#although i will say that while it’s obvious that this is the route the show’s going down

[afterschoolcrewz]

double date episode in a week i’m so excited

[berryz-writes]

You are divine

Azriel x reader

Summary: You haven't seen Azriel for ages after a mission has kept him busy and you decide to wait for his return. Will you finally reveal your feelings or is it just not the right time?

idk what this is or where the idea came from but hope u enjoy xx ofc it's not checked either so pretend there are no mistakes

I lounged on the sofa, my book next to me but not actually reading it. It's not that I didn't like it, I actually found the romance in the book once of the best things I had read in a while but I couldn't settle down to enjoy it.

I was waiting for Azriel to come back from a mission he had been on for two weeks now. I had recently figured out the slight ache I felt whenever I remembered him was because I missed him and not because I had some sort of heart disease. Although I don't exactly know why seen as though our conversations consisted of "Good mornings'" "Good nights" and small smiles here and there.

"What are you doing?" Nesta asked, as she swept into the living room ,a cup of tea in her hand. I could smell the slight hint of lemon and honey and it was not a smell I particularly enjoyed. She sat down on the armchair opposite me as if she was going to start interviewing me. She probably was.

I sat up slightly and showed her the book I was reading. "I'm reading. Why?" She was definitely up to something.

She took a sip of her tea before continuing "I didn't know you could read without actually looking inside the book. Do you just absorb the words?" Her sarcasm was there but so was her teasing. I stuck my tongue out at her and put the book to the side. There was no point lying anymore.

"I'm waiting for Azriel. I haven't seen him in a while" I tried to keep my expression neutral like I was waiting for a friend and not because I may like him.

Nesta it seemed found something funny as a smirk made it's way onto her face "Waiting for Azriel? Do you miss him?"

If I replied no, she would ask why I was waiting and if I said yes I would never hear the end of her teasing. So I decided to take the safer route "Don't we all miss him when he leaves? It's been two weeks now"

Putting her cup of tea down she sighed "I suppose. Although it's getting late now. You can always see him in the morning."

She knew exactly what she was doing. Her plan to trap me in her questioning had worked because she was smiling now and I didn't know what to say. I narrowed my eyes at her "Isn't it your bed time?"

I asked, redirecting the conversation even though we both knew by now why I was waiting for him.

She shrugged slightly but stood up "It is. Sweet dreams" The house vanished the cup for her as she stood up and made her way to the door before looking back "You know, I don't think I've ever met anyone as oblivious as you or Azriel. It's excruciating to watch"

So she knew. Well I suppose it was pretty obvious how I always wanted to spend time with Azriel and how I was always waiting for him to return from missions. But I don't know why she called Azriel oblivious. It was probably the fact that he never noticed how much I liked him.

I crossed my arms in defiance to her words "I don't know what your talking about" I was never about to admit I liked someone and they didn't like me back. My pride wouldn't let me.

"Hmm. Okay." She left and it was silent once again. It was dark outside, the fae lights of Velaris could be seen twinkling in the distance as the people went from bar to bar, partying the night away. It was getting late, she was right. Maybe I should wait for a few more minutes? Just in case. I watched the balcony, waiting for him to land but I never saw it because soon my eyes became heavier and harder to keep open. The constant sound of the clock in the room added to the sleepiness I was feeling as if it was ticking away the time until I fell asleep.

I decided to rest my eyes for a while. Just so I could be awake for when Azriel would arrive. Resting my eyes turned into me falling asleep on the sofa and missing the whole point of my I was sat there in the first place.

I was woken up by someone whispering my name in the dark. I pushed the voice away and turned my face away trying to get to sleep again, not bothering to open my eyes to see who it was.

"Aren't you uncomfortable on the sofa?" It was Azriel. He repeated my name again and this time I finally woke up. I rubbed my eyes to see in the mostly dark room and saw hazel eyes full of warmth looking down at me. His wings were folded in and he was still in his Illyrian armour. There wasn't a speck of blood on him as if he had changed just before coming home. He shouldn't have had to take a detour just so he looked presentable coming home. He should have felt comfortable enough to come home and clean up instead of probably going to a shabby hotel in which he must have used the cramped bathrooms not big enough for wings. I hoped it wasn't me that made him so cautious around his own home.

He looked gorgeous as ever, even though he looked tired as hell too. I shook my head and sat up, stretching so I could hear the satisfactory crack from my back.

"I'm fine. How long have you been back for?" I asked, slightly annoyed at myself for having waited for so long and not even seen him come in. Azriel sat down next to me and even from the small distance between us I could feel his heat. I was glad he was back. The dull pain in my heart had receded now and I pushed back the desire to hug him. His shadows weren't as lively or moving about as they usually were as if they were tired too, just resting on his shoulders instead.

"A few minutes. What are you doing on the sofa?" He asked, looking at me like I was doing something odd. Well, I suppose I was but what was I supposed to say? The truth?

"I was reading and I fell asleep." The lie came easily off my tongue. It was helpful in situations where telling the truth would result in a painful death but sometimes lying was just easier than telling the truth. For fear of what the other person would say or how they would react. I'd rather not embarrass myself like that.

Azriel merely nodded his head, looking down at the wooden floorboards and not saying anything. The clock seemed louder now as if it were waiting for our conversation to start again.

"How was your mission?" I asked, looking at his reaction. His wings twitched slightly but otherwise his expression remained the same.

"Shit" He replied after clearing his throat. I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. Why was it shit? The reports Rhys was getting all proved of the successful discoveries Azriel had made and not once was it mentioned something had failed.

"Why was it shit? I thought you found out everything you needed to? Did something happen? Were your spies found? Did you get hurt?" With every question it seemed Azriel's jaw clenched even more than before, leaving him to look slightly angry at this point. I scanned him for any injuries but physically he seemed fine. Well, more like fucking gorgeous and hot as hell but that wasn't the point.

"It was shit because I was away from home for two weeks. I am capable of missing people you know. I don't always want to be out on missions"

I paused at his words. He was right. I had dismissed it, just because he was good at his job, didn't mean he always wanted to do it or that he didn't miss people when he left. The air around us had thickened into something awkward and I hated the slight feeling of guilt growing in me. It was unusual for Azriel to open up like this but I was glad he wasn't answering in one word answers and actually wanted my company. Even if it was him slightly snapping at me.

After some deliberating I decided to tell the truth. I could always pretend we were just friends and I wasn't harbouring feelings for him "I missed you while you were gone. You went for ages, almost two weeks. It would have been exactly fourteen days if you arrived tomorrow" I informed him. I don't know why I said that but I did and now he was looking at me and his piercing gaze made me feel like I had been caught doing something I shouldn't have.

"You missed me?" He asked, sounding like he was holding his breath and waiting for my next words.

I nodded slowly "Of course I did" I don't know what he was expecting but he let out a sigh and looked down again. Was my answer not what he wanted to hear?

"You should get some sleep now...on your bed and not the sofa" Azriel interrupted my thoughts and stood up, his wings flaring slightly before folding again. What if I touched his wings? What would happen? I knew perfectly well what would happen so I banished the thought from my mind and stood up.

"You should sleep too. You must be tired" I said, covering a yawn with my hand. Really, this welcome wasn't what it was supposed to be. Although I don't really know what it was supposed to be. I was acting like I would hug and kiss him and tell him how I'd missed him but instead we'd had a conversation for two minutes and decided to call it a night. Not the most amazing thing in the world.

He nodded his head "I will. Once I have a shower and try to wash away the death on my hands" He said it so casually as if the death made no difference to him. Even if it was something he did quiet often how used to death could a person really get? You couldn't become immune to it. His shadows had gathered near his hands and his neck as if they were comforting him or hiding him from my stare.

"The death on your hands is part of your job. Not who you are" I replied quietly. I hoped he knew that.

"You always know what to say don't you? I suppose that's why everyone says you have a silver tongue" His lips had turned up in a small smile and his shadows had receded slightly. I smiled back, glad he wasn't taking my words as offensive and instead found humour in them.

I shrugged slightly and before I knew what I was saying I had let my thoughts spill out "This tongue can do other things, y'know" I clapped a hand over my mouth, my eyes widening in horror. I was stupid. So fucking stupid.

Azriel had paused. His eyes widened slightly, signalling his surprise at my words but other than that he looked like a statue. Nothing moved. Until I heard a slight chuckle escape from his perfect lips and then an actual laugh that made my heart ache and feel bright with happiness at the same time. Ache because I hadn't heard such a beautiful sound in ages and happiness because it was me making him laugh. It was so infectious that I lowered my hands and smiled at his reaction.

"Who knew you could flirt? I wouldn't mind if you showed me what other things you could do"

Now it was my turn to stand in shock as Azriel's laughter came to an abrupt halt and he eyed me warily.

"I didn't mean that" He added quietly, all of the lightness around us gone.

I tilted my head slightly "I meant what I said though" I waited for what he would say. I had finally let it out. The fact that I wanted him and I didn't feel any better. I didn't feel lighter or as if I had hope within me. Instead nerves gathered in my stomach waiting for his rejection.

Azriel moved closer to me, his boots silent on the floorboard until there was an inch of space between us and if I wanted to, I could reach up and brush a stray curl away from his forehead.

"If I were to kiss you right now what would you do? Would you run? Push me away in disgust? " His questions were said one after another, his voice soft and his eyes locked onto mine. I had to strain my ears to make out the exact words he was saying but they went straight to my heart. As if I would ever have disgust and Azriel in the same sentence.

I swallowed. It was now or never. I wrapped my arms around his neck and moved closer until we were a hairs width apart. I waited for him to push me away but instead he watched me with intrigue and full intensity. I tilted my face up so our lips touched slightly, a jolt of electricity running through my entire body. His hands immediately came to rest on my hips, tugging my closer until I was pressed up against him and his lips were on mine and were were kissing and it felt like I was in heaven, and I never wanted it to end.

"This is what I would do" I murmured. His eyes were closed as he breathed in deeply before opening them again "You are divine" He whispered to me, before leaning in and kissing me as if his life depended on it.

MASTERLIST

[raidark]

I find it funny how Show Jace just went and overlooked the more obvious succession threat to him, to the point I have seen lots of people from the fandom talking about it but never him

It's more or less a show only threat because in the book they were older and they adored him but imo Jace if you're that worried about threats to your succession after Rhaenyra dies, your younger half-brothers Aegon the Younger and Viserys are there. They look Targaryen (way more than the Dragonseeds), are children of 2 Targaryen, at least one of them has a dragon already (even if baby)... and i mean, the parallels?

