#and for the most part i love all of the endings. except the iris one but that has more to do with how. shounen anime it is lmao | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

nicotachi · 2 months ago

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my clumsy review aka my unorganized thoughts on Hit New Yuri Game "Love Curse: Find Your Soulmate"! you can buy it on steam here

cyn and i spent the past week or so playing through all 10 endings and i just wanted a place to write down all my thoughts. i feel like i have a Lot to say and barely anyone else to tell so i'm going to attempt to rein it in

under the cut is nothing but spoilers so tread at your own risk! also: i do not hate any ship, but if you are averse to ship hate you may not want to read any of my criticisms!

PLOT SUMMARY

you play as a 20 year-old lesbian (named selene yan by default) navigating her transition from college into the workforce. however, you are suddenly informed of a curse that will kill you in one year's time—the only way to lift this curse is to find your true soulmate (yay a girl) before then.

there are currently 4 romanceable options: your cute childhood-friend-turned-girl-next-door, your classmate's mysterious twin sister, your reliable upperclassman, and your intimidating boss at your internship. who will you choose??? 😳

OVERALL

wow. what a game!!! i have limited experience with visual novels as most of them have been linear. all the otome games i've played were written for straight female audiences (with the exception of kang jaehee of mystic messenger) and designed for mobile. this was my first foray into an honest to goodness Sit In Front Of Computer And Pick Your Girlfriend game, and this time for actual lesbians! and i liked it a lot! what stuck out to me with this game—and keep in mind my limited experience here—is that ALL the endings felt like legitimate endings, even the bad ones. for some characters, the bad endings even felt preferable! this made me feel respected as a reader/player, and gave me a sense of agency in that i was able to choose whatever ending i liked without feeling like other endings were more 'correct'. and boy, did i enjoy some endings much more than others.

there are two curious things about the game.

the first one is a unique mechanic. each character has two meters: an affection meter, and a ??? meter. i thought the affection meter seemed pretty straightforward: get the affection up and get the happy ending. however, this was not so simple for 3 out of the 4 romanceable characters with the second meter in question. if the ??? value reaches a certain number, this may trigger the bad ending for that character. while the ??? value is never outright explained, it seems to represent something different for each character.

the second thing that stuck out to me was that half of the characters' routes directly relate to the lore behind the curse. honestly, it took me a while to even remember the title of the game because the 'curse' part seemed irrelevant to me with my preferred route. while two of the romanceable characters' routes explain the origins of the curse and why you have it, the other two are completely independent stories that could live in a vacuum.

this is likely not the first time this has happened as this was a feature in mystic messenger as well; zen/jaehee/yoosung were labeled 'casual story' while jumin and 707 were labeled 'deep story'. however, it's still an interesting choice as i believe overarching plot relevance influenced the characters which influenced how much i liked each character and/or their route.

which brings me to the main reason i even started this review: RANKINGS. yes, i wanted to rank each ending, explain why i liked them, why i disliked them, and what i think they could have done differently. this is where my opinions will become Opinions so dread carefully (not a typo).

very conveniently, i saw this post which brought me this chart, which i will use to grade each ending:

and now...the rankings!!!

first, i will start with ranking much i liked each character. this is based on writing/design/overall vibes and enjoyment:

iris (by a fuckin MILE omg)

nyx

victoria

eleanor

next, here is the order in which i played so you can have some more context with each route's review:

Iris BE

Iris HE

Victoria HE

Victoria BE

Nyx BE

Nyx HE

Eleanor BE

Eleanor HE

True End

now, here is how i rank each route. this is mainly based on writing and enjoyment:

9. Eleanor HE

Score: ⭐

i'm so sorry eleanor fans. personally i think eleanor was done dirty. tragically, her pre-awakening chemistry with selene is very cute. she's the closest to a classmate that selene has out of all of her love interests, and therefore the closest in maturity level. their banter reminds me of like idk. rory and jess from gilmore girls. basically two people who feel comfortable riffing off of the other. and this is no coincidence; they mention several times how they feel they have known each other for years.

which is a shame, because the route starts going downhill after eleanor's memories are reawakened, which is pretty early on. her personality shifts and it no longer becomes selene x eleanor, but selene x someone who thinks she's jianghe. everything we know about eleanor is thrown out the window in favor of her becoming 'jianghe', whom we barely know anything about.

and i think that's one of the major issues: we never do learn much about jianghe. not in her HE, BE, or even the true end. we don't even get a sprite! how are we supposed to care about jianghe if we barely know her relationship with fuguang? was jianghe also a confident perfectionist like eleanor? was she just as playful? why do we so easily accept that jianghe = eleanor, when in other routes we make it a point that chimei =/= nyx and fuguang =/= selene?

sure, there are hints that eleanor has been controlling since before her memories awakened, but that's still related to jianghe as it's a result of the spirits she pissed off. maybe it would have felt better if being controlling were a core part of her personality, the way iris and nyx's flaws feel more baked into their characters (which is why i thought iris' house arrest was way more interesting but anyways).

what would i do differently? i honestly would have emphasized an internal struggle in which eleanor doesn't know if she wants to continue being jianghe—someone paralyzed by paranoia, fear, and regret—and instead live as eleanor, who respects selene as a fellow intellectual. the house arrest arc dragged on for wayyyy too long. it honestly made me root for nyx to come break us free. instead, what happens is we get a rather bland fairytale ending of us overcoming nyx and living happily ever after.

also, i find it a little unsettling that we never find out eleanor has been tracking us, especially since i read someone on twitter suggest she has been tracking us THROUGH THE SMART WATCH SHE GAVE US IN THE COMMON ROUTE!!! which honestly is a crazy cool detail

8. Victoria HE

Score: ⭐

(WARNING: i do not hate this ship but i can see how you might interpret this as ship hate, so beware)

i like selene and i think i like victoria (even though i wasn't a fan of her routes), but i think selene and victoria have negative chemistry. not a single unit of rizz together. 1+1=0. watching their mutual attraction unfold felt like watching one of those slow trash compactor videos. two cars backing into each other in a parking lot. just something very unpleasant that i didn't want to keep seeing, yet kept reading in hopes of being swayed—and it never happened.

TO BE CLEAR!!! this is NOT because i hate either character and not because of their age gap or boss/employee dynamic. my number one ship rn is gan/qing for god's sake which is both of those. and i think it's BECAUSE i love gan/qing and office romance that i was so put off by their development.

victoria is presented as this cold and intimidating boss who scares selene during her internship interview. and she just...becomes very soft and caring after that? she just starts hanging out with selene like she's on her level and texting her like a friend? to me, it felt like the writers wanted to ignore their power imbalance until they couldn't ignore it anymore, which felt worse imho. what's the point in even making them boss and employee if you can't lean into the forbidden love territory!!!

not to mention, the conflict in both routes is just...i feel like it doesn't do her character justice? victoria is this cold woman who has her own young subsidiary under the qi group, treats rosalie like an annoying cousin, but is powerless to go against them at the same time?

and when she does finally go against them, it feels...idk, too easy. selene barely even does anything honestly, victoria solves it herself. and she just sells all her shares for a cute intern she just met??? even her affection for us feels too 'easy'. i wanted it to come with more strings i think...the writing and reasoning just felt way too disjointed for me.

what would i do differently? for one, i think i would lean into the 'problematic' aspect more. this is the toxic yuri game for a reason!!

i would have preferred if victoria were engaged from DAY ONE. chapter 0 baby. it would have made her 'innocent' flirting with us all the more scandalous in hindsight and made us rethink her green flag status.

i also would have amped up their boss/employee dynamic with them both knowing it's a line they shouldn't cross (and do). for example, more subtle gestures from victoria under the guise of Work. hands brushing over paperwork, a hesitant pat on the shoulder, idk ANYTHING!!! GIVE ME SOME PRIDE & PREJUDICE!!! IN FACT JUST REBRAND GAN/QING AND HAND IT TO ME ON A SILVER PLATTER. it was a mistake to have so much of their flirting over text because it feels both out of character and kinda just? ick? idek. it would have been funnier if victoria were a super dry texter but gave mixed signals in person.

7. Eleanor BE

Score: ⭐

i gave this one more points because eleanor actually dies. NOT because i hate eleanor, but because actions have consequences and her death is the consequence of her and phoenix keeping selene in the dark and not respecting her agency.

however, it still has the flaw of the incredibly long house arrest arc, as well as something that bothered me: this eleanor feels incredibly vindicated by her actions, even in death. first it was the flower pot incident, then it was tracking selene and being able to die for her in the forest.

what would i do differently? well for one, i think eleanor should have had regrets in her dying moments. it would have been better if she had that final realization that hey, maybe controlling every aspect of selene's life, memorizing her schedule, and viewing her movements 24/7 IS bad and the reason she's dead. unfortunately, she's still too stuck on fulfilling jianghe's wishes and basically dies as jianghe.

6. Victoria BE

Score: ⭐⭐

i share the same gripes with her HE. however, i rate her BE higher because the ending is actually very interesting to me. i liked the line about selene realizing victoria and rosalie are still cut from the same cloth, that at the end of the day victoria will lean on materialism and privilege to keep selene at her side. the symbolism of selene kissing the ring instead of victoria herself is RAW AF. especially when contrasted with her HE cg (kissing the ring that belongs to another woman vs holding the hand wearing selene's ring, the drawn curtains vs open window, etc). really cool of the writers and artists to do that.

what would i do differently? same as her HE criticisms, but especially the bit where i think victoria should have been cheating from the start. i don't think it's unfair as there is evidence to support eleanor has been tracking us since the common route. i do appreciate that all the characters' flaws do show up in the common route/happy endings

5. Nyx BE

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

before this route: oh nyx is just that childhood friend who is a littleeee bit clingy and unsettling but i'm sure she means no harm. i saw her kissing cg in the trailer it's very romantic she's just doing her best

during this route: holy shit she's an evil demon from our past and the reason why we're even cursed to die to begin with?

no real notes. banger story that gave me my first peek into the lore, more music tracks that were great and stellar voice acting from nyx. the backstory reveal and how they met bell was sooo cute. the final scene was raw af with selene being like "no. i'm not going to die with you because i don't want to 💃💃💃" and wanting to bid her ACTUAL LOVED ONES a proper goodbye. metal affff

also, the common cg with chimei lying with fuguang is gorgeous af chimei is literally channeling hu tao there

what would i do differently? well this one's a bit shallow but.....can they redraw fuguang and chimei's sprites please. the cg is so good just make it match

4. Iris HE

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

i LOVE iris but i felt like the outcome of this route felt less deserved when compared to her BE. iris is such a compelling character whose cruel breakup with us was the result of her strong feelings of resentment (and let's be real depression). i NEEDED her to GET INTO her resentment!!! but what happens is that she is literally about to tell us wtf is her problem with her family when she gets interrupted by a phone call. and disappears from work. and we don't see her until a few days later by coincidence. and she begs for us to take her back and we do.

to be honest, i had played her HE second and initially rated it way lower than it is here, but i recently replayed it after the true end and enjoyed it a lot more than i did the first time. while their reconciliation was a little ? to me (see: next entry), their redo date was super cute. i love a good breakup and grovel and reconciliation, and iris giving the date her best was really nice to watch. she had spent all that time in the common route/beginning of her route flirting with us meaninglessly, so it was nice to see her doing it with the actual intent to charm us.

while i had initially disliked the scene in which she spills her feelings and asks us to to take her back when compared with the cafe scene in the BE (peak), i do like it for what it is, and i especially like the part where she politely asks us to not reject her as she doesn't think she can take it at the moment. 😭

the final section with the business trip was kinda meh (victoria, why are you asking iris who is supposedly on a different team and also a newbie to substitute for selene's senior coworker lmao), i do love the implied sex the night before. WE LOVE YOU FADE TO BLACK WE LOVE YOU DISCRETIONARY SHOTS!!! iris said it may take her a while to become intimate with someone (maybe someone who knows chinese can tell me what exactly she meant by 'intimate') but girl it only took you several months to eat her cookie huh?

what would i do differently? see the next entry mostly. but honestly, i would have revealed more about her family and resentment and hate here rather than leaving it up to the BE.

3. Iris BE

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Spicy🌶️🌶️🌶️🥵)

if you haven't guessed by now, iris is my favorite character in the whole damn game. her bad ending was actually my first route as i totally fell into the xuejie trap and did everything i could to please her. consequently and to my surprise, i overindulged her and activated her dormant yandere state.

i had some suspicions about her as selene continued to rebuff her attempts to get back together, but i too was caught off-guard when iris decides to ROOFIE AND CHLOROFORM US. OMG. they even get into the weeds with the details of the kidnapping to show how scary the situation is e.g. iris feeding us literal crumbs and water in the dark. girl when can we pee?

but oh my god. that cg. that iconic cg that apparently made the rounds on twitter that i had thankfully avoided getting spoiled by but you know what? if i saw that cg first i'd have bought the game too. the game seems to sell at least part of itself on the idea that everyone has a dark side, but iris' ending takes it up a notch with "everyone has a dark side, and sometimes their dark sides are also sexy." because goddamn iris!!! her whole schtick is being miss perfect who is tired of being perceived as perfect and wants to bare her ugly side too, but sorry xuejie your ugly side is kind of sexy too soooo idk...

this is becoming a hornypost for iris i'm sorry. anyways um what would i do differently? my main gripe is while i commend selene for being much stronger than me, her reasons for continuing to deny iris in the BE vs her reasons for accepting iris in her HE make no sense to me.

the divergence in iris' route happens after the bathroom scene, in which you can either choose to walk in on her phone conversation/cry session (increasing her ??? meter) or try to give her some privacy (increasing her affection meter). interestingly, if you walk in, she will lie and claim she was trying to create a situation in which you two would bump into each other.

in the bad ending, you take her to the cafe where you had your first date and where she also dumped you and she pours her heart out about her family, her insecurities, why she broke up with you.

and you still decide to treat her coldly after that.

i can see how this would make sense, sure. selene is incredibly hurt. iris doesn't get to just hit the undo button because she's feeling regretful one month later. but this also doesn't make sense, because in the happy ending where you DO take her back such a conversation doesn't happen!

what happens in the HE after the divergence is: she stalks you at your social gathering (ironically she doesn't kidnap you in this one), is interrupted by a phone call before she can tell you more about her family, you find out about her family by very nicely asking victoria (simp) to disclose confidential info from iris' personal file, and you randomly bump into iris at school (iris has long since graduated), where she cries and asks you to take her back.

what??

not to mention iris' sudden slip into crazy. hotness aside, when and why does she decide to kidnap us? does she go out and buy some chloroform after eavesdropping on our resignation convo? i'm not opposed to the yandere thing at all, i just needed a little more believable buildup. she goes from completely cold and resentful of being needed to "i want to make you need only me" in the blink of an eye. maybe the writers could have connected it a bit more—maybe her doubling down into the dependable breadwinner role is her rejecting her most honest and imperfect self, realizing her true feelings were what pushed selene, her only love, away.

but anyways. still good tho.

