#and before you say 'jaime. why don't you just quit' i can't i'm in too deep i'll get whacked

[batemanofficial]

[joanna-lannister]

[Another old ask I've drafted that I can't edit so I'll reply to it that way.]

i love when they use the "she slept with other men, she doesn't love him" card, the underlying slut-shaming behind it is at its finest here 😍 

But seriously, it shows the lack of comprehension they have for her character. She doesn't do it because she wants to, she does it because she sees it as the only way to gain power or protect herself and her family. Lancel? Used him to kill Trashbag Robert before he learned the truth about her and Jaime. The Kettlebacks? I don't remember quite why, but it's for the same reasons said above, to have some power thus protecting herself and her family. And those scenes are borderline rape.

And we have also Euron in the show (pretty sure he will have a role in the books too), she does it because she has no other choice to keep him as an ally, and she was COERCED into having sex with him. —I could honestly write a big post about how she starts to realize after S7 how power doesn't give her what she wants but whatever...— Anyway, Cersei uses her sexuality as a weapon, she said it herself. That's what she has been taught as a woman in the patriarcal society that is Westeros: men fight with swords, women fight with their good looks. Yet, this is not something that she truly enjoys, "It's only good with Jaime." from the books. Cersei doesn't equate sexuality with romantic love.

Now for proof that she loves Jaime, I'm not a books specialist so I'm not the best person to reply to that question (and I don't have quotes in mind right now so RIP), but when she dreams of her husband, she dreams of Jaime. When she is held captive by the High Sparrow, who does she ask for help? Jaime. He is her knight in shining armor. He is also the father of her children. She actively chose to bear his children, despite the risk for their lives. Also, she mentions how her twin is the only one to whom she shows her weaknesses.

As for the show, oh lord, her protectiveness and concerns about him shine more than in the books imo. When he is held captive by the Starks, she tells Joffrey, voice full of worry, "His life is in danger." (2x01). She asks Tywin if they are doing everything they can to get him back (S3, I'm not sure which episode). And then we have the famous scene in 6x06, where Jaime threatens to kill the High Sparrow, and Cersei replies, "But if you kill the High Sparrow, you won't leave the sept alive. And without you, this is all for nothing." She is actively trying to protect him here. (And I'd argue she was trying to protect him by using Lancel to kill Robert and also by not telling her plans with the Golden Company.) We have also their reunion in 8x05, the world is crumbling around them, Cersei has lost everything yet, she only cares about the fact he is hurt. Seeing him hurt and bleeding is the apex of those concerns. She has failed somewhat to protect him.

Anyway, all of this to say, Cersei loves Jaime. She is just more subtle than him because she knows the risk for their lives and their children. And when she is finally Queen Regnant, when she has somewhat power, she lets go of those fears and let the world knows about them (7x03).

I'm not sure if it replied to your question, but I hope it helped a bit!

Oh, and I'm sorry for the very very very LATE answer. 😔 I promise I try to do my best to reply now.

[imnobodyuknow]

AI Kyoko Kirigiri (by oida)

***Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc Spoilers Ahead***

Kyoko: … My name is…Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. Other than that, I don't like to reveal much about myself if I don't need to.

Me: Fair enough. My name is Jaimes, and that's all I plan to share at the moment. A pleasure.

Kyoko: It's also a pleasure to meet you, Jaimes. May I ask what is your talent?

Me: My…talent?

Kyoko: Yes, I presume you're a participant of the school's program as well? Thus, you definitely have a talent.

Me: Oh! No, no, I'm just here to observe. Sorry I didn't mention that.

Kyoko: Oh, I see now. That's quite alright. So, are you interested in seeing how things work around here and just observing what the other students do?

Me: Pretty much. I'm also prepared to handle any…unexpected situations.

Kyoko: Unexpected situations, you say? That's very interesting… so, let's see… How would you handle a situation if, for example, somebody went on a killing spree?

Me: I'd do whatever it took to stop them, most likely using a weapon.

Kyoko: That's a very noble yet dangerous task in my opinion. So, you're not afraid to put yourself in danger and risk your life to stop a murderer?

Me: I've never attempted it, but I certainly hope not.

Kyoko: So, in other words, it's not a situation you have encountered before, but you would be willing to do it if it was necessary… correct?

Me: Correct. I don't suppose you had any specific person in mind when you said "killing spree"?

Kyoko: No, that was just a hypothetical example. I suppose you're thinking of someone specific right now, though?

Me: I suspect everyone, pretty much. You can't be too careful in a school like this one.

Kyoko: That's true. In a program like this one, with so many talented students being put in the same environment, the risk for dangerous behavior or violent actions always increases. So, I can see why you suspect everyone. And how do you plan on identifying the actual culprit, if there is one?

Me: I'd do what I needed to in order to identify them. I suppose I might enlist your help, if you'd be willing.

Kyoko: I would be more than happy to aid you in any way necessary. I do believe that two heads are better than one when it comes to solving a difficult case and identifying the culprit.

Me: Agreed. So, have you had a chance to meet all the other students yet?

Kyoko: I have met some but not all of them. There are a lot of people, and not all of them seem very open or talkative. Some are just like me, while others are more social and eager to talk. In fact, I believe there are some students I still haven't met yet. What about you? Have you met all the participants?

Me: Indeed, though just briefly. There was one who seemed a bit…off, but I couldn't really explain how.

Kyoko: Who was that person? Was he or she perhaps behaving oddly? Was their attitude strange perhaps? I can tell that you were definitely suspicious of them for a reason.

Me: It's the fashionista girl, Ms. Enoshima. It might just be my imagination, but she sounded like she was putting on an act.

Kyoko: I assume you mean Junko Enoshima? Yes, actually, she does have some really weird tendencies and sometimes it's hard to know if it's all pretend or if she's genuinely like that. I agree, she seems like she's putting on an act, but who knows? She might actually be like that. She's certainly very unusual.

Me: Yep. Then again, I suppose that's normal in such a diverse group of students.

Kyoko: It is indeed. With all of these different talents, personalities and ways of behaving are bound to be weird at times. But it's certainly interesting to see and observe all of those qualities and people interacting with each other.

Me: Indeed. There was another student who also surprised me, but in a good way.

Kyoko: Oh? What student are you talking about exactly? What made them surprise you in a good way? I suppose you mean that they're behaving pleasantly and aren't too suspicious compared to the others, right?

Me: Yeah. It's the kid with the messy hair. What's his name… Makoto?

Kyoko: I believe you're talking about Makoto Naegi, the Ultimate Lucky Student, right? He is a pretty nice and sweet fellow overall. So it's surprising how normal he can stay no matter the circumstance and what the people around him are like.

Me: It is. And that's precisely what I noticed about him -- he's one of the friendliest people I've ever met. I'd sure love to meet his family.

Kyoko: Yeah, he can be really friendly and sweet. That does make me curious though - what made you wonder about his family specifically? I mean, how does he act that makes you want to meet them?

Me: Well, he's just got the sort of personality that makes you enjoy talking to him. I'd love to know if his parents and sister are the same way.

Kyoko: I see. It would certainly be interesting to meet and talk to his family members. It's quite possible that he inherited his personality and talent from one of them, so it would be wonderful if they are indeed as friendly and talkative as he is.

Me: Yeah. I just hope he can handle himself among the less polite students here.

Kyoko: That is a reasonable concern. I hope too that he can handle himself among them and won't get influenced by their behaviors too much. I like his personality the way it is, so I don't want him to change too much because of the others.

Me: Me neither. He seems like the kind of person who assumes the best of others. Kind of the opposite of me and you.

Kyoko: Yes, he definitely seems to be a lot more optimistic and trusting than both of us. I guess that's just part of his personality trait and his optimism can be a strength or a weakness depending on the situation, right?

Me: Indeed. I doubt I'll be enlisting his help should things get out of hand, but you never know.

