on only half his face if he has them at all.

"We're going to keep looking for a town today, we need to get our new friends some supplies since they were caught unawares." Time says.

He hasn't looked at you. Most of them haven't looked at you. Not really.

You feel your face heat up a little. Embarrassment floods your being.

If you had known you were going to end up here, you would have prepared more!

"We should also probably see about finding a river or something soon." Warriors adds firmly.

The others agree with both sentiments.

Wind elbows you playfully, "Don't worry, we all got caught unawares at least once. I started my adventure by hitting things with sticks."

The teen gives a wink at the end, like he's telling you a secret.

You laugh, recalling that sequence in Wind Waker. Immediately, you feel guilty simply for having loved and played the games.

Apparently, the world of Hyrule is real.

Oh.

Right.

This is all so bizarre.

You played through what were probably horrible quests and memories for fun. (You didn't know! If you had known - breathe. You remind yourself to breathe.)

Last night's dreams were weird.

Everything is so different

"Don't overthink." Sky chides lightly although, it sounds like it's something he says on autopilot, his face twisting with an unreadable emotion.

Grief, maybe? But worry, too.

"Okay." You manage.

"Twilight, Wild, Wind, Legend, and Sky, you'll all look for a river. Warriors, Four, Hyrule, and I will take (Y/n) and look for a town." Time says.

No!

You don't want to leave Sky and Wind. They are the least tense!

At least you'll be with Four and Hyrule. They are far less intimidating than Time and Warriors.

"Don't worry," Wind whispers to you as he nudges your side lightly. "They're all big softies."

He gives you a dramatic wink.

You crack a weak smile. "Really??"

"Really." Wind assures.

"Thanks." You say softer.

The teen grins at you. He looks pretty eleated in general.

"Alright, when you are ready, we'll head out." Time says to you. He's finally looking at you, but his face is stony.

You acknowledge his words and work on finishing your food.

After you've eaten and everything has been packed up, the groups split up.

You are flanked by four men as you walk. Warriors and Four on either side of you with Time in the back and Hyrule beside him.

None of them talk except to tell you if you're turning. Their eyes never seem to be on you, but you swear they're watching.

The silence is strange. (Some strange subconscious part of you rails against the tense air around you. This is wrong!)

"So... uhm... what's with the portals?" You ask after a good twenty minutes of walking.

This seems like a solid start point. The silence is too much anyway.

The others seem to share a silent conversation around you. None of them look at you.

Warriors looks at you as he answers. "There is a Sahdow opening them and letting lose monsters of different eras."

You nod. That sounds like some Legend of Zelda stuff right there... You should probably stop thinking of this as a video game world.

Four sighs. "Of course we're all here because we're heroes."

"That makes sense... why am I here?" You ask, feeling as if you're in free fall without a parachute as far as information goes.

There's a beat of silence.

The men exchange glances around you, yet another silent converstion exchanging in seconds.

"We don't know." Time says evenly, a measured tone flowing in his voice. His gaze is still too heavy on you, as if he's daring you to do something.

"Okay." You manage.

Four offers you a slightly strained smile. "We'll figure it out."

His smile is wrong. His eyes are wrong. He dosen’t believe in what he says, does he?

"I hope so."

Hyrule hums once. "Are you a hero where you're from? That might make it make sense if you are."

You laugh a little, startled at the notion. "No. No, my life back home is... boring enough."

Four and Warriors both look spooked by your laugh, looking at you with frowns. The latter looks a little angry, too, with pinched brows.

Okay. Maybe it was rude to laugh?

"Oh." Hyrule says.

"Boring can be good." Warriors offers after a moment, face fixing itself into an overly polite mask.

You smile weakly. "I guess so."

"Are you a royal then?" Hyrule asks.

You laugh again. "No. I'm definitely not."

The silence comes back, heavy and awkward. You don't bother trying to break it again.

There's something wrong in the air. You just can't place it. You have barely interacted with any of them!

At least Hyrule and Four just seem to avoid watching you. Or maybe it just feels that way because Warriors and Time won't stop - even if you don't catch them, you can feel it.

What is it with these heroes and the staring problem?

Yeesh.

Hopefully, when you see Wind again, He can lighten the mood.

-------

The trip to town was awkward, stilted, and almost painful. When you're dropped off at an inn to what for the boys to get the others, you are relieved.

You've gotten a travel pack with a place for your bed roll. You've also been given a few spare clothes, which is nice.

You are apparently to share an inn room with someone tonight.

Hopefully, it's Wind or Sky. They haven't glared at you or made you feel unwanted.

You settle on one of two beds, wondering what you have done to earn their cold shoulders. Did you... over step somehow?

Maybe they know about the video games? They aren't self-aware in the game, hopefully?

Nothing makes sense anyway.

There's a knock at the door before someone calls. "Hey, it's just me! We're roommates!"

Wind.

Thank goodness.

The door opens to reveal a grinning Wind.

"Did you have fun?" You ask.

The teen is practically bouncing. "I did! It was great, oh my goodness! Wild and Sky got tangled up in some roots, and we had to finish a mini dungeon!"

"That sounds... busy?"

"It was fun! We got some rupees, too."

"That's good!" You say a bit more cheerily.

The boy grins.

He asks you about your trip, and you just say it was okay, a little awkward, but not horrible.

Dinner is quick, and every time you try to make conversation with anyone but Wind they look pained by the attempt, and it peeters out.

Even Sky seems a little skittish about you during dinner, although his eyes look puffy again. Maybe he's going through something?

You sigh, deciding to go see Epona. Maybe she'll let you pet her?

Epona is at least less scared of you. She just sniffs your hand curiously.

As soon as she sniffs you, she's pressing her face into your hand insistently, as if asking for attention. Who are you to deny her?

She's sweet, at least.

"Such a good girl you are." You coo to Epona sweetly.

She isn't at fault for the tense atmosphere of the boys.

Petting her mane gently is relaxing in ways you hadn't quite expected. She's all but leaning into it, a few soft snorts here and there but otherwise seemingly content to be near you.

"Aw, I wish I had something to give you, sweetheart."

Epona just leans a little more into your touch.

"I'll just keep an eye out. Maybe we can find an apple or something for you."

You can feel a few others watching you, but you don't turn. It's much nicer here with Epona than with the heavy silence and strained attempts at conversation provided by the boys.

Although Wind is certainly picking up some slack there, he deserves some cookies or something.

"How'd you get to be so sweet, pretty girl?" You muse.

It's a nice break from havin to be around anyone. Epona is so gentle and sweet, at least with you. She's happy to let you pet her man and sctach behind her ears gently.

Animals are amazing.

-------

Sky and Four take to their room, both looking forward to getting away from the painful reminder you are. They know it's not your fault, you seem nice, but still...

Grief is funny sometimes.

The moment the door closes, Sky's carefully polite face is falling into twisting grief.

Four just flops himself onto his bed. His head hurts, pounding like a horribly novice out of step marching band is playing their show inside his skull.

It's too much.

Sky just leans against the door, sinking to the floor with his head leaning back.

"Why couldn't they look different?" Sky asks in a shaking whisper.

The question escapes his mouth on accident.

Four turns over, so he's staring up at the ceiling. "I don't know."

Sky dosen’t turn. Instead, he just closes his eyes.

"It's not their fault." Four says, staring at the ceiling.

"No." Sky agrees. "It's not."

"I feel so bad for them." Four manages.

He does.

Against the grief and the anger and the stupid hope that twirl around his lost love, there's sympathy. Sympathy for the unexpected start of an adventure.

Sympathy for the lost look in their eyes at unfamiliarity scripts of hylian writing.

"Goddess... They looked terrified when they first saw me." Sky whispers into the room.

He uses that expression of terror to ground himself. It sounds bad. He knows it sounds bad.

But your terror is proof that you aren't his beloved sunshine.

His sunshine... never looked at him like that. They were never scared of him. Not when they saw him seal the imprisoned. Not when they saw him fight Demise.

They were never scared.

The expression of terror on your face chafes at his soul, but it helps him remember you aren't anyone else but a stranger in a scary situation.

"I think they're scared of Time." Four says.

Sky laughs weakly. "He is intimidating..."

"It's uncanny... They're identical in looks and personality."

"I know."

"How do you do it? I can barely look at them."

"I - can barely look away." Sky laughs, though it almost sounds like crying.

Four hums once, thoughtful mostly. His entire being, all of his colors, struggle under the grief you've stirred up. His empathize for his soul brothers is endless.

His grief is even more vast.

"Goddess. They'd be ashamed of me." Sky admits, "Dancing around a stranger trying to keep everything under wraps and falling apart as soon as the door shuts."

Four narrows his eyes, pushing up to lean on his elbows. His glare is trained on Sky. "Don't sully thier memory by assigning your shame to them."

"What?" Sky swallows, looking at Four with wide eyes.

The hero of skies looks like a kicked puppy, glassy eyes, and shaking form.

Four dosen’t care. Not now. Not when the memory of their soulmate's memory is being treated so poorly.

"They wouldn't be ashamed of you for doing your best in a hard situation. They wouldn't blame you for having complex feelings. Your own guilt shouldn't be projected onto their memory." Four says, or maybe that's Blue and Vio in control for now. Who can tell?

They all miss you. Every piece of him misses you.

"How could they not be?" Sky asks. "I'm messing everything up!"

"Legend hasn't stopped glaring at them, Time just stares silently, I can barely look at them. Sky, you're being more normal about this than anyone!"

"Wind is doing much better."

"Wind hasn't lost them yet. Of course, he's doing better." Four rolls his eyes, pushing down the envy.

"I know. I... Why does he still have them when no one else does?"

"He's fourteen. There's plenty of time for him to get fucked over like the rest of us." Four snaps.

"I didn't mean- I just miss them."

"I know." Four sighs, closing his eyes. "I know... I think we all do."

Silence falls over the room, heavy but not uncomfortable. It's the silence that falls over loved ones when they've had a hard conversation and need to think but still feel safe together.

Four falls back against the bed, trying to remember the way his lover once held him. Perhaps it's self destructive, but when it helps him cope, he dosen’t care.

He can feel the colors, his head is still pounding.

Blue is restless as ever, a rage at the reminder that you're gone. Anger that Sky could speak of your memory so poorly.

Green and Red are trying to calm it all down. They're trying to focus on the better times they had with thier lover.

Vio... is Vio. He's focusing on the facts again.

Like always.

Four focuses on his breathing, pretending that it's them here counting it instead of him.

Who knew trying to keep himself together would be so hard?

-------

You're outside trying to get some air after having the same dream from last night. The argument and lead up to something horrible in the dream is - draining.

The night air is chilly, but it's a nice relief from the stifling feeling of the bed.

Stars above you make out patterns you shouldn't be able to recognize, but you swear you see a set of stars that's supposed to be a harp. It isn't the harp constellation from your world, though. It's different.

You sit on the steps that lead up to the inn porch, leaning against the banister.

There's some sort of spinning string instrument tune stuck in your head, unplayable as the origin of the second and strange harp constellation.

There's the sound of the door opening and closing behind you. Probably another person in search of some air.

"What... are you doing our here?" Asks a man.

You turn, looking over your shoulder to see Warriors, still in his entire outfit, chain mail, and all.

His gaze is heavy, not as bad as Time's but strange as ever.

You sigh, trying to avoid tensing up at the sight of him. "I needed some air... I guess you do, too."

Warriors sighs, "You could say that."

"Don't let me stop you." You say, turning your head back to facing forwards and gazing out at the small town before you.

A lazy night breeze blows across you, ruffling your hair a little.

Warriors is silent behind you, a large presence. He's unmoving.

You're left wondering if he's still there for a moment.

It seems rude to check, though.

How he can be so still is beyond you, but you suppose that's probably a skill he picked up from the war. (A war you're not meant to know about.)

Warriors moves finally, walking until he's beside you. He stands there, unmoving again as he stares up at the stars.

"You shouldn't be out here without a weapon." He says finally.

You glance up at him. "Why? It's a small town."

"Ambushes can happen anytime anywhere."

"I can't say that's something I've had to worry about much." You admit. Which is true, for all the creeps and killers of your world... none of them are literal monsters.

Besides, you don't have a weapon right now. Why would you need one while traveling with the group?

"Count yourself lucky." Warriors tells you, "You should start worrying about it, though. Our group gets ambushed often."

You take a slow breath, trying to decide if you're supposed to respond or not. What do you even say to that?

He looks at you, face carefully neutral in a way that feels vaugley threatened. "You... aren't a fighter, are you?"

"Not the way you guys seem to be."

