#and duel of fates because it's impACTFUL

[aventurineswife]

Can you do one about how other characters like blade, Boothill, and the other members of the astral express would interact with eldritch creator

help, ruler of my heart started playing 😭🙏

Oh, now this is an interesting angle. We’ve explored the philosophical horror and devotion, but now it’s time to see how different characters would react when faced with something that shouldn’t exist, something beyond their comprehension.

Blade has already been through hell—body shattered, soul cursed with immortality, mind teetering on the edge of dissolution. In many ways, he’s already experienced a level of existential horror that others can’t fathom.

So, when he encounters the Avatar of the Creator, when he feels their presence, he doesn’t resist. He doesn’t question. He simply… accepts.

The others expect some kind of reaction, some visible break in his psyche. But Blade only gazes at the Avatar with an unreadable expression. Maybe he kneels—not in worship, not in fear, but in understanding. He has spent so long seeking death, seeking release, and yet, in the presence of something so vast, he realizes—his suffering was never significant in the first place. He is merely a ripple in an ocean that stretches beyond all understanding.

Does that make him bitter? Resentful? Or does he find peace in it? Maybe, for the first time, he stops fighting against his fate. Because what is fate to a being like the Creator? What is his suffering to something that has seen the birth and death of a thousand universes?

And yet… something unsettles him. There is something familiar about the Creator. Something forgotten. Has he seen them before? Have they seen him before?

Boothill is a man who deals in duels, in power, in who’s faster on the draw. Everything in his world can be settled with a well-placed shot and the right amount of confidence.

But when he encounters the Creator’s Avatar, when he sees something that doesn’t react to him the way all his enemies do, he hates it.

He tries to size them up, like he does everyone. But there’s nothing to read. No fear. No arrogance. No weakness. It’s the first time in his life that he feels like a mere insect standing before a god.

And Boothill? He doesn’t take that well. Maybe, in a mix of bravado and sheer existential dread, he pulls his gun on the Avatar. Shoots them, again and again, refusing to accept what he’s seeing.

But the bullets? They never land. Maybe they vanish before impact. Maybe they bend midair, defying all known laws of physics. Maybe they pass right through, as if the Avatar isn’t truly here in the way everything else is.

And Boothill? He just stares, sweat dripping down his face. Because he’s finally met an opponent he can’t kill.

That thought alone haunts him for a long, long time.

March is curious, but she’s also human. And humans? They fear what they can’t understand.

At first, she tries to treat the Avatar like any other person—she’s friendly, maybe even cracks a joke. But the moment she looks into their eyes (if they have eyes), she knows something is wrong. Something is off.

March, with all her enthusiasm, suddenly finds herself terrified in a way she’s never been before. The Creator isn’t threatening her. They aren’t doing anything. And yet, every instinct in her body is screaming at her to run.

But she doesn’t. She can’t. Because deep down, she knows—they’ve already seen her. They saw her before she ever existed. They know the memories she’s lost. They know the truth she so desperately wants to uncover.

And the worst part? They won’t tell her.

She doesn’t know if it’s because they can’t or because they simply won’t, but the realization that the answers are right in front of her—and always have been—shatters something inside of her.

Welt is a man of logic, a man who has spent his entire life understanding the rules that govern reality. He has fought creatures from other dimensions, wielded Star Rail technology, and faced beings beyond human comprehension.

But the Creator? They are beyond even that.

Welt tries to rationalize them. To classify them. To find some frame of reference to understand what they are. But no matter how many theories he forms, no matter how many logical structures he builds, they all collapse in the face of the Creator’s existence.

There is no explanation. No pattern. No theory that can contain them.

And that terrifies him.

Because for the first time in his life, he’s encountered something that cannot be studied. Something that simply is.

And worse? He has the sinking suspicion that the Creator understands him far better than he will ever understand them.

Himeko has spent her life chasing mysteries, embracing the unknown with a gambler’s smile. She has faced danger head-on, always moving forward, always trusting in the journey.

But when she meets the Avatar of the Creator, she hesitates.

Not because she’s afraid. But because, for the first time, she’s looking at something that doesn’t belong on the path. Something that doesn’t move forward or backward, because it simply exists outside of it all.

And that terrifies her more than anything.

Does she still go forward? Does she still bet on the unknown? Or does she, for the first time, feel the urge to turn back?

There’s an unspoken agreement among the Astral Express members after their encounter with the Creator.

They don’t talk about it. Not openly. Not in detail.

Because none of them saw the same thing.

To Welt, the Creator was an unknowable force. To March, they were the answer she could never reach. To Himeko, they were the first thing that made her hesitate.

And maybe that’s the scariest part.

Because the Creator isn’t just one thing. They are everything.

And each of them walked away with a different piece of the truth—a piece that haunts them in ways they will never admit.

The Creator doesn’t have to lift a finger to break them—their existence alone does the job.

And that? That’s the true horror of it.

Doin Time started playing and it suits this au wtf?

[fatcatlittlebox]

I think a lot about the first time Halbrand watched Galadriel fall. How afterwards, he held onto that rope to save her life and how he has held it since. Then she fell again, off the cliff and away from him. He watched their thread and his future unravel in front of him but still he held fast. And I think the impact of that was what she felt more than anything else. She felt it and then she awoke. Of all the things he has done, he has always had that ability. He awakens her. And yet he doesn't pass judgement on what that power would or could do.

The idea of threads and strings is a prevalent one in TROP. First, with the rope that bound Galadriel on the raft, then again with the image of the puppet in her likeness. At first glance, this looks like an ominous allusion to Sauron being a puppet master. Yet upon closer examination, I don't think it is. The best way to interpret these visual clues is to usually look at the preceding scene.

In this case, it is a disagreement about destiny and fate between Nori and Marigold. And the Stranger, after eavesdropping, stays silent and looks up questioningly, as if to stare at the stars or gods -- whoever is pulling the strings. The next scene shows three puppets. Sauron is one of them. And three sets of hands. Sauron is not the actual puppeteer. I think this scene is symbolic of the Three Fates instead. And I love the idea that it is not yet clear to the audience and even the characters themselves who is actually in control. Is this all Sauron’s design? Or are these threads unspooling and unraveling as they were always meant to?

This image comes up again when Galadriel compares herself to a harp, a stringed instrument, being played. This is a great insight into what she feels. The threads that keep them together do not make her feel entrapped or ensnared. They make her feel music. She feels Sauron playing that string, pulling the thread between them taut. It resonates. And music, as anyone familiar with the lore of Tolkien, is creative. It is life. Their bond is creating something and they aren’t even aware of it. Their threads are weaving into a greater tapestry.

Furthermore, it’s interesting and important to note that despite being bound in such a way, Sauron has not and never will use that thread as a leash. Yes, Sauron used the crown of Morgoth upon her. But he remembers what it was like to be lured and brought to heel by Morgoth and he never does that to Galadriel.

Galadriel will not be kept low. Not by him. How tempting that must be for an ancient and powerful entity obsessed with dominating the world? How different he is from his former master. Because think about it. In this vision he shared with Galadriel, she was at his side, shoulder to shoulder. I think that's important to note if we're looking for signs or symbols that Sauron was manipulating her. In fact, their bodies are turned towards each other suggesting intimacy and synchrony. And while some may say this was also an insincere ploy, I don't believe so. He wants her to be at his side. It shows even in the way he fights. In the heat of combat, he always treats it as a duel of equals.

In fact, whenever they are fighting, he never keeps her down. Even if he knocks her over or if she falls (which was a lot) he waits for her to bring herself back up. Every time. Shoulder to shoulder and face to face.

Which should be contrasted with what happens with her elven peers. Time and time again, she was held back. She was exiled to Valinor, doubted by her regiment, demoted and made to be supervised by Elrond. And even though they use words of loyalty and trust, it is all conditional. This is not necessarily through any fault or lack of wisdom on their part, from an objective point of view. But I like to think about how frustrating that is for Galadriel. Morfydd has talked repeatedly about how lonely and isolated her character often feels. She is put on a pedestal where she is celebrated for her light and power, only to be knocked down from it time and time again. Being alone in the light can sometimes make you feel exposed, vulnerable, scrutinized. You cannot falter. You cannot have a shadow of doubt or weakness. And then there is Sauron. Alone in his darkness. What must that feel like? A different kind of solitude, I think. He also once basked in the light and adulation. Now he is treated as an abomination, undesirable and abhorred. Sometimes worse. In Numenor, he was underestimated and humbled. He was bloodied and brought low again. This time by mortal men. Except he is not shunned entirely. Galadriel comes back. She takes that thread that intertwines them and follows her way back to him. And look at Halbrand -- he's clutching the rope of his necklace tight, as if he's tugging on that string (clever right?)

Then we have the scene where he is Adar's captive. He is alone, with nothing but time to contemplate the moments he's been in this position before: forgotten and cast out. He remembers being betrayed, slain and left in the chilling darkness. Countless years he spent like this. And then there was light, Galadriel. She is radiance and fire. The memory of that feeling still lingering, so he replays it in his mind as she did of him: She goes to him. Tells him that she sees him and that she knows him. Knows what he's capable of and what he desires. It is a speech a Lady of Gifts would give. After so many years, to have someone say aloud the very thoughts that spring forth from your mind?

And even though they are so very different, I wonder if in moments of self-doubt or on the precipice of failure, they touch that thread for reassurance. Like running your hand over a scar or taking a deep breath before leaping. I wonder if they reach back for that thread to feel what it must be like to be understood and known, to remember who you are and what you are capable of.

[nekomanager]

A DEAL WITH THE DEVIL –✦– OIKAWA TOORU

GRAND DEMON KING OIKAWA's one-on-one duel with you escalated to something you didn't expect...inspired by final haikyuu quest! happy halloween 🥂

f!reader, pwp, enemies to lovers, oral, f*ngering, 69, multiple, mindbreak, ahegao, creampie, grand demon king!oikawa

How did things turn out like this? How were his lips on yours while his tongue roamed your mouth so intoxicatingly that you felt heat building up between your thighs? 

News had it that the Grand Demon King Oikawa was eyeing your village. There had been rumors that he was brutal, cold-hearted, and mean. To defend your home, you travelled to settle things with the Grand Demon King through a duel.  

His castle was dimly lit, and you could tell how cold and lonely the place was. The gargoyles were easy to defeat, and it didn’t take you long to reach him in his throne room. Despite the dimness and the eerie ambiance of the place, you were surprised by the Grand Demon King himself.  

Oikawa was...a handsome man. Good thing you had a helmet on which could hide the amused expression on your face. His horns weren’t terrifying. His red eyes even added more appeal. He was magnetic and charismatic; someone you would fantasize kissing. Wait...what were you even thinking? You musn’t be crushing on this man! He’s the Grand Demon King! Was this part of his magic? You shouldn’t give in! 

“Oh, ‘nother knight, huh?” Oikawa quirked a brow up. “I heard of you. You’re Y/N.” He scoffed egotistically. “Easy peas—” 

You rushed in for an attack, “Stay out of my village.” 