Kyoko: I see… So, you are trusting me more than him when it comes to handling dangerous situations. Is there a specific reason for that?

Me: You seem more stoic and suspicious than he does is all.

Kyoko: Well, it is true that I'm more suspicious and less trusting than him. I prefer relying on myself rather than asking help from others, especially when it comes to dangerous situations that can get ugly at any time. I believe that someone who is calm, collected and calculated is usually better at handling certain problems.

Me: I do, too. Heh… I just thought of something funny.

Kyoko: Oh? What is it?

Me: Wouldn't it be something if he and you ended up working together to solve some problem?

Kyoko: Heh heh… That would be quite something indeed. And honestly, if he is as much of an optimistic person as you say he is, I don't doubt that he probably thinks and expects most people around him to be that way too… Including me. It might be a bit of a shock for him to discover that not everyone is like him in that sense. But yes, that would be something for sure if he and I ever ended up working together.

Me: We'll just have to hope his Ultimate Luck holds out.

Kyoko: Yes, I do hope so. Though, if things go south, I will still do everything I can to keep everyone safe and prevent any serious disasters from happening. And while some people may look up to him or admire him for his personality and optimism, I believe that sometimes being very optimistic is also really dangerous. You should never assume that nothing will go wrong when dealing with dangerous situations.

Me: Spoken like a true Ultimate Detective.

Kyoko: Haha, thank you. But I feel like this is just common sense. After all, being too optimistic is a kind of weakness that should not be overlooked.

Me: Indeed. That being said, I do feel somewhat optimistic about the future for most of the students here. Their lives are about to change in some eye-opening ways.

Kyoko: The future indeed holds great promises for many of these talented young students. Some might change for the better and become even more skilled and talented, while others might take a dark path and ruin their own futures and talents. I suppose it's a part of the experiment - to see how successful they are and how they handle the pressure of this environment.

Me: Yep. Not to mention how they'll be able to handle the real world.

Kyoko: Oh yes, I believe that's an important aspect as well. It's crucial to see how the students will handle the real world, because once they leave this environment there will be no more limitations or safety measures. They'll be all on their own and it can certainly be quite the shocking experience to face the real world directly after being under this special supervision and guidance.

Me: Tell me about it. I used to be the clueless, unassuming type myself.

Kyoko: I see, so you can understand exactly what I mean then. Did something happen to you that made you become skeptical and vigilant?

Me: I had an unfortunate experience with my first job, you might say. It wasn't long before I started hating it.

Kyoko: I understand… So, your past experience made you change mentally and become the person you are now, am I right?

Me: Yep. That's the silver lining, I suppose you could say.

Kyoko: Yeah, even bad experiences sometimes hold some positive aspects and effects to help us grow and get better in certain ways. In your case, it helped you develop into a skeptical and vigilant person, which is something that could become very useful in a dangerous and unpredictable environment such as this one.

Me: I'm glad you feel that way. My intuition tells me things are going to get very unpredictable around here.

Kyoko: You're absolutely right. This school is designed to put pressure on the students. With all of the talents around here, it's almost guaranteed that a lot of unexpected things will happen.

Me: Yep. smiles at Kyoko In any case, I'll be praying for your success, Ms. Kirigiri. The world can use more people like yourself.

Kyoko: smiles back at Jaimes I'm flattered by your kind words. I'll make sure to do my best in order to succeed. And don't worry, I'll try to make sure that no one comes to any serious harm around here.

Me: Just do what you can. Even the best of us don't always succeed. Best of luck!

Kyoko: I know… Sometimes things don't always go the way we expect them to, even when we're highly prepared or skilled. I guess sometimes that's just the way life is, unpredictable and uncertain. But thank you again for your encouragement and support. I'll do what I can so that everything turns out all right.

Me: So will I. Take care, Ms. Kirigiri.

Kyoko: And you take care of yourself too, Jaimes. bows slightly and walks away

Me: calls out to Kyoko Oh, one more thing.

Kyoko: turns around Yes? What's the matter?

Me: talks quietly Keep an eye on Junko for me, would you?

Kyoko: nods Of course I will. She does seem a bit suspicious to me… I'll observe her and see if I can find out something more about her.

Me: Thanks. smiles

Kyoko: No problem. I'll make sure to keep an eye on her and let you know if I find out anything interesting.

Me: Great! Talk to you later.

Kyoko: Right, see you later.

[redabeliz]

Ok so I started watching Game of Thrones for the first time in my life 4 days ago and accidentally binged it here's my opinions on characters so far (finished s2) unfiltered by The Fandom

Ned - was a great man, I feel so complicated abt his relationship with Cat and his unknown relationship with Jon's mom cuz the way he gets a far away look when talking abt her to Robert makes it feel like he is either super guilty abt it or he cared for her much more than he ever cared for Cat. Bro was so dumb for trying to save Cersei and her bastard kids. Myrcella and Tommen seem nice enough but two nice incest babies doesn't make the one that's killing the entirety of Westeros any better

Cat - so cool love love love, I hate how she doesn't have much agency and when she does it's to release Jaime??? I should probably rewatch the episode tho bc I'm watching the show at work (13hr shifts so I walk away a lot without pausing and get spoiled before rewinding) bc i just dont understand her thought process. I feel so terrible that she doesn't even know if any of her kids besides Robb are alive but freeing Jaime is NOT gonna help imo

Robb - every time I look at him I think abt how similar he looks to Jon like they could be twins dude. He needs to quit having a relationship w that one nurse girl cuz this is war and the only thing that comes from showing the world that you love someone BEFORE YOU WIN is that they need to kill her. Idk how they're gonna do it but she's gonna die. But he's doing so well as the leader of winterfell and I love how Sean Bean lives on in the show and everything he did had meaning and his death wasn't for nothing. Anyways Robb's gonna be a great king but he's totally probably gonna get fucked over by David Bradley and/or his millions of kids

Jon - pretty boring storyline I'm sad to say. It feels soooo slow when he gets on screen. The baby thing was interesting and so is the Pale Man (I'm sure he has a scary name but I wasn't paying attention too well). He IS an interesting character at least his backstory I mean and in relation to Ned and Cat

Sansa - poor sweet girl I cry for her everytime she's on screen can't somebody save her she's like 13 Cersei let her freeeeee. Her actress is so good btw, I really didn't like how she had a crush on Joffrey so quickly but she paid for it when Lady died and continues to pay for having a silly innocent little school girl crush on the worst person to ever be born

Arya - her storyline is the most stressful, like she has a higher chance of dying than anyone else in her family. I do hope her and Gendry can be friends, he already seems like an older brother to her just like assassin guy

Bran & Rickon - I forgot rickon existed a lot. I actually forgot if Bran got his memory back, not like it matters since everyone knows Cersei and Jaime be fuckin. Anyways I'm sure Bran's gonna walk again due to magic or whatever idk why the First One girl is helping him instead of abandoning them too I got soooo stressed when I thought Bran and Rickon died that I didn't realize the farmers kids had died

Theon - rn I wanna shake him around cuz tf bro why would you burn and hang the dead bodies of ANYONE. I have a very black and white way of seeing things so I cannot ever forgive him for the kids sakes and a couple measly gold coins isn't gonna bring the kids back. I really don't care for him or his storyline anymore I thought he was funny with his "Oh I'm such an alpha male, women should fall at my feet cuz imma be king of the world!" Only to get thrown into reality when his sister has more of a right to the throne than he does

Robert - bro should've never gone hunting istg so much would've helped if he survived AND I THINK ACTUALLY THAT THAT OLD MAN DIDNT TREAT HIS WOUNDS SINCE HE PLEDGED AN OATHE TO TYWIN LANNISTER AND SOLD OUT ARYS ROBERT AND TYRION

Cersei - someone said she thinks in the BIG big picture and that doesn't make sense bc shes going out of her way to try and save Jaime from the Starks while trying to deny accusations of their incest. In a way her being such a terrible person makes me like Jaime because of the fact I doubt it was his idea to never interact with those kids. I keep forgetting their his kids too bc of the fact he's never around them or talks to them. Also her killing Jon Arryn was so stupid.

