#and get that revenge and closure. i'm glad he got that

[qilingxiong]

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[marketableplushieenthusiast]

(Spoilers for Shadow Generations)

I think what I appreciate most about Shadow Generations is just that it gives Shadow ACTUAL, CANON closure for his struggle between good and evil.

By the end of Adventure 2, he remembered his promise to Maria and made his choice to save the world, but then he "dies".

When Heroes revives him, he doesn't remember any of that.

His namesake game (and I say this as gently as possible), as cool as the multiple endings were, feels so unsatisfying. We get to see Shadow's potential for good and evil, sure, but then the true canon ending comes, and it doesn't specify what he did (or even what exactly he remembered about his past) to get there, and then he just decides not to let his past control him. Which isn't a terrible direction on paper, but the symbolism of him literally throwing away a picture of his family just seems... Like the opposite of what made this character appealing in the first place?

And from there, the games kept giving mixed signals. Sonic '06 shows how deeply he and Team Dark come to care for each other, but then its events get literally removed from the timeline. Sega begins to pretend that Team Dark aren't even friends in their mandates for a while (despite the fact they clearly care for each others' wellbeing before anybody else's). Shadow becomes practically a popsicle stick puppet for "angry, serious, violent rival", and they never feel a need to explain his motivations or reactions beyond waving at that four word character description again.

Shadow's appeal (at least to me) was never that he was a character who didn't care about anything - it was that he cared very deeply, actually. (Someone who nearly lets the world be destroyed as revenge for losing his family is the exact opposite of someone who doesn't care!) He may not be cheerful, he may be quiet and stern, he may have a temper and be capable of terrible things if he isn't careful, but he isn't heartless.

And Shadow Generations FINALLY got it right, I feel.

There's now no doubt that he remembers his past, and that it did matter to him. It still does, in fact, and we're dropping the idea that he'll move on from it like it never happened. That's not how tragedy works.

But he will be able to move forward.

He has finally, WITHOUT GETTING AMNESIA, IN THE CANON TIMELINE, gotten to become the hero Maria wanted him to be.

That doesn't mean his story's over: I'm sure they can still find adventures to send him on. And that doesn't mean he needs any kind of complete personality overhaul, either. He can still be more aggressive than Team Sonic, and more stern, and maybe even more willing to resort to questionable methods to fight next week's bad guy.

But all of Team Dark has gotten to acknowledge that they do, in fact, care for each other, even if their attitudes aren't as chummy as Team Sonic.

Shadow has gotten to hear from his family that they are proud of him, weird alien DNA and all, and that even though he will have to go the rest of his long life without them, their love will always go with him, and give him the strength he needs to overcome any of his darker parts.

Shadow having a darker edge than Sonic and Shadow being a hero are things that can and SHOULD coexist, and I'm so glad we finally got to see it for him without it getting wiped from canon or his own memories again.

[butchbarneygumble]

Imagine how I must feel as one of the only fans of Mighty Magiswords. You know. A headcanons-and-fanfic kind of fan. I even cosplayed Prohyas once.

Of course, it's nothing compared to what the actual victims went through... I'm fine. But it still felt like a part of my identity has been permanently soured. I don't want to seem like I somehow have it worse, that's not my intention. Nothing bad happened to me personally. I'm only posting my own side of how I deal with the situation, to get some closure myself and show solidarity with the victims.

I don't admire him anymore, and that's putting it lightly.

Full story under cut. Content warning for non-graphic discussion of csa.

The news came to me from my ex-but-still-friend. He told me privately, out of nowhere, just dropped it on me. Like, "Hey, sorry to tell you, but the guy you like got arrested for csa". However, I am glad he told me rather than me having to find out on my own.

The news hit me, and I felt nothing in my body. I usually would get this painful fight-or-flight all through my body whenever I read something that upset me, something I've been training myself to get better with. But right now? I just felt like... "huh. That happened." It helped a lot that Magiswords wasn't my fixation of the moment. And like... it's been like I've been slipping away from it. Like I didn't need it anymore.

More and more people were talking about him, and it wasn't positive. Who? Kyle.

I talked to him. Personally, like many people did. He never acted weird to me. I admired him. I loved his art, sent him physical fanart, all that stuff. I knew more than one person said he was not trustworthy but hey, he made a show that saved my life, so it was a constant struggle between feeling like I had to pick sides. I was going through hell by virtue of my dad being terminally sick and needing constant care, so I was gonna ignore the red flags and enjoy my silly sword show that brought me such joy.

Even if as time went on it started get harder and harder.

But you know what a certain depressed horse show said? When you're wearing rose coloured glasses, red flags just look like flags.

I now think dodged a bullet.

What emotions do I feel? Betrayal. Anger. Disgust. Disappointment.

The irony about it all. The sheer painful irony of blacklisting somebody for *drawings*, and then going behind everybody's back to actually hoard *actual* csa, and revenge porn, and all sorts of nasty stuff. For the record: there is nothing wrong with being put off or disgusted by specific sorts of drawings. But the irony here is what's most painful to me. I do not like people using this as a "gotcha" for either side of this tired argument. It's disrespectful to the actual victims.

People say I can easily seperate art from the artist if I want to but... right now I don't think I want to. He's in every pore of its identity. I do not want to talk or think about Magiswords right now, and I don't know if I ever will again.

It meant so much to me. Prohyas felt like Me. Being a goofy capable adult who doesn't stop collecting things he likes just cuz he's an adult. I thought I was trans for a while and the euphoria of relating to Prohyas helped that. Then he got lowkey confirmed nonbinary and I was over the moon.

It was good. Emphasis on "was".

And to the man himself I have one thing to say: you're another one in a long history of cartoon artists who end up being unsavoury, slimy people, taking advantage of young people, especially girls, in the animation industry. Not something to be proud of. I know we talked and you seemed perfectly okay to me, personally. All I can think is thank god it never went beyond casual chats.

I guess I can finally say I never liked the joke about Vambre not liking pants. Sure, sensory issues exist, but I doubt that was the intention of the design. I have deleted my sideblog where I chronicled ooc screencaps of the show and deleted my little spotify playlist of songs that reminded me of the show. I don't want to finish my longfic where Prohyas and Flonk fell in love anymore. I can't even change it into ocs because it's just so ingrained in the show's lore. So yeah, there's that.

I'll be fine. When the news hit I took it surprisingly well. I was going to an Alestorm concert and it was the most fun I had in ages. So yeah, I've got Christopher Bowes and His Plate of Beans to fill the void of comedy music. Was fixating on Simpsons already so there's that in terms of cartoons. I'm fine.

All I can say is my heart goes out to all the victims, and I'm deeply sorry I didn't see you sooner. I hope you can heal and have some semblance of closure now that he's gotten arrested. My heart goes out to all of you and again, I am so so sorry. I wish you all the love and healing.

[kmhappybunny240]

The French nurse chapter 2

It's been three weeks since Tommy hired an investigator to find Olivia . It was his old friend Peter who was a translator and solider during the war. He was one of the most intelligent people Tommy has ever known. He spoke six languages and could read eight. Of course that came in handy when they were face to face with angry German or an angry French woman disputing pay at a brothel.Peter finished law school when he got back home and now he was one of the top criminal defense attorney in England . What made him different was he defended people who he truly believed were innocent .

Peter was also was at the hospital when Tommy met Olivia and saw first hand their true love and the heart break to follow. He truly thought they had a chance. But the war once again destroyed their lives.

Tommy tried to find out what happened to Olivia when he came back home but Grace and Campbell entered his life. After that he put the search on the back burner. He did feel guilty that he didn't continue the search after Grace left but he was just so wrapped up in his anger and grief. Tommy just put all of his energy into the business. He was also terrified that she might be dead. He doesn't think he could handle that. Tommy also was scared that she could be married and happy without him. That could be worse than death. He didn't get very far in his research . All he found out was that she was sent back to Paris . He dragged his feet in finding out. How many years has it been. He just wanted to put his head under the dirt and not deal with this. Now he didn't have a choice. He knew Grace would continue to pester him if he kept saying her name. The dreams were turning erotic when they shouldn't be. He needed closure .

Tommy heard a car pull into his drive way. He pulled out his gun in instinct . Never know who wants revenge on the Shelby family. Tommy looked out the window as a man got out of the car. Tommy sighed in relief and put his gun in the desk drawer. It was Peter . It's been so long since he has seen him. Then dread set in. This was it. He was going to finally know what happened to the love of his life.