Rhaenyra's younger half-brother Aegon usurped her although she was clearly the heir in all aspects. Like, Show Jace just needed to change "woman" to "bastard" in his mind and it's almost the same situation 😭 Yet he doesn't even consider it and only acknowledge the Dragonseeds, a potential future threat -even though in that what if scenario Rhaenyra would still be alive to try dealing with it- but necessary at the moment, something Book Jace seemed to understand given it was his idea.

I don't know maybe they just wanted to make him feel like a hypocrite or focus on how he loathes himself so much that he directs it to the Seeds and the point wasn't necessarily that he's that worried about them as much as it reinforced his doubts and identity problems.

Like Show Jace doesn't even interact with his half-brothers or acknowledge their existence at all in the whole series while in the book he literally plans for their total safety and SPOILER giveshislifetryingtosaveviserys SPOILER.

Jace loved them and they loved him (and Luke and Joff) in return.

And maybe they wanted to go with the route of him being insecure about them as obvious legitimate children of his mother and Daemon but No. Nothing. He doesn't even remember them when they're the more obvious threat, an almost identical parallel to what happened with his mother. You would think Show Jace would have a lot to say about this to Rhaenyra but no. Irrelevant.

Idk I feel it's just the writers forgetting again that Aegon the Younger and Viserys exist 😭

[x-emeraldsky-x]

Prompt - Only One Bed

Shikamaru groaned lightly as he walked to the village gate. Per Hokage's orders, he was tasked with housing one of the Hidden Sand's Jounin for a week, and as much of a drag it was, he was grateful only his father was home for the duration. He loved his mother dearly, but he had no intentions of hearing any talk, whether it was about dating, marriage or sex.

The very thought of bringing a woman to his mother shook him to his core, especially a woman like Temari. Temari was very forward, and often she'd lack a filter for the things she'd say. His mother quite easily took offense to things, and Temari's "I-Don't-Give-A-Fuck" nature was surely a horrible mix.

As the gate neared he tried to push his exhaustion away. Temari was a woman in high power, and despite what his younger self would think, Shikamaru respected her quite a lot. It was important to him to look professional in front of her.

Temari was a very intelligent woman. Often her battle strategies had led Sunagakure strongly, she was an amazing leader. Authoritive, but still caring towards the soldiers of Suna. She also showed great skill when it came to puzzles and boardgames, she was one of the few people to come close to beating him competitively. Her dedication to protecting her family was also quite admirable; always rushing in to defend her brothers, even when they were strong enough to do it themselves. She was so full of love, and balanced her work and home life well. Shikamaru admired her strengths greatly.

A light burn on his cheeks brought him out of his thoughts, whether it was a blush or the sun, he wasn't sure, but Temari's voice began to creep to his ears. He had to focus now.

Temari stood talking to a couple guards at the gate, the two that often teased Shikamaru for his apparent "obvious crush", Izumo and Kotetsu. Dreading the embarrassment, he waited for her to finish talking before approaching so they didn't have to stay long.

He muttered a small greeting, ignoring the shit-eating grins from the men beside him, and turned to Temari.

Her eyes carried dark circles, clearly tired from her travels. She had a tendency to get careless and do the whole trip on one nights sleep and a nap, and while Shikamaru found it troublesome, it was the perfect excuse to get home faster.

"Oh! There's the little love bird. It's such a shame he always keeps you waiting. It's already late afternoon!"

"Yeah! Come on, Shikamaru. Have some mercy on the poor girl, she's already stuck with you~"

Temari shook her head, half waving to them while walking off. The two said their goodbyes, and after Shikamaru glared at the them for their immaturity, he started to lead Temari across town.

They went their typical route, passing shops with their keepers trying to draw Temari in with their wears, kids dancing and playing together on the path, and all the usual Shinobi and Kunoichi making their way to their posts. It was relaxing in the only way your hometown could bring, and although Temari wasn't from Konoha, he could see her enjoying it too.

She watched the busy streets with a soft smile, the same smile she gives to her brothers, full of love and admiration. There was a sadness in her eyes, though. The sadness of growing up, or more so, watching your family grow up. Shikamaru didn't understand how it felt, but maybe one day he would.

As the sun began to set, they arrived at the house. Loud talking and slight shouting rustled the walls. Shikamaru groaned, recognising the voices, and slid open the door.

"I'm home, father... and Chouza and Inoichi."

The three men turned to them, raising their glasses and laughing. While Shikamaru and Temari stepped inside and removed their sandals, the room was filled with tipsy greetings.

"Welcome home, son. And, uh... who's your friend?"

"She's uhm, a Jounin. From Suna. She's staying here for a week."

Temari looked around while Shikamaru spoke with his father, grimacing at the smell of alcohol as she passed by. Family photos and clan symbols lined the walls. It was far more cozy than her home at Suna. With both her and Kankuro on missions, and Gaara as the Kazekage, it was practically unlived in.

Bits and pieces of conversation filtered in through her focus, Shikamaru arguing with the three men about their relationship. In a way, it reminded her of her own parents during their love, commenting on any boy she showed interest in and teasing her about crushes. None the less, what Shikamaru said was true. They weren't together, and while she was an adult and he was still 16, they wouldn't be until many years have passed.

Eventually, Shikamaru got fed up with their banter and lead Temari to his bedroom, where she would be staying throughout the trip. It was a small room with a simple double bed, very little furniture inhabited it aside from necessities. It had a door leading to a private bathroom as well.

Exhausted and quite gross from her travels, Temari decided to hit the showers while Shikamaru prepared the room better. Fluffing the pillows and making sure nothing vulgar was out in the open; he was a boy in his late teenage years of course. When he was done, he sat and waited for her on the bed.

The sound of running water covered the loud three man party in the living room, Shikamaru was rather surprised that Ino and Chouji weren't there was well. Usually if one generation of "Ino-Shika-Chou" was present, the other would be too. Maybe his father took pity on him and decided just three people teasing him was enough.

Around five minutes had passed before the water shut off, and Shikamaru prepared to take one himself. The door opened and after one final look around the room, he had a realisation.

"Where are you gonna sleep, Mr. Crybaby?"

He didn't have another place to sleep.

Shikamaru's face began to flush from embarrassment. How did he not plan this out better? He felt like an idiot. Temari's laughter didn't help either.

"I didn't plan this right."

"Clearly," Temari snorted. "But it's fine. I'll sleep on the floor, I have a sleeping bag."

Shikamaru watched her unfurl it, stopping her before she laid down. Temari raised her eyebrow, unimpressed by the contact.

"No. You've had too big of a walk to be sleeping on the floor. Take the bed."

Temari moved her body from his, crossing her arms and looking down at him. It wasn't much of a tactic to intimidate him, only to show her displeasure, but it was affective in both.

"I'm not taking your bed from you."

"I'm not letting you sleep on the floor!"

They went back and forth for a few minutes, both just as stubborn as the other, before Temari gave up.

"Look, if it's that important to you, lets just share the bed. Put pillows in the middle."

Shikamaru grumbled lightly. While he did respected her greatly, she was quite a troublesome person. He swallowed his pride and accepted.

The rest of the evening went smoothly from then on. Shikamaru gathered some food for them while Temari took the time to relax; stretching and easing the tension in her muscles. Shikamaru's matress was soft. It sunk in beneath her weight quite a bit, constantly making the pillow wall fall apart, but it was worth the annoyance after the past few days.

Shikamaru came back with a simple meal. With how fast it came, Temari guessed it was premade. Shikamaru didn't seem like the type to cook, quickly or good, but food was food in the end.

While they ate, Shikamaru looked at Temari closely for the first time since he met with her. She was only wearing a bra and long pants, a good portion of her skin showing, and the most odd thing, she had her hair tied into two rather than four. Her skin looked rough and damaged from wear he sat, he was willing to bet it'd feel just the same, and her body had many healed scars from training and battle. He had heard how harsh Suna's training was, he wondered how many scars were from village people and how many were from enemies.

"Whatdya staring at?"

Shikamaru turned away embarrassed. "Nothing... sorry."

She laughed and shook her head, finishing her food before lying down again.

"You apologise too much."

Shikamaru ate in silence, trying to keep his eyes to himself. She was right in a sense, he apologised a lot when it came to her, something about her nature made him want to, even if it was any other person he'd just shrug it off. Deep down, he knew his father was right. Izumo and Kotetsu too. Naruto, Asuma, Chouza and Inoichi. They were all right. He loved her, he just wasn't ready to admit it.

Temari tossed and turned for a bit trying to get comfortable, settling for laying in her side. Back facing him. Part of him wanted to pull the blanket over her, another part wanted her to hold him close. He settled for taking care of the dishes, trying to pull his mind away from his feelings.

When he returned, snoring had filled the room. Temari's position much more sloppy then when he had left. It was unladylike, but still beautiful. Shikamaru smiled softly, the muscles in his face straining when he tried to stop.

Turning off the light, he crawled into the bed beside her, her body out of sight with the pillows dividing them but the feeling of her body remained. The bed was more comfortable, more warm, and more cozy with her in it, and he quietly wished she could be there longer than a week.

Shikamaru's eyes grew heavy with the warmth, the sound of her snoring made him feel oddly at ease. Usually he hated noise when he was trying to sleep, but there was something about Temari that made it tolerable. She made him feel safe, protected, at home. It was easy to fall asleep by her side.

In the morning, he was sure she'll find a way around sharing a bed, but for now, he'd enjoy her comfort while he could.

[theowritesfiction]

Okay, so since I finished my good Dark Urge playthrough of Baldur's Gate 3, which was also a Minthara romance, I wanted to write a brief meta that literally nobody asked for, mostly just because I know most people have never had Minthara in their party.

I understand that considering everything that happens with the Druid Grove, it’s very easy to dismiss Minthara as a genocidal psychopath, but if you actually peel away the horrors she committed as the mind slave of the Absolute, you get a character that is definitely still very much evil, but becomes way more nuanced than at the first glance. It’s not often that we get ubiquitously evil characters who while remaining cruel and ruthless are still shown as capable of loyalty, devotion and love.  

On loyalty: from the moment you save Minthara from fate worse than death at Moonrise, she is very quick to swear loyalty and commitment to your cause. And sure, you could say that she has selfish reasons for seeking the protection of the Astral Prism. But the same goes for all the tadpoled characters, so to me that’s not a compelling argument. In your chats with Minthara, she makes it very clear that the act of saving her life means a crazy amount to her, and it has earned you her complete trust and loyalty, something that she normally doesn’t extend to others. And, she never breaks your trust and loyalty, as you maybe might expect from an evil character.