Joffrey - I saw a video on tiktok abt "the kind of person who watches the show from the wrong side" where the guy loves Joffrey and everything he does BEFORE I got to the part where he abused the two sex workers and ran away from a war he caused

Tyrion - he deserves happiness but Shae deserves to be free and now that Cersei is sus of her she's in so much danger. I don't think theyre gonna last and I'm gonna be so sad. I sincerely can't tell if Shae likes him or not and I feel like he's being suuuuper toxic by locking her up when he could've just let her be. When wartime came I was so impressed by him he was so cool. Truly one of the only good, if not THE best Lannister.

Brienne of Tarth - 🫰🫂🤌🗣❤️‍🔥💏🧎💞🙇🫦💘💌💋🫶💝😘🤩🥰😍🤗😚 pls notice me and all I could do for you, Queen

[nitewrighter]

Could we see Rei introducing Aedan to Midori Rider: Moonsaber? It definitely seems like it’d like skyrim or BOTW where it retains its popularity for YEARS after it’s release.

Referring to this fic, and continuing off of this ficlet, because I miss Marti and Jaime, too.

---

Marti was pulling holo-processors out of her backpack and setting them up at the dining table as Jaime pretty much inhaled the last of the soup. Both had shed their heavier coats and boots, but were still in their snow pants, making soft 'sszzh' sounds as they walked.

"So I take it we're delaying the Grand Mesa recon until the weather lightens up?" Aedan was holding up his own comms, wondering if Marti's gear could amplify a blizzard-smothered signal.

"Can't have a recon mission if you can't see anything," said Marti.

"What's the word from Ashe?" asked Rei.

"Talon's been arming some rival biker gangs to try and elbow Deadlock out, but it seems more like a 'keep them occupied' move than a real threat." said Jaime, scraping brothy lentils from the side of his bowl with his spoon, "Null Sector's been a little too quiet for her liking, but it's not like you can really act on what isn't happening so..." he shrugged before sticking the spoon in his mouth. "And she still says no to a full-on alliance, not that Dadsidy would be too keen on that, anyway."

"Dadsidy," Marti repeated.

"As opposed to Dadzo, we've been over this," said Jaime, taking his bowl to the sink.

"Well yeah, but I just call my aunties 'my aunties' and I was adopted way earlier than you so I don't really get how you're jumping to 'dad'--"

"'Dads plural. They know which dad by context."

At this point Aedan was busying himself with washing out the saucepan, and now Jaime's bowl, at the sink while Rei was digging around for bedding materials.

"--even though you've only been here--" Marti cut herself off as one of her processors pinged and she leaned over the holo-screen, "Contact with Gibraltar re-established," Marti muttered, tapping at a keyboard, "Sending the message about the weather delay on the recon now."

"I mean I'd say it's 50/50. Or maybe just 33% all around. They're both really into the dad thing," said Jaime, but Marti was only half-listening as she tapped at the holo-keyboard.

Marti's holo-console pinged again and she typed a few keys in. "'Sit tight, sending satellite data'" she read.

Rei glanced at the window rattling with the wind.

"Soooo sleepover, then?" she said, glancing at the others, already holding a pile of well-worn crocheted blankets and comforters.

"Looks like it," said Marti, "At least until the weather clears up."

"Someone's gotta keep an eye on you two," said Jaime.

Aedan swore in Irish as a bunch of water splashed up from a spoon in the sink and Jaime snorted.

"Jaime--" Marti started, exasperated.

"What? Are we going to act like this isn't the fuck-cabin?"

"Oh my god--" Rei threw the blankets on the couch and huffed off out of the living room.

"Did you have to say that?!" said Aedan.

"I thought it was obvious," said Jaime.

"For the sake of professionalism and the mission I'm ordering you both to call it the supplies cache," said Marti, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

"Yes ma'am," said Jaime, sullenly, but then he perked up, "Wait did something happen?!"

"Nothing happened--" Aedan rolled his eyes.

"We literally walked in with her on top of you--"

"Yes, and she was groaning about how much she hated that people called it the Fuck-Cabin."

"Hence why I'm ordering you two idiots to call it the supplies cache!" Marti snapped.

"Sorry, Marti," Aedan and Jaime said at the same time.

"Well, if you're all quite done, it's time to stake out your sleeping spots," said Rei, walking back in with pillows under her arms and tossing one at Jaime, "Then we can get a bit more settled in." A half-smile tugged at Aedan's mouth. For the most part it was clear Rei took after her dad more than her mom, but she definitely had her moments where she seemed like a younger Mercy.

"...you took the best bunk again, didn't you," said Jaime.

"Mm-hmm," Rei blew some stray hair out of her face.

"...Fair," said Jaime.

"Satellite data says the blizzard won't blow over for at least another seven hours," Marti murmured. She rifled through her backpack and pulled out her spider drone. "Guess I can refine Ebo's code in the meantime."

"Do you ever relax?" Jaime was shimmying out of his snow pants at this point.

"If we're stuck somewhere, I'd rather be productive," Marti shrugged, "What else are we supposed to do? Play cards?"

Jaime pulled a small card deck from the snow pants now around his ankles. Marti rolled her eyes a little and pulled down her goggles over her eyes as she plugged her spider drone into the holo-console's projector and got to work.

"...you just carry cards on you at all times," Aedan said flatly.

"Yeah, to practice," Jaime demonstratively held the card deck next to his face, snapped his fingers, and the four of hearts seemingly magically flipped to the king of clubs.

"Impressive," said Rei.

"Why, though?" said Aedan.

"In case I ever have to go undercover as a magician--because it's fun, Aedan," Jaime rolled his eyes before glancing back down at the deck. "I wish Samir was here..." he murmured, shuffling the deck mindlessly "He could hard-light us up some poker chips."

"And you'd cheat," said Aedan, toweling his hands off.

"You wouldn't know it," Jaime gave that wolfish grin.

"I've got a better idea," said Rei, briskly walking off again.

"I'm not doing board games," Jaime called after her.

"It's not board games!" Rei called back.

"It's board games," Jaime said looking back at Aedan, "Probably one of those board games that takes forty minutes to explain and then you're still explaining while you're playing..."

"I like those board games," said Marti, not looking up from her drone, her eyes obscured by glowing goggles.

"Wait, seriously?" Jaime looked at her.

"Ahhh! Yes! I knew I still had this!" Rei hurried in with a video game console under one arm, dusting it off with her sleeve.

"Oh, so you donated your console to the fuck-cabin before giving it to your beloved adopted orphan cousin," said Jaime, folding his arms.

"Jaime!" said Rei, exasperated.

"Supplies cache, whatever," Jaime shrugged.

"Yes," said Rei, "Because we switched to the newer console before you came, and also, I knew the day would come when I could introduce a lucky few to... Midori Rider: Moonsaber." She held up the game's box displaying the titular sentai hero against a post-apocalyptic landscape.

The other three looked at her blankly.

"Midori Rider: Moonsaber?" Rei said again, gesturing with the box, "Midori Rider's greatest video game adaptation?"

"It is?" Jaime tilted his head.

"Okay maybe it got panned because some old school fans thought the post-apocalypse thing was too much of a departure from Midori Rider's usual adventures--but that's what makes it a cult classic!" Rei insisted.

"Ohhh that's right! I think you've mentioned this a couple times," Aedan folded his arms. "I'd love to play."

"Yeah, fire it up," said Jaime plopping down on the cabin's well-worn couch.

Rei connected the game console to the cabin's very outdated holo-projector and an excited breathy laugh fell out of her as the screen lit up with the familiar console launch screen, then the Midori Rider: Moonsaber title screen. Marti glanced up from her work on her drone, pushing her goggles up onto her forehead with some curiosity. Whether it was for the game, or cannibalizing the console for her own tinkering, it wasn't clear.