He was amazed. He didn’t see that coming especially from someone like you. “What if I want to?” 

“Then, I’ll stop you now.” 

Even with your armor, you appeared quite...frail in comparison with the other knights he defeated, he thought. Ha! Your audacity to fight with him, the Grand Demon King Oikawa, yet he weirdly admired that from you.  

With several exchanges of attacks and a few amount of time, Oikawa oddly felt a special kind of fondness for you. He couldn’t deny...you were the smartest of all the knights he came across with so far, almost outwitting him in some of your advances. He’d keep you as one of his companions in addition to Kuroo and Bokuto. Then it’s time for this fight to be over, ultimately delivering his final blow. 

You fell on your back. The impact shattered your armor into pieces and sent your helmet flying off fully revealing your feminine figure and beautiful face underneath, something very vivid amidst the darkness of his throne room.  

Oikawa’s eyes widened. W-What?! “You-You’re a woman?!” He exclaimed in disbelief.  

“What’s it to you?” You questioned, annoyed. He seemed to be more powerful than you, but your spirit would never waver! You would never accept defeat. 

He turned on his back and held onto his chest. His heart beat so loud. Oh, how could fate be so cruel?  How come he finally met his perfect match but in the form of an enemy?  

Despite the bad rep about him, the Grand Demon King Oikawa’s biggest, deepest and darkest secret was that he’s a hopeless romantic, and right now he could strongly tell you’re his love at first sight. His soulmate. 

“Coward?” You provoked. He shouldn’t turn his back on you. You must settle things before it’s too late. “Are you refusing to fight me because I’m a woman?” 

Oikawa scoffed. “Don’t you ever try me.” 

“So what now?” You dared and he sure felt his dick harden at your admirable bravado. He wanted this to be romantic but you left him with no choice. 

He walked closer to you, and you inhaled sharply. The way he oozed so much appeal was distracting. Bracing yourself, you took on a fighting stance ready to risk your life as you came face-to-face with him. You gulped, he’s attractive and a bit intimidating in a way you couldn’t explain.  

“W-What are you gonna do?” You put on a brave face, but before you could even process it, what happened next was something you didn’t see coming. 

Oikawa had his lips on yours. His hands cupped your face firmly as he dipped his tongue inside your mouth and started massaging yours. Your eyes shut in response. The kiss was making you feel tingly and weak.  

W-What's this? Your head was spiraling and all you wanted to do was to surrender. No- You shouldn’t give in. Holding onto his wrists, you deepened the kiss. If he’s pulling his dirty tricks off, then you’d play even dirtier.  

Oikawa didn’t even cast any magic or release any pheromones and he didn’t have any intention to. He believed in true love. The way you kissed him was enough proof that you’re the love of his life and that urged him to convince you even further. 

Swiftly, Oikawa removed his robe and coat, leaving only a loose white dress shirt. He pulled you in by the waist, letting you know how hard you made him fall for you. You moaned in the kiss as you felt his erection against your stomach. You amped up your game, grinding your body against his and stimulating him even more. He placed a knee in between your legs and rubbed against your pussy. The kiss broke off with the two of you panting, both competing to get each other off first.  

He sucked on the exposed skin of your neck and groped your breast, while you palmed his hard-on and unbuttoned his pants to free and stroke his dick. He groaned and you smiled a little in victory.  

“You seemed to be enjoying me too much,” he said. 

You replied, “I think you’re falling weak for me.” 

Shit! You caught him and he couldn’t let this be one-sided, so he slid his hand underneath your pants and rubbed your pussy. 

“Uh-oh...you’re this wet already.” He whispered against your ear and teased, “How’d you like that?” 

“Sh-Shut up- mhmngh-” your face contorted while his fingers worked like magic. He was caressing your slit so slow that your hips began dancing in the same rhythm. How come...How come he’s making you this lewd? Y-You’re losing! Your mind and will to resist him...you’re losing.  

Your walls were now triggering to shake. You can’t shouldn’t come first! You worked your hands even faster against his tempting length. Oikawa bit his lip, knitted his brows and tilted his head back. Gosh, he’s so fucking near. You're so good, so damn good. He panted heavily and pumped his fingers in and out of your wet cunt harder.   

Your knees buckled, body giving up on the floor. Oikawa removed his top before following and getting on his knees to discard your pants off. 

“What? Don’t tell me you’re done?” He teased. 

“N-No way,” you retaliated, doing the same on his pants. While you’re at it, you laid on your side and headed straight to his hardened shaft. Your mouth swallowing him whole to show that you’re never giving up.  

Oikawa moaned and you spurt a little with how sexy he sounded. He licked his lips at the sight of your dripping pussy. He grabbed your hips closer and lifted a leg up over his face, so he could have better access and began sipping on your arousal.  

You whimpered against his cock. It feels so damn good.  

He’s sliding his tongue against you as he slurped thirstily, while his finger pleased your hole. You matched his efforts as your hand massaged his balls with your tongue swirling around the tip. Your actions encouraged him even more now focused on lapping against your clit and added another finger in to tease your cunt. You shook and sucked him harder and faster.  

The friction of your attacks on each other sizzled, you trembled in his hold with your love juice squirting all over his pretty face and he spurt his cum inside your mouth.  

You came at the same time. It was a tie.  

Rolling on your back, your head spun. You took a glance at Oikawa. Gosh, he’s still hard. So damn hard, big and pretty. You gulped.  

Oikawa saw it…Your eyes...they spelled lust. So much lust that his ego could never feel more inflated it went straight to his cock now standing upright for your viewing pleasure. Your pussy glistened in arousal, and he knew that you still throbbed and wanted more.  

“Can you take all of me?” He challenged. 

You opened your legs wide ready for the final battle. “D-Don’t underestimate me.” 

Oikawa removed your top fully exposing you naked before swiping the tip of his shaft along your entrance. You heaved in anticipation, while he leaned close to you and entered slowly. Your pussy stretched to his size and your mouth gaped as big as his cock.  

His hips moved and you couldn’t help but be a moaning mess beneath him. If he’s like this...you’d be coming first. No, that couldn’t happen! You wrapped your arms around his neck and captured his lips. 

Shit! He almost came when you kissed him. In return, he lifted your ass with his hands and thrust even harder, harder and harder! 

“Mhmn~” you whined, your legs hooking around his waist. “N-nooo~ Can’t...Can’t just let you win~” You couldn’t believe it. The Grand Demon King’s cock was inside you and was stirring you like crazy. 

“So goood, it’s so goood, huh?” He huffed as he attacked, slamming hastily and powerfully deep. 

Oh god. Oh god. It’s so amazing. So terribly amazing. “Oh! O-Oikawa...” 

“Tooru-” He jerked his hips forward. “It’s Tooru!” 

Your back arched and his ass clenched with both of you coming together.  

You’re in disarray; beads of tears decorated the edge of your eyes as you panted. You just came and was shuddering a bit but Tooru continued thrusting. There’s no way he could stop after seeing you be such a beautiful mess for him.  

“Tooru! Tooru!” You cried quite surprised.  

“Y/N! Y/N! I can’t- I can’t get enough of you.” 

“Me too! Me too!” What’s happening? Was this still part of your duel? Were you still even fighting? 

“You can’t let me win...but you...want this, right?” He pulled you both up he’s now bouncing you on his lap. “You want this. You want this cock. You want my cock so badly.” 

You nodded, helplessly. You’re a knight. You came to defend your village, but you ended up coming endlessly and wanting nothing but more that you couldn’t stop yourself from thrusting back.  

“What do you say? I’ll leave your village alone, but you’ll stay with me forever,” he said through gritted teeth as he pounced without restraint. “I’ll fuck you like this forever! You’ll fuck me up ‘til this hard dick you love so much goes limp.” He thrust in deep, and your eyes crossed. He knew! He knew! He’d always be hard around you.  

“Yes! Yes, please! Just take me...Take me away!”  You didn’t know anymore. All you knew was...it's amazing...He’s amazing and no one ever felt this great. “Let me fuc- no defeat you ‘til you can’t go hard anymore!” You rode up and down his length wildly that your tits jiggled everytime. 

Tooru carried you by the waist, slamming his Grand Demon King cock up to destroy you, balls deep inside. “And I’ll fuck you over and over ‘til you can’t stop cumming anymore!” 

Your walls clenched around him as a final blow, squeezing that he shot his load straight into your womb, completely filling you with his love and owning you as his from this day forward. At the same time, your walls caved in, and your body shivered; head tilted back, hearts fully drawn in your eyes in pure pleasure.  

Together, you came again like a perfect pair, catching your breaths as the final battle ended with a win-win deal. 

Gently, Tooru cradled you like a baby on his lap, caressing the side of your face. Your heart fluttered with his gesture. He dipped to give your lips a small peck. Perhaps, this was not so bad at all. Contrary to the rumors, the Grand Demon King was secretly a doting man. “There, there, take a rest for a while, my queen.”  

A smile painted his face as he looked at you so dearly you knew you’d fall for him in no time. 

© sir-kuroo 2023 - All rights reserved. No work shall be reproduced, reposted, modified, translated in any form or by any means.

[dailysylvesterashling]

Day FOURTY!!!

Sylvie and Zora!!

Also slight spoilers for the great at cowboy music video at the end so watch out

My blorbos, My kin, My hyperfixations within the my hyperixation that is EE, The two characters i feel have the most untapped potential in terms of Development, story-telling AND power in general

How the two are polar opposites in every way, Sylvie being interested in researching how epithets affect the human Psyche, Zora being interested in erasing epithets :0 to make things more fair i NEED to see these two interact OH MY GOD JELLO PLEASE

For what i’d think would happen, It would depend on how the two meet, If Zora Salazar met Sylvie while hunting a bounty/bliss ocean target, Sylvie would try and intervene with Zora treating him with as little seriousness as possible before leaving, If Sylvester’s the TARGET, That’s a powerscaling conversation

Honestly It’s hard to come up with a situation where Sylvie and Zora would end up meeting that deosn’t end with the two fighting as i feel Zora would ignore Sylvie if he didn’t relate to her mission or task, He’s just a kid to her

But if they did, Zora Salazar would ABSOLUTELY make fun of Sylvie for being a nerd and call him a kid just to piss him off for the funnies, Syvester ain't having NONE of it and constantly telling her that he’s not a kid which just causes her to do it more, When the teasing stops and the two starts talking, Zora is a little irritated that Sylvie’s so adamant on researching epithets while Sylvie’s both curious and offended that Zora hates epithets so much

if Sylvie learn about Zora being a part of bliss ocean one of two things will happen, Either Sylvie will try and ‘defend’ himself from Zora despite her having no intent to harm him, Or he’d try and therapize her to try and figure out why a inscribed person is part of a anti-epithet terrorist group

Zora’s definitely NOT into therapy and would try every possible way to get out of this impromptu Therapy session while Sylvie keeps his professionalism throughout the entire thing

I feel like Sylvie would be the only person to actually challenge Zora’s beliefs and ask her if she’s okay with having HER epithet erased :OOO, Which surprisingly enough no one else in EE mentioned

For the Duel tech

I like the idea of Sylvie using nightmare fuel on someone she’s fighting and since they’re in the middle of fighting ZORA FUCKING SALAZAR , Sylvie’s nightmare fuel would just make her even MORE terrifying and Zora would LOVE it

And as for Nightmare fuel on Zora?