2. Nyx HE

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

being a 'deep route', nyx's route does a good job of being a satisfyingly complete story that fleshes out her character while delving into the lore. the payoff feels good, and i like that the writers don't try to downplay nyx's red flags even after they officially get together. nyx being jealous of their cat that SHE originally took in herself is just as amusing as it is a concern.

what would i do differently? well, my main thing with selene/nyx is that while i do find them cute (as well as fuguang/chimei), i sort of get the sense that selene is partly with nyx because she sees her as her responsibility, much like the way fuguang saw chimei. while i was very impressed by selene's development from being the least interested in nyx (IMHO) in the common route to seeing her as a lover, i think part of me isn't fully convinced that she fully reciprocates nyx's intense feelings. their final cg is soooo romantic though it invokes the shoujo doki doki fr

1. True End

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

holy shit. no notes. the true end appropriately ties everything together. i loved the extra insight into fuguang's personality, the extent of nyx's crimes, as well as more tragic bell moments.

there is NO WAY the writers weren't teasing a lil selene selfcest, because holy shit that cg? with the cheek touch? and selene admiring fuguang's calloused hands which were so unlike her own? and becoming hyperaware of the fact that they are different people who happen to share a soul? there is nooooo fuckin way that she didn't feel a lil something for fuguang. my god.

the idea that selene travels into the past to save her own soul and ends up staying behind to save FUGUANG'S soul is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. and she becomes this wandering traveler who makes sure to protect herself/fuguang's reincarnation for eternity WHILE legitimizing every single route is just. wow!!!

if her curse weren't already broken by the paradox, it would have been broken by her true soulmate literally being the one person who shares her soul. time travel ALWAYS equals yuri. so so good. perhaps an unintentional aesop about loving yourself lmao

what would i do differently? i know the moments after fuguang passes away are supposed to blur, but some actual onscreen interaction with jianghe would have been nice. we literally know the bare minimum about her!!

ok let's wrap it up

you know what it's way past my bedtime so i should just end it here. in closing love curse was such a fun read/play and i enjoyed all the ways in which it wrinkled my brain and made me think about what i liked and what i wanted. i highly recommend you go buy it and support the devs so we can show how much the world wants yuri!!!!!

EDIT: cyn had to remind me of the actual order in which i played the routes so i edited it accordingly LOL. i think it’s actually because i disliked victoria’s happy ending so much that i started playing the bad endings first again

also, i mention 10 endings but only rank 9. this is because the 10th ending is the one in which you die due to not establishing a meaningful soulmate connection in time. currently, we’ve only read through iris and victoria’s versions of it. i do like iris’ a lot (shocker) because she sees you as a blip in her radar, something that could have been. i’m ngl i laughed out loud at victoria’s because why is my boss situationship organizing my funeral and not my own PARENTS LMAO

#text #love curse find your soulmate #love curse spoilers #made some edits!!

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willsimpforanyone · 8 months ago

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Hello! I'm not sure if you are taking requests right now, but I'd you are could you do something with a daughter of medusa who us almost or fully blind and everyone avoids her except for percy who has a crush on her? Can end however ypu would like :).

And remember to take of yourself and drink water!!! ❤️

thank u my lovely <3 hope u enjoy

i do have bad vision but i am not blind, so i apologise for inaccuracies,

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medusa was blessed with a daughter

gorgeously thick, curly hair, strong as hell, brought up by your mother as best she could

she was so happy when you opened your eyes as a baby and no one you looked at turned to stone

her curse was not yours!

it only took a moment for her to realise her curse had a different effect on you

you were not cursed, but as a side effect of being medusa's child, you were almost completely blind

growing up, you never realised there was anything too different about you

why would you? your mother raised you and she kept her eyes covered most of the time, she knew how to live as a blind woman in a seeing world

things got worse as you got older, and around 10 years old is when it got really bad

the monsters were relentless, and even medusa hiding you away didn't seem to help with the nightmares

so, when you were 12, she brought you to the camp

chiron was hesitant, but knew you meant no harm - you were a scared, lonely kid, like so many others before you

kinda for the first time, you were interacting with people who could see

it wasn't hard to guess who your mother was, and apparently that was enough for the other kids to reject you immediately

you learned to wear sunglasses or some kind of fabric over your eyes, otherwise some kid would start screaming

the first couple years of teenhood were rough

of course. you learned to live with it

you learned to become incredibly spacially aware, to be able to walk into a room and know exactly how many people there were and where they were standing

there were some kids who were alright, some from the athena cabin were civil despite their mom being the one who cursed yours

occasionally, though, there was a kid called percy

a son of posiden, who you were suitably wary enough of (again, considering the story)

he came to camp a little before you did, and was off on a quest when you actually arrived

it was an odd introduction

"hi, i'm percy, i kinda killed your mom"

you had shrugged, fingers still trailing over the book in front of you

"i know. she sent me an iris message from the underworld. it's not the first time someone's killed her, she'll be back in a few days"

the silence that followed was one of awkward expectation, and you snorted a laugh. "dude, chill out, i don't care anymore"

he'd hesitantly accepted your acceptance and had left, and you'd thought that would be the end of it

to your surprise, he would come back and talk

a friendship blossomed over the next couple years, something that was new to you

you genuinely liked him

he didn't ask questions about being blind all the time, he didn't scream when your sunglasses slipped down your nose, he seemed to automatically let you know what he was doing and where he was in your space

with him came grover, the somewhat nervous satyr who calmed down once annabeth, percy's other friend, slapped the back of his head when he asked if your hair was just a bunch very thin snakes

this was more friends than you'd had in your life, and it was kind of incredible

annabeth got some books in greek braille, and together you discovered that it was easier for you to read - the ancient greek hardwire was still very much present in your brain, even if you couldn't see the letters

percy, however, went the extra mile every time

every activity you were hesitant about, he was right there with you, describing the new areas, offering to help but never touching you or giving advice unless you asked first

any time something changed with the camp, whether it was a part of the forest or the layout of the camp itself, he'd go with you to explore the differences to change the mental map you had in your head

late nights were reserved for sitting together around a campfire, maybe with grover and annabeth, maybe not

but they were a time for you to ask questions instead

what colour were the new swords? what does bronze look like? is the red of the strawberries as sweet as they taste?

he would answer as best he can, trying to explain from every angle, like trying not to use other colours to explain another colour

one night, in your fourth year of camp, you got up the courage to ask him the question you'd been wanting to ask him forever

"percy? what do i look like?"

there was a pause, and you knew he had turned to look at you by the rustling of his hair

...a minute passes, and you shift in your seat

"you don't have to tell me, it's fine, forget i asked-"

"no!"

he interrupts you, blurting out a protest a little louder than he intended

he continues, clearing his throat

"no, i just- would it be okay if you took your sunglasses off? so i can give you the best description?"

in answer, you slipped off your sunglasses, hanging them in the neck of your t-shirt

all you could see was a faint warm, orange-yellow glow from the fire

percy takes a breath

"okay, here goes- you're beautiful. i-i know that isn't much but... you look warm. like the feeling of coming back to our cabin at the end of a really good day, tired but happy, and everything is quiet and calm and cosy and you know you're gonna sleep so good. you look like sunsets over the sea, like someone has managed to set the horizon on fire but, y'know. less dangerous than setting fire to things."

you laugh, subconsciously leaning against his shoulder with your heart trying to keep pace with the butterflies in your stomach

"yeah? i look warm?"

his voice is almost a whisper

"right now, yeah. the firelight is reaching out over the grass to touch you, preferring to have you warm than the trees around us. if we were regular teenagers, we could be telling scary stories"

i rest my hand, palm up, on his knee, a silent way of telling him to give me his hand

he does so, and i link our fingers together tightly, a 'thank you' that we don't need to hear

"percy?"

"yeah?"

"what do you look like right now?"

another pause, and he squeezes my fingers gently

"i think... right now, i look like i'm completely in love with you"

my head lifts from his shoulder, head turned to him as if i need to hear him better, like we aren't side to side, holding hands

"you... what?"

he breathes a shaky laugh, and i feel his hand move to pause just over my cheek

"sorry, that wasn't a great description, but i couldn't think of anything else to say. can i put my hand on your cheek?"

slowly, i nod, feeling his warm palm settle against my skin, his thumb brushing over my cheek

"please say no if you don't want me to," he whispers, voice nervous but also filled with hope

"but can i please kiss you?"

i don't need to be able to see to know how big he smiles when i say "yes"

------------------------

i hope that was okay? i tried my best, if anyone has an issue with it or wants me to correct something, let me know!

#percy jackson and the olympians #pjo imagine #percy jackson #percy jackson headcanons #percy jackson x reader #percy jackson imagine

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pepsi-al · 1 year ago

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And now, for another piece of Serena glazing brought to you by an entitled fan from the vocal minority.

youtube

Going over this so you don't have to.

The first point he tries to make is that the XY anime in an attempt to prove that the XY anime is "the most popular Pokémon Anime series", using an IMDB rating of it to back it up with, even though the rating in question is, like, taken from about 617 people. Not even a drop in the bucket compared to the amount of viewers the XY anime ended with, let alone started out with. Which should pretty much tell anyone that the people who are giving such praise to the XY anime are not even part of the target audience. Especially since Yo-Kai Watch has been outright beating the XY anime in the ratings throughout the latter's run.

He credits Serena to being part of the success that the XY anime had. Even though the only place where it found "success" was among the periphery online fandom. Meanwhile what her portrayal and "AmourShipping" actually did contribute to in regards to the XY anime is the alienation of the target audience. With the target audience themselves going on record to say that they weren't vibing with what "AmourShipping" was giving them. And in regards to those not among the target audience but didn't vibe with "AmourShipping" nonetheless, they knew that "AmourShipping" wasn't going to go anywhere.

He thinks that Serena "brought new things to the table", all the while already singing Serena's praises, calling her "the best PokéGirl of all time", as well as one of the best characters in the entire franchise. Pretty much blatantly ignoring what was already on the table before Serena even arrived.

He outright thinks that every female companion of Ash's after Misty but prior to Serena is somehow "a copy of Misty". Yeah, sure. Let's just ignore everything else that sets Ash's female companions besides Serena apart from each other, and just boil down their behavior to "Misty-esque". Granted, he does state that they have defining characteristics, such as May becoming a "Performer". (Uhh, dude? Coordinator, while similar, doesn't equal Performer.) But he seems to think they all have the same kind of personality Misty has, which couldn't be any further from the truth.

The attention he calls to in regards to Ash's female companions before Serena being "sassy" and "a jerk to Ash" pretty much shows his entire thought process into making this video. And why he was so reductive towards May, Dawn, and Iris. He's basically telling people here that he projects himself onto Ash, and that he doesn't think that Ash should have to put up with someone who, understandably, calls Ash out on his stupidity on a regular basis. (And in doing so, pretty much missing the point of Ash's character.) Also, was anyone that wasn't a part of the hardcore AniPoké fandom seriously getting tired of a girl being around to call Ash out on his faults? Does this guy genuinely believe that? Last I checked, before the time of the XY anime, they were getting tired of Ash, not his female companions in anything apart from getting sidelined in favor of Ash.

Actually, nobody apart from the periphery demographic actually "fell immediately in love with Serena". And those who did immediately fall in love with her didn't do so because of her personality. It was because of her crush on Ash, and because of marketing. Her actual personality is nothing to sneeze at, and is pretty much not only nothing like her source material counterpart, but also pretty much what you would expect from a character with no depth to her personality beyond "I'm girly because I'm a girl". Also, "kind" and "caring" literally describe ALL of Ash's female companions. Whereas "independent" describes ALL of Ash's female companions EXCEPT Serena. "Kind to everyone" and "not afraid to express how she was feeling" isn't unique to her. (The latter is definitely one of the reasons why Misty is popular. And Serena definitely seemed afraid to express how she's feeling around Ash.) And she's definitely nowhere near the first to be friendly towards everyone and ready to extend a helping hand whenever anyone is in trouble. (Again. That's literally a reason why Misty is popular to begin with.) Not to mention, Serena wasn't bratty? This dude never saw how Serena feels about her mother. And again with the "not a jerk to Ash" bit. Heck, he even brings up when she cares for Ash when he's sick as though it hadn't been done before, when it has by Misty. It's like he doesn't actually give a crap about Serena's actual character, is more interested in the fact that the showrunners made her only purpose on the show to be to make Ash look good, and is only gassing her up both to make her look better than she is, and because he feels like she's the perfect character to make Ash look good; pretty much a regular pastime for guys like him at this point. It also shows a double standard in regards to his thought process. If the female traveling companion of Ash is her own character and made out to be his equal, then anything she does, even if beneficial for Ash, is automatically bad. But if that female traveling companion is instead made specifically to make Ash look good, as though as she were a typical female character in a Shounen anime, then anything that she does, even if it harms Ash in any way, is automatically good.

Also, if things did end up changing for the better in regards to Ash's female companions, they did so in spite of Serena, not because of her. Mallow, Lana, and Lillie, were all pretty much close representations of if not direct translations of their source material counterparts. Chloe, an AniPoké OC, is pretty much the only one that comes after AniPoké Serena who is the most similar to her in terms of characterization. But, despite her doing the similarities she has with Serena better than Serena did, the reaction the periphery demographic actually has towards her (read: Chloe is disliked by the periphery audience for being "too boring", "aimless", "decided upon a goal that defeated the purpose of her character", etc.) only succeeds in showcasing said demographic's hypocrisy towards her.

WRT the unnecessary shade towards Misty's direction, saying that she would not have cared, and that she would have thrown Ash "in the deep end", this literally reinforces what I'm saying about Serena fans thinking that whatever a female traveling companion of Ash's does to Ash in their eyes is automatically bad if she's made out to be his equal and dares to be her own character. Because that's not what Misty would do at all. He completely doesn't understand her character. She would have and has helped Ash whenever he's sick. On that note, what is it with Serena fans and slinging mud at Misty? I swear. They feel threatened by her.