"Aedan made dinner so he gets 'going first' privileges," Rei tossed the controller over to Aedan, "Also boyfriend privileges."

Aedan gave a short snort as he selected 'New Game' on the screen. Rei sat very close to him as the opening cutscene and music started playing, her head swiveling quickly from everything happening on the holoscreen to looking back at Aedan to try and gauge his reaction. Aedan reddened a bit under the scrutiny. Marti watched the opening cutscene, then after a few minutes pulled her goggles back down and resumed fiddling and coding and poking at her drone. Jaime resigned himself to a third wheel position on the couch, occasionally practicing with his card deck when Aedan and Rei got a bit too involved with each other. Rei was caught between backseat driving Aedan and eagerly talking about all of the Midori Rider lore easter eggs hidden throughout the game, and sometimes steering Aedan towards a lore easter egg. The cutscenes were interesting enough to draw Jaime's attention up just to keep up with what was going on, and the stylization of the environment had aged pretty well considering the game was over a decade old. It really was one of those games that was as interesting to watch as it was to play, and honestly, he was so used to Rei being sick of his shit or assigning herself the role of older-cousin-despite-being-the-same-age, that it was kind of fun to see her get all passionate and geeky--even if it was tinged with her being annoyingly clingy with her clone-boyfriend.

But finally Aedan seemed to remember that Jaime existed, even with Rei lavishing all this attention on him, and at the next cutscene said, "Hey---you should have a turn."

As he said this, a massive explosion happened in the cutscene, and Midori Rider achingly pulled himself up from the dusty ground, his pained coughs muffled by his mantis-like helmet. "Oh no..." Midori Rider staggered a few steps forward to look at the shelled-out wreckage of his motorcycle.

"Guess I'm on foot from here..." Midori Rider rasped.

"Oh come on, you can't give me the controller after losing the motorcycle!" Jaime started.

"You get a better one later?" said Rei with a shrug.

"But I just watched Aedan get to ride around slashing people with a sword from the motorcycle!" said Jaime.

"Oh..." Rei said quietly, "Well um... this part gets you way more used to the crafting system, at least."

"Crafting system?!" Jaime huffed and flopped back against the cushions before drawing in an inhale through his nostrils. "Okay, clearly we're stuck in the 'grind' portion of the game, and if Marti said we only have seven hours here, I'm just going to load up one of these other save files," said Jaime, saving and exiting to the title screen.

"Well, the first save file is just the save point before the final boss--" Rei started, "And--and you don't want the second save file. I..." Rei seemed to think for a second, "I totally botched that one. No health packs and you're stuck in a totally shitty area of the map--"

"Eh I can handle a challenge," Jaime shrugged and selected the file, "Just run like hell until you make it to a slightly more salvageable area, right?"

Jaime hit the second save file and Aedan couldn't help but notice that all color drained from Rei's face as he did so.

"I'm tired," said Rei at the loading screen, "Is anyone else tired? We should be well-rested when the blizzard lets up--"

Her words died in her throat as the game opened on Midori Rider standing in what appeared to be a bunker.

"You know what? You can fast travel right out of here--" Rei started.

"I thought you said you were stuck at this part of the map..." said Jaime, already moving Midori Rider forward.

"Wait--" Rei started but Midori Rider passed through a doorway and the screen went dark with a triggered cutscene. Jaime gave a skeptical glance over his shoulder at Rei, whose face was frozen in horror.

"Lu!" Midori Rider hustled into the room, "Lu?" he turned around desperately.

"Don't try to stop me," Lady Lunaria pushed past him with several bags under her arms as she walked to a purple motorcycle and strapped them to the motorcycle.

"I'm trying to stop you because what you're planning is suicide," Midori Rider walked after her.

"You don't understand--" Lady Lunaria whirled on him.

"Losing the place you're supposed to protect?! Losing everyone you care about?! You don't think I understand that?!"

"It's not that simple--" Lady Lunaria's voice was stiff, "Don't act like I've ever--like we've ever been--"

"Lu--" Midori Rider touched her shoulder and she flinched inward, her head turning to the side.

"Look, just because it's the end of the world, that doesn't mean you can do something stupid--" Lady Lunaria started.

"You're already doing something stupid," Midori Rider spoke gently and a helpless, furious breath fell out of Lady Lunaria in response as she shot a baleful glare at him but couldn't seem to sustain it, her brow crinkling as she made eye contact. "I'm not asking you to give up the fight--" Midori Rider went on, he pressed a panel at the side of his helmet and it phased off his head, revealing a handsome, dark-haired man with one scar notching his eyebrow and another two grazing his jawline, "I know I couldn't do that if I tried--I'm asking you to choose to live."

"So what, we fix the world so we can go back to--to..." Lady Lunaria was looking down.

"I don't know yet... I just..." Midori Rider gently brought a thumb up under her jaw to make her look up at him, "You're insane. And selfish. And petty. And dangerous. But you were never as evil as you wanted the world to think. But I know all this changed you, and all these people are looking to you now, and you can't--"

She suddenly kissed him hard and the music swelled. Midori Rider flinched with some surprise at first, but then his fingers wove into her purple hair as he returned the kiss.

The entire cabin was dead silent as Midori Rider and Lady Lunaria embraced tightly and desperately on the holo-screen. Rei was beet red, her mouth hanging open slightly. Even Marti was looking up from her drone with some amusement.

"Wow," was all Jaime said.

"F-for the record you skipped over a LOT of other cutscenes building up to this part! Like--like they save each other's lives and stuff and there's a whole section of the game where Midori Rider gets captured and you play as Lady Lunaria to rescue him! And then she's a co-op NPC! So if it seems stupid--I--" Rei was stammering. You could practically feel the heat blazing off of her face.

"Rei did you... make a save file specifically to re-watch the romance cutscene over and over again?" Aedan blinked

"It's an open world game! I--I could do other things!" Rei blurted out, "I--I was eight when I started playing this game!! I was a kid! AND THEY NEVER KISSED IN ANY OTHER MIDORI RIDER MEDIA! So--so what if I did?!"

"That's adorable," said Jaime.

"You always were a romantic," said Aedan with no shortage of admiration.

"Can you guys go back to calling it the fuck-cabin?" said Rei, burying her face in her hands, "I think I liked that better than this."

[hoseokslefteyebrow]

You've Met With A Terrible Fate, Haven't You? || BEN DROWNED

Pairing : Yandere! Ben Drowned X Reader

Genre : Fluff, Angst, Yandere

Summary : Appears as a normal dude, but plot twist he's really not.

Wordcount: 4k lol

WARNINGS : This is fic is labeled as Yandere, for those who don't know what it means: "Somebody who is sweet and kind at first glance. But when it comes to their love (crush)they will act obsessive and violent." - Urban dictionary, poorly (but still disgustingly) described dead people, I know Ben originally doesn't kill but in the story he does, idk? Shit written¿ 

Also disclaimer this is my first time I've tried doing a yandere and it's obviously not my strongest point. Hope you enjoy either way.

You glance at the abandoned game console which your friend had dumped at your place earlier this day.

According to him, something was very, very, wrong with it. The Nintendo 64 was old, of course, but your friend mentioned not being able to pass the boss battle. He mentioned something along the lines of 'it keeps glitching and Link keeps dying'. In other words ' I know you're a hacker and I suck at this game, please hack it for me so I can feel less like a loser'.

You keep writing the email you're supposed to sent to your boss for another thirty minutes, before letting your curiosity lead you. 

Before you know it, you've plugged in the old console with more cables than originally planned because of how old it is, and with how modern your tv is. The first odd thing that strikes you is that there's only one account on it, and it's not labeled with your friend's name. 

Instead of 'Noah', it's labeled with 'BEN DROWNED' in bold passive aggressive letters.

Simply pushing it to the back of your mind, you start playing.