Well, Zora hates Epithets because her parents were killed by Bonzai blasters, Guns are non-lethal and only do minor impact damage so the only way for them to have been killed was by the Bonzai imbuing their bullets like Zora does, So…Zora would see that very same Bonzai blaster…gunning for her instead, Pun fully intended.

And along the list of people confronted with their worst nightmares…Zora would be one of the few who chose fight instead of flight, She would try and remind herself that the vision is part of Sylvie’s epithet and to focus on him....but gives in and let all her anger out on the Dream Bonzai before realizing that her bullets wont do anything, trying every form of combat she knows before finally realizing her actions are useless and finally becoming scared, not the type of fear where she’d need to get away from the threat at all costs…more so the fear that she’s going to die and she doesn’t want to, much like Ramsey’s thanatophobia

Zora’s fear is not being able to stop people from giving others the same fate She was given as a child, To stop people from being so helpless against the inscribed, that’s why she fantasizes about fair fights and battles of destiny and fate

Her parents would’ve been fine if the bonzai was a Mundie

They would’ve been alive

But no, That bonzai just so happened to be inscribed, Just so happened to have an epithet that can make bullets fatal

her parents were guaranteed to die that encounter…and it was all thanks to a person being lucky enough to be born with a epithet, to then be lucky enough to have their epithet be so powerful, to then be lucky enough to be at the right time and right place to witness Mr. and Mrs. Salazar dig up that treasure…

In her eyes it’s unfair

That’s because it isn’t

[istadris]

Trailer Analysis of Asterix & Obelix The Big Fight (Part 2) : New Elements

Part 1

Part 3

In the previous part, we have seen what elements of the Netflix will stay faithful to the original The Big Fight comic

But an adaptation can take liberties, especially for a different format than a 40 pages comic.

So what will be the fresh air brought to this story by Alain Chabat?

Let's find out!

Let's start with the most obvious additions : new characters.

While most are the Gauls we know and love, with a handful of Romans serving as interchangeable punchbags, and the specific characters of this album, we get to see some new faces.

First of all, the centurion (which I assume is named Potus, according to the cast list).

In the comic, the main Roman antagonists were Nebulus Nimbus (Langélus en vf), a loud and slightly dim-witted centurion, and Felonius Caucus (Perclus en vf), his sly and cunning advisor. Nimbus had authority and physical while Caucus came up with most of the plans and suggested underhanded tactis, but Nimbus was still wise enough to plot the demise of a too clever and ambitious advisor.

It seems both characters were fused into one, although he retains mostly Nimbus' aspects : a muscular and aggressive centurion who's in charge of the operation, but gets physically involved if necessary.

He is present in Caesar's audience room when the plot is seemingly kicked off, where he seems to fill the role of a bodyguard.

Next we have Metadata. And she's...interesting

She has the design of a Good/Ally character : young, pretty, with a soft voice and big innocent eyes. She seems to work as a scribe of some sort, with access to information about traditions like the Big Fight.

But she's also a Roman, and the one who gives Caesar the information about the Big Fight, so he's finally able to conquer the village of the indomitable and achieve his triumph. She's also shown traveling with Potus to Ceramix's village, probably to inform him of Caesar's plan and assert him. So she's, at least at first, on the side of Caesar & co. Which is logical : she's Roman, and she probably came up with the Big Fight idea because her boss' idea of a mosaic for Caesar's triumph was a terrible idea (I think she might have been confronted by Potus on the second shot below, before Caesar let her speak).

My theory is that she will change sides at some point, perhaps after befriending the Gauls or because Caesar has a horrible fate planned for them once Ceramix defeats Vitalstatistix.

I don't think Metadata's boss will play an important role, nor will Caesar's mother, who also appears in this show. Caesar's mom, in particular, feels more like a gag character about how even Julius Caesar has a berating mother criticizing his accomplishments.

There's also another centurion (decurion?) shown here and there ; I just expect him to be the centurion of the episode. You know, the one in charge of whichever Roman fort is starring in the story out of the four camps surrounding the village. And from the looks of it, he's just a Guy who's dealing with the madness of the Gauls and hoping for a quick mutation, but now has to go along with this new fancy plan of Big Fight.

Now, for the biggest change in the show : Julius Caesar.

In the original comic, he didn't appear at all. He was a ghost whose presence motivated the Romans into finding a way to finally subdue the Gauls, but otherwise had no direct impact.

This is clearly not the case in the series : not only is Caesar triggering the plot, by approving the Big Fight idea, but he even comes to the duel's stadium, determined to witness the Gauls's final defeat.

The stadium. As mentioned above, in the comic, the event of the Big Fight draws a traveling fair, which is mostly the opportunity for a gag about Asterix-world versions of rollercoasters and cotton candy stands (Ironically, this comic was written more than 20 years before the Parc Astérix, an Astérix theme park with many rollercoasters, was opened in France). The stage for the fight itself is just a boxing ring in the middle of a plain

Still, I wonder how his presence will impact the plot, outside of being, well, Caesar. There's a bit of an unspoken rule in the Asterix verse that Caesar does NOT get involved in the slapstick fights every other Roman is subjected to. EVER. If there is a battle, Caesar hangs outside on his white horse; if there is a duel, it's someone else fighting in his stead. The worse he can do is being present while a building crumble, or lose at a chariot race. But he's "allowed" to take decisions that change and impact the plot and characters, which might happen here. Which leads us to...

But in the show, the event is clearly meant with Caesar organizing it in mind : the arena is much bigger and intimidating, built right on the doorstep of the Gaul's village, reminiscent of the Circus of Rome with Caesar having the seat of honor to witness the defeat of his enemies. In Caesar's own words : a spectacular show.

One last detail specific to the show : the Gauls seem to have a council under a massive willow tree (with of course a brawl to close it off)

Obviously, this brings to mind the handful of times such a council was assembled in the comics, like in The Cauldron or Asterix in Belgium

So now, with all these elements, old and new, what story can be expected ? What themes will be explored? Are there any surprises left?

That will be explored in the next part of this analysis!

[chimerafflesia]

today is my yugioh anniversary <3 <3 four years!!!

it feels kind of surreal to say that, because yugioh is one of those things that just feels like it's been with me all my life. my fondness for this series grows every single day. a lot has happened in my life since all this started, lots of good and lots of bad, but I've had this series to fall back on and I'm always going to be grateful for that. I've written so many posts like this at this point but I don't care!!! I love yugioh and I'll keep saying it. to say it changed my life would be an understatement. I don't think I would be the person I am today without it. I've always felt that everything with me and yugioh feels very divinely timed, and I don't know if I necessarily believe in fate but I do think I was fated to find it when I did. because back in 2021 I needed something to keep my spirits high during what was a very dark time and well YGO was it. it's continued to do that for me since. the impact yugioh had and continues to have on me is something I'll cherish and carry with me forever.

this particular anniversary feels a little more special for me, because it comes at a time where yugioh really kept me pushing during what was another very troublesome period in my life. 2024 was a famously bad year for Everything, so I'm not unique in this, but it was my worst year since 2021. but at the same time, one day back in January 2024, I just got the urge that I wanted to start watching zexal again (I had taken basically a year long break from it) and so I did. and it immediately sucked me back in and I finished it in like a month and a half lol. and I tend to take big breaks between watching YGO series (4-6 months at least usually) but something in me wanted to start arc-v right away. so I did! literally 4 days after I finished zexal lol. and that's another instance of something feeling very well timed. we all know I kinda like arc-v and I feel I was supposed to watch it exactly when I did. and it's become my favorite YGO anime and it's made it's own little space in the existing one YGO already had in my heart. I love it so very much.

2025 has also been challenging so far, again I'm not unique in this, but it's brought a massive amount personal life struggle in a new way that I've never really dealt with before. It's been really scary and difficult and some days I feel extremely hopeless. but once again, because of YGO, I still have something at the end of the day I can escape into, even if just for a bit. even if it's just something like mindlessly playing duel links for an hour, I have that.

yugioh has a lot of message and lessons built into it, but I think one that I've been holding close to me, especially lately, is to not give up. that might sound childish or silly, but even when you're in your 20s it's a powerful sentiment! we see it in every single ygo series, where they get kicked down or set back, but in the end they can always come back from it stronger. everybody in this damn series is so driven, for better or worse, but it's all meaningful to me. and sure sometimes a win happens because of some magic extremely situational card or some bullshit, but isn't that just life? sometimes the way out of that sticky situation really is some random bullshit you have to pull off. and I think that's beautiful. throughout all the shit I've had to deal with, especially recently, I know I can make it through. even in the scariest moments, I can bounce back. it might not be right away, and it might not feel possible, but I think it is. giving up is how you lose, and believe me, even at my worst, I'm no loser. ‼️

I've met so many wonderful people throughout the past four years thanks to this series, and I've been able to inspire myself because of it too! I think anything that inspires a person to create is very special, and for me YGO does that. and that is extremely meaningful to me. I'm not sure what type of person I would be had yugioh not come in to my life when it did, but truthfully I don't want to think about it. everything over these past four years has had such a wonderful, powerful, meaningful, and important impact on me. it's been so much fun and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I'm so past the point of thinking that's embarrassing or cringy. I know what yugioh has done for me. I hold it so dearly in my heart. and thank you to Kazuki Takahashi, who I miss every day. I wouldn't be here without his creation.

four years, and here's to many, many more. I love you so very much yugioh.

[bizlybebo]

hey dsmpblr so since we recently lost our minds over eret’s planned-but-never-executed dsmp ending and the reveal that it’s possibly all one big loop, one that’s likely repeated several times before, i have some fucking thoughts about wilbur.

more specifically, the idea that someone else posted, that wilbur could have removed himself from the loop by leaving for utah.