On devotion: this crosses over into both loyalty and love, but at times Minthara’s devotion, especially when in romance, almost leans into codependency – although I shouldn’t do armchair psychology. Having played through most of the romances, I would also say that Minthara is definite the most committed partner. She even invokes some drow word that symbolizes soulmates or something. I don’t believe in the concept, but it shows how serious she is. She also is very against any kind of sleeping around once in a relationship, something that other characters are more permissive of. I was very happy to see that they didn’t lean into the trope of evil being associated with sexual promiscuity.

On love: throughout your journeys together, Minthara will often speak about how you should do what the Chosen tried and failed to do – control the Absolute yourselves, enslave the brain and use it to rule the world. She expresses this sentiment very strongly even when you’re about to make your final choice. And seeing how much power means to her, I started to hesitate and became worried that maybe she’d leave my character if I were to destroy the brain and relinquish the power. I was so happy that the writers didn’t take the obvious route there. I definitely got the feeling that Minthara wished I had chosen differently, but she didn’t even nag my character about it. She simply said that we don’t need the Absolute to carve our way to power.

Anyway, those are my thoughts on Minthara, writing a nuanced evil character, and way more than you ever wanted to know about that. 😊  

[forelxsket]

Supernatural Season One

The first time I watched Supernatural was as a ten-year-old, sitting on the floor of the living room as my mom (who was the one who put the show on) braided my hair. I don’t remember anything from the episode except for a scene of Sam looking out of the car and Jessica, in a white dress, standing ominously. (Season 1, Episode 5: “Bloody Mary”) Something about that scene hooked me and ever since then, Supernatural has held a special place for me. 

Eight years after this moment, as I am getting ready to leave high school and move across the country for university, I get an edit of season 1 that reminds me why I loved this show in the first place. I am desperate for anything that reminds me of my childhood. Something that proves to me that the passing of time can be paused and that it's not inevitable. I hold on to this hope with my claws out, hoping I would have remains of it underneath my nails when all this is over. 

This past week I finished the first season of Supernatural and am just filled with so many emotions that sometimes I need to pause and go out for a walk. So hopefully without any spoilers (if you in the wonderful year of our lord, 2024, have not yet watched supernatural, I don’t know what to tell you. You missed out on a cultural reset that defined an era. The fostered community was so strong that it’s still the most popular fandom on Tumblr and AO3) I give you my thoughts, reviews and rants about season one of Supernatural.

I think the entire aesthetic and attention to detail in season one is so beautiful. My personal favourites are the accessories that Dean Winchester has. I love the ring and I love the necklace and the leather jacket? Oh my god. Revolutionary. Rewatching this show is so nostalgic. The entire show is like coming home, especially for me. It gives you insight into the late 2000s fashion and technology. 

I also think this is Dean’s best season at least looks-wise. The second episode (Season 1, Episode 2: “Wendigo”) is literally the hottest he has ever looked. The entire scene where he flirts with the girl while having a bandage on his neck? I think about that every day.  

My favourite episode from this season has to be Episode 13: “Route 666”. Cassie Robinson is a fascinating character that I wish had a bigger part throughout the show. Although I must admit that this episode is a personal favourite because I just enjoy watching Dean Winchester be hopelessly in love. There are several other great episodes and I genuinely believe that this is one of Supernatural’s best seasons. 

One thing that’s immediately super apparent is the target audience of the show. It's so obvious that this show is targeted towards manly men who love beer, gun, car and woman. It does objectify women a bit but for 2005-2006 it's alright. 

I don’t really have anything negative to say about this season like I said it’s one of the best. 

Final rating: 10/10 (sorry guys I’ll always love the early seasons of Supernatural)

I'll be live tweeting my rewatch so if you want to see that follow me :)

[parkerslatte]

Songbird || TWO

Eddie Roundtree x Fem!Reader

Warnings: none

Word Count: 1.5k

Part Summary: Y/N meets the band The Dunne Brothers.

previous chapter / next chapter

Series Masterlist

Main Masterlist

•••

TRACK TWO;

HERE WE GO AGAIN

…

INTERVIEWER: How did you meet Y/N?

EDDIE ROUNDTREE: We met Y/N while performing at McNasties. 

KAREN SIRKO: I was looking for some new records and Y/N recommended a few. She had good taste. 

BILLY DUNNE: I remember meeting her when Graham brought her to the house. 

…

“Not performing tonight?” The bartender questioned.

Y/N took a drag from her cigarette, slowly blowing the smoke out, “Not tonight, just here to watch. Why? Miss my voice already?”

The bartender chuckled, “You’re the only one with any talent that performs here.”

“Maybe this new band will be good?” Y/N suggested, “Although I don’t want them to take the crowd away from me.”

“Then let’s hope they’re shit.” The bartender jokes before serving someone down the other end of the bar. 

Y/N turned her attention towards the band that just walked onto the stage. She sipped her drink as they began playing, nodding her head along to the music. Y/N couldn’t deny that they were good, amazing actually. A smile appeared on her face as she listened to their music. 

Getting up from her seat, she manoeuvred through the crowd until she was at the front. Y/N’s eyes scanned over each member of the band, each member of the band was lost in the music. As they finished off their song, Y/N headed back over to the bar.

“They’re really good.” Y/N said to the bartender. 

“They might give you a run for your money.” The bartender teased. Y/N rolled her eyes before taking a sip of her drink. 

While Y/N finishes off her drink, Eddie places his bass down and jumps down from the stage, heading over to the bar. He had noticed Y/N in the crowd and was intrigued by her. As he walked through the bar, a couple of girls tried to stop him but he politely declined them until he was at the bar. 

Y/N turned to her right as someone sat in the seat next to her. Expecting it to be another situation like the night previous, her defences immediately went up. 

“You’re sitting a little close there.” Y/N spoke to Eddie, without so much of a glance at him. 

“Sorry.” Eddie said, shuffling the chair back a little, maintaining a respectable distance. 

Y/N, surprised that he listened to what she said and abided by it, she turned to look at the man surprised. As she turned she was even more surprised, noticing that it was the bass player from the band. 

“You were performing up there.” Y/N said and silently cursed herself at pointing out the obvious. 

“Did you enjoy the show?” Eddie questioned with a smile. 

The smile blew Y/N away. For her entire life, she had never described a man’s smile as beautiful. 

“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t.” Y/N responded, turning her body towards him with a teasing smirk on her face. 

“Yeah? Can you do any better?” Eddie questioned. 

“She’s a great musician,” The bartender cut in, placing a drink down in front of Eddie, “probably the best we have performing here.”

Y/N sent a glare the bartender's way before he left with a laugh. 

“So you perform as well?” Eddie asked.

“I do,” Y/N says, “And I’m fucking great.”

Eddie laughs, “Maybe you could show me sometime.”

“I might be performing tomorrow so if you are around you can see then,” Y/N says, standing up, “See you around.”

Y/N gets up from her seat at the bar, shrugging her jacket on as she walks away. 

“Wait!” Eddie says.

Y/N turns, “Yes?”

“What’s your name?”

“You’ll find out tomorrow.” Y/N says with a wink. She turns to continue her route to the exit however turns back around to face Eddie, “By the way, your band is amazing.”

Eddie watches as Y/N gets lost in the crowd. 

“Who was that?” Warren says, appearing at Eddie’s side.

“I have no idea.” 

…

INTERVIEWER: What were your first impressions of the band?

Y/N L/N: As a band I thought they were great, incredible really. As individuals, well let’s just say that I wasn’t necessarily friendly with everyone. 

…

“Let’s welcome to the stage, you know her and love her, Y/N L/N!” As Y/N’s name was announced she stepped onto the stage with her guitar. Her eyes scanned over the audience, many people she recognised were there and she gave them each a smile. 

However, her eyes landed on a group of people she had only seen for the first time the day previous. Looking away immediately she stepped up to the microphone. 

“For all of you who don’t know me, I’m Y/N L/N and this is my song, Beautiful Dream.” Y/N introduces. 

…

KAREN SIRKO: Y/N’s voice was different. It wasn’t the voice you would expect her to have. It was deep and rich. The kind of voice that reassures you.

EDDIE ROUNDTREE: I think I fell in love with the sound of Y/N’s voice that night, I think we all did.

…

As Y/N strummed the final notes on her guitar, the crowd cheered. A smile broke out on her face, she would never get tired of this feeling. 

“Thank you!” Y/N says before getting off stage. 

Y/N placed her guitar down before heading into the crowd. 

“Y/N!” Someone yelled, catching her attention. The girl turned and a smile broke out on her face. 

“Miss Reyne?” Y/N says, a tone of shock evident in her voice. Y/N stepped over to the woman and embraced her. 

“You’re a grown woman now, you do not need to call me Miss Reyne, call me Alice.” Y/N’s former singing teacher scolded her former student.

“What are you doing here?” Y/N asked. 

“I’ve heard from some students in my singing class that you were performing here.” Miss Reyne said. 

“Yeah, I have been for a while now,” Y/N says, “I work in the record store down the street.”

“You’re just as amazing as I remember.” Miss Reyne said, causing Y/N to smile.

“I wasn’t always good.” 

“No, but I was the one who helped with that, wasn’t I?” Miss Reyne teased, “When you make it big, I want to be in the front row watching.”

Y/N smiled, Miss Reyne always believed in her, “You’ll be the first one I will call.”

“You better,” Miss Reyne pointed her finger at Y/N, “Now, you have a crowd of adoring fans that are waiting for you.”

Y/N embraced her former teacher once again, “It was so good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Miss Reyne says, “But the next time I see you, you better be on a large stage.”

“I will be.” Y/N promised. 

With one final smile, Miss Reyne pushed through the crowd and out of sight.

…

Y/N L/N: Alice Reyne always believed in me, she believed in me when no one else did. Each performance I dedicate to her. 

…

Y/N didn’t feel like sticking around for much longer after her performance. She was in a good mood seeing Miss Reyne and she didn’t want to put a damper on that dealing with men that didn’t give two shits about her. 

Pushing her way through the crowd until she was outside, Y/N patted her jean pockets.

“Shit.” She muttered under her breath. 

“Here.” A guy next to her offered a cigarette. 

Y/N looked at him and her face changed to one of recognition. 

“Hey, you’re the guitarist in that band aren’t you?” Y/N questioned, taking the cigarette from him gratefully.

He nodded, “Yeah, I’m Graham.”

“I’m Y/N.” She introduced. 

“Yeah I know, we watched you perform, you were great.” Graham said. 

“Thanks,” Y/N says, “Are you performing tonight? I was planning to go home but if you are, I might stick around.”