He's right about Serena's "relationship" with Ash being a reason why she's "popular" among the periphery audience. But what he doesn't realize is that the same reason why she's "popular" is also her biggest flaw as a character. Like, he doesn't even question how Serena is able to remember Ash despite it being so long since she supposedly last saw him. (2-5 years before the XY anime, and for a very brief moment at that.) He also ignores that all of the flashbacks to Serena meeting Ash at Oak's Summer Camp are exclusively from Serena's PoV, as well as not questioning how Ash and Serena didn't stay in touch if they supposedly knew each other. And how does he figure that the writers loved Serena when, if they had their way, Serena wouldn't have been given the characterization that she was given? Calling it "wholesome" and "what gave fans diabetes" is just basically talking about the frosting covering the the cake that tastes like stale air. He then rambles on about how Serena sees Ash as a "selfless hero", pretty much talking about Serena's blind worship of him, and downplaying how over-the-top it is compared to the complements Ash got from other girls. Even calling Serena constantly blushing around Ash, and Ash giving her the kind of compliment that he'll give May and Dawn "wholesome" rather than seeing it as the hard-to-watch mess that it is. And again, putting the emphasis on Serena seeing Ash as both "someone who's good at battling", and "someone with a good soul", shows that he doesn't really care about Serena's character, and that he's ignored that other girls have seen Ash as someone with a good soul before without blindly worshipping him. And I struggle to see how anyone can call something so blatantly shipfic-y in an official work "special". He is right about how we're not going to to see something like Ash and Serena again. To which I say: GREAT! "AmourShipping" was a bad idea from the get-go, and should serve as a cautionary tale.

And the last point he tries to make is how the female traveling companions of Ash prior to Serena "didn't really have any much if any impact". Like, what does he mean by this? Story? On Ash? Misty pretty much played a big part in why Ash is as great of a trainer as he is now, and is why he's alive. She was responsible helping Ash discover the entrance to Cinnabar Gym. May was pretty much responsible for picking up the slack whenever Ash wasn't around, and had her own arc. Dawn was chosen by Mesprit to defend Sinnoh. And "mainly used as comedic relief or to fill in that 'girl' spot for the rest of the series"? How does he think that this somehow doesn't apply to Serena? And I don't know how he thinks that Iris is a step in the right direction when, while a breath of fresh air compared to Dawn and May, when she isn't exactly treading new ground. And he's just glazing Serena by saying that she's had a bigger purpose in the story as it progressed when it really wouldn't be different without her as it is with her. And as far as "providing a completely different contrast compared to a Pokémon Trainer" is concerned, Lillie does that job far better due to being her own character and coming across as human as Misty while having her own arc herself, whereas Serena just comes across as no different from a Bond Girl or a one-off "love-interest" for Jim Kirk that isn't named Carol Marcus. He then goes on to praise Showcases, even though they're pretty much a dumbed down Pokémon Contest rip-off. And how does she lose time and time again when her only notable loss is her first ever Showcase, which she didn't really learn anything from? And her impact on Ash's character as a whole is basically non-existent, given that she doesn't even cross Ash's mind in Journeys when he thought about his travels in Kalos, and even almost ran past her like how Shulk ran past Melia. And he fails to realize that Serena actually did to Ash something that would help someone speedrun the ending of a friendship with a depressed person in real life, making his situation about her than about him. Plus, Ash would have gotten out of his funk without her "help". And the entire scene got retconned in Journeys, anyways. And honestly. What "lessons" did she give him that he didn't or shouldn't already know before the XY anime? Her role in helping shape Ash into the trainer who would go on to win the world championship is negligible. And in case he didn't notice, the Ash following the XY anime IS the same Ash from all the way back in Indigo League but grown up mentally, and definitely not due to anything that Serena actually did. Also, Ash learned the lesson that "it's okay to lose" all the way back in Orange Islands, where Serena doesn't even make an appearance. Instead, Ash learned that lesson from LORELEI, and in a later episode, Misty reiterated the lesson that Lorelei taught him. And once again, saying that Serena "beat the jerk and sassy trope" shows his lack of care towards Serena. The fact that he even brings up the "kiss", which even Yajima himself said could have been a whisper in Ash's ear for all he knew, is emblematic of how he really sees Serena.

And really? Does he really have the audacity to ask "how could you not love her"? He's clearly spent no time outside of the echo chamber, and no time in circles where Serena is criticized because of how her character was mishandled. And he definitely spoke to nobody who actually likes Serena as a character that feels like her potential as a character was outright wasted by the direction the showrunners took with her.

As for what I think about Serena's character? I think that she sucks. Period.

#Youtube #pokemon #anipoke #pokeani #pokemon xy #anipoke xy #pokeani xy #pokeani critical #anipoke critical #analysis #rebuttal #misaimed fandom #serena #anti serena #anti amourshipping #fandumb #pokemon anime

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lsleofthelost · 9 months ago

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backstories for the Villains of Merlin Academy

Hades: I’m stealing Blue’s idea that Hades was sent there as a punishment by the Olympians. We’re looking at it through the Disney lens, rather than Classics lens, meaning Hades is a villainous figure. I imagine he made contracts with a number of impressionable/gullible teenagers in an attempt to use them to overthrow Zeus. When this was discovered, he was sentenced to a human existence (hence why he ages later. the Olympians didn’t interfere with his sentence to the Isle of the Lost because they agreed that it’s a part of the human life) and made him a teenager. Intellectually, he knows he’s an immortal God but the human body and brain can not comprehend it, not fully, so he feels and acts like a teen boy. Yes, he has some of his powers, like pyrokinesis and shadow manipulation but they are limited.

Merlin was informed of this by Iris and he thinks it’s a wonderful and dangerous idea. He enrolled the now boy in classes and treats him as a normal student (sometimes he does forget that this isn’t just a punk).

Hades still likes what he likes, which is loud music, black leather and pushing people around, so he organically becomes part of the villain group.

Maleficent: She comes from a proud noble line of fae. They have been preordained to birth the future Mistress of Evil generations ago, and they leaned into it heavy. Every daughter is treated as a possible fulfilment of the prophecy, so all her cruel acts, all callousness, all harsh words were encouraged. When she was younger, she didn’t believe she was the one, and argued with her mother about it. Her family didn’t initially want to send her to Merlin Academy (she could make friends! become soft!) but she won out in the end. The reason she wanted to go was because she’s actually a bookworm, a scholar if you will, and the Academy is known as having the most comprehensive library in all the realms, including otherwise banned books.

Because she herself didn’t believe she could become the Mistress of Evil, Merlin didn’t either, and he could sense her hunger for knowledge, so how could he refuse to accept her? She likes that he’s scatterbrained and easy to manipulate.

She really didn’t come there to make friends, but when she realised that she was in the same year as actual literal God of the Underworld, she decided to make an exception. Plus, he likes good music.

Morgie: I will be so honest with you, I’m afraid I don’t know enough about Arthuriana to make a really good one here but I will try.

His mother doesn’t like thinking about her son. There’s no warmth or affection, really. As a son of such a powerful fae, he’s somehow crushed under the expectations and doesn’t give a shit. He wants his mother to love him, but he kind of realises it is a lost cause.

There was no question about his attendance, not really. Sure his parent is in a very tumultuous position to the realm, sometimes benevolent, sometimes malicious, she is still respected.

He mostly spent his days before the Academy in the Moors, with the animals, so he’s not that great at socialising with people. He spent a long time trying to approach Maleficent but didn’t know how. But eventually, he strikes a connection with Hook and is adopted by the group.

Hook: He is from a completely regular family. It’s not a loving warm family by any stretch of imagination but, unlike the others, there isn’t anything inherent to him. His parents work in a pub by the port, and he spent a lot of his childhood listening to stories from sailors from all over the spectrum of legality. That is also where he got his penchant for drama, because performing for drunk, recently paid sailors is a quick way to get some coin. He’s afraid of turning out like his parents, stuck in a dead end job, where people don’t have respect for you. He contemplated just joining a crew, but he knows that to become a Captain, he would either need to work a ship for years, or graduate an academy. So he sends an application.

He is one of the many scholarship kids at Merlin Academy. Officially, his goal is to enlist in the Navy and become a privateer. Less officially, he doesn’t care if he has a paper from the Crown, he wants to sail the seas, capture ships, and get a prize.

Because he’s attracted to power, he instantly sets his sights on the royal and noble kids. But their lives are so far away from his, and they don’t like his crude jokes so it doesn’t last long. Uliana thinks he’s hilarious, though.

Uliana: She was always the spare for the Royal House of Atlantis, ignored and forgotten. Unlike Ursula, she doesn’t have the bitter resentment of being the eldest child and being passed over in line for the throne in favour of Triton. But since Triton was raised pretty separately from them, Uliana feels more connection and competition to her sister. She knows there’s nothing she can do to be better than her brother (it’s not like she can be born a boy and challenge him for the throne) but she can be worse than Ursula. She desperately wants to be the best at something, to make people regret not paying attention to her.

She’s sent to the Merlin Academy, as is expected of a royal. But she doesn’t fit in with them. The other royal girls are either future rulers (which is partially why she disliked Bridget so much, because she takes that privilege for granted and humiliates herself with begging people to be friends), or they are perfectly happy and pampered princesses, who don’t understand her drive to be great. The nobles are too soft hearted for her taste, and she won’t lower herself to socialise with commoners.

She does connect with Hades, and Maleficent through him, and later Morgie, via James (he’s the only commoner she likes. he has drive). She’s the most motivated and initiating out of their group and becomes the de facto leader.

#long post #laila.txt #blue i read yours btw and this is what spurred this on #Hades #Maleficent #Morgie #James Hook #Uliana #hades is like torn between i’m a god who’s older than this academy! and his unfortunate hormones #maleficent is ‘sharp’ lol. also the reason why she wants there to be schools on the Isle #morgie is a wet pathetic cat of a guy. he’s sending telepathic signals to Maleficent and she’s swatting them away like flies #hook is. ambitious. and wants to be liked and applauded. and he also picks Morgie by the scruff and claims they’re besties now #uliana just wants to be the best at something even if it’s villainy. and she has classism sprinkled in for flavour #and i like to think that the real reason she’s the ‘leader’ is because the others couldn’t be bothered

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a-dam-leo-valdez-lover · 1 year ago

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Reunion

Leo Valdez x Fem reader

This takes place after the events of the second great prophecy, Y/N was on the Argo II with the 7 and is a daughter of Apollo but really could be anyone. Y/N is mourning the loss of her best friend and crush Leo and when everyone gathers for the memorial of his death things change. Don’t judge me too hard its been a few years since I wrote anything and had to start my blog fresh. Not entirely following cannon and while calypso is mention she isn’t actually a part of the story.

It took 3 days of searching before Chiron decided they were never going to find Leo’s body, to declare him dead. It took 2 weeks for Frank and Hazel to go back to Camp Jupiter after Leo’s funeral, Jason followed them a few days later promising he’d iris message Piper everyday. After a month Annabeth and Percy needed to go back to school, it turns out going on a quest really messed up a demigod's grades and makes getting into New Rome university way harder. A week after Percy and Annabeth left camp, Piper went out to visit her dad and for the first time since the quest began, Y/n found herself completely alone.

At first she struggled to find a way to spend her days. Unlike her siblings she lacked any all all skills in archery and Y/ns musical abilities left much to be desired. It was winter at camp so there wasn’t as much going on, most days she spent alone. The snow covered camp was beautiful, quieter than normal it seemed, except for the occasional bit of laughter from the other year round campers. She tried to iris message the others occasionally, shed promised Piper that she would call everyday, but it was never enough. She spent time with will, practicing in the infirmary and getting to know Nico since they were basically joint at the hip these days. It was good to see them happy, but it made her feel more alone. Sure her and Leo were never together, but he was her world, her partner in crime. She never got to tell him she loved him.

Over time though, it became easier. It turns out crushes feel less strong when the one you like is gone, and while Y/n may suck at archery and music it turns out she had a real knack for pegasus training. Plus with all the time in the world to practice she was pretty good with a sword too. Eventually she spent less time moping and being lonely and more time focused on build relationships with her sibilings, especially Will. The two of them would talk for hours on and end and his southern accent, while not quiet like Leo’s was comforting on the night where she had nightmares that kept her up. By default she became close with Nico too, sure they’d spoken on occasion before the quest and became a bit closer while trapped together on a ship for a few weeks, but this was new. He was quiet and didn’t ask too may questions, but he understood her grief better than anybody else.

Unbeknownst to Y/N, Nico knew she wasn’t he only one still grieving Leo. He’d spoken to Percy and Hazel a few times and heard through the grape vine how Frank, Annabeth, Jason, and Piper were doing. He could see the sadness that lingered in their eyes, the lack of sleep was obvious, and he knew he had to do something. So it took it upon himself to plan a memorial for Leo.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

6 months after Leo’s death, everyone came back for the memorial. It was weird, awkward almost to all be together again. On one hand they all knew each other like the back of their hand, but at the same time things had changed, they weren’t in any real danger for once and its almost like they didn’t know how to interact without a monster lurking or the impending end of the world to lead the conversation. Thank gods for Piper, she always knew how to get everyone talking.

"Remember the time Leo pranked Chiron by programming his wheelchair to go backwards only? Or that time he made that robot spider to scare the Athena cabin during capture the flag," she reminisced, a bittersweet smile on her face.

Percy chuckled, "I swore Annabeth was going to kill him for that, i swear she screamed so loud my mom could hear it."

”Rude,” Annabeth tried to be mad but even she couldn’t hide the smile on her face, “but yeah, I was planning my revenge”

She paused, everybody knew what she wanted to say, he died before she got the chance. The room was heavy for a moment before y/n changed the subject.

”You know what I was thinking about the other day, the time he 'accidentally' set the strawberry fields on fire while upgrading Festus's flame system.”

It worked like a charm. The room echoed with laughter and shared stories about the metal dragon and the boy who built it. Y/N listened as everyone talked, but her attention began to drift as she gazed into the sky, captivated by a mysterious glimmer.

Annabeth noticed her distraction, especially because the conversation had shifted a while ago, and asked, "Y/N, do you even know what we're talking about?"

"Festus," Y/N replied absentmindedly, her eyes still lingering on the shiny object.

Annabeth sighed, "No, we're discussing college plans, Y/N have you even heard a word we said?."

Before Annabeth could get into a lecture about how important having a plan is, Y/N's eyes widened.

"It's Festus," She whispered, so quiet almost anybody could miss it She rose quickly from her seat staring at the shiny object in the sky, her heart pounding with a mix of hope and disbelief. The group followed her gaze, their expressions changing from confusion to surprise. A metallic dragon, catching the sunlight, soared across the sky. The sight left them momentarily speechless. Then, realization dawned, and their faces mirrored Y/N's astonishment.

She ran out as fast as she could to the beach where the dragon was landing, when she saw him. Leo Valdez, presumed dead, had returned in the most Leo way possible. The daylight seemed to cast a spotlight on him as he stood there with a stupid smirk on his face. The poor boy had hardly a moment to prepare himself before Y/N jumped into his arms wrapping him a hug.

"What are you—how, I mean..." Y/N stuttered, her voice a mix of confusion and elation.

Leo, with his trademark smirk, simply said, "Surprise."