(edit: the persons url is @/idkwatthehec !!)

see, i think this could go one of two ways.

one, maybe his fate was always to be from somewhere else, to appear and burn bright, so incredibly bright, but burn out fast, only to be revived months (granted, years for him) later. to eventually leave it all behind in a bittersweet goodbye. maybe there’s no real escape, maybe he’s just as much a part of this as everybody else and he has his role and he’s always going to fucking play it.

but maybe he really did remove himself from all of it. maybe he’s no longer part of the loop, and that’s why, like the original poster said, he didn’t have a room in mizu(?) from tales of the smp.

this can mean so many things.

what if he thinks tommy never wanted to (or never could) come visit him in utah?— never even wrote after that final letter. because the tommy that’s there now isn’t the same tommy as before.

what if tommy, in his newest incarnation, finds himself standing one day, overlooking a stretch of land; it’s water and it’s mountains and it’s grass, and he feels… off? like there should be somebody here with him, but he just can’t place who in god’s name it could be and he can’t even describe the feeling. tubbo calls his name and he forgets he even felt it, just continues on with his life and eventually learns to live with that feeling of something missing until it eventually disappears.

what if, although it’s somewhat out of character for him, wilbur ever came back?

what if he sees this kid, bright-eyed and young again, and he’s got tommy’s nose and his crooked teeth and his gangly limbs and his choppy hair but he’s not tommy. not his tommy.

what if, this time, it’s tommy who came back, but came back different?

what if tommy’s worse without him, but what if he’s better?

what if he doesn’t tense up at the mention of tnt? what if he doesn’t have that scar in the middle of his chest from his first(?) canon death acquired in that duel with dream?

what about everybody else?? what about phil. would phil ever even come to the main land if it weren’t for wilbur’s letter? what would that mean for techno, for niki, for ranboo, for literally fucking everyone??

how the fuck would wilbur feel seeing a world unaffected by him?

what if, knowing who he is, he has the impulse to come back to it, to wrap his fingers around it again and leave an impact. because wilbur was always someone who had to be in control, who had to be in first place, and although he’s now older and changed so much, what’s he going to feel in a world where he has no legacy? where there’s no crater for him to stand in after revival and laugh in surprise at (although that wasn’t his original crater)?

maybe, in the end, he throws himself back into the loop.

because maybe he never was free from it, at least, not in any way that matttered.

[elisysd]

Place in me - Luke Hemmings

Masterlist - Previously - Next Chapter

Call me in the morning, yeah I'm sorry that I let you down, I I'm so apathetic, it's pathetic But I need you now, now

Charles approached the Japanese Grand Prix with confidence, but with a certain anxiety. Confident because he was just back from a race where he had won. Apprehensive because of the memories linked to this track. Memories that he preferred to repress far, far away in his memory. But it was as if fate had decided that it wasn't going to leave him in peace. Conditions on Sunday were far from ideal. The track was soaked and Charles shared his concerns with Fred, who admitted that he wasn't at ease either. But despite the FIA's reluctance and the rain, which showed no sign of stopping, the race went ahead.

Getting up at seven o'clock on a Sunday morning was not what Lyanna had in mind when she thought about her weekend. But she had promised Charles that she would watch all his races, from free practices to the finish line. In addition, he was starting from P3, a position he didn't particularly like, but nonetheless he was in front and that made Lyanna happy. She had no doubt that he would be able to hold his position. But the rain and the commentators on television didn't reassure her. She couldn't wait for the race to finish. Firstly because she knew that Charles didn't really like Suzuka and secondly because it meant that he was coming home, something that Lyanna felt had not happened for far too long. She couldn't wait to see him walk through the doors of the flat and she had promised herself that as soon as he arrived, she wouldn't let him out of her sight. Besides, he was coming home just in time for her birthday and she couldn't wait to spend it in bed with him. Nothing but Charles and the few phone calls she felt compelled to take.

The race finally started and Charles quickly overtook Checo to follow in Max's trail. The rain was pouring down and Lyanna couldn't imagine what Charles could see, or rather not see, and feel. If she closed her eyes, it would make her want to throw up. With her eyes glued to the screen, she could see Charles battling with Max for P1 and even before the impact, she knew. She knew that neither of them would win the duel. And it was Charles who made the mistake in trying to overtake Max. The Ferrari's rear wheels locked, forcing him to adjust his trajectory and collide with Max. Both spun and hit the barrier.

Lyanna gasped, events of last year replaying in her head. But it wasn't long before she saw Max and Charles get out of the car, unharmed. She exhaled. They were fine.

She was the first person Charles called when he got back to the hotel. He was exhausted and angry, and unfortunately for Lyanna she soon realised that it was going to be up to her to find the words to comfort the Monegasque driver.

“You don’t understand Lyanna! It’s my fault. 100%. And I can’t afford to make stupid mistakes like this! Not now that I have a real chance at the championship, I can’t fuck it up.”

“You’re too hard with yourself… The track was completely wet because of the rain it could have happened to anyone, to Lewis or even Max. You’re a human Charles, not a robot.”

“It was a rookie mistake, Lyanna. I know better than that.” He said harshly.

“I’m just glad you are okay…” she whispered.

“You know what we always say, right? You know what I always promise you. You know that.”

“Yes, I do.”

“Repeat it, then.”

“Be fast, come back to me, I love you.”

“And I’m always fast, I always come back to you and I’ll always love you. Enough about me. Tell me about you, I feel like it’s been so log since we actually got a proper talk.”

“That’s because every time we’re on FaceTime your mind is always elsewhere but never on me.”

“I’m sorry about that. It’s just… this start of the season is already a lot…”

“I know. That’s why I don’t want to add to your problems or your stress.”

“You know you’ll never. So, how’s the shoot.”

“I’ve known better if I’m being honest. Don’t get me wrong, I love the movie and I trust Michael’s vision and you should see Adam Driver on set, he is magistral, but anyway. It’s a lot of pressure, a lot of work and it’s a range of emotions to portray that I’ve never done before. It’s exhausting. Fulfilling because I feel like I learn so much about myself, but hard and stressful. I can’t wait for you to get home… I... I just need you and your arms and your kisses… You. Only you.”

“And I’ll be all yours as soon as I stepped out of that plane, I promise you. Do you want to do something in particular for your birthday?”

“I want to do you. That’s it.” She jokingly said.

Charles was far from against the idea and if he was honest, it was something he was looking forward to. But he also knew how much his girlfriend loved her family and the place they occupied in her life. He wanted her to have a birthday to remember. And he wanted to be the person to give her that. His ego would feel flattered. After hanging up with Lyanna, he searched his contacts for Renée's phone number, which she had given him in case of emergency.

“Charles? You are the last person I expected a call from.” Lyanna’s mom greeted him after she picked up.

“Renée, hello. I hope you’re alright and I’m not bothering.”

“No, you don’t. Is everything okay with Lyanna? I’m assuming she is the reason why you call.”

“Yes, kind of… I wanted to ask you something.”

“If you are asking me for the permission to marry her, it’s a no. You still have to prove that you deserve her, young man.”

Charles was taken aback by the way she said it.

“Hum... well. I was not calling for that but it’s good to know… I guess? Hypothetically, if I wanted to ask you for permission, what should I do?”

“Don’t ignore her for starter. She told me what happened after your win in Bahrain. It didn’t make me happy to hear that, Charles. You promised me you would take care of her; I’m not asking you to be perfect, everyone is human and bound to make mistakes but… don’t play with her and her feelings. She went through enough.”

“I’ve already apologised to her, I kind of groveled if it can help. But anyway, it was not the reason of my call. I want to organize her a surprise birthday party and I was thinking of making you all fly out to Monaco to see her. It would make her so happy. And… I was also thinking that you all could meet my family since I wanted to invite them as well. Lyanna is close to them and I know my mom would be delighted to help to organize. She loves Lyanna.”

“Well… it’s very nice of you…”

“You don’t have to do anything. I can arrange a private jet and the hotel. You would just have to show up to the airport. Say yes, please. For Lya.”

Charles couldn't help jumping in joy and punching his fist in the air when Renée told him that she agreed and that she would take care of planning with the rest of the family. As soon as he had finished with his mother-in-law, he hurried off to phone his mother and explain his plans. Pascale was delighted and assured him that everything would be fine and that she would take care of everything. All he had to do was keep his mouth shut and not reveal anything to the actress. So it was with great excitement that Charles set off the next day for Italy to meet up with his beloved.

Lyanna wasn't there when Charles arrived from the airport. He hadn't said exactly when he was coming back, wanting to surprise the young woman. On the way, he stopped at a florist and bought her a huge bouquet of red roses. He knew it wasn't original, but he didn't care. He took the time to put his things away and take a long hot shower before changing into comfortable clothes. He plugged his phone into the stereo in the living room before choosing an acoustic playlist to play in the background. When that was done, he settled into the sofa and closed his eyes, savouring the fact that he was home. Soon he heard a key turn in the lock and he sat up, ready to welcome Lyanna and shower her with kisses.

He had expected her magnificent smile to light up as soon as she saw him, but what he saw destabilised him. She was crying. And not just a little. Her glossy eyes found Charles and she burst into even more tears, if that were possible, before rushing into his arms and soaking his shirt.

“Love… Lya… Oh my god babe. Hey, talk to me.”

“I want to give up. I can’t go back there. I want to give up Charles” she was like a broken record repeating the same sentences again and again.

“Babe, come here. Sit down. Tell me what happened.”

She pressed herself against Charles and wrapped her arms around his torso before burying her neck in his shoulder.

“I fucked up. We were supposed to shoot a scene and… and it was a hard one. It was about abuse. And…I freaked out. Something in me froze. I couldn’t move, I couldn’t speak, I got flashbacks from…” she shook her had as if she was trying to erase the memory. “And then everyone was staring at me, Michael wanted me to redo the whole scene from the top but I couldn’t Charles. I couldn’t. I ran away. I said that I couldn’t do it anymore and I left. They are going to be so mad. So mad. But I couldn’t stay there, I felt like I was drowning and I couldn’t breathe. It scared me.” She was rambling and Charles hugged her even tighter, kissing her forehead.

“It’s okay. You’re safe. I’m here, Lya, I’m here…”

“I’m so thankful you’re here. I thought you were coming back later and I would be alone and I don’t know what I would’ve done.”

He let her cry against him until she finally fell asleep, exhausted. He carried her to their bedroom and laid her on their bed. She tossed and turned, seeking the warmth of Charles' body. He joined her shortly afterwards and, naturally, she found herself back in his arms.

When Charles woke up a little later, it was still dark. The jet lag was beginning to wear on him, even though he was usually rather proud of the way he handled it. Lyanna hadn't moved an inch; she was still snuggled comfortably in his arms, her legs intertwined with his. Instinctively, he pulled her even closer to him and placed his lips on the top of her head. He didn't want to move, he felt good, peaceful. But a pang of worry pierced his heart. He couldn't help wondering how the young woman would be when she woke up.

With a gesture, he grabbed his phone from the bedside table and looked at the time.  Barely five in the morning. He knew that he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep and that he risked waking Lyanna at any moment, who needed sleep so badly. He got up carefully and put on his workout clothes. His building had a gym, which was handy for him. He grabbed his airpods and left the room, then the flat, without a sound.

He returned an hour later, but not before stopping off at a café to pick up a takeaway breakfast for Lyanna and himself. He could hear the water running in the bathroom, which told him that Lyanna was awake, which was reassuring. He set the table, taking care to display the bouquet he'd bought the day before, which he hadn't had the chance to offer properly. Soon, the young woman's silhouette appeared in the doorway and it was a weary smile that Charles received when she saw him.

“How do you feel?” he asked her as he took her in his arms and gave her a light peck on the lips.