“No not tonight,” Graham said, “Eddie said that there was another performance happening and convinced us to come.”

“Eddie?” Y/N asked, unsure of the name.

“Oh, he’s the bassist,” Graham said, “You apparently met last night.”

“Oh yeah, him,” Y/N said, “He convinced you to come?”

“Well kind of, he said that it would be a good performance but Warren, the drummer said that ‘this chick is smoking hot’.” Graham chuckles.

“‘Smoking hot’,” Y/N repeated, “I’ll take that. Not the chick part though.”

The two stood in silence for a brief moment before Y/N broke it, “Where’s the rest of the band, I saw them in the audience.”

“Eddie and Warren are inside somewhere, I’m just waiting for Karen.” Graham answered.

“Karen’s the keyboardist right?” 

“Yeah, and she’s amazing at it.” Graham said, quick to give Karen a compliment even if she wasn’t there.

“Yeah, she did seem amazing.” Y/N says. 

“I know, she’s the best keyboardist I know.” Graham says with a smile.

“Do you know many keyboardists?” Y/N asks. 

“Not many but Karen would be the best even if I knew any more.” Graham says, a lovestruck expression on his face. 

Y/N gave Graham a knowing smile, “Well, it was nice to meet you Graham, but I should be getting home. See you around.”

…

Y/N L/N: And see them around I did because a week later I was moving in with them. 

_________________

[somekindofsentience]

Foreshadowing in Omori and its manga: a critique

I'm back again, although it's been a while since I've written anything. I'm waiting on more Dreamscape chapters to formulate an analysis on Mari.

Omori Spoilers and Omori Manga Spoilers under the cut

Omori has poor foreshadowing, in the manga and the game, but for different reasons. And I can tell from one chapter.

Firstly, a rundown on the narrative device itself - foreshadowing provides an advance hint toward the events of the story. It's a very common device, but it's actually relatively difficult to do well. There's a very fine line between too obvious and too subtle, especially with the expectation of twists.

Foreshadowing in these types of psychological horror games tends to be very subtle, take Doki Doki as an example, and further foreshadowing in games like Yume Nikki is so subtle that the reality of the world isn't even evident at all. While this can be frustrating for the players, it's actually incredibly important, allowing you to theorise and discuss.

In the original Omori game, foreshadowing was often too abstract and subtle to be properly understood by a player - and this was fundamentally because there foreshadowing was so widespread, it overwhelms the player as they attempt to discover the truth.

Let me cite an example. Daddy Long-Legs belongs to a group I'll call the "Truth creatures" - characters like Stranger, the various Somethings, Hellmari, Phobias etc. He exists in a portion of Pyrefly Forest which foreshadows the truth of Headspace. But he's purposeless as a character otherwise, he only appears in a corner of Black Space 2 that is practically inaccessible to those on the Truth route. Why would you introduce a new character, one who becomes irrelevant, to foreshadow a part of the game that would be far better foreshadowed by Stranger? Someone who is actually relevant? This convoluted choice feels unnecessary, adding characters for the sake of subtlety.

In a similar way, the Somethings, Phobia bosses and Hellmari are loosely linked, and it's not quite explicit where each comes from and the relevance of each to the truth. Where's the distinction between the Mari Something and the others? Where does the game show me an explicit difference between the formation of Something and the formation of the Phobias? Why aren't Hellmari and Something more related, considering the events that formed them? A better foreshadower would be able to accurately make these distinctions, leading to overall better contrast between the recital day and the formation of the Phobias.

This is also incredibly obvious in Black Space, where the foreshadowing and symbolism ramps up. I will say it here, there is no way anyone will ever understand the purpose and analysis of every single area, object and NPC in Black Space. As a result, while it feels magnificent, there's so much that feels pointless, as well. This worked in Yume Nikki because it is very focused on this premise of "no real truth", but since Omori has a real truth and a real reason for Black Space's existence, it makes so many objects and areas feel pointless to analyse and overthink. Again, it's this insistence on adding things upon things to make foreshadowing far too abstract and impossible to understand.

Music and its importance to the truth was also very poorly foreshadowed. While I can understand, from a repression perspective, why Mari playing the piano or Sunny playing the violin was only very very subtly foreshadowed in the music itself, there is a point where you do need to make it obvious to the players, otherwise it feels like this idea of Sunny playing the violin is just thrown onto the players with no real interrelation. Similarly, Mari's character was far too hidden, where it isn't evident at all that Mari is a human with emotions - she's portrayed as a God the entire game. Again, too much subtlety has led to story beats feeling out-of-place and underrepresented.

However, in the manga, foreshadowing makes events very obvious to the reader, making me question the goals of this manga at all - are you really going to introduce Omori to new audiences in such a rushed and evident way? Making everything obvious and clear, when foreshadowing was such a key element to the original game? The whole point of the twist was it was completely unexpected!!

Immediately as we get into the manga, it's already obvious that Mari and violins are relevant to the truth. I wouldn't be surprised if the dialogue that Mari speaks during the Hellmari sequence is related to the argument between Mari and Sunny on the recital day, and I would be so disappointed if they chose to immediately out key dialogue that was not present in the original game.

Furthermore, why on Earth would you immediately reveal the hidden part of Mari's character in the first chapter? Mari is supposed to be perfect, at least in Sunny's mind. The game absolutely goes too far with this - it was a fundamental failure to have no dialogue in the Truth segment, as it led to so many misinterpretations of Mari as a character - but you choose to reveal her anger and humanity now???? NOT LATER??? NOT LIKE A BIT LATER?? SO WE CAN PERCIEVE HER AS PERFECT??

I'm not even going to get into the mischaracterisation of Aubrey, portraying her as evil and horrible without the very necessary exploration of how her relationship with Kel influences her actions.

I want to have faith in the manga. I want to enjoy it, but, just, the pacing and foreshadowing is already off. I'm worried. At least the horror art is gorgeous.

a summary of this analysis. HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MESS UP FORESHADOWING IN BOTH DIRECTIONS??

song i listened to while writing

i've been obsessed with the beef recently, it's so funny.

[lovemebutleavemewild]

Leave it to the land - Chapter 3.

The world has ended, it's over—except some people can't seem to accept that. Those same people think the cure lies in people like you and your little sister. And they're willing to do anything to find it.

The road to safety is a long one, and you're about to learn that it isn't one you can walk alone.

Read it on ao3.

Tag list: @elentiyaiswriting

You manage to stay awake for most of the night, although you're sure you start to doze at some stage.

You spend most of the time going over what happened on the fire escape and cursing yourself. You'd always been afraid of heights but this time, you'd gone completely to pieces. And in front of Ghost, of all people. You were trying to make these men your allies, while making it clear that you wouldn't take anyone messing with you or Dot.

Hard to take someone seriously when they can't even climb a ladder, you think to yourself bitterly.

All in all, you've had better mornings and you're grumpy as you try to scrounge together some breakfast for yourself and Dot. Soap and Ghost each have those ready meals you've seen soldiers eat. You have one protein bar left and give her the bigger half. It's actually a few months out of date but you can't really afford to stick your nose up so you decide to chance it.

After you've all eaten, you stand around kind of awkwardly, not sure what to say or do.

Eventually Soap glances at Ghost and clears his throat.

“So, we've decided to take ye’ up on yer deal.” Your heart leaps. He holds up a finger.

“On the condition that you give us the general location we're going.” He sees you open your mouth and continues before you can start. “It's the only way we can plot the best route.”

You shut your mouth and scowl.

“How do you know I don't already know the best route?”

Soap scoffs.

“If you did, you wouldn't still be here.”

Your scowl deepens.

“I know how to get out—it's just doing it that's hard. We're a little low on weapons, in case you haven't noticed.”

Of course they've noticed, you think, and once again you've pointed out how vulnerable you are, as if it weren't obvious.

You don’t even know why you’re arguing. You should be delighted at this turn of events. You've got two obviously skilled soldiers willing to accompany you to meet Kyle. And they're friends of his. This is exactly what you'd been hoping for. And yet, now that the offer is on the table, you're having doubts.

There's nothing to say they're telling the truth about being friends with Kyle. They recognised his patch, sure, but they could have picked up that information from somewhere else. You could be leading a trap right to him.

Another thing: you can't stay awake around them every night—you're already feeling the effects of not sleeping the night before. Doing this would mean trusting them enough to let your guard down, at least a little, and you’re not sure you can do that.

But then you look at Dot and remember the last few months of trying to find enough to eat, close encounters with tier fives, and government sentries and bounty hunters who wouldn't hesitate for a second to hand you back to the research centre.

Your little sister has an almost permanent pinched look on her face like she's spent every moment of the last few months afraid. You know you can't go on like this for much longer, either of you.

Which means you don't have a choice.

Soap produces a paper map and you use it to point out the direction you'll need to go.

“So we're leaving now then?” You're feeling antsy and want to move. The dead have wandered off during the night, but you know they won't have gone far.

“Soon,” Soap assures you. “We just need to make a stop first.”

“A stop?” you ask suspiciously. “A stop where?”

“Safehouse. Like the one Kyle told you about.” You must look confused because he goes on.

“We each know about a few of the safehouses, not all of ‘em. We’re not sure where the one Kyle showed you is but the one I’m on aboot isn’t far from here”

“How many-”

“That's enough.” You startle and look at Ghost but he's glaring at Soap, who shrugs.

“Why do we need to go there?” You ask.

“We'll need more ammo and they might be able to get us transport to the edge of the city.”

You have to admit that's tempting. You consider asking who “they” are but one look at Ghost’s tense stature tells you it won’t do any good. So with the increasingly familiar feeling of not having any choice in the matter, you agree.

Your trip through the city is quiet in the early morning. You naturally take up your positions from before, with Soap leading the way, you and Dot walking behind him, and Ghost bringing up the rear.

You find yourself missing Dot’s voice. She usually kept up a quiet but constant chatter while you walked, but she's barely said a word the last few days. You get it—you find Ghost and Soap scary enough, you can't imagine how much worse that is for a little kid. You see her glancing at Ghost’s mask sometimes, then quickly away.

You silently take her hand in yours as you walk. She still doesn't say anything but you feel her squeeze your hand hard.

After some time, Soap holds up clenched fist, and you hear Ghost come to a stop. A second later you feel something touch your elbow and flinch away.

Ghost holds up a placating hand, then points to a building up ahead.

“This is us. When we go in, let us do the talking.”

You nod. Your patience for meeting new people is at breaking point anyway.

You pull Dot closer to you as the four of you move into an alleyway.