"Surprise? Surprise? What the heck, Leo!" Y/N's confusion turned into a whirlwind of emotions. "You died. I watched you die. We never found your body, but you were gone. I spoke at your funeral, and now you're back, and all you have to say is 'surprise'? Gods, what is—"

Leo's laughter cut through her words. "Hey, I had to make a grand entrance, right? Can't just show up without a little flair."

Y/N's frustration shifted to a mixture of relief and exasperation. "Flair? Leo, you had us all convinced you were gone. What happened? How are you here?"

Leo scratched his head, a habit that hadn't changed. "Long story short, Festus and I took a detour in the labyrinth. Ended up in Ogygia. You know, Calypso's island? Time flows differently there, and by the time we found a way out, well, time had moved a bit faster here."

"Ogygia? Calypso? Time travel?" Y/N's head spun with the unexpected twists.

"Yeah, yeah. I've got a lot to catch you up on," Leo grinned. "But one thing's for sure, I'm back, and we've got some serious catching up to do."

Y/N's initial shock transformed into a grin. "You have no idea how much we've missed you, Leo Valdez."

As they walked back to camp together, the reunion echoed with laughter, questions, and the comforting feeling of having a friend thought to be lost returned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that night as the campfire crackled, casting a warm glow on the faces of the reunited demigods the Apollo cabin led the campers in a a few songs and Leo entertained the crowd with his tales of defying death. The atmosphere was one of joy and celebration, as the group sat together, reveling in the miraculous return of their comrade.

As the night unfolded, the campfire stories wove a tapestry of memories, both old and new. Y/N, caught up in the camaraderie, joined in the laughter and shared anecdotes. However, amidst the festivities, a moment of quiet reflection struck her. As she looked at the boy in front of her smiling and laughing her heart suddenly felt like it was being pulled in a few directions. He was really back. Maybe it was the days excitement or too much smoke inhalation or a combination of the two, but Y/N couldn’t breathe.

Pulling away from the group, Y/N wandered to the edge of the camp, her thoughts a whirlwind of emotions. The gravity of Leo's return, the mourning that had transpired, and the overwhelming joy of having him back weighed on her. It was all too much. Not to mention him being alive meant she’d have to deal with the whole unrequited crush thing. Not that she could even think about it right then, because Leo, sensing her retreat, followed her to the quiet corner.

"Hey, Y/N, everything okay?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

She hesitated, then sighed. "It's just... Leo, I thought you were gone. We all did. Losing you was... I can't put it into words. And now you're back, and it's so much to process."

Leo nodded understandingly, pulling her into a comforting hug. "I get it, Y/N. It's a lot. But I could never leave you behind, you know? We're in this together."

His words resonated with Y/N, and as Leo held her, she felt a mix of emotions pouring out. The weight of grief mingled with the joy of reunion overwhelmed her, and tears flowed freely. Leo just held her, it was almost enough to make her feel better on the spot. As the two stood apart the rest of their friends watched them whispering to one another.

”So when are the two of them going to admit they’re in love” Frank joked.

”Y/n talking about her feelings? It’s never going to happen” Jason laughed receiving a slap in the arm from Piper.

”I wouldn't say never,” Nico said , “she thought she missed her chance once she won’t let it happened again”

”Well lets just hope its soon, because I cannot hear about how ‘y/n does like me like that’ from Leo again when its so obvious to everyone else she does' Piper laughed looking at her two friends.

This is the first thing I’ve written in a long time but hopefully it’ll get better. Requests are open and please let me know if you want a sequel to this or anything else. Also lmk if you want to be tagged in the next one!

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barschter000 · 3 months ago

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idk if you already have a whole post about this but i NEED to know your whole thoughts about transfem barok

FELLOW TRANSFEM BAROK TRUTHEEEEEEEERRRR!!!!!!

I haven't thought about her in a while because it's a bit difficult to think about blorbos in general atm but this was like an electric shock to my dormant brain, so thank you so much for your ask, it made me very happy.

Just in case you haven't finished both games yet, my thoughts contain SPOILERS:

The thing about headcanoning Barok as post-canon transfem for me is not that it has like any canon basis or anything (like for example Susato's dislike of her birth gender due to its social standing) but just emotionally, I think it's a future that Barok deserves.

For me personally, being trans is all about autonomy, having the right and power to decide who you are by yourself and for yourself. And I don't think Barok ever really had that.

Barok is part of the aristocracy which comes with social expectations and with the way Barok acts, his indifference to being in danger and his loyalty to a system that is destroying him, I can't imagine he ever was particularly rebellious to the norms he has to follow. The way he clings to Klint, Barok's description of him as his "guiding light" and how he lets himself be pushed around like a pawn by Stronghart give me the impression that Barok also never took opportunities to find out or determine who he is. So in short, because of Barok's noble upbringing and his willingness to be defined by and through others, I don't think he ever had the chance or took the initiative to create an identity for himself (potentially highlighted by the fact that except for Albert, nobody calls him by his first name but by his noble title, family name and job title instead).

At the end of the game, Barok stands before nothing, his future is uncertain (which is also true for most other major characters in TGAA but I just love Barok the most and hey, you can make all the others trans too!) and the things he believed in and clung to destroyed. He doesn't know what to do and it's Kazuma who tells him to keep prosecuting, it's Yujin from whom he learns about Iris. And I think all these uncertainties boil down to the big question of "Who am I?", a question I believe Barok has never posed himself because he was always told who he was - a nobleman, a prosecutor, the Reaper.

So because being openly trans changed a lot in my life for the better and made me happy, I just think it'd be nice if Barok, who has been through so much, could feel that too. Even though everything is horrible and scary right now and it will not be easy, she finally has the chance and power to start anew and create a life that she wants to lead, and I just think she deserves to go out of that process being happy with herself. That's essentially it. Plus a bit of projection when I was struggling with gender questioning feelings lol (turns out when you write about a trans woman happy with her womanhood and identity, you learn that being a woman isn't as bad as you thought!)

And although I think Barok is not the type of person who would be open about it (as much as it was possible back then), I believe she'd be satisfied with only close friends and her family knowing because these are the people who matter the most. I generally find queer history and the lives of queer people in the past very fascinating, the way they understood themselves and their identities, the terms they used, how society perceived them and just the fact that they existed in general and sometimes much more openly that one might expect.

Also I think Barok being transfem can make her relationship with Lady Baskerville and Susato really interesting. As far as we know, Barok didn't have a lot of women in his life who shaped him in comparison to men like his brother, so Lady Baskerville entering his life through Klint would be his first up-front confrontation with womanhood. And as for Susato, she's the complete opposite of Barok: while Barok would experience her womanhood as liberation, it's very much and very explicitly an obstacle for Susato. So that provokes a lot of thoughts in my brain.

In essence,

#I think I sort of tried to convey the things I said here in previous posts but I love repeating myself so #rejoice! transfems be upon ye!#Thank you so much for your ask I forgot how much I love transfem barok and how much she means to me #it's my blorbo and I get to turn them into a transgender allegory and then also make them trans!#Also Barok is so pretty already what would happen if she had access to E...#dgs #barok van zieks #ask #beatrix van zieks

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floralfumofridays · 4 months ago

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Floral Fumo Fridays of the Week (SPRING!!): Vernal Crocus (Crocus vernus)

Yuuka found herself back in Mayohiga but saw the vampire and Yukari together. Yukari said that the flowers were fragrant to many, but to a vampire they were foul and had weakened them. And while it was cloudy everywhere else, it was sunny here: a vampire's signature weakness. Battles can no longer be fought.

Both Yuuka and the vampire objected to this rule, but nonetheless followed it. What is a youkai who can't battle?

This is Vernal Crocus(Crocus vernus) of the Iris family (Iridaceae). It is a very common garden/house flower that normally blooms between the end of winter and the beginning of spring. Usually, this flower comes in shades of yellow, purple, white and a very light lavender with purple stripes. I found all of the possible colors of this crocus flower except yellow.

They are native to Southern and Eastern Europe, but they are mostly found (and thrive!) on mountain ranges such as their native areas of the Alps or the Balkans. These flowers usually grow around 15 centimeters tall. At the bottom of these flowers underground lies a structure that is similar to a bulb, but much different called a corm. These flowers also only bloom for a short while, but afterwards they just start looking like normal grass throughout the year. They are noted for their small but showy appearance. These ones are not the type of crocus that grows saffron which are a deeper scarlet color of the stigma and bloom in the fall, those are autumn crocus, or Crocus sativus.

The name of the flower Crocus is pretty self-explanatory and has been used to describe this flower and Crocus sativus since ancient times, so it is both the common name and also the name of the genus. Vernus comes from vernal which means spring, since this crocus blooms at the beginning of spring. The family name Iridaceae comes from Iris flowers, and those have their namesake with the god of rainbows: Iris. The namesake of the family name is because many flowers in this plant family have vibrant and a large variety of colors.

Spring is here! And that means that there will be many flowers blooming! I love to take pictures of my Yukari fumo with croci, because I think it suits her the most. Crocus is a flower that blooms between the end of winter and the beginning of spring, so it blooms on the boundaries between seasons! Crocus is also part of the Iris family, which is a family of flowers with vibrant colors, and most of the Yakumo family's names are based on colors (incl. Chen). I only got the Yuuka fumo during the fall, and fall and winter are pretty challenging when finding the more popular Angiosperms. Also, for the last post, you can see some pictures of Mystery A on here next to the purple ones. That one will bloom pretty soon and we will know what those flowers are, but growing flowers does take lots of patience and time.

BONUS: On a sunny day, croci have their petals spread out and they look pretty normal. However...

This strange phenomenon is called Nyctinasty! Whenever it becomes dark, either by heavy clouds or by nighttime, certain plants close their petals and leaves. It has been studied by Linnaeus and Darwin, too. Today, nyctinasty is still a mysterious phenomenon, and we don't exactly know why certain plants do this. Maybe some day, we will know the secrets about nyctinasty.

Plant nyctinasty – who will decode the ‘Rosetta Stone’? by Ueda, Ishimaru, et al.,

The functions of foliar nyctinasty: a review and hypothesis by Minorsky

#fumo #fumofumo #kazami yuuka #yuuka kazami #touhou #touhou project #東方project #風見幽香 #ふもふも #ぬいぐるみ #nyctinasty #crocus #crocus vernus #spring #floral fumo fridays

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superblysubpar · 1 year ago

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We'll Call It Love masterlist | It Had To Be You masterlist

the song: Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls // It Had To Be You playlist

warnings: this story is a part of the series We’ll Call It Love, and much of it would be spoiled if you read this first. It’s linked above, and I hope you love it! | series warnings pertain

2.7k words

A/N: A little nod to @palmtreesx3 series "Get Off" in the form of a little Smash or Pass 💛 Thanks for always being my cheerleader lady, I owe you my heart and life because of it, I'm afraid 🤷🏻‍♀️

He regrets how hard the door slams behind him almost immediately.

His vision blurs, his fingers swipe down the sides of his nose, pressing harder than he ever has but it’s no use.

Steve Harrington doesn’t cry.

Except he is.

It’s this awful choked sound that leaves his lips, it’s pathetic and angry and hurt all rolled into one horrible sob as tears rapidly fall down his cheeks.

He tries, he really does, to get it to stop. He presses his palms into his eyes as he walks, and decides that’s a really fucking bad idea in Chicago. And so he just ducks his head and he clears his throat and he walks.

But it just gets worse and worse.

Not the crying, but the feeling in his chest. Every time he blinks he sees your hurt face. He sees the shattered glass dish. He sees Robin’s blue eyes breaking just like the shards all over the floor. He sees Eddie put his hand on your back. He sees Nancy glaring at him. He sees every bad decision he’s made for the last few months and his stomach rolls with each reminder of his mistakes.

He fucked up bad this time. There is no bonk to the head that can fix this. It doesn’t feel like any way he apologized would ever make it okay.

All he wants to do is talk to any of the people who hate his guts right now, and more tears slip over his lash line when he realizes he may never get to talk to the most important person of the bunch ever again.

The longer he walks, the clearer his head becomes. He can fix it. He can. One step at a time.

But despite the cold air against his damp cheeks bringing clarity, it also quickly makes him realize he doesn’t have his coat, his keys, or his fucking car. He slows down as he rounds the corner, debating turning back, wondering where the hell he even ended up on this sad walk.

He’s on Robin’s street. Because of course he is.

Steve swipes at his nose, keeping more tears at bay successfully this time, and he sits on her stoop, waiting.

Maybe it’s selfish, to seek Robin’s comfort when he lied to her, but if there’s anyone he can talk to about how much of an idiot he is, it’s her.

So he waits.

He sits there for what feels like an hour, and maybe it is, with his elbows on his knees and his hands running through his hair he’s refusing to cut because at least he can keep his hair long in some sort of pathetic excuse of a stand against selling his soul to his father.

“Ryan Gosling?”

The question startles Steve, his head whips up at the voice.

“Oh, smash, definitely.” A girl giggles in a group walking past.

“Yeah but which Ryan Gosling?”

Two girls chime in with “The Notebook” at the same time laughing and Steve loses it.

There’s no way to ward off the tears this time, and he drags his fingers over his lips so his sob is muffled and his temple falls against the railing.

Maybe it’s because he’s been so stubborn his whole life, but it sort of feels like every tear that’s ever wanted to be shed by his body is falling now. His entire vision is blurred and his arms encircle his stomach because it fucking hurts to feel this sad and broken.

How could he do this to you? How could he lie to Robin? How could he just do exactly what you said and not stand up for himself? How could he not choose the life he wanted? Why didn’t he fucking fight harder for you? For what he wanted?

He was pathetic. He was lazy. He was scared.

“Holy shit, you actually love her, don’t you?”

The sound of Robin’s voice and her question makes a loud sob leave Steve, the most horrible sound he thinks he’s ever heard save for Robin crying. It just keeps coming and he covers his face with his hands, sure he looks disgusting and miserable and as pathetic as he feels. Snot and tears and red cheeks like a fucking kid.

There’s pressure against the side of his thigh, and then warm arms around his shoulders and it isn’t fair to her, but he turns into her body and wraps his own arms around her waist.

Steve cries into his best friend's shoulder so hard, he feels a little dizzy from the pain that’s demanding to be felt and he stutters out a pathetic apology.

“Ro-Robin, I’m so, I’m so-”

“Dingus, shut up.”

Which only makes him cry harder and squeeze his arms tighter for her to squeeze him back.

Then it starts to rain.

And not like a few sprinkles, but just pouring, out of nowhere, like the earth is as sad as Steve feels.

“Shit, come on,” Robin yelps, pulling at his shoulders and dragging him to her front door.

Steve swipes at his eyes and finally gets a less blurry look at her, wearing his jacket, his car keys dangling from her finger, and his pan of mac and cheese in her arms.