The second odd thing about the game is that the game has a specific date and it mentions how far BEN, or well, Noah is in the game. Yet when you click it, you have to start all over.

You shrug that off too, simply noting it as the game being old.

Before you know it, several hours pass, and you're finally at the boss battle Noah mentioned. Deciding to see if you can beat it first, you do not plug your laptop in at the Nintendo 64, and opt to play instead.

However just like Noah mentioned, you die as soon as you're close to winning and the game starts glitching.

It takes you barely ten minutes before you're fed up with it, and soon enough you plug your laptop in. You start up some programs and open up a few sites, quickly starting to work. Your fingers glide over the keys of your laptop as you type in the codes in order to hack the game, however after a few minutes, the game starts glitching heavily, and suddenly there's a sentence in bold red letters on the screen of your tv.

' YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT'

It says before the glitching becomes way too much, and some weird kind of red circle appears. Your eyes widen before unplugging the tv and game console, forgetting that your laptop is connected to it.

You miss the small glitches on the laptop screen.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - -

He gritts his teeth as the access to his portal is suddenly denied, the power cut early enough to avoid him.

His red eyes wander in the green coded space, looking for an exit, something that'll make sure he can get his hands on whoever this is. Lucky for him, there's a small white space what'll lead to the outside of it.

Once he's trough, he realizes he's still close to his victim. In fact, he's even closer now.

He smirks as he realizes.

Killing her is fair game now.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - »

You tap your chin as you look as the items on the shelf.

" Should I get the red one or green one?" You mumble to yourself.

" I'd recommend the green one. Green is always better." A voice from behind you startles you.

You whip your head around to look at the stranger who's talking to you.

Behind you is a male you don't recognise from anywhere. And as you start to study him, you realize he's quite handsome. He's got blonde hair, blue eyes and a rosy skin colour. He's wearing black ripped jeans, a dark green shirt, along with a black zip up hoodie, which is left open, he's got a few black ear piercings in his right ear, and has a gold chain around his neck, which disappears beneath his shirt, weighed down by a charm hidden away from your eyes. To top it all of, he's got a matching dark green beanie on top of his messily styled bangs.

" What? Did I say something wrong?" The blonde boy suddenly sweats.

You smile and shake your head.

" No, you didn't. I just tough I was alone here." You smile at him.

ØⱧ ₴₩ɆɆ₮ⱧɆ₳Ɽ₮, ɎØɄ Ⱨ₳VɆ₦'₮ ฿ɆɆ₦ ₳ⱠØ₦Ɇ ₣ØⱤ ₳ VɆⱤɎ ⱠØ₦₲ ₮ł₥Ɇ ₦Ø₩.

" I take that you talk to yourself then?" The male spits at you.

You're not sure if that's meant offensive or not.

" Um, yeah? I tend to do that sometimes yeah." You say, looking down at your hands who're still holding the red silk scarf and green silk scarf.

Đø₦'₮ ฿ɇ ₳₣ɽ₳łđ, ł ₩ø₦'₮ ⱨʉɽ₮ ɏøʉ. Øɽ ₩łⱡⱡ ł?

The unknown male's eyes soften subconsciously, looking at you with an emotion you're not familiar with.

" My name is Ben. What's yours?" 

Ben? Haven't you heard that somewhere before?

You smile at him, oblivious to the fact that you're talking to a killer.

" I'm Y/N. Nice to meet you Ben."

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS ? ¿ »

His mind flooded with ideas.

There's so many options on what he can do to her.

Should he mess with her laptop?

Should he just kill her now?

Or should he become closer?

Maybe he should.

He looks at her trough the screen of the laptop, which is almost always open, today not being any different.

He watches her as while she watches something behind the laptop, from the sounds he can hear trough the mic, she's most likely watching tv.

Perhaps he should become closer to her.

Pull her closer only to have her blood staining his hands.

Oh yes, her blood shall soon become his.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭��łvɇ₴

She doesn't realize it when her laptop suddenly starts itself up, nor does she know that there's a figure crawling out of it.

He stared at her with deciphering eyes, silently wondering how she isn't dead yet.

If this was anyone else, he'd had them killed already. Their blood would already be staining his face and she would already be screaming in pain and dispair.

Yet here she was, laying peacefully on her bed. Asleep, obviously not dead. 

He wonders exactly what he should do next. She doesn't know that he's standing right next to her. It almost makes him laugh.

She doesn't even know that he exists.

She doesn't know that he's here.

He glares at her before moving back into the world of codes and technology.

For now, she lives.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦łvɇ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ

" And then it suddenly started glitching and stuff. Weird isn't it?" You finish off your story as you look at your new friend, Ben.

After meeting in the grocery store, he had suddenly texted you. 

Not knowing how he got your number, you got concerned, and asked him. According to him, you had given it to him yourself. At first you didn't believe him, until he told you to check the time of his first message, which somehow was indeed around the same time you were in the grocery store. After that you just shrugged it off as that you forgot it yourself. After all, you knew yourself to be a person with the memory of a goldfish.

Today the two of you met up again, for the fourth time this week.

" Odd indeed. What did you do after that?" Ben asked, acting as if he's interested, even tough he's really not.

" I unplugged it. I think I'm gonna lay off hacking for a while." You shrugged, taking a sip of your drink.

Before he could even think of a response, there was an unknown woman at your table, also holding a cup of coffee.

" Y/N? Long time no see." The new woman greeted you with a smile, sitting down beside you on the booth.

Ben scowled at the newcomer.

Ⱨø₩ đ₳ɽɇ ₴ⱨɇ ₴ł₮ ฿ɇ₴łđɇ ₩ⱨ₳₮'₴ ₥ł₦ɇ ₩ł₮ⱨøʉ₮ ₥ɏ ₱ɇɽ₥ł₴₴łø₦

" Hey, Sara. It's indeed been too long. How are you?" You started chatting with Sara.

Meanwhile Ben's anger only grew.

" My names Ben." Ben suddenly dryly joined your conversation as he slammed his drink down onto the table aggressively, looking straight into Sara's eyes.

" Sorry. Didn't see you there. I'm Sara nice to mee-"

" Yeah, yeah, whatever. Leave. We didn't invite you to come sit with us." Ben spat at her, looking at her with an intense look in his eyes.

Both you and your friend turned to look at him in confusion.

" Is something wrong with me being here? Did I offend you?" Sara asked, genuinely concerned.

Ben was fuming now, on the inside. Who does this girl think she is? First she comes to sit at their table uninvited, then she's capturing the attention of his new favorite plaything, and now she's questioning him? She has to go.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ

He heard her conversation with a male he certainly doesn't know trough her phone, using the microphone without her knowing.

According to what he knows, they're on a date. And according to her contacts, his name is Jaime. He can't find where they met, nor did he know why they met up.

But now that she's checked her reflexion one too many times, and made a pic of her full outfit to send to him, probably to mock him for not having her, ɏɇ₮, he realizes that she's on a date.

After some research by surfing quite literally trough the internet. It turned out this 'Jaime' person was Mexican, and had a soft persona. On his facebook page were pictures where he's working with animals or doing volunteers' work or overall just something where he's helping others. He found the black haired male pathetic, weak even.

In all honesty, even he himself didn't really find him a threat. Not when he looked like that and was overall just kind and bambi looking.

However, all his expectations are thrown out of the window when he hears them say their goodbyes.

" You know, I had a lot of fun tonight. You're really a nice person. In fact, I'd like to go on another date with you again." This voice was definitely that of a male's, probably Jaime.

" I agree. I had a lot of fun too." She said.

₣Ʉ₦? ⱧØ₩ ₵₳₦ Ł₮ ฿Ɇ ₳₦Ɏ ₣Ʉ₦ ₩Ł₮ⱧØɄ₮ ₥Ɇ?

" Good. Do you have a ride or would you like me to drive you home?-" He blocks out the rest of their conversation.

It appears that the good guy needs to go too.