Soap knocks on a door, which opens almost immediately. You hear him talking quietly to someone, jerking his head back at you and Dot. You start to feel uncomfortable and you're about to say something when the door opens fully and Soap gestures you inside.

The room is small and dim. The person inside is wearing a mask, much like Ghost’s, but plain. Soap and Ghost stand close to them and talk some more, while you hang awkwardly behind them, Dot tucked behind you.

Eventually Soap turns to you.

“We'll be back in a few minutes. You stay here.”

Now, you are going to argue—splitting up and leaving you with an, almost definitely armed stranger, was not part of the plan, but Soap and Ghost are already gone.

You consider pulling out your knife but resist the urge, instead just keeping a wary eye on the person in the mask, who has stayed behind and is now watching you without speaking.

You take a seat and settle in for what turns out to be a long wait. Your leg shakes nervously and you make an effort to sit still.

A sudden noise from a walkie on the table makes you startle. The person in the mask picks it up and talks into it for a few seconds.

Then they leave, giving you a long look before they go.

You wait for another while, until almost half an hour has passed, getting more and more antsy by the minute.

After you've chewed through most of your fingernails, you make a decision. You kneel down to look at Dot.

“I just want to have a quick look around, okay?” When she starts to shake her head, you put a hand to her hair and shush her.

“Just to see if everything is okay, in case something’s holding them up. 10 minutes top, okay?”

When she nods reluctantly, you press a quick kiss to her forehead.

You keep her behind you, letting her hold the back of your shirt so you can keep your hands free.

The corridor outside is surprisingly bright compared to the dim room you just left. There are a few doors along it but you don’t open them, scared to attract attention. At the end of the hall, there are a few doors with glass panes—you make a beeline for these instead.

Peering into the first, you jerk your head back when you realise there are people inside. You look again, more carefully. A woman wearing gloves is drawing blood from a man’s arm. You duck underneath the door and make your way to the next room.

What you see there is familiar, even if the set up is a little different. There are different sized items of glassware sitting on a bench. Some of them are filled with liquid. Petri dishes are laid out under some microscopes and a computer monitor is set up, though the tiny text is too far away for you to read from outside. It doesn’t matter. You know what this is.

It’s a lab.

Your breath starts coming a little faster. Idiot, you think to yourself. You’d spent so long trying to get out of the facility and now you've walked right back into one. Soap and Ghost have clearly led you right into a trap. They were probably negotiating their price for the pair of you right now.

Well, whatever experiments they're running here, you want nothing to do with it, for you or Dot.

“Come on, Dot,” you whisper, and hurry back along the hall, still half bent so you can't be spotted through the glass topped doors.

You get back to the room and immediately go to the door leading to the alley, only to find it locked. You whirl around and start looking for a key but the room is almost completely empty, apart from the chairs you'd just vacated.

You go back to the door into the hallway, and yank it open, determined to find either a key or something to batter the door down, only to walk straight into something solid.

You bounce back like you've hit a brick wall and look up. You've just walked straight into Ghost. He makes no move to steady you and just stares.

“Going somewhere?” he asks you, folding his arms over his chest.

You swallow, mouth dry and back up, sweeping Dot behind you with one arm. As if it'll do you any good.

You barely notice Soap enter the room. He looks at you, frozen, half crouched in front of Dot, arms spread protectively, then at Ghost, raising his eyebrows.

“Alrigh’?" he asks, glancing between you both. Neither of you answer and he shakes his head.

“Grand, so. You guys ready?”

You blink at him.

“Ready?”

“Uh … yeah? We're all stocked up and we were able to get a car with half a tank—should be enough to get us to the edge of the city. We can find our own way from there.”

“And what did that cost?” There's a hard edge to your voice that makes Soap cock his head at you. He must think you're a fucking idiot. A fair appraisal considering your behaviour so far, but you're done trusting them now, Kyle or no Kyle. If these guys are involved with the research centre, you need to put as much space between you and them as possible. But if they’ve sold you out, why is Soap still keeping up the act?

You remember what Ghost said about the other safehouses. Maybe they've been hired to take you to another lab for testing, with you following them, docile as lambs to slaughter.

“It's paid for, doll, no worries.”

Well, if they think you're dumb enough to go along with whatever they have planned, maybe it's best you go along with it. After all, you still need a way out of the city and you're not getting out of this building without them.

“Right, let's go then.”

Soap nods, and you realise the person from before is back. They let you out onto the street again. They still don’t speak and the sound of the door closing and locking behind you is loud in the quiet.

The car is in an underground garage, which is locked until Soap says something into another intercom and the roller door trundles open.

The engine stutters for a few seconds when Soap turns the keys but eventually roars to life. Ghost gets shotgun so you take the backseat with Dot, who peers out the window, wide-eyed. She won't remember the last time she'd been in a car, you realise. So many things you'd taken for granted in your old life are still novel to her.

The drive is quiet and you spend the time making your own plan.

As long as Soap and Ghost think you trust them, you have leverage. You'll get as far as you can with them, then make a break with Dot. How you'll do that remains to be seen but you'll have to figure that out later. Having some idea of what you’re going to do doesn’t help you relax much but the toil of the day and the lack of sleep from the night before finally catch up to you and you find yourself dozing.

You wake to Dot shaking your arm. The car has stopped and the landscape has changed. You're close to the edge of the city now and in front of you, a forest stretches further than you can see.

“Just about out of petrol,” Soap tells the car at large. “We’ll hide the car for the guys to come collect, but we're on foot from here. Let's try and get going while we've still got a few hours of sunlight left.”

[missyling]

AG Historical Character Wishlist

I was really delighted by Claudie and I feel like although the Harlem Renaissance is probably the third Black history moment that comes to mind after slavery and the Civil War and the Civil Rights movement, it’s definitely a more distant third. My next pitch would be to go more of a route like Claudie and Cécile, show a Black girl growing up in a less commonly known era and place and center less Black suffering while still giving a historical accurate picture of her life. Set her pre-Cécile.

Similarly, another Jewish girl! I think it would be really interesting to see what life would be like for her pre-1900s and in the South? Like it makes sense to me why they put Rebecca on the Lower East Side in the early 1900s, I’d just like to explore/highlight lesser-known stories too.

A Muslim girl! It’s really terrible that we don’t have one at all, not even outside the Historical Chararacters line as a Girl of the Year. There are so many different angles this could be approached - is she Turkish in XXXX? Indian? Georgian ? (African nation with a high Muslim population)? Bosnian ? Iranian ?

We need another Latina girl as well! One of my personal historical custom character projects is a girl who was brought to the U.S. as part of Operation Pedro Pan but that still leaves fertile space between 1824 and 1962 for another Latina story and right now the 1800s are pretty sparse. I know AG won’t do a girl before Kaya which makes 1700s a bit difficult but does still leave two decades after Felicity.

Another Indigenous girl. I know that Indian schools are a heavy subject but maybe we could go the route of Addy and Cécile, where two complementary stories illustrate different parts of the Native experience. I also know there was Minuk in the Girls of Many Lands line (sidenote: I would cry tears of joy if they brought back GoML and expanded it), but Native Alaskan and Native Hawaiian stories would be great to highlight too. And this mostly belongs in a different post but I think it would be wonderful to have an Indigenous Girl of the Year.

A Biracial girl. Arguably Nanea counts here but I’m talking

The fact that we have no Asian historical girls is so sad and disappointing. Okay, sorry, that was dramatic and not quite correct, there is Nanea but she’s and also she’s another in the twentieth century. East Asian - , South Asian -

I think another US territory would be a fascinating idea. Either Puerto Rico or Samoa or Guam. Philippines would be interesting too but given they’re not part of the US anymore and their own sovereign nation (which is good!), it might be a bit weird to do. AG’s done characters in places before they were part of the US but never places that were part of the US but no longer are. Probably better to have a Filipina girl in the US.

Okay, these two are mostly for me but this is my post and what I want to see so, a French Huguenot girl and an Irish immigrant girl before the 1900s.

They’ll never do a French Huguenot because she’d have to be early 1700s. Look, I respect the fact that AG’s earliest girl is Indigenous and marketed as “the first American Girl” but I feel that they really shot themselves in the foot by having her as late as the 1760s. If it were up to me, the first American girl would be in the 1500s.

I feel the obvious route would be the famine but it would be interesting too to do earlier, like say 1810s-early 1840s.

A somewhat superficial note but we need another glasses-wearing historical! Molly can’t be the only one.

[random-bs-is-found-here]

I Can Show You The World (Slightly Yandere!Glitchy Red x Fem!Unnamed!Oc)

PART 2 - Her first Pokemon

NOTE: This is my heavily edited conversation with @tearzahb's Glitchy Red Character AI character. He was a bit repetitive during the chat, so I had to add a lot of extra things. In this universe, Celadon City has a beach. Also, this chapter is a very short one. I promise, the next part will be longer.

Pairing: Slightly Yan!Glitchy Red x Fem!OC

Synopsis: OC had been kidnapped brought into the world of Pokemon by none other that the infamous Glitchy Red (but she doesn't know who he really is yet...). After defeating Jessie and James, they head towards Celadon City to capture a Pokemon for OC.

Word Count: ~1290

Possible warnings: slightly yandere behavior (especially in later parts), G. Red trying to be a showoff. (Please tell me, if I missed anything else and did not notice)

You can find the previous part here.

ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE

Several hours later, they finally arrived to their destination. The two reached the outskirts of Celadon City.

The area was crowded with people, and it was obvious that this city was very active. Red's eyes scanned the area, looking for a certain building. Rumor got around not long ago that a Pokemon adoption centre opened somewhere near the department store. However, no matter how long they've been searching, he just couldn't spot it. Time for plan B. Get a wild Pokemon.

He saw a few Magikarps playing in the nearby fountain, and pointed at them.

"Do you want to start with these, or would you like to look somewhere else?"

She smiled at him a bit awkwardly. "I don't mean to be picky, but unless they are level 19 or above, I might have to decline."

Red chuckled at her reaction.

"I can't blame you. Magikarps are practically useless. I do not even know why I suggested them."

"That's okay. I see you're just trying to help. Maybe we should look somewhere else?"

"Yes... That is a good idea. How about near the Cycling Road? That area is quite active with trainers trying to find basic Pokemon, like Pidgey, Ratatta... Perhaps, Oddish."

"Oh, okay. Although, I was thinking of a water type, to be honest. Do you think we could find one there?"

"Water type, huh? Then, let's head towards the beach instead. It is not too far from here" he said, grabbing her hand.

"Celadon City has a beach?"