Tommy was walking out of his office and towards the front door when he saw Frances with Peter . He thanked Frances and stood in front of his old friend . Peter looked around in amazement .

" How in the hell did you end up in a place like this. Last time I saw you you and your family were bookies and lived in a betting den. Now look at you. You live in a fucking castle. I bet it has a name. All rich people name their houses. "

Tommy smirked. Same old Peter . Never thought twice about giving him a hard time.

"Arrow house and as for the betting den, it's still there on watery lane in small heath. I can show you later if you like." They hugged. It was a great feeling for the both of them.

" It's damn good to see you . I'm glad you are doing well Tommy . "

" thank you . Shall we go to my office. "

They entered his office and Peter sat down while Tommy got them drinks. Tommy sat the drinks down and sat behind his desk .

"I must say Peter you have done damn well for yourself. You have a Bentley , you have a posh flat in the middle of London. You are also all over the papers with the cases you win. Let's not forget you were all over the society pages with some American heiress."

Peter took a gulp of his drink then smirked .

"Tommy Shelby OBE. Who now lives in a castle and has a fleet of cars. Let's not forget you own Shelby company ldt and now are engaged to a beautiful Irish woman. Who was a spy for a very troublesome inspector. And she was married until his very tragic suicide . Then there are those rumors of you being head of the gang called peaky blinders ."

They had a moment . Of course they did their research on Each other . It did erk Tommy that he knew so much about him. Peter sighed and put his drink on the desk.

" But enough of this. How are truly Tommy? "

"Well as you can see. I have a house not a castle. A beautiful fiance and business is booming . What about you?"

" I'm well. I'm a successful attorney as you know and I've helped a lot of people. And I wasn't with that American girl by the way. I just happened to be around her when the press showed up. " Peter took another sip of his drink and smirked at tommy. Now there was an awkward silence . They were in a stand off seeing which one would talk first.Tommy was filled with anxiety . He wanted this over with and at the same time he didn't . Part of him wanted to keep his memories intact. He watched Greta die. He couldn't have Olivia dead too. His perfect love gone and nothing he could do about it. There was also a part of him that was nervous and jealous to find out she could be married with children . It was hypocritical of him to feel that why but she promised him that they would marry and have a family. Olivia had every right to move with her life it's been years since the war. Tommy moved on with Grace and would be married soon.

Peter could read Tommy like a book. He knew every thought in his head. The information he had in his brief cases could set Tommy off. It was like a bomb about to go off. So Peter decided to end the suspense and put the briefcase on Tommy desk and opened it. He put the file in front of tommy. Tommy eyes went wide . This is it. His past was in that file.

"There it is Tom. The entire life of Olivia. Military record, employment history, addresses of all the residents she has lived, and even a picture I took." Peter watched Tommy carefully . He left out two small details but Tommy would find out sooner or later.

Tommy opened the file and saw two pictures . The first was her official military photo. She looked so young and serious in her uniform. It reminded Tommy of him and his brothers photos. The second photo she looked older more mature but happy. She was in a flowery dress that hugged her curves perfectly. He could tell she had filled out more since the last time her saw her. Her hair was long and curly. He could remember just how soft it was. There was her smile. A truly happy smile that he could also see in her eyes. So much happiness and love poured out of that picture . She was standing in front of a beautiful Friesian horse. He saw that horse once as boy at a Boswell wedding. He fell in love with it's beauty instantly. It was obviously an expensive horse and didn't think he could ever afford but he wanted it. He vowed one day he would have a stable full of them.

Tommy started to choke up a bit. Olivia remembered. She had listened to his story and remembered his love of horses. She has a piece of his memory with her back home in France . Tommy heard the chair across from him creak and saw Peter watching him. He cleared his throat and straightened out in his chair. He put the picture to the side and bottled his emotions . The last thing he was going to do was break down in front of Peter. He looked through the papers and was very impressed. She was highly regarded in her military record . She was honorably discharged a month before the war ended . She had the rank of captain and was awarded a medal for her bravery .

He flipped to the next page of her job history. She stayed in Paris until the spring and seems she went back to her hometown. She started working at the local hospital her father ran a almost a year later. There were several newspaper articles on Olivia . One was about her saving a hotel heiress from choking to death at a restaurant a few years ago. Another was about her saving a young boy after being trapped inside a car on fire. If course she continued to save people it's who she is. She would always put her life in the line for others. He finally reached the end of the file and wasn't much left. Only that she lived in her family property in her own house and a car title with her name on it. What surprised him was medical patent with Olivia's name on it. Quite a few of them. There was a couple with her parents and her brother. He smiled. He was happy she was sharing her inventions with the world and was making money off of it. Hopefully she didn't ever have to struggle in the future.

The three pieces of paper he dreaded to see weren't there. Marriage ,birth, and death certificate. He closed the file and went to get another drink. Peter watched him and knew what he wanted to ask.

"She isn't married. No children either. She is happily living on the French countryside with her horses and her family."

Tommy swallowed he drink and asked angrily

"When did you take that picture ?" Tommy didn't want to think about why Olivia would be smiling at Peter . He didn't want to think Peter went behind his back and possibly slept with his woman. His woman? Olivia didn't belong to him. He had Grace now . He felt a big stab in the heart at the thought of that.

Peter could see where this was going. The last thing he wanted was a fight and for Tommy to think he had a fling with her. He got up and walked to Tommy .

"I took that picture a few months ago. It's a funny story . About a year and half ago I had a client who was accused of murdering her husband. There was a rumor that he had a mistress but the police didn't bother to follow up on it but I did. I found out she had cleaned out the office safe and flee to Paris after she killed him of course." Peter lit a new cigarette and took a long drag. It irritated Tommy because he wanted Peter to just get on with the story.

" As I was filing the necessary paperwork to extradite the mistress back to England at the courthouse, I ran into her. Literally ran into her , I knocked her on her rump. " Peter chuckled at the memory.

"We met for dinner that night and talked for hours. It was quite lovely seeing her."

It was obviously innocent. Old friends catching up but the ugly green monster of jealousy was rearing its ugly head. It's target was peter. All Tommy wanted to do right now was throw him across the room and beat answers out of him. Tommy reeled in his anger and flat out asked.

"Did you sleep with her after after talking for hours?"

Peter knew Tommy would ask that question but it still hurt. Olivia became a great friend and even a sister to him. It hurt that Tommy would think he would stab him in the back like that.

"Tommy do you honestly believe I would ever do that?"

" Why not? She is a beautiful woman. A beautiful woman who I'm sure has felt lonely over the years. What better way to take advantage of that than getting her drunk and into bed. " Tommy was clutching his glass so hard it was coming close to breaking. Peter now was getting angry. How could Tommy think he would ever take advantage of her. He walked to the other side of the room so he wouldn't punch Tommy.

"Danny is dead. Freddie is dead. Barney lost his mind and is locked in that hospital. God only knows how the other men are. I always hear bombs and gunfire at night. I can't be in small spaces otherwise I start hyperventilating. Then there is you Tom. Are you still hearing the shovels? "

Tommy gave Peter a deadly glare while he moved to sit back down at his desk.

"Tommy when I saw Olivia it was wonderful. It was wonderful to see her thriving out there. She found some sort of peace after the hell we went through. She is actually living her life instead of just surviving to get to the next day like the rest of us. And those horses. She got them because of you. She told me the story of when she fell off one as a kid and broker her arm. She was terrified of them after that. Somehow you worked your magic on her and now she has become a horse whisperer . The same way you are."

" To answer your question no I did not have any type of sexual contact with Olivia. I have never seen her that way either. "

Tommy knew that but it still hurt him. It hurt that Peter got to see her. He got to spend time with her. To see her happy and smiling. It wasn't fair at all. Tommy grabbed her picture and blurted out the question he has been asking himself since the end of the war.

"Why didn't she find me? Why didn't she come to Birmingham like she promised?"

The sadness and desperation in Tommy voice broke Peter heart. Only if he knew the whole story.

"She thought you were dead Tom. She was scared at the thought of coming to Birmingham and only finding your grave. She has felt guilty about it but she never stopped loving you. You have to believe in that. She will always love you."

"Does she know I'm alive. That I'm here in Birmingham."