The guilt smacks him so hard, he actually takes a step back.

“Rob-”

“Don’t. Come on, inside,” she sighs around the command, nodding her head to the now open door.

Her blue eyes are glassy, or maybe it’s just the rain soaking both of them, but her chin does this sort of horrible quiver that he knows means she’s going to start crying too, and apparently that’s all he does now, because there’s a fresh wave falling from his eyes.

“Robin,” he chokes on her name, like he doesn’t remember how to talk, “I am so sorry. I-”

“Steve, please,” she starts crying, clutching the pan with both hands now, “I don’t care about an apology right now okay? I care about getting you inside and wiping that snot off your face cause you look real fucking sad and you don’t cry okay? And I don’t know what to do and I’m really sorry because maybe it’s my fault you know? Maybe I made you lie to me because I’m shitty and told you not to date her, but obviously you really fucking care about her I mean on some sort of astronomical level because-”

“Robin,” Steve laughs around his crying, stepping towards her and hugging her, “Will you shut up for once in your life and let me apologize?”

She shifts so she can wrap an arm around him again, her face pressed to his chest before she starts laughing around her own crying too.

“What’s this shutting up you speak of? Is there a switch? How does one simply not spew out every thought that passes through their brain to fill the silence?”

His cheek presses to the top of her head, voice muffled in her hair, “I love you.”

Robin’s arm squeezes around his waist, “I love you too, Dingus.”

Now, she sits across from him. Having changed almost immediately upon entering her apartment. She cranked the heat and pushed him down onto the couch and just said, “Explain.”

Which is how he finds himself on her couch, with a cup of hot cocoa spilling over the rim and marshmallows overflowing the mug as he finishes, “I don’t know what to do.”

Robin’s fingers fiddle with her rings as they wrap around her own mug. She stares at the drink for a long time, before she finally lifts her gaze to his.

Blue eyes that pierce directly into his soul as she shrugs and says, “I think you know exactly what to do, Steve.”

The intercom buzzes loudly and Robin moans, “Oh thank god, food.”

Except when she stands, the speaker crackles and your voice comes out of it. “Robin?”

Steve freezes, the mug of cocoa suspended to his lips as Robin stares at him with wide, blinking eyes.

It buzzes again and your quiet voice fills the room, “Please Robin? I know you’re home…I just…”

“I’ll…I’ll tell her to go?” Robin looks worried, her fingers pulling on each other and Steve shakes his head.

“No, I…I’ll climb down the fire escape. Won’t be the first time.” He makes his way to her window.

“Excuse me, what?” Robin crosses her arms, frowning.

The buzzer rings three times, long and annoying and Steve’s lips twitch despite the thing inside his chest feeling like it’s going to somehow shrivel up and dry out and explode at the same time.

“You should really talk to her, it…it says a lot she came here to talk to you.” Steve taps at the window frame, looking at the door like he can somehow see you downstairs through it.

The intercom vibrates again, and your voice sounds pained as you shout through it, “Buckley I’ll keep buzzing, your egg rolls are getting cold!”

As if on cue, Robin’s stomach grumbles and she crosses her arms, frowning. “I’m not even hungry. Dingus, I can tell her to leave, I want…I need you in my life-”

It buzzes again, your choked words making both of them stare at the speaker with sad eyes. “Okay, Robin, I, listen. I am so sorry. And if you want to hate me and never see me again, that’s totally fine, I understand. Because honestly, I am…I am scum for lying to you. I am pond scum. I’m lower than pond scum. I am the fungus that feeds on the pond scum.”

Robin’s breath inhales sharply and Steve smiles. He squeezes her hand and whispers, “I’m not going anywhere, Buckley. Go hug it out with each other. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

She squeezes his hand back, and heads towards the door as he disappears out the window.

Robin was right, he knows exactly what he needs to do.

“I don’t believe you,” tone matter of fact as you shrug off your coat in his hallway.

Steve laughs as he shuts the garage door, shaking his head. “I told you, she’s too wrapped around Robin. I could never.”

Your feet pad down the hallway, past the laundry room and half bath as you spin and walk backwards pointing at him, “Nah. No way. You’re so smashing Julia Roberts.”

The conversation started after your anniversary date to the movie theater. His yellow sweater sits wrapped around your shoulders, warm and comforting, and a slight cherry red slushie stain on the hem now. Steve’s green sweatshirt is absolutely not green anymore, the majority of said slushie landing on him when he tried to do a “move” at the theater.

Steve catches up with you, a box of milk duds in his hand as he grabs for your waist with the other. “Baby, I promise you, I’m passing.”

You narrow your eyes, lips twitching, as you prod, “Steven. Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman? You’re passing?”

Steve squeezes his eyes shut, but his mouth fights a smile as he shakes his head. “Robin has been Vivian so many times for Halloween, there is no way I’m smashing Pretty Woman Julia Roberts.”

“Mm. Sure.” You nod, face full of faux believing features as you press your lips to his pout.

When you spin and head into the kitchen, flipping the lights on as you do, Steve catches your waist and lifts, causing you to yelp out a laugh.

“Put me down!”

“Not until you believe me!”

“You’re an idiot,” you laugh as your head tilts at the giant box on the counter, “Wait, what’s that?”

Steve slowly puts you down, his arm remaining around your waist. “That,” he whispers, “Is a very late present. Or early Christmas. Or right on time anniversary. ”

“For me?” You turn and bat your eyelashes at him, grinning.

Steve looks very serious, the playful moment gone as he grabs for your chin gently, tilting your head for a slower, and longer kiss. It feels important, something swooping in your stomach, collecting the butterflies flying around there and surrounding your heart.

“For you,” he whispers when he breaks away from the breath stealing kiss.

Your eyelashes flutter as you come back to earth, his fingers cradle your jaw as you clear your throat.

When you turn back towards the package, your heart drops into your stomach though. The brown shipping material is covered in European stamps, packaging labels showing it went a lot of different places before ending up here. And it’s a fairly large box.

“How…how much did this cost?”

Steve’s going to a drawer for a box cutter, opening two different ones before finding the right junk drawer, still getting used to his new stuff and space.

He shrugs, eyes focused on cutting the tape. “Babe, don’t-”

“Steve, you can’t do this.” Your head shakes back and forth as you press your fingers to your temple.

“I can’t what? Give my girlfriend gifts?” He sounds irritated, hurt.

“You can’t keep giving me expensive gifts. Paying for everything. You paid for Inigo’s vet bill last month, you can’t-”

“You like the gifts, I have the means to pay and if it’s a date, of course I’m paying. And absolutely I paid for his vet bill, it was insane. And you were going to take out another credit card to pay for it like a crazy person.”

The words make something ignite under the surface of your skin, cheeks growing hot as he sets the box cutter on the counter and glares at you.

“That’s not crazy! People do what they have to do! I would have paid it off, it’s not like I’m in a crazy amount of debt Steve. In case you’re forgetting, I’ve made it on my own for quite a long time.”

Your hand presses to your chest as you stare each other down.

Steve’s jaw tenses and he shakes his head. “I know that. I’m not discrediting that. But it’s crazy to still do that when I can help.”

Your hands fly in the air, frustrated, “Okay, fine! Thank you for the vet bill, nevermind, but this,” you gesture to the box, “Has to stop.”

Steve laughs, dragging his palms down his face. “I’m not gonna stop getting you gifts.”

“How am I supposed to compete with the fancy shit Steve? How am I supposed to feel when you get me expensive things for holidays and I get you dumb trinkets or hand made shit like coupons?”

Steve takes a step toward you, “I like the coupons and trinkets that aren’t dumb. If you just-”

“I’m not opening that.” Your hands are in front of your chest in surrender, eyebrows raised as you walk backwards. “I do not want it. Return it, whatever it is.”

“Honey,” Steve’s eyes turn somber, hand running through his hair, pleading, “You have to open this, please.”

“Baby,” you glare at him, “I’m not going to.”

His fingers tug in his hair, an aggravated huff surrounding his words that get increasingly louder, “I swear, I won’t get you another present for…for a year. Six months. But you have to open this.”

“No.”

“Open it.”

“Nope.”

“Babe-”

“Steve-”

“Oh my god, fine!”

He shouts the last line, flaps of the box flung open as he reaches inside through white packing peanuts that spill out onto the counter as you roll your eyes.

Until he’s holding the sapphire blue pie dish in front of you with glassy eyes and pink cheeks and red ears.

“I know, okay, I…I can’t ever apologize for breaking your mom’s enough. And I know this can’t ever replace it, or be the same, but I just thought…I kept searching for it, because I just thought if I could fix it…” he trails off when you step in front of him.

Your heartbeat thuds in your ears as you stare down at the dish, your fingers trail over the cool glass. A shiver runs down your spine because you’re fairly certain, somewhere, somehow, your mom and dad are here. Your mom is shouting at the TV screen of your life, telling you to kiss him, to tell him. Your dad is rolling his eyes, but they’re a little misty.

Steve’s nose taps yours as he tilts his head, eyes looking into yours as he hesitates, waiting until he sees what he needs to.

His lips press to yours softly then, the dish held in both of your pair of hands between you.

Something inside of you crumbles, it breaks off into a billion pieces, each one belonging to him.

You are undeniably, irrevocably, in love with Steve Harrington.

And that’s fucking terrifying.

#we'll call it love #it had to be you #steve harrington #steve harrington x reader #steve harrington x you #steve harrington x y/n #modern!steve harrington #steve harrington fic #steve harrington series #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington angst

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romana-after-dark · 2 years ago

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Coming soon...

Hi everyone! This winter break I'm hoping to get a lot of writing done and wrap up some series!

Special thanks to @hon3yboy or helping me sooooo much with this series!!!!

That being said, once I feel more caught up, do I have a series for you...

Untitled Triple Frontier cult fic

Dark below the cut

Years after the world fell apart, various communities have established themselves, one of which is ran by four men who claim to be divine.

When they decide it's time to and heir to be born, they chose a virgin from their cult and make her their wife. Reader is offered a choice, of course. She doesn't have to marry them. But if she doesn't, the savior won't be born. She choses to become the Madonna. She is wed to all four of them, and moved into their home where her body is open to use whenever her husbands desire (free use au), in the hopes of getting her pregnant. It doesn't matter whose baby it ends up being, because they are all part God, so it doesn't matter... right?

M/M dynamics

Santiago Garcia: The leader, their Pope, son of the founder, mommy issues (duh), obsessive with his men and with his wife, reader. Pope is particularly obsessed with his right hand man, Frankie. Was told his whole life he was a god-like figure, and acts like it. Dangerous.

Francisco Morales: Right hand man. Quiet, not particularly thrilled with the plan but can't speak out. Only participates in group sex or when Santiago involves him. Is in love with Benny, but can't say as much because of how volatile and possessive Pope is.

Benjamin Miller: Charming, charismatic, slut. Benny is part of the reason they have a lack of virgins to choose from, he's fucked most of them. Insatiable in bed, fucking like a dog in heat. Outside of bed, however, he's fun, nice. Except when he's drunk or high. Loves Frankie.

William Miller: Soft. Gentle. Will treats her like a queen, like their Madonna. He loves her. He says so, after all. Will helps keep her safe, help's her navigate Santi's mania and Ben's addiction and Frankie's coldness. He's just there to take care of her. He promises.

Meet the OC's

Reyansh

Rey is one of the home's security, living in the servants quarters. Reyansh works a lot in the stables and the landscaping, a gentle soul the horses love. Rey befriends our Madonna and although she is initially suspicious of him, she learn that he is trustworthy. Reyansh is in love with the housekeeper, Iris, and they hope to have a family together one day. Faceclaim is Dev Patel

Jonah

Jonah is the head of the guard. He still answers to Will for military decisions, but for the most part he leads the men. Jonah is in charge of keeping the house and the Madonna safe, so he assigns Reyansh to look after her, knowing he's harmless, but capable. Jonah is the father of Iris, but their relationship is strained. Jonah becomes a father figure to Madonna, helping her navigate the world she's found herself in. Faceclaim is Timothy Olyphant

Iris

Iris is the housekeeper and cook for the house. Being stuck as a servant and working long hours in a dangerous household where one wrong move can mean your death, Iris has learned to keep her head down in the hopes that if her and Reyansh behave, they may be allowed to have a life together. She is not fond of reader. She does not think she is the Madonna and thinks she's stupid for getting caught up in the men's lies. She worried that her friendship with Rey will cause problems for them, not because she doesn't trust him, but she knows how possessive and controlling all the men are.

Hoping to debut in January, when after I at least wrap up BBTF and at least 1 or 2 stories on my main.

Comment if you are intested!

Warnings not a ful list, but here are themes and content you should be aware of before start

DEAD DOVE DO NOT EAT

DUB CON MOSTLY but there WILL BE NON CON. Major character deaths, forced breeding, physical abuse, brainwashing, manipulation, violence, gore, alcoholism/addiction, BIG OLE BLASPHEMY WARNING like this cult appropriates a lot of religious themes and they call reader their Madonna, Santi is called the Pope, like all that stuff. However, this is a cult so I mean. It happens. None of it are my thoughts on religion or meant to make fun of religion or demonize religious people. Disgusting views on virginity. Attempted rape outside the boys. T*m warning. Age gap.

A lot of themes and dynamics accidently ended up as kinda a fanfic of Charnellhouse's Watch Your Step, which is now taken off tumblr and AO3 but she's publishing it as a book now so I'll be promoting that book too.

Comment if you are intested and I'll tag you when the first chapter comes out!

Name still TBA ;-;

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mylittlenookcorner · 10 months ago

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I finished the Bright Falls Trilogy!

And this is my ranking:

🥇Astrid Parker Doesn’t Fail

🥈 Delilah Green Doesn’t Care

🥉Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date

I don’t think I have anything to say about Delilah’s book. Delilah started off so strong and got me hooked and attached to this series. Her and Claire are so beautifully written. Delilah is such a compelling character and I adore her with all my heart!

Her interactions with Ruby were my favourite parts. How she softened to Claire’s 12 year old daughter and embraced her role in her life, loving Ruby and being the cool & supportive stepmom to her is a cherry on top! The friendship between all the women, how Delilah warms up to them and their interactions (especially with Delilah and Iris) were golden! I don’t know if I have anything else to say except how much I loved it.

Astrid’s book though stands as my favourite in the whole trilogy! I don’t know, something about Astrid’s story felt the most relatable to me. Also just love Astrid as a character. I’m all about a stone-cold character letting her walls crumble and freeing herself from expectations set upon her since she was a child. She was intriguing from the first time we met her, and if it wasn’t for Delilah’s book setting up her character so well, maybe I wouldn’t love her book as much. And to see how far her and Delilah’s relationship has come in this book to the point she ran to Delilah first about her feelings for Jordan was just *chefs kiss*!