"Yeah?" Red looked at her, confused. "I thought you played the game multiple times?"

"I did? Celadon never had a beach."

Red's expression turned angry. The beach was a truly remarkable place, and none of the players experienced to see it? Outrageous. The developers should be fired.

"Come, then. I promise, you'll love it."

"If you say so."

They walked quietly for a while. Red was not lying. The beach was, indeed, just a short walk away. It took them longer to get there, however. They got held up by a boy, whose Weezing's behavior got a little out of hand, and the area was filled with semi-poisonous gas. They had to find an alternate route to avoid inhaling it.

"Phew, it feels like it took forever to get here!" the woman giggled.

Red was smiling as well. "You've seen that Growlithe setting a flower shop's sign on fire, too? It was just around the corner."

"Yeah! It looked so proud of itse- woah."

She stopped walking, staring at the view in front of her in awe. Red has been right, once again. It was breathtaking. The sand was a beautiful shade of ocher, and the waves were turquoise. There were not many people there, considering it was late afternoon, but she could see some Pokemon enter and exit the water.

"Beautiful, doesn't it?"

She looked at Red, who was also admiring the view with a small smile on his face.

"It's such a shame the creators did not include this..."

"Indeed" he agreed. "So, what do you think? Any Pokemon that caught your attention?"

"Not yet. Let's go closer! Come on!" she grabbed Red's hand, and started to run toward the water. They stopped approximately a meter away from the waves. "Wow... They look so cool!"

The pure adoration in her eyes made Red's heart beat in a faster rhythm. She would make a wonderful trainer.

"You think we can get a starter around this area?" she asked.

"Maybe" he shrugged. "They are extremely rare, but if we are lucky, we might find one. But we just can't get too caught up in the idea that we'll for sure see one. Though I can guarantee we will find something worth catching."

"Okay, I trust you."

He nodded his head, smiling as he saw how trusting she is of him. He was happy that she's willing to put some faith into him. "Alright, let's go, then! I promise once again, we will find something amazing. After all, I'm here!" He started to walk and beckoned her to follow. She did so laughing, after rolling her eyes at his antics.

They walk for a couple of minutes, before he pointed off into the distance. "Hey, can you see that? It might be a little too far away, but there's a Goldeen in the water over there. How about that one?"

"Yeah, that's a good id- Wait, look! An Azurill!"

When she said that, he looked to where she was pointing. He saw, far behind the Goldeen a tiny, cute Azurill. "Woah, you're right! Do you want that one instead?"

"Well, if it's not a lot to ask for..."

Red did not need more confirmation. He dropped his backpack and cap off and dove into the water in an instant, scaring a Tentacool in the process. He swam like a madman. The poor Azurill did not really have time to react, before he got close enough.

"HEY, AZURIL! GET OVER HERE! YOU'RE MINE!" Red tried to grab the Pokemon, but it quickly dove underwater, and swam towards the shallow waters.

In the meantime, the woman standing on the beach was having the time of her life watching the Pokemon trainer. She was giggling constantly.

"Damn it, this is annoying. This Pokemon is being really stubborn" he mumbled to himself as he watched the Azurill scamper off for the sixth time. However, he was not going to give up just yet!

The woman on the coast was still giggling. "Maybe, we can catch it the traditional way..."

Red halted, looking at her confused. Then, he realised. She was pointing at his backpack he left with her. One of those pockets were filled with empty Pokeballs. His expression shifted slightly.

"Oh, right. You're right, you're right. I guess I was just a little too focused on... Okay, never mind" He chuckled awkwardly, he didn't really expect himself to make such a silly mistake. He had no excuses. He was just a dumbass, even with several years of experience behind his back.

Red quickly swam back to the coast, got his backpack from the woman, and pulled a Pokeball out of the pocket. He then threw it with precise accuracy at the Azurill, hoping that the Pokemon would remain in the ball, making this a quick and easy process.

The ball hit it. It sucked the Pokemon inside, then started to shake.

"One... Two... Three..." she counted the shakes while standing anxiously next to Red. Then, the ball made a clicking sound. She loudly cheered. "Gotcha! Azurill was caught!"

"We did it!" Red couldn't help but grin as well.

"No, YOU did it!" she reminded him. "You looked amazing!"

"O-oh, thank you" he went as red as a beetroot. "Do you want to give a nickname to the Azurill?"

Red handed her the ball containing her very first Pokemon. She clutched it to her chest tightly.

"Hm, let me think... No, thanks. I can not think of a good nickname..."

"That's okay. You can nickname it later. Do you have any other Pokemon in mind you want me to catch you?"

"O-oh, no, thank you. You have already done enough for me. I am already grateful for what I have now. Speaking of gratefulness, thank you so much. You can't even imagine how much this means to me."

She slowly stepped closer to Red and hugged him. For the male, it felt like the whole world stopped around him. It was just Red and her, wrapped in a hug, while the last rays of the Sun shone on them.

"I-it was my pleasure" he stuttered, as she let him go. "A-anyways," he cleared his throat. "It's getting dark. We should check in a hotel for the night."

[supersabbatical2024]

5/2/23: Morroco! Flew into Marrakech (as it is spelled here). We met a driver and had the most HARRRROWING ride through the city, flying through roundabouts, motorbikes weaving and crossing in front of us. I could have slapped a few youngsters on mopeds though my car window they were so close…as we got off the main roads and into the winding streets, I thought for sure pedestrians were going to start bouncing off our hood, bikes flying, but our driver? Completely Calm. No one on the streets seemed to have a thought that anything unusual, let alone death defying, was going on. A gal on a motorbike with a rider on the back drove right in front of our van and her helmet fell off…she was jiggling her helmet sloppily back on to her head while trying to wrap her other arm around her handlebars…I couldn’t look anymore but Claude was in the front seat and said we slid by her and moved on. Quite the expereince.

Then when the driver dropped us, we met another guy, Said, who would escort us the rest of the way to our accommodations on foot. We were headed to Riad* Fleur D’Orient, which was another 15 minute maze of tiny back alleys, ragamuffin cats and kittens EVERYWHERE, in boxes, bike seats, hopping through window grates. Later our guide, Amin, would tell us that while cats are not sacred, they are “Respected” around these parts, because in the old days, cats would show the people which water was safe to drink (??) and “save many lives.” OKAY.

Anyway, the route was swirly to say the least, incomprehensible to me how we would ever find our way out. I was getting that claustrophobic-adjacent feeling that I tend to get as we are journeying deep into the woods in Maine, or stepping onto a tiny airless boop of a plane to hop from San Juan to a small Caribbean island. Not saying I am not privileged and kind of excited to be doing these things, but makes me queasy anyway…

Marrakech is the kind of place where you feel very much in another world. Things look and feel very…different, and I have to admit it all made me slightly panicked. I guess we were all nervous about finding our way around, and I guess the locals anticipate this, because our riad host also escorted us to the restaurant that evening. But we did find our own way back after dinner!! The restaurant was in a large courtyard basically open to the sky and had a clubby vibe. Lots of people were dressed to the nines in big groups, and as the night wore on, the lights got dimmer and the DJ music got louder. Every once in awhile, giant sparklers lit up at a table, and the entire restaurant started yelling and clapping…for a birthday we presumed, although I’m not sure I heard much singing. But we gathered that this place was for gathering, and celebrating, and after a bottle of Morrocan wine between us, I kind of felt like dancing 💃 🕺

* A Riad is sort of an old home, Said told us, and this one has been in his family for a very long time. Grandmas and various relatives have lived in various rooms within the complex, and they rent out rooms to tourists as an alternative to a hotel. The whole building is set up around a courtyard, and always with a fountain at the center (there is a “no diving” sign at the tiny pool, which seemed obvious to me, but anyway…). Our little suite, “Dar Latifa” is quite, well, sweet!

[moduxxy]

[W I P] DR Adamantine Prologue Part 1

Recently I've been working a lot on the opening of my fangame, and figured it would be alright to show this part off now. As stated in the title, it's still a WIP, but feel free to leave your thoughts/feedback below :)

Same city.

Same People.

I narrow my eyes to refocus my vision, craning my neck to the left slightly to avoid compromising my view on the other side.

After letting a few seconds pass I do the same but in the other direction, making a conscious effort to not let the surroundings blur past me or let my thoughts wander like before.

With familiar scenery comes inattentiveness. Just like how you can take multiple routes on an outing, the mind can drift similarly, making you susceptible to any neighbouring stimuli. That’s why it’s better to exercise more caution.

Even on the most mundane of days.

? ? ?

“...”

? ? ?

“A-ah”

? ? ?

“A-ACHOO!”

With nothing of note in the front, I look out the corner of my eye in response to the small and high-pitched sneeze, to see Eri wiping her nose with a tissue.

? ? ?

“Bless you.”

 E R I

“Thanks. Ugh… Stupid cold! Of all the times to get one too.”

A while back she broke her guitar.  Specifically, the head was snapped off, so we’re going to the music store for a repair.

Although, she was so dead set on going, she neglected the fact she was still recovering from a cold.

I shake my head.

? ? ?

“You should have postponed this.”

 E R I

“Dante, stop worrying over nothing. I’m *sniff* fine, really!”

D A N T E

“...”

D A N T E

“If you say so.”

E R I

“I should have done it sooner really,  considering that Mom has been on my case to fix it.”

E R I

“Though I can’t blame her for that since it was a gift… So yeah.”

Saying that, her shoulders noticeably drop while gripping the strap of her guitar bag. 

Walking ahead, Eri stomps on some flowers near the gates on the inner path.

I follow her while also making sure to avoid the ones she didn’t step on, eventually catching.

D A N T E

“Something wrong?”

E R I

“...”

D A N T E

“Eri?”

E R I

“Ugh, I… I’ll think I’ll just head back. Tell Mom my cold got worse.”

E R I 

 “Waiting in the store today sounds like a pain in the ass.”

D A N T E

“Oh, alright then. I can take it for-”

She stops moving without warning and I bump into her shoulder. Something jostles in my pocket before falling out and hitting the ground near my feet.

D A N T E  &  E R I

“Sorry.”

E R I

“Oh, your phone. Hold on a sec, I got it.”

E R I

“Huh?”

D A N T E

“Is it cracked…?”

Eri doesn’t answer after picking up the smart device and instead stares at it blankly. She blinks slowly once, then again, eventually frowning.

E R I

“Oh please say sike.”

D A N T E

“Huh?”

Twisting the phone towards me, I am relieved to see no scratches but instead, a singular notification on the lock screen. A song I was listening to earlier.