"You've never fought a war... have you?" Warriors asks in a soft voice.

He sounds- he sounds like your answer is important to this question. He sounds like you have some huge sway over what happens with this answer.

His face is still carefully blank.

"No. I've never fought in a war." You say slowly, trying to make sense of whatever this is.

Warriors let's out a slow, heavy sigh. "I hope it stays that way."

"Me too." You say.

You mean it, too. How could you not? Who hopes to get pulled into a war? Not you.

Moments pass, and thick silence seems to press in on you.

"I'm sorry." You say finally.

Warriors looks at you, face still unnervingly calm.

What life has he led that he's so good at neutral poker faces?

"Why?" He asks you.

That's a great question. Why are you sorry?

There's so many reasons.

You're sorry you played their games and enjoyed them.

You're sorry that you're here and slowing them down.

You're sorry that you came unprepared, and they had to step up.

You're sorry he's lost so much.

"I'm sorry I've been such a pain." You settle on. "I know I slowed you guys down and that you stepped up yesterday to help make sure I'm set up for whatever it is we've all been dragged into."

Warriors sighs while something heavy flashes through his eyes before it disappears. "You don't need to apologize. We weren't going to kick you aside."

"I guess. I'm still sorry."

"Do you know how many times I've heard these kinds of apologies?" He asks.

You shake your head. "No."

He looks up to the sky again. "Too many times. Too many people have told me they're sorry for things they can't control. That they're sorry for me doing something simple."

"Oh."

"Don't waste time or words on things like that." Warriors tells you with a stern look.

You would imagine it's a look he picked up as a captain.

"Okay." You breathe out softly.

"I mean it, (Y/n)." He says, though he sounds far away. It's like he's actually speaking to someone else.

Someone he lost.

"Okay." You say again softer.

-------

Next

[martialartslover7]

Neji Hyuga - My Headcanons

I have already spent the past few months or so, writing my own titular, pre-Shippuden, Hyuga clan saga, and now, through a number of interactions with friends and followers on here, and on Twitter, I have gathered a number of headcanons, related to Neji himself. That also took shape for me, while writing the Hyuga Showdown story. Let me run it down.

Neji loves philosophical discussions

His life, as part of the Side Branch, burnmarked him, time and time again, for how often he got beaten down, just for being alive, and bearing a mark, that has done nothing, but repeatedly remind him, how "worthless" he is, according to the Hyuga council. And despite Naruto and Hinata having invoked a feeling of hope in his soul, you just know the nihilist part of his soul starts speaking through him, once he starts quoting famous philosophers, and asking questions about, wether life has any true meaning, whether it even matters, or why humans need the struggle to grow. He is just fascinated over how complicated and nuanced human beings can be, how they face adversion head-on, and choose to either be steadfast and morally upright, or choose to do harm, as a coping mechanism. The same way he used to do.

Neji is really fuzzy about how he presents himself

Neji, in spite of "macho" appearances, is very immaculate and deliberate on how the people around him perceive him. He takes great pride in his appearance, his hair, his skin, his overall posture and form, all of that matters to him, and he isn't even ashamed to admit it, flat-out. This is part in due, how the Hyuga clan generally approaches combat, and the philosophy of "intimidation, through not just discipline, but fashionable dress-codes, and orderly, personal hygiene". Going along with the idea that, you can strike fear and respect in your opponent, if you don't just fight at your best, but you also LOOK the best. That is one part of the Hyuga clan culture that Neji wears, like a badge of honor, and takes great pride in.

Neji is the biggest gentleman, you can ask for

Despite what some non-canon material showed, may it be played for laughs, or just to "slander" Neji's character, whatever, even with the Byakugan granting Neji X-ray vision, being able to look, even through a person's clothing, he never, and I mean, NEVER, uses it to spy on the girls, or look at their underwear. ...Except, maybe for Tenten, but that is to assume that, they are already working towards a relationship, and deep down, she wants him to look, but other than that: Nope. Neji is NOT a Peeping Tom. He is one of the few mature guys in the Konoha 12 group, who always remains respectful of a woman's boundaries. If anything, that title belongs more to Hinata. Because, y'know, she wants get in on some of dat... Fox tail. Know what I'm sayin'? Always beware of the shy ones, they are the most dirty-minded, life itself taught us all that lesson.

Neji is one hell of a bro, too

Not only is he popular with the girls, just for how mature and classy he remains with them, Hinata included, but when it comes to the guys, he is not making them an exception, he is always ready to help out, wherever he could. Even helping the other male comrades, if there is a more complicated problem to deal with, where his opinion is valued by a big margin. I guess you can attribute that line of thinking to how all these years, spending time with Lee and Guy, may have influenced his overall mindset on how to interact with people. Sure, he is stoic, silent and keeping to himself, but when he sees and smells bullshit, he will always be the first one to call it out, without exception, not caring about the feelings of those, who are out-of-the-loop, or the consequences, beyond his control. If Shippuden was actually, you know, GOOD and consistent with the characters, I seriously doubt that Neji would just stand there, and watch Sasuke's character get publically slandered by both the elders, the wannabe-journalists, and the Kage, ESPECIALLY the Raikage, who had the biggest grudge to bear, since Sasuke attacked Killer Bee (even though, that was a clone). But again, if Kishi had cared enough, Neji would have unapologetically sided with Sasuke, all the way through, since he is one of the few, who can truly sympathize with him, outside of Team 7. Not helped at all, by how the Lightning village had once tried to kidnap his cousin, when she was still a child. He wouldn't just stand around and stay silent, because these asswipes were pulling the same tactic that they once pulled on his family. Looking for an easy scapegoat, because it's convenient. He just wouldn't let it happen. He just wouldn't, he is one of the few shinobi, who has actual integrity and moral consistency.

Neji shares the same hair- & skincare products as his cousin

Again, referring back to him caring about his outer image, and how he presents itself, he will always be kindly asking Hinata, if he could rent her hair conditioner, because that long, immaculate mane of his won't be staying FABULOUS by itself. And not just that, I just remember reading one headcanon somewhere else, that he and Hinata keep trading their bodily care products between one another. Neji using Hinata's hair conditioner (I mean, her hair during the Blank Period, I lowkey want to bury my face in that), and Hinata using Neji's facial skincare mask, and you know what? I will stick to that. It just sounds so in-character for them. Dem Hyuga genetics, always looking photogenic without trying "too hard", or, so they say. No, darling! Fabulousness doesn't EVER come for free, damn it! But that also means, Neji is taking huge pride in maintaining that royal mane of his, if you cut it, ruin it in any way, or rip a strand out by force, he will curse you, all the way to your grave. It's just ridiculous, but then again, who doesn't have weird quirks and things one can take pride in, that makes them stand out?

Neji's love language is combing his women's hair

(Artist source)

Once the missions are over, or he is taking a break, and Tenten or Hinata happen to be in his team, or they just hang out in private, Hanabi included, Neji's way of showing how much he loves them all, is by volunteering to comb their long hair. Tenten, Hanabi and Hinata are the only ones to enjoy this privilege of having Neji being their "hairdresser", if you will. And every time he finishes, the girls always return the gesture, combing his long hair in return, too. It's a very one-of-a-kind action, that he purely reserves for those women, who mean the world to him. And yes, that includes Himawari (Screw you, Kishi, killing off Neji was a horrible idea, and no amount of rewrites will ever repair the damage you have done to your own story with the amount of retcons you pulled out of your ass, and what you did to Neji's character, especially post-mortem, so just for how disrespectful his entire death scenario was handled, just out of principle, I will just pretend, it never happened, it's only fair), and if she were alive, maybe even Kushina. He is not serving the Main Branch, he is serving his family, and them alone.

Neji is more of a stay-at-home parent, than Tenten or Hinata

(Artist source)

If there is anything I have truly grown to despise about Boruto, is that, every woman in the OG cast was reduced to JUST the role of a housewife, and barely anything beyond that, especially Hinata. No excuses, this is something, NO ONE, with an ounce of integrity, should have ANY tolerance for. The reason why this is so irritating to begin with, is because, Kishi is not exactly known for having favorable opinions on female characters, right off the bat, so stuff like this, is just annoying and on-the-nose. Not to mention, offensive, too. So, no, let us just get petty, and turn this entire concept on its head. Sasuke, Shikamaru and Neji are the stay-at-home-husbands, who mostly do the housework, while their wives are the core breadwinners. Nuff' said. Because these three, have worked and suffered the hardest (amongst others) in their entire lives, they deserve to just have some peace and quiet at home, keeping their children from making the same mistakes as them. And from Tenten's POV, Neji always felt more like a stand-in housewife, while she is travelling the country to present her inventions to all kinds of science fairs, and selling weapons like a real queen, with toys being the back-up plan. And Neji supports her in that endeavor, all the way through, while he stays at home, and sometimes works as a part-time sensei at the Hyuga clan.

Neji bears the Tiger Fist, while Hinata bears the Lion Fist

(Image source)

Side Branch members are represented, both in their souls and fighting style, by the tiger, while the Main Branch members are represented by the lions. Just a little fun visual on the side. And the Tiger Fist is more about proactive aggression, rather than a defensive, and slower battle plan, like what the Lion Fist has. Not to mention, it glows green, not blue.

Neji loves weapons and cool-looking toys like Tenten

That one is just for the soul. Neji is fully supportive of Tenten's dream of perfecting the arts of weapon-crafting, wanting to see how far her creativity and inventive spirit takes her, and doing anything he can to help. And like everything, the way to a man's heart, is either, through cool-looking weapons, or toys, that are just the coolest thing ever (transformative action figures, interactive toys, where you can press buttons to see something happen, that just tickles Neji's and Tenten's brain), just from design alone. And their kids will be having a lifetime supply of toys to play with.

And this is it. Just felt like doing this, because I felt like it. Because I can. All this for the Neji fandom, and a certain friend of mine, who knows, this was long overdue. And if I managed to make your day, thank you, you're not welcome. I did this for me, not for you...

...Wink.

@nejihyugamyreligion 😉

Anyways, smell ya later!

PEACE.

[atamascolily]

Analysis: Alleyway Scene, Rebellion

After Sayaka rescues Homura from Mami, their conversation plays out in a souped-up version of the alleyway where Sayaka first met Kyouko in the anime. But first the original version appears briefly in a montage of landscape shots to indicate the passage of time between Homura's first day at school and the first conversation with Madoka in the park.

This is also where Homura broke up that fight, so staging the conversation here is an interesting move on Sayaka's part. She's taking advantage of the labyrinth to re-enact the past, now taking the role of the experienced veteran.

Like all of the spaces in the false Mitakihara, the alleyway responds subconsciously to Homura's thoughts and emotions, so instead of the straightforward line above, we get a series of panels that can shift and rotate in space.

In keeping with Sayaka's musical theme, both versions still have the "instrument motif" on the walls (confirmed as such in the Rebellion Production Note) - the Puella Magi wiki also notes the resemblance to the "Hof der Elemente" in the Art Courtyard Passage in Dresden, Germany. So it's also representing water as well.

Sayaka using her sword to open the lock and release Homura is laying the groundwork for her using the same trick on Homura's shield.

This scene does a lot of fun things with reflections and upside down imagery, but using the sheen on Sayaka's sword right before she sheathes it is so creative. Note the wavy edge, like the ocean, where the glare is. Also note Homura is upside down and falling (this appears to be a recurring motif in WnK trailers).

Like cats, magical girls always land on their feet. Homura does a little flip (circular motion!) first.

Homura is backdropped by red, Sayaka by blue. The cityscape in the Homura shots is very similar to what we see in Walpurgis no Kaiten trailer with the reddish light--fitting since Homura is dominant there. There is also a giant moon, which is associated with Homura--it round and marks the passage of time (each of her loops is approximately one month).

If you're thinking "how can an alleyway have 3 different views?" it's because this is actually a crossroads, both literally and metaphorically. Homura is deciding what she wants to do and where she wants to go and also who she wants to be. All of these questions are interconnected in the world that is also her soul.

I think the panels rotated in-between shots, which aligns with the spacial wonkiness in previous scenes--but it's also supposed to be disorienting, both to Homura and to us. The moon is also moving way too fast as well - compare the shot above to this one with the moon directly above them.

As you can see, the reflections change from moment to moment--sometime reflecting stars and sometimes the alleyway pipes. Some of this is due to changing camera angles and some of it is good old reality wonkiness. As the conversation progresses, the puddles get weirder and weirder... only to distort as Homura realizes Oktavia is directly below her.