“Like shit. I’m supposed to be on the set in two hours… I don’t want to go…” she smiled gently at him as she saw the flowers on the table and inhaled the scent.

“Is there something I can do to help?”

“Actually… do you want to come with me today?”

Charles was used to cameras, but he had to admit that a film set was a very different environment from what he knew on a day-to-day basis. Lyanna didn't have to worry about a thing; as soon as she arrived, the director rushed over to her and asked if she was alright. Lyanna briefly explained how she had felt, without going into detail, and apologised profusely, which Michael Mann brushed aside with a wave of his hand.

Charles had spent many hours sitting in a corner in silence, admiring Lyanna as she worked. Seeing her in her element, confident and in control of every detail, giving her opinion, chatting and laughing with the other cast members, made him fall a little more in love with her. As soon as she could, she checked on Charles and made sure to introduce him to everyone, so that by lunchtime everyone knew Charles' name and knew that he was Lyanna's boyfriend.

Lyanna was free by mid-afternoon and wasn't needed on set until the end of the week, which was perfect for Charles as it would allow them to get back to Monaco where Lyanna's birthday was being held. Pascale had booked the same room where Charles had celebrated his birthday a few months earlier, and the orchestra and caterer had also been rebooked. Lyanna's family and friends were due to arrive the day before and Joris, Arthur and Lorenzo had been asked to drive everyone to the hotel. This way, Charles could take full advantage of his girlfriend without her suspecting anything.

On the morning of his birthday, Lyanna was the first to wake up and it was she who woke Charles up by placing light kisses on his stubble, his neck and then down his chest.

“Hey, you.” whispered Charles in a sleepy voice.

“Good morning, babe.” Lyanna replied with a twinkle in her eye.

“You’re in a good mood this morning.”

“Indeed. Do you know why?”

“I have an idea but please enlighten me.”

“It’s my birthday and you’re home and that means I have you to myself and let me tell you that I’m going to enjoy every second of it.”

“Oh yeah? And what did you plan?”

“Oh so, so many things that don’t require for us to leave this bed.”

And true to her word, they stayed in bed all day. Lyanna ignored the messages and calls she received on her birthday, her family playing along with the idea that they were far away, when in reality they were only a few streets away from Charles's flat.

At the end of the day, and not without some difficulty, Charles managed to persuade Lyanna to get out of bed and go celebrate her birthday somewhere quiet and out of sight, just the two of them. He hated having to lie to her, but he hoped her reaction would be worth it. Lyanna pouted, unenthusiastic about the idea of going out.

“Lya, I made reservations and I really can’t cancel…”

“But I didn’t want to go out… I just want to be with you.”

“You got me all to yourself the whole day. You barely let me out of the bed to eat.”

“I didn’t hear you complain though…”

“Oh believe me, I’m not. It’s just that I want to spoil my girlfriend for her birthday and I want to please her because she deserves it. So let’s go out.”

“I must say that you did a really good job pleasing me the whole day and you can keep doing it without us having to leave the flat. It’s very convenient, it doesn’t require you to move and it’s completely free. No need to spend a penny on me. See, I’m really low maintenance.”

“I’m going to drag you out of here if I need to.”

“Can’t you just tell them that we will be going tomorrow?”

“We both need some fresh air. It will do us good.”

She continued to complain, but realising that Charles would not give in, she headed for the bathroom.

“I’m letting the door open, if you want to join me.”

“Lya, we can’t afford to be late and we both know that if I’m stepping even just a toe in this bathroom we will be very, very late.”

“You’re loss Leclerc, then.”

Charles shook his head and slipped out of the room, not wanting to be tempted more than necessary. He checked his messages nervously, his mother keeping him regularly informed of the evening's progress. He decided to call her to find out exactly how it was all shaping up rather than read the dozens of messages he had received throughout the day.

“Hey mom. How is going?”

“You would know if you were answering my texts! You really choose the right day to go full radio silence. Everyone is here, Charles. Where are you, guys?”

“On our way, don’t worry. We will be there in no time.”

“You haven’t left your place, did you?” it was not really a question, just a fact and Charles could almost picture his mom rolling her eyes.

“We’ve been a little bit carried away but don’t worry the situation is under control…”

“You had one job Charles, just to arrive on time.”

“Well, it was harder than expected…”

“What is hard? Because I sure can help with that.” Lyanna was just behind him completely oblivious to the fact that he was on the phone with his mom.

“There are some things that a mom doesn’t need to know. I’m going to leave you but please for the love of god, be quick.”

“I’ll try. I promise.” He hung up the phone and eyes his girlfriend. “My mom heard you and I think next time you’ll see her she is going to look at you in a very different way.”

“I’m sorry… but admit it, it’s funny. Just a little bit.”

“Having my mom knowing about our sex life is something funny to you?”

“Come on Charles, she is not stupid, she knows that you are not a sweet and pure and innocent little angel.”

“Of course! It doesn’t mean that she has to hear things!”

“She will be fine! What did she want, by the way?”

“Just to invite us for lunch tomorrow. Up for it?”

Charles was amazed at how easily lies slipped out of him.

Eventually they arrived outside the hotel where the birthday party was being held. Lyanna winced, quickly realising that Charles was not taking her to the quiet, intimate, relaxed place he had led her to believe.

“What did you do, Leclerc?”

“Spoiling my girlfriend. Come on, let’s get in.”

He got out of the car, handing his keys to the attendant as another employee opened Lyanna's door. Charles hurried to her side and offered her his hand, which she accepted.

She glanced suspiciously at Charles, who winked at her and smiled broadly. As soon as they entered the hotel lobby, they were directed to the private room, which Lyanna recognised. And that's when she saw them. All her family, her close friends and Sophia were there too. She was surprised to see Charles's family there too, along with Pierre and Kika, who had also travelled for the occasion. She even recognised Fred. She questioned Charles, who replied that his team principal had taken a liking to her, especially as he thought she was the reason why Charles was performing so well in this early part of the season. Emotion suddenly took hold of her and she felt tears welling up. Her mother was the first to come forward and give her a hug, soon to be joined by her best friend Emilie.

Charles gave them some space and went to talk to the other guests. The evening passed quickly and Charles could only feel his heart swell with joy at the happiness emanating from his girlfriend. She went from guest to guest, laughing, chatting and dancing. Just as he had found a quiet spot, Emilie came to join him.

“Charles Leclerc, finally I’m meeting you.”

“Emilie, right? Lya told me a lot about you.”

“It goes both ways. You are all she talks about when I have her on the phone… I feel like I know you without actually knowing you. Which is weird.”

She sipped her glass of champagne and sighed.

“I’m going to be honest if you don’t mind. Lya is my best friend, I might even dare to say she is the sister I’ve never had which is why I often feel the need to protect her. So don’t take it personally, but I made research on you.”

Charles almost choked on his drink.

“I found things that made me questioned your true motives with her. You don’t have the nicest dating history to be fair. I’ve got scared for her. Athletes don’t have the best reputation in terms of being faithful… But you make her happy, everyone can see that, even I. And I can see that you love her as well, not everyone would go out of their way to do something like that to someone if there were no real and deep feelings involved.  I still don’t like you. But for now I’m going to tolerate you. But I’m watching you. One dick move and I will hunt you down.”

“Copy. Right and clear. But don’t worry, I intend to keep her for a very, very long time.”

As the evening wore on, he found Lyanna eating a piece of cake. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes shone with excitement.

“I’m glad you made me leave the bed in the end…”

“See, I have good ideas sometimes.”

“Thank you, Charles. For everything.” She said seriously.

Charles put an arm around her shoulders and placed a kiss on her temple. She nestled a little closer to him and they enjoyed a brief moment of peace before returning to the guests. Lyanna stopped suddenly and tugged at Charles's sleeve before pointing to a corner of the room.

“Charles, do you see what I’m seeing?”

“Hum, well… your mom talking to Fred? Why? What’s wrong?”

“My mom is not talking! She is giggling Charles! Giggling! With Fred! They are so flirting.”

“Fred is single, your mom is too. If they can have some fun, good for them.”

“It’s my mom and technically your boss we are talking about!”

Charles paused.

“Yeah, you’re right. It’s weird. Imagine they actually get together, the kind of family reunions we could have! Do you think that would mean your mom would come at the Grand Prix?”

“I don’t want to imagine!”

“It would sure be fun and interesting! You could have Fred as a stepfather!”

“Shut up!”

Charles laughed and wrapped his arms around her as Lyanna groaned in protest.

Soon it was time for everyone to say goodbye. Lyanna thanked them for the surprise and soon left with Charles.

“Well, I’d say that your family and my family got on really well. That’s amazing. No awkward family reunions in sight.”

“Yeah… I can’t believe you did that for me. I mean, I can believe it because you prove me everyday how much you love me but… for you to actually take the time to organise that… it blows my mind.”

“Shout out to my mom who actually did most of the job. I really just had to get you there in time and I failed. But really, it was nothing. I know how much stressed you’ve been under lately and how much your family means to you; it was normal for me to do that. It was not much.”

“I love you so much, Charles. I couldn’t ask for a better birthday present.”

She placed a kiss on his cheek as Charles kept his eyes on the road before sliding a hand onto her knee and gave it a gentle squeeze.

=======

author's note: I love this chapter so much despite how long it is lmao 😂 As usual, let me know your thoughts through the comments or ask box if your too shy. And don't forget to leave a like or reblog the story. It helps. And it lets me know that you like the story. taglist @zendayabelova @purplephantomwolf @ru-kru @dakotali @blueflorals @aundercover @ruleroftheuniverse @fangirlika @writerscurse @elijahmikaelsonbitch @leclerc13 @karmabyfernando @stargaryenx @pitlanebabe @boiohboii @reengard If you are tagged but did not receive any notifications, please check your settings because it means that Tumblr didn't let me tag you.

[cafeleningrad]

When I think what that the literal as well as semantically correct tanslation of RGU is actually "Girl's Revolution Utena" (even though the French subtitle in the original show directly translates to "Revolutionary Girl Utena"...), I was reconsidering the sometimes bleak readings of the ending.

Some interpretations point towards the meaning of "revolution" to a finalized revolving motivement before another round begins. I think is pretty much accurate. After all Ohtori is a place of circular abuse and perpectual stasis. But SKU is also a story in which people and symbolism. are complex, therefore many things at the same time without contradictions in themselves.

Many people correctly conclude that the revolution was in the small, intimate frame of Anthy leaving her abuser for good. This is a 110% accurate. But I also think Anthy's choice is far more impactful as it's motivated by revolutionary thinking as well.

The final duel is neither shimmering not glorious as the viewer might be used from anime. The glamour of triumph is missing entirely, and our protagonist is beaten down, crying, stripped of all the beliefs that made up her self-identification, then vanished, almost forgotten. So the anticipated "Revolution" gets attributed to Anthy finally cutting ties with Akio. This act is revolutionary because moving away from pain and daring to leap into faith for future after hopelessness as certainty was a perpetuated propaganda within Akio's realm.