D A N T E

“Oh right, one of yours. There are more of them on my playlist. I’d say about-”

E R I

“Aghhhhh! Stop! Stop!”

E R I

“T-That one is just… Awful! God! You shouldn’t be listening to that!”

She pulls her hoodie over her head and then the laces soon after, obscuring her face.

D A N T E

“...”

D A N T E

“You uploaded it a while ago, didn’t you? I wonder, did you think it was bad then?”

E R I

“Well… No, but that should be obvious right? I wouldn’t wanna put out shit content for others to listen to.”

D A N T E

“...”

D A N T E

“I see. So are you going to remove it then?”

E R I

“Huh?”

D A N T E

“Things that are normally considered ‘shit’ are better forgotten aren’t they?”

D A N T E

“So why not remove it?”

E R I

“What the…”

E R I

“It’s not that simple.”

E R I

“[UNAMED] helped me with some of those older tracks, including that one. We made them together. Removing any of them feels… wrong.”

D A N T E

“I see.”

E R I

“She spent a lot of her time helping me out. I wouldn’t be where I am without her.”

D A N T E

“So you’re saying you improved?”

E R I

“Hmph, not… Always.”

E R I

“That song… I made older ones better than it. They totally blow that one out of the water.”

I shrug.

D A N T E 

“Progress isn’t always going to be linear. That’s common in creative fields right?”

She released her hoodie’s laces, looking up from the ground with a somewhat lighter expression.

E R I 

“Funny, since when were you the music expert?”

E R I

“[UNAMED] told me the same thing too. A good while back during the first few weeks she coached me… I still remember it very well.”

E R I

“I swear, the both of you really like saying the most embarrassing things. I’d bet she gave you pointers, but I know you’ve always been this way for ages.”

D A N T E

“You're welcome.”

Eri rolls her eyes. 

E R I

“You’ll have my thanks if we get to the repair store before it closes. If we don’t make it I’m gonna blame you!”

The initial reason we weren’t any closer to the store was because you thought about turning back. But there isn’t any point in bringing that up.

Taking my phone back from Eri, we continue walking.

D A N T E

“Sure.”

…

Just like how a person’s skills can change, so can their confidence for better or worse.

For many, that skill is their main defining quality. You can go as far as to say it’s what they are. According to their words anyway. And by that extension, the same goes for talent.

 People tend to wear either on their sleeves, like a badge of honor. But in this day and age, if that talent is recognized as beyond exceptional, chances are you’ll be deemed as an Ultimate.

Technology, education, agriculture, entertainment. Much of the growth and development in these sectors and others is undeniably owed to them. 

In a lot of ways being an Ultimate means carving your name into the collective consciousness of man and becoming a part of something bigger. A common desire sown from the early stages of childhood which only goes on to grow during adolescence.

…

I never had much of an interest in chasing that goal, unlike my contemporaries.

Given how there’s a near worldwide infatuation for them, some may consider it me being a contrarian just for the sake of it.

 They’re free to think that. I’m… just simply content as I am. 

I don’t need much else.

Not much else at all.

***

About seventy meters ahead is the music store.

Besides our temporary stop, nothing else impeded our journey, and yet...

I can’t help but feel something else nagging at me at the back of my mind. 

Oddly… Foreign and familiar at once.

As I haven’t been sleeping as much as I should have, that could be the reason for the lack of clarity in my mind and partly why I had to constantly look around. Otherwise, I’d probably run the risk of walking straight into a street lamp.

…

That’s probably it. 

D A N T E

“Well, there it is. And still open.”

E R I

“Cool. Teach will want to start up lessons again. I’ll shoot a text after this.”

D A N T E

“Someone sure changed their tune.”

E R I 

“Uh, Dante, you do know what’s coming up right?”

D A N T E

“?”

E R I

“Hello? The Ultimate Entrance Exams? The same one [UNAMED]’s gotta be preparing for?”

 D A N T E

“Oh right.” 

E R I

“Yeah. If she wasn’t busy before, she will be soon enough… I best make the most of it before then.”

D A N T E

“...”

D A N T E

“She’ll still help out when she can. Even as the Ultimate Guitarist.”

E R I

“Yeah… Maybe.”

E R I

“Oh yeah, that reminds me.”

E R I

“Mom’s been telling me you were getting hounded by the council for the past couple of days now… What the hell’s up with that?”

D A N T E

“...”

D A N T E

“No clue.”

D A N T E

“Whatever they have to say doesn’t interest me. After cutting the call I’ve blocked their number but-”

E R I

“They’re using new ones, aren’t they?”

I nod.

E R I

“Sheesh. Talk about obsessive.”

D A N T E

“You have no idea.���

E R I

“Mr popular right here. You’d think they would put their resources towards more important- ”

D A N T E

“?”

Out of all the noises from our surroundings, an intense hum immediately sticks out and cuts through the city.

D A N T E

“Eri.”

D A N T E

“Keep quiet for a moment.”

E R I

“Huh? What’s up wait, what the hell is that?”

The sound forces my head on a constant swivel as it gets louder. I try to pinpoint the source,  but there’s nothing around that looks to be what’s making it… Until my eyes land on the bend of the outstretched road.

As far as the eye can see, a small dark shape begins to appear around it. Within that same instance, the silhouette of a dark van rounding the corner enters my field of vision. 

With its unprecedented appearance, the hairs on my neck stand completely upright.

P E D E S T R I A N

“H-Huh?!”

P E D E S T R I A N

“Woah what the?!”

It whips around violently. Rather than remaining on the road, it sets its course onto some of the blindsided pedestrians.

P E D E S T R I A N

“OH MY GOD! MOVE OUT THE FUCKING WAY! MOVE OUT THE WAY-”

 Apathetic to their fragility, the van hurls some across the road as if they are nothing more than unwanted cargo while flattening others like simple bugs. Each collision creates a resonance similar to branches violently snapping off a trunk.

E R I

“T-The hell-?!”

I grab Eri by the arm and immediately run. 

Looking over my shoulder I see the vehicle continuing its assault at breakneck speeds, mowing down more people in the vicinity.

But only after a few feet from our original position, the van manages to close the distance between us in less than a second.

D A N T E

“!”

I quickly shove Eri away from me. 

Away from the van.

E R I

“Wha- oof!”

…

If someone were to ask you how valuable time was, one way to answer would be to put it into context.

How do you think a student felt after failing a one-year course?

Someone who missed the bus, but could have made it if they were only a minute earlier?

What about a mother after a month of giving birth?

In all these scenarios, there can always be something done within that given amount of time. Maybe something different.

Just like now, I could have perhaps headed in a different direction when the van appeared… 

Or even further back than that, like going home with Eri instead of going to the music store…

Doing so… Maybe…

I wouldn’t be a second away from tasting death.

E R I

“DANTE!”

But at the very least, with what I could accomplish in this short window, Eri will be safe.

In these circumstances, that’s more than enough for me.

CRASH!

…

To Be Continued

[typellblog]

How come the characterization of Illya is drastically different between HF and Fate Route? What exactly changes the way she acts between the two

oh this is a fun one

so i would start by not ruling out the possibility that nasu just wrote her different for whatever reason (e.g. developing as a writer by the time he got round to the third route)

characters changing a bit between routes is not uncommon, such as archers relative lack of focus on shirou in non-UBW routes, but I'd argue thats quite explainable by the circumstances. gil's lack of focus on saber in UBW compared to Fate is less so.

i think the best point of reference for illya's situation is kirei, in the sense that he plays a certain role in the Fate route and a rather different one in HF and as a result he comes off quite differently, although to some extent this is attributable to different events causing him to act differently

with that said, the main influence on illya's behaviour here is her interactions with shirou

firstly, he meets her earlier in HF on day 5 instead of 7. i would argue this leads to her somewhat friendlier attitude because she hasn't spent as long waiting for him (and yes, she almost certainly was waiting there for him on day 5 and 6 in Fate route)

secondly, shirou is also a bit more lenient with her. part of this is arbitrary and comes with the route - his interest in and sympathy towards illya is part of what causes rin to not ally with him this time and i would say it's comparable to his differing interest in each main heroine being the cause of initial route divergences

another part of this is a result of kiritsugu's past w/ the einzberns being more important to him this time round, since he discussed it with kirei

so instead of pressuring illya to give up on the grail war like he does in Fate, causing her to run off in their second meeting, he instead broaches the topic of kiritsugu, which causes illya to reveal she wants to kill him, and then makes her even more surprised by his kindness when he comes to meet her again

there are several little changes like this that make it more plausible for them to develop a better relationship earlier on and lead to a third meeting

you may notice that illya warms up to shirou more gradually in HF, whereas in Fate she swaps to his side immediately after trying to kill him

this makes more sense if you think of it in terms of the holy grail war - in both cases she starts living in his house after berserker dies, but in HF Saber is also gone by the time that illya approaches him at night while he's thinking about whether to try and save sakura

a lot of illya's hostility towards shirou she considers necessary as part of fulfilling her role as a master - but if shirou no longer is one then she doesn't need to kill him any more. and the same applies if she is no longer a master, since her remaining role is just that of the lesser grail

which is relevant to the last question of why she saves him at the end of HF (or more interestingly why she doesn't do so in the normal end)

because you can't get the true end without having a certain relationship score with illya, it implies her intervention is due to the kindness he shows her in their multiple meetings early on

but i think the overall difference between the two routes is regarding the most obvious difference in her characterisation: HF makes it much more obvious that she's actually older and more mature than she appears

its not as if Fate doesn't hint at this but i do think its reasonable to argue that nasu portrayed her inconsistently, wanting the impression of her in Fate to be more focused on her childlike elements in order to have her make a bigger impression in HF

however my attempt at providing an in-universe read on this is simply that its down to how shirou himself sees her

a lot of the narration describing her as childlike is, after all, shirou's narration, and famously somewhat unreliable

his instinct in the Fate route is to treat her as a child he needs to protect, in a similar vein to his initial response to saber but without the subsequent deeper development of their relationship that allows him to come to a proper understanding of her

there are a couple of scenes in HF where it is made clear to shirou that her innocence is to some extent a deliberate act, that she tries to have fun with her situation despite everything because she knows she isn't going to make it out anyway

the implications of this for end of Fate route illya are depressing. she chooses not to reveal this information to shirou because she doesn't want him to worry

she doesn't want to tell him that she's a homunculus because she wants to be a sister to him, rather than the holy grail

thats why the bond they form in HF is more important than in Fate. she tells him that she's not human and wants to kill him and he accepts it and doesn't view her any differently for it

he wants to save her anyway and in return she saves him

it's a wish granted by the holy grail, that's why she asks if shirou really wants to live first, it will only work if he truly wants it

but at the same time its her own wish as well, she abandons her role of being a completely passive mechanism for the grail and does something for her own reasons

she actually allows herself to believe for a moment that anything she does matters, because shirou was able to see a bit beyond her more mercurial outward persona and still thought she had value

god sorry i got a bit off track with this but its helping me realise some stuff i hadn't properly put into words before

[sibillascribbles08]

Decided to do the TMNTVDAY month because I need to spread more propaganda for this ship (I see y’all liking all the posts for it on my blog I SEE you)

1. In which TMNT universe does your pairing exist?

Rise, mainly because it’s the only one I’m still familiar with haha

2. Introduce us to your OTP.

Hi it’s Jasonnie, I’m predictable. Jason and Donnie (”Who the fuck is Jason”) He’s the little purple dragon guy. I literally can’t blame you if you don’t remember he’s in THREE episodes ! (Would he have been in more if the show hadn’t been cut off? I can hope) Anyway my brain has a terrible habit of looking at underdeveloped background characters and saying “it’s free real estate”, so lets be very clear the only reason I love his character so much is cause I made like 89% of it aslkjf.