" Yes she knows and she also knows about Grace. I didn't want to but she asked if you were seeing someone the last time I saw her. I couldn't lie. She is happy you found someone. "

"So that's it then. Olivia is in France with her horses and family and I'm here in England getting ready to be married."

"Yeah Tom that's it. Unless you want to talk to her. I can get in contact with her for you."

Tommy thought about the offer. It's tempting but he didn't think his heart could take it. Hearing her voice after all these years would be too much. In all honesty he would get on the first boat to France just to see her. He didn't trust himself to not leave everything behind and live his life with her.

" No it's alright. I got what I wanted. Olivia is alive and doing well, now I can move on and get married."

Peter didn't believe him at all. He could see that Tommy heart has been broken all over again. He was starting to think this meeting was a mistake. He shouldn't of laid all this on Tommy . He also knows whenever Tommy finds out what he is hiding , there is a good chance that Tommy might beat him to death. Peter knows it's gonna come out one day. It just has too. He checked his watch to see it was getting late and Tommy noticed. Time to wrap this up.

"I thank you for your work in finding her. Here is your check. I hope the payment is to your liking."

Tommy got up and wrote the check them handed it to Peter. Peter got up and took the check. It was a lot of money. More than he has ever charged a client. Peter ripped the check in half and put it on the desk.

"This one is on me Tom , but the next time I will charge you at least half of that amount."

Tommy gave him a small smile. It did touch him that Peter most likely always had the intention of doing this for free. He did it out of the goodness of his heart , which is a rare thing theses days. Peter stuck out his hand to Tommy and instead Tommy grabbed him into a hug.

"Thank you for this truly."

" it's no problem. You both are family. I would do anything for you two. "

They separated when they heard a knock at the door. Tommy called for the person to enter. It was the last person he wanted to see right now. Grace.

He shouldn't feel this way but he did. Tommy didn't want Grace to see that part of his world. He didn't want Grace to touch the memory of Olivia.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but the cook wanted to know if salmon is alright for dinner."

" Yes that's fine. " Tommy said as he made his way over to his desk to put the file in a drawer.

"My goodness you have a cook are you sure this isn't a castle. Castles have a full staff to wait on you hand and foot."

Tommy rolled his eyes and introduced them.

" Grace this is Peter , an old friend of mine. "

Peter took Grace's hand and kisses the top of it.

"Its a pleasure to meet you. "

Grace blushed a bit. She wasn't used to this behavior from any of Tommy's friends or associates . It was refreshing to meet someone outgoing the way Peter obviously is.

"Its a pleasure to meet you to. I haven't met many of Tommy old friends, how did you meet?"

"Unfortunately during the war. I was a translator in his unit. Thankfully we were able to stay in touch afterwards."

Ann old friend from the war. Interesting Grace thought. She would have to kiss up to him soon. Invite him to come around more often so she can get information out of him. Maybe he knows Olivia. She would have to go back to her old ways of spying. Grace didn't want to do that but if there is another woman out there who had Tommy heart she had to take the chance. She wasn't going to let a other woman take what was hers.

"I'm glad you were too. You would like to stay for dinner? Most of Tommy family is coming over."

" I appreciate the offer but I can't. I have to get back to London for a late appointment. I hope that invitation would still stand for another time. "

"Of course it would." Grace smiled at him.

"Alright enough flirting with my fiance , let me walk you to the door."

"Wonderful meeting you Grace." Peter and Tommy walked to the front door. Tommy started to feel a little sad as he walked Peter to his car. He could have spent a few more hours just talking. He wanted to talk more about Olivia . He wanted to know the Olivia Peter knew. But now it was over. No more talk about his past. No more talk about his true love.

"Well Grace seem nice. I hope I am invited to the wedding."

Tommy just rolled his eyes and hugged Peter once again.

"When you head this way again let me know. I will take you to the garrison and get incredibly drunk."

Peter smiled at that and said his goodbyes. As he drove off he couldn't shake the feeling Grace gave him. She felt off. What he saw in her eyes was different from what he saw in Olivia.

There wasn't any love in them. No warmth unlike Olivia. She had the kindest eyes he has ever seen. He was going to look into Grace background first thing Monday morning. He didn't trust that woman and if he had to stop a wedding then he was going to.

Tommy walked back into his office and Grace was still there giving him the look. He knows she is going to want to know all about Peter and why he never mentioned him. It annoyed him that she was always digging for information about his past. A normal person would just see it as a woman getting to know her man but to Tommy she was snooping. He still has fear that Grace could hand him and his family over to the police . That she was still spying on him. It's a terrible way to think but Tommy can't help it. There will always be that nagging feeling of betrayal in the back of his mind.

"Peter seems nice, I wish he could have stayed for dinner. " Grace was trying to get a reaction out of Tommy . She could tell in his demeanor that what ever they talked about really took a toll on him. She just hoped he wouldn't get melancholy again. She doesn't quite know what to do when he gets into that state.

"Mmmhhmm " was all Tommy said as he walked over to the window. He wasn't paying attention to Grace at all. He could feel her coming closer to him and talking but he didn't care. Tommy just wanted to lock himself in this room and cry. It was too much for one day and he was over it.

"Tommy darling are you alright?" She put her hand on his cheek and Tommy leaned into it. This is what he needed. He needed Grace to ground him in reality. He has her now to keep the nightmares away. He has to keep reminding himself that.

"Yes I'm alright. Just talking a out the past is all."

" I can cancel dinner if you want. It's not to late to call the family. " Grace leaned on to hug him. What ever they talked about shook him up.

"No it's alright. I'm alright don't worry." Tommy pushed her back a little and took her face in his hands . He just looked at her for a moment and then gave her a deep kiss. A kiss that took Grace breathe away.

"I love you alright. You never have to worry about me."

" I will always worry about you Tommy.

They kissed and again and Tommy sent Grace away so he could finish his work before dinner. He tried his hardest to concentrate on the papers in front of him but it was just to hard. He felt like the desk drawer was taunting him. Just take a peak a voice in his head was saying. That voice sounded just like Olivia. Tommy opened the drawer and took the file out. The only place it should be is in a secret hiding place. It's the only way he was going to get through this. He couldn't have any part of her in his house.

As family was arriving, Tommy put the file in his brief cases and got ready to go. He would be gone very long but needed to get that damn thing out of his house.

"Hey where do you think you're going. You invited the whole family. You can't just leave." Ada said. She was very ticked off her brother was leaving them and leaving them with Grace . Tommy stopped at the door when he heard Ada. He was so wrapped up in his mission he didn't notice he walked right past her and little Karl. He knew what he was about to say was going to piss his sister and the rest of the family off but he didn't care. He just needed to go right now.

"I have some business in town. I won't be long." Tommy ran out the door before she could say anything. He saw Arthur coming down the drive way with Finn, Polly, and Michael .He got into the car and sped down the drive way. He almost ran into his brother which got him a few horn honk . He had only one destination in mind. Watery lane.

Grace was getting worried about Tommy. It was almost 10 pm and Tommy still wasn't home. She was so mad that he just left her alone with his family. It was a boring dinner because no one really talked to her. Polly and Esme didn't acknowledge her at all. Arthur ,John ,and Finn were loud and going on about god knows what. Michael made some effort for small talk which she appreciated very much. She mostly talked to Ada about the wedding. She couldn't stand how they have her the cold shoulder. They should have gotten over the Campbell situation already. She was going to be Tommy wife soon and mother of his children. She wasn't going anywhere anytime soon.

"Don't worry about Tommy I'm sure he is fine."

Grace was startled by Polly.

" He left with out telling me hours ago. He hasn't called . He couldn't of left for simply business. "

"He does a lot of things without telling. I will go and look around town. See where he is."

" thank you Polly. " Grace hugged Polly but it was an awkward hug. Polly was very surprised by this. She was surprised Grace was worried about Tommy . There was genuine concern in her eyes.

"You really do love him don't you?"

Grace rolled her eyes and huffed.

"Of course I love him. Why must you always question me?"

" I will always question you Grace. Tommy might of forgiven and forgotten but I haven't. When you came back to him you were married and lied about being pregnant. I will always question your motives. "

"I will be his wife soon and I will be having his children . There is absolutely nothing you can do."

That pissed off Polly . Sadly Grace was right. Once Tommy had his mind set he had to through with it. She wouldn't be happy about it. Polly hated that damn witch was going to be apart of their family but there was truly nothing she can do about it.

" I'm leaving now, I will call once I find him. Have a lovely night. "

Polly was going to wring his neck once she found him.