For what it's worth, the Rebellion Production Note says this is not Oktavia but Homura's memory of Oktavia, which is why she has her original series form rather than her new form that we see in the battle against Homulilly later. If I understand correctly, Homura is "filling in the gaps" by hallucinating what ought to be there because she can't perceive Oktavia directly.

It seems like Sayaka is doing her own reality-warping to (at least temporarily) counter Homura's, or at least that's how Homura and the audience interprets it.

After she stops time, Homura pulls away the sheet, revealing the illusion. Everything is now blue, as Sayaka gets the "last word" visually as well as orally. The discarded cape is also the "bridge" connecting this scene to the next, as Homura reflects.

One of the many profound ironies of this scene is that in the end, Homura does exactly what Sayaka advises her to do--she traps everyone in her remade world, and maintains the status quo--only Sayaka is furious. In some ways, this makes Sayaka a hypocrite, but I would argue no more so than Homura--they each change their minds and adapt the other's original position by the end. The difference, of course, is the scale and the stakes--Sayaka is happy to play around and get a second chance as long as it's a separate bubble and not the entire universe, whereas Homura is the exact opposite.

The circular structure of Rebellion means that every scene has a counterpart elsewhere in the film and this is one of the more obvious pairings.

[soup-sloth]

Aftermath

That bounty was, upsetting to say the least. They had no idea exactly how that fucker got into their heads like he did, even Hipswitch was affected, but the things they saw all felt so…real.

Albus had felt the blood running down his arms, heard the betrayed cries and saw the corpses of his brother, Faithful and even Kerano, all dead by his hand.

Hipswitch was trapped in a loop, reliving the pain of being forced to kill Sensei over and over again.

Atilla on his knees, unable to move his arms with ropes tightly binding him, gun to his head, helpless to do anything to save himself and Mahatma.

Karmor feeling the tightening strings that made him feel like a puppet for that bastard stalker in the mask. He was used to that fear however, it tormented him endlessly.

So he stood, he channeled as much of his power as he could, ignoring his own pain to save the people he had grown to care so deeply for from the illusions making them suffer.

In a blinding flash it was over, he collapsed to his knees, barely able to see, ears ringing, shaking from the excruciating pain shooting down his back and arms. The movement had caused his jacket to slip from his shoulders, angry awful stripes adorning his body.

Faintly he could hear the others yelling but he couldn’t move enough to sign anything to them. They sounded….worried? Scared? He wasn’t really sure. Even Atilla calling out ‘test subject’ didn’t sound hostile or sarcastic.

The others had never seen the marks adorning the young man, their shock was quickly forgotten however, questions kept silent as they began to move.

Hipswitch picked up his partner as carefully as he could, doing everything in his power to avoid touching the bleeding marks on his back.

“Shit, he’s bleeding! Albus get us back to base now!” The robot’s command left no room for argument, not that the demon planned to, not this time.

Grabbing onto Doc and Hipswitch, he cast a worried glance to the man silently sobbing and shaking in his friend’s arms before his face settled into a scowl and he teleported them back home. He left again moments later, muttering something about turning in the bounty.

Albus wasn’t going to be of much use in the lab, so he was going to get the money for that fucking bastard’s head and grab something for the whelp. The demon wasn’t the best at this kind of thing but Karmor was hurt and suffering for saving them. He could at least grab some snacks and a new blanket.

In the lab Karmor was on the examination table. He wasn’t sat with his legs hanging off one side, only kept upright because Hipswitch stood in front of him, letting the injured party rest against him while Mahatma got to work.

He worked as quickly and gently as he was able to, not wanting to cause the poor man any more pain.

“I know this is a lot to ask, can you trust me enough to give you some painkillers? Hipswitch is right here and even Atilla doesn’t like seeing you like this.”

There was a long stretch of silence before Karmor gave a small nod, consenting for the doctor to give him the medicine.

He was in far too much pain to swallow pills, and they would take a while to kick in, meaning the only way he could be given pain relief was with an injection. The thought terrified him, but he trusted Hipswitch wouldn’t let anything bad happen, and Mahatma seemed entirely convinced that Atilla wouldn’t try anything either.

He clung tighter to Hipswitch, flinching when he felt a cold alcohol swab being rubbed over his skin. He was in so much pain that he didn’t even notice the sharp pinch of the needle.

Thankfully the medicine didn’t take long to kick in, making a wave of relief wash over Karmor. He slumped a bit further forward into Hipswitch, making the robot chuckle a bit.

Once he was relaxed Doc got to work addressing the wounds. Once the blood was cleaned away, he assessed the actual damage. The scarred areas had split open a bit, but none seemed deep enough to require stitches. He cleaned the cuts and applied bandages carefully, making sure they would stay secure until they needed to be changed.

Once he was given the ok Hipswitch picked up his partner again, carrying the man over to the couch and sitting down, keeping him in his lap, petting his hair carefully.

Not moments later Albus walked in, he seemed relieved to see that Karmor was no longer sobbing and shaking in pain. He chuckled a bit and draped the blanket he had bought over him and their cowboy friend, helping the robot bundle the man up before sitting down next to him.

“Hope the blanket’s ok, wasn’t to many options but I got the softest fuckin one I could find. I also grabbed some of those snacks you like. At least I think they’re the ones you like.” Well Karmor wasn’t super picky so even if they weren’t his favorites so once his throat stopped feeling so tight from his earlier crying he would eat them.

The weight of the couch shifted a bit as Doc sat down to Hipswitch’s left. His eyes shifted, a slight scowl appearing on his face, though not nearly as hostile seeming as usual.

“Mahatma said I should be the one to do this since I was awake during the shit show that was that bounty hunt.” He huffed slightly but there was no real hostility in his voice. “Thank you for saving us. He also said to let you know there are some oral painkillers near your bed. And that we’re going to all need to have a talk once you can exist without painkillers or sobbing.”

Karmor looked a bit guilty, apprehensive about having that talk, but he nodded, they knew now so it would happen eventually. Before he could sign a response Atilla made a motion to Hipswitch, the robot reluctantly passing Karmor into the mad doctor’s lap.

Before a question could be fully formed his head was pulled to the man’s chest, the steady sound of a heartbeat making him relax instantly. “Don’t get used to this test subject, and dont think you can start bugging Mahatma in the middle of the night again, but… you seem like you need this and you did save all our asses so I’ll tolerate it this once.”

There was no response besides soft snoring coming from the exhausted young man, getting a chuckle from Albus. “Sleep well whelp, we’ll be keeping guard over you tonight.”

“Good night partner, see you when you wake up.”

————————————————————————

a little thing related to the comic I made, I ended up typing way more than I thought but I’m happy with this

@riooooooooo

@creatortools

said I’d tag you guys once I was done so here you go

[cogentsummoner]

Hi! So I'm rereading the Smite soulmate au and I was curious- Will we ever find out what exactly their soulmate marks are? Based on chapter 2 its a mark or something on the wrist. Is it a picture or certain word?

Also idk if you had plans to write out the actual scene of Smite and reader meeting for the first time but him kidnapping them and bombarding them with questions always sounded so funny 😭 I personaly would love a fleshed out scene of that if it's something you've thought about writing!

This fic is everything and I'm obsessed 💖

so i was largely gonna leave the soulmark designs up to reader interpretations, mostly because i don't really have any specific symbolism in mind for them. like, its not a sunflower or something like that. its just a kind of... curvy little design. if i had to pin down a design for it, it looks something like this!

as for how the reader and smite met.... well. let's just say it was a rocky beginning.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

You took stock of the situation; you weren't injured- anymore, that is- but you were deeply fatigued and pinned down amongst the rubble. You could hear the sounds of battle, far too close for comfort. Your left arm was stuck, your wrist- your soulmark - exposed to the world.

Gazing at its familiar looping design, you felt your tired eyes fill with tears. Were you going to die? Before ever having gotten to meet your soulmate? You'd been waiting for them for such a long time… it wasn't fair. Fuck, it wasn't fair!

Without warning, something crashed like a comet nearby, it's impact making the earth tremble- and making your coffin almost complete. You could barely see anything anymore, just a sliver of light penetrating the oppressive darkness.

You heard the sound of heavy, stomping footsteps approaching, and a deep, distorted laugh, and found yourself frozen in fear. Oh god. You were going to die, weren't you? This was it.

Cowering in fear, you remained silent- and All Might, King of Chaos, Symbol of Fear- he almost passed you by without noticing you.

But something caught his eye, and he stopped. Right in front of you.

"What is this?" he breathed out. There was no cocky malice in his voice- only genuine confusion… no, wonder?

Suddenly, you could feel the ground shake a little as he dropped to his knees, clearing away the rubble and debris pinning your arm down. Once it was free, he… cradled your arm, your wrist, gently, as if it was something precious.

"Hey- hey! Are you alive under there? Can you hear me?" came the voice of All Might as he… began digging you out.

"I'm here," you replied, voice shaking with terror. You begged pathetically, "Please don't hurt me."

"No- no, no, no, I'd never hurt you," All Might reassured you in a way your exhausted mind couldn't comprehend.

He pushed aside huge chunks of cement and rubble like they were nothing, pulling you out and then holding you with his hands under your armpits, as if you were a small child. You stared into the unforgiving and uncaring mask of the most dangerous man in the world, and you could do little more than tremble like a frightened prey animal.

"Hey, it's okay!" All Might said, his voice changer making what was surely supposed to be a comforting statement into an unsettling one. "I'm not gonna hurt you, and I'm not gonna let anyone else hurt you. I promise."

"Why?" you whispered, your confusion only feeding into the fear.

"Oh- right. Got a little ahead of myself!" All Might replied with a belly laugh. He put you down gently, and then- to your horror- rolled up his left sleeve.

It was a perfect match. It was a perfect match of your soulmark.

You stared, uncomprehending, until it finally clicked.

Tears welled up in your eyes. They were not tears of joy.

When the sound of the Number One Hero's yell reached the two of you, the moment was cut short, and All Might made his move.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

All Might was on cloud fucking nine.

Literally, as in he was bounding high in the air, from building to building, as Endeavor blazed after him like a fiery comet- but also metaphorically, because he had, at long last, found his soulmate.

"Where are you from? Where'd you grow up? What do you do for a living?" he asked, voice loud enough to carry over the intense wind rushing past the two of you. There was just so much he wanted to know about you- it'd been a little over forty years since his soulmark appeared, and he wanted to know every detail of what had happened to you in that time. He was so goddamn excited, a warm bubbling feeling taking root where his stomach should be. "What's your favorite color? And food? And flower?"

You only answered one of his questions, your voice barely above a whisper. "Daisies," he could barely make out. "I like daisies."

"Daisies are nice!" he replied cheerily.

It took him a few more minutes to get Endeavor off his tail, but finally, he came to a stop on a rooftop in a quiet section of town. He gingerly took you off his shoulder and set you down on the ground, and you immediately leaned on him for support, which he was more than happy to give you.

"Are you alright?" he asked, which- in hindsight, it was a stupid question. He could admit that now. But in the moment, he was just...worried about you.

Your grip on his arms tightened, and you laughed. It was a harsh, hysterical sound.

"No!" you shouted, tears once again filling your eyes. "No, I'm not alright! I-I was buried alive because of your stupid fight, then I'm 'rescued' only to find out the Number One Villain is my soulmate, and now-! Now you've kidnapped me, and I'm so nauseous from all that jumping, I could puke! So, no, I'm not alright! In fact, this is perhaps the worst day of my fucking life!"

For a long moment, All Might simply stood there, still as a statue, your words making his heart freeze over, then shatter. You were trembling, and you refused to look at him- finally, he realized the obvious. You were terrified of him.

Before he could say anything, you let go of him, taking a few stumbling steps back from him, your back hitting the wall of the rooftop door. Your hands covered your tired, dusty face, and you sobbed as you slid down against the wall, pulling your knees close to your body.

You looked so fucking heartbroken. So genuinely fucking upset. Upset that he was your soulmate.

Minutes passed in silence as you wept, and All Might fought the sudden, pathetic urge to do the same. You didn't want him. You were afraid of him, you hated him!

He'd been so excited to finally meet you. After so many long years of isolation, necessitated by his crusade against All for One, he had hoped that when he did finally find his soulmate…

He wanted you to love him. You were supposed to love him.

This wasn't fair.

─ ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──── ♡ ─── ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ ──

This wasn't fair.

Your soulmate was supposed to be someone charming and sweet and kind- not a villain. Not the Villain. Not a murderer, a monster. What had you done to deserve this?