And Jordan Everwood? Oh my god, I love her so so much! She’s such a mess, but she’s a beautiful dorky mess with such an enigmatic presence! She and Astrid have very different personalities in the beginning. The tension and yearning? I ATE THAT UP. She’s so entertaining to read, and her passion and love for her family’s legacy is just so heartwarming. Personally love how she humbles Astrid time and time again and got her to open up about herself. She has such a big heart and I just love her so much!

Now Iris. Although I enjoyed Iris’ book, I didn’t enjoy it as much as the 1st two. I love Iris since the 1st book. Shes hilarious and her presence is so magnetic. And I love the MCs of the 2 books but something about Stevie’s character was just lacking for me but I can’t put my finger on it. She’s sweet, and I related so much to her anxiety but I don’t know, I think I needed more. For some reason this book felt a bit disconnected from the first 2? Maybe I missed the presence of original characters in this one. Even Bright Falls itself. A lot of the setting happened outside-ish of Bright Falls, and the town was such a big part of this universe that I missed it in this book. It felt like a spin off as opposed to a continuation of the 2nd.

The ending was so cute though! The conclusion to the series. I won’t say much other than it was just beautiful!

I’m not much of a pure romance reader. I love my dystopian & romantasy books BUT I’m so glad I gave this series a chance. Delilah Green Doesn’t Care got me so attached to these characters in a way I can’t explain.

Maybe because I couldn’t find a lot of queer representation in books when I was growing up so to have this whole trilogy with queer women at the very centre, I just gravitated so fast and fell in love these characters.

#bright falls #ashley herring blake #delilah green doesn't care #astrid parker doesn't fail #iris kelly doesn’t date #delilah green #Claire Sutherland #astrid parker #jordan everwood #iris kelly #stevie Scott #wlw books #lgbtq+ books #sapphic books #lgbtq+ romance

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photogirl894 · 2 years ago

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"Sun and Rain Part 2: Age of the Empire"

Chapter 26

"One Last Day"

A "Bad Batch" fanfic!

Pairing: Hunter x fem OC, Echo (more best friend pairing)

A/N: Well, back again! Ending the new year on...well, not the happiest of notes, I'm sad to say 😅 But you all knew this was coming, as much as it pained me to write all this. Hang in there, lovelies! Love you all and a Happy New Year to each of you 💜

Also, this chapter/title of this chapter was inspired by the song "One Last Day" by Two Steps From Hell, which also is a great song embodying Jesse and Kimber's relationship, even more so at this point in time. Give it a listen 😊

Taglist: @the-sad-batch , @nimata-beroya , @intrepidmare , @cole-kenxbi , @tech-aficionado , @ladykatakuri , @d1n0-dan , @sammi9498 , @darthzero22 , @scarlettrose9901 , @thebadbatchscyare , @chxpsi , @ilikemymendarkandfictional , @4pplecider , @locitapurplepink , @l-lend , @nekotaetae , @eternalwaffle , @merkitty49 , @avathebestx , @idoubleswearimawriter , @techs-stitches , @fantasyproductions

《 Chapter 25

》 Chapter 27

All chapters (Part 2) (Part 1)

Explanation: Rex and Kimber travel to the moon where Jesse is buried so Kimber can say her final goodbye.

Kimber was a little surprised the next morning to find she was still alone in the Marauder. Though, there was a blanket on top of her, so someone definitely had come while she'd been asleep. She had a strong suspicion that it had been Hunter. He'd probably gotten concerned when she hadn't come back to the Aurora. She felt a bit guilty for having cried herself to sleep, but she also knew Hunter most likely understood, hence why he'd left her alone.

The holopad with Jesse's message laid still in her palm and she clutched it tightly. Her emotions were beginning to swell again, but she inhaled deep through her clenched teeth and then released her breath slowly. She had to stay calm. She had to talk to Rex and she didn't want to get overly emotional again.

She stowed the holopad safely away in one of her packs in the room and then made her way back to the Aurora. She found everyone lounging around in the main area of the ship except for Tech and Irys. Omega was sitting on the floor making silly faces and noises at Kori, who was lying on his back in front of her while giggling and kicking his feet. They all heard her walk in and all eyes were on her right away. Hunter said her name as he saw her and went over to her quickly.

Placing his hands gently on her biceps, he looked into her eyes and asked, “How are you feeling? Are you okay?”

Kimber nodded. “I'm all right,” she said, her voice still a bit hoarse from crying the night before.

Hunter searched her face for any signs of deception. He could still sense a hint of heartbreak from her, but it wasn't as strong as it had been before. She didn't seem to be lying to him, which was good, at least. She genuinely seemed to be okay for now.

He cupped the nape of her neck and guided her head forward, touching her forehead to his. “I really am sorry, sweetheart,” he whispered.

“I know,” she said back.

As Hunter stepped back, Kimber was suddenly engulfed in a big hug from Kida, who said in her ear, “Rex told us what happened. I'm so sorry, Kimber.”

She hugged her friend back and replied, “Thank you, Kida.”

Then Rina came up and said, her voice low, “I remembered Jesse from Jakku. He was one heck of a soldier and a good guy. I know he was your friend and meant a lot to you. I'm sorry he's gone, boss lady. You gonna be okay?”

“I think I will be,” Kimber said back.

It was then Tech and Irys came in from the direction of the cockpit, debating with each other once again.

“No, Irys, our ship's hyperdrive does not require upgrading,” said Tech.

“It's an out of date model and, after the last debacle you informed me of with retrieving the lizard, it'll come to a point where even Echo can't fix it anymore,” Irys replied.

With an adjustment of his goggles, he stated, “Despite that instance, it is still fully functional and therefore, I see no reason to--” He heard a light chuckle and spotted Kimber as well as everyone else watching him and Irys and he ceased his arguing. Clearing his throat, he then said, “Kimber, it's good to see you back and my sincerest apologies for your loss. Are you well?”

“As well as I can be, yes,” Kimber replied, mustering up a small, reassuring smile.

“Do you need anything?” then asked Echo, a look of sympathy on his face.

She shook her head. “Not right now, but thank you.”

“Well, we're all here for you if you do,” said Wrecker. However, a few seconds later, he started groaning in pain and clutching at his head.

Kimber noticed this and forgot about her own troubles for a moment. “Is your head bothering you again, Wrecker?” she inquired.

“Yeah,” he said through a groan.

Rina immediately grew concerned. Something didn't feel right. Normally, a headache was nothing to be concerned about, but her senses were telling her otherwise that something was wrong with Wrecker.

He turned to Tech and said, “Tech, I need one of those med patches.”

“You used the last one,” Tech pointed out.

Rex, too, immediately picked up on the fact that something was wrong. Something he was all too familiar with. “What's wrong?” he asked suspiciously.

“Nothing. It's just a headache,” Wrecker answered through another groan.

“Which are becoming more frequent,” Echo added.

“Is that so?” Rex questioned, his eyes narrowing.

Then Rina spoke up in a more serious tone than anyone had ever heard from her, “Guys, I don't think it's just a headache. I can sense something abnormal about all of this. Something is very wrong.”

As Kimber looked down at her worried friend, Tech stated, mainly to Rex, “If you're concerned about the so-called inhibitor chips, don't be. Our deviant nature appears to have impeded their functionality. Except in Crosshair.”

Kimber inhaled sharply, both at the mention of Crosshair and the inhibitor chips. After what she'd heard in Jesse's message, she had a greater hunch that they were real and there was more to them than they all realized.

Then Rex asked with an anticipatory tone, “You're telling me you haven't removed your chips?”

“No, not yet,” answered Tech.

To everyone's surprise, Rex moved himself in front of the two kids, pushed aside his poncho and held his hand defensively over his holstered blaster, protective determination in his eyes.

Hunter saw this and put himself in front of the rest of his squad. “Rex?” he asked, a hint of warning and confusion in his voice.

“Rex, what are you doing?” then inquired Lex.

“Those chips make you a threat to everyone around you. Even her,” Rex told them, gesturing to Omega behind him. “You're all ticking time bombs.”

“Take it easy, Captain,” Hunter said, holding up a hand in defense.

Sounding more serious, Rex informed them all, “What's in your head is more dangerous than you can imagine. I've seen what happens when the chip activates, and I don't want to bury any more of our brothers.” His gaze found Kimber as he said that, remembering Jesse. Then his expression turned sad. “Trust me. It is not something you can control. I couldn't. It's a risk you do not want to take.”

Hunter looked at Omega, who looked both concerned and afraid. If what Rex said was true and they were a danger to even Omega with their chips still in their heads, then that meant they'd be a danger to Kimber, too. And Rina and Lex; everyone they cared about. He hadn't given much thought to the chips before, but after hearing Rex, he had a strong feeling in his gut that he couldn't ignore. He couldn't put his squad or his friends at risk.

“How do you suggest we get them out?” he asked Rex.

Seeing the Sergeant was willing to cooperate, Rex moved his hand away from his blaster and replied, “Good question. I'll be in touch.” Then he looked at Kimber again. “For now, you and I have somewhere we need to be.”

“What do you mean?” she asked back.

“I'm taking you to the crash site. You deserve to say goodbye to Jesse,” he replied.

She gasped. How did he know that's what she wanted? “But Rex, we can't. We have the chips to worry about. We have to find a way to get them out of the boys’ heads.”

“I know and we will,” said Rex. “Lucky for us, the moon the cruiser crashed on is in a nearby system. We can spare a few hours to a day to go there and then I'll bring you back. After that, I'll figure out a way to deal with the chips.”

Kimber wanted to continue debating with him about going, now that the threat of the inhibitor chips was looming over them, but then she felt someone take her hand. She looked to see Omega holding her hand and smiling comfortingly up at her.

“Go with him, Kimber. You need to so you can be happy again,” she reassured her. “We'll watch Wrecker while you're gone and make sure nothing happens. Everything will be okay, I promise.”

“She's right, princess,” added Lex, who gave a flourish of her vibroblade. “If anything goes down, we'll take care of it.”

Rina saw that and shot back, “Come anywhere near the big guy with that knife and you'll find it in one of your kneecaps.”

“Relax, Rina. It's just a precaution. One I'm certain we won't need,” Lex told her, sheathing her blade.

There was a hand on Kimber's shoulder and she found Hunter's loving gaze upon her. “Go, my love. We'll be fine.”

Having reassurances from her friends made Kimber feel a bit better about going with Rex. While she still felt uneasy about leaving her boys right now, she now felt sure that if things were to happen while she was gone, they would still be okay.

“All right,” she accepted.

“Then we'll leave right away. I'll take you to my ship,” said Rex, already making his way to the Aurora's exit.

“Wait, Rex!” called Kida, running after him. When she caught up to him, she said quietly, “I…I don't know when I'll see you next, but…I'll be thinking of you while you're gone.”

He softly caressed her cheek and replied, “And I'll be thinking of you...like I always do. I'm sure I'll see you again soon.” Then he walked away.

Kimber faced Hunter and took his hands. “Promise me you'll all be safe,” she said.

“I promise,” he responded. “Wrecker will be fine and should anything go wrong, we'll handle it. Don't worry about us.” He kissed her brow and then said, “Let us know when you're coming back. I hope this brings you the peace you need.”

“Thank you again for your support,” she said gratefully. “I'll see you soon.” Then she gave him a kiss on the lips and afterwards, ran off to follow Rex.

Both Kimber and Rex ejected out of hyperspace in Rex's stolen BTL-B Y-wing fighter-bomber that he'd used to escape the cruiser crash. He was flying the ship while Kimber was seated in the gunner's bubble turret, where she could admire the wonders of traveling at lightspeed through the clear dome that covered her. They entered the atmosphere of the moon the crash site was on. As they passed through the clouds, they beheld a barren, desolate landscape and up ahead, they could see the wreckage of a Venator cruiser.

“There it is. The Tribunal,” said Rex over the ship's comms as they spotted the wreckage.

Kimber could feel a pit forming in her stomach. She dreaded what they would see when they landed. That and she'd also had time to think and wonder as they'd flown to the planet and now, she had a question she needed to know the answer to.

“Jesse told me in his message that something happened to the Clones that made them lose control; that he felt his body and mind were taken over by something he couldn't see,” she said. “He said he'd even turned his blasters on you and your Commander, labeling you both traitors. On top of that, I remember seeing the Imperial file with Tech on when this crash was reported…and it was around when Order 66 happened.” She took a deep breath and leaned a bit forward to get a better look at the back of Rex's head below her. “Rex…I need to know…was everything that happened here because of Order 66?”

She saw him lower his head and then heard him answer, “Yes.”

Even though it still hurt to hear, she at least was glad to know the truth. “There was more to the story of this crash than just that Sith prisoner getting loose and destroying the hyperdrive. Please Rex…tell me what really happened,” she pleaded.

As they continued on towards the crash site, he explained to her, “What I did tell you was true…but yes, there was more to it. The order came through from the Emperor and I could suddenly feel my will slipping away from me. I managed to fight it for but a few seconds; enough time to warn my Commander, Ahsoka Tano, before my troops and I fired on her. She's a very skilled Jedi and was able to evade us. The next thing I knew, I was hunting her through the ship and I couldn't stop myself. I was conscious of everything I was doing and there was nothing I could do to stop it. I'm sure Jesse said about the same in his message, didn't he?”

“He did, yes,” she answered sadly.

“I thought as much,” he said back.

It was then Kimber realized that the ship was moving closer to the ground and that they had reached the crashed Venator cruiser. As it landed, the nervous feeling inside her grew even more. She wasn't sure if she had the strength to leave the Y-wing and face the reality of Jesse's death. At least, Rex was with her and would be there to help her through this.

The dome hatch opened above her and she climbed carefully out of the ship. As her feet met the ground and her eyes lifted to the sight before her, she felt her heart twist painfully and her balance faltered. Her legs buckled, but lucky for her, she was caught in Rex's arms.

“Whoa, easy there, soldier. I've got you,” he consoled her, holding her around the shoulders.

“Rex…I don't think I can do this,” she admitted anxiously.

“Hey, it's like what you told me with Kida: the longer you wait, the harder it'll be for you to face this,” he said. “Don't worry, I'll be with you as much as you need me.”

“Could you…could you at least walk over there with me?” she requested timidly.

Rex squeezed her shoulders comfortingly and said, “Let's go.”

A couple yards away, Kimber saw the burial site of the Clones: dozens of grave marker sticks spread across the ground in front of the demolished cruiser with helmets placed on top of them. Some of the helmets were white while others were painted orange with a white symbol she'd never seen before. The sight of all the Clone graves tore at her heart.

Solemnly, she said aloud as she scanned the line of grave markers, “The Clones didn’t die for the Republic…they died with it.”

Though, what broke her heart immediately was the blue Clone helmet with the Republic symbol drawn on that was front and center from the rest.