The only place Tommy could think was back home. His true home on watery lane. Soon as Tommy got there, he ran right up the stairs to his old room. It was quite and he finally had a moment of peace. There was a safe in the wall Tommy put in years before the war. He put mostly contraband and a few important document in the safe. It was in the wall behind a heavy dresser just in case the police came. Now the contents of the safe only hold sentimental value to him. Inside was a picture and loves notes from Greta and love notes from Olivia.

He decided this was the safest place for Olivia file and pictures. He didn't want anything happening to it. He didn't want anyone knowing either. Especially Grace. Tommy opened the safe and saw the notes. Olivia used to write little notes to the soldiers to make them feel better. She also would draw little doodles. As their relationship progressed the letters and drawings got more romantic and a little erotic . He took a few of her medical inventions sketches. He was so impressed with her brilliance. He went through every letter and drawing and started to break down. He doesn't remember when he started drinking whiskey and didn't notice it was dark. He was drunk and terribly sad when Polly found him.

After driving around the city Polly finally found him in his old room . It was a sad sight. He was drunk on the floor with broken mirrors and a broken chair. He was just staring a a photograph of a beautiful woman. She had a feeling of who she was. This situation was similar to the one after he came home.

"I've been looking all over for Tommy. I told myself I would ring your neck when I found you. Your lovely fiance is worried sick over you."

Tommy knew someone would come for him but wasn't expecting Polly . She was the last person he wanted to see ,but at the same time she was the only person he wanted around. Polly wouldn't judge him and he wanted to get all of his heart ache out before he went back to Grace.

"Sorry Pol. I'll let you ring my neck to the morning if that's alright." His voice was horse from crying and the whiskey. He was emotionally drained and Polly could tell. Her heart broke for him. She had to tread lightly or Tommy would shut down . She took her coat off , lit a cigarette , and sat down next to him on the floor.

"That's her than. The French Nurse.She is incredibly beautiful , I can see why you fell in love with her."

"She was the one who saved me. There was a small knick in an artery near my heart that doctor missed but she didn't. She managed to repair it before I bled to death. She joked that the only reason she was able to save me was because she had nimble fingers.She was the only one who could reach it and fix it." Tommy smiled a little.

" Yes she is beautiful but she is so much more than that. She is so smart and caring and loving. She has a fierceness to her that rivals yours. She promised me that we would meet after the war and start a life. She wanted to come here, but she never showed. " Hearing this made Polly tear up.

"Why are you bringing this up now? Are you getting cold feet with the wedding?"

"I started to look for her after I got home but the Campbell situation happened and I just left it alone. I called up an old friend ,Peter,who is a lawyer and he found her. I just wanted closure and now, I think finding her made things worse."

" Where is she ? " Polly was worried that this woman was dead. She wanted to shield him from the pain but there wasn't much she could do right now. She had to listen to him and let him get all the pent up anger and sadness out. She watched Tommy get up and stretch. He walked over to the window and let out a cloud of smoke. He was on his second cigarette.

"She is living happily in France on her family property. She still is a nurse and raises four friesian horses. She is unmarried and has no children."

Polly was a little stunned by this. His true love was out there alive and well, and Tommy was here suffering . She knew he never let that girl go not truly. How could she have not contacted him over the years. It was just cruel. Now he is with Grace who wouldn't take this news very well. It didn't matter if this woman was in another country and most likely would never see Tommy again. Grace was very territorial and wouldn't put up with that. If she gets a whiff that Tommy still loves Olivia then she would leave. That's something she can understand. No one wants a husband in love with another woman.

"Apparently Olivia thought I was dead all these years. Peter ran into her about a year and half ago and explained things to him. She was to scared to come to Birmingham. She thought the only thing she would find was my grave. I want to be angry at her but I'm no better." Tommy chuckled at that.

" I've had plenty of chances to find her but I didn't. I've moved on with grace. I've built a company that's only getting bigger every day. And yet... " He didn't know how to finish that thought. Polly did though.

"And yet you still love her. You haven't moved on because you need closure." She got up and walked to him.

" Write her , call, or go to France to see her. You need this Tommy. You have to let it go if you want to a life with Grace. "

Tommy latched on to Polly and started to cry. He was so thankful he could be vulnerable in front of her. She was a mother to him. He knows she is right.

"I don't know if I can let Olivia go. I'm not sure if I want to." He just buried his head into her shoulder. Polly was going to do everything she could to help him even if it meant going to France and dragging that nurse with her.

LONDON

Olivia was exhausted after the day she had. She wished someone told her about the gangs in the city. She wasn't naive to think London was crime free but this was just crazy. There was a shoot out every other week and today was terrible. The hospital has in influx of patients with gunshot and stab wounds. A fight broke out at a pub between gangs and thirty men were brought in. She hated that part of her job. She hated that those men would fight and risk theirs lives like that. It was all for nothing really. She saw truly brave men in the war. Her Tom was a brave man.

She thinks about him everyday especially since she moved here. It would be to just jump on the train and go see him but she couldn't. He has a fiance now and she couldn't bare to see him with her. She didn't want to destroy his happiness simply because she wanted to see him because she was lonely. As much as she missed him she was thankful to have a piece of him. Her sweet little Oscar. He had his father eyes. His conception was under the best circumstance but she dealt with it. Oscar birth was the scariest and the best day of her life. Her son was the only thing that got her through her shell shock after the war. He was the only thing that helped her grief over Tommy.

That was another reason why she didn't want to go to Tommy . She didn't know how to drop that piece of information on him. She couldn't just show up on his door step with their son. She honestly didn't know how he would take it. It would break her heart if Tommy rejected their son. The only thing Oscar knew about his father was an English soldier who she loves very much. He was only four years old so she had time before he asked serious questions.

There was a knock at the door as Olivia was setting the dinning room table for dinner. She quickly ran to the door to greet her guest. She opened the door and quickly engulfed the man into a hug.

"Ma Cherie"

Peter was so happy to see her. Since she moved to town he has had dinner with her almost every weekend. He entered the home and was almost tackled. He felt the sweet little boy hugging his waist. He loves him so much. He was shocked when Olivia first told him about her son. He Alamo didn't believe her until he saw the little boy. Soon as he saw those blue eyes he knew that was Tommy boy. He tried several times to get Olivia to tell Tommy and he came close once than was until Tommy got engaged to Grace. He saw how much that broke her heart. Hopefully now that she is so close to Tommy they will meet again.

Olivia was so happy when she met with Peter after coming to the city. She had a trusted friend and her son had an uncle in him. She was so happy she was able to have a new life here in London and finally was settled. She felt in her gut something big was going to happen soon. Not sure what but it was gonna happen. She wouldn't let it came her mood right now. She would just enjoy her family dinner.

She wouldn't have to worry about her gut feeling until weeks later when the last person she thought to see would crash into the hospital and turn everything upside down.

[carverl]

I want to talk about Raoul Silva AKA my favourite Bond villain and one of my favourite villains in all of cinema and why that is;

Silva (or Tiago Rodriguez) is a character I find endlessly fascinating, his charming personality and demeanor lead to him being incredibly likable from the start and how he speaks to Bond in a way that's friendly and honest yet with still a hint of menace is almost hypnotic to watch on screen. Javier Bardem plays this role to perfection and I feel he doesn't get enough credit for this performance, he is both a camp delight and incredibly threatening when he needs to be and I love every second he's on screen.

His design is also perfect, I don't know how they found a look that screams 'Bond Villain' but this is it, the way his suit is the inverted colour scheme of Bond's is a neat detail and his dyed hair and eyebrows are subtley off putting with how wrong it somehow feels hinting at that he seems well put together there is something off with this man.

The way he acts as the perfect dark reflection to Bond is so interesting to me, sure there have been plenty of characters like that in the film series before Silva i.e Red Grant, Scaramanga and Alec Trevelyan. But none of them are as well utilized as Silva in my opinion with how both he and Bond were betrayed by M and left to die but in Silva's case he went through literal hell whereas Bond just got shot. It's not hard to imagine Bond going rogue on a revenge mission to kill M if he were put through the torture Silva was. Another element to this is how Silva employs Bond's own methods to attack MI6, he attempts to seduce the closest ally to his target, deliberately gets himself captured to infiltrate his target's base to kill them easier and uses their own tech against them. All trademark tactics Bond uses against his villains but turned on him truly making it feel like Silva is three steps ahead of everyone.