Slowly, you stopped crying, having no tears left in you. You were exhausted, physically and emotionally, and now you had a headache on top of everything else. You simply curled up, resting your forehead on your knees as you hugged them, and closed your eyes.

You tried not to jump when you heard heavy footsteps approaching you, but despite your efforts, you flinched. You could hear All Might sigh, then came the rustling of buckles and leather. When he spoke again, his voice was noticeably different.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I didn't… mean to kidnap you. I… I just couldn't leave you behind, and Endeavor…" he said. His voice was deep and low, almost soothing.

You opened your eyes and tried not to gasp at the startlingly handsome face of an unmasked All Might. Chiseled features, hypnotic blue eyes, and golden, slicked back hair… Nothing could've prepared you for the sight of the Number One Villain's true face.

You furrowed your eyebrows. "So I can go home whenever I want?" you asked. Handsome though he may be… he was still All Might. This changed nothing.

He nodded, mouth set in a firm line. "Of course. I can drop you off-"

"If you're going to jump like you did to get here, then absolutely not," you interrupted sourly. Then, quietly, you added, "I'm afraid of heights."

He winced, then rubbed the back of his neck. Seemingly embarrassed, he mumbled, "…sorry."

He reached out a hand, to place on your shoulder, but you immediately tensed and said, in a voice as cold as ice, "Don't. Don't touch me."

You could see him swallow thickly, and he nodded. "Alright. Alright," he replied with a sigh, just the barest hint of… disappointment? sadness? in his expression. He took a few steps away from you, then asked, "Is it okay if I sit down here?"

You had to bite down a hysterical laugh. The most dangerous man in the world, asking for permission from you? What a joke.

You nodded warily. "Fine."

All Might sat down across from you, brows furrowed as he seemed to study you. You merely closed your eyes and rested your forehead on your knees again.

Finally, he spoke. "I… I know I'm not… what you wanted-"

You let out a derisive snort.

"-but we are soulmates, and… and I'd like the chance to get to know you," he said, sounding incredibly sincere, if not somber.

You contemplated his words for a minute, then replied, "There is quite literally nothing I could do to stop you from doing… anything, really. If you wanted to stalk me every moment of every day, there is no force on this planet I could enlist to get you to go away. If you wanted to actually kidnap me on purpose, then I doubt anyone could save me. Don't pretend like I have a choice in all of this."

You opened your eyes, and looked up to see unmistakable hurt in All Might's expression. He was quick to hide it, but his stricken face sat heavy in your mind.

"You do have a choice," he insisted. "I don't- I don't want to force you to do anything! I won't! I want you to…"

"To want you? To love you? Of my own free will?" you supplied, letting out a heavy sigh and straightening out your legs. You folded your hands in your lap.

A fierce blush bloomed on All Might's face, even as he looked away. "…yeah."

"I don't know if I can do that," you answered honestly.

His eyes squeezed shut, and his hands clenched into fists. "Can you… can you give me a chance at least? Please?"

Without his eyes on you, you stared at him unabashedly, then let out another sigh. "If I do, and the answer is still no, I do not or cannot love you at the end of it, will you accept that? Will you leave me alone? Or should I fear for my life if I do reject you?"

His mouth trembled. "I would never hurt you. No matter what you do to me, or how you feel, I-I… I could never hurt you. Please, please- if nothing else, please believe me on that."

You were quiet for a long moment, letting the two of you stew in the mess of emotions you were both feeling, before finally replying, "Okay. Alright. I'll give you a chance."

And with that decision, you sealed your fate.

[concretejunglefm]

Poltergeists: Chapter 14.

Chapters: Prologue, Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 6, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 9, Bonus Chapter, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Bonus Chapter

Pairings: Noah Sebastian x Reader, Nicholas Ruffilo x Reader, possibly more BO members.

CW: Missing person, elements of supernatural horror, mentions of blood and possibly violence, unreliable narrator, implied smut. will update as it goes on. Heavy trigger warning for mentions of alcohol use, ptsd and panic attacks.

WC: 1.5k.

AN: This series will be told throughout a variety of flashbacks and present day, all which will be marked.

Divider: Silent-stories.

Tagged: @enemiestolovershoe, @fadingangelwisp, @littlepeachwhispers, @concreteangel92, @deathblacksmoke, @1toreyouapart, @lacy1986, @chaoticwineaunt, @ichoosetenderomens, @baddestomens, @blade-dressed-in-red, @halfalgorithmhafdeity, @geminigirlfromfinland, @fuck1ng-queen, @collisionofyourkissmakesitsohard (if anyone else wishes to be tagged lmk)

PRESENT DAY

“Will you just let me pass so I can go with her!” Detective Green, or Detective Douche as I like to now call him, is keeping me back as the paramedics wheel her out from the house on a stretcher and into the back of an ambulance.

She wasn't pronounced dead on their arrival, which was a good sign, but the bruising around her neck raised some questions, not only from the paramedics but myself.

Nick is barely saying anything, keeping himself back, even as I continue to argue with Detective Douche about me going with them.

“I’ll take you down to the hospital myself but right now you need to be checked over.” He explains, but I refuse the help which comes my way from a small blonde yet hesitant paramedic, who's hand I swat at the moment she tries to reach for me to check me over. 

“Can’t we do this down at the hospital?” I argue and Kit relents, stepping back as he allows me to move forward and toward the open back doors of the second ambulance. I climb up and in, with Nick following silently. He can barely look me in the eye at the moment but my concerns aren't with him, they’re with the ambulance which already has a head start on us.

There were a lot of questions which came with apparently being missing for a year.

Missing. That was what they called it. Missing or dead. The latter somehow didn't scare me as much as it should've, perhaps because where I was felt enough like heaven that being dead was the last of my worries.

Detective Green was the one who questioned me, though even he seemed to have no understanding as to how I'd appeared out from the closet in our own home and unharmed at that. 

All that blood and there was not a mark on me.

I shudder at the memory of that night. I remember everything, as much as I wish not to. Sometimes it would play as a loop during the dull moments of the limbo I resided in.

Other times it would plague me as a literal repeat of events, taunting me as I yelled and called for bubs, only for my fate to always be the same.

My favorite moments were always those by the lake. Our spot.

I knew it was never her, but when the creature came to visit me disguised as her, wearing her skin as close to her image as possible, I could convince myself that I was happy here. 

Because it told me I should be.

“You’re free to go Mr. Seb—”

“Where’s Bubs?” I cut Kit off the minute he lets me go free from being observed, from being questioned, from everything, jumping up from the hospital bed as Nick reaches out as if to hold on and steady me.

“A room down the hall, but be warned Noah. It's not… she’s not in the best state.”

The warning is one I ignore, already half way through the door before heading down the hallway, questioning a nurse I pass on the way and following her direction.

I come to a stop as I reach the door, peering in at her through the glass before taking a step inside. I don't know what I'd anticipated seeing; perhaps the sight of her hooked up to a monitor and a machine or two, but there were tubes and wires everywhere.

Steadily approaching the bed, my fingers ghost along the blanket which lays over her before meeting her fingers. They’re warm but there’s no movement. There’s nothing. She looks as if she's sleeping and peaceful enough that I could be convinced she’s an angel.

From behind me I hear footsteps and when I turn my head I catch Nick standing in the doorway, his lip between his teeth as his brow furrows in worry.

There's a tightness in my throat as I go to speak and  I attempt to hold back the emotion wishing to push free.

“What happened?” 

FLASHBACK

DAY OF NOAH'S DISAPPEARANCE

You've been down at the station all day answering question after question. They didn't hold you. You don't think you're a suspect, though they treat you like one.

You can't remember the things you were asked, or what you said, all you know of that you kept repeating yourself with the same four things; you weren't awake when he was yelling, it was too dark for you to even see anything, you don't know where the blood came from, you don't know anything.

You don't know anything.

Except you do, but don't know if what you know is even real. Your mind has been playing so many tricks on you these last few months that even now, nothing feels real. You feel as if you're living in a daze, everything around you is hazy except there's no lightness, only a heaviness in your body and a thickness to the air which makes it difficult to breathe.

"Are you sure you want to go back in there?" Nicholas asks you from the drivers seat.

"Yeah, bubba. We can grab some stuff for you if you want?" Folio chimes in from the back. 

Everyone had taken shifts throughout the day to wait for you to be released from questioning after making their own statements. Nicholas had been there all day waiting for you, while Folio had been the last to come out and told Matt and Jolly to head home.

You haven't answered. You sit silent, looking out the passengers side window up at the house. It feels daunting to enter, but you know that have to.

"You can stay at mine." The feel of Nicholas' hand on your knee pulls you back from the drain of thoughts you'd been circling, your head snapping in his direction.

"No." You finally answer, your voice is horse from all the crying you've been doing. You're out of tears now, you think. "I... I'll be fine." Your voice isn't assuring, not even to yourself. "I just really want to be alone right now."

From the corner of your eye you can see Folio attempting to reach for you and stop you as you open the passengers side door, before he retreats. You know he's just worried about you, but he doesn't protest your wish to go back to the house or to even be alone.

Nicholas doesn't even voice his own concerns about you being left to your own devices when in such a clear vulnerable state but you realize why when you hear another door opening and as you step out, you turn to see Nicholas has followed your lead in climbing from the car, offering the keys to Folio who's climbing into the driver's seat from the back.

"Nick."

"No. Noah wouldn't want you to be alone right now and I definitely don't want to leave you on your own."

Tears prickle at the corners of your sore eyes once more. You believed the well to have run dry, only to be proven wrong. You don't have it in you to argue and you nod, turning and allowing Nicholas to lead you up the pathway to your home.

Yours and Noah's home.

When you enter you almost expect him to be sat in the couch playing a video game, or over by his desk working on something new, or to come bounding out from the kitchen and greet you, but the house is empty.

It feels as empty as it looks. It feels cold and menacing, like a beast which has now gone to lay dormant after a feast. Because that's what happened, wasn't it?

You sound stupid to believe the house took Noah from you, but it did. You know what you saw. At least you think you do.

Nick's voice doesn't reach your ears as you walk towards the couch, picking up Noah's hoodie which lays over the back of it. You slip it on and it feels like a warm embrace from him. It still smells enough like him that it provides a slight comfort, as if he'd worn it earlier that day.

Exhaustion is quick to hit you the minute you crawl onto the couch and you curl yourself up as small as you can, cocooning yourself in the safety of Noah's hoodie.

You can't bear the thought of going upstairs, of going to your room and where it happened. You know that the police have no hand in cleaning up the aftermath of any incident. Not even one where there's a pool of blood staining the floor and splashes of it coating the walls.

You want to pretend that none of this is happening, that it isn't real and that you haven't just lost your best friend, your boyfriend, in the most inexplicable way.

You hear Nick in the kitchen, cooking or tidying up, you have no idea, but you choose to ignore his presence and close your eyes, until you realise that having him here is perhaps a slight comfort after all. With your eyes closed you can almost convince yourself that it's Noah and that he's not gone at all.

[bonbonburgerpants]

OKAY OKAY EVERYONE, OC & LORE TALK INCOMING

KISSblr, I present to you:

- the main driver

- the roadie

- the gem nerd

- "The Diamond"

- the ###### ######## ## ### ##### #######

💎 MICHAEL "MIKE" CHARLESTON 💎

A closeted gay guy on the spectrum (I mean COME ON HE'S INTO ROCKS AND JUST 1 BAND ON LOOP), 19 turning 20 in the very beginning and a geology freshman in University of Detroit!

His history with KISS starts out in late highschool when he found one of their cds randomly at a sale in a record store and became a huge fan. A frequent gig attendee, I mean, as frequent as a junior and senior in HS can be, big fan and obviously simp for one of the frontmen (or rather, not an obvious one to people around him but shhhh)

Jumping a few years later, Michael is going to university a few states over which means he has to find some kind of accomodation.

Yet after a busy day, resigned and struck with the realization that he has to stay at the uni dorm after all, Mike stumbled into the shared room. It reeked of alcohol, cigarette smoke and who knew what else.

"########## huh?" - is the name of his roommate - "God he's such a slob" he thought, slowly placing his bags down in the cleanest spot on the floor. This is gonna be his daily reality for the next four years and he couldn't be happier, sarcastically speaking.

Yet, there's something that's still keeping him sane.

For years, he's heard of the "the Star of America" being stored in the Natural History Museum of Detroit. It was a very unique piece, found nowhere else on Earth.

The star in question was a... black diamond, rumoured to always cast a purplish shadow and glimmer in the moonlight, with the shade of the shimmer slightly altering according to the sound of music playing near it. A beautiful gem which, despite being studied numerous times, seems to be nothing but a slightly imperfect diamond with bits of graphite found in its structure.