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ - ᓍᕵᘿᘉ ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ∆

" We should spend more time together." Ben says randomly as the two of you snuggle on the couch.

You giggle, your ears tinting red.

" We're already together all the time tough." You tell him softly.

" I know, but still. By the way, did your stupid date reply yet?" He asked, eyes focused on the tv in front of the two of you.

" No, and don't call him stupid." You pout, softly scolding him.

₲ØØĐ

He grins at you with mysterious eyes.

You shrug it off, knowing it's part of him. The two of you have been hanging out for a while now. Almost three months to be precise. And you two have gotten very close. What used to be keeping distance and keeping the line between acquaintances and friends, had turned into friends or something more. You two almost hung out every day, you were basically attached to each other's hip now.

After a few peacefull moments, you excused yourself to the bathroom.

Right as you left, your phone rang.

He turned to look at the disturbing sound  his eyes widening at the name which is appearing on the screen.

 SARA

He stumbled over the couch to pick it up, an unpleasant feeling of suprise rising whitin him.

" Y/N?! You have to listen to me! Ben is not who you think he is! He's this-"

" I'm this what?" Ben smirked.

Damn you were taking a long time in the bathroom, not that he minded.

The other end of the line was dead silent.

" Don't worry. You don't need to say anything. I'll come home soon. And trust me, once I am, you will never be able to speak a word again." He spoke, an eerie calm in his voice.

" Goodbye, Sara." He said before hanging up.

" Sara called?" Your voice suddenly startled him.

" What? Oh, yeah. But she was in a hurry so she said she'd call you later." He smiled innocently.

You nodded and the two of you resumed watching the movie.

" Isn't there a way, that we could spend more time together?" He suddenly wondered out loud.

You sighed and turned to face him.

" I'm sorry Ben, but I have a job and I like spending time with other people too. So I'm afraid not." You told him softly.

An idea coded itself into his mind.

JɄ₴₮ ₮ⱤɄ₴₮ ₥Ɇ, ɎØɄ'ⱠⱠ ฿Ɇ ₥Ł₦Ɇ ₴ØØ₦

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ - ᓍᕵᘿᘉ ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ∆ - - - ᕲᓍᘺᘉᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ

You sighed in dispair in the night air as you walked home. Once again, you were rejected in a job interview.

A few days ago you were fired from the job you actually liked. You couldn't understand why either. You didn't do anything wrong, you were quite hardworking and always finished the documents in time.

Your supervisor looked afraid, terrified even when he told you to immediately pack your bags and leave, and ever since you just can't seem to get in anywhere. Not even the gas station wanted you in charge.

" Well hello there. What do we have here." A creepy voice suddenly sounded from behind you.

You turned around only to be greeted by a man with a creepy smile and even creepier, eye lid-less eyes. He was holding a knife, making his intentions obvious.

You didn't need to think twice about his intentions and whipped your phone out of your pocket with the intentions to call the cops and running.

The killer sadly isn't stupid, and has you on the ground under him whitin seconds.

Your phone's screen crack and slides to the other side, the dialed number not pressed on call yet.

" Don't cry sweetheart. It doesn't suit your pretty face. Don't fret, I'll make sure, you'll smile forever. " The killer tells you happily.

Both of you don't realize that your phone screen suddenly lights up in a green colour. Nor does either of you realize the figure crawling out of it.

The both of you don't realize, until the killer is off you and tackled down on the ground beside you.

" I've told you before. She's fucking mine. Go bother someone else." Ben's voice sounds suddenly.

You turn your head to look at him.

This time he does not wear jeans and a sweater. No  this time, he looks like he came straight out of a... Video game? He looks like Link, the main personage of the game which your friend Noah had dropped off at your place around six months ago. 

Ben never told you he was into cosplaying.

Your ears suddenly tinted pink as you realized, he called you his. Suddenly you felt a little giddy, the guy you like so much might actually like you back.

The killer underneath Ben growls out something you can't hear before throwing the shorter off him and leaving.

" Are you okay?" You ask him.

He turns to you with red eyes.

Red. Fucking. Eyes.

And that's not the only thing about his eyes that changed.

Instead of the usual white eyes have, his are now black.

And even there it doesn't end.

There's blood running down his eyes onto his cheeks, as if he's crying blood.

You take a step back.

What the fuck is this?

" Don't be afraid! I know I look a little... Weird, but it's all just part of my..... Cosplay." He explains.

You ponder over it.

He's never gave you a reason to not trust you right? Or did he? 

You ignore the instinct to run away from him, instead choosing to calm down and follow your heart, which is telling you to trust him.

" Come with me. You can stay at my place tonight." Ben tells you, holding his hand out to you.

You take it.

₲ØØĐ ⱠŁ₮₮ⱠɆ ₱Ʉ₱₱Ɏ

- - - ᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ᓍᘉᘿ - - - » ᖽᐸᘉᓰᐺᘿS ᓍᖇ ᕼᘿᗩᖇᖶS  ? ¿ » - - - ₭₦ŁVɆ₴ - - - ᖴᗩᓰᒪ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ SᖻSᖶᘿᘻ - - - ᖇᘿᗷᓍᓍᖶ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ - ᓍᕵᘿᘉ ᖴᓰᒪᘿ ∆ - - - ᕲᓍᘺᘉᒪᓍᗩᕲᓰᘉᘜ - - - ᕲᓍᘺᘉᒪᓍᗩᕲ ᑢᓍᘻᕵᒪᘿᖶᘿ ›

It took longer than expected to reach his house. The whole road to his house is creepy. Ben appartly lives in this supermodern house in the woods.

Which is off already, the woods are known troughout the whole town as mystery. According to urban legends, there's creatures loving in there who shouldn't exist. Because of that, there's barely any people there. According to Ben, everything is all clear and safe, and you trust him with your heart.

You don't question him after his answer and instead follow him into the,indeed very,modern little house which is situated hidden behind the trees.

You get directly hit in the face with a copper scent as soon as you step foot into his house.

" Would you like something to drink?" He asks you as you enter his house, neither of you bothering to take your shoes off.

" Just water please." You tell him as you study the place.

The inside of the small house is more modern than the outside, with a big living space and an open kitchen. There's also three doors in the hallway.

One to the bathroom, one leading upstairs and one leading into the basement.

" Here you go." Ben returns, handing you a glass of water.

" Thanks, aren't you going to take off your make up and lenses?" You ask him.

His smile fades a bit, and for a moment you think you've accidentally offended him, but he nods with a pout before you can think about it twice.

" Yeah, that's probably a good idea. The livingroom is at the end of this hallway, feel free to make yourself comfortable." He smiles before going upstairs.

You stand still for a moment in the hallway as an eerie feeling suddenly starts crawling up your spine.

You ignore it, and instead start walking towards the livingroom.

Until the sound of something falling reaches your ears.

A sound that is directed from the basement.

Your first idea is to call for Ben, to alert him that you two probably aren't alone.

You don't do that however, because it could just be something falling off a shelf, right?

And so you decide to investigate it yourself.

As soon as you open the door to the basement, you're directly hit in the face with a very prominent copper scent. The same on you already smelled when you entered his house, except it's way too strong and there's something eerily familiar about it which you just can't pinpoint.

You silently push the door open, and turn on the lightswitch to the basement. Behind the door is a stony staircase, the rest of the basement is hidden away behind a wall. Curiosity takes over you, and you make your way downstairs before you can think about it twice.

As soon as you near the bottom, you spot blotches of red. The deep red substance is spread like a trail from he bottom stairs onto the rest of the room.

And then it clicks in your mind. It's blood. That's also the smell in the air. Was the intruder injured?

You step down the stairs while following the blood trail with you eyes.

You stumble back in fear and unpleasant suprise at the sight that greets you.

There's dead people down here. Most of which you don't recognise, but a few you do. 

You gasp as you look into a pair of wide blue eyes.

Sara.