The tragedy of Silva is so well handled, he's someone you can't help but feel bad for while watching Skyfall. All he really wants is revenge on the woman who left him to die, a woman he saw as a maternal figure. Like, yeah I get it and I love how Bond himself seems to understand and respect Silva with moments where it seems like he understands his pain. He's one of the few antagonists Bond has gone up against where it feels like he really respects them and probably doesn't even really want to kill him. And the fact that at the end of the film Silva wins, he gets what he wants and tbh, I'm kind of glad. Not that I hate M but it's just nice that Silva gets some closure after a lifetime of being denied that.

[ramonag-if]

To the anon who understood dislike for half-siblings. My parents divorced when I was nine. I stayed with my mom. And through my adolescence I tried to stay in touch with my dad. It was painful for all the parties involved. When I was twelve my dad remarried and had another daughter. Then got divorced again. And fought for his other child. So that she stayed with him and not with her mother. I'm in my thirties now. And, yes, I understand my father. I know that the dad i remember and had as a child is not the same parent my half-sister has. He's older, maturer, smarter (and stopped drinking... That much, at least). I understand everything. But the little child in me would never let me forgive and reconcile with him or my half-sister even if I'd wanted to. That little girl that just can't shake off the feeling of being unneeded. Being replaced. So, yeah, I didn't blink an eye when I told Salyra to kindly fuck off. And didn't agree to meet her new family. And had a great satisfaction in it, as that is something I had not an opportunity to do in my real life as I was much younger than MC. So, childhood dream of a little revenge came true.

And thank you, wonderful author, for this opportunity and the story you create in general. You have no idea how close to home it hit. All sorts of absent emotionally and/or physically parents. I've had it all.

And sorry for this huge and very personal message. Guess that previous anon's ask also hit home and stroke something in me. All the people who openly dislike or just don't want to interact with Rana - you are valid. Whatever your reasons are. We are allowed to be petty and unreasonable.

I'm really sorry you had to go through so much pain, Anon ❤️️ I'm no stranger to real angst in my real life, so I'm glad that the game could provide some 'closure' that you couldn't find in your situation. I knew it would be important for players to react how they want based on their feelings without being pressured to forgive Salyra or to get punished for not forgiving her.

Be as petty and as unreasonable as you want - unless it's got anything to do with the war, you're not going to have any consequences (besides maybe a decrease in Sal's relationship stats!).

Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

[tojiwrd]

hana talking about how she doesn’t believe in marriage and gojo agreeing with her by breaking his engagement with reader 🥴

only for them to get engaged 3 months after they met and marrying shortly after…even if mr. gojo suggested the marriage so what? you are marrying out of duty? even if you supposedly don’t believe in it? make it make sense

pls tell me gojo senior will eventually find out what his son did to reader…if gojo was a man and told his parents he was engaged to reader his parents would have been happy and (don’t know if gojo senior would have gone to prison) the company would still be on their hands 🫣🤭👁️

geto really being delulu like his bestie, like cmon your bestie broke one of your friends’ heart and instead of give them closure by telling the truth bc she SEEMED to be doing fine you acted clueless 🤦‍♀️

@ gojo if someone you loved did what you did to reader (he broke and lied to her), would really NOT hate them specially AFTER waiting almost two years before apologising 🫥🫥

gojo why can’t you accept reader could hate(s) you…something is sus. aw pls don’t tell me, @ gojo, the honeymoon/infatuation phase is fading away 🤭🥴😏

him saying he didn’t want reader to think shw wasn’t important and he didn’t move on quickly…hello? do you hear yourself? THATS what you actually did!!

we need girlboss reina to make her appearance and spill everything unconsciously (not so unconsciously) to hana - knowing the truth by a third party hurt best 😈 - without forgetting the part where gojo still can’t seem to accept that yn could hate him 🤥

patiently waiting for you (author) to serve us a juicy batman revenge 🫢😏

ugghh i want to figuratively k word gojo at the moment 😤😤

question: did gojo leave when reader and geto got the confrontation or was he still in. the gallery?

ps. my toxic trait still wants yn x gojo endgame lmaooo

pps. sorry for the log ask

gojo and hana are literally the silliest and goofiest ppl i've ever wrote about. girly got her heart broke and expressed her feelings and gojo got to sympathetic,, put himself in her shoes and was like YEAH!!

mhmmm gojo said he didn't turn it down because he felt like that marriage ending would be better than if reader and him got married and had to end. it's literally pathetic !! and every man has done this at least once i'm not putting it up for debate. 🥺please, i have to end this or else i'll hurt u more in the future wahhh🥺

there will definitely be family drama!! these kids r going wild atp we need some interventions soon

geto is genuinely such a himbo like i love and hate him in this. he genuinely thought he was doing the right thing too like the audacity of him. but yeah a part of him definitely did it, even subconsciously, to protect gojo in a way even though i don't think he agreed with gojo's actions.

HONEYMOON PHASE FADING AWAY HAS ME CRYINGGGG. but nah fr he's acting too much n saying too much while having a lil ring on his finger right ???

i adore reina reina will be making several appearances i'm glad you are on the same wavelength. like my lil oc girly is out for blood every second we see her

answer!! : yeah, he was like a kicked puppy and left w his tail between his legs. so he definitely has no clue that yn literally went through hell and back bc of him

ps: i don't blame you gojo is so delicious like yesssss break up with me bc ur silly and stupid and your emotions have been stunted since you were in middle school yesss

pps: NEVER apologize for this i love reading these n i love u mwah kisses thank you so so much for reading it!! so glad you're enjoying it <3

[snobgoblin]

thinking about like, so Cyborg Noodle is introduced to Next Gen once Cyborg Tucker gains sentience right. she wants revenge on Murdoc and she wants to collect any robot that might have been discarded or hurt by him and give them the loving home she never had. but the thing is- Cyborg Tucker only gains sentience a while after Murdoc is already dead. so Cyborg Noodle really never got to have her closure, her big confrontation she was hoping for. so I'm thinking, once Cy Tuck explains to her what Tucker is doing (going to Hell to try to get him back) he's actually really hoping he can do it. she knows she should just be glad he's dead but... she's not done with him yet. she thinks she needs him back so she can finally get some closure, just to let him know how much he hurt her, at least. but she was too late

[monstersliveinthemirror]

The Guts Write up Nobody asked for

1. Out the gate with beautiful vocals in All American Bitch. The acoustic intro is interesting and catchy, but when it hits with drums and electric guitar, the song picks up so much. I love her almost punk sound in the chorus, especially the second chorus. This one definitely hits pop rock and it's incredible. The drop to the acoustic at the end is -chefs kiss-.

2. Bad idea right? Is THAT bitch. The sound is incredible, but let's talk lyrics. "My brain goes Ahhhh" is such a mood when you think about that ex you aren't over. "Yes I know that he's my ex but can't two people reconnect I only see him as a friend biggest lie I ever said" This whole track is just a love song to making bad decisions around exes. Let me just say it brings back every single time Alex showed back up in my life and we would be "friends" until the whole line of "I just tripped and fell into his bed..." SONICALLY this song is interesting and upbeat, it's just so good.

3. I don't really have much new to say about Vampire- what a beautiful song about a fucked up time in her life. I love the interesting music and changes in the song. It's catchy, it's just good. It's been good since it came out.

4. Let's talk about the bisexual anthem lacy. It's yet another song for the girlies who don't understand the difference between jealousy and attraction AKA me in high school. The lyrics in this one are silly to me, I think describing skin as puff pastry is so ridiculous, but it's such a vibe for being a teenager and thinking someone is perfect and being jealous. "I despise my rotton mind and how much it worships you" IS NOT A STRAIGHT THING.

5. This one immediately starts off gritty and is almost whiplash following Lacy. The chorus has such a neat and interesting sound and I'm so glad she took a risk with the punk leaning sound for this album. This is another song that makes this album the pop rock genre. I love how upbeat it is, it's a bop and a dance around your room with headphones pretending you're the lead singer of a band song. I will say I don't love the part where it slows down, but I'm glad it picks up and doesn't end with a slower part.

6. Making the bed physically hurt me. I feel personally attacked by the lyrics. I'm not sure I can talk about this. "Push away all the people who know me the best, but it's me who's making the bed. I'm so tired of being the girl that I am every good thing is turning to something I dread, I'm playing the victim so well in my head, but it's me who's been making the bed." Fucking ouch okay. "I got the things I wanted it's just not what I imagined" 😭 it's a perfect mid album song, slowing it down for a minute after lots of energy.