Some theorize about it being a piece of a meteorite that landed on Earth, some claim it to be a gift from ancient gods, while others decide to outright state it's nothing but a mere carbonado polished so much it looks expensive and makes the city money.

This beauty, a rock so unique it's being protected by the best possible guards, best security systems 24/7 every day and night is on Mike's mind almost all the time, his own Roman Empire.

And for some reason, the closer he is to seeing it in person, the more he wants to just...

take it for himself.

Unfortunately, soon he'll realize he is the only one looking for it and things are about to get nasty any moment.

...Or will they?

Yes, it's all in Detroit because of "Detroit Rock City"

Yes, the lore's heavily inspired by "Scooby-Doo! and KISS: Rock and Roll Mystery"

And yes, in this story/AU, the og KISS members (so Paul, Gene, Ace & Peter) along with Eric, Vinnie, Bruce, Eric & Tommy do know each other and are on fairly good terms

Also here I decided to make Tommy Ace's cousin due to the Spaceman shenanigans (trust me, this will get important)

And here, Bruce & Mike are the only humans (along with Mark, as in Mark St. John, but his plot is kinda unrelated to the main stuff and is more of a side plot)

[alwayslurkinginthebackground]

The Shirt - A Pedrotober Drabble

Day Thirty of Pedrotober: Fav Awards 'fit Pedrotober Hosted by @norththelemon and @alyssamariag. View the full prompt list HERE and view my entire Pedrotober drabble catalog HERE.

Pairing: Javier Peña x f!reader

Rating: Javi took the wheel, which means E. Oral (fem receiving), rough sex, bondage, dirty talk, unprotected p in v, cum shot.

Word Count: 1466

a/n: I had such good intentions with this prompt and then Javi threw them all out the window. So here's whatever this is instead.

When he finds you, you're in his shirt.

Not just any shirt, either. The shirt. The one he was wearing the day you first met.

If you were being honest, you'd clocked the way he was uncomfortable in it the second your eyes landed on him at the press conference. A little too tight around his neck with a tie that you'd watched him loosen the second he walked out to his truck. Almost like it wasn't something he'd wear normally.

Or, at least, that he'd prefer not to.

"You're home late."

He's shuffling past the door to your bedroom, tie already loose around his neck as he toes off his shoes. "Damn newbies couldn't get their heads on straight today," he grumbles, tossing his suit jacket over the chair that sits by the desk he never uses. His belt is off next, and you know the exact moment he figures out what you're wearing because all movement stops.

You've been sprawled out on the bed for the better part of the evening, his white shirt hanging from your shoulders, barely buttoned down your middle. You know it's hitched up in your slumber while you waited for him to get home because you've barely cleared the sleep from your vision when you feel the warmth of his hand tracing the curve of your ass.

"Thought I told you that you aren't allowed to wear my good shirt," Javi grumbles, the mattress dipping beside you as he closes in on your body.

"You hate this shirt," you point out, rolling toward him and reaching for the buttons that keep him from your view, unbuttoning them one at a time to expose his chest. "If I remember correctly, you stated that it made you feel like you were going to a funeral."

He leans over you, making quick work of your legs so he can kneel between them. "It does make me feel like I'm going to a funeral," he insists, capturing your lips in a heated kiss as the ends of his tie hang around you, "but it's also my best shirt."

"Well then the way I see it you have two options."

Javi's already working at your neck, the rough scrape of his stubble leaving red marks along your skin. "Oh yeah? And what exactly are my choices here?"

"Option one," you state, trying your best to regain the little bit of composure you can cling to when he's tugging the shirt in question down to expose one of your breasts. "You get a new shirt."

He hums, tongue trailing along your skin as he tugs at the buttons until you're exposed before him, "and option two?"

"You'll just have to think of me every time you wear it."

Your suggestion causes him to still, pulling back to stare down at you with a heated gaze. He sucks in a deep breath, his hands trailing along your thighs, up your sides, and along your arms until he's capturing your hands in his. It's only when he slips the tie from his neck and begins to weave it around your wrists that you question him. "What's it gonna be, Peña?"

"Option two," he returns with a low voice, looping the fabric around the bedpost as he hovers over you. "Except if I'm going to think of you every time I wear this shirt, I want it to be worthwhile."

You try to test the strength of the knots he's made, only to find them secure above your head. This isn't the first time he's done this with you, and you mentally recall the safe word he insisted upon the first time you slept together. Vermillion. Not that you've ever used it.

"Is the image of me in only this shirt not enough for you?" you tease.

Javi doesn't respond, not right away, because he's already busy kissing down your stomach and settling between your legs. He presses his lips to the sensitive skin of your thigh, wrapping your legs over his shoulders and hitching your hips closer to his waiting mouth before looking back up at you.

"You're always stunning, Carino, but when you come? That is the picture I want to remember."

He gives you no time to protest, diving into your folds like a man dying of thirst. Lapping at your clit and holding you still as you try to roll your hips into his mouth. You'd learned early on that Javi would do just about anything to make you come like this, with just his tongue and nothing more, and you have no problem providing him with the opportunity to do so as often as possible.

It's his name that comes from your lips first, a high-pitched whine that continues when he doesn't let up. A repeated prayer for him to ease you over the edge and let you fall into the abyss. "Javi. Javi. Javi." Your shoulders burn from the way you tug against the restraints, your fingers longing to grip at his curls, but there's no point in trying. Not when he has you exactly where he wants you.

"Fuck, you're so sweet," he mutters against you, a brief respite before he's diving back in, tongue dipping into your center as he laps at an unforgiving pace. Your nails dig into your palm, a hint of pain amidst the pleasure until you're falling apart in his firm grasp. Even then, Javi doesn't stop, working you through it as he watches you carefully, memorizing the keenness of your voice and every flex of your muscles as you spasm around him.

"That a better picture for you?" you breathe out when he maneuvers back up your body, kneeling between your legs after he makes quick work of the dress pants he's forced to wear to the embassy every day. Your eyes never leave his cock, hands absentmindedly tugging at your bonds when he takes himself in his hand.

He runs a thumb over the tip, gathering the pre-cum with a hiss. "I think you can do better," he challenges, shifting closer and lining himself up. He pushes into you slowly, stretching you bit by bit at a torturous pace that has you desperately fighting to get closer. The tie prevents it all, fabric digging into your wrists, and you can't help but catch the glimmer in his eyes as he takes in the sight of you beneath him.

"How about now?"

His mouth meets yours in a lengthy kiss, lingering until he's fully engulfed in your heat. "There's still room for improvement," he notes, taking the opportunity to prove it to you, and your face twists in pleasure when he pulls back only to bottom out inside you a moment later. "There you go, you're getting there."

There are a few things you know to be true about Javier Peña. One, that he loves fucking you as much as he loves eating you out. Two, that he fills you in a way no other man has ever been able to, his cock pounding against something deep and devastating inside you. And three, that he really loves when you wear this shirt.

"Gonna think about you like this every time I wear it, Carino." He leans down, rhythm consistent as his lips ghost against the shell of your ear. "Gonna think about the way you look wearing it when you're coming around my cock."

He must know you're close because then he's shifting back, grabbing at you, tugging you as far as the binds will allow. "So. Fucking. Beautiful," he grits out between thrusts when he catches the telltale signs of your impending climax. The way you bite into your lower lip, the way you go limp in his arms, the way the sound of your voice reaches higher and higher until you clench around him with a groan.

That is the picture he'll remember.

He comes in hot spurts against your stomach, and you memorize it all, too. The way he lets you watch him. The way his hand fists his length and the way he groans out your name, body tense until he's able to meet your gaze and reach above you to untie you. He leaves the tie wrapped around the bedpost, more intent on running his thumb gently over the curve of your wrists, bringing each to his lips with reverence.

When he releases you completely, he's quick to clean his spend from your skin, wiping with the edges of the shirt that still hangs loosely from your body.

"I thought you wanted this back?" you taunt, watching the way he slowly and methodically tends to you in the aftermath.

Javi shakes his head, gathering you in his arms. "I'll get a new one. This one looks better on you anyway."

[staywhore]

countdown to midnight

felix x reader

word count: 2009

genre: smut with a hint of angst?! (my first attempt so be nice)

warnings: friends to lovers, hot hot hot takeout sesh, biting, slight angst if you can call it that.

an: sorry there's not a lot here! this is part one of two so look forward to the next update to see what happens (eye emoji) I hope everyone had an amazing new year! I love you all, thank you so much for supporting me this past year despite my hiatus.

taglist: @mingigoo @ravenjoongie @wickeddarkness-place @whatudowhennooneseesyou @teezers99 @mirror-juliet

new years confession part one click here for part two

~

You ducked fast as a mis-shapen ball of snow is hurled towards your head. A pang of adrenalin strikes right through your heart despite the fact that there now is a small smile pulling at the corner of your mouth. You clutch the ball of snow in your beige mitten and prepare to throw it back at your attacker. Risking a quick look you see that he has his back turned to you and you take your chance to make your move. You quickly stand and throw the snowball with as much force as you can muster to ensure it makes its mark. Watching as the non lethal projectile flies across the imagined battlefield, you see as it connects with the neck of your blonde attacker. His head moves forward with impact, causing him to look as though he’s bowing. 

He turns to you with a shocked look on your face. The laughter fills your mind until you can’t help but fold as it erupts from you. With tears now in your eyes and the look on his face on loop in your mind, you don’t notice that the man is now running towards you. You look up right before he makes contact with you. His arms wrapping around your waist lifting you up slightly before you feel yourself falling backwards. You can’t help but let out a little scream at the feeling of falling. He tackles you into a pile of snow that previously was your attempt at a snowman before the snowball fight ensued. 

“How does it feel to lose to a girl?” You say a little out of breath from the adrenalin still pumping rapidly throughout your body. You can’t help but smile as you look up and see a matching grin paired with that oh-so-familiar sparkle of mischief in his deep brown eyes. The former flicks back and forth a few times from your eyes to your mouth. He just lets out a short throaty laugh as a response. 

“Are you going to let me get up?” You say, starting to feel the weight of his stare. His hand reaches out and he brushes some snowflakes that are collecting on your eyelashes. 

Felix has been your friend for three years now. You’ve stayed friends through drunken calls, colds, and breakups. Of course you’ve noticed his impeccable beauty. His deep brown eyes that glow in the sunlight giving the illusion of having dark chocolate for irises. The freckles that are splattered across his nose, cheeks, and a few on his forehead; it’s as if an artist took his brush and placed each one specifically. His full pink lips that you have only ever seen turned down in frustration or anger a handful of times. He is the image of beauty to you. Yet in these past two, nearly three, years you never let your feelings manifest into anything stronger. You’ve seen the girls he has dated, you look nothing like them. So you keep your love for him platonic, and lock up anything less deep within your heart. 

His gentle touch threatens to bring your bubbling feelings to the surface. The soft material of his gloved fingers moved from your closed eyes onto your cheeks, that are no longer flushed because of the cold. Sometimes you think he’s looking at you as more than a friend, but the thought leaves you quickly. Despite what happened a year ago. 

“I’m quite comfortable actually.” The corner of his lips turn up in challenge to your question. 

~

It was New Years Eve, everyone was drinking and having a good time playing games and sharing stories. Felix had not left you alone for the entirety of the evening, not that that was unusual. Usually you stick to each other’s side, but something was different. If you stepped out of arm's reach of him you could feel his stare following you throughout the apartment. Eventually you decided to ask what the fuck is up. 

You pulled him off to one of the two bathrooms in yours and your friends shared apartment. It just happened to be the smaller of the two, just enough room for a sink, toilet, and a small shower encased by frosted glass. Not totally realizing that we are now nearly chest to chest as you look up to him to confront him. 

“What’s wrong with you tonight?” You say a little too loud, noting to lower your volume from now on. 

“Nothing’s wrong y/n.” He says without looking at you. Seemingly focused on a very interesting spot on the wall no doubt. 

“Bull shit Felix.” Attempting to cross your arms at your chest, but can’t successfully without touching him. It feels weird to touch him tonight. You can’t figure out why. “You have been acting strange all evening.” You settle with placing your hands on your hips. 

After a few beats of silence Felix finally looks at you. He seems to be searching for something in your face. His chocolate eyes flicking to the different parts of your face. An unspoken emotion hanging in the air between the two of us. Maybe it’s the seclusion, or maybe it’s the drinks finally working their way into your system, but tonight he looks different. Your eyes dared a look at his lips, quickly looking back up to his eyes. His pupils dilated.