Jesse’s helmet.

With every step closer, she could feel her heart sinking lower and lower and the feeling in her body fading away to numbness. This couldn't be real, but she knew it was. She and Rex both stopped in front of Jesse's grave marker and finally, she couldn't hold herself up anymore. Rex carefully guided her down to the ground, keeping a strong hold on her arms, and knelt beside her. Tears sprang to her eyes and her quiet crying began.

“Do you want me to stay?” she heard Rex ask her in her sorrowful haze.

Her eyes closed and a few more tears fell down her cheeks. “No…I need to do this alone now,” she told him, a break in her voice. “Thank you for getting me this far, Rex.”

The Captain laid a hand on her shoulder and simply responded, “Take your time, however long you need. I'll wait for you at the Y-wing.” With that, he stood up and walked away, letting his hand linger on her shoulder until he could no longer reach.

There on the cold, dirt-covered ground with the wind gently caressing her face and hair, Kimber knelt in front of the grave of her dear friend, Lieutenant Jesse, her hands over her heart and her eyes gazing up at his helmet. She recalled the moment she met him at 79’s over a year ago.

His eyes found Kimber and they widened ever so slightly. “Well, I haven’t seen you around here before.”

Kimber realized when he turned his head to look at her that Jesse had the Republic symbol tattooed over most of his head, originating on the right side of his face…and her heart ached for a brief second as it reminded her of Hunter.

She introduced herself by name to him and he replied, “Oh, the Bad Batch girl!”

“Oh stars…!” Kimber groaned, through she still grinned. “Is that really what you guys know me as?”

“I mean, yeah, kinda,” he said with a shrug.

Then Kix told him, “Apparently, she’s here by herself and she’s looking for Rex.”

Removing his arm from Kix, Jesse then explained, “Oh, well we got back from a mission earlier today and so Rex is currently at a briefing, but he said he’ll meet up with us here later.” Then he flashed her a smile. “You’re welcome to stay with us until he gets here.”

Kimber smiled back a little shyly and simply said, “Sure, yeah.”

“Great! My name is Jesse, by the way, in case you missed Kix saying it,” he said.

She chuckled. “I didn’t, but it’s a pleasure to meet you all the same. I wouldn’t mind your guys’ company for a while.”

“Sounds good to me,” said Kix.

Jesse took the seat on her opposite side and declared gladly, “Well then, Kimber…how about we buy you a drink?”

It felt like so long ago now that she’d met him. That night, he’d told her “any friend of Rex’s is a friend of ours” and he further proved that by offering to train her for a few months because Rex couldn’t. At that time, she had no idea of the journey she was about to undertake. Not only just the intense training akin to ARC Trooper training, but the relationship and friendship she would build with Jesse over the three months she spent on Coruscant with him. Memories of their time together flashed across her mind.

Training in combat together.

Getting drinks at 79’s with him and Kix.

The nights they’d spend watching holoshows.

The one night he told her about Umbara and Fives.

The mission on Rhen Var when she, Rex and Kix rescued him after being injured…the same night he confessed his feelings and kissed her for the first time, but she had to reject him.

Their final mission on Zeffo when she returned to the Bad Batch and said goodbye to him...for what would be the very last time. She remembered their final words to each other:

Jesse then stepped back and pointed a finger at her, smirking as he then stated, “When this war is over, our holoshow nights need to be a thing again. You can bring the boys, it will be fun!”

She chuckled. “Oh, the thought of the Bad Batch having a holoshow night with a reg…,” she voiced aloud. “I think that would be marvelous. Though, you have to promise me that you’ll get out of this war alive first.”

“I will only if you do, too,” he countered. He extended a hand out for her to shake.

Kimber took Jesse’s hand and grasped it tightly, sealing their promise to one another that they would do everything they could to stay alive through to the end of the Clone Wars.

“I’m sure our paths will cross again someday, but until that time: take good care of yourself, Lieutenant Jesse,” she said with a grin.

Grinning at her in return, he replied, “Until we meet again, Kimber Sallaros. I’ve had many missions in my time…but training you has been the best one by far.”

Kimber finally broke out into sobs of heartbreaking pain, her hands coming up to her face. “Oh Jesse…why did it have to end like this?” she asked aloud. “We promised each other we would survive the war and we would see each other again. Why did it have to be like this?” After letting herself cry for a few more short moments, she calmed down just a little and then looked back up at his helmet through blurred, tear-filled vision. “I can’t fathom how terrified you must’ve been in your final moments on this cruiser…and yet you remained steadfast and brave so you could send a farewell message to me. You always were one of the bravest soldiers I’ve ever known. I wish I had your courage, especially now. Facing this…the cold reality of war and loss…is maybe the greatest challenge I’ve had to face so far in my new life. After my parents, I haven’t lost anyone else to death until you...and the pain I feel is so great, I don’t know how I’m able to bear it. I know you would tell me that I’m strong enough to handle anything, but I don’t feel strong.”

She was silent for a moment, trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. There was so much she wished she could say, but she would be there for eternity if she said it all. Would it even matter, though? Could Jesse even hear her, wherever he was? For now, she had to believe he could. It was the only way she would get through this.

Then she spoke, “You’re part of why I am who I am today, Jesse. I left my squad in an uncertain time so I could become better for them and you helped me achieve that. You shaped me into the better soldier I am now. You were a friend and confidant when I needed one. You truly were one of the greatest friends I have and ever will have. I just...can’t believe you’re really gone. We were both supposed to survive the war…but as Hunter told me, such promises like that never have any guarantees in times of war. I suppose we both should’ve known better.” Her eyes drifted down the ground in front of her; to the mound under which she knew Jesse’s body laid and she pressed her hand down on the earth, her tears sinking into it. “I can’t thank you enough for all you did for me. For your friendship and your love. I know I told you I loved you in a different way…but that was a lie. The truth is...I did love you, Jesse.” Her tears started falling faster as she wept once more. “I loved you...I loved you more than I ever should have. I still wanted to be with Hunter and yet, I fell in love with you anyway. I’m sorry...I’m sorry I lied, but I knew it wouldn’t have benefited either of us if I admitted the truth. I couldn’t give you false hope and I couldn’t betray Hunter like that. I know you hoped things between him and I would eventually work out and well…I’m pleased to say that they have. We’re back together and we hope to get married one day. I’m happy, just like you wanted me to be.” Then her eyes lifted back to his helmet and she reached up, softly laying her hand upon the cold, plastoid surface. “Even so, you will always hold a special place in my heart and in my memories for the rest of my life. In the months I spent with you, you and I lived in a world that was all our own. That’s something I’ll never forget. You gave it your all and in the end, it still cost you your life. I thought it was hard enough to let you go on Zeffo, thinking I��d still see you again one day. Now…I have to let you go for good. I won’t forget everything you taught me. I’ll keep you close in my heart…and you’ll never be far from me, just like you said.”

Kimber’s hand left his helmet and came to her chest just above her heart as she closed her eyes, pushing out a couple more stray tears. The wind seemingly died down in the moment and she focused on the silence, hoping to quell her sorrow enough to move on. However, there was something in the wind she could hear…it sounded almost like a voice.

A voice whispering…her name.

Her head shook, brushing that off as just her imagining things in her grief. The only other person on this moon was Rex and he was back at his Y-wing. They were alone. There was no one else on this moon alive.

Then she felt a warm sensation on her face...like a hand softly caressing her cheek. It was a touch she recognized.

She gasped and her eyes flew open.

There was no one in front of her, but the feeling was unmistakable. For but a second, she almost swore she could see his face as if through a veil, but when she blinked, there was nothing there. Yet the warmth she felt on her cheek remained.

“Jesse?” she whispered, reaching up to her cheek and lightly touching her skin.

She didn’t know how it was possible, but she was certain Jesse was there with her. She could feel his presence near her. More than that, she could feel his love, his sorrow and his comfort. There was no longer a voice in the wind, yet she knew in her mind and in her heart what he was wanting to convey to her.

He was at peace…and she would be all right.

Another tear fell from her eye, but this was time, it wasn’t a tear of grief. It was a tear of joy and gratitude.

“I’ll miss you so much,” she then said, “but at least now, I know you’re at peace. I can set you free now so I can strive to find my own peace, as well. I’ll continue to make you proud.”

Right then, she could feel a reassuring hand on her shoulder…but she knew immediately it wasn’t Rex’s. It felt similar to the hand she’d felt on her cheek yet it wasn’t from Jesse’s spirit. It was someone else’s; another familiar friendly presence she’d only encountered once before in a dream.

“Fives?”

Even though there was no audible reply, she could feel deep down that she had supposed right. Not only was Jesse there with her, but so was Fives. In her heart, she could feel the message that he also was trying to give her from the other side: that he would take care of Jesse for her and they both would continue to watch over her.

It didn’t make sense how she was experiencing any of this, but Kimber wasn’t going to push any of it aside. She could palpably feel the presence of two deceased Clones with her, even though she couldn’t see them. They were there to comfort her in her time of grief to let her know they were all right and she would be, too. Perhaps this was the work of the Force, she wondered, even though she didn’t believe much in the Force. It was the only possible explanation that she could think of.

Feeling the omnipresence of her Clone friends, Kimber inhaled deeply, letting their comfort and strength empower her. Everything was going to be okay. She was going to be okay. Their reassurance was enough to give her the bravery to move on; to face everything else that awaited her future with courage unparalleled.

With newfound conviction, she stated out loud, “I promise you, Jesse and Fives: I will finish what you both started. I will do whatever it takes to bring the Empire down so I can avenge both your deaths. I won’t let your sacrifices be in vain. The Empire will pay for what they’ve done to the Clones. I will continue fighting. For my squad, for Hunter, for all the Clones and for you two, even if I have to give my own life.” She looked up to the blue sky above her and a small smile curled up on her lips. “I won’t let you down. I’ll keep going and do whatever it takes. I swear it.”

Then she stood up and took one last look at Jesse’s helmet, placing both hands on either side of it as if she were cupping his face and lifting it from the wood it sat upon. She looked over the helmet carefully, taking in all the details she could before leaving it here forever, for she had a feeling she wouldn’t see it again. At least, not for a long time, if anything.

“Thank you, Jesse…for everything,” she said softly. “At least we got to share this one last day, my friend, even if I couldn’t see you.” She leaned down, placed a kiss upon the brow of the helmet and then brought it up to her forehead in reverence as she whispered, almost like a prayer, “I love you…and I’ll miss you. Goodbye, Jesse.”

Having felt as though she said all that needed to be said, Kimber returned Jesse’s helmet to its place and turned away. Even though her heart still felt heavy, it did feel as though a large part of her burden had been lifted. It was enough for her to feel as though she could take the next step forward in healing from this loss. It still would take time, but this was just the beginning.

As she took a step forward, her foot nudged something she hadn’t noticed before. When she looked down, she found there was a lightsaber on the ground. She thought it was curious for a second that there was a lightsaber there, but then she remembered Rex had said both he and his Jedi Commander, Ahsoka Tano, had buried all the Clones. Had she dropped it on accident…or had it been left here on purpose? After Order 66, the Jedi were all being hunted across the galaxy. Maybe she’d left it on this moon to keep herself safe. There were probably various reasons as to why it had been left that Kimber knew she’d most likely never learn the answer to. For a brief moment, she considered picking it up and taking it with her, but right away, she realized that would be a mistake. If anyone were to spot her with a lightsaber, she would automatically be labeled a Jedi and hunted down. As if being labeled a deserter to the Empire and already being hunted wasn’t bad enough. No, it was best to leave the Jedi relic there and she decided to meet back with Rex.

Rex saw her coming and climbed out of the cockpit to greet her. “You okay?” he asked her.

She nodded. “I am now,” she said. “I don’t know how, but somehow...I just know everything’s going to be all right. Thank you again for bringing me here.”

He bowed his head in respect.

It was then she noticed that there was a scar on his head that she somehow hadn’t noticed before. It was on his right side; the same side she recalled Wrecker saying would hurt when his headaches would hit.

“Rex…did you get your chip removed?” she inquired, pointing to the scar.

His hand came up to trace over the scar for a second and he answered, “I did.”

“How?” she asked.

He gestured to the wreckage behind her. “It was on that cruiser, not long before it was kicked out of hyperspace.”

“Tell me the rest of what happened before the ship crashed,” she said.

Then he explained, “Before I lost all control, I gave Commander Tano a message that I knew she’d understand. I told her to find Fives; to find the files on him and everything that had happened with him before he was killed.”

Hearing Fives being mentioned suddenly made his presence from earlier make sense. Then she remembered the vague things he had told her in her dream from a long time ago, how he’d warned her that something was coming that she’d need to be prepared for. Something he couldn’t stop.

Then it all pieced together in her mind. “Fives had discovered the existence of the chips, hadn’t he?”

Rex nodded. “He did. I didn’t believe him at the time, but I still made a report about it just in case. Turns out, I had been right to do so. As I felt my mind slipping away after Order 66 had been given, I knew immediately Fives had been right and knew I could count on Ahsoka to figure out what to do. She found my report and learned about the chips.”

He then went on to tell Kimber how Ahsoka had actually set their Sith prisoner free herself to distract the Clone soldiers hunting her while she subdued Rex and had taken him to the med bay on the cruiser, where she found the chip and surgically removed it. Shortly after that was when they tried to escape, and had been cornered in the hangar by Jesse and his troops before the hyperdrive got destroyed and the ship crashed.

“That’s the whole story,” he then said to finish it off.

“I see,” she said, taking it all in as she looked back at the destroyed Venator behind her.

“In order to remove your squad’s chips, we’d need some higher-grade medical equipment. Only bigger medical facilities would have those and most of those, I’m sure are under Imperial command now. And Kamino is definitely not an option either,” he told her.

Then she commented, “It’s too bad we can’t get onto just another Venator like this one. If you were able to get yours out on one, then I’m sure others would have the same medical equipment, too. Unfortunately for us, I’m sure all of the other Venators left are also under Imperial control.”

As she looked back, she saw his eyes gradually grow larger, like he’d just thought of something. “Maybe not all of them,” he said. Then he took her by the shoulders and declared, “Kimber, you’re a genius!”

“Uh…thank you?” she said, confused. “What are you thinking, Rex?”

As he got ready to climb back into the Y-wing fighter, he responded to her, “We can't use a Venator cruiser that's still in commission…but we can use a decommissioned one that isn't being used by the Empire. Call your boys. I know exactly where we need to go to get their chips removed.”

#star wars the bad batch #the bad batch #bad batch hunter #bad batch fanfic #hunter x oc fic #sun and rain fanfic

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various-things · 6 months ago

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Retrospective on things I made in 2024! Edits and then fics. Here's the 2023 version. Putting this under a cut for length. All DS9 with the exception of one IWTV edit.