7. I don't have words for logical. Love song to the girls who have been in toxic relationships with men who take advantage of the ones who fall hard. This is an Alex song and I hate it but "you've got me thinking two plus two equals five and I'm the love of your life" I mean come on the WAY people convince you of lies. "Why do I do this, I look so stupid" is the moment of realizing that you were hoodwinked but somehow you still feel for them even though you know better. The whole outro of blaming yourself is just heartbreaking and I am unwell right now okay.

8. Alright back to it with some drums and gritty sound. This one has a great vibe. The chorus is everything to me. Upbeat I hate this man I'm gonna fuck up his life, the break up song for us girlies who knows we aren't gonna get closure but like we're ready to take it. The whole vibe of I want to make him hurt....but with the confusing aspect of wanting to make him feel better by being the one he turns to...nope I want revenge except I want him back FUCK. The perfect song for that confusing part of the break up where you're almost ready to move on but not really.

9. Love is embarrassing is a mood lol. The dumb shit we do when we think we're in love, the way we don't really have boundaries or know what we'll put up with yet. I appreciate the sound and how catchy the song is. I also love the pretty abrupt ending.

10. Alright, slow it back down. We've got the signature acoustic and Olivia's beautiful voice for this one. It seems like it's going to crescendo, but it doesn't quite get there. Lyrically, "I fantasize about a time you're a little fucking sorry" got me. "How could anybody do the things you did so easily" I am unwell. This song made me emotional about a fucking break up that happened almost a year ago. Fuck this. I am hurt. ~you know I can't let it go, I've tried I've tried I've tried for so long~ and it just ending...ugh so good.

11. Pretty isn't pretty starts strong. The sound is good, the lyrics are honest. It just addresses growing up a girl and developing self worth issues and is probably one of my favorite songs here because of the topic. We drop from worrying about relationships and just address what it's like when it feels like nothing is ever good enough. It's not my favorite based on sound, but it's good enough.

12. Ending on a sad note, I see. This one is a coming of age song and not understanding there is so much good ahead. You're just nineteen babe you've got so many better days to come. But at twenty eight I felt this. It's saying goodbye to younger days, "they all say that it gets better, it gets better but what if I don't" screams mental illness to me but I'm probably projecting my own issues. God I love how it picks up because it's such a big feeling. She did a great job of using music to set the mood in this one. Also the outro, the baby sounds the mom sounds just God fucking damn.

[frogs-in3-hills]

dgs case 2 thoughts babeyyy. oops it's long this time

sooo no trial this case!! very interesting!! personally it felt like things got a little boring quite often, maybe because there were so few areas to explore? and i think the pacing was, much like the first case, a little sluggish at times. however i still think it felt wayy better than the aai games, which also had no trials. i would love to have seen a version of aai more like this case, with "argument" portions removed and the logic system more similar to the dance of deduction. overall i am really glad they let the story do what it needed to do instead of trying to squeeze a trial in there, it would have felt really forced considering the setting

i am sooooo obsessed with the dance of deduction by the way,, i think out of all the unique investigative functions throughout the series (magatama, perceive, mood matrix, etc) this might be my favorite. the conceit of it is so creative with ryuunosuke having to course correct using his observation skills, and it actually makes me appreciate sholmes' presence a lot more since it offers a lovely bit of insight into his character: you can kind of see where he's going with everything, but it's his vivid imagination, not stupidity, that leads him to get details wrong-- and those details cause his deductions to spiral out of control and miss the mark. he's so creative, but he doesn't even stop to think that the world might not operate with that same level of creativity. i just think that is so charming wtf. and while it does seem a little too easy i imagine it will get more difficult later, and mechanically i think the visuals really spice things up and i love seeing them take full advantage of the 3d models. i think its a really excellently designed system

speaking of taking advantage of 3d models can i just say i love how the settings are built and how the characters take up that space??? because i looovve the way it creates a more dynamic space and feels more like the characters exist in their environment, while still keeping true to the visual novel style. all that is to say i'm so impressed by the actual game design here and i'm really excited to continue playing through it

anyways i guess i should like. talk about the plot. i guess. hi this case was like super fucked up, but like, in a very unique way?? genuinely, the conclusion to this case felt more like a danganronpa trial than it did an ace attorney case. and the fact that this random 15 yo kid accidentally killed this guy for NO reason?? that's heartbreaking dude, it makes me wonder a lot about what asougi's true goal was and how it relates to the concept of revenge and closure. bc what dgs is telling us with this case is that the truth isn't necessarily all that rewarding, right? knowing who killed asougi doesn't make me or ryuunosuke or susato feel better, and knowing he wasn't planning to reveal pavlova's identity makes her feel worse. even before that, learning that he literally just broke his neck due to an unlucky fall only invites this keen sense of unfairness. there's no closure or revenge or schadenfreude, just a little girl who made a really horrible, but ultimately sympathetic mistake.

i said last post that i felt asougi might be one of those seeking revenge types, or something like that, what with his connection to family honor as well as his obvious ambition. so i can't help but wonder if, when we finally figure out what it was that asougi needed to do in london, ryuunosuke has to face a choice: is he really going to continue his friend's legacy? after all, he's the one holding the sword now, which isn't just symbolic of a man's soul or his honor or whatever, it's a weapon. why did asougi really want to bring something like that so badly?

anyways aaaaaug susato. shes great i love her. no crazy thoughts abt her yet but i love her

anyways i think thats about all i wanted to say there, i liked this case a lot and i'm really excited to keep playing ^_^ semester doesn't start back up for a few more weeks so i'll probably have plenty of time to do so

[jodilin65]

I'm looking forward to trying the AI they're going to add to Alexa once it's available.

Today, we're going to remove the ugly black MLV from the exterior wall in the bedroom. Soundproofing is pointless unless you do 100% of the room with professional-grade materials, and we don't have the money for that right now. The question is whether or not it's worth saving up for. The honker's return will help me decide that.

We went to the pool yesterday at about 9:30, and the water was surprisingly chilly. We saw bubbles coming up from something at the bottom of the pool every few feet. I'm guessing it was something to cool the water. I get that this is Florida, but come on. Pools shouldn't be chilly. It's probably warmer in the afternoon, so we'll go down there (not today since they're barbecuing), but probably tomorrow after he donates.

Coincidentally, the weather has been drier as I get onto days. I knew it would be. At least we've only got about a month left of storm season, even if it means trading it in for the snowbirds. I hate the snowbirds, but they're less of a threat to my sleep than the storms. I also like it better when the mowers drop down to every other week.

Toni will be back in a week. I don't think the party girl has been here for a while either. I haven't seen or heard her or her husband.

Little by little, I've been revising my bio, as I might have mentioned before. Most of it was written in 2002, and there are hundreds of pages to go through. Let's just say it's brought back some very unpleasant memories—things I'd forgotten about, like when I was in the state hospital in Northampton, Dotty, Vermont, Valleyhead, the way my mother gambled with my life due to her selfishness, and her lack of compassion when I starved myself at the beach, etc. So many times in life, a part of me was sorry I didn't die that day or when I threw myself out the window nearly a decade later. Regardless, I'm glad I wrote all this when I was still young because one's memory isn't what it used to be at my age, and I wouldn't be able to remember a lot of it if I were just starting to write it now.

I felt so much anger reading back on things I went through that at one point I thought to myself, if there is such a thing as an afterlife, I would want to slowly torture the shit out of all those who really screwed me over. It wouldn't be about closure or therapy—it would be pure revenge.

This has reinforced the fact that it's important not to reach out to those who don't reach out to me and to avoid toxic people at all costs. Anyone who's ever displayed any kind of vengefulness, or who is overly emotional, sensitive, hypocritical, judgmental, paranoid, controlling, accusatory, defensive, dramatic, or dishonest should be kept at a distance. "Third-party" people can stay out of my life as well—those who go to others with our problems. I understand the need for an unbiased opinion at times, but there are times to involve others, and there are times to keep it between you and the person or people involved.

[gorogues]

Spoilers for this week’s episode of Stargirl!