“Felix..” Now he looked at your lips as you spoke, but he wasn’t quick to look away like you were. He leaned forward causing you to step back hitting the wall. “What is wr-” He cuts you off with a finger shushing your lips. 

“Y/n, I know you feel it two.” You could feel yourself pale. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about Felix.” 

“I know this is sudden y/n, maybe it’s the alcohol or the fact that it’s new years eve, but I want to kiss you tonight.. I want you and I don’t wanna hide it anymore.” His hands found their way to your face, tilting it back slightly. Your mouth was suddenly dry and eyes wide at the confession. 

“But.. I- I didn’t think I was your type?” You barely manage to get your words out. 

“You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life y/n.” Past the pounding of your heart echoing in your ears you can hear your friends call for you. 

“It’s nearly midnight.” Your response to his second confession. 

“I know y/n.” He continues to stare down at you. Trapping you against the cool wall and his hard body. “I’d like to kiss you if you’ll let me.” 

Mind racing. You swear he could hear your heart beating. Your eyes roamed over his face, looking for any sign of deception. You could hear your friends starting their count down into the new year. 

"10"

"9"

"8"

"7"

"6"

"5"

"4"

"3"

“Kiss me felix.” His lips crashed onto yours as your friends finished counting down, and cheered as they rang the new year in. Hands found their way into your hair, pulling slightly, causing you to gasp. He took his chance to kiss you deeper. Felix consumed you wholly. His tongue explored your mouth as he continued to deepen the kiss. His hands roaming further down your body. They moved from your hair to your neck, then shoulders, and smoothed down your back softly causing you to shiver. Your own found their way to his shaggy blonde hair. 

Finally snapping from your stupor you tug at his locks softly. He moans into your mouth, sending a bolt of arousal directly to your core. So you pull harder. This time he growls as his grip on your ass tightens. He spins the two of you around so your back is now to the sink, lifting you, you now are sitting on the lip of the sink; wrapping your legs around his waist to pull him closer. His hand slid from your ass to your waist, fingers playing with the hem of your shirt. A silent request for permission, you respond by taking your nails to his broad shoulders and running them along his clothed skin. Cool fingertips slid up your skin sending goosebumps to your arms. The further north his hands went, the deeper your nails dug into his shoulders. 

He breaks away from the kiss to look into your eyes. His own half lidded with arousal looking at your lips that are no doubt plumped and a deeper shade of pink from the kiss. He lets out a deep breath before he leans in to kiss you gently. Staring at your lips then going to your nose and forehead. Moving to your neck where he places pepperings of kisses that once again cause you to shiver. All while his fingers are running along your rib cage, and just under the fabric of your bra. As his hands move up taking the silky material of your shirt with him he bites your earlobe. 

Pulling your shirt over your head he leans back slightly to take a full look at you. Chest heaving and knuckles gone white from the grip you have on the sink. One hand goes to your neck to pull you back into a deep kiss. His lips run down your neck this time he’s not so gentle. He leaves bite marks in his wake. Each time he sucks your skin you let out a little moan, and the next time he sucks a little harder. He does the same thing to your chest. Teasing you as he plays with the edge of our bra, not quite going underneath the fabric. 

“Please Felix.” You say breathlessly. He obeys and reaches behind to unhook your bra. The feel of it sliding against your skin only heightens your arousal. Without hesitation he takes one of your nipples into your mouth and sucks it. It was a struggle to not scream at the sensation. 

“F-felix.. Fuck.” You moan as he releases the first with a pop and moves to the second. Your hands find their way to his head once more, tugging as he moans around your breast. Your abs begin to burn trying to keep you balanced on the ledge. Releasing the second with a pop he looks up at you, this time with fire in his eyes. 

“Y/n…” Right before he can say anything else the handle to the door jiggles, shortly followed by a pounding fist. 

“Hey open up! I gotta piss.” Someone who sounds an awful lot like a drunken changbin shouts from the other side of the door. Heat instantly rushes to your face as you push Felix off of you and quickly try to make yourself decent. 

“Be right out.” You stammer, frantically searching for your shirt. Seriously, where did that thing go in such a small space! Only stopping when Felix's hands cup your face once more, causing you to look up at him. He looked like he had a lot to say, but he leaned in to kiss you. Flinching back not wanting to seem any more suspicious than you probably already have to the party, you regretted it immediately. The hurt that flashed across his beautiful features stung you. 

“Felix.. I didn’t-” He turned away from you picking up your shirt and handed it to you, his silence was deadly. He waited until you readied yourself, tucking you behind him while he opened the door. 

Feeling awkward and embarrassed you hid out in your room until the last of your party guests left, feigning a headache. Curled up in your bed scrolling through your phone, when Felix’s name pops onto your screen. 

[sorry for tonight y/n] Another ding sounds 

[maybe we should just stay friends, go back to the way things were before tonight] it’s almost as if a knife went straight through your heart. With tears in your eyes you begin to reply, but you can’t find any words so you just turn your phone over and quietly cry yourself to sleep.

[timetravelinghearthian]

Continued thoughts on Hearthian timekeeping.

[Video ID: A time lapse video of the Outer Wilds solar system. The camera is in space and pointed at the sun. The various celestial bodies of the solar system orbit around the sun horizontally across the screen. The video starts and ends just as Timber Hearth begins to pass in front of the sun. The orbital cycle is about 4 minutes long. End ID.]

Timber Hearth’s celestial “years” run into a similar problem as their “days:” they’re best measured in minutes (approximately 4, in this case.) Even worse, as you may have noted, the Timber Hearth sidereal year is noticeably shorter than an average day!

As mentioned in the previous post, biological clocks are more useful for tracking time under circumstances like Timber Hearth’s. And when it comes to time periods longer than a day, a common biological clock is that of a species’ reproductive cycle.

Wait wait wait, before you leave! I said nothing about it being their own reproductive cycle that they use! (More on that in a different post, if ever.) If we’re being honest, following the life cycle of the local pine-like trees seems an easier, safer bet for a headcanon (it’s not my personal one, but we’re exploring here.)

You know the drill: more under the readmore

We already know they tap these trees for sapwine, and if it’s anything like maple tapping, it can only be done at certain times of the year. Now, with maple trees, that timing is dependent on the seasons, as the sugar in the sap comes from stored starches being used to feed the tree as it begins to wake up from winter. Problem: pine trees aren’t deciduous (they don’t shut down in the winter the same way broad-leafed trees like maples do, so there’s no rebound,) and as mentioned prior, Timber Hearth almost certainly lacks seasons in the first place due to its lack of axial tilt. However, a light and temperature-driven cycle isn’t the only one we can follow.

Thing is, producing gametes takes energy and resources, so you ideally don’t want to be doing it all the time (unless there’s some sort of beneficial tradeoff you’re getting, but in general, plants stick with being part-time producers.) Since neither you nor your potential mates are continuously available to reproduce, you’re going to want to sync up your timing across your species so that A meets B as efficiently as possible. Hence, a breeding season (or, in this case, pollen season) that can then be used as a basis for other events in the organism’s life.

(How do they all know when to reproduce at the same time without light or temperature signals? Uh… mycorrhizal networks, I don’t know. Plants aren’t my jam.)

I can easily see Hearthians structuring their year-equivalent around the different stages of life of the trees around them, from pollen season to pine-nut-harvesting season to tree-tapping season.

Of course, now that we have a year kind of defined, there’s the question of “months,” as demonstrated by Hal using that time measurement when estimating how long it would take them to start translating the Inhabitants’ language. The easy answer, of course, is that it’s related to the seasonal cycles mused about above. We’re largely in the great unknown here, though.

(It could be lunar (Attlerock-ar?) The period of time between instances of a new moon is roughly the same as the time loop (~20 minutes.) That puts it at about 3-4 solar cycles. Still small, but maybe we’ll keep it that way to make Hal’s estimate more impressive ::) )

[[Author’s Baseless Headcanon Alert!]]

As alluded to prior, having the Hearthian year revolve around their trees isn’t my primary headcanon. I still feel it plays a role in their timekeeping, specifically by marking their equivalent of spring, summer, etc. (and thus helping define how to divide their year into months.) However, I do headcanon Hearthians as having a breeding season, with that being the big time marker. However, because the cycle is so long, they divide the time between into thirds for a more manageable time frame, leading to a “Before-Hatch-Year,” a “Hatch Year,” and an “After-Hatch-Year,” followed by the next “Before-Hatch-Year,” and so on.

Following some calculations around a largely arbitrary ratio between “make egg,” “egg hatch,” “make egg again,” a Hearthian “year” is about 312 Hearthian “days.” This sounds somewhat comparable to the Earth equivalents, until you remember the previous post where I set a day to be about 20 hours. Doing the math, one of their years ends up being about 260 of our days. So the next time a Hearthian in the MBMP universe tells you their age, take it with a grain of salt.

Col: Seeing the final numbers on the page before me, I blurted out, "What the hell do you mean you're twelve?"

[[End Alert]]

[yuespropagandablog]

Hello esteemed mutual. If you are reading this, then that means my propaganda is working. But you might still have questions, so I am here to answer them.

What is Dredge?

Dredge is a game by Black Salt Games about fishing! Yes, you've heard it: fishing in games CAN be fun! Fun fact, I mistakenly believed this game originated on Tumblr. Long story.

You play as a fisherman who starts working as a local angler. It seems like a total normal job at first, but the townspeople warn him about the dangers at sea. Weird fishes are reeled in and a strange fog has settled over the sea. The fisherman slowly starts to lose his mind, especially at night. Rocks appear out of nowhere, ghost ships are sailing around, and weirdly enough, sea monsters start attacking him.

Are they really there, or is it just his paranoia? Whatever it is, the consequences are real. So did you get attacked, or did you lose your mind and damage your boat yourself?

Amidst all of this, the fisherman meets a Collector, who asks him to dredge up relics all around the archipelago. The fisherman agrees to this and explores more lavish places, meets new people, and finds bottled letters that tell a story.

Have a trailer:

And a cool animated one:

So, what do you do?

You fish.

And dredge shit up.

Okay, of course there's more to this. There's a nice and satisfying gameplay loop. You fish and sell your catch for money. You also dredge up treasures and materials. With all of this, you can upgrade your boat, because your boat is your main 'hub' so to speak, and space is essential. All fish have a different lay-out that you need to puzzle on a grid. But of course, you also need some cargo spots for your equipments. Better rods, better engines and better lights help your travels a lot. Your engines make your boat go faster, and light helps combating paranoia. And not all rods can fish up every type of fish, so you are constantly trying to improve your vessel in order to make the most out of it.

There is the main story where you help the Collector, but there are also a lot of sidequests called pursuits, that can be found by talking to NPCs who are scattered around the archipelago.

And there's of course the horror of it all. The more paranoid your fisherman becomes, the weirder the game. I have managed to deal with most of it, but that also meant I possibly missed out on some fucked up stuff. Now that I have actually finished the game, I might continue just to see how paranoid this man can be. (Is this torture?)

Paranoia gravely impacts your playthrough and it leads to a broken ship and lost cargo, which is why it's best to avoid it and sail during the day, but now that I don't need to hold on to my fish and material to sell/use, the loss of it isn't as severe so I am ready to get mauled, I guess.

I must say that a lot of stuff is easy to miss, especially if you only do the main quest and go to the spots marked on your map. I highly recommend taking your time and exploring.

Also, the art style is popping.

Where can I play this?

Thank you Wikipedia for listing it: Windows, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Android, iOS and macOS. I played it on Switch, and it runs smoothly. Although I did have some audio glitches late game, but I actually don't know if those are glitches, or if it was an effect of the paranoia.

Are there content warnings?

Well. It's a horror game. It's "light" horror, so to speak. It's not gruesome or gore-y and there are no extreme jumpscares, but the paranoia hits. That's the point. It is not a relaxing game and I question my decision to play this in bed in the dark, because you really do not see shit during nighttime.

You can actually turn this off by enabling "passive mode". This gets rid of the monsters (and I think paranoia), so you will just have a relaxing fishing and exploration game, and you know, that sounds cool too. Might try that as well, now that I have beat the game, but as I said, I gotta up the paranoia first.

Is there DLC?

Yes, there are three DLCs: the Blackstone Key, the Pale Reach and the Iron Rig.

The Blackstone Key doesn't add anything to gameplay, so I recommend skipping it. Sometimes it's even included in the base game, or so I heard. I dunno, man, I don't have it and I don't see the appeal. Spend those 5 bucks on a fancy tea, or something.