She's sitting there, eyes wide open, with cuts all over. There's big ones in her rib case and near her organs, you can even see Intestines spread over the floor.

She's obviously dead.

But how come she's here?

Ben didn't do this? Did he?

Next to her is Jaime, who's eyes are closed but his chest is rising and falling.

He's alive.

You run over to him and shake him awake, not minding the blood that's now on your hands.

" Jaime! Please! Wake up!" You say desperately, tears now escaping your eyes.

" Y/N? Y/N! You have to get out of here. Ben, he's not who you think he is!" He tells you desperately.

" I'm not leaving you! Can you walk?" You ask him trough your tears.

" I'm chipped Y/N, you have to go. Get help. Ben's insane. He's a de-"

" Demon? Mass murderer? Failure? Dead? Is one of those what you wanted to tell her? How dare you lie to her! I'm none of those!" A voice suddenly booms trough the air.

You turn around while starting to shake. Jaime tries to hold you close to him with the little strength he has left. There Ben stands, still with red pupils and black eyes, dried red streaks still on his cheeks.

" Don't fucking touch her." Ben screams angrily, ripping you all but gently away from the male, causing you to tremble against him.

" Don't be afraid my love, he won't touch you again." Ben sushes you.

Is he really thinking that you're afraid of him?

" N-no. Let me go. Do-don't touch me." You tell him, pushing away from him.

He looks confused by your behavior.

" What's wrong baby? Please don't believe whatever lies he told you.-"

" What lies?! That you've killed my friend?! That you've killed these innocent people?! That you've chipped him?!" You yelled.

" They all deserved it Y/N! They're all in the way of our love!" Ben yells back desperately, stepping towards you.

" I don't even know these people!" You say, stepping back into the wall, knocking into a shelf.

You turn around to see what you knocked into.

Wait, is that the Nintendo 64?

" They all stared at you with sick twisted ideas! They really do deserve it." He tells you.

Suddenly it clicks in your mind.

" You're Ben from the game." You state.

He nods.

" Yes bu-"

" How?.."

" You clicked my game onto your computer remember."

" It was you wasn't it? You're the reason I've lost my job. You're the reason my friends all turned their back to me." You wishper, eyes now gathering in your eyes.

You've been so incredibly fucking stupid.

He's the reason your life has turned down the drain.

" Yes. But it's good right. Now we can finally be together." He says like a crazy man in love.

Which he is.

You start sobbing as you fall onto your knees realizing, all these people here. They've all died because of you.

" Hey, don't worry my live. We can now finally be together."

ɎØɄ'VɆ ₥Ɇ₮ ₩Ł₮Ⱨ ₳ ₮ɆⱤⱤŁ฿ⱠɆ ₣₳₮Ɇ, Ⱨ₳VɆ₦'₮ ɎØɄ?

 ᘜ ᗩ ᘻ ᘿ  ᓍ ᐺ ᘿ ᖇ.

[gascon-en-exil]

A Game of Thrones 10th Anniversary Season Ranking: Part 2

Link to Part 1

Time for the bottom half of the list. The four seasons here will surprise no one, but the order might.

#5 Season 6

You can tell what I most what to talk about here...but there's an order to these things.

S6 actually has a bunch of great ideas, but they drown beneath the most slapdash plotting and character work the show has seen yet in order to set the stage for the narrower conflicts of the last two seasons. It's notorious for bringing back characters who haven't been seen in a season or longer only to kill them off (Balon Greyjoy, Osha, Hodor, the Blackfish, Rickon, Walder Frey) or awkwardly graft them back into the main plot (Sandor Clegane, Bran). There are plot threads that ought to be compelling but are too rushed in execution, like the siege of Riverrun, Littlefinger's hand in the Battle of the Bastards, or Daenerys's time back among the Dothraki and then finally getting the hell out of Meereen. Arya hits on the only interesting part of her two-season sojourn in Braavos - a stage play, of all things - only for it to stumble at the end with a disappointing offscreen death and some incomprehensible philosophy ahead of the start of her murder tour of Westeros. There's also so much cutting off the branches, enough to be conspicuous; the final shot of Daenerys leading an armada of about half the remaining cast she assembled partially offscreen says that better than anything else. Well, not anything....

Highlight: Without exaggeration, the opening of S6E10 is easily my favorite sequence in all of GoT. The staging, the music, the mounting suspense even as it becomes increasingly obvious what's about to happen, the twisted religious references particularly in Cersei's mock confession to Unella, Tommen throwing himself out a window because he can't deal with the reality of how terrible his mother is, how Cersei gives absolutely no fucks whatsoever about murdering hundreds of people at once in a calculated act of vengeance largely prompted by her own poorly thought out actions - I love it all. It's the single most masterfully-executed act of villainy in the whole show - Daenerys torching King's Landing probably has a higher body count, but the presentation there is all muddled - and if I had any doubts about Cersei being my favorite multi-season major character they were silenced in this moment. The explosion of the Sept doesn't sit perfectly with me, because I liked the Tyrells and because of what I said about deaths like theirs and Renly's in the previous post under S2, but I think that unease only cements the strength of this sequence. It's an overused phrase in fandom these days, but GoT at its best is all about moral greyness that gives its audience room for multilayered reactions. Cersei nuking the Sept and making herself the sole power in King's Landing, which in a sense is just a more overt example of the kind of character/plot consolidation elsewhere represented by Daenerys's armada, is one of those events that's impossible to approach from a single angle if you care about any of the characters involved. And hey, it's not in the books (yet, presumably), so unlike Ned's death or the Red Wedding the GoT showrunners can take the credit for realizing this one.

Favorite death: Even leaving aside the Sept and related deaths there's a lot of good ones to choose from in S6. Ramsey is cathartic but too gory for me, Osha's was a clever callback but a little delayed, it's hard to pin down specific deaths when Daenerys incinerates the khals, and Arya only gets half credit for Walder Frey and his sons when she saves the rest of the house for the opening of S7. I'm thinking Hodor, not so much because I enjoy his character or the manner of his death but because it's a clever bit of playing with language (that must have been hell to render in other languages for dubbing) wrapped up in some entertainingly murky consent issues and some closed time loop weirdness. It's all very...extra? Is that the word for it?

Least favorite death: Offscreen deaths continue to be mostly letdowns, in this case Blackfish and the Waif. Way to botch the ending of Arya's already near-pointless Braavos arc, guys. Speaking of Arya, this spot goes to Lady Crane, whom the Waif somehow kills with a stool or something. It's a dumb way to send off an entertaining minor character.

#6 Season 8

I swear that I'm not putting S8 this high solely because of Jonmund kind of sort of happening. I've never been very interested in either of them and the sex would be far too bear-on-otter to suit my pornographic preferences, but even so the choice to close out the series with them is hilarious.

I really don't need to elaborate on why S8 is down here; everyone who's ever watched the show has done as much in the nearly two years since it wrapped up. I do however need to explain why I've ranked not one but two seasons below it. My biggest argument here is that I don't believe it's fair to critique S8 for problems it inherited from earlier seasons. A non-comprehensive list:

Mad Queen Daenerys: unevenly built up beginning from S1 and continuing in some form through every following season

The questionable racial optics of Dany's army: also seeded as early as S1 and solidified by S3 with the Slaver's Bay arc

Cersei only succeeding because she makes stupid decisions and then lucks out until she doesn't: apparent from S1, directly lampshaded by Tywin in S3, fully on display with the Faith Militant arc of S5-6

Jaime not getting a redemption arc or falling in love with Brienne: evident with his repeated returns to Cersei throughout the show as one of the most consistent elements of his character, particularly in S4 and during the siege of Riverrun in S6

Tyrion grabbing the idiot ball/becoming a flat audience surrogate mouthpiece: started in S5 around the time the showrunners ran out of book material for him and wanted to make him more of a PoV character and his arc less of a downward spiral, although I've seen arguments that changes from the books involving his Tysha story and Shae set him on this trajectory even earlier

The hardening of Sansa's character: began in earnest in S4 and never let up from there

The strange ordering of antagonists: set down by S7's equally strange plot structure - the Night King had to come first with that setup

CleganeBowl and the dumber twists: from what I've heard the whole thing of writing around fans on the internet guessing plot twists started pretty much when the book content ended, so S5-6 maybe?