But I also think not only wasn't only leaving her abuser. Akio and Anthy are simultaneously allegories, possible dieties, as well as people of flesh and blood. Anthy has been trapped at Ohtori for counless cycles, for countless attempts of Akio to reclaim his former identity,her tornment seems endless, her pain is a metaphor for the patriarchy needing as well as abusing women for their gain. She's also a 14 year girl, old suffering from the very real pain of all sorts of physical and emotional abuse. Akio encapsulates all the mechanisms and entire faulty logic of toxic patriarchy and machsimo. HIs presence and direction is the force and logic driving all the action at Ohtori. He's also a guy depending on marrying into the Ohtori family to have any propect on his own, and only capable of impressing teenagers who have no further knowledge of the world.

Thre's another person participating in the revolution in this room: Us, the viewer. We've been involved as active participant all the time. Nanami looks at us terrified after she discovered the truth between Akio and Anthy. In the first arc, the Shadow girls only perform their play for explaining the situation for the viewer. They only interact with the characters in the Black Rose Arc, mostly as sybillic warning to Utena. The misleading framing, the judgement, our interpretations of each event, making sense of it all... we're involved in the revolution of mind.

With Anthy's allegorical nature, her journey is also a woman's journey. Meaning: Following Anthy's journey is slowly seeing through an oppressive system. And Ohtori is oppressive in multiple ways. Oppressive seixism is a big one! The necessity for someone to submit in order for another person to step on the them, up to top - the constant play of dominance and submissing as only understanding of relationship contradict the need to be loved and understood. And so many characters are unhappy because they're neither loved nor udnerstood. But Ohtori also utilizes fatalism, if not doomerism as a tool to make people believe the only chance of happiness is by dueling, there is no alterantive to duels to escape the seemingly endless tornment.

All paths and faiths are designated already, directed without hte characters having any say in it. All the characters are colour coded, attributed a fate and personality according to the rose colour designated to them. Even the regular brown or black hair colour designates one to the role of background character. So it seems everyone has to at out their script. If only violence, lack of alternatives, and dominance are used as currencies in this world, the intial problem of wanting to be loved and understood can never be adressed. Hence Anthy has given up. But Utena as a character, as a story disagrees with this notion. Characters as young as Tsuwabuki might already be entrapped in this fatalistic logic but Utena's and Anthy's entire relationship is based on the idea that actually they should listen to each other, that vunerability doesn't get exploited but rewarded with help, warmth and comfort. But even the background characters are people with desires, abilities, and pain. The student council moves on from their designated colour symbolism the further they progress in their character development. Nanami simlutaneously inhibited the yellow rose symbolism, of childishness, naivety, and jealousy - but she's also a girl getting neglected and groomed. The world of Ohtori is simultaneously an egg's shell as well well as a coffin as well as eternity as well as endless despair as well as.... Such layers and complexities depicts or complex things and people are - everyone is a person with all the facetts that entails, not even Background-hair-colour makes one insignificant. By Anthy's worldview dismanteling Akio's structural logic, she triumphs not only over her abuser entire intertwined systems. It's a mental triumph over patriarchy. It's a mental triumph over fatalism and hopelessness. It's a mental triumph over simplistic worldviews, and inviting in the idea of people as whole personalities.

Other girls in the story follow the same journey. Juri progresses from beign absolutely terrified from the world but also her own feelings, to giving up on the comfort of the self-fulffilling prophecy of eternal pain, and helps Utena getting into terms with her sexuality. Kozue realizes how naive, even reluctatnt Miki is to mature. Kozue herself finally stops idolzing Miki, hopefully she stops framing herself around Miki's perception of her. Shiori realizes that the girl who caused all her deep seated insecurites thinks that she's special, maybe even can a be bit more honest about her sexuality too. Utena realizes how paternailizing, actually disempowering to others princehood is, and is just Utena. Brave, loving, fighting against the notion of endless hopelessness Utena.

All the girls go through different notions of existencial pain, caused by structural oppression, and structural propaganda about a narrow worldview. And all, to different degrees, have a small emancipation from the central struggle that holds them in it's fields of gravity.

Last but not least, Utena has has an impact on the duelists. They might not remember her in the end but Touga and Kyouichi reconnected, Nanami turned her back on Touga's and her relationship, Juri and Shiori interact friendly for once, Miki has decided to teach piano to Tsuwabuki who isn't following neither Nanami nor Touga anymore. The end is and how to read each last scene of the chaarcters is left an ambigious note. Are these aneding really ideal for the characters? Is it really that hopeful? Afterall they're still at Ohtori. But at least a little change is noticable in them.

And yeah, with Anthy gone, the central piece to Akio's entire design is missing: The source of his power, the person he could put down to step on higher on her back, is gone. The system design is to collapse.

Last notes as to why the actually hard earned argumentation, revelations of logical fallacies, epipahnies, and total overthrow of Akio's logic doesn't look like a grandiouse classic anime showdown:

For one, we're still at Ohtori. Whatever realisation Anthy or Utena, or anyone else had, Akio doesn't understand them, maybe doesn't even want to understand them. So Anthy's absolute smack down of a goodbye speech is entirely lost in it's gravity on Akio. Menaing, the last duel would not be seen as actually glorious in his eyes.

Actually, Utena prying Anthy's coffin open and reaching out for her is a pretty dramatic, amazing moment. I noticed how in Ikuhara's other works like Penguindrum or YKA, the finales are all about rahcing out to people, showing love and understanding. They're as dramatic as a last bright and mighty Kamehameha-blast. But unlike animes and mangas in which winning is defined by violence, beating another person down, and even in magical girl animes where the power of friendship becomes just another powerful laser beam (rainbow edition TM), the glorification of violence is anthithetical to the stories we witnessed. Making violence look glamorous in forms of duel, or dueling outfits lures the characters back to the duel platform. Which only perpetuates the duelist's egoism, and prolongs Anthy's abuse. The need for domination by physical, systematic, psychological or emotional violence is the motivation behind Ohtori and keeps the system running. Violence and need for domination keeps everyoen apart. (In every Ikuhara story I watched so far, violence direct, systematic, phyiscal, philosphical, emotional, psychological, or, personal, or all together tears bonds between people apart.) The glamour doesn't lie in smacking Akio down bur in the priority for Utena to not let Anthy behind. The open-coffin-scene isn't actually any less amazing than a Kamamehameha beam with impact frames.

All to say: The Revolution happened as in the circular events at Ohtori seemingly ended with the same result: Akio is no closer to becoming Dios again. He's even writing out new letters for new duelists. Anthy has her smal private revolution ending the personal tyranny of Akio's over her life. Anthy and we, the viewers, experienced a revolution in dismanteling a lot of beliefs about an oppressive system - in fact Anthy revolutes by abandoning the thinking and participation in the system. Anthy's journey is the journey on the same campus as hers. And with out understanding it is our revolution as well.

[bookofmirth]

The main reason why I call bs on that argument, that it's Elucien Sjm had in mind when talking about the whole "mated but wrong for each other" is because it's so unlike Sjm to make them mates, only to have one reject it and both go they seperate ways without exploring first. Like... what would be the point? Just so El/riel could have an obstacle to go through? Because nothing else really stands in their way and honestly, elucien's mating bond would be a cheap obstacle. Elain isn't forbidden from anything, it's Elain who has the choice to decide and Rhys doesn't want Azriel to get in the way of that. If she'd were to reject it, Rhys would be on her side no matter what and provide protection. Lucien would accept the rejection anyway... so, we'd read a whole ahh book about characters playing hide and seek for nothing. Sjm would've paired Elucien for no nothing at all.

It would've been far more epic if Tamlin was Feyre's actual mate but she still chooses Rhys. 1. Based on how Tamlin reacted without a bond, imagine him having one? 2. Feylin already bonded, so to have her choose someone else over someone she has a bond with and was in love with would make sense and prove, that her love for Rhys is very strong. 3. Spring court vs Night court. Rhys can't do much without risking his people. There would be an actual blood duel. And the other courts might hold Rhys back for the simple reason that no one has any business to come between a mated pair, least of all a mating bond that includes a high lord and they just don't want a useless war.

Well, we already kinda have that story, just with Rhys being her mate. Just saying that it would worsen their situation if Tamlin was her actual mate.

Elain and Azriel literally isn't forbidden anything, no one gives a shit, including Sarah, which is why she hasn't given people who ship it anything since his chapter.

And what she gave there was a clear sign of "ummm, this is dark and awkward and feeling ashamed of being with someone probably isn't the way to go???" juxtaposed with Azriel feeling better and more lighthearted when thinking about Gwyn's smile. The woman wasn't even in the room and the thought of her made him smile.

People who don't admit the importance of that are being intellectually dishonest.

we'd read a whole ahh book about characters playing hide and seek for nothing.

Is THIS why Elain has barely been on the page? lol

You are so right about Feyre, Tamlin, and Rhys. If she really wanted to explore those questions in such a way that the answer always came down to making your decisions, what a perfect - and still super impactful - way to do that by making Feyre Tamlin's mate, and for her to still choose Rhys because she loves him. That would actually be such a good story, someone should write that fanfic. But that's just not the type of story sjm writes. She gives relationships a much cleaner path to endgame. And the Feyre/Tamlin/Rhys triangle really proves that to Sarah, the answer is both - freewill and fate. Love and a mating bond.

A while back, when the forbidden romance trope was a hot topic of conversation, I brought up that sjm doesn't tend to write external conflict for her couples, but internal. What I mean is that her couples don't get together right away because of their own trauma, the emotional journeys they need to go on, or how they relate/react to one another. She has never written a ship where the people can't be together because of a third party - another person, a political situation, another love interest, someone who is jealous, whatever. The closest I can think of is when Maeve was going to control Rowan and then he took the blood oath to Aelin - but they weren't romantic at the time. They weren't for another full book.

The fact that she has all of her mated couples be endgame and in love tells me that she thinks the answer is a bit of both - fate and what you make of it.

[drbtinglecannon]

for the character ask: genshin asogi? 👀

Everything during canon happened because of the professor case... Heh, could say London really felt Genshin's Impact 🥁

How I feel about this character

Sorry Kazuma I have a lot of unholy thoughts about your dad

Haha but really I have a lot of conflicting hcs for him, like I imagine he was very serious and focused, but I also like imagining he was snarky and comedically strict about his opinions like Kazuma is (like why he wore the hackimaki in the first place or the over the top manner he talks about Karuma, etc). It's bittersweet when a character is soooo bare bones in canon, because sure I can imagine anything and it'll never be contradicted in canon! But also I want information!!! Tell me about them!!!!!