The Pale Reach and the Iron Rig are two story DLCs. It adds new pursuits, new locations and new fishes. I played them after I finished the base game, because I didn't buy them when I bought the base game, since I have been bummed by DLCs in the past, where I would buy a game + DLC and then regret the DLC. I may have shot myself in the foot here, since I think these DLCs would've been way better if I had played them while playing the base game, since playing them afterwards makes these DLCs very easy and very open-ended (since their conclusion lies in the base game's ending). Still, I enjoyed them and I think the Iron Rig is the better one of the two.

So I think I recommend them if you play them during your first playthrough, but I also think the base game in itself is a satisfying game that doesn't necessarily need more.

Have some trailers:

Can we play together?

Nope. It's a soloplayer game!

Are there German characters in Dredge?

Not that I know of. It's never really said where this archipelago lies. Is there German localisation? Maybe then you can pretend it's in Germany!

[timeloop-observer]

time loop Stands For Some Things question mark? mostly just curious about your interpretation of the metaphor(s) there as someone only vaguely familiar with the game. sorry for stumbling on your special interest blog and asking for the literal ABCs of isat im just soo questions

ok well the thing is the things that the loop stands for in isat are Big Spoilers. so uh, go into the read more at your own discretion? also keep in mind this is just my interpretation

the way i see it, the loops can be read psychologically and metawise. psychologically, it's all about being trapped in patterns of behavior. conversations that you've already had dozens of time before, things that you and the people around you keep doing, cycles that repeat for no one's benefit, safe for the unintended effect of not having to change or open up about your issues. siffrin keeping himself and his party hostage by not being vulnerable with them but refusing to let them leave out of fear and love. and thus making the same mistakes and doing the same things over and over until they get so burnt out and mess up so hard it threatens to Ruin Everything (where the game once again ramps up siffrin's subjective perception to cosmic cataclysm proportions via wish craft).

metawise, isat is also a commentary on how hard it is to leave a good game behind. the story is framed as the endgame area of a different jrpg (which i'll refer to as "the larger game" from here on out) for a reason: siffrin is effectively the player being unable to reckon with the fact the larger game is almost over. running around with different sidequests, trying to find more ways to spend time with the characters, feeling the endgame grind of fighting against enemies time and time again for exp, doing anything and everything to just not let the game go. it even escalates to the point of their attachment becoming warped, ironically getting so invested that they wind up flattening the complexities of the story and characters that they loved so much it caused this (siffrin with their stageplay metaphors paralleling how some people become hyperaware of the fact they're "playing a game" and "trying to 100% it" which ironically even happens to isat).

the two allegories are in my opinion two sides of the same silver coin and serve as another element of what makes siffrin so compelling (not to mention relatable, i only thought of the psychological angle because i sometimes feel like i'm in a timeloop when a depressing situation happens that has happened before- I MEAN WHAT).

[strangesthirdeye]

Listen Before I Go (SH x Fem! Reader)

Summary: A quick call won't hurt, right?

Warning: It's Sherlock everyone like him..heavy angst? Attempt Suicide, mental breakdown, mental health, You are loved by people, don't do that. You need a hug, pleading, high ceiling, hanging rope, almost suffocating. The Empty Hearse episode.

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

One more loop and the knots are strong enough to support your weight. You sighed heavily. The creaking sound of the chair under your feet is heard when you make some motions on it. You look around your living room. Everything is scattered and unmanaged. Papers and books on the floor not to mentioned chairs are scattered around the living room, just like your wooden table.

you exhaled a heavy breath and looked up to see the noose hanging from the ceiling of your house. Well, here it is. After running around in your own mind and going through all the painful and stressful things in the real world, you are finally lost. Those things successfully kick your ass. Not to mention what happened to Sherlock two years ago. He committed suicide and claimed he was a liar, but that was not true. Why did he do that makes it a question mark for you, John, Mrs Hudson, Greg, Molly and Lestrade. Mycroft? hmm, he's just quiet. There was no news from him after that.

As if he has disappeared from existence.

Every dark plagued plays in your mind. All those rude people who curse Sherlock and proudly claim that Sherlock is a fraud. Not to mention those people have started bothering Sherlock's friends including you as his girlfriend. Those people don't know the meaning of grief.

You then look down. This is high enough. As long as your feet do not touch the floor is enough. Suffocate is not the first thing in your mind but because you don't want to commit suicide dirty with blood, you immediately decide to hang yourself. At least your life is taken slowly and in that time you can see all the happy memories at the end of your time.

You stand on your tiptoes and stick your head into the noose. The noose gently ends around your neck. Your hands started to tighten the noose around your neck so that it would be tight and not come loose when you hung it later. You sighed for the second time.

You are not afraid but nervous. Well, at least you know what your destiny is. You then close your eyes and your legs are ready to push the chair. All of the sudden, your phone rang in your pants pocket. You were shocked and almost pushed the chair under you but luckily the chair didn't slip.

You fish out your pocket and take your phone out of your pocket. You gulped your saliva slowly when you saw the contact on your phone.

John.

You immediately slide accept and open the speaker.

"Y/n"

"Hey, John"

"Where are you now? I need to tell you something.. Might be a surprise from me to you... I guess" John chuckled a little. Following with his hype tone means that John is in a good mood. Good. You're going to ruin his mood if you tell him what you're up to.

"what is it that you want to tell me? Is it Mary tho?" You pretend to hype your voice just to hide your crack tone.

"Well, I prefer to tell you at a cafe around your house only if you're not busy" John reasoned.

"well, i can't go out now.. can you just tell me on the phone instead? i kind of not really having a mood to go out anymore" You bit your lip slightly.

John was silent for a moment. You can imagine his confused face in your mind. Classic John. Gonna miss him.

"Are you alright?" John asked.

"mhmm.. I'm always alright" You replied.

"really? cuz' that's not how your 'alright' voice sounds like" John said suspiciously. "is it about Sherlock again?" John added.

Dammit. Why does he have to be the one who is always right? You are silent.

"It's been two years, Y/n. You have to let go that 'feeling'. It's not good for you" John said as if a father was advising his children to be useful human beings.

"you don't understand, aren't you? It's not easy. You have Mary.. while I don't have no one. No one to help me. Not even Mycroft. And I don't want to bring Mrs Hudson into this. She's already got a lot of plates in her hands." you paused you stand on your tiptoes.

"well, at least you don't have to deal with me anymore. I know what I'm doing now is a very useful thing. You don't have to worry about me." you added, the voice started to crack.

"What are you doing right now, Y/n. Don't you dare say that to me. I know exactly what you are trying to do. I'm coming" John's voice seemed to rush.

"tell me, John" you spoke up.

"what" John snapped trying to stop himself from yelling at you not to say negative things again.

"tell me what you want to say to me. That you expect me to be surprised" You closed your eyes. Tears streamed down your cheeks.

John let out a heavy breath. "I- oh god! this is not the situation I expected to tell you what it is. Taxi!" John yelled. John's voice then became muffled for a few moments before it became clear again. John then hurriedly told the cab driver your home address. Although the location is quite far from your house, John doesn't care about the fare. As long as he can save his other friend this time.

"just hold on. Don't end the call" John informed you firmly. John then sighed anxiously. "I-I plan to propose Mary tonight"

You smiled sadly. "is it going to be fancy? big?" you questioned him.

"fancy but simple.. oh gosh, why can't you just.. not doing all these things? You have many other things out there to go through! why now do you want to end it?" John is furiously rich.

"I think this is the end of my story. I've got nothing out there to go through. You have Mary. She's the one, John. Marry her. Make her half of your life. Have a family." You said lowly. your toes little by little push the chair under you.

"don't you dare say that. Think about it again. Sherlock doesn't want all this. He doesn't like any decision to end your life. He despises it. He wants you to move on and live a normal life. Normal life! Don't you want that? Find someone who can be with you for the rest of your life. Please.. I don't want to lose my best friend again" John begged.

Your line is quiet. Only the sound of the cab that John was riding in was heard. You look down. The hanging rope around the neck feels tight.

You know he's right but why don't you move away from the noose that is now resting on your neck? Sherlock doesn't like this. He despises it like John said earlier. Why then don't you open the rope and get off the chair? It's not going to work you know. Kill yourself. It's not.

Every thousand possibilities play in your mind as you hold the phone tightly in your hand. You bit your lips hard.

"I can't hold it anymore. The feeling of pain, grief and lost. It's not easy like what you say. It's just- Move on? no.. it's not working." you sobbed.

"No.." John paused. Probably is choosing and arranging the next sentence. "No, it's not easy. But, Sherlock wouldn't want that, right? So whatever you're doing now just drop it. Please. For the sake of Sherlock Holmes" John added in a tone of hope.

You paused and closed your eyes. Thumbs up on the screen. "I'm sorry, John" and you ended the call.

'just get on with it' whispered the demon in your ear. You choked on your own tears in your throat. You tossed your phone aside and stared for a moment then without hesitation you pushed the chair down so fast that it landed on the floor. But you don't fall, you float in the air with a hanging rope around your neck.

And there goes your oxygen is cut off quickly as you gasp for air while thrashing in the air. Both hands on the noose around your neck while your eyes darted around the living room. Mouth part away trying to get even a little oxygen. Your skin's colour is getting paler and your brain is in a state of shock when the oxygen is getting less and less to the brain.

You almost lost consciousness and then you see it. Life flashes before your eyes. Happy and sad memories. All in one. As the last piece of memories played in your eyes, you finally lost consciousness. Both your hands limp to the side while your head lolled forward. Your hair frames your pale face. But not before you hear the door of your house burst open by someone. Someone who you didn't get to see as your eyes are now tightly closed. Welcoming the feeling of a blanket of darkness.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Eyes opened slowly as you gasped to take enough oxygen into your body system. Every thought plays in your mind. Why can't you just go in peace? Why do people have to bother you?

You look around the living room. Now you are lying on the floor. Eyes on the ceiling while your breath is still panting. Everything is hurt especially in your neck. You can still feel the texture of the hanging rope around your neck.

You curse whoever messed up your suicide attempt. It could be John but the taxi John took could not be able to get here quickly. So who? You glared at the person who was kneeling next to you but then as soon as your eyes landed on the silhouette, you widened your eyes.

there he is, a man who claims to be a sociopath and never believes in sentiment but then falls into the terms boyfriend and girlfriend. His brunette hair, his eyes, his cheek bones and his face are still the same but at the same time he looks a little mature. While his eyes hold emotions that are very heavy plus panic and concerned etched on his face.

Sherlock Holmes. The so called 'fraud' is now on your side.

"What were you thinking?!" Sherlock said loudly.

You are stunned. Sherlock then touched your shoulder and shook it a little trying to get you out of the trance.

Oh, God. What you think is a dream is actually not a dream but real. The feeling of him touching your shoulder and his deep raspy and smoky timbre makes you miss him so much. Your eyes start to glaze over with tears.

"Sherlock?" you whispered his name.

Sherlock looked at you with concern and tried to help you sit up. "what were you thinking? Suffocate yourself to death? why? just why?"

"because you died! For two years. I thought you were dead once your body hit the ground in front of the hospital. Two years, Sherlock. Two years. And you think I can live without you just like that?" you yelled while slapping him on the chest several times.

Sherlock deflected your blow by holding both of your wrists to his chest. He looked at you with sympathy. "I want to save you and the others. This is all I can do. Moriarty will do worse than what you don't expect that's why I have to do that. Two years I tried to take down his network and now I'm here. What you did earlier there was the most horrible thing for me. I don't want to come back home knowing that you are dead."

You thought for a moment. Your red eyes looked at Sherlock's face with realization on your face. And then you sniffed and leaned your head on his chest.

Sherlock then put his arms around you. His right hand was placed on the back of your head and stroked gently while his head was placed on top of your head.

"You saved me.. oh, how stupid I am to do that" you sobbed.

"no you're not stupid. Don't say that. You are the most brilliant and courageous woman I know. Your intelligent and kind attitude makes me adore and fond of you more.. listen, I don't always say this but you are the only reason I'm coming home. Please.. don't do that ever again" Sherlock said while kissing your hair.

"John will be here soon." you say. Your voice is muffled in his chest.

"let him. might as well make it a surprise for him." Sherlock joked trying to lighten up the mood.

You chuckled tearfully and then hugged Sherlock tightly. Sherlock smiled gently and tightened his arms and rocked you left and right with his eyes closed.