Yes, there's plenty to criticize about S8 on its own merits...but just as much that was merely the writers doing what they could at that point with deeply flawed material.

Highlight: This may sound cheesy, but the better parts of S8 are almost all the cinematic ones, whether that's E2 being a bottle episode with tons of poignant character send-offs before the big battle, a handful of deaths with actual satisfying weight like Jorah's and Theon's, and an epilogue that incorporates both closure for individuals and the broader uncertainty of messy socio-political systems that GoT has always been known for before working its way back to the Starks at the very end for some tidy bookending. Even imperfect moments like the Lannister twins' death and the resolution of Sansa's character felt weighty and appropriate based on what had come before.

Favorite death: Forget about the audio commentary attempting to flatten Cersei's character; Cersei and Jaime Lannister have an excellent end. Cersei especially, as the scenes of her stumbling her way down into the catacombs as the Red Keep crashes down around her really show off how her world is abruptly falling apart and how she retreats into her own self-interest at the end in spite of her demise being at least partially of her own doing. There's some stupid moments associated with these scenes, like Jaime dueling Euron to the death and CleganeBowl, but I can excuse those when the twins end up dying exactly where you'd expect them to: in each other's arms, in a ruined monument to their family's grand ambitions that, like Casterly Rock itself, was taken from another family.

Least favorite death: Quite a few dumb ones in S8 have become forever infamous. Missandei sticks out, and for me Varys too just as much because of how the writing pushes him to do the dumbest thing he could possibly do purely for the sake of killing him off ten minutes into the penultimate episode. But no one belongs here more than Daenerys Targaryen, killed at the height of a rushed and uncertain villain reveal by a man who takes advantage of their romantic history (who is also her family, because Targaryens) to stab her in a moment of vulnerability - pretty much only because another man tells him that Daenerys is the final boss. Narratively speaking that might be the case, but even so this is the end result of multiple seasons of middling-to-bad buildup. Not even Drogon burning the symbolism can salvage that. Also Fire Emblem: Three Houses did this scene and did it better.

#7 Season 5

...Yeah, we're going to have to go there.

Sansa's rape is not a plot point that personally touches me much. It's terribly framed in the moment and the followup in later seasons is inconsistent at best, but it's not a kind of trauma I can relate to. On the other hand, in the very same episode Loras is tried and imprisoned for homosexuality, and Margery faces the same punishment for lying for her brother. That hits much closer to home, not just for the homophobia but also for the culture war undertones of the not!French Tyrells persecuted by a not!Anglo fanatic who later reveals himself to be the in-universe equivalent of a Protestant. The trial is just one part of Cersei's shortsighted scheming, just as Sansa being married off to Ramsey is part of Littlefinger's, and both of them get their comeuppance in the end...but it's unsettling all the same. I especially hate what the Faith Militant arc does to King's Landing in S5, swiftly converting it from my favorite setting in GoT to a tense theocratic nightmare that only remains interesting to me because Cersei is consistently awesome. What's more, pretty much everything about S5 that isn't viscerally uncomfortable is dragged out and dull instead: the Dorne arc, Daenerys's second season in Meereen, Arya in Braavos, Stannis and co. at Castle Black. The most any of these storylines can hope for is some kind of bombastic finale, and while several of them deliver it's not enough to make up for what comes before, or how disappointing everything here builds from S4. S4 has Oberyn, S5 has the Sand Snakes - I think that sums up the contrast well.

Highlight: S5 does get stronger near the end. As much as his character annoys me I did like the High Sparrow revealing his pseudo-Protestant bent to Cersei just before he imprisons her, and there's a cathartic rawness to Cersei's walk of atonement where you can both feel her pain and humiliation and understand that she's getting exactly what she deserves (and this is what leads into the climax of S6, so it deserves points just for that). The swiftness of Stannis's fall renders his death and that of his family a bit hollow, but it's brutal and final and fittingly ignominious for a character with such grand ambitions but so little relevance to the larger story. The fighting pits of Meereen sequence is cinematic if nothing else, and even the resolution to the Dorne arc salvages the whole thing a tiny bit by playing into the retributive cycles of vengeance idea (and Myrcella knows about the twincest and doesn't care, aww - no idea why that stuck with me, but it's cute all the same). Oh, and Hardhome...it's alright. Not great, not crap, but alright.

Favorite death: I don't know why, but Theon tossing Myranda to her death is always funny to me. Maybe because it's so unexpected?

Least favorite death: Arya's execution of Meryn Trant is meant to be another one of the season's big finale moments, but the scene is graphic and goes on forever and I can't help but be grossed out. This is different from, say, Shireen's death, which is supposed to be painful to witness.

#8 Season 7

I can't tell if S7's low ranking is as self-explanatory as S8's or not. At least one recent retrospective on GoT's ruined legacy I've come across outright asserts that S7 is judged less harshly in light of how bad S8 was. If it were not immediately obvious by where I've placed each of them, I don't share that opinion.

Because S7 is just a mess, and the drop-off in quality is so much more painful here than it is anywhere else in the series except maybe from S4 to S5 (and that's more about S4 being as good as it is). The pacing ramps up to uncomfortable levels to match the shortened seasons, the structure pivots awkwardly halfway through from Daenerys vs. Cersei to Jon/Dany caring about ice zombies, said pivot relies largely on characters (mostly Tyrion) making a series of catastrophically stupid tactical decisions, and very few of the smaller set pieces land with any real impact as the show's focus narrows to its endgame conflict. As with S6 there are still some good ideas, but they're botched in execution. The conflict between Sansa and Arya matches their characters, but the leadup to that conflict ending with Littlefinger's execution is missing some key steps. Daenerys's diverse armada pitted against Cersei weaponizing the xenophobia of the people of King's Landing could have been interesting, but there's little room to explore that when Cersei keeps winning only because Tyrion has such a firm grip on the idiot ball and when Euron gets so much screentime he barely warrants. Speaking of Tyrion's idiot ball, does anyone like the heist film-esque ice zombie retrieval plotline? Its stupidity is matched only by its utter futility, because Cersei isn't trustworthy and nobody seems to ever get that.

And how could I forget Sam's shit montage? Sums up S7 perfectly, really. To think that that is part of the only extended length of time the show ever spends in the Reach....

Highlight: A handful of character moments save this season from being irredeemable garbage. As you can guess from my screencap choice, Olenna's final scene is one of them, even if Highgarden itself is given insultingly short shrift. S7 also manages what I thought was previously impossible in that it makes me care somewhat about Ellaria Sand, courtesy of the awful death Cersei plans for her and her remaining daughter. The other Sand Snakes are killed with their own weapons, which shows off Euron's demented creativity if nothing else. I like the entertainingly twisted choice to cut the Jon/Dany sex scene with the reveal that they're related. And, uh...the Jonmund ship tease kind of makes the zombie retrieval team bearable? I'm really grasping at straws here.

Favorite death: It's more about her final dialogue with Jaime than her actual death, but again I'm going to have to highlight Olenna Tyrell here for lack of better options. She drops the bombshell about Joffrey that the audience figured out almost as soon as it happened but still, makes it plain what I've been saying about how Jaime's arc has never really been about redemption, and is just about the only person to ever call Cersei out for that whole mass murder thing. There's a reason "I want her to know it was me" became a meme format.

Least favorite death: There aren't any glaringly bad deaths in S7, just mediocre or unremarkable ones. I still think the decision to have Arya finish off House Frey in the season's opening rather than along with their father at the end of S6 was a strange one that doesn't add much of dramatic value.