Anyway regardless of other traits I'm munching over, I always stick with he and Klint were genuinely extremely close, like Herlock&Yujin level, and they shared a joking mean humor in private like calling each other a twat over any little inconvenience

All the people I ship romantically with this character

His own wife haha, Klint, and Klint & Lady B

Kazuma has enough issues so his parents not really caring about each other doesn't do it for me. Legit tho it isn't compelling to me to think they were a loveless marriage, the only point to it I can remember being was she wasn't mentioned in his final letter, but there's bittersweetness to explaining that away as out of a sense of paranoia that it would be wishing ill on them so he had to stay quiet until he made his escape, which..we know how that went. I think them having a loving marriage also kinda ties up the original study students, with Genshin having a wife and child he's leaving, Yujin losing his wife but gaining a newborn he has to leave behind, and Jigoku not having a spouse or kids, and it mirroring each Londoner they attached to (Klint has a wife and a baby on the way by the end but loses both, Herlock loses Yujin but gains a newborn, and Stronghart never takes a family). Genshin can almost relate to Yujin too, their wives are no longer around and they have young kids back home, but he still was expected to be able to return to her one day, and his fate is so similar to Klint's, they both lose their wives and their kids end up losing their connection to the family & being taken in by someone else (iirc Kazuma is kind of cut off from the Asougi clan after they learn his dad died and was outted as "a killer"), those parallels work better if Genshin and his wife were mutual love.

Genklint had an insane unhinged yaoi ending like the homoeroticism of a duel to the death for the honor of your friend that fell so far but you still cared about him too much to leave him like that... when it would've been way smarter for them to team up and kill Stronghart then Genshin tell Klint "no more killing or istfg >:(" and that's that. I also love the mutual suffering that is Barok & Kazuma going back to the prosecutor's office after 2-5 and just staring into the room with the deepest eyebags and deadest expressions like "they definitely fucked in here"

Genklintville is just the ultimate version of genklint haha. It makes it all so much hotter AND tragic! And what more could we ask for from their canon endings

My non-romantic OTP for this character

Genshin & Yujin is a fun relationship I think about a lot. I wonder if they were both jealous of their respective British bestie for being able to get so much closer than they ever were with each other? Was Genshin the shoulder Yujin cried on during the boat trip to London and during the time before he met Herlock? Yujin went above and beyond to help Genshin when he was arrested, and maybe if Genshin listened to him on getting extradited he would've survived, but also Yujin cared so much for him to not only go to Lady B at his request but take Kazuma in once all the dust settled. Idk, I'm not sure I'd call them an OTP but they're a favorite non romantic dynamic for both characters

My unpopular opinion about this character

Ok so there was a post from a blog I love that used pixels from the games to determine character heights and deemed that Genshin was 6' tall based on that information, and I've seen a number of fics describe Genshin as very tall, and I vehemently disagree. Genshin was at most 5'10, taller than average and a tiny bit taller than Kazuma, but still noticeably shorter than Klint & Barok. I will die on this hill

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

Lived haha but really I can't think of anything that wouldn't drastically change canon (him living, them killing Stronghart, him actually escaping, etc) that like is actually impactful for his role in the story. Not that I don't love AUs but I like leaving this all as my sandbox and not canon. I guess I wanna know his height so I can be correct that it's not 6' tall haha!

[gempantheon]

different from the last time you saw him ; judai manifested an aura far different then that of sunshine. he was quieter now, content to be in the shadow, and lackluster too. his smile is more lethargic rather than radiance, with an unspoken burden to match. memories of the past still haunts him and the his guilt remains further embedded inside the fractures of his soul. "i never had the chance to properly apologize to you, " he began, "the thing with yubel, the dimensions, it all began with me. you shouldn't have been the one to suffer as you did. it's not much, but i'm sorry."

Still his closest friend but so much has changed from the young man he'd known, cared for, supported and guided. The young brunette that had looked for a purpose beyond just the enjoyment of duels, the excitement they would bring. That hope, that passion had been poisoned, twisted apart from the inside out and drained like a wound being drained of venom. His frame is heavier, the weight on his shoulders has taken such a toll that he can see the way the other stands is much different, the posture is different, as if he can't stand tall enough to bear the weight of it all.

That aura, a blistering burning gold that had slowly darkened, another layer is plastered on top of it like wallpaper, but it clashes really and it doesn't seem like it belongs but it molds itself into the cracks and keeps them wound together like string. The other holds so much guilt and yet all he can grasp is what other's have told him, barely opened up about. The horrors initiated, sustained and still present to this very day are evident, the evidence still remains no matter how well they all try to hide it. But with it comes his own guilt, and unable to fully understand why...why they'd do it. "What the hell are you apologizing for Judai?"

Profanity wasn't often to come from the duelist, perhaps that is why the other appears startled? Maybe? Or is that just more concern being added to the pile. The word's rise and bubble and flow out of his mouth, taking shape and form as his expression twists with the varying emotions coursing through him. The edges of fangs that barely show, the way tears well into the corner of his eyes. It's overwhelming, suffocating thinking back on that moment, and the surge of memories that were not his, he had no right to view, the emotions that overtook him and it felt like roots dug into his soul. "I knew, I knew full well what I was walking into when all of Duel Academia got dragged to that dimension. I knew the dangers from the moment we realized what it all entailed. You were young, you were full of hopes and dreams and you were just dragging you through the dirt because you were a shining beacon amongst everything. You kept carrying everyone's expectations on your shoulders when you shouldn't have had to. " Hands clench tightly into fists, trembling at his sides as the Crystal Beast's linger, drawn forth by the turmoil radiating from their duelist, from their second youngest family member. Teeth gritting against one another as he continues, the words won't stop even when he tries to. "You were scared, you were desperate to make things right and you asked me what my purpose was, what I was dueling for. The joy that you all were supposed to be having, and that joy was ripped from you all unfairly. You were on a pedestal and I wanted you to feel like you didn't have to always be the hero. But in that moment, when I summoned Rainbow Dragon. I wanted to save everyone, I knew what that would entail for me. I knew what my fate would be and I accepted it." The hero isn't supposed to see the impact their sacrifice made. They may wonder what it will do, but they never know what it means, what comes with it. They are only hopeful that it means the world will be brighter than when they left it. The silence is deafening, the memories that replay in his mind are cruel. The sheer difference in strength between spirit and human, how effortlessly he'd rolled across the sands, only to get back up and fight. Fight. That's all he could do against the enraged spirit, that burning light that twisted into his family, those claws that dug into his flesh until it wept crimson. Not unlike now as he chokes out the words, vision blurring as the emotions hit him, are they his? Are they remnants of the entity that had taken hold of him? "Why did you come for me? Why? Why was I worth that effort? You all just escaped that hell, you all finally got back home, you were free, you were able to live your lives." he shouldn't be asking this, he shouldn't and the guilt is whats going to take him down over everything else. He'd sooner face Yubel again than be trying to sort through these emotions that clash like a war inside of him.

"Why was I worth going through all that for again?"

[mielmoto]

since maleficent is a fairy, i wonder what honey thinks of her 👀

Mmmmmm yes. Excellent question, and one with a layered answer. Context matters, so we'll start with the "original" story (Disney primarily but also vaguely Perrault and Grimm versions).

If mortals make the decision to consort with fairies on the regular, especially powerful ones—as Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather seem to be in their own right—to the point of relying on them to provide consistent service to their court, they'd damned well ought to know the customs of the Folk, and the risks inherently involved with such association...especially when it comes to the unseelie (i.e. "evil" fairies).

Sure, she can understand why the King and Queen wouldn't have been chomping at the bit to invite the proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil" to their baby's christening, but anyone with half a mind and a vague understanding of faerie culture would know that to snub a fey so powerful is to provoke a far more serious consequence than if you'd just invited her in the first place. If they somehow believed that she wouldn't find out—or even more foolishly: that she wouldn't take offense to their exclusion—then Honey would really question their intelligence.

—on that note the Perrault and Grimm versions are especially egregious, because the "wicked fairy", (Carabosse as she's known in some adaptations), isn't necessarily known to be wicked before the christening, but is doubly besmirched by being forgotten or uninvited in the first place and not receiving the same gift as all the other fairies who were invited. To be frank: the king and queen truly fucked around and found out—y'all should've planned better and triple-checked that guest list.

Did Stefan and Leah ever consider the possibility that their kingdom's misfortunes were likely made worse and perpetuated by their disrespect? Like, sorry for the doom-and-gloom and nastiness you may suffer from time-to-time, but if your ancestors decided to establish their kingdom within the decided domain of a prideful, vindictive, dominating incarnation of wickedness, maybe they should have foreseen the consequences and established a bit of ritual deference. Maybe choose a different sprawl of land to settle up on.

Or, a particularly strong alternative: they should have pussied up and committed to killing her from the start. If one (albeit especially heroic) twenty-something fop from the kingdom next door can rock up on his pretty horse and duel her to the death in her most powerful form, surely it wasn't out of the realm of possibility to rouse an army and campaign to take her out. But they didn't take that initiative, and went on living in her shadow for it. Tsk, tsk.

...all this to say that if the Three Fairies are "good," and Maleficent "evil," Honey (and her court) would be the "neutral" fairy lying somewhere in-between. Fae morality doesn't usually align so cleanly with the good-and-evil binary humans are so keen on as the quartet in this tale demonstrate, and Honey holds closer to this idea—she doesn't approve nor disapprove of Maleficent's actions or general nature, and largely just shakes her head and shrugs at the fate brought upon Stefan's kingdom...

...and she wouldn't get involved in the whole ordeal, on either side. No, thank you; she'll stay in her lane and give due respect (read as: a wide berth) to Mal's.

Moving on to Maleficent's role in Kingdom Hearts*, though, brings its differences.

*with the added context of our some of our interactions/developments + with @valorxdrive

Honey's alignment already leans more into the quote-and-unquote "good" side of the central dichotomy in this case, largely (and somewhat selfishly) because her father's home world—thus by half: her home—was directly impacted by the destruction wrought circa KH I, and the ultimate goal of the evil forces at work is a bit too all-encompassing to remain "neutral" on the whole affair; hence, she's already predisposed to dislike Maleficent and the rest of the nasty little band she's party to.

As much as Honey loves and respects a girlie with Goals™, she firmly believes that an excess of ambition quickly becomes a weakness...and a bit sad. It's blinding, as seen by the fact (which Honey would be utterly unsurprised by) that Maleficent spent half her campaign being manipulated as a pawn in someone else's zealous scheme.

Untempered ambition becomes a hunger which can never be satisfied; pride and greed pave the way for one's downfall, as the more one seeks to assert their power, influence, and dominion, the more resistance they provoke and enemies they create...and you can only go so far down that path before, eventually, meeting your match.

Maleficent already had power in her world. She commanded fear and deference, had influence, and seems to have largely gone unchallenged in this role; again demonstrating the virtue of staying👏 in 👏 your👏 lane👏!...but, obviously, the world was not enough. She wants the universe.

Gag. Don't get it twisted, because you are special, babe: gorgeous, strong, scary—but not that special. Nobody is that special. (And you're a little goofy for thinking that you are; silly little clown behavior tbh)

It's been mentioned before, but bares repeating, that Honey doesn't exactly respect authority, (nor divinity), as a rule; re: "It would never occur to a fey to worship anything." Call it ambivalence, call it indignance, or call it a healthy(ish) amount of self-conceit, but Honey can't conceive of anyone who deserves to be regarded above her, or nearly anyone else for that matter; with all due respect. Pair that with her core philosophy being centered around the concept of freedom and choice, a supreme overlord of the universe doesn't exactly fit with her whole vibe.