[skyeslittlecorner]

can you post some photos on chapter five? ive been struggling to get to it and im impatient if ykwim 😭😭

Don't worry anon, I got you covered! Let's break this chapter for three parts - one for story and for one for both H-scenes. There are a lot of things to look forward to~

Warning: HEAVY SPOILERS BELOW THE CUT. In fact, I'll try to shorten the whole thing and focus on plot-relevant facts, so for those who want to go through chapter 5 on their own, come back when you're done! (Or just skip to h-scene, they are marked.)

Ch5 - STORY

First, I would like to warn that my opinion about it may be unpopular. As someone who hadn't paid much attention to Hades before, I fell in love with it after this episode. I adore ch5. A lot of people hate these boys to the core for what they did, and I understand and respect their opinion, but I'm with Hades here. I would love to analyze their behavior in more detail, but we don't have time for that today.

Summarizing this chapter is going to be hard because a lot of things happened. Let's go!

We start by going down a slide sponsored by Leviathan and his Lovecraftian friends (TM). But worry not! It seems we have friends even in the realm of death. Say hello to grandpa!

We talk a little, being in a questionable mood. Well, who wouldn't be? But we have the opportunity to know Solomon better, and I'm getting to understand why all devils love him. By the way, it turns out that we are his last descendant.

Sorry Solomon, you're still a peepaw.

He also advises us not to be afraid of Leviathan and not to be submissive to him, and then in a brilliant way he sends us back to the world of the living. Of course, our beautiful king is delighted.

We take Grandpa's advice to heart and finally stand up to Levi. He's surprised, but he doesn't try to kill us again (for now). We witness him hanging one of his subjects, who dared to ask about an accident from 311 years ago.

Fun fact. Devils must have much stronger spines. Do you know how people used to die by hanging? The first methods involved cutting off oxygen, but later they involved into breaking the cervical spine and this was considered a standard hanging execution. Leviathan must be gentle (how bad it sounds in this context), he could kill instantly with a loop like that.

Back to the point. We find out that we also have a noose around our neck, and Leviathan makes use of it. We're hanging, but we finally begin to meet Leviathan's nobles one by one.

Glasyal plots (and ends up hanging for it), Foras argues with him, along the way we learn that Leviathan needs us in his plan, and, you know, maybe killing us isn't the smartest thing he can do. Only Barbatos realizes that maybe it's a good idea to stop hanging us like wet laundry. He's the only one so openly nice to us.

Remember that.

Another fun fact, our MC is of medium height (~160 cm I guess). Leviathan is 187cm, Foras should be similar. I only noticed this because I myself am 180 cm so they are not so strappingly tall for me.

Foras wants to take us away from Levi and explain everything calmly, but the king does not agree. We learn that the guys know where the seed from the Tree of Knowledge is. We're supposed to go with them, and we have about a 50/50 chance of survival. Also, we have the opportunity to see a very rare phenomenon, a joking Leviathan.

Sweetie.

Colossally shortening the rest, the cavalry arrives! You didn't have to. I haven't had time to fuck them yet.

And this cavalry is very much at odds with the nobles of Hades. Most of the time is them arguing. Fortunately, they didn't kill each other…

...because Barbie decided to kill us.

Barbatos is poisoning us to force Bimet and Valefor to join the plan. While we are unconscious, we have flashes of Leviathan's past, which is too sad to analyze considering that we are about to jump to hot scenes now. Besides, most of us already know what this is about. Experience it for yourself. Really. We also learn that not only angels experimented on children, and a little about Mammon's childhood.

In the end, we learn that in Ch6 we must visit the abandoned laboratory in Tartaros, where the seed from the tree of knowledge should be, because as Solomon's descendants, we may be the only ones who will not be killed by it.

Ch5 - VALEFOR H-SCENE

(I really wanted to post CG from Valefor's scene here, but I don't know if Tumblr will block it.)

TIME FOR DESSERT!

Bimet is the first to realize that we lack devil energy. He wants to take care of it, but Valefor brushes him off, sends him to scout, and overall Bimet is our wingman, what a bro lol

Since we are away from Satan and Gehenna, we cannot summon Minhyeok's room. MC thinks she's outgrown it anyway. So we can count on the next scenes to be more and more creative.

It all starts with us telling Valefor that he reminds us of Mammon. And what a beast it brings out of him.

And he loves it.

...aaand then, someone wants to interrupt. Bimet informs us about this and goes to chase them out. Valefor stands with us at the door to see if anyone else is coming. Yes. Naked. With us. In us.

Fortunately, no one catches us and after the entire session we fall asleep in our knight's arms.

I really would like to do more screenshots, but tumblr is blocked… and there's one more part to come.

Ch5 - LEVIATHAN H-SCENE

At least you look beautiful and the platform won't block you.

And here's what I love the most. It was sick. I'd love to experience it again.

I would love to make a whole post ONLY about this and just leave the screenshots.

We are in Leviathan's office, and he interrogates us when we feel like we are lacking devil energy. We want to go to Bimet, but do you think our jealous king will allow it? Oh no no no. And of course, his hands land on our chin and then our neck. He doesn't like our hickeys.

We start asking him valid questions like "why are you jealous of us if you hate us?" So he silences us with a kiss. A deep, suffocating kiss. This is also how Leviathan discovers that we gain their energy through "intercourse with the devil".

And how can I not fall in love with this idiot.

The conversation that follows gives us some light on his approach to sex and to relationships in general. Which is… sad. It fits him perfectly, but it's sad. And I would also like to analyze this someday, this character is beautiful and how he's written is even more beautiful, especially from writer's point of view. He does not want the admiration of his people or the hatred of angels. The only thing he can believe and consider to be sincere is that someone's dislike. This is something that might actually turn him on.

At first he rules, he asks questions and he hangs us. And he does everything he can to piss us off. He hands us a whip and lowers us down.

Just disliking him isn't enough, and he works diligently to make us hate him. He insults Minhyeok, us, wishes us dead, and the more he sees our anger, the more he gets excited and talks more. He knows that we are connected to Satan and we will know how to release our anger. On him.

He finally got what he wanted. We straddle him and, with the help of Satan's strength, begin to strangle him. Neither you nor he are gentle.

Also, his words (unfortunately, I already have a limit on screenshots). "Do not bite your lips. Bite mine instead." I beg, let me violate him even more.

Compliment from Leviathan, nice. In the end, we fall asleep cuddled up to him, and he has no intention of giving us up to anyone. As in the case of Sitri, he only opens up to us when we are so unconscious that we do not see his softer side.

꧁:･ ✡ ･:꧂

AND THATS ALL! What a ride it was, I hope I was a good guide. One day I will go into the Hades boys in more depth, but for now, let this be a shortcut for everyone who is still struggling with ch5.

[batsplat]

a valentino-centered question—setting aside the track rivalries and drama, who do you think valentino actually likes the most among the other aliens? based on their personalities, or just the vibe when they’re together—

nyhh unfortunately there's an easy answer here, which makes it kinda boring. but it's also unambiguously correct - it's dani. I guess this kind of depends on what you mean 'like' and... if it's even possible to separate that out from on-track rivalries... I'm very much a sports supremacist in that I believe the interpersonal relationship is always first and foremost determined by competitive circumstance. it's not the ONLY factor and I suppose we could imagine a theoretical world in which they were all like... idk, bakers... but, well, they're not

decided to kill ten minutes of my life I'm never getting back by providing a rough chart of how valentino's feelings towards each of the aliens developed over time

[hopefully you should be able to figure this out without a key, but if not: dani - orange; casey - lilac (?); jorge - blue; marc - red. the lil loops reflect events/complexities tough to capture; the zigzags represent 'well you people are all over the place'; the question marks are 'too little information but this was probably where valentino was at'; and the dashes similarly are... this range makes sense. science]

so as you can see, dani has the highest average. valentino knew him when he was still a teenager and got teenage dani drunk, which means dani gets an instant leg up by having an established dynamic pre-competition AND by not having quite the same idolisation weirdness going on with him as the other three. helps give them a more normal relationship... dani never seemed quite so weird about valentino. 2006 dani came in as the Next Big Thing and we have circumstantial evidence to suggest valentino did respond at least a little to that, but then in 2007 casey decided to be the Next Big Thing instead. this is extremely vibes-based - but in the latter bit of the og alien era you do feel like dani was Winning Here because valentino had a way more toxic relationship with the other two aliens and needed someone to reliably yap to, before ever so slightly doing less of that when the marc relationship was its best. afterwards it's a reversion to the mean - you still get an isolated bit of faff like the aragon 2017 overtake dispute, but broadly we're just in nebulously fond territory

casey, jorge and marc's rivalries with valentino really don't need to recapped again at this stage. the point is they obviously took them all quite firmly out of the nebulously fond territory at one point or another. between casey and jorge... idk I do feel like putting 'meh' over 'I hate you (fun)' is a bit kind to jorge for the 2008-9 period, where valentino's 'meh' towards jorge really was a proper meh. they weren't enemies, but valentino wasn't interested in engaging with jorge as a person At All in a way that was not true of casey. and even when casey existed in the 'I hate you (fun)' range, they were still pretty warm with each other in-person. I've had casey and jorge end up roughly in the same territory as dani - I think gun to his head, valentino would still prefer dani, but there is a certain 'gosh we sure did try to kill each other fifty times' fondness he shares with casey and jorge more than with anyone else. doesn't mean they're FRIENDS, none of these tiers are friends, but... nebulously fond

the main aberration is obviously jorge's starting point. again we only have gossip and jorge's impressions to go off, but jorge does seem to have been the only alien where valentino just... did not vibe with him from basically day zero. like, already didn't like him before jorge entered the premier class, quite probably before yamaha even chose him as valentino's prospective teammate. yes, the internal competition thing will have played into valentino's refusal to engage with jorge in any way whatsoever for as long as he possibly could, but... idk man, clearly there was something else going on there too. fundamentally there was nothing wrong with the interpersonal chemistry between valentino and any one of dani, casey or marc - it's just everything else that was a problem. jorge is in the weird position where every time they feuded, after maybe a year they recovered to a higher point than their previous baseline. in a way it brought them closer together. so maybe the basic interpersonal chemistry was SHIT but the situation was saved by several mutual murder attempts

anyway. idk. I find this really tough to disentangle from on-track rivalries because that was... the whole reason these people know each other. like,, sure, valentino may have picked up on some superficial resemblance between himself and marc that helped the, get on well at the start, but those similarities were also why that relationship was always going to get worse if they spent any length of time properly competing with each other. so very much a 'stuff that united them also divided them' situation, which ends up being kinda a net neutral as far as vibes are concerned. the similarities between casey and valentino were actively not a good thing for that relationship, since it's all stuff like 'unrivalled ability to hold grudges' and 'pettiness' and 'paranoia' and 'willingness to escalate' and 'dispositional nastiness'... so to the extent that they vibed with each other, it was in spite of all that stuff. those two had an occasionally bizarre mismatch between their rhetoric versus 'the evidence of my own eyes' that is pretty unique within the genre of valentino rivalries, but also is a result of the context in which that relationship existed. casey coming into that rivalry with a lot of baggage (some related to valentino) and valentino's penchant for mind games with his direct competitors made that relationship deeply messy. my guess is that valentino really did find jorge kinda annoying and grating, but also that can't be separated from how jorge was positioned from day one of their actual rival as both an external and an internal threat. and yeah, with dani, obviously it does HELP that both times they were in a title fight-adjacent situation, 2006 and 2008, there was always Another Guy valentino had reason to be more worried about

idk I feel like this is kind of an annoying answer... my personal bugbear is fans forgetting this is a Sport and these people are Competing for Titles, like I WANT that to be more important than how much they vibe personally lol. and luckily you'd have to say valentino agrees with me on this... fundamentally he was there to Win. which, good. from 'basic personality compatibility', jorge was in a worse situation than the other three imo - though you have to suspect that's partly because jorge was the one who was copying valentino most closely. idk if it's necessarily a PROPRIETARY thing like there's no reason to believe valentino had any issue with other riders doing celebrations, but... the whole effect. jorge establishing himself as A Character. the flamboyance situation in the yamaha garage. jorge being awkward and try-hard and arrogant in a way that isn't in truth a million miles away from valentino himself, but valentino finds grating from jorge specifically. that's just a guess! we have way more to go on for the jorge side of the equation, and first and foremost valentino was just 'withdrawn' towards jorge for much of their early partnership. not actively unpleasant. but yeah. my guess is jorge is the main outlier in the negative sense in that his relationship started out significantly worse than you'd expect from their competitive situation, whereas with the other three it's... about where you'd think early on. but, well. at least valentino and jorge eventually made it work. kind of