Jordan Mahkent has plunged back into his life, and he's putting up a good front of peace and love. Surprisingly, he's admitted to the killing of Crusher and Paula, but only after he was accused of it and there probably wasn't any room for denial. He claims their deaths were a regrettable accident which was unavoidable because they'd surprised him. Otherwise, he says he wants to put all the strife and anger behind him, crediting Courtney with helping him turn over a new leaf. He knows Mike killed him (and tells his family this, so Cameron now knows), but claims to have forgiven him. But everyone outside his family -- even Courtney -- is understandably skeptical and hostile given what he just did to the Crocks.

Jordan's parents are thrilled to have him back and Cameron's glad too, though Cameron's still got some lingering questions and anger that his dad let everyone believe he was dead. (In fairness to Jordan, it seems likely that he's telling the truth about not being sentient as his body was re-forming from water. But who knows how long he was watching everyone and not letting his family know he was alive). Cameron wants to start his relationship with Courtney again but she's quietly reluctant, still bothered by whatever his dad's up to. Jordan tells her that he's fine with the two of them having a relationship.

But Sylvester hits the roof when he learns Jordan's back, as Jordan had killed him and much of the JSA ten years ago. He destroys one of the buildings at the farm the Ultra-Humanite's been hiding in, and swears he'll execute Icicle. He puts the burden on Courtney by asking to use the Staff and essentially seeking her blessing, which is a terrible thing to do to another person, particularly a young one. And Courtney continues to be torn, because as much as she distrusts Jordan, setting out to kill someone is not okay with her…and she's thinking of maybe recruiting Jordan to fight against the Ultra-Humanite. Pat and Sylvester had said earlier that the U-H and the ISA had been enemies because the ISA wouldn't let the U-H join, and obviously the Crocks won't be there to help in the upcoming fight.

At least Artemis has some closure in her parents' disappearance, but that doesn't make the grief and rage any easier. She's also staying with the Whitmore-Dugan family like Yolanda and Sylvester are, and Barbara gently comforts her. Barbara and Pat were also distressed by the Crocks' deaths because of their growing friendships, and it's even tougher on Barbara because Jordan's back as her boss and she knows firsthand what a monster he is. She holds it together quite well, despite the shock.

The end of the episode finds Jordan wandering alone through a rural area, and then the Ultra-Humanite comes through the trees to join him. Jordan says it's time to get the plan started, so he and the U-H are thus working together and aren't enemies. Which is entirely expected, so maybe the show should have established the purported enmity between the U-H and ISA earlier, to build up potential tension between the two sides. But regardless, there clearly isn't any enmity now, and Jordan is almost certainly lying about wanting love and forgiveness. Does he simply want revenge, or is there something deeper at play? How far will he go, and will Cameron side with him or Courtney? Obviously these questions will have to be answered in the final two episodes.

And I wonder who's going to fight with the JSA in the finale: Artemis and Cindy are pretty good bets, but who knows if Shade and the twins (possibly with Sandy in tow?) will appear. Maybe even Helix will join in. It should be a pretty good fight, and wildcards like Ragevester and Cameron should shake things up a bit and make it more complicated. Plus, there's the potential question of Sylvester being the Ultra-Humanite's pawn, and what that might mean for the battle. We've got to wait two weeks for the next episode, but I'm really looking forward to it.

[marshmallowprotection]

Hey, there's something I've been thinking about the NE and GE of Ray's AE.

As we know, one of the biggest differences between the two endings is the change of characters talking to Saejoong; in GE it's MC and Saeran and in NE it's Rika and V. As you mentioned before, Saeran misses the chance to hear from his father in NE, the missing piece to close this story, plus we don't get to know what Saeyoung thinks of his father (With that dialogue it still makes clear the message that you don't have to forgive someone to move on) and there remains the uncertainty of how each RFA member's life will go on after that....

Although the proposal scene is beautiful 💖💖💖💖 and I liked seeing Rika face her demons and accept her mistakes.

Anyway, what I want to say is that .... Do you think it would be possible for Saeran personally, after this ending, to try to go to prison to see Saejoong just to find out what he needs to know? The reasons why that man is the way he is, what made him what he is now?

Hmm... I think it would be harder to talk to Saejoong here, so maybe he's wasting his time because he refuses to talk, I don't think that man wants to see his face anymore.

Oh, I can tell you right now that Saeyoung will not hear Saejoong talk. He will not listen to Saejoong. Saeyoung was literally hunting him for revenge non-stop the second that the news broke that Saejoong was on the run. He and Vanderwood were looking for him, and he wasn't about to stop. He wanted to be the one to capture him. In V's AE, he kidnaps Rika from the police with the intention of getting information from her and then likely getting rid of her if it came down to it. Like, if Jumin, Jaehee, and Vanderwood wouldn't have found Saeyoung, I'm not sure I can confirm what wouldn't become of Rika.

Saeyoung doesn't forgive. He doesn't forget. He's not Saeran in this sentiment. He cuts people off when they burn him and he doesn't go and look back. That's what he needs for his emotional journey. He is not the type that needs to talk to someone to get closure like that. He knows that talking gets nowhere with people like that. Saeyoung isn't going to step anywhere near V or Rika, for example. But they turned themselves in so he’s not doing that. Saejoong didn't. Saejoong commented that he knew that Saeyoung was hunting him down, and he took the walk of shame to where Saeyoung was to let him catch him.

I know Saeyoung Choi like the back of my hand and he never fucking forgets if someone burns him. He will never forget if someone hurts Saeran or the people he loves. So, yes, he and Saeran have different feelings about this stuff and I’m glad the game shows us all kinds of forgiveness or the lack therefore. Because we all have to cope and choose what’s right for us. The RFA has their own way, as well. Like, there’s no right or wrong choice here. Just remember, as long as you aren’t hurting yourself or anyone else, with it you can be as angry as you want about whatever was done to you. That’s the key detail. You can be upset, but don’t use that hurt against yourself or others. 

I’m more like Saeyoung, myself, tbh. But, situations and circumstances change the way you deal with stuff! 

If I'm being honest here, I don't think that Saejoong is going to be willing to talk. The impact of that situation is a lot stronger when it happens at the moment, and if it doesn't happen the way that it does in the Good Ending, it’s less likely to do anything. I just can't see that man being willing to have an upfront conversation. He's not the type of person to do that for any reason, and he's got far too much pride in himself to talk about his emotions. He's just going to bid his time until the day that he dies since that’s all  he has. Any of the reputation that he built for himself is basically in the gutter and he doesn't have a legacy other than one of corruption.

I’m not saying that Saeran wouldn’t consider it? Because I do feel like there might come a point when he wants to confront it, but that doesn't mean that he's going to get it. Just because you want resolution doesn't mean you're going to get it. People can bite their tongue and stand their ground until the day they die. Saeran can extend a branch for a chance to talk to Saejoong about his life, but that doesn’t mean Saejoong will take it. We know that at the end of the day that Saeran is going to be okay no matter what in the Normal Ending. He's got his brother and he's got you. He's got everything he could ever want or need. He's going to be okay.

He might not have that final part of the catharsis, but he's going to be okay and that’s the good news. There are some other things in that specific ending that aren't taken care of properly. Because the RFA isn't in as good of a place as they are in the good ending. But there's a reason why it's called the normal ending, remember? Saejoong will never change but some people never do. Even if he listened to Saeran, it doesn’t change anything. Saeran is the only one that gets healing out of it. 

[bluejayblueskies]

jon being the one to kill jonah in the end is honestly so important to me. this entire podcast, jonah has only viewed jon as a tool to wield and as an archive of fear to use as the lynchpin for his ritual. but jon is so much more than that, and he's grown so much, and so for him to stand there while jonah is begging for his life and to finally say, "no, i'm done. i'm done listening to you and i'm done being manipulated by you and you will answer for what you've done" is so powerful and good. jon is finally getting both revenge and closure, and regardless of everything that happened after, i am so so glad he got the chance to do so.

[evermoore580]

I watched the Injustice movie

⚠️Spoiler alert ⚠️

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I didn't like it.

Mostly everyone died.

Flash was the worst cuz honestly I forgot they killed him.

Don't start with Nightwing, he got hit in his head by Robin with an escrima stick (I think) and his excuse was that ‘he always dodged it’ (WTF). So I was angry. Anyway we got to see him as Deadwing and the suit reminded me of Discowing so it wasn't all that bad. I don't like his hair. So I guess I didn't feel bad when he died. I apologise.

I didn't like how they tried to add jokes to lighten the mood in some instances like when Plasticman showed up, it just didn't fit well.