Edits:

Most of these are a minute or less because I was putting a lot of them on tiktok (still avoiding putting anything not-unlisted on YouTube until I finish the brightness good omens edits), but hey, shorter edits take less time (though I'm still a very slow editor) so I probably made more things as a result! January: Julian edit to an instrumental of "Sweater Weather" by the Neighborhood - still really happy with this one, I feel like I'm going to say that about a lot of this year's edits. Is this a sign of developing craft? Who knows! Maybe!! simple Julian edit (to a cut up and extended end part of "My Time Part 2" by Alex Jones which is a sample of "I'm God" by Clams Casino and Imogen Heap) Weyoun edit to "Came Back Haunted" by Nine Inch Nails - we have fun February: short garashir edit to "Help I'm Alive" by Metric March: Quark/Brunt edit to "Iris" by Pastel Ghost - one of my favorite edits I made this year, we have fun garashir edit to "Summer Skin" by Death Cab for Cutie - love to occasionally really lean into causing people (fun, artistic) pain and suffering and to make an edit aiming for the pain. Also whenever I chop up songs to match the pacing of a vid that I want (did this on the Metric vid and the My Time vid as well) I get to feel capable as an audio editor, which I sure usually do not because balancing dialogue against music is pretty tricky April: fancam? transition-heavy? styled Kira edit to "Crystals" by isolate.exe - I am not experienced with this style of edit and still have a lot to learn so it doesn't work for me as well as I would like but there are still a lot of aspects of it I do like and we have fun. This was one of the edits I used tracking with on the captions (because that is a popular thing to do in that style) and I'm not sure it fully worked for me but hey, trying things! I am really pleased with how the one small section of Kira fighting turned out. Jadzia and Julian edit to "The Persistence of Loss" by Nine Inch Nails - pain

May: simple + very short Ezri and Jadzia edit to part of "Dissolved Girl" by Massive Attack - this was very simple to make and I don't have much to say about it but I think it does what I wanted it to! June: Damar/Weyoun edit to "Shadow" by Sidewalks and Skeletons + Goo Monday - this is another one of my fav edits I made this year (liking darkwave may be a factor, or maybe I just vibe extra strongly with the music and make better edits as a result), also the other instance of using tracking on the captions which I don't think fully works but. I love using the "cyberpunk" capcut filter on Weyoun stuff—I did on the January NIN one too. Purple! July: Weyoun 6 edit to "Apple" by Charli xcx - I don't think I was using the cyberpunk filter here. My fav default filter in capcut (as someone who does not always use filters depending on the show etc, especially historically) for DS9 footage is "Snack," nice contrast and vibrancy boost, so it might've been that. Happy with it! Armand edit to an edited version of "wutiwant" by sauraunh0ly done by trendformusic - not much to say about this but I'm pretty happy with it! I did some extra-fast cuts playing with doubletime and the music's syncopation at one point in the vid that I personally like! December: Gul Dukat edit to "Sympathy is a knife" by Charli xcx - I suppose my only full song-length edit for the year. Pretty pleased with it and amused myself while making it which is fun! Maaaybe my fav edit I made? But that's probably helped by the space using a full song gives as far as the story or whatevs I want to tell with an edit, shot timing, etc. This one might be the one I'm the most proud of and the qunt edit might be my fav.

Fic

January: Couple of chapter updates (I think I did 4 and 5 pretty much together) to with hope in your hands [WIP], I still think about this fic often and do intend to finish it eventually!

March:

Julian and Quark, one of Quark's holosuites - in response to a selection by the_last_dillpickle as part of the rare pair ficlet game created by stuffedtiger (not @ing folks given that this is reflectiontime4me). E for oo-mox babey. I don't think I have thoughts really, I'm pretty fine with how it turned out! Writing is hard and writing smut is especially a challenge but we have fun.

December: agent handling [WIP] - E rated Sloan/Garak fic for the 2024 Sloan Fuh-Q Fest. I posted the first (short!) chapter of a 2 chapter fic because I didn't want to miss the deadline. I was hoping to get the full thing up before the end of the year. That didn't happen but I am hoping to finish it soon!

I have many vid and fic WIPs so will post some of them in 2025 at least!

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sukirichi · 1 year ago

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cly’s raw reactions pt 2 !!

this MIGHT be a series in ur asks 🥸🥸 I’M HAVING TOO MUCH FUN OK the adrenaline ur stories give me drive me crazy

1) I WAS SOSOSOSO HAPPY at the start i REALLY thought it was real... then YN SAYS ITS A DREAM?? SUKI 💔 it’s like a jab directly to my heart omfg i thought they were finally GONNA FUCKKKK 😞😞😞 anw the part where kiyoomi says “then you shall always have me” is my favorite part 💯💯 he’s so slick w it and everything

2) whenever rintarou js appears i feel a vein popping out my forehead like just go away pls WE DONT NEED YOU HERE ANYMORE BOOOO all that love i had for him from the previous chapters js vanished. omi >> rin ANY DAY n i pray to god that suna doesn’t go ahead and foil any of the princess’ plans bcs i will be even MORE upset at him if he does istg i don’t think my heart can take this

3) i’m on the edge of my seat to see iris’ downfall OMG i hope yn takes everything from her ESPECIALLY kiyoomi and rin! i’m really curious abt her though, like she’s such an enigma... now i’m curious if yn’s going to find anything about her when they have to hang out around each other as per the queen’s duties... 🤔🤔 but i can already FEEL the way i’ll be SEETHING whenever she makes any passive aggressive remarks omgmrbfsjs i might die

also i feel so bad for tobio, he deserves the world </3 i hope everyone in the story except for rin iris & the queen get a happy ending (ok maybe tsumu too), NONE of them deserve the pain they’re going thru rn!!

again, TY FOR THE FOOD SUKI UR THE BEST 🩷🩷🩷

omg hello ! and HAHAHA no worries, i get so ecstatic reading through everyone’s asks and seeing their reactions so i love this 🥹

no fr i need yn to get down and get with omi already !! this isn’t even slow burn anymore. them crushing on each other and mutually thinking the other couldn’t possibly be interested makes me wanna rip my hair out. AND him saying “then you shall always have me” ugh i swear he’ll be saying the most suggestive or romantic things ever right after saying “i’m not in love with you though 🤓☝️”

not the vein popping omg 😭 iris though well . . . she can’t hide all her secrets from kuroo, especially when he was paid so handsomely. he’ll dig up everything to ruin her ;) and yes to happy endings for most of the characters !! i plan on doing one shot spin off’s for the other princes after dtd just so we can see how they’ve been doing after the dtd timeline and i’m !! excited !! and thank you so much too, this was really sweet of you and i appreciate the effort of taking the time to send me an ask 🥹💓

#asks with naoya's trophy wife #series: dusk till dawn #long ask

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angst-is-love-angst-is-life · 7 months ago

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1. Between Zoom and Eobard Thawne, who do you think gives Barry the best whump? Or is there another villain who you think does it better?

2. If you were given complete directorial control over The Flash, would you change anything and if so, what?

3. What’s your favorite food?

Put under a cut because this got long.

1. Ooo great question!

I’m ngl I went through like five different versions of trying to methodically figure out who provided the ‘best’ whump, but all of them were inconclusive. So I’ll just say:

When it comes to emotional whump, Eobard can’t be beaten. OG Nora’s death underlies pretty much all of the Thawne-caused whump and good gods does that give us some great scenes. Barry’s confrontation with him in the pipeline at the beginning of the S1 finale, the video message in his will from 2x01, the OTHER confrontation in the pipeline in 2x11, pretty much every scene with them in 3x01, yet another confrontation separated by glass at the end of 5x18, and there is more but those are the most notable to me.

Eobard provides some ~decent~ physical whump but not much that’s particularly memorable for me, ya know? I like those scenes, most notably the fights in 1x09 and 1x23— oh good gods, I almost forgot 2x17. (I’d consider the time vault scene {you know the one} to be physical whump considering he has Barry restrained and threatens to / is about to kill him. But really, the whump in that scene is a whole nother category. Psychological, almost. On both sides.). But yea, with the exception of 2x17, I like the physical whump from Eo, but I don’t love it.

Onto Zoom! Which means we’re saying hello to my worst friend; bias! (Look, I really tried to keep it out but good gods I just love the Zoom-caused whump I’m sorry).

I’m starting with each whumper’s strength so for Zoom it is, of course, physical whump. Man, do I even have to say anything about this one? Prob not but I’m gonna anyways because I want to. The ‘fight’ at the end of 2x06… Best physical whump in the show. No contest, nothing ever came close. He captures Barry at the end of 2x13, tortures him {if only for around 18 seconds iirc but it counts}, and keeps him captured for nearly the entire episode. …ok fine 2x06 carries Zoom in this category but that episode rewired my brain so whoopdeedoo bias.

While Zoom wasn’t present for it, the aftermath of his attack in 2x07 was very good emotional whump (even if there should have been more because that trauma does not just go away with one pep talk, CW :|). The scene where he threatens Barry after capturing him at the end of 2x13 will always give me whumperflies, as well as similar scenes in 2x14. Barry’s visible distress in those scenes is just so nice :) . And ofc, he kills Barry’s dad in front of him and in the same place Eobard killed his mom; delicious whump. And jfc, he just kept kidnapping Barry’s loved ones. I know that affects more than just Barry but it’s gotta count for something.

Before I finish; quick shoutout to Ramsey/Bloodwork for the best emotional whump in this entire show. It was, in part, Barry’s own mind helping him know what to do but he still caused SEVERE mental distress that was and is truly painful to watch (in a good way ofc).

Conclusion: Zoom’s my personal favorite, straight up. But closer to objectively speaking, I think Thawne’s the best mainly because of his lingering presence throughout the show. Also, he really does have some excellent scenes, and the advantage of far more seasons of screentime compared to Zoom. More than anything, Barry said it himself; “I could throw him three centuries from now. He’ll always be a part of me.” You can’t beat that.

2. Yes. A Lot. But I’m not qualified to rewrite the entire show so I’ll cover some things off the top of my head.

Season 1: Remove the cheating in 1x15, as well as Joe refusing to give Eddie his blessing to marry Iris. Oh, and have Iris know that Barry’s The Flash way sooner because that was sexist bs.

Season 2: No Snowjay. Nope. It’s gone. Caitlin is left to grieve her husband in peace. Speaking of, her and Iris can support each other through that process and get closer through it (because we NEEDED focus on female friendships/relationships ffs). <- Double speaking of, Linda doesn’t leave and her friendship with Iris is focused on more (maybe some early hints at Walinda like the comics?). Since Snowjay is gone hallefuckinlujah that leaves room for ‘Jay’ to actually mentor Barry and for them to get closer so the betrayal hurts more (and for poor Barry to think he finally has a mentor that actually cares about him and isn’t evil…). Actual focus on the TRAUMA that everyone has suffered. Barry’s post traumatic symptoms after 2x06 being addressed. Harry triggering Cisco with the RF suit being treated seriously and not as a joke. Pretty much everyone’s dealing with shit from the singularity. JESSE’S TRAUMA. FROM EVERYTHING. An absolutely necessary and relevant creative decision— have Barry look a little more battered and bruised by the time rescue comes in 2x14 :) . My braincells are slipping. Change Zoom’s plan in 2x23. He doesn’t want to destroy the multiverse; he wants to conquer it (he literally said that. Idk why they changed it.). The race can stay, maybe change it so powering up the macguffin will create a stable wormhole that can take you to anywhere in the multiverse or smth. Just no multiversal destruction. Also, Wally and Jesse are not coming to that race. Double also; no putting Barry in the pipeline in the finale. Overall, this season’s gonna be focused on platonic relationships and (dealing with) trauma. My two favorite things.

Season 3: *sighs* Well I’m changing most stuff about Savitar’s storyline. For one, it just doesn’t make sense, and it also solves the problem of Iris’ main storyline being about her being saved from fridging. Scrap the cult stuff. Don’t kill Dante; let Cisco and him rekindle their relationship, come on now. What would I do with Savitar instead? Not sure. But it wouldn’t be whatever the real writers came up with I’ll tell you that much.

Season 4: *sighs again* If we’re doing the damn therapy, we’re doing it RIGHT. Can I get rid of Devoe? I hate him so much. For now I’ll leave him but make him 70% less annoying. No split personality for Caitlin. Cecile loses her powers after having Jenna. Iris and Barry either have an uninterrupted wedding ceremony, or an Olicity-free actual wedding {meaning Olicity doesn’t interrupt like they did in canon}. Either is good. Amunet is not treated as silly and/or sympathetic {backstory’s fine on its own but the way the show treated her gave me the ick}. She’s literally a human trafficker could we NOT.

Season 5: *heavy sigh* Cicada does not get a half-assed redemption. I remember literally nothing about this season. Oh, let Nora kiss a woman (in full view of the camera. No blurring or angle tricks.). I don’t know when or how but this is required. Oh, but since I hadn’t mentioned it yet, everyone on Team Flash is canonically queer, and this is mentioned if not straight up utilized.

Season 6: *double heavy sigh* Must. Fix. Crisis. I don’t know how but I need to do it. Again, I hardly remember anything it’s been a long time.

Season 7: *high pitched scream* Mark Blaine can exist. But he is forbidden from removing his shirt even once. Also he’s a side villain and doesn’t get enough screentime for a redemption. All MCs affected by the Mirrorverse have their trauma addressed. Gotta fix everything with the Forces and Godspeed. I don’t even know where to start I’m sorry. CISCO DOESN’T LEAVE.

Season 8: *cries* No Iris time sickness. That was stupid, went nowhere, and a shitty way to keep Iris out of episodes :| . Whatever happened with Thawne at the end and his ugly ass suit? Yeah bye. Again, I don’t know how to fix everything but I know what to get rid of.

Season 9: *screams and cries and sighs and dies* goodbye Red Death. There’s not enough damn episodes for a two big bad season. I’ve talked about this before: have all of the villains be brought back and team up near or at the beginning of the season. And yes, mlp style, we get a villain focused episode. Additionally, the villains have an actual plan and not just ‘run off and try to kill whomever’. Also, the negative speedforce brought them back; not Eddie. Eddie’s alive again but he’d much rather be with Barry and Iris than join up with the Legion of Assholes. Yes, Westhallen is endgame and canon. And when the villains are defeated, it is by either Barry alone or accompanied by his family (found and not) of other SPEEDSTERS. And jfc they won’t go down after one hit like whatever canon did.

There’s definitely more but like I said; this was just off the top of my head.

Can’t pick so I give you a few: Steak, Chocolate Marshmallows from Sees Candies, or maybe pizza. Basically anything that doesn’t hurt my stomach🥲

#long post #asks #anon asks #I stayed up so late crap

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