All of the above is enough to breed a some disdain from Miss Moto. A disapproving curl of the lip, a roll of the eyes and disparaging words, as well as her willingness to throw her hat in with those working against her, lending a little bit of help here-and-there...

What ultimately pushes Honey over the edge into outright contempt for the other fairy has everything to do with her manipulation of Riku and malice toward Sora.

Not on principle, mind. While Honey doesn't exactly condone the manipulation of literal children, she wouldn't really care much if she didn't know them—but those are her boys, now, and anyone who does them wrong (including retroactively) goes straight onto the shitlist. It's a totally selfish reason, but that's the truth of it.

TL;DR Honey would theoretically tastefully respect Maleficent's whole shtick if only she didn't become such a disproportionately self-important bitch, and had—say it with me now, kids—stayed💥 in 💥 her💥 lane💥.

...but we do love the presentation.

[ninedigitninja]

I've been playing Dragon Age 2 for the first time (super late to the party I know) and I think it's probably my favourite of the series. The combat is a definite improvement on Origins but still a bit of a slog. However I feel the writing makes up for this. I love the story and the banter between the companions, I just wish you could have conversations with them outside of quests. The characters are complex and there is no inherent expectation that Hawke will get along with all of them. That's why I like the friendship/rivalry mechanic, it makes them feel more real.

My biggest complaint is that you can't romance the man, the myth, the legend, Varric Tethras.

So I'm gonna wax lyrical about the things that I think make Dragon Age 2 an excellent rpg.

SPOILERS AHEAD

I like that the companions have agency. For example, in All That Remains, if you have Varric and Gascard with you when you confront Quentin, Varric will suddenly shoot Gascard before there is any chance for him to turn on you. He sees which way the wind is blowing and acts accordingly. Isabela will always run off with the relic but whether she returns is down to the strength of the relationship you have. If you refuse Merrill the arulin'holm she becomes furious, even if you explain you have good intentions, and kicks you out her home. The fact that she doesn't leave your party for any length of time does make this less impactful though.

The companions also have agency in how they interact with each other. Fenris pulls no punches when verbally eviscerating Merrill, Aveline calls Isabela a whore, Anders asks Fenris if he's ever considered killing himself, Varric criticises Sebastian for being boring. They are a messy bunch but although Hawke is their leader they aren't expected to mediate. It's not your responsibility to ensure everyone gets along and they also don't have to approve of everything you do.

I really enjoy that your actions affect other areas outside your companions feelings towards you. For example, if you take steps to show the Arishok respect you then get the option to duel him in the Act 2 finale rather than fight all the Qunari because you've proven yourself to be basalit-an.

I'm also a big fan of characters from Origins showing up and not just because I got to see Zevran and Alistair again. It makes the game feel connected to its predecessor and also what's happening in Kirkwall connected to events in the wider world. Who ended up ruling Orzammar and Ferelden has an impact even if it's just the case that there is a small extra quest. It emphasises the ripple effect that choices have.

The thing is, despite having an impact on the world around them Hawke isn't the chosen one, they're just a refugee who happened to run into the right dwarf at the right time. They aren't the dragonborn, they aren't the one who was foretold but they are the catalyst in a chain of events that culminates in your friend/rival blowing up the Chantry, the Circles falling apart and civil war.

However, even though they are the catalyst there is a feeling of inevitability to it all. Regardless of if you help Anders or not in the quest Justice he still enacts his plan. Again he has agency, he was always going to find a way. Hawke is a powerful driver of the story but at the same time powerless to affect its outcomes. Nearly everything they become involved with is part of something bigger than they initially realised. They are an unwitting agent of fate but despite this it does really feel like your choices matter even if the overall outcome remains the same.

[storiesofsass]

The whole Unity drama can really only be described as 'How to completely fuck yourself and everyone else over' but in a actually comedic how stupid this was kind of way.

Like let me explain.

Warning long post but for a good reason.

Unity practically runs (or soon to be ran) the mobile gaming spare. There's a reason for this as Unreal's mobile port kinda sucks(it's gotten somewhat better recently) and alternatives like Flash are dead.

So mobile games like

All Mihoyo/Hoyoverse games so far (Genshin Impact, Honkai Impact and Honkai Star Rail, Tears of Themis)

Disney's Twisted Wonderland

Yu GI Oh master duel

Marvel Clash

Pokemon Go

Among Us

Fate: Grand Order

Ensemble stars/Ensemble stars music

Obey Me/ Obey Me Nightbringer

Path to Nowhere

Arknights

Dislyte

Temple Run/Temple Run 2

Subway Surfers

And many many more will be affected by this change. In fact, it might just be easier to list the popular mobile games that don't use Unity.

Now from a purely capitalist point of view(and ignore common sense), every game I just listed there is a potential million dollars or more. A literal infinite money generator especially gacha games that thrive off of a install and uninstall loop.

But, there's no way they could actually enforce any of this.

Mihoyo/Hoyoverse and most Chinese gachas use a version of Unity that's only available in China and is basically it's own thing. Meaning that it's unlikely that the changes are actually going to affect them. But they did say the changes apply to 'emerging markets' so don't hold your breath.

Games like Twisted Wonderland, Fate: Grand Order, Pokemon Go etc. are licensed games aka they'll be messing with the likes of The Pokemon Company, Komani and Disney. Who would probably take them to court or shut down if it was barely profitable enough before than have less profit.

Game companies(mostly female focused ones) like Happy Elements(Ensemble stars) and Solmare(Obey Me) actually make more money from merch and irl events than the actual games.

Which leaves the rest. Who may not be able to get by. Like the creators of Among Us who would likely go bankrupt if this change were to happen. Or older games like Temple Run, Angry Birds and Subway Surfers who no longer make that sort of revanue anymore.

The problem is 'the rest' is basically 90% of the users of Unity on mobile and a giant chunk of the mobile gaming market.

So instead of an infinite money generator, most devs are going to shut down and either remake on a different engine or shut down completely.

The minority that can pay either might not have to (Chinese gachas) or are unlikely to/litigation bait.

So not only did Unity shoot themselves in the head but they somehow managed to put the billion dollar mobile gaming market in jeopardy.

And this is just mobile gaming, this doesn't include PC, Xbox, PS4 games. Unity is pretty easy to learn and was cheaper than Unreal for a beginner/ Indie dev so they basically dominated that market as well.

And the same problem persists there as well. Those who could afford it aren't going to pay and the majority of users can't actually pay the fee and are going to delist or switch. So the entire market ends up in jeopardy because it's at risk of losing a giant chunk of it.

All for an infinite money generator that anyone with a brain or at the very least had a basic understanding of the gaming market could see wasn't going to work.

The shortsightedness to even think this was going to work is astounding. The stupidity is astronomical.

[twistedtummies2]

Year of the Bat - Number 23

Welcome to Year of the Bat! In honor of Kevin Conroy, Arleen Sorkin, and Richard Moll, I’m counting down my Top 31 Favorite Episodes of “Batman: The Animated Series” throughout this January. TODAY’S EPISODE QUOTE: “At what point did I become life’s punching bag?”

Number 23 is…Joker’s Favor.

In my earlier entry for “Christmas With the Joker,” I mentioned that the creators behind B:TAS felt they had a hard time “settling” the Joker at first, and his first few episodes in the show are widely considered among his weakest stories in the DCAU. This was the episode that changed things; according to Bruce Timm and Paul Dini, it was with “Joker’s Favor” that the team felt they finally “nailed down” how their take on the Joker should really work. While, of course, I have no real major issues with those first few episodes – and I particularly enjoy “Christmas With the Joker” – I will concede that this is when the character went from just a good Joker to an AMAZING Joker. It’s the episode that officially secured Mark Hamill’s tenure as the Clown Prince of Crime. The episode is probably most famous now because it introduced Harley Quinn. And while, yes, Harley’s introduction is a big plus for the story, she’s not the focus here by any means, and is a little different than how she’d be portrayed for the rest of the series. It’s the story that really makes this one unique. The plot focuses on a thoroughly mundane man by the name of Charlie Collins. One night, after an absolutely miserable day, Charlie gets cut off in traffic by a mysterious driver, and impulsively starts to road rage at them…only to discover the man he’s cussing out is the Joker. The Harlequin of Hate chases Charlie down, corners him, and seems ready to kill him…but agrees to spare Charlie’s life if Collins will agree to do “a little favor” for him. Charlie: “O-Okay…what?” Joker: “I DON’T KNOW! I HAVEN’T THOUGHT OF IT YET!”

The Joker thus departs, promising to call on that favor at some undetermined point. Grateful to be alive, but horror-stricken by this whole ordeal, Charlie moves his family out of Gotham and changes his name…but two years later, the Joker – who has been keeping tabs on Charlie all this time – calls to collect on the debt. Charlie must find a way to escape this proverbial Deal with the Devil, before good people get hurt. Something interesting about a lot of the best episodes in “Batman: The Animated Series” is that Batman, himself, isn’t always necessarily the focal character. A lot of times, he just kind of ends up getting roped into the action and conflict as a result of things other characters do or do not engage in. This is a good example. Batman has very little direct impact on the story; the focus is really on Charlie and the Joker. While Collins isn’t the most interesting character in the show, that’s actually part of the point: the episode plays Charlie up as something of an audience surrogate, a completely ordinary guy who is just going through the motions, but – because of one bad day – he ends up in over his head in a fantastic duel of the fates, sandwiched between the Dark Knight and the Clown Prince of Crime in their endless war. It’s a unique perspective for the show to play with, and while there were other episodes that tried similar tactics of fairly ordinary people ending up in extraordinary situations, this is easily one of the best, as well as one of the earliest.

I love the subtle way the episode plays with the Joker’s own dark philosophies on life. While his origins are left somewhat vague in the series – we know he was once a gangster named “Jack Napier,” inspired by the Tim Burton movies, but that’s about it – I think most people are aware of the comic book version’s ideology on how “all it takes is One Bad Day to turn a normal man into a monster.” The conflict between Charlie and the Joker, and how it ends (I won’t give away that twist) provides an interesting twist on that idea. I also love, once again, how diabolically petty the character is in this story: he decides to spare Charlie’s life basically on a whim, but once he declares he’s going to collect on a favor, he takes it VERY seriously. What’s hilarious is that, when he DOES call on Charlie, both the man and the audience themselves are expecting this favor to be something like “Chuckers” being forced to shoot somebody or whatever…and instead, the Joker literally just needs him to open a door. That last bit, alone, probably says a lot about why this episode is so revered. Again, how much more Joker-ish can you possibly get?

Tomorrow we move on to Number 22! Hint: “All I wanted from you, dearie, was a little friendship! That would have cost you nothing!”