Harley was good tho. I liked how she gave the arrow cave a better name. The Quiver.

Wonder Woman was really annoying and she could forgive Superman killing a building full of kids but draws the line at killing Batman & the rest of superheroes like what?? Let's say I never liked the Injustice version of Wonder Woman.

Then Superman. Well, I could never understand the Injustice version of him. Just because Lois died, he has to get revenge and destroy anyone who opposes him. What...I feel like every time Lois dies it's the end of the world.

BatCat...worst possible time for it but at least Batman has someone. How nice.

Damian deserves a slap honestly. Like please I would do it. I understand he's just a kid but still. I'm really glad that he got closure though and that Dick forgave him cuz that was actually the only heartwarming scene in this entire movie.

RIP all the heroes that died and the people that got killed for no reason. Joker deserved it tho.

The animation was meh. Not that great, idk what they're doing honestly.

Anyway I think I covered everything important really. I'll rate it 2/10, or maybe 4 cuz I'm in a good mood.

If you read this and haven't already watched it, well it doesn't really make sense to watch the movie cuz this is basically the major events that happened. Which is disappointing. Not to mention that it didn't follow the plot of the comics or games, at least I think so cuz I haven't read or played that in a while.

If I missed anything, just leave a comment and let me know what you thought about the movie. And yes, I ended this like a Youtuber.

[dreamingofmilk]

Just The Two Of Us Chapter 3

Synopsis: You meet up with Erik to get an explanation.

Word count: 1,447

Warnings: none

Izzie paced back and forth in her dorm room. Ignoring Leona as she just walked into the living room. Lee watched her with amusement, a small smile on her face. Lee sat back on the couch and started eating her popcorn.

“What’s got your panties in a bunch?” Lee asked, her head turning to watch Izzie continuously go back and forth.

“I’m supposed to be meeting someone today.” Izzie stopped to glance at Leona. Then she started up her walking again.

“At what time?” Leona asks, offering Izzie some popcorn. Izzie shakes her head and keeps walking.

“7.”

“That’s in like 5 minutes… shouldn’t you be getting ready.” Leona quirks a brow at Iysha. Iysha shrugs and sits next to her.

“It’s Erik,” Izzie mumbled.

“Erik who?” Lee watched Izzie as she picked up her phone and watched the time tick by. “Erik who Iz?” Lee asked again.

“The Erik. The same guy I was in love with freshman year after he left to join the army before I met Bucky and fell head over heels for a guy with a metal arm.” Izzie yelled frustrated.

“I thought he was dead. Didn’t you get some letter saying he dropped off the grid and was presumed dead.” Lee was now completely intrigued.

“I did! But he’s not and now he wants to meet and explain what happened.” Izzie put her head in her hands and shook slightly.

“So?” Lee shrugged. Go meet him. I don’t see what the big deal is. Wasn’t he like your best friend? What’s wrong with catching up?” Lee reasoned with Izzie.

“The big deal is that I was in love with my best friend. The even bigger deal is that I might still be in love with him.” Izzie responded, her heart hurt as she thought of Bucky and how he might feel hearing those words come out of her mouth.

“Oh,” Lee says.

“Yeah big fucking OH.” Izzie stands up to start pacing again. “Don’t get me wrong I love Bucky. I’m in love with Bucky at 100%. He is who I want to spend the rest of my life with. But seeing Erik yesterday made me realize that I might love him too. I… I..” Izzie faded off looking at her phone again.

“I say you go see him. Tell him how you feel and that you have a boyfriend now. Tell him that you want to still have him in your life as a friend and go from there. You're making assumptions right now and you don’t know how anything will go. You won’t know until you talk to him. If anything you deserve an explanation.” 

Izzie nodded her head in agreeance. “You’re right I do deserve an explanation.” Izzie grabbed her coat from the hook and her keys and wallet. “I’ll let you know what happens.” Izzie all but ran out of the dorm room.

**********

Izzie makes it to the cafe at 7:45 pm her heart pounding from the race there and the anticipation of seeing him again. Butterflies erupted in her stomach as they always did when she saw his face, Bucky’s too.

Erik’s sad face and frown contorted into a big smile when he saw Izzie. He stood up as she made her way toward him. He opened his arms for a hug, Izzie frowned and shook her head.

“I just came for the explanation Erik. Nothing more nothing less.” Izzie sits down quietly in front of where Erik was just sitting.

“Okay. That’s okay. I’m just happy you came. I was getting a bit worried.” Erik chuckled and shyly glanced up at Izzie. His nervousness was new to her. Erik always used to be the most confident guy around, especially whenever Izzie was with him.

“Yeah okay Erik, I’m here now. Can you just explain why you had your commanding officers send me a letter saying that you were dead when you’re clearly not?”

“Okay.” Erik cocks his head. “Well for one… It wasn’t my commanding officers that sent that letter. As far as they know I am actually dead. It was my cousin… T’Challa. You remember him?”

Izzie nods, confusion etched on her face. “I thought… I mean… Did you find him? You were able to get to Wakanda?”

Erik nodded a small content smile on his face.

“I was able to locate my family. It took some fighting and a few family squabbles but we hashed everything out and made it work in the end. I am now Prince Njdaka Udaku advisor to King T’Challa Udaku, and occasional lab rat for Princess Shuri Udaku.” He grimaced at the last one.  

She smiled softly, “That’s great, Erik. I’m glad you found a solution you’re happy with.” Izzie was genuinely happy for him too. She knew how heavy his family history weighed on him, so she was happy to hear that he managed to find a way to fix it. That certainly didn’t fix the issues he caused between the two of them though.

"That doesn't answer my question though. Why did you make me think you were dead?"

Erik sighed, "I joined a black ops organization to get Intel on Wakanda. I wanted to get revenge for Pops."

She nodded, hesitating slightly before she spoke again, "What kind of revenge? Why would you have to join black ops?"

Erik looked into her eyes, his expression full of the same sadness from before. "I was going to kill T'challa. His dad killed Pops, so I planned on returning the favor."

Izzie shook her head, "Erik, no. That wouldn't have solved anything. That wouldn't take the pain away."

He nodded. "Yeah. I learned that the hard way. I almost killed my cousin, twice, to punish him for a crime his father committed. It took me a long time to see it, but T'challa is nothing like his father."

He paused for a bit before continuing. "To answer your question T'Challa helped me fake my death so I wouldn't be punished for treason. I abandoned the military after all."

Izzie frowned, "And you couldn't trust me not to tell anyone?" She couldn't hide the hurt in her voice. "I would have never betrayed you like that!"

Erik raised his hands, palms exposed. "I know, Butter, believe me. I argued with T'challa and Shuri for weeks about it. I didn't want to lie to you. But they said that the military would check into everyone connected to me and I couldn't put you in danger like that. If they found out that you knew anything about my whereabouts they would have taken you, or worse. You don’t know the kind of shit that I got wrapped into with them. The shit that I know about them. I couldn't take that chance."

Izzie nodded reluctantly. "I understand. I wish you would have trusted me though. You have no idea what I went through when I found out you died. I was a wreck for months Erik!" She could feel the tears burning behind her eyes. Those were the darkest times of her life. She almost didn't make it through. And all of it was a lie.

Erik reached across the table and grabbed her hand. "Butter, I'm so sorry I hurt you. I swear to you I only did it to protect you. I know you're angry with me, and I understand, but I love you and I will do whatever I need to do to fix it. Just give me a chance and I will make it my life's work to make you happy."

Izzie shook her head, "It's not that simple Erik." His eyes widened as she spoke, desperation and resolve clear in his expression.

"What's the problem Izzie? I love you, and I know you love me too. Together forever, that's what we said."

The tears in her eyes fell over. "I thought you were dead Erik! Dead! I have a boyfriend, I love him. We can't pick up where we left off."

"A boyfriend huh?" Erik sat back calmly in his seat. 

Izzie nodded. "Yes. Like I said I came here for an explanation and closure. Nothing more, nothing less."

She moved to stand up and Erik gently grabbed her hand.

"That's fine, Butter, I'll win you back. We're meant to be, and I'll do whatever you need to make you see it again."

Izzie wrenched her hand away and gathered her things. Erik sat still, but there was a smirk forming on his face. The same smirk that sent butterflies to her stomach, that still made her weak in the knees. 

"Have fun with your distraction, Butter. I'll be right here when you're ready."

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