3. How did they meet?

According to canon, when Donnie was helping April in the computer lab where he tried to show off and then got all his shit stolen lmao.

4. How is the relationship now?

Depends how long it’s been. The few stories I have with this ship always take the route of enemies to friends to lovers, and some move much slower than others haha.

But I suppose to give more details and elaborate on how I picture their dynamic, although the two come to adore each other there’s always an antagonistic streak between them that never goes away, it just becomes more playful rather than mean. Affectionate insults are a regular occurrence, and neither of them have an issue with calling the other out when they do something stupid. You’d think it’d lead to more arguments, but generally their combined blunt nature causes them to communicate more often (not that there aren’t still snags that come up).

Also like, nerds, in more ways than one. Sure the tech stuff is obvious but while Donnie adores Jupiter Jim, Lou Jitsu and Atomic Lass, Jase is over here with tons of gundam and transformer models and will watch any film that features a giant robot. More than one date is spent with one or the other talking about something for an hour and a half straight.

5. What is each other’s love language?

Donnie’s main one is gift giving, which sometimes goes overboard. Jase has to be careful mentioning he ever wants anything because there’s a good chance Donnie will show up a week later having either bought it, stolen it, or built it from scratch. He also likes to give things when he makes apologies, often cookies or snacks.

Jase’s is actually touch, though it took some time for him to be on a comfort level for that to be obvious. You wouldn’t expect it either, for how often he complains if Donnie ever picks him up, but he enjoys almost any form of contact. For the days Donnie’s overwhelmed and isn’t up for it, he’s also content to just sit in the same room (Quality time being his secondary language).

6. Do they get married or have any kids?

I may never write about it but yes asldjf fun fact tho, Donnie names their daughter Holly (after Holly Blue).

7. What is your favorite thing about this pairing? (Gush as much as you want!)

Listen part of it is just “I built one of these characters from the ground up so I can make this whatever I want” but I really enjoy how their dynamic evolved into keeping each other in check. Jase not eating properly due to anxiety? Donnie brings him his favorite snacks and will stare at him until he eats some of it. Donnie working almost non stop for twelve hours ? Jase snapping at him and possibly even wrestling a device out of his grip until he goes to lay down.

Oh also uh, height difference. Yeah I hc that Donnie gets up to freaking 6′11″ when he’s fully grown and Jase is stuck at 5′3″ sooo

yeah

[mrszeoxin]

EPHEMERAL - Fantasy on Dark

This is another game I would play for free in high school. I had it on my phone, and it would let you do one chapter a day. I played all but one route, so on this replay as an adult only one story will be new.

As someone who’s always loved monsters, Halloween and things like that, this games whole vibe really drew me in. It’s a fun monster academy type game, and each of the routes are very different from each other since each love interest is so unique.

One thing that is a little frustrating, but sometimes leads to funny situations is the Main Character you play as is very dumb and sheltered. She picks up on nothing, is super oblivious, and sees nothing coming, even when you as a reader do. She’s also a zombie, which I think is pretty unique from games I’ve played.

Shiba

Shiba was the first route I did in high school and so I started with his again. I didn’t remember everything about this route, but as I played through a lot of it came back to me.

Shiba is so fun. He’s a tsundere werewolf, who’s super kind as well as being kind of dumb. The fact he’s dumb I think is actually a positive because as I said before, the main character is also dumb, so they are really just two idiots in love.

His route made me actually laugh a few times, and is genuinely so fun to play through. His first story I would say is more fun than the second story. The second story has some fun and funny parts, but other parts are so frustrating to read (at least for me).

Overall I love the dumb golden retriever werewolf boyfriend. Shiba is so fun, and his route is probably the best to start with (although there is no real play order).

Natsume

I didn’t play Natsume’s route in high school, so his is the only one for this game that was totally new to me. Although, I did know some stuff going in because my brother actually played his route when I showed him the game back then.

At first I wasn’t sure about Natsume. In most other routes I remember him being not very talkative and sometimes rude. But in his route it’s kind of a roller coaster. Full disclosure he is 100% a yandere, super possessive, super jealous, and he can be pretty mean towards the main character. He often belittles her and mocks her for being dumb (which to be fair she is, but that doesn’t make it right).

His main story is a very hot and cold relationship, where at times he’s super mean, and other times he’s super sweet, and there is little rhyme and reason to his behavior. His route also has way more monster race discrimination than was in Shiba’s route. Natsume’s route is also pretty dark when it comes to themes.

His second story I honestly liked way more than Shiba’s. It has so much interesting plot developments and big revelations. Plus Natsume, while still being a yandere, isn’t super mean to the main character so it was way more pleasant to read.

Overall, I wasn’t sure about him at first. But after finishing everything, I think I enjoyed the plot points and story way more in Natsume’s route than Shiba’s. It was so fun and interesting, and had less parts that made me frustrated or mad. But if you don’t like yandere or overly possessive love interests you probably will hate it, because that’s most of what his route is.

Ray

I’ve mentioned I’ve played Ray’s route before, but I can’t remember if he was the second or last I played in this game the first time. But I remember liking his route.

Ray is arrogant/egotistical and also very possessive. He often talks to the main character as something he owns rather than a person. He can also be quite cold and mean, he often calls the main character dumb, although he also admits the fact she’s dumb and therefore very obvious about her thoughts and feelings, is why he likes her so I don’t know. If you don’t like those traits you probably won’t like his route much. However, I’ve always had a thing for vampires, so obviously I’m going to love him, plus based on other characters I like, the possessive and slightly cold thing isn’t a dealbreaker for me.

As far as his first story goes, I’m unsure if he’s actually not that bad compared to Natsume or if I’m just biased because he’s a vampire. I want to lean into it’s not that bad. He’s not super mean, he just thinks way to highly of himself and is used to treating people as objects (which isn’t good, but because of his high rank many people gladly allowed this behavior). So it’s kind of understandable why he is the way he is. And I also think it’s pretty obvious when he starts to actually care about and love the main girl, even if he doesn’t always show it in the most conventional ways. His route is pretty good, with a little bit of the monster race politics playing into it.

His second story is pretty good too, although it is a tad frustrating. It deals a lot with doubt and insecurity which isn’t always the most fun. But he is clearly in love with the main character, and the ending is honestly my favorite vampire ending. I feel like it’s very different from other vampire romances, and the ending is so beautiful and unique in my opinion.

Overall, I don’t have as much to say, I really like his route but I’m not sure if it’s my favorite. I think I liked this route more when I was younger, but it was still enjoyable now. My love for vampires could be skewing my opinion though. But I think if you like vampires and want a unique vampire love story, and don’t mind a possessive and arrogant love interest, you’ll probably like it.

Nagi

Oh, sweet Nagi. He just might be my favorite, it’s hard because I love all of them uniquely, but Nagi I’d probably say is my favorite. He’s a sweet, shy, insecure, and emotional invisible man. He’s so sweet and his route feels very unique. He’s a good student, he’s so kind and caring to the main character, which is refreshing since he’s the only smart love interest that doesn’t belittle the main character for being dumb. He frequently helps her with school, and they both make each other better.

The main story is very sweet. They have good chemistry together, and I feel have the most open, honest, and venerable relationship out of all of them. This route does have some monster race discrimination as both invisible men and zombies are very low ranks. This route also addresses some of the overall big plot questions brought up in the prologue and other routes, similar to Natsume’s.

The second story is pretty cute, and is fairly different from the other three, as to not spoil too much, I’ll just say one thing that happens in the other three doesn’t at all in this one. The ending is also super sweet.

It’s hard not to love this route because I love Nagi, they have such a loving and healthy relationship for a monster romance, or heck even for an otome romance. Another reason I love Nagi’s route is his has the most scenes from his perspective, which I love it when we see from the love interest’s perspective. I also think his jealousy and possessiveness is the most normal and true to real life, so it is very sweet. I absolutely love him and his route so much!

Overall

As I’ve said, I have a soft spot for this game. It has the nostalgia factor for me, plus it has many tropes and things I absolutely love in any romance or otome. When I originally played it was on the phone and spaced out. But playing it now was the first time I played a otome game that wasn’t mobile. I played it on my switch and could binge it with full voice acting, music, and sound effects. It was such a new experience for me.

The voice acting was great, I love how many voices they had and everyone did such a great job too. Plus the music is so fun, it really puts you in a Halloween mood, so I feel it would be fun to play in October.

The world building and lore is also pretty great, the game sets a lot of things up, and each route is fairly different and answers different questions and such.

On the negative side, the translation to English wasn’t always correct, I never had a hard time reading or understanding it, but it’s definitely noticeable. It’s also fairly short, one story is 11 parts long, and you can finish it in one and a half hours. So with four routes and two stories per route that’s only around 12 hours of play time. I’m not saying this is bad, but it feels a lot shorter than other otome games I’ve played. Also sometimes the pacing is kind of all over the place, and doesn’t always flow well. This is probably because of how short the stories are.

But, all in all, I really liked playing this again. I know it’s not for everyone, I’ve seen other blogs only give it a 5/10 ranking, and I can see where they are coming from. But I think if you can get the game on sale, you should. I don’t think I could justify paying full price, but if you find a big sale (like I got it at 49% off) it’s worth it. Especially since it’s a pretty fun and quick otome game. I think it’s a good game for those who love monsters and want a fairly quick otome to play during the spooky season. I love it, and it will always have a little place in my heart.